Traffic was busy enough on the drive back to Beckett's that Lanie only had a chance to ask the most basic of questions about the trip – and those were focused pretty much on only the flight part. She asked, jokingly, if Beckett had been white-knuckled on the way there and back and if Castle had gone into the cockpit to offer to fly the plane. Beckett had smiled, and discussed the advantages of First Class travel compared to Coach, and never once mentioned just how nervous she'd been every time she boarded the planes. Lanie listened with increasing jealousy to the airplane food and the service as Kate described it, and since it was no secret that she'd been in First Class with Castle, she made several comments about the two of them enjoying the flight together.
When they arrived at Beckett's place, she offered to haul the large checked bag (not a terribly difficult chore since it had large wheels that were well conditioned) while Kate carried her carry on and the laptop case she'd taken as well.
"So?" Lanie asked as she closed the door behind them and pulled Beckett's bag into the small laundry room that was off the kitchen. "What was it like rooming with Castle?"
Kate shrugged.
"It wasn't as terrible as you might think," she admitted. "He's not a slob, which is a good start."
She opened her suitcase to start sorting clothes and Lanie frowned.
"What is that smell?"
"Chlorine," Kate explained, holding up a couple of plastic bags that held obviously still wet clothing. She smiled. "The suite had a private hot tub."
"Nice!" Lanie smiled slyly, though, and took the bags from her. "These aren't your swimsuit…"
Beckett blushed just a little. She had to know that Lanie would have noticed. She was incredibly observant, after all. It was her job to be.
"I didn't take a bathing suit," she replied. "So I had to make due."
"You hot-tubbed with Castle?"
"Yes."
"And?"
Beckett blushed a little more, taking her bags back and dumping them into the washer.
"And it was fine."
"Fine?"
"Yes."
"And?"
Kate snorted, amused at the tone of voice and the myriad of questions that that one little word held.
"And it was… fine."
Lanie's eyes widened.
"You slept with him!"
She could have denied it, but she knew that it wouldn't have done any good to. Lanie knew her too well to be fooled.
"Yeah. I did."
Her friend grinned widely.
"And?"
"And?"
Lanie rolled her eyes.
"And how was it? How was he?"
"Lanie!"
"Kate!"
She shook her head, but knew Lanie didn't have anything to do that day and would pester her mercilessly until she answered.
"Truth be told, if I'd known it was going to be as good as it was I would have slept with him when I had him alone after that plane crash."
Which wasn't what Lanie had expected to hear, and it was obvious.
"That good, huh?"
Beckett nodded.
"Yeah."
"But you wouldn't have had any protection out there," Lanie pointed out. "So it's just as well that you didn't. Not to mention you were both pretty battered."
Beckett hesitated.
"Right…"
Which immediately made Lanie's eyes narrow – and then widen.
"You didn't use protection?"
Beckett shrugged.
"The first time was a spur of the moment thing," she admitted. "I didn't even think of it."
"And after that time?"
"I was pretty sure it wasn't going to matter. It's the wrong time of the month for anything to have happened…"
"You don't know that for sure."
"I know."
"Are you nuts?"
Kate scowled.
"No. I just… I don't know. I'm sure it's fine, okay? I just…"
"If something happened, then it would happen?" her friend asked, her expression softening. She was probably the only person close enough to Beckett to know that the other woman longed for a family as well as a career and was certain that she couldn't have both.
Kate nodded.
"I suppose so."
"And if it did?"
"Then I'm stupid. But it was a nice thought at the time."
"Yeah, I know. It's easy to get caught up in the moment, isn't it?"
"Yes."
Lanie grinned, changing the somber tone of the conversation to something far more cheerful.
"So you have a choice."
"Yeah? What?"
"You can tell me all about your trip over coffee and dinner here, or I can take you out to eat somewhere you don't have to cook and you can tell me all about your trip there."
"Let's go out," came the immediate reply, causing Lanie to grin. She was well aware that Beckett wouldn't tell her anything too intimate about the trip – and if they were out in public she knew Lanie couldn't even ask.
"Sounds good," she said, hugging her friend once more. "I'll even let you choose the place."
OOOOOOOOOO
"So?"
Castle grinned over at his daughter, who was watching him intently.
"So what?"
Alexis rolled her eyes.
"Did you have a good time? Did you and Beckett spend a lot of time together? Did you bring me a cowboy hat?"
He laughed and hugged her again, realizing that he'd missed her even more than he thought he had.
"Yes. Yes. And no."
"Darling, let's let him get home and settled," Martha suggested from the other side of Rick. "He needs a chance to relax after his flight…"
Alexis looked over at her grandmother, surprised, and Castle smiled.
"Thank you, mother."
"Besides," she said, settling back in her seat. "All the bags – and the presents he brought us – are in the trunk."
Alexis grinned, and Castle just rolled his eyes.
He'd missed both of them.