For three weeks, it had worked. She avoided Rick, she avoided becoming too attached to Alexis- though she continued making the girl breakfast most mornings- and she avoided any more cozy family moments. And it hadn't been easy at first.
Rick had put up a fight, inviting Kate to family dinner, family game nights, even laser tag on the main floor. But he had given up eventually, when she answered every request with, "No, thank you," and an aloof look.
Sometimes she made excuses, but that had become unnecessary when he stopped asking. And her excuse for tonight was a bath.
Rick and Alexis each had their own private bathrooms, so even though Kate's was technically one of the 'public' restrooms for the rest of the house, she had had to share it very little. Martha seldom used it, and when she did, her bag of toiletries disappeared with her when she returned to her boyfriend's place.
So she didn't feel bad about hogging the room for a good hour when she needed a long soak in warm water with a good book. The tub might not have the charm of the one in her old apartment, but it was modern and comfortable and the jets made up for the lack of antiquity.
Kate had been making her way through Rick's book collection, mostly the novels he'd penned himself. For some reason, she'd chosen Storm Fall to read while in the bath, even though she hated the book. It made her cry every time she read it, even though she knew the ending by heart now. She could relate all too well to that feeling of loss, and as hard as she fought it, she couldn't stop the few tears the book always managed to produce. She had no idea why she continued reading it, knowing the effect it always had, but in some way, if she could overcome the effect his words had on her, maybe Kate could manage the effect the man had on her, too. She had yet to manage either.
And even though she had teased him once about the last scene of Storm Fall, it never failed to cut to her heart.
Kate read the last lines, sighed heavily, annoyed again by her tears, then dropped the book over the side of the tub, where it landed with a slap on the marble floor. She quickly checked to make sure the book hadn't been damaged in the fall- it looked perfect- and she splashed water over her face, removing any evidence of her tears.
She laid back in the tub and just relaxed. She hated that book, but she loved it too. It was probably Rick's best work. But it was also the end of a character she had loved and admired and looked to for strength when she thought her own would fail.
She sighed again, squeezing her eyes shut and changing her train of thought before she started crying again.
There was a soft knock on the door right before it opened a crack, and Kate quickly sat up, covering herself with her arms, as she barked, "Castle?!" in outrage and surprise.
"It's me," came the voice of the younger Castle. The door to the bathroom stayed open, but only by an inch. "I just needed to check on you."
"Oh, well I'm okay," she said, a bit confused.
"I'm sorry," Alexis continued, rambling a bit. "It was quiet for so long, and then I heard something fall, and my dad's not home, so I guess I panicked a little. I just needed to make sure you were okay."
"I understand." Kate relaxed, "Your dad's not home?"
"No, he had a book signing or something. He won't be home till late, so it's just us."
Kate suddenly felt bad, realizing that as independent as the girl seemed, she still craved company just like anyone else. "I'll be out in a second," she assured. "Then maybe we could watch a movie together?"
Kate could hear the smile in Alexis's voice when she replied, "That sounds like fun."
"Why don't you go choose one, and I'll be down in just a few minutes."
The door closed, but jumped back open again. Alexis hesitated, then said, "Thank you, Kate," her heart in her voice. The door then closed before Kate could reply.
Kate smiled. Alexis was such an easy girl to like. And when compared to her father, she seemed like a miracle of nature. As she quickly dried and dressed, Kate realized she was actually looking forward to spending some time alone with Alexis. It seemed like forever since Kate had had a simple girls' night.
Kate was still combing her hair when she entered the great room, and found Alexis prepping the television.
"I chose The Librarian," Alexis said, as Kate sat down. "I hope you don't mind."
"I don't mind, anything you want to watch is okay."
"Okay," Alexis smiled happily. "It's got vampires and treasure hunts and this really cute guy."
Kate laughed at her exuberance, relaxing as the movie started. Impulsively, Kate turned to Alexis and pointed to the floor in front of her. "Sit here and I'll braid your hair."
Alexis smiled and said, "Okay," before she plopped to the floor at Kate's feet. "I made popcorn, and I didn't know what drink you would like, so I brought one of everything we had."
"Thank you," Kate said simply as they settled in to watch the movie. Kate carefully began combing Alexis's hair.
It was a pleasant evening for both of them, one surprised to be so comfortable around a girl she barely knew, and the other simply happy not to be spending the night alone worrying about her dad and their phantom roommate who avoided her family like they were contagious. It was hard for the teen not to worry that Kate's behavior was in response to Alexis herself, that maybe she had done something to make the older woman dislike her. But the gentle pull of the comb through her hair and Kate's fingers gently twisting her hair back were the best reassurance the girl could have hoped for. In that simple action, Alexis was reassured that she wasn't the cause of Kate's aloof behavior. It was something between the adults that they would have to work out for themselves. She couldn't be expected to solve all of her father's problems, could she?
Alexis sighed happily, the hands in her hair relaxing her worries away, and she watched the movie, pushing anymore thoughts away for the night.
Author's note: I've mentioned this movie before, and I just had to put it in here, too. The Librarian; Curse of the Judas Chalice really was a good movie, starring Stana Katic. It amuses me to include their movies in stories I write about these two Wonderful Characters. I'll have to find a way to fit Firefly in somehow!