Chapter 7
15 minutes after Kate left, Martha walked through the front door holding many bags full of surprises for both the girls.
"Alexis" the older red head called "Alexis, can you come here for a moment?"
"Sure Grams" little Castle called. "Come on, Allie, Come help Grams. I think she might have a surprise for you as well" Alexis said to her little friend.
"Really, a surprise just for me" Allie called getting excited and following her friend to the older red head she had only ever heard being called 'Grams'.
"Now Miss Allie" Martha spoke "I want you to close your eyes, don't open them until we tell you to, okay?"
The young girl looked frightened, she had only ever been asked to close her eyes when bad things were about to happen and her bottom lip dropped.
"Hey, it's okay sweet pea. This is a good surprise. You'll really like it, I promise" the older red head encouraged.
The little girl nodded and shut her eyes. While her eyes were shut Martha and Alexis set out all the bags that were for her. There were 3 spare out of 13, Alexis looked at her Grams enquiringly and the older women pointed to her.
"Thanks Grams" Alexis whispered.
"Now my little Angel" Martha directed at Allie as Rick came round the corner quietly holding his phone pointed at the young girl to capture her reaction "you may open your eyes and look at your surprise"
Allie opened her eyes and they went wide with a big gasp "Wow, Thank you so much Grams" she called excitedly running towards the older lady giving her a big hug "Are these really all for me? I never get new things. Thank you, thank you, thank you" she chanted jumping up and down before digging into the bags to look at all the new clothes.
"Thank you" mouthed Rick at his mother but she just waved a hand towards him smiling.
"How about you and Alexis take these up to the bedroom and you chose something to wear, Allie Cat?" Rick suggested as Allie nodded and Alexis began to help pick up the little girls bags as well as her own.
"There should be dresses, jeans, shirts, tights, pyjamas and shoes in there. Oh yea and some underwear Allie" called Martha after her as the two girls walked as fast as possible up the stairs.
Rick just hugged his mother "You have no idea what you just did for that girl, that little gesture will mean the world to her. Thank you mother"
Nobody mentioned the young girl calling the older red head Grams like her new best friend but that thought was there. She was becoming a part of the family already.
~CASKETT~
Half an hour after the girls had gone up to their room Rick heard a knock on the door. He was sitting on the lounge chair with his laptop writing while Allie and Alexis were on the floor completing a puzzle and Martha had flitted off to her room. Rick rose to answer the door, knowing it would be Kate back ready for the day, it was going to be a big day for both Kate and Allie.
Taking a deep breath he opened the door "Hey" he said smiling and the brunette who was now in jeans, a t-shirt and converse shoes. She was dressed for comfort rather than power, like what was needed at work.
"Hey" she breathed, leaning in to kiss his cheek. All of a sudden the sound of running feet could be heard coming from the direction of the lounge.
"KATE! Look, look. Look what Grams buyed me from the shops" the little girl exclaimed jumping into Kate's open arms. The brunette looked towards the writer, "Grams" she mouthed and Rick shrugged, knowing Allie was calling her Grams because Alexis did. "There was heaps. More clothes than I have ever seen and they are all mine and no one else has ever weared them"
Kate gasped in excitement for the little girl "Really. I hope you said thank-you to Martha"
"Who's Marfa" the 6 year old replied shrugging her shoulders
"Martha is Alexis' Grams" Kate replied
"Oh, does that mean I can't call her Grams. Because she's not mine?" the little girl asked with a sad face
"Of Course you can call me Grams, darling girl. If that's what you want then I am happy for you to do so" the exuberant older red head replied.
This made for one very happy 6 year old. "Now, what do you say to Ma… Grams, Allie Cat?" asked Kate.
"I already said Thank-you but I'll say it again. Thank you, Grams. I love all the clothes you buyed me"
"You're welcome" replied Martha
During this exchange Rick and Alexis just watched from a distance, not wanting to interrupt the bonding moment. "Kate, I hate to interrupt but its 10:30, we are going to be late"
"Oh, thanks"
"Where are we going?" asked the two girls together making them giggle.
"We are going to see my dad" Kate answered with a sigh
~CASKETT~
An hour later Kate, Rick, Alexis, and Allie arrived at Jim's apartment. Kate knew they were late but she didn't care; this man had made her wait 6 yrs, 6 long years to find out her daughter was alive and unhappy.
"Okay, Alexis sweetie when I give you the signal I need you to take Allie down to my room. It's the furtherest from the lounge and on the right. Got it?"
Alexis nodded, she didn't understand completely but knew neither adult wanted them to hear the conversation between Kate and her father.
"But I want to stay with you Kate" whined Allie again.
"We aren't leaving you Allie cat, I just need to ask him some questions, okay?"
Once the young girl nodded they all made their way inside the lobby and into the elevator.
They soon arrive at the 3rd floor and Kate gulped at the sight of her fathers apartment door. She really had no idea what she was going to say and that made her nervous on top of furious. She knocked and not too much later Jim opened the door.
"Hi Katie" he said looking at little confused seeing more than his daughter at the door.
"Hi" she said a little coldly and walking inside with everyone else trailing behind. Once the were all situated inside she began introductions .
"This is Rick, he's my partner and his daughter Alexis" Jim nodded and looked towards the other little body in the room currently cuddled into Ricks side with her face pressed into his leg.
"Hey little one, come here for a second" Kate cooed.
