The usual disclaimers apply: I'm not making any money off of this, Castle belongs to ABC and Andrew Marlowe, and any similarities to real people or places are strictly a coincidence.

Author's notes are at the bottom. Please enjoy!

The Spellbound Affair

Chapter Twenty-One

"Here's the deal," said Castle as he grabbed Kevin under the arms and swung the toddler through the air. The boy let out a startled gasp at the unexpected change in elevation. The author plopped the miniaturized detective in one of the barstools at the peninsula of the kitchen. "You two stay out of the way and you can stay in the kitchen." He opened his laptop and set it in front of the blond. "Hack away, Mr. Jackman. Don't bother looking for any unfinished manuscripts - I moved them to my portable, and very hidden, hard drive."

"How long do you think it will take us to find that?" Javier asked his partner.

"Less than a day," replied Kevin. He typed in Castle's password, which the writer still hadn't bothered to change. "It's like you want us to be able to access your computer."

"You're not going to find it," said Castle. He swatted at Javier's shoulder once the detective had climbed onto the chair next to his partner's. "It's not in this house."

"Sure." Javier gave him a look that clearly expressed his disbelief in Castle's statement.

"Oh, I'm supposed to tell you two that Lanie says hi," said Kate. She set a large pot in the sink and turned on the faucet to let it fill with water. "Apparently you did something right in that relationship, because she claims the sex was good enough for her to keep your secrets." She dipped her fingers in the pot and flicked the water at Javier.

"Why you hatin'?" he asked. "Of course it was good." He grinned cheekily at her.

"Okay, I'm going to have to put sex talk in the same category as foul language," said Castle.

"What category is that?" asked Kate.

"Things I don't want to hear out of the mouth of a six-year-old."

"I guess that means I'll have to do the talking for the both of us," said Kevin. He clicked on the laptop and turned the screen slightly so Javier could see better.

"Nice, bro." Javier tilted his head slightly to the side. "Hey Beckett, can you get into that position?"

"What are you doing?" demanded Castle. He put down his mixing bowl and wiped his hands on a dishrag before stalking over to the bar.

"Returning the favor for all the times you've looked at porn on my work computer," said Kevin.

"All right, first of all, no you're not allowed to talk dirty either, and second, absolutely no inappropriate websites." Castle pulled the screen of the laptop down so the computer was perfectly flat. The website displayed on the screen was ESPN's homepage. "Very funny, brat. Behave."

Kevin returned the screen to its upright position. "Yes, Dad," he said in a sing-song voice.

"I am so looking forward to all the grief I'm going to give you when you're big again," promised Castle. He pouted at Kate, who was leaning against the counter and failing to hide her chuckles behind her hand. "You're all against me."

"Sorry, Castle, you're just so cute when you're being responsible," said Kate. She leaned up to give him a quick kiss. Her partners made gagging sounds, to which she responded by flipping them off.

"And you wonder where we learn such bad behavior," commented Kevin. He rested his chin in one hand while he dragged his fingers of the other over the touch pad to navigate around whatever website he'd settled on. Javier leaned over to see the screen as well. Castle watched them out of the corner of his eye as he returned to preparing the rest of the salad while Kate cooked the noodles. He told himself that he was just making sure neither of the younger males fell off his stool and cracked his head open.

"This is kind of fun," said Kate in a low voice when she had finished draining her cooked pasta and held the bowl out for Castle to add his mix.

"Making pasta salad?"

"Playing house," she corrected. She glanced over her shoulder to where her partners were animatedly discussing baseball and arguing over what the stats they'd found actually meant. "You really do make a good father."

"I learned from the best… well, the best mother that is. Actually no, I guess I learned from the best nanny." He grinned playfully at her.

"Though you hide it so well under your twelve-year-old disguise," chided Kate.

"Well, if we're playing the compliment game, then I think you'd make a very good mother."

"Me, a mother?" Kate scoffed. "I barely have time to take care of myself, let alone a very needy little person."

"What do you think you're doing with them?" Castle gestured towards the bar. "Remember Agent Shaw? She makes it work."

"True." Kate chewed on the inside of her cheek as she thought for a minute. "I'd like to have kids of my own some day," she decided.

Castle hoped she'd want to have kids with him some day and then panicked at the idea of raising another Little Castle. What if fate decided to make up for Alexis' lack of unruliness by giving him a terror as a second child? He mentally shuddered at the idea.

xXx

Two hours later, after a rather quiet dinner, Beckett curled up in one of the overstuffed armchairs before the huge rear windows. She sat sideways in the chair with her knees bent over one arm and her back resting against the other. Though it was still early in the evening, she found herself struggling to stay awake. Usually a sleepless night didn't have her feeling quite so lethargic. She indulged herself anyway, watching the moon slowly grow brighter over the distant waves as the sun set behind the house.

Castle and Javier sat kitty-corner from each other on the floor with a pile of cards spread out before them on the coffee table. She wasn't sure exactly who was teaching whom the rules of a new game, but their interaction became pretty animated occasionally when accusations of cheating starting flying around. Kevin had started off with them but his interest had waned quickly. She could tell that the morning's encounter still had her two junior detectives on edge, though they did a commendable job hiding it. If she and Castle didn't know them so well, they might not have noticed at all.

