"Are you okay?" Beckett said, reaching up to Eliza who was sitting in front of her; Julia in the front seat.
"Yeah," the little girl said, smiling back at her before the boat was moving. Eliza couldn't help feeling a shiver of excitement go through her as they came around to an incline.
"It's okay, no big drops," Julia said, looking back at her with a smile.
Eliza nodded, feeling their mother squeezing her shoulder before they came to the top and she squealed when they went down a short drop. She was going to tell her sister it wasn't that bad when she looked to their right as they came around the curve of the track. Her eyes widened; though she'd seen the same thing on the same ride at Disney World; as a boat came down the main drop at that moment.
"Sweetie-" Beckett said, seeing her reaction.
"I can't wait for that Mommy," Eliza said, turning back to her. "Daddy," she said. "Hi Paul!" she said, waving at the singer who was in front of her father, Castle in the last and bigger seat of the boat.
"Hullo lass," the singer said with a laugh. "Best pay attention."
Turning, Eliza gasped when she saw the incline they were coming to and she became nervous before they were going down the drop and she cried out as they went down a short drop. She looked back and leaned over to her sister whispering, "Are we going up for the big drop?"
"Yeah, you're not scared are you?" Julia asked in concern.
"Kinda," Eliza said, biting her lower lip.
Smiling, since she could see their mother in that action, Julia told her, "Don't worry, I am too but it's super fun." She smiled a little wider when her little sister nodded, and they watched the display of Br'er Rabbit's home before she pointed to the drop to their right.
Eliza grew nervous again, but she found she was more excited to see how tall it would be once they reached it. But first they needed to go around the track and she looked around at the mountain and then the trees to the left off the ride.
"It's beautiful here," Nancy called ahead.
"I know," Beckett said, since she knew the woman was talking to her. "Are you sure you're okay with these rides?" she then said.
"I would have to be," Nancy replied as they came around a curve and passed the main drop before coming to their next one.
"It's fun!" Eliza cried before they were going down the drop. She cried out as they were splashed after it and she wiped away the water on her face before she pointed ahead of them.
"I see," Beckett said, knowing that was for her sake.
Eliza jumped happily when they went into the tunnel and came to the animatronic animals singing before they passed the two villains for the ride she recalled. She smiled widely as the bear was moving up and down before they passed a horse on the other side until they passed Br'er Rabbit and a turtle. "There he goes!" she said eagerly seeing the same character eventually going past on a handcar above them.
Going down a short drop then, Julia cried out and raised her hands above her head before she looked back at her sister. Seeing she was laughing she smiled and said, "You liked that?"
"Yeah, look at the alligator!" Eliza said though they'd passed it by then. She looked ahead of them and gulped as it grew a little darker and she could hear the water rushing faster.
Remembering the drop then, Beckett called to Eliza, "Hold onto the sides sweetie," before they were heading down the longer drop.
Screaming, Eliza closed her eyes tightly as it felt like they were going on two drops until they were going straight and looked around them. "Honey!" she said with a smile as they were going by beehives.
"Julia," Beckett called up to her.
"I'm fine Mom," the girl assured her. "I'm not that wet."
Though she wasn't sure about that, Beckett nodded and then sat back against her seat while they were passing Br'er Rabbit trapped in a beehive. When she saw the burrow with a mother rabbit singing about Br'er Rabbit being caught she said to Eliza, "We're almost there."
"I know," the little girl said. "I'll hold onto the sides Mommy, really tight," Eliza said with a smile.
As they were going up Julia glanced back to see how Nancy and Paul were reacting. She was surprised to see they were talking with her father and laughing and she said, "Look at the vultures."
"I see, like they were in Disney World," Eliza said laughingly though her laughter was nervous as well. They passed Br'er Rabbit, tied up, and she remembered that from the Orlando park before she saw they were almost to the top. Her hands were clutching at the railings on either side of her before they came out to the sunlight and she could see the park in front of them for a moment. She bit her lower lip before suddenly they were going down and she screamed with her sister while the grownups behind them were yelling or crying out. She had been terrified but when they came down to the bottom she was covering her face with her hands at the water splashing.
"Good thing for those ponchos," Paul said as he brushed water off his hands.
"And that it's not too cold today," Castle commented.
"I know," Beckett agreed. She then looked above them and said to their daughters, "There are your grandparents and sister."
"Hi, we got wet!" Eliza cried, waving.
Laughing with their parents and the McCartneys, Julia waved before they floated past the others and then made their way back inside. She smiled at her little sister's squeal of pleasure at the final scene, all the animal characters on the steam boat. She looked back when she could hear Paul singing it and then looked ahead of them where she could hear the McDouglases all singing together as well. "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah…" she and her sister joined in before their parents were laughing and then singing as well. When they got off the ride she went to Eliza and hugged her saying, "Did you like it?"
"Yeah, it was fun," the little girl replied, squeezing her hand. "What's next?"
