Genre: Romance, Drama, Crime, Family, Humor
Rating: M for violence, language and sexual situations
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters featured on the show Castle, they belong to the creator of the show, ABC, and the others who do own them.
A/N #1: Just a note in case anyone might get confused, this story actually goes back to the November before the Epilogue of my story Save The Last Dance For Me (I mentioned the Epilogue being a sneak preview of the second half of the series, which begins with this story). So at this point Julia and Eliza are eight and a half and two and a half years old respectively. And going with that, not sure how nearly three year olds talk so I did my best with that.
A/N #2: The title of this story is a lyric from the song Footprints sung by Paul McCartney and written by him and Eric Stewart, from Paul's album Press to Play. The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Unconsciousness Rules by George Harrison, from his album Somewhere in England.
Out On The Stage
Looking out the window, Eliza looked up at her sister and asked, "Is Daddy there?
"I don't see him yet," Julia said worriedly.
"He'll be here girls," Beckett said, standing behind them in the lobby of the performing arts theater in Southampton. "He wants to see you compete since this is your first time Julia."
"I hope he makes it," the little girl replied, smoothing out her dress she was wearing for hers and her partner's first dance, which was the Jive.
"He will," Beckett said firmly. She glanced out and then spotted Castle's car going through the parking lot in the distance before she saw him getting out.
"There he is!" Julia told her sister.
"Daddy!" Eliza squealed when he came inside.
"Oof, I guess you two were waiting for me," Castle said as they hugged him at the same time. "Kate, I'm so sorry, but there was an accident and-" he began to say in concern.
"It's alright," Beckett cut him off. "Alexis showed it to me on a traffic app on her phone. For now though, she needs to go backstage."
Seeing Julia's teacher coming into the lobby, Castle nodded and then knelt down, hugging his daughter tightly. "Break a leg sweetheart; I can't wait to see you dancing with Peter."
"Thank you Daddy, I'll do my best," Julia said seriously before he kissed her forehead.
"She's grown up too fast," Castle told his wife when Julia was gone.
"She's only eight, Rick," Beckett said with a slight smile.
"I am two Daddy," Eliza said, making him stop as they had started to walk inside the theater, holding her arms up to him.
"I know you are, and I love you Eliza," Castle said as he put her on his hip. Putting his hand on his wife's back he nodded saying, "Front row seats, nice."
"Alexis got them," Beckett told him.
After greeting his daughter, mother and father in law who were all there, Castle sat with Eliza on his lap as Beckett sat next to him. He took the pamphlet for the show, seeing the date, November 4th, 2017, under the name of the competition. He looked at Julia's name inside and told his wife, "She's actually eight and a half now."
"Still," Beckett replied, smiling at him. "Did you get everything set with Paula?"
"Yeah, she's satisfied with the interview, so we're set," Castle said, as he'd been in the city to go over some things with their agent. He was going to say something else when the room darkened, and he turned his attention to the dance floor in front of them as the emcee for the competition stepped out to the middle with a microphone in hand.
"Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the Southampton Ballroom Competition," the man said. "We have six dance partners from dance studios around Long Island, here to compete for first, second and third place. They will be dancing the Jive, the Foxtrot, the Paso Doble and last the Quickstep. We'll begin the show with Daniel Fersen and Anya Alistair from the Bridgehampton Dance Studio."
"Where is Jules?" Eliza asked her parents.
"Shh," Beckett said. "She'll be out soon," she then promised in a whisper. "Just watch the dancing okay sweetie?"
Turning to the two walking out on the stage, Eliza watched them dance, but when the song finished and the two left the floor she said, "Julia is better."
"I agree, but they weren't too bad," Castle said. He laughed when Eliza wrinkled her nose and told her quickly, "You look just like your mom doing that."
The emcee was back on the floor saying, "Next we have Peter Watterson and Julia Castle, from the Hamptons Dance Studio of New York."
Hearing her family cheering as she walked out to the floor, Julia looked at her partner as he was across from her on the dance floor. When the song began, her mind shut out everything but the music, and she began to move, going to Peter as they began to step out in time to the beat before beginning their first kicks and flicks.
Holding her breath slightly; as she knew how nervous Julia was; Beckett held Castle's free hand as their oldest went around the floor with Peter, dancing nearly perfectly to them. When the song finished with Julia being dipped slightly by her partner, they were both applauding as loudly as they could, Castle whistling until they left the stage.
"She did amazingly well," Martha said, leaning over to talk to her son and daughter in law.
"I know, the practice she did at home really helped," Beckett said, nodding.
"Did you like that dance?" Castle asked Eliza.
"Yeah, Julia dances not with me?" the toddler asked, pursing her lips slightly.
"You're a little too small to dance that still," Beckett said, knowing she meant why her sister didn't practice with her. "When you're older she'll teach you I'm sure."
"You want to dance ballet?" Castle asked after waiting for the emcee to announce the next pair.
Shaking her head, Eliza turned her attention to the dance floor, but for her, there was no one as good as her sister. So once the next dance began, she waited impatiently for Julia to come out again.
Stepping out onto the dance floor for their Foxtrot, Julia smiled as she sat on a chair, watching Peter as he got into place a little to her left. As soon as the song began; it was a song she'd suggested to their teacher which was sung by Ringo Starr called You Belong to Me; she turned her head away from her partner, and once he'd tapped her shoulder she stood, walking away from him before he ran in front of her, allowing them to get into hold and they spun around once before going into a quick box step.
"She's a good actress," Jim commented under his breath to Martha.
"I know, she's a quick learner," she replied smiling in pride.
At the end of the dance, Julia was spun by Peter before she sat on his knee; a move she'd begged their teacher to include since she'd seen Derek Hough end dances like that, and had wanted to do it too since it seemed to fit the song. She could hear her little sister crying out her name in the applause, and her dad's whistle too. Smiling, she waved quickly to them since she could see them in the front row, and then went with her partner backstage to change for their Paso Doble.
"I hope she's ready for this next one," Beckett commented to her husband as they were waiting for the first pair to finish their Paso Doble.
"I wonder why she's so nervous about it," Castle commented.
"Because she knows her grandfather loves Spain so much," Alexis said, leaning over to him. "And because she'll need to really act with this one."
"She's right," Beckett told her husband with a smile. "But she'll be alright," she said, more to herself as she had to wonder how Julia was feeling backstage.
