She woke in the dark, alone and frightened. Her right hand clutched the small dinosaur that stayed with her at all times, as her left pulled the warm blanket made by her sister up closer to her chest.

"Mommy" she whimpered, nuzzling her head into the blanket. "Mommy, help."

She waited patiently, trying her best not to cry as she pulled the dinosaur closer to her. She wanted her mommy more than anything in the world. Mommy's hugs cured all, as Daddy would always say.

"Mommy" she called out again, sucking in a whimper as she rolled over in her seemingly new bed. My big girl bed she thought to herself, her small hands patting the sheet that covered her. She'd had the bed for a little under year now, but it still came across as fascinating and perfect. She sighed heavily and yawned, calling out again. "Mommy!" she yelled louder, a single tear escaping down her cheek.

The nightmare she'd had was bad. Worse than the ones she had before this night. She pulled the blanket up more as more tears fell. She tried to stay strong; holding back as many tears as she could. Mommy was strong. She was a superhero and saved New York from all of the bad people. She could surely stop the bad dreams from coming through.

When she thought all hope was lost, her bedroom door propped open, and a tired woman shuffled through. The lights stayed off, but the light from the hallway shone through the opening in the door.

"Mommy" she whimpered, holding her arms in the air, clutching her possessions in her hands.

"Hello my little love" she smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "What's wrong."

"Mommy, scary thoughts." She buried her face in the crook of her mother's shoulder, letting out a relieved sigh. She knew that hugs always made things better. They made her feel warm and safe. Like nothing in the world could hurt her now.

"What happened Mel?" she asked, sitting down on the bed, pulling her daughter close to her chest.

"The m-monsters Mommy. They got you and Daddy." She snuggled more into the warm embrace, sucking in her tears. She had to stay strong, just like her strong-hearted mom. "They looked scary."

"It's okay Melanie, they're gone." She pressed a soft kiss to her head and smiled.

"Time, Mommy?"

Kate glanced at the clock and sighed. "Its only 2 Mel. You need to go back to sleep."

"No sleep" she answered quickly. "No, no, no sleep."

"Melanie, Mommy has to work in the morning. And you get to spend tomorrow with Daddy, so you need your rest too."

"Scared" she whimpered, holding her tiger. "Stay? Please?"

She sighed and nodded. "Just this once Melanie; do you understand? I'll keep the monsters away, and then after tonight, they'll know not to mess with us Castle women. Okay sweetheart?"

Melanie smiled and crawled into her bed and under her covers. "I love you" she sighed, her little head collapsing on her pillow.

"I love you too." Kate pressed a kissed to her daughter's forehead and climbed under the covers.

Mel snuggled against her side and pushed her forehead into Kate's ribs, feeling the need to be safe and secure.

"Love you Mommy" she murmured once more before sleep overcame her once again.

"I love you too."

Melanie woke later in the morning, her face pressed tight against her mother's side. She rolled over and groaned, hiding her small face from the bright sunlight shining through her window. She used the headboard to pull herself up into a sitting position, leaning now against the wall her bed was pushed against, staring at the sleeping form next to her.

Kate's hair was sprawled across the pillow, her mouth open partially as she slept.

Melanie picked up her dinosaur and sighed, already growing bored while waiting for her mother to wake. She needed something to do, but her Mommy was in the way of her climbing out of her bed to get out her parents room and wake up her Dad. She crawled over and placed her hands on her mom's back, shaking her.

"Mommy" she whispered in her ear, bumping her forehead to Kate's temple. "Mommy, get up."

"Hmmm" Kate groaned, nuzzling her face into the comfortable pillow.

Melanie sighed heavily and thought for a moment. She knew her Mom was ticklish. Every time her Dad tickled her and she would giggle loudly, he would always tell her "You sound just like Mommy."

"Maybe that'll do it!" she thought. She put down her stuffed dinosaur and flexed her fingers, before finding that spot that would make her giggle.

As the little fingers moved against her side, Kate yelped and flailed, before rolling off the bed and onto the floor with a loud thump.

"Ohh" she groaned, her hand moving straight toward the back of her head. "Ouch… What the… Melanie?" she asked, looking up at the small girl peering over the side of the bed.

Melanie had tears pooling in her eye as she shook her head quickly. "Oh no Momma I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm so sorry" she trembled, grabbing for her dinosaur once again.

"No, Melanie, it's okay. Mommy is all right. See? I'm fine" she said as she started to sit up. Her back and head ached horribly, but she knew she would feel absolutely worse if her daughter started to cry. "Don't get upset baby. Mommy is fine."

