Chapter 1
It's quiet without the kids there. It's truly quiet. She's alone in the large, empty house. Sitting looking up at the Christmas tree she and Castle bought last night, he had decorated most of the house yesterday, they used to do the tree as a family, all seven of them arguing about where to hang certain ornaments or how there was too much tinsel here and not enough there. There was always and empty plate and mugs from their cookies and milk. She missed it, slowly year after year her babies would move away to college or another state. Jo was the last to leave, two years ago, she moved into a small one room apartment in the city, closer to school. Kate had retired three years ago, being captain of the twelfth was great, she was finally able to put Senator Bracken behind bars, not even a week later and he was dead. She and Castle still helped the boys on some cases.
Castle is out buying food and supplies for the family Christmas. He still wrote, popping out a book or two a year, sometimes under a pseudonym, just so he didn't have to go out on long book tours. She's still lost in her own thoughts, toying with an old ornament, when the kitchen door opens.
"Dad! Kate!" She's expecting to hear her husband's voice, not her step-daughter, basically daughter. Alexis and her family are here. Kate leaps out of the chair and dashes for the door leading to the kitchen from the end of the hall.
"Alexis!" She's in the kitchen hugging the red head tightly to her. "You're father is out grabbing some food."
"Lex. There's some more bags in the car." Andrew, Alexis' husband enters, pushing open the side door with his shoulder, laden with luggage and bags of food and gifts for the rest of the family. "Oh, hey. Mrs. Castle."
"Andrew, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Kate?" Kate lets go of Alexis and hugs her son-in-law. "And where are my grand kids?"
"Gram!" Sarah and A.J shout, bursting through the door, as if on cue. Kate hugs both of them.
They group begins to unpack everything, Andrew dragging bag after bag upstairs. Alexis, Sarah, A.J, and Kate unpack the food and wrapped gifts. After about twenty minutes the kitchen door opens again.
"Mom!" It's the youngest son, Rick Jr.. The boy's deafness happened in his childhood, he was already speaking when his hearing started to fade, the family embraced his disability as willingly as any hearing family could. The entire family took sign language classes as R.J's hearing became less and less. The youngest son was almost completely deaf by the time he was ten years old.
Kate threw herself into the young man's arms, after he placed some bags on the kitchen counter. Sure it had only been a week since her son and his partner Sam had come over for dinner, but she hated an empty house. She had changed a lot after the family moved and continued to grow, she used to being alone for long periods of time, now it's unimaginable, she misses the noise of when the kids were all home, sure they were arguing over something long forgotten or teasing each other about a new boyfriend or girlfriend.
When she finally pulled away from her son, she signed "I love you."
He returned the gesture just as his partner entered the house, carrying a suitcase and two bags full of gifts.
"Hey Kate." He signed while speaking, using her name sign, a 'K' tapping over the left side of the chest.
"Where's Dad?" The man questioned with both voice and hand.
Signing and using speech for Sam's sake, as his back was turned to her at the moment. "Your dad has been out buying groceries for over an hour. So I have absolutely no idea where he disappeared to." She smiled as her son and son-in-law laughed.
Alexis ran into the room, hearing her younger brother's voice. "R.J!" She grabbed her half brother and hugged him to her tightly.
After a quick exchange of stories and greetings, everyone went into the living room to work a little on the tree, leaving Kate in the kitchen to clean up the mess of the bags and snowy, muddy footprints trailed in by each member of the house. The kitchen door opened for a third time, this time revealing Rick Sr. carrying handfuls of bags and a tray of brownies. Kate recognized those brownies, they were from the neighbor, Mrs. Green, they were her famous Christmas brownies, each family is given a tray each year.
"I saw some cars outside, Kate. Who would come visit an ex-cop and famous novelist?" He smiled as he bent down and kissed her softly. "Could it possibly be those kids we finally ran off?" He smiled against her lips.
"Dad!" Alexis called as she darted into the kitchen, nearly tackling the older man.
"Alexis!" He hugged her and kissed her cheek lightly. "Where's the rest of the bunch?" He asked the women.
"They were just putting some ornaments on the tree." Alexis explains as her half brother enters, signing something to Sam, Andrew, Sarah, and A.J watching from behind them.
"Dad!" He said, taking the rest of the large kitchen in two steps, reaching his father quickly.
Everyone hugged and greeted the author. Alexis had cocooned herself into her husband's side. Kate and Castle sat behind a small desk she had insisted be placed in the kitchen to hold all the crap that the counters normally held. Sam and R.J were standing by the door. Sarah had occupied the island in the kitchen by sitting atop it. Leaving A.J to sit on a stool, leaning his arm onto the bar where his sister was situated. The group was talking and laughing, awaiting the rest of the family. Unbeknownst to the group that the youngest daughter, Johanna Castle was struggling with bags and baskets outside.