Disclaimers: I wish, because my life wouldn't suck as badly as it does if I did.

Summary: More Alexis and Kate time.

A/N #1: I've always had fun with Kate and Alexis time in the past, so I'm going to see where this chapter takes me.

A/N #2: With this story and my other story in progress called 'That is True Love,' I'm giving a small preview of where I'm headed in the future. Not quite yet, but soon.

A/N #3: Am I introducing a new character? Possibly.

Chapter 18: How do You Know If He's Your One and Done?

"So, I've read a bunch of your dad's books. How does it feel to have a best-selling author for a dad?" The young man sitting at the table across from Alexis asked.

"I don't know. I've never known a time when he wasn't a best-selling author, so I don't have anything to compare it to. What does your father do?"

"He's a currency trader. His job is actually kind of dull. So, what about your mom? Tell me about her," the young man encouraged her.

Alexis frowned. Did she really want to tell him about Meredith? "Well, my birth mom is an actress. I only see her a few times a year. My dad was married the second time when I was small, but they didn't stay married very long. He was single for a long time after that, but he got married for the third time almost two years ago."

"So, do you like your stepmother?"

"I adore her, but I don't consider Kate my stepmother. I've known her since I was 15, so she's kind of been more of a mom to me than Meredith, my birth mother. Plus, she made me a big sister 11 months ago, so that was a big plus in my book."

"If I'd known you wanted to be a big sister, I would've loaned you one of my siblings," he said as he laughed. "So, do you have a little sister or a little brother?"

"A little sister. Her name's Ariel. Here's a picture of her," she took out her phone and showed him her screensaver which had a picture of her, Ariel, and Kate that her dad had taken.

"That's your stepmom? Wow. What does she do?"

"She's a homicide detective."

"She looks like that and she's a homicide detective?" Alexis laughed at him. "How did she meet your dad?"

"Some psycho was killing people based on plots in some of my dad's old books. He helped her with the case and then he decided to base a new character on her," she glanced at her phone. "I need to go. I have a psych class in 20 minutes."

"I'll walk you to class," he got up and walked around to pull her chair out for her.

***CCC***

At the 12th Precinct, Kate was busy updating the murder board when her cell phone rang. She smiled when she saw Alexis' smiling face come up. "Hi, Alexis. What's up?"

"I was wondering if I could come over one day next week. There's something that I could really use your advice about."

"Your dad won't do?"

"I need girl advice. Dad definitely won't do."

"How about Monday afternoon? I could send your dad to the park with Ari so we could have some alone time. I should get home around 5:30. You could come by and then we could all have dinner."

"That sounds great. Thanks, Kate."

"You're welcome, sweetie."

Lanie and Kate had lunch at Remy's an hour later. Kate told her best friend about her conversation with Alexis. "You don't think that she's in trouble, do you?"

"No, it didn't sound like that kind of a call. In fact, she sounded happier than I've heard her in a long time."

"You do know if you tell Writer-Man that she wants to talk to you, he's going to spin out of control."

"I watch him with Ari in the park when there are other little boys and I can almost see him going home and shopping for shotguns on the Internet. Apparently its something that only fathers of daughters understand."

"How do you mean?"

"I complained to my dad about it and he actually defended Castle."

"Well, I can't say that I blame Castle. After all, he has two drop-dead gorgeous little girls. I'm surprised he hasn't hired armed escorts for Alexis, especially after Paris."

"Don't think that he hasn't considered it."

Later that night, Kate was reading in bed waiting for Castle to join her. At the moment he was in the bathroom brushing his teeth. "So, she didn't say what she wanted to talk to you about?" He turned off the bathroom light and got into bed beside his wife.

"Castle, for the third time, no. She sounded happy. Hell, she sounded excited. It was nice to hear her sound so . . . happy. She sounded like she did before Paris."

Kate closed her tablet and put it on her night stand before she turned toward Castle. "What?" He grinned at her.

"Castle, I want to make another baby."

"Now?"

"Well, I'd like to start trying. I want to have at least the first two close together."

"The first two? How many do you want to have?"

"I thought we were going to have a dozen," she teased. "Have you forgotten your wedding vows already? I'd like at least three."

