Disclaimer: All these characters belong to ABC and Mr. Marlowe

Kate shuffled her feet as she stood in the precinct elevator, waiting, as she slowly began to ascend to her floor. Suddenly hearing her phone ring, she searched through her bag before finally spotting the object, the flashing caller ID on display.

"Hey, Dad."

"Katie," her father greeted on the other end of the line. "How's my girl doing?"

"Yeah, everything's pretty much the same," she replied into the device as the old elevator laboured its way to the third floor.

"Well I was thinking of visiting some time. Come and see how you're really going with my own eyes."

She could tell even on the phone that he was taking a jab at her somewhere in there, although he was her father. It was probably expected. "Yeah, that sounds great."

"Well what about Sunday?"

"Uh, I can't do Sunday, I've ah-" Got fake girlfriend duties? A date? "I've got plans," she finally settled with, just as the doors opened to the fourth floor. She stepped out, taking a quick glance around before she finally spotted Castle.

He was in front of her desk and clearly way too entertained for someone who was standing by himself, and seemingly being ignored by the whole homicide department.

"It's Castle, Detective Castle," he spoke in a husky tone, holding out something enclosed in his palm. Shaking his shoulders, he tried again, this time with more vigour and excitement. "Richard Castle, NYPD. Stop! In the name of the law!" Loudly clearing his throat, he overdramatically scratched his chin before holding out the item in his hand again. "What you lookin' at scumbag. Huh? You wanna take a ride downtown?"

Pursing her lips, Kate shook her head. "Hey, listen, Dad, I've got to go. I'll call you back later," Kate spoke, somewhat distracted by the scene before her, before hanging up.

"Whoa, why do you writer's always call them scumbag?" Esposito questioned to Castle, looking up from his computer and interrupting his solo performance.

"Yeah, us real cops, we prefer dirt bag," Ryan nodded, joining in.

"Or punk," Esposito added.

"Ooh, I like it," Castle grinned, before hardening the features on his face and looking directly at the boys. "What you lookin' at, punk?"

Esposito smiled in approval. "Yeah, that was a good one, Castle."

"Yeah, you think so?" he grinned seemingly preparing for another presentation, before Esposito's eyes widened, signalling for the writer to stop. "What?" Castle began, taking a brief look around before he turned and his eyes met with hers. "Oop, Kate's here."

Coming to a halt, Kate glanced across all three men's faces, before settling back onto Castle. "What are you doin'?" she questioned, frowning her eyebrows.

"I' m, ah, Esposito let me temporarily borrow his badge-"

Stopping, Kate turned her head to glare at Esposito.

"Don't look at me," the detective exclaimed. "He got to play with my badge for five minutes while I got front row seats to the Knicks game. You know, for someone who's pretty successful, I don't think he's that smart."

Frowning, Kate returned her gaze to the writer. "Castle, give it back."

Quickly moving to the Esposito's desk, Castle quickly released the item before mouthing an apology to the male detective. She's guessing she wasn't meant to see that.

Esposito looped his badge back around his neck, before looking back up to Kate. "Wait, do I still get the tickets?" he questioned with a slight whine.

"No, you can't just go leasing your badge out," she sternly answered, before turning back to face Castle. "And you, this is not your opportunity to play cop."

"I wasn't- that's not what-" he began to fumble.

"Zip it, Dirty Harry,"she smiled. "Time to go."

Standing in her apartment kitchen, well in front of her open kitchen cupboards more specifically, Castle let out a disbelieving sigh. "This is worse than I remembered. Have you been shopping at all since I last came? I should have packed a lunch box. Or at least a sandwich."

Sitting on the floor with a cushion tucked under her and her back supported by the front of her couch, Kate creased her forehead. "Good to see that even though you've only been here a handful of times you make yourself right at home," she sarcastically noted, keeping her attention focused on the novel resting on her thighs as she turned another page.

"Haven't you ever heard?" Castle responded, briefly poking his head out from her cupboard. "What's yours is mine. Its relationship basics."

"Castle, I think that's only reserved for married couples," she smiled. "Or at least couples that are actually in a relationship."

Letting out a dramatic sigh, Castle responded. "Well, I guess it doesn't really matter, cause by the looks of it, you don't exactly have much..." he mumbled as he continued to gaze upon the shelves. "This is what I'd expect post apocalypse. It's just so...empty," he exclaimed, scrunching up his face in mock horror.

