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: The outfit that I describe in this chapter is one I took from the coloring book Fashions of the Roaring Twenties, I wish I could share it somehow but hopefully my description might be enough!
A/N #2: It was great getting the feedback I did for the last chapter and then the one before that so will get straight to my thank yous for that! Mb (I wanted to reply to this review though it was two chapters before since you took the time to send it to me. And I'm glad that you thought that chapter was once again a great update as you put it. It's nice to see that you're hoping the flashbacks that Rick's seeing in '26 will get him to tell Kate there how he feels about her and would love to be with her. I did want readers to want that to happen in this story. And I wasn't surprised that you're hoping he'll tell her too that he loves Julia and would want to raise her with Kate too. I'm not surprised either that you're so enjoying as you said the missing scenes from when Castle and Beckett started out and then when they were expecting Eliza too, I knew readers might like that, lol. Great you thought it was fantastic! And it was nice to see you thought the other half was great filler update too. I'm so, so happy that you're absolutely loving this story and you think it's you unique as I did want it to be seen like that. Great you think that my going back and forth from '26 to the present is enlightening. And I'll see what I can do about '26 Rick and Kate, but again nice to read you want them to get together fully. Don't worry, this time of year can be busy so thank you for trying to catch up. And Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, hoping that you and your family had a great celebration too! You're very welcome for sharing!),
TORONTOSUN (I'm really happy to see you thought it was good writing for Beckett and Julia. And so glad that you liked the tender moment between Castle and Beckett as I wanted it to be that),
Mb (Really pleased reading you thought this one was a fantastic update. And I'm so happy that you think I've really captured how they all would be feeling while they wait and hope that Castle wakes up soon to be with them and show that he's coming back to them as well as healing. I'm not surprised you caught that the girls are wanting their daddy back along with Beckett wanting her husband back with her fully. Also pleased reading that you saw that Beckett's feeling like she's missing a part of herself with Rick there but of course not fully. And of course, I loved reading that you thought it was fantastic! You're definitely welcome! Oh, definitely great that you thought it was beautifully written too! I'm so glad that you could feel the emotional turmoil they're all in as you said with Castle being hurt and unconscious as well. But I was very touched that you could feel the all-encompassing love they have for each other since I do try to write that. And with all the different types of love you mentioned; Castle and Beckett's love for each other and for their children, Martha's love as a mother and grandmother, Jim's love as a father and grandfather; I was very happy since I do try to write those in since I feel they would definitely be there between all of them in their various relationships. And I was pleased that you saw their friends who are more family all of them besides Darnley and Skye that you mentioned. But yeah, I do try to show love because I see that with all of them. Great you caught that Beckett knows whatever Castle is seeing in his mind and dreams are important since I was conveying that, as well as the fact that she knows that he'll return to them once he's finished with that. Nice to read that you're hoping he remembers what he's seeing and experiencing in the '20s. I loved that you put Castle and Beckett are linked together in their minds since he's hearing her voice while he's seeing the 1926 stuff. So glad you think it's truly unique and remarkable. You're very welcome again for sharing. And I agree, Caskett and family always!) and
vetgirlmx (I'm so happy to read that you loved the chapter. And I'm not surprised that you felt less sad with this one compared to the last chapter with Beckett's point of view. I did that because I couldn't really see that sadness continuing so heavily as the adults would be trying to keep that from overwhelming Julia and Eliza. And yeah, there were more flashbacks in it, so I'm not surprised that helped you in liking it so much, lol. I wasn't surprised in the slightest that you thought it was about time Beckett snapped at somebody since of course they're continuously checking on her, wanting to help as you said. But with it being Beckett I thought it would definitely irritate her so not surprised you thought the same. And yeah, I figured with everything going on they would understand why she reacted the way she did so didn't have anyone's feelings hurt. You're right, with him getting better it looks like Castle doesn't have a whole lot of time with everything going on in the '20s. And I did have to laugh at you saying that phrase made sense though it made sense to me too when I was writing this story, lol, but like you said, who would've thought it did? I'm so, so pleased that you're getting even more eager to see what he does next since you mentioned you're running out of time. But of course, I'm happy that you want to read more which you can now!).
Thanks so much for the reviews, loved reading them and am so grateful for the time taken to write them out and send to me!
A/N #: The title of this chapter is part of the title of the song Way Down Yonder in New Orleans by Henry Creamer.
Way Down Yonder
December 11th, 1926
Sausalito, California
"What will you do now?" Kate asked as she watched Rick making his way back to the pier.
