Genre: Drama, Crime, Romance, Family, Humor
Rating: M for sexual situations and language
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters featured on the show Castle, they belong to the creator of the show, ABC, and the others who do own them.
A/N #1: The lyrics in this chapter are from the songs Soft-Hearted Hana by George Harrison; from his eponymous album; and Fish on the Sand also by George; from his album Cloud Nine.
A/N #2: Fantastic receiving the feedback I did for the last chapter so will go into my thank yous for them! MsNYC (Not surprised you knew that Castle would be pissed at Norling trying to attack Beckett and then him trying to, as you put it, cause ripples between Castle and Beckett. So no surprise that you said it was sad, lol. I was happy that you're glad that Castle and Beckett are secure in each other, since I think they would be after everything they've gone through. Not surprised you mentioned that it was kind of a big break in the case. Or that you thought Eliza was silly, lol. And I was glad you wanted Julia to get to look around the station with everyone since I wasn't sure what the readers would think of that. And nice to read you thought it was a perfect ending to the first half of the chapter. Wasn't surprised you were thinking they sort of had a suspect with Ralston. I'm glad that you though Beckett and Skye were hilarious, lol. Not surprised you agree with Brad in that they were messing with Castle, lol. Happy to see you thought it was great writing as usual! And yeah, they can't really consider Ralston a suspect anymore),
TORONTOSUN (Really happy you think it's a great story so far. And of course, I was pleased that you like how the case is getting exciting too),
Mb (I was of course happy to see you thought the first half was a fantastic update. I wasn't surprised to see you think they're really working together nicely, since you're right as they're investigator in some form and that would help. And I'm glad that you mentioned thought they have a system with their own teams they're able to work together seamlessly since I did want that to come across in the story. You're also right that they've all worked with each other before and currently in some way so that would help. And you make a point that for some of them it helps that in their past life they were either family or colleagues as well. I wasn't surprised that you thought Norling deserved to go to jail with his actions and trying to get Castle in trouble with Beckett as well. It's funny you laughed at Paul going on a bike with the kids to the station, that I took inspiration from a picture I have of him riding a bike; for a magazine article, lol, so I know he does do it. I wasn't surprised you think Alexis and Louis are sweet together, I'm glad you do. Also, not surprised that you think they're becoming more like the loving couples they're around and like Castle and Beckett too, I was waiting for that one, lol. And of course, happy you thought it was a sweet update too. I was glad reading you thought the second half was a fantastic update too. I wasn't surprised you mentioned this half had a lot of information about the possible suspect and the possible motive too. Great I could surprise you with Julia texting Skye that Alfred told her about the house. And you're right, with that area Beckett is still a bit skeptical and I agree with you that she's fearful in a way about it. Nice to read it was a great update. And you're very welcome for sharing!) and
vetgirlmx (Lol, I had wondered what you'd think of the ending of the chapter and really, I wasn't surprised that you weren't that Ralston was murdered. And I can see what you mean about it seeming like it had taken a while for that to happen. You're also right they've done a lot in that time. I also wasn't surprised that you agreed with them saying it was a mess, or that you're hoping it won't take a long time for them to untangle it so they can get back to vacation, lol. I'm glad that you had the thought of Paul going to the station for a tour, lol. And you're right it was a good chance to show what they're doing when they're not writing. I had to laugh at you mentioning it would have been quite a sight of Paul with the girls riding bikes. You're right that it's got to be different going through there without handcuffs on which was why I wanted to write that. I'm so happy you enjoyed the whole dead brother bit as I was afraid that wasn't going to be viewed that well, lol. And I thought the same, lol, it would be something that Castle would have fun with too. Not surprised that you were that Alfred sort of made an appearance in the chapter since there wouldn't really be a reason for him to be there, lol. But yeah, lol, I had to explain why if I had him connected to the school before so I'm glad I did in the end. I wasn't surprised you caught the idea of a narrow pool of suspects with if Ralston was trying to name his killer. But I was a bit with you not being sure you wanted them to find the killer already but seeing you might want a few twists and turns before they reach that point, though I am glad that you said you'd be happy either way. And really pleased you can't wait to find out and now you don't need to anymore!).
