When Alexis woke up and saw she was in her own bed, in her own room, she positively shrieked. With surprise, at first, and then with happiness, because after months of misery on the island it was really, really good to be home. Once she had time to process everything, there was no doubt she'd be seriously bummed at leaving behind all her island friends, Billy especially, but for now Alexis was just excited.
She heard her dad yelling and she grinned, then all but flew out of bed and down the stairs. "Dad!" she squealed, leaping into his arms. "We're back!" She just hoped to God he knew what she was talking about and didn't look at her like she was crazy.
Castle was equally as giddy, aware that his mother was going to be so very angry about her beauty rest being interrupted. He hugged her tightly, lifting her off the ground and spinning her in a circle. "No more hut-living for us," he agreed, giving her just the edge of a worried look. "Have you heard from Beckett?"
Because if she wasn't from the island, if she didn't know about any of the changes that had happened, Castle was in for a long explanation.
"No, I haven't," Alexis replied with a shake of her head. "But I'm sure - I mean, she has to remember, right? We both remember, so she must too. I'm sure she does."
Castle was starting to entertain all the worst-case scenarios in his head and he completely forgot about the murder. "What if she never went to the island and she doesn't know that we got together? What if I have memories of all these months being with her and she's still going to be with Demming? What if...what if she forgets me entirely?"
Castle was scared. He was actually scared and the last time that he was this terrified, he was in a mall and Alexis herself had gone missing. "What if I just lost ten months, the best ten months of my life, with you and her and a new life? True, it didn't have the wine my old life offered, but..."
Castle going off on a rant wasn't exactly an unusual thing, but it was getting them nowhere, and Alexis simply reached up and clamped a hand over his mouth.
"Dad," she said, and then just raised her eyebrows at him. Standing around freaking out wasn't going to get him any less worried, and he knew that.
Castle, being Castle, was still speaking for roughly thirty seconds after she placed a hand over his mouth. He mumbled a muffled 'yes, daughter?' from behind her hand, even though he knew exactly what he had to do.
"Just. Call. Her," Alexis insisted, keeping her hand firmly where it was. "Or go and see her. Heck, you're probably going to get called about a nice grisly murder any minute now and then you'll see her at the crime scene."
"You really think there'll be a big grisly murder?" Castle asked with the kind of hope that most people reserved for things like puppies and ice cream. But there it was, hope in his eyes that could not be mistaken for anything else. "Really?"
Alexis gave Castle that fond indulgent smile she reserved just for her dad. "Of course there will be," she assured him. "Isn't there always? And you and Detective Beckett will be finishing each other's sentences like usual in no time."
"And me coming home to ask my stunning little detective-in-training about insights," he reminded her with a fond smile on his lips. "We can never forget about your great help. I mean it. If not for you, there are probably a half a dozen cases I never would have helped them solve. You should put that in your college essays," he added, seriously. "Aiding the great novelist in solving crime," he framed the words like a title.
"That could definitely give me an edge, considering how cutthroat college admissions is these days," Alexis replied, smiling up at him. "Thanks, Dad. You know I'm always happy to give you someone to bounce ideas off of."
"So long as you continue to indulge in my fantasies, I'll always bring my work home to you," Castle promised, bringing her closer in a hug and kissing the top of her head. "Deal?"
"Deal," Alexis replied, more content with things than she'd been in months, even if there was still a twinge of sadness with it. She'd had friends, back on the island, and she didn't like the thought of never seeing them again, Billy especially.
She heard her dad yelling and she grinned, then all but flew out of bed and down the stairs. "Dad!" she squealed, leaping into his arms. "We're back!" She just hoped to God he knew what she was talking about and didn't look at her like she was crazy.
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Because if she wasn't from the island, if she didn't know about any of the changes that had happened, Castle was in for a long explanation.
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But that hadn't mattered.
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"Dad," she said, and then just raised her eyebrows at him. Standing around freaking out wasn't going to get him any less worried, and he knew that.
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