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 nice to get the feedback for the last chapter I did so I'll start my thank yous for that! TORONTOSUN (I was really pleased to see you liked how I'm writing the other characters, since it is fun to focus on them once in a while!) and
Mb (I wasn't surprised to hear that you're jealous of their cruise, I was too researching/writing it, lol. And I'm glad you thought it was a wonderful start in the first half of the chapter! And I figured since the group was so large everything needed to be set up ahead of time, lol. Looking into that mini-golf course it looks like a super fun one, funny too as you said! Great you thought the first half of the chapter was nicely done! You're welcome for the first half too! I was really pleased that you thought the second half was wonderfully written! And I'm glad that you enjoyed the dinner they had along with their plans too. I wasn't surprised that you were laughing at how Josie and Sophie were with their siblings before Martha went to get them, I had fun writing that part. I was really happy to see that you mentioned how Castle and Beckett were celebrating later that night together! You're welcome for the second half of the chapter!).
Thanks for the reviews, loved reading them and I appreciate the time taken to write them out and send them my way!
A/N #2: The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song La Isla Bonita written by Madonna, Patrick Leonard and Bruce Gaitsch, from the Madonna album True Blue.
Where The Sun Warms The Sky
"Rick?"
Setting down his comb, Castle looked over at his wife and was surprised to see she was holding a smaller ponytail holder and her brush. "You want me to brush?" he asked.
"And braid it," Beckett said.
"French?" Castle asked. When his wife nodded he couldn't help himself and he leaned into her, kissing her tenderly on the lips before he said, "Thank you." He paused and then said, "Are you sure?"
"Yes," Beckett replied, unable to help speaking laughingly. "You do those the best."
Nodding Castle walked with her out to the living room and said, "How're you feeling?"
"With regards to what?" Beckett asked, speaking in slight amusement.
"Being on this ship in the middle of the ocean," Castle replied.
"I feel… well it's interesting I'm not sure if I feel anything about that really," Beckett said after thinking for a moment while he was brushing her hair carefully.
"As long as you're not anxious," Castle said, a little startled when she was stopping to turn to him.
"Are you worried the girls are?" Beckett inquired.
"All the kids," Castle replied. "Though Josie a little more."
Nodding Beckett said, "We did talk to them about that, and I know all the other parents did the same. Plus they've seen everything on the ship, so I think they'll be fine."
"Right," Castle said slowly. He then focused on his wife and said, "Face forward?"
Laughing, Beckett did so and said while he was brushing her hair again, "I enjoyed last night," keeping her voice low and smiling when she felt her husband stilling.
"So did I," Castle said after a moment. He turned his attention back to her hair before he was beginning to divide it until he started to braid it carefully. "Can I ask about tonight?" he eventually said.
"You can but I told you earlier we should wait and see how things go," Beckett replied.
"At least we might," Castle replied.
"Yes," Beckett said with a slight smile. It soon left her face before she was closing her eyes, enjoying the sensation of her husband gently braiding until she could tell he was tying off the end.
"Okay," Castle said once he was letting her go. "Are we still going to the buffet?"
"We are," Beckett said, forcing herself to turn around. "Unless you thought of something else."
"Oh no," Castle replied as she got up from the couch. "My daughters want Mickey waffles then they'll get some." He paused and then added, "At least one."
Beckett smiled at that as she was dropping off her brush in the bathroom before she said, "Did Josie ask for one?"
"You can ask her now," Castle said, smiling when his wife hurried to the living room. "She decided to join us," he said, holding their youngest on his hip.
"Hi Mama," Josie said before her father was murmuring into her ear. "Morning."
"Good morning sweetie," Beckett said laughingly as she walked up to them. "Did you walk over on the verandah?"
"I went outside," Josie said firmly before she looked at both her parents laughing with a smile on her face.
"That's the verandah," Castle said when they'd calmed down. "Are you ready for breakfast?"
"Yeah, Mama I want the waffles," Josie said.
