A/N: I know I had something to say here, but it's late and I'm exhausted and I need sleep. And this chapter got completely out of control. It's ridiculously long. So I'll just say thank you for your support. And I hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: Castle is not mine.
Someone Like You
Chapter 10
"Do you think Lexi is going to like it?" Tyler asked Kate from the backseat.
It was Saturday afternoon and they were on their way to the loft for the party. He was holding onto Alexis' present, as if guarding it with his life. Alexis had told him that she really liked looking at the stars, so Tyler had the idea of giving her a telescope as a birthday present. Kate thought it was a really sweet and thoughtful gift and had called Rick to ask if that was something he was planning to buy for his little girl. He told her to go ahead, that Alexis would love it, so they had purchased the telescope this morning. It wasn't the fancy kind, but it was perfect for a kid to watch the stars up close for the first time.
Tyler was a little nervous about it and Kate smiled at him reassuringly through the rearview mirror.
"I'm sure she'll love it, sweetie. She did tell you she loves the stars, didn't she?" He nodded, looking down at the present resting on his lap. "There you go, then. Don't worry so much, my little gentleman." She teased him and managed to get a smile from him.
She parked the car about a block away from Rick's building and took the neatly wrapped box from Tyler's hands, who had been balancing it precariously with his casted arm. Locking the car behind her, they walked the rest of the way there discussing Tyler's presentation at the school science fair that would take place in the following week. He was really excited about building a volcano and it had been pretty much the only topic in his mind for the past week.
They entered the building and headed straight for the elevators after greeting Cesar, the doorman. Just as they were reaching the elevator area, Kate got a glimpse of a red haired woman boarding and called out for her to hold it for them. The woman either ignored them or didn't hear her, as the doors closed just as they stopped in front of the elevator. They waited patiently for the other one and soon enough were knocking on Rick's door.
Kate ran a hand through her hair and smoothed down her clothes, suddenly feeling nervous and self-conscious. The door opened, revealing a very excited Alexis; Rick was right behind her and Kate lifted an eyebrow, tilting her head slightly to the side in question at the strange look on his face.
"Ty, you came!" Alexis exclaimed happily. "Hi, Kate. I'm so glad you guys are here." Her smile was contagious and Kate grinned at her, giving Tyler the present so he could give it to his friend.
"Happy birthday, Lexi." He told her excitedly. "I hope you like it."
"Happy birthday, Lex." Kate pulled the girl in for a hug, kissing the top of her head.
"Thanks, guys. Come on, Ty. You'll never going to believe what dad got me for my birthday. It's so cool." She pulled the boy into the loft and Kate chuckled at their enthusiasm. Turning to Rick, she touched his arm, as he looked after his happy little girl.
"Hi." She said softly and he turned to face her, a smile finally gracing his lips.
"Hi." He leaned in and kissed her cheek, lingering for a moment longer than strictly necessary. "I'm so glad you're finally here." He confessed, taking her coat and Tyler's and putting them in the hall closet.
"Everything okay?" she asked quietly and he sighed.
"Meredith has just arrived." He said warily, nodding towards a red-haired woman talking on the phone and making herself at home in his kitchen, apparently preparing a drink. Kate recognized her as the woman who didn't hold the elevator for her a few minutes earlier.
"How did Alexis react?" she asked as they walked into the loft, his hand resting on the small of her back.
"Oh, she's thrilled, of course. It's not always that her mother makes it to her birthday, you know?" he gave her a wry smile. "I just hope she stays that way until the end of the party."
"Well, at least she kept her promise, right?" Kate offered and he shrugged.
In all honesty, she was appalled that a mother would treat her kid that way. She thought of her mom and how she had always been there for her and she couldn't even wrap her mind around the two glaringly different attitudes. She didn't think she was the best mother in the world, but her son was the single most important thing in her life. She couldn't even imagine not being right by his side every step of the way. With a sigh, she searched for her boy in the crowd of kids that had taken over the living room and found him next to Alexis as they were putting on some kind of gear.
"Laser tag." Rick told her and she turned to him. He was smiling happily at Alexis' excitement as she explained to Tyler how everything worked. "You should've seen the look on her face when I gave it to her this morning. I don't think I've ever seen a kid so excited."