Thanks for the reviews, I loved reading all of them and am grateful for the time taken to write them out and send them to me!
A/N #3: The title of this chapter is a lyric Seems Like Old Times an unreleased song by Paul McCartney.
Wouldn't Want To Miss It
"You think if we called Lanie they'd let her look at the body?" Esposito asked as Beckett came back to where he and Ryan were standing with Castle.
"I don't think Thayer would mind but it'd only be a brief look," she replied. "Plus, she's out or doing something." At the detective's questioning expression Beckett explained, "I called her at lunch, she has a message that she's out for the day."
"Is she still coming with us to dinner?" Castle asked. "I should say them."
"I think so," Beckett said. "I tried to text her, but she never answered so leave her be."
"How is Thayer?" Ryan asked.
"Still the same as the last time you asked us about him," Castle replied. "He doesn't hate me."
"Or me," Beckett added.
"Why would he hate you?" Skye asked in slight amusement as she reached them.
"Since he was here first," Beckett commented, nodding towards her husband.
"What did he say?" Castle asked his wife.
"Stab wounds from something smaller than a machete," Beckett replied. "So knives are our killer's weapon of choice."
"Who's also a woman," Ryan pointed out.
"I don't know if you can take that to heart," Darnley said after he jogged to the group; having spoken with Enos. "I had a case where the guy identified his cousin and it was his best friend."
"He's right but we really should look at everyone again that's a woman," Beckett commented.
"Excuse us for a second," Castle said after everyone had been silent for a moment. He took his wife's arm gently and pulled her with him down the sidewalk enough away from everyone before he stopped her. "You're not mad at Skye, are you?" he asked her when he saw how she was looking at him questioningly.
"No… a little frustrated that Julia would feel better telling her what she did but it's understandable," Beckett said, hesitating slightly at first.
"It doesn't make you a bad mother you know," Castle was quick to say.
"I didn't think it did," Beckett replied easily. "I just need to talk to her when we see them again."
"Hopefully we don't have that much longer," Castle said, checking his watch.
"I know," Beckett said, glancing back at the others. "Come on, Brad's going over to them."
"Okay," the chief said once he was with the others. "I have Enos, Wade and Bernier starting a canvas and I'll be joining them shortly. For now, I need to ask the four of you what you heard."
"I don't think Rick and I can answer that," Skye said, gesturing between the two of them. "We weren't close enough to hear."
"Yeah, I heard two voices," Darnley said quickly as the arguing had continued up until they'd stepped onto the porch.
"Woman, man?" the chief asked.
"Couldn't tell, there was a lot of yelling," Darnley said.
"I'll agree, I couldn't even tell which one was Ralston," Beckett said. "You did tell them to ask about cameras."
"Of course, and to concentrate on the houses behind this one," Brad said. "You guys head back to the station… or if you want to head back to where you're staying or home that's fine. I really don't think we'll have all that much unless we find something during the canvas."
"We'll stay," Esposito said.
"Then I'll be back as soon as we're finished," the chief said. "Can you start getting a list of women we would need to look at?"
"Of course," Beckett said since he was looking at her.
"We should ask, have we cleared Ashby?" Castle asked his friend.
"Yes and no," Brad said. When Castle frowned he said, "I'm not going to keep the possibility of her closed yet. Not until I get more proof than my view from the corner of my eye."
Beckett touched her husband's arm before he could respond, and they went together to their car that Darnley and Skye had traveled in behind Brad's squad car. "You guys don't mind sticking around?" she asked, looking at the two in the backseat.
"No, unless you want me gone," Skye commented first.
Giving her a look Beckett shook her head and then sat back in the passenger seat, watching her husband drive the short distance to the station. She went directly to Brad's office, going to the papers while the boys, Skye and Darnley waited for her and her husband to tell them the names they had which he soon began to say.
"There aren't very many women," Castle commented once they'd finished.
"No, so it shouldn't take all that long really to look into them," Skye said.
"Especially since we did that already," Beckett said. "Let me check where Brad is."
"Is she mad at me?" Skye asked Castle in Irish.
