433. Chapter 433

After Always Buy Retail

Episode 1.06

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I'd never buy the idea that I owned Castle. Rating: K Time: See above

Kate Beckett was mad at herself. No! I'm mad at Castle. She thought. I don't really care who he sleeps with, but what kind of a man boasts to one woman about how good the sex is with another woman? And calling his ex-wife a deep fried Twinkie? He not only crude, he's…shallow. Shallow! That's exactly it.

Having just met Meredith, she was willing to bet that Meredith was every bit as shallow as Castle was. Except that she hasn't decided to follow cops into dangerous situations. And she doesn't seem to have much of a relationship with her daughter. Castle loves Alexis dearly, that much is clear. And he hasn't just shown his love by buying her off like some rich people I could mention.

Beckett looked up from her desk. "Where's Castle?"

Ryan pointed to the elevator. "He's having a conversation with the deep fried Twinkie."

Kate looked at the two people by the elevator. For once, Castle seemed to be tongue tied. Meredith was doing all of the talking. And Castle didn't look too happy about it. Well, that's what he deserves. If he really was that uncomfortable around Meredith, he shouldn't be screwing her. And he shouldn't be bragging about it in front….Kate stopped. No! He can screw her on my desk for all I care. What Castle does makes no difference to me.

"I can see where Castle would acquire a taste for deep fried Twinkies." Esposito said to Ryan.

"Nice looking." Ryan said, noncommittally.

"Nice body." Espo said.

Before she could stop herself, Kate looked down at her body. Dammit! I am not comparing myself to her. I am not a deep friend Twinkie. I never will be.

Something occurred to her. "Where's Alexis?"

"I saw her go into the break room." Ryan said.

"I should check on her." Beckett said. With two deep friend Twinkies for parents, they might just leave for some more unbelievable sex and forget all about their daughter.

Kate stuck her head into the break room. "You okay, Alexis?"

The redhead looked up. "Yes. I was just…"She stopped and blushed furiously.

"Just what?" Beckett was curious. From what she had seen, Alexis was very intelligent and self- possessed for a teenager.

"Hoping Mom will leave and let Dad take me home." Alexis looked at the floor. "God! You must think I'm terrible. I am terrible."

Kate sat next to Alexis. "I don't know. In this job, you see a lot of bad parents. I've seen some that any kid would stay far away from. Why are you hoping your mom won't take you home?"

Alexis mumbled something indistinct.

"If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay."

Alexis thought for a second. "No. I brought the subject up. I should talk about it." Alexis frowned and looked at the floor again, gathering her thoughts. "It's just that Mom is never there. I know other kids whose parents are divorced. Some have parents that live on the West Coast, or in Europe, or wherever. But those parents keep in touch with their kids. I used to get birthday and Christmas cards and presents from my mom, or so I thought. Then I found out that Dad had sent them. Faked her signature and everything. I thought I had done something wrong to make my mom hate me so much. Eventually, I figured out that she doesn't hate me. It's just that she doesn't love anyone but herself. The only time she come to see me, is when she wants something from Dad. This time, she wants to move back to New York and she has no money, so she wants dad to support her."

"Will he?" Kate didn't quite understand why she cared. If Castle had his deep fried Twinkie to distract him, maybe he wouldn't bother her so much. Not that all he does is bother me, to be perfectly honest. He has been a help. He figured out the whole vodun angle. But he can absolutely….

"I don't know." Alexis said, interrupting Kate's chain of thought. "I know he dreads having her around, but he won't come right out and tell her that for some reason."

"You really love your dad, don't you?"

Alexis nodded and smiled. "He's a great dad. He not only has to be my dad, but he has to take the place of my mom, and he has to make up for everything that Mom isn't." Alexis looked away. "I love my mom. She's my mom, after all. But having her around drives me crazy. She's so manipulative and selfish and…" Alexis stopped. "I shouldn't say things like that."

"Well, I won't tell on you." Kate said with a smile.

"Detective Beckett? My dad said you lost your mother. She was murdered. Is that true?"

Kate nodded. "She was stabbed to death in an alley when I was nineteen. I became a cop to try to find her killer. But all I ever ran into were dead ends. Eventually I had to stop."

"I'm sorry." Alexis said. "But you had a good relationship with her, right?"

It was Kate's turn to stare at the floor and avoid Alexis' eyes.

"Oh!" Alexis said, blushing again. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"

"No. That's okay. Yes, I did have a great relationship with my mom. It's just that, since she died, I've thought of all the things I did to bug her when she was alive. Silly things. I dated guys she hated just because she hated them. I argued with her over silly things. Music I was playing too loud. Not wanting to bake cookies with her at Christmas because I wanted to be with my friends. I wish I could go back and change all of that, but I can't."

Alexis smiled. "I think you just described the relationship that all of my girlfriends have with their moms. You shouldn't feel bad."

"I know that, but I still feel bad."

"Well, my dad will cheer you up."

Kate laughed. "He does have a way of making things a little bit lighter. And that isn't easy with a homicide team."

"I'm glad you're friends.' Alexis said, surprising Kate.

"Friends might be a little too strong a word, Alexis. I'd say we're more like colleagues." Colleagues? I can barely stand the man most of the time. But what else can I call him? He is a member of my team, sort of.

"Well, I know he really likes you and respects you. He says you're a fantastic detective. Really smart, dedicated, hard-working, determined. He's very impressed with how you're driven by a desire for justice for victims even when you can't get closure on your mom's case. He says you're remarkable." Alexis looked up. "Oh! Dad is waving to me and Mom's gone. Time for me to go. It was nice talking to you, Detective Beckett."

Kate sat there considering all of the things Alexis had said. Okay, I'd hardly expect Castle to tell his teenaged daughter that he just hangs around here to get me in bed, but he thinks I'm remarkable? I didn't expect that.

Much later.

"Never, ever call me Kitten." Castle whispered into her ear, then walked away.

Kate turned and walked after him. "Castle, wait up."

He turned around. "If you expect me to help you with the paperwork, forget it.' He said with a smile.

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

He laughed. "I ask you personal questions every day. How could I deny you the opportunity to do the same?"

"If having Meredith around is so disturbing to you, why do you sleep with her? The sex can't be that unbelievably good."

Castle's smile faded. "Now that is a very personal question."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that." Kate felt embarrassed. I have no business asking about that.

"There's no reason you shouldn't ask, since I've asked you personal questions. Your mother's murder is a lot more personal than me and Meredith." Castle frowned in concentration. "The sex isn't that good, but Meredith is Alexis' mother, even if she doesn't act much like it. I feel… an obligation to Meredith to treat her as a mother should be treated. She likes sex with me, so we have sex. I guess deep down inside I think that one day after the very best sex anyone has ever had, she'll suddenly turn into a 50's sitcom mom. You know, vacuuming in a nice dress with a string of pearls around her neck, baking cookies for the kids. Acting like Alexis' mom. Pretty stupid, I guess."

"I think it's sweet."

"Stupid but sweet?" Castle smiled again.

"Quit while you're ahead, Castle." Beckett checked her watch. "Come on, Castle. I'll give you a ride home."

"Can I drive?"

"Don't push it."