"Your husband is here," Nkosi said, handing Beckett a drink.
"Thank you," she said, standing up and taking the cup he'd gotten for her. She went over to the doorway looking inside saying, "It smells great."
"It does," Castle said, Jim and his mother both helping him get everything out. "And we have a few things for breakfast too."
"The girls will love that," Beckett commented.
"What're they doing?" Castle asked when they'd finished and he had washed his hands.
"Running around on the sand with Maddy and Keo," Beckett replied. When he wrapped his arms around her she glanced at their parents, relieved when her father and his mother quickly left and she said, "I think-"
Castle felt bad about cutting her off as he did but he couldn't stop himself, holding her tightly against him while they kissed. He pressed his forehead against hers when they parted and murmured an apology.
"Don't worry," Beckett assured him. "I was tempted to do that myself."
"Look, while we're alone in the house… we are right? Patrick isn't in the bathroom over there is he?" Castle asked.
"No," Beckett said, brushing her lips against his gently.
"I'm wondering if I can request something," Castle told her.
"Okay," Beckett replied, wondering what that would be.
"Do you think we can wait until my birthday to do anything at night?" Castle asked.
Smiling Beckett said, "I would appreciate that."
"Tired?" Castle asked.
"Slightly," Beckett answered. "But I would rather want to hear more about what you remember."
"Great, I want to tell you," Castle said earnestly. He smiled at her and then kissed her again, deeply, before they parted. He was tempted to kiss her once more, but she reached for his hand and he walked with her out into the back, watching their kids running around with the Darnley-Nkosi kids.
"You're getting soft," Beckett called out to her friend.
"Hey, you try running around after your kids," Darnley said with a smile as he'd stopped. "Actually, don't do that. Not yet."
Shaking her head; though she was smiling as well; Beckett said, "I wouldn't last that long."
"Do we need to eat now?" Darnley directed to Castle.
"Not yet, the food'll stay warm," he replied. He then said, "I'll take over with the kids," as he could see they were getting Jim to run around with them.
"It's not going to be-" Darnley said, looking at his friend and seeing she looked frustrated.
"I know, I just wish I could join in," Beckett interrupted him as she knew what he was going to say. As he led her over to one of the chairs looking out on the lake she said, "You didn't want to explore?"
"With so many of us it feels like we don't really get to talk," Darnley replied, sitting down next to her. He smiled at her and then said, "And this trip isn't too long."
"You're sure you can't take off this summer?" Beckett asked, turning her attention from him to the others. She smiled as she saw everyone but Martha was with the kids then and she said, "I've asked you that already but there's a part of me really hoping you might have had the chance."
"We can't except for when you'll be in DC," Darnley said. "We were thinking of taking off next summer though; they'll be four and three then so that's a good time to start."
"I don't know where we'll be going," Beckett said slightly laughingly as she knew he was asking that. "Usually we know far ahead of time but… Rick and I are a little focused on the baby."
"And each other," Darnley commented. When she glanced at him he smiled benignly and told her, "I could see you smooching."
Rolling her eyes, as he knew she'd never been a fan of that word, Beckett opened her mouth to speak when her friend continued.
"Snogging? P… how do you say that in Irish?" Darnley said. "I only know the word kiss and I don't even know how to pronounce it."
"Phógadh," Beckett said simply. "And while we're waiting for the baby…" She trailed off as her friend began to laugh and she smiled before telling him, "And the girls of course. We're trying to focus on them as much as possible before May."
"Good idea, we did the same thing with Maddy when we knew for sure when Keo was going to come to us," Darnley answered. "I'm excited," he said after they'd been watching the others in front of them. He knew his friend was looking at him so he told her, "For this baby; never saw Eliza so I'm wondering about this one."
"She could look completely different you know," Beckett said.
"Still I want to see her," Darnley replied easily. "And you too."
"Thank you," Beckett said slightly laughingly before they turned their attention back to in front of them where the game the group was playing was obviously ending.
"What can we play now?" Eliza asked as she wrapped her arms around Keo.
"I think we should go inside to eat," Castle suggested.
"Can we play more after?" Julia said.
"I think so," Castle replied, letting her take his hand. After they had walked up to where Beckett and Darnley were he said, "Hungry love?"
"I am," she replied, standing up. "I'm fine on my own," Beckett said in amusement as Darnley stood up swiftly. "And I get the feeling everyone who was playing is too," she directed to the others.
Julia hurried to her mother and grabbed her hand before saying, "I'm hungry. What did Dad get?"
