Genre: 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: If anyone is interested to see the gowns that are in this chapter- because I based them on real ones- search the phrase 'Amsale Mesh-Overlay Pleated-Bodice Gown, French Blue' for the first and 'Oscar de la Renta Faille Ballgown with Thin Straps' for the second; and what will be the ball gown; in images of any search engine. The first gown will be the second picture in the results and the second gown will be the first picture.
A/N #2: I had been unsure I'd get any feedback for the last chapter so it was a delight to get some and that of course makes me want to get to my thank you right away! TORONTOSUN (Great to read that you like the fact everyone's still enjoying exploring what they're seeing this far into the story. And I'm not surprised you noticed that the girls are growing up a bit more, I figure with a trip like this that would happen when it broadens your horizons as it would. But it's great that makes the trip more interesting!) and vetgirlmx (I was glad to see your reaction to the ball, when I read that first word I kind of prepared myself thinking you wouldn't be all that positive about it. But it was nice to continue and see that I was wrong, lol. So happy to see that you're excited about it, was hoping I'd get that reaction from someone! And yeah, I hope it will be fun for them. Great that you're thinking to them looking for gowns to wear for it and also that you think it is a plus, lol- side note I hope you can see the two I mention up above, lol, would be interesting to know what you think of them in the context of Beckett wearing them. I wasn't surprised to see that you could tell Brennan was more comfortable, I figure in the space from when they first talk to them to his call about the ball they have the chance to learn more about each other and also talk and also see pictures of each other. I had to laugh at what you said about them growing gills, I had a feeling you'd comment on the swimming but I couldn't help it. When I see the hotels I find- I try and get real ones- and their pools I can't help it, lol, some of them are pretty awesome. It was great to read that you enjoyed the chapter, always what I'm aiming for. And so pleased that you can't wait to see where they'll go next, which you don't need to wait for anymore!). Thanks so much for the reviews, loved reading them as always and was so grateful to get them as I know it takes time to write them out and send them to me!
A/N #3: The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Michelle by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, from The Beatles' album Rubber Soul. In case anyone's wondering the lyric means go together well.
Vont Tres Bien Ensemble
Looking out the window Julia sighed and said, "Too bad we couldn't see something."
"I wanna see fishies," Eliza said eagerly.
"I don't know if that would be a good idea," Castle said. "A clear tunnel scares me."
"You don't think it would hold?" Beckett asked in amusement.
Castle was about to answer when their breakfast was served and he had to help Beckett get the food ready for Eliza to eat, since she was sitting on her lap. They were in the Chunnel that morning on their way to France from England. "We warned you about the lack of view Julia," he said to their oldest sitting across from them next to her grandfather. "It's why we made sure you brought some things to do."
"I know I just don't like not being able to see outside for so long," Julia replied before biting into her croissant she had on her tray.
"This is still fun," Jim commented.
"It is," Julia replied, nodding in agreement. She smiled and then said, "I'm excited, we were in London and then when we go outside we'll be in France."
"I hope you were practicing the French I taught you two," Alexis said, sitting with Martha across from them.
"Yeah, merci is thank you, merci beaucoup is thank you very much," Julia said. "Bonjour is hello, au revoir goodbye."
"Those are just some of the words," Alexis said, nodding in approval of her pronunciation. "How old are you Jules?"
"Je suis…" Julia began, watching her sister in case she made a mistake. When she didn't comment she continued saying, "Neuf annees."
"Perfect," Alexis replied, seeing Beckett nodding as the little girl had looked to her mother. "And you Lizzy?"
"Trois!" Eliza exclaimed before she giggled. "I am trois."
"If you're worried about when we split up later," Beckett told her father, seeing he was watching them. "You have the app on your phone."
"I was intending to use it if I needed to," Jim said with a smile. "But going back to the hotel shouldn't be too hard."
"I don't know," Castle commented as he cut his chocolate croissant in half and gave it to Eliza. "You two don't want to go shopping with us." He tried not to laugh at the slight glares he got from the girls and said, "Okay, then what if I go with you to swim?"
"You're going to help Mommy pick her dress," Julia said as her sister protested that idea.
"Then I'll stay with her," Castle replied. "But I don't know how much help I'm going to be."
Setting down the half of croissant that Eliza had nearly started to eat, Beckett fed her youngest some of the strawberry yogurt they'd been given and said, "I think I can choose on my own."
"You'll find something great," Alexis told her.
"I agree," Martha replied. "But do you think what you find will be enough for the restaurant and that ball?"
"I can only hope," Beckett said easily before she fed more yogurt to Eliza.
After the family had finished the meal the girls were distracted by their parents and grandfather for the remainder of the trip in the tunnel with books and some activities that they had brought. But once they were outside Julia and Eliza's faces were nearly plastered to the window, watching the countryside of France between the towns they passed.
"It's pretty," Julia breathed. "But I wish we weren't going so fast."
"I know but we have to get to Paris on time," Beckett said, pushing some stray strands of Eliza's hair away from her forehead.
