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: As it says this is the epilogue, so this story is finished, I do have another story after this one so if anyone wants to read it then it'll be up next Monday!
A/N #2: Really happy getting the reviews for the last chapter so I'll go into my thank yous for that! TORONTOSUN (It was nice to read of course you thought the last chapter was great writing as always!) and
Mb (Happy to see you thought the last chapter was another sweet update. And I'm really pleased you love the scenes of them together and enjoying that too. I wasn't surprised at all that you mentioned Martha getting closer to moving in full time in the Hamptons. So great you love the flashbacks and love seeing them going from pre-teens and to adults with that being as you said being able to see the foundation of Rick and Kate there falling in love. You're welcome for the first half! And it was nice to read you thought the second half was a wonderfully written update. Great to see you loved the flashbacks of Rick and Kate in the past and that you thought back then they were hot and sexy too! And I had to laugh at you mentioning them expanding what they do with their lovemaking to fit the times in their current times. Not surprised at you saying they're way more risqué or that they are because more acceptable to us now. Though I did laugh too at your saying Rick in the past has some of his as you put it current life moves and memories because of the accident. Thank you so much for saying and I too am hoping that you and your family too are doing well with all that's going on! You're welcome for sharing the second half!).
Thank you so much for the reviews, I loved reading them and am grateful for the time taken to write them out and send them my way!
A/N #3: The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Hi, Hi, Hi by Paul and Linda McCartney.
With The Music On
"Let me Kate," Castle told his wife after they'd entered the elevator.
Nodding, Beckett looked at the doors as they closed and the car started to ascend. She couldn't help being a little distracted and she looked at her husband's reflection seeing he was looking down at what was in his hands. She turned around to face him and said, "I'm not mad."
"Are you sure?" Castle asked. "He made it sound like you would be."
"That's Lanie's assumption," Beckett said wryly, rolling her eyes. "But I don't blame them for not calling anyone except her parents and his sister."
"Neither do I," Castle said with a nod. The elevator reached the third floor of the hospital where the couple was and he walked after his wife to the maternity ward. It was the twentieth of February and he and Beckett had ended their breakfast with their family with a call from Lanie's husband. He'd told them that she had gone into labor early the evening before and the baby had been born three minutes to midnight on the nineteenth. He waited for her to ask about Lanie and once a nurse went to the room to tell the couple about their visitors. "It's driving you crazy isn't it?" he asked her as they were waiting.
Laughing Beckett shook her head and said, "Why not just wait to tell us the gender in person? She didn't need to text us like we did when Eliza was born and when we found out about Josie."
"True, but aren't you anxious?" Castle asked her.
"You're sure it's not making you crazy?" Beckett told him teasingly.
"A little," Castle said truthfully. He smiled at his wife when she squeezed his arm before they heard a familiar voice calling to them.
"Dylan," Beckett told the man. She embraced him when she reached him quickly and asked, "She's fine?"
"She is," he replied. "She was surprised you came; we thought you'd be with your children."
"They're going to meet us at the museum," Beckett said. "Will she see us?"
"She told me to hurry," Dylan said with a smile. "This way," he told the couple before they were walking down the hall. He stopped at a room and opened the door before saying, "They're here Lanie."
"Oh good," the doctor said with a smile as Beckett and Castle were soon after walking inside. "Thanks for coming."
"Are you kidding?" Beckett told her friend teasingly. "You wouldn't be able to keep me away." She hugged Lanie very carefully as she was holding her newborn and she said, "They're adorable."
Smiling, as she knew already what her friend wasn't asking out loud, Lanie looked down at the baby and said, "This is Miles Terrance. And I know Castle," looking over at him. "He's a boy."
"I kind of had a feeling," he said, shrugging.
"I did too," Beckett confessed. She then said, "But he's beautiful."
"I know," Lanie replied, speaking lovingly as she was looking down at her son. She then looked up at her friend and asked, "Want to hold him?"
"Let me wash my hands," Beckett said, taking off her coat and setting it aside before she went into the bathroom. When she'd come back out, she took the baby from Lanie and smiled as Miles opened his eyes though he wasn't looking directly at her.
"Why Terrance?" Castle asked as he walked over to his wife to look down at the baby as well.
"My father's middle name," Dylan replied. "Lanie likes it." He glanced at the pair and asked them, "No question about Miles?"
"We both know why already," Beckett said.
"Yeah, a lot of Miles Davis records at her apartment before she moved in with you," Castle said before he was smiling down at the baby as he'd made a sound suddenly.
"I'm glad you liked it," Beckett told Dylan.
"Not for him, I appreciate the name for the name," Dylan said. "It's different."
