State of the Union

Chapter 7

"Hi honey!"

Kate couldn't help the smile that spread wide across her face as her mother swung open the door of their Manhattan apartment.

"Hey mom," she murmured in reply as Johanna Beckett pulled her only child into a bone-crushing hug. "Happy Thanksgiving."

"Happy Thanksgiving, Katie. Come in, come in!" Johanna stated as she ushered her daughter inside. "You're early! We didn't expect you until late tonight or tomorrow morning. Your father is still at the office."

"Yeah, well I got some more time off than I expected," Kate replied with a tight smile. Her gaze studiously avoided her mother's as she wandered further into the apartment, swinging her duffle bag off of her shoulder and onto the couch.

"Katherine Houghton."

Kate grimaced at the use of her full name and took a deep breath as she forced her eyes up. Her mother glared back at her with arms crossed tightly across her chest, a penetrating stare Kate had come to know all too well as a teenager.

"I was kind of suspended." Kate replied, the words coming out in a rush as she picked her bag back up off of the couch and swiftly moved away from her mother and toward her childhood bedroom.

"What? Katie! What happened?" Johanna questioned as she chased Kate through the apartment and through the doorway to the room that had been thankfully made over in previous years from teenage-chic to that of a respectable guest room.

"There was an incident," Kate huffed out as she plopped her bag down on the queen sized bed with a little more force than necessary, and proceeded to press it into the mattress with her fists. "I let my guard down and lost Alexis."

"The first daughter?" Johanna asked incredulously, her eyebrows shooting toward her hairline. "You lost the first daughter and you still have a job?"

"It was for less than an hour and I got her back." The whine that left Kate's lips had her skin flushing from her neck to the tips of her ears.

"Uh huh, and I'm guessing President Ruggedly Handsome had nothing to do with that?"

"Mom!" Kate admonished, her hands flailing up in emphasis. "He is my boss. The freaking president of the United States. Will you please stop talking about him like that?"

"So he had nothing to do with your not being fired on the spot?"

Kate rolled her eyes, fingers tearing at the zipper of her bag. "No, in fact he did not. Alexis stood up for me and so did Will."

"Will, huh?"

Kate groaned at the smirk playing on her mother's lips. She had walked straight into that one.

"Yes, Will Sorenson," she responded, deciding on the nonchalant route. "You remember him."

"The man who dumped you without a second thought to move to DC and later let you take the fall for what happened in Chicago even after you took a bullet? Yes, I believe I remember him."

"It wasn't like that and you know it."

"I know you are too quick to take the blame for others' actions."

Kate huffed and her shoulder twinged. The pains were few and far between now after two surgeries and months of physical therapy but every once in a while it would creep up, a dull, throbbing reminder of what a moment of carelessness could do. She had been having nightmares, ones where she found Alexis lying on the ground, vacant eyes staring toward the heavens, blood spilling from her lips and chest. Yes, a single moment of carelessness, of letting her guard down, could cost lives.

"I messed up in Chicago," she replied softly, her head hanging, hands fisted in the soft cotton of her clothing. "I broke formation, I didn't listen. I put my life and the lives of countless others at risk. I should have just done my job and did what I was told. I'm just lucky I was the only one hurt. But now it's not just some pompous politician I'm protecting, it's a little girl and she's so smart and sweet and Castle has full confidence in me when it comes to her and if I mess up now..."

"Katie," Johanna sighed, stepping over to run a hand through Kate's hair, gently scratching at her scalp in that calming way that only a mother could. "I wasn't there, all I know is what you told me, but sometimes you have to take risks, think outside of the box, not be afraid to "break formation". You have no idea what could have happened if you had listened to that intel, which was apparently very poor. Many more people could have been hurt. You saved lives that day, you should have been honored not sanctioned."

Kate nodded, a short, jerking movement. She had been telling herself that as a mantra for months, she had done the right thing. She had argued that same point at review boards and interviews, but self-doubt had an annoying way of creeping in especially when the life of a child was on the line. If something happened to that girl Castle would never forgive her. She would never forgive herself.

"What's going on in your head, Katie?" Her mother's voice was softer now, the frustration and teasing edge dissolving with the tension in the room. As Kate deflated down onto the edge of the bed, Johanna settled down beside her, pulling Kate into her side, an arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"I like him, Mom." She murmured into her mother's shoulder, reveling in the calm of her scent, memories of childhood bubble baths and bedtime stories, of cuddling up on the couch amidst teenaged heartbreak. "I like him a lot."


