A/N: Have you guys recovered from the awesomeness that Rise was? I still can't get over how amazing that premiere was. Seriously.

Also, thanks one more time for you awesome support and a special thanks to ImOpenToDumbIdeas for her amazing review. You're brave for reading through all eighteen chapters in one sitting. Thank you so much!

Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

Someone Like You

Chapter 19

Kate woke up the next morning with the sunlight shining through a slightly open curtain. Immediately shielding her eyes from the harsh brightness with her hand, she rolled over and hid her face against Rick's back, relaxing again with a sigh. Breathing him in, she wrapped an arm around his stomach as he remained fast asleep on his side. She stayed in that position for a few minutes, trying to fall back asleep when something suddenly dawned on her.

It was too bright. Her alarm hadn't gone off yet, but it was entirely too bright outside to be sometime before seven. With a groan, she rolled back to her previous position and reached out her hand to get her phone from the nightstand. Blinking sleepily, the numbers on her screen took a few seconds to sink in. It was already 9.

Shit.

She was so late. So, so very late. God, she should have been at the precinct an hour ago.

Hurriedly getting out of bed, she ran to the bathroom to quickly take a shower. After what was probably the fastest shower ever, she ran back into the room and threw on the pair of jeans she had been wearing the night before and a white button down before putting on a light layer of makeup. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she deemed it good enough to go to work and sat down on the bed to put her shoes on. The movement jostled the bed and woke up Rick.

"What? Where are you going?" he asked groggily, looking at her through barely open lids. "Come back to bed." He reached out for her, but she stood up, shaking her head.

"I'm super late." She said throwing her hair up in a ponytail, deciding that would have to do for today. "We slept through the alarm." She went back to the mirror for a last once over and nodded at her reflection in approval. It wasn't her best, but it was good enough for now that she was in such a hurry. "Sorry, love, I have to go." She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips.

"Wait, should I come too?" He sat up in bed sleepily, but she shook her head.

"We don't know if Martha can watch the kids today, remember?" She told him. "Can Tyler stay a few more hours? I'll come pick him up as soon as I can."

"Of course he can. I promised him an epic Xbox battle and I intend on keeping that promise." He said honestly and she smiled, reaching out to run her fingers through his messy hair.

"You're too sweet for your own good." She shook her head with a smile and leaned down again, giving him a quick peck on the lips. "I'll call you if we get a break on the case."

"Okay. We'll be here playing Xbox." He pulled her in again for another kiss, but just as his lips touched hers, he pulled back to look at her.

"What?" She asked, confused and a little self-conscious. He grinned at her like Christmas had come early.

"You called me love." He said and his grin only got bigger.

"So? You call me love all the time." She said slowly, still not getting what the big deal was. He pulled her down, making her sit down on the bed before nibbling on her earlobe.

"You had never called me that before." He bit on her earlobe gently and proceeded to nuzzle down her neck.

"Well, are you okay with that or should I call you something else? Like, I don't know, kitten, maybe?" She teased and he growled against her neck, sucking on her pulse point.

"Love it is." He decided and continued to press open mouthed kisses to her neck. "I like it." He murmured, reaching her collarbone, and she sighed contently.

"Good. And as much as I love what you're doing, I really have to go." It took a lot will power for her to push him away and even more to ignore his pouty lips and puppy dog eyes. "Love you." She leaned in and kissed his stubbly jaw. "Call me if you need anything."

"We'll be fine, love. Go." He stole a kiss and grinned when she narrowed her eyes at him. Getting up, she grabbed her purse and her phone and made her way to the door. "Hey, Kate?" He called and she turned back to him. "Are you okay?"

"I will be." She offered him a small smile and walked back to the bed, leaning down to press her lips against his once again. "Thank you for everything." She whispered and kissed his nose softly, before walking out of the room, leaving him with a goofy smile on his lips.

