37. Chapter 37

Castle sits on the side of Dash's bed and waits a moment longer before getting up. The television is on with cartoons going, and Dash is fine. He's watching his favorite - "Gotham City" - and rubbing his fingers over his blanket, around and around. He'd probably stick his thumb in his mouth if he thought he could get away with it.

"Hey man, I'm going to run down to the car and get our Halloween stuff out. You good?"

"Yeah," Dash says absent-mindedly, eyes on the screen.

"Mommy's next door if you start to feel bad."

"Okay."

"Dash."

Silence.

"Dashiell. I need your attention." Castle shifts to block Dashiell's view and his son's eyes slowly refocus.

"Daddy, I can't see."

"Listen to me for a second. I'm running to the car. If you start to feel sick, or funny, go get Mommy. She's lying down with your sister."

"Okay."

"Repeat it back to me."

"Go get Mommy if I feel sick."

"And where's Mommy?"

"Uh. . ."

"With Ella."

"With Ella."

Castle shakes his head at Dash and leans in closer to ruffle his hair, avoiding the stitches. "All right, my man. Watch Batman. That's one of my favorites too."

Castle takes the key card from the entry table, heading for the elevator, car keys still in the pocket of his cargo shorts. He taps the card against his thigh as the lift descends, then hurries through the lobby towards their rental. Midway through the parking lot, he's stopped by his name being called.

He jerks around, sees Vickie and two of her kids waving at him. Well, the little girl is waving, Graham is just giving him a head nod. Castle takes a moment to jog towards them, putting on his best smile.

"Hey there."

"Rick, nice to see you again."

"You guys do some shopping as well?" he says politely, indicating the bags in her hands.

"Oh we did. Halloween costumes."

"Ha. Yeah, us too. Had a little mishap as we got to lunch though-"

"Oh no! What happened?" Vickie puts a hand over her mouth, regarding him with sympathetic eyes. The girl is dancing from foot to foot over the striped lines of the parking space, ignoring them. Graham, however, seems alert to the conversation - he's the oldest, Castle remembers, the one who patiently teaches his younger brother.

"Dash fell at McDonalds, cut open his head. We had to go to Urgent Care and get him stitches." He's smiling, which gives Vicky permission to smother a laugh behind her hand.

"Oh no. Well. We have a similar story. Tate ran into a wall on one of our vacations. He was excited about something and was running in to tell Graham and he just - smacked right into the corner. Bounced off, kept going. But Graham saw this blood-drenched mess coming at him and screamed-"

"I did not!" Graham says hotly, his cheeks burning. "I was only five."

"Honey, it's nothing to be ashamed about."

Castle grins over at Graham. "I'd probably scream if some kid was running full tilt at me and bleeding as much as Dash was today."

"Oh, I hope he's feeling okay?" Vickie offers, reaching out and patting his shoulder. She jerks her hand back with a blush, opens her mouth but can't seem to find words.

Castle laughs, grins like an idiot at the resurgence of her fanhood. It still strikes him funny sometimes. Moreso now than it used to, because Kate just keeps him so very grounded that he often forgets; he really does. So when a random person looks so awed to be in his presence. . .yeah, it tickles him.

"You're fine. Dash is doing good. What are you guys doing the rest of the afternoon? Cause he can't get his stitches wet and I was thinking if you guys wanted to go into town and play miniature golf, arcade games, something? It'd be good for him."

Graham's face lights up. "Oh. Oh, Mom - can we? Tate's getting antsy about the water."

The little girl screws up her face and hops over. "I don't wanna play video games," she whines, clutching her mother's arm.

Castle bends over to meet her eyes. "Well, if you don't mind looking out for my little Ella, then I bet the girls could go to the pool or something."

"Oh, Mr. Castle-" Vickie starts, but Rick stands back up and shakes his head.

