a/n: once again thx for all the reviews and feedback. Let's see how Alexis reacts to a little bro
"Dad?"
Rick looks up to see his daughter walk through the hospital room door. Tommy is asleep so he makes his way towards her and signals her to follow him outside. He doesn't want to go far in case Tommy wakes up.
"Hi, Pumpkin." He greets his daughter with a hug and a kiss to the forehead.
"What's going on Dad? You scared me sending me a text asking me to meet you at the hospital."
"I'm sorry sweetheart. I didn't mean to. I guess I didn't realize how that would sound."
"Are you ok? Why are you in the hospital and who is that?" She nods her head towards the closed door.
"I'm fine. And he is the reason I'm here and the reason I wanted you to come by. Did you bring what I asked?" Alexis nods and lifts the bag she's holding.
"Come on." He says taking her hand and guiding her into the room. "There's someone I want you to meet."
"Alexis, I want you to meet your little brother." Castle whispers into his daughter's ear deciding on the direct approach. No use in beating around the bush. Alexis stares at the young boy for a second before walking up to the side of the bed. She slides her fingers through the flop of hair that has fallen across his forehead as he sleeps.
"He looks like you." She whispers back to her dad and smiles. There are so many questions she wants to ask, but this definitely is not the right place. Her father has always been honest with her and she's sure he will fill in the missing pieces in time. She's always wanted a sibling and now staring down at the sleeping boy before her she tries to take in all the implications. Tommy begins to stir and Alexis steps back to allow Castle to sit next to the bed.
Tommy's eyes flutter open and he frowns as he looks around the room searching. His eyes begin to water when he can't find who he is looking for. Castle immediately notices the boy's distress.
"Tommy, buddy. It's ok. It's me, Rick and this is my daughter Alexis. " He places what's meant to be a comforting hand on the boy's lap. Alexis waves hello to the boy.
"Mamma?" Tommy pouts still looking around.
"You're mom had to step out, remember. She told you before you fell asleep. She'll be back as soon as she can." Castle reminds Tommy in his most comforting voice.
"Alexis, this is Tommy. " Castle introduces hoping to divert the boy's attention.
"Tommy, can you say hi?" Tommy shakes his head no as his lower lip starts to quiver. He's trying very hard not to cry and Castle has to credit that particular trait to Kate.
"Hey, Tommy, cool PJs. You like airplanes, huh?" Tommy nods and sucks in huge gulp of air. Alexis steps up to the other side of the bed and sits next to the little boy. "Well you're in luck then." She states reaching into the bag she's brought. She pulls out the remote control helicopter her dad asked her to bring and places it in Tommy's lap.
"Maybe you'd like to play with this."
"It fly?" Tommy asks staring at the helicopter before him in awe.
"Yes, it flies. Would you like to try?"
"Yes, pees." Tommy nods enthusiastically, his mother temporarily forgotten.
Time seems to fly by with Tommy jumping up and down on the bed and waving his hands in excitement as Castle expertly manoeuvres the helicopter through banks and turns. It's precisely during one of aerobatic moves that the nurse decides to come through the door.
"Sorry." Castle shrugs sheepishly at the nurse as the helicopter barely misses her head. Tommy thinks this is so funny he's rolling around on the bed laughing hysterically. The nurse just smiles at them and continues with her ministrations. Castle sets the controller down and watches as the nurse takes Tommy's temperature and checks his chart.
"Everything ok?" He enquires. He knows Tommy's current stay in the hospital is due to a high fever and infection they hadn't been able to control as result of his low white cell count due to the leukemia.
"Yes, looks like his fever has finally come down. He is due for another dose of his medication though." The nurse looks from Castle back to Tommy who has now stopped laughing and is giving her his best impression of Kate's death glare. Castle holds in the chuckle at the sight and instead makes his way over to his son.
"Ok, little man, you heard Nurse Susan, it's time for your medicine." Tommy redirects his glare at his father. He then gathers his knees to his chest curling into a tight ball. "No!" He states firmly and proceeds to shut both his eyes and mouth in act of defiance. Castle looks to Alexis who is sitting in the corner of the room watching the scene unfold. She shrugs her shoulders not knowing what exactly is expected of her.
The nurse sighs as if this is an every time occurrence and proceeds to dispense the medicine. "Mr. Castle, if you'll hold him down..." Castle looks panicked, memories of practically having to sit on a screaming, squirming Alexis flashing through his mind. He does not want to do that with Tommy. Not now when their relationship is so new. "No!" Tommy asserts himself again. Just then the door swings open and Castle lets out a sigh of relief at the reprieve.
"What's going on here?"
"Papa Jim!" Tommy exclaims and throws his arms out to wrap around his grandfather neck. Jim swings his grandson up from the bed and Tommy proceeds to bury his face in his neck.
