24. Surprise

~XXXX~

It was stupid, he was stupid and she would be so pissed, Castle thought, his eyes flickering from Alexis to his mother and back as they were all sitting next to each other in the town car. It had seemed like such a good idea two nights ago, the perfect opportunity to finally bring his girls together. But then he hadn't been able to bring up the courage to ask Kate and that's when he should have stopped, it's not that he didn't know that, only he couldn't. He wanted this so badly and Alexis was beyond excited, there was just no way back now. He couldn't break Alexis' heart by calling it off, besides Kate and Jamie would leave the city the next day to spend the rest of the week at a B&B upstate. And he didn't want to wait any longer, for Alexis' sake and his own.

"Richard?" His mother shot him a pointed look. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes," he nodded not very convincingly, knowing his mother was onto him. "I'm just a bit nervous."

"Sure," Martha nodded, but her tone told him she was suspicious.

She had every right to be. Kate was only expecting him today. She'd had planned the trip with Jamie months ago, had taken the whole week off from work and actually pushed the trip back two days so they could celebrate Jamie's second birthday together. And now he was bringing his family without telling her and he knew she would kill him. He just hoped she would wait until the kids were out of sight.

Martha kept throwing him looks that seemed to tell him she knew exactly what he was doing. But he had to take the risk and hope for the best, hope Kate would forgive him and that the bond between them was strong enough for her to see he did it for all of them. It was time to bring them together.

Standing in front of her door, his right hand raised to knock, his other wrapped around Alexis', he thought he was going to faint though, his heart beating so wildly in his chest he thought it might explode.

"What's the matter, Richard?" His mother mocked him from behind. "Go on, knock."

He shot one last glance down to Alexis, his little girl had been uncharacteristically quiet the whole time, "You ready?"

Taking a deep breath she met his gaze and finally gave him a firm nod, determination written all over her face as she turned her eyes to the door, bracing herself for what was to come.

Showtime, he thought as his knuckles rapped against the wood of Kate's front door.

Kate had been sitting on the couch, watching Jamie play with her new toys as she heard the knock on the door. Getting up, she smiled at Jamie, holding out her hand to the girl who was already struggling to get up from the floor, "Come on Baby Bird, let's see who it is."

Jamie lifted her big eyes up to her mom, "Daddy?" She asked hopeful, eyes never leaving her mom's.

"Maybe?" Kate grinned, wriggling her eyebrows in a way she had adopted from Castle.

Jamie's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree and Kate picked her up to carry her to the door. Stopping in front of it, Jamie sitting on her hip, she gave her daughter one last look, "Ready?"

Jamie grinned from ear to ear and nodded.

Kate swung open the door, meeting Castle's sparkling yet somehow nervous eyes.

"Hey Cas- ," the rest of the greeting died on her lips as she spotted the read-headed elder woman standing behind him. Kate knew immediately who she was; Martha Rodgers the Broadway actress and Castle's mother. What was she doing here?

Castle cleared his throat and with much more conviction than he actually felt he went straight to the point, "Hey Birthday Girl, here's someone I would like you to meet."

Only now Kate's gaze fell onto the little red-headed girl standing next to Castle as her eyes followed Jamie's downwards. Oh he didn't. He did. She felt a headache coming. How could he?

"Jamie, this is my daughter Alexis," Castle introduced the girls to each other, totally ignoring Kate for now, "Alexis - this is your sister Jamie."

No one spoke a word, the two girls looking at each other with fearful, expectant eyes, and Castle knew he had to do something before things got awkward, well more awkward than they already were. Still ignoring Kate's furious glares and completely forgetting his manners, he ushered Alexis past Kate into the apartment. He knew he was playing with fire as he opened his arms to Jamie, still on her mother's arm, and asked, "Wanna see your presents?"

"Yay," Jamie shrieked, struggling out of her mother's arms and into her dad's.

Kate let her go, knowing there was no use in punishing Jamie for her father's misbehaving.

Once in her dad's arms Jamie started to babble excitedly, all reservations forgotten, as Castle carried her into the living room, Alexis still shyly on his left side.

"One down, one to go," he mumbled to himself. He would worry later about the two women standing behind him in Kate's doorway, knowing their eyes were burning holes into his back.

With Castle and the girls shuffling off, Kate was left alone with his mother in the hallway. The two of them eyed each other carefully, neither sure of what to say and both angry with Castle for getting them into this situation in the first place.

It was Martha who found her voice first, skipping pleasantries, thinking along the lines of her son, namely distraction, "How about some coffee?"

