Flopping down on the couch with a heavy sigh after all the guests had left; Kate wondered how she could have though that chaperoning a party composed of six and seven year olds would be easy. Her head lolled to the left as she squinted at an abandoned plate with a half-eaten slice of cake on it. She considered taking it to the kitchen before she thought otherwise and decided that the coffee table would be enough for now. With another aggravated groan that was more of an exaggeration, she moved the plate to the coffee table, grabbed a pillow, and wearily settled into the sinfully comfortable couch.
-o-O-o-
As soon as Gina was out the door, Chloe grabbed Kate's hand and dragged her up the stairs, not letting go until they were in her room. Running for the closet, she started pulling out her costume as Kate sat on the bed and watched her.
"Did you have a good time with your mom last night?"
"The best! It was amazing! We got to go to Randy's. It's my favourite. They have spaghetti and meatballs and breadsticks and they let you colour on the tablecloth. Isn't that so cool? They give you crayons and just tell you to colour. Mom let me get whatever I wanted. Then, after dinner, the waiter came out and sang 'Happy Birthday' to me and gave me an ice cream sundae covered in sprinkles and whipped cream. Then we went home and Mom gave me my present and...Oh, let me show you. It is so cool."
Running out of the door, Chloe ran back downstairs. Within minutes she was back and pulling her present from the bag to show Kate. "See? Isn't it amazing?"
Without any warning, Kate found herself holding a non-descript box as Chloe went back to getting dressed.
"What is it?"
"It's the first five Nancy Drew books—the original ones, not the newer ones. Mom says they are way better than the new ones. And she says if I finish these she will give me more."
Opening the box, Kate was surprised to discover that the books looked old, some of them even having the blue covers of the earlier editions, rather than the yellow covers she was expecting.
"Mommy says that those were her copies from when she was little and that she wanted me to have them." Chloe mumbled unconsciously. Staring at her outfit at the mirror and deeming it good enough, she turned to Kate with a huge smile. "Okay. I'm ready, Katie. What do you think?" Kate smiled to herself at the little girl's need for reassurance.
Setting the box back on the bed, she approached the girl and knelt in front of her. "Stop squirming, little girl." Picking a stray piece of lint from Chloe's should and adjusting stray hairs, Kate smiled sweetly at her and with two hands at the girl's shoulders, she turned her around to face the mirror- with her kneeling behind her.
"Beautiful. Just beautiful."
Standing up, Kate watched the little girl twirl in front of the mirror before picking up the books and sitting back down on the bed as she studied the present again.
After hearing about her from Alexis and seeing her with Chloe, Kate wasn't quite sure what to think of Gina, but she had to admit that the collection had been a thoughtful gift.
Looking up from the books, Kate let out a smile as she saw the little girl standing in front of her looking like she had stepped right out of the pages of a book. "And who are you again?"
"I'm Jean Dana. Alexis is going to be Louise."
"And why do you get to be Jean?"
"Because I'm blonde, of course."
"Of course." Holding back her smile, Kate stood from the bed and held out her hand for Chloe's. "How about we head downstairs and see what kind of trouble your dad has gotten himself into."
"Okay." She twirled for the last time and replied with twin dimples showing up with his smile.
Feeling herself get pulled along as Chloe jumped excited from stair to stair, Kate let out a laugh as she tried to rein Chloe in. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Kate was glad to see that Castle hadn't come out yet. Walking towards the kitchen to start getting the food ready, Kate was distracted by the sudden opening of the front door.
"Where's the birthday girl?"
Startled by the appearance of the vibrant redhead dressed in period clothes walking in like she owned the place, Kate squeezed Chloe's hand a little tighter as she felt the little girl trying to pull away. Knowing the exuberance that the Castles seem to have, Kate gripped Chloe's hand tightly and shot a warning smile to the older woman. However, having underestimated the young girl's zeal; before she knew it she was clutching empty air as Chloe ran full speed for the mystery redhead.
