CH26

It was now one month later:

Kate had greeted the doorman as she walked past him and into the elevator. Kate stopped at the door only long enough to insert her key to unlock the front door. Rick had given her a key to the loft last weekend and hold enforced his words. "Use this; there is no reason for you to knock." Rick had finished it with a kiss.

Kate was grinning as she opened the door and stepped inside, followed by closing and re-locking the door. Kate had only made it inside by a step. "KATE!" And Kate caught sight of Alexis running for her to slam into her legs and wrap her arms around her.

"Hi honey, how was your week?" Kate kneeled down to Alexis's level and wrapped her arms around Alexis and held her tight.

Kate could smell Rick so she knew he was here somewhere. "Where's your father?"

"Writing." Alexis told her. It got Kate to smile wide knowing that when Rick was lost in his study writing, he was lost to the world. It also meant that the two of them were on their own until Rick stopped writing.

Something called Thanksgiving was coming up soon and Rick had already made sure that Kate and Lanie would be over. Granted Rick and Alexis would be eating some huge meal, and Rick had done his best to explain it to both of them. Rick and Alexis had made sure that both Kate and Lanie were only too welcome to drink blood while they ate.

Halloween had also turned out to be something special. Rick had answered the door dressed in a suit and was waving a wand around. "I'm a warlock." Rick had been forced to explain what a warlock was.

A magician or mage is someone who uses or practices magic derived from supernatural or occult sources.

Then Alexis had shown up wearing something totally different carrying a stick with straw on one end.

"I'm a witch." Alexis had stated proudly, forcing Rick to explain what a witch was.

Witchcraft (also called witchery or spellcraft) broadly means the practice of, and belief in, magical skills and abilities.

Kate had kneeled down to Alexis's level. "So that's why I love you. You put a spell on me." Kate had teased her.

"YUP!" Alexis was beaming and it earned her a kiss from Kate.

"So what shall we do today?" Kate asks since it was just the two of them, at least until it got dark.

"Movie?" Alexis offers.

"Deal!" Kate goes with Alexis towards the living room while Alexis picked a movie.

"So what are we watching?" Kate asks as Alexis climbs up onto the sofa and hands Kate the remote.

"Adams Family Values." Kate sees the introduction. "Excellent choice!" Kate loved this family. They were weird, just like this family and they loved each other immensely, just like this family.

Kate pulled Alexis in tight and kissed the top of her head.

Since that first time Kate and Rick had been making love to each other every weekend that she came over. It still amazed Kate just how many orgasms Kate could have from all the things Rick would do.

They would make love to each other each night, then again in the shower, followed by more sex in the morning. Rick usually started it the first time that first night, only to have Kate initiate something the other times.

Kate knew Rick wanted her and after Kate got started, Kate found that she wanted him so very badly, and was extremely happy that Rick was able to keep up with her. "I've created a monster." Rick had teased her once, which had earned Rick a light swat to his chest as Kate relaxed lying on top or Rick after having just finished making love.

Kate had called it sex once, and only once. After Kate had called it sex that first time Rick had explained his difference between simply having sex with someone and making love to someone. After that Kate had called it making love. Kate was falling in love with Rick and she knew it and didn't want to stop it anymore.

It had gotten Kate to giggle suddenly. "Something funny?" Rick had asked with his arms holding Kate in place, while Kate was kissing his chest, grinning and doodling a finger on his chest.

"It's just, … I'm a vampire and you're human. A lot of my kind would be telling me I should be biting you to get the blood I need. Not making love to you, and falling in love with you.

They would see you and Alexis as nothing more than food, not letting both of you into my heart. Especially knowing that we can't create a family together. It'll always only going to be just the three of us." Kate was only making a statement, she had no intention of leaving either one of them, if she could help it.

"The heart wants what the heart wants, all we have to do is listen to it. …. What are your parents going to think?" Rick didn't know if they would ever show up now. Not after Kate had explained how they got here, mostly by accident.

Rick also had no knowledge of this barrier Kate had mentioned at the edge of their system. They could barely get off their own planet as it was, let alone worry what was out there. It did help explain why the Hubble telescope was sending back a jumbled up mess.

Rick however was already proud of Kate. If she succeeded, they would finally get a man out into space, since she knew so much. Way more than even her teacher was trying to teach her.

"I don't know. My parents have always taught us to live with humans, not drink them dry or even bite them if we could help it. They wanted to fit in and live their lives." Kate answers his question.

"Except you were always on the run thanks to these Hunters." Rick comments. Getting Kate to nod her head and kiss his chest and relax listening to his heartbeat and breathe him in, so she could go to sleep.

