Post Series

"I'm taking this and hiding it away," Kate announces, scooping up the Easter basket and heading towards the office with it. "You can have some more tomorrow."

She shares a look of amusement with Alexis as she walks past her stepdaughter.

"But Kate... those are the fancy Kit Kats. I had to go to six stores to get them." He protests.

"Come on Dad," Alexis teases. "The twins put on less of a pout when we said two pieces to them."

She watched her father shove the last of the easter egg he held in his mouth, trying to sneak a peek at where Kate was hiding the chocolate.

A morning of Easter egg hunts with Lily, Jake and Reece and brunch with his mother, Jim and Alexis hadn't quite satisfied his sweet tooth. The kids had dived into their chocolate and he had endulged too.

"And I'm taking you to that French restaurant tonight. Unless you want to eat all your treats now. And have no room for treats later."

He heard the hidden meaning in that. His wife. Alone. Tonight. To start his birthday celebrations.

"I'll be good."

Alexis laughs. "First time for everything," she teases.

Thoughts Post Series

He could easily see why she liked to disappear up here. The solitude. The quiet. Certainly they needed those. But the beauty. The sheer beauty of the lake, the trees, the reminder that there is magic in the world, wonder in the world. He sits by the water, imagines family trips here with tiny Castle babies, taking their mothers hand and walking to the waters edge, in awe of the magic in front of them.

"I hate to interrupt a man when he's thinking," he hears beside him, can't help but chuckle at the cadence, the slight tease and he sees more and more where his wife gets her sense of humour.

"Not deep thoughts this time Jim," Castle breaths deep, the clean air, the stillness.

"If my daughter were awake, she'd have something to say about that," Jim chuckles.

"Believe me, I know," Castle grins.

"I'm going to take a stroll along the water if you feel like keeping me company," Jim offers.

Castle takes in the man beside him. Much like his daughter, he finds the man a mystery at times, his father-in-law a man of few words but meaningful gestures.

"I feel like this is the 'father talk?" Castle jokes and he watches Jim smirk.

"You already raised a wonderful daughter. Alexis is a testament. And if you can handle my daughter, you don't need the other talk," Jim laughs. "However, you have not raised a Beckett before. I'm happy to offer some tips if you need them."

Castle smiles. "I might take you up on that. Kate will not elaborate on her teenage years."

Jim checks around him before pointing to the path at his right. "If we take that route, I might have enough time to catch you up before Katie's up from her nap and wants to make dinner."

Not Today Season Four

He wasn't hovering. He wasn't. But she wasn't herself and he was trying to work out what would help.

"What is it Castle?" She snaps.

"That's, what, your fourth cup of coffee?"

"I don't count my drinks, and so what if it is?"

"Usually you and caffeine are a good combination," Castle utters, perching on the desk next to her. Watches her bristle. Like she isn't on a razor's edge. "You on too much caffeine is deadly."

"Go home then if it's a problem," she bites.

"We have a case to solve. But you and I both know sometimes you gotta take a break, fresh perspective. Let's go get something to eat."

"I don't have time to slack off," she snaps again.

"I do that enough for the both of us," he tries for levity but she doesn't smirk the way he hopes, doesn't take the bait the way she usually would. "Come on supercop, let's take this brainstorming somewhere with food and preferably away from Iron Gates," he stage whispers the last part, hoping that might get her attention. She breaks her gaze and notices their new captain is keeping a closer eye on the bullpen than Montgomery ever did.

She sighs. Supercop, he'd have to remember that one if it gets her to snap out of this funk. "Remy's?"

"Change of scenery," he promises. "You get to take a lunch break and we'll come at this again when we've tamed the beast."

"What is that supposed to mean?" She rounds on him, watches him back up a little.

"I heard your stomach growl when you thought about burgers," Castle teased.

She finally smiled. "Not today, right?"

"We get our guys, eventually," he tells her, a promise he doesn't have to expand on. She's still finding her feet. Only her second week back.

"Thanks Castle," she utters gently, grabbing her coat.

"Lunch," she tells Ryan and Espo. "Come on."

Castle watches her lead her team towards the elevator and thinks, with more time, she might just be okay. Not today, right?

In The Touch

Season Three

"Sir, will you please stop fidgeting?"

Kate stood in the door of the ambulance watching the paramedics treat a nasty gash on her partners forehead. She can see him twitch every time the paramedic presses his head.

"Could you maybe just... I don't know... warm your hands?" She hears the joke but she knows he must be hurting. It's a miracle he isn't seeing two of everything. He bats the paramedics hands away a second time and he looks at her for help.

She climbs up next to him, grabs his hands and holds them out of the way. "Calm down Castle," she chided.

"I don't remember you always being a willing patient," he shoots at her, reluctantly letting the guy who was suddenly feeling like a third wheel clean his wound.