"And we'll have them," Beckett told her firmly. "But just one okay?" She wasn't surprised when the toddler was nodding before she was going to get her purse.
"You're not going to check on the others?" Castle asked.
"Do you want to go to the kids' suite?" Beckett responded with her own question.
"I know I can't," Castle said rapidly. "I just wonder how they did."
"You'll see in a little," Beckett replied with a smile as she went over to where he was waiting with Josie at the short hall to the entry door. She raised herself up on her toes a little; since she wasn't wearing heels; and brushed her lips to his lightly.
"Wait," Castle said quickly, putting his hand on her back and pulling her closer. They shared a longer kiss then, pulling away from each other when their youngest was laughing next to them. "We need to go?" he asked her jokingly.
"I think so," Beckett said, sharing a short kiss with him. She kissed Josie's cheek next before she was leading the way to the door so they could go out and meet everyone in the hall.
"So… is that good enough?" Peter asked the other kids.
"You don't see the sheets or anything," Marie said.
"She's right, I think that was the requirement Rick and Kate said when you guys make the bed," Jacob commented.
"It's fine," Eve said firmly. "We need to go, everyone's going to be out in the hall." She paused when she heard laughter coming into the room and they all turned to Kathleen and Mari who were reentering the room.
"We just saw Josie walking to your parents' suite," the latter told her friend.
"I'm not surprised," Julia said. "After seeing how easy it is to get to their room…" She then said, "But Eve's right, we need to go."
"We don't have to be that early," Jacob said in a mock complaining tone before they were all laughing together and making their way to the door. When they were outside he said, "See?" pretending to be annoyed.
"Someone will be out soon," Eve said, rolling her eyes before they heard a door open. "Hey Soph," she said with a smile at her sister as she appeared in the doorway of the suite next to theirs.
"Morning," the toddler said. "Mama?"
"Mom and Dad are in their room still," Jacob said, watching Eve pick Sophie up. "But they'll be up soon."
"Good I'm hungry," Sophie said.
"She and Josie were talking about Mickey waffles all morning," Martha said, stepping out of the room next.
"Morning Gram," Julia said, going over to her. After giving her a quick hug she said, "Sleep alright?"
"I did, your sister and Sophie were very tired," Martha said with a smile.
"The bed is nice," the toddler said firmly.
"They are," Julia said with a nod.
"What about yours?" Martha said to the Lennox boys.
"Good but it was weird we could hear the… ship and everything," Clive said.
"You'll get used to it," Brad said, stepping out of his and Lily's suite then. He greeted his kids and took Sophie into his arms before he said, "Sleep alright?"
"Yeah, really good," Jacob said before his mom was coming out into the hall.
At the same time Castle and Beckett were leaving their suite and the others were starting to enter the hallway until they were all there.
"Okay," Castle said, looking around at everyone. "I think we're ready."
"Starving so more than ready," Darnley replied before they were laughing together and then leaving for the restaurant Cabanas which was on the deck below.
"Awesome, we can sit outside," Peter said when they were let inside the restaurant. "At least I hope we can."
"We will," Beckett said behind the older kids. "But we'll have to get our food first."
"I think we should consider getting our seats first," Skye commented. When her friend looked at her she said, "We're a large party. And we can take turns."
"Are the others okay with that?" Beckett asked her. She wasn't surprised when Darnley was the first to agree, along with her husband, before she laughed and then said, "Fine, but let's hurry."
"Has Josie been asking you about waffles?" Jim asked his daughter.
"She mentioned that to you?" Beckett asked, unable to help smiling. At his nod she said, "Their sisters and Rick told her about it."
"I thought so," Jim said, nodding. They were stepping outside to the eating area for the restaurant and he smiled seeing the blue water before he said, "I hope there's enough room for all of us."
"We'll find out really soon," Castle commented before they were moving to get enough tables.
"Why can't we sit at the railing?" Eliza said once she was with her family at their table.
"Because it's in the sun," Beckett told the little girl firmly. "We're lucky we can sit outside," she then added in the same tone, relieved when Eliza nodded. She kissed the top of her head and said to her father and mother-in-law, "You're alright staying?"
