"What if they don't like me?" Addison asks nervously, twisting her hair into a braid.

Kate leans inside her doorway, glancing around at the half unpacked boxes and the mismatched furniture. "They're going to like you."

"But what if they don't?"

"Ever since Castle and I got engaged, my dad has been dropping not-so-subtle hints about wanting grandchildren. You're his first grandchild; he's going to love you."

Addison turns away from her mirror, securing her braid with an elastic. "Okay, but what about Castle's family? Martha and umm Alexis, is it?"

"Stop stressing," Kate tells her, moving to place her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "They're not going to hate you."

Addison shrugs her off and moves to sit on the bed. She sits on her hands, staring down at her feet. "I don't know if I can do this."

"Do what? Be yourself?"

The girl sighs. "It's just…meeting the whole family, it makes it real for me, like you were saying going to your mom's funeral made it real for you. I mean I don't know why finding their bodies or going to their funeral didn't make it real, but…it's like it's finally sinking in. This is my life now. These people are my family."

Kate moves further into the room and sits down next to her on the bed. "I can't imagine what it's like to have to replace everything that you know about who you are. At the very least, you're still at the same school with the same friends who, as far as I can tell, have been really supportive throughout all of this."

"Yeah sure my friends are great, but you should see the looks I get from the other kids. The whispers in the hallways about that girl with the murdered parents. I feel like I'm an animal in a zoo or an attraction at a carnival. I don't blend in like I used to. Suddenly people I don't even know, know exactly who I am. I hate it."

"8th grade can be rough –"

"High school's going to be even worse, isn't it?" Addison asks, looking over at her.

"By next year, you'll be at a brand new school full of new people and this whole thing will have blown over. They'll be some new scandal sweeping the school district."

She sighs, shaking her head. "How was high school for you?"

Kate bites her lower lip recalling her rebellious phase. She can't decide how much she wants to reveal. She wants to be honest with her, but at the same time she doesn't want Addison to know everything about her past.

"It was okay," she answers after a moment's hesitation. "No one picked on me or bullied me. They weren't the best years of my life, but they weren't the worst either. It was…high school. Pointless drama, annoying homework, stupid boys who end up breaking your heart. But before you know it, it's all over and the real world is staring you right in the face."

"How bad is the real world?" Addison asks, tugging on her braid.

"Well unfortunately for you, kid, you already know."

She nods, standing up and smoothing down her shirt. "Kate?"

She stands up too, starting to head for the door. "Yes?"

"The real world will get better won't it?"

Kate nods, chewing on her lower lip. "It will. Until it gets worse again. Vicious cycle."

Addison groans, joining her at the door.

"I'll help you through it," Kate tells her. "All of it."


"She looks just like you," Jim says, sidling up next to Kate in the kitchen.

"I know," she laughs. "Creepy isn't it?"

"Did you notice that when she was born?"

Kate shakes her head. "I never saw her. Didn't want to. I thought it would make giving her up too hard."

"I never thought I'd actually get to meet her."

She gives him a half smile. "Neither did I."

"So this man comes up to me today," Martha starts, motioning for everyone to gather around her in the living room. "And starts insisting that we've met somewhere before."

"That woman has a thing for dramatics, doesn't she?" Jim whispers.

"She's an actress, Dad. Of course she does."

Kate leads her father into the living room, perching on the arm of the couch next to Addison.

"And I assured him that I never forget a face and that I certainly had never seen him before," Martha continues, waving her arms about.

Addison leans over to Kate. "Is she always like this?"

"Pretty much. You'll get used to it."

"So he starts listing off all of the possible places our paths could have crossed and none of them rang a bell, of course. Turns out, he was trying to hit on me!"

"Mother," Castle groans, scrubbing a hand over his face.

"I've still got it," Martha beams. "Richard, you should be glad I'm not some old, white-haired, invalid."

"I'm glad, Grams," Alexis smiled. "Even if Dad is mortified by it."

"All right, all right," Castle says, standing up. "Dinner is probably ready by now. It smells done. Let's all get to the table."

Addison sits near the corner where Castle put his wine glass down and motions for Kate to sit on the other side of her. She does, Jim sitting on the other end as Martha and Alexis sit across from them.

"So, Addie, what are you into?" Alexis asks, smiling as she pulls a napkin into her lap.

"What am I into?" she parrots back, confused.

"You know, sports, hobbies, things like that."

Addison pulls her braid over her shoulder. "I'm a dancer." She turns to Kate. "I can go back to class this week, right? I'm going crazy without it."

"Yeah, just give me your schedule. We'll get you there."

Martha lights up at the mention of her being a performer. "You dance? What styles?"

She shrugs. "All of them really. Well, except for Ballroom."

"You're looking at the three time National Champion over here," Castle says, carrying a plate of food over to the table. "Although if you ask me, it should have been four time. You were robbed in '09."

Addison stares at him in disbelief.

"What?" he asks, setting the plate on the table. "You can Google me, but I can't Google you?"

She grins. "I only got beat that year because there was a boy in my age category. Boys who dance always get favoritism with judges and teachers, especially when they're actually good."

