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: I was happy to get the feedback that I did for the last chapter so will get straight to my thank yous for them! TORONTOSUN (Glad that you liked them being in awe of the church they went to see, I looked at it before I had them go there and it's really impressive so I wanted their reactions to go with that. Also nice to read that you thought the chapter was a great one. And great you enjoyed Castle and Beckett having fun and also teasing each other a lot in the second half, lol, fun to write so nice to see you mentioned both things!),
MsNYC (It was great that you think Castle and Beckett are too freaking cute as you put it, I have it in mind they could really be like that if given the chance so I do give them that, lol. And so, so happy that you think the details I give for what they do and see when they travel is really beautiful and also picture perfect. I do my best to describe these places so people reading can feel like they're been there so it was nice to read that in your review! And of course thanks for thinking it was great writing as usual which I enjoy seeing in your reviews too!) and
vetgirlmx (No, it's not a bit much saying that, lol, it's great for me to hear actually since I'd been wondering what the reaction would be to everything happening in this one. Glad you found it funny how Skye and Beckett were talking about their spouses freaking out watching them flying, I could imagine them doing that too which is why I wrote that, lol. I wasn't too surprised to see you commenting on the number, I wrote it 'cause I was amazed to count and realize that was the number now, lol. And yeah, 19 people is plenty for a tour so that's why they got their own. I had to laugh at your comment about them getting a bus instead of cars, lol, it makes sense with all of them of course, and it'd fit them you're right. I'm glad you loved that they were recognized at the factory for the fact of their donations and not their books and I wrote that as it was different. It was also nice to see you thought it was meaningful and I thought it would be as well too so great you got that from it. And you'll see what they'll be up to next of course but I have to say it was great that you wanted to see Beckett's day with the girls and Alexis. Also that you can't wait to see what's next even if it's not that and now you don't need to wait for that anymore!).
Thanks so much for the reviews, I loved reading them as usual and am grateful for the time taken to write them and send them my way!

A/N #2: The title of this chapter is part of the title of the song Pisces Fish by George Harrison, from his album Brainwashed.

Until I Can Find Those Waters

"Easy sweetie," Beckett said to her youngest as she was walking ahead of her. "The horses aren't going anywhere."

"I know but I wanna see them Mommy," Eliza told her.

"We know and we all do," Beckett replied, holding her hand out to her.

With a slight sigh Eliza went over to her and took her hand, holding it tightly before saying, "We can't go for a ride?"

"Without Dad?" Alexis said as she and Julia hurried to catch up to them.

"Oh… then another day?" Eliza asked.

"Another day," Beckett replied, nodding her head once. It was the tenth of August and they were walking to the stables of the Mount Juliet Conrad hotel in Kilkenny as she was spending the day with her three daughters. "But no one's stopping us from letting you ride them while we walk them."

"We?" Alexis asked, slightly panicked.

"You can walk a horse," Beckett said with a smile at her stepdaughter. "And I'll be asking for their tamest mares," she told her.

"Oh," Alexis replied.

"Will you walk my horsie 'lexis?" Eliza asked her, looking back at her.

"Maybe," Alexis said as she looked at Beckett.

"Yes," she told her firmly. "We're just walking them."
"We're here," Julia said then.

"Stay with your sister," Beckett told her daughters. She waited for Eliza to take Alexis' hand and she then walked over to an employee standing outside the building.

"Think Daddy could have come to ride with us?" Julia asked her big sister.

"He wanted to get an early start so it won't be too hot remember?" Alexis told her.

With a slight frown Eliza then said as Julia was nodding, "What about Gram?"

"What about her?" Alexis asked in surprise.

"Remember your gram does know how to golf," Beckett said, coming back to them with a horse led by each hand. "She taught your daddy."

"It's kind of funny that he's just with Gram and Jim," Alexis said with a smile.

"It is but he's played with my dad before," Beckett said, handing over the horse she was leading with her left hand. "You've handled horses before so I'm not worried," she told her stepdaughter firmly. "But if you have a question just ask."

