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: Really pleased to receive the feedback for the last chapter I got so I'll start on my thank yous for that! TORONTOSUN (It was great to read you though the last chapter was very good writing for all of the couples since it was a lot of fun to write that!) and
Mb (Great you thought the first half of the chapter was a nice update with them at home to relax. And also I'm not surprised you mentioned finding out what Lyla wanted them to know, or that Julia didn't get hurt with that in the end. I laughed when you said they're going to have a full house for the holidays, you're not wrong! And I also wasn't surprised you mentioned them maybe getting a clue for both cases, I figured you'd be looking out for that, lol. Really happy to see you thought it was nicely done! You're welcome for the first half of the chapter! I was glad you enjoyed Julia's diary entry since it explained when Lyla approached her, I felt that was a good way to explain it, lol. And I'm really pleased too you liked the talk Beckett and Skye had about the gift they have and her accepting that. Nice to read you enjoyed the couples relishing in being together as you put it. You're welcome for sharing the second half of the chapter! And thank you so much, Happy New Year to yourself and your loved ones too, hopefully you'll have that health, happiness and prosperity you sent to me yourself! You're welcome again!).
Thanks for the reviews, I loved reading them and am grateful for 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 Dead Man's Party written by Danny Elfman, from the Oingo Boingo album the same name as the band.
With A Dead Man Over My Shoulder
Her breath coming out heavily, Beckett slid against her husband's side before she kissed his chest and said, "Remind me not to tell you exactly what I dreamed."
"It was that bad?" Castle asked, squeezing his hand on her hip. He laughed when she pinched lightly at his other shoulder in response.
"Then not when we have a case," Beckett said. She smiled while he was kissing her forehead and said, "You don't believe me."
"Not really but I understand you," Castle said before he was leaning down slightly to kiss her. Because of their positions he had to be brief and laying back down he said, "I was thinking of yesterday."
"What part of yesterday?" Beckett asked him.
"We said we were going to take a shower together, we never did," Castle replied swiftly. He expected her to respond to that, but when she pushed herself up he was startled to find the smirk on her face directed towards him. "Now?" he asked.
Trying not to laugh at her husband's hopeful tone, Beckett said, "If you want to," laughing outright when he was scrambling to get out from under the covers. "But there's one problem," she told him, stopping him.
About to ask what it was, it hit Castle suddenly and he looked around them before he said, "You got out on this side."
"I did," Beckett said, placing her hands on his chest. She paused for a moment, relishing the way he had slightly twitched in reaction to her touch, and she then managed to say, "But did you want me climbing all over you?"
"Should I answer that truthfully?" Castle said, responding with his own question.
"Pervert," Beckett replied before she was laughing when he suddenly picked her up.
Carrying her to the bathroom Castle said, "I know you're going to call me that again, but we couldn't do anything?"
"We can," Beckett said slowly before he was setting her down. After the door was closed, she told him, "You realize we don't have that much time."
"We have time for something," Castle immediately responded. While she was thinking that over he leaned down to her and gently began kissing at her shoulders. "Just… a little."
"Why do I get the feeling it's not going to be," Beckett replied though her voice was faltering here and there since he hadn't stopped kissing her.
"Then I have your permission to do whatever I want?" Castle asked, pulling away. He was a little startled when she wrapped her arms fully around him before he was leaning into her for a kiss. After they were slowly parting, he said, "You don't want to answer?"
"Oh I do," Beckett replied, nuzzling her lips to his for a moment. "And I already have a feeling about what you want to do."
"You don't know though," Castle told her quickly.
"Then show me," Beckett said before he was gathering her in his arms and kissing her roughly again. She responded to him eagerly until they needed to part to catch their breath and let him lead her to the shower. She stepped inside at his urging before he followed, closing the door behind him.
Jumping slightly when his felt his wife's hands on his ass, Castle whirled around to her and backed her up to the water before they stood underneath it. He kissed her gently at first, slowly deepening it until they were dueling together inside her mouth. He wasn't sure how long that went on, only that he eventually parted with them panting a little against each other's lips. "I want to touch you Kate," he eventually was able to tell her. He was breathing a little harder again when she kissed his shoulder, feeling her tongue flicking out to his damp skin. About to ask her if that was alright, she was tilting her head up to him before she spoke with a slight smile playing across her lips.
