This chappie is for castlefan83 who figured out from square one who the mystery man is. Enjoy!

'Who's Mommy's little prince? You are, yes you are, my handsome man.'

'Blb.'

'I know, Daddy's going to be back soon. He had to go and get party supplies for New Year's Eve, didn't he?'

Beckett smiled as she changed RJ's diaper - she was really getting the hang of those things now - and talked to her little guy. It felt like just yesterday he'd come from her body and here he was almost a month old. 'He's a silly daddy, I know, leaving shopping so late,' she continued, then glanced up when Alexis knocked on the door.

'Mom?'

'Hey, Lex, you all set for the big party tonight?'

'That's kind of...remember I said I'd come to you when I was ready to talk about the mystery guy?'

'Let me get Mister Wiggly down for his nap and I'll be right down.'

Alexis nodded and left, and Beckett didn't know whether to be relieved or scared she was finally opening up. 'Looks like we get to peel a layer on your big sis, don't we?'

RJ blinked, then sneezed before offering his mommy a gummy little grin and Beckett's heart turned into a puddle; she scooped him up and tucked him in for his nap, then went down to the kitchen to find Alexis sitting at the table with a pot of tea and two cups, one full for herself.

'I made tea,' she said in a hesitant voice, nudging the pot at Beckett as she sat down. 'The Brits have it right, it does help.'

'My mother's family was German so we were all about coffee with molasses cake at my omi's.' Beckett stirred in sugar and lemon, sipped and folded her hands on the tabletop. 'So what's on your mind.'

'First, this has to stay between us. I know my dad and he'll get just about every male friend of his to come down on this guy and I really don't want that when everything is so new between us.'

'Understood. Who are we talking about?'

Alexis closed her eyes, praying they wouldn't fill up as her face burned. 'Shane Weaver.'

'Shane Weaver, the ME?' Beckett blurted out, tried for patience. 'He's a little...old for you isn't he?'

'Fifteen years, but it's not like I'm in high school and he's going after jailbait.'

'How did this come about?'

'Ryan gave me his contact information for talking to him about medical school because he went to Princeton himself. We met up and we started talking over coffee, and that led to dinner, which led to a couple of dates and...' Alexis trailed off, stared into her tea. 'I didn't expect it to happen, but we just clicked, you know?'

Beckett thought of Castle, how when he'd come on board with her, they'd clicked too and it felt like they'd been sparring for years instead of weeks the first time they went on a date, even if it was undercover to catch a pair of home-invasion killers. 'I understand.'

'Anyways, we decided to keep it quiet and keep it casual because he works with you guys and Lanie and if my father knew we were involved in any way, he'd skin Shane alive, and I'm going back to England still for another year before I start at Princeton, so we weren't sure if we wanted to try long distance. It's new and exciting and I should be able to tell everyone how happy I am instead of being so paranoid someone might find out.'

'Well, he certainly lights you up.' Beckett paused. 'Have you guys...' She left the phrase open-ended, knowing Alexis would understand what she meant and felt only a little surprise when she nodded. 'Really?'

'Yeah, and he's so patient and sweet, and not a jerk pressuring me into things I don't want to do when I'm with him. It just feels so beautiful and natural, and we're safe, both of us,' Alexis tacked, anticipating the question. 'More than anything, I know he's coming here at Dad's invite for New Years and I really want to kiss him at midnight, I mean, he's my person you know?'

'And you don't want your father getting wise to you when you're still trying to figure it all out,' Beckett concluded. 'Not to mention the two-headed monster.'

'Try like five-heads. Between Ryan, Espo, Dave, Gil and Cam, it makes it virtually impossible.'

'Leave it to me.'

'Really?'

'They didn't make me a detective because I look good brandishing a weapon.'

It had taken a little cajoling, mind-bending and story-weaving but Beckett was certain she'd engineered this so that Castle would be none the wiser; he didn't even think there was anything serious since Alexis hadn't bothered to invite her mystery man.

Cause you did that for her, she thought with an amused little grin as party guests arrived and when Shane walked through the door, Beckett could feel her husband tense up beside her and she elbowed him.

'Castle, remember what we talked about?'

'I know, I know, Shane and Alexis are the only ones without dates at the party tonight, so if he kisses her at midnight it's not the end of the world.'

'Exactly.'

'I still don't understand why Alexis didn't invite her mystery guy?'

Beckett rolled her eyes, bit the inside of her mouth to keep from grinning and giving it away. 'She already told me he'd made plans and besides, they're keeping it casual, remember? Would you take a casual date to an important family thing like this?'

'No, I suppose not.'

'There you go. Shane hi!' she greeted the handsome ME. For a moment, Beckett let herself look at him and could definitely understand the appeal of Shane Weaver - square jaw, broad shoulders and the deepest, darkest blue eyes she'd seen on a man, so dark they looked black. She went over and greeted him warmly, helped him with his coat. 'Can I get you a drink?'

'Sure, what have you got?'

'Right this way.'

They went into the kitchen where the bar was set up and because the others were wrapped up in their own conversation, Beckett didn't hesitate to speak her mind. 'Alexis told me about you two,' she murmured as she poured him a scotch and soda, 'and I'm the only one who knows, but I've sweet-talked my husband so that if you want to kiss her at midnight, he'll be fine with it.'

'Okay,' was all Shane could manage. 'Kate, you have to know, I..it's not a fling. I haven't felt this way about a woman in a long time.'

'I know. I won't say anything.'

They rejoined the party and Beckett watched with fascination as Alexis walked in from check on RJ, Violet and Mallory in the nursery a happy little light flashed in Shane's eyes that was there and gone in a heartbeat. He offered her a friendly smile and Beckett gave them both props for being able to carry on their conversations and make it look as though they were just being friendly with each other because of the holidays. And yet there was the little things a person not in the know, like Castle, would easily mistake as good manners, such as when Shane offered to refill her drink or their feisty trash talk when they'd decided to play Scene It Shout. Then again, they were a room full of cops and investigators; it was quite possible they picked up on the vibe as well.

By the time the midnight countdown rolled around, Beckett saw Shane sidled closer to Alexis while they all stood around watching the ball drop in Times Square and understood the heartbreak as only a mother could when she saw them lean close together and gently touch lips for all of two seconds.

R&R&Enjoy.