"So that was the mysterious gift you wouldn't tell me about yesterday." She smiled at him and leaned against the kitchen island. He did the same, his arm brushing hers.
"I was still torn between that and an Xbox. In the end I got her the laser tag and bought the Xbox for me." He grinned boyishly at her and she laughed at his childish glee.
"You really are a kid trapped in an adult's body, aren't you?" she teased him and chuckled.
"You're going to love it, Kate. I know it." He nudged her side and she rolled her eyes.
"Who says I'm playing with you?" She smirked and he was about to respond when another red haired woman appeared in front of them.
"Oh, Richard, don't tell me that's Meredith over there." She sighed, shaking her head, and then looked at Kate, surprised. "Oh, hello there, dear. I'm sorry, didn't mean to interrupt." She said and Kate finally recognized who she was. Martha Rodgers, the actress.
His mother.
Oh, god.
"Yeah, she got here a few minutes ago. Alexis is happy, at least." He shrugged, a frown appearing on his face. "Anyway, mother, this is Kate Beckett. Kate, this is my mother, Martha Rodgers." He introduced them and Kate shook the woman's hand, trying to calm down her heart rate.
"Oh, so you're the famous Detective Beckett I've been hearing so much about. Tyler's mom, right?" the actress smiled at her warmly and Kate felt slightly more at ease.
"Yeah, that would be me. I don't know about the famous part, though." She said with a small smile. "It's really nice to meet you, Mrs. Rodgers."
"Darling, Mrs. Rodgers makes me feel so old. You call me Martha." She took a sip of the drink she was having. "And these two have been babbling about you and your boy for weeks now."
"Is that so, Mr. Castle?" She turned to Rick with a smirk and he grinned at her. "Just what exactly have you been telling your mom about me?"
"Just about how awesome you are, Kate." He smiled that boyishly grin that he already knew would disarm her.
"Right. You just think my job is awesome, not me." She deadpanned and Martha laughed. "I already told you, flattery will get you nowhere, pal."
"Oh, I like her already, Richard." She said and Kate smiled at her, relieved. Meeting his mother wasn't the total disaster she had thought it would be.
"Come on, detective. You know that's not true." He nudged her side again. "I think your kid is pretty cool too." He smirked at her and she rolled her eyes, turning to Martha.
"See what I have to put up with?" she said with a sigh. "My kid is pretty cool, though." She added proudly.
"He is adorable. I met him the other night. Really smart too." She commented and Kate beamed. "Can I get you guys anything to drink?"
"That's okay, mom. I'll take care of it." He kissed Martha's cheek lovingly and Kate smiled at their interaction. "Kate?" He turned to her, questioningly.
"Just a Coke for now. I'm on call, remember?" she told him and saw Tyler running in her direction. He nodded and turned to his mother, who asked for another glass of champagne.
"Mom, look at this." He showed her the laser gun excitedly. "This is so cool. Lexi says we should play some other time. All four of us. We can even have teams. Kids against grownups. What do you think?" He smiled at her and she laughed. "Oh, hi, Mrs. Rodgers." He waved at Rick's mother.
"Hi, kiddo. Having fun?" She smiled at him and he nodded.
"Tons." He told her and turned back to Kate, expectantly. "Mom?"
"We'll see, kid." She brushed his hair away from his eyes. "You be careful with that arm, okay, Ty? Only two more weeks." She told him. "Let's not make it worse."
"Got it." She ruffled his hair and he went back to the other kids, gun ready to fire at his opponents.
"Your drinks, my beautiful ladies." Rick handed their respective glasses and they smiled their thanks. He leaned against the island beside Kate, closer than before as their arms were now pressed together.
"You created a little monster over there with that laser tag gear, you know." Kate said after taking a sip of her Coke. "He's going to be talking about it for days now." She shook her head with a smile.
"You know what, I challenge you to a duel later." He wiggled his eyebrows at her with a grin and she laughed.
"I'll think about it, you overgrown child." She teased and involuntarily leaned against his side.
"It'll be fun, Kate. Come on, please?" He pouted at her and she rolled her eyes. Martha smiled at their banter. "What?" he asked his mother when he caught her smiling.
