Okay, to say that I'm blown away by the response to this story would be an understatement. Thank you for all the alerts and follows. I appreciate them more than you can ever know...

Walking into the principals office Kate forced a smile on her face and sat in front of his desk net to Rick. They waited while the man shuffled some papers around in front of him. Then he looked at both of the adults and said, "We seem to have a big problem with your daughters. It seems they are having a hard time getting along with one another. Which is odd because until a few weeks ago, they were the best of friends. If this continues we will have no choice. We will have to remove one or both of them from the school."

Kate looked at him and asked, "Isn't there some other way that we can handle this?"

"Yeah, can't we just simply sit the girls down and talk to them?"

Principal Andrews shook his head, "We have tried talking to them. They either don't care or they just aren't listening. Whichever it is, we need to find a way to make them realize that the fighting can't continue."

Rick asked him, "What would you suggest that we do?"

"This calls for a radical approach. We want the girls to spend time together outside of the school." Then he looked at Rick and Kate and said, "I suggest supervised play dates."

Kate laughed and asked, "Are they three now?"

"Yeah. That's seems kind of silly."

Kate and Rick both laughed with each other. However, the girls principal didn't laugh at all. He simply stared at the other two adults and said, "This is a very serious matter Mister Castle and Ms. Beckett and it must be treated as such. The playdates will need to begin immediately. One shall take place at your house Mister Castle and the other one will be at your residence Ms. Beckett. Make the girls see that getting along is a good thing."

Kate looked at him and said, "We don't even like each other Mister Andrews."

The man then looked at each of them and said, "Well, I suggest you start pretending that you do. Or better yet, find a way to put your petty differences aside for the good of your daughters. Their futures at Marlowe Prep depend on it."

Then he stood up and walked out of the office. Leaving Rick and Kate looking at each in shock and bewilderment.

Kate looked at Rick and asked, "So, what do you want to do?"

Rick shrugged and whispered, "I don't know. What do you want to do?"

"Why should I make the decision here?"

Rick laughed, "Because I seem to remember that you were always the one to make all of the decisions."

"What are you even talking about?"

"Like you don't know. You made the decision to keep our relationship secret. You decided where we would go and what we would do. Hell, you even made the decision to sleep with me."

Kate laughed harshly, "As if you didn't do right along with it."

"I went along with it because I loved you and I wanted to make you happy, but nothing I did was ever good enough for you. Was it Kate?"

"In the end I wasn't enough for you."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that after everything we meant to each other, everything I thought we had, it meant nothing to you."

"What in the hell are you talking about? I loved you Kate."

Kate laughed bitterly and wiped at her eyes, "Yeah. You loved me so much that you went back to your ex-wife."

"Are you crazy? I never went back to her! She hasn't been near me since we divorced ten years ago."

"That's not what the tabloids said...They even had pictures."

"Pictures can be doctored Kate."

Kate laughed, "And feelings can be faked Rick..."

Rick shook his head and leaned in close to her. He looked into her eyes and whispered, "I never once faked how I felt about you Kate. Not. One. Time. I loved you Kate. From the moment I laid eyes on you until the moment you walked out of my life, I loved everything about you. From the way you smiled. To the way you laughed. To they way you would say my name when we made love. There's a very good reason I haven't dated anyone in the past four years..."

Rick's words really got to her, but she didn't want him to see that. So, she tried to act like she didn't care and she asked, "And what reason is that Rick? Too busy playing the field?"

Rick laughed loudly, "No Kate. I haven't found anyone that makes me feel the way that you did. Dammit Kate. I loved you."

She noticed that he used the past tense and she felt her heart break at the words that came out of his mouth. Because if she was truthful with herself, she was still just as in love with him as she was the day she broke it off with him. Seeing him again made her feel things that she hadn't felt in a long, long time. She hadn't felt like she was truly loved in years. And the last person to love her had been the mad sitting in here with her.

Did she dare risk getting her heart broke again by him? She didn't know if she would survive. She shook her head and whispered, "I don't know what to say..."

Rick looked at her and whispered, "It's okay Kate. I'm over you now."

Kate wiped a tear from her cheek and whispered, "Yeah, me to."

"It's too bad. We were great once."

"Yeah, we sure were."

"We could be great again. If you'd just let..."

"No...I have too much to risk now..."

"I never was good enough for you. I'm just this stupid writer and you..."

"What? What about me?"

Rick looked at her sadly "You have a wonderful career. You're captain of a whole damn precinct. I can't ever compete with you."

"Who the hell asked you to compete with me Rick?"

"I never felt like I was good enough for you."

Kate sighed, "You were the best thing that had happened to me in a long, long time Rick."

"Then why didn't you trust me? Trust in our love?"

"I just never thought it would be enough. Before me, you dated super models. I was just a stupid cop and..."

"Dammit Kate! You aren't stupid! You are the most amazing woman I've ever known!"

At that point, all Kate could do was look at him. She knew that if she let herself, she could fall in love with him all over again. However, she was afraid to risk her heart again. She had done it once and it had cost her everything.

Meanwhile, Alexis and Samantha sat outside the principals office and they heard the voices of their parents yelling at each other. It didn't sound promising. So, Alexis looked at Sam and said, "Come on, we need to go in there now."

With that, Alexis pulled Samantha into the principals office and Alexis said, "What's going on?"

Both adults looked at their daughter's and Rick told them, "We are taking the two of you home. Then, we are going to have playdates. Starting this weekend. That's the only way you can stay here. Otherwise, you will both be removed."

Alexis and Samantha looked at one another and shrugged. Then Alexis said, "Can't we just promise to never fight again?"

"Yeah. I don't want to see her outside of school."

Kate shook her head, "Principal Andrews insists. So, because the two of you had to act like toddlers, you will be having playdates like toddlers."

Alexis rolled her eyes and whispered, "Great. Can we just get this over with?"

Samantha nodded, "Yeah, like tomorrow."

Kate smiled at their daughters and then said, "I'll call you tomorrow Rick."

Rick nodded and the girls walked out of the room first. Then, Rick and Kate gave each other one last longing look, and followed their daughter's out of the room.

Rick wanted to reach over and grab hold of Kate's hand, but he was deathly afraid that she would punch him. So, he simply held the door open for her and followed her out of the office. He vowed silently to himself that he would find a way to make them a family once and for all. Because he was still deeply in love with Kate Beckett and he knew now that he always would be...