'Say Tessi, Ah-Shay.'

'Dizzy.'

Tessi wrinkled her nose at RJ, smiled widely. 'You a funny one, Ah-Shay. But I like you.'

Castle laughed as he sat in his living room while he tried to figure out what case details he wanted to put it into the latest Nikki Heat while Tessi tried to teach RJ how to say her name. He and Beckett had invited Tessi for a sleepover so her parents could have some alone time. With only three weeks to Hallowe'en and Meredeth as big as she was, Castle had an itchy feel on the back of his neck that they weren't even going to make it that far.

Tessi craned her neck down the table. 'What you daw-in'?'

'I'm not drawing right now, sweetheart, I'm reading so I can do some writing.'

'Dell learn write. He 'pell his name and Mush-Mally name and my name too.' Tessi inched her way towards him. 'You show me?'

'This is creative writing. I'm a story-teller, just like your mami.'

'How?'

Castle looked around, picked up a pen. 'Tell me what I have in my hand.'

'Pen. It bah-loo an' si'ver.'

'Right so in my story, I say the detective was writing with a blue and silver pen.'

'De-dif? Like Daddy an' Datie?'

'Yes, like Daddy and Katie.' Castle kissed the top of Tessi's head as Beckett came into the living room with a tray of beverages. 'Lemme guess. Double gin and tonic for Tessi, and a strawberry daiquiri for the boy?

'Apple juice in sippy cups and coffee strong for you, and popcorn for everyone.' Beckett put the snacks on the table. 'We are going to watch a movie together, so you might want to tidy up.'

'Make nice. No mess,' Tessi said, and began to collect up her papers from drawing. 'Mami say no mess firs'.'

'That's a very good idea.'

'Dizzy.' RJ shoved the papers towards the toddler and smiled. 'Hep?'

'Gassy, Ah-Shay, you big help too. Feed birdies.' Tessi held out her bunched-up fingertips and felt her little heart glow proudly when RJ returned it. 'Way to go, Ah-Shay!'

'Shi.'

'That is how he's saying his name right now,' Beckett explained to Tessi. 'RJ is a little bit of a mouthful for him, just like Alexis.'

'Less?' At the sound of his big sister's name, RJ looked around. 'Less?'

'No, my little prince, Alexis has already gone to bed. She went night-night.'

'Nigh-nigh?'

'Yes, it's her bedtime in England. And it's your bed time soon too, but right now, you get to watch one of Tessi's favourites.'

With the children's things sufficiently stowed, she went to put the Blu-Ray disc of Finding Nemo in the player and only arched an eyebrow at Castle when he gathered up his papers into a folder and put them aside as he picked up his coffee. 'You're not doing anymore tonight?'

'Not during family time. There's always going to be a sleepless night when I can write but these are the moments that are once in a life time. Is that okay?' he added when RJ reached for the popcorn and Beckett jumped into the play. She scooped RJ into her lap and had Tessi pass her a bowl off the tray.

'Oh, sweetie, no, you're still too little to have popcorn. You get your favourites - strawberries.'

'Bahs! Bahs?' RJ dipped into the bowl and offered a fat red slice to his mother; she bit into it and thanked him enthusiastically for being so nice to share. Ever the generous one RJ selected another strawberry and held it out to Tessi. 'Dizzy. Bahs?'

'Gassy, Ah-Shay. I like tah-berries.' Tessi ate the slice, then wiped her hands on a nearby napkin. 'No mess. Wash, Ah-Shay, we gonna see tur-tells soon!'

Beckett laughed, as did Castle - the girl absolutely loved turtles, the way some girls loved kittens and ponies; Tessi refused to go to bed without her beloved Crush. She'd heard the stories from Esposito about the holy hell that was raised when they couldn't find him one afternoon and when Tessi had been on the verge of nuclear meltdown, they'd discovered it had rolled under her dresser in her room and Tessi had tearfully apologized to her stuffed toy for losing him. Beckett wondered if it wouldn't be a great idea for her to get a back-up Crush for Tessi at Christmas so that the original wouldn't find itself in mortal peril once Tessi started school.

By the time Marlin and Dory had met up with Crush, Squirt and the rest of the sea turtles, RJ was getting the yawns and Beckett excused herself to put him in his pjs and into bed. When she came back, she couldn't help but sigh a little when she saw that Tessi had curled up against Castle's side and was using his solid body as a pillow while she herself got the yawns.

'Why Marlin so 'faid?'

'Because he thinks that there's always bad things waiting to get him.'

'He need you an' Daddy an' Datie. You dash baddies.'

'Your daddy and Katie certainly do, and I help them when I can.'

'You a hero, too, Misser Dassell.'

Beckett finished going the rest of the way down the stairs, picked up the remote to pause the video. 'Tessi, we have to put your jammies on, princess.'

'O-day, Datie. You in sharge. I lissen you.'

Tessi slithered off the couch, and Castle watched the two girls head upstairs to Alexis' room where Tessi was staying for the night; for a moment he had a vision of his wife walking upstairs with their own little girl, and another of Alexis with her own baby doing the same thing, possibly - hell, probably - with Shane Weaver. Too fast, he thought, everyone was growing up too fast on him.

Upstairs in Alexis' room, Tessi looked around as Beckett unzipped her little suitcase and pulled out her overnight training pants and nightie. 'This where Alessis seep?'

'Yes, when she's home. Sometimes she stays over at her boyfriend's house.'

'Dottor Weaver. I 'memer him. He a dottor like Lanie, he help dead pee-pills.'

'That he does, and he's a very nice man.'

'He moosh Lex? Daddy love Mami an' he moosh her.'

Beckett laughed. 'Yes, Shane mooshes Alexis, and he loves her very much too. Okay arms up.'

Tessi being the co-operative sort, listened to the detective and got herself into her pyjamas with no fussing at all, and the moment she was ready, she grabbed Crush in one hand and Beckett's fingers in the other.

'We finch Nemo, then beddie-byes.'

'Sounds like a plan.'

By the time the end credits rolled, Tessi's eyes were drooping; this time it was Castle who took her up to bed and tucked her in with the stereo tuned to a mixed CD of soft piano. The little girl was out and snoring softly just like Esposito before Castle could even close the door and take the spare baby monitor downstairs where BEckett was tidying up their snack dishes.

'Look at us,' she said, 'we took care of two children under three and didn't lose our minds.'

'Meaning what?'

'I think I can handle having more than one. Of course, I want to be back working for about a year or so before we have the next one, but I'm just saying,' she continued, holding up a hand for emphasis, 'I do want another baby. Just not right away.'

'No,' Castle agreed, and rounded the island to give her a steamy kiss as his hands slid down over her ass. 'For now, we'll just practice.'

R&R&Enjoy.