Genre: Drama, Crime, 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: Because of the historical aspect of this chapter I used a website for slang, unfortunately by this time that site is gone but there are other sites that have basically the same words and meanings so hopefully any unknown word will be easily found. And with that the change in last names and first names are deliberate so if anyone can't figure out who a name is supposed to be just send me a message- though not all the names will be important- and I'll let you know!

A/N #2: Loved reading the feedback for the last chapter so will get to my thank yous for that! noelianoe (It's horrible to say but I am glad that you think the chapter is going to make everybody cry, just because I like to be able to write to make people feel emotions, just this time around they're sorta negative. And I wasn't surprised at all you're hoping that Castle will remember everybody when he wakes up, have to see of course!),

vetgirlmx (So happy to read that you thought it was a really good chapter! And I'm not surprised you were figuring everyone would react the way I ended up writing them. You do make a good point that if they hadn't it would have gone in a more hysterical direction. I was pleased to read that you were glad that Skye was there though you weren't expecting her so soon to get there. And you're right, it's better Skye was there that way Beckett wouldn't have been alone when she got the call. And yeah even though it was Brad making the call because it was the call it was it was better that Skye was there. I figured that because Skye is the investigator she is she would be able to handle things like that though I did have her forget Julia just because she had a lot to handle. I wasn't surprised that you were expecting Julia to be a wreck but yeah, I didn't want her to have a lot of time to worry since she's more sensitive about things. Great to see you're very happy that Patrick could make it there so fast; Skye's a good connection so not surprised you said thanks to Skye again. But you got what I was doing having him there, other than Castle Patrick is good at putting Beckett at ease especially with the situation going on now of course. Great you loved the couple of things that you mentioned happening fast. And yeah, that bit with Beckett sorta telling Louis that he was one of the family was supposed to carry meaning, so I'm not surprised that you caught it. And I wasn't surprised either that you laughed a lot at where Beckett was mentioning Castle would be making a Dione Warwick reference. I saw it myself when I typed the comment and realized that yeah, Castle would have done that, so I added that. I'm not surprised that you came up with a few after reading it, lol, it tends to lend itself to that. And seeing your comments about the next chapter were fun to read. To be honest I figured you might have an idea about where this is going to go and that it's going to be different. Though I am glad you want to see it for yourself, see how it'll work out and boy do I want you to myself to see what you'll think, lol. But I'm really happy that you think already it's going to be so much fun and I hope it will be for you. Great you can't wait for the next chapter and now you don't need to anymore!),

MsNYC (I am glad that you had the reaction you did for the last chapter, just because I never really knew I could get a reaction like that out of readers. It's nice to know I could. And I'm so happy to see you calling Darnley and Skye sweet twice and the comment about got to love them since I do love writing them into the story. No surprised to see you enjoyed the flashback but I'm happy to read you thought it was a great one. Really pleased that you noticed Brad's reaction and that you loved how I wrote it. I remembered writing it that besides Martha he was the one that had known Castle the longest. Thanks for the two thumbs up. And glad that you thought it was great writing as usual!),

TORONTOSUN (Great that you like how I'm writing this! And I'm not surprised at your comment about poor Kate since it makes sense for this story) and

G-styler (I should be really more specific, definitely my error, my thought process for this particular series can't really get scenes with Castle and Beckett having a son. I've tried but I can only start, it never goes through and not because I prefer a gender over another I want to say too. But it's only for this series, in another set of circumstances; i.e. another plot; they could, I'd have to see where that plot took me and what I imagine happening. Also, I've had to talk about this a few times so I'm hoping I didn't actually say I didn't want them to have a son, because wow that was really a mean thing to say. If I did, then it was said out of… I don't know frustration or something like that. And I don't have kids, but I have very young cousins I've known since they were born, a boy and girl and they are both a hoot and I love them deeply, so I know that it's nice to see both genders growing up as part of the family, that I do know. The good luck was a nice comment).

Thanks for the reviews I got, I loved reading them and am grateful for the time taken to write them out and send them to me!

A/N #3: The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Basin Street Blues written by Spencer Williams, but the specific lyric I used for the title was added by Glenn Miller and Jack Teagarden.

