Okay, so I got a few good ones. This one is particularly cute.

Prompt: Kate and Jim teach the Castles about football on Thanksgiving.

"Woo! Football day! Let's go Mets!" Castle exclaimed, startling Kate, who was standing in the kitchen, talking quietly with her father. She raised one brow at her husband, who was wearing a bright blue button-up and had a foam finger on his right hand.

"Castle," she laughed, "what on earth do you know about football?"

"Absolutely…nothing," he admitted with a shrug. "That's why you, my lovely bride," he kissed her cheek as he passed, "have to explain everything to me while we watch the game."

Kate shared a look with her father, who was sipping at a cup of coffee, hiding his grin behind it.

"Okay…" Kate said. "Well, first of all, the Mets are a baseball team, not a football team. Secondly, we're rooting for the Giants today, so at least you got the color right." She pointed to his shirt and he grinned proudly, making her smile in return. "Third," she continued, "we should really focus on dinner before we get into the game. Is the turkey almost ready?"

Castle nodded, opening the oven and pulling out the bird in question, giving it one last basting before placing it back in.

"Five more minutes," he told her. "Mother!" he shouted, making Kate wince. "YOU GOT THE POTATOES?"

"I'm right here, Darling!" Martha said, coming down the stairs. "There's no need to shout."

"Well, do you have them?" Castle asked.

"They're right behind you, on the counter," Martha sighed and Castle's eyes widened, as if noticing the aluminum covered bowl for the first time.

"Oh," he said, "thanks. You didn't add any 'secret ingredients' this year, did you?"

"No," Martha sighed, "it seems all of my spices were…misplaced this year." She gave him a stink eye that could burn through brick, but his back was already turned away, reaching into the fridge for the cranberry sauce and crescent rolls while Kate stood on tiptoes to reach the good china in the cupboard.

They worked flawlessly together to get all the food out onto the table, setting the plates and glasses and silverware and napkins in their appropriate places, before placing the food in the center, in reach of everyone. Martha called Alexis down and the young woman appeared, her nose stuck in a textbook, which Castle swiftly plucked from her grasp, much to her annoyance.

"Da-ad!" she practically whined. "I have to study."

"Not today you don't," he replied. "It's Thanksgiving, Alexis; you're going to talk and laugh and eat until your pants don't zip anymore."

"But I have an exam on Monday and since Kate and Gram and I are going Black Friday shopping tomorrow, I—"

"I don't want to hear it," Castle said, putting up a hand to stop her train of thought. "It's family time. You'll have all of Saturday and Sunday to study."

"But I thought we were going to put up the decorations early this year," Alexis said.

"We can do that later in the week," Castle pointed out. "School comes first; except for today. Today, family comes first."

Alexis nodded in understanding, kissing her father on the cheek, before helping Kate bring out the drinks. Alexis had turned 21 just a few weeks earlier but still preferred to drink juice or soda at dinner, rather than wine—though Kate or Martha often let her take sips from theirs.

When everybody was settled in their seats—Castle at the head of the table, with Kate on his right and Alexis on his left, Martha next to her, and Jim across from Martha—they said grace and shared what they were thankful for (Castle for his new wife, Kate for her big family, Alexis that her father and stepmother were still alive, Jim for the same thing, and Martha for her 'God-given talent'), they dug in, talking about their work and school and independent projects they were working on as they went.

When it was time, Castle turned on the TV so that they could all watch as they ate—though neither Martha nor Alexis had any interest whatsoever in the game. Castle, however, was enraptured by the excitement and the energy that exuded from the screen, despite the fact that he had no idea what was happening.

Kate tried her best to explain to him how things worked; what a touchdown was, how many points they got, what an interception was, and why they tackled each other. But she had the distinct notion that everything she said went in one ear and came out the other, because she could practically see the floating question marks above his head as he watched the screen, wide-eyed and head tilted like a curious puppy.

Kate sighed inwardly as he watched and kept turning to her to ask the same questions over and over again, cheering when she and Jim cheered and repeating the mantra ("I bleed blue!") along with them while his mother and daughter looked on in amusement.

When the game was over—with the Giants dominating the Patriots 47-22—Martha served up the pie while Castle discussed the possibility of getting Super Bowl tickets for all of them this year. Kate nearly spit out her wine at the mere thought of that as she looked at him wide-eyed.

"Are…are you serious?" she gasped, sharing a look with her equally stunned father. Jim was practically drooling.

"Of course," Rick replied. "I know a guy who could probably get us great seats; might cost me a kidney, though," he joked, patting the organ in question. Kate rolled her eyes at that, but couldn't fight the grin spreading over her features.

"That would be great, Castle," she said, "but don't make any big sacrifices; we still have to save a little money for the possibility of any…Little Castles that might arrive sometime in the next couple of years."

Castle beamed at the thought. "I can't wait," he said, leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

Okay, so yet ANOTHER short one but it's late and I have class tomorrow and I'm seeing a very good friend (and fellow Castle fanatic) tomorrow, so I needs my beauty rest. Night, Casketteers! Oh, and please REVIEW!