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 great receiving the feedback for the last chapter so I'll get started on my thank yous for that! TORONTOSUN (I was happy reading you thought it was very good writing for everyone the last chapter!) and
Mb (Really nice to see you thought the first half was a great update! And I had to kind of have things happen right when they got to L.A., lol, because of what I had happening in the story so I'm not surprised you mentioned everything they had for right after they left the cruise. Sort of like kids with sports they want to try and go further with (I'm thinking of a family member, always on the move with that, lol). But you're right, what a life! And I always see the same with Josie's personality, it's so funny because I was planning on having her be more like how I would see Jim is, more quiet and relaxed but… I suppose since she is Castle and Beckett's she'd be like Eliza, lol, it works better to be honest but I'm glad you see that! And really glad you thought it was nice that Derek and Hayley were there to help them with prepping for the show and also joining them at Disneyland, it felt like they should be included with that too. Great you thought it was nicely done! You're welcome for the first half of the chapter! Glad to see you thought the second half was wonderfully written too! And yeah, lol, you've mentioned you're jealous of fiction characters with their vacations, friends and work, lol. I'm not surprised at all since I am too! I'm glad you enjoyed them at Disneyland along with Liam and Pablo there, fun to write them all together. And I look at the restaurants for Disneyland sometimes and that page has all that stuff lumped with the restaurants, lol, so yeah there's a lot of no places especially when I use a random number generator, lol. I had to laugh at you saying how it went from the rides to Skye and Mary alone together and them to Castle and Beckett along together. Definitely laughed at how you said they were together in their own exciting rides, but you're right. And glad you said how they're with each other in passion, lust and love! 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 combination of parts of two lyrics from the song Lakeside Park written by Neil Peart, from the Rush album Caress of Steel.
Laughing Rides, Shining Stars
"I'm glad you don't mind this," Beckett said to Julia.
Shrugging the teen said, "We're going to be allowed to go around on our own right?"
"You mean you and the other older kids?" Beckett asked with a smile. When her daughter nodded she did her best not to laugh too loudly before she said, "Yes but I hope you'll wait until after lunch." When Julia nodded again she turned her attention to Josie on her lap and said, "We're going to leave soon sweetie."
"Now?" the toddler asked before she was squealing since the boat for the Jungle Cruise ride started.
"At least she enjoys it," Castle said into his wife's ear. He'd switched seats with Julia at her insistence and then took pictures with his wife's camera as she'd asked him to, of the scenery and Josie and if he could manage it, both. When they'd climbed out of the boat he asked Skye, "Is that it for Josie?"
"For now, unless you're going to walk her around?" the investigator said, looking over at Jim and Martha.
"I think we're going to do that," the former said. "Watch the ship," he added.
"Actually, what if you took her on the ship?" Castle asked, nodding towards the Rivers of America.
"He's right," Beckett said when the two looked at her. "We're going on two rides that she can't right now."
"What about the Haunted Mansion?" Eliza asked.
"Three," Castle said.
"Splash-" Marie and Kathleen started to say at the same time before their mother was cutting them off.
"Not happening," Mary said. "I know," she added with a smile when the two were frowning at her.
"She's right, we're not doing that water ride," Skye said firmly. She then smiled and said, "But hey, we have other rides don't forget."
"We'll take her," Martha said, getting the others' attention to remind them about Josie. "And where would you like us to meet you?"
"At the Winnie the Pooh ride," Skye replied. "We'll go on that before we head to Thunder Mountain."
"And then Star Wars?" Iris asked hopefully.
"Exactly," Skye replied before they were moving to walk around the Jungle Cruise building and to Indiana Jones.
Waving at their youngest, Castle and Beckett watched their parents taking her down the path past the ride and he said to his wife, "I wish the treehouse was ready."
"I think they're fine on the ship," Beckett said wryly before they were going around to the exit of the ride.
"Yeah… watch Mother pull out her Blanche DuBois accent," Castle commented. He felt his wife squeeze his arm and he turned to her before he said, "Sorry, she would do that sometimes."
"Did she play the character?" Skye asked, having heard that.
"No, she was an understudy for it but she actually said she was glad that one she wasn't in at the end," Castle explained. "The subject."
"Yeah, I never liked that movie," Mary said.