"Like I said," Castle says over his shoulder as he moves to bring over another plate of food. "You were robbed."

"Addison, darling, have you ever considered acting?" Martha asks.

"Mother…"

"My dance teacher, Leslie, says that I should. She says I show great emotion on stage."

"Don't get her started," Alexis says, holding up her hands. "She'll put you in acting boot camp. So much as mention that you're thinking about auditioning for the school play and she'll have you up at six AM doing voice exercises."

Martha rolls her eyes. "Oh come on, Alexis. It wasn't that bad."

"Yes," Alexis starts, reaching for a dinner roll. "It was."

"So, how'd you get started in dance?" Jim asks, pulling focus back to Addison.

"When I was little I loved spinning around in circles so my mom decided to put me into a ballet class. I've been spinning ever since."

"Well you certainly didn't get your dancing ability from Kate here," Castle teases, finally taking his seat at the table.

"Watch it," Kate returns, glaring at him.

"So three Championship Titles," Alexis starts. "Dance must be your whole life then."

Addison shrugs. "I guess. I mean I love it, but to say that it's my whole life…I want my life to be more than that."

"So wise for a teenager," Castle says, spooning food onto his plate.

She throws him a look that he swears he's seen before on Kate. Mini Beckett at it again.

"Anyway," Addison starts, running her index finger around the rim of her water glass. "Enough about me. Tell me about you guys. I want to know the ins and outs of this family I just joined."

Kate laughs, patting her on the back. "How much time do you have, Addie?"


"I think it went well," Castle says, climbing into bed next to Kate.

She nods, rubbing lotion onto her hands. "Yeah, it did."

"You seem surprised."

She shakes her head. "Just relieved."

Kate turns off the lamp by the bed and slides down onto her pillow, snuggling into Castle's side. He drapes an arm around her, pulling her close.

"Done any more digging on the double homicide yet?"

"It's hard to dig when you don't know where to start."

"What about Tyson?" he asks, smoothing his hand down her back.

"Just another ghost in the wind," she sighs.

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but Bracken?"

She pushes her head against his chest. "I haven't touched that case since I saved his life, and you know it."

His hand curls at the back of her scalp. "Just checking in."

"What, you didn't believe me when I told you no more secrets? If I had found out anything about any of those cases, I would have told you."

"Don't get so defensive, I was just asking."

She huffs, but doesn't say anything else.

"Kate –"

"How many times do I have to say I'm sorry, before you'll actually believe me?"

"I do believe you," he insists. "Honestly, Kate, I wasn't insinuating anything. I was just curious."

She sighs again, burying her head in the crook of his neck.

"Sorry," Kate mumbles.

"I know you're stressed," Castle tells her, combing his fingers through her hair. "Just try not to take it out on me, okay?"

She kisses the edge of his jaw.

"I know you want to be superwoman, and do it all, but you're going to need to cut back somewhere with these cases. It isn't just you and me anymore, we have Addison now to worry about."

"That's exactly why I can't cut back. What is there to stop Bracken or Tyson from going after her? If they find out about her, they'll know getting to her will get to me. And I owe it to her to catch her parents' killer. I can handle it."

His hand presses back into the base of her scalp. "But just digging though, right? Like you promised?"

"Yes," she tells him, kissing him on the lips this time. "All I want right now are answers. I won't act unless I have ample backup."

"And I don't count as backup," Castle reminds her.

"Funny, you never used to think that," Kate smirks.

"Yeah well, maybe it's time I face the facts that I don't know what I'm doing."

"Please, you've saved my life at least a dozen times. You're a good partner, Castle. I'd let you have my back any day."

"Funny, you never used to think that."

She rolls her eyes as he starts laughing.

"Wouldn't it be convenient if all of these cases were connected?" Castle asks when his laughter dies down.

"Yeah like that would ever happen," Kate rolls her eyes again.

"Ah yes, I can see it now. Tyson is another one of Bracken's lackeys. And they found out about Addison, and killed her adoptive parents as a warning to you."

"Don't," she says, shaking her head against his chest. "Just don't."

He huffs. "I've had worse theories."

"Wow, I'm surprised you're actually admitting to that."

Castle hits her shoulder and she laughs. "I'd also like to add that some of my theories have helped you solve cases."

"If they didn't, I'm sure Gates would have kicked you out by now."

"Oh please, Gates loves me. She and I are like this."

He crosses his fingers and holds them in front of her face.

"In that case, I'll be sure to let her know that she's part of your wedding party."

"Hmmm, don't do that. But that is something we need to discuss though. Wedding parties, the guest list…"

"There's a lot we still need to discuss. Just not tonight, okay?"

He hums, snuggling deeper into his pillow. "Fine. But tomorrow, we really should get started on those lists."


AN: Hi everyone! Thank you so much for your amazing response to this story so far! Your reviews and kind words really mean a lot. Just a heads up, I'm going to be in France for two weeks so this may be the last update you get until the middle of July. I'll do my best to update as soon as I can when I get back.