Evening Blues Chapter Twenty One

Castle was turned towards the stove when he heard his mother ask Beckett a question. He quickly turned around; expecting Beckett to stumble on her answer, Beckett was smiling as she rolled up the sleeve of Castle's shirt she was wearing to reveal her stitched up bullet wound. She seemed so comfortable around his mother, a lot more than she had ever been.

"I got shot today, and so I took a few days off."

Martha's eyes widened and her face went pale, as she saw Becketts wound. "Darling, oh my God, are you okay?"

Beckett giggled as she put the sleeve back down, Martha squeezed her hand for support "I'm, fine, the bullet just clipped me, missed the bone, its hurts a little when I move it but I'll be fine."

Martha smiled as she turned towards her son with her hands are her hips "Now, Richard if Kate can get shot and still be fine, what's your problem when you burned your fingers on the stove that one day when you were cooking?"

Beckett and Martha giggled as Castle glared at is mother. He was giving her the 'evil eye', which made them, laugh even more. Martha patted her son on his arm, and gave Kate a quick hug before heading towards the door.

"Well I'm off; you kids have fun, and Richard? Watch those fingers of yours; don't want to burn them again!"

Beckett giggled as she watched Martha walk out the door. She was starting to see where Castle got his dramatic side. Castle was finished with making lunch; he started to put the meal onto a plate to place onto the counter. Beckett didn't like just sitting there and watching him, she wanted to help, but there were only a few things that didn't involve much movement of her right arm.

"Want me to set the table, or are we going to eat at the bar?"

Castle scoffed "Just go sit down, I got this."

Beckett frowned "Richard Castle, I am not an invalid, now hand me the plates…..one at a time though."

Castle smiled as he quietly handed her the plates, he knew she would find something to do after a few minutes of just sitting there. Kate wasn't the kind of woman who wanted to be waited on hand and foot, she was extremely independent and once she set her mind to something, there wasn't much you could do to change it, even if was only to set the table. Castle placed each of their helpings onto their plates before returning the pan back to the stove. Before returning to the table he grabbed two wine glasses and a bottle of red wine.

After the couple ate their lunch, Castle started to clear the table; he knew Kate would want to help so he picked up the heavier items, leaving her the glasses and forks, so she wouldn't have to strain her arm as much. As just like he figured Kate grabbed their glasses and their forks and trotted over to the sink. Castle didn't feel like washing dishes so he placed everything into the dishwasher. Beckett went over to the couch and sat down, while Castle excused himself and went to the bathroom. Beckett started looking through his movie collection, to find a good one that she hasn't seen in a while. Instead of a movie, Beckett found all the season's to Temptation Lane, and quickly popped the first season into the dvd player. She sat back on the couch with her feet curled up under her and resting her right arm on a pillow. Castle came out of his bedroom, dressed in more comfortable attire; he was wearing a grey fitted t-shirt that had a slight V-neck, and a pair of cargo shorts. When Castle came out of his room, Beckett watched him as he walked over to the couch. She let out a whistle.

"Nice legs there Mr. Castle."

Castle smiled as he wiggled his eyebrows "I wish I could same the same to you, but you're always wearing jeans or slacks."

Beckett laughed as Castle put his arm around her; she gently lifted her right arm so his could around her waist, without bumping her wound. She leaned into his side and rested her hand on his thigh.

"So what are we watching?"

Beckett smiled a mischievous grin "Just wait and see."

When the menu of the dvd popped up, Castle laughed "I should have known!"

The couple watched hours of Temptation Lane, it was around 3:35 when the door started to open, they both whipped their heads around and saw Alexis sauntering her way into the loft, she had hear iPod blasting in her ears and never noticed them on the sofa as she trotted up the stairs. Beckett turned back to Castle.

"Does she know that were together?"

Castle smiled as he kissed her temple "She was the one who said we were already official, before I even asked."

Beckett grinned as she moved her head to plant a kiss on Castle's lips. The two were so focused on each other, they never noticed Alexis walking back down the stairs into the kitchen, she still had her iPod's ear buds in her ears so she never heard them, she grabbed a water bottle and walked over to the living to work on some home when she saw her dad and Beckett kissing on the couch.

"Oh, dad! Umm, I didn't know you were home."

Beckett jumped and when she did she moved her arm, she hissed at the pain that was shooting through it. Castle whipped his head around to face his daughter.

"Hey pumpkin, sorry we uh, were just uh,…we didn't hear you come down the stairs."

Beckett blushed "Hi Alexis."

Alexis and Beckett were both beet red. Alexis walked in on his father and girlfriend, and Beckett was caught kissing her boyfriend on the couch.

"Hi Detective Beckett, are you okay?" as she pointed to her right arm.

Beckett smiled "you can call me Kate, and yeah I'm, just got a little roughed up on the job today."

Castle smiled as he watched his daughter and his girlfriend being so comfortable with each other, despite the fact they were both a little embarrassed of what just happened.

Alexis moved over to Beckett's right side "can I see?'

Castle scoffed "Um Alexis, I'm sure Kate doesn't want to show you."

Beckett laughed, "Its ok Rick." Beckett rolled up her right sleeve as her wound was slowly revealed.

Alexis gasp as she saw Beckett's wound "Oh my God, what happened?"

Beckett grimaced as she put her sleeve back down, "I got shot today, while I was clearing a room."

Alexis's eyes were wide and she had her hand over her mouth "That's terrible, what did you do?"

Castle watched as Kate started to tell Alexis about how she got shot, and he loved the way they were interacting together. He watched as his daughters expressions changed from shocked to happy when Kate told her how she broke the guy's collar bone when she shot him.

Alexis took it all in, she looked at Castle and the back at Kate, she smiled a mischievous smile "Can you teach me how to shoot a gun?"

Castle started coughing, he was shocked his daughter wanted to learn how to shoot a gun; first she wants a Vespa scooter, now she wants to learn how to shoot. Oh God.

Beckett and Alexis giggled as they watched Castle gather himself together "Sure Alexis I can teach you, once I get my arm back to normal."

"Really? Cool!" Her eyes glistened with excitement, they exchanged phone numbers, and Alexis went back up to her room to start on her homework that she intended to do downstairs,

Castle looked at Beckett with a concerned look "are you really going to teach her?"

Beckett shrugged as she laid her head back on Castle's shoulder "yeah, sure, it's not like she is old enough to carry anyways."