"Sweetie what's wrong?" Beckett was asking Eliza nearly twenty minutes later. She'd been sitting with Castle on a bench that was on the outside of the playground, seeing their youngest was standing at the top of a slide and looking unsure.
"Scared Mommy," Eliza replied, pointing to the stairs up to the top of the tallest of the slides.
"Then you don't need to go on that one," Beckett said.
"Julia can go," Eliza said hopefully.
"It's better if you try to go by yourself," Beckett said. She was surprised when the toddler look disappointed so she then suggested, "Why not go down by yourself and I'll stand at the bottom?"
"I can cheer you on," Castle said, coming up to stand next to his wife. "Go… no?" he asked her, starting to raise his arms.
"No Dad!" Alexis called from where she was going across the bridge with Julia.
"What she said," Beckett added with a smile starting to turn up the corners of her lips.
"Yeah she wouldn't let me do that either," Castle said, lowering his arms hurriedly. "We'll be here though sweetheart."
"Go ahead," Julia said, taking her sister's hand. "I'll talk with you while you go down the slide okay?"
Looking at her family Eliza finally nodded and went up the steps while Julia followed. She sat down and then jumped a little when her sister hugged her from behind which made her ask, "Why Jules?"
"Because this means you're being grown up," Julia said with a smile.
"Like Mommy?" Eliza asked, her voice taking on an eager tinge to it.
"What are they talking about?" Castle asked Beckett as they watched their daughters at the top of the stairs.
"I don't know," she replied. "Julia, is she too scared to go?"
"No she's going right now," the little girl called down to them. "Ready?" she asked her little sister.
With a frantic nod Eliza pushed herself from the top and cried out as she began to spin around to the bottom. A little after she'd begun though she started to giggle as her sisters were both calling to her encouragingly through the slide. When she came out of the bottom she laughed as her father caught her before she could fall off the edge and said, "I went down Mommy, Daddy."
"We saw, so did you enjoy it?" Castle asked as Beckett kissed their daughter's cheek.
"Yeah wanna go again," Eliza said hurriedly and with a wide smile.
Setting her down Castle watched the toddler hurry over to the stairs and he said, "Doesn't surprise me."
"Don't say she's like me," Beckett said wryly.
"No I was going to say she's like me," Castle said seriously. But when Beckett pushed him he laughed and took her hand, leading her over to the bench they'd been sitting on before as Eliza was joining Alexis. "I was like that though," he told her.
"So was I," Beckett replied with a nod. They watched their daughters for a while until she suddenly straightened at the sound of a shot. She nearly jumped up when Castle did so next to her, looking over at him. "Is it-" she began, looking around.
"That car," Castle said, nodding to the street behind them. A second later the car made another sound and he sighed saying, "I thought…"
"Espo said-" Beckett began.
"I heard," Castle replied quickly. "But it's hard to shake."
"Yeah," Beckett murmured before she made him sit back down with her. As they turned their attention to their daughters in front of them she slipped her hand into his, entwining their fingers at the same time he was. She glanced at him and smiled slightly before they looked to see Eliza hurrying across the wood chips to where they were.
"Are you done?"Castle asked, putting his hand on the toddler's back as she leaned against his knee.
"No, wanna swing," Eliza replied firmly. "Now… please?"
"Thank you for saying please," Beckett said, standing up as Julia and Alexis were coming over to them. "So we're going to swing now?"
"I think so," Alexis replied. "And then ride the horses too."
"You're going to ride those?" Castle asked his daughter in amusement as they went to the swing set.
"And break it? Sure, why not," Alexis said with a shrug before she smiled. "Come on, Eliza wants to go with you obviously."
Castle nodded to that and went to a swing while Alexis went next to Julia who was to his left, Beckett to their right. "So we're going to see who can jump off the highest right?" he asked.
"If you do that you're staying while we leave tomorrow," Beckett told him teasingly. She was surprised when Julia suddenly laughed, and she asked, "What?"
"You couldn't leave Daddy here," the little girl replied simply. "Not when you have your anniversary."
"Oh yeah, did Lanie mention that?" Alexis asked as they were all starting to push themselves back and forth.
"Of course," Beckett said.
"Did you tell her what you got me?" Castle inquired of his wife.
"No," Becket said very simply before she smirked at him.
"I'll find out I think," Castle said as he studied her. He then turned his attention back on Eliza when she patted his cheek and said, "I'll go faster, just give me a second."
"No Daddy," Eliza replied, holding back onto both of the chains. "Do you want Mommy go home?"
