Watching them go Martha turned to her granddaughter and hugged her saying, "I'll echo your statement, until December and Christmas. But as for your studies, don't forget to have some fun… responsibly."
Laughing a little at that Alexis kissed her cheeks and said, "I will Gram and I'll talk to you whenever I can too. I love you."
"Love you too darling," Martha said simply. She cupped her cheeks before finally walking away and leaving the two alone to search out her youngest granddaughters to see how they were doing as she brushed a tear from her cheek.
"Your gram is right, you'll have fun here," Castle told his daughter once they were alone in the room. "And you'll do great."
"Thank you Dad," Alexis said, smiling a little at him. "I… asked Kate to help me earlier because I told her to look out for you while I'm gone. But she's been doing that for a while now… I guess it was just a reminder." She then thought for a moment and said, "She makes you happy?"
"Yeah," Castle said, remembering when she had last asked that and how much had changed from that point. "I'll be okay sweetheart. I'll miss you but I'll be okay. I have a lot of support. But that won't make me miss you any less either."
"I'd be insulted if you did," Alexis said, smiling at him. She then went to him, hugging him tightly and said, "I wish this wasn't so far away but it's my chance at a career."
"It is and I know this is what you have to do," Castle said. He then let go of her saying, "You'll do great here and when you come home in two years I'll have to call you Dr. Castle."
Alexis couldn't help laugh at that and said, pointing to one of the pictures on her table, "I'll still be your little girl. And I love you Dad"
"I love you too Alexis," Castle replied. He kissed her on the forehead then and told her seriously, "Call if you need anything at all and I'll be there for you. We love you Alexis and we're proud of you; your whole family."
"I know Dad and I love you all too," Alexis said as she nodded and she and her father hugged one last time before he was leaving, smiling at her in the doorway before he disappeared. She turned to her bed, brushing aside the tears on her cheeks and hoping her family would be alright as they left. She was tempted to go to the window to look for them but knowing it wasn't the best idea she took her posters out to start hanging them up to distract herself from the fact that she was alone.
Stepping outside the townhouse Castle saw that his family was in their car and that Beckett was inside while their parents were looking in. As he hurried down to them he could hear the girls were crying softly still so he went in between Martha and Jim saying, "Hey you two."
"Is that it? We have to go?" Julia whispered.
"We do but that's because we need to check back into our hotel," Castle said.
Struggling not to cry as she could tell that her father had stopped doing so at some point Julia took her sister's hand saying, "She's gonna have fun here, she has friends."
"She does and she'll look forward to talking to us too," Castle told them.
"Your daddy's right," Beckett said. "So let's get back to London and we'll have some fish and chips tonight okay?"
"I am sorry," Eliza said then as her mother was getting up to leave.
"Why on earth should you be sorry kiddo?" Martha asked. She then realized the answer to her own question and quickly said, "It's okay to cry, you will miss your sister."
"You too Grandpapa?" Eliza asked as her mother left and Martha and Jim got inside.
"I will," Beckett's father replied simply. "But she'll come home and think of how happy you'll be when you see her."
"She'll be home for a month almost; a pretty long time to play and talk," Castle said, letting Beckett take the keys from him.
"Can we make a calendar?" Julia then asked. When her parents nodded she turned to her sister, distracting her about how to decorate it when Eliza asked her about drawing pictures they could send to their sister. "And we can send little letters too, so she gets mail," she said excitedly.
Closing the door Castle was relieved to see the two seemed to have recovered a little and he said to Beckett next to him, "We have to keep our minds on that, her coming home."
"A great idea," Beckett then said, kissing his cheek gently. "Come on, let's get back to London."
Nodding Castle didn't allow himself to look back at the townhouse, deciding that when he saw it again it would be when they were going to spend time with Alexis and not leaving her. With that thought in mind he got into the car and looked on as Beckett drove them away and back to the road to the capital.
"Where are we going?" Julia asked as they were walking across a street later that afternoon.
"It's a surprise," Beckett said, smiling at her husband as he was carrying Eliza on his shoulders.
"Are we going on the Tube!" Julia cried a little loudly, wincing and giggly shyly when others around them looked at her.
"We realized we hadn't taken you on this so for our last night we're going," Castle said. "We thought you might like it."
"Of course we will!" Julia said, watching Castle transfer Eliza to his arms. "Right Lizzy?"
