2. I And I In The Sky(1)

"Hey Yarnell," Skye said, walking up to the man.

"McDouglas," he replied with a smile, shaking her hand. He peered around her at everyone that was there and said, "So it's true."

"I think everyone knows already," Skye said wryly. She squeezed his shoulder and asked, "Are you ready?"

"Just the 747 model?" Yarnell asked.

"Of course," Skye replied.

"Mummy-" Fleur started to say.

"Hold on mon petite, we'll go up to my office soon," Skye said.

Studying the two youngest McDouglas girls, Beckett saw they were shifting back and forth on their feet. It was the second of September, and with twelve days left until the premiere of the show the producers had asked Skye and Derek to film some scenes in the flight simulators Boeing had at the building they shared with the NTSB West offices. But she was able to realize from the girls' demeanors they likely hadn't had the chance to see their mother's office and were more eager about that before she glanced at her husband.

Shrugging his shoulders, though he'd seen exactly the same as his wife had, Castle turned his attention back to the others. Skye and Derek were soon leaving, going into the simulator in the large room they were looking out on through a window, so he said to Mary, "What exactly are the rest of us doing here?"

"I have no clue," the doctor replied with a slight laugh. "But I guess she just wants us to go to her office."

Beckett smiled when her husband looked at her, as with that she knew why the investigator wanted them to do that, and she then said, "Nice of her to invite us," though she was wondering what was going on in the simulator.

"So you know how to fly all this," Derek was saying once they were settled in the seats in the mock flight deck.

"Yeah, and a few other models as well," Skye replied. "Headset," she told him, having put on the one above her. "We'll take a quick flight to Ontario and come back."

"You're not going to have anything happen?" the cameraman asked in concern.

Shaking her head Skye said, "Don't worry Victor, it'll be a smooth flight. But what exactly are we talking about?"

"How you feel about your job," the sound guy said.

Nodding, and knowing she didn't have to go into detail about the plane crash she'd been in when she was a child though her feelings about her job were related to that, Skye turned to the instruments. She moved them to the runway; of LAX though it was simulated; and she spoke into the headset until they had clearance. "Here we go," she said with a smile to Derek before she gestured to him to put his hand on the throttle. She put hers on top and pushed them forward with him until she could say, "V1… rotate," and pulled back on the yoke to raise the 'plane' as the simulator moved them. She got them up to a certain altitude and called, "Banking left," to warn the three men with her. Once they were going straight, she quickly directed Derek in what to do though he only had to hold his yoke straight. She was about to lean back to watch when Victor got her attention from behind them, making them both turn.

"Can you put autopilot on this?" the cameraman asked her. "It'd look great if you were turned towards each other, but the plane was still going."

Skye nodded and then set the autopilot where she needed it to be before Derek was asking her why she loved her job so much. Since she had already spoken a bit about the crash when she'd been six already, she knew she wouldn't have to mention it then while they spoke which was a relief though she was still unsettled.

"Okay?" Beckett asked Mary, since the woman was standing a bit away from them at the large window.

"Yeah, I'm just a little worried about what they're going to discuss," the doctor said with a slight frown on her face. She shook her head and said, "She might be distressed if they're talking about how she can work her job after what happened to her as a kid."Beckett looked back out to the simulator where they'd seen the four go into and said, "Hopefully you can check on her."

Nodding, Mary didn't stop watching the simulator until it lowered finally, and she held onto the sill of the window. When she saw the cameraman and sound guy walk out, she ran over to the door, opening it and shooting up the stairs around the two men before Derek was stepping out.

"Should we really have come here?" Castle asked, standing with his wife as they watched the doctor disappear into the simulator.

"Yeah," Beckett said, smiling slightly at her husband before she went to the door to meet the dancer who was coming over to them.

"Grá?" Mary said, slipping into the simulator and closing the door behind her. She saw her wife was sitting on what was supposed to be one of the jump seats and went to her, kneeling in front of her and taking her hands, squeezing them gently to let her speak when she was ready.

"I didn't talk about it," Skye told her wife. "But…"

"I know Skye, I know," Mary said soothingly. She leaned down and kissed at her hands saying, "I thought this was a bad idea."

"It needed to be said," Skye replied, having her let go so she could stand up. "But I told them I only did this because I needed to help the victims, to help others who're flying."

Nodding her head, Mary wrapped her arms around his wife's waist and then said, "And you do, but no more talking about this okay?"

"If I get to the point where they have more information about me," Skye said simply to her wife.

"I'll be with you for that interview," Mary told her firmly.

Skye nodded, embracing her wife and having her move her arms to around her neck. She leaned down and kissed her before hugging her tightly and pressing her face against her neck. "I want the girls to come here; all the kids," she eventually told her.

"Don't worry," Mary replied. "I know they're hoping, especially Marie."

Laughing softly, Skye pulled away and said, "Of course she is. But I'd like Kate to come in first."

"I'll get her," Mary said before she kissed her deeply. After they had parted, she cupped Skye's face and then brushed her lips against her saying, "I love you."

"I love you too," the investigator replied before they were embracing tightly. "Thank you grá."

"You're welcome, let me go Rose," Mary told her.

Skye laughed softly and let her go before she watched her leave, sitting back in the jump seat as she waited. She breathed out a little heavily as she was fighting her memories from the crash and her eyes flew open when the door opened.

"Now I see why you asked for me," Beckett said with a smile at her friend. She hugged Skye as soon as she stood, doing so firmly and saying, "They'll be impressed with your determination; as much as I was when we first met."

"Flattery won't get you out of this Kate," Skye told her before they were letting go of each other as they laughed. She was about to tell her to take the co-pilot's chair for a quick flight when her friend was speaking first.

"Any reason why you want me to do this?" Beckett asked her.

"Well… oh, school," Skye started to answer before she realized what she was talking about. "The kids will want to fly."

"But can they?" Beckett pointed out.

Thinking about that for a moment, Skye nodded and said, "Alright, Marie's the only one who can. Unless Clive and Peter know how to?" When Beckett shook her head she said, "Then I'll bring them in three at a time but have Marie fly with me last."

"I'll get the first three," Beckett said. "But good luck with deciding who gets the co-pilot's seat," she added.

"Go on," Skye replied, shaking her head though she was smiling at the same time. She waited for the first three kids to come in and smiled when it was Julia with Mari and Peter. She was about to ask the oldest where Clive was when Castle and Beckett's daughter was quick to anticipate her inquiry and answer her.

"He's a little afraid to do this," Julia said. "Grandpapa is staying with him so they'll just watch us move."

"Did anyone try to let him know we wouldn't do anything crazy?" Skye asked as she closed the door and locked it.

"Yeah, my dad," Julia answered.

"And Kate talked to him too," Peter said. "But he wouldn't come in, which is weird, I don't think he minds planes."

"I know what it is," Skye said. "There's something about the different switches and buttons and the like that scares him. But don't worry, people will react like that, so leave him be. I just hope Jim's alright staying out there." When Julia nodded, she smiled at the three and said, "Alright, so who's brave enough to help me take off?"

"You can't do it on your own here?" she asked.

"I could but I'm seeing if anyone wants to help; it's not much but I want to make sure," Skye replied.

"I'll do it," Julia said, looking at her friends who shrugged.

"You won't need to worry," Skye reassured her as she led Mari and Peter to the other two seats. After they were set, she helped Julia into the co-pilot's chair and said, "All you need to do is help me push the throttles and if you'd like you can pull back on the yoke when I tell you to."

"Okay," Julia said though she was a little nervous.

"Oh cool!" Peter was exclaiming as on the screens of the 'windshield' the scenery was moving.

"We're about to take off from 24L at LAX," Skye told him.

"Could you do this at other airports?" Mari asked.

"Oh of course, I just use this one to have fun with since I can fly around without needing a set path," Skye answered. "Okay Julia," she told the girl next to her. "Hands on the throttles… good. Here we go," she said. She made her push forward on them and they started down the runway, having her hold onto them before she said, "V1… rotate." She pulled back on the yoke then and smiled at the way the two behind them cried out slightly as they lifted up. She didn't go too high up, flipping some switches before she leveled them out and said, "You didn't help," teasingly.

"Yeah, I was watching," Julia said laughingly.

"We're just going to circle around you guys," Skye told the three. "There's a lot of others here, we have to give them a chance of course."

"Could I turn the plane?" Julia asked hopefully.

"Sure," Skye replied. She looked at the screens and said, "We're going to do that soon."

