Of all the holidays Castle had anticipated staying the same once he and Beckett had gotten together, he'd figured it would be Hallowe'en. Despite the fact she was a homicide detective, as were his best friends, they always found the time on October thirty-first to party in costume. Then Ryan had married Honey-Milk, Esposito had found Meredeth, and a little while later, Lanie had gotten together with Dave and the babies started to arrive, transforming their macabre and spooky masquerades into a costume party that was for all ages.

Not that he was complaining about it; quite the contrary. Castle loved Hallowe'en - after his wife and children's birthdays it was his favourite holiday. It lit him up the way Alexis went nuts for Christmas and now that they were an extended family with walkie-talkie children, he could pass this love on to them as well. True, it meant that a lot of his scarier decorations couldn't be used, like his scale replica of a Theraphosa blondi tarantula but it also meant that he had a very legitimate excuse to watch the Disney version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow with them. They'd watched it the year before and all the little kids had loved it; it had been the perfect blend of cartoon humour and scary for the under-five crowd.

This year, the theme had been cartoon characters and the costumes were as awesome as ever. The top prizes of the night went to Gil Mazzara, who did a rather frighteningly accurate impression of Daffy Duck, and newcomer Andrea Hennessey - the girls were really taking to heart the decision to 'adopt' her and Daniel into the family - who'd dressed up as Wilma Flinstone. Even Meredeth was there in costume and while she was still sporting a post-baby figure, she was still a knockout as Jessica Rabbit; the breastfeeding most definitely added to the look which had Esposito, dressed as George of the Jungle, thinking all kinds of naughty thoughts for his bride. Beckett could tell her fellow detective was mostly thinking below the belt, and knowing her friend as she did Beckett didn't have a single doubt that Meredeth's self-esteem over her figure after having twins would stay nice and boosted with Esposito lusting after his wife like that.

The kids looked positively adorable, too, in their costumes, including the two-week-old Leo and Trini - Meredeth and Esposito had dressed them up as Pebbles Flinstone and Bam-Bam Rubble. Tessi had wanted to go as a turtle, but upon hearing that Dell would be going as Woody from Toy Story, decided she wanted to be Jessie. The two of them looked so cute it was almost painful, and everyone agreed that the pictures from that night would be making their way into the wedding slide-show, no question.

But for Castle's money, nothing looked as adorable as RJ in his first ever Hallowe'en costume. Having been born in early December, his first Hallowe'en was something he might not remember, but in the moment would love unequivocally. Being that RJ was a lover of rabbits, they'd decided to dress him up as Bugs Bunny; the crowning touch was when he went around practicing trying to say 'What's up, Doc?', and got as far as 'Wadda Dot?' He'd attempted 'trick-or-treat' once or twice, but it fell by the wayside as he was more focused on his character's trademark line. When it was time to make the candy rounds, Dell had patted Beckett's hand in reassurance.

'No worries, Katie,' he'd told her, 'I help RJ and Mallory. They will not miss out.'

'Thank you, Dell, that's very sweet.'

'Daddy says since the doc-tor said I am doing much better with my needles, I get to have one piece of chocolate tonight. But just one and only tonight, because it is a suh-pecial occasion.'

Beckett had gone with them for the first loop, Castle for the second, and he'd made sure they all sorted their sweets and treats so they knew who had given them what in case someone got sick. That wasn't just the cop in her that had them all taking precautions, that was just parental common sense.

When the party was done near midnight and their guests all taken their colourful, cartoon selves home for the night Castle came over in his Green Lantern costume, mask in hands, to his Natasha Fatale. 'Say please, just one more time,' he begged her as they surveyed the party ruins that could wait for morning to be tidied.

'What?'

'Come on.'

'Fine.' Beckett cleared her voice, thickened her voice with her best Russian accent. 'Get moose and squirrel.'

Castle cracked up. 'Never gets old, my love,' he told her, then giving her a twirl so she was in his arms, he laid his lips against her throat and felt his blood hum a happy tune when he sense her pulse picking up pace.

Inspired, probably because she was high on sugar, Beckett pressed her body up against her husband's. 'Rich, as I was spending most of the day today getting everything ready while you helped Ryan and Newman out at work, you tell me I don't have to be on clean-up detail tomorrow and I'll use the accent in bed tonight.'

'Don't joke about that, Kate,' he warned her as he felt the pants of his costume grow tighter by the minute.

'Oh Rich,' she pouted, still using the voice, 'I vould never joke about some-tink lik dat.'

'Done. Does this mean you'll call me Boris?'

'Don't push luck, funny man.'

With a mischievous grin, Beckett took her husband by the hand and led him up to their bedroom, where he closed the door and began to strip out of his costume. Once naked, he stretched onto his back and grinned as he watched his wife slink out of her purple evening gown and black gloves. Because she was in a mood to drive him wild, she ditched her black panties as well, but left on the black thigh-high stockings and strapless black bra as she crawled into his lap and fused her mouth to his.

'Hel-lo Mister Writer Man,' she purred as she felt his arousal against her body; it never failed to get her hot that she could make him feel like this. He was so big and beautiful and tonight, she wanted him to feel just how much she wanted him. Taking his hands, she kissed his fingertips and moved his hands down so he cupped her lace-covered breasts as she kissed him deeply, erotically, her tongue tangling and dancing with his to awaken him. She gasped in her throat when she felt him find the hook of her bra, release it, then toss the lace band over the side of the bed.

'Is good to be loved,' she murmured. 'And I love you.'

'I love you too.'

Castle's mouth streaked from hers down her throat as she arched back and he took his time, savouring the taste of her breasts before he flicked his tongue over her heated nipple. He felt her dampen against him, making him groan softly; he wanted to be inside her, but he wanted to draw out the experience of the pleasure more. Instead, he patted her cute butt-cheek, wiggling his eyebrows.

'Turn over.'

Beckett's eyes fired. 'You vant to shpenk me, Rich?'

'No, I want to touch you. Everywhere.'

Her palms went damp as she obeyed him and once on her front, Beckett sighed in pleasure as those clever and skillful hands started low on her back and worked their magical way up to her shoulders. Then she found herself being gently nudged so she was kneeling and her head rolled back as Beckett felt her husband scrape his thumbs over her breasts, making her cry out. One stayed where it was while the other moved inch by erotic inch down between her thighs until it reached its target and Beckett moaned loudly as Castle pleasured her. When she came in a viciously heated climax against his hand, Castle whispered in her ear, 'Now the real fun begins.'

R&R&Enjoy