Julia couldn't get tired of the view but soon she could tell they were nearing a city and she said, "I don't want to stop yet."
Chuckling slightly Castle said, "You'll be glad we did once we see everything we do."
"I know," Julia said with a sigh. "Where first? The hotel?"
"Yes and then very quickly to the Louvre," Beckett said.
When they had pulled into the train station the family stepped out onto the street, both girls looking around in awe as their sister had been telling them a lot about the city up until that day. Though they couldn't see anything recognizable that she had told them about they were still excited and the cab ride to their hotels had them plastered to those windows as well.
Checking in Beckett was startled to hear the word rooms and then suite from the concierge. She had assumed they were going to have a regular room as well as the others but she then realized what Castle had done; it was likely what he'd done to surprise her with their London accommodations. "Rick-" she began as they walked away from the desk.
"I know, one night only but we can have them over for breakfast tomorrow," Castle said as he put away his wallet. "And really… let me spoil you."
Raising her eyebrow slightly Beckett couldn't respond to that as they needed to follow the bellman with their things over to the elevators. They stepped out at the top floor and went down to three rooms together where the rest of their family was going to be staying. When she stepped in the doorway she smiled at the sight of the room and the way the girls were exclaiming over it. "Nice," she said to her husband simply.
"The furniture is blue," Julia said, looking at the nightstand on the outside edge of the bed.
"Let's get your clothes out," Beckett told the girls as she watched Castle set the suitcase the girls were sharing onto a holder.
"I can get it," Alexis told her stepmother.
"Are you sure?" Beckett asked.
"Go and see your room," Alexis assured her. "The sooner you get unpacked the sooner we can go."
"Let your gram and Jim know," Castle said, looking over with Beckett to their daughters who were looking out the window next to the bed. "We'll see you soon girls."
"Whatever they're looking at…" Beckett started to say before she and Castle followed the bellman down the hall. When he had stopped at a door and opened it she went inside first, a little surprised to see it was a hall before she went to what she guessed was the living room. She saw there was a built in bookcase, armchairs and a sofa in white and light blue colors. Walking over to the bedroom her eyes immediately snagged on the window and she walked to it quickly to find their view was of the city, the Eiffel Tower in sight.
"So am I forgiven?" Castle asked her as he'd tipped the bellman and they were alone.
"You might be," Beckett replied as she turned around to face the bed. She smiled and said, "For just one night though."
"That'll be more than long enough," Castle said. "Come on, we better unpack."
Biting her lower lip as she knew what her husband was insinuating Beckett pushed herself away from the window to join him at the closet between the bedroom and bathroom. When she had her outfit for the next day hanging she said, "They're not coming?"
"I guess not," Castle replied, surprised their family wasn't trying to come and see them. He jumped then when his text alert message rang and he said, "Oh, they don't know where we are," as he read the message from Alexis.
Going with him to the door Beckett waved to their family who were down by their rooms and then called, "Don't run!" as it looked like the girls were getting ready to do so.
"Sorry we want to see what you got," Julia replied when they'd made it to the door. She looked around in awe at the suite once they were in the living room. "This is where you're staying?" she asked in shock.
"I can see why you think he's spoiling you darling," Martha said to her daughter in law. "This is stunning."
Castle glanced over at his father in law, seeing the man was being led by Eliza to the window in the bedroom. He wasn't sure if Jim knew he wasn't trying to really spoil Beckett, merely attempting to show his appreciation for her in that way. But he was distracted when he heard Eliza crying out and knew she could see the Eiffel Tower.
"We go to that?" the toddler was asking her grandfather.
"We will," Jim said. "Is she going to the top?"
"I think so, it depends more on her," Beckett said. "But we have the Louvre first. Do you have your camera?" she asked Julia jokingly since her daughter was wearing it around her neck.
"Do you have a plan of attack again Dad?" Alexis asked as they were leaving the suite.
"What did you do last time?" Beckett said.
"We took the things we wanted to see the most and focused on those first off," Castle explained. "The Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo those big pieces. Then we went back to what we wanted to see a little less."
"How long were you walking through it?" Jim asked.
"About four hours?" Alexis said, ending in a question as she looked at her father.
"Around that," Castle said, nodding in agreement. "But I think we can manage it. Though I was wondering if any of you wanted to break off?"
"We should stay together," Martha said as they were going down to the lobby. "After all this is a family vacation."
Castle and Beckett nodded to that before they went outside the hotel for a cab. Luckily there were some big enough for them all and they took one to the museum, grabbing a snack that would be their lunch since they were all planning to have big dinners that night.
"So here we are," Beckett said, watching the glass pyramid when they'd finished eating and had headed to the entrance.
"You've wanted to come here?" Castle asked her, watching her taking pictures hurriedly as they walked.
"I have," Beckett said. "I don't know how you couldn't if you appreciate art."
"Mommy," Eliza said, having her grandmother set her down. She ran back to her parents and said, "We are at a castle!"
"No," Beckett said with a smile as she paused and waited for Castle to pick her up. "This is a palace."
