"You really told that story?" Mari asked. "To everyone?"
"Yep," Julia replied. "Even though I didn't remember when Daddy was holding me and my mom 'cause I was asleep already. They told me that later."
"Cool," Mari murmured. "Think anyone will find us?"
"They're gonna try to find us soon I bet," Julia said with a smile.
Looking around her Mari said, "This is weird," as they were in the corner of her friends' parents' closet.
"I know but Daddy didn't want to fill it in so there's a space," Julia said.
"Julia," a voice then said from outside.
"Oh, now they're looking for us," the girl said with a smile at her friend.
"Will she be mad you're here?" Mari asked. "We're here," she corrected herself.
"Nah," Julia said as she got up, going over to her mother who was coming up to the doorway. "Hi," she said.
"Did you get tired of everyone?" Beckett asked as she watched Mari come up behind her daughter.
"Nope," Julia said. "I was telling Mari the story I said earlier."
"I'm not surprised," Beckett said with a smile. "Come on, Tommy wants to play with you."
"Play what?" Julia asked in surprise as the little boy usually played with Eliza.
"Bowling," Beckett answered as they stepped out into the living room to find some plastic pins set up near the door. "And we're going to eat soon," she continued. She watched Julia and Mari hurry to the others who were getting ready to start bowling and she went to Lanie who was sitting on the couch talking to Lily and Jenny, waiting for them to finish before she was about to speak.
"How are you?" Ryan's wife asked, turning to Beckett then.
"She just asked me the same thing," Lily said quickly before her friend could answer that.
"I'm fine like I said to everyone when they arrived," Beckett said in amusement. "How're you?" she directed to Lanie.
"Fine we haven't talked about the wedding," the doctor replied.
"That's not what I'm asking about," Beckett said with a smile on her face. "Being engaged?"
"It's… I'm getting used to it… slowly," Lanie said, looking down at her ring which had a diamond band and a teardrop diamond surrounded by tiny diamonds.
"That is a beautiful ring," Mary said, coming over to sit with them.
"Thank you," Lanie said with a smile. "I'll get used to this," she directed to Beckett, startled when all the women said yes at nearly the same time. "Okay," she said with a laugh.
"And you'll get used to your band when it joins that one," Mary commented.
Smiling briefly Lanie then looked around and said, "We're all here but Skye."
"She had to… take a phone call," Mary replied.
"She's working even now?" Jenny asked.
"You don't know her too well," Beckett said. "And she'll only do something like this if it's absolutely necessary."
"It is," Mary said quickly as Beckett looked at her. "It's for the plane…" she began before trailing off and looking over at her daughters with the other kids. "Excuse me."
"I was talking to Lily about how she and Brad are in getting ready for their new arrival," Jenny said then. "I didn't ask either of you last night."
"We're ready," Beckett said with a smile as Darnley was walking over to them with Castle. "So now we're waiting."
"Is this it for you?" Jenny asked.
"It is," Castle replied first. "Her choice and I agree, three girls is a good amount… plus Alexis. I never know which I should say first," he told his wife.
"Either," Beckett replied easily. "And he's right, we-" she began before she was cut off by the sudden cry of one of the kids.
"Maman!" Fleur was saying as she looked around. Not seeing her in the room she burst into tears and nearly sat down on the floor where she was when she saw Beckett standing up. She ran over to her and buried her face against her side as she cried.
"Come on," Beckett said, not sure the girl would understand her. "Let's see if we can find your maman." She was relieved when Fleur went with her as they went around the bowling pins to the door, glancing back at her husband.
"You're not going to follow?" Darnley asked Castle.
"I don't think I'd be of much help," he replied. He caught sight of Esposito as he looked back to the kids and said, "I've learned some restraint. Ask her."
"Can't, she stepped out," Esposito said before Castle rolled his eyes and he picked up his godson as Tommy came over to him.
In the hall Beckett started to walk over to the access door to the roof before she paused as she heard running around the corner from it. When Skye appeared a moment later she let go of Fleur's hand, watching the little girl as she cried out to her mother and ran to her. She stayed back a little bit as she watched them speaking rapidly in French to each other for a moment before the investigator looked at her. "Is she alright?"
"She is, she just got a bit scared when I wasn't there… where was Mary?" Skye asked, sounding concerned herself.
"She excused herself to use the restroom," Beckett answered.
"Ah, that makes more sense," Skye said with a nod. "Alright then she really got scared. Julia…" she began to say.
Nodding her head Beckett said in Russian, "The same though as time went by she got better." She turned around to walk with them back to the loft and saw a man with two bags walking down the hall. "We really need to go back now," she said with a smile to her friend.
