"It's pretty huh?" Eliza asked.
"You were right," Beckett said. "But I do like my roses your daddy gave me more."
"You should," Eliza said firmly. "Daddy gave them to you."
"And that's the other reason why I like them," Beckett assured her. "Let's keep going I want to get back to your daddy." She walked with her daughters and Skye then until they reached what was a Japanese garden. "No wonder you were out here for so long," she said teasingly to her daughters.
"It's pretty here," Eliza said, taking a picture of it for her father.
"I'm going to head back in, get something to drink," Skye said, glancing at Darnley.
"I'm grabbing dessert," he said.
"Could you do me a favor and get something for the girls?" Beckett asked him as her daughters were grabbing onto her hands.
"Sure but… what would they like?" Darnley said.
"The brownies, but just one because they'll share," Beckett replied.
"I'll be with them," Jim said.
"No Dad, stay please," Beckett told him as the girls went over to him to hold onto him.
"We'll head upstairs and wait for you in the waiting room," Skye said.
When the two had left Beckett went around the small garden before she and her father sat down together on a bench looking out on the koi pond there was in the middle. She took Eliza onto her lap and was a little startled when Julia instantly cuddled against her side. "We'll show your daddy the pictures you took when he wakes up," she told them, stressing the word when.
"Kay… and the pictures?" Eliza asked first.
"Those too," Beckett replied. She looked at Julia, who'd been quiet, and asked, "What is it sweetie?"
"Lizzy and I were talking and if we tell Santa to take back our presents will Daddy wake up?" Julia asked her mother seriously.
"Oh girls," Beckett breathed before she hugged them both as tightly as she could. She couldn't fight the tears that welled up in her eyes but she fought them back so she could tell her daughters, "Your gifts don't matter, what matters is that your daddy is getting the rest he needs and the help he needs. And that's what he's getting here so don't worry."
"I want him to wake up now," Julia said tearfully.
"You're not alone," Jim said. When his granddaughters looked at him he smiled a bit and told them, "We all want him to wake up but remember what your mother told you what the doctor said."
"But it's also understandable you're impatient, we all are too," Beckett added quickly. "And I'm ready to go back up to him, are you?"
"But the story Mommy," Eliza said shyly.
"Oh, alright," Beckett said at the reminder. "This one is also about your sister's first day of school here in the Hamptons," she began. "Because they both happened on the same day."
"I didn't hear about that," Eliza said.
Shrugging when her sister looked at her Julia said, "It's nothing special."
"But I'll still tell you," Beckett told the girls when they looked back at her. She started with when she had taken pictures of Julia in her new school uniform after breakfast, though she couldn't help recalling in her mind what had happened a little past hers and her husband's first time writing together as she could still remember that day easily herself.
"You look great sweetheart," Castle told Julia as she was smiling widely for her mother's camera while she was taking pictures of their daughter.
"Okay that's enough sweetie," Beckett told her as she stood up. "Your daddy's right you look so sweet."
"Thank you," Julia said shyly, hurrying over to her. She then said, "Do we have to go now?"
"You do," Beckett replied. "You don't want to be late on the first day."
"Will Mari be there?" Julia then asked as her father led her over to the foyer.
"She will," Castle assured her. "You'll see her at recess."
Breathing out in annoyance Julia said, "I wish that she stayed all day too."
"Next year she will," Beckett said. "That's a promise."
Julia giggled and said, "She's gonna already."
"I'm just reminding you," Beckett replied. They were heading out onto the porch and once Castle had locked the house behind them they walked down the driveway and were going in the direction of the school.
"David," Castle called out when he saw the Fosters were in front of them.
"Good morning," Rebecca said as she and her husband waited with their daughter for the three to catch up to them. "Are you ready for school Julia?"
"Yeah," the little girl said, hugging her friend tightly. "Are you?" she asked Mari.
"Yeah, I wanna go in the same class like you," she replied with a smile.
"Let's keep going," Castle suggested as he and the other three had watched the two. "Or else we will be late."
Walking again the two families reached the school soon after and walked into the elementary school building where they stopped in front of Mari's Kindergarten classroom.
"There are monkey bars on the playground," Mari said to her friend. "Go there for recess."
"Kay," Julia replied with a nod. She waved to her friend as Mari's parents took her over inside the classroom and then took her own parents' hands as they walked to her room.
"Okay, you're here sweetie," Beckett told her. "Miss McKay is your teacher this year."
"Kay," Julia said. "Do I go in by myself?" she then asked.
"Do you want to?" Castle asked. When the little girl nodded slowly he looked at his wife and saw she was smiling.
