Winning Christmas
Future Fic. Very very into the future fic.

"Dad!" Alexis pestered. "Open it!" She was excited, nervous, terrified and dying to see his reaction but the man was too busy playing with his present instead of opening it. Alexis shared an exasperated look with her husband and step-mother, the latter smirking at Castle's antics.

Castle tore the paper from the present, revealing a box. He opened it up and pulled out the mug that was inside. Jaw dropping, his brain tried to process what it was seeing as he read the words emblazoned on the ceramic over and over.
Alexis bit her lip, waiting for his reaction. When he lifted his gaze to her she could see the emotion behind his eyes, the tears and hope and happiness and before she could say anything he was out of his chair and had her wrapped in a bear hug. "Really?" was all he could ask, emotion clogging his throat and Alexis nodded into his embrace, as he clung tighter and the two began to cry. "I'm so proud of you, I love you so much. I'm so so happy for you." He kept whispering into her hair, holding her close and rocking his precious daughter gently.
Kate looked at the scene, completely lost as to what was occurring.
"Mom, do you know what's going on?" Jake asked, he and Reece looking up from the video games Alexis and Brian had bought for the boys. Lily just watched her Dad and sister, not sure herself what was happening.
"No idea." She looked at Brian but all he did was gesture to the present in her hand, the one Alexis had given her before Castle had distracted her. She tore into it, revealing a similar box to the one her husband had opened. She pulled out the mug that read My Grandma's pretty kick ass.

Wait a minute…. Grandma?!
"Alexis? You're… you're having a baby?" Kate couldn't hide her own tears as she looked at her husband and step-daughter crying as he continued to hold her.

"Yeah, Kate, we're pregnant." Brian confirmed to them.
"I love you, pumpkin, congratulations. You're gonna have your own pumpkin." Castle whispered to Alexis, moving back to kiss her forehead. In the space of a second he saw his baby girl, small little bundle in his arms, her first day at preschool, school, Laser-tag, fencing, violin lessons, taking her to buy her prom dress, her graduation, dropping her off to college, moving her into her own apartment, running the PI business, meeting Brian, walking her down the aisle. Every family meal, every time he'd seen her playing with her brothers and sister over the years, every time she'd ganged up on him with Kate. He saw it all, his baby girl growing up into the amazing woman he held before him. She could only grin at him through her own tears. He kept one arm around her as he held a hand out to Brian, shaking his son-in-laws hand. "Congratulations, my man. Welcome to the Dad club. Believe me, it's the best thing that you'll ever do in this life." He told the man as Kate joined the family hug.

Kate wrapped Alexis in her arms. "Thank you. Congratulations Alexis. I'm so proud of you and you know I'm here for whatever you need. I mean it, you need anything, I'll be there."
"Always have been," Alexis acknowledge, hugging Kate back. "Love you."
"Love you too. So much sweetheart."

Castle dropped back into his chair, picking up the mug and running his fingers over the lettering, he tried to take it in again. Grandad isn't sleeping; he's just resting his eyes. He chuckled, unable to stop the tears, wiping his eyes as he showed the mug to Kate, who laughed and then showed him hers.

"Merry Christmas Grandad, Grandma," Alexis told them as she sat back with Brian. "Technically that's from your soon-to-be-Grandkid so I still have a gift from us for you after dinner."

Castle couldn't believe it. He was gonna be a Grandad. Kate was amazed and honored that Alexis had bestowed the title of Grandma on her.
"I think you two just won Christmas," Castle joked, unable to stop grinning at his eldest. "I… How are you feeling? Everything's okay? When are you due? Oh my God I have to start buying things. What do you need? What can we help with?" Kate laughed, trying to calm him down and Alexis rolled her eyes.

They spent the rest of the evening celebrating the newest addition to the family. Alexis hugged her brothers after they'd fist-bumped their brother-in-law, who congratulated her, happy she was happy but Lily was psyched, really happy for Alexis, the two still as thick as thieves despite the age gap and promised to babysit and teach her niece or nephew how to beat the rest of the family at laser tag.

AN: The Grandad mug is a really mug you can buy and I know will end up in the Castle loft one day!