Genre: Crime, Drama, Romance, Family, Humor

Rating: M for sexual situations and language

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: Happy to get the reviews I did for the last chapter, so I'll go right into my thank yous for that! TORONTOSUN (Great to see you like how Castle is careful with Beckett since I think he would be!) and

Mb (I was happy to read you thought it was a beautifully written update last chapter. And I can say from experience that those period dresses are a pain. Big one since sitting with a hoop in a car brings a lot of issues, lol, so not surprised you caught that! I had been wondering what readers would think of Darnley getting the inheritance, so it was great you thought it was a sweet surprise! And his mother left it because his grandfather stipulated it, I toyed with having her outright give it to him, but it didn't really work in my mind. And I'm really glad you think it's so good they'll be part of the Hamptons family. Great you thought the ball with the surprise proposal was sweet, I wanted it to be after everything that had happened. You're welcome for sharing the first half! It was nice to read you thought the second half of the chapter was fantastic too and as you said a sexy update for the couples. I was glad you mentioned Skye and Mary were funny and then sext and romantic since I was trying to have that for them. No surprise you mentioned Castle and Beckett teasing along with sweet and sensual since I like to write them that way, it's how I see them, lol, and as you said a normal Castle and Beckett. I was glad you mentioned Castle and Beckett having déjà vu with the ball means it's more confirmation that they're soulmates. And I'm not surprised you're thinking they'll find a person to help them see another past life. My family and I are staying safe, thank you for saying, I hope you and yours are too right now! You're welcome for sharing the second half of the chapter!).

Thanks so much for the reviews, I enjoyed reading them and 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 So Bad by Paul McCartney, from his album Pipes of Peace.

Now You're Near

"They're here," Nkosi said to his husband.

Looking through the automatic doors, Darnley was soon smiling as he spotted his friend along with her husband and the McDouglas women. "I'm glad they're such good friends," he commented before they were going outside. "You know you could have come in."

"Oh sure, you berate us just when you get out," Skye told him teasingly.

"Well… I had to," Darnley commented as the nurse pushed his wheelchair over to his husband's car parked on the curb. He stood up and thanked the man before he turned to Beckett who was standing next to him. They embraced tightly and he murmured, "I'll need a cane, it's hard to walk and bend my knee right now."

"It doesn't matter," Beckett said. "You're able to walk."

"I am," Darnley said before they let go of one another. He smiled at her and said, "You have your flight?"

"You do want us out of here," Beckett said teasingly as she was making sure he could get inside the car.

"Yeah, since we're going to you," Darnley said. When his friend looked at him questioningly, he said, "We're in escrow."

Hugging her friend tightly the best she could inside the car, Beckett said, "Good, when are you coming up?"

"We have to get everything set in our homes," Nkosi said. "And then we'll move."

"Let us know when that is," Castle said.

"I will," Darnley said seriously.

"Dada," Keo was saying in his grandmother's arms.

"Hey kid," Darnley told his son teasingly, playfully pinching his chin before the boy squealed. "So," he then said, looking at the others. "We need to go eat something; I'm starving."

"Obviously we're going to let you choose what we're getting," Mary commented.

"Yeah, it's called Break of Dawn, a diner," Darnley began to say.

"And it's near our home," Nkosi said with a smile.

"Even better," Skye said. "We'll follow you there."

After Nkosi gave the address to the others, they split up and got in their cars before they were driving together to the diner. When they were inside and sitting at a large booth for them all, Darnley was sitting on one end with Beckett directly next to him.

"You're not really going to have much time to do anything to the house," Beckett told him.

"No, but still," Darnley started to say with a smile. "The idea is we just want to get everything in, and the beds set up before we think about our first vacation."

"What about your retirement?" Skye asked then.

"I did that before I was released, the Commissioner came over and I filled in the paperwork before I gave him my weapons and badge," Darnley said. When he felt his friend taking his hand, he looked at her and said, "I'm fine with it, I wouldn't have done it if I wasn't ready to."

Nodding Beckett said, "I also have to ask, how do you feel now you're free to be a carpenter?"

