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: I was glad to get the feedback for the last chapter I did so I'll get started on my thank yous for that! TORONTOSUN (Great you're liking how I'm writing the story since I enjoyed doing that a lot!) and
Mb (Glad to see you thought it was nice. Also that it was nicely done showing the couples since I wanted to do something different with the chapter, lol. And I wasn't surprised you were laughing at the fact they were making their stories about their dates safe for work but I thought that would be funny. And I'm happy you thought it was a sweet look at their night relaxing with their friends and family. You're welcome for the first half of the chapter! It was great to see that you thought the second half was another nice update. And I wasn't surprised you mentioned them doing what they'd left out basically from their stories, lol. I was glad you enjoyed their dessert and the time they played before splitting up for the night. And it was great you enjoyed the next morning with everyone happy and relaxed and eager to see the kids and grandparents again. And yeah, I wanted the others who hadn't been there have a good night too, so I wasn't surprised you were glad about that. You're welcome for the second half of the chapter!).
Thanks for the reviews, I loved reading them and appreciate the time taken to write them out and send them my way!
A/N #2: The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song San Diego written by Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker, Matt Skiba, John Feldmann and Patrick Stump, from the Blink-182 album California.
Back To San Diego
"No protests?"
"Why would I protest?" Skye asked, looking up with a slight frown.
"Since you two are leading us," Castle said, not surprised when Darnley; who'd asked the question; nodded rapidly.
"Don't we have to?" Skye said immediately.
"She's right, though we have to find where the heck we're going to go right now," Mary said while her wife was folding the San Diego Zoo map.
"Actually, I know where we're going," Skye replied.
"Mum, why are we here so early? The zoo isn't even open yet!" Kathleen asked.
"This is why," Skye said, smiling when the kids were turning to the carts that were driving up to them. She then glanced at one of the newest members of their group and asked, "Ready?"
"As long as I'm not torn apart…" Paul said before his wife was lightly slapping his arm.
"Not funny," Nancy said.
"I know Dad, horrible to say when we're about to see all these animals," Stella added while they were watching Skye and Mary go up to one of the employees leaving a cart.
"What're we doing?" Eliza asked her parents.
"Hold on," Beckett said when her husband looked to her.
"Something special," Julia said. When her little sister turned to her, she was smiling widely and said, "I guessed, we're here early and she asked Paul if he's ready."
"Okay," Skye was saying before Eliza could say anything. "We're here for a special tour of the big cats, it's going to take until the park opens."
"Are we being driven around?" Paul asked.
"First, I have to ask do you want to do this tour? We're not walking around just going to the specific cats," Skye said.
"I think we should," David said, not surprised the others were agreeing with him swiftly.
"Then we're ready," Skye said, turning to the employees and nodding.
After the groups divided up to sit in the carts they were driven around the side of the zoo, the younger kids greeting the workers that walked by until they were stopping.
"It's-" Eliza started to say before her sister covered her mouth with her hand.
"Sorry," Julia said, moving it quickly after. "Did I hurt you?"
"No, it's a surprise," Eliza said. When her big sister nodded, she giggled and hurried over to her friends before they were walking down the path that went into the foliage.
"Mama?" Sophie said a little worriedly.
"It's okay honey," Lily assured her quickly. "We're going to see the first animal."
"Tree?" Josie asked her father since he was carrying her.
"A lot of them," Castle told her. "So that means trees."
"Tree," Josie said.
"We're here!" Maddy said eagerly when she saw the glass.
Taking a picture of Josie when the worker that had walked with them began to talk about the Malayan Tiger, Beckett tried not to laugh at the toddler's gasp and joy on her face. She glanced into the habitat, hoping there would be one before the woman was peering inside and speaking rapidly.
"And here is one of our tigers right now," the worker was telling the others.
