Casper was busying in the attic going through boxes and cleaning things up. He was getting together everything baby related. He had found everything from the quilts his mother had made to the family crib they had brought over from Ireland. He was determined to give this child everything it needed. He was going to prove that even at his mental age he could take care of that kid.

"What are you doing shortsheet?" a voice came.

Casper didn't need to turn around to see who it was. Stretch was about the only one who called him that. He kept his attention on the quilts he was folding. He would take them downstairs to be washed.

"Hi Uncle Stretch," he said simply.

He looked up to see his Uncle looming over him looking at the crib. He was smoking one of his cigars.

"I thought it would be nice to let Kat use some of our old stuff," he said dissembling the crib so that it could be moved down out of the attic.

"Well," he said blowing smoke in the air. "I guess this will be nice for you. It'll be like having a little cousin. I guess. You are always complaining about having no one to play with."

Play with?

"I don't think you get it," he said.

That caused Stretch to shake his head. He knew at once what he meant. His little nephew was going to play Daddy.

"How cute," he said. "You have no idea what you are getting into."

Casper was starting to struggle with the cribs pieces. He knew Stretch would help him if he asked but he wasn't going to. If he couldn't move crib pieces how was he going to take care of a baby.

"Look like you got a lot to do," he said putting out of his cigar. "You got to move all this downstairs to the nursery. You have to clean up that mess in there."

Casper knew Stretch was trying to say he wanted to help but there was no way he was just going to volunteer. He knew he would have to ask before the older ghost would help.

"Could you give me a hand?" Casper asked reluctantly. He didn't want the help but he knew he could use it.

"Yeah," he said. "I suppose. Maybe it'll get the doc off my back about always giving you are hard time. I'll get Stinkie and Fatso. Maybe I could talk them into leading a hand."

Casper smiled slightly as he Uncle left the room. He wished he knew why his Uncle always pretended to be so cold. Casper dumped out an almost empty box and began to put some of the small pieces of the crib in that. When he dumped out the box a newspaper clipping fell out. He almost didn't even notice it.

He picked up the small piece of paper and began to read. His mouth dropped open and he flew out of the room holding the paper tight in his hands.

–

Kat walked into the house and headed straight for her room. She needed to sleep. She wanted to fall flat on her bed and not wake up for a week. Her attention was diverted when she saw the three oldest ghost carrying piece of a crib into a room near the one she shared with Casper.

She followed in after them. She sneezed at soon as she entered the room. She saw at once it was a nursery that hadn't been used in a very long time. Stretch, Stinkie, and Fatso were putting together a very old crib.

"A bit early isn't it?" she asked.

"Casper insisted," Stretch said making it sound as if he didn't want anything to do with it.

"Stupid thing," Stinkie said trying to get things lined up right.

Kat decided that it looked amusing and took a seat in one of the chairs in the room. It kicked up a bunch of dust but she didn't mind it. It was well worth it to watch them try to put it together. Kat thought the crib must have been an old family hand down. It looked like it was made of iron and looked very sturdy.

"If Casper insisted why isn't he helping?" Kat asked looking around.

She thought was sure Casper would be helping. He wasn't angry with her so she didn't understand where he was.

"I don't know," Stretch said. "Dammit. Where is that boy?"

Kat thought she should go looking for him. Perhaps he was getting something for the nursery that he needed help with. She would look in the attic. After all that was where she guessed everything was located. On passing the room her and Casper shared she heard soft crying. She froze. Was that Casper?

She opened the door to their bedroom and spotted Casper sitting on their bed. He was holding something in his hands and crying softly.

"Are you OK?" she asked walking over.

"Oh," he said holding back tears. "Hi Kat."

She noticed the paper clipping in his hands.

"What is it?" she asked holding out her hands.

"Here," he said and handed it to her.

Kat looked down at the paper. It had to be bad to make Casper cry.

TRAGIC DEATH STRIKES MCFADDEN FAMILY December 6th

Oran McFadden (23) was escorting his sister in law Tara McFadden (35) home from a church dinner last Sunday night. When neither returned home Jonathan Thomas informed police that his wife and brother were missing. Their bodies were discovered this morning. They had chosen to walk down a calm country road and were mugged and murdered between the hours of ten pm and two am. No suspects have been found.

They are survived by

Jonathan Thomas McFadden(28)

Logan McFadden (20)

Aiden McFadden (18)

Casper McFadden (2)

"Oh my god," Kat said looking at the paper. "That must be why you don't remember much about your mother. She died when you were little."

She sighed looking down at the clipping when Casper said nothing. She couldn't help wonder which one was which of the brothers. Had all of the trio died traumatic deaths?

"I'm sorry Casper," she said looking at her friend.

Casper still wasn't saying much. When Kat handed him back the clipping he slipping it into the bedside dresser.

"I bet she is heaven with my mother," Kat said trying to cheer up Casper. "After all if she was ghost wouldn't she be here?"

"I guess so," he said smiling slightly. "I just hope she is happy. I wish I had got a chance to really know her."

"Maybe we could talk to you uncles," she suggested. "Maybe they remember something about her and her death."

"Those three?" he asked with a snort. "I bet they don't remember anything about their own lives. The way they talk you would think they were born ghost. They hate the living."

"Well," she said smiling. "If you want some amusement lets go watch them in the nursery. It funny as hell to watch them putting together the baby stuff."

Casper laughed hard as he got up and followed Kat out of the room.