Going to a few shops that had girls clothing Beckett tried to find something that they would like that she agreed with for the ball. But it took a little more time until she had managed to locate Eliza's dress first. "I think," she said to the girls who were both there with her in the dressing room as they looked at the toddler's reflection. "We found it," she said in relief.
"I like it," Eliza told her seriously, swaying back and forth. She watched the way the skirt of her dark blue dress with a green bow on the left hip followed her and she nodded.
"Now you Julia," Beckett said as she helped Julia change in the small space.
"They call us the blue twins at school sometimes," the little girl said as she stepped into her dress.
"In a mean way?" Beckett asked, pausing.
"No just joking," Julia assured her. "But that's okay because it is a little true; we wear a lot of blue."
"I like that," Eliza said.
Sharing a smile with her mother Julia turned around so she could zip up her dress and she breathed, "Oh Mommy it's so pretty."
"On you it's very pretty," Beckett said, pulling her hair back gently. "You know your dress is almost the same color as mine," she said absently. "But mine doesn't have the silver kind of lace like yours has."
"I thought your dress was dark blue," Julia said, turning to her.
"We didn't tell you but that night your daddy surprised me with another dress, you'll see it at the ball," Beckett said. "But come on, now we can show him and your grandpapa." She took them by the hand and led them out saying to Castle and her father, "They're ready."
"Ready to dance it looks like," Castle said, smiling widely at the girls. "You look beautiful."
"He's right, you do," Jim agreed when the two had looked over to him as if for confirmation. "And it'll be great to see you wearing this at your first ball."
Eliza laughed a little nervously with her sister, squeezing her hand that took hers and relieved that they would be there together. "Can we wear now?"
"We have other dresses for tonight," Beckett said. "We'll be right back," she told the two men before taking them to change back into their clothes. "Okay so now we can look up at the toys."
"What can they get?" Jim asked, holding both girls by the hand.
"We'll need to see," Castle said, since he and Beckett had talked about that already. "But something small, not that car that Rupert's in please!" he said as the girls rushed to the different Rupert toys.
"I don't think they saw it," Beckett said in amusement, glancing at the model with the huge bear in it. "But I'm just relieved they have stuff from him."
"I know," Castle said. "Can you imagine their disappointment."
"I don't think I want to," Beckett replied. She watched as Eliza started to follow her sister, a large stuffed Rupert bear in her arms and she said, "I wonder if that'll join her horse with her at night."
"It might, you held that stuffed rabbit from your grandfather the first time like that and he joined Cadbury very quickly after," Jim said.
"Cadbury?" Castle asked in surprise as he'd never heard that before. "Why didn't you name the rabbit that?"
Giving him a look Beckett said, "I had a stuffed horse like Eliza does, I called it Cadbury since I saw the name on some chocolates he gave my mom on Valentine's Day. I liked the name."
"And the rabbit? Please tell me you named it Houdini," Castle said eagerly.
"It was named Leicester," Beckett replied. She smirked at her husband and told him, "The name came from an impossibly sweet teenager at the stables I rode at when I was eight and he was British. He told me he was from there and I liked that name too."
"I asked for it didn't I?" Castle asked her. He took her kiss and then said, "We should go and they look like they're ready."
Turning to look at the girls Beckett saw that he was right and she went over saying teasingly, "Did no one want the car? Or is it just because you couldn't carry it?"
After Eliza's peal of laughter at the thought of them carrying it Julia said jokingly, "We would have asked Grandpapa but he said it was too big."
"Okay," Beckett said in laughter. "You can get your stuffed Rupert Eliza and Julia…" she said before looking at the thick coloring book about the bear. "You can get these three books in one. Not bad choices but we should go so we can look through more of the building before we leave," she told them before they went to the registers to pay.
"You don't want to take her somewhere?" Jim asked his son in law while Beckett was paying.
"I did, I'm assuming this to mean you don't mind taking the girls around?" Castle asked him in response.
"I won't take them to see the toys again," Jim said. "But I was thinking of looking at the Food Hall; they're supposed to have a lot of different kinds of course."
