Chapter Ten:

Rick was just finishing reading his emails from Gina and Paula. Both were pleased with the ending of what he had said was to be his last Nikki Heat novel and both were anxious to get him under a new contract for more. Gina had even hinted that he could start another series with a new contract from Black Pawn under the provision that if the new series didn't fare as well, he would provide at least one more Nikki Heat novel.

Gina wanted him to meet with the Black Pawn executives along with his lawyer to review the new contract as soon as possible. She knew how much he wanted to avoid coming to the city, but knew this was needed.

Secretly, Rick had been looking for an excuse to return to New York since he had met with Lanie and Hayley. He missed his home and his friends. He missed Kate most of all. He could travel incognito as Rodger Richards and see how things have been going for everyone in his absence. Castle types a quick reply and tells Gina that he'll be arriving in the city in the next day or so and that he'd provide more details once he was in the city.

Rick booked a seat on the flight from Miami to New York leaving the next morning. He booked a room at the Waldorf and made arrangements for a driver from the airport under his alias. Satisfied with his effort, he focused his attention on his new novel, loosely based upon his father - an aging assassin whom life has passed by... It would be more introspective with less action than Derrick Storm, but Rick was sure there was a story to tell that would help him understand his father. He just hoped Gina would publish it.

Rick's flight was delayed due to mechanical problems and didn't arrive at JFK until late that afternoon. He had called the service and warned them that his flight was going to be late. The driver that ended up picking Rick up had just arrived with a departing passenger flying out to Los Angeles on the 6:00 pm flight. Castle picks up the garment bag containing his new suit that he had purchased while in LA from the baggage claim area and exits the airport. He almost walks past the driver holding up the sign for Rodger Richards not realizing that he was waiting for him.

Rick didn't understand just how much he missed the city until he rode through the traffic, taking in the sights and sounds that were unique to New York. They soon arrived at the Waldorf and Rick checked into his room. Confident that no one would recognize him, he decides to take a stroll along the street near the hotel. He returns to the hotel and composes a quick email to Gina to let him know that he arrived and where he was staying. She calls him a few minutes later to confirm their meeting tomorrow. His second ex-wife seemed genuinely happy to know that he was in the city and was looking forward to seeing him for the first time in over a year.

Gina may have fought with him constantly, may have nagged him incessantly, but she always had his best interests at heart. She was the one that offered a reconciliation when she saw how much Kate Beckett had hurt him by dating Tom Deming. Granted, she had her own ulterior motives for getting him away from the city to complete his book, but she honestly tried to make things work. Ultimately, the things that drove them apart the first time, pulled them apart again. The difference was this time, it was Rick that was in love with another.

Castle orders room service and continues to work on the outline for his new novel, hoping to have something to present to her tomorrow. The more he wrote, the more confidence he felt that this was a good story.

X-X-X-X

On a whim, Kate decided to fly out to Los Angeles a day earlier than she planned. She thought that a day away from the city would be good for her and help prepare her for meeting Alexis after all this time. She uses the same limo service that Rick always did and decided to fly first class. She didn't know why, but it made her feel closer to him. She had no idea just how close she actually was to him as she enters airport security at almost the exact moment that he was exiting.

The five hour flight seemed to take forever and she was tired upon arrival. Taking the single carry-on that she brought with her, she bypassed baggage claim and took the shuttle to her rental car. She couldn't help but smile as she remembered her last time in the city. How Rick had rescued her from sitting between two very large men in coach with a seat he reserved for her in first class. How she had to hide just how thrilled she felt cruising around the city in the Ferrari he had rented. How special he made her feel by sharing his suite at the Beverly Hills Hilton with her.

How close she came to following him into his bedroom that night after he confessed that she was a mystery that he would never solve...

X-X-X-X

His meetings with Black Pawn went much better than he thought they would. They were able to finalize the terms of a new contract for three books to be delivered at his customary rate of one per year. In exchange for a larger percentage of the sales, he agreed to 200 hours of promotional work per title. He did not promote his last book for obvious reasons and Gina had been quite understanding about it. Luckily the reviews and sales were strong enough that his customary book signings weren't necessary.

Gina invited Rick for drinks to celebrate at one of the bars nearby that they used to frequent. Feeling pleased with the way things went today, he agreed. Gina was a regular in the bar and Black Pawn had a table reserved all the time for entertaining clients. It was one of the trendier bars in the city and paparazzi were always camped outside, hoping to catch a celebrity.

