Disclaimer: The only part of Castle that I own is the TV on which I watch the show.

Two days ago it snowed a lot and that night Mom said she wanted to go to the Hamptons in the morning. "I know it's last-minute, but the weather has cleared, it's Presidents' Day weekend and it'll be our last chance until summer. We shouldn't go any closer to my due date and after the twins arrive we won't be able to go for a bit."

"You don't have to talk me into it," Dad said.

Scrapple and I were excited because we've never been in the country in the snow. When we got there the man had plowed our driveway so we could go right into the garage. We don't have to take very much stuff when we go because we keep things there, but Mom brought my potty.

We decided to walk into town to get some exercise but on the way there all of a sudden Scrapple stopped and screamed and held up his paw. It was bleeding! Dad picked him up and saw a big piece of glass sticking into his foot so we turned around to go home, get the car and take Scrapple to the vet as fast as we could. He was crying and crying and I was afraid he would die and not come back. Mom and I waited in the room while Dad went in with Scrapple. I could hear him even though the door was closed and I my hands were over my ears. I decided to tell the twins what was happening because they probably were confused about the noise.

"EB and Obi, we're in the animal hospital."

"Is that why we hear a lot of barking and things? Why are you there?"

"Scrapple must be hurt or sick, EB, that's the only animal we have. What happened, Eliot?"

"He got a huge cut in his foot and he's crying, it's horrible. But Dad is in there with him and the doctor so he isn't by himself and scared. Mom says he'll be okay but he doesn't sound okay. I'll talk to you later."

Finally Dad came out, carrying Scrapple who had a big bandage on his paw but at least he wasn't crying any more. Dad sat down with Mom and me so we could pat Scrapple. "The vet says he'll be good as new in a few days. She got the glass out and cleaned his cut and gave him a shot so he doesn't get an infection. We have to put special cream on his paw for a few days and when he goes out we have this boot to put over the bandage to protect it, see? So no walks for him for a little while, except to go out to pee and poop. He'll just be hopping around for a few days like a rabbit, and then he'll be fine. You don't need to worry, okay?"

"Kay."

"Did Dad just say we're getting a rabbit?"

"No, just that Scrapple will be hopping around like one for a while because of his bandage."

"Why can't we get a rabbit? I like that idea, Obi. We could name it Peter."

"We're not allowed, you guys. When Dad wanted us to adopt a cat from the shelter Mom said, 'Not unless you want to sleep on the couch for the rest of your natural life.' And he said, 'Okay. No cat, then.' I don't understand why he said that because he takes naps on the sofa all the time, he loves it. But Mom definitely said no more animals. 'This is a one-pet household, Castle'."

We were all really hungry by then so we went straight home for lunch. I was so tired after all the bad excitement that afterwards I fell asleep with Scrapple next to me. I have to watch out for him. When I woke up Mom and Dad had a surprise which was that we were going to build a snowman in the yard. Scrapple had to watch from the window but Dad said he was the supervisor, which is like the boss. We made a giant snow ball for the bottom part, and a medium one for the middle, and then a smaller one for his head with Mom's Yankee hat on top. Dad and I found two sticks for his arms and Mom put oven mitts on the ends for mittens. We gave him a tangerine for his nose and kiwi pieces for his eyes and made a smile out of raisins. Remember when I said Gram told me she could eat me right up? We really could do that to our snowman! Especially the raisins. I love raisins.

Then I had an idea. "Mom! Dah! So daw!" I said it twice and pointed to Scrapple, who was barking at us from inside.

"What? Oh!" Dad gave me a high five, even though we we wearing mittens. "A snowdog! You want to make a snowdog that looks like Scrapple? A snow dachshund?"

"Yah!"

So that was how our snowman got a pet snow dachshund. I bet he's the only one in the world who does. Mom took an extra leash from the closet and we put it on the snowman's stick arm and around the snow dachshund's neck so it looked like they were taking a walk even if they never left the yard in real life. When I looked in the window, Scrapple was wagging his tail. I think he liked the snow dachshund.

We were about to go inside when I had another idea. I was standing next to Mom and I picked up a big piece of snow and held it on her stomach where her coat doesn't button all the way round because the twins are taking up so much room. She jumped right up in the air when I did that!

"Eliot! Yikes!"

"EB so. Obi so."

"Oh, you want EB and Obi to feel the snow? Do you think they'll like that? Are you going to tell them about it?"

"Yah." I held some more snow on her stomach.

