This is why ajksmusic and I need to not be on Skype at 1 AM. Because things like this happen.

I really don't even know. Have some Castle/Beckett family fluff.

After what very well might be the longest day in the history of her career, all she wants to do is get home. She just wants to get home, take a hot shower, curl up in jammies with her daughter and husband. That's it.

Apparently, she thinks, it's too much to ask because traffic is backed up for blocks down her street – she can see their building in the distance but it's still so far away, and she just wants to be home.

The day sucked. Two open cases, one with leads upon leads – a rush to close, and the other with absolutely none. A standstill. It didn't help that she had Gates practically breathing down her neck about sitting the Captain's exam.

It wasn't that she didn't want to, she told herself, she did. But it was a big change and she and Castle still hadn't had time to sit down and discuss it, amongst the many other changes in their lives right now.

Alexis is in the process of starting a new job, in between places, so she's been in and out of the loft for a couple of weeks. Martha's studio is opening a second studio, Castle is getting ready for a new book tour for his Nikki Heat, Derrick Storm crossover novel and then there was the baby. Still so new that they've only told their daughters and parents.

She just wants to get home.

Finally she manages to find a spot in the garage next to their building and makes it upstairs as quickly as possible. Any slower, she figures, and something else will fall in her way.

As she's pulling her keys out of her pocket she can hear the giggling on the other side of the door. She sighs, smiles. Finally. Home.

She's through the door, dropping her file bag and coat before they even notice her. It's perfect though, because if they did she'd miss out on the scene before her.

The opening of Brave is playing on the television, although none of them are paying attention. Alexis, dressed in an Iron Man t-shirt and gold pants that had to belong to Martha is working the camera – snapping stills or taking video she didn't care, as long as someone was catching this on film – tiptoeing backwards around the living room ahead of her father and sister, grinning wildly as Anna laughs and Rick narrates.

Rick. This was one of those instances in which she had no idea if he was goofing off for the sake of his daughter, or using his daughter as an excuse for it. He has on one of his several Green Lantern shirts, complete with gloves and mask, their littlest girl in his arms, flying, she assumed.

"Faster than the speed of light she makes it from Fairy World to Gotham! Zipping over buildings, zooming around clouds and planes. Could it be? Is it? Yes! It's Batgirl!"

"I'm Batman, Daddy!" Their little one argues. "Not Batgirl."

"I'm sorry," he breaks from his narrative to correct himself. "It's Batman!" Just then he turns, spots her.

And so does Anna.

"Mommy!"

Then, she laughs. Falls apart at her seams with happiness when Anna starts to wiggle in her husband's arms, reaching for her. He speeds through the living room, over the couch cushions, pillows and blankets that make up the fluffy city below her flight pattern.

"Quickly Batman travels over the city, rushing to reach the woman crying out for help!"

Kate stumbles back against the door, feigning trouble, "Oh Batman! Save me! I might not make it out alive!" She throws the back of her hand against her brow, the other hand reaching out to the tiny hero. "Help me Batman, you're my only hope!"

Anna lets her father put her down and rushes over, tackling her mother. "I'll save you, Mommy!"

"Hurry! Only a kiss can break the curse!"

She loves moments like this more than anything. When they're all home and making up stories for the little girl. Cocktails of fairytales and superheros, sometimes mixed with watered down versions of her own adventures with Castle. Anna soaks it all in, and sometimes Kate thinks that she may have an imagination to beat her father's.

Anna crashes into her legs, tugging on her shirt to pull her down to her level. Kate sinks and lets her daughter land in her lap as soon as she hits the floor. Little hands frame her face, tiny fingers pressing against her cheeks. Anna presses a smacking kiss against her forehead just as Kate closes her eyes. For a moment she makes no sound, doesn't move. She can feel Anna's breathing, the little girl staring at her waiting to see if she saved the day.

"Did," she pleads, "did it work?"

Just as the girl's voice tips towards upset Kate pulls her down, her fingers tickling Anna's sides as she peppers kisses all over. Anna laughs and laughs, the sound echoing through the loft like a song. She thinks she sees a flash go off but keeps going. "Oh, you saved me! I'll love you forever, Batman!" She cries, grinning.

She ends the barrage of tickles, sits up cradling Anna in her arms, the both of them catching their breath as they let out a few leftover giggles. Her little one sighs, cuddles in closer, her arms wrapped around Kate's neck. "Love you forever," she mumbles into the collar of her shirt.

"Love you forever, baby."

It's then that she finally gets a good look at what her daughter is wearing. While Alexis is sporting metallic pants, Anna is by no means less flashy. She's got on a pair of pajamas that Kate has never seen – a little grey top with the Batman symbol, the words "Future Crime Fighter" in an arc above it, little white pants covered in the logo, but over that, oh, she can't help but laugh just a little. Anna has on a yellow and black tutu over the leggings.

She wipes some stray curls out of Anna's face. "Where'd you get these PJ's, Anna?"

Anna grins, glows even, with excitement. "Lexi got them for me! I'm Batman!"

