Frank stared out onto the horizon of the ocean's embrace. The moon was hanging high in the sky dotted with merrily twinkling stars. The waves crashed onto the breakwater and the salty breeze plastered onto his sweaty skin- it was night time, there was a wind blowing but Frank was hot.

"Strange isn't it? The sea reflects the sky but it can't reflect the stars. No mirror is perfect after all- the sky can't look down and hope the sea can show it all it needed to know about itself."

"It's bad enough to be sitting here for two hours without any sign of anything happening. You're making it worse by torturing me with intellectual thoughts." Joe peered into the camera which was propped up on a tripod stand that Frank borrowed from Holly. He smiled- thinking of his childhood friend- the girl that he played "wedding" with many times. Holly tentative smile which would mature into a wide grin warmed his heart and he felt like a schoolboy yet again, heady with the budding emotions of a crush.

Before their stake-out, Holly had invited him and him alone for a walk down the long stretch of the beach the resort was on and showed him a small trail which led to another more isolated stretch. There were four beaches on the island of Um and Holly said the beach which they had to cut through the forest for or rent a speed boat for a fifteen ride around the island to reach was the most beautiful. Frank had wanted to go but the sun was setting and he had a task at hand. However, it was good that they did not explore that one beach for he had another date with Holly tomorrow and he hoped he could catch the thief by tonight so tomorrow's date would be without a care in the world.

"I have to tell you something, Frank Hardy…" Holly spoke softly while gazing out to the sea which flushed an orange hue under the setting sun. "I feel nice whenever I think about you."

He was taken aback by her blatant confession. They had more than flirted but he was not expecting her to take the first step to verbally acknowledge that there was something blossoming between the both of them.

Taken aback but pleased. Frank pulled her closer to him out of impulse. "I feel the same way too, Holly Strand."

"But you want to take it easy?"

Frank nodded as he pressed his lips together. "Yup. It's… it's wonderful like that… we should know each other better first…"

"I agree." She reached out and swiped his nose playfully. He caught her hand and they would have kissed.

Would have, had she not lightly shoved him into the sand with her free hand. Frank shook his head- intoxicated by memories of the game of catch Holly had engaged him in while trying to stay focus on his job.

"It passes the time away fast and, admit it, you are always reluctantly drawn in but once you get into the mood, you become just as excited as me."

"Right, in your dreams."

"There's always a part of us that wants to seek out the meaning of life- the meaning of everything. We aren't androids with amazing AI, you know." Frank gestured out to his surroundings. "We are souls. The world comes to us- our greatest gift."

Joe sat down and huddled his knees up to his chest. "I always thought it's the other way round, we came into the world."

Frank turned around and patted his brother's head. "It can be anyway- depending on your perspective- wouldn't hurt to look at an old adage from a different angle- changes your thoughts drastically."

Joe shrugged. "Whatever. Right now, I'm just wondering why she did not call my mobile."

"Earlier on, you were about to cheat on her."

"WAS NOT!" Joe looked up at him with hands on his waist, indignant at the accusation. "If I don't look at other girls, I wouldn't have known how wonderful she is!"

Frank chortled- Joe always had an explanation for everything. He was rather relieved that Joe did not have an identical clone somewhere because one of him was already more than a handful. "Somehow, I think Vanessa is just hoping you'll know it in your heart with a conviction that needed no comparing."

His kid brother sighed heavily and looked away, flicking the top of his sandals while rocking back and forth. "Actually I'm not sure about my feelings for her anymore. I think it's crazy how Biff and Tony are already about to propose to their girlfriends with their class rings and it's… it's very stressful for me. I'm only eighteen, ya know. Getting engaged… marriage… these things are for grown-ups like those in their thirties." Joe emphasized the last word like it was a curse to be warded off. "Vanessa hinted about it before but… I feel we are still young- the world that comes to us is yet to be explored. Then again, I don't know what to do- how to… so I guess I kinda rebelled a little by playing the field… maybe I should have just told her."

Frank narrowed his eyes contemplatively- how much of Joe's life had he missed by choosing to study in another state? Already Harvard was a compromise! Frank's initial choice was Oxford all the way in England because he really wanted to see another part of the world. America was huge but the world was larger still.

Guilt gnawed at him- he knew Joe always counted on him as a guide, as someone who walked the path ahead of him and thus could warn him about the stick lying in the middle which could trip him. However, he wondered if his brotherly love and protectiveness towards Joe had been too much such that Joe could not, on his own, comprehend the right way to deal with his dilemmas.

He was always worried about that.

"You can just tell her- a couple must have an open communication."

"Or maybe I'm just sabotaging the whole relationship- maybe I know I have feelings for her but I just don't want to be tied down yet." Joe bit his lips. "I wanted to go back to her knowing I can be committed but now, I get butterflies in my stomach just thinking about commitment."

Frank sat down next to Joe and draped an arm across his brother's shoulders. "You'll know what to do, kiddo. Life's a learning journey. Let me tell you one thing about girls…"

Joe threw back his head and laughed heartily. "You're using my catch line! I have to charge you royalty. Alright, what's that one thing?"

