A/N Sorry for the long delay in updating but I've been so busy with work and stuff my creative juices were stifled.
/
It's movie night at the Castle loft. Kate approached his door with more than a little trepidation. Castle was making dinner and she brought her DVD of Forbidden Planet. She loved that her love was a sci fi geek, too. What she didn't love was how Martha and Alexis would react if they are there. This is the first time she will have seen them since he told them of their relationship. Castle had told her of their concern and she understood where it was coming from. She felt protective of her own father. She knocks on the door and after a few seconds it opens and Castle offers her his adorable lopsided grin.
"Welcome to movie night, Detective." He opens the door wider to allow her entry
"I can't wait." She says, "Here, I brought your favorite wine."
"Ah, so you did." He kisses her with more enthusiasm than she had expected, "I'll just put it in to chill for a bit. We'll eat in about twenty minutes." He walks back to the kitchen and she follows
"Can I help with anything?" She asks
"No, because I'm afraid I'll be too distracted to finish with you that close to me." He says as he tosses the salad
She rolls her eyes as she takes a seat at the bar, "You writers and your penchant for over exaggeration."
"Ah, there you are darlings." Martha says as she and Alexis descend the stairs and approach them, "Hello, Katherine dear. Now don't worry, we are on our way to an all-night Grease sing along. So you will have the place to yourselves."
"Sounds like fun, Martha." Kate replies with a smile, "Hey, Alexis." Kate says
"Detective Beckett." The girl replies not rudely but with a definite reserve in her tone
"Well, we're off." Martha says and takes Alexis by the arm
"Have fun." Kate and Rick say in unison
"Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be." Kate says after hearing the front door shut
"What did you expect?" He asks
"I don't know." She replies, "I just don't want there to be tension with them because of me."
"That's not your problem." He says
"Castle, they're your family. They matter." She counters
"Of course they do. I've always been careful about who I let into Alexis's life. Gina and I used to fight about it. She wasn't the mothering type but she cared about Alexis and I was afraid for anyone to get close to her, especially when she was little."
"I understand." She says softly, it made her love him even more seeing him as a father instead of that nine year old on a sugar rush
"Now, let's put aside talk of the redheads. This night is about us." He takes her hand and kisses it
Dinner now finished and the dishes cleared they settle on the sofa for their movie marathon.
"So, what should we watch first?" he asks
"How about Forbidden Planet? I brought my DVD." She says holding it up
"Forbidden Planet it is." He takes the DVD from her and pops it in the player then settles back down next to her wrapping his arm around her, "Are you sure you didn't want to go out or something tonight instead of spending the evening in?"
She snuggles into him resting her head on shoulder, "I don't care what we do as long as we're together."
He kisses the top of her head and tightens his grip, "Me neither." He mumbles into her hair, "Oh, I meant to ask if anything broke on Jerry's case after I left."
She shook he head, "No, nothing yet." She looks up at him, "But I didn't come here to talk business, Castle." She moves her hand to his thigh and massages it
He gulps, "Well, then let's watch the movie."
Several hours later they lay fast asleep on the couch having gotten through Forbidden Planet and one of the Star Trek movies. Kate wakes up and her throat felt dry so she gently extricated herself from his arms trying not to wake him as she went into the living room heading to the kitchen. To her surprise a young redhead is sitting at the counter. She glances at her watch, a little after three a.m.
"Alexis?" She questions, her voice gravelly from sleep
"Hey." She replies
"I thought you were out all night with Martha." Kate says as she gets a glass of water
"We just got home a little while ago. Grams finally had to admit she couldn't stay up all night." She looks at Kate, "Shouldn't you be getting back to your movie night?"
Kate studies they young girl feeling there is something that needs to be said between them so she sits next to her at the counter, "We fell asleep and I woke up and got thirsty. Your dad's still zonked out. So not staying up all night must run in the family."
Alexis smiles a little but doesn't say anything.
Kate sighs softly, "I know you're worried about your dad…and me." Alexis begins to protest but Kate holds up her hand, "It's okay. I get it. I would feel the same way about my dad."
Alexis considers the older woman's words for a moment, "it's just you haven't seen each other in like a year and all of a sudden you're together."
"We talked over a lot of stuff and realized even though we had messed up pretty bad we could still try to make it work."
"Do you love each other?" Alexis was nothing if not direct
"I think I've loved your dad for a long time now." Kate admits, "And you want to know a big reason for that?"
"What?"
"You." Kate says surprising the young woman, "Your dad can be annoying, immature and…"
"A handful?" Alexis finishes with a grin
Kate laughs a little nodding her head in agreement, "But I see the kind of father he is. He cherishes you. And anyone who could raise such an amazing kid has to be pretty special."
Alexis is speechless for a moment, "Thank you, Detective."
"Save the detective stuff for the precinct." Kate tells her, "Call me Kate."
"Thank you, Kate." She replies
"Listen, I don't know where this is leading with your dad but I won't hurt him. I'll take good care of his heart." Kate assures the young woman
Alexis smiles and reaches out to hug her then pulls back, "You better get back in there."
Kate nods with a smile and leaves the young woman at the counter. Both feeling hopeful about this new situation they're in.
Kate find Castle still fast asleep and snuggles back under blanket with him.
/
The next morning Castle awakes and finds himself alone. Looking at his watch he sees it's almost ten. He then hears muffled voices coming from the main area of the loft. He stands up and rubs the sleep out of his eyes then makes his way out of the study/TV room to find the three women of the Castle household huddled with each other at the kitchen counter. His lady love apparently fixing breakfast.
"Good morning, Richard." Martha greets him
"Hello, Mother." He replies as she reaches the counter, he looks adorably sleep rumpled,"So what are my three favorite people conspiring about this morning?"
"You sound paranoid, Castle." Kate replies, "You afraid one of them might say something to scare me off?"
"You really think so little of us, Dad?" Alexis asks as she takes her last bite of pancakes
Castle comes over to the other side of the counter, "I smell bacon." He starts to take a piece and she playfully swats his hand away, "You're a cruel woman, Detective. A cruel, cruel woman."
She playfully swats his behind, "Don't make me cuff you."
"Hey, not for little ears." Alexis teases, "Ignoring you, ignoring you." She pretends to cover her ears
Castle kisses the top of Kate's head, "Sit down, I'll fix you a plate." She says with a smile
"So how was the sing along?" Castle asks as he takes a seat
"Long." Martha replies, "We're going shopping as soon as we finish breakfast. Alexis, are you finished?"
"Yes, ma'am." She replies
"Leave something for the rest of New York to buy." Castle teases
"Yeah, yeah." Martha replies as she and Alexis get up to leave
"So what awful things did they say about me behind my back? Especially my mother." He asks
"Is there something you're worried about me finding out?" Kate asks
"No, of course not." He says looking away like he's guilty as he takes a drink of coffee
"Well, there was thing she said you did that one time at that thing…" Kate says to further tease him
"I have no idea what you're talking about." He replies and they look at each other and his expression becomes serious, "Thank you."
"For what?" She asks
"For what you said to Alexis last night." He says
"You were listening? Castle!" She scolds
"I woke up when you moved and went looking for you but I heard voices and I couldn't help but listen. I'm sorry."
"Well, don't tell her you listened."
"Did you mean what you said?" He asks
"Which part?" She asks
"That you've loved me for a long time?" He says
"Castle, I…I know we haven't said…" She stutters, "But, um, yeah, I meant it."
He gets up off the stool and comes around to her, "I love you, too, Kate."
They both look at each other trying to process their mutual declaration and he pulls her close for a kiss.
TBC