Thank you so much for the awesome reviews, you make me feel good at what I'm doing. Special thanks to rawpotato, underarrest39 and Nathan fan.

Hope you'll like this piece too.

-group hug-


At 3:55 a.m. Kate finally dropped into her bed, not even bothering to undress. She was exhausted, and all she wanted was sleep. She wanted to sleep, not think of a certain arrogant, yet irresistably charming writer. Not thinking of him, she admonished herself, when her thoughts wandered to him again. She couldn't get Castle's tender moment with Alexis out of her mind. The man called Richard Castle was not only a mystery writer, but a mystery himself. Yet, if she wanted to be honest with herself, she liked this enigma.

Her eyelids became heavier with every minute, and she dozed off eventually, with thoughts of him on her mind.

After a couple of hours sleep, her mobile's alarm called, signaling it was time to get up and start the new day. Yawning, she reached for the phone to set off the alarm. Only when glancing at the display of her mobile did she notice that she had got a message from Lanie. Clicking to open it, she read "Hi girl, did u do it? :P Disappeared so early w Writer Boy, hope u had a gr8 nite. ;-) L" Her eyes widened at the text, and she couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.

Resolved that she would call the M.E. later, she pulled the blanket off of herself and, getting out of the bed, walked into the bathroom. I look awful, she stated, when looking in the mirror she noticed her make-up being smeared. Turning the shower on, she stepped out of the black cocktail dress she still had on from the previous evening. The warm water on her skin felt so relaxing after all the anxiety of last night. Her thoughts wandered back to Castle and Alexis and she hoped the kid was better. Lead by a sudden idea, she decided to pay a quick visit to the girl in the hospital before work.

Having finished in the bathroom, she got dressed and gathering her stuff and, grabbing her car-keys, she left the flat.

*

On the way to the hospital, Kate dropped by in a gift shop, buying a get well-present for the girl. Entering the hospital room, she was greeted by the cutest sight she had recently seen. Still sitting in the chair at his daughter's bedside, Castle was asleep. Leaning to the left, his head was laying on the bed with Alexis' resting on his. Father and daughter were sleeping peacefully.

Kate couldn't help but smile at how cute the two were. It was one of those moments when she liked Castle. Loving the sight in front of her, she couldn't resist temptation and, fishing her phone out of the pocket of her jacket, she snapped a picture of the two Castles.

She put the yellow, plush, smiling flower holding the message "Get Well Soon" in a pot that danced and sang when the button on the side was pushed on the small table at the end of the bed, and, taking in the lovely sight once more, she sneaked out of the room.

*

Rick stirred, and, opening his sleepy eyes, he noted that he had fallen asleep. Feeling some weight on his head, he registered Alexis' closeness. Cautiously, not wanting to wake her, he emerged from the bed and laid the girl's head down on the soft pillows. Blinking and yawning, he eased the muscles in his neck and shoulders, and that was when he caught glance of the cheery plush flower on the little table. Wondering who brought it, he walked there and picked up the little card attached to its leaf."Recover soon, hugs, Kate B." He smiled and put the card back in its place.

She had been here, he noted, his gaze still lingering on the soft plush gift. The flower was smiling back at him cutely. Bringing a little present to the girl was a simple but sweet gesture of Beckett, and it warmed Rick's heart. Apart from his mother and himself, and occasionally Meredith, there wasn't anyone who would have cared that deeply about Alexis. And now, here was this police detective, the sassy and snarky woman called Kate Beckett, who showed genuine care toward the teenager. A stranger, someone Rick couldn't pinpoint how to relate to – was she a colleague, a friend or more? - yet she managed to gain his family's love and trust very easily; she kind of became a VIP friend of the Castles. Sometimes Richard wondered how she did it, how did she charm the two most important women in his life that much to be accepted that easily. Being the same sex might have had something to do with it, he mused; women understand each other more than they do men. Whatever, her extraordinary personality was definitely a reason - she was one of those women Castle could truly respect and admire. Considering all this, he wasn't surprised that his mum and daughter would have liked him to have Beckett as a girlfriend. A smile spread through his face at the thought. The more he wondered about it, the more he liked the idea.

He wished she would have waked him when coming here. He was about to dial her number when a faint voice called from the bed.

"Dad?"

Richard turned to face his daughter who was watching him. Giving her a happy smile, he moved to her bedside, "Hey pumpkin, how are you feeling?"

"Good, I think," she rubbed her temples. "No more pain."

"Glad to hear that. We were worried about you. And I hate worrying about you, you know," he replied lovingly and placed a kiss on her forehead.

Smiling, she turned her look at the plush flower. "That's cute."

"Someone thought it might cheer you up," he smiled back.