"Okay?" Peter asked, coming over to his partner as she was watching Daniel and Anya.
"Yeah, why?" Julia asked.
"You're using your fan, you only do that when you're scared," Peter told her.
Rolling her eyes Julia told him, "I'm hot, this dress is heavy."
"Do you want to practice the steps a little more?" Peter asked.
"Peter, Julia, come on, it's your turn," their teacher said, coming up to them. "Remember to hold onto the fan Julia, and Peter, remember to point your toes on your spins."
The dance floor was lit by a single spotlight, and standing on the outside of it, Julia was across from her partner before their music began, the España Cani. As soon as it did, the spot light widened, and she continued to fan herself after first three bars. When those had completed, Peter strode to her while she was picking up her skirts, and she met him halfway before their dance began.
Watching the two spinning around, Castle felt his wife squeeze his hand tightly when Peter seemed to struggle to stand up after a leg extension, not surprised Julia didn't react to it, only made sure they were in sync. He applauded heavily with Beckett when it was over, and breathed out saying, "That was close."
"Do they lose now?" Eliza asked worriedly.
"They might get some points taken off for that," Beckett replied. "But it shouldn't be too much… at least I hope."
"Okay, so now the Quickstep, which they should do great at," Alexis commented. "She said she was going to be a sailor?"
"They're both dressed as sailors," Castle told her. "Julia doesn't like the costume, but I reminded her that Derek dressed as one when he danced it with Nicole on the show."
"Did that help?" Alexis asked with a smile.
"Not really," Beckett said, smiling briefly, looking at her husband before the next pair began their Paso Doble.
Though Julia didn't really like her costume, she loved the Quickstep, so she was able to forget about that with their steps when she and Peter danced. She hugged him when they finished, since their first competition was over and she could finally relax. It seemed an agonizing wait for the other four pairings to take their turns, and they had a break to let the judges tally their scores before the six pairs were called out.
"We have our results here," the emcee said to the audience. "And in third are Daniel and Anya, congratulations," he said as they two walked up to the woman next to him who handed them two small trophies. "And in second place, Peter and Julia."
Whistling again as he and the others were clapping for her, Castle called out to Julia, "Great job sweetheart!"
Blushing as she went back to stand with the others after getting her trophy, Julia waved a little towards them before the first place pair was announced. As soon as the emcee had finished talking, she rushed to her family, finding herself being hugged and kissed as she laughed to see how happy they were for her. "Did you like the dances?" she asked when they'd finally stopped, except for Eliza, who was hugging her tightly around the waist still.
"They were fantastic," Martha assured her.
"Your Paso Doble was amazing," Jim told her seriously. When she hugged him he said, "You are a great dancer."
"Are you happy?" Eliza asked then, touching the trophy.
"Yeah, very happy," Julia said, nodding her head. "Want to hold it?"
"Actually, why don't you head backstage," Beckett said easily as she quickly took the trophy since it had pointed edges. "And change and we'll go home okay?"
"Okay, I'll come right back," Julia promised before she hurried away.
"So now what will we do since that's over?" Martha asked.
"We were thinking of stopping for linner at Sur La Mer since we'll pass by it," Castle said.
"Also since Julia didn't eat much at lunch," Beckett said.
"By all means, but the girls are aware that we can't eat by the water?" Jim said as Martha nodded in agreement.
"They know," Beckett replied. "Wow, that was fast," she said, seeing Julia coming back out, pulling on her winter coat.
"You have to be when you do costume changes," Martha said, taking her granddaughter's arm and walking with her to the door.
"I guess we're leaving," Castle said. "How did you come?" he asked Beckett as Eliza went to Alexis and Jim.
"In Dad's car, so we'll see how we'll go once we get there," Beckett said. "Since there's too many of us for one."
"It's getting colder," Jim said, picking up Eliza once they were in the parking lot. "Are you warm?"
"Yeah, snow?" the toddler asked hopefully.
"Maybe, but let's hope it'll wait until we're back home okay?" Jim asked. When she smiled brightly and nodded, he kissed her cheek, feeling like he was talking to his daughter at two and a half though she hadn't had hair that shade. "Want to come with me to the restaurant?" he asked Eliza to pull himself out of the past.
"Yeah, Mommy, Daddy?" Eliza asked, looking at them over her grandfather's shoulder.
"Go ahead," Beckett said as they'd reached her dad's car. "Julia, where do you want to go?"
"I'll go with you and Daddy," Julia said, going to them and taking her mother's hand.
"We'll see you at the restaurant," Castle called before he, Beckett and their oldest continued down the row to where his car was. "I was so lucky not to get snow on the way," he told them.
"I know, that way you made it to the show," Julia said, looking at her trophy again.
"Second place is pretty good, especially for your first competition," Beckett said, smiling as she watched her.
"Oh I know, I didn't think we were going to do that good, but I'm happy we got to dance," Julia said. She smiled when her mother kissed the top of her head and slipped into the backseat as she watched her parents talk for a moment outside before getting inside themselves.
"I think," Castle said as he drove out of the parking lot. "That we should celebrate your win sweetheart."
"How?" Julia asked.
"Yeah, what do you mean exactly by celebrate?" Beckett asked, eyeing her husband.
"Dessert," Castle said. "I'll say it's her birthday and get a candle on whatever she picks so-"
"I don't think she wants you to do that," Beckett said, glancing back at their daughter who had blanched a little at that.
"Oh, right, you don't like it when they do that," Castle said.
"Why don't we just get dessert Daddy?" Julia said.
"Better suggestion," Castle told her. "Are you hungry though?"
"Starving," Julia said seriously since she'd barely touched the snack her mother had made instead of lunch.
"Okay, well, we're here," Castle said as he parked at the restaurant. "And looks like your sister is waiting for us."
"I guess she wanted you to be with her," Beckett said with a smile as they got out of the car. She watched Julia hurry to Eliza as Alexis was having a hard time holding her back, and she waited for Castle to come around the car to her before she grabbed his arm. "I wonder," she commented.
"Wonder what?" he asked, watching her.
"If we should really go," Beckett teased him.
"Oh well hey, you want me to cancel our plans then I'll go ahead and do that as soon as we get home," Castle said. When she shook her head he reached down to take her hand, squeezing it gently before they were inside and he was giving his name to the host. The second they were sitting and they had glasses of water; he picked his up saying, "To our little dancer."