Shaking his head, he said, "I think a little frustrated now at herself. She wants our daughter to look to her; even for this."
"Of course she does," Skye was quick to say. "Should I talk to her."
With a quick shake of his head again Castle said, "She'll talk to our daughter."
Nodding slightly Skye then said, "I hope she will."
"She will," Beckett said as she walked into the room, talking to them first as they were closest to the door. She then looked at everyone else and said, "He's on his way back and they found something."
"How far out?" Castle asked. "And should I bother asking what they found exactly?"
With a brief smile Beckett said, "He'll say when he's back." She could hear the door to the parking lot closing and said, "Which is now." She went over to the doorway with her husband, both of them looking out to watch the chief as he walked rapidly down to his office.
"You know I should berate the two of you," Brad commented once he'd reached them.
"What did I do?" Castle asked defensively.
"Not you," Beckett told her husband quickly. "And you realize we had to check on him, I could see his arm was still moving."
"I realize, but still next time you see that tell us," Brad replied, looking over at Darnley as well. "And we'll check on the victim." He looked at the whiteboard and saw there was a list of female names. Studying it he told the others, "You're going to need to find pairs with those women."
"Pairs?" Beckett said in surprise.
"We got a couple eyewitnesses who saw two people climbing over fences of a few houses," Brad began. "Going away from Ralston's. They couldn't see them as they had hooded jackets on in two different colors and they were going away from them. Of course."
"Are the jackets identifiable?" Ryan asked.
"They definitely are," Brad replied. He held up a picture; that Hutchinson had handed to him on his way to the office; and told them, "This is the Sportswear Breeze hoodie, first made a year ago but only in one store in the area."
"Hamptons Sports?" Beckett and Castle said at the same time.
"It is," Brad replied. "Though it's only from here that doesn't mean there aren't a lot. When Rice called the store they said at least 300 had been made."
"How many were sold?" Esposito asked.
"Every last one," Brad said. "They had five colors all together and we need a hundred and twenty of the grey and a hundred of the white ones."
"I'm guessing you're kicking us out?" Darnley asked.
"At this point, yes," Brad said. "That wasn't my request though," he told the others quickly. "Word got around town… or the area I should say that I have more than Castle and Beckett assisting me. They'd prefer the police themselves to look into the list since those are their customers."
"What about people who paid with cash?" Darnley said.
Shaking his head Brad said, "These were fifty-dollar jackets, so they kept records of everyone buying them."
"That helps," Esposito said.
"I had the same thought," Brad told them. "That it was a set up, but we'll need to see what information we get. We'll look into this tonight but if I get anything I'll let you know. As for tomorrow I'll let you know when you can come in or if I don't find anything until then."
Though she wanted to protest them leaving when it seemed like they were very close, Beckett knew the chief would have to follow the desires of the owner of the stores; that she knew had spoken to Brad. So she instead said, "We'll be in here at nine thirty at least."
"Fair enough," Brad said. "Goodnight."
When they'd said the same to the chief Castle and Beckett walked out after the others and they headed to their cars before they stopped, gathered together so they could say goodbye to Ryan.
"Hopefully you guys will enjoy it in Southampton," Castle said.
"You could go to the store," Esposito said.
"Oh of course, Jenny would love doing that for no real reason," Ryan said, shaking his head at his partner.
"Tell her and the kids we're going to have dinner all together tomorrow," Beckett said. "Everyone from the city."
"Do you mind us doing that tonight?" Ryan said.
Shaking her head Beckett replied. "You should have the chance to go out on your own here. Enjoy it."
"We will," Ryan said before he went to his car he and Esposito had driven to the station in.
When the five left had gotten into the car Beckett glanced back at the three there and asked, "Comfortable?"
"Yeah, though why I offered to sit in the middle I don't know," Skye commented.
"Either way you're going to be next to a guy," Darnley said, looking at her.
Glaring at him Skye quickly smiled and then said, "Let's just go home, I want to see my kids."
Since he had already been starting the car Castle pulled out of the parking lot, driving towards home as quickly as he could as he couldn't help thinking of his and Beckett's girls. Glancing at his wife he saw from the look on her face she was as well so he stepped on the gas just a little more, relieved they wouldn't have far to go to reach them.
