#castlefanfics

[nic6879]

Our Serendipitous Paths

ch 13: epilog

Kate Beckett wakes in a world where nothing is as she knows it to be. A S4 AU. Now COMPLETE. 

Thank you for reading! 

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Here To Stay - Father’s Day

Here To Stay

Father’s Day (Family Vacation part 1)

 School was out and the Castle/Beckett clan decided to spend the summer in the Hamptons. Kate had arranged to spend a couple of days each week in the city to keep up with meetings and the precinct, but everybody else was at the big house 24/7. Even Jim and Martha came; since both were retired, and Jim in particular was getting bored, just sitting around reading.

Kate teased him when she found him on the beach lying on a lawn chair, ostensibly watching Jake and Reece building sandcastles, while Leroy was ambling about the beach, but she saw the book lying face down on his chest when he looked up at her.

“I thought you were getting so tired of sitting reading Dad, so you come up here with us and what do you do?” she smirked.

“Okay, number one, the beach is different. Number two, I’m watching the boys. And number three, I’m not sitting, I’m lying down.”

Kate laughed. “Once a lawyer, always a lawyer.”

She turned to the twins.

“Hey guys, it’s time for our big picnic. You hungry?”

“Starving, Mama!” both boys shouted, knocking their castle down in their haste to run up to the house yelling “It’s Daddy’s Day” the whole way.

Smiling Kate looked back at her dad.

“What about you? It’s your day too.”

Jim hauled himself out of the lawn chair.

“Is it all right if I leave this here?” he asked, indicating the chair.

Kate looked out at the ocean and back.

“It should be fine, I don’t think the incoming tide will reach this far, but why don’t we pull it back a bit just in case.”

The two were slower about reaching the house than the twins were, happy to have a little time together, just father and daughter.

“Happy ‘Daddy’s Day’, Dad,” Kate grinned at Jim’s laugh.

He kissed her temple.

“Thanks, Katie.”

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Here To Stay - August

Here To Stay

Family Vacation (part 3, August)

Kate pulled into the driveway of the Hamptons house after spending a couple of days in the city, catching up on paperwork, the gossip in the precinct (courtesy of Ryan and Esposito) and lunch with Lanie. While she enjoyed the time spent with her friends, she missed her family fiercely even after only two days, and was happy to be back…

…Only to be greeted by one of the strangest sights she’d ever seen.

Leroy – on a skateboard – being chased by three kids under ten and one adult trying to hold his cell phone camera steady as he ran.

What the…?

“Beckett you’re back!” her husband strode around the corner of the house. “Did you see what Roman has been training Leroy to do?”

“Castle?” Kate wasn’t sure if what she had seen was real. “Was that Leroy on a skateboard?”

“Uh-huh, YouTube has a bunch of videos of skateboarding bulldogs. Roman and Alexis thought it would be fun to see if they could train Leroy. So far, he seems to love it.”

“That is the goofiest thing I’ve ever seen, and I’m married to you,” Kate teased. “Is Leroy going to be YouTube famous?”

“He is if Roman has anything to say about it,” Rick laughed. “Come on in, Alexis is making dinner.”

He drew her in his arms and kissed her.

“Welcome home.”

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Here To Stay - Independence Day

Here To Stay

Independence Day (Family Vacation part 2)

 “Better take a picture quick before that hat falls off.”

Kate handed Rick a beer as he lifted his hands off the Uncle Sam hat he had carefully balanced on Leroy’s head.

“Stay Leroy,” he told the bulldog as he reached into his pocket for his phone. He snapped the picture just in time, Leroy heard the kids squealing and ambled off to see what was going on, hat falling onto the grass as he did.

“Dad’s firing up the grill,” Kate said as Rick took a swig from the bottle. “Hot dogs for the kids, burger for me, burger and/or steak for you and cedar planked salmon for him and for Martha.”

“Wow, going all out for Mother,”

“He’s asking what everybody wants. I think he bought enough salmon in town if you want that instead. But go tell him whatever it is so he can get everything going.”

“On my way,” Rick rushed off and Kate followed Leroy down to the beach where Martha was lounging on the lawn chair watching the kids.

“There you are, Darling!” Martha exclaimed.  “The children have been clamoring for me to go swimming, and I haven’t a suit.” She lifted her sunglasses. “I think they want an adult with them… smart kids.”

Kate smiled.

“I’ve got my suit on,” she said as she pulled her t-shirt off. “My dad’s starting dinner, I think he mentioned you wanted to watch him?”

“Oh yes! He mentioned cooking on a wooden plank, I know I’m not much of a cook – ” She rolled her eyes at herself. “But it sounded interesting and you’re never too old to learn something new.”

With that, she stood, waved goodbye to her grandchildren and marched up the beach to the house.

Kate chuckled – always the grand diva.

“All right guys!” she called, taking off her shorts. “Who wants to swim in the ocean before dinner?”

She was answered by squeals and barks.

XX

“Why can’t Wewoy see fireworks?” asked Reece as Mama and Daddy were setting up bedding, water and dog food in the walk-in closet in their bedroom.

