}{~Seas of Change~}{

I stare into the mirror before me, repeating a series of confident words inside my head. I could hear voices resonating off the walls as someone taps me on the shoulder with clammy fingers. I turn my head and look at my good friend, who stood smiling at me softly.

"Come on. We can do this." He gently hands me my tool and then pushes me out into the blaring light. I stare out into the darkness that had engulfed the room before me. There's nothing except silence as I stand beneath the only light. I can see nothing besides the darkness. I hear nothing besides the beating of my heart as it hammers wildly within my chest.

Slowly I raise my arms, gripping my hands tightly, as I take a deep breath to steady myself. I had done this before, but I still got jitters; worries. I even had unsteady hands. I had done this a hundred times with others, but now it was different. This was my third show on my own, but it still felt like the first.

The air gently fills with soft music, almost too low to seem real. The bow I hold glides in a smooth motion across the silvery strings of the instrument on my shoulder. I hit the next note, a little harder this time, and swallow the lump that had formed in my throat. I place and lift my fingers as the music carefully picks up speed.

A piano joins in from somewhere behind me, soothing me as I continue to pull and push the bow. I close my eyes and listen to the sounds I produce, loosing myself in the familiar tune. It begins to speed up and I race to move my fingers in rhythm with it. Then it slows to a turtle's pace and suddenly concludes. I've finished the piece I had chosen for the night, but it feels as if it had only just begun.

I open my eyes slowly and let my arms drop, holding my violin at my side. I stare out into the same darkness as before and try to make out any shape I could. I was looking for a certain shape; one shape. I couldn't see anything except for darkness though.

Gently the air fills with applause and I smile brightly, feeling I had accomplished something more magnificent then a simple violin solo. I bow and come back up before extending an arm behind me for the pianist, my friend, to receive credit. He bows and slowly we make our way off stage and behind the curtain, talking excitedly about what we had done.

I see several friends and others, whom I had never met before, standing around chit chatting. I look left and right, hoping my eyes might find the one person I want to see more then anything. I don't see him though. He's no where in sight. So I pack up my instrument in peace and thank everyone I see for coming and their praise. I leave before the party begins, feeling a little disappointed.

Every time I save a seat in the front row for him and most times he's in it. I was hoping he would come this time, that he would surprise me and be sitting in that seat looking up at me with that cocky smirk of his, but he wasn't. He had told me that he was busy with work. He told me he couldn't make it tonight. This was my fourth show solo and he had yet to see how wonderfully I could play.

I step out into the hallway and hum the piece I had played quietly as I make my way to the front doors of the concert hall. I think of him and wish that he would have been here. I wish he would have been waiting for me when I finished like he did at times. Standing outside the doors with a proud smile on his lips. The smile that told me I had done great, that I had made him proud of me. He was the only thing I had left in this world; him and my mother's violin.

I daze off into the past as I walk through the front doors of the concert hall and out into the cool night air. It was typical autumn weather for Pennsylvania, but it made me miss home. It made me miss my real home. I had a house up in Alaska, had for several years. Being on the road so much made me homesick for the log lined house with the wood fireplace.

"Quasi una fantasia!" My head snaps up and to the left at where the voice had come from. There he sat across the way on a stone bench. He had on a white suit that made his light blue eyes pop while his dirty blonde hair was as messy yet styled to perfection, as always. He was just as I remember him; classy, cool, and cocky as Hell.

In his lap sat a bouquet of white roses, reminding me of all the times he had been the only one to come and watch my performances. Back when I was in school. Back when he was the one taking care of me, raising me.

My lips curl into a small smile as he flashes me a charming grin. He relaxes himself on the bench as though he had been waiting there the entire show for me. I walk to him, my heels clicking as I go, while I try to hold back the grin that was trying to push my smile away. I stop a few feet away and just stare at him, waiting for him to speak again, hoping that I wasn't imagining this.

"It means; Almost a fantasy. Beethoven wrote it in the title of Moonlight because-"

"Because the sonata doesn't follow the traditional pattern." I cut him off and push back hair from my face. I nod my head towards the roses, "Those for me?"

He looks down at them and gives a small laugh, holding them out for me to take. Knowing him he had forgotten he had been holding them at all. I take them and smell them, enjoying the light fragrance they emit.

"I thought you were busy." I speak softly and sit down beside him, my smile faltering. He fixes his suit coat and leans on his legs, staring out into the night.

