A/N: I'm alive! And updating! Please forgive me for the 2 months+ disappearance. I'm really sorry. But I hope this treat will make you guys forgive me.

Edit: The chapter was edited because my new beta (movieholic) proof read it. Thanks, sweetie!

Underneath the Wreckage

Chapter 13

For the next two weeks, Kate saw Alexis and Rick several times. Sometimes they would meet for dinner near the station after her shift, other times they went for ice cream and a quick walk in the park. But for the last two weekends Kate had to work, and in spite of Alexis' requests, they haven't been able to spend a lot of time together.

Kate felt how attached she was getting to Alexis, and even to Rick. He was always his charming, flirtatious self but now and then Kate caught him staring with this intrigued and playful look. She had to admit she found him attractive; she always had. But the little familiar and domestic interaction that had emerged between the three of them sometimes triggered every defense mechanism in her brain, and her walls went right up. She wasn't looking for a family. She had one already, her father, and he needed her more than ever. Being with Alexis and Rick was like therapy for Kate, as selfish as that sounded. She needed them and in some way she thought, more liked hoped, they needed her too.

Tonight they finally caught a break. It was Monday, and this week's roster had her working an early shift and free the following day. When she told Rick and Alexis the week before, they invited her for a homemade dinner at their loft. Even movies were suggested throughout the begging and pleading. She wasn't sure if it was right to accept, mostly because she felt uncomfortable invading their privacy at home, but after twenty minutes of politely turning down their offer she finally caved in. Maybe it was the two pair of blue eyes looking at her like sad, lost puppies that finally made her agree. And now Kate found herself in a cab on her way to their loft on a rainy, October night. She started playing with the bag she carried, finding it impolite to show up at their home empty-handed. So she bought a couple of bags of popcorn. Damn, she thought, I've got to build some kind of resistance to their eyes. They'll both have me eating out of their hands in no time. But she couldn't control the smile that escaped her lips.

Her thoughts derailed to a specific pair of eyes; those blue orbs, alight with a special twinkle, that begged her to join them. She remembered they were escorting her to a cab after an "ice cream date," as Alexis had come to call them. He had his hand on the small of her back and she was very conscious of every move he made. She did her best to avoid his gaze, but when he increased the pressure of his touch her eyes were drawn to his. With a big smile and a sparkle in his eyes, he said "please" in a very low and intimate tone. Kate thought it was a miracle she didn't automatically self-combust at the sound. She felt like a puddle of water all the ride to her apartment and even a few hours after that. If that little personal interaction rattled her that way she couldn't even think what skin to skin contact would do to her…

Her daydreaming was rudely interrupted when the driver announced their arrival to the Castle's building. Shaking any fragments of the memory, she paid the driver and got out of the cab. She walked quickly to the lobby, drying the few droplets of rain on her cheeks with the back of her hand.

"Good evening, miss. May I help you?" said the security man behind a desk.

"Yes, I'm here to see Mr. Castle. He's expecting me."

"Ah, yes. Miss Beckett, right?" he asked with a smile.

"Yes," she smiled back.

"Little Miss Alexis has been talking about your visit nonstop. Glad to finally meet you."

"Thank you," she answered politely. It felt good that Alexis talked about her to people. God knows she talked about the kid to Ryan and Lanie every time she had the chance.

The guard ushered her to the elevator and pressed the floor number.

"Have a good night!" he cheerfully called out, just as the elevator doors closed.

"Alexis! She's here!" Rick yelled from the bottom of the stairs. The guard had called to inform him that Kate was on her way up. He ran his fingers through his hair and straightened his shirt as he walked towards the front door. The pitter-patter of feet running down the stairs filled the living room, making Rick smile at Alexis' evident enthusiasm. He was pretty excited too given that it has been a while since they got a chance to spend time with Kate, or at least it seemed like a long time to him. He had to admit that he was also nervous. He had decided that tonight he would ask her permission to base a small character from his new Derrick Storm novel on her. He just hoped she would see it as a compliment and not pull some crazy cop death grip on him…

Alexis was already by the door, waiting impatiently, and as soon as he opened it-

"Kate!" the girl yelled.

