Archive of Our Own (BETA rev. 2850)

Work Text:

"Daddy!"

Four-year-old Alexis scampered across the apartment floor and climbed up into her father's lap as Rick beamed at her, hoisting her up.

"How's my little princess? Did you have fun shopping with Mommy?"

"I did! I did! I got to see Santa and we went on the carousel and then we had every flavor of ice cream all in one bowl!"

"Every flavor?" Rick asked, glancing over at Meredith who rolled her eyes and held up four fingers. "Wow, then you must be too full for any of the chocolates Grandma Martha brought."

Alexis' eyes lit up. "Chocolates!" When he pulled out the box and lifted the lid her eyes widened. "How many can I have?"

"As many as you want, pumpkin."

Alexis looked at them for a long time then plucked four of them from the box before scrambling down from his lap.

"Thanks, Daddy!"

*

"So, I was thinking…" Ten-year-old Alexis' fingers twisted nervously as she stood at the doorway to her father's office. "I've been to a few sleepovers, but I'm the only one of my friends who hasn't had one yet." Rick waited patiently, purposefully not helping her through this important step. "So can I have a sleepover here? Maybe next Saturday night? It wouldn't be a lot of girls, just a few friends, and I'd clean up before and after." Still wringing her fingers, she gave him a little hopeful smile. "Please."

He came around the desk and took her by the shoulders, kissing her on the forehead.

"Sweetie, I thought you'd never ask. Yes, of course you can have a sleepover. Invite as many friends as you want. Fill up the place and don't worry about cleaning up beforehand. I'll have the cleaning service come the day before."

"But I'll clean up after," Alexis said, nodding vigorously. "Because that's only fair."

"Sure, I guess," Rick said, cocking his head at her. "Just no drugs, alcohol or switchblades. Those leather couches are new."

"Dad!" Alexis rolled her eyes. "It will just be Mallory, Kai, Lucy and Tiana."

"Do you promise to at least stay up past your bedtime and talk about cute boys?"

Alexis gifted him with a bright and cheerful smile. "I think we can manage that." She went up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Thanks." She darted off up the stairs, ponytails bouncing.

*

"Homework?" Rick asked as he walked past the breakfast bar in the kitchen where twelve-year-old Alexis was writing with a thick book open in front of her.

"Not if you consider studying the history of World War II to be preparation for world domination," she teased.

He pulled a bottle of juice from the refrigerator and paused to press a kiss to her hair as he passed before getting out glasses for the both of them. "And who says kids don't learn anything useful in school?" He put a glass of juice down in front of her and poured a second for himself.

"Hey, Dad. Lily Henderson, on the third floor? She's having a birthday party Friday night. It's only downstairs. Can I go?"

"Will there be smoking?" Rick raised his eyebrow at her playfully.

"Probably, considering Lily's mother is supposed to be cooking for us." She gave her father a wry grin. "I bet we end up ordering pizza."

"Be classy," Rick teased. "Order Chinese instead."

"Yes, because nothing says class like disposable cardboard boxes no one can read," Alexis taunted back.

"It's foreign! Automatically classy!"

"Yes, because Italy is part of America and China isn't," Alexis said, clearly joking.

"Darlin'," Rick told her, "you'd be scared to find out how many Americans would believe you if you told them that." He wagged a finger at her as he went to put the juice away. "And that is why you go to private school."

"It's not because all your rich friends would look at you funny if you sent me to public school?" Alexis smirked at him over her shoulder.

"Heck, no," Rick said with a chortle. "They already look at me funny."

*

"Hey, Dad."

Rick was coming in the front door just as thirteen-year-old Alexis was heading out.

"Hey, hon! Where are you headed?"

"The library with Kyung-soon."

"Where you will be trying to sneak books out without checking them out and talking too loudly in the carrels?" Rick ventured.

"I'll try for a loud whisper, does that work for you?" Alexis teased, shouldering her heavy school backpack.

"Can you at least throw a paper airplane and prove you're really my daughter?" Rick asked, feigning exasperation.

"I'm wearing shoes with noisy heels," she offered, displaying her boots. "How about I don't tiptoe for once?"

"You're a rebel, sweetie," Rick drawled.