"This family is amazing!" Kate leaned over and kissed the top of Alexis's head while they watched the movie.

"Mom?" Alexis had a question while snuggled in tight with Kate.

Kate caught her breath as the baby got the bowling ball moving. "What honey?" Kate's attention was on where the bowling ball was going.

"Can you and dad have children?" Alexis had a dream.

That got Kate's attention and Kate was now looking at Alexis. "We're not even married yet honey."

Wait, I just used married and yet in the same sentence. Am I really in that deep?

"Do you want a baby sister or brother?" Kate countered, wondering where this question was coming from. Only to see Alexis with her killer eyes look up at her.

Tell the truth, Rick had said. Always tell the truth. "I don't think we can honey. I'm a vampire who drinks blood, while your father is human who eats food. We're just not the same." Kate explains what she thinks to be true.

"Oh." Alexis looked down and sounded so sad.

"I'm sorry honey. …. It doesn't mean I don't love you, even if you're not mine." Kate tells her kissing her head.

"Not yours." Alexis whispered out sounding even more sad.

"I didn't give birth to you Alexis, but if anyone asks you, you can tell them your mine. I love you." Kate pulled her in tight and wrapped both arms around her. "And I'm not sharing you with anyone except your father."

It got Alexis to look up and Kate smiling now and then Alexis buried her head into Kate's chest, where Kate placed a hand on her head to hold her there. "I love you too mom."

"Alexis. … We had a deal." Kate reminds her.

"You said I was yours." Alexis counters. It got Kate to start opening and closing her mouth like a fish.

Kate moaned softly. "You keep this between us and only call me mom when we are alone. … Deal?" Kate knew she was in deep, still seeing herself as being too young to be Alexis's mother.

Alexis smiled into Kate's chest. "Deal." Alexis adjusted her head on one of Kate's breasts. It was now when Alexis started to softly cry. She had a mom who loved her. A mom who was there for her birthday, went trick-or-treating with her, was going to be there for Thanksgiving, and maybe even Christmas. Who tucked her into bed at night and kissed her even in public.

Kate and her vampire hearing could hear Alexis sniffling. "You alright honey?" Kate kissed the top of her head. Feeling Alexis nod her head. It was enough to get Kate to go back to watching the movie.

The movie was over. "I don't know how to cook, so if you want lunch we either need to get your father or figure it out for ourselves." Kate offered.

"I can show you if you'll help me." Alexis offered smiling up at her.

"I'm willing to learn." Kate stands up and follows Alexis into the kitchen after pressing the rewind button on the remote.

Alexis told Kate where the bread was while Alexis started pulling out items from the refrigerator necessary to make a sandwich. Alexis took Kate through every item and then let Kate put it all back in the refrigerator. Followed by pouring out a glass of milk.

"Well that was easy." Kate stood in the kitchen watching Alexis eat her sandwich.

After Alexis was done. "Now what? It looks like your father is still typing." They needed to stay in the loft because Kate couldn't ask Rick if she could take Alexis anywhere.

"Can you read to me?" Alexis offers.

"We can do that. … First one to your room gets to select what to read." Kate offers and uses her vampire speed to be standing at Alexis's door before Alexis can even say OK.

Alexis takes the stairs slowly. "Not fair mom."

"Seemed fair to me." Kate countered, picking up Alexis and spinning her around while kissing her face, getting Alexis to start laughing.

Alexis was literally in Kate's lap with Alexis leaning back into Kate with her head between Kate's breasts, while Kate read a book to her.

Kate had gotten pretty far when Alexis started to yawn. "Getting sleepy?" Kate asks her. Feeling Alexis shake her head. "Well I have a surprise for you later tonight, but you need to be awake enough for it. So how about a nap?" Kate tries again.

Alexis yawns. "Are you staying?"

"Sure." Kate puts the book away and lays down in Alexis's bed and pulls Alexis back close into her chest while draping an arm over her to hold Alexis in place. "Go to sleep young lady." Kate strokes her hair and kisses the top of her head.

"Hhhmmm, … love you mom." Alexis whispers out before sleep takes her off to neverland.

"I love you too honey. …. I love you too." Kate buried her nose in Alexis's hair and breathed her in.

Rick had wound down from typing and saved his work and went out into the living room, finding it empty. Moving to the kitchen he found a plate that had crumbs along with an empty glass of milk. After rinsing both items and putting them in the dishwasher, Rick went upstairs in search of someone, … anyone.

