A/N: These will be little moments that span through Medical Attention all the way past where Family Practice will end. Just little snapshots into their lives that don't necessarily fit within the main story. Pure fluffy fluff. Some will be duel posted to tumblr as well.

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In A Blink Of An Eye

Little moments in our life seem to happen in the blink of an eye, don't let them pass us by...

Ice Cream

"Ice cream?"

Kate looked down at the two year old, Charlotte Rodgers, as she tugged on her mother's pant leg. Smiling at her daughter, she crouched down to kiss her forehead. Each day the little girl surprised her more and more with new words she had learned. Apparently today was the day to reveal another.

"What's that, Baby?" she asked, brushing the child's bangs out of her eyes with her free hand. Liam moved over to the pair, a knowing expression painted across his boyish features.

"I think she wants more ice cream," he attempted a whisper as he spoke loudly into his mom's ear. One thing Liam Rodgers could never be described as was quiet. She nodded and gave his hand a quick squeeze.

"I think so, too," she said with a soft smile toward her son. "I was just surprised. I didn't realize she knew that word."

"Daddy taught her." His voice was so matter-of-fact that she had to bite down on her lip to hold back her laugh. She loved her son so much.

"Of course he did."

"He said he taught her all the important words," he explained. Kate smiled and turned toward the sound of Rick approaching with the rest of the ice cream from their favorite little shop located down the street from the family loft. Alexis had discovered it on her way home from the library earlier in the summer and they'd made weekly trips ever since. Rick's daughter couldn't make today's trip since she was busy with friends, but Liam had insisted on getting Lexis's favorite flavor. His world revolved around his sisters. Obvious by the way he was currently dancing around the sidewalk with Charlie, their high pitched giggles ringing through the air.

"Important words?" Kate said, laughing, eye brow arched toward her husband.

"Yeah, you know. Like ice cream – how is ice cream not an important word?" Rick asked, feigning innocence. He pressed a quick kiss to her temple before handing Liam his ice cream cone.

She looked down at her daughter and shook her head. "Can't say her name, but can say ice cream…" Kate teased, playfully swatting her husband's behind and turning back to her melting dessert to give it a quick lick.

"C's are hard letters…" he mumbled, nearly causing her to spit out the bite she had in her mouth.

"Rick? Cream? What does that start with?" she joked, looking back at him as the family walked toward the playground located across the street.

"Point taken."

"Charlie, baby, can you say your name?" Kate asked, pulling the girl into her arms as they sat down on the swing together.

"Ice cream," Charlie repeated, her tiny voice full of confidence.

"Maybe you should've named her ice cream?" Liam giggled, jumping up onto the swing situated between his parents.

"Buddy, you're not helping," her husband said, reaching over to ruffle the hair on top of their son's head.

"Baby Girl, can you say your name for mommy?"

"Ice cream," she sang.

"Maybe we can work on this again tomorrow? Her speech patterns are perfectly fine for her age…" he assured her.

"Don't use your pediatrician speech on me," she said, rolling her eyes when he stuck his tongue out at her. Sometimes she wondered how the man-child husband that she loved dearly could have ever been focused enough to last through medical school.

"She has a very expanded vocabulary. Relax, Kate, our little girl's a genius," Rick beamed.

"She just has you wrapped around her little finger."

"But her little fingers are so cute," he mused. He did have a point though. Her fingers and her toes and – they made a pretty cute kid.

"Ice cream." A cute kid who had forgotten how to say anything else; maybe there was a reset button somewhere?

"Mommy?" Liam asked, his voice growing concerned.

"Yeah, Buddy?"

"I think she just wants some ice cream…"

Crap! In her concern about the words Charlie knew, she had failed to pay attention to the fact that her daughter was actually asking her for something.

Mother of the year.

"I'm sorry, Sweetheart. Here you go."

She scooted off of the swing to adjust her daughter so they could share a couple tastes of the ice cream cone.

"Yum!" Charlie squealed, giggling as she helped Kate finish the rest of the cone. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her husband's face stretch into a huge grin.

"What?"

"You're cute," he stated, popping the rest of his dessert in his mouth.

"Who's cute?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Charlie!" Their daughter shrieked her name loud enough for it to echo through the park, leaving her family stunned for a couple seconds before they all started laughing at the outburst.

"See! I told you my little girl was a genius," Rick said, breaking their laughs.

"Ice cream?"

Kate scrubbed her hand down her face. Good thing she was cute.

"She just really likes ice cream," Liam added, before reaching for her hand, both trying to comfort her while also defending his sister.

And really, that wasn't such a bad thing.

This was based on a photo prompt from the Castle Fanfic Blog on tumblr. Check out my blog on tumblr my url is jstar1382 to see the photo that inspired this if you'd like.

Thanks so much for reading!

xoxo

Thanks to my girls for the quick read through ;)