And Everything Nice

10. Santa

"That was splendid," Jim said as he leaned back in his chair, reaching for his glass of Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Cider. "My compliments to the chef."

At the head of the table, Castle raised his own glass and inclined his head. "I can't take all the credit. Kate helped."

"All I did was mash the potatoes," Kate interjected, smiling over at her husband. "You glazed and cooked the ham."

"And it was delicious," Martha cheered, clinking her flute of bubbly with Castle.

"All of it," Jim said.

"Lily supervised," Castle added, making Kate laugh.

She turned to look at her baby girl, sitting in her high chair between her parents.

"It was a lovely meal, kiddos," Martha continued. "I couldn't have done it better myself."

"And that's the truth," Castle mumbled under his breath, just loud enough for Kate to hear.

Disapproving of her husband's comments about his mother's cooking skills, accurate as they may be, Kate made sure to give his leg a kick. Castle managed to suppress the yelp of surprise, but from how his eyes widened ever so slightly, she knew he got the message.

"Thank you, Mother, you're too kind," Castle said with a nod of gratitude, clearing his throat.

Martha wasn't fooled, but she smiled at her son, before turning to Kate and winking conspiratorially.

"Can I say something?" Alexis asked.

"Of course, pumpkin," Castle smiled warmly at his first born.

Standing up, Alexis glanced around at the table, ducking her head down almost bashfully, before raising her glass. "To family."

Kate cocked her head to see Castle blink away misty eyes. She turned back to Alexis, and held up her own glass, nodding to the young woman. They hadn't always had the best of relationships, but it had definitely gotten better since Lily was born. Alexis was an amazing big sister, and Lily adored her. The two sisters, despite the massive difference in age, were close.

"To family," Kate echoed, meeting Alexis's eyes.

"And to Lily," Alexis added. "And her first Christmas!"

"Here, here!" Castle cheered with a voice full of emotion.

Everyone clinked their glasses and partook in their respective beverage. In solidarity with her father, Kate had opted to go with the Martinelli's Apple Cider as well. Castle and Alexis had done the same. Only Martha had wine.

After sitting back down, Kate reached over for Castle's hand, lacing their fingers together. He looked over at her and smiled, his eyes brimming with joy. It had been a long road for them to get where they were now, not all of it had been easy. Yet despite all the obstacles that had been thrown up in their way, they'd made it.

It reminded Kate of something Castle had told her once when she desperately needed to hear it.

Well, maybe it is a sign. A sign that ours is a great love story. Because what's a great love story without obstacles to overcome? Every fairytale has them. Terrible trials that only the worthy can transcend. But you can't give up. That's the deal. We want the happy ending; we can't give up.

Just like then, his words made her smile.

She'd put him through so much, yet he never gave up on them. And for that, she would be forever grateful. He was the love of her life, and Kate planned to spend the rest of her life showing him just that.

Castle rubbed his thumb over her knuckles and squeezed her hand back. They shared a moment, eyes locked, where they had an entire conversation in just a few seconds. And then he was turning his attention back to the table, and smiling widely.

"All right, who wants dessert?" he inquired.

"I don't know if I have room for dessert," Jim asserted, patting his stomach. "But I might be persuaded, seeing as it's Christmas."

Kate grinned at him. "You'd like it, Dad," she insisted. "I made Mom's chocolate mousse, with raspberry topping."

His eyes lit up. "No?" he breathed out in disbelief, too stunned by her announcement to believe it.

"Yes," she smiled wider, pleased at the delighted look on her father's face. She'd been concerned about it earlier, worried it would bring back sad memories.

"Oh, Katie," he said, eyes starting to water. "Jo would be so happy that you've continued her traditions."

"Dad," Kate fought back the sob, pushing up and moving around the table to embrace him. She hugged him tight, burying her face in his shoulder as she would when she was little.

"Well, now I really need to try this chocolate mousse," Martha declared, waving a hand at Castle. "Richard, be a darling and fetch it for us."

