Author's Note-I love that everyone immediately went on the offensive about Meredith. Also, most of you automatically presumed that Alexis didn't want to hug Kate because she'd had poison put in her ear about her. The truth, or at least how I wrote it, was that she just needed her daddy more in that moment. NYLF xx

Kate helped Martha carry the bags from the car to the elevator while Rick's doorman, Eduardo, held the door so Rick didn't need to let go of Alexis. The men exchanged smiles before Eduardo called the elevator and everyone piled on.

Kate let them in the loft and took in Alexis' bag. While Martha went to the kitchen, Kate, Rick and Alexis all went upstairs to the young girl's room.

"Alexis? Pumpkin? Talk to me." Rick gently coaxed as he sat on her bed while Kate tried to be as unobtrusive as possible while she unpacked her bag. "Hey, Baby, talk to daddy." Kate's heart broke at the pain in his voice. He may be able to mask it from his daughter, but not from her.

"She left me." Alexis murmured into his shoulder.

"Your mom?" Rick guessed accurately, neither adult in the room very surprised.

"She was never there. She didn't want me daddy. Even when she did see me, she spent the whole time on her phone, or saying mean things about Kate. Why doesn't my mommy wanna see me?" Alexis asked before breaking down.

Rick rocked her from side to side, gently hushing her. "Oh Sweetheart, shhh, it's okay." Rick soothed, despite his blood boiling. How dare his ex-wife treat their daughter like that? And how dare she take her jealousy over his partner out on her? "Baby Girl, she loves you." He promised, desperately hoping he wasn't lying to her. "She loves you and she wants to spend time with you..."

"No she doesn't." Alexis murmured. "She didn't come for my birthday; she didn't wanna see me when I went to LA, what's wrong with me daddy?"

Kate turned away from the pair, her hand over her mouth to stop herself sobbing, her heart breaking for her precious stepdaughter. She didn't care if Meredith liked her or not, but Alexis didn't need to hear it. especially during the precious little time her mother saw her.

Rick pulled back and held Alexis so he could see her. "Nothing," he stated with feeling. "You hear me? Absolutely nothing. You are perfect Alexis. Absolutely perfect and don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise."

"I just don't understand daddy, why does Kate wanna spend time with me but not mommy?"

Kate took that as her cue and crossed the room so she could kneel beside them.

"Angel, I can't tell you why your mom acts the way she does, but I wanna spend time with you because you're amazing." Kate whispered as if she was letting her in on the biggest secret. "You make my day brighter little girl, and I love you. I will always want your company, okay?"

Alexis turned those big blue watery eyes on her stepmother. "Promise?"

"Oh Lexi, I promise." Kate nearly sobbed, taking Alexis into her embrace when she held her arms out to her. "I promise my Baby I promise."

Between them, Rick and Kate managed to convince Alexis to have a nap, once Kate had promised to sing her a lullaby. The moment they were sure she was asleep, Rick's anger at Meredith, which he had buried for his daughter's sake, reared it's ugly head again, making him storm out of her room.

Kate caught him on the top of the stairs. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm gonna call her and tell what a shit mother she is and that Alexis is never going back to LA."

Kate shook her head. "Not right now Rick."

"Kate..." he growled, about to tell her to back off, when she set a calming hand on his forearm.

"Whether you call her today or tomorrow, it won't any difference. But you cannot leave Alexis to go yell at her mother over the phone. You cannot leave her to do the exact same thing her mother has done all weekend. That girl is going to start thinking no one wants her around. Spend some time with her, do something you both enjoy, then call the bitch and yell to your heart's content, but not today, not now."

Rick sighed and drew her into his chest. "It just, it rips me apart to see her like that."

"Me too. I have absolutely no idea how Meredith can have something so precious in her life and take her so badly for granted. But you can't let her get to you like this. Alexis needs her father to reassure her today, not Meredith's ex-husband to rant and rave at a woman on the other side of the country."

"You're right." Rick sighed into her hair.

"I usually am." Kate replied cheekily.

Rick chuckled.

"There you are." She murmured, holding him tighter. "I thought I'd lost you for a minute there."

Rick tightened his own hold, kissing the sensitive skin below her ear, loving that he could make her shudder when barely touching her. "Not to her, not ever." He promised.

"Good." Kate murmured softly.

They stood there for a few moments before Rick pulled back, about to say something when he noticed the tears on his girlfriend's cheeks. "Hey, you can't let this make you cry Kate." He soothed, running his thumb across her cheekbone.

"I just hate to see her in so much pain Rick." She husked.

Rick kissed her softly. "I know." He gently kissed her twice more before resting his lips against her forehead. "I need to pop out for a bit, you okay to stay with her while I'm gone?"

Kate nodded.

"Good. I won't be long." They kissed tenderly before Rick went down the stairs, noting that his mother had let herself out, and Kate went back to sit in Alexis' room. She'd missed her. A lot.