Alexis walked through the door of the ball room and was surprised by the colourful Christmas decorations. She didn't want to spend New Years eve home alone so she agreed to accompany Kate and her father, at least she wouldn't be by herself. They had promised a wonderful evening with friends, so she would not have to be a third wheel. Lanie and Javier were waiting at the table. She glanced around the room looking for anyone else that she may know but couldn't find a single person.

"It'll be fine" Castle whispered as he helped her with her coat.

"Castle is right honey, we couldn't just leave you at the loft all alone, Ryan and his date should be hear soon, and do you see that guy over there?" Kate said, pointing to a tall blond haired boy who was currently pretending not to be looking in her general direction.

"He was checking you out" Kate continued. "Not saying you have to kiss him at midnight, but just look around, plenty of guys here, i'm sure we can find one that's worthy of a midnight smooch." Kate gave her a little hug and pat on the back.

She had been having a hard time getting back out there since she had broken things off with her last boyfriend. Not that she was regretting that decision at all, she just had not met anyone that peeked her interest.

She gave Kate and her dad a reassuring smile as they walked over to join the others at the table.

"Hey sweetie, glad you decided to join us" Lanie smiled at Alexis. Alexis nodded slightly, "Yeah, better than being bummed at home alone right"

"That's the spirit" Castle said kissing her head.

Rick was helping Kate to her seat, Alexis reached for the back of her chair and heard a familiar voice from behind her "I'll get that a for you" she turned and saw the sparkling blue eyes of Det. Kevin Ryan. She smiled instinctively, as Kevin placed his hand on the chair and pulled it away from the table. "Thanks Det. Ryan"

"Please, call me Kevin, ok. Might I say you look wonderful tonight, you too guys" he looked around at all his friends and co-workers.

"Thanks bro, hey where's your girl?" Javier questioned.

"Ah, yeah, we kinda decided to see other people" Kevin confessed.

"Meaning she already has." Javi joked, which earned him a fist bump from Castle. It also earned him a glare from his partner.

"No, I don't wanna talk about it, anyway, as I was saying, ladies you all look lovely this evening." Kevin looked from Lanie to Kate, and then back at Alexis.

"So Lex, where's your date, I can't believe your here alone." he was distracted by Castle waving his hand across his throat begging him to stop.

Kevin looked back at Alexis who was staring down at the empty plate, Kevin shot Castle and 'sorry' look.

"It's ok, we broke up" Alexis whispered. Looking up at him.

"Oh Lex I had no idea, sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up"

"Its fine, don't worry about it" Alexis smiled at him.

"Yes, and were all going to have a wonderful evening, despite his absence." Castle said holding his hand in the air so the passing waiter would see, the waiter responded with a smile and strolled over to the table with a tray of glasses filled with champagne.

They toasted to a great night filled with love and laughter.

As the evening moved along, they enjoyed a lovely four course dinner and dessert. After the dinner was over, Lanie and Javier had disappeared, Kate and Rick chatting at the bar with some of his number one fans, Kevin asked Alexis if she felt like getting some fresh air so they made their way out onto a large balcony while the wait staff cleared table and began setting up for the dance portion of the night.

It was chilly as they made their way outside and they could see their breath in the cold night air. Kevin watched Alexis as she inhaled and let out a big puff of air, she had grown into a beautiful woman, she was wearing a stunning red dress that hugged her body in all the right places, he gulped hard and looked away trying to change his train of thought. 'Where in the hell did that come from' he wondered. He watched from a few feet away as the blond haired boy, who had spent most of his evening staring at her, approached her and began chatting about the weather.

Kevin giggled to himself, 'well of course the kid wants her, I mean look at her, hell I can't stop staring at her myself' he thought. He tried to look away and give them some privacy, but he couldn't help himself, when he glanced over at them, he thought he saw Alexis give him a strange look, like a please get me the hell outta here look. He watched her intently and realized that as much as this guy wanted her, she wanted nothing to do with him. The boy was distracted for a moment buy a woman Kevin could only assume was his Grandmother, and she mouthed the words 'please help' at Kevin. He nodded in reply and began moving towards the two.

