A/N: see what happens when you leave me lots of nice reviews? I'm updating again pretty quick - and it's Alexis' turn..

Kate laughed. "No, I'm sure it could have gone a lot worse! But um, Alexis is up next..I think I'm more worried about that one if I'm honest.."

"Hey, don't worry about it, this is Alexis. She loves you, you know that."

"Mmmm maybe." Kate replied, sounding completely unconvinced. "Not so sure she loved me all the times I was a complete bi-"

"Katherine Beckett Castle don't you dare finish that sentence." Castle interrupted with a force that had his wife staring at him in shock. "I don't care what Alexis thinks, as long as she's happy then I'm happy. And if I'm happy, she's happy. And you make me happy." He looked down at his gorgeous bride and tried to ease her fears, he knew Alexis had had some issues in the beginning but they'd worked through them and he knew what she was planning on saying about Kate in her speech and he was so happy and so proud he couldn't put it into words. Slightly worrying for someone who made a living out of writing.. "I think I said happy so many times it doesn't sound like a word anymore.." He mused.

Kate laughed at her completely adorable husband. "I love you." She whispered in his ear and the grin that lit up his face made it so worth it.

"I love you too. Now, let's sit back down so Alexis can make her speech. And stop panicking, she loves you, I promise."

Kate wasn't too worried, after all, Alexis wasn't stupid - if she went too far then her dad would be angry and Alexis loved her dad way too much to upset him. And she had agreed to be a bridesmaid, surely that counted for something?

Kate had text Alexis the night before to see if she could meet for lunch the following afternoon. Alexis had replied quickly, saying that she had a couple of hours before classes and so they'd arranged to meet at a little diner not far from Alexis' campus.

Kate arrived twenty minutes early, extremely nervous and worrying about what she was going to say. She'd left the precinct, telling Castle that she had an errand to run for the wedding so he couldn't come - technically she was running an errand for the wedding, just probably not what he had in mind.

She ordered coffee and waited for Alexis to arrive, lost in her own thoughts for a while.

"Detective Beckett?" Alexis interrupted.

"Hey, Alexis." Kate said with a warm smile as the girl slipped into a seat opposite her. "When are you going to start calling me Kate?"

"Sorry, force of habit. You know how dad is on manners and things, when I first met you he would've thought it rude to call you anything other than Detective Beckett..I guess it just stuck. Though you aren't going to be Detective Beckett for much longer, hey!"

Kate smiled at that. "Well, I'll be Detective Beckett Castle. Can't let your dad get his own way all the time!"

Alexis let out a small laugh. The fact that Kate was hyphenating her surname was something she admired in the detective. She was an independent woman who had made a name for herself in certain in cirlces and she wasn't giving all of that up just because she was marrying her dad.

The waitress came back over and Alexis ordered a coffee too and both of them ordering pancakes. For lunch. "Your dad would be so proud if he saw us eating pancakes for lunch.."

"Yeah, he would! Where is he anyway?" Alexis asked. She had figured that Kate wanted to meet her alone, otherwise her father would have text, but she didn't know what Kate had told him.

"At the precinct with Espo and Ryan. Probably driving them crazy with more CIA or alien abduction theories." She explained.

"Ah, I see..and does he know.." She trailed off. It wasn't that she thought her father would mind her meeting with Kate behind his back, but she wasn't exactly sure of her intentions right now and wondered what her father knew.

"That I'm meeting with you? No. I told him I had an errand to run for the wedding, sort of a surprise, obviously he pouted and almost threw a temper tantrum that I wouldn't tell him but I left him with an interesting case, he'll be fine."

Alexis relaxed a little, if it was a surprise for the wedding, it couldn't be that bad, right?

"So um, what's this surprise?" She asked as their pancakes arrived. They'd both chosen the same - maple syrup and bacon. She felt they should take a picture to show her father one day, see what an influence he had on them.

"Well, as I'm sure you know, your father and I have been planning this wedding together - we're making the decisions together and finding things we both like." Kate began.

Alexis nodded. She was grateful for that, that they were doing it together. So many women would just have it their way and not worry about what the groom wanted..but then again, when had Kate ever been like other women?