"Yeah… the subway?" Eliza asked.
"It's the Tube," Julia said in excitement as they started to go down into the station. "The place we're going is that far?"
"Not really we're only going to ride for… seven minutes, if that," Castle answered.
"Did Gram and Grandpapa not come 'cause they're sad?" Julia then asked.
Unable to answer as they had to get their tickets Beckett held off until they were waiting for the next train telling her, "No they just didn't want fish and chips tonight and the bar is supposed to have great food."
Julia nodded at that and then waited for the train eagerly until it soon reached them and they were stepping on board. She didn't care that they had to stand, enjoying the ride until their stop. As they walked down the street coming back up, she looked around eagerly until they reached the restaurant and inside she and Eliza sat with their father while Beckett went to order. "Okay Daddy?" she asked, standing up and going around the table to lean against him.
"I'm just fine sweetheart," Castle said, smiling at her. "Still missing your sister though, I'm looking forward to talking to her later."
"Are you mad she's having dinner with Louis?" Julia asked.
"Don't be mad Daddy," Eliza said, having been listening to them.
"I'm not, don't worry," Castle said. "I'm glad he is that way she won't need to be on her own the first night. But we'll tell her all about our trip on the Tube right."
"Yeah," Julia said happily with her sister. "But she went on it before didn't she?"
"Oh of course, we went on a number of times," Castle said.
"Why don't we go?" Eliza asked.
"Because it was easier to walk or take cabs," Beckett said. "And a couple times we forgot. Here are your drinks, do not start on them yet okay?"
"I wanna eat," Eliza said, wrinkling her nose. She smiled when her mother kissed her cheek and then said, "Kiss Daddy too Mommy. He is sad."
Castle wanted to object to that but his wife was leaning over and kissing his lips tenderly so he wanted to respond. They weren't doing that for too long so once she had pulled away he told their daughters, "Again, not sad I'm just missing your sister."
Beckett was going to speak when she then heard their number called and she went over to get the cones of 'newspaper' that held the fish and chips. When she sat down again she kept Julia from coming over to sit next to her and said, "Help your daddy help Eliza eat."
"Okay," Julia said with a smile as she knew her mother actually meant for her and her sister to try and comfort him. She wondered how exactly they could do that but as Eliza was squealing slightly as she put a fry to her mouth and Castle was kissing her forehead with a smile she guessed they didn't have to work that hard at it.
As they were eating Beckett said, "I'm eager to see Macca again."
"So am I," Castle said. "Be careful when we do you two," he told their daughters.
"Why Daddy?" Eliza asked.
"He's going to jump and knock us over," Julia told her. "But I want to see him too. And I miss my bed."
"I do too," Beckett said.
"Me too," Castle said, smiling widely at his wife then before he handed Eliza a piece of fish after dipping it in tartar sauce.
"What are we gonna do after this?" Julia asked after they were silent for a little.
"We're going to head back to the hotel, you two will have a bath and we'll talk to Alexis at some point before we go to bed," Beckett told them.
"I wanna bath," Eliza pronounced them proudly. She giggled when her family looked at her in surprise and said, "I want my duck."
"Rubber duckies," Julia corrected her.
"You can play with them if you have enough time," Castle said. "Do you like their fish and chips?" he asked as they were well into their cones.
"Yeah but it's not a real newspaper," Julia said. She smiled when her parents looked at her and said, "But it's good, I still like it."
Beckett shook her head and then went back to eating, keeping a close eye on the three across from her as they soon finished their meal. As they were leaving she was holding Eliza, watching Castle and Julia swinging their hands in between each other before they walked back to the Tube station.
When they had made their way up and over to the hotel Castle texted his mother once they were in the lobby and said, "They're up in their rooms now."
"Did they not eat a lot?" Julia asked. "Or did they have fish and chips too?"
"We'll have to ask them but after we talk to Alexis, she's ready to speak to us," Castle said. He shared a smile with his wife as their daughters exclaimed in happiness and they made their way over to the elevators.
When they had made their way to the room that Martha was going to share with the girls Beckett asked, "She's not eating dinner?"
"Their pizzas will be a little late," Castle's mother replied as she hugged the girls. "She's searching for the utensils and plates with Louis, she'll text me shortly and then we'll talk to her." She smiled when Julia and Eliza then asked her and Jim; who was there too; about their dinner. They talked about their meals until her phone alerted them to Alexis' text and Castle hurried to connect his tablet to the TV before her oldest granddaughter appeared on the screen.
