The Bronx Zoo is crowded, but that's to be expected on a Friday in the middle of summer.
Alexis is striding ahead of them, adorable in her pink shorts and white tee shirt with a penguin on the front—she'd insisted that it was perfect, that the zoo is just the right place to debut this shirt. Her hair's pulled back into a braid, courtesy of Kate, so it doesn't get super knotted during all of their running around.
The adults follow not too far behind, and Castle laughs at Alexis's exasperated sigh when she turns to find them still straggling. In their defense, though, the girl practically ran to entrance and didn't even wait for them to catch up before she made her way inside.
"You look cute, you know," he says, turning to her with a smirk.
She rolls her eyes. "Shut up, Castle. We're at the zoo. With your daughter."
"What?" he asks innocently. "I'm merely stating a fact. You, Kate Beckett, look very pretty."
A smile takes over her face, despite her best efforts, even as she shakes her head. She's in a pair of jean shorts and a floral top, her hair falling into loose waves over her shoulders, and the outfit's topped off with her white keds. It's simple, barely even noteworthy. She just didn't feel like changing into anything else.
"Let's hurry before your daughter takes off without us."
He laughs. "Okay, okay," he says, picking up the pace as they catch up with Alexis. "Alright, speedy. Where to first?"
Alexis unfolds the map in her hands, struggling as it crinkles and caves in, the paper too big for her to hold all on her own but she tries anyway. Her tongue peeks out as she stares at the map, head shaking side to side as her gaze jumps from one end to the other, before she turns to the two of them with a decisive nod.
"Congo Gorilla Forest!"
"Gorillas it is," he says, opening his arm in front of him to lead the way. "Off we go, ladies!"
Ten minutes later they arrive at the entrance to the gorilla forest—thankfully, they were in the parking lot closest to this area and they didn't have to walk across the entire park to get to her first pick.
They make their way into the logged area, walking along the glass that gives them a glimpse into part of the sanctuary. The trees are tall, leaves overgrown and wild, but Alexis presses herself right up against the glass, head turning back and forth as she looks for any sign of a gorilla.
"They're not here," she sighs.
"They're probably wandering around," Kate says, stepping beside the girl. "Why don't we go outside, check out there?"
Alexis nods, and the three of them make their way outside, over to the part of the gorilla forest that's not behind glass. It takes a few minutes but they finally see some of the gorillas, a duo walking together in a far corner and a single gorilla a bit closer up, coming out from the right side.
"The gorillas! There they are! Dad, Kate, look!"
"I see them," Kate smiles, nodding down to the little girl on her left. "You think those two are a family?"
"Yeah, probably. They're all together like a family."
Kate steps back then, joining Castle a few feet behind, and they stand together, watching Alexis awe at the gorillas. About five minutes in, she starts making gorilla sounds, jumping up and down by the gate, trying to get the attention of said gorillas. Her gestures match that of the primates she's seen on Animal Planet, and her growling comes out more like an adorable wail, but they can't help but laugh at the sight.
There are a few families surrounding them, and they all smile at Alexis and her antics, shooting amused glances to Castle when they walk past.
Alexis's laughter brings them back to the scene at hand, and then one of the gorillas mimics the sound and she goes wild, immediately running back to the two of them and throwing her arms around their waists.
"Did you see that?! Did you hear them?! They growled back!"
"I did, Pumpkin," Castle grins. "You're bilingual now! So smart, talking gorilla."
After the gorillas they make trips to see the African Wild Dogs, Baboon Reserve, the bears—Alexis makes the same noises, roaring in an attempt to get the bears to roar back, but they aren't as receptive to the plan as the gorillas had been—and Tiger Mountain.
"What next, kid? We should have time to see one more thing before we head out to eat."
"Hmm," Alexis hums, thinking of her options.
Kate looks at the map. "We have the reptile house, the monkey house, butterfly garden, aquatic bird house—"
Alexis perks up. "The penguins! We have to see the penguins before we leave!"
"Sea Bird Aviary it is, then," Castle declares. "And we're off to see the penguins!"
The penguins are all out and about, waddling around their home, and Alexis gets as close as she possibly can, the excitement practically radiating off of her small body. She keeps looking down at her shirt and then back at the penguins, amused at just how similar they look; she's declared multiple times that she's sure these specific penguins are the ones on her shirt, or at least related, because they look that similar.
There are a few adults standing around with their children, and when Alexis tries to move to get a better view of the penguins swimming in the water, she can't quite get a good look through the legs of the parents.
"I can't see," she says, turning back to the two of them.
"Want a boost?" Kate asks, and Alexis nods eagerly.
Castle puts a hand on her arm. "I can do it if you don't think you can—"
But she just laughs. "Castle, she's barely 60 pounds. I've got it." She turns back to Alexis. "Alright, I'll bend down, and maybe your dad will lift you up and sit you on my shoulders, okay?"