"I will," Alexis said with a nod. She watched her stepmother help Julia up onto the saddle of the horse she had and then placed Eliza on the saddle of the horse she had. "Okay?" she asked her sister.

"Hold onto the pommel Eliza," Beckett called to her.

"Kay," the little girl said, sounding eager. "Where do we go?" she then asked her sister.

"Just around here," Beckett said when her stepdaughter looked to her for the answer. She then began to walk next to the mare Julia was on; having given the reins to her oldest as she trusted her. "Good job sweetie," she told her with a smile as she saw the serious expression on her daughter's face. "We're turning now."

"I know how," Julia said quickly. She then looked at her mother and smiled at her saying, "I remember my lessons."

"Sorry, I'm used to teaching you and your sister," Beckett said with a smile. She then watched her daughter pull the reins slightly to the left so the horse would turn that way and she nodded. "Can you handle her?"

"Yeah go help Lizzy since she wants to learn," Julia said with a smile.

"What should I do?" Alexis asked when she'd handed the reins over to her stepmother.

"Walk with Julia but stay here until she comes back around to you," Beckett told her. When Alexis nodded she then continued on with Eliza's horse and asked her youngest, "How're you doing sweetie?"

"Really good Mommy," the little girl said. "My horsie is a nice horsie."

"I can see that," Beckett replied, petting the mane of it. "Keep your back straight." She smiled when Eliza immediately pouted at her and she told her, "You can pet her after."

Sighing Eliza gave her mother a quick nod before she looked ahead and then smiled saying, "Thank you Mommy."

"You're welcome," Beckett said, watching as Alexis started to walk with Julia and the mare she was riding. "So after this," she told the two. "We're going to walk in the gardens and then we'll go try the archery they have here."

Smiling at her sisters' gasps Alexis said, "Can Eliza do it too?"

"Unfortunately no, they're only allowing six years old and up," Beckett said.

"Then why don't we just go see Daddy and the others?" Julia asked.

"Are you sure?" Beckett said, looking over at her.

"Yeah I wanna see Daddy," Eliza said as exuberantly as she dared to when her mother stopped her horse.

"Alexis?" Beckett asked.

"I don't mind," the young woman assured her with a smile. "Can she stop?" she then asked, nodding to Julia.

"She can, Julia," Beckett said, watching her.

"That was great," Julia said with a wide smile. She leaned over and rubbed the neck of the mare as she waited for her mother to get Eliza down, telling the mare, "Thank you for the little ride, it was so much fun."

"I think she's telling you you're welcome," Alexis told her sister with a smile as she took the reins of the horse that Eliza had been riding while Beckett went to Julia.

"Let's get to the gardens," Beckett said as soon as the horses were going back into the stables. She wasn't surprised when Eliza held onto her pocket, looking back at the building, and she reached for her to pick her up. "We'll be back home soon and you can start your lessons in the fall."

"Yeah?" Eliza asked hopefully.

"Mmm-hmm, we're going to sign you up just in time for you to start," Beckett replied.

"Thank you," Eliza said with a wide smile.

"Here's the rose garden," Alexis said then, getting the girls' attention.

"And there they go," Beckett said in amusement as the girls had taken off. She wasn't surprised when Alexis looked at her and said, "They need to work out their adrenaline."

"It's amazing just that makes them so excited," Alexis said with a smile.

"I was like that myself," Beckett said. She smiled at the shocked expression on the young woman's face and said, "Not to that degree but my parents told me that at eight after my first few horseback rides I was talking a mile a minute I was that excited."

"I don't blame you," Alexis said with a smile.

"Girls," Beckett said as she grabbed her stepdaughter's arm and pulled her over to the girls who were looking at a yellow and red rose.

"Are you being careful of the bees?" Alexis asked the two.

"Yes, we don't wanna get stung," Julia said, looking up from the screen of her camera.

"You're not going to take pictures Eliza?" Beckett asked her youngest as she'd started to walk away from them.

"Maybe," the little girl replied with a smile.

"You just want to see the roses first?" Beckett asked her.