"Nothing, darling. You kids have fun. I am going to socialize." She told them and walked away.
Rick and Kate looked at each other after her sudden departure and shrugged. He put his arm behind her on the island, his fingers casually caressing her side.
"So how are you doing? I hadn't seen you in two whole days." He said after a couple of minutes.
"I'm good. Glad that I could sleep in today. How about you?" She asked, acutely aware of his touch.
"I'm happy that she's happy." He smiled, nodding at Alexis running around with her friends. "By the way, looks like the media didn't make a big deal out of those pictures, so I think we're safe for now."
"Thank god." She sighed, relieved. "We've learned our lesson, though, right?" She looked at him and he nodded.
"No more making out in public." He said quietly and she chuckled. "Have I told you how great you look today?" he whispered in her ear and she closed her eyes for a moment as a delicious shiver ran through her body.
"Thanks. You look pretty sharp yourself, Mr. Castle." She smiled at him and resisted the urge to lean in and kiss him.
"Rick, just what the hell are those kids playing with?" A female voice interrupted their moment and Kate heard Rick sigh heavily.
"That's Alexis' birthday present. It's laser tag." He told her, his voice strained.
"Oh. I don't think that's a suitable gift for a girl, do you?" she told him, running her perfectly manicured hands through her hair.
"She loved it as you can see, so I don't think that really matters." Kate watched their pseudo argument like a tennis match and touched Rick's arm discreetly when she saw his temper was threatening to get the best of him. He looked at her and took a deep breath, trying to keep his anger in check. "Kate, this is Meredith, Alexis' mother. Meredith, this is Kate Beckett."
"Nice to meet you." Kate said politely and offered her hand. Meredith shook it, looking like she'd rather be touching anything but her.
"Likewise. Who are you exactly?" she raised an eyebrow in Kate's direction, who looked at Rick for a moment. He shook his head slightly.
"My son, Tyler, is really good friends with Alexis." She explained, wondering how could someone be this rude to a person they had just met.
"Why didn't you just drop him off like most of the other parents? I'm sure you have better things to do than sticking around for a kid's birthday party." Meredith commented and didn't even blink when Rick glared at her.
"Because she is my guest here, Meredith. Kate happens to be a really close friend." He almost growled at her and Kate squeezed his arm.
"I see." The red head said slowly looking from Kate to Rick. Before anyone could say anything more, Kate's phone rang.
"Excuse me." She said quietly and walked away to answer it, but not before hearing Meredith asking him if he was banging her. Closing her eyes, Kate took a deep breath, trying to convince herself that tackling the woman to the ground was not a good idea. "Beckett."
"Hey, Becks. We got a fresh one. Park Avenue and East 23rd." Ryan told her. He had gotten into the habit of calling her Becks in the past few weeks and, while it had annoyed her at first, now she thought it was sweet.
"I can never get an entire weekend off, can I?" She complained and he chuckled. "I'll see you there. ETA twenty minutes. Go ahead and start without me. I'll be there soon."
"You got it. See you soon." He said and hung up. She sighed and walked back to where Rick and Meredith were having a glaring match.
"I have to go." She told him and he looked at her crestfallen.
"You're kidding." He almost pleaded with her and she shook her head.
"I'm sorry. We just got a new case." She turned to Meredith. "It was nice meeting you." She nodded at the woman. Rick sighed.
"Let's get your coat and I'll walk you out." He said and guided her to the closet near the front door. She collected her coat and put it on, and then grabbed her purse. Calling Tyler over, she explained to him she needed to go to work.
"Is it okay if I come pick him up later?" She asked Rick, who nodded.
"Of course it is, Kate. You don't even have to ask." He reassured her and she kissed her son goodbye. They made their way outside and he leaned against the wall. "This sucks." He confessed and she nodded.
"I'll come back later tonight. Depending on the time, maybe we can have dinner?" she suggested and he agreed, pulling her against him. She went willingly, pressing her lips to his neck as his arms encircled her waist.
"I'm sorry she was such a bitch to you." He murmured into her hair and Kate shook her head, pulling away slightly to look at him.
