Beckett ordered for them once they'd reached it; not having a hard time with that since they all had the same thing. When they had their drinks and their order they went the rest of the way to their hotel. They went into the room Martha was sharing with the girls, where they had enough room for everyone to sit and not need to go onto the beds.
"Girls," Castle called as the two were at the windows, looking out at the view of the castle.
"A little longer Daddy," Julia begged.
"We need to leave soon," Beckett told them.
"Are we still going to the cemetery?" Alexis asked her stepmother in a low voice.
"Yeah that's why we're leaving so early," Beckett replied, nodding to Castle. "He said you'd want to see it too."
"Oh I do," Alexis assured her. "I just hope you won't mind tonight."
Shrugging Beckett sat on the couch as Alexis took the ottoman on the other side of the coffee table saying, "It might be amusing."
"If you're going to watch my dad then yes, it will," Alexis replied.
"Very," Beckett said before she and her stepdaughter shared a laugh as Castle sat next to her, Eliza on his lap.
The conversation through their meal mainly focused on the food they'd find in England and the rest of Scotland. Castle assured them they'd have the traditional foods and also from other countries, especially when they were in London. When they'd finished their meal; agreeing the fish and chips had been great; they cleaned up and Alexis said goodnight to her sisters since they'd be asleep before she got back.
"I love you two," the young woman was saying. "Have fun with your grandpapa and Gram."
"We will," Julia said for them, smiling. "I love you 'lexis."
"Love you too 'lexis," Eliza said before their big sister shared a kiss with them both. She and Julia were then grabbed by their father who was sitting on one of the benches in front of the beds and they hugged him tightly. "Love you Daddy!" she cried.
"I love you both Eliza, Julia," Castle said as he embraced them back. He shared a kiss with them and said, "Have fun but be careful and stay close okay?"
"We will," Julia promised. "And I love you too Daddy."
"Come here girls," Beckett said, since she was sitting next to him at the end of the bed. She took them in her arms and put Eliza on her lap as she held Julia in her free arm. "I love you," she said to them at the same time. "And I know you'll have fun and be good for your grandparents. And remember tomorrow we'll explore the city more so get some sleep."
"I love you too Mommy," Julia said after they'd shared a kiss. "And I can't wait for tomorrow too."
"I love you Mommy," Eliza said, hugging her mother around the neck. "I wanna go tomorrow."
"We will," Beckett promised them before kissing them again quickly. "Goodnight you two."
"Night," Julia and Eliza said, smiling as they watched their parents and sister leaving.
"Okay," Martha said when they were alone in the room. "I think we should go get dessert and then we can go play."
"Dessert?" Eliza asked eagerly.
"I don't know," Jim said as he watched the toddler run to her grandmother. "It's not too soon after we ate?"
"I have no idea where we'll be taking them so I don't know if we'll have dessert," Martha said. "But we can ask at the front desk."
"We better go before it gets too late for them," Jim said.
"But it's not that late," Julia said as she watched him pick up her sister before they left.
"Your parents let us know you should probably go to bed a little earlier this morning," Martha told them. "And they're right, you've been going to bed later lately."
"'Cause we're on vacation Gram," Julia said matter of factly.
"We should get a little rest at some point," Jim said as they stepped into an elevator. He smiled when she sighed and said, "But it's still daylight so you'll be able to play."
Eliza wanted to ask about their dessert but they were soon down at the lobby going over to the front desk where Martha was asking the man there about anything sweet around.
"Is there a place?" Jim asked, knowing the girls were waiting to hear.
"Gelato," Martha replied simply. "A three minute walk northwest and very good according to him."
"I want that," Eliza said. She then paused a beat and said quickly, "Please?"
"We will," Jim said, slightly amused. He kissed her cheek and then let Martha lead the way since she had the directions.
Looking around them as they went down the street their hotel was Julia said, "I wish I brought my camera."
"You can take a little break from that," Martha told her, squeezing her hand she was holding. "For now enjoy the views."
Julia giggled at that until they reached the place, surprised to find it looked small. "This is it?" she asked her grandmother in surprise.
"It is but remember it's supposed to be good," Martha told her.
Going inside the four looked at the wheel of the gelato flavors, Jim reading them for Eliza before Julia made her choice of gingerbread and her sister picked out watermelon. They teasingly helped their grandparents pick until Jim was getting chai tea and vanilla and Martha selected dark chocolate; which the girls had suggested; and espresso.
"Oh that concierge wasn't joking," Martha said as she ate her first spoonful. "That is like a cup of frozen coffee."
"Wanna give to Mommy," Eliza said then, sitting on her lap at the table they'd chosen.
"We'll tell them about it," Jim said as she sounded a little upset her mother wasn't there. "And maybe we'll walk to it tomorrow. How is yours Julia?" he asked as the little girl was looking into her cup.
"Good it tastes like a gingerbread cookie," Julia replied. "Does yours taste like tea?"
"It does and I would imagine yours is like a slice of watermelon," Jim said, directing the last to Eliza who giggled as her grandmother wiped her mouth clean.
