Young at Heart
"Where to first?" he asks, unfolding the map he snatched up from the holder just outside of the stroller rental. "Space Mountain? Pirates of the Caribbean?" He turns to face Kate who is walking beside him, a hand wrapped around Al's ankle to keep her on her perch of his shoulders. "Haunted Mansion?"
"And scare our kid?" she throws back, taking the map from his hands and re-folding it.
Al gives Kate's head a shove. "I'm not scared. I want to do the mansion."
"We'll see, kid," Kate says, pocketing the map and taking Castle's hand. "Got to show you some other things first."
"But mansion later?" Al clarifies, fixing her mother with a firm gaze.
"Later," Castle promises.
The area on the other side of the tunnel from the park entrance to the town square is crowded with families laughing and running for the souvenir shops and snapping photos. Kate was suddenly glad that Al was up on Castle's shoulders or she was certain the six year old would be off like a rocket toward whatever caught her eye. She glances up at the girl and sees her holding onto Castle's hair, eyes wide with amazement.
"Wish I had a camera," Kate whispers loud enough for Castle to hear over the shrieks of joy. When he turned his face down to hers, she flicks her eyes up toward Al. "She's overwhelmed."
Castle frees his hand and finds his phone in the pocket of his shorts. "Sneak one for me."
She skips ahead a few steps, raises the iPhone up but trying not to let Al see the camera go off. Al is too taken with watching the flag snap on the pole in the center of the rotary and the cast members holding bunches of balloons shaped like Mickey Mouse's silhouette. Kate checks the phone's screen for the picture, passing the phone back to Castle with a grin.
"Beautiful," he says, using one hand to set it as his screen lock, replacing a shot from their wedding reception. Then he hands it back to her. When Kate raises a brow, he says, "For when she sees the you-know-what."
He has a point. If Al is amazed at the little entrance before they hit Main Street, U.S.A., when she sees Cinderella's Castle for the first time, she'll be floored.
"So, Al. Whatda ya think?" he asks, turning his head to try and see her face.
"It's so pretty, guys," Al murmurs, tugging on his hair lightly.
They dodge the trolley as it rounds the center walkway, Castle snagging Al's hand as it darts out to try and pet the horse pulling the vehicle. "You want to get down, kid?"
"No. I like it up here," she says firmly, patting Castle's head. "I'm higher than everyone!"
"You certainly are," Kate says, winking toward Castle.
They round the corner of the Emporium, Kate jogs ahead and snaps another picture as soon as Al's mouth drops open. Her hands fall from Castle's hair to rest on her thighs as she stares at Cinderella's Castle in front of her.
"It's a castle," she breathes. "It's a castle."
"Mhm," Kate says, touching her fingers to Al's ankle. "For the princesses."
"Can we go see it?"
Castle shrugs. "I thought we'd start in Adventureland and see the pirates first."
That just makes Al more excited. She squirms on his shoulders, glancing down at Kate. "There are pirates, too?"
Kate adds, "And cowboys and astronauts."
"Mom and Rick?" Al says, tipping forward so that she nearly falls over Castle's face. "This is the best place ever."
Castle gives her forehead a push backwards. "Sit still or you're getting down." He lets Kate tuck his phone back into the pocket of his cargo shorts before he takes her hand, linking their fingers. Their shoulders bump as they move to the sidewalk. "You have a plan here since you tossed mine away?" he whispers to her, his nose brushing her ear.
"There're a few rides that she needs to go on. Classics, you know?" She rubs her fingertips over his, feeling the warmed metal of his wedding ring between her fingers. "Most of it is Fantasyland but we can skip around to the other lands if she's still got energy by the afternoon. We can always come back and hit up some of the other places."
"So, first picture in front of the castle?" When she levels a glare at him, Castle shrugs. "Makes sense to me. Plus we'll get this one," he says with a nod toward Al, "while she's still alert."
Kate sighs. "Fine. Let's find one of the photographers. Might as well make this official."
