"You're not mad at me are you?" Castle asked his wife when she was walking into the living room of their stateroom.
"No," Beckett replied with a smile. "I know it's a Disney ship so I expected something like that. But I am looking forward to the show."
"Oh good," Castle said, standing up when she stepped up to him. "I hope you'll enjoy it."
"As long as the girls do, I don't care," Beckett replied before her husband was wrapping his arms around her. "Are you going to do too much tomorrow night?"
"I thought about it," Castle said honestly, smiling since he'd expected that question after he'd told the others about Pirate Night the next evening. "But I thought about Josie and scaring her… so that's a no."
"Good," Beckett said while her husband was leaning into her. They were kissing gently before her husband was suddenly deepening it and though she knew they couldn't linger she was responding eagerly.
Eventually, Castle was carefully pulling away from her and said, "I couldn't help myself."
"I expected it," Beckett replied with a smile. She leaned into him and brushed her lips to his before she murmured, "Let's go."
Nodding, Castle let her go and took her hand before they went to the entrance of the stateroom where he grabbed his jacket and he watched her slipping hers on. "You're cold?" he asked.
"This jacket will be enough," Beckett told him teasingly.
"Just checking," Castle said in a rush, unsurprised when his wife was smirking at him. He was reaching for the door before he paused and instead grabbed her hand, kissing the back of it before he finally opened it for them to leave the suite.
"I think we're all here," Rebecca said, looking around at their group once they were by the elevators.
"We are, let's go since we need to finish dessert before the show starts," Castle said and they began going in the elevators to deck 3 where the Animator's Palate was.
Once they were inside, Beckett watched her husband talking to the host at the entrance before they were led to a large table in front of a screen. "Interesting," she told him.
"I'm surprised you weren't trying to look up this restaurant," Castle said jokingly.
"I did," Mary said with a smile.
"We get to draw," Dani was saying to the other kids.
"Cool," Eliza said with a nod, picking up the blue marker that was on top of the placemat.
"Wait," Beckett said. "Before everyone draws you need to decide on what you want to eat."
"Are we getting an appetizer?" Julia asked her mother.
"We're not," Beckett said, a little taken aback when the other adults were agreeing with her at the same time.
"Just the bread service," Skye said. "But you still need to get your food choice decided," she told her daughters.
When the kids were tuning their attention to their menus, Beckett turned to Josie and said, "I think you should get the fish nuggets sweetie."
"Okay," the toddler replied immediately.
"No argument over that?" Castle asked in surprise. He tried not to laugh when Josie was shaking her head vehemently and he couldn't help himself, kissing the side of her head. "What about you?" he asked his wife.
"I think the chicken," Beckett said slowly while she was looking over the menu. She then smiled at him and asked, "The beef tenderloin?"
"Yeah, good guess," Castle said before his wife was laughing softly. "Eliza-" he started to call down the table.
"I'm getting the beef tenderloin," the little girl said quickly.
"Good choice," Castle said before he turned back to his wife.
"I think Dad's getting that too," Julia said when her sister looked confused.
"What're you getting?" Mari asked after Eliza had nodded before she turned her attention to her menu again.
"The… Pennete Bolognese," Julia said slowly.
"Me too, the other stuff sounded like too much," Mari agreed.
"Way too much," Eve said from across the table.
"Not for me," Clive said, his brother and Jacob nodding in agreement.
"Are you getting the regular beef tenderloin?" Eve asked her boyfriend. After he nodded she said, "I'm not surprised. "Want to try some of my pasta?"
"Want to try some of my steak?" Peter immediately replied. They laughed with the rest of their friends and then turned their attention to ordering their dinner.
As soon as they'd handed over their menus, everyone at the table started to draw characters on the form provided as their bread service was soon served. Eventually they were finishing up and writing out their names before the cast members were taking them.
"Why they take me?" Josie asked.
"Mine," Castle said with a smile. "There's a reason I'm sure," he said when the screen across from them began to move.
"Mickey!" the younger kids were crying out when the picture of Mickey was moving before the character was putting on the Sorcerer's Hat.
Watching Josie's awe as Mickey began to turn from a drawing into full animation, Beckett squeezed her back gently while the character was greeting them. She wasn't surprised when it slipped into a mention about their dinner and she watched as cast members were walking around with their food. "Don't get too much sauce sweetie," she told the toddler once they had their plates.
