Author's Note-I'll be honest, the 'Big Sis' comment snuck up on me too. Don't you love it when your characters take control? Anyway, because I wanted to clear that up, and because I can, and because I got eleven reviews in one day for this, I thought I'd update today. Thanks for the support. Hope this clears some things up. NYLF xx
"Rick?" Nevaeh asked softly, as she passed him her plate for him to put in the dishwasher. They had eaten on the couch so Kate could rest her leg, before Nevaeh and Castle set about cleaning up, both insisting Kate rest.
"Yes Navi?" Rick asked distractedly, stacking and switching on the machine before facing her. "What's up?" He smiled brightly. Nevaeh caught her lower lip between her teeth before tilting her head to the side, watching him closely. Rick couldn't help but picture her doing the exact same thing in an interrogation room.
"Why did you call Kate 'Big Sis' earlier?" Navi asked softly. Rick felt the blood drain from his face. He hadn't even realised he had said it, he was pretty sure Kate hadn't either. This wasn't exactly the best way to have a conversation so important, especially as it wasn't exactly up to him how they told her.
"Tell you what Navi, how about you go sit with Kate and I'll be over in a second and we'll talk about it, okay?" Nevaeh nodded and made her way over to the couch while Castle took a deep breath. That's one way to start the conversation he supposed.
Rick sat on the floor in front of Kate, his shoulder under her left knee, helping to support her leg where it rested on a cushion on the coffee table. She gave him a grateful smile which turned curious when he gave her a guarded one in return.
"Earlier I referred to you as 'Big Sis'." Castle started slowly, internally wincing when his girlfriend's eyes widened in realisation. "Nevaeh asked why I did and I thought you should be part of the conversation." Kate nodded slowly.
"You're not old enough to be Rick's big sister." Nevaeh spoke slowly, as if working out the pieces in her head. Kate shook her head with a smile, confirming the girl's statement. "And you're his girlfriend so you can't be his big sister."
"Right again Navi." Kate murmured. Nevaeh nodded slowly.
"So I don't understand. Whose big sister are you?" She asked, turning to face the adults beside her. Kate sighed and ran her hand across her forehead.
"Nevaeh, fourteen years ago, my mom died." Kate started softly, deciding this would be easier for her to understand if she had all the facts. Rick squeezed the hand closest to him gently and she squeezed back, appreciating the comfort. Nevaeh nodded slowly.
"Like my momma?" Kate nodded.
"Yeah Baby." She murmured, gently cupping the back of the girl's head. "My dad took it very hard and did some very silly things." Detailed or not, she refused to explain alcoholism to a seven year old. "While he was being very silly, he met a young woman named Hannah." Nevaeh smiled.
"My momma's name." Kate nodded.
"Yeah. It was your momma he met." Nevaeh's little mouth formed an 'O' as she processed that. "They stayed together for a little while and then your momma left. My dad stopped being very silly then and started being better."
"That's good." Nevaeh nodded. Kate smiled gently and stroked her thumb across her hair.
"Yeah it was. But Baby, after your momma left, she found out she was going to have a baby." Sure she'd fudged the timeline a little, but Kate had about as much desire to explain a one night stand to her as she did her father's addiction.
"Was that baby me?" Nevaeh asked quietly. Kate nodded slowly.
"Yeah Sweetie. She was going to have you." Kate suddenly had a thought. "Nevaeh, do you know how a baby is made?" Rick squeezed her hand again and she knew this squeeze was in sympathy. He knew how this conversation went.
"I know that." Nevaeh nodded. "A man and a woman make a baby by mixing a seed and an egg." Kate smiled and she felt Rick copy her. At least she didn't have to do that bit.
"That's right, clever girl. Now, it was your momma's egg that made you but the seed came from my dad." Kate felt herself cringing. That was a sentence she never expected to hear herself say.
"So, your daddy, is my daddy?" Nevaeh asked quietly, unsure. Kate nodded.
"Yeah. We share a daddy. That makes us sisters." The half sister/full sister conversation could be had another day. She got the main bits across.
"So when Rick called you 'Big Sis', he was saying it because of that? Because you're my big sister?" Nevaeh summarised gradually. Kate nodded.
"Yes. Nevaeh, I'm your big sister."