"Not for our anniversary," Beckett replied. "We're going back to where we went on our honeymoon, Adare Manor."
"Where you're going to renew your vows," Alexis said. When her father and stepmother nodded she said, "That should be fun, this time you can ride horses."
"I know," Beckett said with a smile.
"Horsies? Can I go?" Eliza gasped.
"I don't think they have ponies sweetie," Beckett told her.
"But we'll see if we can visit the horses at least," Castle said before Eliza smiled widely and nodded rapidly.
"Mommy?" Julia said after they were swinging for a while; her mother having slowed down and stopped by then. When Beckett looked over at her she said, "I'm hungry."
Looking at her watch, Beckett said to her husband, "You'd better stop Rick."
"Why- oh, forgot we all have to go to bed early tonight," Castle said. He laughed when he saw Eliza's shocked look and said, "Yep, your mom and I too."
"Why Daddy?" the toddler asked as her father stood, putting her on his hip as she wrapped her arms around him.
"Because we leave very early," Julia said, holding Beckett's hand as they went out to the street. "So we're gonna have to sleep early too."
Looking at Eliza Castle wasn't surprised to see the pout on the toddler's face and told her, "You know during our trip we're going to let you stay up a little later."
Gasping Eliza looked ecstatic before she said, "For sure?"
"Yes," Beckett answered for her husband. "Because we'll be busy and dinners will likely be later."
"Can we have tea in England and Ireland?" Julia asked then.
"We're going to try," Castle said. "For now let's focus on getting dinner for us."
Seeing the restaurant where they were being led to Julia smiled and said, "One last pizza?"
"One last one," Castle said with a quick nod before he took her hand and let Beckett and Alexis go up to the counter to order. He set Eliza onto a tall chair and helped Julia onto the one next to it saying, "I think we should play another game before we go to bed and if we have time. What do you think?"
"I think… yes," Eliza said, nodding her head.
"She's right we should," Julia agreed.
"I said that," Castle teased her, tickling her side. He smiled when she giggled and he leaned down, kissing her cheek before doing the same to Eliza.
"Do you take pictures Daddy?" the toddler said when he pulled away, faltering slightly on the word pictures.
"I will but I'm more of a looking at pictures person," Castle said. "And by pictures I mean the ones that you all take."
"Thank you for that Rick," Beckett said, putting her hand on his shoulder.
"I wonder what the food is like on the plane," Julia said, looking at the cooks making pizza behind the counter. "Spanish?"
"I have no idea," Castle said as his wife and daughters all looked to him. "I didn't see what the food was but that would be interesting. Churros?"
"I don't know," Beckett said. She couldn't help laughing slightly at the girls' surprised expressions telling them, "I didn't see any mention of the food. And we'll have pizza soon you two; I know you're hungry." At that moment their number was called and she grabbed Eliza and took Julia's hand to help her down before they walked after Castle and Alexis who held their dinner.
Back at the loft Julia was holding Eliza's hand and they ran inside first calling, "We got dinner!" starting to giggle as her sister immediately echoed her.
"I can see that," Martha said. "And good because your grandfather and I were talking about it and we are absolutely starving."
"Us too," Julia said. She then thought of something and said, "Mommy, Daddy, can we eat up on the roof?"
"We have everything ready to go up," Jim said before his daughter or son in law could answer. He smiled when his granddaughters cheered at that and followed them up to the roof where they sat at the larger table together.
"How was your time at the playground?" Martha eventually asked when they'd gotten their slices.
"I went on… a big slide!" Eliza said exuberantly.
"She went on the biggest one there," Alexis explained.
"Oh you did? And did you have fun?" Jim asked, brushing some of the strands of Eliza's hair away from her cheek.
"I got scared," the toddler began. "But then I went down."
"And then she wasn't," Julia added for their grandparents.
"And then she wanted to go down it again," Castle said before they all laughed as Eliza was nodding in agreement with what he said.
The toddler smiled at everyone before her father urged her to continue eating the pieces of pizza that he had cut up for her. She then kicked her legs before her mother stopped her; since she was sitting on Beckett's lap; and then said, "I wanna fly."
"The plane?" Alexis asked. When her little sister nodded she said, "I think you need to be grown up and learn first."
"Did Skye do that?" Eliza asked after taking that in.
"Of course," Beckett said.
"Did you?" Eliza then said to her.
"To be a detective?" Beckett answered. At the toddler's nod she then said, "Of course."
Wrinkling her nose in thought for a moment, Eliza then said, "Can I grow up now?"
"Not yet," Castle said quickly.
