Author's Note: Firstly, I have to apologise to you all for the delay in getting even this short-ish chapter posted. I haven't been purposely avoiding Layers, it's just that I've had so many other ideas floating around in my head that this just... kept getting sidelined. That being said, the ball is now rolling again, so hopefully the updates will be more frequent. Thanks for sticking with it, folks! As always, my thanks to my bemuse Manuxinhace, without whom, this one would still be languishing in my 'in progress' folder. If you hadn't kept pushing me, it wouldn't have gotten written. As always, let me know what you think!

Previously, in Layers:

The bar around them fading into inconsequence, eyes locked, neither of them noticed Ryan and Esposito, who had left their booth as soon as Josh had shoved Castle. Less than ten feet away now, Esposito saw them having a 'moment', and whipped out his phone. Seconds later, a triumphant grin on his face, the detective slipped the phone back into his pocket an instant before Beckett blinked rapidly and grabbed their drinks from the bar.

Passing Castle his fresh beer, they clinked their glasses together in a silent toast, and both took a long drink. Finally noticing the approach of the other detectives, they were immediately wary when they saw the smug grins on their faces.

"So guys..." Ryan asked, drawing the words out.

"Anything you feel like sharing with us?" Esposito finished the question, giving his partner a fist-bump, grinning at each other as they saw the 'we are so busted' look on the faces of their friends.

And now... the next bit!

In the back seat of a cab, the poor lighting not bothering her at all, Lanie Parish slipped her lip gloss out of her purse and expertly applied a layer. Capping the small tube, she pressed her lips together, parting them with a kissing motion. Grinning to herself, she relaxed, her ensemble complete for the night.

Her curves sheathed in a maroon strapless dress that stopped just short of mid-thigh, she pulled her wrap around her shoulders, already planning how her night would go once they all left the bar.

Javi's not gonna know what hit him. She thought, her lips curving in an appreciative smile as she let her mind drift, admiring the remembered feel of his muscles under her fingers. Her musings were interrupted as her phone chimed once, an incoming message no doubt. Opening her purse, she rummaged for a moment before locating the offending article.

Sure enough, it indicated one new picture message received. Curious, she unlocked the phone and saw that the message was from Esposito. Opening the message, her mouth fell open as she took in the image on the small screen. Her mind whirling, she scanned the picture for details, trying to decide if it was a prank of some kind. Zooming in on the image, she decided that it was exactly what it looked like: Rick Castle, up close and being openly tender with Beckett, at the bar in public no less.

Her fingers flying across the keys, Lanie knew better than to try to call Beckett in a bar on a Saturday night. Hitting 'send', she let her friend know by text that there were some questions that demanded answers, and those had better be forthcoming soon.

9:45pm, Saturday, The Old Haunt

Castle's eyes darted between the two detectives and his partner.

"Uh..." he hesitated, not sure what they had seen, and trying frantically to come up with a vaguely believable cover story on the fly. "Beckett's ex was being a douche and I asked him to leave?" His expression tightened as he tried to stop his mind dwelling on the sight of the drunken doctor with his arm draped around Kate's shoulders.

Beckett looked at Esposito's face, and saw that he wasn't buying it. Expressions identical, she could tell Ryan wasn't fooled either. Sighing, Kate realised that there was no point hiding it any more, at least from their friends. Reaching out, she laced her fingers through Castle's, tugging him closer. Her gesture startling him slightly, Castle wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Stepping forward, he turned slightly so he was facing the other two, his leg between Kate's thighs, not quite touching.

"Josh thought he'd try to get me back..." Kate said, her thumb absently drawing small circles on the back of Rick's hand. "And wouldn't take 'no' for an answer." She swallowed and looked up at Castle. Seeing the happiness dancing in his eyes behind his poker face, she continued. "He was less than impressed by my current choice of boyfriend." Looking back at Rick, she relaxed, letting her smile show through. A pleased burn starting low in his chest at her words, Castle almost had to physically restrain himself from doing a happy dance. Even though the word 'boyfriend' took him back to being an awkward teenager, the simple fact that Kate felt comfortable enough in him, in them to put a label on their relationship filled his stomach with a warm buzz. Castle wouldn't have broached the topic himself, in case the idea gave Beckett a reason to take a step back, and certainly not in public. Now, ecstatic didn't even begin to cover it.

