Zero could hear the soft sob of someone crying around the corner. The normally quiet library just seemed to intensify the sound. Poking her head around the corner, she found the source of the crying. Sitting on the floor up against the Russian literature was a red haired girl, she recognized her from around the campus it was Alexis Castle. Stepping back for a moment she watched as people openly avoided the section that Alexis was sitting in. Poor girl probably just needed some comfort and people were running away from her like she had the plague.

Sighing to herself, she made her way over to the girl's side. "Are you ok?" She asked kneeling down beside the red head.

Alexis jumped, obviously thinking that her crying would keep everyone away. "Yeah I'm fine." She nearly snapped. Zero couldn't help but chuckle to herself, this girl was very obviously upset about something but was trying to keep everyone away. She had a tough girl air about her, a I can do this alone I don't need you attitude.

"I can see that." Zero laughed pushing a strand of chocolate brown hair behind her ear; ignoring the glare she was receiving from the red head and plopped down next to her. "You know it is ok to be upset sometimes." She offered

"You don't even know what's going on." Alexis sighed, running her fingers through her scarlet red hair.

"You are absolutely right, I have no idea what is going on in your life, but it doesn't make what I said any less true. It's ok to be upset or sad or even angry and it is ok to let people see you like this, it doesn't make you weak or any less of a person."

Alexis blushed slightly and looked away from the other girl, before she knew what was happening she was telling a total stranger everything. About her relationship with her now ex-boyfriend Pi, about her father the famous mystery writer Richard Castle and how he never liked Pi and how he treated her when she made her decisions with her relationship. Before either girl had realized it Alexis had been sitting and talking for over an hour.

"Oh I am so sorry." Alexis said with a blush.

"What for?" Zero asked cocking her head curiously, unsure what the other woman had to be embarrassed about.

"I just sat here with a total stranger and had a complete emotional breakdown. I am so sorry."

Zero couldn't help the loud laugh that escaped her mouth even though they were still in the library. "My name is Zero Michales, and it's quite alright really, remember I am the one who sat down first."

"I'm Alexis Castle." Alexis said stretching out her hand in introduction.

Zero smiled brightly as she grabbed the other woman's hand. "I know who you are; I've seen you around the school."

They sat and talked for a long while longer, passing back and forth little tidbits of information about themselves and finding themselves giggling quite frequently. The librarian came by a several times and told them to keep it quiet. They would sober up for a moment before looking at each other and giggling once again. Neither one brought up that they should probably move the conversation outside of the library.

"Wow I can't believe we've been sitting here talking for over four hours." Alexis said glancing at her watch.

"Time flies when you're having fun." Zero giggled slightly, more to herself than anyone else.

"I still have a paper due tomorrow." Alexis groaned as she started to gather her things. She looked down at Zero who looked slightly disappointed. "This was fun though; maybe we can do it again sometime?"

"Sure." Zero said digging into her bag for a pen and piece of paper. She scribbled down her cell number and handed the paper over to Alexis. "Call me any time you want, even if you just need someone to talk to."

Alexis smiled brightly and thanked Zero for talking with her. As Alexis turned to leave Zero couldn't help but think how screwed she was. She had sat and talked with Alexis for only a few short hours and she was totally in love with her already. She knew things weren't going to end well for her, Alexis wasn't gay. She knew she was going to end up with a broken heart.

She hadn't expected Alexis to call her the next day. She figured that the red head was just being nice by taking her number, but she actually called. They went to lunch together and then ended up spending the whole afternoon lounging around in a park talking.

Alexis called again the next day, and the day after, and again the following day. Before Zero knew it she was hanging out with Alexis every day. Some days they did very little talking, just hung out at the library getting homework done, others days they spent all day talking. Alexis was quickly becoming the first and only person to know so much about her. She told Alexis everything…well almost everything. There were just a few things she knew she couldn't tell Alexis.

She knew she couldn't tell Alexis that she was deeply in love with her. Some days she felt her heart break when Alexis would flirt with a guy or whisper to Zero how cute she thought a guy was that was a few booths away from them when they ate. She would smile with Alexis and whisper back just as enthusiastically (or so she hoped) that she agreed that the guy was a major hottie.

In the blink of an eye 6 months had gone by. There wasn't a day in that 6 month period that she wasn't hanging out with Alexis, well except for a few ago when Alexis attended her father's wedding. Alexis had wanted Zero to go with her, but she had managed to get out of it by saying it was Alexis' father's wedding and would be weird if Alexis showed up with her. But even though they didn't see each other that day they did spend hours on the phone afterwards talking about everything and nothing in particular.

"You what?" Zero asked as Alexis sat down acrossed from her at the diner they were getting lunch at today.

"I want you to come over for a family dinner tonight." Alexis repeated simply.

"Ah Lex I dunno, I don't want to intrude." Zero picked up the burger she had ordered and took a big bite out of it.

"I am inviting you Z, how is that intruding? Besides my dad wants to meet you."

"He does?" She asked behind a mouthful of food.

"Yeah." Alexis started taking a bite of the chicken she had ordered. "He wants to meet the friend that I always talk about when I visit him."

"You talk about me?" Zero could feel herself blush slightly.

"Of course I do," Alexis gave her thousand watt smile. "You're my BEST friend."

Zero felt her heart sink a little at the words 'best friend'. Why in the world did she even allow herself to get her hopes up even slightly that Alexis would talk about her in any other fashion?