"I don't," Josie replied, picking up one of her fish nuggets.
"It isn't bad," Castle said, looking at his wife.
"It's not, I'm standing by changing my choice," Beckett told him in amusement since she had switched to the pasta dish when she'd ordered. "Do you want some?"
"If that's alright," Castle said. He wasn't surprised when she wasn't responding, instead moving to get some of her pasta on her fork before taking it and eating it. "Nice," he said, nodding before Josie was grabbing his hand.
"Can I have some Mama?" the toddler asked.
"Here," Beckett said, getting some more pasta after she'd gotten her fork back.
"How is the steak?" Mari was asking Eve.
"Good," the young woman replied, looking at her boyfriend next to her.
"Yeah, the pasta's good too," Peter said in a rush.
Laughing with the other kids, Julia said when they'd finished, "I'm surprised we came here."
"It's a rotation," Jacob said. When the others were looking at him he said, "I read the pamphlet in our room. There are three of them, this one, the one last night and one called Royal Court."
"The one we passed to here," Marie said. After the young man had nodded she frowned and said, "We're going to have Pirate Night dinner at Royal Court?"
"I honestly didn't plan it that way," Castle said to the other adults since they'd heard the kids' conversation. "The Enchanted Garden seemed a good place to start."
"It was," Beckett assured him.
"And there seems to be something tonight," Skye commented on the other side of Beckett.
"You already know," Castle said in a mock complaining tone of voice before they were laughing together and returning to their food.
"Are we getting dessert?" Eliza was saying to the other kids when they were finishing up.
"Not here," Castle said when the other adults were looking at him. He smiled and said, "Somewhere else."
"Huh, weird," Jacob said, making a playful face.
"I don't think it is," Clive said. When the other kids were asking him why he said swiftly, "We'll find out."
"You can tell us," Eliza protested.
"Yeah, why can't… oh, I know now," Ivy said before they were all laughing together before the lights suddenly darkened.
"Easy," Beckett said when Josie was gasping in surprise.
"I'm not surprised," Castle said, getting up and taking the toddler out of her seat.
Beckett was a little surprised when her husband handed her Josie though when he switched his chair with the highchair she smiled and said, "Smooth."
"Thank you," Castle replied easily, reaching for her hand as the animated curtains on the screens opened.
Smiling at Josie giggling at Mickey carrying a stack of papers taller than he was, Beckett kissed her temple briefly before he was setting them down and stepping back. She looked at the toddler again since she was opening her eyes wide at the character waving his hands at the stack before one of the characters on the placemats they'd drawn on was coming off the top and someone's drawing was popping off the figure outline.
"Mummy!" Ivy, Iris and Fleur were telling Skye since they recognized her drawing as she'd put a pilots hat and wings on the 'shirt' her figure was wearing.
Holding her hand out to them to quiet the three, Skye smiled seeing her figure grow in size before two more were being brought to 'life' and their table erupted into laughter.
"Is that mine Mama?" Josie asked.
"In the middle, Peter's is on the end," Beckett said with a smile as the three figures were moving in time to the music from the Sorcerer's Apprentice animation and soon walking after Mickey before a fourth was appearing.
As the show became multiple figurines walking and skipping Castle wasn't surprised to see more from their group there and he felt Josie shake his and Beckett's hands that were holding each other again after a brief break. "I see," he murmured to her since he'd seen first his wife's and then his own figures.
That went on for a while until the screen looked liked blue paint was being poured over it with Skye's, Jim's, Fleur's and someone they didn't know figure still on the screen. After a moment Skye's and Fleur's, in the middle were pushed aside leaving them on the screen before the Genie from Aladdin appeared in a spotlight and started to dance while the figures were doing the same. From there the figures drawn in the restaurant were dancing in different Disney movie scenes until it ended with another person's figure was being landed on by a hippo from the movie Fantasia.
Applauding with Josie in front of her and the others in the restaurant, Beckett said to her husband, "You don't need to worry about choosing this tonight."
"That was the point," Castle told her with a smile before they turned their attention back to the screen as Mickey was returning. When he ended the show he was about to speak to his wife when the 'animators' of the figures during the show were credited since there had been a place to write their names on the paper. He wasn't surprised seeing their table's names were first or when the kids at the other end of the table were clapping before they stopped and he said, "We can head out for dessert now."