Alexis's door was partly open so he gave it a quiet knock and pushed the door open slowly. Inside he found Alexis asleep still in her clothes all wrapped up in Kate's arms who was also asleep and still in her clothes.

Rick moved in a little closer and saw that both of them had such a soft peaceful and untroubled look on their faces. It had Rick standing there with his heart melting. Kate and his little girl had been doing a lot of bonding since they had met Kate. And it did his heart good to see his little girl accepting Kate in their lives.

Rick found it difficult to leave them without kissing either of them, but they were so peaceful looking. So Rick shuffled his feet back out of the room and then slipped back downstairs to his study and then hurried back upstairs with his camera, to take a few pictures of it, so he could remember this.

Rick had missed spending the day with them because he had been writing instead. Still it wasn't the first time and Kate hadn't said anything that time. Still they only saw her on weekends since she went to school on the weekdays.

It was starting to get late so Rick started work on dinner for the two of them. While he worked on dinner Rick would write down a few things for the upcoming Thanksgiving day dinner. His mother had declined since she was busy, they had a show for Thanksgiving night. She had however promised to be there for Christmas this year.

Rick was sipping on a glass of wine when he heard Kate and Alexis coming down the stairs.

Kate came right up to Rick and buried her nose into his chest and breathed him in. It still made her weak in the knees. "You get a lot written?"

"Almost four chapters in total." Rick tells her wrapping his arms around Kate and kissing her head.

"How is your new publisher?" Kate asks remembering what Rick had told her about the last one.

"So much better, … it's amazing. Which reminds me, you ready to go shopping for a dress?" His publisher and publicist had talked him into going to a fundraiser to promote his and other writers books. Rick had wanted to take Kate and Alexis with him so very badly.

Kate lifted her head off his chest to look up at him. "You're sure you want me to go with you?" Rick had talked her into it, but Kate wanted to be sure.

"Absolutely! … Unless you are uncomfortable being out in public with me." Rick was will to give her an out still.

"I just don't want anyone getting the wrong impression. I know that you don't care that I'm only 19, but there may be others that do." Kate didn't want this to affect Rick's status.

"If I cared what those people thought I wouldn't have asked. And I want people to get to know you and that you are with me. My old publisher spent so much time trying to turn me into a lose playboy willing to bed any woman who came my way, and that's not who I am. I need you there to quiet all those voices. Plus Alexis gets bored easily." Rick smiles and gives Kate a quick kiss.

In that case Kate was happy to be going. It would show all those women out there that Rick was hers, and she was willing to fight for him to keep him. "Just making sure." Kate patted his chest and went around the counter to sit with Alexis.

Just as Rick and Alexis were sitting down to eat Kate was taking a blood bag out of the refrigerator and popping it into the microwave to warm it up. Then sat down at the table with them after poking a straw into the bag. "Is anyone coming for this Thanksgiving besides me and Lanie?" Kate didn't know what her and Lanie were going to do if someone else was here.

"I had asked my mother but her play has a show on Thanksgiving night, so it will be just the four of us." Rick answers her question. His answer took some of the worry off of her shoulders.

"How is school going?" Rick asks in-between bites.

"Boring!" Kate rolls her eyes. "I'm so far out in front of what they are teaching. I think I'm pissing off some of my teachers since I keep correcting them with all of their mistakes. Sometimes I wonder who is teaching who." Kate knew schools was necessary. She had to have a history in order to get a job.

"Mechanical Engineer, right?" Rick thought he had it correct.

"Yeah, the idea is to someday design a space ship so you can at least get off your own planet and visit the other planets in your system. I prefer working on ships instead of designing them, but with what I know about fixing them should work in design just as well.

My long term goal is to get out there and find out why this system has a barrier keeping all those storms from getting in. The ability of that is above anyone I know of. It's a mystery that I'm dying to solve someday.

Maybe how that works could be designed into our ships and we could search the area free of worry about all the storms out there." Such a system might be even better than a Hunters shielding.

They were done eating and the kitchen was clean. "You ready for your surprise?" Kate turned to Alexis to ask her. Watching Alexis grinning wide nodding her head enthusiastically.

"Good, we need to go up to your roof first." Kate leads Alexis to the front door and over to the elevator and down to the first floor.

"Why are we going down here? This is my building and I have keys for access to the roof." Rick points out.

"You can go up to the roof your way, however I'm taking Alexis up to the roof my way." Kate and Alexis went outside all bundled up for the cold, past the doorman and around the corner to where they couldn't be seen while Rick took the elevator back upstairs.

