Chapter 44 – 34 Weeks
Alexis sat at the bar in the kitchen silently watching as Kate made her breakfast before school. She had been pretty quiet all morning, which was very unlike the little girl. She was usually chatty in the mornings, it was the time they got alone together every day and Kate enjoyed that time alone with her. She knew that Alexis enjoyed that time as well and Kate had tried to make it extra special before the baby came so that Alexis didn't feel neglected.
Kate looked up from the eggs she was making and caught the little girl staring at her.
"Something on your mind Lex?"
The little girl shrugged and looked away towards the living room, breaking the eye contact that Kate had tried to make. Kate shoveled the eggs on to a plate for her and walked around the bar to take a seat next to her.
"You know you can talk to me right?"
She nodded, still not saying a word.
"Okay, I'm not gonna make you talk, but if you want to tell me something or if you have something to ask me I want you to know that I'm here to listen."
The little girl shoved a bite of eggs in her mouth and chewed and swallowed.
"Kate, I know you said that you weren't going to be my real mom when you and my dad get married, but what if I want to call you mom."
"Well, I don't really know how to answer that." Kate sighed looking over at the little girl.
"My friend Lauren told me that she was adopted and that her parents aren't her real ones but she still calls them mom and dad, so cant you just adopt me?"
"I don't know how to answer that either Lex." Kate replied, running her hand down over Alexis' hair.
"Why don't you know? Don't you want to be my mom?"
"It has nothing to do with me wanting to be your mom Alexis, but you have a mom already, and I don't think she would like it very much if you called me mom, and I don't know that she would be okay with me adopting you either."
"My mom doesn't care about me. She doesn't call me or see me ever."
"I know baby, but that doesn't mean she doesn't love you."
"She doesn't love me like you love me."
"Well no one loves you like your dad and I love you."
"See, so why cant you just be my mom?"
"Lex, I would love it if you were my daughter, but that's something that maybe we should talk to your dad about first."
"Talk to me about what?" Rick said as he walked into the kitchen, stopping by Kate first to give her a soft kiss on the lips before making his way to Alexis to give her a kiss on the top of the head.
"Dad, I want Kate to adopt me." Alexis said confidently.
Rick looked at Kate whose eyes had gone wide at the little girls bluntness.
"Oh is that so?" he responded.
"Yes. I want Kate to be my mom too. I want to have the same mom and dad as my brother."
"Alexis, I'm sure Kate would love that, but you have a mom already."
"My mom doesn't even come to see me."
"I know baby, but that doesn't mean she doesn't love you, or that she doesn't want to be your mom."
"Why do you all keep saying that. If she loved me, she would have called me on my birthday."
"Lex" Kate interrupted.
"Whatever. You don't want me either." Alexis angrily said as she slid off her stool and ran up the stairs.
Kate stood up to go after her but Rick took ahold of her arm, stilling her.
"I got it." he said before kissing her on the cheek and making his way up to her room.
He knocked twice before opening the door.
"Go away."
"Alexis, can we just talk about it."
"No, I don't want to talk about it. You all don't care that I don't have a mom."
"Alexis we do care, but it's not that easy of situation."
"My real mom doesn't want me, and Kate doesn't want to be my mom either."
"Hey, that's not true. Kate loves you and would do anything for you."
"Except be my mom."
"That's not true either, I'm sure Kate would love to be your mom, but you have a mom and I don't think your mom would agree to let Kate adopt you."
"You haven't even asked."
"You're right, I haven't, but that's because I know your mom, and I know that if I did ask that she would probably get really mad. She doesn't even know Kate."
"Well she would love Kate like I do."
Rick let out a low laugh as he made his way to sit on the bed next to her. "Something in me tells me that your mom would not love Kate."
"Why? Kate's perfect."
"Well, your mom can be a bit jealous, and I think that she might get mad if Kate took over her spot in your life. Listen, I'll talk to Kate and we will try to figure something out for you, okay?"
"Okay, deal."
"Now lets go back downstairs so you can finish your breakfast, and you should apologize to Kate for being rude."
