Authors Note; Surprise! I'm not dead. :P It's just been hard times on my side of the world. :/ Finally got up and finished this. I'm not totally satisfied with it, but I figured I'd get what I could get with the muse acting up. I hope you all have enjoyed this little excerpt from my mind. Hopefully I can get back to my other FFs as well. xD Thanks for sticking with me! :D New ideas are welcomed too, if there is something you wanna read, have an idea but don't really write, just shoot me a note. c:

Disclaimer; You know the drill...

Chapter Three

Misguided Ghosts

"Okay, first things, first." Alexis said as she led Kate into the store. "We get some flowers for your mom." She said it softly, almost hesitantly. She immediately searched Beckett's face for anything that would indicate what she was feeling.

What she found, she couldn't decipher, which honestly didn't surprise her. Katherine Beckett was a puzzle even to Alexis. Kate's heart did something funny as her hands slid to her back jean pockets to keep them from clenching. Reminding herself to breathe for probably the 100th time today, Kate finally offered Alexis a smile as she let everything settle. "Okay." She finally said, really unsure she could manage anything else.

Alexis gave her a hesitant smile and held out her hand. At first, Kate stared blankly at the offered appendage, as if she had no idea what the red head was doing. It took a moment for Kate's brain to register the action and just as Alexis looked as though she was going to pull her hand back, already looking dejected, Kate quickly grabbed the girl's hand. Alexis laced their fingers and beamed up at Kate as she led her along the isles until they were in the back of the store where many different assortments of flowers were.

"So, what kind of flowers does your mom like?" Alexis asked as her eyes scanned the many beautiful arrangements. The use of the present does instead of the past did, did not go unnoticed by Kate. She wondered if Alexis was just trying to be careful with her wording or if there wasn't any thought put into it at all and it just came out just as it was.

She searched through the arrangements and then gently placed her hand on a bouquet of daisies and lilies. "She'd like theses." Kate said softly, her heart weighing slightly as she thought back to the days when her mother was alive. Alexis nodded and smiled gently as she gave Kate's hand a light squeeze, letting her know that she wasn't alone.

After paying for the flowers, Alexis and Kate stepped out of the store and walked toward the car. "So, where are we going to, next?" Kate asked, even though the answer was pretty obvious.

Alexis released Kate's hand as they reached the car. Her light blue eyes met Kate's Sage green ones and they held each others' gaze a moment before Alexis answered quietly. "To see your mom." It was all she said as she opened the door to the car and slid in quietly.

The car ride to the cemetery was quiet and uneventful, both woman lost in their own thoughts though pretty similar.

Kate swallowed hard as they pulled up to a set of menacing looking steel gates, beyond them was a beautiful cemetery...Could a cemetery even be classified as beautiful? She wasn't exactly sure. As if Alexis was reading her mind, she spoke. "Wow, this is a really beautiful and well kept cemetery." She said softly, offering Kate a sweet smile as they slowly drove into the opened gates.

Kate simply nodded, returning the smile and cutting off the engine. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, willing herself to get out of the car. Alexis followed suit, grabbing the bouquet from the back seat and moving around the car to hand them to Kate.

"I'll let you go give your mom the flowers." Alexis said a little shyly. Kate swiveled her head to look at Alexis in surprise. She had figured that the girl would have come with her, but was grateful that she would have some time to herself with her mom.

"Thanks." She said meekly as she gave the girl an awkward side hug and then began walking through the grass to where she remembered her mother's gravestone rested, careful to avoid stepping on others' graves. Alexis leaned back against the hood of the car, watching her step-mother carefully before averting her eyes as the woman came to a stop to a dark gray tombstone, figuring it was more polite to this way.

Kate inhaled slowly and held her breath a moment before releasing it and taking one last glance to Alexis. The girl was looking off to the right, paying attention to nothing in particular, just giving Kate space. She smiled at her thoughtfulness and brought her attention back to the tombstone. Her eyes traced over her mother's name and then one of her mother's favorite palms from the bible.

Sighing, Kate knelt down and set the flowers on her mother's grave and closed her eyes. She decided against talking out loud and opted for in her head. That was how she'd done it in the past. She squatted there, awkwardly and opened her eyes as her own voice echoed through her mind.

Hi, mom...Happy Mother's Day. I hope you're doing okay...I miss you. I'm sure you're surprised to see me here. I know I haven't been to visit you in a long time...Things have been...crazy. I'm sure you've noticed that, I'm with someone now, and apparently I have a kid. I know, it surprised me too...But, I love them. I didn't know I could love someone so much. And-I know that, Alexis isn't biologically mine and we don't share genetics, but-Mom, she's just an amazing kid, and I love her like she's my own. She is mine, though, despite it all. Castle-Richard...Rick, he's...He's something.

Kate chuckled softly to herself as she continued on with her rambling thoughts to her mother.

I'm not sure where I'd be without him. I'm in love with him, Mom. It scares the hell out of me, and excites me all at the same time. I know I can be a pain in the ass, but he deals with me, loves me for me. I'm...I'm happy. But, I think you should meet your granddaughter...After all, she is the one who brought me here, who helped me pick out these flowers. You'd love Alexis, she's great. So smart, and sweet. I'm just so honored to be called her mom.

Kate grinned and turned to wave over Alexis. The red head caught Kate's arm from the corner of her eye. She snapped her head back to stare at Kate, her nerves and fears disappearing as she noted the smile and at ease look on her step-mother's face. Alexis smiled back and began walking over to meet Kate, suddenly a little nervous again.

"Alexis-" She paused, unsure of how to word it all, but as usual, Alexis came in for the rescue, already sensing what she wanted to say.

"I wish I could have really met her..." She said softly as she looked up at Kate and offered a shy smile. Kate felt her heart rate pick up a little and she smiled back and pulled the girl into her side.

"She would have loved you." Kate said softly as she kissed the top of Alexis' head and let her cheek rest against it. They stood there in a comfortable silence, looking down at Johanna's tombstone, each to their own thoughts.

Finally, Kate broke the silence and tugged on Alexis' arm. "C'mon, kid. I'm hungry. I assume since it is mother's day, you're treating me to some lunch and we're going shopping?" She asked with a small smile on her face.

Alexis beamed up at her and nodded enthusiastically. "Yes!" She forced herself to calm down, biting her lip softly. "Unless...You don't want to. We don't have to..." She said quietly, eyes moving to a spot on the ground.

"Of course I do. Maybe we can even catch a movie later too." Kate offered, loving the thought of knowing that she had caused the large, sweet smile that appeared on Alexis' face.

"That'd be awesome." The red head grinned and wrapped her arms around Kate tightly before she grabbed the older woman's hand and led them off to the car to start one of the best Mother's days ever.

The End (So cliche!)