"What're you talking about?" Fleur asked when they were stopped to wait for the adults near the loading platform.
"Nothing," Skye said firmly. "Have you decided the order we're going in?"
"Eliza's going to drive," Ivy said with a smile. "Fleur's sitting next to her and Iris and I are sitting in the next two."
"Kath and I are sitting with Julia and Mari," Marie told her mothers.
"And I'm not going on the ride," Peter said jokingly. "We won't fit."
"We will," Skye said firmly. "Which of us couples are driving the next jeep?" she asked the writers with a smile.
"We will, if our daughters don't mind that," Beckett said after she and her husband were sharing a look.
Not surprised when Julia and Eliza assured them they didn't the seating was set and they moved to get onto the ride. Though they'd gone separately the group still had fun and they were getting off it to the younger four talking to each other eagerly about the ride.
"They do that every time," Kathleen commented to the other older kids.
"Like you did," Skye said firmly. She smiled when the two older twins cringed and looked at back at herself and her wife. "With Pirates mainly, though that switched to Thunder Mountain when you were first allowed to go on it."
"So it's annoying to you?" Marie couldn't help asking as Castle and Beckett were walking up to them.
"Cheeky," Skye told her after she had pinched her cheek playfully. "Alright, you're ready to go?"
"I think they are too," Castle said in amusement since he could see the younger kids obviously were.
"Alright, then on to Pirates," Skye said before she and the others were laughing at the way the younger kids were singing the song from the ride.
After they were on the boat, Castle turned to Beckett next to him and said, "Is it weird we have the whole boat to ourselves?"
"I think they wanted that," Mary said, looking back at the two since she and her wife were in the row in front of the couple.
"I heard them talking about that while we were in line," Beckett said with a smile.
"You can't blame us, it's pretty cool having the boat all alone," Ivy said.
"It is, but face forward," Skye said in a mock scolding tone.
As they were floating past the restaurant Eliza turned to Fleur in the second row; her friend's twin sisters in the front; and said, "Think it's weird if we pick the number for that place?"
"No, it would be fun because of the ride," Fleur said. She then nudged her playfully and asked, "Are you thinking of lunch already?"
"Yeah, I just hope we find a place!" Eliza said swiftly since she could hear the drop ahead of them. Once they were going down it she laughed and clapped with the others before they were reaching the second, shorter one.
After they had finished the ride, the group made their way to the Haunted Mansion and paired off as they had on the bateaux for Pirates. Leaving that house they found Jim and Martha with Josie, who soon broke free to hurry to her parents.
"I went on a boat!" the toddler said happily when her father had picked her up. "It was big and white," she then added.
"Nice," Castle said, sharing a high five with her. "I guess you had fun?" When she was nodding her head rapidly he couldn't help laughing before he kissed her temple and then said, "Do you want to go on another ride now?"
"Please!" Josie said happily.
"We're going right now," Beckett assured her before they were walking in front of Splash Mountain. "Don't even think about it," she said wryly to Julia when she was glancing back at her.
"Just seeing if you changed your mind," the teen replied with a wide smile before she was turning her attention back ahead of her.
After they had gone on the Winnie the Pooh ride, there was a short discussion between the four adults about lunch.
"I think they'll be alright with that," Skye said in amusement.
"We are, can we hurry now and go to the Star Wars rides?" Ivy asked.
With some laughter the group made their way back towards the Haunted Mansion and walked around until they were at Thunder Mountain, Josie taken by her grandparents to look around the stores near it.
"I still say you cheated," Peter was telling Julia behind himself and Marie.
"I didn't," the teen said easily and with a smile since they'd played Roshambo for the last row of the train. "But if you want to play again…" Julia wasn't surprised when Peter rolled his eyes since the train began to move and she shared a smile with Mari who was next to her before they were in the dark. Crying out with her friend while they were going around the rocks and dips until they were back at the loading station.
"We're going to go on this one again right?" Mari asked her friend as they were getting out of their row.
"Definitely," Julia said. "And now, finally, Star Wars."
"Which should we go on first?" Skye said once they were outside the ride and had calmed down the kids. She wasn't surprised when her daughters were saying Smuggler's Run and she said, "Not a surprise, let's go fly," smiling when they were laughing in response to her tone before they began walking again.
