Out in the hallway, Esposito stared at Ryan open-mouthed. 'Okay, I give, looks like your paranoia was well-founded, bro,' he relented as he tried to wrap his head around what he'd just seen - sweet, little Lex in Shane Weaver's apartment with wet hair and Shane getting out of the shower himself.

'Dude,' Ryan said in a stunned voice, staring at his partner. Part of him wanted to deny it, that the look on the young woman's face wasn't post-coital relaxation and she'd been in his apartment because she'd been out shopping, taken a tumble in the snow and it was closer to the pathologist's apartment to freshen up than to go home soaking wet. But the better part of him knew that Alexis and Shane had indeed hooked up, and with a thud in his stomach realized that when they'd been at the morgue that morning that it was Alexis' call that Shane had taken for his post-shift plans.

'Dude,' he repeated and Esposito's eyes bugged out.

'I know.'

'What do we say to Castle?'

'Nothing,' Esposito replied hastily. 'We cannot be the ones to tell him his daughter is knockin' boots with a man fifteen years older than her. He'd kill them both.'

'Right, and who's to say he won't kill us for keeping it from him?'

'Fair point.'

Both men had a hell of a lot more to say on the subject but they shut up right quick when the door opened and both Alexis and Shane stepped out, trying not to look like they wanted to die laughing.

No one made any attempts at conversation the entire trip from Shane's apartment to the subway to Castle's building in SoHo. Ryan knew if he or his partner opened their mouths it would be questions that were aimed more for Shane and Alexis would get caught in the crossfire. Not that she was entirely innocent in the whole thing either, though, Ryan fumed; he could only imagine the hell he was going to catch from Castle when the writer learned just who it was that had given Alexis Shane's contact info. In his defence, it was for a legitimate reason. How the hell was he supposed to know that his friend and the daughter of his friend would have become – God help him – lovers?

When they reached the building, Alexis held open the door for the detectives and because they were ahead of them, she mouthed to Shane this will be fun. She whipped out her cellphone and sent a quick message to her father.

Brace yourself, we're on our way with the Ry-Sposito Monster.

She opened the door to the apartment, saw her father and Gil Mazzara sitting at the poker table, Gil confused and Castle's expression of trying very hard not to bust a gut laughing; the latter was somehow able to keep a straight face as he greeted them all.

'Alexis, hey, sweetheart, didn't think you were coming home so soon.'

'In between plans. I have to go change to meet Sloan.' The itch to give Shane a peck on the cheek was almost insatiable but there was so much fun to be had at Ryan and Esposito's expense, because judging from the spluttering reactions they'd given her at Shane's apartment, they'd had no clue about her and their second-favourite ME, nor were they aware that her father was well-informed about the relationship. 'Hope you brought your game face, Gil,' she said in a chipper tone to the detective, subtly nudging her boyfriend in the ribs, 'Shane said he thinks he's going to get lucky tonight.'

That's my girl, Castle thought with a wicked little cackle as Ryan and Esposito gulped like guppies; this was turning into a fun little game of who-knows-you-know. But he wanted a moment alone without their presence to talk to Shane and Alexis so he decided to play nice. At least, for a little while. 'I know this is a little mean of me to do since you just got here, but you think you two could head to the twenty-four-seven down the street and grab our take-out order? It's already paid for, just say you're picking up for Castle.'

'Uh-huh, sure.' Esposito looked relieved to have a job that would take him far, far away so he could formulate just what to say to his friend that sweet, young Alexis was having a little tryst with one of their colleagues. 'Ry, let's go.'

The two detectives booked it out of the SoHo loft, and the minute the door shut behind them Castle let out the wheezing belly laugh he'd been holding in with the greasiest threads of control. 'Oh, shit that was priceless. What the hell happened?' he asked, looking from Shane to Alexis.

'I'll let my boyfriend do the talking on that one,' Alexis snickered, twisting the top off a bottle of Bud and sauntering over to put her hand on Shane's shoulder, while Gil looked on like he'd been kicked in the face as his eyes darted from Castle to Shane to Alexis and back.

'Boyfriend?' he asked to no one in particular as Shane took the beer from Alexis, patted her fingers.

