co-written with AlwaysCastle ... cos the contents of the sneak got us speculating.

Ring of Truth

The phone rings and without a second thought Castle reaches for it, grabbing it from the cradle and lifting it to his ear. "Detective Beckett's phone?" He answers, not entirely sure if he's done the right thing, but too late now and he's going with it.

"Castle?" Lanie replies, sounding shocked, and wary and more than a little confused, before she reverts to full blown Lanie and puts him in his place. "You're not allowed to answer Beckett's phone."

"Yes I am." He drops his arm to the desk, leaning over. Confident that he can get around Kate enough that this won't be a problem.

"Since when."

"Since I..."

He stutters, oh crap, how is he supposed to explain it...since he kissed her? Since they started sleeping together and keeping it a secret? Since they started dating and sharing cups of coffee...since...

He hears Lanie breathe heavily and he plows on, "Can I...Is there something I can do for you?"

"Yeah write this down..." Lanie starts dubiously, "I've got a partial off the shell casing, no matches in the system or to Mr. Pratt. But I did find some trace D.N.A." She pauses and he swivels in the chair, wondering what is taking Kate so long. "Are you writing this down?"

"Yes." He lies.

"Castle!" Lanie barks.

"K, Hang on." He starts going through Kate's desk drawers. Pulling one open on the right, but he doesn't find what he needs. Turning, he rifles through the left one, but before he comes up with a pen he finds...a thing.

A little stick figure, weird smoosh headed thing, that was nestled in amongst a pack of tissues and some papers and he looks at it smiling. It's made of...two sticks, or pencils, pieces of wood tied together and attached to...a stone or an eraser, or a chunk of clay.

Something.

It's weird...She's cute.

Kate hangs onto these little oddities, things with meaning he doesn't understand and they are just...

Castle spins holding onto the little...it needs a name...and wiggles it as he listens to Lanie. Only he spins straight into the path of an irate looking Beckett.

He tries not to jump out of his skin, like a kid, with his hand in the cookie jar, or the Beckett desk...

He looks up slowly, as she takes in the scene before her, gesturing with the two cups of coffee she holds onto tightly, "What are you doing?" Kate glares between Castle, the phone he still holds to his ear and the...what is it? Creation that sits in his hand.

"Ooo you're in trouble." Lanie mocks gleefully, her voice dancing down the phone.

"I'm not in trouble." He states, trying to convince himself as much as Lanie before he hangs up, dropping the phone haphazardly into the cradle.

"Lanie got a partial print." Castle lifts the creepy little...whatever the hell it is and dances it as he talks, "It was not a match for Pratt, he's not our guy." He waggles the thing in his hand.

"Who said that you could answer my phone?" Kate puts the coffees down, her eyes on his hand, staring protectively at the...ok seriously he needs to ask her what the hell it is...Her eyes never leave it and she snatches it from his hand. "And why are you going through my drawers?" She checks it over, thumbing it as if inspecting for damage, before moving.

"I was looking for a pad of paper."

"Sure you were." Kate points it at his head. "Stay out of my stuff..." She threatens before walking around him, "Castle."

Kate shoves the thing into her drawer, pressing it closed.

"Your stuff?" He smirks, leaning back in her chair and rotating to face her once again. Kate tucks her hair behind her ear and waits, "Need I remind you, I've already seen," He scrunches his lips smiling in delight, "your stuff."

Her brow creases, looking around incase anyone is listening and then she tries to shoo him out of her chair. He doesn't move, staring up at her smugly, because he did know. He had seen , and he knew exactly what she was wearing underneath that outfit.

"I've got plenty more stuff to show you Castle...now get out of my chair."

His mouth gapes open as he slowly stands, appraising her body, looking her up and down with a wondrous stare, as she steps around him and reclaims her seat.

"I...er...you do?" He asks, pondering what else she could possibly show him. He thought he'd seen it all...

Kate leans back in the chair, her arms arching behind her head, drawing his eyes to her chest. She sighs, long and loud, ruffling her hair and dropping her hands into her lap, "Oh, I have a few tricks left up my sleeve Castle."

His eyes grow wider, "You...you do?" He flops back into his own chair as her lip drags over her teeth and into her mouth and she looks back at him with wickedness.

"Mmmhmm."

"After work?" He questions.

"If you're good...and stay out of my desk." She raises an eyebrow threateningly.

"I can do that." He nods his head, voice dipping a little low as he crosses his arms, and then one leg over the other.

She smiles, triumphant.

"But don't think you're getting out of talking about that hideous little..." He points in the direction of her desk drawer, where the...thing is nestled safely inside.

"He's not hideous." She states sitting up in defense of the thing.

"Now I know it's a he." He smirks.

She folds her arms and narrows her eyes.

"What is it? Some kind of voodoo doll?"

Kate laughs, but doesn't answer.

"Ohh does that mean yes?" He leans forwards, "Is it kinky?" He props himself up on her desk. "Is it of me ?" His eyes brighten and he sits up suddenly in his chair, "Is it a sex voodoo."

"Yes, Castle." She responds sarcastically, "It's my sex voodoo of you." She rolls her eyes and swivels the chair to face him, leaning over the table, "I keep it my desk drawer at work and use it to get you right where I want you."

"And where ... do you want me...Kate?" He asks dangerously, swallowing his excitement as he leans in.

"Hmm...right now, how about...draped across my desk." She leans closer, fingers skimming the air over his hand, never quite touching him. "I have this fantasy, of you..." She raises her eyes slowly, "With a pen..." she smiles softly, "Doing all my paperwork."

He falls back into his chair, heavily, his lips pouting, "Not what I had in mind." He said, looking thoroughly crestfallen before his ears prick up and inclines his head, eyes drifting up as he seems to be listening, "Did you hear something?"

"Nice try..." Kate smirks, reaching for her coffee and bringing to her lips as she settles back in her chair. "You just don't want to admit you never do your share." She takes a sip, looking at him knowingly over the rim.

"NO! I'm serious like...like a gasp or laughing or..."

She pauses, listening intently and the sound comes again, "Yeah, like a ... oh god."

"What?"

"I...did you...did you hang up the phone?" She asks in horror.

"The..."

They turn as one towards the phone in the middle of her desk, eyes wide, twin expressions of shock and worry as they stare it down.

Kate glances to the flashing light of line one, still blinking bright as she extends her hand, swallowing thickly and...hoping. She clears her throat, "Lanie?"

"Hey girl." Lanie answers with a laugh, voice high and dancing, so joyous in her response that Kate can practically see her swinging in her morgue chair, feet tapping the floor.

"Lanie...um how long have you been here?" She catches Castle's eyes, across the desk, watching as he raises himself from the chair, his mouth falling open in fright.

Lanie snickers, "Long enough, honey, long enough." The giddy M.E teases into the phone, a giant grin playing with the words.

Kate's grip tightens on the phone, heart pounding as she fights to keep hold of the receiver within her sweat drenched palms,"So you...heard?"

"Not a damn thing." The woman responds with a laugh.

Kate sighs, flashing her eyes at Castle in relief, "Thank you Lanie."

"I don't know what you're talking about Beckett..." She giggles again, "Have fun with writer boy, oh wait... look who I'm talking to."

And the line goes dead.

Beckett hangs up the phone, properly this time, anticipating a very in depth interrogation as she turns towards Castle.

"So...she knows?"

Kate nods slowly, taking a much needed sip of her coffee.

"Yeah, I meant to say...so does my mooother." He dives sideways, avoiding the spray of hot liquid as it leaves Kate's mouth.