I know I say it over and over, but I will never stop thanking you for your kind reviews and follows. I hope you enjoy the next instalment.

Once again, my beta 41319always41319 has worked her magic on this chapter. It's taken a little longer to write, because I wanted to get it just right.

I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 14: The New Normal

'Come on, come on, come on,' Alexis chanted at her house keys. In her rush to unlock the loft door, Alexis dropped the offending objects and let out a growl of frustration. Bending down to pick them up, she could still hear her parents' muffled arguing, and the young woman's anxiety was increasing the longer it took to open the door.

Alexis realised Lanie was right when the ME asked her earlier in the day if she'd noticed Kate acting strangely the past couple of days. The young woman assured Lanie that Kate was fine when she left home this morning, a little more clingy than usual, but Alexis was now used to Kate's inconsistent, yet overly exuberant, displays of motherly affection. And Alexis always held onto that tiny glimmer of hope that her mom was pregnant.

Finally finding the loft key, Alexis slid the key home and unlocked the door.

Both Beckett and Castle looked up from the couch, and watched their daughter practically fall over the threshold. 'Alexis?!' her mom exclaimed.

'Sweetheart, are you okay?' followed the concerned voice of her dad.

'Dad, Kate,' Alexis greeted while shuffling uncomfortably under the scrutiny of her parents. 'What's going on?'

Alexis watched her mom and dad turn to each other and have a silent conversation before facing their daughter again. 'Nothing,' came their joint reply.

'Are you sure? I heard you guys arguing from the hallway.'

'Baby, we weren't arguing,' Kate assured.

'Yes, we were.'

'No, Castle, we weren't.'

'Actually Beckett, we were.'

'No, we weren't,' Kate exclaimed, turning back to her husband.

'I don't know, Beckett, it sounds like we're arguing to me.' Rick challenged while gesturing between them.

Alexis stood on the landing and watched her parents argue back and forth about whether or not they were arguing. 'Guys!' the young woman finally yelled in frustration.

'What!' Alexis jumped slightly when her parents turned their attention back to her.

'You wanna tell me what's going on?' Alexis asked in frustration. 'And don't say it's nothing because clearly it's something.' Alexis quickly walked towards the living room while divesting herself of her scarf and coat. The young woman dumped her bag, along with her discarded clothing, on the floor before sitting on the coffee table opposite her parents. 'Okay, talk.' Alexis struggled to keep her smile in check as Captain Beckett eyeballed her from her position on the couch.

'The last time I checked, Alexis,' her dad chastised. 'You were the child and we were the parents.' Normally Alexis would've backed down from her father's unusually terse tone, but there was something about his facial expression that assured her he was only having fun.

'Actually dad, the way I see it,' Alexis challenged. 'We're three adults co-habiting under the same roof, very well, I might add, and as one of those adults, I'm just concerned about the welfare of the other two. The fact that you're my parents is irrelevant.'

Kate had to turn away in order to hide her smile from her husband's perplexed look. 'Spoken like a true lawyer,' Rick grumbled. 'You sure you don't want to go back to school and become one?' Rick queried.

Alexis just rolled her eyes and sighed. 'No, dad, we've already established I want to become a cop,' the young woman reiterated and sat forward, resting her elbows on her knees and clasping her hands. Rick chanced a glance at his wife and did a double take at how expertly his daughter was imitating Captain Beckett. 'Now, I'm happy if you don't want to talk about what I overheard out in the hall,' Alexis continued. 'But do you really want me going up to my room to conjure up all manner of worse case scenarios? I mean, with my history of anxiety attacks, there's a high probability of undoing the last twelve months of therapy.'

'She's got us there, Castle,' Kate teased, giving her husband a sympathetic smile. 'Henry doesn't stand a chance' Kate thought to herself. Her daughter was perfecting her interrogation techniques with alarming ease.

'You're playing dirty,' Rick complained.

'Dad,' Alexis sighed.

'Castle.'

'What? She is,' Rick defended as he turned to his wife for backup, and not for the first time since entering the loft, Alexis felt something was off. 'You guys are up to something', she thought to herself. 'Fine I can play along.'