"Yeah," Eliza said, surprised when her mother held her hand out to her. She smiled; as she knew her mother would normally be taking pictures; and they began to walk around the roses. "What about Jules and 'lexis?" she asked her mother.

"They're taking pictures together," Beckett replied, glancing back at them.

Looking over at them Eliza saw that she was right and she looked up at her mother saying, "Daddy can't pick a flower for you."

"That's alright," Beckett assured her, trying not to smile too widely.

Eliza glanced up at her mother and said, "Can you pick one for Daddy?"

"Daddy has to pick it for her," Julia said as she and Alexis were nearing them.

"He doesn't have to but I don't know what Dad would do with it," the young woman said with a smile.

With a slight frown Eliza asked, "Can I take a picture?"

"You can," Beckett said with a smile. "You don't need to ask permission."

"I'll go with her," Alexis said as Eliza was beaming at her.

Watching them go off together Beckett looked at Julia and asked, "Are you finished taking pictures?"

"Yeah but what about you?" the girl asked. "You didn't take anything yet."

"I will right now if you'll join me," Beckett replied. She wasn't surprised when her oldest nodded rapidly and together they walked around the roses so she could take pictures of them.

"This is a really Irish garden," Julia said when they came to the next one, seeing all the different kinds of flowers there.

"Can we run around?" Eliza asked her mother hopefully.

"Go ahead," Beckett said. She was surprised when Alexis was doing so too and smiled before she started to take pictures of the three. Since they were so busy running she was the first to spot the wall with the circle in it leading to the other half of the garden. "Girls," she called then.

Stopping Alexis said, "Look."

"Oh, cool," Julia said eagerly when she spotted what her mother was in front of.

"Come here," Beckett said to them. "Sit here on the bottom and I'll take a picture."

"Silly?" Eliza asked hopefully.

"After the first one," Beckett said before Alexis could reply to that. She waited for the three to sit together and then took a picture before she let them make faces before taking the second shot. "Okay, go and see the other side," she told them.

"You too Mommy," Julia said as she waited for her while Eliza and Alexis went through the doorway.

"I'm coming," Beckett assured her, walking after her. She started to take pictures along with her daughters and after she'd finished she watched Julia suddenly spin. "You wanted to dance?" she asked her oldest with a smile.

"Yeah," Julia replied, beaming back up at her. "Was that it?" she asked.

"It is," Alexis said then. "Are we going to the golf course?"

"Yes," Beckett said a little absently as she got her phone from her pocket. She looked the screen for a moment before she said, "Let's go and get a golf cart."

The girls asking eagerly if their mother was telling the truth the four walked over to the golf course where they were given a cart that Beckett drove down the trail to head to where the rest of their family was.


"Nice," Castle said, watching his father in law hit his golf ball.

"He's right, there's a reason you're winning," Martha then said.

"You have more opportunity to play than I do," Jim directed to Castle. "Than we do," he then said quickly, looking at Martha.

"I don't play too much," Castle replied with a smile. He became thoughtful and said, "Kate doesn't enjoy it so…"

"Plus you have two children, that takes up your time," Martha commented.

"It does," Castle said, about to set his ball down on the tee to take his turn. He paused then as he could hear something in the distance and turned with his mother and father in law to the path, seeing a golf cart soon after.

"Looks like they found us," Martha said in amusement as she realized the noise they'd heard was the girls crying out in joy. "I hope they weren't doing that the whole way," she said, still smiling.

"I doubt it," Castle said, outright laughing. When his wife stopped the cart behind the one he was using with the two he said, "You're done with archery?"

"No," Beckett said simply with a smile at him after she was sure Alexis had helped Eliza out next to her.

"No?" Castle said in surprise. "I thought you were going to go play some archery with them?"

"Julia decided she didn't want to," Alexis said before her stepmother could speak.

"Since Lizzy can't," Julia told him.

"Nice of you to do," Castle said.

"Do you girls want to try and putt once?" Jim asked them.

Watching their daughters go with their grandparents Castle then turned to his wife and said, "They enjoyed the horses?"

"Of course," Beckett replied with a smile. "Julia's becoming a pro."