"Great," Darnley said honestly. "I'm going to double check on my tools before we put everything in the truck."

"You have one?" Castle asked.

"Not yet, but we're going to get two of them for our stuff and theirs," Darnley replied. He smiled and said, "We'll probably set it up after we're home."

"Should we start packing?" Bethany asked her son and son-in-law.

"I think so," Nkosi replied. "But we need boxes, Tata and I will get them for both homes."

"And I better call a realtor too," Darnley said.

"Are you sure you two can go to the Hamptons by then?" Mary asked the two men.

"We will," Darnley and Nkosi said at the same time.

"Friends?" Castle guessed.

"Exactly," Darnley said first. "I have friends who have asked if we needed help."

"On the phone?" Beckett asked him.

"They called this morning to see how I was, they're upset I'm leaving but I don't think they blame me since I told them about my inheritance," Darnley explained.

They had to stop as they were ordering their food and once they had Beckett said, "I wish we could help you too."

"What about when we move up there?" Nkosi asked.

"We can," Castle said. "We can get the Fosters and Davises to join in to help."

"That would be great," Nkosi said.

Nodding in agreement with his husband, Darnley said, "You should know that Bethany and Joseph won't have that much stuff; they're not bringing any furniture except for their bedroom."

"It doesn't matter," Skye said in amusement. "They'll help you."

"Perfect, I wish we could move right now," Darnley said.

Laughing with the others Beckett asked, "Have you told Maddy and Keo?"

"We did," Darnley said first.

"I don't think they understand really," Nkosi added. "But they know we're going to see your kids."

"Maybe once they see their new rooms they'll understand," Castle suggested.

"They should," Mary said with a smile. "Especially if the kids are there."

"I can't wait," Darnley said. He smiled and laughed when his friend hugged him and told her, "I hope you keep that enthusiasm."

"I'm not going to get tired of you living next door," Beckett said in mock annoyance. "We were around each other for a few years and I didn't get tired of you then."

"I'm going to remind you of that as the years go by," Darnley told her.

Watching his wife rolling her eyes and shaking her head Castle said, "You need to quit while you're ahead."

Glancing at him and then looking at his friend next to him, Darnley nodded once before he said, "I think I will."

"Oh," Mary said suddenly. "What about Maddy?"

"What about her?" Nkosi asked in confusion.

Their food was being served then and the group focused on eating and helping Maddy and Keo with their food. Once they were settled Castle was speaking, answering the investigator's question instead of the doctor.

"What about her kindergarten?" Castle said.

"We spoke with the school and we were given her teacher's lesson plans for the rest of the year," Darnley said.

"We will take care of her since we will have the time," Joseph said.

"You can do that even though you need to pack?" Castle asked.

"When we have the time," Bethany said. "Is the house very nice?" she was suddenly saying.

"It is," Beckett said with a smile. "We tried to buy it for Alexis the last time it was for sale."

"I remember you mentioning that," Skye said. "Why would Ayton be putting it for sale so shortly after the last?"

"I can answer that," Darnley said, holding up his finger. "Though I should say we can. But when we talked to him, he mentioned he was in a hurry to sell it because he wants to move to Switzerland with his new girlfriend."

"That would make sense," Castle said. "But you two are lucky."

"Very," Nkosi said. "Oh, we will be painting the house as well."

"Later though, likely this fall," Darnley said. "And with that we can definitely go to Alexis and Louis' wedding; all of us."

"We'll be happy to have you," Beckett said immediately and with a smile. She hugged her friend again briefly before turning her attention back to her meal and they were talking about possible colors for the home's trim before she looked at Darnley as he was asking about the Mill Valley home.

"Is that all painted now?" the former detective asked.

Nodding, Castle answered saying, "It is, we decided to go with a light blue for the home in the Hamptons and a blue closer to a medium blue for Mill Valley. The inside is painted and of course you'll see all the colors when you come with us."

"I can't wait for that," Darnley said eagerly. "Though I'm still not sure what we'll be doing when we're all there to sleep."

"I might have an idea," Castle said. He wasn't surprised when his wife looked at him and he told her, "I was thinking of trying the people across the street."