Hooking her arm around Kate's, in a gesture way too familiar for two people who had just met, but typical for Martha, she waited for the younger woman to take the lead.

Kate finally set into motion, guiding Castle's mother into the kitchen and filling a steaming cup of coffee for her, before doing the same for herself and joining Martha at the small table in the kitchen, from which they could watch Castle and the girls.

"He didn't tell you," Martha said, stating the obvious.

"No," Kate simply replied, not knowing what else there was to say. Castle had practically ambushed her with his family and that on top of feeling a bit out of it today did nothing to improve her mood.

"Listen Kate, I know it's not my place and believe me I know you have every right to be angry with him. Hell, I'm angry with him for bringing us both into this situation. And if this is too much I will leave," she gestured towards the door, "but please let Alexis stay. She was so nervous and excited to finally meet Jamie, it would break her heart if she had to go now."

Kate didn't say anything for a long moment, just watched Castle with the kids, three sets of sparkling blue eyes, laughing in her living room while Castle made a big fuss of handing over the presents. Even if she wanted to she couldn't break them apart now. Turning her head and looking at the fourth set of blue eyes in her apartment, she shook her head.

"It's okay, you don't have to leave Mrs. Rodgers," Kate managed a smile, getting up to get the cake and pull out some more plates. But she was stopped by Martha's hand on hers.

"It's Martha," she smiled at the young woman, "and thank you."

Kate nodded, but Martha still didn't let her go.

"He means well, you know. He has an unfortunate way of showing it, but he does." Martha didn't think her son deserved her defending him but still, she didn't want to see things go south.

"I know," Kate sighed and Martha let her go.

"Still you should give him a piece of your mind," the older woman added on a second thought, following Kate to help her with the plates. "Scare him a bit. He deserves it."

Kate looked at the other woman and surprised at the serious look on Martha's face she couldn't help but laugh, some of the tension easing away, "Oh, believe me I will."

They grinned at each other for a moment, creating some kind of silent agreement between them, before taking the cake and plates out into the living room side by side.

Castle, Alexis and Jamie were sitting on the floor in the middle of the room, Jamie clapping her hands in excitement while Alexis slowly grew more comfortable as Castle pulled out an oddly shaped package from his backpack, followed by another.

"Okay, this one is from me," he pointed at the bigger one, "and this is from Alexis."

Jamie looked at both packages, considering which one to open first and then her small hands reached for Alexis' first, making Castle ridiculously proud as he saw the pleased and happy looks on both of his girls' faces.

The unwrapping progress wasn't elegant, Jamie was more like a little thunderstorm, the paper flying in every direction but it made Alexis laugh which caused Jamie to giggle back and just like that the connection was formed. Scooting closer to her sister, Alexis watched as Jamie revealed her present to her. Finally the fluffy thing came into view and Jamie shrieked in delight.

"Simba!" She exclaimed as she pulled out the stuffed lion.

"Do you like it?" Alexis asked, a smile blossoming on her face.

Jamie nodded and cuddled Simba to her chest.

"Open mine too," Castle eagerly pushed his present over as well and Kate had to bite down on her bottom lip not to laugh at the scene in front of her. After all she was angry with him, but he looked more excited than both kids surrounding him and honestly it was adorable.

Placing Simba carefully at her side and giving Alexis one last beaming look, she reached for the other package as well and soon, pieces of paper were flying again.

"Mufasa!" She shrieked, holding both lions up in the air. "Mommy look!"

Kate, who after placing the cake on the table, had watched the unwrapping with Martha from a distance stepped closer, "That's great Baby Bird. Did you say 'Thank you'?"

Jamie looked slightly guilty, lifting her eyes to Alexis before she whispered a quiet, "Thank you."

Alexis smiled back, "You're welcome, Jamie."

And then Jamie pushed up from the ground, throwing her arms around Castle's neck, "Thank you, daddy."

He caught her, pulling her close before risking a quick glance at Alexis, but she seemed to be fine, smiling at both of them and he reached out to pull her into his side as well.

Kate's anger melted away at the happy picture that played out in front of her. This was good and it had been about time. She still would have to talk to Castle about going behind her back, but not now. It could wait. There was no way she was ruining Jamie's birthday when it was turning out to be one of the best days in her young life.

"Who wants some cake?" Kate asked instead and before Castle knew it, Jamie was running over to her mother, lions in her arms, bright cake-carving smile on her face. Kate picked her up, watching as Castle struggled to get off the floor, holding out his hand to Alexis who crowded closer to him, as the pair made their way over to the table.