"So..." Esposito spoke, trying to make sure they weren't just toying with him. "You two are...?" He paused, looking between them, noting their body language. "It wasn't just to get Josh to leave you alone?" The detective pressed, offering them an out, wondering if they'd take it and run. In the back of his mind, he knew the picture he'd taken and sent to Lanie would go a long way to backing up their theory.

Castle looked at Beckett, the question in his eyes. The bar faded around them as they focused on each other. In perfect synch, the conversation flowed wordlessly between them.

What do you think? Castle asked silently, his head tilting slightly. Should we...?

I don't know... Too much too soon? Kate's eyebrow raised a fraction.

I'm fine with it, but you already knew that, didn't you? His lips twitched at the corners, the faintest hint of a smile repressed.

You're not exactly subtle, you know... An affectionate grin lit her face, before she gave an infinitesimal shrug. Ah, hell... why not?

The entire exchange took less than a second, with Ryan and Esposito watching on like spectators at a tennis match. Used to seeing the duo bouncing theory in front of the murder board, they usually had to verbalise their thoughts, the other finishing the line of speculation. Now, the whole thing was silent, their expressions flickering from one to the next with barely a pause.

The detectives stood there, somewhere between stunned and impressed. That was nothing, however, to the look of shock that covered their faces when Rick turned to face his partner, stepping even closer to her, his legs pressed against the inside of her thighs. Their hands moving in synch, Castle and Beckett both placed their drinks back on the bar, eyes still locked on each other. Expecting some form of physical harm to come to Castle, the boys mentally braced themselves for the fallout. The lack of immediate pain being inflicted gave them pause, before their mouths fell open as Castle brushed the back of his fingers gently across Beckett's cheek. Pausing a moment, he searched her eyes. Satisfied with what he found there, he lowered his lips to hers.

Lightly at first, unused to such open displays of affection, Kate soon lost herself in the kiss. Her fingers falling free of his, she snaked her arms around his waist, under his jacket and pulled him closer. Stroking her tongue across his bottom lip, Beckett immediately slipped into the wet heat of his mouth as his lips parted for her. Tongues lazily caressing, she felt a small moan of pleasure escape when one of his hands trailed around the base of her neck, nails raking gently across her skin. Her appreciative noise swallowed by his talented lips, Kate sighed and let her forehead rest against his when the need for air surpassed their rapidly mounting desire.

Still breathing heavily, they locked eyes again as Rick brushed the tip of his nose against hers. Lips slightly swollen form the intensity of the kiss, he whispered to her, voice soft and intimate, despite the crowded bar.

"Thank you." He brushed his lips across the tip of her nose, unable to restrain the smile that lit his face up. Flexing her arms, Beckett urged Castle towards the bar, letting him lean against it and still keep his arm around her shoulders, her right arm draped casually around his hips, his thigh still between her legs.

"Does that answer your question, boys?" She challenged, the edge of her look softened by the smile on her lips. Gaping, Esposito stood there at a loss for words. Before he could come up with something to say, Beckett's phone pinged.

Unwilling to let go of Castle right at the moment, she squeezed him slightly, glancing up at his face. Understanding, Rick reached across in front of himself and dipped his hand into her pocket, withdrawing her phone for her and placing it in her free hand.

Unlocking the screen, Kate chucked as she saw it was a text from Lanie. Letting out an audible sigh of relief that it wasn't anything work-related, she quickly read the message. Short and to the point, it read simply:

Girl, you got some explaining to do!

Tilting the screen so her partner could read the message, Kate grinned, relief buoying her. Unburdened by having to restrain her affections for him in public, she relaxed into his side, happier than she had been in a long time. Whilst not the most pleasant of experiences, the encounter with Josh had brought the issue of exactly where she stood with Rick, where they were going to a head. Now that the air had been cleared, Beckett felt... safe. Safe in the knowledge that he wasn't going anywhere, that he knew how she felt, and that this time her heart wasn't going to get trampled on as he left with his arm around a certain blonde ex-wife.

