A/N: I kind of popped this one out fast, so for the love of God tell me if there's any mistakes or general sketchiness. I don't usually make sense when I'm this tired. Oh well. Read on.

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"Bumper cars!" Jonah grinned as the semi-enclosed ride came into view.

"How're we gonna do this?" Rick asked, rubbing his hands together with a grin. "Men against girls?" he teased. "Castles against Becketts?"

In unison, both Alexis and Jonah interrupted him. "Kids against adults."

"Really?" Kate asked in surprise, glancing at both Alexis and Jonah as they beamed conspiratorially.

"Afraid you'll lose?" Jonah raised his eyebrows at her. Alexis turned to her father, a challenging look in her eyes.

"Against you, my small prodigy?" Rick asked the fifteen year old rhetorically. "Ha!"

Alexis and Jonah looked at each other with matching grins, not bothering to disguise them even as they strapped into their cars.

The ride began, and it soon became obvious that one team had the upper hand.

"Ugh," Kate groaned after she exited her car next to Rick, rubbing her jaw line. "My teeth feel like they've been rattled by an earthquake."

"You?" Rick asked incredulously, cracking his back with a groan. "You weren't the one being used as a human shield."

Ignoring the half-hearted glare he sent at her, Kate shook her head. "Look at us. A couple of grown adults completely schooled by our own offspring."

Their children were celebrating a few yards away, making up an elaborate handshake of sorts, something that involved Alexis spinning Jonah around like a ballerina and a few bows.

Rick laughed at the sight. "It's good that they're brilliant."

"Brilliantly conniving." Kate laughed as well, nudging into his side.

"That too." Rick grinned at her, lightly wrapping his arm around her. She stiffened slightly, and he gently rubbed his fingers on her hipbone. She forced herself to relax, leaning slightly into his touch as the two children made their way back over.

"Any more games or rides? Because I'm starting to hear my stomach." Alexis pouted, turning puppy dog eyes onto her father who was struggling to crack open a icy water bottle with one hand.

Wholeheartedly agreeing, Kate nodded her head, discreetly stepping away from Rick to straighten her son's shirt. "I don't care where we go, as long as deep fried anything is not on the menu."

Rick nearly choked on a sip of water, earning him the confused glances of the other three.

"You okay, dad?" Alexis asked with a slightly bemused smile.

"Yeah, fine." he nodded his head, trying to shake the memories away as they began to walk once more.

They made their way up to a stand with a secluded seating area, eager for a break from the constant rush of noises and sights that the midway provided. They quickly ordered, sending Jonah and Alexis to find an empty picnic table. Much to Kate's disapproval, Rick slid two twenties across the counter before she managed to even reach into her wallet.

Rick glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. "You paid for games and rides, remember?"

"So? We invited you." Kate argued indignantly.

Rick shrugged. "I owe you a meal, remember?"

"Whatever." Kate rolled her eyes, realizing that there was no winning the argument when he had already paid.

A few minutes later, they managed to balance the four trays piled with enough food to feed a small army to a picnic table in the back, where they began to dig in to the assortment of pizza, burgers, corn dogs, and fries.

"Oh so greasy and expensive, but oh so good." Alexis murmured with a mouthful of cheese fries as Rick nodded in agreement.

"So, Jonah, any big plans for this new year?" Rick asked with a teasing grin to the boy next to him.

Jonah shrugged, chewing on a large bite of a sugary elephant ear. Before he could finish and open his mouth, however, a high voice carried over to them.

"Is that Richard Castle?"

With a sigh, Rick closed his eyes before locking apologetic eyes on the girls across from him. Alexis shrugged sympathetically, while Kate simply bit her lip and looked down.

"Why is she pointing?" Jonah whispered, taking in the behavior of both Kate and Alexis and leaning into Rick nervously, glancing up at the woman who had nearly shouted in her excitement.

Rick dropped his head, trying to hide himself from view as he spoke to the boy. "When fans see me, sometimes they want pictures and autographs."

"Well that's stupid." Jonah said, forgetting to keep his voice low until Kate shushed him and he dropped his voice back down to a whisper. "You're just a writer."

"Thanks." Rick said flatly, smiling slightly at him as the woman was dragged away by her annoyed male companion.