"They will definitely need to play now," Martha said, watching the toddler then try to get a large spoonful of her gelato.
"We will," Julia replied. "After we finish." She tried to focus on eating then though not too quickly as her sister was beginning to do. When they had finished she followed her grandfather's lead to the gardens and she marveled at the greenery before they made it to the playground. "It's a castle!" she said, looking at the play set before up at Edinburgh Castle that was above the gardens.
"Go on," Martha said as she set Eliza down. "Stick together and let us know if you need us."
Waving to them Julia grabbed her sister's hand and then hurried up to the steps to go up to the tower of the castle. They waved at their grandparents there, not surprised that Jim was taking a picture of them and then went over to the metal slide to head down it together before they ran around to go up again.
Sitting on a bench Martha said, "I'm wondering why your daughter went tonight."
Jim glanced at her before looking over at their granddaughters, not answering that as he tried to think of how to. He was a little surprised when she then began to laugh lightly and he turned to look at her.
"I think you mean because she's going to make sure my son doesn't do anything crazy," Martha said.
"In a way but Alexis is there," Jim replied.
"I think she's still concerned," Martha said, watching the girls going over to the larger slide. "Do you think she can go on that one?"
"We should see if she's scared first," Jim replied, standing up with her and going over to where the girls were. "Eliza?" he asked to get her attention.
"Can I go?" the toddler asked, pointing to the slide.
"Do you want to?" Martha asked her.
"I think she does," Julia answered as her sister looked up at her. "But she's scared too."
"Wanna go with Jules," Eliza then said.
"I don't think that's such a good idea honey," Jim said gently. "Watch your sister go down okay? And then you can see if you still feel like going."
"Kay," Eliza said softly. She looked on as Julia got on the top and then pushed herself down before she peered down to see her sister getting up at the bottom. "Jules?"
"It was fun, you're inside for a little bit but you go fast," Julia called up to her before she ran around to go up to be there for her sister. "Gonna go?" she asked her as Eliza hugged her once she reached her.
"Yeah," Eliza said, taking a deep breath. She sat down and felt her sister kneel next to her after a moment, looking at her questioningly.
"Grandpapa is gonna be there," Julia told her. "Ready?" At the toddler's quick nod she watched her soon push herself down and she cheered her on until she looked over the side again and saw the toddler was in their grandfather's arms. With her out of the way the little girl pushed herself down and then she took Eliza's hand so they could run around and keep on playing.
"She is just exhausted," Martha murmured as she tucked the covers around Eliza.
Julia smiled as she looked across from hers and Alexis' bed to find that her sister was still sound asleep. They had returned to the hotel to spend the rest of the night watching movies and she was surprised when her grandparents had seemed to have forgotten that she herself wasn't sleeping either. But she didn't say anything, hoping they'd forget for longer as her grandfather stood up.
"It's late," Jim said, looking at Julia. "And someone needs to be in bed."
Sighing the little girl climbed off the bed and pulled the sheets down with his help before she got back onto it. "Night Grandpapa, Gram, I love you," Julia told them with a smile. She shared a kiss with them both after they told her they loved her and then laid down so her grandmother could tuck her in. She closed her eyes and turning on her side listened to her grandfather leaving.
"We'll be eating breakfast here I believe," Martha was telling Beckett's father. "But considering they'll be out late I wonder if we shouldn't let Richard and Kate stay in during the morning."
"Are they still planning on going to the Royal Museum of Scotland?" Jim asked.
"And Holyroodhouse I believe," Martha said with a nod. "But we can take the girls. They'll catch up soon enough."
Jim smiled at that and couldn't help asking, "Are you planning that because you're still worrying about them?"
"No I'm just making sure they don't need to search for or plan opportunities," Martha said. She was smiling though and said, "We'll see you in the morning Jim, goodnight."
"Goodnight Martha," he replied, turning then to head down the hall to his bedroom. He soon saw some people coming out of the elevators he needed to walk by and he froze when he recognized the one in between the other two. "Katie?"
Walking up to the church Beckett handed her camera over to her husband as he started to turn to her and she said, "Remember the tour."
"Hard not to forget," Castle said, quickly. "But look this is a little macabre," he told her as he took her hand, leading her over to a wall.
"This is so creepy," Alexis told them, having taken a picture. "Even more than it was on the show."
"It is," Beckett said, studying the skeleton, the skull facing them straight on. She shook her head and told her husband, "You won't get anything you know."
"Yeah but it wouldn't hurt to try," Castle said.
"Look at the crosses," Beckett then said, walking away from the wall, something about the skull and crossbones she kept seeing on that wall disturbing her.
"Celtic knots," Alexis said, walking after her then. She smiled and said, "The girls would love seeing that."
Taking a picture of a few of them, Castle said, "And that's all we'll show them of here…"
"Definitely," Beckett said. She was surprised when her husband led her over to a round monument. "Is this it?" she asked him.
"It is, Sir George MacKenzie's tomb…" Castle said in awe. "Looks just like it did in the episode."