"That's it?" Eliza asked.
"It is," Castle said as they were getting up from their chairs. "But I hope you still enjoyed it."
"I did," Julia said firmly, not surprised when the other kids were agreeing with her. After they were out of the restaurant she went to her parents and said, "How're we going up to the deck?"
"Do you know where it is?" Castle asked with a smile, looking at her.
"Yep, it wasn't too hard to realize," Julia said simply.
"We'll go up in the elevator towards the front of the ship," Castle said. "And then walk."
"Yes I suggested that," Beckett said wryly since her husband and their second oldest had looked at her when he'd said the last.
"At least we're getting to go," Julia commented. "Can we get it in a cone?"
"You can," Beckett replied with a smile. "But a regular cone."
"Sure," Julia said before they were at the elevators and she hurried over to her friends.
After they were up on deck 11 again, the group were walking by the pools and could see some people were on the Aquaduck before the older kids were going to their parents.
"Hold on," David said first. "We have plans tonight and tomorrow night so I'm not sure if you can go on that yet at night Mari."
"I was thinking of us doing that the second to last night we have on the ship," Castle said.
"That's the third day at sea isn't it?" Martha asked.
Nodding Castle said, "I thought about us eating on the verandahs outside the suites and then coming here to the pools. But why I have to make plans…"
"Oh stop, you enjoy doing it," Skye told him jokingly. "Like I do."
"Then you should stop complaining Mum," Marie said jokingly. She let out a mock cry of fear when the investigator pretended to run after her and started to run but didn't do so for long before letting her mother catch her and she said, "Just kidding."
"It's standard I suppose, complaining," Skye said with a smile. She kissed her oldest's cheek and said, "And we're here."
"Awesome," Marie said, seeing the Sweet on You entrance.
"You knew already?" Mary asked, walking up with the others.
"Of course, we saw it before," Kathleen said before her sister could, laughing with the others before they entered and began looking around at the options they could get for their dessert.
"Can I have one Mama?" Josie asked, looking at the gelato with her parents.
"You'll share with me," Beckett said. Glancing at the toddler she did her best not to laugh at the pout on Josie's face and said, "Don't sweetie, it's getting late."
"She's right," Castle said a little laughingly. "But at least you'll get to try some." He was relieved when she nodded and then went to her grandparents further back in the restaurant.
"Want to see Mickey and Minnie kiddo?" Martha asked once the toddler was with her and Jim.
"Where?" Josie asked interestedly. When they stepped to the side she gasped at seeing the statue of the pair sharing a milkshake and said, "It's Mama and Dada!"
Laughing with Castle's mother, Jim took a moment to calm down before he said, "I don't know if that's-"
"No Grandpapa, not now," Josie interrupted. She paused then and frowned before she went to Eliza. "Lizzy, I can't say," she told her after getting her attention.
"Can't say what?" the little girl asked before she was startled when her little sister was pulling her to their grandparents by her free hand since she had her gelato by then.
"What'd she say?" Eliza asked.
"Yeah, what did you say Josa?" Julia said as she walked over with Mari, holding her cone of gelato.
"That is Mama and Dada," Josie said firmly.
Julia looked at the statue before she said, "Okay."
"She said it wasn't now," Jim explained.
"What isn't now?" Beckett asked. When they related what they'd been talking about, she looked at her husband and said, "Do you think she's remembering?"
"Our past life?" Julia asked, realizing what her mother was talking about.
"I think so," Beckett said with a nod before she looked for Skye.
"I think they left, we were going to finish these outside," Castle said.
"Here," Beckett said, reaching for Josie. After taking her hand they were heading together outside to the pools where they could eat under the sky. She went to the investigator and murmured to her before she was looking around her at the toddler.
"Really? Well… to be honest I have no idea when exactly a child would remember," Skye said when Beckett had finished. "But I have heard of young children who will recall places or things that might trigger a memory."
"Sounds like the statue did it," Mary commented.
"Mama," Josie said, walking over to them. "Can I have ice cream?" she asked once her mother was looking at her. She was surprised when the adults laughed and was about to ask again when her mother was calming down and sitting down while she answered her.
