Author's note: I could sleep until I finished this scene and since mo update yesterday you get two today... enjoy

Seeing the change in Lanie, Rick instantly knew he had pissed her off but was not sure how. "Lanie just tell me what I did. I promise I have not taken photos of the bodies or touched anything in here in weeks."

Lanie was upset that she had to learn about his plans to marry her best friend from his daughter. She had always been a supporter of the relationship and she felt that he should have come to her himself. "You know perfectly well what you have done. I can't believe that I had to learn about this from Alexis."

With that Rick knew why Lanie was mad. Alexis had somehow beat him to the morgue and in her excitement, divulged the plans Rick had been working weeks on. His face molded into a serious expression as he debated on how to correct this issue. He had wanted to get to the morgue before Alexis and tell Lanie himself of the plans. Even ask if Lanie felt it was a good idea. Unfortunately life had other plans. "Lanie." was all he got out before a smile cracked across her face.

She started to laugh as she saw Rick become confused with her demeanor change. She placed a hand on his shoulder and showed that she was no longer upset with him. He breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled a bit himself. "I thought you were going to kill me."

"I should. Save you from Kate doing it. Are you crazy? You do know she hates surprises right."

"Not mine" Rick boasted. He had surprised several times over the years and she always ended up enjoying it.

"I should be mad at you but I can't be. He your heart is in the right place. It is perfect." She noticed a concerned look on Rick's brow. Then piecing the facts together like a puzzle, Lanie looks at him deeply and says, "She will love it."

"Are you sure? I really don't want to mess up what we just got back by rushing it."

"5 years is not rushing it." Lanie laughed as she crossed to her desk again. Rick joined her and sat on a slab table across from her.

"Yes but this is Kate. If I try to push her into something she is not ready for, she bolts. I left her standing there on our first wedding day. I could not come back from her doing it to me. She is so much stronger than I could ever be."

"Rick, you have face death with her on several occasions with Kate and kept coming back for more. You watched her parade would with other men, knowing you wanted it to be you but never complained about it. When you finally told her you loved her, you waited for her to come back and come to terms with everything before being with her. You stood by her through everything with her mother's murder. You even walked away from the woman you loved when she was more willing to get herself killed than be with you." Rick glanced at Lanie, stunned that she knew about that. "She told me about it when we met up for drinks one night. She told me that what you said replayed over and over in her head as she hung on for her life. She wanted to tell you just how much your words meant to her and how much she loved you then. She was just scared. Once you tell someone that you love them, you open yourself to all the pain and fears that the world can push on you. Kate hadn't done that since her mom because her biggest fear is losing someone that she cared that deeply for again. Last May affected her in a way I never imagined. She went down the rabbit hole again. she even tried to break a dude's finger while questioning him about the suv that ran you off the road."

Rick had been told about that. Espo informed him how the investigation had gone a few weeks after he returned. Rick was not sure if it was to show how hard they worked to get him back or what Kate really went through during that time. "Yeah I know about that."

"Did you know that she created a murder board for you where her mom's had been for so long in her apartment?"

"No I didn't." Rick lowered his head in shame. He could not believe he put the woman he was suppose to love through so much.

Lanie could tell where Rick's mind was heading, as if almost reading it herself. "Its not your fault Rick. I know you would not do this to Kate on purpose. Even if you chose to leave, you did it to protect her in so way. The last few years that has been the driving force behind all your actions. Supporting or protecting those you love. I am just glad that my best friend is included in that. She deserves someone like you to keep her safe and tell her when she is doing something dumb, which she doesn't do half as much as you do but still hers are on their own level." Lanie laughed as she finished. Rick gave her a face showing his annoyance over her statement.

"I was willing to take a bullet for her and always will be. Alexis is the only person I have ever been able to say that about. with Kate though, I have tested that on several occasions. Most recently was the bank hostage day." Lanie nodded in agreement, remembering the day that changed so much for their little family unit. "While the gunman had that gun pointed at me all I could think was that I wished I had told Kate that I loved her everyday I knew her because I did."

"But you did." Lanie stated. Rick looked confused a bit. "Coffee. You had taken care of her with her daily fix for so long and each time you gave her that coffee, you told her. That you knew her, cared for her, loved her. That you were willing to go out of you way to get her her favorite coffee just to make her happy for a few minutes each morning. She always loved that about you. Your little touches that showed her your true heart." Lanie jumped up and sat on the table next to Rick.

