"I'm sorry, What?" Alexis asks stunned, not sure she understood the statement.

"Yes, we were all working to find you but not together. Your dad locked us out. He walked away from me telling me he was going home, a few hours later when I talked to Martha I found out that he had taken his passport and left for Paris. He refused to answer his phone and talk to me." Kate says angrily while working on the casserole without looking up.

"My dad didn't tell you anything?"

"Nothing." Kate stops fiddling with her tasks, leans on her hands on the counter and takes a deep breath to fight the emotions and softly says "He intentionally locked me and the others out because he felt he was going to have to do things... things that would be a problem for a sworn officer of the law to be involved in. He didn't even give me the chance to choose and that pissed me off."

"Oh my god." Alexis says almost under her breath.

"Alexis, so you know, I would have chosen to go with him without question." gently turning to look at her. "He would do anything for you and... I find myself surprised to say this, so would I, and not just because you're his daughter."

Kate can see by the look on her young face that she doesn't know what to make of this revelation. To keep her from dwelling on it yet and because she's uncomfortable with it all too, she clears her throat to say "Let's get this meal underway, we don't want the others to show up with no food available. We've got to put this in the oven."

"Uh... Yeah, okay." Alexis says trying to push the storm aside to concentrate on the tasks at hand. "I'll set the table and put out the salad."

"Sounds like a plan." Kate says letting the silence envelop them.

"Kate? Thanks for talking to me." Alexis offers quietly as she continues her tasks.

After a long pause Kate replies "You don't need to thank me Alexis. You are always welcome to talk to me. I may not be able to help but I'm willing to try."

The two continued to prepare dinner for everyone in silence now, just sharing in each other's company. As time went on, the mood slowly softened and they started to speak again. Kate had another thing to ask because she thought it was another point of concern about Alexis' well being that needed to be addressed no matter how unpleasant it was. "How was your mother? She handle it all okay?" she asks with a relaxed voice.

"Mom was... well, she was just mom. After her initial relief at seeing me, when she almost squeezed me to death, she began to revert to what she always is, herself. She asked me if I wanted to go shopping to let off some steam. Seems like a foolish thing to say but I think it is her only coping mechanism or at least the one that always works for her. I know she meant well." Alexis explains as she sets the table.

After a moment Kate decides to offer an idea to the young girl "You seem to have a good grasp on that part of the situation. Can I suggest something for you to consider? It's just my opinion. I know it sounded foolish at the time but maybe, just maybe, her idea to go shopping wasn't just her coping mechanism, maybe it was also her idea on how to get you into a comfortable and familiar situation so that the two of you could talk and not just so only you could talk. It might be the only way she knows to expose herself either."

"I never thought of that. I just assumed it was her way of avoiding being seen as not having been affected." Alexis says quietly with a touch of hurt in her voice.

"I'll tell you, when I called her..."

"You called her?" Alexis asks almost incredulous standing up and turning to face Kate.

"Um... Yeah, why? Was that a mistake?" Kate asks scared now of what she might have unleashed.

"No, not a mistake, I just assumed that dad called her. Why did he ask you to do it?" There's a bit of anger in her eyes and Kate doesn't know what to make of it.

Kate turns to face Alexis and look her square in the eye, and firmly explains "Your father didn't ask me to do it." she pauses to let the knowledge sink in then she continues "I volunteered to do it. I did it because I knew she needed to know and that I didn't think it'd be a good idea to have your father, one step away from a nuclear meltdown, doing it so I did it. I also took it upon myself to call Gina and Paula too to tell them to leave him alone until further notice. I didn't explain to them but I did to your mother. She had to know and I felt that I was better qualified to deliver such news than your dad. You seem mad. Are you sure I didn't do something wrong?"

Softening now "No Kate. You didn't. You made the right choice, thank you. I'm mad at my mother because she didn't tell me it was you who called. She just said that she was notified and that was it."

Kate waits a couple of minutes until she sees Alexis' posture soften before she continues "I'm sorry Alexis. Don't hold it against her. What I was going to say a moment ago was that she did react as I expected a mother to react, she fell apart when she heard you were kidnapped. I've heard real and fake grief and her's was real. It was real and painful and deep."

"I suspect she didn't even bother to thank you" Alexis says quietly.

"Actually, yes she did. She thanked me for calling her and she thanked me for the constant text updates I sent her every four hours. I tried to give her as much information as I could. Just so you know, I'm also the one that suggested she not come out here until after they rescued you. Her staying at home was better for her because otherwise she'd have been even more of a disaster sitting and waiting in a strange hotel room out here. I also told the FBI liason to get someone out to where she was just in case she needed something, we needed her or whatever."

Alexis stops in her tracks "Every four hours?"

"Yes."

"Wow. Thank you for doing that for her. I know she's a handful and you and her had a little clash when I was home sick."

"You're welcome Alexis. I didn't do that for her, I did it for you and your father. He has been my partner for a long time and I owe him a lot, this is just my trying to help any way that I can. I still haven't forgotten how I've caused your father and thereby you and your grandmother a great deal of pain this past year. We've had our ups and downs and I will prove to him and you two that I'm sincere. As for that little clash, it did set me on edge for a while but then I got a grip on the situation and now I know Meredith was out of her league and the things she said were incorrect. I also need to tell you that when I told her you were safe, she sounded very genuinely relieved. I know you two have your differences and differing views on things and I don't want to parlay my involvement into anything else but I think you should hear my opinion as an outsider. There seems to be genuine motherly love there for you and I believe, again, my own opinion, that you should know that."

Alexis walks over to her and gives her a big hug. "Thank you very much for everything you've done for all of us Kate."

She hugs her back, pressing her cheek to the girl's head "You're very welcome. I am so very glad that I was able to be there for you and your family."

Just as she releases her Alexis says "I think it's safe to say our family Kate. You're in this clan too now." as she wipes away a tear from her own eyes and continues preparing for dinner.

Kate Beckett stands there stunned. She feels the wind knocked out of her but she feels warm and happy. The recognition is overwhelming and pleasing at the same time. All she can do is croak out a scratchy "Thank you." to the girl as she too returns to the preparations.

Again, the two continue their tasks in silence but with glassy eyes holding back tears of joy. The silence broken by the startling sound of the cooking timer announcing the food is ready.