"You were jealous weren't you?" Castle asked, speaking in Irish again.

At first Beckett was going to deny that when she saw the way her husband was looking at her and she bit her lower lip a little before she then said, "I was."

"Are you sure-" Castle said, frowning slightly at how seriously she'd spoken.

"I am," Beckett interrupted him, smiling at him slightly. "I thought about it and I can't really deny what I want."

"What we want," Castle said, looking deeply into her eyes then. "I hope they're not watching," he murmured as he leaned down to kiss her. He was doing the best he could not to make it too deep before they were slowly parting and he said, "Miss me?"

Rolling her eyes; though she knew her husband was joking about that; Beckett said, "As long as you missed me."

"Then we're both answering yes to that question," Castle replied. He smiled at her and leaned down to kiss her again, far quicker that time. "So what did you do today then? So far," he added quickly as it was only just about lunch time.

"We went to look at the gardens," Beckett said. "It took some time," she added. "Since we were a little slow leaving the suite they have," she said with a nod to the girls.

"I guess so," Castle replied with a smile as he could imagine them playing. "Did they have their wands?"

"No just trying to jump on the beds while I was getting things cleaned up for them," Beckett told him with a smile.

"While you weren't looking?" Castle asked, smiling wider. When she nodded he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to him telling her, "I love you."

"I love you too," Beckett said in amusement as she knew why he'd said that.

"Nice try," Jim was saying then to Julia who'd used his putter to hit the ball down the green a little.

"I like mini-golf better," the girl said then as she handed the club to her grandfather.

"Your mother does too," Jim told her.

"We should go girls," Beckett said, coming up to them with Castle then.

"Do we?" Julia asked.

"You want to stay?" Castle asked, pretending to be surprised.

"We're gonna go to the pool next right?" Julia asked her mother.

"After lunch," Beckett answered.

Since Julia was looking at her Eliza then said, "Can we see you hit the ball Grandpapa?"

"I already did," Jim answered. "But your dad was going to go next."

"I can," Castle said quickly as the two girls looked to him immediately. He kissed his wife's cheek before reluctantly letting her go and he then took his golf club, waiting for his mother and father in law to take the girls out of the way. He looked at his golf ball on the tee and then out at the rest of the hole until he stood and with a swing struck it out. "Okay," he said as the girls cheered for him. "Not bad but let's hope that got close enough to the flag."

"It will Daddy, good luck," Julia said first as she and her sisters hugged him. They did the same with their grandparents and then said goodbye to them all as they walked with their mother and big sister back to the cart. "Where are we gonna have lunch?" she asked as they were on the way back to the clubhouse.

"You'll see," Beckett replied easily. Taking back the cart she then led the girls over to the hotel where she had all three wait for her outside as she went to the concierge.

"A picnic?" Eliza asked her sisters.

"I think so," Julia said.

"Probably," Alexis said as both her sisters were looking at her. She then looked over at the door Beckett had walked into and smiled saying, "I think so."

"Yes we're having a picnic," Beckett said slightly laughingly to her daughters as they rushed over to her and exclaimed over the blanket that was on her arm. "Thank you," she said to her stepdaughter as she took the basket she'd been holding. "Come on, I know exactly where to take you three to eat," she told them before leading the way over to the river that ran alongside the hotel, the River Nore.

"This is really nice," Alexis said once they were settled on the blanket and had their sandwiches.

"I know, your father suggested that we do this," Beckett said.

"I'm glad he did," Julia said with a smile. She then said, "I wish they came with us."

"They're going to eat together while they play," Beckett told her. "And we're going to have dinner with your daddy; don't worry."

"What about Gram and Grandpapa?" Eliza asked before she took a chip and ate it from the bags they were all sharing.

"Remember Brennan and Clara invited them to go with their family to dinner," Beckett replied.

"Oh," Eliza said slowly. She then smiled and said, "Are they gonna have fun?"

"I hope so," Alexis commented.

They were quiet for a while when Eliza looked from the river to her mother and asked, "Mommy?"

