Disclaimer: Castle Belongs to Andrew Marlowe and ABC America.

Yeah, I'm still working on this. Seriously. Plus, I'm not using a spoiler warning in the summary at the moment so... Warning: spoilers for everything, ever, in the history of popular culture. There.

Upload Date: January 20, 2012

Chapter Rating: T

Chapter Summary:

#39: Alexis - Take 2

Continuation of Sneak Peak 4 for Death Gone Crazy

#40: Royce

Castle finds Royce's letter

#39

Castle took a deep breath as Beckett approached, standing up.

"I know, I know. Alexis is right. I need to trust her. I have the best daughter in the world. I'm worrying about nothing. Lots of people post vlogs. It's not a big deal."

"Uh..." said Beckett, looking very uncomfortable having walked in on the two of them, "actually, I was going to ask you if you wanted a coffee. You look like you could use one."

"Oh. Yeah. Thanks."

"So, what's this about Alexis posting a vlog? " Beckett asked once they were in the break room and he was sitting while she made his coffee.

"Uh, yeah, I found it this morning; I probably just over-reacted."

"Well, that wouldn't be out of character for you. It's probably just a misunderstanding. Alexis is a smart girl. I bet the video's set to be viewed only by friends and family."

"Uh, I don't think so. She posted it on her own website, not YouTube, and I found it in a Google search."

Beckett narrowed her eyes.
"What were you searching for?"

"Uh... nothing."

"You Googled yourself, didn't you?"

"Well - alright, yes. Go ahead, make fun of me - "

"What page was her website listed on?"

"The first."

"Top ten?"

"Top three."

"Oh, Jeez."

"What?"

"Uh - but she's careful about the kind of stuff she talks about, though, right?"

"No, that's what we were arguing about. In the video I saw, she was talking about where she'd been, when and with whom and strongly implied that it was a routine for her - plus, the web-page even says which college she goes to."

"Really?"

"Yeah - uh, why - Why? Is that bad?"

Beckett sucked in a breath as she turned around, handing Castle his coffee, taking a sip of her own and sitting down.

"Well, it's not necessarily good."

"So, you don't think I'm being paranoid?"

"For a change, no; I think you're being vigilant - which is what parents need to be these days; especially now that she's no longer under your roof and you can't know where she is all the time."

He nodded vigorously.
"Right?"

"Right. I mean, I know people here, Castle. I could get someone to talk to her about internet safety, if you want."

"That would be great - actually, why don't you talk to her?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, that'd be even better because she knows you. She looks up to you."

"Oh, I don't know. She and I haven't really spoken one-on-one since you and I've been together."

"All the more reason. Besides, you offered to speak to her about us."

"Yeah, when you told me she hated me."

"Yeah. Again, I'm really sorry about that."

"I know. It's fine."

"Look, if you don't want to talk to her -"

"No, it's not that; I'm just... still not sure how she feels about us. I mean, I know you said she told you she was fine with it and she was very... polite at Christmas, but I'm still getting a weird vibe from her sometimes."

"A vibe? You don't believe in vibes."

"Not psychic vibes; just... look, it's a female thing, ok? I just have this sense that she might have some reservations about us."

"Well, you can talk about that, too. But she seemed pretty cool with it when we went away; she even gave me some advice."

Beckett raised her eyebrows.

"Ew, not that kind! She's my daughter!"

"Well, I'm trying to think about all the stuff we did that weekend, and other than solving a murder - "

"Look, can we just focus on the issue at hand, please?"

Beckett sighed, "OK. I'll do it."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I want to."

Beckett called Alexis and asked her to meet her at a coffee shop, which she agreed to - albeit reluctantly.

"Hey, Detective Beckett," Alexis greeted her, sitting down across from her.

"Hey, Alexis," said Beckett nervously. "How are you?"

"Good."

"You want something to...? "

"Why don't we just skip to why we're here? My Dad sent you to have a "talk" with me like I'm still fifteen years old."

"Alexis, your Dad is concerned about you - "

"But he has no reason to be. I know how to take care of myself - "

"Really? You think posting personal information on a website anyone can access is taking care of yourself?"

"Detective Beckett, the only people who watch my videos are my friends from college."

"Really? How can you be sure of that? Your Dad found your video from searching his name."

"Of course he did."

"Alexis, when I was investigating the murders that your Dad and I met over, I had to read a sizable chunk of his disturbing fan-mail. If you read it, it would make your hair curl. And he gets letters like that every day. I mean, one of his obsessed fans blew up my apartment. It only takes one of them to find your site while looking up your Dad; and all of a sudden, they know where you go to school, who you're dating, where you hang out, who your friends are - it's not safe and frankly, you're smarter than that."

"Detective Beckett, I understand your concern, but I'm ok. That's not going to happen to me."

"Alexis, no one thinks something like that's going to happen to them. That doesn't mean it won't; it just makes them ill-prepared when it does."

"You sound like Dad. In fact, you know what? He never used to worry about me this much before he started shadowing you."

"That has less to do with me and more to do with the fact that he sees what can happen to young women your age - some younger - who aren't protected. Alexis, he loves you so fiercely. All he cares about is your well-being. I've seen the negative impact of the digital age. I've seen too many girls like you fall victim to online predators not to be worried, too. I mean, I know it's not my place, but as a police officer, just take my word for it: what you're doing is risky."

"Maybe you're right. I said, maybe. I'll think about what you said."

"That's all I'm asking," said Beckett, relieved.

Alexis eyed her curiously.

"You didn't want to come here, did you?"

"Oh, of course - "

"Detective Becket, it's ok."