Julia looked behind her chair and beamed at her friends before the investigator was touching her shoulder. "Sorry," she said, sitting normally quickly.

"Okay, we'll be turning now," Skye said. "You're going to turn to the right so you'll be turning the yoke that way. But turn it slowly at first." She watched Julia closely as she was turning the yoke, smiling as she soon had to tell her, "A little more, good." She then helped her, not surprised when Julia eased up in her hold and they turned until she took over, bringing them in for a landing shortly after. "Okay, what did you think?" she asked, pushing back on her chair.

"That was awesome!" "That was so cool!" Peter and then Mari said.

"They're right, it really was," Julia added with a smile as she was getting up from the chair. "Are you coming with us?" she asked as they went to the door.

"No, have whoever's next come in," Skye said simply.

"Wow, you got to fly a plane," Mari said to Julia as they went down the stairs outside the simulator.

"A fake one," she said quickly. "But that was still a lot of fun." She then looked behind them at Peter and asked, "You didn't want to do that?"

"Not in front of a real pilot!" the boy exclaimed before he laughed with them. "No, I can see why Clive's a little afraid of those switches and buttons and everything. There's a ton. But I wonder what's so cool about her office," he added as they went up the stairs to where everyone else was waiting for them.

"I don't know, but there must be something there," Julia said. "Probably you can see the airport from there." She did her best not to laugh at the gasp of realization from Mari and they went into the hallway to send the next three into the flight simulator with Skye.

"We're here," Mary said to everyone who hadn't been to her wife's office before. "Who wants to go in?"

"Open the door grá," Skye said wryly.

"Oh… fine," Mary said in mock annoyance before she did so and let their daughters in; the three eldest pulling Ivy and Iris with them. She shared a smile with her wife and then headed in after with the others trailing behind them.

"Weird being here," Castle commented.

"A little," Beckett said with a smile, not surprised when she saw all ten kids were running over to the window as soon as they were close to it.

"Wow," Ivy said.

"Yeah," Clive said, his eyes wide as he was staring at a plane landing on one of the runways they could see.

"And you see this every day?" Derek asked his partner.

"I do, but I'm not staring like the kids are," Skye said with a smile. She looked at her two youngest daughters and said, "What do you think?"

"It's really neat," Iris said, squeezing her hand tightly.

"I'm glad you think so," Skye replied, hugging her to her before she turned to Derek. "Nothing until Friday?" she asked.

"After today? No," he replied. "But come in after two, I know you have some Spanish for them."

"And French," Skye added. "But I'll see you then."

Watching the investigator leave with Derek; after they'd all said goodbye to him; Beckett said to her husband and father, "Are we ready for school?"

"I am," Jim assured her as he would be with Eliza.

"Me too, I'm so glad I have my glasses on," Castle commented. He smiled when his wife rolled her eyes and he squeezed her hand quickly before he went over to the window with the kids and Mary.

"That was fast," Beckett said when she heard footsteps coming up to the doorway and saw it was Skye.

"Oh, I know," the investigator replied with a smile. "Someone came over to escort him the rest of the way out. I didn't want to just leave him, but he was fine with it. Told me to come back to the girls."

"They do love it," Beckett said.

"I know," Skye said before she froze. When her friend asked her what was wrong, she smiled and then went over to her desk saying, "Ivy, Iris? Come here." When the two girls were standing on either side of her in her chair, she pulled one of the pictures she had on her desk and said, "So you know I'm thinking of you here at work."

Beckett could see the picture, though she was a little away from the chair, and smiled as Eliza came to her to wrap her arms around her waist. It was of the McDouglas family at Disney World, at the England section of Epcot, and watched all five girls hug and kiss their mother. She wasn't surprised when both Skye and Mary became a little tearful and she hugged her second youngest a little tighter to her. She glanced at the others before something caught her eye and she said, "There's an A380 getting ready to take off."

Urging her girls to head over to the window as Clive and Peter were exclaiming at the Air France plane, Skye stood up and went to her friend. "Thanks, it was a bit too much," she told her quietly in Russian.

"Not a problem," Beckett replied. "It's nice to see how much you love them though."

Nodding Skye then said, "I do, hard not to really you know?"

"I know," Beckett said in a whisper, looking over to Julia though her attention was focused on the runways.

"How'd you enjoy the flight?" Skye then asked.

Smiling, as she knew that the investigator was changing the subject for both their sakes, Beckett said, "About as much as I did when you made me go with you in '36."

"Oh, you remember that do you?" Skye said laughingly.

"How could I not?" Beckett said in mock indignity. She then smiled and said, "At least you didn't make us barnstormers."

"Of course not," Skye said seriously before she and Beckett looked at one another and started to laugh.

Not surprised when the kids looked back at them; as well as their spouses and her father; Beckett went with Skye to the others though she couldn't help still recalling that day she and the investigator had gone into the sky above San Francisco together.

"Are you sure she should do this Rose?" Rick was asking his sister in law.

"Of course," Rose replied easily. She then smirked and said, "I got her into respectable pants, you should be thanking me."

"Rosie," Kate groaned as she pushed her sister's hands away while she was adjusting her helmet. "It's well and good, leave off."

"Fine," Rose replied easily. "We'll be back soon," she told her brother in law and Mary who was with them. She smiled and said, "Only a quick flight by the bridge."

"Not too close," Kate said.

"No, but we'll get a fantastic view," Rose said before she went with her twin to the biplane she was being allowed to use for their short trip. "I'll take care of everything Katie," she reassured her.

"I know, I just worry we'll do any acrobatics," Kate replied, climbing up into the second seat in the plane.

"No, I wouldn't have Rick having my hide," Rose said. "Quite disgusting."

"Hurry and fly," Kate said with a laugh before she watched her sister start the engine and get the propeller going.

"This doesn't worry you?" Rick asked Mary as they watched their loved ones going down the runway at Crissy Field.

"Oh no, but if she had decided to take that plane in loops I would have protested," Mary said. "Vehemently."

"Me too," Rick said before they smiled at each other and looked up at the plane that was banking right towards the bay.

"Oh Rosie," Kate breathed as she was looking at the water. "It's beautiful."

"I know, now you see why I fly," Rose said with a smile. "And that bridge looks wonderful." She flew them east parallel to the city until she turned them back around so they could come in for a landing. When they had stopped and could get out she wasn't surprised when Rick hurried to help his wife out. She smiled at Mary when she approached her, touching her arm before she could hear her husband's voice and they turned together to watch Patrick jogging to them before he called out again.

"Are you all finished?" the man asked, walking to them.

"We are, you have lunch?" Rose asked him, looking at the hamper over his arm.

"Yeah, a lot of food so I hope you're all hungry," Patrick replied.

"Famished," Rick said. He then asked his wife, "Will you change?"

Nodding her head Kate said to her sister, "Rosie," simply.

"I won't get arrested," the woman said wryly as she was following her twin.

"Ma would know," Kate pointed out to her. She smiled when her sister grumbled under her breath and they went into a changing room they could use in a building there. Helping one another with their dresses, she said when they'd finished, "I'd like us to go to the beach."

"Outside the club?" Rose asked in surprise as they were leaving.

Shaking her head Kate said, "China Beach."

"You want another view of the bridge," Rose said with a smile.

"So does Rick," Kate replied before they joined their family and went to their car. She sat with her husband as he drove and looked at their former home by Mountain Lake Park, not surprised her sister was watching it as well while they passed by.

"Do you know who lives there now?" Patrick asked, having watched the women.

"No, it's been rented a few times since we moved to Alamo Square," Rose said first. "And I don't mind our home there but that was special," she told her husband with a smile. "We were there with my brother of course."

Stopping at a light, Rick looked back at his sister in law and said, "Not then I wasn't."

Touching her husband's arm, Kate said, "It's alright. She's talking about you now of course."

Making a noise under his breath, Rick started to drive again and made his way to the beach, not surprised there were people there as well. But they went to some trees once they'd left the car and sat on the blanket Mary and Rose set down so they could start on their lunch which his wife was unpacking from the hamper.

"We'll have to go again Katie," Rose said to her sister after they'd eaten their fried chicken and buttered bread for a bit.

"Hmm," she replied. "I'm not sure."

"Oh, why not?" Rose asked with a smile on her face.

"You'll have me fly," Kate replied.

"No she won't," Rick said with a frown on his face.

"Don't worry," Rose told her brother in law. "I'd never have her do that without knowing. But what if I brought Julia with me?"

"Will she fly?" Rick asked, since their oldest had already gone flying with her aunt.

"No," Rose replied. "Not unless you two ever give me permission to teach her."

