To say the fifteen minute drive from the small airport in Vista Grande to the security complex of villas felt like an eternity, was an understatement of note. Faye sat with her hands curled into claws on her lap, rigid and silent, eyes blindly watching the scenery pass by the window. She glanced at Dee and Summer in the rear view mirror, both with pleasant expressions on their faces and eager eyes as they filled her in on Julian's grand entrance when he'd returned the week before.

"...It was the most awesome feeling, I swear, when I opened the door and saw him standing there on the doorstep. And I was all fuelled up and ready to tell that nosy neighbour of Jenny's to just take a hike, and instead bam, there he is! In real life!" Summer was bubbling over.
"She thought he was a ghost." Dee added with a skew grin.
"Yeah, I kind of slammed the door in his face and just stood there for a few seconds." Summer admitted, her cheeks tinged with red.

"For a few minutes." Dee corrected and chuckled. "I found her just staring at the door, I thought she was going to faint when I asked her who it was."
Faye pursed her lips together when the two pairs of eyes in the back rested on her, waiting for a response. "Jenny must have been stoked." Faye finally offered weakly.
"She was – she burst into tears when she saw him, and they just held each other crying." Summer nodded excitedly.

Faye blinked slowly. Julian – crying? She could barely picture it. She believed Julian was well beyond capable of shedding a tear, even in the most emotional of times. Trying to imagine tears running down those perfect cheekbones of his was just ridiculous. It wasn't in his nature to express his emotions in such a... human way. Faye pursed her lips again, glancing out the window. Things just weren't adding up at all. If Julian had come back from the Shadow World, he would have been on her side helping her search for his child before even considering showing his face to Jenny.

Faye sent a quick glance at Tom, and did a double take when she found him watching her with a slight frown on his face.
"Are you okay?" Tom asked worriedly.
Faye managed a nod, and tried to swallow. Another thought had occurred to her, and she hesitated before voicing the question, knowing that the answer she got would be the final determining factor of how she would behave from hereon.

"Who's idea was it to go on the cruise?" Faye asked, unable to hide the nervous tremor in her voice.
"Does it matter?" Tom asked, arching his eyebrows in surprise.
"Not really." Faye lied, shrugging as she looked away.
"It was Julian's, actually. He thought it would be a good way for him and Jenny to... reconnect, and get away from the pressures of life for a week or two."

"Interesting." Faye mumbled, glaring down at her hands. Julian had to 'reconnect' to Jenny? It wasn't only gut instinct that was telling her what the reality was - stealing Jenny away from her family and friends for a fortnight had Gahiji written all over it. No doubt Tom had decided to invite himself onboard with them, and with Faye tagging along it might spoil whatever malicious plan Gahiji had in mind...
"He's really looking forward to it. I mean, to catching up with you, too." Tom added.

"Oh. He said that?" Faye gave Tom a sidelong glance.
"Yeah, well that's why he invited us along." Tom said.
"So... Julian invited you and me to go on a two week cruise with him and Jenny?" Faye asked, disbelief colouring every word.
"Yeah. Faye, what's wrong?" Tom asked, clearly annoyed.
"Don't you find it odd?" Faye asked, turning slightly to face him and leaning back against the car door.

Don't you find it strange that Julian would invite you and me, of all people, to go on a ship with him and Jenny? Have you forgotten that Julian still isn't all that fond of you, Tom? I don't think he ever will be, not even for my sake. And don't you find it strange that he would invite us on a SHIP? Oh, I'm sure it slipped your mind that my deepest and most unfounded fear is the ocean, Tom, that's forgivable, you're only human after all. But Julian wouldn't forget... and Gahiji doesn't know, Faye did the silent conversation in her head even as Tom shook his head in total confusion.

"Why should it be odd?" Tom asked, but Faye responded with a shake of her head before straightening in her seat again.
"You don't look excited to see him." Tom commented after a moment of silence.
"Looks can be deceiving." Faye replied curtly, then turned to flash him a bright smile. "Trust me, I'm really looking forward to seeing him again."

They pulled into the complex, and the car had barely come to a full stop in front of the villa when Faye flung her door open and unsteadily got out. She walked around to the front door, a plan already formed in her head. You devious little devil, Faye thought proudly even as the door began to open. Jenny appeared, glowing with happiness, her figure nearly back to its previous slender shape.