"Are you hungry?" Skye asked slowly for her daughter.
"Oui," Fleur replied quickly. When her mother squeezed her hand gently she then said, "Yes," carefully.
Beckett smiled at the little girl who came over to her and she said, "Better?"
"Yes," Fleur repeated. "Mer… thank you," she began to say before stopping and correcting herself.
"Are you guys going to come in?" Castle said, looking out into the hall at them after he'd stuck his head out the doorway.
"No one ran into those bowling pins, did they?" Skye asked.
"They took them away really fast," Castle said as he stepped aside for the three to walk back inside. "Kind of creepy."
Beckett shook her head and said, "Better than you kicking everything away." When he smiled at her she did the same back to him and took her husband's hand to pull him after her to the kitchen so they could take everything out and get the food set up on the counter and island.
"Alright," Castle said once he and his wife had everything ready. "Dinner is served so let's line up; parents should get the food for their kids first."
"And they're just eating on their own?" Esposito said.
"We can watch them," Eve, Jacob, Julia and Mari said at the same time. They looked at each other and then laughed before they went with their parents to get their food.
Once the kids were sitting together around one table the adults went to get their food, Beckett and Lily being urged to go first though they'd tried to protest.
"Guys you're guests in my house," Beckett said though she was grabbing some bao.
"And only two of us are also pregnant," Martha said. "I don't think they'll let you wait kiddo."
"Alright," Beckett said, laughing softly. She then went over to the table and sat, watching her husband talking to Ryan as they were waiting before she turned her attention to Lily. "I didn't think we would need name cards, but they help."
"They do," Lily replied. "And while I don't think we needed to be first I appreciate it."
"I knew it," Brad said as he was sitting with her then. "Too much at the museum."
"And two days of it," Castle said, joining his wife.
"Wait, you were just waiting to get your food," Beckett said in surprise as she looked at her husband.
"I was but they let me jump ahead," Castle commented. "And him too."
"Which I appreciated," Brad said.
"We were next," David said as he and Rebecca sat down. "This was an interesting party."
"Definitely for me," Castle said. "At least here in the loft."
Not surprised when the other two couples looked slightly confused Beckett told them, "Meaning kids, we've had parties for kids at the beach house but here… this would be the first."
"They're fine," Jim said, seeing his daughter's gaze go over to the other table. "I've been watching them."
"You have?" Beckett asked her father with a smile.
"Of course," Jim replied. "That many together…"
Looking with everyone else Castle was surprised when Julia went straight to Ryan and Jenny and spoke to them quietly.
"He needs to stay with us," the latter said with a smile for the girl. "But thank you for offering."
"She asked to take Danny over there?" Beckett asked when Julia had gone back with the other kids.
"Yeah, we can't really ask them to babysit while they eat," Ryan said. "It's hard enough trying to do that when you're an adult," he added as his youngest son was trying to grab his fork.
With some laughter the adults began to talk about plans for the summer when the others asked Beckett and Lily what they would be doing.
"That's a good question," the latter said first, glancing at her friend.
"You want me to answer?" Beckett asked with a slight smile. "I'll be a month further from giving birth than you."
"Not for me to delay me needing to answer," Lily replied before they both started to laugh.
"If we're going to go somewhere we'd need to figure something out," Castle said, looking at his wife.
"We've talked about this, but we never really said anything for sure," Beckett replied with a sigh. "Okay…"
"I did think of something," Castle replied as he knew his wife was waiting for him to say that. "Orlando," he continued as she didn't say anything.
"That's a great idea," Lily said immediately. She glanced over at the kids and seeing that they weren't listening she said, "We've never taken them to Disney."
"Not just that," Castle said, not surprised she had latched onto that suggestion. "But Universal."
"That would be nice," Martha said. "But would you be alright taking a baby through there."
"We wouldn't ask you to go just to babysit Martha," Beckett told her mother in law quickly.
"It wouldn't be a problem," Jim said.
"Does this mean we can go?" Castle asked his wife.
"First when," Beckett said simply.
"I'd say…" Castle began slowly.
"After the Fourth of July," Beckett told him.
"That late?" Esposito said. "Aren't there hurricanes?"
"Right after," Castle told him. "And we would only stay for as long as it would take to cover all the parks the two places have."
"Two weeks?" Beckett asked him.
"That would be enough," Rebecca said. She smiled when everyone looked at her and told them, "Friends of ours; the Oakleys; did that and it took them about two weeks. It helps there's no jet lag."
"Um… we're not inviting ourselves," Skye said when everyone turned to herself and her wife.
