Candy Corn, Pumpkins, And Everything Nice

Kate Beckett awoke to an empty bed. Not entirely her preferred method of waking up on a day off. She'd grown accustomed to sharing a morning snuggle with Castle, sometimes more. But, as was often the case, things changed over the years.

Scrubbing a hand down her face in an attempt to brush away the last shades of slumber, she suppressed an amused smirk at the thought that not too long ago their roles would have been reversed, and it would have been Castle—not her—waking up to an empty bed. Before her promotion, her job didn't really have set hours. Though, Castle always made it difficult to leave the warmth of their bed, especially in those early years. The man had a way of convincing her back under the covers for a quick round of lovemaking, forcing her to then hurry up afterwards so that she wasn't late showing up to the crime scene.

Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, Kate sat up. Their bedroom door was ajar and from without she could just barely hear the low baritone of her husband's voice, followed soon after by the soft giggles of her daughter. Smiling to herself, Kate pushed up off the bed and sauntered into the en suite bathroom to take care of some morning business. She padded out, refreshed, if not entirely alert. Kate Beckett would always need her morning hit of coffee.

"Oh, you're up. Sorry, did we wake you?"

Kate shook her head as she approached Castle and their stroller bounded daughter.

"No," she informed in a flat tone, with matching expression. "The bed was cold."

Castle grinned. "I'd have stayed, and snuggled"—their code for fooling around nowadays—"but, alas, this little one was up and squirming."

"Da!" agreed an enthusiastic Lily, wiggling her hands and legs, still restrained in her stroller.

"That's right, my little Candy Corn," Castle winked at his youngest.

"Candy Corn?" Kate questioned, raising an eyebrow, bemused.

"You need some coffee," Castle deduced with an exaggerated frown.

"Yes, yes I do."

"Here," Castle reached for the to-go cup resting in the stroller's cupholder. "We stopped by the corner coffee shop on our way back from our morning walk."

"Ya! Ma!" added Lily.

Kate hesitantly accepted the proffered drink. "It's not one of those pumpkin spice lattes, is it?" she scrunched up her nose in disgust. While she loved coffee, she hated the seasonal twists that vendors would occasionally add to her beloved drink.

"No," he answered somewhat sadly, as unlike her, he loved those seasonal twists. "Just your standard skim latte with two pumps of sugar free vanilla."

"Wise choice, Castle," she said, patting her husband's cheek and pushing up on her toes to give him a sweet kiss. Lily made a noise, clearly displeased at being left out. Kate grinned and bent to give her sweet little girl a kiss as well. Lily gurgled happily.

With cup in hand, Kate migrated to the kitchen while Castle crouched to unbuckled their little one. She watched from behind the island countertop, sipping her coffee, as Castle tickled and played with Lily as he unstrapped her from her seat. Once freed, Lily slipped down with her daddy's assistance, and on bouncing feet, toddled towards the living room and her toys.

Kate flashed back to last Christmas, when Lily took her first steps, and shook her head, amazed at how quickly their little girl had become independently mobile. To tell the truth, it was kind of frightening. For such a small human being, Lily could zip away at astonishing speeds.

"Candy corn," she suddenly repeated, her eyes going wide with realization as she finally took in the outfit her daughter was wearing. Spinning, she turned on Castle with an accusatory stare. "Castle!"

He stopped, spooked like a deer in the crosshairs of a pair of gleaming headlights. "Yes, honey?" he answered in a somewhat shaky voice.

"Why does our daughter look like a piece of candy corn?"

"What?" he hooted. "She's adorable."

"Yes, she is, but why?"

"It's Halloween, Kate," Castle stated with more confidence. "Besides, Lily wanted to wear it."

"Really?" she pushed, placing her cup down on the countertop and folding her arms across her chest. "You didn't helpfully suggest it, did you?"

"What, me? Never," he harrumphed, a little too quickly.

"Uh huh," Kate narrowed her eyes. "Just for that, I don't think you'll get your treat tonight."

He froze. "What—you mean—but I thought we—Now, Kate, that's just plain mean."

