Enjoy our next chapter ~
Alexis was whipping up some scrambled eggs and bacon when one by one the house guests began to file into the kitchen in search of the yummy smells wafting through the house.
"Good morning," Alexis greeted each one. "Coffee is brewing. If you want juice, we have orange and grape. Colin's allergic to apples, so no apple juice, pie, or sauce in the house."
"Orange always works for me," Rick poured himself a glass, "I've never known you to cook before."
"It was either learn or starve. Grandpa cannot cook to save his life," Alexis pulled some dishes down from the shelves.
"Alexis used to cook for me all the time," Kevin came into the kitchen and immediately jumped into the conversation, "It wasn't always successful, but her intentions were true."
"Thank you," Alexis said and then looked at him, "I think."
"You got better as time went on," he assured her while pouring himself a cup of coffee.
"Good to know," Alexis nodded. "We have Tabasco Sauce if anyone likes their eggs spicy."
"Sign me up for spicy," Javi came into the kitchen just in time. "Could not get over how quiet it was while we slept. Anyone else notice?"
"You should open your window. The water crashing over the falls put me right out," Kate said.
"And kept us cold and frigid."
"I offered to keep you warm," Kate gave Rick a knowing look.
"It's too early for this," Javi groused as Alexis put a plate full of food in front of him. "Thanks."
"Let me know if the eggs are too cheesy," Alexis smiled.
"There's no such thing as too cheesy eggs," Kevin piped in.
Alexis smiled and then looked to Javi again, "How do you take your coffee?"
"Black, two sugars," he replied.
"Simple enough," Alexis grabbed the pot, poured the cup, added the sugar, and put it down in front of Javi. "Anyone else?"
"How much do I owe you?" Javi sent her a wink.
"You have to take the twins for a walk later until they fall asleep," Alexis smiled.
"Deal," Javi nodded.
"Thanks," Alexis smiled. "Kevin, you need anything?"
"Got my eggs, got my bacon, got my coffee. I'm good," he assured her.
"Kate, Da…Dad?" Alexis fumbled with what to call him just as a car door opened and shut outside.
"Are you expecting anyone?" the ears of the trained detectives perked up.
"Not until tomorrow," Alexis went to the window and looked outside. "Oh boy."
"Do we need to arm ourselves?" Javi looked to Alexis apprehensively, internally cursing he didn't have his weapon at his hip as he usually did.
"Grandpa's home early," Alexis turned around. "It's your choice really."
Richard charged through the house and was out the front door ready to attack his father before anyone else had a thought to follow.
Alexis turned and watched the scene through the window, "Uh, Kate, you might want to get out there."
"You son of a bitch," Rick reached to choke his father, "How could you take my daughter away from me for two years? Wasn't being absent my entire life enough?"
"Castle," Kate was behind him to try to pull him away from his father and when that didn't work, she moved in between them, "Don't do anything you'll regret."
"I won't," he reached for his father's throat again. "You can't kill a ghost."
"Castle," Javi managed to pin his arms behind the man's back. "We can't get answers from a corpse."
Rick continued to struggle, but eventually calmed down enough to say, "Start talking."
"Does anyone know you're here?" Jackson's voice sounded a bit panicked.
"What does it matter?" Rick asked.
"It matters," Jackson pushed past them, "Alexis?"
"Grandpa, I'm fine," Alexis stepped out of the house to reassure him she was alright. "You however have a lot of explaining to do."
"Yes, you do," Kevin came out behind her. "Starting with why you told her I deserted her."
"What else could I tell her?" Jackson asked, "She wasn't safe in New York."
"What do mean 'wasn't safe'?" Kate challenged him.
"Before you answer, can we go inside? Mrs. Carter's walking Pookie," Alexis waved at her slightly hard of hearing neighbor.
"Hello, Alexis, Dear," Mrs. Carter called back, "Have company, I see."
"Yes, they were in Grandpa's command. It's a reunion," Alexis said before hissing, "Inside, now!"
"How are those sweetlings of yours?" Mrs. Carter approached.
"They're great. In fact, I hear them, so I'll see you later, Mrs. Carter."
Mrs. Carter nodded in understanding and continued on her way while everyone filed into the house.
"Perfect," Alexis sighed once the door was shut.
"Who was that?" Kate asked.
"Our neighborhood's answer to Mrs. Kravitz," Alexis shook her head.
