BECAUSE BIRTHDAY. Holy moly, this is long. And for Vallie, like all the pugs are.

Disclaimer: it's not my birthday.

The blaring noise of the phone cuts into Kate's dream, ruining the very strange dream that involved chasing an elephant through the streets of Paris. And then it stops, abruptly, followed by a low murmur that floats through into her dream in the form of a talking elephant.

"No, she's calling in sick." What? She grunts, tries to pull herself out of her semi awake daze, rolls her head sideways. "Well, of course she's sick."

"Castle." Kate mumbles, her hand reaching out to try and wrestle the phone from him. "What are you doing?"

"Not doing anything. Just go back to sleep. Everything's fine."

"Castle, I'm not – give me the phone." She's rolling over properly now, trying to get the phone from his grasp. "Seriously –"

There's a beep, and he grins at her. "Oops."

She swats his arm, turns away with a disgruntled sigh. She doesn't get far, Castle's rolled over onto his side so he can hook an arm around her waist and pull her back, flush against him. "It's your birthday, Kate. Shouldn't have to work on your birthday. It should be illegal. Just… one day. Okay?"

"What've you got planned?"

"Who's to say I have anything planned?" He grinned against her bare shoulder, even as his hand trailed down towards her hip. "I might just make us stay in bed all day."

"Dogs and kids, Castle. They can't fend for themselves."

"They can for an hour. There's no school, and it's only half six. They won't be awake yet. Just… come back to bed."

She really can't say no. Not when he's warm and solid behind her, and work aren't expecting her and the kids are going to be asleep, and the pugs won't be awake until they are and really what's the harm? She turned over, resting her head in the crook of his neck. "Fine." She replies, closing her eyes, feels the pull of sleep wash over her again.

It's two and a half hours later when she's woken up by three dogs, a fourteen year old, a twelve year old and a six year old. Benjamin has landed across her waist, Frappuccino stood on his back, grinning at her in only the way that dogs can. Castle is missing, but she can hear the sound of cooking. And smell coffee. James is handing her a mug and she takes it with a grin. "You lot are awake early."

"Surprise!" Benjamin shrieks, kicking his legs against the mattress.

"Hey, calm the kicking. Hot drinks in bed." Kate admonishes, laying her hand flat on Benjamin's back. "What surprise?"

"Mom, that's a surprise." Mary sighs, rolling her at eyes at her. Now she knows how Castle feels. "You'll have to wait and see."

"You better not be giving the game away." Castle says, shoulder barging the bedroom door open. "I'm going to be upset if you are."

"Surprise!" Benjamin is shrieking again, and he sits up, forgetting that Frappuccino was sat on his back. The dog falls, lands on his back with his three legs waving in the air. "Frapp! Frapp I sorry!"

Frappuccino has already wriggled himself over, tail still wagging. He bounds over to Benjamin, jumps up to lick his cheek. Benjamin gathers him up in his arms and pulls him to his chest. "It's okay Bendog. I got you, Bendog."

"Alright, Benjamin. Shove over. Let Mommy eat." Castle is reaching over and laying a tray across her lap, piled high with waffles and strawberries and a lot of maple syrup. She barely has time to lift up her fork before Castle is reaching down to rip a corner of the top waffle off. She raises her eyes at him, tightens her grip on the fork.

Castle laughs and pops the food into his mouth. "I was hungry. And you were taking to slow." He claps his hands. "Right, Kate, you eat. Preferably quite quickly, and then get dressed. Shower, if you must, but do it quick. Mary, James, Benjamin. Feed the dogs, get dressed." He waved them away, and Benjamin and Frappuccino scatter. Mary and James make a more sedate exit, Mary leaning over to press a kiss to Kate's cheek. "Happy Birthday, Mom."

Kate reaches out to grab her daughter's hand. "Thank you, sweetheart. But those are my strawberries. Hands off."

Mary laughs, takes a strawberry anyway, and runs off before Kate has a chance to say otherwise.

Castle is dragging her out of the loft before she even has a chance to finish drying her hair. Benjamin has run ahead, Frappuccino bouncing around on his lead. He jumps up to punch the button, runs back to Kate as he waits for the lift to makes its journey up towards them. Kate catches his hand, swings it between them as he talks about her. Nonsense about something Bendog did, something about pre-school, a picture he'd painted. Mocha and Macchiato are tangling each other up in their own leads, far too excited to stop jumping and running around in circles. Mary and James are doing some complex duck and weave to try and get them untangled but they're still just as messed up when they make their way into the lift.

