A/N: Thanks for the reviews and follows everyone! I have my work Festivus party tomorrow so I'm excited about that. My library is well-known for the infamous Festivus party. :-P I hope you like this chapter. Lanie is in it. :-)

After brunch, Rick walks with Kate to the precinct, holding hands up until they are a block from Kate's destination where they agreed to part ways as to not bring up suspicion. Kate pulls Rick aside and kisses him.

"Okay, Babe, I'll see you at my place later?" Rick nods in response. "Wish me luck, hopefully, I still have a job after this."

"You don't need a job now that you are married to me."

Kate raises an eyebrow at him, "Seriously? You expect me to be your trophy wife now?"

"No, not at all! I'm just saying you have the option if you should choose to accept it, to be my trophy wife."

Kate snorts out a laugh and smacks him in the chest. "I love you and I'll see you later." Kate swoops in and kisses him one last time.

"Good luck!" Rick calls as Kate walks away.

Kate walks into the precinct and spots Esposito and Ryan plugging away at some work at their respective desks.

"Hey, boys, what are you working on?"

Espo looks up at the sound of Kate's greeting. "Hey, boss! Are you here for your sentencing?"

"How mad is Montgomery?" she asks with hesitance.

Ryan has since gotten up from his desk to join the conversation. "He's calmed down a bit. I think you being delayed another day helped, so you lucked out with that plane issue," Ryan adds.

Kate bites her lip to stop from smiling about her and Castle's secret. "Yeah, I guess I did luck out. I should go face the firing squad now though. Get it over and done with."

Kate left her team to their work and knocks on Montgomery's door. Montgomery waves her in and she has a seat in front of his desk.

"Good afternoon, sir." Kate greets.

"Beckett, you know why you are here," he starts, getting right down to business. "You are one of my best detectives, but I can't have you disobeying my orders and going on rogue missions where you do not have legal jurisdiction."

"I understand, sir."

"Seeing as you did solve the case, I'm going to be more lenient than I should and uphold my original suspension which would end tomorrow. I expect to see you here in the morning. You understand?"

"Yes, sir," Kate states, the corners of her mouth lifting.

"All right, you are dismissed. Tell your writer he is allowed back tomorrow too." Montgomery gestures for her to leave.

"Thank you, Captain. I will let Castle know as well."

Espo calls for Kate when she leaves Montgomery's office. "What's the verdict?"

"I'll be back tomorrow to catch up on all the work you guys didn't do," Kate teases.

"Psh, for that I'll be sure to leave an extra large serving of paperwork for you to do as a welcome back gift," Espo threatens.

Kate's phone chimes with an incoming text. She checks it, expecting it to be Castle, but finds it is Lanie telling her to stop by when she has a chance.

"I've gotta go. Your girlfriend has summoned me, but I'll see you both tomorrow," Kate says, sending off a quick response to Lanie as she exits towards the elevator.

Kate arrives at the morgue fifteen minutes later and is greeted by her best friend, who sits in her office eating lunch.

"Hey, girl! How are you doing?"

Kate grins as she swoops in and takes a seat across from Lanie at her desk. "I'm doing okay. How have things been around here?"

Lanie gives Kate a scrutinizing glare. "There's something different about you. I can't put my finger on what it is, but there is definitely something different."

"I don't know how there could be something different with me. I'm the same as when you last saw me."

"No, when I last saw you, you were standing over the body of your former training officer. You were definitely not as...I don't even know what you are right now. Happy? Light? All I am saying is when I last saw you, you were devastated, now you look so far from devastated, you seem almost giddy."

Kate throws her hands in the air in an exaggerated shrug. "I don't know what to tell you, Lanie."

Lanie's eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets when something on Kate's finger catches the light. "You can start by telling me what that is on your ring finger!" Lanie jumps from her chair and moves around the desk to grab Kate's left hand. "What is this?"

Kate's heart stutters. She panics and doesn't know what to say. "It's a...ring?" she says dumbly.

"Katherine Beckett did you and Josh get married?" Lanie practically shouts. Kate isn't sure if it's out of anger or reluctant and false support.

"What? Lanie, no…" Kate tries to explain.

"Are you insane, Kate? You got married behind everyone's backs? Does Castle know about this? Because that boy is hopelessly in love with you and finding out you secretly married someone else will break his heart." Lanie reprimands.

Kate hangs her head in an attempt to hide her smirk. She's almost tempted to let Lanie keep thinking she married Josh. Kate finally grabs Lanie's hands between hers and calmly repeats her friend's name until Lanie focuses on Kate again. "Lanie, I did not marry Josh," she assures.

"Well, then what in the hell is this?" Lanie holds up Kate's hand again.

"Lanie, we didn't want to tell people quite yet, but while I was in Las Vegas, I did not marry Josh." Kate pauses for dramatic effect. "I married Castle."

Lanie's jaw drops. "Katherine Beckett you are messing with me now."

Kate smiles wide and shakes her head. "I am not messing with you. Castle and I got married when we were in Vegas."

"I don't believe you."

"No, we really did. See!" Kate pulls off her rings and shows Lanie the inscription. "It was spur of the moment, but Lanie, I love him so much and it was perfect for us."

Lanie still has her mouth agape trying to grasp all the information Kate has thrown at her. "Girl, you are married? I am so happy for you!" Lanie pulls Kate into a bear hug. "I'm also so glad it is Castle and not Josh," she says into Kate's ear.

Kate laughs, "me too, Lanie."

Lanie pulls away to begin her interrogation. "How did this happen? How long have you been hiding your relationship from everyone?"

Kate bites her lip. "Umm, we were never dating and it started as a bet at the roulette table…"

"I'm going to need a lot more details now," Lanie announces, pulling over her chair to sit next to Kate.

Kate spends the next half an hour regaling the story of her and RIck's very brief courtship and subsequent wedding.

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