She quickly made her way to the guest room upstairs where Tyler was still sleeping and kissed his forehead. When he woke up briefly, she told him she would come back to pick him up later and that Rick was staying with him and Alexis today. The boy nodded sleepily and rolled onto his side, pulling the comforter up to his chin, falling back asleep in a matter of seconds. Kate smiled at her little boy, running her hand through his hair and left. Before going back downstairs, she checked in on Alexis and found the girl still sleeping peacefully. Satisfied that everyone was okay and still in bed, she finally left the loft.

The drive to the precinct was slow as there was unusual traffic for a Saturday morning. She called Ryan and told him she was stuck in traffic, but that she would be there soon. He told her not to worry and that they were going out to pick up the victim's boyfriend and bring him in for interrogation, so she still had plenty of time. A little more relieved now that she wasn't missing anything important, she allowed herself to relax and even turned on the radio.

The quiet song playing sent her back to the night before and everything that had happened between her and Rick and just how strong this connection between them was. Even now, almost three months later since that fateful day that Tyler broke his arm, she still couldn't wrap her head around everything that had happened. She had met the author she most admired, fallen deeply in love with him in the short span of weeks and now, three months down the road, she couldn't even imagine her life without him and his family anymore. In that short time, they had become almost like a unit and that was still completely baffling to her.

She had never felt like this before, not even with Josh – and that had been a whirlwind romance. She just hoped and prayed that what she had with Rick wouldn't crash and burn like her relationship with Josh had. Stopping at a red light, she closed her eyes and shuddered to think of her encounter with Josh the day before. Amazing, she thought, how the person you had once loved intensely, now gave her a feeling of repulsion and disgust for what he had done to her and her son. The nerve of him to come asking for a second chance, claiming they still could make it work. He was out of his goddamn mind, that man. She was not going to let him anywhere near Tyler. She wouldn't allow him to get close and then abandon her son again, like he had done years ago.

Shaking her head, she tried to dismiss those thoughts, as they weren't going to lead her anywhere. She had to get to the precinct and do her job and find justice for that poor young girl's family. Then she would go home and be with her son and Rick and Alexis and all would be right in her world.

Yeah, she was going to hold on to that. Now she had a family to fall back to.

Arriving at the precinct, she left her things at her desk and made her way to the murder board. They had already interviewed the girl's parents and friends from college and they all said that she was a sweet, talented young woman who was really well liked by pretty much everyone. It seemed there was absolutely no reason for someone to have murdered her like that. Biting on her lip, she felt her stomach rumbling, reminding her that she still hadn't had anything to eat, since she had left Rick's loft in such a hurry.

With a sigh, she grabbed her coat and made her way downstairs to find something to eat. After buying herself a bear claw and a tall cup of cappuccino, she made her way back to the Precinct and was about to get into the elevator when her phone chimed, indicating a new text message. It was Lanie asking her to come down to the morgue because she had something to show her.

Changing direction, she walked to the morgue and found her friend looking at something in the microscope.

"Hey, Lanie. You got something for me?" she asked, taking a sip of her cappuccino, before setting it on the table closest to the door.

"Yeah." The medical examiner sighed. "Looks like our girl here had sex just before she was killed. By the cuts and abrasions on her inner thighs and genitalia, it looks like she may have been raped." She said somberly and Kate shook her head, closing her eyes.

"You sure?"

"Positive. Got a sperm sample already." Lanie said and stood up straighter, bagging whatever it was she had been looking under the microscope. "Hey, where's your shadow?"

"He stayed home with the kids." Kate sighed and picked up her coffee again, sitting on one of the slabs. Lanie grinned at her and did the same, sitting cross-legged across from her.

"You do realize how awfully domestic that sounds, right?" she gave her a knowing look and Kate rolled her eyes.

"Shut up." She threw a napkin at her friend, taking a bite of her bear claw. "We stayed over last night after the party and he offered to stay with Ty since I had no one to watch him." She shrugged and Lanie looked at her pensively.