"Dad…"
"It's not a discussion, go apologize."
"Fine."
Xx
That afternoon Rick sat in his office writing while Kate took a nap on the couch. He was half way through a chapter when he heard his phone ringing, so he picked it up without looking at the caller i.d.
"Hello."
"Rick Castle?"
"Speaking."
"Hello Mr. Castle, this is Ms. Gentry, Alexis' teacher."
"Oh hello, what can I do for you?"
"Well Alexis had a bit of a bad day. She got into a bit of a shoving match with another student at recess and we were hoping you could make it in for a meeting after school."
"Wait, Alexis got into a fight?"
"Yeah, it seems that there is a group of girls that have been teasing her and today it got a little out of hand and Alexis shoved one of the girls down."
"Wow, Alexis… Yes, I'll be there, what time?"
"School lets out at 2:45, so you can come in around that time and we can all sit down and have a talk together."
"Okay, I'll be there. Thank you for calling."
"No problem, hopefully we can get this all settled today."
Castle hung up the phone and made his way into the living room. He sat down on the edge of the couch and shook Kates shoulder gently to wake her.
"Hey babe, wake up."
"Just a few more minutes." She whispered.
"Lex got into a fight at school."
Kates eyes shot open and she sat up quickly, "Is she okay? Do we need to go get her?"
"Hey," He reached out, stilling her. "She is fine, maybe in a little bit of trouble, but fine."
"What happened?"
"The teacher said a group of girls had been teasing her and she shoved one of them down."
"Alexis.. Shoved another girl? That doesn't even make sense, Alexis is not violent in any way."
"Yeah I know, but she is going through a lot. I mean with the conversation this morning and the fact that there will be a new baby here soon, I think it's all starting to get to her."
"Rick.. I.. I don't know what to say. Should I go stay with my parents for a little while, do you think she needs some time alone with you."
"Whoa, don't say things like that. You are a part of this family now, and the baby is coming whether she likes it or not."
"I know, it's just a little unfair to her. This is a lot at once."
"I know, and maybe we haven't been talking to her about things the way we should. I think I'm going to call Meredith, talk to her about coming to see Alexis."
"Do you think she just misses her mom?"
"I don't think she misses Meredith, but I think she wishes she had a mom around."
"Castle, I've tried…"
"This isn't your fault. You have been great with Alexis, you've made the effort to be there for her, you've stepped in and been a mother figure. I just think she is confused about not having someone around to call mom."
"I don't mind if she calls me mom Rick, it's just that I don't want to overstep my boundaries. I love that little girl as if she were my own. Hell, I'd adopt her if I knew that her own mother wouldn't fly to New York and kick my ass."
"Well, maybe that's something I should talk to Mere about."
"Don't call her Mere, first of all." Kate shook her head, "Oh God I think I'm gonna throw up."
"Don't be silly Kate, it's what I've always called her."
"Uhh, yeah when you all were together."
"Fine, I'll call her Meredith. Anyways, I'm gonna call her tonight and talk to her. You wanna go to meet with her teacher with me?"
"Sure, what time?"
"When schools out. They are going to hold Alexis and we will just meet in her teachers classroom."
"Yeah, that's fine, I should go ahead and shower so I don't look homeless."
"Okay, I'm gonna go write a little bit more while you get ready."
"Sure you don't want to join me in the shower?"
"Kate… don't tease."
"Okay, so you're not getting any, but I could still use someone to wash my back."
"I don't think I could handle being around you naked right now. It's been a while for me and I don't want to get overly excited."
She shoved at his chest and he stood up so that she could swing her legs off the couch. She stood and made her way to their bedroom to get cleaned up.
Rick pulled his cell from the table in front of him and sent a text to Meredith.
I need to talk to you later, will you be free for a phone call?
She replied immediately.
How about skype sex?
He quickly deleted her response so that Kate wouldn't see it and responded.
Not that kind of talk Mere, it's about Alexis. I'll call tonight.
Next chapter will be the meeting with Alexis' teachers and of course Meredith and Castles conversation.
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