Mary unclips Mocha pulls the lead free of Macchiato's and then picks Mocha up. "You're gonna like this Mom. It's good. We've been planning it for weeks."

"I'm sure I'd love it regardless, Mary."

"Are we going to the park, Daddy?" Benjamin asks, tilting his head up until he could look at Castle properly. "The park is our first stop, right?"

"Benjamin, shut up!" James yells. "You'll give it away!"

Benjamin's brow furrows and his eyes narrow, and Kate grabs the back of his collar, knowing that Benjamin would launch himself at James and use fists, knees, elbows and feet to cause as much pain as he could. "James, no yelling. Benjamin, no fighting with your brother."

"But mom!"

"James, I said no yelling. The park is a big place, I'm pretty sure you'll still manage to surprise me. No fighting. Not today. Okay?"

Benjamin shook himself free of his mothers grip and blew a raspberry at James, before turning around and sulking in the corner. Castle is barely managing to keep the smile from his face, and Mary is rolling her eyes at both of her brothers.

Duke Ellington Circle on 110th Street and Fifth is crowded with families. There's wheelbarrows and hoe's and spades and shears and rakes and trowels, all scattered around. Kate looks at Castle, arms folded. "Thought you said I wouldn't have to work, Castle."

"This isn't work." He defends himself. "This is Family Volunteer Day. No work involved. Come on, it'll be fun!"

Benjamin has already run off to talk to a volunteer, the purple fleeced woman greeting him with an enthusiastic smile and a pat on the head for Frappuccino. "And you thought the dogs would be suited for this?"

"Well, you know. They're part of the family, and this is a Family Volunteer Day. It'd be mean to leave them out. And anyway, they're well behaved. They can sit and chew on a stick."

"Alright, fine. But if they cause mischief, I am putting all the blame on you. Okay?"

He nods his head solemnly, and waves at a man who's approaching them from the middle of the crowd. "Milo! Hi."

"Hello, Mr. Castle." The easy going Milo replies, pushing his hand through his wild mop of hair. "Mrs. Castle."

"Kate is just fine." Kate smiles. "What exactly is going on today?"

"Well, we'll be planting some new tree's, gathering up some of the dead leaves, prune some bushes. General gardening. Help keep Central Park looking lovely, as usual." He smiles, gestures to the tools around them. "Just help yourself to whatever tools you want, and we'll put you to work."

"Sounds good. Where should we start?"

Castle starts it by flinging a handful of leaves at Benjamin. Frappuccino jumps about and barks, and Mocha Macchiato don't take much convincing to join in, bouncing and barking at every leaf that crunches underneath their paws. Benjamin rushes at Castle, his head buffeting into Castle's stomach. He groans, falls back theatrically, starfished on the ground. Benjamin jumps on him, followed by three frantic dogs.

"Help! Mercy! Police! I'm being attacked! Send help!"

Benjamin growls at him, all wide eyed and not fierce at all, tiny hands trying to tickle his father. Mary and James both sigh, both of them uttering "Daaaaaaaaaaaaad." at the same time.

Castle laughs and rolls sideways, tips all three dogs and boy onto the ground. "Ha! I have escaped!"

James then takes it upon himself to fling himself onto Castle's back, arms around his neck. "Not so fast, criminal! Unhand this young man, he has done nothing to you!"

"I have been betrayed!" Castle managed to turn around on his knees, eyes imploringly staring at Kate. "Fair damsel, would you help a kind and honourable man and rid me of these savages?"

Kate pressed her mouth together to stop from laughing, turned to look at Mary. "What do you think, Mary? Should we help?"

Mary tilted her head to the side, watched her father and her two brothers and three pugs with an air of smug indifference. "You know, Mom. I don't think we should. I vote we leave him."

Kate grinned. "I think you're right."

Mary at least whistles Mocha, and the pug leaps away from Castle and crowds around her legs. She takes her mother's arm and they start to stroll away from the fighting males.

It doesn't take them long to catch up, Castle catches Kate around the waist stops her in her tracks. "You're supposed to save me, Katherine."

"Oh, you were doing fine on your own. Besides, it's twelve pm. Family Volunteer Day has finished."

"Hm, oh. Yeah. Right." He turned to Benjamin who was taunting Frappuccino with a long piece of grass. "Benj! It's your turn, where are we going now?"

