I feel like simple thank yous are a painfully inadequate way of expressing my gratitude, but to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited, and followed this story - thank you. Your support has been unreal. I hope this chapter makes up for the wait.

Take the Stairs - Chapter Ten

Kate Beckett was no stranger to exhaustion. She'd survived college and the police academy, after all. She'd pulled her fair share of double shifts and all-nighters, and she'd thought she understood tired. Then she'd been pregnant and delivered twins. She'd spent night after night walking the apartment with them, soothing their every whimper or wail. She'd run on fumes for months until they finally started sleeping longer each night. She'd grown adept at concealing dark circles and had perfected the art of tossing back her first cup of coffee like a shot.

But right now, exhaustion didn't begin to cover how she was feeling, and frankly she was too damn tired to think of a better adjective.

She'd been working for almost a month straight. A heat wave, a rash of murders, and a bizarre summer illness taking out half the precinct had all conspired against her to keep her practically chained to her desk and away from her home, her boyfriend, and her kids.

Shit, she missed her kids. She missed their sweet faces, their happy smiles, the way they'd babble for her when they needed her. Hell, she missed their grumpy faces and their grouchy cries, too.

To add insult to injury, she'd missed their first steps. She'd missed watching them giggle and stagger to their feet using only their walkers for balance to propel themselves around Rick's living room. She should've been there watching them take falter and drop to their knees before trying again. The videos Rick sent her were nice, they'd brought tears to her eyes, but she should've beenthere.

Only once had she seen them do it in person. Once. In over a week of toddling.

She could only hope to be there when they stopped needing the walkers.

It wasn't about leaving them with someone, either. They'd blossomed in their father's care, and when he wasn't able to watch them, they were in good hands at daycare or with her dad. It was the fact that leaving before sunrise and getting home long after they'd gone to bed had long-since grown tiresome.

She loved her job, but she loved her kids more. She wanted more time with them than a bottle and a diaper change in the middle of the night, more than a stolen moment of brushing their hair off their foreheads and hoping they wouldn't wake before she had a chance to slip out the door. She wanted to play with Alexis and hear about how crazy her day with her siblings (and her dad) had been.

And then there was Rick. She missed his playful hip bumps as they made dinner together and hearing about his day – his grown up day, not just the arts and crafts he'd done with the kids – as they prepared for bed. Of course, she also missed the thrill of pulling him closer, peeling their clothes off, and feeling his body against hers. She missed his mouth on her neck, his hands on her body. She missed getting her hands on his body, too, feeling him come alive at her touch.

It was maddening as hell to have ended eighteen months of celibacy only to be forced into another month-long dry spell less than three weeks later.

Yes, there were ways around that, but her boyfriend was usually asleep when she got in and she didn't have the heart to wake him for sex. As it was, he rarely stirred for more than a swipe of a kiss and a confirmation of who would have the kids the next day.

Her relationship was on hold; her family was on hold, and she was left with bone-deep weariness at the end of each day.

She tried not to take her annoyance out on her colleagues; Ryan and Esposito had been working just as hard as she had, taking on just as much, and running themselves just as ragged. They didn't deserve her ire. Neither did her captain, especially not given how much leeway he gave her the rest of the time.

But God, she needed a break. She needed more than a few hours at a time to decompress. More than taking a shower and falling into bed only to roll out of it an obscenely short amount of time later, fix her hair, and leave again.

She needed to do more than work.

Which was why she found herself tapping on her captain's doorframe with one of her closed case files and a leave request clenched between her fingers. She'd filled it out at the crack of dawn, but hadn't wanted to just drop it on his desk. She wanted to deliver it in person and explain herself if need be. Two of the detectives who'd been sick were on the mend, working half days already, It wasn't unreasonable for her to put in for some vacation time.

Montgomery could always say no, say they needed her here, that it was a terrible time for her to jump ship, but she had to try. She was getting entirely too used to the feeling of grit behind her eyelids, and part of her was actually starting to wonder if the downturn of her lips really would be permanent like her mother had always taunted.

"Come in, Beckett," her boss called, shuffling a few of the papers on his desk to make room for the ones she was about to hand him. She passed the file over first, reminding him that the DA wanted to see it ASAP.