"Who's Mrs. Kravitz?" Javi looked towards Kevin for an explanation.
"Busy body neighbor on Bewitched," Rick chimed in. "Alexis and I used to watch the show all the time in reruns."
"We did?" Alexis smiled.
"You got hooked on it when you had the chicken pox," Rick explained, "Now let's get back to the discussion we were having. Jackson, how the hell did you end up with Alexis?"
"What did the report on her car say after you pulled it from the Hudson?" Jackson asked.
"You first," Rick crossed his arms.
"I've kept tabs on you and Alexis since her kidnapping and rescue in Paris," Jackson explained. "Right before she went off the bridge, I realized someone was following her."
"Any idea who?" Rick asked.
"If I knew, the accident never would have happened," Jackson scowled at his son.
"Why didn't you just tell me the truth?" Alexis asked.
"You were in too much danger to go back to New York," Jackson explained, "I've spent the last two years trying to figure out who is targeting you."
"Is this because of you again?" Rick asked.
"I'm not sure."
"Who the hell are you?" Kevin finally asked. "Are you even Alexis's grandfather?"
"Yes," Rick nodded, "He is Alexis's grandfather, though I admit as much reluctantly. He's a spy for hire."
"He's also the reason Alexis was kidnapped and taken to Paris," Kate said.
"What?" Javi stared at the older man.
"It's complicated," Jackson replied.
"Make it simple," Javi demanded.
"I wish I could," Jackson shook his head.
"Can he swim?" Kevin asked Alexis.
"Uh, yes. Why?"
"If I tossed him into the water, he'd avoid going over the falls?"
"Not helpful," Kate glared at the younger detective.
"You took Alexis from us for two years, and you still have nothing," Javi growled at the older man, "Start making some sense with your answers, or I'm dragging you to the falls myself."
"I want some answers," Rick glared at his father.
"Guys, can we calm down a bit?" Alexis's face went suddenly pale and she felt herself getting a bit light headed.
"Alexis, are you alright?" Kevin's arm went around her waist reflexively.
"No," she slumped into him.
"Alexis!" Rick scrambled towards her upon realizing she'd passed out.
"Her pulse is steady," Kevin quickly felt for one.
"It's stress. It's a side effect from her accident. Her doctors say it could happen."
"Has this happened before?" Rick asked.
"Not this extreme. Usually she gets a bit dizzy, but it passes quickly," Jackson said. "Lay her down, Detective."
Kevin lifted her into his arms and carried her to the sofa, laying her out.
"Do you have any smelling salts?" Javi asked Jackson.
"No, but I've got bourbon."
"Lex? Angel, can you hear me?" Kevin tuned out the noise around him and focused solely on Alexis. He'd be darned if he lost her now after just getting her back.
Slowly Alexis started to come around. "What happened?" she caught herself getting lost in Kevin's concerned blue orbs.
"You passed out. I think we were stressing you out," Kate said from the end of the couch.
"Maybe a bit," she nodded, "I get this way sometimes when I haven't eaten."
"We still have eggs and bacon on the table," Rick said.
Kevin helped Alexis sit up and smiled at her, "You sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Alexis agreed, "Can someone check on the twins for me?"
"I'll go," Rick and Jackson said at the same time before glaring at each other.
"I'll go," Kate said.
"Thanks, Kate," Alexis replied.
"How about some grub?" Javi brought a plate of eggs and bacon for her.
"Thanks, Javi. I could've made it to the table."
"Now you don't have to," he winked at her.
"Could you help Kate? It's better with man-on-man defense, and since she's not back yet, I think the twins are awake."
"Yeah, I'm on it," Javi nodded.
"Thanks," Alexis said over a mouthful of eggs.
"Better?" Kevin asked.
"I'll let you know when they hit my stomach," Alexis replied.
Jackson and Rick were still glaring at each other as they moved to the kitchen.
"I heard you just now," Alexis admitted once they were alone.
"Heard what?" Kevin asked.
"You called me 'Angel'," Alexis smiled.
"I've always called you Angel," he felt himself start to blush.
"By always, I hope you mean the time we were a couple because I don't think your wife would've appreciated you calling me that."
"Yes, always meaning when I first realized the depth of my feelings for you," Kevin nodded.
Alexis gave him a shy smile before asking a question, "How badly did I tick you off when I first started coming around?"
