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: Loved the feedback for the last chapter so I'll go ahead and get started on my thank you! Mb (I was glad you thought it was another great look at them at the park with the rides and the food. And I wasn't surprised you mentioned the souvenirs too, lol, since it reminded you of Disney World and doing all of that too. No surprise that it makes you want to go back, these chapters made me want to go back to Disneyland definitely. Great you thought the first half was nicely done! And you're welcome for sharing the first half of the chapter! It was nice reading you thought the second half was great seeing how much there was to do at the parks. And that the great thing about Disney, they do try and have something for every age. Not surprised you were glad that Skye didn't have to leave for her job, same with the situation being a near miss since of course that would have been bad. I'm glad you thought the second half was nicely done too. And you're welcome again for the second half!).
Thanks for the review, loved reading it and I greatly appreciate the time taken to write it out and send it my way!
A/N #2: The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Amusement Parks U.S.A. written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, from The Beach Boys album Summer Days (and Summer Nights!).
Step Right Up
"Hold on Josa," Julia said, laughing as her baby sister was laughing and wriggling around on the seat. "The ride's almost over."
Once it was, Eliza asked her sister, "Why do you think she was doing that?"
"Excited," Julia said, a little startled at the question before she realized what her sister was thinking. "Now she'll want to go with Mom."
"Dada," Josie was saying.
"And Dad," Julia replied. She waited for Eliza to get off the car they had ridden on for the Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters ride before she was helping Josie. Once on the ground she had her sister on her hip and walked to their mother who was waiting for them by the car she had been on with Peter and their father. "She's asking for Dad."
"Mama!" Josie said, reaching out for her mother.
Laughing briefly, Beckett took the baby and urged them to walk again before they were leaving the ride. "She was asking for you," she told her husband while Castle was kissing Josie's temple.
"But she's happier here," Castle replied. He then looked around and said, "So last ride before lunch?"
"It is," Skye said in agreement with a smile. "And then we start the process all over again."
"Process?" Eliza asked in confusion while they were walking again.
"Yeah, picking lunch," Ivy told her.
"Ooh, it's fun," Eliza said with a wide smile when the others were beginning to laugh. She was skipping, holding her father's hand, as they were making their way to Radiator Springs Racers before they were stopping to say goodbye to Josie and Martha. "I hope she'll get to go on more rides when she's awake," she told her parents once they were walking through the exit.
"Me too," Beckett said with a smile. "But she'll have four hours at the most."
"What're you looking back at?" Castle asked, seeing the little girl was turning back to the way they'd come.
"I wanna tell Josa not to sleep for that long," Eliza said. She turned back to her parents when they both put their hands on her back and asked, "What?"
"You're not telling her a thing about making her nap short," Castle said, not surprised when the little girl was giggling. "Seriously, she needs to sleep to grow up."
"Taller?" Eliza asked.
"Definitely; she might be the one of us girls who's taller than Dad," Julia said.
"I doubt that," Beckett replied.
"You never know," Castle said.
"True, but something tells me they'll be following me in height," Beckett said with a smile before they were turning their attention to the others to figure out their seating that time. She wasn't surprised she ended up with Eliza and Julia in the front of one car with her father, Peter and Castle in the back row. Enjoying the race at the end, she listened to the three kids playfully complaining about it being short before Peter was clearing his throat and Julia was talking to him in mock annoyance.
"Yes we know you're hungry," the teen said to him.
"Wait until we're off the ride," Castle said quickly to them before they were waiting for Skye, Mary and Ivy since they'd gone in their own car.
"How was it?" Martha asked with a smile as the group gathered around her and Josie.
Waiting for two cars to go by on the track next to them, Julia then said, "Really fun, but now I think we're picking lunch."
"You are," Skye said.
"Hold on," Castle said, unable to help laughing because he knew they were watching him going on his phone. "Okay, so should I take off the restaurants?"
"Can you?" Eliza asked with a frown.
"Not exactly," Castle said. "But I get the feeling now you guys enjoy me having to constantly check your numbers."
"Yeah," Iris said in a matter-of-fact tone before they were all laughing.
"Come here Josa," Julia said, holding her hand out to her sister. Once she was with them she and the other kids talked about the numbers before they decided on two. "Okay Dad, first is ten," she told him before they looked on while he was scrolling on his phone.
"This is one… I think," Castle said.
"If you tell us," Mary said, since the writer was looking at her and her wife. "Then we might be able to tell you."
"Smokejumpers Grill," Castle replied.
"Ah," Skye said.
"It's not bad Mum," Marie said.
"Would you check the menu for me?" Skye asked Castle.
"Here," he replied, handing his phone to her.
"Is there anything for us?" Paul asked her.
