A/N: This is my first foray into Castle fanfic-land. I hope it won't be disappointing. Set sometime in the in-between six years of the series finale.
Requiem
"Shine a light through the dark day" aka "Someone has broken the coffee grinder"
"Uh oh!"
Castle's ears perk up when he hears the words filtering through his bookcase wall from the kitchen.
He can see Lily standing on one of the stools – which is already heart-attack-worthy – and gazing down at something completely hidden by her body.
"Uh oh!" his daughter says again, which clues Castle in on how in trouble she actually is.
He sends one last gaze to the babies finally asleep in their playpen, and he sighs, knowing his afternoon is going to be even longer.
Reece and Jack have been loud. The Rodgers genes were shining with clarity as they tag-teamed their screaming fits as if they were opera singers. Nothing like the melodious Beckett voice that sings Sinatra and lullabies.
"Hey Bean, what are you doing?"
He regrets the question as soon as he sees Lily's guilty face stare back at him. This is not going to end well at all.
"It went 'round very fast," she says, her Beckett frown softening him.
"Can you sit on the stool, please?"
Lily huffs but plops her butt on the seat of the chair, leaving him an unobstructed view of the counter. He is even more confused when he sees the coffee grinder in front of her, and the way she's gazing mournfully inside it tells Castle that, whatever happened, involves the kitchen appliance.
He walks closer and peers in, his eyes widening when he realizes that one of the blades is broken in half, just like one of Lily's toy ponies, the head severed with a neat slice, some of the rainbow hair scattered in between bits of ground coffee.
"My pony was spinning and then it was not." Lily sighs. She looks mournful.
He can picture the scene clearly now: Lily dumping the pony in the grinder as it spins, body parts flying everywhere, and then… Damn, she could have chopped off one of her delightfully tiny fingers!
"Lily, that was very dangerous! Tell me you put the pony in before pressing start?"
Lily huffs – huffs! – and gives him a miniature Beckett eye roll. "'Course Daddy. That's what you do with the coffee when we make Mama breakfast in bed."
Oh, at least she's smart.
He's still trying to catch his breath and calm his pounding heart when the front door swings open, and both he and Lily turn to see Kate, a tired smile on her lips.
"Mommy! We gots a mudder!"
Both his eyes and Kate's widen in surprise, though Kate's are more amused-surprised than terrified-surprised like his.
"What happened?"
"My pony!"
Lily sticks her hand in the grinder and retrieves the bottom half of her pony, then the severed head, then a chopped-off leg, making Castle wince at the idea of Lily's fingers so close to the snapped blade.
"What?" Kate's eyes are now terrified-wide. So not good. "Castle? Lily Castle?" Oh, damn, she has her interrogation face on. They are toast.
Lily searches his gaze for help, but there's nothing. They're food for sharks. Beautiful, Beckett-shaped sharks.
"I just wanted to...to..." Lily hesitates, and then the waterworks start.
"Rick, was she playing with the coffee grinder?" Kate asks, walking closer to gather a sobbing Lily in her arms. "Sticking her pony inside where the blades are?"
"Mama I was real careful!" Lily hiccups, burying her face within the lapels of Kate's coat. "I closed the lid and everything but then it popped off when, when..." she hiccups, sobbing more, "and the head got chopped off!"
Lily is wailing in Kate's ear now, but his wife seems unfazed. It seems like it's hitting their daughter just now that her toy is impossible to repair.
"Rick?" Kate is looking at him for explanations he doesn't have.
"Kate, I…"
"Daddy was with Jack and Reece 'cause they were loud and he told me to wait and watch TV or read or play quiet games but they were scwreaming and my ears were hurting and...I'm so sorry Mommy, I'm so sorry."
"Shh, Bean, I'm glad you're okay, and I hope you know now that kitchen appliances are not toys, right?"
"I'm sorry, Mommy. I'm sorry, Daddy; I didn't listen good."
"Oh, Lily," he sighs, the apology on his lips being stolen with a sharp look from Kate. They're definitely not done arguing about this, but not in front of Lily.
"Daddy is the best daddy, don't yell at him. The boys were being very mean to him."
Kate looks at him, her eyes softening. "Rick?"