Faye halted in her steps when Julian appeared beside Jenny, dressed in khakis and a plain blue shirt, eyes as blue and sharp as she recalled, features exactly as it was carved into her memory bank. The corner of his lip twitched into a half-smile as Faye stepped right up to him, and she ran her fingers shamelessly up the perfectly toned muscles of his arm. Jenny stood slightly aside, obviously not knowing exactly how to respond to this behaviour as she stared uneasily at Faye's hand.

Faye ran her fingers across his shoulder and then placed her hand flat across his chest for a moment. Then she carefully caught his chin in her hand and met his gaze evenly.
"Gahiji must have either let you off easy, or you slaughtered his ass before he could do you off first. You wouldn't be standing here in one piece with a beating heart if it didn't go down well for you." Faye said lightly, then stepped away from him abruptly and offered a wide smile. "It's good to see you."

"Like you missed me all that much." Julian retorted, amused as he straightened back up. His lips curled into a breath taking smile as he slid his arm around Jenny's shoulders. "Come on in, guys."
Crisps and dip were set out on the coffee table, and after everyone was handed a beverage and seated, Faye got right into the heart of the matter.

"Tom told me you invited us on the cruiser." Faye said, watching Julian closely. His every move was graceful, familiar, his voice just like she remembered.
"I thought it would be good for us to spend some quality time together." Julian nodded confidently and eyed Faye suspiciously. "We're over the distrust stage – the truth came out during the game, remember? There should be no reason for us to not enjoy one another's company."
"You're spot on." Faye said and reached for a crisp. "Maybe something good did come of that whole escapade."

Julian's smile in response was genuine. Faye shifted uncomfortably on the seat and looked away, well aware that his eyes were absorbing her every action and dissecting it.

"We've got some brochures on the Pacific cruiser, if you want to have a look," Jenny was saying, and Faye accepted the little booklet Jenny handed to her. "Tom wasn't so sure that you'd like to come because you're so close to your due date, but Julian said you'd jump at the chance."
"Ah, ha," Faye arched an eyebrow and sent a brief glance at Julian. "You know me too well."

She cringed inwardly when Tom gave her a discreetly unhappy look. She had to play this carefully – the last thing she needed to do now was cause serious doubt in her relationship with Tom. Faye paged through the brochure quietly, barely taking in the millions of activities and pictures advertised. Dee and Jenny were planning on borrowing one of Zach's high-tech cameras for the trip, and Summer was adding her own two cents every now and again on where they could go shopping for clothes. Faye listened half-heartedly as Tom and Julian discussed the weather for the duration of the cruise, and she watched Tom from the corner of her eye.

It had to be tough for Tom, being jealous by nature, and having every reason not to fully trust Julian. Faye contemplated what would happen if she went through with her plan; a little game of deceit with only one player. It might push Jenny to the brink of insanity, again, but that was a risk Faye was more than willing to take. Julian would clean up the mess Faye had concocted without judgement or complaints; if he knew her at all, he would have predicted to what measures she would go to complete the task at hand.

But Tom... Tom was another story. Faye didn't want to imagine what he would do if she acted out her plan in front of him. The memory of his eyes filled with fury and hurt when they'd been tested to their limits in the Shadow World, remained a haunting nightmare in her mind's eye. She didn't want him to look at her like that again. Faye tossed the alternatives about for a few minutes, until she came to a solid decision. She would tell Tom the truth, prepare him for what lay ahead.

"It's our first time out on a cruise liner... I so can't wait for Friday!" Jenny was gushing excitedly, resting her hand on Julian's as she comfortably leaned back in the couch.
Faye glanced at their hands, and licked her lips as she turned another page. "Maybe your first time." Faye said and glanced up innocently when she felt all eyes rest on her quizzically. "Julian and I were on the Titanic. And the Olympic. But I'm sure the cruise liners have changed a bit since then."
"A bit." Julian agreed, but Faye could tell he was as stunned as everyone else.
Gahiji, you're such an idiot, Faye mused to herself.

"What were you doing on the Titanic? You were on it when it sank?" Summer asked, confused.
"We thought it would be... fun to check it out." Faye shrugged and winked at Julian with a mischievous grin. "Obviously we got off before it hit."
"That's... well..." Jenny searched for words to break the awkward silence that descended in the room. "Interesting."
Faye grinned wider at her word choice, and closed the brochure. "So, when are we going shopping? We've only got two days to get geared up for the trip, so let's get to it."