AN: Sorry I haven't replied to each review for the last one. I read them all though. Thank you guys!

About the 1 am thing - no, it wasn't a typo. a - It's more dramatic, b - Some of it is explained down here. and c - nah, that's all. It's fiction. Just go with it ;). There are some things, I'm sure, that you may have questions about. Thing is, I like to leave some stuff to your imagination. Kind of like tv shows do. I guess that's my writing style? Or my way of thought? I'm not sure. Either way, feel free to use your imaginations!

Sleepless in Manhattan – Chapter 9

Alexis Castle was an ambitious teenager. She wasn't having the greatest of summers. She had witnessed Kate being shot while giving a eulogy at the funeral for someone else she knew. She had witnessed watching her own father try to push Kate out of the way of said shot, putting himself in danger. She had understood that her father was in love with a woman who had a target on her back. It was dangerous love. It had the power to hurt him – in more ways than one. And it had.

To distract herself from watching her father rolling around in the unending spiral of depression, and to try and move on with her life, Alexis had taken up a number of odd summer jobs. There was the added benefit of saving up for college. She was doing an observational internship with a quasi-famous law firm just down the lane from where she lived. There was the tutoring job she had landed on by chance for a student two years her junior, at school. And the third was as a junior level coordinator at the Empire State Building.

The third played into her ingenious plan to unite the frustrating non-couple that was her father and Detective Kate Beckett. While she fought hard not to chew on her nail – a bad habit she had done marvelously to overcome – Alexis wondered idly whether she could add 'match-maker' to her ever growing resume.

Was she having second thoughts? Of course she was.

Though she had gained a lot of insight into the phenomenon that was Beckett, she also had her reservations. Kate had, after all, run away this summer. Yes, she had her reasons – strong reasons. Reasons that she had understood were wrong, and yet she did it anyway. Knowing she had hurt her dad, not just this time – though this took the cake, by far – made it difficult for Alexis to trust Kate.

But Alexis was Rick Castle's daughter. She'd go a long way for the people she loved, and there was no one she loved more than her father. If reconnecting with Kate, even just the chance for it, made him happy, then that was what mattered. Besides, she was nothing, if not clever and a little bit devious. It was a well concocted scheme. Alexis had picked the night shift for what was bound to be an eventful Monday. The Empire State Building's observation deck closed at two a.m., with the last elevator going up at one fifteen. She had called Kate there at one a.m., hoping with all her heart that the good detective would show.

She hadn't told her father about the meeting. As far as he was concerned, Castle had agreed to pick his daughter up at the end of her shift. Guilt-ridden as he had been for having moped around for a month, she didn't even have to try very hard. It had been a piece of cake.

He'd take the last ride up, and hang around with her for some time – because Dad, we haven't spent any time together, and I miss you, and it'll be fun. He'd fallen for it hook, line and sinker. Just as he'd be waiting, no doubt chatting away about this or that; bam! Kate would show up, and – okay, admittedly, that's as far as her plan went. But Alexis was sure that her dad and Kate could handle the rest, while she snuck away.

And if she didn't show up, Castle would be the doting father picking up his daughter from a late shift, because those were the kind of sweet things he did.

She hoped it wouldn't come to that. But she just couldn't take the chance of getting his hopes up only to be dashed. Again. She really hoped it wouldn't blow up in her face.

And so it was that she found herself waiting impatiently atop the tallest of the tall. She'd wrapped up most of her work by midnight, and all of it by now. With half an hour to go to the one a.m. mark, she didn't know what to do with herself. She tried to keep herself occupied by reading a book, and then playing a game on her phone, but it was no use. The anticipation was maddening.

As the time drew closer, her hope bloomed more, as did the doubt. It was daunting, and draining. She cast her eyes repeatedly towards the elevator, hoping for the right person to step out. She hoped, and prayed, and wished, and expected for Kate to be in that set of people stepping out onto the deck. Kate wasn't there. She was not in the next group of people, nor the next one, nor the one after that.

There had been no phone call from Kate. She didn't even have the courtesy to tell Alexis that she would be backing out of their arrangement.

She could feel her heart breaking. Could feel the anger bubble up in her, along with the painful sting of disappointment. How could someone so smart, and so good be so cruel? Was this what her father had to go through every time? The hope and faith. The denial and disappointment. And yet each time, somehow, he did it again? She wasn't her father. Her hopes had been dashed. Her doubts confirmed. Sadly.

Minutes before the last ride came up, she had nothing left. She felt empty and wounded. But she put up a front because she knew for sure that her father would come. At least he didn't disappoint.

Alexis forced a smile as Castle came to stand beside her. As if knowing something was wrong, but not knowing what or why, he immediately began to cheer her up. She did try to cheer up for him. If nothing else, she got to spend time with her father. At least, that's what she told herself. Truth was, even that was tainted by the dark shadow of disappointment. Her initial plan of making Castle stay to spend time with him fell to pieces, and he agreed readily when she suggested they call it a night.