Alexis shifted her butt and reached down to remove the lumpy object she was sitting on. Looking at the pile of crime scene photos she retrieved, it suddenly occurred to Alexis. Her parents were discussing a case. 'Wait, are you guys working on a case? Is that why you're fighting?' With her rush to enter the loft, Alexis hadn't noticed the documents and crime scene photos spread over the coffee table and floor before she sat down.

'Yes.'

'No.'

Alexis looked from one parent to the next with suspicion. 'Well what is it, yes or no?'

'Yes,' her dad groaned and slumped against the back the couch.

'We're just having a difference of opinion,' Kate assured, squeezing Rick's arm with affection. 'Your dad's convinced my case is connected to his latest investigation.'

'And you don't think it is.' Alexis surmised, her mom nodding in affirmation.

'No, I don't,' Kate confirmed. 'But hey, as long as you're here, maybe you can help us work out a couple of inconsistencies your father and I can't agree on.' Kate elbowed her husband in the ribs when he failed to respond.

'Ow,' Rick complained as he sat up rubbing his side. 'Yeah, Alexis. How about having a go at solving a real life homicide?'

'Dad, at the rate it's going with recruiting, I'll be lucky to become a cop before I'm old and grey,' Alexis complained. The young woman was so distracted looking at the crime scene photos, she missed the knowing look between her parents.

'Well, think of it as practice for the real thing,' her mom encouraged.

Alexis screwed her nose up and looked suspiciously at her parents. 'You want me to develop a theory with you?' the young woman shuddered. 'Sorry guys, but that's just way too Jerry Springer for me.'

'What?!'

'Oh God Alexis, oh that is…..'

'Seriously?'

'Ewww!'

Alexis couldn't help it, she burst out laughing. 'Oh my gosh, you two are hilarious….you should have seen your faces...,' Alexis struggled to catch her breath. 'Ewww…..' she mimicked, pointing at her dad, which only sent the young redhead off into another fit of giggles.

'Yeah, yeah, pick on your old man,' Rick complained. 'But seriously, we could use your help.'

'Your dad's right, sweetheart,' Kate agreed. Alexis watched on as Kate bent down and shuffled through the pile of documents on the floor in front of her. 'I picked up the lab results and autopsy report from Lanie this morning, but we're struggling to find a connection between the results, and the victim's cause of death, and…ah ha!' Kate exclaimed after finding the offending document and waving it in the air triumphantly. 'And I'm hoping you can help decipher the blood work for me.'

'Sure,' Alexis shrugged and leaned over to take the lab reports from her mom. 'So you were at the morgue this morning?' Alexis kept her tone light, so as not to tip off her mom. She knew Kate was up to something.

'Yeah…the ah…the boys were busy, and I had to catch up with Lanie anyway.'

'I must have just missed you then.'

'Pumpkin, the lab results?' her dad reminded her.

'Right. So you say the cause of death doesn't match the lab results?' Alexis asked suspiciously. 'How was the victim killed?'

'He was stabbed.'

'He was shot.'

Kate rolled her eyes. 'He was stabbed…..then shot.'

'Seriously?' Alexis asked.

'Pumpkin, you really need to stop doing that thing with your eyebrow, because it's really creepy,' her dad whined, but Alexis just shook her head at the weird way her dad was gesturing towards his face before turning back towards her mom.

'Castle, stay on track.' Kate hissed and looked back at her daughter.

Alexis gave her mom a tight smile before starting again. 'Okay, so let me get this straight. Your guy was stabbed…and shot,' Alexis asked, indicating to her mom. 'Well no wonder you're having difficulty matching the lab results to your cause of death. According to the blood work, your victim should be in the American Journal of Medicine.'

'Why's that?' Kate asked in confusion.

'Well, based on your victim's elevated hCG levels, he's the first pregnant man in history.'

'Really?' Kate asked in surprise.

'Well, that explains a lot,' Rick agreed, and Kate just managed to stifle her laugh at her husband's exaggerated response.

'And another thing,' Alexis continued. 'If your victim was indeed shot….and stabbed, I don't understand why a full chem panel was ordered.'