The little girl just nodded and walked slowly towards Kate looking at the floor, looks like Kate wasn't the only one that was nervous.
Kate picked the girl up and placed her on her hip. Jim gasped when he saw her and Kate smirked, know that he knew exactly who she was.
"And this little cutie is Allegra but she prefers being called Allie"
Jim nodded not knowing what to say, especially in front of the child in question.
"Alexis, remember what we talked about?" Kate asked and the girl nodded.
Bending down Kate placed Allie on the floor and looked at her "Okay, I need you to go down to my old room with Alexis, I need to talk to my dad and Rick. We'll come and get you soon" with that Allie nodded and walked away with Alexis.
"What is all this Katie?" Jim asked now that the kids were out of ear shot.
"You know exactly what this is and exactly who that little girl is. Don't you dare play dumb" Kate replied through clenched teeth.
"How am I supposed to know her. I've never seen her before. What are you talking about?"
"I can't believe it. You cant even tell me the truth when the truth is down in my room. How could you lie to me all these years dad?" Kate asked trying not to cry but Rick saw it and moved closer to rub his hand on her back.
"You have to understand Katie. I was trying to protect you. You had your whole life ahead of you."
"No... You don't get to do that dad. You don't get to put it all back on me. You did this. You took my daughter away, put her in an orphanage to get bullied and thrown around like some toy. My life changed when I found out about her, I changed. I wanted her with all of my heart and you knew it. So why?" Kate was even more angry that her father could push it all back to her when it was him.
"She was going to ruin your dreams. Everything you wanted to do. I could sit back and watch you ruin your life, you were 19 for crying out loud. You could raise a baby on your own."
"You wouldn't know what I could do. You never gave me the chance. I had saved every last bit of my pay check to spend on her. I went without the luxerys in life to provide for my daughter. By the time that day came I had her whole nursery done. Clothes bought. A solid collection of Nappys, bottles everything MY daughter would need. So you don't get to tell me I couldn't do it." by now Kate as in tears.
"shhh, it's okay" Rick comforted her as he rapped her shaking body in his.
Jim was tearing " I'm sorry. I'm sorry katie. It was selfish of me. Have you told her yet?"
"I think you just did" called a little voice from the background. Everyone looked to see a crying Allie who wouldn't look at Kate.
" Oh" Kate replied softly "come here baby girl" Kate said bending down for the child to come but she didn't.
"Allie, come here baby. I want to talk to you about this but we have to go home first. Okay?" Allie nodded and started towards her mother with a push from the red head behind her.
Allie climbed into Kate's arms and buried her face in the brunettes neck "I am so sorry baby girl" Kate cried.
"You know, your lucky I don't press charges for forgery but where would that get me. You're better off sitting here and feeling the guilt for what you did to not only your daughter but your granddaughter as well" Kate scowled and walked out with Rick and Alexis in tow.
~CASKETT ~
By the time they got home Allie was asleep, Rick carried her up to his loft and placed her on the bed in the guest room.
"How do you feel?" Rick asked the detective, who was curled up on the couch with his daughter, as he walked into the lounge area.
"Emotionally drained. I can't believe he tried to play dumb. He knew who she was the moment I introduced her, I could see it in his face."
"So, Allie is your daughter?" Alexis asked when Kate nodded she continued "and your dad put her up for adoption without you knowing?"
"Yeah" Kate sighed " I was, uhh, hit by a car when I was pregnant. I stormed out on my dad while we were eating, we were fighting again over the baby. I had to be taken into surgery and I heard the doctors say my baby wasn't doing to well and they needed to do a C section, but it was so early I was only 24 weeks and then it all went blank. I remember waking up and dad was there and he shook his head, I knew he meant my baby hadn't survived. He asked me what I wanted to name her and I pointed to the bag in the corner. I had just picked up the blanket I had embroidered with her name and that was it. I was devastated, I made dad deal with all the arrangements, I just couldn't at the time." Kate was crying again, Alexis cuddled into her side and Rick sitting on the arm of the couch hugging her into him with one arm.
"So you're my mummy?" a little voiced squeaked
They looked around to see Allie sitting on the stairs with tears rolling down her cheeks.
Kate removed herself from the seat and walked towards the girl "Yes baby, I am"
"Why didn't you want me? Why couldn't I have lived with you?" she sniffled.
Rick and Alexis walked to the kitchen and started prepare lunch to give them some privacy.
"I have always wanted you baby girl, always. There has never been a day where I haven't thought of you. But I had an accident and I had to go to hospital and they took you out of my tummy really early. You hadn't finished growing inside me and I was really worried. When they finished the operation they told me you had died. I was so sad to think I would never meet you."
"Why did they tell you that, they lied and that's naughty"
"Yes it is Allie Cat. I think is because I was only 19. I was still really young and no one thought I would be a good mummy to you. But I wanted to be. I will always, always love you baby girl. And I hope one day you could love me too."
"I've always loved my mummy. I knew you always wanted me and I knew you would find me one day." the young girl smiled. "Do I get to come and live with you and Rick forever?"
"I have to talk to the social worker first baby but I'm going to fight to get you back. But Rick and I don't live together all the time, Allie Cat, we will find a place to live together after I talk to the social worker, okay?"
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why don't you live together? Isn't he your boyfriend?"
"No Sweetie, not yet" Rick answered walking towards 2 of his favorite girls with fairy bread for lunch making them all smile and Kate blush.