"I really hope you guys are prepared for this," Castle was saying, standing with the others by the bridge for the Disneyland Railroad between Thunder Mountain and Galaxy's Edge.
"We are, how many?" Julia asked her father.
"Forty-four," Castle said, smiling when they were gathering and talking together quietly.
"Three," Julia said, looking at Josie.
"That's my number," the toddler said proudly.
Laughing briefly, Castle said, "It's the restaurant inside Pirates so that's a little bigger than we want to get… If you guys still want Dole Whip for dessert." He laughed and was quick to calm them saying, "Try another number."
"Twenty-seven," Julia told him since they'd chosen three numbers.
"Oga's Cantina, that's drinks again," Castle said after looking at the list. "Enough with the drinks you guys," he told them teasingly.
Julia fought her laughter but couldn't help doing so with the others before she finally said, "Forty."
"Tiki Juice Bar; no Dole Whip yet," Castle said, not surprised they were laughing again before huddling together.
"Seven," Julia said once they'd decided on another three.
"Carnation Café," Castle said.
"Skip that one, Marie doesn't like it," Skye said.
"I don't like it either Mum," Kathleen said swiftly. "The restaurant isn't that great."
"Does everyone agree with that?" Castle asked the other kids. He wasn't surprised when they were all nodding and he said to Julia, "What's your next number?"
"Twenty-nine," Julia replied.
"It's the Plaza Inn Dining Packages," Castle said. "Tell me the last one you got." When they told him nine he read, "Docking Bay 7. Right behind us." He smiled when the kids looked a little unsure and he turned to his wife and the McDouglases saying, "I agree with them, there isn't much on the menu."
"Then they best start thinking of another three numbers for you," Skye said, smiling at her daughters who were hurrying to huddle with their friends.
"Okay, first we picked thirty-one," Julia said quickly. She wasn't surprised when her father said it was for the pretzel carts in the park and she told him hurriedly, "Eleven."
"I wish they wouldn't put these, but it's a dining package for Fantasmic," Castle read.
"Okay, forty-two," Julia replied.
"The Tiki Hideaway," Castle read. "I know you want Dole Whip…" he said jokingly. He wasn't surprised when they had three more numbers, telling him thirty-six and he said, "Ronto Roasters," nodding when his second oldest told him another number since that place didn't have that much either. "Eight is churro carts," he said.
"Twenty-one," Julia told him.
"Galaxy's Edge again, it's the popcorn," Castle replied.
"Why do you do this if it annoys you so much?" Martha asked the kids with a smile before they could huddle again. She laughed with the other adults when Eliza had exclaimed, "It's fun!" and she nodded to the others. "That's what I thought."
"Okay, twenty-five," Julia said, rolling her eyes when her father told her it was the Milk Stand in Galaxy's Edge. "Thirty."
"Popcorn carts," Castle said simply. He smiled when the kids groaned together and said, "Last one," before Julia was breathing out and telling him the number twenty-two. "Sorry, it's lemonade again," trying not to laugh as they were groaning.
"Okay, sixteen?" Julia asked after she and the others had discussed numbers again.
"The Golden Horseshoe," Castle read, startled when Skye was laughing and the McDouglas girls were making faces.
"Sorry, they're not fans of the décor there, or the food of course," the investigator replied.
"At least we got that out of the way," Castle said before Julia was telling him the number thirty-two.
Seeing her husband hesitate Beckett asked, "Again?"
"It's not so much that," Castle said carefully. "We've eaten there before a few times."
"Let us know and we can decide," Mary said teasingly.
"Rancho Del Zocalo," Castle said, laughing with the others adults when all the kids were clamoring for them to go there. "And luckily we're not that far… right?"
"Yeah, it's right here next to Thunder Mountain," Skye said, motioning before they were walking.
Once they were at the restaurant and at the registers they started looking at the menu above them before they had ordered their drinks and food. When they'd finished, they moved to get one long table in the shade for their group.
"Is Josa going to go on any rides before her nap?" Eliza asked her mother, sitting near them with her friends.
"A couple," Castle said, glancing at his wife.
Beckett smiled and said, "If we're lucky we'll go on one and come to the loading platform with her asleep."
"I don't have to Mama," Josie said firmly.
