Chapter 7

Enjoy! :D

Alexis Castle looked up from her place on the couch when she heard the door open. "Beckett! You came!" she said when she saw who was on the other side.

Kate couldn't help but appreciate the warm smile she always got from the girl and was glad she decided to come. "Yeah, well your dad can be very persuasive."

"Trust me, I know" she said and they both laughed.

Castle set the food they had picked up on the table in the living room and hung up his and Beckett's coat. Beckett sat down on the couch next to Alexis. "What movie are we watching?"

The redhead held up a DVD "The Godfather, part 1"

"I've taught you well grasshopper" Castle said, sitting down on the other side of the couch, sandwiching Beckett between himself and Alexis. He picked up the remote and hit play and they all dug into the heaps of food before them.

Once they were done eating Alexis paused the movie and got up to put everything in the kitchen. While she was in there Castle turned to the brunette beside him and smiled. "I'm really glad you decided to come. We all like having you around you know. Alexis looks up to you."

Kate blushed "Thanks Castle. She's a great girl. And I like being here, it's…" she paused, trying to think of the right word. "Comfortable. It's comfortable here."

Castle smiled at her and hesitantly put an arm around her. She stiffened up for a second, wondering what Alexis would think. He seemed to read her mind. "Don't worry, she knows we went to dinner. And she likes you."

Kate relaxed slightly and watched Alexis' face carefully when she came back and sat down. When she didn't see anything hinting at disapproval she relaxed even further, allowing herself to lean into the man next to her. She was amazed at how comfortable she felt there, and at how warm he was. She inhaled, and god he smelled good.

They spent the rest of the movie like that. Kate smiled inwardly at the interactions between Alexis and her father. Castle was always opening his mouth to comment on some point in the movie, or some flaw in the writing, and every time he did Alexis yelled at him to shut up and stop ruining the movie.

After the movie was over Alexis went up to her room, saying she had homework to do before she went to bed. Kate pulled her feet up into the couch and leaned her head against Castle's shoulder. She felt so much better now that she was being honest with herself, and with Castle. She looked up at him. "So what now?"

"Well, I was thinking that I want to make a chocolate milkshake. How does that sound?"

Kate couldn't remember the last time she had had a chocolate shake so she agreed. They went into the kitchen and she leaned up against one of the counters while Castle threw ice cream, chocolate syrup and a little bit of milk into the blender. They were both silent but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. They were both just content.

He poured the milkshake into two glasses and handed her one. He watched her as she took a sip. "This is really good."

"Thanks" he said. He continued to watch her as she took another sip.

She noticed him staring and looked at him, wide-eyed. "What?"

He was silent for a second before answering her. "I'm really glad we have been honest with each other the past couple of days. It's nice, to be able to let you know how I feel, and to see how you feel. But…" he paused. "I'm not sure…where it leaves us." He took a sip of his shake to hide the fact that he was nervous about her answer.

She took a deep breath. She knew he was leaving things completely up to her, and it was time for her to decide what she wanted. "Castle, I really like what the two of us have. I really like working with you and having you around and being able to spend time with you outside of work and not feel like anything is expected of me. I don't want to ruin that, because I wouldn't trade it for anything. " She set her shake down on the counter and took a step closer to him. She looked him in the eyes as she continued "but I really like you, and I would be stupid if I didn't give this a chance, give….us a chance." She stood there with her arms wrapped around herself, feeling slightly insecure about bearing her emotions so much. It had been a long time since she had put herself out there like this, and she was hoping it wouldn't blow up in her face.

He gestured for her to pick her milkshake back up. She did then looked at him expectantly. He lifted his glass and clinked it with hers "to us it is then." He said, taking a sip.

She smiled and did the same. "There have to be some ground rules though."

"I'm listening."

"First of all, nothing personal at work. This relationship stays out of the precinct."

He nodded.

"Second, you let me tell Lanie, Ryan and Esposito on my time."

He nodded again.

"And last, you need to tell Alexis, soon, and make sure it's ok with her. The last thing I want to do is come between the two of you. I know she likes me but if I'm going to be around here more often or in her life at all I want to make sure this is ok with her."