"Great I would love to get some tea," Beckett said, coming over to them. "What?" she asked as her father and husband looked at her and the girls.
"They're going to head there," Castle said. "I'm taking you though."
"For what reason?" Beckett asked. "If it's to shop I'm sure you'd want to do that on your own," she said, though she already had a feeling of what he meant. "Rick," she said with a sigh when he shook his head.
"Let me do that this once," Castle begged her.
"Once? You did it Paris, that's-" Beckett began to say.
"Mommy you take us shopping for clothes," Julia said then, interrupting her. "Let him do that for you. And you could buy something for him too."
Beckett felt her resolve breaking then as Eliza nodded and she sighed saying, "Let me get you a tie for tonight."
"If you let me buy your dress for tonight," Castle responded immediately.
"Fine," Beckett said. "Then I guess you two are heading up there, we'll meet you there. I wasn't kidding about that tea."
"We'll wait for you to look at that," Jim said to his daughter. When the two had left he said to the girls, "Okay who's ready to see what desserts they have?" He wasn't surprised when the two immediately responded and he took their hands so they could leave themselves and take the escalator to the food section.
"I think I found it Kate," Castle said, showing her the tie his eye had gone straight to the second they'd reached the area in the store where they were.
"That fast?" Beckett asked, coming up to him. She smiled when she saw the light blue color and told him, "This is the same color as my dress."
"Probably why my eye went to it. Too bad I can't wear a suit for that ball," Castle replied. "But it does go with your necklace," he told her, holding it next to her pendant.
"Alright let's go," Beckett said, looking at the tag in the back. "It's from them," she told him.
"Harrods?" Castle asked. When she nodded he said, "Great, I'll be very sophisticated and a Londoner… in spirit." He merely smiled when she glanced back at him and watched her go to the registers before he went to speak with another worker there.
"Okay, we-" Beckett started to say when her husband pulled her by the hand. She was a little startled until he led her out and up two floors before they came to a store. "And I couldn't pick where I wanted to go?" she asked him teasingly.
"Hey you took me where the tie was so it's only fair," Castle said. He then looked at the employee approaching them and asked the woman, "Where is the clothing from Stella McCartney?"
Beckett glanced at her husband as he gestured for her to go ahead after the woman who'd turned to lead them but decided it would be pointless to protest. So she went after until they came to a section of clothing by the designer and her eyes rested on a dress almost immediately after looking briefly at what there was.
"I'll see if we have her size," the employee said with a smile after Castle had asked her.
"You're presumptuous," Beckett told him, turning to her husband.
"Sure but you have to think of one thing," Castle said. "It's going to be hard to get you out of that. I can tell you want it Kate."
Smiling as he had emphasized the word hard Beckett had to concede he was right but she could also tell that he didn't mind the fact it would be a little tight on her. She was about to go after the employee who had found the dress in her size and was taking it to a dressing room when her husband stopped her. "Rick that's more than enough," she protested.
"One more thing," Castle said. "Come on we won't be coming back here so let's indulge."
Sighing at that Beckett said, "You could have at least let me buy you more than the tie."
"Then we'll go back; there was a blazer I liked," Castle commented.
"The Burberry?" Beckett asked. When he nodded she said, "That'll be good but not quite enough."
"Enough?" Castle said, confused as he couldn't discern what she meant by that as he followed her through the clothes.
Around the time everyone was supposed to regroup on the bottom floor, in the Food Hall Julia was watching her grandfather taking a pink box from the person on the other side of the counter. "What about everyone else Grandpapa?" she asked him.
"They… they'll be able to decide right now," Jim said, looking ahead of them and seeing his daughter and son in law with Martha and Alexis. "I got dessert for the three of us while we were waiting," he told them when they were close enough to hear. "Pick something out and I'll treat everyone to their choice."
"We're going to be getting ready-" Beckett started to say as she hugged the girls to her tightly.
"For after the play," Jim said.
Glancing at her husband Beckett wasn't surprised when he busied himself with looking at the desserts so she turned to her father and said, "Thanks Dad."
"Thank you Jim," Alexis said, looking at what there was to pick.