"I think you'll want to," Beckett said, smiling when Josie wrinkled her nose. She leaned over and kissed her forehead tenderly before she said, "But for now I hope you'll eat your lunch."
"I will," Josie said firmly. "I like tacos," she added, pronouncing the last word carefully.
"Good job," Castle told her, sharing a high five with her.
"Yeah," Josie said before she looked around them. "Can I go down Dada?"
"Where are you going to go?" Beckett immediately asked.
"To see the train," Josie said. When her mother frowned she then asked, "Can I see the boat?"
"We can take her," Julia said, having been listening to the conversation. She smiled when her mother looked at her and said, "We'll walk, watch one train go by and then come back."
"And that's it?" Beckett asked.
"I think it's reasonable," Castle commented. He leaned into his wife and murmured into her ear, "Keeps them distracted too."
Beckett fought her laughter before she was able to say, "Then you three can take her. If you want to go Peter," adding the last since he seemed to want to ask.
"Thanks," the teen replied before they were getting up.
"You guys can go too," Mary said to hers and Skye's daughters. "Just make sure you stay with them."
"We will," Marie said, not surprised her sisters were echoing her while they were hurriedly standing up to leave with the other four.
"Are we really going all the way around?" Eliza asked her big sister.
"Yeah, but not like all the way around to Fantasyland," Julia explained to her.
"I know," Eliza said with a frown.
"No fighting Lizzy," Josie said, in between her sisters and holding their hands.
"We aren't, we're just figuring everything out," Julia assured her.
"You just thought of something?" Mari said, at her friend's other side and watching her closely.
"The numbers thing," Julia replied though she was looking around at the others.
"You want to stop doing it?" Peter asked.
"No, I wanted to add to it," Julia said.
"The rides?" Marie asked.
"That's a good idea, they have that list for rides like they have for the restaurants," Kathleen said. "But do you think the adults will be okay with it?"
"I think so, but later," Marie answered before anyone else could speak. She smiled and then said, "But I don't know about skipping."
"I wouldn't, we can go on all the rides here," Julia said as they reached the railing where they could see part of the track. She paused and then said, "Too bad we didn't go and do that at California Adventure."
"We could," Fleur said. "The ticket is for there too."
"I think what we said this morning when Mum and Mom asked us is the same," Ivy told her sister slowly. "We'd like to just stay in one place. And we got to go there yesterday at least."
Watching the train that was coming, Julia smiled down at her sister since Josie was squealing in obvious joy at the speed of it. "Okay, we better go, I bet our food is ready," she told the others.
"Are you going to tell Mommy and Daddy about the rides?" Eliza asked.
"Sure," Julia said as they began to walk.
Eliza then said, "What about the rest of the park?"
"Well… either we don't split up after lunch or…" Julia said. She frowned before saying, "I still would like to go around on our own."
"But we have to wait after lunch and dinner," Mari told her friend.
"Yeah, but maybe once we can go on faster rides after dinner we could do the number thing," Julia said. She turned to the others and asked them, "What do you think?"
"I think the grownups have to say," Iris couldn't help telling them.
"We'll tell them right now," Julia said since they were nearly at the entrance to the restaurant. When they were inside she wasn't surprised to find the food was there and she was hurrying to sit with Mari since they were sharing the three street tacos plate.
"Okay," Castle said after they'd concentrated on eating for a while. "What's on your mind?"
"You can tell?" Eliza asked in surprise.
"It wasn't hard to, you lot are quiet," Skye said, whispering the last word to make the kids laugh which they did.
"I thought of us doing the number thing for the rides," Julia said when the adults were looking at her. She then hurried to better explain that and when she finished said, "We know it'll have to be after dinner though."
"We could do it before," Skye commented. She wasn't surprised when her wife and the writers were looking at her and explained, "Meet back up together after we go on our own and start then."
"If the kids are all alright with that," Mary said. She smiled with the other adults when they all were, even Josie, and she said, "Then I guess we'll do that. You guys don't mind you'll have less time on your own?"
"No," Marie said first, not surprised the others were agreeing with her. She then looked back at her mothers and said, "So we can do that?"
"Yes, finish up your food," Skye said.
After they had done so the group made their way back around Thunder Mountain before they were soon reaching Fantasyland.
