Thank you everyone who has reviewed and alerted this story, I hope that it continues to amuse you.
Enjoy!
When Castle remembers how to make a coherent response his words are not quite what everyone watching expected.
"As fantastic as that sounds, what is it that you are trying to get me to do?"
"Dance with me."
"Now?"
"No Castle, at the competition, hopefully on all three evenings because I'd really like to win."
"Ok."
"Ok, no smart comment or conditions?"
"They come later, now you need to give me all the details of what I just got myself into."
"A competition, that we need to win."
"And why do we need to win?"
"I want to beat Lanie."
"Right then, what type of dancing is it?"
"You've seen that TV show right?"
"That type? Seriously?"
"We choose the dance with the help of a professional, Latin or ballroom is also up to us but it's obvious what one we'll do."
"Ballroom, which specific, can we do one where I can lift you, please?"
"There's more, they want to make a documentary of us training for it, from when we meet the professional to when we finish our last dance. I said that I'd talk to you about it."
At this point Alexis walks in and everyone goes back to what they were doing, Kate and Castle are yet to notice any of this until the girl clears her throat and speaks.
"Hey, it's my lunch and I really needed to talk to you, is now a good time?"
They both turn to look at her, somewhat startled by her presence; she decides to press on, hoping her words would jolt some kind of reaction.
"It's about a boy and well Grams isn't really the best person to talk too about this and I'd die if I had to have this conversation with dad, so can I get a response?"
Having caught up with the situation, Kate responds immediately and in full knowledge that Castle is still a moment behind her.
"Sure, break room's free" They begin to walk to the room in question, Castle still standing frozen in place "Do you want a drink?"
"No thanks, Will he be ok? Did you break him?"
"He'll be fine, and no I didn't break him. Not on purpose anyway. I've been looking forward to talking about this with you, I've been asked to participate in a dance competition, it's the Annual Services Dance Off."
"I've heard of that, it's a one night event isn't it?"
"Seeing as this precinct got chosen for it this year they decided to vamp up the media, especially when I agreed. I guess that they assumed I'd ask your dad."
"And you did didn't you?"
"Yup, and he agreed, not that he fully knows what he's agreed to. Its three nights this year, so if we make it through each stage it's three dances. And we're up against Lanie and Esposito."
"They'll do a Latin dance won't they? And you two'll do ballroom."
"Yeah, that's what I've been thinking; I wanted your opinion on the dance, as well as the outfit. Maybe you could come to our meeting with the professional, if your dad agrees."
"He'll agree, he can't deny us. I think you should do the tango, or the rumba, or the pasidobly."
"Those are pretty intense dances."
"Yeah, well you two are a pretty intense pair."
"I suppose I can see your logic and we could do those well, now you mentioned boy trouble, do I have to protect someone from your dad?"
"There's this guy, and he is amazing. He's becoming my best friend, but I don't let dad know that, he'd freak, and he'll do the small things for me just because he can. Like every Monday he brings me a milkshake at break because he knows I like them. I really like him but what if he just sees me as a friend?"
"What do your friends think? Do they think he likes you as more?"
"Yeah, and they all make it rather obvious but still, I don't want to ruin the friendship."
"To be totally honest with you, I've been in that situation and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Just ask yourself one question. If he wasn't here tomorrow would you regret not asking?"
"I'll think about it, I'm glad you want me to be involved in this dance thing, I'm glad I could talk to you about this too. Thanks."
"Alexis, you can talk to me anytime. I will always have time for you, your dad maybe not, you always."
"Thanks detective, it means a lot."
"It's Kate; you are my friend you get to call me Kate."
"Thanks Kate, I best get going now, or I'll be late."
"Do you want a lift? It'd be no problem."
"Nah it's ok, I like the subway and I'll probably meet someone half way."
The two stand and after a brief hug they head for the door but before they can reach it, a man bursts in. The door is thrown from its hinges as the man pulls out a knife and goes towards them. Shouts are everywhere as the commotion happens but within the room time seems to slow.
The man lunges for Alexis and from Castle's limited view he can see his arm arc downwards and the scream that echoes out tells him that someone's been hurt. His daughter's screams make him move and within moments he can see the room clearly, Alexis sits weeping on the floor in a panic as Kate lies face down, her back turning red with blood.
