"Grá," Mary panted, realizing her wife wasn't moving. When there was no response she was about to raise her head to check on her when the investigator was speaking slowly.
"I am so pleased I won," Skye said.
Mary couldn't help laughing, though she was still feeling the after affects of her second orgasm, and said, "I'm not surprised." She watched her wife moving up to her and she said, "You'll have to give me a little."
"Oh don't worry," Skye assured her, kissing her tenderly on the lips. Once she'd pulled away she told her, "But I would like to request something."
"Your win only went so far as what you just did," Mary said sternly.
"I see you're recovered," Skye replied with a smile. "But you won't mind this request."
"Alright," Mary told her.
"I want us to rub our pussies together after you make me come," Skye said.
Biting at her lower lip for a moment, Mary then said, "Just once?"
"If you want me to be able to do anything after then yes," Skye replied before she brushed her lips to her wife's.
Mary couldn't help smiling at that statement before she was slowly pulling away and telling her wife, "I think it's a good idea."
"Which?" Skye teased her. She wasn't surprised when her wife gently pushed her out of the way as they sat up and they kissed lightly before Mary was bending her head. Tilting her head back and sighing in pleasure at the sensation of her wife's lips brushing against her mounds, she held onto her gently and then said, "Don't take too long."
"I won't," Mary said though she stayed for a little longer to suck her wife's nipples lovingly. When she pulled away she smiled at the investigator before making her lay down.
Reaching up to her wife, Skye tried to pull her down for a kiss before the doctor was slapping away her hands. "Grá-" she started to say before her wife was interrupting her.
"You had a request remember?" Mary reminded her. She couldn't help smirking at her wife when the investigator was merely nodding to her and leaned down to begin kissing around her chest.
Gasping at first, Skye was shortly after moaning before Mary was sucking at her breasts though she wasn't lingering for long. After she'd pulled away she was telling her, "If you wanted to linger there…" trailing off on purpose.
"No," Mary said. "Do you know how long I had to wait to taste you Rose?" When her wife's response was to trail her fingertips over her lower lip she shuddered and said, "I'm not waiting anymore." She wasn't surprised when Skye nodded to her and she focused on her body again. Kissing her way down to her sex she was pleased when the investigator widened her legs a little more before she was leaning down to kiss at her clit. Moving a little lower at the way Skye had cried out in response, she was hurrying to slip her tongue inside of her wife. Tasting her arousal, she didn't wait and began to set up her rhythm, not going that slowly though she had wanted to linger for a little. But eventually the investigator's cries were becoming a lot more strident and when her body began to writhe she knew Skye was orgasming. She held her the best she could, continuing to stimulate her until she was quiet and eventually still.
When her wife was pulling away Skye told her, "You see why twice wasn't going to work?"
"I realized," Mary said with a smile, laying down next to her on her side. She reached across and gently brushed her hair over her ear when Skye had moved to lay the way she was. "But how long are we going to have to wait?" she asked. She couldn't help laughing when her wife's eyebrow raised and she said, "You intrigued me with your request."
"Intrigued," Skye said in a mock annoyed tone of voice. She then smiled and said, "Hopefully not for too long." Pausing for a moment she then said, "Will you be alright waiting."
"I will," Mary said with a smile. She then leaned into her wife and brushed her lips to hers saying, "I'm glad you're okay."
Nodding, since she knew her wife wasn't checking on her again, Skye said, "I'm not surprised, but I am too." She leaned into her wife and gently brushed her lips against Mary's and asked, "Could we play a little?"
"We could," the doctor said with a smile. They leaned into each other and were kissing deeply before she found herself on her back after her wife had pushed her there. Once Skye had pulled away she questioned, "Who's going to be on top?"
"I will," the investigator said firmly, moving to do so before she put her left leg over her wife's right. "Good?" Skye asked with a smile.
"Yes," Mary said before she was pushing herself up as well. Their sexes rubbed against each other and they were groaning at the same time before she said, "I thought we were playing for that."
Smiling, Skye said, "I guess I didn't need it."
"Hmm, grá," Mary sighed, leaning into her and kissing her deeply. She gasped and ended the kiss when her wife was lightly caressing her sides before she reached down and stopped her. "Don't," she said.