Smiling Skye said, "Normally this was the burger place… regular burgers nothing to write home about. But they have something… somethings I should say, new, a couple of impossible meat options." She looked around at all the others and said, "I think we should all have that," not surprised when Martha was immediately responding.
"And Josie?" Castle's mother asked.
"There's mac and cheese for her, but I'm not sure what her parents think," Skye commented.
"They're fine with that," Beckett said swiftly.
"But what are we having?" Ivy asked.
"There's mac and cheese for you lot under nine with a mandarin, or you can get the toddler one and that comes with applesauce," Skye told them.
"I'll have a mandarin," Eliza said quickly. She squeezed her mother's hand and asked, "Right?"
"You can," Beckett said slightly laughingly. When the three younger McDouglas girls agreed to that, they began walking to the front of the park where the restaurant was.
"I nearly forgot," Skye said. "It's outdoor seating on this one but there will be shade."
"What are we having," Peter whispered, walking with Julia and the older McDouglas twins.
"No idea, but Mum seems to know what to get," Kathleen said first.
"Oh, did you find out anything else about the case she had to look at?" Julia asked the twins.
"I saw the video she had to watch," Marie said after glancing behind her at her mothers.
"Video?" Peter and Julia said at the same time.
Marie quickly explained what had happened that morning, keeping her voice low so her mothers wouldn't realize what she was telling the two.
Looking up from the screen of her laptop, Skye narrowed her eyes slightly to see through the light and she whispered, "Is that you Marie?"
"Yeah," the little girl replied, whispering as well. "I need to go to the bathroom."
"Go on then," Skye said with a smile. "But try to keep quiet, your mom's asleep still." She watched her oldest nod before she hurried to the bathroom in hers and Mary's room, turning her attention back to her laptop again. She became focused on the video, so much so that she didn't realize Marie was next to her until she spoke.
"What's that Mum?" the little girl whispered.
"Nothing," Skye said. "Washed your hands?" she asked. After her daughter nodded she told her, "Then head on to bed, you might get a few minutes in before we get up for the day."
Shaking her head Marie said, "I want to see."
"Sweetling…" Skye started to say before the little girl was speaking firmly.
"It's nothing bad," Marie replied.
"No," Skye replied with a sigh. "But if you have a nightmare you tell your mom you forced me since I'm guessing you're not going to go back to bed." When Marie nodded firmly she smiled and kissed her temple before saying, "Then sit with me." After her daughter was on her lap she said, "Soon you won't be able to do this, you're getting a mite big for that," smiling when the little girl protested immediately.
"Not yet though," Marie said.
"Shh, we'll watch now," Skye said gently before she pressed play on the video.
Watching on the screen, as the footage went from the wing of the plane to below the front of it, Marie gasped when she saw another plane diving for a second below them. Covering her mouth with her fingers, she looked up at her mother and asked, "Is… everyone's okay?"
"There were some injuries on the plane you saw descending," Skye began. "But there had been turbulence so everyone on both had their seatbelts on and they were getting ready to land and the other on their way," she said.
"I'm glad," Marie said.
"Me too," Skye replied, kissing the side of her head.
"Is that all you need to do?" Marie asked, turning to her mother.
Smiling, Skye said, "I'm not surprised you guessed, they want me to listen to the CVRs for both planes, but I don't need to yet since they're not ready."
"I hope it won't be until Monday," Marie told her.
"It probably won't be," Mary said, smiling when her wife and their oldest jumped a little. "Honey, it's incredibly early, what are you doing up?"
"I had to go to the bathroom," Marie replied.
"And going back to bed?" Mary asked.
"I made Mum let me see the movie," Marie replied swiftly before her mother could speak.
"I'm not surprised," Mary said. "But for now you need to go and lay down. You might not be able to sleep," she told her daughter rapidly when she opened her mouth to speak. "But just laying down will help okay?"
"Alright," Marie replied with a sigh. She got up so Skye could get up before she was hugging her tightly. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," the investigator replied, embracing her back. "Get to bed and we'll talk tomorrow," Skye added. Watching Marie smile and nod, she waited for her to head to the other bedroom where the bunk beds were, and turned to her wife saying, "She'll be an investigator yet," not surprised Mary stepped up to her before wrapping her arms around her neck while she spoke.
"Yes but she does need to rest," Mary replied.
"Then you're not mad I let her watch that?" Skye asked.
"No," Mary said simply before she leaned into her wife, kissing her deeply on the lips.
Holding her as tightly as she could, Skye was responding until they had to part and she murmured against her lips, "Should we go to bed?"
"To rest," Mary said firmly. She smiled when her wife made an exaggerated face, leading her to brush her lips to the investigator's again.
"Grá?" Skye said, walking up to her wife.