"Hey sweetie" Kevin smiled as he approached, bending and giving her a little kiss on the cheek, Alexis was confused, "I've been looking all over for you, I was starting to get worried." Kevin continued. Placing his hand on her lower back and pulling her slightly to him. Alexis smiled up at him and realized what he was doing, "Oh, I just came out to get some fresh air honey, didn't mean to make you worry," she said looking into his blue eyes.

"You gonna introduce me to your friend" Kevin asked eyeing the blond boy.

"Oh yeah. We actually just met, this is David, David this is Kevin" "Nice to meet you", the two men shook hands and tried to figure each other out.

David looked from Kevin to Alexis "oh, and Kevin, you are...?" he waited for one of the to answer.

Kevin waited too, for Alexis to come up with something, "Boyfriend" Alexis blurted out, "He's my boyfriend" Kevin put his hand on her hip and pulled her close.

God she felt good, but snap out of it man, she just saying that to get rid of this kid. He felt her shiver, " Babe you cold?" He questioned and began to shrug off his jacket and casually placed it around her shoulders, like he'd done it a million times before.

"Oh" the kid squeaked "I saw you come in alone and, i'm sorry man, I didn't realize you were together"

"Hey, no problem man, it was an honest mistake" Kevin said placing his arm back around Alexis who cuddled into him. He couldn't get the smile off his face, as the boy walked away Alexis began to giggle and tried to hide her face in his shoulder so David would not see her laughing. Kevin placed his other arm around her pulling her into a hug as the kid looked back at them, in hopes of helping her conceal her laughter. She put her head on his shoulder as she slipped her arms around him, hugging him back.

"Thanks so much" Alexis whispered into his ear as she started to control her laughter. She lifted her head and met his gaze, 'God his eyes are so blue' she thought, 'and he has the sweetest smile' Then she realized. She was still holding him, and he made no attempt to let her go, they stood together, holding each other close, it felt nice to be held, he was so warm and tender, her mind started to wonder, he tilted his head closer and waited for her to pull away, and when she didn't he kissed her. No hesitation at all, and she kissed back.

Slowly and firmly their lips met, it was so unexpected. But it felt right. He held her tightly, and she felt amazing. He released his grip and began to run his hands down her back and slipped them under the jacket and back up again. He reached the bare skin of her back and she shivered from the connection.

She pushed against him opening up her lips to his, wanting him to take all of her. She couldn't believe that he was kissing her like this, it was Kevin Ryan, he was her dad's friend, he was so much older, I mean she never thought of him like this, yeah he was cute, and his eyes were amazing, he friends commented at a party once that he was hot but she never saw that. But she was feeling it now, the way he touched her, and in his kiss, man could he kiss, she felt her knees getting week as his tongue gently collided with hers.

He felt her knees buckle and pulled her closer. 'Wow' but I need to stop this, we can't be doing this, oh God she tastes amazing, but it's Alexis, Oh god she's so young, I gotta stop this. He couldn't stop, in his arms he held an amazingly beautiful woman, who was kissing him back, but he was getting hard and he knew that if he didn't stop now he was in trouble.

He pulled away just a little, but he kept his arms around her, they stood together, breathless and confused. What in the hell just happened, he kissed his best friends daughter, the thought of Castle seeing them just crossed him mind.

"What?" Alexis whispered.

"We can't"

"We just did" She smiled

He looked at her sternly, "You know what I mean, your so young, your just a kid trying to figure your live out, I can't do this to you"

She looked up at him and he could tell that his thoughtless words had hurt her, she tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let go.

"I am not a child" she spat out at him. "Let me go"

"Lex, wait, please don't get upset with me"

"Why would I get upset with you, after all it was you who kissed me, it was you who wont let me go now" she was struggling against him.

