AN: Thank you for the feedback for the first chapter. And yes, of course it wasn't a . I don't know how many chapters this story will have but there are a few more coming. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 2.

"I know." she mumbled. "I've read your books."

He could not hide his cocky grin as he answered her. "Wow, they must be really bad if they make you sit in someone elses piss." That girl just shook her head and looked down and he took the opportunity to look her over. She was young, and he doubted that she was even was old enough to legally be in that bar. But on the other hand, 90% of the people in that bar did not hit the 21 yet.

Without a doubt she was really beautiful, her long locks hanging over her shoulder hiding her face from the world.

There was something about her and he could not quite explain what is was. Maybe because she was tall or because she knew his books. Or maybe because she was mysterious and the writer in him wanted to solve her.

"Let's get over there and talk." he said and started to walk toward the stairs of the apartment house on the other side of the street.

He felt that she was not following him and he turned back around. Now she did not look on the ground, all the weakness was vanished out of her face. Arms crossed in front of her chest and lips pressed together she was starring at him.

"I don't need help." She did not yell but she sounded angry. He just shrugged his shoulder.

"Never said you did." he answered.

"And I'm sure as hell not talking about that." She awkwardly pointed to the spot where she sat just minutes ago.

"Okay. We can just talk about how great of an writer I am and about all the dreams you have about me." He turned around and walked towards his destination.

/

She rolled her eyes at him even thought he could not see her anymore. But still she followed him. Maybe because she indeed thought of him as a great writer or maybe because right now she really appreciated the distraction and just the thought about going back into the bar to her friends pained her. She could not believe that she just met her favorite author. She would never tell him.

Sitting down next to him she propped her elbows on her knees and turned her head in his direction. He mimicked her actions and smiled.

"If we don't talk about whatever just happened, can I at least get your name?" he asked and smiled at her.

"Kate"

"Hot." he stated and she rolled her eyes. She never expected him to be like... that. She read before that he was different but never did she expect him to be such a... child. Well, maybe childish was the wrong description but she could not find another word for him right now.

"Anyways." Kate started. "What were you doing in a college bar... you're like what? 27 or something?" she asked him.

"Like 27 or something?" he quoted her. "Someone 's reading the fan pages, huh?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "Book researches."

"What's the story?" she asked a little bit too fast and too interested.

"I really don't know, yet. I have a few things in mind but I need to put the whole thing together first. " he explained and she just nodded. She eyed the bar again. The Left Behind was still crowded even though more people were leaving already but her friends were no where to be seen. She has not been in there in at least 20 minutes and she figured by now they knew that she was not going to come back inside.

She heard him ask something next to her but she could not make out the words. "Hm, what was that?" she asked.

He smiled again but this time it was not that cocky grin, it was a real smile. "I asked what you're doing? Are you going to college?"

Opening her mouth she closed it again. That was a really good question. "I..." Yes, what was she doing? Deciding to tell some part of the truth she answered: "I study pre-law."

"Here in New York?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, Stanford."

"Stanford? Wow. That's amazing. What are you doing in New York?" He sounded really impressed.

/

He saw her biting down on her lower lip. "Just... visiting family." Her gaze fell from his and he sensed that something about that story was not right but he would not ask any further. She still was a stranger after all.

"You need to be somewhere?" he asked as he saw her checking out her watch for the second time.

"No, just confused that you haven't made a stupid joke in over five minutes." she said.

/

She hoped that would turn this conversation away from this seriousness. Her clock told her that it just passed midnight.

Midnight. That meant one more day.

104 days.

/

"I should probably get going soon." she said after a while. For the past five minutes they were sitting in silence next to each other.

"Why?" he asked.

"First, it's getting late. Second, I'm tired. And third, I'm getting sober and am just realizing that I've spend at least 20 minutes with a complete stranger on some stairs in the middle of New York City." she explained.

Wow, that was honest, he thought. Or at least the last part, the first reasons he did not really believe.

"I'm not a complete stranger. You know my books." he faked a shock and she smiled at him.

"Right. And that makes it better how? You write about killing people."

"Point taken." he confessed laughing and she just shook her head at him.

What was it about her? He could note shake that feeling off that he wanted to know more. Even thought she was stubborn and did not talk much and rolled her eyes at almost everything he said. Or maybe just because of those reasons.

"How about... and please listen out" he started. "How about I call my driver. I'm not getting researches done tonight anyway. He will be here in ten minutes and we drop you off wherever you want to?" Desperately waiting for an answer he studied her face. The way her eyebrows drew together let him know that she was actually considering his offer.

"Why would I do that?" she finally asked him. He thought about it for a second.

"Because you're tired and it's almost impossible to get a cab at this hour." he answered.

"Point taken." This time it was her turn to give in. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"I already said it, right?" He laughed about her harsh voice and called his driver.

/

Like promised it took no longer than ten minutes for the car to pull up next to them. It was a nice black town car and she felt a little intimidated as she sat in the back row together with Richard Castle giving the driver her address.

They again sat there in silence but while before she did not mind it was slightly uncomfortable now. Knowing that in just fifteen minutes she would enter reality again made the lump in her throat grow bigger.

While Richard Castle was annoying and childish and really testing her nerves he was a good distraction from everything. And, she could not deny, really attractive. Even more than on pictures she has seen in magazines.

Shaking her head for like the millionth time that night she bit down on her lip. He was an famous author and she just a 19 years old girl. Her thought could not wander that way. Could they?

He cleared his throat and she looked at him.

"How about... how about I call you and tell you about the book sometime? I mean, since I've never answered what it's gonna be about." he asked her and she had a hard time keeping her lips from slightly tugging upward.

Second genuine smile in 104 days. That made two points for him.

And that was probably the reason why she accepted his offer and wrote her number on a small piece of paper he handed her.

/

As they pulled up in front of her house she turned back to him. "Thank you." she mumbled.

"You're welcome. It was almost on the way."

"Not just that, also for getting me out of the urine." she said and he understood what she meant.

She was already out of the car when he shouted after her.

"Kate?" she turned and looked at him questioningly. "Whatever it is. It get's better. You just need to let people in." He saw the color vanishing from her face and liquid rising up behind her eyes and he wondered if he said too much.

"It's not that easy." she almost whispered before regaining her old confident standing position. "Goodnight, Castle." she said before turning her back to him and walking up the steps to the apartment house.

Castle, he liked it.

To be continued!