How Lanie Dealt With It

A/N: Short chapter focused solely on Lanie and her interrogation of Castle. Will get back to the case and "Esposito and Ryan" aka How Esposito and Ryan Really Dealt With It in CH. 4. I hope it meets your standards. Read, enjoy and review.


Castle rushed down to the morgue, hoping to God that Lanie hasn't murdered or worst interrogated Kate. For a small woman, Lanie can be a towering presence when she wants to be and usually that only happens if she's in a bad mood. And judging from the perceived tone of Kate's text, Lanie has or will go nuclear pretty soon.

He flung open the double doors of the morgue, breathing heavily and hunched over with his hands on his knees.

"Wh... where's Kate?" he asked catching his breath and composing himself.

"What are you talking about, Castle?" Lanie asks with her hands on her hips.

"Uh, Kate she texted me she was down her and that she needed help," he purposefully left out the part about needing help getting away from a certain medical examiner.

"Castle, she didn't come down here, I've been cleaning my examination tools alone for the last 20 minutes."

"You sure?" Rick asked confused then checked his phone. The last message was from Kate.

"Wait, didn't you call her down because there was a break in the Grayson case?"

"Nope," she popped the 'p' for emphasis.

"Oh well, OK I'll, just head back upstairs," he said a little anxious, suddenly remembering a Lanie interrogation would befall him, from Kate's earlier message. And with no Kate here to protect him, he would be at her mercy.

"I'll see you, Lanie," Castle headed for the door.

"Hold on there Castle, we never get to talk, come on sit, let's just chat," Lanie said sweetly, her voice belied her intentions perfectly.

However, Castle didn't become a successful mystery writer and a pretty damn good poker player without reading between the lines and calling bluffs. "You know what, I should go find Kate."

"Oh come on, she's a big girl, besides she has a gun," she continued and walked slowly over to him.

"Oh I forgot, I have publisher's meeting that I'm late for," he tried.

"Let's try this again," the sweetness in Lanie voice was now replace with a menacing tone coupled with a glare, "Sit, Castle."

"Oakey-dokey," he said sheepishly and took a seat on an examination stool twidling his thumbs and watching Lanie. Lanie meanwhile, locked the doors and pulled the blinds around the morgue. For the piece-de-résistance, she wheeled over an ultra-bright examine light and shown it on Castle. He used a hand to shield his eyes from the intense light.

"Now...," Lanie said sharply, "Why did you marry my best friend without me there?"

Still battling the light, he said, "It seemed like a good a idea," he looked at her through squinting eyes, even then he saw her glaring at him. "At the time," he finally added in a small voice.

"Why didn't you invite us?"

It took him a long time to answer, and when he did Castle's answer didn't seem to ebb her anger.

"The hell do you mean we're not family? We been the closest thing to a family she's had since her Dad lost himself to alcohol. Ryan and Esposito have been like the older brothers she never had, I've been the closest thing to a sister to her and the only female voice she would listen to since her mother. And Montgomery was her father, hell he gave his last breath protecting her. From my view, Castle, we've been more of a family than most actual families," Lanie admonished brashly.

Castle had nothing to say, simply looked down at his hands.

"Do you love her?" She asked calmly.

Squinting still, "Yes, I'm convinced that had I met her after my first divorce, I wouldn't have this playboy persona people see and that Alexis would have had a much, much upbringing with two loving parents instead of one."

That answer apparently appeased Lanie enough, that she lifted the light so that it wasn't directly in his eyes.

"Thank you," Castle said rubbing his eyes, a blinking in succession.

"Is this for real or is this some PR stunt for Nikki Heat?"

"Lanie, I would never parade my family life out to sell books," he said sternly.

"So this is real?"

"Absolutely."

"Now that your married, will you sop following her around? You won the pursuit."

"Lanie, I will not stop following Kate until she says so. And it's not because I need more research notes, it was no longer about the books the second Mr. Smith contacted me," he paused and looked at her seriously, "Lanie like you said, Montgomery gave last his breath to protect her, I'll do that too — in my own way."

Hearing the seriousness and sincerity in Castle's— Rick's voice, all Lanie could do was smile.

"Castle, I respect that, going back to the whole marriage thing for a second," Now that the hard questions had been answered, "Your writer brain didn't process that Kate would like to have both her family and friends at her wedding?"

"In truth, it wasn't really planned. It just happened," Castle said, now the tension in the room had lifted.

"Oh really?" Lanie said unconvinced.

"Yes."

"Then explain the private jets, limos, her dad and the freakin' Mayor of New York being there."

"Oh...," Castle said with a deer-in-the-headlights look. "Umm... they were there on vacation and it's just coincidence," he gave her his best boyish smile.

Not pleased she rolled her eyes, "Castle!"

"Okay, I'm sorry, but what am I gonna do, I can't go back in time and do it again."

"Wanna bet?"

"Lanie...?" He asked cautiously.

"Zip it, writer boy. Here is what you're going to do, you are going to invite all of us to a private church, one weekend and before everyone, you two will repeat your vows. You get me?"

"But Lanie...,"

"No 'buts', if I have miss out on my girl saying her vows for a second time there'll be hell to pay. I've worked too damn hard trying to get you two together to not see it actually end in a wedding. And should I or the boys miss out on this event, you just need to remember I am a medical doctor, I can make anything look like it had an accident or make sure it never existed," she pointed to Rick's crotch with a cast-cutter, "Got it?"

He gulped, "Got it."

"Good."

Lanie went and pulled up the blinds and unlocked the doors. "OK, you can come in now," Lanie yelled out into the hallway. And went to her exam slab.

Rick was now confused, until Kate came in skipping with a huge smile and a mischievous glint in her green eyes.

"You planned this didn't you?"

"Lanie said she would make it an interrogation you and I will never forget and she was right, I especially love the ending," Kate responded with a laugh.

"Cruel woman. There should be a law against what wives can and can't do to their husband."

"There is, it's called withholding sex," she said with a grin.

Castle had some questions but they were answered on the way upstairs after Lanie gave them Grayson's updated autopsy report and additional details.