"Okay!"
Castle does as he's told, lifting Alexis and putting her on Kate's shoulder, keeping her steady with a hand on her back until Kate's ready. She grabs hold of the girl's legs, holding them securely to her chest and making sure she's got a good grip on her before she stands back up.
"Better?" she asks, twisting her head back to look up at the redhead now seated happily on her shoulders.
"Much! Thanks, Kate," Alexis smiles.
She moves carefully, taking them over to the railing so Alexis can get a better look at all of the penguins. They're jumping around, sliding on their stomachs across the ice before launching themselves into the water. Their waddles make the girl laugh every time, and her hands come to rest on Kate's head.
Kate doesn't notice Castle taking pictures of the two of them from behind, but the smile on his face is unmistakable as he watches on.
After fifteen minutes, a space has opened up again and Kate bends back down and Alexis hops off.
The girl practices her penguin waddle, going in a straight line against the railing, facing the penguins so she can watch and mimic their walk simultaneously. She turns, grinning ear to ear as she looks at Kate and her father, light laughter bubbling out of her when Kate runs up and grabs her from behind, interrupting her waddles when she tickles at her sides. When she finally releases her, Alexis stumbles away, regaining her breath as she turns her attention back to the penguins.
"She's precious," an older woman says, smiling over at Alexis and then looking back to Castle. "You're a gorgeous family." Kate blinks, her gaze darting from the woman to both Alexis and Castle. Before she manages to say anything—Thank you? We're not? She's not sure—the older woman gives her a soft, knowing smile. "How old are you, darling?"
"I'm uh, I'm 21," she says. "But—"
The older woman shakes her head. "No need to explain to me, dear. You two seem to have done an excellent job with such a happy little girl. It's not easy having them so young."
Oh, she's not—no. This older woman has an air of wisdom, of past experiences, and Kate can't find the right words to reply. She could tell her that they're not a family—though, at this point she thinks they kind of are, just not that kind—that Alexis isn't her daughter, she's not her mother. That she didn't have a baby at—what, thirteen?
But the only thing that comes out is a soft, "thank you," and then the woman is gone, a pleasant smile on her face as she passes by, casting one last glance towards Alexis, who's now hanging off of the railing, chin resting on her arms.
"What was that?" Castle asks, suddenly at her side.
She blinks. "Oh, uh—nothing. She said Alexis was precious."
He grins. "She's not wrong."
Kate looks over to the girl just as she swivels around, shooting the two of them a bright smile.
No, she's really not.
An hour and a half later, they're seated at a table in Edison, New Jersey, directly in front of a giant elephant head.
"This place is so cool," Castle beams, and Kate's pretty sure he's the most excited of the three of them, despite the fact that this was his idea and he knew exactly what they were going into.
He'd suggested the rain forest cafe instead of a normal outside bar and grill, but the only one in the entire state of New York is in Niagara Falls, six hours away. The next closest is this one, and so they drove the hour to New Jersey purely for this restaurant.
It's worth it, though, to see the look on both of their faces, and she has to admit that she loves it too. Going from a zoo to a rain forest is quite the trip, but it's one she accepts wholeheartedly.
Everything's decked out, decorative trees and leaves lining the walls to make it look as though they're really in the middle of a rain forest, exotic birds poking out here and there, perched on branches and overlooking some of the tables. Vines weave in and out, draping over the branches and along the walls, twining around the elephant heads and their tusks where they jut out from the wall.
Kate looks to the front of the room, admiring the two pillared aquariums that stand tall, from floor to ceiling. A horizontal, half-cylinder aquarium sits on the ceiling in the middle, just between the two vertical ones, connecting them. A collection of different fish swim around, traveling between the rocks and the barnacles. It's really beautiful, honestly.
This place is incredible.
"We should take a trip to a real rain forest," Alexis says casually, fiddling with her utensils.
Kate laughs. "I think you've been hanging around your father for too long, kid."
"It wouldn't be an awful idea," Castle says. "Though I don't think it'd work out too well."
"You wouldn't survive in the jungle, Castle."
"I'm offended by this accusation, the lack of faith."
"You can barely survive when you don't have wifi now, just how do you think you'd fair when you're out in the middle of the Amazon rain forest, surrounded by nothing but wet leaves and trees and animals that will most definitely eat you for dinner?"
He shrugs, mumbling a bit under his breath. "I have some survival skills, I'd make it work."
She just chuckles, shaking her head. "Well, if you go to the rain forest, I'll sit that trip out. Send me a post card, will you?" She bites her lip. "Just do me a favor and try not to get yourself killed, 'kay?"
"Because you'd miss me too much?"
His eyes sparkle, brows waggling as he looks at her.
"Because then I'd have to deal with the media going crazy outside the loft," she deadpans.
He scoffs. "That's just cruel," he says, feigning hurt, a hand on his chest.