"Wasn't your fault." She told him and leaned in for a kiss. He met her halfway, their kiss chaste. "I'll see you later. Hang in there." She encouraged and he let out a laugh, pulling her in for another kiss, this time allowing their tongues to play briefly.
"Go kick some ass." He told her with a small smile and she chuckled, pressing one last kiss to his lips and making her way to the elevator.
"So how serious are you and this writer guy?" Esposito asked her as they were leaving the precinct for the night. Kate looked at him and his partner and rolled her eyes.
"I don't think it's any of your business, Esposito." She told him, but with a light, teasing tone in her voice.
"Come on, Becks. We're just looking out for you." Ryan reasoned and she narrowed her eyes at him. "Do we have to have that talk with him? Tell him if he ever hurts you, his body will never be found?"
Kate laughed at this. However little respect they had for her private life, Ryan and Esposito were the brothers she never had and the fact that they looked out for her like this was really sweet. She looked at the two detectives, who were eyeing her expectantly and pursed her lips.
"This doesn't have anything to do with a bet that is going on at the precinct, does it?" She asked them and they held her gaze innocently.
"Of course not. We're just looking out for our favorite boss, that's all." Esposito grinned and she shook her head, smiling.
"No comment, guys. Good night." She replied and unlocked her car, throwing her purse in the passenger seat. "And for the love of god, let me sleep in tomorrow morning. Thank goodness this was an easy one."
"You got it, boss. Tell Tyler we said hey." Ryan said and they wished her a goodnight before walking off to find their own cars.
Kate sighed and started her car, driving in the direction of the loft. She had already texted Rick, saying she would be there soon. He said he would be waiting with dinner ready for her. Her stomach growled at the thought. It was close to 9pm and she hadn't had anything to eat since lunch. She never had a chance to eat anything at Alexis' party before getting called in and they had been so busy with interrogating the suspect, getting a confession, booking him and the whole shebang that she forgot to eat. Now that she was officially off duty, her stomach protested the lack of sustenance.
The traffic was surprisingly light for a Saturday night and soon she was parking a couple of blocks away from Rick's building. Snow was falling lightly around her as she pulled her coat closer to her body in attempt to get warmer. Being late January in New York City, it was still intensely cold. She entered the building, waving to Cesar, and made her way to the elevator area. She immediately remembered she had been here earlier today with Tyler and how Meredith hadn't held off the elevator for her. With dread gnawing away at the pit of her stomach, she wondered if the actress would still be there and what she would do if that were the case. The last thing she wanted was to make small talk with the incredibly obnoxious woman.
Stepping out of the elevator, she quickly walked to Rick's door and knocked. She heard footsteps coming to the door and smiled when it opened, revealing Rick dressed in jeans, a dark blue NYU hoodie and socks. He looked adorable and hot at the same time.
"She finally left." He told her tiredly and Kate sighed in relief, biting her lip. "Hi." He gave her a small smile and she reached out and squeezed his hand.
"Hey." She greeted him and he pulled her into his arms. "Are you okay?" She asked, looking around to check if they were alone.
"I just want her to leave. She's done enough damage already. But she said she's going to a hotel and then coming back here tomorrow." He buried his face in her hair and breathed her in. "I'm just glad you're here now. Come on." He took her hand and led her to the kitchen. "Are you hungry?"
"Starving." She responded as he opened the fridge and offered her a beer, which she accepted gratefully. "Did everything go okay with the party?"
"For the most part. The kids are in the office with my mother trying to see the stars with the telescope. Alexis loved it, by the way. Thank you for that." He smiled at her and she nodded, smiling back.
"I'm glad she did. Tyler was super nervous about it, thinking she wouldn't like it." She told him and he chuckled.
"He shouldn't have worried. That girl loves her stars and the moon and the planets." He took a sip of his beer. "Help me set the table? We already ate, but I saved you some."
"No need to set the table just for me, Rick." She tried to dismiss the idea, but he just shook his head and handed her the plate and silverware. She rolled her eyes and set them on the table as he brought the chicken alfredo and set it in front of her.
"Dig in, detective."