After sharing a couple of drinks, Gina invited Rick to dinner, which he politely declined. She was disappointed, but understood and they walked back out hailing their respective cabs. After a hug and a kiss on the cheek, they got in their cabs heading in opposite directions.

Rick gave the driver the address of the Olde Haunt. Hayley had told him how she, Lanie and Kate made a regular visit to his bar every Friday night. His desire to sneak a glimpse at Kate, outweighed the risk of being seen by her. He was fairly sure that unless he was called out by one of the two women who knew what he looked like now, she wouldn't recognize him from a distance. Or at least he hoped so...

He exits the cab, paying the driver and is soon down the steps to the door. Castle takes a calming breath as he opens the door and walks inside. He was pleased to see that the place was packed. His manager Mike, had done an excellent job with the place reducing his role to that of check writer. He looks into the room at what was his reserved booth. Lanie was there along with Hayley enjoying their drinks. The piano was playing some oldie and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

Rick walks to the bar and orders a beer. The barmaid must have been hired since he left the city as he didn't recognize her. He stands by the bar and watches the two women in the booth wondering if Kate will appear. The longer he stand there, the more anxious he becomes. He turns back to the bar and asks if Mike is in. She gives him an appraising look and replies that he's down in the owner's office.

Castle thanks her and shoves a twenty in her tip jar. He then asks her to send a round of drinks to the two women seated in what used to be his booth. He handed her another twenty and told the barmaid to tell them that the drinks were from an old friend from Key West. Rick walked down to the stairs and knocked on the door.

After a few seconds, Mike calls out for him to enter. Rick opens the door and walks into what used to be his office, standing in front of the desk. Mike looks up from his computer and sees the man standing before him. "Can I help you?" Mike asks, annoyed that his employees would send someone down here.

"I'm not sure. I was looking for the owner..."

Mike nearly falls out of his chair as he immediately recognizes the voice. "As I live and breathe, it's you isn't it?"

Castle can only give him a sheepish grin as Mike bolts around the desk to give him a hug. "I thought that you were gone forever. I'm so glad to see that you're alive..." He stops to give him the once over. "You look so different... Not so sure about the hair, but you look like you've lost fifty pounds..."

"Actually it was thirty five." Rick replies with a grin. "Looks like you're doing ok too..."

"Getting bored with living the good life in paradise? Decide that you missed the big city?" Mike asks with a laugh.

"Something like that Mike."

The manager's smile fades as he gives Castle a solemn look. "No, seriously Rick. Is everything ok? I mean you up and vanish without a trace over a year ago... Next thing I know, I'm working for your lawyer..."

"Sorry about that, but some things came up and I had to get away..."

Mike knew what Castle really meant - that he had to get away from his ex-wife. "Yeah, I understand. I was sad to see that you and the missus weren't able to make things work..."

Rick was unable to hide his grimace at the reminder of his failure to be enough for Kate. Mike immediately wished he'd kept his mouth shut seeing the obvious pain Castle was in at the mention of his ex-wife. Mike wondered if he knew that his ex was in this bar every Friday night.

Mike opens the drawer in what really was Castle's desk and produces a bottle from Jimmy Walker's secret stash and two glasses. "Let's celebrate the return of the prodigal owner with a drink of the good stuff..."

Rick takes a seat facing the desk and gestures for the man to pour, which he does. Mike slides a glass to him which he picks up and then moves to his nose. He smiles as he takes in the aroma of the fine whisky. "I forgot just how wonderful this smelled..."

"It tastes even better than it smells." Mike smirks as he holds up his glass for a toast. "To the good stuff." He clinks his glass with Rick's before taking a large swig of the amber liquid. Castle follows suit and smiles as the whiskey works its way down his throat. He had given up on all hard liquor since he left New York, hoping to avoid what happened to Jim Beckett when he lost Johanna. Rick knew that it wasn't the same, but when he left the city he didn't know if the next call he would get would be someone telling him that she had been killed because of her all consuming quest.

The two men made small talk about sports and local politics as the tension in the room seemed to ease with each sip of the whiskey. Maybe fifteen minutes had elapsed since he came into the office when there was a knock on the door. "It's open!" Mike yells out.

The door slowly opens and in marches Hayley and Lanie, both giving Rick an angry glare. "Richard Castle... What are you doing here?" Lanie angrily asks.

"The last time I checked, I own this place." Rick replies as he takes another sip of Jimmy Walker's finest.

