64. Happy New Year

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The loft was strangely quiet in contrast to the rumble and noise on the streets, where millions of New Yorkers were getting ready to welcome the new year.

Castle and his girls though, were safe in the warmth of their home, spending the last minutes of the passing year peacefully.

Martha had left them after dinner to join some of her theatre friends at a party uptown, but not without the promise to join them for their New Year's brunch the next day after Castle and Kate had told her about the special guest they expected.

Over dessert the three of them had carefully explained to the girls who the man that would be joining them the following day was and the more complicated matter of why he had been absent from their lives until now. They managed to come up with a child-suitable version of what had happened to Kate's father and after dinner both girls were more than excited to meet him.

Now, hours later, Jamie and Alexis were curled together on the couch, covered by a thick blanket, both fast asleep as their attempts to stay up until midnight were overtaken by exhaustion.

"Do you want to wake them?" Kate asked and looked down at Castle whose head was resting in her lap.

He lifted his head up to look over at his sleeping daughters and then shook his head, "No they'll only be groggy and tired and then none of us will enjoy the New Year."

"Five minutes to go," Kate said after glancing at the clock and Castle struggled all the way up, pulling her with him until they both stood on their feet.

"I'd better get the champagne," he grinned happily, hurrying into the kitchen, while Kate turned on the TV to watch the countdown live from Times Square, their daughters still undisturbed and peaceful on the couch.

She sensed his presence and smiled. His arm sneaked around her shoulder, holding out a glass of champagne.

"Thank you," she smiled, leaning into him.

"So any New Year's resolutions you'd like to share?" he mumbled into her neck, his lips softly touching her skin, while his eyes were on the screen watching the turmoil on Times Square where everyone was waiting for the crystal ball to drop and for the confetti to fly.

Kate shook her head, "Nope, I don't believe in New Year's resolutions."

"Party Pooper," he huffed as the last minute of the year started to tick down.

"But I have the feeling," she paused to turn her head to look at him, "the next year is going to be pretty amazing," she smiled, feeling his whole body hum against hers.

"You think?", he asked teasingly and yet so very, very pleased with her words.

"Mmm," she hummed in response and then started to count down softly, "ten, nine … ," she waited for him to join her.

"Three, two -," he continued and their lips met exactly at midnight.

"Happy New Year, Castle," Kate whispered when they broke apart, resting her forehead against his.

"Happy New Year," Castle smiled softly and then pulled away to clink his glass against hers.

They turned together, standing next to each other as they watched their daughters' sleeping forms on the couch until Castle took both their glasses and placed them on the coffee table.

Holding out his hand to Kate he asked, "Dance with me?"

"Without music?" she frowned, taking his hand nevertheless as she let him guide her into his office.

"Wait here," he instructed and moved quickly to the old record player hidden behind his desk.

"Old Blue Eyes?", she quipped her brow at him as the first notes surrounded them.

Castle shrugged sheepishly, "Who else?"

He reached for her again, pulling her close, her head coming to rest under his chin, his arms sneaking around her as he started to sway them around in his office to the well-known lyrics of Old Lang Syne.

"You know when we ran into each other back in August," she said after a while, "I'd never thought we would be here right now."

His grip tightened around her, before he answered, "Me neither."

"I'm glad we made it," she looked up at him and then reached up to cup his face. "I'm so, so glad we made it."

"We're just getting started, baby," he grinned, leaning toward her for a kiss, as her finger against his chest momentarily stopped him.

"Baby?", she narrowed her eyes at him, but he smacked her finger away, effectively finishing what he had started by planting his mouth upon hers.

Something was poking into her side and Kate slowly opened her eyes to see the tangled mess of her family lying around her. Castle's head was pillowed on her stomach, his arms possessively wrapped around her middle, while Alexis' foot was poking into her side as she lay upside down on the bed. The icing on the cake of this mess, though, was the youngest family member. Jamie was lying on her father's back, arms slung around his broad shoulders, her small legs wrapped around his midsection.

They had been too lazy to carry the girls upstairs last night and so they had ended up in bed with them, the result presenting itself to her in the early morning hour and she couldn't be happier. It was the perfect way to start the new year.