As if to make up for his earlier slight by the pool, Kevin pulled himself up into the chair with Beckett and curled up between her and the backrest. She wrapped one arm around him and absently ran her fingers through his soft hair. "You feeling sleepy, too, baby boy?"

"Mmm." He gave her a non-committal shrug. "Just ready to be done with this nightmare."

"We'll work it out," replied Beckett. In the back of her mind, she questioned her own response. What would they work out? Did she mean finding a way to get Kevin and Javier back to full size or figuring out how to take care of them if they remained small? Beckett thought back to her conversation with Castle while they prepared the evening meal. Sure, work was stressful without the help of her partners but she was starting to get used to having them around as small children. She doubted that she'd ever cuddle like this with the Irishman once he was an adult again. His slight weight against her side was comforting and right then, she wasn't in a hurry to end the moment.

From the coffee table, Beckett heard Castle ask Javier once more about his secret girlfriend. She smirked as Javier exploded into a tirade about how sick he was of Castle and Beckett prying into his personal life and blowing things out of proportion. He did his best to keep his voice hushed, conscious of Martha who had returned a short while ago and was loitering elsewhere in the house. Beckett knew Javier would be twice insulted if he found out that she found his ire amusing.

Castle backpedaled defensively. "If it's not a big deal, why won't you tell us who it is?"

"It's none of your business," snapped Javier.

"You and Kevin put a lot of effort into finding out whom Kate was dating when we first started out," argued Castle.

"Yeah, well, you two danced around each other for four years and were extremely annoying about it," complained Javier. "I don't bring my dirty laundry to work to air out in public."

"Dirty how…?" Castle leaned forward curiously.

"Just leave me the f-… leave me alone," Javier insisted. "There is no secret girl and all you're doing is pissing me off."

"That's what Lanie told us when we were asking about your mysterious boyfriend," whispered Kevin.

"Good for her," replied Beckett in an equally quiet voice. Her mind started to drift as Castle wisely changed the subject and Javier's ruffled feathers slowly settled. The two males returned to their card game, though the looks they shot each other were nothing short of distrustful. Actually, Javier had the monopoly on suspicious glares. Castle stuck mainly to surreptitious and curious.

Beckett still couldn't think of anyone at the 12th who could not only draw Javier's attention from Lanie but cause the ME to back off without a fight. Lanie was beautiful and smart and not easily intimidated. In fact, the ME seemed fond of Javier's mystery crush as well, going so far as to call her a "cute blonde."

Beckett's arms rested in a loose circle around her younger partner. She lifted one and returned to stroking his soft hair. She liked how the orange glow of the ambient light gave a reddish hue to the pale locks…

The epiphany hit her like a Mack truck. It made perfect sense, now that she knew whom Lanie had been thinking about when she let slip that Javier had a new love interest. She wanted to laud her triumph over Castle for figuring it out first, proving once and for all that she was a better detective than he was a reader of people. Beckett gripped Kevin's shoulders so she could push him into a seated position and see his face. "Baby, do you know who Javier's secret crush is?"

He made a disgruntled face. "Castle already gave me the third degree on this. Javi hasn't told me but at least I can respect his privacy."

"You're the biggest busy-body of us all," chided Beckett. She pinched his little cheek like an annoying older relative.

"Nuh-uh," he denied. He pushed her hand away from his face. "That's definitely Castle."

"Sure." Beckett grinned widely at him. Kevin looked resigned that his partner would continue to suffer from prying friends, no matter what either of the junior detectives said to dissuade them. "But I promise to not ask him anymore."

"Why?" Now it was Kevin's turn to look suspicious of his partner's motive.

"Because I figured it out," she gloated.

"Then who is it?" He looked genuinely interested in her answer. Since he was like an open book to his close friends, she believed that he truly didn't know.

"Nope. You told me you were respecting Javi's privacy."

"You're so mean." Kevin settled in again with his head against her shoulder to pout. Beckett wrapped him in a tight hug and kissed the top of his head. She could understand Javier's desire for nondisclosure at this time so she resolved to not divulge his secret without his consent. Though, she would still brag to Castle about her victory. She hoped that Javier would tell his crush sooner than later so they could start living happily ever after.

At the coffee table, Javier lost his patience with Castle's appraising glances. "I'm not going to tell you anything," he stated firmly. "It doesn't matter anyway. Unless this fucked-up shit is resolved, nothing will come of it." The Hispanic detective gestured to his six-year-old body.

Beckett's flicker of desire to let things stay as they were for a while yet was immediately extinguished at her partner's defeated tone. It was easy for her to adjust to the change - she hadn't lost her entire life and all her immediate dreams in the space of single afternoon. She refused to be selfish and renewed her vow to undo this curse as soon as possible. That thought followed her into a restless slumber as she nodded off in the overstuffed armchair.

