Thank you, thank you, thank you all for being so wonderful and patient with me. I cannot begin to express how much your support means to me.

Take the Stairs - Chapter Seven

People often swore that men were oblivious to feelings, that it took a glaring neon sign to alert them to discontent around them, or that they needed it spelled out slowly when a loved one was upset, but he liked to think he was a step above the rest.

For instance, he knew something was on his daughter's mind without needing any outside assistance. He could tell just by the tension in her face, in her hug.

The first time he'd picked her up with the twins in tow, she'd been delighted. It had been exciting and fun, and she'd babbled to the babies about her day the entire way home. The second time the three of them picked her up from school, her reaction had been more subdued. She'd perked up moments later, kissing him and then moving to sneak slobbery kisses from the twins, but he'd noticed. He'd observed a similar reaction when he picked her up yesterday, but he hadn't yet asked her about it. It was important to let her come to him with her concerns.

"Daddy, can I ask you something?"

Ah, and there it was. He'd had a feeling she'd been saving her questions for a time when they were alone.

It was just them for the night. Kate had taken the babies to have their weekly dinner with her father, bringing them by for a quick hello on their way out. Cooking for two felt odd after so many weeks of meals for three (or more, since leftovers meant Kate had something to take to work for lunch the next day), but he'd kept it simple with chicken strips and homemade mac and cheese.

"Of course, pumpkin. Ask me anything."

Dropping the dishtowel, Rick slid into the chair across from his daughter. Smoothing a damp palm over the crown of her head, he dipped his chin to get her eyes.

"What's on your mind, honey?"

He watched her brow furrow in concentration, the way it did when she was choosing her words very carefully.

"You said we're gonna watch the twins more, right?"

Rick nodded slowly, wondering if perhaps he should've paid more attention when he asked her if it was okay to add babyproofing to their apartment and to volunteer himself as a babysitter a few days a week. She'd been enthusiastic both times, and he thought he'd been doing relatively well so far with splitting his attention between the twins and his daughter, but maybe that wasn't the case. Maybe with the end of the school year looming, Alexis was worried how much 'dad' time she would get out of the deal with two little ones underfoot.

"We are. Two or three times a week while Kate's at work, and then some weekends if she needs us."

Well, they hadn't really talked about weekends, but he had to assume Kate would bring the babies to him if she had to work. There was always her dad, but –

"Are you going to be their new daddy?" Alexis asked, releasing a hearty puff of air, tearing him from his musings.

"Am I going to be their new daddy?" he repeated, blinking at the question.

Alexis nodded, confirming that he'd heard her right even as she looked away. He watched her shift in her chair, her thin arms squeaking across the tabletop as she squirmed. It was her move when she was unsure.

Damn it, he'd messed up, hadn't he? He'd been so caught up in getting to know Kate and working to weave their lives together in a way that worked for all of them, he'd put something important on the backburner: telling Alexis.

He'd been good – he thought, at least – about only being 'daddy' in front of the twins when Alexis said it first. Kate had been good at it too, barring a few slip-ups that had seemed to go unnoticed by his daughter. Neither of them had wanted to open that door and answer those questions before they'd even established a real routine, but it was time. It was past time.

And if Kate's friend Lanie knew, then his daughter needed to know, too.

A part of him wondered if Kate should be included in the discussion, but she was still out and maybe it was better if it did come from him alone.

"Well," he started, reaching a hand out for his firstborn, his baby. Her fingers slipped into the curve of his palm, cool to the touch as always. "Not exactly, sweetheart."

He watched tiny frown lines mar the delicate skin of her forehead. "What's that mean, Daddy?"

"That means…" Crap, there really wasn't a delicate way to tell a seven year old that she had been hanging out with her brother and sister for almost two months, was there?

"Do you remember when you met Kate and the twins in the hall?"

"Uh huh, when you were flirting instead of helping," she teased, giggling at his faux dismay.

"I never, daughter." He let her laugh at his expense for another moment more before squeezing her hand and continuing, "I told you Kate was a friend of mine and I didn't know she lived in the building. Remember that?"

Alexis nodded, leaning her cheek on her other hand.