"Let's make it an even four. I don't want somebody being singled out."

"Four, then," she kissed him, reaching down to fondle him through his boxers.

Kate missed that joy of carrying Castle's baby inside of her. She missed the feeling of a tiny mouth at her breast, small eyes gazing up at her with such pure love. She even almost missed the morning sickness. She loved listening to baby laughter, and sloppy kisses. She loved the little games that she and Castle played with Ari. She wanted to repeat that process as many times as she could. But she really longed to give Castle a son.

***CCC***

Castle reluctantly agreed to take Ariel to the park before Alexis got to the loft. The young redhead arrived moments after her dad had left. "Alexis, hi," Kate greeted her when she walked into the apartment. "You just missed your dad, but I can't guarantee how long he's going to be gone. The curiosity is killing him."

"Kate, how did you know when you met the one?"

"Okay, first off, why don't you sit and tell me what's going on?"

"He's in my Criminal Justice class. His name is Brian Abernathy. I didn't even pay much attention to him, at first. But then we had to partner up for a project and we started talking. He's the first person that I felt like talking about Paris with. He's just really easy to talk to."

"Easy to talk to is good. Have you gone out with him?"

"Just for coffee and lunch. We haven't actually dated. How did you know that my dad was the one? Or was there one that was the one before my dad?"

"There was someone before your dad. His name was Will Sorenson. For a while I thought that he was going to be my one and done. But his career was more important than I was. After that, I wasn't too serious about anybody for a very long time. As you know with your dad, I tried to ignore things for a long time. The night of your high school graduation I almost died. As I was hanging from a rooftop, all I could think about was your dad and how much time we'd wasted. After I got rescued, I decided that I didn't want to waste another second."

"But did you know before that night that he was the one?"

"Yeah, I'd known for a long time that he was the one. But then I got shot and things got . . . weird for a long time. So, what do you feel when you think about Brian?"

Alexis smiled as she looked at Kate. "I feel funny inside. I think about him all of the time. I haven't felt this way since Ashley, and I didn't even feel this way when I was with him."

"Well, you do know what the litmus test is going to be, don't you? You need for your dad to meet him."

"Are you kidding? Have you met my dad?" Alexis asked as Kate laughed. "Can't you meet him first? I know that if you like him, you can help ease dad into it."

"But, what if I don't like him, Alexis? I know that how your dad and I feel isn't going to change your mind about Brian. After you, you're a young woman now. You have to make your own decisions. But I can tell you from personal experience that if your parents don't like the boy, or in this case, the man that you're seeing it can make things a living hell."

"Kate, I really, really like him."

"Then why don't we get together for lunch Friday afternoon? I promise to give you my honest opinion of him. And if I like him, then we'll make a date for him to meet your dad and grandmother."

"And your dad? After all, he's family, too," Alexis reminded her.

"Do you want me to invite the boys, Lanie, and Capt. Gates, as well? That way we can give Brian the whole extended family experience," Kate teased.

"Let's not overwhelm him with family just yet," Alexis made a face.

***CCC***

Across the street at the park, Castle was pushing Ariel in a baby swing as the baby chattered excitedly. "I remember once when your sister only came to me with her problems," he told her as he pushed her. "Now she only wants to talk to your mommy. I feel so left out."

Ariel only giggled and kicked her legs. The way his small daughter was smiling at him reminded him so much of Kate. He couldn't believe that she was already ready to have another baby. The thought made him warm and tingly inside. He knew that there were times when Alexis was growing up that she had to have been very lonely. Sure, she had him, but he always thought that it would've been great if she'd had brothers and sisters. Somebody closer to her own age. It was great that Ariel was never going to experience that loneliness.

"Did I ever tell you about the day that I found out about you?" Castle stopped the swing and lifted Ariel from it before walking over and sitting on a nearby bench. "Mommy had gone to work, but I had a meeting with my publisher. When I came out of the meeting, Capt. Gates had left me a message saying that mommy had fainted at work and was at the hospital. I got there so fast, Ariel. I was so scared. I thought that something terrible was wrong with your mommy. When I got there, this mean nurse told me where mommy was, but they wouldn't let me go in. Finally, they let me go in and I almost cried when I saw mommy lying on that gurney. She had cut her head and she had a big bandage on it. When I went over to her, she just put her hands on my face like this," he demonstrated by placing his hands on Ariel's chubby cheeks, "and she said, 'Castle, we're pregnant.' And that's how I found out about you. I don't even remember leaving the hospital. Those were the three most magical words that I've ever heard your mommy say."

