Hi!

Yup...another AU story from me. Don't worry - I haven't abandoned Lifeline and it will be updated soon. The idea of this one just wouldn't leave me alone.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Authors note: I've made Alexis a few years younger in this than she would be at the same time in the Canon universe.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1

April 2004

Kate was feeling very weary as she entered the Loft. It had been a very long, but good, day at the precinct and she wanted nothing more than to spend the evening cuddled up with her boyfriend and his daughter. Their daughter. It still struck her sometimes how lucky she was to have the life she had ended up with. A few years ago, before she had met Rick and the darling redhead who now called her Mom, she would have laughed at anyone who suggested that this is where she would be.

A few months after she had turned 19, in the first few days of 1999, her mother had been stabbed in a dark alley several blocks from her office. It was only because of a couple with impeccable timing who had walked passed that she survived. Kate still remembered sitting by her mother's bedside very vividly, and despite everything that had happened between them since she had still never felt relief like finding out her mother would live.

It was two weeks later, only 8 days after being released from hospital, that Johanna Beckett disappeared. Kate had been back in California for college when she got a panicked phone call from her dad. The usually calm and collected man who had raised her had worried her so much she got a plane back to New York the next morning. She had tried to call her mother's office and private cell several times in the 12 hours between finding out she was gone and landing at JFK to no avail. Once she got back to the apartment that had been her childhood home she found her dad sat at the dining room table clutching a small piece of paper.

A note. She had left them a note.

Not too long after that divorce papers arrived with her signature already signed on the dotted lines. Jim had drunk pretty heavily for about a week after that, before signing the forms in anger himself and sending them back in the pre-addressed envelope she had enclosed for a PO Box. Kate, much like her father, had been left heart broken by her mother's decision to cut them out of her life entirely. She worried about leaving her dad alone and transferred to Columbia so she could move back in and look after him. He carried on drinking and, for a while, she pretended not to notice.

Six months after her move back to New York she had met Rick and Alexis in the burger bar she worked in. She knew who Rick was as soon as she saw him, a fact that he enjoyed greatly when she admitted it to him at the start of their relationship, and she remembered how nervous she had been to serve the man who she considered her last connection to her absent mother. They used to read his books together and discuss them over breakfast much to Jim's displeasure. Rick seemingly took an interest in her quite quickly and brought Alexis back at least once a week. She found out later, much later, that he had asked her boss Remy what her shift rotations were. After a few months of banter and flirtation she said yes when he asked her out on a date. That was just over four years ago and they had never looked back.

Rick and Alexis had healed her heart, and to some extent her dad's. He had been dubious of the relationship at first - the 9 year age gap between her and Rick causing some concern for him. However once he met Rick he understood how much the young man cared for Kate and took a step back from trying to warn her off him. If that hadn't been enough Jim had also been quite enchanted by Alexis, who referred to him as Grandpa Jim, and he had curbed the drinking for the sake of his family not long after Kate had moved in with Rick 9 months after their first date.

Looking back at it all, they had moved quite quickly. She knew he had a ring somewhere, although she had made him promise her that he wouldn't propose until she made Detective. The thought made her smile again as the news she had today sprung back to the forefront of her mind.

"Mommy!" Kate barely managed to get the door shut behind her before Alexis threw herself at her.

"Hi baby," She greeted as she hugged the 8 year old back tightly. "How was school?"

"It was good! We had a pop quiz today in Maths and Mrs Callaghan said that I had the best score in the class." Alexis explained excitedly.

"I can't believe I have managed to raise a child who enjoys school so much." Rick complained from the kitchen. Kate laughed and moved back from Alexis' embrace.

"Come on squirt, lets go see what has Daddy so grumpy." She grabbed Alexis' hand and the two of them walked towards the kitchen area. "Evening, babe." She said as she smudged a kiss against his cheek. "Alexis, help your Dad whilst I go put my things away." She smiled and kissed Rick's cheek again when he looked perturbed at her brief hello to him.

