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

Mom and Otis have been home for a while. He mostly sleeps, eats and cries. Especially eats. All his food is from Mom, it's milk like I used to get, and he eats all the time. Around a million times a day. I know he is a baby but he kind of hogs Mom. I think he cries because he misses Abby. They were together inside Mom and now we're all here at home and she's still in the hospital. But we have been to see her every day and Mom does kangaroo care with her, like she is a mother kangaroo and Abby is her joey, and she holds her against her chest and puts her shirt over both of them. Too bad Mom doesn't have a pouch like a kangaroo so she could hop around. I told Docky it would be fun to see her hop but he said that wouldn't be good for a tiny baby.

We were very excited today because Abby weighs enough to come home and we were going to get her in the afternoon. Everything was ready for her so Mom and Dad were relaxing at breakfast time.

"I'll do it through the mayor's office," Dad said. He was waving his mug around. "No one will have to know it's me."

"Everyone will know it's you, Castle. An anonymous benefactor decides to buy a new elevator for the Twelfth precinct? Like that's gonna fly."

"Elevators don't fly, Mom, airplanes do. And birds. Oh, and ghosts. And angels. And flies. That's weird, right? A fly can fly. Oh, and bats. And pterosaurs but they aren't around any more. They're in my dinosaur book. I guess a lot of things fly, but not elevators."

"When you go back to work you'll have to ride in that thing again every day. And don't say that lightning never strikes twice, because I have statistics that prove the contrary."

"I don't think I'll go into labor again in the elevator."

"I meant you could get stuck. For hours. Days, even."

"Castle, I can't have you paying for a new elevator, it's just, uh, not. Not."

"Not what?"

"Not, you know, right."

"You're saying it would embarrass you?"

Mom wrinkled up her nose. "Kind of. I mean, it's a wonderful, generous offer, but our precinct shouldn't get things that others don't."

"You think I should take away that espresso maker, then?"

"No!" Mom looked scared when he said that!

"So where on your embarrassment scale does the nickname for the elevator fall?"

"What?"

"I said, where on your embarrassment scale does the nickname for the elevator fall?"

Boy, Mom looked so pale now, even more than when Dad asked about the coffee maker. She put down her spoon so fast that it slid off the table. It still had yogurt on it and Scrapple ran to get it and she didn't even notice.

"The elevator has a nickname?"

"Yup. A lot of things at the precinct get nicknames, you know that."

"Are you going to tell me what it is?"

"Certainly." Dad smacked his lips. Loud. He was eating a bagel. "Although now that I think about it, it's more a tribute than a nickname. Yeah, a tribute. Maybe they'll put up a little sign, or a plaque."

"Castle, please. Enough torture. Just tell me."

Dad licked some butter off his finger. "The Delivery Room."

Both of Mom's went right up to her face. "Oh, my God. I am never going in there again. Ever."

"So you agree I should pay for a new one."

"No, Castle. I mean henceforth I will take the stairs."

"Henceforth? You actually said henceforth?"

"A serious situation calls for a serious word."

"What if you're escorting a perp? You gonna take them up the stairs?"

"I'm the Captain now. I don't have to escort perps, as you so delicately put it. You know what? This is just too mortifying even to contemplate. Could we change the subject?"

"Sure."

Right then I heard the baby monitor squeak which meant that Otis was awake and about to cry.

"Right on schedule," Mom said while she stood up. "Feeding time at the zoo."

"Zoo? Go zoo?"

"That's another expression, sweet pea. It's not really the zoo here. It means, let's see, it means that it's time to feed Otis but it's kind of busy around here, like it as with so many animals at the zoo. Now we have you and Otis and Abby and Scrapple and Dad and me there are a lot of us."

Mom left to go feed Otis and a little bit later while I was eating my toast her phone rang. "Docky!"

Dad looked over at the phone. "That's Docky calling?"

"Yah."

"Your Mom made his ringtone the theme from ER? That's pretty funny. Think I should answer?"

"Yah!"

"Morning, Perlmutter. It's Castle. Kate's nursing Otis. Anything I can do for you?"

"Docky!"

"Hold on, someone is anxious to speak to you. I'll put you on FaceTime." Dad put me on his lap so we could both see Docky and he could see us.

"Hi, Eliot."

"Hi."

"Look what I have on. It just got sent to me. Can you see it?"

"Yah, co!"

"A very, very handsome new coat that's made out of cashmere, which is very, very soft wool. That was a huge surprise! Did you help pick it out?"

"Yah."

"I thought so. You have excellent taste, like both your parents. I like the color, too."

"Blue."

"Right. You knew that was my favorite, didn't you?"

"Yah."

"Castle? Really, you shouldn't have done this. It's entirely unnecessary."