Ariel just stared at him with her huge blue eyes. Then she gave him that huge smile again, Kate's smile. "How about an ice cream? Because I know it's probably still too early to go home."

When Castle walked into the loft an hour later, Kate just rolled her eyes at the sight of her daughter covered in vanilla ice cream. "Castle, I can't believe that you gave her ice cream. She has to get ready for bed soon and she hasn't even had dinner, yet."

"I wasn't sure if it was safe to come home, yet. Hi, pumpkin," he greeted his older daughter with a kiss.

"Why don't you order pizza or something while I get her fed and ready for bed?" Kate took Ari from him. "Look at you, you're a mess."

Because Alexis was visiting, Ari fought bedtime. Even playing with her older sister while furiously rubbing her face, she refused to give up the fight. Kate had resigned herself to the fact that some nights were like this. "So, what did you and Kate talk about?" Castle asked.

"Just stuff," Alexis answered vaguely, pulling Ariel into her lap and stroking her tangled curls.

"Boy stuff?"

Kate bit back a smile. Her husband was like a dog with a bone. He just couldn't let it go. "Dad, I'm 21 years old. I don't talk about boys, anymore."

"Come on, Alexis, you can help me put Ari to bed. Otherwise, your dad will just sit down here and grill you while I'm gone."

"Are you saying that I'm nosy?"

"If the shoe fits, Castle," Kate said over her shoulder.

After Ari was asleep, Kate volunteered to drive Alexis back to her dorm. Neither parent liked her taking a taxi at night and she knew that if Castle drove her home, he'd interrogate her as if she was one of Kate's murder suspects. "What're you going to tell dad if he keeps asking what we talked about?" Alexis asked.

"Alexis, if there's one thing I've learned over the years of working with your father, its how to handle him. Don't worry. I'll tell him as much as he needs to know for right now. Let me know if Brian is free on Friday. Be careful," Kate warned as she let Alexis off in front of the dorm.

"I will. Thanks for talking to me, Kate."

"Anytime, sweetie. You know that."

Castle was in his office when Kate came back in a short time later. "So, who's the boy?" He asked when she came in and sat in the chair next to his desk.

"Castle, you're so suspicious! How do you even know that there's a boy?"

"Because she's a girl and believe me, where there's a girl, there's always a boy involved somewhere."

"Castle, promise me that you won't freak out."

He stopped typing and looked at Kate, his eyes wary. "Is she in trouble?"

"No, nothing like that," she quickly assured him. "Castle, I think that she's in love."

"She's been in love before—"

"Castle, that was teenage girl stuff. The crushes that we girls have when we think that we're in love. She was asking me about how I knew you were the one. I know that she's young, but the way that she talks, this might be her one."

"I want to meet—"

"Slow down, dad! She's not ready for you to meet him, yet. She's not ready for you to start acting like a father and getting all overprotective and judgmental. I'm going to meet them for lunch on Friday."

"You?"

"Yes, me. If he passes muster with me, then I'll make dinner plans so that he can meet you, Martha, and my dad." She couldn't help noticing that he looked slightly . . . no, make that extremely hurt. "Castle, what's wrong?"

"She used to come to me with this stuff, Kate. I mean, I love that she feels comfortable enough to go to you with stuff, but I used to be her go-to guy."

"Castle, she used to go to you because she didn't have anybody else. She couldn't go to her mother and while your mother is a wonderful woman, she doesn't understand today's young people. What do you want me to tell her? 'Don't talk to me about anything because it hurts your dads' feelings?' You have to remember that you're not alone in this anymore, Rick. I've already told her that if I don't like this young man, she's going to be the first to know it. But, I also told her that no matter how we feel, we won't stop her from seeing him. She's a woman now, Rick, and she has to make a woman's decisions, no matter how much those decisions might hurt. Or how much you and I might not like those decisions."

