To say Castle was excited was an understatement. The family had booked a trip to the Hamptons to relax after all that had gone on for the twins first birthday. Kate had been exhausted from all the moving around she had done and knew a trip to the Hamptons would do them good.
Packing up the van, Kate is using the door handle to support herself as she goes to buckle Reece in his car seat.
"Mama."
"Reece."
"Mama."
"Reece."
"Mama!"
"Yes, I'm mama, what's your name."
"Mama."
"No, I'm mama and your Reece."
"What's your name?"
"ake!" He beams.
"No, that's Jake." Kate chuckles pointing over at Jake, who had been already buckled in.
"What's your name."
"Dada!"
"No, that's Dada silly!" Kate laughs again, pointing to Castle, who had just stuck his head up from behind the drivers seat.
"What about me?" Castle asks, smiling at his boys.
"I'm trying to get Reece to say his name."
"What's your name, I know you know it!"
"Willy!" He giggles as Kate playfully rolls her eyes and chuckles as she points back to Lily, who had been in the back seat in her car seat.
"That's Lily, that's Jake, that's Dada, I'm Mama, and you are Reece," Kate says pointing to each person as she says their name.
"You-are-Reece." She smiles, tapping his nose for every word she said and then kissing it when she was done.
"Weece!" He smiles giggling up at his mother.
"See? That's it! You got it, dude!" Kate smiles clipping the boys chest clip and carefully easing herself up out of her awkward kneeling position. Pushing the button, so the door closes, Kate grabs her crutches she had leaning on the side of the van and sets them in the passenger seat before pulling herself in. Castle had the van going and a movie before they pulled out and headed towards the highway. They take the I-495 to the NY-27 E and get off at the exit that would take them through town to the house. They had planned to just drive by the house and drop a few things off and go get dinner but both the boys had pretty stinky diapers and would need to be changed ASAP. The car had started to stink and even with all the windows down the van still stunk.
"We can go to dinner, but we gotta change them, you help me?"
"Oh, for sure," Castle smiles as they park and he gets out. He opens his side door of the van and helps Jake out of his seat putting him on his hip. He takes him inside and sets him on the couch. He goes back out and then helps Kate get Reece out, and she carefully takes him inside as Castle brings in Lily inside so they can change the boys.
"Pee-yew!" Kate chuckles as she pulls Reece's diaper off to change it.
"You are quite the stinker Reece's pieces!" She smiles, blowing a raspberry on his belly after slipping a diaper on him. They get cleaned up and get the kids in the van so they can head out to dinner. The car is still mostly packed as they pulled into the Denny's restaurant parking lot. Kate had thought about putting the twins in the stroller, but then she'd have to keep getting them in and out, and that trumped the thought of putting them in the stroller.
"Stay by the car please, Lily."
"Eat Momma!"
"Yes Lily-Pad, we will soon. Hold on ok?" Kate sighs, reaching for her crutches and leaning them against the van next to Lily. She carefully walks over to Reece and unbuckles him so Castle can scoop him out quickly with one arm. Coming around the van with Jake on one hip, he reaches for Reece and puts him on his other as Kate locks the van.
"Get daddy's pocket please," Kate says, grabbing her crutches and heading towards the restaurant. She can walk pretty well, but is just using the crutches for balance. Just to make sure she does not fall. Using her butt, she tries to back into the door to open it and hold it open with her crutch, but it's just too heavy. Luckily, someone had been leaving and quickly noticed they needed help and graciously held the door.
"Thank you!" Kate smiles as the man nods. They get up a little farther, and a hostess is ready to seat them.
"Five please." Castle smiles, juggling the squirming boys.
"Oh, and two high chairs." He adds, trying to not drop Reece, who was ready to run.
"Alright." The hostess smiles, taking them to a table and then quickly getting the two high chairs. They strap the boys in and put Lily next to Castle inside the booth so she can't escape.
"Whadya want, Lily-Pad," Castle asks, watching his daughter look the kids menu over.
"Licken!" She beams.
"Are you sure? Last time you barely ate any of your chicken." Castle sighs as she nods.
"Ok, if that's what you want, we will get it."
They order a chicken tender plate for Lily with some extra tenders for the boys, a burger for Castle and a salad for Kate. They know the boys won't eat much, but a cut up chicken tender each, will do them just fine if they also snack on some fries.
Food comes to the table, and Kate cuts up the chicken tenders for the boys as Castle puts their bibs on. They go to town on the chicken and fries as the rest of the family works on their meals too.
"Good?"
Kate nods as Lily gives her dad a kiss. Castle blushes, kissing Lily back. He can't believe he's sitting at a table with his family. He'd never thought he'd have a family, let alone three kids. He's in dreamland for a second before Kate wakes him up.
"You alright?" Kate asks, shifting in her seat.
"Yeah, just amazed, amazed to be here with you, and the kids." He yawns softly, having been getting tired from driving for two hours.
"You all done? Maybe we should go home; daddy looks tired."
They get cleaned up and head to the car. Both of the parents are pretty tired as they ease into the driveway. The kids have energy, but the adults is another story. Getting the kids clean and to bed, Castle joins Kate, and they quickly fall asleep. It's hard when you have three kids. They all have so much more energy that you and you have to keep up even when you can't.
It's three AM, and a cry is heard over the monitor. One of the twins must be up. Rolling over, Kate uses all her muscles to pull herself up and out of the bed. She grabs one crutch just because it's dark and the trip down the hall is not always the safest now that the kids are old enough to leave toys out.