"There's uh, one or two things we are doing separately though, a couple of decisions we're making alone and we're both fine with that." Kate continued. Here it came, the reason she wanted to meet with Alexis like this. "For example, your father has left me to sort out the bridesmaids - he said it's up to me who I have and why. And uh, I was um wondering if you wanted to be a bridesmaid?" She shot out quickly before filling her mouth with pancake. Eventually, she looked up from her plate to see what was taking Alexis so long to reply.

The girl was staring at her. "That's what you asked me here for?" She questioned.

Kate nodded, swallowing her mouthful. "Yeah, look, Alexis, if you don't want to then you don't have to, no one is going to force you into a frilly pink dress that looks like it belongs in a pageant show but I want you to be a bridesmaid."

"And dad?"

"Has no idea I'm asking you. Though I highly doubt he's going to be against the idea." Kate replied. She drank a sip of her coffee, still waiting for Alexis' answer.

"So..this is all on you?"

Oh. So that's what she was worried about, that Castle had put her up to it. "Alexis, your father did not put me up to this, okay? I'm asking you to be a bridesmaid because I want you to be one. I know we haven't always seen eye to eye where your father is concerned but I'd like to think we're past that now. I know you probably still don't completely trust me but if I have to spend the rest of my life proving to you and anyone else for that matter, how much I love your father then I'll be happy to."

"Well then, if you're sure? It's your big day after all.."

"No, Alexis, it's mine and Rick's big day. And I want you to be as much a part of it as possible."

"Okay then, yeah. But no frilly pink dresses!"

Kate laughed, the tension visibly leaving her body as she finally relaxed for the first time since walking into the diner. "Great, thank you. And no frilly pink dresses..god they'd look awful with your gorgeous hair anyway. No, we're going to go shopping and find you the most beautiful bridesmaid dress and you're going to look absolutely amazing!"

Alexis stood up, taking a deep breath before she began her speech. She thought writing the valedictorian speech when she graduated high school had been hard but that was nothing compared to this. She'd scrunched up so many pieces of paper when she realised she didn't like it, but finally she'd written one she was happy with.

"The first time I met Kate, she crashed the book launch for dad's last Derrick Storm novel. Oh my, you should have seen her face when he turned around with a pen in his hand and asked where she'd like his autograph." The guests laughed - all of them knew how Kate and Rick had been back then, him a playboy author and her a by the book detective. Oh how times had changed. "And she's been around pretty much ever since. After my dad managed to talk his way into shadowing her, they were pretty much inseparable." She smiled at the memories, her dad hadn't shut up about the 'amazing detective' from day one.

"I'm not going to lie, there were times when I wished he wasn't doing it, especially when he almost got shot and even more so when Kate got shot." She looked over at her dad and Kate, she wasn't going to go into this too much, they were past it now, but she'd been the one dealing with her father when Kate wasn't around.

"I'll be the first to admit that I haven't always been the best spokesperson for their relationship but for some reason Kate saw past that and asked me to be a bridesmaid anyway."

She saw her dad look at Kate with so much love in his eyes that she couldn't believe there had been a time when she thought it might be better if they weren't together. All she wanted was for her dad to be happy and anyone could see that Kate made him the happiest person in the world.

"The thing is, I was there when Kate wasn't - the times when they'd had a huge fight and she'd pushed him away yet again. And at times, I hated her for it and couldn't for the life of me understand why my dad went back time after time. But then my dad stopped treating me like a kid and finally accepted that I was grown up - something I believe I have Kate to thank for - and he explained to me why he kept going back. Detective Esposito was right with what he said - the secret to a long relationship is to keep showing up. And although I still get angry sometimes at what my dad went through when he was waiting, he taught me to understand that Kate was going through just as hard a time - except she hadn't realised she needed him yet." She smiled in Kate's direction. This had been another conversation the two of them had had without her father around.

This time, Alexis had come home for the weekend, knowing that her father was spending his Saturday getting fitted for his wedding suit along with Detectives Esposito and Ryan and she knew Kate had the weekend off work.

