Second chapter. I said it will be up at the weekend, but it had such a good response, so thank you! Some of you were concered about the sad/tradgic part I had planned and I can tell you that you don't need to worry, I don't plan on killing anyone. Also this story is a romance/family/drama. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

Chapter 2

Kate had already been in training for over a year. Being uniforms wasn't as fun as she thought it would be. Yes, she was finding evidence, but sometimes that meant searching through garbage and handing it over to the detectives before they could even look. She had her gun, but she had never had any reason to use it.

"Girl, you coming or what?" Lanie asked leaning over her desk, her arms crossed over her chest. Kate remembered that they were supposed to go shopping this afternoon and instead she was here doing paperwork on her day off.

"Oh right, yeah," Kate said closing the document.

"You realise its your day off, right?" She questioned giving Kate that knowing look.

"I didn't have anything to do this morning," Kate said.

"That's your choice if you want to spend your morning of working then," Lanie shook her head. "Now lets go."

She picked up her bag, waving to Karpowski as she left. They caught a cab, heading more uptown. Shopping with Lanie has its extensions, she liked to go around every store trying on as much as she could.

"Do you know what I think?" Lanie asked Kate.

"What?" Kate rolled her eyes at her friend, who was currently standing in front of the mirror wearing a tight red dress.

"I think I'm in need of buying a good book," she announced.

"I thought you didn't read?" Kate questioned.

"Hey, just because I don't read his books doesn't mean I don't read," Lanie said, flashing Kate a smirk. She thought back to over a year ago when she had met Alexis and her father Richard Castle, how the little girl had helped her more than Kate ever would have imagined. Just thinking about her, her smile and laugh helped get Kate through the bad days. She hadn't seen the little girl since. "I'm more into the hot guy meets girl kind of type with a little heat." She winked.

Kate shook her head. "I should have known."

"I am going to buy this dress." Lanie declared and then went back into the changing room to change. Kate had tried a few clothes on, buying herself a new leather jacket and a few new tops. Lanie had insisted she should buy a new dress, but Kate had no reason to.

They left the store after that. Kate looking over to the store where she shopped with her mother and met Alexis. She wondered if she still remembered her. Lanie was talking about a new boyfriend as they walked to the closest Barnes and Nobles. Questions about Kate's love life was avoided, she didn't want to deal with a relationship right now when she should be coming to an end to her therapy. He wanted to sign her of a few months back, but Kate had insisted he still saw her.

When they reached the store, Kate's mouth hit the ground. Out of every book store in New York, Richard Castle was signing at this one today. Lanie turned to Kate with a grin on her face. "Surprise!"

"You knew?" Kate asked.

"Doesn't he have a new book coming out this week?" Lanie questioned.

"Yes, it came out the other day," Kate said. She had already read the second book of the Derek Storm series and how she loved it.

"I'm going to guess that you've read it, but I bet you don't have a signed book yet," Lanie grinned.

Kate bit her lip, she hadn't told Lanie about finding his daughter and meeting him. Was Alexis in there? She wanted her book signed, she wanted to see Alexis but she knew it wasn't right. Who gets attached to a child after finding them asleep under a clothing rail and taking her to her father? What adult befriended a child like that without knowing the parents? It was all too strange for Kate, but the little girl meant a lot to her.

"Girl, don't make me shove your small skinny ass in there. I know you've been wanting to meet him since we first ever spoke." Lanie said giving Kate a small shove.

"But -" Kate bit her lip unsure of what to say. How could she come up with an excuse without telling her? It didn't seem possible and she really did want her book signed.

"But what?" Lanie crossed her arms.

"I don't have my book," Kate said, which was true.

"Buy another copy then," Lanie grinned and then shoved Kate into the store with her. The line was up to the door, women squealing and screaming as they got closer to the author. Lanie disappeared, going off to find her book and to pick up another copy of Driving Storm.

Kate couldn't believe she was doing this. She knew it was unlikely that Rick and Alexis – if she was there – would remember her, but she remembered them. If they did remember then what would it look like? What would she say? She gnawed on her bottom lip, worrying about what was about to happen. From here, she couldn't see Rick or his red headed girl.