"You know what I mean. Why didn't you warn us? I mean, what if Kate came with us..." She stops and smiles as she assumes she knows why he is back in the city. "Oh my god! You did come back for our girl!" Lanie is almost giddy now, happy for her friend.

"First, I had to come to the city to finalize a new contract with Black Pawn... Second, I wanted to check on this place... And... What do you mean if Kate came with you?..."

"Hayley has to laugh at the surprised look on his face. She hadn't known Rick very long before he left, but she could tell that he was an honest man. While his reasons for coming to the city were legitimate, he had hoped to see his ex-wife. The disappointment in his eyes was all the proof she needed. Feeling sorry for him, she decides to tell Rick where Kate is and why.

"You'll never guess where she is..." Hayley comments with a chuckle.

"If you tell me Key West, then I need to seriously rethink who I trust..." He looks directly at Lanie as he speaks, assuming that she put her best friend above her promise to him.

"Don't give me that look writer boy..." Lanie gives him her own glare and then softens. "Our girl is out in LA right now trying to fix things with your daughter... Trying to make amends for hurting Alexis when she hurt you..."

Stunned by Lanie's revelation, Rick wasn't sure how to respond. The gesture itself of flying across the country to try and make amends with Alexis meant so much more than words and was proof that she wanted to change. Then the cynic in him took over, telling him that all she is doing is trying to obtain some form of closure so that she can move on.

The ME stood there and watched the expression on his face change from shocked, to pleased and then to defeat in a matter of seconds as he tried to analyze what she had said and came to the wrong conclusion. "Don't you dare give up on her now. She's doing this for you... To prove to you she's changed..." Lanie's voice was almost menacing.

Mike decides to break the tension in the room by offering the ladies a drink. Hayley readily accepts as she had heard Castle speak of his secret stash of Jimmy Walker's whiskey. Lanie declines as she and Rick seem intent on staring at each other. He pours her a glass and hands it to her. She takes a tentative sip of the liquid and smiles, knowing this may be the finest whiskey that she'll ever have.

The ME knew that Rick was afraid to believe that what she said was true. His failed marriages had been the topic of discussion between her and Kate years before they ever got together for the first time. It had been the reason why Kate avoided his advances in the first place and why she nearly lost him when she decided that a career with the Attorney General was more rewarding than a life with him. Granted, Meredith planting seeds of doubt with her didn't help either.

It is Mike who breaks the uncomfortable silence in the room. "Boss, how long have I worked for you now? Is it five years?" Rick simply nods his head in response. "And in those five years the only times that you were ever truly happy were when you and Kate were together. I don't know why you left New York, but I'm sure that you had a good reason... I can also see that you still love that woman and it sounds like she still loves you... If I were you, I'd be on the next flight to LA..." Mike starts to continue when both women shout "No!" before he could speak.

"Kate needs to do this own her own. Alexis is the most important woman in Rick's life besides her and she needs to win her over." Lanie comments.

Rick nods his head in agreement and speaks for the first time in several minutes. "How long will she be staying out there?"

"At least the weekend. She was determined to win your daughter over and we all know how she gets when she has a goal..." Lanie speaks and then wishes she could take it back as it was her compulsive behavior that started all of this.

"Yeah, like a pit-bull on a pant leg..." Rick chuckles and takes another sip of his drink. He knew what it meant for Kate to face the one woman that would not easily give in to her. Getting Martha on her side would have been easy, but Alexis... No, this was the proof that he wanted to see she was serious about them. Castle pulls his cellphone from his pocket and starts to look for his travel app.

"What do you think you're doing?" Hayley asks.

"What'd ya think I'm doing? I'm looking for the next flight to LA." Rick replies as he works the phone with both hands, never looking away from it.

Lanie reaches over to where he is sitting and places he hand over his, stopping him. "Oh no you don't writer-boy. You've wasted a year hiding from everyone, especially Kate... Another couple of days won't make a difference. Besides, our girl needs to do this for both of you..." She then smiles and comments. "Besides, we need to make you look like the guy it would be worth waiting a year for..."

Mike and Hayley both laugh at the comment while Castle gives them all an annoyed look.

Lanie continues with her thoughts. "Don't get me wrong Castle, the tan and the weight loss both look good on you, but the hair? And that beard? That look may have worked in Key West, but you're back in the Big Apple..."

"So what's the plan fearless leader?" Rick laughs.

Mike laughs at the conversation, glad that he doesn't have to face these two women. "Just do whatever they tell you to do Rick. Resistance is futile..." He laughs again as he refills everyone's glasses.