"There are no words," Kevin chuckled, "I would have arrested and brought you to lock up if I thought I'd get away with it."
"Besides barging in, what else did I do?"
"You either gave away my liquor or poured it down the drain several times."
"Wow," Alexis was taken aback by her apparent brashness.
"You did what needed to be done. Javi was ten seconds away from kicking my ass when you crashed into my life."
"Are you glad I did?" she asked.
"Yes, I am," he smiled at her.
"Have you eaten yet?" Alexis asked.
"I got a few bites before Jackson showed up."
"You should eat," Alexis replied. "I don't want my hard work to go to waste."
"Be right back," Kevin smiled before he went to grab his own plate.
Alexis took the opportunity to look out the window at the gray day that was dawning.
There was some shouting coming from the kitchen, but Alexis couldn't force herself to become a part of it. She still was trying to wrap her head around the events of the past day and a half.
"Where's your head?" Kevin returned and took a seat next to her on the sofa after she shifted to make room.
"I think it's going to snow," Alexis commented.
"Yeah, it does that this time of year," Kevin nodded.
"Not exactly my point," Alexis said. "I'm assuming you want me to go back to the city with you. If this turns out to be a bad storm, it's going to delay us."
"If we get delayed, we get delayed," he shrugged, "What matters right now is you're alive."
"God, no wonder I fell for you," Alexis smiled.
"I'm not always so smooth," he chuckled, "I'm actually more of a dork a lot of the time."
"There are worse things to be than a dork," Alexis smiled.
"Yeah, I arrest a lot of them," Kevin replied.
"You know, Cat hates snow," Alexis replied, "She throws a fit whenever I bundle her up in her snow suit."
"And Colin?" Kevin asked.
"Loves it," she laughed, "I swear he'd sleep out there if I'd let him."
"My mom's like that. Loves snow," Kevin smiled.
"Then he'll have someone to take him out in it," Alexis smiled, "I tolerate it, but it's not my favorite season."
"You always liked spring," Kevin smiled. "And summer, of course. You love the fireworks on the Fourth of July."
"Still do," Alexis smiled.
"Your father's place in New York has an awesome view of the Fourth fireworks. Sarah Grace still talks about how much fun the two of you had a few years ago, making s'mores in the microwave and watching the fireworks on the fire escape."
"We were close then? A lot of girls probably wouldn't like a new woman in their lives so soon after their mother's death."
"You two were nearly inseparable," Kevin smiled.
"Good," Alexis nodded. "I'm a little nervous about seeing her again. How happy is she going to be if I don't remember her?"
"I don't think she'll care one lick if you don't remember her," Kevin responded after a moment of thought, "She'll be so happy to have you back in any form she can have you."
"And now she'll have siblings," Alexis pointed out.
"She'll be over the moon," he smiled at her.
Alexis smiled at him and studied his face for a moment before blinking and looking away.
"Good," Alexis finished her last bite, an unfamiliar scene flashing in her mind.
"Where'd you go just now?"
"I'm not sure," Alexis shook her head.
"How about a hint?" he requested.
"I saw tile and heard music."
"New Year's," Kevin said after a moment. "It was our first New Year's Eve together."
"Why the tile and music though?" she asked.
"It was in an abandoned subway station under the Waldorf-Astoria," Kevin smiled.
"Wow, sounds like fun," Alexis smiled.
"Yeah, your dad has always known how to throw a party."
"Did we kiss at midnight?"
"Yes," Kevin nodded.
"Was this before or after we came out officially as a couple?" she asked.
"Before," he replied, "We snuck into the train car."
Alexis nodded, "I was standing on the riverbank last New Year's Eve. At midnight, I wished for my memory. You?"
"I went up on the roof of your dad's bar and asked for God to give you back."
"Did you ask for that a lot?" she asked.
"Every Sunday at church," he nodded.
Alexis couldn't help herself. She brushed her fingers along Kevin's cheek.
"I guess some prayers really do get answered," his hand closed around her wrist.
"Maybe I'll get my wish, too," Alexis smiled.
"What are you wishing for these days?" he asked.
"I still want my memory, but now I also want to know why I went over the bridge."
"If we can get them to stop arguing, maybe we can find out," Kevin motioned to Jackson and Castle.
"Let them wear themselves out a bit first," Alexis replied, "Sounds like they need it."
Kevin took inventory of what they were wearing, "You wanna take a walk?"