"No paintings?" Eliza said, sounding a little confused.
"I told her about it," Alexis said as she glanced back to see her father and stepmother looking to her. "But of course I didn't show her pictures; I wanted her to be surprised."
"Never mind you had the travel book," Castle told her teasingly. "This used to be a palace," he then said to the girls; Julia having joined them. "Now it's an art museum."
Julia held onto her mother's hand after they had entered and finally spoke after she had noticed something. "This palace is humongous Mommy," she told her.
"Well put," Castle said.
"We have to choose what we want to see," Beckett told her. "And I think we'll have to let your daddy and sister lead us."
"If anyone else has something they want to see let me know," Castle said as he led them to the lower ground floor. "First though, something I know the girls will really enjoy seeing." When they had gone through an exhibit on the history of the palace; pausing to look quickly at a few things like a parade helmet of a past king; he took them straight through an exhibit of sculptures until he came to a large one.
Gasping Eliza whispered in exclamation, "Horsies!"
Looking at the sculptures; of horses being restrained as they reared up on their hind legs; Beckett glanced at the girls, not surprised in the slightest by their awed expressions. She figured she must have the same one on her face, judging by the way her husband was smiling at her. "They're beautiful," she said softly to him.
"I know we saw these and-" Castle began to say.
"And Dad stayed here for… a long time, looking at them," Alexis interrupted as they watched Martha and Jim taking the girls closer to the sculptures. "I was afraid he was looking at the guys…" She smiled when her father glanced at his wife before shooting a mock glare at her and then said, "Of course I had no idea he loved horses."
"The men look to be in pretty good shape," Beckett said, smiling even after the young woman had left them to join her sisters. "But," she added as he turned to her in exasperation. "I don't think they play polo."
"I'll remind you of that opinion tonight," Castle murmured to her.
"Good, you need to," Beckett said simply before she pulled him over to the sculpture so they could remain with their family who was still studying it, taking pictures as well.
Castle was a little surprised at that but wasn't in the fact that she had the same idea already of what they were going to do that night. He then tried to quickly shake himself of his thoughts as they moved through more of the sculptures on their way back to where they'd come in. When they stopped in front of one because the girls had done so he commented, "Why am I not surprised?"
"There are horse paintings right?" Julia asked, looking away from a sculpture of Louis XIV on a horse.
"There will be," Castle said. "But those we can look for later."
"Now what Dad?" Alexis asked him.
"Mommy," Eliza was saying to Beckett. "There are no…"
"He isn't supposed to have stirrups," Castle answered before his wife could. "So you like it?"
"Yeah, the horsie Daddy," Eliza replied with a heavy nod. She smiled and then said, "Mommy?"
"I took a picture," Beckett said. "Rick? Where are we going next?"
Castle said simply at first in response to that, "The next floor. But so you know we're leaving behind more sculptures, Islamic art, Egyptian, Greek antiquities, Roman ones and-"
"We're missing other places Richard, let's keep going," Martha said in a playfully scolding tone that made the girls giggle softly.
"Right, the next floor," Castle said before they left to head up to it. "There's a lot here so I'll take us right to the first thing we saw when we came Alexis."
"What is it?" Julia asked excitedly though she knew no one was going to say until they reached it. She looked ahead and when they came to a room full of sculptures until she saw a group of people in front of one. "Oh," she said, watching them getting closer to it. "It's the… Paul sang about her."
"The Venus de Milo," Martha said with a smile as she looked at the girls who were studying the armless statue with some kind of perplexed expressions on their faces.
"It's amazing to see it in person," Beckett said to her husband with a smile as she could tell he was looking to her every once in a while after she'd taken some pictures.
"Do you mind if I tell you something?" Castle asked her.
"Okay," Beckett said, slightly hesitantly as she wondered what exactly he was going to say if he was already using Irish.
"I far prefer you," Castle said, keeping his mouth near her ear so no one would hear.
Glancing up at him Beckett said, "We really should…"
"I'm aware, I just wanted to make sure you knew now," Castle replied easily. "Do you want to keep going?" he then directed to their family.
"A little bit more Daddy," Julia said, pointing over at a bust that she could see.
"Come on," Castle said with a smile, holding his hand out to her. They walked over to it and he said, reading the plaque that went with it, "This is probably Alexander the Great." Standing up straight he looked at Eliza and saw she looked confused looking at the bust.
"Why is it gone?" the toddler finally asked since parts of it were missing.
"It was made a long, long time ago," Jim said since he was holding her. "A very long time. And that's what can happen to sculptures."
"She's wondering why it wasn't here in the first place," Julia then said as Eliza still didn't seem to understand.
"It was found on an island," Beckett said. "So being outside…"
"I don't know if she can understand the concept," Castle said as Eliza still looked troubled. "But for now why don't we walk around and see what else there is?"
"Is there something else?" Julia asked her big sister that she was holding hands with as they looked at the sculptures that they were passing, pausing every so often to study one.
"I think so but don't ask me to remember," Alexis replied with a smile. "Because it's been a while since I was here."