"Grams! You're here!" Slowing down just enough at the end to prevent them from falling over as she ran right into Martha's legs, Chloe attached herself to her grandmother.
-o-O-o-
With a start, Kate snapped back to reality at the feeling of a blanket being placed over her and the slight lowering of the cushion as Castle sat down next to her feet. Rolling onto her back, Kate moved her hands behind her head to prop it up a little more.
"Did you have fun today?"
"Fun may not be my exact word choice, but, yeah, something like that."
"What would your exact word choice be?"
Tensing slightly as Castle pulled her closer so her feet were resting in his lap; she relaxed as she saw him remove her shoes. "Exciting. Exhausting. Something that you would do well to remind me to never do again—at least not for a good long time."
"Guess it's a good thing that Chloe's birthday isn't for another year then. Right?"
"Right now, even that's too soon. " Closing her eyes involuntarily at the heavenly feeling of Castle's deft fingers working the aches out of her feet, she lazily continued, "You know, I've chased after a murder suspect who was a track athlete and I didn't even break a sweat." Sitting up just slightly she squinted confusedly at Castle. "What did you feed them?"
-o-O-o-
Not long after Martha arrived, the doorbell started ringing nonstop as the little girls arrived for the party. By the time all the girls had arrived, there were at least two Sherlock Holmes' and three Nancy Drew's running around.
Once all the girls were good and hyped up on sugar, Rick called for the girls to gather round.
"Oh the horror! While I was out getting decorations for the party, someone came into my house and stole my present for Chloe. Whoever would do such a thing?" Rick exaggerated as he conjured up all the acting genes that might have been passed on to him from his mother.
"I don't know, Mr. Holmes. Who could have done such a thing?" Rolling her eyes as she spoke, Kate stepped forward to converse with Castle. "Maybe these fine detectives, gracing us with their presence today, would be willing to help us find the present. What do you say girls? You up for solving a crime today?"
With a cheer all the girls ran forward to grab the notebooks—each containing checklists of things they needed to find at the crime scene and things to find out from each witness—and pens that were being held out for them. Every time a girl found a piece of evidence—be it a piece of candy, a bowl with a icing fingerprint or some things completely unrelated—they were handed a paper lunch sack to put it into to be taken back to the 'crime lab' and each girl checked off the evidence in her notebook. Once the crime scene was thoroughly searched, the evidence was dropped off with Alexis in the crime lab while the detectives went and questioned witnesses (Martha, Kate, Rick and a couple of Martha's acting friends). After each girl had had a chance to question each witness, they were all lead back to the crime lab where Alexis told them what she had discovered from the evidence.
With all the evidence they needed, the girls were then asked who they thought had stolen the present with the winners receiving prizes—little toys detective sets with plastics handcuffs, guns and badges.
The girls had then been ushered into the 'crime lab' where they decorated and ate cupcakes—making a huge mess in the process.
-o-O-o-
"Shh! Don't wake Kate up."
Stirring slightly at the sound of whispers and giggles floating around her, Kate opened her eyes just enough to see what was happening in front of her.
"Why is she so tired, Daddy?"
"She isn't used to being around so many little girls. It's exhausting."
"But you aren't tired."
"That's cause he is no better than you little girls." Sitting up with a large stretch, Kate yawned before continuing. "He was just as hyper and excited as you were. Truthfully, I think it was him that made the day so exhausting, not you girls."
Giggling at the thought, Chloe walked over to Kate, climbed on to the couch and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you for everything today. You're the bestest."
"Hey! What about me?" Crossing his arms, Castle let a pronounced pout overtake his face.
Jumping up from the couch, Chloe ran over to her dad and gave him a hug. "You're the bestest too."
"Is that why you are playing with Kate's present and not mine?"
"Daaadddyyy! I would be playing with yours but you said it was too loud and not to wake Kate up."