Echoing her granddaughter Martha said, "What did you get?"
"I'm trying the exotic fruit tart," Jim responded. "Julia decided she wanted the raspberry lemon tart and Eliza got a gingerbread man."
"Yeah," the toddler said. "It looks pretty."
"Hopefully you won't mind eating him," Castle said. He wasn't surprised when she shook her head and he leaned down, kissing the top of her head before he asked for what his father in law had gotten. "It looks really interesting," he said to Jim.
"Must be the exotic part of it," Beckett said after she had ordered the same.
"I like the idea of the red fruit flan," Alexis said. She looked at Martha who had ordered the strawberry tart and said, "Great so are we heading out now?"
"One last thing," Castle told them before he went to where there were hampers for sale. "A little memento of our trip here," he explained to his wife.
Beckett saw that he was grabbing one with coffee and tea and she said, "So I guess you wanted coffee."
"I did," Castle said simply before he reached for her hand and they went to pay before they left with their families.
Looking at the black blazer and grey coat that his wife had picked out for him to buy her Castle said, "You'll look great when we're working."
"I hope that doesn't mean you want me to wear the blazer while we're writing," Beckett told him teasingly, stepping out of the bedroom. She smiled at her husband as he looked up at her and said, "I'll admit, I am glad you bought this for me," as he blatantly ogled her in her black, short sleeved dress. "And you're right; this might be a little hard for you to get off of me."
"Nothing I haven't been able to do before," Castle said. "Since this is your second dress this tight."
Since her husband had walked up to her while he'd spoken Beckett took his right hand and placed it on her side saying, "For later," before she kissed him.
Castle tried his hardest not to groan, wrapping his arms tightly around her before he fought her tongue that has slipped into his mouth. They dueled around each other wildly until they parted out of an extreme need to breathe and as he looked down at his wife's reddened lips he said, "You didn't put on lipstick?"
"I waited," Beckett said, smiling at him. She tilted her head to the left as her hair was draped over that shoulder, letting him press his lips all over the other side of her neck before he stood up straight. "You're welcome."
"Well… I never said I didn't want you riding me," Castle said as he picked up her shawl for her. He turned to her and jumped a little finding that she was right in front of him. He was about to speak when she ran her hands down his chest and then gently straightened his tie. "The play won't take all that long," he told her, his hands on the small of her back as he held her close.
"I know but-" Beckett started to say when she felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. She couldn't help laugh saying, "We took too long."
Reading the message Castle said, "Way too long, they're in the lobby."
"So either your mother is eager to go or-" Beckett started to say.
"The girls are hungry," Castle said at the same time with her. "Or else they're as eager as Mother."
"It could be that," Beckett said with a slight laugh as she draped her shawl over her arms as her husband brushed his lips at the junction of her shoulder. They left together and when they made it to where their family was she said, "You couldn't wait," slightly teasingly to the girls.
"We wanna see the play," Julia said before she and her sister went to their mother to hug her.
"You both look beautiful, let's go," Castle said as they came to him and hugged him. When they had gotten into the first cab he was surprised when his wife told the driver, "Rules restaurant." "Alexis told me that place was closed…" he then began as they were driving.
"We weren't sure if that would be enough to keep you from looking into it," Beckett said in amusement as she watched him. "But luckily she was right. We talked together between us about what you liked to do here in the city and she mentioned Rules so…"
"Thank you," Castle said. He looked at the girls and said, "I went with your sister and gram the first time we brought Alexis here and we went to that restaurant since it's not too far from the theaters. You'll love it."
"She said you got her the chicken?" Beckett asked.
"She enjoyed it so I'm sure the girls will," Castle said.
"Don't they have a kids menu?" Julia asked.
"No but you'll enjoy it still," Beckett replied.
"'lexis did," Eliza said easily.
Julia wanted to comment on that but they had stopped and she said instead, "We're here?"
"We are," Castle replied as he opened the door and stopped out first. "We couldn't walk, not when you're wearing dresses and it's still raining," he told Julia as he looked over at the other cab where Jim was opening the door for Martha and Alexis.
"Are you surprised Dad?" the young woman asked him when they were all together again.
