This is another pretty long chapter, so I'm actually going to put most of my author's notes at the end. My thanks, as always, to everyone for reading, sharing, and for generally enjoying this story!
Where we left off:
"Thank you."
"For what?" He grins at one of the other detectives in the room, handing them a heaping serving of sweet potatoes before looking at her.
"This. My dad. Moving your family dinner here for me even though the only concession I could make is not working tomorrow."
He shakes his head. "You're celebrating, aren't you?"
"Well yeah, but –"
"Then you've caved enough. But, if you're feeling so inclined when you get home, we're doing midnight-ish presents. And I think I've been so good, I deserve to finally know what's in that huge box you curse about every morning when you try to get to your shoes." His lips lift mischievously. "Just, you know; a suggestion."
"Oh I'll keep that in mind." Okay, green shirt and midnight presents. She can do that.
Her lips slide over his. "Now, can I have some dinner?"
There's not enough evidence to prove it, but she smells a bribe or ten.
If her co-worker hadn't made it quite clear that he would be spending every possible minute until his shift began in his underwear playing Madden, she wouldn't think anything about Esposito strolling in, over an hour early. After all of the work Castle did planning this dinner, though, she's not so sure his appearance wasn't strategic. Castle's hand hasn't left her thigh in over an hour, so he hasn't been using his phone to call in reinforcements that she can tell. It doesn't mean this isn't part of a grander plan to have Espo send her home early.
Her belly is full from dinner, her cheeks warm and a tad achy from smiling at the stupid stories Martha and her dad keep swapping. She swallows a laugh, turning her attention to Javi instead of taking the bait to argue her the veracity of her father's claim.
"Hey, Espo. Thought your boxers were your uniform until 11:45?"
"They were until I heard there was free food. Figured why not show up and eat."
"Oh of course. Who told you the secret?"
She glances at Castle pointedly, only to have him level an innocent look right back. "It wasn't me, Beckett."
"Uh huh." She sips her sparkling cider slowly, eyebrow lifted toward her hairline.
"It was Eldin, Beckett. He decided to share the sweet potato wealth. Since you guys obviously wanted to hoard it for yourselves," Espo butts in, bumping her shoulder with his hip obnoxiously. "You're blocking the green bean casserole."
Castle makes a show of pulling her chair closer, draping his arm around her shoulders in the process. Smooth, Castle, smooth. Not that she doesn't lean into him anyway. He is warm, solid, and hers.
"Better, 'Sito?"
Esposito rolls his eyes. "You guys are sickening."
"But we're feeding you, so I'm sure your stomach will survive," she drawls, hearing Alexis snicker around her bite of pumpkin pie.
"You should try living with them, Detective."
Castle makes a scandalized sound. "Alexis!"
"Eww, Dad. Eww. I meant because you're a couple of cuddlers." The face Alexis makes causes Espo, Martha, and Jim to move from chuckling to full-blown laughter. "Eww."
She jumps in, squeezing Castle's knee quickly. "Ohh kay, why don't we change the subject completely? Please? Now?"
Her husband coughs. "Gladly. I want to hear more baby Beckett stories."
"Hush, no you don't." But she'll allow it, solely because she loves the way her father's eyes light up at the prospect. Let him bond with her husband at her expense.
Espo, on the other hand, doesn't need to hear this. Not that it looks like she gets much of a choice, because he grins around a bite of turkey when she turns to distract him. "Too late, boss. I'm listening."
"First time for everything, I guess?" she quips.
Even after the food is gone, they're reluctant to leave the warmth of the conference room. Getting up means breaking the spell that Castle's created for them. It means going back to work and accepting that the next time the phone rings, they might be rolling out to a crime scene.
Castle breaks the stalemate by pressing a kiss to her temple and pulling his arm from her shoulders. "I'll break this stuff down if you need to go back to work?"
"I probably should, yeah," she murmurs, trying not to sigh. Being here tonight is important to her, but she can't help but want to hold onto the peace they have right now.
