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 very pleased to get the feedback for the last chapter that I did so I'll go ahead and get started on my thank you for that! Mb (I was glad reading first thing that you thought it was a nice update. I wasn't surprised you were mentioning the friends they have again, lol, but yeah, I figure since they're doing the shoot for free she might give them some of the clothing they're modeling. Not surprised you agreed with the reason Stella didn't use her children for modeling, I figured she would do that. And I wasn't too surprised that you thought it was nice that with it being a lockdown the kids were getting to participate a little more. Not surprised either that you mentioned Eliza getting stronger with her abilities. I figured the grandmothers would be there to help out since that place is reputed to have a lot of spirits and different kinds as you said. Great you thought the first half was nicely done! And you're welcome for the first half of the chapter! It was nice to see you thought the second half was another nice update. I was really glad that you liked when I have them do a lockdown with GA since I do enjoy writing that, and apparently surprising my readers, lol. It was also interesting to see that you thought it was disconcerting since Skye, Beckett, Julia and Eliza are strongly attuned. And I wasn't surprised you mentioned suspense waiting to see what they would encounter, though you were right they had the protection of the grandmothers and Skye's experience too. I was really pleased you liked the bit with them biking along with the picnic since I wanted to show them decompressing. I did laugh when you said it went boom to Castle and Beckett together fully in passion and in love since I did enjoy you saying that. You're welcome for sharing the second half of the chapter!).
Thanks for the review, I loved reading it and appreciate the time taken to write it out and send it my way!
A/N #2: The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Mt. St. Helens written by Mirah, from her album Advisory Committee.
Walked A High And Lonely Path
"Alright," Skye said, walking back to the RV where Castle and Beckett were standing in the side door. "We're clear."
"You're sure?" Castle asked.
"She is love, get out of the way because the kids are getting out already," Beckett told him, squeezing his arm. They stepped out of the car, and she was smiling at the older kids stepping out of their RV where she saw Julia was out first.
"I'm okay," the teen called to her mother with a smile.
"I can tell," Beckett replied with a nod. She then said, "Is this what you wanted to see?"
Turning to the volcano, Julia made a face for a moment before she said, "It's kind of scary." She paused and then said, "That's not what it looked like before it erupted is it?"
"No," Eve said first before any adults could. She smiled and said, "It lost all of that."
"Is it gonna erupt now?" Maddy asked a little fearfully.
"No way," Darnley said, reaching for his daughter. "Rick checked on the volcano and she's sleeping."
"It's a she?" Keo asked in confusion.
"Yeah, Mount St. Helen's, isn't it?" Darnley asked.
"Okay, get your pictures because we have to make our way over to the trails," Skye said.
"Are you sure we can't walk around here Mum?" Marie asked.
"Afraid not, they're careful," Skye answered.
"That is a good thing," Bethany said. She wasn't surprised when everyone was turning to look at her and she assured them, "I know we are not going up there, but it makes me shiver."
"That's why we're heading to the Observatory before the trail," Nkosi assured his mother.
"Where's Julia?" Louis suddenly said.
Whirling around with her husband, Beckett was dismayed to discover their son-in-law was right and Julia wasn't there. "Julia," she called, walking over to a trail they were near.
"Wait, go with one of us," Skye called, watching Castle rushing after her.
While her family and their friends had been talking, Julia had felt suddenly compelled to walk down the trail she'd seen, and she paused when she saw a man sitting there with a notebook in hand. She was about to turn around when he spoke and she glanced at him, seeing he was smiling at her.
"Better be careful," the man told her.
"I-" Julia began before she heard her parents. She turned back towards where their RVs were and then looked back to the man when she discovered that both he and his setup was gone. "Sir…" she started to say before she fell to her knees suddenly when it hit her.
"Julia!" Castle and Beckett yelled at the same time when they saw their daughter falling. They tried to run faster to her when they realized she was crying, and they gently helped her stand up before she was speaking.
"It was him; it was him," Julia told them.
Nodding to her husband when he looked at her, Castle picked their daughter up and led her back to the others at the parking. "She's alright," he said when Eliza and Alexis hurried up to them before the former was speaking first.
"What happened? Something happened," Eliza said, beginning to cry herself when she saw her big sister was.
"Easy," Beckett said after they were sitting on a bench. She calmed Julia down while Castle took Eliza in his arms and gently rubbed her back before they stopped and she said, "Do you want to tell us what happened?"
