Title: Different Kind of Family
Summary: Set right after Rise but not "following" along the season, that is just my show of inspiration. Something happens to Alexis and she can't reach her dad or her Gram, who should she call?
Disclaimer: I own no one from the show, only characters I make up in my mind.
A/N: In watching Rise, when Kate said her scar pulls and he asks if she still remembers nothing and she said "no nothing." The look on his face said I don't believe you. That is where I am going from.
Chapter One: I Need You
As soon as Kate left her therapist office her phone started ringing, she pulled it out of her pocket and rolled her eyes thinking it might be Castle, it was a Castle but the youngest one. "Beckett."
"Detective Beckett this is Alexis, I need you." She could hear the young girl was crying if not close to hysterics, that just wasn't Alexis.
"Slow down sweetie, where are you and what's wrong?"
"I fell down the steps, I don't know what happened it's like my ankle twisted and I was just going down. My arm hurts really bad and I can't get up, it hurts so bad Beckett."
"I'm on my way, where's your dad sweetie?"
"I wouldn't have bothered you if I knew, his phone is off and Gram is in class."
"Hey you are never a bother to me, I'm on my way just hang in there sweetie I'm not far."
Kate dialed her phone and heard her best friend's voice. "Hey girl."
"Lanie I need a big favor, Alexis fell down the steps and I'm on my way to her but Castle's phone is off so I need you and the guys to find him. I'm taking her to the ER but I'm not her mother or family in any way so they won't do anything without him or Martha."
"Where's Martha?"
"Alexis said she's in class. Listen I'm pulling up in front now, please just find him and get him to the ER." She hung up and jumped out of the car. Kate unlocked the apartment door and ran in seeing the young girl laying on the floor in tears. She ran over and got on the floor beside her. "Okay sweetie, do you have any back pain because if you do I need to call an ambulance instead of helping you up."
"No back pain just my ankle and my arm is hurting like hell."
"I'm going to help you to the car and take you to the ER, I've got Lanie and the guys out looking for your dad. Now hold on to my neck and I'll lift you up just hold on to me with the arm that isn't hurting, on 3 are you ready?" At her nod then Kate braced and got ready to lift. "1….2…3 and up." She got her in a standing position and they left." When they got in the car she realized she should have left a note but he'll call Alexis' phone when he gets home and she can tell him then.
They were in the car on the way to the hospital and Alexis looked over. "Thank you for coming for me Kate, you probably shouldn't have you know."
"Why is that?"
"I didn't want dad to come back after what happened, any of us could have gotten shot and I was kind of mad at him for going back. But he said you make him happy and that's enough for now."
"He wasn't going to come back but I went to a book signing and begged him to talk to me, truth was that long without your dad was just too long and I missed him terribly. Your dad makes a tough day better and right now doing my job without him there would be just too hard, he's my partner."
"He loves you but you know that right?"
Kate looked over and her and smiled. "He came back I believe that speaks more than any words he can come up with." She pulled into the hospital and after parking looked over at Alexis. "Now I don't know if this will work but I'm going to do something I probably shouldn't but I'm going to use my badge to get you straight in, plus I'm going to name drop with your dad which I never do so don't think I do it but I don't want you sitting in the waiting room."
Alexis wiped tears off her face. "This hurts like hell Kate, whatever it takes."
They walked in and she told Alexis to sit down for just a minute then she went to the window and the nurse looked up at her and smiled. "Can I help you?"
She pulled her badge knowing she shouldn't but whatever it takes. "I'm Detective Beckett NYPD, my partner is Richard Castle he's a civilian investigator. I brought his daughter in and right now we are trying to locate Mr. Castle but I don't know where he is. She hurt her ankle and fell down the steps and I need her looked at immediately."
The nurse looked at her like she knew he was using her credentials and name dropping to by-pass the wait but she smiled seeing the concern on her face. "Just a minute detective and I'll get someone out here with a wheelchair."
