8. This World's Waiting For(2)

"We always felt guilty," Castle told his wife, gently rubbing her upper arm.

"But we didn't fall in love because of the earthquake," Beckett reminded him.

"True," Castle replied. "But after the ceremony at the fire hydrant we made our way over to Golden Gate Park."

"I remember too," Beckett replied. "Tell me," she urged him, smiling when he kissed her forehead. She settled against him again, listening to him recalling their trip with their four children and family to the park they had met at when they were children.

"Here Ma?" Elizabeth asked as her parents had stopped.

"It is," Rose said before her sister could.

"Why did you run into Da?" Julia asked.

"We were playing catch," Kate replied. "Your uncle had brought his baseball with us from our home and we were playing with that. I was running so he would throw it to me and ran into your da instead," she finished, smiling at her husband.

"Did you fall in love with Ma?" Alexandra asked.

"No, I was starving and a little hurt," Rick replied. "But your grandparents took me in, so I had a chance for that later."

"I'm glad you did," Josephine said, wrapping her arms around him.

"Girls," Johanna told them with a smile. "Let's keep goin' to the Japanese Gardens."

"We'll meet you there," Patrick told the couple before they were ushering the kids further into the park.

Turning to her husband Kate said, "I didn't really want another brother you know."

"Junior told me," Rick said with a smile. "Luckily your parents told you I wasn't going to be."

"I know, but I would still have fallen for you," Kate replied as she slipped her arm through his. They began walking in the direction of where their tent had been thirty years before and she said, "And I'm glad I ran into you."

"So am I," Rick replied. He glanced around them and when he saw they weren't surrounded by people he stopped his wife. "It's funny how happy I was even with the destruction, even after losing my ma."

"She would have wanted you to be," Kate said, embracing him. When she let him go she said, "We were too but we felt horrible about it. We were all together, you were safe and the fires were out soon after."

Rick nodded and said, "At least I had you."

Kate smiled, since she knew that hadn't been on his mind when they'd been so young, but she let him kiss her swiftly on the lips before they continued after their family to the gardens.

"It's not much but we were feeling a lot of mixed emotions," Castle said.

"I remember," Beckett said. She then sighed and said, "I really wish we could have met in better circumstances… both times."

"Well… we had a slight improvement this time around," Castle said. "At least the city wasn't burning." He smiled when she laughed softly, and he then asked her, "Are you thinking of the song they have for the Rumba?"

"Yeah," Beckett said. "Though I understand why Skye picked it still."

"Did you ever see the movie?" Castle said.

"I did, but a long time ago and that's not what I'm thinking about," Beckett said.

"I know," Castle said quickly. "I was just wondering. And I was going to tell you I understand why Skye picked it too."

Beckett nodded and then told her husband, "We'll have to tell the girls about that day, next time we're talking to Alexis."

"Hopefully tomorrow," Castle said. "Wednesday we'll be busy."

"We will," Beckett said simply. She then sighed and said, "I'll still go but I'm not doing so too comfortably."

"I think we all know," Castle replied. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and told her, "Just the fact that you're going to talk to the guys makes me love you more."

With a soft laugh Beckett kissed his collarbone through his pajama shirt and said, "Luckily. Will you take it easy when we're there at night though?"

"How do you even know they'll let me out to wherever you guys are investigating?" Castle asked.

"Or me for that matter," Beckett said, feeling a slight sense of hope.

"I think Skye would have you go," Castle said slowly. He wasn't surprised when she breathed out hard and he held her close saying, "If you don't want-"

"I need to," Beckett said, raising her head. "We talked after she told me, and she said it'll be better for her."

"The twin thing? But what about Mary?" Castle asked.

"I asked her that too, but she couldn't explain it to me," Beckett said. "And I wasn't surprised. But… I also pointed out to her my skepticism and she retorted it hasn't stopped activity happening before."

"You're hoping," Castle said. When his wife just nodded he couldn't help kissing her forehead again saying, "I said this before, but I love you more for doing this."

"Then you'll owe me," Beckett said half-jokingly, wondering what he would say.

"Sure, just let me know," Castle said hurriedly.

"Pervert," Beckett said in amusement. She then raised her head so they could kiss and deeply. When they parted she murmured, "I love you Rick."

"I love you too Kate," Castle replied. He embraced her tightly and then said, "You're an amazing woman."

"And you're an understanding man," Beckett said. She smiled when she saw the way he was looking at her and told him, "I'm not tired yet."

"Oh, I know I'm good at understanding," Castle said as he knew what she meant.

The pair began to kiss again and that time they continued, not stopping until they knew they needed to get some rest. They were wrapped up tight in each other's arms as they lay in the dark. They murmured to one another lovingly until they slept, sated and content to reach their dreams of each other until they would awaken the next morning.