"Oh man, I thought I could go," Julia said, looking down at the water where her friend was.
"We have to go," Mari said teasingly. She laughed when her friend growled playfully at her and then moved out of the way, watching Julia jump into the deep end.
"Are they here yet?" Julia asked once she had resurfaced.
"No but your grandparents said we should go since Alexis and Louis left already," Mari said.
"Funny they didn't stay long," Julia said while they were swimming to the steps at the other end. "I would have."
"Well, we're just kids," Mari said musingly as she smiled at her. Standing on the bottom step with Julia she added, "They wanna go be alone."
"Yeah," Julia said. "Come on, I hope my parents are gonna come back soon."
"I thought you were afraid of what your mom was gonna say," Mari replied.
Pausing as she stepped up on concrete outside the pool Julia looked back at her friend and said with a sigh, "Sorta but I do want to see her."
"I don't blame you," Mari said before they got out.
"Go and rinse off girls," Jim called to the pair as he'd remained with them while everyone else had gone into the house.
Hurrying to the shower Julia said to her friend, "Sure you couldn't spend the night?"
"Mommy and Daddy want me at home," Mari replied, not surprised she'd said that. "But we'll stay with each other in Florida remember?"
"Yeah," Julia said with a sigh before she concentrated on rinsing off her hair and body. After they finished and she turned off her shower she took the towel her grandfather handed before she looked up at him with a smile to thank him before she froze with a gasp.
"Hello sweetie," Beckett told her daughter with a smile. "You had fun?"
Letting her mother wrap her towel around her Julia then hugged her as tightly as she could saying, "Yeah but I still missed you."
"I missed you too sweetie," Beckett assured her. "But before we wait too much longer let's go inside so you can take a shower."
Though she was wondering what her mother would say about her text to Skye, Julia nodded and let her mother lead them up to the house. "You are done for the day, right?" she asked.
"We are," Beckett replied, looking ahead of them to where her husband was standing in front of the door to the house.
"Hi Dad," Julia said, hugging him once she'd reached him. "Are we still going to the restaurant?"
"Of course, and soon because there are some kids among us that'll need to go to bed soon," Castle said.
"Josa?" Julia asked, watching in a little surprise as her mother greeted the baby.
"And Eliza and Fleur," Beckett replied after she'd taken Josie in her arms and then kissed her temple as she held her against her upper arm. "So we're going early."
"Is Tio Javi still gonna go?" Julia said while they walked inside the house.
"He's right here," Esposito replied, standing in the hall. "Is Mari?"
"My parents want me to go home for dinner," the girl said.
"It looks like they want you to right now," Castle said when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He checked to make sure about the message and nodded saying, "Yeah, your mom says to go home you can take a shower in your room."
"She's serious," Mari said, looking at Julia.
"I think so," the girl said with a smile. "So… can I walk her back to her house?"
"Go ahead," Beckett said since her oldest and Castle were looking at her.
"Thanks," Julia said before they left the house to go down the steps.
"You're not going to talk to her?" Castle asked his wife.
"After her shower," Beckett said simply, her eye on the two girls.
"Think she'll talk to you?" Mari was asking as they stepped from the grass to the sand.
"Don't know now," Julia said slowly. "But probably, probably after my shower."
"Yeah," Mari said in agreement. She was tempted to ask her friend what exactly she would say to her mother about texting Skye instead of Beckett but decided it was better to not speak. She instead said, "I'm really excited for the 4th."
"Oh, me too," Julia replied. "But Josa's not really gonna remember it."
"No… what about your picture?" Mari then asked.
Since they were already approaching her friend's house Julia quickly said, "We'll take it in the morning. Mom and Dad really want to take this one."
"And the other?" Mari asked.
"That one Mom and Dad want to take around Halloween… in the fall and outside," Julia said.
"With all the changing leaves?" Mari said.
Shaking her head Julia said with a smile as they stopped at the sliding door of the Foster home, "In the Adirondacks, Mom and Dad want to go every fall for a three day weekend at least, Columbus Day. I thought that was a good idea 'cause we'll be with nature on that day."