Blushing at that, Julia tapped her glass against Eliza's and Alexis' since she was sitting in between them. "I was just glad to dance," she insisted.
"And you danced well," Martha said. "And saying that, you've become quite the actress kiddo. I especially loved your imitation of a Spanish lady in your Paso."
"You taught me," Julia said quickly.
Since they needed to order, Castle couldn't comment on that, but as soon as they were left alone again he said, "She's right mother, remember she asked how you would act aloof with a boy."
"Oh, that's right, but I thought she was trying to do that with a boy at school," Martha said. "Then you are an excellent student darling, you picked it up very nicely."
"You're sure," Jim said, smiling as Julia was smiling herself at her grandmother's compliment. "Peter's just your dance partner?"
"Grandpapa," Julia protested though she was smiling. "I'm sure, he likes dancing too, as much as me."
"She's right, if I thought there was more to their partnership than dancing I would have-" Castle started to say.
"Let them dance," Beckett said simply, giving him a look.
"Of course," Castle said quickly as he knew from her expression he didn't want to continue what he'd been about to say. "So, what's next for you in dance class now you've got this first competition under your belt Julia?"
"We're gonna start learning more dances," the little girl said simply. She smiled when her dad pretended to look confused and she told him, "The Samba and the Waltz."
"You're more excited for the Samba aren't you?" Castle asked. When Julia merely smiled at him he said, "You'll have to tell us if those Samba rolls are as difficult as they always say."
"I will, I just hope we learn those," Julia replied. Eliza was tugging on her hand then and she turned to her as the others started talking to each other.
"So are you set for your trip?" Martha asked her son and his wife.
"I think so," Beckett replied. "Will you be able to come out on the twelfth?"
"I'm giving my students that week off as well as Thanksgiving week," Martha replied, nodding her head.
"Where is it you're heading to?" Alexis asked. "Gram said something about an island, but I kept forgetting to ask you about it when we talked."
"We're going to a winter resort on the shores of Lake Superior," Castle explained. "Michipicoten Island is close to it in the lake, and the resort is pretty much on its own. The nearest town is miles away."
"They're only open November to December and February until March, and tends to be for couples," Beckett added. "They're having a murder-mystery dinner one night, and that's why he wanted to go," she told her stepdaughter, rolling her eyes.
"Plus we haven't had a chance to travel on our own for a while," Castle pointed out though he knew she was kidding. "I'm looking forward to it."
"Can I have something?" Eliza asked then.
"Like what?" Castle asked.
"A moosie," Eliza said with a wide smile.
"I don't think you want one of those honey," Jim told her. "I ran into one once at a cabin when I was younger, very bad tempered."
"We might try to see if we can find a stuffed moose," Beckett said. "But I don't know if we'll find many stores where we're going."
"Kay," Eliza said, still looking pleased.
"If you get one what will you call it?" Castle asked.
"Dunno," Eliza said, shrugging.
"Might I suggest Bullwinkle?" Castle said. When the toddler wrinkled her nose and shook her head he said, "Okay, then I'll let you decide on that."
The food arrived then, and the conversation at the table paused as everyone began to start eating. Soon though, Alexis spoke up, asking her dad and Beckett, "How's the book going?"
"Pretty well, we're a little ahead, which is why she agreed to this trip," Castle said, nodding to his wife.
"That and I wanted a little time off from writing," Beckett mentioned. "I feel like we've been writing too much."
Alexis frowned a little at that as Beckett's dad took their attention, and she looked at her grandmother, seeing the slightly concerned expression on her face as well. She made up her mind then to make sure that she talked to her, and she turned to Julia who she was sitting next to, talking to her about how her internship she was doing for her PhD was going since she'd last seen her.
"They're okay with us going," Beckett was telling her dad. "And Julia told her sister that mommy and daddy needed to have a vacation alone, so Eliza's fine with it. Though they're both telling us they'll miss us the whole time we're gone."
"I'm surprised, you used to hate your mother and I going out for dinner even when you were Eliza's age," Jim told her, a slight smile on his face.
"I don't remember that, but I didn't have Julia," Beckett said, nodding slightly. She was a little surprised when her father looked away at that and she said, "I didn't mind not having a sibling."
"No, I just feel like you were lonely back then," Jim replied.
"I was okay, I had friends, so I wasn't," Beckett said. To change the subject she then asked, "Are you going to be able to come for Thanksgiving?"
"I will, but why are you having it out here this year?" Jim asked since the previous years it had been at his daughter and son in law's loft.
"Because we're coming almost directly from our trip to the house," Castle said. "We get back from our two nights at the bed and breakfast the twenty-second."
"I see," Jim replied. "I was able to get Friday off, and I'll come out on Wednesday evening."
"Stay home now Grandpapa," Eliza said then.
"I think she means from now until Thanksgiving," Martha said with a smile.
"I wish I could Eliza, but I promise I'll be here for the holiday," Jim told her. "I have to work, but I'll call you a few times until Thanksgiving okay?"
Sharing a smile with her husband, Beckett brought up the subject of Alexis' internship, and with the young woman talking a little about what she was doing during that, the family finished up lunch, not including a celebratory dessert which Julia asked about as they were getting ready to leave.
"Later, I promise," Castle said, hugging Julia to him as they left the restaurant, going back out into the chill autumn afternoon.
"Eliza," Beckett said in a teasingly stern tone of voice, coming to the doorway of hers and Castle's closet. "What are you two doing?"
"Dress!" Eliza cried, her mother's blue shawl over her head. "Pretty Mommy?"
"Very sweetie," Beckett said, picking her up. She smiled when the toddler giggled as the shawl slipped down to her shoulders and she said, "But those aren't really for dress up."
"I told her we could play with my trunk, but she said no," Julia said worriedly as she had her mother's black shawl wrapped around her like a toga.
"It's okay, as long as you played with the shawls," Beckett said, tugging lightly on the shawl to indicate to her oldest to take it off.
"Gram clothes?" Eliza asked.
"She means Gram's shawl," Julia translated for her mother.
"I think that's back at the loft in the city Eliza and I don't think she'd want you to play with it," Beckett told her daughter. She wasn't surprised when the toddler's face fell at that and she was about to speak when footsteps came up to them.
