Genre: Crime, Drama, Romance, Family, Humor
Rating: M for sexual situations and language
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters featured on the show Castle, they belong to the creator of the show, ABC and the others who do own them.
A/N #1: I was really happy to get the feedback for the last chapter because of what it was about, so I'll go straight into my thank yous for that! Guest (It was great reading you thought the chapter was nicely done! You're welcome for the chapter!) and
Mb (Really happy to read you thought the last chapter was beautifully written. I wasn't surprised you were happy that it was Alexis and Louis' wedding, I really wanted to put it in. I was also really pleased you loved how Alexis had everyone in the room with her, and that you said of course Beckett as her true mom was there while she was getting ready. No surprise you were glad that Meredith wasn't there since I didn't want things to go badly for the wedding of course. Nice to see you thought it was beautifully written. You're welcome for the first half of the chapter! It was great you thought the second half was a wonderfully written update. I was happy that you enjoyed Alexis and Louis in Paris for their honeymoon and remembering the one from their past life. And it was nice to see you liked the rest of their family and friends at Lake Placid with a little vacation. I wasn't surprised you mentioned Castle and Beckett remembering Alexis and Louis' wedding from their past life or that you're suspecting as you said more memories of their life foreshadowing them having a happy and loving marriage. You're welcome for the second half of the chapter!).
Thanks for the reviews, I loved reading them and appreciate the time taken to write them out and send them my way!
A/N #2: The title of this chapter is the title of a song called Give Me The Night (Love In Paris) by Kenny Knight though I couldn't find more information besides that.
Give Me The Night
Feeling something on her back, Alexis' eyes soon opened and she looked behind her, smiling at her husband and she said, "Good afternoon?"
"Afternoon," Louis replied with a nod. He smiled and then waited for his wife to turn to lay on her back before he leaned down and kissed her lovingly. "Actually, it's quite late to be honest."
"What time is it?" Alexis asked in mock exasperation. "The sun is still out."
"It's going down though," Louis said, holding his finger up. He laughed when she playfully pushed him, and he turned his attention to his phone on the nightstand. "Six seventeen… late," he told her.
"Relatively," Alexis said, sitting up. She stretched her arms above her head, smiling at her husband as his eyes were on her breasts. "Louis," she told him.
"Yes," the young man said, turning his attention to her swiftly.
Fighting her smile then as she didn't want to laugh, Alexis then said, "I would like to go out for dinner."
"A café?" Louis asked. "Or…"
"Or?" Alexis asked as she wrapped her arms around him to kiss him gently on the lips.
"Steak-frites?" Louis said hopefully.
Laughing softly, Alexis kissed his cheek and said, "It sounds great, I'm starving."
"So am I," Louis replied before he hesitated for a moment.
"You got reservations somewhere?" Alexis asked him as she was studying at him.
"Aye," Louis said. "You're not mad, are you?"
"Not at all," Alexis said. "But did you do that while you were naked?" she then said, looking down at his body.
"Needed to," Louis said firmly. "Since I wasn't going to get dressed just for that." He laughed briefly with his wife before he told her, "You do know we didn't unpack right?"
"We can do that now," Alexis said. "Though what time are our reservations?"
"Eight," Louis replied. "We are in Europe," he added in a rush.
Brushing her lips against his, Alexis told him, "Don't worry, it gives us more time before we need to get ready."
"Doing what?" Louis asked, unable to keep his anticipation out of his voice.
"You'll see," Alexis said. "But we need to decide something first you know." She smiled when he shook his head seriously and she leaned over to kiss him before telling him, "Bath or shower."
"Bath," Louis said so fast he almost hadn't let his wife finish speaking.
Alexis kissed him for his speed but lingered at the feeling of his lips and they were nearly laying back on the mattress to begin making love. She managed to come back to herself and stopped Louis saying, "I just wanted to head to the bath and then focus on going out."
"Then the Louvre tomorrow," Louis said before he was startled when his wife shook her head firmly.
"I decided we should rest tomorrow," Alexis replied. She wasn't surprised when her husband took her hand while he was getting off the bed. She smiled at him as he looked at her in near anguish and she followed him before gently caressing his erection which was standing out from his body proudly and she told him, "An entire day here."
"Here? Or all around our suite?" Louis asked her eagerly as they walked to the bathroom.
"We can decide tomorrow," Alexis said before they went to the shower to rinse off quickly. While she was waiting for him to fill the tub, she told him, "You're very eager."
"You know I can't control it," Louis said, standing since the tub had enough water in it.
"You're not embarrassed?" Alexis asked him while his length bobbed while he moved.
"No, it's for you," Louis said. He walked up to her and gently rubbed her folds and clit before saying, "I would hope this was for me," feeling how moist she was.
