Disclaimer: See chapter 1
Chapter 2- Flirtation and Family
Previously:
Martha nodded and grabbed Alexis' hand. "Let's go see your brave Daddy munchkin." Martha and Alexis started down the hall, followed by the Beckett family until they reached the door. Martha took a deep breath before pushing it open and ushering Alexis in before her.
As soon as he heard the door start to open, Rick turned his head to see the two most important people in his life walk in, followed by the woman who saved him and who he assumed was her husband and daughter. He was broken out of his observations by his four year old daughter.
"Daddy!" Alexis yelled as she ran forward and climbed up onto the bed with some help as Martha walked forward.
"Careful Alexis, you don't want to hurt him" Martha said.
"Hey pumpkin" Rick said. "Your Daddy is going to be just fine, now give me a hug, and just be careful of my left side, okay baby girl?"
Alexis proceeded to wrap her arms around her father's neck and he wrapped his right arm around his baby girl.
"Thank you mother and I'll be okay. Just rest and relaxation for awhile."
"Oh I'm so glad you alright Richard" said Martha as she leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "I love you son."
"Love you too mother."
"I love you too Daddy!" said Alexis as she pulled back to look him in the eyes.
"Do you now? I think I love you more munchkin."
"Nu-uh. I love you to infinity and back and Grams says you can't have more than infinity."
"Well then I guess that makes you the winner doesn't it?"
"I always win Daddy. Grams told me that too."
All four occupants of the room busted up laughing at that statement which in turn had Rick look at the three people he didn't know. The woman who saved him was probably in her late thirties or early forties with long dark brown wavy hair and green eyes. She was a very beautiful woman from where he was standing, well laying if you want to be technical about it. Her husband seemed like a very gentle man with graying brown hair and a look of gratitude in his eyes. What really captivated him though was their daughter. She looked to be twenty one or twenty two but nowadays it's really hard to tell. She was extraordinarily beautiful and he could see where she got her looks. She was just a younger version of her mother with the same brown hair and green eyes. The green eyes, which were currently locked on his, held the same gratitude her fathers had with what he hoped was a little bit of lust thrown in by the reddening of her cheeks. She refused to look away though and he found that well simply put, sexy as hell. Johanna, Jim and Martha all caught each other's eyes in the ten seconds or so that their children were having a staring contest and smiled knowingly until Martha gave Johanna a wink and nod in her daughters' direction. Johanna just smiled and turned to her daughter and cleared her throat. Both Kate and Rick broke out of their trance and blushed gracefully, while Rick added a little smirk to the other adults before he also cleared his throat and looked at Johanna.
"Hi, you obviously know who I am but I haven't had the pleasure of getting the name of the person who saved my life" Rick said.
"Mr. Castle you shoul…"
"Please call me Rick."
"Okay Rick. My name is Johanna Beckett and this is my husband Jim and my daughter Kate. You're not the one who should be thanking me. I should be the one in the hospital bed right now or possibly worse if it hadn't been for you. So thank you for what you've done. I will forever be grateful to you and I'm going to speak for my family as well when I say I know that they will too."
"Yes thank you for protecting my wife Rick. Not everyone would have done what you did and as my wife has said I am forever grateful for that" Jim replied after his wife stepping up to Rick hospital bed and shaking the man's hand.
"You're welcome sir. I'd say anytime but this hurts like a bi…"
"Richard! Your daughter is in the room!" yelled Martha.
"Right. Sorry mother."
Kate then walked up to his beside with a little smile on her face after his almost slip up and leaned down to press a kiss to his cheek. He smiled up at her as she blushed a bit and said as he turned his other cheek to her "How about one on this side too."
Before she could reply Alexis quickly kissed the exposed cheek and said "There you go Daddy!"
All the adults chuckled in amusement, completely enamored by this adorable little girl. Before Kate could step back and join her parents Alexis spoke again.
"Daddy this is my new friend Katie. She played with me while we were waiting for the doctor. She is really really fun. Isn't she pretty?"
