Hi, Just to say that I'm away for the next week so there won't be another chapter unless I manage to edit the next one tonight before I leave in the morning. I'm sure to go insane without any contact with the outside world for days straight. Ah the joys of hiking!

I don't own Castle otherwise there wouldn't be season gaps and it'd just run continuously

Enjoy!

It is a slow day at the precinct, Ryan and Esposito are slowly going insane with boredom and are beginning to clock watch for their visitors. Around them everyone can sense their mood and are also waiting, it has gotten to the stage that every time the elevator arrives everyone looks towards it.

Just as people were beginning to disperse for lunch the elevator opens to reveal Beckett, Castle and Alexis. No one makes a sound as the respected detective uses her crutches to approach her desk. She looks completely different in her non-work clothes, a summer dress with flat shoes, the bandage barely visible, Beside her Alexis holds her bag and Castle walks happily but obviously watching her movements carefully.

The boys look so excited to see her as she sits down upon her desk, Castle mirroring her action beside her while Alexis hugs the men in greeting. The pair pretend not to notice when Castle slips his arm around Beckett's waist, just like they don't notice her lean into him.

Alexis is the first to speak, holding up the bag that her dad had sat down on Ryan's desk.

"We brought some food, dad's idea, but Kate and I chose he deserts so we'll call it a group effort."

Ryan practically rips into the bag, crying out with joy as he pulls out the deserts, with each one his eyes grow wider until even Beckett laughs at him. Many are surprised by her reaction, so unlike the women they know but then they realise they are seeing Kate not Detective Beckett.

"Kevin, really, one of these day's you will get fat."

Ryan sticks his tongue out at her and begins to eat the first one, Alexis has rescued both her desert and Kate's but leaves her dad to save his own. He reluctantly moves, grumbling happily as he does so. Almost pouting when his daughter steals his seat.

"They're ganging up on me already, it's been like this all day, and yesterday too. Now she's stealing my seat and everything."

He stops in front of them to emphasise his point as the boys laugh behind him. Kate lovingly rolls her eyes and turns to face him.

"Rick, you don't mind at all, now be a good boy and get me a coffee."

"You had a coffee before we left."

"But I want one from here, you know me."

"Is the coffee here special or something, because to be honest I prefer the machine at home."

Alexis is laughing at the pair, Kate holds in her own as she responds.

"The only difference between this one and the one at home is the size, there is no difference in the taste."

"Maybe it's not the taste that makes it better."

"Rick."

"Okay, okay I'm going. But you make the dinner tonight."

"Okay."

He walks off to the break room, even the boy's have their mouths hanging open. Ryan is the first to speak.

"He does know that you haven't cooked in years, right?"

"Relax, we've already decided to order in tonight, and it's not like I'm a bad cook anyway, you know that."

"Yeah, I do. Promise you'll make some of that lasagne for me?"

"Fine, but you have to share it this time, understand."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes."

Rick returns with the coffee and doesn't even have to voice his question as Kate answers it before he even opens his mouth.

"I'll explain later, after we get the takeout."

"It's food orientated isn't it? I told you that was the way to their hearts."

Ryan decides to put his two cents in, confusing everyone even more.

"That can't be true, you haven't tasted her cooking and she's already got you, otherwise you'd never have takeout again."

Rick's face is priceless as he stares at the detective, beside him Kate motions to Esposito to hit Kevin. He happily does so, earning a laugh from his friends. During the laughter the Captain has arrived and greets everyone warmly, Alexis openly hugging him as she had the two detectives earlier.

"So how are you? I see you haven't killed him yet."

"I'm good and if I killed him we wouldn't be able to tease him anymore."

Alexis laughs at Kate's response and as the boys stifle a few chuckles Kate just laughs as she watches her man pretend to be insulted. The captain decides to dig further into the statement.

"We?"

"Yeah, Alexis and I, and I dare say Martha too."

"Ah I see, how is your foot?"

"It's fine, but they said I shouldn't walk on it for a while, hence the crutches."

Rick decides to interrupt and divert the jokes from himself.

"Well I did offer to carry you everywhere, then you wouldn't have needed them."

"Rick, we've already had this conversation, can we not have again it in front of Alexis and the boys."

"Fine, but later?"

"Definitely"

By the time the duo have finished, everyone is lost so Ryan immediately changes the conversation.

"So how is Jim this morning? Last night was quite eventful."

"He's fine, as far as we can tell. I know I need to talk to him about the videos at some point but I never got a chance to catch him alone, Alexis how did he seem in the car?"

"Happy, we were joking around and I was trying to gets some more stories off him, but he said he'd tell me them another time, because they were far to funny to say while driving. Something about the cabin?"

Ryan pales as Kate responds through her own laughter.

"Ah the cabin, well if it's the story I think it is then it's worth the wait, although be warned it may change the way you look at Kev for a while."

Ryan pales even more at the prospect of everyone knowing about that day. He hasn't been able to enter the sea since. Kate can see the distress and decides to pull him out of it, by dumping Rick into it.

"Kev it's not that bad, Martha's told me stories of Rick as a kid, nothing we did comes close to him. I'll tell you some of them later, I don't think Lex want's to know, do you sweetie?"

"If I haven't heard it yet I don't want to, which reminds me, I'll need some of them for my project. And I haven't watched the new videos yet."

Rick is confused at this, having completely forgotten what his daughter had told him the day previously. She looks at him and sighs, half hugging Kate as she explains, again.

"We videoed our reactions last night and I forgot to turn the camera off so this morning is probably on tape too, which is cool."

"Right, erm, what can the camera see, I mean which rooms?"

"The living room and the kitchen. Don't tell me I'm going to be half way through watching it and see you two making out."

Kate laughs as Rick freezes, she herself has no idea why he is nervous about his child seeing the video. Realisation dawns a minute later as she remembers him getting up at midnight. She bursts out laughing at the thought and through each laugh she explains to the teen.

"Your dad got hungry in the middle of the night, so the tape caught him walking like a zombie and raiding the kitchen for ice cream. His choice of clothes may leave you scarred but I'll happily watch that part for you, and give you the edited account."

Rick looks shocked at Kate, as far as he knew she had been asleep, if not when he left she definitely was when he returned. Kate stops laughing and explains to him, her tone clearly stating that it didn't take a genius to figure out.

"You left the can on the nightstand, you always walk like a zombie when you're that tired and do you have any idea what you had on at the time?"

"No, I just grabbed the first thing, do I want to know?"

"I'll tell you later."

Alexis ends the moment when her phone goes off and she happily begins talking to her friend, Rick glances at his watch and realises that they need to get going or Alexis would be late.

"We're going to have to get going, we're dropping Alexis off at a friends for the night and if we don't go now she'll be late."

Esposito laughs and everyone turns to looks at him.

"I never thought I'd see the day you were being so domestic."

Ryan joins in the laugh but Rick knows better, having been on the receiving end of the crutches twice already. Knowing his cousin, Ryan recognises the look in her eyes and stops laughing, just in time as a minute later a crutch whacks off Esposito's ankles.

"that hurt."

"I know, you deserved it."

The pair are about to launch into another conversation when Alexis returns and Rick tries to usher his family out the room. Shaking her head at his not so subtle actions Kate motions for someone to hand her other crutch to her, too happy to be annoyed at needing help.

It's Ryan that picks up the object, surprising them all when he hugs Kate as he gives her it, as he moves back he speaks softly, proud of the girl he grew up with.

"I've got your back, and because of today I respect you more."

He doesn't expand on that and ignores Kate's look as the group make their way to the elevator, the smiles fade however as the elevator breaks down before their eyes.