She can't ask him to change his Christmas for her any more than he already has, but going back to the quiet she once embraced doesn't sound appealing at all.
"Let me at least check in out there and then I'll come help clean."
"You don't have to do that, Kate. I have it."
"Humor me. Five minutes and I'll be back." She stands, smiling quickly at her father. "I'll be back. Stay put, Dad."
Truthfully, she hopes the Castle magic can be worked on her dad to convince him to go home with them and sleep in the guest room for the night. It might be too much for him, and she understands that, but at the same time, she's not ready to declare their first Christmas in a decade over just yet.
Castle's hand sweeps across her lower back. "We'll be here."
She drops an impulsive kiss on his head on her way around him, ducking a little bit to hide from Alexis' knowing smile.
Maybe they are nauseating.
Javi follows her out, checking his phone. He must not have officially clocked in because he doesn't actually head to his desk.
"Yes?" She lifts an eyebrow. "Is there a reason you're lurking, Espo?"
"Uh huh."
"And that is?" She might be full, but it doesn't mean she's sleeping. He's going to have to do better than that.
"You should go home. Spend what's left of today and tomorrow with them." His chin jerks toward the conference room.
She smiles softly, shaking her head. "I'm still on for three hours. They said they'll wait up for me tonight."
Esposito shakes his head. "I got this here. Clock out and go home, alright? Castle cooked a damn good meal, he'll fall asleep early. Trust me."
Rolling her eyes is mostly for show because she's actually considering taking him up on it. So much for the resolve she'd been working on when he walked in.
"I could use the OT, how's that? Not all of us married rich," he teases. "Look, I know working today is important to you and you did it. Go home with your family now."
"Javi –"
"Kate. Go home."
Her eyes dart back to the conference room, to where her husband sits, entertaining their family with that enthusiasm that once drove her insane.
"I mean it, Beckett. Don't make me carry you out of here."
She tries to glare at Javi, but she can't quite manage to be angry with him. Not when he's giving her the option to do exactly what she's been wishing she could do all day. Espo knows it, too.
"You swear to me that Castle didn't put you up to this? Because it's sweet, but he shouldn't be abusing things like this."
"You wanna see my call log? My text history? Until I walked in tonight, I hadn't talked to the guy since you left work yesterday. He didn't put me up to anything."
Well that's more convincing than she would've expected from him if he were lying.
"I'm offering because I don't wanna see you moping for the next three hours, and I definitely don't wanna see Castle making eyes at you until you leave tonight when he decides to stay."
Her hand lifts. "I get it. I – thank you."
Giddiness blossoms in her chest as she gathers her things and logs out of her computer. Espo taps her desk quickly.
"Merry Christmas, Beckett."
She hugs him impulsively. "You too, Javi. Thank you."
"You're welcome. Now get outta here."
Castle looks up when she ducks back into the conference room, bag on her shoulder. They've been cleaning already, which she would be angry about if not for the fact that the faster they finish, the faster they can go home.
"Sorry we started without you. Most of this can go in the dishwasher if I'm creative, and whatever's left I'll wash before you get home tonight."
Nodding, she plunks her bag on the table. Castle looks at it, confused.
"Do you want me to take your bag home for you? I might need some help getting it to the car, but sure."
Biting her lip, she shakes her head. "No, I got it. You just might want to let the dishes wait until morning. Javi's covering the rest of my shift for me, so I'm coming home with you."
Her husband beams, twisting to search out their friend and give him a grateful nod. "Oh I'm so buying him Knicks tickets for the rest of the season."
She knows he's serious, too, because that's exactly how he is. Castle brings dinner, Javi gets Knicks tickets as a thank you for sending her home.
"So we won't have to do after midnight presents. Instead we can have pre-midnight presents if you want," she pauses, meeting her dad's eyes to convey the invitation without putting him on the spot.
Much to her surprise, he's already nodding. "Rick asked me to stay while you were outside, and pre-midnight presents sound perfect, Katie."