"It is," Beckett said, giving Miles back to his mother. When their husbands left them so Dylan could get some coffee, she sat down on the edge of the bed and asked, "How was it?"
"Painful," Lanie said as her friend gave her Miles back. "And it felt like it lasted for too long."
"How long in the end?" Beckett said, surprised she was saying that and not the actual time.
"Dylan said it was seven hours," Lanie replied. She smiled at her son and leaned down, kissing his forehead before she said, "Once I had him in my arms I didn't really care."
"I told you," Beckett said teasingly. "I'm glad you're alright though."
"I am too," Lanie said, nodding her head. She leaned her head back a little and sighed saying, "I don't know how you did this twice."
"They were so far apart it was a little easier for me," Beckett said. "And I knew what to expect with Josie."
"How is she?" Lanie asked.
"Really good, Rick insists she'll talk any day now," Beckett replied with a smile.
"Well… that's a little presumptuous," Lanie said before she laughed with her friend.
"I think he's just saying that since I said my first word at eleven and a half months," Beckett replied.
"Didn't it take Eliza until she was thirteen months to say mama?" Lanie said.
"It did, so we'll see what Josie does," Beckett replied.
"Is everyone here?" Lanie then inquired.
"We're going to meet them at the museum once we leave here," Beckett said at the same time she nodded her head. "And if you're wondering about Sophie, she's doing great."
"I'm glad to hear that," Lanie said before they were quiet as they looked down at Miles who'd fallen asleep. "I do love this," she murmured to her friend.
"Me too," Beckett said with a smile, keeping her voice low as well. "Even though mine are older now."
Lanie smiled back at her before their husbands were coming back into the room and they talked together quietly for a little before she was telling them when she'd go home. "They'll release us tonight, at six hopefully," she said.
"Did you want us to come over?" Beckett asked.
"We can do that tomorrow before we head back to the Hamptons," Castle added.
"Oh no, we'll be with family and you guys will want to head back home," Dylan said. "Hopefully we'll see you again soon."
"Come over for a weekend in April," Beckett said. "Or May for Memorial Day."
"Maybe April," Lanie said. She smiled when her friend looked at her questioningly and explained, "My parents want us to bring Miles down to Shreveport so he can meet the family for Memorial Day weekend."
"Then April," Beckett said, smiling at the baby though he was still asleep. "Just let us know." After she'd taken a picture of the family of three together with her phone she hugged Lanie again gently before they said goodbye to the pair, urging them to call them whenever they wanted or needed to before they left. "Oh," she said in dismay when they were in the elevator and already on their way down.
"What?" Castle asked her in surprise.
"I forgot to ask about her parents and the boys," Beckett replied. "Where her parents are and if the boys had come yet."
"I asked," Castle told her, stopping her from opening her phone she'd pulled out of her pocket. "Dylan," he further explained when she looked up at him in surprise. "He said their parents came last night and they visited them before going to their apartment to stay in the guestroom. They were tired so they're coming back later at lunch and will stay with them until probably next Sunday. The boys are going to visit before that… probably not long after we leave."
Beckett nodded and looked at the doors of the car which were opening, revealing the two they'd just been talking about themselves. "Speak of the devil," she said before she smiled as they'd both said, "Hey," in unison. She stepped out with her husband before the doors could close again and hugged them tightly in turn while her husband was greeting them after her. "We just saw them," she said.
"They're doing okay?" Ryan asked first.
"Boy or girl?" Esposito said before Castle or Beckett could answer.
"They want you to wait until you're up there," Castle said quickly.
"Your kids?" Ryan said.
"At the Natural History museum," Beckett said. "We're going there now. But you two are still coming to the ball, right?"
"We will, we'll see you then," Esposito said.
After they'd said goodbye to the two, Castle and Beckett left the hospital and got into a taxi, the former texting their oldest to let them know they'd be on their way soon before they spent the ride holding hands tightly watching the city going by.
"Are Mommy and Daddy going to come yet?" Eliza asked.
"Soon, they said they're on their way," Alexis reassured her little sister. "You remember the museum?"
"Not that," Eliza replied. "I want to know what Auntie Lanie had. What the baby is." She was about to ask her sister why she was laughing when she heard a familiar voice behind them.
"Are you guys ready to go through the museum?" Castle was asking. He was startled when his and Beckett's second youngest took off to them and then said, "What's wrong? Did you miss us?"
"No… yes, but I wanna know about the baby!" Eliza said happily at the end.
"We want to know," Julia said as she and all the others in their group had walked over to them.
"First they're fine," Beckett began with after she and her husband had exchanged a look. "And second, it's a boy."