"Hey, what are you smiling at?" Castle's groggy voice greeted her and she looked down to find his blue sleepy eyes watching her.

"You," she smiled, "you and your daughters, one of whom apparently is a koala bear."

He raised his head from her stomach to glance over his shoulder and had to chuckle at the sight of his youngest sprawled over his back.

"How about Papa Bear stays in bed for a while longer," Kate said softly, ruffling his hair, "and I'll go and have a shower."

"I like the way you're thinking," Castle smiled, already closing his eyes again as Kate struggled out from under him, careful not to wake Alexis while she tried to escape the bed.

"Hey," he softly called out to her when she had managed to stand upright next to the bed, pursing his lips, "kiss."

She shook her head but leant down nevertheless to place a quick kiss against his lips before finally escaping into the bathroom.

"Mommy?" Jamie came running toward Kate in the kitchen, holding the book Alexis was reading to her in one hand.

Kate smiled and leant down, pulling at one of her daughter's pigtails that Castle had made and was immensely proud of, "Yes, Baby Bird?"

"Is it time?", the girl asked, pointing toward the door and Kate felt a nervous flutter in her stomach.

"Almost," she told her daughter and sent her off to wait with her sister in the living room, while she tried to distract herself with more kitchen work. Her father should be here any minute and she was beyond nervous.

"Hey," Castle suddenly appeared behind her, "the carrots are not your enemy."

Kate dropped the knife and leant heavily against the kitchen counter, "What if this was a bad idea? What if inviting him was a mistake?", she looked up at him, her eyes silently pleading with him.

"Hey," Castle reached for her hands, tugging her forward, "everything is gonna be fine, okay? Your dad is doing great and the girls will love him. There's nothing to be afraid of and I'm right here."

"Okay," she sighed, "you're right. Sorry."

"Don't apologize, it's okay to be nervous about it," he kissed her on the top of her head and was leading her away from the kitchen before she could hurt any more innocent vegetables when they were stopped in their tracks by a knock on the door.

Jamie and Alexis jumped up from the couch, hurrying over to their parents as Castle took the lead and opened the door to greet Kate's father who looked just as nervous as his daughter.

"Hey Jim," Castle held out his hand, trying to get things on the way and Jim gratefully accepted it and then turned his attention to his daughter.

"Katie," he smiled and was glad when his daughter found a smile of her own and stepped into him for a short hug.

"Hey Dad," she said, "glad you could make it."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," he answered sincerely and the looked down at the two tiny people in the room. "And you two must be Jamie and Alexis, right?", he asked and crouched down in front of the girls.

"I'm Jim," he introduced himself and held out his hand for the girls to shake.

"You are Kate's dad," Alexis stated as she studied the man with the kind eyes.

"That I am," Jim confirmed with a smile, "and you are Rick's daughter. I heard a lot about you from your dad and Kate."

"Really?", Alexis looked at Jim in awe.

"Mmmh," he nodded, "for example that you are the best big sister in the world, don't you think so Jamie?"

He looked over at his granddaughter, effectively engaging the girl in their conversation.

Jamie nodded eagerly and then pointed at the bag Jim was holding, "Presents?"

The whole room lit up with laughter at the girl's words and just like that the tension that had surrounded them was gone.

"Well young lady," Jim grinned as he got back up, "you might be onto something."

Kate took Jamie by the hand and then guided them all into the living room, instead of huddling in front of the door. Jim took a seat and watched his granddaughter and her sister sit down next to him. Both girls obviously intrigued by him and probably his presents.

He looked at his daughter for permission, before he reached into the bag and handed both girls their belated Christmas presents.

After Castle cleared his throat both girls thanked Jim dutifully before they ripped the presents open and both found themselves presented with a book. Both books looked well worn, as if they had been passed through many children's hands over the years.

"Those two were your mom's favorite," he told the girls, not caring that Alexis technically wasn't Kate's daughter. He looked up to find his daughter staring at him with tears in her eyes.

"You kept them?" she stuttered and made a tentative step toward him.

"Of course," he nodded, "I kept all your books in case you wanted to pass them on."

"Dad," she gasped, "thank you."