"I finished sooner then I thought I would." He replies slowly, almost ashamed to admit it. He takes a quick glance over his shoulder, almost afraid of what I would say back or maybe what I wouldn't say. I lean my violin against the bench, staring down at the roses I was holding.

"So why did you then?" I ask and gently touch one of the soft petals.

"Because my little sister asked me to." He answers simply and straightens himself, "How could I miss your big rise to success?"

I look over at him, sensing there was more to his answer then that. He meets my stare and sighs heavily, knowing he was caught.

"...and because I need your help with a job." He admits as I nod my head. I look back out into the night, taking a deep breath. This was unusual coming from him, but not surprising. He never asked for help, let alone from me. I was the last person to be asked because I had left the game, which meant he really needed the help.

"What could you possibly need my help for?" I ask, honestly having no idea as to what would cause him to ask for it. He was the rich, suave, tycoon, who had virtually everything he could ever want or need. If either of us needed to be asking for help it should have been me.

"There's this opportunity I sort of drew recently." He starts and looks over at me, rubbing his chin, "A casino job."

"Who's casino?" I ask and look over at him with a steady eye.

"Terry Benedict." I knew the name well, but it surprised me that this would be his first choice. Thinking about Benedict I remember how many casinos he owned and how well they were guarded from people like my brother...and me.

"Which casino?" I ask carefully.

"There's three actually."

"Three? You want to empty three?" I ask in shock as I turn to look at him with a disbelieving expression, "Which ones are they?"

"The Mirage, the MGM Grand, and the Bellagio."

"How are you going to hit each in one night?"

"Every cent ends up in the vault at Bellagio." He explains and looks over at me. I have nothing more to say to him and just take to shaking my head. I had an interest in this job. I couldn't deny that. I was bored and I felt lost. The only place I ever felt that I belonged was with my brother pulling cons.

"I can' believe this..." I speak up, looking back down at the roses I was holding. With the right team you could rob practically anything and anyone, but a casino was hard. Ribbing three? Impossible.

"Come on. You used to love doing jobs with me." He gives a laugh and wraps an arm around my shoulders, "Remember that time in Chicago?"

It was my turn to laugh. I did in fact remember the job in Chicago and the fun that I had doing it with him. That had been one of the last jobs we had done as a sibling tag-team.

"Yeah, I remember you pushing me in that algae infested fountain and then running off when they started shooting at us." I narrow my eyes at him, trying to hold back a grin. He gives a shrug and lets my shoulders go, that not being the part he was hoping I remembered.

"Yeah sorry about that." He sighs and leans on his legs once more.

"What about the crew?" I ask and push the golden strands of hair behind my ears, "How many will you have?"

"If everything goes right we'll have about ten. Danny and I were hoping you'd make eleven." He responds flatly as my eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"I thought Danny was in jail." I give a small laugh and think back on the man. He had been like a second brother to me. Him and my brother were a perfect for each other; clever, good-natured, and both cons. Perfect. Not romantically, but you get it.

"Got out yesterday." He replied as I think for a minute about all that this job would need. The crew, equipment, etc. There was a lot that would be needed so where were the funds coming from? Surely not from him and most definitely not from Danny.

"How are you getting the money to back this?" I ask softly, no clue as to how he would pull that part off.

"An enemy with loose cash and nothing to lose." He replies, encrypting his words purposely. This could be anyone. Terry Benedict had many enemies in the world, plenty of people that would like to see him crash and burn, but someone with nothing to lose? I smile and give a small laugh at the realization. There was only one person he could be talking about.

"Reuben..."

"Reuben." He confirms and smiles at me. I nod my head and laugh again. The plan was actually pretty well thought out thus far. I rethink everything he's told me and look at the doors of the concert hall. I had left the game behind for a normal life. I wanted to play the violin, find a nice guy and settle down. Maybe have a couple of kids. Guess fate had other plans for me.

"So when do we leave?" I ask and look back at him. He begins to stand up, straightening out his suit and looks out across the dark parking lot. He turns back to me and winks with a charming smile before walking away. I stand up from the bench and watch him, understanding what he meant; now.

"Come on! We got a plane to catch!" He calls back to me, pulling out his keys from his suit coat. I scowl and pick up my violin, hurrying to catch up to him.

"Robert Charles Ryan! I can't believe we're related." I huff as I sit myself in the passengers seat of his convertible. I put my violin by my feet and buckle myself in as he pulls out of the parking lot, laughing.

"Yet you love me anyways Sammy." He smiles as we drive down the road towards the center of the city and the airport. Only one thing plagued my mind the entire drive.

"Oh boy...I wonder what Reuben will say."