Keeping her glare on him, she just shook her head. It was an empty threat, as there was no way she'd deny herself such a treat, but he didn't need to know that. Castle sidled up closer to her, and lowered his voice.

"How can I make amends," he intoned with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows.

She held his gaze for a long moment, pretending to contemplate an appropriate penance, while suppressing a smirk.

"Well, I'm sure Lily and I could use a nice breakfast, and perhaps someone would be kind enough to offer to do the clean up after we carve the pumpkins," she spoke in a flat, neutral tone.

"Whoa, seems kind of harsh—"

Kate raised a single eyebrow.

"Deal," he exclaimed quickly. And then, slinking an arm around her waist, tugged her close. "Shall we seal it with a kiss?"

She allowed herself a smile then. "Yes, please."

Pushing up on her toes, she met his mouth with hers in a heated kiss that had her toes curling and insides buzzing with anticipation for their special treat later that night. Yes, she thought as she leaned into his embrace, today was going to be a good day.

XXX

"Castle, don't let her put any of that in her mouth."

Kate hurried back from the kitchen, a roll of paper towels in hand. Lily babbled excitedly, squeezing and tugging at the innards of a recently hollowed out pumpkin.

"Ma, Ook!" Lily exclaimed, holding up the stringy orange mess for Kate to see.

"Sticky, isn't it?" Kate asked, sliding down to the floor to join her family. Thankfully she'd had the forethought to cover the floor in several layers of newspaper, otherwise they'd have a bigger mess on their hands. Her eyes skimmed up from her daughter to lock with Castle's sparkling blues. "Remember who's doing the cleaning."

"Yes, dear," he sighed dramatically.

Kate set the paper towel roll down, and adjusted the hollowed-out pumpkin, scrutinizing it with a critical eye.

"Watch this, Lily," Castle murmured into their daughter's ear. "Your Mommy's an artist."

"Ma!" enthused Lily, clapping her sticky hands together, causing some pumpkins seeds to go flying.

Kate offered her daughter a quick smile, before returning her attention to the pumpkin. Taking up a carving knife, she set to work, ignoring Castle's oohs and awws every time she made a cut. She focused on carving the pumpkin, and giving it ghoulish eyes, and a large fang filled mouth. When she was done, she spun it around for Lily to see.

"Ma! Ma!" Lily squealed approvingly, bouncing in Castle's lap and clapping her hands.

"It is really good," Castle asserted. "Plus, your nose wrinkled adorably when you focused on carving those vicious fangs."

Kate rolled her eyes.

"Switch?"

She nodded, moving her finished Jack-o-Lantern away, as she accepted Lily, sticky hands and all. "You're giving her a bath before the party, Rick."

"Ooh, it's Rick, is it," he glanced down at Lily and winked. "That means she's serious."

Lily giggled.

Kate ripped a sheet from the roll of paper towels and proceeded to clean the stringy pumpkin innards from her daughter's fingers while Castle went to work disemboweling his pumpkin. She pursed her lips and smiled, watching as his eyebrows knitted together and his face scrunched up as he concentrated on his task.

While Castle set to work carving up his pumpkin, Kate adjusted herself and Lily, pulling over a smaller pumpkin they'd picked up for her.

"Here, baby," Kate said, offering Lily an uncapped marker.

Lily looked at the marker, then at Kate, then at the little pumpkin placed in front of her.

"Yes, Lily, go wild!"

Lily made a series of happy noises and went to town on the little pumpkin, scribbling lines over the bumpy surface. By the end it looked like a wild array of wires haphazardly bunched together.

"Wow, Lily, great job!" Castle enthused, glancing up from his work. "Very creative."

"Da!" Lily cried in reply, holding up her free hand for a high five.

Castle grinned like a proud papa. He'd spent way too much time teaching their daughter the importance of the high five. Lily squealed in delight as she clapped Castle's palm.

"Eww, sticky fingers," he commented.

"Told you," Kate grinned, flashing her husband a playful wink. She hugged Lily to her, dropping her head to place a kiss atop her daughter's auburn curls. "I think I'll give this little one a bath now. You can clean up this mess, and start setting up for the party."

