I'm sorry that you had to wait so long, but I have little time to write right now.

But my one-week-vacation is waiting around the corner :) enough time to write...

This chapter is more like a filler.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

Chapter 5

Castle drove calmly through the streets of Manhattan. Since Paige's house was closer than Kate's, it was planned to drop Alexis first. Kate had almost expected that the atmosphere in the car would be quiet and uncomfortable, but she had been positively surprised that it was everything but uncomfortable. Alexis was telling cheerfully funny stories of their lives and Castle added sometimes one or two things. The two talked with her as if they all knew each other for a long time and Kate was grateful that she didn't feel like a third wheel.

"… and then dad had wanted to follow me! But he had forgotten that the slide had a pipe-like part in the middle and he couldn't fit through. We had to pull him out there again!" told Alexis and Kate couldn't stop laughing as she pictured the scene in her head.

"They could've secured a sign somewhere that states that bigger people won't fit through!" sulked Castle.

"Dad!" giggled Alexis over the childish behavior of her father. "That's a slide for children and not for grown-ups."

"I have to agree with her. Besides, who gets the absurd idea to slide down a children's slide, that is neither laid out for the height nor the weight of an adult?" asked Kate.

Castle looked over to her with a wide grin on the lips. "Me!"

So that he couldn't see her amused smile, she turned to the car window. This man was just unbelievable. She wouldn't have thought that the big Richard Castle was really just a big child at heart! Moreover, she thought that he would be embarrassed about this, but he seemed rather proud about his childish side. Alexis really must have one hell of a happy and funny childhood.

"So, here we are." announced Castle and stopped at the front of a house. It was painted in a light blue and the frames of the door and windows were white. It was a two-story house that was just slightly bigger than the one she grew up in.

Castle asked her to wait in the car while he followed Alexis to the front door. She observed them through the window. He seemed like a great father and he gave his full attention to his daughter. Differently than some other parents, he spent apparently a lot of time with Alexis and contrary to the press and rumors, he was really just a big softie.

Kate noticed that Castle came back towards the car and now she wasn't so sure that the atmosphere won't change. Alexis had loosened it before with her stories, but now they were alone and she had no idea what they could talk about. Should she start a conversation or wait for him to start one?

While Kate still debated on what she could say to him, he luckily took the decision from her. "Well, what are you doing in your free time when you're not sitting lonely on a swing or chatting up men at a bar?"

"I'm in the police academy." answered Kate shortly.

"Really? Cool. I wouldn't have held you for someone that wants to be a cop. May I ask why you want this particular job?"

Now the conversation went into a direction that was uncomfortable for Kate. She didn't like to talk about what happened to her mom. For one, she didn't like the pity everyone seemed to have for her and then there was this deeply ingrained pain that cut through her heart every time she talked about her mom. It was bad enough that she thought about it a lot. Moreover, she enjoyed it that Castle and Alexis treated her without prejudices. They didn't feel the need to cover her with their compassion and pity and they certainly didn't treat her like she could break any minute. Everything was normal with them and it gave her a chance to have a short break from her chaotic and painful life.

"I would rather not speak about it." hissed Kate, but she instantly regretted her harsh tone. He wasn't responsible for her messed up life.

Castle seemed to notice the change of mood and reverted back. "I'm very sorry if I got too close. Sometimes I seem to oversee certain limits."

"Don't worry. You couldn't have known." murmured Kate.

Castle thought better than to ask further questions and suddenly it was like she had feared. The mood in the car was uncomfortable and oppressive, but he couldn't be blamed for that. Just because he entered the part of her life she didn't want to talk about, didn't mean that she had a right to be impolite. He just wanted to have a civilized conversation and she shot him down. But she still didn't know what she could talk about with him. As far as she knew, they had nothing in common. What did one speak to a bestselling novelist? Talking about his books? No, that would make her look like a fan and she certainly didn't want him to think that. Talk about the weather? Hell no, that wouldn't make things better and it would be really a poor try at a conversation.

Since she had nothing to talk about, she was glad when he stopped at her house. She scolded herself for her behavior. Normally she could always make conversation, whether she knew what to say or not. But somehow she seemed incapable of it with him and she didn't know why. He appeared to be someone who was easy to talk to.

Kate got out and noted that Castle also left the car. "What are you doing?"

"I'll walk you to the door." grinned Castle.

"You don't have to do this. Nothing will happen to me while I walk the last meter to the front door." assured him Kate, but he just stood there. She rolled her eyes and went to the door without further commenting it. There was no sense in arguing with him about something trivial. As she pulled out her keys and opened the door, she turned to him.

"Happy?"

"Very." Smiled Castle. "Listen,…"

"Katie?" interrupted him a slurring voice and Kate closed her eyes resignedly. Her life had her firmly in its grip again.

"Who is this?" asked Castle.

"I think you should go. Thanks again for taking care of me when I was pretty out of me and the drive home. That was very nice of you."

He heard irregular steps from one of the rooms of the house. They weren't loudly, but enough that he could hear them. The next thing he heard was something made out of glass hitting the ground. He looked unsure to Kate. "Are you sure that I should go?"

"Yes. Everything's alright." answered Kate with a smile that was intended to assure him. She was just about to close the door as Castle pushed it open again.

"I wanted to ask whether you want to meet again. Alexis and I will be at the park we have met the day after tomorrow. I'd buy you coffee. Maybe this time you'll even drink it."

Was he serious? Did he really want her to meet again? What was so special about her, that he wanted to see her again? He surely must have a lot of other women that would die for something like that to happen, so why her?

She heard her father rummaging in the kitchen and prayed that he didn't cause more chaos. She really should look after him. "I don't know whether I have time. I'm sorry."

And she really was sorry when she saw his disappointed expression, but she wasn't sure if she should accept or decline. Besides, she had no idea how her dad was feeling in two days.

"Well we'll be there, so if you have time to spare, don't hesitate. We'd be happy to see you again."

She smiled at him and watched him walking to his car. She looked longer than she'd admit after his retreating car. When he had asked her if she'd meet them again, she had felt something she had really just felt once up until now in her life. She had butterflies in her belly. Kate had no idea why though, seeing that they didn't really know each other that well. They just had met twice and neither one of them had really told the other something about their lives. All he knew was her name and that she was going to be a cop. Alight, she had to admit that she may knew more of him, since his life was more or less in the open, but still she wasn't one to just believe every word she was reading in magazines and newspapers. However, such feelings were just wrong at the moment. She didn't need them. She was just about to re-order her life.

Although she had to admit that she hadn't felt this fine for a long time like with Alexis and Castle. They had a refreshing and soothing effect on her that she couldn't explain yet. She thought a lot about the murder or her mom, but this morning she hardly thought about it. Of course, her pounding headache had been helping at distracting her too.

Kate closed the door and tried to keep the thoughts of Castle and Alexis outside too. Even if she liked them, should she really drag them into her chaotic life? They were full of life, while she was the complete opposite. Why should she pull them down with her? Just so that she could feel fine and safe of her problems for a few hours? That wouldn't be fair.

She was startled out of her thought by some noises from the kitchen. It was time to look after her dad. After all she hadn't looked after him since yesterday morning. As she walked to the kitchen, the sun was shining through the window and in spite of the situation, she has to smile because the sun seemed to somehow bring hope with her.

I wish you all a good start into the week :)