Author's Note: Without further ado, the next chapter.

The Best-Laid Plans

Chapter 26

That Saturday was the day Castle would be taking Alexis to Princeton for the start of her summer program.

Mindful of that, Kate sent Castle home early on Friday afternoon, since they didn't have an active case, telling him to go enjoy the last full day of having Alexis at home and help her to pack. Kate herself went home to her own apartment after her shift was over and ate her dinner in solitary state, heroically resisting the urge to go over to the loft so Castle and Alexis could have their dinner alone. She resisted until it was almost 10 at night at which point she finally gave in and went over to the loft, telling herself she was only going over to see if Castle needed comforting or cheering up and not only because she didn't really want to sleep alone without him. (Sure, keep telling yourself that, Kate, a little voice in her mind inserted.)

She used her key and let herself into the loft as quietly as she could, thinking she might be able to surprise him. She found, however, that her attempt at stealth turned out to be unnecessary as a quick survey showed her that neither Castle nor Alexis was on the first floor of the loft. A quick pause at the foot of the stairs told her that they were upstairs, presumably in Alexis's room as Alexis packed. She could just hear the faint tones of Castle's voice.

She smiled to herself. Well, she could still surprise him.

She retreated into his–their–bedroom, pausing in his office to stow her gun in the safe and grab a book from Castle's shelves. In the bedroom, she retrieved yoga pants and a loose sleep shirt from her drawer, changing and completing her nightly ablutions. That done, she curled up on her side of the bed, a pillow propped up behind her back, to wait for Castle.

It was less than 10 minutes before she heard Castle's footsteps in the office and looked up as he walked in, looking somewhat dejected. But the moment he saw her, his expression lit. "Beckett! What are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd inspect your mattress," she drawled. "Unless you have some objections?"

He laughed. "Have I mentioned that you have the best ideas?"

He then proceeded to show her with his mouth and his hands and his body just how very pleased he was to see her.

Some time later, she lazed in their bed, shamelessly watching his naked form as he retreated into the bathroom to clean himself up and then returned to her. She might be too sated, thoroughly worn out with pleasure, to really want to do anything (well, mostly, although by now she also knew he could persuade her easily) but she still liked looking at him. Liked, too, the knowledge that he, this sight of him in all his male, well, beauty for lack of a better word, was all hers, only hers.

At least for now.

She inwardly frowned, her peace a little disturbed at the insidious interjection of her lingering fears. It was getting harder to imagine that she would ever get tired of him, not just physically but in every sense, but part of her couldn't imagine, couldn't believe, that the same would–could–hold true for him too. She'd never had much luck with relationships before. And Castle was… so much more than anyone else she'd ever been with.

She wasn't sure how but somehow, as if he sensed a shift in her mood, for once, he didn't smirk or make some cocky comment about her ogling him, only paused a little before rejoining her in the bed. "Everything okay?"

She pushed aside her nebulous fears. "Yes, just enjoying your mattress."

He huffed a laugh as he rejoined her in the bed. "My bed is honored by your approval," he told her with the oddly formal turn of phrase he occasionally used in jest, writer that he was. He tugged her closer, where she went willingly, nestling against his side. It still rather surprised her a little how much she liked this closeness since she'd never been one for much cuddling before, had always disliked feeling confined, but somehow, with Castle, at least so far, she didn't seem to mind at all. It might change at some point (she half expected it would) but for now, she was fine enjoying it.

"Did Alexis finish her packing?" she asked as he settled his arm around her, his lips brushing the back of her ear.

"Yes, eventually, although I have to say that clearly Alexis has inherited my mother's tendency to over-pack. I think Alexis is taking half the contents of her room with her."

"You're not exactly the lightest packer yourself."

"I'm a man. By definition, I can pack lightly. At least, more so than either my mother or Alexis."

She scoffed. "I don't think it works like that but I'll agree that you are a lighter packer than Martha."

"Such a concession," he returned dryly. "You're too kind."

"Would you rather I lied to you?"

"To spare my ego? Yes."

She nudged him. "Nice try. Your ego is healthy enough without any help from me."