Beckett smiled at Eliza's exuberance and she said, "We'll get our ponchos off, meet up with everyone else and then go to the Winnie the Pooh ride since it's here."
"And then?" Julia asked. She laughed softly when her mother looked at her and said, "Kidding. But what about drying off."
"Julia," Derek called. "Practice," he said.
"I'll be over there," the girl said with a smile at her family and the McCartneys.
"Do you know they're doing a Freestyle to your song?" Castle asked Paul as they left the exit and came out to an empty space.
"Of course," Paul replied. "I had to give permission and I was happy to. But aren't they dancing another one first?"
"They're still going to practice the second one," Beckett said, slightly distracted as Mari and the boys were passing them.
When everyone had gathered together Derek was instructing the four to dance their Cha-Cha, telling them their steps and counting for them as he usually did. Julia and Peter; who were going to have a solo before Mari and Clive did; got into hold and were about to dance their steps when Castle was speaking.
"Hold on," he said hurriedly. "Are they doing that thing with their hips?"
"No," Derek said, glancing at him. "Go ahead you two. Three, four, five," he counted for them.
Watching the pair Martha said to her son, "Did you really think he'd have them do that?"
"I wasn't sure," Castle admitted. "Sorry," he said when the practice had finished and they walked together to the next ride.
"It's okay," Julia said with a smile. "I knew you were gonna ask that." They were approaching the ride and she sighed before she felt her mother taking her hand, making her look back at her before she spoke.
"Do you want to go?" Beckett asked.
"Well… with my friends," Julia said slowly.
"Alright," Beckett said. "Go ahead with Derek."
"With…" Julia began to say before looking behind her. She smiled at the dancer as he was talking with her three friends and she then said to her mother, "You're going with Eliza?"
"No," Castle said, coming up to them with Josie. "I've got it love," he told his wife since he had their baby's bag on his free shoulder. "We're going to walk along the water down there, make sure someone brings your sister's stroller when you guys leave."
"You don't want to take her?" Julia asked.
"After dinner," Beckett said.
"Oooh," Julia replied, recalling the restaurant in New Orleans Square was very close to Critter Country, where the ride they were at was in. She then smiled and told her dad teasingly, "No Small World?"
"Probably," Castle said, grumbling before Josie was grabbing his nose. "Ow, now I know you're getting older," he said as he was getting her hand off him. "You're not letting me go." He laughed when she laughed and he nuzzled her nose with his own. "Go," he told Julia. "We'll meet you by the entrance for Thunder Mountain."
"Thanks!" the girl said before she headed off to join her friends and Derek to get in line.
"I was almost going to suggest we go on those canoes they have," Castle told his wife after they waved to their friends and family and then turned to walk along the Rivers of America before they reached Frontierland.
"With Josie?" Beckett asked, smiling as she spoke since she knew he was kidding.
"No, on our own," Castle replied easily. He laughed when his wife rolled her eyes before he was stopped by her tugging at the strap of the bag. "Kate-" he began to say.
Stopping him then, Beckett wrapped her arm around him and pulled him to her so she could brush her lips against his. When she was looking at him again she said, "Promise me something."
"Anything," Castle said seriously.
"Ride with me on the Matterhorn," Beckett told him.
"Yes," Castle said, saying only that.
Smiling, Beckett embraced him with one arm while he was quick to do the same to her. After they had parted she said, "But just this one time, I want to go with Eliza and Julia."
"You think we'll go three times?" Castle asked while they were walking again. When his wife just gave him a look he said, "Of course we will." He watched her laugh softly at him before she took his hand and he entwined their fingers telling her, "How's this birthday been so far?"
Looking at the Mark Twain Riverboat going by them as they went around the bottom of the river, Beckett said as she turned back to him, "Amazing. Everyone's happy, including Josie," reaching to the baby with her free hand and tickling her stomach to her laugh. "And having fun."
"I hope you're including yourself in there," Castle said, stopping them.
"Of course, what?" Beckett asked before he was taking the baby's bag from her. "Rick," she said with a sigh.
"I can tell," Castle said simply, putting the bag's strap on his shoulder again. He then watched with Josie as his wife was taking pictures of the water and then the rides, Pirates and the Haunted Mansion they could still see. "We'll have to make a book," he said when they were walking again, that time going more determinedly to the next land.
"With the girls' pictures too," Beckett commented. She saw the look on her husband's face and laughed softly saying, "You're going to have to find space for all these books if we're having separate ones made."
"They have storage in their rooms," Castle reminded her. "And you like the idea."
Sighing, since they had a new bookcase just for the photobooks he was making for her, Beckett said, "I do, what I'd like more is a picture," smiling as he studied her before smiling himself and getting his phone. They took a selfie at the railing on the water and after they went the rest of the way to Thunder Mountain Railroad before she and her husband were looking at Josie as she cooed.
