Title: Falling Against My Will
Reason I have not been writing: (Some might find this funny, or ironic…..whatever)
I got a new 38 revolver and it takes more power to shoot than my other handgun, I've been doing a lot of target practice lately… my hand has been too freaking sore to type. So I've had to save my typing for class and reviews. My Philosophy class where my professor said shows like Castle are mindless television (she's a freak of nature). Anyway that is why I haven't been writing lately because it hurts so much but I'm better now and feeling less pain. I'm getting used to my sweet little revolver. This notice will go on my new chapters then it will be gone. Thank you for hanging in there with me.
Summary: The families meet and we'll see if I go beyond that for this chapter.
Disclaimer: Chapter one… I only own my characters.
Chapter Fourteen: The Family Grows
Castle came over and sat down beside Kate at what had become their shared desk. "Hey Kate, I need to get home I got a text from mother saying that Nick or she wouldn't be there tonight so anyway Alexis is having Paige over after school."
Kate smiled. "I know how Paige's mom is about a parent or adult being at the house, that's fine I'm doing paperwork anyway so you go on and I'll be home soon." He got up kissed her on the head and then headed out.
Esposito looked up as he saw the writer leaving. "Hey Beckett, where's Castle going?"
"Alexis is bringing a friend home from school to study and her mom likes a parent or adult to be at home while she's there, Martha and Nick are gone so since I'm working that leaves Castle."
Ryan looked up at her. "So you guys are officially announcing the engagement this next week?"
"Yes we did the pictures already and Paula has the press release, she just has to choose the picture to use and have it put in the paper."
Esposito walked over and sat down by her desk. "What's going on with the new publisher?"
Beckett rolled her eyes. "I half expect to go home one day to find that she picked the lock and got in our bed naked. That woman just won't give up. She told him she would be going on all of his book tours so he told her he would be taking me, Alexis, Martha or Nick with him on every tour from now on. If it keeps up then I'm going to Todd and ask for a male publisher."
Esposito laughed. "Can you do that?"
"Yes, he told Todd as his fiancée I can make any decisions I want so she better watch it."
He nodded as he got up. "You don't have any reason to be jealous do you? I mean he's totally in this right?"
She stacked her paperwork and got up then put on her jacket. "I'm going home, my fiancée and daughter need me at home and this can wait. I'm tired of putting him off claiming to be too busy when we have party plans to make for Friday, next week and the book launch."
Kevin looked up. "This is your job and your life, I mean what's up Beckett?"
She smiled. "I have a better life now and yes this is my job but it's not my life. In less than a month I'll be Kate Castle, I have to wonder how much longer I need this life. I love you guys like brothers but I love Rick with my whole heart. See you tomorrow."
Kevin laughed when she stepped in the elevator. "See I told you that between the two of us you could get her to leave and go home with him, I wouldn't have been able to pull that off bro."
Esposito put his fist out for a fist bump. "Let's just hope she questions him about what I said."
Kevin shook his head. "When loft is rocking don't come knocking."
Esposito sat down and turned his back to him. "Oh no bro, you're giving up your man card for that one."
Castle's loft
The girls looked up from the table when the door opened and Castle looked toward the door from his place in the kitchen. Alexis smiled real big when Kate walked over and kissed her on the head and then she spoke. "Hi Kate, dad said you had more work to do."
She smiled. "Hi girls. Oh I cut out early." Then she walked over and chastely kissed Castle on the lips since the girls were present. "Hey babe, miss me?"
"I always miss you when we aren't together, you know that." He leaned down and kissed her again.
"I'm going to change and then I can help you with dinner."
As she started for the office that led to the bedroom he spoke up. "I've got dinner thanks but do you need any help in there?"
She laughed. "Not with the girls right out there and waiting on dinner I don't."
Alexis rolled her eyes. "Those two are going to kill each other one day and the obituary is going to read dual heart attacks caused by too much sex."
Kate walked out in one of Castle's shirts and a pair of yoga pants. "Hey I heard that, let's hope that doesn't happen I plan on living a very long life with your dad."
