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Chapter Forty Eight

Kate smiled at herself in the mirror, admiring the way she'd done her hair. She left it down for the night, using her hair dryer to straighten it somewhat, leaving soft waves at the end, where her purple highlights lay, matching the deep purple color of the dress. Kate also parted her hair to the right, allowing some to fall over her eye, giving her a sultry seductress type of look. Her eye makeup was smoky and her eyeliner was thick, making her eyes look greener than usual, and she strayed from her usual light lipstick, trading it for a darker, sexier shade. Her eyes surveyed her entire face, making sure that there were no blemishes visible anywhere, wanting to be perfect for him tonight.

She smiled when she saw that there was not a single blemish on her face or anywhere visible on her neck, save for the 'beauty' mark, as Castle called it, on her jaw, which her boyfriend loved to kiss and poke and stroke, claiming that it was 'adorable' and it made her so much hotter. It was at this point that she asked him if he thought she'd be any less hot if she had it removed, smiling as Castle stuttered and stumbled through a denial, trying to re-word it. Kate only let him suffer a couple of seconds before grinning teasingly at him, causing Castle to grin back, half in relief, before attacking her neck, making Kate giggle.

Kate was careful not to cover this mark tonight, working her cover up around it so that it would be visible. She decided that her makeup was perfect for tonight and made her way out of the bathroom, grabbing her dress and slipping into it, tying to halter top behind her neck, making sure that the strapless bra was not visible on the sides. She looked in the mirror at herself, realizing that what Alexis had mentioned earlier—that she might be too cold in this dress. Kate opts for a pair of nude-colored stockings to go with the dress, which ends mid-thigh, mostly to appease Alexis, but also because she knows the girl is right and she will most likely be freezing in the early December night air.

She knew that Castle didn't necessarily like stockings, mostly because they made it harder for him to…well, they just made it harder is the point, and Kate smiled at the thought. Teasing Castle tonight just sounded like fun to her. Double- and triple-checking herself in the mirror, Kate nodded to herself; she looked perfect.

She grabbed her matching purple clutch purse from her dresser as she made her way out of the bedroom, grinning at Alexis, who was lying there, on the ground in the hallway just outside her door, Watson's head on her tummy. She looked up and smiled when she saw Kate standing there.

"Whoa…" she said, with widened eyes. "You look so pretty, Kate!"

Kate smiled. "Thanks, Red. What are you doing on the floor, anyway?"

"Well, you were taking forever and I got tired of standing," Alexis said, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Kate rolled her eyes, adding this to the list of quirks that Alexis shared with her father. She reached down and pulled Alexis up by the hand.

"Okay, then," she said, leading the little girl downstairs, "how about we go downstairs and see if your grandmother is here and introduce her to Watson? Hmm?"

"Okay!" Alexis exclaimed. "I'm sure Gram will love Watson!" she turned back as they walked. "Watson, come!" The dog immediately stood and trotted toward them, falling in step with them as they walked down the steps into the family room.

-Line Break-

Castle stood in his bedroom, in front of his mirror, attempting to fix his bowtie, which looked as if a blind four-year-old had tied it. He was usually very good at things like this—he'd been doing it for years now—but bowties always got the better of him. He hated them, though he thought he looked best in bowties. He thought they made him look like James Bond, so why on Earth hadn't he learned how to properly tie one?

The knock at the front door had him abandoning the tie around his neck and exiting his bedroom, walking swiftly to the front door and pulling it open to reveal his mother, whose hands were full, which explained why she failed to just use the "emergency" key he'd given her.

"Good evening, Handsome," Martha greeted, kissing her son's cheek as she bustled in, carrying four overstuffed canvass bags, full of God-knows-what.

"Good evening, Beautiful," Castle retaliated, "what's all this?" he motioned to the bags, which she deposited on the counter in the kitchen.

Martha beamed up at him. "This bag is for my movie night with Alexis. All the best of Audrey Hepburn that no girl should be without as well as a few of my own works from when I dabbled in the film industry."

"Dabbled? Mother, you were in two movies," Castle snorted, gaining a deathly glare from his mother.

"Yes, two incredibly long, award-winning films in which I held monumental roles. But did that mean anything to the Academy? Nooo! The Oscar went to some chick who was willing to shed half her clothes, both in the movie and at the awards. I tell you, Kid, actors are far under-appreciated. Like that Leonardo Da Vinci character."

"Mother, Leonardo Da Vinci is a dead painter. I think you mean Leonardo DiCaprio, which leads me to ask you, cautiously, what you mean."

