A/N: The hardest part about writing a story like this is getting where you need to go because once you get there, the fun can start. We're almost there, guys! It's going to start getting fun.

Enjoy!

Disclamor: Don't own them. But you already knew that.

Miyana screeches as she races down the hallway, past the living room and into her dad's office; her twin brothers right on her tail. She's still in her black leotard and pink tights, her hair pulled back into a bun, from her dance class a few hours before. Mia dives onto the couch and covers herself with the throw blanket that always hangs on the back. Maybe if the boys can't see her, they will go away.

"Got you, Mia!" Liam calls as he jumps on his sister. He hugs her around her waist and growls like the monster he was pretending to be.

"No!" Miyana screams. "Mommy!" She doesn't want to be caught by the monster anymore; she doesn't want to play.

"Liam, get off your sister, she doesn't want to play your game anymore," Kate says, standing in the doorway of the office. Liam slides off his sister, then the couch and takes off again when his feet hit the floor. Miyana sits up and flings the blanket off her.

"Come on Mia girl, it's time to take a bath," she says, holding out her hand. Miyana gets up and holds her mommy's hand with her own.

"I didn't like that game anymore," Mia says, walking up the stairs, down the hall and to her room, with her mom. Her other two sisters already there and getting ready for bath time.

"I know you didn't; that's why I told the boys to leave you alone," Kate says, squatting down and helping Mia take off her dance clothes. "You need to tell your brothers to stop next time you're done playing, alright?" she asks. She isn't mad, just reminding Mia to use her words; something she isn't very good at sometimes.

Miyana nods her head, and sits down to pull off her tights; first one foot then the other. She kicks them away from her: all wrinkled and inside out, before standing and walking into the bathroom. All of the sisters get their own bathroom so they don't have to share with the stinky boys.

While mommy fills the tub with water, the three little girls drop in their favorite bath toys, giggling as each one splashes when it hits the water. They each try and outdo one another on who can make the biggest splash. Danielle wins when she drops in a whole bag of sharks their Poppa got them from the aquarium in Chicago. The splash they make almost hits the ceiling!

Kate laughs and turns off the tap. "Alright my little trouble makers, get in," she says, turning and lifting Finn into the water.

They get to play with toys for a little while before getting washed up. It takes a while for mommy to wash their hair because it is very long, just like Rapunzel, but eventually she does. Next it's their bodies with the purple scrubby thing and strawberry smelling bubbles; mommy tells them they use the strawberry bubbles because daddy likes the smell of it, but Miyana thinks it's because Danielle got to pick it the last time they were at the store and she picked it because it was pink and not because of the smell.

"I'll let you girls play for a few more minutes, but then you have to get out, alright?" Kate asks, standing up from the toilet where she's sitting.

"Alright," the girls answer, already lost in their game.

Kate comes back five minutes later, a stack of towels in her hands. She holds one up and Danielle is the first to stand up and climb out of the tub before mommy wraps her up tight in the fluffy towel. The other two follow suit and soon the girls are back in their bedroom and putting on their pajamas.

All three girls are dressed differently: Finn in a shirt and leggings with monkeys on them, Mia is wearing Disney Princesses on her shirt and pants, and Danielle is wearing an old shirt of her dad's that's more like a dress on her, and bright pink booty shorts from her collection she uses at cheerleading practice.

Mommy brushes through all three heads of hair, being more careful when she hits the tangled places, and puts two French braids in Finn's hair; the child has been on a 'braids in her hair' kick lately. When she finishes, she stands up and leaves the girls in their room, heading for the boys'.

"Austin and Liam, let's go," she calls to them and the twins scramble to clean up the bucket of Legos they had dumped out all over the floor. Once the bricks have been put back into the giant clear bucket they had come from, Kate herds her twins into their bathroom and starts a bath for them.

[] []

Kate's foot digs into his thigh as she stretches her legs out, shifting position on the couch next to him. He wraps a hand around her foot and she flinches for a split second, her foot sensitive to his touch. While he's been working away on finalizing his latest manuscript for publishing, Kate has been curled up on the couch next to him: iPad on her lap, headphones in her ears, catching up on her YouTube subscriptions. She doesn't get much time to watch videos, but sometimes he catches her watching them during lunch or while they are waiting for lab results to come in or for phone calls and e-mails to be returned. She loves those daily family vloggers, loves seeing their kids grow-up over the years.

When she was pregnant, Kate cried over those families; watching new babies be born, and kids starting kindergarten and learning to ride a bike with no training wheels. It gave her hope on the hard days, and things to look forward to on the good ones.

And now? Well its just become a habit that she can't break. Plus she's watched those families long enough, she has to keep watching to see them grow and change.

