Disclaimer: I don't own them.
Notes: I was inspired by this sudden blowing of snow that's hit town (A pathetic amount for delayed school and closing campus the rest of the day; an inch or less is all that is expected). I have no idea if this snow storm ever happened. :)
"Watch, Daddy!" The ten-year-old threw all 50 pounds of herself backwards. She quickly disappeared deep into the snow bank.
Her father laughed and walked closer with the camera, "Where did you go?"
"I'm in here, Daddy!" The little girl waved up at him from inside the hole she'd made. Her green eyes were shining, "This is so much fun!"
"You're going to freeze in there Katie," his large hand appeared in the frame, "Come on out of there."
"Fine," the little girl huffed but took her father's hand. He quickly drug her up out of the snow, "Mommy, what are you doing?"
The camera spun around and suddenly there was a while out, "Johanna!" He wiped the snow off the lens and knelt down to his daughter, "Do you think you can hold this for me?"
"Yes! I sure can!" She eagerly bounced on her feet waiting for him to pass it to her.
"Okay..." He handed it over and showed her to look through it.
"Got it!" She looked through the viewfinder at the tree in front of her and then to the left, "Hi Mommy! Look, Daddy is letting me use the camera!"
Jim Beckett took off through the snow after his wife, "Get over here, Jo!"
Johanna took off laughing and gathering more snow for her next snowball, Kate was laughing as she followed them running through the park having their snowball fight.
Kate let the movie play a few seconds longer until her mother's smiling face was in view, she paused it and smiled. It was one of her favorite memories, and one of the few tapes she was able to salvage from her apartment after the explosion. She remembered the snow storm, it had dumped two feet of snow over night, and she was up and ready to go play in it the minute sky had lightened that next morning.
Her father had brought the video camera he'd just received for Christmas, and wanted to document their outing. She had so much fun that day; they'd stayed out until she couldn't feel her toes, and the snot that was once running freely from her nose had frozen. She'd been ridiculously happy that day. Sledding, snowballs, hot cocoa. Lots of hot cocoa. Her mother had put so many marshmallows in her mug that every sip left her with a little peak of melted fluff on the tip of her nose. She closed the lid of the laptop and picked the mug up off the desk with both hands. She inhaled the smell of the steamy chocolate and took a sip before sinking deeper into the leather chair. She sat the mug down and saw the blue eyes peeking over the edge of the desk at her.
"Hi," she said leaning to eye level, "Can I help you?"
"It's snowing."
"It sure is," she replied with a lilting happiness to her tone.
"Can we go out and play in it?"
"Yes," she smiled and stood, "We sure can."
"Yay!" The four-year-old sprung up into the air and then wrapped her in the biggest hug his tiny snowsuit clad arms could handle before turning and running off to the kitchen, "SHE SAID YES DADDY!"
Kate laughed. She hoped Alex always retained the childlike glee that he had inherited from his father. She bundled herself up and then ducked back into the study to grab the camera off the shelf.
"Ready?" Castle asked as he hoisted the little boy up onto his hip with one hand, and the snow supplies in his other.
"Yep," she grabbed the front door and followed her boys over to the elevator.
"Daddy said we can go to the park. Do you want to go to the park?" Alex leaned across Castle's chest to be closer to her.
"I would love to go to the park," Kate replied leaning down to give him an eskimo kiss, "Especially if you are going to be there."
"I will!"
"Good. I don't like going to the park without you," she lowered her voice into a very loud whisper, "It's very hard to play on the swings without someone to push."
He giggled and sat back up, "Daddy, did you bring my sled?"
"Yep, and I brought a bucket so we could make a snow castle."
"I'm a Castle!" Alex responded excitedly, "You're gonna make a snow me?"
"We can," he laughed.
Kate took the sled and bucket from Castle's hand and replaced it with her own, "That sounds like a wonderful idea."
The elevator touched the ground floor, and they stepped out, "You want me to carry those to the park?"
"I think I can manage to walk two blocks with them," she squeezed his hand, "Besides if you are holding him and your toys who will hold my hand?"
"You make a very valid argument," he backed out the door and held it open for her.
"Thanks," she stepped out into the cold and snow.
Alex tipped his head back and opened his mouth to sing at the top of his lungs, "If all the snowflakes were candy bars and milkshakes oh what a snow it would be!" He let the flakes fall into his open mouth.
