Well, it's been a while since I updated, so I thought I should do it. Better late than never!

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"Mom?"

Johanna's voice caused her head to snap up, as Beckett's warm smile from a moment before remained for her daughter.

"Hey, sweetie, what's up?" she asked, holding out an arm for the young girl to tuck herself under.

Sighing, Johanna put her arms around her mother and leaned into her shoulder, closing her eyes.

"Nothing much," she murmured, opening her eyes to look up at Beckett, "Esposito took all the cupcakes."

Beckett breathed out a laugh, "Well he won't get any caramel slice, will he?"

Giggling, Johanna's head turned to a gasping Castle.

"There's caramel slice?" he asked, eyes wide, a grin hinting on his face.

The young girl's eyes narrowed cheekily, as she left her mother's side and headed slowly toward Castle.

"There sure is, but who says I'm gonna give it to you?" she said, stopping at the table's edge, leaning against it with her arms crossed.

Gosh, she looks like Beckett, Castle thought to himself, as he let his mouth gape, attempting to find words.

"You do know that I can sniff out caramel slice from a mile away," he said, "So I will find it!"

"Nope, you'll never find it!" Johanna exclaimed, grinning, "We've hidden someplace safe."

The ringing of Beckett's phone distracted the three of them, as she excused herself to answer it.

"Can I trust you, Castle?" Johanna asked. As he turned back to face her, he realized the little girl was practically inches away from him, peering up at him expectantly.

"What – what do you mean?" he asked, taken aback by her abrupt question. She had a serious look on her face, yet she still had a glint in her eye; she was just as confusing as her mother!

"You know what I mean," Johanna insisted, crossing her arms. Rick continued to look at her just as confused as before.

"You mean…if you tell me where I can find your baked goodies I won't go and steal them?" he said, drawing out his words, still unsure of where this conversation was headed.

"No, not that!" she exclaimed, huffing, "But it's in our fridge, by the way."

Rick chuckled, watching the little girl jump up to sit on the edge of the table.

"Should you really be sitting there?" he asked, receiving a raised eyebrow.

"What are you, my mother?" Johanna snapped, sighing and shaking her head. Rick placed both the cups of coffee on the table then pulled up a chair, sitting directly opposite the young girl. Her bright, blue eyes were staring intently into his, her gaze unyielding and intense. To be honest, it was kind of making him uncomfortable.

"What do you mean, Johanna?" Rick asked sincerely, watching her look to her feet, brow furrowed, before she looked up to him.

"Does Alexis like her Mom?" she asked quickly, the question startling him.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be asking things like that," she murmured, her teeth finding her bottom lip and her eyes finding the floor.

"No, no, it's okay," he said, clearing his throat, "she loves her Mom, but sometimes…"

Sighing, Castle thought about his next words carefully, Johanna staring at him, expectant.

"Sometimes, what?"

"Sometimes Meredith doesn't always think before she speaks," he explained, "and that can hurt people."

"Like my Mom."

He stopped. Wow, this kid knew how to hit it out of the park; her sorrowful eyes rested on him, before she began to search the room awkwardly.

"Hey," Castle called, watching Johanna look away defiantly, "Johanna?"

Slowly, she looked up, the tears welling in her eyes, Castle's hand reaching out for her. She began to move gradually over to him. Once within his reach, he pulled her close, allowing her to fall into his embrace. She let gentle sobs take over her, as she curled up tightly on his lap, both his arms wrapped loosely around her.

"No matter what anyone says," Castle continued, "your mother is the strongest person I've ever met. After you."

Johanna giggled, sniffing back her tears.

"It's hard, you know?" she snuffled, "Because all my friends have daddies too, and people always – always ask me why I don't – don't have one."

Lifting up a thumb, he gently wiped away a rogue tear that was still falling down her cheek. Giving a weak smile, Johanna sighed, looking at her fingers, which were gently playing with the tassel on her shirt. She slowly looked back up to Castle, her eyes big.

"Does Alexis like it?" she asked, "Only having a Dad and not seeing her Mom?"

"It doesn't worry her, if that's what you mean," Castle said, "she's grown up with just the two of us; it's just how we are."

