In Every Universe - Chapter 12
Home Away From Home
Paris Adventures
"Okay, do we have everything?"
Three sets of eyes lift from their handheld video systems and cell phones, looking less than enthused. He has no doubt that it's because of the disruption of routine and the lack of sleep they'd all gotten the night before, because up until now they've been eager and ready to embark on this adventure.
"Clothes? Shoes? Coats? Stuffed animals? Toothbrushes?" he asks. "Passports? Tickets? Money to bribe a gate agent to upgrade you to first class?"
His youngest daughter, bless her, gives him the laugh he'd been seeking. He's pretty sure it's not even out of pity, either. "Daddy, that's silly."
Rick Castle grins, reaching out a hand to rub his daughter's shoulder. "It's silly? Why's it silly?"
"'Cause we're already sitting in first class!" Audrey cackles, going back to her game.
"Right you are, firecracker," he praises, looking up in time to see Alexis's lips lift, too. "And now, let's make sure we have everything so we can make Mommy proud."
"Suitcases are by the door," Alexis says, yawning into her hand. She'd gotten in late last night, later than anticipated because of delays at the Sacramento airport and then a line of storms in the Midwest erasing whatever tailwind they might've had. Still, he's grateful for the help wrangling her little sister and brother while Kate takes care of some last-minute business at the precinct before they leave for two weeks.
Rick thanks her. "Stay with these guys and I'll get them down to the car? Give us one less thing to worry about grabbing on the way out."
His eldest daughter nods. "Sure, Dad."
He scoots around the girls, dipping his head to drop a kiss on his son's head. Theo groans a little bit, but there's no real oomph behind the protest. Just the usual noise a newly minted ten-year-old makes when faced with some gushy affection.
"Wanna give me a hand?" he asks. He's almost sure he knows the answer - manual labor vs sitting in a warm room playing video games - but Theo's at an age where Rick remembers struggling between wanting to feel grown up and independent and wanting to be a kid still, so it's always possible his boy will pick the more boring task because it's the important job.
Theo looks up, his messy hair flopping into his eyes. Reflexively, Rick reaches out to swipe it to the side.
"Will you help me beat this level?"
Alexis disguises a chuckle behind a cough, but Rick just grins and nods.
"You got it, big man. Soon as we come back upstairs."
Theo nods, pausing the system and putting it on the counter. Alexis moves his bag closer, no doubt just in case they get distracted when they get back upstairs and Theo forgets about his request; the last thing they want is to forget the DS. Theo's a good traveler and has been since before he was born, but the waiting time in the airport and an over seven-hour flight (though Rick hopes everyone in the family will be able to sleep for some of it) will require additional entertainment.
"Thanks, Lexi," Theo says.
Rick squeezes his shoulder, giving him an approving nod. Together they move to the door and grab the handles of the rolling bags, draping a duffle or two on top of the larger ones to make it easier to transport everything in one trip instead of two.
"So, are you excited?" he asks his son as they load the car. "Christmas in Paris this year, that's pretty cool, right?"
Theo nods, heaving Alexis's bag into the trunk. "Yeah, Dad. It's cool."
Rick tilts his head, eyeing his son carefully. He'd been a lot more enthusiastic a couple of days ago when they'd talked about the trip.
"But?" he tries, hoping maybe the boy can articulate what's made him seem less than eager to make a trip like this now.
"But…" Theo trails off, looking for another bag to lift only to come up empty. "What about our Christmas tree? And the presents? And-" he stops, but it's more than enough.
Rick settles on the edge of the liftgate, holding out his hands to bring Theo closer. "Well, the tree will stay here and be up and lit and waiting for us when we get home. Marta's going to come and clean while we're gone, and she'll make sure everything's okay. But I also talked to our hotel, and I asked them to put a tree in our suite, and they assured me it will be a beautiful tree with beautiful decorations. And I packed some of ours, too, to put on the tree and make it feel a little more like home."
His son nods, lifting his head to meet Rick's eyes. Not for the first time, he's struck by how much the little boy looks like Kate. From the bow of his lips to the warmth of green and brown in his eyes.
"And Mom and I talked, and we decided that we'd take some of the presents with us - that's what's in one of these ridiculously heavy suitcases - and then we'd leave the rest here, too. That way we can open some things in France and have more to open when we get back."
Theo lights up a little bit at that. Yeah, Rick had a feeling the idea of more presents wouldn't be an unpopular one.
"And," he continues, knowing the last part of his son's concerns stems from a certain S-word they're not sure if Theo even believes in anymore, "I'm sure that all things Christmas magic will be able to find us in Paris, too."
He and Kate had made sure of that; they've already spoken with the hotel and the gifts from Santa for the kids have all arrived and are waiting at the concierge to be delivered to the master closet once their room is ready.
He drops a kiss on Theo's hair. "I know it's different this year," he says, dropping his chin and rubbing a gentle hand over his son's back.
He and Kate had debated whether it was a good idea to plan a vacation like this over the entire holiday, if it would be too much or something magical for the entire family. Ultimately, they'd chosen to go for it, to give their kids and their parents an experience they likely won't get the opportunity to repeat. But he can admit it's a little bit disconcerting not to be doing everything they usually do, to be changing their traditions, even temporarily.
