Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

A/N: This is set in season 4. I don't remember exactly the airing dates so let's pretend mother's day fell before the bombing.

So many people focus on Beckett and her mother and the sadness this day, but being a girl who was mostly raised by my divorced dad I'd like to honor the fact that for all intents and purposes Castle has played both roles for Alexis.

"Your day"

"You'd think people could take a break on Sunday?" Castle grumbled. "You know, day of rest and all. Murderers are really inconsiderate."

"You're right," Beckett smiled as she took a sip of the coffee he brought her trying to hide her smirk. "Should we post up a schedule? Criminals all around, please take note of the best days to go on murdering rages."

"That'd be a great idea!" he smiled brightly at her.

"Oh, by the way. Before we get to the gruesomeness," she stopped him a block away from the alley where the others were waiting for them. She reached a hand on the inside of her coat and from her inside pocket produced a rose. "Here."

He reached for the rose looking at her weirdly and asked, "What's the occasion?" Were the walls coming down? Was she going to confess her undying love for him?

"For your day."

"My day?" he asked even more bewildered.

"Mother's day. You do remember it's today?" Well, yes. Of course he did. He had a very nice dinner planned for his mother, together with a very nice gift he had carefully picked and he had spent the week studiously diverting any conversation that reached dangerous mother day's grounds, taking them through longer routes to avoid displays and any other reminder of mother's day and the reminders that may bring Beckett. So yes, he was very aware of the date and how he wasn't going to mention mothers at all while with her. So instead he nodded numbly.

"So, happy mother's day!" she said brightly.

"I'm not a mother," he pointed out.

"You kind of are," she nodded before quickly kissing his cheek and turning towards the crime scene. He couldn't help but stupidly smile as he walked behind her smelling his rose.

Xxx

Apparently, this was a mother's day miracle. They found the killer within an hour. Granted. The killer wasn't trying to hide. The killer had indeed been waiting for them at the precinct wishing to confess. He wasn't a murdering psychopath, he was just a guilt ridden boyfriend who had panicked and fled the scene when he realized his girlfriend was dead. They'd been playing around. Chasing each other and as he pushed her towards the wall a little too roughly to make out, he hadn't seen the unprotected rod that pierced her killing her instantly. They were victims of a dark alley and shoddy construction work. Poor kids, Castle thought as he opened the door to see his daughter putting pancakes on a tray.

"DAD! You're awake!"

"Uh, yeah. Dead body," he said stupidly. Granted, they had been called at the crack of dawn and he had left the door to his room closed so it was understandable why Alexis would mistakenly think that at this time he would still be in bed on a Sunday.

"Go back to bed!"

"But I'm awake," he said shedding his coat and coming towards the kitchen, leaning on the counter curiously. "Watcha doin? Is that for grams? You know she doesn't wake up before noon on Sundays," he said happily.

"No, now go back to bed!"

"Honey," he laughed. "Don't worry. I'll be wide awake for grams dinner. I'll nap this afternoon."

"Dad! Don't argue. Go back to bed!" she ordered.

Okay, bossy boss. Who was he to argue? He was kind of tired. He guessed he could take a kip, as the British would say. That way he'd be nice and rested for his mother's special dinner. Like he said, he knew better than to plan a lunch on mother's day. He's mother had long ago declared that since this was her day, this was also the day she got to laze in bed for as long as she wanted to and woe to whoever tried to ruin her languishing. He pitied Alexis. The thought of breakfast in bed was very nice but she'd be in the receiving end of a Martha Rodgers lecture. He took out his shoes but decided to just drop on top of the covers with his clothes on. Just a quick nap…he almost jumped a mile high as his door was busted open with a kick and a happy Alexis cried.

"Happy mother's day dad! Waky, waky," as she happily placed the tray with the pancakes and the coffee on the bed next to him and he didn't know what to do. Should he throttle her for deceiving him into thinking he'd get some rest or hug her for being such a thoughtful daughter? He went for the latter and rejoiced in his second mother day's gift of the day as he hugged her.

"Thank you pumpkin."

"Come on dad. Eat your breakfast so you can open your present."

"There's a present?" he asked excitedly.

"Of course there's a present dad. I'm a Castle. What kind of Castle let's mother's day go without a present?" she chastised him as he smiled brightly. This was such a great mother's day!