"When she's older," Kate said, though Julia was fourteen. She smiled when her twin nodded, and they continued to eat until they had nothing left but the parchment paper the chicken had been in. After everything was back in the hamper she stood and smiled as her husband was joining her. "We'll take the basket back-" she began.

"I think we'll need a ride over to Alamo Square," Patrick said.

"Where will you go?" Kate asked.

"To the club," Patrick said.

"Tomorrow afternoon," Rose explained to her sister.

"Are you doing anything special for tea?" Rick asked since it would be Halloween.

"Not this time," Mary said. "It'll be matrons mostly, so everything will be proper."

"Of course, you'll come to the home for supper?" Kate asked the three.

"Of course," Rose replied, echoing her sister with a smile.

Gathering everything, the group went back to the car and drove into the city again to the Alamo Square home where the three got out after saying goodbye to Rick and Kate.

"We'll leave after the tea; at five," Rose was telling her twin. "Have a safe sail."

"We will," Kate replied.

"Give our love to Ma," Rose said. "Goodbye!"

"Bye," Kate said, waving to her twin outside of the window. When she'd pulled her arm back in she said to her husband, "We'll have to see what Ma and the girls have gotten up to."

Nodding Rick drove them to the ferry building and said to his wife, "And if they're out we'll take a stroll."

"Of course," Kate said though she was sliding along the front seat to press against his side. Leaning her head on his shoulder she murmured, "Though we don't have to."

Glancing at her quickly, Rick said, "You're a Sheba love."

"Hmm, you're a Sheik, Rick," Kate told him. They shared a brief kiss and then turned their attention to the windshield watching the city pass by outside as they made their way home.

"Alright, we're good here," Beckett said to Julia and Peter who'd been following her.

"What're we learning now?" the latter asked.

"Poetry, I told you," Beckett said with a smile. "Do you not want her here?" she asked since she had Josie in her sling against her chest for their English lesson in the front yard at the McDouglas home.

"Um… what if she has to n-nurse," Peter couldn't help stammering.

"I'll take her inside and you can go with Rick," Beckett said. "But she'll be alright."

"What are we doing for English today Mom?" Julia asked, looking at the text book she was holding.

Not surprised her daughter was trying to turn their attention back to the lesson, Beckett said, "Open up to page fifty-eight."

"I hope this isn't gushy girls stuff," Peter said. He laughed when Julia tugged on his shirt sleeve and said, "What? I don't have to like it."

"You don't, and you two aren't reading the same poems," Beckett replied. "You're first Peter and this is by Alfred, Lord Tennyson."

"I'm reading aloud?" the boy asked.

Shaking her head, Beckett said, "We'll take turns. You can start the first stanza."

Studying the words, Peter nodded and then began to read before his eyes widened as he went through each line.

Half a league, half a leagueHalf a league onwardAll in the valley of DeathRode the six hundred"Forward, the Light Brigade!""Charge for the guns!" he saidInto the valley of DeathRode the six hundred

"Too girly?" Julia asked when her friend had stopped.

"No," Peter said, rolling his eyes. "What's that about? Well… besides fighting."

Shaking her head Beckett said, "We'll talk about it when we're finished. Julia, go ahead and read the next stanza. And Peter, you did a great job reading."

"Thanks," the boy said with a smile.

They finished the poem together, taking turns before Beckett explained the battle during the Crimean War and a little background about the war as well while they took notes. "Okay," she said as she had them set aside their notebooks. "It's your turn now Julia. Both of you turn your books to page sixty-two."

"Now it's gonna be gushy," Peter said with a grin.

"It won't," Beckett said, not surprised at that. "Julia, go ahead and get started."

Nodding, Julia looked at the page before she smiled and then began, glancing up at her mother every so often before Beckett was stopping her and Peter was laughing.

Let me not to the marriage of true mindsAdmit impediments. Love is not loveWhich alters when it alteration findsOr bends with the remover to remove

"Julia," Beckett said firmly, though she was smiling at the same time since Peter laughing was making it hard for her to be stern. "Thank you for reading that for me but your dad isn't here and that wasn't the poem I wanted you to read," she finally said.

"Sorry, I liked it," Julia replied.

"'Cause of your mom and dad?" Peter asked her. When she nodded he then said, "I'll be back."

"Peter-" Beckett started to say before she stopped herself as she could tell he wasn't going to stop.

"Mom?" Julia said, getting her attention. When her mother turned to her and she smiled saying, "Is that poem about true love?"

"It's saying that love is only true if it's constant and doesn't change; no matter what happens," Beckett said. "It's always been one of my favorite of Shakespeare's stanzas."

"Oh good," Julia said happily. "I was hoping it was and didn't mean something else."

Beckett laughed softly and then said, "I'm not surprised. But I hope he's not brining your dad, he needs to keep teaching Mari, Clive and the older twins."

"He's not," Julia said, spotting her friend rushing over to them.

"Here," Peter said, handing a folded piece of lined paper to Beckett. "He told me to tell you he would have come outside but he's busy with their math."

Nodding, Beckett unfolded the note, reading I couldn't agree with the sonnet more. There's a reason I call you the love of my life, before she smiled and put the paper into her jeans pocket. "Thank you for bringing that. But we need to get back to work."

"What now?" Julia asked.

"You two are going to write some poetry yourself," Beckett said. "It doesn't have to rhyme if you don't want it to, but I want you to write a poem about what you think bravery is Peter. And Julia? We were going to read the poem The Tyger by William Blake, but you can write about what you think love should be like."

"Are you going to read these?" Peter asked slowly.

Smiling Beckett told them, "I will, but I hate writing poetry myself so this is just an exercise."

The two kids nodded after thinking that over for a moment and they began to write as Beckett walked around the benches they'd been sitting on. Julia looked at her mother from time to time, and Peter up at the sky before they stopped and handed their composition books to Beckett.

"You can read mine out loud," the boy said.

"Mine too," Julia said hurriedly.

"Alright," Beckett said. "Peter, we'll start with yours."

Out on the stage

"Hey! You copied from George's song," Julia said before she and her partner laughed together.

"Easy you two," Beckett said, shaking her head before she went back to the short poem.

Spotlights on the floorMy steps can't stopOr hesitateI'm on the stageFor the worldI am a dancer on the screen

"Very nice," Beckett said with a smile.

"It's short… the lines," Peter said, feeling his face getting a little hot.

"That's okay, it was your poem and you could make it as long as you wanted," Beckett said. "Do you understand what he's saying about bravery?" she then asked her daughter.

Smiling Julia quoted his line, "For the world. And a dancer on the screen. We might be on TV so…"

"Good," Beckett said. "Now yours."

"Read it," Julia said firmly.

Beckett reached over to her and cupped her cheek gently before she then turned her attention to Julia's poem, not surprised it was also short as she began to read.

TogetherKnowing what will be saidBeing able to laugh about anythingLoving the same, knowing the differenceBest friends, partners, husband and wifeTogether

"Is that right? Difference?" Julia asked worriedly as she nibbled a bit at her lower lip.

"I think you meant differences," Beckett said, clearing her throat. "Knowing the differences?" she suggested to her daughter.

With a nod, Julia said, "It's a little… silly. But I was thinking of you and Dad."

"I could tell," Beckett replied with a smile. "But you both did great with these and you understand not saying things right out to explain your point. Though I know you needed to be a little direct Julia, you still understand it I can tell."

"So… is that it for today?" Peter asked as he and Julia took their books back.

"For English," Beckett said firmly, smiling when the two groaned in exaggeration. "We'll move on to history now."

"Cool, what's next? The Revolutionary War?" Peter asked eagerly.

Shaking her head Beckett said, "We're going to read about Dutch settlement in our state and how it became New York City instead of New Amsterdam." She worked with the kids, reading from the text book they had brought with them from their middle school back home and she ended with some questions they answered out loud. When they finished she had them get up, since Josie was fussing, and had them go to the kitchen where the others were before she went upstairs to change the baby's diaper.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Castle asked when he came in to find his wife snapping closed the bottom of the baby's onesie.

"Really well," Beckett replied, having him take Josie before she went into the bathroom to wash her hands. "We managed to get a good amount of history done." She walked out then, after drying her hands, and went to her husband, bringing him to her so they could kiss tenderly. "Hmm, thank you for the note," she said when they parted.

"You're welcome, it had to be said," Castle replied before he leaned down to kiss her a little more passionately.

Grabbing Julia's hand, Mari pulled her away from the doorway and stifled her laughter behind her hands before she whispered, "I told you."

