He wants to surprise her, take her out to this restaurant they always joked about getting into in high school someday when they had money enough to afford it. He went there once with Meredith and thought about Kate the entire time. It's about time he goes there with the person he actually wants to be there with.

Rick knocks on her door, wondering how long they have to date before they exchange keys. Then he quickly chastises himself, reminding himself that she wanted to take this slow. Of course that was before all of the orgasms he had given her last night. Really he has no clue where they stand. All he's gathered is that they're dating, that she's giving this a chance. Which is good enough for him…for now.

The door swings open and to his surprise, it's not Kate standing there.

"Mr. Beckett!" Rick exclaims, fearing his face makes him look just as guilty as he did in high school when her father constantly caught them making out on the couch.

"Mr. Rodgers," Jim nods. "Or, uh, I hear it's Castle now."

"Rick is fine," he says, reaching out to shake the man's outstretched hand.

God, had Kate felt this awkward meeting his mother again?

"Dad, who's at the door?" Kate's voice wafts out from the apartment. She sounds like she's in the kitchen.

"Some old boyfriend of yours," Jim shrugs, tossing Rick a wink.

He pretends to laugh, trying hard to remind himself that he is a grown man now and not some 18-year-old kid screwing this man's daughter. Okay well the second part is still true. Shit.

Jim side steps away from the door, allowing Rick entrance into the apartment. Kate looks over her shoulder from where she stands in front of the fridge and smiles at him.

"Hey," she greets him, her smile widening. "What are you doing here?"

"Well I was in the building, so I figured I'd stop by."

She groans, tossing the towel sitting on the counter at him.

"Rick lives upstairs now," Kate explains to her father. "His sense of humor hasn't changed much."

"Oh like yours has?" Rick tosses back.

She smirks and turns back to the fridge. "So really, what are you doing here? I told you I was cooking for my dad tonight. Did you decide you wanted to join in?"

"You did?" he asks, scratching his head, trying to remember.

"Don't you check your phone?"

Oh. He'd noticed he had a text from her. But rather than just read it like a normal person, he'd decided to come on down and talk to her in person.

"You should stay, Rick," Jim says, patting him on the back. "We can catch up."

"Dad, please," Kate starts, carrying the ingredients she's gathered from the fridge to the counter. "We're not in high school anymore. Don't scare the poor man."

"Katie, if I can still scare him after all of these years –"

"Mr. Beckett," Rick starts.

"Jim," he tells him. "Katie's right. You're not in high school anymore."

Rick nods. "Jim, I would love to stay for dinner, but my mother was planning on me cooking tonight –"

"So invite her down too," Jim shrugs.

"Dad," Kate hedges.

"Oh come on, it'll be fun! The four of us, having dinner together, catching up."

"There would actually be five us," Rick explains. "I have a daughter. She's 12."

Jim raises an eyebrow at him. "You're married?"

"Divorced actually."

Jim nods, glancing back over at Kate. "Well invite her down too. I can warn you about all of the troubles of raising a teenager daughter."

"Dad," Kate grits out, tossing him a warning look.

Her father smirks at her. "You know you were a handful."

"Yeah and so does he," she says pointing to Rick. "He was there, remember? Also I didn't buy enough to cook for five people. It was just supposed to be the two of us tonight."

"Well I could bring down what I was going to make," Rick suggests. "We could work together."

She glares at him, giving him a tight-lip smile. "Rick, can I talk to you for a minute? Over here?"

Jim chuckles to himself and moves to go sit on the living room couch, giving them their privacy. He picks the newspaper up off the coffee table and begins to read it.

"I, uh, I suppose this is a bad time to ask you out to that Riverpark restaurant we always wanted to go tomorrow night, huh?" Rick asks, wringing his hands together.

Kate groans, carding her fingers through her hair. "Focus, Rick. Dinner with our parents and your daughter? Tonight? I am not prepared for this."

"Well it's not like our parents don't already know each other. And you've had dinner with Alexis twice now," he offers, trying to lend her some comfort.

She draws her lower lip into her mouth, worrying it between her teeth.

"Kate, it's going to be fine," he tells her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "What's the worst that could happen?"


"So, Rick," Jim starts, passing the bread to Kate. "Martha and I were talking while you two were in the kitchen cooking and I think we're both wondering what your intentions are with my daughter here."

"Dad, please," Kate hisses, passing the bread along to Rick.