She raised a brow in surprise. "It's not from you?"

He shook his head with a meaningful smile. Walking to the table, he picked the gift and handed it to her.

Excitedly, she read the card attached, and happiness lit up in her eyes. "It's so nice of her," she uttered, touched by the detective's care. Pushing the button on the side of the flower, it started swaying and singing. She giggled. "Tell her I love it, and I'm utterly thankful."

"You can thank her personally if you want," he winked and, grabbing his mobile, hit the speed-dial to call Beckett.

*

Kate walked into the office with a content smile on her face. She was excited about whether Alexis would like the gift.

Putting her latte and phone on her desk, she sat down in her chair and booted the computer. While waiting for the system to load, she browsed the gallery of her mobile, looking for a certain picture. Her smile broadened affectionately when she found it. So cute.

Suddenly, a male voice called from behind her back, and startled, she whirled her chair around.

"Whoa, someone's really jumpy today," Esposito grinned at her. "Exchanging naughty messages?"

Kate wondered if he saw the picture she had been staring at. She hoped that wasn't the case. Regaining her composure, she returned the ball, "Speaking from personal experience?"

"Ryan is the one who likes that game," he looked at the other detective beside him, feigning innocence.

"Thank you very much," Ryan sneered.

Kate stifled a yawn, which Esposito couldn't pass by without a word.

"You look tired."

"Had a rough night?" Ryan inquired wickedly.

"If you want to know, I didn't sleep much," she snapped at the two, rolling her eyes.

"Guessed so," the two smirked naughtily. "You had company to keep you up and busy."

She gave them a dirty glance.

"Not like it's any of your business, but I was watching over Alexis, Castle's daughter, all night, as she had to be taken to the hospital."

The two gaped at her; they didn't expect an answer like that.

"So, now that your curiosity is satisfied, could you make your overactive imaginations and speculative minds useful and dig up some information on the case you're working?" she suggested quizzically.

The two men walked back to their desks, their expressions of a child whose toy had been taken in punishment.

Kate turned back to her computer, an amused smile creeping up into the corner of her mouth.

She was just logging in when her phone rang, startling her. Secretly she hoped it was Castle, and the smile was on her face again as she read the caller ID.

"Beckett," she answered casually, as if she hadn't been aware of the identitiy of the person calling her.

"Good morning, Detective," Castle's cheerful voice greeted her ear.

"What's up, Castle?" she tried to suppress the delight of her tone.

"Alexis would like to tell you something," he said and handed the phone to the kid.

"Detective Beckett? I just want to thank you for the gift, it's supercute!" the girl's happy voice jingled through the line.

"I'm glad you like it," she replied with a relieved smile.

"I love it! Also, thank you very much for having been there for us the other night. Dad wouldn't have managed it without your help."

"Hey, that's not true." Kate could hear Castle protesting, and it made her grin.

"Dad doesn't think so, but I know I'm right," she stated confidently. "He needs grandma's guiding in case of an emergency, too."

"I see. But don't worry, I can handle him."

"Heard that, Beckett," Castle's indignant voice came through the line.

Kate chuckled.

"Hope you're feeling better," she noted.

"I do, thank you. Now I must give the phone back to Dad, see you later."

"Take care."

"Just for the record, I heard every word," Castle noted.

She couldn't suppress her smile.

"So what?" she teased him.

"You will so pay for this attitude at the next poker-party."

"Keep dreaming, Castle. I'll so beat your pants off," she smirked.

"Or I will yours," he retorted mischieviously.

The door of the hospital room opened, and Martha hurried in, a worried look on her face. When she caught glance of Alexis' shining face, her anxiety eased.

Rick stood up from the chair, letting his mother sit down, and moved to the far corner of the room.

"Kiddo, how are you? I was so worried," Martha hugged her grandchild. "I'm sorry I wasn't here..."

"Don't worry, gran, Detective Beckett was here for us," she smiled.

"Oh, that was very nice of her. Your father is a real jerk if he lets that woman slip out of his hands." She glimpsed at her son, pondering aloud. "Who's he talking to?"

"Detective Beckett," the kid replied in a singing voice with a lopsided smirk.

"You wish," Kate answered Castle's remark.

"Oh yes, I do," he grinned. "I must go now. See you later." He pocketed his mobile and turned back to his women. "Mother, it's so good to have you back!"

"I've been away only for two days! However, I hear you got along very well without me." She smiled suggestively.

"We had to. But it doesn't mean we didn't miss you."

"Come on, Richard, you don't have to flatter me. With Detective Beckett around, I'm sure my presence wasn't missed," she winked.

Castle's face lit up, and he hugged his mother. "I love you."