}{Seas of Change}{

I walk out of the suite Rusty and I were staying in and head down into the main hall. I was on my way to Reuben's house to meet and greet the crew for the first time. I walk outside and hail a cab, climbing into the back seat while thanking God that it didn't smell like booze or throw up like most taxis did anywhere in the world.

In my lap sat a small tin of cookies that I could smell in the air. I had baked them for Reuben like I always used to. I thought it would be a nice gesture, a familiar gesture. He had always been there for me. Sort of like the father I had had, but was never around when I needed him. Except better. Yet Reuben was also a good friend at the same time.

We had meet several years ago in Miami where I was loosing a rather high roller poker game. I was a good card counter...sometimes, but that was just not my night. He had saved me even though I hadn't asked to be saved. I was drowning and before it even registered in my head he had thrown me a life jacket.

"I raise." I push my chips forward on the table and smirk at the other members of the game. I knew I had nothing, but that wasn't the point. These schmucks around me thought I had something. That would be enough.

"Mind if I join?" I look over at the older gentleman with a cigar hanging out of his mouth. He stares at me with a smirk that rivaled my own as he takes a long drag of his cigar.

"The stakes are very high sir. May I suggest you wait until the next game?" The dealer speaks up, but the gentleman's gaze stays on me. I feel my face falter and I look back down at the table to the cards that were under my hands.

"Sounds like my kind of chance. Deal me in." The gentleman replies and sits down beside me without a second word from the dealer. I try to ignore the man beside me and the smell of his cigar smoke as the game continues, "What's your name, Doll Face?"

I continue to look around the table at the others, watching the cards as they either took or discarded. I had to keep track if I was going to win.

"Amelia." I reply and then look down at my cards in my hand. I look over at the dealer and hold up two fingers, requesting two new cards. I throw two cards away on the table and pick up my new ones, knowing exactly what they were going to be before I looked down at them.

The gentleman beside me gives a small chuckle and asks for three cards, pushing his old ones away. I look at him from the corner of my eyes and then back around the table.

"I fold." One of the other men at the table tosses his cards in and leans back in his seat. I look to the other men, waiting for them to also fold. They follow suit soon after, leaving me, the dealer, and the gentleman.

"Dealer shows a Four of a Kind." The dealer flips over his cards and I give a small laugh. I look over at the gentleman and wait for him.

"My mother raised a gentleman. Ladies first." He gives a small gesture for me to go ahead and I shake my head, laying my cards down.

"Straight Flush." I spread my cards apart to show the rest of the table. I look over at the gentleman beside me, waiting for the expression I knew would come with his realization of defeat.

"You're good." The gentleman looks over at me and smirks, "Not good enough. Royal Flush."

I swallow hard and look down at his cards on the table. This was the first time I had lost so much money and as the wheels in my head started turning, I knew that he understood what I had been doing. The gentleman stands from his seat and looks down at me, picking up his winnings from the table. He taking the cigar out from his mouth for a moment and sighs.

"Why don't you come with me, Doll Face? We need to have a little chat. Maybe you can tell me your real name too." He pops the cigar back into his mouth and starts to walk away. I stay rooted to my seat, my heart pounding in my chest at being found out. The gentleman continues to walk, "I wasn't giving you a choice, Doll Face!"

I quickly stand from my seat and follow after him, my satin blue dress swaying as I walked. I had no idea where he was leading me through the casino, but he obviously had a specific spot. He lead me out into the small gardens at the back of the casino outside.

I felt a little strange being alone with him. I was more scared of the feeling that he was about to make a 'proposition' that I couldn't refuse if I wanted to stay out of jail. Young girl who had just made a major mistake and older gentleman who had caught her. You get the idea right? It was a stereotype, but I was scared and not thinking rationally.

"You've made a very big mistake." The gentleman started, turning around to look at me. He takes a long drag of his cigar and then removes it from his mouth, pointing at me, "You're lucky no one, but me saw you. If the damn dealer knew what you were doin' you would have been spending the next five years in jail. Maybe more."

I watch him carefully as he takes another drag from his cigar. I had no idea what to respond with. He wasn't my father, Hell, he wasn't anything to me, but he had caught me; fair and square. All I could do now was listen to what he had to say.

"Who taught you how to count cards?" He asks suddenly and throws his cigar to the ground. I lick my lips and go to answer, "That was rhetorical."

I nod my head and shut my mouth tightly.

"You've got two choices here, Doll Face." He begins again and shoves his hands into the pockets of his tuxedo.

"Samantha." I snap and look back at him.

"What?"

"My name is Samantha." I clarify, not liking the nickname he had been calling me.

"Great." He replies as if it was the stupidest thing ever. I roll my eyes and look back down at the ground, crossing my arms over my chest, "Here's the choices. A) I call the cops right now and have you arrested or B)...you let me teach you how to count and you come work for me for a while."

My eyes instantly land on him, believing I had heard him wrong. He's going to teach me to count cards? He wants me to work for him, counting cards? This wasn't what I had had in mind.

"I like option B." I reply softly and let my arms fall from my chest. The gentleman gives a smirk and walks closer, pulling a new cigar from his tux jacket.

"Knew you would, Doll Face." The gentleman lights up his cigar and blows out the smoke from it. He stares down at me and then shakes his head a little with the smirk cemented onto his face, "Knew you would."

Reuben, despite it being his casino I had been caught in, had decided not to throw my girly ass in jail and the poorhouse that night. Since then I had done a couple of jobs for him, nothing too big, but we've been friends ever since.