Easing her grin, Kate shut her novel and crossed her legs in front of her. "Okay, what's going on with you?"

Castle looked at her, seemingly surprised at her detection, before closing her cupboard doors. "Nothing, I just-"

"Castle, you've been moping since you've gotten here and you can't seem to sit still. And don't even get me started on your little performance back at the precinct," she sternly informed.

He offered a shrug. "Well, this is me you're talking about."

Unwilling to accept his attempted deflection, however, Kate pressed on. "Castle..."

"Okay, fine," he began, moving to sit on the couch."I'm worried about Alexis."

Kate looked up at him and slightly shifted in her position on the floor so she could face him. "Alright. How come?"

Castle hunched his shoulders, the anguish etched across his features, before he finally responded. "I think she has a boyfriend."

Hearing him, her sympathy disappeared as she displayed a slight frown. "That's what this is all about?"

"Yes, and it's a very serious matter," Castle sternly replied, persistent in his worry. "What do you think? Do you think she has one?"

"Castle, I've only met her like three times. How do you expect me to know?"

"Well, you're a girl, can't you pick up on these girly things?"

"No, despite what you think, we don't work like that," she chucked, before sensing his genuine concern. "Okay," she sighed, shifting closer to him. "Why do you think she has a boyfriend?"

"This morning as I was getting ready to go to the precinct, she told my mother and me to make sure we were at the loft for dinner tomorrow night, and all she said, was that there was someone that she wanted us to meet."

"Well, are you even sure that this someone is a him, and not just one of her girl friends?"

"Yes," he confidently nodded. "After my subtle but effective interrogation, I discovered that the suspect is Albert McKinnon, a boy who's in her history and literature classes and apparently has 'eyes that sparkle'. As her father, I completely disapprove and I'm extremely concerned about the implications of this," he huffed.

"Oh, you're right, Castle. This is serious. She's on the verge of complete and utter rebellion," Kate teased, overdramatically nodding her head.

"This isn't funny. I don't even know who this hormonal kid is, or what he's doing with my daughter," Rick justified on a whine. "She's my little girl."

"Yes, but she's also growing up, Castle. You can't keep her locked up in the house forever."

"Trust me, I would, but for some reason that's illegal."

Letting out a sigh, Kate positioned her elbow against the couch, allowing her to rest her chin on her palm. "Castle, come on. You're overreacting just a tad don't you think?"

"Yeah, but- I know she's seen boys before, but, this is the first one she's wanted to bring home. I just- I don't know, I guess it just makes it more real."

Kate took a moment to consider him. He was different when he was like this; being a dad. "Castle, Alexis is a smart girl. By the sounds of it, she's happy and just experiencing what it feels like to be in love for the first time."

"Yeah, I know," he unwillingly agreed, momentarily dropping his head before jerking it back up again. "Although who names their child Albert these days anyway? Seriously, he's destined to become either a genius or a serial killer. Or a serial killing genius."

"Okay, you've gotta stop thinking like that," Kate chuckled. "Although- wait, is that what that was all about with Espo's badge?"

Castle shrugged his shoulders. "I thought that if I could borrow it for a night and conveniently place it next to me at the dinner table, then Albie might have reassessed his feelings toward Alexis."

"Please tell me you're kidding?"

"Don't worry, Esposito said no anyway," he sighed, before suddenly lighting up. "Although, what about you, could you come over? Your gun would be way more affective then a badge anyway, and you could be dressed all bad assed and mean and then just stare at him with that look that you sometimes give me?"

Kate held her features tight. "No."

"Well can you at least do a background check on him?"

"Castle, stop treating Alexis' boyfriend as one of my suspects."

Castle sat in silence, before he tried again. "Well, can't you just-"

"Look, how about you down and grab us some lunch? Maybe the fresh air would do you good and help stop you thinking of ways to permanently scar the poor kid."

Checking her emails, Kate allowed her eyes to drift down to the bottom right hand corner of the screen, taking note of the time. How long could it take for one man to buy lunch? He had been gone for half an hour, at least, and admittedly she was getting a little hungry. And maybe he was somewhat right; she could do with a little more effort in the kitchen department. She could cook after all, although the appeal of having readymade meals delivered to her doorstep was way too enticing and convenient for her to justify otherwise.

Finally hearing a knock, Kate stood, making her way to the door, a little too eager for her liking. "You took your time, Castle. I was starting to think that-" she stopped, staring at the man in front of her as her hand relaxed from the handle and the grin dropped from her face. "Dad?"