"Whoa. Look at you. You look so much better." Tommy shakes his head in agreement.
"Feel good." He says finally looking into his grandfather's smiling face.
"Well, it must be all the good medicine Nurse Susan is giving you. " Tommy looks sceptically back at the nurse still holding the medicine plunger. "Why don't you show Nurse Susan what a big boy you are and take your medicine. Then I'll give you a surprise." Enticed by the idea of a treat, Tommy turns in his grandfather's arms and opens his mouth while screwing his eyes shut. The nurse deposits the medicine into his mouth which Tommy promptly swallows. He then proceeds to make all kinds of gagging faces.
"A drama llama." Alexis chides. "I wonder where he gets that from." She asks smirking at her father.
"You're grandmother, I suspect."
"Ya, keep telling yourself that."
Nurse Susan just smiles at the father daughter exchange and excuses herself as she leaves the room.
"All gone!" Tommy exclaims and opens his mouth for his grandfather to check. "Surprise?" he asks putting out his hand. Jim Beckett reaches into his pocket and retrieves a large Hershey bar. He sets his grandson back on the bed and watches as he begins to tear off the wrapper.
"Hey, slow down there, buddy. You can't have all of it at one time. Your mother will kill me if she finds out . Here." He says breaking off a bite size piece of the candy for Tommy to eat. "Speaking of your, mother where is she?" Tommy shrugs his shoulders at his grandfather as he happily chews on the chocolate.
"Um, sir, I'm Rick Castle and this is my daughter Alexis. Kate had to step away. She asked me to watch Tommy until you got here." Alexis walks to stand beside her father in a show of support. Jim Beckett takes Castle's proffered hand in a firm grip.
"Yes, I know who you are. " Jim states with a raised eyebrow and Castle now knows who Kate inherited that trick from.
"Perhaps, we can step outside and talk a minute?" Castle suggests. "Alexis, do you mind?"
"Course not, Dad. I'll stay and keep Tommy company. We'll fly the helicopter right, Bud?" Seemingly convinced of his grandson's ease of mind, Jim follows Castle out into the hospital corridor.
"Mr. Castle," Jim starts as soon as they've cleared the door.
"It's Rick, please."
"OK, Rick. Listen. I don't know the exact nature of your relationship with my daughter other than the obvious." He says motioning towards the hospital room. Jim pauses waiting for Castle to volunteer any additional information. Castle however remains silent. He doesn't know how much of their history Kate's shared with her father but at this point he hopes it's not much. Realizing Castle is not going to share, Jim continues. "However, I do know that my daughter has been through more than anyone should ever have to endure in one life time. That little boy in there is her whole world and if anyone or anything should try to..."
"Stop, Mr. Beckett, please. It's true that I've made some mistakes in the past." Castle pauses taking a deep breath to steady his nerves. In for a penny, in for a dollar he thinks as he continues. "Those mistakes have cost me my relationship with my son. But wish as I may, I can't undo any of it. All I can do is be there for my son now and for Kate. I'm not here to hurt them; all I want is the opportunity to be father to that little boy in there. I will do whatever Kate wants as long as she lets me be part of their lives." Jim recognizes the truth in Castle's words and sighs with relief.
"Well, then. I'm sure you know that Katie can be stubborn."
"That's an understatement." Castle says under his breath. Jim smiles knowingly. "Well, I'm afraid that is one particular trait she got from both her mother and me. Poor kid never had a fighting chance." Jim smiles at the memory of a young Katie sitting stubbornly in a corner in a self imposed time out.
"I just hope you don't hold that against her. You're not the only one that has made mistakes. Katie knows that what she did was wrong, but at the time she truly thought she was doing what was best. She's dedicated the last 3 years of her life to being the best mother she can be. And she's done it for the most part on her own."
"Sir, I didn't know. I would have been there for her if she'd let me in."
"I realize that and I'm not judging you. After all, if Katie thought enough about you to let you into her life in the first place, there must be more to you than the page 6 persona the newspapers depicts." Jim states raising an eyebrow in question. Boy that's uncanny, Castle thinks as he nods sheepishly.
"All I can ask is that you're patient with her. Relinquishing control isn't going to be easy for her. Despite her best intentions, she might want to push you away again if things get tough."
"I know and I already told her, I'm not going anywhere. "
"That's good to hear, son." Jim pats Castle's back as they start to make their way back into the room. "In that case, call me Jim and welcome to the family."
XXX
The elevator doors have barely closed and Alexis has already started firing off the questions.
"Alexis, honey. Slow down. I'm going to tell you everything but I'd rather do it only once. So what do you say we go find your grandmother and stop by the market? This is definitely going to require some intensive ice cream therapy."