"The food will still be there," Martha replied with a smile.
"We'll be back soon," Castle assured the two before he was putting his hand on Eliza's shoulder since Beckett got Josie. They joined the others going in for their food before he called to Julia and the Lennox boys to join them.
"We're not going to get dessert yet," Julia told her father with a smile once they were with her family.
"No, but I'd like to make sure you're picking better options," Beckett said.
"So will I," Castle said firmly.
Julia was going to protest before she stopped herself at the look on her mother's face and nodded before they were getting plates. She was pleased they were going to the normal breakfast items first and immediately after to the items like pancakes and waffles. "Thanks," she said to her mother when they were waiting for their turn.
"Thank your sisters, they've been begging for waffles for a while now," Beckett replied.
"I would have too," Julia said jokingly. She wasn't surprised when her mother hugged her with one arm and then said, "Can we get toppings for them?"
"You saw the bowls?" Beckett asked. At her daughter's nod she said, "You can, but we're going to be there so don't put a crazy amount."
"We won't, because we're getting dessert," Julia commented.
"Not that much," Beckett said firmly.
"It's special though Mommy," Eliza said, going over to them as they were stepping closer.
"I know, but we still have to be very careful," Beckett said.
"No, she's right," Castle said when their second youngest was turning to him. "And if you put too much on your waffles then we can't get much dessert."
"Come on, we're next," Beckett said, seeing the line had moved again. She wasn't surprised when her husband had to get the waffles for each of them, since they were positioned toward the back, and she got hers first before she moved to the toppings before the kids could.
"So what can we get?" Clive asked once they were gathered there together.
"I would suggest fruit and whipped cream," Castle said, looking over the options.
"What do you want sweetie? Which fruit?" Beckett asked.
"She can't see Mommy, there's peaches, strawberry and oranges," Eliza said.
"Mandarins," Castle corrected her gently.
"Strawberries, please," Josie said firmly.
With that the small group began topping the waffles before they moved to the potatoes where they all got one or two hashbrown patties. After grabbing proteins they walked to the drinks and getting juices and coffee, the latter for the adults, they returned to their table.
"How does everything look?" Jim asked while he and Martha were looking at the plates.
"Super good," Eliza said with a wide smile. "And there are toppings for the waffles!"
"I see that, well, I think it's time we got our own food," Martha said before she and Jim were going inside.
"Mommy, are we going to eat right now?" Eliza asked.
"No, you can go to the railing," Beckett said with a smile before the little girl was grabbing her baby sister's hand and hurrying to the railing.
"I'm wondering if we should have followed," Castle commented, watching the two join the other kids.
"They're fine," Beckett replied with a smile. "Julia will keep an eye on Josie."
"True," Castle said, having seen Julia take her baby sister's hand. He watched the girls for a bit and then turned to his wife and said, "About lunch."
"We're not coming back here," Beckett replied teasingly.
"Tomorrow?" Castle suggested.
"We'll see," Beckett replied. "We were going to go our separate ways tomorrow."
"I know," Castle said swiftly. "But our family could come."
"The girls might want to," Martha said with a smile since she and Jim had been listening to their conversation once they'd returned.
"You'll have to explain there won't be any waffles," Jim said. Seeing his daughter looking at his plate he said, "You know."
"I do," Beckett replied with a smile. She saw her husband was looking at her and said, "Mom always chided him about his waffle addiction."
"She did make the best so I'm not sure I could have resisted," Jim said, pretending to defend himself.
"At least you only got two," Castle commented. "Those donuts and Danishes looked really good."
"I think we can eat now," Beckett said in amusement before she was getting up to go to the railing. When she approached the kids, she was a little startled finding Julia signing a copy of her last book for a boy around her age.
"Thanks," he was saying as he took his pen and book back. "I really enjoyed this one, are you're going to write another?"
"I am, I'm just taking a break right now," Julia said. She nodded when the boy thanked her again and spotting her mother as he left said, "That's the second person that's recognized me."