He affected a sigh. "Between you, my mother, and my daughter, it's amazing I still have an ego at all."

"That's because your ego is amazingly impervious."

His feigned deep sigh feathered against her hair. "Mean."

"You like that about me," she returned.

"What can I say, I'm just a weirdo like that."

"At least you know it. Admitting it is half the battle."

He chuckled a little. "Go to sleep before you totally wreck my self-confidence."

She let her eyes close as she relaxed further into the mattress. "Good night, weirdo."

She sensed his slight smile, heard it in his voice. "Night, Miss Meanie."

She drifted into sleep with a faint smile lingering on her lips.

She woke up early out of habit the next morning, just after 6 a.m. She registered after a brief second that Castle's arm wasn't over her any longer although she could still feel his warmth against her back and she carefully turned over to see that Castle had rolled onto his back while sleeping, as he sometimes did. He was still sleeping soundly, she noted with warmth curling inside her. She didn't need to work that weekend so there was no reason for her to be awake that early. After another moment just watching him sleep–what, he was cute–she let her eyes close.

When she awoke again, it was to find that Castle was still sleeping. She squinted at the clock on the nightstand to see that it was now almost 7:30 and she resigned herself to not being able to fall back asleep after that.

She carefully and quietly slid out of bed and washed up before pulling on her discarded yoga pants from yesterday and retrieving one of Castle's old t-shirts from his drawer. It almost swamped her and she liked the way the faint scent of him seemed to have permeated the fabric so it still seemed to smell faintly like him even after being washed.

When she woke up first, she made the coffee, having now watched Castle enough to know how to work his ridiculously-complicated coffee machine.

When the coffee was done percolating, she poured two cups, smiling a little to herself at how oddly familiar it had already become to be preparing two cups of coffee, one for herself and one for Castle.

Both coffees in hand, she returned to their bedroom to wait for Castle to wake up, which she knew he would before long, helped by the smell of the coffee.

She had just finished her own cup of coffee when Castle stirred, blinking a few times before his eyes focused on her.

"Morning, Castle," she greeted him.

"Morning," he mumbled, his voice a little husky from sleep and she tried to ignore the way her stomach flipped in automatic reaction to his husky voice. He blinked again and then pushed himself upright. "Is that coffee?"

She smiled slightly as she held his cup out to him. "Very observant of you."

He accepted the coffee, leaning in to nuzzle a quick kiss to her cheek. "Mm, knew I liked you for a reason."

She bit back a laugh. "Because I made you coffee?"

He took a sip of his coffee. "Yes, among other things. Is there a better reason?"

She pretended to think about it. "I suppose not since I keep you around for the way you bring me coffee."

He threw her a smirk. "Good to know."

"What time were you thinking of leaving for Princeton?"

He made a face. "Did you have to ruin the mood by reminding me that Alexis is leaving?"

"Sorry," she returned not particularly apologetically since she could tell from his tone that he was only teasing–and she knew perfectly well that there was no way Castle would have forgotten for even a moment that Alexis was leaving today.

"We can leave sometime after breakfast. Alexis said she wants to get there by around lunchtime to give her time to get settled in before the official orientation stuff starts later this afternoon."

"That sounds like Alexis, sensible as always."

"You will come with us to Princeton, won't you?"

She blinked. "Come with you?" she parroted a little blankly. She hadn't been planning on it. "Don't you want to have the last couple hours alone with Alexis? I can manage a few hours alone."

He waved a hand as if to dismiss her objection. "Of course you can but I want you to come. You can keep me company on the drive back to the city after dropping Alexis off."

By which he meant, she guessed, keep him from moping too much after dropping Alexis off. "If Alexis is okay with it," she agreed after a moment.

"Why wouldn't she be okay with it?"

"Maybe she wants to talk to you about something before she leaves for the summer. I'm just saying, I don't want to intrude."

His expression softened a little and he leaned over to drop a kiss on her temple. "You could never intrude."

That wasn't true, she knew, but couldn't help but smile at the sentiment, leaning in to rest her head on his shoulder. She'd never dated anyone with a kid before and she had a healthy respect for Castle's relationship with Alexis and had already resolved to do her best not to intrude if at all possible but it made warmth bloom in her chest at Castle's transparent trust in her.