"Cool," Mari said with a smile. She could see her father approaching the door, so she hugged her friend tightly and told her, "I'll see you on Saturday?"
"Probably," Julia replied with a nod since they were going to have everyone over all day to celebrate the holiday. "Have fun until then."
"You too," Mari said before slipping inside.
Julia hurried over the sand and into her own house, going straight up to the second floor before she disappeared inside her bathroom while her mother was waiting on her bed. She took her shower as quickly as she could and then began to move a little slowly as she'd forgotten what she and her mother were likely going to talk about soon.
"Julia? Are you alright?" Beckett asked after she had knocked on the door.
"I'm fine," the girl said, realizing she shouldn't really delay anymore. Since she was dressed Julia grabbed her brush and then walked out saying, "Brush my hair?"
"Sure," Beckett replied, taking it before they walked to the bed. Letting her daughter stand in front of her she brushed her hair before saying, "You didn't really have to keep from coming out here."
"I guess not," Julia said guiltily. She turned her head to her then and said, "Are you mad at me?"
"No," Beckett began. "But I'm a little… frustrated you trust Skye that much."
"Because she would believe me," Julia said before she turned around. "Sorry Mom but…"
Sighing Beckett said, "I would too."
"Sorta," Julia said, not looking at her.
"What do you mean by that?" Beckett asked.
"You would say you do but not really mean it," Julia said, putting her hands behind her back in her nervousness.
"Are you angry that I don't?" Beckett asked.
At first Julia was planning on just shrugging or else shaking her head but she finally said, "A little."
Thinking that over for a moment Beckett finally nodded and said, "I'm sorry about that sweetie."
"That's why I told Skye," Julia said, shrugging her shoulders that time.
Though she was annoyed at how nonchalant her daughter was Beckett tried to get that emotion under control as she asked, "Why didn't you text your dad?"
"Because I thought it would be better, that way he wouldn't have to tell you and then you wouldn't believe me, and Dad would try to make you and you would be annoyed at him," Julia said swiftly.
Beckett was tempted to respond a little angrily, but she could see why her daughter had thought that. She sighed again and said, "I'm not sure I can believe what you see and feel."
"And you," Julia said firmly. "You've felt stuff before and you say no it's just… something else."
Looking up at the ceiling Beckett didn't really have any way to answer to defend herself so she instead said, "I know." Seeing the way her eldest's shoulders slumped she wrapped her arms around her and said, "Why don't I promise you this, I'll try not to be such a skeptic, especially if there's something we experience together."
"Really?" Julia asked hopefully.
"Really," Beckett said with a smile. She embraced the girl tightly when Julia threw herself at her and said, "I need my little girl with me so I know what I'm dealing with."
"Mom," Julia said in embarrassment.
"Do you want me to stop calling you that?" Beckett said, still smiling at her daughter's tone.
"No but what if I'm a grown-up lady and have kids?" Julia asked.
"You will be a grown up eventually," Beckett pointed out to her. "And why're you thinking about having kids?"
Julia related the conversation she'd had with Paul and said at the end, "You don't mind that name?"
"No," Beckett said quickly. "I've always loved the names Paul and George too."
"Good," Julia said. "I didn't think of girls names yet… there are too many I like." She glanced at her mother and asked, "How'd you think of them?"
"I loved the names of rulers," Beckett said simply. "But other names too though I let seeing you all decide for me." At her daughter's smile, she smiled back and hugged her tightly again before letting her go carefully. "So now that you're ready…" she began as her daughter's hair had only been brushed. When Julia nodded she then continued saying, "We should go because your dad and I are giving Josie her bath now; and I want to see her."
Julia took her mother's hand before they went together downstairs and she let go of her before watching as Beckett went over to Castle who was holding the baby, smiling when the former began to talk while she listened to them as well.
"Do we have enough time?" Castle was asking his wife.
"I didn't foresee it taking that long," Beckett replied. "And she's been in the pool."
"I'll follow you," Castle replied simply. Going after her to the kitchen he said, "Should we have told them?"
"I'm sure they're aware, and if not, someone will say," Beckett replied easily as she grabbed Josie's bathtub.