"Well," he paused again, swallowing. "Kate's my friend –"

"Your girlfriend now, Daddy."

Rick smiled, brushing a loose piece of hair out of her face. "You're right, pumpkin, my girlfriend now. But Kate and I, we… met when I was on a trip, and we started talking, and we liked each other a lot."

"So was she your girlfriend the whole time? Cause it sounds like she was."

Chuckling, he tugged her closer. His little sassmaster. "It's a little more complicated than that, baby. Kate hasn't been my girlfriend since we met."

Alexis hummed, pressing her face into his t-shirt for a moment. "Because she had the babies?"

"No, not because she had the babies. Just because we didn't have the chance to become boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Why not?"

"Well, that's complicated, honey, and I promise I'll explain if you want," he replied, resting his chin on her head. "But because Kate and I liked each other a lot, we made the babies together while I was on my trip."

There, he'd said it. Alexis might not understand the finer mechanics of making babies – and he hoped to God it would stay that way until she neared his mother's age – but she understood the very basics of the birds and the bees. She knew it took two people to make babies, and the babies grew in the mother's stomach until it was time for them to be born.

"So I can't exactly be their new daddy," he hummed, dipping his head to catch her eye. He took in her wrinkled brow, her clouded gaze, even the way her lips pursed as she parsed his words.

"You can't be their new daddy," she echoed, her voice low, thoughtful. He nodded, smoothing a hand down her back.

"I can't be their new daddy, Alexis, because I'm their first daddy. Their old daddy. Their super old, falling apart, in need of a cane, but still totally handsome daddy."

He waited for her to giggle at that, the way she always giggled when he bellyached about being 'almost ancient' compared to her. "Just like I'm yours."

Pressing her face against him again, her fingers tightened around his. "M'confused, Daddy."

"I know. It's confusing, it really is. Tell me how I can help?" Taking his hand back, Rick lifted her out of her chair and settled her into his lap. The table wasn't the most comfortable place to have this talk, but they were in the groove now and he wasn't about to upset it by moving them to the couch.

"If you're their daddy, why didn't we see them when they were little, little babies? Or before they were born?"

Okay, he could answer that without needing to explain a chance meeting in an Atlantic City bar, one-night stands, or the semantics of writing a number in the pre-dawn light before leaving a hotel room. He could totally answer that.

"Well, sometimes accidents happen and you lose touch with people. I messed up when I gave her my phone number, and then I forgot to get hers."

"That wasn't very smart."

Rick chuckled, shaking his head. "No baby, that wasn't smart of me at all. But I promise you, we wanted to talk to each other, we just couldn't. Kate tried and tried to get in contact with me to tell me we were going to have the babies, but it didn't work."

"Oh."

Resting his chin on her head, he searched for something else to help her understand. "But carrying the twins was pretty hard for her, so she had to stop looking for me and make sure they were okay."

His thumb brushed Alexis's cheek, drawing her lips upward until she smiled. She did, finally, but her eyes were still troubled. Whether it was in confusion or anger, he couldn't tell.

"But you know what I think?"

She looked up, her eyes softening again, the moment passing. "What, Daddy?"

"I think the universe wanted us to be together the way we are. I think the universe wanted us to move when we did, and to pick this apartment. I think the universe wanted me to wrangle the couch on my own, because it meant accidentally keeping Kate off the elevator."

"Daddy, that was because we didn't have help moving after Gram left for rehearsal. Remember, movers were so expensive?"

Well there was that, but he wasn't making a point about practicality, he was making a point about magic. About fate and destiny, and the way their lives were going to be great, even if everything was crazy and confusing at the moment.

Instead, he tickled her, digging his fingers into the spot just under her ribs that never failed to elicit a mighty cackle from his sometimes too-quiet daughter.

As soon as his tickle assault was over, Alexis burrowed in closer, tucking her head under his chin.

"That's true, but I still think the universe made it happen that way. So you could meet Kate, and we could meet the twins, and we'd all be in a good place to love each other the way we should."

She nodded, her hair catching the stubble on his chin. "But couldn't the universe have done that sooner?"

Oh, now they were getting deep. Philosophical, even. It was a sweet question, though.

