Title: Just a little trip

Author: Sister Spooky

Summary: Castle & Alexis are going to New Zealand for four weeks of the summer. Guess who goes along? Yep, you guessed it! Castle/Beckett

Rating: T

Spoilers: Um, nothing past Season 2 so far that I can think of.

Authors Note: These characters do not belong to me I just like having a play with them. ;-) I will be switching between Castle and Beckett's point of view each chapter. I think this is the kind of story you need to see things from both sides. Enjoy, and I love reviews!

..

Chapter One: Castle's POV

..

Alexis bounds excitedly into his bedroom doing a quick twirl, her arms flung out to the side like she was his baby girl again, not his teenage daughter. He grins at her. "Excited are we?" And closes his suitcase, he'd finally finished packing.

"Am I what!" She declares and sits on the edge of his bed. Her face suddenly goes from happy, to rather serious. But all he can think as he looks at her is that he has the most beautiful, perfect daughter in the world. How did he get so lucky? "I have a question Dad..." He smiles a little distractedly at her and nods for her to continue.

"Are you going to miss Detective Beckett? Four weeks is a long time... And things have changed since last summer... Haven't they?" He's taken aback at how much she knows about his friendship with Beckett, but recovers quickly.

"Sure, I'll miss her... But it's not like she's my girlfriend!" He teases and sits next to his daughter sliding his arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer. "She's my friend... My co-worker... Or whatever-" He pauses, what the hell does he call Beckett? "-and you are my daughter Alexis I love you... You have wanted to go to New Zealand for quite some time now. So I think it's about time we travel somewhere you want." He grins. "Plus, we'll be so busy I won't have time to think about missing anyone." He knows he's just told a little white lie, he's pretty sure he won't be able to be distracted from missing Beckett, not completely anyway. He rarely spends more than one or two days apart from her in a week. He wishes he could invite her along, but doesn't know how. He hasn't even told her where he's going, just that he's away for four weeks... He can tell she's curious, but he doesn't want to tell her about travelling afar when on her salary she couldn't travel wherever or whenever she wants the way he can, he doesn't want to sound like he's bragging.

"That's true." She smiles. "I have planned so many things for us to do! It's all written down, I'll show you when we're on the plane." She pauses and looks at him thoughtfully for a moment. "You should ask Beckett to come with us; I think she'd be fun to go away with." She gets up and kisses him on the forehead. "Love you Dad!" She disappears as quickly as she arrives and Castle is left alone and lost in his thoughts on Beckett. Alexis had just made asking Beckett to come on holiday with them sound so simple. Should he invite her? What if she thinks he's over stepping boundaries by asking... And they're leaving tomorrow, even if she's on her break so wouldn't have to ask for leave she would still have a lots to do if she wants to go away...

Before he can over analyse things he pulls out his phone and calls her. His heart racing as the ringing reaches his ear. He tries to calm his breathing. His mum had taught him a few tricks on regulating your breathing; she'd dealt with numerous actors with stage fright in the past.

"Yes, Castle." Beckett says by way of answering her phone. He gets a fright when she speaks; so busy concentrating on breathing, he forgot he was calling her.

"Hello to you too," he says sarcastically. "How is your first day off work Beckett?"

"It's been nice..." She answers sounding a little wary. "Did you just call me to ask how my break is or do you want something?"

"I called to see how your break is." He confirms. "And to tell you where Alexis and I are going away to."

"Uh huh," she says, sounding a little less apprehensive now. "The Hamptons?"

"Well, actually this time we're going to New Zealand." He pauses, and then rushes the next words. "Alexis has always wanted to go, and we thought we'd go skiing as we're staying near a mountain and visit the hot springs in Rotorua and well we wondered if maybe you would like to come too." He takes a breath, wincing as he thinks of everything he had just blurted out. He must have sounded like a real twat.

"That sounds like a lot of fun," Beckett answers slowly, obviously chewing over his words. "And thanks for inviting me, but it really would cost a lot, and it's probably good for you and Alexis to have some time together."

"It's up to you. She's actually the one who suggested inviting you." He said, chuckling as he did. He felt his heart sink though, as a part of him had really hoped she would say yes.

"Thanks for the offer Castle." She says a touch of finality in her voice. "I'm not sure it's really appropriate for us to go away together..." He hears her take in a breath. "Really though," she adds in a softer voice. "I appreciate it."

"I think friends can travel together..." He pauses, but she doesn't interrupt like he expects her to. "I do understand where you're coming from though. If you change your mind, let me know. Otherwise, enjoy your time off!" He feels stupid for asking her, but tries not to let it show in his words.

"I will," he can hear the smile in her voice, and he relaxes a little.

"Goodnight Detective," he says, and she takes in a deep breath this time.

"Goodnight Castle... Oh and I will think on your offer, okay?" He grins at this; she's not giving him an outright 'no'! This is a good sign coming from Beckett.

"We're leaving tomorrow afternoon, so think quickly."

"I will... Goodnight," she hangs up and he slowly lowers the phone from his ear. A holiday with Beckett...? Dare he hope for so much? He knows he would get so much shit from the boys at work and Lanie if they went away together and while he didn't mind... He figured Beckett might. He makes his way downstairs to start dinner, trying his best not to get his hopes up but at the same time images of Beckett in a bikini in the hot springs and laughing and throwing snow balls along with him and Alexis came to mind. It would be so nice to see her away from work, relaxed for once. He wouldn't make her uncomfortable, wouldn't dream of stepping over that line she has reluctantly drawn. All he wants is to see her happy, relaxed, and having fun for once. He doesn't think she has near enough happy memories.

He moves his phone around the kitchen with him as he prepares the vegetables and boils the rice for a stir fry. Even though he'd barely taken his eyes off the phone, it still makes him jump when his phone eventually beeps from beside the neatly cut carrots, he snatches it up and feels a smile spread across his face as he realises that it's a text from her.

'I will come with you guys. What time do I meet you?' He can't help it, and like a child he fist pumps the air and a burst of laughter from across the room greets him.

"Was that a text from Detective Beckett father?" Alexis smirks as she comes to try and sneak a look at his phone.

"Is it still okay for her to come with us sweetie?" Her face lights up.

"Of course...! Now I'll have company while you're writing. Man, I so can't wait. Do you need help with dinner?" The butter in the frying pan had melted so he places the vegetables in there while Alexis drains the rice. He texts Beckett back, phone in one hand and the flipper in his other. Multi-tasking is probably dangerous while he's cooking... But he doesn't want to give her a chance to back out while he finishes making dinner.

'Great! I'll book your ticket now and pick you up at 1.00pm tomorrow.'

'Thanks, I'll give you the money tomorrow. But... No funny business Castle.'

'Nope, I'll book you a separate motel room and everything. ;-)'

'Thanks. I look forward to getting away. See you tomorrow.'

He can't believe it. He hadn't truly expected her to accept. He didn't know why she did really, she had a fit when he had stayed at her apartment to keep her safe not all that long ago and Lanie & the boys had arrived. She cared a lot about what other people thought, she didn't like them assuming they were sleeping together when they weren't. He didn't think it was because she was embarrassed, more that she preferred to tell them in her own words what was going on in her personal life if she chose to share.

He calls the airlines and books another first class ticket; he had planned from the beginning on paying for her ticket anyway. She wasn't going to like it, but he figures it would be expensive enough on her budget paying for the motel room, meals and activities while they were over there.

He goes to bed fairly early with a book. He hopes it will distract him from thoughts of going away with his beautiful partner. He really is going to have to have a great deal of self control when they go away, he hopes like hell he won't slip up and ruin things between them...

TBC.