"So… I realize you probably don't want to talk about the case right at this moment but I'm wondering if you thought about Ralston's kids," Castle said.
"I had thought of them," Beckett said with a sigh as she was testing the water. "But they're with their grandparents right now luckily."
Nodding, as he knew she was also thinking of the foster twin girls of their second victim being told, Castle then changed the subject saying, "Are you planning on taking a bath yourself?"
Shaking her head Beckett said absently as she was filling the tub, "Or a shower. I don't need to you. You?"
"I'm good," Castle said, his tone of voice absent as well since he was undressing Josie to put her into the water.
Watching the baby as Josie cooed a little Beckett told her husband, "Go ahead."
"Are you sure?" Castle asked. When she just smiled at him he turned his attention to running the water over their daughter, watching her kick her leg once.
"Good thing you weren't wearing your glasses," Beckett told him with a smile as Josie had ended up splashing him a bit.
"Not a problem," Castle said, taking the soap she'd put on his palm and starting to lather it on the baby's body as she was making an ah sound. "Do you want me to wash her hair?"
"Just a bath," Beckett answered before she smiled at the baby since Josie was doing so at them.
Taking the moment he had Castle looked at his watch and said, "We have a lot of time Kate. You can take a shower if you want."
Glancing at him briefly Beckett told him, "No because I need to do something with Skye."
"And is she aware of that?" Castle asked her, rinsing off Josie.
"She is," Beckett replied, getting the towel ready for her husband. "But please try and distract everyone okay?"
"What, her wife and kids too?" Castle asked in surprise, making sure all the soap was off the baby.
"Yes," Beckett replied easily, taking Josie from him and starting to dry her off gently. As she was doing that they went over to the stairs and headed up to their youngest's room where she lay the baby on the bed and continued to gently rub her dry. "Wait," she said suddenly, realizing what her husband had said. "No, not Mary and their kids, they can watch because Mary's going to be with Skye."
"Oh, you expanded it," Castle commented.
"Paul requested it," Beckett replied.
"Okay," Castle said. "I can't go watch? Julia?"
"If you can ask my dad to keep the others from the living room then yes but no more," Beckett replied. "I really don't think that Skye wants an audience. I didn't."
"But you still did," Castle said, knowing she meant the one photoshoot she'd been at during her brief stint as a model.
"Yeah," Beckett said with a shrug. "Alright sweetie," she then directed to the baby. "Time to get you dressed." She carried her to the changing table and got a diaper on her before telling her husband, "You can get dressed."
"Why don't you?" Castle asked simply. "Since you're going to be photographing very shortly."
"Alright," Beckett said, looking down at their baby who was wriggling a little. She smiled and leaned down, pressing her lips to Josie's forehead before waiting for Castle to take her. She kissed his cheek swiftly and left the room, spotting her friend coming off the stairs down the hall. "You're changing?" she asked.
"I am," Skye replied. "Are you sure?"
"I am, it'll be fun because we'll have Mary join you eventually," Beckett told her.
"Oh really?" Skye asked in surprise.
"Really," Beckett assured her. "Paul wants you two to take pictures."
"I better text her," Skye said, hurrying over to the room she and her wife were sharing.
Beckett smiled after her before she went to her own room, dressing quickly in the closet before she stepped outside to find her husband on the bed with the baby.
"Hey, she wanted her mom," Castle replied, smiling at his wife.
"I think it was more your daddy did Josie," Beckett said in amusement before she took their youngest. "Well?" she asked him as he was just staring at her.
"Let me change," Castle said as he nearly jumped up to leave them.
"Your daddy is a little too easy to read," Beckett murmured to Josie, sitting on the end of the bed. She nuzzled her nose with her own and smiled as the baby made a short o sound. Kissing her temple, she said, "But I still love him, don't worry. How did you hear that?" she asked, directing the last to their other two daughters.
"It's quiet," Julia said as she and Eliza entered the room. "You're not gonna wear a dress Mom?"
"Not this time," Beckett said as she was wearing leggings and a rich blue blouse. "But you two look very nice, who helped you Eliza?"