Beckett sighed. "I suggested someone from the precinct with more expertise in this area, but your Dad thought you would be more comfortable talking to someone you know."

"But you're not exactly comfortable talking to me, are you, detective?"

"Uh, I - "

"Be honest. Things have been weird between us ever since the shooting. We haven't really talked since then, other than when Dad and Gram were held hostage. Yet you came here anyway, for my Dad. He must make you very happy."

Beckett smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, he does."

"It's really nice, being in love, isn't i?."

Beckett's heart lurched. She looked up into Alexis's smiling face, full of understanding, and relaxed.

"Yeah," she admitted. "It really is."

"Hey, Dad," said Alexis, as she came through the door.

"Hey," said Castle, looking up from the glass of orange juice. "Listen, I'm sorry. I know you're responsible and you can take care of yourself and I should respect that."

"Yes, you should; but I'm sorry, too. I know that you're just looking out for me."

"So, Beckett made you see sense?'

"Well, what she said made a lot of sense; but it was Dr. Parish that really got through to me."

"Lanie?"

"Yeah. You're girlfriend snitched on me," she smiled light-heartedly.

"Wow, bringing out the big guns," said Castle, impressed.

"Yeah, the words, 'Girl, what were you thinking?', 'Smack you upside your head' and 'dumbass' were used a lot."

"So, what's the verdict?"

"I'm taking down the website, moving all the videos to YouTube and using the privacy settings so only people I know can access the videos."

"Well, if that's what you want to do, Pumpkin, I'll support you."

"Big surprise." She paused. "I'm happy for you and Beckett. I don't think I've actually said that. But I am."

"Well, I'm glad to have your approval."

"She's a keeper. She really loves you. She told me herself."

"Really? "

"Yeah, Dad."

He smiled dopily.

"That's nice."

After a long day of kicking butt, it was nice to relax on Castles bed as he massaged her from behind.

"Mmmmm," she sighed. "Your hands are terrific."

"Well, I wanted a way to say thanks for helping with Alexis," said Castle as he kneaded the soft flesh between her neck and shoulders.

"Oh, it's no problem, Cas - Oh, god."

Castle smirked. "You like that, sweetheart?"

"Mmm, I love that."

"Yeah, I hear that's not all you love."

Beckett rolled her eyes and turned to face him, straddling his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Alexis?"

"Mm-hmm, Alexis. Of course, it's all hearsay until I hear it from the horse's mouth." He looked up at her expectedly.

"I'm the horse?"

"Yep, and I'm your stallion."

Beckett sniggered.

"Hey, it wasn't supposed to be that funny."

She shook her head, gazing down at him warmly, her fingers running through his hair.

"I do love you, you big goofball," she said, with deep affection.

He beamed contentedly, his eyes crinkling the way she loved, softly moving her hair out of her eyes.

"Stallion," he corrected, flipping them so that he was on top, eliciting giggles from her.

She rolled her eyes and stared up at him, feeling him close, body to body, chest to chest, growing increasingly more aroused by the second.

"Neigh," she replied.

#40

"Risking our hearts is why we're alive. The last thing you want to do is look back on your life and wonder 'if only'."

- Mike Royce, Season 3 - Episode 22: To Live and DIe in LA

"You got anything decent to read?" Castle asked, scouring her bookshelf.

"You know, I do have your complete works, Castle."

"That I haven't already read or written," he amended. "Whoops!"

Distracted, he had accidentally pushed Heat Wave of the books off the shelf and a letter had fallen out.

"Oh! I'm - "

"Don't worry about it," said Beckett, rising hastily to her feet to pick the book and letter. She paused, seeming to make her mind up about something, placed Heat Wave back onto the shelf and offered the letter to him.

Castle glanced down, taking it.

"It's Royce's letter," she explained. "The one he wrote me just before... " She took a deep breath. "I think I'm ready for you to read it."

"Kate, are you sure?"

"Well, no, but I'll probably never be sure. Just read it."

He kissed her gently on the forehead and sat down to read it.

Beckett paced nervously as he read. Thankfully, as a speed-reader, it didn't take him very long.

"Well?" she asked anxiously when he finally stopped reading.

"You and Royce seemed like you were in your own little world when I met him," said Castle, standing up, "plus he had his own agenda." He carefully put the letter back in the book. "I didn't think he took much notice of me."

"He might not have seemed like he was paying attention, but he was skilled at what he did - and he knew me. He didn't need to spend that much time with us to know I was in love with you."

Castle stared at her for a long time before he was able to access the tools of speech.

"You've never told me you loved me before," he said finally.

"No, I haven't," she said slowly, her voice low, threatening to crack with emotion.

"Am I supposed to act like it's not a big deal?"

"You can do whatever you want." She paused. "So..." she said awkwardly, "what do you want to do?"

"You," he answered without thinking.

She rolled her eyes but they sparkled micheviously.
"I think I can accommodate that particular desire."

He grinned.
"Uh... before we... I just wanna know - it's always sort of bugged me. You and Royce -"

"It was never what we have, Castle - on any level. Came close on the physical level a couple times, but we never went there. At the time I thought he was just trying to do the honourable thing - and God, did it piss me off. But yeah, Castle. I was in love with him."

Castle nodded.
"Thank you for trusting me enough to share this with me."

Number #39 holds a lot of meaning for me, as I went to High School with one of Carly Ryan's best friends and just the impact that had on that one person...

So, yes, internet safety is a big deal, kids.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'm gonna go to the Subaru Noodle and Sushi House and grab myself some sushi. I'll be the one wearing blue.