Breathing out Rick didn't answer for a moment, thinking instead of what would be his next step. "First get you back home," he told her. "And then I've got to get back to the station."
"Stay for lunch," Kate said as he took a breath.
Glancing over at her Rick then shook his head as he looked back ahead of them and said, "Oh no, I stay and you'll be working with me again."
"And is that so bad?" Kate asked.
"No but the boss man won't like it," Rick replied.
"And how will the boss man know?" Kate said.
Groaning Rick said, "This is how you got to play stickball with us when we were kids." He shook his head at her simple smile and drove his car onto the ferry boat that was there and then got out with her. "We'll stay inside. Sun's out but it'll still be cold on the Bay."
"It will," Kate replied easily. They walked inside the room where they sat at a table and she asked, "Do you think they'll find him? What if he's hiding on the ship?"
Shaking his head Rick told her as he took off his hat and set it on the table in front of them, "They'll find him, I just hope he'll talk." He glanced around them and murmured, "I think he was jealous of your brother; their flirting."
"No," Kate said immediately. "I think it was something else." She saw her friend was looking at her questioningly and she told him, "You saw his place, empty."
"You're thinking money," Rick said slowly. At her nod he sighed and said, "That makes it even worse to find who it is."
"Or," Kate began slowly, not sure how he would take her idea. "He was the fall guy."
"You know you might be right," Rick said. He was going to speak as she looked startled when the boat started to move and he told her, "You said his home was empty, how could he afford the tickets with no job? He could have sold everything but that dust on the floor was thick."
"Then it was the person who hired him," Kate said. "He may tell us."
"Maybe," Rick said, not wanting her to get her hopes up. They were quiet then, watching the people walking around them before she was speaking.
"I'm glad you've taken me around," Kate told him. "It's been too long since we saw you."
"Yeah I… I'm sorry," Rick replied, not sure what else he could say really.
"Did you and Junior have a fight?" Kate asked. When he looked slightly annoyed she quickly said, "I know you said you didn't but the only time you didn't come around was then, when you fought."
"Or when you and I fought," Rick said slowly.
"Have we?" Kate asked him in surprise.
"No, it's just hard to explain," Rick finally said slowly.
"It isn't… we used to be close," Kate replied.
Rick couldn't blame her for being mad, but he didn't have much he could really say to what she'd said before he sighed. "I'll stay for lunch, if you still want me there. Otherwise you can just tell me to scram."
Kate smiled slightly and then said, "I won't but when this is over come see us more."
"I will," Rick said seriously though he had to wonder if he could be so close to her and still be far in a way. He was startled from his thoughts when he felt something on his shoulder and looked to see she had laid her head there. "They'll talk," he murmured as a warning though he was enjoying her there.
"As far as they know I'm the missus," Kate replied. "How do you do this?"
"You know Watson," Rick said.
Smiling Kate raised her head and said, "You remember that?"
"Of course, drove your da to distraction running around the streets working our next big case," Rick told her with a wide smile at the memories. "Junior never cared he was Moriarty."
"No," Kate said, shaking her head. "He liked being evil, just for a bit."
"Wonder why Rose never played with us," Rick replied.
"She was the occasional Musketeer," Kate reminded him. They smiled at each other before she grew somber and then bowed her head.
At first Rick thought she was feeling ill but then realized she was crying and he reached into his blazer, handing her the handkerchief he had in a pocket. "I'm sorry Kate," he told her quietly in Irish. "I know how much you loved him, I don't know how you can do this with me," making sure his tone of voice was filled with admiration because he was.
"I have to know who would do this," Kate replied, looking back up when she'd dried her tears. She took a moment to speak again and said, "Do you think I'm still in danger?"
Trying not to audibly suck in a breath of air Rick said, "You are… I guess you're stuck with me just a bit more."
"Ma will be happy," Kate reminded him.
Nodding Rick said, "And you?"
"It's brought you back to see your niece," Kate said before she turned her head to see Alcatraz as they went by it.
"Why do you look?" Rick asked, relieved at the distraction of the island as he didn't want to think about Julia merely being his niece. He studied his friend as she just watched the island with its huge main cell block at the top, the lighthouse on even in the sun. She had always hated the island and he had agreed, something about it making the O'Brien family never sail near it when they would take excursions on a friend's yacht. "Kate," he said, something coming to mind then. "Did Junior ever see Roux and his son again?"
Kate froze and turned to him saying, "He said he hadn't but… one day he took our Tin Lizzie to Daly."
