AN: OMG! 26 reviews in less than twelve hours! I feel so loved.

Mackey: You're right neither would've told. I don't think this will include Ryan and Esposito immediately post-capture, more like the next day. The story's title is something I think Beckett would say if Ryan and Esposito were teasing her.

carouselcolors: Hard times to Beckett and Castle, coming up courtesy of Ryan and Esposito

Susan M. M.: I know, aren't I amazing? I usually can't write this fast, but this wouldn't leave me alone.

GhostWriterLost: Honestly, I have no idea where those came from, I just wanted them to know what Castle and Beckett had said.

Jayce Gish: I had not considered that, thanks for the idea.

Jjaynenashville: See reply to Mackey for timeline. This won't be about the leaping over crates that Castle was doing (though that was awesome). Thanks for thinking I'm amazing.

To everyone who asked me to continue: thank you, the plot bunnies are highly addicted to reviews.

***** (scene break) *****

There must be one of those jokes going around, Beckett thought, because no one seemed able to keep a straight face today. Everyone was snickering, or smiling behind their hands. A few people were conversing in whispers.

Ryan and Esposito were doing paperwork. She walked up and leaned on Esposito's desk. "All right, what's the joke?" she asked.

Ryan did an excellent job of looking confused. "What joke?"

"The one that's got everyone snickering," she said.

The partners swapped a look. "I don't know why everyone finds it so funny," Ryan said.

"Certainly doesn't merit the reaction they're giving it," Esposito added.

"Fine, I get it, you don't want to tell me," Beckett said, "I'm going to get some coffee." She strode away towards the break room.

She didn't see Ryan and Esposito exchange amused looks behind her back.

She entered the break room and pushed the button on the coffee machine Castle had gotten them, quickly filling a mug.

As she turned around to go back to her desk, her gaze fell on the bulletin board where they hung announcements. A new one had been added since yesterday. Suddenly the joke made sense, and she almost dropped her mug.

The picture wasn't great quality, but it clearly showed her and Castle, kissing. She realized the scene was from the alley, when she'd had to distract the guard so they could rescue Ryan and Esposito.

A piece of paper was attached to the bottom of the photograph, with the word "FINALLY!" written all in caps with an exclamation point at the end. In Esposito's handwriting.

She set her mug down and ripped the picture off the board, then went storming into the bullpen with it. The only one who could've done this, she reasoned, was Ryan.

She held it up. "Where did you get this?" she asked.

Ryan leaned forward and took it, pretending to examine it. "Off a security camera," he answered. "It was Esposito's idea for the caption, though."

"Yo, Beckett," Esposito said. She turned and fixed him with a death glare. Apparently unaffected, he leaned back in his chair and continued, "You look like you're having a lot of fun in that picture, did you enjoy yourself?"

She did actually, but she would never admit that. Instead she said: "it was for a cover," then turned and went back to her desk, and started to tackle the paperwork, but the duo wouldn't let it go.

"So, Beckett," Ryan began, in a playful tone of voice, "is there anything we should know?"

"Like a reason you're late?" Esposito suggested, "Maybe this continued off camera?" The partners high fived, clearly having planned this.

Beckett put her head in her hands; the only thing that could possibly make this more embarrassing was…

"What continued off camera?"

Castle. She just had to jinx it.

"This," Ryan said. She looked up in time to see him showing Castle the picture.

"We…" Castle began.

"Be very careful how you finish that sentence, Castle," she warned, "I know where you live."

"Is that a threat or an invitation, detective?" Castle asked. She shot him a glare.

"We had to knock out the guard to get in and save your sorry butts," Castle explained, "and figured the best way to get close enough would be to go undercover."

"Uh huh, undercover," Ryan said. He would have said more, but Beckett's phone rang.

"Beckett," she answered. She listened for a moment, then hung up and stood. "There's been a murder."

Castle grabbed his coat as well, but Ryan couldn't resist one parting crack as they departed. "Hey, Esposito, last you checked, was it necessary to kiss your partner when going undercover?"

The elevators closed on them high-fiving again.

******** (Scene break) ********

AN2: I'm kind of amazed at myself for getting two chapters out within twenty-four hours of the episode airing.

One more chapter, featuring Lanie, will be coming out. Do you want her to prank Caskett as well?