Genre: Romance, Family, Humor
Rating: M for sexual situations and language
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters featured on the show Castle, they belong to the creator of the show, ABC, and the others who do own them.
A/N #1: So happy to get the reviews I did for the last chapter so will go to my thanks for them! TORONTOSUN (I had a feeling you might like the fact that Alexis would stand by her sisters' side as you put it, to help Castle and Beckett so was great to see I was right about that, lol. And I'm so happy that you like how Castle and Beckett can't get enough of each other still, since it means you liked the love scene at the end!) and vetgirlmx (Happy to read that you thought the last chapter was nice. And really pleased to see that you could tell that they had an amazing day, wanted to convey that, lol. I have to say you're right; knowing the history of a place definitely makes them real as you said and I'll speak from experience. Great that you could tell that Jim was likely having fun 'cause I wanted the castle to be for him. I had been wondering what you'd think of the sisters night Alexis had with the girls, thought you might enjoy it and I was really happy to see that I was right! And I wasn't surprised to see you mentioning again when Alexis stays in Oxford and I was glad you mentioned Julia and Alexis' talk, that was of course to help a bit with that. And you'll have to see what their reactions will be at that point. I was glad you noticed what I was doing with the play, there giving Martha something during the trip. I did want to try and have something for everyone during this vacation, tried my best with it. I had to laugh at what you said about them needing a vacation from the vacation but they might have the chance to rest afterwards before school starts up, lol. And really happy you're waiting eagerly as you put it so you can see what happens next and now you can find out here!). Thanks so much for the reviews, I loved reading them and as always appreciate the time taken to write them out and send them to me!
A/N #2: The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, the national anthem of Wales, written by Evan James.
Lives Out To This Day
Looking out the windows Castle studied his wife for a moment before he picked up the mugs of coffee that he had just made. Going outside he went around to the southern side of the balcony and said, "It's colder than I thought it would be."
"Again, rain," Beckett said, turning to him. She took the mug he handed her, murmuring thank you, and then turned back to their view of Cardiff Bay. "I'm still confused," she said, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.
"Me too," Castle said. He couldn't help chuckle when she slapped his shoulder with the back of her hand and said simply, "They were the last rooms left. I didn't want this suite," nodding back to their room. "But they offered a discount so I took it. You didn't want to give it to the girls did you?"
"I don't think so," Beckett said. "We can ask them if they want to trade."
"Now I know you're joking," Castle said wryly as he looked back to the room. "Though we didn't do anything… never mind."
"I am still joking though," Beckett told him. "I wish we were staying a little longer."
Looking at her Castle said, "Is that because of the city or the hotel?"
Giving him a brief look Beckett said, "It was a lot of fun yesterday."
"I know, the girls loved the museum," Castle said, smiling in remembrance before he took a sip of coffee. "Hopefully they're not sick and tired of castles."
"I don't think so," Beckett replied with a smile. "They know they're not all the same."
"This one should really stand out," Castle said.
"You're thinking of the roof garden?" Beckett asked him.
"Of course," Castle said. "They know there are gardens on the roofs of the buildings in the city but how often are you at the top of a tower indoors?"
"Explain it to them that way and I'm sure they'll be as eager as you," Beckett told him teasingly. She leaned over and kissed his cheek before saying, "I've missed you."
"Me too," Castle said seriously, looking into her eyes. He cupped her cheek with his free hand and then leaned down, taking her lips in a slow, sensuous kiss. When they eventually parted to breathe he couldn't help laughing slightly saying, "It's only been two days."
"You're keeping track," Beckett said instead of asking.
"Then that's long enough," Castle said, studying her. When she merely smiled at him for a moment he said, "Let's hope swimming doesn't wear us out." He then said, "We should go," as he knew their family was likely ready by then.
"Yeah," Beckett said simply before she finished the last of her coffee and followed her husband inside. She got her bag while he rinsed out their mugs and at the doorway she handed him his jacket saying, "If it rains…"
"I know you're not going to sympathize with me if I forget this," Castle said, pretending to be annoyed. He took her hand then and they walked down the hall to where their family's three bedrooms were all next door to each other. "I knew it," he said as Julia and Eliza poked their heads out of the doorway before they got close to their room.