"The ones we saw in the shop?" Beckett asked.

"Them," Castle said before he explained to the others what had happened then. "They seemed really nice and we can recompense them for boarding David and Rebecca."

"Why them?" Nkosi asked before he paused. "I never really was at the home."

"No," Skye said easily. "But you were Patrick, it's only fair you know."

"Where did you stay?" Nkosi asked his husband.

"The couch," Darnley said easily.

"There wasn't much we could do," Castle said. "The rooms were taken very quickly on the second floor, though you would sleep where Johanna did when she wasn't there too."

"It was mostly on the couch," Darnley said.

"True," Castle said, about to grab the bill for the meal before Nkosi was.

"Our treat," the investigator said.

"Which we can actually afford," Darnley said. "And we don't have to worry about our hotel rooms this summer either. And we can go wherever we want now too."

"South Africa?" Castle asked. He was startled when the two gay couples were shifting on the booth seating and asked, "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, it's just not advisable at the moment to go," Darnley said first, smiling briefly at his husband.

"We learned that there was an attack on a gay club in Cape Town," Joseph said sadly. "Bethany and I can go but sentiment against gay men and women is… not very good right now. But I am sure that you will be able to go soon," he told his son and son in law reassuringly.

"As soon as we can we will," Darnley said firmly before the waiter was taking his husband's card. They then turned their attention to Keo as he was babbling and calling for him. "I'll take him later," he said to his husband.

"At home," Nkosi told him. He smiled when his husband nodded slightly and then said, "You'll need to leave soon won't you?"

"Unfortunately," Skye said first. "Our flight is a little before theirs," she added. "And we'll need to go through security of course."

"I didn't mean to make this lunch," Darnley said.

"It's not your fault," Beckett told him firmly. "You have a lot you need to get in order before you move."

"That's the most important thing?" Darnley asked teasingly.

"After your health? Yes," Beckett said simply before they were laughing together. Nkosi's card came back and they were getting out of the table though she was walking with her friend. "We really don't need to say goodbye today."

"Oh, I know," Darnley said with an eager nod that made his friend laugh. He hugged her tightly with his free arm; using the other to walk with a cane of his husband's; and said, "But we'll still talk right?"

"Yes, you're going to go for a checkup, right?" Beckett asked as they were leaving the restaurant.

"One before we transfer to your hospital up there," Darnley answered. "So you are looking out for both."

"Of course," Beckett said. They reached Nkosi's car and she sighed before turning to her friend, "It's still annoying to need to do this."

"I knew it was going to be," Darnley said as he watched the others walking to them. "At least now we'll just be saying goodnight before we go to our houses."

Beckett couldn't help laughing softly again and she said, "Good point, but we really need to get to that point."

"Stop bringing up the most annoying point!" Darnley said in mock annoyance.

Shaking her head while she was smiling, Beckett told him, "As you said it's not that long." She was smiling again when her friend was shaking his head and she was about to speak when Skye was calling for their attention.

"I hate to say this, but Mary and I need to go," the investigator said. "Though we really hate to."

"I think we got that," Castle said, before he smiled as Skye was shooting him a look he knew she didn't mean. "And we should go too."

"He's right," Beckett said, looking at her friend.

"Don't get all sad," Darnley told her as they were embracing tightly.

"Weird way to say that," Beckett replied in amusement.

"Of course," Darnley told her, watching her laugh as they'd leaned back to look at one another. He kissed her cheek then and told her, "I can't wait."

"Me too," Beckett replied, returning the kiss. "Don't overdo it packing."

"He won't," Nkosi said, standing by her. He smiled at his husband as Darnley was wrinkling his nose and said, "I'll watch for him, so will Jodie and everyone from his station that will help us." He then looked back at Skye and said, "And the others from the office that are there for me."

"Of course, your Go-Team?" the investigator asked him, a smile on her face.

"Of course," Nkosi echoed before she was rolling her eyes.

"I'll text one once we land," Beckett said, turning her attention to Darnley. She embraced him tightly once more and said, "And let the kids countdown until you move."