Paige smiled. "At least your parents act like that, mine are sickening polite to each other."
Alexis shook her head. "Not dad and Kate, she tells him what's on her mind. You have to respect that."
He smiled. "Or fall in love with that, which is what I did. Nothing like having a woman shove you against a wall and tell you to shut up that makes you fall harder for her."
Kate poured coffee and laughed as she walked to the table. "So girls what are you working on?"
Alexis laughed. "Well we are going to do the main part of our homework after dinner, dad said Paige could spend the night if it was okay with you?"
Paige smiled at Kate and mocked Castle. "Oh Lex its fine with me but you need to ask Kate, you know the mom figure in the house?"
Kate laughed. "Well it's perfectly okay with this mom. So what are you doing now?"
Paige held up a catalog. "We picked up some dress catalogs from local dress shops on the way home and we are trying to find Alexis a dress for the wedding. She figured she would be wearing mauve?"
Kate looked over at Alexis. "You are welcome to wear mauve if you want but I was thinking mauve for Lanie and Jenny, the midnight blue was for you I mean the maid of honor should stand out."
Alexis looked over at her. "No the bride should stand out."
"And so should the maid of honor to let people know she isn't just another attendant in the wedding. Of course Nick would match you then Espo and Ryan will match Lanie and Jenny. Like their ties match the dress, the guys are all wearing black. I'm not wearing white, I think I might have found a dress but I want you to see if first. It's off white but not a dark off white, so your dad's tie will match me."
Paige smiled. "That sounds very pretty, of course you would look pretty in a sack."
Rick brought drinks to the table. "Or nothing."
Alexis frowned. "Eww dad no that is way too much knowledge right now. Keep it to yourself."
Kate laughed. "Paige would you like to be a bridesmaid?"
She jumped up and hugged Kate. "I would love it, thanks so much Kate."
Alexis looked over at Kate. "So dad will have to have another groomsman."
Kate shrugged. "Oh that's easy I mean there is Jordan plus your dad is about to get a new brother-in-law. Maybe he could ask Jordan?"
Alexis nodded. "What do you think dad?"
"I would rather ask Jordan, I mean he is a friend of Alexis plus I don't even know if I'm going like Kim's husband."
"Well I guess that's our wedding party, plus I thought about asking Kim if her girls could carry flowers. Nick told me they are 5 and 7 so they should be the perfect age and maybe it could make them a bit more secure in joining our family. I mean Nick is marrying a famous actress whose son is a famous novelist. They have to be a bit put off by all of this, it's our job to make them comfortable."
He came over to refill her coffee. "See why I love her so much?"
Alexis smiled. "Duh dad, I mean like the morning she had breakfast with us and the night she sat and drank hot chocolate with me after her apartment blew up. We all loved her then." Then she held up a paper. "I've got it the perfect dress for me, Paige this would look great on you too."
Kate looked at it. "Let's go sometime this weekend and look, if we like them we can buy the dresses now."
Alexis and Paige started clearing the table. "We're going to my room until dinner is ready." She turned around at the steps. "Thanks Kate."
She smiled. "Anytime."
He walked over and kissed her after she stood up. "You didn't say always."
"Always is ours and only ours."
The loft, Friday evening
Kate walked out of the bedroom in a blue dress that was nothing special or fancy, but Castle swore on her it was beautiful. It was dark blue and hung straight and ended just above her knees. She had on a scarf belt that was the same dark blue along with purple and off white. She kept her hair down and curly and of course had on dark blue heels. She saw Nick and Martha in the kitchen. "Well look at both of you, wow you look great."
Martha turned around. "Katherine you just seem to get prettier every time you step out of that room. My son is a lucky man."
Kate walked over and hugged her. "I'm the one that's lucky Martha but thank you."
She kissed Nick on the cheek. "You look wonderful Nick, I love that suit."
He smiled. "Thank you Katherine, I don't dress up very often but Martha tells me to get used to it with all of the functions we'll be attending."
Kate laughed. "I've had to get used to it although I love my sweats."