"All the way down south?" Rick asked in surprise.
"Down there," Kate replied. She stopped then as someone who worked on the boat walked by them and they looked up to find it was the same man from their trip before, letting them know they should get to their car. She was quiet until they were inside of it and she said, "He said he was selling his car to Roux, but you know that he wouldn't go near him."
With a grim expression on his face Rick nodded once, since the father and son had formed their own quasi mob in Daly City south of San Francisco. They'd been friends with the O'Briens, along with the elder Roux's wife, before the two men had started dabbling in gangsters and hooch. Something came to him again and he said, "Why would he see them?"
"I asked him the same, but he said it was the wife of Wesley, the former wife," Kate replied. "She lives there; it's why I didn't think much of it but what if he did go see Wesley?"
"Did William Roux pass?" Rick asked.
"Bumped off by the man they tried to kill last year," Kate said, shaking her head.
"Ironic," Rick commented. They were at the Ferry Building and he drove off the pier onto land before he said, "We may need to go."
"Thank you," Kate replied.
"I need you," Rick said. "You know May."
"I do," Kate said as the woman was a former school friend. "And I'd like to see her."
Feeling a squeeze to his arm Rick glanced at her and gave her a quick smile before he made his way back to her home on Alamo Square.
"I sure hope they're home," Kate said as she let Rick open the door for her.
"So do I, we might be a while going and coming back," he told her, holding her hand to help her down. She squeezed it and Rick watched her go over to the steps before the door flew open.
"You found him!" Rose said at the sight of her twin.
"No," Kate replied, shaking her head. "He's gone to the South Pacific."
"Then he did kill Junior," Rose stated. When her twin shared a look with Rick she asked, "What is it?"
"I need to talk to my partner," Rick replied.
"Come on," Kate said before they walked inside. "Does Ma need help?'
"She does," Rose said with a nod. "Come on."
"I'll tell you what he knows now," Rick told Kate. When she and her sister were gone he sat at the secretary again and dialed his partner's number, hoping he was at his desk. Luckily Brad did answer, and he said, "Got in touch with Jenner?"
"I did," the man said. "Luckily he wanted to talk, and they didn't charge us for the messages."
"How many?" Rick asked, grabbing a pencil to write down anything if he needed to.
"Six," Brad replied. When he heard a whistle from his partner on the other end he said, "I thought the same. But he said that he was approached by thugs around the water… there's a market there."
Hearing the question in his partner's voice Rick said, "There is, I guess the tailor left. He was coming from the tavern near there probably."
"How is there a tavern?" Brad asked.
"Not illegal, they have Volstead legal wine and the owner lives there," Rick explained before he glanced slightly behind him and saw Kate was there. "He was roughed up?"
"They were all big sixes, so he has some bruises still," Brad said. "The captain himself confirmed that and when Jenner continued he said they kept him down on the ground and a fourth told him he was going to take the tickets he got and sail away to paradise. And if he did, there'd be seven thousand rubes for him to live out his life in the sun."
"How did he get the money?" Rick asked, looking at Kate who was sharing the earpiece with him.
"He said someone bumped into him, thanked him and walked off," Brad replied.
Breathing out Rick said, "No description?"
"Afraid not, he said he was shorter than the two of us but not very," Brad said. "And he'll come right back, he was just afraid for his life." When his partner was silent he said, "You believe him?"
"You didn't see his house, it was empty and he had no job," Rick replied. "If we found out what money he's got I'm sure it wouldn't be much. He can come back free and clear."
"Boss man agrees," Brad said.
"He doesn't care I'm not there?" Rick asked in amusement.
"Not at all," Brad replied. "So-"
"Wait," Rick told him as he knew his partner was going to hang up. Since he already knew that the search of the clubs had so far turned up nothing he instead explained what he and Kate had talked about.
"I know about them," Brad said when his partner had finished. "Well, just the junior Roux now of course. Rough guy and you're taking Kate to him?"
"You weren't listening," Rick told him. "We're seeing his former wife and staying far away from Wesley Roux."
"And when are you going since I'm guessing you're at the O'Brien home?" Brad asked.
"After lunch, I'll try to get to you somehow when I can if there's anything," Rick replied.
"Ah, one last thing," Brad said suddenly. "Got confirmation there are fingerprints on the cigarettes we found. Now we need fingerprints to compare those to."
"Hopefully soon," Rick replied.
After the two men had said goodbye to each other Kate said to him, "You might not be able to until we come back here."