"It's nothing," he shrugged, only to Kate it was everything.

"What do you say if grandpa reads to you from one of the books until the other guests arrive?" Kate suggested.

Jamie and Alexis nodded eagerly and scooted closer to Jim, holding out their books and with one last look at his daughter he grabbed the books from the girls and opened the first.

"Okay, let's see," he muttered and then smiled when both girls cuddled into him. "Should we start at the beginning?", he asked and Jamie and Alexis shot him a shocked look.

"You always start at the beginning," Alexis told him as if he had suggested the most ridiculous thing in the world.

"Right," Jim nodded, "of course you're absolutely right. So from the beginning."

"He's great with them," Castle whispered as he worked next to her in the kitchen on his pancakes.

"Yeah, it's going really well, isn't it?", Kate glanced at her father and the girls who were chuckling on the couch together.

"I told you not to worry," he grinned and nudged her shoulder.

She leant up and placing a kiss against his cheek she whispered, "Thank you," before turning her attention back to the scrambled eggs in front of her.

Martha was next to arrive, lacking a bit of her usual charisma and vitality as she passedher son and asked for an Aspirin as she ungraciously plopped down on the couch next to the girls and Jim.

"I hope it was worth it," Rick chuckled

"Oh you," his mother scolded him and then turned her attention to the stranger sitting next to her granddaughters. "I hope my son showed you better manners."

Jim Beckett smiled and then held out his hand, "You have a wonderful son," he said, "and it's very nice to meet the woman responsible for it."

Martha waved him off, but shook his hand with a welcoming smile, "And it's nice to finally meet you Jim. I was very pleased when Kate told me you would be joining us."

"Thank you," Jim replied almost shyly, exchanging a short look with his daughter who watched them from the kitchen.

"Mr. Beckett has been reading to us," Alexis informed her grandmother with a sparkle in her eyes, "and he gave us these books. They have been Kate's favorite when she was younger."

"You can call me Jim, Alexis," Kate's dad told her and was delighted to see the girl smile and nod.

"Can you read some more until the other guests arrive?", the little redhead then asked, holding up the book again.

"Of course," Jim nodded and took the book from her, while Castle handed his mother an Aspirin and a glass of water, before returning to Kate in the kitchen to let the grandparents take care of the girls.

Lanie and Esposito arrived next, claiming that it was a total coincidence that they showed up together and finally Ryan was the last to the party. By then Martha had found her way back to her old ways, already entertaining everyone around her, telling them about the New Year's Eve party she had attended as they all gathered around the dining room table and soon everyone was busy enjoying the feast Castle and Kate had laid out for them.

Later in the day everyone was scattered around the loft. Jim and Martha sat on the couch smiling at Lanie and the girls who were engaged in painting pictures at the coffee table, while Ryan and Espo were playing with Castle's PS2.

Castle was in the kitchen making coffee for everyone while Kate was cutting the cake next to him when her eyes landed on their family and friends, all of them obviously having a good time. Martha and Jim had talked alone in Castle's office for a while and had both returned with smiles on their faces.

They girls had easily taken to Lanie and the guys, letting them chase them through the loft until they had settled down with their current activities.

"Hey, what are you thinking?" Castle asked when he found her staring ahead, an unreadable look in her eyes.

Kate reluctantly tore her eyes away from the sight in front of her, meeting Castle's worried ones and gave him a beaming smile to reassure him.

"I was just thinking how there was a time when I thought I would never be truly happy again," she told him thruthfully, stepping closer, "when I thought I would feel empty inside forever."

"And now?" Castle questioned, still slightly worried.

"Now? Now I know I was wrong," she stated, her arms sneaking around his neck, "so wrong."

His face broke into a huge smile as he leant down and captured her lips with his, pulling her even closer, muffling her soft moan with his mouth.

Kate smoothed her fingers down his jaw when they finally broke apart, "Thank you," she whispered, "For the girls, for my dad. Just thank you."

Castle shook his head, there was no need to thank him, "I love you," he answered instead, watching the smile blossoming on her face and then added, "Best New Year's Day ever," before kissing her again.

And they only pulled away when Esposito called out across the room, telling them to get a room.

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