There was a brief pause as Castle drank his coffee.

She liked this too, she thought, this easy start to the day with him. When she'd pictured lazy mornings in bed with him before, she'd been imagining mutual nakedness, leisurely lovemaking followed by dozing, that sort of thing. She hadn't imagined this exactly, just sitting side by side with him with her dressed, at least sort of, but imagined or not, she liked it. It was so domestic, drinking their first coffees of the day together in bed, talking idly about the day to come.

It wasn't the sort of thing she could ever imagine doing with Will; both she and Will had been too busy when they'd been together to really have any lazy mornings but even if they'd had the time, Will had not been the type to ever linger in bed and she hadn't thought she was either but apparently, she'd been wrong about that.

Castle finished his coffee and set his mug down on his nightstand. "I suppose it's time to get going for the day." He sounded distinctly reluctant.

She hid a smile. "Enough lazing around, Castle. Alexis will probably be awake soon enough anyway."

He made a face. "I know. She's actually excited to be leaving for an educational program during her summer vacation. Where did I go wrong?"

She laughed and nudged him. "You don't fool me. You're bursting with pride. Now, up and at 'em, Castle. I can get started making breakfast while you shower."

"Just when I thought you couldn't get any hotter," he tossed back as he stood up.

"Flatterer." She tossed his discarded boxers from last night at him and he caught them with a smirk.

He vanished into the bathroom and she hurried to get dressed in real clothes, pulling on jeans and a casual shirt, before going back out into the kitchen to make good on her promise.

She made herself a second cup of coffee before getting started on making eggs, bacon, and toast. It was the second time she'd cooked a full breakfast here, she realized, the first time being the morning after her old apartment had exploded when Castle had insisted she stay here. She smiled to herself. If anyone had told her then that just a couple months later, she would be back here, making breakfast after spending the night in Castle's bed, she wouldn't have believed it, but here she was. Who knew that being so wrong about something could make her so happy?

Castle emerged before too long, wearing jeans and–she had to smile–a Batman t-shirt. His eyes lit as he saw her and the food already set out on the island. "Ooh, bacon!" He reached for a piece only to immediately drop it with a small hiss. "Ah, hot."

He came around the island to slide an arm around her shoulders and kiss her hair. "This looks amazing. Is there anything you can't do?"

She shot him an amused look. "Making scrambled eggs and bacon is hardly rocket science." Her tone was dry, although she was inwardly rather pleased at this evidence of Castle's unwavering belief in her.

His answer was to reach for a piece of egg and pop it into his mouth.

She sent him a mock frown. "What are you, a caveman? Use utensils. In fact, while you're at it, you might as well set the table."

He made a small face at her but did as she asked, setting the table, and also pouring more coffee for both of them, which emptied the first batch she'd made so he started making more coffee.

Alexis joined them just as Kate was setting the toast on the table. "Morning, Dad. Oh, hi, Kate." The girl didn't evince the slightest bit of surprise at finding Kate there.

"Good morning, Alexis. Are you all packed?" Kate greeted.

"Morning, pumpkin. Orange juice for you?"

"Yes, thanks, Dad," Alexis turned to Kate, making a face. I thought I was but then this morning, when I woke up, I remembered some other stuff I definitely want to bring with me so I need to rearrange things to fit more in."

Castle shot Kate a speaking look as if to say, I told you, before addressing his daughter. "You know, Alexis, you're only going to New Jersey, not the moon. Princeton isn't that far so if you get there and realize you forgot something you absolutely need, you can just call and I can bring it to you."

Alexis twisted her lips a little. "That's nice, Dad, but I couldn't ask you to do that. You have your own stuff to do and anyway, you're going on that book signing tour too."

Castle turned to Kate. "She says that now but I distinctly remember a few years ago, we forgot to pack Monkey Bunkey and didn't realize it until we'd already gotten to the Hamptons and Alexis was so upset, nothing would do but we turned right around and came back just to get him."

Alexis flushed almost as bright as her hair, shooting Castle an et tu Brute look. "Dad! That was almost 10 years ago! And I didn't insist on turning around; that was you."

