Disclaimer- Someone else owns them. Tis true.
She noted the last page, took stock of the words she had practically memorized over the years, before closing the book and placing it on the nightstand beside her. Shifting around, she rested her head upon his shoulder, her eyes closing of their own accord, muscles relaxing against the warmth his frame provided.
"Sleepy," Castle half whispered, half teased. Kate half heartedly slapped his chest with the back of her hand, earning a low rumble of laughter, she chose to ignore, and snuggled closer. The low rumble continued even as he pulled the covers up over her and wrapped his arm around her in a protective bubble. He drew her close allowing each breath she took to be filled with the scent of him. His lips grazed her temple as he nuzzled her hair. She felt the cool skim of a metal band on her cheek as he ran his fingers over her skin slowly lulling her to sleep. "Sleep well my heart, I love you," he continued his voice a hushed murmur as he kissed her brow.
A soft, sleepy, voice filtered into the room. "Mommy."
Kate turned her attention to the petite figure standing just inside the door frame, a stuffed T-Rex hugged tightly in her little arms. "The dream again." Her daughter nodded and clutched her plush dinosaur closer. Sitting up against the headboard, she held out her arms and in an instant the little girl was across the room and clamoring over the comforter and into her lap, huddling close. She wrapped her arms protectively around their child, resting her little head over her heart. "Its okay sweetie we're here," she soothed, running a hand over the shivering mass of brown hair.
She raised her eyes to her husband's, the same thoughts entering both their minds. Castle nodded in agreement before, rustling about to readjust the covers over all of them. "Nicole," she started, pulling aside a mass of brown hair from their daughter's face. The five year old turned her eyes upwards at her. "Would you like Daddy to tell you a story?"
Castle pulled both them into protective embrace as their daughter nodded a simple affirmative. Kate continued to stroke her daughter's hair as she leaned back against his chest. He started his tale with a simple once upon a time but weaved in elements making wholly his own, telling a story of a princess with a pet space dinosaur named Mr. T who went around the world helping people. Moment by moment, word by word, the narrative pulled their daughter from her fears. As their daughter's eyes began to drift closed, she looked up her husband, a smile forming on both their lips. Nuzzling her head against his shoulder, she closed her eyes.
He watched the glimpse of heaven before him with awed wonder, unable to find the right words to describe the picture of peace and serenity within his arms. Mother and child slumbered quietly in his embrace, their breathing even and identical, rising and falling in time with each other. His story long since finished, he hadn't had the heart to move either one, content instead to let both sleep in peace. He brushed aside a stray lock of hair from his child's face. She looked so much like her Mother with just a hint of him. He ran his knuckles over her cheek, wishing he could keep her five years old forever. He shifted his attention to his wife, the glow so evident, so beautiful; his heart and lungs seemed to take pause with just a glimpse of it. Leaning down Castle placed a kiss to the top of Kate's head and breathed in deep, as if his body refused to breathe unless the air he took in contained some essence of her. "I love you," he whispered, pressing another kiss into her hair. "I love you."
A/N: As always a big thank you to my readers and reviewers. I hope you enjoyed this little one shot. It has been in my head for a little while and I just thought I would run with it see where it went.