"Why don't you play hide and seek?" Castle asked, smiling as Eliza's head whipped around to look at him before she was holding her arms out to him, opening and closing her hands. "Alexis wants to play with you, she says you two owe her a game."
"You too Daddy," Eliza said.
"Yeah, play with us!" Julia said eagerly.
"What about your mommy?" Castle asked. When Eliza shook her head no he laughed slightly and said, "Okay, then if you'll excuse us love, we have a game to begin."
Beckett shared a kiss with him, not surprised when their youngest patted her cheek before they parted. She kissed the back of Eliza's tiny hand and then took her shawl as Castle took it off of her, folding it to put it away with the black one as they left. When she finished, she headed downstairs, seeing her father and Martha standing in the hallway. "What is it?" she asked, surprised they were standing there since they'd been sitting at the kitchen table having coffee.
"We're trying to see how this game goes," Martha explained. "Richard has been designated it first."
"Interesting," Beckett said with a smile since Eliza usually insisted on that.
"Any reason why you're not playing?" Jim asked, since he'd played with his daughter and granddaughters before and knew she loved to play with her girls.
"Eliza didn't want me to, I think she wants to make sure that he doesn't cheat," Beckett said, going to the family room doorway then, coming face to face with her husband.
"Like I would cheat," Castle scoffed.
"Are they upstairs?" Beckett asked.
"Alexis said it would be better for Eliza if we stayed down here," Castle said. "Since she's not allowed to run down the stairs of course."
"Of course," Beckett said, following him over to the dining room. She smiled as he looked around quickly before opening the door to the credenza. "That's pretty small love," she told him. "Even for Eliza."
"Still," Castle said, going to their office next. He checked first underneath where his chair was, and was about to look at where Beckett's desk chair was when their youngest was flying out of the space, screaming as she bolted outside.
"Not so fast," Beckett said warningly as she hurried after the little girl in the hall. "Thank you," she said gratefully to Martha who had stopped Eliza since she wasn't wearing slippers. "Sweetie," she said, kneeling in front of the little girl. "You know you're not supposed to run like that in your socks, and your daddy has to wait for fifteen seconds before he can try and get you, so let's walk to home okay?"
"It's the couch in the living room," Jim told his daughter as the two started to walk down the hall. When more than fifteen minutes had passed, he went to the doorway of the office and asked, "Okay?"
"Oh, I'm fine," Castle told his father in law. "Just making sure she gets to the couch."
"They're there Richard," Martha called. "Go look for the other two."
"Right, well, I know where Julia is already," Castle said, going to the kitchen and running behind the island. When the little girl shot out the other side from it he was racing after her. But since she didn't have to turn two corners as he'd had to, she beat him to the couch. "Alright Alexis," he called, starting to go out to the hall. "You're, hey, you didn't even try," he said as she was walking up to him.
"I was laughing too hard hearing you guys," the young woman told him. "So you two want to play again?"
"Play this 'lexis!" Eliza said, having spotted her building blocks while she was sitting on the couch with her sister and mother.
"Probably better I only played it once, I'm getting too old to chase after them," Castle said as he sat down next to his wife.
"You keep thinking that," Beckett said wryly as she patted his hand. When she saw her husband looking at her out of the corner of her eye she merely smiled and said to their youngest daughter, "So what are you making sweetie?"
"Tower," Eliza said simply. "That one?" she asked Alexis.
"Try this one, so we can make it really tall," the young woman told her, handing her another block.
Julia was watching them build, not really helping before she got up and left the room as the others were talking to Alexis and Eliza about their creation. She headed to her room and looked at her trophy on her desk. She didn't really have a place to put it, but she couldn't help set it on an empty, taller shelf of her bookcase, and she was studying it so intently that she jumped a little when she felt her father's hand on her shoulder. "Daddy," she said, turning to him. "You scared me."
"Sorry, I saw you leave and I got a little worried, are you okay?" Castle asked.
"Yeah, just want to try and see how it looks there," Julia said, nodding. When she started to go to the door she wasn't too surprised when her father made her stop and she looked at him saying, "I didn't like hearing what you said to Mommy."
"About being too old?" Beckett said from the doorway. When her husband and their daughter turned to her at the same time she smiled a little as she walked over to them and said, "I saw you leaving love."
"Yeah, I didn't like hearing that," Julia said.
"I was only kidding sweetheart," Castle assured her, hugging her tightly. "I'm not that old."
"You're not," Beckett said, smiling slightly as he was looking at her saying that. "And I think what he meant is that you and your sisters are too fast for him."
"As much as I don't like to admit that," Castle said jokingly when Julia looked up at him seriously. "She's right. But don't worry; I'll be around for a long, long time yet, to chase after you three and to drive your mom crazy when I do that."
"Drive me crazy, it's actually pretty comical to see you doing that," Beckett replied. "Especially since our little girl is a lot faster than you."
"I'm not that fast," Julia giggled, loving them teasing each other. "And I hope you're here a long, long time Daddy."
"I will be," Castle assured her. "Now come back downstairs with us because I'm sure your sister-"
"Mommy! Daddy, come here!" Eliza was crying up the stairs.
"She'll want us downstairs," Castle finished as Julia started to laugh and then bounded out the room. "I'm surprised that worried her," he commented once he and his wife were alone.
"She loves you Rick, and so do I, we don't want anything to happen to you," Beckett said plainly, walking past him easily. "And since you reassured us both about that…" She took his hand then and led him down the stairs so they could rejoin their family.
Walking down the hall after they'd gotten to the first floor, Castle was first to hear the sound of crying and the second after he had, Beckett heard it as well, making them run to the family room where they saw Eliza in Alexis' arms.
"She's alright," Martha said quickly as her son and his wife rushed up to where she and Jim were standing with the girls. "When she was walking back in she fell and hit her tower."
"Oh, I'm sorry sweetie," Beckett said as Eliza held her arms out to her. She kissed her temple comfortingly before murmuring, "We can build your tower again, but right now I think it's time for a nap."
"No," Eliza said, sobbing a little still.
"A very quick one," Beckett promised her. "And we'll try before dinner to make that tower even bigger okay?"
Sniffing and drying her eyes with the back of her hand, Eliza finally nodded, smiling a little at the smile her mother was giving her. She closed and opened her hand a few times at the others before Beckett took her upstairs. "Daddy," she said happily as he came with them.