Come Along With Me

December 10th, 1926
San Francisco, California

The sound of the bells was loud and opening his eyes the man on the bed inside the small apartment sat up, reaching for the alarm clock. He was tempted to throw it out the window but didn't need any incident on his record. He stood up and went to the tiny bathroom off his room, looking into the mirror.

Breathing out hard the man said, "Lost my mind." He dressed then, wondering about his dream that was different than anything he'd had before about her. But he shook his head as he combed out his hair and grabbed his vest. Buttoning his suit jacket after that he stepped out to the living room, looking out at the traffic down on the street.

"Rick!" a voice shouted outside his apartment door.

"Yeah," Rick replied, turning his head.

"Get your baby blues out here," the woman said. "You've got a call!"

"Easy Mrs. Finkleman I'm on my way," Rick said, taking his hat from his table and opening his door. "Who's on the line?"

"Don't know but they're keen on speaking to you," Finkleman replied. "Take this and go save the city."

"You're a doll," Rick said, smiling and giving her a peck on the cheek before he took the apple turnover that was in her hand. He sped down three flights before he reached the phone in the apartment building's lobby and said, "McDonovan here," into the phone.

"Bad news?" a man said, walking inside.

"The hell are you doing here Brad?" Rick said with a smile. "No need, he's here," he said quickly to the person on the other end.

"We got a case Rick, hot to trot?" Dunham replied.

"Let's get a wiggle on," Rick said with a nod.

"You'll be interested in this one, was told he's an egg," Dunham said as they left the building together.

"Where's he at?" Rick asked.

"Down by the blues," Dunham replied.

"Which ones?" Rick said as he knew the man meant by the ocean which meant a beach.

"Ocean," Dunham said.

"Hold your horses Brad," Rick said, stopping him. "Ocean Beach?"

"You heard me," Brad replied, looking at him. "And it's the Blue Bay Club."

"Is she there? Is he there?" Rick asked.

"Come on," Brad said simply, leading him down to his Tin Lizzie that was down the street. "You gotta see the scene; Chief wants us to look at the murder."

Rick followed though he was concerned; hoping that his partner was right and the victim was a man and not his best friend though he hadn't seen Jimmie Jr. in months.

"He's down here," the officer said once Rick and Brad had reached the beach. "Not too far from the club."

"Smack dab between it and Cliff House," Brad commented as they could see the body in the distance as they made their way over the sand.

"Think that means something?" Rick asked his partner.

"Can't say," Brad replied with a shrug. They finally made their way to the body and he said, "Looks like someone used a shiv," before he heard his partner sucking in a breath of air.

"You know him?" one of the other officers asked.

"I do, Jimmie O'Brien, Junior. He owns the Blue Bay," Rick replied, nodding to the club a little back from the breaking waves but still on the beach near them.

"A swell?" the officer asked.

"A swell but you know he's no bootlegger," Rick replied.

"Rick's got it," Brad added as he watched his partner walking around the body before reaching into the jacket of his suit. "All his hooch is from before the Amendment."

"Got a good stock?" another officer asked.

"Story goes the father; Jimmie Sr.; laid it in well back after the war," Brad replied.

"You got a motive right there Detective," the officer said.

"Hold this," Rick told his partner, handing him his hat.

"New one," Brad said looking at the grey fedora. "Mallory?"

"It is but who cares," Rick replied, putting on his spectacles. "Has the doctor been around?"

"Not yet," the officer replied. "Better you wait."

"I have some gloves," Rick stated.

"You'll ruin the leather," Brad pointed out to him.

"No skin off my teeth," Rick said simply, kneeling next to his friend's body after he had slipped on the driving gloves he carried with him. "Definitely a shiv… looks like he got into a fight; got a nice shiner."

"Any idea if anyone would get angry at him at the club?" Brad asked.

Standing again Rick said, "Gave the bum's rush to those full out ossified but he's got some bodyguards he can trust… unless he's got anyone new. Stay here and see what Doc Towne says."

"Going in?" Brad said, following his partner a little away from the body.

"Have to, she'll be here," Rick replied. "More than likely she kipped out in the bedroom."

"You ever going to tell her you're stuck on her?" Brad asked.

Snatching his hand out and taking back his hat Rick took off his glasses and tucked them back into his pocket before he reached the club. He was near the outside deck when he could hear someone arguing though it sounded one sided.