Kate looked at her daughter in confusion. 'What do you mean?'

'The guy's dead mom. I don't think he has to worry about his blood count, or his iron and blood sugar levels, any time soon. Are you sure Lanie gave you the correct lab results?' Alexis started shuffling through the paperwork her mom had handed to her, trying to find any possible errors to explain the mistake.

'Well, I trust the guys at the morgue,' Kate answered. 'Castle, can you double check the vic's name for me?' Alexis was too busy reading through the report to witness the conspiring grins between her parents. She also missed the show her dad was putting on trying to find the victim's name from the pile of papers on the floor.

'Ah victim's name….victim's name…it's got to be here….oh here we are,' Rick stated triumphantly. 'Victim's name is…oh, now that can't be right.'

'What can't be right, babe?' Kate asked in concern.

'Well, according to the file, the victim was Malcolm Reynolds.'

Alexis looked up from her report in surprise. 'Wow dad, that's some sort of weird coincidence. Is that really his name?'

'Well according to the victim's ID, it is,' her dad confirmed, but Alexis continued to play along with whatever game her parents were playing.

'Honey, what's the name on the lab results?' Kate asked.

'Umm..' Alexis shuffled through the documents again until she came to the coversheet. 'Kath….oh,' Alexis was suddenly struggling to see through the sudden onset of tears, and clasped a hand over her mouth.

'Sorry, baby, I didn't catch that,' Alexis heard her mom say softly.

'Katherine Houghton Castle,' Alexis replied, trying to supress her sob. 'Is this real? It's not made up? You're really pregnant?' she asked, clutching the lab results to her chest.

'I'm really pregnant,' Kate whispered, voice hoarse with emotion. She felt her husband wrap his arm around her, pull her close, and place a loving kiss on her mass of curls. Turning to him, Kate captured Rick's lips in a searing kiss, and it surprised her once again, how utterly besotted she was with her husband.

'Ah guys, I really don't need a re-enactment of the blessed event,' Alexis groused, her voice thick with tears.

'Sorry,' her dad apologised as he and Kate moved apart, both flushed with embarrassment and arousal. Kate and Rick watched their daughter, who'd gone back to studying the lab results. 'What's going through that head of yours, Pumpkin?' her dad asked.

Alexis looked at her dad and then to her mom, taking a few extra seconds to try and put her jumbled thoughts together. 'I um….it's been a running joke in this family for so long, I was starting to think it was never going to happen,' the young woman whispered. 'I'm happy.' Alexis assured. 'I'm finally going to be a big sister,' she smiled, but quickly turned her attention back the lab results. Kate and Rick watched on as Alexis placed the report on her thigh and reverently smoothed the wrinkles from the paper.

'Baby, please be honest about what you're thinking.' The young woman could hear the worry in her mom's voice, and looked up from her task and gave her parents her most confident look.

'You're going to be a mom.'

'I'm already a mom.'

'Yeah, but a real one.'

'I'm already a real one.'

'I don't know how to…..part of me is so happy, actually most of me is really happy,' Alexis assured. 'But there's this one tiny part that's jealous,' Alexis whispered and looked down to hide her blush of embarrassment.

'Sweetheart….'

'I know dad, I have no reason to be jealous. I'm twenty-two. I'm an adult with a great job, and wonderful friends, and a boyfriend.' Alexis slapped her hand over her mouth at her admission.

'Oh, was that meant to be a secret?' her mom teased.

'Actually, sweetheart, I was going to say that it's perfectly normal for you to be jealous,' her dad clarified. 'But if you want to tell us more about this boyfriend of yours, like when we're finally going to meet Henry, I'm all ears.' Alexis shook her head and blushed at her dad's cheeky grin.

'I've met him,' Kate teased.

'Not fair,' her dad complained.

'Can we talk about Henry later?' Alexis begged. 'So, when are you due?'

Kate was slightly taken aback by Alexis' matter of fact, almost clinical tone. While the young woman was independent and very mature for her age, Kate could clearly see the insecure little girl lurking behind her daughter's eyes. Turning to her right, Kate cleared the documents off the couch next to her and tossed them on the floor. 'Come here,' Kate held out her left hand while patting the couch with her right.