"Maybe, pumpkin. But I think the universe probably knew what it was doing." He touched his lips to her forehead. "And we'll make up for not knowing the twins and not seeing Kate for those few months; eventually it'll be like we've always been together. If that's what we want, of course."

Alexis nodded eagerly, pushing at his chest to catch his eyes. "S'what we want. S'what I want."

"Then we agree. And Kate agrees, too." Grinning, Rick smacked a kiss on her cheek, sloppy and wet; just the way she hated.

"Daddy!"

He chuckled, standing with her in his arms. She was getting so big, rarely wanting to be carried anywhere, but a little extra coddling couldn't hurt tonight.

"It's a little weird, right?" he asked, rounding the table and unceremoniously dropping them both onto the couch. Alexis giggled, settling in within seconds, patting his chest.

"Uh huh."

"Yeah, I know. But hey, you know what I think this calls for?"

"What, Daddy?" Her head lifted, mirth shining in her eyes. The tightness in his chest eased a little bit with the knowledge that he'd been able to ease her uncertainty, even if it was only temporarily.

Rick waited a beat, building the anticipation though he had a feeling she already knew what was coming. He was something of a creature of habit, after all.

"Just Found Out You're A Big Sister Ice Cream. You in?"

Yeah, they'd already had dessert, but she'd earned it.

Alexis brightened, scrambling off his chest to push at his shoulders, urging him into the kitchen. "With sprinkles, and whipped cream, and a cherry on top? Oh, and chocolate syrup?"

"If you want," he promised, catching her hand and hauling her onto his back. Piggyback rides were also a must. "All the finest ice cream toppings for you."

His daughter giggled against his ear, squeezing him gently. Happy to hear her laughing, he dropped a kiss against her forearm, opening the freezer for their treat.

"Is that why the twins like me?" she asked a minute later, watching as he worked to scoop just the right amount of ice cream into her bowl. "They like me 'cause I'm their big sister?"

"I think they love you because you're their big sister, but they like you because you've always been so nice to them. You play with them, give them kisses, and do the carrot dance for them."

Alexis sighed against his shoulder, nodding. "The carrot dance is so fun."

"Oh, I know it is. And you're so good at it, too. Along with the pea dan –"

"Daddy, that's gross!"

Maybe it made him childish, but he couldn't help it. It was a little bit funny. "I meant the food, Alexis. What are you thinking about?"

She blew a raspberry into his ear, cackling when he attempted to shy away. "You're not funny, mister."

"I think I'm very funny. Kate thinks I'm funny, too."

Alexis huffed. "Kate likes you. That doesn't count."

Handing her the chocolate syrup, he twisted to give her access to the counter, allowing her to drown her bowl in it if she so desired.

"How does that not count?"

One arm tightened around his neck, keeping herself from slipping down his back as she drizzled the topping over her second dessert. He coughed, hefting her higher to keep her from choking him.

"Because when you like someone you get so goofy. It messes with your brain."

So did oxygen deprivation. "Does it now?"

"Uh huh. I saw it on TV."

"So Kate only thinks I'm funny because she likes me? That's the logic?"

"Yep." She popped her lips behind him, wiggling her fingers to do the honor of plopping the cherry on top of her ice cream concoction.

"Care to put that to the test? Maybe tomorrow after your soccer game? We'll have…" he drum rolled on the counter. "The joke contest to end all joke contests. Kate will be the judge of all things comical and we'll see who wins the prize as the funniest Castle."

Alexis giggled. "You're on, Daddy. Prepare to lose."

"Oh I'm prepared for my victory speech." He grinned, lowering her down and offering her a spoon, a napkin (or ten), and the bowl of ice creamy goodness in short succession. He waited a beat before sneaking a smooch. "Go forth; enjoy the spoils of becoming a big sister."

She beamed. "Thanks, Daddy. I like this big sister stuff so far."

Chuckling, Rick turned to scoop his own ice cream. Of course she did.

Hours later, long after he'd finally coaxed his daughter down from her sugar high and put her to bed, he heard Kate's light tap on their door. She'd texted him when she and the twins got home from dinner with her dad, but hadn't said anything about coming over.

