35. Consoling!Hugs (Prompted by Castle-fan-379) Dedicated to everyone who has made me smile during this craptastic week.

"She's not coming."

Kate watched the droop of the young woman's shoulders as Alexis stared unseeingly out her father's office window at the Manhattan skyline, phone clasped in one hand.

Kate closed the office door behind her, shutting out some of the noise of her husband playing with their two young children, and slipped over to one of the armchairs near where his eldest stood. She eased herself down into the seat – she was by no means waddling yet, but at five months pregnant she was moving just a little more carefully than she usually would.

"Dress shopping?" was all she asked.

Alexis shook her head. "Or to the wedding. She's just been cast in a movie, and filming starts right away. It's her first role in months." She turned to her father's wife, and Kate's heart broke at the lost little girl look in her eye. "My Mom's not coming to my wedding, Kate," she said, her eyes finally filling with tears.

Kate was out of her chair in an instant, arms circling the young woman, cradling her as if she were one of the children, and Alexis clung to her.

"I don't know why I wasn't expecting it. She's never made it to anything else. She didn't even make it to my graduation. High school or college," Alexis sobbed as Kate ran a soothing hand through her hair. "Why was I never good enough?"

Kate felt tears spring to her own eyes. She and Alexis had fought their battles in the past, and Kate had grown to respect and admire the strength and integrity of the younger woman. There was a friendship of sorts between them, but even now, Kate still found herself referring to Alexis in relation to the other members of her family – her husband's daughter, her children's sister – but almost never as anything directly connected to herself. Alexis had a mother, and however much Meredith might frustrate the whole family, Kate had never sought to try to take her place. An adult stepdaughter didn't really need much parenting, after all – certainly not from her father's new wife. Yet now she found herself wondering how she had been so blind to the reasons behind Alexis' occasionally irritating drive for perfection.

Kate cleared her throat, arms tightening around the younger woman. "I don't know if this will help you, but my mother wasn't there for my wedding, either. The thing that I learned was that sometimes family means blood, but sometimes it's the people around you," she said gently. "I know you wanted her there, but don't let her absence rob you of your joy."

Alexis nodded, finally pulling away so she could wipe her tears away. "Thanks, Kate. That's... that's everything. Thank you."

"Whatever you need." Kate smiled, squeezing Alexis' arm before turning to the door.

"Kate?"

She turned back instantly. "Yes?"

Alexis' blue eyes were filled with apprehension. "Would you... It's okay if you don't want to or whatever, but... would you come dress shopping with me?" she asked in a rush.

Kate crossed the room in two quick strides, wrapping her stepdaughter in her arms once more.

"Whatever you need," she said, smiling.

Thoughts?