"The first girl recognized me too," Eliza said while their mother was taking Josie into her arms.
"That might happen a lot here," Beckett told them. "There are a lot of kids. So I hope you didn't mind."
"I don't," Julia said with a shrug.
"Alright," Beckett replied, a smile on her face as she hugged the teen with one arm. "Go and eat breakfast."
Nodding, Julia hurried to where her friends were and said, "I still don't now how you guys can do that."
"We've done it a lot," Marie said, she and Kathleen sharing a chair to make room for everyone.
"She's right, hurry, we're starving," Kathleen said jokingly.
"I am too," Julia said, sitting next to Mari and Clive. She got some of her waffle and said when she'd swallowed, "Still really good."
"I know, especially with the toppings," Mari told her friend in agreement.
"I don't know how we're going to go back to just using syrup for these," Peter said jokingly.
"He's right, the whipped cream is really good," Jacob said.
Hearing the kids laughing, Castle glanced back and said, "I guess they're having fun."
"I am too," Eliza said, wiping her mouth after her grandmother handed her her napkin. "But what're we gonna do after this? We can't go swimming right away."
"We'll take your sister to her section," Castle said. "Hopefully you guys won't mind watching her and the younger kids going through that."
"I can go in," Eliza reminded him.
"Do you want to?" Beckett asked, looking closely at her.
"I do, just to get to try it out," Eliza said, shrugging. "But we're going after to all the pools."
"We will," Castle said a little laughingly before he was returning his attention to his food. After they'd finished he asked his wife, "Do you want fruit?"
"We need to," Beckett said.
"I'll grab it," Castle said since Josie was trying to get out of her highchair.
"Thank you," Beckett replied before he was getting up from his chair.
"Can I go with Daddy?" Eliza asked.
"Yes, but he's not getting dessert just yet," Beckett warned her.
"I don't care," Eliza said before she was hurrying off her chair and to her father.
After the two had left Beckett stood and told her father and mother-in-law, "We'll be at the railing."
"Really Mama?" Josie asked as she was being picked up.
"Really," Beckett assured her before she was stepping into the aisle. "Are you getting fruit?" she asked Julia who was walking up to them.
"Yeah, I promise," the teen said with a smile, squeezing at her sister's hand in passing.
"Bye-bye Jules," Josie said, waving.
"She'll be back," Beckett said slightly laughingly before she turned to the ocean. "Are you happy sweetie," she said, seeing the toddler opening and closing her hand in the air.
"Yes Mama," Josie said. "But I want to swim."
"We will, after our fruit and dessert," Beckett said, not surprised the toddler was clapping at the last before they turned back to the water the ship was sailing through.
"You can go down the stairs," Castle said to Josie as she looked down at the Nemo's Reef section they'd come to.
"Are you come?" the toddler said to him a little anxiously.
"I am too," Eliza said to her sister. "Come on, I'll hold your hand," she said, reaching for her.
"I think you should go with them," Castle told his wife, handing her his phone.
"Stay close," Beckett said in amusement before she was following the girls down the short flight of steps. She started filming as the girls were hurrying to the statue of Nemo before Josie was hurrying to where water was coming out of the floor.
"There's a slide," Eliza told her sister, getting her attention.
"Ooh!" Josie said, looking up and noticing it. "Sophie!" she called.
"She's coming," Lily said, walking over. She let Eliza and Josie take her daughter and they went to the short slide that was part of a sting ray before she said to Beckett, "Send that to me?"
Nodding her head, since she was still filming, Beckett watched the three girls waiting for Dani, Maddy and Keo before they were going to the seahorse statue that was spouting water out of its mouth. Laughing with Lily when Eliza was playfully spraying her sister and the others, she wasn't surprised when they were soon going to the little girl and grabbing her.
"Hold on, we're going this way," Eliza told them before she took Josie's hand and they walked across the water up to the Dory statue. Since that was moveable she was spraying the younger kids who had begged her to do it again. "Okay, this way," she said, pulling them to the water coming out of the ground.