"You can but I want to ask you about something first," Beckett said. She was about to continue before she paused and then looked at Skye telling her, "I have no idea what to ask her."
"I'm not surprised," the investigator said with a slight smile. "Let me." After Beckett had nodded, she sat with her and turned her attention to the toddler who was eating the spoonful of gelato her mother had given her. She had to wait a little for Josie to finish but once she had she said, "Do you remember where your mom and dad used to do that?" At the nod she got she then began describing the soda shop in Mill Valley where they'd gone for ice cream. She wasn't surprised when the toddler was recalling it, or when she talked about the floor being like pebbles. "Yeah, she's remembering," she said to the others who had been listening.
"Eat your gelato Skye," Mary told her wife.
"Yeah," the investigator said, quickly getting some on her spoon. After she'd eaten she wasn't surprised to find Beckett looking at her and she said when she could, "It's nothing to worry about."
"I hope not," Beckett said before she was giving more of her gelato to Josie.
"How long until the show?" Nkosi was suddenly asking.
"Twenty minutes," Castle said, looking at his watch. He then said to the others, "We have to go as soon as we finish."
Though the kids didn't respond to that, they were soon finishing their gelato before they were getting up from the chairs they were sitting on and making their way to the elevators to reach deck 3 where the theater was.
"You're not cold?" Peter asked.
"No, I'm good," Eve answered with a smile. "It's getting warmer, you can tell."
"A little," Julia said, outside with the other older kids on their verandah. She started smiling herself and said, "I haven't been to the Caribbean since I was little. I can't wait."
"We've never been," Marie said, motioning to herself and her twin.
"Neither have we," Jacob said for himself and his sister.
"I did," Mari said with a smile. "But that was ages ago when I was three."
"We haven't," Peter said when the others were looking at him and his brother.
"I got close," Clive said. He smiled when his brother looked at him in surprise and explained, "Dad took me to Key West when I was six."
"But you haven't been to where we're going this trip," Mari said to Julia.
The teen nodded in agreement and was about to speak before she noticed her father in the doorway between their verandah and her grandmother's. "Are we too loud?" she asked in concern.
"No," Beckett said, stepping up behind her husband with a smile. "We wanted to join you."
"If that's alright," Castle said.
"Sure," the kids were saying at the same time and then fighting their laughter as the writers walked onto their verandah.
Once he and Beckett were settled on a chez lounge Castle said, "We heard what you were discussing, I hope you're not going to be impatient to get to land tomorrow."
"It's been fun," Eve said first, not surprised a lot of the others were nodding in agreement.
"It feels a little weird," Clive admitted.
"I don't blame you," Beckett said with a smile. "But I think tomorrow we'll get used to it."
"At least the ship is big," Mari commented. She then asked the writers, "You've never been on a cruise before this?"
"No," Castle said, not surprised his wife was shaking her head. "I was more about flying."
"Skye will be happy about that," Beckett told her husband wryly, not surprised when the kids were laughing softly.
"How do you like your room?" Julia asked her mother.
"It's nice, though we haven't spent a lot of time there really," Beckett replied. She then smiled and said, "You aren't supposed to."
"That's true," Julia said. "But you adults never said your plans."
"I thought you guys wanted us to go to the adults section," Castle said in surprise.
"Yeah, but what about lunch? Or going on the Aquaduck at all?" Julia asked.
"We can't eat lunch at the pool," Beckett replied. "We're probably going to meet you guys for it."
"I thought they would protest that," Castle said when he and his wife were silent for a moment.
"If you can't eat at the pool then yeah, come and see how lunch is," Julia replied.
"I'm glad we have permission," Castle told his wife.
Shaking her head as she was smiling, Beckett said, "I'd like to keep an eye on you guys too."
"We've been good," Clive said in mock protest.
"I know, but I'm talking about dessert," Beckett said, since they were planning to return to Cabanas for lunch the next day instead of Flo's Café.
"We won't take that much," Julia assured her mother.
"That reminds me," Castle said then. "Have you filled out your order for breakfast?"
"Oh! I was going to ask you about that Dad," Julia said, getting up and hurrying back into the room. When she returned outside she said to her parents, "I was going to ask the two of you actually," correcting herself. "How much can we get?"