"I'll make sure he gets it. Now," he paused, looking pointedly at the single sheet in her hand. "What else can I do for you?"

Beyond the half-days she'd taken for appointments for the twins, she could count the number of times she'd asked for time off on one hand. It had been a necessity while she was pregnant, but she'd hated having to go home early because she was queasy, and hated having to take full days just to make it easier on her tired body. She'd wanted to do her job until the last possible moment.

There was none of that insistence today.

"Putting in for some vacation time, sir."

To say her captain was surprised would be an understatement.

"Gotta tell you, Beckett, I'm surprised you beat me to it. I was giving you until next week before I insisted you take a few days. You've been running yourself into the ground. The boys can tell, the coffee machine in the break room can tell, I can tell."

Damn. She really had been taking it out on everyone (and apparently everything), hadn't she?

"It's uh, been a long few weeks," she admitted, licking her lips. "And I know everyone's been in it up to their eyeballs, so I feel bad asking, but I've barely seen the twins all month long. I'd like the chance to spend some time with them before they hit preschool."

Roy chuckled, taking the papers from her hand. "I think that's a smart choice. How is Rick?"

They'd met two weeks ago when Rick and the kids delivered dinner to her. Her boyfriend had sworn it was his daughter's idea to bring the home-cooked meal, but since it'd been the first opportunity for them to see each other before midnight in weeks, she didn't think he'd argued against it very hard. Kate certainly hadn't been complaining.

Suffice to say, the captain, Ryan, and Esposito had taken an immediate liking to Rick, welcoming him and Alexis into the fold. They'd teased, of course, but hadn't asked too many questions about their unconventional setup. In the end, Rick had darted out to buy dinner for the rest of the team so she wouldn't be eating in front of them, giving them the opportunity to snag an hour of near-relaxation before going back to the grind.

"He's hanging in there, but I can tell he could use a break," Beckett replied, feeling her lips turn up. Talking about Rick shouldn't make her giddy still, especially not in front of her boss, but it did. "Last week was a little rough; he had a few deadlines and had to call in reinforcements."

"Your father?" Montgomery asked, a knowing, pleased smile at his lips.

She nodded, proud. Her dad had come so far in such a short time and Roy knew that. It felt good to celebrate that with him.

"They've both been really great. I just want the chance to give them a rest, too."

Montgomery smiled, looking her paperwork over before nodding. "Think you can hold out until the end of the week? Stephens and Eldin are back on rotation full-time then."

"Of course, of course. It's short notice, I know, so even next week or the week after would be fine –"

"No, next week you're on vacation. And I don't want to see you in here for ten days."

Ten days? Did she even have ten days left on the year? She opened her mouth to argue that she should save some of it for the holidays and the colds everyone would inevitably contract, but Montgomery simply lifted an eyebrow.

Backing down, Kate nodded. "I'll have what I can cleared from my desk by then. Thank you, sir."

He waved her off, setting the request on his desk. "Don't thank me, Beckett. Just get some rest yourself. You've been running non-stop, too."

She would. She definitely would. The prospect of lazing about in her pajamas and playing with her kids was just too enticing to ignore. And oh, she'd have the chance to drink coffee, warm coffee, that didn't taste like it had come out of a car engine. She couldn't wait.

She felt her lips lift again. "I will."

"Oh, and tell that writer of yours that my wife finished his book and she's looking forward to the next one. If he can't get her a sneak peek, maybe he can sign it for her when it's released?"

Kate laughed, nodding in agreement. "I keep trying for an advanced copy for myself, but he'd be happy to sign it for her when it's released. And he'll be happy to hear she liked the first one."

Roy grinned. "Perfect. It'll be her birthday present."

She texted Rick that as soon as she got back to her desk. He likely wouldn't see the message until after Alexis and the twins had their midday snack, but at least she hadn't forgotten to let him know that she'd recruited someone else into the fledgling Richard Castle fan club. She was president, of course, but she'd allow others to join.

Maybe it was luck, maybe it was the promise of a break, but the rest of her day managed to take productivity to a new level. She finished almost half of her paperwork before lunch, conducted an interview that gave them an entirely new lead for a case, and brought in a suspect to close a second one. At five-thirty, she watched Montgomery kill the lights in his office, tap his watch, and suggest her team head home for the night.

