Capítulo 86: 86. Chapter 86
"I don't care what you do," she says, shrugging at Castle as she watches Rafe make dinner. Seriously, this guy is amazing. "The girls are playing beauty parlor and there are no boys allowed."
She feels Rick's arm around her waist the moment before he tugs her against his side, his mouth at her ear. "I make you dinner," he growls, then bites her earlobe.
Kate laughs, turns her head to pat her hand against his cheek. "You do very good for a layman."
He narrows his eyes, but she's already back to their evening's plans.
"How about the boys play Mario Kart? Dash loves that game."
"Oh, you're a genius. Hey, Rafe, how about video games?"
Allie's boyfriend shrugs and finishes spreading lemon, herbs, and butter over the fish. "Sure. I don't know how to play Mario Kart, but I can learn."
"Oh, that's even better," Kate murmurs, grinning at them both. "Dash will love beating you. His father never lets him win. So very cruel."
Castle huffs at her, squeezes her waist; he still hasn't let her go. "I'm just teaching him how to be a good sport."
Rafe looks up from the fish he's preparing, an eyebrow raised, a half smile on his face. "Sure you are."
Kate laughs. "You're learning, Rafe. Now, Rick - please go make sure Dash hasn't drowned his sister."
"You're just saying that to get rid of me."
"I am. You're clingy." She shrugs her shoulders to get him off her - she has bruises under her shoulder blades now to match the long striped scratches going down her back. She was supposed to be on top, but he flipped her at the last minute and by then - oh she didn't care where she was so long as he didn't stop.
When he pouts at her, mouth turning down, she presses a quick kiss to his sorrow and then puts her lips to his ear, whispers, "My back stings, it's seriously bruised, and it's all your fault, Castle."
He chuckles, and she bites his ear in retaliation. He squirms because she does it hard, no love bite that, and then she kisses him again to soothe the spot.
"Sorry, Rafe," Allie laughs, coming into the kitchen. "Didn't meant to leave you alone with them when they're clearly not fit company."
"You hush," Kate says, shooting her a look, pointing a finger but still within the circle of Castle's body. "Just wait till you have kids. Take what you can get."
"Still? Ew." Allie bumps Rafe's hip and peers past his arm, her cheek against his shoulder as she asks after their dinner.
Beside Kate, Castle takes her by the hips, turning her towards him so he can drop a tender kiss between her eyes, his mouth gentle. "Sorry," he murmurs, and his hand skims her back, avoiding the scratches, the bruises. "If it's any consolation, my sunburn itches like the devil."
"It is. Some," she says, lifting on her toes to slide her arm around his neck. He winces, and she loosens her grip, shaking her head at him. "Did you not put sunscreen on it today?"
"I did," he insists. "I really did."
"It feels hot." She shakes off his grip, makes him turn around. His neck is livid with sunburn. "Oh, this looks bad. It might blister."
"Arg. Stop touching it." He rolls his shoulders, now shrugging her off, and she smirks at the back of his head. Before he can move away, she balances against him and kisses the nape of his neck. He sighs.
"Okay, baby, go put some aloe on that."
He turns around, shoots her a look, but she just rolls her eyes at him.
"It just comes out," she sighs. "I can't help it anymore."
"That's what she said," Castle crows, already heading for their bedroom and the aloe vera. "Oh, and actually - maybe someone really should check on the kids? It's awfully quiet and all the adults are in here."
Kate laughs, stays Allie with a shake of her head. "I'll go. My kids after all."
Castle disappears, so she heads towards the bathroom, the sounds of splashing and monster noises getting louder the closer she gets.
Kate clears the doorway and sees Dashiell crashing an X-Men character into a cup of water while Ellery stands, a rubber Godzilla toy in one hand that she looks like she's about to drop.
"Ellery," Kate says sharply.
Ella doesn't even take a moment to look; she sits on her haunches in the bath, then lifts hesitant, sly eyes to her mother.
"Mm-hm, I saw that." Kate comes inside and sits down on the closed lid of the toilet. "You guys ready to get out or are you still playing?" It's not like they haven't been in the water all day long.
"Still playing," Ellery says, stomping Godzilla along the edge of the bathtub.