"Yeah," Julia said, taking a deep breath that shuddered a little as the exhaled. "I went down the trail… I didn't want to, but I felt I needed to."
"You couldn't tell me?" Skye asked her.
Studying the investigator Julia said, "You know?"
"I have a feeling," Skye said gently.
Nodding, Julia took a moment before she said, "I saw a man standing with some binoculars and he was looking at the volcano. He turned around and said better be careful before I turned behind me when you and Dad were calling my name. I looked back and… he was gone. He had stuff with him, a chair and I think like a radio but all of that was gone."
"You don't think that was…" Eve started to say after she'd gasped in surprise.
"It was," Julia said firmly. "He had a green and blue striped shirt with a white collar and jeans. And he had a beard and blondish hair… that's David Johnston, isn't it?"
"It is," Skye said firmly.
"He… he wasn't here when…" Julia asked.
"It wasn't," Mary answered. "I don't think it was residual," she then told her wife.
"No, but he remembers what his circumstances were before the eruption," Skye said.
"Are you alright?" Castle asked Julia.
"Now yeah, but… that's not where we're going is it?" Julia asked.
"No, but I am," Skye said before anyone could answer that.
"Rose!" Mary and Liam said.
"No arguing," Skye told them firmly. "I'm going there though you'll have to come with me grá."
"Of course I am," Mary said firmly.
"Head to the observatory," Skye told the others.
"But Mummy-" the three youngest McDouglases said in protest.
"No arguing," Skye interrupted them. "It's right there and you know I've been here already with your mom."
"But…" Ivy started to say.
"Don't worry," Liam said, squeezing her shoulder gently. "Your mums won't be all that long."
"We won't," Mary said with a nod, making sure her wife was nodding as well. Watching the others go, she was startled when she realized Beckett was remaining behind and she said, "You too?"
"Apparently there's some kind of twin thing?" the writer said in a question to the two.
"There is, though I don't anticipate there needing to be much from you two," Skye said.
"You… what if you experience what he did?" Mary asked doubtfully as they walked to the trail before they began heading down the path.
"I won't, I'm not trying to deliberately contact him," Skye explained to both women while she was leading them. "Just see if there's anything that needs to be done."
"I don't think he'd want to leave here," Beckett said.
"I thought the same," Skye replied with a nod. "But I have to check; I couldn't do that to him."
"I'm not surprised," Mary commented before her wife stopped.
"Here?" Skye directed to Beckett. When the writer nodded, she then said, "Okay…" She took a deep breath and looked around at the foliage and volcano before she eventually nodded. "He's happy here," she told the other two. "But don't worry, you didn't scare her. She realized who you were and what happened to you, she's in awe of where you are."
"Rose," Mary said in concern, stepping towards her wife.
"No, no, I'm not in contact with him, I'm just telling him," Skye reassured her.
"We better go," Beckett said, turning back to the two women after she'd looked around herself. "Though it is beautiful." She smiled when the couple agreed with her and she told them, "Why were you here?"
"That was me," Mary said. "I have a sort of…"
"Interest in natural disasters?" Beckett guessed. When the doctor glanced at her she said, "It wasn't hard to figure out. Rick's the same."
"Oh! Awesome, when we're back home I'll be able to watch my show with someone," Mary said jokingly.
Scoffing Skye told her, "You know that I watch it with you right?"
"And you complain every time," Mary said.
"What show is it?" Beckett asked, smiling at them.
"Weather Gone Viral," Mary told her. "And it's the best show… you know it already."
"Again, Rick is the same as you," Beckett said. She looked over at Skye though she had to wait to speak before they were stepping from the trail to the parking lot. Once they were on the way to the observatory she said, "You don't like to watch it?"
"Oh I do, I just love giving her a hard time," Skye answered. She glanced at her wife with a smile and said, "Teasingly of course."
"It better be," Mary said before she was smiling. "You do the same with Rick?"
"A little, it is interesting," Beckett said. She then became serious and said, "She'll be alright?"
"She will," Skye told her, speaking as seriously. "They find her energy sympathetic."
"And you… aren't…" Beckett said, speaking that slowly.
"His energy might have called to me instead of her," Skye explained before she noticed something, and her wife was commenting on it ahead of her.
"I thought they were going to head inside," Mary said.
"I'm not surprised they waited," Beckett said.
"Our kids?" Skye asked her. When her friend nodded, she laughed and said, "Good point," before they had reached the others.