"I knew it," Martha said as the kids were exclaiming.
"We did too Mother, but we couldn't really say anything to Lanie," Castle said.
"Did you see the baby?" Alexis asked.
"And did they name him?" David then said before Castle and Beckett could say anything.
"They did," Beckett replied. "Miles Terrance."
"That's a cool name," Jacob commented.
"It is," Lily agreed with her son. "And his last name?"
"Parrish-Townsend," Castle said. "So a good name."
"And I have a picture I took before we left," Beckett said as she was getting her phone and then handing it to her father first so everyone could see it.
"I thought his skin was gonna be the same as Aunt Lanie's," Julia commented.
"Not exactly," Beckett said with a smile as she knew her daughter had been wondering that. "But it's beautiful."
"It is," Julia said, nodding as the phone got passed again.
"Are you guys ready to go?" Castle asked once everyone had seen the picture.
"I am," Eliza said, raising her hand.
Beckett, having been checking on Josie in her stroller, turned her attention to the little girl and said, "Come here sweetie, we're going right now."
After they'd gotten their tickets, the group walked into the American Mammal room, starting to go around the different dioramas there. Julia was taking pictures of wooly mammoths when she thought of something and turned to her parents. She paused when she saw her mother was holding Josie and she smiled before walking over to them.
"We're telling her what she's seeing," Castle said as Julia reached up to her ten-month-old sister.
"Cool, I just thought of it and then saw you were doing that already," the girl replied. She then looked at her mother and asked, "When will Aunt Lanie go home?"
"Later today," Beckett replied. "She's fine," she then added to her daughter's obvious surprise. "That's about how long I stayed when I had your sisters."
"Oh… well I guess if the doctors say it's okay," Julia said slowly.
"They will," Beckett assured her before they were walking over to the next diorama. She and Castle were telling Josie about the different animals they were passing by. She and her husband shared a laugh when the baby squealed when they pointed out the flying squirrel in one diorama.
"I think she likes that Mom, Dad," Julia told them. "You should buy her a stuffed one if they have it in the gift shop." And with that she went over to Mari and Eve, not realizing her father was speaking to her mother as soon as she'd left.
"We did say we weren't getting anything from the gift shop, right?" Castle asked his wife.
"We did," Beckett replied. "But I get the feeling they're going to use their allowances if they find something."
Nodding his head in agreement Castle said, "I just hope they'll be careful with their money."
"It's why we're going to be with them," Beckett reminded him with a smile. "And we said we might get a game or puzzle but for the entire family."
"Then I'm surprised that they're okay about her getting something," Castle commented.
Beckett laughed softly and said, "I think they want her to be spoiled."
"Or that," Castle replied before they walked to the next diorama. "What about that though?"
"What- oh you mean getting her a stuffed animal?" Beckett asked him.
"Yeah, I mean it wouldn't really hurt," Castle said.
"Let's wait and see what happens once we make it over there," Beckett told him gently.
"Sure," Castle said with a nod. When they'd reached the end of the room he asked, "Mind if I take her."
Beckett smiled and kissed the baby's temple before she said, "No," handing her to him. She smiled as he was telling Josie about the Hall of Biodiversity they were walking through next and he was telling her about everything they saw again before they were going through the other three halls around that.
"Think she's enjoying it?" Castle asked his wife as they were entering the Hall of Gems.
"I think so," Eliza said before her mother could answer.
"Are you tired sweetie?" Beckett asked as the little girl was on her big sister's hip.
"I was a little bit," Eliza said. She turned her attention to Alexis and said, "Thank you 'lexis, can you put me down?"
"Of course," the young woman said, kissing her sister's cheek before she did so. "Could I take Josa?" Alexis asked her father.
"Go ahead, but we'll want her back to eat lunch with us," Castle said before she went over to where Louis was.
"I think that was a given," Beckett said when her husband turned to her.
Castle, watching her staring at a display of sapphires, studied her closely before he murmured, "I can't wait to see your wearing yours later."
Beckett stood up straight and then looked at her husband with a smile saying, "I'm looking forward to wearing the set. But that's later."
"Yeah," Castle said, turning to their middle daughters who were hurrying over to them. He smiled at the way they were exclaiming over the sapphires and they continued through the exhibits with them until they moved to the Hall of Meteorites. He enjoyed watching Julia explaining to her little sister about the rocks, though she'd done that the year before, and held his wife's hand while they moved around the different meteorites and exhibits.
"Mom?" Julia said to her mother.
"Are you going to ask about lunch?" Beckett asked her.
"Yeah," Julia replied.
"We're going to go now," Beckett said. "But we're going to the café up on the top floor."