"Yes sweetie?" Beckett asked her.

"How long until the wedding now?" Eliza said.

"A week," Alexis and Julia said before Beckett could speak.

Glancing at the two Eliza then looked at her mother who nodded and she smiled widely at her saying, "Are you excited?"

"A little more now; yes," Beckett replied. She then leaned over and kissed her youngest's forehead before saying, "I know you guys all are."

"That's because we get to be in the wedding again," Julia said.

"I would have said if I didn't want to join the wedding party again," Alexis said when her stepmother glanced to her.

"Not that, you'll be okay with them after the wedding?" Beckett asked.

"It's only three days," Alexis said. "And Gram and Jim will be with us too."

Nodding her head once Beckett said, "After we finish," looking at her daughters. "We'll go over to the pool."

"And nothing else?" Julia asked in surprise.

"Not unless you want to," Beckett said.

"Horsies!" Eliza crowed.

"Not horses," Beckett said, smiling as Alexis and Julia laughed together. "But remember we're going somewhere tomorrow so we should do something around here."

"Did you want to go back to Kilkenny?" Alexis then said.

"No," Eliza said slowly. She then frowned and got up, hurrying over to her big sister and whispering into her ear.

Watching the three talking to each other Beckett smiled and said, "Is it a secret?"

"Yeah," Julia said for her sisters. "We were remembering going to the place with the pretty crafts."

"Oh, the design centre," Beckett said. "That was nice." When the girls nodded she said, "While we clean up tell me what you liked the most there." As the girls started to talk together about what was the best thing at the centre the day before she recalled their joy in seeing the craftspeople working on different items but her mind went more to when they'd gone to what was available to purchase, staring with the conversation she and her husband had had about what they could get.


"We can't go crazy here," Beckett told her husband pointedly

"But we should get what you'd like," Castle told her. "How often are we going to make it out here?"

Beckett was going to protest that but from her husband's expression she knew it was going to be useless. "Alright," she finally said.

"Come on, look around," Castle urged her.

Glancing at him as he was leading her over to the first display of merchandise Beckett finally looked ahead of them, studying the different fragrances that were available. She then realized something and looked at him saying, "You need to look too."

"I am," Castle said quickly, smiling at her.

Beckett studied him for a moment before she then sighed and nodded before she walked over to some candles. Smelling at some she said, "This one?"

Sniffing at it Castle nodded saying, "Where will you put this though?" as it was Earl Grey scented.

"By the kitchen table," Beckett replied simply. She wasn't surprised when her husband held onto it and then pulled her over to some items that were made of glass and wood. She was going to say something when her husband picked an item out and handed it over to her. "It's beautiful," she said simply, tracing one of the Celtic knots that was in one of the four sections.

"It says it's a love knot," Castle told her, smiling at her as she held the wood decoration.

"I'm assuming you'd like to get it?" Beckett said.

"It's up to you where you put it; just let me agree too," Castle replied.

"Of course," Beckett said simply. She then held onto it and together they walked further into the store. Nothing else caught her eye until they came to some blankets and she stopped at one that was blue with a white plaid on it. "Okay, that's enough," she told him.

"Are you sure?" Castle asked.

"Come on," Beckett told him, pulling him back to a display where there were different soaps and washes. "For you," she said with a smirk as she held out the bottle of men's wash she'd seen him glancing at when they'd gone by it.

Castle smiled at her for noticing that and then went with her over to the registers before saying, "I'm uneasy with our parents bringing the girls."

"We made sure our parents knew they can only get them one thing; nothing too expensive," Beckett replied easily. "And isn't that supposed to be my line."

"I jumped the gun for you," Castle said, smiling at her. He paid for their purchases and they walked out together to the grass in front of the structure where the design centre was and said, "That was nice."

"It was; the castle too," Beckett told him.

"What'll we be doing next?" Castle asked her as he watched her take a few pictures of the buildings they were in between.

"We wait," Beckett said simply. "For everyone else to finish and we go from there."

"Good," Castle said simply before he then kissed her deeply but swiftly since there were other people around. "Couldn't help it," he told her.

