'Mumum, why you no' having any supper? Did you eat too much doughnuts?'

'No-nuhs.'

'I think you mean too many doughnuts, RJ.'

Beckett smiled at her babies as she fed Jojo from toddler-sized the bowl of soup; it was Meredeth's tomato ravioli which her children loved. RJ was wearing his little apron to protect his clothes as he carefully shoveled it in, carefully chewing his ravioli, and Jojo made little 'mm-mm' noises after every mouthful.

'That's good, bumblebee?' Beckett cooed at her baby and Jojo smiled to show off her little teeth.

'Dissy!'

'I am trying to teach her to say 'tasty', Mis-ter Adam,' RJ explained to their guest, fastidiously dabbing his lips with his napkin. 'I am her big bro and I have to teach her to say things. It's a very importan' job. Mumum, you didn't answer my question.'

'I'm sorry, RJ, what was your question?'

'Why are you and Daddy not having any supper tonight?'

'Because we aren't hungry just yet and Ryan and Esposito are coming here with Meredeth. We'll ng while we are working on an important case,' Beckett explained to him and RJ nodded in understanding.

'I see, you are gonna have san'wishes while you talk about how to catch the bad guys?'

'Cash'um,' Jojo inquired.

'We're working on finding out everything they did that was bad so that when we catch them and they try to say 'I didn't do it', we have a bunch of evidence to say 'yes you did' and put them in jail.'

'What kin' of ev-ee-dins?'

'Well, seeing who they talked to on the phone, what kinds of things they've bought that might be used by a bad guy, seeing if they looked at bad websites on the Internet. Adam here, he's very good with computers.' She pointed conspiratorially to Adam and winked at RJ. 'He can get all kinds of information out of them.'

'Really?'

Adam had to grin at the boy's wide-eyed expression. 'No one can hide from me.'

Castle grinned as he watched his wife let herself be in the moment, rose to answer the knock at the door so she could have those sweetly innocent moments with her babies after a day that turned her world topsy-turvy. 'Hey, bro, and sis,' he greeted Ryan, Esposito and Meredeth; the latter carried her thermal bag she used for transporting hot dishes from her kitchen to someone else's house. Castle sniffed comically as they came through the door.

'Something smells good.'

'We're having paninis and green chilli. It's easiest for a large group of appetites.'

'Where are your ankle-biters?'

'The boys are hanging with Jenny and Dell tonight and Miss Agnes, gem of a lady she is, invited Tessi, Mallory and Trini for a girls' sleepover party with Nessa,' Esposito informed them. 'Got to love having family who understands the needs of the job.'

'Ain't it the truth,' he laughed, and watched RJ's eyes go bright and wide as he saw the Espositos and Ryan come inside.

'Hi-hi, Meredeth! Hi-hi Detec-tive Esuh-posito! Hi-hi Detec-tive Ryan!'

'Detective is it, little bro,' Ryan grinned when he came over to high-five the boy. 'Why so formal tonight?'

'Be-cause Mumum said you are here as her collie.'

'I think you mean colleague,' Adam chuckled.

'Yeah, that thing. It is no' a social visit, you are here to catch the bad guys.'

'Cash'um.' Jojo repeated her favourite phrase RJ had taught her, even as Beckett used the damp cloth to wipe her mouth and hands. 'Cash'um, De-dif.'

'That's right, Jojo!' RJ used his own napkin for the last time since his bowl was empty, and he waited until his mumum was done before reaching over and feeding the birdies with his little sister. 'Javier is a detec-tive like Mumum!'

'De-dif Wyn. De-dif Hoppy.'

'Man, she sounds just like Dell did,' Meredeth laughed as she pulled out a thermal pot, sandwiches the needed to be grilled. 'Adam do you eat food with a face, or no?'

'What?' Adam looked puzzled.

'Are you a vegetarian?'

'Oh, no, not at all.'