She gets to the nursery and in her sleepiness, she meant to lean her crutch by the door, but it slips on the floor. She's too lazy and too tired to even think about trying to look for it and pick it up. Finding the crib Reece was standing up in, she carefully lifts him out and slowly walks to the rocking chair. Sitting down, she did her own little victory dance at the fact that she had carried Reece all the way, by herself, to the rocking chair without any help.
"Shh... Mommy's got ya." Kate coo's, rubbing Reece's back and rocking him slowly. Smiling down on him she begins to sing.
"Hush, little Reece, don't say a word.
Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird
And if that mockingbird won't sing,
Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring
And if that diamond ring turns brass,
Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass
And if that looking glass gets broke,
Mama's gonna buy you a billy goat." The last few words she says quietly as the song trails off and the two end up falling asleep.
The next morning Castle rolls over to see the other side of the bed empty. As he looks beyond the bed, he can see what he makes out as her crutches, but he can't tell if it's one or both. Rolling back over he jumps slightly, seeing Lily at the side of the bed. She was so quiet he did not hear her come in.
"Morning Lily-Pad, you sleep good?" He asks, watching as she nods, her dark waves bouncing as she tries to jump on the bed. Castle reaches out and lifts her up onto his bed. She smiles and lays on her father. Castle pulls her in, and they snuggle. Not for long, though, rustling is heard on the monitor and the words "Dada" are heard over it.
"Come on Lily, let's go get Jake," Castle smiles, lifting Lily up and taking her towards the nursery. They get to the door, and spot Kate and Reece in the rocker, both of them sacked out.
"Shhh... Lily, let's not wake momma and Reece." He tells her, making her stay by the door and slipping in to grab Jake. He slips back out and takes the two kids downstairs.
"What should daddy make for breakfast?"
"Mergy akes!" Jake beams, bouncing on his father's hip.
"Sure, why not, daddy will make emergency pancakes." Castle smiles, putting Jake in his high chair and getting Lily's stool so she can help her father.
"This is hot Lily, please don't touch ok?"
"Ok, daddy." She nods, watching her father crack an egg into the pan so he can make a few eggs to go with the pancakes.
Moments later a sleepy Kate and Reece find their way in the kitchen. She kisses Jake first before setting Reece in his chair next to his brother. She walks from them and comes over carefully, putting her arms around Castle and kisses his neck softly.
"Morning." She smiles, as Lily turns around and juts her hands out quickly for a hug from her mother.
"Oohh." She grunts, lifting Lily up and hugging her.
"Morning, my Lily-Pad."
"Morning momma!" She beams.
"What are we having for breakfast?"
"Daddy's making mergency pancakes." Lily smiles, putting her arms around her mother's neck, pulling her closer.
"Careful Lily-Pad, Mommy's not fully awake yet, I don't want you to knock me over." Kate sighs, as Castle starts serving the pancakes. Plates are put out for the two adults and Lily while Kate helps cut up two pancakes, one each for the boys. She moves now to carefully push each of the high chairs to the table, making sure they both had bibs on.
"Ok, go sit down Lily," Castle says, walking back to the table so he can sit down. She follows him and climbs into her chair. Kate finds her seat between the twins so she can keep her eye on them.
The boys spend the next 20 minutes banging on their trays as the adults eat. Lily is rather talkative the whole time with the occasional laugh at her brothers. They ate some of their food but had smeared most of the rest on their trays and themselves.
"It's a good thing we are going down to the beach soon. I don't have to give you both two baths today." Kate chuckles, standing carefully and kissing them both as she starts to clean up with Castle.
"Ok, Lily, you go with Daddy, Mommy will be up soon."
"Yeah, come with me Lily-Pad, we can get dressed for the beach."
Lily nods and the two head upstairs. Kate finishes up and sets the twins down and tries to corral them to the stairs and up them. The two are getting distracted, and Kate is having trouble keeping them with her.
"Jake, over here, come on, let's go." She sighs, as Jake's hand slips from her's. They reach the stairs and Kate is careful to watch herself on the stairs. She's good at getting around the house but still has a hard time on the stairs.
"Come on boys, let's go find daddy! I know he's up there somewhere call for him he will come!"
"Dada...!"
"Dada!"
"Dada!" The boys call out, running up the stairs.
"You see him yet?" They shake their heads.
"Dada coming!" Jake giggles, running down the hall.
"Watch out! Dada's coming!" Castle yells, running out of Lily's room and chasing after the boys. They start giggling and laughing trying to avoid their father as they run up and down the hall. Castle gets Jake first and is quick to scoop up Reece next.
"Arghh! Daddy got ya!" Castle laughs, running into their room and setting them down. Lily comes out of her room later and into her brothers.
The family soon heads down to the beach and has a blast getting wet and running around in the sand. They even try to bury Castle, but get lazy and end up just climbing over him. It's getting to be lunch time soon, and the kids will then have to go for a nap.
Putting the three down for a nap, Kate takes the monitor for the twins and heads to her bedroom and heads for a nap herself. Castle had decided to sit next to her on the bed and get some writing done. As he told Kate while they were engaged, he can write anywhere.
A/N: So, one more chapter. This is going to hopefully be a big one. Anyways, I wanted to let you know I'm either going to start a new fic and just post little one-shots as the kids grow up, or, just post an epilogue at the end of this with short little bits. Let me know what you want me to do, and what ideas you want me to touch on. I can't guarantee anything as I'm not the best writer, but I will try.