"Hey everyone," Alexis said, looking at everyone. "Wow, I feel so special, you're all here to speak to me."
"Why not?" Martha said. "Did you find everything?"
"We did, we're just waiting on the pizza," Alexis said.
"Are you gonna watch movies?" Eliza asked carefully.
"We are, we seem to be waxing nostalgic," Alexis answered with a smile. "So we're going to watch some cartoons."
"Should be fun," Beckett said. "How is it now you're there?"
"I live in a home… almost on my own," Alexis said with a smile. "I miss having family around," she was quick to add. "But as far as homes go… it won't be too bad."
"Where are you right now?" Castle asked, looking behind his daughter and seeing some pictures and what looked to be posters.
"What do you think?" Alexis asked, getting out of the way. "I made my own frames from black cardboard since there's no way I can hang stuff up with nails. You have to love painters tape."
"Are those pictures of us?" Julia asked, seeing some of her with her two sisters in the middle of the landscape photographs.
"They are and I have a little bit of home here," Alexis explained. "The city and the Hamptons," she said, holding her tablet closer to the pictures. "Not a lot but some."
"You have interesting posters," Castle said, a little laughingly as one was of the cover of Abbey Road.
"You got that one?" Beckett asked in surprise.
"Look at the picture underneath," Alexis said, showing it was the one she'd taken with her sisters and father walking across the same street.
"Interesting," Jim said. "You like the picture of the cover don't you?"
"It's one of my favorite covers," Alexis said, looking to Julia then with a smile.
"I still think Sgt. Pepper's the best but that's nice too," the little girl said before she started to giggle.
"So what are you planning on doing tomorrow?" Martha asked.
"Wait I want to hear what you did when you got back to London," Alexis replied. She smiled as her sisters told her about going on the Tube and to the fish and chips shop before going back to talk to her. "I'm not surprised you enjoyed the Tube, it is fun," knowing Julia had since one of Paul McCartney's music videos had taken place there.
"It was," Julia replied with a wide smile. "What about you? Did you hang up the pictures?"
"I did and then I showed Louis around when he got here," Alexis replied. "It didn't take long but he likes it. What about you Gram, and Jim?" After they had told her about eating at the hotel's bar she then said to her grandmother's repeated question of plans, "I'm going to walk over to Louis' place; he's not far; and get a grand tour; before we run together along the river. And after that we might walk through the city again, just get acquainted with it more. Of course that's up until Padma and Diana get here. Then I'll help them move in."
"Sounds like you'll have fun with that," Beckett said.
"Do you need to go?" Alexis asked, seeing her stepmother was looking at her watch.
"No you can talk a little more, or until the pizzas arrive," Beckett told them. She and the others spoke with the young woman for a little longer, the girls telling their big sister about their plans for the next day. "I don't know if there's much you can say about being on a plane," she told them with a smile as the two stopped suddenly, unsure of what else they could mention. "We'll probably sleep most of the time."
"And have lunch," Castle added.
"Are you going to go home or stay in the city?" Alexis asked.
"Go home," Castle said as he and Beckett had talked about that already. "We need to get rid of jet lag and get the girls ready for school."
"You have to go you two," Jim said, smiling as everyone looked to them and saw they didn't exactly look pleased at that idea.
"He's right, you do," Castle said.
"Now it's time to say goodnight," Beckett said when all of a sudden there was the sound of a doorbell ringing on Alexis' end.
"Okay then let me say this quickly," the young woman said. "Jim it was great talking to you, see you when I get back home."
"Good luck and have fun exploring Oxford again," Beckett's father replied.
"Gram I love you and safe trip," Alexis said.
"I love you as well darling, have fun tomorrow," Martha said. "That's an order."
"Okay," Alexis said with a laugh. "Goodnight Kate, we'll talk tomorrow hopefully."
"We'll contact you the second we can," Beckett replied with a nod. "Night."
"Jules, Lizzy, I love you two, goodnight," Alexis said to her sisters, smiling at them.
"Night 'lexis, love you," Julia said softly, remembering they weren't going to be sharing a bed with her that night and missing that.
"Love you too 'lexis," Eliza said in a rush.