Darnley was laughing in his happiness at her being so eager for them to get to the Hamptons and said, "I'll let you know for sure."

Squeezing his shoulder, Beckett turned to the others and said goodbye to them before they were ready to go. She waved to Nkosi's car as it drove away and then said with a sigh, "I hope it won't take them that long."

"It shouldn't," Castle said, taking his wife's hand. "They're motivated to go."

Beckett smiled and then nodded before they were going to the cab that had pulled up for them. The drive to Dulles was quiet before they were going through security as they'd already checked in online. When they were walking to their gates near each other she said, "We'll see you soon too luckily." She quickly noticed the way Skye was smiling and asked, "What?"

"I'm glad to hear you added the word luckily," the investigator told her with a smile. Skye then said, "And yeah, we'll see each other and our daughters will see each other too."

"I'm wondering about Dani; will she stay with Eliza?" Mary asked as they stopped at the gate in between the two for their flights.

"She will, but we might need to have Maddy stay on the bed with Eliza and Dani," Beckett said.

"Good thing we got a bed big enough for the three of them," Castle said.

"And our three girls?" Skye asked with a smile.

"Air mattress," Beckett said simply since they'd already talked to the women about that. "Are you delaying saying goodbye? You're going to start boarding soon you know."

"I know," Skye said before she was hugging Beckett tightly. "I feel a bit left out, Junior's moving in next door."

Unable to help herself, Beckett laughed softly before she let go of her friend and told her, "We never lived next door to each other before."

"Still," Skye said, smiling so her friend would know she wasn't serious though she had a feeling Beckett was already aware. "You two have a safe flight," she said, hugging Castle quickly before watching her wife say goodbye to the couple.

"You too, text us," Beckett said. "I'll do the same."

"Will do," Skye said, smiling when her friends shook their heads before they were laughing together.

Saying goodbye to the McDouglas women, Beckett watched with her husband as the two walked over to their gate to board before she looked at him, "We're just waiting?"

"I think so," Castle said before they were heading to their gate. They sat at the windows and he looked on while his wife was photographing their plane. He was going to ask if she would send it to Julia at least before her text alert was sounding. "Skye?" he guessed.

Beckett laughed softly and shook her head as she had checked on the message saying, "Patrick, already."

Seeing the picture he'd sent Castle laughed himself as the Nkosi-Darnley children were standing in the moving boxes their fathers had gotten already. He saw the message that was with it and read, Getting ready to send them to you, before he asked, "What're you going to say?"

"That the adults need to come too," Beckett replied, sending that quickly before she looked at her husband. She was going to tell him she'd show their daughters their plane back at home when they were called to board. "Great, I'm more than ready to get back to them."

"I know, this trip felt way longer," Castle said in agreement. He took his wife's hand before they got into line to get on their plane and finally get back home to the Hamptons.

"Eliza, come back kiddo," Martha said to her granddaughter as she was nearly pressed against the glass of one of the windows on either side of the front door. "You can't keep running out here when you think you hear something," she told her, scolding her gently as it wasn't the first time she'd gone to check for her parents once they'd gotten home after the girls' dance class.

"I know, but they should be home now, right?" Eliza asked as she took her grandmother's hand that was reaching out to her.

"They will be, they might have met some traffic getting out of the city," Martha replied. They had just walked into the hallway that led to all the other rooms when she heard the chime for the gate.

"It's Mom and Dad!" Julia cried from the top of the entry stairs. She nearly flew down them before she was going to the door to the garage, waiting with her little sister as their grandparents and baby sister were coming to join them. As soon as she could hear the garage door closing, she threw the door open and they hurried past the cabinets in the short hallway there to get to the garage.

"Hey, what're you guys doing?" Castle said jokingly once he and Beckett were out of the car. He smiled as the girls were greeting them in their joy and watched them running to their mother since she was closer to them. He walked around the car and took the two in his arms as they left Beckett.

"We're happy to see you too," Beckett said, saying that to both the girls and the dogs as they had entered. She then turned her attention to her mother in law, hugging her quickly before turning her attention to her father and taking Josie from her. She hugged her tightly to her and kissed her cheek saying, "We missed you sweetie," smiling as the baby was patting her cheek and babbling before she looked over to see her father was filming with his phone.

