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: It was great to get feedback for the last chapter so I'll get right into my thank yous for that! TORONTOSUN (It was really nice to see you like how Castle and Beckett protect their kids, since I can see them doing that. And I was pleased to see you thought the chapter was very good writing too!),
Mb (I was glad to see you thought it was a great family day at the beach at one of the most beautiful places on earth. That beach that I saw while I was researching was definitely beautiful so I'm not surprised you were jealous. You're welcome for posting the first half of the chapter! It was nice that you thought the second half was another beautiful look into their family dynamics. And I was also really glad that you could fee the joy and love they have for each other as a family since I do try to convey that. And I'm not surprised you want to go on vacation with them, even if they're fictional characters, I do too after writing these! You're welcome for the second half of the chapter too!) and
Guest (Great to read that you thought it was a lovely story and that they're a lovely family, I do love writing them as a family. You're welcome for the chapter!).
Thanks for the reviews, I loved reading them and I appreciate the time taken to write them out and send them my way!
A/N #2: The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Ke Ka'upu (which translates to albatross) written by Prince William Pitt Leleiohoku II.
Superior But Bubbling
"Are you okay?" Beckett asked her husband with a smile after she'd put on her hat.
"Is she okay?" Castle replied immediately.
"She is," Beckett said, checking on their youngest who was in the carrier on his back.
"Then yes, I'm good," Castle said. "Should we go?" he then asked, looking at the others. He laughed when Julia and Eliza were calling a yes at the same time and they walked together to the start of the Crater Rim trail. It was the thirty-first, and they were at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to go on the trail. While they began down it, he felt his wife touching his hand and he turned to her when the girls were soon after stopping and looking out at the Kilauea Crater they'd be walking around.
"Is everything ready?" Beckett murmured to him in Irish.
"Yes, but you're okay with the changes?" Castle asked her in the same language.
"It isn't my birthday," Beckett said with a smile.
"Fair enough," Castle replied before they turned their attention to their family as they were watching the steam coming off the crater in the distance. "That's the lava lake now," he commented once they were with the others.
"But I don't see any," Eliza complained.
"It's way down," Louis said.
"It is," Castle said. "But that all happened two years ago."
"So it won't happen now, right?" the seven-year-old asked.
"Well, it's not planning to yet," Castle said. When Eliza opened her mouth, he squeezed her hand and told her, "There aren't any signs that it wants to okay?"
"Oh… okay," Eliza breathed out. "Good thing, I wanted to see this all day."
Seeing Julia was about to comment on that; knowing she'd point out it was barely nine-thirty; Beckett touched her back before she said, "So did we, hopefully you don't mind the landscape," not surprised the little girl was replying immediately.
"It's supposed to be like that… isn't it?" Eliza asked.
"Definitely," Julia told her sister before they were laughing together and soon continuing. As they were pausing here and there, she asked, "How does it feel to be seven?"
Shrugging Eliza said, "The same as when I was six."
"Except you're taller," Castle told her.
"I know, good thing," Eliza replied with a giggle. Stopping again she took a picture of the caldera and she then looked out with a smile though she was remembering that morning and being woken up by her parents.
"Eliza."
Scrunching up her face, the little girl rolled onto her side and tried to slide under the sheet before she felt something brushing against her temple. Opening her eyes, Eliza looked up and saw her mother was above her and she smiled before saying, "Hi Mommy."
"Happy Birthday sweetie," Beckett told her.
"It's my birthday!" Eliza cried, sitting up. She looked to the end of the bed and said, "Happy Birthday Daddy!"
"Happy Birthday Eliza," Castle said with a smile. "Want to keep sleeping?"
"No!" the little girl gasped. "We gotta go see the volcanoes!"
"Take it easy," Beckett said laughingly as she stopped her from moving off the bed. "We need to measure you first."
"Oh, okay," Eliza said, her voice still eager. She got off the bed more slowly than she'd intended to, letting her mother lead her to a clear space of wall across from the beds while her father was measuring her.
"Okay-" Castle started to say before the little girl was throwing her arms around him. "Do you want to know?"
Nodding her head rapidly Eliza said, "I wanted to give you your birthday hug," not surprised he was responding to her immediately.
"Thank you," Castle replied. He then asked, "Think I can have a birthday kiss?" he couldn't help chuckling when she nodded and pursed her lips before he picked her up and kissed her briefly. "Now do you want to hear how tall you are?"
"Yes please," Eliza said firmly.
"Forty-nine inches," Castle said.
"Does that mean I'm short?" Eliza asked in obvious concern.
"No," Beckett said before she was holding her arms out to her daughter as she hurried over to her. "You're taller than most girls are at your age."
"Is that how tall you were?" Eliza said.