"It'll be a quick nap," Castle assured her as they were standing at the bed in her room. "Since we do want you to sleep tonight. I love you Eliza."
"Love you Daddy," Eliza said, sharing a kiss with him. She wrapped her arms around her mother's neck before kissing her saying, "Love you Mommy, too."
"I love you sweetie," Beckett told her before laying her down. Once she had her covered; Eliza's stuffed horse in her arms; she turned to her husband and took his hand as they headed towards the stairs together to rejoin the others.
As Castle and Beckett had been putting their youngest daughter to bed, Alexis had followed her grandmother to the kitchen and as she was rinsing her mug asked her, "Have you noticed anything different with Dad and Kate?"
"Well, you know it seems like they're not as touchy with one another," Martha replied, keeping her voice low as she didn't want to risk Julia hearing what they were talking about. "You know for a long time they've had no problems showing their affection, holding hands, all of that," she said, gesturing with her hand. "But recently…"
"I wasn't sure about saying, but when I arrived on Halloween; before you got here with Jim, I heard them fighting," Alexis told her.
"Oh… well… was it bad?" Martha asked.
"It was, she was calling him a little boy, and he called her pushy… it scared me because they've always been so happy; Dad especially," Alexis said.
Nodding, as she knew that her granddaughter was as relieved as she was that Castle had seemed to have found the right woman finally, Martha told her, "Why don't we keep an eye on them and while I'm here watching Eliza and Julia, if they've noticed anything they're sure to tell me about any problems."
"I just hope this vacation isn't to try and save their marriage," Alexis commented. "Just for them to have a trip alone."
"We'll see," Martha said, leading her out of the kitchen to rejoin Jim and Julia who were still in the family room.
Upstairs, Castle and Beckett were slowly parting from their kiss, unsure how many that made, since he had pressed his wife against the wall before they could go downstairs.
"Any reason?" Beckett asked, a smile playing across her lips as she slowly opened her eyes.
"Not really, you ever going to stop asking that?" Castle asked with a wide smile. When she merely looked at him, he leaned down, unable to help kissing her again. He kept it a little less passionate than the others before, but it didn't take anything away from it, and he enjoyed it immensely until they parted, pressing their foreheads together.
Beckett knew they needed to rejoin their family, but she couldn't make herself pull away. She initiated the next kiss, feeling his arms holding her even tighter than they already were. She would have been more than happy to let things continue on like that, but there was a soft thud before feet were running out into the hall.
Eliza came out just as her parents were parting hurriedly, looking at her with slightly surprised expressions on their faces. She giggled and said, "Up Mommy, Daddy," hurrying to them.
"How long was that nap?" Castle asked his wife.
"Fifteen minutes, if that," Beckett said in amusement as their daughter jumped into his arms.
"Well, we said it was going to be short," Castle said.
"I'll get her slippers," Beckett said as she was leaning over to share a kiss with Eliza who was pursing her lips.
Heading downstairs, Castle went into the family room to see that Julia was looking at the model plane he and Beckett had given her on her birthday in March. "Hey, can't play with that in the house sweetheart," he said as he handed Eliza to Jim as she had pointed to him before calling to him.
"I know, just looking," Julia said. She then looked from the plane to her dad and smiled when she saw him watching her. "You want to fly it."
"I would love to, but I think your mom might have a problem with that," Castle commented.
"Of course I would, it would be way too easy to knock over a Lladro," Beckett said as she'd come into the room with Eliza's slippers in time to hear that.
"Yeah, she's right you know," Julia said, pretending to be serious.
"Funny," Castle said, grabbing her and pulling her to him.
"What do we do now?" Julia asked with a laugh as Jim helped her mother get Eliza's slippers on her feet.
"Well, we're going to have tapas for dinner," Beckett said, looking at her watch. "And when I say tapas, I mean some Dim Sum we have leftover from dinner last night. But that's not for another hour or so…"
"Can we play a game on the TV?" Julia asked.
"Good idea," Castle said to his wife.
"Alright, we haven't done that in a while," Beckett said. "But let them pick," she said in a mockingly stern tone of voice to her husband; unaware that Martha and Alexis shared a second concerned glance with one another at that.
"They already are," Castle said in amusement as they looked at the cabinet where their daughters were looking through their selection of games.
"This one," Julia said eagerly, holding up one of the I Spy games they had.
"Okay, get ready to use your eyes," Castle said, pinching Eliza's chin to her giggle before she jumped up and down.
Beckett, sitting on the coffee table behind them, watched as Castle helped Julia and Eliza start the first level, smiling as he read what they needed to find before handing the control to their oldest daughter. When he was sitting next to her she leaned against him slightly as they helped their daughters play.
Sitting at the kitchen table, Castle was cutting a pork shu mai in half to get it to cool off before he ate one half to make sure it was edible. "Alright, all set sweetie," he said, picking up the other half with the green kids' chopsticks that were for Eliza. "Open," he told her.
"And I have to say where my mommy and daddy's families are from," Julia was saying to her grandfather. "So I have to know where you are from Grandpapa."
"From Ireland," Jim said simply. "And from England and Belgium, so that's easy."
"Okay," Julia said with a smile. "I thought so, but I wanted to make sure. The best thing is we get to make the flags of the countries next to where we write that down."
"When are you going to work on that darling?" Martha asked.
"I don't have to take it until Friday," Julia said. "Daddy said I can start it Monday."
"And what does Mommy have to say about that?" Beckett asked teasingly, sitting down next to her husband with her plate of food.
"Hopefully she agrees," Castle said with a laugh. "Or else I am in trouble."
"I'll work on it a lot on Monday," Julia promised quickly.
"Don't worry, I'm teasing your daddy, you know I like to do that," Beckett assured her. "I know you'll have it done before Friday, so you can start it on Monday. What about homework for this weekend?"
The discussion about Julia's school lasted for some time, before Jim asked about Castle and Beckett's plan to put Eliza into pre-school in January. That went through the rest of the meal, until Castle and Beckett were together in the kitchen, getting the dessert they'd ordered special for their oldest for her first competition.
"I'm really glad you talked me out of putting a saying or anything on this," Castle told his wife as he took the cake out of the box.
"Really, what could we have put without knowing how things were going to go for her?" Beckett asked with a smile.
"True," Castle said simply before he took the dessert to the table. "For you," he said when Julia turned to him and saw the cake.