Rick smiled at his little girl before turning to Kate and looking her in the eyes saying, "Yes pumpkin she is very pretty."
"Can she come over for pizza and movie night next week? Pleeeeeeeease Daddy."
"If she would like to come over she is more than welcome pumpkin."
"Will you Katie? We can make popcorn and eat a bunch of candy and watch a Disney movie."
"Not too much candy Lexi" said Rick.
Alexis turned back to her father and said "SHHH!" Then turn back to Kate. "Soooo?"
All the adults laughed and Rick just pouted. Kate turned back to look at her parent for their okay and they both nodded their approval with smiles on their faces.
"I would love to Lexi" Kate said with a smile.
"Yay!"
"She lets you call her Lexi?" Rick asked with raised eyebrows.
"Well I only usually let my parents call me Katie and that's how my mother usually introduces me to people, but she said she liked Katie better then Kate and I told her she could call me Katie then she told me I could call her Lexi" Kate said simply.
"She must really like you then."
"Yeah well the feeling is mutual. She's adorable Castle."
"Castle?" Rick inquired.
"That's your last name isn't it? Kate said.
"Well yes but what what's wrong with Rick?"
"Nothing" Kate smirked, "What's wrong with Castle?"
Rick opened his mouth to respond but didn't really know what to say so just said "Castle it is then."
"Haha, Katie wins" laughed Alexis.
Rick pouted and again Martha, Jim and Johanna we very content to just watch the three of them interact. Rick again turned to look at Johanna before speaking to her.
"Well since our daughters have plans, which is Friday night by the way, why don't the both of join her and we can have dinner over at my loft for the night. Get to know each other."
"We would love to Rick. Thank you again. " Johanna then dug into her purse and pulled out her business card. "Here is my card with all my information on it. Give me a call sometime this week and we can iron out the details."
"Sounds good" Rick said.
"Come on Katie its late and we should let Rick here get some sleep."
Alexis sat up on the bed and gave Kate a hug goodbye while looking at Rick over her shoulder.
"Thank you for watching her" he said sincerely.
"It was my pleasure" she replied then pulled back.
"It was nice meeting you Castle, and you too Miss Lexi" Kate said as she squeezed her side a bit and Alexis laughed.
"You too Kate."
"Bye Katie!" Alexis said as she waved to her new friend who made her way over to her parents. All three Becketts' waved their hands in a final goodbye before disappearing around the corner. As soon as they were gone Rick slumped further into his bed and sighed, closing his eyes.
"Are you okay Richard?" Martha asked making her way over to him.
"Yes just exhausted. Why don't you take Alexis home and come back tomorrow for lunch or something."
"Sure darling. Come on munchkin. It is way past your bedtime. Say goodbye to your father so we can come back tomorrow."
Alexis gave her father one last hug and another I love you before getting off the bed and taking her grandmothers hand. Martha kissed her son on the cheek before pulling back and looking him in the eyes.
"What you did was very brave Richard and I am so proud of you and so happy you are alright."
"Me too mother."
With one last goodbye they made their way to the door and disappeared. Rick sighed one last time wincing a little at the pain in his side. He pressed his morphine button and soon drifted off to sleeping dreaming of being home with his mother and daughter and of those mesmerizing green eyes.
End of Chapter 2
AN: Thank you all for reading and reviewing the first chapter. This is my first fanfic and I was pretty happy with the amount of reviewers and blown away by the story alerts that I decided to write another chapter before I watch Avatar on my new 55" Smart 3D TV. Sadly I return to work tomorrow so updates will be a little slower from now on. I hope to have a new chapter every week but stick with and I'll try to update as quickly as possible. Sry this isn't Beta'd and there are probably mistakes. Deal with it ;)
In regards to this story, Alexis is 4, Rick is 26, Kate is 19 and yes she is attending Stanford and is home on winter break right now. I don't know if I am going to make her a cop yet, I haven't decided and I do know how I am going to tackle the whole Johanna Beckett attempted murder and most of you will probably hate it. So sorry LOL Until next time…