Thanks for all the support on my story guys - all the alert subs and favorites, you all are totally awesome!

Really hope you enjoy this chapter - it's not quite as insane as the last one - tehe!

The next day was Monday, which meant it was Alexis's first day as a working professional.

"I'm sorry I don't know what you usually eat, so I didn't know what to pack in your little lunchbox", Castle held up Alexis's old pink Tinkerbell school lunch pail.

"Dad!" Alexis snatched the lunchbox out of her father's, looking embarrassed as if the school's cool kids were hanging around nearby.

"What?" Castle shrugged innocently.

"I probably would have been totally rapturous with joy if you'd brought me that when I was...five."

Castle pouted. "Yeah...I just can't believe I've missed out on raising my only child."

Alexis shrugged. "You never know, I might not be your only child for long, you might finally give me that little brother or sister I've always wanted." Castle didn't see her looking in the direction of Beckett who was descending the stairs.

She left Castle to compute that thought and approached Beckett who had beckoned her over.

"OK, here's a fifty for lunch with the guys", at the look of resistance Alexis gave her, Beckett stared the girl down. "Take it Alexis, no exceptions. Today you become a woman in the workforce, so...", she squared Alexis's shoulders. "Head up; if you don't have confidence in yourself, no one else will. Walk tall, act taller; you are a smart, beautiful woman, now is your time to take control of your life. And nobody can do that, but you."

Alexis hugged Beckett. "If I didn't have you here to give me that speech of empowerment, I-I just..." Meeting a loss of words, she simply held on to Beckett tighter. "You're an angel Kate."

The two women broke the embrace and Beckett squeezed Alexis's hand. "Kick some ass", both women grinned and shared a little squeal.

Alexis's eye caught the wall clock and she gasped. "Shoot, I've got to meet the 9:07 bus! Bye Dad, love you both" And in a flurry, she was out of the door.

Beckett chuckled and turned to Castle who was staring at her admirably. "How did you get so good with kids?" He asked her.

"Alexis is hardly a kid, she's a woman now, and women are one thing I know well."

Castle's eyes widened as he gave her a curious once-over.

She rolled her eyes. "Not in that way." She came to sit next to him at the breakfast bar.

He chuckled lightly. "Alexis said something about wanting a little brother or sister... what is that about?"

Beckett froze momentarily as she went to pour her orange juice. "I've got no idea, as far as I'm aware Alexis has always been really content with it just being the two of you."

"What kind of childhood did she have with me?" Castle turned his body fully to Beckett, looking enquiring.

Beckett smiled. "An absolutely wonderful one. You two had a very special relationship. Most girls would envy the childhood Alexis had."

"Did I spoil her?" Castle asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

Beckett touched him on the knee. "As I said, most girls would envy the childhood she had. Would you consider being raised to be a spoiled brat an enviable position to find yourself in?"

Castle shook his head.

"And does Alexis seem out of control and high maintenance to you?"

Again, Castle shook his head. "No she's perfect", his eyes twinkled.

"Well there you go", Beckett withdrew her hand from Castle's knee. Castle looked down at the spot where her warmth hand just departed. "So what are we doing today?"

"Whatever you want, I am completely at your service Mr. Rodgers", Beckett said, invested in the headlines of the newspaper.

Castle raised his eyebrow, liking the sound of that. "Within reason", Beckett added, sensing a flurry of unorthodox or inappropriate suggestions.

Castle pouted, which Beckett caught out of the corner of her eye. She smirked.

"Good morning dear number one, dear number two", Martha greeted them, kissing each of them on the cheek, in turn.

"Mother, what have you got planned for the day?" Castle asked the red headed bombshell.

"Well I have a coffee date with a backer at ten o'clock, then a lunch date with Jean-Paul my voice coach, three o'clock I have a meeting with Brianne who I'm starring opposite in a new off-broadway play called "The golden girl and the spinster"; in case you were wondering, she doesn't play the spinster..." Castle raised his eyebrows at Beckett, wondering how the actress fit everything into her day. "And then I have an evening class to teach."

Castle blew a low whistle. "Wow, that certainly is a planned out day, none of which sounds particularly flexible."

