Rift 49

908 Fleming Street, Key West, Florida 33040

Lex was waiting for Jim and Johanna to show up so she could show them her plan for their place when Kate was back carrying the folders. She held them out to Lex.

"Not a fan I take it?" Lex had been afraid of that. "All of it or just this place?" She had already found them a new place to consider and just needed to put all the paperwork into a folder.

"Mostly just this house. Don't get me wrong, it's nice, it just isn't me. Not the type of place I ever thought of living in. I guess you could say I'm a more down-to-earth kind of girl, not a white and modern kind." Kate appreciated all the work Lex had put in, it just wasn't for her.

"As for the rest of it." Kate was more on the fence about that part. She worried about what Rick was going to be doing. If and it was a big IF, Lex got them to open the base they had just raided for her husband, what did that mean for them? "I worry a little about where Rick will be while I'm taking classes." She didn't want to be separated. When she had gone to Stanford felt like a lifetime ago. A different Kate Beckett even. Now she was married, had a family that she loved. She was even starting to question going back to school at all. She was pregnant after all.

"As for Rick's posting, that will be years from now. We have to solve this Hot/Cold War that is going on. Then they have to agree to rebuild the base and man it. All of that will take time. Even for Rick to be in their military will likely mean him going through classes. I don't see them rejecting him, though, since he has knowledge from the year 2327. He knew most every system that was on our ship. With some work he could design them another one. Just without the Rift device…" She never wanted to see anything about that device ever again.

"I've got another place for you to consider. It's a little farther away from Miami where you would or could be taking classes. Try this one." Lex handed her the new folder after stuffing all the information into it.

She watched Kate flip through all of the pictures and watched her smile grow wider and wider. Relieved, Lex began breathing again. Kate literally squealed a little and started to turn and run to Rick to show him when she stopped and turned to give Lex a hug.

"This, this place, and the boat? Just how can we afford all of this?" That was a major issue in her mind.

"Yes, yes, and you can because I've created more than enough money for all of us. And no, I didn't steal it. Your financials and medical coverage are all in there. Now go show Rick and Alexis." Lex was smiling now that she had made both Ricks and Kates happy.

Kate squealed a little again. "I love you." And she was off running to her family.

"I love you, too," Lex said to the air as she got ready for Jim and Johanna to show up. Jim and Johanna were more of a mystery for her. She really didn't know what they would like. But she was betting both Kates got their sense of style from the two of them.

Then Rodgers and Sno came walking in hand in hand and both looked happy. Lex had noticed that Snohbal hadn't come to her room lately and had to started wonder. Seeing them like this at least partially answered her question.

"You two look happy." Lex was willing to dig a little.

"I am," Sno replied with a smile.

"I'm getting there," Rodgers answered and got a light smack to his arm for his teasing. "We've been talking a lot lately. Getting to know each other a little more."

"We mostly talked about demons at first, but we've moved on to other things lately." Sno squeezed his hand. She was really starting to like him. He was a little aloof at first, but he was getting better.

Rodgers explained why they were there. "Everyone keeps coming out of this cabin happy and we're curious as to why."

"I'm trying to see if everyone's willing to stay here, to not go back into the stairs, and try and find something better. After all, this place has its problems. So I'm trying to find places for everyone to move into. Staying here was only meant as a semi-long term but temporary situation."

"And you've go something for me?" Sno was interested in just what Lex had planned. She needed somewhere to live since going back to the Abyss was out and she liked it here so going back into the stairs wasn't high on her list of things to do.

"I've got an idea, we'll just have to wait and see." These two needed to be more together for her plan to work. Rodgers needed to learn who and what Snohbal was first and not reject her. Lex changed topics. "Alexis is about how far out now?"

Rodgers had to recover from the sudden change and think about it. "Probably a month, more or less. That's depending on if she stopped anywhere first. Communication while in FTL just isn't possible. They haven't solved that just yet." He doubted that his daughter would drop out of FTL just to send him a message. It was possible, just not probable.

"The German plan for Alaska is in about three months, so her arrival will be almost perfect." Lex was really dying to see her sister again. She needed to thank her for so much.

Rodgers shook his head. "Timelines." He was still trying to wrap his mind around all of it. "To you, my daughter is a sister." It was just that to him Alexis – his Alexis – didn't have a sister.

"Yep. And I love her dearly. She's done so much for me. I'm alive because of her. Without Alexis I would have died years ago. I owe her a lot. Even if it isn't…her. She's a different person and yet isn't." Even for Lex it was hard to follow.

"You let us know if you need help." Rodgers pulled Sno away with the intent of going for a swim in the ocean.

