Castle returns home from the precinct that evening to find Alexis waiting for him. She clearly has something on her mind.
"You were at the precinct weren't you?" She asks
Castle sighs heavily, "Yes, pumpkin I was."
"Why Dad?" She asks, "After what she did."
"It's not that simple, Alexis." He explains
"It was earlier." She says
"She came by after you left for school." He says, "We...well she apologized and she said that she loves me."
"Just like that?" She asks, "And you go back."
"I want to give her a chance." He says, "She wants to earn my trust back."
"And if she doesn't?"
"Then it really would be over. She realizes what she's done, though."
"If she really loved you she wouldn't have gone all those months without calling and she wouldn't have lied to you about remembering when she was shot."
"Sweetie, sometimes people do things because they're trying to protect themselves or trying to protect others."
"I just don't want to see you hurt again, Dad." She says
"I know and I appreciate that." He says, "But as much as we joke about it, I'm the parent and this is my decision."
"Okay." She says skeptically, "But it won't stop me from worrying about you."
"I wouldn't expect it to." He says with a smile
/
The next morning Castle was meeting with Gina at Black Pawn and would join Beckett and the boys later. Beckett is at her desk going over phone records and financials for David Lock while Ryan and Espo were at his workplace trying to find out any additional information about him. She drops her head, closes her eyes, and rubs her temples.
"Detective Beckett." She hears a female voice and looks up to see Alexis standing there
"Hey Alexis," She says in surprise, "You know your dad's not here."
"I know." She says coolly, "I came to see you."
"Oh uh, okay." She says, "But shouldn't you be at school?"
"I'm a senior, I'm done with all my classes. Can we talk somewhere private?"
"Sure." She gets up and they head into Gates office, "What's going on?" She asks shutting the door
"I know my dad has decided to come back here." the younger woman says, "And I don't like it."
Kate takes a deep breath, "Alexis, I know you probably think-"
"I know how much you hurt him." She cuts her off, "I don't want that to happen again."
"I know you don't." Kate says, "But you're dad and I...it's complicated."
"That's what he says." Alexis says, "But it doesn't seem so hard to understand."
"Alexis you're a smart kid." Kate says, "But relationships are rarely black and white. You'll understand-"
"What? when I'm older?" Alexis replies glaring at her with ice blue eyes, "I understand you lied to him."
"And I shouldn't have." Kate admits, "But your dad chose to give me a chance to make things right. And that's his choice. Neither of us really owe you any explanation and while I can appreciate how much you love your dad I will not be attacked like this at my place of work."
Alexis glared at her again, "Fine." She says and walks out the door and toward the elevator leaving Kate thinking what the hell?
/
Castle arrives at the precinct shortly after lunch and Beckett still couldn't get her conversation with Alexis out of her mind. While Castle was the parent and didn't have to explain himself or his decisions to his daughter, the last thing she wanted was to cause problems between them. She loved him too much for that. Maybe in time Alexis would come around once she saw her dad was happy. That was assuming Castle would still want a relationship at some point. If she hurt him again there would be no more chances. She knew that much.
"Hey." He says taking a seat in his chair
"Hey." She says in reply
"Anything pop on the case?" He asks
"Uh no." She says, "The boys didn't turn up anything at his office and his phone records and financials didn't really give us much."
"You okay?" He asks
She smiles slightly, "Yeah, just um, frustrating, you know. Dead ends." She knows she should probably tell him about Alexis but again that might cause an even bigger problem however, she promised him she wouldn't lie or keep things anymore
"You mean, undead ends." He quips
"Castle, there are no such things as Zombies." She says accompanied by her signature eye roll
"Oh I beg to differ, Detective." He retorts, "You explain what we saw on the video."
"Someone made up to look like one." She says
He can't help but sense something is off, "Are you sure you're alright?"
"Actually, no."
"Look, I told you I need time, Kate." he says
"No, it's not that." She says, "It's just...can we talk in Gates office?"
"Sure."
"Alexis came to see me earlier." She says after shutting the door
"What?" He asks, "Why?"