"Thanks," Mary said, taking the pretzel her wife was holding. "What did you get for dipping?"
"Nothing," Skye replied. "I know how you feel about the cheese and mustard," she added while she sat on the bench next to her. "You seemed a bit lost in thought," she then told her wife as she was taking hold of the piece of pretzel Mary tore off for her.
"I was remembering this morning," the doctor replied before she leaned over and kissed her a little hungrily.
"Oh no," Skye said in mock fear once they'd stopped, and she'd caught her breath. "You're mad at me for letting Marie see that video."
"No," Mary said firmly. "Anata ga inakute sabishīdesu."
Breathing out at her wife telling her she missed her, Skye leaned back and said, "Watashi mo sōdesu… Ashita?" telling her 'so do I… tomorrow.'
"Hitsuyō ga aru," Mary replied, which meant 'we need to.' She smiled when her wife squeezed her hand and looked at her watch saying, "Are we having this too late?"
"I don't think so," Skye replied, checking the time herself. "Though maybe we should split it further," she said with a smile before a familiar voice called to them.
"Hi Mommy, Mummy!" Iris cried.
"Girls," Mary said with a smile as she turned quickly to see them. "Wait, why are you with your older sisters?" she asked when she recalled the three youngest were supposed to have been with Jim and Martha.
"We met up together outside the Matterhorn here," Marie explained quickly, taking her turn to hug her mothers after her sisters had done so. "And Mum texted me."
"Oh you did?" Mary said to her wife.
"What, you want them to go away?" Skye asked teasingly.
"No," Mary said firmly. "But thank you for the surprise girls." She was startled when all five of them protested and asked, "What?"
"Thank Mummy," Fleur said. "It was 'er idea."
Marie smiled at her sisters when their mother kissed Skye before they were shortly after parting. "So we can go on something right?" she asked once the two were looking at them.
"Not quite," Skye replied while Mary was splitting up the rest of the pretzel for them. "Though that reminds me, what did you do for your snack?" she asked them.
"This," Kathleen replied.
"Really Mummy," Ivy said. "We forgot about anything since we were having so much fun going on the rides."
"Us too," Marie said quickly when the two turned to her and her twin. She was about to say they were fine with what they had of the pretzel when Skye was asking them about the Castles.
"Where did Julia and Eliza go?" Skye asked.
"They took Josie and went to find their parents," Iris said.
"Did they text either of them first?" Mary asked in surprise.
"I think Julia did; her dad," Kathleen said, sharing a look with her sisters before they were nodding.
"Not a surprise," Skye said to her wife with a smile. "So what should we do now girls?"
"We can't really go on fast rides can we?" Marie asked first.
"Not immediately," Skye said.
"Grá, the time," Mary reminded her.
"Oh, almost forgot," Skye said, looking at her watch.
"What about just walking around?" Ivy asked.
Turning her head, Mary said with a smile, "That's all you want to do?"
"For now," Ivy said, nodding.
"At least until we can go on rides again! We're not eating dinner yet are we?" Iris asked rapidly.
"No, well since we're meeting the others at the Jungle Cruise," Skye began, checking the time again swiftly. "I think we can walk around… somewhere."
"Are we leaving that for the girls to decide?" Mary asked her wife with a smile.
"She is," Marie said swiftly to her sisters when their mother merely smiled in response to the question. "What do you think?" she then asked the four of them.
"What about through Galaxy's Edge?" Fleur asked.
"I like that idea," Ivy said with a wide smile. "And then we can go around through Critter Country right?"
"Of course," Mary said while she and Skye were standing up at the same time.
"Are you lot going to take pictures?" the investigator asked them.
"Yeah," Marie said firmly.
"Good, because we're walking through a number of lands right now," Skye said jokingly. She smiled when the five groaned at the same time and she urged them to start walking before she took Iris' hand and they made their way by the Teacup ride. Watching the girls talking together ahead of her, Mary and Iris, smiled at her wife, thinking of when she and her wife had brought their two youngest home. Feeling the little girl squeezing her hand she returned it before her mind went to what she and Mary had privately called their family's one week anniversary after Ivy and Iris had returned home.
"Good morning," Mary said, smiling at the five girls when they were walking into the kitchen where she was finishing up breakfast. She saw Ivy and Iris were with her wife, holding her hands and smiling back at her a little shyly.
Not surprised when her wife looked to her, Skye briefly shook her head before she said, "I told them we were going to decide together what to do."
"I'm not surprised, we agreed to that didn't we?" Mary asked.
Making a face at her wife, Skye then said, "They've been bouncing ideas for some time."
"And?" Mary asked.
"Swimming," Marie and Kathleen said at the same time.
"Could we Mommy?" Fleur asked eagerly.