After they'd paid admission and were inside, Julia made her way to her mother and asked softly, "How was it?"
"Fine," Beckett replied. "Very peaceful there."
"Did Skye… did Skye sense anything?" Julia asked her.
"The same as your mother just said," the investigator answered since she'd walked up behind them. "He's happy here," Skye added.
"I thought so too," Julia said, nodding rapidly. "It was just really sad," she then told them, not surprised when her mother was agreeing with her while she wrapped her arm around her shoulders.
"I know, but Skye said he won't want to leave," Beckett told her.
"Don't worry," Julia said firmly. "I'm not going to contact him." She glanced up at her mother when they were letting each other go to walk to the next exhibit and said, "I kinda thought you would think that."
"I did," Beckett replied.
"So did I," Castle said.
"How is she?" Beckett asked, suddenly feeling bad for not checking on Eliza and Josie who her husband was holding at that moment.
"Tree Mama," the toddler said before her father could respond to the question.
"I see that," Beckett said since there was the trunk of a tree that had been killed by the eruption. "Was she alright?" she asked her husband.
"Eliza too," Castle said, looking at their second youngest.
"Leave her," Beckett said. She looked at Julia next to her to discover their second oldest had left them and glanced ahead to find that she was already with the older kids at a display. Eliza was with the younger kids, and she said in amusement, "I didn't think they'd be so excited."
Nodding while they began to walk together Castle said, "It's more the view we've got," since the building had a wall of windows looking out on the volcano. "Though I'm wondering if they're going to be okay on the hike," he said.
"Hopefully," Brad commented, walking by them with Lily. "Eve will be heartbroken if we need to leave sooner than we planned."
"She was trying to get us to stay for lunch too," the chef told them.
"You're sure we shouldn't?" Brad asked the couple.
"The other kids were eager to eat while we drive down further," David said, walking with them.
"And trying to get us to say where we're heading to exactly," Rebecca added.
"They haven't looked it up?" Darnley asked in surprise.
"No, which means for all their complaining they like being surprised about where we go," Lily said.
"Of course," Beckett said before they were turning their attention to the next display.
After they had walked through the observatory the group stepped outside to where there was a curved marble with names etched on it. Before the others could say anything, Julia rushed over to it and touched the name of the geologist she had seen on the trail. She was tracing the letters of his name before she felt a hand on her arm and nearly jumped into the air.
"It's just me," Mari said swiftly. "Sorry, I got really worried about you."
Breathing out hard Julia said, "I knew his name was going to be here. Just wanted to… be respectful?"
"Yeah," Mari agreed, nodding her head. She looked at all the names and then said, "It's so sad," before they were both turning to Eve while she and the other older kids walked up to them, the young woman speaking in surprise.
"Why are you looking at me?" Eve told them. Something came to her, and she said in a rush, "It's still sad, but… the way it looked when it was erupting is really cool." She looked at the memorial and the names on it before she said, "But still sad."
Feeling someone on the other side of her, Julia turned her head to see her little sister and asked, "What is it?"
"Here," Eliza whispered, slipping a small flower into her hand.
"You picked this?" Julia asked her. At her sister's nod she asked, "Why don't you put it?"
"He knows you," Eliza said simply.
"Thanks," Julia said with a smile at her. She set the flower next to David Johnston's name and then looked at all the others.
"Watch out you guys," Skye told the kids.
"When did you get that?" Martha asked the investigator in surprise.
"Earlier," Skye said simply, setting the red rose at the top of the marble.
"We did this last time we were here," Mary explained.
"Should we still go hiking?" Jacob asked slowly.
"It's alright," Skye assured him. "We're just going around in front of it."
"We did that last time we were here too," Mary added.
"Not a long hike but we got some amazing pictures," Skye said.
"I think all of us take pictures you know," Darnley said in mock annoyance since the investigator had looked at Beckett and Julia.
"Does that mean we're going now?" Kathleen asked.
"Yeah, we are," Skye said after glancing at the parents. When no one protested she and Mary led the way to the trail they knew, and they were pausing before starting on it.
"Are you guys all set?" Castle asked after Beckett had helped him with the carrier for Josie on his back.
"Josa's not too heavy?" Eliza asked, standing with them and letting her grandfather spray her arms with sunscreen.
"Not at all," Castle assured her. "Though I think in a year or two love."
"You said the same thing when Eliza was getting older," Beckett teased him.