Finally making their way to the room where he'd seen the next piece of artwork was Castle said to his wife, "Better not let them know what this is exactly."
Beckett wasn't quite sure what the statue of the couple was supposed to be but she could guess considering what he'd said. Before the girls reached them she hurriedly read the description and seeing it was a sarcophagus she understood then. "I'm sure they won't ask," she told her husband before they looked at the girls.
"It is red," Eliza said.
"That's the material," Jim told her. "Terra cotta."
"Pretty," the toddler then said with a smile.
"I like it, look at her hair," Julia added.
"Their smiles are interesting," Martha mused. "Though I would imagine it's to portray them as happy in their marriage."
"That would be interesting," Jim said offhandedly. When he saw Castle's mother looking at him he glanced at Eliza who was in between them and said, "Since a lot of marriages then were arranged."
After photographing the couple up close Beckett turned to her husband and said, "It's not often you lead us around."
"It's not, so how am I doing?" Castle asked her as he then led them to the next artwork.
"Not bad," Alexis answered before her stepmother could. "But are we seeing everything we should?"
"According to the museum we are," Castle said. He then stopped so they could all regroup for a moment and said to them all, "Was there anything we've seen so far you'd want to look at in better detail?"
"I'm here for paintings," Jim said seriously.
"The jewelry," Martha said simply.
Smiling as the others did at Julia's and Eliza's gasps of joy at that Beckett said, "Were we going to see that anyway?"
"I was planning on it," Castle said. "And I'm eager to look at the paintings again."
"Me too," Alexis said, not surprised when Julia nodded her head in agreement with her.
"And you sweetie?" Beckett asked Eliza who was holding Julia's hand.
"Everything," the toddler responded, using the same serious tone her grandfather had.
"We'll try to see as much as possible," Castle promised her before picking her up and carrying her through the next rooms.
"Are we in Egypt?" Julia asked eagerly when they came into the first rooms.
"The Egyptian Antiquities," Castle corrected her. "We'll go a little slower here."
"Slightly," Beckett said, able to see a number of rooms in the distance already.
After they'd made their way past numerous items from the African country they came to a room with a statue of a figure sitting. Castle and Beckett shared a quick smile at their daughters' immediate awe of it and they turned to her father to see that he was already taking pictures.
"Who is that?" Julia asked. "King Tut?"
"More than likely Ramses II," Castle answered. "Which could be true because he was great at promoting himself."
"You know about his battle against the Hittites?" Jim asked him.
"You've heard of it too," Castle said instead of asked. "And I have, not sure why people believed he'd won but okay…"
Beckett shook her head at that and said, "You have to admire the audacity though."
"I do but still the fact that it was believed bothers me," Castle said. "But I digress," he then said as he shook himself. "Okay so the next piece is around this way and because it is I think we could walk through here to it but we'd just need to be a little fast."
"Are we running?" Eliza asked him.
"No we can't run through here," Beckett replied. "We just can't keep stopping."
"Let's go!" Julia said, though quietly. They walked through the rest of the objects and artwork, trying to stop to take pictures quickly as her sister, mother and grandfather were doing.
"How's it going Julia?" Beckett asked as she and her daughter were walking together.
"Great but there's so much," Julia said, laughing softly as they paused at the same time to take a picture of a door lintel. "It's all so pretty though."
"Wait until you see this," Castle said when they finally got to the next section. "This is Near Eastern Antiquities now and here it is."
Walking over to what her father was looking at Julia saw that it was a tall frieze of brick and after peering at it closely for a moment she finally discovered what was on it. "Archers?" she asked her parents.
"Where?" Eliza asked.
"Here," Martha said, pointing to a bow that was more visible. "See how it curves?"
"Yeah, I wanna touch," Eliza said.
"It's just brick," Jim replied. "But you like the colors don't you?"
"Yeah," Eliza said as she nodded. She was surprised when they started to walk again and she hurriedly asked, "No pictures Grandpapa?"
"I got some," Jim answered quickly as he was taking a picture of a small statue. "Now we have to see what is next."
"Art," Eliza replied, smiling as her grandfather did so to her. She kissed his cheek after he'd kissed hers and then looked at the pillar that they were coming to. "Mummy!"
"We're a little past those now," Castle said. "This is the Law Code of Hammurabi."
"What's so special about it?" Julia asked.
"It's a model of how laws were back in the time of Mesopotamia," Jim said, not surprised that everyone had looked at him. He handed Eliza to Martha and took a few pictures as close as he could get his camera before telling them, "And scribes would copy this for thousands of years… while it doesn't apply to the law today you cannot help admire it." He then turned to his son in law and asked, "Was this a suggestion?"
"It is but I was also thinking you'd want to see it," Castle replied. "So next are more sculptures but there is one in particular the museum suggests that I would love to see."
"You personally or you want us all to see it?" Beckett asked her husband.
"All of us," Castle said. "Since this one we didn't see Mother, Alexis." They followed him through the numerous rooms ahead of them to the sculpture and he smiled at them saying, "It's in the suggestions for a reason."