"It would be great," Skye commented.
"Am I the only one who hasn't agreed to it?" Mary asked her wife.
"Yes," Skye said firmly. She smiled at her wife's laughter and then said, "Though I'm guessing you don't mind."
"Not at all," Mary replied. "Where are we having breakfast?"
"Here," Skye said, nodding to the table.
"Do we have to set the table?" Kathleen asked.
Shaking her head Mary said, "It's serve yourself, you two can start but don't eat until we're all at the table." While the girls were going to the island, she went swiftly to her wife and pulled her to her, wrapping her arms around her.
"So you don't mind?" Skye asked.
"Shouldn't you be asking me that?" Mary said jokingly.
"About the plans," Skye explained. She was a little surprised when her wife shook her head firmly before she was leaning into her and kissing her deeply on the lips. She responded swiftly, holding tightly to her wife before they were slowly parting, and she remembered their kids. Turning her head slightly, she was relieved when she saw they were talking together and getting their breakfasts before she looked back to Mary. "You know I question if it's a good idea for us to do that in front of them," she murmured.
"They'll benefit from it," Mary assured her. She gently brushed her lips to her wife's and then told her, "But not too much."
"No," Skye said with a soft laugh. She ran her fingers through her wife's hair before leaning into her, kissing her gently until they forced themselves apart and turned their attention to their daughters.
Eating breakfast together at the kitchen table, Skye and Mary included their two youngest in the conversation before they were finishing, and Marie was asking about their plans.
"We're still going swimming right?" the little girl asked.
"Of course, but let's clean up to work off breakfast before we head outside," Mary replied, her wife touching her arm before she spoke.
"And change," Skye said. When her wife smiled in response she frowned slightly and said, "You already did?"
"I would have suggested it if you girls hadn't already," Mary said, smiling at their daughters. "So we're just cleaning up."
"Which they're starting to do already," Skye pointed out before they moved to follow their daughters. She helped Ivy with her plate before she and her wife let Marie and Kathleen rinse off the plates while they took care of the food that was left over. "What do you want to do with that?" she asked since there was a little bit of eggs and sausage.
"We'll decide later," Mary said firmly before she motioned to their two oldest. While the girls were hurrying into the laundry room, she turned to her wife and wrapped her arms around her neck.
"They're not going to take that long," Skye warned her.
"I know," Mary said simply before they were leaning into each other and kissing deeply. With the way her wife clutched at her she knew they would have a difficult time stopping though they weren't going to be alone for much longer.
"Wh-" Ivy started to say before she found herself being tugged back gently into the laundry room.
"Are you okay?" Marie asked, having pulled her sister.
"Yeah, why'd you do that?" Ivy asked, hugging the towel tighter to her.
"We don't like to interrupt them," Kathleen explained. "Remember Julia and Eliza said they do the same for their parents?"
"Oh yeah, good idea," Iris said, looking back. "Oh, they stopped."
"Girls," Skye called out.
"Grá, they're going to see you," Mary murmured to her wife in amusement since she was rubbing her back under her shirt.
Though she didn't want to, Skye moved her hand and said to their daughters, "I hope you're ready."
"We are," Marie and Kathleen said at the same time, their younger sisters saying that as well after them.
Laughing, Skye and Mary urged their daughters outside to the pool where they made sure to get sunscreen on them once their covers were off. Once they were ready, they went together into the water before Kathleen was talking to her mothers excitedly.
"We can swim to the deep end can't we?" the little girl asked.
"Go ahead, just you two. Fleur," Skye said firmly.
"But Mummy…" the little girl started to say.
"Sorry, but you're not ready yet for that with just your sisters," Mary then said, wrapping her arms around the little girl.
"What about us?" Iris asked shyly while she pressed against Skye's side.
"Stay with us, we'll swim with you here," the investigator replied.
"Can we go out there at all?" Ivy asked.
"Yes, but let's get used to the water," Skye said before they watched Fleur go in. After stepping in she was relieved when the youngest twins were swimming around them in the water before Marie and Kathleen were back with them. It was at that point she and Mary allowed them to go to the deep end, the seven of them swimming together to the bench on the side.
"We don't fit!" Kathleen complained.
"We never said you all had to sit on there," Mary said, she and Skye treading the water in front of the five.
"Then I'll leave," Marie said before she slipped into the water. When she resurfaced she turned back to her sisters and asked, "Comfortable now?"
"Yeah," Kathleen said with a smile before she slipped under the water.
Laughing when the others were doing the same, Mary said to Skye, "Should we bring out the volleyball."
"I think so," the investigator replied. Skye was smiling after her wife kissed her gently before they were gathering their daughters and returning to the shallow end to begin their games.