"Kinda like me and my Mom," Johanna added, nodding. She was calmer now, all the tears dried up. It felt better now; now that she knew she wasn't the only one who had a single parent.

"Just like you and your Mom."

"Dad?"

Both sets of blue eyes looked up to the redhead in the doorway.

"Hey, sweetie," Castle greeted with a smile, as Johanna quickly jumped off his lap. He gave the young girl a look of confusion, watching her bite her lip awkwardly.

"Uh, I'm gonna go see my Mom," she murmured, pushing past Alexis and back into the bullpen.

Beckett was sitting at her desk, still on her phone, scrawling something down on her pad. Johanna took her place on Castle's seat, watching her mother intently until she hung up. Looking away quickly, she cast her eyes on the floor, taking note of every little burn mark, every scuff that marked its surface.

"Hey," Beckett whispered quietly, raising a hand to cup Johanna's cheek, "you okay?"

Johanna nodded, still failing to meet her mother's gaze, the clicking of wheels meaning her mother was coming to her.

"Hey, Missy Moo," she said, causing Johanna to giggle.

"Mom, you haven't called me that since I was five!" she exclaimed quietly, looking up to meet Beckett's eyes.

"Well, sometimes you have to renew tradition," she added, grinning as she took Johanna's hand.

"Mom, I, uh…"

She paused for a moment, sighing, before she continued.

"Mom, I don't really like Meredith," she said, "and I know I don't really know her very well, but she seems…"

Johanna pursed her lips, raising her eyes to the roof as she thought of a word she could use to describe the 'deep-fried Twinkie' as Castle had called her. A few of the nasty words her mother used when she was talking to Lanie ran through her head, but they seemed too ferocious at the moment.

"Seems what?" Beckett asked, watching her daughter juggle with her thoughts.

"She seems a little…judgmental?"

Looking to her mother, who nodded, Johanna felt she'd found the right word to describe the woman. It wasn't that she was intently nasty, she just kind of spoke before she thought.

"Like, if she thought a cover looked boring, she'd never read the book," Johanna continued, "because she'll think it's going to be boring too. But it could be the best book in the world."

Beckett felt butterflies in her stomach as she listened to her daughter's explanation, wondering where she found this strange insight into others she seemed to have.

"And I don't think she means to be nasty," Johanna said, "but she always says what's on her mind. She doesn't think about it, so sometimes she says stuff she doesn't think is nasty, but it kinda is."

Watching, Johanna saw Beckett's eyes fog up, and she tilted her head, confused.

"What?"

She took a moment longer to gaze, many thoughts and emotions running through her at once. The greatest was pride.

"You have a very good opinion of people, Jo," Beckett said, sighing, "and you definitely live up to your name."

"I'm named after Grandma and your sister, right?" Johanna asked, her mother nodding in approval.

"That's right," she agreed, "my mother didn't care about someone's past or whether they were good or bad; she just wanted the truth."

Sitting in silence, Johanna watched as her Mom let a small smile creep onto her face. It was warm and real, a smile she reserved for only special people and occasions.

"What about your sister?" Johanna asked, eliciting an even greater smile from Beckett.

"She was just like her; warm, caring, empathetic –"

"What's empathetic?" Johanna interrupted, her brow furrowing.

"It means you're good at putting yourself in other people's shoes," Beckett explained, "and your Aunt Abi was pretty good at it."

Reaching up, Johanna gently wiped away a rogue tear on her mother's face. Neither had noticed, but Castle and Alexis were standing just a little way away, far enough to be unnoticed, but close enough to have heard most of the conversation. Alexis had managed to convince her father it was not a good idea to interrupt.

"Did she put herself in other people's shoes a lot?" Johanna asked, a glint in her eye, a grin on her lips.

"She must have had really smelly feet then," Beckett said quietly, leaving both girls laughing as Castle approached, against Alexis' orders.

"Hello, ladies," he said, before pointing at Johanna, "I think you're in my seat."

"Pfft! It's my seat now!"

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Look at that, another chapter, better late than never :S That seems to be my catch phrase these days, ha!

Anyways, HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope you all had a wonder Christmas and 2011, and best wishes for 2012!

Kayla x