"Yeah, thank you for that," Castle said, holding his arm out for her to put hers through while behind them Beckett was walking with her father. "And you too Kate," he said back to her.
"You're welcome love," Beckett replied, smiling at him.
The family went inside and were seated at a half circular booth where they helped the girls pick something to eat together.
After they had all their drinks Castle raised his glass and said, "To our vacation again, it's been a great one I think."
"For our first?" Beckett asked him with a smile.
"Exactly," Castle replied before they started to tap their glasses together. He couldn't help himself and leaned over, kissing her gently and quickly before they pulled away to turn their attention to the others.
"Are you excited darling?" Martha was asking Eliza as she was sitting next to her.
Nodding the toddler said with a smile, "I wanna see the play."
"You know this is going to be a different one than the one we saw back home," Jim said, sitting on her other side.
"Is it?" Eliza asked, looking at him. When he nodded she looked at her sister who was sitting between their mother and big sister.
"It's a good play," Julia assured her. "You will like it a lot."
"Kay," Eliza said, squirming a little. She then remembered something and said, "What did you buy Daddy?"
"I think she means what did you buy at the store," Beckett said as her husband looked confused.
"Oh well I bought your mom this dress," Castle said, motioning to it with his hand before his wife slapped it to make him stop. "This lovely dress-"
"Okay Rick," Beckett said in exasperation though she couldn't help laughing at him as he was so earnest in tone.
"It is a lovely dress Kate," Martha told her.
After his wife had murmured a thank you Castle continued saying, "And I also got her a blazer and coat. And the great thing about everything is everything's from Stella."
"Again?" Julia asked though she was smiling widely.
"Your daddy insisted on it," Beckett told her, looking at him in amusement.
"I thought there would be things she liked there so I took her to her clothes," Castle said. He repeated that in his mind and then said, "Sorry if I was a little redundant."
"You made your point," Alexis replied. At that moment their food was served to them and she watched as Castle took the meat off the chicken for the girls before handing one plate to Julia next to her. "What do you think?" she asked the little girl who was studying her plate.
"It's very fancy," Julia whispered to her.
"It's good though," Alexis assured her. "I remember eating it." She then glanced across the table and said, "And Lizzy likes it."
Unable to help giggling as she watched Eliza eating a piece of chicken with something else Julia told her sister, "They're sneaking the artichoke on her fork."
"And she still likes it," Beckett commented, having heard that. "Try it sweetie and I'll let you try mine."
"I get the feeling we'll be trying everybody's dishes," Castle commented.
"More than likely," Martha said with a smile. "So I don't want to finish with tonight already but I have to ask about tomorrow."
"The Victoria and Albert Museum," Beckett answered first.
"That one we didn't go to," Alexis said as Julia and Eliza looked at her. "So we'll all be going to it for the first time."
"Do they have stuff?" Eliza asked.
"Very awesome stuff," Castle said.
Beckett, sipping at her wine, shook her head before she then said, "A number of different things. Like clothes and art and furniture. If we had the book we'd show you the things they have there and you could see how big it is too."
"How big?" Julia said.
"Six floors," Castle replied. "And huge rooms from the map in the book. So now I think it's come to this; we have to run."
"Daddy!" the girls protested though they kept their voices low.
"Sorry I couldn't help doing that," Castle said in laughter. "Of course we're not going to run; you can't do that in a museum. But we'll have to go fast to see what we can of what there is."
"We have a few more days after that," Jim commented after they were silent for a moment to continue eating. "What else do we have to see now?"
"The Natural History Museum," Beckett commented. "Maybe Hampton Court if it doesn't take too long to get there."
"Is that a palace?" Julia asked.
"It is," Beckett said, looking at her father.
Seeing that Julia smiled and said, "There's history there?"
"A lot," Jim said with a nod.
"One day we were talking about visiting St. Paul's and Hyde Park," Castle then continued. "Since we haven't gotten to those yet."
"I want to see," Eliza said. "Please?"
"We'll try," Beckett assured her. "But what did you think of the museum today, what was your favorite thing to see?"