"Oh darling, I know you were probably hoping to spend a little more time with your mommy dearest, but my life is run on schedule these days, and I'm afraid I've trained myself to be a woman of independence. These appointments have been in my diary for weeks, and I'd be putting out a lot of important people if I were to rearrange them now."

Castle sighed. "I know mother...you go, I'll be fine."

"Oh of course you will, you've got a gorgeous woman that's going to be hanging around you all day... you're going to be just gravy, hunny."

Beckett pursed her lips as Martha moved like a tornado around the house, babbling unintelligibly to herself.

Beckett giggled. "Your mom is so...vivacious, so full of life. I'm so in awe of her."

Castle smiled affectionately at his jittering parent. "Yeah, she's great."

Beckett's face turned stony as she thought of her own mother, as she did almost ritualistically every day.

"What about your mom, is she around?" Castle asked her.

Beckett swallowed. "No, she's not, she ah... she died when I was nineteen."

Castle gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry to hear that. Nineteen, that's young. Must've been hard."

Beckett breathed in. "Yes, it was... it's still hard, every day."

Castle nodded his head. "So, this year must be the ten year anniversary then, you planning anything special for it?"

Beckett squinted her eyes at him, confused.

"Nineteen... you're twenty-nine years old now, right? So that's ten years."

Beckett noticed the half-concealed humor in his face. She bit her lip and he laughed at her. "Alright, so I might be a little bit older than twenty-nine."

Castle sighed. "Whew. You know I'm kinda glad. I couldn't see myself as a forty one year old, being with a woman who was more than ten years my junior. I don't know much about myself but I'm sure I was over dating women in their twenties a long time ago."

Beckett blushed, as did Castle when he realized what he'd actually said. "What's dating got to do with it?"

Castle looked deeply humiliated until she continued. "You should know, I don't date men... men court me", the spark in her eye made Castle unable to contain a little grin. "Good to know."

Martha snuck up behind them. "Alright, my two little treasures. Have fun, don't do anything I wouldn't do", she turned to Beckett. "And bear in mind, that's not a lot", she winked and Beckett barked with laughter.

"Goodbyyye", she sang as she waltzed out the door of the loft.

Castle shook his head "Oh my word, how did I turn out to be so sane?"

"I think you've got to credit your nannies for that one", Beckett told him.

"Oh yeah, I had some pretty niiice nannies. Stacey Fererra, she stayed on until I was fifteen."

"Fifteen? Who needs a nanny when they're-"

Castle had his lips pursed deviously.

Beckett shook her head. "Boys and their hormones."

"Oh yeah", Castle chuckled. "Me and mine were such good friends."

"So, I guess we could just sit here all day, and you can re-farmiliarize yourself with...yourself."

"And how would I go about doing that?" Castle asked her.

"There's plenty of written material for you to go by... you never know you might just get the urge to start writing something new", Beckett suggested.

Castle smirked. "We're not even on the job and you're encouraging me. The guys told me that when I first started following you around, you hated it. Now, you just want me to give your character a juicy new story line."

Beckett put her hand on her hip. "Hey, I'm your muse, it's my job to inspire you."

Castle looked at her with sparking eyes again. "Aw Kate, you do that without even trying."

Beckett blushed and swirled her glass of juice. "Actually there is one place I would like to take you. Only if you're willing, that is."

"As long as it involves spending more time with you, then I'm there", Castle smiled.

...

"Dr. Burke, this is Richard Rodgers, formerly known as "Castle", Beckett introduced Castle to her therapist.

"Mr. Rodgers, I've heard a lot about you", Dr. Burke told the writer.

"All good things I hope", Castle flashed him a grin.

"I think I'll leave that to Kate to surmise for your benefit", he told him sleekly.

Castle raised his eyebrow. "Oh it's like that is it Kate?" He leered in Beckett's direction.

She smiled cutely at Castle. "I won't deny that a lot of my sessions have been spent talking about a certain bestselling author", Beckett walked toward him. "And how annoying and stubborn and... I'll be damned if he hasn't been the best thing to happen to me in years."

Behind Beckett, Dr. Burke smiled discretely to himself.

Castle's eyes shone. "Well, in that case..."

"I brought you here for more than to just feed your ego though Rick. I wanted you to be here to witness what I feel is a rather auspicious occasion", she inhaled.