"You two are ready to go right?" Beckett asked them with a smile.
"Yeah let's go!" Eliza cried.
"You've been teaching her how to say that," Castle told Julia teasingly.
"She asked me to," Julia replied.
"She's not kidding, they've been practicing all this morning," Alexis said as she walked into the room. "But we're ready."
"So are we," Beckett said, smiling at her father and Martha who were on the balcony the girls' room had.
"As are we," Martha said, coming inside. "They have a wonderful view; it'll be interesting to see what you two have."
"I'm not sure why you didn't come over," Castle told her as Alexis and Beckett were helping the girls to get ready to leave.
"We'll be there for dinner tonight," Martha said simply. "Now I've heard this castle is a work of art girls, you'll enjoy it."
"You looked in the book didn't you Gram?" Julia asked her.
"I may have," Martha said vaguely, smiling when her granddaughters started to giggle. They left their hotel then and she carried Eliza down to the car, listening to the toddler talking about dragons and daffodils. "Have your parents been telling you about Wales?" she asked her before they reached the parking.
"I did," Castle said at the same time Eliza pointed to him.
"They have the same flower that's my birth flower," Julia commented. She then said, "I mean, ours."
"I want flowers," Eliza said absently.
Looking at her as he was buckling her in Castle said, "You're remembering that bouquet I gave your mom? With all our birth flowers?"
"That was interesting," Beckett commented.
"It was sweet I thought," Alexis said as she'd seen a picture of that. "You don't mind him giving that to you on your birthday."
"No I'm just amazed he could get daffodils in November… let alone chrysanthemums," Beckett said. "Rick, are you-" She was cut off when he tossed the car keys to her and catching them said, "Really?"
"You've driven too," Castle said in mock indignation, making the girls giggle softly. "And I have the address ready so we can go."
The drive was short, barely a quarter of an hour from their hotel, and when they were walking up to the main entrance Julia said in surprise, "That's the castle?"
"There are different sections to it," Beckett replied first. "This is the main entrance. There's an exhibit here about Welsh fighters through time, does anyone want to see that?"
"What if we left it last?" Castle asked. At the others nodding in agreement they went inside and he paid their admission, handing the map to Beckett. "Do you know anything about this castle?" he asked his father in law as they walked out into the middle of it.
"No I never really have come across the history… except in regards to Henry VII," Jim responded. "But since he eventually became king of England… I am looking forward to this," he said as he watched the others looking around.
"Where's the castle?" Julia asked.
"This is it," Alexis said with a smile as she could tell that Eliza was wondering the same thing. "You don't like it?"
"I think they're used to a castle being one structure," Jim said. "Or at the very least not this spread out."
"And with that we have a number of places to see," Castle said, glancing at the map that Beckett was looking at. "So what'll it be first? The Battlement Walk, Norman Keep, North Gate or the Castle Apartments?"
"I think we should go to the apartments first," Alexis said.
"So who didn't look at this book already?" Castle asked. He smiled when the girls raised their hands and then saw that Jim had raised his to shoulder height. "You didn't?" he asked the man in surprise.
"It didn't cross my mind to do that," Jim said. "You should lead the way though, you and Katie."
"That was the plan," Beckett replied with a smile. "So we'll go to the Battlement Walk first."
Walking over the grass, Julia said, "That's a treb… treb… Daddy?"
"Trebuchet," Castle told the girls who were looking to him. "Can you pronounce it? Or try to?"
Beckett couldn't help smile as the girl did so then and Julia was eventually able to get the pronunciation right. She wasn't surprised then when Eliza broke free from them and then rushed near the weapon, standing in front of it. "I'm guessing she wants a picture," she said to the others.
"I'll go with her," Julia said, taking Alexis.
"I guess that means me too," the young woman said in obvious amusement as she followed.
"Go Rick," Beckett said, slightly laughing as he was looking to her. She got their picture and then took Eliza's hand saying, "They have wartime shelters in here."
"What is it?" the toddler asked, looking up at her mother.
"In World War II," Jim began, smiling when the girls immediately turned to him. "The Germans fighting England would fly here to bomb the country. So to keep safe people had bombing shelters to go to. Though you know in London some used the Tube stations as their shelter."