"Rick," Beckett said laughingly. "Stop someone's going to find us."
"I don't think so," Castle said though he was pulling away. "Ride's closed," he added since they were at the exit to Splash Mountain.
"It is but someone else might try to come this way," Beckett replied.
"For the same thing?" Castle asked jokingly.
"Probably," Beckett said with a smile before they were getting up from the bench they'd found after a brief kiss. While they walked around to the end of the Rivers of America she asked her husband, "Where are we going exactly?"
"Thunder Mountain?" Castle suggested.
"Alright," Beckett said. She was turning to the left when she spotted a familiar stroller being pushed towards them. "Is that the girls?" she asked her husband in surprise.
"I think so," Castle said. When his wife looked at him he said, "There is a cast member with them."
"True," Beckett said since she had seen the woman next to them.
"Hello," the cast member said when they were close to Castle and Beckett. "You're their parents?"
"We are," Castle said. "Thanks for escorting them."
"Not a problem, enjoy the rest of your day," the woman replied.
"Mama, Mama want up," Josie said, reaching up then before her mother was responding with a smile.
"Hold on," Beckett said while she was doing her best to unhook the belt across the baby's lap. Once she had it she picked Josie up, putting her on her hip and hugging her tightly. "How were the rides you went on?" she asked.
"Gram and Grandpapa said they had a lot of fun," Julia replied first.
"Did the McDouglas girls go to their mothers?" Beckett then asked.
"Yeah," Julia replied.
"Marie texted Skye to see where they were," Eliza said. She saw her mother looking at Castle and asked, "What is it?"
"I surprised your mom," he replied. When he saw Eliza looking at Julia he smiled and said, "Then she surprised you."
"What should we go on?" Beckett then asked the three, smiling at Josie pressing her cheek to hers.
"Thunder Mountain? We were walking there anyway," Castle told her.
"I don't mind," Julia said swiftly.
"Me neither," Eliza added. "But… someone has to stay with Josa."
"We should take turns love," Castle said to his wife.
"I was thinking the same thing," Beckett replied with a nod. She then smiled and said, "But I don't know what they'll think."
"Think of what?" Eliza asked.
"Go on the rides twice," Julia said in amusement because she'd already known what her parents were talking about.
"I want to," Eliza told their parents swiftly.
"Then let's go," Castle said. He grabbed Eliza and put her on his back before they were continuing on their way to the ride before Julia was starting to talk.
"What about Josa?" the teen asked.
"Wait," Beckett said, stopping suddenly. "Peter-"
"Went with Paul and Nancy," Julia interrupted. "We told him he could come with us… but he wanted to let us go alone with you."
"Shouldn't he have come? I told him he should come 'cause we'd be even," Eliza said.
"It's alright," Castle said. "If he wanted to go with Paul and Nancy… well you can't really blame him can you?"
"I can't," Julia said swiftly, not surprised when her mother looked at her or when she was asking her about her answer.
"Did you want to go on your own with them?" Beckett asked.
Smiling Julia said, "No, but Gram and Grandpapa are going to follow them."
"What?" Castle asked after they made their way around to the exit of the ride.
"They stopped to have coffee for their snack, Gram made Grandpapa share something with her," Eliza explained while her father put her down.
"I think it was a croissant," Julia told them.
"That sounds like Mother," Castle said. He turned his attention to his wife and asked, "Who's first?"
"Go ahead," Beckett replied.
Leaning over, Castle kissed the baby's cheek before brushing his lips to his wife's telling her, "Thank you."
"Go, we're running out of time," Beckett said with a smile. She took his second kiss; which she wasn't surprised was as swift as the one before it; and told him, "I'm serious, Skye was talking about doing something big for the rest of our visit."
"I wonder what that is," Eliza said to her father as the three of them walked into the entrance.
"I think it's going around the park again," Julia said. "Dad?" she asked, looking at him.
"Yeah, I would guess," Castle said with a nod. "But we'll find out once we meet up with them again."
"I can't wait to do that," Eliza said eagerly after her father had talked to the cast member on that side of the loading platform.
"First the ride," Castle said, squeezing her shoulder with a smile.
"I wonder what Mom's going to do now," Julia said.
"Probably walk to the Rivers of America," Castle said.
"Why don't we go on the boat?" Eliza asked the two.
"Wait until we're finished," Castle said swiftly as their train was pulling up. Once they were on he smiled at the girls in the row ahead of him, saying the end of the safety spiel together.
"'Cause this here's the wildest ride in the wilderness!" Julia and Eliza cried. They laughed before crying out together in joy while they raced through the cave until they got to the lift hill. They were screaming and yelling while they went over the tracks until they were at the end and making their way back to the loading platform. After they were outside and Castle had rushed out to get Beckett, Eliza turned to her sister and whispered into her ear.
