Author's note : I'm not very good with ratings. So this chapter might be T. Sex is mentioned, but it's a funny (try to be funny) chapter. So I don't know.

When Castle arrived at the crime scene that morning, everybody saw he wasn't his usual perky self. He stood next to Beckett, silent, broody.

"I can't tell you the time of death yet. I will have to run some tests first", Lanie told the detectives. "But I can already show you this." She lifted the victim's shirt. The white female with blond, almost yellow hair, was sporting a pentagram on her stomach. She paused, looking expectantly at Castle. When the joke about witches didn't come, she shrugged, glancing to Esposito and Ryan. Then she continued "It was done post-mortem, maybe with a needle. I will tell you for sure later."

The detectives thanked her and walked back to their car.

"Hey Castle, you okay ?", asked Ryan.

"The deep-fried twinky again ?", added Esposito.

Castle didn't even smirk. He just shook his head.

Once in the car, Beckett took her turn.

"Spill Castle. What's wrong with you ?"

"Nothing" he grunted and looked away through the side window. Beckett decided to let it go for now. They had a crime to solve.

It was late that day. But all in all, it hadn't been so bad. Castle and Beckett had just finished interrogating one of the suspect. An accomplice who had cracked and ditched pretty quickly. An APB had been issued. Catch the killer, make some verifications and the case would be closed. The two partners were in the break room. Castle was as somber as before.

Coffee in hand, Beckett decided to crack him too.

"You know, if you're going to be like this, maybe you should stop shadowing me...", she said teasingly.

"What ? You can't do that. I didn't do anything !" He exclaimed, clearly not understanding she was pushing his buttons. He was off his game, clearly.

She smiled at him, trying to indicate she was kidding.

"Well, you weren't very fun today. Less annoying too, but less fun."

He sighed.

"What's wrong, Castle?"

"I called Alexis this morning, after your call about the body. I didn't think about the time difference. It was 4."

"And she chewed you out for waking her..."

"Not exactly..." He took a deep breath and talked very quickly. "Ashley answered her phone. He tried to make some excuse but I could hear Alexis in the background." He gulped, looking distressed.

Beckett hid her smile behind her hand. She tried to remember her teenage years to find something to say to him.

"Maybe they were studying late ?", she offered, using an explanation she knew well.

"I've been to college, you know."

The denying route wasn't going to work. Rationalization might.

"Right. Don't overreact. Alexis is 18 now, she's in college. Her and Ashley had been together for like, forever..."

"Are you saying that it's okay?", he yelped, his voice an octave higher. She cringed inside.

"Your daughter is very responsible."

"I am not so sure, now... I feel, bwah and...", he turned to face her. Placing his hands on her upper arms. "If I kill Ashley, can you cover for me ? Better ! You can fly with me over there, you can shoot him !"

"Castle !", she shouted. "Calm down ! Alexis is having sex with her boyfriend. Deal with it. Just be thankful she's not doing it with some 40 years old barman with tattoos named Raymond... or something."

Castle collapsed in a chair, not even picking up on information she might – or might not – have let slip on her wild college years.

"I'm supposed to be her go-to guy. Why didn't she talk to me ?", he whispered.

She could tell he was really concerned, finding it endearing. "You're her dad." As an afterthought, she added to console him. "Maybe she talked to her mum ?"

Castle jumped up and paced.

"Meredith. Are you crazy ? The woman was pregnant at 20 !"

She glared at him, trying to put the weight of the entire female population in it.

He stopped and had the decency to look apologetic.

"Sorry. Not my most sensitive moment. I just wished she had talked to me. Giving me time to prepare."

"Seriously Castle ? Look at you now. How would you have reacted ?"

"I would have been very understanding", he stated.

She rolled her eyes, remembering her own experience when her dad had known she had spent the night 'out'.

"Suuuuuure ! And you would have stayed very calm, even hearing from her the words", she stared to speak very slowly, staring in his eyes, getting closer to him. "Sex, condoms, fella..." His pupils dilated, he gulped and interrupted her.

"You're doing this on purpose. To distract me !", he accused.

"Yes, I am !", she replied cheerfully, walking out of the break room.