"Son of a…"

What is he going to do with this? He thinks, as he splashes some water on his face. The lights in the men's room flicker and there's definitely an odd smell coming from one of the lockers. He braces to the edges of the sink. A huff comes out. What does he do with all of this?

He dries his hands and pats the pocket of his blazer. The feel of the memory card reminding him what he has just discovered. He almost feels dizzy with the adrenaline that still pumps through his veins; the rush of the hunt, the unexpectedness of the reveal. But he's got them. He nailed them.

This investigation definitely did not turn out as he had imagined. Friday afternoon he had set himself up for some fun poaching. Beckett's secret boyfriend mystery was just a fun entertainment on a slow weekend. And… this just meant that Javier and him were back to their usual banter, and he was relieved that the air seemed lighter now.

As Det. Ryan stares at himself in the mirror, realization comes. Esposito doesn't know about this, neither does Lanie. He can't imagine that Capt. Gates would overlook something like this. It was just such a lucky break that he would find the answer to their scavenger hunt in the most unexpected of places.

But then, it's all there, in the recording from his cross-examination with Lerner. And he cant let that piece of information be there, out for people to see and listen to. He's their partner too, and what kind of partner would he be if he didn't protect them from screwing themselves over?

It still didn't placate the burning need to share this with someone. He checked himself in the mirror again, and then it hit him.

Richard Castle had finally gotten the girl. Kate Beckett had finally let herself be swept away. They had finally seen what everyone else had for years. He couldn't control the goofy grin that spread on his face.

He didn't care that he had to make the memory card mysteriously disappear. He had the signed affidavit from Lerner, and his lawyer and the ADA were already handling the deal that he struck with them. It would be enough to build the case for the trial and he can always blame it on a software malfunction. Yeah, he'll be alright.

He'll protect them, … but that doesn't mean that he won't have a little fun with this. They think they're so sly.

He goes back to his desk and dials the number for the Hamptons' PD. The accounts of his discoveries will be of use for them to close the case.

"Oh, well that's a relief." This chief is such a joke, he thinks. But then again, what it would be to live in a place that the most interesting thing to that day, or his week… hell, his whole career, had been that one single killing.

"Yeah. I think it shouldn't be too hard for you guys to track the local dealer."

"Yeah. I'll get my deputy right on it." This guy owed them big time. "I don't know what I would have done without your guys' help."

"Oh well, always great to help fellow law enforcers." Ryan says leaning back on his chair. "Say, it's very lucky that Mr. Castle was there to guide you through. All the details he pulled and prevented you from overlooking. The ME report and ballistics. I guess he must have learned a lot from following Det. Beckett." He wonders if Brady will slip a comment.

"Oh yeah…" Hmm, he can sense the hesitation. This guy knows. This would be so much easier if he had him in interrogation, he thinks. "Mr. Castle has been of tremendous help." Brady continues. "I'm sure that writing those Nikki Heat novels have made him a detective on its own."

"It's always better to work in couples, I gather." Ryan is fishing, he knows. He also wonders if this guy is onto him. "You should meet the real deal. She's a lot more kickass."

"Erm… yeah." Another pause on the other end of the line. "It was great to have them – I mean him… work… with me." The sudden correction makes him stutter. "Det. Ryan, thanks for your help, I have to go regroup with my guys but you should make it here sometime."

"Yeah, sometime." The chief hangs up, rushed and kind of nervous. Ryan figures they must had made a deal with him, other wise he would have mentioned her, and they're definitely making an effort to hide this.

He wants to go home. Jenny is the only person that he can trust with this. But he has to play it cool.

"Get through this day, Ryan." He mutters to himself as he brings up his game of Mafia Wars on his computer. He has to seem to others as if he didn't just find out the real identity of the tooth fairy.

God. He can't even concentrate on the fact that Malcolm from Vice is beating him in this last mission in El Cairo. He dwells for two and a half hours, between signing mileage sheets and checking his email constantly, getting nothing more than offers from the local hardware store.

He pats his pocket again. The card is still there. He gets paranoid for a split second. Looks around him. Nope, everyone is pretty much oblivious, focused in things that are in the grand scheme a lot larger and important than the secret that's burning him. He has to stop being such a girl.

He imagines the day that Gates finds out and an instant pain in his stomach warns him that it won't be a pleasant experience. Good thing she's not there today, because by now she would have read all over his face that he's either hiding something, or having the worst case of constipation.

"Fuck this," he thinks. If he's going to fake any sense of normalcy then he knows the next step.

He takes a deep breath and dials Castle's cellphone. He has to keep it together and not giggle like a highschooler, even though all he wants to do is tease him to death, and do his own version of the phrase "I know what you did last summer"… or who he did.