Setting Josie down at his wife's direction, Castle watched their youngest walk up to the glass when the tiger walked by. Looking at his wife he saw she was taking pictures when the tiger laid down. Turning back to Josie he was a little surprised the toddler wasn't making any noise or saying anything before she sat down too. "I hope you won't mind us staying for a little," he couldn't help telling the worker.
"I was told one of the kids liked tigers," the woman replied with a smile while Josie placed her hand on the glass. After the other kids had gone up to the glass with the toddler and watched the tiger for a while she said, "There's somewhere special to go here, if you'll follow me."
Reaching for Josie, Beckett picked her up and kissed her cheek telling her, "We're going to see more sweetie, don't worry."
"And come back?" Jim asked his daughter.
"We have to," Castle answered before his wife could.
"He's right," Beckett replied. When they were going through a gate she shared a look with her husband, more so when they were told to stop and the McDouglases were taken past another.
"Do you know what this is Mom?" Julia asked, leaving Mari and going to her family.
"We'll see," Beckett assured her.
"Or they'll tell us Mommy," Eliza told her mother, grabbing her hand tightly.
"Their mothers might tell them not to," Castle told her.
Making a face, Eliza then asked, "What about 'lexis and Louis?"
"What about them?" Martha said.
"Do they know about this?" Eliza asked.
"We told them," Beckett replied.
"Where are…" Josie started to say.
"Are you asking about 'lexis?" Julia asked.
"Eh," Josie answered, nodding her head rapidly.
"They went to England," Castle said, hugging her gently when she was wrapping her arms around his legs. "But they'll be home when we go home," he reassured her before they were turning to watch the McDouglases walking back out.
"You're next," Skye was saying to Paul and his family. After they'd gone into the other fence she said to the others, "We're not telling you anything, but you'll enjoy it."
"Nothing at all?" Brad asked.
"No, but we'll have to cut the tour a little short," Mary said.
"There are too many of us," Joseph stated.
"Exactly," Skye said laughingly before they were all laughing together.
After the McCartneys and Willises had come back out, Castle and Beckett were taking their family past the gate. They were ushered into a room looking into a holding pen where a tiger was laying.
Eventually the other employee there was talking to them about the tiger and what the doctors did checking on the animals. They were allowed to stand close to the tiger, Josie standing closest before they needed to leave to let the next family take their turn.
While her father was picking her up, Josie waved to the tiger and called to it, "Bye-bye," smiling when her family was laughing before they made their way back to the others.
"I never asked what you guys needed to do with that tour," Beckett was telling Skye after they'd made their way to the flamingoes in the front of the zoo. They'd finished the tour and had been driven back to the entrance just when the gates were open before the two women had led them to the pink birds. She'd taken a swift picture and then turned to her friend in time as she began to speak.
"We took pictures with the tiger," Skye said.
"With it, with it?" Castle asked, having taken Josie over to the toddler's mother.
"Yes, but they had it secure," Skye replied.
"When you say we…" Castle began before he trailed off.
"Mary and I," Skye said.
"Nance and I were too," Paul said.
"And that was fine?" Mary asked him.
"Oh sure," Paul said. "Nancy was a bit… iffy about that but the workers assured her."
"What're they going to do with those pictures?" Rebecca asked.
"Put them on social media and the website," Mary replied.
"Did they mention when they'll put them on social media?" Castle inquired.
"Tomorrow," Skye said. "And they asked if we'd take pictures at the Australia and Africa sections and send them to the number they gave me."
"Selfies," Beckett stated.
"Yeah," Mary answered. She then smiled and said, "We agreed, because it's only going to be the two of us."
"I said I could take one in front of the koalas," Paul said when the other adults turned to him as he was smiling. "Just that since of course we're on vacation."
"Are we going to keep going now?" Bobby asked, he and the other older kids having walked back from the flamingoes.
"Easy," Stella told her younger son. "We're going right now actually."
"Are we staying the whole day?" Reiley then asked.
"As much as we can," Skye said when the girl's parents turned to her. "Though you realize I can't really answer for you guys." She'd led them to the left of the flamingoes but suddenly stopped before she said, "That sounds like you kids want to go somewhere else."