"You'll find out," Beckett said. She saw her daughter was looking at her closely and she said, "I don't even know," with a soft laugh. "I'll be surprised too."
"Why are we eating inside?" Eliza asked as she and her sister watched Maddy and Keo while the adults were getting the food out on the counter.
"It's nice inside too," Beckett said as she finished setting out one tray before her husband almost literally shooed her away. "But so we can eat we better get all the forks and knives out."
"Dad's letting you do that?" Julia asked, smiling when Maddy went to her mother and wrapped her arms around her leg.
"Luckily he doesn't think that's too hard to do," Beckett said, putting her hand on top of the toddler's head. "Who did her braids?" she asked Darnley and Nkosi.
"I did, I'm learning well," the former said.
"My mother let me learn to braid hers," Nkosi said with a smile. "Harder to do that to hers since it is still short, but I can manage some. Thank you."
Nodding Beckett turned her attention to Julia and Eliza, helping them getting what forks and knives they needed before the table in an alcove between the family room and kitchen was set. Since by then the food was out and ready she went with the girls to get theirs, looking at each tray there was before turning her attention to her husband.
"I'm assuming you want these all named?" Castle asked his wife.
"They do too," Beckett said. She looked at her father and mother in law and said, "You already know what they are?"
"We do, the worker at the restaurant had to tell him what they were while we were with him," Martha said as she came back to them after putting Maddy into the high chair Darnley had brought from the house they were staying in.
"So, you've got battered sausage; sort of like corn dogs," Castle began, pointing out the first tray. "Then some corned beef which you've had before and-"
"And mashed potatoes?" Julia guessed, looking at the next tray though she wasn't sure as it had something green in it.
"Colcannon," Castle said. "There's kale in it. And then boxty; there's some gravy to pour onto them. And then some farl to dip in that gravy if you'd like." When he stopped talking there was a growling sound and with a frown he looked at Eliza with the others.
"My tummy," the little girl said before she began to giggle as she'd made the sound with her mouth.
With that the group in the kitchen began to get their food before they gathered around the table and spoke together as they ate.
"Are you sure you should take the baby on the boat?" Martha asked.
"I asked Brad and he said he and Lily had taken Eve on the same tour when she was as little," Darnley said.
"He recommended some gingersnaps; they gave some to Eve and she was fine," Nkosi added.
"We'll keep an eye on him too," Darnley replied. "And since you brought up the boat there's something I want to ask you."
"Which is?" Beckett said.
"What are you going to do tomorrow?" Darnley asked.
"Rest," Castle said. He wasn't surprised when Beckett gave him a look and he explained, "I'm leaving the rest up to you. I just know that at some point you'll… rest; for lack of a better word."
Beckett rolled her eyes and said, "I would like to walk along the lake once. Maybe do a little writing."
"Writing?" Julia asked. "Oh, your twenties story," she said when she quickly realized what her mother meant by that.
"You want to write here?" Castle asked in surprise.
"A little," Beckett said simply. She then smiled and said, "We have a scene we need to work out."
"That's true," Castle said with a nod. "Then we have some things planned," he said to Darnley.
"Good to hear," he replied. "Oh, and cooking too," Darnley told them.
"Where are you guys going to go to eat?" Beckett asked them.
"We were thinking of heading to the restaurants near here," Nkosi said. "They had some interesting ones."
"Come here," Castle said.
"He's right, we're probably going to make large pizzas for us so come over when you get back," Beckett added. She then glanced at their kids and said, "I'm sure the girls won't mind Maddy and Keo back here tomorrow."
"We won't," Julia said.
"You don't?" Darnley asked her.
"Why would I?" Julia said in surprise.
"They're a lot younger than you," Darnley answered.
"My sister is too," Julia said. "So will my littlest sister when she's born; a lot younger. I'm used to it."
"Then I guess that's settled, but let us bring something," Darnley told Castle and Beckett.
"Like what?" Beckett asked her friend.
"I don't know," Darnley said with a laugh. "We'll think of something. Would you mind if we get dessert for you?"
"I have for tonight," Castle said when his wife looked at him.
"Why not make it more fruit than sweet?" Beckett told her friend.
"I can try," Darnley said with a nod. He then told Castle, "You made some great choices."
"He's right Rick," Beckett said.
"You're happy?" Castle said, not minding the glance that she gave him. "Me too."
Beckett laughed softly and squeezed his hand before she watched Nkosi get up to get Keo out of his high chair since he had just finished feeding him. "We'll have to do that again," she said to her husband.
