Life for Kate was looking pretty good. Actually, life was looking amazing. Yes there was still the issue of her mother's case and trying to figure out who her killer was. But she was working on that. And she had an amazing partner who was with her every step of the way. A partner who would help her stay out of the rabbit hole that she had spent so many lonely and miserable years crawling out of. This man, her partner, had squeezed and planted his way into her life. Richard Castle.
Yeah sure, in the beginning she was annoyed, hated the fact that he followed her where ever she went. But now, now she wouldn't change a single thing. She had no doubts, no regrets when it came to him. Castle. Her partner in the field and in life. Her soon-to-be husband.
She felt like a 13 year old. A little giddy teenager, whenever that thought crossed her mind. They were getting married. Castle would be her husband. She would be his wife. And she would get to be the step mother of an amazing little girl. Alexis. Now if only Alexis felt the same way…
When Castle first started following Kate, Alexis was little. She was a merely 4 years old. Now 6 years later she's a beautiful young lady at the age 10. In the beginning of Castle & Beckett, Castle guarded Alexis from Kate and the whole precinct. It was understandable. A 4 year old didn't need to be around murder boarders and murder suspects. But Castle also didn't know how long this excursion with the 12th and with Kate would last. The last thing he need was Alexis getting attached to more people only to have them leave her just like her mother had done.
When Castle & Beckett first started dating, it was the same thing. Castle was worried that Alexis would get too attached to Beckett and if it didn't work out between them then Alexis would be devastated. Kate thought this was ridiculous, however, because she knew Castle was her one & done, and that she had found the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with. But she didn't want to tell Castle how to raise his own daughter. So she kept her mouth shut.
By the time Castle started letting Kate spend more time with Alexis, Alexis wasn't interested. She had spent half of her life hearing all about this Detective Beckett lady but never got to know her. Alexis also knew that whenever her dad was upset it was Detective Beckett's fault. Thus starting Alexis' dislike towards Kate. Because everyone knows when you are 7 and someone makes your dad so upset that he doesn't even add a smiley face to Sunday morning's pancakes, you HATE whoever is reasonable.
A few years go by and although Castle & Beckett had worked things out. 10 year old Alexis still holds a grudge. Sure she pretends for her dad because he's sooo happy. Alexis has watched enough movies to know that the Step-Mother is always evil. Kate knew… she knew from the start that Alexis didn't like her. She always felt the death stare whenever they were in the same room alone together and sarcastic remarks that would make her father laugh weren't all that sarcastic…
Knowing all this, you can understand why Kate jumped at the opportunity to watch Alexis over the weekend while Castle flew to Boston for a book event and Martha was in the Hamptons with her girlfriends. Kate needed to fix things with Alexis. She loved Alexis. Kate knows what it's like to live without a mother and if Kate can fill that void for Alexis, then it would mean the world to her. Unfortunately, Alexis had over plans for the weekend…
To be continued.