God Said

Chapter 15

Kate was on her way home and while it wasn't raining cats and dogs this time, it was raining. However, this time she had her rain gear that protected most of her. Her hair was still getting wet as was her face. Her shoes were soaked as were her socks. She could feel her lower legs were wet but the rest of her was mostly dry.

Kate cruised up to the front door, got off her bike, and unlocked the front door. She was all set to yell her now normal statement of, "Honey, I'm Home!" but didn't. The house was transformed into a winter wonderland. It certainly hadn't looked like this when she had left.

"Rick?" She saw him and he was decorating a Christmas tree. There were actually Christmas decorations all over the place. She knew they hadn't had any of this stuff when she had left this morning.

"KATE!" Rick stopped what he was doing and came to her but he didn't hug her. She was all wet. "What do you think?" Rick turned to take it all in.

"It looks like Christmas," Kate stated since she wasn't sure just what to think. It wasn't that she hated Christmas, it was just she didn't believe in Santa so she didn't celebrate it much.

"That's the point. I just have to finish decorating the tree and string up some lights and I'll be done." Rick thought maybe he'd be done and maybe not.

"We didn't have all this stuff when I left this morning," Kate pointed out.

"Yeah, I may have borrowed your car since it had more space. But look at it all. Then we can go get our picture with Santa." Rick was happy. He loved this time of year.

"You realize Santa doesn't exist, right?" Kate questioned him.

"WHAT!" Suddenly she saw Rick make a cross and put it in front of her face. "Don't even think such thoughts. How could you say such a thing?" All of a sudden Kate wasn't the perfect person he thought she was.

"Easy, I was three and we didn't have a fireplace," Kate told him and started taking off her rain gear after dropping her backpack on the floor.

"Seriously? As if that would stop Santa," he retorted. "Thousands live in apartments the world over; they believe and get presents from Santa."

"Well, we didn't and I don't," Kate told him again. Once again she got the cross symbol placed in front of her.

"Don't spoil this, Kate. Alexis is just a baby. This is her first Christmas, please don't ruin it for her," Rick begged her.

"She isn't even going to remember it, Rick." Kate certainly didn't remember her first Christmas. Yet she saw Rick's begging face. "Fine, just for Alexis I'll believe in Santa till she's old enough to understand he doesn't exist."

"Not listening." Rick put his hands over his ears. "La, la, la, la. Not listening."

Kate shook her head and then left her bike and picked up her backpack and went off her bedroom to strip, take a shower, and get dry again.

oO{}O{}Oo

When she came back out she saw Rick holding Alexis and showing her everything he had done. "And this is the Christmas tree and this is your stocking that Santa will leave Christmas presents in." Kate even noticed that there were three. One said RICK, one said KATE and the biggest one said ALEXIS.

That had her shaking her head as she went to the kitchen to get a cold can of Diet Coke.

While she was there she picked up the phone and called her mother. Except she got her dad instead of her mother. "Hi, Dad!"

"Katie! Your mother's out Christmas shopping," Jim told her.

"Not her too?" They kind of celebrated but not that much. Her dad put out some Christmas lights, though not much more.

"She has a…" Jim stopped before he said granddaughter. Kate and Rick weren't married yet and if he went down that road too soon his daughter would blow a gasket and maybe dump Rick.

"She's decided to change her tune. So you three can expect to get Christmas gifts this Christmas, like it or not," Jim warned her.

"Fine." Kate would let them.

"Cheer up, Katie. What has you in the dumps?" Jim asked her.

"My home looks like a Christmas Village. I go to class and Rick transforms the place into Christmas. Would you believe he believes in Santa? He's twenty-eight years old and he believes in Santa." Kate rolled her eyes.

"He has a daughter, Katie," Jim told her. "Even your mother and I tried to get you to believe in Santa. He's doing his job. If you want to be a part of her life you're going to have to do the same. Welcome to family life."

Kate relented a little. "I guess. I suppose this means I have to go shopping for Christmas presents now, doesn't it?"

"Most definitely and if Rick gets you one you have better have gotten him one as well. Do not ruin this for that little girl, Katie. Let her decide on her own. Now go shopping, wrap presents, and celebrate Christmas with Rick and Alexis.

"OH! Your mother wants you home over Christmas break. Preferably after New Years, she says. I'm not sure what she's up to but she's up to something. Sometimes your mother can be as stubborn as you are." Jim shook his head, amazed that he hadn't lost his mind living with two such stubborn women.

"I am not stubborn!" Kate insisted hotly.

"Katie, you've inherited all of your mother's traits including that. If you're not careful it will lead you to ruin. Your heart got you this far, I suggest you keep listening to it. I'll tell your mother that you called. Go enjoy Christmas, Katie." Jim hung up on her.

"Christmas." Kate shook her head. "Christmas shopping, huh?" She was going to need her car for that and hoped she had the money for it.

oO{}O{}Oo

Kate was wearing earrings that now matched the necklace she had gotten for her birthday. "You haven't checked your stocking to see what Santa left you," Rick reminded her since he knew there was something in it.