"Were you planning on going to Old Town tonight?" Stella asked. "The kids wanted to see it."
"That was a thought, but I said that before we found out what time it closes today," Mary told them.
"Would we be able to see the entire zoo in time to go there after?" Paul asked. "Before everything there closes?"
"We can, we've seen a few things already," Skye said slowly though she was looking pointedly at Castle and Beckett.
"We couldn't take her to see the tigers?" the latter asked.
"We can, but there's a lot of walking and a lot to see," Skye said.
"I said I'd stay on the scooter," Liam said in mock annoyance when his daughter had turned to him.
"Good," Skye said before they were laughing at the way the pilot was grumbling under his breath before they were beginning to walk again.
Going into the reptile house, Reiley saw the way Mari squeezed at Julia's arm with both hands saying, "You wouldn't have to go inside you know," not surprised the teen was responding first.
"It's alright, she's just reminding me not to scare her," Julia said, her tone wry as she looked at her friend.
"No, I'm reminding you to stand in front of me at the snakes if we can't see them at first," Mari told her friend, frowning at her though she was laughing.
"I almost thought you two were going to fight," Marie said.
"Not this time," Julia replied before they were starting to walk around the reptiles.
"Do you two know this zoo well?" Miller suddenly asked the older McDouglas twins.
"Yeah." "Of course," Kathleen and then Marie said.
"We have been here a lot," Marie then said with a smile. She then looked ahead of them in confusion and said, "They're working on the Children's Zoo."
"I think you mean the Basecamp," Mary corrected her daughter. "And it looks like they're working on it again."
"I asked," Skye said. "Since I noticed on the map. They're going to add a few more habitats."
"When will it open?" Bethany asked while they were walking past the amphitheater.
"Around November," Skye said. "So for now, let's head around here before we make our way towards the restaurant for lunch."
"We're not eating yet," Mary said swiftly when some of the kids were reacting. "We're just going to walk towards it for now."
Going to Skye, Beckett touched her arm and asked, "Does that include going to the tigers again?
"It does," the investigator replied with a smile. "But we have a little more to go so…"
Nodding, Beckett walked back to her husband before they were reaching the first of the habitats that were behind the reptile house. She smiled at Josie's obvious joy looking at the tortoises and took pictures of both them and the toddler, feeling her husband's hand on her back once they walked again.
"This restaurant seems to be quite fancy," Paul said, studying the waterfall that was next to them.
Smiling, Julia said, "I think this is why they wanted to come here."
"And they have vegetarian food," Mari added since she and Julia were sitting with the singer and his wife while they waited for the others to come with their food.
"Good thing," Paul said before he sipped his iced tea.
"Do you really want to go to Old Town?" Julia said, glancing at her friend after she had nudged her side.
"Of course," Nancy replied. "Though what did you want Julia to ask."
Mari blushed deeply before she said, "I was just wondering if it's okay we're sitting here."
"You heard our grandkids," Paul replied.
"Yeah, I believed them," Julia said. "But we're going to sit at different tables for dinner probably."
"Have you been to San Diego before?" Mari then asked.
"Oh yes, ages ago," Paul said. When he saw the way his wife was looking at him, he said, "Okay, ages is a bit sketchy but we've been."
"We came a year ago," Nancy explained for her husband. She smiled when the girls shared a look and clarified, "We didn't really see what you're going to show us."
"Especially not this view of the airport Skye was talking about," Paul said while the investigator was walking by with Mary and the food for their family.
"It'll be brief, trust me," Skye replied quickly before turning her attention to her kids.
"Here you go," Castle said, walking over. "Four orders of the Roasted Vegetable Garden…"
"We're sure Dad," Julia said firmly.
"Well, just for some protein I got you an order of their mozzarella sticks," Castle said.
"I'll take one of those first," Paul said exaggeratedly. "Though you know there's nothing lacking in the veggies."