Kate hid a smile. She had no doubt that was true enough. Knowing Castle, she doubted Alexis would have needed to do much more than look at him with woebegone eyes and he would have immediately caved. Alexis had him wrapped around her little finger. "Monkey Bunkey?" she inquired conversationally.

Alexis colored a little. "Monkey Bunkey was my favorite stuffed animal when I was little."

"Alexis got him when she was three and took him basically everywhere with her, except for school, up until she was around 10," Castle chimed in. "Monkey Bunkey might as well be my second child," he added with a grin for Alexis.

His second child–did Castle even want more kids? Wait, what the hell?! She didn't know what mental lapse had spawned that particular errant thought but she firmly dismissed it. It didn't matter and she had no business to even be wondering such a thing.

Alexis laughed and threw a napkin at him. "Don't listen to him," she advised Kate. "He's being silly."

Kate relaxed as she laughed. "Yeah, he does that a lot."

"I think we had better eat before the food gets cold," Castle interjected hurriedly, forestalling Alexis agreeing with this piece of teasing directed at him.

Breakfast was as pleasant and enjoyable as every meal Kate had ever had here usually was, with Alexis alternating between enthusing over the prospect of the summer program (Kate did wonder how many other teenagers would be so transparently happy at the thought of attending a no-doubt rigorous academic program during the summer) and considering aloud what she should and should not pack. The debate currently going on involved Alexis wondering if she should bring a formal dress or two, just in case there was a dance or something like that. Castle leaned on the side of not but Kate suspected that had more to do with Castle's steadfast wish to pretend this summer program would be all about studying and not at all about teenagers socializing. Kate encouraged Alexis to go ahead and pack a dress just in case, reasoning that it wasn't as if such an item would take up much room (although the formal shoes to wear with such a dress would take up rather more room), partly because she honestly doubted that any program for teenagers wouldn't involve something like a dance, teenage girls being what they were, and partly (she had to admit) because seeing Castle's exaggerated face of dismay when she disagreed with him amused her.

After breakfast was over, Alexis retreated back upstairs to finish packing, telling Castle that she would call him when she wanted his help to carry her suitcase downstairs.

Kate and Castle worked together to clean up after breakfast, in silence. Castle was, she knew now, more capable of staying quiet than she had initially believed but even so, this sort of silence was unusual for him and she had no doubt it was Alexis and her impending departure weighing on his mind. He looked preoccupied but not overly worried so she did not try to assure him again of Alexis's good sense and unlikelihood of getting into any real trouble at Princeton. Words wouldn't keep him from worrying.

Once finished with the clean up, she returned to the bedroom to brush her hair and put on some light makeup. When she was done, she went back to the front room to find that Castle had settled on the couch and turned on the TV, although judging from his absent expression, she doubted he was really aware of much of it.

She joined him on the couch, tucking herself against his side, and he curled his arm around her shoulder, turning his head to drop a kiss on her hair, both gestures so smooth, so natural, that she doubted any conscious thought had directed them. She smiled a little. She didn't think she'd ever been with anyone who liked physical closeness so much; what surprised her more was that she liked the closeness as much as she did. She did wonder if it would last but at least for now, she did like it.

It wasn't very long before Alexis's voice called for her dad and Castle immediately snapped out of his reverie, giving Kate a rather rueful smile as he stood up. "Be right back."

Alexis came running downstairs maybe 10 minutes later, a backpack slung over her shoulder. Behind her, Castle followed more slowly as he was laden down with Alexis's large suitcase, carrying it down the stairs with somewhat exaggerated grunts of exertion until he was able to set the suitcase at the foot of the stairs.

He directed a wry look at his daughter. "Is there anything you're not taking with you?"

"Yes, you," Alexis shot him a cheeky grin.

Kate huffed a laugh. "Don't give him any ideas. I'm sure your dad's thisclose to suggesting he live in the closet of your dorm for the rest of the summer," she joked, holding up two fingers about an inch apart.

Castle feigned enlightenment. "Now, that's an idea."