Oh god, now she really doesn't know who to kiss first, her husband or her father. Castle's closest, so he gets a firm kiss on the mouth (she can do it, she's off duty now) before she moves to her dad's side and steps into his arms. His cheek is warm and rough under her lips, just like when she was a little girl.
"Okay," she breathes finally. "What can I do to get us out of here faster?"
As soon as they walk through the door at home, Castle suggests taking a few minutes to get comfortable before meeting at the tree for a warm beverage and presents. Alexis lights up at the idea, kissing her father on the cheek quickly. She's been so restrained all night long; it's nice to see the excitement and glee of a kid at Christmas emerging.
"Meet you back here soon."
Castle smiles as the girl escapes upstairs, settling his hand on her hip. "I'll show your dad the guest room if you want to change?"
Changing sounds great, provided there's time to jump in a hot shower, but making her dad feel at home here – in her home – is more important. "I'll take him up. You get comfortable and start the hot chocolate?"
He nods, smiling easily. "I'll do that."
"Thanks. And oh, um… leave me this?" She tugs on his collar gently. "Please?"
He kisses her fingertips. "It's yours."
"Damn right it is." She tugs away, patting his chest.
Her father's been studiously avoiding watching the two of them, in favor of studying the loft. She knows when his eyes land on her contributions to the decorations. For a moment, she's worried he'll be upset that she raided the storage unit for her mom's things, but then he smiles. Her cheek touches his shoulder gently, rousing him from his thoughts.
"Come on, Dad. Your room's really comfortable. I slept in there a couple years ago."
She lifts his bag onto her shoulder, reaching for his hand.
"They look good here, your decorations."
"Thanks. I should've warned you that I got them. Out of storage, I mean."
"Oh no, Katie, no. They're yours. They're yours to do whatever you want with, and I'm glad they're here."
She nods in agreement as she leads him upstairs, pointing out Alexis and Martha's rooms and then the guest bathroom beside his room.
"I'm going to jump in the shower before I change, so take all the time you need, okay?"
Her father smiles, kissing her forehead. "Don't worry so much about me, okay? I'll meet you downstairs. I want to know exactly what you bought Rick, too."
Laughing, she shakes her head. "It'll bring back fond memories for you, Dad."
"And somehow that's not comforting, sweetheart," he murmurs wryly.
Castle's still in his regular clothes when she gets downstairs, humming as he digs through a dresser drawer. His butt's wiggling in time with the song, and it's everything she can do to avoid pinching it for being so damn adorable.
"He's getting settled. I'm gonna shower before we do presents, okay?"
She doesn't mean to startle him but he jumps anyway, spinning in place.
"Aww, don't stop dancing for me, Castle."
He laughs softly, snagging her hips as she tries to slide around him.
"Maybe you should dance with me, then?"
Her fingers lace at the base of his neck, letting him take the lead for this impromptu dance they're doing. His leg shifts between hers as he pulls her closer. Their hips bump gently, teasingly.
"Are you going to dance with me at the wedding?"
"Which wedding? Ours? Of course I am."
She laughs softly, sliding her mouth over his. "Ryan's."
"He didn't un-invite us for not inviting him to ours? He threatened to that day at the continuation of his IBPWOC."
His hand slides to the edge of her sweater, tugging it up as far as her locked arms will allow. She releases her grip on his neck after a kiss.
"No, as far as I know Jenny still wants us there, at least." Her hair falls into her face as he manages to get her shirt over her head. Her bra follows a second later.
"Oh good."
No, his touch is good. The way he's cupping and caressing is damn good.
Her hands go to work on the shirt she's been coveting all evening, tugging it down his arms once it's unbuttoned and tossing it onto the bed.
Castle's hands fall to her waist, thumbs swiping her sides gently. It's a momentary distraction, but she's able to get his undershirt over his head before giving in to his kiss.
"So we're dancing?" she pants against his mouth, nipping his upper lip gently.
