Disclaimer: The wording is mine but the characters aren't

OOOOOOOOO

"I have this elf who brings me a very tall, piping hot cup of coffee every morning."

She considered her statement. "Well," she amended, "Not every morning."

"Almost!" he protested.

She chuckled. "Almost," she agreed. "Now eat your sandwich so we can get our gear and go."

"I can wear the elf ears if you want," he said a few mouthfuls later.

"Why am I not surprised that you have your own set?"

"You're talking to the guy who starts looking forward to Halloween in August."

"Good point."

"Cheers," he kept his face sober as he touched his floppy sandwich to hers.

OOOOOOOOO

When they pushed open the double doors into the morgue, Lanie was nowhere to be seen. For once there was no body on her slab.

He looked to Kate in askance, but she just nodded in the direction of the offices. They left their heavy duffel bags in the examination room and made their way past the steel tables to the warmth of the rooms at the back.

It didn't take long to locate their friend. She was processing reports for another homicide.

She heard them come in but held up a hand. "Wait a sec."

Kate moved forward and helped herself to a twizzler from her friend's desk. She offered half to Castle but he just wrinkled his nose.

"Don't tell me you came here to steal my sweets," Lanie huffed as she turned to her computer and put another page through to print. She plucked it from the machine then added it to the file in front of her with a sigh.

"Well look who it is." She raised an eyebrow. "You're lucky I'm not holding a grudge or you'd be in those cuffs for another day."

"If you did that you'd be hoping that we don't hold a grudge," he muttered.

Lanie narrowed her eyes at him and opened her mouth to retort before Kate cut her off.

"We have a lot to do before tonight, Lanie. Can you just let us out already?"

"Gates gave her approval then?"

"She's on the list of things to do."

Lanie examined them for a second before her eyes softened. She pulled a key out of her wallet and tossed it to Beckett. She did pretty well catching it considering her free hand was already holding half a twizzler. She put it in her mouth and negotiated the small key into the cuffs. The unlocking of the clasp was loud in the small room as her audience silently waited.

It was strange, but she missed the warm metal as soon as it left her wrist. Lanie and Castle were probably watching her so she tried to appear unaffected as she moved to release him.

He drew his wrist out slowly and she slid the cuffs and the key into her pocket. She realised that she had only used her right hand and frowned. If she babied her left hand tonight, it could be dangerous.

"Thanks," Castle murmured, rubbing at his wrist.

"Hurt?" Lanie asked, watching him.

"Not really," he admitted. Kate realised he was probably doing it for the warmth. The sudden lack of pressure on his arm.

They made their way back out towards the entrance. Kate couldn't understand why it felt so strange. Was it because her friend was watching them so carefully? It wouldn't surprise her. Lanie had a tendency to make her uncomfortable when she looked too closely. It was usually a warning that Lanie was going to call her out on something.

But it wasn't quite the same. She looked over at Castle to see if he was experiencing the same feeling and was startled at how far away he was. He was still close, under a foot, but she couldn't feel him against her as she walked.

She missed his hip bumping hers. She rubbed at her wrist, unconsciously trying to recreate the feeling of physical connection.

"Looks like you've got a bit of a bruise there, Beckett," Lanie observed, misunderstanding her actions.

"Yeah." Kate agreed dropping her arm to her side. "I'll keep my watch over it tonight."

"Those for tonight?" Lanie asked, inclining her head to the two large duffel bags they had dumped at the door.

"Heavier than they look," Castle offered quietly.

The medical examiner looked between both of them and they both straightened under her gaze. Kate agreed with Castle's comment yesterday. Lanie would make for a good cop. It was extremely uncomfortable under her gaze.

It was Castle who cleared his throat. "Well, thanks Lanie."

He bent and picked up both their bags. "You ready, Beckett?"

He was calling her Beckett again. She wanted to hit herself for letting herself get so flustered. They were at work. What did she expect?

"Actually, I would like to have a talk with my girl here," Lanie answered.

She had a protest on her lips, one of the ones she had prepared before she came in actually, but if Lanie's face was anything to go by, it wasn't good enough.

"Hey Castle?" she expelled, resigned. "Do you mind heading up first?"

He nodded and left, hefting the bag over his shoulder and letting the doors swing shut behind him. And he was gone.

And it didn't feel right.

It was as if there was a constant shadow at his side. He kept glancing over to his right, unable to readjust to her not being there. His hand felt empty and too light.

He hoped Kate was giving Lanie hell.

Why would she cuff them together like that? She should know the closer to Kate he got, the worse it got. No matter how close he came, he didn't think it would ever be close enough. But now he wanted it back. Joining them was one thing. Separating them was another.

It was just like Castle to throw her off without being there. She had got used to her very different types of work days; the days he was there and the days he wasn't.

It had taken her so long to get used to him being there, her 'shadow'. Sometimes she was more convinced he was her punishment. Yet from the very beginning he had been so compelling, even endearing sometimes, she was constantly off-balance.

She didn't know when she had attuned to him. To get used for the sudden shifts in his mood. Even to look forward to it. Because even when she didn't want to, she felt herself adjusting her moods to keep pace with him- to be lighter.

And when he didn't come in, she was left to her own devices. Without him she usually stayed in the same mood all day. Usually more focused on paperwork than she could ever be with him around.

It was boring.

But she had taught herself to get used to it. After all, that was supposed to be the normal.

And now after only 24 hours of being with him she found she had lost the ability to readjust to her personal space. She wanted him back at her side. Now.

"Earth to Beckett," Lanie sounded torn between sympathy and amusement.

Irritation flickered.

"What do you want, Lanie?"

"Hello to you too."

"You didn't expect me to send you roses did you?"

"Touchy."

"Still in yesterday's underwear." She shot back.

"I thought you would have let Castle help you with those."

The blush rise up so violently she felt it seared her veins.

"Nothing to be ashamed about," Lanie smirked and shook her head. She was obviously enjoying this as revenge for ignoring her earlier. "Cuffed to a rich, good-looking man you love for twenty-four hours and nothing else to do? There's a reason I only cuffed one of your hands. You are partners after all, aren't you?"

Okay, she deserved the last part of that comment, but wasn't she taking it a little far? Kate knew Lanie was a Castle-fan but she had never been quite so blunt. Not since the summer. And damn it if the images she unwillingly forced up weren't achingly naughty and tempting.

"That good huh?" Lanie took in her speechlessness.

"Would you get your mind out of the gutter?" she hissed.

"It's keeping yours company."

She didn't even have a reply for that one.

"Girl, you should be thanking me."

"Why would I be thanking you?"

"Don't tell me you two still haven't worked your crap out."

"Our crap," Kate repeated.

"You heard me. Don't tell me 24 hours chained to his side has not opened those pretty eyes of yours."

Kate recalled the information she had learned about her partner. His mother. The way he acted with her father. Then she went over the fights almost word for word.

That he hadn't been sleeping.

Opened her eyes? She wasn't sure she ever wanted to know how much she had hurt him. How far she still had to go.

"You shouldn't have done it, Lanie," she said quietly.

"It was something you needed to see. He couldn't keep hiding it from you forever. Knowing Castle though, he would have tried."

"I can't thank you."

"I didn't do it for thanks."