13. Stuart

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Arriving home Castle quickly dumped his muddy clothes into the laundry room and jumped under the shower to clean up. Alexis and his mother would be home any minute now and he didn't want to explain to Alexis why he looked like he had, well - like he had spent the day in a sandbox. It was hard enough for him to keep Alexis out of the loop for now even though he was still convinced it was the best thing to do. But he didn't want to make up lies either, at least not if he could avoid it.

Buttoning a fresh shirt and dressed in a clean pair of jeans Castle walked through his office back into the living room just in time to see the front door open to reveal Martha and Alexis, loaded with countless shopping bags.

"I assume the shopping went well," Castle smirked at the two ladies, holding out his hand and wriggling his fingers in a give-it-to-me gesture, as he leant down to kiss Alexis on the top of her head, "Hey Pumpkin."

"Hey, Dad." Alexis grinned up at him.

Martha, in the meanwhile was dramatically rolling her eyes as she reached into her purse and handed over her son's credit card, "Here you go, as if I would keep it."

He gave her a pointed look, raising his eyebrows.

"That was once, Richard. Three years ago and I told you it was by accident." His mother sighed, sinking down onto the couch, dropping her shopping bags in front of her.

"You accidentally spent 4.000 dollars?" He tilted his head amused. "Interesting."

"God, you're resentful. I repaid every penny," she gave him a disapproving look.

"It's alright Mother. I forgave you a long time ago," he grinned, pulling Alexis into his side.

"So you just like to torture me? Well isn't that just delightful?" Martha stated sarcastically, before she changed topics. "Don't you two have to get going?"

Castle glanced at his watch, realizing his mother was right, they were running late. Turning Alexis by her shoulders he gave her a gentle shove into the direction of the stairs, "Bring your bags upstairs and freshen up, then we can leave together with your grandmother."

"Yup," Alexis exclaimed happily and hurried up the stairs, leaving her father and grandmother alone in the living room.

Martha making sure Alexis was out of earshot, pulled Castle into the kitchen, questioning eyes turned on him, "How did it go?"

Her son's face lit up, his eyes crinkling with happiness, as he took in a deep breath, "Good, really good I think, at least with Jamie. The start was a bit rocky, but then I think we really had a good time."

"I'm happy for you," Martha smiled warmly, her hand reaching up to pat him affectionately on the cheek. "And with Kate?"

"Well, she more or less let Jamie and me be, so I think that's a good sign but I don't know how to get through to her, she seems so closed off. And there are so many things we need to talk about, but I don't even know how to get her into a casual conversation, even less how to get serious," he sighed, his hand running trough his hair.

"Richard, we were both clear that it will take time. You can't just rush it forward like a video tape to a time where it won't be awkward anymore. But it will get better. She will get to know you and I'm sure she'll open up eventually. Right now you focus on the positive things. You and Jamie got along, that's great. Take it from there, every day a little bit further. And the rest will come in time. I'm sure."

He huffed, but nodded. Of course his mother was right, if only he wasn't so damn impatient.

There was no more time to dwell on it though as Alexis came rushing back down, "I'm ready, Dad!" She exclaimed at the bottom of the stairs.

"Great," he beamed, turning around to catch her as she came running into his arms, spinning her around. "So you're excited to see Stuart?"

"Yesss!" Alexis shrieked, struggling to be set down again and immediately pulling her dad towards the door the second her feet were hitting the ground.

"Are you leaving with us, or staying?" Castle asked his mother, trying to withstand his daughter's pulling forces.

Picking up her bags, Martha followed her family to the door, "I need a relaxing bath at home." She sighed dramatically. "Your daughter wore me out."

Alexis spun around with big eyes, "I did not!"

"Just kidding Kiddo," Martha winked at the girl her voice soft when she continued. "I loved every minute of our day together."

Alexis eyes crinkled with joy, so very much like her father's and reaching for her grandmother's arm she held on tightly as she pressed herself into her side, "Me too."

Kate and Jamie walked through the front door of their apartment and Kate had to stop her daughter from running straight into the living room in her dirty clothes.

"Whoa, wait a second," she hurled back the bundle of energy, pulling Jamie to her side. "We need to get you out of these clothes and under the shower before you do anything else." Kate informed her.

Jamie pouted. She'd clearly had other plans upon her return. A shower probably hadn't been one of them. She crossed her little arms in front of her chest, biting down on her bottom lip and fixing her mother's gaze with a stoic look.

"Hey young lady, you and Rick wanted to play with the water, not me." Kate tipped her index finger against Jamie's nose and the girl's mood immediately brightened up.