Reaching over and squeezing his hand Beckett looked down to their daughter and told her gently, "He's right, you need to take time to grow up and we also want you to take as much time as possible."
"I think a toast is in order," Martha said, picking up her glass of wine. "To our family and our first big summer vacation together."
"Cheers," Castle said, smiling as he tapped his glass against Julia's, Beckett's and Eliza's. "It's also taking it's time to get here," he said when they'd all taken a sip of their drinks.
"Not much longer," Beckett said as she looked down at Eliza who was looking at the face of her watch.
"What is it Mommy?" the toddler asked, looking up at her mother.
"It says six twenty," Beckett told her. "So it's getting close to bed time for you two."
Wondering why she hadn't asked sooner Julia said, "What time are we going to bed exactly?"
"Love I suggested to them we should play a game before we give them a bath and then head to bed," Castle said quickly before his wife could answer that.
"Should? That doesn't make it a suggestion, it means we're going to," Beckett teased him. "We can play a shorter game."
"The cherries?" Eliza asked.
"I think so," Beckett replied with a nod. "But just one game you two and then to bed."
Nodding with her sister Julia ate her second slice as she listened to the adults talking about getting from country to country which piqued her interested as she heard they would be going on a small plane from Dublin to Edinburgh. "How many planes will we go on?" she asked.
Smiling as she wasn't surprised that Julia had picked up on that Beckett told her and Eliza, "We're flying to Madrid, flying from there to Dublin and the same from Dublin to Edinburgh. Then we'll drive around Scotland, England and Wales of course and last we'll take the Chunnel to Paris and back."
"That's a lot," Eliza breathed, her eyes wide. She then giggled as the others laughed gently at her then and said, "Why Daddy?"
"Because you're very right, that is a lot of traveling," Castle said, wiping her mouth clean of the sauce. "So are we ready to pick some cherries?"
"I am," Julia said.
"Me too!" Eliza said before Alexis picked her up. She watched as the others cleaned up the table and she smiled saying, "Now we go?"
"Now we can go," Alexis agreed. She carried the toddler back inside, leading the way for the rest of the family until they had returned to the loft. At her father's direction she got the game set up after Julia and Eliza went to get it though it was her sisters who did it mostly for her.
"Not everyone's gonna be able to play," Julia eventually pointed out as there were only four players for the game.
"That's alright darling," Martha said, coming over to them with two mugs of coffee. She handed one to Alexis and said, "I'll watch and I believe Jim will as well."
"Where does Granpapa sleep?" Eliza suddenly said.
"Here on the couch," Jim answered as he walked ahead of Castle and Beckett to them. "Just for tonight though."
"It's comfortable," Castle assured him.
"That's what Katie said," Jim replied.
"That way we can go to the airport faster?" Julia suddenly said as Castle was helping Eliza spin for the first turn.
"Exactly," he replied. "How many is that sweetheart?" he then asked Eliza.
"One… two," the toddler counted on the spinner. "Two!"
As Julia went next Beckett said to her mother in law, "I hope you don't mind going to Carbajales."
"Well I do like to spend time at retreats," Martha began, smiling as Eliza gasped as her big sister had to put back some cherries on her turn. "So it won't be that different I think… right?"
"It's not a retreat," Jim said since she'd been asking him. "They have electricity and running water but there aren't any stores like you would find here."
"I think it'll be good to go, for the experience," Alexis said as they hadn't talked about the fact they'd been in the country before. "And Ireland too."
"Scotland as well," Castle stated. He smiled and then told his daughters, "And England and Wales."
"All over," Julia said with a wider smile in response to that. She then spun and took a few cherries from the board and said, "Sure we can't read tonight Mommy? To make us sleepy?"
"Very," Beckett said, looking at her watch briefly before taking a turn.
Sighing Julia said, "Grandpapa told me that kids were up late in Carbajales."
"I know he did and you can do the same," Beckett said. When Julia looked up in surprise she smiled and said, "If we find out where exactly the kids are going when they play."
"Mainly the Plaza outside the church and a couple of them are cousins of Xavi so we'll meet them before night falls and you can ask them," Jim assured his daughter.
Beckett could only nod to that as she had to watch Eliza take some cherries and then watched Julia do the same. By the time the game had finished Julia had won and she started to clean up the game though the two girls started to groan playfully in protest. "Come on the sooner tomorrow comes the sooner we'll be in Spain," she reminded them though she was smiling.
Castle couldn't help leaning over slightly and kissing Eliza's cheek as he could hear her quietly counting the cherries she was putting in the small pails. When she had finished he picked her up and said, "Are we giving them a bath at the same time?" to his wife.