"How long did you take me in those?" the little girl asked.
Smiling, Beckett replied, "You were nearly four."
"Oh… okay, let's go," Eliza said after thinking that over.
Laughing Castle said, "As long as everyone else is ready?"
"We are, thanks for checking," Nkosi said in amusement.
"Then we should fall out," Liam said.
"Are we joining the RAF?" Pablo asked his husband.
"Of course," Liam replied.
"Dad-" Skye then started to say before he shook his head and interrupted her.
"I told you I'm up to it lass," Liam assured her.
"If you need to-" Skye began.
"I'll go back to the RVs," Liam said.
"We both will," Pablo added.
"Then we should start," Mary commented, seeing her wife appeared to be relieved.
As they started to walk, Julia was pausing every so often to take pictures, loving the scenery. "It is pretty," she told Mari and Jacob who she was walking with at that moment, not surprised when her friend was responding to her first.
"Yeah, though there are a lot of… cracks?" Mari asked.
"That's why," Jacob commented, pointing to the volcano crater.
"You know what's really scary?" Eve asked them, catching up with them.
"No," the three said at the same time before they were laughing with the young woman.
"Sorry," Jacob told his sister as soon as they'd calmed down. "What's scary?"
"If that erupts again," Eve replied.
"Well… hopefully it wouldn't erupt the way it did before," Julia said, looking at the caldera.
"The other way? South?" Mari asked.
"Yeah, that would be scary," Eve said, nodding.
"Guys," Brad told the three since he was behind them with Sophie in her carrier on his back. "It's a little grim, you may want to calm down there."
"How?" Eve and Jacob said at the same time.
"Good thing we're not staying that long," Brad pretended to mumble. "You're going to scare the younger kids."
"Scares Evie," Sophie told her sister.
"Sorry about that," Eve said with a smile, looking back at her. "We'll stop now and just enjoy our hike."
"Great, keep going," Castle called.
After that the group was hiking in silence, though eventually the kids were trying to see if they could find out where they would be traveling to after they finished at the volcano. To all their frustration, except for Josie and Sophie who were looking around them from their carriers; the adults still wouldn't tell them.
When they stopped before making their way back to the parking lot, Skye and Castle took a vote on where they would eat lunch. "I figured," the former commented wryly when she saw the kids were all voting to eat on the way from the park.
"Me too, the novelty of eating in a little house," Castle told her.
"Are we heading back now?" Liam asked. "I'm not asking because I'm in any pain," he told his daughter in a rush. "I honestly want to know."
"It depends on everyone else," Skye said easily. "We can head to our next destination."
"Nothing?" David asked in surprise when the kids didn't say anything in response.
"We want to be surprised," Eve said after she saw the other kids were looking at her.
"Then let's go," Skye said, trying not to laugh out loud.
The group walked back to the parking lot and the three RVs they had before the adults were consulting.
"We're not going to try and see where they're going?" Eliza asked her sister.
"No," Julia said simply.
Narrowing her eyes at her sister's tone, Eliza said, "You know where we're going to go."
"I have an idea, but I won't know for sure until we get there," Julia explained to her.
"Oh… Okay," Eliza said before she sighed roughly in frustration.
"I think we're leaving," Marie said in a rush since the adults were turning before they were ushered to their specific RVs. She sat and put on her seatbelt on the couch next to her twin before they were leaving, and Alexis was turning in the passenger seat next to Louis to talk to them.
"You guys will wait until we're on the highway, right?" Alexis asked.
"How long is that going to take?" Mari replied with a question.
"Too long," Louis said, glancing at his wife. "Shouldn't you sit straight?"
"I was going to say the same," Julia said in obvious concern since they were on an unpaved road.
"I'm fine," Alexis assured them both.
Once they were on the road, Eve said, "How long do we really have to wait."
"Depends on what you're talking about," Louis commented. "Lunch or where we're heading to?"
"Can we ask you about where we're heading to?" Marie asked with a smile.
"No," Louis and Alexis said at the same time, the two sharing a laugh when the kids were hissing playfully.
"Then lunch," Jacob said.
"Now," Alexis said, unbuckling her seatbelt before she squeezed her husband's shoulder.
Getting out of her theater seat Julia said, "Whose turn is it?"
"We haven't eaten here yet," Jacob said in mock annoyance.