"Hi, sweetie," she greeted the girl who was now clinging to her legs.

She looked tired, but she smiled at his daughter and tucked a wild strand of hair behind the girl's ear. She then placed a kiss on her forehead. Alexis just giggled and kept clinging to her legs while she entered the loft.

"Pumpkin, let Kate come in without stumbling. Come on," he said, while finally making eye contact with the young woman. And in that moment, he was breathless. She look tired, but at the same time happy and relieved. Like finally-getting-home-after-a-long-day-at-the-office kind of tired and relieved. And that tugged at his heartstrings and made his stomach do several flips. She looked like she…belonged there. Suddenly he wasn't very hungry…and definitely more nervous.

Alexis ran towards the living room talking nonstop about what movies she had that they could watch, but Rick wasn't paying much attention. Kate took several steps inside the loft and Rick closed the door behind her, making the space between them suddenly very small. She looked around before shyly looking back at him smiling.

"Are you guys coming?" Alexis called out from the living room.

They both snapped out of the trance and laughed nervously, clearly aware of the awkward moment that passed between them.

"Hi," he said, softy.

"Hi," she whispered.

"I'm glad you could make it. Alexis was very excited…we were both excited…" he fumbled while helping her out of her jacket, suddenly feeling very self-conscious.

"Thank you for inviting me," she said turning to face him, a playful look in her eyes. Is she flirting with me?

Kate walked toward Alexis, leaving him speechless with her jacket in his hands.

"I brought popcorn," she announced. Alexis cheered and quickly took the bag from her hands and skipped to the kitchen.

"Dinner first!" Rick yelled, finally capable of forming a coherent thought…and even better yet, breathing.

"Anything I can help you guys with?" Kate asked as she rolled the long-sleeves of her shirt.

Alexis was excited all through dinner. They had spaghetti with meatballs and garlic bread. Her father and Kate where in the kitchen finishing the pasta and taking the bread out of the oven, smiling and laughing a lot, while she set the table. Alexis found it amusing the way Kate teased her dad about his cooking. He was defending and bragging about his skills in the kitchen while Kate was making funny comments about the color of the garlic bread. In fact, it actually smelled and looked a little burnt. Since Kate arrived to their home, her father was a little more distracted and clumsy than usual. But he kept boosting his skills in the kitchen and other rooms as well. Alexis didn't quite understood the last comment, but Kate seemed to find it funny because her smile widened.

They ate while she told them about her day at school. She left out, of course, several of her teacher's comments about her frequent distraction and isolation in school. Soon enough her teachers would call her father, but tonight she didn't want to upset him with that.

"How was your day, Kate?" she asked while she slurped a spaghetti string.

"It was good, mostly paper work and answering phones," she answered while drinking from the wine her dad served the adults. He served her grape juice instead.

"Sounds boring," Alexis replied.

"Sometimes, but it's good to have a couple of slow days at work."

"Daddy is spending a lot of time on his desk too. He's writing a book," she told Kate, proud of her dad's work, even if he wouldn't let her read his books yet.

"Really? I didn't know you were a writer," she said, smiling at Rick. "Anything I would've heard of?"

"I write mystery novels. Maybe you've heard of some?" he began. "Ever hear of the Derrick Storm series? Deadly Storm?"

"No, I haven't," she lied again. She didn't want to tease him, but she was getting giddy from the wine and feeling very playful and a little bit flirty. And it was fun to watch him squirm. She found his reaction unusual since she thought he was going to boast about it at the first chance he got. Of course she wasn't going to just casually say she was a huge fan of his and knows all of his published works in order of publication date. Or even that she had read all his books, several times.

"Yeah, well the first book of the series is out, and…it's been doing quite well…so far," he continued, a little more confident this time.