Meredeth nodded, and while she did her thing in the kitchen, Castle scooped Jojo out of her chair and took her into the living room with RJ following behind. He set Jojo onto her play-mat where she looked around and poked at the bright alphabet squares she saw, babbled in the way children just learning their spoken vocabulary did.

'That's an 'A', and that is an apple, Jojo.' RJ, who had followed them over, plunked himself down beside his sister. 'That's a D and that is a diamon'. They are very fancy.'

'Dah-mo.'

'Very good Jojo!'

'Yea Dodo!'

'You're not a dodo, Jojo. Hee-hee, dodo Jojo.' He laughed at his own joke. 'You are very smart. Daddy?'

'Yes, RJ,' Castle replied, returning with two small bowls of vanilla frozen-yogurt for his children's dessert.

'Why can't we visit with the dete'tives?'

'Because, RJ, Mumum had a very difficult day at work and she still has a lot of work to do and she wants some time to be home with us but also to laugh with her colleagues.'

'But...but Meredeth isn't a collie.'

'Col-league, RJ, there's a 'g' sound on the end there.'

'Col...league.'

'There you go. And you're right she's not, so she is coming over here with us. See?'

RJ watched where his father pointed and saw Meredeth had put out bowls for chilli and plates for paninis, then fixed two plates and brought them to the living room.

'Here we are Rick,' she smiled. 'Smoked turkey with roasted pepper mayo, arugula and Swiss cheese.'

'You're a saint. Saint Foodie of Chelsea-Manhattan, that's what I'm calling you.'

'Meredeth, you are so nice to make my mumum and her col...col-leagues dinner,' RJ told her sweetly.

'Why thank you RJ,' Meredeth replied as she sat down beside Castle on the couch. 'Would you like to try some chilli?'

'Yes please.'

'Me too!' After 'cash'um', 'me too' was Jojo's favourite phrase.

'Okay, sweetie here you go.' Meredeth dabbed barely a dribble onto a spoon and popped it in Jojo's mouth. 'What do you think?'

'Dissy!'

'RJ, your turn now.'

Meredeth gave him a bigger spoonful but unlike his sister, when RJ put the spoon in his mouth and swallowed the sample he looked at her with abject horror.

'Meredeth, that is mean! It is burning my mouth! So hot!'

'Is the temperature too hot for you?'

'No, it is too spicy!' RJ looked around, spied his frozen yogurt and jammed his spoon into the frosty vanilla treat. 'That is just yucky!'

'Well, I think we finally found something you and Trini don't have in common, RJ. My Trini loves spicy foods.'

'Not me.' He shook his head, shoveled in yogurt. 'I love my Trini but she thinks that tastes good? Daddy you were right, girls are funny.'

'No silly!' Jojo couldn't quite understand what it was her brother was saying but she'd heard him use this tone of voice before and she didn't like it one bit. 'No silly!' she said again even as Meredeth and Castle cracked up laughing.

'Oh, Jojo, in about twelve years time you'll understand, bumblebee.'

'Bee! Bee, bee, bee. Bib?'

'Bib is up-suh-tairs, Jojo, you want to go find him?' RJ asked, ready to spring to attention for his sister.

'No. 'Tay.'

'Okay, we'll stay here.'

Beckett looked over from where she was having dinner with her fellow officers, listening to the sounds of her babies and her husband and friend keeping an eye on them, and was suddenly very thankful that she'd had Meredeth insist on making them a dinner like this. They were her here-and-now and they would keep her from sinking under.

Because of them, this time she knew she could fight - would fight - the demons they faced and win.

When her babies were safely tucked away for the night, and her dinner guests had left for their own homes Beckett went over to her husband who was sitting in front of the fireplace. She sat down on the coffee table so she faced him squarely.

'Kate, I-'

'Shh.' She held her finger to his lips and instead picked up his hands to put gentle kisses onto his knuckles. 'What you did today, pissing me off so I could do the job, only someone who loves me and who I love back would know to do exactly what you did.'

'You're my heart, Kate.'

'I love you so much.' Now Beckett rose, still clasping his hands. 'Let me show you.'