Kate took a deep breath as she started in the mirror, turning slightly to take in how the silky jade fabric of the dress flowed around her, the hem glancing over her knees. The rest of her suspension and her first week back had passed without incident. Granted she hadn't allowed the twelve year-old to be more than five feet away from her at any given time and by Friday evening she had the feeling they were both starting to get a little irritated. Of course, irritated was better than missing or dead, so Kate braced herself for an evening full of annoyed adolescents at the school's winter formal.

She could be wearing her usual uniform of a black suit with a white button down, she probably should be, but after Castle had leaned in close to her, his words caressing her ear, the line of her neck, and stated he couldn't wait to see her in a dress, she had found herself reaching for the garment bags buried in the back of her closet rather than her usual wear.

It had been three weeks since that dinner and they hadn't talked about it, whatever it was. Even that night they had simply eaten their food, talking about every inane topic under the sun from who was the best Marx brother to arguing about the potential of hidden philosophy in Monty Python's sketches. Her lips split into a wide grin at the memory. Her cheeks had hurt from how much she had laughed. Dinner had turned into coffee as they curled up facing each other on opposite ends of the couch in front of the happily crackling fireplace. They hadn't been President Castle and Agent Beckett, they had been Rick and Kate, and she didn't know what they were, but it was real, tangible. It was simmering below the surface, threatening to boil over and scald them both. Yet, the walls were starting to fall- smiles less hesitant, touches more frequent but no less electric.

Stuffing her gun and badge into her clutch, Kate hurried out of her apartment before she could think better of the dress, giving the skirt one final flip for good measure.


Her smirk told Castle he was staring as she walked down the hall toward him in that dress flowing to just above her knees and those heels that made her legs look like they were a mile long, but he couldn't help himself, she was...

"Gorgeous." The word was off his lips in a single breath before he could stop it and a blush worked up her neck in response as he cleared his throat.

"I mean, uh," Castle stuttered as he stared at the goddess in green before him. "If Eisenhower were here instead of me, he'd probably be dead right now."

"Eisenhower, really?" Kate responded with a quirked eyebrow once the red burning the line of her neck all the way up to the tips of her ears had faded to a dark pink. "No Clinton jokes?"

Castle sucked in a comical gasp of horror, one hand feathering against his chest. "Clinton jokes? What do you take me for an amateur?"

Beckett giggled in response, causing the blush to darken again at the sound as her lips clamped shut. "Of course not, sir. I could tell from the moment I met you that you were a regular connoisseur of Dad Jokes."

"And don't you forget it."

"Mr. President?"

Both Castle and Beckett turned to look at his assistant who had quietly stepped up behind them, startling them out of their own little world.

"Yes, Becky?" Castle answered with an easy smile as he forced his eyes not to trail back to Kate.

"A Mr. Owen Stevenson is here to escort young Miss Castle to the dance."

"Please call them Owen and Alexis, Becky. All this Mr. and Miss talk is making think my daughter is about to be taken off to be married. Oh God, Beckett, you'll make sure they don't get married, right? Not even close. I don't even want to see them holding hands."

Beckett bit back a laugh at his sudden panic, the mirth still dancing in her eyes. "I can assure you, no one is getting married tonight, not at a grade school winter dance at least."

Castle eyed the boy as he trudged up the hallway, the small plastic container holding a wrist corsage clutched in one sweaty palm, as the other attempted to tame the unruly mop of hair on his head. The kid's eyes grew wide as he approached them and he stuttered out a mumbled greeting.

Beckett leaned over, patting Castle on the chest. It was a move that would be considered completely inappropriate outside of the bubble between professional friends and something more they had formed over the weeks. "I seriously don't think you have anything to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about? Have you see you? I don't blame the kid."

Beckett only rolled her eyes in response to his antics before giving Owen a friendly smile. "Go entertain your daughter's date, I'm going to see what's taking her so long."

"So, Owen," Castle started as he clasped a hand to Owen's shoulder. "How do you feel about women's rights and equality in the work place?"

"Mr. President," Beckett called over her shoulder with a smirk, her hand poised to knock on Alexis' door. "I said entertain not interrogate."

