A/N: I'm really enjoying writing this story. Thanks for all the reviews they make me want to continue even more. Ani BC you should like this chapter :). I went off on a slight tangent with this but I hope you still enjoy it.

They sleep till late morning, it wasn't planned but exhaustion has finally caught up with them. She is the first to wake, she rubs her hand over her face trying to wake herself up. She forgets about the bruise apparently and lets out a hiss when she knocks it. Shit that smarts is the first thought in her head this morning. Not exactly the first thing she want to think off. She detangles her limbs from Castle's grasp as carefully as she can without waking him. It is only as she stands up that she comes to the realisation that she has muggy head. She tries to shake it off to no avail. So then she shrugs on an old faded Ramones black t-shirt of his laying on the floor and a pair of chequered boxers that are laying next to it. She heads for the kitchen desperately requiring a coffee, to give her the caffeine boost she craves. She also hopes it will help clear her head.

She is sitting at the breakfast bar cradling a cup of coffee in her hands, a yawn escapes. How can she still be tired she has slept for hours last night. While she is pondering her thoughts she hears the front door click open, she doesn't look she just presumes it is Martha. She used to be shocked at the old diva coming in from being out all the night, but she doesn't even batter an eyelid now. She sips at her drink waiting for either a morning greeting from her other halves mother, or to hear her sneak up the stairs. What she actually hears surprises her so much she nearly drops the coffee down her self.

"Hey Kate, I just came to do some laundry."

She turns to find Alexis smiling at her, that was not the person she was expecting. She places the drink down and stands up, then strides towards the young woman.

" Alexis, hey so good to see you."

She says before pulling the young woman into a hug, to which she gladly returns. No don't get her wrong her and Alexis' relationship hasn't always been this strong or smooth sailing. After her shooting Alexis made her self very distant from Kate. She had reason too she had broken the her father's heart and Alexis had seen her die in front of her eyes at the funeral. At the time she didn't see this, what she had done to this family but now she does. The pain she caused she can never take back, but she has managed to patch things up. After her and Castle became an item she sat Alexis down for a chat. They talked through what happened and any issues Alexis had with her. She managed to rebuild most of the bridges she had previously burnt down between them. Now they're so much closer, especially after the horror of Alexis being kidnapped early in the year. That chilled her to the bone, to think that she would never see her again, that Castle would lose his daughter. She had done something she never thought she would during that time. She had interrogated that suspect's girlfriend like an angry mother and not a cop. The way she had pushed her chair so hard, that it had made her topple backwards on the hard concrete floor. It had shocked her at first but she would do anything to protect someone she loves, even if that meant breaking the rules. She never wanted to replace Alexis' mother but she does see her self as an older sister figure to the girl.

She lets Alexis go, she turns and asks the girl a question.

" You care for a coffee? I even thought about starting brunch if I can find some ingredients."

Alexis gives her a dazzling smile and comes towards the kitchen.

" Coffee sounds great & I'm sure I could fit brunch into, I could even help if you like?"

" Sounds like a plan to me, right so we need…"

She looks down at herself for the first time since Alexis arrival and realises she is still wearing Castle's clothes. She looks back at Alexis.

" I'll just go change first."

As she turns to walk off she hears Alexis chuckling, so she looks back.

" Kate I'm sure I have seen you in my father's clothes before, I don't care. You're decent so I don't see the problem. Just start cooking already."

" Yes Ma'am."

This gets another chuckle from Alexis, she heads back into the kitchen and starts getting everything ready for bacon and pancakes.

Fifteen minutes later she is glad she didn't change as she is now covered in flour, so is Alexis and so is the kitchen floor. A small accidental brush of flour on Alexis' sleeve by her ended up in a full-blown flour fight between them. Alexis seems to have won as she is now sporting the most amount of flour, on her clothes ,on her face and in her hair. As she starts to brush the flour of her face and hair, Alexis gasps. Kate wonders what's wrong until she notices that Alexis is staring at her with a look of horror. This is when she understands that brushing her hair out-of-the-way ,has revealed the rather ugly-looking bruise on her forehead. She places a hand on Alexis shoulder out of comfort and starts to explain.

"Umm yes probably should have mentioned that."

" You don't say."

She doesn't miss the hint of sarcasm in that sentence.

"We didn't want to disturb you at college so we didn't tell you that I had a slight accident at work two days ago."

She waits for an angry response but none come so she continues.

" I got pistol whipped while chasing a suspect and then he may have pushed me into the sea at the dock. Your father pulled me out as I went under. However I am fine apart from a lovely bruise and slight headache. Your father is also fine and revelling in the fact he got to play a hero."

She didn't want to tell Alexis the complete truth about how the day haunted her and Castle still, she didn't need to know that as long as they okay. Alexis' eyes were brimming with tears as she answered back.

" I can't believe you & dad didn't tell me Kate. I should feel hurt but I'm more glad that both of you are okay."

" I'm sorry I truly am. We will tell you straight away next time not that there going to be a next time."

She felt like a bitch now, they should have told her right away, they weren't thinking straight. She cups her hand round the back of Alexis head and pulls her in for a hug. As Alexis body hits into her's a cloud of flour dust comes up which she breathes in unwillingly. This combined with her water excursion from a few days before is not a good mix, a cough fit ensues. Alexis lets her go and grabs a glass of water for her. She gracefully takes it, taking sips between coughs.

" Kate, you okay?"

The coughing seems to have been the thing to finally wake up Castle. He comes running into the kitchen only dressed in his boxers. He doesn't seem to notice he daughter standing to the side of Kate as begins to rub circles on her back. The coughing has subsided gradually, much to Kate's relief.

" Castle I'm fine don't worry I just breathed in a bit of flour, I'm fine now."

" I panicked I woke up you weren't there, then I heard a horrible noise so I just got up and ran."

He sweeps her into a kiss, letting her know how much she scared him which she of course returns.

"Uhhh ummm excuse me!"

It is only now that he spots that his daughter is here too.

" Sweetheart how are you?"

He pulls her in for a hug which she doesn't really appreciate due to the fact that he only has boxers on. She wriggles out of his hold, he looks crushed.

" Dad I love you but can you put some more clothes on please?"

Kate is now having a giggling fit, as his face goes the colour of a beetroot.

" Sure I can do that, I'll be right back."

As he leaves Alexis asks about the lovely purplish black eye he is sporting. He just chucks a comment back as he goes into the bedroom.

" Kate can explain that to you."

It is her time to go bright red as she explains to her boyfriend's daughter why he has a black eye. Alexis has a laughing fit, she is laughing that hard by the end of the edited explanation of the fact that Kate punched her dad in the face in her sleep, she has tears in her eyes. She manages to tell Kate to go clean up while she finishes brunch between her laughs. She doesn't need telling twice so she goes to grab a shower and to save water she grabs Castle and takes him with her.

A/N: There we go did you like it, well drop me a review :P. Next Chapter the boys come over and Javi & Kate have a talk.