"Well, there are eight of you," Beckett said, taking the card that was for their order to have breakfast in their room the next morning. "You didn't check out anything but the time," she said in surprise.
"We all wanted to ask you about that," Peter explained.
"Well I know everyone's parents would like you guys to get fruit," Beckett said, taking the pen Julia held out to her. "And I know you're going to ask for donuts, but because you're going to the buffet for lunch we'll let you get some pastries."
"That's it?" Mari asked in surprise when Beckett was hesitating.
"What about croissants, I love those," Jacob said.
"Alright, if you have leftovers put them in the fridge in the kitchenette to save for the next day," Beckett said, checking off the box before she was handing the placard to Julia.
"Thanks," the teen said with a smile. When her parents were then standing she said, "It's time for bed?"
"It's close," Castle told her. "And we need to head back to get ready ourselves."
"You're going to bed already?" Kathleen asked in surprise.
"We're probably going to watch TV for a little," Beckett replied before she pulled Julia to her and was embracing her tightly. "Goodnight sweetie."
"Night Mom," Julia replied with a smile. "We'll go to bed."
"I know, it's why I didn't mention it," Beckett replied. "I love you."
"Love you," Julia replied before they hugged one more time and kissed each other's cheeks. They let go of each other and she went to her father, hugging him tightly and saying, "Love you too Dad."
"I love you too but you're hurrying me out aren't you?" Castle asked jokingly.
"We have to go to bed," Julia said simply. She then smiled when her father was doing the same and he embraced her before letting her go. She and her friends were then saying goodnight to her parents quietly as they left before they were moving inside.
"Are you okay?" Mari asked her friend when she was hesitating at the door.
"Yeah, just thinking about them not having as much time on their own now," Julia explained, locking and turning away from the door.
"I don't think there's any argument about it," Jacob commented. "They're going to be there with us."
"Let me take that," Eve told Julia, reaching for the placard.
"Sure," the teen said, shaking himself and handing it over. "I'm looking forward to breakfast actually."
"Yeah, that's going to be fun," Clive agreed. "Can we eat outside?"
"I think we should," Marie said with a smile before they were turning at the sound of Eve locking the door.
"Okay, it's ready for tomorrow," the young lady said. "So we need to be up and dressed by eight."
"Or at least one person does," Peter reminded her. "Do you have the tip ready?"
"It's on the table by the front door, whoever's going to let the cast member in," Eve replied before she looked at her phone. "We only have ten minutes," she told the others.
"I guess we better go to bed," Kathleen said.
"Actually, I'm pretty tired," Marie said. "It was a lot today."
"Yeah, I was going to say," Julia told the others. "I was almost falling asleep."
"Okay, so I guess we have to go to bed," Eve said.
After they were saying goodnight to everyone, Julia followed Mari into their room and she closed the door on Peter and Clive getting on their bed. Going to their bed she told Mari, "That was a lot of fun."
"I know, but you don't care we're doing basically the same thing tomorrow?" the girl asked.
"No," Julia replied with a smile as she took off her robe and then climbed onto the bed. "I mean the other pool isn't super deep but that's fine." She paused in covering herself and asked her friend, "Do you want to do one of those clubs or whatever?"
"Not really," Mari said hesitantly. "I thought about it, but because I'm not thirteen yet I'd have to go to the tween club. We'd be split up actually, me and Clive with the twins and you four in the teen club."
"I know, it's why I never mentioned it," Julia agreed. "So we'll just go on the Aquaduck… we can take our siblings to Mickey's Pool and the Aqualab."
"Yeah, the time will pass," Mari said with a wide smile thinking about it. "And Donald's Pool too, we're allowed to take them." She then looked at her friend and asked, "Did you like the show?"
"I did," Julia replied, smiling. "I remember thinking at the end of it I was really…" she started to saw before the smile dropped off her face and she shook her head. "Never mind."
"What's wrong?" Mari asked in surprise. When her friend shook her head she frowned and then said, "Tell me."
Sighing Julia said, "Okay, I was glad my dad wasn't focused on work that much."
"My dad isn't," Mari said, smiling immediately since she was aware why her friend was unsure. "Mom won't let him." She paused and said, "I think the only one that could be is Brad."
"Lily doesn't let him," Julia said quickly. She then laughed and said, "And I know my mom tells him not to work late when they're on a case. She's helping Lily."