"Is that what you're planning?" Beckett asked.
"Not enough?" Castle replied with a smile.
"It will be," Beckett said while he leaned into her. "For now," she said when he was close to her. She smiled at his immediate pause and said, "I'm not kidding."
"Vixen," Castle breathed to her before he closed the gap between them and kissed her deeply. He wasn't moving too roughly but lingering and pressing his lips to hers hard. When he was slowly pulling away from her, he said, "For now."
"For now," Beckett echoed before they were kissing again. After they'd been doing that for a while, she gasped and arched her back since her husband had grasped her ass firmly. "Hurry," she told him.
Nodding briefly, Castle pulled her with him to the bench where he sat, a little taken aback when she was turning around. "How-" he started to ask.
"I have a feeling," Beckett replied. She then sat on his lap at the same time he wrapped his arms around her, and she said, "You didn't want-"
"No," Castle interrupted her. "I wanted to touch." He could almost see her biting at her lower lip, and he reminded her, "I spoke about worshiping you."
"I know," Beckett replied. "And I want to do the same to you."
"Is it really worshiping?" Castle asked while he began stroking at her breasts.
Beckett was unable to respond at first, enjoying the feel of his gentle stimulation, and she wrapped her arms around him while she lightly writhed against his length. Hearing his groan she felt an added thrill before he was making her stand up and she said, "I had a feeling that wasn't going to work."
"It's not," Castle said simply, getting up and letting her lead him to the water. "This is going to be really…"
"I don't care," Beckett told him firmly. She wasn't surprised when he was kissing her hard and she was ready for him, responding to both that and his fondling her back and ass. She did the same to him until he was pulling away and she watched him kissing at her breasts feverishly until he was kneeling in front of her. She wanted to stop him but was aware he was fine while he was kissing around her stomach. When he reached her mound, she was breathing heavily before she realized he wasn't going to be able to do much with his mouth. "Are you-" she started to say.
"I should have thought of that before," Castle said in obvious frustration. He stood back up, careful not to go too quickly before he was turning her around and holding her. With the water hitting her he was sliding his hands down her breasts until he reached her sex. "I need to know what you want," he said then, trying not to sound too vexed before she was responding swiftly.
"Just make me come," Beckett breathed. When her husband's hands went back down her body again, she pressed against him and said, "Don't stop."
"Believe me, I won't," Castle said, speaking a little roughly since she was moving slightly in reaction to him. But he soon after reached her mound and cupped his hand briefly over it before he was sliding his fingers down.
His fingers slipping along her clit, Beckett was shifting against him, feeling his grunt against her hair before he was stimulating her. "Rick…" she breathed to him.
Pressing a kiss to the top of her shoulder, Castle spent a little longer rubbing around the swollen nub until he was moving again. With the water, her arousal and his release from their intimacy, he was sliding around a bit until he was at her entrance. Being careful, he pushed his fingers inside of her and she was crying out into his ear after turning her head slightly. He didn't mind it, concentrating more on pleasuring her by alternating his pace inside her, trying to ignore his throbbing erection at the sensation of her writhing in front of him. When she did climax, he couldn't help feeling a deep sense of pride at how ecstasy laden her voice was calling his name. He held her against him the best he could, but found he was struggling with his own desire greatly until she was still against him.
Beckett was about to speak when she realized her husband was moving against her back. "Easy love," she said with a smile, pulling away from him once he'd carefully withdrawn his fingers from her. Before he could respond to that she was bringing his hand up to her lips, sucking his first two fingers into her mouth.
"Kate," Castle breathed, staring at his wife as she was rolling her tongue around the digits. When she pulled back, he grabbed her hard before crushing his lips to hers and kissed her passionately, unable to stop until they were parting with rough breaths of air between them. He hesitated for a moment, debating telling her what he wanted, when she decided it for him by curling her fingers around his length to pull it gently off his stomach.
Beckett was planning to kneel in front of her husband when he was nearly dragging her to the bench. She was a little startled at him kissing her and making her sit with him, since she was still holding his erection she was perched more on his knees. She didn't mind the position, able to run her hand up and down on him before he was breaking away from their kiss.
