Blimp

The spill of Alexis' hair is the first thing to capture their attention, sunlight glancing off the brilliant spill of it as Rick's oldest daughter turns her head, and Kate lifts onto tiptoe and waves a hand at Alexis. Eli is beside her with the stroller, Harry strapped tight inside and gumming away at a toy, and Jack races up to his nephew and bends over to see him, pulling goofy faces that make the baby shriek with joy.

"Hey Dad," Alexis says, accepting a one-armed hug from her father. Castle's got Bea perched on his shoulders, their daughter drumming her feet against him and fisting her hands in his hair, and he winces as she yanks.

"Alexis!" Bea shrieks at her sister, and Castle's older daughter turns her face up towards his youngest with a smile. "It's my birthday. I am five."

That makes them all laugh and Alexis tugs on one of Bea's tiny feet. "I know, baby girl. You're so big now!"

"Bea," Kate hums, reaching up with one hand to uncurl her daughter's little fists. The other stays tight around the end of Snicket's leash, but the dog seems more interested in sniffing at the stroller than trying to bolt. "How about you come down now and go say hello to Harry?"

Their little girl falls backwards into Kate's arms and she sets Bea on her feet, hooking her arm through Castle's to watch their daughter run over to her brother and her nephew. Beatrice's tights are starting to come down, sagging to her knees, but it's useless to try and corral her until she comes to Kate under her own steam and asks for help.

"Hi honey," Kate grins when Alexis wraps her arms around Beckett and squeezes tight. She dusts a kiss to Alexis' cheek, Castle's joyful little noise in her ear making her scrabble for his hand and lace their fingers. "How are you guys?"

"We're great," Alexis says brightly, turning her head a moment to look at her husband and baby son. It was nearly seven years ago now that Kate was in that very same position, and her heart aches for the sleepy body of her baby boy in her arms. "He's getting better at sleeping through the night, and we started letting him hold the spoon himself when he has his food. He's been more willing to take it that way."

Castle untangles himself from Kate to wrap an arm around his daughter's shoulders as they walk down the path, stumbling a little when Snicket tries to weave between his legs. Pushing the button to give the dog's leash a little less slack, Kate gives him the firm command to heel and he settles down a little, comes to trot along next to Kate's legs.

"Pumpkin, that's fantastic. I'm so glad things are getting easier."

"Yeah," Alexis laughs, raking a hand through her hair. She just got it cut short a few weeks ago, Harry's insistent hands grabbing at the long strands every time he got the chance, and now it falls just past her shoulders. "It's been tough. I wanted to say thank you to you both for being so forthcoming with your advice. Especially you, Kate."

"Hey," Rick grumps, his bottom lip swelling into a pout, and Kate shakes her head on a laugh as she comes in to kiss his melodrama clean away. "What is that supposed to mean? Are you saying Kate is better at advice than your own dad?"

Alexis rolls her eyes at that, shares a glance with Kate that makes them both laugh, and the excitement makes the dog strain against his harness, almost wrenching Kate's arm clean out of its socket in his haste to get to Kate's son.

"Jack, buddy," Kate calls, and their gangly boy comes away from the stroller to his mother's side. "Would you take your dog, please?"

She's careful to make sure their son has his fingers tight around the leash before she lets go, and then Jack bounds off back to Alexis' husband. There's a low drone just above them and all three of them crane their necks, Castle's hand falling to the flare of Kate's hips as if to keep his balance.

A blimp makes its lazy way over their heads and Rick huffs a laugh, reaching for Kate's hand. "I should have hired one of those with a birthday message for Bea, don't you think?"

"I think her ego has had plenty of feeding today," Kate laughs, arranging her hand more comfortable in her husband's grip. On his other side, Alexis hooks her arm through her father's, and Kate feels the little shiver of pleasure that works its way through him.

She knows it's hard on him, not having all three of his kids around him every day, and that it sets his heart at ease whenever they spend time with Alexis and her family. Castle loves being a grandfather, doting on Harry, and Kate nudges her elbow into his. "Go see your grandson, babe. I know you want snuggles."

"I really do," he admits, untangling himself from them and jogging a little way down the path until he meets the rest of their family.

Kate hooks her arm through Alexis' and bends her head towards Castle's daughter, so full up with joy to have her here. "I'm really glad things are getting easier for you."

"I'm not sure I could have made it here without you," Alexis admits, laying her head against Beckett's shoulder for just a moment as they walk.

More than once, Kate has answered the phone in the middle of the night to Castle's daughter's panic, tears clogging her throat as she pleaded with Kate to tell her what she was doing wrong. A couple of times, Beckett has hastily dressed and crossed town, gone to be with Alexis in person to stroke her hair and reassure her that she wasn't failing as a mother.

"It's what families do."