"Yes, let's get in the water," Alexis told him in a rush before they were hurrying in. They coupled rapidly as they couldn't wait, and they were moving together eagerly, faster and faster in the long, elegant tub until they were nearly dislodging the water before they had reached their peaks. When they stopped, she kissed her husband gently and then moved off him since she'd been on top. "It's almost been a full day," she said with a smile while she sat on her husband's lap and pressed against his chest.
"Perfect day," Louis said, smiling when she snuggled closer to him. He kissed her forehead before he was about to ask her how long she wanted to stay in the water when his wife was speaking first and teasing him at the same time.
"You're just saying that because of our lovemaking," Alexis said with a smile.
"Because that's all we've done," Louis began. "So far," he then added rapidly. He smiled at her laughing and then said, "But I do want to get out of here and unpack, plus head to the restaurant. Movie?"
"Why don't we order a café au lait and drink it outside, lay on the daybed that's on the balcony," Alexis suggested softly.
"That would be great," Louis said earnestly. He smiled when she hugged him tightly before he grew serious and then ran his hand up and down her bare back. "Lex…" he breathed to his wife.
"Not yet Louis," Alexis breathed softly to him. They brushed their lips together and once they had stopped; they turned their attention to leaving the tub and drying each other off. When they were wearing the robes that had been in the bathroom she said, "We should just wear these one day."
"And go out to the balcony?" Louis replied with a slight smirk on his face.
Stepping up to her husband, Alexis stood up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his before telling him, "You're incorrigible but that would be fun."
"As long as it's not windy," Louis said at the same time as his wife. He smiled when she looked at him in surprise and then said, "Let's go okay?"
"You mean unpack?" Alexis said.
"Well… if you're going to get very technical there is going to be moving to unpack…" Louis started to say before trailing off. "Not a lick of sense was it?"
"Go," Alexis said laughingly, playfully pushing her husband away from her. They went to where their suitcases were on holders, opened and not touched since earlier in the day and she hurried to unpack everything. "Does it feel weird to you?" she called to her husband.
"Not leaving some in the case to move on?" Louis asked, stepping back from his side of the closet where he was hanging clothes to look at her. When his wife nodded, he smiled and said, "We were in Spain not too long ago, but it'll be satisfying to have everything in place."
"Are you thinking of us living here?" Alexis said.
"Oh aye, and I can't wait," Louis said, smiling at his wife's giggle before she stopped herself.
"You don't need to, we've already started," Alexis replied before she was taking her things for the dresser over to it in the bedroom. She watched her husband doing the same in the drawer under the top one she'd used and said, "We're set."
"We are, and naked under these robes," Louis commented. "Shall we dress?"
"We should, we need to go soon," Alexis replied. She laughed softly as her husband was rushing over to his phone on the nightstand and then said, "You got a message," as he was obviously doing more than just checking the time.
"I did, from Da and Mam," Louis said. "Well, Erin, Arthur and Ella too but I know they wrote the message. They got our texts and are wishing us a fantastic time here."
Alexis went over to her phone and saw a text from her father that was supposed to be from her entire family. "Mine said the same," she told her husband once they had put their phones down after quickly texting their fathers. "But I told them we were done for the day."
"I did too," Louis replied. "When should we call them?"
"During the week when they're back home," Alexis said, nearly having said the Hamptons to apply to both their families. When he nodded, she then said, "Then let's go ahead and dress and get ready so we can walk around." She wasn't surprised when her husband nodded, and they were hurrying to do so until she was finishing with a little bit of makeup as her husband was watching her. She smiled at his reflection in the mirror in front of her and was about to tell him she was almost finished when her husband spoke first.
"You look beautiful, you don't need any more of that," Louis said.
Alexis laughed for a moment and then told him, "I was just going to tell you I'm almost done."
"Oh, but I meant what I said about you not needing anymore," Louis said in surprise.
Smiling at her husband, Alexis finished with a small amount of lip gloss and then said, "I just need my purse and camera and I'm ready."
Nodding, Louis followed her and they went into the foyer of their suite where he checked his pocket for the room key before they were leaving. "Think you'll get good pictures?" he asked while they were heading down to the lobby.
"I think so, Jules and Lizzy will be demanding to see anything of Paris," Alexis said. Something came to mind and she said, "What about Versailles?"
"Would you want to go?" Louis replied.
"I think so," Alexis said, smiling at him. "But later, not this week at least."
Nodding his head quickly Louis then said, "I would have suggested that."
"I wonder if you would have really," Alexis said jokingly. She then kissed his cheek and said, "But we don't have to see too much while we're here."
"No, we should," Louis said. "Should we make a list?"
"No," Alexis said firmly as they were walking through the lobby. "We'll decide what we do each day; it's a vacation too."