Castle came out of the office in a new suit he bought for this night. "Well look at my gorgeous fiancée and my beautiful mother, we are lucky men Nick."
Nick nodded. "Don't I know it son?"
Alexis came downstairs and Rick whistled. "Honey, you look very pretty. Is that a new dress?"
"Yes Kate bought it for me today when we went shopping for hers."
He looked at her. "I owe you for that."
She shook her head. "No you don't, I used the Nikki account. As much as I hate to you made me promise to use it so I did, on our daughter."
"Please tell me you used it for your dress as well."
"Yes Rick calm down, I used it for my dress too. But I'm not going to turn into a kept woman that runs through your money."
He laughed. "You couldn't if you tried but you're welcome to it all." He started pulling platters of cheeses, meats, fruit and cut vegetables out of the refrigerator. Kate was putting different kinds of small breads and crackers on a platter and covering them with wrap.
When Martha looked at her in question. "The bread will taste stale and be hard if it's not covered, you people have relied on caterers too long."
Castle laughed. "And I know you wanted to do all of this tonight, I appreciate it. You are a wonderful hostess to have by my side."
The doorbell rang and Alexis walked toward it then opened it to a woman standing there. "Hi, I'm Sandra. I hope I'm at the correct address, I was supposed to meet my dad Nick and his fiancée Martha here?"
Alexis put her hand out. "I'm Alexis Castle, Martha is my grandmother. Please come in, welcome to our home."
Nick walked over and kissed her on the cheek. "Sandra, let's get you introduced to everyone. Martha honey would you like to introduce her?"
Martha walked over and hugged the girl. "I'm so glad you could come. You've met my granddaughter Alexis and over here is my son Richard and his fiancée Katherine."
Sandra put her hand out to them. "She talks about both of you all the time so great to meet you Mr. Castle and Detective Beckett."
Castle smiled as he shook her hand. "Please call me Rick or Richard, mother and Nick are really the only ones that call me Richard anymore."
Kate surprised everyone, she wasn't that big of a hugging person when they first met her. She hugged the girl. "Please call me Kate, welcome to our family."
Sandra smiled. "Thank you, I've honestly been so nervous I mean my friends can't believe I was invited to the home of Richard Castle. So can I do anything to help?"
Kate smiled at her. "Thank you but you're a guest so why don't you just have a seat and talk to the others. Alexis would you join Sandra please and keep her company with your gramps?"
She walked over to the table and before sitting down she wanted to make sure she used her manners that she had been taught. "May I get you a drink? We have sweet tea, coffee, wine, water and juice."
She smiled. "Thank you Alexis, I would love some coffee please."
Alexis got her coffee and then walked back to the table. "Here you go, can I get you anything Gramps?"
"Oh no thank you sweetie. Just sit down and get to know Sandra, she's going to be your aunt soon."
Alexis laughed. "I know for years it was just three of us, then Kate came along and she quickly became family even before they started dating. Then I got my granddad, then you Gramps and now I get aunts, an uncle and cousins. If I can talk Kate into it I can get siblings out of this deal."
They all started laughing except for Kate. "Alexis I told you that I have you and that's good enough for me."
Alexis rolled her eyes. "I swear I won't be jealous, I would be so super thrilled. I would babysit all the time."
Kate turned around. "Not having this discussion right now Lex."
Nick smiled. "That's her way of saying cut it out now."
Sandra looked at her dad. "So you're living here too now?"
"Yes, Martha doesn't want to move away from her family and Richard told us to just stay here that he likes having another male around."
She looked toward the counter where they were laying food out. "You have a lovely home Rick."
He smiled. "Thank you and please feel free to drop by anytime, family is always welcome here."
The doorbell rang again and Alexis got up when she saw Kate start to leave the kitchen. "I've got it Kate, please stay with dad and gram so they don't wreck anything."
Alexis opened the door and saw the rest of Nick's family, the man spoke. "I'm Derek, is this the home of Richard Castle?"
"Yes, I'm Alexis Castle. Please come in and welcome to our home."