"Well the boy froze to death in a movie and never got to grow old with the woman he loved, even after a hot love scene and a tear filled reunion with said woman. Just a shame is what it is." Martha shook her head. "And yet he doesn't get squat! Underappreciated, I tell ya! Anyway, these two bags are filled with snacks that suit the digestive systems of both a woman in her fifties and a small child, this way nobody's tummy will be upset tonight."

"No gummy bears, right?" Castle asked. Martha shook her head.

"Purposely avoided," Martha informed him, "though I did spring for Swedish Fish, Gummy Worms, and Red Vines, which I know that she absolutely adores. I also got some soda, as well, if you don't mind."

"Not so long as you limit her to three cups and make her use the bathroom right before bed. I don't want a repeat of the last time I gave her soda so late at night."

"Oh, it wasn't that bad!" Martha insisted.

"No? Mother, she ran around the loft for a solid three hours before crashing and then peed on me when I attempted to carry her up to bed. So, yeah, it was that bad."

Martha chortled, shaking her head. "Oh, that was quite a night to remember. I think I still have those pictures somewhere. I think Kate might like to peruse them one day."

"You show those to Kate and I'll show her the independent film you worked on in your senior year of college."

Martha's eyes widened and her mouth gaped open. "You wouldn't."

"Try me," Castle retaliated. Martha glared at him again, but laid off him.

"Fine, so Kate won't see those pictures but that doesn't mean I won't be showing her your baby photos someday. I'm sure she'll love the sight of your little tush from the days when you were streaking around backstage, showing off for all my friends."

"Mother, I was barely a year old at the time!"

"Which makes it that much cuter!"

Castle sighed, rolling his eyes. "What's the fourth bag for?" he asked, changing the subject.

"That new puppy of yours—what was it that you called her?"

"Watson," Castle said, grinning, "you know, like the narrator from Sherlock Holmes? She came pre-named already since she was already there for such a long name. But, Mother, she's adorable…for a dog, anyway. And Alexis already loves her. Also, she's paper-trained."

"Well, that's quite a catch you've got there, then," Martha said, nodding, "wish I'd been that lucky when you were growing up, begging every single second for a dog, even though you knew that you wouldn't be able to care for one and none of the landlords we had at the time would have allowed it, anyway."

"Oh, come on! None of them were paying attention and I'm pretty sure at least three of them didn't even know that I existed until we moved out. It would have been no sweat to hide a puppy! And I so would have taken care of it! I mean, look at the way I take care of Alexis!"

"Yes, yes, and you're doing a wonderful job of it," Martha placated, patting his cheek, "so where is my youngest grandchild?"

Castle shrugged. "Heck if I know."

Martha rolled her eyes and turned away from him, reaching into the fourth bag, pulling out a small bed, what looked to be a blanket that said, "Royalty", which Castle took to be a joke on their last name, and a retractable leash with a beautiful leather collar on it and a pair of tags that clinked together as she pulled it out of the bag.

"All for under thirty dollars!" Martha exclaimed, proudly.

Castle chuckled. "Very impressive, Mother," he said, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "Thank you, but I don't know if Watson's going to fit in that bed. Did I mention she's kind of big."

"How big?" Martha asked, raising her brow.

"About as big as Alexis, but I highly doubt she'll grow much more. She's already over a year old."

"Oh, well do you think the collar will fit then? It's adjustable."

"Maybe," Castle said, nodding, "but if it doesn't, we'll just exchange it at the pet store. But thank you, Mother," Castle said, kissing her cheek, "it was very thoughtful of you."

"Oh, no thanks necessary. A mother's purpose in life is to make her children happier…and to make them look better. Richard, what the hell is wrong with your tie?" Martha asked, as if noticing for the first time that Castle's bowtie was hanging awkwardly around his neck.

"Well, I, uh…I kind of…can't get it on?" Castle grinned, boyishly. "It's the first one I've tried to wear since Meredith. Well, the first that wasn't a clip-on. I can do clip-ons but for tonight, for mine and Kate's first official date…well, I thought that she deserved my best James Bond look and I don't think James Bond wore clip-on bowties."

"No, he did not," Martha said, loosening the bowtie until it was completely unknotted so she could start over from scratch, tying the bow deftly and skillfully, before stepping back to admire her work. "Perfection," she announced, smiling brightly. "Oh, you look just like…" Martha's mouth clamps shut before she can finish the thought and Castle is about to ask her to finish it just as he hears footsteps coming down the steps.

And the second he looks towards them, all the air in his lungs swiftly leaves his body.

Sorry, sorry, sorry! I know this is much later than I promised but I have work tomorrow and I've had a project on PTSD for one of my classes to work on that I still haven't completed! But I PROMISE I will update by this time on Monday, hopefully before the new episode airs (if I'm not already dead from laughing at Castle). Please REVIEW until then, though. I love you all and again I am soooooooo so sorry!