Standing in her hallway in his standard plaid shirt and cargo jacket combo, Jim Beckett offered a smile. "Hi, Katie."

"What, ah, what are you doing here?" she stammered.

"So I need an invite to come and visit my only child now?"

"No, sorry, of course not," Kate apologised with a smile, before providing him with a hug and kiss on the cheek. "Come in."

Jim remained silent, following her through her apartment, before they finally came to rest in her kitchen. "So, that's what you have to deal with these days?"

Turning to face him, Kate simply raised her eyebrows in question.

"All the cameras and people waiting outside your building," he enlightened. "It's hard to believe that they're all here for my daughter. I had to provide ID to even be allowed up here," he continued with a slightly amused chuckle.

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"Well, I guess you haven't got too much longer until everyone will be gone," he commented, way too casually for it to go unnoticed.

Kate looked up at him as he watched her with a reminding, almost challenging eye. The way in which he said 'everyone', she knew what he was trying to do, what point he was getting at, and his waiting stare only cemented that fact. She had to give him credit though, he was being way more subtle than in their previous conversations, but nodding her head, Kate replied, unwilling to give anything else away. "Yes, no, you're right. Not long now," she said with an uneasy smile, before taking control and clearing her throat. "So, I thought we were going to try to organise a day for a visit?"

Jim slightly crooked his lips, before accepting her response and moving his hands to rest deep in the pockets of his jacket. "Yes, well, after you hung up this morning, I realised that you've got your hands pretty full these days, so I thought I would drop around and simply try my luck," he shrugged with a smile.

"Oh, that's...great," she uneasily smiled.

Carrying two bags, one with a few random savoury pastries, and the other with a bear claw and cinnamon bun, Castle made his way back to Kate's place. He didn't know what to get her for lunch and after travelling all over and surveying hot dog stands, sushi bars, Italian and even her local burger joint, he settled with the bakery. He didn't want to seem like he was trying too hard.

Rounding the corner, Castle briefly faltered in his step as he saw the small crowd of press that were gathered outside her building. Although, as he approached, he simply flashed them with a smile and the standard 'no comment,' before making his way up the stairs.

Arriving at her door, he tapped his knuckles on the wood a few times and waited. As soon as the door swung open however, he spoke. "I was waiting at the bakery and had an epiphany."

"What?"

"I know, strange place for an epiphany, but I realised, you were right," he nodded.

Kate looked at him hesitantly. "Ah, listen, Castle, there's something-"

"Hold on, just let me get this out," he interrupted, moving past her and through to her apartment. "Alexis is older now, and I need to allow her to experience things in life, and she can't do that if I wrap her up in cotton wool." Standing in front of her stovetop, he spun around to face her. "Although, I still don't understand why I can't torment this kid a little. It's a father's job to rough up their daughter's boyfriend and -" Noticing Kate's face however, Castle stopped. "What? You're frowning at me. Here, eat your cinnamon bun," he said, holding out the small paper bag for her.

She simply stood there, something washing over her features that he couldn't quite decipher, before he heard someone clearing their throat behind him. Castle spun around.

"You must be Rick Castle, I presume," the older man began as he stood up from his chair, hand outstretched. "Jim Beckett, Katie's father."

Rick briefly turned back to Kate with a slight uneasy smile before accepting his hand. "Oh, well it's nice to meet you, Mr. Beckett."

"First names will be just fine, Rick," Jim nodded with a chuckle, before releasing his grip and turning to Kate. "I'm sorry, I didn't realise you two were supposed to see each other today."

"No, Dad, it's fine, really."

"Well, as long as you don't mind?" Jim replied, looking between the pair.

Castle watched as Kate turned to him, obviously trying to decide on which direction to take, before Rick let out a smile. "No, not at all."

Yeah, he was smiling, but if his feelings towards Albie were anything to go by, Rick knew what was coming. He was pretty much a dead man.

Standing around Kate's kitchen tabletop, Jim turned to Castle. "So, Rick, Katie tells me that you're a novelist?"

"Yes. I... write for a living," he nodded, nervous enough for Jim to probably be able to smell it. He liked to believe it was a skill all fathers, including himself, possessed. Well, that was until now.

"And you have a daughter?"

"Yeah, Alexis," he smiled.

"That's a bit of a touchy subject for him at the moment, Dad," Kate interrupted with a smile, as she moved to grab some coffee mugs from her shelf.