"Really? That's nice."

"It's actually a three book contract, so hopefully the next book will do better."

They talked about his writing for a while, especially about the new books. Quickly, Alexis got bored of the subject and started talking about her swimming competition and the practices. Kate had worked the last Saturday and wasn't able to go to the girl's practice, but she promised her she will on her next Saturday off.

"And what about the competition? It's in two weeks. Are you free that day?" the girl asked.

"I already asked for the day off," Kate answered, winking at Alexis.

Alexis, in her excitement, jumped from her chair and ran towards Kate, arms wide open. Kate embraced her and pulled her into her lap.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Kate added. She placed a fond kiss on the girl's forehead.

After dinner, Alexis went to set up the movie with Kate, while Rick loaded the dishwasher. He could hear their voices and laughter coming from the living room.

"Dad! Come on! It's starting!" Alexis yelled, as the movie title sequence began.

"Just a second, Pumpkin!" he yelled back.

He was arranging the last plate on the dishwasher when he felt a presence behind him.

"Need any help?" her voice was low and soft.

He turned around and smiled at her. She was leaning against the kitchen island, with her arms crossed and a playful smile on her lips. She was swirling the remaining wine in her glass, but her eyes were glued to his.

"Almost finished," he said, in the same low tone as hers. He walked over to her, getting dangerously close, trapping her between the kitchen island and his body. She didn't seem affected by his proximity, but Rick caught how her chest rose and fell quicker than before. It seemed he was not the only one affected by their physical closeness. Of course, Kate would play it cool and control her features like nothing affects her, but Rick wanted to test the limits of that control. He stepped even close, their bodies only inches apart, and he put his hands on the cold surface of the counter. He smirked when he saw her gaze drop down to his lips, and he knew they were thinking about the same thing. But being the tease that he was…

"More wine?" he said in a neutral tone, while grabbing the wine bottle from behind her and moving away from her.

Kate was dumbfounded. The quick mood change left her a little dizzy. One second his body was practically over hers, his heat radiating all over, slowly melting her. When he moved away, her body instinctively sought his, making her stumble into his chest. He held her in place, with his left hand on her hip while the other balanced the bottle. To gain her balance back she placed her free hand on his shoulder, while she placed the other, still holding the wine glass, on his side.

She held her breath as she saw his eyes glued to her lips, in the same way she was looking at him just seconds ago. He wanted to kiss her, and she found herself excited with anticipation.

"Guys! It's starting!" Alexis called from the living room, oblivious to position the two adults found themselves at the moment.

"Coming!" he responded breathlessly, but he didn't move from their embrace.

Kate smiled playfully at the insinuation; the unintentional double entendre wasn't lost on her. Her smile faded and she groaned internally…God, I'm a child sometimes, Kate worried. What would Rick think of her after this juvenile slip? Probably that she was still just this awkward immature girl who laughs at silly jokes and innuendos.

All her fears and insecurities faded when Rick chuckled, making her body vibrate with his. She chuckled too and couldn't help the blush that overtook her features. Apparently she wasn't the only immature adult in the room; both of their minds probably swimming together in the gutter. Hell, probably Alexis was more mature than the both of them combined. They finally separated from each other. Rick gestured with the bottle to her glass and she nodded, unsure of her ability to formulate any kind of verbal response. Her fingers trembled while he poured the wine. He covered her shaky fingers with his hand, steadying them while he finished serving her drink. They lingered a few seconds and she could feel a slight tremor in them too.

They watched the movie in comfortable silence, Alexis between them singing along to all the songs of The Little Mermaid. She was not surprised when Rick joined his daughter in several duets and a few dialogues. He was a great father and that made him even more desirable. Kate's thoughts were still erratic from their earlier encounter. One part of her brain, the bigger part, was daydreaming about Rick, and his lips, his hands, his hair, his arms…A smaller portion of her brain was admonishing her, making a huge list of why she couldn't even entertain the thoughts of being with him, even for a fling. But this part was being pushed further back every minute. This could be a very interesting adventure.

