When Alexis and Kate round the corner, Charles looks up immediately. It's not exactly a guilty face, but something like the slightly abashed smirk of a party crasher caught at the open bar. As they draw closer, he lifts his grandson a few inches off his lap, bouncing him lightly with a ghost of a smile on his lips. On the other side of the glass, Castle's back is to them, crouched by a little mini-fridge in the corner of the nursery, oblivious to the new arrivals.
"Fancy meeting you here." Kate hopes she's coming off more casual than she feels.
"About that-" Charles begins, but Kate waves him off, nodding in her husband's direction.
"Castle raiding their mini-fridge? I swear, I can't take him anywhere."
Charles might have laughed at that, but for Alexis. His oldest grandchild kneels close enough to touch, but so far only has eyes for the baby squirming in his lap. Alexis brushes a hand over Ethan's head, shushing the boy and smoothing out the angry wrinkles forming on his tiny brow. Finally, she spares her grandfather a long, uncomfortable, appraising look as Ethan winds up to a full, newborn-sized wail.
Alexis holds out her hands and Charlie surrenders the baby without a word. Alexis cuddles Ethan to her chest, and presses a whisper of a kiss to his wrinkled brow, and then the soft spot on top of his head. She held her newborn brother a couple of hours ago, shortly after he arrived; she almost came undone then, overcome with an emotion she's never felt before. For over 20 years it was just her, and it never bothered her to be an only child. In a way, she and her father had grown up together; she always had someone to play with and dream with, and she just didn't want for a sibling all that much. But earlier, when Kate watched as her father shooed her into the rocking chair to lay her baby brother in her arms? Alexis could scarcely breathe around the urgent swell of emotion.
Even now, as the baby's pulse beats strong against her cheek, tears burn at the back of her eyes. Apparently Kate isn't the only one so easily moved tonight. In the sweetest, most soothing tone, Alexis speaks to her baby brother.
"We're so glad Grandpa Charlie is here, aren't we, Ethan? We want him to know just how excited we are to see him. And we also want Grandpa Charlie to know that your big sister Alexis has worked for the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for nearly four years. And if Grandpa Charlie is a bad man instead of a good man, and he's here to hurt Daddy instead of help Daddy, then Grandpa Charlie oughtta know that he's not the only one who knows people." Alexis drives that home with a glare. "And if we have to take Grandpa Charlie out, nobody will ever go to jail for it, will they?"
Ethan settles and coos, struggling to focus in on the face producing, words notwithstanding, so angelic a sound.
Charlie has the good sense to remain silent. And look highly uncomfortable.
Kate has to bite down on her lips to not to diminish the weight of the moment by smiling. She had no idea this was coming, and wonders how this is going to work its way around to a dinner invitation, but she can't fault her step-daughter's execution, which is simultaneously tender and terrifying. The man before her actually looks a little nauseous. Kate is beyond proud. Alexis Castle, bad cop. Who knew?
Alexis pins her grandfather to the wall with another withering stare. "We're all willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, but my dad is the sweetest, most generous guy in the world, and I won't let you take advantage of that. There are people a lot scarier than me who won't stand for it. You started this, so you better do it right. He deserves the best you have to give, and so does my Gram."
Charles lifts a trembling hand to cup Alexis' hand where it supports the baby's head. It's the first time he's ever touched his oldest grandchild. Alexis grits her teeth, determined to give no quarter, even though she's fairly sure Charles can tell she's shaking, too. For his part, Charles closes his eyes against it all for a moment, overwhelmed. This is worse than walking into the chapel, if that's possible. The way Alexis is protecting Richard, it's an impulse he can appreciate. If they can get past this initial death threat of hers, he and Alexis will be very good friends.
The older man clears his throat; when he finally speaks, it's softly, and with great conviction. "I've never wanted anything but the best for Richard and Martha. For a long time that definitely wasn't me. I'm still not convinced it is, but on my life, I'm only here to make the best of the time we have, now that I can do it without putting them in harm's way."
Alexis sniffs, her rigid defenses softening a little. "As long as we're on the same page." She stands with Ethan in her arms. She brushes an Eskimo kiss across the baby's nose and turns toward Kate, just as Castle emerges from the nursery.
"Hey, guess we don't need this now?"Castle waves the little pre-measured bottle of Enfamil at his wife. "You were zonked out, and he's starving."
"Yeah, I think I'll give him another go," Kate says. "I'm about to explode."
Castle, nearly as tired as his wife, allows his gaze to drop and linger in the vicinity of Kate's chest, for a moment. "Right," he agrees, nodding stupidly, unable to dream up a good joke or innuendo. His attention takes a drowsy slide in his daughter's direction. "Oh!" he exclaims, just now registering her presence. "I'm sorry, Alexis, this is-"
"Taken care of," Kate interrupts. "We're all introduced."
"Right," Alexis nods, trying to appear more sunny than murderous. "Oh, and hey," she turns to Charles again. "Don't let that keep you from coming to dinner on Saturday night. In fact, I insist."
"That's right," Kate dives in, relieved. "Command performance. Seven o'clock. Whole family will be there."
"I..." Charles tamps down a flash of shock, looking from Alexis to Kate and back again. "I...I can do that."