"Just in case," Castle said, kissing the side of Julia's head while she giggled in response. "Enjoy."
When the two had calmed down, Nancy watched them turning to their plate of roasted vegetables and asked, "Do you know what to do with all this?"
"I think so," Julia said, glancing at Mari when she was shaking her head. She picked up a piece of pita bread and said, "The olive…"
"Tapenade," Paul assisted her with a nod and a smile. "Spread a little of that and after is all your choice."
Getting her piece of bread ready eagerly, Mari couldn't help saying, "There's veggie stuff in Old Town."
"Your parents told us already," Nancy said to Julia with a smile.
"Skye and Mary too?" the teen asked. Smiling when the two nodded Julia said, "I knew they'd look," before they were all eating. "This is really good," she said. She then took a mozzarella stick next and dipped it in the sauce before telling them, "But there's a ton more of the zoo to see still," surprised at Paul's response.
"I hope we'll have the chance to see everything before we leave for Old Town," Paul said.
"We should," Mari said, though she was looking at her friend questioningly.
"Maybe," Julia said, hesitating as her friend had. "You have to ask Skye and Mary." She then asked, "Are you okay walking around so much?"
"They warned us," Nancy assured her. "And there is a bus she said."
"That double decker one," Mari said with a smile.
"We'll try and keep walking," Paul said firmly before he paused when he realized the three were looking at him. "I suppose that was the wrong thing to say?" directing that to his wife.
"We'll be careful," Nancy said to the girls.
"You better," Bailey said jokingly since she and her siblings were sitting at the table by them.
"What about Liam?" Miller asked.
"That's why he got the scooter," Julia said, Mari nodding.
"I don't think your parents would want you to go on that for a thrill ride," Nancy commented.
Laughing when his grandson made a face, Paul said, "I'm sure all the kids were thinking that."
"What're you two looking forward to seeing now?" Nancy asked, putting her napkin swiftly to her lips when she saw the way the two were looking at her husband even before she'd finished speaking.
"I'll pass on singing," Paul said in amusement. "I didn't want people finding out I'm here."
"Good thing they're putting the pictures up tomorrow," Mari murmured, smiling when the singer and his wife nodded. They turned their attention back to eating and when they stopped, she said to Julia while they were leaning against the railing in front of the waterfall, "I wonder if we're going to have dessert."
"Probably not," Julia said simply. She was momentarily startled hearing the way her friend scoffed and turned to her swiftly.
"How can you be so sure?" Mari asked her.
"Because of where we're going later tonight," Julia said. "Remember the ice cream at Old Town."
"Is it good ice cream?" Bobby asked, he and the other older kids stepping up to the two.
"Not expensive but it's ice cream," Julia answered. "And we're usually allowed to have one of their sundaes," she added.
"Awesome," Bobby replied before they were turning at the adults calling to them. Walking again he said to Julia, "Where are we going next?"
"I have no clue," she answered truthfully. "But I get the feeling we're going back the way we came."
"We're seeing the tigers for a third time?" Reiley asked. "I know your sister loves them but that seems like a lot."
"We're not going there," Marie said.
"See? You should be asking the two of them," Julia said, pretending to be angry. "Bother them," she added before they were laughing together heavily.
"At least they're getting along," Lily said.
"They have been this entire trip," Brad informed his wife. "Luckily."
"Hey, you didn't say where we're going," Jacob said when they'd calmed down.
"He's right," Eve said, backing up her brother.
"Oh, it's a surprise," Mari said, rolling her eyes after she had studied the girls.
"We're not that far from it," Kathleen told them with a smile.
"You figure they would have remembered," Castle told his wife.
"They don't want to say either," Beckett said, not surprised at her husband's response immediately after.
"Julia sure but Mari?" Castle asked.
"She's been around Julia too much," David said jokingly before they heard some gasps ahead.
"I remember these, the okapi," Eliza said eagerly to Ivy and Iris.