"Ticklish?" Skye asked to make sure. When her wife nodded she wrinkled her nose and said, "I was trying not to."
"It's alright, there's more you can do," Mary reassured her before they were kissing again. They didn't linger and as soon as they'd parted they were caressing at each other and she couldn't help herself, reaching down in between them to gently caress Skye's clit.
"Grá," the investigator moaned before she carefully stopped her. "Don't tell me it's not, but nice payback," she said once she could speak.
"It wasn't, but I'm glad you enjoyed it," Mary said with a smile before they were kissing each other gently. When they pulled back and were looking at each other again she said, "Do we need to wait that much longer?"
"No," Skye said simply before she kissed her. When they had slowly parted after a few more kisses she said, "Was that enough playing?"
"It was your idea," Mary told her simply though she was shortly after groaning heavily when her wife was rocking her hips. She was swift to do the same and they were rubbing a little slowly against each other, having to take a moment to find their rhythm before they'd decided on it.
As soon as they had they were rocking together, moaning and kissing one another until they were fondling each other before losing themselves in their pleasure while they made love eagerly.
"Are you regretting it?"
"Regretting what?"
Beckett couldn't help smiling at her husband's confused response and she explained, "Losing our wager."
"Oh, not really," Castle said. "I know you aren't. Not just because you got what you wanted but because I'm still wearing my glasses." When she looked back at him he said teasingly, "I know it arouses you."
"Pervert," Beckett replied while she gently nudged him behind her with her elbow.
"Of course I am," Castle said, running his hands over the front of her body. When she gasped slightly and arched her back he said, "And no, I don't regret this. We can't really linger."
"No," Beckett breathed, doing her best to calm down. When she had done so she turned to sit on his lap and after she had her arms wrapped around his neck she told him, "But are we going to do anything here?"
"You don't want to," Castle stated.
"Not really, I'd prefer to be dry… and around our bed," Beckett answered, smiling when he laughed.
"Around, you know that really gives me ideas," Castle said.
"That's it?" Beckett asked when he didn't continue.
"I'm not going to tell you yet," Castle replied. "We need to be around the bed first remember?" He wasn't surprised when she rolled her eyes before she brushed her lips against his and he was quick to take hers before she could move away fully. He kept it short since he could tell it wouldn't be hard for him to lose control but when she crushed her lips against his he groaned in surprise and pleasure. "Wait, Kate we… lingering?" he asked her when he managed to stop her.
"You would have done the same," Beckett teased him.
"Yes, but this was your win," Castle said before he pulled back enough to look at her. "Unless that's your way of telling me I have to follow you?"
"No," Beckett replied easily before she moved to straddle him to be able to lean into him and kiss him lightly. After they'd parted she said, "But you might."
"In the end?" Castle asked her. When she nodded he couldn't help laughing before he was gently running his hands up and down her back. They shared several more kisses, gentle ones, before they stopped and their foreheads were pressed together while he said, "Please tell me you want to get out," a little disappointed when she was swiftly responding and smiling at him.
"Not yet," Beckett said. She brushed her lips to his again and told him, "I know, but you mentioned the word lingering and I do want to."
"So do I, but with you like this it's… a little difficult," Castle said, trailing off before he looked down between them.
"You've been like that for a while," Beckett teased him.
"Sure," Castle said, smiling when his wife was laughing. He leaned into her and gently kissed her, pleased she had done so quickly as well and after they'd parted he said, "Could-"
"I am right now," Beckett interrupted him, her voice a mock annoyed one. She smiled when her husband was grumbling as she moved but she didn't stop until she was leaning back against him and his arms were wrapped around her. "Rick?" she asked him.
"Yeah?" Castle immediately replied.
"Do you remember us doing this in our past life," Beckett said.
"Of course," Castle said, frowning since he knew she was aware of that already.
"There's something about this that…" Beckett started to say before she trailed off.
"I'm sure we did this a lot more than just the last life," Castle said. He moved his arms to gently rub hers asking her, "Is it bothering you?"
"A little," Beckett said. "But more because I can't really see what I'm supposed to."
"Me too," Castle said, speaking a little in a hurry so she would know he was aware of what she meant. He smiled and said, "I'm just glad you're not denying it or anything."
Laughing, Beckett said, "It'd be a little hypocritical for me to do that." She then shook her head and said, "But we should do this more often."