"Mommy?" Eliza asked, having been listening to her mother closely.
"Yes sweetie?" Beckett said as she wrapped her arm around her daughter since she'd come to stand next to her.
"Can I feed the baby too?" Eliza asked her.
"Of course," Beckett replied. "You've fed Dani so you can feed your sister."
"I fed you," Julia reminded her.
"Was it fun?" Eliza asked her.
Laughing when Julia looked at both him and Beckett, Castle said to the others as well as Eliza, "One time she did that her sister got a hold of the spoon and shared her pears with Julia."
"I did?" Eliza asked in surprise.
"You did," Beckett said with a smile.
"Right on my lips," Julia said, pretending to be annoyed. She smiled at her sister then and said, "But that's okay, you didn't know that wasn't what the spoon was for."
Watching the little girl hurry around the table to her big sister Beckett smiled as the two hugged before she put her hand on her stomach. She heard Darnley clearing his throat and said, "Too sappy?"
"No," he said simply. "I'm just hoping Maddy and Keo will be like that."
"They still have their disagreements," Castle commented as he stood up and then took his wife's plate since they'd finished eating.
"Here and there but we try to get them to stop before it gets out of control," Beckett added.
"Good idea," Nkosi said. He handed Keo to Martha before he then got Maddy from her high chair, letting her run around the table.
"What do you have planned now?" Darnley asked as he sat in Castle's chair since Beckett was still in hers.
"I thought we should let them play," Beckett replied. She then smiled a little and said, "You don't need to go soon?"
Looking at Keo; still on Martha's lap; Darnley said, "Yeah, so if you were serious about dessert…" trailing off as Castle set down a round metal take out round container in front of them.
"Eaton mess?" Beckett asked him with a smile.
"They called it Dublin prácás," Castle replied.
"That means mess I'm guessing?" Darnley said.
"It does," Beckett said. "But what about it makes it Irish?"
"I asked the same thing myself," Castle told her as he came back with bowls for them to eat the dessert from. "And they explained they used common fruits to Ireland; not strawberries though those are. There are raspberries, plums and pears and the whipped cream has a very slight mint flavor to it. Why that's Irish, I don't know."
"It looks very nice," Darnley assured him. When the man had left them, he jumped as he'd looked back at Beckett, seeing that the kids were all gathered there. "Village of the D-" he started to say.
"I got it," Beckett cut him off before he could continue. "I think it's more the dessert. You guys can have some," she directed to the kids. "But after things get cleaned up."
When her little sister looked at her Julia shrugged to tell her there wasn't much they could do but wait and she smiled when Eliza let out a heavy sigh. "Can we still have dessert that Patrick and Trevor bring?" she asked.
"Sweet dessert?" Eliza said quickly.
"Sweet?" Beckett asked in slight confusion.
"You told me to get something more fruit than sweet," Darnley murmured to her.
"Nice try," Beckett said. "I stick by that because this is still sweet."
"And we're ready to eat it," Castle said, coming over once his hands were dry.
The group gathered together around the table and ate the dessert together before the kids could start playing again since the table was cleared fully.
Beckett had been sent to the couch and she said to Martha, "I feel useless."
"I know how you feel," Castle's mother replied. "When I was around this time with Richard I couldn't get any roles… couldn't really do anything else for that matter. That was when my brother and Rho had me move in with them so they could help me. That was very nice of them, but I wasn't very happy for the reason to stay with them. I did what I could, but Rho was… insistent on my taking it easy."
"I think I know why," Beckett said with a slight smile. When her mother in law looked at her she told her, "You had a thinner frame in those pictures of you carrying Rick."
"Very thin," Castle said as he came around to them, handing his wife a mug of tea. "You told me they were both worried when you gave birth."
Waving her hand Martha said, "When you have very good shaped hips it helps." She smiled at her daughter in law and raising her wine glass slightly told her, "As you can attest."
"Yes, I know," Beckett said a bit laughingly.
"Okay, okay so it helps but I'm not going to stop worrying," Castle said, holding up his free hand as he had a mug in his other hand.
"You know her mother was the same," Jim said at the pause.
"I remember," Castle said as he recalled having seen pictures of his mother in law carrying Beckett. He reached out to his wife and squeezed her hand saying, "I know you'll be alright love."
Beckett merely smiled at him before she squeezed his hand back firmly, turning her attention to the kids in front of them, focusing on them while they were playing happily together with Keo's toys.