"Neither can I," Beckett said with a slight smirk before she kissed him once more.


"Mommy, Mommy look!" Eliza cried out eagerly.

"I'm watching sweetie," Beckett told her youngest before she then jumped into the water. After making sure that Alexis had her she swam over to Julia who was sitting on the edge of the hotel's pool. "Okay sweetie?" she asked her oldest, pulling herself out of the water to sit on the edge.

"Yeah," Julia replied. "I was just thinking."

"About what?" Beckett asked, wrapping her arm around her shoulders.

"About 'lexis," Julia said softly, watching her sisters swim around the other end of the pool.

"What about her?" Beckett asked, slightly startled.

"I wish you could have been her mom," Julia said.

"You've said that to me before," Beckett said softly with a smile.

"Her mom isn't gonna be there is she?" Julia then blurted out in concern; what was really bothering her.

"She won't," Alexis said, swimming over with Eliza. "Our parents asked her-"

"You mean your father asked her," Beckett interrupted. "And she said no."

"Is she mean?" Eliza asked.

"No," Beckett said, glancing at her stepdaughter. "It's a long story though and instead we should concentrate on swimming."

"I wanna swim with Daddy," Eliza said then, splashing the water with her hand.

"They're still playing," Alexis said. But she then realized how long they'd been there in the pool and said, "Or eating lunch."

"Probably finishing," Beckett said with a smile. "And since they are let's go to the other side."

"I'm gonna go now!" Eliza cried out before she then started to swim over to the shallow end.

"I'm following her," Alexis said, going after her little sister.

"Do I have to walk around?" Julia asked her mother.

"No," Beckett said with a smile before she slipped into the water. She waited for her daughter to do the same; since the drop was a little big; and once she had resurfaced they were swimming together to the other two. "We… Eliza," she said when she saw that her youngest was getting out of the pool.

"She wants to wait for Dad now," Alexis explained as she was following the little girl.

As soon as her mother had turned to her Julia said, "I want to too."

"Okay, come on," Beckett said with a smile, stepping out and taking her hand at the same time. They walked together over to the chairs they'd claimed and she watched Julia dry herself off, smiling a little nostalgically that time as she remembered all the times she'd needed to dry her daughter off when she was little.

"So we're waiting for Dad," Alexis said as she let Eliza; whom she'd been drying off; go to her mother. "What else will we do?"

"Rest," Beckett said as she was holding Eliza on her lap.

"I don't wanna nap Mommy," Eliza protested.

"She didn't say that," Julia told her sister quickly as she stood next to their chair. "Just rest and I bet Daddy's going to come really fast 'cause he knows we're here waiting for him."

"No," Eliza began. "'Cause Mommy is."

"Girls," Beckett said, trying not to let her cheeks flush too deeply at the way the two giggled softly. She then moved her legs and said, "Sit with us sweetie."

"Okay," Julia said eagerly before she sat down then. She looked at Alexis in the chair next to them before looking over at her mother. "Sit with us 'lexis," she then told her big sister.

"I don't think I can," Alexis said, smiling at her.

"Yeah, here," Julia said, pointing to the spot on the chair directly across from her.

"If you want to," Beckett told her stepdaughter with a smile. "You don't need to."

Studying her for a moment Alexis smiled back at her and then stood up, going over to the other side of the chair. When her stepmother just watched her; her expression not changing; she smiled a little and said, "If Dad was here he'd take a picture."

"I wouldn't put it past him," Beckett said in amusement.

"Would you mind?" Alexis asked her. When she shook her head no she said, "My dad has really changed you hasn't he?"

"Not that much," Beckett replied with a smile. "But it's gone both ways."

"I noticed," Alexis said with a smile.

"Is that bad?" Eliza asked, looking back and forth between them.

"No, Dad was a lot like a little boy when he and your mom first met," Alexis said. She then smiled and said, "But he's not too much now for your mom."

"Good," Eliza said before she looked up at her mother. "Mommy…"

"Yes sweetie?" Beckett asked when she didn't continue, leaning down and kissing her forehead.