She rolls her eyes, leaning over to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth. "Don't worry, I'd miss you a little bit," she teases, fingers teasing at his jaw.
Humming, he grasps at her wrist. "Maybe I'll forego the rain forest, then."
"You'll miss me too much," she grins, tongue peeking out between her teeth.
"I would."
He says it so sincerely that it almost catches her off guard, but she just smiles, trying to fight the heat she knows is making its way into her cheeks. She places her free hand over his, rubbing at his knuckles.
"I'd miss you both, you know," Alexis says, not even looking up from the crayons and paper that were given to them when they were seated.
Kate pulls away from Castle, nudging the girl's arm. "I'd miss you the most," she says in a stage whisper, earning a grin in her direction.
They look over their menu before the waitress arrives, trying to decide on which appetizer they want. They could always go without the appetizer, but they did just drive to a different state for this experience so they might as well make the most of it. In the end, the "lava nachos" are deemed the winner, and they go back to the menus at hand to choose their own entrees.
When the woman walks back over, Kate and Alexis are still deciding.
"I'll go first, then, give you guys a few minutes," Castle says, eyes scanning over his choices one last time. "I'll have the Rainforest Burger, please. Medium well."
"Of course," the brunette says, turning her gaze to Kate. "And for you ladies?"
Kate pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. "I'll have the... Parmesan chicken, please."
"Alexis?"
She looks up. "Can I have the tropical tortellini please?"
"That has mushrooms, Pumpkin," Castle says, pointing to the little blurb below the title. "I don't think you'll like it."
"Oh. Umm. Okay, can I have the Planet Earth Pasta instead?"
Their waitress nods. "Most definitely," she says, pocketing her notepad and grabbing their menus. "Your appetizers will be out soon."
"What are you drawing?" Castle asks once the waitress has gone, leaning over to get a look at the paper.
Alexis's head shoots up, arms scrambling to cover what she's drawn so far. "Dad, no peeking! It's a surprise."
"Oh, sorry, sorry," he laughs, putting his hands up. "Any hints from the artist?"
She shakes her head. "Nope."
When their food arrives, Alexis turns over her drawing long enough to take a few bites so they can't see what's on the paper, and then she flips it back over, continues working on whatever it is that she's coloring while she eats. One arm is covering the contents at all times, the other grabbing at the fork so she can take bites of her pasta, and the two adults laugh as they watch her, shaking their heads.
"Must be some drawing," Castle says, looking over at Kate.
"An artist never shows their work until it's done," she tells him, turning her head towards Alexis. "Right?"
She nods. "Right! Be patient, dad."
"Yeah, be patient, dad," Kate mimics, sticking her tongue out. She goes back to her food, picking at the chicken parm, and is pleasantly surprised when it's delicious. It's always hit or miss for her, but this is definitely a hit. "This is actually really good. How's yours?"
Nodding, he finishes chewing before holding out his burger. "Try it, it's delicious."
She leans over, taking a bite, covering her mouth with her hand to keep from dropping any crumbs. "Oh wow, that is really good," she says. Burgers are hard to mess up, but the flavors in this one really pop. "Good choice."
"Is your pasta good, Pumpkin?"
Alexis hums an agreement, eyes never leaving the paper in front of her.
Kate and Castle end up talking as if the girl isn't there, not because they're not engaging her, but because she's not listening, all of her attention solely on the drawing she's working on. She's not even paying mind to the two of them, and so they just laugh, shaking their heads as they finish off their meals and talk about what they're going to do once they get back to the loft. It's getting later, which means it won't be completely out of the realm of possibility to just rest when they return.
Pepper will need to be fed, too, they realize.
When all of their food is done, Alexis finally lifts her head up, putting down the crayons and looking at the two of them with a wide grin.
Castle leans on his elbows. "Do we finally get to see your masterpiece?"
Alexis nods. "Yup!" She hands the paper to her father first, letting him look.
His eyes widen before they soften, a smile forming on his lips as he takes in what she's drawn. Kate's curiosity is piqued then, and she can barely hold it in anymore before he hands over the paper. She's pretty sure his eyes look a little glassy, too.
What is this drawing?
Taking it from him, she places it onto the table in front of her. She can't help the smile that forms either, and now she understands why he's started tearing up, because she can feel the moisture prickling the backs of her eyes as well.
On the paper is a drawing of three people; a tall man, a woman just a little bit shorter than him with brown hair, and a smaller girl with fiery hair standing in the middle of the other two. There's a kitten next to the girl, clumsy body proportions but too adorable to even complain about. The three people—who are, obviously, the three of them—are holding hands, and there's a sun shining above them.
At the top of the page in block lettering is the title: Family.
And at the bottom, in surprisingly neat—if not a little wobbly—handwriting is what gets her the most.
Love you, dad and Kate.
You're all amazing, thank you.