"And if you'll tell him I'm here I'm sure he'd say let me go," the woman was saying angrily.

"I can't do that ma'am, I got instructions to keep you here," an officer said.

"Officer Wilson," Rick said, recognizing the man immediately.

"Detective McDonovan," the officer said, turning quickly at the sound of his voice.

"Check the workers here, talk to them and ask about last night," Rick ordered. "I'll speak to Miss O'Brien." He waited until they were alone before walking up to the woman and said simply, "Kate."

When she turned Rick wasn't surprised to see the tears in her eyes, but he was still slightly breathless watching her. He had known her ever since he'd been a rag-a-muffin in the streets of the city after the earthquake twenty years before; orphaned by the devastating fire that had razed most of San Francisco. He'd been nearly seven while she'd been close to six and her parents had taken him in. He'd lived near the Presidio with the O'Brien family and had nearly become a partner in the club after Jimmie Sr.'s death before he'd enlisted in the army at eighteen and fought in the Great War. He had been best friends with the O'Brien children and they'd played together in the rebuilding city streets as they'd grown up. When he'd turned sixteen and she was fourteen he'd noticed she'd grown up and continued to do so before the war made him leave home.

When he'd returned after recovering from injuries he'd sustained in the last battle of the war, the second Battle of the Sambre, Rick had found his friend a stunning young woman. She was also working with her brother at the club and she had helped nurse him so he could recover fully to join the San Francisco Police Department. By that point he was absolutely goofy about her and he'd spent the last seven years wanting her but attempting not to let anyone see. He didn't think she'd want a nobody with no family who'd dealt with death almost every day of his life since 1917.

Trying to shake himself of his thoughts Rick watched as Kate walked up to him but he couldn't help staring. She was well known in the city as the Lady in Blue, hostess of the Blue Bay Club and was untouchable to any suitor. She was a flapper who'd defied the modern fad of bobbed hair, leaving hers long and loose past her shoulders. He swallowed a little hard at the ache in his throat as he fought with desire rushing through him when he focused on her again as related to the case. She was dressed to the nines still with a cream silk shawl over her arms, so he knew that he'd been right, she'd stayed at the club the night before and he only hoped she might have had the chance to hear or notice something that would help find her brother's killer

Breathing out hard when she reached him Kate embraced him tightly saying, "I tell myself it's just a prank of Jimmie's, but they told me it's him."

"It is, I'm so sorry," Rick told her seriously when they let go of each other. He looked into her eyes and was about to speak when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head, clutching his forehead as it felt as if he'd been knocked back to the floor.

Kissing her deeply Castle pulled away from Beckett and said, "You want to stay here tonight?"

With a smile Beckett said, "I think we should." When he looked at her questioningly she looked pointedly in between them saying, "I don't think you'll be able to walk."

Breathing out a little Castle said, "Then I'll have to ask if I can stay as well."

Beckett leaned over and kissed him hard on the lips before she said, "I'll insist."

"Want to tie me to the bed?" Castle asked before he yelled out in surprise when she dragged him over to her bedroom. "You're going to kill me Kate," he groaned in pleasure when she touched his groin carefully.

"Not before this," Beckett said before she opened the fly of his jeans and reached inside. "And Rick

Rick?" the voice called as he clutched at his forehead.

Forcing his eyes open Rick looked at the voice to see Kate was looking at him and he said, "I'm alright just… headache."

"Maybe you should sit," Kate told him, looking concerned. "Sit," she said a little more forcefully when he shook his head.

Though he was working Rick finally did as she'd asked and sat down saying, "You should do the same, and I have to ask you some questions."

Taking the chair next to his Kate pulled it close and said, "I've never seen you working before."

"Not true, you saw me when you snuck me joe and a sinker," Rick replied.

"That was when you walked the beat downtown," Kate said with a slight smile. She then grew serious and said, "What happened to Junior?"

Sighing Rick reached into his jacket for the notepad he kept there for cases and he said, "When was the last time you saw your brother?"

"At four when we closed up the club," Kate answered.

Trying not to stare at her gams as she crossed them Rick said, "Was there anyone else here?"

"Just our bodyguards," Kate replied. "Espinosa and Rowan."