"Jim, you don't have to make it sound like you're interrogating him," Martha chimes in. "We're merely curious if you two are getting back together."

"Well, I –" Rick starts.

"Dad, I thought you said that you and Kate were just friends," Alexis cuts him off.

"Well, we dated in high school," he tells her.

"But you aren't dating now?" Jim asks.

"No, I never said –"

Kate reaches across the table and pats his hand. "We're giving dating each other another chance, yes."

Rick tosses her a grateful look, finally passing the bread to Alexis.

"What are the odds?" Jim says, shaking his head. "If only your mother was still around to see this. I'm sure she'd be just thrilled."

Rick grins at Kate. "See? I told you Johanna always liked me."

"I'm well aware," she tells him.

"So if you guys are dating," Alexis starts. "Kate will be sticking around, right? Cause she has some really funny stories about you, Dad. I like talking to her."

Rick narrows his eyes at Kate. "What have you been telling her?"

She shrugs in response, feigning innocence.

"And to answer your question, Alexis, she's not going anywhere anytime soon."

His eyes meet hers across the table and she smiles, reaching for her wine glass.

"I have to say, I'm impressed with you, Rick," Jim says, reaching for the butter. "You've made quite a name for yourself with your writing. I had no idea you were that good."

"That's because he never let you read his work," Kate tells him. "I knew he'd make it big. I've always known."

She catches his gaze again and he feels his heart swell. Is it possible to be in love with her again already?

"I did too," Martha adds. "Back when I figured out he'd much rather write the plays instead of performing in them."

"Does that mean I'm destined for a life of directing?" Alexis asks. "You know, to complete the family career circle?"

"Don't give your grams any ideas, honey. She's relentless," Rick warns.

Alexis giggles as Martha tosses her napkin across the table at him.

"I suppose Katie stayed in our family career circle. She may not have gone to law school like originally planned, but she still works to uphold the law. And I'm still proud of her," Jim says.

"So that's a thing then?" Alexis asks. "Family career circles?"

Jim laughs. "No, I don't think it is. I was just going off of what you said. Don't worry about what your family does for a living. Find something that makes you happy. But you have plenty of time to figure out what that is."

The girl smiles at him before digging back into her food. Rick mouths a 'thank you' to him from across the table and the older man nods in response. Martha starts up a conversation with Jim, one that has Alexis laughing right along with them.

"You were right," Kate says softly, leaning across the table. "This isn't the disaster I thought it would be."

"Apparently, our parents have matured right along with us," he shrugs. "But after tonight, I'm definitely going to need some alone time with you tomorrow."

"You can take me to Riverpark…as long as you're paying."

"I'd make a joke about you only wanting me for my money and my body, but my child is sitting right over there."

She smirks at him. "I think you just made it anyway."

He laughs, drawing the attention back to himself and rejoining the group discussion. No, tonight was a far cry from a disaster.


"You know, I had a nice time tonight," Jim sighs, sinking back onto the couch now that he's alone with his daughter once again. "I know we had planned to eat just us; I hope I didn't ruin your evening any with my invitations."

Kate sinks down onto the couch next to him. "No, Dad, you didn't. I had a good time too."

"Good," he says smiling at her. "It kind of felt like we were part of a big family there for a moment again you, know? More to it than just you and me."

"But it's not just you and me. There's Aunt Theresa and –"

"No, no, I know. But here in the city, it's just the two of us. And things are still pretty lonely without your mother to keep me company."

Her hand flies up to grasp at the ring around her neck at the mention of her mother. "You're allowed to start dating again, you know. Mom would want you to be happy."

"I know. There's just no one else out there like her. And I know you understand that since you've gone back to dating Rick."

"Dad," she starts, looking down at her lap.

"I watched you two together tonight. I haven't seen you smile that much in a long time. Let him make you happy, Katie. You deserve it."

"Do you really think that what we have rivals what you and mom had?" she asks, looking back up at him.

"I'm not an expert at your love life or anything, but even when you were kids that boy has always known how to cheer you up. You need someone like that. Especially if you intend to keep looking into your mother's murder."

"I haven't touched that case in years, Dad."

"I know. But can you really sit there and say you don't plan to ever again?"

Her silence is enough of an answer for him as she stares back down at her lap.

"All I'm saying is, no matter how much I was irritated with him when you were younger, he seems to have grown up into a fine, young man."

Her lips quirk up into a smile. "Well I'm glad I finally have permission to date him after all of these years. But I think you're right, Dad. He is good for me."