}{Seas of Change}{

"Shall we head out back then?" Someone asks from behind me, placing their hands on my shoulders. I tilt my head back and look up at Rusty with a smile. I nod my head and extend my arm towards the back door, telling him to lead the way. I open the back door and step outside with Rusty, smiling at the little set up of lights, drinks, and food. The others followed behind after a few moments and the 'party' began.

It was more then a party. It was a meet and greet really. A place for us all to get to know each other because we would be working together. All that was missing were the 'Hello, My Name Is' tags.

I walk away from the conversation Basher, Rusty, and I were having and kneel by one of the coolers. I stare down at the bottles of wine coolers and beer then begin to dig through the ice, searching for something other then alcohol. I stop my search and huff a little.

"Hey Ro- whoa...Russ!" I call out, closing the cooler and scowling at myself for almost saying his real name. I stand up beside the cooler and look over at him. Russ looks over at me from where he stood with Basher, "Is there anything nonalcoholic? Please?"

Russ laughs and walks over to me, opening the cooler I had just been in. He pulls out a soda and hands it to me, a smirk on his lips and a laugh in his eyes. I look at the soda in my hand and then slowly look to him with a blank stare.

"That wasn't there a moment ago. I swear." I laugh and shut my eyes tightly, feeling like an idiot. He nods his head, saying 'sure', and takes a swig from his drink. I point at him with narrowed eyes and make my lips a tight line, wanting to say something more. I decide against the comment I had in mind and pointed to Basher, "Go back to Basher...Rust Bucket."

"With pleasure, Sammy." Rusty walks away, leaving me with my soda and a smile. I look around the pool at everyone who was here, noticing Saul standing by himself. I slowly walk over and pluck a cracker from the table, popping it into my mouth as nonchalantly as I could.

"I heard that you've been playing the violin semi-professionally these days. Solo too now." Saul starts, earning a shake of my head. I look back at Rusty and snort softly, thinking about what he had said when I had told him about wanting to play the violin as a career.

"Yeah, I did. Despite Russ's comments." I reply and lean against the table, staring out at the softly illuminated pool. I spot Yen sitting on the diving board and notice card house he had made. I smile unintentionally and look down at my drink.

"Ignore him." Saul smiles at me and takes a bite out of the piece of cheese he had on his plate, "You're mother would be proud of you. I'm proud of you."

"Thank you. That means a lot to me, Saul." I return and look down at my feet, the mention of my mother making me sad. I feel Saul place a hand on my shoulder and I look over at him, whispering that I was alright. He knew all about what had happened to Russ and my mother. She was killed, murdered in her bed one night while I was at a sleep over and Rusty was out coning. I was ten. He was eighteen. He became my legal guardian after that. I wouldn't have done well in foster care, or so he had said.

"So...Saul right?" I lift my head at the voice and stare at the man wearing the biker jacket. I look back at Saul, who had turned to the man, and then look back. The man had similar colored hair as Rusty's, but it was longer and combed back sleek like. He had a full beard that was neatly trimmed down to near nothing, but a faint short stubble.

"Yes." Saul replies as I take a sip of my drink.

"You make it out to Utah much?" The man asks, looking down at what was laid out on the table. I give a soft laugh and look down at the ground.

"Not as often as I'd like." Saul looks over at me, catching my glance, and gives a small wink before eating something else off of his plate. Saul never really made it out to anywhere but his home. He wasn't much for traveling.

"Maybe you should check it out. I think you could do probono. I think you'd do very well there." The man states in a small rush. I could tell that he was a little nervous, maybe felt out of place for some reason. I tap my soda bottle softly with my nails and look out at the pool where Yen is again.

"I'll look into it." Saul assures him and looks over at me. I meet his gaze and then look back at the man, rocking on his feet, "What's your name son?"

"He's a Malloy." I reply for the man, having already known who he was the moment I had seen the crew outside Reuben's front door. I point a finger at him and narrow my eyes with a smile, "Turk, right?"

"Uh, yeah." He responds carefully with a small polite smile. As he looks over at me I notice his eyes, a stormy kind of blue that seemed to glow from the lamp that sat on the table closest to us. I liked them. Maybe if I hadn't been surrounded by men and crooks most of my life I would have blushed, but that wasn't me.

"Is your brother the one with the Bill Nye hair and the mustache?" I ask, nodding my head to the man that was talking with Frank. Turk looks over at who I was staring at and nods his head, looking back at me.

"Yeah that's him." His replies and then stares at me, his eyes narrowing as he extends his pointer finger from around his beer bottle, pointing at me, "Do I know you from somewhere? You look familiar."

"I dunno. Do you like classical music?" I laugh and take a sip of my drink, resting it in my hands before me. Turk looks over at Saul in question and then turns back to me, shaking his head as he tries to think of what to say.

"Hello gentlemen." I look over at Danny, who had just come from the house, and smile sarcastically, waiting for him to correct himself, "And lady. Welcome to Las Vegas."

"Thank you!" I singsong out and cap my soda bottle tightly.