"It's funny that little takes their attention," Jacob murmured to the other older kids from where they were watching at the top of the staircase.
"When you don't know that much…" Julia started to say. She then smiled and added, "We've been talking about swimming for a while now too."
"And who doesn't love Finding Nemo?" Clive asked before they were laughing together.
"That rain curtain or whatever you call it looks cool," Mari commented, just able to see the kids going through that.
"We do have the slide," Marie reminded her.
"I know, I just don't know why we couldn't go with them," Mari replied with a shrug.
"Maybe because everything is small," Peter said.
"Probably," Eve agreed. She squeezed his arm before they turned their attention back to the kids until they were returning. "Is that long enough?" she couldn't help asking her father.
"It is," Brad replied. "But what do we do first?"
"The Aquaduck!" the older kids were saying at the same time.
"We will take the younger kids to Mickey's pool," Joseph said to the parents, since it was shallow.
"Alright, let's go back to our lounges," Castle said before they were returning to where his mother and Bethany were waiting for them. Once they had everything set and put on sunscreen, he was taking Eliza's hand and they were leaving for the slide.
"I can't wait," the little girl said eagerly to her father.
"Are you nervous?" Castle asked her with a smile.
"A little bit," Eliza said, smiling when he squeezed at her hand. She did so to him and they soon found the stairs up to the slide.
"Are you going with your parents?" Julia was asking Mari.
"I am, I think with my mom," the girl said, looking at their group. "It's two people, remember?"
"Yeah, I'm going with… whoever Lizzy doesn't want to," Julia said, looking over at her parents and sister. "So who's your dad going with?"
"Fleur, Skye and Mary asked him to," Mari answered, smiling. She then grew serious and said, "I hope the little kids are having fun."
"It's a pool with Mickey's head and they can go in, why not?" Julia said before they were sharing a smile and turning their attention to their mothers who were calling them. "Have fun," she told her.
"You too," Mari said, squeezing her friend's arm.
Walking over to her family Julia asked, "Who're you going with?"
"She made us Roshambo," Beckett said wryly.
"And I won, so she's coming with me," Castle said.
"But we're gonna come again," Eliza added.
"If the line isn't too long," Beckett told her.
Julia couldn't help smiling when her sister was nodding eagerly before they were reading the comic strip about Donald Duck's nephews building the slide. When they finally reached the top she watched the cast member putting down the inner tube, her sister sitting in front of their father. Waving to the pair they were soon moving on a short conveyor belt to the start of the slide and she smiled hearing them both crying out.
"Here we go," Beckett told her daughter, sitting first before Julia was in front of her. After the cast member told them to have a great trip the conveyor belt was moving and they were going down a little drop and coming out into the clear part of the tunnel. She could hear Julia crying out, laughing since they were high above the deck.
Crying out as they were curving around and being splashed by the water, Julia let out a scream at the drop they came to before they were being pushed by the water back up. She could hear her mother laughing behind her but was taking the chance to look at either side of them while they were going straight again.
After another short drop and they were being pushed up again, Beckett was about to ask Julia if she was alright but they came to a tunnel that wasn't clear. When they were curving to the right she was laughing when the teen was letting out a whoop at the purple lights they were passing briefly before they were curving to the right and coming out into clear tunnel again. She looked to their right, trying to see Josie at the pool but they were moving a little too fast and were soon passing by Donald's Pool.
"Are we going there?" Julia called to her mother.
"Of course," Beckett replied swiftly, glancing to the left and at the ocean before the tunnel was changing to white again.
A little taken aback by how dark the tunnel was at first, Julia was surprised when she could see the sun quickly after they'd entered it. "What…" she started to say when they entered a section of tunnel that was opaque before it went back to white.
Beckett was confused as well but shortly after they were coming to the end of the ride and they were hurrying to get off of the tube, thanking the cast member there. "What'd you think?" she asked, going over to her daughter and wrapping her arm around her shoulders.