"Yeah," she nodded, "Let me check on the children first though."
"Okay," Kevin took their plates into the kitchen while managing to avoid Jackson and Rick's verbal shouting match.
"Hey, guys," Alexis greeted her twins, freshly washed and dressed by Kate and Javi. It was easy to see who had dressed who. Cat was coordinated with neat pigtails. Colin was mismatched, and his hair had yet to be combed.
"It sounds kind of ugly out there, so we decided to stay in here a while," Kate explained.
"Smart plan," Alexis smiled. "Kevin and I are going to take a walk. You two okay here?"
"Oh yeah," Kate nodded, "Miss Cat and I were going to read a book together, and Javi was going to take Colin into the den to watch SportsCenter."
"Good plan. If you can't find a game, find a western," Alexis advised Javi.
"A western, huh," Javi picked Colin up and bounced him about, "You like it rough and tumble, huh, bud?"
"If it snows, we're gonna go play, aren't we?" Alexis teased her son.
Colin's eyes went wide at the possibility of playing in the snow. He clapped his hands together in excitement.
"Be ready," Alexis advised Javi. "The minute he sees the white stuff he'll be dragging you to the door."
"Just tell me where the snowsuit is," Javi replied.
"Over by the garden door," Alexis nodded. "There's a gate which lets you into the side yard off the garden."
"We'll have ourselves a good time if it comes to it," Javi replied.
"What about you, Miss Cat?" Kate asked, "Do you want to play in the snow too?"
Cat stuck her tongue out and made a raspberry sound.
"That's a no," Alexis giggled.
"I figured as much," Kate laughed.
"I'll be back," Alexis went to join Kevin at the door.
"Take your time," Kate called after her before picking up the book Cat had selected and began reading to the little girl, much to her delight.
"Ready," Alexis reached for her coat. Kevin beat her to it and helped her into it. "Someone raised you right."
"A gentleman to a fault," Kevin nodded.
Alexis fluffed out her hair and then followed Kevin out the door.
The pair walked in silence for several minutes.
"There's a park down this way," Alexis pointed. "I take the kids there in nice weather."
"Sounds good," he agreed.
Alexis and Kevin took a seat on an empty bench. Surprisingly with the chilly weather, there were a few children playing in the park with their parents looking on. Alexis waved in recognition before speaking to Kevin, "I don't know how I should act around you."
"You don't need to act any certain way," Kevin assured her, "I'm just happy you're alive."
"But I don't remember you," she frowned.
"Some part of you recognized me," he tried to catch her eyes with his, "I saw it earlier when you looked at me."
"How did we get from me barging into your life to doing the horizontal mambo?"
"When you wanted to go out or needed a break from being my combination shrink/nanny, you'd drag me and Sarah Grace over to your dad's place, so I could have a conversation about something other than work with my friends. One night, you came down the stairs dressed to the nines. I thought you had a date, and it felt like someone punched me in the gut."
"So I went out with some guy and suddenly you wanted to jump my bones?" she concluded, "Seems like a bit of a leap."
"Don't cheapen what we have," he replied, "You and I developed a solid friendship and relationship before it ever turned physical."
"Did you ask me out, or did I do the asking?" she was taken aback by the defensiveness in his voice.
"I told you I wanted to re-enter the world, so I asked you to go with me to dinner and a movie."
"What movie did we see?" she asked.
"An old black and white," he replied, "It was one of your favorites."
"Did you make a move?" Alexis asked.
"I kissed you in the park after the movie."
"That must have been weird," Alexis stared at her hands again.
"It felt natural," Kevin was tempted to reach for her hand, "It felt like we should have been doing it the entire time we'd known each other."
"Except I was fifteen, you were married, and my father probably would've thrown you off a very tall building," Alexis said.
"What?" Kevin stared at her like she'd suddenly grown a second head.
"I was fif- Stop staring at me like that."
"You said the exact thing the first time I told you it felt natural."
"It's just a coincidence," she insisted.
"I'm a cop. I'm trained to believe there is no such thing as coincidences," Kevin shook his head.
"Well, it has to be because I don't remember any of this," she insisted. "I can't give you what you want. You came here looking for your fiancée. She might not ever exist again."
"She still exists," he assured her, "I can see it in your eyes. You just need to take a leap of faith…faith in me, faith in your father, and faith in all of us. We will protect you."
"I'll go back to New York on one condition."
