Ok so as aimed for here is the next chapter, within a week of the last one I might add. I doubt the next one will be so quick but I'll try not to make you wait too long.
A big thanks goes to Ayeshajen for betaing this.
Enjoy!
Fear begins to grip Kate as she walks through the corridor; she hides it from the world as she reaches to pull open the door. She doesn't want to, she wants to reverse time and run away from this before it is too late. She fakes a smile and enters the room, apprehension trying to eat her alive.
"Ah, Detective, Perfect timing, I just finished planning today's session."
"Really, well Castle will be here in a minute, he and Alexis were out for lunch."
"Oh, she is such a lovely girl. Now it'll just be the basics today, have you any health concerns?"
"Yeah, I got slashed earlier in the week, nothing too serious but there are some stitches to avoid pulling."
"Could I maybe see? I've heard that cops often underplay nearly every injury."
"Sure, but not with the camera on."
After shocking Elizabeth with the extent of the injury, the two women wait for Castle and Alexis, who when she appears is happily dragging along a man, Jim Beckett to be exact.
Kate's jaw drops as she sees her dad and the usually reserved woman almost runs into her fathers arms. Ignoring the smiling duo beside them, Jim pulls back to get a proper look at his daughter and to explain his presence. "I bumped into this lovely young lady while buying coffee and upon realising who I was she invited me here. Is that ok Katie?"
"Of course it is dad."
Alexis takes the time to speak up. "As much fun as it will be watching you two, I thought it would be nice to have someone for me to talk to and I wanted to make dad squirm." Kate laughs and embraces the girl, each of their fathers watching with soft eyes. Across the female's heads their eyes meet and in that second whole conversations are had.
Pulling back the group turn to Elizabeth to begin their lesson. It starts smoothly, the friendship between the pair dispersing any awkwardness until it was time to hold one another.
"Right the hold is really important so let's start on that straight away. If you could step close together and face one another. That's it."
The two do as asked, Kate biting her lip as she steps closer to the attractive man. Castle hides his own reaction to her proximity. The moment is awkward as both are unsure of themselves. Elizabeth moves them together positioning them correctly. She moves them so that Castles arm is around Kate's waist and the pairs hands are joined, the trainer steps back and surveys the pose.
"The actual pose is different but with your back as it is this is best for now, just one little adjustment and it'll be perfect."
Unmoving and unwilling to break the staring contest he is having with Kate, Castle asks what the adjustment is; the answer both pleases and displeases him.
"Ah, I thought you might be the one to ask that, it's actually you that does the adjustment. It's part of a move in the routine. Rick you have to pull her in close. Kate you have to respond as if you're flattered and surprised and don't fight him. Not yet."
Still staring into one another's eyes, Kate is lost in his blues ones and is genuinely surprised when Castle pulls her close. She gasps in response and at the reaction he smiles. Her heart melts at the sight. She had expected some warning but his movement was sudden and she reacted naturally to it, as a woman not as a cop.
Now their bodies were pressed together the atmosphere in the room heated up and the two watchers exchange looks, mischief and plotting alight in both sets of eyes. Taking the girls phone, he snaps a picture of the two and when Alexis receives her phone back she is surprised to see a new contact entered in it.
Grandpa Jim.
Tears are almost in her eyes as Alexis hugs the man, the gesture means a lot to her and as he whispers to her, it takes all her resolve not to cry. "You are family to Katie and so you're family to me."
Pulling back he wipes some of her tears away and speaks the words that he knows will make her smile. "Now what do you say to some matchmaking seeing as they definitely need a push." Alexis smiled at him and nods agreement, then the duo turn back to watching the lesson unfold.
The hour passes quickly and by the end the pair, while still not completely comfortable in one another's arms, they are not nearly so awkward. Elizabeth leaves them with the basic steps to practice along with some rather odd advice. "So, I want to see that you've been practising as I can still see some discomfort in the hold. I would recommend working to overcome that. Simple things like hugs and maybe while watching movies just curling up together. You want to be as familiar and comfortable with the contact as possible."
Alexis and Jim share a look, this is a perfect chance for them to take advantage of in their plotting. Alexis jumps to reply to the woman before either adult reacts, smiling sweetly and projecting her most innocent look.
"Oh don't worry, I'll make sure they practice and we're having a movie night later so it's perfect.
Elizabeth smiles and nods, completely understanding the girls intentions, the vibes coming from the pair are hard to ignore and chemistry like that is truly rare. Hiding her laugh at the not so subtle antics of the teen and older man, she bids them goodbye.
Castle turns to Alexis confusion evident on his face. "We are?"
"Yeah, we've got to, so we'll go get supplies and then its Indiana Jones marathon time."
Castle groans. "Really? Do you not remember the last time I so much as referred to it? There is the curse thing too."
"But dad, it's already been decided and besides three against one, we win."
"We?"
"Yeah, Kate'll side with us even if it's just so she can tease you and we decided while you were butchering those dance moves."
Castle goes to speak again but Kate interrupts him, she sees the joy in her father's eyes at getting to spend time with Alexis and besides she likes those movies.
"Yeah Castle she's right, I side with them but for the record I didn't butcher any moves. If that happened then it was his fault."
She walks off one arm wrapped around her dad and the other around Alexis, it takes him a moment but eventually Castle joins them, snapping a picture as he does so. The simple action so similar to Alexis' earlier gives Kate an idea.
Oh and I don't own Castle, or dancing. Actually for the record I can't dance.