"The horsies," Eliza said firmly.
"Any horsies or…" Castle began as they all looked at her.
"All of them," Eliza said, her tone of voice the same.
Laughing with the others Castle said, "I think that's good enough. And not unexpected."
"Is everyone enjoying the food?" Beckett asked then as they stopped laughing.
"Very, this place has not changed," Martha responded first. "Girls?"
"I like my chicken," Julia said with a smile. "I'm glad they let us come here for dinner."
"We made sure you could," Beckett replied.
"Yay," Eliza said happily but quietly, smiling as her grandmother leaned over and kissed her cheek.
As they went through the rest of the meal the others talked about what they had enjoyed seeing at the museum until they were finished and once the meal was paid for they left, going back out into the rain. Taking two cabs again they soon came to the Theater Royal on Drury Lane; only a three minute drive away; and the girls looked up at the white pillars at the front of it before they stepped inside.
"Look around you girls," Martha told them, seeing their awe and delighting in it. "And breathe in the history of this building."
"Is it old?" Julia asked.
"This building is," Alexis said, looking at their grandmother. "This one is the fourth Theater Royal."
"Why?" Eliza asked, taking her hand as they were led into the theater itself.
"I'll explain when we sit…" Alexis began to say as they were being led away from the main seating area.
"Richard," Martha said in amazement. "A box?"
"I agreed," Beckett told her mother in law as they stepped inside to sit down, the girls closest to the stage. "When we were looking for tickets that we weren't going to be doing this that often, so why not? After all, it's our first family summer vacation."
"It is," Martha said, squeezing her son's arm around Alexis.
"'lexis what were you saying before?" Julia said, leaning back and looking over at her.
"This theater burned down three times before they made this one," Alexis answered. "So it's an old theater, just not the same building."
"Is it on ground?" Eliza asked. "The same one?"
"It is," Alexis said with a smile. "It's pretty isn't it?"
"Yeah," Julia said, her little sister nodding in agreement with her. She watched as the gold and white theater soon filled up and the curtains rose. She looked at her mother who was sitting next to her and Eliza on her lap and then looked back to watch the show. Though she'd seen Annie many times it was still her favorite and that time was no exception. She was so involved with watching that she didn't have a chance to look to see if Eliza was too until the intermission. "Do you like it?" she asked the toddler eagerly as Jim, Martha and Alexis left them alone in the balcony to get them drinks.
"Yeah I like the songs," Eliza said, smiling. "It is 'lexis?"
Laughing softly Castle leaned over and kissed her temple saying, "Alexis' hair was never that curly sweetheart. But I'm not surprised you thought of her."
"I really hope your mom doesn't mind we're seeing this," Beckett said to her husband as she let Eliza get down to stretch her legs and they walked to the back of the box where they could still keep an eye on their daughters and have some privacy.
"You don't need to worry," Castle replied, putting his arm around her and pulling her close. "She's taking this as another chance to expose Eliza to the theater."
"That doesn't surprise me," Beckett said with a smile on her face since it had been Martha's idea to take Eliza to see Mary Poppins for her first play. "You're enjoying this? We've seen this play so many times…"
"I am, I was watching Eliza through most of it," Castle told her. "And the expressions on her face, it's as entertaining as the play. You were doing the same too weren't you?"
"I may have," Beckett said. She smiled a little wider when her husband bent over and kissed her cheek, hugging her tightly to his side. She turned to him and kissed him hungrily on the lips before they shortly parted as they knew they didn't have time for anything more yet. "Hmm, you know what I'm hoping," she told him.
"No idea," Castle replied.
Beckett would have continued but the rest of their family came back inside and they had to part to get the girls their drinks before they sat down for the second half of the show. She felt her husband squeezing her hand tightly as the play began again, turning her attention fully to the stage as she knew it would be too easy to focus on him. Reminding herself they had time that night she hugged Eliza to her slightly, kissing her temple as onstage Annie began again.
"Guys," Castle said, watching the two in amusement. "Less splashing okay? I don't know if your mom would be that happy if she saw me get this suit all wet."
"Why would she care?" Julia asked in surprise as she and her sister stopped hitting their rubber ducks together in the tub.