"It was a lot of fun," Julia replied. "We can go on it without you right?"
"Of course," Beckett said, leaning down and kissing the top of her head.
"Mommy!" Eliza cried, hurrying over to her. "That was so much fun. And I wasn't scared even when we were really high up."
"Good, so you want to go on it again?" Beckett asked. She smiled when the little girl nodded rapidly and said, "I was hoping you'd say that."
"We're going again already?" Julia asked in surprise.
"Unless you don't want to," Castle said teasingly, laughing when Eliza told him no in a rush and he calmed her down. "We're going right now," he told her and they were turning their attention to heading back to the line.
"How're we going this time?" Julia asked.
"Switching," Beckett said, a little startled at the teen's question.
"Good, I wanted to go with you Jules," Eliza said.
"Wait-" Castle started to say before Julia was interrupting.
"We want to do that," the teen said.
"You're not going to let us disagree are you?" Beckett asked, unsuccessfully fighting a smile while the two shook their heads.
"I think we have our next ride set," Castle told his wife.
"I think so," Beckett agreed laughingly before she pulled Eliza to her for a hug and they moved up the stairs when the line was going forward again.
Going into the water, Josie squealed after she allowed her head to go underneath it before she turned to her grandfather who was sitting on the steps down into it. "Sorry Grandpapa," she told him.
"It's alright, I knew you were going to stand back up," Jim said with a smile as the toddler walked up to him. "But let me know next time okay?"
"Okay," Josie said, nodding rapidly before she turned back to her friends. "Hi," she said, going to Sophie, Dani, Maddy and Keo.
"Hi, did you get in trouble?" Maddy asked.
"No," Josie replied with a wide smile. "I have to say."
"Say what?" Keo asked in obvious confusion.
"If you're going to do that again?" Maddy guessed. When the toddler nodded she smiled and said, "I would have to do that too."
"Are they still on the slide?" Dani said suddenly after they'd moved and pretended to swim in the shallow water for a little.
"I think they went on it more than once," Maddy said.
"Oh, Mama, Dada!" Sophie squealed spotting them and then her siblings.
"Don't run out of the pool," Lily said.
"She's right, we have more to see," Darnley said, picking his son up once he'd reached him. "Though…"
"We're aware," Beckett said in amusement.
"What?" Maddy asked her fathers.
"You're not hungry at all?" Nkosi asked her.
"Lunch!" most of the youngest kids were saying at the same time.
"It is, and we're going back to the three places that are together," Skye said. "But get whatever you want."
"Like yesterday," Mary said. She smiled at the way her wife glanced at her and said, "Let's go."
"What about Gram?" Eliza said since she saw Martha wasn't moving from her lounge chair.
"They have our orders already," Castle's mother assured her granddaughter. "We'll see you when you come back."
"It's alright," Beckett said. "Unless you mind the little kids being able to swim still."
"I don't," Eliza said in a rush before she was turning to watch where they were going. After they had reached the three stalls she said in surprise, "We're getting pizza?"
"We are," Castle said, smiling at her surprise. "It's why your gram and grandpapa stayed behind."
"Are we getting a whole pizza?" Julia asked.
"That's the plan," Castle said. "And hopefully you guys don't mind the barbeque chicken one." He laughed when the two were saying no immediately and he calmed them down before he said, "Then we'll get that."
"And fruit for after," Beckett said.
"And something special to drink?" Eliza asked hopefully since it hadn't been hard to miss the drink station on the pool deck.
"We should," Castle commented to his wife.
"But all that sugar," Beckett said with a slight frown.
"It's just for the cruise Mommy," Eliza said, taking her hand.
"And we could fill our cups with ice too," Julia commented. "So it melts and is water more."
"Alright, but when we go to LA you're not going to have so many," Beckett said before she was laughing at the way the girls were exclaiming their thanks as they threw themselves around her for a hug. She had them move away then since they were next in their group to order though her husband was doing that for them.
Since the pizzas were already ready, Castle was taking the boxes before he and Beckett were going to the Fillmore's Favorite stall and getting some fruit. "Okay girls," he said as they soon reached the drink station. "What're you planning on getting?"