"I can't hear you," Julia said. "Are you okay?" glancing at the cast member their father had asked to keep an eye on them.
"Is it fair to go on these rides twice? Josa can't even go once," Eliza replied.
"Not really but she's still only a baby," Julia replied.
"Do you mind not going with the older kids?" Eliza then asked.
Spotting their mother hurrying to them, Julia shook her head with a smile and told her sister, "No, we'll go together on the rides which is more important."
"I'm hungry," Eliza said as soon as Beckett was with them.
"Hello to you too," she said with a laugh, hugging her second youngest. Turning to the cast member, she was about to ask for the back of the train when the young man was speaking first.
"Your husband asked so everything's set," he told them. "This next train take rows fourteen and fifteen."
"Thank you," Beckett said before she turned back to her daughters. "Who's sitting in what row."
"Go with me Mommy?" Eliza asked after she and her sister had played Roshambo, and she'd won with paper covering Julia's rock.
"Sure," Beckett said, seeing the teen shrugging. They moved to get on the track, and she enjoyed herself greatly with her daughters, Julia in front of her and Eliza before they were getting out of the train once the ride was finished.
"What do we have time for?" Castle asked when his wife and their middle daughters were with them.
"You couldn't look at your watch?" Beckett asked him teasingly.
"Not really, no," Castle said.
"We have twenty minutes," Beckett replied. "What were you two doing before you came to us?"
"We sat with Gram and Grandpapa," Julia explained. "The other three too but they were still sitting. So we can't go on anything?"
"I think we have a chance for one more thing," Castle said, looking pointedly at Eliza before she was gasping and crying out shortly after.
"The boat! Are we going to go on the boat?" the little girl asked.
"Hold on," Beckett said quickly. "I don't know if that should be our last ride."
"No?" Castle asked in surprise.
"It's twelve minutes with us standing," Beckett replied. She turned to the girls and said, "Do you mind?"
"Not really," Julia said after she and Eliza shared a look.
"We were excited for Josa," the little girl added.
"I'm not surprised, but if we're going around the whole park again I think she'll have a chance for rides too," Beckett told her.
"Then what do we go on now?" Eliza asked.
"I was thinking Pirates," Beckett said.
"Unless you two are tired of it already?" Castle then inquired.
"No!" "No way," Eliza and Julia said at the same time.
"Okay," Castle said, getting the stroller once Beckett had Josie. They walked down to the ride and he said, "Your turn first love."
"I figured," Beckett replied with a smile, handing him the baby after she'd kissed her cheek. "We won't take that long luckily."
"How did you know?" Castle asked jokingly.
"Know what?" Eliza said to her big sister.
"If you do walk around-" Beckett started to say.
"Then I'll go quickly," Castle interrupted. "Have fun guys." He watched Josie with a smile as the baby was looking after the others and he kissed the side of her head before telling her, "Sorry about that sweetheart, but what do you say to window shopping."
"Eh," Josie said immediately.
Laughing briefly, Castle kissed her again and said, "I'll have to tell your Gram how fast you agreed to that," not surprised when she was responding to him immediately.
"Gram?" Josie asked.
"We'll see her really soon," Castle replied. He then made sure the stroller was fine with others before he started to make his way around the windows, pausing to look inside with the baby.
"Tiger," Josie laughed when she saw a glass blown one in one window.
"I see," Castle replied. He let her look at it a little longer before distracting her and asked, "Want to keep going?"
"Eh," Josie replied.
"Good because your mom should be ready to take you by now," Castle said, turning to walk back to the ride's exit.
"Want Mama," Josie said. She looked around them while her father was walking and when he stopped she turned her head to him before leaning her head against his.
"What's wrong Josie?" Castle asked, rubbing her back before he noticed someone was walking up to him.
At the same time, Beckett was getting off the bateau with Julia and Eliza on the ride before she said, "You two stay here alright?"
"We will," Julia replied, though she knew her mother was talking to Eliza. Watching her go she turned to her sister when Beckett was out of sight and said, "That's what happens when she's first."
"Daddy would have said," Eliza replied. She turned to look at the top of the incline that was near them and she said, "It's great isn't it?"
"This ride?" Julia asked.
Shaking her head Eliza replied, "Getting to come here for a third time."
Smiling widely, Julia said, "You're thinking of what Skye and Adam talked about; that five day thing," laughing briefly when her sister nodded rapidly before she spoke.
"You'd want to do that too wouldn't you?" Eliza asked.
"Of course, but I don't know if Mom and Dad would do that yet, maybe on Spring Break or something," Julia replied.
"When Josa's older?" Eliza suggested.
"Probably," Julia said, making sure then her sister wasn't in the way of the people coming off a bateau though she was standing in front of her.