"Queens! Queens! Going to see the Queen!"

"Benj- we're not going to see the Queen. But we do need to find a cab."

"Queens Museum of Art?"

Benjamin nods, already jumping to get out of the cab. "Daddy said we could pick one thing to do today. And I picked to go to Museum."

"And what's in the museum, Benjamin?" Kate asks him, leaning forward and whispering at him.

Benjamin does open his mouth, manages to get the P out before Mary covers his mouth. "Remember, Benj. Mom's not allowed to know."

"Oh! Surprise!"

Castle laughs. "Yeah, that's right. It's a surprise. Come on, everybody out."

"Castle, the pugs – you can't take pugs in a museum."

He laughed again, took her hand. "That is where you are wrong. Being a best-selling author tends to have its privileges', especially when you get to pay off the owner."

"They're actually letting us… with the pugs?"

"Don't sound so surprised! I gave them a very generous donation and today they will let us in with the pugs, and it's our room for as long as we need it. As long as we don't need it for more than an hour. But we need to be gone by half one anyway," he glanced at James, who nodded. "Half one."

"Oh – wow – Benjamin, when did you hear about this?" Kate turns around, watching her feet so she doesn't accidentally kick the Brooklyn Bridge.

The Panorama of the City of New York, is huge. Five boroughs and more than 800,000 buildings taking up the entirety of the room. The Hudson and the East river snake through it, two long lines of blue, bridges spanning both of them. It's actually amazing, just seeing how big the city that they live in – that they call home – actually is.

"Papa!" Benjamin yelled from across the room, from where he was stomping up the Hudson. "He told me!"

"Good old Papa." Kate laughed, stepping over the bridge. "Can we see our house?"

"Found it!" James yells. He's standing near the docks, Macchiato in his arms. "Can we adopt it? Dad, Dad, can we?"

Kate frowns. "Adopt it?"

"Yeah!" Benjamin runs up to her, fingers digging into her hips. "If you give people money then you get to adopt a building!"

"Are we going to adopt a building, Castle?"

Castle laughs. "I already paid them for it. If you look closely, you'll see all of us on there."

Mary leans over, lets out a gasp. "We're all on there! Even Latte!"

"Yeah, well, even though Latte's not here anymore, she's still a part of the family. Right? I thought she deserved to be on there, just as much as we did." He clapped James on the shoulder before reaching over to scratch Macchiato on the head. "So, now that's our building."

"The loft isn't on it though." Kate observes, leaning against Castle's side. "Or was your loft built after this?"

"My loft? It's our loft. Or haven't you been living there for the past fifteen and a half years?." He nudged her with his hip. "Originally built in 1964, but there's been additions ever since. Citi Field, Brooklyn Bridge Park. Just keeps being changed."

"Why'd you want to come here, Benjamin?" Kate asked her youngest son, who was looking down at the cityscape with a massive grin on his face. "What made this place so special?"

"It's small. Make me feel big. I like big." He stomped down the river, growling and rawring, Frappuccino following in his wake. "Makes me feel invincinable."

"Invincible, Benj."

"Exactly. Invincinable." Kate shakes her head at Castle, the writer in him wanting to correct Benjamin, but the father in him knows that invincible is a hard word for a six year old to even know the meaning of, let alone say. "I am invincinable and not even Godzilla can destroy me."

"Godzilla could eat you." Mary puts in. "Godzilla could eat all of us and we wouldn't even touch the sides."

Benjamin folds his arms and turns his attention to his sister. "Godzilla could never eat me. I wouldn't let him. And Frappuccino could fight off every dinosaur in the world."

"Godzilla wasn't a dinosaur," Mary adds, with a slight smirk of her mouth, "he was a lizard that was genetically effected by atom bombs. Nothing dinosaur about it."

"Mary, stop winding up your brother."

"I wasn't winding him up. Just teaching him the difference between a dinosaur and a giant lizard!"

"So, James. In what direction are we heading now?"

"Radio City." James grins, sticking his hand out and hailing a cab.

Castle raises an eyebrow at her, and she shakes her head. Her baby boy is starting to grow up and she's not really sure how she feels about that. But she knows what's on at Radio City Hall at this time of year, knows that James has always had a fascination with Christmas and everything to do with it. She shouldn't have expected anything else, really.

