A/N- This was inspired by the 7x4 promo pic (you know the one), but has NOTHING to do with 7x4 and I have no clue what 7x4 is even about. So this isn't spoilery or anything, but I just wanted to put that disclaimer out there. I wrote this for the CFPromoter Halloween Fic Bash over on twitter.

Figured I'd post some Caskett fluff before the next 'The More Things Change' update.

Thanks to Joanna and Elyse for the read through and the cover art as well. All mistakes that remain are my own because I'm not a professional. :)

Disclaimer- I don't own anything associated with Castle but I like to play in their world.

Fairy Wings and Scary Things

Kate Beckett always knew her husband was a good father, but one Halloween proved he was the best.

Halloween was always a crazy holiday when you were a cop. Much like full moons, the holiday seemed to bring the wack-jobs right out of the woodwork. However since becoming a mom, Kate Beckett managed to luck out and trade shifts with other detectives in her department to make sure that she was home to celebrate with her two children: three year old Emilie and forty-eight year old Rick.

Walking into the loft, she was greeted by their customary Halloween decorations streaming throughout the space. Remnants of freshly carved jack-o-lanterns covered the counter and tissue paper ghosts were attached to multiple walls in the family room. It seemed that the two of them were quite busy with crafts today. She smiled to herself, looking around the room. What a difference an energetic little girl made! Castle's bachelor pad was almost unrecognizable with touches of Emilie's existence woven into every room.

Still in search of her family Kate snuck upstairs to look for the pair. As she suspected, she heard voices coming from Emilie's playroom. Trying to not disturb their play, she stood outside the doorway and her heart melted when she witnessed the scene in front of her. Castle was sitting on the floor having a tea party with Emilie while they were both wearing tiaras and fairy wings.

"How is your tea, Daddy?"

"It's delicious, sweet pea," he said with a smile. "How are your cookies?"

"Super yummy!" she giggled. "Thanks for playing tea party with me."

"Always. It's my favorite thing to do." Castle reached over and pulled Emilie into his arms, kissing the top of her head. "You're the prettiest fairy princess I know."

"And you're the prettiest fairy Daddy I know," she confessed, looking up at him. Kate looked over at her husband's face and noticed the love sparkling in his eyes. She walked into the room with a huge grin on her face, and Emilie ran straight into her arms. "Mommy!"

"Hey Princess," Kate greeted, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I agree. Daddy is the prettiest fairy daddy, I know too." The girls giggled at Rick for a moment, before Emilie jumped down from her arms and ran over to play with her toys. Kate smirked at Castle as he picked himself off the ground and walked over to her. She pulled him into her body and gave him a quick kiss. With her arms wrapped around his neck, she moved closer into his body and turned to whisper into his ear. "I love the wings. You are adorable." Nuzzling into the crook of his neck, she placed a chaste kiss on his skin and then rested her head on his shoulder.

"Welcome home," he sighed. "What time is it?"

"Almost time to get ready," she replied, enjoying the rare uninterrupted moment in his arms.

"Trick or treat time?" Emilie asked breaking the silence, looking up from her dolls.

"Very soon, Pumpkin," Castle replied.

"So can Daddy tell me his costume, now?" Kate asked her daughter. Halloween was very interesting this year because they allowed Emilie to pick out their family costume theme. She was the mastermind—at three years old.

"No, Mommy. I told you. It's a secret!" Emilie insisted. She was such a stubborn child; apparently that was an inherited trait.

"Yeah, I still don't know what you're being either," Castle pointed out.

"True."

"She was very adamant about deciding what everyone was being this year," he whispered.

"And why did we allow our three year old decision power?" Kate laughed.

"Kate, I'm standing here in fairy wings and a tiara. It's safe to say I can't say no to her big blue eyes and puppy dog lip."

"Yeah, you're pretty much wrapped around her finger," she marveled, placing another soft kiss against his skin.

"If I remember correctly, she decided what you were dressing up like as well."

"She picked the theme, but I picked the costume," she replied with a wink.

"Slutty nurse?" Castle asked, looking down at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Nope," she said, placing emphasis on the p. Kate laughed a bit when his face fell in disappointment.

"Why is it never a slutty nurse?"

"Why would it ever be a slutty nurse when we take our daughter trick-or-treating?" she argued.

"Good point." Removing herself from his arms, she joined her daughter on the floor and played dolls until it was time to get ready.

Kate looked at herself in the mirror with a smile. Pulling up her fishnet stockings, buckling her shoes, and putting on her hat; she was finally ready to go. She managed to find a witch costume that was still wholesome enough that she could be seen with her daughter; but it would still push the envelope and cause her husband to drool. Her shoulder-length hair was curled in soft tendrils underneath a black witch hat. The costume itself was a fitted black dress of a respectable length with some spider web glitter lace detail; add her pointed-toe black Mary Jane heels with her wicker broom and her costume was complete.

Walking out of the bedroom, she could hear Emilie giggling upstairs in her room and Castle's grumblings.

"You look so silly, Daddy!" her daughter said with another laugh.

"Are you sure I need to wear this?" he whined.

"Yes, Daddy," Emilie giggled. "It's perfect!"

Some further shuffling was heard on the second floor and before long, her daughter and husband made their way down the stairs fully dressed in their costumes. Kate brought her hand to her mouth to suppress a laugh that wanted to escape from her lips. Emilie was dressed as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz straight down to the sparkly ruby red slippers. Her curly brown hair was pulled into pig-tails with ribbon detail and she held a little brown basket accessory. When she noticed Kate standing there, she ran over and gave her an excited hug.

"Mommy! Look at my slippers!" she squealed.

"Aww, Em. You make a very cute Dorothy!" Kate admitted with a smile and brushed a kiss onto her daughter's cheek.

"You make a great Wicked Witch, Mommy!" Looking over her costume and Emilie's, she finally understood the theme. Alexis was the one who took Emilie shopping for her costume so this was the first time Kate was able to see the whole picture. "And look, Mommy! Daddy's my Toto puppy!"

Kate placed her daughter onto the ground before she looked back up at her husband. The laugh that she tried so desperately to hold in exploded from her mouth.

"Looking good, babe," she muttered, trying to choke back further laughs.

"Don't say a word," he pouted walking over to her. He was in a head to toe fluffy dog suit, with pointy ears, a tail and a collar. "You get to be a sexy witch." He paused to check her out and then pulled her into his arms. "I get to be a puppy. How did she get me to wear a puppy costume?"

"Because you're the world's best dad. All she has to do is bat her eyelashes and you'd give her the moon if she asked for it," Kate said with a smile as she placed a quick kiss on his lips.

"Careful, Mommy!" Emilie shouted from across the room. "You don't want to smudge his puppy dog nose." She giggled and started skipping around the room.

"Ah yes, the nose she drew on my face. Note to self, you may need more eye liner," Castle stated, while shaking his head. "I'm whipped by my three year old."

"Maybe a little bit, but that's not such a bad thing. Though a fairy and a puppy in one day—if only your fans could see this," she joked.

"Next year we're all dressing like zombies."

"Keep dreaming, Castle." Kate patted her husband's fur covered arm and straightened his dog collar.

"Come on Toto. Let's go get candy!" Emilie called, jumping by the door.

"Yeah, come on Toto. Your public awaits," Kate said with a laugh, grabbed his hand and led them to the door. "Have I ever mentioned how much I love Halloween?"

The End

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