"Think you'll really get to dance with him?" Eliza was asking then.
"Him… Adam?" Julia said in response. When her sister nodded she smiled and shrugged before saying, "I'll have to see; hopefully." She looked down towards the exit and then said, "Dad's taking a while," before it hit her, and she breathed out roughly.
"What's wrong?" Eliza said worriedly.
"Nothing," Julia said swiftly.
"Jules," Eliza said with a frown. "Tell me."
Sighing Julia knew she wouldn't be able to avoid that and said, "I think someone might have started to flirt with Dad."
"Oh no," Eliza said before she noticed someone walking towards them. "There he is," she said, going past her sister and rushing to Castle, wrapping her arms around him.
"What's wrong?" he asked with a smile, hugging her.
"Jules said someone might flirt with you, did they?" Eliza asked.
Castle looked at Julia with his eyebrow raised before she shrugged and he turned to Eliza saying, "They tried to, but your mom was there luckily and helped," not surprised at her reaction.
"Will she be gone once we leave?" Eliza asked.
"Of course, your mom went to walk around with Josie now," Castle said quickly before he got the cast member's attention.
Outside Beckett was walking back to the stroller, letting Josie walk while she held her hand after they'd made a circuit of the shops around the exit. "I hope your daddy didn't promise to buy you that tiger," she said with a smile when the baby was tugging her hand. Looking up, she was relieved seeing their family was waiting for them and she hurried Josie before her sisters were taking her.
"It's time," Castle said to his wife while they were watching their daughters talking; their older two telling Josie about the ride.
"I noticed," Beckett said. "Do you two want to take her while we walk back to Adventureland?" she said, getting their attention.
"Yeah," Eliza said eagerly.
"Alright, we're going right now," Castle said before he started to push the stroller while he and Beckett were behind their daughters. "They mentioned something to me," he told his wife.
"Oh?" Beckett asked in amusement since she could see Julia and Eliza glancing back at her.
"Yes, they suggested a future spring break," Castle replied before Eliza was talking almost in irritation.
"Daddy! Don't take too long to tell Mommy; just say!" the little girl was telling him.
"I will, I just wanted to make your mom wait in anticipation," Castle replied.
"Eliza," Beckett said.
"Sorry Daddy," the little girl said.
"That's okay, I was taking too long anyway," Castle said before he turned to his wife. "They suggested coming back for five days."
"Do they even have that still?" Beckett replied with a smile since it hadn't been a surprise that the girls had thought of that.
"I can ask Skye and Mary," Castle replied.
"We can," Beckett said. "Look forward you two," she told the girls quickly. "And we're not saying we will for sure; we'll see if we can."
"That's good," Eliza said. She smiled when the rest of her family laughed before she saw ahead of them that the rest of their family, Peter and the McCartneys were waiting already.
"Hello," Martha said first when she noticed the other five. "How was it?"
"We only went on two rides, but they were the good ones; Thunder Mountain and Pirates," Eliza replied eagerly.
"How fun," Martha said, hugging her and picking up Josie when she walked up to her. After she had the baby on her hip she said, "We were roped into some rides as well."
"Just two when we caught up with them," Jim said, nodding to Peter with a smile before the teen was speaking swiftly.
"We went on the two Star Wars rides," Peter replied. "But first we went on the Matterhorn."
"Nice," Castle said. "And here come the McDouglases," he added with a smile.
"You haven't been waiting too long have you?" Skye asked first.
"Do they still have the five day tickets?" Eliza said before anyone could respond.
"Sorry," Beckett said when Skye and Mary looked at her and Castle in surprise. She then explained the idea the two girls had before she said, "We might think about doing it."
"They do have it, but they bumped it up to six days," Skye replied. "Plus you get six nights at the hotel."
"Food?" Castle asked.
"Just breakfast," Mary answered. "But you can just get something light like we did with that too."
Sharing a look with his wife Castle shrugged and told her, "We could you know."
"I realize," Beckett said with a nod. "But for now we'll focus on this trip."
"Great, then I can tell you my idea," Skye said, clapping her hands together before she was startled by almost everyone else speaking at the same time.
"Go around the park," they said while the investigator frowned at them.
"You took all the fun out of that," Skye said, exaggerating her accent. She then asked, "What do you all think?"
"I like it," Paul said.
"Are we going to split up later?" Jim asked.
"I was thinking not to," Skye replied, looking at her wife.
"Oh don't worry," Mary said quickly. "I don't mind that."
When the others said they didn't either Skye said, "Then I should confess to you that I was talking about all the 'attractions' there are."
"So…" Peter started to say before he shook his head. "We already figured you'd want to go to the Tiki Room."
