A/N: A special shout out goes to thecastlefan for urging me to continue writing this story. She woke up the almost dead gerbil/hamster/plot bunny that is this story lol


Kate closed her eyes trying to steady her heartbeat. She didn't want Johanna to become too attached to Rick and Alexis. It would only become painful in the future when they aren't around. Kate felt light pressure on her knee and her eyes flew open. She quickly looked to Rick.

"It'll be alright," Rick whispered just loud enough for her to hear. Johanna looked to Alexis for some help.

"It's just pretend. Right Johanna?" Alexis offered her a lifeline.

"Yeah pretend," Johanna nodded. The girls resumed their whispers making plans as Rick and Kate ate in silence. "Mommy can I stay with Alexis again today?" Johanna hopefully asked.

Kate looked at the two girls and smiled and nodded her head. "Yes, as long as it's ok with-with Rick."

Rick smiled inwardly when she said his name. Usually she just called him Castle. "It's fine with me."

"Yes," Johanna cheered and turned back to Alexis making more plans while they finished their breakfast. After breakfast Alexis and Johanna were in the playroom talking to each other while they went through the toys looking for something to play with.

"Alexis do you have a mommy?" Johanna asked picking up a doll.

Alexis laughed to herself thinking of her mother. "Yes but she doesn't live by us. She lives out in California."

"Do you get to see her?" Johanna asked looking through the doll clothes for a new outfit.

Alexis shrugged picking up another doll. "Sometimes she just comes when she wants someone to go shopping with her. I don't think that she really wanted to be a mom. Once she stopped by just to take me to out to lunch, in Paris."

Johanna stopped searching and looked to Alexis. "Paris, France?"

"Yeah," Alexis nodded her head.

"That doesn't sound so bad though," Johanna shrugged. "At least she wants to spend time with you." Johanna pulling a small shirt out for her doll.

"Yeah," Alexis looked at the doll in her own hands. "Not so bad," She whispered to herself.

"Johanna, you don't know your dad do you?" Alexis asked gently.

Johanna finished dressing her doll and stared at it. "No. My mommy doesn't talk about him. I used two birthday and Christmas wishes hoping that I would get a Daddy."

Alexis felt her heartache for the little girl next to her. "I could always share my dad with you. Then you could use your birthday and Christmas wishes on something else."

Johanna looked up at Alexis. "You'd really share your daddy with me?" Alexis nodded a smile forming on her face. "I could share my mommy with you. She's a good mommy. If we share our mommy and daddy then we're like a family."

"I know but we probably should have asked them if we could share before," Alexis mused safely.

"Probably," Johanna nodded picking up a doll.

***********

"It's ok Kate," Rick said sitting down next to her on the couch.

"No it's not. Johanna's getting too attached to you and Alexis," Kate sighed leaning back on the couch.

"And that's a bad thing?" Rick asked leaning back and slipping an arm around her shoulders. "Johanna's is a good kid. You're doing a wonderful job raising her."

Kate smiled. "Thanks but I'm not even sure how I managed that. I feel like I'm barely there for her. Sometimes I think that I should have told Will about her so she could have a father figure in her life."

Rick nodded his head. "Do you want him in her life?"

Kate looked to him with a pained expression on her face. "Is it selfish of me to say no? I mean I wish I could give her a father figure but Will just isn't one."

"I completely agree. Meredith is the same way. That's why I have Alexis," Rick smiled.

"Does she ever miss her mom?"

"I'd like to think sometimes she does. I used to want to get remarried for the sake of giving her a mother figure. After Gina, I quickly realized that plan wasn't going to work," Rick sighed.

"That's when I asked my mother to move in with us. She gave Alexis the feminine guidance she needed but I never stopped wondering what it would be like if I could give her a real mother figure."

Kate smiled. Rick really cared for his family and that warmed her heart even more. "I've thought about asking my dad to move in with us but ever since my mom died he doesn't like the city. He moved out to the suburbs a few years ago. We could always move in with him but I can't just give up my job like that." Kate looked to where the girls giggles floated down the stairs. "They are really having fun up there."

Suddenly Rick got an idea. Removing his arm from around her shoulders, he got up from the couch. He walked over to a kitchen cabinet and selected a small package.

"Rick what are you doing?" Rick remained silent as he disposed of the wrapper before sitting on the coffee table in front of Kate. Taking a deep breath he began.

"Kate I know that this isn't going to be set in stone but I want to make you a promise," Rick pulled out the candy ring pop he a just gotten from the kitchen and slipped it on her pinky finger. "I promise you that no matter what happens I will always be there for you and Johanna. And if you would accept my offer, I'd be glad to be the occasional father figure she needs."

"Rick are you serious?" Kate asked stunned at his offer. "That's a lot to promise."

:As serious as a heart attack." Rick smiled a genuine grin. Kate looked down at the watermelon pop and couldn't hide the grin on her own face. Leaning forward Kate wrapped her arms around Rick.

"Thank you," she whispered as she buried her head in the crook of his neck. Resting head upon hers, Rick enjoyed the moment. After a few minutes of sitting in quiet bliss Kate pulled out the letter to being analyzing it.

"There has to be some kind of clue on this thing. I don't see anything ," Kate said frustrated sliding the paper onto the table when nothing obvious jumped out at her. There were no spelling errors, no ink spots on the edges of the page to denote a faulty printer, nothing.

"There has to be something," Rick encouraged. "Let's bring it into my office," He said picking the letter up in one hand as he stood and held out his other for Kate. Gladly she took his hand as she stood up.

Once in his office, Rick scanned the letter and displayed it on his fake murder board where he often outlined his stories thus increasing the size by two fold.

"Rick do you see that?" Kate asked pointing to the center of the letter.

"It looks like a water mark." Rick commented holding the letter up to the sunlight. "You can't see it on the paper though."

"It's a bunch of letters. Oh wait, it's a picture of a lighthouse with LH on either side with INC across the bottom. LH Inc, is you're computer on?"

"Yeah help yourself," Rick said as he continued to study the letter.

Kate walked over to his desk and gently shook the mouse. She smiled to herself when she saw the latest Nikki Heat chapter on the screen. Bringing up the internet, she quickly did a search on LH Inc.

"Hey I've got something," Kate said and Rick came over to stand beside her. "LH Inc otherwise known as Lighthouse Incorporated. Owned and operated by a Mr. Adam Reynolds. I also got an address. We need to run his background up at the precinct." Kate stood up and began walking to the door.

Rick nodded his head following her. "Alexis and Johanna will stay here until we are sure it's safe."

Kate froze and spun to look at him. "No I can't impose on her again. I'll call one of my babysitters maybe they are free."

"Non sense. Hey Alexis," Rick called up the stairs. In less than a minute Alexis and Johanna appeared at the top of the stairs. "Could you and Johanna stay here in the apartment for a few hours?"

hey

"Yeah sure. Is everything ok?" Alexis asked coming down a few steps.

"Kate and I may have found a break in the case," Rick said with a smile as he selected his and Kate's coats. "Just promise you won't leave."

"Thank you Alexis," Kate smiled and looked towards Johanna. "Rick and I will be back as soon as we can." With that Kate and Rick left the apartment heading towards the precinct. Johanna looked at Alexis.

"They called each other by their first names. They didn't do that in front of us before. That's a good sign right?"

"I think so," Alexis said looking at the front door that recently shut. "C'mon let's go back to playing."