He sat down across from her and she smiled at him in thanks, sitting at the table. As she ate, he asked her about the case she had caught and she told him all about it, how it had been an easy pop and drop. The suspect had still been lingering near the crime scene with blood on his clothes and getting a confession out of him had been the fastest part. He listened interestedly and she found herself wondering how she had gotten there with this incredibly famous, successful writer hanging onto her words like what she had to say was the most fascinating thing in the world.
She finished her dinner and insisted on doing the dishes. After a lot of debate, he gave in and went to the living room to pick out a movie for them to watch. Tyler showed up and she kissed him hello, asking if he had behaved himself. He told her all about the laser tag and how Alexis had loved the telescope. Martha soon appeared as well, saying she was late for a rendezvous and wished them a good night.
"Hey, we're all set. Just waiting for you." Rick rubbed her shoulders and she relaxed into him for a moment, before remembering Tyler was there with them, and stepping away slightly.
"I'm just about done here. Where's Alexis?" she asked, not seeing the red haired girl anywhere.
"I think she's still in the office." Tyler supplied, walking towards the living room. Rick started walking in the office's direction, but Kate stopped him with a hand on his arm.
"I am going to the restroom for a minute, so I'll get her." She said and he nodded, looking behind him to make sure Tyler was distracted, before stealing a kiss from her.
"Missed you today." He murmured against her lips and she smiled.
"Missed you too." She gave him a quick peck on the lips and pulled away. "I'll be right back."
She went to the small restroom that was near his office and took a moment to freshen up. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she realized that for the first time in a while, she actually looked happy. She still looked tired and overworked, but she had a sparkle in her eyes, which was something she hadn't seen in herself in a really long time. And Rick had done that. In a little over two weeks, he managed to turn her life around completely. How had that even happened? In fact, the most important question was how had she allowed it to happen? Kate was a really closed off person and the fact that Rick got her to open up and allow herself to live in the moment, to enjoy the thrill of a new relationship was nothing short of amazing.
Running a hand through her hair, she opened the door and made her way to the office, where she found Alexis sitting in the window seat, looking at the snow falling outside. Kate stopped on the threshold for a moment, looking at the young girl. She formed a beautiful picture with her flaming red hair and white sweater. She felt sorry for her for not having a stable mother figure in her life. At that moment, her heart ached for her and for herself as she missed her own mother so much.
"Hey, Lex." She greeted the girl, who turned around startled. Only then, Kate realized she had been crying. "Sweetie, what's wrong?" She entered the office and made her way to Alexis, who was now hastily wiping her tears away.
"It's nothing, Kate. I'm fine." She whispered, but even as she spoke, a fresh bout of tears escaped her eyes.
"That doesn't look like nothing, Lex. What happened? Are you hurt?" she asked gently, rubbing soothing circles on her back. "Do you want me to go get your dad?"
"No, don't." she exclaimed, grabbing Kate's hand. "Don't. I'm fine. I don't want him to see me like this." She wiped her tears away again and took a deep, shuddering breath.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Kate sat down next to her and brushed her bangs away from her eyes.
"Only if you can get me a new mom." She murmured and Kate's breath caught. "No, I shouldn't say that. That's mean." Alexis mumbled to herself and Kate felt lost.
"What happened, sweetie?" she asked again and Alexis sighed.
"We were having dinner and mom said she had brought the most amazing dessert." She rested her head on the window in front of her and closed her eyes. "I was excited because mom never comes to these things. Or when she comes, she never stays long and this time she stayed all the way through dinner, you know?" she turned her head slightly to look at Kate, who nodded, encouraging her to continue. "So when we finished eating, she brought out the dessert. It was a strawberry cheesecake. I'm allergic to strawberries. I was with her when I had my first allergic reaction. We had to go to the hospital cause I couldn't breathe. How could she not remember?" she got the last few words out forcefully, through her tears. "I'm her daughter. Daddy would never forget something like that."
"Oh, honey, it probably just slipped her mind." She pulled Alexis into her arms and the girl came willingly, hiding her face on Kate's shoulder. Her heart broke for her as she let her cry.