"You'll have to ask your grandpapa," Beckett said. "I don't remember how tall I was then."
"I'll go-" Eliza started to say before her mother stopped her.
Sharing a quick kiss with her daughter, Beckett said, "Get ready first."
Eliza was about to say she could do it after talking to her grandfather, when she paused recalling her parents were both dressed. "And then I can go see everyone?" she asked.
"Of course, they're waiting for you," Castle answered.
"Then I'll get ready!" Eliza exclaimed before she was rushing to her clothes.
Beckett smiled watching her, glancing at her husband before their daughter was calling to them and making them turn to her before she was speaking to them with a slight frown on her face.
"Did you give Daddy a hug?" Eliza was asking.
"She did, and better," Castle said first, smiling at his wife.
"She gave you a kiss too?" Eliza said hopefully. When her father nodded, she said simply, "Good," before she disappeared into the bathroom. She got dressed hurriedly, looking at herself in the mirror and smiling before she grabbed her brush and left once she was ready.
"What're those?" Eliza asked.
"Steam vents," Alexis told her with a smile. "If you couldn't tell."
Giggling a little, since there was steam drifting to the path they were on, Eliza said, "I knew it was steam." She then paused and said seriously as her eyes grew wide, "Is there lava here?"
"It's a crack down to the volcano… or under the earth, right?" Julia asked.
"It is," Castle said.
"There's a ranger walking this way," Martha said.
"We're not on a tour," Castle commented with a smile. "But what about getting a picture here, all of us?"
"Good idea," Beckett said, though they had already spoken about doing that while getting ready. They were moving to stand at the railing after her husband had asked the ranger walking by to take their picture. When they were walking back to the main path she said to him, "Are we heading to the tube?"
"I'd like to, but we're going to have to see what time it is," Castle commented. "Okay back there Josie?"
"Go Dada," Josie said.
"Don't run," Beckett told her husband firmly.
"How did you know?" Castle asked in surprise.
Smiling Beckett said, "I could tell." She looked at her father and said, "How're you doing?" since he'd come over to them.
"Good," Jim said, not surprised his daughter was asking. "I wanted to see how Josie was," he added before the baby was talking suddenly.
"Red Mama," she said.
"I see," Beckett replied with a smile as they'd gone onto another path and had reached a boardwalk looking at the red soil. She took a few pictures before Julia was walking to her.
"What's this?" the teen asked.
"Sulfur Banks," Castle said. "Not too bad?"
Julia couldn't help laughing and she shook her head at her father saying, "I'm not judging how it looks. I know this is all from the volcanoes. And it's pretty cool."
"Oh good," Castle said jokingly. "Then I'm done for the day."
Looking at her mother, Julia was smiling when she saw Beckett was covering her face with her hand. She then said, "So you're leaving."
"Good comeback," Castle said in mock seriousness.
Laughing, Julia said to her mother when they were walking again, "You told him Happy Birthday right?"
"You didn't think I did?" Beckett asked in amusement.
"I do, but he's being really weird," Julia replied.
"Hey!" Castle protested. He then pretended to look at her angrily and said, "What're you aiming for," not surprised when she was giving him a fake smile before laughing and then responding to him.
"Just making sure really," Julia said.
Seeing her husband was opening his mouth, Beckett told him, "Eliza asked us."
"She did?" Julia then asked. When her mother nodded, she said with a smile, "I'm not surprised. And I'm glad she did."
"Me too," Castle commented. He smiled and laughed when Beckett gently pushed his shoulder while they were leaving Sulphur Banks and going back to the main path they'd chosen to walk on until before lunch. When they eventually reached some buildings, he wasn't surprised when their second youngest was hurrying to them and asking about them eagerly.
"Are those restaurants?" Eliza asked.
"They are, but we're still far away from lunch you know," Beckett answered.
"I know, just wondering," Eliza said before her sister was touching her arm.
"I think we're eating at one of those places," Julia said, looking at their parents at the same time.
"We'll see," Beckett replied, glancing at her husband.
"Yeah, keep going there's one more thing we want to try and see but it's a little far," Castle said rapidly. He then turned to his mother and father-in-law and told them, "Remember you-"
"We'll let you know if we need to take a break Richard, we remember," Martha said before she looked at Eliza when the little girl was hurrying back to her. "You don't want to go in front?" she asked with a smile, taking her granddaughter's hand.
"I will," Eliza said simply before they were walking again. "Are you excited still Gram?"
"Of course," Martha said. "Though I could have done without the sulfur."
"Oh yeah," Eliza said, nodding her head seriously. "That smelled." She frowned and then asked her, "Do you think lava smells?"
"I don't know, but I would imagine it's more of the heat instead of a smell," Martha said, trying her best not to smile too widely at how serious the little girl was.