He informs him of the latest, keeps it to shop talk. The case well underway, all the T's on their way to being crossed, the local drug dealer tip bringing the mystery to a fast resolve.

"Oh, that's a great theory," Castle says through the phone. "Nice Work!"

"Oh, thanks but is not my theory," Ryan can feel the smirk growing. Keep it together. "Aaron Lerner gave it up when I interrogated him this morning."

There's a sudden silence on the other end of the line.

"Aaron Lerner…? Err… Ah… So… you interrogated Aaron Lerner too…" Castle stumbles, his voice suddenly sporting some masked hesitation. Ryan can just imagine his caught-in-the act face.

"Yeah… he's back in the city." Ryan… keep it nonchalant, he warns himself. "Turns out he was Franklin's partner in crime."

"Wow," all of a sudden the writer is not so much of a words man. "What do you know?" And then Ryan hears some hushed words on the other end. He bites down his own laugh and imagines the scene: Beckett must have heard through the speakerphone; Beckett must be having a heart attack.

"Are you still there, Castle?" He taunts.

"Yeah… still here…" The author says. Ryan can hear him masking his shock. "What did Aaron Lerner say? Did he say anything else about… 'Anything Else'?

And he has to give it to Castle; had the situation been reversed, he'd probably been a lot more aggressive, cut the crap. But this is like playing poker, 'Show me yours, and I'll show you mine'.

"Ah, you know, the usual…" Ryan continues, he will play this game. "I didn't do it. You've got the wrong guy… I'm pretty sure he told me everything he knows." This is too amusing.

"…Everything? Hah…" Castle swallows hard on the other end. "That's good."

"Yeah…" That's enough, Ryan thinks. Castle will be mulling over that one and Beckett will probably skin him. "Good luck with the writing." He says resuming the charade and hanging up before he gives Castle any other reason to have a stroke. Your cover's been blown. Who do they think they're fooling?

Well yeah… they fooled him. They're keeping this so close to the vest. And this is so important. Four years of this dance, finally materializing even though it was so clear from the moment that Castle had stepped foot into the 12th. He's been crazy about Beckett, and who could blame him?

Not only is she one of the women he admires the most, but also someone that has deserved to finally find that person. It often broke his heart when he saw them miss those opportunities, those moments where he wished things were simpler than the frequent life or death situations they faced; moments where they fooled themselves into believing they would find what they already had, but in other people. Always denying what was right in front of them.

But now, things had changed. Pieces of those puzzles had come to rest in the places they would fit for now. That dance was over and they were allowing themselves to live past all the grudges they'd held.

He finds himself still deep in thought when Esposito comes back; the realization of this new part of his friends' lives dawning on him. His partner did not find any clues to what he already knows and has been his object of reflection all afternoon. He can't share this yet. Esposito won't understand it, yet. And he'd rather bow out of this game, and go out for beers. He's not giving up on being a detective, but he'll take the hazing from Esposito more than gladly.

He'll fake it a bit more and take it to the one person that he knows will not judge him and will embrace the things that he cannot explain.

"Oh My God! Oh My God! Oh My God! Oh My God!" Jenny jumps up and down on their bed, landing on the colorful pillows that lay scattered on top of the plush comforter, holding the player in her hands.

"Shhh, Jenny!" He wants to laugh; he knew she would react this way, the excitement that all these lovey dovey issues bring to her. "You're going to wake up the neighbors." He snatches the device from her hand, finishes changing into his pajama bottoms and joins her in bed.

"But, how? I mean, they –- have you – What did Javier say?" Jenny continues, excited while pulling back the covers.

He takes a minute and lets out a sigh. "I haven't told him."

"Wait, why?" He understands her surprise. Any other time, and had his partner been at the precinct, he couldn't have been able to hide it from him. His surprise was too great, written all over his face.

He doesn't think that he has been this surprised over anything before, a mix of happiness and exhilaration… maybe he does have a lot more of Jenny in him than he's wiling to admit.

But Javier wasn't there. He had rushed into the observation room, taken the card and rushed out. He's gotta apologize to that new intern for tripping him and making him drop all those files all over the floor.

"I just…" He relaxes against their headboard and pulls his wife into a warm hug. "You know how I took my time to introduce you to them?"

"Yes." She replies with a lovely smile; the early times of their courtship all a cherished memory.

"I think that deep down, I feel I should give them that luxury." Ryan continues. He had taken his time to bring her into his world. They had time to sail through their insecurities, their mistakes, and their quirks. He had the time to tell her all about his family and then his work family, how much they all meant to him, how they all had each other's backs, how even in the scary world they all navigated, he'd be safe because of them.

"But you guys already know each other, you already know that they are each others'… perfect… regardless of all the silly things that have… you know, gotten in the way." The woman sports a dreamy expression that bathes all her features. She's such a romantic, he thinks.