"Mmm." He palms her hip, holding her still to unfasten her dress pants before shimmying them off her body, taking her underwear with them. She does the same for him, pushing his boxers down his hips along with the jeans. He shudders when her fingers make contact with his skin. "Dancing all night, baby."
"Think you can dance me into the shower right now?" Her hips rock into him.
They hiss in unison. Shit, they'll be lucky if they're able to dance to the bed just a few feet away.
"Worth a try."
He lifts her easily, hiking her legs around his waist.
They're fast, but they aren't that fast, and her cheeks flame when they emerge from the office in their cozy clothes with wet hair and receive knowing looks from their family. Her fingers pause mid-braid as Castle slips around her, skidding into the kitchen to save the kettle he'd evidently started and forgot about.
Alexis snickers, holding up her mug over the back of the couch. "Dad, relax, I got it. There's a mug for you and for Beckett on the counter. Just pour the water… assuming it's not cold already."
"I – oh, thanks, Alexis. Kate? Want it your usual way?"
"Mhmm, please."
She sits, taking the space between Alexis and Jim. They're looking a tad too conspiratorial for her liking; it's better to separate them for a bit. Alexis must know it, too, because she grins, moving a pillow for her. She offers the girl a smile of thanks, rolling the sleeves of Castle's shirt a little bit more before slipping her arm through her father's and leaning on his shoulder.
"Your usual way, hmm? Is this the usual way that involves so much whipped cream and chocolate syrup you're on a sugar high for half the night and part of the morning?"
Castle chuckles behind them. Her 'usual' way is a tad more sedate now that she's out of elementary school, but the sentiment is more or less the same.
"Hush, Dad. He's stuck with me for the rest of his life and you're already giving up all my secrets."
Jim chuckles, patting her knee. "Oh, I think a good portion of your secrets are safe, Katie."
For now, anyway. One way or another, her husband will get all of her secrets out of her.
Castle finally lumbers in with their drinks, handing her favorite mug over and looking at the tiny space between her and his daughter. He wants to squish with them, she can tell.
"Aren't you Present Master again this year, Dad?" Alexis lifts an eyebrow.
"Right, yes. Okay. No sharing with you. I'll sit here."
He grunts as he lowers himself to the floor beside her, looping his arm around his daughter's knees. Alexis wiggles her foot in her father's face, giggling.
"What exactly does it mean to be Present Master?" she asks, switching her hot chocolate to her left hand to use her right to touch him. Castle leans into her hand, humming when her nails tease the base of his neck.
"You're the one who hands out all the presents. Some years it's Dad, some years it's me, sometimes it's Gram. Next year can be your turn," Alexis explains when her father's too slow to do so. Castle hums in agreement, sipping his hot chocolate.
"Kay, next year will be my turn." She squeezes Castle's neck. He's tired from the insanity of the day, meaning Espo was probably right; Castle might not have made it to their midnight presents.
His head lolls with her massage.
"Actually, why don't I make this year my turn?" she suggests, scratching her husband's head. "Since I'm the rookie here."
"You sure?" he sounds far away, which makes her lips curve a little bit.
"Uh huh, I'm sure. Now, drink your chocolate and perk up. You'll wanna be awake for this."
Leaning over, she smacks a kiss on his cheek, waiting until his eyes flutter open and he grins to pull away.
She stands when her mug is nearly empty, stretching in preparation for her task. "Okay, so is there an order to this? First come, first served?"
Castle's hand curls around her ankle, fingers dipping underneath the hem of her leggings. Never in her life has having her anklebone caressed been a turn on, until now.
"Mostly," he answers, his voice low and warm, like honey. "But try not to grab from the same pile, since usually those are all for the same person. And always get one for yourself. It's the rule."
"Got it." She smiles, shaking his fingers loose to step to the tree. Her fingers twitch with last second jitters.
She's really doing Christmas. Family Christmas.
Her mom would've loved this.
She shakes off the moment of sadness, even though her dad's look tells her he's right there with her. They're both starting new this year.
"Okay, this first one is fooor, Martha."