While they were beginning to walk south, Castle kept checking on his and Beckett's parents since it was a while to the last thing they'd intended for their family to see. Eventually he noticed his father-in-law was slowing down and told his wife before he called for them to stop.
"Dad," Beckett started to say when she reached him.
"I'm fine," Jim said quickly since he knew what she was going to say. "I just needed water."
"Good idea," Castle said. "Water break," he called.
"We know," Julia said, smiling at him while she was opening her water bottle.
"How much further are we going to go?" Alexis asked after they'd all drunk for a little.
"Not too far," Castle said while he was looking at the map he'd gotten.
"And then lunch?" Eliza asked. When her father looked at her she said in a rush, "Now I'm hungry."
"Soon, don't worry," Castle said before he folded the map. "Anyone want to keep resting?" At the shakes of their heads he said, "Okay, then a little more and we'll be there," not surprised when Julia and Alexis were responding to that immediately.
"Where?" the two said before looking at each other and laughing together while the rest of their family was doing the same.
"You'll see once we get there," Castle said firmly before they were walking again.
Seeing they were getting close to some trees, Julia looked at her parents and said, "What is that?"
"The lava tubes," Castle said.
"Tube?" Martha asked.
"Lava!" Eliza gasped.
"There isn't lava," Louis said with a smile. When the others looked at him he commented, "I've heard of this, it's a tunnel that the lava formed when it was flowing but it's not there anymore. We wouldn't be able to walk through if it was."
"I know," Eliza said with a nod. She then smiled and said, "We can go?"
"If you want," Beckett answered.
"Okay," Eliza said, about to turn and hurry to the path she could see. She gasped when her father grabbed her and turned to him as he spoke.
"We have to see who else is going," Castle said.
"I'll go," Louis said, raising his hand.
"Me too," Julia was quick to add.
"I was planning to go," Alexis added. "But how far do you expect to go in?"
"That depends on the girls," Castle said before his oldest was looking behind him at Josie before she asked about her.
"What about Josa?" Alexis said. "You don't think she'd be afraid?"
"We were going to try and take her," Beckett answered. "But hopefully someone would take her back outside if she doesn't like it."
"I like Mama," Josie said then.
Laughing with the others, Martha said, "I'll volunteer myself; I've never enjoyed caves."
"It's a tube Gram," Eliza told her matter-of-factly.
"Oh, well, I don't think I'll enjoy it very much either," Martha replied.
"Can we go?" Julia requested, hoping her parents wouldn't get mad at her for asking.
"We will," Beckett said. She went to her daughter as they began walking once more and said, "You really want to go and see."
Knowing her mother's statement was really a question, Julia nodded and then said, "We've never seen one of these so…"
"Alright, just don't get too impatient," Beckett told her daughter.
"It's hard not to," Julia replied.
"I'll say it isn't," Castle commented, smiling when the girls giggled at his tone.
"Are you leaving Josa there?" Eliza asked as she was walking with her father.
"What do you think love?" Castle asked his wife.
"I'm not sure," Beckett said. They had paused again, nearing the entrance of the cave by then, and she went to the baby and asked her, "Do you want to get down sweetie?"
"No," Josie said.
"Is she serious?" Eliza asked.
"I think so," Castle said. "If anyone's behind me inside please keep an eye on her." He then turned to Julia and said, "Now we'll go."
"I knew," the teen said in mock annoyance though she was glad they weren't saying anything to her while they were nearing the entrance before Eliza suddenly stopped and their mother hurried to her, speaking to her in obvious concern.
"What's wrong sweetie?" Beckett asked her.
Staring up at her mother, Eliza asked, "Do we have to go in the dark?"
"Don't worry," Jim said, having stepped up to his daughter. "I can see from here there are lights on."
Peering at the tube, Eliza couldn't see them, but she knew her grandfather wouldn't lie and said, "I'm ready."
"Are we going single file, together?" Louis asked.
"As many as we can across," Castle said, not surprised his wife looked at him to answer. With that they made their way inside the tube and looking around he noticed something and said, "See that line?"
Looking at the side of the tunnel, Julia said, "Yeah."
"I see it," Eliza replied when her father soon looked at her.
"That's where the lava flowed way back," Castle said. He watched Julia take a picture after they paused quickly and said, "Did that come out?"
"Yeah," Julia said after checking her camera. "Barely." She looked at her mother and asked, "You?"
"It did," Beckett said. "But mine is the same as yours."
"At least there is light," Alexis commented, having taken a picture herself.
Turning slightly Castle asked his mother and father-in-law, "Anything from Josie?"
"She seems fine," Jim said with a smile.
"That's likely because you kept her in the carrier Richard," Martha added.
"Then she'll stay," Castle said.