"That's fine," Julia replied before she went over to where Mari was on her own.
"What?" the girl asked her friend in surprise.
"We're going to lunch now," Julia told her.
"Oh, I'm glad, I'm really hungry," Mari said. As they were walking to the elevators she asked, "Are you?"
"Of course, we were walking around everything for a long time," Julia replied.
While they were waiting for an elevator, Mari asked her friend, "When do you think you'll be able to see Miles?"
It took Julia a moment to recall who that was before she said, "I don't know…" She turned and then saw her mother was near them and she waved to her to get her attention.
"What's wrong?" Beckett asked her daughter.
"When can we meet Miles?" Julia asked, motioning in between herself and her friend.
Beckett spoke before Mari could say anything, saying with a smile, "We asked them to come for a weekend in April; I think they want him to be a little older for a trip."
"Oh," Julia said before she nodded. She then turned to her friend and said, "You'll get to meet him too I bet if he's coming to the Hamptons."
"It would be nice to," Mari said. "He's really cute."
"He is," Beckett said.
"Did you get to hold him?" Julia asked with a smile.
"I did, he's sweet too and appears to be calm with strangers right now," Beckett said. She knew her daughter wanted to ask another question, but they were getting onto an elevator and since it was crowded she was quiet. When they stepped out onto the fourth floor, she was about to tell her the answer when Julia was speaking first.
"Are we going to get to hold him too?" the girl asked.
"That you'll have to ask Lanie and Dylan," Beckett said before they walked to the café. She helped her husband and their parents with the three younger girls before they went to order and after they had their food they were sitting again with their family.
"When can we go see the dinosaurs?" Eliza eventually asked.
"If everyone else is okay with it we'll go to the one that's down across the building from us," Beckett said.
"You should ask the kids," Castle commented.
"I was thinking of that," Beckett said with a smile. "But I get the feeling they'd want to see the two rooms with the dinosaurs first."
"I do too," Julia said, trying not to laugh when her sister was beaming at her. "Josa won't get scared, will she?"
"I don't think so," Castle said, surprised when the others were looking at him. "Why are you looking at me?"
"Who has been the one to tell her about everything she's been seeing?" Martha responded with another question.
"True, but Kate's been helping me as well," Castle said before he looked over at his wife. "A little."
Beckett couldn't help laughing briefly and she squeezed her husband's arm before she told him, "I trust you not to scare her with the fossils; you didn't when we brought Eliza for the first time."
"I wasn't planning on it," Castle said as they were starting to stand up and clean their table off.
"Daddy," Eliza said to get his attention. When her father looked at her, she smiled and then asked, "Can I watch Jurassic Park now? I'm almost six."
"I told her you wouldn't say yes," Julia said as her parents were shaking their heads no. "They didn't let me see it until I was eleven… before we went to Universal last summer."
Breathing out hard Eliza asked, "Can't I just see the dinosaurs? I never saw them real before."
"Maybe," Beckett said. "But it's a very quick scene."
"That's okay," Eliza said eagerly.
"Then we'll try when we're back at home sweetie," Beckett said slightly laughingly before they left the cage and went to the first of the two rooms on that floor with dinosaur fossils.
"That's a T-Rex Josa," Julia was saying to her sister when they were standing by the fossil. She smiled when the baby looked up at the dinosaurs with wide eyes and said, "She's scared?" to their parents.
"I don't think so," Castle replied, he and Beckett watching the baby as well.
"Good, I want her to like the dinosaurs," Eliza said happily. "Now let's show her the All dinosaur!"
"Don't correct her," Beckett told her husband quickly. "That way she'll read and see."
"I wasn't about to," Castle replied easily. He was holding Josie and as he studied her asked his wife, "Think she'll want to nap?"
"Probably, but she's likely excited about everything she's seeing," Beckett said, smiling as she gently pushed Josie's hair off her forehead. She then turned to Lily who was walking up to them with Sophie in her arms and Brad behind them.
"Hey, can you believe that it was just a year ago that we were here; still pregnant?" Lily asked her friend.
"No," Beckett said with a smile. "How's she been doing?'
"Really well," Brad said, leaning over and kissing the top of Sophie's head. When she reached up to him, he took her hand and kissed it before saying, "Josie too?"
"She has," Castle answered.
"But naptime will be soon," Beckett commented as the two babies were yawning.
"Mommy!" Eliza said, rushing over to them.
"What?" Beckett said.
"Could we show her the really, really big dinosaur?" Eliza inquired in a rush. "Before she goes to sleep?"