Rick nodded and said, "He knows, he's been down to Daly before and back. I'll talk to him when I can." He looked at her and then asked, "And Julia?"
Kate smiled and reached for his hand before she pulled him over to the dining room and they stood in the doorway to the kitchen.
"Uncle Rick!" Julia said when her aunt tapped her shoulder and nodded to the two.
"There's my girl," Rick said with a smile as he picked her up once she had reached him. "Helping your grandma?"
"Yeah," Julia said. She then grew serious and asked, "Did you finish now?"
"Not yet honey," Kate told her. "But we're trying to do so very soon."
"Are you gonna leave?" Julia asked Rick.
"Your ma and I are going to take a little trip down south to work and then I'll bring her back to you," he told her. "Should we get the table set?"
"Yeah," Julia said.
Carrying the little girl into the dining room Rick said, "Tell me about the rest of your promenade."
Smiling up at him Julia said, "I have to wait to tell Ma too."
"Then what have you done since you came home?" Rick asked. As the little girl was explaining to him what she had done he felt a pressure on his forehead and he welcomed it. But he hoped if he would see Julia in that world that she would maybe be a little more accepting of him.
"And down you go," Castle said to Julia with a laugh as she giggled heavily. "Have you had enough of being a superhero?"
"Yeah, what do we do now?" the little girl asked him.
"Well… your mom and gram aren't back yet so I think we need to think of something else," Castle told her. "What would you like to do?"
Looking around Julia said, "Can we go to the park?"
"The playground?" Castle asked.
"The park without toys," Julia corrected him.
"Oh, Evans Park," Castle said as he quickly realized where she was talking about. He picked her up and said, "Let me text your mom and then we will go." He smiled at her when she kissed his cheek in response and leaned against him after.
"Thank you, Daddy," Julia said, hugging him. "Can I say I love you now?"
"Of course," Castle replied, looking at her after he had texted his wife. "Why not?
Julia giggled and then kissed his cheek before she said, "Good."
"By the way," Castle told her with a smile. "I love you too sweetheart."
Leaning her head against his Julia looked down at the phone and said, "What did Mommy say," as the screen was lighting up.
"She said to have fun and she'll meet us there," Castle said. "I think she's almost done." He smiled as she cheered and then took her up to the house so they could go to his car.
"Do you think Gram got something for the baby?" Julia asked once they were driving.
"I'm sure your mom stopped her," Castle replied. "But she probably did."
With a smile Julia said, "Gram is happy about the baby."
"She is," Castle said. "Your gram loves kids and I know she was hoping I would have more."
"Like me?" Julia asked.
Turning then to look at her Castle said, "Exactly like you. She's eager for the baby to get here."
"Like me," Julia repeated.
"Exactly," Castle said, repeating himself as well. He smiled when she laughed, and he parked after at the park she wanted to go to before he went to the backseat and took his and Beckett's daughter out. It was October eighteenth and he was with Julia alone as his wife had gone with his mother out shopping downtown together after their lunch. He tried not to think of his wife while he was going with Julia to the path they were near as she was three and a half months along by then; and it was two months and a day after their wedding. Instead he said, "You picked a great place to go to."
"Yeah, can we take leaves home for Mommy?" Julia asked, looking up at him.
"In case she doesn't make it?" Castle asked. When she nodded he smiled and leaned down so he could kiss the top of her head and said, "Perfect but we'll leave it for last just in case she can."
"I hope so," Julia replied. She looked on either side of the path, smiling at all the golden, red and orange leaves on the ground and she asked, "Daddy can I walk over there?"
"I think so, mind if I go with you?" Castle asked her.
"No," Julia replied. She then pulled on his hand so they could walk through the leaves and she kicked at them before her father stopped her.
"Watch," Castle said with a smile as she was looking at him in bemusement. He knelt and then picked up some of the leaves. As soon as he was standing he threw them, smiling at the way his daughter was squealing in joy as they fell around them both.
"Do it again Daddy!" Julia begged him when they were all on the ground.
"Okay but this time you need to help me," Castle told her. "Let's hunker down like this," he told her as he crouched. When she was doing the same he said, "And now we gather the leaves."
Julia giggled at her father's instructions, but she was taking the leaves before they stood up and she threw hers with his. She smiled as the ones that he had fell but then said, "You should throw them Daddy, you're better."
"I think you mean taller," Castle told her, picking her up. He kissed her temple and said, "Want to keep going?"
"Can I go in the tree?" Julia asked.