"Would you like to go?" Castle asked.
"In that case yes, we would," Skye replied. "Would love to see the Harry Potter section that's there since it was the original."
"Anyone else wants to go with us?" Castle then asked as he looked around the table.
"We'll go," David said. "No way can we leave Mari out of that trip."
"I don't know," Ryan said as Castle and Beckett looked to him then.
"Neither do I," Esposito replied.
"Or us," Lanie said, motioning to herself and Dylan. "We don't have flexible schedules like you all do."
"I don't think we can go, work for us both of course and the kids are still a little young now," Darnley said, looking at his husband when they were the last to be looked at.
"But it should still be a fun trip," Nkosi replied, nodding his head. "Are you sure you all can not do the same?"
"I need to save my time off for the holidays," Ryan said. "If we went we'd only be able to go for…"
"A few days at the most," Jenny replied. "And I have to do the same with my leave."
"Same for me, my mother would be upset if I didn't make some time for Christmas with the family," Esposito said.
"You just don't want to go to Disney," Beckett told him with a smile. She rolled her eyes when he bit into some of his food and she then said, "I'm not going to ask because I know already," to Lanie and Dylan.
"Do you have a place picked out for your honeymoon at least?" Skye asked the two.
"He wants to surprise me," Lanie replied. "But I'd like to show him Louisiana."
"Your parents' home?" Castle asked.
"Among other things," Lanie said. "He's never been."
"You could go to both," David suggested.
"That's right, I forgot you two went to different places," Lanie said. She looked at her fiancé and said, "We could."
"We could, we can fly from wherever to New Orleans, couldn't we?" Dylan asked. He then said, "I'll have to see how long it takes"
"Want to give me a clue?" Lanie said immediately.
"He's set on the surprise," Beckett told her friend with a smile.
"Right… well I think we can do that," Dylan said. "Another thing to plan."
"That's usually how it goes," Castle said. When the others looked at him he shook his head saying, "I'm not an expert in that."
"His previous two were in Hawaii," Beckett said, glancing at him.
"A friend's home," Castle replied. He shrugged and said, "It was quick."
"But you did plan your trip through Ireland," Lily pointed out to him.
"I did," Castle said. "Because I'd been there before, some of those places before." He turned his attention to Dylan and told the man. "You'll have more luck I'm sure."
"It's likely," he replied with a laugh.
The group broke off into different conversations then as they were getting up to clear the table. Once they had done the same with the kids' table the kids were allowed to play with the bowling set that belonged to Tommy. The adults sat on the couch and around it, talking and watching the children at the same time until Ryan and Jenny's oldest went to his parents.
"I was hoping we'd be here for a little longer," the former said with a sigh as he picked up his son.
"It understandable," Castle said, getting up to take the mugs that Ryan and Jenny had been drinking coffee out of. He took them to the kitchen as quickly as he could and raced to the door to join everyone else in saying goodbye to the family, Esposito included as he was leaving as well. "They abandoned us," he said jokingly when Lanie and Dylan left just after the others.
"It's still the weekend," Beckett replied with a smile. "You heard them."
"I did," Castle said with a nod. "So… oh not you guys too," he said with a mock groan when he saw that David was getting his wife's coat.
"Dani's asleep," the man replied with a smile.
"And that brings us to the question we need to ask now," Rebecca said. "Can Mari stay the night with you?"
"Yes," Beckett said immediately as Julia's mouth opened to speak. "But it's not really going to be a sleepover." She shot her husband a confused looked when their oldest made a face and she said, "What's that for?"
"It's like a school night, we know Mommy," Julia said before she hurried to her mother to hug her tightly. "Sorry."
"That's okay," Beckett said, trying not to laugh at the expression on her daughter's face. "Say goodbye to them."
"And to us," Lily commented as her husband was going to the closet.
"And us," Skye said. "We're all a bit tired, a lot of walking."
"We can go too," Darnley said when Beckett looked at him.
"You don't need to," she replied quickly. When her friend smiled she then turned to say goodbye to everyone else, leaving Skye and her family last.
"We'll see one another soon," the investigator said as she and Beckett were embracing while her family waited. "At the very least by summer though I'm going to try my hardest in seeing the baby. We will."
"Come for a weekend," Beckett urged her as they pulled back to look at each other. "Remember we talked about that."
"Alright," Skye said. "We'll do that." She let go of her and then asked in Russian, "Have you seen Fleur in that past life?" She wasn't surprised when her friend shook her head and she then said, "If you do let me know."