"What're you looking at sweetie?" Beckett asked, taking a quick picture of the baby as she had turned to her.
"Am-ba," Josie vocalized. "Amamamam," she then said turning.
"Fussy?" Castle asked his wife.
"I'm not sure," Beckett said slowly, watching her. The baby seemed fine and she was about to speak when she looked in front of them and saw the rest of their group was walking over to them.
"That was fast," Castle commented.
"It's a short ride," Beckett said with a smile. She squeezed his arm before they waited for everyone to meet up with them. Josie went with her grandmother again and she said to Martha, "You don't want to come with us?"
"Later," Castle's mother assured her. "I'll let Jim go with you first."
Nodding, Beckett kissed Josie's cheek before she went over to Eliza and they went together into their line as the standby line was longer. Once they were on a train; nearly taking up an entire one and sitting from the last row towards the front; she looked down at her daughter and said, "Are you ready?"
"Yeah," Eliza said with a giggle. She looked back at the very last row, where her big sister was with Paul and she said, "Jules will have fun too."
"Of course she will," Beckett said before the train started to move and they listened to the safety announcement before they went into the tunnel.
"Have-" Julia started to ask Paul before the sound of the chain cut her off. She wrinkled her nose at that but looked with him over at the pools of water and stalactites before they reached the top and the water going over both sides. She put her hands up and laughed seeing that Paul was doing the same before they were going down and banking to the right. She cried out as they flew over the track, laughing when they went down a dip at one point and she felt like she was coming off her seat.
When they were going through a structure that brought them to the second lift hill Paul asked, "What were you going to say."
"Have you been on this before?" Julia said quickly, having to speak loudly like he was because of the chain.
"I have, years ago though," Paul replied. "With my kids in the eighties."
"Did anyone recognize you then?" Julia asked.
"No, I was lucky," Paul said. "Here we go," he said as they had made it to the top and he was putting his hands up with her before they were going down and around to the left past the bleating goat with a dynamite stick in its mouth.
Eliza was screaming next to her mother, but it was done in exhilaration until they had gone over the track to another structure. "That was fun," she said.
"I'm glad," Beckett said with a smile, leaning over and kissing the top of her head. "I wasn't sure with how loud you were screaming."
Giggling, Eliza waved to her father; sitting with Jim in the last row of the car in front of them; and called, "Are you having fun Daddy?"
Beckett wasn't surprised when her husband only nodded as they had soon after reached the lift hill. She smiled at him when he looked at her and then turned her attention back to the ride as they were going through different 'explosions.' She laughed at her daughter, seeing Eliza next to her was raising her hands. She did the same and they went over the rest of the track until they slowed down past the dinosaur skeleton.
"I wanna go on it again!" Fleur was saying to Liam as she'd ridden with him.
"We will but not just yet," Skye's dad said to her.
"When?" Eliza was asking her mother as they'd heard that.
"Later," Beckett said. "We haven't finished with all the rides yet remember?"
"What's next?" Paul asked Julia before the train pulled into the loading platform.
"I think the Matterhorn," the girl replied. She then smiled and said, "You went on that one."
Laughing at the way she had worded that as a statement instead of a question, Paul nodded and said, "Who're you going with?"
"Mari, I told her all about it when I first came here to Disneyland," Julia said after they gotten off the train and were walking together to the exit. She was holding the singer's hand and said, "You should ride with Nancy. I know my parents are."
"You're a sneak," Paul said, though he told her that good naturedly. "But thank you, we haven't gone on a ride since Pirates."
Looking around them, Julia took the chance and whispered, "Was it really cool getting to be in that movie?"
"It was," Paul replied with a nod. "Though I'll tell you, that costume was bloody heavy."
Giggling behind her hand, Julia nodded and said, "It looked like it was. And then you had a wig and everything."
"It was hard, but it was fun," Paul said with a nod. "Go on with your friends lass."
Though they were walking, Julia hugged him tightly and then rushed ahead to Mari, taking her hand as soon as she reached her.
"What?" the girl asked with a smile.
"You're still going on the Matterhorn with me, right?" Julia asked her.
"Of course, the boys are gonna sit ahead of us," Mari said before they were looking ahead of them as Skye was talking.
"We each get our own seat, let's figure this out now so we have everything set before we get to our line," Skye said. She was going with the youngest twins while her wife was going with Fleur and Liam. She listened to the others figure that out before they reached the tall peak and they were getting in their line to get quickly to the loading station, sitting in their trains shortly after to wait for the ride to begin.
Looking back at her parents, Eliza waved to them before their train was going before it was suddenly stopping. She was surprised but when the cast member standing next to the track told her to pull on her seatbelt she quickly realized why. They moved forward again but stopped at the entrance to a tunnel and she looked back at them again.
"It's okay," Beckett assured her. "We need to wait for the other train to go."
