99. Chapter 99

"This looks amazing," she says, slowly turning around in the living room.

Castle grins back at her, hands filled with dinosaur paper plates and a piñata and the last jungle plant that he can't figure out where to place. "Yeah?"

"You've remade this place into that scene from Jurassic Park."

"Yeah!" He attempts a fist pump but the piñata tilts precariously. Kate lunges in to catch it, takes it off his hands.

"Whoa there."

"Thanks. Okay, so they'll get back-?"

"Any minute now," she says.

"Mommy!" Ellery yells from her room.

"They were just taking him down to get ice cream. So I'd say you have only a few minutes if you need-"

"MOM-my!"

Kate raises an eyebrow, keeps going. "-need anything else done. Do you want help with that?"

"I'm just gonna set the table, hang the piñata, put out Dash's presents, and then figure out what to do with this last plant."

"I like the dinosaur head," she says with a grin, lifting the piñata and setting it on the couch (which Castle covered in brown cloth to look like an outcropping of rock; he's kind of proud of it). "Where are you putting it?"

"Over here-"

"MOM-MY!"

"Hold your horses!" Kate yells back down the hall, then turns to him and sighs. "Where?"

"Over here so that it's peeking out of the jungle."

Kate grins widely, cutting her eyes to the rubber plants he's set up close to the sliding glass windows. "Just - make sure he won't accidentally break a window when he swings for it?"

"Ohhh, good call, Mommy."

She reaches out to - what? take his hand, kiss him? - but Ellery runs from the back room down the hall with a gasp.

"Hey, you're supposed to stay in your room," Castle says, frowning at her as she stands still at the end of the hall.

"Daddy," she gasps. "Dinosaurs."

Castle glances around, tries to see it like she does, the jungle, the draped furniture, the vines, the dinosaurs peeking out. He hopes it looks fun, not scary, since the idea was just to give Dashiell a chance to play like crazy today - total immersion in his favorite world.

"All right, back to your room, cricket," Kate says, herding her towards the bedroom. "What did you want me for?"

"Play with me?" she asks, tilting her head and giving Kate those big blue eyes, that half-smile.

"Castle, you need my help?"

"No, no. Go play," he says, waving her off. "I got this."

"You certainly do," she laughs. "Cake already here?"

"I texted Alexis. She and Rafe are picking it up."

Kate nudges Ella with her knee. "Go, baby." She glances back to him. "All right. Call if you need me."

"Like Ellery did?"

She laughs, comes back to press a kiss into his lips, her hair brushing him. "Happy Dash's birthday, Daddy."

He smiles at her, chest filling suddenly with the memory of that moment, the perfect one, putting that tiny little thing in her arms and the way she looked up at him - everything between them swept clean, all the fighting and uncertainty gone in a second. That's when he knew they'd be okay; they'd be more than okay.

They'd be this.

"Love you," he says.

She smooths her hand down his cheek, ignoring Ellery's squawking, her eyes dark on his. "Always."

"He's the cream in my coffee," she grins, then rolls her eyes as her son bounces on his toes in front of his grandfather, reaching for the dinosaur. "Or the reason I need coffee."

Martha laughs and gives her an impulsive hug. "Oh, that's brilliant. I love that." She hands her the mug of coffee and takes her own from the counter.

"Yeah, well," Kate shrugs, puts the mug back down, and crouches to grab the little girl hanging on to her legs. "It's also true. He's a wild man." She swings Ella up into her arms and blows a raspberry into her neck. Her daughter squeals and giggles, head thrown back as if asking for more.

Castle rescues her father, takes Dashiell and the huge dinosaur blow-up thing, heads for the kitchen. Wait, why the kitchen?

"More, Mommy," Ella giggles, so Kate ignores the two who just disappeared past the jungle plants and gives Ellery another raspberry.

Allie and Rafe are sitting close on the couch, laughing at something together, eating cake. Allie glances up and holds a hand out for Ellery; the girl squirms down and runs to Allie, climbs up in her lap.

"Mommy! Look what Daddy made!"

"Oh no," she mutters, and heads for the kitchen with Martha behind her. "What did Daddy-"

Oh.

"Daddy made it for me."

"He did," she grins, bites her lip. It's Castle's laptop with the title page for Felix. "Is Daddy going to read it to you?"

"Daddy is going to read it to everyone!" Dashiell jumps up and down in front of her, his face split wide with happiness. "Want to hear it?"

"I sure do," she says. Doesn't say she's already read it. Ellery scampers in from the living room, scrambling up Castle's legs like a monkey. He laughs and grabs for her, helps haul her up into his arms.