"Really?" Castle asked her.
"You don't want to now?" Beckett said.
"I did want to take a shower," Castle responded. "What about variety?"
"Alright," Beckett said, smiling at him. She then sighed when he began kissing at her back and shoulders and said, "Rick-"
"We should go, the water is getting cold," Castle said.
"And we're getting wrinkled," Beckett filled in for him when he stopped there. She couldn't help laughing when he was nodding his head next to her before she said, "Alright," getting out of his way first.
Once he'd gotten out, Castle dried himself off swiftly before he was turning to her and holding out a towel. With her stepping into the curve he'd made he wrapped it around her and began the process of drying her off until he let her take the towel before they were going to their bed. He stopped her from sitting on it, doing so himself and he told her, "Do something for me?" startled when she just smiled at him. He was about to speak again when she was reaching up to her hair. Looking on when she was loosening it he swallowed hard as the locks tumbled past her shoulders. He couldn't help himself, standing up and crushing his lips to hers before she was clutching at him in return. He slid his hands across the towel covering her but she was hurriedly pulling away and speaking to him breathlessly.
"Why-" Beckett started to say before her husband was kissing her hard again. She responded the best she could before they were slowly parting after some time rolling their tongues together, and once she could speak she said, "Do I want to ask what made you do that?"
Breathing out a little hard Castle asked instead of answering, "Did you grow out your hair?"
"A little," Beckett said with a smile. "I've been waiting for you to notice." She looked on while he reached out to let her hair slide over his hand and she queried, "You approve?"
"Very," Castle told her simply before he was leaning into her and kissing her deeply. He held her, but opposed to the time before he was gentle, though as time passed he found himself growing more and more annoyed with the towel she still had around her. "Kate," he said once they'd parted. He was a little taken aback when she stepped away from him and looked on while she reached for his towel. "Yours-" he began before she was pulling off hers. "Thank you," he breathed out exaggeratedly before he was grabbing her, pulling her tightly to him. Crushing his lips to hers they were groaning at the same time, but he didn't stop until she was digging her nails into his back.
Seeing her husband's half lidded eyes taking her in once they were apart, Beckett stepped away from him and took his hand before they were getting on the bed. Laying in the middle she was pleased at him following her and they were kissing again, that time sensuously. She was pleased at how slowly he was going, but not when he abruptly pulled away. "Rick-" she told him, panting a little.
"Let me," Castle said simply. When she nodded he was relieved but didn't waste time before he was carefully kissing his way over her body. Continuing down to her breasts he was brushing his lips over her mounds, feeling his wife's fingers gently running through his hair. He did his best not to shudder in pleasure at the sensation, focusing on her skin and moving around to her nipples. Once he'd reached them he spent some time suckling at each in turn before he was pulling away and telling her, "What do you want love?"
"Make love to me," Beckett breathed to him. She accepted his kiss before he abruptly pulled away to her surprise and he was kissing around her breasts again. She was about to ask what he was doing before he was moving lower on her and soon reaching her sex. She had already parted her lips and she breathed, "What're you doing?"
"A little," Castle told her roughly, looking up at her. As soon as she had nodded he was bowing his head and kissing her clit. He flicked his tongue out to the already swollen nub, relishing in her brief cry of pleasure, before he moved to her entrance. Gently sliding inside of her he gripped her thighs when her reaction was to move her legs and he only allowed himself a few sweeps of his tongue before he was pulling back.
Opening her eyes, Beckett told him breathlessly, "You could make me come."
"It's not what you wanted," Castle said, watching her closely.
"No," Beckett finally admitted after taking a moment to answer. "But it wouldn't have hurt," she added.
Smiling, Castle leaned down to her and brushed his lips to hers before he told her, "No but you wanted me inside you."
"I did," Beckett said, unable to help smiling since she was aware of what her husband was doing.
"And that's it?" Castle asked, trying not to laugh at her response.
"No, I want you to make love to me with your cock Rick," Beckett told him seriously. "And fill my pussy with your come." When he shuddered hard she caressed his hair before she told him, "Hopefully you do too."
"Oh believe me… I do," Castle said. He closed the gap between them and kissed her, but shortly after pulled away when she pushed at his shoulders. He was about to ask her what she was doing when she was speaking with a slight smile on her face.