Zero sighed heavily "Yeah of course I will have dinner with you guys."

Zero found herself in the elevator on her way up to Richard Castle's apartment. Alexis had to turn in a paper shortly after lunch and had another class to attend in the evening, so she had text Zero the location and told her to be there at 7, she would meet her there. She was now 15 minutes early.

Zero was nervous. Beyond nervous really, she didn't get along with parents very well and now she was going to meet her best friend's father and step-mother. Exiting the elevator she made her way down the hall and to the apartment in the text message. Taking a deep breath she knocked firmly and simply waited. She didn't have to wait long before the door was opened by a slightly older looking woman. It had to have been Alexis' step-mother Kate.

"You must be Zero." Kate said with a smile as she opened the door wider to allow the younger woman in. "Alexis isn't here yet but please come in."

Zero really didn't want too, not without Alexis there with her. Part of her wanted to say that she would wait in the hall for Alexis, but she knew that was incredibly rude, and stepped inside. The apartment was beautiful; you could easily tell that money was a small thing to the owner. Expensive paintings dotted the walls and expensive furniture was set up throughout the living space. Zero followed Kate into the kitchen where Richard stood at the oven making a sauce which she assumed was for a pasta dish.

"Do you like pasta?" Richard asked over his shoulder, giving the sauce another good stir before turning around.

"Umm yes sir I do." Zero said with a nod.

"Oh you hear that Kate? She called me sir, such manners." He boasted, puffing out his chest.

"Oh geez Castle, don't let manners throw your ego out of whack." Kate said jokingly to her husband.

Zero cocked her head to the side at hearing Kate call her husband by his last name, the last name they now both share. She figured it had something to do with them working together. Alexis had told her how her father and step-mother met, how he had shadowed her for over 4 years before they started a romantic relationship. She shrugged it off as something that was pure habit for the detective.

The three fell into small talk while Castle finished making dinner. They both asked Zero a few questions that they already had the answers to from Alexis, but thought to be polite just the same. A few minutes after 7:00 the front door opened to reveal Alexis shuffling inside the apartment. Zero couldn't stop the broad smile that acrossed her face upon seeing her friend.

Dinner ended up going really well. Zero sat quietly for the most part and just listened to the family talk about their day. She found herself frequently giggling at Castle's antics, and both Kate and Alexis apologized more than once that he was as they had put it a "9 year old on a sugar rush." For some strange reason that statement made Zero laugh so hard she actually felt a tear trickle down her face. She wished her family could have been like this.

After dinner was done and the table was cleared it was decided that they were going to watch a movie. Zero sat at the counter and watched as father and daughter argued over which movie to watch. Zero loved seeing Alexis like this, all bright smiles and joy, no trace of the sad girl she had first met. She realized she must have been smiling too much when she caught Kate watching her, watching Alexis. She strolled over to her, a look in her eye as if she had just figured something out.

"You're in love with Alexis aren't you?" Kate asked softly.

"I a…I have no idea what you are talking about." Zero said tripping over her words. She could feel the heat of embarrassment as it crept over her face.

Kate smiled brightly at Zero's fumbling. "Have you told her yet?" Kate asked refusing to accept Zero's denial.

"I should probably go." Zero said suddenly standing and grabbing her bag from where she had placed it on the countertop.

"No don't go." Kate said softly, reaching out her hand for Zero's arm. Zero jumped away from Kate's reach, there was obvious fear in the younger woman's eyes. "Look I won't say anything." She tried again.

Zero shook her head frantically and pulled back. "I…I really need to go."

"Please don't Zero, I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you." Kate whispered. She didn't want Alexis thinking she had done something to scare her friend away.

"Kelly Rosenberg, you should have known better." Zero mumbled to herself as she continued to back away.

"Is something wrong Zero?" Alexis said, suddenly behind her.

Zero whipped around and was met with the brilliant blue eyes of her best friend. "I a…I just remembered I have a paper due in the morning that I'm not done with." Zero lied; she could tell by the look on her friend's face that she knew it was a lie. "So I am going to head home so I can get that done."

"Oh umm sure." Alexis said, Zero could tell she was disappointed.

"Thank you for dinner." Zero said as she pulled the front door open and rushed out.

"What was that about?" Castle asked the movie that he and Alexis finally agreed on clutched in his hands.

"I don't know." Kate too lied; but at least she was better at hiding it.

Deciding to not let it ruin the rest of the night, the three of them made their way to the living room to watch The Hobbit. Kate fiddled with her phone for a moment before shooting a text over to Ryan to see if he was still at the precinct. She only had to wait a moment for his response. Both he and Esposito were still there working on their extremely late paper work. She replied with the name Zero had mumbled and asked if they would look into it for her. She had no context behind the name, just wanted anything they could find over the past few years. They both eagerly agreed to it, anything to get out of paper work for at least a little while.

Now all she had to do was sit and wait for what they could find. She knew better than to think they would come up with anything for the night, so setting her phone aside she curled up tightly next to her husband and watched the movie with her family. Her mind was still racing with what had happened and what the boys would find.

A/N: Ok so there is chapter 1. Not sure if this is the direction anyone thought this may go in, but there you have it. You should be able to tell by this chapter where this story line will be heading so if you don't like it stop now. Please review. Thank you.