"Bedtime!" Rick announced as the end credits appeared in the screen.

"Not yet," Alexis whined. "We have a guest." She smiled at Kate and looked back at her father hoping this fact would push the bedtime for another hour.

"You have school tomorrow."

"But Daddy…"

She looked at Kate again, hoping to find an ally on the young woman, but she shared a look with her father and she knew she was outnumbered.

"It's getting late, I have to get going," Kate said as she stood up from the couch.

Alexis turned to her dad, her eyes pleading him to make her stay, but he gaze was fixed on Kate. Alexis had to do something; she didn't want Kate to go yet.

"Kate, can you tuck me in?" she asked, making her best puppy eyes.

Kate looked at her dad looking for an answer and Alexis turned to him, making him the same puppy eyes. He was still ignoring her and staring at Kate. He saw him nod and then she knew she had gotten her way.

"Okay, sweetie, let's get you ready for bed."

Alexis jumped in excitement and took Kate's hand, pulling her as she made her way for the stairs. She wanted to show Kate her room and all her toys and drawings.

After giving Kate a tour of her room, the young woman insisted on getting her ready for bed. This was not fun; she didn't want to go to sleep. She was tired, sure, but sleep meant nightmares and nightmares scared her a lot.

After changing in her pajamas and brushing her teeth, she got comfortable under the sheets and hugged Monkey Bonkey close to her. She was really scared of falling asleep.

"Kate?"

"Yeah, baby girl?"

"Do you think about…that day?" she whispered.

"Yes, I do."

"Does it scare you?" she asked, worrying her lower lip.

"Sometimes," Kate answered, tucking a strand of hair behind the girl's ear. "Does it scare you to think about it?"

Alexis nodded. "I have nightmares."

"What do you dream about?"

Alexis didn't want to talk about it, but Kate's soft voice and reassuring touch made her feel safe.

"About that day. Sometimes I can smell the smoke…" she said, bursting into tears.

"Oh, baby girl," she hugged the girl, kissing her hair and stroking her back. "It's okay. You are safe."

"I'm scared," Alexis cried.

"Don't be. Not anymore. You are safe."

"Promise you won't leave me. I feel safe with you."

"I promise," Kate whispered as she rocked the little girl. "I'll always be here."

Rick was finishing tidying up the living room, making sure to get every popcorn kernel that seemed to escape Alexis' grasp. She always made a mess when eating popcorn…

After a couple of minutes of waiting for Kate to come down, he decided to climb the stairs and spy on the two women. He loved to watch them together. Kate was always sweet and patient with Alexis and the girl's eye seem to shine every time Kate was near. He quietly walked towards his daughter's room, peeking through the small gap of the open door. The darkness of the hallway kept him hidden from Kate and Alexis as he watched their interaction.

But something was not right. Alexis was very upset about something; her porcelain face covered in tears. Kate slowly caressed the girl's hair and dried the tears from her cheeks. He was worried and just as he was going to enter the room their soft voices stopped him.

"Have you talked to your Dad about it?" Kate asked.

Alexis shook her head, more tears streaming from her blue eyes. "No. I'm scared he will be mad."

"Why would he be mad, sweetie?"

"Because I lied to him. I told him I was at the station, that I was safe. But we weren't Kate. We weren't at the station…we weren't safe," the girl bawled.

"But, Alexis, he's your Dad. I'm sure he wouldn't be mad if you told him the truth."

"It's been weeks, and we have a pact. We never lie to each other. Never."

"And why did you lie to him?"

"Because you lied to your dad. I just…I did the same. It was easier to say the same thing you said than tell him the truth."

Rick felt as his anger quickly escalated. And as quietly as he had walked towards the room, he disappeared in the dark corridor.

