A/N: a Halloween themed collection of one shot stories. AU implied. Ratings will change and vary. I'm recovering from surgery so bear with me.

Castle whined, sighed again, and pushed himself up from the bed, "It's no good, I'll just have to go as me."

"That's not a costume, and it's your party." Kate huffed and followed him, knowing that a little banter would stir the creative juices "Our party, we've got a rep to protect here, Castle."

"Then help me."

"I am!"

"Your last three suggestions were wear a toga, look on google and here let me check facebook real quick."

Enjoying needling him far too much Kate let her eyes dip back to her phone, "Well according to facebook -"

"No good sentence ever starts that way, Beckett."

She ignored him, carried on "- my "halloween boyfriend" is an axe murdering clown."

At the lighting up of his eyes she shook her head, flicked his ear. "No way, Bucko, we've got three kids under six, I do not need weeks of nightmares because Daddy dressed up like Bobo and pretended to axe murder Mommy."

"Oh yeah, and Mommy threatening to shoot Daddy on a regular basis is keeping them sane and normal."

"They're your kids, Castle, sane and normal was never gonna be an option."

His wide eyed grin of pride had her eyes rolling.

"Still no costume ideas?"

The bickering couple pirouetted in unison at the entrance of their friend. Lanie sank down on the desk, eyeing Castle with disbelief.

"Nope, keeping it kid friendly is getting harder. I can't wait until they're teenagers."

"I can," Kate said quietly to herself, brow furrowed with visions of her three very-like-their-daddy kids in full blown teenage mode. Let alone what her genes had thrown into the mix.

"But this is your holiday, your tradition."

"I know," he groaned, head dropping onto his desk with a clonk.

"Well, get your damn Writers vest out of retirement at the very least."

"That vest is not retired," Kate grinned, tongue through her teeth as visions of last night danced playful and seductive through her mind.

"Oh, thats gross."

"You have no idea," Castle smiled suddenly equally lost in memory.

"She has quite a good idea, actually." Lanie piped up, "Mrs. loose lipped detective captain lady over there lets slip quite a lot when she's tipsy."

Kates cheeks pinked up, "Er-" she grinned, "most of it's true."

"And what's not we can try next time Lanie babysits."

Arms crossing, Lanie growled. "It's Espo's turn."

"Nu-uh," Espo appeared in the doorway at the sound of his name, "what's my turn?"

"Babysitting the Castle trio."

"Good god, no. It's Ryan and Jenny's turn."

"They've got three of their own." Kate reminded them, just a little peeved with how her friends were talking about her kids.

"Exactly, they already have paint on the walls and know to watch for singed curtains and bath product experimentation explosions."

"One time." Kate leapt to her kids defense, "One time they accidentally set the curtains on fire."

Suddenly talking amongst themselves Lanie and Espo's heads dipped conspiratorially. "Given the parents, it's hardly surprising they're the most destructive kids known to mankind."

Ryan wandered in, a small, fat baby on his hip, "Talking Castle kids?" He grinned, "Is anyone else waiting for a tiger to appear?"

"Or an explosion whenever they leave the room?"

Espo sighed, "I miss that laptop."

"Hey!"

Jointly defensive, Kate was now on her feet, finger pointed at the adults, whilst Castle stood at her side as if preparing to hold her back.

"We replaced your computer."

"And your curtains."

"And that vase was very precariously balanced."

"And kids throw food all the time."

"Jake only took that duck for a walk."

"And lily didn't mean to tap dance the mirror off the wall, she just has a lot of energy - "

" - and her grandmothers flare for high kicks

"Guys, you gotta admit it," Ryan smiled.

Espo grinned, "Your kids are a handful."

Lanie glared, "Just like you."

Kate opened her mouth, but a loud crash drowned out the rest of the argument

"We'll pick this up later," Kate threatened, mama bear mode hard to switch off.

"Go pick that up first," Lanie cackled as the sound of crashing crockery and giggling filled the loft.