"It does," Beckett replied, looking down into the tomb and seeing where the homeless man was said to have fallen in it. She turned around and looked around for a moment before shaking her head saying, "While you two geek out I'm going to look at the crosses again, see the names and pay my respects to them. While you geek out."
"Be careful," Castle said, turning to look at her.
"Of course," Beckett said simply, smiling at him before leaving.
"Didn't think this place would bother her that much," Alexis commented, looking at her father.
"Me neither but again it's creepy and dark and just… not good," Castle said, glancing around himself then and shuddering at the sight of the skulls, some of them with something white coming out of the eyes. "Let's hurry so we can go," he told her, not surprised when she nodded in agreement and they turned back to the tomb.
Reading the names Beckett stopped at one and said to her husband and stepdaughter who were walking quickly to catch up with her, "Thomas Riddell."
"I heard about this one," Castle said. "Somewhere online they said they think JK Rowling got the idea for Voldemort's real name here."
"Maybe she used the cemetery for the fourth book," Alexis said, looking back around them.
"That would make sense," Beckett told them. "Considering what it's like."
"Are we ready?" Castle asked after they were quiet for a while.
"Yeah let's go," Alexis said, sounding eager. They began walking to the vaults and she said to her stepmother, "I should apologize for our future geeky-ness."
"That's okay," Beckett said with a slight laugh as she smiled at them both since she knew her stepdaughter was talking for herself and her father. "I know you two have been excited to go."
"I hope we get something," Castle said, handing her her camera as she gave him the bag with his equipment in it. "Thank you for holding this for me love," he told her, kissing her cheek.
"You're welcome," Beckett replied easily before they reached where they would be taking the tour.
Being led down to the vaults eventually the three listened to the tour guide speaking about the places where alleged paranormal experiences had occurred as they wound their way underground through numerous vaults where past citizens of Edinburgh had lived. Eventually they came near the room that Castle and Alexis were eager to look through and after he spoke with their guide they waited for the group to go ahead before they turned to the room.
"Rick," Beckett said suddenly before they looked at her. "Don't aggravate this guy."
Smiling as he knew she was joking Castle said, "I promise I won't, just ask to see if he's here of course."
"She's right though Dad," Alexis told him.
"Don't worry I'm not going to yell at him, I'm not that at that level of paranormal investigation," Castle said reassuringly though he sounded a little irritated as well. "You've got the infrared ready?" he asked his daughter.
"I'm looking around," Alexis said.
"Okay, Mr. Boots," Castle said, going into the room with his digital recorder on. "Are you here with us?"
Beckett rolled her eyes and walked back a little; looking at a room with vaults they're already seen. She wasn't enjoying the visit too much as it was cool and also a little damp inside along with the fact that it was dark; her cell phone light on so she could see. She heard footsteps then and turned to go back to the hall where she'd been waiting for Alexis and Castle but paused when she saw that no one was there. "Hello?" she called.
"Kate?" Castle asked, going out to her when he heard that.
"There's…" Beckett began to say before he was quieting her. When Alexis stepped out with them she looked up at the same time they did, to realize the footsteps were coming from above. "It's a recording," she said, though she felt a sudden chill race down her spine that made her cross her arms over herself.
"No it's not, we're too far down and away from the bars they said were above," Alexis whispered.
"Are you recording still?" Castle asked.
"Yes," she replied, glancing at Beckett as the noises were still happening. She grabbed her dad's arm and held it tightly as the sounds kept on going and wouldn't stop for another ten minutes. When there was nothing but silence she relaxed and breathed out saying, "That was awesome."
"I still think that's a recording," Beckett said, smiling briefly. "You told them we were going to be investigating here."
"That was a little different from the show love," Castle said.
"He's right," Alexis agreed. "The sound of dragging wasn't so loud before, so it was something heavy. A body," she said, turning to her father.
"A man's body," Castle replied, shuddering slightly. "We should get going, catch up with the group and see if they heard anything themselves."
"Are we going to tell them?" Alexis asked as they started after the tour again.
Watching them go Beckett looked into the room that the two had been in, stepping inside to see if she could hear the sound again as a tape recording. She had her light still on so she raised her phone to see what was there and saw nothing but a pile of dirt and rocks in the left corner furthest from her. She then heard someone walking up to her and she frowned, backing up into the hall. She decided to tell the tour guide, once she had a chance, to stop playing the recordings.
At that moment she turned and took a step forward and felt as if she'd stepped inside a freezer, her breath pluming in front of her while she started to pant heavily when her heart raced in unfathomable anxiety. "Ri-" Beckett tried to say when she dropped her phone to the ground as the darkness seemed to overwhelm her entirely and something blacker than the dark rushed up to her before she could attempt to protect herself as she was immobile.
"So hopefully you won't be right Kate…" Castle started to say before he turned around, trailing off as he felt something was wrong. "Kate?" he asked, not seeing her and becoming uneasy. He shared a look with his daughter and then ran back to where they'd been and shining the light on the floor he nearly dropped his phone when he saw that his wife was there. After he and Alexis had paused for a second to take that in he was racing to Beckett and said, "Kate, what happened?"