"I thought you all fit?" Alexis asked them, pulling out the containers from the fridge. She saw Eve and her sister were behind her and handed them to the pair before she was getting her husband's burrito. "Let me get Louis' heated up first," she told them.
While they were waiting, Julia looked out the windows by them and she said, "Why aren't we sleeping here?"
"Some of us will in Mill Valley," Alexis reminded her.
"Not many," Julia replied.
"Are you jealous?" Marie asked.
"No," Julia said before they laughed. Her sister finished with the burrito, and she stopped the others from taking their turn while she put in Alexis' taco platter.
"Oh, thank you," the young woman said herself since she'd returned to them.
"Hopefully this is good," Marie commented while they were waiting again.
"I know," Kathleen said with a nod. "Probably not as good as home but still."
"You're such snobs about Mexican food," Eve told the twins teasingly.
"Well yeah, outside of Mexico itself…" Kathleen said before they were laughing together.
"Okay, take turns you guys," Alexis said once her tacos were ready.
"I can't wait for tomorrow," Jacob said.
"My dad will tell us," Julia said, a wide smile on her face at that. "Believe me, Lizzy will make him tell us."
"And you," Mari told her teasingly. They laughed together before they were hurrying to reheat all their food and sitting on the dinette table in the RV. They were pointing out the scenery before they discussed what they were going to do once they had finished their food in the time they didn't know they had left for the trip.
"Oooh, I'm so hungry for food!" Eliza said eagerly, smiling when Maddy with her nodded in agreement before her grandfather was speaking to them both.
"We'll eat right now, but we have to reheat everyone's food," Jim explained to her.
"Could we get up now?" Ivy asked him a little shyly.
"Of course, but remember not to run around," Martha answered.
"We won't," the kids were saying at the same time before they were unbuckling their seatbelts and going to different parts of the RV.
"Grandpa?" Maddy said softly as she stood just behind the driver's seat.
"Yes darling?" Joseph replied with a smile though he was still watching the road.
"Are you okay driving?" Maddy asked, looking behind her a little at Eliza.
"Yes, I told you I have driven trucks before," Joseph said.
"Really big ones?" Eliza asked.
"The semi trucks I believe you call them," Joseph replied.
"For a bit when we first came to this country," Bethany said since her husband was merging onto a road. "Before he joined the post office."
"And then he worked in construction," Maddy said.
"I remember my mommy telling me that," Eliza said with a nod. She moved out of the way of her grandfather handing Joseph's burrito to Bethany and said, "I hope that's easy to eat."
"Not the first time I have had a burrito," Joseph replied.
"Come and eat you two," Jim said with a smile.
"Grandpapa," Eliza said.
"If you want me to tell you about where we're going I can't," Jim replied with a smile. He laughed when his granddaughter immediately pouted and he hugged her gently to him saying, "We'll be there soon and you'll see."
"Okay, I wanted to try," Eliza said before they were walking over to the kitchen. When she had her taco platter she went to the table and sitting with the McDouglas girls and the Darnley kids she said, "This is the best way to travel."
"No way, that's planes," Iris said before they were giggling.
"I like trains," Keo said before nodding firmly.
Giggling at her little brother Maddy said, "I'm glad we can still go on those"
"Yeah," Keo said.
"But for now, we're 'ere," Fleur commented. She smiled and then told the others, "I wish we could sleep 'ere."
"Naps," Liam said. He laughed with the other adults when the kids were all protesting and then said, "Well, if you want to lay down for a bit you can in the loft and on the bed here."
"What about in Mill Valley?" Ivy asked.
"We have to see once we get there," Pablo said. "Though it did sound to me like we could fit."
"You're right about needing to see," Martha said. "It depends on where the kids will go."
"Here!" Keo said eagerly.
"We will have to talk with your fathers about that," Bethany said with a smile before they returned their attention to their food again.
Watching the scenery passing by them, Eliza eventually said, "Too bad Josa and Sophie didn't come with us," not surprised when Fleur smiled before she replied.
"We would 'ave had to watch them if they were," the girl said.
"I don't mind watching my sister," Eliza said swiftly before she was laughing with the others. She wasn't surprised when Iris was talking about where they were going exactly when they paused since they could see a large sign approaching.
"Are we in another state?" Maddy asked, having seen the sign as well.
"We are," Martha said with a smile. "Your sister will be able to mark another state off the map in her room," she told Eliza.
"Yeah, she'll be happy about that," the little girl said with a nod before she joined her friends in talking about where in the state of Oregon they'd most likely be going.