"Do you love Daddy still?" Eliza asked in slight embarrassment.

"I sure hope so," a voice said in front of them. Castle smiled when his family turned to look at him and as the girls were waving he held up his phone slightly to show his wife. When her response was just to smile at him he resisted the urge to rush over to her and crush her lips underneath his own. Instead he went to the end of the lounge chair that she was on and yelled slightly in surprise when he started to tilt it in that direction. "Oh man," he said jokingly as the girls were laughing after they'd cried out in shock. "I'm really sure I didn't gain that much weight."

"I think you just weigh more than all of us Dad," Alexis told him as he sat down again but in a more secure spot.

"Still not good to hear," Castle said, playfully pressing on his stomach as he was wearing his trunks. He looked over at Julia when she patted his shoulder and leaned over as she was doing so. He shared a kiss with her before he then kissed Alexis on the cheek saying, "Love, Eliza I'll have to wait to give ones to you."

"We… I guess she can't," Beckett said with a smile as their youngest climbed out of her arms. "She wanted to wait for you," she said as she watched the two share a kiss.

"We all did," Alexis said.

"Do you want to go swimming?" Castle asked them.

"No, let's talk about the wedding!" Eliza said eagerly.

"Yeah," Julia agreed earnestly.

"Why don't we wait to talk about that at dinner," Beckett suggested.

"Instead we should go ahead and go swimming," Alexis told them. "I'll take them," she said to their parents.

At first Beckett was going to protest that but she then said to her husband, when they were alone, "She saw us at the golf course."

"I know," Castle said, moving over to sit directly next to her. He leaned over and they shared a brief kiss before he then said, "How's it been?"

"Nice," Beckett replied with a smile. "They wanted to go to the hot tub here first," she told him as she motioned to the smaller pool in front of them.

"I'm surprised," Castle said as they turned to watch their daughters swimming around together in the shallow end. He smiled when he watched Alexis picking up Eliza and throwing her up in the air a bit before she hugged her tightly. "It was nice to see you all together like that," he then said as he turned to his wife.

"The girls were urging her," Beckett said. She frowned and sat up saying, "I hope she didn't think I didn't want her to sit with us."

Castle was unable to help being pleased at her concern but he soon turned around and called to his daughter, "Alexis?"

"Yeah?" the young woman asked in slight surprise as she looked at them.

"She wanted you to sit with her," Castle said, glancing back over his shoulder at his wife.

"I knew," Alexis said, smiling at Beckett before she and her sisters went back to their jumping up and down in the water.

"Thank you," Beckett said slightly wryly as she watched him.

"You want to go?" Castle asked.

"Why ask? You want to go," Beckett said teasingly. She wasn't surprised when her husband looked startled and she leaned over, kissing him deeply on the lips though like before she was brief, before they got up.

"Daddy are you gonna swim?" Eliza asked as she and her sisters were going to the stairs where Castle and Beckett were stepping into the water.

"This pool is really nice," Julia said before their father could answer.

"I can tell, the water is awesome," Castle said, exaggerating his voice and loving that the girls were giggling. "Come here," he said as he held his arms out to them.

Beckett watched with a smile as her husband was soon picking the girls up with both his arms and bouncing them up and down. She bit her lower lip as Julia and Eliza were crying out in joy before he then stopped to rest for a moment and they then kissed and hugged him. She didn't realize it immediately when her hand had brushed against her stomach but then did so, glancing around to make sure that no one had seen that. But when her gaze went to her husband she wasn't surprised to see him smiling at her and knew that he had. "So what do you want to do first once you go swimming?" she said before he could say anything.

"We already started Mommy," Julia said, letting go of her father to swim over to her. She held onto her tightly and said, "But why don't we jump and go under?"

"Yeah," Eliza said eagerly as she was able to do that since she was a little taller already.

"That sounds like fun," Castle said, removing the toddler's vest.

"I'm not going to say anything," Beckett said in amusement as he was looking at her. "Oh good," she then said as Alexis was swimming back to them after taking a lap around the pool. "I thought they were going to start screaming for you."