A smile spreading across her lips, the little girl clapped her hands together and said, "For me?"
"Well, I hope you'll share with us, but yep, it's for you," Castle said.
"As a congratulation for doing so well your very first time competing," Beckett told her as she was taking a picture with her camera of Julia smiling at the top of the cake which had a dance floor and shoeprints in black on it. "We weren't sure what exactly to have on top, but the owner of the bakery suggested that."
"Dancing!" Eliza cried as she pointed to the shoeprints.
"Yeah, that's the Foxtrot," Julia said with a wide smile as she kept her sister from trying to poke the fondant dance steps.
"Okay, want to eat it or should we shellac it and put it in your room?" Castle asked her teasingly.
Laughing slightly, Julia shook her head and told him. "No please, cut so we can all have a piece." She looked at Eliza and then asked, "Can she have some?"
"A little piece," Castle said as he put the first slice on a plate and handed it to Julia.
"Thank you," the little girl said. But she waited until Eliza had a very small piece of cake before she started eating at the same time as her. She then peeled off two shoeprints on the top of her slice and gave one to her sister before they ate them, giggling together as they did.
"Dance after please?" Eliza asked when everyone else had a slice and was eating.
"You want me to show you something?" Julia asked, looking up at her then. She started to laugh before she could take another bite of cake, as her little sister's mouth was smeared with fondant and the cake itself.
"This is why she's having a bath right after," Beckett said, wiping at the little girl's mouth. "Eliza, stay still," she said a little sternly as she was turning her head back and forth.
"Hold on," Castle said, standing up and going to the high chair which was in between Beckett and Julia. He took the napkin his wife had been using, and then wiped their youngest's mouth as much as he could before he kissed the top of her head. "I'm surprised," he told Eliza. "How come you want to dance?"
Pursing her lips, Eliza shrugged a little and then used her fingers to help get another piece of the cake into her mouth along with her fork, getting it covered in the cake, fondant and filling yet again.
"Would you mind if I gave her a bath tonight?" Jim asked, smiling as Eliza was looking closely at her fingers which were the blue color of the fondant that ran along the side of the cake.
"That's up to her," Beckett told him. "Sweetie," she said, getting Eliza's attention as she was smiling at her fingers, wriggling them around a little. "Do you want Grandpapa to give you a bath tonight?"
At her nod, Jim said, "Let me know when you want me to take her."
Waiting for Eliza to finish the last bite of her cake, Beckett took her fork and plate and nodded to her father saying, "Now is good."
"Okay, here we go honey," Jim said as he went to her high chair, lifting her out.
"Can I come and help Grandpapa?" Julia asked eagerly, jumping up from her chair. "Oh… Daddy-" she started to say.
"We'll let you go from clearing the table for this," Castle said.
"This was your celebration, so go ahead," Beckett said, watching her leave.
"I kind of wonder if I'd be that eager to help if you'd had Julia and Eliza when I was younger," Alexis said as she helped her dad and stepmother clear the table.
"I think so," Castle said, starting to wash everything after rolling up his sleeves. "You'd want to do the same thing she does which is just to pass the bottles to whoever's giving the bath. Now though you're old enough to give them the bath," he pointed out to her.
"That's true," Alexis commented as she watched her grandmother go to the family room after pouring herself a little more wine. "I'll be with Gram," she told them since her dad was nearly finished. She walked down the hall before she paused, realizing she wanted to grab her glass of water still on the table, so she turned when she saw the two in the kitchen were talking seriously. When Beckett rolled her eyes at something he was saying, she hurried the rest of the way down to the family room, trying not to be concerned, since she had no idea what they were talking about, hoping that they were just joking with each other as she knew they did. But at the same time she reminded herself that she had to make sure she and her grandmother were worrying about something that was likely nothing while she sat in the armchair next to her.
"Okay, come on honey," Jim told Eliza once the water in the tub was set. He helped her step in and smiled as she squealed as her toes went in first. He helped her sit down and then grabbed the cup that Julia was holding for him, sitting on the edge opposite from him. As he began to wash his youngest granddaughter's hair, he looked at them both, talking to each other about the night before when they'd apparently had a picnic dinner with their parents. It was one of those occasions when he was struck by the fact that as a grandfather he was very lucky. He then leaned over, and pressed a kiss to Eliza's temple since her hair had been rinsed of shampoo, watching her giggle and squirm at the same time.
Julia smiled at her grandfather before he leaned over to kiss her, and she squeezed his arm telling him, "I wish you did live with us Grandpapa, it would be nice."
"I know," Jim told her with a nod as he washed Eliza's body. "But at least I see you two as many weekends and days off that I can get."
"That is good Grandpapa," Eliza said, splashing the water. When he had finished rinsing her off she then stood up saying, "Go!"
"Hold on," Jim said with a slight laugh at her exuberance. He took the towel that Julia handed to him, and he toweled her dry before he dressed her. "Take her downstairs," he told Julia.
"Thank you Grandpapa," Eliza told him before she left the bathroom with her sister. She looked up at her and said, "Now we dance?"
"A little bit, I bet Mommy's gonna say it's time to go to sleep," Julia said.
"And Daddy says no?" Eliza asked her hopefully.
"We'll see," Julia couldn't help giggle softly.
"There she is, all clean now," Martha said as she was the first to notice the two coming into the room.
"She is," Castle said as Eliza ran to him first, throwing her arms around his neck. He kissed her cheek and said, "Are you going to dance?"
"Yeah, come here," Julia said, coming over from her mother's phone where she set a song to play. "We'll dance the Viennese Waltz, 'cause that one you'll get fast."
"Do you say numbers?" Eliza asked, jumping as her sister pulled her to the middle of the room.
Glancing at her dad who appeared in the doorway as the two girls began to turn; Beckett smiled at his smile as he watched his granddaughters. There were times when she felt guilty that they lived so far from the city, but he never complained about the trip, and luckily he understood why they were living in the Hamptons, so she knew the visits he did make were done without any kind of complaint. She turned to Eliza and Julia, feeling Castle's hand taking hers as they watched them, laughing together when Julia dipped her little sister to her cry of surprise. As soon as the song had ended, she clapped her hands as the others did too and said, "Very nice, but now-"
"Time to go to bed," Julia and Eliza said at the same time, sharing a laugh as their mother paused as she was standing up. "We knew you were gonna say that Mommy," Julia explained to her.