"How so?"

"First boyfriend," Castle replied with an unenthusiastic curve of his lips.

Jim smiled as he pulled out a stool and sat. "Oh, I remember that moment."

Hearing the older man, Castle's demeanour changed and his interests were suddenly peaked as he shifted focus from his daughter and his impending death, and turned to Kate with a grin. "Oh really?"

"She was sixteen and he was in a garage rock band, and I remember I kept on trying to come up with excuses for her to not leave the house," he sighed, as Castle took a quick glance at Kate with an amused smile. Maybe this won't be too bad after all.

"She came home after that first date telling Johanna and I that she was in love," Jim chuckled with a smile. "Well, that along with a tattoo."

Castle's smile dropped, as he turned to Kate as at the end of the table."A tat-tattoo?"

"Don't worry, she kept it from me for a while too," Jim reassured as he stared at his daughter, before turning back to Castle. "The motorbike however, well that one was a bit harder to hide."

He felt Kate shift at his right, and Castle opened his mouth, shaping his lips to form the words, but nothing came out. "Tattoos and motorcycles?" he finally squeaked, turning to her. "Okay, what haven't you been telling me?"

"Oh, Castle, the things you don't know about me could fill a book," she replied, raising her eyebrow and flashing him with a smile.

"Yeah, I can see that," he nodded. "Although back to that motorcycle, when did you exactly have one?"

"Still have it, Castle," she said, sternly gazing at her father before facing back to Castle. "A 1994 Harley Softail."

"That is so sexy..." he exhaled on a whisper, before both Becketts turned to him, Kate offering a look of surprised and Jim, well, not so much. Realising, Castle nervously looked between the pair. "I-ah, I just said that out loud, didn't I?"

A moment of silence passed, before Castle regained his composure. "So, you going to show me it?"

"In your dreams. Now before my Dad spills all of my secrets, how about we discuss something else?" she began, before facing her father. "Coffee?" she questioned.

Jim Beckett smiled. "Yes, please."

"No, no, don't try to change the subject," Castle was quick to persist. "I'm quite enjoying this conversation. Let's keep talking about you and motorcycles."

"Let's not," she rebutted, moving to turn the coffeepot on. "Besides, I don't know if you realise, but when I bought my motorbike, I was only a few years older than Alexis..."

Realisation dawning, Castle frowned. "Oh, I see your point. Although, now that you mention it, I think that little conversation only gives me more validation to freak out."

"Come on, Castle, not that again."

"No, he's right," Jim interrupted, watching his daughter, before fixing his attention onto Castle. "You can never be too sure with what our gender can do with our daughters these days," he assessed.

Smiling at Kate, Rick enthusiastically nodded his head in agreement, before he felt Jim's stare almost burning through his skin. Quickly doing a double take, Castle looked back at the older man. Why was he still staring-oh. Oh. Rick straightened the smile on his face and swallowed. So maybe he was a dead man after all.

He could see Kate attempting to hold her laugh in his peripheral vision, like she was actually enjoying his slow torture, before her cell phone rang from the adjacent room. "Ah, excuse me for a second," she apologised somewhat hesitantly, before moving to answer it. Leaving him and Jim Beckett. Together. Alone.

It was going to happen. Mr. Beckett was going to kill him.

A beat of silence passed, before Jim turned to Castle. "So. You're dating my daughter."

"Ah-yes. Yes I am," Castle replied, eyes wide. "Well, technically we're fake dating. I'm fake dating your daughter."

What was he doing? That didn't sound any better. Probably worse, in fact.

"Right," Jim slowly nodded, staring at him with a cautious eye. "But then you kissed her."

Oh, so he saw that. Fantastic. An image that every father wanted to see blown up in his daily paper. "Yes, I did," Castle responded, before adding with a reassuring smile, "but that, that was all me."

Jim's face ever so slightly formed into a frown and Castle quickly continued. "Not- not that I forced myself on her or anything. I just mean that I kissed her. She didn't kiss me. Although, I mean she did kiss me back," he nervously chuckled.

Great, now he was a fumbling idiot. Good one, Castle. Her father was probably sitting there, mentally shining his gun collection. "But I bet you probably don't want to hear about that..."

"No, not really, Rick."

"Ah, yes, Mr. Beckett." First names. He said to call him by his first name. "I mean, Jim." The older man simply offered a frown. "Sir?" Castle squeaked.

