Disclaimer: I don´t own the rights of or anything else related to "Castle" and am only borrowing the characters. I am not making any money by doing so.

Author´s note: Well, after the hype about the episode ´Knockdown´ I was rather disappointed about the end, so I decided to change it to my likings. If Ryan and Esposito don´t turn up anymore, I at least deny Beckett her lines about them. So. This is only the first part, and I might rewrite it if I feel like it, but for now: enjoy!

o

Knocked Down

o

Beckett raised an eyebrow when Lanie walked into the waiting area of the hospital, unable to hide a grin: "Lanie! What are you doing here?"

Lanie did not even have the decency to blush: "Just looking after my boys," she replied. "And if you gonna say anything, I´ll not talk to you again, ever," she added, because Beckett´s eybrow had disappeared even further under her fringe mockingly as though wanting to ask: "Your boys?"

Yet a certain edge to the ME´s drawled repartee betrayed her concern, and it was only after a few seconds that Beckett understood it was not about being found out, but real concern for Esposito, and very likely Ryan as well. Despite doing her best to give the world around her the impression that she perpetually had things under control and did not really need others butting in, Lanie had a big heart.

She now wipped around to Castle, a fitting remark ready on her tongue, but the writer had not even noticed her presence yet. He was sitting in one of the plastic chairs, shoulders slumped, eyes closed. The adrenaline was finally wearing off, and even though he was keen on hearing how the two injured detectives were faring, he had decided that a short nap while Kate was looking for a vending machine to get coffee would not hurt anyone.

Beckett now shrugged at Lanie, offering her the spare plastic cup: "They´re still being patched up," she said in a low voice. Lanie obviously tensed at these words, so Beckett hurried to continue: "Ryan´s worse off than Esposito, though. They´ve repeatedly pushed his upper body into a basin full of ice water in order to make him speak, or Javier."

Lanie grimaced: "And did they?" she asked, in a rather quiet voice.

Beckett shook her head: "They didn´t tell Lockwood and his cronies anything," she said with unconcealed pride in her voice. "They-"

"Tell ´er ´bout the ´ero for´ward slash wri´ter of the day," a sleepy voice chimed in, followed by a quickly muffled yawn and an "ouch," as Castle had forgotten about his tender hand.

Now it was Lanie´s turn to raise an eyebrow: "What happened to your hand, Castle?" she asked, unwillingly amused by his suffering expression.

"You tell her," he decided, winking at Beckett with an unmistakable air of complacency, then shifting in the chair until he had obviously found another remotely comfy position, and closed his eyes again.

Lanie looked from him to Beckett, unable to follow the writer´s meaning. Beckett however was watching him with something more than only amusement in her expression; and the ME knew her well enough to realize that her friend was pondering Castle with what looked like freshly won respect, despite him currently presenting a rather unimpressive, crumpled heap on a chair.

"Girl, you gotta lot to tell me," she concluded in an undertone. "After I´ve seen Esposito, that is. And Ryan. Don´t you get your panties in a twist."

The supposedly dozing Castle snickered at this, but even without opening his eyes again did he seem to sense that that had not been his best of ideas, so he quickly shut up again.

"Guys," Lanie mouthed and turned to find some staff member to talk to.

o

TBC

o

More author´s notes: Folks, I hope I got Lanie right, I find her as hard to write as Espo! Feedback welcome!