'Alexis and I started seeing each other about a month or so ago, and last week Alexis told her parents about us, but outside of them we haven't told anyone else,' he explained sitting down at the table, 'and then this morning, she called to make plans for us to have dinner together at my place before I came here for poker. Well, time kind of got away from us, and after Alexis had gotten a shower-' that part Shane had no problem editing as there was no need for Castle to know they'd had some fun in the shower together '-she answers the knock at my door and opens it to find those two on the other side.'

'No!' Castle gasped dramatically, relishing it with a laugh. 'What did they say, Lex?'

'Nothing, that's how I knew they were really surprised. Ryan just kind of stood there and Esposito looked like he was trying very hard not to scream when he said he'd texted Shane they were coming early and that he clearly missed getting the message. Most, they just kinda wheezed and tried not to blow up, and have no idea what to say to you, or even if they should bring it up. Anyways, I do need to get ready if I'm going to meet Sloan by nine.'

She darted upstairs to her room to get changed, and to pack a couple of things as she was probably going to go to Shane's after she left her date with Sloan, provided it wasn't too late since Shane was back on the day shift now. She had so much to tell Sloan about the relationship and was looking forward to finally saying something; she'd held off telling her until she'd told her parents. Since Shane worked with them, and their friends, they had to be in the know first, lest Sloan pop over and spill the beans.

By the time she was ready to go, she'd heard the two-headed monster return and chatting over cards. Alexis had to wonder just how much fun her father and her boyfriend were having playing with those two. Sure enough, she went downstairs to see the five of them at the poker table, and flicking a glance at her father she caught his subtle signal of touching the tip of his finger down his nose, like he was brushing away an itch. Going over to the table, she came up behind Shane, studied the pile of chips in the centre of the table.

'Don't let his name fool you, Ryan has no luck of the Irish when it comes to cards,' she told him, letting her hands rest on his shoulders as she peered at his hand. 'Think you can take him?'

'Of course. You coming over tonight?'

'Don't know how long I'll be out with Sloan. I'll text.'

'Alright.' Shane patted her fingers, then because he knew it would send the Ry-Sposito monster's blood pressure right into orbit, tugged on her wrist and gave her cheek a little kiss. 'Have fun with Sloan.'

'I always do. Bye, Dad.'

Alexis closed the door behind her and waited a few seconds; she wasn't disappointed when she heard the outburst from her favourite pair of detectives.

Alexis had met Sloan Machado in their AP economics class and they'd become close as sisters in the time they'd gone to school together. Sloan was as artistic as she was pragmatic, taking photography with a business minor so she could run her own studio and was steadily making a name for herself in the New York art scene, no small accomplishment in a city teaming with talent.

It didn't surprise her that Sloan had chosen Duke's an arty but unpretentious little jazz club whose headliner was a young woman by the stage name of Jojo-B and so talented it made Alexis want to cry. The drinks were cold and the music was hot as the gossip Alexis had to share.

'I can't believe you're going back, I'm going to miss you so much!' Sloan pouted, tucking her long black hair behind her ear. 'It sucks I didn't have more time free to see you, but then, it means good business for my studio, right?'

'Just as well,' Alexis said calmly, sipping her Manhattan as she listened to the singer's rendition of Sooner or Later. 'I was spending most of my time with my new little brother and my new boyfriend.'

The words had the effect she'd hoped for, as Sloan swallowed her mouthful of martini in reflex, then coughed a little.

'What? New boyfriend? When did this happen? Why haven't I heard anything about this? Details, toute-de-suite girl!'

'His name is Doctor Shane Weaver, he works with the medical examiner's office.'

'Doctor? How old is he?'

'Fifteen years older than you and me.'

Sloan's smoky almond eye popped like daisies in springtime. 'Yowsa, go you! He cute?'

'You know that soccer player Daniel de Ridder?

'Sure, plays for AFC Ajax,' she replied immediately; Sloan was a hardcore soccer fan and despite her Portuguese lineage, she always cheered for the Dutch teams.

'Shane could be his older brother.'

'Go Alexis. Now spill it, I want all the dirt.'


R&R&Enjoy.