"Hey," he greeted, feeling his face stretch into a smile as soon as he got the door open. She'd changed out of her dinner clothes (which had been her work clothes minus her badge and her gun) and into what he'd come to know as her 'unwinding' attire; a long t-shirt and light leggings. She'd thrown her hair into a messy half-ponytail, but hadn't even slipped her shoes on to walk over.

"Hey," she echoed, lifting onto her toes to meet him halfway, the kiss quick and sweet. "Sorry, I didn't come over earlier. They were fussy at dinner and I thought they'd drop off as soon as I put them down."

"Ah, but no dice?" he asked, stepping back to usher her inside. The twins looked around, twisting to see him as he closed the door. His tongue poked out in greeting, earning him dual sleepy giggles.

"Nope," Kate sighed, hoisting them higher up her hips. "They're exhausted, but apparently they don't want to sleep. First it was crying, then they acted hungry, then they decided to have playtime in their cribs. So I figured maybe the change of scenery and some backup might help."

He grinned, he couldn't help it. Being her backup was awesome.

"Of course. We'll tag team these two. Hand me the biggest troublemaker," he said, reaching instinctively for Anna, only to have Kate twist and plop his son into his arms. Well that was unexpected.

"I know," she murmured, clucking her tongue in amusement. "It's hard to believe the mild-mannered one is the instigator tonight, but he is."

Rick shook his head, cradling Eli against his chest. "Wow. I nearly accused your sister. You're a little devious, Eli."

Beside him, Kate chuckled. "I think he missed you. Now he looks content."

His heart stuttered, thumping heavily against his rib cage as it resumed normal rhythm. His son had missed him. Not only that, but Eli had missed him enough to fuss until he saw him again.

"I missed you, too, buddy," he whispered, pressing his lips to the boy's head. "Come on, let's sit and relax. You guys need to sleep so you can get big and strong like Alexis."

Kate smiled, kissing Eli's fingers. "You just wanted your daddy, huh? Accept no substitutes, not even me."

Tugging Kate and Anna over to the couch, he settled in with them, keeping Eli close to his heart.

"Well, I am pretty fantastic." He grinned, holding out an arm for her in invitation. Kate rolled her eyes, leaning into him anyway.

"Yeah, you're alright. Don't let it go to your head." She exhaled, draping her legs over his knees.

"Funny," he drawled, feeling her grin against his arm.

Eli sighed into his shirt, his tiny fingers curling around the fabric. Rick kissed his hair again, looking over to see Anna's eyes drooping, too. Kate's hand slid across her back, the motion soothing, hypnotic, even to Rick.

"Sleep, squeakers," he crooned to the quiet room. "I'll give you pancakes in the morning once mom goes to work."

"Hey," Kate grumbled. "I want pancakes, too. I think I've earned those."

"Then stay here tonight; I'll make pancakes early enough for you to have some before work."

She sighed. "We shouldn't… Alexis…"

"Knows about everything now," he interrupted, sounding just a little too flippant for his own good.

Kate jerked up, cupping her hand over Anna's ear before turning to face him. "Wait, what everything does she know?"

"Ah, no. No, not that. Kind of. She knows we did at least once."

Her eyes narrowed. "Rick…" She wasn't angry, he knew that much, but this wasn't the way he'd wanted to broach the subject with her, that was for sure.

"Wait, wait, let me explain?" he asked, trying to make his voice light. "I know we were waiting for things to settle, for us to find our groove, but she had questions, Kate. She asked if I would be their new daddy because I've started watching them during the day. I told her I couldn't be their new dad because I was already their dad. I just, I wasn't going to lie to her."

"Oh," she breathed. "And she… she had to have questions about that, too. That's a pretty big bomb to drop on a little girl."

He nodded, tracing the ridge of her kneecap through her leggings with his thumb. "She did. I told her you and I met on a trip, hit it off, and made the twins, but couldn't find each other again because of a mix up. And that's why we didn't know the twins sooner."

Shifting Eli, he leaned over to brush his mouth across Kate's. Her lips softened under his, the tension from her evening and his blunder draining out of her.

"How'd she take it?" she asked finally, tilting her forehead against his. "I mean, she's a big sister and we kept that from her. She had to be a little upset."