"He's coming… going to… Rick… he's coming… getting me… Rick," Beckett was mumbling as her husband helped her sit up.
"Dad," Alexis said worriedly as her stepmother was rolling her head back and forth as she spoke, almost deliriously.
"I need to get her out of here," Castle said, looking at the doorway of the room behind him. He looked up at Alexis and told her, "Go find the tour, tell them we're leaving but do not say why." When she'd taken off; using her phone for a light; he turned to Beckett and ran the backs of his fingers over her cheek. "Kate," he murmured to her gently. "He's not here anymore, you know that."
"Coming… coming for me… the vaults… hiding me…" Beckett murmured, trying to look through the darkness but unable to see anything but it.
"Kate, look at me," Castle said, bringing the light up so she would be able to see him, disturbed to see her pupils were dilated.
"Dad," Alexis said, suddenly coming back to them.
"What?" Castle said, looking up at her.
"I can see your breath; both of yours," Alexis told him.
Shaking his head Castle said, "Come here and use the light," as he motioned to the room that Beckett was in front of. He stepped into the room and tried to resist the ice that tried to wrap itself around him as he yelled, "Leave her alone Mr. Boots she's not yours to take." He wasn't sure if that would work but didn't care as he turned back to his daughter as he went to his wife telling her, "Shine the light in front of us for us to see, we're going." He stood and took Beckett with him, carrying her as they made their way out as fast as they could, noticing the cold was slowly easing. Once they were outside he felt his wife relax in his arms before he set her down. "Okay?" he asked her.
"Yeah what was that?" Beckett asked, her hand to her forehead.
Castle shook his head, not wanting to say, and he led her to the street making sure she was okay to walk as they went. He hailed a cab and helped her into the back while Alexis sat on the other side of her. "Are you cold?" he asked his wife, feeling her shaking next to him.
"Yeah," Beckett said, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. "My phone-"
"I picked it up," Alexis said, handing it to her and watching her closely as her father was doing at the same time.
Since they weren't far from the hotel it didn't take long before they were walking through the lobby, Beckett leaning against her husband as she held his jacket that he'd given her closed. She started to walk towards the elevators when she was suddenly led to the right, walking into the bar. "You want a drink now?" she asked him incredulously.
"No, for you," Castle said.
"You look really pale Kate," Alexis told her as they sat at a table while Castle went to get a drink. "And if you are cold, it'll warm you up."
Beckett smiled briefly and said, "What was I saying when you found me?"
"I think you better let my dad explain," Alexis replied, looking a little uncomfortable.
"Here," Castle said once he had come over with a glass with a small amount of scotch on the bottom. "Drink it all in one sip because that always works for me."
Beckett reached over and squeezed his hand with a slight smile before she took the scotch as he'd suggested. Coughing slightly at the warmth that provided she felt it surge through her and spread through her body. She felt weak then and leaned back against the chair, closing her eyes for a moment to regroup. "Rick, what happened-" she started to say.
"We should wait until we get up to our room," Castle said. "Alexis-" he began, looking to his daughter.
"That's okay but Kate I think what you went through was paranormal," the young woman told her stepmother honestly.
At that point the three got up before they went over to the elevators, heading up to the floor their rooms were on. They were silent then and as they stepped out to walk down the hall they were surprised by Jim coming out of Martha and the girls' room.
"Katie?" he asked in surprise as she looked incredibly pale to him.
"Dad, hey, they're okay?" Beckett said, going to him.
"Yes but what happened, why…" Jim began to say before trailing off.
"I'm fine, just got a little cold," Beckett said, looking at her husband briefly. She then said goodnight to him and Alexis, waiting for Castle to say the same to them before they walked to their room. "Rick," she started to say when they were inside and he closed the door.
Shaking his head Castle said, "I think we should just go straight to bed. You look cold still love and exhausted."
Beckett wanted to protest that but knew that he was right so she watched him grab their pajamas as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "It felt… it felt like someone was walking up to me in the room. In a rush," she said though she was hesitating as she spoke.
"Mr. Boots, it had to be, you know the story about them seeing him with a woman's body in the corner of that room," Castle said, keeping his tone even as he watched her stand up to change. "This is the second time you've had a negative experience somewhere love. First Alcatraz and now this…"
"I was just…" Beckett tried to say before she looked into her husband's eyes. "This wasn't real Rick; this was me letting you influence me to make myself…"
"Collapse and start mumbling about 'him'?" Castle said, pulling on his pajama shirt in a hurry. He sat next to her and wrapped his arm around her saying, "It wasn't that Kate and I think I know why this has happened to you. When you were shot, your heart stopped twice."
Giving him a look Beckett said, "I've heard that, suddenly someone is psychic if-"
"Not psychic," Castle interrupted her, not surprised at her scathing tone. "You're more attuned to that world because you nearly joined it, twice. But since you're as skeptical as you are it's going to take intensely negative energy to affect you. Which is why it took Alcatraz and here at the vaults too for you to experience something."
