168. Chapter 168

After One Man's Treasure

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I would treasure owning Castle, but I don't. Rating: K Time: See above.

"Javier Esposito! I absolutely cannot believe what you're doing."

Esposito looked surprised. "What am I doing that's so bad?"

Lanie turned on Ryan. "And you! I sort of expect this sort of thing from Espo, but I thought better of you."

"Why?" The detective asked with a smile. "You may think this is a bad idea, but I think it's fun. In fact, it's no different than when we bet on who would solve those two murders first. And, both Castle and Beckett were in on that."

Lanie snorted in derision. "I expect that sort of thing from Castle, and I'm sure that Beckett had a good reason for what she was doing."

"So are you in or out?" Esposito asked.

Lanie glared at him. "What's the bet again?"

Espo took out a sheet of paper and showed it to Lanie. "It's the Castle and Beckett Stakes. You put five dollars down on the month you think they'll get together, starting the first of next month. So, if you think it'll take another year for them to get together, you put down your five bucks on December, 2010. If you think it's going to be five years, you pick a date in 2014. And," Espo tapped the bottom of the chart, "if you think they'll never get together, you pick "never", here at the bottom. That's been quite popular, in fact. A lot of people think Beckett will never give in."

"How do we determine when never is?" Lanie asked, interested in spite of herself.

"At first we thought it would be when Castle left the precinct. But we decided we'll also accept if either one gets married."

"Castle has been married twice already. Suppose he gets married, divorced and then comes back and is with Beckett?" Lanie asked.

"Then you try to get your money from those who picked never. And good luck to that."

"How about cheating?"

"Lanie!" Espo said with mock severity. "I'm shocked that you would try to cheat."

Ryan nodded. "I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going one here."

Lanie glared at the Irish detective. "That's enough, Captain Renault."

"I thought it was pretty good." Ryan looked at Espo. They high fived each other.

"No, what I meant is, suppose Castle and Beckett find out about this little bet and they decide to cheat?"

"How?" Ryan asked, "And why?"

Lanie shrugged. "Suppose they picked a date that no one else picked and arranged for someone else to put five bucks down on the date and then they start acting like they're together?"

"Beckett would never do something like that!" Espo said quickly. "She's not that kind of person."

"But Castle is." Lanie shot back.

"Yeah." Ryan said, thinking seriously about that. "Castle would do something like that. Then he'd laugh at us."

"And remember, Beckett cheated on our murder bet. We so won that bet and she refused to pay up."

Ryan shrugged. "So we wouldn't see her in a dress and if we made her shave her head, she'd have made our lives so miserable for…forever. And then some."

"Castle held the stakes. He's the one who refused to pay up what he owed us."

"So, Espo," Lanie said smugly, "they might cheat."

"Someone might cheat at anything. Is that any reason not to play the game?" Espo replied calmly.

"Well, then, suppose someone else cheats?"

"How could anyone possibly cheat on this?" Ryan said.

"Suppose you have "never", and you think Castle and Beckett are starting to get together. You tell Beckett that you saw Castle making out with some chick, then you tell Castle that Beckett's been cheating on him. Easy."

Espo shook his head. "I am surprised, Doctor Parish, that you have such a low opinion of the human race." Espo tapped on the chart. "Are you in or out?"

Lanie looked at the chart more closely. "I can understand Espo putting five bucks on "never", he has no romance in his soul, but you Ryan? I'm disappointed."

Ryan smiled. "I'm Irish. I have a romantic soul and a history of being down trodden stomped into my DNA by centuries of oppression. So, I put five on "never" for my DNA and five on February 2013 for my romantic Irish soul."

"And you, Espo?"

"Castle's been good for Beckett, and, oddly enough, I think she's been good for him. And I hope they do get together. Hell, I hope they live happily ever after. But, where money is concerned, I'm a realist. I've got five on "never". And if I lose, I'll be just as happy as if I won. Happier, maybe."

Lanie smiled. "Why, Espo. You'll almost make me think you're human if you keep up like that."

Esposito bowed to her. "Javier Esposito, almost human, at your service. Now, are you in or out?"

Lanie looked over the chart. May 2012 was the first one she saw that no one had put money down on yet. She looked over the rest of the names and dates. It looked like most of the people who might know or care about Castle and Beckett had already made their choices. "Okay, Javi, I'm in. Five on May 2012."

Espo took her money and put her name down on the list. "Any reason you picked that date?"

"It's one of the few that no one has taken yet. It's as good a time as any and if I win, I don't have to share." Kate really needs someone. I'm her best friend, but the more I see of Castle, the more I think he just might replace me as her very best friend. At least I hope so. And this little bet gives me an extra reason to try to show those two what's so damned obvious to everyone else.

MUCH, MUCH LATER

Kate snuggled up against Rick. "I was just so damned furious when Lanie told me about that stupid office pool on when we'd get together."

He stroked her hair and her cheek. "I don't know. I thought it was kind of cute that so many people wanted us to get together."

"Whether we got together or not was our concern and no one else's." Kate thought for a second. "Wait! Did you know about this before I just told you?"

Rick nodded. "Lanie told me about it just before we got married."

"And you didn't tell me?" Kate punched him lightly on the arm.

"We were busy that day, and it slipped my mind afterwards. Besides, I won my bet."

"You bet on when we'd get together?"

"Not on Espo's pool. I just bet with myself that we'd get together."

"When did you do that?" She asked, suspiciously.

"A couple of months before I put "Be with Kate" at the top of my bucket list."

Kate smiled and kissed him. "I guess we both won."