"And I love you too Dad," Alexis said more simply to him, smiling a little.
"I love you Alexis, we'll call tomorrow," Castle said. When they all waved to her in goodbye he unhooked his tablet and asked his wife, "Time for a bath?"
"It is," Beckett said, looking at the girls.
Sighing Julia said, "Can we still play or we took too long?"
"You can play," Beckett replied, taking them from the couch where they'd been sitting together and leading them over to the bathroom.
"I think," Jim said quickly to stop her. "I'll head to my room now."
"Too early Grandpapa," Eliza said.
"It's not that early and I was going to read before I go to sleep," Jim said, taking them in his arms as they hurried over to him. "But I want to get some rest before we go. So I'll say goodnight now and that I love you Julia, Eliza."
"Love you Grandpapa," the toddler responded first before sharing a kiss with him.
After she had done the same Julia said, "I love you too Grandpapa, you'll see us sometimes now that summer is over right?"
"Of course, I will come over on the weekends whenever I can," Jim assured them. He kissed them both and then went to his daughter, hugging her and telling her and the others goodnight before he left for his room down the hall.
"I'm not going to sleep yet," Martha assured them, smiling as the girls turned to her together. "Go take your bath."
Leading the girls then to the bathroom Beckett helped Eliza undress as Castle came in and filled the tub for them. "Where are the ducks?" she asked him after they had washed the girls' hair and washed their bodies as well.
"Here," Martha said, coming in. "It'll be interesting to know what you'll play this time."
When Eliza looked at her Julia said in surprise, "You don't know what to play?"
"No," the toddler replied as they got into the tub.
"Well…" Julia said as she looked at the ducks they were both holding. "Why don't we make them surf?"
"Kay," Eliza said eagerly. "What about waves?"
"No, Rick sit down," Beckett said in a mock stern tone of voice as she knew he was about to offer to make them. "Pretend there are waves please, I don't want water all over the floor."
Giggling with her sister at their mother's tone Julia said, "We can do that but we might splash a little."
"Little bit," Eliza added.
Martha watched as her son sat down then pulled Beckett over to sit on his lap and she smiled before saying, "I'll be out in the room waiting to say goodnight."
"You don't want to stay and watch?" Julia asked.
"I have been for a little," Martha replied.
"You're going to get ready for bed?" Castle asked his mother. When she nodded he said, "Go ahead when you're done you can come back and see if they're still playing."
"They probably will be," Martha said in amusement.
When the door was closed Beckett turned to the tub to see that Eliza was letting her rubber duck drop from where she was holding it high above the water. "So you decided to do that since you thought I wouldn't look?" she asked teasingly.
Giggling heavily Eliza said. "Wanna splash Mommy."
"It's not too bad," Castle said, looking up at his wife.
"Yeah he's right Mommy, the water didn't even go out of the tub," Julia was quick to say.
"Alright but if it gets bad we'll take you two out," Beckett told them. She leaned against her husband as they watched the girls trying to see who could splash the most. She had to laugh a bit at the way, every time they let a duck fall, they would turn to her to see if she would protest. She let them play for a little while longer until she saw that it was time and then stood up. "It's okay," she said, in slightly surprised laughter when the two had looked at her with wide eyes. "You weren't splashing too much; it's just time to get out."
"Oh… we have to," Julia said, sharing a look with her little sister.
"You have to, come on," Castle said, standing up with Beckett.
Laughing slightly as her husband kissed her cheek Beckett told him, "You need to get Eliza."
"Sorry couldn't help it," Castle said simply before he grabbed a towel and waited for the toddler to stand up. He rubbed her dry the best he could, kissing her forehead when she started to yawn widely. "Looks like you had a busy day," he said while he then started to get her dressed.
"Yeah," Eliza replied with a sigh. When her father picked her up she let him help her brush her teeth before he was drying her mouth. "Jules," she said.
"I'm going to brush mine too," Julia said, knowing her sister had wondered if she'd been able to get out of it.
"We'll be right out," Beckett said, smiling as Eliza was doing so since her father was holding her around the stomach.
"Oh looks like you're flying already kiddo," Martha said, turning from the window in the bedroom where she had been looking out. She went to the bed once her son had placed the toddler there and then hugged her tightly before saying, "Good night Eliza, I'll help you tomorrow morning okay?"