"Hey, seriously. You'd be doing us a favor. Your husband and I can take the boys into town; the girls stay here. That way Dash doesn't know he's being kept from the ocean; it won't look quite as unfair if he's got buddies. Also, his birthday is Halloween, so if you guys have any good ideas about what to do-"

"Oh yeah, for sure! We go to this church Trunk or Treat thing every time we come down here."

"Oh? Good. That's what we do at home." Castle gestures to his car. "I've got to get stuff out of the back, but what time is good for you guys? For Tate?"

Vickie's face flushes with gratitude, and Castle knows enough now to realize that it's because he specifically mentioned accommodating her special needs son.

"Depends. If we can get the details worked out right now so that Tate knows where he's eating dinner afterwards, then he should be good. But if dinner is up in the air-"

"So long as we avoid McDonalds, I don't care where we eat."

Vickie laughs. "Here, I hope this isn't too forward, but let me give you my cell number. You can call whenever things settle out with you guys. Just. . .let us know when and where and we'll be there."

"Sure. Yeah. That's perfect." Castle pulls out his phone and enters her information; she even gives him their condo's room number. Castle doesn't offer his own in return - years of habit - and she doesn't seem to mind. He'll call their phone from the condo's land line most likely.

He parts from the three of them, heading for the SUV, pulls out their bags. He's pretty sure Kate and the woman got along; in fact, he thinks Kate could use some more girl friends. Women friends. Whatever. Lanie and his mother are great, of course, but he does often wonder what has happened to Maddie or any number of others over the years. Kate might enjoy this girl time too.

When Castle gets back upstairs, he checks the clock and heads back into Dashiell's room. The boy is still awake, watching cartoons, so he kneels down next to Dash's bed and waits for a commercial.

"Hey, buddy."

Dashiell rolls onto his side, tucks a hand under his cheek. "Hey, Daddy."

"Remember our friends we met on the beach? Tate and Graham and Claire? And they taught you how to surf?"

Oh, surfing. Shoot. They were going to get Ella some new swimsuits and sign up for lessons. Maybe they can still squeeze that in after Ellery naps. Before arcade games.

"Yes. I 'member."

"You want to do something with them tonight? Just the boys. We can maybe play arcade games or putt-putt."

"Can I play the shooting games?" Dashiell asks, lifting his head and scrambling into a sitting position.

"We'll have to see what Mommy says."

"But I'm sick. I should get-"

"You're not sick. You're wounded. If you try pulling that on Mommy, she'll never go for it."

Dashiell tilts his head as if remembering something. "Where's the stitches?"

"Oh. Right. Mine on my leg. Here, look." Castle draws up the leg of his shorts to show Dashiell the round, white scar where the blade dug through. It seems more silvery than he remembers.

Dashiell peers down through the darkness, then rubs his fingers over it. "I've seen it before."

"You've seen your mom's too."

"I have?"

"It's on her leg too."

"Matching." Dashiell grins up at him, like it's some kind of cool thing, and Castle gets a strange shiver of memory, sense memory, down his back. Blade and her whimpering, the smell of fish and blood. No picture, but no image is necessary to make his stomach churn.

Castle nods and stands up, is pleased that there's no effort needed to shake that off. "So. You feel like hanging out with Tate and Graham and their dad? The girls will stay here."

"Yup."

"Okay. Settled. I'm gonna check on Ella and tell Mommy the plan."

"I'm gonna watch Batman," Dashiell says with relish, then abruptly turns his eyes back to his father. "Isn't Mommy going to tell me the story?"

"Oh. Yeah. I think so. I'll remind her." Ha. He will do no such thing. It's not necessary that his son know this stuff.

Castle leaves the kid to his cartoons and walks through the connecting bathroom into Ellery's dim room. He makes out the two girls asleep on the bed, Ellery cuddled close, her mother wrapped around her.

Kate's phone is on the bedside table, one hand stretched out under Ella's body as if reaching for it, but the two are nose to nose, beautiful and completely out. Still, Kate's not one for naps, so Ellery must've been upset. Castle gets to his knees beside the bed and reaches out to stroke softly at Kate's shoulder, skimming the warmth of her skin.