"I knew you'd say that," Louis replied. He laughed when his wife nudged his side before he told her, "Though you're right, we've been working like crazy for the last month."
"Weeks, and I think only about two," Alexis said. She smiled when her husband merely shrugged before they were leaving the hotel and she immediately looped her arm through his. "Where exactly is this place?" she then said once they were down the street.
"Not far, a couple blocks," Louis said before he watched his wife taking pictures with one hand. He smiled at her when she looked at him before he gently stopped her when they came to a café.
Alexis watched her husband talking to the maître d' and once they were at their table outside said, "What about after this?"
"You saw the bakery," Louis commented instead of answering.
"I did, what should we have?" Alexis said, smiling when her husband laughed. She gently squeezed his hand as their waiter had walked over to them, and she ordered their meal though she let him pick their wine since he'd looked at the list. They were quiet until they were given their wine and she said, "To our first day as husband and wife," holding up her glass.
"To us again," Louis replied with a smile before they were laughing softly. He quickly took a sip of wine and then told his wife, "Now it's settling in."
"How?" Alexis asked him.
"Your rings," Louis said, picking up her left hand and entwining their fingers. He then kissed the back of it quickly before he told her, "They look perfect on you."
"So does yours," Alexis said, smiling. She then looked at the buildings across the street and took a picture before she took one of her husband when he was taking another sip of his wine.
"Lex," Louis said laughingly. "That's going to be a horrible picture."
"It won't," Alexis said. "Not for me." She smiled when he leaned over to her and kissed her gently on the lips before they were talking about where they would like to possibly go.
"Not many places," Louis told his wife when they'd finished.
"There's a reason why though," Alexis said. She smiled as he pursed his lips and was about to speak again when she saw their waiter coming back with two plates. They didn't talk for a while, focusing on their food since they were starving after their activities once they'd woken up that afternoon. But when she felt a little less hungry, she said, "Were you serious about the movie?"
Shaking his head quickly, Louis took a quick sip of his wine before he reassured her saying, "That was just an option, but would you ever want to?"
"Add it to the list of things we might do," Alexis told him with a laugh before they were returning to their food. When they were nearly finished, she was about to speak when her husband was paying for the meal and she stopped.
"So…" Louis said, turning to her to speak when he saw his wife was frowning. "What's the matter?" he asked in concern.
"No, I was just thinking of the shop on the Rue de Longchamp but I remembered I already mentioned it," Alexis said quickly. When her husband looked at her suspiciously, she merely smiled and was relieved when the waiter came with the check. Once they were ready to go, she slid her arm through her husband's before she told him, "I'm not getting a macaron by the way."
After he'd laughed briefly, though he was still uncertain of how she was doing, Louis nodded before he said, "I can fully agree, though I would imagine all the kids are happy as Larry."
Laughing, since she knew that was slang in Ireland for really happy, Alexis said, "I'm sure they will be."
Louis nodded but was concerned again when his wife grew serious once more and he tried to think of how he could get her to speak to him when they reached the bakery. "Well," he said, knowing he needed to wait until they were back at their suite. "What'll you want Lex?"
"Those petit fours look good," Alexis replied before she paused. "Wait, they weren't in the basket, were they?"
"You're forgetting already?" Louis asked her with a smile, as they'd finished their pastries in between their lovemaking earlier in the afternoon.
"There was one that looked similar," Alexis said. "But I just remembered it was round and not square."
"You want the one with the raspberry?" Louis asked. When his wife nodded, he said, "Alright, I'll grab the one that looks like a little tiny pineapple upside down cake."
Alexis smiled and nodded at him before they were getting their small desserts and heading back to the hotel. When they were up at their suite, she ordered their café au lait and then went out to where her husband was at the daybed, looking at the Eiffel Tower.
Feeling his wife wrapping her arm around his, Louis looked down at her and smiled before saying, "What's the craic beautiful?"
Smiling, as her husband had recently started calling her that as an endearment, Alexis asked, "No more dame?"
"It didn't seem to fit you," Louis said. "And I think I called you beautiful in our past life. If that doesn't work-" he began to say in a rush.
Stopping her husband from speaking, Alexis told him, "I like it, and it feels like a better fit."
"Do you recall what you called me?" Louis asked.
Able to tell from his tone that he didn't, Alexis took a moment before she said, "I think I called you my prince… I think I'll avoid that now."
"Thank you," Louis said seriously. He was startled momentarily when his wife cupped his face with her hands and leaned into her, kissing her deeply before they parted.
"Hmm, what should I call you now?" Alexis asked as she looked into her husband's eyes.
"You don't need to call me anything other than Louis," he replied seriously. "I love the way you say my name."