Kate glared at him about there not being a Santa. "I thought Santa left presents under the tree," Kate challenged him.

"Just go look, Kate, or I'll have Alexis do it for you," Rick threatened her.

Kate knew full well that Alexis couldn't begin to reach that high. Sighing, she got up and went to her stocking, stuck her hand down it, and indeed found something. She pulled it out. It was an envelope.

She returned to Rick's side, sat down, and opened the envelope. She saw the word UNITED rather prominently right up front. "San Francisco to New York City." Kate looked at Rick for an explanation.

"Don't look at me, Santa left it not me. Still if you got something where is mine and Alexis's? She's been a good girl." Now Rick was up and came back with two envelopes.

"Well look at that. One airline ticket from San Francisco to New York City." Rick feigned ignorance about all of it.

Kate took both of his tickets out of his hand and looked all three over. They all left at the same time. Rick's had his name and baby. Hers had her name. They stopped at Chicago before going on to New York City.

"These are both first class, Rick. We leave January 5 and come back on January 12. I'm going to miss a class." Her break didn't last that long. "What's going on?" Kate glared at him.

Rick broke down and told her. "Okay, fine. Your mother called and she wants you home during your break and since I work from home I'm going with you. I just hope you're ready for a screaming baby that hates flying."

"This was my mom's idea? So who paid for the tickets?" First class was ungodly expensive.

"Santa, of course. All I had to do was put it into my letter to Santa," Rick told her.

"Riiight." Kate didn't believe him for a minute but it was still sweet. So she kissed him for it. "Wonder what Mom wants? She could just call me."

"Well, we'll find out," Rick said. "Pack your backpack with your homework and let's find out."

"You want to go to New York City, Alexis?" Kate reached out to her and watched as she suddenly got fidgety. "Uh-oh!" Kate knew that look. "Diaper change." Kate picked her up and took her to Rick's bedroom.

"WHERE ARE WE STAYING!" Kate yelled from the bedroom while she took Alexis's diaper off, got her all cleaned up, and into a new diaper.

Rick showed up at his door. "A suite at the Four Seasons for me and Alexis. You're staying with your parents."

Kate looked at him and was all set to complain; she wanted to stay with him. But he was probably right. "You get to meet my parents and I get to meet your mom." Kate was suddenly onboard with this plan.

oO{}O{}Oo

They had locked up Kate's bike with a new chain lock and put it at the back of the garage and put both cars in the garage. They were taking a shuttle to the airport.

Rick had a suitcase and Kate had her suitcase and a purse. They both had diaper bags and Rick was pushing a sleeping Alexis in her stroller through the airport to their gate.

"I didn't bring something to read. Be right back." Kate left her diaper bag with Rick and hurried off looking for a store that sold reading material.

The call for guests with young children had both of them up and getting into line even though they were first class passengers compliments of Santa.

"Santa knows how to travel," Rick teased her and survived the glare she gave him. She kept her bag, put it under the seat in front of her, and sat next to the window. Rick did the same and sat in the aisle seat with Alexis in his lap who thankfully was still asleep.

oO{}O{}Oo

They were doing fine till Alexis woke up as the plane was rising and undergoing a pressure change. Naturally Alexis started to complain. "I'll take her." Kate gave her a pacifier that got spit out over and over again as Alexis had gone from crying to wailing. Tickling wasn't working. Playing with her toes wasn't working. Holding and patting her back wasn't working.

Then Kate had an idea. It was how she cleared her ears, skipping that her crying should be clearing her ears. Kate started yawning wide at her. Over and over again. It might not be working on Alexis but it was working on Rick who was suddenly yawning with her.

Then Alexis yawned and did it again and eventually stopped crying. "Not bad, Kate." Rick was impressed.

"It's addictive; no one can resist someone yawning," Kate told him.

"No kidding." The man next to them tried to stifle a yawn himself. Like everyone else he was happy that it had worked.

Kate soon found out that flying first class had its perks that passengers didn't get in economy, including being fed airline food.

Rick had to get up and change a diaper twice before they landed and made their way to the next gate and had an hour to wait.

Alexis announced that she was unhappy. "I'll take her if you want to find a volunteer to warm up a bottle?" Kate took Alexis and her bag while Rick took his bag to find someone to heat her bottle.

Kate was still feeding her when they started boarding so now she was balancing holding her, the bottle, and walking while Rick handed over their tickets to be scanned.

Kate was burping her while sitting next to the window in first class.

oO{}O{}Oo

The good thing was that Alexis went right to sleep and missed all of the next flight. She didn't wake up till she was in her stroller being pushed toward baggage claim.

From there it was a shuttle to the Four Seasons where Rick dropped all of his luggage and then they all went back downstairs to find a taxi to take to Kate's parents.

They had only just gotten out of the taxi when Johanna came rushing out of the house to wrap her arms around her daughter. "Hi, Mom." It felt good to see her.