The two adults laughed with him, and occasionally caught snowflakes with their tongues too. Their game and Alex's singing quickly brought them to the park, Castle put him down and took the sled from Kate, "I'll race you to the top of the hill over there."
"I'm gonna win!" The little boy took off, and Castle gave him a good head start before following after. "I won!" He called from the top of the hill as Castle puffed and huffed up behind him.
Kate pulled the camera out of her pocket and switched it to the video setting. She laughed as they came down the little slope and Rick threw himself off of the side of the sled to get the little boy laughing. Kate laughed and made her closer to them, "What did you do with Daddy, Alex?"
"I made him fly!" he laughed gleefully and went over to try and tug Castle up out of the snow.
Castle tossed a snowball his way, and misjudging the distance and the power behind it. It sailed right over the little boy's head and landed with a splat on Kate's pants leg, "Eep."
"Did you really just throw a snowball at me?" She edged closer.
"No, I was trying to surprise him," Castle sat up and pulled Alex in front of him," I just missed."
She brushed the snow off of her leg and leaned down to grab her own handful, "I'm sure that's exactly what you did." She walked over next to them and sprinkled the handful right over his head.
He shook it out and tugged her down next to him, "Were you recording us?"
"I still am," she held it the camera up and moved it to where she thought he would be in view.
"Wave hi to the camera, Alex," Castle waved at the little red light.
"Hi camera!" Alex waved with both hands and slung snow everywhere, "Can I hold it?"
Kate's mind immediately went back to the home movie she had just watched, "Yeah, come here." She handed him the camera and explained, "Anything you want in the picture needs to be on the screen okay?"
"Okay!" Alex took two steps backwards and smiled as big as he could, "You and daddy are in the picture!"
"Don't forget sissy," Castle pulled Kate closer and kissed her cheek, then dropped his hand down to her stomach.
"Right!" he moved back a few more steps, "Now, everyone is in it 'cept me."
"Are you excited for her to get here?" Kate asked him.
Alex nodded and the whole camera moved up and down, "I can't wait to be a big brother. 'Lexis told me it's fun to be a big sister, will it be just as fun to be a big brother?"
"I think it will be," Castle replied, "Come here so we can all be in the movie."
Alex came back over to them and handed Rick the camera, "Can I sit in the middle?"
He patted the snow between them and turned the camera around and held it as far away from them as he could, "Right, here buddy."
Alex plopped down and leaned against Kate, "When does sissy get here?"
"Three more months. When it starts to get warm outside she'll be here," she answered as she pushed his beanie back down over his ears.
Alex leaned over so he was right next to her stomach, "Did you hear that Jo? When it gets warm you'll get here. I can't wait to show you how to play all the fun games. Daddy says I can tell you stories until then."
Above him his parents shared a sweet kiss, and Kate dropped her head to Castle's shoulder. He turned the camera off and they both sat there listening to Alex tell his sister about what he had for breakfast and how he could count to 50 and how he could tie his own shoes and that it was snowing outside and she would have to wait a long time before she could see it.
"Alright boys, you need to let me up," Kate finally spoke up not too happy about breaking up their little moment.
"How come? I was just getting to a good part," Alex's head shot up.
"I'm cold and wet," she answered with a pout, "I know I'm a big spoilsport."
"No you not."
Castle bit his tongue on correcting Alex's speech, instead he stood and then pulled Kate up to her feet, "Lets go little man. The sooner we get back and get in dry clothes the sooner you can tell Johanna more stories."
Alex hopped up and went over to the grab the sled and started dragging it towards them, "Let's go!" He pulled it past them and his footsteps crunching along the sidewalk as he went.
Kate laughed and went after him while Castle grabbed the bucket. He caught up, "Why don't you let me carry that?"
"I can do it, Daddy."
"Okay," he shrugged at Kate and took her hand. She fell in closer to his side and took her hand from his opting to slide it around his back instead. He wrapped his arm around her her shoulders and they followed Alex, closely, back to the loft. They spent the rest of the afternoon indoors with movies, snacks, stories, and hot cocoa. With lots of marshmallows.
I have a feeling that all of my Castle stories are going to be extremely Casketty, extremely fluffy, and probably family oriented.