"Really… you mean where Paul is in his music video?" Julia asked as they walked to the start of the exhibit which was a doorway in the brick wall framed in wood.
Jim didn't answer as Eliza stopped walking, looking through the door and seeing what she thought was a tunnel.
Picking her up Castle placed the toddler on his hip and told her reassuringly, "It's okay, they're just like this because they weren't meant for people to stay too long inside of."
"Is it scary?" Eliza asked him.
"Not at all kiddo," Martha answered before her son could. "It's like stepping back into history going through here." She smiled then as the toddler immediately looked at her grandfather and she nodded saying, "Your grandfather will enjoy looking through it."
"I will," Jim said, going over and holding his arms out to her.
"You don't want to take pictures?" Castle asked him.
"Like my daughter I know how to take them with one hand," Jim said. "I learned to do that with her in fact," he then added as he nodded to Beckett.
Wrapping her arms around her grandfather's neck, Eliza looked at the beds and some alcoves that were there in the tunnel they walked through. She was surprised to see it looked like a home and she told her grandfather that when they looked in on some chairs and a sink.
"Did they not know how long they were going to stay here?" Julia asked, able to tell it was a kitchen.
"I don't think they did," Castle commented. "So better they have places to eat and sleep, just in case."
"A little dreary," Martha commented to Alexis, keeping her voice low. "It's amazing they're so interested."
The young woman smiled and replied, "They've never seen anything like this before."
"Then in that case I suppose it makes sense," Martha said.
When they had gone back outside after looking through the exhibit Julia said, "I'm glad we don't have to stay there either."
"What now?" Eliza asked as she was placed on her father's shoulders then.
"The North Gate," Beckett replied. "I don't think there's much to see there so we should be able to go to the keep soon."
"Not yet," Alexis told her sister teasingly as Julia started to turn to it. She laughed with her as they continued to the gate and she said, "It's really beautiful here."
"Here?" Julia asked.
"The whole country," Alexis said. "I think it was prettiest out in the country when we were driving in."
"Yeah," Julia said in agreement before they got to the tall gate. She took pictures before she followed her little sister and their parents over to the moat that went with the keep and was next to the path, holding her so she wouldn't go down.
"Now we can go to the keep," Castle said after everyone had gotten their fill of the gate. He reached out and tried to take Eliza's hand when the toddler shook her head. "I don't know," he told her. "You might want to let me carry you."
"I wanna walk," Eliza said.
Reaching over and putting her hand on her husband's arm Beckett said, "I don't know if they're going to want to go up all the way."
"You don't want her to?" Castle said. When she just looked at him he sighed and said, "I'm carrying her on my shoulders though."
Beckett merely smiled and said, "If she wants to go."
Going around to the bottom of the keep Julia looked up at the steep stone steps and asked, "Can we go up?"
"If you want to," Beckett said, smirking slightly at her husband when their youngest started to jump up against him.
"Your sister can apparently," Castle said, looking at his wife.
"I'll join you," Alexis told her sister. "For support."
"I'll stay," Martha replied. "But you'll share your photos with me?"
"We will," Beckett promised. When her dad indicated he was going to stay she led the others to the staircase where they began to make the climb up.
"I didn't think they were this steep!" Alexis said though she was laughing.
"Better save your breath," Castle said as they paused at the first landing. "Or else Eliza's going to need to take us all back down."
"No Daddy," the toddler said firmly.
"Oh okay, just kidding," Castle said in a serious tone of voice though he was only joking. He smiled when Eliza laughed above him and patted her leg before he started to go up again. After the steps up to the structure they then had to go up more but finally they made their way to the viewing platform and he said, "We made it, so who's going to carry me down since I can't walk."
"I will," Eliza said, going to him since he'd set her down.
"He's kidding," Beckett said, taking her hand. "Look at the view though," she said to the girls.
"Is all of it Cardiff?" Julia asked in awe. When she saw her mother was nodding she said, "It's beautiful!"
"It is," Alexis said, taking a picture while Castle had to pick up Eliza so she could see as well.
"She's not that heavy," Beckett said, looking away from her camera and to him.
"No but I needed a break," Castle replied simply. He smiled when as soon as he said that Eliza was leaning over to her mother and said, "And now she needs a break from me."
