Chapter 10

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Castle had no interest trying to find a tie that matched his shirt. He was staring intently into his closet when Alexis interrupted him.

"So, you're giving up on Kate?" she asked, plopping herself down onto his bed.

"What?" Castle's brow furrowed, confused.

"You're going out on a date."

"It's not really a date," he replied, "Just somebody Paula wanted me to meet."

"Yeah, because none of the tabloids have seen you around town with a woman on your arm in, like, a year," Alexis explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I don't know if I like you reading those magazines," Castle quipped, knowing that his daughter couldn't be less interested in that kind of gossip.

Alexis grinned. "I only look at them to make sure you haven't gotten arrested for drunken debauchery again."

"Ooo," said Castle, "'Drunken debauchery'. Alliteration and an excellent word to boot – I guess that school really is teaching you something." A pause and then, "What do you mean I'm giving up on Kate?"

Alexis threw up her hands in exasperation. "Are you two being serious here?"

"Oh, Alexis, apple of my eye, let it be known that contrary to popular belief, Kate and I are just friends."

"Okay, I don't know what you guys are but I know for a fact that you are definitely not 'just friends'."

Castle had finally decided on a red tie. "Well," he continued, "Maybe it just seems a little bit more complicated because I'm taking care of Zoey."

"Who, by the way, has turned into my surrogate baby sister," said Alexis pointedly. "Not that I mind, I mean, she's freakin' adorable but dad… seriously."

"Alexis, honey, Kate and I are not together – if we were, I'm sure I would know about it," he said.

"No, actually dad, I think you and Kate would be the last to know that you were going out with each other." She paused and then broached the question that's been on her mind ever since she's seen her dad and Kate interact with each other this summer. "I mean, what's stopping you from asking her out? I mean, asking her out officially, because everybody knows what's going on unofficially."

Castle sighed. "Alexis, Kate has had a lot of changes in her life this year. I think what she needs most from me right now is friendship, not a new relationship that could just add even more stress and anxiety where she doesn't need it."

"Don't you love her?" Alexis blurted out.

Castle smiled at his daughter and sat down on the bed to wrap an arm around her shoulders. "Sweetie, love gets a little more complicated when you're older."

"No. I don't think it does." Alexis shook her head stubbornly. "If you love each other then you love each other."

"How can you be so sure Kate feels the same way?"

Alexis smiled at her dad's unconscious admission and replied, "So, really, you're just afraid of rejection?"

"Oh, please." Castle scoffed and puffed out his chest. "Me? Rejected?"

But Alexis saw the uncertainty in her dad's face. He had never met anybody like Detective Beckett and he was afraid that she would turn him down. And Alexis knew that a part of the reason he hadn't asked her out (or, she imagines, Kate hadn't asked her dad out) is because the uncertainty of hope was better than the certainty of rejection. "Trust me, dad," she finally said confidently, "She feels the same way."

"Okay, daughter," Castle said, getting off the bed to find a suitable jacket, "You're now officially scaring me with your insights into the human psyche."

"Well, I am doing a minor in psychology," Alexis replied with a smile.

"So," Castle asked, eager to switch the topic, "When is James picking you up?"

Alexis checked her watch. "Probably pretty soon. Our flight leaves at nine."

"Meeting the family," Castle grinned. "That's a big step in a relationship."

"Yeah, I'm kind of nervous."

"Don't be," Castle gave his daughter a hug, "They'll love you. Plus, they're Canadian so even if they don't like you, they'll be super polite about it."

Alexis rolled her eyes. "Thanks dad. That's totally reassuring."

The doorbell rang, interrupting their moment.

"That's him," said Alexis.

"Go," he said, "I'll be down soon to say a final goodbye before my daughter gets thrown to the wolves."

Alexis laughed and Castle heard her make her way downstairs, unlatching and relocking the safety gates on the stairs. A second later, he heard, "Daad! It's Kate! She's here to pick up Zoey!"

Castle quickly put on his suit jacket and went to Zoey's room where she had wandered back to play while he had been getting ready. Castle no longer had to pack up a duffle bag every time Zoey left as he and Kate had decided to just leave a set of her things at his house so that Kate also wouldn't have to bother making sure she had everything in the morning.

"Oh, hey! It's a party!" Castle said when he got downstairs with Zoey and saw that James had just arrived.

"Hi Mr. Castle," James said after giving Alexis a kiss on the cheek. He turned to Kate, offering his hand, "And you're Detective Beckett, right?"

Kate raised her eyebrows in surprise but replied as she shook his hand, "You can call me Kate."

Alexis tried to hide her blush. "I've mentioned you once or twice," she said.

Kate smiled at Alexis as if to say, 'don't worry about it'.

Alexis introduced him to Zoey and then they stood there awkwardly exchanging pleasantries.

"We'd better go," said Alexis, a few minutes later. She kissed Castle on the cheek and gave Kate and Zoey a hug. "I'll see you guys in a couple of days!"