"Of course, much faster," Alexis answered before Beckett could.
"What she said," she said with a quick smile to her stepdaughter. Beckett then handed the game box to Julia before waiting in the doorway of the office for her. "You need to say goodnight to everyone," she said.
"Now?" Julia sighed. When her mother simply nodded once she went out to her grandfather first and hugged him saying, "Night Grandpapa, I love you."
"I love you too Julia, get some rest for tomorrow," Jim replied before he leaned over to share a kiss with her.
"Night Grandpapa," Eliza said as Castle carried her over to him. She hugged Jim before they shared a kiss and told him, "Love you too."
"Love you honey," Jim replied with a smile.
"And I love you both my darlings," Martha said, putting one arm around Eliza and the other around Julia. "Sweet dreams tonight in anticipation for tomorrow."
Both girls giggling they said goodnight to her after they'd kissed her and at the same time said, "Love you Gram."
"I'll say goodnight now," Alexis said as Julia turned to her. "I need to get the bed set up for your grandfather."
"You know how to do that?" Julia asked in surprise.
"I do," Alexis said simply. She then hugged Julia and Eliza; who'd been put down by their father; and told them, "I'll see you two in the morning when I wake you up okay?" When they nodded a little hesitantly she couldn't help smiling; since she knew they still didn't want to go to bed so early; and shared a kiss with them before telling them, "I love you both."
"Love 'lexis," the girls said at the same time before giggling together at doing that again.
"Come on," Beckett said with a smile before she picked up Eliza.
When they were upstairs in Alexis' room Castle drew the bath while his wife helped their girls undress and once they were in the tub he got Eliza washed up while Beckett helped Julia when she needed it. "So what about playing?" he asked her in Irish, thinking she wouldn't want their daughters to hear that.
"Can we play at all?" Julia asked before her mother could respond.
Smiling as she knew the little girl had guessed what her father had said Beckett replied, "I'm afraid not. But when we're on vacation we might let you play a little when you take a bath. So come on both of you, out and into your pjs." She wasn't surprised at all by their sighs but they got out into the towels she and Castle held for them, helping them get them dry and dressed before brushing their teeth.
When both girls were sitting on the bed Castle sat on the edge next to them and said, "So this time tomorrow…"
Beckett smiled as Eliza clapped at that and then said, "Stop teasing them Rick."
"Sorry, just wanted to point something out," Castle said. "But to get there you need to sleep into tomorrow."
Julia wrinkled her nose and said, "That doesn't sound too good Daddy."
"Okay then my little writer, how would you put it?" Castle asked, trying not to let his amusement seep into his tone though it was difficult.
"That we should sleep so we can get to the trip faster," Julia replied.
"Yeah, taking after you," Castle told his wife jokingly. He felt Beckett's hand squeeze his shoulder and then leaned over, sharing a kiss with Eliza first and telling her, "Sweet dreams Eliza I'll see you in the morning. Love you so much."
"Love you lots and lots Daddy," the toddler replied with a wide smile.
"I love you too Daddy," Julia said as she and her sister then moved together to hug him at the same time. She shared a kiss with their father and said, "A lot like she said."
Kissing them both on their cheeks Castle hugged them before he stood and moved out of the way to let Beckett sit with them.
"Mommy could you stay with us until Eliza falls asleep?" Julia asked her mother. "And you too Daddy."
"That was a given of course," Castle said.
"I will because I get the feeling you might need that to help," Beckett replied. She then hugged the girls to her at the same time, smiling when she felt their arms rapidly come around her in response. "Sweet dreams you too, I love you both."
"Love you Mommy," Julia and Eliza said together.
Sharing a kiss with them Beckett then stood to tuck them in before she sat back down. She nodded to Castle to turn off the light since he'd turned on the lamp on Alexis' desk and once she had turned back to the girls she reached over to Eliza, stroking her hair back from her forehead very gently.
Watching her mother with wide eyes, Eliza soon realized that she was humming as well as smoothing down her hair. The rhythm of the song made her sleepy and she yawned before she started to fight her eyes closing. But it was a battle she couldn't win and a short time later she was fast asleep.
Kissing her fingertips towards Julia, Beckett stood up and went to the doorway after Castle had turned off the lamp and they looked at Julia to see she had her eyes closed. She couldn't help but say when they were out on the stairs, "She's trying really hard."
"I guessed," Castle said with a nod. "Hopefully that'll work out for her because it never did for me when I was a kid."
"You were a night owl even then Richard," Martha said, meeting the two at the bottom of the stairs, Alexis next to her.