"Us too," the latter said. Iris then frowned for a moment and told her friend, "We've only come here twice."
"Three for me," Fleur said when her sisters and Eliza were looking at her. She smiled widely and added, "But we get to see them again."
"So weird," Bobby commented to the other older kids. "Their legs."
"I don't know, the giraffe's tongue seems to help," Miller said, scratching the back of his neck as they were watching one eating some leaves.
"Keep going," Skye called to the others before they were continuing around to the hippo habitat. While the others were looking at the animals in the water she stepped back and studied the map.
"Okay?" Beckett asked her friend, sitting next to her.
"Yeah, just checking on everything," Skye replied. "Nothing new since we were last here," she added.
"What about those pictures?" Beckett asked. "You really agreed to them."
"Bien sûr," Skye replied, laughing when her friend slightly socked her shoulder for answering of course in French. "No, we did since like we said it's just the two of us in ours," she explained. Looking up at Paul while he walked up to them since they'd been at the hippos for a while she said, "I'm surprised at you."
"You seemed to say that we could make it through," Paul said.
"I said we might, we may have to speed up a bit," Skye replied.
"We can handle it," Liam said, walking by with Pablo. "We'll lead."
Smiling when her friend was laughing at her dad's tone of voice, Beckett went to her husband and saw he was just setting Eliza down. "Did you see the top of its head?" she asked, aware the little girl had done that to see the ears of the hippo closest to them.
"Yeah, they flicked like a horse's," Eliza informed her mother.
"It probably heard us talking," Castle said. He was going to take her hand when the little girl shook her head and rushed over to her friends. "Rejected," he said.
"What're you trying to do?" Beckett asked him teasingly.
"Make out with you, excuse us," Darnley said, he and Nkosi passing them by on the path they'd stepped on swiftly.
"We can see your lips Patrick," Castle called to the carpenter, laughing briefly when he saw him waving to them. Turning to his wife he took her free hand and told her, "I'm enjoying this."
"Me too, but it is a lot of walking," Beckett replied. She glanced at her husband for a moment and told him with a smile, "And it's the first of August."
"And I wanted to…" Castle started to say before he stopped himself while his wife was gently squeezing his hand, speaking once he was looking at her.
"I remember," Beckett said, doing her best not to think back on that day three years before when they had conceived Josie. She then said, "But the girls should enjoy Old Town too."
Nodding, accepting the obvious change in subject, Castle said, "I'm looking forward to it too. Sundaes?"
"Yes," Beckett said laughingly, watching her husband raising her hand before kissing at the back of it. She looked ahead of them while they were reaching the highest part of the zoo and couldn't resist stopping him to share a brief kiss before they began walking after their friends and family to the first habitat they were approaching.
"I'm going to guess we've finally made it to Australia," Paul said to Skye and Mary.
"The artwork didn't clue you in?" the investigator asked in amusement.
"Not a clue," Paul replied before they were laughing, and she was pretending to pinch at him. "But we're agreed, no singing, right?" he asked the kids jokingly before they turned to Skye.
"Really grá?" Mary inquired since her wife had hummed the Men at Work song.
"Seemed appropriate," Skye said with a shrug.
"You always do that Mum," Marie said though she was speaking laughingly.
"Can't help it," Skye said.
"That seems more likely," Pablo replied before the investigator was raising her nose in the air and turning her head before joining in the laughter of the others.
Walking up to the buildings, Julia made sure her camera was ready, and she was swiftly taking a picture of a koala near them before Bobby was murmuring to them.
"It smells," the teen said.
"You know why already," Miller told his brother, nudging him slightly in the side. "Don't say it."
Julia watched the teen roll his eyes saying, "Is it bad?"
"They're just animals," Miller said, giving Bobby a look.
"It's not the chlamydia, is it?" Kathleen asked. When the Willis kids looked at her in shock she said, "We watched a RiffTrax Nat Geo thing, and they talked about the koalas having that."
"Something like that," Castle said, walking over to them.
"You heard?" Julia asked.