"Oh, they have to stop s-" Julia started to say before they watched her little sister running past them. "Lizzy," she groaned as she disappeared into the room.

"Don't run," Castle told the girl, picking her up since he wasn't holding Josie anymore.

"What are we gonna do now?" Eliza asked eagerly. "More school?"

"Just P.E.," Beckett said with a smile.

"Swimming?" Julia asked as she and Mari walked over to them.

Castle said, "Not today, we'll do that tomorrow. No, today we're going to do some exercises together and then play badminton."

"Oh cool!" Mari said eagerly. "Does Julia have a uniform?"

"It's at home," Beckett answered. "No, all your parents packed gym clothes and the McDouglas girls have them too. Let's go to your room and change." She was about to tell her husband he needed to let the other kids know when they heard people coming up the stairs and they turned to find it was everyone else in the house. She was surprised to see her father and mother in law with the kids and Mary when her father smiled and explained them being there.

"We'll join in too," Jim said.

"I told them they didn't need to," Mary said in amusement. "But they said we'd need the help."

"Thank you," Beckett said to the two. "Let's change though so we can play now."

After everyone had changed into some kind of workout clothing they gathered in the backyard before Ivy went to her mother and took her hand.

"Where's Mummy?" the little girl asked.

Taking a look at her watch Mary smiled and said, "She's still practicing. But don't worry, she's only got ten more minutes." Looking down at her second youngest she asked, "Do you want her to play with us?"

"Yeah," Ivy said, not surprised her twin standing with them was nodding.

"We'll see if she has the energy for it," Mary replied. "Help me get the rackets and birdies."

Coming out last; as she'd had to nurse Josie; Beckett handed the baby to her mother in law and then said, "Do we have everything for badminton?"

"We do, we can start the exercises," Castle told his wife.

"Okay, time for jumping jacks," Beckett called to the kids.

Groaning with her friends, Julia said, "Do we have to?"

"Yes, it's a good place to start," Mary said. She was smiled when the kids looked at her and told them, "I went through P.E. too."

"So did we," Castle said. "I think you're leading love," he told his wife.

"I know," Beckett said. "Let's do ten of those right now. Eliza, you only need to do five."

"How come?" the little girl asked.

"Because you're smaller," Beckett said. "And we don't want you to get tired already."

"I'll watch her Katie," Jim told his daughter.

"Okay, I'll count for us," Beckett replied before she started to, doing the exercise with the kids. Castle was next to her, watching them along with her, but she wasn't surprised to find him looking at her with their last jumping jack. She gave him a look, watching him quickly glancing away, before she was about to tell the kids they were going to reach down and touch their toes when Clive was asking a question.

"Did you do this when you were learning to become an officer?" the boy said.

"I did, we had to exercise of course," Beckett replied. She was about to speak again when her daughter spoke first.

"Mom, could we just dance? That's a lot better exercise," Julia said.

Glancing at her husband, Beckett wasn't shocked when he just shrugged and she said, "Alright, go ahead." Her eyes widened for a moment when she saw all ten kids just moving around and covered her mouth with her hand as she heard her husband struggling not to laugh next to her. She let them do that for a bit longer before she was about to tell them they should start playing badminton when she stopped as she could hear a car in the distance and they all watched Skye's coming down the driveway.

"It's-" Fleur started to say with a squeal.

"Keep dancing!" Marie told her sister before she could finish that.

Parking just outside the garage, Skye got out of her car and walked over to everyone on the grass of the backyard. "Well… what's the craic?" she said to her wife.

"Who knows?" Mary said wryly as she shared a quick kiss with her. She was about to ask her how it was when their girls were reaching them, and she stepped back a little to let the three youngest hug her.

"Easy, easy," Skye was telling all five of her daughters with a laugh as they were trying to hug her at the same time. "I'm glad to see you lot as well, but what were you doing?"

"We were going to do some exercises for P.E. and they wanted to dance," Beckett called.

"Hmm… I see," Skye said, looking down at her daughters. "Do you guys want to keep dancing, or should you move on back to those exercises?"

"We're going to play badminton Mum," Kathleen replied.

"Oh, then should we go to that?" Skye asked.

"Yeah!" Julia called.

"Really? You don't want to dance?" the investigator said with a smile as they walked back to the others.

"Well… I did want to play," Julia said. She then smiled and asked, "Are you tired?"

"Not yet, but I'll need a shower after we're finished here," Skye said, taking the racquet that Marie was handing her. She realized it was very quiet and she paused, looking around at everyone and said, "Oh, why don't we wait for dinner for me to say? School isn't finished yet of course."

Castle shared a look with his wife when the kids groaned; knowing it was being done playfully; and they helped the kids pair up together so they could hit the birdies back and forth. He played with Peter, watching the boy while he was doing that, trying to see if he was homesick at all since he and Beckett were trying to make sure the two boys weren't along with their daughters and Mari. But he seemed to be fine and when they stopped after nearly a half hour; ending with a game played all together; he said, "Great job everyone. Now school's out," not surprised the kids were all reacting the second he finished speaking.

"Don't throw those!" Mary said as the older kids were throwing their racquets up in the air.

"You guys are scaring the dogs," Beckett then told them. "Come on, pick them up and help us put them away."

"Do we need to take a shower?" Julia asked her mother.

"Yeah, we've been running around for a while," Castle answered before his wife did. "So you guys need to take showers and then do your homework."

"They have homework?" Martha asked in surprise, handing Josie over to Beckett.

"I better not," she said quickly. "I'm a little too sweaty," Beckett explained. She leaned over and kissed Josie's temple before saying, "Julia and Peter have reading for history."

"So do Clive and Mari," Castle said.

"Our three need to do a math worksheet," Mary replied as they were all going into the house.

"I have Eliza writing down a word for each letter of the alphabet," Jim said; since his daughter had told him to give that to her.

"What about-" Skye started to say.

"She can ask us," Beckett said quickly. "We should get the kids upstairs though." She wasn't surprised when Skye nodded, and they went after the kids to the rooms, Martha staying downstairs with Josie. She went with Mari and Julia into their room telling them, "Would you two mind taking a shower together?"

"We can still do that?" the latter asked.

"You can if you're still comfortable," Beckett told them.

"That's fine," Mari said, smiling when Julia looked at her. "We waste less water," she added.

"Get your clothes you want to wear the rest of the day," Beckett said. "And head in."

"You don't need to stay Mom, we'll be alright," Julia told her as she and Mari were getting their shirts from the closet.

"I'd prefer to do that," Beckett said simply. She smiled when her daughter wrinkled her nose before she went into the bathroom with Mari. Sitting on the edge of the girls' bed she heard someone walking down the hall and saw it was Martha. After she called to her she asked, "Is Josie alright?"

"She is, I decided I should change as well," Castle's mother said. She was about to continue to her room when she paused and then asked, "Are you and Richard going to take a shower?"

"Most likely," Beckett said.

"I'll watch the children; and I'm sure your father will as well," Martha said.

"Thank you," Beckett told her before she continued down the hall. She heard more footsteps and was about to stand up to see what was going on when her husband walked inside. "The boys?" she asked him.

"They're taking turns, so they'll listen for each other," Castle explained. "Should we do that?" He wasn't surprised when his wife looked at him and then said, "Maybe not." He sat next to her and watched her shifting on the bed slightly, about to ask her what was wrong when the water turned off in the bathroom. At the same time Skye was coming up to the doorway and he watched in surprise as his wife immediately went over to it and the two were speaking together quietly.

"Thank you," Skye was saying at the end of hers and Beckett's conversation, both speaking Russian.

"I think you need to thank our parents," Beckett replied with a smile. "They're finishing first and offered to watch them."

"For you two as well," Skye said.

"Get out of here," Beckett said laughingly as she shook her head.

"So can I ask-" Castle started to say when his wife turned to him. But before he could finish that the door to the bathroom was opening and he asked, "All set?" when both girls walked out.

"Yeah, what about the boys?" Julia asked in slight confusion.

"I'll check on them now," Castle said to Beckett though he was wildly curious as to what she'd spoken to Skye about.

When the girls were ready, Beckett sent them downstairs before she went to Fleur's room to check on Eliza though she was walking out already with the little girl and Mary who quickly got her attention.

"Could you get them downstairs for me?" the woman asked.

"Sure," Beckett said, wrapping her arm around Eliza when she'd run over to her. She watched the woman walking quickly down the hall over to the master bedroom and then turned her attention to the four girls who were with her. "Are you guys ready to do your homework?" she asked them with a smile.

