"Oh my God …" Exclaimed Castle. McHale responded with a quick quip.
"I know right? This scotch is amazing." Matt held his now full glass to the light, peering into the liquid, examining the color and clarity of the booze like a diamond. Alexis sat stunned and slack jawed. Her eyes swept back and forth from her father, to McHale and back again; baffled by the lack of enthusiasm displayed by the two of them. Ryan and Esposito exchanged wide eyed half smiles and clanked the necks of their bottles together. Alexis could no longer bare the awkward silence that suspended the room.
"McHale, Matt, that's not what he was referring to." The earnestness in her voice garnered a sarcastic tilt of the head and furrowing of Matt's brow. He turned his attention to Castle, refilling his dad's glass.
"Ok, while I'm not one hundred percent sure I am in fact your child, are you sure she is?" McHale chuckled as he pointed the index finger of his hand that held his glass at Alexis. Castle responded in his more familiar, confident and comical tone.
"Castle humor runs in the Y gene." McHale shrugged his shoulders, turning the corners of his mouth down, displaying the most loving frown, making a sort of affirming grunt, followed by a large smile. The two men drew the rims of their glasses together, and with a small ting ascended them to their lips once again. Ryan interjected.
"Hey, why the hell do you guys get to drink thousand dollar glasses of scotch, and all we get is a couple of beers? We're the ones who stayed up all night for this." McHale capped the bottle and handed it to his companion.
"Finish it off." At that moment, Lanie came running into the squad room, straight to the conference room, barging through the door.
"Castle, there's something I need to talk to you about, got a second?" Leaning back in his chair and looking over his shoulder at her, Castle shot back.
"Let me guess. It has something to do with the fact that his DNA is a partial match to mine?" Lanie slightly deflated.
"Well, yeah." Castle rocked his chair toward his son.
"Now you can be one hundred percent sure." McHale dawned another wide smile
"Thanks doctor Parish." Tilting his glass toward her and then blasting the remaining scotch down his throat, McHale stood up, collecting his backpack off the floor and throwing it over his shoulder. "Here have my seat, I've got to go." Castle immediately objected.
"What?! You can't leave, you just dropped this atomic bomb of … feels."
"Relax dad." McHale paused a moment. "Wow, that's weird… and awesome. I've got another big day tomorrow. Asshole is getting arraigned, so I've gotta get some sleep." Matt placed his hand atop the blue leather journal, sliding it in front of Castle. "You should read this." McHale removed his right hand from the leather and extended it out to Castle. As Rick plunged his hand into Matt's with a firm grip, Matt placed his left hand on his father's shoulder. Alexis stood up, and as McHale broke contact with Rick, she moved to block his exit. For a moment they stood in silence, her ocean blue eyes looking him, up and down; until she lunged at him. Sliding her hands under his arms and around his back, she hugged her half-brother. McHale stood slightly stunned, with his arms by his side, before returning her favor and wrapping his arms around her shoulders; hugging her back. "Goodnight Alexis." And with that he disappeared into the shadows between the desk lamps.