"So we're all heading to bed?" Castle asked, seeing that Jim had changed at some point.
"We are, better to sleep on the plane than in Spain," Martha said simply.
"Eliza fell asleep already," Beckett told Alexis after she'd told her mother in law goodnight. "But Julia's trying to still."
"I won't keep her up," the young woman said before she hugged her dad and then stepmother. "Night."
"Night," Castle called to her, his wife echoing him.
"Goodnight Dad," Beckett said, going to him and hugging him. "I hope this will be okay."
"I'll be fine, get some rest yourselves," Jim replied. "Goodnight Castle."
"Night," he replied simply. "If you need blankets-"
"Alexis let me know," Jim said.
"Okay then goodnight," Castle replied before he followed Beckett to their room, closing all the doors behind them and getting the one to the office as well. He turned to his wife then as she was standing next to her side of the bed and seeing she was watching him said, "Notice that I didn't lock the doors."
"You knew I wouldn't have let you," Beckett replied simply, removing her blouse.
"Fair enough," Castle said. "But there's something I wanted to ask you."
"And?" Beckett asked, looking over at him when there was a pause. She was surprised to see him changing as well and waited for him to pull on his shirt before saying that again.
"The letters, you have them right?" Castle asked.
"And the rosary," Beckett replied, looking at him in slight confusion as that seemed an odd thing to say.
"Great," Castle said, nodding to her. He hurried to finish changing before he went to finish in the bathroom, glancing back at his wife who he'd let do so before him.
Watching her husband Beckett was a little perplexed at what was wrong with him but she could tell by his tone already that he likely wasn't going to let her know what he was thinking. Sighing she went to her bag she was going to have with her on the plane; as well as her carryon since she would need all the storage she could get for two and a half months; and pulled out the copies of her ancestors' letters. She had copied them as soon as she could, a little afraid of damaging the letters with travel. But she did have the original envelopes though they were in a bag in between the pages of a book in one of her suitcases. She checked on the wood rosary and then went to the bed, sitting up against the headboard with her legs crossed as she read the first one.
It was then Castle came back into the bedroom, and he walked around the bed before getting on top of it with his wife. He sat up next to her looking at the copy in her hand before he leaned over, his lips to her shoulder.
"What?" Beckett asked, glancing back at him.
"Nothing," Castle said, shaking his head.
"It's not Rick, what's wrong," Beckett said, a little more firmly and not in a question.
"Do you think you could read that out loud?" Castle asked.
Beckett studied him for a moment before she smiled slightly, "You didn't think I'd let you see them?"
"No," Castle said, shaking his head as she held the paper to him. "I want you to read this to me… all of them actually."
Startled at that Beckett smiled again but that time wider as she said gently, "Okay." When her husband wrapped his arm around her she smirked a bit, knowing for sure then why he wanted her to read it. But that soon drifted off her face as something immediately came to mind as she thought about him wanting to know about her family. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I do love history and since this is your history I'm all for knowing it," Castle said. "I'm not jealous," he then added as he studied the expression on her face and got what she was thinking. "I don't think I'd show this much interest if I was."
"I'm not thinking that," Beckett assured him. "It's not…"
"It doesn't hurt my feelings that you have this connection and all I have is a man that ran away?" Castle asked bluntly. When she nodded slowly he did so as well before saying, "No, in fact I'm hoping we can find someone who is descended from Bridget. Family is important."
Squeezing his hand that was on her shoulder, Beckett then said, "Let me go ahead and start, I'll read these to you as we go through our trip."
"I can't wait," Castle said, kissing the side of her head. He wasn't surprised when she turned to him and kissed him on the lips, making him wrap his arm around her waist once she had turned back around.
"My dear sister Bridget," Beckett began, the first letter her direct ancestor had written. "I can't begin to describe how relieved Ma, Da and I were when we learned that you managed to make it to Uncle Harry and Aunt Patricia back in Queenstown. We were worried through your entire voyage, Ma sure that something would happen to the ship. But despite despair at your leaving us, I'm pleased the trip was uneventful. Though now that you're home and you've tried to return I'm sure I don't need to say how horrible we all feel knowing that you won't be able to come back yet. Your eye-"
"That's the infection?" Castle asked.
"She'll explain," Beckett said. When he nodded she then went back to the letter saying, "Your eye turning red was a cruel trick but I wonder why it made them say even over in the home country that it was still that disease. It had to have healed by now. But Ma tells me to stop dithering and get to what's more important. Da agrees though I assure you they can't read what I have here on the letter.
