Glad you all liked the last chapter. The story is a mini storyline within this one, a bit like 3xk and it will start in two chapters time after this one. I think. The plan is good. Until then, enjoy this chapter.

Thank you: stars90

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.

Chapter 8

Kate checked her phone, scrolling through her messages and calls. Nothing. Biting her lip, she put her phone away. There were still a few hours to go.

"She's fine," Lanie said. "I'm sure she can handle herself on her first day of school."

"I know," Kate said.

Lanie shook her head. "God, Kate, you've fallen head over heels in love with this girl and it's only been a month."

"If you met her, Lanie, then you would see just how amazing she is," Kate told her. "She's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"Even more than your job?" Lanie asked.

The question took Kate of guard; she had always seen herself as working. Never imagining herself doing anything else or being with anyone else, certainly not having any children yet and now she was here. She had wanted to become a detective in hopes of solve her mothers case, to bring justice to other families. The future she had planned for herself had kept her going and now Alexis had become that important part of her life.

"Yes," Kate said.

"And what about Rick?" Lanie asked.

Kate sighed. "Can we not talk about me and him?"

"Oh my God," Lanie gasped. "Something happened? Kate, tell me."

She took a sip of her coffee, turning to watch the crowds walking past to distract herself. They had met up for shopping and a coffee to catch up on the neglected time between them. "If I tell you then please don't go running and telling Esposito."

"You have my word," Lanie promised. "Now spill."

"Fine," she bit her lip. "We kissed."

Lanie squealed so loud people around them turned to look. Kate blushed, glaring at her friend. "How was it?"

"Um, good?" Kate said.

"Is that it?" Lanie glared at Kate. "Give me more details than that!"

"It was a kiss, Lanie. Yeah, it was hot and he's a really good kisser, but nothing is happening between us," Kate told her.

"Why?" Lanie asked.

"I just need time to get over a few things before I can go into a relationship like that," Kate explained not wanting to go into it too much again. She seemed to understand.

"Is this about Alexis?" Lanie asked.

Kate looked away, it was all mainly about Alexis and herself. "Kind of."

Lanie sighed again. "You shouldn't keep over thinking things. Answer me this, did the kiss feel right?"

"Yes," Kate said before she could stop herself.

She grinned. "Then stop over thinking the future and get with him."

"I'm not ready, Lanie," Kate said.

"You're afraid, I get it," Lanie said. "The only way to get over your fears is to go ahead and face them. Take the risk."

Jumping into that fear could result in messing things up for her and Alexis and Kate didn't want that. Then if they started a relationship and Alexis had gotten her hopes up, how could she live with herself if things didn't work out and hurt the girl? It was all too complicated. "I'm not ready."

"Don't wait too long, OK?" Lanie said. "You deserve to have this happiness."

After the conversation they had started to go around the mall, looking at the clothing stores and Kate a present for Alexis. She didn't know what to get the girl; buying presents for a young girl wasn't something she had done before. Her birthday was still over a month away, it being the end of October. Alexis was having a Halloween themed party, meaning Kate needed a costume. She thought about wearing her Nebula 9 outfit, but Rick would find it amusing and it had gotten a bit too short for children's party standards.

"What about a fairy?" Lanie questioned.

Kate scrunched up her nose. "No. Don't forget Meredith, the mother, will be coming."

"Oh, good luck with her then," Lanie shook her head. "From what you've told me that woman needs a good whack."

"Yeah, but she's still Alexis's mother," Kate sighed. "I don't know what to get her and I don't know what to wear."

"You have a while to decide," Lanie said.

"Hmm," Kate said entering the store behind Lanie.

They looked through the racks of clothing, pulling out items with raised eyebrows and then others with smiles. It had been a while since the two of them last did this; the last time being when she met Alexis and Rick for the second time. She should try and make sure they did this more often, it had been a while since they went out for drinks as well. Kate felt bad, it did look like she had replaced Lanie with Alexis, but they were both her friends.

"Let's look at the jewellery," Lanie grinned. "I am in need of something new and sparkly."

"Sure," Kate said, letting her arm hook the girls arm as they walked towards the jewellery section. She helped Lanie look at the counters, seeing all the silver and gold jewellery. The only jewellery Kate wore was her mothers ring and earnings, unless she was going out.

A necklace caught her eye. She looked closer at the silver piece. Maybe it was cheesy, but Kate thought it was the cutest present she could get Alexis. It was two necklaces that formed a heart when you put them together that you could get personalised. Her fingers wrapped around her mother's ring. Her mother's necklace for the life she lost and now this necklace for the life she had found.

"There's your present," Lanie said next to her.

"Yes," Kate smiled.

