30. Epilogue- Brings Me Back(2)

"Thank you," the young woman replied. "Elizabeth helped dress it."

"I'm very well taken care of by my girls," Rick commented. He smiled when the girls laughed, his wife squeezing his hand, and they turned their attention back to their food before it grew too cold. He and Kate got up to put away the dishes, though Alexandra and Josephine followed them into the kitchen to help and grab the bowls with dessert.

"Wait, we'll get those," Alexandra told their parents as she and Josephine went back into the room to find they were grabbing smaller bowls.

"We'll take these outside," Kate said suddenly. "Julia, Elizabeth? Bring the fruit out with you," she told them with a smile. After they were outside and sitting at the picnic table they had, she said, "Thank you girls for our dinner."

"We thought you might like a rest Ma," Elizabeth said with a smile.

"Well… I only cook for us three now," Kate replied. "It wouldn't have been very difficult to cook for all of you. I used to."

"And on your own," Julia said in awe.

"You learn, when you're a mother you learn," Kate said before eating a piece of watermelon.

They were silent then, looking up at the sky as the sun was setting though they couldn't see it, and Rick and Kate smiled at one another before they held hands for a moment. They squeezed gently, turning their attention to their daughters and their chatter as they were recalling the movie and newsreels they'd seen again.

"I've seen that movie before," Beckett said, pressing her cheek to his shoulder as they were laying down. She smiled and said, "I always loved it though Dad thought it was a little too adult."

"The romance plot line?" Castle asked. He felt his wife nodding and he said, "He's protective of you."

"Slightly less," Beckett said, not surprised he'd said that. "He's left that to you."

"Shouldn't that be to yourself?" Castle said.

"He's known I do that already," Beckett said easily. "But since he wants added protection…"

"Oh," Castle said in realization. He then rubbed her upper arm and said, "It was fun, even though we just had Josie there with us. They would do that, since they had the bridge of course, and we would usually have Sunday dinners though that was an exception as we had the movie we wanted to see all together."

"I preferred when they were all there," Beckett said. "Though… Josie didn't leave until she was… later in her twenties…"

"I don't know either," Castle said in understanding. "She was either married or she got a job… she was a teacher," he said swiftly as that came to him. "I mean in the city. She was with… someone," he said, his voice ending in anger as he couldn't discern it enough to be sure.

"Leave it Rick," Beckett said. "You'll be up all night trying to figure it out."

Castle sighed and then said, "True I-" before he was interrupted by his wife's phone making a text alert noise. "It's Skye," he stated instead of asking.

Glancing at him as she was reaching for her phone, Beckett took her phone and read her message before she smiled saying, "The people in charge at Dancing With the Stars contacted her. They want her to go back at the start of next season to perform the opening. They also want her to judge The Beatles Night they'd want to try and do, and they would like the four to dance again."

"Just the one night?" Castle said. "Wait, Derek won't be there."

"No but he's told her he'll choreograph their dance for them," Beckett said. "She'll get in touch with the other parents," she said before she looked at her husband.

"I'm fine with her doing that," Castle said quickly. "You're not?"

"No, I am," Beckett said as fast as he had and with a smile. "But let's wait until after breakfast to tell her."

"She might notice you're holding something back," Castle pointed out to her.

Beckett, busy texting Skye at that moment, didn't answer and waited until she had sent the message saying, "We'll tell them after," firmly.

"Sure," Castle said, shrugging his shoulders. He helped her with the covers as she was laying down and he said, "But what about school?"

"We'll figure something out; we have time because they won't want her and the other kids there until that episode," Beckett said. "So it'll be a brief visit."

"Did she say what week it would be?" Castle asked her.

Shaking her head Beckett said, "Skye said that it's not a hundred percent sure yet but most likely it would be around week five or six. That would likely make it some point in April."

"Hopefully not the same week as Josie's birthday," Castle commented.

Beckett smiled and said, "A year."

"I know," Castle replied as he wrapped his arm around her since she was laying down fully. "What would you like to do?" he asked before he looked at her, startled when she laughed.

"I had a feeling that you were going to say something about that," Beckett explained, knowing he was probably looking at her in confusion. "But let's wait until we're closer okay?"

"Sure," Castle replied. "Time to sleep?"

"It is, we have a lot tomorrow," Beckett replied. She raised her head enough so they could kiss and once they'd done so she told him, "I love you Rick."

"I love you too Kate," Castle said before they were kissing again. It was a gentle kiss and he soon had her wrapped in his arms again as she laid down. "We have a lot to look forward to," he couldn't help saying after they'd murmured goodnight to one another. "Christmas at your cousin's… next year."

Beckett smiled and then told him, "I'm eager for it too, but we have writing and the girls have school. But we need to focus on the girls tomorrow."

"Go with me to dinner next weekend," Castle said suddenly.

"Alright," Beckett replied, smiling again. She pressed closer against him and said, "The club?"

"Yeah, that too," Castle said rapidly. He smiled himself when she yawned and said, "I'll get us reservations tomorrow. Night love."

"Night Rick," Beckett said with a sigh as she settled herself against him.

The pair were quiet after that, closing their eyes so they could start falling asleep though they couldn't help thinking of their upcoming night together. Castle and Beckett were both eager for the holiday season with their family, but they couldn't help becoming focused on each other. They let that follow them as they nodded off and they were soon dreaming of one another as they were wrapped tight in each other's arms.