Alexis smiled at that, since she never really had gotten an endearment for her husband during their relationship and then said, "What if I called you ma douce?"
Louis opened his mouth, about to say she didn't need to before he hesitated and said, "That doesn't really sound too bad to be honest," as she was calling him her sweet.
"Good," Alexis said, brushing her lips to his. "Now get the door ma douce."
Shaking his head and smiling back at his wife as he left her, Louis hurried to get their coffees and once he was back on the balcony with them, he gave one glass to his wife before they were drinking slowly. They moved without a word to the daybed and once they were on top of it, he said gently, "Lex."
"Yes?" Alexis replied, turning to look at him.
"Would you tell me something," Louis said.
"Alright," Alexis said, surprised at his somber tone.
"What's wrong?" Louis told her simply. He wasn't surprised when she was opening her mouth to speak and he quickly told her, "Don't say there isn't anything because I see how you've been looking since we finished dinner tonight. Tell me, I am your husband and I hope you'll confide in me."
Alexis sighed, since she knew her husband wasn't going to let her deflect and she took a sip of coffee before she sat up. Looking down at him she said, "We've only just been married for a day but there's something I want to talk to you about."
"Children? Is it about us having children?" Louis asked. "Because if it is, I want to talk about that too." He was startled when she laughed briefly before he said, "What?"
"I wasn't expecting that," Alexis said. "And I realize I didn't have to be so worried you might think it was too soon. But that's what I wanted to talk about, this early in our marriage though we have said we wanted them already."
"Some people talk about it before you know," Louis replied.
"Mom and Dad didn't," Alexis said.
"No but… we're all out of the ordinary, aren't we?" Louis said after thinking for a moment. He then laughed and said, "Never mind. What do you want to do then Lex?"
"To be honest, I want us to try… not now but soon," Alexis replied. "Maybe after the New Year, begin trying?"
"I think we can more than handle having children financially," Louis said thoughtfully. "With my trust and yours. But how many would you like?"
"You don't mind the time I suggested to start?" Alexis asked him.
"No," Louis told her simply. He smiled when she leaned over to him and they gently kissed before they parted and he said, "How many, and this is going to be your decision because you'll be pregnant."
Nodding briefly, Alexis then said, "Two, I think two will be good." Something suddenly hit her, and she started to say, "Even though we had-"
"Five in our past life," Louis said at the same time. He smiled when she looked surprise and told her, "I recalled the number suddenly but… names and genders I don't."
"I don't either," Alexis said. She was going to ask him what number of kids he'd been thinking of when he made her lay back down. She breathed out heavily when he laid his hand on her stomach and put hers on top of it before he was speaking tenderly.
"I can't wait for it," Louis said. "A little one with us in our enormous home," he began, pausing when his wife laughed softly. He leaned over and they shared a gentle kiss before he said, "But I've wanted a family of my own."
"Good," Alexis said. "So have I." They kissed again before she said, "It's funny, we've both had…"
"Issues with our families growing up?" Louis suggested as she had trailed off.
"Yes, I mean for a little I had a family until I was about two," Alexis said slowly. "But I don't remember much of that." She smiled at her husband gently rubbing her arm and she said, "It's okay, Dad and Gram were my family and Meredith was the crazy aunt." She stopped him from speaking telling him, "It's okay. I have Mom now." She looked out at the view of the city before she said softly, "Why are we talking about our families though?"
Louis laughed and then told his wife, "I haven't a clue, but let's talk about a baby… we could have one this time next year."
"It depends on when I get pregnant," Alexis told him with a smile. "So I'll hopefully be pregnant this time next year." She watched him moving his lips around a little as he pursed them and she asked in amusement, "Did you want to do something big for our anniversary?"
"Not really, I suppose just do something," Louis said.
"Then you mean have sex," Alexis said teasingly.
"Indulge in our lovemaking," Louis corrected her before they were laughing together. "But it's a while of course so we'll see what happens."
"And since it's a while until we get to the point where we're pregnant," Alexis began, sitting up and finishing the last of her café au lait. "Let's focus on us."
"Perfect idea," Louis said, finishing his coffee. As his wife playfully pulled him off the daybed he said laughingly, "What about the petit fours?"
"We can eat them later," Alexis said easily as her husband was standing. She wrapped her arms around him and then kissed him lovingly on the lips before she took his hand and they slipped into their suite, hurrying to their room eagerly since they had hours to spend together the rest of their first day of marriage.
"You're not that full?" Eve asked her brother.
"No way," Jacob replied. He saw the others were looking at him and he said, "What?"
"You ate a lot," Marie said teasingly, laughing when the teen stuck his tongue out at her playfully.
"I'm looking forward to the pie," Julia commented. "Even though I had my sandwich."