In the end she breaks the rules a little bit – bends them, really – making sure everyone has their presents before returning to the small pile of things marked for her. She wants to kiss Martha, Castle, and Alexis for making sure her dad even has presents, despite knowing he might not have even been here.
She's been instructed that, as Present Master, she has to declare present time open before anyone will open anything. It's a silly rule, but she does it for them anyway. "Go for it. Dig in."
Like magic, her words spark a flurry of activity. Paper flies, delighted chatter increases, and she knows this is her first look at what future Christmases will look like. It'll be loud and giggly, probably overwhelming and insane more often than not, but it won't ever be lonely.
Her dad's hand brushes her shoulder gently, his words breaking through her thoughts to remind her to open her things, too.
Soon enough, her laughter and her chatter joins theirs. They've taken care of her this year. Really, this family has taken care of her every year since she's known them.
Somehow, she and Castle end up with the last two unopened gifts, and they're from each other. His is large, hers is about the size of a shoebox, but she knows shoes aren't what she'll find inside.
"You first," she urges, holding the box to her chest. She'll keep the secret inside for just a little longer. "Since you've been waiting so very long for this."
Castle grins, ripping the paper off the ridiculously large box with gusto. Here it is, the moment of truth.
"Beckett!" he actually squeaks. "Is this? You… this is for me? Really?"
Her chin lands on his shoulder so she can feel his delight instead of just see it. His hands brush the supple leather of the pants, making her bite her lip as she imagines doing the same with him in them.
"Uh huh. It was supposed to be a wedding present, but then I kind of supersized it instead. There's more in there, too."
The helmet makes him laugh, but it's a proud laugh and she knows he's itching to try it out already.
"Writer man," he reads, bumping his head against hers. "Thank you."
Since she'd already had to make it a special order because of his big head, she'd decided to go for broke and had the helmet custom decorated, too. She'd only given the artist a vague description of what she wanted, but he'd come through for her. The design is small, but uniquely Castle.
"You're welcome. There's one last thing in there."
Actually there's more than that, but the last part is more of a culmination of it all than a separate piece. She grins into his shoulder as he unearths the jacket and the hidden items. Her dad's shaking his head at them; she wasn't kidding when she'd told him it would bring back memories. Maybe fond hadn't been the right word for Jim, but they're pretty good memories for her.
"It's the entire… does this mean I get to ride with you finally?"
"Mhmm, check the pocket."
He digs in, pulling the rolled booklet and slip of paper out with a flourish.
"A driver's manual? And… insurance? Does that mean I get to drive your motorcycle, Beckett?"
Oh, jeez. She didn't even know his voice could get that high.
"It means that you will study and take the test, and then we'll both be properly licensed and insured to drive. And once the cool factor of riding wears off, maybe you can drive."
"I could just get my own bike. Oh! I should get my own bike. Then we could go on couples rides, Beckett. How cool would that be?"
Her eyes roll even as she grins. "Can't snuggle on your own bike, babe," she murmurs, hoping her dad can't hear.
Judging by the look he gives her when her eyes cut to him, it's a useless wish. Oh well.
"Right." Castle's eyes drop to the jacket in his hands. "Can I try it on? I'm gonna try it on."
"Mhmm, go for it." She sits back to let her husband scramble to his feet, patting her dad's hand gently.
He shakes his head. "Only you, Katie."
"I don't do anything by halves, remember?" She winks at Alexis and Martha quickly. They've talked about the present and what it means for Castle's safety. The driver's manual had actually been Alexis's idea, and she's not ashamed to admit it pulled everything together perfectly.
"That you don't."
"What do you think? Is it me? Does it fit?"
She looks up, laughing at how giddy her husband is right now. He has a few leather jackets, she knows, but they're all tailored like sport coats. This one fits differently, and from what she can tell, it's too small in the sleeves. Damn it.
Crooking her finger to get him closer, she fusses with the cuffs a bit. It's short in the shoulders and in the chest. It'll work in a pinch, but it's short. It's because he's so damn broad; it's sexy, of course, but it's also frustrating to know his gift's going to have to be exchanged. Hell, she'll spring for custom made. Forget dealing with sizes.