"I didn't know meeting him was that big of a deal," Lanie said coming back over.

"I'm just nervous," Kate said taking the book from Lanie.

"Yeah, I can see that," She shook her head. Kate noticed how Lanie had a copy of the book as well, which she raised an eyebrow at. "What? It's not like everyday you meet a famous author."

"You read them don't you?" Kate grinned.

"I see enough bodies everyday. I don't need to go home and read about it." Lanie explained.

"Sure," Kate dragged the word out.

"Fine, so what if I read them," Lanie grumbled.

"Nothing to be ashamed about," Kate said.

The line moved forward, more girls rushing forward to meet the man on the end. Kate could now catch a glimpse of Rick through the swarm of girls, her heart beating a little faster. She couldn't see Alexis.

When it was just a few girls before them, Kate tried to slow her breathing down. Lanie kept exchanging worried and amused glances with her, not having a clue what Kate was going through. If Rick remembered her then it was likely her friend was about to find out.

"Next." The security guard said.

Kate took a steady step forward, standing in front of Richard Castle for the second time in her life. She couldn't see Alexis around, but maybe that was for the best. Lanie nudged her lightly as Rick looked up. His eyes widened in shock as he saw Kate, his mouth turning into an amused smirk.

"Who do I make it out to?" He asked.

"Kate," She said, knowing he knew who she was.

"Well, Kate," he said taking the book from her hand.

"Kate?" A little red head popped out from beneath the table, she hadn't seen under as the front was covered up. Alexis looked up to her with a smile on her face. They both remembered her after almost a year and a half.

"You have some explaining to do," Lanie sang in her ear.

"Hey Alexis," Kate said smiling at the young girl. She had gotten taller, the girl was likely six now coming up for seven. "You've grown since I saw you."

"So have you!" Alexis giggled.

"I'm wearing heels," Kate told the girl.

"Here is your book," Rick grinned handing Kate her book and then turned to Lanie. "And your name?"

"Lanie," She said shooting Kate another look before handing her book over.

"Are you still a cop?" Alexis asked Kate from her fathers side.

"I got promoted to a detective in training since then," Kate told the girl, holding the book close to her chest. She couldn't believe they both remembered her, especially Alexis.

"You're going to be a detective?" Rick asked her, handing the book back to Lanie.

"One day," Kate said.

"That's so cool," Rick grinned.

"What about you, Alexis, have you fallen asleep underneath anymore clothing lines?" Kate asked the girl who giggled.

"No," She shook her head. "I kept making daddy go back to the store to find you."

"You did?" Kate asked in shocked.

"She sure did," Rick said.

"Rick, you don't have time to sit around talking," A women appeared growling. "And I thought we agreed your daughter would stay out of sight. Your the one who didn't want her in the press."

"Paula," Rick warned. "I'm not going to stop my daughter from talking to someone we know."

"Talk after the signing then," Paula snapped.

"Its alright," Kate said.

"No!" Alexis shouted. "Please don't go again."

"I – uh - " Kate didn't know what to do. She hadn't planned on this happening, she thought with a sickening feeling that they wouldn't remember he. A part of her wanted to go, but she mostly wanted to stay. She wanted to talk to Alexis, hear her laugh again and see her smile. Perhaps her therapist was right, being friends with the girl could help her.

"Call me in an hour," Rick told Kate.

"What? I don't have your number," She told him.

"You do." Rick grinned mischievously.

"Can she come out for ice cream with us this time, daddy? Please, please, please!" The little girl begged her daddy.

"You'll have to ask her," Rick told Alexis, putting Kate on the spot.

"Rick," Paula warned.

"Please, Kate, pretty please?" Alexis begged, leaning against the table.

"Sure?" Kate said as the girl cheered.

"Great," Rick looked pleased. "Call me in an hour and then we'll meet."

"OK?" Kate questioned, still not sure how exactly she was supposed to call Rick when she didn't have his number.

"See you soon then," Rick said.

"Bye, Kate. Bye, Kate's friend." Alexis waved, jumping up and down on the spot. Was she really that excited to have ice cream with Kate.

