Hi all.

Thanks for all of your love and patience. I've had some family issues going on the past four weeks, so I apologize for the lack of updates. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: Castle is not mine :/


[Big Brother Part II]

June 19th, 2020 (Almost 13 weeks)

Braden gazed up at his parents dumbfounded, trying to understand what it was they were saying— what they were asking. A little brother or sister? That would mean he'd be a big brother.

"A little brother or sister?" He echoed, processing all this in his brain. Rick and Kate nodded their heads, waiting for him to answer with baited breaths.

Now, Braden has heard about little brothers and sisters from a few buddies in school over the last year, specifically from Johnny who has a younger brother. He says that his brother is loud and whines, but Johnny has told Braden that when he is quiet, it can be a lot more fun and that it's not as bad as it seems.

But Johnny told him about the darker side of things... Dirty diapers, nights with no sleep, and lots of spit and drool, which is all completely gross.

Staring up at his parents, he titled his head slightly to the side and scrunched his nose in disgust. "Dirty diapers..." he mumbled to himself, disturbed by the mere thought of diapers.

"What was that, buddy?" Rick questioned, not hearing what his five-year-old said.

Allowing himself to take in a deep breath, he shifted his focus from his mom to his dad and then back again. "Don't babies have dirty diapers? They're gross..."

This little observation made his parents chuckle. "Yes, they are gross. But babies can't go to the bathroom by themselves like you," Kate told him, giving him a squeeze on his upper shoulder, the action making Braden grin with pride. "So that's why they have diapers, they help keep everything from getting all over the place. And yes, it is gross, but it's a part of being a baby."

With his eyes glued to the floor, Braden suddenly asked, "Am I gonna have a little brother or sister?"

Rick and Kate looked at one another before they addressed their son. "Yes, you are, buddy." Rick smiled softly, his words even softer as emotions got the best of him.

Kate wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him in close to her chest. "You okay with that, Brae?"

And once again, they found themselves on the edges of their seats as they saw the wheels turning in Braden's head, his thoughts and emotions coming together as he began to think about the prospect of having a little brother or sister. The longer he thought about it, the more appealing it became.

"Yes," he answered some five minutes later, a smile blooming on his face. "I'm gonna be a big brother!"

Rick reached out, behind his son's head, and gave Kate a high-five as a double sigh of relief could be heard from both parents, relieved the five-year-old had taken this so much better than they had prospected he would. This was huge, his acceptance. And he didn't ask a single—

"Is it a boy or girl?"

Letting her husband respond, Kate fiddled with the tufts of hair that cascaded down Braden's forehead, sweeping them to the side.

"You see, we— uh, we aren't sure yet," Rick said. "Mommy and I are going to wait until the baby arrives, so it's going to be a surprise for all of us."

"Cool..." the boy breathed, his smile never fading from his lips.

"Do you have any questions about any of this? You know you can ask either me or Daddy about anything that you aren't sure of or want to know about."

In a motion that was eerily like his mom, Braden bit his bottom lip and shut his eyes in thought. Exchanging looks, Rick smirked at his wife when he realized it was the same look she gets sometimes and Kate just smiled back, noticing it too. A minute passed before his eyes opened wide and words began spilling from his mouth, question after question reaching Rick and Kate's ears.

"When is the baby gonna get here?"

"Is it in Mommy's tummy?"

"Does it feel funny? Does it hurt?"

"How do you get pregnant?"

Oh boy, this is what Rick and Kate had been expecting. Here we go.


There you go!

Reviews are love. Hope you guys like this chapter. And if you have any ideas, suggestions, or scenarios you'd like to see play out in this story that weren't in the original, or ones you'd just like to see, please let me know. All ideas, suggestions, and scenarios are welcome. Next chapter will be posted within the next two weeks. Until then!

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