So this is it... I think I'm gonna cry, such a bittersweet moment. My first multi-chapter fic to be completed... wow.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, put me on alerts or favourites. Your motivation is what brought this about ^^

So without further ado he's the final chapter to The Bet.

Disclaimer: it's not mine.

Ugh, what had he done last night? He yawned then stretched, realising that something was wrong when he tumbled out of bed and hit the floor. The last time he checked his bed was ground level and there was no way he could fall out of it. He blinked his eyes open and glanced around. This wasn't his room; he had fallen asleep in the office. He groaned and picked himself up from between the couch and the coffee table.

"Hey, Captain, you're awake. I was beginning to get worried." Rangiku called from her desk.

Toushiro turned to his lieutenant trying to blink away the morning fog. "What am I doing here, Matsumoto?"

She cocked her head. "You told me to leave you there for the night."

"I did, why?"

"Well we got back at around five and you said you were tired."

He paused. They had gotten back at five? He really had lost track of time. But then again talking with Rangiku always made him loose track of time. Well, when she decided to act her age for once. He shook his head. "Matsumoto, what time is it?"

She paused, "It should be around two by now-"

"Two in the afternoon!" Toushiro exclaimed jumping away from the couch, running over to his desk and frantically began shuffling through the files on his desk. "Why didn't you wake me up, the day is gone already and there's so much to be done."

"Relax Captain, you haven't missed much. I already started on the paperwork, and you were pretty tired. When was the last time you had a full night's sleep?"

He paused. "You started on the paperwork? Are you feeling alright?"

"Mmhmm, we did do that bet for a reason. You really have a lot of paperwork to do, Captain."

He raised an eyebrow. She really had learnt something. He could always count on Rangiku to help him out with everything except paperwork. He tilted his head; the bet had turned out for the better. Speaking of which, she had done a really good job this week. Better than he had expected. He felt his lips stretch into a small smile.

"Matsumoto."

"Yes, Captain?"

"About the bet, well, good job, you won. You lasted the week."

"What?" She glanced at him her eye brows raised.

"You won..."

"Wait, wait, wait, who decided this?"

"I did. You lasted one week as captain of the tenth and those were the terms of the bet. If you could last a week then you would win. So congratulations."

"No no no stop right there Captain. You're doing it again." She stood from the desk and came over to the couch. "I appreciate the gesture but, just stop. I know you feel responsible for me, but stop treating me like I'm a child who needs treats for doing what she's supposed to do. Okay before you say anything, I know that's how I act most of the time, but I need you to stop babying me."

He raised an eyebrow. He babied her? What was she talking about? He kicked her in to shape he made sure she didn't go overboard. What was she talking about him babying her? "What, Matsumoto?"

"I'm serious, Captain. This past week I realised how much you let me slack off-"

"I don't let you-"

She held up a hand. "Let me finish, Captain. Thanks. I know that I haven't been the biggest help around the office and you've been picking up all the slack and I also know that if I don't step up soon you're going to work yourself into the ground. I don't think that you should reward me for doing something that I'm supposed to do."

"Who are you and what have to done with my lieutenant?"

"I'm not done yet. And the terms of the bet were that if you lasted a week as lieutenant you would win and you lasted. If anything, I think you should win."

He raised an eyebrow and folded his arms across his chest. "If I win then you have to do both of our paperwork for three months are you up for that, Matsumoto."

She laughed, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Captain. I said I knew that I needed to pick up some slack but that is a miracle you're asking for."

He sighed. "Of course, that's way too much for me to ask for. What was I thinking?"

"Stop making fun of me, Captain. You know I can work when I want to."

"Yeah, I know. So a tie then?"

"No, that's exactly what I'm talking about, right there! You're supposed to force me to do the work for three months."

"But we both know that you won't end up doing it anyway."

"Mmmm, okay tie it is then."

He rolled his eyes. "You're hopeless, Matsumoto."

She grinned, leaning closer towards him and pecked him lightly on the cheek. "But you love me anyway!"

With that she jumped up from the sofa and ran out of the office. He sat the blinking for a short while before running over to the door and shouting behind her. "Matsumoto! Get back here, you still have work to do! And I don't love you! Where would you even get something like that from? Get back here this instant! MATSUMOTO!"

A few meters away, Rangiku snickered to herself. It was so much fun getting him riled up. He was just too cute when he was angry. But it was all for naught she had finished her paperwork for the day while he was sleeping. It wasn't much since he had kept her work up to date that week and had finished all her overdue files. She had even managed to take a few pictures of him while he slept. Things were going really well today.