Ryan and Esposito were out the door before she'd even lifted her bag onto her shoulder. She didn't blame them a bit.

When she let herself into her apartment half an hour later, instead of the chaotic greeting she'd expected, she was met with silence. Slightly unnerving silence.

"Rick?" she called, ditching her bag and her boots by the door, digging her phone out of her pocket. Maybe he'd said they'd be at his place tonight and she'd just misread it in her exhaustion. "Alexis? Are you guys here?"

"Hey, hey, we're here," Rick stage-whispered, skidding across the floor to get to her before she could yell again. "We're here. Sorry, I was in your room."

His hands framed her face and she felt herself lifting onto her toes to meet him halfway. His fingers might've been cool against her skin, but the first brush of his mouth was warm. His lips parted in offering, in welcome, and she took the invitation. Her tongue flicked against his skin, tasting sunshine and a hint of chocolate.

Tugging at his t-shirt, Kate pulled him closer. His hum of contentment vibrated through her, sparking something needy, almost desperate in her chest.

"You smell like a pool," she murmured finally, sucking in a breath. "Why do you smell like a pool?"

Rick laughed, skimming his mouth over her jaw. "Because we went to the pool today."

It was such an obvious answer, but with his lips on her skin and one of his legs easing between hers, it was no wonder her brain wasn't working terribly well.

"Oh."

"It wore everybody out; they're sleeping on the floor in the nursery. Wouldn't even let me move them. I was about to change. You're home early," he said, shifting subjects. His nose rubbed her earlobe, making it difficult to concentrate on any train of thought at all. "Thought it'd be at least another couple hours."

"Montgomery sent us all home."

Rick chuffed, slipping his hands over her shoulders and down her back. "Between your text earlier and this, Montgomery's my favorite."

Her lips curled. "Is he now? Should I go get him for you? Let you two bond?"

"Hah, hah." Rick's fingers curled under her jacket, seeking her skin. "I'd rather bond with you."

His lips whispered over her neck, the touch exactly the opposite of what she wanted. Soft, gentle caresses could wait for later, for when they had an audience of impressionable eyes.

"Asleep, you said?" Her hips rocked against his, insistent.

"Passed out. Between the s- sun, and no nap earlier –"

Her fingers dipped underneath his waistband only to encounter cool, bare flesh. Right, he was still in his swimsuit. Well, she wouldn't argue with that. It made her life much, much easier.

"They'll sleep for a while," she finished for him, yanking his mouth back to hers. "Good. That means it's bonding time for us."

How he'd managed to take a month's worth of tension and banish it from her body was beyond her. Every inch of her skin felt alive, awake, and eager for more even as she sprawled against him, reveling in the steady rise and fall of his chest.

His feet were probably hanging off the side of the bed, but she'd wanted – no,needed – him so badly, they hadn't paid much attention to how they landed once they'd shed their clothes. And so far she hadn't mustered the energy to move. Then again, neither had he, so he couldn't be too uncomfortable.

Rick exhaled beneath her, skittering his palm down her back. "I don't know about you, but that was exactly what I needed. Forget what I said about Roy, you're my favorite."

Kate didn't even try to stifle her laughter. "Definitely not just you. Missed this."

"Me too."

She hummed, pressing her palm to his skin. "I'm sorry this month has been so insane."

His lips skimmed her forehead. "You couldn't help that, Kate."

Sitting up, she dropped a kiss on his chin. "Didn't mean to push you into the deep end and leave you stranded, though."

"You didn't. Deadline day got a little hairy, but we handled it. No harm, no foul."

His arm tightened around her waist, using the grip to haul them both into a more comfortable position on her bed. She should've helped, but it was easier to just hang on; he more than had it covered.

"The true tragedy was not having the time to do what we just did," he continued, slipping his fingers through her hair.

"Mmm," she agreed, leaning into the scalp massage. "But hey, speaking of time, I um… I asked for some time off."

Rick's fingers stilled. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." It took her tired brain a moment to catch up with her words and the context she'd given them. "Not to have sex – well not only to have sex, because that was definitely on my agenda – but to spend some actual time with you when you're awake. The kids, too. And give you a break after the last couple weeks."

Her boyfriend laughed, dusting his lips across her cheek. "That sounds perfect, Kate. How long do you have?"

