Words cannot express how sorry I am for not having posted this chapter sooner. I have just been so overwhelmed with crap lately. I was sick and then I was just lazy and then I had a death in the family and then I was beyond busy with school finals and then I was super sick but now I'm getting better and the good thing is I'm starting work full time/ university full time starting next week so I'll be able to make a schedule and work Glass Slippers into it. Oh and I'll also be able to schedule in my new fic probably starting next month called "Armed and Dangerous" which is a collab fic with two other fanfic writers. It'll be cheesy, crack-type fun so look for that coming soon to a theatre near you. I took such a long break getting this fic out and then I offer you nothing but angst so I apologize but I believe we'll have some good family fun next chapter and...would you look at that, we're a couple of years into the 2000s which means we're closing in on the infamous Rick/Kate meet. How will it happen? Only time will tell... literally.

Please review and if you want to follow me on twitter you can find me at vatrask

Enjoy 3

"Rick you will not believe the fabulous gift I got for Alexis." Gina entered the loft with a real glow on her face, her arms full of shopping bags so that she could barely close the door behind her. The living room and kitchen area seemed to be empty and the dishes were right where they had been left that morning – she rolled her eyes because no matter how hard she tried, Rick would never remember to put the dishes away on his own – she shook the snow from her coat and blonde waves and placed all of her belongs at the front door. "Rick?" She called, running a leather-gloved hand through her hair to gather any excess frost from the dropping temperatures on the New York City streets. When she received no response from her boyfriend she wandered through the apartment, removing her gloves and gathering them in one hand as she approached the open door to his study, smiling at the sight. There, sitting in the brand new leather chair he had bought on a whim, was Rick Castle with his feet propped up on the desk, the laptop on his knees, small snorting sounds escaping his open mouth as he slept like the adorable child she knew him to be. His fringe had grown longer than she remembered – but maybe that was because he she hadn't seen him relax in such a long time that they barely got the chance to just be. She couldn't help the smile on her face as she leaned against the doorframe, watching him sleep, admiring his soft features, defined by time and unshaven rebellion. After a moment of watching him, she sauntered quietly over to stand over him, hovering tantalizingly close to him and smirked as she brought her lips down to his. He didn't respond at first but she felt it the moment he woke up, responding to her kiss and massaging her lips, his hands still holding onto the laptop for dear life. When they finally pulled apart, he hummed in satisfaction and opened his eyes.

"Hi." He mumbled, her lips still lingering there so that he could feel her warm breath on his forehead.

She smiled in response, still not moving from her position. "Good afternoon sleepyhead, I take it you got lots of writing done?" She raised a teasing eyebrow, trusting that he would get his writing done – just maybe not today.

"Oh tons," he winked, finally sitting up from his position and returning his sleeping laptop to its rightful place on the desk in place of his feet "so I assume you had a successful shopping trip with my credit card."

She held her hands out to help him stand, a wicked grin on her face and a sing-song voice "not anything you can see." Resisting the urge to kiss that pout off of his lips knowing that his morning breath was atrocious, she added quickly "well, maybe you can see one." It was worth it to see his tired eyes light up with excitement at the prospect of getting a peek at his Christmas present – well, the one that the whole family could enjoy – so she didn't want to ruin it for him. He followed her obediently, buzzing through their joined fingerprints but remaining ever so silent. As they approached the mountain of shopping bags from various high end stores, he rocked on his heels, awaiting his reward for finally dating the girl he had sought since the day they met.

"Well?" He asked anxiously while she took her sweet time digging through the mountain of boxes she had collected until she straightened triumphantly and turned to him with a long, rectangular box peeking out from behind her thighs. "What is that?" His ton, now fully awake, was leering and playful but tinged with childhood excitement that made her smile. Instead of responding – not that she really could with her smile chocking her words – she pulled out the box to reveal a china doll with blinking, beady black eyes and a classic lace gown on. It was a doll that was passed down through generations – the vintage kind that was nowadays bought at a store to pass as generational – and it creped the hell out of Rick. His face fell instantly at the sight of the red ringlets and all the childhood wonder was lost from his eyes. "You should have talked to me first before buying Alexis a gift." His voice was stern and though she was never one to be intimidated, she was instantly on the defense.

"Excuse me?"

"I already bought Alexis a doll."

"So," she shrugged "we can give Alexis two dolls."

"She doesn't need two dolls." He insisted, rather forcefully. "She'll get mine and that's final. Can't you just return the doll?"

Her eyebrows instantly rose "that's final? Really, Rick?"