"Tag-teamed screaming. I swear I would have done something if I'd even heard the grinder." He pinches the bridge of his nose. He cannot believe he didn't hear the grinder crunching the stupid pony.
"That loud?" Kate frowns.
"Yes, Mama."
"Are they okay?" Her anger dissolves into concern right away.
"I think they have the beginnings of a cold. Or maybe the snot was only from the crying? I have no idea, Kate."
He needs to sit down.
He leans against the counter, taking a deep breath, realizing that all of this could have ended in disaster and he had no idea. His daughter could have chopped off her hand, his boys could be having a fever and he has no idea.
Maybe he's not cut out to be a stay-at-home dad anymore, maybe he's too old for this.
"Jesus, Kate, I…"
"Hey, Rick, hey." He feels her hand squeeze his bicep, her fingers lifting his chin. "Breathe," she says, before she adjusts her hold on Lily and leans in to kiss him.
Lily kisses his cheek, too, then she launches into his chest. He grabs her with a huff, not ready for the impact, but it jostles his sadness as well. Her tiny arms squeeze around him tightly as she leans fully into him, gripping him like a koala bear.
"I'm sorry I scared you, Daddy. I got scared, too," she whispers, and he squeezes her tightly.
"I'm going to take off my coat and my shoes and go check on the boys, okay?" Kate says and he nods, taking deep breaths, Lily swaying with his chest.
He watches as Kate hangs her coat, then locks her gun and badge in the safe, double-checking that it's closed before she slips off her heels and exhales loudly, composing herself.
She pins her hair up and becomes Mommy instead of Captain in a split second. He's always amazed by her change of persona, how rapidly she molds between the two roles. It seems like she was born for being all these wonderful things.
She disappears into his office, returns a minute later with a soft look in her eyes.
"When did they go down?" she asks him, and again, he has no clue. He's not even sure what time it is now. His eyes linger on the clock, realizing it's almost dinnertime. Fabulous. They're never going to go back to sleep before the wee hours of the morning, now.
"I don't know." He feels like the most useless of suspects. "I'm sorry, Kate. I'm sorry."
"I'm going to get dinner started, okay?"
"We have leftovers."
"Even better. Bean, wanna help me set the table?" Kate gives them a smile, and Lily nods, happy to be useful. "Castle, can you take care of our murder scene?"
That finally puts a smile on his face. He kisses her before she could go too far. It's a quick, PG peck, but she lingers for a second against his forehead, noses touching.
"Let's get food into her, send her to bed, then you'll tell me about your afternoon, okay?"
"Kate…"
"I'm not mad, I promise."
He's not sure he believes her, but he goes on and cleans up the remains of their grinder, burying the pony pieces in the recycling, between an empty jug of milk and a couple of tin cans, while he knows they'll have to bring the rest of the appliance at the recycling station.
They'll have to buy a new grinder, too. That will be the priority tomorrow, no doubt about it. Or it won't be just an accident, but the beginning of the apocalypse.
Oh God, when Kate figures out that there won't be freshly brewed coffee the next morning, he's a dead man. He'll definitely be blamed for the lack of caffeine.
Kate extrapolates more information from Lily as the two of them set the table, but he can't hear their daughter's whispered confession. Lily doesn't look as heartbroken as she did only a few minutes ago, at least. Kate listens carefully and evaluates, and he's sure she's trying to figure out what really happened through evidence.
They are startled by a piercing cry, followed by another one.
"I got them," says Kate, sighing, leaving them to finish setting up dinner.
When she returns, she has a twin perched on each hip, both boys calmer, but looking still half asleep. Jake has his hand clenched around Kate's shirt collar, while Reece is even bolder, his fingers already trying to scour some food as he sneaks them between the buttons of Kate's shirt.
"Eat and feed?" Castle asks, already holding out his hands to grab one of the boys.
Kate nods, studying the babies before she hands him Jake, who whines in protest. Luckily, Lily is cheerful enough to distract Jake as Kate begins feeding Reece, who is apparently ravenous from the way he's suckling on her nipple.