Before they could reach the first ride, Pinocchio, Julia hurried to her parents and said, "I think we should go on another ride first."
"Which one?" Beckett asked, aware her daughter was thinking of Josie. She wasn't surprised when the teen tapped her Stitch ears and said, "I thought of that."
"You don't want to go on it?" Julia asked, a little shocked thinking that was the case.
"Oh I do, I just hope it's alright to ride after we've eaten," Beckett replied.
"It is in Toontown," Skye said, having overheard them. "And a bit of a walk. I'm all for it actually, you haven't been on it yet."
"You have?" Castle asked. "It hasn't been opened for that long," he added, looking over at the girls and seeing the McDouglas girls were giggling together.
"We were here for the soft opening date," Skye replied, glancing at her wife.
"Special tickets?" Beckett said. She wasn't surprised when the investigator was nodding and she laughed before she said, "So we're alright?"
"We are," Skye said with a nod before they were walking through the land and then making their way north to Toontown.
When they had reached the building, the McDouglas girls smiled at the way the other kids were exclaiming over the El Capitoon Theater where the ride was.
"Wait until you go inside," Kathleen said.
"Mum, Mom," Iris said. "Could we go on the line on this one?" she asked eagerly.
"I was about to suggest that," Skye replied.
"She's right and it looks like the line isn't that bad so let's go," Mary said, seeing the time at that moment was a half hour long.
Not surprised the kids were leading the way, Castle turned to his mother and father in law and asked them, "Are you okay with this?"
"I'm interested," Jim said first.
"He's right, and at our age," Martha said jokingly.
"We weren't going to ask you to go on Space Mountain," Eliza said, going back to them.
"What's wrong?" Beckett asked.
"How do we have to sit?" Eliza replied with her own question.
"We'll find out when we get there, but you can sit with your friends," Beckett assured her. When Eliza had raced away she turned to her husband and said, "I know you wanted her with us."
"I thought about it for a second," Castle admitted as he was looking around at the different posters. "But I decided it wasn't the best idea." When his wife gave him a look he said, "Which wasn't hard to figure out."
Beckett couldn't help smiling before she was turning to the posters and taking pictures of a few of them. As they continued through the line she wasn't surprised when the younger kids were reacting to the Sorcerer's Apprentice 'costume' that Mickey had worn in Fantasia. She took a picture of all the kids on either side of it before they were turning and gasping as the hat on the costume was floating above the figurine's head.
"Nice," Castle said.
"Yeah, I suggested the picture since I thought we might be able to catch it," Skye said.
Walking down the line again, they soon came to an old and dusty looking dresser with a mirror, the McDouglases stopping in front of it and making the others too.
"Why-" Peter started to say before he cut himself off when in the mirror a hat appeared. He laughed with the others when a ghost from the cartoon it was from pulled itself out and was lunging at them.
"They did really nicely with these different props," Castle told the McDouglas women once they were walking again.
"They did," Skye said with a smile. "Though since it's Disney I wasn't surprised the first time we walked through here."
"The one in Orlando isn't the same though," Mary added. "But that's because they used a building there already."
"So what she's saying is that we're lucky," Skye said wryly before they were continuing.
"Look, popcorn!" Eliza said eagerly when they got to a concessions stand.
"Look at the register," Julia said. "That's the year Steamboat Willie came out right?"
"It is," Castle said. "Great you remembered."
"Why?" Josie asked in obvious confusion.
"Because her memory is good," Castle told her.
Julia rolled her eyes before they were continuing again and making their way to a room with doors leading to theaters, one of them open and revealing a screen they gathered in front of with other riders.
Holding Josie on her hip as the room darkened a little, Beckett was smiling when the toddler clapped when a cartoon started. "It says Mickey Mouse in Perfect Picnic," she whispered into her ear, smiling when Josie was nodding absently as it began.
Glancing back at their baby sister when she squealed seeing Mickey and Minnie at the start, Julia and Eliza were smiling before they raced to face forward again to watch the rest of the pre-show.
Crying out when Pluto flew out of Mickey and Minnie's red car on a bump, Josie was soon laughing when a pie was landing on Goofy's train's steam engine before it exploded and the screen flashed. She covered her eyes before she looked and saw there was a jagged hole on the bottom of it. When Goofy asked someone below them she giggled when the cast member in the room responded before they were being told to walk into the hole and into the cartoon. "We can go inside?" she asked her mother.