"Hey there, cricket." He jiggles her up and down, making her laugh, and she wraps her arms around him.

Kate slides her fingers through Dashiell's hair, pushing it off his forehead. The stitches look clean; she's almost gotten used to them. He's still grinning up at her, waiting for permission or something, and he wraps both hands around her arm, still bouncing on his toes. "Happy Birthday, Dashiell."

"Thanks, Mommy. I'm five."

"You are five."

"Daddy, can you read it now?" Dash twists out from under her hand.

"Everyone go back to the living room, and I'll read it." He leans over and hands off Ellery to Kate; she takes the girl and ushers Dashiell ahead of her towards the couch.

They all settle in tightly together, a Castle dogpile, Alexis half in Rafe's lap, Ellery in Kate's lap, Dashiell bouncing on Martha's knees, crawling over to Kate, then back to Papa - relentless and excited and unable to sit still.

Castle uses the ipad instead of his laptop to read, standing up in front of them like he's giving a performance. Kate shifts back until she can lean against the couch, her arms loose around Ella, and watches Dashiell's face.

Her birthday boy.

Felix glared at the girl currently walking straight through his crime scene.

"What do you think you're doing?" he said.

She turned and stared back at him. "Who are you?"

"Me? Who are you?" Felix growled, hands on his hips. The private library was quiet on this floor, but Felix hardly ever saw any other kids up here. Mostly adults.

That made her his number one suspect.

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," she said, but she was glaring back at him like she thought she could take him.

Yeah, right.

"This is an ongoing investigation. You're gonna have to leave."

"You can't make me."

"I can too." He fisted his hands and stepped closer, hoping to herd her out.

"Not nice to hit a girl," she smirked, turning on her heel and walking away from him, heading for the arm chair near the windows.

His anger flared and he stalked after her, grabbing her by the backpack. "What are you doing up here? This is my spot."

"Let go of me," she hissed. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm in the middle of a case, and you're busting through my crime scene."

"A crime scene?" she snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Or your spot? Which is it?"

"Both," he said hotly. "And what are you doing up here?"

"This is my spot," she said back, her jaw set as she stared him down. Behind the anger, Felix could see there was something else. He didn't know what, but she was keeping secrets.

"Sorry I grabbed you," he said finally, letting go of her bag. "What's your name?"

"Apology accepted," she said, adjusting her backpack on her shoulders and giving him a silent glare, as if debating whether or not to tell him her name.

He waited, then sighed. "My name's Felix. I - I usually sit up here to read. My dad drops me off while he does research. But - but something's happened."

Her eyes flickered past him to the radiator in front of the broad windows, the worn armchair, the metal bookshelves lining up past that.

"What's happened?" she whispered.

He stared at her until she scowled.

"My name's Chandler. What's happened?"

He startled. "That's not a girl's name."

"It is now," she said, her cheeks flaming as she glared daggers at him. "I'm named after Raymond Chandler. An author. My mom likes detective stories."

"Oh." He stared at her, taking in the dark hair and blue eyes. She was nearly as tall as he was. "Sorry. Chandler. My - my mom is a detective."

Chandler smiled. "She is?"

He nodded, shrugged off her interest. He wasn't sure why he'd told her that. People usually acted funny when they knew his mom was a cop.

But Chandler was looking past him to their spot. "So tell me what happened."

"Someone stole the 1920 first edition of one of my favorite books."

Her mouth dropped open. "Is it - it's not Glinda of Oz, is it? I - that's one of my favorites too."

Felix stepped back. This girl read the Oz series? The real ones and not just the movie? "Yeah. It is. It's gone."

The Mercantile Library had a wealth of amazing books - in fact, it was an exclusively fiction library, which meant that each book that Felix came across on every shelf was a fun story, an adventure, a mystery - none of those stuffy, journalist, research books his father wrote.

"Someone stole the whole L. Frank Baum Oz series. The whole thing. Including the 1920 first edition," he said. His mom was the one who'd explained how special it was to have first editions at dad's library. A first edition was a book that had been printed first, back when the book came out, so it made it valuable and worth a lot of money. "Do you know what a first edition is worth?"

"Of course I do. But this is terrible. Who stole them?"

Felix lifted his chin, crossed his arms over his chest. "That's what I'm going to find out."

Chandler stared back, then narrowed her eyes at him. "Then I'm going to help."