The college-aged boy with two cameras hanging off his neck and a nametag declaring his name as Aaron positions them in front of Cinderella's Castle. Al refuses to get off Castle's shoulders so the boy steps back another foot to take a series of quick pictures.
Castle thanks the boy, taking the little card that Aaron tells him will have their pictures on them digitally so they can order the photos online all at once. He slips the card into his wallet next to the three park passes so they don't lose it. "Wasn't so painful, was it?" he asks Kate as he bounces his shoulders so that Al squeals with delight, clutching both of his cheeks to anchor herself.
"One down, three to go." Kate tugs them toward the ramps up to the castle. "Come on. Gotta get in line for my favorite ride."
Five minutes later, he rolls his eyes. "Your favorite ride is the carousel?"
Kate reaches for Al, getting Castle to help the girl off his shoulder so she can stand against the rail separating the line from the ride. "Don't judge. I went on this ride every single time my parents and I came down here. It's fun. Plus, you don't have to go on if you don't want. Al and I will have a blast, won't we, kid?"
"I wanna ride that one!" Al shouts, pointing out one of the horses on the edge of the carousel. "Come on, Rick! Ride the horses with us!"
"You'll love it," Kate says, nudging him with her arm. "You love horses."
"Yeah. Except I was thinking horses of the cowboy variety, not… those." He waves toward the horses circling, all beautifully painted with golds and jewel tones.
"Aw, Rick. Look! That's your horse," Al decides, pointing out another one along the edge, right behind her choice. It's perfect for him. It was decorated with shades of tan and deep blue, a whip coiled on the flank of the horse. "Cowboy horse."
Al's excitement about the ride sizzles through the air until Castle can't help but push ahead in the line as the cast member lets them through. The girl dashes for the horse she claimed earlier, holding onto the front leg of the carousel horse until Kate and Castle catch up.
"Help?" Al asks, turning to Kate and wiggling her fingers above her head for the twisted gold pole.
Kate lifts Al up onto the horse, hooking the waist strap around the girl's body, and making sure it was snug before she circles around Al's horse to the one on the second rank. She glances back at Castle as he swings up onto the horse as a cowboy's horse. He mimes the tipping of his hat with a wink.
"Get along, little misses," he says as the ride starts up.
She makes sure to keep an eye on Al as she pretends to get her horse to go faster and faster as the carousel spins. The few times she does look back at Castle, she sees him holding his phone against the ear of his horse, definitely videotaping the girls. Kate rolls her eyes but lets him continue; might as well let the boy-at-heart have his fun before she drags him onto the teacups and The Enchanted Tiki Room and Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor.
When the ride slows, Al's face falls. "Again!"
"We've got other things to see, kid," Kate reminds her as she unbuckles the safety belt and lowers Al to the platform.
"Like princesses?"
"Definitely princesses," Kate says, flashing a grin back at Castle when he groans. "Which one first?"
Al quirks a brow. "Belle. Duh."
"Why 'duh'?" he asks, opening the gate for the girls before letting one of the other fathers grab it. "What's so special about Belle?"
"She reads." The girl throws a look back at Castle. "And she looks like me."
"Think she looks more like Mom than you," Castle disagrees quietly. When Al glares, he shrugs and holds his hands up defensively. "Let's be honest, Belle has brown hair and brown eyes. You, kid, have some very pretty brown hair but you do not have anything close to brown eyes. In fact, you have rather blue eyes. Which would make you only slightly like Belle. But," he says, tapping Al's nose lightly, "I appreciate the love of reading."
Kate sighs, steering them toward the right to circle around the carousel toward 'it's a small world'. "I married a nine year old."
He catches her hand behind Al's head, rubbing his thumb along hers. "Might be the other way around the way you're charging toward rides designed for children, Kate."
The line for the boat ride through the cultures of the world is just as long as she remembered it being from when she came with her mom and dad years ago. For one of those rides that stuck an earworm in your head for the rest of the trip, 'it's a small world' was certainly popular. As they stand in line, Al bouncing on the balls of her feet in front of them, Kate whispers the history of the attraction into Castle's ear.
