Hey everyone! Welcome to day one of a 25 day Advent Adventure. First up is a future fic, courtesy of an anonymous tumblr prompt. Hope you enjoy!

(Kate)

She's not surprised to find the loft quiet when they get home. It's well past midnight, the kids have school tomorrow, and they're old enough that the appeal of waiting up for Mom and Dad has long since worn off.

She slips her heels off with a soft groan, tosses them in the closet with her coat. She turns to Castle, brushes a kiss to his lips. "I'm gonna say goodnight to the kids," she whispers. "Meet you in the shower?"

He shakes his head. "Bath," he corrects. "My knees are killing me."

"Kay," she murmurs. "Give me fifteen minutes?"

Castle nods, sends her on her way with another kiss. She tiptoes up the stairs, shivering as her bare feet hit the cold floor.

Larissa's room is her first stop. Her youngest is fast asleep, a book laying open on her chest, and her bedside lamp still on. Kate marks Larissa's place, sets the book on her desk, and turns off the lamp. She kisses her forehead and tiptoes out of the room.

She slips into Nolan's room next, laughs softly when she finds him facedown on his bed, snoring into his pillow. He doesn't stir when she tucks his blanket around his shoulders and kisses him on the cheek.

Charlie stirs when Kate pauses in her doorway, blinking groggily. "Mom?"

"Hey, honey," she whispers, perching on the edge of the bed. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"'s okay," Charlie says. "How was the party?"

Kate shrugs. "Boring," she admits. "We would much rather have stayed home with you guys." She brushes hair out of her daughter's eyes. "You can go back to sleep. I just wanted to say goodnight."

"Night, Mom," she murmurs, eyelids already drooping. "Love you."

"Love you, too." Charlie's asleep again by the time Kate closes her door and slips back downstairs.

She finds Castle in his office, still mostly dressed, staring out the window, transfixed. "Kate, come look," he whispers.

She's positive she knows what he wants to show her, but that doesn't mean that the gentle snowfall doesn't take her breath away. "Wow."

"Yeah, wow," he echoes. "I bet it'll be even prettier in the morning."

She nods. "What do you say we take that bath and get to bed so we can find out?"

Castle grins, his eyes sparkling with all the wonder that this season never fails to bring out in him. "Sounds perfect."