"Fuck my love," Castle breathed, moving to her neck. He was gently squeezing her hip and soon brought his other hand over to clutch at her thigh. He was squeezing at it gently before he realized she was staring down at him. "You…" he started to say, intending that to be a question.
"Thank you," Beckett said, kissing him hard. She kept that brief though since she was moving readily down to the floor on her knees. She'd kept her hold of him and wasn't surprised at his constant grunting in response before she was covering the tip of him. Hearing his curse in Irish, she began stimulating him again, doing as much as she could in the time she had left. When she moaned slightly against him and proceeded to fondle underneath his length there was no surprise when he was climaxing. She took it in eagerly, spending a little longer after he'd calmed down before she was sliding off him slowly. After she pressed a kiss to the tip of him, she moved up, unsurprised when he was kissing her before they parted, and he murmured against her lips.
"It's going to be really hard to stop," Castle told her. "You're a fucking goddess."
"Hmm, think of Tahiti," Beckett replied, biting at her lower lip when he was moving down to her neck.
"I am," Castle nearly growled to her. He groaned when she was making him pull away and said, "Not fair."
"We have to go love," Beckett told him. She wasn't surprised when he nodded before they were moving to finish their shower. When they were out, she stopped him from drying her off before he was pouting at her. "Rick," she said simply, startled when he suddenly laughed.
"I thought you were going to say my last name," Castle said when he quickly stopped himself. "Can I do anything? For you," he said, adding the last in a rush.
"Just get ready," Beckett replied, wrapping her towel around her since she was finished. She wasn't surprised when her husband took her hand as they were walking to their closet and she turned around inside saying, "Are we having a marathon?"
Pausing Castle said, "I have to know what that means exactly before I can answer."
Stepping up to him and wrapping her arms around his neck, Beckett brushed her lips to his and told him, "We're together every night until the first."
"In any way?" Castle said, feeling anticipation building up in him. When his wife nodded, he kissed her firmly, but briefly, before he told her, "Are we tonight?" He wasn't surprised when she visibly hesitated and he told her, "We could fool around." Startled at the instant smile his words brought to her lips, he was about to ask what she was thinking when she spoke first.
"Alright, but we'll save that for later," Beckett said. "We need to get the girls ready."
"Could I help you dress?" Castle asked. When she hesitated for a moment before she nodded, he said, "Just that."
"I'll hold you to that," Beckett said, smiling at her husband's instant pleasure at her acceptance. They proceeded to help one another into all their clothes and once they were walking back inside their bathroom she commented, "You could do one thing for me," sure he'd remark about already having helped her dress.
"Oh good, I thought I'd have to beg you," Castle said, reaching for her brush. He ran it through her hair carefully until he was finished and said, "Now what?"
"Finish yourself," Beckett said. She leaned into him and kissed him gently when he made a playful face at her before she began pulling her hair back. "I know what you're going to say," she told her husband as she put her locks into a ponytail holder.
"There is one good thing," Castle said. When she turned to him with a frown on her face, he said, "Promise you'll let me watch you take that out." He wasn't surprised when she smirked at him, but he didn't say anything, waiting for her to finish with her makeup before he pulled her against him.
"Come on," Beckett said, stopping him and pulling him with her into the bedroom.
"Breakfast?" Castle asked, turning his attention to their family.
"I'll help you with it," Beckett replied, letting him go out in the hallway.
"And Josie?" Castle asked her.
Before she could answer, Beckett heard a door opening on the other side of the stairs and turned with her husband to see their second oldest was stepping outside. "Good morning," she said when Julia looked at them in surprise.
"Are we late?" the teen asked.
"No," Castle said. "Want to help your mom with breakfast?" he then asked once he and Beckett were with her. He wasn't surprised when his wife glanced at him and he said, "Since I was planning to get Josie ready?"
"Jules!" Eliza said, hurrying out of her room then. She giggled when her parents were looking at her and she said, "I woke up by myself."
"I see that," Beckett replied, hugging her after Eliza had reached her. "Did you two want to get Josie ready?"
