After her mother left for the night, Kate walked upstairs to her bedroom slowly. She felt as if she had aged a hundred years in the span of a few hours. She walked into her bedroom and sat in the middle of her bedroom. How had everything gone so terribly wrong? She hadn't meant to hurt Sam or Alexis. Hadn't meant to tell Alexis about her brother that way. She laid down on her bed and curled up in a ball. Falling asleep on top of her covers. Before she fell asleep, he last thought was of how much she still loved Richard Castle and wanted him back in her bed and her life. She just wasn't sure that was what he wanted.

Meanwhile, Rick was sitting in the living room of his loft watching the videos that Kate had given him of their son. A son. He had a son. It didn't take away any of the love that he had for Alexis. It could never do that. He loved his daughter with everything that he had. No, if anything, it magnified what he felt for his daughter. Made it stronger somehow.

It was then that he was struck with a sudden realization. He still loved Kate. Even after everything that had happened between them, he still loved her. He always had. From the moment he had met her. Even after she had left him. Kept the secret of their son from him. Everything inside him told him that he shouldn't love her. That he should hate her for everything she had done in the last few years. But despite everything telling him he shouldn't, he found that he really did love her. He could see himself raising Alexis, Samantha and Noah together. He could see them maybe having another baby a few years from now. Wow...Where did that come from? He wasn't even sure that she still had feelings for him. For all he knew, she was simply allowing him back in his life for Noah's sake.

He was determined to win her back and prove that he loved her. Despite everything that had happened in the past few years, he wanted her. He might be crazy, but he couldn't give her up. Despite there being a million reasons why he should give her up, he couldn't. His heart still wanted her. He still wanted her. He just wasn't sure that she wanted him. Their future was so uncertain. They needed to have a serious conversation about what they both wanted out of this new and unexpected relationship. He knew what he wanted, but he needed to know if she wanted the same thing. Because if she didn't want a relationship with him, he wasn't sure what their future was going to be.

Before falling asleep that night,he realized that he definitely still loved her. He just hoped it wasn't too late for them.

When he woke up the following morning, it was to the sound of a phone ringing. It sounded like it was very far off in the distance. He finally woke up enough to realize that he needed to answer his phone. He managed to croak out, "H-hello?"

He heard the sound of Kate's laughter come over the phone. She finally asked, "Did I wake you Rick?"

Smiling, he told her softly, "Just a little bit. I didn't get much sleep last night. I was too worried about everything going on."

He heard her sigh and then she whispered, "Me to. Look Rick, we need to talk."

"I know."

Kate continued, "I didn't want the girls to find out that you were Noah's father."

Before she could explain, Rick said, "So you weren't planning on telling them."

Kate gasped and explained, "No Rick. That's not what I meant at all. I just meant was that I didn't want them to find out like they did. I didn't want it to be thrown at them. I wanted them to get used to the idea and..Well, it seemed that fate had other ideas."

Rick laughed, "Yeah. It's out there now. So, what do we do about it?"

Kate smiled and told him, "My mom actually had an idea. I think it's a great idea, but I wanted to run it past you first."

"Okay. Shoot."

"Well, my parents have a cabin and well, it's very beautiful at this time of the year. Mom suggested that we take the kids up there and spend their Christmas break with them. Let them see that this isn't a bad thing."

"It doesn't have to be. It can be a very, very good thing. How is Sam taking all of this?"

Kate sighed sadly, "She's afraid that Alexis hates her. How about Alexis?

"She won't talk to me. She's barely said two words to me. I'm not sure how she's feeling to be completely honest."

"She's used to having you all to herself. Sam's had a brother for all this time. It's brand new to Alexis. It will take her time to get used to sharing you with someone else."

Rick automatically defended his daughter, "Alexis isn't selfish."

Kate laughed, "I didn't say that she was Rick. It's just going to take her time to get used to the fact that she has a brother. A brother that she didn't know anything about. I think she will warm up to all of this Rick."

Rick sighed and hoped that she was right. He didn't want to hurt his daughter in the process of getting to know his son. It was then that he decided that they needed this trip to her parents cabin. So, he smiled and told her, "I think that trip to the cabin sounds like a wonderful idea Kate. When did you want to leave?"