Kate picked up Alexis in her arms and held her tight. "Ready? We're going to jump up there." Kate points up to the roof of their 5 story building.

Alexis's eyes are wide. "REALLY!?" Alexis's mouth falls open. It wasn't possible. Alexis didn't know anyone or had even heard of anyone capable of jumping that high.

"Ready?" Kate asks again, getting Alexis to nod her head looking up in anticipation. "Here we go." And Kate leaps up onto the roof with ease.

Alexis's eyes were wide again. "WOW!"

Kate has Alexis sitting in her seat inside the shuttle with Kate in her seat when Rick finally shows up. "What kept you Rick? Did you crawl up here on your hands and knees?" Kate teased him.

"Oh funny, ha, ha." Rick responds and then leans in close. "I'll make you eat those words later tonight." Rick nibbled on her ear, getting Kate to moan in anticipation of what Rick was going to do later.

It caused Kate to place a hand behind his head and force his lips onto hers where she could kiss him soundly.

"So why are we up here?" Rick asks.

"I'm going to fly Alexis out into space and take her to my ship and give her a tour of where I have been for the months it took us to get here." Kate explains turning to look at Alexis, who was sitting there with her mouth hanging open. "You want to go?"

It got Alexis to nod her head even more enthusiastically then before. "Let's get you strapped in then." Kate reached across to adjust the straps for her before working on her own.

"Better step back Rick, it's not bad but no reason to take chances." Kate tells him.

Rick stepped back inside through the roof access door and watched Kate close up the shuttle, see the shuttle fire up and take off. "WOW!"

It took a few minutes. "We're in space on course for your moon." Kate tells her. "You can look out the little window on the side." Kate offers and twists the shuttle so that Alexis can first see the Earth below and then around for the moon they are still headed for.

"WOW!" Alexis's eyes were wide again.

It took a few more minutes for Kate to approach her ship and open the hanger doors. "We're entering my ship." Kate explains. Alexis watches all of it out her little window.

"The air is going to be a little stale, so it is going to smell funny until I can turn on some of the systems." Kate warns her, and opens the shuttle doors.

Kate has Alexis's hand as they walk for the bridge to turn on the environmental systems to clean the air. Alexis was holding her nose the whole way.

Alexis watches Kate sit in front of a number of TV screens as all of them come to life and the air soon starts smelling better. "Is this where you fly it?" Alexis asks her first question.

"Yup. … Come on, I'll give you the tour." Kate gets up and takes her hand.

"This is the kitchen and living room. We can watch movies on this screen. This bank of refrigerators held all our blood bags. … This is the medical area. We used the scanner to determine how long we could go without drinking blood for as long as possible. We needed to make our blood supply last as long as possible.

Come on, I'll scan you and you can see how it works." Kate offers and lifts Alexis up onto the bed. "Now lay down so I can turn on the scanner." Kate offers, and presses the button. Allowing Alexis to see the scanner bar run from her head down to her feet and then back again. "See didn't hurt a bit did it?" Kate smiled down at Alexis.

Then Kate looked at the readouts. It didn't show what Kate was expecting, but then Alexis wasn't a vampire so it was supposed to look different, still something was different. Kate now wished Lanie was here to look at this.

Alexis however was fidgeting while lying on the bed. "You want down?" Kate moved in to help Alexis off the scanner bed and onto the floor. However Alexis shook her head, so Kate stopped.

Then Kate watched Alexis reach somewhere and pulled out something from the edge of the bed.

Kate snatched it from Alexis's hand and stared at it. "What's that?" Alexis asked.

"It's a drive. We use it to hold computer programs. My mom used them all the time." Then a light bulb went on over Kate's head. Kate stepped over and plugged the drive into the medical computer system and did a search of the drive.

"It's a program. … My mother must have left it for us." Kate tried downloading it.

It took a few moments when suddenly this guy appeared out of nowhere. "EMH is active, how may I help you?" It immediately, then stepped over to the scanner bed where Alexis was still laying.

"Interesting." It said and activated the scanner again, only this time it pressed several more buttons.

"Very interesting!" The EMH stated while looking at the readouts located above the scanner bed.

"Please take her place so I can calibrate the equipment." The EMH turned to Kate.

Kate helped Alexis off the scanner bed and got up onto the scanner bed and laid down. "Is there something wrong with the equipment?" Kate needed this equipment to work if Lanie was going to be able to remove Rick's bullet from his back.

The EMH activated the scanner and started pressing buttons as the scanner bar passed over Kate twice, just like it did for Alexis.

"Very interesting." The EMH stated without emotion.