"I will," Beckett said before they stepped out to the hallway to watch everyone leave. "You guys don't need to go to bed yet but it's going to be soon."
"We're leaving early tomorrow," Castle added as Julia and Mari looked annoyed. "You definitely Mari since your parents are going to be coming to pick you up."
"What can we do?" Julia asked her mother.
"Pick a game," Beckett said. "But one your sister can play too."
Julia nodded and she rushed with her little sister and friend to the office to find a game they could play together. While they were doing that she smiled at Mari, glad she could stay over though they wouldn't be able to have a normal sleepover like they did at home. Thinking of home, she couldn't help feeling slightly homesick, pushing the thought quickly out of her mind as they returned to everyone else with their choice so they could play before they needed to go to bed.
"What would you like to chat about?" Darnley asked his friend.
"Something short, I feel bad your husband is going to be waiting for you at your room," Beckett told him.
"What about yours?" Darnley replied, nodding to the bedroom.
With a smile Beckett said, "He'll be reading or playing on his phone. Something until I go in."
"Now I'm wondering if I should leave," Darnley said.
"We're not going to," Beckett said. "Did you hear me when I told you that we were going to leave early tomorrow morning?"
"That and you're tired too," Darnley shot back.
Sighing Beckett said, "I forgot you can be observant."
"Hard not to notice," Darnley answered simply. "What would you like to talk about?"
"Oh no, I could tell that it was you that wanted to talk to me," Beckett replied.
With a wide smile Darnley said, "I think you already answered my question."
"We're fine," Beckett said, not surprised he was wondering about that.
"No, I'm wondering about how it goes when you're pregnant," Darnley said.
"It's the same," Beckett said. "Well… this gets in the way," she said as she looked down at her abdomen. "But it's more Rick that gets worried about it."
"I'd heard men do that," Darnley said. "Well… I saw it in a movie and was wondering about it."
"Rick does," Beckett said with a smile. "But I manage to keep that from taking over everything with him."
With a nod Darnley then said, "I'm also wondering when exactly I should go."
"Well if you want to see the baby right after it's born-" Beckett started to say as she gently ran her hand over her stomach.
"Right after?" Darnley asked in surprise.
"After her family sees her," Beckett said, smiling at him.
"Then I do," Darnley said swiftly.
Still smiling Beckett told him, "Rick will send out a text and you can come as soon as is possible for you."
"Luckily Trev has some connections," Darnley said.
"You need to go?" Beckett asked him with a smile.
"I don't need… okay yes I do," Darnley replied with a slight laugh. They stood up and he watched as his friend stopped suddenly. "Good kick?" he asked her.
"Hard," Beckett replied, taking his hand. When he felt the next kick, she smiled as he laughed and she said, "She's getting a lot stronger."
"She'll have great legs for a dancer," Darnley said before he tucked her arm through his, pulling her over to the closet in the entry.
"Yeah, Rick says the same thing," Beckett said before she turned to see that the door to the bedroom was opening. "He's leaving now," she told her husband as he stepped out.
"No, just wanted to say bye again," Castle said, walking over to them as Darnley was putting on his coat. "And did she tell you that we'll send a text as soon as she goes into labor?"
"She did, I'll come but I won't stay for too long," the man said. Darnley quickly raised his hand to keep his friend from protesting and told her, "I will want to go back with my family."
"Rick-" Beckett began to say, turning to her husband.
"We can go," Castle said. When he saw Darnley looked confused he explained, "We can take the train up to DC if you're alright with us being there this summer."
"We'll stay at the same hotel we went to earlier," Beckett said quickly.
"Do that," Darnley said, throwing his arms around his friend though being careful as he did. "I'll miss you Kate. Take things easy and I want to talk as much as possible."
"We will," Beckett promised him before she finally forced herself to let him go. "Come when she's born."
"Definitely," Darnley said seriously.
After he'd said goodbye to the man Castle stayed in the entry while his wife went out into the hall. "Okay?" he asked her as he saw she appeared a little teary eyed.
Opening her mouth to speak Beckett shook her head and said with a sob, "I don't know why I'm crying."
"You miss him already," Castle said lightly as he wrapped his arm around her and gently pulled her into their room. When the door was closed and locked behind them he gently rubbed her back saying, "I wish he could move to the Hamptons; or even here. At least in the city he'd be able to see you in an hour or hour and a half.'
Beckett smiled and said, "He's a DC boy, but we'll still see him often."
"Yeah he loves you too, he doesn't want to lose that connection for sure," Castle told her, kissing her temple.
Sniffing slightly as she managed to control her tears Beckett asked him, "Where are you taking me?"