The Trunk or Treat event at the church building just down the street from the surf shop is crowded with families. Martha wanted to dress up as a flower child from the 60s and she convinced Allie to match her. Rafe isn't as crazy about Halloween costumes as Castle might like, but he did dress up as a chef. Points for trying?

He turns and grabs Dashiell's hand as the boy starts to dart away, looks to Kate. She's got little Queen Amidala in hand, keeping Ellery at her side.

"Ready for this?" he asks, raising his eyebrows.

"Hey, Rafe and I can take one of them-" Allie says, coming up to them in her bell bottoms and flowery peasant shirt.

"Me, me!" Dashiell jumps up and down, his dinosaur tail swinging behind him. The dinosaur head fits over his like a hood, the teeth of the T-rex smiling. "My dog too?"

"No," Kate says. "The dog stays at the car." They've decorated the back of the SUV with more jungle stuff from Dashiell's party and parked it in the wide circle of vehicles in the parking lot of the church. Rex wags his tail at Dashiell's good-bye hug, nose to nose.

Ellery is shifting foot to foot, eager to get going. Castle glances over at the grandparents. "Mother - you mind staying at the car until we get back? Or someone spells you?"

"Sure, sure, go. I've got candy to give out." She waves them away and grabs a bag, ripping it open. Already, kids from the neighborhood and the church are lining up, passing by with their pillowcases and buckets held out, a parade of costumes.

Kate glances to Allie and Rafe then back to him, Ellery tugging on her hand to go. "Okay, well. Let's go."

Castle follows his wife and daughter down the row, Allie and Rafe going the opposite direction, leaving the grandparents at the car.

"Kelly dressed up," he says quietly to Kate.

She turns to look at him, lets Ellery's hand go. "Yeah. That's . . . it's nice."

"And your Dad seems happier."

"We talked a little bit."

"Good," he says, keeping his eye on Ellery as she fights for a spot next to bigger kids at the car. The husband and wife team have decorated the back of their van to look like the North Pole; they're dressed as Mr and Mrs Claus while their teenaged children are elves.

"When did you write that scene with Chandler and Felix?" Kate asks, nudging his shoulder and smiling over at him.

"You're wearing heels?" he realizes, glancing down.

She snorts. "Boots have heels. Focus, Castle. When'd you find time to write Chandler and Felix?"

"Ah." He rubs the side of his face, glances down her legs again. She's wearing what she termed space cowgirl - jeans, boots to her knees, brown coat - because she refused to dress up as the space prostitute and he said there was no way in hell she could go as a purplebelly from the show. He's in his usual browncoat duster, the boots, the suspenders - Dashiell's earlier costume in adult and finite detail.

"Castle?"

"I wrote it after - you know - after you woke me up."

She jerks towards him, surprise painting her eyes with light. "You - you did? On the laptop? I didn't hear you."

"You were out of it," he grins, leering at her. "Thoroughly satisfied if I do say so myself-"

She thwacks his chest with the back of her hand; he just grins, catches her fingers, kisses her thumb.

"So you wrote that last night."

"Or technically, early this morning. After you woke me up because you wanted my hot body."

She rolls her eyes, but she's blushing. "I really like it," she says, trails the back of her hand down his chest.

"My hot body? Yeah, I got that impression."

"Castle," she growls. "The scene. With Felix meeting Chandler. How can you - get it so right?"

"I'm just that good. You said that last night too-"

"Technically early this morning," she purrs, lifting her eyebrow.

Whew. It just got extremely hot under his brown coat. "Uh. What - what were you - what was the question?"

"Chandler was all Ellery. Like a ten year old, twelve year old version of her. How did you do that? I could picture her. Everything. I felt like I just saw my daughter grow up in front of me."

He shrugs at her, checking the crowd for said daughter. Ellery is stroking her fingers through the Santa's beard, patting his large belly. Castle winces and heads for her, tugging on her hand.

"Come on, Queen Amidala. More candy," he prompts. He lifts his eyes to the Santa and gives him an apologetic grimace. Santa looks unperturbed, hands out more candy to the kids behind Ellery. "This way, cricket."

Kate has moved to the next car - a station wagon filled with little Star Trek fans. Whole family. Wow. Castle keeps his hand on top of Ella's headpiece, steering her towards the candy. After a moment, she figures out where to stand in line and he lets go, heads back to Kate.

She slides her hand loosely through his arm. "You did good, Castle."

He turns in surprise, smiling at the sincerity in her voice - no edge, no mocking, no rolled-eyes - just earnestness. Like she's not sure she's ever told him that before and she needs him to know it.