"I thought you'd be going home as soon as he fell asleep," Beckett said, watching Darnley covering his son with a blanket. She was with him as Keo had been placed on the couch next to Maddy and the girls while the rest of them were playing cards. "Julia," she then said to her oldest.
"I'll watch him Mommy," the girl said seriously, smiling at her. "We're just gonna play catch with the ball."
"What throw it around?" Darnley asked teasingly after he had pressed a kiss to the back of his son's head.
"Yes," Eliza said before she started to giggle with Maddy.
"Shh," Beckett told them.
"He'll be okay," Julia said earnestly, smiling at them. She watched her mother and Darnley go before she looked over at the baby on the couch and smiled at the way he looked fast asleep. She glanced at her mother and felt a sudden burst of impatience for her littlest sister to be born. When Eliza called her name, she shook herself of her thoughts and turned her attention back to her sister and Maddy so they could roll the ball in between the three of them as she leaned against the couch.
"What are we playing now?" Darnley asked after he and Beckett were sitting around the table again.
"Omaha," Martha said.
"Again?" Castle asked with a heavy sigh.
"She's been winning; repeatedly," Jim reminded them.
"Well if you want to break my winning streak and be heartless…" Martha began to say.
"I love how you end with the being heartless aspect," Castle said in amusement to his mother. "And it would be nice to switch."
"Could I suggest a game?" Nkosi commented, sharing a look with his husband.
"Pai gow," Darnley said quickly.
"You like that game?" Beckett asked the investigator.
"I do," Nkosi said. "I learned how to play from my mentor and I got quite good at it. Do you all know how to play?"
"We should get started," Darnley said when the others had nodded. He took the deck of cards from Castle and began to shuffle saying, "These chips aren't money, right?"
"They should be," Martha commented.
"See if she says that again once her stacks start going down," Castle said to the two men.
With some laughter the group began to play together, ending up doing so a few more times before Eliza rushed over to her mother.
"Are you tired sweetie?" Beckett asked, wrapping her arm around the little girl.
"Not yet," Eliza replied seriously. "Maddy went to sleep."
"And now we need to go," Darnley said, standing up as his husband did the same. They hurried over to the couch and saw that Julia was sitting on it, Maddy in her arms and sitting on her lap.
"I thought she should sit with me," Julia murmured quietly.
"Thank you; think you can hold her for just a little bit longer?" Darnley asked her. When she nodded he went over to the entry with Nkosi to get their jackets before he returned to set them on the arm of the couch. "Okay, so what's the plan for tomorrow morning? Also, what time does the boat leave? Brad never told us," he said, looking at Beckett.
"You need to leave from here at ten forty-five, the boat leaves at eleven," Castle said.
"The dock is near us?" Nkosi asked.
"Seven minutes away according to Brad," Beckett answered. She embraced the man quickly before telling him, "You'll enjoy it."
"I will," Nkosi replied. "I hope the children do as well."
Nodding Beckett then waited for both the investigator and Darnley to say goodnight and goodbye to everyone before the latter was turning to her. She wrapped her arms around him as tightly as she could telling him, "I'm so glad you were able to come."
"Me too," Darnley replied as he was hugging her back as hard. "Okay…" he said, moving away slightly and looking down at her stomach.
"She does kick even when I'm hugging people," Beckett said a little laughingly as she knew why he'd had that reaction. She kissed his cheek and then said, "You should come on vacations with us more."
"We'll try, when they're older," Darnley said. He then said, "Will you take the baby somewhere next summer? We talked about that but-"
"We likely will," Castle said. "We want them all to be well traveled but we're not going to make Julia and Eliza wait to go around the world." When his wife glanced at him he said, "Or try to."
"We might have to limit ourselves," Darnley said when his friend looked back at him. He then smiled and said, "But we're here at least. And we'll be here for dinner tomorrow unless you change your mind."
"I don't think I will," Beckett said, shaking her head as she gave a mock sigh. She squeezed him tightly once more and told him, "Do you need any help with them?"
"No, were you going to offer?" Darnley asked her in surprise.
"She was going to offer me," Castle commented.
"We'll get back to the house fine," Darnley said, letting her go. "Have fun you two," he then directed to Julia and Eliza who were listening to them.
After the two men had gotten their kids bundled up enough and had them in their arms Beckett went with her husband to the door to watch them walk to the sidewalk for as far as they could see them. "They don't need to go to bed yet," she told him.
"Great, I think it's time we taught Julia poker," Castle said.