"Yeah, but when can we play?" Ivy asked.

"When we finish dinner," Beckett assured them, ushering them down the stairs where they were joining the other kids who were all there. "Skye," she said, seeing the investigator talking with Marie.

Squeezing her daughter's shoulder, Skye walked over and asked in Russian, "She's up there?" At Beckett's nod she said to her daughters, "Listen to Jim and Martha." Once she heard an agreement in response from them all she smiled at her friend and then headed up the stairs. She did her best not to run down the hallway before she slipped inside the master bedroom and locked the door behind her.

"Skye?" Mary called out from the bathroom.

"It's me," the investigator replied. She smiled when her wife peered out the space in the slightly closed door and said, "I'm a little behind."

"Undress in here," Mary said firmly.

"But my clothes…" Skye started to say, looking over at their closet.

"Rose," Mary said sternly.

"Yes," Skye said quickly, walking over to her. She wasn't surprised when her wife hurriedly pulled off her shirt as soon as she was inside and took the chance to start their kiss. She tried to reach underneath Mary's robe but was swiftly stopped by her wife pushing away her arms and she broke off the kiss. "Mary," she said firmly.

"Everything needs to get off," the doctor replied.

Skye only had her bra, workout pants and panties left and once it was done she reached for her wife, managing to grab the tie of her robe and pull it loose. "Grá," she breathed as she looked at her wife's body bared to her. She then made her pull it off, watching her closely before they were wrapping their arms around one another.

"Skye," Mary breathed in pleasure as her wife was running her hands around the small of her back. "Hmm, I missed you," she said. They kissed tenderly before she took her hand and pulled her with her into the shower stall.

With the water on, Skye was quick to reach for Mary, running her hands over as much of her as she could. She leaned down and kissed at her wife's breasts, hearing her moan before she found herself suddenly against the wall. "M-" she began before her lips were being crushed under her wife's.

Relieved when Skye was responding to her, Mary pressed her body to hers, both beginning to move together shortly after to their moans of pleasure. "You know," she said, panting as they'd been kissing up until that point. "When you start the Rumba-"

Cutting her off, Skye leaned down and kissed her before she was reaching down in between her wife's legs. She wasn't surprised when Mary began to moan, holding onto her a little tighter before she pulled away. "What do you want me to do grá?" she asked her though she hadn't stopped rubbing her clit.

"Mmm… I… don't know," Mary moaned heavily in pleasure, thrusting her hips to keep pace with her wife's touch. "Just… do what you're doing…" she breathed.

"I have a better idea," Skye said before she reached up with both her hands and cupped them over her wife's breasts. She stared intently into Mary's eyes as she gently rubbed her palms over the taut nipples under them and then she moved to kiss her, turning them around so her wife was against the wall. She gasped slightly when her wife grasped her ass but didn't stop, instead she leaned down and took her right breast, kissing over it at first.

"Rose!" Mary moaned heavily, her pleasure permeating her tone. "I… please!" she started to say before her wife was rubbing around her whole sex.

Not spending much time there, Skye made sure to work over both mounds before she knelt in front of her wife and used her fingers to spread her folds. She dipped her tongue between them, rubbing against the swollen nub she'd been touching a moment before. When Mary's fingers laced through her hair she tried not to smile too widely before she was lightly nibbling around her clit as she knew drove her wild.

"Skye… you need to…" Mary began to say before she was trailing off and crying out her wife's name again when her tongue slipped inside of her. When she felt Skye's fingers on her clit again, she started to thrust wildly with her for some time until the last of her control was lost and she climaxed roughly.

Working to make sure her wife's pleasure continued, Skye didn't stop with her tongue and fingers until Mary above her had stopped moving. She let herself spend a little time working over her before she was standing up. She gasped when her wife pressed her against the wall again, but she smiled for a moment before they were kissing passionately. Her hands were all over her wife's and so were Mary's on her body, making her tremble slightly in her desire as she hadn't been unaffected by being so intimate with her wife. But when they parted, she was letting out a heavy cry as the doctor began to fondle her breasts. "I… I should have done this with you," she gasped out.

"Shh, you made me come already," Mary said. "It's your turn now."

Skye could only nod briefly before her wife was leaning down and taking her breasts with both her mouth and hands. When her right one drifted down in between her legs she was tense before her clit was being rubbed and she groaned before telling her, "You might have to stop."

"It's alright, we don't have that much time anyways," Mary replied before she kissed at Skye's jaw. "But tonight we'll have more time."

At the thought of them being able to make love for far longer, Skye threw herself into what she was feeling. Not letting herself hold back in the slightest she was reaching her peak shortly after, feeling her wife's fingers from both hands working all over her sex to her utter delight. After she was calm, she was breathing hard and saying, "Grá, come here," pulling her against her body as they began to kiss deeply.

It took the two women a little more time to remember what they were doing, but they soon parted and went together under the water to wash off before they stepped out of the shower. They dried each other off and then went out into the bedroom so they could dress, keeping away from each other as they did so. Mary, watching her wife when they were clothed, explained to Skye why she was smiling once she was looking up at her in confusion.

"I thought you'd be tired once you got back," the doctor commented.

"We weren't practicing for that long," Skye replied, walking around the bed to her. "We did take breaks. But that's not the reason why you were staring at me."

Reaching up, Mary pushed her wife's hair back over her shoulders and held onto the back of her neck before telling her, "I think you're beautiful."

With a smile Skye leaned over and kissed her wife gently on the lips before she pulled away and said, "So are you, we're going to bed early."

"Why?" Mary asked.

"We didn't have enough time for exploring," Skye said simply. She wasn't surprised when her wife started to laugh, and they shared a kiss when she had calmed down. Pulling away from her she said, "We need to start dinner."

"Are you telling me or yourself?" Mary said.

"Mostly myself," Skye replied, taking her hand and pulling her into the bathroom so they could finish and return to everyone waiting downstairs.

"Kate?" Castle was saying before she could walk into the bathroom in the guest house.

"What?" Beckett asked, turning around quickly as she noticed how his voice was strained. She saw the look in his eyes and she remained still before he walked up to her telling him, "We can't-"

"We can but… it'd have to be quick," Castle said, holding his hands out to her as her words had made him pause.

Beckett only took a moment to react, moving to him and wrapping her arms around her husband's neck before he brought her close and they began to kiss. She was relieved when he made it deep, and they were dueling together for some time before they slowly parted. Staring in his nearly black eyes, she took his hand to bring him after her to the bed where she laid down as he watched, waiting for him to join her before he was suddenly pulling her back up.

Castle didn't say a word, pulling on the bottom of his wife's workout shirt before he could discard it to the side of the bed. Though he desperately wanted to, he let her take off her bra herself, watching as her breasts were soon exposed. He was shaken from his stare as she was moving, standing up and making him scramble to get out of the way. After she was standing, he reached for her yoga leggings before she stopped him by holding his wrists. "Kate, you have to let me-" he started to say, unable to help the frustration from seeping into his tone.

With a smile, Beckett leaned over and brushed her lips against her husband's telling him, "Let me." She covered his mouth with her fingertips before he could speak and told him, "For you."

"I'll do the same for you," Castle said quickly as he let her go.

Beckett didn't reply to that, pulling down her leggings and taking her panties with her at the same time. She heard the slight groan escape from her husband's mouth and reached for his right hand, kissing the tips of his fingers rapidly before she pressed it to her mound. She was relieved when he quickly rubbed her clit and she moaned before telling him, "It's been too long."

"It has," Castle said though he was speaking absently. He was staring at her swollen nub, debating within himself if he wanted to use his mouth instead. But his wife was putting a stop to that by pulling his hand away and he stood up as he knew he needed to reciprocate for her.

Beckett glanced at the bed, reaching down and tugging the comforter and sheet out of the way before she waited for him, sitting on the edge where he'd been. She smiled as he immediately started to disrobe once she was looking at him. "I was watching you," she admitted to him as he got down to his boxers. "While we were playing."

"You weren't thinking sexually though," Castle said quickly.

"How do you know," Beckett said, reaching for the waistband of his boxers as he'd stepped closer to her. She pulled it down firmly; hoping she wouldn't hurt him; before she grabbed his erection and slipped her mouth down on it. When he stopped her shortly after she wasn't surprised and allowed him to do so, moving with him so they could get onto the bed fully before his lips captured hers and they were kissing deeply until they parted, and he was murmuring to her.

"Bhí mé ag iarraidh tú ar feadh laethanta," Castle was telling her, which meant he'd wanted her for days.