"I thought you might want a bath," Castle replied easily. He smiled when his wife did and he took her into the bathroom where he drew the water for her and helped her inside though she was protesting as he was doing that. "I'll grab your pajamas," he assured her once she was sitting in the water.
"Oh… I almost thought you wanted to-" Beckett started to say.
"No, no," Castle told her hurriedly. "I locked the door just out of habit," he replied.
With a smile and a nod Beckett watched him go before she leaned back and let the water cover her up to her shoulders. She felt relaxed and was soon so much so that she was falling asleep before she realized it.
Going over to his wife Castle smiled when he saw she was asleep, but he carefully woke her up saying, "Hey," very gently.
"Hey," Beckett breathed out as she looked around in surprise. "Oh, I'm more tired than I thought."
"Do you want me to wash your back? Any other parts of you?" Castle asked.
Beckett smiled at his wording and shook her head before she said, "No that's alright, let me get up."
"And that's another reason why we don't need to make love," Castle said while he was watching as he held a towel in his hands. "I'm tired myself."
"I'm surprised," Beckett said, smiling tenderly at him as he was so serious while he was drying her off.
"Oh, don't get me wrong," Castle told her, looking up at her and smiling. "Tá tú bandia."
"Thank you," Beckett said with a soft laugh as he said she was a goddess. "Feichfidh mé de dhíth ort arís," she then told him as she dressed once she was dry, saying she would need him again.
"Mar sin, beidh mé," Castle replied saying so would he. "I adore you," he told her seriously once she had her robe on. He was startled when she suddenly burst into tears; swearing in Irish as well; before he realized why she was doing that. He hurried over to her and wrapped his arms around her as tightly as he could telling her, "I do."
"I know, I'm just…" Beckett tried to say before she stopped herself and then shook her head before burying her face into his shoulder.
"It's alright," Castle told her tenderly, kissing the side of her head. "Come on, you should get to the bed now," he then said before leading her out to it. They sat together and he said, "You did this before when you were carrying Eliza."
"I don't know why… I've never been insecure about myself," Beckett said, about to take the handkerchief her husband was handing her before he gently moved her hand away so he could dry her tears himself. She smiled at him and with a shuddering breath told him, "I've never really let myself care that much but with you…"
"I know," Castle said, taking her hand and kissing the back of it before he turned her hand and kissed her palm tenderly. "But I wanted you… badly when you were pregnant before and I still do."
Leaning against her husband once he had set aside his handkerchief Beckett said softly, "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Castle said. "I have to admit that there's something erotic about your body in this state. Also when you're not pregnant. So what we can deduce from that is that I'm insane about you Kate. Addicted."
Beckett smiled when he said that last word in Irish and she told him, "I feel the same about you, even though you're not pregnant."
"No," Castle said with a smile himself before he kissed her forehead. When she placed her hand on his cheek he leaned down, taking her lips very gently with his own as they held onto one another tightly. He tried not to get too out of control as time went on, but it was difficult as he tasted her at the same time. When they finally parted he said huskily, "We should stop."
"Or take a break?" Beckett suggested. She smiled when Castle laughed and then pressed closer to her husband and then said, "Should we sleep?"
"It's still a little early," Castle said. "Unless you really want to sleep."
"No," Beckett said with a smile, kissing his cheek tenderly. "You don't but I'm curious what exactly you have in mind." She watched him leave her then to go to his nightstand, smiling as she watched him quickly grab the book that was there as well as his glasses which he put on. When he turned back to her she smiled at him and said, "Tá tú thar a dathúil."
Pausing, as she'd said he was incredibly handsome, Castle recovered and then got on the bed asking, "Not ruggedly?" having to say that in English. When she just looked at him pointedly he breathed out and said, "Adhair mé tú. An féidir liom a dhéanamh ghrá a thabhairt duit le focail?"
Smiling at how he had said he adored her and then asked if he could make love to her with words Beckett took a moment to reply and then said, "I think you can," watching him open up his book before he held his arm out to her and she settled against his side while he began to read a poem she knew already. It didn't matter to her though, enjoying listening to him speak each and every word.
I bring you with reverent hands
The books of my numberless dreams,
White woman that passion has worn
As the tide wears the dove-grey sands,
And with heart more old than the horn
That is brimmed from the pale fire of time;
White woman of numberless dreams,
I bring you my passionate rhyme.
"It's… well I'll stick with that one," Castle said once he'd finished the Yeats poem.
"I like it," Beckett assured him, raising her head from his shoulder. When he turned to her they shared a gentle kiss before they parted, and she murmured, "Don't stop."