The cab stops outside Reuben's house and I scramble to pull my money out of my pants pocket. I pay the cabdriver and step out of the car, staring at the large house before me. The air was a little chilly and though the scarf I wore around my neck was for fashion purposes I was grateful that I had decided on it. I probably could have done without the spaghetti strap though.

I walk up the familiar walkway that would lead me to Reuben's front door and slow my pace as I hear voices. I recognized Reuben's, but some of the others were strangers. I round the corner and smile, seeing the crew standing there with Reuben staring out at them.

"What? Did you guys get a group rate or something?" Reuben asks as he stares at the crew from his open door. I laugh out loud and walk down the path towards the front door with the tin of cookies in hand. Everyone looks to me, some confused as to who I was and others, like Saul, smile.

"Play nice Reuben. Don't want you scaring them away." I laugh again as I walk passed the crew and hold out the tin for Reuben to take. I shake the tin so he can hear that there was something inside and smile, "Otherwise I won't bake for you anymore."

Reuben takes his cigar form his mouth and gives a small laugh, looking down at me. He takes the tin and opens it to peek inside at the treats that awaited him.

"Chocolate Macadamian Nut cookies. You spoil me, Doll Face." He closes the lid and puts his cigar back into his mouth, taking a long drag from it. I shrug with a smile and cross my arms over my chest. I really wanted to tell him I hated his nickname for me, but then again it was nice at the same time. One of those 'comforting' things that told me nothing had changed.

"I know, but I can't help it." I laugh and look at the crew who had been watching the entire time. My eyes land on Saul and Basher. My smile turns into a grin, "Hey Basher!"

"'Ey Giggles. How the show in Philadelphia go?" Basher replies with a smile and a nod of his head. I raise a hand and shake it a little to show him it went so-so.

"Alright. Russ actually showed up this time." I respond and cross my arms over my chest again.

"Did he now?" Basher asks, seeming as surprised as I had been, "That's a little surprisin' seein' as he's been busy with work."

"Yeah, I guess." I nod my head and look to Saul, "Hi Saul. Did Russ and I pick a good dog or what?"

I give a small laugh and grin at him. Rusty and I had given Saul a winning ticket at the dog races when we had gone to see him. It was an easy switch, beginner con as far as Rusty and I were concerned.

"A very good dog. Don't know how you did it and I'd prefer not to if you don't mind." Saul returns with a small laugh. I look around at the rest of the crew and smirk, shaking my head as though I was disappointed with them.

"Wow, when did they start poppin' out crooks at such a young age?" I ask as though I was older then them all, but in retrospect I was probably the youngest out of them. I look back at Reuben and wait for his smart-ass reply.

"Probably about the same time as you tried to swindle in my casino." He comments, earning a laugh from me, "Now get inside before you freeze that ass of yours off."

"Don't let the crude and rude attitude fool you boys." I start, placing a hand on Reuben's shoulder and staring out at the crew, "He's a big push over."

"Get inside before I smack that grin off your face. Don't think I won't either." Reuben growls through the cigar in his mouth. I give Reuben a small hug as I laugh and wink at the others. I walk into the house and see Frank leaning against the half wall to the living room.

"Long time no see, baby girl." Frank smiles as I walk closer with open arms.

"I know. Too long." I greet and wrap my arms around him in an embrace. We pull apart and he holds me at arms length, studying me while the crew begins to pile into the house.

"Look at you. More beautiful then I remember." He comments with a smile and lets me go. I laugh and nod my head, looking down at myself.

"Yeah well growing up does that to people some times." I return and watch as Reuben closes the door of the house, "But look at you. Finally moved to a warmer climate."

"Yeah, came down with a bad case of bronchitis." Frank rubs a hand over his chest as he grins. I shake my head and roll my eyes. He was exactly the same as I remembered him. I carefully look over the crew standing about the room, shaking my head unconsciously.

"Somethin' wrong there, Giggles?" A familiar British voice asks, causing me to look to my right. There stood Basher Tarr with a cocky smirk and his arms crossed over his chest, "Or maybe you're just excited?"

"Hm, maybe just a little excited." I hold out my thumb and pointer finger, demonstrating how much. I was a lot more then a little excited and by the looks Frank and Basher exchanged it seemed they knew too.

"Just a little?" Basher asks with a knowing smile. I give a shrug and loop my thumbs in my belt hoops, "The lonely, miserable lifestyle of a married mother not workin' out for you?"

"There's still hope. I'm only twenty-four." I retort back.

"You're only twenty-four?" Basher asks with a seriously surprised face. He was good. His acting was really good. I give him a small bump with my shoulder and he laughs, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"Welcome home Sam." Basher smiles and kisses my hair. His words meant a lot to me. It seemed he knew better then anyone just how I had been feeling. Russ and Danny were my brothers; one by blood the other by guilty association. Reuben was my father. Saul was like my grandfather. Frank like a cousin and Basher was my best friend, maybe even twin.

"Thanks Basher." I laugh and wrap an arm around his waist, pulling him into a side hug. I look between the him and Frank with a smile, "You two ready for all this?"

"You're asking us?" Franks asks with a laugh, crossing his arms over his chest. I close my eyes and shake my head, knowing he was right, "You're the one that's been out of the game for a while."

"Yeah, yeah. You're right." I laugh again and shake my head. I look at each of them and take a deep breath, sighing heavily, "I hope I'm ready for this."