"Sure," Beckett replied. "But let's go through the rest in here first." She smiled when Eliza nodded her head and then took her hand before they walked together around the fossils. When they were leaving to go around to the room, she wasn't surprised when the little girl rushed over to Castle who was still holding Josie.
"You're gonna see the biggest dinosaur ever," Eliza said earnestly to her sister as she reached up to touch her leg. "It doesn't even fit in the room they have it in!"
Castle couldn't help laughing at the way Josie squealed at her little sister's tone and he kissed her temple before they reached the room.
"Look! There it is!" Eliza said happily as soon as she saw the skull poking out of the room.
Seeing that Josie was looking up at it, Castle was a little surprised when she was smiling soon after. He was soon doing the same himself and said to his wife, "Why don't we take a selfie?"
"All of us?" Beckett replied.
Nodding Castle said, "Us and the girls."
After Alexis had joined them the family took a picture together with Castle's phone before they walked inside the room. They were looking at the ribs of the Titanosaur before Josie started to fuss.
"I think she needs to sleep," Beckett said, going over to her husband. She let him kiss their baby's temple before she took Josie and went back outside the room, walking around to settle her and get her to sleep. Relieved that it didn't take too long for Josie to do that she settled the baby into her crib and once she was set she went to lean against a wall.
"Love," Castle said, walking out to her. "You don't want to go back in?" he asked her once he was close.
"That's okay," Beckett replied, smiling. "But you should head back in."
"I'm fine here," Castle replied.
Though she wanted to say he could go in with the girls, Beckett knew he also wanted to be with her until they needed to move on. So she smiled and said, "I'm glad you suggested we pack before we left."
"It seemed the smartest thing to do," Castle replied as he had said that in the morning; they had left what they needed until they were going to be leaving the city the next morning but packed everything else. "And we won't need to worry in the morning. Are you okay staying in?" When she glanced at him, he said, "Rebecca and Lily mentioned something about us meeting for it somewhere," to remind her.
"I know, and that's fine," Beckett said firmly. "But thank you for asking."
"I had to make sure," Castle replied, smiling at her before he leaned over and shared a quick kiss with her before they heard their daughters calling to them and they went to follow them to the next room with Josie asleep in front of them.
"Thanks for letting me buy this Mom," Julia told Beckett.
"You're welcome. I'm surprised you wanted that though," she told her daughter as she'd bought a blue mug with a ceramic T-Rex upper body on the bottom of it.
"It's really cool, and it's like it's my pet," Julia said, looking at the box her mug was in. She looked up at her mother as she was laughing and she waited for her to stop before Beckett was telling her why she'd done that before she could ask.
"That sounds like something your dad would say," Beckett said. "And it really doesn't surprise me."
"Yeah, I'm glad that you got Josa the toy," Julia said.
"Your dad did look for a flying squirrel," Beckett told her.
Giggling briefly Julia said, "I think I changed my mind."
"Once you saw they had this one?" Beckett said, nodding to the stroller they were standing at.
"Yep," Julia replied, not surprised when her mother started to laugh. She looked down at her sister then, awake after her nap and holding onto her stuffed Titanosaur toy their parents had bought for her. "Are we going to the park now?"
"For a little, you guys need to head back in a few hours," Castle said, walking over to them.
"Why are you holding the book?" Beckett asked.
"I wanna read it Mommy," Eliza said, the book about the Titanosaur one she'd bought herself.
"You can read it when you get back to the beach house," Castle said. "When you're not supposed to be doing something else."
"You'll have more than enough time to read sweetie," Beckett told her. They were walking together to the exit of the museum with everyone else in their group and she said, "You two don't mind your grandpapa bought-"
"No!" the girls said at the same time.
"Josa's gonna look very pretty in her dress," Eliza said.
"She's right," Julia said. "It was cute and I can't wait until it's warmer and Josa can wear it."
"Actually, she's not going to be able to wear it for a while," Castle told the girls. "Not until she's at least a year and a half or two years old."
"Aw," Eliza said in disappointment. "Too bad Josa," she told her baby sister as they were waiting to cross the street to enter Central Park. "You could have worn for it for your birthday."
Beckett smiled as Josie laughed, thinking of the pinafore dress her father had chosen for his youngest granddaughter. It was dark blue and along the bottom it had cartoonish herbivore dinosaurs in pastel colors. She knew Josie would look adorable in it when she would fit in it and that prompted her to go over to her father. "Why did you get that size Dad?" she asked him when he turned to her.
"I thought it would be better if she could walk instead of crawl in it," Jim answered, not surprised his daughter had asked that. When she nodded he asked, "What're we doing here?"
"Just walking for a little, letting the kids play," Beckett said.