"Bye," Kate said, leaving with Lanie. She looked behind her, noticing how most eyes were on her, some in shock and others in jealousy. Kate pulled the book closer to her chest, turning to look back once more, where Rick winked at her and Alexis waved smiling.

It was only when they got outside the book store that Lanie turned on her. "What in the world was that?"

Kate was in shock, the book still clutched close to her. She didn't know what that was. They really remembered her after that long? Alexis really made her father go out and search for her? Kate didn't understand why Alexis would want to see her so badly, she hardly knew her. But Kate wanted to see her again, she wanted to go out and have ice cream with her, get to know the girl and become friends.

"Earth to Kate." Lanie said waving her hand in front of Kate's face.

"What?" Kate asked.

"Care to explain?" Lanie asked.

Kate let out a long sigh, she wasn't looking forward to this conversation, but she didn't see herself escaping from it. She didn't want to explain what the little girl meant to her, how meeting her had helped Kate realise that she could live, that someone out there could be there to find her. Keeping that to herself, she told Lanie about how she found Alexis and helped her find her father, not realising she was Rick's daughter.

"Small world," Lanie murmured. "And after all that time they still remember you?"

"I wasn't sure if they would or not," Kate said.

"Well they did and they went out looking for you!" Lanie shook her head in disbelief, Kate was finding it hard to believe as well. "You have his number?"

"No. I don't know what he was talking about," Kate sighed, not knowing how she was supposed to call Rick to meet them when she had no idea what his number was.

"Girl, you're the one that's going to be detective," Lanie rolled her eyes as she took Kate's book from her hand opening it up. "Oh, I am proud of you."

"What? Why?" Kate took the book from Lanie's hands, reading the message Rick wrote for her.

To Kate, I always knew you was a fan. I'll be expecting a call an hour from now, Rick.

Underneath was in fact his number. For the second time that day, Kate felt her mouth drop open in shock. He had really write his phone number in her book, as well as signed it? She had Richard Castle's phone number.

"Are you doing this for the girl or him?" Lanie asked.

"Alexis," The name left her lips before she could even think.

Lanie smiled. "You're not planning on replacing me with her, are you?"

Kate snorted. "Yes, because Alexis and I are going to go out drinking and set me up with dates."

"No, your going out for ice cream with her and her father instead." Lanie said.

"You think its a bad idea?" Kate asked her friend.

"No," Lanie said. "I watched you talk to her, I've never seen you smile like that. You don't even know her and she makes you happy. Even your author managed to get a real smile out of you."

"He's not my author," Kate said.

"Not yet." Lanie grinned.

An hour was almost up. Kate couldn't believe she was counting down the time. Lanie had left a few minutes ago, claiming she had something to take care of, leaving Kate with a wink. Her knee bounced up and down as she sat on the bench, waiting to call Rick, she wasn't sure what to make of this going out for ice cream. In fact, she wasn't sure what to make about this whole situation.

When the hour struck, she made herself wait another minute not to seem too keen. She dialed his number in her phone, still not believing she was about to call the Richard Castle. Laughing at herself, she rang him, holding her breath as she waited for him to pick up. When he did she let go.

"You found my number then," Rick chuckled.

"I wanted your signature not your number," Kate told him. "But now I'll get a better offer when I sell it."

"You wouldn't dare," he gasped in mock horror. "Forget it, detective, your not fooling me."

"I'm not a detective." Kate said.

"Detective in training then," he said. Kate thought she heard Alexis in the background, followed by Rick's laughter. "My daughter is getting impatient. She's waited a long time to meet you again."

Kate couldn't help but smile. "Really?"

"Yep. Now, where are you so we can meet you?" Rick asked.

"I'm sat on the bench outside Barnes and Nobles." Kate told him.

"Oh," Rick said and Kate hear both him and Alexis laugh. "Look up, detective in training."

She looked up towards the entrance where Alexis stood holding Rick's hand. The little girl waved and Kate waved back, laughing. "It wasn't that hard to find me then."

"If only it was this easy a year and a half ago," Rick mumbled.