"Let this poor guy do his job so we can leave or you'll have to go in to get checked out. And Alexis will freak out if I have to call her from the ER." Beckett instructed.

He looks mildly impressed. "Cold, Detective, using my daughter against me."

"If it works," she shrugs but the easy banter quells the churning in her stomach, the unease she'd felt seeing him hit the deck.

"I wouldn't mind holding your hand," he squeezes it, a silent thank you passing between them. "I guess."

Post Series

“Do we get chocolate too?” They ask as he ushers them out of the door.

Locking the door, he turns to find Jake waiting for him, a hopeful look on his face.

“Why would you get chocolate?”

“Cause you buy chocolates for the people you love,” Jake explains.

Castle smiles. He certainly cannot deny that he loves his children more than anything in this life and is proud of his son’s logical thinking. Chip off the old block.

“While you are not wrong, at all,” he assures his son, leading him to join his siblings and mother by the elevator door on their floor. “Valentine’s day is for Mommy and Daddy to celebrate their love.”

Jake looks at him with what he can only attribute as scepticism, the time when he most looks like his mother. He shares a smirk with his wife, her hand finding it’s way into her sons hair and getting his attention.

“I’m sure Grandpa will have something nice for you,” She assures him, knowing her Dad would most likely take them for ice cream after picking them up. “Is that okay with you?” She checks, looking at Reece and Lily when they all crowd into the elevator.

“I have to remember Grandpa’s card,” Lily nods. She’d made sure she had it in her coat pocket, had been so proud to have worked all day on it.

“Mommy and I know how lucky we have it. We’ve got the three of you, your sister, and each other, but sometimes we like to have grown-up time.” He tells them.

“For boring stuff?” Reece asks.

Kate snorts a laugh while Castle chuckles, a heated flash passing between the couple when they briefly think of what lay ahead. 

“Boring grown up stuff,” Castle promises. “I’m sure you will have way more fun with Grandpa.”

Both boys grin. “We gones beat him at ladders.”

The doors open and they find Jim Beckett waiting in the Lobby for the hand off of the children for dinner and board games. They say their goodbyes, watch the kids laugh and scramble to be the first to tell their Grandpa about their plans for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

“So, Mrs Castle,” Castle wraps his arm around her waist, pulls her close. “We have some time before our reservation.”

“Mmm, naked time?”

“Naked, child-free time.”

“Lead the way.”

“Happy Valentines day, babe.”

Castlemas '23 #19: Christmas Emergency Season Six

She's long since given up reminding him that the key he has for her place is for him to let himself in when she's running late at work or for emergencies. Not to secretly decorate her bedroom for Christmas.

"It was a Christmas Emergency," he insists but she laughs, curls closer into his arms where they're laying in her room, listening to records on the player he'd gotten her for birthday and admiring the tiny tree. It feels like them. It feels like just enough, and even though she truly does love how into Christmas he is and how magical the Loft feels, this is just for them.

"A haven from the Christmas Village that is my home," he tells her.

"Can we put the tree in our bedroom next year?" She checks. And he smiles because she's thinking ahead to when they'll get to spend Christmas as a married couple, how she wants to bring this haven they have into the home they're going to share.

Christmas '23 #18: Post Series It's eerily quiet when he gets out of the shower. Usually there would be laughter, sometimes bickering and definitely the sounds of three kids with vivid and wild imaginations and ideas about of what they want to do for the day.

But it's silent.

He dresses for the day, ventures upstairs to find his wife, his kids. He intentionally hits the creaky floorboard, the one that makes a noise and lets them know one of the kids is lurking around after their bedtime, calls out for anyone that's upstairs and he hears their hurried voices coming from Lily's room. And then the boys are barging through it, blocking his way.

"No, no Daddy!" Reece tells him, his arms out wide trying to stop him.

"We gots secrets," Jake informs him. "You can't see them until Santa."

Castle grins. So Kate's got them wrapping his presents.

"No problem, guys," Castle smiles. "You help Mommy. I'm heading out to the store, Kate, bring you back some more tape."

Castlemas '23 #17: To Remember Post Series

"I've got your hand," Kate assures her.

"Promise?"

"Look at me, Little Flower," Kate bends down a little, cups her daughters face in her hands. "We are gonna have the best time. Daddy and I won't let you fall, okay?"

Lily looks back at her father, stealing herself when he reaches for her hand.

"Can we go slow?" She checks.

"We can go slow," he promises.

Lily gets a little more confident as the family glide around the rink a few times. "Having a good time, baby?"

"Mommy, I'm just like Elsa and Anna!"

Kate laughs. Loves hearing the joy in her daughter. Smiles at her husband.

"Do you want to go round with Mommy? I want to get your photo," he checks before letting go. The three slowly come to a stop, Lily breathing deeply a little. They watch her think about it for a minute before she looks up at Kate.