"Oh, here they come," Mari said.
"Think you'll hear from your sister at all today?" Marie asked Julia as they were waiting for their plates.
"Probably not," she replied with a smile. "I think they'll spend all their time in their suite… though maybe they'll go out to eat. Dad said there are some really nice places at their hotel." Julia saw Jacob was shifting in his chair and said, "I thought the same, it's weird to think about what you do on a honeymoon."
"That's because you're so young still," Eve said. "All of you," she added, smiling at the other kids.
"You know you might be the next one of us who marry," Erin said.
"Oh I know, but that's a big might," Eve replied easily.
"She doesn't have any boyfriend right now or anyone she likes," Jacob told everyone. He glanced at his sister and was startled when she was looking away as she was eating some of her pie. "There's someone?"
"No," Eve said so firmly that she felt bad when the others looked startled. "Sorry it's… I don't know what it is but I'm just waiting right now."
"If that's what you want to do then it's what you'll do," Julia said.
"Exactly," Eve told her with a wide smile. "But the pie is really good."
"Do they really get the apples from outside?" Jacob asked.
"They do," Julia said, smiling as her cousin and other friends were agreeing that it was very good. She was glad they were finally in Apple Canyon but knew they were going to leave soon since they'd arrived early enough to go to the zoo before they'd had lunch. "Hopefully you guys won't mind the stores," she then told them when they were nearly finished.
"Are we going into them all?" Mari asked.
"I don't know, it's more country stuff except for the store with the caramel apples," Julia said. She glanced at the table most of the adults were sitting at and then said, "I bet my parents told all of yours. Plus Patrick and Trevor."
"Probably," Mari said as the grownups were getting up from the table. She then said, "I hate to go back though."
"We have to," Marie said.
"And I have to too," Erin said.
"Good thing you don't have to go to school tomorrow," Julia told her cousin, since she knew Erin was going to stay in London the next day with her family.
"And I can swim," Erin replied as they were staying at the Savoy. "Mum said we'd go through Harrod's at least, for Arthur and Ella."
"And you," Clara told her daughter as they were leaving the restaurant.
Julia smiled before she went quickly over to her parents who were talking to each other, pausing before she got their attention. When they turned to her she was about to speak when her mother did first while she was smiling.
"We're going to get the caramel apples right now," Beckett told her.
"How'd you know I was going to ask?" Julia said with a smile.
"I guessed," Beckett said jokingly before she exchanged a quick hug with her daughter. "And after that we're getting the apples and cider before we start for home." She wasn't surprised when her daughter sighed and she said, "I know, but they have flights they need to catch and most of you have school."
Smiling, Julia said, "I'm glad Erin gets to go through London."
"Me too," Castle said. When his wife and their second oldest looked at him he said, "Hey, I like being a tourist there too."
Beckett shook her head, since she was smiling, and then said to their daughter, "But we need to get going."
Nodding, Julia hurried over to Mari and told her, "We'll get to go to the caramel apples now."
"And then we have to go?" the girl asked.
Shaking her head quickly Julia reminded her, "Then get regular apples and cider. And then we have to leave," looking apologetically at Erin and Marie who were with them.
"We'll see you for Christmas," the latter said before she cringed. "Sorry Erin," she said.
"It's alright, we're having a special Christmas after with Louis and Alexis," Erin replied with a smile. She then said, "And we'll see each other for the summer vacation at least."
"You're going to come on the road trip?" Marie asked.
Nodding rapidly Erin said, "I'd love to! I've never been to California or… Canada, Washington or Oregon."
"Neither have we," the other three girls said at the same time before all four were laughing together.
"You mean just those three places, right?" Erin asked them jokingly.
"Yeah," Julia said laughingly. They started to walk then, and she said, "But it should be so cool to see Vancouver."
"Did you ever watch the first episode of The X-Files?" Marie asked her.
"Yep, not that long ago, Dad managed to convince Mom to let me see it," Julia said. "And the foliage is really cool… around the supernatural stuff," she added with a smile.
"You're very lucky she didn't have nightmares watching that," Martha told her son.
Shrugging his shoulders, Castle said, "She's been wanting to see it." He then smiled at his mother and told her, "But are you okay with what we talked about?"
"Yes, you don't have to worry about me constantly Richard," Martha told him. "And I've never been to those states or that part of Canada either." She then said, "Are you eager for it?"
"Very, now we have some places," Castle said as they had ended up discussing that trip with everyone at breakfast instead of lunch. The kids; except for the four youngest; had been eager at the idea of the road trip before they were discussing places to go. They had a few places for sure, but he and Skye were going to plan the rest of it out together. He saw then they'd reached the store and he went to his wife while they were entering, asking her, "Are we all getting one?"