Kate walked over and sat down. "They are going to come on out and get you."
Alexis used her good arm to reach over and take Kate's hand. "Thank you Kate."
They saw a woman come out and the nurse pointed to where they were sitting. "I'm here to take the young lady back, since you're not family you'll have to stay out here."
Alexis shook her head. "No, Kate is family she's the closest thing I've ever had to a mother please let her come back." The woman nodded and Kate got up and followed them back.
They got to a room and the patient care tech helped Alexis out of the wheelchair and sat her on the side of the stretcher. "Here's a gown, I'll let the detective help you get changed then we'll be back to do your paperwork and a doctor will be in soon." She looked at Kate. "Can you try to keep getting in touch with her dad?"
"I have friends out looking for him so they'll call when they find him or I'm sure he will." She stepped out and Kate stood up and grabbed the gown after pulling the curtain. "I know someone that's not family doing this is uncomfortable but I promise you it bothers you more than me."
Alexis smiled. "I want to know what happened and I'm in so much pain I just want to get this over with, it's no big deal and I wouldn't let dad help with this anyway." Kate smiled and finished with helping her.
The PCT came back with her computer and took Alexis' information down and she told Kate where to find her insurance information and everything in her purse. Suddenly she looked over at Kate. "Are you Detective Katherine Beckett?"
"Yes, why?"
"You are actually on her records as a medical proxy as signed by her father in the absence of her father or grandmother, you can make any medical decisions for her."
Kate looked at Alexis. "I wonder when he did that. I mean he came up to me one day right after he started shadowing me and made me promise if anything ever happened to him that I would take care of you but I mean, I never thought anymore about it."
Before Alexis could say anything a doctor came in. "I'm Doctor Patton and I'll be looking at you young lady, can you tell me what happened?"
"I'm hurt not an idiot, of course I can tell you." Kate tried to hide her smiled behind her hand. "I started walking down the steps at our loft and my ankle felt like it twisted and it gave out then I went down. I rolled down the steps and reached out to break my fall, when I hit the bottom I could reach my phone so I called Kate."
"And you were home alone?"
Alexis rolled her eyes and at the time Kate could only smile knowing that's what she did to Castle. "Yes if someone had been there then I wouldn't have had to call Kate to come and get me."
The Old Haunt
Lanie walked into the bar, they had been everywhere they had thought of restaurants and other bars but she suddenly remembered The Haunt. Lanie walked up to the bar and a bartender walked over. "Can I help you ma'am?"
"Is Brian working?"
"He is, just a second."
Brian walked over and smiled. "So Lanie, what's up?"
"Have you seen Castle, we've been looking all over the city for him and this is my last resort." He sighed and she hit the counter. "Look his daughter is injured and he's not answering his phone, if he's here I need him."
Brian nodded. "He's down in the office he didn't want anyone to know. You make sure he doesn't fire me for telling you."
"I'll light such a fire under his ass you will be the last thing on his mind but if it comes down to it then Kate will save your job once she kicks his ass." She walked down the steps and saw Castle sitting at his desk but he didn't look drunk, just like the name of his bar so haunted. "Castle what's up with you?"
"Lanie I don't feel like talking right now that's the reason my phone is off and I told Brian I didn't want anyone to know I was here. Being betrayed and hurt by someone you love is hard to get over."
"You and I both know who you're talking about but right now you need to get your self-pity ass upstairs and out to Espo's cruiser which is now waiting out front. Your little girl fell down the steps at the loft and she couldn't reach you so she called Kate who took her to the ER. We need to get you there just in case anything has to be signed."
He jumped up and followed her but he spoke as they were going up the steps. "Kate is medical proxy for Alexis in my absence, she can make any medical decisions for Alexis."
At the hospital
They took Alexis to x-ray for a possible broken arm but they determined her ankle was in fact just twisted. Kate held on to Alexis' phone for her just in case Castle tried to call her, she wasn't as upset as he was worried. She heard voices and the PCT came back in the room. "Detective the young lady's father is here with the other detectives, he said they could come with him."
