http://numbersnfigures.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] numbersnfigures.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] taxonomites2011-03-09 11:03 pm

12% [location: Spencer's and Kate's apartment] [closed to Kate and Alexis]

Spencer drained the spaghetti as Kate was putting the finishing touches on the sauce. He glanced back at their small table, now hastily set for three. They would need a bigger table if Alexis was going to stay permanently. The apartment was cozy with two, but a bit small with three, even though Alexis had been staying in the spare bedroom.

He placed the bowl of spaghetti on the table and gave Alexis a smile. From the few days that he'd known her, she seemed like a very bright, considerate and driven girl, and he was eager to get to know her a bit better. Spencer sat down next to her and placed his napkin in his lap as Kate brought the sauce over.

"That looks good."

Unconsciously, he placed his hand on Kate's thigh as she sat down, rubbing her gently. Having Alexis around would take some getting used to. He hoped that this dinner would be the first of many "family" dinners they would have. Spencer served Kate some spaghetti before offering it to Alexis.

[identity profile] noheatnikki.livejournal.com 2011-03-11 05:58 am (UTC)(link)
Kate cleared her throat, measuring her words carefully.

"I honestly don't think you're ready to be on your own yet, Alexis. If you'd like, we can set you up a study space at the apartment across the hallway as a way of giving your a space of your own, but I feel like you should still sleep here, at least for a little while."

She looked down.

"I promised your father I would take care of you...if something were to happen. Of course, this is not what either of us had in mind, but I intend to keep that promise."

[identity profile] littlestcastle.livejournal.com 2011-03-11 06:28 am (UTC)(link)
Looking from Detective Beckett to Dr. Reid, Alexis wished the floor would just open up and swallow her whole. She'd been so focused on what she needed to do, on how to keep from thinking about the possibility that she'd never get... Right not thinking about it. The point was, she shouldn't have said what she'd said. They had both been nothing but welcoming and kind to let her stay and Alexis had all but said she wanted to leave.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that I didn't want to stay," she said, the words tripping over each other as she rushed through them. Her cheeks were bright red as she looked up and flailed gestured with a hand at the little apartment. "I just didn't want to be a bother, and I know you're not really ready to have three people here. I mean, I think you'd want priva--"

Alexis didn't know if underground alien cities experienced earthquakes but she wished there would be one right that second.

[identity profile] noheatnikki.livejournal.com 2011-03-11 06:48 am (UTC)(link)
"Alexis, this place...it's not safe. In a lot of ways, I'd rather set you loose in New York than here. At least until you get to know the area a bit."

She took a deep breath, then looked at Alexis.

"We weren't exactly ready to have another person living here with us, but we're fine for now. We'll deal with the rest as it comes. I just...I want to take care of you."

[identity profile] littlestcastle.livejournal.com 2011-03-11 06:59 am (UTC)(link)
Kate Beckett's words stopped Alexis' growing embarrassment cold, and she stared. For a moment, Kate had sounded exactly like her dad. With the same calm, unwavering care.

She looked from one adult to the other, then busied herself poking at her spaghetti, swirling up a forkful, as she tried to find the words past the rising lump in her throat. The pain of her absent dad flared. "I'd... I'd like that." She couldn't say outright that she wanted to be taken care of, because as much as she did she wasn't quite ready to take that particular responsibility away from her dad and transfer it to someone else. "But would it be okay to study across the hall? So you can have some space too?"

That was a much less embarrassing better way of putting things, Alexis.

[identity profile] noheatnikki.livejournal.com 2011-03-11 03:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Kate held on stubbornly. Alexis was a living, breathing reminder of her home. Of Castle. And she had promised him she'd take care of Alexis.

But Kate knew Alexis was smart and self-sufficient. She just couldn't bear the thought of Alexis not being close to them, so she and Spencer could protect her.

"I would feel better if you slept here, at least for now. We can set the apartment up however you want, and you can move over there eventually, but please, sleep here for now."
Edited 2011-03-11 15:14 (UTC)

[identity profile] littlestcastle.livejournal.com 2011-03-11 05:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Alexis nodded slowly and picked up her glass of water for a slow sip, trying to swallow back the lump that was growing in her throat. She could practically hear her dad's voice in the back of her head telling her Kate knew what she was doing and there was no way his little girl was going to stay alone in an alien city.

It helped a little, to think that her dad would approve (at least about the staying with Kate part). "I'll stay," she promised. "I'll only study next door so I don't take over the kitchen table." Alexis swallowed again, and a sad little smile played over her lips. "Dad would want me to trust your judgment."

[identity profile] noheatnikki.livejournal.com 2011-03-11 11:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Kate nodded, then reached out a tentative hand and touched Alexis's arm.

"Your dad is my partner, and I'd do anything for him. And you're the most important thing in the world to him. I can't let anything happen to you."

[identity profile] littlestcastle.livejournal.com 2011-03-12 05:16 am (UTC)(link)
Kate's answer made it even harder to swallow past the lump in her throat, but it was a good thing in its own way. Alexis nodded and reached up to grip Kate's hand for a moment, blinking rapidly to keep the tears from falling. She didn't say anything for a long moment, until she was sure she wasn't going to cry.

"Thank you, Detec-- Kate," she stumbled a little over the name. She offered Dr. Reid a watery smile. She wasn't on first name basis there yet, but she'd get there, someday. "You too, Dr. Reid."

[identity profile] noheatnikki.livejournal.com 2011-03-12 10:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Kate nodded and sat back, glad to be done with that part of the conversation. She cleared her throat again, then picked up her fork.

"So Alexis, if you need any help studying for your APs, Spencer here is a wiz. Three PhDs, did he tell you that? It's like you have your own private tutor in just about any subject you can come up with."

[identity profile] littlestcastle.livejournal.com 2011-03-14 05:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Alexis smiled back at Dr. Reid and nodded tentatively; she wasn't quite ready to drop the title, not when she'd still been calling Kate 'Detective' until all of a minute ago, but she'd get there eventually.

"No, he didn't, he just said he was a doctor. And worked for the FBI," she answered sounding a little bit more like herself, eager and if not yet cheerful, at least very interested. Alexis made a mental note to ask about what subjects Reid had doctorates in. For the moment she didn't want him to think she was just interested in tutoring. That would have been rude, and Alexis was pretty sure she'd exhausted her quota of awkwardness rudeness for a week.

She took a bite of spaghetti and chewed thoughtfully as she looked from Kate to Reid and back. "Is there police here? Or some alien FBI that you both work for?"

[identity profile] noheatnikki.livejournal.com 2011-03-15 12:18 am (UTC)(link)
Kate shook her head, almost regretfully. She really missed her work. And her team. She shook her head, chasing away the thoughts.

"There's not much in the way of crime here, at least not in the traditional sense," just zombies and vampires, Kate thought to herself. "Spencer works in the library and I own a shoe store with a friend of mine here."

[identity profile] littlestcastle.livejournal.com 2011-03-20 01:44 am (UTC)(link)
At Kate's answer, Alexis couldn't help but blink in surprise. But when she thought about it for a few seconds, Alexis admitted that most everything she knew about Kate Beckett was wrapped up in her dad's work and his novels. She'd known Detective Beckett, but not Kate Beckett. So maybe it shouldn't have been surprising.

"I met a couple of them, I think, over the tablet," she ventured. "A few deputies and things. I thought it just meant there was a police station here or something."