Kate smiled and told him, "Well, their last day of school is Friday, so how about if we leave right after school then?"

"That sounds like a great idea Kate. I just hope Alexis doesn't kill me before then. I really think she hates me."

That was when Rick heard, "I don't hate you daddy..."

Rick almost dropped the phone when he heard her say that. He opened his arms to his daughter and told Kate, "I need to call you back Kate."

"Okay. I'll talk to you later Rick."

She wanted to tell him that she loved him. That she had always and would always love him. However, she wondered if it was too soon. She knew that she had hurt him terribly and she was sure that he still held a grudge against her. So, she simply hung up the phone and went to get ready for the day.

Meanwhile, Rick held out his arms for his daughter and hugged his daughter tightly. Then he whispered, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about me and Kate. I just..."

Alexis shook her head, "It's okay daddy."

"No, it's not. We didn't mean for you guys to find out this way. I wanted to get to know him and then I was going to tell you Lex."

Alexis smiled, "He's already like a brother to me dad. I've spend a lot of time over at their house."

"I know. You probably know him better than I do."

Alexis nodded, "I do. I just don't know why Kate didn't want us knowing that he was my brother. I thought she.."

Rick looked at his little girl and asked, "What?"

Alexis shrugged, "I thought she like me."

Rick hugged her tightly then and then told her, "It wasn't you Alexis. I'd done something to hurt her and well, she wasn't sure that I wanted him."

That was something that Rick wasn't sure that he would ever understand. He would have loved his son just like he loved his daughter. Would love Kate's daughter just the same. He had already been on the way to loving Kate's daughter when they broke up. It had seemed so very sudden and he had been so hurt. He hadn't loved anyone since Kate and he knew that he would always be in love with her. The heart wanted what it wanted and sometimes it wanted things that weren't meant to be.

He knew that Alexis was still looking at him and he smiled, "We are going to go to Sam's grandparents cabin for Christmas break. That way we can all get used to everything that's going on."

Alexis turned her head to the side and asked, "Are you and Kate dating now?"

"Not yet Pumpkin. Not yet."

Rick hoped that by this time next year the answer would be different, but for now, he would take whatever he could from her. Even if she only wanted to be friends in the end. He smiled at Alexis and told her softly, "What would you say if I told you that we are going to spend the next two weeks with Samantha, Noah and Kate?"

Alexis narrowed her eyebrows and asked, "You're serious?"

"Yep. Kate's parents have a cabin and well, we thought it would be a good idea for all of us to spend Christmas there. Getting to know each other better."

Rick could tell that Alexis wasn't quite sure about it, but she smiled and told him, "I think it would be nice. If Sam still wants to be friends with me though."

Rick hugged her tightly and told her softly, "She will come around. Besides, I don't think she's mad at you. I think she's mad at me and her mom."

Alexis gave him a funny look, "You're just trying to be nice to me. To make me feel better."

"Would I do that?"

Alexis laughed, "Yeah, but it's okay."

"Is it working?"

Alexis smiled, "Yeah it is. I love you daddy."

Rick smiled, "I love you to Pumpkin. Now, what do you say about going shopping with your old man? We need to get some Christmas decorations to take to the cabin."

Alexis brightened and hopped up, "I think that sounds awesome dad. Should we ask Kate about it?"

Rick thought about it for a second,but decided that he would keep it a surprise and told her, "No. It will be our surprise. For the Beckett's for Christmas."

Alexis smiled and reached for her father's hand. As they walked out of the loft, she was chattering happily the entire way downstairs.

Meanwhile, Kate was having a talk with Samantha. Her daughter was finally warming up to the news that she had gotten the night before. She had walked into her moms room and asked her point blank, "Are you in love with Alexis' dad?"

Kate had smiled at her daughters direct approach,but she smiled to herself. She finally told her daughter, "It's complicated."

Samantha knew that was adult talk and it meant that they didn't want to talk about it. So, Samantha smiled when her mom mentioned taking a trip to the cabin with Alexis and her father. She nodded and told her mom, "It could be fun."

Kate smiled and hugged her daughter tightly. She loved her son and daughter, but she was falling back in love with Rick. She only hoped that this time, they were strong enough to make their love last for the rest of their lives. She wasn't sure that her heart would survive losing him again...