"I want 'lexis," the toddler said a little sadly.
"I know darling but I hope you won't mind if I help you this time," Martha told her before hugging her tightly. "Do you?" she asked as she pulled away to see her answer. When Eliza shook her head no she said, "Thank you. And I love you Eliza."
"Love you Gram," the toddler said, looking over at Julia who was climbing up on the bed next to her.
"I love you too Gram," the little girl told her seriously before hugging her.
"I love you Julia, goodnight," Martha said, hugging them. She shared a kiss with both her granddaughters and then went to finish readying for bed completely and to leave her son and daughter in law for a moment to say goodnight to their daughters.
"We'll have breakfast here in the morning," Beckett told the two as they went to their father and hugged him tightly. "And don't talk for too long with your gram."
Julia looked at Eliza as they pulled back a little from their father before she said, "I don't think she will."
"Probably not," Castle said. "Okay Eliza, Julia I love you both. Sweet dreams."
"I love you Daddy," Eliza said at the same time as her sister. "Don't be sad."
"I'm not," Castle reassured her, not surprised to see by the expression on Julia's face she was worried about him too. He shared kisses with them both before hugging them a final time and pulling away to let his wife say goodnight.
"You two need to get some sleep and I'm only saying that because you look pretty tired," Beckett told them as she hugged them. "And tomorrow just think, we'll be back home and be back with Macca."
"And we can see Mari too," Julia said excitement. "Well… for a little before they leave for their vacation."
"That's true," Beckett replied. "But for now…" She laughed softly when both girls kissed her on her cheeks and she said, "Goodnight Julia, Eliza, I love you both so much."
"Love you Mommy," Eliza said first.
"I love you too Mommy," Julia said. "Night," she then said before her mother shared a kiss with both her and her sister and they got down onto the bed; Eliza in the middle.
Tucking in the girls with Castle, Beckett kissed them after he had done so and she smiled at them before saying, "We're going, your gram will make sure you sleep okay?"
"Kay," Eliza said, sighing as she held her stuffed horse and her Rupert doll.
"Sweet dreams," Castle said as his wife blew them a kiss.
"Go, they'll be fine," Martha said. "Goodnight you two."
"Night," Beckett said, Castle echoing her. They left the room; Martha going with them to lock the door; and they headed back up to their suite a few floors above. Holding her husband's hand she leaned against him, wanting to ask how he was doing but deciding to wait until they were alone for that.
Looking around at the city from what he could see of it Castle heard movement behind him and turned to kneel and look through the window. He was a little surprised when didn't hear anything and stood up straight, turning back around. He was looking around so intently that he nearly jumped up in the air when his wife hugged him from behind.
"Easy," Beckett said quickly. "Just me. I thought I told you no."
"Didn't stop you from coming out here too," Castle told her a little teasingly. They were outside their bedroom, on a small ledge in front of some hedges past the window where she had told him not to go; mainly as she was concerned for his footing. But as she was glancing around he could tell that she didn't mind the fresh air and reminder they were in a city since they had lived in one for so many years. "It's nice out here you have to admit," he told her.
Beckett smiled at that and then said, "I might but you don't have that much of a view."
"It's still nice," Castle said. He paused for a little, hesitating before he finally said, "Alexis has a much better one."
"She does," Beckett replied. "Come inside okay?"
"Yeah," Castle said letting her go inside first before he followed. He was a little surprised when she led him out to the lounge where there were two cups of tea. "We'll need to sleep?" he asked, trying and failing to sound disappointed.
"You want to make love?" Beckett asked him, with one eyebrow slightly raised.
"No, not because-" Castle started to say in a hurry before she was carefully covering his mouth with her hand. "It's not that I'm depressed," he told her honestly as she made him follow her in sitting down on the couch. "Just… I've become very used to her being there at Columbia or the city. Now she'll be miles away; thousands of them; it's an uncomfortable thought."
"I've thought the same," Beckett said. She smiled when her husband looked at her and told him, "I do love Alexis, she's my stepdaughter." She then started to speak but hesitated, shaking her head.
"What?" Castle asked in surprise.
"It's… maybe you won't mind," Beckett said, looking to him. "If anyone were to ask if I count her my daughter, I think it's come to the point where I would answer yes. Though you should know that happened a long time ago. She's my daughters' big sister and has been in support of us for a while now. That and she is a wonderful young woman; I'm lucky in that."
