Author's Note-Cheesy ending I know, but give me a break. It's ten to six in the morning and I haven't slept yet. And I literally just wrote the second half of this chapter so please forgive any typos. Thank you. NYLF xx

It was a while before Kate could do anything but sob. After a few minutes though, with Rick whispering 'I've got you's into her ear, she finally managed to start to regulate her breathing.

"Come on." Rick murmured softly, leading her over to sit on the couch without letting her go. "Why don't you try and tell me what set all this off this morning hmm?" Kate sank into the seat beside him and leaned into his side for a long moment before sitting up under her own steam and leaning her forearms along her thighs. Rick watched her from his place leaning back into the backrest.

"Detective Raglan called this morning shortly after I got up." Kate almost whispered, the broken quality in her voice jagging at his heart. "He, uhh..." Kate paused to clear her throat. "He says they are attributing her death to 'random gang violence'. 'A random wayward event'." She shook her head as she looked down at her clasped hands. "The case has gone cold Rick and there's apparently no more they can do." She laughed; the sound a little desperate, desolate and hysterical.

"Oh, Kate." Rick sighed, leaning forward to gently rub her back. "I, this would be where I say that I'm sorry again." Kate laughed again, a little more light in her voice this time.

"How do you do that?" She asked bewilderedly, turning her head to face him.

"What do you mean? How do I do what?" Rick asked, smiling at the twinkle back in her eye but still confused.

"Just, you make me feel better Rick. You make it feel as though even on the worst days, there's a possibility for joy." Rick smiled softly before leaning in and capturing her mouth with his in the gentlest of kisses.

"I'm glad." He whispered as he leaned his forehead against hers.

Rick woke Alexis and they all decided to go out for breakfast. The little girl glued herself to Kate's side as if she could sense that something was wrong. It would have been cute if Rick wasn't so tuned in to the tightness of Kate's smile, the hesitance in her eyes. He didn't call attention to her distraction, now knowing her well enough to know that she would come to him when she was ready, just as she had done this morning.

Rick sat down at a table while Kate ordered for them. He'd asked if she was sure but could see she just needed a minute.

"Daddy?" Alexis asked softly from her seat opposite him. Rick turned his attention from Kate, slumped at the counter, to his daughter.

"Yes Pumpkin, what's up?" He asked as lightly as possible. Alexis looked from him to Kate quickly before looking back.

"What's wrong with Kate, daddy? Is she not very well?" The specificity of the question intrigued Rick.

"What makes you think she isn't well Honey?" He asked quietly. Alexis looked back to the older woman and shrugged her tiny shoulders.

"She looks pale, and her eyes and nose are red. I look like that when I'm ill daddy." Alexis reasoned. Rick smiled softly; marvelling at the logic of his four year old's brain.

"You're right Angel; you do look like that when you aren't very well." He sighed, still not sure how to address this with her. He needed to have the conversation with Kate and soon. "You remember I told you that Kate wasn't very happy at the moment and that she has a lot of stuff that isn't so good going on at home?" Alexis nodded.

"I remember."

"Well, this morning she got a phone call with some bad news. She is feeling sad because of that news so we've gotta be kind and respectful to that." Alexis nodded slowly.

"So should I hug her lots?" Alexis asked a little hesitant. "That's what we do when we're sad." Rick smiled and leaned over to kiss the top of her head.

"You're right Alexis. We do hug when we're sad. You can hug Kate; see if that makes her feel better. But we must also always be respectful to people's wishes. So, if Kate asks you to do something or to not do something you can't get too upset and you must do it okay?" Alexis nodded: her little face so solemn as she watched his girlfriend. "And Sweetie?" He asked, taking her attention once more.

"Yes daddy?"

"If Kate needs to be alone today, if she just needs to hide in the bedroom and not see anyone, even you, that isn't her rejecting you. You know that right?" The girl nodded.

"I know daddy. She needs some time to process?" She looked to him for approval of the word. He nodded. "To process her news. Sometimes people need to do that on their own." Rick kissed her head again.

"That's my sweet clever girl." Rick sat back in his seat just as Kate came over to join them. She looked so drained already and it was barely nine o'clock. He wished, not for the first time, that he had a magic wand to make it all go away. But as he watched his beautiful daughter make the teenager laugh despite all that had happened that day, he wondered if maybe he didn't need the wand. His magic little girl may just do the trick.