Alexis hesitated. While she was happy she was going to finally become a big sister, Alexis also couldn't help but feel like she was suddenly an outsider. 'Sweetheart?' Alexis looked towards her dad when she heard the concern in his voice. 'Honey, it's normal to feel unsure about change, and it's also okay to feel insecure. You've been an only child for twenty-two years. And over the last twelve months, I've watched you build up this wonderful relationship with Kate while maturing into an amazing young woman. But I've also worried that after being your dad for twenty-two years, you don't need me anymore.'

'Oh dad, no,' Alexis quickly assured.

'And now you want to join the NYPD, and there's Henry,' her dad continued. Rick wanted to show that he too was struggling to deal with the changes in his little girl's life and the effect it was having on him. 'And lately, I've been feeling like an outsider.'

'No dad, you'll never be an outsider, I promise.'

Rick smiled softly at this daughter. 'Sweetheart, this baby is going to be a wonderful addition to our family,' Rick turned to his wife. 'I love you so much. This baby is a precious gift, not only to each other, but to your dad, my mother,' Rick turned back to his daughter after gently kissing his wife. 'And to you as well, Alexis.'

'I know dad. It's just that…..we've talked and joked about this for so long, and I've wanted to be a big sister for as long as I can remember.' Alexis turned to her mom and gave Kate a tremulous smile. 'Kate, you and I have talked in the past about how a baby won't change our relationship, but you weren't pregnant then, and now you are.' Alexis was becoming frustrated at not being able to get her thoughts out correctly.

'Alexis, please come here,' Kate implored.

Alexis stood up to move towards the couch where she gingerly sat next to her mom. 'I'm pregnant, not dying,' Kate grumbled, and pulled her daughter into her arms.

'I'm really happy, Kate,' Alexis whispered and gently wound herself around her mom, burying her head in her mom's neck. 'Thank you.'

'What about me? I helped too,' Rick grumbled.

'Thank you too, dad,' Alexis giggled.

'Your dad and I are really happy too,' Kate murmured. 'We're expanding our family, and I'm going to need all the help I can get from you when your little brother gets here,' her mom admitted.

'We're going to need all the help we can get,' Rick reiterated. 'It's been a long time since I've had to take care of a baby.'

Alexis sat back and looked incredulously at her mom. 'Kate, you're barely six weeks along, how do you know it's a boy?'

'Yes Kate, how do you know it's a boy?' Rick challenged.

'Hang on, Alexis, how do you know I'm only six weeks along?' Kate asked.

'Well, you never went and saw Lanie on Christmas day, or before you and dad went away for New Years, so the trip to your dad's cabin, that weekend must have done the trick…..eewww….I can't believe I just said that,' Alexis groaned.

'Castle, what the hell are you teaching our kid when she goes to work with you?'

'What are you blaming me for, you're the one helping her join the NYPD,' Rick argued.

Alexis sat and watched her mom and dad start bickering again, but instead of anxiety, the young woman felt the protective love her parent's felt for her. 'Um guys, you do know I'm smart in my own right, don't you?' Alexis complained.

'Of course we do,' her dad assured her. 'You get it from me.'

'Seriously, Castle?'

'Dad, do you really want to start arguing nature verses nurture?' Alexis sassed. 'Let's just say dad, you provided the inherited intelligence and early nurturing, and Kate helped you mould me into the person I am today.'

Kate and Rick looked at their daughter in stunned silence. 'Castle, I don't think she gets it from either one of us,' Kate teased.

'I think you're right,' Rick sighed.

'Well father dear, I have told you in the past, that genius skips a generation,' Alexis smiled cheekily.

'And we want to do this again?' her mom questioned, turning to her husband.

'And again. We need three, remember?' Rick reminded his wife, making her giggle as he kissed her neck.

'Castle, can we get through this one first?' Kate laughed.

'Good idea,' Rick agreed. 'Oh, unless we're having twins,' he said while waggling his eyebrows. Alexis just rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the smile of affection she was giving her dad.

'Castle, don't even go there!' Kate exclaimed, slapping him on the arm. 'And September.'