"Let me have a little," Beckett said.
Shuddering again in pleasure Castle finally managed to ask, "How?"
Beckett didn't respond verbally, instead she sat up before he got off the bed immediately which made her smile. "You knew?" she asked.
"Of course," Castle said. "But hurry… please," he begged her.
Without another word, Beckett gently grasped his length with her hand before she was lowering her mouth over the tip of him. She lightly lapped at it before cupping underneath him with her tongue, bobbing her head a couple times. Once she had pulled away she was laughing after her husband was forcing her back on the bed.
"You don't want to start?" Castle asked her while she was wrapping her arms around him.
"Oh I do," Beckett replied. They were kissing tenderly before they parted and she told him, "Make love to me."
With her serious tone, Castle was moving to raise his body a little more above hers to allow her to grasp him again. Breathing out hard when the soft skin of her hand curled around him, he was quickly moving down at her direction and soon felt the heat of her sex at his tip. "Kate," he groaned slightly when she caressed at his back with her free hand.
"Okay?" Beckett asked. She wasn't surprised when he nodded instead of speaking, and she pulled her right hand away before he was pressing inside of her. She'd left her legs spread, wanting to wait for him to finish entering her before she committed to a position. As soon as she could feel his hips against hers she moved her legs, bending the knee of her right before she was placing her foot flat on the bed next to it. Her left she wrapped tight around him and said, "I'm good."
"I wanted to make sure," Castle said, his breath shaking a little.
Unable to help laughing briefly, Beckett said, "You're a liar. You didn't want to come."
"If you could feel what I do right now…" Castle said seriously. "Kate, talk to me."
Biting her lower lip for a moment, Beckett said, "I will, just don't expect me to say anything pornographic."
Though his erection was aching, Castle was kissing her deeply and after they'd stopped he told her, "Oh don't worry, it's more than erotic enough."
"Anything I say?" Beckett asked, gasping in pleasure when he was beginning to thrust slowly.
"Anything," Castle replied, speaking huskily. He brushed his lips to her neck and murmured, "Vixen."
Though she wanted to speak, Beckett found she was unable since she was taking in the stimulation of her husband sliding back and forth in her. She was clutching at him tightly with her arms and leg, using her other foot to help her move with him. When he suddenly kissed her she was a little startled and was digging her nails into his back before he was pulling away. "What-" she started to say.
Castle wasn't surprised when his wife interrupted herself after he had bent his head to suckle at her nipples, her cry making him struggle not to thrust harder against her. He went over both her breasts before he moved back up to her lips, kissing her hungrily. He was overjoyed when she responded with as much passion as he'd started with, before he was carefully pulling away and murmuring against her lips, "Talk to me love."
Though she was hesitant at first Beckett nodded and told him, "You're… your cock is… getting so deep in me love."
"It is," Castle groaned as he angled his hips a little differently before he was pressing against her hips as hard as he could. "Do you want more?" he asked her.
"A little harder," Beckett begged him. She wasn't surprised when he was kissing her before he complied with her request and she was hurrying to follow him until he slowed down. "Rick," she breathed when he bowed his head and was kissing over her breasts. "Do… do you want me to say more?" she whispered.
Shaking his head, Castle moved to kiss her and did so deeply, slipping his tongue into her mouth gently before they were rolling against one another. They were doing that for a while until they had to stop to breathe a little more normally and he was hurrying to thrust slightly faster. Hearing his wife's breathing speeding up, he brushed his lips to hers before he focused on how he was moving within her.
Holding onto her husband, Beckett was crying out every so often as he was pressing harder against her hips. She was relishing the sensation before it came to her swiftly after he was sliding down against her skin where they met. She arched her back and let out a gasp when his lips were brushing over her nipples and she did her best to push her chest up towards him. When his mouth was taking her right nipple she forced herself to look down at him before the pleasure took over and her eyes rolled back in her head.
Once he'd stimulated both her nipples, Castle stared at her for a while, watching her and her reactions. He was unaware of time passing, only realizing they had been moving together for some time when she was withing a little and he said, "Are you… close?"
"I am," Beckett moaned. "Please… please Rick make me come." She bit her lower lip when he kissed along the side of her neck and let out a cry after he began to lightly suck on her skin there. It was brief and allowed her to tell him, "Don't stop… I want your come in me."