Castle smiled and then turned his attention back to the book reading the next poem on the page to her.
The red rose whispers of passion,
And the white rose breathes of love;
O, the red rose is a falcon,
And the white rose is a dove.
But I send you a cream-white rosebud
With a flush on its petal-tips;
For the love that is purest and sweetest
Has a kiss of desire on the lips.
Beckett hadn't heard that poem before but instead of asking her husband who had written it she instead cupped his cheek with her hand, pulling him down to her. They kissed again but much more deeply than before as she parted her lips for his tongue. While they caressed one another inside her mouth she felt the tome in her husband's free hand tumble to her lap but didn't care as they were parting for a breath so they could kiss one more time.
"Okay," Castle said once they'd stopped, panting slightly. "I-" he started to say before he tried to grab the book that had ended up on his wife's lap. Before he could though she was taking it and he said, "That was John Boyle O'Reilly."
"I was just going to ask," Beckett replied with a smile. She had opened the book and looked down at the page the poem was on seeing it was called A White Rose. Flipping through the book herself she paused at one and then looked at her husband saying, "I think I can do the same."
"You can," Castle said quickly. He was almost breathless at the smile she gave him and watched her as she held the book up enough so she could look at him while she began to read.
Is grá planda le fréamh dúbailte,
Agus de aisteach, cumhacht leaisteacha;
Bhfear n-intinn roinnte i ainmniú na torthaí,
Ach tá póg an bláth amháin
Beckett looked at her husband when she had finished and asked with a smile, "In English?"
"I would like to hear it in that too," Castle said though he'd been able to translate it as she'd said it. "That's O'Reilly too isn't it?"
"A Kiss," Beckett said with a nod, telling him the name as well. She then turned her attention back to the book and read it in English.
Love is a plant with double root,
And of strange, elastic power;
Men's minds are divided in naming the fruit,
But a kiss is the only flower.
"So-" Beckett started to say before her husband suddenly wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply. She held onto him tightly as he pulled her close and tried her best to fight with his tongue that was inside her mouth. Finally they parted, and she said slightly breathlessly, "You're going to push it."
Brushing his lips to his wife's Castle then said, "That's why I stopped. But we really should get some sleep." When she studied him he sighed and said, "I need a distraction."
Beckett nodded and then got off the bed, untying her robe before she took it off and set it on the armchair near her before she got under the sheets. She watched her husband doing the same; his robe going to the dresser near him; and once he was back with her they laid down together before she pressed close against his side. "We don't have to sleep right now."
"Okay, then I wanted to ask you about earlier," Castle told her. When she looked at him questioningly he said, "Why did Fleur go to you when she started to cry?"
"I don't know," Beckett said honestly. She glanced at her husband and said, "I'm sure you have a theory about that though."
"If you two were sisters maybe she feels like you really are her aunt," Castle said.
"I knew you were going to say that," Beckett said with a mock suffering sigh. "But Skye did ask me if we'd seen her in those dreams from the twenties."
"Yeah, never did," Castle said. "But I bet we'll see her now… how would that work though? Skye, Mary and Patrick all raising her?"
"It could work," Beckett replied. "I bet it did."
"Probably did," Castle said, kissing her forehead. He saw she was looking at him closely and he sighed saying, "I did get something."
"Then tell me," Beckett said, cuddling a little closer to him.
"Okay, so it was… after they had adopted her, and they brought her to our home in Mill Valley two days after," Castle said, all that coming to him quickly.
"When was it?" Beckett asked him.
Castle had to think that over and was about to speak when his wife did so before he could.
"October twentieth," Beckett said. "In 1939," she added. "So that explains why she wasn't there when the bridge opened."
"Yeah, so she was five when they adopted her," Castle said. "And we were waiting in the front of the house for them to get out of their car. Oh, and Julia was seventeen at this point, Eliza twelve, Alexis nearly eleven and our youngest nine." He then began to tell her the memory he had going from the point where he'd told her they were waiting in the front for the passengers to disembark from their car.
"Is that them?" Julia asked her parents, looking over at them from where she was holding her littlest sister's hand.
"That's them," Kate said, smiling at her daughter. She then walked with her husband down the path to the gate and her smile became wider when she saw the bright red hair of the little girl stepping out of the car.
"Hello all," Rose said to her family who came out to the sidewalk. "We'd like you to meet Fiona. Our baby girl."
"She's a bit shy," Patrick said, a beaming smile on his face as the little girl turned to Rose who picked her up. "But she's a sweetheart."
"She looks like it," Kate said, with her sister by then and smiling at Fiona.