"It is beautiful," Martha said. "Look at her legs, how realistic the feet and toes are."
"I agree," Beckett said, studying the shapes of the bodies and the wings of Cupid, since it was of the god and Psyche. She studied the expression on Cupid's face; holding the woman; before she felt her husband's hand on her back. Looking back she was surprised when she saw they were alone. "Was I looking for that long?" she asked.
"Slightly," Castle replied. "But I don't blame you, there's something about their bodies that makes you look over them."
"The fact they're so realistic," Beckett said, echoing what his mother had said. She then smiled slightly and said, "It's a surprise to see them like this."
"Eventually we'll see them as lovers," Castle said. "Or in love I should say."
Beckett nodded at that before she took his hand and they followed their family until the group suddenly stopped. "What is it?" she asked in surprise.
"Where are we going next?" Julia asked.
"The next floor," Castle said before looking at everyone to make sure that they were okay with that. When no one had any protest he and Beckett led the way up to the next floor and he took them to a room where there was a headless, winged statue.
"I've seen this before!" Julia said excitedly. "Too," she said added before the others laughed slightly. "It's pretty," she added.
"It is, you can see this would be the prow of a ship," Alexis said. "The way she's standing."
"Oh yes I see it!" Julia breathed as she closed her eyes for a moment to do that. "What is she supposed to be?"
"Nike," Castle said.
"The goddess of victory," Beckett added as she knew their daughter was going to ask.
"She looks like she would be that," Julia said, nodding her head. She took another picture before she said, "Are we leaving?"
"Yeah I think we should go to the next section," Castle said. "Since it's what we're all waiting to see."
"Paintings?" Julia asked eagerly. She smiled when her father didn't answer and she took his hand as they then started to walk through the rooms again.
When they had reached the first room of the paintings the family slowed down there as there were numerous paintings to see. But finally they'd reached the one painting they'd all wanted to see, though Eliza hadn't been aware of it before that point.
"There she is," Martha said, looking at her two youngest granddaughters. "The most famous painting in the world."
"Why?" Eliza asked though she was still looking at the painting ahead of them.
Laughing slightly, as she'd expected that, Beckett said, "The way it's painted, a lot of people think she's beautiful."
Eliza scrunched up her nose and looked at the woman in the painting as they got closer to it. "Mommy I think you are," she said seriously. "And you 'lexis."
"Oh, thank you," the young woman said in surprise as she wasn't expecting her to include her.
"In those days she was beautiful," Jim explained. He wasn't surprised when his efforts were in vain as Eliza shook her head and said, "I guess it's a matter of opinion."
"Is it because of her smile?" Julia then guessed, studying the woman closer.
"That's what a lot of people say," Beckett said.
"You don't agree?" Castle asked.
"The way her eyes are belies a secret," Beckett responded. "The smile adds to it and not knowing what it is is a little frustrating. That being said, I do love this painting."
"Me too," Alexis replied. She smiled at her stepmother and nodded saying, "I thought the same you did when I first studied it in class."
After they had been standing there for a while Eliza started to shift next to her grandmother before she noticed that her parents were watching her. She winced slightly and started to stand behind Martha when Castle reached for her.
"We should probably keep going," he then said once he had the toddler on his hip. "I'm surprised it's taken you until now to get impatient." He then looked at her and said seriously, "Do you like more action paintings?"
"What Daddy?" Eliza asked, looking over from a painting.
"She's only three Daddy," Julia told him.
"And?" Castle asked when she didn't continue.
"I think that's the explanation," Beckett replied in amusement as they worked their way around the painting rooms to go back the way they'd come in. "She's three and not an art student."
"You both make great points," Castle said to his wife and their oldest. He smiled at them and said, "But some other paintings she will like."
"I'm sure she will," Beckett said absently, going to another painting as Julia was doing the same with her.
Going back to the one room they had missed in the section Castle spotted a painting he recalled from his previous visit and said, "Have you ever seen this one?" to his wife.
Beckett, looking over at where he was indicating, smiled and said, "Of course, Liberty Leading the People."
"Or July 28," Castle said simply, smiling at her before they looked to their daughters to see their reactions to the painting of a woman leading armed men behind her, the French flag in her hand waving above her.
"Is that where we are?" Eliza asked, going to her father and tugging his hand.
"Come here," Castle said, picking her up. "And this is France, that's their flag."
"We saw it before," Julia said, looking a little closer at the painting and hoping her sister wouldn't notice the men on the ground underneath the figures. "What's next?"
Beckett glanced at her, wondering what she was thinking as the little girl turned from the painting to her, and she said, "Is there anything else on this floor?"
"I think we should head up to the second floor since it all paintings," Castle said. "And then work our way back down."
"It's what we did when we were here last time," Alexis said. "Since we found we'd finished the highlights really quickly."
"Let's go," Julia said eagerly. "I want to see more paintings." She took her mother's hand and as they were walking after Castle and Eliza said, "You liked that painting?"