"She seemed to understand. We also had some Just Found Out You're A Big Sister Ice Cream, and I think that hit the spot. But if she has more questions, maybe we can talk in the morning? If there's time, of course?"

Kate's fingers brushed his chin. "Don't use your daughter to get me to spend the night, Rick Castle."

"What about my son? Will using him work?" he teased, checking Eli's face quickly. The kid was out cold, tiny mouth parted, cheek burrowed into his chest. Thank god for soft t-shirts. He'd buy a dozen more if they helped put the kids to sleep.

Kate growled, nipping at his lip. "No. But I'll stay because it's late and I'm tired."

"And you want my pancakes."

She flushed. "Don't gloat, okay? 'Cause it's really unattractive."

"Yeah I don't believe that either, Detective Beckett. But for you, I'll let it go. And I'll put Eli down if you want to get Anna."

Kate hummed. "Is she asleep?"

Rick dipped his head, brushing his finger down his daughter's round cheek. She sighed, turning her face into her mother's breast.

"Yeah, she's down for the count."

"Good." He felt Kate press on his arm, keeping him from standing long enough to press an open-mouthed kiss to his cheek. "By the way, what you told Alexis? That was good. That was really good."

He felt his shoulders relax at her reassurance. He hadn't even known he'd needed it, hadn't expected to need it, but oh, it helped. It helped.

"Thanks."

She nuzzled him gently, rising to her feet. "Now we just have to tell our parents. As nerve-wracking as that might be."

He agreed, following her to the cribs. He'd managed to get Alexis's crib repaired and inspected, and it was deemed perfectly safe for one or both of the babies. They tried to give them their own sleeping space, but if they fussed, the older crib was perfect to put them together.

"Maybe after your mom's play is over? When she has more time to sit and talk."

"Yeah, that's a good idea. Not that she wouldn't make time and listen, but she gets…" He wouldn't say his mother could be inattentive, but he remembered months of half-frozen TV dinners microwaved by nannies, nights spent in hotel rooms alone, and being shipped off to stay with friends if he couldn't go on tour with her. "Focused," he concluded, smoothing his hand over Eli's back. "She gets focused on her work."

Kate's fingers curled against his back as she fitted herself into his side. She seemed to be able to read between the lines.

"We'll tell her after the play's over," she declared, decision made. "And we can tell my dad whenever he's free?"

Rick nodded once, shaking himself off the trail of thought that made him examine his childhood a little too closely. His mother had done her best for him, and he and Kate were doing their best for their kids.

Kate's lips brushed his shoulder. "I'm gonna run back to my place for my work clothes. How's your formula and diaper supply over here?"

Clearing his throat, he pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head. "It's fine. We picked up more of both earlier."

"Kay. I'll be back."

"I'll be here," he promised, skimming his hand down her back.

His girlfriend's lips twisted upward as she tugged away. "Why don't you be in bed when I get back?"

"I can be in bed," he answered without skipping a beat, eyes widening.

Her amused chuckle lingered even after she slipped into the hall.

He woke the next morning to the sound of movement in his bathroom. It took him a minute to realize Kate was up before him, bustling around the en suite and talking to herself. No, not herself. One of the kids? Had to be one of the kids.

"Kate?" he called, shoving the heels of his hands into his eyes to clear the sleep from his vision. "S'goin' on?"

She appeared a moment later, clad in a sea blue scoop neck and a pair of jeans that cupped her in all the right places.

"You changed," he observed with only minimal disappointment, looking her over. Really, she was hot in anything she wore or didn't wear.

"Sorry Casanova, can't wear your shirt to an interrogation," she drawled, brushing her lips over Eli's hair. Eli's fingers curled in the delicate silver chain around her neck, but Kate didn't seem bothered by it.

Rick wiggled his eyebrows. "Might get more out of your suspect if you did, though."

Rolling her eyes, his girlfriend huffed. "Cute, Rick. Gonna have to take a rain check on pancakes, though. I have to head to the precinct now."

"Kay, okay. No pancakes this time," he agreed, holding out his arms. "I'll take this guy. Did you start the coffee?"

Moving closer to his side of the bed, Kate leaned over to transfer the baby to him, stealing a kiss from both of them upon making the hand off.