Kate laughed, hanging up before she walked over to them. Alexis let go of her fathers hands, running into Kate's arms. She hardly knew the girl, but welcomed her hug like she had a thousand before. "Daddy has your number now."

"He sure does," Kate said.

"Now we can find you easily," Alexis said. Kate smiled, the girl wanted to find Kate again, the little girl was the one she needed after all.

"How about that ice cream?" Rick asked.

"How can I say no to ice cream," Kate said, earning a cheer from Alexis and another smile from Rick.

Alexis cheered, finding Kate's hand again as she lead the three of them to the nearest ice cream parlour. She told Kate all her favourite flavours of ice creams and asked what Kate's were. In the parlour, Alexis dragged Kate into the both sitting next to her, while Rick sat opposite them.

"What can I get my daughter and the detective in training then?" He asked picking up the menu.

Kate bit her lip. "I can get it myself," she said.

"You just brought my book and made my daughters day, at least I can do is buy you ice cream," he said, watching her over the menu. She found herself smiling, noticing how he was more handsome in person than on the dust jackets of his books.

"Chocolate!" Alexis gasped excitedly. "What about you, Kate?"

Kate looked at the menu, her eyes scanning the hundreds of flavours that she didn't even know was possible. Her eyes landed on a flavour that made her chest squeeze, an interesting flavour that she and her mother had tried one time before sharing it together at least once a month, peanut butter.

"Are you alright?" Rick asked.

"I'm fine," Kate said looking up with a smile. "I think I'll have the peanut butter."

"Peanut butter?" Alexis asked, her mouth wide open in shock.

"Yes, haven't you ever tried it before?" She asked the girl.

Alexis shook her head. "I've only had it in my sandwiches. Not ice cream!"

"You could try some of mine if you want," Kate told her.

"Then I can have peanut butter ice cream in my sandwiches!" Alexis said with a giggle.

"By the time you eat your sandwiches, it will be a melted soggy mess," Kate said with a smile.

"I could freeze my sandwiches," Alexis giggled again.

"Then how would you eat them?" Kate laughed.

"I'll lick the ice cream," Alexis said.

The waiter came over then taking their orders. Kate looked over to find Rick watching her curiously, she didn't know what to make about this whole outing. Earlier she would have laughed if someone told her she would be having ice cream with Richard Castle and his daughter. Meeting them the previous year still seemed unbelievable to her.

"Chocolate?" Kate questioned when Rick made his order. "I can see where Alexis gets her favourite flavour from."

"And where did you get peanut butter from?" Rick asked with a smile.

Kate bit her lip, the memories too painful to talk about. "A random flavour I tried one day," She said.

"Next time we come, can we pick a random flavour to try?" Alexis asked and Kate turned to see the little girl looking at her. Next time? Did this little girl really want to see her again? She rolled her lip between her teeth, she wanted to see her again, she had made Kate smile, a genuine happy smile.

"We'll have to see," Rick answered for Kate.

The ice creams came then, the waiter placed them on the table and Kate looked up to see all eyes were on her. Two pairs of blue eyes eyeing her ice cream. "You can try some." Kate told her.

Alexis grinned, trying a bit of Kate's ice cream. "It's even better than in sandwiches!" She moaned, the spoon still in her mouth. Kate let out another laugh.

"Rick, you can try some too," she told him, noticing how he was still eyeing her ice cream up. He eagerly took a spoonful of her ice cream, sighing in bliss over the taste like his daughter.

"Where have you been all my life," Rick said.

"What?" Kate raised an eyebrow.

"No one has ever won my daughter like you have and now you introduce us to this!" Rick stole another bite of her ice cream, followed by his daughter. Kate stole a bit of Rick's ice cream, ignoring his protests as she grinned. She wouldn't dare touch Alexis', but since the girl had moved onto her ice cream it was likely that Kate would be eating hers. Rick's comment about her winning Alexis over made her secretly smile, did she really like Kate?