"I won't, I need to come," Castle told her as he brushed his lips against hers. "Do you know how tight you are love? How warm your pussy is squeezing around my cock? You're a goddess."
Wanting to tell him he'd been affecting her as well, Beckett found he was thrusting a little deeper and she told him, "I'm… I'm close…"
"Come for me Kate," Castle told her huskily, gazing at her though she soon closed her eyes tightly.
About to respond to him, Beckett was cut off by her orgasm and she was digging her nails into her husband's back, unsure of when he joined her. But she was aware of his release filling her, making her cry out in her ecstasy as he pushed her to a second climax. She heard him calling her name again, and realized he'd done the same before her body was slowing down and she was breathing hard as he continued to thrust against her.
Though he'd tried not to allow himself to go crazy, Castle couldn't stop himself and once he'd stopped he pressed his face to her neck. "You're… Kate you're intoxicating," he murmured to her once he could speak.
"So are you," Beckett replied before he was raising his head. She accepted his kiss eagerly before he pulled away first and moved to her collarbone, kissing at it lightly. She smiled before she told him, "I didn't really talk much."
"Oh no, don't think you didn't do exactly what I was hoping," Castle replied. He kissed her on the lips and said, "And it was perfectly filthy."
Beckett couldn't help laughing before he groaned and she stopped immediately, apologizing before she said, "You don't mean erotic?"
"Oh… that works," Castle said, pretending to think that over before he leaned down to her.
Beckett took her husband's kiss eagerly, reaching up to him and caressing his hair until he was pulling back carefully. She thought he might kiss her again as they gazed at one another but sighed when he withdrew from her though he was soon laying next to her, gathering her in his arms. She kissed him as soon as he was settled and wasn't surprised when he was responding and they were dueling passionately for a while. When they parted she said with a smile, "Thank you."
"I was glad to do it," Castle said, smiling himself when she laughed briefly. He held her close and gently caressed her hair as she pressed against his side before he heard a yawn. Looking down at her he asked, "Tired?"
"I am," Beckett replied with a smile. "We were busy last night too."
"Yes," Castle said, not surprised when she was laughing in response. He shared a kiss with her before he said, "We have to."
"We're going to be busy out of this bed soon," Beckett commented. She smiled when her husband frowned before he sighed and nodded. Brushing her lips to his she then murmured to him, "I love you Rick."
"I love you too Kate," Castle said seriously before he leaned into her.
Responding to his lips on hers, Beckett was a little annoyed when it stopped shortly after before he sat up and she watched him grabbing the covers. "What's wrong?" she asked, watching him.
"The lights," Castle replied.
"I'll get-" Beckett started to say before he was stopping her.
"Let me," Castle explained as he got off the mattress.
"Why?" Beckett asked in amusement.
"If I watch you right now… I'm not going to be able to sleep," Castle said, turning off the main lights.
Studying the state of his member, Beckett said, "You're tired too."
"I know, I was acting like I was ready for more…" Castle said jokingly before he trailed off. He wasn't surprised to see her rolling her eyes before he turned off the light on her nightstand. Walking around to his side he turned off the light and took off his glasses before he got onto the bed with her saying, "But you're right, we should get some rest."
"For next time?" Beckett suggested.
"You said it, not me," Castle replied teasingly. He laughed when she was pinching at his side and wrapped his arms around her. Just able to see her he told her, "But we will."
"Of course," Beckett replied, not surprised when her husband was immediately kissing her. She responded though they were only going to engage in that before they fell asleep in one another's arms.
"Have fun Mommy, Daddy!" Eliza said before she went into her classroom.
"Should we be worried we're being thrown out?" Castle asked his wife.
"No," Beckett replied in amusement. "She wants us to go downtown."
"And she knows we're not going to be alone," Castle commented while they left the elementary school.
"Very aware," Beckett said, still smiling. "But we need to go, they're going to get there first and Josie will ask for us."
"Good point," Castle replied. "But the others?"
"Here," Darnley said, leaving the building with Rebecca behind him.
"Dani kept thinking the party was today," the lawyer said as they were making their way to the parking lot. "One of the kids in her class is leaving today and they brought her teacher a gift."
"You should have told her that kid isn't going to get to celebrate," Darnley commented.