That gets him a little nod of agreement.
"But I think we'll have fun. We'll still be together; we'll still have a tree and presents. We'll even still get to look at the lights and trees and see beautiful things - they'll just be different lights and trees, and different beautiful things. Plus, we can go to art museums, a car museum, even an air museum, if you want."
He presses another kiss to his son's head, closer to his temple this time as he lets Theo absorb what he'd said. Theo leans a little harder into his shoulder and Rick takes the chance on wrapping him up in a sideways bear hug.
"Kay," Theo says a few minutes later, nodding against Rick's arm. "I'm excited again."
Rick rubs his back. "Good man. I'm excited, too. Now, let's see if Mom's done with her phone call and head to the airport."
His son nods again, giggling a moment later. "Maybe I should stay in the car, so you don't forget me."
He chuckles too, ruffling the boy's hair (maybe they can go to a French barber while they're in Paris and get it cleaned up, if not cut outright) and getting to his feet. "Not a chance of that happening. But just in case, that's why you're not named Kevin."
"Thought that was because Uncle Kevin didn't win a bet?" Theo asks with exaggerated innocence as Rick closes the car and pockets the key fob again.
Rick laughs, looping his arm around his son and pulling him into his side as they make their way back inside.
It's been a long time since he and Kate spent a month in Paris (with a little extra jaunt to a luxurious home in the countryside) and it doesn't hit him until he joins his wife on the balcony of their suite just how much has changed in that time.
Not just Paris itself, though there is certainly a great deal he doesn't remember from their time here - updates and upgrades that have been blended into the rich fabric and history of the city. But with them, their lives. Their family. Kate had been pregnant with Theo when they were here last, basking in the giddy joy of that news as they explored and enjoyed the sights. They had checked in at home occasionally, but largely, they'd treated the time as an adventure all their own.
By the end of the month, they'd become better friends, better partners, even better lovers (not that they'd ever been bad in that respect, but having the ability to just be with one another, no interruptions, no need to go anywhere or do anything, had been opportunities to grow even more in tune with one another's bodies). They'd gone home so much stronger as a couple than they'd been before the vacation.
He can't help but wonder what they'll learn about each other and their family during this trip.
"Hey," Kate murmurs, reaching for him and pulling him into her side. "Everybody asleep?"
Rick tucks her beneath his chin, resting his chin on her hair. "Kids are asleep, Alexis was checking in with her dog-sitter - who, if you ask me, is a boyfriend she doesn't want to admit to having - and I'm pretty sure I heard your dad snoring about as loud as Mother was humming to herself in the bathroom; she's getting ready for bed, too, I think."
His wife chuckles. Her hands slip beneath his shirts, pressing her cold fingers to the small of his back.
"He told me he's going to be getting the snoring looked at when we get home," she says. "And if he bothers anyone to tell him, he'll figure out how to sleep in a different position."
He sways with her, an easy gentle rhythm that bears no real resemblance to dancing but gives their bodies something to do. "He's not going to bother anyone. I'm just glad he's here."
She hums. "Me too. I'm glad we're all here."
Rick nods into her hair. "T admitted he was a little apprehensive about not being home for the holiday."
"Yeah?" she asks, tilting her head back to see his eyes. Even with just the faint glow of the lights around them and a lamp from inside their room, he's blown away by her beauty. By the waves in her hair, the curve of her cheeks, the joy lines around her lips and eyes.
He dips, dropping a peck on her mouth.
"Yeah, he just… I think he needed reassurance that it was still going to be Christmas, even though we'll be here for the big day. We talked it out while we were loading the car."
"Good," she breathes, thumbing his back.
"I knew he was fine when he made a Home Alone joke," he adds, watching her face flood with amusement.
"Now, was he hoping to be left in New York?" she quips. "Because I'll admit, I wished a few times at around his age that I would be able to take over our apartment for a few days on my own and do nothing but watch TV and order pizza."
Rick chuckles. "I've done that, it loses its luster fairly early on."
Her lips brush his cheek in acknowledgement. They both know his mother had done her best when he was growing up. It hadn't always been easy, and it hadn't always been postcard-worthy, but it had all worked out for the best.
"But no, he wanted to make sure we weren't going to leave him behind."
Another smile blossoms on her lips. "Never."
He agrees softly, tasting that smile. "So, I figure tomorrow we can do some more sight-seeing. Everybody should be a little more with it, so we could take a real bus tour instead of a taxi tour, and maybe find something Christmassy to do, too? We could also try to track down an ice rink with the kids and let your dad and Mother hang out in a nearby café."
Kate exhales against his mouth, humming. "Sounds perfect to me. All of it."
"Me too," he says. "Now, why don't we head to bed ourselves?"
She presses her cheek to his shoulder, turning her face back toward the city. "In a few minutes. I'm savoring this right now."
He nods, tightening his arms around her and doing the same.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. To read the rest of the original Paris adventure, you can find the entire fic here on ffnet (Paris Adventures - A Vacation in Snapshots) or if you want to see the photos that inspired each of the chapters, you can find them at the tag on my tumblr: bunysliper tumblr tagged Paris+Adventures.