Sighing Beckett put her face in her hands and shook her head saying, "I don't want to think about this. It was a recording, I'm not… experiencing things and I just got lightheaded from the lack of air underground." She looked at her husband then, not realizing she had a slightly defiant expression on her face and told him, "I'm cold and tired Rick, I want to go to bed."
"And we will," Castle said easily, knowing that he wasn't going to be able to convince her of what they'd experienced. He finished dressing with her and once they were ready for bed he slipped under the covers with her before covering them, bringing her close against his side. He replied to her murmured goodnight; relieved when she kissed him; and watched her as she soon fell asleep, not surprised she was exhausted as he knew she had to be drained of her energy with what she'd gone through. It took him a little longer to calm himself but finally he was closing his eyes, trying to remain aware of her next to him as he joined her in repose.
The next morning Castle turned onto his side as he woke up, reaching over for his wife before his hand came down on the bed. Opening his eyes he looked around for her and then saw that she was standing at one of the windows, looking out at the castle they could see from their room as well. He remembered the night before then and he slipped out from under the covers, hurrying to her before he also recalled her anger at his suggestion that what she'd gone through was paranormal. That made him slow down as he neared her and he said, "Love?"
"I'm alright," Beckett said, turning her head but not looking at him. When he appeared next to her she looked up at him and said, "I've thought about it a little and I'm going to ask you something right now."
"Okay," Castle said, wondering what that would be.
"I'll keep going with you while you… 'investigate' but don't take me somewhere underground again," Beckett said. She turned back to the window and said, "Apparently I can't breathe that well in an environment like that."
Castle wanted to protest and remind her that collapsing wouldn't make her mumble as she had but he couldn't forget her anger the night before. With that in mind he nodded and at the same time wrapped his arm around her shoulders carefully saying, "So you're feeling better, the color's back in your cheeks…" He frowned and then shook his head as his wife looked up at him saying, "Never liked that saying, you don't look as pale."
"Like I said," Beckett replied, turning to him. "I feel better."
Castle wrapped both his arms around her then and pulled her close against him before they kissed and he would have stayed with her like that for a lot longer had his phone not rung. He and Beckett jerked apart and he said, "I hope that's not them."
Following him over to his nightstand Beckett watched him answer and put the phone on speaker saying, "What's wrong Mother?"
"Nothing, nothing is wrong," Martha said simply. "I should have texted first I suppose."
"Maybe," Castle replied before his wife squeezed his arm. "Then why did you call?"
"We're having breakfast right now," Martha told him.
Looking at the time on the phone Beckett said, "It's only eight twenty, the girls are up?"
"Hi Mommy!" "Hi Mommy," Julia and then Eliza called to them.
"And daddy," Castle said in an aside.
"Hi Daddy!" the girls both said at the same time, making their parents laugh.
"Do you want us to go now?" Beckett asked then.
"No we're going to take them to Holyroodhouse," Martha said. "It opens at nine thirty of course."
"Oh then I guess we'll get ready-" Castle started to say.
"You didn't let me finish Richard," Martha interrupted. "You two can stay in, we'll take the girls and see you in… whenever you want to join us."
Castle and Beckett shared a look before he turned back to the phone and said, "And the girls are okay with this?"
"Yeah, 'lexis said you were out late last night," Julia explained. "And that you were gonna be tired."
"Well… then if everyone's okay with this…" Castle said before trailing off. When there was no comment in reaction to that he looked at his wife as he said, "We'll meet at the palace in about… two hours." Saying goodbye with her to their family and promising they would make it there by ten thirty, he said, "She didn't tell them," in an assuring tone of voice.
"I didn't think she would," Beckett replied.
"So, breakfast?" Castle asked.
"No," Beckett said simply before she threw her arms around him and kissed him.
Castle nearly stumbled off balance as he hadn't been expecting that and then quickly recovered before he wrapped his arms tightly around her. The kiss was passionate and he was soon sliding his hands underneath her NYPD shirt before he realized the windows were wide open. "Wait, we-" he started to say, about to let her go to close the curtains.
"I want the light," Beckett said firmly. "But you can cover them with the sheer ones." She let him go reluctantly so he could do that and waited impatiently until he was coming back to her. "You didn't cover them all the-" she started to say before he was suddenly grabbing her. She felt her slight control over him slipping away as he laid her down on the middle of the bed, finding that she didn't really care as she sat up so they could start to undress one another.
Castle wasn't sure if they tore any item of clothing as they were divesting one another of all they wore but decided eventually that it didn't matter. What did was that his wife was back to normal and touching him with slightly greedy hands that he knew meant she wasn't really going to want him to show concern for her. So as soon as he joined her back on the bed he was crushing his lips to hers, their bodies brushing together as he was trying not to let his down on her. He wasn't sure how many more times they were kissing in the same manner after the first but finally he tore himself away and moved to her neck. He felt her tilting her head back before he could kiss her there and he was quick to start. He groaned at how warm her skin was; compared to the night before; and he mumbled that he loved her into her neck before he soon nipped at her pulse, hearing her cry out softly in response. He was tempted to spend a little more time there but knew she wasn't going to appreciate a mark when they joined the others at the palace. So very reluctantly he moved down, his heart beating rapidly in anticipation while he was.
