Unique In All the World


Kate wakes with a jerk, one eye peeled open by sunlight and noise and one small hand.

"Mommy?"

"Dash, Dash, buddy, no. Don't wake Mommy yet. Come here."

The little hand is yanked away from her, a pressure taken from her chest that she didn't realize was there, and then sweet wonderful bliss. Quiet. She drifts.

But the sunlight is there, just past her closed eyes. She groans and rolls to her back, takes a moment to debate whether or not waking up is a good idea.

She needs to nurse Ellery. And that decides it, even if she would rather stay here and sleep.

Kate shifts and pushes herself upright, hair falling around her shoulders in messy waves as she surveys the bedroom. She feels out of sync with the morning, too soon its arrival, too little her sleep this week. She thinks Dashiell was in bed with her, but maybe she dreamed that.

"Kate?"

Castle is standing just inside the doorway, one hand down and pushing on their son's head to keep him out of the room.

"Yeah," she croaks.

"You up?"

"Yeah." No.

"Can I bring Ellery to you?"

She moves her tongue around in her mouth, gives him a sideways glance. "Time's it?"

"Almost seven."

"No, I'll - I'm getting up. Can she wait? I need a shower. I feel gross."

"Yeah-"

"Did Dashiell sleep in here with us?" she mumbles, pushing herself up off the bed. Late night, very late night, and the cases these past few weeks have been keeping her out at all hours. Not to mention she's been coming home at lunch to nurse, and it puts her behind. She stays later to prove she can leave at lunch; at least she sees her kids during the day.

She needs more sleep. But that ain't happening.

"Kate?"

She realizes with a start that she's been standing here staring into space while Castle has been talking to her. She glances over and he's still holding Dashiell back at the door. "Tired. Sorry. What?"

"Dash slept with us, yes, if you call it sleeping. Didn't wake you at all? His kicking and flailing?"

"Mm, maybe, can't remember." She rubs both hands down her face, trying to wake herself up. Grungy. Needs a shower.

"Kate," he calls again.

She turns, opens her eyes to him.

"I wish you could, but the 12th called, and Ella has been up since-"

"Ella has been up?" she says, shocked.

He grimaces, nodding. "I think - uh - Dash and I may have been-"

"We got rowdy, Mommy!"

Kate's eyes drop to her son, but he's squirming between Castle's legs trying to get to her, and her husband is making a valiant effort to let her wake up before the wild man is let loose.

She sinks back to the mattress and opens her arms. "Release the beast," she tells Rick, and he chuckles, but does as she asks.

Dashiell giggles as he pushes between his father's knees, stumbling over Castle's feet. He picks himself up and runs for her, leaping up so that she has to catch him before he can bust her lip open with his hard head.

Kate falls back to the bed with Dash in her arms, letting him think he's tackled her. Dashiell giggles again and squirms into her chest; she yelps and angles away both of his knees, tries to play it off even as he stiffens.

"It's fine, fine," she tells him. "You're good, baby. Hey there, Dash. Did you have fun sleeping in the big bed last night?"

But Dashiell buries his head against her neck, hiding. Kate turns to look at Castle, still in the doorway, lifts her eyebrow in question. He winces and rubs the back of his neck, comes inside the room to sit on the edge of the bed. He reaches out and tugs on Dashiell's foot, but the boy stays pressed against her.

"Hey, Dash?" she says softly. She wraps her arms tightly around him, giving him the deep pressure his body craves, and he lets out a sighing breath. "Dash, baby, what's wrong?"

"I wet my bed."

"Oh," she sighs, glancing to Castle. Her husband nods and circles a finger, letting her know he rounded up all the soiled items - and hopefully washed them. "I'm sorry, baby. Hey, sweet boy, you don't have to be sad about it. It happens, you know."

"I woke up."

"That happens too," she says gently, amusement coloring her voice. She digs an elbow into the mattress and manages to lift them both upright again, but Dashiell cuddles against her, all elbows and knees.

She really - ouch - needs to nurse Ellery.

"Did Daddy help you?" she says to him, kissing the side of his face where she can reach. She jostles him until he gives a kind of huffing laugh. "Dash, baby, did Daddy-"

"Daddy can help me," he says. It sounds like something he's repeating, and she glances over at her husband. He nods and reaches out, tugs the hem of Dashiell's pajama top, pulling it into place before laying his palm on the boy's back.

"I see," she murmurs. "Daddy woke but I didn't wake up when you came to get me?"

Dashiell hunches his shoulders.

"Mm," Kate says. "Well, Daddy can help you. And sometimes, my job runs late and I catch a bad guy after your bedtime, and so when I get bedtime, whoa, I just sleep and sleep. And you were such a wonderful boy to let me sleep and let Daddy help you."

Dashiell lifts his head, his hair mussed from hiding in her neck. His little fingers play with the collar of her shirt. "I did. I let you sleep. Me and Daddy got a shower."

"Oh, you did? Wow. A shower? I thought you didn't like showers."

He gives her a very serious look. "Daddy helped but you know I'm a big boy now, Mommy. I only had a small accident."

Kate has to bite her lip to keep from laughing, breathing hard through her nose as her eyes meet Castle's in an upswing of hilarity.

Dashiell catches her cheeks in his little hands, his face intent, not laughing. "What's so funny?"

"No, nothing," she says, shaking her head. "I'm just so proud of you, Dash. Not a baby at all."