"Where are they?" Rick asked.

"They should be with another officer," Kate said, looking back behind her. "Likely in the kitchen talking to them now."

"Did they stay here?" Rick enquired.

"They have beds in the back room near the door to the vault you remember," Kate replied. "And they were supposed to stay last night."

"To guard your cache?" Rick asked. When she nodded he asked, "Do you know who found them or when?"

"It was Espinosa and Rowan," Kate replied. "I'd gone in to get some joe brewing when Rowan ran in and said Junior was on the beach."

"I need to ask you about last night," Rick told her after noting what she'd said. "How many at the party?"

"Thirty, any more and we couldn't fit in the Jazz band we had," Kate said.

"You have the guest list?" Rick asked.

"And the band's hotel, they're staying here since they're going to the Palm Square Club later this weekend," Kate said. "They'll be here in town."

"Take me through the night from dinner to closing," Rick said.

"I was at the front with Junior, greeting all the guests," Kate said.

"Any problems?" Rick asked.

Shaking her head Kate said, "They were all invited and had their hourglasses."

Nodding; as he knew to enter the club guests needed a silver hourglass with blue sand inside and a letter or letters of the alphabet etched on the bottom; Rick asked, "All the letters were here?"

"All thirty," Kate said. "Up to D again. They had aperitifs and mingled, and we spoke to them."

"Together or apart?" Rick asked since he knew they would do it either way.

"Together," Kate answered.

"Anyone look fishy to you? Give you the heebie-jeebies?" Rick then inquired.

"We knew all of them already," Kate replied, shaking her head. "And leading up to dancing there was nothing that happened."

"And during the dancing?" Rick asked.

"We were out on the deck as it was a beautiful night," Kate said, pointing to it ahead of them. "And someone tried yelling at me."

"What was his name?" Rick asked, trying not to clutch his pen too hard in his anger.

"William Tyrrell," Kate answered.

"The banker," Rick stated. She nodded so he wrote down the name before he asked her, "What happened when he started that?"

"Junior came over and threw him out with Espinosa and Rowan's help," Kate said. "But that was it. Nothing with Junior last night and everything seemed normal."

"What about your workers?" Rick asked.

"I thought you might ask," Kate said. "And we had to let go two of the cooks; they were stealing food from us to keep for themselves."

"How much?" Rick asked, pausing at that news

"Fifty dollars a week," Kate said. "We haven't seen them since the beginning of the week when Junior fired them."

"I need their names too," Rick told her.

"Aaron Summerfield and Henry Clarkson," Kate replied. "But they're the only ones of our workers that we had trouble with."

"Alright," Rick replied as he closed his notebook and put it away. "I might see you to ask more questions…" he began to say before he stood up at the same time as her. "Does your ma know about this?" he asked her.

Shaking her head Kate said, "I don't want to tell her on the phone, I need to see her to tell her." She frowned and said, "They wouldn't go tell her, would they?"

"No, that's for Brad and me to do," Rick said before he studied her. "Or the two of us." He looked at his pocket watch to check the time and said, "Julia's going to be up."

"I know… could you tell my mother? I have to tell Julia about her uncle and you know Ma loves you like a son," Kate replied.

With a sigh Rick said, "Do you need to? Julia's only four."

"I need to," Kate replied. "She'll know when her uncle doesn't get home for dinner tonight."

"Let me find Brad," Rick told her. When she nodded he told her to stay there before he went outside, finding his partner walking up to him. "Did the doc look at the body?"

"He did, he thinks he died about… four or five this morning," Brad replied.

"So not much of a window unless the bodyguards are lying," Rick mused. He saw his partner's confused expression and told him what he'd learned from Kate. "She's not broken up, she's a straight doll. And angry."

"Makes sense; who gets the club now?" Brad asked.

"Don't know, depends on Junior's will and what he said," Rick replied. "Listen, her mother needs to know and I'm going to take the Tin for that."

"I'll talk to the bodyguards," Brad said, nodding. "You'll come back?"

"I'll make you walk," Rick replied jokingly.

"What about you?" Brad said.

Breathing out Rick said, "I hadn't seen him in months, couldn't really."

"Why?" Brad asked, surprised when his partner spoke absently.