"Yeah," David said with a laugh. "Since they went through the museum without any issues." When the kids old enough to walk ran off the path they were on to the snow he said, "I guess here is good enough."
"Good thing, we'd like to head back soon," Louis commented while the kids were starting a snowball fight. "Join in?" he asked his fiancée.
"Of course," Alexis said with a smile before they were going to the kids.
"Have they mentioned anything about their wedding?" Rebecca asked while they were watching them.
"Not yet," Beckett said first.
"She's right, they're waiting," Castle said. "But if they're serious about the wedding being this year, and before next winter…"
"They decided on that?" Lily asked.
"Yes, because they want an outdoor wedding," Beckett said, smiling at no reaction from anyone else since they all knew that about the couple already.
"Did you tell them about the house?" Brad asked. "Or is it still a secret?"
"No, we told them," Castle said, sharing a smile with his wife. He wasn't surprised when the other two couples asked him about it and he said, "We did it on Friday since something came up."
"What's wrong Dad?" Alexis said as she came into the family room. "Oh, hey Brennan, Clara… what time is it?" she asked the couple as they were on the TV.
"We'll head- hullo Louis," the former said before he cut himself off when he saw his son.
"Hey Da," the young man said. "What's the craic?"
"Nothing bad luckily," Brennan replied. "But we need to be a little early with your gift."
"Your wedding gift," Beckett corrected her cousin.
Nodding Clara said, "It's from all four of us."
"So… a… car?" Louis said slowly when the four didn't say anything.
"No, a house," Castle said.
"Dad," Alexis told him immediately.
"Don't, we wanted to get you one before and now you're getting married we're set this time," Castle said before he handed a paper to her.
"The Munson's house?" Alexis asked after she'd gasped in recognition at the picture which was a real estate listing.
"I've been in touch with Mr. Munson, they're going to move to Seattle very soon and they're selling the house to us," Castle said. He laughed when his daughter threw her arms around him tightly and hugged him. He could see that Louis was starting to shake Beckett's hand when she pulled him into a brief hug.
"Thank you so much," Alexis said. "And to you guys too," she said to Brennan and Clara on the screen. "I wish you were here so we could thank you in person."
"Don't worry, we'll see you soon enough," Brennan replied.
"Someone will get you guys tickets to go back to White Mount for a weekend before this summer," Beckett told her daughter and Louis. "Just tell us."
"Sometime in May," Louis commented.
"He's right, we'd love to go then. So… it'll be ours," Alexis said.
"If there's anything you want done to it we'll pay for that too," Castle said.
"Unless they've changed it since the last time I've been then I think Louis and I can afford the paint," Alexis said. "But if you guys are okay paying for the outside…"
"We will," Beckett said, smiling at that. "Your dad forgot to tell you though that the Munsons aren't leaving until the beginning of August. So you'll need to wait until we're back from Europe to move in."
"We don't care," Alexis and Louis said at the same time before they were laughing. She went to her mother and hugged her tightly, thanking her before her fiancé shook her father's hand. Once they had stopped she was going to turn to Brennan and Clara and ask them about coming to see the house when the former was answering her first.
"We'll come over there… at some point," Brennan said, looking at his wife.
"After the vacation Da," Louis said. "Since you could see the home then."
Noticing the two sets of parents sharing looks Alexis asked, "We can look now?"
"Good guess," Beckett said. "And you can if you'd like."
"It's up to you," Castle added.
"Go and look," Clara urged both her son and his fiancée. "You need to prepare for when you can move in, August will be here soon enough."
"Alright, whenever we can," Alexis said, smiling when Louis looked at her to answer.
"Right now?" Castle asked.
"Right now?" Alexis replied in confusion.
"They left on vacation yesterday and if we go now we can take a quick tour before we leave for the city," Beckett explained.
"That's true," Alexis replied, looking at her watch and realizing there were two hours until her sisters got out of school. "Thanks so much Brennan, Clara."
"You're very welcome," Brennan said first.
"He's right, we wanted you to have a nice home now you're starting your lives together," Clara added.
"Thank you Da, Mam," Louis then told his parents. "We'll reserve a room for you, for whenever you'd like to be there."
"See if you can set a room for the kids," Brennan told his son.
"We will," Louis said, smiling as he could see his fiancée nodding out of the corner of his eye. After they'd said goodbye to his parents; thanking the two again; he quickly turned to his future in laws and said, "I'm not sure how we can repay-"
"You don't need to," Beckett said gently as she interrupted him. She smiled when Louis did so and said, "But we do ask you leave a room for your sisters too Alexis."
"I will… I was wondering about making a large nursery like room that White Mount has but…" Alexis started to say.