"Why are we taking the pugs to places where pugs aren't allowed to be? Or have you paid off Radio City too?"

"That would be telling. As it is, we have a box for ourselves, and as long as we keep the dogs off the seats then they are more than welcome. Isn't it handy being married to a best-selling author?"

"I rather think it's the money, rather than your so called fame. But yes, there are some perks of being married to a best-selling author." She let the kids climb in first before following Castle, settling in close to him. "This is a good birthday. Thank you."

"It's not over yet, Kate. You've still got James's to get to, and then Mary's. And then you can thank me for frankly the best birthday ever. It's not every day you turn fifty."

Kate groaned, pressing her forehead into his shoulder. "Don't say that. I feel old."

"Come off it. In ten years I'll be in my seventies. If anybody's old, it's me."

"Hm, yeah. I'm gonna have to give you a heart attack and run off with all your well earned money."

"Remind me to not take any food off you in the near future. Or drink. Or anything. Anyway, you had plenty of chances to run off with my money, and you haven't yet. I guess I'm stuck with you, or something."

"Oh, yeah. Make it sound like such a chore. Thanks, Castle."

Benjamin reaches over and pokes Castle's leg. Hard. "You said no fighting!"

Castle roars with laughter. "We're not fighting, Benj. It's okay. You know me and your mother like to wind each other up a lot, you know we do."

"But why can't we do it?"

"Because we're older, and wiser, and we're allowed." Kate smiled. "When you're older you can wind people up too. Just not now."

Benjamin was silent for a few seconds. "I'm older now!"

The box that the usher has guided them to, chatting amicably with all things pug with Benjamin. Mary is hanging back, far too invested in her cell phone to even talk to them. Kate was ready to confiscate it from her, but Castle had intervened. Apparently she needs it for planning, needs to keep in touch with people. Or something. That's why she's currently holding a fidgety Mocha, his front paws wriggling so he can look over her shoulder at his owner. Kate sighs, shifts the dog until he's practically splayed across her shoulder, back paws resting on her collarbone. His breath is hot and wet and kind of stinky against her neck and she wrinkles her nose.

"Mary, is everything okay?" Castle asks, slowing his pace so Mary could keep up with him. "No problems?"

"No, no everything's okay. Just a sitrep. Mom doesn't know, does she?"

"No, she doesn't have a clue. And even if she did, she'd pretend she didn't. She's good that way."

"Yeah, she's good. She will like it, right?"

"Are you kidding? She'd love it. This is all your idea, and she'll be proud and happy and probably cry a bit at how much time you've put into it. Stop worrying, okay?"

"That was amazing." Kate laughed, standing outside the hall, unable to stop the smile from spreading. "That was actually… James, thank you. That was just…"

"You liked it?"

Kate wrapped an arm around her son's neck, pulling him into her side for a hug. "I loved it. We should make that a tradition. Every year. Starting now. Pugs and all."

"Another family tradition. Okay, good. I can deal with that." He turned towards Mary with a slight bow. "Miss Castle, would you care to do the honours?"

It doesn't take long for Mary to hail a cab, and Castle leans in through the front window, whispering their next destination. Kate has Benjamin on her lap, and the boy is almost falling asleep on her, his weight heavy but warm compared to the temperature outside. The pugs are on the floor, sniffing here and there but otherwise behaving themselves. Kate closes her eyes, ignores the journey. She wants to be surprised, doesn't want to work out where they're going. Mary and James are talking quietly amongst themselves, something about some horrible teachers at school. She already knows about all the horrible teachers at their school, has come home to many a tale about how so and so did this, and so and so did that, and it was just plain mean, mom.

When Kate does open her eyes she's only a little surprised to find herself at the Old Haunt. Why is her fourteen year old daughter bringing her to a bar? Benjamin has found some more energy from somewhere and is already bounding down the stairs and pushing his way through the door. Mary's second, closely followed by James. Kate takes her time down the stops, leaning into Castle's side. She's happy, and content, and this has been a good birthday.

The Old Haunt is dark when they walk in, and Kate suspects that Castle had slowed her descent for this reason. It doesn't take long for the lights to flick on, the light momentarily blinding both of them.

"Surpriiiiiiiiiiiise!"