"Eliot, what are you doing? That's freezing! That's worse than the sonogram stuff."

"It's snow, EB. It's only here in the winter time. In the summer it's rain. It's magic that it changes. Except in the summer Dad likes to eat something called a sno-cone but it's not really snow. And it's a funny color."

"It's so cold! What do you do with it, anyway?"

"Play. We made a man out of it and a dog out of it like Scrapple and we can go in a sled. When you're out of there and have clothes you'll love it, I promise."

"You better be telling us the truth. There are two of us, you know."

"I know, Obi, but I'm your big brother. I am much bigger than you. Plus I don't tell lies. You're not supposed to tell lies."

"Can we go inside now? Please don't put any more snow on Mom."

"Okay, bye."

And then I reached up to hold Mom's hand and we went inside, just like the twins asked. I was kind of cold, too, to tell the truth, which I do.

She put me on the potty but I didn't need to go and besides it's boring to sit there. "We've been trying the potty for only a week a half, but you are a very smart boy, so I'm sure you understand why we're doing this. I'm not going to get mad if you don't go, but I have faith in you. Do you know that that means?"

"Yah."

"We're going to figure out some good ways to make this fun."

"Kay."

Mom tells the truth, too, but I didn't know how it could ever be fun. But a little while later I figured out one all by myself. I knew Dad would love it. When he was getting me ready for bed he was changing my diaper before he put on my PJs and guess what? I grabbed the diaper and started running around with it. I was naked and it was so much fun! Dad was trying to chase me and then I went under the table and when he got down there I scooted out the other side and waved at Scrapple who started barking and Dad was hollering. But I got to his and Mom's bathroom and I dropped the diaper in the toilet and when Dad came through the door I went flush! Bye, diaper!

"Eliot!"

"Way!"

Dad's face was very red. "Did you just flush your diaper down the toilet?"

"Yes, just like you showed me you would do with the potty. My diaper had pee so I made it go away."

Mom came in behind him. "What?"

I pointed to the flush handle. "Way! Bye!"

Dad smacked himself on the head. "Oh, God, Beckett. When we first got the potty I showed him how I would empty it into the toilet and then flush it away."

"Way! Fuh!"

"You thought that was fun?"

"Yah, fuh Dah!"

"I think that one may be on me, Castle." Mom was holding her back with her hand and staring in to the toilet. "I told him we would find ways to make potty training fun."

"Fuh!"

Mom laughed. "Well, Mister Bare-Bottom, I guess it was fun. But no more diapers down the toilet. That's just for pee."

"Pee bye."

"Think we need to call the plumber, Castle?"

"I think perhaps we do."

Mom and Dad got me ready for bed and said good night and I was almost asleep when I heard Scrapple.

"Hey, Eliot. I need to talk to you."

"Now? Aren't you sleepy? Your paw need to rest, Dad said. Rest is like sleep."

"I can sleep in a minute. I want to talk to you about potty training."

"Why?"

"I want to tell you a story, but first I want to tell you about underpants."

"Dogs don't have underpants."

"That's right, but I do know about them. You'll like wearing underpants. They're much better than those clunky diapers. Diapers sort of get in the way. Besides, the twins will wear diapers and you can show them your underpants and they'll be very envious. They'll wish they had them because you're their big brother."

"Huh. Well, what about the story you want to tell me?

"Here it is. I was very upset and sad when I had to go live in the shelter. My heart was broken. I thought it would be always be broken. And then you and your Mom and Dad came to see me. I wanted you to adopt me but you left and I thought that was the end. I got my hopes up, and then they were down. But it turned out that the people at the shelter just had to make sure you were nice and would take good care of me. And you came back and adopted me and got me toys and a bed and everything and a forever home. So I have you for the rest of my life. You know what else?"

"What?"

"If you could really try with potty training it would make your mom and dad happy. I can help you. I feel like if I can help you with it that will help your mom and dad. That will be my way to say thank you to them for adopting me. I can remind you when it's probably time for you to pee, okay? And then you can tell your parents that you need to go. What do you think?"

"Okay, I'll try. Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure. You ask me questions all the time."

"Do you know anything else about underpants?"

"Yeah."

"Like what?"

"They come in lots of colors so they're not blah like diapers. And they have really great pictures on them, like dinosaurs and cars."

"What about dachshunds? Do they have any with dachshunds? That's what I want."

"I bet they do. I bet your Dad knows a guy."

"Okay. Maybe underpants will be good. Night, Scrapple."

"Night, Eliot."