He smiled "you drive a hard bargain, but I think I can accept those terms."

"Good." She held up her glass and they clinked glasses again. "To us"

Castle wasn't at the precinct the next morning, he had a field trip with Alexis and her school. Kate figured that now was as good a time as ever to tell everyone what was going on. Ryan and Esposito were first on her list. She called them into the break room when they arrived at work. "Hey guys can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Everything ok detective?" Esposito asked.

"Yeah, um. Do you guys remember how the other day I mention me and Castle going to dinner?"

They both nodded.

"Well, me and Castle are now….me and Castle."

"As in, a couple?" Ryan asked.

She took a deep breath and nodded.

Ryan turned to Esposito "told you, pay up buddy."

"Thanks a lot Beckett" Esposito said hanging Ryan $10

Beckett's jaw dropped as she watched the two men turn around and head back to their desks. "Hey hey hey, get back here! What was that all about?"

"After you let it slip that you and Castle went to dinner I bet Esposito that you two were a couple and just hadn't told us yet. He didn't think so, and obviously he was wrong." Ryan said throwing his partner a grin.

She smiled. "Well technically we weren't a couple until last night, which means we weren't together yet when I told you about dinner, even though it was sort of a date. So really neither of you win."

Esposito turned to Ryan "I'll take that ten bucks back."

Next it was off to tell Lanie. Kate decided to call down first this time. "Hey Lanie, do you have a few minutes? I have to tell you something."

"Yeah sure, come on down."

Kate got in the elevator and took it down to where the ME spent her time. She walked in to see her friend poking around in a body. "Is this a bad time?"

Lanie took her gloves off and smiled at Kate "no not at all, just finishing up. So what's going on?"

"I had dinner with Castle and Alexis last night, and we watch a movie."

"Good for you girl."

"And then he made one of the most amazing chocolate milkshakes I've had in a long time. And then he said that he really liked that we were being honest with each other but that he didn't know where it left us and…" she paused to gauge her friends reaction. "Well, now there is an 'us'."

Lanie got up and gave Kate a hug. "Do you have any idea how long all of us have been waiting for this?"

"Actually I do, Ryan and Esposito were taking bets after I went to dinner with Castle the other night." They both laughed.

Meanwhile that morning, Rick Castle was on a school bus filled with Alexis' schoolmates. They were headed to some science lab about an hour away. Alexis was sitting up near the front of the bus, but turned around occasionally to see her dad surrounded by kids telling stories about his adventures with the NYPD. As much as he embarrassed her sometimes, and had a tendency to make a fool out of himself, she loved that he still made time to go on fieldtrips with her and entertain her friends. They never told each other much but she loved him and was glad he was the one that had raised him.

A few minutes later he appeared at her side and slid into the seat next to her. "Taking a break from your adoring fans?" she asked.

"Those kids are relentless. There's only so much I can tell them before your teachers yell at me."

She smiled. "So what was going on with you and detective Beckett last night? Don't think I didn't notice."

"Yeah I need to talk to you about that. Kate and I are a couple now. She wanted me to make sure that was ok with you. And I want it to be ok with you too. I mean if it's not just tell me, because she will probably be spending a lot more time at the house now…" he sort of trailed off waiting for her to say something.

"Dad you know I really like her, and I don't mind her being around more. She's fun to spend time with when she isn't freaking out about a case."

"You've noticed how she does that too?"

The both laughed and Alexis asked "did you really think I would mind you two being together? Me and gram have been waiting for it to happen for like a year."

"No I didn't think you would mind but she set down some ground rules, and one of them was I clear it with you."

Alexis shook her head "dad aren't you supposed to be the man in the relationship?"

"I may be the man but she has the gun."

"Good point. Better play it safe." She stopped as someone called him back to the group of kids waiting for more stories. "Looks like you're being summoned."

He smiled and headed for the back of the bus again. He kept telling the kids stories but his mind was on the crime fighting detective he could now call his girlfriend.

Well, now they are a couple. What do you think?

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