"Thank you," he says back quietly. It's a little too public, too kid-friendly out here, but he wants to make a scene. She'd kill him. Still, he leans in and gives her a heartfelt kiss, sliding his tongue across the seam of her mouth.

She blinks at him, looks stunned for a second, then smiles slowly. "Rick. I want you to take this Black Pawn offer."

"What?"

"Black Pawn. Build the YA department, promote the Felix book. I want you to do that instead of coming back to the 12th with me."

He frowns at her, but his heart is pounding. Investing in Black Pawn, in Felix, has felt so right. . .

"But I want to come back with you. And you got Ellery into the three day a week class-"

"Which is perfect. You'll need those three days to focus entirely on Black Pawn. Especially at the beginning. Plus it gives Ellery a chance to hang out with her - her step-grandmother? Almost step-grandmother? What are we going to call Kelly?"

He cracks a grin at her, can't help the pride the flares in him, hot and fierce, for how much she's trying. "I don't know, babe. The kids will probably think of something. What do her grandkids call her?"

Kate's mouth drops open. "Oh. I never thought to ask. And - and that will mean - that gives Dash and Ellery . . . cousins. Step-cousins. But - still."

"Yeah, I think it does," he says softly, watching her face as she processes that. She turns a hesitant, lit-up smile to him.

"I like that."

He smiles back, glad for that. "I do too." Castle slides his hand down her arm and laces his fingers with hers. "I think I can make it work at the 12th, Kate."

She shakes her head and bumps her hip into his, moving him forward to the next car, following Ellery as she gets the hang of trick or treating from car trunk to trunk.

"I don't want that for you, Rick. I don't want both of us working like crazy." Her smile falters. "But I think it's time I really figure out a way to work less. I keep saying I will, but it feels like I go back and get sucked down into it again."

"Since Ellery was born, Kate, you've done a great job. You've made it home in time for the kids' dinner at least three times a week."

She shrugs her shoulders and bites her bottom lip. "But - but these victims? They're dead, Castle. And my family is alive, and here, and you guys need me."

"We do."

She gives him a small smile. "So I've got to be with my family more. Having you at the 12th would relieve my guilt, but it wouldn't actually solve the imbalance. I need to come home at five, not miss out on stuff."

"Kate, you can always go back to the precinct once the kids are in bed. I know it sucks, but it would-"

"And when would I see you?" she sighs, shaking her head. "If it's a big case, and there's a lot of pressure, okay, maybe. That's a solution. But since you're going to be busier now, with Black Pawn, I've got to figure out how to meet you halfway."

Well. Okay. That's true. He's been the flexible one for all of their marriage, the one who can drop everything and get the kids. "That's a good point. I can foresee a lot of late meetings as I try to force changes on Black Pawn."

She nods, her fingers stretching in his. Ellery comes running back to them, holding out her Halloween bucket. "Mommy. Mommy. Look."

Kate bends over and inspects her haul; Castle watches her a moment and tries to figure out the best thing to say to her. But he really has nothing. No way to fix this. It's just the work of life, making it balance out, making it.

When Ellery runs off to the next car with her bucket knocking against her knees, Castle slides his hand around Kate's waist, tugs on her hip. She stands apart from him, gives him a look.

"Whatever happens, with Black Pawn or the 12th, it's okay. We'll figure out how to balance everything."

"Mommy!"

They both turn and find Dashiell running for them, excitement stretched across his face, the dinosaur head pushed back, the tail swinging. Allie and Rafe are behind him, hand in hand.

"Mommy, I got so much candy, and some of it's kinds I never even seen before!" He stops in front of them with a little jump, and then holds up his bucket to her. "See the kinds?"

"I see baby. You have to let me or Daddy look at it before you eat any, remember?"

"I know, but can you look at this one?" He opens his palm and shows her a mini Snickers, gives her a hopeful look.

Castle plucks it out of his hand and runs his fingers over it, pries open the wrapper, gives Dashiell the chocolate. "I looked at it. It's good."

He pops the whole thing in his mouth, chewing, as Kate nudges Castle. He glances at her and shrugs.

"This is the best Halloween birthday!" Dashiell says, and then turns around and grabs Allie's free hand, dragging them both off.

"You hear that? The best birthday," Castle laughs, grinning over at Kate.

She gives him that faint, passing smile, the one that says she's thinking too much. Still thinking.

"Smile, Kate." He takes her hand, space cowgirl, draws her in closer to his side. "You got this."

She ducks in, kisses the corner of his mouth; he can feel the smile starting there, spreading across her face, her lips moving to his ear.

"We got this," she says, and kisses him again.