They all sit down at the table, and Lily monopolizes the conversation. Kate is too focused on feeding the boys and herself in tandem, Castle is making sure both Lily and Kate's food is cut up and safe for them to eat one-handed, as well as trying to keep the boy in his care entertained enough not to turn the dinner table into a screaming festival.
Somehow they finish dinner unscathed, if not for a minor water spill on Castle's part as Reece jostles his elbow while he's trying to burp him. Complete success in his book.
Lily is eager to comply with bedtime routines after the grinder disaster, knowing she needs to redeem points in front of her mother. Her parents are more than pleased.
Castle is ready to withhold a story or two as per usual, but Kate shakes her head, tells him Lily has suffered enough, that she'll explain later why reading to her is okay. He gives in easily, unable to resist two pairs of Beckett pleading gazes.
Storytime is entertaining for all three kids, with a total of one-half of a book read before Lily is out like a light. The boys will take a bit longer to fall asleep, but neither parent is worried. They put them in their bouncy seats as they work in tandem to clear the dishes from dinner and tidy up the kitchen.
Castle knows Kate is still processing the event of their afternoon, but she really doesn't seem too mad. Still, he's not fully capable of relaxing until they have talked.
They each hold a twin and sway in their living room, rocking them to sleep, knowing from the way their bodies are heavy and sleepy that they are indeed not feeling at their best. They rock them quietly for a few minutes before Kate starts talking.
"Timeline of events?" she asks, cupping Jake's ear and holding him gently against her as she dances to her own rhythm.
"For this afternoon?" Castle asks, mirroring her sway, holding Reece just as snugly.
Kate nods. "Alexis picked up Lily from preschool, right?"
"Yes. They came back around two. The girls had a blast having lunch together."
Kate smiles. "Good. I'm glad Lily had some girl time with Alexis."
"The boys were alert and excited when Lily got here, but they were progressively cranky as time passed, but I thought nothing of it. Not until Reece sneezed loudly, startling Jake, who started a crying fit."
"What time was this?"
Castle sighs. "Maybe three thirty?"
"Okay," Kate says, nodding, kissing Jake's temple, her lips lingering against the baby's skin. "Then?"
"Then Jake was screaming, Reece was screaming because his brother was screaming, and Lily was upset by all of that. You know how she gets when her brothers cry."
Kate sighs. "Okay. So you sent her to the living room?"
"I turned the TV on for her, but I guess she got bored?" He shakes his head. "I told her she could play quiet games, too."
"Her ponies are a quiet game."
"Not when they go into the grinder, Kate." He takes a deep breath after he snaps. "I can't believe I didn't hear the grinder going."
Kate bumps his shoulder, careful not to jostle either of their sons, who appear to be both asleep.
"They're loud together. Especially when it's in your ear. Jet plane taking off loud, remember?" Kate smiles at the memory of Jim Beckett, who decided to record the boys and measure the decibels of their combined screams using an app. Turns out the Castle-Beckett twins can give rock concerts a run for their money.
"It's no excuse for forgetting about Lily. She could have severed her hand."
"Castle, no."
"Yes. Kate, what if it was the oven? Or the stove? She could have turned on the bathtub faucets and drowned, because I wasn't watching her."
He paces faster, wishing he could run a hand through his hair in frustration, but Reece prevents him from doing that.
"Okay. Time for bed for the twins. I can't have this conversation with you while you're swaying."
Kate tables the conversation, but his gut is still clenched, all the lumps in his throat back there, making breathing harder, even though he had managed to calm himself during dinner.
The twins keep sleeping peacefully as they back out of the nursery. They give one last check on Lily, watching how she breathes evenly in the low glow of her elephant nightlight, then they make their way back downstairs.
"Castle, there are pony hairs stuck to the top of the grinder. She really closed the lid." Kate walks closer, stands right before him, guides his eyes to her with the most gentle nudge of her finger on his jaw. "She watches you make coffee for me all the time and she tried to do the same to cheer you up, she put the pony in to add some magic."
"Oh." His eyes widen.
"She didn't tell you because she was upset she ruined her surprise for you. She wanted to make you a cup of coffee and make you feel better."
"Really?" he croaks. Tears come to his eyes.
"Yes. She really was careful, and she's more upset about you being sad than her pony."
"Beckett, we'll buy her ten more rainbow ponies!"
