Awesome story! I hope there's a lot more of Dash and Ella to come!

I'm speechless, once again. In this brief glimpse of a birthday, you showed us the kids who are now little grown ups, all the growth Kate herself has done and I have to admit, I was a little teary-eyed at the last lines.

Perfect series, honestly. Glad to have tackled it all in a sitting tonight, I really needed this!

I'll be reading more soon! Thank you for these stories!

This was simply amazing.

I really liked how you had them celebrate Kate's birthday especially since the kids are a little older here. It's nice to see how Dash and Ellery have grown and changed as well as staying the same in certain aspects.

Totally understandable about why Kate feels bad about her birthday because of her mom but Rick and the kids certainly make up for it.

Loved what they all did that day. Too bad they didn't come across a Spider-Man shirt or any other thing related to the wallcrawler but that's just me.

The ending was very sweet.

Excellent job.

Awesome series! This one is my fav:) funny and sweet and a little sad!

I'm really starting to repeat myself on these - but I just love them all so much! Ellery & Dash are so big in this one! :) - I love this Castle family.

When the show ends, especially if no kids - this will always be their future in my head :).

LOVED this...
"Oh yeah, right," he laughs. "I swear, Kate Castle, half the arousal on either side of this thing starts right with those smirks. Mine or yours."

:)
On to the next companion...

You made me cry again, but mostly out of laughter. 'I feel ancient. Maybe as old as Dad.' Just reading it again now has me grinning like a complete idiot! Dash is my favourite one ever, he is just absolutely adorable and so precious and I cannot stop smiling because of him. It is a really wonderful little world you have created for them, it is an absolute delight to read and it hardly ever fails to make me smile! It is really, really great Laura!

Mathilde

This has turned me into the biggest puddle of mush, there is no solid part of me left. All of my insides are liquid, I have melted entirely. This was perfect Laura, so so perfect and it is only the first part. I was practically crying at first with the 19 years with and 20 without, motherless daughters is one of my biggest weaknesses, but then the children came and they made everything better. It was a really wonderful first chapter and now I will go read the next.

Mathilde

I always like stories in this universe, and this one was particularly well thought out. I liked your idea of exploring how Kate and her family would react to the 19 on one side, 20 on the other concept.

A wonderful companion fic! You do the small family moments so well. Dash is such a good big brother (though a terrible instigator... but then again so is Ellie, hehe). I bet Ellie is going to give her parents such a hard time when she gets older; she is definitely a mini-Kate with an added double dose of the typical Castle hardheadedness and curiosity. Oh, and so glad to see Rex's cameo. His and Dash's interactions are always great to read. Can't wait to see what you have up your sleeve for us next!

Sounds like Kate had a good birthday, even if it was a little mommy-issue-y. Except there was a distinct lack of Alexis, even in mention. Rafe got his honey-butter shout out, but not Allie. Sad.

This was so lovely and sweet!

I think this is one of my favorite chapters that you have ever written for any of your stories. Warmth spread through my entire body! Thank you for being so amazing and creating this world that is so real and thoughtful.

Dashiell keeps reaching out and snagging Ellery by the hood to keep her from darting away, while - in return - Ellery grips Dash by the shirt to prevent him from running into people, trash cans, the wall. - Oh I love this SO much. I would totally be Dash. I can't tell you the amount of time I run into walls and my head and anything that doesn't move.

"They look after each other, even with all the fighting," Kate says softly. - Still hands down the best portrayal of siblings ever. I love these kids. (I know. Such a surprise.)

"Remy's!" Ellery yells out, unable to hold it in any longer. Dashiell shoots her a scalding look for blowing the secret, but Castle catches Kate winking at their son as if to say, that's okay, Dash.
"Let's go to Remy's," Kate says, jiggling their hands between them. "I'm hungry." - Remember when Ella didn't talk? Haha. Now she's so adorable and loud. But I love that they're going here. This place that started as Beckett's and Castle's and now their children are a part of that.

"Papa!" - Are you kidding me? Jim is here? I'M SO HAPPY.

Castle herds the kids into Remy's ahead of her so she can embrace her father, relishing the contact. She shouldn't, but she's glad to have a moment alone with him. All to herself.

"Dad-"

"I know. I was worried today would be bad." - Ugh yes. I'm just so happy she has him. I know she has her whole family now but just so glad Jim is here.

"It has been a long time," she says finally. "And I still miss her." - I just want to squeeze her.

Her face widens in a grin at the nickname and she cuddles up to her mother the moment Kate sits down. Her fingers tangle in Kate's hair, her body pressed close. "Mommy, can we get milkshakes?" she whispers.

Kate grins back. "Of course. You wanna share? I'll get mocha and you can get- I LOVE this. I love the connection to Mad Dash. It makes it feel all the more authentic.

At that moment, the waitress comes by their table, her tray burdened with a dark chocolate cake drizzled in raspberry sauce, with what have got to be thirty-nine individual candles crowded into it, burning madly. - I'd kill him for the candles lol. But it makes me so happy too. Just how loved she is.

"Mom, is it a special day?" Dash asks quietly. When she looks at him, her serious little boy, he's got the same pleased smile on his face that his father has, hopeful and curious. - UGHHH my heart.

"Trick candles!" Ellery giggles hysterically. "We got you trick candles." - LMAO. She's just so delighted.

