Prompt from Tank here of fanfiction: In 'Double Down', Ryan and Esposito are declared the winner of the bet by someone such as Montgomery, and Castle and Beckett have to deal with the consequences...besides the money. This takes place in 'The Lovers' universe. Tank, I'm not sure if this is what you wanted, but it's what worked the best for me.


"I'm sorry, Beckett, Castle, but I'm going to have to rule in Ryan and Esposito's favor on this one," says Montgomery, smiling at his best team's antics.

Esposito and Ryan cheer loudly, gaining the attention of everyone in the precinct—they really should of closed the door before coming in here to ask Montgomery to chose a winner—and many groans from those who bet that she and Castle would win, a group that makes up the majority of the homicide division. It doesn't seem to rain on the boys' parade, though.

She glances over her shoulder and pointedly rolls her eyes in their direction, making her fiance chuckle softly. When they let out another cry of celebration, though, he looks over at them and pokes his bottom lip out in a pout. She fights the urge to roll her eyes at him, her childish Castle, and leans up to press a quick kiss to his cheek. In turn, he looks down at her and presses one, just as quick and sweet and soft and loving, to the tip of her nose.

Over the past year, as their relationship and partnership went from strictly personal to personal and professional, they've learned to act professionally in the workplace. Sometimes, though, it seems impossible. Like lately, as they're still basking in post-engagement bliss.

It's a gentle nudge against her shoulder that makes her turn to meet the eyes of her captain, an amused smile still gracing his lips.

"I had to throw them a bone or something, right? Give them something to celebrate?" he says, turning to the boys. They're now counting their money and dividing it between the few people who actually thought that they could close their case before she and Castle could close their own. "You two don't need to win a bet to be thathappy, obviously."

"No, sir, we don't" she replies, smiling mostly to herself at his obvious comment about their engagement.

They had gone on vacation, her and Castle, leaving Alexis with her grandparents in order to get some alone time, about a month and a half ago. Though the entire trip had been amazing, the last day was by far the best. He had gotten down on one knee, telling her that, after already discovering so many layers of the Kate Beckett onion, and spending the past year with her discovering so many more, he wanted to dedicate his lifetime to discovering as many as possible. If the boys had been there, they would've gotten a good laugh out of the way she had turned into a crying, stuttering mess who was barely able to say yes, but she managed. And they spent that final night out celebrating their engagement.

Montgomery had noticed something was different from the moment they walked off the elevator. The ring had been hanging on a chain around her neck, invisible to all others. Yet, somehow, by the end of the day they had been brought into his office and congratulated on their engagement. By the end of the week, everyone had figured it out, or been told.

Montgomery had been extremely happy for them, making little comments in regards to it more often than not. The boys, however, had teased them mercilessly ever since.

As Ryan and Esposito turn to them, their winnings stuffed in their pockets, the remaining money in the envelope on Montgomery's desk, she knows now will be no different.

"Go ahead, gloat all you want. We still solved the case," she says, the happiness lingering in her voice from the memory of Castle's proposal ruining the exasperated effect she had planned on.

The boys glance at each other and shrug before turning back to them.

"We totally beat you guys," says Ryan.

"Yeah, even your lovers' connected...brain...thing...couldn't beat us," throws in Esposito, patting his partner's back.

"What are you gonna tell Alexis now?"

"That uncles Ryan and Esposito are awesome." By now, they're no longer in the captain's office and are all walking towards the elevator.

"Yeah, uh, no. We solved the case, and if Alexis wants to know, that's what we'll tell her," says Kate, allowing Castle to slip her jacket on for her.

Esposito heads off to give the few uniforms who bet on them their winnings before reappearing, the empty envelope landing on Ryan's desk.

"You guys would lie to your daughter?" asks Ryan, feigning a gasp of surprise just as the elevator doors open.

"It's not a lie, Ryan. It would only be a lie if we said we won the bet," says Castle.

"Yeah, well, we'll see her soon, and we'll tell her the truth," says Esposito. "Right, bro?"

"As if she'll believe you two over her own mother," says Kate, raising her eyebrows, telling them to try and challenge that.

"She might not, but everyone here at the precinct knows that we beat 'Team Lovers'. And they all say you guys are the best team in homicide," says Ryan.

"In the precinct," Castle corrects him, making them both groan.

"Whatever. We beat you," says Ryan as they walk out of the precinct, Castle and Beckett heading in one direction, the boys in the other.

"We still solved the case first," say Castle and Beckett just before they're out of earshot, in perfect sync, as always.

"We told you, that shared mind thing is no match for us," yells back Esposito, watching as Beckett throws a smirk over her shoulder. "Bro?"

"Yeah?"

"Lets never bet against 'Team Lovers' again."

"Yeah."