I have some sad news. This is going to be the last regular update for a while, as life has happily exploded on me - with the start of Sixth Form, an NYO audition, moving house, and trying to complete all manner of courses I've somehow signed myself up for, attempting to get one chapter a week up is not going to happen.
For which, I apologise.
That said, when I write a chapter, I'll post it - deal?
This is the same for Beckett!, however with Bloodshed, due to the fact that chapter plans occupy most of my bedroom wall and I have three sort-of-betas keeping me on my toes, that is one fic I shall be updating to the best of my ability.
Right. Boring stuff over.
This chapter was inspired by the wonderful Vicky - ta, Doc!
I don't own anything you recognise.
"Dad?" The whisper tickled Rick's ear and he swatted in its general direction. His half-hearted flail was greeted with a slightly strained giggle that turned into a gasp as the next clap of thunder sounded. "Dad? Dad, wake up. Nicky's scared."
With a groan, Rick turned over. Standing by his bedside table was Nathan, clutching Nicky's small hand in his own. The writer smiled sleepily.
"Nicky's scared, huh? But he's got you, little man. He doesn't need to be scared when you're around." Rick ruffled his youngest son's hair before his head rolled back and he let out a snore.
"Dad?" There was no answer. Nathan huffed. "Come on. Let's go make some hot chocolate."
"Dad?"
"Whesafire?" Rick shot up to see what he thought were his two boys, currently cloaked in a film of cocoa dust. "What - what happened?" he asked, bemused.
"Choc'late," Nicky explained proudly. Putting two and two together, Rick scrambled out of the bed and flumped in the direction of the kitchen to skid to a halt at the doorway and gape.
"Boys, it's almost as bad as when Grams is here!"
It was true. Cocoa powder covered everything from the light bulbs to the top of the fridge. There was a bottle of milk steadily dribbling down the island onto an open packet of marshmallows, and for some reason the entire room was full of a cloud of icing sugar.
Amount of clearing up to be done aside, Rick was quite impressed with the level of damage they'd managed to achieve without waking up either him or Kate.
With a final yawn, he shooed his sons towards the sink and handed them a cloth.
"Let's get this place back to normal, kids."
"Oomph." Rick woke with a gasp as two warm bodies landed on him, giggling and wriggling til he stood up from the couch and shook them off. "All clean then?" he asked as he attempted to shake his head free of sleep.
"Uh-huh." Nathan nodded vigorously. "Can we make a fort, Dad?"
"A fort? Nathan, it's three in the morning! We should all be asleep - " His bid for rest was interrupted by the loudest bang of thunder yet and the youngest Castles yelped and dived at their father, who sighed and held them close. "I'll get the blankets."
"We can't do it upstairs, or we'll wake Mom," Rick said for the umpteenth time, watching Nathan and Nicky hand each other cushions and blankets and chairs and jumpers as they reorganised their room.
"But Dad," Nate whined once more. "It'll take too long to take everything downstairs."
Rick sighed. In for a penny, in for a pound, he decided, standing up and chucking the small collection of building materials into the master bedroom.
"Your challenge, should you choose to accept it," he said straight-faced, staring at the boys with a serious expression. "Is to build your fort on our bed without waking Mom up. If you disturb her, you're off to bed. Agreed?" They shook on it. And then the carnage began.
A sleepy Kate Beckett woke in the morning to find herself under a canopy of tartan and patchwork, surrounded by two warm bodies tucked into her sides and her husband slowly sliding off the edge of the bed with his mouth wide open, before she rolled over and went back to sleep.
All was well in the Castle household.
Thoughts?
Also, for some in between time reading:
A Beautiful Mind by APseudonimo
Live Fast Die Young by Mouserocks-nerd
The Scene After by Caskett4Life
For those of you who missed it up there:
I have some sad news. This is going to be the last regular update for a while, as life has happily exploded on me - with the start of Sixth Form, an NYO audition, moving house, and trying to complete all manner of courses I've somehow signed myself up for, attempting to get one chapter a week up is not going to happen.
For which, I apologise.
That said, when I write a chapter, I'll post it - deal?
This is the same for Beckett!, however with Bloodshed, due to the fact that chapter plans occupy most of my bedroom wall and I have three sort-of-betas keeping me on my toes, that is one fic I shall be updating to the best of my ability.