"You know, I kind of wish we could hear what the kids are saying now we passed that," David said.
"I think we're aware of what they'll be saying already," Darnley told him from the passenger seat. "You alright?" he asked his husband who was driving.
"I finished," Nkosi said with a nod.
"I thought of something with the kids," Rebecca then said as they were putting away their things from lunch. "The oldest know where we're going."
"Of course," Beckett said in amusement. "Since it's the biggest city."
"You don't think Julia wanted us to go to Oregon City?" Castle asked his wife while he walked over to her after he'd set aside their containers.
"Not really, she knows it's not that big of a city," Beckett replied, watching him sitting next to her.
"We could have if she really wanted to you know," Lily told her friend.
"It's alright, we might go at some point," Beckett said. "But not this time."
"Why are you looking at me?" Skye asked in surprise.
"You and Mary made the recommendations," Beckett told her.
Shaking her head she said, "You realize we planned from Seattle down together."
"Yeah, that's what we told you to do," Darnley said before they were laughing and Josie was whimpering suddenly, getting their attention.
"Mama thirsty," the toddler said.
"Here," Beckett said, getting her sippy cup. She watched her drinking and then said to the others, "We'll have to get them to bed."
"Are you sure it's alright they're going to be in the loft above you?" Lily asked Nkosi.
"Unless they're going to bounce around up there, they're fine," he replied. "Though you have the barrier, right?"
"I got it already," Castle said, having gone to the little closet with the washer and dryer. "And if anyone wants to clean some clothes…" he added jokingly while he closed the door and walked back to everyone.
"We're fine," Beckett said, standing up and gently taking Josie's cup.
"Mama," the toddler said with a frown.
"I know, but you need to get some sleep," Beckett told her, seeing Lily was already getting Sophie to sleep. "In your own special bed."
"Lucky," Castle said, kissing her temple when his wife had stopped next to him. "And then we'll be at the next hotel." Seeing the way Josie was just staring at him he smiled at her leaning onto her mother's shoulder and kissed the side of her head before he let Beckett continue walking around.
Once she could tell Josie was asleep, Beckett handed the toddler to her husband and watched him move to set their youngest in the overhead bunk. After Brad had gotten Sophie set in there as well, she handed Castle the barrier for it and she said, "Should we have sent them with the grandparents?"
"I can always call Tata and ask him to take them," Nkosi said jokingly.
"Josie's used to noise," Castle told his wife when she looked at him.
"True," Beckett said in amusement. She walked over to the sofa, and said, "We're set on tomorrow's plans?"
"I think so," Castle replied, wrapping his arm around her waist. He held her a little tighter to him and told the others, "You know already."
"No," all the others but Skye and Mary said at the same time.
Laughing after he'd jumped, Castle said, "Sorry, I thought we'd discussed Portland."
"Not really," David said. "All I remember is we're staying until Wednesday morning before we move on."
"We are," Mary said. "And there's Old Town, Chinatown, the zoo and Washington Park." She looked at Castle and told him, "Yes I told them everything we have planned."
"Not the days though," Skye commented. "So there's that at least."
"And I'll tell you now," Castle said firmly. "Though the zoo is in Washington Park."
"We were debating the Children's Museum," Skye told the others. "Not sure if the older kids will be alright with that."
"Eve and Jake will," Brad said immediately. "They'll want to show Sophie around."
"We have three days," Darnley said, having turned in his chair to listen to the conversation.
"We have enough time I think," Nkosi said. "But what's your order."
"I'll tell you," Castle said in amusement when the others except for Nkosi turned to her. "And we decided the zoo for tomorrow, Chinatown and…"
"Old Town," Skye answered with a nod. "And of course, that's Monday and Tuesday we'll spend in Washington Park."
"How much of that have you both been to?" Nkosi asked.
"Everything we just mentioned," Mary said with a smile.
"And right now, when we get to Portland?" David asked.
"We need to settle in the hotel," Beckett commented.
"And since it'll be the afternoon still, we have a lot of time," Skye said.
"For what?" everyone but Castle, Beckett and Mary asked.
"Wait," Beckett told them when they started to laugh, and she suddenly recalled the girls. She couldn't hear anything, and she said, "Alright, tell us what you have," before Rebecca was commenting on that in surprise.
"You don't know already?" the lawyer asked.