"Fiona, this is your Auntie Kate," Rose said with a smile. "Want to give her a smile and hello?"
The little girl turned her head then and faintly smiled at Kate saying softly, "Hullo Auntie Kate."
"Hello Fiona, I'm so happy to meet you," Kate said, taking her hand and gently squeezing it. "Full Irish?" she asked her sister.
"Oh aye," Rose replied with a nod. "Just grew up a bit in London," she said.
"Would you like to meet your cousins?" Mariella asked the little girl then.
"She should meet her Uncle Rick first," Rose suggested.
"Uncle?" Fiona asked.
"That's me," Rick said as he stepped forward. "Lovely to meet you Fiona," he said as he mimicked tipping a hat to her.
Giggling softly Fiona waved to him before she then turned to Rose saying, "Cousins?"
"Right here," Patrick then said. "You've got four of them."
"I'm Julia," the young woman said quickly as her uncle looked at her pointedly. She smiled at her new cousin and waved a little to her as her mother walked inside and then stepped aside so her sisters could be seen.
"I'm Elizabeth," the girl said with a smile as well.
"I'm Alexandra," the little girl then said, smiling and waving happily to the little girl.
"You can't go any further than that can you?" Beckett asked her husband.
"No," Castle replied. "I think it's because our youngest played with her mainly since they were closest in age to each other." He thought for a moment and then said, "But I think eventually she warmed up to us."
"Not a surprise," Beckett replied. She then saw her husband looked thoughtful and she gave him a pointed look when he eventually looked down at her to prod him into telling her what was on his mind when he finally did so.
"I was trying to decide if I should tell you," Castle finally said.
"Tell me what?" Beckett asked simply.
"What happened that night," Castle said slowly.
"We made love I'm assuming," Beckett told him.
"We did but that wasn't it," Castle replied quickly.
"Tell me," Beckett said quickly. "I want to know."
With a slight smile Castle then told her what he had recalled once they'd been in their room and their children were all asleep.
"I've been thinking Kate," Rick told his wife as he held her to him when they had parted after making love.
"About what?" she asked him with a smile, nuzzling his jaw with her lips for a moment.
"About seeing if I could go back to the police," Rick said slowly.
"Here?" Kate asked.
"Yeah," Rick said, startled at her calm demeanor.
"You can try," Kate told him, turning onto her stomach so she could look down at him. "But I really don't think that you'll have a chance to join." When her husband wouldn't look at her she gently turned his head so he was and told him, "Your knee my love."
"I had thought of that," Rick said, shaking his head repeatedly. "But I just thought if I…" He wasn't surprised when his wife cut him off with a kiss and he reciprocated it before they were holding onto one another tightly. At some point; after they'd been kissing more than once; he turned her around onto her back and after a brief pause to make sure they were protected he proceeded to make love with her again.
"I'm not going to tell you one day I want to go back," Beckett said, reaching down to her abdomen and covering the side with her hand as the baby was kicking.
"No I realize that," Castle said quickly. "That was just what happened then. And I never did go back, I stayed home to write with you and to raise our daughters together."
"Good," Beckett said with a smile. "Though you never-" she started to say with a slightly troubled expression on her face.
"No, never regretted it," Castle said. "You know after Prohibition was appealed we were together whenever we could be in the city. Dancing, I took you out and we never really stopped making love for a long time."
"I'm glad to hear that," Beckett said with a smile. She shared a kiss with him then and told him, "I need to call Skye."
"And what, tell her that we made love?" Castle asked in surprise.
"No," Beckett replied, still smiling at his tone. "That we saw Fiona… I mean Fleur," she said, shaking her head at saying the wrong name. "Why are we seeing these different names and yet some are staying the same?"
"I don't know," Castle said, sitting up with her then. "So right now?"
"Yes… oh," Beckett said before she realized what he was talking about. "Well… I could text her."
"If they're getting really into it she might not hear," Castle said before making a face.
"Why does that bother you?" Beckett asked, studying him.
"She's like my sister," Castle said. "She was my sister… in-law. Your sister."
Beckett paused and then said, "Rick… I…"
Wrapping his arms around her as he could see the tears in her eyes Castle said, "It's not something to be-"
"No, I'm alright," Beckett said, able to recover enough then. "And I wasn't crying out of sadness or anything." She paused and then breathed out heavily saying, "If that was a past… life-"
"Then Patrick was your brother in law too," Castle said.
"Yeah," Beckett replied with a smile. She shook her head and then reached for her phone, quickly texting Skye and hoping she wouldn't be interrupting her as she and her husband waited for a response.