Jim chuckled. "Relax, Rick. Katie explained everything to me about the arrangement you two have going on."

"So, you're okay with it all then? I mean, me and her? Us? Not- not that there is an 'us.' Well, not really anyway."

"You mean the fact that you're using my daughter for publicity?" Jim was quick to reply.

"Whoa, I can assure you, sir, that there is no using going on of any kind. I mean, I have the upmost respect for your daughter and I think she is the most-"

Jim held up his hand, silencing Rick, before he turned to watch his daughter in the other room with a slight frown. "Do you know that she talks about you? A lot?" he informed, before letting out a small chuckle and looking back at the author. "Sometimes I don't think she even realises it."

Letting out a breath, Castle shifted his gaze onto Kate, as she attempted to scribble something on a piece of paper with little success. Curving his lips, Castle pulled out a stool. "Don't you mean complains?"

Jim let out a small smile. "At the beginning I admit there was a bit of that going on, but now, not so much."

Castle turned his head and looked at Jim, his surprise in the man's statement portrayed across his features. "Really?"

"Really," Jim nodded, genuinely holding his gaze, before relaxing his frame and slightly hunching forwards. "When she answered the door for me today, she initially thought I was you," he informed, before lowering his head and slightly smiling to himself. "I haven't seen her smile like that for anyone in years," he added, drawing his eyebrows together in thought like he was reaffirming his assessment.

Jim looked back at Rick. "Now, I'm not saying I'm a fan of this whole charade you two have going on or being scared of opening up my own paper with the chance of seeing you pressed up against my daughter, but, something's changed in her these last few weeks. She seems happy, and I believe I have you to thank for that."

Castle could do nothing but remain still as he attempted to process all of the new information. "She said yes," he suddenly blurted.

"Sorry?" Jim queried.

Seriously, why couldn't he just keep his mouth shut sometimes? "Oh, ah, Sunday," he began shyly. "I asked her to come to a wedding with me, and she said yes."

"Well I'm glad to hear that," Jim smiled, before his focus shifted. "Katie said that she told you about Johanna," he began, receiving a shy nod from Castle. "You know, they are so similar sometimes I could swear they were the same person. Katie's exactly like her. Strong, determined," he began, before looking back up to Rick, "stubborn. Johanna and I worked in the same law firm for three years before she even let on that she felt anything for me. By that stage of course, I was head over heels in love, but I was the same, too stubborn and proud to put my heart on the line. Although after she died, I couldn't help but regret all that time I wasted with her. I don't think we ever realise how lucky we are to have something until it's gone, and unfortunately by then it can be too late."

Castle swallowed as he listened to the older man. "You care about my daughter, Rick; anyone can see that from a mile away. As for Katie, well she's never been one to do anything that she doesn't want to do, so despite what she may say, maybe she's not such an unwilling participant in this as you think," he sternly hinted, his eyes soft and smiling.

"What are you two talking about?" Kate interrupted, returning to the room.

"Oh, nothing," Castle quickly replied, dropping her father's gaze.

"We were just talking from one father to another," Jim nodded to Rick.

"Yes, I-" Castle began, before spotting Kate opening up one of his bakery bags and proceeded to eat its contents. He could recognise a bear claw from anywhere. "What are you doing? I already called dibs on the bear claw. That one's mine," he informed as she tore off another piece and slowly placed it in her mouth.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she began, mouth full of his sweet. "I thought you said not so long ago as you were searching through my cupboards, that 'what's yours is mine?' Something about it being relationship basics? So, what's yours," she began, picking up his bear claw for him to see, "is now mine," she finished, taking another bite and flashing him with a smile.

"What? That wasn't me," he reassured in disbelief as he watched yet another chunk of his dessert disappear into her mouth.

"You sure?" she shrugged, lifting her eyebrow. "Cause it sure looked like you at the time..."

"No, that would have been my evil twin. But don't worry, I took care of him."

"Oh, is that so?" she replied, her eyes wide and teasing.

"Yeah," Castle nodded, smiling at her, and the attempted salvation of his bear claw all but forgotten.

They both remained still for a moment, challenging and grinning at each other from across the table, before Jim Beckett cleared his throat and stood. "Okay, I think I'm going to go make that coffee now. Who wants one?"

So I wrote most of this on my lunch breaks at work, so fingers crossed it turned out okay. An all round massive thank you to everyone for the response I continue to receive for this story. Also, no hard feelings towards any Alberts who might be reading this :)

BareWriter