"Except for Josie, yes," Beckett replied, looking down at her phone for a moment quickly. She then smiled and said to her husband, "Did you want to get her one?"
"Better just giving her regular apples," Castle said. "But if I got the one with pieces of peanut butter cups on the outside…?"
"Yes, she can have some of that," Beckett told him with a soft laugh. "But only a little." They were in line and she told him, "We're getting a number of apples."
"Of course, want to get applesauce or have me make it?" Castle asked her quickly.
"We'll make it," Beckett said in amusement since they'd done that before for Eliza when she was a baby. She was next so she quickly ordered the apples their family wanted and once she had paid, she gave her husband the bag they were in. She saw Skye and Mary were behind her and once the latter was paying, she got the investigator's attention.
"We're taking these in the suitcases," Skye said with a smile. "The girls couldn't resist."
"Of course not," Castle said. "I'll be outside Kate."
Nodding to her husband leaving, Beckett asked her friend, "What about apples?"
"We can get a bag or two," Skye replied. "I think we're going to be heading to Oak Glen ourselves soon."
"I'm not surprised," Beckett said. By then every family had gotten caramel apples and they were leaving the store before walking back to their cars which were next to the building that had the apples and cider. Walking around there she went to her cousin and said, "What do you think?"
"Quite a nice place," Brennan replied with a smile. "And I think we'll take a bag home with the caramel apples."
"Hey," Castle said, walking up to his wife when her cousin had left her.
"She's asleep still?" Beckett asked, looking down at the baby.
"She's fine," Castle said, smiling as he watched his wife gently brush Josie's hair off her forehead. "So, when we head home we have a basically empty fridge," he told her when she looked at him.
"The problems of suburbia," Beckett said jokingly.
"I don't mind," Castle said seriously.
"Neither do I," Beckett told him, squeezing his arm. "And we should just get some pizza or Dim Sum."
"The girls will be ecstatic," Castle said. He looked down at Josie and then said, "It still feels weird knowing there'll just be the three of them once we go home."
"I know, but those three weeks will likely go fast," Beckett told her husband. She laughed softly when he nodded his head seriously and then told him, "You're a good man Rick."
"I try," Castle told her seriously before they were turning their attention to getting their apples.
Allowing her husband to get the bags, Beckett tried not to think of having to say goodbye to her cousin and his family or the McDouglases. She reminded herself they already were planning to spend the next summer together and turned her attention to her husband while they discussed which type of apples they wanted to get for their family.
"I'm so happy we're back home!" Eliza said when she walked into her big sister's room.
"Why did you go into 'lexis and Louis' room?" Julia asked, looking over at her.
Shrugging her shoulders, Eliza said, "'Cause I miss her."
"Me too, but she'll come back," Julia replied. She watched as Eliza was petting Rita who was next to her and said, "How's Carlow?"
"He's good, he wants to stay where it's warm," Eliza replied. She then smiled and said, "Mommy and Daddy were kissing."
"How'd you go to their room?" Julia asked in surprise.
"I tiptoed," Eliza replied easily with a beaming smile. "Now I wanna go see the pool room."
"You can't," Julia said. "Mom and Dad'll be mad if you try. Now sit on my bed and wait for me, I'm almost finished."
"Will we get Mommy and Daddy?" Eliza asked.
"Let's wait and see if they finish," Julia told her with a smile before she was getting the last of her things put away.
"Rick," Beckett called to her husband in their closet. She looked over at him when he came up to the doorway and told him, "Did you finish?"
"Yeah, that's it?" Castle asked in surprise.
"That's it?" Beckett said in response.
Smiling, Castle said, "I thought you were calling me over to kiss me again." When she gave him a look he said, "Then I stand corrected," going to her as she laughed softly and shook her head before she was speaking.
"We can't Rick," Beckett told her husband gently, placing her hand on his chest. "The girls are probably going to come down the hall."
"True," Castle said, looking back to the doorway out to the bedroom. "But since they're not here…"
Beckett had a chance to laugh softly before her husband was gathering her in his arms and kissing her. She wasn't surprised when that kiss was deep and was responding to him eagerly before they heard the voices of their middle daughters in their bedroom. "I told you," she said to him teasingly before they turned to walk out.
"Did you finish unpacking?" Eliza asked eagerly.
"We did, when did you get Josie?" Beckett asked because the baby was walking with Julia's help.
"Just now," she said simply. "Gram said she was restless."
"I can see that," Beckett said as Josie fell to the ground and started to crawl. "Come here," she said to the baby before Josie was vocalizing at the sight of her. She picked her up and kissed her cheek before telling her, "What would you like to do now?"
"She wants to go play outside," Eliza said firmly.