"No, it's alright," Castle said. "Just put… bunk beds though that's a suggestion you know."
"I realize Dad, should we go?" Alexis asked.
"You want us to go too?" Beckett asked in surprise as the young woman was looking at both her and her father.
"Of course, you're buying it for us and if my parents were here I'd ask them along too," Louis said.
"Okay, let's see if my dad will stay with Josie," Beckett said. "So we can look around faster."
"The girls aren't going to be happy about missing this," Castle told his wife as they stepped out of the room.
"No but they'll have more than enough chances in August," Beckett replied. When she found her father, with Josie in the parlor looking outside, she explained to him where they were going and once he was set with the baby she went with Castle to the foyer.
"I really hope you won't mind us asking to paint the outside first," Louis said once they had their coats and outer layers on.
"No, it's a horrible color," Castle said.
"Better not let the Munsons hear you say that," Alexis said with a smile before they were leaving, saying goodbye to Jim and Josie who were in the entry with them.
"Have fun," Jim told them. "We'll be waiting to hear all about it."
"Any idea what color you'd like to paint it?" Beckett asked once they were outside the wall around their house.
"Not grey," Alexis said, shaking her head. She studied the house they could already see and commented, "I thought something along the lines of a grey-blue."
"I had thought a light blue," Louis said when his fiancée looked at him.
"You have time to work that out," Beckett said in amusement as the couple had looked at each other.
"We do," Alexis said as they stared at the house they'd stopped in front of. They walked through the low wooden gate and up to the front door and she said, "Maybe a different kind of fence."
"I think so," Louis agreed with a nod as it was white and not to either of their tastes.
Castle was about to unlock the front door when they stepped up onto the porch when Beckett grabbed his arm.
"I love the view here," Alexis said with a smile, she and Louis at the west end of the porch. There were chairs there and she sat on one, able to see her family's home across the street.
"If you want somewhere further-" Castle started to say.
"No, I'm kidding Dad," Alexis said hurriedly, going over to him and squeezing his arm. "I don't mind being across the street this time but call me if you want to come over."
"We will," Beckett said.
"No vice versa?" Louis commented.
"No," Alexis said with a smile.
"She's right, she's our daughter so it'll be her home still," Castle said. "Your room will still be your room." He then held out the keys to his daughter and said, "You can do the honors."
"Thanks Dad," Alexis replied with a smile. She unlocked the door and she and Louis stepped into the entry where they looked around.
"When was the home built?" the young man asked.
"In the late eighteen-hundreds," Castle told them. "But it's been added onto since then and of course the Munsons worked on it as well."
"It's nice," Alexis told them, looking at the staircase. "Can we look at the bedrooms?"
"We'll need to, but we should look around the downstairs first," Beckett suggested.
"I want to see the kitchen," Louis said, smiling at his fiancée as she was hugging him tightly.
"Would you want it?" Alexis asked him with a smile.
"As long as the kitchen is a good size… and I suppose the dining room," Louis said. "I'd hope we would have great big Christmases… perhaps Thanksgivings too?"
Beckett smiled as Alexis was throwing her arms around her fiancée and then said, "We'd love to do that eventually too."
They were reaching the kitchen after walking through a hallway where they found an office and the downstairs bathroom across from it. Castle and Beckett watched the pair going around the large and open kitchen, a large island and a double oven and a lot of storage and walk in pantry.
"This suffices?" Castle couldn't help asking.
"It does," Louis said, nodding. "Even the cabinetry… I love this color. Lex?"
"What?" Alexis asked, turning from the large stove.
"You can pick the color for here," Louis replied.
Laughing softly Alexis said, "We'll pick the colors all over together."
"Good idea," Louis said as they were walking into the family room. They were able to go around to the living room and then to the library and exercise room last where he frowned.
"I was thinking the same," Alexis said, smiling at the expression on her fiancé's face. "I don't really want a gym in the house."
"Theater room?" Louis asked.
"Eventually," Alexis said with a nod. "Until then I guess a catchall room." She looked at her father and then said, "Don't suggest paying for it."
"Only the outside paint," Castle said, holding up his hands.
Smiling at her husband Beckett said, "It's why we haven't said anything."
"It's just a perfect home," Alexis said, walking out of that room and back to the library. "Well… for us."
"Yeah, I mean Victorians are nice, but I liked the shingles on our house," Castle said, knowing she was talking to him.
Laughing softly Beckett said, "I don't mind our house," as he'd been looking at her. "Let's head upstairs."
"Okay," Alexis said, starting to head over to the entry before she felt a hand on her arm.
"They wanted us to take off our shoes if we were going into the bedrooms," Beckett explained.