"I said that?" Feigning innocence, Castle walked over to the couch and sat beside Kate. "Don't know where she comes up with these crazy ideas. Me? Be all grown up about something? Who does she think she is talking about?"
Rolling her eyes, she pushed him away in order to stand up. "I don't know, but come on. You promised to play a game of laser tag with her once the loft was cleaned up. From where I sit, it looks pretty cleaned up to me. Now move."
Standing up from the couch, Kate grabbed Rick's arm and pulled him up with her. Not wasting any time, she shoved him in the direction of his study. As she stood there watching him disappear, she felt a tug on the hem of her shirt.
"Hey, Kate?" Chloe whispered.
"Yes, Chloe bear?" She leaned down and whispered back teasingly.
"Don't tell Daddy but I love your gift better, okay?"
Kate smiled at the young girl and kissed her forehead. "Your secret is safe with me."
Chloe snuggled up to her and put her small arms around Kate's neck. "I'm really glad you're here."
"I'm glad I'm here too." Releasing Chloe from the tight hug she had wrapped her up in, Kate pushed Chloe back just slightly so that she could see her face. "So, what do you say about taking your dad down at his own game?"
-o-O-o-
Quickly splitting up into two teams, Castle and Chloe versus Kate and Alexis, they ran off to opposite ends of the room to strategize. One minute later, Martha sounded the bell to begin the round before heading to the top of the stairs to observe and referee from above.
Running from the study to the couch, Chloe rolled on to the couch while Castle took to the floor beside it. Peeking up slightly and spotting the tell-tale flashing blue lights of Alexis' vest, Castle quickly ducked back down.
"I'm not sure I am comfortable with the plan anymore, Chloe."
"Plan, Daddy? What plan?"
"What plan? The plan we just talked over in the study."
"I thought you said the plan was just to survive." Screeching loudly as she caught sight of Kate around the edge of the couch, Chloe quickly stood up and bolted. "We've been spotted. I'm a ghost."
"Chloe! You can't do this to me." Before he could do more than raise his gun in an attempt to ward off the oncoming attack, his vest started flashing and beeping. "Seriously. I can't believe my own daughter would abandon me like that. I thought she loved me."
"Rick, stop being such a sore loser." Walking towards the man laying supine on the floor, she reached out a hand to help him up only to be surprised by the sound of her vest going off. "What?"
-o-o-o-
Somewhere in the middle of the third round of laser tag, Castle made the executive decision to order in rather than make dinner.
Twenty minutes after their order had been placed, the two teams—Rick and Kate versus Chloe and Alexis—were at a stalemate. Neither team seemed like they were going to be able to make a move and win the round. With each team just needing one hit to end the round, everyone was doing their level best to stay out of sight. Just when Kate was about to emerge from her hiding spot and make a run for a better tactical position, the doorbell rang, freezing everyone momentarily. Standing up from behind the couch, Rick headed for the door, pulling out his wallet as he went.
Suddenly, the sensors on his vest registered a hit and the round was over.
"Hey! No fair! You know that delivery men constitute an immediate cease fire while payment is made."
"Only if a cease fire is actually called. Those are your rules dad, not mine. If you can't play right, you can't complain." Cradling her gun to her chest, Alexis walked out from behind the stairs and walked over to her dad.
"Fine" grumbling under his breath "but I demand a rematch."
"Daddy, I'm hungry." Sighing at the little voice, Castle set the food on the table and started removing his gear.
"And there goes your rematch." Kate added with a grin.
A/N: I am so sorry to doing this to any of you who are still reading the story. I know it has been 7 months since my last update (and I have been sitting on this chapter for a month), but I wanted to finish the story before I posted this. Best laid plans and all. Unfortunately, I have not written the next chapter yet (unless you count the one that I wrote which made my beta-ish rage at me about how bad it was). My muse seems to have run away (and doesn't want to come back) and now I am going to have to reform a new one before I can write again. I truly am sorry.