"Dr. Burke", she turned toward the deep-voiced doctor. "I think I finally managed to let go of all of those things we've been talking about. Yesterday I visited the spot where..." She glanced at Castle who didn't know what she was talking about. "Where it happened. I talked to the headstone of Montgomery and I felt... liberated. I felt free, and I think I am free."

Dr. Burke looked at her gently. "Is this you telling me that this is your last session?"

Kate nodded with a smile. "Yes, I think it's time."

Dr. Burke took a step toward her. "Kate, I would like to say that you've been a joy to work with, but we both know that would be a lie." Beckett laughed.

The therapist continued. "You've been stubborn and withdrawn and at times a superb pain in the ass", he cracked a smile. "But then I feel I got through. I managed to touch something inside of you that you hadn't let anyone else into."

Beckett nodding, accepting his comment.

"And I'm glad of that. And I am proud. of. you." He took her by the shoulders and spoke deliberately and sincerely to her.

"Thank you Doctor Burke, for everything", Beckett wrapped her arms around her therapist for the last time and held tight to him, conveying her gratitude.

When they withdrew, the doctor smiled at her and then turned to Castle. "You take care, the both of you. Be good to one another."

Beckett walked over to join Castle by the office door. "And Kate, remember what I said."

Beckett acknowledged him. "To grab on to the next monkey bar, you have to let go of the last", Beckett beamed.

"And when you reach the end is when you stop being a monkey." Dr. Burke grinned back at the little inside joke they shared.

"I still intend to be a little primal though", she winked as she pinched Castle on the backside.

Castle looked at her in surprise and she smiled salaciously at him.

Dr. Burke laughed as they left his office.

...

Beckett and Castle took a gentle walk to a park nearby Dr. Burke's office.

"What are we doing here?" Castle asked Beckett.

"Alexis told me the other day that you used to bring her here all the time. I just thought it was a nice idea to come here today. My parents used to bring me here as well."

"Really? That's sweet", Castle smiled at her.

"Yeah, we used to play baseball right over there", Beckett pointed to a part of the park that was occupied by a group of young kids playing ball.

"It's comforting to know that some things never change, huh?" Castle followed her gaze.

Beckett turned to him and smiled. "Yes it is."

The pair of them walked over to a picnic table near to them and sat down across from one another.

"So, Kate Beckett."

Beckett smiled widely. "Rick Rodgers."

"I feel I should interrogate you now."

Beckett pursed her lips. "Is that so?" She shrugged. "You can try, there's no guarantee you'll crack me though."

"Oh you just watch", Castle eyed her up and down in a seductive manner.

Beckett blushed.

"Where did your parents get married?"

"Hmm, Saint Andrews church, very traditional."

"Very beautiful... Roman Catholics huh?"

Beckett smiled. "My father is yeah."

"About your father, where is he?"

"He's in the city, I see him on a regular basis. He watches out for me, I watch out for him."

Castle nodded. "Sounds like me and my girl."

"Yeah well, I think you and yours are a little more stable than we were."

Castle pursed his lips. "I see. Well, what about your childhood, you say you used to play here so you obviously lived nearby."

"Yeah we had a place a couple of blocks over. My Mom worked at a law office around here."

"She was a lawyer?"

"A civil rights attourney. One of the best", Beckett smiled.

"So that's where your quest for justice came from huh?"

Beckett looked at him thoughtfully. "Yeah, my Mom definitely made me want to find justice for those who were murdered. If only to bring some peace to their families."

Castle shook his head with a smile. "I still can't believe I help put bad guys away."

"You do more than that Rick, you help the innocent to be set free as well. And you help me in my job to bring a little solace back to people's lives."

Castle smiled at her gently. "I know I'm not in top form, well obviously, but do you think one day I might be able to...come back?"

Beckett opened her mouth uncertainly. "Rick, I don't know..."

"Oh please Kate, it sounds amazing. AND it sounds like I was pretty helpful", he gleamed at her.

Beckett couldn't help but smile at his insistence. "One day we will both go back. For now though, we are together here, in the park. We're enjoying life, I'm kind of liking being a lady of leisure you know?" She grinned.

Castle looked at her with a grin of his own. "You do know I'm rich, right? And we're living together. You don't actually have to work again. When Alexis goes to college, you and I could just... run away together."