She stirs; her eyes flicker open. Awareness washes in, and Kate glances down at Ella, relaxes when she sees the girl is asleep.

"Hey," he murmurs, barely even a voice. He draws his palm up and cups her cheek, leans past his daughter so he can kiss his wife awake.

Her lips pull back from his in a smile, return for another kiss, retreat on another smile, like the rhythm of the ocean itself. "Hey," she says back.

"Wanna talk out there?" he says, gesturing towards the door.

"No. I can't leave her alone."

Oh. Castle glances down at his little girl, takes his hand from Kate to brush the hair off Ellery's face. "Was she upset?"

"Yes. Scared and sad. Very sad. I think she understood."

"Understood what?"

"What we weren't saying."

He watches little Ella breathing in her sleep, the soft slack face, the dimple in her chin that sometimes mimics his own. "What do you mean?"

"I think she was afraid for Dash, and it was scary at first. But she was fine in the clinic. She wanted to watch, remember? And then when we started comparing our scars, she got upset."

"Oh. A little theory of mind there? She knew we had to have been hurt in order to have scars?"

"I think so. It's the only thing that makes sense. Or maybe she just wanted my attention. Either way, I've got to be here when she wakes."

"All right," he sighs and places a kiss to Ella's cheek. She sleeps right through it of course. "I met up with Vickie and two of her kids in the parking lot."

"The parking lot? Oh, the bags. I forgot-"

"I got them. Anyway, the boys are gonna head into town this afternoon and play some arcade games, maybe some putt-putt, then eat dinner somewhere. The girls can stay here and go to the pool or the beach."

Kate sighs softly and closes her eyes on a smile. "Oh, Castle. Good idea."

He laughs softly, reaches over to caress her cheek. She already looks summery and healthy and glowing, and it's only been a few days of sun and vacation. "I know. I'm full of good ideas, babe."

"I'll even let that go."

"Well, we could hold tryouts again, darlin'," he murmurs.

Her eyes slide open, her hand that has been outstretched under Ellery's limp body now curls up and strokes the skin at the back of his arm. "Call me darlin'," she drawls. "And you die. Slowly."

"Best way to go." Castle grins, then crawls up over the two girls and into bed behind Kate. She huffs on a laugh and oofs as he pushes for room, then lays her head on his arm when he gets settled.

"Dash okay?" she says, turning her head back to look at him.

Castle slides his arm under hers, spreads his fingers across her ribs, finds the edge of her shirt so he can burrow his hand up underneath, hot hand to hot skin. He can feel the shiver of pleasure through her muscles as he strokes a thumb under the cup of her bra.

"Dash is watching Batman cartoons."

"You haven't let him fall asleep-"

"He's not sleepy, really. He's resting, like I told him to, but he's more interested in the tv." Castle circles her belly button with his index finger, feels the ripples again. She sucks in a breath and begins to ease her arm out from under Ellery.

When she's free, Castle leans down and kisses her mouth, pulling her lip between his, keeping it light, smooth, no expectation, just the pleasure of having her body next to his.

Her fingers curl around his ear; she turns in the bed, lifts her head to seek him when he retreats, not eager but almost drowsy with it. He loves this look in her eyes, the open mouth and her teeth in a smile, the perfect angle of her nose, the hair that sweeps back from her face and falls all over his arm.

Castle gentles her, soft touches, light presses of his lips, one hand still at her stomach and drawing designs against her skin.

After a minute, she takes his hand and laces her fingers with his, pulls him away; he gets the message and stops teasing her, caresses the sides of her face, brief kisses, feathering along her eyelids, her jaw, as she breathes slowly and melts under him.

"I love you," she sighs and slowly opens her eyes to meet his.

He can't even tell her, can't even speak, struck wordless by how much, how good, how right.

She must see it on his face because she only smiles that knowing smile and wraps her arms around his neck, tugging him down to her chest. "Lay with me for awhile."

And of course, he does. He doesn't want to be anywhere else.