Biting her lower lip, Beckett told him, "Tá mé ag teastáil uait freisin," which meant she'd needed him too. When he kissed her she was pushing on his back, getting him onto her though he moved his hips away from her. "Rick," she breathed as she broke off their kiss to speak.

"I know," Castle said before he settled on her though was keeping away from her body. He was about to take his length himself so he could enter her, but his wife was beating him to that and he was very shortly after sinking into her body. Groaning in joy with her he waited for her to raise her right leg to wrap around his waist while the left held onto his legs. With her ready, he made his first thrust, deciding he couldn't really take his time and going fast. He was doing that as he and Beckett were kissing, trying to touch her the best he could as he could feel her body's movements in response to him. He felt her hand down against their thighs pressed together and he went to her neck, nibbling at it and then her ear lobe before she was crying out to him.

"Rick… let me… let me fuck you," Beckett moaned before she was gasping as her husband suddenly turned them both around so they were on their knees. She held onto him as tightly as she could and began to move using her knees. When Castle grasped her ass, she cried out as she allowed him to move her though she was doing most of the work. After he held her by her waist, she took over though it wasn't for long since he was moving her onto her back again. She wrapped both her legs around him, hoping he wouldn't move them again as she realized it had taken more time than she'd wanted. Luckily he was moving even harder, leaving her to cry out repeatedly in her joy as the friction between them was rough. Her sex was throbbing every time he sank into her and that was intensifying before he was pausing. "Don't-" she started to say before he was kissing her hard.

Relieved when she responded to him, Castle kept that going as he began to move again and he heard her cry in his mouth. But he didn't stop until they needed to breathe and once he did he nuzzled her jaw with his lips before he could feel more pleasure that he couldn't stop. He was going to beg her to climax when she was suddenly doing so, only having a moment to see the pleasure spread across her face before he was joining her as he couldn't fight his body anymore.

The two called each other's names repeatedly until Beckett was stopping first, limp underneath her husband as he took a few more thrusts until he was still above her. She listened to their rough breathing filling the house and reached up to him, caressing his hair gently before she could feel him kissing at her neck where his face was buried. She started to say his name, when he was suddenly moving, raising his head so he could kiss her, and she ran her hands over his shoulders until they were slowly parting, his forehead pressing against hers.

"Please tell me that was good for you," Castle said, still slightly breathlessly.

"My vocal reaction should tell you it was," Beckett replied, caressing the back of his head tenderly. She pressed her lips to his and they kissed a second later after she stopped before he carefully pulled away from her. "We need to go," she said, though regretfully.

"I know," Castle said, moving off the bed and reaching for her before they went together to the shower. "Is it alright if I touch you?" he asked as they both stood under the water.

"It is," Beckett said with a smile up at him. "But don't make me come."

"I won't," Castle said. He paused and then asked, "Why?"

Smirking at him Beckett said, "I want your come in me for now."

Castle was sure he should answer that, but since his wife was running her hands down his chest decided it wasn't that big of a deal. He wrapped his arms around her and they proceeded to kiss though it didn't last very long as she was reaching up and raking her fingers through his hair to scrape along his scalp. "Kate," he breathed out against her lips.

"Hmm?" Beckett asked simply. When she felt her husband shuddering a little bit she reached down until she got to his erection that was still there. "What should we do?" she asked him.

"I'll take care of myself," Castle said before he was snatching his hands back from himself as she had slapped at them. "I n-" he began.

"No you don't need," Beckett told him firmly. "I do. And I want to."

Castle opened his mouth to start speaking but his wife was grabbing at his member and he was gritting his teeth together as hard as he could since she was moving her hand up and down it immediately. "You…" he began saying before he trailed off.

Focusing on her work, Beckett wasn't surprised when her husband wrapped his arm around her, sliding his hand from the small of her back to her ass. "Easy," she told him.

"I know," Castle managed to grunt out to her as she was reaching to him with her other hand. "I won't… last long with… you… doing that," he groaned out to her though he had to force the words out.

"That's the point," Beckett said before she suddenly knelt in front of him. Taking him into her mouth she didn't waste time in moving back and forth on him, repeatedly, before he was tensing up completely. She was ready for him and listened to him calling her name, enjoying hearing it much more clearly that time. When he was finished she had intended to work on him a little more, but he was making her stand.

"I need to calm down," Castle explained to her before he kissed her as hard as he could. When they finally managed to part he said, "You don't want me to-"

"No," Beckett said with a smile. "It would just start you up again."

"I thought of that," Castle told her as they moved back under the water again. "But you didn't want to lose me."

Beckett shook her head and leaned over to him, kissing him lovingly before he wrapped his arms around her and they became more passionate. She made him stop suddenly telling him, "Rick… the kids."

"Yes," Castle said quickly as he realized she was right. They turned their attention to washing up which they helped each other do fully until they were finished and stepping out to dry one another off.

Wrapping her towel around herself when her husband was dry Beckett said, "I need to help Skye."

"She's cooking?" Castle asked in surprise, hurrying to wrap his towel around his waist.

"Yes, but you're right, we should see what Mary says about that," Beckett replied.

"What're we doing tomorrow?" Castle asked while he followed her to the bedroom.

"Just two subjects," Beckett replied. "Like today. I'll take Math and Science."

"English and History for me?" Castle asked.

Beckett nodded as she was pulling on her bra and said, "Eyes away from me love."

Pretending to grumble, Castle pulled on his shirt and then pants, buttoning up the dark blue shirt before he was tucking it in. He glanced at his wife, seeing she was buttoning her denim like blouse before he went into the bathroom, not realizing his running caught her attention.

"Rick?" Beckett asked, going into the room after him.

"What?" Castle asked, surprised at her slightly concerned tone.

"Are you alright?" Beckett replied. When her husband looked confused she said, "You were running."

"Oh," Castle said, realizing she was right. "I needed to extricate myself, you were… you are stunning love."

Going over to him, Beckett fixed the lapel slightly on his shirt before she said, "You are too. But are you alright?"

"Are you?" Castle asked after he'd nodded. When his wife just smiled, he leaned over and they shared a tender kiss before he leaned against the counter to watch her brush her hair. He was going to take her hand when she was finished but she was beating him to it and pulled him after her over to the stairs. At the door he was relieved when she stopped, and they wrapped their arms around each other before they were kissing hungrily for a while. "Okay… the kids," he said. He smiled when she took his hand again and squeezed it before he entwined their fingers while she was smiling back at him. They walked out of the guest house and up to the main house, stepping onto the patio just as the sliding door opened and their two middle daughters nearly flew out.

"Take it easy you guys," Beckett told them firmly though she was holding her arms around them and hugging them. "Did you finish your homework?" she asked them.

"Yeah, Skye and Mary are checking them now," Julia said first. "Oh, I mean their kids' homework."

"And we'll check yours," Beckett replied. "Rick?"

"Yeah," Castle said, nodding his head before he followed her and the girls into the house. "Clive, did you read?"

"I did too," Mari said, going over to him.

Beckett and Castle quizzed the kids they'd taught that day on what they'd needed to read and once they were sure they had learned what they needed to they let them go to play.

"Mommy," Eliza said, going over to her.

"Did your grandpapa check your homework?" Beckett asked the little girl.

"I want you to do it," Eliza replied, handing her the paper she had. "You and Daddy."

"Let's sit on the couch," Castle said, taking her hand and leading her over to the furniture. He had her sit on his lap and when Beckett was next to them he let her read over the words she had written down for each letter of the alphabet.

"I had to ask grandpapa about the word for x," Eliza confessed once she'd finished.

"I think you still did a good job," Castle said.

"You did," Beckett said when the little girl looked at her. "And your hand writing was very nice."

"Thanks," Eliza said shyly.

Beckett hugged her and was about to speak when she heard a pot in the kitchen, making her look to see Mary at the stove while Skye was speaking to her at the island.

"Grá, you don't need to cook," the investigator was saying. "And not by yourself; with so many of us here."

"It won't take me that long," Mary said.

"She won't need to cook by herself," Beckett said, walking over to them.

"I'm not exhausted," Skye said in slight irritation.

"No, but you've done more work than we have," Beckett commented.

"She's right," Mary said quickly. "Please grá, humor me."

"Alright," Skye said with a sigh before she turned and saw Julia was watching her. "Come here," she said with a laugh, gesturing to the girl.

"Sorry but… could you show us what you learned today?" Julia asked with a smile.