"I don't blame them," Louis said as they walked to the bottom of the staircase. He removed his shoes with the others and then went to his fiancée, taking her hand before they started walking up together. "Where should we go?" he asked once they'd reached the top.
"Let's go through the other bedrooms first," Alexis said, seeing several open doors around them. "Leave the master for last."
As they were walking by each bedroom, Beckett was pleased to see they were all a good size and the bathrooms attached to each was modern though every room needed paint. When they were getting close to the master bedroom, she wasn't surprised when the pair were choosing the bedrooms for their siblings and Louis' parents. They came to the next and were turning to her and Beckett when her husband was speaking quickly to cut them off before they could talk first.
"You don't have to set aside a room for us," Castle was saying. "Since we're right across the street and I don't know if we'd spend the night."
"I was debating that," Alexis told her parents. "But it's up to you in the end."
"It's alright," Beckett said, speaking so they would know her opinion as well. "If we ever needed; for any reason; to stay you can just give us whatever you're setting aside for a guest room or rooms."
"Sound idea," Louis commented. He laughed slightly when his fiancée nudged his side and then said, "Two more and then we'll see what'll be our room."
After they'd explored the final two rooms the group went to the double doors of the master bedroom before Alexis and Louis were stepping inside first.
"Wow," Alexis breathed as they were looking around. She then thought of something and asked her father, "Is it bigger than your master?"
"It depends on the bathroom, but it looks like out here is about the same size," Castle replied. "But our layout is really weird."
"I don't want to change it," Beckett said when her husband looked at her.
"Okay, but if you ever want to change anything let me know," Castle said. He wasn't surprised when his wife shook her head firmly and he took her hand as they went to what was the turret in the design of the house.
"This is a view," Louis said in awe as they could just see the ocean in between her parents' and the Foster's home.
"It is," Alexis said with a smile. "Let's see the bathroom."
"She has something in mind," Castle told his wife in Irish.
Beckett could only smile at that as they were looking into the bathroom, remaining in the doorway as the couple ahead of them just stepped inside. "Is everything okay in here?" she finally asked after they'd looked around.
"Yeah, it is," Alexis said. "I'm surprised they had color other than grey here," she added as there were blue-green tiles in the shower and it was also the color of the walls. Eventually she shook herself before she turned to face her parents and told them, "I need to ask Louis about something before we go."
"To the backyard," the young man reminded his fiancée.
"To there," Alexis replied reluctantly with a nod. "Here," she then told him, taking his hand and pulling him over to the bedroom. "I want to put the bed here," she said as she was standing against one wall of the turret. "It's a little weird-"
"No, I like the idea," Louis interrupted her. "That way we can see the ocean."
"It can work. But what will you do with the rest of the space?" Beckett asked as that left most of the room wide open.
"I think put a small couch, armchairs here," Louis said, walking to the small fireplace in the wall across from the bed that was against the wall opposite it. "Maybe that wall behind the bed dressers or perhaps bookshelves?"
"The latter," Alexis said. She smiled with Louis nodded seriously at her before they laughed together, and they left the room before they headed down the stairs.
Once they'd gotten their shoes on the four walked together down the hall and through the family room and kitchen before they stepped outside and paused under the patio cover to take everything in.
"I completely forgot what they had here," Alexis said as she spotted the pool and the short slide in rocks at the deep end.
"Very nice," Louis said, nodding his head as he looked around. "Ah, fantastic, raised garden boxes. We can have vegetables, enough space for some fruit as well. You've bought it fully?"
"We're just in escrow," Castle answered. He laughed when the young man shook his hand firmly before they were walking around the backyard a little. When they'd gone back inside he said, "We're glad to see everything is set here."
"Just the walls," Beckett reminded her husband.
"Except for the master bath," Alexis was quick to remind them as they were leaving the house.
"I wonder what colors you'll end up using," Beckett told her oldest as they waited for Castle to lock the front door.
"Me too… we might not go so crazy as we did in the townhouse," Alexis said with a smile. "Or use yellow for our bedroom."
"That's up to you Lex," Louis told her before they were walking down the path to leave.
As the two were discussing different colors Castle squeezed his wife's hand he was holding and said, "I'm so happy right now."
Beckett was smiling as she squeezed back and told him, "I don't blame you; it'll be nice since the girls won't need to go that far."
"That's right, they can come over whenever you let them," Alexis said.
"What happened to whenever they want to?" Castle asked.
"It's better they ask you," Alexis said.
"And they will," Beckett said firmly. She wasn't surprised when her daughter and Louis laughed, and they continued to their house to finish preparing for their drive into the city.