Eliza nodded and then turned back as there was the sound of air and they were moving forward. She shivered as she could hear air and what she thought might be an animal. She cried out when they were plunged into the darkness but stopped when she heard the chain taking them up.
"Are you okay?" Beckett called ahead to the girl.
"Yeah," Eliza replied, speaking quickly.
"We won't be in the dark for too long," Castle called to her. "See the light up there?"
When they reached that light, Beckett said, "Castle!" in annoyance when their daughter gasped at the abominable snowman that was behind the 'ice' to the side of the tunnel they were in.
"Sorry, I didn't remember that sweetheart," Castle called.
"It's okay Daddy!" Eliza called back before they reached the top. When they came back into light she saw the track again before she spotted something to their left. She was confused as to why there was an old looking car for the ride among the jumble of debris but didn't have much of a chance to look at it closely before they were passing it and flying around the track. She was a little shocked and let out a scream at the monster that lunged out at them, but it was short lived while they were going down the track. She was screaming at first but soon was just clutching at the handles on either side of her as they went lower and lower on the mountain though she managed to let out another when they passed by the monster a second time.
When they got to the pool of water at the end, Beckett reached up to the little girl and started to say, "Eliza-"
"I'm kay Mommy," the little girl interrupted her. Looking back at her over her shoulder she smiled and said, "I made it!"
Smiling herself at how enthusiastically her daughter spoke, Beckett looked ahead to see how far they were from the exit and cursed in her mind before they were moving. At the exit platform she got her seatbelt off and hurried to help Eliza out, picking her up and hugging her tightly.
"Mommy, you're squishing me! You're the monster now!" the little girl told her, saying the latter jokingly.
Beckett laughed and then kissed her cheek before she set her down saying, "I'm sorry sweetie. Your first time on this ride and I was worried you were going to be really scared."
"Here," Castle said to the two as he opened the gate of the exit. Once they were out on the path to Tomorrowland he picked up the little girl and said, "That was the Abominable Snowman. And he's not your mom, don't worry."
"Are you sure?" Julia asked, having just got off the train behind theirs with her friends, Paul and Nancy.
"Julia," Beckett said warningly.
"Yeah, you have to make sure Daddy," Eliza then said.
"Quickly," Skye said teasingly as their group was gathered together again.
"Oh, not you too," Beckett said with a sigh. Before anyone could say anything, she was reaching for her husband and they shared a brief kiss. "Satisfied?" she said, looking at him.
"Yes, no fur on her face, so she's your mom," Castle told Eliza with a smile.
When she was set down, the little girl hurried to her mother and hugged her tightly before she said, "Good, now we can go!"
As they were walking into the next land, Beckett stayed with Eliza and said, "Sweetie, I don't know-"
"Oh Mommy, no! Please don't say I can't go on Space Mountain now!" the little girl protested.
"I just don't think you should, you're only five-" Beckett then tried to say.
"But I'm almost six!" Eliza said.
Sighing, Beckett was about to speak when she felt a hand on her arm and looked back at her to see that it was Rebecca.
"Trust me," Mari's mother told her with a smile. "She's not going to let it go if you said she can go on the ride before this."
Glancing down at Eliza then, Beckett sighed and said, "Okay, but if it's too much for you then you're not going on it again."
"Good, I can still go on the Matterhorn," Eliza said eagerly.
"I really hope I won't regret that," Beckett told her friend.
"I hate to say this, but we'll find out shortly," Rebecca said before she went back to where her husband was walking.
"How is she?" Beckett asked her husband as he was pushing Josie in her stroller.
"Good, though I was wondering if I should take her out," Castle said.
"Go ahead," Beckett replied. She smiled when he gave the stroller to her and she pushed it as he unbuckled the baby before he got her out after her brief pause. "Let her see the submarines," she told him as he was putting Josie up onto his shoulders and holding her securely there. "She'll see the yellow of them."
"Are we gonna go on this one?" Eliza asked her sister since they were walking together at that moment.
"Eventually," Marie said as she joined the two girls. "We're going on Space Mountain first since we all want to go on it." She then looked around and said, "Well, the ones that can go on it."
"Cool," Eliza said though she was watching the seagulls saying, "Mine," as they did in Finding Nemo.
"Okay," Castle said, handing Josie to his mother. "We'll see you soon."
When the baby cooed, Martha smiled and said, "She said she hopes you'll enjoy it. Especially Eliza."
"She's riding with me Mother," Castle said. "I'll watch out for her." He wasn't surprised when his mother merely nodded; she was aware the ride was in the dark; and he and Beckett kissed the baby before they thanked Martha and headed through the exit so they could reach the loading platform sooner.
Standing with her father once they were there, Eliza watched the trains going by in front of them and she squeezed his hand. "I won't change my mind Daddy," she told him when she saw her father was looking down at her.