Beckett couldn't help the laughter that escaped from her lips at the way their youngest's head turned to him, her brow furrowed. "It's okay," she told Eliza soothingly. "He knows you just wanted to come to me for a little."
"I wanna stay with you Mommy," Eliza said firmly.
"Do you mind going down those stairs again with me?" Castle asked her. "I want to make sure your mom will be okay going."
"Kay," Eliza said seriously before she turned to her mother with a smile. "Daddy loves you," she pronounced proudly.
"He does," Beckett said absently, looking out at the skyline. "See that castle over there?" she then said to the girls. "It's Castell Coch."
"Is that the one we drove by?" Castle asked his wife. At her nod he said, "Amazing you can see it this far out." It was then he noticed that Eliza had stopped looking at the city view and he said, "Love?"
Looking at him and then at Eliza, Beckett asked, "What's wrong?"
"You say it too Mommy," the toddler replied firmly.
Glancing at Julia who was snorting in her suppressed laughter Beckett couldn't help eventually smile and she said, "I love him too, don't worry."
"Should we go?" Alexis asked after they'd been standing there for a while, turning around all the way to see everything they could.
"Just let me stretch…" Castle said, jokingly doing so as his daughters laughed at him.
"Back on his shoulders sweetie," Beckett told Eliza as she handed him over to Castle. "Just make sure you stay still again."
"I will," the toddler replied. And as her father followed the others back inside she held onto him tightly before they made it down to the steps leading back to the path they'd come up on. "Gram! Grandpapa!" Eliza cried, running to the two once she was set down at the bottom of the last set of stairs.
"Careful honey," Jim said, picking her up before she could trip. "Did you have fun?"
"We got up high," Eliza explained as they walked then to the Castle Apartments. "And I saw the city."
Beckett, her hand through her husband's arm, squeezed him gently as they listened to the toddler telling her grandparents all about what they had seen at the top. At the entrance she told the others, "We're going to walk through this on our own. Luckily they have a path on the map."
"So what's first?" Jim said.
Not responding Beckett walked to a room and as she watched the others follow her inside she smiled as Julia gasped. "You can't take the books unfortunately," she said as the little girl was looking around the library in undisguised awe.
"Too bad," Castle commented absently as he was looking around as well. "It's smaller than I expected."
"It's cozy," Alexis said. "Which is interesting because you expect a castle to be uncomfortable."
"You're right," Jim said in agreement. "But look at these figures over here."
Following him down to them Castle looked at the tablets the figures were holding before saying, "Those are alphabets."
"You recognize them?" Jim said, surprised to hear him say that.
"Some of them since I have seen Hebrew and Greek before," Castle commented.
"It doesn't say anything?" Julia asked as she and her father were left alone with Beckett since the others had left them to look at the book shelves and decorated walls.
"Just the letters of their alphabets," Castle replied. He took the book that Beckett held and then said, "There's also Assyrian and Egyptian."
"Oh yeah," Julia said, seeing the last visible tablet had hieroglyphics. "We're still gonna see that stone right?" she asked them.
"Yes," Beckett told them firmly. She smiled when Julia looked at her with wide eyes and told her, "We want to see that stone too."
"Or you do," Castle reminded her.
"Did Grandpapa see it?" Julia asked as they started walking again after the others.
"No he's never been to London either," Beckett replied. "So he's going to be seeing everything for the first time like we are."
"Like right now," Castle told her.
"The Banqueting Hall," Beckett said, knowing what he wasn't asking.
Reaching that room Eliza was first to react in the family, gasping in delight at the sight of the murals that were above the wood panels on the wall. "So pretty!" she said eagerly, pointing to one.
"They're about the history of the castle," Castle said, reading from the book.
"That makes sense, since they have one right here," Alexis said as they came to the fireplace where there was a castle above it.
"We'll be over here," Martha told them then as she picked up Eliza who had gone over to her. She carried her to the windows that she had asked to look through and said, "What a beautiful view. How would you like to live here darling?"
Smiling Eliza shook her head and said, "I wanna go home."
"You couldn't imagine it?" Martha asked. She laughed softly when the toddler wrinkled her nose and then kissed her cheek telling her, "You will when you get older."