The woman put her hand out. "I'm Kim and this is Grace and Marta, girls please say hello to Alexis."
The older one put her hand out. "Nice to meet you Alexis, I'm Grace."
Alexis put her hands out. "Would you girls like to walk in with me?" They both grabbed her hands but then Martha came out of the kitchen and the girls squealed.
Grace hugged her. "Hi gram, mommy said we are meeting your little boy tonight."
He walked out behind his mother. "Not so little." He put his hand out. "Rick Castle, nice to meet both of you and this is my fiancée Kate."
The woman put her hand out "So nice to meet you Rick." Then she put her hand out to Kate. "And you also Kate, I actually read the article about you in Cosmo and I've read the Nikki Heat books."
Kate smiled. "It's nice to meet you also, thank you for reading the books."
Derek walked over. "Rick and Kate, we've heard so much about both of you. Thank you for having us."
Kate smiled. "It's our pleasure and welcome all of you to our family."
Alexis walked over to the kitchen. "Please everyone sit down and I'll get drinks."
Kate walked over beside her. "I'll help you." When she got beside Alexis she didn't know that Rick could hear her. "I'm very proud of you the way you greet at the door. It reminds me of the first time I came here and your dad only got out the welcome part. You said to our home and it made me feel really welcome here when you said that."
Alexis smiled at her. "Thank you Kate."
Rick started out of the room and then he came back with a small table. "The big table is too big for the girls, who likes Disney Princess?" He put the table down while Martha brought the chairs in. "I thought this would be easier for the girls and we can put it next to the big table."
Grace ran over and hugged his legs. "Thank you Uncle Rick."
They had all fixed their plates and after getting the girls settled everyone sat down at the table. Kate looked across at Kim. "Rick and I are getting married in about 3 ½ weeks just a small family and close friends ceremony. But I wanted to see if the girls would want to be flower girls, I mean we aren't having a ring bearer but since they are family."
She smiled. "That would be great just let me know what color dresses to get them."
Alexis smiled. "I'm maid of honor so they can wear blue like me or mauve like the bridesmaids, I'll show you the exact colors before you leave."
Sandra looked over at Rick. "So who is best man? One of the detectives that works with Kate?"
Rick smiled. "No actually Nick is, I figured who better to have than my future stepdad."
After dinner and dessert the guys went to the living room, the women cleared although Kate had tried to shoo the guests away but they insisted and Alexis entertained the girls. Kate looked in the living room and smiled at Rick. Kim came up beside her. "So how long have you known Rick?"
"Almost 5 years, I brought him in for questioning about a murder. Someone was copying his books and killing people. I've loved him since I was 19 years old and started reading his books, that man is a genius."
Martha laughed. "And I've never seen two people frustrate me more in getting together, I was so relieved when it finally happened. Then it didn't, then it did and finally he proposed."
Sandra laughed. "Don't talk about them Martha, it sounds like you and dad. Most light switches aren't on and off as much as the two of you and for dumb things too."
Kate turned to Sandra. "What was the last big one about?"
"He asked to meet her family and she wouldn't bring him around until she was sure. How long was it before you met Martha and Alexis?"
"Oh I met them the night we brought him in for questioning and then I came over several times the first week we worked together, I ate breakfast one morning."
Martha smiled. "Well the kitchen is clean so let's join the men and kids, we still have our surprise."
They walked out of the kitchen and everyone found a place to sit. Sandra sat on the floor beside Alexis and since Marta was on Alexis' lap then Grace got on Sandra's. Kate sat on the couch beside Rick and was joined by Martha. Kim and Derek sat in the chairs. Kate smiled. "Okay, now for the surprise we've been waiting for?"
Nick smiled. "The two day trip we took this past week wasn't planned to be this way but it just happened. Martha and I got married, I told her I wasn't comfortable living in her son's home. After our ceremony she said he was now my son too if that makes me feel better."
Rick just looked over at Martha. "You and Nick got married?"
She smiled unsure of how he was taking this. "Yes darling, like he said not planned it just happened.
TBC
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