"This is the best ice cream I've ever had," Alexis said finishing of Kate's ice cream. She didn't even get a spoonful, but she was laughing. A memory of her mom watching her try the ice cream flashed through her mind, how she was laughing just like Kate was. She bit her lip, turning to focus on finishing Alexis' ice cream.

"You OK?" Rick asked.

"I'm fine," Kate smiled at him. He watched her curiously for a moment, Kate wondered if he could see through her smile, but he soon grinned deciding best not to press.

"So, your training to be a detective," Rick said.

"And you stole a police horse naked," Kate raised another eyebrow.

"She told you?" He groaned, but his grin not leaving.

"She thought I had come to arrest you at first," Kate told him.

Rick laughed. "Your not going to, are you?" He said with a wink.

"That depends on if you plan on stealing any more horses," she told him, smirking. Was she really flirting with Richard Castle while eating ice cream with his daughter? She's sure her mom would be looking down on them laughing.

"I might do if it means being arrested by you," he grinned.

"Daddy, if you plan on getting arrested then you're going to have to give me more pocket money," Alexis said and then finished her last mouthful.

Kate silenced her laugh with another spoonful of ice cream. She looked up to find Rick watching her, noticing the blush that filled her cheeks. Great. They finished their ice creams, Kate demanding she pays until Rick ran, scaring the poor waiter as he paid. She didn't want him paying for her ice cream, he didn't know her and it didn't seem appropriate.

"Are we going to see you again?" Alexis asked Kate.

"Do you want to see me again?" Kate asked.

"Yes! I want to see you a lot more," the girl said making Kate smile for the hundredth time that evening.

"If your daddy is OK with it, then I'll like to see you more too," Kate told her.

"Really?" Alexis asked in disbelief.

"I spent the year and a half thinking every red headed girl was you," Kate said.

Alexis giggled. "We've found each other now. I don't want to lose you again." The words hit Kate more than the girl knew, how had she managed to affect Kate this much after a few hours of knowing each other? After these last few years feeling lost since her mothers murder, a door had started to open up because of this little girl and she never wanted that door to close again.

"I think we'll have to have peanut butter sandwiches next," Kate told the girl, making it clear that she planned on seeing her again.

"We could go to the park," Alexis said, her eyes widening in excitement. "Have you ever been on a peddle boat?"

"I haven't been on one in years," Kate said as Rick joined them at the table again.

"Haven't been on what in years?" He asked.

"The boats at the park." Alexis told him.

"You're not making us wait another year and half till we meet again then?" Rick asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"So you want to meet me again?" Kate asked him.

"A hot detective in training like you? Hell yes," Rick grinned.

"Daddy, no. Kate is my friend," Alexis told her father.

"Yes, daddy. Her friend." Kate raised her eyebrows, grinning.

"I know you want to be my friend," he said.

"How do you know?" Kate asked.

Rick grinned. "You read my books."

Kate rolled her eyes. "I'm a cop, don't you think I would?"

"Detective in training," he corrected her. She could tell he was enjoying this as his grin only got wider. "I bet you follow my blog."

Getting her book signed was enough for Kate, he didn't need to know how much his books meant to her and how, in fact, she was following his blog. She intended to keep that private.

Thankfully, Alexis changed the conversation, "Can we see you again this week?" She asked, tugging on Kate's hand.

"I have work," Kate bit her lip.

"And we have the tour this week," Rick reminded Alexis, who groaned into her hands. "But we get back next weekend."

"My day off is on Monday's," Kate informed them.

"Only one day off?" Rick asked shocked.

Kate shrugged. "Sometimes I go in and work on Monday's as well."

Rick shook his head. "How about next Monday then?"

"Sounds great," Kate smiled.

"I can't wait!" Alexis squealed, hugging Kate. She found herself hugging the girl back, finding a certain happiness.

"We'll see you in a week then," Rick said giving Kate a small smile.

"Yep," Kate smiled.

"Bye, Kate. I'm glad I met you!" The little girl hugged her again and then she was holding her daddys hand. Kate waved, watching them walk away, holding onto her breath. Only when they disappeared she let it out. Did she seriously have ice cream with Richard Castle and his daughter?

Hope you liked the chapter. Next one will be over the weekend some time.