She thought she had everything covered and then her system notified her of a message. "So they're willing to contact directly. We must have gotten their attention." Lex got to work reading the message using her encryption. It was how she knew they were listening. "More information. They want more information they'll get more information." She put it all together and sent it off and signed it Garbo.

"Lex, we were told to come see you." Johanna entered with her husband. "Everyone seems happy for some reason." Both Katies had been tight-lipped about why.

Lex started smiling. "As you know, we've been slowly working on how to stay here instead of going back to the stairs and taking our chances there. Granted we might win the lottery–"

Jim interrupted her. "It's more likely that we'll lose our shirts." You might not win if you don't play, but the stairs weren't a lottery. They could lose their lives.

Lex nodded. "In that vein, I've been trying to find places for all of us to stay and make this world ours. I've found something for the others and I've got something for you two."

Johanna started shaking her head. "We can just go back to our place and live there. We don't need anything." They would work out how to make it work without help.

"That's just it… You can't. Someone else owns it and I'm finding that this United States has a slightly different method of identification. You're going to need what I give you." Lex had learned a few things in her searching using her computer and satellite dish.

She handed them their folder and let them look at it.

Guilford Bower house on 54 acres.

707 Albany Post Road, New Paltz, New York, 12561

This heroic 19th century brick center hall beauty, listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, has been restored to its original splendor and beyond. Every room is finished with honesty and authenticity to 1854 when the house was the grand manor known as the Guilford Bower Farm. Established in 1706 by Joseph Hasbrouck, son of Abraham Hasbrouck, one of the twelve original New Paltz patentees, the property changed with the times, being rebuilt after a fire in 1854, but essentially has remained true to its beginnings.

The entry foyer is spacious and bright, with pocket doors of stained glass and stained glass detailing throughout the house. The first floor has 11 ft. ceilings with detailed and multi-leveled crown moldings. The floors are wide board heart pine, the windows are the original "wavy" glass with true divided lights. There is a master suite on the first floor and also one on the 2nd floor. The systems are cutting edge heat and central air. The kitchen is an incredible marriage of high tech and iconic design. The 4 oven AGA propane stove from England is the heart of the house. The butler's pantry is the dish room, where the sink and dishwasher operate, and the dishes are stored. The refrigerator is a subzero and there is an 18th century Irish side board and baking station. Sweeping lawns lead to the river as it wraps around the property. The house sits high on 54 sweeping acres that run along 2000′ of Wallkill River frontage at the end of a long tree-lined driveway that guarantees quiet and privacy. There is a two-stall horse barn with tack room and black wooden horse fencing enclosing eight acres. A newly remodeled guest cottage which boasts two bedrooms, a full bath complete with cedar soaking tub, and many mountain views. The 54 acres include two ponds, a stream and a river; one of the ponds is stocked with large Koi fish. There are organic gardens and cold frames, Activities on property include canoeing, kayaking, horseback riding, maple and black walnut trees for syrup, bee-keeping, ice skating on pond, minutes from Mohonk Mountain House, 8 minutes from New Paltz.

Johanna started flipping through the pictures and handed each one to her husband. Lex could tell from her face that she loved the place. It wasn't to her taste but she had hoped that it was to theirs, since she had little knowledge on just what that taste was.

Jo turned to look at her husband and knew what he was thinking. "It's gorgeous but we can't take this." She took the pictures back from her husband, placed them in the folder, and held it back out to Lex.

"Too late." Lex had taken a risk and also just knew that they would reject anything she tried to give them. "It's already been purchased in your name." Lex turned to her desk and picked up another folder. "And this has all of your financial information and medical coverage. Trust me, in this world you're going to need this." She waited for Johanna to take it from her while refusing to take the first one.

Johanna took it and started looking at it all. She handed each page to her husband after she quickly scanned it. "This is more money than we've ever had. Just where did you get this much." Then a thought hit her.

"Did you give this much to the others? Is that why they are all smiling?" Johanna looked at her husband. She thought they'd taught their daughter better, yet nothing about their lives had gone as she had thought it would. Her husband and daughter should be dead. "Please tell me you didn't–"

Lex broke in. "No, I didn't steal it. The others asked that question, too. And yes, it's all real. OH! These are your identification cards; you'll need them." She handed them yet another folder.

Johanna and Jim look at them and could instantly see differences. "Why?" Johanna didn't see the need.

"Bracken," Lex growled. "He's made a number of changes. Wait until you see what the police have in their possession." As far as she was concerned, police should be just that, police. What Bracken had done was turn them all into more of a military wing. It was just one more thing for them to work on.

"So this is ours?" Johanna still didn't know what to do about it.

