A/N: Enjoy
XI
Shopping
Kate & Alexis
"Now, Harris says he likes Tanya, but he's still dating Olivia, Sasha and Ramona both want to date Conrad but he wants to date Nadia, it is worse that the Mexican Telenovella's that we have to watch in Spanish class." Alexis explained.
"I still can remember my High school's dating drama. I'm not that old. But tell me, don't you have any friends with real names. Don't you know any Roberts or Mikes?"
Alexis laughed. She and Kate were just finishing dinner at the Pierre's the fancy French restaurant they had picked for dinner. The food had been outstanding, but the company had been better. The two women were relaxed and the conversation had been easy. By unspoken consent they both shied away from all things Castle and had instead talked of trivial matters. They sat lingering over coffee any enjoying each others company.
"I don't know, maybe my dad's generation got tired of the Ricks and Bobs and decided to go out on a limb and pick different names, you know, to make the world less ordinary. You have to admit that Alexis is not Sue or Mary."
"No, but it fits you." Kate commented
"Thank you. I guess it time to talk about what we have been avoiding."
"Oh…. No… And this dinner had been so pleasant. Why ruin it now?" Kate joked.
"I know, I know, but what restaurant meal would be complete without an argument about the bill?" Alexis rejoined
"And here I was thinking that you were going to bring up your dad."
"Well, in a way I am. I have been instructed, in no uncertain terms to pick up the tab for the evening, which includes the shopping." Alexis said.
"No, Alexis I can't let you do that." Kate objected.
"Look, this will make my dad happy. If he were feeling better, he would be here himself and you would have no choice in the matter."
"Oh, I wouldn't would I?" Kate's eyes narrowed as she pictured the argument she would be having with Castle right now, if he were here.
Alexis sighed. "Kate, my dad is many things, but he is always a gentleman, well almost always a gentleman. Besides do you realize how happy he will be, when he knows that you chose the dress you wanted, not because of price but because you found a dress you really liked?"
"That's not the point, Alexis. He can't just buy my….. He just shouldn't throw his money away."
"Okay, Kate, here is what is going to happen." Alexis said authoritatively "We are going dress shopping. If you don't let my dad buy you the dress, he is going to grill me until I tell him what dress you really wanted but did not want to spend that much money on. Then he will instruct me to go buy it, and then you will have two dresses. Do you really want to 'waste' your money and Dad's?"
Kate thought of all the arguments that she had against Castle's offer to buy the dress. While she was never really extravagant in her spending and did have some money saved, buying a dress for the Ball would cause a certain amount of anxiety. She had grown up in an upper middleclass home, but her father had taught her the importance of saving and living within her means. At the beginning of her time as a cop she had some serious difficulty juggling all her bills but had always gotten by, but it had definitely ingrained her fathers teaching. So now even though she was living comfortably she still tried to be frugal. Would it be so bad to accept the dress as a gift?
"Alright Alexis, I'll concede the dress but I'm paying for dinner." Kate conceded.
"Goody, I just love to win arguments." Alexis smiled "Beside where we are going to get dresses, you would not want to know how much the gowns cost. It is a private salon that is by appointment only. I got my prom dress there."
After paying for dinner, Kate was directed by Alexis to a small residential area full of Brownstones. In the middle of the row a red door and small plaque marked their destination. Inside an impeccably dressed matron and her two daughters greeted them. They were ushered into a comfortable sitting room and given coffee, tea and light pastries. Both were presented with large photo albums filled with various dress designs. Once they were attended too the owner and her daughters retired to allow Kate and Alexis some privacy to peruse the dresses.
"Wow," Kate exclaimed. "Doesn't this just scream pricy?"
"Oh it does, but they are the best in the city, excluding the actual Designers."
"Alexis, they don't even put the prices in the Albums!"
"I'm telling you that you don't want to know." Alexis reminded her.
The two women searched the photo albums, each exclaiming over dresses the other would look good in. After an hour each had a handful of dress choices. The proprietor's daughters came in with the selected gowns. Over the next hour and a half Kate and Alexis winnowed through their selections until both had made their choices and the attendants had marked the dresses for fitment.
"You dresses will be ready for final fitting on Wednesday afternoon. That should give us plenty of time to make any final adjustments." The owner exclaimed.
Kate and Alexis left with one final destination before heading back to Castle's apartment.
"You know if I eat much more I will not be able to fit into that dress." Kate lamented.
"A girl's prerogative is always to end the night with Ice Cream." Alexis stated
"Alexis, I want to talk to you about something." Kate said.
"That sounds very ominous."
"Well, sine your father and I are starting a relationship; I just want to clear the air."
"Ok" Alexis somewhat confused.
"I just want you to know that I not trying to do anything to your relationship with you dad."
"Oh" Alexis laughed. "I thought you were going say something like you were going to stop seeing my dad. That's a relief. Kate I love my dad very much. There is nothing more in the world I want than to see him happy. I can't tell you how happy I am that he met you. He literally has been a different person since he has been following you around. I haven't seen him so happy while he is writing."
"Alexis, I am the outsider here. I know it may sound strange to you but I don't want you to feel like I am butting in to your home."
