Tea leaned on the wall, watching Tristan. It seemed he didn't notice. That or he just didn't care. He sat at the controls, turned to the side. His head was in his hands as the buzz faded and hangover started to set in.

"So," began Tea, trying to not be too forward. "How have you been?"

He didn't respond.

"Shall we just cut right to it then?" she asked, pushing herself off the wall to orient her body towards him.

"I'm fine," he groaned.

"No," Tea replied firmly, "You're not." She straightened up, looking over him. She continued, not so harshly this time. "But you will be."

"How can you say that?" he challenged. "Serenity…"

"I don't think this has much to do with Serenity," she countered quickly.

Tristan looked up at this.

"Yugi's moved. I'm always busy with my career. Joey travels often and Duke has been gone for years. You feel alone and left behind. Then somehow… somehow we got here. But it can get better. It will get better, we can make it happen. And Tristan, we're still here for you. We always have and always will be. Just sometimes you have to ask, that's all."

Tristan buried his head in his hand again at this confrontation, but reached the other out, taking Tea's. "Thank you, Tea," he breathed. "I needed to hear that."

Jemmea

I laid on my bed over the covers, again locked in my room. Just when I thought I found my ticket out of here... Why would I ever trust someone? I raised my clutched pillow and covered my face, the threads accepting my tears. Just when I felt all hope was lost, I felt a wind, a strong one. It began whipping around the room, disturbing things that I had out and toying with my dress.

I returned the pillow, beginning to sit up. I now heard the blades, and they were loud. Slowly, I twisted my body towards my balcony, gradually bringing my feet to the floor. There, just at the railing, hovered a helicopter.

As I stood and began to hesitantly approach the frame, he appeared. The boy in blue pushed open the side door. He gripped the helicopter from the inside, keeping one foot on the floor as the other dropped to rest on the landing skid. The wind tossed his hair about and rustled his clothing, his long coat catching a little whip at the end. But his eyes were on me. He extended one hand to me. He had planned this all along.

I went to him, feeling the lashes from the ends of my hair and hoping my dress behaved though at this point I didn't much care. I was leaving.

I looked up to him, sliding my hand into his. He grasped it and pulled me into the helicopter, but he didn't let go of me. As I made it in he brought his body inside and he again brought me to him as he occupied himself with the door. This time, he seemed to make it a point to be much more careful with me, the need for theatrics gone. The boy, Seto I believe the brother called him, held me against him, but it was different. Now he allowed me to face him, and his hands, though the hold was strong, held me around my waist. It wasn't like anything I ever experienced—it was protective. It was... kind of nice.

He pulled the door closed, then he finally looked at me. I glanced over to see the brother piloting the helicopter. I felt Seto release me and pull back. For the first time, I was able to look into his, well, very attractive eyes. He looked down at me, perhaps seeing what was left of my tears, then almost reprimanded, "I told you to trust me."

"You did," I agreed.

Then to my surprise, he pulled off his long jacket and draped it around me. Tenderly, he caught my hair with his fingers, gently freeing it from beneath the collar. He watched his hand as he twisted the ends, guiding the length of my hair to rest over my shoulder. With his hand retracted, he looked back to me. His only explanation was, "It can get cold in here."

He looked at me a moment and I looked back, then I crossed my arms, wrapping the fabric a bit further around myself. At this he turned, resuming his front seat and putting on his headset, aiding his brother.

I glanced out the window, seeing the dreaded island shrink away. Then I looked back, checking where the seat was before I settled down. As I sat, I stared at the two, examining them. They had just made my dream come true.

Seto

So close. This is a complete nightmare. I wanted to glance back at her, but couldn't do so discreetly, and unfortunately helicopters weren't equipped with rearview mirrors.

"Hello?" I heard through the set.

"You can speak freely, Mokuba. She can't hear us," I responded flatly.

"Gotcha, so how is it going? Do you think you're getting close?"

"I don't know."

"Have you considered telling her what's happened?" he continued to probe.

I took a moment to consider it. "I can't. She'd just be freaked out and it won't make her kiss me."

Mokuba huffed. "Well, what are you going to do? Can I do anything to help?"

"No," I told him off. "You only helped when you were a kid, now you're just intimidating to her."

"Gee, sorry," Mokuba replied sarcastically.

"Just work on finding Jackson and Artemis. We'll go back to the mansion. I think I can make her more comfortable there and you can use the super-computer."

I stared ahead, giving nothing else. Mokuba stole several glances at me, then finally said, "Don't worry, bro. You'll get her back. No one understands her like you do. You're the only one who's ever made her truly happy. She told me that once."

"Not our kids?" I challenged.

"They do, but she said she wouldn't have them without you. And I'll find them, but they're probably with Avery." I didn't say anything. After a moment he added, "She also told me she liked you from the moment she saw you. You got this."

01:08:57

Next Chapter: Countdown

The taller boy turned back to me, but refused to shout. He still clasped my hand, as though the wind from the blades would blow me away.