Rick grinned, thumbing Eli's back as soon as she pulled away. "Hey, sleepy boy. Why're you awake? I didn't even hear you get up."

Eli smiled, patting his chest in greeting.

Kate's fingers brushed Eli's cheek. "I heard him start to fuss so I got him before he could wake Anna. He's been changed, but not fed. Coffee's almost ready; I'll bring you a cup before I leave."

He exhaled, slumping into his pillow with a nod. Eli giggled, rolling into his chest, no doubt ready to play.

"Not yet, squirmy. It's still resting time."

Kate smiled once before checking her watch.

"I better go. Want your coffee?"

"Mmm, sure. Thanks, Kate."

She offered him a quick smile, ducking out to the kitchen and returning a moment later with his favorite mug. She offered it to him for a slow sip, but settled it on his nightstand instead of forcing him to take it from her. Probably safer that way.

His hand snaked over, curling around index and middle fingers and squeezing.

"Are you still coming to Alexis's soccer game? Starts at five-thirty." It was her last one of the season, the first Kate's schedule had allowed her to make, and he just wanted to be sure. It would be fine if she couldn't, but having the notice helped.

"I'll do my best, babe," she promised, swiping another kiss against his lips. "And um, let me know if Alexis has questions? We can talk after the game."

He nodded, his brain still firmly stuck on the word 'babe.' She'd called him babe. "Sure, yes, of course. I'll text you if she does."

"Kay."

"Of course, I'll text you anyway, even if she doesn't. But I'll tell you if she does."

She smiled, nodding in agreement. "In that case, see you later. I'll let you know if I'll be late for the game. Dinner after, too, right?"

"Right. They're doing the team party before the game, so don't worry about dealing with a legion of soccer moms while you eat dinner."

She beamed in relief. "My hero."

Curling his arm around Eli, he watched her slip to the door of his bedroom. He hated the fact that she had to leave, but his view wasn't bad at all.

"Remember to lock the door behind me," she called over her shoulder, smirking as his eyes lifted from her ass.

"Or you could take the key that's on the table and put it on your key chain."

She stopped again, backtracking into his room. He feigned innocence. He'd put the key out sometime in the middle of the night after checking on the twins, hoping to surprise her over breakfast.

"The what?"

"The key. It's yours. I have one to your place, shouldn't you have one to mine?"

Kate sputtered, searching for words. "I… Rick…" He watched her shoulders lift with her uncertainty. "Yours was out of necessity. This is… a big step."

"Kate, you don't ever have to use it after this morning if you're not ready," Rick promised, offering her an easy smile. "But think of it as a necessity, too, because I don't want to get out of bed yet."

"Fine, fine, I'll take the key," she conceded, sucking in a deep breath and letting her shoulders drop on the exhale. "See you later."

He waited until he heard the door snick shut behind her to turn to his son. The boy was already attempting to wiggle out of his arms and make a break for the end of the bed. Rick shifted his grip, reaching for the elephant Kate had left at the foot of the bed. His boy snatched the animal with gusto, pressing his face into one of the toy's plush ears.

"I think I startled Mommy with the key, Eli. I didn't mean to, but she should have it. Don't you think? So she never has to knock when you guys are being fussy at night."

The baby looked up, eyes wide and trusting. When he smiled, Rick felt his breath catch in his throat. It had been months, but it still stunned him; his kid was gorgeous. All three of his kids were gorgeous.

"Right. I think so, too. I think I just surprised her, that's all. It'll be okay. Now, we have just enough time to nap before Alexis has to get up. Shall we do that, squirmy?"

Eli babbled around his elephant's ear, bouncing in Rick's lap.

"Not amenable to that suggestion? Okay, in that case, let's just cuddle and have coffee until we have to wake your sisters. I think we should make waffles to go along with our breakfast bottle, and we'll save the pancakes for when your mommy can be with us."

His son squeaked what Rick had to assume was an agreement, kicking his little feet against Rick's calf.

"Right. And then we'll play all day until it's time to go to the soccer game. Good plan, baby boy. Good plan."

A/N: I adore you all, thank you. Your kind words have made a difficult month so much easier to handle. Thank you all.