"Oh my God, Kate, my dad loves you. I love you. My Gram loves…. Ok Grams approves of you, you're not butting in. You are welcome in our home. Gina was the intruder, not you. If you start, you know, shacking up with Dad, I may have a problem, but that is more about my dad taking advantage of you, not you being there." Alexis attempted to explain. "When Dad married Gina it was like she was the wicked stepmother from hell. She wanted to change everything. Nothing about the apartment, my dad's life, me anything, was right. That was before Grams started living with us. I sure Gina would have never married dad with Grams around. What I am trying to say is we want you at home. Don't ever think differently, okay?"
"Okay." Kate said fighting back tears. "I've…. I've never been a relationship where there were children involved. I have seen a lot of domestic disputes and seen the type of problems that can develop when a father starts dating a woman that the kids don't get along with. I guess, I always didn't want to be 'that women. You know?"
"Kate it's not like we don't like each other, right? We get along. If I had a choice of stepmothers, I would choose you." Alexis confessed.
"If I had to have a stepdaughter you would be on the top of my list."
Alexis and Kate hugged mindful of their ice cream. The two finished their desert and went back to the Apartment. As they stopped at the door Alexis turned and looked at Kate.
"It's fairly late; will you use the guest room tonight?"
"I probably should go. I didn't bring any extra clothes." Kate explained
"You know, for someone how likes order, you would think you would have brought over some clothes to keep here."
"That's a big step, Alexis."
"I know, but it is one that I wish you would take. I'm not suggesting that you move in…. not yet at least. But having the option of not having to plan on getting up extra early so you can rush back to your apartment for fresh clothes would be nice, I would think." Alexis said coyly.
"Good evening ladies." Came Castle's baritone voice from behind them. He was standing holding a garment bag and some dry cleaning. His eyes had a merry twinkle that Kate had not seen since the shooting. Alexis unlocked the door, and Castle's presence behind her made Kate walk into the apartment.
"So, Rick picking up your tux?" Kate asked.
"Yes as a matter of fact I did. It was in the cleaners, and look what else I found. Why Kate, I didn't know that we used the same dry cleaner." He said handing her several pairs of slacks and tops.
"Thank you Richard. How much do I owe you?"
"Consider this like a tax amnesty day, for today only, everything is free. I am sure compared to the Ball gowns, I am getting off easy."
"Well Kate," Alexis intoned. "Looks like you now have clothes to wear tomorrow; will you need me to turn down the bed in the guest room?"
Kate didn't know why, but she felt like the two had somehow planned the whole scenario. She looked between father and daughter and realized that she did not stand a chance. She realized that she was being double teamed and it would all go better if she admitted defeat.
"Well it is late….." and she left it at that.
Dr Simmons Office
Castle
"So Rick, how are you feeling today?" Doctor Simmons asked.
"Same as always, scared as hell."
"Why is that? What I am trying to say is you have demonstrated bravery before, what is so different now?"
"Well I did get shot." Castle replied.
"In the course of your dealings with Detective Beckett you have been in mortal peril before, the Nigerian drug lord and the home invader both wanted to kill you. What makes Dominick different?"
"Well, for starters, he actually shot me! "
"Granted, but you nightmares aren't about your death but about the death of Alexis and Kate, which would suggest that you are more worried about others than yourself. Some of your fears are about facing your mortality, I'll grant you, but you also are scared for Alexis and Kate."
"They are two of three women I love the most. I guess that me not dreaming about my mother being shot raises all sort of alarms."
"Actually no, regardless of you less than normal childhood you still have feelings of being protected by your mother, she was you protector when you were a child you still see here in that roll, which is normal. Kate and Alexis are younger than you. You see yourself in the protector's role."
"Your not suggesting that, I see Kate like a daughter are you?"
"You are deliberately misunderstanding me. I am simply stating that you feel the need to protect Kate and Alexis from danger. You feelings for Kate are definitely not paternal; I know that, believe me."
"Is it so wrong to want to protect the ones you love?" Castle asked
"No Rick, it is very natural, but let look at things from another perspective. Do you find Kate competent?"
"Not that I know a whole lot of Cops, but yeah, she is the best cop I know."
"Do you feel she can protect herself during the course of her duties?"
"She can kick my ass six ways to Sunday." Castle answered
"Yet you still feel the need to protect her?"
"My life would be a darker place without her."
"Exactly! Now changing tracks, how are you feeling about the Ball coming up tomorrow night?"
"Worried…. Worried that I might have a panic attack. That I might freak out."
"Ok, have you done as I asked you to?"
"Yes, I went to the Waldorf to the Ballroom, with Kate and Alexis last night."
"And how did that go?" The doctor queried.
"Fine, I was a little nervous at first but after a while the feeling got better."
"Good, good. Now you have the anti-anxiety meds I proscribed?"
"Yes."
"Excellent, now give them to Kate or Alexis so they have them tomorrow night."
"Shouldn't I keep them with me; I mean I will be the one with pockets."
"I'm sure that Kate or Alexis will have a purse or clutch between them. I just want an independent observer to have the meds. Alright? You have my phone number, if you need to talk to me, even at the party, call me if you need me. Since time is up, I'll hope to see you on Monday,"
A/N: SSS (Sorry So Sappy) I just reread the Alexis/Beckett conversation. just a little too sticky sweet sorry :( Next up: the lead up and start to the Ball.