"She bought me everything I'm wearing tonight," Castle replied. "I forgot to tell you," he said, unable to help chuckling under his breath at the way the girls studied him in amazement.
"I wouldn't mind if it was a little wet," Beckett said. "No don't start," she said quickly as the two groaned loudly in protest at her appearance. "I gave you longer than I should have for this bath," she said. "So come on, out." She smiled at her husband as he kissed her cheek in passing to get Eliza out and dried before he took her out into the bedroom since everyone else was in the sitting room of the suite. She helped Julia before she was dressed and watched Castle helping their youngest brush her teeth.
"Don't say we need to go to bed yet," Julia begged as they went to the large bed they were sharing in one of the three bedrooms their suite had.
"You do," Castle said simply as he knew his wife was going to. "But tomorrow we'll have more to do remember." He went to Beckett and kissed her cheek saying, "I'll go and get everyone."
Watching him leave Julia smiled at her mother and said, "You stopped him from kissing before didn't you?" When Beckett only glanced at her she said simply, "I can tell, he keeps kissing you."
"You're too smart Julia," Beckett replied simply before she leaned over to press a kiss to her forehead.
Looking over as Castle came back in with the others Eliza jumped up and down on her knees until they were at the side of the bed. "Who first?"
"I would say your parents," Jim said. He smiled at his daughter and son in law as the girls protested and then said, "But they're tucking you in so I'll say it first." He sat on the edge of the bed, holding his arms out to them both before they came into his embrace. "I love you Julia, Eliza, I'll see you in the morning for breakfast and then we'll see what this museum has."
"Love you too Grandpapa," Eliza said after they'd shared a kiss. "I wanna see too."
"And I love you Grandpapa," Julia added. She shared a kiss with him and then smiled saying, "I think everyone wants to see the museum."
After Beckett's father had given them a final hug and moved Martha sat where he'd been and took the girls into her arms. "Goodnight you two and sweet dreams. Did you enjoy the theater?" she said first. At their mutual nods she smiled and shared a kiss with them both saying, "Good I did as well. But now I think I should say I love you darlings."
"I love you Gram," Julia said first, hugging her.
"I love you too Gram," Eliza added, embracing her after her sister had pulled away. She was surprised when Alexis; after sitting on the edge of the bed; put her on her lap and she threw her arms tightly around her sister's neck saying, "I love you 'lexis."
"I love you too Lizzy," the young woman told her. After sharing a kiss with her she then pulled Julia into her arms and said, "I love you Jules, sweet dreams."
"I love you 'lexis," the little girl replied before kissing her big sister. She hugged her one last time and then said, "Night."
When they were alone in the room Castle sat down next to the girls and said, "I'm proud of you two."
"Why?" Julia asked in confusion as her sister looked as her tone had sounded.
"You were very nicely behaved at the restaurant; your big sister was the same," Castle explained. "And you were the same at the theater."
"Why do we be bad?" Eliza asked. She thought and then said, "I don't want time out."
"She makes a good point," Castle said, looking up at his wife who was standing next to him.
Running her hand over the back of his head Beckett told him, "She does but you need to say goodnight."
"Okay you heard your mom," Castle told them as he hugged them to him. "Sweet dreams you two and I love you Julia, Eliza."
"I love you Daddy," Julia said first before he kissed her.
"And I love you too Daddy," Eliza was quick to say as she hugged him tightly next and shared a kiss with him.
"They're all set love," Castle said, smiling at her.
"Don't go anywhere," Beckett told him with a smile as he reached for her hand and kissed the back of it. "Julia," she said to the little girl in mock warning as she sat where he'd been and seeing she was smirking a little.
"Sorry," Julia said, biting back a giggle before she snuggled against her mother's side as Eliza sat on her lap. "I love you Mommy," she then said.
"I love you too sweetie," Beckett said, kissing her forehead before they shared a kiss. She watched Eliza touch the right sleeve of her dress and said, "So you two liked this?"
"I think it's more important that Daddy does and you," Julia said, smiling at her mother as she pretended to add the last quickly.
