"No, Meredith." Castle's angry muffled voice filtered into Kate's consciousness as she came round to the awake world.

She looked down confusedly at the weight on her chest before realising Alexis had crawled into bed with them at some point during the night.

Kate gently ghosted her fingers across the girl's forehead, moving her sleep messy hair, revealing the tear tracks she had hoped wouldn't be there. With a soft sigh, Kate rolled them both until they were on their sides and slowly unhooked Alexis' tiny hand from where it was curled in her sleep shirt; something she was ever so glad she'd put on last night before they had fallen asleep. She slowly stepped out of the bed; tucking Alexis back in safely before making her way to the closed bedroom door.

"How dare you treat her like that?!" Rick raged, his back to Kate as he stared out of his office window.

Kate slipped out of the bedroom and shut the door silently behind her, taking the same precaution Rick did to keep Alexis from this.

"No. You see her once in a blue moon, and you spend the entire time, more interested in anything but her."

Kate couldn't hear the other side of the conversation save the shrill angered tone of her partner's ex.

"'She doesn't need your attention all the time'? Meredith she's five! She's a child, more to the point she's your child. How long do you think she's gonna want to hang around with her parents hmm? Two, three more years?... No I'm not being melodramatic. You're her mother. You should want to spend time with her... I don't care how important an audition was. You left her for your job and that beautiful forgiving little Angel gives you chance, after chance, to step up to the plate and you let her down time and time again." Rick ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "I don't know about you, but I can't bear to see her hurt anymore. When you get your act together, and you want to see her, call me and we'll talk, until then, I don't want you in her life." He growled loudly. "This isn't about Kate."

Kate sighed, she had wondered if her place in the Castles' lives would cause problems with Meredith.

"At least she cares about her. At least she tries... Meredith, I'm not having this conversation with you. Kate and I are together. Alexis adores her and Kate adores Alexis... Really? You wanna start that argument again? Fine. You do that. Because you can't look after her, you told me that, and he won't ever step up. I can tell you now; I am still the best residential option for Alexis... Why? Because I would do anything for her. I would lay down my life to keep her safe and happy and you won't even lay down your phone. Yes I'm very aware of that Meredith, but she won't ever know. I'm done talking about this." He hung up and dropped the phone onto his desk, sighing frustratedly and burying his head in his hands.

"You okay?" Kate asked softly after giving him a long moment to compose himself.

Rick nodded.

"Alexis is still asleep. I figured I was better off leaving her than waking her."

"Thanks."

Kate sighed. "Rick if I'm going to cause problems..."

Rick covered the distance between them in seconds and gently pushed her back into the closed bedroom door, capturing her lips with his before she could finish that sentence. He pulled back after a long moment.

"You're not going anywhere Kate. Meredith has no say in that."

Kate hummed, still dazed from his insistent kiss.

"I'll only ever let you walk away if you ask me to Kate, not for some misguided attempt to keep my ex sweet."

"I'm just saying..."

"I know." He murmured against her cheek. "I know and I appreciate that you're willing to walk away if it would make things better for Alexis or I, I really do, but it won't. She loves you Kate and I," he broke off and kissed her cheek softly, cupping her other in his hand. "She needs a maternal figure Kate, and Meredith won't ever step up enough to be that for her."

Kate wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tightly, noticing the tremor of latent adrenalin in his muscles. She was curious about the full extent of the conversation and who he was that wouldn't step up and what Alexis would never know, but Rick was her priority right now.

"Come back to bed Rick. Come cuddle with me and your daughter for an hour or so before we get up. It's too early for this."

Rick sighed and squeezed her for a moment before letting her take his hand and lead him back into the bedroom.