"Mama," Josie suddenly said.

"You…" Beckett started to say as she was looking at her youngest.

"Mama," Josie said again before she smiled and wriggled in her mother's arms. "Abab!" she cried.

"She spoke!" Eliza was crying out in joy.

"Finally! We've been teaching her like crazy last night and this morning too," Julia said, laughing with the adults as Eliza was rushing to their baby sister in their mother's arms.

"Did you get it?" Martha asked Jim.

"I did," Beckett's father replied. "I'll send it to all of you."

"You'll have to show Alexis and Louis," Castle said as he was with Beckett, kissing the top of Josie's head.

"Oh, they didn't see it," Eliza said in obvious disappointment. "Hear it," she hurriedly said.

"No but," Castle said with a smile. "They will on the phone. Thank you, Jim."

"You're welcome," he replied, smiling himself as he was going to his youngest granddaughter. Jim kissed her forehead and looked at his daughter, smiling and telling her, "With them teaching her and her saying amam, I thought it might happen soon."

"Good thinking," Beckett said absently as she let her husband take Josie. "Now we need to go inside so we can unpack and decide what we'll do for dinner."

"What about Josie?" Castle asked his wife, having let Julia take the baby.

"Bring her with us," Beckett said.

"Does that mean we can go?" Julia asked.

"You are holding her," Castle said with a smile.

"Can I go too?" Eliza asked.

"Yes, let's go before it gets too late," Beckett told them before she was taking Josie from her second oldest. Her husband was getting their suitcase and she led the way into the entry before she said to her father and mother in law, "Are you okay staying down here on your own?"

"We are, I'll get in touch with Alexis, see where she is," Martha said before she was going towards the family room.

"I'll see what we have for dinner," Jim said.

Though she wanted to tell her father she and Castle were going to take them out, Beckett couldn't in time and said to the others, "Are we ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'll head up last though," Castle said, indicating the suitcases. He watched his wife go up with their daughters, smiling when their youngest said, "Mama," again before he followed. At the top he rolled the luggage down the hallway, amused to see that the dogs were following them before his wife was asking about their pets' behavior while the two of them had been in DC.

"Were the dogs and Carlow good the last three days?" Beckett asked.

"Gram and Grandpapa said they were," Julia said. She then smiled and said, "And Carlow too; I was talking about the dogs."

"I knew," Eliza said. She then turned to their parents and said, "He was good, I let him go on the floor in the family room and Josa loved him."

"I'm not surprised," Castle commented. He then smiled and said, "I have to ask, how was your gram when she was out."

"She was sitting on the couch," Eliza said. "I kept him with me, Jules and Josa."

"Gram didn't ask Lizzy to do that," Julia said hurriedly. "We decided we better. But I don't think she minds him really."

"Better than that rat Alexis took care of," Castle said before he looked at his watch.

"They might have to keep working Rick," Beckett told her husband. "It sounds like Alexis is taking on more clients herself."

Nodding Castle said, "I wish they'd have her join the other two doctors, she's good."

"She is, but it's up to them and I'm sure they want to see how she does," Beckett said. She held up her hand before her husband could say anything and told him, "They need to do that for a while."

"Okay," Castle said, knowing she was right. "But I still think it should be now."

Beckett laughed softly and then said, "Of course you do, but don't worry about it and don't mention it to her."

"I won't," Castle replied before he watched her giving Josie to Julia. "Do you guys mind taking your sister to the windows?"

"No, are you going to take that long to unpack?" Julia asked.

"How much homework do you have?" Beckett asked the girls, having forgotten about their school that day in the excitement of Josie's first word.

"I just have to read a little for French," Julia said.

"How is that it?" Castle asked in surprise.

"I have a quiz for math tomorrow," Julia replied. "And history, science and English. The last ones before we find out what we'll need to study for the finals."

"Are you ready?" Beckett said.

"Yeah, I'm just going to look at my notes and study from that," Julia explained.

