So this story is coming to a close. Probably about two chapters left.

I am going to do a sequel and then a sequel to the sequel. Both of them are already planned out.

Until then. Here's another chapter.

Enjoy


"Pa!" Alexis yelled from the couch.

"And hello to you too little miss." Jim laughed and came to pick her up.

It'd been nearly 3 months since the incident with Jim. Since then, Rick and Alexis had been properly introduced as her family. Jim had fallen for Alexis (unsurprisingly) and he visited frequently. Once every week and twice when he had an AA meeting. The girl quicklybgot attatched to him too and, after hearing him reffered to as grandpa, he quickly became "pa".

"How's my Lexie bear this fine evening?"

"Book!" Alexis yelled out. It was routine. Jim would always read her a book before bed and help her brush her hair before she got tucked in by Rick and/or Kate.

"Alexis, how do we ask for things?" Kate reprimanded the girl.

"Book now peas?" Alexis corrected and Jim hoisted her into his lap as he sat in the reading chair. Alexis snuggled into him, her Minnie Mouse slipper clad feet bobbing to sn imaginary beat, as Jim got a book made of construction paper. Once Kate caught sight of the book she gasped.

"Is that-"

"It sure is. Found it in a box at the storage hut. I forgot your mom put this in there when you left for college. She said she'd give it to you when you had your own kid to read it too. I figured you all were ready." Both Beckett's were unsurprisingly misty eyed.

"My mommy, by Katie Beckett." He looks at her then back down to the book.

"My mommy is brave. My mommy is strong.

She fixes all the things that go wrong.

My mommy always hugs me tight.

And chases monsters away at night.

She brushes my hair and kisses my head

And lets me snuggle in her bed.

My mommy doesn't fly or pick up cars.

But my mommy is my superstar... the end."

Jim looks down and can already see Alexis is asleep. He looks over at Kate and finds her eyes misty. He almost laughs when he finds Rick's look the same way. He slowly rises, realizing that he has to go home, and Kate rises with him. Seeing that they need time, Rick nods to Jim and takes Alexis up to bed.

"Dad." "Katie."

They both laugh nervously as they fumble over words, so long since they've done this. He has gotten help and so has she and they can do this. They have both come such a long way. Yet, neither of them can find the words. Kate finds courage in the barely there whisper of Rick to his daughter, their daughter, and begins speaking.

"Dad... I honestly don't knoe what to say. Thank you for reading her that to her, sharing that with her."

"No problem Kate... You know... I didn't just stumble upon this book. Well I did, but I found it months ago."

Kate looked at him confused. "So... why did you keep it so long?"

"Because... after you left, I continued on as I was. I mean I hardly even noticed. One night, I had stumbled my say upstairs and reached the top before I lost my footing. I fell down and hit my head and I was already dizzy from the alcohol and I just needed help. So I sat there, waiting for you to come, waiting for you to pick me up and brush me off and tell me to keep going. But you never came. And at first I was so mad at you, but then I realized that I was suppose to be the one taking care of you. Not the other way around."

Kate cluched his hand as tears flooded her eyes."After that, I packed my stuff and headed to rehab. While I was there, sifting through some junk, I found this book. I cried... so hard when I saw it. One of the orderlies actually thought I was dying. They took me to the infirmary and right then and there in that place, I knew it was time for me to really dig deep. To heal for you. Everytime after that, whenever things got hard, I'd read this book. I'd remind myself who I was doing it for. But I came to give it to you" he drops it in her hands "because niw I don't need it. Now I look into that precious little girl's eyes abd I see exactly why I do everything I do."

Her heart is beating eratically against her chest. Sure, she'd known he was healing and yeah, she knew it was hard, but she never could've imagined...

She finds his arms encircling her, and she finds she reciprocates. As soon as his cheat meets hers, she finds an unknown weight pulled off her shoulders. She missed this, God how she had missed this and she realizes this is what she needed to heal. While she would always miss her mother, her Dad and Rick and Alexis were enough for her.

"Thank you. For allowing me to experience my grandaughter." Their talking at the door and she smiles. Grandaughter. "And hopefully my new son in law?" She blushes and it goes even deeper as she feels a warm hand at her shoulder.

"Someday soon, sir."