-d-d-d-d-
"She wants to take Jackson with us?" Rick yelled.
"Right now he's the one person Alexis knows," Kevin responded calmly, "Right or wrong, he's the one who has kept her safe for the last two years."
Rick sighed and stared at the rushing water, listening as it crashed over the falls. "I still want to put him through a wall."
"You wanted to put me through a wall, too," Kevin reminded his friend, "You got over it."
"Don't remind me," Rick glared at the younger detective, "I'm not going to live under the same roof as that man. He's not my father, he was a sperm donor."
"Castle," Kate scolded him, "He can hear you."
"I don't care."
"Alexis might," Kevin reminded him.
"Look, this is an emotional time for everyone," Kate turned her husband towards her, "Let's just get back to the city. We'll figure everything else out once we get there."
"I have to tell my mother what's going on," Rick realized.
"Call Lanie. Tell her what's going on. She'll explain it to Martha," Javier said.
"No," Jackson spoke up, "We cannot risk communicating over the phone. They could be tapped. Whatever conversations you need to have needs to be in person."
"I agree with him," Kate said. "Besides, there's no signal up here. I haven't had any bars since we started the climb up the hill."
"By design my dear," Jackson replied.
"Where'd Alexis go?"
"She's across the street, making arrangements for the horses," Jackson pointed.
Kevin walked out into yard and across the street. He slipped into the stables and saw Alexis at the end of the aisle, brushing a horse.
"What's the horse's name?" Kevin came up behind her, careful not to startle her.
"This is the horse I told you about, Irish Castle," she smiled. "I heard you come in. The door's not quiet."
"Your dad's not happy, but he'll agree to let Jackson come with us," Kevin stated.
"Good," Alexis continued to brush the horse.
"I never knew you were a horse person," Kevin replied.
"Grandpa didn't either. He was nervous when we first moved to the ranch, and I asked to have horses," Alexis replied, "Granted I was pregnant and had zero memory, but I took to it pretty quick. I like the routine of it all."
"Sorry to take you away from it," Kevin frowned.
"I'll be back able to come back here, won't I?" she asked.
"It may take a bit of time, but we'll come back," Kevin responded, "You have my promise."
"Thank you," she smiled.
-d-d-d-d
"Kevin," Kate was in the doorway of the twins' room late in the evening. Kevin was hovering over their cribs, just watching them sleep. "It's late."
Kevin nodded, "I can't make myself leave."
Kate smiled as she came in and looked over his shoulder, "They're cute. Colin looks like you; right down to the nose scrunch."
"Yeah, I noticed that too," Kevin laughed. "God, I should have kept looking."
"Don't," Kate shook her head. "Don't go down that road. There's nothing good there."
"I've missed eighteen months of their lives, Kate," his eyes welled with tears again.
"Don't blame yourself for this," Kate advised him, "Jackson made the choice to take them from us. He knew what he was doing. It was dumb luck we found them when we did."
Kevin wanted to argue her point, but he also knew he couldn't wake his children.
Once in the hall, Kevin braced himself on the wall as Kate shut the door.
She turned to her friend and her heart broke for him all over again, "Kevin? Talk to me."
"I can't," he shook his head, "Like you said, I can't go down that road right now, or I'm going to put my fist through someone's face…How could he? How could her grandfather take her away from her family, her friends, and her fiancé? How could he let us all believe she was dead for two years? How could he be that cold and heartless?"
"I have to believe he was trying to save her life."
"Really?"
"Yes, or I'm going to put my fist through his face," Kate said.
"We should get some sleep," Kevin reluctantly admitted, "It's going to be a long day tomorrow."
"Not so much," Kate shook her head. "Have you looked outside since dinner?"
Kevin glanced out the window. "Oh, man, that's a lot of snow."
"Yeah and getting down the hill is slippery," Kate said.
"Are you saying we'll be snowed in tomorrow?" he asked.
"Looks like it," Kate nodded, "Rick's watching the Weather Channel right now. We're going to get several more inches overnight."
"Great," Kevin sighed. "And we can't get in touch with Lanie."
"Maybe one of us could trudge down to the café or something to at least check in," Kate suggested.
"I don't think that's such a hot idea," Kevin admitted. "He went about it the wrong way, but I think Jackson's serious when he says there's things we don't know."
"Yeah, you have a point," Kate agreed.
"Did Alexis go to bed?"