"Yeah," Eliza said eagerly. "We can, right?"
"Go ahead," Castle answered. When his wife told them to be careful, he couldn't help smiling and said, "Okay, bring her downstairs once you're done."
"We will," Julia replied before she paused. "You didn't want to wake her up?"
"I was intending to do that Rick," Beckett said in response to her husband's look. She squeezed at his hand before they were leading their daughters to Josie's bedroom, laughing once she opened the door.
"Everyone woke up early," Castle said. He wasn't surprised when Eliza was hurrying to the crib where Josie was already standing, watching his wife walk up to take the toddler out. "Good morning sweetheart," he told her after kissing her cheek.
"Morning," Josie said. She shared a kiss with her mother before saying, "School?"
"Not yet," Beckett said. "Your sisters are going to help you, is that okay?"
Laughing when Josie was nodding rapidly, Julia reached out before her baby sister was moving into her hold. After their parents had left, she said to the toddler, "I hope you know what you want to wear," their sister speaking to them in confusion.
"Are you letting her pick what she wants to wear?" Eliza asked.
"Of course, she can pick her own clothes you know," Julia answered before she made her way over to the closet. "Open the doors for me?"
"I thought you were going to let her look at all the clothes," Eliza explained as she was opening the side where their sister's winter clothes were.
"If I did Mom and Dad would never let us get her ready," Julia said. Since they could see all Josie's clothes she turned to the toddler and asked, "What do you want?"
"That," Josie replied.
"What's she talking about?" Eliza murmured since she couldn't tell what sweater her sister had indicated.
"That one, the Stella one," Julia said, trying to keep her sister from leaning too far over in her hold. "Sorry, I meant the Sgt. Pepper one."
"Is it weird she made that?" Eliza asked.
"No, she did ask Paul after she found out she could use the pictures," Julia said.
"Her pants and everything else?" Eliza asked, pulling down the rainbow-colored sweater with the Beatles on the album in black and white.
"I'll take care of it," Julia said before they were turning to the door at their grandfather's voice.
"Good morning girls," Jim said, staying in the doorway.
"Morning Grandpapa," Julia and Eliza said at the same time, smiling at Josie when she began to giggle.
"Say it too," Eliza murmured to the toddler.
"Grandpapa!" Josie cried.
"I know that's her way of saying it," Jim said, walking inside and kissing her cheek. He did the same to his middle granddaughters and asked, "Do you need any help?"
"No, we can take care of her," Julia replied. "Mom and Dad went downstairs to start breakfast."
"I think Skye and Mary are making it," Jim said. When the girls looked at him in surprise he told them, "I heard them walking by earlier."
"I bet Mommy and Daddy still make it," Eliza said. "They won't let them make it again."
"Probably," Julia said with a nod.
"I'll head downstairs if you guys don't need me here," Jim said.
"You can stay if you want," Julia said after sharing a look with her sister.
"I'll go," Jim replied.
Once they were alone again Eliza said with a frown, "But you said he could stay."
"I guess he figured we'd want to take care of Josa by ourselves," Julia said, taking their sister to the changing table so she could start before it got too late.
"So they have everything," Skye was saying.
"They do, all the parameters, the recording from the cockpit… whatever that's going to be worth to be honest," Nkosi said on the other end.
"There could be something," Skye said, though she knew she sounded as doubtful as he had. "Alright, where do you want to look at and listen?"
"Come to the hangar," Nkosi replied.
"How far did you get in your assembly?" Skye asked.
"We have the four points," Nkosi said. "And since you saw the plane, everything is normal."
"Except for the additional avionics," Skye said before she turned towards the doorway of the office. She held up her hand to Beckett and then said, "I'm assuming you want to get your kids to school at least."
"I would, I'll come and get you after they're on their way," Nkosi replied.
"You don't want to take them to school?" Skye asked in surprise.
"Not this morning, I feel like we could get something," Nkosi said.
"That's what I'm hoping for," Skye replied. "Give me a call when you're ready to head out to the airport." After Nkosi agreed, they said goodbye and she hung up saying, "I figured it'd make more sense if I made my phone calls in here."
"I don't care," Beckett said. "Did you find anything out?"