"Okay, then you should do that later tonight, before your diary," Beckett told her.

"Really?" Julia asked in surprise.

"Yeah, we want to spend time with you two," Castle said. "Though don't we have two daughters that are students?" he asked his wife jokingly.

"I did it already," Eliza said.

"She only had a worksheet in math, and she did it at lunch," Julia explained to their parents. "She wanted to be ready to play or… whatever when you came back," she explained as her sister was smiling widely at their parents.

"Has anyone checked it yet?" Castle asked.

"Will you Daddy?" Eliza said as she was sitting on the floor with her sisters.

"Sure," Castle replied, taking things out of his suitcase while Beckett was doing the same across from him. He paused as he realized the little girl had come to him and he looked down at her asking, "What can I help you with?"

"Are you sad that Josa didn't say dada first?" Eliza asked him.

"Oh no," Castle said immediately. "She said exactly what she should have," he told her.

"Rick," Beckett said before her husband was looking at her. "What if she would have said dada?"

"She wouldn't have," Castle replied simply.

Trying not to sigh out loud Beckett said, "Alright, this is going to get us nowhere and we have dinner. Go play with your sisters sweetie."

As their second youngest ran off to go play with the other two, Castle looked at his wife and asked, "Are you annoyed?"

"No," Beckett replied in amusement as he was speaking in Irish though she was in English. "I'm very touched she said that, though some of you were making sure she said mama."

"Mama!" Josie cried from the floor where her sisters were crawling around with her.

"I see you sweetie," Beckett said. "And thank you." She smiled as Josie was laughing before she was crawling again and going to the ottoman table in between the armchairs. As she pulled herself up to stand, she asked Julia and Eliza, "Has she tried to walk at all?"

"No, she just likes to stand," Julia said, holding the blanket that was folded on top of the ottoman. She kissed Josie's cheek before playfully blowing on it and smiling as her baby sister reached for her while she was laughing.

"Now you need to say dada," Eliza said to the baby before she and Julia were making sure she was okay when she sat down.

"Should we wait to do that?" Julia asked, she and her sister looking over to their parents as her mother was taking a garment bag out of her suitcase.

"At least until tomorrow," Beckett said in amusement. "But you've tried teaching her already haven't you?"

"A little," Eliza said, smiling at Josie who was babbling.

"Okay," Castle said when he and Beckett had taken everything out and put it where it needed to be. "Let's go downstairs and see what your grandparents are doing." He walked over to Josie and as she held her arms up to him he picked her up, holding her above him. He threw her up just slightly as she was squealing in joy and then held her on his hip, kissing her cheek. "Are you ready?" he asked his wife and their other two daughters.

"We are, we're just making sure you are," Beckett replied with a smile.

"I am," Castle said before they watched their middle daughters leaving together quickly. "Think they're trying to set something up?"

Beckett laughed softly and shook her head telling him, "I doubt it, I think they just want to go down to start talking about dinner."

"Well…" Castle said, trailing off as he was raising and lowering his eyebrows a few times.

Smiling as Josie was laughing at the sight of that, Beckett asked him, "In front of her?"

"Why not?" Castle asked.

"You're too much," Beckett said, not wanting to say pervert in front of their daughter. She took her husband's kiss as they leaned into each other then and when they stopped shortly after she murmured, "We'll do that more later."

"I was hoping," Castle said. He smiled when his wife laughed softly and they left the bedroom together, going down to the family room where they walked in to Eliza asking her grandparents about where they could go for dinner.

"We could go to the pizza place, couldn't we?" the little girl asked.

"Why don't we leave that for another time," Beckett said gently. "For a Friday or Saturday."

"Then where can we go?" Eliza asked.

"Let's see where Alexis is first," Beckett told her.

"She answered me back and said she'll be getting out after five, Louis a little after," Martha said.

"A little after?" Castle asked.

"She's not completely sure," Martha explained. "But she thinks it might be nearer to five thirty."

"Then we'll meet at a restaurant," Beckett said as she handed Josie to her husband.

"Are you going to text her?" Castle asked, kissing the baby's cheek.