"Hm. I wonder-"

"No being a detective," he warns. "Just let it come." - Love that.

"Forbidden Planet," she says easily. - I love how special this is. Like it's not the biggest deal in the world, the span of years. But at the same time they make it a big deal, make her feel so loved and cherished and I love that it's all these things she loves. Places/dates with Castle. Locations the kids love. It's so great.

"You may not," Jim laughs.

"Uh-oh," Kate sighs, biting her bottom lip and sharing a look with Castle. "Tell us." - See this is what I love. This family unit. I always wish I could explain that more. The reasons I love it.

"He asked did it hurt to get really old?"

"Oh no," Kate groans.

"And when does it start, being old," Jim says, chuckling again.

"What did you tell him?" Castle asks.

"I told him some people are born old. And some never get old."

Kate sighs, poking her father in the ribs. "You know you can't say stuff like that to Dash. He takes it so literally."

"He did. He said he'd never seen any old babies." - AHHHHH LOVE THIS! I love that Jim teases Dash a little, I love his answers in general. Want forever.

"To which he said, 'Papa, I feel ancient.'" - That is SO Dash.

"Yeah. He said, 'I feel ancient. Maybe as old as Dad.'"

Castle groans dramatically, covers his eyes with his hand even as Kate laughs at his side. - HAHAHAH awesome. Poor Castle.

Castle takes him by the back of the neck, keeps the kid moving forward. "I'm not ancient. And jeez, Dash, what about Papa? He's older than me."

"Hey now," Jim huffs back. - YES I WAS TOTALLY THINKING THAT hahaha. Family time forever. Need it in my life every day.

"Mommy, what's so funny?" Ellery speaks up, coming back to their family now knotted up on the sidewalk. "You're crying? Daddy, why'd you make Momma cry?"

Castle throws up both hands in exasperation. "Are you kidding me?" - Oh man this is awesome. Also Castle sounds so much like my brother with his kids. It makes me smile.

her hip against his, the slide of their fingers, shoulder to shoulder, her palm at his waist, his chest at her back. Whatever she can get. - Nooooooope. Too many feelings.

"You're more beautiful at thirty-nine than you ever have been," he says softly, running his thumb over her bottom lip. "And I'm so proud of you." - Excuse me while I SOB. This is not okay. (It actually makes me melt. A lot.)

"I know," he murmurs. "It took a lot to get here, Kate. But look at what we've made."

She nods into him, taking in a deep breath. "I have you to thank for it."

"Half of it," he says easily, breathing a kiss at her temple. "Only half of it. Partners." - Pretty much about to explode. Just saying.

and even though Ellery looks mutinous - Hahaha I love her but she definitely scares me.

"Dr. Manhattan?" he snorts.

"Brings out the blue in your eyes," she grins. - I LOVE how she said that.

"If you say ancient, you're gonna get smacked."

Dash giggles and darts away. "Ancient." - Really does remind me of my family. So cute.

"Mommy, I really do want those bunnies."

Kate has to press her lips together to keep from smiling. "I know, cricket. We'll see."

"I really do like them." - I WOULD GIVE HER EVERYTHING SHE EVER WANTED. EVER.

"I found it," she hears suddenly, his voice in her ear. - dinvividnvivenkgrim.

"No. Hey, back here," he calls, reaching out to snag Ella by the hood. "Stay."

"I'm not Rex."

"Close enough." - Hahahaha.

"Still have dinner."

"In or out?"

"Whatever you want."

"In. I just. . .I like being at home with you guys." - YESSSS ugh. Perfection.

Castle kneads her neck muscles. "Your mom would be proud."

She sucks in a deep breath, nods slowly. "I know."

"But you miss her," he murmurs.

"Yeah."

"I wish she were here," he adds, then gives her a sheepish shrug as he hears himself say it. "I mean, just once. Just to see. Like all of us get in a police box and step out into 1998 or something. Surprise her." - I love love LOVE that he says that. I often have thoughts like this but I love that it's him that brings it up. I love how much he loves her, how much he wants her to be okay. It's so beautiful.

"I have to think that a world in which all this is possible, in which this exists-" Kate brings their hands to his chest, strokes his sternum with her fingers. "You and me and our family. A world like this has to also have my mother in it." - Beautiful.

"She was taken from me, yes, but every time I've needed her, she's been here in one way or another. Through my father, through you and your books and all of it, through Ella and Dash. She's come; she's been right here with me. So I know she's seen, I know she knows. How could she not?" - Oh oh I love. I love that she names all these examples. I love her clarity.

Castle's grip around her fingers tightens. "Twenty years, Kate." She can see the black of shared grief in his eyes.

Kate leans in and kisses him softly, a bare brush of her mouth to his, giving light to the darkness. "Twenty years on this side of her death, but they haven't been twenty years alone. I've had you. And now them, our kids. You all make this a wonderful birthday." - This is so beautiful. And so right.

I cannot thank you enough for this. I LOVE it. Foreverrrrrr.

Really funny and moving )

Well, I don't don't do this often but I find when I read your stories I can just feel and see it all. You have really got these characters down. I hope u never stop writing them. I think Andrew Marlowe should hire u! He really should read some of your stories. Thanks for entertaining me so thoroughly.