"No?" Eliza asked in surprise when the investigator was shaking her head.
"She means the things on Main Street, right Mum?" Marie asked.
"I do, but just the Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and the cartoons in the cinema," Skye replied before she turned to Paul. "Have you been to the first?"
"No, never did we were heading to the rides more," the singer said. "So we're walking back."
"I think so," Beckett said, glancing at her husband who was nodding quickly. She stayed with him while they made their way back to Main Street and down to the theater where the show was. She took Josie with her, a little worried the baby would be scared at the animatronic of the former president, but she remained still and nearly seemed to be trying to sleep.
"Think she's still tired?" Castle asked his wife when they made their way back out to the street.
Beckett was about to respond when Josie was squealing out at the sight of one of the horses pulling a trolley going by. She then smiled as she said, "I don't think so, it was probably the theater."
"Does that mean she's going to sleep during the cartoons?" Eliza asked, walking with them.
"Car Dada!" Josie said, looking at Castle before he was laughing and replying.
"That's right, want to come with me?" he asked her. When she immediately reached out to him he took her onto his hip and said, "But we don't have that much time to watch the cartoons right?"
"They don't take that long," Mary pointed out as they reached the cinema.
"Six to eight minutes isn't long?" Martha asked.
"Then we should ask the kids," Nancy suggested, smiling when the others turned to her. "One or two of the cartoons or-"
"All of them," the kids said together, laughing when Josie tried to mimic them.
"Then we should start, let me go in and check and see where Steamboat Willie is right now," Skye said, ducking inside.
"She loves going to this," Mary said with a smile.
"Mommy too," Fleur said. "They 'old 'ands and snuggle together."
"Fleur," Mary said, blushing deeply.
"Alright, the cartoon's starting over," Skye said. She noticed her wife's blush but didn't say anything until they were standing together at the screen. "What's wrong?" she murmured as softly as she could into Mary's ear.
Shaking her head, the doctor wrapped her arms around her wife before Skye was responding. They moved around the different cartoons before they were leaving and she said to their daughters, "Alright, which one of you teased us?"
"Me Mummy," Fleur said. "I just said you liked to 'old 'ands and snuggle in there. It's the truth isn't it?"
"Very French," Skye said with a smile, looking at Paul who was soon after smiling and nodding before he spoke.
"I would say," the singer replied.
"And we do, and we have so why don't we continue?" Skye asked.
"Quick question before we do that," Castle said. "We couldn't go on the streetcar?"
"That's an attraction grá," Mary pointed out.
"Oh don't worry, I'm all for it," Skye said swiftly. "I'm just wondering about the kids again."
"Yes please!" Eliza said eagerly.
When the others were agreeing, Skye laughingly ushered them back to the train station where they waited for the horse drawn streetcar to return. After they were on it, Castle and Beckett were sitting in the front row, Josie on the latter's lap watching the horse and reaching out to it.
"She likes horses?" the driver asked them.
"Everyone does," Castle said with a smile, gesturing to the back of the car.
"Ah, that would explain why you were still waiting," the driver said with a laugh.
By then they'd reached the Sleeping Beauty Castle and the trolley was coming to a stop before Castle was asking, "Is it alright if we pet the horse?"
"If you can do that while the new passengers are getting on," the driver replied while everyone was getting out.
"I think you're first love," Castle told his wife.
Giving him a look; though it didn't last long; Beckett gave him Josie before she reached up to the mare. Holding out her hand she wasn't surprised when it snuffed onto her palm and she gently ran her hand up to its forelock. "What's her name?" she asked the cast member standing next to her.
"Jessie," the woman said. "Easy girl," she added when the horse was pressing at Beckett's hand.
"It's alright, Rick," Beckett said, turning to her husband before he stepped up while he was talking to the baby.
"I hope you remember how we taught you to pet horses," Castle was saying.
"Pony," Josie breathed, staring at the mare with wide eyes.
Castle took her hand and gently helped her pet the horse before he did the same and stepped back to let the others have a turn before they were watching the trolley leaving. "So did we go to all the attractions?" he asked Skye and Mary.
"We did," the latter said first. "So now Adventureland."
Turning to the kids as they were complaining; though Josie was laughing at the sound of them doing that; Paul said, "Now you don't want to start there?"
"It's because of what's first," Marie explained.
"Could-" Kathleen started to say before Skye was interrupting her.
"Oh no, we said we're going together," the investigator told her. "Now I'm not a fan of this either, but we have to allow Josie some attractions too you know."
"Alright," Marie and Kathleen sighed at the same time.
"Yeah, we'll go," Eliza said hurriedly when her mother looked at her. She smiled as the others were laughing at her tone before she took her grandfather's hand, and they made their way under the banner for Adventureland.