Cause and Effect

AN: Do not own Castle but simply had to write something based on the promo for episode 5. Contains spoilers although we don't see anything except the start of this scene in the promo. It will probably be wildly wrong but well hey, that is the benefit of fan fiction. I don't live in the US so this is purely based on the 30 second promo on Youtube.

"What is going on?" Alexis Castle yelled to be heard as she came down the stairs.

There were cops everywhere, including the three detectives whom her father had spent the last four years of his life with. Her father was not in the main living area and her concern for him rose.

She turned to face his 'new girlfriend' who looked suspiciously like a serious detective more than a supportive partner. "I said, What is going on?" She asked sternly, her hands on her hips.

Kate Beckett tried to gently lead her partner's daughter away from other prying ears. "Alexis your father is a suspect in a murder investigation."

Alexis wrenched her arm from the older woman, "NO, I don't believe it." She spun round to move back in to the main room. "Where is he, where's my Dad?" She demanded of Kate.

"He's in his office, Detective Esposito needs to question him." Kate answered, coldly to Alexis' ears.

"Question him! Why? Don't you believe he is innocent?"

"Alexis I am doing my job, following the evidence."

"I don't care about the evidence and as for doing your job, your job is to support my Dad or are you already running away from him?"

"Alexis my personal relationship with your father doesn't effect this investigation." Kate tried to placate.

"Well it damn well should." She strode from Kate and marched into her father's office. Alexis assessed the scene she was faced with. Her father sat on his sofa, looking rather unsure of what was happening, not the usual look he had. Detective Esposito looked like he was about to go in for the kill with his interrogation.

"Dad! Stop talking." Alexis addressed her father then stepped in front of him to face the detective.

"Do you believe my father killed someone?"

"Look Alexis I have to do this interview…" Javier tried to step round Alexis.

"I asked you a yes or no question detective please answer it." Alexis stood her ground and did not back away from the glare Javier was giving her.

"What I believe has no bearing on the evidence in front of me."

"What evidence?" Alexis demanded, suddenly remembering that Kate had mentioned that before.

"I can't discuss the case with you."

"The hell you can't!" Alexis swore, something that made her father look up at her for the first time.

Kate stood in the doorway watching the situation implode. "Espo, we should continue this at the 12th." She nodded to him.

"Castle we need to take you in for questioning." Javier said as he moved over to Castle who stood from the sofa.

"You are not arresting my father!" Alexis exclaimed to both detectives.

"We're not." Kate pulled Alexis towards her and away from the door. "We just need him to answer some questions."

"You do this and I swear you are never going to set foot in this loft again, do you understand me detective?" Alexis was displaying all the fiery characteristics her red hair suggested she had.

Kate nodded to Espo and Ryan who were escorting Castle away, it did not go unnoticed by Alexis that she made no eye contact with her father.

"I'll see you back at the precinct." She told them as they left the room.

"I'm serious Detective Beckett," Alexis started before Kate could address her again. "You have worked with my father for four years and you are now sleeping with him. If you do this I will never let you near him again."

"Alexis, calm down, like I said before, I have to do my job."

"Your job, Detective, is to excuse yourself from this case, or have you not heard of a conflict of interest?"

"Alexis, it's better that I….."

"Are you trying to tell me that Captain Gates would allow you to interview a suspect you are having sex with?" Alexis spat the words, desperately ignoring the embarrassment they brought her.

Kate balked at the clinical way her partner's daughter had spoken to her. Alexis could see she was trying to regroup and was ready for her.

"Alexis the evidence all points to him." Kate told her, this only angered Alexis further.

"I DON'T CARE" she shouted back. "My Dad would never kill anyone and if you can't see that, then you don't deserve to have him in your life."

"Alexis this is nothing to do with how I feel about him."

Alexis suddenly deflated at her words, "but that's just it, it should have everything to do with it." Alexis walked away from Kate and then spoke again from the door to the office.

"You do what you need to do Detective, question him, arrest him, apologise when it is all done. I will never forgive you and you will not be welcome in our family. I'm going to call my father's lawyer; it seems he is in need of his services."