"I'm not surprised," Mari said before she looked at the clock on her nightstand.
"And now we have to sleep," Julia said, watching her.
"I had to check," Mari said, pretending to be affronted. She and Julia laughed briefly before she was turning off the light on her nightstand.
Doing the same with hers, Julia said, "Night Mari," smiling when her friend said the same to her. Looking up at the ceiling, she was thinking of the next day when thoughts of her crush hit her and she couldn't help daydreaming about them with her riding the Aquaduck.
Walking out of their room, Castle paused when he saw his wife was asleep on the couch and he smiled before walking over to her. "Kate?" he asked her gently. When she jumped a little he said swiftly, "It's just me."
Looking up at her husband after she had blinked a few times, Beckett said, "Did I fall asleep?"
"You did, but it's understandable," Castle replied as she was sitting up straight.
"Sorry, but I'm awake now," Beckett said after she had rubbed her face swiftly.
"We should go to bed you know," Castle told her. He wasn't surprised when she paused and then smiled telling her, "I know we talked about tonight but I'm feeling it too. There is tomorrow night of course."
"I do, I'm just surprised you're saying that," Beckett teased him.
Leaning over slightly, Castle brushed his lips to hers before he said, "I'm thinking of tomorrow."
"About that," Beckett said. She paused when her husband looked surprised and then told him, "No, if we're going to the pool to meet the others, I don't know if we should do anything with penetration until tomorrow night."
Freezing for a moment, Castle then nodded and said, "You're right. Though did you bring those things?"
"I did but I don't really want to use it when we're going to the pool," Beckett explained.
"I'm fine with that," Castle replied. "Just wondering." They were quiet for a moment before he said, "Should we start getting ready?"
"Yeah," Beckett said with a nod before they moved to head into their bedroom. "I'm disappointed."
"I'm not surprised," Castle said as he was grabbing his pajamas. "I am too. But when I took the breakfast order to hang on the door outside I was yawning really loud. I'm surprised I didn't wake you up." He paused for a moment and then said, "To be honest my body is screaming at me not to do anymore exercise."
"You're a pervert," Beckett said in amusement. She laughed outright when he was nodding rapidly and then turned her attention to changing. When they went into the bathroom to brush their teeth she said, "I have to ask if doing all of that with the girls is okay with you."
"Of course it is," Castle said firmly. "Though I'm not surprised you're wondering. Honestly I really enjoyed everything and I'll be really glad to go back to the kids when we go to lunch."
Beckett wanted to respond to that but she had started to brush her teeth and she went as quickly as she could before she was drying off her mouth. "You're okay with that too? That cuts into our time alone," she told him teasingly.
"It's why I suggested we go on a cruise on our own," Castle responded in the same tone of voice. He paused in setting aside his towel and then said, "Kate, what if we did that instead of the B ?"
"I… that's not really fair for the B ," Beckett said with a frown. "And really, I think right now I want to bring the girls with us."
"I figured," Castle said. "And really that's how I feel too. So when we're older."
"We'll see," Beckett said in amusement before they were moving back to the bedroom. As she was pulling the covers of the bed down and her husband was doing the same on the other side she asked, "How did you enjoy Believe?"
"I wanted to bring that up," Castle said as he got up on the bed. "I thought it was a great show, really well put together."
"And your mother enjoyed it," Beckett reminded him.
Nodding seriously Castle said, "Yeah, I asked her and she said it was perfect for Josie to start with."
Beckett couldn't help laughing and said, "Are we going to another?"
"We could," Castle said. "But the only other two shows are a Frozen one-"
"Pass," Beckett said.
"Great, my thoughts exactly," Castle said with a smile. "The other is Aladdin."
"That would be interesting," Beckett said.
"Should we do that tomorrow?" Castle asked.
"Why don't we leave it for the night of our first stop," Beckett said. She paused and then said, "Or whenever we can get seats."
"I'll ask tomorrow at some point," Castle replied. "So at least that's one other thing we can do."
"Besides going to the pools at night," Beckett said with a smile. When her husband nodded she was quiet, waiting for him to continue, and when he didn't she said, "Alright love, what do you have in mind?" She wasn't surprised when his brow furrowed and she said, "I could tell." When he moved off of the bed she was startled for a moment before he was returning with the pamphlet for the ship. "You found something?"