"She told you that?"

"Yep and you tell her I told you and you will be laying on this table not sitting on it. She told me that the day after you went missing, Javi had brought her coffee just like you did and her face lit up and search around, like she was searching for you. He said the pain that washed over her when she realized you weren't back almost killed him. He became very protective over her in those months. He felt that he needed to make sure that she kept herself healthy and alive. Ryan was the one that helped keep her hope alive. He would even try to spin some crazy theories when it was just her and him, a way to make her keep you alive in her head."

"I just keep thinking back to that day at the bank. I was okay with dying because I knew Alexis was in good hands. I mean I wanted to survive and see her again. see her graduate but I knew that if something happened, Kate would protect Alexis and love her. She loved Alexis already so much. I could not believe she accepted Alexis as fast as she did. No other woman has ever understood, accepted and supported the relationship Alexis and I have. Kate walked into it and didn't want to change it. She wanted to be a part of it. I knew that she would keep me in Alexis' life and would love her like I do.

With that, Alexis burst through the doors. Rick jumped off the table and turned to Alexis. She ran to her dad and wrapped her arms around him, burying her tear stained face into his chest. She had been listening to everything her dad and Lanie had been saying. "I love you dad and I love Kate. I cannot wait until she is my mom."

"Stepmom you mean." Rick corrected and he soothed Alexis' soft sobs.

"No! I mean Mom." Rick wiped away the tears left on her cheek as she explained. "She has been more of a mom to me these last few years than my own mother. Kate is the one who has always believed in me and put up with me when I was angry with her. She let me yell at her the day at the bank because she knew I was scared and just wanted you and Grams to be safe. She came to talk to me once when you and I were fighting about me moving in with Pi. She gave me advice on so many things over the years. She was the one I talked to about moving back home after Pi and I broke up. She makes you happy Dad but she makes me happy as well. She is the mom I always wanted and needed." Alexis saw the smile that was stretching across her father's face at her sweet words. Alexis looked at Lanie and asked, "Do you think Kate would be okay with me as her daughter?"

"She will love you. She already does."

"I can't wait until I can call her mom."

"You sure you want to sweetie? You know you don't have to. Kate understands that Meredith is still your mom and would not mind if you do not want to call her that." Rick informed his daughter who was still hugging tightly to his waist.

"Does she not want me to call her that?" Alexis questioned, worry dripping from every word.

Lanie jumped in on this one. "During one of our girls nights, which if you tell her I told you you are both dead, she told me that she was scared you would not fully accept her into your family. I mean, it had been you 3 for a few years before she came along. She hoped to fit right into the folds but wasn't sure how that was going to work. Then you came to her to talk about your break up with PI, the fight with your dad and moving back home and Kate knew that you had accepted her. She couldn't wait to marry Castle but not just for him. She had missed having a mom in her life at your age and she wanted to be that for you. She lives you sweetie and would love it if you call her Mom."

Alexis released her dad to give Lanie a huge hug. Rick stood back and just watched as another person that Kate had brought into his life accepted his daughter as their own family. It was surprised him how much those around him truly loved his daughter. A few moments later Alexis started to giggle. leaning out of the hug, Lanie silently questioned her. "Well if Kate is going to be my Mom, then I guess that makes the boys my uncles and you my aunt. Never thought I would have the big family I always wanted but I got it." A smile graced her tender lips and her words brought tears to Rick and Lanie's eyes.

"Okay enough of the mushy. Were you able to get the dress done?" Lanie asked, wiping away tears trying to stop more from appearing.

"Yes and they have one in stock in your size. Can you come?"

Lanie looked around to make sure there was nothing she needed to do immediately. Satisfied that everything could wait a couple hours, she nodded and the two women turned to Rick.

"Come on Dad. We need to go get Kate's dress then head to the shop. Lanie and I are going to get fitted for our dresses while there. One more thing off the list. With that she pulled Rick and Lanie out of the morgue and towards the elevator, excited to try on the last bridesmaid dress she would ever wear to a wedding for her father. Alexis knew this was it for him. He would never find anyone more perfectly made for him than Kate. It was as if she was made just for him.