"Are you okay?" Julia was asking her little sister.
"Yeah, since there are lights," Eliza answered with a rapid nod. She then smiled and said, "You can't walk that far in the dark."
"Or see where the lava was," Julia pointed out. She laughed when her little sister was nodding again before she said, "Are we walking the whole way?"
"Maybe," Eliza said.
"We'll see," Beckett said laughingly when the two turned their heads to her and Castle at the same time before she looked at her husband when he began to speak slowly to her surprise.
"There is a point where this is closed off to the public," Castle was saying. "We could try and walk the whole thing until then."
"And how far is that?" Martha asked.
"No idea," Castle said. "But not everyone has to go."
"No, but a little longer for me," Martha said.
"I don't think we need to walk the entire thing," Beckett said, grabbing his left wrist and squeezing it hard.
"Then a little longer at least?" Castle asked her.
"A little," Beckett said with a smile since he'd looked at his watch before speaking to her.
"Then we should keep going," Alexis commented.
"She's right, we might only go a couple steps more," Eliza said worriedly.
"I don't think so," Castle said in amusement before he and his wife were leading the others. As they were walking he was looking at his watch and finally made them stop again before telling them, "Okay, I think that's as far as we can go."
"Is it time for lunch?" Julia asked.
"No," Castle said simply.
Julia shared a look with her little sister when their father didn't continue before she said, "Then what are we going to do now?"
"You'll see," Beckett said, not surprised when Eliza was asking them what that was while they turned around and headed back outside.
"Where are we going?" Eliza asked her father, holding his hand.
"There," Castle told her with a smile, pointing out the helicopter.
"On that?" Julia asked. When her father nodded she said, "I wondered why we left the park."
"Yeah, I didn't want to, but I couldn't get a helicopter tour that was closer," Castle said.
"We're going in it?" Eliza asked.
"We are, to the volcanoes," Castle replied with a smile.
"I can see lava?" Eliza said eagerly.
"Hopefully," Castle commented. He laughed when she was squealing and hugged him tightly. He felt someone else hugging him and soon saw it was Julia before he embraced them at the same time. "You're welcome," he told them when he calmed them down after they were telling him thank you. "And I hope you don't mind if your mom and I go too."
"No way," Julia said. "You have to go," she commented.
"That's true, but still," Castle said before they started walking to the helicopter they'd been directed to once he'd checked in at the front office.
"So we're not eating lunch at the park?" Eliza asked.
"No, but it's up to you if you want to stay at the restaurant we found near here or go back to the resort," Beckett said.
"We'll go back," Julia said. She turned to her little sister and told her, "Everyone else is waiting to hear what we say," smiling when Eliza turned to their parents, their mother responding to her quickly.
"They are, but they're in the parking lot here," Beckett assured her.
"Then tell them we'll go back to the resort," Eliza said firmly.
"Right now," Castle replied, getting his phone and dialing Alexis' number.
"Why didn't 'lexis and Louis come with us?" Eliza asked. "Or Josa?"
"Josie is too small," Beckett replied. "And there's only room for four of us in the helicopter."
"Your sister didn't want to come anyway," Castle said after he hung up. "She thought you two would like it more."
"I offered to let her take my place," Beckett told them. "But she said no."
"She wouldn't want to go without Louis," Julia pointed out.
"Aloha," the man at the helicopter said once the four had reached him. "Are you the Castles?"
"We are," Castle replied first as the girls were looking at him. "Are you Kekoa?"
"That's me," the man replied. "Are you ready to go? The volcanoes are waiting."
After the pilot discussed safety with them, Beckett made sure the girls were watching before they were allowed onto the helicopter. She wasn't surprised when Eliza went with Castle, and she made sure Julia next to her was putting on her seatbelt. "Set?" she asked, making sure the headset she had on worked.
"Yeah," Julia said. "This is cool."
"Yeah," Eliza said eagerly.
"Alright," Kekoa said to them. "Everyone's buckled?" Hearing yeses in the headset he had, he told them, "Okay, then here we go."
Hearing Eliza gasping, Castle smiled at her and wrapped his arm around her while the helicopter was rising in the air. "Look outside," he told her. "See the water?"
Turning her head, Eliza soon turned her head and saw the ocean that was getting a little further beneath them. She smiled at the sight before they were going forward, and she couldn't help crying out in excitement before looking back outside. Watching the water they were passing she made a slight sound when they were turning away from it before she remembered. "Are we going now to the volcanoes?" she asked her parents.
"We are," Castle said.
"We should be there soon," Kekoa commented. "Your first time there?"
"It was," Beckett said.
"You walked around?" Kekoa asked, obviously smiling.
"We did," Castle answered. "For a couple hours though we made a couple stops."