"This was just so much easier when she was six," he rubbed his face.

"I know," she walked over and wrapped her arms around him from behind. "Take me to bed, Castle."

***CCC***

Alexis and Brian were already seated at their table in the restaurant when Kate walked in. "Hi, sweetie," Kate hugged Alexis before she looked at Brian and held her hand out. "Hi, I'm Kate Beckett."

"Brian Abernathy. I've heard a lot about you," he stood up and shook Kate's hand firmly before coming around and pulling her chair out for her as she sat down.

'One point for manners,' Kate thought as she moved her chair forward.

"So, am I under review?" Brian glanced across the table at Alexis as Kate watched the two of them.

"Sort of," Alexis' blush was the same color as her hair.

"So, what's your major?" Kate asked Brian, taking the menu that the waiter brought over to her.

"I'm pre-law. I've always liked the law since I was a kid. I like to talk and I'm argumentative, so my mother told me that I'd make a good lawyer."

"That's true," Kate laughed. "My mom was a lawyer and my father's one. I headed in that direction at one time, too."

"Why'd you change?"

"Uh, Brian—" Alexis shook her head at him.

"No, it's okay. My mom was murdered, so I switched to criminal justice. So, what about your parents? What do they do?"

"My father is a currency trader on Wall Street, and my mother teaches American Literature at Hudson University. I have an older brother, and a younger brother and sister."

As they ate lunch, Kate observed Alexis and Brian. She couldn't help but notice that Brian looked at Alexis the way that Castle often looked at her. He hung on her every word like Alexis' words were life giving oxygen. Midway through lunch Brian had to leave to get to class. "It was nice to meet you, Brian," Kate shook his hand once again.

"You, too. I'll see you later, Alexis," he bent down and softly kissed her as Kate smiled.

"Well?" Alexis turned to Kate as soon as Brian had left the restaurant. "Do you like him?"

"He's very nice and he's very respectful toward you," Kate told the young woman. "My only concern, Alexis, is you're 21 years old. He's the first person that you've really felt this strongly about."

"Kate, I was with Ashley—"

"Ashley was also a high school boyfriend. I know that you probably did love him very much, but the love that you feel for a high school boyfriend is different than what you feel for the first man that you fall for. My only advice is not to rush in. I also think that your dad should meet him. Oh, and keep in mind that the best sex is safe sex."

"Kate, about that . . . how will I know?"

"Believe me, you'll know when the time is right," Kate smiled at her.

***CCC***

Kate unlocked the loft door and smiled when she heard the delightful sound of baby laughter. She walked in and smiled at Castle chasing after their now very fast daughter. Since discovering her sea legs a couple of short weeks before, Ari ran everywhere. And she ran fast. She ran headlong into her mother, who scooped her into her arms. "Hi, chunky monkey! Are you wearing daddy out again?"

"No!" Ari squirmed to get down.

"Wow, we've got that word down pat, don't we?" Kate kissed all over Ari's face.

"So, did you like him? Or should I buy a shotgun?"

"He's a very nice young man. He's majoring in pre-law, so he'll be able to support her," she teased.

"Not funny, Beckett," he reached out his arms to Ariel, who jumped into them.

"I told her to take things slowly. After all, she's still only 21 years old. She has plenty of time to fall in love."

"Have I ever told you how smart you are?" He wrapped his free arm around her and pulled her close.

"I know. That's why he's coming to dinner next Saturday night," she kissed him. "But he looks at her like you look at me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I see you, Castle. I watch you when we're at those crazy book signings or launch parties. You look at me like I'm the only woman in the room."

"That's because as far as I'm concerned, you are," he kissed her.

They both laughed when they heard Ari blowing raspberries. "She doesn't like us kissing," Kate laughed.

"Hey, are we going to go to the Hamptons for her first birthday or do you want to have it here?"

"We'd have more room at the Hamptons. I can't believe that she's going to be a year old in less than a month, Castle. It seems like just yesterday she was this little six pound bundle of tiny baby."

"Baby!" Ari shouted out.

"Yes, you are my baby," Kate took her back from her father. "But, you used to be so tiny. Remember when you'd hold her, Castle, and you could barely see her?"