"You mean continue to?" Beckett asked.
"I mean teach her for more than a few games," Castle explained.
"And Eliza will need to go to bed soon," Beckett pointed out to him. "Not yet."
"She can learn too," Castle commented before he closed and locked the door and then went with her over to the kitchen where the rest of their family was.
"Mom," Julia said, going over to her. "When can I go over to Mari's house?"
"They're not back yet," Beckett said, picking her phone up from the table she'd walked to. "So not until then. Are you sure you have everything you need in your bag?"
"Yep," Julia said simply. She smiled and said, "I made sure."
"You left your writing things here right?" Castle asked as he was getting some popcorn for them.
"I don't really have my things," Julia said, smiling a little shyly. "They're at home. I just brought paper and a pen for if I get an idea."
"Very smart; you never know when that might happen," Castle said.
Seeing her mother in law rolling her eyes Beckett said, "He never did that?"
"Rarely," Martha answered, shaking her head. "Don't give me that look Richard. Do you remember our visit to Hawaii when Alexis was thirteen? You told us over and over the guest house on the property you'd rented was for you to write in. To give him that 'tropical vibe' as he said."
"Or juju," Castle said, smiling slightly as his wife turned her head away from him and he knew that she was holding back some laughter.
"Whatever it was the tropics did not help and he was in the water most of the time," Martha said as they walked together over to the table since he had finished making two large bowls of popcorn for them to share.
"He never wrote?" Jim asked.
"Not a single, blessed word," Martha said, looking to her son pointedly.
"I was distracted," Castle said with a shrug. He was startled when Julia and Eliza looked at each other worriedly and he said, "Showing Alexis places we hadn't been to before," speaking rapidly. "I looked up everything I could and was eager to show her. She had just read a book about Hawaii and was interested in it even more."
Beckett; having seen the look their daughters had exchanged; glanced at her husband before he gave the deck of cards to her father for him to shuffle. She tapped onto his palm in Morse code under the table, No woman?
I was really focused on Alexis, Castle tapped back to her. She was thirteen for two months and a teenager. I was terrified.
A smile appearing on her face; as she knew he was serious by the way he slightly caressed her palm after the dash and two swift dots of the d; Beckett soon turned her attention to her father who had finished and was looking at them both to ask them a question.
"What are we playing?" Jim asked.
"Standard poker," Castle replied. "Eliza want to play with me?"
"Can I learn?" the little girl asked eagerly.
"You can," Castle replied with a smile before he took her onto his lap.
"What about me?" Julia asked.
"Sit with me and I'll help you," Beckett said. "Your dad and I want to teach you more."
"We get to use the chips?" Julia asked hopefully. When her mother nodded she smiled widely and then took the cards that her grandfather was passing around to them all. She looked at her cards and frowned, not sure what she had that was good exactly though she recalled her past lessons in the game.
"Throw those two," Beckett said when she had looked at her daughter's hand. "And see if you can't try to get two of a kind at least."
Taking the two cards to replace the two she'd thrown Julia sighed when she didn't get anything. "I lost Mom," she told her.
"I know but that's how the game-" Beckett began to say before there the doorbell for the house rang.
"Mari!" Julia cried out eagerly.
Castle gestured to his wife to get her attention and once he had he pointed out that Eliza was asleep on his lap. He mouthed an apology to her as she stood before she squeezed his shoulder in passing, knowing that was to let him know he didn't need to apologize.
Looking out to see who it was Beckett wasn't surprised when she saw David with Mari before she opened the door. "You came in time, I was about to text you," she told the mayor.
"We just got back and Mari insisted we pick her up," David said, looking with her at the two girls who were talking together.
At that point Julia hurried over to her grandparents, hugging and kissing them goodnight as well as telling them she'd see them the next day. She embraced her father carefully; as he'd joined them carrying her sister and whispered, "I love you Dad."
"I love you too sweetheart," Castle replied. "Goodnight."
"Night Mom, love you," Julia said, hugging her mother next.
"I love you Julia, have fun and we'll see you tomorrow," Beckett told her. She watched with Castle as the three headed out to the sidewalk and then to the house next door. "We need to put her to bed," she said to her husband after she had closed and locked the front door.
"Let's say goodnight," Castle replied before they turned to their parents.
Beckett followed him and they let her father and Martha say a quiet goodnight to the still sleeping little girl before they said goodnight to them themselves. After their parents had gone upstairs they went up soon after to go to Eliza's room to put her to bed together.