"Did you check out the caldera?" Kekoa then said. At the affirmative from behind he said, "That's where we're heading first, tourists always love checking out the lava."
"Really?" Julia asked in excitement.
"Of course, unless this is supposed to be a surprise," Kekoa said, directing that to the parents.
"No, it's fine, you can say," Castle said quickly when Beckett was looking at him.
"Alright, we'll be heading to the Kilauea Caldera and the Halema'uma'u Crater and the lava there now," Kekoa said. "Then we'll head along the coast to make our way by Mauna Kea. I'll try and get you the best views."
"Thank you," Julia said quickly because her little sister's mouth was open in shock. She tried her best not to laugh as Eliza nearly whispered the words and she then looked outside before she said, "There."
Turning her head, Eliza gasped seeing the caldera and a large crater in it before the lava appeared. She got her camera ready and was taking pictures rapidly as the helicopter was going around a few times. She got more pictures of the caldera before she noticed they were reaching the Sulphur Banks and its red soil. After they'd passed over the most recent lava flow she soon spotted lava before they were going across the coast and then north. "Are we going to the one with snow now?" she asked her father.
"We are," Kekoa replied. "And there is some now, we had a storm here a couple weeks ago."
"Cool," Eliza said with a smile before she hugged her father tightly.
Castle responded with his own hug before he looked out the window to watch for the volcano appearing which it soon did. He nudged Eliza, though he wasn't surprised it was unnecessary since she was taking pictures rapidly before he'd touched her.
"We can't go again?" Julia asked her mother once they'd gone back and forth a few times in front of the snowcapped volcano.
"Isn't it time to go swimming?" Beckett asked, smiling when she nodded. She soon saw her daughter nudging Eliza's leg before the little girl was crying out happily.
"That's right, we can go snorkeling right?" the little girl said.
Gesturing for her to wait, Castle then watched her taking pictures of the outside with a smile before they were returning to Captain Cook, the town where the helicopter company had been. After they were off he gave Kekoa a tip, thanking him for the flight before he went back to the car where his wife and their middle daughters were waiting. "Okay," he said. "Who's ready to get lunch?"
Not surprised when Eliza was exclaiming that she was, Julia agreeing though far calmer, Beckett helped Eliza into the back of the car before she and Castle were standing together at the passenger door. "What?" she asked in amusement.
"Mind me driving?" Castle asked.
"No," Beckett said simply. She took his kiss, not surprised he was doing so or that it was simple. When they parted she smiled at him and asked, "Enjoying your birthday?"
"Of course," Castle said. "You?" He smiled when his wife merely laughed softly before he opened the door for her. Watching her sitting down, he couldn't keep the rush of desire going through him and didn't try to fight it, shaking himself only to get around to the driver's seat to head into town.
"Do you like your taco Daddy?" Eliza asked her father.
Smiling at the question, Castle nodded and said, "Do you?"
"Yeah, I'm glad we got tacos this time," Eliza replied. "It's different."
"It is," Castle said slightly laughingly. "And that reminds me, you want to go to the King's Pond again?"
"Yep," Eliza replied. "You don't want to?" she asked in obvious surprise.
"Oh I do, don't worry," Castle said. "Just making sure you want to again when there are the other pools." He was startled when Jim began clearing his throat suddenly and he looked at his father-in-law before he was speaking slowly.
"Martha and I were discussing that while we were waiting for you to come back," Jim said. "And how we're splitting up tomorrow. We thought the girls might enjoy going around to all the pools here."
"Sure!" Eliza said eagerly before she smiled at the others laughing. She then recalled her sister needed to agree to that idea and she looked across the table at her as she began to answer their grandfather.
"I don't mind," Julia said. "But what about the King's Pond? Will you want to take us there a second time?"
"Of course we will," Martha answered first. "But remember we have other pools to visit."
"Except for one," Eliza reminded her.
"That's a given," Castle said with a smile. "And if you're wondering I'm fine with that," he added.
"So am I, as long as the girls listen to you," Beckett said, smiling when the others were looking at her.
"We will," Julia and Eliza said in unison before they were laughing with their family.
After they'd calmed down, everyone started to get up to clean up their lunch before Beckett was getting Josie.
"No Mama," the baby was saying.
"Yes sweetie," Beckett told her firmly. "You need to take a nap."
"No," Josie said.
"Then no swimming for you," Castle said. He couldn't help laughing heavily at the frown the baby gave him and said, "Sorry but that's how it is."
"Mama," Josie said plaintively.
"I'm sorry Josie," Beckett told her before she kissed her cheek. "But you need to sleep and after we'll go to the pool."
"I think you mean I'll take her to the pool," Martha commented.
"Wait," Castle said. "Would she be able to nap there?"