And then –

Castle just couldn't figure her out. Sure his daughter had been acting strange over the weekend, casting surreptitious glances his way when she thought he wasn't looking. It was odd behavior, but given the circumstances, he let it go, assuming she thought he would be mad about needing to pick her up in the middle of the night.

Why she had to take the late shift on a Sunday was beyond him, but it wasn't like he had anywhere to be early on Monday anyway. No Kate, no precinct.

But she'd announced the plan of spending some time with him when he'd come to pick her up. He thought it was a great idea, especially since he'd been too busy wallowing in self pity lately to pay as much attention to her as he normally would. So of course, he'd readily agreed.

It left him confused, therefore, when she was the one to call it a night. Sensing her need to leave, and her less than happy mood, he agreed to the change in plans. He thought, as they made their descent, that he didn't understand women at all. One minute they love you and want to spend time with you, the next they get moody and broody, and go all quiet. Not the good kind of quiet either, no. More so the kind of quiet that makes a man squirm.

Once he started the car, the familiar sounds of New York permeated through the uncomfortable silence and put him more at ease. It was one of the reasons he loved Manhattan. It was so representative of the state of his mind. Active, and vibrant, and alive. It was in the blur of lights from street lamps and buildings, the steady hum of light night-time traffic; the hand-holding couple strolling lazily along the side-walk, the tired looking suit tugging at his tie, the random tattoo-covered dude gazing at a store front. All stories waiting to be heard. It made him feel not-so-alone. It made him feel alive. Glancing at his daughter, he noticed that she was deeply engrossed in her phone. Meh. Maybe he could cheer her up at home.

So he found himself trying to come up with ways to get her out of her mood as he drove them back home. They weren't even ten minutes away from the Empire State Building when she emitted a loud gasp, almost causing him to swerve into to other lane and lose control of the wheel.

"Alexis, what is it?" he asked, sensing her urgency.

"Dad! You have to turn back!"

"What? Why?"

"My – uh – notes. I forgot my notes. Sorry dad, but please turn back? I need them."

"In the summer? Can't it wait till tomorrow?"

"No!" she exclaimed loudly, before saying in a more reasonable voice.

If she wasn't acting strange before –

"Ah, the notes aren't mine. No, well. They are mine. But they're not for me. They're for Madison. You know, the girl I'm tutoring?"

"Okay," he drew out. "Again, can't this wait till morning? Well – later this morning, in any case."

"No. No, no, no. It'll be too late. She has a quiz. Tomorrow. So she needs them today."

"Really, Alexis? Really?" Castle whined, but he knew he was giving in. Of course he was.

"Really really. Thanks, dad, you're the best?" she said, not even trying to contain her beaming smile as he turned the car around. They reached the building's parking quickly enough, and just as Castle stopped the car, Alexis piped up again. "Do you mind if I wait down here with security. My jacket's light, and I was feeling cold earlier anyway, and you're pretty bundled up," she said in a rush.

He narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously, but she looked innocent enough. Maybe a little too innocent. Hmm. "Okay, I'll be right back. Don't get into trouble."

She rolled her eyes, "I won't. I'll be safe with David here," she said, nodding at the security guard who tipped his hat at Castle.

"Alright, then," he said with a shrug, heading to the elevator only to be stopped by the guard there.

"No more rides up."

"Oh. Listen, man, I don't want to spend time up there, I just need to collect a bag my daughter forgot. She works here," he added for good measure.

"Elevator's closed. Get it from 'lost and found' tomorrow."

"Come on, dude. Have a little heart. It's not even closing time yet, and it's for an assignment," Castle pleaded to the old man. He looked like he was wavering. That was all Castle needed. "See that red-head? That's her. Look at her sad little face. You wouldn't want her to fail her assignment, would you?"

"Oh, it's for Ms. Castle?" he asked, his demeanor changing.

Castle puffed his chest with pride. It was every father's dream to be known as 'the father of'. At least when the context was good.

"Yeah, it's for Alexis."

"Why didn't you say so before? Oh. But the rules –"

"Couldn't you bend them? Just this once? I promise I won't tell."

"Well – I don't know. Maybe if –"

"Name your price," Castle said, catching on.

The old guard huffed in indignation. "I do not want money. But – " he cleared his throat. "My wife's a fan, Mr. Castle."

"Say no more. Have something I can sign?"

"Oh. Yes! I have a copy of your book in my locker."

"Why don't you go get that, and I'll go fetch the bag. I'll be happy to sign it once I'm down again."

"You'll go up alone?"

"This thing is safe, right?" he said, eyeing the elevator dubiously. It wasn't that long ago that he had been cursed. Fake-cursed, but cursed nonetheless.

"Perfectly."

"Okay, then. No sense in wasting more time. You go back there, I'll go up there, and we'll all be happy before we know it."

"Deal. Ah, but, not a word to anyone."

"It'll be our little secret," Castle promised with a nod, and a wave to Alexis, as the doors closed. This had better earn him some good dad points.

AN

Wait, wait, wait. She didn't show up? What? *ducks and covers*

And then - ...