“Dogs can get scared by the loud booms, PB,” answered Daddy.

“He can stay by me; I’ll help him not be scawed.” He hugged Leroy, who licked his face.

“That’s very sweet, Baby,” said Mama, pulling the little boy into a hug of his own. “But I think Leroy will be happier up here away from all the noise.”

Reece nodded with a skeptical look on his face.

“Okay.”

“Should we shut the door?” Rick asked as they left the closet. “Block out more noise?”

“No, he needs to be able to leave if he wants,” Kate answered. “Besides, the ventilation isn’t very good in there.”

Rick nodded.

The kids were making more noise than they should have been even with the excitement of the day. A flash of red hair told the reason why.

“Wexie!” squealed Reece as he ran from his parents and into his big sister’s arms.

“Hey Roman,” Rick greeted his son-in-law. “How was the drive down?”

“Surprisingly free of traffic,” Roman replied. “I guess we managed to get on the road while everyone was having their barbeques.”

“Well, I’m glad you made it for the fireworks.”

Rick pulled his daughter in for a hug and Kate passed out sparklers. It wasn’t full dark yet, but better to do these now, before there was a risk of someone tripping and getting burned because they couldn’t see.

A couple hours later, after the last of the colorful sparks fell from the sky, the adults were helping the kids go inside to bed. Reece was sacked out on Alexis’ shoulder, while Jake was valiantly trying to keep his eyes open as Roman held him. Lily was still awake (only just) and wanted both Gram and Grap to tuck her in. She held both their hands on their way into the house.

That left Rick and Kate remaining. They’d cleaned most of the detritus from the barbecue earlier, and all that was left were the chairs and a few bottles and glasses that they decided could wait until morning.

“Good day?” asked Rick as he and Kate watched the last of the smoke from the fireworks clear and the stars began peeking out.

“Great day.”

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Here To Stay - Mother’s Day

Here To Stay

Mother’s Day

 “Wewoy, those are for Mama! You’re not s’posed to eat ‘em!”

Kate glanced up at the sound of a tearful Jake. Rising from her chair she heard him continue.

“Now ev’rybody’s gonna have somefing to give her but me! I hate you Wewoy!”

Kate heard running feet and a door slam before she could climb the stairs and find out what was wrong.

As she was walking toward the twins’ room, Kate saw the culprit lying in the hallway, petals everywhere and chewing on a stem.

“Oh, Leroy,” she admonished the dog. They’d trained him not to chew on things but had apparently left flowers out of the equation.

She knocked on the door as she opened it.

“Weece, I know it’s your woom too, but I wanna be by myself, okay?”

“I’m not Reece, baby.”

Jake spun on his bed to face her, tears spilling down his face.

“Wewoy ate your Mama’s Day pwesent, Mama. They was sunfwowers, big and yewwow, and they was for you!”

“I’m sorry, baby,” Kate began.

“No, Mama,” Jake interrupted, “I sowwy. I don’t know how he got ‘em, but he did and I’m mad at him.”

“I know you are, and I don’t blame you; but do you really hate him?”

Jake turned his baby blue eyes to her, still sorrowful.

“You heard me say that?”

“Yeah, I did.”

Jake looked down at the blanket on his bed. “I guess I don’t weally hate him, but he ate my pwesent for you and I’m mad at him!”

“I understand that,” Kate replied, smoothing her hand over her son’s hair. “And it’s okay to be mad, we’ll need to train Leroy some more so he doesn’t chew on anything we don’t want him to.”

Jake nodded, sniffing a little as his tears dried up.

“Have you heard the phrase ‘It’s the thought that counts’?” Kate continued.

Jake shook his head.

“You wanted to give me flowers for Mother’s Day, right?”

“Sunfwowers, Mama!” as if sunflowers were the most important flowers in the universe.

“Sunflowers,” she amended with a soft smile. “And something happened that wasn’t your fault that made it so you couldn’t give them to me.”

“Wewoy,” the boy said grumpily.

“But you wanted to, and you tried.” Kate pulled Jake in for a hug, and he snuggled beneath her chin. “And that’s what matters most.”

“Happy Mama’s Day.”

“Thank you, Jakey.”

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Here To Stay - Easter

Here To Stay

Easter

Peals of giggles filled the air outside of Jim’s cabin and Kate looked up from her book smiling. She and her father had been up half the night hiding plastic Easter eggs filled with chocolate and other candies around the wooded part of the cabin’s yard. Rick had been up half the night as well, though he was pre-preparing their Easter dinner instead of hiding eggs.

So now he was outside with the three kids, helping them find the goodies, and finding some for himself too.

“Mama, Mama!” Lily burst through the screen door. “Mama you gotta come see!”

“Whoa, Tiger-Lily!” Jim said as he came into the room from the kitchen. “Slow down, what’s going on?”

“You too, Grap!” the little girl exclaimed and ran back out the door with a “Come on!”

“You heard the girl, Katie,” Jim said, holding out a hand to Kate.  “Let’s go.”