Melanie shook her head, burying her face into her dinosaur. "I- h-hurted y-you" she said through hiccups, trying to hold back her tears.

"Dammit" Kate muttered, pushing through her pain to try and sit up. "Castle! Get in here!" she yelled, knowing he would hear it through the baby monitor.

Moments later, he came up and saw her laying on the floor as Melanie tried her best to hold back her tears. "Kate, what did-"

"I'm fine. Help her right now. She's just upset because she thinks I'm hurt. Tell her I'm fine Castle. Right now."

Melanie curled up as her dad picked her up in his arms before burying her face in his bare shoulder, crying. "Daddy, I hurt Mommy" she cried, clutching on to him. "S-she wouldn't wake up so I tickled her cause you do that to wake me up sometimes and she fell and she said 'Ouch' and Daddy, oh, I didn't mean to hurt Mommy. I just wanted her to wake up so I could go see you so we could start our fun day." The words tumbling from her mouth slowly became incoherent as he rocked her in his arms.

"Mel, it's all right. Mommy is perfectly fine. She is just laying on the floor being silly, right Mommy?"

"Right" Kate grunted.

Rick flashed his eyes as her as he held Melanie to his chest, asking if she was okay without saying words at all.

Kate nodded and wriggled around on the floor a little, signaling she was stiff. "Melanie, look at me honey."

Melanie lifted her head, her brown eyes resting on her mom who lay against the wall on the floor. "Mommy, I'm so sorry."

It broke Kate's heart seeing her so upset. She stood up and stretched a little, wincing from the pain shooting through her back. "Come here little one." She took Melanie into her arms and smiled, kissing her hair.

Melanie smiled and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. Her biggest worry, even at her age of three, was always that she was in trouble. She hated being in trouble, but hated hurting her family even more. She loved each of them. "I'm sorry Mommy" she whispered.

"I'm okay Mel. I promise you. I'm not mad at all. Hey, what do we say you and I call Aunt Vic and ask if Mommy can have the day off to spend with you and Daddy. How does that sound?"

Her little eyes widened as her jaw dropped and she clapped her hands together. "Oh, Mommy, do you mean it? Can we, pretty please? Can we go to the park? And go on the swing set? Please? Mommy, Daddy, can we?"

"Sure."

Melanie wriggled down and ran out of the room, to the steps. "Daddy, help!" she yelled as she watched her parents come out of her room. She sat down on her bottom and moved her way down the staircase one at a time. The second her feet hit the bottom floor; she was off in a sprint toward where her mom's phone stayed during the night. She pulled it from its spot and ran back out, running into her mom's legs then staring up at her, arms raised above her head. "Call her Mommy. But I want to talk to her. I miss Aunt Vic."

"I know you do" she said, scrolling through her contacts. She hit the button then put the phone on speaker, setting it in Melanie's anxious hands.

After a few rings, the call finally went through.

"Gates."

"Aunt Vic, Aunt Vic! It's Melanie. I miss you" she sighed, sitting down on her bottom in the middle of the foyer.

"Hey there you! I miss you too."

Rick and Kate looked at each other and smiled. Leave it to their three year old to bring out the fun side of Iron Gates.

"Aunt Vic, can Mommy come with me to the park today? I know you need her to be a super hero but I hurted her this morning and I want to take her to the park so I can make her feel better."

"Hmm. I suppose so, Melanie. However, only if you bring in some of those cookies you bake. Sound like a deal?"

"Yes! Oh, thank you Aunt Vic! I love you!"

"Love you too Melanie. Can I talk to your Mommy for a minute?"

"Mhm" she nodded, handing the phone up.

"Send your daughter to do the dirty work, Detective?"

"Would you expect any less? Are you sure it's okay Captain?"

"You have the free time. See you tomorrow. Oh, and Melanie?" Gates asked, knowing she was still on speaker.

"Yes?" she yelled, stretching on her toes.

"I'll be expecting those cookies in the morning."

"Yes sir!" she smiled, watching as they hung up the phone.

Melanie reached up and gripped her parent's hands, dragging them toward there room. "Come on" she groaned, pulling them as much as she could. "It's time for a day of fun!"

Welcome to the life of Melanie Johanna Castle! These will be a series of different one shots in the perspective of Castle and Beckett's little girl. Let me know what you think, and if you have any ideas. Thanks!

~Brandi

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