"I thought you wanted me to give—"

"This here," she gestured to the array of pumpkin innards and seeds littering the thankfully newspaper covered floor, "is a bigger mess, and I don't want to deal with it. Thank you, very much." She grinned wickedly. "Pray I don't alter it further."

"Star Wars reference, nice!" enthused Castle. "I knew there was a reason I married you."

"And I married you for the free coffee," Kate jested back.

"I think we both hit the jackpot," Castle asserted with a twinkle in his eye.

"Yeah," Kate sighed, sentimental. "We did." She then leaned over to give her husband a kiss. Pulling back, she let out a soft contented breath. Yeah. It was still as good as the first time. She'd never get tired to kissing Richard Castle.

Letting Lily stand on her own, Kate got up onto her own feet and held out her hand.

"Okay, it's bath time, Lily-bug," she said.

"Ba?" Lily asked.

"Yes, baby, bath time."

Lily let out a delighted gurgle and reached for Kate's outstretched hand. Kate smiled softly as she led their daughter away from the mess that Castle would clean up.

"Bub bub?" Lily asked quietly, with the most adorable pleading look.

"Huh? Oh, yes, bubble bath," Kate said, nodding her head. "Mommy might join you. And then we'll get into our costumes and help Daddy finish setting up for the party."

"You two have fun," Castle hollered as they departed, sitting up on his knees. "I'll just take care of this mess all by myself."

"Remember, babe, part of the deal," Kate called back, glancing over her shoulder at her husband. She offered him a suggestive wink, before turning around and leading Lily out of the room.

XXX

Lily, dressed in a miniature Princess Leia costume, her brunette strands curled into the iconic buns, squealed and scampered excitedly as she chased after Sarah Grace, dressed as Tinker Bell, and Nicholas Javier Ryan as Peter Pan. Running after them, grinning like a proud big sister, was Alexis, in a matching Princess Leia costume, her gorgeous redhaired bundled up into the iconic buns as well. Her fiancé, Tim—not Timothy—was dressed as a blond Han Solo. Castle, begrudgingly, approved. He was still warming up to the fact that his little girl was now engaged.

Kate was pleased to see her husband, dressed as Indiana Jones, chatting amicably with the younger man. Her father, Jim Beckett, dressed as Babe Ruth, was sipping his fruit punch by the fire place and talking with Jenny—also Tinkerbell—and Kevin Ryan, who was decked out in a wizard outfit that looked like Mickey Mouse's from the Sorcerer's Apprentice. Martha Rodgers was at the piano, playing some Broadway tunes she deemed festive for the spooky holiday. Everyone seemed to be having a good time.

Kate turned to click her glass with Lanie.

"I remember when these parties were bigger," Lanie commented after taking a sip of her drink. "And when the fruit punch was spiked."

Kate chuckled. "Things change when you have kids."

"I know," Lanie sighed dramatically. "Almost takes the fun out of everything."

"Right, so when are you and Espo going to pull your heads out of your asses and settle down?"

"Me, settle down, ha!" Lanie laughed, waving a hand to dismiss the suggestion, before gulping down a double mouthful of her fruit punch. "Never going to happen, girl."

"Never say never, Lanes," Kate said. "I thought the same thing before I met Castle."

"Well, he was your 'The One'," Lanie reminded. "Lord knows you fought it like crazy, but thankfully you came to your senses… eventually."

"And Espo isn't your 'The One'?" Kate tossed back, raising an eyebrow. "I've seen how you each other look at one another when you think no one is watching."

Lanie gave a nonchalant shrug. "No promises, sweetie."

"Just… speaking from experience, listen to your heart."

"Oh, I was thinking of a different organ, but sure, hon, whatever you say," Lanie winked and cackled with laughter as Kate joined her.

The doorbell chimed. "I'll be right back," she told Lanie, and hurried to the door, grabbing the bowl of candy on the way. When she opened the door, she let out a sharp laugh, and then stopped. "Sorry."

Esposito grimaced, and gestured at himself. "Yeah, I was running late and all they had was this."

"I don't think I've even seen a unicorn that frowns so much," Castle commented with a smirk as he sauntered over to join them at the door.

"Shut up."

