I'm warning you ahead of time this is a sappy mess.

Characters are not mine and are probably way OOC for Marlowe and Company too.

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself." He handed her a coffee and set a bag with a muffin in it on her desk. "I was going to bring you cannolis but Alexis ate the last of them for breakfast."

She smiled up at him and said, "Thanks. So how is Alexis?"

"She actually hung out in my study with me and chatted with me, her 'dear old dad' for almost an hour last night. She loves Ashley's parents. Which I'm not sure is a good thing, I was holding out for the evil boyfriend's mother to scare her away a little."

"So absence really does make the heart grow fonder?"

He smiled at her and whispered."I don't know Detective, you tell me."

"I meant with Alexis."

"I know what you meant, but did you miss me."

"Hmmmm, maybe." She refused to look up and continued to fill out paperwork. A smile escaping her lips even though she was biting her lower lip.

"I seem to be missing something of mine."

"Oh, really."

"Yes, really, and I think you know what it is."

She did know what it was, but there was no way she was giving it up. As soon as she unpacked her suitcase and saw his dark blue dress shirt in her bag she put it on. It was hanging on the back of her bathroom door at the moment. She had every intention of putting it back on as soon as she got home tonight.

"If you get to keep my shirt then it's only fair that I get to have something of yours too."

"Fair enough. I think I have a pair of polka dot knee socks you can have."

"Oh, very funny, not quite what I had in mind. Besides as cold as your apartment is you shouldn't be giving away your warm socks."

"I'm sure I don't want to know what you have in mind."

"Probably not, no need to embarrass you here at work. Anyway….Alexis asked me to invite you to dinner tonight."

She looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Really, you expect me to believe that?"

"Absolutely."

"This isn't a ploy to get me to not sleep with you again is it?"

"Nope, no ploys, although…." He just waggled his eyebrows at her.

She shot him a look. "Ok, what time and what can I bring?"

"6 ish is fine and you don't have to bring anything."

"If I can't bring anything then I am not coming."

"Fine, be that way, you can bring dessert. Chocolate is always good."

They were interrupted by the ringing of her phone. "Beckett….."

"Let's go Castle, we have a case."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Kate knocked on Castle's door and was greeted by Alexis.

"Hey, Detective Beckett, thanks so much for coming."

"Thank you for inviting me Alexis and please, call me Kate." She handed Alexis the bag in her hand.

"Is this what I think it is?"

"Yes ,double chocolate mocha chip."

Alexis smiled and said. "Here, you can take it in and give it to my dad; I'll take your coat."

Kate took the ice cream back and walked into the kitchen. "Smells good in here." She placed the ice cream in the freezer and walked over to where Castle was standing at the stove and peered into the pot he was stirring. He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek.

"Long time no see. Did you bring my shirt?"

"What shirt?" She stepped away from him as Alexis walked into the kitchen.

Alexis smiled at them and rolled her eyes. "Hey, Dad, how much longer until supper is ready?"

"About 10 minutes."

"I'll entertain Kate while you finish."

Before he could complain, Alexis took Kate's hand and led her into the living area and pulled her down to the couch.

"What's up?"

Alexis took a deep breath and said, "Can I talk to you?"

Kate didn't like the sound of this, she was sure Alexis was going to have something to say about her and her dad spending too much time away from her, all sorts of thoughts were running wild through her head.

"Kate?"

"Oh…um of course, what did you want to talk about?"

"Ashley."

Kate let out a sigh of relief and smiled at Alexis. "Sure, go ahead."

Alexis looked nervous. "I usually can talk to my Dad about anything, but this is hard for him"

"OK."

"I really like him a lot, Kate."

She smiled at her. "Yeah, that's pretty obvious."

"I mean really really."

"As in…you want to…?"

"Oh…Gosh…No….well, I don't know, not yet….um I don't think so…I don't know….I think …I'm just not sure…is that what you meant?"

Now Kate was getting flustered. "Is that what you meant?"

"I don't know Kate; I've just never felt like this before. He's so sweet and kind and good to me. He consumes me. I can't think of anything else. I miss him as soon as I leave him. I can't concentrate on school or college applications and essays. Sometimes I wonder if I should just break up with him so I can get on with my life. I know it would break his heart though and I get sick thinking about it."

