The following morning, Esposito awoke to find Meredeth still in his arms, nude after their love making for the third time the previous night. It was still troubling him the way she'd described Victor and Elaine Hammond's relationship and not just because of the case; that was a separate kettle of fish altogether. No, he couldn't help but think of how Meredeth made it look so easy sometimes, balancing the house-running with her own ambitions. Much like Castle, he realized. Despite the man's party-boy exterior, at the heart he was a family man and every important decision he made was for the benefit of his children.

He shifted slightly, hoping he could ease out of bed quietly. He was on the role at eight this morning, which meant he'd get to see his children at breakfast this morning, a fact he knew pleased them all especially Tessi. She had told him of the vague memory she had of seeing him in the hospital with a white bandage around his forearm and giving it 'mooshes beddah' after an altercation with a suspect. He knew that when his children saw Meredeth 'give him one for good luck' much as they liked to make faces about kissing being gross it was a comfort to them as well.

His plan to be stealthy as a shadow was destroyed when he let out a sneeze so forceful it had Meredeth jolting awake. 'Sorry, baby,' he winced and Meredeth sank back onto the pillow.

'Loud,' she moaned, 'and not in the good way like last night.'

'There's my dirty Danish angel,' he grinned, glanced at the clock. 'Merry-Cherry, you have to get up too.'

'No.' Much like Tessi, who had inherited her mother's total distrust of morning starting before eight am, Meredeth actually dragged one of Esposito beloved goose-down pillows over her face. 'Shoo.'

'Okay, then I'll let Trini pick out her brother's clothes for school and Tessi make their lunches.'

The pillow was still in place as Meredeth held it over her face when she sat up. 'That is so not cool, Javier,' she said, her words slightly muffled.

'Shower together?'

'Sure.'

They slipped into the ensuite together, washing quickly so they could start their days with a bang; Meredeth was still washing her honey-brown hair when Esposito stepped out to shave and dress for the day. By the time she was done, she was toweled and in her at-home work clothes - an oversized sweater and comfortable leggings with her Ugg bootie-slippers - when she heard the sound of small feet along with her husband's heavier footfalls.

She went to the bedroom door and saw it was Max, her early bird, coming down the hallway with a grin on his face and his glasses slightly crooked. 'Hey Max Power, you're up early.'

'I gonna help Daddy wit' buh-reak-fass Mami. He say havin' pan-cakes today.'

Meredeth giggled; she loved the way her baby boy said 'pancakes' putting emphasis on each syllable. 'Did he now?'

'Uh-huh, he said you been ex'ra busy bein' sup-ah awesome mami so we havin' a 'pishal mornin'.'

'What else did Daddy say,' Meredeth asked, looking at Esposito over top of Max's dark curly head.

'He say he get us all up, you make coffee an' tea and be mos' linda mami ev-er,' the little boy replied dutifully, ticking the points off his little fingers. 'Tha' mean boo-tee-foh, righ' Daddy?'

'Exactly right my little professor.' Esposito met Meredeth with a kiss. 'Take this guy down stairs, he wants to see you in action. I've got Tessi Mutant Ninja Turtle to deal with before the twins.'

The sound of Max's giggle and Meredeth's snorting laughter was still in Esposito's ears when he opened up Tessi's door and found her, as usual, sprawled face down in her bed snoring into her pillow with her beloved Crush clutched in her right hand.

'Tessi,' he murmured to her and he had to stop himself from laughing when she only groaned and dragged a pillow over her head just like Meredeth. 'Tessi, come on, princess. Time to get up for school.'

'No.'

Exactly like her mother, he thought. 'Yes it is, or the twins will eat all the pancakes.'

'No teasing. Pancakes aren't for school days,' was her muffled response.

'I am making a special breakfast for Mami.'

'Oh. So she gets pancakes and we get cereal?'

'Tessiana.' Esposito removed the pillow from her head, waited until she'd unclenched her eyes to look at him. 'There's a fine line between being a skeptic and calling someone a liar.'

'Sorry, Daddy. We're really getting pancakes?'

'Really, really.'

'Okay. You go start working on that magical kitchen robot assistant I'll get the twins.'

Esposito chuckled, then headed downstairs; a quick glance out the window had him frowning. The weathermen had gotten the forecast right for once and they were getting the promised bucket-dump of snow blowing down from Vermont, which he realized meant that Tessi, Leo and Trini probably would be staying home from school for the day. That in turn meant the day Meredeth had planned for writing and baking would be put on hold to look after the kids.

Sure enough, when he went into the kitchen Meredeth was sitting with her MacBook at the kitchen table and grimacing at the screen. 'Snow day?'

'Snow day,' she echoed with a nod. At his chair beside her was Max with a serious expression on his face.

'We all be home?' he asked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

'That's exactly right, Max,' Esposito agreed, taking out the jar of Meredeth homemade 'just add milk and eggs' pancake mix and was measuring it out into the glass mixing bowl. 'But Mami's going to need everyone to co-operate because she needs to work on her stories this morning.'

'Wha' coppah-wit mean?'

'That means everyone plays nicely together.'

'Oh.' Max nodded in his serious little way that made him just too adorable for words in Esposito's mind. 'I do tha', Daddy.'

'Good I'm glad. You want some juice?'

'Yes, poh-fav-oh, Daddy.'

He heard the sound of feet on the stairs and wasn't surprised when Tessi came down in her school uniform but the twins were still in their pyjamas. 'Sorry to disappoint you, Tessi, but-'

'No! You promised!' she howled, and Esposito gave a little laugh.

'Not the pancakes, princess, see?' He held up the bowl of batter he was whisking up. 'It's a snow day, the buses are canceled.'

'Yes!' Leo did a fist bump with his twin. 'That means one more day to practice my book reading-aloud.'

'No, no loud Leo,' Max told him sternly with a shake of his head. 'Mami haffa write to-day so we haffa be ex'ra good.'

'Oh of course Max, we'll be good for Mami,' Trini promised her little brother; he was such a little worrier just like Leo. 'But there is no reason Leo can't practice in our room and you and Tessi and me are the audience while Mami is working hard.'

'Oh. Okay!' His concern soothed, Max looked over at his father. 'When pan-cakes ready, Daddy?'

'Soon, Max. Maybe you can help your siblings set the table.'

As the four youngsters set about getting the table ready for breakfast, Esposito's cellphone went off. 'Esposito.'

'Hey it's Beckett. Captain K-Pow called, she said we're only on a skeleton crew because of the weather so we're gonna work out of my home office today.'

'Sweet. I'll see you around nine.'

'Sounds great, so- what? Oh, yes, sure. I have to ask on behalf of RJ if Trini would like snow-ball cookies because it's a snow-day or if she would like lemon-almond cookies.'