"I think so," Beckett replied with a smile since others were doing so first. She smiled as they were following and she loved how Josie was looking around with her eyes wide and mouth slightly open.
"A train!" Josie gasped when they came to the loading platform and one was pulling up. "Goofy's?"
"I think so," Castle said before they were stepping on after the gates had opened. He had asked for the first row and looked behind at Julia, Mari, Eliza and Peter behind them. "Hopefully you can see," he told them jokingly.
"I think we will Dad," Julia said in amusement. The train started to move then since it was fully loaded and she smiled as Josie was saying goodbye to the cast member on the loading platform saying that to them. They soon came into a room with a mixture of animation and some cutouts.
"My birdie!" Josie squealed when she saw it was above the tunnel they were headed to.
"And your sun," Castle told her, pointing to the sky on the left where it was singing. He smiled when the toddler laughed and clapped her hands before they were going inside the tunnel.
Beckett wasn't surprised when Josie cried out in surprise as a window opened on the engine in front of them and Goofy soon appeared. She laughed when the toddler waved and said hello before she calmed her down and they were soon looking to the right as Mickey and Minnie in their red car appeared. "Oh no," she said laughingly when Josie covered her mouth with her hands after the car hit the track switch.
"Now what Mama?" the toddler asked worriedly.
"We'll be alright," Castle assured her before the engine was suddenly separating from them. He was about to speak when they were suddenly moving faster and turning, which let him see the train cars had all separated as well.
"It's trackless!" Eliza cried, looking behind and seeing the McDouglases and her grandparents were turning as well. She waved to them before looking up at the animation of Mickey riding a horse since the landscape was a desert one.
Laughing at the way Minnie and Mickey were soon after bumping into each other and being tied together with their horses, Josie gasped at that room getting a little darker before they were moving into the next one. "Donald!" she gasped when she saw it was an amusement park with the character in a hot dog stand.
"There's Mickey and Minnie again," Beckett told Josie who was nodding eagerly.
"It's alright," Castle said quickly when the toddler was gasping at the sight of a tornado behind the two. "We're moving."
Josie nodded before she saw Donald Duck had lost his hat and shirt and laughed before he lost his feathers right after. She giggled before they were leaving the room and coming into a dark one, flashes of lightning appearing before they came to the tornado with Mickey, Minnie and Pluto's heads on it. It spun and their cars spun around it before they were turning into a Polynesian themed room with waterfalls. "Hawaii!" she and Eliza behind her cried before they were laughing.
After Mickey and Minnie flew across the sky into some bushes above them, a volcano in the background erupted and they were turning to find themselves in front of a large screen. The characters there were in a boat that was a large leaf, trying to swim away from a waterfall.
"It's okay," Beckett told Josie soothingly when the toddler was covering her face with her hands as they were following Mickey and Minnie down into the water.
"Look at the clams," Castle said, getting Josie's attention. He laughed when they opened and bubbles covered the screen, which led to them turning away and going into the next room that had fish performing with 'instruments' and some singing, still under water.
When they were going under an octopus into a tunnel, Eliza cried, "He pulled the plug in the tub!"
"The ocean Lizzy!" Josie cried out to her big sister before they were soon coming to a hall with what looked like sewer pipes with water coming out of them. "Home!" she said eagerly as the next large room had them in a city setting.
"Close," Castle said, running his hand over the back of her head. He looked up as they were pulling to the left instead of going straight and looked around the red room in confusion before they were facing Daisy Duck.
Looking at the other three cars of their train joining them, Beckett couldn't help laughing as the character started counting off a three count and the cars were moving together and in time. She wasn't surprised when Josie was squealing and looking back to her sisters.
"I know, we're dancing," Julia said to her baby sister with a wide smile, laughing herself when the toddler was clapping her hands before they were suddenly breaking away from each other at the call to conga from Daisy and faster music began.
When they left that room they were soon looking above at Mickey being sucked into a pipe before the next room was the factory and they were looking at the two nearly being crushed. The scene suddenly changed to the park from the start at night before they were reconnecting with the engine and seeing Goofy on the screen in the back.
