A/N: Are you ready for some excitement? :)

DISCLAIMER: I have no affiliation wit CBS or ABC, nor do I own any rights to Castle or Blue Bloods

Jamie and Alexis saw quite a bit of one another over the next month. They got to know each other and just generally enjoyed the other's company. On their fifth date, they kissed; a soft, sweet, chaste kiss that left Alexis torn between hunger for more and giddiness over his gentlemanly mannerisms.

It was a warm day in mid-May, and Jamie and Alexis were laughing as they snagged bites of one another's ice cream. Jamie pulled his away from her at the last second, leaving her to bite empty air.

"Tease!" she accused, but she, too, was laughing. Alexis' phone rang loudly and she sighed at the interruption, apologizing as she reached for it.

'Kate Beckett' was the name on her screen as Alexis slid the answer icon to the right and brought the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Alexis."

"Kate? What's wrong?" Alexis asked when she heard the detective's shaky tone. Jamie looked at her in concern.

"He got hurt, Alexis." The young woman's blood ran cold. Oh, god. No, no, no.

"Oh, god, Kate," she said. "How bad?" Alexis asked, halfway not even wanting to hear.

"Not...fatal, I don't think," Kate said shakily. "But he was...he was stabbed. He talked to me for a couple of minutes, then he went under. He woke up once in the ambulance and he seemed to be in a lot of pain. They took him to surgery a few minutes ago." Alexis drew in a shaky breath.

"What hospital?" she asked.

"New York Mercy," Kate replied.

"I'm on my way," Alexis said, and hung up. She looked up to find Jamie watching her concernedly.

"What happened?" he asked.

"My dad...my dad got stabbed," she choked. Jamie's eyes widened.

"I'm sorry, Jamie, I have to go," she said.

"No, don't apologize," Jamie insisted. "Do you want me to come with you?" Alexis stared at him, surprised by how much she desperately wanted to say yes.

"Are you-you don't want to spend all day in a waiting room," she said.

"Yes, I do," he objected. "If you want me there." At his second invitation, Alexis nodded.

"I would love to have you there," she admitted quietly.

"Okay. Let's go," he said. Alexis managed a small smile as he took her hand.

When they arrived at New York Mercy's trauma surgery waiting room, Alexis found Kate curled up in a chair, her hands scrubbed clean. She was wearing clean clothes. Lanie Parish was sitting next to her, and Alexis assumed that was the source of the clean clothes. Alexis was grateful; she wasn't sure she would've been able to stand the sight of Kate coated in Rick's blood.

"Kate!" she called, breaking away from Jamie to hug her dad's fiancee, who stood at Alexis' call.

"Alexis," she said as they embraced. Jamie hung back, aware that the petite African-american woman who had been sitting with Kate was eyeing him curiously.

"Have they told you anything?" the redhead asked, biting her lip nervously. Kate shook her head.

"Nothing," she said. "The boys went to get Martha." Alexis nodded, and in the lull, Kate's eyes landed on Jamie. She appeared confused, and Alexis stepped back to stand next to Jamie again.

"Well, this isn't exactly how I'd planned for this to go, but anyway," Alexis began, "Kate, this is Officer Jamie Reagan. Jamie, Detective Kate Beckett," she said. Jamie held out his hand to shake Kate's.

"Detective Beckett," he said respectfully. Kate managed a faint smile.

"Officer Reagan. Call me Kate," she replied.

"Jamie." Alexis then turned to Lanie.

"Jamie, this is Dr. Lanie Parish, Chief Medical Examiner. Lanie, Officer Jamie Reagan." Lanie and Jamie also exchanged greetings, right before Martha, Ryan, and Esposito approached. Esposito immediately went to Lanie while Martha beelined for her granddaughter and future daughter-in-law. Detective Ryan found himself standing next to Jamie.

"Jamie Reagan," the officer said, holding out his hand to the other man.

"Reagan?" Ryan repeated. "You Joe Reagan's brother?" Jamie nodded.

"One of them," he replied.

"Kevin Ryan," the detective said, shaking Jamie's hand. "Joe went through Academy with me. He was a good man. Great cop." Jamie nodded in agreement and the subject was dropped.

"I'm assuming you're here with Alexis?" Ryan said. Jamie nodded.

"Yes," he confirmed. Introductions were made amongst Ryan, Esposito, Martha, and Jamie.

"Oh, so you're Jamie." Martha said, understandingly, shooting Alexis a look.

"Grams," Alexis said warningly, and Martha simply smiled at Jamie, before dropping the subject. They all settled into chairs to wait, and Jamie reached for Alexis' hand, squeezing lightly. She returned the pressure, grateful to have him there.