78. Chapter 78

They mess up; they're human beings. It's what happens. It's never going to be perfect.

Both their life together and also the tree thing. Didn't work quite like he wanted, but it was pretty amazing anyway.

Doesn't mean Rick won't play this for all it's worth; it's rare that Kate messes up quite so spectacularly, with absolutely no regard for his feelings. She learns faster than he does about their relationship, so he's the one, usually, having to grovel and beg and fix things, make it right again. At least lately.

She's got two long grooves down her back, near her spine, from the trunk of the tree. He tried, he really did, but his sunburned skin couldn't take it and the leverage was wrong anyway, so she got pinned instead. She was maybe too busy moaning to let him know she was getting gouged. Or too busy getting gouged-

Castle hums to himself as he key cards the door open; Kate reaches up and smudges at the smirk with her thumb.

"Everyone's gonna know," she mutters, rolling her eyes at him. He drums his fingers against her spine, his hand up the back of her shirt to keep it off the two long scratches.

"Everyone?"

"Our daughter and her boyfriend," she clarifies, pushing him in through the doorway.

He still has his hand at her skin, uses his fingers to tug at her sweaty shirt. "Take this off."

"No. They're all up. In the kitchen," she says back, then pulls away from him, wincing when her running shirt slaps against her skin. Her back arches and he really does feel bad for it, but Kate goes on in. "Hey guys."

Rafe is dishing cheesy scrambled eggs onto plates; Alexis is taking crayons away from Dashiell and handing him a cup of orange juice. Castle steps into the kitchen after Kate, nods to Rafe.

"Ellery still asleep?" Kate says, kissing the top of Dash's head in greeting, rubbing at his hair. Dashiell holds up his picture.

"See us getting surf lessons, Mommy?"

"Yeah. Out," Alexis laughs, sitting down beside her brother and receiving a plate from Rafe. "You guys went for a run?"

"I see, baby," Kate murmurs back.

"You didn't get my note?" Castle asks, frowning. "I left it-" He turns and spies his note on the floor, the magnet having rolled under the fridge. "Oh. Fell off, I guess."

"No, it's okay. Didn't see it, but I figured."

Kate stands between the two chairs at the bar, listening to Dash talk about his picture and running her hand through Alexis's shoulder-length hair; he can see the regret in her eyes. For what she said earlier. He watches his daughter lean in to the touch, then turn and beam that beautiful smile at Kate, and he realizes that Alexis isn't messed up at all. She's had Kate for all the years that mattered; even in high school, Alexis had Kate on her side, keeping him from screwing it up or pushing her away with his over-protective, paranoid self.

His grief-clenched heart eases, just a little, as he watches his wife run her fingers through Alexis's hair, her other hand scratching the back of Dash's head, chatting between the two. It's okay. It has been okay; he doesn't have to worry.

Then Rafe hands him a plate and inclines his head towards Dash. Castle hands over the eggs to his son, seeing that Alexis's boyfriend has waited until they've cooled to let him have his breakfast. And feeling, all over again, that it will be okay. Not only has Alexis had Kate, but now she's got Rafe - a good man who thinks things through, who will do right by her, who agreed to take his only vacation time for the year with his girlfriend's slightly unusual family.

The plate clatters down in front of his son, but he's already turning to Rafe and clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Come with me."

"Dad-"

He silences Alexis with a look, and Rafe follows him out onto the balcony. Rafe looks scared, but Castle is okay with that, a little bit of that, some respect. He positions them so that Alexis can't see their exchange from the bar, leans back against the railing as the sun adds another layer of sweat to his skin.

"Mr. Castle, I-"

"It's Rick." Or Dad. But later. He can't do that yet, but soon enough. "Call me Rick."

Rafe's face blanches, but it's more surprise than horror. He thinks. Hopefully. "Uh. Rick. I didn't mean any disrespect this morning-"

"You can make breakfast all you like." Castle shrugs him off, drops his elbows onto the railing, looking out over the ocean. "I know I make a big deal about it, but it was purely defensive on my part. Someone had to make Alexis breakfast as a little kid, and I wanted to do right as her only parent, you know? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so I figured I'd make a production of it. I do the same for Ella and Dash now, but really it's to get Kate to eat something before she leaves, and let the kids see her too."