"I'm not sure sweetheart," Castle said seriously. "You don't know how to climb and if you got hurt your mother would be mad and I would feel very bad."
Sighing Julia said, "Kay."
"But I can hold you up so you can see the lower branches," Castle told her. "Is that alright?"
"Yeah," Julia said eagerly. "Please?"
"I will," Castle said with a smile, kissing her cheek. He started walking around the trees then and he was just about to go deeper into the trees; staying close to the parking lot in case his wife joined them; before Beckett appeared on the path.
"Mommy!" Julia cried in joy at the sight of her.
"Hey sweetie," Beckett said with a smile. She walked over to them and as soon as she reached her husband she kissed him, a simple kiss on the lips but they lingered a little until finally they slowly moved away from each other. "If you can't tell I missed you," she told him.
"I think I got it and you should know I was feeling the same way," Castle replied before he leaned over to kiss her. He was pleased when she kissed him back and when they parted fully he said, "Someone else missed you too."
"I did Mommy," Julia said as her father handed her over. She kissed her mother's cheek and then said with a smile, "Do you see the leaves?"
"I do," Beckett replied. "And I can tell you were throwing them too." When her daughter looked at her in confusion she picked out the one stuck in her hair on her back and said, "He wanted to take a ride."
Giggling Julia threw it up into the air before she said, "Like that Mommy?"
"I think so," Beckett said.
"Show her Daddy," Julia said, turning to her father.
"Do you mind?" Castle asked as their daughter was so excited. When Beckett shook her head, he picked up some leaves and threw them above, letting them rain down on them.
"How pretty," Beckett said, smiling at the awe on Julia's face though it wasn't the first time she'd seen leaves falling like that.
"So do you want to go home or did you stop there with Mother first?" Castle asked her.
"I want to walk with you two and I did stop at home to leave Martha," Beckett answered. She set Julia down at her insistence and watched as the little girl gently pressed her hand to her stomach. "The baby is fine," she assured her.
"It didn't get tired from shopping?" Julia asked.
"No, it's good," Beckett told her. "It wants to walk in the woods too, like its sister."
Castle smiled at Julia's beaming smile at the idea and he reached down to take her other hand before he and Beckett began to wind their way around the trees in front of them. He watched Julia kicking through the leaves and was about to ask his wife how far she wanted to go when she spoke before he could.
"We're not going through the whole thing, are we?" Beckett asked.
"Oh no, we can just walk a little bit more," Castle replied. "You're tired?"
Beckett was going to speak when she paused and then smiled saying, "Your mother is… a shopper."
"I thought you knew that already," Castle said teasingly.
"Oh, I did," Beckett replied, a smile on her face. "But I didn't know she would be as much as she was."
"Did you get anything Mommy?" Julia asked.
"A couple things," Beckett began slowly. She saw her husband was looking at her questioningly and she told him, "She wanted to go a little crazy with maternity clothing, but I have no idea what my body will be like once I start showing. I just got regular clothes for now and a few things I know will fit for a while longer; I think she was a little disappointed."
"Was she suggesting clothes that she liked or you?" Castle asked her.
"Rick," Beckett said simply. "You've seen your mother shopping with Alexis; she got what she thought I'd like."
"How'd she do?" Castle then inquired.
Beckett smiled and told him, "A few good ideas but they were for my second trimester… the second trimester. I'll wait to go back."
"How big is your tummy gonna get?" Julia then piped up, a little ahead of them and looking at some leaves under a sycamore tree.
"I don't know," Beckett replied. "We'll need to wait and see sweetie."
Nodding Julia picked up a leaf and twirled it in her fingers a few times before she looked at her parents and smiled when she saw that her father was whispering in her mother's ear as Beckett laughed softly. She picked up another leaf and then went to a maple tree, picking up a redder leaf there before she then got a yellow one.
"What do you have sweetheart?" Castle asked as he and his wife had looked to see their daughter was holding the leaves up in a fan together.
"Can I take these home?" Julia asked.
"What will you do with them?" Beckett asked as she came back to where they were standing.
"I wanna make a picture," Julia said slowly.
"We can have them in between two pieces of plastic," Castle told his wife.
With a smile Beckett said, "Are you going to help her with that?"
"I have an idea," Castle said abruptly.
"Oh, you do?" Beckett said in amusement.
"Yep," Castle replied. He looked with her down at their daughter and seeing that she was watching them interestedly he said, to them both, "The seasons."
"The seasons?" Julia said slowly and in obvious confusion.