"I like it, but it's not perfect," she admits, knowing her face has fallen a little bit. She doesn't want his to fall, too. "I'll work on it," she promises, lifting onto her toes to kiss him. "Monday morning. I'll fix it. We'll keep this one, but I'll get you a better one."
She grips the edges of the jacket, kissing him again. "You like it, though? The style? The pockets and everything?"
He nods eagerly, fingers spanning her ribs. "I love it, Kate. It's perfect, all of it."
Her cheeks flush at the praise. "I'm glad. Sorry about this… I know I got your pants right, though. So at least there's that."
Alexis groans behind her when his eyebrows wiggle.
"Don't say it, Dad. Do not say it."
It's not much of an admonishment; they all know he's thinking it.
"Best wife ever," he says instead, bear hugging her until she can't help but laugh away the shame of her sizing blunder. "And speaking of, your turn. Open your gift."
Her father holds out the present to her, smiling. "Your turn, Katie."
She takes the box carefully, feeling Castle grin against her cheek. The paper comes off easily, and she drops it into the black trash bag before sticking the bow on his head. Gorgeous.
"So yours was kind of a wedding present, too, but it wasn't ready in time."
"That's okay." Like she needs a wedding present, considering he's given her his home, his patience, even his family.
"And there are actually a few things in there," he adds, nodding to the box she's fighting to open. How much tape did he use? "So don't stop until you know it's empty."
Finally, she gets it open, only to see two envelopes on top of tissue paper. Castle takes the present from her, his smile widening as she rips the first envelope open.
Her eyes widen as she reads. How he's even capable of reading her mind like this, she can't figure out. But she can kiss him hard in thanks.
"I know you love your bike, but I know it's also getting expensive to keep up with the maintenance. So that's… enough for a new one or some fantastic tune ups. Whatever you want to do, Kate. And might I say that great minds do think alike?"
She laughs softly, resting her head against his. That they do. "Thank you, Castle. Okay, next one."
The next envelope opens easily.
His hand slides down her back, waiting for her to read and process exactly what she's seeing.
"Three weeks on a private island?"
"Uh huh, it maxes out your vacation, but for a honeymoon and for as hard as you work…" he explains, humming into her kiss.
"It's perfect. Thank you, Castle."
His chin dips, a bashful smile on his lips. "One more thing. But ah, let me show you."
She watches, lip between her teeth, as he scoops something into his large hand before tossing the shoebox to the side.
"So I didn't get to give you one of these before, and I thought I should."
"One of what?" She tilts her head, eyes moving between his face and his hand. Why is he so serious all of the sudden? She brushes his cheek quickly, trying to make him smile again.
"It's to go along with the honeymoon, really. But um, Katherine Houghton Beckett, will you marry me again? At a time when we're not stealing Ryan and Jenny's thunder and when everyone else can be there with us?"
His hand opens slowly and her mouth follows suit. Oh, that is an engagement ring. A gorgeous, large engagement ring.
They've been married for a month and a half and her husband is giving her an engagement ring and proposing to her in front of her dad, his daughter, and his mother. (All of whom are beaming, she notices out of the corner of her eye.)
So they're doing it all a little backwards; marrying before dating, getting engaged after marrying. But by some miracle they work, and she'd be lying if she said this gesture doesn't make her love him so much more.
Stepping into him, she kisses him until her lungs burn. If that's not answer enough, once they part, she grins against his lips and manages to find her voice, "Well, if you insist."
A/N: Thank you all so much for every kind word, every like, and every view you guys have given this story. Ever since I decided to continue this story, I've been going back and forth over exactly where I'd like to take it. When I finished this chapter, I sat back and I realized this was a beautiful place to let this portion of their journey end. But! I still have an epilogue/final chapter to come, and I hope everyone will stick with me for that. I'll have it up hopefully on Sunday or next Monday!
