Love at First Sight
The family was sitting around the dining table having dinner that night. There were plates upon plates of food stretching from one end of the table to the next. The adults all had a glass of wine in front of them while the kids had their juice cups before them.
There was still a bit of an awkward silence between Castle and Alexis after he figured out how Alexis had broken her ankle.
"Mommy, Daddy; we have a question for you." Kat said.
"Sure sweetheart."
"Ask us your question."
"When did you guys first fall in love with each other?" Kat asked.
Castle and Beckett smiled then shared a look with Alexis and Martha. Jake was a bit curious himself.
"Well, we fell in love with each other at different times." Castle responded.
"Just tell us." Johanna Martha said.
"Yeah tell us." JJ and James Royce echoed.
"Why don't you go first; Kate."
"No you."
"Okay. I guess I fell in love with your mom when her apartment blew up."
The kids and Jake nodded.
"What about you; Mommy? When did you first fall in love with Daddy?"
"When we were stuck in a freezer together and then when I found Daddy and Grams in a bank safe deposit room with zip tie cuffs around their wrists."
As Beckett told her kids of the two times she fell in love with their father; she replayed them in her mind.
"Castle? Are you there?"
"Yeah, I'm right…I'm right…I'm right here."
"I can't feel anything. Huh. I always thought, being a cop, I'd take a bullet. Never thought I'd freeze to death."
"Hey. W…we're not dead yet."
"I just wish this was one of your books and you could re-write the ending."
"I'm s… I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"F… for being me. Going rogue. Getting you into… into this. If we hadn't gone… gone rogue…"
"Oh shh. Castle, no. Okay? Shhh. You were right. We found the bomb. We were just too late, okay? Castle. Thank you for being there."
"Always."
"I just want you to know how much I…"
"Hey, Kate. Stay with me. Kate. Stay with me."
"Castle! Castle!"
"Castle!"
"Beckett!"
"They're here!"
"I told you! Huh!"
"Here we go. Ready? Okay."
"How are you?
Beckett smiled as she remembered the moment she shared with Castle as she cut his zip ties before Martha had interrupted.
"Oh." the kids said snapping Beckett back to reality.
Beckett and Castle shared a smile. Dinner progressed on after that. Castle and Beckett took care of the after dinner clean up while the kids played with their sister; brother in law and grandmother in the living room.
"Happy ten years; babe."
Castle and Beckett were still in the glow of their anniversary so it wasn't completely out of left field when Beckett spoke.
"Here's to the next ten." Castle said.
The duo shared a kiss over the kitchen sink which was full of dishes and dish soap bubbles protruding from it.
