Codes and the Crown

Chapter One

It's both a blessing and a cause for some concern that the loft is almost silent when she slips inside. With three kids, a dog, and a husband like Castle, her home is never quiet. At least not before midnight, and even then, she might wonder what's happening.

"Hey," she calls, allowing her bag to land on the floor with a quiet thud as she shrugs out of her coat and rolls her head on her shoulders. Her day had been insane. "I'm home. Anybody here?"

It is possible that Castle took everyone out for the evening – maybe some late playtime in the park to tire the little ones out, or a run to grab ice cream, or both – but usually their adventures are accompanied by a text to try to entice her to meet them at their destination. Her phone hasn't buzzed once since she left the precinct, not for personal reasons anyway.

"Rick?" she tries again, listening for any sort of response. After a moment, she hears the faint jingle of Branko's collar and relaxes; they're here. Somewhere.

Rick's appears at the top of the stairs, his clothes beyond damp and a giggling boy under each arm. "Hey! Sorry, sorry. Bath time ran long. Monsters coming your way."

He releases the twins one at a time, giving Reece the chance to descend the stairs halfway before turning Jake loose on the world.

"Hi Mama!" Reece calls, happy as ever.

"Mama!" Jake adds.

They're not anywhere near quiet, but she doesn't shush them, instead holding out her arms to catch her sons and press kisses into their pear-scented hair. They're a handful, her boys, but still her heart calms at their wiggling, eager hugs.

"Hi babies," she murmurs, smearing kisses over their smooth cheeks. "Did you have a good day with Daddy and Lily?"

They nod, jabbering over each other in their haste to give her a run-down of their day. Kate does her best to filter their voices, catching that Jake went on the big boy swings while Reece made a fortress in the sandbox, and the four of them had a picnic in the park that resulted in Branko stealing half of Lily's chips. The mooch.

And speaking of Lily and Branko…

"Where is Lily?" she asks once the boys have calmed (somewhat, at least), hefting a twin on each hip, ignoring her tired body's complaint at the motion. "Did she fall asleep already?"

"Ah, not quite," Rick says, reemerging from the top floor with a pile of towels larger than necessary for a simple bath. Kate narrows her eyes; they better not have tried to make another submersible without her. "I mean, she might be asleep, but she was at my desk when I took PB and J upstairs. Branko's with her," he adds over his shoulder, disappearing into the laundry room.

Well, that explains why she hadn't been greeted at the door. Branislav is every bit the protector his name suggests he should be; he never leaves the kids' sides if he can help it, going so far as to sleep in the upstairs hallway between their rooms at night.

Kate nods, swaying with the boys. She'll see what her daughter is up to momentarily, but first she lifts an eyebrow at her husband when he returns.

"Forget something?" she teases, puckering slightly.

Rick huffs, stepping closer, his hands lifting to cup her cheeks. "No, just wasn't interested in a drive-by kiss to say hello."

She leans into him, allowing him to seal his mouth over hers, his lips firm without being demanding. Her breath stutters and her muscles loosen, the urgency of the day fading away with his kiss.

"Hi," she breathes when he releases her lips, resting her cheek in the cradle of his hand.

"Hi," he echoes. "Now, wasn't that better?"

"Much," she admits, thinking back to the barely-there thing she'd had to settle for on her way out the door this morning. This is definitely better.

"Good." He sneaks another kiss in before releasing her, twisting his lips into a crazy grimace at the boys when they put up a fuss about the affection.

Kate scoffs, dipping her head and nuzzling Jake's neck first, then Reece's. Her boys squirm, nearly pitching out of her arms, only to right themselves at the last second. "My kisses aren't gross, goofballs. Neither are Daddy's."

Rick chuckles, leaning in to blow raspberries on their cheeks. "Okay, Monsters, let Mommy go see your sister and we'll get our reading nest ready."

She grins. "I've been waiting for our reading nest all day. How many books do we get tonight?"

"Free!" the boys cheer together, looking triumphant.

"A Reece book, a Jakey book, an' a Lily book," Reece adds.

"Three," she repeats, nodding in understanding. "One for each of my babies. Good thinking."