"Not really," Skye replied. "Though the home office came through and sent us the FDR and CVR. I'll have to go with Trevor to see what we have."
"Did you say the CVR?" Castle asked since the two women had left the office and were near the kitchen by then.
"I said the same thing to Trevor," Skye said. "But we have to listen of course. Luckily the flight wasn't that long."
"How long?" Mary asked her wife.
Shaking her head Skye answered, "Ten minutes. Whoever is your killer wanted to get our attention and make Kipling…"
"Disappear," Castle said. "I thought about it, why would they want us to find his body? He would have been the perfect patsy."
"You agree?" Mary asked her wife slowly, she and Beckett exchanging a glance at the expression on her wife's face.
"I do, I didn't tell you because I have no idea what it is, but there was a chunk of fused metal at the crash site," Skye said. "I spotted it before I collapsed but Trevor didn't mention it so I'm sure it hasn't been ID'd as anything."
Seeing her husband was about to speak, Beckett said, "You're making breakfast again."
"I tried to get her to stop," Castle told her in a rush. "But I didn't have much luck."
"I'm just making some waffles," Mary said.
"The girls got it for him earlier this year," Beckett said. "For Father's Day though they gave it to him at the beginning of June."
"It's a top of the line one," Skye commented, walking over to the fridge. She wasn't surprised when her wife grabbed her arm, and she shook her head. "I'm fine."
"Yes, but since you're going to work, I want you to rest," Mary said firmly before they were all turning to look at the transition between the kitchen and breakfast nook at Alexis' voice.
"And I'm not either so move Dad," the young woman said. When he did so Alexis said, "Nothing?"
"Not with that look on your face," Castle said quickly. He then looked at his wife when he realized she was heading back down the hall to the stairs.
"We're coming downstairs right now Mommy," Eliza said, spotting her mother first since she was ahead of her sisters.
"I have her Mom," Julia said though she was struggling a little with Josie squirming against her.
"Hold on," Martha said, coming up behind the three. "Let me take her," she told Julia.
"I can walk," Josie said though she went to her grandmother.
"Oh I realize that," Martha said as they were starting down the stairs. "But these are still a little treacherous for you kiddo."
"No," Josie said, giggling when her grandmother merely said her name. She shared a kiss with her before she was set down once they were off the stairs and she told her mother, "See Mama? My clothes are…"
"She's ready," Julia said when her baby sister trailed off with a frown.
"She is," Beckett said, picking Josie up at her insistence.
"Is her hair okay? I did that," Eliza said hopefully.
"It is, but you two need to set the table," Beckett replied. Once they had left her, she turned to Castle who had walked up to her and said, "Yes?"
"I'm wondering about that metal," he answered. "I couldn't help it."
"Crazy theory?" Beckett inquired. She was surprised when he was frowning and said, "No?"
"No-" Castle started to say before he was stopping himself when Skye was walking by them and speaking at the same time.
"If anything it could be something from the interior of the plane," the investigator told them.
"You don't believe that though," Castle said, following her.
"Not really, but until I hear from Trevor, I'm not going to place that high of a priority on it," Skye replied. In front of the doorway to the game room she turned and said, "Yet." Turning to her right she saw the left door opening and said, "Morning."
"Morning, is my wife cooking?" Louis asked.
Not surprised when the young man sighed at her nod to his inquiry and hurried down the hall, Skye said to Castle and Beckett, "I asked Trevor to place special emphasis on that metal just in case."
"Where are you going?" Beckett asked in surprise when the investigator was continuing down the hall.
"I need to make sure I still have my lanyard in my jacket," Skye called back.
"Will you take her to the kitchen?" Beckett said to her husband, handing him Josie.
"Sure," Castle said, watching her going after the investigator.
"You're not telling us everything," Beckett said once she'd crossed to the threshold of the entry.
"No, but I don't want to worry Mary," Skye replied.
"What did you do?" Beckett asked in concern. She wasn't surprised when the investigator didn't answer, instead fiddling with her NTSB jacket before she said, "Rose," firmly though she was careful not to say it too loudly. Watching Skye take out her lanyard ID, she was about to speak again when the investigator was doing so first.