"Yes, and we never should have let you two watch that," Castle replied. "Just plug your nose if you can and please don't let the younger kids ask you about it, they'll want to know what that is." He wasn't surprised when they were saying they wouldn't and he ushered them ahead of him before he told Skye, "Really?"
"Really, we have to take a picture," Mary answered before her wife could.
Leaving them, Castle soon found Josie by herself toddling to him and he waved to his father-in-law who was beginning to race after her. Scooping the toddler up he told her, "Where are you going ceann beag?"
"You Dada," Josie said, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Why?" Castle asked before she was patting his lips.
"I say Dada," Josie replied, giggling when her father pulled her hand away and kissed it gently.
"Okay, then what exactly are you asking about?" Castle asked her.
"More an…" Josie began to say before she trailed off and frowned, her father helping her shortly after.
"Animals," Castle helped her. "And yes, we are going to see them," he added before they were coming around the building. "See? Wallabies."
"Wa ba," Josie said immediately. She smiled when her father laughed and kissed her temple before she waved at the animal below them.
"At least she doesn't mind them," Martha said, having been standing next to her son. When he turned to her, she asked, "Do you want me to take her?"
"That's alright," Castle said when Josie leaned her head against his. He gently rubbed her back and then turned to his mother before she was speaking in amusement.
"I will take her at some point," Martha said.
"You might need to talk to her about that," Castle replied easily before he walked with the others when he saw they were moving. While they were going back to the path, he felt Josie kiss his cheek and said, "What do you want sweetheart?"
"I want Mama," the toddler told him.
"I'll take her," Castle said slightly laughingly to his mother before he was walking ahead to her. After reaching his wife he asked, "Mind taking her?"
"Do I have much of a choice?" Beckett asked him in amusement.
"Not really," Castle said while their youngest was leaning over in his arms. "Though we do have one more section to go," he added.
"I can take pictures with my other hand," Beckett reminded him.
"True," Castle said slowly before they were entering the last section of the Outback part of the zoo.
After she'd taken a picture of one of the Tasmanian Devils, Beckett realized someone was to her right and looked down to find it was Eliza. "What is it sweetie?" she asked in amusement.
"Are we almost finished?" Eliza asked.
"You're tired of the zoo already?" Castle responded with his own question teasingly while he leaned around his wife to look at the little girl.
"No," Eliza said firmly, frowning at what her father had said though she was soon smiling seeing the way her little sister was shaking her head. She then shook herself and said to their parents, "Are we going to go to the gift shop?"
"We kind of have to," Castle commented.
"We will," Beckett said with a smile. "And yes, you can get a shirt and one other thing."
"I have to show it to you," Eliza stated. After her mother nodded, she beamed at her parents and said, "Thanks!" before going to where Fleur and Ivy were walking together.
"Mama, I have… shh," Josie said.
"You-" Castle started to say to the little girl before his wife was placing her hand to his chest to stop him.
"Do you want a t-shirt?" Beckett asked the toddler. When she nodded, she smiled and kissed her temple before she said, "We'll see if there's one for you." She then noticed where they were walking before Alasdhair was talking to Skye and Mary abruptly.
"Is that all of the zoo? Have we seen everything?" he asked.
"It is," Skye said.
"That's open," Mary couldn't help adding. "We're a little early, and we were going to head to the entrance to ask if anyone minded us going to Old Town." She looked down at Iris as she was tugging her hand and said, "After we go to the gift shops."
"Shops?" Stella asked.
"There are a couple leading up to the exit," Skye said.
"Fiends," Paul said in mock annoyance. "Forcing you to spend money."
"Not really," Lily said. "It's more the kids," she said when the others were looking at her.
"True," Beckett said immediately. "And we're almost there."
"Then good luck to everyone," Paul said, exaggerating his voice and making the others laugh before they were entering the larger of the stores.
"Are we looking for her together?" Castle asked, with his wife once they were inside.