She gets three eager nods in return. One is accompanied by wiggled eyebrows, and she has to smother a laugh; Rick is no doubt expecting the boys to go down before the first story is finished. She's not convinced – and after barely seeing them today, she's not so sure she wants them to sleep immediately, either – but she won't dash his hopes.

Instead, she lowers the boys to their feet, skimming her hands over their damp hair as they take off toward the couch and the pile of blankets and pillows they've already amassed.

"You said Lily's in the office?" she asks stepping into her husband's space before he can retreat to wrangle their sons. Her hands skim his sides, avoiding the wet patches of his shirt, settling against his back.

"Yeah," Rick breathes, pulling her into a loose embrace. "I think she needed some quiet time after the crazy day we had." Off her look, he explains, "She had her headphones on when I checked on her last. She'll be glad to see you, though."

Kate nods, resting her cheek on his shoulder, breathing him in. "It's hard being the only girl with you three lunatics around," she remarks, offhand, teasing. His muttered 'hey' makes her smile widen.

"I'll go get her into pajamas so we can read," she adds, giving him a gentle squeeze. Rick hums in agreement but doesn't relinquish his hold on her just yet. He's clearly in need of a break too, so Kate presses her lips to his shirt, giving him a moment to breathe. "And then later, you and me, wine and a bath?"

He exhales at the thought, his mouth touching her brow. "That sounds like perfection, Kate."

"Good. Because I've been imagining it all day." She disengages after a moment, rubbing his back once more before making her way to the office.

She stops short of crossing the threshold, frozen by the concentration she sees on her daughter's face. Just as Castle had said, Lily is seated at his desk, bright pink headphones covering her ears, her dark head bent over a book and a pencil in her hand. Kate smiles, spotting Branko flopped at her side. The dog lifts his head when Kate leans against the bookshelf, but doesn't get up or alert Lily to her presence. It gives Kate the opportunity to watch her daughter, noting how her girl's brow scrunches in consternation and her mouth works to form the word she has in mind.

It's only a pause, because ten seconds later, a triumphant smile spreads across Lily's face – so like her father when he breaks through his writer's block – and her pencil picks up speed again. Whatever she's doing, she's certainly intent on the task.

Kate can't help but wonder what's held her attention this long, long enough for the three biggest kids in the world to have bath time and then some. Not homework, obviously, but it seems like Lily's treating it with the same level of importance.

"Hey, little flower," she calls, careful not to startle her daughter when Lily finally lifts her head and drops the pencil. The girl's eyes flare wide, but she doesn't jump or seem bothered by her intrusion.

"Mom! You're home!" Lily chirps, peeling her headphones from her ears and pushing back from her father's desk. Branko stands with her, ready for their next move.

Kate smiles, nodding. "I am home. Sorry I was gone so long today," she says as she leaves her bookshelf perch, moving to circle her daughter's shoulders and pull her into a hug.

Lily's arms band around her waist, her cheek landing on Kate's belly. "It's okay. It was hot today."

Humming, Kate brushes a gentle hand through her daughter's hair, lowering her fingers to the nape of Lily's neck. "I bet it was. It looked hot from my office. Does that mean you guys got popsicles?"

Her daughter giggles, nodding against her blouse. "I had a green one. And then Daddy gave me a blue one when the boys weren't looking," she confesses, lifting her head, her eyes sparkling.

"Your favorites," Kate whispers, dropping her forehead to rest against Lily's, eager to be a part of the secret. The girl in her arms giggles again, nodding.

"So good," Lily hums, swaying with her. "Daddy said it was big sister priv'lege."

Kate grins, surrendering to the urge to squeeze her daughter tightly. It's easier when school is in session, when Lily and the boys are occupied during the day, but during the summer she's forever torn between needing to do her job and wanting to be at home with her kids to watch them explore their world, to witness everything they get to experience for the first time.

"Daddy's right," she says, rubbing noses with her daughter. "And speaking of the boys, Daddy, Jakey, and Reece are getting the nest ready. Go put on your PJs and we'll read with them?"

Her firstborn nods, dropping her arms and turning back to the desk. "'Kay, Momma. I just need to do one thing first."

