He wants so badly to push his chair like he does at home but he knows his mother will say no. It's a busy day at the mall. The summer is winding down, and kids are starting to go back to school. School, the thing all kids loath and parents praise because they can't wait to have the house back. It's a year of firsts for the family, Jo is in her third year of high school with Nate starting his first year of High school, Sidney is starting his first year of middle school with Victoria in third grade and Arejay headed to kindergarten. Kate is happy the kids will be out of the house but also it's a bittersweet moment because her last child will be going to school for the first time. She knows he's scared but also knows he's going to do great.

It's a week before the kid's first day back at school. Kate is at the mall with Arejay; they just need a few more things. All Kate can think about is how nearly impossible this is going to be. It's crazy busy and even though she's got a child in a wheelchair, it seems as though people just don't care that she's trying to get through.

"Wanna push momma!" Arejay whines as Kate tries to navigate the crowds.

"Not today buddy it's busy." Kate sighs as she turns the comer and makes her way down the backpack aisle.

"But Momma I wanna do it!" He whines again wanting to kick his feet in anger but can't seem to will them to move.

"Remember the rules buddy? Mommy pushes when it's busy like this, and you can push when you are alone at school and when we are at home." She explains looking around at the backpacks on either side of the aisle.

"Do you see something you like?"

"I want the one with the puppies!" He giggles reaching for it.

"But that's a girls backpack." Kate sighs.

"But I want it, momma!"

"Ok fine, you can have it, you are mommy's baby after all." She smiles softly and kisses his head.

"We need to get you a lunch box too but let mommy make sure before we leave that this backpack fits on your handles, so we don't have to carry it." Kate smiles softly and loosens the straps on the backpack all the way. It's a snug fit, but it works. Sighing Kate takes a moment before moving on. She's happy, her son is finally going to school. Things have been a little slow for him but his doctor said they should try and get him in school as soon as possible and that it would benefit him greatly. She's happy too because he's going to be mainstreamed in a class just like everyone else. He will get a little help from his friends, but Kate is excited he gets to be in the same classes as his siblings. Taking the bag off she hands it to her son to hold so they don't forget to pay for it when they check out.

"Hold that for mommy and we will go get you a lunch box." She smiles and pushes her sons chair towards the end of the aisle. They turn the corner and reach the lunch boxes and Kate helps him pick one out. He goes with one that looks like a minion and puts it in his lap. She knew he was not going to need much in the way of school supplies so she quickly grabs a box of crayons and a pack of pencils. She then grabs two pencil cases, one for his bag and another hopefully to attach to the side of his chair so he can carry a few school things in it.

"Mommy has to get you some of your diapers next, will you hold all that stuff, please?" Kate asks as Arejay nods softly making sure he had a hold on everything in his lap.

"Mommy?" Arejay starts as Kate is navigating them through the store over to the diaper aisle.

"What baby?" She asks as they walk.

"I'm SO excited for school!" He beams turning his head to get a glance of his mom.

"Oh well, I'm not." She chuckles sadly.

"Why not?" Arejay asks as they have stopped. There's a big family in front of them and Kate figures they will just wait till they get out of the way.

"Because," she says letting go and coming around to kneel in front of her son putting her hands on his lap.

"Mommy is going to miss you; I like coming home from work early to hang out with you." Kate sighs sadly

"You are going to school; you will be gone during the day, just like mommy."

"But you won't come to school with me?" Arejay asks looking at his mom with worry in his eyes.

"Nope, you have to go to school by yourself," Kate explains sighing.

"But you are a big boy, big boys go to school all by themselves." She sighs again and gives her son another kiss on the head.

"Plus, you get to ride the bus!"

"The driver puts you on a lift and it goes up like an elevator, and it helps you get on the bus."

"That's cool, but I don't wanna go to school anymore." He pouts crossing his arms.

"Oh, but school is so fun!" Kate beams trying to change his mind.

"Not without you!" He cries softly reaching out to hopefully get a hug from his mother. Lifting him out of his chair, Kate pulls the four-year-old and holds him close to her. Her son had just realized that he would be going alone. Not something he was ready for. Letting him cry into her, Kate carefully rocks him back and forth.

"Don't worry, mommy will come on the first day with you and see your class and meet your teacher." Kate sighs rocking him still.

"but..." He sniffles holding tighter to his mother.

"Not...ready...momma."

There she is, in the middle of Target holding her son as he sobbed. She wanted to talk to him but instead let him cry as she rocked him back and forth. It takes them about ten minutes before he's recovered himself and ready to sit back in his chair. They get the diapers they need and head home so Kate can put him down for a quick nap. She knows he's got to be tired, and Kate just needs a little time to herself to figure out what to do about Arejay's new found fear of school.

