Hello!

This is the final chapter. Y'all have been amazing and I can't thank you for all of your support! You guys are the best!

Disclaimer: Castle is not mine :/

[Chapter 10]

"Mom! Dad! Wake up!" Braden cried out, pushing on their backs.

Rick groaned into the pillow, a hand waving up and gently pushing Braden to get him to stop. "Le'me sleep," Rick moaned, burying himself further into the pillow.

Kate let out a groan, "Brae, go back to bed. We're tired." She burrowed herself into Rick's side, snuggling into him.

Braden had been up for what seemed like forever and he was bored. He wanted his parents to get up so that they could eat. With his Batman clutched in his hands, the boy gazed at his parents. He needed a way of getting them up but how?

He thought long and hard, trying to come up with a good way to get them up and moving. Then he got it. His parents would do this to him all of the time. It had to work!

Sliding down to his parents' feet, he rubbed his hands together. This better work. With hands like lightning Braden began tickling the bottom of their feet while simultaneously yelling, "Wake up!"

Almost immediately did the two of them spring up and tuck their feet away from his little hands. "We're up! We're up!" They both shrieked, eyes wide open.

Sitting down, Braden grinned. "G'morning."

Kate let out a small chuckle, running a hand through her messy hair as she looked over at her husband. Rick had a funny expression on, one of shock. He tore his gaze from his smiling son to his chuckling wife.

With a finger pointed at Braden Rick asked, "Did he just use our own evil tactics to wake us up?"

She just nodded. "Yes, he did. Clever boy."

They turned back to their son, who was still grinning. "What was so urgent that you needed us up? We're not leaving for a few hours," Rick informed him, still trying to wake up.

The boy gave a shrug of his shoulders. "I got hungry."

That got both adults laughing. Braden didn't understand why that was funny so he just laughed right along with them, trying to not be left out.

It took a few minutes until Rick and Kate finally calmed down. They both began to head out of the tent, Braden seeing this led the way. Adjusting to the bright light the trio headed over to the picnic bench.

"What do you want for breakfast, Braden?" Kate asked, now fully awake.

He held up his Batman. "What about Batman?"

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, what would you like for breakfast, Braden and Batman?"

"PB and J!"

Rick shot him a puzzle look. "For breakfast?" The boy nodded. "How about I make you my famous s'moreletes?"

"Famous? Really, Rick?" Kate questioned, cringing at the thought of eating one of those disgusting concoctions he calls edible food.

"Well, maybe not famous right now. But someday they will be," he defended.

"Mhmm."

He turned back to Braden. "What do you say? Wanna try one?"

The boy nodded eagerly.

Rick raised an eyebrow and gave Kate a proud smirk. She just rolled her eyes at him. "Well, I'll just have a regular breakfast like a normal person," Kate told him, nudging him with her shoulder.

By the time Rick was done making the s'moreletes, Braden was growing increasingly impatient.

"Dad! Hurry!"

Kate snickered as she took a bite of a cheese omelet that she made herself.

"Hold your horses! I'm done!" Rick stated, bringing a plate over and setting it in front of Braden.

Just as he was about to dig in Kate pulled the plate away. "Mom..."

"I'm just cutting it into smaller bites. Calm down." He pouted. "And if you don't stop whining, we'll take away Batman. Capiche?"

He sighed. "'Piche."

She smiled softly as she continued to cut up the s'morelete into smaller pieces. She passed him back the plate when she was finished and he dug right in.

Rick was waiting patiently, hoping that Braden would like it. "Well? How's it taste?"

Kate watched, rather amused with Rick's nervousness, as Braden chewed his food.

"It's yummy!" He smiled, stabbing a piece with his fork and stuffing it in his mouth.

Rick watched in happiness while Kate stared in complete disgust.

"Like father, like son," she mumbled, going back to her normal breakfast.

"Brae! Time to go, bud!" Rick yelled out the door of the RV.

Braden was busy playing with his Batman toys, making sound effects as he sat at the picnic bench waiting for his parents to put some last minute things together. He looked up and let out a huge groan. "Do we gotta?"

Rick nodded, stepping out and heading toward the bench. "We gotta go home. Grams is making a special meal for us for when we get back. Papa Jim will be there, too."

"He will?" Braden asked, happy at the news of seeing his grandpa.

Rick sat down next to his son. "Yes, he will. You can tell him all about the fish you caught!"

"It was huge!"

Rick laughed, "Yes, it was. Now, come on. We don't want to keep Mom waiting any longer. You know how she gets when she has to wait. She gets cranky," he whispered as they walked toward the RV.

"I heard that!" Kate called from inside the RV.

Braden grinned, looking up at his dad. "She heard that."

Ruffling the boy's hair, Rick nodded. "That's because she has special powers."

He helped Braden into the RV, closing the door. Lifting him up, Rick secured Braden in his car seat. "Powers? Like Superman?"

"Yes, just like Superman," Rick agreed, squeezing Braden's leg.

"Cool," Braden breathed.

"You ready to go home, Brae?" Rick asked.

Braden lifted up his Batman action figure in the air. "Yeah."

"All right then. Let's go!" Rick moved up to the driver's seat, buckling his seat belt and starting the engine. He looked over at his wife who was gazing out the window, a pensive look on her face. He reached over and placed a hand on her thigh. She locked eyes with him. "You okay, Kate?"

She nodded, smiling. "Just going to miss this place is all. A lot of fun memories here."

Rick smiled, taking her left hand and bringing it to his mouth. He placed a light kiss on top, his thumb gently rubbing back and forth over her hand. "Lots of memories," he whispered eyes on hers. "Good and bad," he added a twinkle in his eyes.

She grinned at that. They had a ton of old memories and now they had a ton of new ones. Removing her hand from his, she placed it on his cheek. "Let's go home, Rick."

He turned and kissed her palm. "As you wish."

Kate turned in her chair to look at Braden. He was so busy playing with his toys and making sound effects he didn't notice that they were moving. She smiled as she watched him. Kate faced the front as Rick drove them back home. He had one hand on the wheel and the other was unoccupied. Kate took advantage of that and grasped his hand in hers, squeezing it.

Rick glanced over and smiled, quickly turning his attention back to the road ahead as they headed back home from an adventurous weekend away in the Adirondack Mountains.

And there you go! :)

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Btw: if y'all liked this story, let me know because I'm considering starting a series with Braden. And I want to make sure you guys like the character enough to want to read it. Please let me know your thoughts by leaving a review!

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