A little wrinkle forms between Castle's eyebrows as he replays what he just heard. Don't let that keep you? He shoots his wife a querying look. Kate smiles and looks him in the eye – just go with it. He can scarcely argue when Kate is so certain and he's the one so entirely confused. He nods vigorously. "Great, all settled then."
Alexis turns to Kate. "Do you want him?"
"Yes, but honestly, I'm afraid I'll drop him on his head. And just look at what that can do to you," she says, tossing a smirk back at Castle.
"You're killing me here you're so funny."
Kate turns, swaying in a way she hopes look more like art than sheer exhaustion. She lays a hand aside her husband's face. "You look just fine to me." He smiles, and she's overcome with a want to kiss her way up to the crinkles at the corners of his eyes. Since they have an audience and that audience is Charles (Alexis has seen far worse, far too often) she settles for dropping a light kiss on his lips, lingering for a few seconds to feel his grin broaden under her touch.
His mock indignation having completely vanished, Castle can't help but flirt her when she's so near. "You shouldn't look this fantastic right now. It violates some law of nature that only hours after giving birth you should look like a supermodel and you're ready to pull the ears off a gundark."
"The reference is "strong enough to pull the ears off a gundark." Kate clarifies with a superior quirk of her eyebrow. "And there are wonderful, restorative powers in a good shower...and a heart-to-heart with the eldest Castle child."
"You're all sci-fi nerdy, it's so hot." Castle bumps noses, about to dive in for another kiss.
Kate only manages another little peck and half-way falls into him, nose in the crease of his shoulder. "I don't feel so hot."
"You deliberately misunderstand me, woman," Castle growls good-naturedly at his wife as she hums into his shirt.
A couple of feet outside of their temporary bubble, Alexis is groaning. She casts a sideways look at Charles who remains seated on the floor, studying them all with an expression on his face that looks a lot like wonder. "It's like this all the time," Alexis informs her grandfather, temporarily forgetting to be stern. "It's been years and I can't even bring friends by the loft, it's so embarrassing."
"Hush, you," Castle orders his daughter. His left arm is around Kate, and the formula in his right. He tugs his daughter's sleeve with a free finger so she and Ethan are wrapped in to a four-way family hug with him and Kate. For a moment, with their heads huddled together, the only thing that moves them is the inhale and exhale of their breathing. And then, Ethan lets loose a tiny, hungry howl.
"And that's my cue." Kate pushes back with a rueful chuckle. She takes Alexis lightly by the arm and pulls her along down the hall. "See you Saturday, Charlie," Kate tosses back through a yawn.
Alexis waves at the two men over her shoulder, most of her attention on the squalling infant.
Castle watches them go, still eying the empty hallway after his family is out of sight. With no baby to distract them, the awkwardness he's afraid may dwell with this relationship for a while descends on them again. He looks around to Charles, who has been watching the women leave too, and now wears the same what now? expression as his son.
Charles clears his throat. "You'd better go, son. I found my way in, I know my way out."
"Yeah," Castle replies, finally looking down at his father. "Here, let me help you up."
"Thanks." Charles takes his outstretched hand and groans a little on the way up. He shakes his knee out and tests putting weight on it, before finally letting go of Richard's hand. Off to his right, the exit sign glows orange, pulling is attention away for a moment. It's funny, how for over 40 years, it's the first thing Charles looks for in a building, the way out. It's the first time he's looked for one tonight. Maybe that's progress.
While his father is contemplating escape, Rick is studying a scuff on the toe of his left shoe. And the seam in the white tile floor. And the tiny ravel starting on the cuff of his jeans. "So you'll come to dinner? I know it's short notice, it's okay if you can't." Richard finally blurts out.
Charles is drawn back from his musings with a grin for his son. "I'll be there. I think I can stay the week, and if not, I'll fly back. It's not a big problem."
Something shifts in Rick's expression, and Charles silently curses himself. "I want to, you know. I'm glad they asked. Please don't read anything into my word choice, not for a while. I'm really out of the habit of...of being thoughtful about how I respond. It's my shortcoming to work on. I'll get better, I promise."
"Okay." Castle scrubs a hand over his face. "We'll look forward to it, dinner. Or at least we'll all get through it and see what's next."
"That's more than I have a right to hope for."
Castle just shakes his head, unsure if there's anything to be gained by responding to that. He settles for extending a hand again, which Charles Trent meets with an eager grip.
"You have a pretty incredible family there, Richard. I can see how happy it makes you. I'm glad for it."
It's Charlie's family, too, his son knows, if the man really wants it. One more piece added to the puzzle...just maybe. "Thank you," is all Castle manages with a brief smile, wishing he felt free to say more, hoping there will be a time when the clench in his gut relaxes enough to let him. He glances away toward the hallway intersection that leads to Kate's room. "I'd better go."
"Absolutely," Charles agrees. "I need to get back to my hotel and make a couple of calls and get some sleep. Saturday...I'll be there. I mean it."
Castle has gotten good at reading people, but feels off his game knowing Charles has probably done a lot of very convincing lying during his years at the agency. Still, all the younger man is reading is sincere, sincere, sincere. In his reply, he gives his father what he can. "I want believe that."
"Like I said," Charles says in parting, "more than I deserve." He makes for the exit without another word, and without turning to see if Richard is watching him go. In a way, he doesn't want to know.