"Everybody eating? Good." Danny looks out at all of us, taking notice to what we were drinking, "Everybody sober? ...Close enough."

I give a small laugh and look over at Rusty, shrugging my shoulders to tell him I couldn't help it. I was a little giddy, anxious, and I knew it. I look back at Danny after a moment and close my mouth tightly, trying to hold back another laugh.

"Alright. What I'm about to propose to you all is highly secretive and very dangerous. If that doesn't seem like your brand of Vodka then please enjoy the food and have a safe trip home." Danny starts, looking around at us. Slowly a smirk crosses his face as he sticks his hands into his suit coat pockets, "Otherwise come with me."

Danny starts walking away and Rusty follows while small chatter comes from the rest of the crew. I look around and then at Saul and Turk, with a grin.

"Secretive is my middle name boys." I lick my lips before following after Rusty into the house. I sit down on the arm of the chair and wait, hoping to see the crew follow. Slowly, the others piled in and I feel Rusty nudge me. I look up at him and lean closer to hear what he has to say.

"Get Reuben and Linus, will you?" He asks, noticing the two are missing. I stand up and walk to the back door, spotting the two by the pool. I take a deep breath and step out a little ways.

"Hey you two!" I call out to them, earning their attention, "Get your rears in gear before I come over there and drag you both inside this house!"

Reuben and Linus exchange a look and then Reuben says something to him. Linus stands up and walks passed me, heading into the house. I follow behind him, Reuben close behind me and stop at the back door, allowing him to go ahead of me.

"God, you're a real ball buster." Reuben comments as he walks passed me and into the house, "I feel sorry for the poor sap that marries you."

"Wow, I can just feel the love here Reuben." I scoff as I shut the back door. I turn back to Reuben, my eyes face littered with a sarcastic smile, "I'm so glad I decided to come out of retirement for this."

"You bring out the best in me, Doll Face." He replies with and gives a small shrug, taking a drag from his cigar. I move to sit beside the coffee table and close to where Turk was sitting with his brother on one of the couches. I see Rusty trying to hold back a laugh and I narrow my eyes at him.

"You're a jerk." I state and point at him, "I'm your little sister. You're supposed to be sticking up for me."

"What? No. Anyway you didn't have to do this. I'm not holding a gun to your head." Rusty retorts with and I knew he was right. Even if I didn't want to do half the things he asked me to I felt compelled to do them anyway. Big brother knows best, right?

"No, but like you said before, 'I did it because you asked me to'." I respond and turn my back to him, leaning back in my hands as I outstretch my legs, "You're a friggin' thorn that just keeps digging itself deeper into my side, Russ."

"Yeah, but you love me for it." Rusty smiles and crosses his arms over his chest. I outstretch a hand to the ceiling dramatically.

"Who would if not I that doth love you for the crap that thou do?" I laugh and close my eyes, yawning as I lean my head back a little. It was late and I was tired. I knew if Danny didn't start soon I was going to pass out here and now.

"Don't fall asleep." Russ calls out to me tauntingly through a laugh. I curse under my breath at him and yawn again.

"I'm sure Reuben wouldn't mind me crashing here." I smile and look back at Reuben with a sweet smile, "Right?"

"Don't even think about it." Reuben points at me and I laugh again, sitting up a little straighter, "I remember the last time you stayed here. That's not happening again."

"What 'appened the last time?" Basher asks, looking from me to Reuben. Rusty gives a small laugh from beside me and I instinctively elbow him.

"I come home from working my casino," Reuben starts and then points a finger at me again, "and find that she's pulled a complete makeover on my house. Every piece of furniture gone. Rooms painted. Floors torn up. It was a disaster. Looked as if a bomb had literally gone off."

"It wasn't a disaster! You came home earlier then I expected." I argue and look back at him, "and anyways, half the crap in here was outdated. It was all junk you had bought back in the sixties."

"My Frank Sinatra records were junk?" Reuben suddenly asks and takes a drag of his cigar. I shake my head and point my own finger at him.

"Did I say they were junk? No. I respected the Frank Sinatra memorabilia. I even had everything cased and shelved for display." I wave a hand off in the general direction to where I knew the Frank Sinatra 'shrine' still sat in the next room over.

"What about my billiards room?"

"What about it?" I ask, honestly having no recollection of ever doing anything to the room.

"You painted it neon green!" Reuben shouts, pulling his cigar out from his mouth. I narrow my eyes at the ceiling and think back. A laugh surfaced in my throat, remembering the room now.

"It was called Keylime! It looked good. Better then that puke color you had painted it." I give a small laugh and look back over at him.

"It was olive."

"No, it was puke and it was chipping and the floors were stained and the pool table legs were cracked." I argued back and gave a sarcastic smile and tilt of my head.

"Are you two finished?" Danny suddenly speaks up, looking from Reuben to me. I stare at him and cross my arms over my chest. I look over at Basher and shake my head.

"It's so good to be home." I say sarcastically and then scoff, leaning back on my hands again.

"Finished?" Danny asks again and I nod my head, closing my eyes, "Good because we have a lot of ground to cover."