After taking a final picture some time later Julia had to rush to the doorway after her mother called her since they were the last ones left in the room. "I'm sorry," she said earnestly as they began to walk to the next room to look through. "But it was so pretty, I had to take a picture of the outside."
"I know but try to keep up we're going to the Bute Tower now," Beckett said as she put her arm around her shoulders. "You'll enjoy this one."
"I've been enjoying all of them," Julia said eagerly.
"Your mom's right," Castle said, having walked back a little so they would catch up with him. "These rooms are going to… stun you."
"Stun me?" Julia asked doubtfully.
"I would say blow your mind but that doesn't make sense," Castle said.
"Stun doesn't work that well either," Beckett told him. "But you'll be surprised."
"I am a writer," Castle said.
"And that's why I have to hold you back a bit," Beckett said with a smile. "So things make sense."
They reached the first room in the tower and Julia looked around at the opulence in the decorations there before she caught sight of a bed. "It's a bedroom?" she asked her parents.
"It is," Castle answered. "Lord Bute's bedroom, he was…" he began to say before reading the book. "The owner of the castle who made this tower."
"It's a little too much," Jim commented as the family regrouped.
"I agree…" Martha said. "What is most disturbing…"
"The bed being so small?" Alexis suggested. At her grandmother's nod she said, "I noticed that too."
"Have you made a diagnosis?" Castle asked her.
"I would say a need to display wealth and prominence," Alexis said. "And in a way a need to prove that they were important."
"I got that too," Castle said simply. When his wife looked at him he said, "After she said it."
"Let's keep going," Beckett said with a slight laugh and shake of her head before they continued to walk. She and her husband ended up walking behind the others with Julia again and said, "I think you'll enjoy the next room even more."
"How?" Julia asked simply.
Before either he or Beckett could answer and hearing another gasp from Eliza ahead of them Castle said, "I think they've reached the room."
"What room?" Julia asked eagerly though she had no idea what they were looking at.
Castle and Beckett didn't answer her question instead walked with her to the doorway, sharing a smile when their oldest gasped in awe as they looked inside.
"It's a garden," Julia said, looking at her parents.
"It is," Beckett told her. "This was supposed to look like a Mediterranean garden."
"They did a good job," Martha commented. "Considering we're in Wales. Do you like it Eliza?"
Not able to say a word the toddler nodded, watching the water in the fountain in the center of the room. She then pointed to the flowers in the boxes around it and said, "Can I have one Daddy?"
"I'm afraid not sweetheart," Castle replied. "We're supposed to stay up here and look at the flowers."
"Don't wanna," Eliza almost grumbled.
"I don't think anyone does," Julia said then. She smiled when her sister looked over at her in surprise and told her, "I think they want to pick flowers too but then the flowers would all be gone."
Seeming to think about that Eliza nodded and said, "Kay." She then leaned over in her grandfather's arms and patted her mother's arm close to her.
"What can I help you with sweetie?" Beckett asked.
"Daddy wants to pick a flower," Eliza said seriously. "For you."
"I'm doing it in spirit," Castle said then.
Shaking her head slightly Beckett kissed her daughter's cheek before her husband's and said, "Thank you for that. We should keep going," seeing that Eliza's attention had turned to the animals that were on the lower part of the walls. "We have more to see."
After looking at the nursery and the small dining room the family made their way to what was called the Arab Room.
Glancing around Jim said to his daughter, "It's almost like being at the Alhambra again."
"Close," Beckett said. "But you can tell this was built in the 1800s."
"The later 1800s?" Jim asked her. At his daughter's surprised nod he said, "You can tell, just in the opulence of the ceiling."
Turning her head up to look at it Beckett could see what he meant but the pattern was breathtaking and she said as much to her father.
"It's beautiful," Julia said, having joined them. "Did you get enough pictures Mommy?"
"I did," Beckett replied. "How many did you take of that?" she asked, pointing to the ceiling.
"Just two," Julia said before smiling slightly shyly. "Just in case the first one doesn't look good."
"I'm sure they came out great," Jim commented as he was finishing taking his own picture of the ceiling. "So now what?" he then asked his daughter and son in law when they were leaving.
"We have the soldier exhibit," Castle answered, looking at his wife. "And then the gift shop and that'll be it for today."
