'Kate, I didn't think I'd actually have to say this tonight, but stop thinking so hard.'

Castle lifted his head off the pillow, kissed the curve of her shoulder. He'd hoped the bath, the wine, the food, and even the tender lovemaking after all that would put her mind at ease, but it seemed nothing was going to shut her down tonight.

'It's not what you think,' she replied sleepily. 'I'm thinking about the surprise RJ says he has for me when they get home tomorrow. He says it's from the Bushy Garden.'

'God, he's adorable.'

'I am very intrigued, this is the first time my son has bought me something without you giving him ideas, this means a lot to me.'

'I know it does,' Castle agreed, 'but dare I point out to you last year for your birthday, your son gave you a new coffee mug because in his mind, the best cops in the world all drink coffee and you needed it for catching the bad guys. That was all him too.'

'But you went shopping with him to get it. RJ is just with his sisters, that's a big step for my little boy.'

'Oh-oh, Kate, are we having a mommy-blues moment?'

'Maybe.' Beckett rolled over to face him. 'Or maybe I'm just fixating on this because I have no desire to get up tomorrow morning to a desk of paperwork, and you know there's forests of it after that takedown at the warehouse.'

'I'll also point out that you weren't the only cop in on that bust and I'll have my own report to write with Adam as well as the civilian liaisons.'

'Civilian, my ass. Adam Brennan was more of a cop in the last five days than those rat bastards were being on the take for nearly twenty-five years.'

'Also a valid point.' Castle inched closer to his wife and kissed her once more. 'Try to sleep, okay?'

'Oh, you know what might work?'

He fought the groan as his wife tossed back the covers and scrambled over to the small bookshelf where the stereo sat. 'No, no more sex. Never thought I'd ever say that to you in my life time, but-'

'Not that you pervert,' she giggled, and made him wince when she came back with a book and turned on the bedside lamp. 'This.'

'Seriously?' Castle held up the nearly mint-condition copy of The Fellowship of the Ring. 'You want to read this?'

'No, no, I want you to read it to me.'

'Seriously?'

'It never fails.'

Willing to take a little on faith, Castle felt Beckett snuggle up against him as he turned to the first page and began to read. He'd barely made it to Bilbo Baggins eleventy-first birthday party when he heard the light buzzing beside him. He looked down and to his amazement, he saw his wife was indeed out for the count.

'It never fails,' he wondered aloud, and rolling her to her side of the bed, turned out the light.

The next thing Beckett was aware of was her husband shaking her shoulder, and on a groan, she batted at his hand with the energy of a lazy cat swatting at string.

'Rick, go away, lemme sleep.'

'It's almost nine, and your captain is on the phone.'

Suddenly no longer tired, Beckett's eyes flew open and she sat up in bed like she'd been fired from a canon. 'I'm up, I'm up,' she hissed, brushing at her hair and clearing her throat before taking the phone from her husband. 'Sir, good morning, I am so sorry I overslept, I will be there as soon as I can, and-'

'The paperwork is almost completed, Beckett,' Montgomery informed her, 'and you aren't setting a single foot in this office until you see your family home safely.'

'But, sir, I-'

'Ryan and Esposito were here after Andrea's baby was born last night, they tidied up their reports, and seeing as it's also Sunday there is little you would be able to do anyways aside from a few hours of report writing yourself.

'Crime doesn't stop just because it's the weekend,' she started, but Montgomery cut her off once more.

'Then consider this a direct order. You do not set foot into this office until Monday morning at seven-thirty. Am I clear?'

'Crystal, sir.'

'Good, now, as I understand it, you've got a brunch to get ready for and there is an incoming flight from Miami you need to meet at LaGuardia.'

'Brunch, sir?' Beckett looked at Castle who nodded emphatically, motioned for her to roll with it. 'Yes, sir, I think Castle's put himself in charge of that one.'

'Yes, he said you job was to get some much needed sleep and remain curious about RJ's present?'

'Yes, sir.'

'Enjoy the time, Beckett. I'll see you in the morning.'

'Yes, sir.' She hung up and looked at Castle. 'What did you do?'

'I am going to stay here while you go to the airport and see your babies, while I prepare our family a smorgasbord of delicious brunch-y treats. Shane is coming, so is your dad, and Miss Agnes is bringing Daniel and Nessa here for a proper meal, and to take leftovers to Andrea. Adam is too, after he gets sprung from the hospital and showers and all that jazz.'

He looked at his watch. 'If I were you, I'd get dressed and slap on some warpaint, because I have latkes to make and you have children to welcome home.'

It was a weird feeling being all alone at the Arrivals terminal of LaGuardia, Beckett thought, chewing her thumbnail as she waited to see her babies come through the sliding glass doors. She'd never gone to meet her family alone, there'd always been at least another mom with her.

The wait was excrutiating, but finally, finally, she saw people with sunburns and 'I heart FL' t-shirts underneath their winter-coats coming through the doors. She didn't realize she was actually holding her breath until she saw Alexis with the bags of luggage and RJ helping push Jojo in her stroller through the doors and down the ramp; it came out in a little whoosh as Alexis caught sight of her and pointed her out in the crowd to RJ.

'Mumum!' He let go the handles of the stroller as Alexis carved a path for them and Beckett crouched down to catch her boy with wide open arms. 'Mumum! You did it! You got the bad guys!'

'Cash'um!' Jojo crowed, clapping with a mile-wide grin. 'Yea Mumum! Yea Mumum!'

'Did you say, 'take him away, boys?' RJ asked in a mimic of Montgomery, loving the feeling of being held by his mother once again.

'No, but I did get to say 'you're under arrest'. That's always a fun part.'

'I streamed the news from channel eight on my laptop every night so I could hear any news if it came available,' Alexis informed Beckett as she gave her a hug. 'I cannot believe it went down like that, it seems like something from a Robert Ludlum novel.'

'I know, but your father knows truth is stranger than fiction more often than not.'

'Mumum, Jojo needs to hug you,' RJ insisted and grinned when he was put back on his feet, unbuckled his little sister's safety straps. 'There you go, Jojo.'

'Dodo hug!' Jojo launched herself out of the seat of her stroller and into Beckett's arms just like her brother did, only being the little sofite she was, planted a dozen kisses all over her mother's face. 'Miss you. Moosh beddah.'

'Kisses make it all better,' Beckett agreed.

'No' diss, moosh.'

'I'm sorry, mooshes make it all better.'

'Shane didn't come with you?' Alexis asked, then shook her head. 'Oh, right he was on nights last night, he's still sleeping.'

Beckett didn't bother mentioning on her way out to meet the kids at the airport, she'd bumped into Shane on his way into the building; he was going to surprise Alexis at the loft with apfelstrudel, one of her favourite treats they'd sampled when they'd visited Chaim in Amsterdam. 'Don't worry he'll be at the loft for brunch.'

'That means food, right?' RJ rubbed his stomach as he took his big sister's hand while Beckett deposited Jojo back in her stroller for the trip to the car. 'I am hungry, and there was only juice and lit-tle things on the plane ride.'

'Doos tissy!' Jojo insisted, and RJ rolled his eyes.

'But that's not e-nough for breakfast, Jojo,' he insisted.

'Is that what my surprise is, RJ?' Beckett asked, stepping in to break up the fight before it started.

'No, Mumum, you have to be patient and wait.'

'You said Adam is coming to this breakfast,' Alexis commented as they walked towards the exit. 'We adopted again, didn't we?'