"Sure," Skye replied. "And I'm glad you asked because I did want to show you so you could correct me."

"Isn't that Derek's job?" Peter asked, walking over to them.

"Yes, but I want a second opinion," Skye replied. "Okay, so we focused on the ending a bit and we'll finish on the last verse which they were able to move to join the first minute and twenty seconds of the song."

"How does it go Mum?" Marie asked.

Skye glanced at her daughter before she sang, "Keep on sending your love, In the heat of battle, You've got something that'll save us, Save us now, Save us now, Save us now," dragging out the last line as it was in the song. She smiled when everyone applauded and was about to thank them when the chime for the gate out in front rang. She was about to let them know who was there when Julia was suddenly gasping before she could do that.

"It's Derek!" the girl exclaimed. "You invited him for dinner, didn't you?"

"I did, I won't make this a habit though," Skye replied with a smile. She watched Beckett walk over to her and said, "You can tell?"

"Of course," she replied. "What is it?"

Shaking her head, the investigator said, "You'll find out soon enough," before she went to open the gate at the console by the front door. She opened it in time to see Derek's car driving through the open gate and she waved to him before he pulled up to the porch. "I haven't told them," Skye told him once the dancer was getting out of the car. "So don't let them know."

"I wasn't going to," Derek replied. "You can tell them," he said, speaking quickly as he could see the kids coming up behind her as he was stepping up onto the porch.

Beckett could hear the kids greeting Derek down the hall and she smiled at Mary before saying, "If she does dance I don't think it'll be for that long."

"Maybe not, but she needs rest," the doctor replied, straining some pasta. "I know the show hasn't started yet, but I don't want her to get run down like you hear the stars talking about."

"She'll be alright," Beckett said, though she knew the doctor was thinking of her wife's tendency to focus on things to the detriment of her wellbeing. "Hi Derek," she said as the kids came back, followed closely by the dancer and Skye.

"Hey," he replied. "It smells great."

"It'll be ready soon," Mary said, stirring some tomato sauce in the spaghetti she'd just made. "But great to see you again."

"We were practicing," Eliza said suddenly. "Um, not me, they were," she said shyly when she realized everyone was looking at her.

"I was going to show them the choreography at the end," Skye explained to her partner. "Is that alright?"

"Well, why don't we wait until we're back in the studio for that," Derek said. "I'd just like you to be in that environment when you dance."

"More space?" Castle asked.

"Yeah, and the mirrors help her see what she does right, or might mess up on," Derek said before he looked at his partner a little pointedly.

"Guys?" Mary said. When everyone looked at her except for Beckett she couldn't help laughing and said, "After dinner, which is ready but our table isn't."

Once the kids had set the long dining room table everyone gathered around, and the plates of pasta were passed around. The discussion while they were eating was about Labor Day which was that coming Monday and what they would be doing.

"We're going to stay here," Mary said for herself and her wife since they hadn't spoken about their plans yet though she was speaking to Castle and Beckett in the kitchen while they were cleaning the plates.

"You lot should head out," Skye said.

"Where?" Beckett asked though for some reason she wasn't very surprised her friend had asked that.

"The beach house," Skye said. When she saw the slight surprise on Beckett's face she said, "Just you guys."

"And you?" Castle asked, handing his wife a cup to dry.

"We'll stay here," Skye replied. "And you can use the downstairs apartment; where we stay so you'll all fit." She smiled when Beckett glanced at her and told her, "I figured you were thinking about that."

"We'll think about it," Beckett said. She glanced at her husband and then said with a sigh, "Or we will go."

"Great, I would leave on…" Skye started to say before she suddenly left.

"Are they practicing on Friday now?" Beckett asked.

"Probably, would you mind leaving on Saturday morning?" Mary asked.

"That would work out better," Castle commented. "That way we can get everything for the six kids going with us." He smiled when his wife rolled her eyes but knew she thought the same as him before Skye was walking back inside the kitchen.

"Okay, we are going to practice on Friday and I'd like the kids there," the investigator told them. "But that'll be it until the second for practicing."

"Derek doesn't want us there?" Castle asked.

"No, not for the final touches," Skye answered.

"What about your clothes?" Mary asked.

"Her costume," Beckett said when she saw her husband widen his eyes though she knew he was aware of what the doctor meant.

"I'll be trying it on on Friday," Skye replied easily. "Yes, that fast," she said with a laugh. "Trousers and a shirt?"

Sharing a look with her husband, Beckett said, "Aren't you wearing a pilot's jacket?"

"Yes, mine," Skye said simply. She then sighed and explained, "I didn't want to, but the show asked me to and I called the company… British Airways," she added quickly for Castle and Beckett. "And they said it'd be alright." She shrugged and said, "So I have that."

"You'll look great grá," Mary said, going to her wife and wrapping her arms around her tightly.

Castle smiled at his wife, finishing the last bowl, and went to her before he took her hand, intending to leave the two women before the kids were coming back along with their parents and Derek.

"Skye," the dancer said as the two women were parting.

"Right," she said quickly, before whispering into her wife's ear for a moment.

"This is so annoying," Peter murmured to Julia.

Shrugging, the girl wasn't surprised when her partner just looked at her and she smiled telling him, "What can you do? Grownups are like that."

"Okay, Derek and I were talking today," Skye said. "And he wants to see you dancing something else."

"Oh… sure," Peter said, looking over at Mari and Clive.

"Should I just say?" Derek said.

"I think so since you'll have to contact all their parents," Skye replied.

"Alright, the show's gotten hold of footage of you two at some of your competitions," Derek began, looking at Castle and Beckett. When they nodded, he looked back at the pair and said, "They're open to the idea of you two dancing on the show in between dances; just once a show though if it's alright with your parents. And they want me to choreograph for you, but I'm wondering if you have any dances already," waiting for their reactions.

"Just the two of us?" Julia asked first.

"I'll see if the four of you can't dance eventually," Derek said. "And I hate saying this but-" he started to say, looking uncomfortable.

"They know they can dance," Clive said. When the dancer nodded he said, "So why-" before Mari put her hand on his arm.

"He'll let them see us dance too," the girl said. "So they'll let us join them." She turned her head to Derek and asked, "We will join them, right? They're a lot better than we are."

"You two aren't that bad," the dancer assured them. "But yes, that's what Skye and I both want to do. So with that, like I said I'd like to see if you two have anything already choreographed that you can show us now?"

"Not the Jive?" Julia asked.

"No, something else," Derek replied.

Nodding, Julia smiled and turned to Peter, murmuring to him for a moment before they spoke to one another until she turned to Derek and said, "We have a Cha-Cha we… just made up."

"Okay, what song?" the dancer asked.

"We didn't really have a song," Peter said, sharing a look with Julia.

"We could try though," the girl said with a smile.

"You could tell he was going to ask that?" Skye asked her.

"Yeah, are you going to perform?" Julia said.

"I can always play it on the-" Skye started to say.

"I think they thought of a song you know," Jim commented as he was watching his granddaughter.

"Yeah," Julia replied. "We sorta…"

"We choreographed it to the song but… we're kinda embarrassed," Peter said, taking up for his partner. "It's…" he began, looking at her.

"P2… Vatican Blues?" Julia asked the investigator and her wife.

"Yeah," Skye said. "We do know that," she said. "But we'll sing with the music on stereo."

"You can't play it?" Ivy asked in disappointment.

"I'd rather not," Skye said, glancing at her wife.

"I know, the baby," Mary said as she went over to the TV. "And grá? Stereo?"

"I'm a child of the nineties; what do you want?" Skye said jokingly. "Is it alright if you dance here?" she asked the pair.

"Sure," Julia said. She looked at Peter and said, "How should we start?"

"We always just… started the steps," the boy explained. Peter talked with his partner for a while before he asked Derek, "Do you know the song?"

"No, but I don't want you to worry how it looks," the dancer said. "Just start and dance."

"Okay," Julia said, smiling at Peter who soon nodded. She tried not to glance at her family, instead letting her partner take her hand as Mary played the song.

Beckett wasn't surprised when the two didn't do anything as the opening music played, but as soon as Skye was singing they began to move with Peter spinning Julia once, rapidly. She was impressed, as she had no idea when the two had made the dance up and resolved to ask them once the song was over since they were stopping their steps before that.