Going back down to the main entrance the family went through the soldier exhibit, staying close together through it until they had made their way back to the start. Inside the gift shop after Castle and Beckett went with their daughters over to the toys, letting them look through the selection before they both picked out a book.
"I'm going to look-" Julia began to say as she turned to go to the postcards. She was stopped though when her mother grabbed her hand and she looked at her in surprise when she was led with her sister to the t-shirts. "We can get one?" she asked.
"You don't like this one with the dragon on it?" Castle said in response.
"I do," Eliza said, touching the small t-shirt that he held. "For me?" she asked hopefully. When her father nodded in response she smiled and then tugged on his shirt sleeve before he leaned down to her. She kissed his cheek and told him, "Thank you Daddy."
"You're welcome," Castle replied before he gently pushed her over to her mother.
"Thank you Mommy," Eliza said, hugging her tightly around the legs.
"You're welcome," Beckett replied with a smile. "You want the same one?" she said as she looked to Julia to see her holding up a shirt.
"Yeah it is nice, the dragon is cool," the little girl replied. When her father took it out of her hand she smiled and thanked her parents before she took Eliza with her to the postcards so she could select some for her friends.
"You forgot to mention lunch," Castle commented. "And there's one more thing we can go see before we head back to the hotel."
Beckett looked at him, wondering what she had missed, when her husband showed her a picture in their travel book. "After, so we walk a little bit more," she told him with a nod. "For now let's go."
Paying for their purchases the family went to the café where Castle and Beckett left them and took Alexis with them to order.
"You two are very lucky," Martha was saying as she and Jim watched their granddaughters though she was looking at Eliza's shirt at that moment.
"We said thank you," Julia replied, watching her.
"I mean for this trip," Martha said.
"We say thank you," Eliza said.
"We said it before we left," Julia then added.
"Don't worry I knew already," Martha assured them, smiling at their trying to make sure she knew. "I just hope you will enjoy wherever else your parents take you."
"They are trying to make sure that you have fun," Jim pointed out.
"I am!" Eliza cried happily.
"So am I," Julia said. She smiled and said, "We have to go where Mommy and Daddy take us."
"And even with that you're enjoying everything," Martha said, understanding then what the little girl was trying to convey.
"Yep," Julia said with a nod. She looked over at the keep that they could see from their table and said, "The castles are fun to look at. You're liking that right?"
A little surprised since she'd thought the girl would be asking her grandfather Martha began to smile and said, "I am, even though I don't have as much an interest in history as you do," adding the last to say to Jim. "I find it fascinating to see how the other half lived."
"What is that?" Eliza asked in confusion, having been set down by her grandmother to allow her to run around.
"Royalty and the lords and ladies," Martha answered. "One of whom is your cousin."
"By marriage," Jim answered. "Technically he's Katie's cousin."
"I hope we get to meet him," Julia said eagerly.
"You might," Beckett said as she was the first to come out. She was holding a tray of drinks and said, "They're waiting for the food but they'll be out pretty soon."
"So we're really going back to the hotel?" Martha asked, taking her glass of wine her daughter in law gave her.
"Did you want to go anywhere?" Beckett said in response, pausing as she was about to sit.
"Oh no," Martha assured her, waving her hand. "But I might rest for a little in my room before I come down to the pool."
"Are you gonna swim?" Eliza asked, going to her mother who had motioned her over.
"I'll need to see," Martha replied, watching as Beckett placed her daughter on her lap.
"I hope everyone's hungry," Castle said, coming over then with Alexis, the trays they were holding containing their lunch. "The paninis are still warm and the pizzas are too."
"We get to have pizza?" Julia asked in surprise since her parents had ordered for her and Eliza.
"A small pizza," Beckett allowed. "And you'll be swimming later so I'm not too concerned about it." She helped Eliza pick up a slice before watching her bite into it, pushing her hair back from her face as she managed to get the sauce all over her mouth.
"It's getting colder," Alexis commented after the rest of them had begun eating as well. "And the clouds are racing in. I guess we can't go swimming."
Laughing slightly with the others as Eliza narrowed her eyes at her big sister; though it looked more like she was closing them; Castle said, "It's inside sweetheart."
"Is it?" the toddler said interestedly. "I like to swim inside."