"I do but it's not my favorite," Beckett replied. She smiled when her daughter looked up at her and said, "I don't know if I could pick a favorite… maybe The Odalisque."
"I like that one too, the artist made her turban look so real and the blues were pretty in it," Julia agreed. She then smiled and said, "I'm glad we got to come."
"So am I," Beckett said, hugging her quickly before they headed up the stairs. She looked around and said, "I would stay here."
"You want to stick with the paintings?" Castle asked in amusement as he paused for a moment to let her and their oldest catch up with him.
"No but the collection is incredible," Beckett replied, looking at one painting. "So what is it that's recommended here?"
"You'll see," Castle replied, bouncing Eliza then on his hip and making her squeal in joy at that.
"Is this it?" Julia asked eagerly. When her father nodded she asked eagerly, "Who is she?" as the artwork was of a woman in eighteenth century dress sitting at a desk.
"Her name was the Marquise de Pompadour," Jim said, making the others turn to him. "I know some French history." He wasn't surprised when his daughter and son in law shook their heads to him briefly after the others looked back at the artwork and he inclined his head as he hadn't been planning on mentioning the fact that the woman had been the mistress of the French king to the girls.
When they'd looked through a couple other pieces of art in that room Castle led them to the second to last highlight which took some time as they lingered a little more with the other paintings they were passing.
"This one?" Beckett asked her husband in amusement when she saw what he was leading them too.
"They'll like it," Castle said, nodding to their daughters.
"Is he cheating?" Eliza asked, pointing to the painting as it was of a woman playing cards with two men, another woman standing and speaking with the other woman. What she had seen first after taking in the whole painting, was the fact the man to the left was grabbing at a card that was behind his back.
"He is," Martha said. "But he's not doing a very good job of it."
"Yeah, why does he have it wide out in the open?" Julia asked. "Or is it for the painting?"
"It tells a story," Alexis said. She smiled at her father who was looking at her knowingly and continued telling her sisters, "The man on the right is playing cards while the woman in the middle and the man on the left are working with the maid that's standing to cheat him of his money."
"You can tell that?" Julia asked in surprise, though looking at the painting closer she could see that her sister was right.
"I learned about it in class," Alexis replied. "A lot of paintings will have stories like that."
"Grandpapa do you like it?" Eliza asked, having noticed that he had moved away from them.
"What is it Dad?" Beckett asked before she looked at the painting he was in front of more closely. It was then she realized why he'd gone over and she smiled saying, "I don't know," slightly teasing in her tone. "Do you think this is what happened?"
"What are you talking about?" Martha asked before she read the title of the painting that was of two little boys on a four poster bed looking around scared. "Oh, the lost princes," she said.
"You know Richard III right?" Jim asked her.
"Of course," Martha said simply. "What do you think?"
"I think he was misaligned but he wasn't perfect either," Jim replied. "Hard to be when you're a king."
"I think you're confusing the girls," Castle said.
"Is it history? From England?" Julia then asked as she thought she'd heard the story they were talking about.
"It is, the two sons of King Edward IV," Jim said quickly before they continued on. "Their uncle claimed their parents weren't married so they weren't princes and Edward, the oldest, wasn't King Edward V. He kept them in the Tower and at some point they disappeared."
"Did they get hurt? Bad?" Eliza breathed.
"No one knows," Castle replied. "They could have been or one could have escaped. But after that Richard III was seen as a monster because everyone thought he had done something to the princes."
"Do you think he did?" Julia asked the adults, seeing out of the corner of her eye that Eliza was nodding, wanting to know the answer too.
"I think," Jim said first. "That it would have been an idiotic move on his part to not have those boys alive."
"But who else could it have been?" Martha asked.
"Did you ever consider Henry VII's mother?" Jim suggested. "She did want her son to take the throne and undermining Richard III that way would have helped."
"I'll take that into consideration," Martha said, smiling at Eliza who was watching her.
"This is the last of the highlights," Castle then said to bring their attention to the art. "And I think it's apropos we're talking about a king since…" he trailed off as they stepped up to the tall painting of King Louis XIV.
"Wow," Eliza said in awe. She giggled as her family laughed at her reaction and said, "Lots of blue."
"If I'm not mistaken that's a color of the royalty of France, or it was," Castle said.
"It is pretty," Alexis said. "If you could find a gown in that color," she then commented to her stepmother. "I would get it."
"I would need to see," Beckett said, recalling that she was going with Castle shortly after their visit to the Eiffel Tower to find her dress.
"So that's the Sun King?" Julia asked.
"That is, you know what we're going to see tomorrow; Versailles; he built," Jim told her and Eliza.
"I can't wait to see it," Julia breathed eagerly.
"You're sure we shouldn't stay a second night?" Martha asked.
"Versailles is only twenty five minutes from our hotel," Castle replied. "So we'll check out early and get there at ten before we spend all day going around it. We'll leave on a late train and go back to London."
"I'm excited to do that," Julia said, taking her grandmother's hand.
"Oh I am as well darling," Martha assured her.
"Now what?" Alexis asked her dad.