"I know I am too," Castle said. "More so because our girls have her as a role model."
Wrapping her arms around his left one, Beckett leaned her chin on his shoulder and said, "I can understand though why you miss her."
"I know," Castle said. He smiled as she looked up at him at his slightly amused tone and explained saying, "You know one thing I always took into consideration being with a woman… well if the relationship looked like it was getting more serious. I would consider how they treated her and what she thought of them."
"Did you ever talk to Alexis directly about it?" Beckett asked.
"No I could tell what she thought," Castle said. "I know my daughter."
"Of course," Beckett said, smiling at him.
"What I'm getting to is I didn't really have to think about that for too long when it came to you," Castle told her. "By then we had Julia and even before we were together I knew that you would be a great stepmother."
"I know," Beckett said, since he had mentioned that to her before. "You're nostalgic?"
"This time yeah," Castle admitted. He then said, "Hard not to be."
"Have your tea love," Beckett said, giving him one of the mugs. She watched as he took a sip and while he was busy doing that she grabbed his phone from his robe pocket and said, "Show me the pictures you have of her in here."
"I've never done that before?" Castle asked her in surprise.
"No I want to see them," Beckett told her.
"Sure," Castle said, opening the gallery he had with those in there. He smiled at the first one and said, "This is her when she was born, two days old as Mother brought the camera with her to our apartment."
"She was a beautiful baby," Beckett said.
"Mother always contends it was me she took after," Castle replied. He then looked over at his wife as she seemed to be thinking that over while looking at his daughter and he said, "What do you think?"
"I think a little," Beckett said. "There's only so much a baby can look like its parents," she told him. "And while everyone said Eliza looked like me, not exactly."
"But you have to admit she was pretty close to what you looked like when you were born," Castle said in response.
"Slightly," Beckett said with a smile, shaking her head a little. She watched him slide his finger over the screen to the next picture, of Alexis walking with Castle holding her hands. "That is a sweet picture," she told him as he had that on the shelves to the right of his computer.
"Yeah those were… odd times," Castle commented.
"We have fought before Rick," Beckett said to him, knowing he meant because he and Meredith had been a couple still then.
"But now I know it's not a surprise things didn't last," Castle replied. "The same with Gina. I'm sorry," he said abruptly.
"You've apologized enough Rick," Beckett said, knowing he meant getting back with his ex because of her. "And I've apologized for myself at-"
"For doctor motorcycle boy you mean," Castle interrupted her to correct her.
Giving him a look for a moment Beckett then said, "We've apologized both outright and… via other means for that time."
"True," Castle said idly. He then looked at her seriously and told her, "I love you Kate."
"I love you too Rick," Beckett said in the same tone of voice. "What's the next one?"
After looking through the pictures after that one Castle stopped at the next and said, "This was in Paris," as the shot was of him and his daughter sitting at a table at a café.
"Oh, the one where we had the steak frites," Beckett said with a smile at the memory of their dinner there. "We didn't have to go back to Paris," she told him.
"I had to, I know how much Alexis loves it and the girls did too," Castle said.
"You just wanted to go to the restaurant," Beckett told him in amusement.
"Perhaps…" Castle said. He laughed when she pushed his shoulder and said, "But that was a great night."
"This whole trip has been amazing," Beckett told him. "I can see why you want to go on more trips like it."
"Yeah and of course show the world to our girls," Castle said. He then turned to her and reached up, pushing a strand of her hair off her cheek before saying, "And you, I want to show it to you."
Beckett; though touched; was trying to deflect that saying, "You mean you just want to make love to me in other-" But before she could continue her husband was kissing her roughly and she was hurrying to respond to him as their tongues tangled together hungrily while they held onto one another tightly. When they parted she felt him press his forehead to hers and then told him, "You're aware I'm right."
"I'll admit," Castle said as he wrapped his arm around her and held her close to him. "There is something exotic about taking you in a bed that isn't our own."
"You don't mean erotic?" Beckett cut in, looking at him with her eyebrow slightly raised.
"And that too," Castle said. He smiled and took Beckett's pervert comment easily before he raised her hand and kissed the back of it saying, "You didn't seem to protest when I took you in Tahiti… or Jamaica, or-"
"I know I get it Rick you arouse me," Beckett said, narrowing her eyes slightly at him. She shared a kiss with him again before his phone rang and then had a slight moment of panic when she saw it was from Alexis before she realized it was a text.