Rafe looks stunned now, at a loss, so Castle shuts up, shrugs. Making his kids' breakfast has been his thing, sure, but he can share that with Rafe. Why not? Rafe's here for a couple days of vacation and Castle will have special time with his kids - all three of them - all week long.

"Thank you," Rafe says finally. "I - uh - I didn't realize what it meant to you. Breakfast. I can stop."

Castle frowns over at him. "I just said it was fine. Really. You're the professional, right?"

Rafe just studies him for a moment, carefully, as if Castle is a predator playing some kind of game. Castle shrugs at him and glances out over the water.

"I called you out here for a talk, man to man."

"Uh," Rafe clears his throat, is about to speak, but Castle cuts him off.

"I should say, husband to, uh, almost-husband." Rick blows out a long breath, pushes past the decidedly unmanly clench of panic just saying the words brings him.

"Oh."

"If there's ever. . .and there will be. . .so when there's a problem. Between you two. I want you to come to me, Rafe." Castle finally finds the strength of will to turn and look the man in the eyes. He sees Rafe's slow dread build up behind his eyes. Good. The kid doesn't want to have this uncomfortable conversation either. "Look, I've been through probably eighty percent of the problems you can possibly have with a woman, with your wife, and I know my daughter. Kate knows my daughter. So you come to me, to us, when something happens. When it feels totally messed up. Because it's not irredeemable. It can still be saved."

"Uh. I-"

"I'm not interested in taking sides. Do you see what I mean? Because repairing the rift, or mending the broken parts, or just sitting you guys down to squabble, that is being on Alexis's side. That's the best thing for her. Making you guys work, making your relationship succeed."

"You think we'll have problems?" Rafe asks, his face crumpling. "Do you see-"

"No, no. Not what I mean. I just. I want you to know that it's not always easy. Marriage. But that you'll be family. You already are family. So you have a place here, people who care about you, about both of you together. People who want you guys to make it, not mess it up."

"I - I don't know what to say."

"Just. Say you won't give up on her." Castle meets Rafe's eyes, tries to imbue his gaze with all the intensity of the feeling in his chest, the absolutely desperate need for Alexis to be okay, to not be messed up, not be saddled with his own problems. To not end up like Vicki, terribly alone and heart-broken with three kids who need her to be mom.

Shit. He hopes Kate got Vicki's contact info; he's gonna have to call or check up on them in a few months. Make sure there's not anything else they can do. . .

"Say you won't walk out. Say you'll fight for her," Castle insists, feeling his throat close up.

Rafe levels him with a hard and steadfast look. "I won't ever give up on her. I will always fight for her. I have been fighting for her, ever since I met her."

Rick breathes out, closes his eyes briefly, then nods. "All right. Okay." He watches Rafe a moment more, but the man's gaze is unwavering. He knows, Rick more than anyone, that no one can make promises like this and be expected to live up to them, but it's what marriage asks of everyone, isn't it? Make a promise and stick to it. And that's all he's asking now. He's not asking for perfect, because it's not; he's just asking that Rafe not quit.

He turns and opens the balcony door, sees Alexis coming for him, concern and guilt written all over her face. Kate is gone - must have headed for the shower - and Dashiell sits eating his eggs at the bar.

"Daddy, I'm so sorry, but we fell asleep. We didn't do anything-"

Rafe clears his throat, shakes his head shortly at Alexis, but Castle catches it.

"You didn't *do* anything?"

Alexis goes white, shoots Rafe a panicked look. "Ray?"

"Jeez, Allie," he moans, covers his face with his hand.

"What exactly weren't you doing? Why are you so sorry?"

"Nothing. It's nothing," Alexis says, grabbing Rafe by the elbow and herding him back towards the kitchen. "Dad, I think Mom said to come find her in the shower?"

"No, she didn't," Castle growls, narrowing his eyes at his daughter. "We just-"

"You just what?" Alexis gasps.

Oops. Keep interrogating his daughter and in turn get interrogated? Or go find Kate in the shower, just in case she really does want him to hop in? Maybe keep the soap from running down her back and into those scratches?

"I'm gonna find Kate. You. . .you two don't fall asleep next time. Or - or - you know what I mean."

Castle glares down at his daughter a moment more, then turns and hightails it for his bedroom.