"Built for the World Fair in New York as part of the UNICEF pavilion. President Eisenhower actually had something of a hand in helping Walt come up with the idea after he formed the People to People group. Walt was present for the creation conference for the student ambassador program and it sparked the idea for 'it's a small world.'" Kate glances up at him as they inch forward, one hand on the back of Al's tank top to keep her close. "Pretty cool, huh?"
"It is so hot that you know all of that," he whispers into her ear.
Her fingers hook into the pocket of his shorts, touching his hip through the fabric. "Control yourself for the rest of the day. Got it?"
"There gonna be a reward for this tremendous show of restraint on my part?"
She hums, bumping him with her elbow. "I recall being told to buy you ice cream. Isn't that reward enough?"
Al overhears the magic words and spins around, her ponytail hitting the elderly woman in front of her. "Ice cream?"
"After the ride, kids," Kate says with a pointed glance at her husband.
Al insists on sitting on the edge of the boat by the time they get through the queue to the edge of the water canal. There is a brief scuffle between Al and Castle over the spot until Al decides to pull the 'I'm cuter than you' card and ducks under Castle's arm as he gapes at Kate for backup.
"That's playing dirty," he scolds, sliding into the boat between the girls. He turns to Kate, puppy-dog eyes aimed straight at her. "I'm cute, right?"
Kate rests her palm against his cheek, her thumb running over his lower lip. "Oh Rick, you are definitely not cute." His eyes lose their glimmer at the same time as his mouth drops open. Kate holds her poker face for another second, just long enough for the rest of the boat to fill in. Then she lets the smirk take over. "You are handsome and sweet and kind and smoking hot. All of which are infinitely better than cute."
He smiles at her, an expression that she returns. Until his teeth nip lightly at the pad of her thumb, causing her to jerk her hand back into her own lap. "I like cute better."
"Really?" Kate asks, tracing her finger over the inside of his wrist. "Not even the smoking hot part beats out cute?"
"Might have to reconsider my earlier statement actually. Now shush," he murmurs, placing his forefinger over her lips. "I've got a song to get stuck in my head."
Al leans onto his lap, pushing between them. "Stop. It's gross. You're gross." The girl sighs dramatically then sits back to watch the children sing around them. There's a giggle from behind her and Al turns around, using the back of the bench to face the man behind her, covering his mouth to try and stifle the laughter. "What? They're gross, right?"
The man's grin is leaking from behind his hand as he shrugs. "I'm staying out of it."
"Smart decision," Castle says, placing a hand on Al's head and turning her around. "Quiet unless you're singing along, kid."
As soon as they are out of the boat, the repetitive tune permanently engrained in their brains, it is Castle who is hanging on Kate's arm, begging for ice cream. "You are only furthering the belief that I married a child, Rick."
"Come on!" he whines, tugging her toward one of the carts. "You cannot tell me that you don't want ice cream too! Al, get on my side."
The girl skips ahead, pressing a hand to Kate's stomach to stop her. "Mom, please?"
It's that tone of voice. The one that Kate had never, ever been able to resist when it came from her daughter. Matched with the two pairs of blue eyes currently staring her down. Denying them seems cruel.
"Fine. You guys can have ice cream," she says, shooing them toward the cart.
She finds a bench and plops down on it, watching as her husband picks Al up into his arms to figure out which type to get. The sun is hot on her shoulders and she can feel them burning even through the sunscreen lotion she put on that morning. Maybe the pool won't be their best bet once Al slows down from warp speed. She presses on her shoulder, sees the skin pale from the light red it was currently at.
"So, what's next?" he asks, sitting next to her with Al on his lap.
Castle has a Mickey Bar, crunching into one of the ears of the bar and leaving the outline of chocolate on his lips that Kate wants to kiss away. Al is unwrapping an ice cream sandwich made from two cookies, chocolate chips along the edge of the vanilla ice cream.
"I don't know. What do you want to do, Al?"
The girl takes a bite into the sandwich, getting cookie but no ice cream. "Pirates?" she says hopefully.