Castle bowed his head and pushed up from his spot, hurriedly heading to the kitchen. Kate gave her Dad one final squeeze, before releasing him and dashing over to join her befuddled husband. There was a special way that the raspberry topping was added to the mousse, and Castle didn't know exactly how, though she'd tried explaining it to him. He had that adorable lost expression on his face when she joined him in the kitchen. It made her smile, want to kiss him, so she did, draping one arm around his neck to pull him close for a quick peck on the lips.

"I'll handle it," she asserted, deftly lifting the bowl of chocolate mousse from his hands.

Castle snared one more kiss from her, before retreating back to the table, earning a surprised embrace from his father-in-law. Kate smiled, her heart clenching with joy at the sight. All of them had really become a family. It made her feel so happy inside. And though her Mom wasn't with them anymore, she was still there, in spirit.

She set to work preparing Johanna Beckett's famous chocolate mousse with raspberry topping. Taking a moment to inspect the results, Kate nodded with satisfaction. Cradling the serving bowl, Kate plucked a ladle from the countertop and walked back into the dining room, meeting the smiling faces of her family.

Later, after everyone had retired for the evening, Kate sat in the nursery, cradling Lily to her chest as she gently swayed back and forth in the rocking chair. It had been a big evening for the little girl. Lily had delighted in bouncing on her grandfather's knee, giggled as her big sister played and tickled her, and babbled excitedly, trying to sing along with her grandmother as Martha graced them all with a few Christmas songs at the piano. She was still a little amped up, and Kate was trying to wind her down. She didn't know where Castle had gone off to, which had her a little concerned, as her instinct was telling her that her husband was up to something.

After another twenty minutes, Lily finally went down for the night. Kate gently placed her in the crib, bending to dust a kiss to her little brow. She pulled back and took a moment to simply bask in the wonder that was her daughter. Lily Johanna Castle was really the perfect blend of her parents.

Dragging herself away, Kate slipped out of the nursery and padded down the hall, coming to a halt in the open living room, when her eyes landed upon a figure clad in red and white. Her mind jumped to the famous lines of the Christmastime poem, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, but this Joly Old Saint Nick was nothing like the one described in that classic.

"Castle?" Kate gasped. And that's when she noticed that the song "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" was playing softly in the background. She almost rolled her eyes. Placing her hands on her hips, she narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Well, hello, Katherine! Ho, ho, ho!" Castle exclaimed, making his voice deeper than it actually was. "Have you been a good little girl this year?"

Harrumphing, Kate tilted her head and gave him a mild glare. "Really?" she asked, raising one critical eyebrow as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Been naughty, have we?" Castle asked in his fake Santa voice, placing his hands on his stomach, which had obviously been padded with a pillow, and shook with laughter.

"Babe," Kate said, stepping around the sofa to put a hand on his shoulder, hoping to make him stop. "My Dad's upstairs in the guest room. And," she gestured to his getup, "this really isn't as sexy as you think."

Letting out a little growl of disappointment, Castle pulled the pillow out from under his red jacket and tossed it back on the sofa. He yanked his Santa hat off, letting his head drop with dissatisfaction. "So, I take it we won't be making love in front of the Christmas tree this year?"

"No, not this year," Kate said in a mildly apologetic voice, reaching up to cradle his cheek in her palm, remembering how they had, in previous years, done just that. But, alas, this time it was different. "We have a full house this year. Wouldn't want anyone walking in."

"Ah, yes…," Castle's eyes jerked up to meet her gaze. "I… um… hadn't thought of that."

"So I gathered," Kate smirked, patting his cheek sympathetically. She bit her lower lip as she mulled over her idea. "How about this?" she questioned, having decided. "I'll go get some ice cubes, and we can take this into the bedroom."

She flashed him a provocative look and slipped away, letting her hand slide down his chest as she departed. Castle did a double take, and audibly gulped, staring after her, eyes glued on the sway of her hips.

"Did… did you say ice cubes?" he called, still rooted where he'd been standing.

Kate glanced back over her shoulder, her eyes warm and sultry. "Yes, Rick, I did," she purred in a seductive voice that she knew drove him wild. "You go on and get ready while I get the ice cubes."

He bobbed his head, and started to move, before she stopped him with a soft noise.

"Oh, and Castle?"

"Yes?"

"Bring the Santa hat."