Castle closed the door to the room behind him and said to his wife, "She's still asleep."
"Weird to just have just one to check on?" Beckett asked with a smile as he got into bed next to her.
"It is but we know she's happy," Castle said simply before he smiled back at her and kissed her cheek. When she turned fully to him and pulled him to her he went along willingly, kissing her deeply at the same time she was doing that to him. He couldn't stop himself and he tugged on her gently until she was on his lap and they fell into a second kiss before they slowly parted some time later. "So… I think we should go to bed," he began before correcting himself and then continuing.
"Not yet, but I probably should get off your lap," Beckett told him.
"Do you have to?" Castle asked.
"No," Beckett said with a smile. "But be careful with that."
"That's easy for you to say," Castle replied.
"Then why don't you tell me more about our trip to Ireland?" Beckett asked him.
"Distraction?" Castle asked.
"I would appreciate it," Beckett replied.
"Are-" Castle began to say, looking at her in concern.
"I'm fine," Beckett said firmly. "I just wanted to wait like we talked about before."
"Alright," Castle said. "So we finally got to Cobh and once we'd stayed the night we headed up the coast."
"To where," Beckett asked him.
"Adare," Castle said.
"You-" Beckett started to tell him incredulously.
"I'm serious love," Castle said firmly. "We went to Adare, but we didn't stay at the manor since it belonged to the Dunraven family then."
"Then where did we stay?" Beckett asked.
"A cottage," Castle replied. "Next to the river," he added as that came to him.
"Do you have anything to say about that?" Beckett said. "It seems like our time there was taken up by whatever bed we had," she told him with a smile.
"Some of it, but we did leave the cottage occasionally," Castle replied. When his wife studied him he smiled and said, "I'll tell you about what's standing out to me."
"Please, I'm fascinated now," Beckett replied. She laughed softly when he squeezed her gently before he began to relate the story, recalling it herself suddenly as he spoke.
"Any luck love?" Kate asked her husband as she walked up to him.
"Nope," Rick said, holding up the fishing rod. "None of them seem to want to nibble."
"If you used bait that might help," Kate pointed out, taking off her shoes. She rolled up the trousers she had on and then sat down next to him, dipping her feet into the river as her husband was doing.
"Nothing else?" Beckett said when her husband stopped talking.
"Sorry, just seeing you in those pants," Castle said. He shook himself when she pinched his shoulder playfully and he said, "But I eventually set aside the rod since I knew you were right."
"Is that the manor over there?" Kate eventually asked as she looked at the edifice they could see through the trees.
"I think so," Rick replied. "It looks swell… wonder if they have horses."
With a smile Kate told him, "I wish we could ask them."
"This is good too," Rick said, looking around them.
"It's the cat's meow," Kate replied. She smiled when he looked over at her and then leaned over, kissing him as he moved towards her at the same time. They kissed deeply before she moved away quickly and said, "Did you try these?"
"I thought about it but didn't want to get too far from the cottage," Rick replied, watching her stand and then go over the flat stones that were in the river near them. "It's not very deep," he added as she dipped her toes into the water.
"I'm not going swimming," Kate said simply. She watched him get up and come over to her before she said, "Try-" before he slipped and fell nearly knee deep into the river. "Are you okay?" she asked, trying not to laugh though it was difficult.
"Oh, I'm just swell," Rick replied with a slight laugh. "I'll head inside."
Watching him go, Kate remained where she was for a moment before she went back across the river. Picking up her shoes and her husband's as well she went into the cottage and said to her husband when the door was closed and locked behind her, "You forgot these Rick."
"I know, just trying to get something dry on," he called to her from the bedroom. When he stepped out he was wearing his pajama pants and Rick told her, "Should just stay in."
"Oh really?" Kate asked.
"Nothing much to do," Rick replied, stepping close to her and wrapping his arm around her. "No reason to get dolled up."
"You want me to do the same?" Kate asked. When he nodded she laughed and brushed her lips against his before she slipped away from him and went over to the bedroom, closing the door behind her while he watched her.
"I'm guessing there's more," Beckett told her husband when he stopped there.
Breathing out slightly Castle said, "Are you sure you want me to keep going?" When his wife just gave him a look something suddenly came to mind and he said, "When I told you yesterday about us making love on the train you asked me about the condoms we used but we w-"
"No, but that just came to me," Beckett replied easily. "Don't try to change the subject. We made love obviously and we didn't need protection I remember; keep going."