Castle could only grumble good naturedly as he forced his eyes away from her. His hand that gripped the trembling boy's shoulder aching to run down the smooth line of her back instead.

"But seriously, kid," he continued, his voice low enough to be out of Beckett's earshot. "Have you heard of Gitmo?"


"Alexis?" Beckett called as she knocked on the door. "Owen is here, are you ready?"

Kate startled slightly as the door cracked open only wide enough for one of Alexis' eyes and a strip of her face appearing. "I'm not going."

"What?" Castle interjected, both him and the young man beside him looking befuddled. "Why not, sweetheart. You've been excited about this for weeks?"

Alexis' eyes went wide as she took in the sight of her father and her date, the door slamming shut in all of their faces.

"I said I'm not going!" Came a muffled shout from the other side.

Beckett's brow creased as she and the president exchanged a look- a series of shrugs and gestures adding to the silent conversation. Castle's hand squeezed Owen's shoulder in consolation. "Give us a minute, kiddo."

"Alexis?" He called as he knocked on the door. "I'm coming in."

"No!"

Castle's hand pulled back from the doorknob as if he had been burned, hurt eyes turning to Beckett. "She never doesn't want me around when something's wrong."

Beckett's mind began to race, the girl had been fine earlier that afternoon. Suddenly her eyes grew wide, mouth forming a perfect "o" as the puzzle pieces suddenly fell into place- the scattering of acne across the girl's hairline, how she had meekly told her father she needed a size larger skirt for school, the way her arms were now almost constantly folded across her chest.

"Mr. President," She started gesturing to the closed door. "Can you give us a minute?"

"Beckett? Do you know what's going on?"

"I think so, sir."

"Well, tell me then." His tone was more one of a panicked father than a world leader.

"I will if I'm correct, but I'd like to talk to Alexis first."

Castle puffed out a sigh, his hand coming up to scrape through his thick hair as he took a step back, finally nodding in assent.

Beckett responded only with a small relieved smile as she took a half-step toward the door. "Alexis, it's Kate, can I come in? I think I can help."

"Kay."

Castle's jaw fell open at the quiet agreement that came a few moments later but managed to keep his protests silent as Kate shot him a reassuring look as she slipped through the cracked door.

"Hi," Kate greeted as she entered the room. The girl was perched on the edge of her bed, her hair pulled back and styled so that a river of curls and glitter cascaded around her face and the shoulders of her white terry cloth robe. "You want to tell me what's going on?"

Alexis shot her an embarrassed look, shaking her head quickly.

"You sure?" Beckett coaxed as she perched beside Alexis, a hand coming up to brush an errant curl back into place. "I think I can help."

Alexis let out a sigh before leaning over, cupping her hand around Kate's ear as if to whisper a secret.

"Ah," Kate responded sagely. "I thought so. Me too."

Alexis' eyes grew wide. "You too?"

"Yep, but it's going to be okay, you can still go to the dance if you want to."

Alexis bit her lip before bobbing her head in a small nod. "Oh, but I don't have anything for it."

"It's okay, just give me a minute," Kate responded, dropping an impulsive kiss to the girl's head before pushing herself off of the bed.

"Don't tell my dad!" Alexis called after her panicked, as Kate reached the door.

"I won't."

"Becky," Kate called the young woman over when she popped her head out of the door, waving Castle off as he started toward her. "I need you to go get something for me."

The young woman nodded rapidly as Kate murmured the instructions to her, taking off down the hall as Kate ducked back into the room, closing the door in Castle's face.

"Okay," Beckett started again as she pulled out her clutch, digging under the badge and gun. "Now, I feel like this occasion calls for makeup and later ice cream."

Kate smiled as Alexis' eyes lit up. Her mom had been right, a makeover and ice cream always helped.


Castle fought the urge to pace the room, to ring his hands, shake his leg, anything to dispel his nervous energy as his daughter and her guard sat curled up post-dance in their dresses on the couch eating their demanded ice cream. Kate said something quietly causing Alexis to giggle and Castle felt his anxiety slowly washing away.

He had stayed quiet, exchanging a curious glance with Owen as Becky scurried off down the hall and he had managed to remain that way when the young assistant returned fifteen minutes later with a discreet plastic bag in her hands. He had oohed and awed, happily snapping picture after picture when Alexis had finally emerged from her room in her Cinderella blue dress, her eyes sparkling merrily as Owen slipped the corsage onto her wrist with fumbling fingers.