"It's not just that. She gave me this doll and I haven't played with dolls since I was like three. I've never liked dolls, but she insists on giving me one every year, even when I tell her I don't like playing with them." She sighed heavily, pulling away to look at Kate. "She doesn't call for months. I was in the hospital last year and she stayed for one day. I keep thinking she's just too busy making movies, but in the end I think the truth is she just doesn't like me much." She wiped a fresh tear running down her cheek angrily. "And I don't know what I did to make her feel that way."
Kate took a deep breath and kissed Alexis' temple, hugging her tight. She didn't know what to say to her, didn't know how to comfort her.
"Listen to me, Lex." She ran her fingers through her red hair gently. "No matter what, you have a daddy who loves you very, very much and would do anything in the world to see you happy. I don't know your mom, so I don't know why she's like that. But I want you to remember that you have an amazing father and grandmother and you mean the world to them. Okay?" She touched Alexis' cheek when she looked up at her and the girl nodded, sniffling.
"Are you close to your mom, Kate?" she asked quietly and Kate felt like her heart was being squeezed by a very tight fist. It hurt so much to talk about her mom, but Alexis needed it.
"I was. Very close. She was my best friend." She whispered and Alexis looked at her questioningly. "We lost her a little over ten years ago." She offered the girl a sad smile and she rested her head on Kate's shoulder.
"I'm sorry. Did you love her very much?" Her voice was so quiet that if they hadn't been alone in the silent office, she wouldn't have heard.
"I did. I do. She was the best mom in the world. I miss her every single day." Kate confided and Alexis took her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze.
"I wish my mom was like that." She murmured and yawned, snuggling closer to Kate.
They were silent for a few minutes, Kate running her hand through her red hair until she heard her breath even out. Looking down at her, Kate confirmed she had fallen asleep and sighed, resting her head against the window. After a moment, she looked up and her eyes met Rick's across the room as he stood by the door, looking at her with an expression she couldn't quite identify. She gave him a small, sad smile and he entered the office, making his way to them.
"How long have you been there?" she asked quietly when he leaned down to press his lips to hers gently.
"A while." He looked at his sleeping little girl and sighed, touching her cheek lovingly. Alexis stirred and looked up at him sleepily.
"Daddy?"
"Hi, pumpkin. Let's get you to bed." He picked her up, holding her close. Kate stood up and started to make her way to the door. "Kate, don't go. I'll be right back. Tyler dozed off on the couch while we were waiting for you, don't worry."
Kate nodded and watched him leave the room with his daughter, her heart warm when she heard him murmur his love to the sleeping child in his arms. She sighed and leaned back against the wall, waiting for him to return. Her mind was spinning and her heart aching for Alexis. How could someone not care about this fantastic little girl? It was beyond her why Meredith didn't even try to be a good mother and all Alexis wanted was to have her mom there for her. The whole thing was so wrong that she felt tears stinging her eyes. It was just not fair. She missed her mom dearly and wished every day she could still have her, but at least she did have her mom for twenty one years. Her mother had always been the best mom in the world for her. Alexis had a mom, who couldn't care less about her own child. That was probably a whole new level of pain and abandonment. It hurt her and she was thirty-two years old. Alexis was barely eight. That kind of pain was probably insurmountable for a little girl like that.
Footsteps coming down the hall interrupted her thoughts. Rick entered the office again and immediately pulled her into his arms, kissing her fiercely.
"You are amazing." He told her when they pulled apart for oxygen. "I don't know what I did to deserve you." He rested his forehead on hers and took a deep breath. "I can't stand to see her like that, Kate."
"At least she has you." She murmured, her fingers playing absentmindedly to the hairs on the back of his neck. "You're an amazing dad to that little girl. Don't ever forget that. No matter what, she will always have you, right?"
"Always, yes." He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. "Thank you so much for entering my life." He pressed his lips to hers one more time. "So much, Kate. I am so glad we found you." He confessed and she felt those butterflies in her stomach again, but they were dulled by the pain she felt for Alexis, for Rick, for her mother.
She kissed his neck gently and breathed him in, pulling him closer to her. They stayed there for a while, taking comfort in each other's presence. His body was warm and comfortable against hers and felt so familiar. He felt so familiar, like they had been doing this for years, she thought with a sigh.
In the end, she was really glad they had entered her life too.
A/N: Thoughts?