Once her dad had left, she went into the kitchen to make coffee - making one for Kate too, just the way she knew the detective liked it. Minus the hearts of course - that would just be weird. She took the coffees into the lounge where Kate was sat looking through wedding magazines, adding things to her list that she hadn't thought of.

"Oh. Thank you, Alexis, you didn't have to make me a-" she broke off, she knew that look. "Wait, when your dad makes me coffees like this it's either to see me smile or as a bribe. And you have the same look on your face that he does when he wants something."

Busted. "Ah, yeah, you're right. I um..look, I know I haven't been the best person to you about your relationship with my dad and I'd like to think I started behaving a little more respectfully after my dad told me why he kept going back, but I was wondering if you'd tell me from your point of view..why my dad?"

"You Castles get straight to the point, huh." She laughed. "And for the record - the coffee is great but you didn't have to make to me one just to ask me that, you know. You can ask me whatever you want and I'll try and answer as honestly as I can. But why your dad, huh?" She took a deep breath. "I love your dad, Alexis, so much. I know I haven't always shown it and I'm sorry for what I put you through, but I promise you I love him like I've never loved anyone. If I'm honest, I first realised I was in love with him the summer he went to the Hamptons with Gina. I'd just broken up with Demming and I was going to go with him but then he showed up with Gina and I realised I'd missed my chance. I don't know what would have happened had I gone with him, but not being able to go because I didn't tell him in time made me realise how much I was in love with him."

"So why didn't you tell him when he came back?" Alexis asked.

"Because he was with Gina and I thought he was happy. All I want is for him to be happy and if that wasn't with me then that was something I had to live with. And besides, he didn't call."

Alexis laughed, she remembered after that summer - she'd been waiting on a phone call too and her dad had not been helpful about it. "Yeah I know, he told me. I guess we were both in the same boat at that point, I was waiting on a call from a guy I was crazy about too. But um, then you started seeing Josh?"

"Yeah, I did. And your dad was right - I hid in nowhere relationships with men I didn't love because I was scared. I hadn't let anyone in in so long and your dad just didn't stop. He was relentless - until he got back with Gina. So then I guess I thought he'd moved on and maybe I should too, I knew he wouldn't wait for me forever."

"He would." Alexis said quietly and Kate looked at her. "He would wait forever, I've never seen him spend longer than a month on a woman until he got what he wanted, but he waited for you for four years."

"And then I got shot and your dad told me he loved me. I know he only told me then in case..in case I didn't make it, but man that was bad timing. I mean, I was still with Josh and I'd just been shot for crying out loud, I kind of needed to deal with that first."

"But then you lied to him." Alexis said and Kate could tell she was getting angry.

"Yeah, I did." And Kate saw the shock on the girls face. "What, you think I'd try and deny it? How could I? I know what your father has told you and even if he hadn't I wouldn't be able to lie to you. You're not a kid anymore, Alexis, and I'm not going to treat you like one."

"Thank you. For telling me the truth and uh..convincing my dad I'm not a kid anymore. I know he still likes to think I need protecting from the big bad world but I'm in college, I'm not a baby anymore."

"I know you're not and so does your dad but even my dad still sees me as his baby. I guess it must be a dad thing! And you're old enough to know these things now, you're a smart girl and you probably know a hell of a lot more than me when it comes to actually doing relationships right!"

"Well, I wouldn't go that far. I did move in with a guy who only ate fruit, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. God your dad didn't shut up about that for months!" She laughed. "Look, I know I shouldn't have lied to your dad about what I remembered but I couldn't remember the last time somebody had told me they loved me and actually meant it - aside from my father, of course. I'd spent the past three years realising how amazing your dad is and I guess I felt like I wouldn't be good enough for him."

"I know, my dad told me. And I'm sure you realised that when I stopped being a complete cow to you."

"Sweetie, you were just looking out for your dad, I know that. I'm not going to lie and say it was easy because it wasn't, but I understand why you were how you were. And hey, we're friends now right?"

"Yeah, we are." Alexis smiled. "Actually, I was um wondering..did you..can you..I've seen this amazing dress for the wedding but I'm not sure if it'll look okay. Can you come with me and let me know what you think?"

