A/N: Enjoy!!!

XII
The Waldorf Hotel
Castle et al

It was late Thursday night when Castle and company arrived at the venerable Hotel. Rick along with Alexis and Martha discretely checked in and moved up to their suites. Alexis went right to bed because it was a school night and she had to get up earlier than normal, in order to make it to school on time. Martha after settling in went out to meet with a producer about a part, Leaving Castle alone. Left to his own devices. he first paced the room, eyeing the mini bar. His level of anxiety at not being safe in his home, would not allow him to sit still. After alternately pacing the room and trying to watch TV for an hour he gave up. He strode to the mini bar for a drink. As he was pulling a bottle of scotch from the bar he stopped. He remembered one of his mother old flames who had once told him in all candor 'Ricky boy, if you are going to drink don't drink alone. 'Cause you ain't got a drinking problem unless you drink alone'. As he recalled to old coot had died of cirrhosis of the liver, but he did have a point. Drinking alone was bad. Grabbing his jacket he went down to the bar.

The lounge was sparsely populated at this time of night during the week; for the most part only the serious drinkers were left. As he was ordering a drink he spied the baby grand piano empty in the corner. Taking his scotch he headed over to the piano. His mother in her infinite wisdom had decided that Richard Castle, young miscreant that he was, needed some culture so at the tender young age of seven she subjected him to piano lessons. So for the next eight years Mrs. Finklestein had been the warden in the prison that were his lessons. As much as he tried to run her off, he was no match for Mrs. Finklestein. He had tried everything he knew to chase the monster off, to no avail. In truth he did not mind learning to play, it was just the music he had to learn. Mrs. Finklestein with her wooden ruler ready to strike at his knuckles if he misplayed a note was a lover of the classics Mozart, Bach, Beethoven. Rick was into more modern music, honky tonk to be exact, so when he was supposed to be practicing the "Masters" he was playing,"I'm Walking the Floor over You" or "Honky Tonk Train Blues.". Unconsciously he began to play as his mind drifted back to his childhood and the 'lessons' Mrs. Finkelstein had taught him.

"Well this is something you don't see everyday." Kate's voice interrupted his musings.

"What's the matter Kate? Don't like your famous authors having more than one skill?"

"No, I just assumed the piano in your apartment was for your mother or Alexis, not for you. I didn't realize you were multi-talented."

"Oh yeah, I am just a barrel of fun at parties. I do stand up too; I'll be here all week. By the way, how did you find me? You guys but a BOLO out on me or something?"

"No, I came to avail myself of the free room you offered."

"Avail yourself? Who uses word like 'avail myself' any more? What, are you trying to do? impress some writer or something? Still doesn't explain how you found me. When I reserved the rooms, I'm sure they didn't ask if I wanted to put you in the bar."

"Can't a girl come into a bar for a drink?" Kate said innocently.

"I guess you can, I don't know, I guess I just can't picture you as a bar fly. I see you in swanky restaurants drinking you fine wine and eating your Brea and Crackers." Rick countered.

"I'm not a wine snob. I'll have you know that I'm drinking brandy, tonight, not wine."

"Fine, fine, I give. No mas ."

Kate sat down beside Castle to admire his talent at the piano. His hands moved surely across the keys, coaxing music out of the instrument. It seemed to Kate that Rick was unaware of his hands for his concentration seemed to be complete on her. It gave her goose bumps the way he was looking into her eyes. It was as if she were the only other person in the room. A lot of the usual wariness had left his face while he was playing. Kate hoped that this was a good sign. A sign the he was beginning to come back from the dark places that he had haunted since he had been shot. She mentally made a list of all of Castles talents, he was a great writer, a fantastic chef, he apparently was an accomplished piano player, and a mind blowingly good kisser. She wondered want else she could add to the list.

"The proverbial penny for your thoughts, Kate." Rick said.

"Nothing earth shattering, just cataloging your many talents."

"It is a short list I'll grant you, but I have yet to reveal my most important talent."

Kate knew she was going to regret asking. "Alright Rick, what is your most important talent?"

"I am a mean fisherman." Castle replied.

She had been so sure that his adolescent side would be making a lewd comment about the bedroom that his reply caught her by surprise, causing her to laugh loudly. The bar patrons looked up from their drinks, curious and jealous of the piano player and the beautiful women sitting beside him. One intoxicated gentleman managed to get up and stagger over to the piano. He grubbed around in his pocket until he pulled out a five dollar bill. He staggered over to the piano and dropped the bill into Beckett's unattended brandy snifter.

"Do you do request?" the drunk slurred.

"I only have two caveats, my man, I don't sing and I don't play "Piano Man"." Rick replied.

"Oh, uh… okay… how about "Benny and the Jets"?"

"That one I can do, my man, but still no singing."

"Right.", with that he wandered back to his seat.

"My Man?" Kate asked.

"Oh, that, something I picked up when I was a lounge piano player back in my college days, you know, before my first bestseller. I use to play at this little bar near the college so I could afford to take girls out, on the weekends. If I die of lung cancer, Alexis will have to sue the bar, because back then there were no smoke free bars. I got the idea for Derek's first case from the patrons of that particular watering hole. There was also this sweet little old lady who would come to the bar every Thursday night. She would order a Brandy Alexander and place a ten dollar bill in my glass and a piece of paper with ten songs mostly from the forties and fifties, String of Pearls, Sentimental Journey, things like that. She would sit as close to the piano as she could and sip her drink while I played those songs. Then she would get up come over to the bench kiss my cheek and press a five dollar bill in my hand, you know the way you old aunts would when you were a kid, then she would go home. She did that for three years, then one day she didn't show. I tracked her down; you know how curious I can be. Her great grand daughter had gotten tired of taking care of her and put her in a nursing home."