The girl behind the counter came over, seeing Kate's interest in the necklace. "Can I help you?"

"Hi, I'm looking into buying these necklaces," Kate said.

"Oh, yes," the girl smiled. "The heart necklaces, did you want them personalised?"

"Yes," Kate said, waiting for the girl to get a pen out of her pocket and then paper. "Alexis and Kate."

The girl wrote them down and then showed Kate, allowing her to check to make sure the spellings were correct. "Perfect."

"They'll be ready for you in a weeks time," the girl said pulling out the necklaces for Kate to have a closer look. In the corner of the heart was a small gem. "Are you happy with them?"

"They're perfect," Kate said.

"Great," the girl behind the counter smiled.

Kate paid for the necklaces, keeping the receipt ready to pick the necklaces up in a week. She smiled, thinking about Alexis' face when she opened them. How they would both wear them, a promise that they would always be there for each other. Lanie sighed at her friend with a grin, seeing how sappy she was getting. Kate smirked, taking her friends arm to continue their shopping trip.

The amount of bags Kate ended up leaving the mall with was crazy; she hadn't shopped like that in ages. Now she had taken her shopping home and was on her way to Rick's, eager to see how Alexis's first day at school went. She knew how excited Alexis was as last night, Kate had received a phone call from an overexcited Alexis, telling Kate for the hundredth time that she was starting school. Afterwards Rick had spoken to her, acting like a parent not believing his little girl was starting school. It was cute.

Kate knocked on their door, hearing Alexis already behind the door. It opened and Alexis came running into her, talking all at once. Kate laughed, pulling back to look at the girl.

"Slow down," she laughed. "Let me come in and then you can tell me all about it."

Alexis nodded her head, taking Kate's hand to pull her into the loft. Looking up from Alexis, Kate smiled at Rick. "Hey."

"Hey, fun time shopping?" He asked.

"Yes," she smiled. "Lanie says hi by the way."

"The friend you were with at the signing?" Alexis asked.

"The very one," Kate said. "Come on, I want to hear about your day."

"I'll make you a coffee," Rick said, watching as they went into the living room. Kate pulled Alexis down next to her, keeping her hand in the little girls as she waited for Alexis to explode with her excited talk about the day.

"I-I got homework," Alexis said with wide eyes. "And I made a new friend."

"Really?" Kate asked, happy for her.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Her names Paige. You're still my best friend, though."

"I'll always be your best friend," Kate said. "But you can have other friends."

"Like you have Lanie?" Alexis asked.

"Exactly," Kate smiled.

"Paige is funny," Alexis giggled. "My teacher is really nice as well."

"Is she?" Kate said. "What did she teach you?"

"We learnt how to write our names, but I could already do mine," Alexis jumped up. "I'll get my bag and show you!"

Alexis ran upstairs, leaving Kate sitting in the living room smiling after her. She turned, seeing Rick's entrance, accepting his cup of coffee with a smile. He sat down on the other sofa, knowing that Alexis would cover the sofa in all her pictures and activities she did at school.

"How did it go this morning?" Kate asked thinking about both of them.

"She got a little shy when we got there, but she went in with the other children," he smiled. "Did I cry? I'm man enough to admit a little."

"Aw," she said.

"The only problem was the parents who recognised me," he sighed.

"Can't deal with fans?" Kate asked.

"There's fans and then there's them," he said. "I don't mind people asking me to sign stuff, but at my kids first day of school I do mind."

"Don't worry, you'll soon be another face of a parent," Kate smiled.

"Kate!" Alexis called from the stairs, her bag on her shoulder.

"Yeah?" Kate turned to the girl.

She came running into the room, putting her bag on Kate's lap. Kate put her coffee on the coffee table, sitting back with Alexis keeping close to her as the girl opened the bag. Papers came out, followed by drawings and a book.

Alexis held up a picture. "I drew you and daddy today."

Kate looked at the picture with a smile, seeing how she had even drawn a police car behind her. "This is beautiful."

Alexis giggled. "And I wrote my name."

Another paper was handed to Kate with large looping letters forming Alexis's name. "This is good."

"Yeah," Alexis smiled, handing Kate another piece of paper. "We did maths as well. We counted up to thirty and we did addition."

"You did?" Kate looked through her maths work, seeing the answers she got right and wrong. Alexis was a smart girl. "These are very good."

"We did spellings as well," Alexis told her. "I know how to spell cat, c-a-t and dog, d-o-g and-and a lot more words!"

Kate smiled over how excited she was getting. "And you got homework?"

She handed Kate another piece of homework. "I have to find the shapes around the house."

"That sounds like fun," Kate smiled.

Alexis nodded. "Can we do it?"

