AN: Hey everyone! This is a really quick oneshot based on spoilers for 6x10. Enjoy, my loves!
She woke early, craving the warmth and comfort of another person. Instead, she shifted to find his side of the bed empty and rather cold. Exhaling loudly, she ran a hand through her hair and squinted at the doorway. A soft light seemed to be coming from downstairs. Swinging her legs to the edge of bed, she stood up and yawned, looking at the small electric clock on the bedside table.
Three thirty. Three thirty in the morning.
As much as she wanted to just fall back into her bed, curiosity and some crazy cop instinct made her begin to wander down the stairs.
A lamp was alight on the little table beside the couch, and she could see a shadow on the wall, pacing back and forth. Continuing to the bottom of the stairs, the sight of him, shirtless, walking around the floor, made her raise an eyebrow. Then he turned around, and she saw the baby pressed to his chest.
"Did she wake up?" Rick looked up and smiled gently.
"You can go back to sleep, Kate. I got her." But she walked towards him and reached for the little girl.
"How about I hold her while you go put a shirt on?" He leaned towards her, and she smiled as she felt his body heat on her chest. She could feel the small, warm body being transferred to her, and her smile grew as she moved away from him, holding her tightly. Inhaling deeply, the sweet scent of baby filled her nostrils. "How long has she been up?"
"Just fifteen minutes." His lips pressed onto the back of her head as lightly as a butterfly. "She just wanted to be held."
"Sweet girl." The detective's thumb caressed the soft down on the baby's head, and she moved to sit on the sofa near the lamp. The little one, obviously sleepy, nuzzled her head into Kate's chest and cooed quietly.
"You want some coffee?" She nodded, looking up at him.
"Might as well. I don't think I'll be heading back to bed again." Kate's eyes moved back down to the baby, and they softened considerably. "I'd rather stay with you, baby."
"Have you found any legal guardians yet?" Rick's voice drifted in from the kitchen, the sounds of the coffee machine in the background. "Or do we get her for a little longer?"
"There's an aunt somewhere in Denver, but we're not totally sure if she wants Izzy." She adjusted the little girl so that her head was resting on her shoulder, and her small fists began clutching onto Kate's sleeve. "We've got her for a while yet." He appeared around the corner of the room, clutching two mugs of coffee. Moving towards her, he put a mug onto the table and sat in the space beside her.
"Murder's an awful, horrible thing." He murmured, taking a sip of his coffee. "She's too young to know that her parents are gone."
"Believe me, I know." Kate replied, rubbing the baby's back softly. "God, I wish things like this didn't exist."
"I hardly remember when Alexis was this small." Rick commented, touching one of the tiny hands. "She would always grab my hand and stare up at me." He reached for Izzy, and she placed her into his waiting arms. "She was a little like you, Isabella." Enunciating her name, he stroked her baby cheek, letting her lie on his lap. Izzy's mouth was open in a small o, and her pale eyelids began to flutter shut.
"You gonna go back to sleep, baby?" Kate smiled, resting her head against his shoulder and placing a hand on his. "She really is a sweet little girl."
:-:-:-:-:-:-:
She holds onto the baby carrier tightly, walking to her spot in the familiar old precinct. Izzy was asleep, and a pink blanket was hiding her from view. Javi smiled at her, moving his gaze from his computer.
"You brought her today." She nodded, sitting in her chair and placing the carrier on the floor. "Was she up early?"
"Around three fifteen." Her foot began absently pushing down on the carrier, making it rock softly back and forth. "Rick was up with her before I was." He smirked, getting up and moving to sit in her fiancée's usual spot.
"You two're acting like new parents." Javi said, lifting the pink blanket off slightly. The little girl's face was relaxed, eyes closed and breathing gently. She was small for a three month old, and Kate, even though she wasn't her real parent, had developed an odd sense of protectiveness towards her. She adjusted the blanket providing heat for Izzy, and her mouth relaxed into a sweet smile.
"I don't know how we're going to let her go, Javi." Her voice was soft, as gentle as when she talked to the baby. "We're both getting really, really attached to her."
"You never know what could happen." He replied simply, and she shrugged. He was right.
AN: What did you all think? Do you want me to continue with this? Any predictions for 6x10?
xoxo,
J