"They're urging you to try to find work as a maid if you can and possibly raise money for a second class ticket to America," Beckett continued. She stopped when her husband whistled and looked back at him saying, "I know but stop interrupting me," though she was teasing in her tone at the end.
"Sorry," Castle said quickly.
"I think they're desperate to have you here they've forgotten completely how much it cost us just to come through on steerage," Beckett read. "But we're all looking for work now, so perhaps we can help you as Aunt Daisy helped us to come here. I hope to try and find a way to assist a doctor as a nurse here, since my papers came with me from home."
"I have to wonder," Castle said quickly when his wife paused to take a breath. "Why she made copies of her letters?"
"Let me read," Beckett told him, pretending to sound annoyed before she smiled at him. "I should be able to get a job doing such but there is talk in the country of a war between north and south actually happening. You remember Da having us read the paper when we were still home. I hope he won't need to enlist in the army, it would be horrible to have to worry over his safety after worrying he'd be run in for his protests against the landlord back home."
"Your relative was a rebel," Castle said as she paused again.
"I think he likely had just cause," Beckett replied simply. She smiled when her husband nodded and then continued saying, "I will tell you what happens concerning that but Ma prays for you and for this country as you know she wouldn't live should Da need to go. And I nearly forgot, little Betty is doing wonderfully after being sick so long at sea."
"How many kids did they have?" Castle asked.
"Three, all girls," Beckett said simply.
"Interesting coincidence," Castle said. "Keep going though."
"Thank you," Beckett said before she turned back to the letter. "I like to think she misses you though she's still merely a babe but not to worry because I will tell her all about her middle sister until you're home to us. I must sign off here as the letter will be far too expensive to send and I want you to know that we are thinking of you. And in case this letter should get lost I will copy it and keep it if I need to send it again; I am that desperate to make sure we don't lose contact with one another as Ma says relatives at home did with their family coming here to America. Write as soon as you can. Your sister, Líle," she finished.
"Short letter," Castle mused. "Kate?"
"Yes?" Beckett asked simply, putting away the letter.
"Your… Líle was married right?" Castle said.
"Of course," Beckett said. "If you're wondering about her last name being McCollough, she married a man with the same last name." She laughed softly at her husband's startled expression at that and pulled out the next letter as she said, "It's a family story but it wasn't incest you know they were Catholic."
"And they had a church ceremony," Castle stated. When his wife nodded he said, "Okay, then read on. But first, where are we in time with this one."
"The first letter was sent September 12th, 1860. This one was sent February 15th, 1861," Beckett told him. When he nodded she then turned her attention to the words and read, "I write this to you five days after my marriage-"
"That quickly after being in the country for…" Castle began.
"I think they arrived in May," Beckett replied.
"Still, quick," Castle said.
"After my marriage, to Dr. Elias McCollough," Beckett continued reading. "I know you might think it strange we have the same last name but I assure you he's of no relation to us. Da and Elias' da went to the church and spoke with the priest of our families and since we were from the north of Galway and they from Wexford it's unlikely we have any relation at all. But he is a wonderful man and I wish you could meet him, he's a doctor and becoming his nurse for a short time I saw firsthand how wonderful he is with children."
"I told you doctors and nurses-" Castle began to say.
"You can't apply that to so long ago," Beckett told him quickly. When he shrugged she smiled and then said, "But I know now I have family there, which explains something, if you've ever heard of Connemara."
"Yeah, the… oh, I forgot about that," Castle said. "Does she mention horses?"
With a smile, Beckett then started to read again, beginning with, "And he's also as much in love with horses as we Galway McColloughs are. He said that unless I'm with child we can ride during the days he won't need to see his patients. He has four and keeps them at a stable close to our home. I know you must be adding those numbers in your head and yes my little sister, he's quite well off though in no means wealthy. His da wasn't exactly happy with his son marrying the daughter of an immigrant factory worker but when they spoke to the priest he appreciated Da more and they're quite good friends now, since they both agree to the idea of a republic back home.
"I know you are wondering what it is like to be married and it is wonderful," Beckett said. "When we have children I will tell you all first as soon as I can and I will be sure to name my first daughter after you as we talked of when we were young. And now I must go, Elias is walking into the door and I must see him."
"Any idea how far from Ireland your great-great-great grandfather was?" Castle asked as that was the end of the letter.
"His father came over and married a girl he met on the ship," Beckett said, thinking back to what her mother had told her about the maternal side of her family. "So he was American."
"No more?" Castle asked as she stood up then and went back to the bag to put the letters away.