Jim shook Rick's hand. "Welcome, son."

"Mr. Beckett it's good to put a face to a voice." Now he finally knew what her parents looked like.

"Better start calling me, Jim, son," Jim advised him.

"Richard!" Martha finally made it out of the house and hugged her son.

"Mother! I know I gave you the address but I didn't really expect to find you here." Rick was a little shocked.

"Where else would I be? Honestly, Richard!" Martha chastised him. "Sometimes you amaze me." She turned to look at the young woman. "And you must be Katherine." Martha squeezed her for all she was worth. "I've seen pictures but you're lovelier in person. Now I see what my son sees in you." Martha had never really been happy with Meredith. She had given her a granddaughter, though. "And this is Alexis." She wasn't even in her stroller yet but she was awake.

"Everyone come inside. I'll start making coffee or pouring the wine." Johanna had quickly learned that Martha only drank wine. As for water… "Never touch the stuff myself."

"So how was the flight?" Johanna wanted to hear everything.

"Ever tried flying with an almost four-month-old baby?" Rick asked her.

"I can't say that I have," Johanna admitted.

"She doesn't like flying much, Mom. But I finally got her to stop crying." Kate was proud of herself.

"Wailing is more like it," Rick said. "Kate got thanks from everyone in first class." Kate actually began blushing after that compliment.

Johanna hadn't failed to notice that Kate was holding Alexis instead of Rick. She also had to admit that he was more handsome in person than his picture on her books.

"So when's the next book coming out?" Johanna had access to inside information so she was going to put it to good use.

"I brought all my pages with me. I had to leave the typewriter behind, though. I may actually have to transition to a computer soon. I'm a little old fashioned that way," Rick admitted. It was an electric typewriter at least and he went through ribbon like there was no tomorrow.

"GREAT! Let me see." Johanna held out her hands like he was just supposed to hand those pages over instantly.

Rick had to break it to her. "I'm sorry but I left them in my suitcase at the hotel."

"Just my luck. At least I can hold Alexis." Johanna got up, took Alexis from Kate, and sat back down, showing everyone she knew exactly how to handle a baby. She had even coaxed her into smiling and trying to reach her in no time.

"So what's for dinner?" Rick was starving. Thanks to Alexis they hadn't even tried to eat in Chicago.

"Whatever Katie's cooking," Johanna answered and hid behind Alexis.

"ME!" Kate yelled from the shock and proceeded to glare at her mother. Then she heard Rick snort out a laugh that he tried to hold in. "Not funny, mister." Kate poked him since her mother was way over there with Alexis and he was sitting next to her.

Jim was grinning. "I'll go get the take-out menus." Jim got up and went to the drawer where they kept them.

"Japanese BBQ, please," Kate called out to him and saw the looks she was getting. "I'm addicted. So shoot me." Kate sat back, crossed her arms in front of her chest, and pouted. Then suddenly Rick put his arm around her, pulled her into him, and she leaned into him willingly.

Martha was content to drink her wine and watch these two. To her Kate was a little thin perhaps. Very pretty and looked very much like her mother. And she had the longest legs she had seen on anyone. She also wasn't missing how her son was treating her. Kate was evidently someone very special.

oO{}O{}Oo

It wasn't Japanese BBQ since Jim couldn't find one. He had come back with an Italian menu so everyone selected what they liked till they finally all settled on the same thing and ordered a whole lot of it. Along with bread sticks and salads and since it was Italian everyone drank wine this time. Except for Alexis who got a bottle and was being fed by Kate, Johanna and Jim both noticed. She seemed to do it so naturally.

Johanna was staring at those two when Kate finally saw her instead of watching Alexis and began blushing. She knew that her mother knew she didn't do babysitting and yet what her mother didn't know was that she fed Alexis, changed poopy diapers, and played with her.

Johanna jumped up to get paper towels from the kitchen when while being burped Alexis almost threw up everything she had just eaten on Kate's towel. However, she also got Kate's shirt.

"I'm going to go change." Kate grabbed her suitcase and went to her old room.

"Probably the flight out," Johanna was guessing. She threw away the paper towels and took the towel to the washer for later. She took Alexis from Rick who had taken over and sat down with her and went back to getting her to smile at her.

oO{}O{}Oo

Martha eventually excused herself. "I have a play tomorrow and we have rehearsals very early in the morning.

Rick saw her to her taxi outside. "She's lovely, Richard, and she clearly adores Alexis. Don't do anything to screw this up, son. I expect more grandchildren." Martha hugged him.

"I'm trying not to, Mother, I'm really trying not to." Rick hugged her back and watched her leave. He stood there, wondering if it was too soon to go shopping for an engagement ring.

They had both kind of told each other that they loved the other, but hadn't really come out and said it often enough for the other to be certain. Maybe it was Alexis and his fear that Kate would leave. Or maybe he was just gun-shy thanks to Meredith.

He was still working that out as he went back inside and found that Kate held a sleeping Alexis and was being carefully watched by her parents.