"Okay, but if you want to scream do that as loud as you want to," Castle said. He was a little worried when Eliza merely nodded but looked around at the others before he saw that Julia was smiling at him. He took that to mean; as they were going onto the train that had just emptied; that the little girl would be alright. He got on their row first and made sure Eliza got in okay before he immediately helped her with the lap bar before they were being checked on by the cast member. As they were moving forward he looked down at her and said, "Hold onto here."
"I will," Eliza said firmly. She then smiled ahead of them at her mother and waved before Beckett was facing forward again.
When they had gone to the right after leaving the loading station, they went onto the lift hill and after that went through a tunnel. Castle checked on Eliza and continued to while they left the tunnel and came to a second lift hill where stars and then red beams rotated around the sides of the tunnel there. At the top there was a galaxy and he pointed it out to the little girl, smiling when she gasped at the sight of it before it disappeared when they came to the top of the hill. He braced himself as he knew they were close and then looked at the little girl, not surprised she was biting a little at her lower lip.
When they were going in a U-turn, Beckett wanted to look at Eliza though she couldn't until they were going on the last lift hill. There she managed a quick glance and could hear her husband talking to their second youngest telling her they were going to be astronauts. She heard for a moment the slight laughter from Eliza before the countdown and she hurriedly turned back before they were taking off on the track.
As had happened in the Matterhorn, Eliza was screaming at first at all the turns and what felt like drops. But as the ride seemed to be going on forever she was quiet, only letting out a small squeak at the drops. She realized, when they entered a tunnel with a flash of light, that they had finished the ride and she tried to figure out what she had just done on the track.
"Eliza?" Castle asked the little girl as they left that tunnel and eventually got back to the loading station.
"Is she okay?" Beckett asked, looking back.
Before he could answer, Castle was helping Eliza out, startled when she stumbled stepping onto the platform. He hurried to pick her up and he held her on his hip saying, "Sweetheart, what's wrong? Are you going to be sick?" studying her closely.
"Eliza," Beckett started to say as she was running her hand over the back of their daughter's head, standing just off the platform by the trains so they weren't in the way. She was startled when a smile spread across the little girl's face and she shared a look with her husband before Eliza was crying out excitedly while she was bouncing in his hold.
"I wanna go again! Let's go again! That was so fun Daddy, turn so we can go back!" Eliza was saying so rapidly that she stopped when she heard her family laughing. "What?"
"You stopped talking," Julia said, still smiling. "And Mom and Dad were really worried about you."
"Oh… sorry," Eliza said, looking at their parents.
"It's okay," Castle said first. "I'm just glad you enjoyed it. You remembered it was in the dark right?"
"Yeah, Jules told me before," Eliza said. She looked back the way they'd come and said, "Why can't we go on again?"
"Once we go on the rest of the rides," Beckett told her, smiling at her obvious disappointment.
"Oh…" Eliza said again. She then perked up and said eagerly, "What's next?"
"Buzz Lightyear?" Julia guessed.
"No," Castle said. "Autopia." He shared a smile with his wife when their daughters gasped and started to talk eagerly about the ride. He set Eliza down so she could walk with her sister and the other kids and he held Beckett's hand as they followed the others to head to the ride close to the Matterhorn.
"How's your food Mom?" Julia said to Beckett.
"It's good," she said with a smile at her daughter. It was later that night and she was with her friends and family in the Blue Bayou at their tables pressed together next to the railing above the water of Pirates of the Caribbean. They'd gotten their food a few minutes before but before that the kids had been standing at that railing, watching the bateaux as they left. "And yours?" Beckett asked her daughter.
"Good, I just hope I can finish it," Julia said, looking down at her chicken dish she'd ordered from the regular menu.
"It is good," Beckett said, since her daughter had insisted she take a piece after cutting it for her.
"I agree, the jus is too," Castle said, smiling when the girl wrinkled her nose since she didn't like it.
Looking down the table, Julia saw that Paul and Nancy were eating their vegetable dish and she smiled at the way they seemed to be fine with the meal. She then turned down to her food again and ate, wanting to finish it already since she was aware of what they were going to do.
When the last of her mashed potatoes were gone, Beckett looked at Josie who was in between her and Julia. The baby was fine, moving her Tigger stuffed doll, and she squeezed her tiny hand before she turned as her husband was getting out of his seat. Watching him go she turned to her father across the table and started to say, "What-"
"Shh," Eliza said, sitting in between her grandparents. "The boat is going by." She tried not to giggle too loudly at the way her mother studied her and then watched as the bateaux she had talked about went through the water.
It wasn't hard, after that, for Beckett to notice that everyone was avoiding looking at her for very long. She wondered if they knew that they were telling her what they were trying to hide; though not the details; by doing that. But shaking that off she turned her attention to Josie, getting the baby out of her high chair and holding her on her lap. She started to play with her Tigger doll, moving it in front of her, until she heard singing and her head shot up.