Castle didn't speak at first, having to fight his laughter at her words, before he finally managed to do so telling her, "You're forgetting the fact that you went over to the bedroom and closed the door on me."
"Oh, I remembered," Beckett said simply.
"You know what happens next," Castle said after he'd studied her for a moment.
"I told you already I do," Beckett said. "But keep going."
Leaning over a little Castle kissed her tenderly for a few seconds before he pulled away and continued where he left off.
"Kate? I swear I didn't bring the water all around the floor," Rick said, knocking on the door. "Can I come in?"
Opening the door Kate smiled at her husband and said, "Of course you can."
Giving her a mock glare Rick slipped past her inside of the room telling her, "What would you like?"
Kate didn't say anything and merely wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing close to him and kissing him deeply on the lips. She was relieved when he grabbed for her and pulled her tightly to him before he paused. She was smiling again when he moved away from her and she took his hand, pulling him with her over to the bed. When they had reached it and were next to it she was wrapping her arms around him again before they were suddenly falling back on the bed, making her cry out in surprise.
Rick was careful not to fall with his full weight on his wife and he told her, "This was what you want?"
"Why do you keep asking me?" Kate replied. She was surprised when he didn't answer her and instead got up; pulling her more onto the bed so she could lay in the middle of it. When he kissed her, she tensed briefly as his hand carefully tugged on the tie of her robe before it slid underneath.
Rick groaned against his wife's lips before he moved away and began to kiss wildly over her naked body before she pushed on his shoulder to make him get up. He hurried to do so and they were removing each other's clothes before he got her back down on the bed and they joined together swiftly.
"I probably should stop there," Castle told his wife.
"I think you're right," Beckett replied. She then smiled and said, "We stayed for a long time. But why did that stand out to you?"
Castle became thoughtful for a moment before he said, "I'm not sure… maybe because we noticed Adare Manor. Don't say it's a coincidence that we've found our way back there."
Beckett was tempted to comment on that, but she decided not to before she said, "Still it was nice, the bed withstood."
Laughing shortly Castle said, "I thought the same thing," before he realized something. "Are you cold?" he asked her.
"Slightly," Beckett said with a sigh. She let her husband move them so she was sitting next to him with the covers pulled over her lap and she smiled saying, "Is that it for tonight?"
"No, I figure I should tell you something that doesn't lead to us making love," Castle replied.
"Is that possible?" Beckett commented, raising her eyebrow in reaction.
Breathing out a little hard Castle said, "I know you're teasing me, but we did that a lot, I wasn't kidding."
Leaning over to him Beckett cupped her husband's cheek and kissed him tenderly before she told him, "Nothing we did was sightseeing?"
"We went to the beach," Castle said. "Our beach."
"Slea Head?" Beckett asked. When he nodded she smiled and said, "What's the story there?"
"Not much, we swam; I enjoyed you in your bikini…" Castle said before pointedly trailing off.
"At that age?" Beckett asked.
"At that age," Castle replied firmly. "But it wasn't really that revealing."
"That makes more sense," Beckett said. "I'm going to make a guess and we just went where we've gone already."
"We did," Castle replied. "But you have to admit Adare and Slea Head are a surprise."
"Alright, is there anything else?" Beckett said.
"There is but I'd like to stretch out the story telling," Castle replied.
"We did that little?" Beckett asked him teasingly.
"I don't think I really have to answer that," Castle said easily. "You know already." He smiled when she did and said, "So for tonight that's it," before he watched her yawning.
"I'm not sleepy yet," Beckett said with a sigh as she saw him staring at her.
"Maybe I should take a shower like last night," Castle commented.
"Pass," Beckett replied. She looked around the room and said, "Was that TV always there?" startled to see it on the wall of what was the walk-in closet.
"No, I had it installed yesterday," Castle replied. He smiled when she smacked his chest lightly with the back of her hand and told her, "You want to watch something?"
"You brought movies, right?" Beckett asked.
"RiffTrax and MST3K," Castle replied.
"That's it?" Beckett asked in surprise.
"I was in a comedy mood," Castle said, getting off the couch. He hurried over to where he had the DVDs in a case and said, "They're mostly ones you haven't seen yet."
"So my choice?" Beckett said.
"Your choice," Castle replied as he reached her and handed over the case before getting up on the mattress next to her, closing the curtains over the sides while he waited for her to choose.
"I don't want to really take that long," Beckett commented eventually. "Which of the RiffTrax are shorter?"