Castle grinned wider and laughed. "I'm sorry, Espo. I can't. God, this is priceless." He turned. "Alexis, fetched the camera. No… wait, I'll get it!" And he was off.

Kate suppressed a laugh and turned back to her friend. "Sorry."

"Whatever," grumbled Esposito, the grumpy unicorn. "It's for the kids," he added, desperate for an explanation at showing up in an adult sized rainbow unicorn onesie.

"Uncle Javier!" cheered Sarah Grace, rushing over to rescue him. "Great costume. I love it!"

Esposito smiled widely, his sour mood vanishing instantly. Lily came toddling up right behind, and made an agreeing noise. She wiggled her hands and Kate bent down to pick her up.

"Uni!" Lily exclaimed, reaching out to pet Esposito's shoulder. "Coot uni!"

"Cute unicorn," Kate translated, resting Lily against her hip. "That's high praise, indeed."

"I'll take what I can get," Esposito huffed out, winking at Lily. He glanced back up and pointed at her. "Nice pointy hat."

"Thanks," Kate inclined her head. "Castle said it was appropriate, because I cast a spell on him."

"He sang it, didn't he?"

"Yes. Yes, he did."

Esposito shook his head. "He's a weird one, your husband."

"That he is," Kate concurred. "I've got no complaints, though." She glanced at Lily. "We're very happy."

"I know," he bobbed his head, always the protective big brother, even when she outranked him at work. It was a little silly, but sweet, she guessed.

Kate grinned slyly and jerked her chin towards the kitchen, where her fellow witch was manning the cauldron of fruit punch. "Speaking of happiness, Lane's been waiting for you to show up."

"Ah, Captain," groaned Esposito in protest, shaking his head. "You gotta stop playing matchmaker."

Kate beamed. "Never gonna stop."

He shook his head. "Castle's a bad influence on you."

"Oh, he's an influence, that's for sure," Kate smirked wickedly. And with that, she left Esposito to the mercies of a bubbling Sarah Grace Ryan.

XXX

"Want some help with the little Rebel?" her father asked, offering to unload her of the slumbering Princess Leia in her arms.

"Oh, yes please," Kate sighed gratefully, gently transferring her sleeping daughter into her father's embrace.

"She's so much like you, Katie," Jim said, glancing down at his granddaughter. "Johanna would be proud."

Kate's heart clenched. "You think so?"

"I know so," he nodded. "Why don't I take her to her room, and you can mingle with the others?"

"That would be great. Thank you, Dad."

Jim Beckett nodded, and turned, cradling his sleeping granddaughter to his chest as he headed for the stairs.

"I see Babe Ruth has absconded with our daughter," Castle commented, stepping up behind her and sliding an arm around her waist.

"Better him than Mother Gothel," Kate asserted, glancing over at Martha, who was chatting up a blond Han Solo and a redhaired Princess Leia.

"Alexis and Tim are keeping her busy," Castle assured.

"And how are you dealing with that?"

Her husband knitted his eyebrows together. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Tim and Alexis. Alexis and Tim."

Castle hummed and narrowed his eyes as he feigned mulling over her statement. "Nope. Still have no idea what you're talking about. But go ahead, keep talking. You know how much I love listening to you talk."

"Yeah, I do," Kate purred, running a hand down his chest. "Just wait until you see what I'm wearing under this witch costume."

Castle swallowed heavily, and his eyes dropped to greedily roam up and down her body. "Oh, I'm looking forward to it. Can we tell everyone to go home now? I mean, look at that witch and unicorn over there, they definitely wouldn't mind being asked to leave. Quite indecent, really. Hey, you two! Yeah, you! Get a room!"

Kate chuckled and shook her head, easing into his side as she slipped an arm around his shoulder. "Later, babe," she husked, her hand dropping to fiddle with the coiled whip attached to his hip. "I want to mingle with our friends, just us adults. Been a while since that's been possible. But… I can tell you this, the wait will be worth it."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

And she tipped her chin up and kissed him.

"Happy Halloween, Castle."

He grinned back at her, his eyes full of everything he felt for her and more. "Happy Halloween, Kate."

"Oh, and Rick," she murmured as she started to slip away. "For later, bring the whip."