The kids have all been bathed and are having a movie night in the girls' room. They had agreed to watch the girls' choice, Kiki's Delivery Service, first and then the boys: The Incredibles; which, despite their apparent hatred, the girls really like. And when he had checked up on them half an hour ago, they were all getting along and enjoying their Friday night tradition.

"Mommy! Dani is being mean!"

Well that didn't last long.

"Did you tell her to stop?" Castle asks his son who is standing at the railing on the balcony over the living room.

"Uh huh," Liam replies, leaning on the rails, making them creak.

"Don't lean on the rails," Castle scolds. "Tell her to come here," he directs and Liam runs off. A second later both kids return, continuing their fight.

"Daddy! He's taking my pillow!" Danielle shouts over her brother.

"Okay!" Castle shouts over both kids, silencing them. "Danielle, let you brother have a pillow. Liam, next time ask, okay?"

Both kids start to protest, saying that it was the other's fault or that they were being mean.

"Be nice or you're both going to bed," Castle threatens.

"Okay," Danielle and Liam respond, heading back to the bedroom.

"They love each other," Kate pipes up. Rick looks over at her, and aside from an earbud hanging next to her jaw, she hasn't moved an inch. "Just watch: when we go and check on them those two will be curled up together in Dani's bed sharing that pillow they were fighting over."

Castle chuckles, smiling slightly. She's right. Danielle and Liam are pretty close; even if they fight like and old married couple. It's what prompted him and Kate to make sure they were in the same class for pre-school; keep them together and hopefully make that transition easier. They might have to keep them together for kindergarten too. If they can.

"Yeah," he says, agreeing with his wife. His phone vibrates beside him, and he answers, putting it on speaker. "Hello?"

"Hey, Dad."

"Hey Alexis," Castle replies, getting Kate's attention with a nudge to her leg

"What's up, kiddo?" Rick asks his oldest daughter. "Not that talking to you isn't great," he says, saving himself, hopefully.

"Just a break at work and needed to call you."

"Okay?" Must be pretty important if she's calling while at work.

"Have you booked plane tickets for the trip yet?"

"I'm about too, why?"

"Don't get one for me and Max. We both have to work the day we planned on leaving and we can't get out of it. We'll just get our own."

"Oh," Rick sighs, a little disappointed. "But you're still coming, right?"

"Oh yeah! We'll be there. We just can't fly out with you guys. I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's fine. I know you guys are busy."

"I know you do," Alexis replies. "I'm being paged, I gotta go, but I'll call you later, okay?"

"Alright, pumpkin," Rick smiles. "I'll talk to you soon. Love you."

"Love you guys too." And the call ends with a click.

Castle sighs, setting his phone on the arm rest. He had really been hoping Alexis and Max could have flown down to Florida with them; they could have all started their vacation together.

"It will be okay," Kate says, shrugging. "They are the lowest on the totem pole. I bet they had to pull all sorts of strings and promise to sell the soul of their first born to get the time off for this trip," She half jokes, trying to get rid of Castle's sudden sour mood.

"Yeah," he mumbles.

"What's wrong?" Kate asks, thinking that 'selling their first born's soul' comment would have gotten him.

"I just-" he sighs, rubs a hand over his face, trying to find the words. "With her having to work and not being able to fly down with us, I just feel like I'm losing her."

"Why would you think that?" Kate asks, shaking her head. "She hasn't gone anywhere. Sure her work schedule is crazy and we don't get to see her very often right now, that doesn't mean we've lost her."

He was like this during Alexis and Max's wedding too: finding it hard to let his baby girl move on to the next chapter of her life; not liking the change.

"I know; it just feels that way." Castle sighs. "But I understand. Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"You think Alexis and Max like having to work while their family is starting the vacation they were supposed to be starting with them?" Kate replies, shaking her head again. "They hate it just as much as we do."

"Yeah," Castle agrees, going back to his laptop and pulling up the airline's website.

"Come on," Kate says. "Take a break; plane tickets can wait fifteen more minutes." She sets his computer on the coffee table, and scoots closer to him, laying her head on his bicep. "I wanna watch with you," she says, removing her earphones and turning the volume all the way up, playing the next video on the playlist she made.

After the video, he does feel better and Castle quickly books their tickets, forwarding the conformation e-mail to his travel agent before shutting down his computer. Kate had resumed her spot on the other side of the couch, and Castle, after setting his computer on the coffee table again, lies down on his belly, his head in her lap.

Kate laughs, not looking up from her video. "Can I help you?" she chuckles, brow furrowed.

"Nope, I'm good," Castle replies, taking the forgotten headphone and sticking it into his ear, continuing to watch from his spot.

Kate hums, running a hand through Castle's hair, not saying anything else.