A/N: This is a contribution to the Castle Fanfics Prompt Challenge on Tumblr. I used the prompt "Please stop crying."

The thick, shaggy mop of his chestnut hair clung to his feverish cheeks. His tired eyes cracked open and he whimpered from his two-day struggle to overcome a stomach virus. He wanted his mom. Even at the age of four years, he knew his mom was exhausted from taking care of him and his baby sister while their father was in Seattle for work. The little boy rolled to his stomach and buried his head into the Batman pillow. Muted, pitiful moans vibrated his pillow while he decided if he could be a big boy and not wake his mother.

A distant cry echoed down the hallway of the loft's second floor. Finn contorted his body in an attempt to peek through his barely-open door without leaving his bed. He couldn't hear the soft footfalls of his mother passing his room like he expected. He waited, hoping his mother would show up soon, because he needed her too but didn't want to be the one to wake her. Several moments went by and there was no sign of his mom. Finn slid out the twin bed like a caterpillar cocooned in his Star Wars comforter and untangled himself from the blanket's hold. He padded to his door and peered into the darkened hall. He could still hear his sister crying from her room. Quietly he sneaked through the opening to rescue her. Tip-toeing toward the second bedroom, he failed to notice the slumbering figure against the wall that stirred awake as he passed by.

His sister's door grumbled at the hinges as he pushed his way through. The girl, confined to the white crib, stood with her tiny hands wrapped around a pair of spindles as she wept and blubbered for their mom.

"It's okay, Evie." Finn soothed, reaching for one of her hands. "Mommy's really tired. Please stop crying."

"I want Mama!" Evie protested.

"Evie, please stop crying. Please?"

The click of a hallway light switching on had both children looking toward the door. Within seconds the silhouette of their mother stood in the doorway.

"Finn? What's going on?" Kate asked, her voice gruff with sleep.

"Evie was crying and you was so tired, so I come to make her stop."

"Oh Sweet Pea, you're sick. You should be in bed." Kate ran her fingers through her son's hair before lifting her daughter from the crib. "Don't worry about me. I'm the mom. I'm supposed to be tired." With Evie nuzzling into her neck, Kate kneeled down to her son's eye level and drew him into her free arm, stroking the back of his head. "Are you feeling any better?"

"My tummy hurts sometimes," Finn murmured.

"Well that's better than it hurting all the time." Kate smirked. "Do you two want to come sleep in Mommy and Daddy's bed? We could all use some sleep."

Finn and Evie both nodded their heads. Standing up again, Kate took Finn's hand and led the two youngest Castles to her giant king sized bed that she herself hadn't been using the last couple of nights. She missed her husband when he went on book tours and even more so when the kids were sick, but she wouldn't trade the alone time, especially the extra nighttime snuggles, she had with her children for anything.

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