"I did," Julia said, smiling at Josie once they were close enough. She took the baby's hand and let her hold onto her index finger before she took her as her mother handed her over. She was about to ask why Beckett had done that when she noticed where her mother was looking exactly.
"Hey, we're all here?" Castle asked as he'd stepped outside of the room then.
"We are," Beckett said. "Girls."
When their parents started to kiss Eliza looked at her big sister for what she guessed was supposed to have been a warning for them that they were going to do that. Julia just shrugged, and she turned her attention back to the two, not saying anything since it was hard to forget their parents had been at work that day.
After they'd parted Beckett murmured to her husband, "Sé sin go leor do anois?" asking if that would be enough, ending with the words for now.
"Beidh sé a bheith," Castle replied, saying it would have to be. They shared a brief kiss after that before he let her go, going over to their girls as Julia and Eliza were giggling at the way Josie was gurgling a little. "Are you guys ready?" he asked while he took the baby.
"Yeah but isn't it early?" Julia asked.
"It is," Beckett replied. "But I'm going to take those pictures of Skye now. And yes, you can go," she said, adding the last quickly as her oldest had opened her mouth to speak.
"Thanks," Julia said.
"What about me?" Eliza asked.
"Do you think you can play with Maddy and Keo in the family room?" Castle asked her.
"Kay," the little girl said interestedly. When they'd gone down the stairs she ran to the family room, going to her friend who was on Nkosi's lap. "Wanna play with blocks?" she asked eagerly.
Smiling at the way the toddler nodded once Beckett turned to the doorway of the room, seeing that Skye was there with Mary just behind her. She went with them over to the living room, hearing footsteps behind her. When she turned back around she wasn't surprised to see that it was her husband, oldest daughter and Paul before the three McDouglas girls were rushing inside. "Okay, so what exactly do you want?" she said to the singer.
"I think I'd like you to pose them and then have them play the piano together… sing as well," Paul said.
"What, actually sing?" Skye said in a playful Cockney accent.
"Would be nice," Paul replied. "So whenever you're ready," he said to Beckett who was checking her camera.
"Alright, I guess pose with your guitar first," she said to Skye with a smile.
"Which?" the investigator asked as she nodded over towards the guitar cases leaning against the couch in the room.
"Go ahead and choose," Beckett said.
Going around them, Skye soon pulled out a blue Rickenbacker. Going back to the wall next to the piano she said, "How about like this?"
Studying the woman, as she had her hands on top of each other on the headstock once the guitar was standing in front of her, Beckett nodded and said, "You should probably lean forward slightly and then smile."
"Are you sure?" Skye asked.
"I think so," Beckett said, smiling quickly at her. "Ready?" she asked. When the woman nodded she took a few pictures before she then said, "Now wear it and form whatever chord you'd like."
With a quick nod Skye did that and said, "Smiling or not?"
"Let me try with not smiling and then with," Beckett replied. She took a few pictures and then instructed the woman to smile before she took another couple and said, "Get rid of the guitar and then lean your arm on top of the piano."
"Leaning over a little?" Skye suggested. When Beckett nodded she did that before her friend was taking some pictures and asked Paul, "Please tell me that's it."
"On your own," Paul said. "Just a couple with Mary."
"Come on grá, it's not that bad," the woman said to her wife, walking over to her and squeezing her arm gently.
Skye nodded and waited for her wife to sit at the piano before she looked at Beckett suggesting, "Both of us sitting at it?"
"Sure," she replied, standing next to the piano so she could turn the camera towards them. After she had taken the shots Beckett said, "Why don't you turn around Mary, Skye stand and lean against her… unless you want to reverse that."
"No, better the way it was," the former commented. Mary turned around once her wife had gotten off the piano bench and watched Skye walk to her left side, feeling her lean her arm on her shoulder, pressing lightly. "I'm not made of glass," she said, looking up at her.
"Just smile so we can finish," Skye said, speaking through her own smile.
"We're still going to perform," Mary said back.
Beckett tried not to laugh and shake her hands holding the camera as Skye playfully stuck her tongue out at her wife. Once they were settled she took the shots until she was satisfied and said, "Now for your performance," startled when the investigator rushed over to Paul.