"Mmm-hmm," Beckett replied. "Julia and Eliza will be with an adult."
"Great," Castle said before they were reaching the kids' clothing.
"Mama, tiger!" Josie squealed while her mother carried her along the shirts. She started to lean over towards the one she'd seen, and her mother was rushing to stop her.
"Hold on sweetie," Beckett said. She kissed her briefly and handed her to Castle before she looked through the sizes.
"It'll fit?" Castle asked her, watching Beckett setting the t-shirt of a 'poster' with a tiger and San Diego Zoo Safari Park under it.
"It will," Beckett replied before she draped the shirt over her arm. She smiled when Josie was clapping her hands and said to her husband, "Want to head over to Eliza?"
"Sure," Castle said. They started to walk to where they could see Eliza was looking at the toys when Josie was protesting. "Do you want to go down?" he asked the toddler.
"No, you Dada, Mama," Josie said, looking between them.
"Us what?" Beckett asked in surprise.
"Sh-ir-rt," Josie said slowly before her father was laughing. She smiled up at him before he was speaking, turning to her mother since he was addressing her.
"Think we should?" Castle asked his wife.
"I was going to look," Beckett said. She was a little startled when her husband frowned at her and inquired, "You don't believe me?"
"You were walking away from the shirts," Castle explained, hoping she wouldn't be mad at him.
"I was," Beckett said with a nod. "Because I see Eliza at the candy." They both looked at Josie when she repeated the last word, and she then told her husband, "Maybe we should go look at the shirts."
"I think so," Castle said, nodding in agreement before they were walking together back to the shirts. He walked with her while she was looking at the women's shirts before she stopped them both.
"You don't have to look with me love," Beckett told him with a smile so he wouldn't think she was intentionally pushing him away. She had to bite her lower lip for a moment when her husband was quickly looking at his watch, not wanting him to hear her laugh, and she watched him heading to the men's section.
"Mama?" Josie asked, wrapping her hand around a lock of her mother's hair.
"I'm going to keep looking," Beckett assured her, making her let her hair go. She walked around the options before she looked at her youngest.
"No sh… sh…" Josie tried to say before she stopped.
Beckett couldn't help laughing at the frustrated face the toddler made and said, "I did find a shirt, but I want to wait for your daddy to show us what he picked."
"Who said I picked one?" Castle asked since he'd been walking up to the two.
"The fabric showing on your right," Beckett told him firmly.
"Okay, I did," Castle said, bringing it out. "Now sweetheart," he directed to her. "I know you like tigers, but I like elephants myself."
"Eh," Josie said, smiling widely before she reached over and patted the graphic of an elephant's head on the heather blue fabric.
"That means you approve?" Castle asked. When the toddler nodded rapidly, he leaned over and shared a kiss with her before he straightened up and looked at his wife. "Well?" he asked.
"It works," Beckett told him. She wasn't surprised at the look he immediately gave her and told him, "I like the color."
"I was serious about the elephant," Castle replied.
"Oh, I know," Beckett said before he leaned down to her. She wasn't surprised when he gently brushed his lips to hers and she then said, "It's a good choice."
"And what about you love?" Castle asked. He was slightly startled when his wife turned to the shirts and took one down. "Really?" he asked.
"You don't think it works for me?" Beckett asked.
"It does… though-" Castle said, holding up the teal fabric before his wife was interrupting him.
"I did pick it before you showed us yours," Beckett informed him since her shirt had an elephant's head on it as well though it had a henna design on the animal and a mandala flower behind it.
"Tell the girls that," Castle said. He was surprised when his wife wasn't responding before he realized she was looking behind him, he turned slightly to be able to see and pretended to jump at their middle daughters standing there. He turned around all the way while they laughed and asked, "How long have you been standing there."
"We heard you didn't pick your shirts on purpose," Julia said.
"But it's cute you got the same animal," Eliza said, beaming at them.