"I'm pretty sure we both do," Castle commented, smiling at them. "You do look stunning love."
"Thank you," Beckett said, sending him a look that told him to stop nearly ogling her in front of their daughters. "And you two were very cute tonight," she told them before leaning over and kissing their youngest. "I love you Eliza."
"I love you too Mommy," the toddler replied immediately. She then said, "Don't wanna sleep."
"I know but we have another full day tomorrow," Beckett said as she watched Castle take her off her lap. She stood and with his help got the two to lie down before she tucked them in. After she and her husband had kissed them on their foreheads she said, "You have the sound of the rain on the window, so you'll be able to fall right asleep."
Glancing at her little sister with her Rupert bear tucked in on the other side of her Julia tried not to laugh through her exhaustion as Eliza was already out. "I'll sleep soon Mommy," she promised. "Night."
"Goodnight Julia," Castle said, Beckett echoing him. He went to the door with his wife then and they stood together in the doorway, watching Julia as she turned onto her side to fall asleep. They went out and after he had the door closed behind him he said, "They're all set. Are we having a nightcap?" he added when he saw the mugs in everyone's hands.
"Just some tea," Alexis replied. "We're not going to bed yet but it'll be nice to relax with."
"Thank you," Beckett said to her father as he handed her a cup. She put some honey in it and then sat on the couch which for some reason the others had left clear for her and Castle who soon had his own mug.
"I was telling Gram and Jim about that cup earlier," Alexis said.
"We had wondered why on earth you two raced past it with the girls," Martha said. "But now we know what was on it we understand of course."
"It is a piece of art," Jim said.
"I agree, just not something we need to explain to them," Castle said, looking back over at the doorway to the bedroom. "Not now at the age they are."
"But did you enjoy everything else," Martha stated instead of asking.
"We weren't kidding when we said yes," Beckett replied with a smile. "I think that was great for the girls though; it gives them a look at history and some of the world too."
"Were you serious about Japan?" Alexis asked them.
"We both want to go," Castle answered. "And I'm sure the girls will want to go once we tell them more about it." He then looked at his wife and said, "We need to make a list of places love. Everywhere we want to go, which we can visit now that Eliza's this age."
"We never have done that," Beckett commented, more for the others to know as she and Castle already did.
"How long a list would it be though?" Jim asked in amusement as he knew about how his daughter and son in law talked about visiting different places.
"Probably long," Castle said, taking his wife's hand and entwining their fingers tightly though they had to drink their tea with one hand. "But we have summers where we can combine places like we did this time and then there are Spring Breaks with the girls."
"We'll have a lot of chances," Beckett commented easily. "But for now we should concentrate on this trip."
"I have to say I am interested in meeting your cousin Kate," Martha told her daughter in law.
"She thinks he's attractive," Alexis said with a smile on her face.
"With those eyes of course," Martha said, her tone not defensive in the slightest. "But I have to wonder why he accepted you so quickly without meeting face to face."
"We already spoke about that," Beckett said first. "Your son thinks it's because he has our books and has seen my picture."
"The shape of their eyes Gram," Alexis told her. "I noticed," she told her dad and stepmother.
"Hard not to," Jim said. He smiled at his daughter and told her, "I wouldn't be surprised if he used your meeting as a final test. You'll take the rosary?"
"Of course I have it ready to go," Beckett replied. "But I think," she said as she looked down at her mug and saw that she had finished. "We should go; we're going to need some sleep."
Standing up with his wife Castle said goodnight to the others with her, saying when they would come down for breakfast the next morning. As they left to walk to the elevators he took her hand and squeezed it gently before telling her, "We didn't really have to leave did we?"
"Not really," Beckett said, a slight smile turning up the corners of her mouth. "But we had to, the way you were running your thumb on my hand… Rick," she then said warningly.
"What? I can't demonstrate how I was doing that to you?" Castle asked jokingly as they stepped into an elevator.
"Not out here," Beckett said.
"But we're in an elevator… and you're not slipping your hand away from me like you could," Castle told her, pulling her closer to him.