"Yes. I left any car purchases to you. I did the same for my dad and Kate. I knew what he would like and what Kate would like so I got them each something. Neither are overly practical for a family so they'll probably purchase a more family friendly car." Lex had indulged their love for a particular type of car. Granted neither car was likely going to see much use. However, they would have them when they wanted them.

Jo had one more card to play to reject it. "And what are we going to do with all the bedrooms? It's just the two of us." She had also noticed that her husband was remaining silent. She would quiz him later.

Lex was prepared for that question. "And where's everyone going to stay when they come for a visit? The garage or a tent?" It was only after she said it that it occurred to her that she had just been insulting. She tried to smooth it over. "Sorry, let me try again. While we may be splitting up a little to live our lives, I thought we would all get together at least once in a while."

"Can we think about it? Discuss it between us?" Johanna wasn't committing to it just yet, even if she did like the look of it.

"Of course…just so long as the answer is yes." Lex smiled back at them.

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"You still looking at those pictures, Castle? I thought you liked the place." She certainly did and they could use the space to raise their family. That was when it hit her. She was thinking of family as being plural. "Castle?" Kate sat down next to him and took the picture away from him. "I'm pregnant–"

"I'm well aware of that, Kate, and couldn't be more happy about it." Castle leaned in for a quick kiss.

"What I mean is…just how many kids are you thinking?" She'd come to the realization that it should be more than one.

Castle's face lit up. Kate smiled and shyly ducked her head before looking back up again. "You're thinking of getting pregnant again?" Was she one of those women who liked being pregnant? God knows it was taking everything out of him to keep up with her in bed, what with her having all those pregnancy hormones. Not that he was complaining.

"Maybe." She feared to commit if He wasn't going to like the idea.

"Then maybe the next pregnancy should be twins." Castle was all smiles. That left Kate in shock. She was thinking one at a time, not twins! She already felt as big as a house and she had about two and a half months left in her pregnancy. Just how big would she get if she had twins!? I'll never get the weight off. She hated that thought.

"Well if you don't want twins, how about triplets?" He was partly serious and partly teasing; he really wanted to see Kate's reaction to that.

"Not a chance, Castle, one at a time is fine. And speaking of being pregnant." Kate started smiling, grabbed Castle's hand and pulled him along with her to their bedroom. She didn't have her cuffs any longer, but that didn't mean she couldn't tie him to the bed and have her way with him.

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Kate was in the laundry room doing laundry. It was their assigned day for it. It was just one of the things they had to get used to with so many people in the same place.

Presently she was busy folding clean clothes and concentrating on keeping the contents of her stomach where they belonged: in her stomach. While she'd thought about having kids with Rick, she just hadn't thought about having them quite so fast. Yes, she had pushed to have Rick un-fixed so that they could, but that didn't mean having them immediately. Now here she was doing domestic things when Alexis came charging in. "MOMMY!"

Alexis couldn't be more happy than to have a mommy. Sure she loved her dad, but she had a mommy.

"Alexis!" It sounded like Alexis was happy and when she was happy, Kate was happy. "What's up?" Kate was guessing she wanted something.

"Mom…" Alexis paused since she had gotten up the nerve to ask but now that she was here… "Why does Snohbal look different now?" Alexis liked her wings and had secretly wanted wings just like them.

OH BOY! Of all the questions for her to ask! Kate sighed and thought fast. "Because Snohbal is all alone looking like herself. This way she looks more like us. When we all leave here she wants to fit in and not be picked on." It wasn't the only reason, if not the more important one.

"We're moving?" Alexis instantly hated the idea. "Are they coming with us?" She meant everyone else on their island.

"I don't know, honey. Let mom and dad ask them so we can find out." Kate didn't want her daughter to go around asking everyone point blank where they were going and then erupt into a full blown tantrum that she was known to do when she didn't get the answer she wanted.

"Let's go!" Alexis wanted to know now and grabbed her mom's hand and started pulling. Kate resisted though.

"Laundry first, Alexis. You've used up all of your swimsuits. You're wearing the only clean one you have." Actually all of them were wearing their only clean swimsuits. Everyone had more clothes that they weren't wearing than they did swimsuits.

"Go find your father and then we can go ask," Kate deflected since Alexis also didn't have much in the way of patience. She went running to find her dad. She wanted answers and wanted them NOW!

Kate wasn't sorry sending her to Rick, plus she was interested in what Lex had found for everyone as well. She also wanted to know just what Lex had planned for herself.

They were all here because of her. She needed to find someplace nice. To be where she was loved. Kate was snapped out of her musings when Edgar showed up.

"Excuse me, Miss Kate, Lex would like a conference in the cabin. Immediately." Then the B-5 unit walked off.

That sounded like bad news to Kate.