"Let's see your shirts," Beckett said, nodding to Julia's pick of a blue polar bear shirt and Eliza's orange fennec fox. "Okay, now show us the items you picked," she told them before Eliza was jumping up slightly and raising her hand.
"What is it?" Castle asked, unable to help laughing at her exuberance before he'd spoken.
"What about 'lexis and Louis?" Eliza asked eagerly.
"They're not getting one," Julia said before their parents could respond. "The twins are though," she added, looking at her mother when she began to answer.
"She's right, your sister didn't want a shirt for herself," Beckett said firmly. "So we hope you'll let us pick." They went to where they could see the baby items and she stopped abruptly before telling them, "I should say a onesie, your sister and Louis asked for a onesie."
"I see one already," Eliza said. "No, two," she said eagerly, hurrying the last few steps to what she'd found. She then turned to her parents and asked, "Did she want them to match?"
"No," Beckett said, smiling since she wasn't surprised when the little girl instantly looked disappointed.
"I think I found one for our niece," Julia said, walking over with one.
"That's cute," Castle said immediately since it was light blue with green on the edges. There was a giraffe with clouds around it and he said, "They both like giraffes."
"What about a platypus?" Beckett asked since she had picked up the one Eliza had seen.
"They like all animals," Castle said with a nod. "The sizes?"
"They're good," Beckett replied firmly before her husband was taking the one she held. "And your other items?" she asked. She wasn't surprised when Eliza's other choice was an animal atlas book but was when she saw the set of postcards Julia had. "Those aren't pictures," she told her.
"I know," Julia replied. "I'm going to use them for stationery," she added hurriedly, the postcards of animal themed artwork.
"Okay, then-" Castle started to say.
"Wait, what about Josa?" Eliza interrupted him.
"I already know," Beckett said in amusement when her husband turned to her. She led them to the stuffed animals before she picked up a small tiger and let Josie take it before she said to the girls, "I'm guessing you thought the same."
"Yeah," Julia said, slightly laughingly.
"I did too," Eliza added before she saw her grandparents were walking up to them. "You didn't find anything?"
"Not today kiddo," Martha replied, squeezing her shoulder. "Maybe once we go to Old Town."
"I'll go pay," Castle told his wife quickly before he was making his way to the registers.
"You and Daddy didn't get anything else," Eliza told her mother.
"We don't need anything, the shirts are enough," Beckett replied.
"What about at Old Town?" Julia asked.
"We'll see, but really we don't need anything," Beckett answered.
"Yes, we do," Eliza suddenly said after she had gasped.
"What?" Beckett said at the same time as her father and mother-in-law.
Smiling at them speaking in unison, Eliza said firmly, "A turtle."
"A turtle? Why that?" Julia asked with a slight frown.
"She's thinking of the pool room," Jim said.
"Yeah, just a little one Mommy," Eliza said.
"I know what store you're thinking of," Beckett said since her daughter was looking at her pleadingly. "But let me talk to your daddy and see if the others will be okay stopping there," she added before they turned to Nancy when she spoke since she'd walked up to them in time to hear that.
"You're talking about stores already?" the singer's wife asked with a smile.
"We are, I asked about getting a decoration… Daddy!" Eliza said, hurrying over to Castle while he walked to them with a tote bag.
"What is it?" he asked, startled at her excitement.
Watching her husband while their second youngest told him about the decoration she wanted, Beckett wasn't surprised when the youngest McDouglas girls hurried to their mothers. The others were joining them, and she said to her husband once Eliza had finished talking to him, "It would depend on the decoration."
"I'm not surprised," Castle said. He then turned to Eliza and said, "I agree with your mom, we'll need to see what we find before we really decide on anything for sure."
Nodding rapidly Eliza said, "Okay, I just want to look."
"And we will once we go," Skye said. She smiled when the other adults pretended to grumble at her not very subtle direction and said, "Well if you want to stay."
Beckett wasn't surprised when the kids were protesting that, and she adjusted Josie on her hip before they made their way out of the zoo to go back to their cars.