Alexis twisted around in time to catch the woman's disappointed glance before turning back to her father with a laugh. "That was a close one."

They let their food settle and relaxed at the table, inspecting a map of the fairgrounds and carefully planning their last few hours.

"Hey guys," Alexis began, tracing her hand over a small icon on the map. "Wanna photo booth it?"

Alexis quickly convinced the photo-shy Kate to join them, and they all soon found themselves taken by laughter as they were all crammed into a small booth.

"Look, there's all sorts of stuff in here!" Jonah held up a large box filled with oversized sunglasses, hats, and other ridiculous accessories. With a grin, Rick slid a Sherlock Holmes-style hat onto Kate's head only moments before she "accidentally" elbowed him in the gut.

"Sorry, Castle." she grinned. "There's just not enough room in here."

They all stood stone-faced for one shot before Kate grabbed Jonah by the waist and they mugged for the camera, as Rick twirled Alexis as much as the confined space allowed. They quickly switched positions as Rick and Jonah assumed "macho" positions and Kate and Alexis blew kisses at the camera. Then, for the last picture, Alexis dragged Jonah to her and bumped Kate's hip so she went flying into her father, whose arms immediately came around her to steady her as the camera flashed one more time.

Minutes later, Kate took one look at their strip of photos and shook her head. "Oh, lord." She pretended not to see the last frame, with Rick's arms wrapped around her as both of their children hugged and grinned.

"What? I wanna see." Jonah wiggled under her arm and tilted her hand down so he could look at the strip. Kate immediately tightened her arm around him, effectively trapping him in a headlock.

"Hey, it's my birthday, not fair." Jonah protested, twisting his neck to narrow his eyes at her, not even bothering to struggle against her strong arm.

"Hmm, yeah, 10 years ago I pushed out a 7 pound poop machine." Kate ignored Jonah's disgusted groan. "Shouldn't I be getting the presents?"

Jonah rolled his eyes. "That's why there's Mother's Day."

"And if I recall correctly, this mother spent Mother's Day driving her hockey-obsessed son to a tournament in Buffalo, right?"

Sighing, Jonah kissed her wrist. "Yeah, you're the best, mom."

"So heartfelt." Kate laughed, releasing him with a smacking kiss on the head. "Just know that I reserve the right to have my own Mother's Day. At any time."

"Only if you stop talking about my birth." Jonah wrinkled his nose as Rick let out a boisterous laugh, earning him his own glare from Alexis as they all made their way towards the craft stands.

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"Wait, I wanna do one more game." Rick halted them as they made their way towards the exit, turning to Jonah and ignoring the exasperated looks he was getting from both Alexis and Kate. "Wanna come with?" Darting a quick glance at Kate, he grinned down at Jonah. "Come on. On me."

Eyes widening slightly, Kate bit her lip. "Rick-"

"Come on." Rick repeated. "The way I saw him handle that hockey stick? This game'll be a piece of cake."

Jonah, who had a rather impressive red tire with wings painted on his face, beamed at the praise and turned his hopeful eyes onto his mother. "Mom,"

"Ugh." Kate groaned, unwilling to argue and cost them more time. "Fine."

"Yes!" Jonah cheered enthusiastically and before she knew it, they had weaved through the thinning crowd towards the other side of the midway.

"Well, I guess we'd better get comfortable." Kate sighed, spotting a bench and leading Alexis towards it. They settled down and Alexis immediately dropped her head onto her shoulder, yawning.

"I'm so tired." Alexis mumbled, closing her eyes and sinking into Kate.

"It's kind of sad." Kate shook her head in disappointment. "The two nine year olds are outlasting us."

Alexis laughed lightly. "Makes sense to me. We use up all of our energy keeping them under control."

"You have a point there, Lex." she nudged the redhead lightly. "I'll wake you up when I spot them."

"Mmm." Alexis hummed,

Kate let her cheek rest on the top of Alexis's head, scanning the area idly, looking for any signs of the two males. After about twenty minutes, she made out the fluorescent yellow of Jonah's monocle and mustache shirt, and the much larger form of the writer next to him. What she failed to notice, however, were the two bags they held in their hands.