"We…" Beckett started to say, expecting him to kiss her. She nearly breathed out in relief when the elevator stopped and they went out together down the hall and to their door. She let her husband open it since he had the key but watched him walk inside and lock it behind them. "I told you you would look great in that suit," she said to him, wanting the chance to tease him a little as he'd done to her.
"I never doubt my wife," Castle said. He laughed when she punched his shoulder and he took her hand. But that time he pulled her over to the couch and they sat together, his arm around her waist as they listened to the sound of the rain falling together.
"It's a beautiful sound," Beckett murmured, looking over at the window.
"It is," Castle said, glancing over with her. He looked at her seriously and once she had turned her head he told her, "I love you Kate."
"I love you too Rick," Beckett said, a slight smile on her face as she reached up and gently brushed her fingertips against his chin. "Are you afraid?" she asked him softly. "Of going too far?"
"It doesn't feel right, at this moment anyway," Castle began. "To really do that. I think we should… maybe see how things might progress." He listened to the sound of rain as they fell silent and he looked at his wife from time to time before he slowly reached up her side. "Can I?" he breathed out as she looked at him.
"Please," Beckett said as they stared at each other intensely. She sighed as he ran his hand up to the curve of her breast, closing her eyes as she knew that he was feeling the warmth of her skin through her dress. She smiled and said as she looked at him, "I don't know if I should call you a pervert or not."
"I don't know I'm not really groping… or am I?" Castle said, sounding a little panicked at the end.
"Calm down, you're not," Beckett said, leaning over and kissing his cheek. She then felt him starting to rub her side very gently and slowly and she sighed in pleasure as it was a more comforting sensation than sexual. "You're giving me mixed signals," she couldn't help but say eventually.
"I want to make this last… for a change," Castle told her with a smile.
Giving a mock indignant sigh at that Beckett told him teasingly, "I don't suffer casual sex. And I never want to have that with my husband." She glanced at him and said, "But again, it's never been that for us love."
"No," Castle said, standing up then.
Beckett watched him go to the window and she sighed saying, "We can start, you don't need permission from me."
"No I actually… kind of already had a plan about how this was going to go," Castle said, looking back at her. He then winced when he realized how that had sounded and then hurried to tell her, "I'd like it to go that way."
"I understood," Beckett said with a smile. She held her hand out to him until he returned to her and once he was sitting as well she got up so she could go onto his lap. Wrapping her arms around him she told him, "What were these plans," she said, making him raise his head from looking at her chest.
"A little touching perhaps… kissing… clothes coming off… and then we move to the bed," Castle said idly. He smiled when his wife pushed him playfully though not that hard and told her, "I didn't think about it in detail, just had those ideas."
"I think we can say the touching has happened," Beckett said as she was beginning to undo his tie. "But let's start a little with the clothes…" she said, glancing up at him at the end.
"A little, if I take this off of you… then things are really going to get started," Castle said as he ran his hands over her sides slowly.
"If you can," Beckett said helping him take off his blazer before it joined his tie. As soon as she was leaning back against him she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply while he was putting his hands flat on her back. She wasn't surprised when things became rough very rapidly and she knew that night would be intense. She ran her hands up from his neck to his hair where she raked her nails over his scalp, both of them shuddering in pleasure and breaking the kiss. She smiled as he stared at her and then got off of him, moving slowly on him as she had been able to easily feel his erection.
Watching her go with wide eyes Castle rushed to stand up and go to her; wrapping his arms around her once he reached her. "You're going to kill me… but if you're riding me just promise me you'll at least let me come."
"You don't think I would," Beckett asked, becoming a little breathless as her husband was pressing his lips all over her neck and making her tilt her head back in pleasure. She eventually made him stop and told him, "I need you to be with me Rick; right now."
Knowing that was her promise to him they would be together that night; whatever they did; Castle let her pull him into the bedroom after her. As they began to pull off each other's clothes they kissed hungrily, trying to touch what they could of one another until finally he could lay her on the bed. Her hands pulling him to her body he hovered above her, involving them in yet another kiss as he made sure to work them up to the point where their passion overtook them and they shared their joy in the fact it had for the rest of the night.