The day after RJ was exactly a month old, Beckett could tell that Alexis was reaching her limit of being able to keep it from her father so she invited herself over to Lanie and Dave's for the same evening Alexis had planned a baking night, her first night away from her little boy.

'Don't worry, my treasure, Mommy isn't leaving forever, just a few hours,' she said, feeling a tad guilty. She looked up at Castle; he'd come into the nursery as she finished changing RJ. 'Maybe he could come with me?'

'Relax. Going out to see your friends doesn't make you a bad mother. Besides, think when you come home, the house will be full of cookies.'

'Maybe I can wait until she has a batch done, take them to Lanie and Dave. I know Carey really likes-'

'Katherine.' Castle used a stern voice as he took RJ out of his mother's loving arms and into his own. 'Go. Besides, I'd like a night just me and Lex before she leaves in a week.'

'I think she would too.'

Gathering up her things, Beckett went downstairs where she saw Alexis in an apron and bowls and plates littering the counter-space. 'Lex,' was all she said and the young woman jumped five feet into the air. 'A little nervous, are we?'

'I'm telling him tonight. It's part of the reason I stayed in, so I can put him into a sugar coma if necessary.'

'Alexis, it will be fine, just have some faith.'

'You're right. You're right,' she repeated, 'there's no reason to think that my father will disown me or lose his mind and turn Shane into a throw-rug.'

'Relax.' Beckett patted her head, since Alexis hands were full of cookie-dough. 'I'm off. Have fun, I'm sure it will go well.'

Alexis watched her leave, and felt her heart give a hard thump in time with the door clicking shut. She had to do it, there was no other way around it. She didn't want to lie to her dad anymore, plus she wanted Shane to be able to come to the airport and see her off without it being weird. Sighing she tried to focus on her cookie-making - the first batch was macadamia and butterscotch chip - and rehearse what she was going to say.

She'd just put the first trays into the oven when she heard him coming downstairs talking to the baby and she wanted to throw up. How was she going to get through this?

'Hey, RJ, check it out, Lex is making treats, you think maybe some of those are for us?'

Castle noticed how Alexis didn't chime in a quippy response, just fluttered back and forth between her recipe book and her ingredients, and set RJ in his baby swing by the island. With a cautious eye, he wandered into the kitchen to see what his girl was up to and what would possibly have her wound so tightly.

'No plans tonight?'

'No, I wanted the night in to talk to you.'

'Is it about Shane?' he asked softly.

The egg in Alexis' hand crumpled, her head whipped up with panic coating her face. 'What?'

'Shane, you're ready to tell me about your relationship with him?'

'How did you even...what are you...what?'

Castle kept his expression soft and warm. 'I recognized his hand-writing on that Christmas present he gave you. I've studied his autopsy reports and I'd know that penmanship anywhere.'

'Dad, I...I'm so sorry for keeping it from you, but I needed to figure it out for myself without you judging him or me, I mean he's older than I am and I'm going back to England for four months in a week. She was on a roll now and all the carefully composed reasons, justifications and even a few excuses flew right out of her head as her mouth ran away from her. 'I didn't anticipate it happening, but it did and I'm so happy with him, I am, I feel like I don't have to build myself up around him, it just comes so easily, and he's so sweet and considerate and patient, and...oh, Dad, I think he's great, and I really want to make it work with him.'

Castle said nothing, just studied her face and felt his heart break a little bit. 'And you thought I would judge you because you're with someone who makes you this happy?'

'Dad, I know you. What would your reaction have been if I'd told you I was seeing someone fifteen years older than me from square one?'

'If it were anyone else, I'd have hung them from a telephone wire by their big toes, but I know Shane, he's a very faithful and steady guy and hasn't said a word to anyone about you which means you must be pretty special to him, too.' He rounded the island, turned on the tap for Alexis to wash the ruined egg off her hands. 'There's always going to be part of me that worries about who you date. That's part of being a parent. But I also know that you're almost grown up, and that you can't always help who you fall for.'

'Dad-'

'It is difficult for me to accept that you're involved with someone so much older than you, but my desire for your happiness outweighs my anxiety. Oh, sweetie, come here.' He saw she'd begun to weep a few slow tears as she'd washed her hands, so Castle passed her the towel, then pulled her in for a tight hug. 'It's scary business, isn't it, when you find someone who makes you feel like that?'

'Big time.' Alexis pulled back, swiped at her eyes. 'Wait, if you knew this at Christmas, why did you invite him here for New Years?'

'Why do you think?'

She pursed her lips, gave a little laugh. 'You wanted to put the eye on him without feeling weird. Does Mom know that you know?'

'Sort of. I told her I had some ideas but left it at that, but it's water under the bridge now that we know.'

'You're not going to tell everyone yet, are you?'

Castle shook his head. 'It's your call to make with Shane, Alexis.' But there was one thing even a very open-minded father like himself couldn't ignore. 'Lex, you feel safe with Shane?'

'Yes.' Alexis understood this was as close to a sex-talk as her father could get without feeling embarrassed or nosy. 'Any time I'm with him, I feel safe.'

'And you're going to make him a batch of cookies too? What are his favourites?'

'I...don't know, actually.'

'Rule one of dating. Always know a man's food weaknesses.' Castle heard RJ begin to fuss for a snack and grinned. 'In your brother's case, it's mother's milk.'

When Beckett returned that night from her visit with Lanie, she walked in to the scent of cookies and the sight of Castle sitting on the couch watching TV with a glass of wine; the baby monitor was propped against the decanter of red.

'Hey, how was your night?' she asked.

'Interesting. Had a talk with Alexis about the mystery man...or should I say Doctor Weaver?'

Beckett gulped. 'She told me in confidence, Richard, I couldn't break that.'

'I know. And no I didn't go Daddy-Dearest on her either, just said she shouldn't be scared to tell me how she feels.'

'Aw, there's my softie. Is she still here?'

'No. Shane texted her after he was off shift and she met him for a drink. We are alone. What did you have in mind?'

Beckett shut off the TV by remote and crawled into his lap, hovered her mouth a whisper above his. 'This.'

R&R&Enjoy