"No," Castle said. "We didn't really have anything planned besides staying in for dinner since it's supposed to start raining soon."
"It will?" Darnley said in obvious surprise before he turned in his seat and looked outside the window.
"Around five or six," Skye said.
"That went into your plans?" Beckett asked her friend with a smile.
"Of course it did," Skye replied, exaggerating her tone. She then said, "And we had the thought of biking for a bit in the McCall Park… Waterfront Park," correcting herself swiftly.
"What's the water?" Nkosi asked.
"Prat," Skye told him teasingly before they were laughing and smothering it shortly after.
"I think they're fine," Lily said after they'd listened to the girls breathing heavily above them.
"Why is he a prat?" Darnley asked.
"He knows the river already," Skye said.
"You've… they've told you two about their trip," Beckett started to say before she realized the answer to her own question.
"We did," Mary replied. "And the idea came from you two."
"We had told them we walked along the river," Skye began when Darnley nodded exaggeratedly. "And that one told us we should have gotten bikes."
"That one, you realize I have a name," the carpenter said, pretending to be hurt.
"What river is it?" Brad asked.
"The Willamette," Skye said.
"We need to go," Castle commented immediately.
"Julia?" Mary asked, unable to help smiling at his sped.
"Yeah, she'll want to see it," Castle replied.
"You know," Skye said slowly. "We could go see Oregon City."
"I thought-" Beckett started to say.
"We were going to stick to the 5," Skye said, still speaking slowly. "But what we can do is detour once we leave Portland on Wednesday. We might need to leave a little early to reach Ft. Hood in time but… it's possible."
"What if we went for lunch? Let Julia walk around?" Castle asked.
"You might want to include Mari in that too," David said firmly. "She's read the same book."
"The Dear America one about the Oregon Trail, it specifically ended in Oregon City," Beckett explained to the others.
"Evie read that too," Brad said.
"He's serious," Lily said when the two couples looked over at her husband, obviously startled.
"Then we're stopping there," Skye said in amusement. "I didn't have a chance to tell you our two oldest have read that one too."
"Maddy's too young," Darnley said.
"But we want to go see," Nkosi told them.
"Though… Julia does realize it's not going to be the exact same," Darnley said.
"One hundred and seventy-five years?" Castle scoffed. "I'm sure she's aware." He frowned for a moment and said, "Either she is or we're horrible teaching her about reality," before his wife was laughing while she squeezed his hand, speaking shortly after.
"I don't think you need to worry, she knows," Beckett told him. "But it's not that much of a detour," she directed to Skye.
"Not really, I shouldn't have shot the idea down," the investigator said.
"Especially since there's no snow," Brad said. When he saw Skye and Mary turning their heads away, he said, "Seriously?"
"Cascades concrete," Mary was saying.
"There might be but I'm not sure if we'll be heading that high," Skye added. "We'll see what the conditions are once we get there."
"How close are we now?" Darnley asked his husband before he heard a snort of laughter.
"Sorry, I can't believe you just pulled an 'are we there yet,'" Beckett said when her friend turned to her.
"I'm just wondering," Darnley protested.
"We're about forty-five minutes away now," Nkosi said, smiling at him for a moment before he turned his attention back to the road.
"Hope the kids are diverted by the drive," Skye said.
"What kind of tone is that?" Rebecca asked her.
Rolling her eyes Mary answered saying, "She uses that with the girls, luckily they're all used to it by now."
"It's not that ominous," Skye replied, rolling her eyes.
"With that accent?" Mary shot back to her wife.
"There's a bed there, luckily a door to close that off," Castle told the pair while they were looking at each other.
Shaking her head Mary said, "Not a chance. But I think ours will be fine." She wasn't surprised when the other parents were agreeing to that and then said, "And hopefully there won't be traffic once we get close to the city."
"You're thinking of home grá," Skye said with a smile.
"And next is home," Castle said.
"Not for you lot," Skye said in mock annoyance before they were laughing, trying to keep it down for the two in the loft.
"Does this mean you want us to go over the rest of the plans?" Mary asked the other couples.
"That would be nice, we know about Mill Valley and San Francisco but not what we're doing once we leave the Timberland," Lily said.
"Okay, let me tell you about a place called Eureka," Skye said, bringing her hands together exaggeratedly.
The group started to laugh again, Nkosi smiling at the sound, before they were discussing the plans that the McDouglases and Castles had tentatively chosen for the rest of their summer trip.