"Just for you, Dad," Alexis told him on her way out. "If I see a cop? I'll moon him."

"Oh now you're just playing with me." He put a hand to his chest, mocking being hurt.

"I know…" She gave him a pretend stern look she couldn't hold, her expression dissolving into one of mirth. "I'm such a disappointment as a daughter."

*

"Book not going well?" Fourteen-year-old Alexis hovered in her father's office doorway giving him an encouraging smile.

Rick pushed back from his desk with an exhalation of annoyance. "Yeah, apparently Derek Storm isn't too pleased about being killed off so he's being a bit petulant about it." He cocked his head at her attire since she had her coat on. "Are you going out?"

"Ashe called and said a few people were meeting up at Luigi's for pizza. Can I go?"

Rick mocked giving her a stare of suspicion. "Will there be boys there?"

"Yes, humans of the male persuasion will be present," she said, "but only the employees at Luigi's. It's a girls' night out."

"So that means no pitchers of beer, no drinking games and no phone calls saying you've been arrested for being drunk and disorderly… Hmm…" Rick slumped back in his chair. "Sounds like I'm in for a boring night."

"If it makes you feel better I'll let Ashe loosen the top of the chili pepper flakes dispenser. I won't tighten it back up again when she's not looking like I always do."

Rick let his head fall on his desk in an overly dramatic fashion.

"Where did I go wrong?" he called out to the heavens.

"Face it, Dad." She flashed him a bright smile. "It's your penance for all the misdeeds in your youth. You're being punished by having a good girl for a daughter."

"That," he told her, "is a punishment I can take." He winked at her then switched into a melodramatic voice with grand gestures. "It's the embarrassment that gets me! Oh, I can never hold my head up in society anymore! Woe is me!"

She waved him off with a giggle as she left. "Sorry I can't stay for your impression of Grandma. I'll be back by ten!"

"Make it 10:30?" he called out, but only heard a feminine laugh as the door closed.

*

"I still don't see how this ties into the case."

"Wait, I haven't shown you the letters…" Rick looked up from where he and Kate were sitting at the breakfast bar to spy Alexis coming down the stairs carrying her coat and purse which she put on the sofa. "Hey, sweetie. Are you on your way out?"

"Hey, Dad. Hi Detective Beckett." Alexis offered Kate a little wave. "I just got a text. Shayna's throwing an impromptu party."

"Ooh! Parents away for the weekend?" Rick asked, perking up.

"No, but she got an A on her math midterm and since her parents bribed her, she gets a party in return."

"Her parents bribed her with a party to ace a math test?" Kate asked, surprised.

"There's not much else to bribe her with," Alexis explained with a shrug. "She's already got a desktop and a laptop and a netbook for her purse, two cell phones and more MP3 players than I can keep track of."

"So can I assume there will be boys at this party?" Rick asked, giving her the obligatory critical eye.

"Yes, Dad," she drawled as she tugged on her coat. "There will be boys. And alcohol and smoking and maybe even some exciting new drugs!"

"Sounds like fun!" Rick said brightly. "Have a good time, sweetie!"

"Thanks!"

"Call me if you want me to come pick you up!"

"I will!"

As she gathered up her purse, hat and muffler to go, Kate stared at Rick, keeping her voice low.

"Alcohol? Drugs?"

"That's just us playing," Rick scoffed. "She's a good kid. I trust that she's just teasing."

"You know, Castle, one day she's not going to be teasing. She's going to tell you the truth and you're going let her go anyway." She leaned in close in a wicked whisper. "That day might even be today."

"Bye!"

Rick spun around as Alexis closed the door after herself.

"Alexis!"

The door stayed closed and Rick stared after it frowning.

"She's a smart kid, she'll be fine," Kate said dismissively.

Rick huffed out a breath. "I fear she might have finally gotten smarter than her old man." He pulled out his cell phone and quickly dashed out a text to his daughter on it. 'You were kidding right?'

A beep came back in fairly quickly and he read the text reply.

'Sorry not kidding. There will indeed be boys there.'

As he laughed out loud, both delighted and relieved, Kate looked at him askance.

"What?"

Rick just shook his head and stared at the screen, a pleased little smile on his face.

"That's my girl."