'Eight days left.'

'Don't remind me, Dad, it's hard enough leaving you guys and Shane next week.'

'But you'll be back at the end of November again this time, right?'

Alexis nodded as she sipped her shake while she and her dad walked through Central Park by Bethesda Terrace, heading towards Strawberry Fields. It was one of her favourite things to do with him when they wanted quality father-daughter time, thought she suspected Castle just wanted a break from the house.

It's a short intensive course, only three months so I'm done at the beginning of November, but I need the time to get my stuff packed and sold and shipped.'

'I understand.'

'Shane's coming over for dinner tonight, by the way, and then we're spending tonight at his place.'

'Any plans in between there?'

'Shooting pool, then beer and wings with his friends Jeremy and Beatrice. They're really nice, not like Diana. I heard about that one, when you went shopping for Mom's birthday present,' she told him, as they stopped by the balcony overlooking the famous Bethesda fountain. As Meredeth and Esposito had been married there almost four years before, it seemed as appropriate a place as any to talk about relationships. 'I'm going to miss him so much.'

'You really love him don't you?'

'I do. It doesn't feel like work with him, you know? I know you have to work on a relationship, and I get that. You have think how things will affect them and talk to them about the big decisions, and show them you care, but those things with Shane don't feel like work.'

'That's how you know you're in a good relationship,' Castle told her. 'It's how I knew it would work with Kate and not with Evil Meredith.'

'How do you mean?'

He tried to chose his words carefully; after all the deep-fried Twinkkie was Alexis bio-mom and deserved a little respect in that aspect. 'She would only give me partial information about things and essentially expected me to be a mind-reader, then threw a hissy fit when things didn't go smoothly.'

'And with Mom?'

'She never has any problem letting me know how she feels and when she tries to keep it to herself, because she'd been so used to it, I just bug her and poke at her until she spills her guts.'

'Shane does that to me too. It's irritating at times but in the end I feel better when I talk to him.'

'As you should. That him?' Castle asked when Alexis' cell began to sing. 'Is that Homer Simpson singing the Flintstones theme.'

'Sort of. Hi,' she said brightly when she answered the phone. 'Oh, okay, that sounds great. Yeah, I am. Hang-on, I'll ask. Dad, you, Mom and RJ want to go to Mere and Esposito's tonight for dinner?'

'I'll call.' Castle whipped out his cellphone, dialed his wife at home. 'Hi, it's me. How's our little prince doing?'

'He's finally stopped crying, about ten minutes after you guys left and has been munching away on his strawberries, he's even smiling a little now.'

'That's great. You up for barbecue in Chelsea tonight?'

'Yes. Anything to get RJ and myself out of the house.'

'Okay, see you soon. Love you.'

'Love you too.'

He hung up, nodded at Alexis, who relayed the message to Shane. 'You going to meet us there? Okay, after work.' She dropped her voice to a murmur. 'Love you too.'

When she ended the call, she picked up her take-away cup, sucked her 5-Alive shake up through the straw while carefully avoiding her father's big goofy grin. 'Dad,' was all she said, and Castle shook his head.

'I didn't say a word.'

All four of the Castles arrived in Chelsea just after six-thirty, and they weren't surprised to find Esposito already home. Beckett had learned that the captain was going as easy as he could on Esposito in the last couple of weeks given how hectic things had been in June and July; he knew as a father himself the strain the job could put on a relationship and tried to cut his officers slack wherever he could.

'Hey, come on in,' he said, nudging Arturo out of the way. 'Artie, off you go.'

'Ah-tie, be-have!' Tessi added from the living room where she was colouring. 'You lissen Daddy.'

Arturo was apparently getting used to orders from the tiny one, as he trotted off while Beckett, Castle and Alexis stepped in. Esposito helped them with RJ, holding him close even when he got a little fussy. 'I remember this stage with Tessi, she was not a happy little thing at all,' he said. 'Can I get you something to drink? Mere's outside babysitting the barbecue.'

'You're making her cook?' Castle started in mock incredulity, then glanced up as Shane came downstairs freshly showered and in his civilian clothes.

'Mere's been on bedrest for most of the day, doctor's orders, so she's soaking up the fresh air. Hi,' he added, greeting Alexis with quick kiss.

'Hi yourself. You been here long?'

'Long enough to promise Tessi I'd help her with her artwork after I got out of the shower.'

'Well, let's not disappoint her. Here, Mom.'

To Beckett's surprise and slight relief, Alexis plucked the calmed RJ from his mother's arms and into her own. 'You go have a drink with Dad, God knows you've earned a few this week.'

'Thank you, Lex.'

'Less.'

'I'm sorry, what was that?' Castle asked, not sure if he'd heard correctly. 'RJ, what was that?'

'Less,' the little boy repeated. 'Less?'

'Oh my god.' Alexis' eyes filled up. 'RJ, are you saying my name? Are you trying to say Alexis?'

'Less.'

Beckett's laugh ended on a little sob. 'RJ, can you say Mommy?'

'Mumum.'

'What about Daddy?' Castle asked, noting that Esposito had slipped over to the living room where Tessi watched with curious blue eyes.

'Daddy.'

'Oh, my little guy!' Beckett took RJ back out of his sister's arms and held her close. 'Oh you've had a busy time of it, haven't you? Growing those teeth and getting ready to say your first words.'

'Mumum.' RJ pointed to his teeth. 'Mumum?'

'Would you like your berries?'

'Bahs.'

'Okay, we'll go get your berries.'

Castle watched them go, then heard the sniffled beside him. Turning he saw Alexis was weeping happy little tears as Shane wrapped his arm around her waist. 'Aw, Lex, it's okay,' he murmured to her, led her over to the couch to sit beside Esposito and Tessi; Castle followed them over and sank into an armchair. The sight of her admired fairy-princess lady in tears had Tessi concerned.

'Alessis, what happen? Why tears?'

'RJ said his first word and it was my name,' she explained.

'That nice of him.'

Castle laughed at Tessi's sweetness. 'It was, wasn't it?'

'What my firs' word, Daddy?'

'Your first word was book, Tessi-boo,' Esposito told her. 'And before you ask, Dell's was 'handsome'.'

'That dute.' Tessi looked back at her papers and crayons, then shoved a blank sheet towards Shane. 'You pomis.'

'I did promise, and I keep my word. Maybe we can spread out the crayons?'

'O-day, but we hafa tidy up when finch.'

Shane nodded, and as Alexis joined them in their doodling, Castle watched them, and for a moment found himself thinking about what it would be like to watch them together with their own baby.

R&R&Enjoy.