"How about if we at least help you put away your lunch and backpack?" Beckett asked. "Your cubbyhole should be right next to the door."
"Kay," Julia said after thinking about that and nodding. She went in ahead of her parents and to the cubbyholes before she pointed to one. "That's mine," she told them, looking at them behind her.
"It is, good job," Castle said since he and Beckett had taught her to read her name with his last name by then. "Do you want us to help you with this?"
"No, I can do it," Julia told them firmly before she set her lunchbox standing up against the side of her cubby before she took off her backpack and slid it next to her lunch.
"Did you get your scribbler?" Beckett asked.
Giggling, as her parents had told her that was an older word for a composition notebook she needed to practice her writing in that year, Julia took it out from her backpack and turned to them.
"Pencils?" Castle asked.
"Oh," Julia said before turning again. She then grabbed the pack in her backpack and said, "Do I take this to my desk first?"
"No, say goodbye so we can let you get ready," Beckett said.
With a nod Julia hurried to her father and hugged him as tightly as she could even with what was in one of her hands. "Bye Daddy, I get to see you after dance class, right?" she asked when she let go of him.
"Before, we're going to be there to watch it," Castle told her.
"Good," Julia said, smiling up at him. She gave him one last quick hug before she went to her mother, embracing her as tightly as she could before looking up at her and saying, "Bye Mommy, thank you for coming with me."
"We were happy to walk with you," Beckett said. "Do you want us to keep doing that?" She smiled when Julia nodded her head rapidly and she told her, "Have a great day and pay attention; we want to know everything you get to do."
"Kay, I will," Julia said with a giggle. She gave her another hug and then left them, going over to her teacher a little shyly.
"Come on," Beckett said to her husband with a smile as they were watching their daughter.
Once they were outside Castle said to his wife, "You're not worried again? New school, new friends except for Mari though she hasn't spent too much time with her."
"I trust our daughter love," Beckett said easily. "And I know she'll do great here."
"That's true, I just hope she'll be alright at the start of today," Castle explained.
"Me too but I'm not showing it, so she'll stay calm," Beckett told him. They had reached their home then and once they were inside she said, "Are you ready?"
"As long as you are," Castle told her seriously.
"Then we should get started," Beckett said easily. She smiled when her husband made a face and said, "Did you think I would procrastinate?"
"I was hoping," Castle replied.
"That'll happen less with me," Beckett informed him before she went over to the office with him once they'd washed their hands. "Okay so-"
"Think I can ask you something," Castle said before she could sit down at her computer.
"Okay," Beckett said slowly, thinking he was trying to delay.
"Want a kiss?" Castle told her.
"I don't think I'm really in need-" Beckett said with a slight frown, thinking that he was talking about her uncertainty.
"No, I am," Castle said. When she suddenly looked concerned he realized how that sounded and he hurriedly said, "I just want to kiss you."
"Better," Beckett said teasingly before she wrapped her arms around him tightly and they kissed one another deeply. She felt him holding her close and shuddered in joy before he carefully slipped his tongue into her mouth which she welcomed eagerly.
When they'd slowly parted finally Castle said, "Okay I'm ready."
Beckett shook her head, smiling still, and she sat down before he did as well and she said, "So how long do you want to make this prologue?"
Looking thoughtful Castle said, "It needs to be quick because I don't want to really waste too much time on details."
"Bare minimum?" Beckett asked him.
"I think that would be the best thing," Castle replied. "Not so much that we say oh, this person gets killed let's move on."
"Okay," Beckett said in amusement. She then said, "Who'll start?"
"Would you like me to?" Castle replied. When she nodded he turned to his laptop and opened a new word document, looking to her computer screen to make sure it came up on hers as well. When he was reassured it had he began to type after heading the first page with 'Prologue' and read as he typed though he knew she could do that herself.
"The thud of footprints echoed off the walls of the narrow alley and the woman slid to a stop on the slick ground," Castle began. "She-"
"Wait," Beckett replied. "Go to another paragraph." When her husband looked at her she was unsure he would agree with that but when he merely smiled at her she looked back to her screen and saw him do so. She typed then and did as her husband had, reading for him, "Coming to the end of the alley she looked around, searching for any kind of light in the windows that towered above her to let her know she could find help. There was nothing but darkness and she instead ran for the fire escape at the side of the building to her left. It took a little time to grasp the bottom rung-"
"Hold on," Castle said. "How about this? She needed to jump a bit to grasp the bottom rung?"
"Good," Beckett replied. "I'll add more. And she started to climb, desperate for any way out. But before she could get any further than the third rung she was being pulled down and she screamed as she collapsed to the ground."