Kate walked into their shared office and opened up the safe, and she put her gun and her badge away. She moved into the next room and quickly changed out of her uniform, smiling to herself as she realised she wouldn't have to wear it much longer.

"Kate honey, dinner is ready." Rick called out from the kitchen.

"Coming." She called back, unable to wipe the smile off her face.

Life was pretty good.

"I have something to tell you." She said as she accepted the glass of wine from him. She took the hand that was still in front of him and pulled him towards the sofa next to her. Alexis was in bed and the two of them were relaxing together before their own bedtime. Kate had the following day off and was looking forward to the lie in and relaxing morning with her family.

"Well go on, don't leave me hanging."

"I made Detective." She explained with no preamble, having kept the secret in for too long all evening.

"That's amazing!" He leant forward and kissed her soundly grabbing her glass of wine from her hand and placing it with his on the table next to them. "I'm so proud of you." He whispered against her lips.

"Thank you." She ran one of her hands down his chest. "I found out at the end of my shift, and I wanted you to be the first to know. I don't think I could have done it without you."

"Of course you could have, Kate. You could do anything you put your mind do."

"If you're trying to get laid Mr Castle you are definitely going the right away about it." She kissed him soundly and sat herself in his lap. "Lets go to bed." She said breathlessly as she pulled away from him. Kate let out a squeal of surprise as Rick stood with her still in his arms, she quickly wrapped her arms and legs around him as she laughed.

"Shh, you'll wake Alexis." He laughed as he pulled her closer. As he started to walk them towards their room, he spoke again. "You know what this means right?"

"What?"

"I am so going to propose to you."

"Well don't do it when we are naked." She retorted as they landed on the bed, "I would hate to have to explain that to my Dad or our daughter."

Kate's sleep was interrupted by the doorbell ringing repeatedly. She groaned as she rolled out of Rick's arms and pulled the comforter off herself.

"Who the hell rings the bell like that at this time of day?" He groaned at her.

"I'l go check." She replied, her voice still thick with sleep. She pulled her dressing gown on over her pyjamas, thankful that they had remembered to put clothes back on last night. They had been almost caught completely naked once by Alexis and ever since had a strict policy regarding bed clothes if Alexis was around.

Kate yawned as she walked out towards the main part of the loft and the front door. She saw Alexis stood at the top of the stairs.

"Mommy?" She asked questionably, rubbing her eyes with one hand and holding Monkey Bunky in the other.

"Go back in your room, baby. I'll be up in a bit ok?" Kate soothed the tired young girl, and smiled when Alexis nodded and walked back towards her room.

The doorbell rang a couple more times and Kate groaned as she pulled the door open. She was certainly shocked when she saw her Dad stood on the other side.

"Dad? Do you know what time it is? You woke all of us up." She complained. It was her first day off in what felt like forever, and she had wanted to spend the morning celebrating her promotion with her family. She had been planning on calling her dad in the early afternoon and asking him to join them.

"I'm so sorry, Katie. You know I would normally call first, but these circumstances are quite out of the ordinary." Jim apologised.

"What are you-" Kate's question was interrupted when her Dad stood aside and her eyes fell on the woman behind him. Kate gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

"Kate, honey, who is it?" Rick asked as he walked out of their bedroom. As he stood behind her he stopped as he saw Jim Beckett on the other side of the door, along with a woman he had only ever seen photos of. "Oh my God." He placed his hand on Kate's shoulder, which seemingly knocked her out of her state of shock.

"Mom. What the hell are you doing here?"

"Hi Katie," Johanna replied. "It's been a while."

So, there you have it!

There will be flashbacks in this story in later chapters of the times shortly before and after Johanna's disappearance as well as the earlier parts of Kate and Rick's relationship in this universe.

Not sure when the next update will be (I just found out I'm being laid off...so a lot of my spare time is currently being devoted to looking for other work) but it won't be to long - I promise.

Please review and let me know what you think!

Until next time...

xx

p.s. Happy Castle Monday!