"You'll still hold my hand?"

"Always," Kate promises. "You and me, we got this. You're doing so good."

Lily grins, tugs on her mothers hand, even goes a little faster and Castle fades back a little to watch mother and daughter.

Laugh and waves when Lily waves at him across the ice, takes photos and videos and when they come back around he's handing his phone off to his wife and takes his little girls hand and declares it time for a Daddy-daughter glide. Kate shakes her head when she realises the two of them have started singing Frozen, watches Lily wobble a couple of times and smiles at the utter reassurance and guidance her husband offers.

Castlemas '23 #16: Mine Season Five

He meets her at the address she text him this morning, a new case that had woke and called her away from the warmth of her apartment and he'd agreed to meet her there instead of her coming across town to get him.

He's greeted by LT, gets directions to the apartment on the 4th floor and wonders what awaits him.

"Hey Castle," Ryan greets as he walks through the door. He watches his friend pull the notebook from his pocket, jotting down some ideas. "Beckett's talking to the witness. Want me to catch you up?"

He gets the rundown, peers around the apartment, watches Lanie making notes beside their victim, sees Esposito looking through papers on a desk in the corner. And then Kate walks out of the room he assumes is the bathroom, watches her give orders to the officers on scene, make arrangements to meet with Lanie. But the sight of his scarf, the scarf he'd searched for on the way out to meet her, that stops him in his tracks, puts a smile on his face despite the situation around him.

"Hey Castle," she smiles gently at him. "Want to do a sweep or do you want me to catch you up on the way back to the 12th?"

He gestures on for her to show her the crime scene, hears what she got out of the unfortunate roommate, listens to Lanie's input. All the while she's wearing his scarf. He wonders if anyone has noticed. Should he feel such pride in her stealing his things?

"So," he begins once they're in the lift on the way down to her car.

"So?" She asks. She smirks at him, has wondered how long it would take him to comment.

"That's my scarf."

"No," she looks down at it, her fingers playing with the ends. "I think it's mine. Now."

Castlemas '23 #15: Mood Strikes Season 5

They may have agreed to not exchange gifts this year but she knows she can get creative when the mood strikes her. Once Martha and Alexis have excused themselves for the evening and they're alone, she tells him to give her five minutes before coming to join him in bed.

He makes sure the kitchen is a straight as it's gonna get, starts to turn off the lights and wonders if it's been five minutes yet, eager to find his girlfriend and whatever she has in store for him.

He walks into his office to turn off the lights in there and notices a strange glow coming from the bedroom.

Following it, he can't quite believe the Christmas miracle he stumbles across.

Castlemas '23 #14: Can't Be Contained Post Series

"It's snowing!" He hears screamed repeatedly. Castle saves the sentence he'd been typing, his emails can wait. He runs into the living room to find the kids and Kate standing at the windows, Kate making sure the twins don't fall off the stool and toybox each are using to boost themselves up enough to see and Lily has her nose flattened against the glass, peering up at the sky.

He scoops Lily up, his daughter giggling when he looks out the window with her.

"Oh wow, look at that," he murmurs.

"It's magic!" Jake utters, his lips upturned in an enormous smile. He looks up at his mother, hope already written on his face. "Olaf?"

Kate chuckles. "Let's see if it settles first, okay? There has to be lots and lots for us to make a snow man."

"We should go for a walk at least," Castle suggests. "Down the block to the coffee shop. If it doesn't settle at least we can say we saw the snow."

"Can we? Can we? Can we?" And they suddenly have three children scrambling down from where they were watching to beg their parents to take them out in it.

Please and thank you!!!!

Castlemas '23 #13: Childish Things

Season Seven

Apron tied around him, the smell of cookies in the air, he sings along to Taylor Swift, Alexis at his side as the two work on Christmas cookies together. She laughs at his little wiggle as he dances, watches Alexis try to hold in her laughter. She has to give the red head credit, she'd have been embarrassed at her age if that was her Dad. Though somehow she can't picture Jim Beckett dancing to Shake It Off.

"Beckett, if you want to lick the bowl you have to help!" Castle tells her, looking up at her where she drinks her coffee.

"I will not deny the child in the room that honor," she shares a wink with Alexis and smirks at the huff she elicits from her husband. "I think I'll just wait for the elves to finish up and eat one when they're finished."

"Who said I'm sharing?"

Castlemas '23 #11: Wish Season Four

He knows it's ridiculous but he's watched the movie so many times with Alexis, bought her here every Christmas since she was little that he finds himself standing before it with only one thought on his mind. Usually he listens to whatever heartfelt, surprisingly level headed wish his daugter makes and always makes some wild and insane wish of his own, mostly just to hear her laugh and chastice him. But this year, one thing fills his mind.

Let Beckett get past this, let us get past this. I'll wait.