Only then did it really strike Castle that he had never made proper introductions when they had arrived earlier and he had at least the dignity to feel ashamed. Stopping in front of mother and daughter, he shot Kate an apologetic look, before leaning down. "Alexis, this is Jamie's mom. Kate Beckett."

With Jamie still attached to her hip, Kate crouched down to get closer to Alexis, "It's nice to meet you Alexis."

The girl's shy eyes met Kate's as she held out her hand, "It's nice to meet you too, Miss Beckett."

Kate smiled warmly at Castle's daughter, "You can call me Kate."

Alexis just nodded, really taking in the older woman for the first time, her green-brown eyes, the soft, brown curls framing her face. She looked so different compared to her own mother.

"What do you say Alexis, would you like some cake?" Her voice was soft and warm, patience shining in her eyes as she held out her hand to the girl.

Castle watched in awe how Kate won his daughter's heart in just seconds as the redhead placed her hand in Kate's and followed her over to the table.

Castle moved after them, catching the approving look his mother sent him over the table and he realized he hadn't introduced her either. He sighed. He was in so. much. trouble.

"Castle?" Kate pulled him out of his thoughts, "Can you take Jamie and get her into her high chair and maybe Alexis can help me with the cake?" She looked down at the girl still standing next to her, "If you want to."

Alexis nodded eagerly and Kate handed Jamie over to Castle, who walked over to his mother to make the last introduction of the day, "Jamie, this is Martha, my mother – your grandmother."

Jamie eyed the older woman with the flaming red hair curiously, before looking back to her dad. Her forehead furrowed from organizing all the new facts she'd learned today. "Lexis?" She eventually asked.

Castle chuckled, "Yes, she's also Alexis' grandma."

"Hey there, young lady," Martha smiled at her granddaughter who looked shyly at yet another new family member. Martha tapped the girl's nose, who ducked her head closer to her dad's in return.

"Did you like your presents?" Martha asked, not hurt at all by Jamie's reservations, knowing all it took was time.

Jamie nodded, "Jamie like lions."

"So I've heard," Martha laughed and reached into her purse. "That's why I've thought you would like this as well."

Castle looked at his mother surprised, he'd had no idea she had gotten Jamie a present as well. "Mother?"

But she just shook her head, pulling out yet another little stuffed lion, holding it out to Jamie. The girl took it, only slightly hesitantly, offering her grandma a small smile, "Thank you."

Martha smiled and then watched Castle putting one of his daughters into the highchair, while the other dispersed the cake filled plates on the table at Kate's instruction. It was ridiculous how much like a real family they already looked, she thought as she took her seat opposite her son.

After everyone had gotten a piece of Jamie's birthday cake Kate had disappeared into the kitchen to get more coffee, only to stick her head back out, "Apple juice okay for you Alexis?"

"Yes, thank you." Alexis nodded and then moved over to her father to take the seat next to him.

"Kate's nice." She said, careful that only her dad could hear her. Sighing Castle placed a soft kiss on top of her head in return, glad they were all getting along.

"Yes, she is." He agreed watching Kate in the kitchen, about to ask her if she needed help her, but leaning his head down instead, when Alexis tugged on his shirt once more.

"And beautiful," his daughter whispered in awe, slightly blushing.

Yeah, that too, he thought as the woman they were talking about came back, placing a pot of fresh coffee on the table and handing Alexis her glass of apple juice.

"All set?" She asked into the round of people, placed at her dinner table that had never seen so many guests and trying to see if she forgot something.

"It looks wonderful, thank you Kate," Martha reassured her and Kate finally sat down, watching pleased how Castle was already helping Jamie with her cake, while Martha filled their cups of coffee, her eyes finally landing on Alexis sitting between herself and her dad, looking slightly left out.

The words left her mouth before she knew it, "So how was school today?"

Alexis looked up surprised, her own mother never asked her about school, "Good," she finally got out, looking up at her dad, who gave her an encouraging smile, before catching a piece of cake secretly trying to descend from Jamie's plate.

"And what is your favorite subject?" Kate asked, holding the girl's gaze with true interest.

"I like all of them," Alexis beamed at the older woman.

"All of them?" Kate laughed. "Wow, that's a lot."

"Dad's helping me with a project for my science class," Alexis now shared willingly and for the next minutes Castle and Martha watched Kate and Alexis engage in a lively discussion about volcanos while they listened to Jamie's excited babbling.

At some point Castle caught his mother's gaze and if he hadn't known any better he would have thought he'd seen tears shining in her eyes. She gave him a nod, telling him it was okay as a small smile played around her lips, before she returned her attention back to Jamie.

He knew exactly how she was feeling, he felt the same.

~XXXX~