"Including Dad?" Alexis asked. When her stepmother nodded they looked at him with a smile as the girls laughed at his playful frown and she asked, "Should we start?"
"We should," Castle said, setting Eliza down as Beckett was doing so with Julia. "One, two, three," he said to them all before they ducked under the water together.

For some time the five would go under and then pop back up before the girls were begging them to do it once more. Castle and Beckett did that with them for as long as they could stand before finally they urged the two to swim around the pool with them and the girls eventually agreed.

"Mommy?" Julia asked her mother as they were going around the deep end together while Castle was with Eliza and Alexis at the shallow end.

"Yes?" Beckett asked, stopping and treading the water.

"Are we really going to stay here until dinner?" Julia asked.

"That depends if you three get tired," Beckett said with a smile. "If you do we can move on."

Julia looked thoughtful for a moment before she then giggled softly and said, "I don't think Lizzy will."

"Probably not," Beckett replied. "Why don't we go back to them?"

"Yeah," Julia said with a nod before she started to swim around to the shallow end and walked with her mother to the others.

"She wants to play Marco Polo," Castle said to his wife, nodding to their youngest.

"Oh really?" Beckett asked, looking at the little girl.

"Yes," Eliza said, trying to be serious but failing as she beamed up at her mother.

"We can play," Beckett said, unable to help smiling back at her. "But we need to stay around the shallow end."

"Kay!" Eliza said eagerly as Julia nodded.

"So I think Julia should be-" Castle started to say.

"Oh no Dad," Alexis told him with a smile. "You know how we do it, we chant the rhyme and that's who's it."

"Go ahead," Beckett said, not surprised when her husband looked to her. She watched him then say a rhyme their daughters liked to say and wasn't surprised when she ended up being it.

"I think one of you made sure your mother was standing where she is so she'd be picked," Castle commented wryly.

"No we didn't," Julia said, rolling her eyes. "Get ready Mommy," she then said to her mother.

With a nod Beckett closed her eyes and started to count to ten to let the others get ready. She tried not to laugh at the tussle she could hear in the splashing of water in front of her; knowing that Alexis and Castle were arguing wordlessly over who'd stay with Eliza. Finally she stopped and said, "Alright I'm ready. Marco." When everyone called out Polo to her she turned to Julia's voice and walked that way, holding her hands in front of her.

Trying not to giggle out loud Julia swam away from her mother's hands, waiting for her to say it again. She was relieved when her mother then turned towards Alexis and Eliza, watching to see if she'd stay away from Castle the whole time.

Calling out again Beckett waited for them to call back to her and turned when her husband's voice was near her. She could almost hear him struggling as she took his arm and opening it said, "Really, all of you?" laughter tingeing her voice as she saw all three were pushing on his back.

"Okay she got me!" Castle called out in mock anger before he turned and pretended to jump at the girls who screamed in mock fear and swam away from him.

"Stop," Beckett told him as he picked up their daughters, kissing them before he threw them slightly towards the deep end one at a time though he only pretended he was going to do that to Alexis.

"I think we need to stop the game," the young woman said as she held Eliza on her hip when they'd calmed down.

"Then what do we do now?" the little girl asked. "I don't wanna leave."

"No but we do have something else to play with," Beckett said.

Castle watched as Eliza gasped in joy and Alexis carried her out of the pool making him ask, "What am I missing?"

"That," Beckett said, nodding to their daughters who were already making their way back to the pool.

"Oh," Castle said with a slight laugh. "Volleyball?"

"Yep," Julia said, smiling at him, "But we're uneven, how're we gonna play?"

"I think Eliza counts as two people," Castle commented.

"She does," Beckett said with a slight laugh. "Who do you want to play with?" she asked the girl.

"You," Julia said quickly as she hugged her mother tightly.

"I'll play with you Dad," Alexis said, throwing the bouncy ball to her father.

Catching it Castle said, "That just leaves Eliza."

Giggling a little bashfully the little girl pointed to her mother and after they'd split up they began to play together and would continue to do so until they stopped so they could prepare for their dinner.