"Fruit punch," Julia and Eliza said at the same time.
"I'm not surprised," Beckett said wryly. "And that's fine but remember," she said while she was getting their Stitch and Alice in Wonderland Tervis glasses she and Castle had gifted them for the cruise. "You're putting a lot of ice in here."
"Thanks," the two said in unison again before they were going to where the ice was.
"What about this one?" Castle asked his wife with a smile as he was indicating Josie's cup.
"Some lemonade," Beckett said. She half expected her husband to protest that and when he nodded she said, "If you'll get it for her."
"Sure, but not that much ice," Castle told her before he was getting the drink in the toddler's Tigger cup. He then got his own Goofy cup, getting some Sprite before he put in a little fruit punch and noticed his three daughters were looking at him. "What?" he asked.
"Could we do that?" Eliza asked eagerly.
"You…" Castle started to say before he looked over at his wife.
"Go ahead, but try and make it half and half," Beckett said, watching them to make sure as they were pulling their cups. "Why did you two wait so long to fill those?" she asked them.
"Because we wanted to see what you were going to get," Julia explained.
"Both of us?" Castle then asked.
"No, just Mom," Julia replied with a smile.
"What are you going to get Mommy?" Eliza enquired.
"The same as your daddy, I know you're going to tell me to do that," Beckett said in mock annoyance though she was turning to fill her Donald Duck cup with ice. Once they were all ready with their drinks they moved aside to let the rest of their group use the station they were at and went back to where the others were waiting.
"Josie," Eliza said, going to her little sister and the other kids in the pool.
"Are we going to eat?" Josie asked.
"Yeah, it's ready," Eliza said, smiling when the kids were calling out before they were heading back to the lounge chairs so they could eat.
"Do we have to do what it says?" Clive asked jokingly as they were looking at the words Aqualab and Waddle This Way 'painted' on the wall they were in front of.
"No, I mean you could if you wanted to," Peter told his brother before they were walking to the start which was shortly after. He laughed when the younger kids in their group were rushing up to the water falling from above and said, "They know there's water."
"I think they want to do that," Eve said to her boyfriend, not surprised when he was nodding in agreement before they reached the water themselves.
"Guys," Julia called to the younger kids as they were getting a little too far ahead. "Not so fast."
"Sorry, we couldn't help seeing what's ahead," Eliza said.
"Blueprints?" Jacob asked.
"And that," Eliza told him, pointing to the wall down from them.
"Wait until we're a little closer," Julia said before Maddy, Keo and Dani were hurrying ahead of them to that wall.
"Plug the leaky pipes," Maddy read at the top of the holes.
The older kids started to laugh when the younger ones were rushing to do so with their hands before they were begging them to help.
"Now what do we do?" Marie asked laughingly when they'd all managed to cover water spurting out.
"Keep walking around," Eve said with a shrug before she was letting out a short scream when water fell on her from above.
"Oh cool," Peter said, looking up and seeing the 'paint buckets' spinning around above them. He ran to get under them but groaned in disappointment when they were filling again to tilt eventually. He then remembered his girlfriend's reaction and hurried to her saying, "Are you okay?"
"I am, it just took me by surprise," Eve said with a smile before they were looking up.
Since there wasn't much left in that section, Mari was eventually saying to the others, "Should we go back down a deck?"
"I think so, we do have Donald's Pool," Kathleen said before they made their way to the nearest stairs to go back to deck 11.
"There they are," Castle said, hearing familiar voices near them. He saw his wife turning her head and told her, "That didn't take long," watching her smile.
"It didn't look like the area was that big on the map," Beckett replied. "How was it?" she called when Eliza was reaching them first.
"Fun, but there wasn't that much to do," the little girl said. "You should take Josa there, she'd like it."
"We might do that once she gets up," Castle said, looking at his watch.
"Should she be up now?" Julia asked.
"Soon," Castle said with a nod. He then looked at the teen and said, "Well?"