"I'm getting to be a predictable mother," Beckett said, looking back at her husband as he followed her.
"No, you are best mommy," Eliza said earnestly as she was gently ushered over to her grandfather by her. She wrapped her arms around Jim tightly and said, "Night Grandpapa, can we play?"
"As much as we can until I go back to the city tomorrow," he promised her. He shared a kiss with her and then hugged Julia as she came up to him. "That goes for you too honey," he told her after they'd kissed.
"I can't wait," Julia said with a wide smile. She followed her sister over to their grandmother, watching her hug Martha before they shared a kiss. "I love you too Gram," she said, hugging her since Eliza wasn't letting her go.
"I love you both my darlings," Castle's mother told him and she kissed their cheeks. "Sweet dreams."
"Oof, you guys are going to knock me back when you get older," Alexis laughed slightly as her sisters ran straight into her arms at the exact same time then. She hugged them tightly as she kissed their cheeks and she quickly shared a kiss with them both telling them, "I love you Lizzy, Jules, very much."
"Love you 'lexis!" Eliza cried.
"Very much too 'lexis," Julia said. As she was walking with her sister to their parents she paused and then said, "Hey, why am I saying goodnight?"
"You have to take a shower," Beckett said simply. "And after that your daddy and I will tuck you into bed."
"Oh, night!" Julia called as she took her mother's hand while Castle picked up Eliza.
"Night, night!" the toddler said, waving at the three over her father's shoulder.
Laughing together slightly, Jim excused himself from the room, saying goodnight to Castle's mother and daughter since he was tired after making an early drive that morning; Alexis and Martha having arrived Friday night.
"I love you Lizzy," Julia was saying to her sister as they hugged in Eliza's room.
"Me too," the little girl told her seriously. She then smiled when the other three laughed and then said, "Love you Jules."
"Okay, I love you sweetheart," Castle said, picking her up and lifting her pajama shirt to blow on her stomach to her wild giggle.
"Rick, she'll be too excited to go to sleep," Beckett said though she was smiling as she spoke.
"Okay, then to your mommy you go," Castle said. He waited until they'd shared a kiss, and smiled when Eliza patted his cheek, telling him, "I love you Daddy," before he kissed her hand and let go so Beckett could set her on the bed.
"And I love you of course sweetie," Beckett said, tucking her in carefully. "We'll see you in morning okay?"
"Kay," Eliza said, yawning. "Love you Mommy," she said sleepily. She kissed her mother, but by the time Beckett went to kiss her forehead, she was out, holding her stuffed horse against her tightly.
"Busy day for her," Castle said as they were walking over to Julia's room. "I think she was as nervous as you were for your competition."
"She's definitely your number one fan," Beckett told their daughter who was blushing slightly.
"I know, I'm glad she loves me so much," Julia said a little shyly.
"Not sure why she wouldn't, you're a great sister," Castle insisted.
"You are," Beckett assured her, not surprised when she turned to her to make sure that was true. "For now, let's get you into the shower."
"I'll be looking over your books," Castle said, watching them disappear into the bathroom. He went over to her wall though as the shower started up, looking at the framed pictures that were on a blank space. There were only a few there so far, but they had been taken by him, Beckett and Julia; as the little girl had wanted to showcase the places they'd been to since San Francisco in 2014. He went to one of the two pictures there, of the Golden Gate Bridge spanning across to Marin County that Julia had taken. There were two from the other places they'd been so far, and he reminded himself they needed to go somewhere great next year for summer before he heard the door opening.
"I'm ready," Julia said hurrying to her father. She hugged him tightly around the neck and murmured, "I love you Daddy, thank you so much for coming to see me dance."
"I had to, my little girl dancing in a competition? I would have flown to the theater if I could," Castle said. When she giggled he then picked her up and shared a kiss with her telling her, "I love you too Julia and I'm really proud of you."
"We'll go to your competitions sweetie," Beckett said, waiting for the little girl to get into her bed. "As many as we possibly can we promise."
"Thank you," Julia said. "I love you too Mommy, so much."
"I love you Julia and I'm proud of you too," Beckett said, smoothing her hair away from her forehead. "Get some sleep, and sweet, sweet dreams my little one."
Smiling, as her mother still called her that though she wasn't quite a little one anymore, Julia shared a kiss with her before she turned on her side, watching them go to the doorway to turn off the lights before they closed the door. She sighed, relieved that things had gone so well that day for all her worrying. Since she'd been so nervous the night before, unable to sleep for some time, she was soon asleep; not quite sure when she'd nodded off, but welcoming her dreams of dancing and high scores as her family cheered for her enthusiastically.
Coming into the family room, Beckett saw that Alexis was watching Castle, who was still playing his game. She met her stepdaughter's gaze when she turned to her, and rolled her eyes as he was talking to the man in Montana he was playing against that night.
"Come on Robbie, you… hey, you little-" Castle started to say as there was a loud explosion on the screen.
"Castle!" Beckett said as she set one of the two mugs of coffee she'd made in front of him on the table.
"Huh? Oh, sorry Kate," he said, looking up at her. "That's my wife, not my mom," he then said scathingly to his opponent on his headset as the man was ribbing him about living with his mother. "Yes I'm married, you saw my screen name," he said, still playing as he was talking. "Yeah, I'm that Richard Castle. Hey, she's my wife remember," he said sharply as the man; who was only twenty-four; started to say that Beckett looked like a milf.
"I don't know if I want to ask how old that guy is," Beckett said to Alexis.
"Yeah, I don't think I want to either," she replied, shaking her head as the conversation between her dad and whoever Robbie was turned back to the game.
Watching him, Beckett finally had to give in to her boredom and she told her stepdaughter as she stood, "I'm heading up to bed. Goodnight Alexis."
"Night Kate," she said with a smile. She watched then as her stepmother reached over to her father, grabbing the back of his neck and kissing his temple. But when he didn't respond to that, Alexis frowned deeply as Beckett left the room.
Nearly ten minutes later saw Beckett in hers and Castle's room, curled up in front of the fire with the book she was currently reading, one her father had brought with him that morning. She was immersed in the non-fiction book about Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, so it came as a shock when the door opened and her husband stepped in. "Rick?" she asked him as he locked the door behind him.
"Yeah?" Castle asked, looking a little surprised as he glanced at her.
"You had at least ten minutes," Beckett said. "Why did you come up early?"