"Rick's funny," she stated and pulled one of the faces she had picked up from him, while Kate helped her out of her clothes. "He makes faces."

"Yeah?" Kate smiled at her daughter, trying not to let any of the discomfort show that suddenly and unexpectedly rose up in her, "You liked him?"

"Yes." Jamie nodded eagerly.

"Do you want to spent time with him again?" Kate asked further, taking the opportunity to get this done, get the questions out while it seemed unforced.

"Yes," Jamie nodded even more enthusiastic and Kate had to laugh, despite that foul feeling in her stomach. He had made her daughter happy today and that should be all that mattered. She had to admit, he had been great with Jamie, had won her over faster than anyone before, even Cynthia. She couldn't deny that even though it made her uneasy. But she just wasn't used for things to go smoothly and she didn't trust the truce that seemed to have settled between them, not yet anyway. Too many disappointments in her life had taught her this lesson the hard way, trusting someone would only get your heart broken.

For now she pushed those feelings away and instead focused on getting her daughter out of her clothes before ushering her down the hall and into the bathroom.

It would've been easier if they had a bathtub, she realized once again. She was reminded of that everyday when she bathed Jamie and everyday she longed for a relaxing hot bath after a tough day at the precinct. But there was just no room in the small bathroom and so she had bought a portable plastic tub that fitted into the shower cabin and for now it would have to do. But their next place would come with a bath tub, once she made detective she would make sure she would never have to worry about plastic tubs again.

Jamie sat in the water splashing around a bit, her favorite plastic duck swimming around her while she babbled happily about her day with Rick and the great things he had built. Kate just listened, trying not to give into the panic that threatened to boil to the surface again just like on that day in the alley. She had to get a hold of this panic as she knew it was ridiculous, she shouldn't feel jealous or threatened just because Jamie had warmed up to him so quickly. He was her father after all, this was good. She just needed to keep this in mind and use it against the panic. She needed to keep a cool head in this, it was essential.

"Mommy?" Kate was pulled back to the present by her daughter.

"Yes, Sweetie?" She turned her head towards Jamie, only to find herself hit by a splash of water, followed by the giggles of her daughter.

Kate gasped in surprise, eyes wide in shock as the water ran down her face, soaking her shirt. She stared at her daughter, raising one finger at her, "You," she smirked before inserting her hand into the water as well while Jamie was still giggling as her mother's face turned smug, "Just you wait. Just you wait." She warned her daughter and then she started to splash back.

"So did you like it?" Castle asked, as they walked out of the movie theatre into the sticky heat of the evening. Summer in New York could stink, Castle thought as he walked past the rubbish bags from the dinner next door rotting on the sidewalk. He pushed Alexis into the other direction, looking out for a cab.

"It was good," Alexis finally said after thinking about her father's question for awhile, "Though I didn't like that George lied to his parents. You shouldn't lie to your parents."

Castle looked down at his daughter, contemplating what she'd just said before he replied, "Sometimes people lie because they think it's the right thing in order to safe a bigger cause or because they think the truth might hurt someone. You know what I mean? Of course it's not okay to lie, but sometimes we do it with the best intentions."

"I would never lie to you, Dad." And Alexis looked so serious that Castle just had to lean down and place a kiss on the top of her head. He knew she would. Someday despite her best intentions she would lie to him and he would forgive her, because that's just the way it worked between fathers and daughters.

Looking back up he caught the glimpse of a camera directed at them. Silently cursing he quickly stepped in front of Alexis and lifted his hand to stop the cab approaching them, "Let's go Pumpkin." He ordered and hastily ushered her into the car with one last look behind to see the paparazzi had closed the distance between them.

"Go," he told the cabby and they wormed their way into traffic before the paparazzi could reach them.

"What is it Dad?" Alexis asked trying to see what her father's eyes were directed at.

"Nothing, it just smelled nasty out there," he played it down as Alexis chuckled. He sank into the seat as they passed the next intersection. He didn't want pictures of his daughter in any of the yellow press magazine. The paparazzi normally left him alone but the Derrick Storm novels had been so successful that whenever a new instalment was published the interest in him and his private life increased. He knew he had to deal with it, Paula insisted it was part of the deal, whatever deal that was, but he would do anything to keep his daughter out of it. His daughter was off limits.

And suddenly it hit him, he needed to talk to Kate. How could he have been so careless? What if someone had seen them together on the playground today? He could already see the headlines, knowing exactly what Kate would do if anything like that would happen, she would shut him out and all the progress he had made over the past days would be ruined. He had to talk to her as soon as he got home. This couldn't wait.

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