Reaching up to run her fingers through his hair Beckett looked on as her husband proceeded to shower her breasts and shoulders with kisses, his lips heated against her skin that was already hot in reaction to him. "Are you going to-" she started to say when he suddenly detoured and kissed her hard on the lips. She moaned softly and wrapped her arms around him tightly while they began to duel. After a few seconds of that she suddenly tensed, his fingers between her legs almost caressing her. "You could just ask," she said to him, slightly impatiently as he pulled away.
"I could but I wanted to see something first," Castle said simply before he nipped at her collarbone in a rush. He wasn't surprised then when she forced him down to her breasts and since that was what he'd been hoping she'd do he was able to easily take her left nipple with his mouth where he began to hungrily suckle at her, hearing her cry out in pleasure as she soon started to hold onto the back of his head again, sending a thrill that permeated his entire body.
Beckett knew that while he was taking her breasts with both his mouth and hands he was going through the same as her. Heightening arousal but with little stimulation which made her feel slightly guilty and a little frustrated since she wanted to do the same to him. But before she could start to try he was pulling away from her and moving down her abdomen, kissing her wherever he could before he reached the apex of her legs. "Rick…" she breathed, watching him as she was propped up on pillows. His glance to her was brief and he was quickly lowering his head before his tongue flicked out to her clit making her cry out in pleasure at the sensation; as if she'd been shocked deep within her body; and start to writhe a little as he soon started to work on her in earnest.
Not surprised he needed to already, Castle put his wife's legs over his shoulders to hold her in place so he could work on her without any trouble. Very soon he was moving down to her folds, running his tongue over them, through them and then inside of her. He shuddered; trying not to let it get out of hand; as he could taste the extent of her arousal for him. It was then her hands moved from his head and he glanced up at her to see that she was holding onto the pillow under her head with one hand, while the other was at her clit. For a moment he was going to stop her but then decided there was nothing wrong with her doing that as he suddenly thought they could come together far quicker once he finished pleasuring her. But just as he was thinking that his wife was making him stop. "What?" he asked, slightly in shock.
Beckett couldn't help smiling as she made him move out of her way so she could sit up on her knees which she was soon doing. Reaching down she grasped his erection gently and proceeded to stroke him, hearing his slightly strangled breath in response. "I don't think it's fair," she told him simply at first in response to his earlier question. "That and," she added as she leaned in to him. She took his lower lip and nibbled at it gently before pulling back enough to speak; their lips brushing together; saying, "I feel like I should thank you for helping me last night, getting me back out into the fresh air."
"I didn't mind doing that," Castle gasped out as his wife started to lower her head. "Wait," he said, getting an idea in that instant. He grabbed her and made her sit up before they kissed one another hard at the same time. His lips throbbed in reaction but he ignored it and instead moved with her to lie on the bed without breaking their contact. When they had pulled apart he lay back at her direction and watched her as she got up and turned around. "You can read my mind," he commented.
Beckett wanted to reply to that but right when he'd spoken she was lowering her mouth down around him and he was back to pleasuring her. She decided the comment didn't really need a response but that was mainly because her body was reacting quickly to what he was doing to her. She had to focus then on him, wanting to make sure that she wasn't alone when she was brought to the edge. So she proceeded to slightly bob her head up and down, trying not to stop when she felt he was doing the same. Her determination was nearly broken when he started to grasp her ass and she needed to redouble her efforts before finally she felt slightly more in control. It was difficult though as her body was throbbing heavily and things were spreading through her, making her feel so much more than just where he was lightly flicking her clit with his tongue at that moment.
Castle, feeling his wife shifting on him more and more as time went on, would have done the same as her if he wasn't below her. The feel of her mouth and tongue around him was quick to rush through his body, making his heart race and all around his groin feel as if it was throbbing hard. He knew that his wife was going through the same since he could feel her pulse with his tongue at times. He didn't stop though until he got an inclination she was nearly at her peak. It was then he suddenly moved her, grabbing her and flipping her back on the bed before he nearly buried his face between her legs.
Writhing again, and unabashedly, Beckett held onto her husband's head before a final flick of his tongue was the last she needed to fall. She held him tighter; for an anchor; and cried out, "Oh god, Rick please don't stop! I want to feel you inside me! Please Rick!" unashamedly asking for more from him and hoping he heard her. She wasn't sure of that as eventually she calmed down and she didn't pause to check as she hurriedly moved him around onto his back, taking him back inside of her mouth as fast as she could before he could stop her, pleasuring him again.
Tangling his fingers through his wife's hair, and at the same time telling himself to be careful doing that, Castle watched her closely. It was an attempt to keep from losing control and in the end a poor one as he very swiftly lost the last of it that he had. Feeling the waves of pleasure that were going over him and seemed to continue he groaned out his wife's name repeatedly. He had no clue how long all of that had taken, only was aware of the fact that he was calming down when he slumped back on the bed. He breathed in and out deeply a few times before his wife came to him and brushed her lips along his jaw.