Kate swallowed and her heart tugged for the girl, she gave her a sympathetic smile and reached over and placed a strand of her long red hair behind her ear and rested her hand on her shoulder. "Enjoy it, Alexis. This is something really special. You don't have to go there. Take your time, get to know each other, go slow and savor every moment of it. He seems like a really nice guy and I'm sure he'll respect your feelings."

Castle chimed in from the kitchen, "Hey, supper's ready in two minutes."

She gave Kate a quick hug and said, "Thanks, Kate." "I'm going to go wash up, I'll be right down."

Kate walked slowly back into the kitchen thinking about Alexis' little rant and smiled at some of those feelings because she knew exactly how she felt. Castle handed her a glass of wine. "Did you have a nice chat?"

"Yeah, we did."

"And?"

"And what?"

His eyes got wide. "Is everything OK?...Oh My G….you didn't have a birth control conversation with her did you?" The color drained from his face.

"Castle, relax. He sounds like a really nice guy."

"Yeah, well I was a nice guy at that age too."

She raised her eyebrows at him and said. "She needs you to be her dad, Castle."

"I know."

He slipped his arms around her waist and kissed her quick before they were interrupted by Alexis again.

"Dad, Kate, do you mind if Ashley joins us for dessert?"

Castle looked at Kate, "I'm sure there's not enough ice cream for four."

Kate looked at him annoyed. "There's plenty of ice cream, Alexis, if your father doesn't eat it all."

"Ok, but he's sharing yours."

Alexis gave both adults a hug and sent Ashley a text, and then they all sat down to eat. The main topic of conversation being college choices. They had no sooner finished eating when the doorbell rang and Alexis jumped up to get it. Castle poured another glass of wine for each of them and Alexis came bounding in with Ashley in tow.

"Ash, you remember my dad? And this is his girlfriend Kate." Castle stood up to shake his hand and Kate choked on her wine at the use of the word girlfriend, but stood up and tried to maintain composure. "It's nice to meet you, Ashley."

He nodded at Castle. "Mr. Castle." And then to Kate, "and Ms…." He shook her hand and he looked at Alexis.

Alexis piped in with "Oh, Beckett, Detective Beckett." The color drained from Ashley's face. He looked at Alexis and whispered "your dad is dating a police officer?"

"Yeah, cool huh?" She smiled at Ashley and said, "We're going to go listen to music until dessert is ready." They started to go toward the stairs and Castle cleared his throat. Alexis rolled her eyes at her father and took Ashley's hand and led him to the couch in the living room.

Kate pulled Castle back into the kitchen rather abruptly and glared at him.

He knew what this was about and before she could say anything he planted a kiss on her lips and as she started to pull away and open her mouth he placed his index finger over her mouth.

"I did NOT tell my daughter that you are my girlfriend, she assumed, although I'm not sure where she ever got that idea; it's not like I ever talk about you or spend any time with you or anything like that, right?"

Her face softened a bit and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a hug. Kate's mind wandered back to her conversation with Alexis. When did this happen that he was now consuming her thoughts, that as soon as she left his arms she wanted to be back. She wasn't a teenager in love for the first time. Her stomach flip-flopped and her heart skipped a beat at that thought and she started giggling when his kisses started trailing down her neck.

He loved the sound of her laugh. She looked like she was a million miles away. "Earth to Kate."

She pulled back and smiled at him, "What?"

He looked at her with a silly grin.

"You're staring at me? Why?"

He didn't answer her, but bent down and found her lips and kissed her; his hands on either side of her face, he brushed her cheeks with his thumbs and said "Because, Kate Beckett…."

"Yeah?" she said breathlessly.

He kissed her again, his tongue caressing her bottom lip. "You make me….." he kissed her some more this time nibbling on her neck and shoulder in between little kisses. "So very, very happy." He pulled away and looked at her again.

She was afraid if she removed her arms from around his waist that she would fall down. There was that feeling in her stomach again. She swallowed the lump in her throat, her eyes just a little misty and barely choked out a "Yeah?"

He kissed her on the forehead and said "Yeah."

Alexis came in the kitchen with Ashley right behind her and stopped short when she saw her dad and Kate. She pulled Ashley back; he smiled at her with his eyebrows raised. "Wow, they've got it bad."

Alexis sighed a happy sigh. "They sure do."

A/N: I'm sorry…I don't know how this happened. The muse just took over. I promise not quite so much sappiness in the next chapter. Thank you again to those of you who are reading and reviewing. I makes me so very, very happy ;o) Hugs!