Castle and Beckett finished up the rest of the prologue, which didn't take very long, and when they had they sat back and turned to each other to begin talking about what would be next.
"So where would you like them to be when we start?" Beckett asked.
"I've been tossing around in my mind who we should start with," Castle replied. "Because I don't know about throwing them together suddenly, instead start with one and then bring in the other."
"You did that with Heat and Rook though," Beckett pointed out to him.
"And that's where I kept tripping up," Castle told her. "Which is why I'm really glad you're with me now."
"The only reason?" Beckett asked with a slight smirk on her face.
"Oh, there's more than just that," Castle replied simply.
Beckett leaned over to him and they kissed gently before she said, "Start with Green at a coffee shop waiting for him and have Moor meet her very quickly after that."
"And then they walk to the precinct and we introduce them there," Castle said slowly.
"Good idea," Beckett said with a smile.
"Originally thought of by you," Castle said before he turned to his computer to begin typing and reading to his wife again as Beckett listened attentively while they began their first book together in earnest.
Feeling her husband's hand cupping her stomach gently Beckett smiled and said, "Nothing yet, I'm not even two months you know."
"Don't try to deter me," Castle told her simply. "I'm not going to stop doing this while you're pregnant."
"Your mother told me you might," Beckett said, watching him getting up and gently kissing at her stomach.
Grunting slightly Castle told her, "Don't mention her right now; I just want to focus on you."
"Kiss ass," Beckett said wryly. "And you've been doing that; twice."
"Three times," Castle corrected her. "We came twice the first time."
"Then we slowed down the second time; only once," Beckett told him teasingly. She gave out a mock cry of surprise as he almost leapt at her but was soon wrapping her arms around him and kissing him deeply. When they stopped she said, "You're glad about how things went?"
"Of course," Castle replied. "We got Moor and Green introduced, and we found out we work well together even writing."
"Did you doubt it?" Beckett asked him.
"No but I couldn't just assume," Castle said. He saw the look his wife was giving him and he said, "Weird for me I know. But really love I had to keep all options open."
"Of course," Beckett said with a smile before she pulled him to her for another kiss. She wrapped her arms around him as they did so, and she was tempted to ask for another bout with him when she was broken away by the sound of her alarm she'd set before they'd started. She laughed when Castle groaned and collapsed his head onto her shoulder and she said, "She wants us to be there."
"I remembered, I just didn't want to leave here," Castle said as he followed her to get up. "And by here I meant the bed."
"I gathered," Beckett replied, standing as he sat on his edge of the bed. She leaned down and brushed her lips against his before telling him, "If you're a good boy I may give you something sweet tonight."
"And what do you mean by sweet?" Castle asked her slowly as he stood in front of her. When she just glanced down at him she smirked and he was trying not to shudder too hard at what exactly she meant by that. He followed her to change into their new outfits for the day which led him to say as they were leaving their room, "You don't think she'll comment on the fact we're wearing different clothes?"
"No, I think it's fine," Beckett said firmly. "She'll be more concerned about her class and not us."
"I should be insulted by that," Castle said as they were at the front door. When she looked at him he smiled and said, "But I'm not."
"Let's go," Beckett said with a smile of her own, shaking her head before they stepped outside so they could walk to the school.
When they had reached it and the dance studio in the high school building Castle asked, "Do you need to help her?"
"I do," Beckett told him. "I'll be back." She squeezed his hand before going to the dressing room, finding her daughter quickly before she hugged her and asked, "How was your first day?"
"Fun Mommy, but I wanna tell you and Daddy later," Julia replied.
"You can, I just wanted to make sure," Beckett told her with a smile. Once Julia was dressed in her practice clothes she shared a kiss with her and said, "Your daddy and I missed you, but we want to see you dance."
"Thank you," Julia said. "I missed you too, and the baby," she added quickly as she pressed her hand gently to her mother's stomach.
"It missed you too," Beckett said. "We'll see you outside." With that she left the room and going out to her husband she said, "She's good," not surprised when he smiled widely and held her hand as they waited for their daughter to come out to begin to learn ballroom with her new teacher Ms. Grey.
Castle and Beckett held hands nearly the entire class as Julia met her partner; a boy named Peter; and learned steps for the Foxtrot and Waltz. They could tell she was enjoying it and they shared a few glances in relief that she was until Beckett needed to get up and help Julia change back into her uniform.
"Hey sweetheart," Castle said as Julia rushed out to him. He held her tightly when she threw her arms around him and he kissed her temple before he said, "I can tell you had fun."
"Yeah," Julia said, nodding her head rapidly. "That was fun… can we go home?"
"Yes," Castle said after he laughed slightly. He picked her up and held her on his hip, taking his wife's hand as they left the studio and school.