"She's worried about you, Rick." Kate explains
"She shouldn't have done that." He says, "I talked to her last night."
"I think she had some things to get off her chest with me." Kate explains
"What did she say?"
"Just that she didn't want to see you hurt again." Kate says, "I wasn't going to tell you but then I thought...well that would be keeping things from you. But please don't be angry with her."
"I appreciate her worrying about me but she had no right to come here like that."
"Well, I basically told her the same thing." She says sighing heavily again, "But I'd probably do the same thing if it were my dad. She's really all you have, you know and I don't want this...I mean you being here to cause a rift between you, either."
"That's for me to worry about." He says
/
Castle comes home not entirely sure what he would say to Alexis but he had to say something. He calls for her and she comes down from her room.
"You saw Detective Beckett today." He says
"I figured she snitch on me." She says crossing her arms over her chest
"I told you that going back there was my decision. You are not the parent here."
"I'm sorry, Dad but I don't like seeing you hurt." She says, "You forgive to easily sometimes."
"Well, that's my problem and you owe her an apology." he says, "Especially going to her place of work like that."
She huffs, "Fine, I'll apologize. Is that all?"
"Yes, that's all. I'll get dinner started." She walks back up to her room and he heads to the kitchen
After dinner Castle is trying to write and Alexis is upstairs reading when there's a soft knock on the door. He gets up and answers it to find Kate on the other side.
"Beckett?" He questions, "What-"
"Hi Castle, I was hoping to talk to Alexis. Is she home?"
"Uh yeah, come on in." He opens the door and she steps inside, "I'll get her."
"Wait, I need to talk to her alone." She says, "One daughter to another."
"Okay." He says
"Thanks." She says and heads to stairs and up to Alexis's room softly knocking on the door
"Come in, Dad." She says from her place on the bed
The door opens and she's surprised to see Kate, "Hey, can we talk?"
The young woman just shrugs, "I guess."
Kate comes in and sits in the chair at Alexis's desk, "I guess you know I told your dad about you coming by today."
"Yeah, thanks for snitching on me."
"I didn't snitch." She says, "I told your dad I wouldn't keep things from him anymore."
Alexis doesn't say anything
"I know how much your dad means to you." Kate continues, "As much as mine means to me. I probably would have done the same thing."
Alexis considers Kate's words, "Sometimes it seems I'm the only one looking out for him."
"I felt the same way." Kate says, "You know after my mom was killed my dad started drinking and I felt like I was losing him, too. I wasn't much older than you."
"My dad said you told him you love him." Alexis says, "Do you really love him?"
"Yes, I do." Kate says, forcing down the lump rising in her throat, "So much it scares me and I'm going to do my very best to earn his trust back and prove to him I'm worthy of his love."
Again Alexis isn't quite sure what to say.
"You know what made me fall in love with him? A big part of it?" Kate asks
"What?"
"You." Kate says and Alexis gives her a puzzled look, "You know your dad is like a nine year old on a sugar rush but seeing him as a father told me there's something more there."
Alexis thinks for a moment, she hadn't been prepared for any of this, "Detective Beckett?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry about today. I shouldn't have disrespected you like that. It's just my dad tends to wear his heart on his sleeve and-"
"I know." Kate says and gets up to leave, "But his heart will be safe with me."
Alexis smiles, "Thanks Detective."
Kate smiles back, "Leave the detective stuff for the precinct. Here, you can call me Kate."
"Thanks, Kate."
Kate nods and leaves the room and heads downstairs.
"Hey, how'd it go?" Castle asks from the kitchen
"Um, I think we've worked things out." She says walking over to the breakfast bar, "She's just worried about you. Plus the whole teenage brain thing."
"Teenage brain?"
"Poor impulse control." A smile plays on her lips
An awkward silence falls between them
"Well, I should go." She says, "I'll see ya tomorrow, Castle."
"Until tomorrow, Detective." He says as he watches her go
He knew exactly how the conversation went. He's been listening from the stairs the entire time. And he thought he'd never loved her more.
TBC