'Hu?' Alexis queried.

Kate pulled back from her husband, and turned to Alexis. 'Best guess, until my first OBGYN appointment. Lanie's pretty sure my due date is late September,' her mom clarified.

'Oh, right, of course,' Both Kate and Rick sat and watched their daughter. They could literally see the cogs wiring away in the young woman's head. 'What made you go see Lanie this morning?' Alexis asked.

'When I realised I didn't have food poisoning or a stomach bug….and….I was late,' her mom blushed.

'And apart from Lanie and me...?' Alexis hedged.

'You and Lanie are the only people who know for now,' her dad assured. He too picked up on his little girl's insecurity. 'We're going to tell Mother and Jim in the next couple of days,' Rick clarified.

'But we want to wait till the end of my first trimester before telling anyone else. Although I'm sure Kevin's going to figure it out sooner rather than later.' Kate finished. 'Apart from my OBGYN, I need to see my cardiologist. Regardless of how physically healthy I am, because of my shooting, any pregnancy is going to be high risk.' Kate saw Alexis flinch at the mention of her shooting.

'Okay….and thank you,' Alexis sighed then smiled. The familiar sting of tears was back again. 'It's just that,' Alexis continued when she saw her parent's concerned looks. 'I had this irrational fear that when you found out you were pregnant, you'd just invite everyone over at the three month mark, and tell everybody at once. And I'd just be another person in the room.' Alexis felt the blush of embarrassment creep up her neck. 'It's stupid, I know.'

'No baby girl, it's not,' her mom assured, pulling her daughter into her side again, placing a loving kiss on Alexis' forehead.

'We would never have even considered doing that, pumpkin,' her dad agreed, squeezing his daughter's hand where it rested on her mom's stomach. 'You're our daughter and the most important person in both your mom's and my life, don't ever doubt that.'

'Okay,' Alexis whispered. 'So is this a real case you're working on, or is this the new normal? Is this how you guys are going to tell me important things from now on?' Alexis asked. 'Because I'm thinking Pictionary would probably be easier,' Alexis teased.

'Normal way,' Kate shrugged.

'I had fun,' her dad joked.

Alexis sat back from her mom and looked at her parents with suspicion again. 'How'd you know when I'd be home?' she questioned. 'You didn't just plan all this today, did you?'

Kate and Rick looked at each other, and Kate indicated for Rick to take the lead. 'Well, your Grandmother set the bar the night you visited Kate's apartment.'

'And of course, your dad being your dad, had to raise the bar,' Kate continued.

'You make me sound so competitive,' Rick grumbled.

'Babe, you are.' Kate justified, turning to face her husband.

'Yes, but it was you who suggested setting this up like a case we were arguing over.'

'And you were more than happy to turn it into something rivalling a Derek Storm novel.'

'Ah guys? I can come back later if you like,' Alexis groused.

Rick placed a loving kiss on his wife's forehead. 'Love you, so damn much,' he whispered.

'Love you more.'

'Gee, if I didn't know where babies came from before, I sure do now,' Alexis teased. 'How about I just give you guys the room and I'll see you….say tomorrow morning?' Alexis went to move off the couch, but her mom grabbed her wrist before the young woman could stand up.

'Sorry,' her mom blushed and pulled Alexis into her arms again. 'I deliberately had Lanie keep you out of the morgue this morning so she could run a pregnancy test for me. That's why you didn't see me.' Kate explained. 'Once we had the results, and cried like a couple of babies, I asked Lanie to call me when you left work tonight, and then I went straight to your dad's office to ah…..'

'Yeah, yeah, yeah.' Alexis grumbled.

'Anyway,' her dad continued. 'Kate and I'd already had an idea of how we wanted you to work out you were going to a big sister.'

'I already had a case file on me, so I called Gates at 1PP and begged off sick for the rest of the day….to celebrate.'

'And we asked Gerard to let us know when you entered the lobby,' her dad finished.

'And now you're going to have a little brother.'

'Or sister,' Rick countered.