"Well, this will probably put him back at the top of your list of favorite people, but Montgomery gave me ten days. Starting at the end of the week."

Rick's mouth slid over hers. "Ten days. What are you gonna do? What do you want to do? Well, besides ravishing me any chance you get."

Nipping at his lip, she hummed. "That much was obvious, yes. As for the rest, I thought about that."

"And what'd you decide?" he asked, coming in for another heady, eager kiss. A slip of his hand along her thigh stole her breath.

"I, ah," she stumbled, arching into his questing fingers. "Birthday party for the twins – just family. You, Alexis, your mom, my dad."

"No talking about your father when my hand's here, Kate."

She kissed him in apology, arching into his touch. Later he would preen about all of them being family, but now he was a little preoccupied. Not that she faulted him there; she was more than a little scattered, too.

"And I want to go to the beach. All of us."

It had been on her mind all day, the idea of going somewhere with him and Alexis. It might be hard to find something in their price range at the last minute, and would probably be insane trying to get there with three kids, but she hadn't been able to shake the desire. They could get out of the city and really relax, all of them.

Rick nuzzled her. "You want to go to the beach with us?"

"Yeah," she breathed, dropping an open-mouthed kiss on his shoulder. "I know, first vacations probably don't happen this soon, but –"

He rolled her underneath him, resting his forehead against hers. "You pick the place, I'll make it happen."

Kate grinned, tugging him to settle into the cradle of her hips. He shivered under her trailing fingers. "Yeah? Anywhere I want?"

"Within reason, of course."

"Oh, of course," she teased, offering her lips to him once more. "Somewhere close, Rick, so I don't have to wait too long to ravish you."

He wasn't a best-selling, world famous author yet, but it turned out her boyfriend still had some damn impressive connections. With just a few phone calls and (probably more than) a little bit of sweet-talking, he'd found them a place in the Hamptons. On the beach.

For free.

The story he'd told her just a day after she'd made her request was that his agent knew someone who needed a house sitter for exactly the time they wanted to be there. Instead of payment, their hosts were asking them to let the pool repair guy in, take care of the cat, and leave the place in the same condition as when they arrived.

It seemed too good to be true, it really did, but she went with him on it. He promised it was legit, that Paula's friend was legit, and she believed him. Still, she had a feeling it had cost him more than just a few days of scooping kitty litter.

"I don't even want to know how many favors you owe for this," she murmured as they loaded the SUV he'd rented for the trip. It was packed to the brim with their duffle bags and baby things, making her grateful they hadn't tried to take his smaller car.

Rick grinned, taking the final bag from her hands and shoving it to the last open space in the trunk area.

"None, Kate."

"Now, why don't I believe that even a little bit?"

He straightened, lips puckering in thought. Impulse had her lifting into him, pressing her own pucker against his.

"For the record, I don't mind not having to pay; I just don't want you to owe anyone too much. Especially since this was my idea."

"I won't," he promised, splaying his hands wide at her hips. "I just promised a few signed copies of the book, and to name a character after her grandmother. That's all."

Narrowing her eyes, she looked him over for signs that he was lying. Finding none, she couldn't help but take another kiss from his lips.

"Thank you for this."

He shook his head. "Don't thank me; help me see if this will close so we can get out of here for the next ten, glorious days."

"Yeeeess," Alexis called from the backseat, pulling laughter from both of them. "I wanna gooo."

It had seemed like a smart idea at the time to start the engine, crank up the AC, and pack the kids first. But their plan to keep them cool and occupied was failing, because she'd seen Alexis growing more and more antsy with each passing minute.

"We're almost ready, pumpkin. Just relax. How are your brother and sister doing?"

Oh, he was good. Very smart, giving her the task of checking on the babies to distract her from her impatience. Kate had felt bad sticking her in the third row, but the thought of crawling through the SUV to get to the twins hadn't been appealing either, and it meant all the girl had to do was peer over the seat to see them.

"They're good, Daddy. Anna's sleeping and Eli's eating his block. Again."

"Good. We'll be done in a sec."

"One Mississ –"

"Funny, Alexis."

"I'm just excited, Daddy," she huffed, attempting to twist in her booster seat to see them.

Kate had a feeling they were all pretty excited for the week.

