A/N Yup, I caved. I couldn't leave Eliot and I hope that you won't, either. This story begins three weeks after "Hi. I'm Eliot" ended.

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

You wouldn't believe what I found out this morning, all because of a Cheerio.

We're having vacation at our house for two weeks, which is a lot of days in a row. Mom and Dad wanted to come out here now because it is the middle of September and a lot of the people in the neighborhood have left until next summer. It's nice and quiet. You can sit outside in the sunshine and you don't feel like you're going to catch fire. When Mom is lying by the pool I like to sit on her belly. Today I had some Cheerios and since a Cheerio is round like a belly button I decided to try to put one in Mom's and see if if it would stay there.

"Eliot! That tickles!"

I tried to take the Cheerio away from her belly button but I couldn't, and then she was laughing so hard that it popped out.

"Pretty soon you won't be able to sit on me like this, at least for a while, because my stomach will get so big you'll slide right off."

"Oohnoo, Mama."

Mom doesn't eat very much, so I don't know how her stomach could ever get like that.

"There's a baby in there, just like you used to be in there."

I was so surprised when she said that that I let go of my other Cheerios and they bounced onto the tiles and one of them rolled right into the pool. There's a baby in there? Is that what she and Dad have been talking about? Ever since my birthday. I kept thinking they were talking about me but it didn't make very much sense.

"Baby?"

"Yes, sweet pea, a baby. We don't know if it's a boy or a girl, but when it's big enough, next spring, the baby will be born and you'll be a brother. You can help Dad and me, and you can help your baby brother or sister learn things and you and Scrapple will have someone else to play with."

Scrapple must have heard his name because he came running out of the house and ate the Cheerio that was still on the tiles.

"Hey, Scrapple, we're having a baby."

"Who's having a baby?"

"Mom. She says we'll have someone else to play with."

"I like playing with you. Why do we need someone else?"

"We could teach it to throw the ball."

"Okay. Good point."

Mom sat up and held on to me so I wouldn't slide off her, even though her stomach is flat. That baby must be very little right now. Littler than a kumquat! "Castle? Could you bring me some ginger ale, please? And some water for Eliot?"

Dad put his head out of the door. "Be right there!"

And he was.

"Dada?"

"What's up?"

"Baby! Mama baby."

"Oh, Castle, I just told him about it. You should have seen his expression. He was stunned. Totally adorable."

Dad kissed me on my foot. "It's a great thing, bub. Gonna be so much fun. Someone else for you and Scrapple to play with."

"Yeah, that's what Mom said."

"What time is it? Your mother will be back for lunch."

"Eleven thirty. You up to eating something?"

"Yup, feel pretty well now. You wanted to write, didn't you? Martha and I can take care of lunch."

"You sure?"

"Go on in. I'll holler when it's ready."

So Dad went to his office inside and Mom and I splashed our feet in the pool for a little while until we heard Gram saying hello, and we got up to meet her in the kitchen. After we said hi Mom helped Gram with her grocery bags.

"I got all sorts of yummy things at the farmers' market. Corn, and all the makings for a wonderful salad."

"Sounds perfect, Martha, thank you."

Mom and Grams started washing lettuce and stuff in the sink. I was sitting on the floor but I needed to tell Gram what was happening.

"Gam! Gam!"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

I pointed to Mom. "Baby! Mama baby!"

"What?"

Now that I can walk all by myself I stood up and went to Mom who was standing next to Gram and I reached up to pat her belly. "Baby. Mama."

Gram's eyes got very big. "Katherine?" She asked it that way she does when she is trying to find something out. It kind of sounds like she's singing. "Katherine? Are you?"

Mom put her hand on my head. "Oh, boy, look who let the cat out of the bag."

"There's a cat! Scrapple, come here! Find the cat!"

"Are you?"

"Yup. Pregnant. We weren't going to tell anybody just yet, but I explained—if you can call it that—to Eliot this morning about the baby and he obviously understood."

Gram gave Mom and me a big hug together. "Clever boy! I didn't even know you were trying, dear. Are you feeling all right?"

"Once it gets to be ten o'clock or so, I do. Before that, oh, God. At least I know it won't last long. And no, we were't trying yet, but, uh, you know."

I was looking at Mom. Her face was red all of a sudden.

Gram laughed. "The best kind of accident, darling. When are you due?"

"What accident? Mom was in an accident? Why didn't I know that? I'm glad you're all right, Mom."

"April, right around Easter."

"Easter? Maybe we can call the baby Bunny!"

Dad came in the kitchen then. "Am I missing all the fun? There's a lot of laughing going on in here."

"Well, Richard, your son here just informed me that I'm going to be a grandmother again."

Dad picked me up and gave me a smooch. "Really? Atta boy! Don't tell anyone else yet, okay? It's still a secret for us."

"Okay. But I told Scrapple, too."

After lunch Dad went back to his office and Gram went out to see a friend. Mom decided that she and I would take a nap under a tree, so we cuddled up there together on a blanket. She fell sound asleep but I was still awake. I put my hand on her stomach, but softly so she wouldn't know.

"Hey, baby, can you hear me? Hi, I'm your brother. I'm Eliot. I used to be in there like you."

"Hi, Eliot. Finally I have someone to talk to!"

"Okay, good. I have to sleep now, and you should. too. I'll talk to you later. I bet you have a lot of questions."

I'm going to take my nap now, but here's a new question from me. I know how I got out of Mom but how did I get in there? Did the new baby get in the same way? When I know more words I'm going to ask.