"I did," Rebecca replied with a smile. "And she cheered up immediately."
Laughing with the others, Darnley said when they were reaching their cars, "We're set," not surprised Beckett was responding first.
"I think so, unless you're trying to come with us," she told him.
"No," Darnley said. "Trev is waiting at home and we have some last minute wrapping to do so we're going to take care of that." He then looked at Castle and said, "Yes that's all we're going to do."
"I didn't say anything," he replied, holding up his hands.
"Go," Beckett told her friend in amusement.
"We'll see you later?" Rebecca asked while the carpenter was walking to his car.
"Of course," Darnley answered before he got in.
"He's right, there are places to be," Rebecca told the writers jokingly. When they were looking at her she said, "David is off at City Hall until tomorrow."
"You better leave," Beckett said, placing her hand on her husband's chest to keep him from responding.
"I'll see you guys tomorrow," Rebecca said before she got into her car.
"I wasn't really going to say anything," Castle said once they were alone and getting inside their car. He wasn't surprised at the look his wife gave him and said, "David would likely kick my ass if I did."
"Probably," Beckett replied laughingly before he was pulling out of their parking spot. The drive downtown was short and once they were in their usual parking lot she wasn't surprised seeing Skye and Mary standing with Josie on the sidewalk in front of it.
"We didn't take too long right?" Castle asked her.
"No," Beckett said with a smile since his tone had a slightly worried tinge to it. "But don't take too long."
"But I'm-" Castle started to say before she left the car and cut him off. Sighing he hurried after her, not taking very long since he already had his coat on.
"Mama, I am here!" Josie said eagerly once Beckett was close.
Laughing, she picked her youngest up and asked, "Has she been a problem?"
"No, she's just been waiting," Mary said.
"She does want to go shopping," Skye commented. She saw the looks on the writers' faces and asked, "What?"
"What did you tell her?" Castle asked jokingly.
"I just said we were going to go shopping," Skye said in a mock defensive tone.
"I'm not surprised," Beckett said first. She then smiled and said, "But that is what we need to do so we better go."
"Do you want to lead us?" Castle asked the investigator as they began to walk to the main street the next block over.
"No," Skye said firmly. "We've been here but I'm still not sure what the heck we'd get."
"You'll want Groves'," Castle then said. He saw his wife's slight hesitation and said, "I noticed the décor in her house too you know."
"I realize," Beckett said before she turned to the McDouglas women. "They have antiques but they have a few mid-century modern items too."
"What she had," Mary stated.
"We can look… hopefully we'll find something," Castle said before Skye was asking them about Josie to his surprise.
"Will she be okay in there? We didn't bring a stroller," the investigator told them.
"She'll be fine, she's staying with me," Beckett answered. "And we're here anyway."
"Could have called someone at the house," Skye said jokingly while Castle was opening the door to the store for them.
"Did Mother ask you to do that for her?" he said when the investigator passed him.
"She didn't," Mary said first. "But she said you owe her a shopping trip."
"Yeah, I got confused at that too," Skye said, nodding in agreement with her wife. "But I assume she means going out during the holidays?"
"Or when we don't have a case," Castle commented.
"Wow this is… more than I thought there would be," Skye said after she had taken in the store.
"Are we splitting up?" Mary asked.
"We do have to get two separate gifts," Castle said.
"We'll see you around," Skye said before she was taking her wife's hand and they were walking down one aisle.
"Luckily it's so orderly," Mary said after a while.
"Yeah, when I first saw everything I thought it was a mess," Skye commented in obvious amusement. "But this is nice."
"You're not seeing anything yet?" Mary asked with a smile, having been watching her closely.
"No, but the store is huge… give it a little time," Skye replied, not surprised when her wife was laughing before they continued.
At the same time they were walking again, Castle and Beckett were searching through the items on the other side of the store. "Do you think they're going to find something?" he asked his wife.
Smiling, Beckett said, "They will, you've seen their home."
"Yeah, I've seen our home too," Castle told her.
Squeezing his hand briefly, Beckett said, "I think we'll be getting different things."
"Yeah," Castle said, distracted for a moment by a martini set he recognized was from the fifties. He paused and then told her, "What if we get something she already has?"
"Wait until we find something," Beckett told him firmly.