Castle had been out with the rest of the kids when he brings them home and turns on a quiet movie. Leaving them to the movie he trots upstairs and finds Kate sitting on the bed, laptop in her lap and her reading glasses perched on her nose. She does not notice him until he climbs into the bed next to her.

"You alright?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," she sighs looking up as she takes her glasses off.

"Arejay- which was kind of my fault, we were out school shopping alone, and he exclaimed how excited he was for school and then asked if I would be coming with him. I told him no and he freaked. Then told me he was not going to school. I tried to tell him how exciting it would be and how cool the lift on the bus was. He was not having it. Then I told him I would come with him on the first day to meet his teachers but he still was not having it." She sighs and puts her glasses on the laptop.

"I then pulled him out of his chair and held him while he cried for about ten minutes. I don't know what we are going to do." She sighs again as Castle reaches over for a hug.

"The best we can do is try," Castle says as cries are heard over the monitor. Arejay must have been up from his nap. Getting up Castle goes towards the boys room to get him up. Walking in he smiles and goes to lift his son carefully up out of the bed.

"Hey mister, I think you need a change." Castle chuckles softly and kisses his son softly on the head. Taking him over to the changer he lays him down and helps his pants off and takes the dirty diaper off and puts on a clean one.

"wanna go see momma?" Castle asks pulling up the boys pants and lifting him up and to his hip. He nods and Castle smiles carrying him up the stairs and to see Kate. He's quiet, and Castle knows he's still thinking about school and how he's scared. He lights up though when they walk in the room, and he sees his mom.

"Momma!" He smiles reaching for her as she closes her laptop and pulls him into her lap.

"Arejay!" Kate smiles back and kisses his head.

"I know you are not ready for school but what about we get daddy to come too?"

"Don't wanna go to school." Arejay pouts as Kate holds him.

"How about we just go the first day to try it out, then we can see how you like it," Kate explained trying to get some kind of deal out of him that would at least get him to try school.

"You know, Victoria goes to the same school as you, maybe she can show you around too," Kate says watching her son sigh as he cuddles to her closer. She knew what was happening, and it killed her. Arejay had been good at talking and holding conversations but since he had learned his mother would not be coming to school with him, he was starting to digress. She knew this would mean a little bit of quiet from him. He wouldn't be talking and going on and on like normal. She knew though that once he realized how fun school was he would be back to his old self. Holding him the two shared a few moments of silence while Castle looked on. Castle wanted to help but he knew this would be something Kate would have to work on. Those two were inseparable. Leaving the two alone Castle went downstairs to check on the rest of the kids and start dinner. Finishing the spaghetti he calls the kids to the table and goes into Arejay's room using the baby monitor to call Kate and Arejay to dinner. They come down a few minutes later and Kate slips Arejay into his high chair and puts a bib on him before handing him his bowl of spaghetti.

"Eat up!" Castle smiles dipping his fork in and starting on his dinner. The family talk about the day and the kids fun trip to the park as they eat and finish dinner. There's plan on some TV time but only if they can all shower and get dressed for bed on time.

"Ok, Nate, it's your turn to do the dishes, the rest of you get your things and go get in line for showers." Kate says standing up and helping a dirty Arejay out of his high chair. She lets the kids shower before she helps Arejay get clean in the bath. He's not quite ready for a shower and the bath is just easier for Kate to do. Getting him clean she dresses him and makes sure he has a clean night time diaper before heading out of his room to watch a movie with the kids. They pick the newest Night At The Museum movie and watch it before Kate sends them all to bed. Going with Arejay to his room she knows it's going to take him some time to fall asleep. Sitting in the rocker she sings to him as she holds him rocking slowly back and forth.

"You sprinkle star dust on my pillow case

It's like a moon beam brushed across my face

Nights are good and that's the way it should be

You make me sing ooh la la laa

You make a girl go ooh ooh

I'm in love, love

Did you see that shooting star tonight?

Were you dazzled by the same constellation?

Did you and Jupiter conspire to get me?

I think you and the Moon and Neptune got it right

'Cause now I'm shining bright, so bright

Bright, so bright

And I see colors in a different way

You make what doesn't matter fade to gray

Life is good and that's the way it should be." Kate continues to sing to him as she watches his eyes flutter shut, and he falls asleep. Arejay needs a lot of care and Kate knew that from the beginning. She wouldn't though change her life. She loved everything and everyone in it. No matter how crazy her kids got, she was going to love them. Putting the little child in the bed she covers him up and kisses him before heading up to bed herself.

"Goodnight my love. Sleep tight."