Beckett was about to say yes before she hesitated and then sighed telling him, "I don't think so love, there might be a lot of people and I want her to get sleep for dinner."
"And the party," Eliza said, smiling when her father playfully tugged the braid her hair was in before he spoke quickly.
"And that, but she does need to take a nap," Castle said.
"Why don't you let me get her settled?" Martha asked with a smile. "And you can get ready to go."
"You'll bring her Mother?" Castle asked. When she nodded he then turned to his wife before she was motioning to the girls who hurried inside. "You don't mind?" he asked Beckett when his mother walked inside with Josie on her hip.
"No, like you said she needs a nap," Beckett answered.
"I meant getting her to sleep," Castle said.
"I don't," Beckett said in amusement because her husband was speaking hesitantly. She pulled him to her then, since they were alone on the lanai, and they were kissing deeply. Holding him with one arm around his neck, she wasn't sure how long they were doing that, only aware it wasn't enough. She breathed out a little hard when they'd stopped and she said, "I think we have to wait again."
"I really don't want to," Castle said though his gaze went to the inside of the villa. "But it looks like we don't have that option."
Looking over, Beckett smiled seeing Eliza was holding her beach bag before she said to the little girl, "You can come outside sweetie."
"But that was another birthday kiss," the little girl commented.
"I like that idea," Castle said as he let his wife go reluctantly. "Forty-nine of them?" he then directed to his wife.
Giggling when her mother gave her father a look, Eliza then said, "That's one more to grow on Mommy."
"I realize," Beckett said. "And I'll manage that I'm sure, just don't keep count."
Castle froze at his wife cupping his cheek before she went inside and he looked at Eliza which made him say, "Thank you for the help. What about eight for you?"
"Kisses on the cheek?" Eliza asked slowly.
"No, like the kisses goodnight," Julia said, walking outside with a smile.
"Okay," Eliza said rapidly.
Castle laughed and then pulled the little girl to him before he kissed her cheek saying, "Those count too."
"That's fine," Eliza replied before she playfully stuck her tongue out at her sister.
"Hey," Castle told them warningly when Julia responded in turn.
"He's right, we need to go," Alexis said, stepping onto the lanai with her husband.
"Mom-" Julia started to say before she and her grandfather were stepping outside, the former speaking to them with a smile.
"She just got Josie asleep," Jim told them.
"Let's go quietly so she won't see us," Beckett said.
Hurrying down to the path, Julia watched as the others were following and she and her sister then led the way. "This has been a really nice birthday for you," she told her sister once they were far enough away from the villa.
"And you," Eliza said.
"It's…" Julia started to say in annoyance before she stopped herself.
"It is," Eliza told her firmly. "And you're gonna get a present so you better open it."
"Eliza," Beckett said a little sternly. "You shouldn't order your sister like that."
"But she keeps saying no," the little girl replied. "And it's only one," Eliza then told her sister with a shrug.
"I knew already," Julia said. "You sounded like Mom."
"When she's talking to Daddy?" Eliza asked. Her sister nodded and she smiled brightly saying, "I wanted to."
"You guys are weird," Castle told them teasingly before they were giving him looks over their shoulders. "Oh, you know they have a point, they're just like you love," he said.
"Enough," Beckett said, shaking her head though she was smiling at the same time. "At least we're at the pool."
"I can't wait to go snorkeling!" Eliza exclaimed. She then thought of something and said to her parents, "Are you gonna let Josa do that?"
"Maybe," Beckett said before Julia was bringing something up.
"Where are we going to put our stuff?" the teen asked.
"Over here," Castle said. "And you two will stay with us okay?"
"We have to say yes," Julia said, seeing Eliza was making a face.
"Okay," the little girl said with a sigh. She then smiled and said, "We can go with Grandpapa though."
"Make sure you warn him," Beckett told her. She wasn't surprised when her second youngest looked at her in confusion and she then explained, "Or ask him if he'll take you."
"I will," Jim said when the little girl turned to him. "Just let me know."
Nodding, Eliza took off her sundress and said eagerly, "We can go snorkeling first right?"
"Of course," Castle said. "I was hoping we would actually."
"We are," Beckett said in amusement before she recalled their oldest and son in law. "What're you two going to do?"
"Swim around," Louis said. "Bit of snorkeling."
"Relax too," Alexis said when he looked at her. "But first we're going snorkeling."
"With us?" Eliza asked.
"I think it's better if we go separate," Alexis said. "But we can take you later."
"Please!" Eliza said eagerly.
"Later," Beckett added. "Let's go or we'll still be standing here once Martha comes with Josie." As her father took the girls to the nearest entry into the pool, she turned to her husband while she put on her mask. "What?" she asked him in amusement at the look on his face.
