"I'm coming, I'm coming, stop knocking on the door you idiot, you'll wake my children up and then you'll regret it" she screamed at the door as she ran towards it in her pyjamas and groaned, running her fingers through her hair before she stopped and sighed. Whoever was knocking on her door was going to earn the lecture she was going to give them. Reaching across for the lock, Kate quickly unlocked the apartment before opening the door and staring at the man who was stood there. "Rick?" she asked as the writer nodded. "What are you doing here? You should be in hospital" she declared as the writer shrugged.

"They've discharged me Kate, I am now fit to be home" Rick declared as he took a step towards her. "And I didn't want to miss surprising my beautiful wife, especially when she's dressed in her pyjamas and looking so cute" he laughed as she looked down at his t-shirt that she'd stolen before rolling her eyes and staring up at him again in amazement. "Do I get a hello?" he asked, the brunette nodding as she moved closer before kissing him quickly, her fingers running through his hair while his hands rested on the small of her back. "I've missed you" he whispered against her lips as their eyes locked. "I've missed our home" he whispered.

"How did you get home Rick?" she asked quietly as he smiled at her. "You didn't have any money, I had your wallet" she stated as the writer laughed, watching as shock covered her face. "You walked home?" she shrieked as Rick shrugged. "Why the hell didn't you call me? I would have come and got you" she declared as the writer shook his head again.

"Defeats the whole surprise idea Kate, I thought you needed a good surprise" he declared as she laughed and tightly wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's good to be home" he whispered as she nodded and held him close for a moment. He was home! Her husband was finally home! "Let's get in the house" he mumbled, watching as Kate took a step away from him before leading him into the apartment before turning around to see Alexis standing in front of them. "Hey pumpkin" Rick smiled, laughing when Alexis tightly wrapped her arms around him. "Did you miss me?" he asked.

"Yeah" she whispered. "Mommy did too, she's always crying daddy when she goes to bed daddy" she admitted as Kate bit into her lip. Turning to look at his wife, Rick sighed as he leant across to press a kiss to her forehead. "Don't leave us again daddy" Alexis whispered as she clung onto her father, the writer laughing as he looked down at his daughter before running his fingers through her hair and smiling.

"Alexis Castle, I promise that I'll never leave you again or your mom or your brother" he declared, Kate smiling weakly as she watched the interaction between father and daughter. "How about we all go and cuddle in mom and dad's bed and watch a movie?" he suggested as the redhead nodded before disappearing towards her parent's room. Following their daughter into their bedroom, Kate sighed as Rick gently pressed a kiss into her hair before she took a step away from him. "I think there's someone else who wants their daddy" Kate stated, disappearing into the nursery for a second before reappearing with AJ in her arms. "We were lucky he was awake" she declared as the writer held his arms out for his son, wanting to hold him properly for the first time.

"Hey baby boy" Rick smiled as he took his son into his arms before lifting him into her arms and pressing a kiss to his head. "He's got heavier" he commented as Kate nodded and wrapped her arms around her body while Alexis rested in the middle of the bed. "And he's a lot bigger, what have you been feeding him Kate?" he laughed, sitting down on the edge of the bed as Kate sighed and moved to sit beside her daughter, her fingers playing with Alexis' hair as the writer moved back to take the space on the other side of Alexis. "I've missed you all, I've missed this" Rick stated after a moment's silence.

"Well let's make sure this never happens again, I kind of like having my husband around twenty four hours a day" Kate stated, looking across at her family before lying down next to her daughter who was still staring across at her father, still not sure about whether it was real. Was her dad really home now? Were they really all back together? "I still can't believe you walked home Rick, you were just discharged from hospital and you walked home" she said quietly as the writer laughed and shrugged, knowing that she wasn't going to let that go. She was angry at him for taking a risk but she couldn't shout because she was happy to have him home. He could read her and he knew that she hated it!

"I just wanted to surprise my wife; you really need to understand surprises Kate! The whole point is that you don't know what's going to happen" he explained as Kate laughed and rolled her eyes, unable to stop herself from smiling at her husband's comment. Maybe she did need to calm down and just be happy that he was finally allowed to come home to her and their babies?

"Mommy why don't you like surprises? Surprises are good, aren't they?" Alexis asked as Kate sighed.

"I just don't like not knowing, I like to know everything, you know that" Kate smiled as the redhead nodded and cuddled into her side. "But having your daddy turn up today was the best surprise I could have ever asked for. That was a surprise that I'd like more of" she whispered as she tightly wrapped her arms around her daughter as Rick watched her, happy to be home!