Laughing when Goofy was hit by a bunch of stuff above him, Josie was soon looking at the park scene they'd come to in another room, Mickey, Minnie and Pluto there, the three singing the song from the pre-show. She clapped her hands before crying out at the sight of the bird from her Mickey ears in a little window above the tunnel they were heading too. She then looked to where Goofy had been; the doors over that screen; as the character was asking what that lever would do. She gasped when he let out his yelp and lights flashed, their seat shaking. She was going to ask if he was okay when they were getting to the loading station and Goofy was talking about that.
When they'd walked back the way they'd come, Eliza and Julia had their sister by her hands and they were pointing out the hole they'd walked through to get to the platform.
"What does it say?" Josie asked, seeing there was writing there.
"The End, I think we're going back to the real world," Julia said, trying not to laugh with Eliza at the way their baby sister was saying, "Aw," in response to that.
"But we can go on another ride now," Eliza said. She gasped and then said, "Maybe we can go on Roger Rabbit!"
"Jules, Jules," Josie was asking her big sister before she could respond to Eliza.
"What is it?" Julia said, looking down at her.
"I want to go on that ride," Josie said. She paused and then added, "Again."
"We will," Beckett said, walking with Castle behind them. "But later," she told the toddler firmly. She wasn't surprised when Josie was stopping and not moving suddenly, her sisters trying to pull her with them. She was about to move to take her when Castle was squeezing her hand to keep her from doing so.
"I'll take her," he told his wife. Castle moved to get in front of the three and he told Josie, "Are you going to throw a tantrum? Because if you are I think it's time for someone to have a ride." When the toddler merely started to cry he smiled a little at Julia and Eliza before he was scooping Josie up in his arms. He held her on his hip and moved to where his mother was getting the toddler's stroller, walking around and rubbing at Josie's back as Beckett followed him.
"I think she's asleep now," Skye eventually said, standing with the others away from the two. After the writers had the toddler in her stroller she said to her daughters teasingly, "I don't know why you won't just sleep."
"Who wants to?" Marie said first.
"Yeah, especially when you're here?" Kathleen added. "Who wants to sleep?"
"And who wants to go on slow rides?" Fleur asked.
"Or really annoying ones," Ivy piped up.
"Like Small World?" Iris finished.
"Okay, smart alecks," Mary said in a mock annoyed tone of voice to the five girls while they giggled. "We're not going on it now, but we might need to after dinner."
"She's right, Josa loves that ride," Eliza said.
"Hopefully just for now," Julia said, pretending to mutter that and making the others laugh.
"It's not that bad," Castle said in mock annoyance since he and his wife had joined them.
"And now we need to figure something out," Beckett said before she was looking pointedly at her husband.
"I was thinking of what Julia wanted to do," Castle said hurriedly. "And we've been here a lot so do we really need to finish the park together? We can just split up once we finish with the slower rides."
"For how long?" Julia asked, unable to help sounding eager at them using her idea.
"Will an hour be enough? By then Josie will be awake and I'm sure we'll be finished with the park," Beckett said.
"I hope one of the numbers is going to be the Mickey and Minnie ride," Eliza said.
"If it doesn't come up we'll go after Small World," Castle said. When he saw the kids were all looking at each other he couldn't help smiling and said, "Yes we could hear what you were saying."
"So for now what do you want to go on?" Skye asked. "Not Roger Rabbit though, I have it on good authority that someone's grandfather enjoys that ride."
"I know," Eliza said a little shyly. She then said, "Peter Pan?"
"What about Mr. Toad's Wild Ride?" Peter asked.
"You're lucky they're next to each other," Skye said. "And we all like those two rides too," she added with a smile before they were starting to walk out of Toontown.
After they had reached the two rides, the group went to Peter Pan first and split up into twos or threes at the exit.
"Why don't you and Daddy go on your own?" Eliza asked, sitting in between her parents on their boat.
"And what're we supposed to do now?" Castle asked, amusement obvious in his tone. "Throw you to the boat behind us?"
"I could jump?" Eliza asked, pretending to be serious before her father was tickling her. She was laughing when he did that for a little and they were soon stopping to look out at the overhead of London. When they were nearly finished with the ride she said, "I'm glad I came with you," to her mother.