"How about the Haunted Mansion first? Then we can do Pirates before seeing how we're doing on time and energy." Kate reaches over to wipe the chocolate off of Castle's mouth.
He holds the one-eared mouse-shaped ice cream bar up to her lips. "Eat his other ear." She rolls her eyes and instead focuses on moving a napkin over Al's lap to catch the chocolate chips still falling from the edge of the sandwich. The little lopsided mouse followed her face, dancing on the popsicle stick. "You want to, Kate. You know you want to."
"But I don't."
"Did we mention that Mom's mean even when there's ice cream around?" Castle said, leaning forward to stage-whisper into Al's ear.
Al rests a sticky hand on Kate's cheek, fingers spreading the melting ice cream into her hair. "Mom's not mean, Rick. She's the best."
Perhaps the pool just won its place back in the day's line-up. Kate wraps her fingers around Al's wrist to wipe the napkin over the girl's palm. "Thanks, kid." She tugs Al off Castle. "Let's start over toward Liberty Square. One question, though, Rick." She waits until he's looking at her, a brow raised as he bites into the other ear of the ice cream bar. "You afraid of ghosts?"
"Oh, very funny," he says, looping his free arm through her elbow as she heads toward Liberty Square and the Haunted Mansion.
"I'm serious," she throws back, grabbing Al's hand as she starts to run off. "Are you?"
"I'm not!" Al declares, nearly dropping the mess of an ice cream sandwich still held in one hand. "Ghosts don't scare me."
"That's right, Al. We ain't afraid of no ghosts, Mom."
As he is laughing with Al, Kate ducks over and nips off a bit of the chocolate covered vanilla bar in Castle's hand. With a quick swipe of her tongue, she licks off the bit of chocolate left on her mouth, winking at the man at her side. "Good."
The three of them squeeze into one of the cars on the ride, Kate squished between the two who spend the entire ride clinging to one of her arms. The ride gets stopped halfway through, probably due to people taking flash photos, and they're stuck staring at the ceiling as they were supposed to be traveling backwards down a hill. Kate has to keep slapping Castle's hand away from the hem of her dress that he continues to inch up.
"Just because we're in the dark doesn't mean you get to be handsy," she hisses into his ear. "You are rapidly losing the reward I had planned for you this afternoon."
Suddenly, her thigh is cooler from his missing hand, now placed back in his lap. His eyes are fixed on the dark ceiling, purposefully avoiding her gaze. Wow, he really wants to get her alone when they're back at the resort.
He keeps his hands off her until they reach the end of the ride. She's surprised that it's Castle, the man who gently teases her about being afraid of specters, who is clutching for her arm when the hitchhiking ghost takes his place in the car on the ride out. Even Al giggles at his face in the mirror, grabbing his hand once they're out of the car and chanting "Rick's afraid of ghosts, Rick's afraid of ghosts" as she drags him from the dark exit out into the Florida sun.
"Kate, will you quiet your daughter?" he pleads, glancing back at her as Al leads the way with a firm grasp on his fingers.
"My daughter? This morning she was our daughter," Kate comments, swiping at her forehead with the back of her hand. "Keep your facts straight."
He rolls his eyes, taking Kate's other hand as she nods toward Adventureland and Pirates of the Caribbean. "Fine. Quiet our daughter please."
Al grins, patting his hand comfortingly. "It's okay. At least you didn't scream. That would have been bad."
"Do I have any allies left in this family?"
Kate shrugs. "I'm sure your mother will still love you even if you are a little scaredy cat."
"Rick?" Al asks, waiting until the man stops glaring at Kate and turns a suspicious look at her. "You afraid of pirates too? Cause I don't wanna sit next to you if you are."
This time, Kate couldn't hold back the laughter even with the help of her hand pressed to her mouth. Nor did Castle's frown when he heard the noise from his side. "You are so gonna pay for that, Katherine Beckett."
"What? No dessert after dinner tonight?" Kate teases, lifting up on her toes as they walk to touch her lips to the spot below his ear. "What a shame."