"I might buy her a pony," Castle announced as Kate glared at him. "Come on, every little girl wants a pony. You told me so yourself, remember? I'm only buying her a pony to keep her from buying a motorcycle."

"Castle, she's going to be a year old. I don't see a motorcycle in her future for a very long time."

Kate had kept her motorcycle and she still rode it on occasion, much to Castle's horror. He hated the bike. His excuse was he worried for her safety. She knew that the deeper reason had to do with Josh and also the fear that she'd teach Alexis to ride the bike.

***CCC***

"So, did she like me?"

"Yeah, she did. She wants us to come to dinner next Saturday night so that you can meet my dad and grandmother. Probably her father, too. Prepare to be grilled. This is not an easy audience."

"I think I can stand my ground. So, I was thinking," Brian looked at Alexis. "Since I'm going to meet your family next Saturday night, would you like to come to my house for dinner on Friday?"

"Yeah, I'd like that," Alexis smiled.

The thing that immediately struck Alexis about Brian's family was they were loud. She was used to spending time with her friends or with her dad, Kate, and the baby. None of those people were what Alexis would describe as loud. Brian's family was a boisterous bunch. But, they were sure to include Alexis in their rather loud conversation around the dinner table. "It must've been great growing up an only child," Brian's 17-year-old sister, Olivia, said.

"Sometimes it was. Other times it was lonely."

"Olivia's the youngest and the only girl," Brian pointed out to Alexis. "So, she gets tired of being overprotected by older brothers."

"I hate bringing my boyfriend around. Between my dad and my brothers, they never stand a chance," Olivia rolled her eyes.

"I know that feeling. My dad's the same way. That's why I wanted his wife to meet your brother first."

"You mean your stepmom?" 19-year-old Jason asked.

"I don't think of Kate as my stepmom."

"So, I understand that your father is a writer," Mr. Abernathy finally got a word in edgewise. "Has he written anything that I might've read?"

"He wrote a series about Derrick Storm. His current character is Nikki Heat," Alexis said.

"I've read Derrick Storm. What about your mother? What does she do?"

"She's an actress," Alexis said in a small voice. Why did she have to make it sound like she was ashamed of her mother? She wasn't, although Meredith was not your conventional mom. But nobody in her family was exactly conventional. "She lives in L.A."

After dinner, Brian led Alexis out to the back patio of their home. "I'm sorry if the noise level was a little—"

"Ear splitting?" Alexis finished his sentence for him.

"That's one way to put it. You should hear it during the holidays when my brother Peter is here with his wife and two kids. You can't hear yourself think."

"I should probably warn you about my dad," Alexis looked at him. "He has a twisted sense of humor. I got invited to the prom when I was a freshman in high school. He tried to show up to meet my date with a severed head in his hand. Not a real head, of course, but it was still pretty gross. Plus he was wearing a blood-spattered lab coat."

"My brother Peter works for the FBI. When Olivia went on her first date, Peter ran a full background check on the boys' whole family. So, your family doesn't hold the monopoly on being overprotective."

"I should get back to the dorm. My dad calls me at 10 and if he knows I'm not home he'll start looking for me."

"Is it because of what happened to you?"

"Partly, but mostly because that's just the way that he is."

Brian drove her back to the dorm and walked her to the door. "So, what time should I pick you up to go to your place tomorrow night?"

"Six?" She looked at him.

"Six, it is," he bent his head down and kissed her. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay," she smiled, before unlocking the main door of the dorm and walking inside. She was still smiling when she entered her dorm room and locked the door behind her when she walked inside.

***CCC***

"So, can I give this boy the whole 'if you hurt my daughter, I'll kill you' speech?" Castle asked as he put on a tie.

"Castle, will you at least meet him before you start hating him? Trust me, he's a very nice young man. He's not a boy. Now, finish getting dressed," she walked over and kissed him. "I'm going to finish dressing the baby and then I'm going to check on dinner."

"This man had better be worth prime rib!" He called out after her.

Kate went upstairs to where she'd placed her daughter in her playpen with a bunch of toys so that they could get dressed for dinner. Ari smiled and held her arms out when her mother entered the room. "Come on, chunky monkey. Let's get dressed for Alexis and her friend."