"Can we see the jewelry?" Julia then asked eagerly.
Hearing the gasp from Eliza and then seeing her hopeful expression Castle said, "We'll see that first and then go through as much of the museum as we can before we need to go." He took Beckett's hand and entwining their fingers he led the way back to where the jewelry would be, suddenly reminded of the fact that she was planning on wearing her pearl set he'd given her that night. And with that thought in mind he couldn't wait to see her in her dress later when they would be completely alone.
"That one was my favorite," Julia was telling Alexis as they were standing at the end of the Champs de Mars.
"I know, those sapphires were beautiful," the young woman agreed, looking at the picture of the sapphire and diamond necklace they'd seen in the Louvre. "We better go," she said when she looked up to find that their family was walking down to the tower that was in front of the other end of the gardens. She took Julia's hand and they ran to catch up saying, "I'm so excited for you to see the top."
"Oh?" Julia asked with a smile.
"Yes you'll see the city and today you might even see what we did; Chartres Cathedral," Martha said since they were walking next to her.
Beckett looked back from where she was walking with Castle and her father, smiling at her daughter before she said, "We'll go to the first level and then up to the very top."
When they had made their way across the street to the tower they went up a lift to the first level, the girls enchanted by their view they had. After everyone had gotten enough pictures they went to the second level where Castle pointed out the restaurant he'd be taking Beckett to that evening. Going up to the top level the family stepped out to find their view of the city clear and in the far distance a tiny cathedral with pointed spires.
"Is that Chartres?" Jim asked.
"It is," Martha said, carrying Eliza over to a telescope. "Want to look through?" she asked the toddler.
"We're going to walk around so they can get pictures," Castle said to Jim and Martha who were looking through the telescope with Eliza. As they were walking behind Alexis and Julia he asked his wife, "What do you think?"
"It's beautiful," Beckett replied simply with a smile. "The city is…"
"Enchanting?" Castle asked when she didn't continue. "Enchantuer?"
"Something like that," Beckett replied as they paused at the railing then to take pictures. As she was taking her shots she glanced over at Julia and saw that she was taking pictures as well but looking out in between each shot. She was distracted by her husband leading her down to the next side of the gallery where she started to set up shots again. Something was bothering her in the back of her mind but as they made their way around to the rest of their family she couldn't really say what it was. But as Alexis was looking through a telescope she looked at her oldest daughter and immediately knew what it was. "We're going to head back down," she said suddenly.
Turning to Beckett, Castle was about to open his mouth to speak when he followed her gaze to Julia. "Yeah, we'll look around a little more," he said easily before he nodded to her.
"Mommy-" Julia began to say as Beckett put her arm around her shoulders and led her over to the lift.
"Shh," Beckett said softly. "It's time to go."
Julia held onto her mother tightly as they rode down to the ground and when they were at the small eatery below the tower she said, "Why did you do that?"
Beckett didn't answer; instead she pulled a bottle of water from her bag and handed it to her daughter. "Drink a little," she told her with a slight smile. After Julia had done so she said, "You were on your way to having a panic attack."
Julia opened her mouth to protest that but then finally nodded saying, "It scared me."
"The view?" Beckett asked. At her daughter's nod she replied, "I thought so but since we were on a platform I thought you'd be alright."
"I did like it," Julia said earnestly. "I didn't want to say I was scared though…"
"How come?" Beckett asked, glancing past her slightly to see that their family was coming over to them.
"Why don't you take some shots looking up," Castle said to Alexis after seeing the message his wife sent him briefly with her gaze. "I'm going to check on Julia."
"Sure," the young woman said, watching her father walking over to the table where Beckett and her little sister were. "How do you think I should take the picture?" she asked Eliza so she would be distracted from their father leaving.
"I don't want to say Mommy," Julia said shyly, looking down at the table they were sitting at. She nearly jumped when there was a kiss to her cheek and she smiled at her father as he moved to sit with them. "Sorry we left Daddy."
"It's okay," Castle said reassuringly. "But I'm interested in knowing why you didn't tell us that you didn't want to stay up there anymore."
Julia wanted to protest their asking her but when she looked at her parents, sitting together and looking at her in slight concern, that protest disappeared. She stood up and went over to her mother, sitting on her lap and hugging her tightly saying, "I thought I need to be brave, like you are."
Sharing a slightly stunned look with her husband Beckett said quickly, "Sweetie, you do not have to be like me. And I'm not always like that."
"Yes you are," Julia said in objection.
"I might look like I am," Beckett said. "But it doesn't mean that I always am inside."
"Not everyone is going to like being that high up either," Castle said. "The first time I was up there at the top I looked straight down…"
Julia couldn't help smile at the way her father was waving his hand up and down and said, "It was scary?"
"Very," Castle said with a nod of his head. "So it's okay you didn't want to stay up there that long. Next time though-"
"I'll tell you," Julia promised him. "Are you going to go back up?"
"We need to leave to shop; so do your gram and sister; and you and Eliza have a swim date with your grandpapa," Beckett said after she had shared a kiss with Julia.