"Yes, we'll save these three leaves and put them in between plastic," Castle began. "Then when we get to winter we'll take some twigs." He looked at his wife and said, "I'll slice them flat. And spring we'll get the new leaves and summer we'll get the full ones."
"Where does that go?" Julia asked.
"What about a gift?" Beckett suggested. She was surprised when she saw the disappointment on her daughter's face and asked, "What's wrong?"
"I wanted to give it to Grandpapa," Julia said in dissatisfaction.
"You know you can," Castle commented. When the little girl looked up at him in surprise he explained, "You don't have to make it a Christmas gift; plus you won't be able to get it finished for this Christmas anyway. Just give it to him and say you wanted him to have it."
"Kay," Julia said. "I wanna do that," she told them with a nod.
"Do you want any more leaves?" Beckett asked her.
"That one," Julia said after she looked around for a moment. She then hurried over to the one with the bright yellow leaves and picked one up, holding it with the other three.
"Very nice," Castle commented. "Do you know what leaves you have?" When the little girl shook her head, he pointed to each and said, "This yellow one you just got is a walnut tree, this green one is an oak, this orange one is maple and this red one is from a cherry tree."
"Wow," Julia said in awe. She smiled at her father and said, "Thank you Daddy."
"You're welcome; do you want to go home?" Castle asked. When she nodded he took her hand and said to his wife, "I wish we could go in the same car."
"We can," Beckett told him with a smile as he looked at her in confusion.
When they reached the parking lot Castle saw his wife was right; there was no sign of their other car; and he looked at her saying, "Mother?"
"She said that we should stop for cocoa if we were going to celebrate fall," Beckett replied as she nodded a few times.
"I think she meant cider," Castle replied.
"Can we?" Julia asked.
"Oh, I forgot she was here," Castle said jokingly, smiling down at the little girl. "Yes, we can and then we can go home and get your leaves ready."
Waiting for Castle to get their daughter into her car seat Beckett grabbed him as soon as he was standing up and the door was closed next to him. She crushed her lips against his hungrily, feeling her husband grasping at her a second later.
Though he knew Julia could see them Castle couldn't stop, and he clutched at the small of his wife's back until finally they very carefully and slowly moved away when they wouldn't breathe anymore. "I um… I know you missed me," he told her. "For sure now."
Beckett smiled at the way he worded that, and she told him, "And I know you meant the same for me."
"I did," Castle said. He sighed and said, "There's a part of me that wishes I could have gone with you while you shopped."
"Pervert," Beckett shot back. "You just wanted to see me change."
"Of course," Castle said simply. "I think I have a right to."
"Then I can show you later," Beckett said. "For now, let's get our cider and then we can get her artwork started."
"And later a small fashion show?" Castle suggested. When she just looked at him he smiled and told her, "No pictures, just modeling."
Sighing Beckett said, "Fine but no smart-ass comments," keeping her voice low.
"I wouldn't dream of it," Castle assured her.
"I'll hold you to that," Beckett replied before she got into the passenger seat.
"I hope so," Castle replied before he closed the door and then went around to the driver's seat. He took them to one of the few coffee shops in town that had a drive-thru and got their cider. "Sorry we didn't get out of the car," he told his wife once they were returning home. "I wanted to get home really fast."
"I don't blame you, so did I," Beckett replied. She squeezed his hand and looked ahead of them as he pulled into their driveway. She got Julia from the back and inside she said, "Martha told me she'd be waiting for us in the kitchen."
"She knows me too well," Castle said as they entered the house from the garage. "We were there for a while," he added as he checked the time and saw they needed to start dinner so they wouldn't get their daughter to bed too late, hurrying down the hall to the kitchen so they could do so.
"Hello," Martha said when she saw the three walking to her. "How was the park?"
"So much fun Gram," Julia said, running over to where she was sitting at the kitchen table.
While their daughter was telling Martha about their time there Beckett followed her husband to where they kept Julia's art supplies and told him, "I never really thought this would come in handy."
"To tell you the truth neither did I," Castle replied. "What do you think?" he asked, holding two thin squares of plastic.
"I think that's good," Beckett said. "I hope so because if not you have to grab bigger ones so the leaves won't get destroyed."
"It'll fit," Castle said. He paused and then looked over at his wife and said, "I'm pretty sure I wasn't thinking that in a dirty way."
"I wasn't either until you talked about it," Beckett replied with a smile. When he glanced at her she motioned to him and wrapped her arms around him before they began to kiss hungrily.