Alexis shot him a look. "No, Dad, it's not," she told him flatly. "Besides, Princeton would never allow it," she added.

"Also I can't imagine Alexis's roommate will be thrilled," Kate interjected.

Castle made a face and heaved a sigh. "Must you both be so sensible all the time?"

Kate and Alexis exchanged almost twin smiles and then turned back to Castle to answer in near-unison, "Yes."

Castle widened his eyes in mock dismay. "You know, I've changed my mind. It might be a good thing that you're leaving, Alexis, because you've clearly spent too much time with Beckett."

Alexis patted his arm. "See, keep thinking that, and you'll be fine. Come on, we should head out."

As usual, what Alexis proposed turned into action and the three of them were soon piling into Castle's car with Alexis's suitcase safely slowed in the trunk. (Castle teasingly asked Alexis if she'd packed Monkey Bunkey at which Alexis pretended to scowl at him.) Alexis had agreed readily to Castle's asking if Kate could accompany them to Princeton, probably, Kate guessed, thinking that Kate could then keep Castle company–keep him from moping too much–on the way back.

Castle was, again, uncharacteristically quiet on the drive to Princeton leaving Kate and Alexis to make desultory conversation about nothing in particular, although Kate did ask how Martha was doing on her tour.

Once they arrived at Princeton's campus, they entered on a somewhat quieter but still busy scene that reminded Kate of when she herself had been moving into Stanford at the start of her freshman year so many years ago. They checked Alexis in and were directed to the dorm to which Alexis was assigned, got introduced to the resident advisor, a rising senior at Princeton who introduced herself as Valerie.

They had left the suitcase in the car for all the preliminaries and so were unencumbered as Valerie gave them a quick tour of the dorm and then showed Alexis to her room, noting that Alexis's roommate hadn't arrived yet so Alexis could pick which side of the room she preferred to be on. (Castle was visibly relieved to learn that while the dorm itself was co-ed, boys and girls had been assigned to different floors.) They also met another girl whose room proved to be a few doors down from Alexis's, along with her parents, who were from Chicago and had flown in the night before for the big move-in.

With all that, it was quite a while before Alexis and her suitcase were both safely in her dorm room and it was time for Kate and Castle to say their goodbyes.

Castle swept Alexis up into his arms, clutching her to him for a long minute until Alexis thumped his shoulder. "Oxygen becoming an issue."

Castle immediately released Alexis although only enough to rest his hands on her shoulders before he bent to kiss her forehead. "Take care of yourself and remember, if you ever want or need anything, you can call anytime and I'll be right over, okay?"

This was probably the 1000th time in the last week that he had given Alexis this injunction and it was to the girl's credit that she didn't mouth the words along with him or roll her eyes or otherwise react in any way to Castle's imitation of a broken record.

"I'll be fine, Dad," she assured him. "And I promise I'll text and call as often as I can so you'll barely have a chance to miss me at all."

"Not possible," he told her somewhat gruffly. "But you'd better."

He curved his arm around her shoulders, bringing her against him in a half-hug. "And what do you say to coming out to the Hamptons for the Fourth of July weekend? I could come get you and we can drive out there and I'd bring you back before your next day of classes."

Alexis wrinkled her nose. "I don't know, Dad. I'll probably have homework to do and I'm sure the kids here will make plans for the long weekend so I don't want to be the odd one out to go away for the weekend when everyone else will be staying put. Besides, it's such a long way to get from here to the Hamptons so I'll probably barely have a day to spend there before we'd have to be leaving again to come back here and it doesn't really seem worth it."

"I don't mind doing the drive and depending on when your classes end on the Friday before, I could come pick you up then," Castle cajoled.

"I'll think about it," Alexis agreed, "but no promises."

Castle sighed a little. "Okay, think about it and let me know."

He released her and Alexis immediately moved to hug Kate as well.

"Take care of him," Alexis whispered against Kate's ear.

"I'll do my best," she promised barely above a breath as she released Alexis, adding in her normal voice, "Don't study too much. Remember to have fun too."

Alexis dimpled. "I will."

"I'm sure you'll have a great time," Kate smiled, "and hopefully get to know some cute boys too," she added with a teasing look at Castle, who scowled at this.