"You got him a fish?" Kate asked incredulously once they'd reached her, taking in the bag that her son held proudly.

"Actually," Rick smirked. "I got you both fish."

"Two fish? Rick-"

"They're so cool mom." Jonah interrupted excitedly. "They're not even the usual goldfish, they're the Japanese ones."

Kate raised a single eyebrow as she regarded Rick emphatically. "So I not only have to buy one bowl, I have to buy two or they'll kill each other."

Rick's face fell.

Kate shook her head, taking in both Jonah's hopeful grin and Rick's sudden nervousness. "Fine. You big babies. We'll keep the damn fish."

"Damn." Jonah scolded. "Now we're really keeping the fish."

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"You going to be okay driving?" Rick asked her as they reached his SUV. He had noticed that she kept yawning on the walk from the bench to the lot, her arm firmly around Alexis as they both nearly sleepwalked to the car.

Kate nodded. "You can ride shotgun this time. Keep me awake with your babbling."

"Hey," Rick grinned, not in the least bit offended. "Without my babbling, there wouldn't be any books, and then where would we be?"

Kate rolled her eyes with another yawn. "In peace."

Alexis quickly fell fast asleep in the back, her head leaning against the window and a sweatshirt pulled over her. Jonah, on the other hand, was as wide awake as ever, keeping an eye on the two fish as he re-read a Harry Potter book. He studiously ignored the hushed banter flying back and forth between the two adults, glancing up at them infrequently to shake his head in confused amusement.

After one particularly suggestive remark, Rick shook his head at Kate in mock disappointment. "You do realize that our children are in the back seat." Realizing what he said and what it sounded like, Rick stammered to correct himself. "Not-I mean, I didn't, they're-not our children, we didn't, I mean, our respective childr-fuck."

"Mom, does it count if he says fuck?" Jonah interrupted, saving Rick from further embarrassment. The small book lamp illuminated his face, making him look almost ephemeral as he grinned slyly at Kate.

"Yes. He should know better." Kate scolded with an amused smile. "Ice cream? On Castle?"

"Is there anywhere open?" Jonah lowered his voice, aware of the sleeping girl next to him.

Rick nodded knowingly, his earlier uneasiness forgotten. "I know a place."

When they were back in Manhattan, Rick instructed Kate to stop in front of a small, sketchy-looking store. "Be right back." he grinned at her, sliding out of the passenger seat and walking into the gray, windowless building. After several long minutes, she bit her lip slightly, eyeing her surroundings and weighing the pros and cons of leaving the SUV unattended to make sure Rick was still alive.

He returned after what seemed like an eternity, holding three tubs of ice cream with pride, unaware of Kate's internal dilemmas.

"How did you know?" Kate asked, gesturing towards one of the large tubs he carried once he was back in the vehicle. There was no way that he just so happened to pick up her favorite flavor.

Rick shrugged with an impish grin. "I'm a writer, it's my job to notice the details."

Kate regarded him with a suspicious look as she pulled back onto the road, chewing on her lower lip as she drove silently back to her apartment.

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After ordering Rick to settle a sleeping Alexis on the couch, Kate set the two tanks on the counter, rinsing them out methodically before filling them with water. Next to her, Jonah rinsed off a few silk plants and a strainer full of colorful rocks.

"You're lucky we still have all that stuff from Bubbles." Kate bumped into her son sharply, sending him sliding nearly a foot on the tile.

"Bubbles?" Rick queried.

"She was my 3rd grade class's fish." Jonah explained, rubbing his hip with a glare.

Kate shook her head in remembrance. "He got suckered into taking her home over Christmas break. I've never met a more high-maintenance fish. I'm pretty sure I had to spend $30 at a specialty store just to make sure the little fucker would make it back to the classroom."

"Just because you said "fucker", I'm naming them both."

"Fine." Kate shook her head. "You know, in the beginning, I thought that this would break the habit. But I think he only makes it worse."

"I do." Jonah grinned, his fingers buried in the rocks as he made sure each layer got rinsed. After a few minutes, the rocks and plants were added, the tanks were filled, the water was purified, and the two betta fish were gently released into their new homes.

Kate leaned against the counter as she regarded the two tanks with slight amusement. "Okay, now feed them so Castle can ensure that they're well-kept and can go home."