"Sure," she said. "We can make a game out of it."

"Competition to who gets the most?" Rick asked.

Alexis grinned. "We'll get more than you, daddy!"

Kate raised an eyebrow at Rick. "Shouldn't it be more for educational reasons?"

"Education with a competition," he said.

Alexis cheered. "Get ready to lose."

"Yeah, Rick," Kate said, looking at the list of the shapes they had to find. It would be easy, these shapes are everywhere, but some would be hard.

Rick grinned. "First one to get all of the shapes."

"Fine," Kate said. They stood up, watching each other to see who was going first.

"Ready..." Rick said.

"Steady..." Kate smirked at him.

"Go!" Alexis shouted, taking Kate's hand. The girls disappeared to the kitchen, Rick complaining that he hadn't seen the list. Alexis ran back to him, allowing him to see the list quickly before running back to join Kate.

"We need to find a square," Alexis said looking at her list. They looked around the kitchen, Kate wanting Alexis to be the one to find the shape. Alexis picked up one of the plates. "Look! It's a square."

"Yep," Kate grinned. "What's next?"

Alexis handed Kate the plate, not wanting to break it and then she checked her list again. "A triangle and a circle."

"Any ideas?" She asked Alexis.

"What about a cup?" Alexis questioned. Kate smiled, reaching up into the cupboard to get a plastic cup down. The girl circled the outline of the bottom. "A circle."

"That's two," Kate said. "Shall we go and see what's in the living room for us to find?"

Alexis nodded. "We still need to find the triangle and a rectangle. Then there's the star, diamond and heart."

"That's all we have to find?" Kate asked.

"Those are the shapes we're doing right now," Alexis said. "We could use one of daddy's books for a rectangle."

Kate smiled. "We could. I'll go get one and you find us a triangle or a diamond."

She disappeared into his study, going over to his shelf to pick up one of Rick's books. Flowers for Your Grave got randomly picked and then she left, joining Alexis back in the living room. Their pile of shapes was growing.

"I got the book," Kate said, putting the book on the sofa with the plate and cup.

Alexis came running over with a triangle block in her hand. "It's a door stopper."

"That's cool," Kate said. "Now we just need a diamond, heart and star."

Rick came running down the stairs with a grin on his face, in his arms was a few shapes, but they still had more. Alexis put a pillow over their pile, hiding it from Rick.

"We're winning," Alexis said. "We've got more than you."

"You won't be winning for long," he called, disappearing into his study.

"In your dreams," Kate called.

"In my dreams... so not child appropriate," he said making Kate's eyes widen. She felt the blush fill her cheeks and she ushered Alexis up the stairs. Avoiding that awkward situation, they disappeared into Alexis's room.

"Star, heart, and diamond," Alexis said looking around her room. Running to her bed, she picked up a heart-shaped pillow. "I got the heart!"

"Nice spotting," Kate said. "Two more to go."

They searched the room, finding a star-shaped photo frame with a picture of Alexis and Rick inside. Kate looked on the shelves, finding a packet of diamond stickers with a grin. That was easy.

"We got them!" Alexis cheered, pulling Kate's hand out of the room. "Come on! Let's put them on our pile!"

They raced downstairs, adding the remaining shapes to their piles and then sat, waiting for Rick with a smile on their faces. He emerged from the kitchen, saw them and frowned.

"Hey there, loser," Kate smirked.

"No," he said. "I just need to find one more."

"We have them all, daddy," Alexis giggled.

"Really?" He came over, looking at their pile. "You stole my book."

"It's a rectangle," Alexis said.

He sunk into the chair, his shapes falling from his hands on top of his lap. Kate could see he had one of his books as well and a lot of weird ornament things. It seemed he had most of them apart from the heart and star.

"Aw, Rick," Kate teased. "You should be learning to get used to losing."

"I'll beat you at something one day," he said. "Until then I just have to find your weakness."

"Good luck finding that," she grinned.

"Thanks, I'm going to need it," he mumbled.

Kate bit her lip to hide her smile. After he got over losing, the three of them cooked dinner together. From coming round here for a few weeks, she had learned where everything went and had observed what Alexis and Rick liked and didn't like. How had she gotten here cooking with them after a month? With boyfriends in the past, it had taken her a few months to even do something like cook dinner with them. But this was different.

Out of the corner of her eye, she looked at them both. Watched as they laughed together, Rick standing with her as Alexis stirred the pasta. How had she managed to fit in with them after a month? If she started seeing Rick would things become more serious? Wasn't she too young for that? Kate shook her head, deciding all the questions could wait till she was alone.

Hope you liked the chapter. It's going to be Alexis's birthday next. What will Kate wear? Please do reveiew.