A/N #!: OMFG it actually gets interesting?
A/N #2: Ha Ha! Made you look!
Alexis was long gone by the time they finally dragged themselves from the bedroom. She had left a note on the kitchen counter.
'Be home early.' was all it said.
"On a Friday night?" Castle's eyebrows furrowed.
Kate grinned. "You'd rather she was out all night with god know's who?"
He blinked. "I'm suddenly torn."
"I so wish you had been my dad." She paused as she looked at him. "Okay, that was a little weird.'
"A little?"
Kate smiled. "So you gonna make a girl breakfast?"
Castle walked around the counter. "Was there something special you wanted?"
Beckett pressed tightly against him, remembering a long ago conversation.
"Pancakes." She grinned. "Make me pancakes."
The day went by quickly.
So quickly that it scared the hell out of both of them.
That was the measure of a relationship... wasn't it?
How quickly time goes by?
Castle glanced at her as they sat on the couch watching MST3K. Beckett smiled. "Something you wanted, writer boy?"
"Writer MAN."
"Actually... I like the boy."
The expression on his face changed so completely that she thought she might have said something wrong. "Rick... I'm sorry..."
"For what?" The writer grinned. "Making me love you more every day?"
Kate climbed into his lap; capturing his lips just as the front door opened.
"Awww... Can't you guys put a sock over the doorknob or something?" Alexis covered her eyes as she headed for the stairs.
Castle blinked. "You are never living in a dorm."
"Rick!" Beckett chastised; sliding out of his lap to sit beside him.
"Wait!" He swallowed and shook his head slightly, looking at his daughter. "Did you get your... 'assignment'?"
"Yeah." Alexis' grin was huge. She pulled a card out of her pocket, "Tab Aronson. 5'10". Blonde hair, green eyes. Surfer and junior weight trainer at a resort in Sydney."
Castle blinked. "Sydney? As in Australia? With the accent... and the prison thing and... the thing?"
"Yes, Australia. And the 'prison thing' is just-"
"Can you switch?"
"Dad!" The redhead sighed. "I'm still me."
"Which is the only reason I have decent blood pressure." He ran his fingers through his hair, nodding slightly at Beckett when she touched his shoulder. "I know..." He took a deep breath. "I know that you are smarter than I ever was. But that doesn't mean that I am going to worry any less."
Alexis smiled; leaning in to kiss his cheek. "And I wouldn't expect... any less."
Rick sighed. "When does this Adonis arrive?"
"Monday."
"Monday?" The writer frowned. "You're supposed to be with your mother next week."
"Yeah but I called her and explained that a tall, blond Australian was coming into my life and she was more than willing to cut her visit short a few days. She's picking me up in the morning and dropping me off before school Monday."
"So you're gonna be gone all weekend?"
Becket pursed her lips at his question,
"Yeah... I'm sorry, Dad," She looked genuinely apologetic. "It was a last minute thing."
"It's okay..." Castle took a breath. "I want you to have these cultural advantages."
"Just imagine how much I can learn from him!"
"Remember sweetie, you're supposed to be answering his questions."
"I know." Alexis shrugged. "But there's no reason I can't pick his brain at the same time."
Kate snorted. "Spoken like a true Castle."
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