"Do you remember how perfect it was when I would come and pick you up at your job those first few weeks?" He says as he traces the little flowers that adorn her nightgown.

"Yeah. You were always blushing while holding my bag of donut holes." She says with a shy giggle, her hand joining his.

"So were you, sugar addict!" He kisses her and plays with the strands of hair that escape her loose bun. "And what I liked the most were all those things that became only ours…"

"Like the honey milk?" She jokes and they laugh. A lot of grief and pranks have been given about their ridiculous ritual. He hates that he lost a bit of face to his work partner, but he's also brave enough to embrace the things he knows he enjoys. No matter how unmanly they may seem.

"That's exactly it." He says. "Castle and Beckett have their quirks… you should see them. And it makes me laugh, because they get on each other's nerves and they can't stop from completing each other's sentences, it's sickening sometimes… but we had lately come to the conclusion that this was just going to be a platonic relationship. They never seemed to be in the same page. Always missing the chance."

"And that's why you didn't think Richard could be one of the 'suspects'?" She says repressing a laugh.

"I think we got tired of it never happening. We lost hope, I guess." But it had finally happened.

"So why won't you tell Javier?" He can sense the concern in her words.

"Don't get me wrong. Javi is my partner. But I'm also theirs." He continues. "They've always been there, exposed to us, regardless of how much they think they cover up their feelings. Everything that has happened to Beckett, her mom's case, her fights with Castle, their ups and downs. The danger they've been in. Seeing the other with other people... god, that was painful to watch." He pulls her tighter to him. "Whatever has happened to them, we've always been witnesses to it. They know and we know what they are as partners, but do they know what they are right now?"

She sighs, and he senses the shift in her. Understanding.

"Things will come to light soon enough, when they're ready to let us be part of it. Who am I to expose them once again?"

"Oh, Kevin Ryan…" Jenny turns to him and kisses him softly. "You're such a noble man."

"I think trust is the least I can give them, as their partner." He smiles serene to his wife. "I'll eventually figure out a way to coax Javi into finding it out for himself."

"He's going to kick your ass… again." She snickers.

"Excuse me, no ass of mine was kicked at any point." He replies with feigned offense.

"Sure. And all those fights between you guys were just friendly hazing…" She rolls her eyes. He tickles her and catches her lips. Its a playful kiss, sweet like everything she is.

"I've gotten used to them by now. What's another one for the books?" He says pulling away from the kiss, and he means it. He doesn't really care when it comes to taking the blunt of the consequences of their actions. Most of the time, they are worthy sacrifices.

"So, you're not going to say anything to Castle or Beckett?" Jenny has a point. Will he? Will he share his knowledge and just let them know that they ought to be more careful?

"Hmm." A smirk grows on his lips and he looks at her. He might care, but he can't fight the other side of him that knows this would be amusing. "Well... I'm not. But that doesn't mean I can't get creative."

"Kevin!" She turns to him, feigned indignation on her face. "You just told me that you were going to be respectful of their secret!"

"I am!" He tries to dodge the weak punches she's throwing his way. "The fact of the matter is that I know this, and I can look out for them. So I need to let them know I'm watching their backs…I'm just going to have a little fun with it."

"What are you planning?" She throws him a look.

"Oh you'll see. They think they're so sly."

"They did fool you guys…" she says, an amused eyebrow quirking at him.

"Only because we didn't have our A game on." He says seductively, caressing her. He loves this banter with his girl.

"Sure, sure." She says mid giggle.

"You'll see. It's going to be great." They turn off the lights on their nightstands; settle back under the covers, relaxing into each other, and content in their embrace.

"Do you think that he already picked a ring?" She says suddenly.

"Oh, I'm sure." He nuzzles her neck and smiles. "He probably made the hot air balloon reservation by now as well."

Tomorrow… he's going to have fun.

A/N: This one is very different to me, I've never written or read a Ryan-centric story before, and while I don't plan this one to be completely centered on him, his voice was the one that opened this story and will be very present through out. It couldn't have been any other way. Plus how fantastic was Seamus Dever in "Murder He Wrote"? You first think that he's just a duck, following Esposito around, but he's so much more. I love his character and I thought that this was a perfect opportunity for me to try to honor what a great guy I think he is.

I'm T-rating it for now, it might have some M parts coming up, but this is pretty safe for the next couple of chapters. I hope you stick around for this one. I plan to be done with it before "Probable Cause" airs. Just something to occupy my time while the 2-week break happens. I know some of you asked me to write one inspired on 505 but I can't. I'm not touching it, not even with a 10-foot pole. Maybe a Post-Ep, we'll see what my time allows!

As always, thanks to Ky, my partner in crime, for being a fantastic beta.

And PLEASE leave me a review, I want to know what you think, even if it is just a smiley face or a scolding, go ahead and let me know.