Anger sweeps through Castle at the sight, his hands curl into fists and with a swing so fast that the trained cops watching could barely register it, the man is hurtled backwards into a wall, his nose broken and his face cut. He does not move to get up, screaming his pain from where he has landed.
Not even registering the sounds, Rick bends down beside his friend and takes her hand as she begins to move. Ryan drags Alexis out as soon as Castle knows she's ok, half supporting, half carrying her into Montgomery's office. As between sobs she begins to tell them the events, Ryan sits beside her, rubbing her back to comfort her.
"We were just leaving when he burst in, it was so fast. One minute the knife was about to get me the next Kate was there and it sliced down her back. I just kept screaming, she wasn't moving at first and blood was coming and then he was still there, he was smiling and I could tell he was going to try again. But then I saw dad and he sent the guy flying. I've never seen him so angry, ever."
Ryan speaks softly to her, much like Rick does when she's upset. At this moment Alexis knows just how loved she is.
"Alexis, of course he was angry, someone came at you with a knife. He loves you so much."
"He saw Kate first. There was relief and then the anger. We were talking about the competition and then about a guy and we were joking and happy and planning on teaming up against dad and now. Will she be ok?"
Esposito stands at the doorway, his face tainted with worry but in his eyes there is relief.
"She'll be fine. Lanie's patching her up, Castle's helping. She refuses to go to hospital, luckily with Lanie's expertise she doesn't need to. The messed up dude by the dent in the wall will. I'm not letting her look over him."
His partner looks at him smiling at his protectiveness and looks back at Alexis expecting to see her happy along with them. She isn't though, she's staring off into space as she considers some earlier advice.
She snaps back into reality and speaks, surprising everyone at her words.
"Do you think that maybe now they'll get together?"
"I hope so."
It's Roy that spoke, all heads spin towards him as they register this, Alexis now lets out a laugh but the old cop can see guilt lingering in her eyes. He turns to Ryan and the expression on his face tells him that he sees it too.
/
Meanwhile in the Break room, Kate in true stubborn form has stood and instead of arguing with her Castle has helped her and made her sit where only moments before his own daughter had sat. Lanie is coming, they have been told and although they should be doing some damage control about her back they just sit there until she speaks.
"You should be with Alexis, she'll need you."
"Right now she has her uncle's all trying to be the one to make her smile; you need me more right now. And she'd kill me for leaving you. After accepting a hug of course."
"They the amazing cure all hugs?"
"Yip, and I would give you one but I don't think that's a good idea, considering all the blood and the gash on your back. The one you took for Alexis."
Kate can see the pain in his eyes and decides to address it straight away.
"As I told her just before the interruption, she's my friend. I will do stuff like this for my friends oh and the boy thing, you have no reason to worry. She's a sensible kid, how did you manage that?"
"I have no idea, I'm glad she has you though, really. So did you mention the dancing thing?"
"Yeah, she suggests the Rumba, Tango or Passidolbe. Maybe all three, if we make the final that is."
"Well we want to make the final, we do after all have to beat our friends, will you still manage?"
She winces as she tries to self assess the damage, the feel of her blood soaked shirt upon her now sticky skin is not pleasant and when Lanie enters the room, a friend positions the door so that you can't see in. As soon as Kate knows this, she orders Castle to take her shirt off.
He does so with no comment and gentle actions. Now is not the time for his jokes, they come in a minute. Lanie breathes a sigh of relief at the wound, her words causing similar reactions in the other two.
"No need for hospital, I can easily sort this for you. You do need some stitches but I don't have any aesthetic. Will you survive with painkillers and someone's hand to break?"
"Yeah, I'll survive with that, even better I won't break the whole hand, just some fingers."
The girls share a laugh at castle's face but they know that he won't complain, not until she's better and even then he won't really mean it. Settling into position, behind Kate Lanie nods to Castle who makes one of his comments just to receive a laugh.
"You know, if you wanted me to see you half naked, all you had to do was say. This seems just a little extreme."
Her laugh is slight but happy until she registers the needle in her back. Then Alexis can hear her dad's reaction.
I have no idea how to spell the name of that dance, I'm sure you can figure out which one I meant. (The one with the cape!)
I didn't really hurt Kate that much; just enough to push some things into place for the later in the story. I won't physically hurt her any more. She's such a fantastic character and one of my favourite to write, besides Castle.
Please review,
Oh and I still haven't managed to miraculously come to own Castle.