Shaking his head Rick said, "He was working on the club and I had too many cases."

"When was the last time you got out here?" Brad asked him.

"Back in November," Rick replied. "There are two names, workers, and a guest at the dinner Junior threw out trying to get fresh with his sister."

Writing down the names himself Brad said, "I'll try and get a wiggle on them," before his friend led the way into the club.

Picking up Kate, Rick led her to the Tin Lizzie and once she was inside he turned the crank as fast as he could before sitting behind the wheel. He took off before he said, "Will she be alright?"

"No, never got over Da's death," Kate said with a sigh. "And you know how much she loved Junior; even with the club."

"You don't want to tell her together?" Rick said.

"You know how to talk to her and even though you weren't by the house much I think she'd want to hear from Junior's best friend," Kate replied. "Why did you two stop talking?"

"We didn't stop talking," Rick replied uncomfortably. "We got busy."

"That doesn't sound like you," Kate said. When he looked at her in surprise she explained, "Junior told me you didn't go to the club for lunches. Gave him excuses."

"Cases," Rick nearly mumbled. He knew she was frowning but he didn't continue and soon reached the home that Junior had bought for his mother, sisters and niece. "How's Julia?" he asked when they got out together.

"Good but… she won't be once she hears," Kate started to say before trailing off and sighing. "She'll be happy seeing you."

"So will I," Rick said with a nod as they went up the stairs of the Queen Anne home in Alamo Square.

"Katie," a woman said as she opened the door. "Why are you so late and where is your brother?"

"I'm sorry Ma," Kate said, running the last two steps and hugging her tightly. "We need to go inside."
"Of course," Kate's mother said with a smile. She then said, "Rick, I'm sure you'll be wantin' breakfast."

Rick was about to nod when he suddenly felt a pain in his head again and he groaned, nearly collapsing onto the porch before he was pulled into the home.

"Do you think there'll be any chance there could be anything done now Bracken's involvement is out?" Castle asked his wife as he watched her staring outside the window at the marina.

"I'm not really that sure," Beckett replied, glancing over at him. She smiled a little and said with a sigh, "I think it's best to leave it at that. Mom would be scolding me to do that since there's nothing else coming up and focus on my family and our writing; of course."

"Of course," Castle said, watching her standing up before she came to him and embraced him tightly. He held her firmly and said with a sigh, "I still wish I could have met her."

"Me too," Beckett replied. "She would have loved what you do for me."

"And what do I do for you?" Castle asked as she pulled away to be able to look up at him.

With a wide smile that didn't last very long Beckett said, "If I had been alone I would have kept going and seeing if there was more to Bracken than we did as soon as he was dead."

"Well… that's not so much me but more the fact there was nothing to find," Castle couldn't help pointing out.

"I know but I'm going to stand by that," Beckett replied.

"Thank you," Castle said before he smiled and leaned over to kiss her gently.

When they pulled away from each other shortly after Beckett said, "It's late."

"And also Valentine's Day," Castle pointed out.

With a soft laugh Beckett said, "You're not going to say-"

"Not yet, in the morning," Castle quickly said, cutting her off. He brushed his lips against hers before he led her back to the bed. Sitting on it with her he asked, "You're sure you didn't have a nightmare?" as he'd woken up to his wife sitting at the chez lounge looking outside in between a gap in the curtains as they were both still naked.

"I'm sure," Beckett replied. "I couldn't help think of my mother; because of where we are."

With a nod as he could tell by her tone that she was telling the truth Castle leaned over, gently kissing her on the lips saying, "Are you sure you want to go out tomorrow… today?"

"I am, and speaking of that we probably should sleep," Beckett said with a sigh. "I don't want to fall asleep while we're walking around." She waited for him to lay down before she murmured, "Rick

"Rick… you're not well," Kate said as he suddenly opened his eyes and looked between her and her mother.

"Uncle Rick!" a voice cried from the doorway.

The three turned to look and see that it was Kate's daughter and she smiled as she clutched her rag doll tightly to her.

"You came to have b'kfast?" Julia asked him with a wide smile.

"I think I did," Rick said, looking at Kate and seeing her just staring at him. He hoped Brad would need more time at the club but turned his attention to the little girl as she was trying to climb up on his lap. "You've grown up. You'll be a doll just like your ma."