"I did, that I somehow missed when I was looking at everything online," Castle said, climbing back into bed and handing the paper to her.
Waiting, Beckett let him take it back before he was pointing out what he wanted her to see. "Midship Detective Agency," she read.
"Hear me out," Castle said swiftly when his wife raised her eyes to him.
"I think you mean read this," Beckett told him. When he nodded she leaned over and kissed his cheek before she read over the description of the activity.
"What-" Castle started to say when she was reaching for her phone.
"I just wanted to see what it says online," Beckett said, going quickly to the app they had on their phones for the cruise. "It says this is for nine and older," she told him. "But then it says preschoolers and… above."
"Then that means we could take Josie," Castle said rapidly, smiling when his wife was laughing.
"Are you sure we should let her start doing that?" Beckett responded.
"It'll help her with school," Castle said, shrugging. He wasn't surprised when his wife was cupping his cheek before he took her hand and kissed the palm gently.
Calming down from her laughter, Beckett said, "I know you think she'll follow in her sisters' footsteps."
"So that's a no?" Castle asked slowly, squeezing her hand before letting it go.
"We can go," Beckett replied. "Though I wonder if we should just do one tomorrow and leave the other two for the last day at sea."
"Or when we leave from a port early," Castle said before he was taking his wife's phone.
"Is there a day?" Beckett asked.
"I'm wondering if we should leave those for the last day at sea," Castle said. "Before lunch?"
"Is the day after Castaway Cay?" Beckett asked. When her husband nodded she said, "Then we'll leave it for that day."
Nodding Castle gave her back her phone before he said, "Now we have to sleep?"
"Not this second," Beckett said after she'd checked the time before setting aside the phone. She then turned to her husband and was letting out a gasp when he was pulling her onto lap. "Rick-" she started to say.
"I'm only going to do that," Castle said firmly.
"Are you sure?" Beckett teased. She laughed when he nodded and she then said, "I kept forgetting to ask you, are the adults doing anything at night while we're on the ship?"
"You saw the clubs and lounges," Castle said. At her nod he then said, "I think we should plan it with the others… or should we just let them figure out on their own?"
"The second option," Beckett replied. She smiled when her husband looked startled and she said, "Skye and then Rebecca asked me if we should go together or separate and we all agreed separate might be better since we're together for everything else."
"Then what do you want to do?" Castle asked her immediately.
Feeling her husband hug her a little after she kissed his cheek, Beckett said, "Wait until the night after, there aren't anymore more themed nights are there?" At the shake of his head she said, "Then why don't we try for after the night of the second port?"
"Sure," Castle said. "Do you… want to look at the options?" He watched her moving off his lap, aware she was getting her phone, before she went back to him and was going back on the app.
"The only one that really has a picture of people dancing is this place called The Tube," Beckett told him, tilting the screen of his phone towards him.
Nodding Castle said, "Looks good."
"Rick," Beckett said.
"Sorry I… couldn't help myself," Castle said swiftly, removing his hand from under her NYPD shirt.
"I'm not surprised," Beckett said, reaching up and gently brushing down his hair. She was startled when her husband was taking her hand and holding it tightly before she said, "Only a little Rick."
Nodding, Castle carefully pulled her onto his lap again and leaned into her, kissing her gently at first. He couldn't help himself when she was responding so eagerly and he held her closer against his chest before he was deepening the kiss. As she went along with it he had to fight to not allow his hands to begin going under her shirt before they needed to catch their breath. "Kate," he groaned, pressing his forehead to her shoulder.
"I know, but tomorrow Rick, don't forget we can," Beckett told him, kissing the side of his head. When he raised his head she smiled and told him, "I love you."
"Love you Kate," Castle said seriously, pulling her close so he could give her a gentle kiss. When they were apart he wasn't surprised she was climbing off his lap and he took off his glasses. After their lights were off he was laying down and reaching for his wife as she cuddled against his side. "I can't wait for tomorrow goddess," he admitted.
"Hmm, neither can I, Sheik," Beckett said with a smile. She raised her head so they could share a kiss and she then settled herself back down, murmuring a goodnight he shortly after returned before they were allowing themselves to get some sleep in anticipation for their second day on the ship.