He had accepted Beckett's quiet "later" when he had pulled her aside to ask for an explanation, but now it was "later" and he wanted to know what the hell was going on with his baby girl- the child who used to run to him with every scrape and boo boo, the one who came crawling into his bed in the middle of the night after being awoken by a nightmare. He was the dad, the one to whom she came with every woe, at least he used to be.

Castle startled from his reverie as the subject of his thoughts threw her arms around his neck, giving him a tight hug and kiss on the cheek before bouncing off toward her room with a bright "goodnight!". He waved after her before turning his attention back to the other adult in the room.

"Goodnight, Alexis," Beckett murmured with a small wave before turning toward him as well. She took his breath away with just how she sat, one elbow propped on the back of the couch, her fingers threaded through her long, golden-brown hair.

"So..." He began, completely unsure of where to start with the conversation. "Just give it to me straight, is my daughter turning into a werewolf or something?"

Beckett chuckled, her expression softening. "No, not a werewolf, but she is becoming a woman."

His eyes narrowed in confusion, only her pointed look causing the light bulb to flicker on.

"Oh. Oh! But no, that's not possible, she's barely even twelve! I swear just yesterday we were having tea parties and braiding Barbie's hair," he stuttered in shock.

"Well twelve is a completely normal age for girls. She didn't want me to tell you but I figured I should give you a heads up if only so you don't act like this when she comes to tell you herself."

"A heads up. Right," he ran a hand through his hair as his thoughts stumbled through his head, attempting to form a coherent statement. His baby girl... "Do I... Does she, um, need anything?"

"No, not right now. I sent Becky out for supplies earlier," Beckett supplied, a note of sympathy in her voice.

"Supplies. Right. Wow... I, uh, thank you."

"You're welcome," she replied as she stood up, adjusting her dress around her before reaching for her clutch. "Just promise me something. This is going to be hard enough for her, don't make it even more awkward."

"I won't, I promise." He said, still slightly dazed.

"Oh and one more thing, steel yourself."

"Steel myself? For what?"

"Next step: bra shopping."

"Bra... Right. Where would we even go for that?" He rambled, his mouth two steps ahead of his brain. "Meredith asked to take her to Paris for Christmas, finally have that trip they promised... Maybe they can make it a thing..."

Castle glanced up to see Kate shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot.

"Paris?" She questioned.

"Oh, Meredith will have a special detail, you don't have to go. I promise I wouldn't put you in the situation of having to force yourself not to shoot my ex-wife. Trust me, I know that feeling."

The anxiety that had been clenching his chest all evening broke with her smile and he found himself returning it in kind, a sense of calm flooding his veins. "Come to Camp David with me."

Her eyes snapped to his, her smile falling. "What?"

"I'm going to David for Christmas and well, with Alexis gone and my mother touring with her latest show, it's just going to be me. I don't know if you have plans but I could get you on the detail. It would be nice to have someone to spend the holiday with and I like spending time with you, Kate and I don't..."

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes," she replied, her soft smile shining in her eyes. "Goodnight, Mr. President."

"Goodnight..." He replied, still in awe. After another moment he shook himself out of his thoughts and reached out, managing to grab her hand as she moved past his chair toward the door. Their eyes connected as she stuttered on a breath.

"Castle?" She questioned quietly after a moment when he failed to say or do anything beyond stare into the swirling depths of her eyes. "Rick?"

"I just," he started, clearing his throat as he stood, neither of them moving to unclasp their hands, his thumb gliding gently over the soft flesh. "I wanted to say thank you. I honestly don't know what we would do without you and I can't think of anyone I'd trust more with my daughter. So thank you, Kate, for everything."

Kate's breath trembled and her eyes flickered down to his lips before connecting with his once more. Then her hand was slipping away from his and she was gone, out the door, only her final parting word lingering to keep him company through the night.

"Always."


A/N: As always thank you for all the love and support you have shown for this story. Also, please note this chapter was completely written and posted from my phone so please excuse any errors. Thank you, as always to Kate Christie for the beta and Pom poms & Happy Mother's Day to you and all the other mothers out there.

Until next time. Xx

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