"That's not what Beckett says. In fact, she said, 'I ruined Sidney's coat. It was for a great reason, two great reasons, but oh my God, I gave birth on his coat. We have to get him a new one right now.' I hope you're not thinking of returning it, because she'll just send it to you again."

"Of course I won't. This is the best-looking coat I've ever had. Thank you. Thank all of you. How did you know the size?"

"I didn't. Beckett did. Sort of, uh. Well. She said that when she was having the worst of the contractions and trying to focus on something, there wasn't much to look at, so she used the tags on the lining of your coat."

Docky laughed out loud. "You sure Kate doesn't mind my knowing that?"

"Seriously, Sidney?" There was Mom carrying Otis! She had sneaked into the kitchen and was standing right behind us. She laughed, too. "Considering what went on in that elevator, you really think I mind your knowing that? It was about the least, um, revealing moment of the whole experience."

"All right. As I just told your husband and older son, this is the best coat I've ever had, far superior to its immediate predecessor, and I thank you. You shouldn't have done, it but I'm delighted that you did."

"You're very welcome."

"Docky! Abby om."

"I heard that she is. It's a big day for all of you, Abby coming home. I'm going to go now, okay, Eliot? Next time you see me I'll be wearing my new coat."

"Bye."

I decided I needed to talk to Otis. Mom was holding him on her chest.

"Morning, Otis. How are you?"

"Hi."

"That's all? Just hi?"

"I'm sleepy. I just ate."

"Oh, brother. That's a joke, get it? Because we're brothers."

He didn't answer. I think he was already asleep. Oh, brother. How come no one ever says oh, sister? Maybe I should start doing that. It could be a new expression.

Mom sat down next to Dad. "Castle? One more thing. There was a pool on the twins, had to have been. And it must have been huge, right?"

"Oh, yeah. You want to know who won?"

"Not really. I just wondered if this was covered: giving birth in the elevator. Anybody who put money on that would have cleaned up."

Dad looked like he was about to say something but he didn't. He just looked at Mom.

"Beat you to it, Castle. That elevator really, really, really needed cleaning up. Afterwards."

Maybe I'll ask Docky what that meant because Mom and Dad laughed so hard it almost woke up Otis.

Finally it was time to go get Abby. When we drove home there were three car seats in the back. That was pretty amazing! I sat in between the twins so I could keep an eye on them. That was my job. Even though it's important, I hope that's not always my job or I'll never have time to play.

Everybody in the family was tired tonight. The babies were in their bassinets in Mom and Dad's room and I was about to fall asleep when I said night to Scrapple and he didn't answer. I looked down at the floor and he wasn't there. I waited and waited and he didn't come. I was all by myself and I hated it and I couldn't help it that I cried. I heard Dad running up the stairs.

I was standing up in the crib and he put his hand on my forehead. "Eliot? What's wrong?"

I pointed down where Scrapple always sleeps. "Daw, no daw."

"No dog?" Dad looked surprised. "Where's Scrapple? Why don't you come with me and we'll go find him. You ride piggy back, okay?"

We saw Mom in the kitchen. "What's going on, sweetie?"

"No daw."

"We're looking for Scrapple. I think Eliot was very lonely, weren't you?"

"Yah."

"Oh. Oh. Oh, my," Mom said. "I bet I know where he is. Follow me."

We walked into Mom and Dad's room and there was Scrapple curled up between the bassinets. I went over and patted his ear and he opened his eyes.

"Scrapple? Why are you down here?"

"I'm guarding the twins."

"In case of bad guys?"

"Yes. You can't be too careful."

"Mom is a cop."

"I know."

"Well if any bad guys come she'll get rid of them. I'm all by myself upstairs. Who's going to guard me?"

"You're right, Eliot. Let's go."

And Scrapple ran to the bottom of the stairs. Dad put him under one arm and me under the other and carried us up, and Mom came right behind. Dad put me in my crib and Scrapple stretched out next to it. "Night, boys," Mom and Dad said at the exact same time, and then they each gave me a kiss.

"Order is restored in the universe," I heard Dad say when he walked down the hall.

I put my hand out to Scrapple and he licked it.

"Night, Scrapple. Thanks for coming back."

"Night, Eliot. This is where I belong."

A/N I am eternally grateful to everyone who takes the time to read this story. I was somewhat taken aback, though, by the virulent reaction of some readers to the name Otis. It's fine if you don't like it, but after a 35,000-word story that has been leading up to this childbirth chapter absolutely the only thing that a number of people commented on—some very rudely—was a baby's name? Geez. I'll tell my son what you think of it, but I guarantee I won't change it! And to those who are sure that the name will result in Otis Beckett-Castle being beat up in the schoolyard? Forget it! There is no way this kid will be anything but kick-ass.