When the door shut behind them Kate called to her husband.

“Hey, Castle, what’s going on? You guys just started the hunt.”

Rick didn’t answer, just pointed at the Easter Bulldog sitting by the azalea bush, rabbit ears on his head, surrounded by plastic eggs, looking pleased with himself.

“Leroy hunted them all and brought them here,” Rick grinned.

“He didn’t eat any of them, did he?” asked Kate in a worried tone. “Chocolate isn’t good for dogs.”

“As far as I can see, he just fetched them all,” Rick reassured her. “Do you think you got all of them, or do we get a turn to search?” This last question was directed toward Leroy, who simply woofed happily as Kate and Jim looked over the eggs.

“No, it looks like he found all of them,” laughed Jim. “It doesn’t look like any of them opened either, so the chocolate and dog should be safe.”

At that, all three kids squealed and dove onto the pile, each taking a big egg and one of the marshmallow carrots and divvying up the smaller eggs into their own piles. None of them were particularly unhappy that they didn’t get to do the hunt, they all thought it was hilarious Leroy did it for them.

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Here To Stay - St. Patrick’s Day

Here To Stay

St. Patrick’s Day

 ‘Aron go bra’

Kate smiled at the card Reece had made for her. He’d obviously heard Uncle Kevin saying it at the precinct yesterday afternoon when Castle had brought him in for a quick visit on their way to the library. Her little boy had obviously not asked Daddy or his uncle how to spell it, however, which made her smile grow.

Lily and Jake were wildly independent, but her sweet, shy Reece had always been content to ask for help when needed – even if he really didn’t need it. Kate had no problem with that, all three kids were growing up too fast as it was.

Reece was beginning to assert himself a little more though, sticking up for what he wanted to play instead of just going with Jake’s ideas all the time. And this time, he made her a card, all by himself.

In addition to the words, the little boy had drawn a picture of Leroy wearing a shamrock headband.

“Lily put them on so no one would pinch Wewoy ‘cause he’s not wearing gween,” Reece told his mother, pointing to the bulldog, who sure enough, was sporting a headband with springy shamrocks attached.

“So I drawed a piture so we can remember.”

Kate drew Reece into a hug.

“It’s beautiful, baby, I’ll keep it forever. Erin go bragh.”

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Here To Stay - New Year’s

Here To Stay

New Year’s

 The kids had brokered a deal with their parents. No bed until midnight.

“Dat means even if we fall asweep, you don’t put us in bed,” Jake, the little lawyer in the making said, his arms folded in a defiant stance, his twin and big sister nodding vociferously in agreement.

Kate normally didn’t like negotiating with her children, she was the parent, what she said went. But this was different.

It was a holiday. Both elementary and preschools were closed, and she’d taken the day off herself. Nobody was getting up early, it wasn’t a big deal.

“Fine…” she began, but was interrupted by Lily’s giggles.

“Wook at Wewoy!” exclaimed Reece. Kate did and let out a laugh of her own.

Jim had put a ‘Happy New Year’ tiara on the bulldog who seemed to be okay with it if his smile was any indication.

“Very festive, Leroy,” Kate turned back to her kids, grinning. “Let’s get this party started!”

Rick brought a metal container filled with ice and bottled drinks, and Martha brought snacks to the table where a stack of board games sat. Zoo Regatta, Mousetrap and Cranium for the kids, Ticket to Ride and Villainous for the adults after the kids inevitably sacked out – no matter their insistence on staying awake.

They tried. They really did. And they made it a full two hours past bedtime. Now, however, the twins were snoring on the couch along with their grandfather, and Lily was valiantly trying to keep her eyes open… she wasn’t succeeding very well.

“Do you want to go upstairs, Tiger Lily?” asked Rick. “Your bed would be more comfy.”

“No Daddy, I’m awake,” Lily glared as best as her sleepy eyes would allow her. “Wanna talk to ‘Lexis,” Lily yawned, rubbing her eyes in an effort to keep them open.

“That’ll still be a couple of hours,” Rick reminded his youngest daughter.

As the low man on the totem pole in his new job, Roman had been roped into going on a business trip to L.A. and Alexis went with him. She’d promised to call at 9PM Pacific time, to wish Happy New Year at New York midnight.

“Tell you what, Sweetheart,” Rick continued. “Why don’t you go lie on the couch with your brothers and Grap. We’ll wake you up before midnight.”

“Promise?” Lily glared, hands on her hips.

Geez, it was frightening how much his baby girl looked like both her mother and his at the same time. He was never going to stand a chance.

“I promise, Tiger-Lily,” he replied solemnly.

XX

Two hours later when the phone rang, Rick did his parental duty and woke Lily to let her answer. He and Kate tried to wake the twins so they could talk to their big sister, but neither budged.

So after Lily handed the phone to her dad, Kate, Martha, and Jim each took a child to their respective rooms to give Rick a chance to catch up with his eldest.

“Happy New Year, Dad,” Alexis said, her smile apparent through the phone.

“Happy New Year, Pumpkin.”