Summary: This is a combination of two anonymous prompts - "Girl talk with Lanie and Becks" & "Girl talk: first night in/out with Lanie after Always"

Kate set the wine and two glasses on the coffee table and took a deep breath. Lanie would be over soon - for the first time in several weeks - and a lot had changed in her life.

She wasn't sure how it would go, and it made her nervous. She and Castle had talked about it, and decided that they still wanted to keep the new level of their relationship secret for just a bit longer. Thing was, Lanie had already figured out Kate was seeing someone, so she would have to be careful of what she said.

There was a knock on her door. Kate checked the time on her phone, then set it on the coffee table. She swallowed her anticipation as she walked stepped over to greet her friend.

"Hey there," said Lanie, who gave her a quick hug as she walked inside, "It has been way too long, girl."

"I know," Kate agreed and followed her friend to the couches.

She took her usual seat, and found Lanie watching her with an expectant look. "So?"

"So... what?" she dead-panned, knowing it would irritate her.

Lanie huffed out a breath. "Come on, Beckett, spill. Tell me about the guy you're dating!"

"Oh, that," Kate popped the cork on the wine bottle and poured a generous amount in each glass. "He's kind of awesome."

Lanie took her glass, not looking amused at all. "I'm not playing whatever game you're trying to play, Kate. I want details! Come on, it's been over six weeks since we've had time to catch up."

"How are you and Javi?" she asked, really just to tease at this point.

"No - I am not getting off on another track so you can hide. Javi is fine, I am fine, now tell me about YOU and this mystery man!"

Kate almost laughed at her terminology. "This 'mystery' man's name is... Alexander." Yeah, that was a good name.

"How did you meet?"

"We just... sort of ran into each other at a bookstore," she answered, "It was kind of funny, really, he was leaving as I was coming in, and we hit the door at the same time..." Kate bit her lip and breathed in, holding back her amusement. This was going better than she figured. "We started talking, and it all 'clicked' after that." Boy, did they ever, she thought.

"And? You can't leave a girl hanging like that! What does the man look like?" Lanie seemed to hang on her every word.

"He's tall," she started, not sure where to go with all this without totally giving Castle away, but then, she couldn't stop it, either. He was everything. "He's got these amazing eyes, and he... he's... the best thing that has ever happened to me."

"Uh-huh," her friend took a sip of her wine. "Better than Castle?"

Kate had just brought her glass to her lips and nearly choked. "Castle?" she set the wine down and wondered what to say next. "Better? I don't understand. What about Castle?" she stalled.

"Come on, girl, you know he's been treating you like a queen for at least 3 years. He'd do anything for you."

"I know," she replied, "and Alex... is the same, maybe a little less annoying."

"Does he know?"

"Who? Castle?" Kate took a another drink of the wine.

"No, I mean Alex. Does he know about Castle following you? Is he okay with that?"

"Oh, that," she laughed a little, trying to think fast, but the wine was already seeping into her veins. "Alex is fine with our partnership."

Lanie watched her a time, seeming to look right through everything Kate had said. "And what about you? You seem crazy for this guy."

Kate set her glass back on the table and smiled. "I am crazy for him, Lanie. I've never been happier in my life. I can see a real future with him."

Her friend's eyes narrowed a little, then she smiled wide and said, "Well, I have to say I'm surprised it isn't Castle, but I'm glad you're happy."

Kate's phone buzzed, and the screen lit up with a picture of Castle she'd taken on their first morning together. She wasn't fast enough to grab it before Lanie saw.

"Kate Beckett, I'm going to let you answer the phone, but I'm not leaving until you've thoroughly explained that steaming-hot picture of Castle with the bedhead and post-sex smile."

The look on Lanie's face told her she was in for a long and thorough explanation, and there was no way she could escape.