She rounded a corner and froze in her tracks. What was this? She cleared her throat and marched up to a group of men who looked like they were about to fight. She recognised some of the men; the others she knew were from the eleventh. This was not happening right now. As she walked up to them they stopped whatever they were doing and stared at her.

"What is going on here?" She asked her eyes flashing. Did these men not learn?

Within minutes she had sent the men from the eleventh packing and turned on the tenth's soldiers with vengeance. Okay, it was time to lay down the law.

"Do any of you know our policy with fighting other divisions?" She asked.

The men guiltily looked at each other.

"I see. So then was it that difficult for one of you to go get either the captain or myself?"

"No, lieutenant, Matsumoto." They mumbled.

"So why was it that you were about to start a fight with them? You are well aware all that happened last week was because of a fight with the eleventh. I will not take these offences lightly from now on."

"But lieutenant, there wasn't actually a fight-"

Rangiku hesitated. They did have a point. She couldn't punish them for technically doing nothing. Maybe a warning could suffice. She opened her mouth only to snap it shut when she saw a pair of huge, teal eyes staring at her from the shadows. Toushiro must have followed her and was watching to see how she would react to this. She sighed; it was time to pick up some of the slack she was talking about. She thought briefly, what would Toushiro do in this situation? She was supposed to have learnt how to be captain and now it was time to show him that she wasn't completely hopeless. He would have punished them men regardless. But would her conscience really let her do that? It seemed almost villainous to do so. But she thought back to that conversation she had with Toushiro, she couldn't always be everybody's best friend. These men were going to end up mad at her. But it was her job. Toushiro's motto was teaching by example and she would be making an example of these men. It was against division policy to fight with the other divisions. She took a deep breath; she had to do what she had to do.

"That's because I showed up in time to stop it. You four are in serious trouble." She tried to hide her loathe to get them in trouble. It was against her nature to be intentionally mean to anyone. Sure she teased people, she made jokes at the expense of others but she had never willingly punished anyone.

"But we didn't do anything. If it wasn't for us those eleventh guys would have trashed the division." They looked at her pleadingly. But she turned away, she would not be swayed.

"It doesn't matter what they were about to do. The fact of the matter is your intention was to fight them and that is expressly forbidden in this division. Report to the office tomorrow at eight o'clock. The captain and I will decide on your punishment."

The men's shoulders slumped but they shuffled off giving her dirty looks. She turned around and took a deep breath. That had been the hardest... well one of the hardest things she had done all week. And she hadn't even been captain this time.

"I thought you were the understanding one." She overheard one of the men mutter as they left.

"She's changing, and it's not for the best." Another one snapped.

She swallowed and her eyes went wide. She was changing? Maybe she had been too harsh. It wasn't absolutely necessary to punish them when they were trying to help out the division, right? She was about to call out to them and take back the punishment when a small hand gently grabbed her elbow.

"Let it go, Matsumoto. They deserved it. We now have zero tolerance for needless brawls in this division. The men need to understand this."

She glanced down at her little captain. "They hate me now, don't they?"

He cocked his head. "Like you said, this division is like a family with you and I at the head. These men are our... children, if you so please and we have to do what's best for them even if they don't like what's best for them. You made a good decision punishing them, it may not feel like it, but it was the best thing you could do for them."

"I feel like the bad guy, though."

He snorted. "Parent's are generally the bad guys."

She put a finger to her lips. "When you put it that way, Captain... you make it sound like you and I are married. If you felt that way about me, you could have said something!"

He slapped his forehead. "I was making an analogy! You're completely hopeless!"

"Aww, Captain, you don't mean that."

"Yes I do."

"You're so mean!"

"Tch, and you're annoying."

"You can't tell a lady she's annoying. You'll never get anywhere that way."

"Who say's I want to get anywhere?"

"Because you're a guy."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

She smiled cheekily and started walking away from him, knowing that he would follow. "It means what I said, you're a guy."

He narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

She shrugged picking up her pace. "You can figure it out, Captain, you're smart."

He blinked thinking about what she could possibly mean. When realisation dawned in his eyes a light blush appeared on his cheeks and he rushed after his lieutenant with a loud shout. "Matsumoto... Matsumoto! MATSUMOTO!"

As most of you suggested it should have ended up as a tie. I'm sorry if it was too predictable but that was the ending I pictured. They both learnt from each other and became better leaders. In my mind that is a tie, plus Toushiro doesn't have it in his genes to loose anything and Matsumoto would never let herself loose anything either. Heh, I hope you all enjoyed it regardless. ^^

Well you guys it's been a good... eight months? I'm gonna try not to break down before finishing this end note...

Thanks for reading my little experiment that was The Bet.

Over and out,

-Mymomomo