Jonah, who was opening a small tube of frozen brine shrimp, turned to Kate with wide eyes. "It's not safe for them to drive home this late."

"It's not even midnight." Kate countered, dry swallowing an aspirin she was sure she'd need after being jostled around all day.

"So, you're a cop." Jonah countered back. "You know the dangers of the road, especially with a sleepy or distracted driver. And Alexis isn't even awake to make sure he doesn't crash or anything."

The two had a staring contest for several moments, Jonah crossing his fingers and Kate wondering when her son became an expert on driving hazards. "Ugh, fine." Kate sighed, too tired to argue with her relentless son. "Castle, air mattress okay with you? We can just leave Alexis on the couch."

Rick nodded in agreement, and Jonah darted into the hallway to pull the air mattress from the closet and into his room.

Kate turned to him apologetically. "Sorry, I know you guys probably wanted to get home tonight."

"Nah, I don't think Alexis minds a bit." Rick chuckled. "Are you okay with this?"

Kate shrugged. "I'm too tired to argue."

Eying her critically, Rick put a hand on her shoulder. "If you're not, I'm sure Alexis wouldn't even budge if we-"

"Rick, it's fine." Kate sighed, wiping her eyes and bending down to take off her shoes, dislodging his hand from its resting spot on her body.

"You should get to bed." he said softly, taking note of the way swayed slightly when her eyes were closed.

"You look as tired as I feel." Kate chuckled, opening an eye to survey his face. "So should you."

Rick grinned. "I'll be okay."

"That's my line." she teased lightly, walking towards the kitchen. "You thirsty?

"Water's good." he shrugged, following her into the kitchen and leaning against

Kate flicked on the faucet, letting it run for a few seconds before sticking a glass under it. "Jonah really likes you."

"Alexis really likes you."

Smiling softly, Kate exhaled slowly. She handed him the glass and watched him take a long gulp before he sat it back on the counter and faced her.

"I just," Kate sighed, turning away and resting her hands on the edge of the sink, leaning into it, training her eyes on the drain. "Sometimes, it's easy to forget that he's barely ten, you know? But he can…he's so vulnerable sometimes. And I just, I need to know that this isn't, that you're not going to hurt him. Because he can't have any more people hurt him. So many have left already. I don't think we could..." Kate trailed off, wincing as she dug her teeth into her nearly raw bottom lip.

"Kate." For once, he dared to use her first name. "Look at me." When she refused to move, he moved to stand next to her at the counter, setting his hand on top of her nearest one. He curled his fingers around hers, gently sliding under her fingertips and prying them from the counter. He took her and brought it to his side, forcing her to turn into him. "Kate." he repeated. When she finally brought her eyes to his, he was taken aback by the myriad of emotions swirling in them. Worry, doubt, sadness, nervousness, and was that fear? He pressed a kiss to her palm before brining their joined hands to his heart. "I wouldn't do anything that would hurt him. Or you."

"Not knowingly." she whispered, unable to tear her eyes from him, silently begging him to understand.

"Listen to me, Kate. I would never. I promise."

His heart ached as she sniffled, turning her head back towards the sink. He gently caught her chin, bringing her back to him. He dipped his head down to meet her eyes, hoping that they were conveying all the things he couldn't bring himself to say. After a long moment, she dropped her head down and let out the breath she had been holding.

"He's probably still trying to figure out how to hook the mattress to the pump."

"Kate."

"Okay." she whispered. "I…I believe you. For him."

Rick nodded slowly, knowing this was the best that he would be getting from her, at least for the night. "I'll go help him figure it out."

"Like that'll help." she said softly, her eyes holding a hint of mischief as they met his once more.

"Hey, I'll have you know that I became an air mattress expert during my college years."

She halfheartedly rolled her eyes, quietly untangling their hands before walking back into the living room and pulling a blanket off the back of the couch, draping it over Alexis. When she turned around, Rick was still staring at her. "Go." she jerked her head towards the hallway. "My kid's probably tangled in cords by now."

With a small smile, he finally tore his eyes from hers and made his way towards Jonah's room, her heart still pounding in her chest as he disappeared from view.

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