It was late, it was pouring rain in New York City, all that the medical examiner Lanie Parish wanted at the time, was to sit, have a glass of wine and watch the rain hit the window of her apartment.

Everything went as planned. There she was, watching the rain fall with her wine glass in hand; everything was perfect until her phone rang.

"Hello" She said answering the phone.

"Lanie, is Javier" she heard at the end of the line. She noticed the sadness in his voice.

"Ah yes, what do you want?"

"Are you at home?" He asked.

"Yes, I am." She replied. "Why?"

"I need to talk to someone, and I can't think of anyone better than you."

"Javi, what's going on?" She asked worried about him."Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not fine." He told her, afraid that by telling her what was wrong, he would scare her away. "Please ... I need you now. "

"Okay Javi, I'm waiting for you"

Lanie couldn't stop wondering what could have happened that would have made him this distraught. The knock at the door broke her from her thoughts; she didn't have to wonder anymore.

"Lanie, it's me" Javier called from the other side of the door.

When Lanie opened the door she saw Javier Esposito in a way she never thought she would see.

"Javi, why are you crying? What happened? "She asked worried.

"Beckett and I." He paused, inhaled and continued. "We were fired"

"What? Why? "She asked him.

"May I come in?"

"Sure."

They sat on the couch, looked at each other for a moment until Javi started talking.

"It was Ryan's fault, this case that we are investigating... Beckett is too close. "

"It's Ryan's fault?" She asked. "Why?"

"Like I said, Beckett is too close to this case, she is emotionally involved, it's about her shooting" He paused and took a deep breath.

"We were looking for the shooter, but we were surprised, she almost fell from the building if Ryan wasn't there to hold her hand-"

"What?" She asked not believing him. "Gates didn't send back up to you? You were alone? "

"That's the problem, Gates didn't know about it."

"How did she not know?" She questioned. "She's your captain, she had to know!"

"We didn't tell her."

"What do you mean "we didn't tell her"?" She questioned.

"Beckett asked us not to tell," He explained. "She was afraid that Gates would take her off of the case"

"But this is wrong Javi, Gates is your captain, not Beckett!" She exclaimed.

"But she's my friend, I had to help her"

"It doesn't justify what you did!" She paused. "Beckett is my friend as well, and if I was in your shoes, I'd have told the whole story to Gates."

"Don't you understand?" He asked. "We couldn't do this, it's very important to Beckett, she lives for it."

"She's too close to the case, the last time she went near the case, she was shot in the chest. I was with her on that stretcher, I tried to save her. I saw my friend die Javier!" She paused for a second, trying to hold back the tears. "And you saw what happened today? What you just told me? And if Ryan wasn't there? Huh? "

"He told to Gates, that's why she fired us."

"Finally one of you understood what was right!" She said raising her arms as if she was giving a 'thank God'. "That's why you said that your resignation was Ryan's fault?"

"Yes, he should have done it!" He said angrily. "He betrayed us!"

"NO Javi, he didn't betray you, he acted as a true friend, and he cares about you two!"

"I can't settle for that!"

"Javi, Stop! If not for him, only God knows where you would be now. Beckett would be dead! So stop being stubborn and accept that what Ryan did was right, he saved your life! "

"I know, I know. But I can't stop thinking."

"Don't think baby!" She said rubbing her hand on his face. "Just accept it."

They gazed at each other briefly; Javi seemed lost in her eyes.

"How is Beckett?" She finally asked about her friend. "Castle's with her?"

"No, they fought. Castle is off the team. "

"They fought? How so? "Asked Lanie perplexed."Instead of stepping forward, she took a step back?"

"What are you talking about?" He asked curiously.

"What everyone has realized for years, she is completely in love with him, and he is completely in love with her, she's just scared to go and end up like ..." She chose not to finish the sentence.

"Us?" He completed deducting what she'd say.

"Yes," she said getting up and going to the kitchen to get more wine.

"You know that it doesn't need to be that way." He said going after her.

"Javi, we've talked about this..." She said getting a little nervous.

"Yes, but I can't forget what happened between us."

"Yes, you can. I forgot, it means you can to."

"No, you didn't forget and we both know it." He said running his hand on her arm.

"Javi, please ..." She said, knowing she couldn't resist his touch.

"No Lanie, I miss you." He decided to vent. "You don't know how good it was for me to arrive at the scene of a terrible murder and find you there, whatever the place you could comfort me with just a smile "

"Javi ..."

"Shhh, you don't need to say anything." He said stroking her face.

Right there in the kitchen, he pulled her by the waist and kissed her like he had never kissed her.

"Javier Esposito, I hate you!" She said with a smile.

"No, that's not true, you love me." He said with those puppy eyes as ever. "Thanks for listening."

"ALWAYS."

"You will not give me a little bit of wine?" He asked looking at the bottle that was on the table.

"Hmm ... okay, but if you drink all the bottle, I'll want another."She said with a smile that melted his heart.

"All right !"

"I can't believe that I'll end up in bed with you." She said, already knowing what would happen after the glasses of wine.

"That would be nice." He said winking at her.

The two looked at each other for a while. Despite all the events Javi was in peace, because when he was beside her, he was the happiest man in the world.

THE END.