XOOXOXOXOXXOXO

"Well this is a lovely surprise" Martha commented as she stood in the doorway and watched as Rick opened his eyes and smiled across at his mother. "When did you get home?" the actress questioned as Rick looked across to see Alexis and Kate fast asleep beside him while AJ slept on his chest, the writer amazed that his son was still asleep.

"I got discharged at about seven this morning, I walked home and surprised the wife" Rick explained as his mother nodded and smiled. "Has she really been crying every night?" the writer questioned as he looked across at his sleeping wife, smiling at how peaceful she looked.

"She's been struggling, it's been difficult" Martha admitted. "She's been trying to juggle visiting you, looking after the kids and coping with everything that's been going on. She's really young as well Rick, I think we forget that sometimes because she's so mature but she's twenty one years old and her mom's dead and people are trying to kill her. She's saved you and Alexis; she gave birth to your son handcuffed to a radiator and she's watched you get stabbed. At some point she's going to break" she admitted, staring at the sleeping brunette for a moment before sighing. "I'm going to make some tea, want some?" she questioned.

"No thanks mother, I'm still tired" he smiled, watching as she nodded before walking out of the bedroom as Rick sighed and turned onto his side, watching his wife in amazement. His mother was right. Kate had gone through so much and she was so young! Twenty one years old and she was fighting practically the world to keep their family safe. Hearing Kate groan, the writer smiled as she turned her head to look at her husband, a small smile covering her face as she looked at him.

"Hello" Kate whispered as the writer leant across to kiss her, the brunette's fingers running through his hair for a moment before smiling.

"You're so extraordinary" he whispered as confusion covered her face. What was he talking about? "Can we go talk somewhere without the kids?" he asked as the brunette nodded and sat up, the writer smiling as she reached across to lift AJ off him before the writer slipped out of the bed and watched his wife disappear into their son's room for a second. "Let's talk in my office" he smiled as she nodded and relaxed as he cuddled her into his side, the two of them walking silently towards his office. Sitting down in his chair, Rick sighed as he looked at his wife who had now sat herself on the edge of his desk in front of him.

"What do you want to talk about?" she asked as he reached across and took hold of her hand, lacing his fingers with hers as she smiled and laughed gently.

"You're so wonderful Kate" he declared as she rolled her eyes. "Come here" he whispered, pulling her hand slightly so she moved and sat on his lap gently, worry covering her face as she attempted to not hit his wound. "It was something mother said when I woke up Kate and it made me think" he explained as she nodded and stared at him, her fingers running across his cheek as he smiled at her. "Kate you're so young".

"Rick" she moaned.

"Kate you're so strong, so extraordinary" he whispered as she smiled weakly. "Kate you've grown up so much recently and sometimes that makes me worried" he declared as confusion covered her face. "Kate normal people your age are finishing college, having fun, enjoying their youth and yet here you are".

"Are you saying that you wish I hadn't married you?" she asked quietly, his head shaking as she bit into her lip for a second. "Rick, I chose you, I chose our life. I don't want to be out partying every night or meeting random men. I found you, I fell madly in love with you and I don't regret one moment of our life together" she stated as the writer smiled at her. "Yes it's a bit of a nightmare with those bastards around but I love you and I love our children. Age is just a number" she stated, kissing him quickly as the writer nodded slowly and tightly wrapped his arms around her as she buried her face into his neck.

"Yes, age is just a number" he declared as she smiled. "I'm sorry, I was just worried about everything Kate, and I'm just worried about you Kate. I guess not being here made me realise that you have so much to deal with Katie" he whispered, pressing a kiss into her cherry scented hair as she sighed and shut her eyes for a moment. "Why don't we do something today? As a family?" he suggested as she murmured something that he couldn't hear. "Or we could go out for dinner tonight with everyone?" he declared, her head nodding as she relaxed and slowly moved so she could look up at him. Hearing the phone ring, Kate sighed as she reached across to grab the phone off her husband's desk, the writer smiling at her as she relaxed back against his side.

"Hello" Kate said quietly down the phone, the writer watching as the smile that had covered Kate's face minutes ago disappear quickly.

"Katie" he whispered, shocked when she quickly moved off his lap and leant across, gagging into the bin as Rick moved to kneel behind her as the phone dropped to the ground. "Kate" he whispered, pulling her hair away from her face as she shut her eyes. "What happened?"

"Raglan's dead".