Kate almost cried. She knew how much it meant to Castle for her to get on with Alexis and it seemed they had finally found a way to do just that. "Of course I will honey. You wanna go now and then we can grab some lunch while we're out?"

"Sounds good to me."

"I guess it had always been obvious that Kate was different to anyone else my dad ever brought home. When I was little it was all 'hi, I'm gonna be your new mommy' and then when I was a bit older it was a rush to get me out of the way. Needless to say those relationships didn't last long, they were just after my dad for his money. The thing with Kate is that she was never bothered by all of that, in fact I've never seen my dad try so hard to impress someone before. He knew that Kate was different and his bad boy charm wasn't going to work this time." Kate laughed and her dad pretended to look offended.

"Kate has always been someone who I could talk to, even when they were just friends. And the best thing was that nothing changed when they got together - Kate still treated me like an adult, as a friend and not just as her boyfriends daughter. She never once tried to replace my mother and for that I admire her, many women have tried in the past." Though Alexis wasn't really sure if it was even possible to replace someone who was never around. "Over the last six years Kate has become like the big sister I never had. Someone I can look up to. I'm not really much like my mom, acting was never for me - I've always wanted to do something a little different and meeting Kate has made me realise that it's completely possible to do that. I've always had my dad but it's been pretty great having Kate around to look up too as well, she's a strong, independent woman and maybe one day I can be like that. And although I'll never have an actual big sister, you guys might give me a little sister one day and if I can be half the big sister you've been to me then I'll be happy."

Tears began forming in Kate's eyes. Dammit she didn't want to cry but this speech was so beautiful and she was so proud of Alexis right now.

"I'll never forget the day my dad solved his first case with Kate and the boys. He came home so happy that he'd been able to help and he wrote for hours after that. Honestly, I was beginning to wonder if he'd ever write again after killing off Derrick Storm but then he met Kate. And although it soon became clear it was about more than the books, it didn't stop him writing a load more bestsellers." She smiled at her father before continuing. "I'm proud of you, daddy."

Castle looked at his daughter in admiration, she really was a remarkable girl, woman, he corrected. Kate had made sure he realised that his little girl was all grown up now.

"All I want is for my dad to be happy - and I have never seen him as happy as he is with Kate, never. And even I've noticed how happy my dad makes Kate - they really are perfect for each other. Kate - thank you. For understanding. For being there not just for my dad, but for me. It wasn't really easy growing up with my mother living on the other side of the country, but now I have you. And while you're not replacing my mom, you're there for me day in, day out and I know I can come to you with anything, especially the stuff I don't wanna talk to my dad about." She laughed at her dad's reaction to that - he clapped his hands over his ears and pretended he couldn't hear her while Kate shook her head and laughed at him.

"Daddy - I'm so happy that you're happy, you're the most amazing father any girl could wish for and I'm lucky to have you. And so will any children you two have and I know Kate is gonna make an amazing mom someday. I'm so pleased for you both and I just want to say thank you again to Kate for asking me to be a bridesmaid, it really does mean a lot."

Alexis left the table to go and hug her father and Kate. She started with her dad, whispering "I love you" in his ear as she did.

Moving to Kate, she whispered "thank you and look after him" in her ear. She loved Kate, she really did. And she was so lucky that Kate was how she was with her, so many of the women her dad had met brushed her off - they saw her as a nuisance.

"That was beautiful, Pumpkin," Castle said, "I'm so proud of you - we both are."

"Your dad's right. We're both proud of you. You're a beautiful young woman and you've been so amazing to me and I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Kate. Both of you." She smiled, hugging them both once more.

"See nothing to worry about." Castle murmured in Kate's ear.

"Mm, but it's my turn next, maybe you should be worried?"

A/N: okay so that was quite a bit longer than I thought it would be! Something I wish we saw more of on the show is Kate and Alexis together, so I guess that's where all this Kate/Alexis fluff came from! I'm sorry if it's too heavy on the flashbacks, but I felt it was important to write.

There's going to be either one or two more chapters - still got both Kate and Rick to go, not sure yet if it'll be a chapter each or both in the same one, any preferences? As always, reviews would make me happy - more nice reviews = another chapter out sooner ;)