Kate dressed Ari in a frilly pink and white dress, tiny white socks and what had to be the cutest pair of patent leather shoes Kate had ever seen. She then brushed her silky curls and tied a tiny pink ribbon into it. "You are so cute," Kate kissed Ari's face all over as the baby giggled. "Let's see if daddy is ready so that he can come up here and get your holding cell."

Martha and Jim arrived before Alexis and her date. They took turns fussing over Ariel, who ate up the attention. "We're going to have her birthday in the Hamptons," Kate told them from the kitchen. "But could one of you please talk Castle out of getting her a pony?"

"Hey, I told you the pony is to stop her from buying a motorcycle when she's 16," Castle came out of the bedroom. Kate smiled at him. He was dressed in a dark suit and shirt, with a white tie.

"So, Katie told you that story, did she?" Jim smiled at his daughter.

"He knows all of my stories," Kate told her father as the doorbell rang. "Castle, answer the door."

Castle opened the door to his daughter and her date. Alexis watched as her father carefully sized up the young man standing in the doorway. "Daddy, this is Brian Abernathy. Brian, this is my father, Richard Castle."

"Sir," Brian firmly shook Castle's hand.

"Come in," Castle finally stepped aside to allow Alexis and Brian to enter the loft.

"You remember Kate," Alexis said as Kate shook Brian's hand. "This is my grandmother, Martha Rodgers."

"I'm delighted to meet you, young man," Martha greeted him.

"This is Kate's father, Jim Beckett," Alexis introduced them as Jim shook Brian's hand. "And this is my baby sister, Ariel."

"She's even cuter than her picture," Brian smiled at the baby, who buried her head in her grandfather's chest.

"She's shy around strangers," Alexis explained. "Give her an hour or so."

They sat down to prime rib, stuffed baked potatoes, steamed asparagus, and baked Alaska for dessert. As they ate, Castle decided that Kate had definitely outdone herself in the meal department this time. Everything was wonderful. As they chatted, Castle found himself liking the young man that Alexis had brought home. "So, how do you get your ideas for your books?" Brian asked over dessert.

"Well, I research some of it, but others I use real life cases that Kate and I have worked on. Of course, I have to change details, but real life can throw a curveball or two."

"What kind of law do you plan on practicing, Brian?" Jim asked him.

"Criminal law. Right now I'm not sure which side I want to be on, though. There are pros and cons to both sides. If I'm a defense attorney, I'll have to defend scum of the earth that I know are guilty, but if I'm a prosecutor, I take a chance on sending innocent people away."

"Kate wanted to be on the Supreme Court," Rick said as he smiled at his wife.

"That was my plan. You'll figure it out, Brian."

As they finished dessert and then sat down for coffee, Castle realized that Kate was right as he watched Brian and Alexis. He did look at her the same way he looked at Kate. Ariel had finally warmed up to him and he played with her along with Alexis. He watched them laughing and whispering to each other. It was bittersweet to realize that his older daughter was possibly now with her soul mate.

Later that night Castle checked on Ariel before coming downstairs and getting into bed beside Kate. "I liked him," he said as he stared up at the ceiling.

"What's wrong, Castle? You sound disappointed."

"I didn't want to like him. I'm going to lose her, Kate."

"Castle, you're not going to lose her," she propped herself up on her elbow. "She just might be getting ready to start the next chapter of her life. She's always going to be your little girl, Castle. They're not getting married tomorrow. I told her to ease into it. She's still so young. I think that 21 is way too young to get married. She has a good head on her shoulders. You've done a wonderful job with her."

"Yeah, I have, haven't I?" He grinned as she rolled her eyes.

"You're such a jackass sometimes."

"Isn't that why you fell in love with me?"

"No," she shook her head.

"No?"

"I fell in love with you despite the fact that you're a jackass sometimes," she took his hand and moved it up under her nightshirt. "Let's practice making a baby, Castle."

As he let his hands roam under Kate's shirt, he couldn't help but hope that Alexis found the same joy with Brian that he'd found with Kate.

A/N #4: Two more chapters and things will wrap up. Please read and review.

I can be found on Twitter Caskett1960.