"What do you two want?" Martha asked, her welcoming smile falling from her face as soon as she saw her youngest son and his ex-wife standing in her doorway.
"Mom, Meredith and I need talk to you."
She pursed her lips and folded her arms, looking them over in disapproval. "Quickly, I have a lot of things to do."
"So where is our – "Meredith paused and looked at her ex, "Danny what was its name again?"
"Alexis."
"Oh right where is she?" Meredith asked, smiling at Martha.
"Alexis lives with her uncle and his girlfriend Kate, lovely girl. Please get to the point of why you two are here." She looked to Danny, not wanting to look in Meredith's direction.
"Mom, Meredith and I have decided that we want to try having a family again." He told her.
Martha stared after him, remaining silent for a while "You want Alexis?"
They nodded, "Yes."
Martha shook her head, stepping aside and pushing up her door, "Well go talk to your older brother, but he won't be happy." She told him before closing the door in their faces.
Alexis was cuddled up in Kate's lap when there was a knock at the door. Kate went to answer it and when she did, Meredith busted in nearly knocking Kate over.
"Alexis baby!" Meredith greeted, holding out her arms.
Alexis jumped away and ran behind Kate's legs.
Meredith dropped her hands and looked confused, "What's wrong? Don't you remember me?"
Alexis shook her head, "No." She said, sounding scared.
Meredith smiled again, a smile that was making Kate sick to her stomach, "I'm your mom baby."
She shook her head again and Kate reached down to place a comforting hand on top of Alexis' head, "No, Kate is my mama."
Meredith's smile fell as she glanced up to said 'Kate' and back down at her child, "No baby, I'm your mom. You're coming to live with me with and daddy."
"No." Alexis said again as Castle walked through the door, taking in the scene before him.
He looked to Kate who looked worried, to Meredith who looked sly and mischievous and to Alexis who looked terrified. "Meredith what do you want?"
Meredith stood, glaring over to him, "My baby back." She said simply.
"Now you want her," He commented, coming over to stand between her and Kate and Alexis.
She folded her arms, "Yes, you have no right to keep me from my daughter."
"Why do you want her now?" He asked.
"Your brother and I have decided to try the whole family thing again." She told him.
"Fine." He said, as Alexis and Kate looked over at him in surprise, "Take her, it's only a matter of time before she is left at my doorstep for the second time."
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, her voice defensive.
"Meredith you're the most selfish person I know, there is no way you could be a wife or a mother." He said harshly.
"People can change." Meredith said raising her voice, walking towards him.
"People like you don't.", his voice rising as he jabbed a finger in her direction.
All this time Alexis and Kate had been watching the exchange between the two of them. She could feel Alexis trembling and the tears that flowed from her.
"Stop." Alexis said weakly, still behind Kate's legs, "Stop shouting!"
He turned to them, stooping down in front of Alexis, "Maybe you should go upstairs Alexis." He said to her.
Alexis ran from Kate up the stairs and locked herself in her room.
Kate stared after her, feeling it for the little girl. This shouldn't be happening to her, she was so young, and innocent. She deserved to be around people who loved her and not people who wanted her for their own potential benefit. It was those types of persons she hated the most.
"Maybe we could sit down and talk about this." Kate spoke up, desperate to get the situation in some order and hopefully reach an agreement.
Meredith sat on one chair, Kate and Rick sat on the other. Kate laced her hand with Rick's, trying to offer him some support to continue this in a way that was civil, he squeezed her hand and offered her a small smile before sighing and turning to Meredith.
"So where is the idiot since you two are so in love and getting back together again?" He asked, looking around.
Meredith rolled her eyes, "Do you always have to be a jerk?"
"I'm not the jerk. I felt sorry for my brother when you left him and Alexis. Then he turned into the j*** when he left Alexis on my doorstep telling me he had to go out of the country for work only to get a call a couple of days later that he had run out."
"Rick stop fighting, Alexis is our daughter we have a right and plus I'm sure Alexis will want to meet her new brother or sister." Meredith said with the raise of an eyebrow.
"Meredith are you -?"
She nodded, "3 months."
He leaned back on the chair, sighing deeply, "Oh great so I'm going to have two children left on my doorstep."
"You're such an a***, let me take my daughter!" She yelled after him.
"I have an idea," Kate spoke up, "Why don't we figure something out here?"
Meredith turned her head slowly in her direction, "Like?" Meredith questioned.
Kate ignored the obvious look of distaste Meredith was throwing her way, "Maybe Alexis can go in between places, like custody." She suggesting.
Meredith shook her head and stood, "No, no custody and plus we are moving, Danny's job involves a lot of traveling."
Rick stood as well, as did Kate, watching as Meredith made her way to the stairs.
"Meredith that's no life for a child." Rick called to her, anger clear in his voice.
"It's my child Richard not yours, now if you excuse me I'm leaving and I am taking my daughter with me."