Reaching home Beckett cut an apple for the three of them to share and she said, "You don't have any homework today?"
"No Mommy, Ms. McKay said that for the first day we get to have no homework," Julia replied. She ate her slice of apple she had in her hand as she let her parents usher her to the family room and then said, "I like Ms. McKay, she's really nice."
"We're glad to hear that," Castle said. "You had fun learning?"
"Yeah, we had math and reading and writing," Julia said as she stood while her parents sat together on the couch. She smiled at them and said, "I used my scribbler."
"You didn't bring it home?" Beckett asked her.
"No, teacher says we have to keep it at school," Julia said. She then became thoughtful and asked, "Can I show you my writing?"
"I think so, get one of your pieces of construction paper," Beckett told her.
"I'm excited," Castle said to his wife as they were waiting.
"I'm ready," Julia said as she came back to them. "Why Daddy?" she then said, having heard what her father had said.
"Because you come from a family of writers," Castle said.
"Did you and Mommy write?" Julia asked eagerly as she let her father take her onto his lap and she set her piece of paper on top of the clipboard she'd brought with her.
"We did, not too much since we had to make sure we planned everything just right, but we got a start on it," Castle said, kissing the side of her head. "Now we want to see you write."
"Kay," Julia replied. "We had to copy something Ms. McKay wrote down. The blue cat ran to the bowl of milk."
Watching her carefully write it down Castle and Beckett corrected their daughter in her spelling though they didn't need to too often. When she had finished they applauded her efforts and her handwriting.
At that Julia frowned and said, "But your writing is lots better Mommy."
"I had a lot of practice," Beckett told her with a smile, leaning over to kiss her cheek. "And you will too, just don't think you have to write like we do yet."
"Now what can we do?" Julia said eagerly.
"Pick out a game," Castle said. He laughed when the little girl hugged him tightly and then rushed over to the cabinet where her games were. He took his wife's hand, kissing the back of it before he got up to go after her.
Watching the two Beckett bit her lower lip for a moment, trying not to think of how odd it felt still at the changes in her life. She was learning to accept them but was still amazed at it. But when her daughter laughed she shook herself and smiled as Julia brought back the Candyland box while Castle held Clue Jr. She was also very happy to know her family was safe, and she turned her attention to them as they began to play.
"Be careful sweetie," Beckett was telling her youngest. "We can't really get things dirty here."
"I know," Eliza said.
"I liked my first day at dance class, right?" Julia asked her mother.
"You did, you loved it," Beckett told her, glancing at Castle before she forced herself to look back at their daughters. "And you asked when you could go back."
"Jules," Eliza whispered. "You didn't go today."
"That's okay," Julia said softly, looking up at their mother.
"You can go if you want to," Beckett replied.
"I could take you Jules," Alexis commented, sitting on the window seat with Louis.
Shaking her head Julia said, "I don't think I can dance without Daddy going."
"Are you sure?" Beckett asked her.
"Yeah," Julia said. "After Daddy wakes up I'll go again."
"How are your pictures going?" Jim asked when there was some silence after the girl's comment.
"Good," Eliza said. "Do you think Daddy will like it?"
"I think so, but you didn't finish it just yet," Beckett told her, leaning over and kissed her temple. "You have more don't you?"
"Yeah," Eliza said with a smile. She dipped her fingers in some of the dark blue paint she had there and then began to move around the piece of paper she'd been painting on until she was satisfied. She glanced at her sister and asked, "Are you finished Jules?"
"No," Julia quickly replied. "I was thinking about what to color next."
"What are you coloring?" Beckett asked, leaning over to look at her paper.
"I think… I think I want to color Ireland," Julia explained as all she had was part of her picture colored with a sky blue and darker blue for water.
"You should," Martha said, sitting near them. "Now, Kate when are you next going to stretch your legs?"
"To go down to dinner," Beckett replied. "But since I know now that the garden outside is covered I think I'll walk around there too."
"With Patrick?" Jim asked her.
"And the rest of you, if Skye stays with Rick she can join me," Beckett said.
"I could do that instead," Louis said. "I would imagine Skye should get a break being here all alone."
"We'll ask her," Beckett said firmly.
"Mommy now I'm finished," Eliza told her mother.
"Let me see," Beckett said before she took the paper by the two clear corners and held it up. "Very nice sweetie, tell everyone about your picture."
"That's the water," Eliza began. "And this is the beach and those are the footprints we make in the sand."
"Those are the doggies?" Julia asked, pointing to two of the figures that were brown.
"Yeah," Eliza said. "Can… can I tell Daddy about my picture?" she asked her mother.