Gazed at the ceiling from belowA splendid MichelangeloFilled my heart with delightLast Saturday night

Arrived believing from homeClimbed every step inside St. Peter's DomeClaustrophobic and ex-CatholicLast Saturday night

Now how come nobody really noticedPuff of white smoke knocked me outThe truth is hiding, lurking, bankingThings they do at night

It's quite suspicious to say the leastEven mentioned it to my local priestOne Our Father, three Hail MarysEach Saturday night

With the instrumental, Castle shared a look with his wife as Peter extended his left leg while he held Julia's hand and she moved her feet so her legs and hips were shaking back and forth. He wasn't very surprised to see the move, since he knew Jennifer Grey had done a similar move in her finale Cha-Cha. But when Peter stood and spun Julia again they stopped he looked with the others at Skye.

"Keep going!" Julia said, not surprised the other kids were saying the same thing.

Shaking her head, and smiling, Skye sang the remainder of the song, her wife providing the back up when it was needed.

I wish somebody would tell meThat it's only a showI'll confess, own up, let's face itIn my concrete tuxedo

It's quite suspicious to say the leastWhile mentioning it to my priestOne Our Father, three Hail MarysEach Saturday night

One Our Father, three Hail MarysEach Saturday nightOne Our Father, three Hail MarysEach Saturday night

As soon as the music stopped Skye thanked everyone for their applause before she turned her attention to her partner. "Well?" she asked.

"Yeah, I think we're good," Derek said. He then smiled at the kids and asked, "Have you done that for other dances?"

"We did, but we just threw stuff together," Peter said. "Were we lucky for this one?"

"You were," Derek replied. "But again, it let me see what you can do. Now I have an idea for your first dance but it's going to have to wait for the show to tell me when we can do that."

Nodding, Julia said, "It's okay if we don't."

"Oh, you will," Skye said. "But now we have that out of the way…"

"It's our turn," Beckett said in amusement as the investigator was looking at her. "This weekend is a holiday weekend."

"We don't have school on Monday, right?" Mari asked.

"No. And because of that Skye and Mary suggested we should go to the beach house on Saturday and come back here Monday," Beckett told them.

Castle laughed when the kids were immediately exclaiming before he realized Skye and Mary's were too.

"Is there a way we could all fit there?" Beckett asked the investigator, having gone to her, speaking in Russian in her ear.

Skye appeared to think for a moment before she said, "Girls," to her daughters. "We're going to stay home but," she was quick to add when the girls groaned. "We've just gone okay?"

"Grá?" Mary asked. When her wife looked at her, she smiled and said, "We should go. You'll have to share beds and we'll need some air mattresses, but we can fit."

"What she means to say is the room that was the bedroom downstairs?" Skye asked.

"Your dad's?" Castle asked in remembrance.

"Dad added two bunk beds; after we adopted Ivy and Iris," Skye said. "We'll have enough room though we'll be a bit crowded."

"But it's just for the weekend," Martha said. "And I'd like to see this beach house; the girls have told us about it."

"We'll go," Beckett said with a smile.

"I'll be spending time with my sister and family," Derek said quickly when he saw Julia was looking at him. "But thanks for the thought."

"Okay, we'll leave Saturday morning and-" Mary started to say.

"Bring your guitars Mum, Mom," Kathleen said rapidly.

"We will," Skye said with a heavy sigh though she was soon smiling. "But… I am looking forward to this."

"When did you take your girls?" Jim asked, nodding to the three youngest.

"Two weekends ago," Mary said, looking pointedly at her wife.

Everyone started to laugh at the broad smile on Skye's face before they calmed down and then turned their attention to playing some games together before they needed to get their children to bed.

"Okay, I'm sure we have this ready," Skye was saying, looking at the paper in front of her. "You two are in the master bedroom of course."

"Are you sure?" Castle asked.

"We always stay in that apartment on the second level," Mary said reassuringly.

"What did you do when you took the girls?" Castle then said.

Shaking her head Skye said, "Remember we stay in the house then. Not about to let the girls stay in the home on their own. And don't interrupt me." She smiled when Castle held up his hands jokingly and then continued saying, "We're down in that apartment. Our girls will obviously fit in the downstairs bedroom. Now the three bedrooms upstairs are slightly trickier."

"My dad and Martha said they'd share with what kids they need to," Beckett reminded her.

"Which is why I'll give the room with the queen-sized bed to Martha and Eliza," Skye replied. "The other bedroom can go to Jim and the boys; we'll take an air mattress. We can't get a hold of a cot or cots now we're all going. And the other bedroom Julia and Mari can share together."

"They might share a twin bed?" Castle said to his wife.

"We'll advise them not to, those beds are skinny," Beckett replied, looking at the two women. "But I'm sure we'll figure that all out when we get there. Oh, Josie?"

"Yeah… is a bassinet alright?" Skye asked.

"It is, but do you have one?" Beckett said.

"And we forgot," Mary said to her wife. "We needed to pick it up from our neighbor. Why have you not needed it until now?"

"We're always holding her," Beckett said in amusement before they watched Skye hurry to the stove to get the kettle off which had begun whistling.

"Good thing," Mary replied quickly as she was going to her wife to help her. "And ask her once we have our tea and are outside," smiling at Beckett and her startled expression.

Getting her tea ready, Beckett followed the two women with her husband behind her and they went out to the rose garden. Once they were sitting she said, "I did have another question."

"Everyone always has a question for me now," Skye said with a smile. "But go ahead and ask."

"What are you going to do if you get to the Rumba?" Beckett said.

Breathing out Skye said, "I've talked with Derek about that and I'm not sure how it'll go. But hopefully there's a song that has more of a connection with me and Mary."

"I'm sure there will be," the doctor said.

"She's got a look on her face," Castle commented as they were all watching the woman.

Laughing, when she saw her wife was studying her, Mary then said, "I told them to let me pick the song that time."

"Just that one?" Skye asked.

"With you dancing that way with a man?" Mary said back immediately.

Laughing with everyone Skye then said, "I don't think you need to worry grá. There's no chance I'd be all that interested in more than a dance with Derek."

"You think she'd change her sexuality?" Beckett asked in surprise.

"It's not that," Skye said before her wife could say anything. "She's not looking forward to people thinking that Derek and I are a pair."

"They seem to think that with a lot of his partners," Castle commented.

Nodding her head, Skye then said to Beckett, "That brings us to your other question."

"If you weren't sisters then I would be worried," Castle said as Mary looked at Beckett with him.

Giving her husband a look, she said, "Are you worried at all about people reacting to your sexuality?"

"There've already been posts on social media about her," Mary said first, looking angry as she took her wife's free hand with her own.

"I don't really consider it," Skye said. "I have more on my mind with the dances than their opinions on something I can't change. And of course, I'm not about to change just because people I don't know take offense to me; they don't know either."

"Your safety?" Castle said though he didn't really want to bring that up.

"There'll be guards that'll be there for the shows," Skye said first. "Not just for me but everyone's family and friends. So you'll all be safe. Oh, that reminds me. Lenora's back and she'll come this week to meet Josie."

"Great, but Marie and Kath have repeated she's a great babysitter," Beckett said with a smile.

"Of course, but you should meet her," Skye replied. "And that'll be next week." She sipped at the last of her tea and told them, "To be honest I'd intended you guys to go to the beach house on your own; you and everyone else in your group."

"I know, but we're here to be with you in the end," Beckett said.

"Plus, our kids would want to be around your kids," Castle added. "And Mari, Peter and Clive."

"I got what you meant," Skye said with a nod. She then said, "We had our chance alone there though; it's why we'd thought of that. And we'll go, don't worry."

"What're your plans for tomorrow though?" Castle asked the investigator.

"I think we should start with breakfast in Paris," Skye replied.

"Is it a good idea to switch between languages like that?" Mary said to her wife.

Shaking her head Skye said, "It's why we immerse them in the language. Working on verbs and rules can make it harder for children to pick it up."

"Is that how you learned?" Beckett asked her.

"Essentially," Skye replied. "That and I'm more adept at languages," she added. "But that's me. So I think I'd like to say goodnight, get a bit of rest in anticipation of tomorrow and teaching the kids."

"And swimming," Mary reminded her.

"P.E. again?" Skye asked. When the other three nodded she said, "I suppose it's easier to just have them all do that. We'll see you tomorrow morning for breakfast."

"The-" Castle started to say; since he and Beckett were still holding their mugs. But the two women took them and he said, "We're going to take dinner you know."

"That's fine, but we'll be eating out for dinners," Skye replied.

"We figured," Beckett said. "The Orange Inn that first night?"

"For lunch," Skye said, shaking her head. "Since we're going so early. We'll head to The Cliff for dinner."

"Can they handle a party as large as ours will be?" Castle asked. "Or did you call already?"