"Oh, and not with me?" Castle asked before Beckett could speak, pretending to sound annoyed.
Laughing Eliza said, "I was going to tell you after Daddy."
"Why, you were just looking at the side," Castle said, smiling at her.
"She didn't tickle me," Eliza said, squealing when her father was pretending to grab for her before she slipped out of the boat. Once she was standing she was about to speak to her mother when she was crying out while she was being picked up. "Daddy!" she cried before she was laughing.
"You didn't think I could do this still did you?" Castle teased her before he was setting her down again.
"Not really," Eliza confessed. "But could I go with Fleur on Mr. Toad's?" she then asked.
"Go ahead," Beckett said with a smile. She glanced at her husband when he was taking her hand and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Castle assured her. "Do you want to go on this one?"
"We can fit in the car Rick, we've done it before," Beckett reminded him, aware of why he was asking.
"Great," Castle said before they were entering the exit with everyone else. He waved to their parents before they were going into the building and asked, "Should we… do something for them?"
"I don't think they'd want us to," Beckett replied, looking over at them as well for a second. Turning back to her husband she said, "I asked my dad after Josie was set."
Nodding Castle said, "Still."
Beckett smiled and said, "Don't worry, we'll go to the candy store on Main Street later."
"Not for me," Castle said rapidly. "But I know Mother did love their shortbread cookies for her coffee."
"I know, so does Dad," Beckett said. "But the chocolate dipped one. We'll go and get them some boxes."
"And the girls?" Julia asked since she and Mari were in front of them waiting to get on.
"The girls can get one thing there too, but their parents have to approve of it," Beckett said firmly but with a smile at the same time.
Julia laughed and then turned her attention to Mari next to her and said, "Sorry about that."
"No, it was funny," she replied. "But how much longer do we have to go on these small rides for?" Mari wasn't surprised when her friend shrugged and she smiled widely before they were moving to get onto their car when it stopped at the exit.
After they were on their car Beckett said to her husband, "Have you thought of what you want to do once we split up?"
"I have, but you don't want to discuss it?" Castle asked in surprise.
"Not yet," Beckett said firmly before they were paying attention to the attraction.
The group went on the Snow White and Pinocchio rides before they were going to Jim and Martha with Josie still in the shade though the sun was a little hazy.
"Are you finished?" Castle's mother asked with a smile.
"Just here in Fantasyland," Eliza told her. "But I wanted to ask you something."
"Me?" Julia asked in surprise since her sister had abruptly turned to her.
"Yeah… and the older kids," Eliza said before she was looking around at them. When her grandmother squeezed her hand she then hurried to tell them, "Could we go with you?" motioning to herself and the other three youngest.
"When we're on our own?" Marie asked.
"We don't have to," Eliza said, feeling a sudden disappointment.
"Could we?" Julia asked, turning to their parents.
"I think so," Castle said, glancing at his wife. "They can all go on the rest of the rides here, they are good listeners."
"I'm fine with Eliza going too," Beckett said in amusement before they were all looking at Skye and Mary.
"Let me ask one thing," the investigator said to hers and Mary's youngest. "If we let you go, will you listen to all of the older kids?"
"I think that means they have our permission," Mary told her wife with a smile when the younger kids nodded rapidly.
"Looks like," Skye replied. "Now you all need to behave and agree on rides."
"We know," the kids all said at the same time.
"All you'll need to do is make sure you meet us at…" Castle said, looking at his watch. "Meet us at two thirty."
"We will," the kids said before they were hurriedly leaving together and making their way over to the Matterhorn.
"We'll be fine here," Martha said when the four parents turned to herself and Jim. "It's quiet and Josie is fast asleep."
"We'll be back in an hour," Castle said before he took his wife's hand and pulled her with him down the path.
At first Beckett thought her husband was taking her to the Matterhorn, but he soon diverted and they were walking down to the edge of the pond that was under the Monorail track. "Rick," she told him simply in amusement.
"Just for a little," Castle said. "I want to head back to the rides myself." He was a little relieved when his wife was nodding and they were moving to sit together. As soon as they were set he was turning to his wife and kissing her lightly on the lips to gauge her reaction. When she was wrapping her arms around him they were kissing deeply in what time they were going to take there by the water on their own.