"Okay," Castle said before they were continuing. As they walked around to another aisle he said, "Do you want to stay for lunch?"
"We discussed this already," Beckett said. She smiled again and told her husband, "The girls said they were fine with us doing that."
"I just wanted to make sure," Castle said before they were looking at their youngest when she was reaching out to the shelf they were near.
"What is it?" Beckett said, watching her husband reaching back.
"It's this," Castle told her, turning back to her.
"Why am I not surprised," Beckett said when she saw it was a carved tiger. She was about to tell him to put it away before her husband was stopping her and pulling the carving apart as he spoke.
"There's more to it than this," Castle said, showing her the container inside.
"Interesting," Beckett commented. She watched him putting it back, smiling when Josie made a sound of protest. "Sweetie, you have other tigers in your room, let someone else get it okay?"
"Okay," Josie said, obviously disappointed. She took her mother's kiss to her temple before they were walking again and she watched the items they were passing. "Rick," she said after they'd walked down another aisle.
Stopping, since he was ahead of her, Castle turned back to her and asked, "You found something?"
"I think so," Beckett replied, letting him reach for it since it was back a little.
"Nice," Castle said, seeing it was a lamp. "Though we need to ask about it being in two pieces."
"It's small," Beckett told him since it was a desk lamp.
"True, and she seemed to like the color green," Castle replied. "Hopefully she won't have green walls wherever this goes."
"Let her decide," Beckett said in amusement since the glass shade was that color.
"Oh of course," Castle said. "Where are we meeting them?"
"The registers and yes if you find something better then get it," Beckett told him.
"Mama," Josie said while they were walking.
"What's wrong sweetie?" Beckett asked once they were walking to the back of the store.
"I am hungry Mama," Josie said. "I'mmm," she then said, dragging out the m.
"Good job," Castle said laughingly before he waited for Beckett to reach him. He kissed their daughter's cheek and said, "But she has a good point."
"Rick, we haven't been here for too long," Beckett said in amusement.
"It feels like it," Castle said.
"Not yet," Beckett replied, shaking her head before they were continuing again.
"Hey, you found something," Skye and Castle said at the same time when the five were meeting in the clear space past the ends of the aisles.
"We did," Mary said laughingly after her wife and the writer were looking at each other in surprise.
"So did we," Beckett said, nodding to her husband's hand.
"Oh yeah, I saw a lamp like that at the house," Skye said. "Fairly close it looks like."
"It's why I pointed it out to Rick," Beckett said. "And you?"
"This," Skye replied, holding up what she had.
"Is…" Castle started to say when he saw she was holding a model of a plane.
"I know you're thinking it's insensitive," Skye said. "But it's a good model and the same as Bernard's. It would honor him and I will explain that to her."
"It's your decision," Beckett said, looking at her husband.
"Of course, I just wanted to mention it," Castle said swiftly. "But if she likes it it's a good choice."
"That was quick," Skye said to Beckett when their spouses had gone to the register where an employee was waiting.
"Is that all you want to do?" Beckett asked with a smile as she set Josie down and held her hand. "Josie and Rick were mentioning food." She laughed briefly when her friend was looking at her watch and said, "She's growing and he's a man."
"I'll take your word for the latter," Skye commented jokingly before they turned to Castle who was walking over to them first after paying.
"You know your dad is a man too," he couldn't help telling her.
"Yes, but he doesn't live at our house," Skye replied, smiling. She then said, "He's never had a huge appetite, but Pablo does so you're right."
"Okay, we can go now," Mary said, walking to them. She looked at the others and asked, "Did anyone really have any other shopping to do?"
"We do this around Christmas," Castle said.
"A tradition?" Mary asked.
"Sort of," Beckett replied. "We'll look around but usually we don't buy that much."
"A little something for the stores," Castle explained when the two women looked confused. "And since we do that we better go."
"We are right now," Skye said before they made their way together back to the front of the store.
"I'm a little surprised we're here," Mary told the writers.
"We asked the girls if it would be alright to come here," Beckett said with a smile since they'd gone to The Studebaker.
"Amazingly they said yes," Castle commented, laughing when his wife lightly nudged his side. "But we promised we'd take them again soon."
"With those looks I'm thinking you want to ask me if it'd be alright to bring the McCartneys?" Skye asked as she was smiling.