Beckett actually considered it. "Yeah but the money would run out pretty quick."

"You could do freelance modeling", Castle suggested.

"I don't know, I think life would become pretty unsatisfying, not taking down criminals all the time", Beckett smirked, playing along.

"Are you doubting my ability to satisfy you?" Castle asked her, leaning into her.

Beckett blushed and she looked into his eyes. Her breath caught in her throat, and his breathing had stopped completely.

Uh oh. Those eyes again. Do not do it Kate, don't lean in, don't lean in- You're leaning in...

Beckett came closer to him, attracted by the fire in his eyes. Like a moth to a flame she felt her stomach be squashed by the table as her mouth came to meet his. Just as their lips touched, something small and round bounced between them on the table.

Beckett yelped and leapt back, nearly falling back on the grass. Castle however wasn't so successful as he didn't have the capacity with his injured arm, to grab on to the table.

"Rick! Are you OK?" Beckett rushed around the other side of the table to help him up.

Castle grunted as she helped him to his feet. Then his face twisted into delight as he held up the baseball in his hand. The group of children who had been playing ball were approaching him looking nervous.

He regarded them. "Who's the batter?"

A boy of around twelve held up his hand.

"You'rrrrre out buddy!" Castle chuckled.

"No way you caught that curve ball", another young man said to him doubtfully.

"Yes way!" Castle grinned.

"Nu-uh"

"Ya-huh"

"ALRIGHT boys! That's enough, Castle give them their ball back", Beckett interrupted the ensuing argument.

"Oh can't I stay and play Kate, please?" Castle pouted in her direction. He then turned back to the boys and straightened himself up to look more impressive and imposing. "If it's OK with you men of course."

The boys shared a look and a few whispers. The batter stepped forward. "You're arm is kind of busted, dude."

Castle chuckled. "Dude. College pitcher", he pointed to himself.

The boys shared another glance. The batter nodded. "Alright CC Sabathia, let's see what you got."

Castle turned to Beckett and furrowed his brow. "Who?" he whispered.

Beckett shook her head with a smile, and motioned for him to go play.

Castle threw a fastball, getting the batter out with a "Bam said the lady!"

Beckett shook her head at him when he looked over at her with a smile.

He shrugged "What?"

She shot him a hopeless look.

The next boy up to the plate was a small blonde boy who couldn't have been older than eight.

Beckett cleared her throat loudly so that Castle could hear her. He turned around to meet her concerned gaze. "Be. Nice." She instructed him.

He threw up his hand as if to say. "Why would I be otherwise?"

"OK pal, you ready?" Castle asked the small boy as Beckett took a seat on the grass.

The small boy nodded assuredly. Castle threw the ball underarm to him.

The little boy swung the bat and missed.

"That's alright, ball number two. Here it comes, you ready?", Castle reassured the boy before throwing the next ball.

Perched on her spot on the grass, Beckett smiled at his sweet interaction with the young boy.

Again the boy missed and this time he hit himself in the head with the bat.

The rest of the boys all laughed at him. The boy with the bat cried and ran off into a grouping of nearby bushes.

Beckett felt concern for the little boy and she stood up to go to him. He was crouched between the flax and was sobbing his poor little heart out.

"Hey buddy, you OK?" Beckett crouched beside him.

The little boy turned away from her, embarrassed.

"Big kids can be rough, huh? I know. The important thing is to not let them think that they're any better than you."

The boy's back remained turned to her. Kate pressed on.

"When I was very young, my mom used to tell me "Katie, If other children pick on you or tease you, you've just got to act like it doesn't bother you. You've got to stand up tall and laugh it off, don't let them feel like they hold any power over you."

Castle hobbled up behind Beckett and heard the tail end of her little speech to the boy. Awkwardly, he knelt down beside her. The two of them shared a glance.

"Hey, what's your name kiddo?" Castle reached out to touch the little boy's back who turned around to the two adults with a sniff.

"Blake", he told him.

"Well Blake, I used to get picked on all the time by big kids. Then you know what happened? I grew up and I became a famous author... apparently", he muttered the last bit for Beckett's benefit.

"And I started meeting a lot of really successful people, and they ALL got picked on when they were your age. So you know, I think if you start off being a little bit hassled, it makes you strong, makes you resilient."