Kate watches Lily take her journal between careful hands and move to the bookshelf behind her desk. Her daughter squats, tucking the notebook between an antique miniature globe and a novel she barely remembers owning. Maybe one of her father's Reader's Digest novels, she muses, noting the rich navy leather binding. It's on the tip of her tongue to ask what Lily's up to, but she reminds herself to let it be. It could be a gift, it could be a project she saw at the library, it could just be doodles or actual journaling; either way, Lily will tell her in her own time if she needs to know.

"Okay, ready," her girl breathes, pushing her bangs off her forehead.

"Ready," Kate echoes on a smile, motioning for girl and dog to go ahead, following Lily from the office without another glance back.

As expected, and much to Castle's chagrin, the boys don't go down so easily, squirming and chattering through most of the first two books they read. It's only when Rick opens the third book – Lily's choice – and begins to read about a modern-day princess who turns the tables on every fairy tale and heroically rescues the prince that they settle down. Reece dozes off first, his cheek pressed to Kate's chest, and Jake follows soon after, his little feet poking into her side.

Not Lily, though. Kate watches her daughter's eyes light up as the story progresses, even as her cheek mashes harder against Castle's shirt. The girl is enthralled, swept away by the tale, by the gentle cadence of her father's voice.

Enamored as Lily is with the story, they read far longer than they usually do, breaking their tradition of leaving some for the next night.

"That's so cool," Lily whispers at the completion of the book, looking up at Rick with tired eyes. "Daddy, that was so cool."

Rick smiles, stroking a hand down her back. "It is. The way she cracked the code and figured out where the prince had been taken was so smart."

Lily nods. "She found the right key in the book, the cipher. If she hadn't had that, it woulda been a lot harder."

Castle answers her nod, dusting a kiss across her forehead. "That's right," he praises, cuddling the girl closer. "You picked a good book tonight, Sprout."

Lily yawns into Castle's chest, tucking her hands under her chin. "Thanks Daddy. We started it in school, but we didn't get to finish. And then it was summer."

"Yeah?" Rick asks, lowering his chin to catch Lily's eyes. "I'm glad you brought it home from the library then."

"Me too," she says. "I really liked it. I wanna buy it."

Rick nods, squeezing their daughter. "We'll get it then, because I did, too. Can I tell you a secret?" he asks, glancing in Kate's direction before returning his attention to the girl in his arms. Lily nods, eager to hear what he's about to divulge to her. "The princess reminded me of you and mommy."

Lily beams, twisting to share her excitement with Kate.

"Really?"

"Uh huh. You're beautiful and tall," Castle says, easing Lily back onto his chest, his hand slipping over her hair. "But more importantly, you're smart and brave. You don't back down when things get tough. And," he adds, winking in Kate's direction, "you save the prince all the time."

Affection tugs at her heart, making her wish she could reach for him; princess or prince, he knows they save each other and always have.

"I never saved the prince," Lily murmurs, her eyelids drooping. "Mommy has, but not me."

Rick's lips brush her forehead. "Trust me, Sprout. You have, too."

Kate swallows hard, remembering the difficulty of the months following their shooting, when they were hurting and miserable, and it was often the reminder of the life – the damn near medical miracle, according to her doctors – she carried within her that brought them out of the haze of self-pity and frustration when they couldn't do it for themselves.

"Daddy's right, baby," she says, locking eyes with her husband. "You have. So many times."

Her daughter's lips curve against Rick's shirt. "'Kay Momma. I believe you."

Castle chuckles, thumbing the soft curve of Lily's ear. "Believe Mommy and not me, I see how it is."

Kate grins as Lily giggles, managing to wiggle her foot in the blanket nest and nudge his thigh with her toe. "It's a princess thing, babe. We get each other."

His lips lift in return, the smile more adoring than anything else. Whether it's for her or for Lily, or a more abstract happiness, she's not sure, but it fills her up anyway and she presses her toes into his leg again.

"Once she's out," Beckett says, her voice barely more than a hum, "let's take them up and then come back down and get that bath going."

Her husband's smile widens as he understands her deeper meaning. Having time with their children is wonderful, but it's been a long day and she's ready to have him close as well. Just him.

"Done," he rumbles, giving Lily another few minutes to drift off before he stands with her in his arms and makes the trek up the stairs.