Several hours later Alexis walked in to the 12th Precinct where her father's lawyer had told her she could post the bail money for his release. The money was a huge sum but no real challenge for her father. The lawyer had called the bank to organise the cheque and Alexis had simply picked it up and now had to deliver it to the arresting officers – Detective Beckett and her team.

Alexis was escorted to the homicide floor of the precinct and she stood in front of Kate's desk waiting for the detective to arrive. She saw her father being brought in to the bull-pen by Detective Ryan.

Her heart eased seeing him there in the flesh, he was accompanied by his lawyer but there was no sign of his female detective friend.

"Hey Pumpkin" Rick leaned down to kiss Alexis on the forehead. He didn't acknowledge the cheque she handed to the lawyer and as he put his arm around her to direct her from the room, he didn't speak to Ryan or look at the desk of Detective Beckett. Alexis simply put her arm round his waist and walked with him to the elevator.

"I know you didn't do this Dad." She said as they stepped in to the empty car.

"Thank you Pumpkin." He kissed her head again.

"Do they all believe you did this?" She asked the question tentatively.

Her father sighed, "It appears so sweetie." He leaned back against the wall.

"Then they are not your real friend's Dad." Alexis stated firmly.

Her father smiled weakly at her, "Maybe, but that is very hard to accept."

The doors opened and they both left, Alexis turned her head back to the building and could see Detective Beckett watching them leave. The only thing Alexis was grateful to the woman for was the fact that she had not let the press get hold of the story yet. At least she had let them walk out of the building in peace. Alexis didn't smile at Kate; in fact she deliberately didn't acknowledge her. The woman would no longer be part of their lives. She would make sure of that.

Later that evening Alexis was only slightly surprised when the doorbell rang and Kate Beckett was standing at the open door.

"What do you want?"

"I need to speak to your father."

"Is this in your professional capacity? If so you can't see him without his lawyer and you can't come in without another warrant." Alexis stood with her hand on one side of the doorframe, the other keeping the door almost closed behind her.

"No, I'm not here as a detective." Kate said quietly.

Alexis looked at the older woman who did look at least a little contrite. However Alexis steeled herself to protect her father. "You are still not welcome here." Alexis moved to close the door.

"Alexis wait, I just need to speak to him…."

"No, you were warned this morning. He is devastated, he didn't do what you have accused him of, and the only people in this world who are his friend's not because he is rich, believe he is a murderer. Your needs do not matter to me." She turned away again.

"Is he ok?" Kate asked quietly.

Alexis turned back to her. "He is asleep, he has been advised by his lawyer to stay in the loft, Gina has been in touch to say that the press have got the story, she also told him that Black Pawn plan to pull out of his future book deals and that they will be withdrawing Frozen Heat from the shelves. You got your wish detective, Nikki Heat is retired and my father has been destroyed."

"I never wished for this Alexis."

"Perhaps not" Alexis conceded. "But today would have been a whole lot different if you had decided to support him instead of being the one to arrest him."

Alexis closed the door, locked it and leaned her head on it. Perhaps she had been too cold to the detective but she shouldn't have come. There was nothing for Kate to do now. She couldn't have a personal relationship with her father and be the detective in charge of the case against him. They had all chosen their path today and in the space of 24 hours everything had changed. Her father would have to prove his innocence alone, as the three people who could help him chose to believe his guilt. The Mayor had called to offer his condolences but it was clear that despite all that her father had done for him, he was distancing himself from the famous author. Her grandmother had returned earlier from the Hamptons after Alexis called her. She too was disgusted that Rick had not only been left to defend himself alone but also accused by his closest friends.

Alexis moved back in to the living area of the loft and sat on the sofa, hugging a cushion. It was going to be a hard time until she could show the rest of the world that her father was innocent but she would stick by him, even if it meant moving back to the loft to support him.

Away from the loft, the only thing Kate Beckett could do was cry, her life had been turned upside down. She had put her job ahead of her partner and now she had lost him forever.

AN: Before anyone writes anything – I really, really don't want them to split up because of this and I hope the promo has just told the story in a nasty way but if Kate believes Castle committed a murder it could cause some real problems in their relationship. (I also hope he didn't do it – of course). Also have no idea if the posting bail would happen like this, again it is only a story.

Would be nice to hear what you think about this but I don't demand feedback. Thanks for reading.