"Yeah," Kate laughs, "I can see that. And a very good Batman you are." She rubs her nose with Anna's, sending the little girl into another peal of laughter. "And the tutu?" She tugs on the colored tule.

"Found it in the toy store," Castle says. "It was too perfect to pass up."

"Sure it was," she gently rolls her eyes at her childish husband, but can't fight the little smile playing at her lips.

Reluctantly, she lets Castle help her stand, his arms wrapped around them both. Once she's up Anna squirms, drops to the floor before running back to her big sister, babbling something about a toy bow and arrows and where are they, Lexi?

"Hey," she looks up and before she can return the greeting he kisses her. "Long day?"

"The longest," she sighs, turns and wraps her arms around his waist. "But this makes it better. Worth it."

"Good," he smiles. They both laugh when they hear Anna and Alexis discussing how Merida's a hero even though she's a girl, and that she can be Batman because girls can be heros too.

"She's in a hero kind of mood."

"So I've gathered. Looks like you and Alexis had no problem joining in."

"'Course not. Now," he whispers into her ear, "There may or may not be a related surprise waiting for you in the bedroom."

She narrows her gaze at him, trying to figure out his angle. "You do know that both of your daughters are wide awake and, right here."

"Why Detective Beckett, I have no idea what you are implying."

"Mhmm," she hums. Suspicious. "I guess I'll just have to go investigate then."

"I guess you should," he pushes.

She makes for their bedroom after instructing him to supervise the girls currently having target practice with the window. Sure enough, she finds her own shirt on the bed – Captain America – and can't figure out exactly whose idea this was of the three of them, though she's fairly certain that it's her husband's unique way of telling her that she should take the position Gates is offering her.

She changes quickly, opting for a pair of looser leggings with the shirt, dreading the fact that she's not too far away from having to put away her skinny jeans for the next several months.

But the sounds of her family just beyond the door settle in, make her heart swell in spite of it. She can't wait to add to their family.

When she walks back into the living room Rick is helping Anna figure out how to aim the little plastic, suction-cup arrows at the glass. The little girl's tongue is poking out from her lips in concentration. Alexis watches on from the side, dutifully holding the extra arrows for Anna.

"Hey Anna," she calls when she spots Kate, "You want to show Mommy what else we bought today?"

Oh, Kate thinks, so it was a whole shopping trip today then. Before she can ask Anna is scampering off to the office, returning with a small bag from Comicadia. "What's this?" She asks when her daughter hands it over.

"A present!" Anna chirps.

"For me?"

Anna looks puzzled for a moment, turns back to look at her sister for the answer.

"Kind of," Alexis supplies. "But you don't need it yet." Rick steps over and wraps an arm around his oldest looking on as she pulls apart the plastic to look inside the bag.

"Oh," she sighs, has to push back the flood of emotion at the sight. She pulls out the gift with a gentle hand, the cotton so very soft against her fingers. The top of the tiny body suit is red, the sweeping "R" standing out in yellow, the bottom emerald green. She can't believe it. There's even a yellow cape printed on the back.

"It's for the baby!" She looks up and finds Anna grinning, wide-eyed and so thrilled with herself.

"Did you pick this out all by yourself?"

Anna nods, the waves of her hair bouncing all over, ""Cause I'm Batman! Do you like it?"

"I love it, baby. Come here." She pulls Anna up into her lap, wraps her arms around the girl, nuzzling her nose into her hair. "It's perfect."

Castle takes the onesie from her, dropping it back into its bag and setting it on the counter behind the couch while she rocks Anna back and forth.

"Can we watch the movie now?" Anna asks into her shoulder.

"Yeah, we can" she laughs, wipes a stray tear from the corner of her eye. She hugs her daughter closer to her as Alexis and Castle gather up the blankets and pillows. The four of them cuddle into the re-assembled couch, wrapped up in blankets as Merida rides off with a plan to change her fate.

She's tucked into Castle's side, nearly to the end of the movie when she notices that both Anna and Alexis have fallen asleep against them.

"She really picked it out herself?" She asks her husband.

"She did. I think Alexis may have pointed it out, how cute it was, but Anna decided that we had to buy it."

Her fingers card through the short waves of Anna's hair. The little crime fighter's weight is warm against her and everything she wanted after the hellish day.

"I'm not sure she realizes that we can't use it for months though." He muses.

The smallest laugh escapes her lips, entertained by the fact that he's probably right and when their daughter finds out that they have to wait until there's actually a baby to put in the little Robin onesie she'll pout for days.

"She'll live."

He presses a kiss to the side of her head, she squirms in closer, just a bit. As if there was actually any more space to fill in. The sun is setting just outside the window and she knows that they're all going to be hungry soon. Yet, she can't bring herself to mind, or want to move at all.

"Good way to end the day?" His arms tighten around she and Anna, fingers of the hand draped over the couch gently sweeping Alexis's ponytail.

It's a smile like no other. "The best."

Yep. Hope you enjoyed!

Tappin
=)