"Yes," Beckett said, setting the picture on the table that was next to the bed and picking her daughter up. "Rick," she said, touching her husband's arm. "Eliza drew something for you and she wants to tell you about it." She then set her youngest down next to Castle and told her, "Tell him sweetie."
"Kay," Eliza said a little shyly as she looked at her father. "Daddy I made the beach… that's blue. And then I made the sand, but I had to make it yellow 'cause I don't have the sand color." She paused then, thinking he might react somehow but when he remained still she sniffed and then made herself continue. "And then I made the doggies and I put our feet in the sand with my fingers."
"He'll love it sweetie," Beckett told her reassuringly, leaning over and kissing the top of her youngest's head.
"She's right," Alexis said, coming over to stand on the other side of the bed. "Dad will love it and he'll be glad we're keeping it here in his room."
"Good," Eliza said, sitting up and wrapping her arms around her father's neck carefully. She hugged him and then burst into tears before telling him, "Daddy why don't you hug me back?"
Beckett could feel tears in her eyes at Eliza's obvious despair, but she shook that off to pick her up. "Sweetie it's okay, he will hug you as soon as he wakes up, I promise," she told her, walking around the free space in the room and gently rubbing her back.
"Here," Martha said, going over to her daughter in law. She took Eliza and said, "How would you two like to take a little walk in the garden again?"
"Wait," Julia said, standing up. "I colored my picture, can I tell Daddy?"
"Go ahead," Beckett said as Eliza had calmed down a little.
Once she was up on the bed as well Julia held up her picture and told her father, "I drew the ocean and then over here I tried to add the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland." She studied him and then said, "Daddy if you can hear me try and think of Ireland and how nice it was on the beach. How you can rest there."
"He can hear you," Alexis said, seeing her stepmother close her eyes for a moment; knowing she was recalling being in Ireland in the past with Castle and becoming emotional at the memory. "And he's remembering that, so we'll put your picture with Lizzy's."
"And he'll love seeing the picture too," Beckett told her.
Nodding Julia turned to her father and hugged him as tightly as she could pressing her face against his neck.
"Come on darling," Martha said, not holding Eliza anymore as she'd handed her to Jim. "We'll take a nice walk and let your mother be with your father for a bit."
"You don't have to go out for that long," Beckett said, walking with them.
"They're going to check on him soon aren't they?" Alexis asked. When her stepmother nodded she squeezed her shoulder before Louis took her other hand and they were walking out into the hallway after everyone else. "We'll be back soon."
"Ask Skye about dinner," Beckett reminded them. When they were gone she closed the door immediately and hurried to the bed as she knew her stepdaughter's question was right, the nurse would be in soon to check on him again. She sat on the bed and took Castle's hand telling him, "You'd be proud of them love, they're trying so hard to be brave… But it's difficult for them; I think they're afraid this might take more time than just a few days. That's what I think too but I'm trying to keep positive." A faint smile flickered over her lips before she said, "Accentuate the positive as we like to say." She grew serious and reached over, tenderly brushing some of her husband's hair off his forehead before telling him, "You're getting stronger…"
A knock on the door interrupted Beckett before she could say anything else and she glanced at it to see it was Liam. "Hello," she told him as he looked around the room.
"Sorry, I thought the room would be full," the nurse said, going over with his tray.
"They went to take a walk in the garden," Beckett answered, moving so she would be out of his way as he worked.
"Have you gone?" Liam asked.
"After lunch, they're really beautiful," Beckett replied.
"We take patients there, that's why it's fully enclosed," Liam replied. "It's a peaceful place."
"It is," Beckett said with an agreeing nod. She looked on as they were quiet while he finished and when he had she asked, "Any changes?"
"Everything is normal," Liam said a little absently, writing some things down. "He's steady and of course that's what you want."
"Of course," Beckett said with a nod as Bell had explained the steadiness after her last check on Castle meant he was definitely on the mend. "Thank you," she told the nurse before he left.
As soon as she was alone in the room again Beckett sat next to her husband once more and she told him, "Love? You're almost back with us, aren't you?" She studied his face and frowned slightly seeing his eyes were moving around again. She had no clue how it came to her, but she was suddenly saying, "The second you're finished with whatever you're seeing there come back to us. We can't wait any longer than that." Shaking her head as she realized what she'd said she sighed and told him, "I hope you remember what you see."
A heavier sigh left her lips and Beckett leaned over, brushing them against Castle's lips before she whispered, "I love you Rick. I need you home; I want you here with me again." Pulling back slightly she studied him and then pressed her forehead to his, feeling his breath against her lips and telling him in her mind repeatedly to return home to her and to their family.