Castle walked in and looked at Kate. "Where's Alexis? What happened to her?"
"They took her to x-ray, she might have broken her arm. She twisted her ankle as she started down the steps and fell the rest of the way, she couldn't reach you so she called me."
He nodded. "Thank you, I owe you more than I can ever repay for this one but I'm here now so you can go if you have other things to do."
She shook her head. "No, I'm staying here I don't care what you think of me right now and I have the feeling that the fact that your phone was off is my fault somehow but this isn't about us this is about Alexis. I'm here for her so I'm staying, I promised her I wouldn't leave her." She looked up at her friends. "Thank you for finding him, you guys don't have to stick around if you don't want too."
Ryan shook his head. "This room is small so maybe we'll run to the café and get coffee, call us as soon as they finish with her." They walked off and Castle walked in and sat down.
She looked over at him. "I'm sorry Castle, whatever I did to make you hide and turn off your phone I mean I thought we were getting back to where we were but I guess not."
He nodded. "I thought we were too but sometimes I think things over and I can't get it out of my head."
She reached out and took his hand. "When did you make me a medical proxy for Alexis? I mean I don't mind, I'm touched actually, I had no idea you thought that much of me I mean this is trusting me with the most important person in your life."
He rubbed her knuckles. "You promised me once if anything ever happened to me you would take care of Alexis, I took you at your word and filed that papers to make you medical and educational proxy the next day. Mother is around but I can't trust Meredith to do anything but help her pick out the perfect outfit, this requires too much thought for her. I know you would never let Alexis down."
"Castle can we ever get it back?"
He shrugged but never let go of her hand. "I don't know, so how was she when they took her out?"
"Upset that she couldn't find you but I found out while she was talking to the doctor that I see a lot of how I talk to you in her it's funny really. When she rolled her eyes at him I could just remember me doing that to you. I think she was more worried about you so I just wanted to get her in here and get it done. I used my badge and your name to get her straight on back."
He smiled. "Thanks for doing that, I hate waiting rooms and I know she does too."
Suddenly the looked up as the stretcher was rolled back in but they didn't drop from holding hands. Alexis looked over at her dad. "Nice of you to make it to the party dad."
He got up and walked over to the bed. "I'm sorry sweetie, I should have let you know where I'd be."
She shook her head. "I get it dad, you were upset when we were talking last night so I figured you were off thinking about that conversation and other things."
He nodded. "I was doing that but it didn't help so I guess it was a waste." He held on to her hand. "So did they say anything?"
"No, the doctor is supposed to be in soon."
Suddenly the doctor came in and put his hand out. "Mr. Castle, I'm Dr. Patton and we have the results of your daughter's x-ray." He looked at Alexis. "You young lady must have broken your fall with your hand because you broke your wrist and it will require a cast." He looked up at Castle. "Well just take her, set the arm and put the cast on then have her right back in here so you guys can take her home."
Kate smiled. "Thank you Dr. Patton."
That jerked Castle out of his thought about what could have happened to his daughter. "Yes thank you doctor."
They wheeled Alexis out then Kate sent a text to Lanie to tell her what was going on and after they were done they would take Alexis home to sleep so they could all leave if they wanted and thanks for finding Castle. She took Castle's hand again. "After we get her home and laid down we're going to sit down and talk about this. I need my partner back and I know what happened was my fault and I'm so sorry Castle but I can't stand this distance between us."
He nodded. "We'll talk but I'm just not ready right now, it's just too raw."
She put her head down and he thought he saw tears in her eyes. "Just don't leave me, okay?"
"I'll try that's the best I can do at this point." That was all the talking they did and they just sat holding hands and waiting for Alexis.
TBC
Review…. I know I said I would never work on more than one story again but this story jumped in my head and wouldn't leave… so I will do more than 3 at a time.