"Everything seems to be going quite well with you two." She mused and Kate nodded, a small smile appearing on her lips involuntarily.

"Yeah, things have been great. He's great." She sighed and almost cringed at how much like a lovesick teenager she sounded.

"Have you told him you love him yet? And don't even try to deny it, girl. It's written all over your face whenever you talk about him." Lanie narrowed her eyes at her and Kate chuckled and nodded. "Really?" she all but squealed and Kate rolled her eyes at her friend's excitement. "Oh, sweetie, I'm so happy for you. See, I told you. You just had to allow yourself to be happy. You are happy, right?"

"Very."

"That's all that matters, then." Lanie smiled and Kate took another sip of her cappuccino, debating with herself if she should tell her about Josh's reappearance. She hadn't told anyone about it, only Rick, and that was because Tyler had called him that night when she had been a total mess.

"I saw Josh." She blurted out before she changed her mind. Maybe Lanie could help her make sense of everything that was running through her mind.

"Wait, what?" Her friend almost choked on the water she had been drinking. "When? Where? Are you okay?" she fired the questions so fast, Kate almost had a hard time following them.

"First time was about a month ago. Tyler was with me. Let's just say it wasn't one of my finest moments." She sighed heavily and closed her eyes, her hands covering her face.

"Oh, Kate, why didn't you say anything? I could've come over, kicked his ass, brought ice cream, alcohol, anything."

"I didn't want to see anyone. I held it together in front of Tyler and told Josh I never wanted to see him again, but when I got home… it wasn't pretty." Lanie reached out and squeezed her hand comfortingly. "I was such a mess that I scared him, Lanie. I scared Tyler. He was so freaked out that he called Rick and asked him to come over to check on me."

"Does he know who he was?" The medical examiner asked and Kate shook her head.

"What was the point in telling him?" she shrugged and swallowed hard, trying to dissolve the knot that had suddenly lodged itself in her throat.

"Does Rick know?"

"He knows everything. I mean, he saw me at my worst. There was no way I could keep this from him." She bit her lip, remembering how he had held her then, letting her cry everything out; how he had told her he loved her for the first time that night. "He's… he's been my rock through this, Lane. I don't know what would've happened if he hadn't shown up at my apartment that night."

"He loves you; it's only normal he would want to take care of you, honey." Lanie smiled at her and she smiled back, agreeing. "You said first time. Did you see him after that?"

"Yesterday." She said quietly and Lanie gasped. "He showed up here, asking for a second chance. Said he wanted to meet Tyler; that he wanted to be his father now."

"The nerve of that guy!" Lanie exclaimed angrily. "Who does he think he is to suddenly show up eight years later and suddenly decide that now he wants to be a dad? God, I could kill him right now."

"I know. Rick was with me yesterday. I broke down in the middle of the street after sending Josh away. It's just too much, you know? And I keep second guessing myself, wondering if I made the right decision." She chewed on her bottom lip and Lanie looked at her, confused.

"About what?"

"Maybe Tyler has a right to know who his father is?" she said, but she was so unsure that it ended up sounding like a question.

"Oh, sweetie. I can't tell you what's right here. But, given his track record, who's to say his not going to disappear on you guys again? Maybe Ty is better off not knowing?"

"I don't know, Lane. Deep down, I know you're right. That's the rational thing to do." She let out a heavy breath. "I guess I'm just afraid that he may try to do something, you know? Take my son away. I know it's stupid, but…"

"Kate," Lanie interrupted, reaching out for her hand. "no matter what, Tyler is your son and you're a fantastic mother. Josh is the guy who walked away when you told him you were pregnant. No one in their right mind would ever take that little boy away from you and give Josh custody. It's just not possible, so don't even think about that."

"Rick said the same thing." She whispered and looked down.

"We're very smart people, your writer and I. I'd listen to us if I were you." She smiled weakly at Kate, who returned it.

"I guess."