"Thank you," Beckett told him, watching him with a smile.
"You don't need to but thanks for that," Castle said, wrapping his arms around her as tightly as he could. He breathed out deeply and then said, "We haven't done that for a while."
"Not before we left home," Beckett said as she watched him with a slight smile. "Why, are you keeping track?"
"No just a thought," Castle said. He started to rub her back up and down before he stopped and opened his eyes to look at her. "We could get ready and go after a cup of coffee."
"You're finished already?" Beckett asked in amusement.
"Good I was hoping you weren't," Castle said before he leaned into her and kissed her as hard as he could. He felt her surprise in the slight pause of her body but was relieved when she recovered fast and was kissing him back. He could have easily rolled her onto her back; his body was instinctively telling him to do that; but instead he remained where he was as he'd had an idea of how he wanted that to go already. When they parted to breathe he murmured to her in Irish before she pulled back to look at him. "I was dreaming about that last night," he told her seriously.
"Pervert," Beckett said with a smile as she straddled him then. She reached in between them and wasn't too surprised to find him slightly erect still. She gave a mock sigh and said, "Do I need to repeat myself?"
"No I think we're good," Castle said as he reached up and cupped one of her breasts, squeezing it carefully. He hurriedly let go of her as she started to stroke at him; not wanting to hurt her in his reaction. Instead he reached down to her and fingered her clit, not surprised to find it still swollen. His mouth immediately started to water in reaction and he tried to ignore that, wanting to focus on her. He was a little startled when she stopped touching him before he looked to watch her raise her body. "You know I love you right?" he asked her as he held her by the hips to make her pause.
Smiling at that Beckett pulled her hair back over her shoulders and said, "I know. And I love you Rick," her tone becoming as serious as his had at the end. With his help she then lowered her body down onto him, unable to stop her gasp of pleasure at the first touch between them as he slipped within her. She tried not to hold her breath in her expectation as she lowered herself the rest of the way but when they were coupled completely she was nearly panting, biting hard at her lower lip. She leaned over then and kissed him, wanting to linger but soon uncomfortable in the position. She looked into his eyes when they broke apart and with that she proceeded to move, her hands on his chest for leverage as they stared at one another.
Moving with her Castle had to put his feet on the bed so he would have the same leverage and with that added to what he was feeling already he grit his teeth together slightly. They sped up together and very quickly they were moving rapidly, their hips slapping together hard before they parted. There was a rhythm to the sound and he focused on that before his gaze broke off from hers and started to roam around her body. He was again gritting his teeth, unable to help it as she was stunning in that moment and the sensation of them together was threatening to take him over. But he couldn't stop them both, not wanting to as the friction was a satisfying heat that seemed to spread throughout his entire form. He had his hands soon clasped together on the small of her back, murmuring his wife's name lovingly before he felt her starting to pull on his hands. "You don't want-" he started to say in surprise when she pulled him up.
Kissing him though she hadn't meant to cut him off Beckett didn't reply to him until well after they had parted as she needed to get her breath back. As he kissed his way over the side of her head while they clung tightly to one another she murmured, "I don't like you that far away."
"Neither do I," Castle replied as she turned to press her forehead against his own. "Kate, I adore you… like this…" he whispered to her, hoping she wouldn't be offended. But something came to his mind and he carefully made her stop moving; to both their groans of dismay.
Not saying a word as her husband laid her back Beckett stroked the back of his head as he began to kiss her body as soon as she was down on the bed. She felt the warmth of the sheets from his body below her and the heat of his lips directly on her skin. She bit at her lower lip as he worked his way over her breasts before going down to her abdomen and then placing hard kisses to her mound. She trembled as she knew he was trying to literally worship her in any way he could and she reached down to him to pull him back up to her. "You don't want…?" she asked a little breathlessly as she tried to get him back inside her.
Without responding Castle flipped her around until she was above him and he helped her in getting them coupled together again. He was sitting up and holding her tightly to him as they proceeded to move, reaching their previous pace easily and soon after they'd started. He was kissing her that entire time but eventually he pulled away and started to stroke his hands over her body. He was breathing hard as he was reacting to her, her body tight and warm around him and her skin like silk below his fingers and palms. He kissed her neck a few times before pulling away to look at her and he murmured her name before they seemed to almost fall into each other. He was dizzy with the taste of her, the feel of her, the sound of her moan against his lips. He wasn't sure he was going to last much longer as time passed and things kept adding up in him. He was moving his hips in different ways so she wouldn't become accustomed to him and it was affecting him as well. His mouth and hands were all over her body until she was grabbing his head to stop at least part of that. Looking into her eyes he wasn't all that startled to find her in the same place he was and he told her, "Slow."