The rumble of Castle's chest as he chuckled while he read the short text caused her to squeeze him a little, the one-armed hug bringing his torso flush with her side. Locking her phone, Beckett looked over at the Latino detective, asking,

"Hey, Javi... when is Lanie supposed to be here again?" Wondering how much time she had before she had to face an interrogation, Kate glanced at her father's watch briefly. A knowing grin spreading across his face, Esposito replied.

"I thought she'd be here by now, actually, Beckett." He nudged his partner, the duo exchanging identical smirks, both certain that the ME would be giving her best friend the third degree in short order.

Looking a little worried, Kate swallowed nervously. Making out with Rick in front of the other detectives was one thing, facing her best friend and trying to explain exactly how long she'd been more than 'just friends' with her partner and why she'd kept it to herself was something else entirely. Sensing the thread of tension in her, Castle glanced over to Ryan and Esposito, trying to get them to drop it, at least for the moment. His wordless gesture went unheeded, however, as the pair in question had already left them at the bar, heading back to the booth to guard their food from a group of rowdy youngsters heading towards the apparently unoccupied space.

Picking up her beer from the bar, Castle passed it over to Beckett, her free hand taking it from him, fingers brushing against his a moment longer than necessary. Collecting his own drink, he raised the glass towards her. Tapping her drink against his once, Kate took a long pull, sighing as she lowered it.

"So," Castle asked, taking the bit between the teeth. "You have a plan for when she gets here?" Shaking her head slightly, Beckett waited, open to crazy theories.

"Well," The author said slowly. "As I see it, we have two options... We can stick together, and hope she can't get both of us at the same time, or cut her off at the pass. I know she'll want to drag you off to the little detective's room to powder your noses at some point. If you keep her out here, she won't be able to corner you, and it won't leave me alone with Ryan and Esposito..." He said looking more nervous by the minute at the thought of getting the 'your body will never be found' speech from them.

Before he could say anything else, their attention was caught by the diminutive medical examiner walking through the door of the bar. Her pace never slowing, she headed directly for them at the bar, expression fixed, her heels striking the polished floor like the approaching hammers of doom. Shifting his grip, Castle urged his partner to stand, shepherding her back towards their booth, deliberately avoiding eye contact with Lanie. Letting Beckett slide into the seat before him, Castle braced himself for what was to come.

At least, He thought. With Kate between me and the guys, I should be a little safer, and I'll be between her and Lanie...

Swallowing nervously, he let his arm wrap around Beckett's shoulders, her hand immediately gripping his thigh, fingers digging in as she gripped him tightly. Barely settled, they both jumped slightly as Lanie arrived, her glare firmly in place. Raising an eyebrow at her friend, who had the good grace to blush and offer a hesitant grin, Lanie gave the two of them a long, probing look before sitting herself down next to Esposito. Distracted from the impending interrogation by the outfit she wore, Javier shot her an appreciative grin, his eyes roving her curves for a moment before he snapped himself back to the situation at hand.

In his attempt to shield them from the worst of the questioning, Castle had neglected to realise that the seating arrangement placed him and Beckett on one side of the table, with Esposito and Lanie on the other, and Ryan sandwiched between the two couples. The walls of the booth offering them some degree of privacy, Kate and Rick felt the uncanny resemblance to an interrogation room keenly as they faced the others across the table.

"Hi Lanie..." Kate said, aiming for casual, but missing it by a fraction. Arms crossed, Lanie's eyebrows climbed her forehead.

"Don't you 'hi Lanie' me, Katherine Beckett." The ME said, her tone frosty. "Just when were you planning on telling your best friend you were knocking boots with Writer-Boy here, huh?"

Oh crap... Kate thought, her hopes of both of them getting out of the night with their dignity intact fading rapidly. Here goes nothing...

Their hands lacing together under the table, Rick pressed a brief kiss to her hair, ready to face the music, together. They were in for a long night...