"I'm not giving you the while story tonight. And there's more to come since the first of Bridget's letters is her reply to the last one I read," Beckett replied. "Wait, there is one thing I brought that I'll leave here since I don't want to take it with me and lose it."
Castle watched her interestedly until she was pulling out what he thought was a box. But when she handed it to him he saw it was a daguerreotype and he hurriedly opened it, seeing on both sides a picture. "So that's Elias and that's Líle," he commented, looking at the couple, both photographed standing with their arms resting on a pillar. "And she's…" he started to say before trailing off.
"There's no date," Beckett replied, not surprised he'd noticed the woman was heavily pregnant under her hooped dress. "Do you want to know how many kids they had?"
"Sure," Castle replied.
"Four, three girls and one boy," Beckett replied. "That boy is my great-great grandfather." When her husband made a gesture for her to continue she smiled and said, "He had three children, a boy and two girls and that boy was-"
"Your great-grandfather," Castle said. "So he had at least one daughter and that was your grandmother."
"That was all he had, according to my mother her grandmother passed away after childbirth," Beckett replied. "She had been pregnant with twin girls and my grandmother survived. My great-grandfather raised her on his own and she married my grandfather; Alvin Houghton; and they had just my mother."
"You knew your grandmother," Castle said as he handed the daguerreotype back to her.
"I did, she said we come from a long line of horse lovers and I'd be mad if I didn't love them too," Beckett said. She smiled when Castle looked surprised and told him, "That was said in jest you know."
"Oh, I would hope so," Castle said, nodding for a moment.
"What're you thinking?" Beckett asked, recognizing the look on his face.
"Well you know about your grandmother's family that far back," Castle said.
"I don't know my grandfather's, his was a bit murky as his family came back in the early 1700s and of course we can't keep track from there," Beckett answered.
"You're absolutely sure you're not related to the Houghtons from Massachusetts," Castle said.
Sighing at that Beckett said, "I don't think so Rick though I know, it would be interesting to find out I was related to that family. But as my family is I'm happy with it."
"And your father's family?" Castle asked.
"You know about them already," Beckett protested, since he'd seen the family tree her paternal grandfather had made during the sixties. She then studied him and asked, "You're sure this is okay with you."
"I told you it was," Castle said. "And like I said, I'm enjoying the history. Though you know you did give me a spoiler alert."
"I did?" Beckett asked as she went to the drawer where she kept her clothes when they were visiting and put the pictures there.
"Yeah I'm guessing Elias went to war but he survived, with four kids he had to have," Castle said as he watched Beckett pause in coming back to him. "Unless Líle gave birth to quadruplets."
"She didn't," Beckett answered easily. "But I'm sure you figured out what happened to him concerning the war before you asked me that."
"I did," Castle said. "But I wanted to make sure before I said anything definitively." He then watched her look at her carryon that was on top of the dresser and asked, "Have everything?"
"I do, just checking the book…" Beckett replied. When she saw the bag sticking out in the middle she nodded saying, "I need to make sure I have proof."
"Well there's always your blood," Castle commented. He smirked when his wife gave him a look and then told her, "There is and you realize your grandmother gave you two things. Well… grandmother and three greats."
"Love of horses," Beckett said first.
"And your eyes," Castle said. He wasn't surprised when she looked confused and he got up to grab the pictures. "Yeah same eyes. I would guess that your ancestors gave them to you."
Looking at the picture of Líle, Beckett finally nodded and said, "True, I remember my grandma calling them my lily eyes now. I had no idea what she was talking about and being so little I thought she was kidding. But I realize…"
"Yeah Líle means lily," Castle said, putting his fingers under his wife's chin to carefully tilt her head up. "Eliza has them too."
"Julia too," Beckett breathed out, seeing the expression on his face had changed, and quickly.
"Yeah," Castle said, always having loved that their oldest had the same shape of eyes her mother did. But he was too distracted to comment on that and instead leaned down, covering Beckett's lips with his own before the daguerreotype hit his leg as she wrapped her arms around him tightly.
Feeling Castle's arms slide around her back, Beckett allowed him to kiss her for a little longer before she carefully pulled away, breathing a little hard at first. When she felt she could talk she told him, "You didn't lock the doors."
"I remember," Castle said, shaking his head at her reminder. "But is that a hint to me that we should get to bed?"
"We're in bed, so no," Beckett teased him before she stood up and grabbed the pictures to put away again. She paused and said, "Could you tell what color her eyes were?"
Shaking his head Castle waited for her to come under the sheet with him before telling her, "Your mother didn't know?"