"And from then on he went every Thursday to that nursing home and played for her right up until the day she died." Martha added from behind them.

"Mother, I work so hard on my image as a selfish bastard and you have to come in and ruin it." Rick complained

"Don't stay up too late you two, wouldn't want you to be too tired for the Gala tomorrow. Rene will never forgive you if you are too pooped to party." Martha added as she moved off towards the door.

Kate felt like a school girl that had gotten caught being out after curfew. She blushed at Martha's insistence that they retire to their rooms. Or did she imply room? Kate wasn't sure. She had been caught in Rick's story and had not even seen Martha enter. The tale that Rick so skillfully wove had caught her heart. She had no doubt it was true. She could even picture a young Castle sitting in a room that the retirement home would call a Solarium playing piano for some old women. She was coming to see that this was the type of thing that he would do. While he may spin wild yarns about his childhood traumas. He would be truthful about the somewhat recent past. The Richard Castle who played the piano for old ladies was the Richard Castle she could love.

"Walk a girl to her room?" Kate stood with her had out stretched.

"I wouldn't be a true gentleman if I didn't." He stood and gently wrapped his hand in hers.

They walked hand in hand into the elevator. As the door closed she leaned into him and drew him into a passionate kiss. She felt heady and reckless. Their kiss lasted the entire elevator ride. They melted into their kiss for what seemed like an eternity. They walked out onto their floor in a daze. They moved leisurely toward their rooms, neither of them wanting the night to end yet.

"So do you want to come into my suite for a drink or some mindless TV, or to see my etchings?" Castle proffered.

"Drink would be nice, since the drunk man put a five in mine, maybe some music, but no etchings." Kate put her foot down.

"Aww, I never am going to get you in to see my etchings, am I?" Rich playfully pouted.

"One day, maybe, just not tonight." Kate amended.

Rick used the key card to enter the suite; the richly appointed common room was empty of people. Rick move over to the mini bar and quickly poured two drinks. Kate looked around trying to decide which room Alexis was in. Rick walked over and handed her the glass.

"Which room is Alexis staying in?" Kate whispered.

"She and Martha are sharing a suite. There is no one here but me."

Kate was ready to tell him how incredibly wasteful the room situation was, until she remembered his nightmares and realized he had given them other rooms so they did not have to hear him awaken from his dreams. Kate looked at Richards face and saw the pain his nightmares brought.

"Won't the doctors proscribe anything to take your dreams away?"

"Sure they can drug me senseless, but it isn't going to stop the dreams. Doctor Simmons says that the best I could hope for is to delay the dreams. Once I stop taking the sleeping pills then they will be back and probably worse than now. He gave me something and told me that if I really needed an uninterrupted night of sleep to take the meds. Otherwise ride them out; the dreams are getting less intense."

Kate could tell that Rick was being a little less than truthful about the dream intensity, but decided not to call him on it. After all he was saying these things for her benefit, so she wouldn't worry. Her heart went out to him.

"You are probably one of the bravest men I have ever met."

"Oh, now I see, you are just playing with me. Tell me I'm brave and then convince to go do something foolhardy." Rick joked.

"Richard, I'm serious. I've seen cops go into mental hospitals to get rid of their night terrors. You are choosing to handle it on you own, with no help.'

"I'm not brave. if I were I would have licked this by now. Beside you guys at the precinct and the firemen who rush into burning buildings, you are the real heroes. I just write one."

Kate grabbed his ear and twisted. "Are you going to agree with me or am I going to have to be more forceful?"

"Apples, apples…. Okay, okay, I'm a frikken hero. Ow, ow, ow."

"Richard, when are you going to learn that I'm not trying to blow smoke up you ass? I'm not some bimbette trying to woo you into bed."

"My God woman, did they replace your fingers with pliers? Are you related to Mrs. Finklestein? "

"Mrs. Finklestein?"

"My piano teacher, that woman knew more ways to cause me pain…."

"Sounds like a good woman. I think I would like to meet her."

"Well if we ever take a road trip to Orlando, I'll introduce the two of you.."

"You keep track of your piano teacher?"

"Well, yeah, Aside form my mother, she is the only female authority figure that I had longer than a year. I send her flowers on her birthday…... I even have a couple of scars on the back of my hands where she smacked me with a ruler that had a metal edge on it….."

Castle was interrupted by Kate pulling him down on the couch and into a passionate kiss. They lingered there, tasting each other and the world narrowed down the just the two of them. They parted at last, rejoining the world and lay on the couch.

"I must be doing something right." Castle observed.

"What do you mean?"

"Well that is twice tonight that you have kissed me"

"Maybe you are just wearing my resistance down."

"Yeah, right, I have about as much chance of wearing you down, as another Bush will be elected President, any time soon.."

"Actually, you have shown me a mature and softer side tonight. I want to encourage that with some positive reinforcement." Kate explained.

"Well, please continue……"

Rick was interrupted by his cell phone going off..

"It is a text from Mother telling us to go to bed. Do you think she means together?"

A/N:

OK, here is what happened. I sat down to write and drew a complete blank. Panic set it, would I miss my self imposed deadline? I decided that I would do about half a chapter in the bar and then I would start on the Ball. But they wouldn't shut up! Oh well best laid plans and all that. Next chapter the Ball starts….. promise…. No really I promise. :