"I think she's remembering Stratford-upon-Avon," Alexis said.
"No wonder she was talking about the pool with the shelves," Martha said.
"When we each got to their room," Jim explained to his daughter and son in law who looked slightly confused. "Eliza was talking about the shelves in the water and if we were going to join you."
"This pool doesn't have that," Castle explained. "But you'll still like it."
"Promise?" Eliza asked. When her parents nodded she smiled and said, "Wanna go swim."
"And we will," Beckett said. "Finish eating first."
Alexis asked about their dinner plans and rolled her eyes when her dad teased her about thinking about it while they were still eating lunch. "It's a small lunch Dad and I'm just wondering if I need to shower after the pool if we go out," she told him.
"We were going to have dinner in our room," Beckett said.
"You're all invited of course," Castle said quickly in case they though she meant just the two of them. "We have a table and a lot of room."
"He looked at the menu-" Beckett started to say.
"We looked at the menu," Castle was swift to correct her.
"It looks great," Beckett finished, smiling and trying not to smirk at him. "We just wanted a quiet meal because we have the feeling that some of us will be a little tired."
"Thank you for thinking of me," Martha said. "And though I think my energy will be fine I will enjoy seeing your room… your outer room."
"Yeah we figured," Castle said, shaking his head slightly though he was fighting a smile. "Anyone have any objections?" When there was no response to that he said, "Then we're set. But let's get back to lunch first."
"I'm done Daddy," Julia told him.
"So is Eliza; and me," Alexis added.
As the rest of them finished up their meal Beckett said, "We nearly forgot but there's one more thing to see."
"What?" Eliza asked instantly.
"I think it's a surprise," Jim said as his daughter handed him the toddler. He held her tightly against his hip while she was watching the others clean up and kissed her temple before she turned and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Are you gonna swim too Grandpapa?" Eliza asked then. "Please?"
"Here we go," Jim told her. "And yes, I will." He smiled at her squeal of joy at that and he took her kiss on his cheek before he made sure to keep up with their family.
"This is it," Castle said when they had reached the Animal Wall. He looked to Julia and Eliza, wanting to see their reactions.
"Doggie!" Eliza cried, pointing to the carved animal at the top of the wall.
"That's a wolf," Jim said, smiling at her reaction.
"Oh, big doggie," Eliza said, her eyes wide. She giggled when her grandfather laughed and then said, "That Grandpapa?"
"Let me name them for you," Castle said. "That's a lion with a shield, a hyena, wolf, apes, seal, bear, a female lion, lynx…"
"Take a breath Dad," Alexis said when he trailed off, laughing softly.
Taking exaggerated breaths Castle jumped when his wife pretended to slap him on the back and he said, "Okay I'm good," very quickly. "So back to the wall there's a pelican, an anteater, some raccoons, a leopard, beaver, vulture and another lion with another shield." He wasn't surprised when Eliza then held her hands out to him and he took her on his hip while they waited for everyone but his mother to take pictures. "When you get older," he told his youngest daughter. "You'll be doing the same thing."
"And considering that both your parents take pictures you might be as good as they are," Martha told her.
Castle watched as Eliza smiled shyly and started to put her fingers in her mouth before he carefully pulled them away from there until they were all ready to go. "How were your pictures?" he asked Julia and Beckett who were walking with him.
"Good!" the little girl said eagerly.
"She's right, the fact that they're looking over the wall helped in setting up the shots," Beckett said in agreement.
"Now we can go swimming right?" Julia asked as she saw they were approaching the car.
"Yes but wait until we get there," Castle told her teasingly. He smiled when Eliza kissed his cheek rapidly a few times and said, "You too Eliza."
After they had made it back to their hotel Beckett carried Eliza to the pool, not surprised that the toddler was looking at her in confusion. "We brought our things with us," she explained to her, nodding to the bags that Alexis, Castle and Jim were carrying.
"I borrowed one of your mother's bags for my swim trunks and masks," Beckett's father said as Julia was watching his bag.
"We'll be back," Beckett said, smiling at her husband as they split up to change and get some lockers to store what they wouldn't need.
"I thought you were going to go up to your room Gram," Alexis said when she stepped out from her changing room in her bathing suit and sundress.
