After a new trip to the bank the next morning to deposit her wager winnings, Alexis' next stop was to Kate's precinct.
Why? Castle in his absentmindedness had accidentally left his wallet behind at home. So... Alexis decided to bring it to him.
She hadn't set foot at the Twelfth Precinct for awhile, anyway.
She saw no sign of her father when she arrived. Or Kate. The rest of the auxiliary detectives were about.
But… No one she recognized. Right away.
Just as she elected to wait by Kate's desk, she heard someone call her by name.
"Alexis?"
Turning, she saw Ryan on the approach. Esposito was beside him. Quite unsurprising. Even for being partners, these two traveled in a pair. Often.
"Hey." Alexis greeted her friends.
"What brings you to our neck of the woods?" Esposito inquired.
"I had an errand at the bank first. But dad also left his wallet at home." she tapped one of her coat pockets in indication. "Thought I'd bring it over."
"Since the bank is around the block. Nice move."
"I just haven't seen my dad. Or Kate." Alexis quickly surveyed the room again. "Are they here?"
Esposito shook his head. "No. They also had an errand. But they should be back soon... Are you okay?"
Alexis' hands had dropped to her middle. Now that her jacket was unbuttoned, the outfit she wore showed off her small bump. It was apparent. Very.
"I am fine, Javier. Thank you. But my little hitchhiker," Alexis framed her middle. "Is just fidgety because it's almost lunchtime."
She and Ryan then both watched Esposito decipher what was being driven at.
He was appropriately taken aback. "I... You're pregnant? But you're still twelve!"
Immediately, Alexis' tone was one of tremendous amusement. "Okay. First all... I was fifteen when you first met me. Second? I am now nearly twenty."
"What? Really?"
"Yes, and I am definitely pregnant. That is a long story I am never talking about." she exhaled heavily but perked up at her next thought. "However... We are expecting the little one to join us in March."
Esposito felt like he had to sprint to keep up with what he was being told. "Just who is the other half of your 'we'?"
"Ask your your partner."
Now Esposito was feeling bewildered. "You're in the know?"
"Mhm. Jenny, too. And the rest of the family. Plus Alexis' now." Ryan responded. "No one said a word outside the family because we were following her lead."
Esposito finally figured it out. "Wait a minute. Are you telling me that Alexis and Alexandra are together?"
"Correct. And she came around to my parents' place for dinner last night to meet everyone. Finally." Ryan stuck is hands in his trouser pockets. "Hm. I guess this makes Alexis my sister now."
"But…"
Esposito's words trailed away. Quite a bit had been dumped into his lap. So much for the rest of his life being normal.
Alexis turned to the other detective. "Kevin? It looks like Javier's having a short-circuit moment. Will he be okay?"
"Yeah." Ryan assured her. "Javi's life is just flashing before his eyes. I'll bring him back to Planet Earth. Just hang out. Your dad and Beckett should be back. Soon."
Alexis thanked them and watched them go to the break room.
But from there, she sat on the chair beside Kate's desk. And tuned out. Just to think about what else was on her to-do list that day.
Across the room, Gates watched the scene unfold. From her office.
She had gotten to know Alexis over time. Liked her. Found her pleasant. Wildly intelligent.
But she hadn't missed Alexis showing her pregnancy to Esposito. Or the thousand-yard stare she'd had whilst lost in thought before that.
Maybe she would tell Alexis about her daughter.
Deciding so, Gates called out, "Alexis?"
The younger woman immediately stood at the sound of her name. Upon spotting the captain, she joined her. It'd been awhile since they'd talked.
"Hi, Captain Gates." Alexis greeted her when she'd drawn level with her. "I just came to give my dad his wallet."
"Is that so?" Gates hadn't seen that part of the conversation before.
"Mhm. Dad left it at home this morning." Alexis tapped her coat pocket again. "But Ryan said my dad and Kate are out. He said I could wait. Is that alright?"
"Of course." Gates then gestured briefly towards Alexis' middle. "How are you doing? The first few months are always the hardest."
"I—what?" Alexis was taken aback. "How did you know?"
"I was watching some of your conversation with my detectives, Alexis. But… I'm sure you've also heard tales by now about how I see everything in this little kingdom of mine?"
Alexis laughed. "Yes. I definitely have."
"The stories are true. On top of all that," Gates winked. "I am a mother and a grandmother."
"Woah. Really, captain?"
"Mhm." she beckoned for Alexis to follow her into her office. "Have a seat. Please."
The teenager politely followed through.
Gates handed her a framed picture from a collection she kept behind her desk. "Here we are. These are my children."
Alexis took the frame.
Before her were three young adults. Each looked like younger versions of their mother. And each were dressed to the nines.
Both men wore full dress uniforms of the United States Marine Corps. In between them was a woman whom Alexis posited to be their sister. She was dressed as elegantly as her brothers. But to go with what looked like surroundings of a special event, she wore a full evening dress. It even felt familiar. Vaguely.
Yet... Gates' daughter continued to stand out the most.
For there was a nasal feeding tube that protruded from her left nostril, and the excess of the it vanished into the front of her dress. How had this been achieved?
