Disclaimer: I'm from "the middle of nowhere", Canada, not L.A...
A/N: You guys are awesome! This one was a blast to write but I can't take the credit for it. Props to the wonderful Miniwriter305 who gave me the idea and some of the dialogue for this chapter.
Still not beta-ed
Enjoy,
~Rose

Chapter Twenty

"Nothing you would take"

Kate left Rick's loft soon after to get home to her father. She had agreed to eat supper with him that night for a change. It had probably been two weeks since they had eaten a meal together since Kate was always busy with Rick or the case.
"Dad?" Kate called out. There was no response. "Dad?" She was starting to panic. She knew he was home so why wasn't he answering? "Dad!"
She raced into the living room and her suspicions had been confirmed. Her father was passed out on the couch with an almost empty bottle of scotch in his hand. She couldn't see the usual rise and fall of his chest and she nearly started hyperventilating right then and there. She had already lost her mother; she couldn't lose her father too.
"Dad!" she cried out flinging herself over to the couch. As she got closer to him she noticed the slight movement of a fluttering eyelid in his slumber. Jim may be passed out from alcohol consumption, but luckily he was alive. Kate realized she was being sort of silly thinking her father could have been dead but when you've lost one parent you can't help but be paranoid about losing the other.
"Dad!" she seethed. She was angry now at how irresponsible he was being. "Dad, wake up!" She went to grab the bottle out of his hand and he started to stir.
"What are you doing Katie?" he asked harshly, moving his hand away. She reached for the bottle again and he snapped, "Stop it Katie!"
"No!" she snapped back, reaching for the bottle again.
"Stop!" Jim yelled this time. He was off the couch in one swift movement and the bottle slipped from his grasp and shattered against the coffee table. "Just go away!"
"Dad," she almost begged, "Mom wouldn't want this. She would want us to try to be happy."
"It doesn't matter," he said his voice lower now, but with a definite edge to it, "Katie, go away."
Kate was livid now. How could he think none of this mattered? How could he just... just not care anymore? She was done pretending everything was okay. "Doesn't matter? Doesn't matter!" she yelled. "It's all that matters Dad!" Jim was even more enraged now, but Kate wouldn't give him the opportunity to say anything. "You know what matters? I do! I matter!" Jim looked taken aback but his daughter kept going. "Every day you drink yourself to death, not caring how I'm getting through this!" Jim had enough. He went to say something but Kate gave him a warning glare. "No Dad, let me talk! You care more about that stupid bottle than you do me! Did our relationship die with Mom? Huh? Do you know that I have the idea that if I solve her case we'll be okay? Will we? I know you lost the woman you love, but I lost her too Daddy!" She lowered her voice and almost became sullen, "I lost her too. I need you." The anger suddenly rose in her again as she gave him a warning. "So you can either stop drinking or you can drink and live without me. But I'm done. I love you but I'm not going to watch you kill yourself."
Jim knew his daughter was serious by how dead-calm her voice got on the last line. He should have said something to her, but it was too late; his daughter was walking away and all he could do was watch.

~O.o.O.o.O~

"Kate?" Rick asked, concern present in his voice, when he answered to door to reveal a very upset Kate. "What's wrong?"

"I-I… Rick…" She couldn't even find the words to express what she was feeling right now. Tears sprung to her eyes and Rick wrapped his arms around her. "No!" she exclaimed more to herself than Rick. "I can't cry over this Rick; I won't let myself." She broke away from his embrace and crossed her arms over her chest.

His heart broke a little bit for her. He wasn't sure what exactly was wrong but he know she didn't have to be a rock all the time; it was okay to cry. He took her by the wrist and led her over to his couch and sat her down. "What happened Kate?"

"I've had enough Rick! I got home to my father passed out on the couch—bottle in his hand. I thought he was dead Rick!" Rick grabbed for her hand for support and gave it a gentle squeeze. He gave her an encouraging nod and she continued. "I thought he was dead and all he cared about was his damn bottle! He's going to drink himself to death! I told him Mom wouldn't want that but he didn't care." She had venom in her voice now and it frightened him for Mr. Beckett's sake. "I'm done Rick! I told him if he doesn't stop drinking then he can live without me."

"Kate," he said softly. He was the one who was at a loss for words now. He knew he wouldn't need to use them though. It was almost ironic that the writer knew words would do no good—he just needed to be there for her. He squeezed her hand again before releasing it and moving his hand to her shoulder instead.

"Mom would want this," she repeated.

Rick couldn't take it anymore. "She also wouldn't want you to lose yourself in trying to solve her murder," Rick said without thinking. He didn't really want to get into this when she was upset about her father but maybe this was as good a time as any.

"What?" Kate couldn't believe Rick's nerve. This was her life and she could do what she wanted with it. "I have to solve her murder Rick. I can't move on… I can't really live my life until I figure this out."

"And what happens in the rare case that you do figure it out Kate? You're not a cop, it's not like you can arrest whoever is behind it!"

"I know that Rick!" she snapped. "But I need to do this. I need the closure."

"Kate please don't throw your life away over this. She's dead but you are not. There are so many people who love you Kate: Lanie, your dad, even the boys. What if looking into this gets you killed? Do you really want to put them through that?"

"What about you Rick?"

"Of course I don't want to see you hurt! I'm your friend."

"Is that what we are?" she asked, pushing to see if he would say what they both knew; that they were far past the friend stage.

"Kate, I…" Before Rick could say anything else there was a loud knock at the door. This conversation was going to have to wait.

Stormy enough for you?

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