"For a little," Beckett said with a smile. "We need to go to the market."
"I thought you said we might get dinner," Julia said in surprise.
"We might still," Castle said. "But we need other supplies too you know."
"He's right," Julia said. "Are we going to make dinner?"
"Should we just get something?" Castle asked his wife.
"Probably," Beckett said in amusement. "Okay, so let's go out and take the dogs with us." She quickly held her hand up to Eliza who opened her mouth to speak and told her firmly, "You need to leave Carlow in his habitat okay?"
"Okay," Eliza said, pouting.
"Thank you," Beckett said in amusement before she turned her attention to Julia. "And you can invite Mari over."
"You knew I was gonna ask?" the girl said with a smile.
"I had a feeling," Beckett said.
"Have her over to dinner too," Castle commented. "But her parents have to okay it of course."
"I know," Julia said rapidly. "Can I go now?" When her parents nodded, she rushed out into the hall before she paused and went back to her family before her little sister was speaking to her in concern.
"What's the matter?" Eliza asked.
"No, what if we had Dani over too?" Julia said to her, directing the question to their parents.
"That's fine," Beckett said in amusement when the three looked at her while Josie was grabbing a strand of her hair.
"Great, I'll be right back," Julia said happily, leaving the room.
"Do we need to punish her in any way?" Castle asked, trying to keep the laughter out of his voice since Eliza had rushed after her sister without a word to them.
"Maybe just talk to her," Beckett said, not as successful as her husband and speaking laughingly.
"Lizzy," Julia said in surprise at the bottom of the stairs. "Are you coming with me?"
"Yeah," Eliza replied with a smile before they were rushing out of the house together. She smiled again when her sister took her hand and then said, "I didn't ask Mommy and Daddy."
Snorting in brief laughter, Julia said, "You're going to be in trouble when we go back."
"Not that much," Eliza said though she knew her sister was right. As they were walking on the grass she said, "I hope they let them come over."
"Me too, I don't know if they will," Julia told her seriously. "So don't beg."
"I know that," Eliza said with a brief frown before they turned to walk up the Foster's backyard. "David's there," she said quickly as they were walking up to the sliding door.
"I see," Julia said quickly, having spotted her friend's father in the kitchen. She knocked on the glass and she and her sister waved when the mayor looked up.
"Hey girls," David told them with a smile. "Have you come over to play?"
"We came to ask something," Eliza said first.
"We were wondering if Mari and Dani could come over to play and stay until after dinner," Julia said, glancing at her little sister.
"Both of them?" Rebecca asked when she was walking into the family room and kitchen with Dani following her.
"Yeah," Eliza said, hugging her friend when she hurried over to her.
"It would be nice," David said slowly, looking at his wife.
"True," Rebecca said as she looked at the three kids. "Alright, but you're not going to ask them to spend the night, are you?"
Shaking her head quickly, Julia said, "I know it's a school night so no. Just to play and dinner and… play a little after?"
"Thanks for leaving that up to us," David said with a laugh at the girl's tone. "I think that's fine."
"It is but tell your parents we'll come over at seven to get them," Rebecca said. When her husband looked at her, she said, "Let them eat dinner and play at least a little."
"Where's Mari?" Julia asked then.
"Up in her room; I'm sure she's finished unpacking so you can go up and get her," Rebecca said. When the girl had left them, she said to her husband, "We'll have to return the favor for Rick and Kate."
"We will," David said with a nod before they watched their youngest talking with Eliza.
"Come in Mom," Mari said when there was a knock on the door. "I'm finished unpacking; I was just reading."
"That's what your mom said downstairs," Julia said as she entered the room with a smile.
"Julia!" Mari cried in surprise, whirling around to her. She rushed to her friend and hugged her tightly saying, "You came over."
"I invited you and Lizzy invited Dani over to play and have dinner," Julia said.
"My parents said yes right?" Mari asked. When her friend nodded, she clapped her hands and then said, "Let me get my jacket for after," turning to her closet. "Are we playing outside?" she then said as she grabbed her thinnest jacket.
"Yeah," Julia replied before she looked at her bare arms. "I guess I should have grabbed one… Lizzy too."
"Eliza came with you?" Mari asked as they were leaving the room.
"She did," Julia said. "She wanted to get Dani," she added with a smile before they were going down. She watched with Eliza while Rebecca and David spoke with their daughters about behaving and once they left she said, "Don't run with her Lizzy."
Wrinkling her nose, Eliza said, "We won't," before she turned to Dani.
"What're we going to play now?" Mari asked her friend.
"Maybe we should play with the bow and arrow sets we have," Julia suggested.
"Oh yeah, that would be fun," Mari said. She looked ahead at their little sisters and said, "Think they'll want to?"