"Happy Birthday to you," Castle sang when he was close to the table. He was glad when Paul and Skye picked that up as he had to concentrate on getting to his wife and setting down the surprise for her. But he continued to sing until they were finished with the song and he'd set the plate in front of her.
Shaking her head, and smiling, at her husband, Beckett blew out the two candles on the plate of Mickey shaped beignets. She gently bounced Josie to make sure she would be okay and then said, "Thank you," as she saw her husband was watching her closely.
"You said you didn't want a cake," Castle told her as he pulled the candles out of the desserts.
"I didn't, this is perfect," Beckett said, reaching for him so he would lean over to her. They kissed then, slowly and carefully, before they parted shortly after and she smiled saying, "Thank you."
"You said that already," Castle told her teasingly as he sat down next to her. "But you're welcome." He wanted to talk to her, but he had to focus on handing out the beignets to everyone saying, "We each get one regular powdered sugar one and a peppermint one."
"Peppermint?" Ivy asked.
"For Christmas," Skye said before Castle could answer. She made sure her daughters were thanking Castle for their shares of the 'cake' and she did the same before they were eating.
"Daddy," Eliza whispered as they were finishing shortly after since it didn't take long to eat the Mickey shaped pastries.
"Hold on," Castle said with a smile as he saw his wife looking at the little girl. He cleaned his hands before he got his phone out of his pocket and quickly got something open before he handed it to his wife.
"What-" Beckett started to say as she saw there was a picture of a wrapped gift on the screen.
"Swipe the picture Mom," Julia told her with a smile.
"Since we couldn't bring everything here," Castle told her.
Beckett smiled and then swiped the picture so it moved and saw there was a picture of some items of clothing on a bed and she glanced around the table.
"From us," Paul said.
"And Stella, she made the blouse and thought you might like it," Nancy added.
"Oh, I'll have to e-mail her," Beckett said, looking up from the blouse, plaid coat and trousers. "Thank you," she told the two. When both McCartneys said you're welcome she turned to her husband and asked, "Did you take the picture?"
"They're in the guest house," Castle said with a nod. "I hid them in the room downstairs."
Laughing softly and nodding, Beckett swiped through the next pictures of her gifts finding that the Fosters had gifted her with some cookbooks she'd been wanting, her father had given her a few fiction books and Martha's gift was a scarf for that winter. She thanked them before going to the second to last picture, seeing it was one of her three youngest daughters at Knott's Berry Farm with Snoopy.
"That was my idea Mom," Julia said quickly. "Since you've always loved Snoopy."
"I do, and it's a perfect picture," Beckett said with a smile.
"We'll buy you a frame at home Mommy," Eliza said eagerly.
"Thank you," Beckett told them, kissing her and Julia since the little girl had come over to them. She went to the very last picture and smiled seeing what was in it before she leaned over to her husband.
"What is it?" Isaac asked.
"Our family picture," Julia replied. "That we took around the Fourth of July."
"It's hanging in our house now," Eliza said with a smile.
"And it's the first one with Josie with us," Beckett said as hers and her husband's kiss hadn't lasted long.
"That's it?" Peter asked before his mother quieted him down.
"No, the usual, books," Castle said, opening another picture. "Some clothes for her that I know she likes and this."
"A spa treatment back at home," Beckett said as she swiped after the picture of the books and clothing.
"For just you?" Rebecca asked.
"No," Beckett replied, glancing at her husband.
"Are we ready to walk around and go on slower rides?" Castle asked. He wasn't surprised when the others laughed while they were getting up from their chairs. He helped Beckett out of hers but before they could walk after their friends and family she was grabbing him. "What?" he said in slight surprise. "Did you want to go on your own or with-"
Beckett's lips were crushing her husband's, not caring there were other diners in the restaurant or the riders in the water behind them. But because of that they didn't linger and when they parted she murmured, "I really appreciate my gifts."
"You're-" Castle began.
"Especially the last one," Beckett said, murmuring again, but saying that in Irish.
"I heard the spa has an onsen that couples can use," Castle said. "But whether or not we go there is up to you."
Not replying to that, Beckett took her husband's hand and they walked together out in the street, seeing the others were waiting for them. "Did you decide on a ride?" she asked them, speaking quickly so no one could comment on their wait.
"Small World," Julia said with a smirk.
"Smart aleck," Castle said, narrowing his eyes playfully at her.
"No, did you forget Mom? Winnie the Pooh!" Julia said.
"Yeah, you have to take Josa now," Eliza said. "Before she has to go back to sleep."
"Then let's go," Castle said as he tried to take the stroller from his father in law.
"That's alright," Jim said. "I have no problem pushing this."
"Did you want to go on the ride with Josie?" Castle asked him.
"No," Beckett's father replied. "But I would like to go on a ride with her before Martha takes her."
Nodding, Castle went over to his wife seeing that she was taking Josie from his mother. "Hey, how much time do we have left until her bedtime?" he asked his wife, kissing the side of the baby's head.