"No! She doesn't even want one. Just...make coffee with her tomorrow."
He blushes. "That might be a problem. The blade did not survive the pony mangling."
"What do you mean?" Kate exhales slowly.
"It means I'll make you espresso from ground coffee tomorrow? Moka espresso?" He gives her a charming grin, grateful he remembered about the emergency stash of ground coffee they have in the pantry.
"Moka espresso?"
"Moka espresso."
Kate shakes her head and gives him a bashful grin, before she grabs his cheek and kisses him. It's soft, full of her love, and maybe a bit of awe, and he revels in the slow slide of their lips, the warmth of her body getting closer to hers.
"You're an amazing dad, Rick. And Lily is totally a mini you, always ready to take care of people. Even her dad."
"I'll take her and the boys shopping for a grinder. And to recycle the old one. Make a day out of it."
"See? Great dad."
He sighs, unsure, though Kate kisses most of his doubts away.
"I'm sorry my job keeps me so busy. I wish I had more time to be with you and the kids. I know you're in an impossible situation. Should we hire…"
"Kate, no. No nannies. I'll miss a couple of deadlines, but I don't care, okay? I have enough time to juggle everything, and I'll get better. Alexis was easy."
"And only one, Rick."
"But Lily and Jake and Reece deserve me just as much. Manny. Danny?"
"Working on a new pen name, too?"
Castle finally laughs, the weight on his chest loosening as Kate holds him in her arms. She fits her nose under his chin and steps into him, wrapping her body around his in a way that is so similar to Lily, yet so different. She's soft tonight, cuddly, loose.
"How was your day?"
"Short but bad. Arrested a mom who shook her kid to death in a fit of cocaine-induced rage. The little boy was just about the twins' age."
"Damn, Kate, and when you got here…"
"That is bad parenting, Rick. Cocaine abuse, alcohol, shaking babies. You put Lily in front of the TV and tried your best. You did your best."
"And we got lucky."
"Not because of today. But because we are blessed with a responsible little girl, who cares about not getting hurt."
"Yet, there is a little Rebel Becks in her."
Castle wins a soft punch to his solar plexus for that, but he wouldn't have it any other way.
"Says the riding-horses-naked role model."
"Fair enough." He sighs, leaning his forehead against hers, the easy banter making him sappy, romantic.
Castle draws in Kate for another kiss, savoring her, comforting her for the horror she saw today. He understands a lot of her behavior now, her case putting their horrible afternoon in perspective.
"I'm gonna hold you to moka espresso for tomorrow, Castle. And precinct delivery with everyone. The guys could use some Little Castle Babies cheer."
Castle smirks at the memory of the moniker, what feels like a lifetime ago when it was first uttered by Maddie. Yet, Maddie still calls their kids that whenever she visits, and it stuck.
"We do make some cute, smart, incredible babies," he says, and Kate hums. "Wanna go make more?"
"Castle, you'd get a stroke if we have another kid and you would still tough it out as their Manny. We're good with three."
"Yeah, no, I don't think I can survive you pregnant for a third time. This time it could be triplets."
Kate shoves him playfully, and their banter soon turns into kissing, then heavy making out against the counter, before they finally move the party to the bedroom.
Luckily for them, no more Castle babies are conceived that night. Especially since the next morning, Castle realizes that the ground espresso beans he remembers having are actually in the Hamptons, and he knows Kate Beckett will unleash all her uncaffeinated fury on him as soon as her eyes open.
Maybe he'll have to use their cute babies as human shields.
Survival of the fittest, right?
In their household, it's survival of the quickest to go to the 24-hour corner store and buy obscenely expensive ground coffee at five forty-five in the morning with a couple of barely-awake kids in tow.
A/N: I've been toying with this idea from this prompt for ages [find it here: castlefanficprompts. tumblr post / 616667260831039488/ kris-on-twitter ] and I felt brave enough to finally publish it. I hope you enjoyed it.
The title and subtitle are part of Requiem, a song by Blitzen Trapper I've obsessed over for a while.
Thank you for stopping by for my first dip into the awesome fanfic world that is Castle. Maybe I'll be able to wade in some more in the future, who knows?
