A Very Castle Thanksgiving
Author's Note: Okay so this is part of the very castle series, these are all one shots and are not in chronological order! The premise of the story is revolving around Beckett and Castle's first year of marriage. Obviously this is their first Thanksgiving….
"I don't see why we have to go to all that trouble for a meal," Kate complained to Rick for what seemed like the hundredth time.
"But Kate," he whined, "It's Thanksgiving you are supposed to go to all the trouble because it's for your family!"
"Forget it Rick, I am not cooking a full Thanksgiving meal for whatever outrageous number of people you were planning to invite!"
"Kate, I'll cook," he sighed, "Plus Thanksgiving is for family only."
"It'll be a pretty small meal then because we don't have a whole lot of family," she was trying desperately to sound strong and resolved but really she was only nervous. She had spent Thanksgiving alone after her mother died because there had never seemed to be much to be grateful for. But she had Castle now and that was something to think about, she loved him. And he looked very hurt by her last comment, "Rick I-"
He held up a hand, "It's okay Kate there is more than one kind of family." He put his hand on her leg, trying to soothe her.
"I know Rick, I'm sorry the holidays are just really hard for me and over the years I haven't found much to be thankful for."
"Hey Kate, listen you have me and Alexis and Mother, we are your family now." He looked to her with hopeful eyes, "But for this Thanksgiving I was thinking we could invite our other family, Lanie and Javier and Jenny and Kevin. And your dad of course."
"Look Rick, my dad and I haven't spent a thanksgiving together since my mom died and I don't know if he would want to …." She looked very unsure of herself.
"It never hurts to ask Kate, and who knows maybe he has always wanted to spend Thanksgiving with you but wasn't sure if you were ready." Castle stopped for a moment and watched Kate, trying to see her reaction to his comment.
Was Castle right? Kate thought, maybe all these years dad was waiting for me to come around. "Okay fine, we can invite them but you are going to do the cooking," even as she relented the nervous pit in her stomach seemed to only grow bigger.
On Thanksgiving morning Kate didn't even wake up until around eleven. She rolled over in the bed expecting to find Rick's warm sleeping body beside her; instead she found an empty space that felt as if it had been vacant for hours. Her mind was filled with confusion as she stumbled down the stairs to find Rick slaving away over a raw turkey with what appeared to be expert skill.
"Rick what are you doing?" she asked exhaustion evident in her voice.
"I'm cooking Kate," he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and she had to admit it probably was, "the turkey has to be in the oven soon if it's going to be ready by six when everyone gets here."
"Oh," she blushed, "I guess I didn't remember how much work goes into a Thanksgiving dinner. Are you sure you don't want me to help?"
"No, it's fine. I promised you that I would do the cooking, plus Alexis should be here in ten minutes to help, she is a far better cook than me."
"Rick! Your daughter is going to be here in ten minutes and you didn't think to wake me?"
"Well….." He stopped when he saw her glare and decided that just apologizing would be better, "Sorry." He grinned sheepishly.
"It's okay, I suppose I better get dressed." Castle looked at her slightly amused as she tromped back up the stairs.
It turned out to be another half hour before Alexis Castle walked through the loft door, with her new and somewhat shy looking boyfriend Justin in tow. "Sorry we're late dad," Alexis called brightly as she all but skipped through the door. "Traffic from campus was ridiculous."
"Hi pumpkin," Rick said as he gave his daughter a bear hug.
"Alexis!" Kate called as she rushed down the stairs, hoping to save poor Justin from overprotective dad Castle. "Oh and you must be Justin," she extended her hand to the boy before joining Rick's side, "Be nice," she whispered in his ear.
"I'm always nice!" He feigned a hurt expression, "Hello Justin I'm Rick, Alexis' father. We've heard so much about you." He too extended a hand to the boy, though with a much tighter grip than necessary.
"Pleasure to meet you Mr. Castle," Justin replied and then wincing, "That's quite a grip you've got there sir."
"Rick!" Kate tried to look shocked and annoyed while she was trying very hard to suppress a smile.
"Oh sorry man," Rick said and pulled his hand back. He supposed he was being a bit unfair, Justin seemed like a really nice boy and Alexis liked him a lot. It was always going to be hard to think of his little girl dating seriously. "Will you be joining us for our annual Thanksgiving rituals?"
"Is that okay dad?" Alexis asked skeptically, "I didn't know if with Kate here you would want us to…"
"What are you kidding? A Castle Thanksgiving has traditions that must be upheld! And Justin is welcome to join, don't worry its Kate's first year too."
"Did you buy the sticky notes?" Alexis asked as Kate and Justin looked on confused.
"Yep and I bought sweet potatoes as well. You did remember the marshmallows and mangoes right?"
"Wouldn't be Thanksgiving without them!"
"Um Rick, Alexis?" Kate called their attention, "Not to interrupt your excitement but could you please explain to me what is going on?"
"Dad you didn't tell her?"
"I was going to Alexis!" Castle said exasperated as he turned to Kate, "We Castle's have a few traditions for Thanksgiving, and well to be honest I wasn't quite sure if you were going to want to um participate." Rick honestly looked a little nervous and guilty.
Kate felt bad that he looked so upset just because he was worried she wouldn't like his family traditions, so she brightened her face and said, "Well I suppose I'm a Castle now too. It wouldn't be right for me not to be part of your traditions."