"I was asked to stay," Martha replied, sitting with the girls who Beckett had asked her to watch while she herself changed. She smiled as the girls were both moving on the bench and couldn't seem to stay still. "Girls," she said gently. "You're mother is nearly ready."
"She is ready," Beckett said, coming out to them. She took the two in her arms and held them as they begged to go and told them, "You know I'm taking you out to the pool right now don't you?"
"Oh… we thought we were going somewhere else," Julia said. "You're wearing a dress."
"It's just a cover," Alexis said, not surprised the girls were confused by their mother's sundress. "I'm guessing you're wearing that for dinner?"
"I am," Beckett replied. "Now let's go."
"I was almost about to jump in the pool," Castle said teasingly when he saw his family joining him.
"No you weren't," Julia said simply, going to the chair where Martha was laying out and taking off her dress that covered her bathing suit which her grandmother took to fold. She took her father's hand before Eliza joined them and they went to the end of the pool. "Is it deep?" she asked as she and her sister watched him go down the ladder into the water.
"Not really so you can jump Eliza," Castle said. "But not now," he said hurriedly as Beckett went to stand next to them.
"They weren't," Beckett said easily as she couldn't help smirking at her husband's slightly panicked expression. She watched Julia go in before she went after her, Eliza holding onto the railing for the ladder. "Okay sweetie, come inside."
"Is it cold?" the toddler asked as she went to where her mother was holding her arms out to her.
"Nope, it's warm," Julia said, doing a backstroke. She then straightened up and tread the water since it was deeper than she was tall though she didn't mind. "Don't jump yet," she said to Eliza, able to tell that her sister was thinking about doing so. "So we can all go together."
Giggling Eliza was about to sit on the edge to go down into her mother's arms when she was suddenly picked up, crying out in surprise. But she realized quickly that it was her grandfather and once in Beckett's arms she told him, "Thank you Grandpapa!"
"He's coming in right now," Beckett told her daughter as she knew the toddler was going to tell him that.
After Jim had climbed in he waited for Eliza to try swimming to him, quick to grab her when she was near and he let her go on his back before he swam the length of the pool.
"It's raining," Alexis said to Julia whom she was swimming with ahead of Beckett's father.
Glancing to the windows to their right the little girl was able to see that her big sister was right. She glanced over at her mother and said, "Is that why you didn't go anywhere else?"
"Partially," Beckett responded until she had reached them and was hanging onto the side of the pool with them. "Rick, you're cheating," she called to her husband teasingly when he walked the rest of the way.
"Were we supposed to swim the whole way?" Castle asked jokingly.
"We did," Alexis said.
"Yeah Daddy, we all need to get exercise," Julia added.
"I don't swim," Eliza commented.
"Well that's a little bit of a different situation sweetheart," Castle said before taking her from Jim and raising her up above his head.
Beckett smiled at the heavy squeal from their daughter as her husband threw her up in the air gently before returning her to the water. She went over to them as Alexis splashed Julia and the two went back into the water, swimming together to the middle of the pool. Her father began to swim laps so she went to her husband and their youngest and said, "We never went under the water," as she noticed at the same time that Julia and Alexis were going underneath.
"I wanna, please!" Eliza begged them.
"We will right now," Castle said. "Ready one, two, three." And with that they submerged themselves as he kept a hold of Eliza, coming back up after opening his eyes and seeing that his wife was looking at him. "Not bad. So we've swum one way, want to go in the other direction?"
"Yeah," Eliza said. "But I… wanna… float," she said, hesitating a little as she tried to remember the right word she wanted to use.
Beckett looked on as the two proceeded to do that, making sure she was close to Eliza in case the toddler needed her help in any way. She smiled at her father as he stood up when he came near them and said, "What are they doing?" since Alexis and Julia were out of the pool.
"Getting their masks," Jim said.
"Tell them to get the diving wands," Beckett said.
"We have them Mommy," Julia replied, going around to that end of the pool. "'lexis said just two though."
"That's more than enough," Castle said, standing up with Eliza in his arms.
"No Daddy wanna go more," the toddler protested.
"You don't want to watch your sister?" Castle asked her. When she hesitated he handed her to Beckett so they could watch as Alexis threw in the brightly colored wands before both she and Julia went back into the water.