Thank you once again for your amazing responses; I really do appreciate every single one. This chapter is another short one but the next chapter is longer and follows on directly from this; I just have a lot of work to finish so I thought I'd give you something to read.

Hearing the door open and quickly shut, Rick sighed as he opened his eyes to find the room still dark and Alexis fast asleep on the other side of the bed while the space Kate had been sleeping in was completely empty. Turning around, the writer groaned at the sight of the clock which informed it that it was only two o'clock in the morning before he quickly climbed out of the warmth and walked out of the room; desperately trying not to disturb his sleeping daughter. Noticing the light flowing from under his office door, Rick sighed as he approached it silently and pushed the door open to see Kate lying on the small couch by the window with a blanket thrown over her body while she read one of his books.

"My bed is a lot comfier than the couch Kate, I just thought I should mention that" he commented, her head turning to see him watching her as a small smile covered her face. "Want to talk about it?" he asked, her head shaking quickly as she put the book down slowly and sighed; her fingers running through her hair as he continued to watch her. "It might help?"

"I couldn't sleep, that's all and I didn't want to disturb Alexis" Kate admitted as the writer nodded and disappeared out of the room again without a word, confusing her slightly. "Rick?" she asked; her voice still almost silent as she continued to stare out of the open door into the darkness, attempting to see where he'd gone. Hearing footsteps, the brunette smiled weakly as he walked back into the room with a collection of blankets and pillows; a laugh leaving her lips as he fell over and landed on the floor. "At least it was a soft landing" she smiled.

"Can you go and get some drinks please?" he asked quickly, Kate nodding as she slowly left the room and approached the kitchen. Quickly grabbing two cans of coke, she sighed as she walked towards his office again and sighed. Pushing the door open, the brunette's mouth opened in shock at the sight of the makeshift bed in the middle of the floor and the lit candles that were covering the surfaces. "Surprise" he laughed, a small smile creeping onto her face as she took in the sight around her.

"What's this?" she asked, shocked at how fast he'd managed to practically change the room.

"I wanted to do something special and try and make you smile again Kate, I want to make you happy even if it is for a couple of hours" he explained, noticing the small smile that continued to appear on her face when she looked around to take everything in. "Come on, we're going to snuggle" he announced, her head nodding before she joined him on the floor and stared at him for a brief moment. Running her hands to his shoulders, she sighed as she moved slightly closer and bit into her bottom lip. "We don't have to do this" he whispered.

"I want to" she mumbled, leaning forward before she moved to kiss him gently. Pressing her lips to his, she moaned against his lips as his hands moved to rest against her back. "Why would you do all this for me?" she asked gently when she moved away from him to look around her at everything before they both lay down and she relaxed with his arms around her. "No one's ever done anything like this for me and especially not after I've been such a bitch".

"You've not been a bitch Kate, you're grieving for your mom and everything you've done recently is understandable. I don't blame you for anything you've done" he explained, kissing her hair gently as she relaxed against him and shut her eyes. "I love you so much and I'll do whatever it takes to support you through this" the writer admitted, feeling her move against him to bury her head against his chest. "I want to make you happy Kate, that's all I care about right now" he explained as she sighed and quickly shut her eyes. "Now try and sleep" he ordered; his voice still gentle as he ran his hand gently up and down her back while she slowly began to fall asleep.

XOXOXOXXOXOXO

Opening her eyes, Kate groaned as she found the light filling the room through the window; her hand reaching across to the find that the space beside her was completely empty. Looking up, she noticed the mug of coffee and bear claw on the table along with a small paper note. Sitting up, she took the note into her hand and noticed the writer's handwriting that was scribbled across it.

Got you breakfast, so eat it; I don't want you to get hungry while I'm gone! I had to go out to take Alexis to school and mother has an audition today so you'll be on your own for a while. I'll be home in a couple of hours; I have to see someone on the way home anyway, I've been putting it off for too long! Have a bath Kate, relax, read a book and I'll see you when I get home. Rick x

Putting the note down, she smiled as she quickly took the mug and smiled at the fact that it was still warm before taking a sip and laughing. It was her perfect coffee and she knew only two people who could make it; one of them being herself and the other person being the writer who'd prepared the one she was currently holding. Taking a bite out of the bear claw, she sighed as she enjoyed the comfort she felt from it before relaxing back against the couch before grabbed the book she'd taken yesterday evening. If she was going to be alone for a couple of hours she was going to read the books of his that were still new to her.

XOXOOXOXXOO

Approaching the grave he'd been searching for, Rick sighed as he noticed the man who was standing in front of it with a bouquet of flowers in front of him; Jim Beckett's back to him as the writer stopped walking.

"I tried the apartment but you weren't there, I guessed this is where you'd go" Rick declared, surprising the older man who quickly turned around to face him. "Sorry, I know you want to be alone with her for a moment but we need to talk Mr Beckett, it's urgent" he explained as Jim shrugged and quickly placed the flowers beside his wife's grave; smiling sadly at the words engraved in the stone. "It's about Kate Jim".

"What about her?" Jim asked, his hands shaking as he wrapped his arms around his chest and stared at the writer who stood nervously in front of him. "Is she okay? Nothing's happened has it? I only saw her last night and she seemed fine" he whispered, his face becoming pale at the thought of something bad happening to his daughter. He knew he'd been wrong the previous evening when Kate had come into his room and he'd regretted the way he'd talked to her the moment he'd returned to the apartment.

"She got released from hospital Jim last night" he explained, shock covering the older man's face as Rick sighed. "She was found in an alley unconscious from alcohol poisoning" he announced, Jim's eyes shutting for a brief moment before he turned to look at his wife's grave; thinking of how everything was falling apart. "We know what's going on Jim, we found out after everything happened with Kate. She didn't even tell us, we worked it out for ourselves" the writer declared, Jim's eyes shutting in shame as he thought about the drink that was filling their apartment. "And I want to help you Jim".

"I don't need your help Richard, it's none of you business" Jim commented as Rick sighed.

"Jim this isn't just about you" Rick declared, determined not to give up on the older man. "This is about your daughter, this is about Kate" he explained, thinking about the woman who he'd left curled up fast asleep on his office floor. "This is about your little girl who is so lost right now and just wants her father. Are you really going to deny her that because of your stupid pride?"

So what do you think?