"Makes me what?" The little boy asked him.

"It makes you able to deal with anything. It means that nobody messes with Blake", Castle told him with an authoritative voice.

Beckett smiled a soft smile at her partner's natural ability with children.

"Now you keep saying that to yourself and you go out there and show those big kids who's boss", Castle smiled gently and offered the boy his hand. On his knees, he was just as tall as the boy.

Blake sniffed and took Castle's hand, pulling himself up.

"Good man!" Castle patted the boy proudly on the back.

Beckett and Castle followed as the boy returned to the pitch and bravely asked the former batsman for the bat back.

The boy relented after a stare down from the little kid.

"Haha, that's it Blake, show him who the big kid really is", Castle clapped his hands together gleefully.

"Rick, how did you know about your friends all becoming successful as adults when you don't remember your own life as an adult?" Beckett asked him.

Castle looked at her sheepishly. "OK, so maybe I greased the kid a little, but it was done so with only the best of intentions."

Beckett nodded, trying to hide her smile, but it shone like the sun in the sky. "You know, you really have a way with kids", she told him, her entire face alight with happiness.

"Yeah, it's almost like I've raised one before", Castle told her with a sideways glance.

Beckett grinned slyly, looking back toward the game. "Maybe Alexis was right. Maybe you should think about giving her a sibling, after all she has been a terrific prototype."

Castle stared at her, slack-jawed. "Are-are you suggesting-?"

"It really is a beautiful day isn't it?" Beckett asked him, purposefully changing the subject.

He stared at her until she jumped up and down screaming with delight. "Rick, Rick look!"

Rick spun his head around in time to see a baseball whip over their heads and land on the other side of the park.

Little Blake ran the four bases, pumping his fist. He'd hit a home run.

"Oh yeah, way to go Blake!" Castle laughed. He wrapped his arm around Beckett. "Nice parenting there Kate. You sure you've never done it before?"

Beckett smirked with a shrug. "I'm a natural I guess."

"I'll say", he smiled back at her. "You want to go?" He asked.

She took a gander toward the group of boys and giggled as Blake reached the final base with a jump. She nodded to Castle. "Yeah, come on", she said.

Castle's arm remained draped over her shoulders. "Rick, your arm is kind of weighing me down here", Beckett told him.

"Oh yeah, I'm still a little unsteady on my feet I'm afraid", he groaned.

Beckett snorted. "Rick, you were just playing ball with a group of kids quarter your age."

Castle leaned over further, putting even more of his body weight on her. "Oh now I just feel like an old man."

Beckett squealed as she stumbled under his weight. She put an arm around his waist to help herself regain balance.

Castle grinned down at her. "OK, I guess I can cope with this arrangement."

And that's how they walked through the streets of New York City, arms around each other until they reached Castle's loft.

...

"Dad, Kate!" Alexis's excited voice greeted them as they entered the loft.

"Hey pumpkin, what are you doing home so early?" Castle asked her with a broad smile.

"I managed to convince Mr. Marks to let me go home early. I told him about you, and since he happens to be a big fan of yours and is a dad himself, he decided the two of us needed to spend some quality time together, getting to know one another again... so", she tootled over to the other side of the living room and knelt down behind the couch.

Castle chuckled. "Alexis, what are you-"

"Stop." She yelled out. "Don't come any closer. Unless you want to be vaporized I would stay back if I were you, chump", Alexis arose from behind the couch, adorned with a set of her and Castle's old laser tag glasses and guns.

"O-ho! Are those laser tag guns? We have laser tag?" Castle looked like a boy at Christmas.

Alexis nodded and then squealed as Castle attacked her and took her gun from her hands. "Well, pilgrim, I happen to be fastest gun in the west."

Alexis gasped in mock fear and then reached down beside her to pick up the other gun. "Unluckily for you, you taught me everything you know."

Beckett sat down at the breakfast bar and proceeded to enjoy watching father and daughter.

This afternoon at the park when she'd suggested to Castle that he consider giving Alexis a little brother or sister. His wild assumptions about what she meant by that, were correct. The idea involved only the people in this room.

Oh yes. Dr. Burke would be proud.

...

A/N: By the way, have you seen the promo and pics for 4x14 "The Blue Butterfly?" Uh-mazing!