"Well, but when you get out, we're going to play beauty parlor, remember?"
"Ew!" Dashiell says, holding his nose. "Girl stuff."
"Shut it, mister. You and Daddy are going to teach Rafe how to play Mario Kart anyway."
"Oh," Dash gasps, sitting up straight. "Done playing. I'm done. I want out."
Kate smirks and stands up, grabbing their towels from the counter and unfurling Dashiell's. "Here you go, buddy. Careful stepping out."
Dashiell puts a leg over the side and hops, skidding, making Kate's heard pound as she reaches for him. Dash manages to right himself before he loses it completely, and then Kate's got him by the arm.
"What did I say?" Kate rolls her eyes at him, wraps him in the towel. "Dry yourself off. Go get on pajamas."
"But we're playing Mario Kart, right?"
"Yes, in pjs."
"Yay!" Dashiell drops the towel in the floor and bolts for the bedroom door, but Kate snatches him by the arm.
"Dry off first, rocket man."
"Rocket man?" Dashiell asks, grabbing the towel and swiping at his chest, his legs. Kate takes a corner and rubs it over his head, scrubbing at his hair.
"Yeah. Off like a rocket."
"Dash off?" he says, lifting both eyebrows at her, his mouth pressed in a crooked line, looking so clever.
She laughs and leans down, kisses his forehead below his stitches. "Yeah, baby. Dash off."
"Hey, mommy," he murmurs, and wraps wet arms around her neck. "Tomorrow can I have hot tea with you?"
"Of course, baby," she murmurs back, her chest expanding. They haven't done that little ritual all year. She kisses his wet cheek and pries him off her. "You're still wet. Keep toweling."
"Okey dokey pokey," he giggles and hops away, trailing his towel after him like a cape.
Kate turns and finds Ellery climbing over the tub, both hands on the edge to steady herself as she dismounts. Kate winces, but grabs the other towel, this one a bright purple, and wraps it around Ella's thin shoulders as she stands on the tile.
"All right, cricket. Dry yourself off."
"Want you to do it," Ellery whines, leaning into her mother.
Kate tugs on the ends of the towel, bringing Ella in front of her, then kisses her nose. "You do? Why's that?"
"Want you to do it," she whimpers, her lips turning down. "You do it, Mommy."
The little girl gets that stubborn glint in her eyes and that certain set to her mouth, so Kate just sighs and starts drying her off. She squeezes the ends of Ella's thick hair with the towel, then swipes at her shoulders and back, rubs a corner over her face, discovering those huge blue eyes looking at her mother.
"Pajamas, moja ljubav."
A delighted smile comes over Ellery's face and she wriggles up into Kate's lap, practically knocking her mother over, and wraps both arms around Kate's neck.
The little mouth kisses her cheek and whispers, "Volim te."
Kate gasps, wraps her arms around her precious little girl.
She can't even speak.
They can hear the squeals, the shouts, the laughing and that's just Castle.
The boys are so loud, but the girls' room is spa-like in its serenity.
Kate honestly expected to mess with Ellery's hair, braid it and put in the barrettes that they found at the mercantile. Allie seemed excited about it too, and Kate was looking forward to giving her a fishtail braid, even with her hair shorter now. But it's turned out differently.
Kate sits in the floor while Allie and Ella perch over her on the lower bunk in Ellery's room. They each braid a different section, Allie trying to teach the little girl how to wrap the three strands. Kate has forgotten how relaxing it is to have someone's hands in her hair, to feel the soft tug as it's brushed or braided, the sensation of fingers along her scalp. She closes her eyes and listens to the girls.
"See, Ella? And then this one goes over."
It's pretty hopeless to try to teach a not-quite three year old how to braid, but Kate doesn't care and Ellery seems convinced she can do it. And she's stubborn enough to never quit trying.
Allie leans over and whispers in Kate's ear. "Your hair is so knotted. Sorry, Mom."
Kate laughs and shrugs, opening her eyes and turning her head slightly to look at her. "No problem. It'll come out eventually."
"I don't know. It's so snarl - oh, so well done, Ellery. That looks great."