"Stop, please, I'll let you go but you gotta listen to me, please" Kevin looked down at her.

She stopped, and realised her but still stood close.

"I didn't mean it ok"

"Then why did you do it"

"No, not that, I didn't mean what I said, your not a kid I know that, trust me, I know that" Kevin put his hands in his pockets trying to look casual.

She looked away from him, as he continued trying to dig himself out of this hole he found himself in.

"Lex, i'm sorry, I got carried away, that's all, I didn't mean to upset you, ok. Please don't be mad at me" he reached for her cheek to make her look him in the eye.

"Fine, don't worry about it, we can pretend this never happened" she said and started to walk away.

He reached for her, "That's not what I meant Alexis, wait, please"

But it was too late, she had already made it in through the doors as he followed close behind her, still trying to look casual. But they soon caught the attention of everyone seated back at the table when they strolled across the floor, past the table and towards the main entrance without giving anyone a second glance.

Castle and Kate got up and followed behind.

Alexis reached the coat check and quickly removed his jacket and tossed it at him, Kate grabbed Castle's arm and pulled him back so they wouldn't be seen. "Alexis please don't go, please, let me fix this"

Castle shot Kate an inquisitive look, not believing he was watching them fight like this.

"There is nothing to fix, it was a stupid kiss, that you didn't mean, with a stupid kid" Alexis huffed and she buttoned her coat.

"Kiss," Castle hissed at Kate "I'm gonna kill him"

"Stop it Castle" Kate whispered, grabbing his arm and dragging him back to the table.

"No, that's not what I meant and you know it" He grabbed her hand.

She pulled it away and headed for the door, "Please tell my dad that I wasn't feeling well and had to go"

"Alexis no" But it was too late, she was heading down the stairs and straight for a cab.

Kevin could not believe what had happened, he never meant to upset her like that, he didn't regret the kiss, it was amazing, he was just afraid that, well he felt like he had tricked her into it, and that it wasn't something that she really wanted. But he realized that if she was this upset over it, it must have meant something to her too.

He pulled out his phone, and dialed Castle's number.

Back at the table, Kate was trying very hard to convince Castle that he didn't need to shoot Kevin in the kneecaps, that Alexis was a grown woman and that she was going to be kissing a lot of boys, when his phone rang.

"It's him", Castle gritted his teeth, "The daughter kisser."

Kate grabbed the phone from his hand, "Hello"

"Hey Kate?" Kevin questioned.

"Yeah"

"Ok, hey listen, Alexis isn't feeling well, she asked me to tell you guys that she's headed home ok,"

"Oh that's terrible, should we take her," she shot Castle a look.

"No, no, that's actually why i'm calling. I'm gonna make sure she gets home ok, no sense in everyone leaving, you guys stay and have fun" Kevin headed down the stairs and hailed a cab.

"Are you sure Ryan, I mean, we don't mind" Kate smiled

"Yeah its fine, I will make sure she's ok, have a good night Kate."

"You too Ryan, and thanks"

Kate hung up the phone, "He's gonna make sure she gets home ok, she's not feeling very well" she laughed.

"That's not funny" Castle shook his head.

"Oh come on Castle, you know what it's like to be young, give them some space" she said laying her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah i'm not sure about that, why were they kissing anyway, did you know about this?"

"No, I had no idea, but they are adults, then can kiss if they want" Kate leaned in and kissed him tenderly on the lips, making him grin.

"Yeah, but kissing leads to other stuff," he said sternly, "and the stuff is what worries me" Castle said.

"Calm down Rick" she cuddled his shoulder. "He's a good guy, you like him remember"

"Yeah, we will see about that"

"Come on, lets dance." she hauled him onto the dance floor " Let's worry about enjoying our night, and let them enjoy theirs" they began to move slowly around the floor.

Kevin gave the driver Castle address and thought about what he was gonna say when he got there.