"To see if she has any preferences," Beckett answered, typing out the message quickly.

"Does that mean she's picking dinner?" Julia asked.

"We'll pick together," Beckett said, a little surprised she'd said that.

"No, I think you guys should pick," Julia said.

Castle looked at his wife and when he saw her hesitating he smiled and said to her, "We should, I think it's our turn isn't it?"

"I think so," Beckett said. Looking at the girls she wasn't surprised when they were and she told them with a smile, "I'd like to see you two not protest against our choice."

"We won't, promise," Eliza said with a smile.

"Are you sure?" Castle asked.

"We are," Julia said. "So what will we have?"

"The Greek place?" Beckett suggested to her husband.

"Sounds great to me," Castle said before they looked at the others.

"I like it! I like it!" Eliza said, raising her hand and jumping up and down.

"We'll tell your sister," Castle said, watching his wife as she was texting their oldest.

"She's fine with it," Beckett said, getting a response quickly. "And she talked to Louis and he's excited for it."

"Excited?" Castle asked in surprise.

"That's what she said," Beckett replied. She smiled and gently brushed some strands of Josie's hair off her forehead before she said, "So we'll meet them there after five thirty."

"Louis is going to go from work?" Castle said slowly.

"Yes, he knows the girls need to go to bed eventually," Beckett said, showing her husband their oldest had put that. "And since we're not going to be leaving for a while then someone can do their homework and you can check on someone's homework."

"I'll be back," Julia said before she got up and hurried up the stairs to her room. She grabbed her French textbook and went back down to the family room saying, "I'll read here."

"Will you be able to?" Beckett asked her.

"Yeah, it won't be too long," Julia replied.

"Daddy," Eliza said, tugging his sleeve before he looked down at her. "You hafta check my homework."

"I will," Castle assured her before he was sitting on the couch and looking at her worksheet she had filled out. "You got them right," he told her with a smile.

"All of them?" Eliza asked eagerly. When her father nodded, she squealed in joy before jumping up and down as Josie was watching her with wide eyes. When she had stopped, she asked, "What do I do now?"

"Play with your sister," Castle told her as he was handing Josie to her.

"Cool," Eliza said with a smile. "Want to crawl around?"

"Ah, ba… Mama," Josie said before she was laughing as her sister took her to their mother. "Ama."

"I know sweetie, I'm glad you want to see me," Beckett told her, taking the baby and setting her on her lap. She kissed her temple and then said, "How much did you have to read Julia?"

"I'm done, there wasn't too much," Julia replied.

"Do you know what you just read?" Jim asked her.

Making a playful face, Julia said, "Should I read it for you?"

"Yeah," Eliza said.

Julia laughed with her family at her little sister's eager tone of voice and she then said, "Okay, it's just a short story but we're going to be quizzed on it tomorrow."

"You're not getting quizzed in P.E. and Study Hall, are you?" Castle asked her.

"No," Julia replied with a smile. "Those will be the freebies."

"Nice," Castle said.

Julia smiled at her father before she turned her attention to her book and proceeded to read, going a little slowly since she had to translate out loud. When she finished, she smiled at her family while they were applauding her and she playfully curtsied before saying, "Thanks, I'm just glad I have my homework done!"

"Good, now you can play with your sisters," Castle told her.

"Put your book back first," Beckett said before Julia put it on the coffee table.

"Okay," she said, hurrying out.

"Don't run!" Beckett called though she could hear her daughter rushing up the stairs. Shaking her head, she said to Castle, "I wonder if I should be mad."

"Don't, she's hyper," he told her.

Laughing briefly Beckett said, "Hyper or adrenaline?"

"Isn't that the same thing?" Castle asked her.

Beckett laughed softly and then said, "I guess," before she stopped there as they were hearing their second oldest coming down the stairs.

"What're we gonna play?" Julia asked her sisters eagerly as she went straight to them.

"With her blocks," Eliza said. "I make a tower and she takes it down."

"Fun game," Castle commented. He wasn't surprised when his wife playfully hit the back of her hand on his shoulder and he took it while they were watching their three daughters playing together in the time they had left before their family dinner.