Alexis also noticed that Gates' daughter was leaning heavily on Lofstrand crutches. For support. There was also a gold medical bracelet on one wrist. And... The most disarming fact? She bore a very familiar crooked smile.
Alexis wondered if her world had shrunk again.
She returned the frame back to Gates. "Your kids look lovely. What are their names?"
"Fitzgarrett and Kirkpatrick are my sons. Both serve." Gates pointed them out in turn. "And their sister is called Tallulah. She just turned twenty-one. And she married into the Flannery clan."
Alexis looked at her in surprise. "The Flannery clan? I… Do you mean the Flannerys from Fifth Avenue?"
Gates nodded. "Gold star for you."
Like the Castles, the Fifth Avenue Flannerys were members of New York's most elite.
But more to the point… They had a fashion empire to their name. Plus, the world flagship headquarters was on Fifth Avenue. Alexis had been there a few times.
She finally murmured, "Amazing. Oh..."
Alexis' offspring was making their presence know once more.
Gates lifted an eyebrow. "Are you alright?"
"Mhm." Alexis rubbed her knuckles against her middle. "My kid is hungry. That's all."
KNOCK KNOCK!
Before Gates could offer to keep Castle's wallet so Alexis could get back to her life, they were disrupted. Lanie had come calling. And her arms were laden with file folders.
"Hello, Doctor Parish." Gates promptly strolled over to her. "Did you bring over those files that I rang you about?"
Lanie bobbed her head as she handed the older woman a few off the top of her pile. "I have a few more to drop off to Violent Crimes and Robbery. Figured I'd stop here first. My other stops are upstairs."
"Then color me 'much obliged,' Doctor Parish."
Alexis had been watching this exchange.
But when Lanie's attention shifted to her, she realized it was because the medical examiner was waiting for her to address the elephant in the room.
"Uh… Doctor Parish," said Alexis. "How long have you been there?"
"Long enough to hear you say that your kid is hungry." Lanie reported. "You're expecting?"
Alexis nodded as she reiterated her words from earlier. "It's a long story. But what matters most now is that everybody knows!"
A new voiced asked, "Everybody knows what?"
Castle and Kate had finally arrived. But in seeing the gathering in Gates' office, they stopped there. To find Alexis was... A surprise.
She chirped to her father, "Everybody knows about my kid. Including Kevin and Javier."
"Oh. That's good."
But reason suddenly caught up to Castle.
"Wait... Why are you here?"
Alexis rose and handed Castle his wallet. "You left it. Thought I'd bring it over. Since I was in the neighborhood."
"My bad. Thanks, Alexis." Castle pocketed the wallet. "Catch you later?"
She nodded. "You bet."
And with a round of good-byes, Alexis took her leave.
Time to eat. Finally.
It was just busy enough when Alexis made it to Remy's that she took a seat in the waiting area, upon checking in with the greeter.
She didn't mind the intermission. Because it meant extra time to ponder about recounting her precinct visit to Alexandra.
That being said… Alexis Castle soon became distracted.
Not far from where she sat were two little girls. Identical. Dark brown skin, black hair, brown eyes. Even their mannerisms were the same. And their clothes? Lavish. Alexis recognized the brand as one she'd worn throughout her childhood.
What caught Alexis' attention was that the twin in the purple dress wore a transparent hearing aid on her left ear.
She reached for it. To fiddle with a volume dial.
"No, Alma." her sister caught her hand. "Mommy said to not to."
The first sister grew sheepish. "Sorry, Zara."
"S'okay." the second sister hugged her twin and indicated a book she'd been looking at. "Come closer now."
She moved closer. And both sisters proceeded to peruse the picture dictionary together.
What beautiful and polite children, Alexis thought.
And she shifted to regarding her distended middle.
It was a tad bigger than she would have liked it to be. From research, literature, and chats with all the Ryan women, she knew that everyone's bodies were different. No two pregnancies where the same.
Yet… For a few days now, Alexis just felt... bigger. In every way.
"There had only better be one of you in there." she murmured softly. "I don't think mama and I could handle being outnumbered. Just yet."
Beside Alexis, a gentle feminine voice mused, "Two kids at once is bumpy. At first. But not wholly impossible."
The twins' mother had chosen to sit with her.
But then Alexis' heart skipped a beat as she took in this person's appearance.
Why? Her clothes were nice, but… She also bore a nasal feeding tube. And… On her other side… A pair of Lofstrand crutches lay balanced against the bench. One very shiny medical bracelet was even visible on her left wrist.
It didn't take much for Alexis to realize who this was.
But she kept her cool. "Not totally chaotic?"
"Okay. Maybe a tad." the other woman's eyes flickered briefly towards Alexis' middle before looking back to her. "Is this one your first?"
Alexis' response came truthfully. "No. Big sister is at home with her mama today."
Just as fast, a new thought suddenly hit Alexis. Home? Where is that for me now?
Her new acquaintance voiced an inquiry. "What is your name, please?"
"I'm Alexis Harper Castle." she extended one hand for a handshake. "What's your name?"
The other woman shook Alexis' hand firmly. "I am Tallulah Gates Flannery. But everyone calls me Lu. Or Lula. Pleased to meet you."