"That's my line isn't it?" Castle asked. When his wife merely smiled at him and glanced at his chest before she walked away, he looked down and then hurried to get his shirt off before he was tossing it next to his wife's sundress on the lounge chair. Grabbing his mask he hurried to the others and put it on before Eliza was turning to him and speaking with a wide smile on her face.
"Are you ready Daddy?" Eliza asked.
"Go ahead," Castle told her, knowing why she was saying that. He watched her slipping into the water, disappearing underneath fully before she came back up. He let the others follow first before he was joining them and he blew the water out of his snorkel before he asked his wife, "Pairing up?"
"If they want to," Beckett said.
"I'll go with you Dad," Julia said quickly before she looked at her little sister.
"Mommy, I can go with you right?" Eliza asked.
"Of course," Beckett replied quickly. She looked at her father and asked, "Do you want to go with us?"
"If you don't mind," Jim said while he smiled at Eliza.
"I don't," the little girl said. She looked over at where her sister and their father had been and discovered they were gone along with Alexis and Louis. Turning back to her mother and grandfather she said, "Now?"
"Yes," Beckett said slightly laughingly. "Is your snorkel clear?"
Putting it in her mouth, Eliza blew on it hard before she nodded and started to swim with the two on either side of her. Looking down at the fish eagerly, she was pleased seeing some were near them and though she'd seen them already she was happy finding them much closer than the bay they'd been at the day before. After they had moved to tread the water she told her mother and grandfather, "I love this pool," before the latter was chuckling slightly.
"Does that mean you want us to come back tomorrow?" Jim asked. When the little girl nodded so hard her snorkel hit her forehead he reached for her at the same time his daughter did.
"Ow," Eliza said with a giggle, rubbing her forehead as her mother was touching her back. "I did that too hard."
"I think so, are you okay?" Beckett asked.
"Yeah," Eliza replied.
"Hey, is everything okay?" Castled asked as he and Julia were swimming up to them.
"It is, I was nodding too fast, and the snorkel hit me," Eliza replied. "Keep snorkeling!"
"Why don't we follow?" Castle asked.
"No, go on your own," Eliza said firmly.
Julia glanced at her father, wondering if he'd say anything about how her little sister was ordering them around before her mother was speaking instead.
"What if they want to go with us?" Beckett said.
Hearing the tone her mother was using, Eliza sighed and said, "Sorry, I wanted to go alone with Mommy and Grandpapa a little."
"I don't blame you," Castle said. "And you can for a little longer. But you and I are going around too." He smiled when she nodded rapidly before he and Julia stayed in place to watch them continue around the pool. Turning back to his second oldest he said, "Just so you know-"
"Don't worry," Julia interrupted him with a smile. "I know you wanted to go with me still. But you want to go with Mom too."
Narrowing his eyes at her, Castle then said, "Okay, okay. That too but we have a while until dinner so there's time for all of that."
"And Josa too," Julia couldn't help saying, pretending to be serious. She laughed when her father growled at her playfully and they began snorkeling again, going around the huge pond to explore the creatures once more.
Once he'd slipped on his shoes, Castle got up from the couch hurriedly and pulled open the shutters in the room, exposing the sunlight before he heard footsteps from the bathroom.
"Hey," Beckett said with a smile when her husband was nearly spinning around to face her. "I'm sorry it's not my blue lace dress but-" she then started to say before he was kissing her roughly. She paused for a moment in her reaction, but was shortly after responding, grabbing him as tightly as he held her and parting her lips to his tongue. It took some time before they were stopping and once they had she was moaning gently at the feel of him brushing his lips to her neck. She wasn't sure why she recalled, but soon stopped him telling him, "Everyone might be waiting for us." Watching him freeze, she couldn't help smiling when he stood up straight while he was frowning before he spoke.
"I think it's more they will be," Castle told her before he breathed out and shook his head. "So we need to go. But there is one thing I wanted to ask you." When his wife looked at him questioningly he brushed his lips to hers and said, "Do you want me to put on a tie?"
Laughing briefly, Beckett shook her head before telling him, "No, you're fine the way you are." She reached up and unbuttoned the top one of his white shirt and said, "Go, I'll be right behind you," not surprised he was grabbing her wrists.
"What do you have left to do?" Castle asked.
"Lip gloss," Beckett said simply.
"Then you were expecting that," Castle responded. At her single nod he said, "What're you wearing under this?" glancing at her blue short sleeved, collared dress.
"Pervert, you'll find out later," Beckett said swiftly. When he was breathing a little harder for a moment she smiled and said, "A gift?"
"Definitely," Castle said, kissing her hard again. He managed to stop sooner than he had the time before and was about to speak when there was a knock on the door and his wife was speaking to him in amusement.
"You better get that," Beckett said. "I'll take a second."