His face immediately brightened, "Good let's get started on that turkey then!"
"Um Rick the turkey is already in the oven."
"Not that turkey, our sticky note turkey!" Rick laughed a bit as he began to explain, "When Alexis was in first grade her teacher assigned the class a project to find the most creative way to display what they were thankful for. I was trying to outline one of my books with sticky notes in my office at the time, they just about covered the walls with plot ideas and character developments and Alexis had taken to making shapes with the sticky notes I had discarded. When we found out about the project it seemed like a good thing for Alexis to do while I was working, only we ended up waiting till the last minute to do the project and ended up doing the whole thing Thanksgiving Day." He chuckled a bit at the memory, "It ended up being so much fun writing down everything we are thankful for we have done it every year since."
"Well let's get started!" Kate said suddenly not worried at all about this particular tradition.
They spent the next two hours laughing and working on the turkey. Justin and Alexis giggled over the things that they were each grateful for. Justin was an art major at NYU and even drew some pictures to go with his sticky notes. At one point he even combined four sticky notes and drew a gorgeous picture of Alexis. They all commented on what a great artist he was and even Rick seemed a bit more comfortable with Justin and Alexis when he saw the way they lit up when they looked at each other. As the turkey was almost finished Rick filled in the last space directly over where the turkey's heart should be with a sticky note that had only two words "Kate" and "Always". She smiled and pulled him into a deep kiss and her mouth formed a bit of a smile at Alexis' awkward look.
Alexis saw Kate's smirk and got a bit of revenge as she pulled Justin in for a long kiss. Both couples were thoroughly satisfied and focused when the doorbell rang really loudly. They split apart in shock at first and the laughed as Alexis ran over to answer the door.
"Hey girl, gosh you're getting so grown up, but then you always were the adult in the Castle clan. Where's my girl Kate?"
"Over here Lanie! Hi Javi," Kate laughed as she ran over to greet her best friend and her brother like coworker.
"Girl how is your Thanksgiving going? Ooohhh something smells good!" The feisty medical examiner lifted her nose toward the kitchen.
"I sure hope you guys are hungry," Alexis broke in, "Dad bought a turkey big enough to feed an army. Oh and Lanie this is Justin by the way."
"Hi," Justin said a bit sheepishly as he stood towards the back of the crowd.
"Well get on up here boy," Lanie said with her hands on her hips, "I gotta she what my girl Alexis is getting herself into." After a thorough examination of a very embarrassed Justin, Lanie proclaimed, "Girl, you sure know how to pick 'm."
The afternoon was filled with tons of laughter and the other Castle Thanksgiving tradition, mango marshmallow sweet potatoes. Not quite as emotionally significant as the turkey M n' M sweet potatoes, as they were fondly called, were merely a crazy Castle concoction that had to do with a eight year old Alexis being upset her favorite food, mango' s were not part of a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Castle the ever doting father had made up a recipe that included mangoes in their food. Kate had to admit it was surprisingly good, nothing like that atrocious smorelette.
One by one the other family members began to arrive, Martha her new apartment behind her acting school was only a few blocks from Rick's apartment. The party soon grew as Kevin and a very pregnant Jenny showed up. It was getting late and amidst all the excitement Kate felt a little undercurrent of pain that her father had yet to show up.
"Relax Kate," Rick told her as he placed a hand on her shoulder, "He will come."
She nodded fighting back tears but as if on cue the door opened and Jim Beckett walked in. He was obviously trying to make as quiet of an entrance as possible. Kate of course noticed and ran up to him to give him a hug.
With Jim Beckett's arrival the party was complete and they sat down to the gorgeous Thanksgiving dinner Rick had prepared.
"This is delicious," Jenny exclaimed as she took her first bite, "Kate you must have spent hours doing this!"
"Actually it was Rick."
"Really?" Jenny said shock evident in her face, "You don't think he could give Kev here some pointers then? I wouldn't mind having dinners like these all the time."
"Well honey," Ryan started, "You won't always be eating for two so I think my non gourmet food skills should do." He was quickly silenced with a look from Jenny which was immediately followed by laughter from the group. With that they fell into the easy banter of good friends.
By eleven all of the guests had cleared out, even Alexis who was planning on staying at Justin's that night and spending Friday with his family. Rick had started to protest before a well aimed jab in the stomach from Kate silenced him. They wished the couple a goodnight and relaxed on the couch too tired to do anything else.
"Happy Thanksgiving Kate," Castle mumbled into her hair.
"Thank you Rick, for showing me I have a lot more to be thankful for than I thought." She sighed.
"And what would that be exactly detective?" He said with a somewhat smug grin on his face.
"A wonderful husband who is an amazing cook! I wonder where he is right about now…" Kate let the sentence drift off.
"I love you Kate," he said as he kissed her lightly on the cheek.
"I love you too Rick," she smiled, "I guess you were right it was worth all the trouble for a meal like that one."
"Can I get that in writing?" he asked.
"What?"
"The 'you were right' part." She smiled and leaned back into him as they fell asleep on the couch, both thinking how much the truly did have to be thankful for.
Okay done! Thank God! I wanted to post this before Thanksgiving was over and I have been typing for the past three hours straight. If the ending seems a little rushed it's because I'm literally falling asleep at my laptop! Oh well review please! Also the next in the Very Castle series will be A Very Castle Christmas and it will probably be a multichapter fic. Until next time ~Cate