"I want to say they were brown like mine but I can't tell in that picture," Beckett replied.
"Did anyone in your family have green eyes?" Castle asked, knowing why she'd brought that up.
"Not that I know of," Beckett said. "But, never mind it's a little pointless to worry about this."
"Yeah so the tickets are in my pouch I have," Castle said. "Along with our passports, we have Eliza's car seat all ready to send with the suitcases… Love, I think we're prepared," he told her as he wrapped his arm around her.
"I hope so, I'm a little tired of checking," Beckett said.
"Listen, speaking of checking," Castle began.
"Don't tell me we forgot something," Beckett said, looking up at him.
"No it's something I forgot to tell you," Castle replied.
Raising her head slightly so she could look at him better Beckett asked, "Forgot or you planned on telling me right this second… at the last minute."
Castle looked away from her until she socked him on the shoulder, making him laugh as he said, "Okay, I might have done that last one. But you know the restaurant we're going to in Paris? It's a special dinner."
"Why does that not surprise me?" Beckett asked with a smile. "For what reason?"
"An old friend of mine from boarding school is becoming head chef there at the Eiffel Tower restaurant," Castle replied. "And they're having a sort of… inaugural night for him. The only reason I found out is because the night I asked for a reservation I was told he was going to be there. So I got in touch with him and managed to get us invitations. And Kate? It's formal attire that night."
"I'm guessing from the fact that I can't go back home to get a dress I already have or go buy one tomorrow before we leave," Beckett began. "You want me to go buy one in Paris?'
"That would be correct," Castle said simply. "And I'd like to join you, let our parents take the girls and Alexis somewhere during then." He wasn't startled to see his wife raising her head to look at him again and he told her, "I'm not kidding, I want to go with you."
"Okay but you're not coming into the dressing room with me," Beckett told him.
"Why… okay," Castle started to say before he stopped as she raised one eyebrow at him.
Beckett smiled at that and then leaned down, brushing her lips against his before pulling away. She didn't go far from him and they were kissing again though a little deeper that time. When they parted she pressed her forehead against his and murmured, "You really thought I'd let you go inside with me?"
"I was hoping you'd want to be a little… crazy," Castle said. "But thinking about it maybe it's better we don't. I don't know that I want to be arrested for that, imagine what my mother would say when she found out."
"Also my dad would find out," Beckett reminded him.
"Oh, right well then how about we settle for letting me take you while you're in the dress?" Castle asked her. "Maybe not," he then said as she just looked at him. "You've got to let me do something."
"I'll let you zip me up when I put it on," Beckett said. She moved to kiss him and then laid down again, her cheek pressed against his chest. "And who knows, maybe we'll get out of control later."
Castle squeezed his hand on the small of her back in response to that before he reached up and began to stroke her hair gently as they lay there quietly. He felt her press closer against him before he turned his head and kissed her forehead. "Can't fall asleep," he eventually said.
"Neither can I. I'm still trying to think about what we need to do once we get up in the morning," Beckett agreed. "What needs to be repacked, making sure we have our passports."
"And the girls…" Castle added in slight amusement.
"I really doubt we'd be leaving without them," Beckett replied, smiling at that. "They wouldn't let us."
"I see Julia dragging her sister out the door ahead of us," Castle said. He moved his hand to her back and rubbed it carefully saying, "Eliza's eager to go."
"Because she wants to see everything," Beckett assured him as she knew what he meant by that statement. "It isn't just because we're all eager. You're worried about that?"
"Slightly, I want her to want to go," Castle said, nodding. "But I bet if she was older she would be asking about our plans as much as Julia was."
"Give her some time and she will be," Beckett said.
"Now you're tired?" Castle asked as she sounded like she was.
"Yeah you need to sleep Rick," Beckett said, shifting slightly before she settled back against him. She then realized something and she raised her head to lean down to him and kiss him deeply before he was responding to her in a rush. She felt his hand on the back of her head as their tongues were dueling together until finally they slowly parted to breathe. "Night," she said simply.
Groaning slightly Castle said, "Really?"
"Sorry, instinct was telling me to tease you… slightly," Beckett replied.
"Slightly? A little more than that!" Castle told her in mock protest. But he then pushed her down to him a little, kissing her before they pulled away and he said, "Night love."
With that the two lay down and tried to sleep though it still took some time before they were even close to that. They were still making sure mentally they hadn't forgotten anything vitally important but it was hard to recall everything since they had to worry about the girls' things too. When they fell asleep they took the rest that it afforded them in relief as they needed a respite from the rush to prepare, beginning then to again really feel the excitement for their vacation.