'Maybe the twin route wouldn't be such a bad thing after all,' Alexis sassed. 'You know, one of each, just to curb both of your competitive streaks...ow mom!' Alexis shrieked and struggled against her mom's arms when Kate dug her fingers into her daughter's ribs. 'Okay, okay, no more talk about twins, I promise,' Alexis laughed. 'Why are you so convinced you're going to have a boy?' Alexis asked.

'Just a feeling,' her mom replied. 'My dad told me that my mom knew she was going to have a girl from the moment she found out she was pregnant with me.' Kate felt Rick move to envelope her in his arms, and Alexis snuggled further into her mom's embrace. While it didn't take the pain away of not having her mom with her during the pregnancy, the protective cocoon her family had her wrapped in helped dull the ache.

'Okay, so it's a boy until proven otherwise,' Alexis sighed and closed her eyes. 'How'd you know I wasn't going out with Henry tonight?' she queried. 'Oh God, you called him?' Alexis grumbled and sat up again, giving her mom an accusing look.

'And?' her mom teased.

'We had to make sure you were going to come home,' her dad justified.

'Please tell me you didn't intimidate him,' Alexis begged.

'Well how about you invite him over for dinner one night, and we can find out if we intimidated him or not,' Rick asked.

'I'll invite him over, I promise. Just give us a little more time, okay?'

'Baby, we're only teasing,' her mom assured, and squeezed her daughter's hand. 'You invite Henry over when you're both ready, okay? Your dad and I know what it's like to be in a new relationship and in love and not wanting to share it with anyone,' she smiled softly and felt her husband place a loving kiss on the side of her head.

'Who said anything about being in love?' Alexis blushed under the scrutiny of her parents. 'I really, really like him, and at the moment, we're just having fun getting to know each other.'

'Sounds perfect,' her dad smiled.

'So, is there anything else you need to tell me? Do I need to go on a treasure hunt looking for clues?' Alexis asked.

'There is one more thing,' her mom said.

Both women looked towards Rick as he rose from the couch. 'I'm going to start dinner.' Bending down he placed a loving kiss on his wife's forehead before moving to his daughter. Alexis stood and allowed her dad to pull her into a hug. 'Love you, pumpkin,' he whispered before stepping back.

'Love you too, dad,' Alexis watched her dad walk towards the kitchen before sitting next to her mom again. 'Is everything okay?' the young woman asked Kate with concern.

'Honey, everything's fine,' her mom assured. 'Your dad wanted this conversation to be just between you and me,' Kate reached behind her and grabbed an envelope that was sitting on the cabinet behind the couch and handed it to Alexis.

Alexis took in the official NYPD insignia on the top right hand corner and looked at her mom in confusion. 'I swear, I didn't do it,' were the first words out of her mouth.

Kate couldn't help but laugh. 'I don't know, you've got a pretty guilty look going on there,' her mom teased. 'Just open it,' Kate shoulder bumped her daughter in encouragement.

'What's in it?' Alexis questioned.

'It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, now would it?'

Alexis ripped open the envelope and cautiously removed the contents. Unfolding the paper, Alexis briefly noted the official NYPD logo before moving onto the body of the letter. 'I don't understand?' Alexis questioned, and looked back at her mom. 'I thought all recruitment testing was frozen?'

'Well, officially it is,' Kate confirmed. 'You have the Mayor and Deputy Commissioner Gates to thank for this,' her mom explained. 'One of the knock-on effects of the recruitment freeze was a large proportion of previous applicants got tired of waiting to hear if they'd been successful, and decided not to pursue a career in law enforcement,' Kate explained. 'The remainder will go through the recruitment process over the coming months, and those who are successful will go on to the Academy intake in June this year, and January next year. Now, this date is just for you to sit the civil service exam,' Kate cautioned. 'The rest is up to you and the NYPD, okay?'

'You guys didn't have to do this for me,' Alexis whispered, looking down at the paper and memorising the testing date. 'Thank you.'

'Surely you know by now, your dad and I would do anything for you?'

Alexis looked at her mom, and saw the sincerity in Kate's eyes. 'Yeah, I do,' the young woman smiled and rested against her mom as Kate pulled her into her arms. She was looking forward to the new normal.