The room is full of people, party poppers and balloons and ticker tape and streamers absolutely everywhere. Her father, Esposito, Lanie, Ryan and Jenny and their kids, Alexis (complete with baby bump) and Jenson and their two year old, plus Cappuccino. Other detectives, from homicide and vice and robbery. Alex Conrad and partner, she's really quite surprised to see Agent Shaw, and her entire family. Her kids have disappeared, she's not sure where to, but Castle is behind her pushing her forwards.

She's greeted everyone there by the time she finds them again, and she's even more surprised to find Maddie in the kitchen. She greets her old school friend with a large hug. "What are you doing here?"

"Like I was going to miss your birthday!" Maddie replies, somewhat affronted that Kate would think she'd miss it. "Mary phoned me up a couple of months ago asking if I could do the catering. She was very persuasive, and I couldn't say no."

"Yeah, she's very persuasive like that." Kate chuckled, running a hand over her daughters head. "This was all you?"

"I thought you deserved something special. Being fifty and everything. And I wanted to show how much we love you, and how much you mean to us, and how thankful we are to have you in our family. You and Dad, you've given us so much, with the dogs and life, and what you do for us every day. I know we argue, and I know I tend to lose my temper at a lot of things, including you and Dad, but I do love you. All three of us do. And we just… wanted to show you."

Kate can't stop the tear that slips down her cheek. It seems her daughter has inherited Castle's way with words, and she's never been able to stop her heart from reacting to it. Damn emotions. "That's – thank you, Mary. This is… amazing. And this smells fantastic."

"That's all down to Maddie." Mary grinned, wrapping her arms around Kate's waist and squeezing. "We both know my cooking abilities are not exactly worth talking about."

"That's not true. What about those cupcakes you made?"

"Dad helped me with those. And I was seven."

"Well, you've got other talents. We'll leave the cooking to Maddie, shall we?"

"Hm, yeah. That's a good idea. Are we almost ready for service?"

"Couple more minutes for finishing touches, and everything will be perfect. Go get everybody in their seats, I'll get the waiters to bring them out."

"You've got waiters?!"

Mary laughs. "Not exactly. Dad insisted that if we had a party here then we had to include the staff." She nods towards the kitchen door. "So, we improvised."

Kate turns, finds James and Benjamin standing proudly, bowties and waistcoats. "Ohh, you both look so smart!"

Benjamin grins and then bends down to pick up Frappuccino. "Bendog got one too!"

She's only maybe a little bit drunk, her head pleasantly fuzzy as she leans heavily against Castle. She's almost half asleep as she watches Mary do some strange form of dinosaur dance with Benjamin, James casting some very strange and long looks at Alex Conrad's oldest daughter. She wants to laugh, and tease him, but she remembers what it's like. That first crush, the sheer embarrassment when people ask you about it. Maybe when he's older. She can't say the same about Castle, really. Knows that he's going to poke and prod until James's spills it all.

"Leave him alone, Castle."

"What?"

"James and Hannah. Don't ask him about it."

"That's just spoiling my fun. But okay, I'll leave it."

She nudges him slightly. "I mean it. Don't tease him. Do you not remember what it was like when you had a crush on somebody? It's embarrassing. Leave him be."

"Alright, alright. I'll leave him. I am interested in your first crush though. How mortifying was that for you?"

"I don't plan on telling you. Ever."

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

"No, Castle. It's not going to happen." She turned her head, nuzzled her nose into the soft skin of his jaw. "Are you ready to go home soon?"

"You tired?"

"No, not tired. Bit drunk, very horny, and I don't think taking you on a table in the middle of the Old Haunt would be entirely appropriate when I'm surrounded by our friends and family."

"I do like it when you're drunk. You're very… talkative."

"Who would notice if we went down to your office?"

"I imagine everybody. But they probably expect us to anyway. We should do it. Hell, it's your birthday. We're allowed." He's already nudging her out of the booth, and it's only with slight hesitation that she moves. "Besides, it's not like it's the first time."

"Yeah, only it wasn't filled with people and dogs and our kids at the time."

"We'll lock it. Come on, Kate. Live a little."

Ryan catches his eye as he shepherds her towards the office door, he raises a suspecting eyebrow at him and he grins back. Ryan shakes his head at him, and then Esposito winks at him. Ew, man. He doesn't think about anymore, not when Kate is tugging him backwards through his belt loop. He stumbles slightly, knocks into the wall. Kate laughs at him, tosses her hair over her shoulder. It seems only obvious that she's the drunk one and can still walk in a straight line, where as he's the one who's stumbling into walls trying to follow her.