When she awoke next, she was still curled up in the armchair and unsure of how much time had passed. The room was dark, save for a single lamp near the archway that opened to the foyer. One of the fleece throws was draped over her and the solid weight across her chest. Beckett realized quickly that the muted sounds of distress and slight shivering coming from her partner were what had drawn her out of sleep. "Kev?" she asked. In the stillness of the night, her soft voice sounded like a canon exploding. Nonetheless, he didn't respond.

Beckett jostled him until he awoke with a start. She could see little more than shadows across his face but his panic was obvious. "Hey, it's okay," she soothed. "Just a dream. Calm down, baby boy."

His breathing gradually became less labored and he relaxed marginally. "Sorry," he mumbled eventually.

"Don't be," Beckett said. She cupped his face with both hands and pulled him down so she could kiss his forehead. From there, she guided him to curl up against her again, safe in her arms. He wrapped his arms around her as well. She could still feel his heart's accelerated beating, though that eventually slowed as well. "What were you dreaming about?"

"Nothing. I'm fine."

"Obviously," she said sarcastically. "You know you can't lie to me, so just tell me."

"I don't want to talk about it," Kevin muttered.

"Was it about the incident this morning? I only saw the images that Bianca showed me for a minute but I know it's going to give me nightmares."

"It's just… everything."

"What's something specific?" Kevin was saved from answering by the entrance of a tall, shadowed figure. Beckett held her breath until the newcomer stepped into the spread of light from the small lamp. Beckett offered Castle a soft smile as he crossed the room towards her chair.

"You're awake," the writer said obviously.

"Were you going to leave me down here all night?" asked Beckett. Already she was afraid to shift too much and draw out the sting that had surely settled into her muscles by now.

"You were just too adorable to disturb. But that's why I'm here now, to rescue you from a regretful night in a chair." Castle exchanged a brief kiss with her. As he pulled back, his gaze dropped to the toddler. "It's well past your bedtime, kiddo."

"I don't have a bedtime," argued Kevin. He lifted his head off of Beckett's shoulder to give the writer a dark look.

"My house, my rules," teased Castle. He stood up and held his hands out towards the Irishman. Kevin hunkered down and tightened his grip on Beckett. The lead detective chuckled as Castle complained, "So fickle the fealty of the young." Beckett decided to help him out by finally stretching as much as she could, which led her to groan when her back ached and a dull bolt of pain shot through her neck. Kevin sat up with a guilty frown to give her room to move. The new position left him vulnerable to Castle and the author plucked him off the chair and set him on the ground beside it. Beckett grasped Castle's outstretched hand and used it to leverage herself out the chair. Once standing, she stretched fully. A few joints popped loudly.

"Did Martha already retire?"

"Yes," answered Castle. He messily folded the throw and tossed it onto the chair.

"Where's Javi?"

"I just finished putting him to bed. After you fell asleep he wanted to watch a movie so we relocated to the theater. I figured I'd wake you up when it was over." Castle looked down at Kevin. "You walking or you want a ride?"

Kevin vacillated for a few seconds and studied the fibers of the rug diligently. He finally nodded dejectedly and stepped towards the writer. Castle lifted him up to bear on his hip and then offered a hand to Beckett. She tangled her fingers with his. They walked towards the stairs closely together.

Beckett mused over how clingy her younger partner had become as they traversed the hallway towards the two rooms claimed by the detectives. While she was plenty glad to indulge him, and apparently Castle was too, she wondered if she shouldn't be concerned. As an adult, Ryan loved attention and being in the middle of the crowd. Little kid Kevin took it to a new level, never wanting to be far from one of his friends and preferably in physical contact with them. Her heart ached for how timid and insecure he'd become since the change. She didn't know how to address the problem.

Her boyfriend seemed to have the same understanding that she did. Instead of entering the smaller room where the blond's very few personal items were kept, he walked directly into Javier's room. Beckett let go of his hand so she could check on the slumbering Hispanic while Castle continued to the on-suite bathroom. Beckett half-listened to the two of them as she took a seat on the edge of the bed. Javier appeared to be sleeping comfortably. She hoped he'd remain free of the bad dreams that bothered Kevin earlier.

Kevin came out of the bathroom on his own two feet, now dressed in dinosaur themed sleepwear and smelling of minty toothpaste. Castle trailed behind him, flipping off the light to the bathroom as he exited. Kevin pulled himself up onto the bed and slid under the covers. He settled in with about a foot of space between himself and Javier. He curled up on his side, his back to the large bay window which framed the half-moon riding low in the sky.

Both full-size adults bid him good-night. Castle wrapped his arm around Beckett's shoulders as they made the trek across the upstairs hallway to the master bedroom. Beckett sleepily went through her own nightly routine. While last night's activities had certainly been pleasurable, she was greatly looking forward to going straight to sleep tonight. She curled up with Castle in the middle of the wide bed and slept soonest.

to be continued…

Author's Notes:

This chapter is a little short. Chapter 22 picks up on Thursday morning. The characters have been through a lot so far and they needed a slight breather. Thursday should be a mostly good day and then Friday will be back to the drama.

Reference to Swordfish (2001), distributed by Warner Bros. et al.

I can't say thank you enough to the people who review. I love reading your comments, so keep 'em coming! I write for fun but I always want to improve, so constructive criticism is always welcome. All mistakes are my own.