When his wife's phone began to ring Castle said, "I guess they're awake still."
Glancing at him, as she'd expected that comment to be something else, Beckett quickly answered the phone and put it on speaker saying, "Skye?"
"Yeah, we didn't leave anything there did we?" the investigator asked.
"No, I'm sorry I'm calling this late," Beckett said. "But you said to tell you if we ever saw Fleur-"
"Oh, you did," Skye said. "Fab, I'm guessing you just did?"
"Actually, Rick did," Beckett said, smiling at her husband. "And we should tell you now about it. Or he should."
Castle quickly began to do so, not taking too long as he could still only recall up to the point where they were about to introduce their youngest. "That's all but she was there. I think because the baby isn't with us yet I won't be able to really see more. Or Kate either for that matter. Oh and I couldn't see much of Fleur besides her hair; I have no idea what she looked like at five."
"Still nice to hear," Mary commented as her wife had her phone on speaker as well.
"It is, you should tell Patrick about that," Skye replied. "I'm sure he'd want to hear."
"I'll try and get in touch with him now," Beckett said, looking at the time on her phone.
"They might be asleep," Skye told her. "But I'm sure you could text him…"
"I'll talk to him tomorrow," Beckett said. "Safe flight tomorrow."
"Thank you, see you hopefully soon," Skye said.
After they'd said goodbye to the two women Castle said to his wife, "You don't think Patrick would want to talk to you today do you?"
"I think it's too late now," Becket replied. "Tomorrow he will so I'll look out for him." She then said, "Now that we're finished with work for the time being should we finish up that book."
Castle smiled and then said, "Probably. And if we do that and we're still waiting for the baby why don't we finish up Julia's?"
"We'll need to ask her," Beckett pointed out to him. "She doesn't seem to want to write now though."
"I thought about that too," Castle said, shaking his head. "Anything wrong with her?"
"I don't know," Beckett replied. "But I'll talk to her; see what she'll say about that." She then smiled at him and when he looked at her in confusion she merely raised her eyebrow at him before a look of realization crossed his face.
"Oh so… there's not much more I can recall from that night," Castle said hurriedly. "There isn't too much else to remember except what we started out doing."
Smiling at him Beckett gently kissed his cheek before she set her phone aside and laughed as there was a sharp kick on her stomach. "She's still awake," she told her husband before she turned to him as she knew already he was going to ask.
"Here," Castle said quickly, helping her lay down. As soon as she was set he went to her abdomen and gently kissed the curve of it before he moved his hand to lay it there.
"She's over here," Beckett said with a smile, moving his hand around.
"You're right," Castle said with a smile. "But you have to get some sleep too little one. And if you're moving around because you want to go home don't worry we will tomorrow in the morning."
"You're homesick?" Beckett asked him, pausing a little here and there as her husband was pressing his lips all around her abdomen.
"Not really," Castle said as he finally pulled himself away and moved up to lay next to her. While he was pulling the covers over them both he said, "I think Julia was at one point."
"I noticed," Beckett replied, watching him turning off the lights. "Rick?" she asked him.
"Yeah?" Castle said, looking at her and just making out her face in the slight darkness of their room.
"I love you," Beckett told him.
"I love you too," Castle replied. He then thought of something and said, "Next week we'll need to check on everything in the baby's room."
"I already thought of that," Beckett said with a smile. "We will, after we write."
"And you get some walking in," Castle said. He laughed when his wife nudged him in the side and said, "Whenever you say."
"Thank you," Beckett replied, feeling him gently rubbing her stomach. She reached under the covers and stopped his hand, placing hers over it to do so, before she said, "I'm eager to get home too."
"Me too," Castle replied. "But I'm eager for-"
"Our trip," Beckett said at the same time. She kissed his jaw a few times before saying, "Me too but we've got something before that now that we've gone to the ball."
"Ah yes, her birthday," Castle said. "Is it weird I'm excited?" he asked his wife.
"No," Beckett replied laughingly. She then said, "I am too but hopefully she won't mind Eliza joining her in on it."
"I don't think so," Castle replied. "But before that point we better spend more time with them both."
"I agree," Beckett said. "But once we get home." She smiled when she could see her husband nodding and they exchanged a kiss before she said, "Goodnight Rick."
"Night love," Castle said, watching her as she pressed closer against his side. He felt when she fell asleep as she relaxed, and he smiled for a moment. He stayed awake for a little longer, studying her, before he decided he wanted the chance to dream about her as he could already tell she was doing about him. He closed his eyes, wondering what he would see and eager to find out as he had a great deal of time to spend with her that night.