"Probably, Lizzy loves playing with the bow and arrows," Julia replied before they reached the steps up to the house.
"Hello Mari, Dani," Beckett said, the first to step out onto the patio, her husband behind her with jackets for their middle daughters.
"Hi," the latter said happily, her big sister echoing her.
Smiling, Beckett said, "Are you two ready to play?"
"I thought of playing with our bow and arrow sets Mom," Julia said.
"That's fine," Beckett said, looking back at her husband.
"Yeah, I'll grab them," Castle said, letting her take Josie before he was going to where they had the outdoors items in their basement they used for storage.
"What made you think of that?" Beckett asked her daughter.
Pursing her lips for a moment, Julia said, "I don't know, I guess because it's not that windy or anything."
"I like it Mommy," Eliza said.
"I don't mind either," Mari said as they were walking over to the trees between her house and the Castle's. "Could Dani play?"
"With the children's set of course," Beckett answered. She saw her husband was coming over with the sets and she walked to him after giving Josie to her father. She was about to tease him for not asking her to help before he was talking swiftly as they were splitting the sets between them.
"I really thought I could handle these on my own," Castle told his wife.
Smiling at him, Beckett said, "At least you're admitting defeat."
"It's not really- oh," Castle said, his eyes widening slightly at her tone of voice. "Are you sure?"
Beckett couldn't help laughing softly and she told him, "You really need to ask?"
"No, but we're trying to keep this from them," Castle said.
Laughing at that, since she knew her husband was making that a rhetorical question, Beckett said, "Of course," before they were making their way back to the others. Once they had stopped, they were setting up the child's set first and she said, "Alright sweetie, you need to let our youngest guest go first."
"That's okay," Eliza said quickly. "I was gonna let Dani go first anyway."
"I think you're going to need to wait still Eliza," Castle said gently. When she gave him a look he laughed and said, "I know, sorry about that sweetheart but you need a little more time."
"For now practice with the kids' set," Beckett said gently to the little girl, not sure how she would respond.
"Okay, but when I can use the grown up one you'll let me right?" Eliza asked.
"We will," Castle said when his wife looked at him pointedly.
Beckett went over to Dani with the bow and arrows for the children's set before she told her, "Do you want me to help you?"
"Yeah," Dani said, nodding her head. She smiled up at Beckett while she took the bow from her and watched her hand her an arrow. She giggled and said, "I don't know."
"I know, hold on," Beckett said, setting the other arrows on the ground before she helped the toddler notch the arrow into the string of the bow before she helped her pull it back. "Aim," she said, watching the toddler. She knew already Dani wasn't going to be able to do it, so she helped her though they barely got the arrow on the target. "Good job," she said, squeezing her shoulder.
"Thank you," Dani said, smiling widely at her. "Can I more?"
"Do more," Eliza said in an exaggerated whisper behind her.
"Yeah," Dani said before she was laughing with everyone else.
As Beckett was helping her sister, Mari tugged Julia's sleeve and said, "Anything from your sister?"
"No, and I think it's late there already so they're probably asleep," Julia said. "Gram said don't expect them to call us for the first week."
"That's a long time," Mari said as they were watching Eliza starting.
"Yeah," Julia said. "But Mom said they have no obligation to call us; not like her and my dad when they went on their honeymoon since they had me and Alexis to call of course since I was so young."
"Think they'll be having kids soon?" Mari asked.
"I don't know," Julia said honestly. "Alexis wants to be a mom I know but they're still kind of young and everything."
"You'll be an aunt," Mari said.
"I thought about that," Julia replied with a smile. "And that would be cool, I do love babies." She giggled when her friend nodded, knowing she was saying she liked it as well and she was going to tease her about having a bunch before her grandfather was touching her shoulder and she looked up at him when he spoke.
"Are you two ready for your turns?" Jim asked.
Looking over at the others, Julia was surprised to see that Dani was taking another turn and she frowned before looking up at her grandfather. "Did you not want us to talk about babies?" she asked.
"You having a baby," Jim said.
Julia smiled and said, "We weren't gonna talk about that Grandpapa."
"And we aren't going to talk about that," Mari said. "We were going to stop right? Ask for our turn?"
Jim smiled when Julia nodded, appearing serious, before he said, "I was wondering."
Smiling again, Julia turned to her mother as she was calling to her and she rushed over to her asking, "Yeah?"
"We're going to let you and Mari take your turns," Beckett said as Castle had gone to switch the targets. "But-"
"I need to let her go first, I knew," Julia said quickly. "Did you think I would mind?"
"I had to check," Beckett replied, laughing briefly when her daughter hugged her tightly. She watched her hurry back to Mari and then looked down at Eliza who was staring at the bow she held. "Eliza," she said firmly.