"Not too much, why?" Beckett asked, surprised at the question since he knew what time it was.
"Your dad wants to go on a ride with Josie before they go to the hotel," Castle replied.
"Alright, Peter Pan," Beckett said.
"No, I'm Ri- ow," Castle started to say as he pointed to himself before she was playfully slapping his arm. "Okay, we'll go there after," he said before they were passing Splash Mountain and turning further into Critter Country. He and his wife, once they were on the ride, sat in the front row with their youngest, their parents behind them and Paul and Nancy last in the car. He let Josie hold onto his index finger while they went through the scenes, wondering what exactly the baby was seeing. But she was smiling every so often, so he guessed she enjoyed the colors before they were reaching the exit outside. He took Josie from his wife, going with her to where the rest of their group was gathering after they got off the ride.
"We're going to Peter Pan now," Beckett said to everyone once they were all together. "And that'll be Josie's last ride."
"Weren't we going to split up too?" Castle asked.
"We might do that after," David commented.
"Is Dani going back to the hotel?" Mari asked.
"She should," Rebecca said, smiling when her youngest stopped yawning and frowned at her. "You're tired honey," she told the toddler firmly. "But you get to go on another ride."
While the group was walking to Fantasyland, Julia went to Paul who was walking with Derek and she asked the two men, "Are you guys going to go off on your own?"
"I'm going to head home after this," Derek said. She smiled when Julia looked disappointed and said, "I need rest."
"But us and Skye-" Julia started to say in confusion, since she knew they were planning on staying until the park closed at midnight.
"It's okay, but I have a little more I need to do," Derek said. "So I'm heading home for rest."
"You could have stayed at the hotel tonight," Julia said before she paused. "Wait… the… Derek!" she cried when she realized the singer was joking. She pushed his arm with her fist; slowly; and said, "You're mean."
"I don't know who to go with," Derek then told her. "I don't want to be by myself going on the rides… even though I can."
"You should go with the Fosters," Julia told him. "They're uneven."
"So will you when your little sister heads back with your grandfather," Paul pointed out to her.
"I know," Julia said with a nod. "But who knows, we might meet with someone else." She then asked the singer, "What about you?"
"I'm not sure," Paul replied. "Might tag along with you."
Julia smiled and said, "That would be cool. I'll ask my parents." She also had gotten an idea and was planning on running over to them when she found they were at the Peter Pan ride. She sighed and then went over to Mari saying, "Ready?"
"Yeah," the girl replied with a nod as they had talked to each other about going already.
Castle and Beckett went on one of the 'flying' ships with Eliza, their parents ahead of them with Josie. They watched their second youngest as they were going through the ride, not surprised she was looking at every scene they were passing closely though they'd been on the ride already. After they had gotten off they could see Martha was holding Josie, and the baby was asleep.
"Mother," Castle said after he and his wife said goodnight to the baby last, walking with everyone to Tomorrowland. "If you need to sleep the-"
"I'll be fine on the couch," Martha assured him. "Have fun and Happy Birthday again Kate."
"Thank you," Beckett said. "And for taking her and Dani."
"It's not a problem, have a wonderful night," Martha replied.
Watching as his mother made her way up to the Monorail platform to go to the hotel with the stroller and toddler, Castle said to everyone else, "We can split up now."
"Is anyone going to California Adventure?" Mary asked the others.
"For the rest of the night?" Genevieve asked in surprise.
"No, there's five hours left until the park closes here," Skye said. "We ourselves were thinking of heading there now and ride until at least two hours before we come back."
"I'm game," Isaac said.
"I think we all want to go back," Beckett said in amusement as some of the kids were asking to go on the Cars ride.
Since no one had any objections to that, the group turned together for the exit of the park and they headed across the plaza to California Adventure. Going into the Cars Land section they split up into groups of sixes though Genevieve and Isaac offered to go on their own with their sons.
When they were waiting for their own car Julia said to Paul, who was going with the Fosters and Derek, "Have you been on this?"
"I have, it's been a bit though," the singer said.
"Have you?" Julia asked Nancy.
"No," she replied. "But I forgot about this park."
"Oh, I'm glad that we came here," Julia said before she watched the pair go with the family and the dancer. Feeling her mother touch her shoulder she smiled up at her before they got into their car. She couldn't help feeling excited for the ride, hoping that her idea would work when they did it later as their car started to move forward.
"How did we let that happen?" Castle asked his wife as they watched their daughter walk off with Mari, the boys, the oldest McDouglas twins, Genevieve, Isaac, Paul, Nancy and Derek.
"I don't know," Beckett said, unable to help her smile as she thought of how Julia had managed to get the married couples on their own. "But… I'm just glad there aren't too many kids for Paul."
"And he isn't the only adult," Castle pointed out to her as they were walking from the hub in the center of Disneyland to Frontierland. He took his wife's hand and said, "It's only until eleven."