Giggling Julia wrapped her arms around him and said, "This is a doll."

"That's right," Rick replied as Johanna left them and suddenly Kate went after her into the kitchen. He had no idea how it had happened but looking at the little girl he suddenly wondered if he could tell Julia what had happened to her uncle, not surprised Kate had changed her mind about telling her mother.

Taking in a deep breath Rick said, "I have to tell you something honey."

"What?" Julia asked, looking up from her doll.

"Your uncle was…" Rick began to say. "I don't want to tell you this, but he was hurt this morning."

"A lot?" Julia asked, tears welling up in her eyes instantly. "Like the puppy outside?" She didn't let Rick reply, instead began to cry heavily before there was a loud cry from the kitchen.

Picking Julia up Rick went to the doorway and saw that Kate had her arms wrapped tightly around her mother. He sighed, as Julia was sobbing as well into his shoulder, before he said, "Brad and I will do the best we can to find who did this."

"You're workin' on it?" Johanna asked, speaking between her sobs.

"With my partner," Rick replied with a nod.

Going to the stove Kate lessened the fire and set aside the pot on top before she had her mother sit down so she could turn her attention to Julia. Taking her daughter in her arms she nodded to the pot, looking at Rick, and then went to sit down with her mother.

Having spent many meals in that kitchen with the family Rick knew already what Kate wanted him to do and he grabbed some bowls before he dished the oatmeal inside the pot swiftly.

"We'll find him Ma, I promise you," Kate was saying as Rick was setting out the bowls.

Standing up Rick opened his mouth to protest before she started at him pointedly and he sighed under his breath, not knowing how he would be able to keep from his superior that someone was helping him and Brad with the investigation. He kept quiet, standing just behind the others as Kate finished speaking to her mother.

"Are you sure you should be doin' that?" Johanna said when her daughter asked her to watch Julia while she was helping Rick.

"I need to, no one knows Junior like I do… did," Kate said, frowning for a moment.

"I want Uncle Junior," Julia whimpered.

"We should…" Johanna began to say before she trailed off. She swallowed a little roughly and said, "We should eat; especially you two."

Though she tried to help her mother with the rest of the meal Kate remained at the table and she looked at Rick as he sat on the chair next to her. Turning her attention to Julia she said, "I should get you dressed honey." She stood up and said to Rick, "We'll be right back."

"The oatmeal…" Johanna began to say.

"I won't take that long," Kate assured her before she left the room.

Rick was going to speak when he saw that Johanna's hand was shaking as she tried to pour milk from the bottle into a glass. "I'm sorry," he said as he jumped up and helped her.

"It wasn't you," Johanna said. "You didn't do this to my son. But you want to find who it was." She turned to Rick and took his hands saying, "You need to take care of yourself though. If you're hurt then you should rest; leave things to your partner."

Shaking his head Rick replied, "I'm just swell, let me see if they're ready." He left the kitchen and walked up the stairs to the second floor where he walked carefully up to Julia's bedroom. He could hear the two talking and he smiled in relief when he could hear Julia telling her mother she wanted to help as well as she sounded a little less despondent.

Rick leaned against the wall outside the door, thinking of the fact that Julia was not his friend's birth daughter. She had been born immediately after her parents had died in a car accident south of the city and they'd left the baby with Kate. She'd named the infant girl Julia, Rick smiling as he recalled she had explained to him the infant was her own precious jewel. But as soon as he'd thought of that he hissed hard and slumped against the wall, clutching at his head yet again.

Walking out on the beach Castle watched Julia jumping up and down in the water as Beckett stood next to her. He paused for a moment but had to walk again when his girlfriend looked up the yard at him. "Sorry, just wanted to make sure everything was set in the kitchen," he said when he reached them, kissing his girlfriend's cheek. "I didn't want to leave a mess."

"I'm not surprised," Beckett said with a smile. "But we were waiting for you to go swimming."

"Yeah, don't you wanna go?" Julia asked, smiling up at him.

"Right now," Castle said, playfully picking her up and taking her straight into the water and she was laughing wildly and playfully kicking her legs.

Beckett, hurrying after them, made him set down her daughter before she said, "How far were you going to go?"