Nodding, still trying to retain the feel of her lips, Castle let that be his answer as he forced himself out of the bedroom while she followed. He glanced behind him, just seeing her disappear into the bathroom before he looked at the door and opened it. "Hey!" he said, seeing Eliza was on the other side. "You look great sweetheart."
"Thanks," the little girl replied with a smile. "Like my hair?"
"I do," Castle said. "Alexis?"
"Jules," Eliza replied.
"'lexis did my hair," Julia said, walking up to them. "It was quicker that way."
"And you both did great jobs," Beckett said, coming up behind her husband. She smiled when Eliza rushed into the room to her and hugged her tightly. "Your daddy is right, both of you look great." She then turned her attention to Julia and asked, "Comfortable?"
"Yeah," Julia said, since her green floral print sundress was her first woman's size piece of clothing. "Thanks for letting me get it."
"What's the big deal?" Castle asked, confused at his wife's question.
Smiling Beckett explained where they'd gotten it and what size it was telling him, "She's getting taller."
"That's true," Castle said, seeing their second oldest was blushing. "You're serious right?"
"I am," Julia said after she laughed softly.
"Mama, Mama!" Josie cried.
"Sweetie don't run!" Beckett told the baby before she had reached them. She picked her up and kissed Josie's cheek telling her, "What do you say?"
"Hi," Josie said. She smiled when the others laughed and then told them, "Happy Birthday!" raising her arms.
Laughing again, Castle leaned over and kissed Josie before he did the same with Julia and Eliza. Standing up straight again he was about to speak when the little girl was first to his surprise.
"Do you think you got to all of them yet?" Eliza asked.
Seeing their father looking at her little sister in confusion, Julia couldn't help clearing her throat and pointing to her lips once her parents were looking at her.
"Eliza-" Castle started to say.
"Here," Beckett interrupted her husband. She set Josie down and told the girls, "We should head out to the lanai."
"Start the party?" Eliza asked hopefully.
"But the others aren't ready yet," Julia pointed out.
"Well, at the very least let's go out and if anyone is," Castle said, glancing at his wife though he had no idea why she was looking at him. He took Eliza's hand and with Julia leading the way they stepped out into the living room. "One person is ready," he said when the little girl rushed to her grandfather sitting on the couch.
"What did they say?" Jim asked his three youngest granddaughters once they were all with him.
"We look great," Julia answered with a smile though her parents hadn't had a chance to comment on Josie. She looked at her baby sister, dressed in a tunic top that was white with multi-colored embroidery and light blue leggings.
"Don't take your bow off honey," Jim was saying to the baby when she was reaching up to it. He took her hand and kissed it before he told her, "And you look beautiful."
"You Grandpapa," Josie replied. She laughed as he hugged her and then pressed her cheek to his before pulling away. "Go out."
"Not yet, we're waiting for the other guests," Jim said before his daughter was sitting next to him. He then asked her, "We're really waiting?"
"We are," Beckett said with a smile as no one knew what she'd done for their party. She then said to her husband while he'd sat on one of the armchairs across from them, "You could have sat here."
"Not really," Castle said, using his phone to take some pictures of the five.
"Send me those," Jim told his son in law. When Castle nodded in response, he turned to Eliza who had wrapped her arms around his neck. "I forgot to tell you, you and Julia look beautiful too," he told her, not surprised she was responding swiftly.
"Thanks," Eliza said with a smile. She twisted a little, to let the skirt of her hibiscus and palm tree sundress bell out, watching the pattern over the white fabric before she looked up at him. "You look nice Grandpapa," she told him seriously.
"Good enough for the party?" Jim said with a smile.
"Don't worry," Castle said before Eliza could speak. "You do, so will the other three if they ever come outside."
"We're ready Dad," Alexis said in mock annoyance when she was coming out from the two rooms with her husband and Martha.
"Oh good, we can finally head out," Castle said, standing up.
"Hold on," Beckett said in amusement when the girls were about to turn. "I have to make sure everything is ready." She went to the wall and smiled at what the workers had set up before she called to Louis and her son in law helped her with the wall, collapsing the windows and opening it to the lanai. "Okay, you can go out," she told the rest of her family.
Hurrying outside, Eliza couldn't help squealing a little in pleasure at the decorations, crêpe paper around the branches of the tree and arbor covering the jacuzzi. There were a few balloons hanging from the trees and railing before she noticed the table and cried out, "We got leis!"
"And name cards," Castle said, smiling at his wife.
"Wait, what's up in the tree?" Julia asked, looking up at the one closest to the Jacuzzi.
"Leave it," Beckett said quickly as her husband was walking over to it. "That's for after dinner," she added, not surprised when Eliza was nearly screaming in joy while she told the others what it was.