Kate looked over Kevin's shoulder, "Her light's still on."
"Should I check on her?" Kevin asked.
"Why don't you say goodnight?" Kate smiled. "I'm gonna get Rick to go to sleep."
"Good luck with that," Kevin chuckled.
"Night, Kevin," Kate smiled.
"Night, Beckett," Kevin nodded and went towards Alexis's door. He knocked quietly
"Hey, Kevin," Alexis greeting him with a smile when she opened the door, "Everything okay?"
"I wanted to, um," Kevin started to blush when he saw her pajamas.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I told you I could be a bit of a geek."
"I think the term you used last night was dork," she teased.
"It's just you're in your…," Kevin motioned towards her attire.
"Would a robe make you feel better?"
"No, it's fine," Kevin waved away her offer.
"Do you want to come in?"
"Only if I'm not interrupting anything," Kevin replied.
"No, not at all. I was just reading," Alexis let him in. "Take a seat."
"So apparently it's snowing," Kevin motioned towards her window.
"I saw," she nodded, shutting the door. "That's gonna strand us for a few days."
"Hope you don't mind a few house guests for a few more days," Kevin replied.
"It's actually kind of nice," Alexis admitted.
"Nice how?" he asked.
"A lot of the time, it's just me and the kids. Grandpa travels a lot. It gets a little lonely."
"There's no one in your life?"
"A couple of women in town tried to fix me up, but it always seemed to fall apart before dessert."
"Why is that?" Kevin asked.
"I don't know. It just felt wrong," Alexis said.
"Maybe you'll feel more comfortable when we get back to New York," he offered.
"Maybe," Alexis nodded before motioning between the two of them. "I have to admit, this feels comfortable."
"What does? You and me talking?" he asked.
"Yeah," she smiled a little.
"I'm glad," he replied.
"Tell me something about you. What do you do to relax?"
"I play a bit of piano," Kevin replied.
"Oh yeah? Are you any good?" Alexis grinned.
"I'm no Mozart, but I can play a little bit," he stated.
"Did we have a song?"
"We did," Kevin nodded.
"What was it?" she asked.
"Unforgettable by-"
"Nat King Cole," Alexis finished.
"Very good," Kevin smiled. "We used to dance to it at night after Sarah Grace went to sleep."
"For some reason I couldn't explain until now, that song always made me feel safe."
"Yeah? That's nice to know," Kevin smiled. Somewhere inside of Alexis she remembered them. It wasn't conscious but it was there.
"So what's my grandmother like?" Alexis felt the need to change the subject.
"Well, she's a bit wild," Kevin smiled. "However she's also extremely loyal, and she loves you."
"Grandpa never talks about her," Alexis pulled up her legs and hugged them. "What happened between them?"
"Martha doesn't like to talk about it much. I've always gotten the feeling your grandpa was the one who got away."
"I think that too," Alexis replied, "I tried to get him to open up about her, but he was vague."
Kevin nodded, "Yeah, Martha will usually talk your ear off until you want to beg her to stop, but when it comes to Jackson, she won't say a word."
"I wonder what happened," Alexis replied.
"I get the feeling it wasn't good," Kevin shook his head.
"That's too bad," she frowned, "Grandpa is a good guy. He's got a few rough edges, but I think the right person would smooth them out pretty quick."
"Don't count on it being your grandmother," Kevin shook his head. "When she finds out about this, she's going to hurt him."
"I still can't believe the man I've come to know over the past two years did everything you said he did," Alexis frowned, "It's not that I don't believe you...I do, it's just what he did is so wrong. How could he take me away from my family, from the father of my children?"
"I don't know," Kevin shook his head. "He's not really much for giving us straight answers right now."
"It's not like the man I've know," she sighed.
"I'm sorry," Kevin put his hand on her knee.
"Thanks," she replied.
"I should let you get to bed," Kevin pulled his hand back quickly.
"Yeah, it's usually an early morning around here," Alexis nodded.
"And even earlier if we have to shovel our way out of the house. I'm sure those horses still want to be fed," he smiled.
"It's Grandpa's turn," Alexis smiled before settling herself under the covers.
"For the next hundred years," Kevin went to the door.
"Goodnight," Alexis pulled the blankets up around her.
"Sleep well," Kevin closed the door and then added, "Angel."
Alexis smiled at him as she turned off the lamp, "Same to you."