"What Lizzy said," Julia replied shrugging.
"You like the Aquaduck better," Beckett said.
"Definitely," Julia said firmly. "Oh, we were talking about tomorrow's plans."
"You don't like them?" Beckett asked her.
"We'd like to change them," Julia replied easily.
"All the kids do," Eliza was saying swiftly.
"Even Josie and Sophie?" Castle said in obvious amusement.
"Of course," Julia said, smiling with her sister when their parents laughed briefly. "But we'd like us kids to stay with the grandparents until after their naps tomorrow."
"And the parents are on their own?" Beckett asked.
Nodding rapidly Eliza then said, "That way you can go to the adults only pool if you want."
"If the other parents are okay with it then we will be too," Castle said after he and his wife exchanged a look.
"We are," Skye called. "Though we're not doing this our next day at sea."
"What about the spa?" Eve asked.
"The plan for this cruise was to spend time as families," Brad said.
"He's right," Lily said. "So we're not going to do that but hopefully you guys aren't bored with the ship."
"We aren't, we're just wondering what we're going to do that day," Kathleen said.
"I think it's going to be the stores," Iris said. "And the pools again."
"Maybe the buffet for lunch too," Jacob said.
"You guys aren't going to do that tomorrow?" Lily asked her son in amusement.
"No, we'll probably get the Mater's stall," Jacob replied easily, shrugging.
"Here come the rest of the kids," Darnley said as he spotted Martha walking around to them with Josie and Sophie in hand.
"How was your nap sweetheart," Castle said, picking up the toddler once she had hurried to him and Beckett.
"Good," Josie said simply. "Do I have to sleep again?"
"Later tonight, as usual," Beckett replied with a smile. "Would you like to go to the Aqualab now?"
"Oh… what is that?" Josie said eagerly before she became confused.
"We went there, it's a little water playground," Eliza said.
"But I went?" Josie asked, obviously still confused.
"That was Nemo's Reef," Castle explained.
Nodding Julia said, "This is a different place and you can go through it with us."
"Now?" Josie asked hopefully.
"We will," Beckett said, moving to sit up and getting her water shoes on. "Rick?"
"Can I go?" Castle asked their youngest playfully since she was hugging him tightly.
"Yeah," Josie replied, giggling when she let him go since she raced to step into his water shoes next to the chez lounge he was sitting on.
"I need those Josie," Castle said in a mock stern tone. He picked her up out of them and threw her above him slightly while she squealed. "Do you not want me to go with you?"
"No, you go too Dada," Josie replied before he was giving her to her mother. "Hi Mama," she said with a smile.
"Hello, you'll stay with us while we go right? No running around?" Beckett asked.
"The sh-" Eliza started to say in obvious confusion since they were all wearing water shoes so they wouldn't slip. She stopped herself abruptly when her father was waving to her and she stopped swiftly before Josie was responding.
"I don't," the toddler said.
"Won't," Castle couldn't help correcting.
"Come on," Beckett said in amusement. The rest of their group, except for the grandparents, were leaving for deck 12 where they went into the Aqualab, the older kids starting to show them around.
Crying out when her father read above the pipes, Josie and Sophie rushed up to the water coming out and tried to cover them before her mother was calming her down.
"It's alright sweetie," Beckett told her. "It's just to play with, nothing's wrong with the ship."
"No?" both toddlers asked at the same time.
"No," Brad said laughingly. "Come on there's-" he then began before water was falling on him.
"Oh… sorry Dad," Eve said, fighting back her laughter as he was looking up at the buckets. "We forgot to warn you about that."
"Are you okay?" Lily asked her husband with a smile.
"Yes," Brad said, grabbing her and pulling her to him just as the buckets were pouring out water again to the chef's cry of surprise.
The kids laughing, the group began going around the small area before they were going under the buckets to get wet. Jacob started a kind of game with the kids going in a circle underneath to see who would get wet and it took a little longer before they were making their way back to the two swimming pools until they needed to get ready for dinner.