"I know, Alexis," she called, stepping back so Rick could close everything up. "I am, too."

Thankfully, the trip was uneventful. Traffic was heavy at first, but it thinned out once they were far enough away from the city. Alexis settled in to read her book, and every time Kate glanced back at the twins, they were either asleep or jabbering to each other happily. For his part, Rick seemed content to be at the wheel, humming along with the radio, his fingers tapping to the beat.

It felt so normal; it felt so weird.

She had to admit, it was a little strange at first.

It was odd sleeping in someone else's bed, using someone else's bathroom in the middle of the night, even wrapping up in someone else's towels. It was weird cooking in someone else's kitchen, using someone else's pots and pans, and she found herself being hyper-vigilant about every glass and plate they removed from the cabinets. Who knew what sentimental value the things might hold; the last thing they needed was to drop part of their host's wedding set or something.

Weirdness aside, she was having fun. While they waited for the pool guy to come replace some part, they'd introduced the twins to the beach. It had gone over about as well as she'd expected at first; Eli had been unsure, but willing to give their new surroundings a try while Anna screamed as soon as her feet touched the sand and then again when Rick dipped her toes into the water.

She loved everything about the beach the second time around. Kate's daughter was nothing if not consistent.

By the third visit, both babies were willing to walk with their little hands wrapped around someone's fingers or crawl in the sand.

It had been a fight not to get misty when her son decided she could be the one to hold him up today, only stopping to press kisses to his rosy cheeks twice on the short walk.

Her boyfriend had looked like he wanted to snicker, but Rick hadn't fared much better with Anna, so he had no room to talk.

Once they made it to their spot and the kids were happily scooping up tiny handfuls of sand and releasing them into the air, Kate stepped into his side.

"This is… thank you."

Rick smiled, pushing an uncooperative strand of hair out of her eyes. "Everything you hoped for so far?"

"More," she promised. "What about you?"

"It's perfect." His hand fell to her waist, slipping under the loose t-shirt – his t-shirt – she'd grabbed to wear as a cover up. "Now, I wrangled Alexis and Anna, and you got Eli, but did you put any sunscreen on yourself?"

"I did," she confirmed, watching his face fall. Poor thing; they'd been at the beach for four days and not once had she let him put lotion on her back. "But maybe I missed a spot or two. What about you?"

Ah, that put the wiggle back in his eyebrows.

"I think there are parts of me that could use a second pass. If you're interested, of course."

"I could be persuaded," she teased, tapping his nose. "You're still a little red from yesterday, you know. Use the stuff for the kids on your face today, it's gentle."

Rick nodded, sweeping a hand up her back. "Kay. Get comfy, I'm gonna run back to the house for my notebook and the water bottles. Then you can rub me down." Off her look, he grinned, adding, "With lotion."

Rolling her eyes, she dropped to the mat beside Alexis. "That doesn't make it any better, Rick."

Alexis giggled, hopefully oblivious to the innuendo, offering her one of the sand toys. "We're going to build a sand us."

"We are? What's a sand 'us'?" Kate asked, fixing Anna's floppy hat over her ears. Her daughter batted her hand away, the "no" coming loud and clear over the wind and noise of the ocean.

She showed her the turret-shaped bucket, giggling into her arm. "A sand castle, Kate."

"Ohh," she laughed, reaching out to tickle the little girl. Rick had been right when he'd said his daughter was serious, so it was nice to see her letting loose and playing. "But that's only you and Daddy."

"And the twins."

She didn't have the heart to tell the girl the twins were technically Becketts too. At least for a little while longer. She had a plan for that, though.

"And the twins, you're right."

Alexis tapped her lips. "But that leaves you out. And that would be sad."

"Hmm, ah, but wait. We have this." She grabbed for a plain pail. "The sand me. The sand 'Beckett'."

Alexis cackled.

Dear God, never let Rick hear that joke. There was being goofy, and then there was that.

"And we can combine the sand yous and the sand me, and make a fortress, how's that?"

The girl beamed, yanking her feet out from the sand. "Awesome, let's do it!"

"Perfect, and hey, can your brother and sister to help, too?"

Alexis's head bobbed. "Come on, Anna, come on Eli. Let's build this."