Giggling at that the little girl said, "Are you coming after?"
"If we don't take that long we'll all regroup at the pool," Castle said once he'd shared a kiss with Julia and they stood up to go. "Otherwise we'll say goodbye before you all leave for dinner."
"Can Eliza and I watch you get dressed?" Julia asked her mother as they walked hand in hand together to the others.
"Yes, also you can help your daddy from trying to sneak in and see me before I'm done," Beckett replied. She smiled at her husband as their daughter laughed at that and they rejoined their family before splitting up, heading out into the city again.
"This is the fourth store Rick," Beckett said, in slight exasperation as she and her husband were walking to it down the sidewalk. "If I can't find anything here I'll wear my black dress."
"It won't work love," Castle said. "And you'll find something; try not to be so picky." He knew he deserved the punch to the back of his shoulder for that, watching Beckett step ahead of him. He wasn't surprised she wasn't enjoying having to search for her dress but was at the fact that she didn't seem to like the options they had seen. He wondered if maybe everything they'd found was too much for her and he had to admire her for that; he'd never told her but he preferred her more simply dressed even in gowns. "Love," he started to say, deciding he had to tell her what he thought and also why he thought that.
"Wait," Beckett said, seeing something out of the corner of her eye. She smiled at the employee that walked over to them and asked, "Parlez-vous anglais?"
"I do, is there anything I can 'elp you with?" the woman asked.
"Yes, I would like to try that on," Beckett said.
When the woman had left with the dress Castle said, "Is that it?"
"It can't be," Beckett said wryly, reminding him she hadn't stuck with one dress at each store they'd gone to. She walked with him, a little ahead, until she paused and he ran into her. She heard his apology but then turned to him saying, "You started to take off didn't you?"
"You saw the same thing I did," Castle said, following her over to the dress. He took it and then went to find the employee as Beckett walked swiftly after him to catch up with him. "She'll try this on as well," he told her before she disappeared.
"Rick, it's-" Beckett started to say in objection.
"Ma'am?" the employee said, turning around to her.
"I'll wait to see you when you're dressed love," Castle said simply, smiling at her.
Beckett saw that there was no way she could object to him and instead followed the woman back to the dressing rooms where she found that both dresses were hanging. Smiling and nodding to the employee in thanks, she waited until she was alone and started taking off her blouse.
Sitting on a chair outside in the shop Castle glanced at the gowns that were around him before he took his phone out of his pocket and began to play a game while he waited. He heard footsteps approaching him a bit later and looked up to see that the employee was coming to him.
"Your wife asked that I bring you to see 'er first dress," the woman said.
Jumping up at that, and not sure why she wasn't coming out to him, Castle followed the employee to the back of the boutique. Watching her slide open the door to it he nodded to her saying she'd be just outside and he went in. "I'm impressed," he said, trying to deflect from his initial reaction to his wife while he walked up to her. "You even put your hair up."
"I need to see the full effect," Beckett said, glancing at her husband with a smile.
Watching her smooth the dark blue gown with a banded waist just below her breasts, Castle had to swallow a little roughly. His fingers were suddenly tingling, almost as if he could feel the skin revealed by the v-shaped back of the gown under them. "And what do you think of it?" he finally was able to ask.
Looking at him Beckett said, "This would be great for tonight." She studied the dress in her reflection and added, "Probably the ball too."
"So you're not going to try on the other one?" Castle asked her.
"I will," Beckett replied. "And to do so…"
"I think that's why she's standing out there," Castle said, nodding behind him. "Keep anything racy happening."
"Stay outside, I won't take that long," Beckett said as she smirked slightly at him.
Doing so Castle spoke to the employee before waiting near the door a little impatiently. When he heard his wife calling to him a short time later he went back inside and that time he was unable to help the sharp intake of breath he made at the sight of her. "Kate…" he said slowly before trailing off.
Turning around then in the light blue dress Beckett found she couldn't smile in amusement at the expression on her husband's face. The way he stared at her, so devotionally, made her a little breathless before she managed to say, "It's a beautiful dress and I do love it."
"I think I do too; on you," Castle was swift to add as he couldn't help look at her chest framed in the v-shape the neckline of that gown made which was low with a high waist.
"But," Beckett began then. "It's too much for tonight and I only need one dress."
"You could still get it and wear this dress for that ball," Castle told her.
"One is enough," Beckett said, looking at her husband with a smile. She then shook her head saying, "I'll get the other one. Go."
Castle wanted to speak again but he had heard the determination in her tone so he left, allowing himself one last lingering glance.
When she was redressed Beckett stepped out with the first dress she'd tried on to pay for it, not surprised when her husband let her know it already was paid for. She watched the employee place it in a box and then said, "We have time to swim with the girls."
"I know, I noticed that," Castle said. "Good thing we have our stuff."
"I know," Beckett said with a slight smile, shaking her head. "Merci," she told the employee before she let Castle take the wrapped box. She slipped her hand through his free arm and she held onto it as they stepped back out onto the street, hailing a cab so they could return to the hotel.