"What?" Beckett asked, gasping as his thrust up in her was angled a little oddly, producing a fresh burst of pleasure within her sex that snaked its way up her form. When he repeated the word she did so, moving very carefully on him and changing her up and down motion to a rocking one. She was moaning as her husband groaned in pleasure at the sensation; an entirely new one; and she held him tighter while they kissed deeply. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly after they'd parted, wanting to feel what she could. She wasn't sure when she did it exactly but she was moving faster, working back up to their pace as her husband was racing to follow her lead. She raked her nails over his scalp and whispered his name twice before he was descending to her breasts. The heavy kisses and fervent sucking of his mouth was enough for her and she cried out in pleasure as she orgasmed without being aware she was so close to doing so. The ecstasy in her body seemed to entwine around her limbs, shooting up her body until it was on fire with the sensation. She nearly became hypersensitive as she soon felt her husband climaxing himself, holding him tight to her as she didn't want to lose their connection as they called each other's names in joy.
Kissing his way around Beckett's shoulders and neck Castle moved down to her breasts a few times but didn't focus his attention there, instead wanting to wait. He was helping her to continue moving before they were kissing frantically as she had grabbed his head to tilt it up to hers. He held her by the small of her back when he shortly discovered she was still moving fine on her own. He felt her breath on his lips when she pulled away from him and felt her whisper of his name before he was leaning his head down to her neck again. At the same time he decided to give the last push that they needed, reaching in between them to start to rub at her clit. Her breathing was soon accompanied by gasps and cries and he worked harder to thrust up into her at the same time, wanting to reach the edge as well. The lingering effect of their climaxes previously was still in his body so he tried to reach the edge to feel her again losing control as he desperately wanted to, saying to her repeatedly, "Come for me love, I want to feel you…"
As that was a kind of command, and her husband was touching her and still very effectively moving inside her roughly, Beckett shook off the last of her attempt to stay away from her orgasm. She dug her nails slightly into Castle's back, crying out his name in complete rapture as there was no way she could feel anything but that. She was dimly aware of him joining her; feeling him and hearing her name repeatedly on his lips; and it wasn't until they were slowing down that she fully comprehended what she had just gone through. Breathing out softly after he thrust a few more times hard she leaned against him, not at all caring that she was weak. Feeling his hands coming around her she couldn't help smile widely as he held her tightly and she turned her head, pressing her lips to his temple.
When they had managed to let go of each other; some time later; and lay down together on the bed Castle held his wife close as he nuzzled her neck with his lips. "What time is it?" he asked.
"You have the watch on," Beckett replied, laughing slightly as he nipped at a spot where she was a little ticklish before going to her ear.
"Right," Castle said. "A lot of time," he said after he'd raised his arm to look.
"So what did you want to do?" Beckett asked, smiling at him.
"You'll find out," Castle replied easily.
With that he turned to lie on top of her and they began to hungrily kiss as they began to work themselves up to their full arousal; not wanting to stop just yet.
Watching his wife looking out at the view again Castle finished tying his shoes and said, "It might rain later."
"It likely will," Beckett said. "We're lucky we didn't get anything the past two days." She turned to him when he took her hand and let him pull her over to his lap before she kissed him to keep from saying anything. She was relieved when he responded to her instead of trying to stop her and kept that kiss going along for two more before they had to stop, needing to breathe. "So we should probably go."
"We have a little more time," Castle said simply. He glanced over at the bed; thoroughly unkempt from their constant activity; and then turned back to his wife.
"No," Beckett said simply.
"No?" Castle asked. "Come on, we-"
Covering his mouth with her hand Beckett told him, "We're dressed and we would have to shower again."
"Easily done," Castle said simply before his wife socked him on the shoulder. He laughed but let her go, watching her standing to check on her things she needed to take with them. He stood up and went to her, wrapping his arms around her carefully from behind to make her put down her camera. "You're okay you know," he said into her ear.
"I figured that out," Beckett commented. She turned around to face him and putting her hands on his chest said, "As long as my head doesn't start turning-"
"It's not a possession," Castle replied simply. "But oppression."
"Okay but it's over now and like you said I'm okay," Beckett told him. "What happened to not talking about it?"
"It scared me," Castle confessed after hesitating for a moment. "To see you on the floor like that, what you were saying."
Shaking her head Beckett cupped his face in her hands and murmured to him, "I shouldn't have been underground. But for the time being I'm eager to go and see the girls. I would love to ask them about how their night went yesterday."
Smiling slightly; though he didn't want to disregard her experience as she did; Castle understood his wife couldn't face what had happened. So he let the subject drop, just relieved she had recovered fully as he'd experienced only shortly before on the bed. Thinking of that he couldn't stop himself, leaning down to kiss her deeply before they wrapped their arms around one another tightly. He fought her tongue in her mouth playfully before they slowly parted, needing to breathe. "I love you Kate," he told her.
"I love you too Rick," Beckett replied. She instigated their next kiss, and allowed him to begin the second before letting go of him.
Watching her as they went hand in hand to the door Castle stopped her as they reached it and told her, "When we get back I'm doing the same thing I did to you earlier."
"So will I," Beckett replied simply. She couldn't help smiling and then kissing him on the lips at his surprised expression.
Castle recovered swiftly from that and followed his wife out to the hallway as they left behind their room and their intimacy; knowing they would have the chance to in fact repeat it once they returned; and also aware Beckett thought the same thing he was as the door shut behind them.