"Alexis freaked out," Castle said, shaking his head as he walked to his wife. "She said you were trying to get me to leave with you, and that I was being insensitive to you. She's never talked that way to me before."
"Yeah, did you notice both her and your mom acting a little weird as tonight wore on?" Beckett said, tucking her bookmark in between the pages she was on and setting it on the table in front of her as he sat across from her.
"I know, but why?" Castle asked.
"I have no clue," Beckett replied. "Well, if they keep acting that way, then we'll talk to them. But why didn't you tell Alexis about our agreement concerning your video games?"
"She knows about the no violent games until after the girls are well into their deep sleep," Castle said. "But yeah, I should have told her that semi-Vulcan neck pinch is your hint to me that I have about twenty minutes left to go before you come back out to pull the plug." He looked thoughtful and said, "You know she'd be shocked to find out that works and you've never had to go that far."
"I know how to convince you," Beckett said. "Don't tell her about that though."
"Oh, trust me, that stays here in this room between the two of us," Castle told her. "Speaking of that…" he started to say before he reached out to her and pulled her around the table before bringing her onto his lap. "I'm looking forward more and more to our trip."
"So am I, I've never been to Canada," Beckett told him as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"We were supposed to go to Vancouver," Castle said, remembering then.
"We couldn't go with me nearly at the end of my pregnancy," Beckett said with a smile. "I was not going to fly, even if my doctor had approved it."
"Yeah, don't worry, I wasn't going to let you go either," Castle said, his hand on her abdomen. "Funny sometimes to look at Eliza and remember her here, very tiny, only communicating to us by kicks and taps."
"Not really communicating," Beckett said with a smile. "But sweet that you think she was. Love, what exactly will we be doing at this place besides the murder mystery dinner?"
"I wanted to surprise you," Castle told her simply. "Like with our honeymoon," he said quickly when he could tell that she was going to protest that.
Sighing, though she wasn't really annoyed, Beckett then said, "Alright, but will we be able to do any winter sports?"
"I think you can do some, sledding, and snurfing," Castle told her.
"Seriously?" Beckett asked with a laugh.
"You've heard of it?" Castle said though he wasn't too surprised that his wife had.
"Of course, I'm a snowboarder, so I know the origins," Beckett commented. "Though I've never been on the original boards, with ropes."
"I looked it up when I was searching the site, I might try it out," Castle said. "And then gradually ease my way into snowboarding."
"That would be a miracle," Beckett said, smiling as he leaned over to brush his lips against her neck. "Since I haven't had the chance yet to get you to even try sliding down a hill in the yard."
"Knowing my luck I'd likely keep going right into the water," Castle teased her since she had never made a hill that pointed in that direction. When she rolled her eyes he then grew serious and told her, "There is another activity I'd like to do."
"I'm aware of that one already," Beckett said with a slight smirk on her lips. "And that you would especially want to do that one with me. And we will, I'd love to have a day during our trip with just us and our room. Which is nice?"
"I don't know, they say all the rooms are differently decorated each floor, and there are only sample pictures, since each room on those floors are also different too," Castle said. "But there will be a large bed."
Shaking her head Beckett told him, "I think there could be fifties style double beds and we'd have no problem with that."
"I know, we're pretty great," Castle said, not surprised when she rolled her eyes yet again. "For now though, do you want to write a little this week?"
"A little," Beckett told him. "Just enough so we're not chapters behind when we get back."
"We're not chapters behind now," Castle told her simply. "But alright," he said with a slightly suffering sigh. He laughed as she pushed his shoulder and then said, "He was pretty rude to you," suddenly.
"I gathered from what you were saying to him," Beckett said. "So he's seen me."
"He's read our books," Castle told her. At her nod he said, "He doesn't seem to realize you haven't changed since becoming a mother; well, not as a lover I mean."
"I'm surprised you didn't tell him that," Beckett commented, watching him with a little smile on her face.
"Like I was going to say that," Castle scoffed. "No, he doesn't need to know. No one needs to know," he said as he picked her up then and carried her to the bed. "How you are my love, just me."
"Just you love," Beckett echoed as he laid her down. She took his hungry kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly as he lay on top of her, neither one of them caring about their clothes just yet as their tongues met in her mouth.
Pressing kisses from his wife's bare shoulder up over her collarbone, Castle delighted in the soft laugh that escaped her lips at that, and he growled a little at her saying, "Yeah, if this got out, I'd have a hard time keep you to myself."
"You're lucky I know you're not being actually possessive," Beckett commented as she watched him play with her fingers that he was holding. They had just made love twice and were calming down in the aftermath of that, the fire warm against their sweat slicked bodies.
"I'm lucky you seem to just want me," Castle joked.
"Seem," Beckett said, rolling her eyes. "I told you in our vows you know."
"I remember," Castle said, his tone serious then.
Letting go of his hand and then turning around to face him, Beckett asked her husband, "Is this suppose to be a second honeymoon?"
"Not exactly," Castle told her, being reminded of something he'd thought of the month before when they'd gone to the city for a weekend as his father had invited the two of them to a dinner his firm had held in his honor; when he'd seen Christmas items in stores already though Halloween was swiftly approaching. "This'll just be a vacation, but we'll have a second honeymoon one day, I promise."
"Good," Beckett said, studying him as she knew from the look on his face that he had something rolling around in his mind. After so many years together she also knew that it wasn't something he was going to tell her until he had it set, so she merely leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips before he was quickly responding to it by deepening it. She allowed his tongue into her mouth as she'd done so many times that night by then, and moved hers against his repeatedly until they moved away from each other to be able to breathe. "Hmm, you know, I don't think of you as a pervert anymore," she told him.
Pulling away from her, Castle was about to comment on that when his wife spoke again, and he had his explanation.
"Because I want that day too, we'll have to set it aside for ourselves," Beckett told him. When her husband looked eager as he nodded rapidly she laughed before sitting up and saying, "But until then-"
"We have the girls to think of," Castle said, getting up with her. When they were dressed in their pajamas he took her hand and pulled her to him, murmuring into her ear, "I love you."
"I love you too," Beckett said with a slight smile before she pulled back to kiss him as he was leaning down to her. When they parted she took his hand, and they left the room to do their usual check of their daughters together one last time to make sure the two were fine before they would allow themselves to finally sleep as well.