After calming down the scared little girl and watch her fall asleep, she walked down the stairs. Alexis' nightmares were so similar to her own. Smoke, fire, explosions, people yelling…It was too much for a 7 year old to bear alone. Rick had to know that something was wrong with Alexis, even if the girl hadn't come clean about her whereabouts that day. She didn't want to overstep her boundaries, but Rick had to know.

As she was coming down the stairs she heard him around the kitchen. She smiled knowing this would be the first time they would be genuinely alone. And that encounter earlier in the kitchen left her with a hundred different scenarios, to which surprisingly she wasn't opposed to. They would have to take it slow, one step at a time…that was of course, if he was at the same page as she was. Something in her gut told her he was. Maybe this is what she needed to keep going. He certainly made her feel better just being around.

"Hey," she said softly as she approached the end of the stairs. "She fell asleep waiting for you."

She stopped dead on her tracks when she finally saw him. He had his back towards her gripping the kitchen counter, but Kate could see the muscles on his neck, arms and hands tense as she approached. Something was off, way off.

"Rick, everything okay?"

He turned so fast and abrupt, that made her recoil. His gaze was intense and angry, and it was directly completely at her.

"No, everything is not okay. You think I wouldn't find out?"

"What are you talking about?" Kate asked him, confused at his sudden change.

"You made her lie to me!"

It was all clear to Kate now. It appeared that Rick eavesdropped on her conversation with Alexis, but it seemed he didn't listen to the whole conversation and took what he heard out of context.

"Rick, it's not like that. Let me explain…"

"Explain? Didn't Alexis lie to me because of you?"

"It's not like that…" she said, desperate to explain herself. Rick was fuming, his fists clenched, knuckles getting white. "Calm down, and we'll talk."

"Get out," he said.

"What?"

"Get out," he snarled at her. "You are a bad influence to my daughter and I don't want you near her."

"Don't you think you are over reacting?" Kate spat back, quickly losing her temper. She could deal with him mad, but threatening to separate her from Alexis was another deal. She wasn't going to allow it, not without a fight.

"Over reacting?! Really, Kate? My daughter lied to me, for the first time in her life, because of you. All these weeks I thought she was safe; that all day she just sat there on a police station waiting for me. But she wasn't, right Kate?" he sighed, suddenly looking sad and defeated. "Get out."

"I'm not leaving. I promised her I would be there for her…"

"It is not your job to be there for her. You are not her mother. She is my daughter. You are nobody."

"That is why you are so irrationally mad? Because a complete stranger was there for your daughter and safe her life and you weren't?"

That seemed to strike home. She finally saw behind his anger and hurtful words. He was trying to hide his own insecurities and guilt for not being that day with Alexis. It broke Kate's heart, but that didn't give him the right to treat her like that.

"I said get out. I don't want you in my daughter's life," he said and turned around, clearly making her know that the discussion was over.

Kate couldn't control the tears that dwelled up in her eyes as she gathered her coat and headed for the door. She turned and looked back at Rick, who was pouring himself a drink. Movement near the stairs caught her attention and she saw as Alexis stood on the top of the stairs, crying quietly while clutching Monkey Bonkey near her chest.

"I love you, baby girl," Kate whispered.

"I love you, too," the girl whispered back.

And with that Kate closed the door behind her, wondering when she would see them again.

Again, sorry! Inspiration ran away from me and took a very long vacation. But when they aired the season premiere promo, it came back slowly. I wanted to publish this for the 11th anniversary of 9/11. This is by far the longest chapter I've published. Anyway, now that the story goes again into conflict maybe inspiration will be helpful. Although now that classes started and the new season is so close, I get a feeling that she will stay and be helpful for once (that seems to be how I procrastinate).

Thanks to all the reviews and PMs that you guys sent urging me to continue the story. Don't worry, I don't plan on leaving it.

Don't forget to review this chapter. Let me know if you guys forgive me ;_; and let me know if you like where the story is going and stuff like that.

Thanks for reading!

- Dee