"And from the looks of things, you and writer boy might be heading towards the altar the rate you two are going. Ty won't be fatherless for long." She winked at her friend and Kate threw another napkin at her, shaking her head, amused.

"Shut up." She laughed and got her phone from her back pocket when it started to ring. Talking quickly with Esposito, she hung up and turned to Lanie again. "I gotta go. They just brought the boyfriend in for questioning. From what you told me, it looks like he could be our guy." She stepped off the gurney and threw her coffee cup in the trash.

"Let me know how everything goes."

"Sure thing." She made her way to the door. "And Lanie? Thanks for listening."

"Anytime, girl. You know I'm here if you need anything."

Kate nodded with a smile and walked out the door.

Feeling the day finally weighing on her, Kate knocked on Rick's door. They had closed the case after she got a confession out of the boyfriend. It hadn't been easy; she had been at it for hours until he cracked and she could feel the exhaustion seeping into her bones. Yawning, she almost jumped when the door opened suddenly, revealing a smiling Alexis.

"Hi, Kate." She said happily and Kate smiled at the girl, leaning down to press a kiss to her hair.

They had gotten close these past couple of months, as had Rick and Tyler. She felt that Alexis craved some girl company, since she was with her dad most of the time and had been hanging out with Tyler a lot lately. So whenever she got a chance to hang out with Kate, she would practically attach herself to her hip. Kate loved it and played with Alexis gladly, knowing that the girl missed her mom and wished she was around more. She still couldn't understand how someone could just leave their child behind, not even bothering to call for weeks. It was no wonder that Alexis was so starved for motherly affection.

"Hi, sweetie. How are you doing?" She wrapped an arm around her and entered the loft, closing the door behind them.

"Good. We're just watching a movie now. Do you want dinner?" she looked up at Kate, who shook her head. She was so tired that all she wanted to do was curl up next to Rick and take a nap.

"Maybe later, Lex." She took off her coat and hung it in the hall closet. "Go back to your movie. I'll be right there, okay?" She said and Alexis nodded, running back into the living room.

Kate made her way to Rick's office to stash her gun and badge in one of the safes there. He had given her the combination a few days ago, but she still felt weird about opening his safe by herself. After that was taken care of, she walked back out to the living room and made her way to the couch, where the kids were watching the movie intently. She kissed Tyler hello and he hugged her back, before settling in to focus on the big screen in from of them. Rick was sitting on the floor, back against a mountain of pillows. She sank down to the floor next to him and relaxed into his side.

"Hi." She murmured, her face tucked in the crook of his neck. Breathing him in, she felt herself relaxing, his scent having a calming effect on her.

"Hi back." He turned his head and kissed her forehead. "Long day?"

"You have no idea." She mumbled, closing her eyes, and wrapped an arm around his waist. "We caught the guy, though." She sighed when she felt his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer.

"Who was it?"

"The boyfriend. He raped her and then shot her five times. All because she wanted out and he didn't." She explained tiredly and pressed a kiss to his skin.

"Damn."

"Yeah." She kicked her shoes off and tangled her legs with his.

"Kate, what is this?" He asked after a couple of minutes, touching her arm. She looked down and realized there was a huge hematoma on her skin. She had forgotten completely about that.

"The guy got a little agitated during interrogation. I banged my arm on the desk when he shoved it." She shrugged. "It's nothing, love. Don't worry about it. And we could also add assaulting a police officer to his charges." She offered a small smile, but he still looked concerned. "I'm fine, Rick. Don't worry so much." She leaned in and captured his lips with hers, trying to comfort both of them. After such a long, grueling day, this was all she needed.

"Hey! Kids in the room, guys. Knock it off." She heard her son's teasing voice and broke their kiss with a laugh. Reaching behind herself, she tickled Tyler's feet, his laughter working wonders for her exhaustion and state of mind. Alexis joined in and Kate allowed herself a moment to soak in and engrave that scene in her memory.

Because despite everything, this was the happiest she had been in a really long time.

A/N: Thoughts?