"I know," Beckett said, as they'd agreed to spend the last hour together going through the biggest rides in the park. "But this isn't too bad."
"Oh, now you like it," Castle said teasingly. He wasn't surprised when his wife gave him a look and he stopped her so they could share a quick kiss. When they parted he looked into her eyes, debating if he wanted to do more than that. But she decided for them and with a gentle tug on his hand they were walking together to Thunder Mountain.
When they were in the last row of their train, Beckett smiled as her husband was taking a selfie of them before he was hurrying to put his phone away. "Proof we went on the rides?" she asked him.
"Sure," Castle replied after pretending to think that over for a moment. He laughed when she pushed his shoulder; not hard; and he squeezed her hand quickly before they were focusing on the ride. Going through it, he yelled while his wife was crying out as they went over the different turns and dips and they came off the ride laughing as he told her, "I'm so glad I don't scream like a girl for these."
"It's because you can control it," Beckett said. She was surprised when her husband stopped walking and she turned to him asking, "What?"
Castle didn't respond, instead he took her hand and pulled her over to the path between Frontierland and Fantasyland. When he was sure they had a moment, he pulled her against him and he kissed her deeply. He was pleased feeling her arms sliding around his neck and he held her closer before they were parting for a quick breath of air. As soon as they had done that he was meeting her for another kiss and they were rubbing their tongues together until they had to breathe again.
While her husband pressed his forehead to hers Beckett smiled and said, "You're lucky there aren't many people right here."
"Before this point," Castle said as they let go of each other since they could hear people approaching. "So," he then said, holding her hand. "What would you like to go on next?"
"Let's go to the Matterhorn," Beckett said. When she saw the slight face her husband pulled she smiled a little and asked, "I thought you liked the ride?"
"Yeah…" Castle said slowly. He saw his wife was looking at him questioningly and he said, "I don't like not getting to sit with you."
Shaking her head Beckett said, "Then we'll have to go on another ride where we do afterwards."
Castle nodded and reached for his wife's hand, holding it while they were walking together through Fantasyland and making their way to the mountain. Though he'd told her that he didn't like the idea of not sitting with her, he still felt a sense of excitement once he was in his seat. Looking ahead of him at his wife while they were waiting for the train to go, he then turned his head to the line and saw that Julia was there with the McCartneys and Derek. "Hey, we'll wait for you," he called to his and Beckett's daughter.
Waving to Julia after they were going, Beckett smiled at the girl crying, "Watch out for the Yeti!" She turned the best she could in her seat to look at her husband while he was calling, "Wrong ride!"
"What?" Castle said to his wife when he saw that she was looking at him. He had to pause in continuing to speak as they came to a rough stop for their seatbelt check, but he then said, "It is, it's the Abominable Snowman."
Beckett could only shake her head as they were moving again and going through the tunnel to the lift hill. But she turned her attention from that to the ride as they were going up towards the light on the side and she held onto the handles next to her when they got to the top and made their way down the track. She was crying out and hearing her husband yelling behind her she laughed when she could until they reached the pool of water and they were slowing down. "Are we joining them?" Beckett asked.
"Yeah, also ask where everyone else is," Castle commented.
"They might have gone on the other side," Beckett told him.
"Maybe," Castle said before they had reached the exit and got out. "How long?" he asked.
"It won't be that much," Beckett said, taking his hand so he would stop looking at his watch before they went to a bench nearby to watch for their daughter and friends.
"How was it?" Castle asked a few minutes later when their second oldest rushed over to them ahead of the others with her.
"Fun," Julia said with a smile. "The Abominable Snowman said that his cousin is the Yeti, so I was half right."
Castle started to laugh and then hugged her tightly saying, "I stand corrected. Where's everyone else?"
"They wanted to go on the other side," Julia said. "And- there's Skye and Mary."
"And Rebecca and David," Beckett said with a smile as she and her husband stood up together.
Once everyone was there Castle said, "Are we forgetting about the idea of the couples going off on their own?"
"Yeah, let's just make sure we go on everything as many times as we can," David said.
"Great, who wants to head to Space Mountain?" Skye asked.
When everyone; especially the kids; started to say they did the group walked further into Tomorrowland for the ride.
Castle held back his wife a bit and wrapped his arm around her while she was looking at him. "How was it?" he asked her.
"It's not over yet," Beckett said with a smile, knowing he was talking about her birthday. "But it's been amazing." She moved to take his hand and while she was entwining their fingers she told him, "Like I said it's not over yet though, so let's catch up and keep going on these rides with our daughter."
"After you," Castle said, kissing the back of her hand.
Smiling again at her husband, Becket walked with him so they could catch up just as they were going through the exit of the ride. She called Julia to them and with her family surrounding her they approached the loading platform, eager herself to go through the rest of what had been an enjoyable and memorable birthday with everyone she loved.