"This spot right here," Castle said. He smiled when Julia was giggling happily and said, "Should I drop you Miss Julia Beckett?"

Laughing too hard to answer Julia shook her head before Castle set her down carefully and she said, "Thank you," blushing a little.

"You're welcome… we have to go back to get her vest, don't we?" Castle asked his girlfriend.

"I have it," Beckett replied, holding it up.

After it was on Julia said, "Can I go swimming?"

"Right now," Beckett promised.

All together the three went further into the water, Castle and Beckett holding onto Julia in between them, swinging her until they needed to take turns helping her swim. When they had stopped they tread the water; Beckett holding her daughter against her side; as they let the waves wash over them before the little girl was speaking.

"What happens if you go over there Mommy?" Julia asked.

As her daughter was pointing further out into the distance Beckett said, "You'd get tired and need to turn around to come back."

"Oh…" Julia began.

"Did you want to go out further?" Castle asked.

"Yeah," Julia replied, nodding her head rapidly.

"Well one of these days while we're here we'll go in a boat," Castle replied. "But for now, I feel like making a sandcastle, what do you think?"

"Yeah," Julia said again eagerly. She tried swimming with her mother as they headed back but was unable to before they were setting their feet down on the sand.

"I guess I'll wait for her to get everything," Castle said to his girlfriend when Julia ran to get the bag where the tools were.

"Do you mind watching her?" Beckett asked with a smile.

"Not at all," Castle said quickly.

Beckett, still smiling, leaned over and gently kissed her boyfriend's cheek before she sat down on the blanket they had set out. She watched as Castle helped Julia take out all the plastic tools for them to use and they began to scoop sand into one of the shaped pails.

"Can we make this one tall?" Julia asked.

"How tall?" Castle asked her with a smile.

"Like you," Julia said, giggling shyly.

"That might be a little too tall," Castle said after he'd laughed shortly. "Tell you what I'll see if we can make a taller tower in the corner. And that's where you'll be waiting to let down your hair."

Making a face Julia said, "I don't wanna… and my hair is short."

"Then we'll pretend," Castle said seriously. When Julia giggled again he couldn't help squeezing her shoulder and said, "Then we can just try to make it tall. But it might not stand up, sand is so unstable."

"What?" Julia asked with a frown.

"It means it might fall down," Beckett said, coming over to them. She sat next to her daughter and said, "And it's not going to stay up."

"Oh… kay," Julia said, turning her pail at Castle's direction. "Mommy look!" she said eagerly.

"I know you did a perfect job," Beckett told her, holding her close for a moment. She looked at her boyfriend across from them and smiled a little apologetically before she mouthed, 'Sorry.'

Shaking his head Castle said, "Watch this," as he was getting ready to flip over his pail. He smiled as Julia giggled when the top of his tower crumbled a little and he said, "I tried."

"Keep going," Beckett told him with a smile.

Julia worked hard to make the walls with her mother and Castle after the towers and she then sat back to watch him make the middle.

"Alright I think we're all set except for decorations," Castle told them. "What do you think?"

"Why don't we hold off until you have the decorations?" Beckett asked him.

"Fair enough," Castle said as he stood up. "Should we go?"

"You two can," Beckett said immediately.

"No, come too Mommy! Come with me and Castle," Julia protested as she was standing up well.

"You should Kate," Castle told her.

"Alright," Beckett said, not surprised her boyfriend; by the expression on his face; had found out what she'd been trying to do with her suggestion. She stood up and wasn't surprised again when he grabbed her hand, holding it tightly, before Julia took her other hand. "I guess I'm not getting the shells," she said a little laughingly as they walked down the beach together.

"We'll let you go," Castle told her.

"Thank you," Beckett said, squeezing his hand gently before Julia was letting go of her other. "I think she found them already," she commented as the little girl was grabbing some of the shells in a cluster near them. "What are you looking at sweetie?" she asked as she could see her daughter was studying them closely.

"To see they are pretty," Julia replied easily.

"Good idea," Castle said, taking the chance to wrap his arm around her waist. When she looked up at him he said under his breath, "About the best I can do." He was startled when she laughed, and he was suddenly holding his girlfriend in his arms before they kissed. Though he knew Julia was there and likely watching them by then he couldn't stop, and he held Beckett even closer.