"Wonder what's up," Castle said, trying not to reveal that he was panicking as he was opening the message. "Dad, can I say goodnight?" he read then.
"Should I leave?" Beckett asked him as he dialed her number.
"Wait," Castle said. "Hey sweetheart, what's wrong?"
"No I just wanted to talk a little," the young woman said at the other end. "Hey Kate."
"You knew I'd be here?" Beckett asked in slight surprise.
"Of course, you're always with my dad," Alexis said, though it was obvious that she was smiling.
"Do you want a private conversation with him?" Beckett asked her.
"No that's okay," Alexis assured her. "I just can't help but feel a little lonely," she said.
Looking at his watch Castle said, "Louis left?"
"Yeah we're going to run early so he needs to get up early to pick me up," Alexis answered.
"Weren't you supposed to go over to his place?" Castle asked her.
"He said we could go later tomorrow," Alexis replied. "So I won't be out on the streets alone."
"That's nice of him," Beckett said, knowing that the young man had done that because he was concerned about Alexis' safety and not because Castle was.
"I know he's a sweet guy," the young woman replied. "Watching movies was fun. We have that in common, having little sisters."
"That's true," Castle replied. "So you'll be fine tonight, there is an alarm."
"I'm in my room and made a last round of all the locks and windows," Alexis said.
"Good girl, I taught you well," Castle said, laughing with his wife and daughter. "But you have your rabbit still right?"
"Dad," Alexis said in embarrassment.
"I had my own rabbit and stuffed horse when I went to Stanford," Beckett commented. "I didn't still sleep with them but they were a comfort."
"Thank you Kate," Alexis said. "My rabbit and stuffed dog are on my desk now."
"Sentinels?" Castle and Beckett asked. They laughed with the young woman before they told her to call them if she needed anything at all from them and then said goodnight and goodbye to her, hanging up.
"She'll be okay," Beckett replied. "She did love the freedom she got living at Columbia."
"She'll love it even more here," Castle said.
"I'll tell you again Rick, she's your little girl wherever she goes," Beckett replied. "Where were we with the pictures?" she asked him.
"Why don't we head to bed," Castle replied.
Studying him closely Beckett could see that he was serious and they had long ago finished their tea so she stood with him before they went into the bathroom to finish up. After they were outside next to the bed she smiled as he watched her without restraint while she removed her robe and then got into bed as she watched him take off his. Once he was next to her she laid against his side, pressing as close to him as possible, and she said, "Will you be okay to sleep?"
"I will, I know Alexis won't have any problem sleeping herself," Castle responded. "I hope the girls are okay."
"They will be, your mom is with them," Beckett told him. She then raised her head and then kissed him saying, "Goodnight Rick."
"Goodnight Kate," Castle told her. He held her close as she laid back down, wrapping his arm around her tightly before she fell asleep as he watched her. He sighed and tried to close his eyes, looking over at the window in front of the bed as he put his other hand underneath his head.
Castle couldn't deny that the day had been an emotional one but he could tell himself that his daughter would be with friends and even family while she was finishing her education. He looked at Beckett, feeling a sudden rush of love for her for all she'd done for him, Alexis and his mother that day. He pressed his lips to her forehead, inadvertently waking her up he saw when he had pulled away. "Oh crap, sorry love go back to sleep," he implored her.
"No it's okay," Beckett said a little tiredly. "You didn't sleep yet did you?"
"I will," Castle assured her. "I was just thinking about how Alexis is going to do well here of course. And how much you've done for me and my family."
"Our family," Beckett sighed, shifting a little. "I am your wife Rick."
"And I love you," Castle said, not really having planned on saying that but ending up blurting it out.
Smiling Beckett told him, "And you've done a lot for me, I would never have found Brennan if not for you." She leaned up slightly to him and they kissed tenderly, lingering for as long as they possibly could before they parted. "And I love you too of course." She brushed her lips to his and said, "Sleep love." After they had shared one more kiss and had told each other good night they laid back down. That time she remained awake and when she finally was sure her husband had fallen asleep she let herself do so too. Though she had some slight concern for him she was sure he would be okay; would make sure he was; and began to look forward to returning home to the Hamptons with him.