The twins proved to be more destructive than they were helpful, but Alexis didn't seem to mind. If anything, she enjoyed it more when they smashed through her sand creations and flopped into her lap.

When the fun seemed like it was wearing off, Kate lifted the twins away, kissing their warm cheeks, and carried them like squirming footballs to sit with their father in the shade.

"Mind if we join you? It's time for a break for these two."

Rick grinned, capping his pen and closing his notebook. "And for you, miss red nose."

"I am not," she denied, depositing Eli into his father's lap. "Am I? Baby girl, do I look like a clown?"

Anna giggled, patting her face. Kate winced, feeling the tender sting indicative of a possible sunburn.

"Yeah, okay, Mommy's a little red. It'll be aloe for me tonight. But let's put more on you so you don't end up looking like me."

Her daughter giggled again, trying to squirm out of her arms. Kate held fast, though, accepting the squirt of sunscreen from her parenting partner in crime and smearing it over as much of her daughter's skin as she could. The baby turned her face away with a plaintive whine.

"Oh, shush. You're not the only one getting this treatment. Daddy's getting Eli right now and it'll be Alexis's turn next, don't worry. Sunscreen torture for everyone."

Behind her, Rick murmured the time. No wonder she was fussy; it was late and they hadn't napped at all.

"Maybe they'll rest out here?" she offered. "It's a little warm, but the breeze is nice. And we can trade off going in the water if you want."

He nodded, smoothing the last of the lotion onto Eli's cheeks. Their son was pouting, but not actively trying to get away from his father's ministrations. "Let's do that. No reason to banish either one of us to the house if we don't need to."

"Kay. In that case, we are gonna have some water and relax." She settled on the beach mat, grabbing a few of the towels to make a small palette for the kids. "And then after you've rested, we'll go swimming."

Anna huffed, but didn't attempt to squirm out of her arms again. Yeah, she knew she was running out of steam, too. Kate kissed her forehead, calling Alexis over to have a bottle of water and endure her sunscreen torture. Thankfully, she came without protest, plopping at Kate's hip.

"Oh," Rick murmured, once all three of the kids were sprawled out watching the water through heavy-lidded eyes. "Mother called while I was inside. She's going to ride with your dad on Saturday morning instead of driving herself on Friday night."

"Good, that'll be better. Less traffic for her. Maybe they'll find something to talk about?"

She hoped their parents would find something to discuss on the drive. The first dinner had been somewhat… stilted. Jim wasn't sure what to make of Martha, and Martha wasn't quite sure what to make of Jim. Maybe a mini road trip would give them the chance to find some common ground beyond their shared grandchildren.

"Or they could sit in silence for two hours."

"Or that," Beckett acknowledged, brushing her fingers over Alexis's braid. "But hopefully they'll realize they have at least one thing in common besides the twins. Maybe they'll realize they know some of the same people? Maybe my dad once took my mom to see one of your mom's shows? Maybe he'll want to go see her next one."

"Would he tell her about your mom?"

Kate could only shrug. "I don't know. He's been trying to talk about her more, so he might. Especially if they enjoyed the performance."

Her boyfriend snickered. "Definitely better to keep it to himself if they didn't."

She laughed a little bit, cocking her head. "It'll be fine. They're adults, they can make polite conversation on the drive. Once they're here they won't have the time or the desire to be awkward while their grandchildren are opening presents and bathing in birthday cake."

Rick smiled, nodding. "That's true. I just want it to go well. It's important. Yeah, the twins won't remember, but we will. I don't want anyone warring on their birthday."

Curling her fingers around his knee, she twisted to kiss him. "It will be fine. Nobody will be at anyone's throat, I won't have to break out my handcuffs – no, not even for you."

He made a show of deflating, only to grin and come back for another kiss. It was no secret who Anna got her theatrics from, and it wasn't Kate. Her stubbornness, maybe, but not her theatrics.

"But you know," she hummed, brushing her nose over his, "we could always push our parents into the pool if they cause trouble."

Thankfully, his guffaw didn't startle the children too badly.

A/N: According to my Word document, this fic is 51,461 words, woohoo! Thank you to everyone for sticking with me throughout the ficathon this summer, and I hope you'll continue with me until the very end of the story! (I've added a chapter, so 9 chapters and an epilogue to go!)