Okay so I know I said five months, but there were requests for the first week so I'll do that first.

Enjoy!

Big.

That was her first impression of his loft.

The words that followed were more along the lines of 'gorgeous' & 'homey'. She couldn't believe that he'd buy such a large house for just him and his daughter, then again, the girl had to have a mother. She had to remember to ask him about that.

"Hey." His silky baritone voice drifted to her from what she now saw was the kitchen. There he sat. Richard Castle, her favorite mystery writer, sat there with an unshaven face and his daughter drinking a bottle. "The key worked."

He'd given her a key earlier in the morning when she brought her suitcase. The warm feeling inside of him returned when their finger tips brushed as he passed her the key. His little girl had been crying again as they made the exchange and she didn't hesitate to work her magic once again and his baby was happily cooing in seconds.

There's a part of him that wants to believe she'll magically fall for him as hard as she's fallen for his daughter, but he knows that isn't possible. For now, though, he's able to look past his affection for the safety & care of his daughter.

"She asleep?" Kate asks as she makes her way to her new psuedo family. She has yet to uncover the mystery behind the author, but she can't deny that his little girl has her heart. Gift wrapped and tied with a giant bow.

"Yeah!" He breathes excitedly because hs gaurdian angel wasn't there that time. He'd brought his girl peace all on his own and that in itself deserves a victory lap. "That 'rub the tummy, pat the back' thing? Perfection. She was out within seconds."

She nods and it's awkward, but so is this entire situation, so she won't apologize for it. There are so many thoughts, so many questions circling her head and she can't control herself right, which is why she doesn't freak when she blurts "where's her mother?"

She doesn't freak, but she will back track because his muscles tense and what the hell did she just do? "I'm sorry. I'm being intrusive. You don't have to-"

"Dead."

"Excuse me?" She squeaks out because she can not be hearing this right. Did he just say?

"Her mother's dead. She uh," he gives a pained chuckle and damn she's really stepped in it this time "she died in a plane crash a week after Alexis was born. I know what you're thinking. 'What the hell was a woman who just had a baby doing on a flight?'." She waits for a response because yes, that's exactly what she was thinking, word for word.

"What could I say? Meredith was an actor and," he takes a rueful look at his little bundle "she always put her career before her family."

Wow.

There's really nothing else to say. She assumed vacation, business trip, hell even rehab would have been better. Anything would have been better than this beautiful little girl being motherless. Trust her, she knows the feeling. Their damaged. So is she and yet she hasn't felt like this since her Mom. She feels like she belongs.

"You know, I look at her sometimes and I see her Mom. Despite what we told anyone, we split before Alexis was born. The pregnancy took quite a toll on us. Just before she left, I was so sure I'd never forget her and now," she doesn't know when she's lost control of her body, but her hand is entwined with his, giving him the strength she pretends to have, and it's too late to draw back.

He fuels himself on the warmth and stability of her hand. "And now I look at her and I don't know whether to be happy or sad. Angry or nostalgic."

"Happy." She blurts and he eyes don't meet with his, but she's telling him things, giving him his answer with her hand.

"Huh?"

"Happy." She takes her chance a steals the girl from him then sits beside him so they can both marvel at her. "You can not look at this angellic little face and be anything but happy." They catch each other's eyes and calling it a spark would be an insult. More like a lightning bolt, an high voltage jolt of something begging to break free.

But Alexis yawns. She yawns and Rick reaches out for her tiny hand. She fists her hand around his finger at the same time that she snuggles into Kate's chest. Once she's settled, her face relaxes peacefully and none of them can quite comprehend how, but they'll be fine.

Together.

So there ya go.

It's not the first week, but just a bit of character development.

Love Always, XOXOX