"Bye, Mr. Castle," said James, "It was nice to meet you, Kate."

After the pair left, Kate turned to Castle. "Well, he seems nice," she said.

Castle looked a little huffy. "Could work on his conversation skills."

"Castle, he's probably just intimidated. I mean, how many times has he met you? Twice? He's probably still afraid you're going to murder him in his sleep if you see him kissing Alexis." Kate picked up Zoey off the floor where she had been playing with the Velcro on her shoes. "We'd better go, too. You probably have to leave soon to pick up…"

"…Yeah," said Castle and then he felt compelled to add, "She's just this new murder-mystery writer on the scene – I'm only going because Paula is making me."

Kate nodded, "Right."

"What are you doing tonight?" he asked.

Kate adjusted Zoey in her arms, "Lanie's coming over. We'll probably order in and watch a movie, you know, the usual."

"Yeah."

"Mhm." Her eyes darted away and then returned to focus on his red tie. "Well, I hope you have a good night."

"You too. I'll see you on Monday?"

"I'll drop Zo off at the usual time."

He opened the door for her. "Bye Kate."

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On the last Sunday in August, Castle had planned to drive Alexis to Yale and help her set up her new place. Alexis had insisted that Kate and Zoey come along to see her very first apartment and meet her housemates.

Apparently everybody else had the same idea because the campus was filled with parents and the roads were crowded with moving vans. Luckily, Alexis had moved in the majority of her things a couple of weekends ago with James so all they had to haul up the stairs were her clothes and some school supplies.

Alexis introduced them to her housemates – all girls, much to Castle's relief – who hadn't been as smart and whose parents and siblings were occasionally yelling at each other about how to get a piece of furniture through the door.

"Ah, living with five other people," Kate said to Castle, "One of the things I do not miss about college."

The house was loud and chaotic so as soon as father and daughter finished setting the boxes in Alexis' room, they met Kate out front where she had been staying out of the way with Zoey.

"Lex! Hey Lex!"

Alexis turned at the sound of her name and waved at a petite brunette running towards them. "Leah, hi!" she said, giving the girl a hug. "Are you moving in, too?"

"Yeah, just two streets over, actually," Leah replied and then noticed the three other people standing beside them.

"Oh!" said Alexis, realising she hadn't really done the requisite introductions. "Leah, you know my dad, Rick. And this is my dad's…" Alexis paused, unsure how to finish that sentence and quickly amended, "… this is Kate and her daughter, Zoey."

They all exchanged 'hello's' before Leah asked Alexis if Elise had gotten there yet.

"Yeah," said Alexis, "She's still organizing some of her stuff but she should be inside somewhere."

"Thanks," Leah said, "Call me this week and we'll catch up."

Alexis nodded. "For sure."

As the four of them made their way across the campus, Alexis kept getting stopped by friends and classmates (after they left, Alexis would tell them whether they were really friends or just 'facebook friends' – a term that Kate found to be an amusingly accurate description) and with Zoey holding onto Alexis' hand for most of their walk, many of them told her how adorable they thought her little sister was. Alexis never bothered to correct them – a fact that Kate and Castle noted but didn't comment on – only replying with a cheery 'thanks' every time.

After lunch, they all went to the supermarket so that Alexis could at least buy some of the essentials to stock her fridge. There, Zoey insisted on sitting in the cart and only wanted Alexis to push her.

"Do you want these mini carrots, Alexis?" Castle asked loudly.

Alexis was picking out apples several aisles over. She looked up and nodded before handing Zoey another Granny Smith to put into the bag.

"Castle, you're so loud," said Kate, who was standing beside him inspecting a stalk of celery.

"How else is she gonna hear me?" he said.

"Well, you could maybe go over there and –"

Kate got cut off when somebody tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around to see an elderly woman smiling at her pleasantly.

"I think you dropped this, dear," she said, holding up the jacket that Kate had looped through the strap of her purse earlier.

"Oh! Yes, thank you so much," said Kate.

"And may I just say," the woman continued, now looking at both Kate and Castle, "Your daughters are just the sweetest things. Your eldest read out my grocery list for me – I forgot my glasses at home, you see – she was very helpful and your youngest is such a cutie-pie." She patted Kate's hand. "What wonderful parents you must be."

"Oh, they're not…" Kate had been meaning to say 'they're not sisters' but, having gone through similar conversations all day, she decided to cut herself off in order to save some breath. She ended up just giving the old lady a smile. "…Thanks," she replied.

When the lady was out of earshot, Kate finally met Castle's amused look. She shrugged, "It's just easier than explaining."

A/N: Consider this the end of the first thematic part of the story… starting next chapter, it'll be slightly less humour with slightly more romance. (Honestly, though, since I've just come to the end of the song line – this being a transition chapter – in starting a new lyric for Chapter 11, I thought the story needed to have a thematic change as well. I know. I'm crazy.)

In any case, the rating will be getting bumped up to a 'T' (so make of that what you will…) ;)

Okay then! Enough rambling from me… it's review time! :)