"That would be nice," Castle said.
"They have plenty of veggie options, so yes," Skye said. "Though I think you mean is it alright to take Stella and her family."
"Did Paul and Nancy say they liked it?" Beckett asked her. At her friend's nod she couldn't help laughing and said, "Okay, so we have that option for when we go downtown."
"Good because there's something I wanted to ask you and never got the chance to after everything yesterday," Skye said.
"About the case," Beckett said, glancing at Josie who was busy coloring on the kids' placemat she'd been given.
"Nothing bad," Skye assured her. When the writer nodded she said, "How did you two know that it was Glazer?"
"He had a limp," Beckett said simply, glancing at her husband.
"He was in a motorcycle accident… five or six years ago," Castle said, looking at his wife before she nodded. "It was while he was leaving the museum after he'd just gotten the job. The Report did an article about it and there was an interview with him once he was recovered enough to talk to them and he said that he needed to watch as the job was everything. But it mentioned his need to be in a wheelchair for three months because of his knee."
"And it was a limp," Skye said, recalling the video of the kidnapper from the day before. "Well, luckily you saw that. Brad wouldn't have known."
"Wade or Bernier might have," Beckett said. "They knew about the accident since they responded to it."
"They've been here the longest?" Mary asked.
"The chief before Brad brought them on before he left," Castle said.
"The one you worked with the first time you came here?" Skye said, though she directed that to Beckett.
"He was," she said simply.
"The inept one," Skye commented.
"He wasn't inept," Castle said swiftly.
"No, he's right," Beckett said when she saw her husband was looking at her. "It was more he didn't have the experience he needed."
"He got a little more after that case we worked on," Castle said. "I think a few more murders but that was more because of the meth that was here before the city gave them more money to crackdown on it."
"Why did he leave?" Mary asked once their waitress had given them their drinks.
"He got a position as chief at a smaller town upstate," Castle said. "I don't remember the name but from what I heard he was happier going."
"Considering the cases you have here now I'm not surprised," Mary said.
"Neither are we," Beckett said with a smile. "But everything is finished."
"She's okay," Castle said.
"I know," Beckett said wryly. "I just think we should change the subject."
"To what?" Skye inquired. "Christmas?"
"We can't really talk about gifts," Castle said, setting his water down.
"She would tell her sisters?" Skye said as she was looking at Josie.
"I don't know if we should risk it," Beckett said honestly. She then gently ran her hand over the back of the toddler's head and said, "But she might keep it a secret if we told her."
"Her sisters?" Mary asked.
Laughing when the writers were nodding, Skye said, "Why do I get the feeling that's referencing them teaching her to help with getting the pair of you to kiss."
"I wouldn't laugh, your daughters learned from ours didn't they?" Castle asked her.
Making a face at him, Skye said, "That's true, though it's a relief."
"She's right, we didn't want them to hate seeing us kiss," Mary said. "Not that we thought they'd be against two women kissing, just because we're their parents."
"Marie and Kath never had a problem before our daughters met?" Castle asked them.
"No," Skye said. "But we've decided it was likely because they only remember the two of us and we've never really shied away from expressing our love physically… with restraint."
Laughing at that, Castle said, "That's what we always have to do."
Before anyone could respond, their food was being brought over and they started to eat before they were slowing down and the doctor was getting their attention.
"What exactly are you going to do after this?" Mary asked the writers.
"Head home," Beckett said, she and her husband sharing a look.
"Right, we're going to have some time before we need to go to the dance class," Castle said.
"What about tomorrow?" Skye asked. "They've said they're not practicing tomorrow, just a party."
"We're not going, Grey asks the parents to pick the kids up at the end of it," Castle answered. "They play music and dance and give Ms. Grey gifts, and the kids give each other gifts."
"No white elephant?" Mary asked.
Shaking her head first Beckett said, "They don't want to, but they still have fun. And it's only for an hour, not until four." She smiled at Skye and asked, "Did you want to go see Harrington then?"
"After lunch," Skye replied.
"I'll get in touch with Fox and see if that's possible," Beckett assured her.
"And hopefully she'll like our choices," Castle commented. He smiled when the women were laughing at his tone before they went back to the meal, eventually discussing what they'd do until they'd attend the girls' dance class at school.