A/N: I know it's been a while since my last chapter had been posted to this story, sorry about that. Real life got in the way and is still kind of in the way. I was also waiting for some good lines from our beloved show or at least something that was somewhat memorable to happen and I finally got both of those when episode 7x04 "Child's Play" aired.

Real Life Happens

"That dinner was scrumptious; Katherine." Martha said.

The family had just finished the wonderful dinner Beckett had made.

"It was great mom." JJ commented.

"The five of us and Grams will do the dishes. You two should go relax together." Alexis said as she volunteered herself, her siblings and their grandmother.

In true Martha fashion just as she had a number of years ago when Alexis had catered to Castle following his homecoming after his kidnapping and disappearance; Martha rolled her eyes before she helped with the clean up. Jake went to put Charlotte and Siobhan in their car seats so they were already to go when the time came.

"We're not going through this again." Beckett said to Castle.

"Relax; it's not the same as the last time."

Castle and Beckett were planning on relaxing on the couch together with Ipads but that changed when Castle got a phone call.

As Castle took the call; Beckett relaxed on the couch with her Ipad until her husband joined her with his.

From the kitchen; Alexis watched her father go into his study and was a bit wary. Martha sensed the change in her eldest granddaughter and comforted her the best she could.

Seconds later; Castle came back out of his study with his phone in his pants pocket and his Ipad in hand.

"What was that all about; babe?" Beckett asked.

Everything from dinner was now cleaned up. Alexis was getting her things and the babies' things together before they left.

"You remember that manuscript that I was working on a few days ago?"

"The one that I asked you if it was another Nikki Heat book or another Derrick Storm book?"

"Yeah that manuscript."

"Okay; what about it?"

At this point the whole family was listening in on Castle and Beckett's conversation.

"Well that was my agent that called. Black Pawn published it and they want me to go a year long book tour for it."

In that moment all sense of calm dissipated from Alexis. Jake preemptively started to leave the loft so Alexis wouldn't wake their daughters up. Martha and the rest of her grandkids along with Beckett saw the on coming storm that was about burst out of Alexis. They prepared for the worse.