Play It Again Sam!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Casablanca universe, they are the sole property of their creator, I am merely borrowing them for this story and I make no money from this or any other story that I write for this site.

Summary: The pianist is asked to play a certain song again for Ilse for the sake of old memories.

A/N: Casablanca is a timeless classic of the film industry and it is one I remember with fondness from my childhood, I remember it be a fond favourite of my late father . I know that the line 'Play it again Sam' was never spoken in the film but it is a line that I think many fans of the film would have wished had been.


The bar smelled of stale cigarette smoke and undrunk beers but Ilse did not mind, as she sat at a table at the back of the room partly hidden in the shadows. It brought back memories to her of a time when she had been truly happy, she was happy now with the man she was with but it did not have the same excitement that she had had when she had been with Rick, it was not the same edginess to it and a part of her missed those times with the eagerness of a child reaching out for something which she knew she could never have again.

Piano music could be heard playing and she glanced over and saw Sam playing away almost quietly in the darkened bar, she smiled to herself as she thought of the times when Sam had played for her, in the bar, that she had met Rick in. It had not been that dissimilar to this one, though not as dangerous as this one she mused to herself after all that one had not been ruled over government-wise by the Nazis.

As she sat there, she let her mind drift to happier times, before the war, before she had left Rick, heck even before she had set foot in that first bar of Rick's, so much had changed in the last few years, so many people were gone, either through moving on or dead,so much changed and would never be the same again.

She smiled sadly to herself as she thought of how she had hurt Rick, she had not meant to but she knew when she had left him, that Rick might miss her, if only for a few seconds as a passing thought or perhaps for a few days, she had not seriously thought he would miss her for longer than that.

The sound of people laughing and singing at the bar brought her mind and thoughts back to the booth, where she sat in the shadows, the piano playing a little louder than it had been.

Smiling to herself, she mouthed the words, at the sound of a familiar tune ending.

"Play it again Sam!"