"Yes, Alexis is my daughter and I have a say in what gifts she is given. If you had wanted to buy her something you should have talked to me first."

Her hands were on her hips without realizing it, the box digging into her bone, too exasperated and stunned to really notice. "Since when did I need your permission to give your daughter a Christmas gift?"

"Since you became my girlfriend and not her mother."

She gaped at him and a small part of Rick realized how ridiculous and harsh that was but he was on a roll at the moment "I can't believe we're fighting about this." She muttered.

"What's there to fight about? Alexis is getting my doll so you can probably just take yours back."

"I am not taking the doll back, Rick, just because you tell me to. You are just being an overprotective ass."

"What am I being overprotective of?"

"Alexis." There was an endless moment of silence in which, both of them paused for the words to sink in. Her voice softened "Rick, Alexis is a strong, independent girl but you're keeping her in this little bubble and you're not letting anyone else in and eventually the only people that you're going to hurt are each other." Before he could respond, Rick's phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out with a grave, pale expression still on his face. Gina watched his eyes flicker with sadness and frustration at whatever was on his phone before he slipped it back in his pocket and looked everywhere but at her.

"It's time for me to pick up Alexis from school." The loft was dead silent as she watched him brushed past her to grab his winter coat and shoes and exit the loft, leaving Gina hurt and completely stunned as to what had just happened.

She had just finished scoffing over the overblown recent wedding of one Gina Griffin to one Richard Castle whom she would never admit to being her new favourite author when the doorbell rang and she was startled from her chair at a rather late hour for the shift she had just pulled at the precinct. Sighing, Kate rose from her chair at the kitchen/dining room/living room table and went to open the door, prepared to give a tongue lashing to whoever was on the other side. "Dad?" She jumped back in surprise at the sight of her father standing in the doorway looked feebly hopeful and a little tired but more worn out than anything. "What are you doing here?"

"Can I-can I come in?"

She blinked slowly before shaking her head an offering him a sweet smile to gesture him into the apartment, tidy despite its lack of use. "So what brings you by at this late hour?" She smiled through her hands running their way across her tired eyes.

Jim took Kate's seat at the table ignoring the rather bare amenities as though the apartment had barely been lived in since she moved in three years ago. Her hair was much shorter than before her accident last year, cropped at the ears to give her an almost boy-ish look to her. "I actually wanted to talk to you."

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes but instead reached into the kitchen cupboard to grab two cups for instant coffee. "I figured that's why you were here, dad; so what is it?" She turned a moment later to find her father's look of apprehension and was instantly hit with a wave of concern. "Dad?"

He shook his thoughts away and almost managed a smile. "It's nothing bad, I promise."

"Then what?" She took her seat next to him and offered him a steaming cup which he let warm his hands but never drank from.

"I'm uh… well I reached my sixth months" again, they both muttered in their head but would never voice "and I was just wondering if there was a chance we could try that father-daughter outing again."

"Right now?" She raised an amused eyebrow to which he simply rolled his eyes.

"Not right now but I figured I should ask you before I lost all of my courage." He let out a chuckle which she didn't return for the implication of it. It hurt but she understood but it spurred her on to ask the question she had been dying to ask.

"What happened to your last sixth months from last year?"

He sighed, stared into his coffee cup but still managed to look at her as he answered. The two of them looked so old and tired but still standing – supposedly a family trait. "It was your accident last year." She sank deeper into the chair "It took a toll to find out that my daughter was in the hospital and I didn't handle it well." He was weak, that was the only explanation he had but Kate placed a hand on his own still holding the mug securely.

"I promise you I'm being careful Dad but every once in a while I'm going to get hurt and I can't always guarantee my safety but I can promise you that I will try."

He sighed "I just hate your job and I hate waiting and worrying and I hate being scared of getting that inevitable phone call. I wish you-"

"What did you say?"

Jim looked up to see a stunned and flashing angry daughter who was no longer holding his hand. "I said I hate worrying and waiting and-"

"No, you said you hate my job." Right, he had said that. "God, why can't you just support me? I'm doing this in the pursuit of justice just like you did."

"No, you are doing this to find your mother's killer." The air was stiff and much too warm to think straight "and when you do, you will be left empty and alone and wondering what the hell you did with your life." They both wore stunned expressions by the end of his speech but Kate was too hurt to notice.

"Get out." Her voice was low and threatening.

"Katie-"

"GET OUT." She stood and didn't bother to indicate the front door. Jim stood with her, his eyes challenging for a moment before they became apologetic and regretful. As he opened the door he shook his head.

"I'm sorry Katie." Though neither were sure what he was sorry for.