"This one," Castle said, flipping through the pages with the DVDs. "This one and this. The shortest if you're wondering is Maniac… barely an hour I think."
"Alright," Beckett said with a nod.
After putting the movie into the player that went with the TV Castle returned to the bed in time for the beginning of the movie. He hadn't seen it before and was about to tell his wife when they were laughing together at one of the jokes from the riffers.
"What is this?" Beckett asked eventually when the scene went to a man being injected with something by a fake doctor and going berserk.
"Do you want me to stop- whoa!" Castle said when they both saw the man ripping at a woman's clothes and exposing her breasts.
"When was this movie made?" Beckett asked, laughing as one of the riffers commented that he didn't know they had those in the thirties. "You've never seen it?" she asked as the scene ended.
"No, Julia's not seeing this for a long time," Castle said.
When the movie then went to a scene with some women in their lingerie talking together Beckett shook her head and said, "I don't think I'd be able to watch the movie on its own."
"Hey Minnie Mouse," Castle said, about to respond to what she'd said when one of the women spoke with a high-pitched voice.
When the rest of the movie played Beckett waited until her husband had turned it off and said, "Well they referenced Poe that should make you happy."
"Not really, they mangled his works," Castle replied, getting off the bed again.
"Then the nudity?" Beckett asked him.
"From 1934?" Castle responded swiftly as he went back to her.
"I had to see," Beckett said with a smile. "You were thirty-five and I was thirty-four."
"We were, our four kids were all with us and growing up and we were surviving during the Depression," Castle said, covering himself. He then smiled and told her, "And we were exploring around in our car."
"That huge Ford?" Beckett asked him. When he nodded she replied, "Weren't we going into the city more?"
"For the summer," Castle corrected her.
Thinking that over it came to Beckett that he was right, and she smiled saying, "We had cameras."
"Old cameras, but cameras," Castle replied. "I wish you'd published a book, it could be found and we could know who we were."
"Would you want to?" Beckett said.
"I'm not sure," Castle said slowly. "I would want to remember more before I looked into anything else that I did. To be honest I took the fact that I couldn't find any names connected to the club to be a sign."
"Not a surprise," Beckett said simply.
"We need more time," Castle said. "But what do you think about watching something else? A short or something?"
"A short," Beckett said with a smile. "You could always have some scotch if you're using the short as a cleanser."
"I'd have to throw it into my eyes," Castle replied, shaking his head and then grabbing for his phone on the nightstand.
"I appreciate you closing those," Beckett said as she watched him pushing the curtains apart.
"We never used them last night," Castle explained.
"That was mainly because we were tired," Beckett reminded him. She took his phone and watched him close the curtain at the end of the bed before he sat back next to her. "What do you have in mind?" she asked him.
"I was just going to look and remind myself of what we have," Castle said, looking at their account on the site. "I have one we haven't watched, Home of the Future?"
"Go ahead," Beckett said before she leaned against him and wrapped her arms around him so she would be able to see the screen of his phone. As the short film progressed she found herself rolling her eyes repeatedly at the absurdity of the home. When it was finished she held onto her husband though he turned off his phone and said, "I love how it was the future and yet the woman was basically doing the same thing; just with less effort."
"No surprise there, it was made in the sixties so…" Castle said before he gently rubbed her arm. "Maybe we should get some sleep," he said, feeling in the way she leaned against him that she was fatigued.
"I guess," Beckett replied, letting him go. While he set his phone aside she placed her pillow down and let him take the others to put aside before she lay down. She smiled at him as he joined her and then watched him leaning down, lifting her shirt to expose her stomach. "She's asleep," she told him as she hadn't felt the baby move for a while.
"That's alright," Castle replied. He pressed down very carefully on her until he knew where the head was and then kissed her there gently. "I love you ceann beag," he told the baby with a smile. "Your mom will be asleep soon too."
"And you," Beckett quickly told her husband.
"And me," Castle added. He pressed another kiss to where the baby was and then pushed himself up to lay down so his wife could go onto her side. He wrapped his arm around her to bring her close before they kissed, and he murmured, "I love you Kate."
"I love you too," Beckett said, gently cupping his cheek before she brought him down to her for another kiss. "Good night."
"Goodnight love," Castle replied, pressing his lips to her forehead. He wasn't surprised when she fell asleep shortly after and he smiled, murmuring to her, "Mo bandia." Calling her his goddess he gently covered her stomach with his hand and he held her before they were both sleeping wrapped up in the covers and pressed closely to one another through the night.