Alexis laughed. "We'll see."

Kate stepped back and deliberately linked her arm with Castle's so she could guide, not to say pull, him with her as she stepped out of Alexis's room and into the hallway. "Take care, Alexis."

Alexis lifted a hand in a wave. "Have a safe drive back to the city."

Thanks at least partly to Kate's keeping him moving, Castle tore himself away, only turning away for a last look and wave at Alexis before they headed down the stairs and out of the dorm and at least once out of sight of Alexis, Castle's steps quickened. She glanced at him to see that his lips were set, his eyes blinking rapidly, but he didn't appear to be in tears.

They made it all the way back to the car before Castle stopped short and abruptly hauled Kate into him, clutching her the way a drowning man would clutch a life raft. She willingly wrapped her arms around him as it occurred to her, not for the first time, that Castle was going to be a wreck when Alexis left for college. She would have to keep that in mind and prepare.

(It didn't occur to her until hours later to realize how easily she had assumed that she and Castle would still be together in two years' time.)

"Alexis will be fine," she told him quietly. "She's smart and sensible and doesn't have a trouble-making bone in her body. And as you pointed out, she won't be that far away."

"I know. I just…" His breath shuddered in his chest as he sighed. "She's my baby girl. Six weeks will be the longest I've ever gone without seeing her."

She drew back just enough to see his expression, her heart clenching in her chest at how honestly morose he looked. This wasn't one of the times when Castle made a pretense of upset; if anything, he looked as close to tears as she'd ever seen him, his eyes so dark with emotion they appeared slate gray.

On sudden, undeniable impulse, she tugged his head down and kissed him, longer and deeper than she would normally ever do in such a public place but she couldn't deny the wish, almost a need, to distract him, cheer him up, in the easiest and best way available to her. He kissed her back with explosive passion, his arms locking around her.

She was a little too conscious of their surroundings to let the kiss linger for long but even so, they were both breathing faster, her lips feeling rather bruised, when she reluctantly forced herself to break off the kiss. And couldn't help but feel pleased when she saw that his eyes had cleared, were almost their normal shade, his expression for the moment more dazed than depressed.

She felt color creeping into her cheeks as the sound of a car door closing not far away reminded her sharply of just how public a location they were in. "Feeling better now?"

"After that, how could I not be?" He paused. "You really…" he trailed off and after a moment, only said, "thanks."

"Isn't this why you asked me to come with you?" she tried to make her tone light without much success.

"Well, yes," he admitted and left it at that, not going on to say what she guessed he meant, that he still hadn't expected her to distract him in such a way, quite so publicly. He knew her too well to have ever expected such a thing and certainly, she would never have imagined doing such a thing, kissing him like that in full view of anyone around them. But when she'd seen how upset he was, she just… hadn't been able to help it. This compulsion to comfort him was more, stronger, than anything she'd felt for anyone and now that it had passed, she felt self-conscious and more, rather disturbed at the force of it. (Oh god, she really was doomed, wasn't she?)

"So I was thinking," she hurriedly went on, "it's almost lunchtime so why don't we stop somewhere on the way back for lunch and maybe some ice cream too before we go back to the city?"

"You really do have the best ideas," he agreed, his tone and expression almost restored to his usual good cheer. "Except when you're encouraging Alexis to notice cute boys," he added. Yes, that was definitely more like his usual self.

She managed a smile and tried to tamp down the little flutter of something like fear. It didn't have to be all that big a deal, that she had kissed him so hard and so publicly just to make him feel better. She was being a good friend and after all, Alexis had asked her to take care of him and public place or not, it wasn't as if anyone around them knew her. It wasn't a declaration of… feelings. She was just doing what any good girlfriend would do. Really.

So she told herself and as she deliberately spent the rest of their trip back to the city in a concerted effort to make Castle laugh by recounting every funny story she could readily think of from her years as a cop, by the time they were back at the loft, a couple hours later, she had almost convinced herself it was true.

~To be continued…~

A/N 2: As always, thank you to all readers and reviewers, especially the guests I can't respond to directly.