Merry Christmas Castle ON HOLD

Decorations

    "You could add more lights around the murder board." Lily looked around the room. "Detectives can pick whether they want colors or plain lights to put on their desks. We could put lights on the stairs." Kate laughed. "What?" The three year old questioned.
    "Nothing, keep going, ignore me." Lily raised an eyebrow but continued to think.
   "We could hang snowflakes. We could have a cutting and decorating station in the break room. We could arrange the lights in a specific way so they spell out a word or something. We could spread cotton around so it looks like snow! Mommy put on the music! Let's get started!" Lily demanded as if she were the boss of all the cops in the room and for some reason, they listened to her and did exactly as she said. The three year old was determined to make the twelfth precinct look like a Christmas wonderland.
    "What song you want on?" Beckett asked her daughter.
    "Any song that comes on." She started running away from her mother. She turned to look back. "Come on Mommy! You have to pick out your lights and garland colors." Kate laughed and joined her daughter in searching through the pile. She looked over at Kevin who was sitting at his desk, staring at a picture of Sarah Grace and Daniel.
   "Lily, don't you think we should make Uncle Kevin feel better?" The three year old looked at her uncle, running over to him.
   "C'mon Uncle Kev. It's Christmas Eve. I know you want to be with Sarah and Danny but you have to be happy. If you join us it will go by quicker and you can go home." She sat on Kevin Ryan's lap. Some how, she made him feel better.
   "Fine, but you have to help me pick out colors." Lily agreed, pulling him over to the bin much like she did with her mother.
   "Lily?" Javier Esposito shouted.    
   "Yeah?" With the help of another detective, Espo carried a black board over to her.
   "We could draw a fireplace on here and hang stockings. But, we need to find a good drawer." Karposki offered. Javi gave her a box of multi colored chalk.
   "Mommy what color are you doing?" Lily rejoined her mother who was in a much better mood.
    "I was thinking plain lights with purple garland wrapped around it." Lily's eyes lit up.
   "I love that idea." She skipped over to Kate's office, making sure to watch out for everyone.
   "We can plug in the lights and wrap them around my desk, then I will hold the end while you wrap the purple garland around the lights." Kate suggested.
  "Lily!" Kevin called.
  "Yeah?" She poked her head out the door.
   "Shouldn't we save the cotton for last so no one trips?" She shook her head yes.
   "Lily!" Kate called.
   "Yes?" She answered for the third time within minutes.
   "Your favorite Christmas song is playing. Relax for a minute." She took her daughter's small hand in her's and spun her around.
   "How long do you think we'll be stuck here?" Lily giggled.
   "I don't know babe, hopefully we can leave soon and see daddy." Kate really did want to see Rick but, she was having fun with her daughter.

Just as Rick was about to turn on Christmas music his phone rang. "Hello?" Alexis answered. "I'm really sorry that I'm not there right now." She apologized. "I might make it home by tomorrow." She continued, not allowing her father to get a word in. "Is Lily happy it's snowing?" This time Alexis waited for an answer.
   "I don't know, I can only assume so." His Christmasy mood seemed to be destroyed by the reminder of the possibility that his daughters might not be home Christmas morning.
   "What do you mean? Is she there?" Rick took a deep breath.
   "No, she's stuck at the precinct with Kate." There was a moment of silence between father and daughter.
   "Why was she at the precinct with Kate?" Alexis didn't mean to pry, she just wanted to know.
   "Kate had to finish some paperwork and I sent Lily with her to make sure she doesn't work to hard and so I can surprise them." It was obvious that her usually upbeat father was not happy about his situation.
   "What about gram?" Alexis figured she would get one more question in before saying goodbye.
   "Stuck at the theater." Was all he could say.
   "I'll call you later and I'll try to be home as soon as possible." She tried to give her father hope. "Love you, bye." He hung up and turned up the music. Richard Castle needed to get the thought off his mind, he might be alone for Christmas.