Kate bites her bottom lip, tries not to laugh. She reaches back and feels the clump of her hair, Ellery's little fingers. "Oh, good job, cricket. I love it."
"You love it?"
"I do. You want me to do your hair?"
"Or I do more?"
"Or, sure. Yeah, you can do more. Will Allie help you get started?"
"Of course I will. Here, let's get this piece and we can make braids all over Mommy's head."
"All over, Mommy!"
"Sure, sweetheart." Kate winces as Ellery's hands tug too hard, then reaches back to feel the sensitive spot at her scalp. Allie is swiftly braiding another section, and Kate feels all the little knots where Ella 'braided' her hair.
"Like Leia, Mommy."
Kate laughs, hears Allie laughing with her as well. "That's right. You and Daddy love 'Star Wars'."
"I watch with Daddy."
"Mm-hm, to my eternal regret."
"What, Mommy?"
"Nothing, cricket. I'm so glad you and Daddy get to watch it together. Better you than me."
"You don't like it?" Allie asks, laughing again as she braids.
"I used to like it a lot. Until I met Castle," she grins, shifting her back against the wooden slat of the bedframe. The scratches sting and her bruised shoulder blades might be getting matching bruises down her spine.
"Yeah, Dad watches that movie a whole lot."
"I watch, I watch!"
Kate hums; she keeps forgetting just how much Ellery understands. The girl is so quiet, but her little ears pick up everything.
"Who's your favorite person in Star Wars, Ella?" Allie asks.
Ellery hums too, sounding a lot like Kate - so much so that it's kind of scary. Allie laughs at that, tugging a little on Kate's braid in warning.
"Yeah, I heard it," Kate mutters.
"My favorite - hum - my favorite is Jar-Jar. Daddy say no."
Daddy say no? Oh. "Ha," Kate laughs, reaching her hand back to squeeze Ellery's little hand. "You ignore Daddy. He's being a snob. He thinks the new ones are inferior."
"And I know for a fact," Allie says quietly. "That he seriously hates that accent."
"I can see why Ellery likes it so much though. He's cute and looks like a big dinosaur bunny," Kate laughs. "Also? The more one of us don't like something, the more it appeals to her."
"It a peel?" Ellery asks, leaning her face down next to Kate's. "Banana is monkey food, Mommy."
Allie laughs so hard that Kate feels her nearly fall off the bed. Kate reaches back and shakes Ellery's foot, grinning herself.
"You are so right. Bananas are for monkeys. But you like bananas too, right, little cricket?"
"I a monkey."
"Oh no," Kate warns, squeezing her toe harder. "You are not. No more climbing."
"I braid, Mommy, not climb."
Oh. Well, the monkeys they just saw at the Bronx Zoo - those monkeys were sitting a lot like this, picking at each other's furry bodies.
"Okay, so, yes, technically, we do kinda look like monkeys. But we are not monkeys, sweetheart."
"Depends on who you're talking to," Allie laughs under her breath.
Kate rolls her eyes even though neither kid can see it. "Seriously, Allie, there's no way I'm gonna try to explain the evolution debate to my two year old."
Allie laughs harder. "Oh man. That's not - that wasn't what I was thinking. But yeah, not that either."
"Mommy?"
"Yeah, cricket, you're right. Playing beauty parlor does remind me of those monkeys. But you know what I like better?" Kate tugs her hair out of the hands of both girls, turns around to clamp down on Ellery's hips, giving her a smirk.
"Oh no," Ellery whispers.
"Yup. Tickle monster," she whispers back, and then attacks Ellery's sides, squeezes her knees, blows raspberries into the sensitive skin under her neck.
Ella squeals, giggling so hard she's screaming, and Allie gets in on it too, helping hold her down until Ella writhes.
Kate lets her go after a moment, the girl gasping for breath, struggling to sit back up. She blinks for a minute, grinning at her mother, expecting another round, and Kate waits her out.
Just when Ella starts to relax, Kate goes for her again, delighted to hear her daughter's screaming laughter.
And that's when the boys run in, to the rescue, and the look on Castle's face makes Kate laugh so hard that she can't even sit up straight, let alone blow raspberries.
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