144Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Skyyyyyyyyyy
Happy birthday to you!
Readers, this is a special birthday chapter for the amazing Prim-Rue94 who just happens to be my twinsie and an amazingly wacky llama-loving person who I am privileged to call a friend. Happy birthday, Sky. Here it is - I hope it lives up to expectations.
I don't own anything you recognise.
"Baking, Mrs Castle?" Kate turned to watch her husband yawn and stretch as he padded across the floor to her, leaning up to meet him with a kiss and carefully holding the spatula over the sink.
"Of course," she smiled. "It's not every day our grandson turns seven. He's a big boy now, you know."
"How could anyone forget?" For weeks on end they had heard about nothing other than the plans for the celebrations and had – as always – been delegated the task of bringing the cake. And, in true Nana Castle style, it was home baked and decorated as per Nathan's instructions. This year – pirates.
"Are you planning on getting any writing done before we go?" Kate skilfully moved the bowl of batter away from Castle's wandering hands and slapped his fingers sharply.
"Can I try some?"
"No. Are you going to try and write?"
"Please, Kate, just a little bit?"
"Richard Castle, you step away from the bowl." He pouted at her and tried to kiss her nose, but she took a pace back and pointed the spoon at him sternly. "Go and get dressed, and you can help me decorate the cake. And maybe I'll let you lick the beater." At his excited squeak, she swatted at him, before turning back to the mixture in front of her and sighing fondly.
"I'm back, I'm back!" Kate braced herself as the thud of feet made Castle's reappearance known. "Are you done yet? Are you? Are you, Kate?"
"Castle, can't you see it's just going in the oven?"
"So I can't – hey!" Rick swiped at his nose where a dollop of buttercream now sat. "That's – Kate!" He grabbed the sack of flour sitting on the side and reached in.
"Oh no." She darted out of the way. "No. Castle - "
"Revenge is mine, Detective."
Within minutes, every inch of the kitchen area was coated in white, a small pool of food colouring slowly seeping into it and making it congeal into a sticky mess on top of the many tubs of ingredients littered around the table top. In the middle of it all, chests heaving with laughter were two sticky adults, looking very much like two cakes themselves.
"Granddad?" Rick smiled into the receiver at the tiny whisper from the other end.
"Jamie?" he whispered back. "Everything alright, bud?"
"Granddad," the little voice came again. "We need your help. Dad made the sausages explode."
Rick let out a snort, raising his eyebrow at Kate who smirked in amusement. "You need the back-up plan, Captain Castle?"
"Initiating plan B, second-in-command."
"Roger that."
"You won't forget to come?" Jamie dropped the low tone. "And you'll come as pirates?"
"We'll be there, Jamie. And we'll be all dressed up."
"Even Nana?"
"If I have to dress her myself, I will."
"Ok. Bye Granddad."
"Bye bud." Castle hung up and heard a cough. Spinning round, he caught sight of Kate standing behind the island, hand on hip, apron flared aggressively, eyebrow quirked in an unimpressed fashion.
"You'll dress me if I don't choose my own costume?" Castle swallowed.
"I – well," he stuttered.
"You think I'm incapable of playing along? That I'm going to ruin the party?"
"No, Kate, I didn't - "
With a flourish, Kate tossed the remaining utensils on the counter into the sink, shedding her apron and tugging her hair out of its tie, before striding towards her husband and pushing him further and further back until he bumped into the wall. She leaned up, locking him in a fierce embrace, then pulled away and tugged him by hand to the bedroom.
"Come on, Ricky," she purred. "You take 'em off, and I promise to let you choose my outfit."
"They're here!"
"Who's here?"
"Nan and Granddad!"
"Jamie, away from the door. You can answer it - "
"When I'm tall enough to look, but Mom, I'm seven!"
Kate grinned at Castle as the door swung open and they were attacked by two small bodies clutching swords and sporting identical bandanas. Their outfits were miniature versions of their grandparents', who were wearing an assortment of tattered shirts along with half of Kate's make-up collection. Waving at Nathan and his wife, Cathy, the pair waddled into the living room with Jamie and Izzy attached to their legs. Passing the cake onto her son, Kate swung the birthday boy into her arms and gave him a squeeze as he wriggled.
"Nan! Stop it! I'm seven!"
"Oh, is seven too old for nana hugs then?" She pretended to frown at him, depositing him on the couch and bending down to start tickling. "Are you too old for cake, too?" He was giggling too hard to reply. Kate suddenly felt a smaller pair of hands claw at her back.
"Me too! Me too, Nana!"
"You too then, little bee!"
"How's it going, Nate?" Castle wandered into the kitchen behind the couple, kissing his daughter-in-law on the cheek and hugging his eldest.
"I'm not sure how you managed with five of us, to be honest." Castle patted him on the back and continued unloading the bags of food they'd brought with them, as well as the brightly coloured triple chocolate seven sea covered cake.
"You'll get used to is," he teased. "Ooh, look – donuts – ooh - " Cathy instinctively snatched the box away from him.
"Rick!" she scolded. "No wonder my house is full of two food monsters."
"Oh, you've got them too?" Kate appeared at the doorway. "I'd wondered where the clones had gone."
Nathan and Rick pouted, and the two women smiled, crossing their arms over their chests and raising identical eyebrows. Over the years the two of them plus Alexis had become a formidable force against the huge male contingent of the rest of the Castle clan, and it was a testimony to their iron will that they could quiet easily maintain peace in each household. In true Castle style, Nathan was the go-to parent, while Cathy was the strict-but-loving mother, holding the reins and going as far as to sanction both her children and her husband.
"We're not going to win this one," Nathan whispered to Rick, who shook his head and addressed his smirking wife.
"Do you always have to gang up on us?" he whined, but her answer was lost in a cry from the other room.
"Mom! Jamie says I have to walk the plank!" Izzy's tearful voice reached all four adults and they peered over to see Jamie brandishing a foam sword at his sister.
"I'm the birthday boy!" he argued defiantly when his father turned towards him with the all-to-familiar stern face. "You have to do what I say!"
"Arr," Nate agreed. "But I am the captain of this ship and so I have the final word, matey."
"But Dad - "
"Now does ye want this party or not, m'lad?" Castle plucked his cell out of his pocket and began thumbing in the familiar numbers.
"I heard you had a mishap in the kitchen," he joked, nudging his son playfully. "Pizza it is!"
As they lay in bed that night, Kate ran her hand over Castle's thigh and sighed. It had been a long afternoon of swash-buckling plank-walking parrot-imitating pirate mania and they were both exhausted – happy, but tired nonetheless.
"How did we do, Mrs Castle?" he breathed as he rolled on to his side, stroking her cheek softly and leaning in to kiss her.
"We did well, Mr Castle," she smiled. "We did well."