A slow smile crept out the sides of Frank's lips. "They're an alien lot but we can't live without them bugging us at every corner."

***

Joe strolled along the beach- three hours had passed and it was already close to one in the morning. Frank saw boredom exclaiming on his mien and thus gave him permission to leave his station for a while. Joe was not being irresponsible by leaving his partner and brother in the lurch but he wanted some space, however, it was not space to think things through.

It was space to be just zone out and let the sea take his mind away to a magical, relaxing place.

"Let me go!!!"

"Celeste! C'mon! Give me one more chance!"

Whatever peace he was looking for was rudely shattered by the sounds of a couple fighting traveling along the air currents to reach his ears. Straining his eyes against the darkness, he saw two figures a little to the right of him. From the voices, he could tell that it was Celeste and Gavin.

"It's over between us, Gavin. I cannot take your anger anymore! Grow up!" Celeste roughly jerked Gavin's grip away from her hands. As gallant as ever, Joe jogged up to the feuding ex couple.

"Hey! Leave the lady alone!" Joe spoke up shortly before Celeste crashed into him, unmindful of her sightless senses in the argument. She muttered an apology but remained close to him, probably finding security in his strength. Joe could not see her expression but he saw Gavin's snarl before it turned into a mocking grin.

"So… you found another boyfriend! Great! I hope you two have fun! She's not as angelic as she makes herself up to be! Unconditional love! Hah! I had enough of your lies too, Celeste!" He spat before storming away though the sand hampered his movements from making a graceful exit. Celeste held on to Joe's shoulders and cried into his chest. Joe, never one to push a person needing comfort away, put his arms around her and gently cajoled her.

"Here, here. It's ok… he's gone..."

"He's right! I'm not… not as angelic…" Celeste sputtered though her tears. "I told him I will love him for who he is but once he's angry, I split. I can't help him through his pain…"

Joe raised a brow before pulling Celeste away and then holding her at arm's length by her shoulders while gazing into her eyes. "Now, I don't know what's wrong between the both of you but I don't think it's your fault that he has got such a foul mouth…"

"It's not that… never mind." Celeste shook her head but at least the tears stopped flowing. "Can… can you walk me back to my hut?"

Joe grinned and embraced her again with friendliness to give comfort. "Of course."

For a good part of the ten minutes journey, the both of them walked in contemplative silence as Celeste held on to Joe's hand- her guide. Joe was baffled to as to why Celeste would venture out in the night with Gavin and fearful for her about something that did not happen. What if Joe had not found her and Gavin left her all alone in the beach? Things would be drastic because there was no one around who could guide her back to her hut.

"We're almost reaching." Joe pointed out to the hut and immediately brought his hand down, feeling disrespectful. "Your hut is a few steps to the left."

"Thanks. Want to sit with me for a while outside? I don't want to face Nicole like that- I know my face still show signs of crying." Celeste asked of him in a small voice. Joe nodded and once again, reproached himself for visualizing an answer she would never see.

"Of course." He answered verbally and led her to the ledge outside her hut dividing it from the one beside it.

"Don't you want to know about me and Gavin?" Celeste looked up at him and with amazing accuracy, her sightless eyes were actually 'gazing' into his. Once again, he was reminded of the question he asked Frank about how Celeste 'saw' things. However, he decided to keep his mouth shut- for now.

"I'm curious but I won't pry- it's your choice to tell me or not."

"You're a good person, Joe Hardy. No wonder Nicole kept gushing about you."

"Nicole?" Now, Joe was interested. Nicole was his eye-candy for the trip and he would admit, he did feel attracted to her in a physical sense- no one guy could be oblivious to her well-toned body and elfin looks. And Joe Hardy was no different from a hot-blooded male teenager with raging hormones that he had thankfully learned to keep in check.

"Yup… she's quite impress with your physical attributes."

"Oh… well, it's only physical." Joe smiled, a little too sadly for his own comfort. He had thought Nicole was interested in his personality and character. Though he was always egoistic about how girls would fall heads over heels in crush with his looks and physique, he was always happier when someone liked him for who he really was inside.

Frank often said that looks were like paint jobs. No matter how wonderful the paint or lasting it was, it would peel away. The rotting wood-grains and rusted metal would show and despite new coatings, they would still be there. But if care was taken to beautify the inside, no matter if the paint peeled away, the structure would still be beautiful.

Celeste patted his knee and it seemed as if she understood how he really felt even though she could not see his poignant smile. "Don't be too sad- you and Nic hardly spoke to each other yet. She won't know what sort of person you are."

"How do you know I'm sad?" Joe asked, curious.

"I can hear it in your voice." Celeste spoke laughingly.

"Oh… I didn't notice my tone myself. You must have very sharp ears."

"It's a matter of listening to other people. There's nothing superhuman about my hearing." Celeste jested. "Nothing superhuman about my heart too."

"Thinking of Gavin still?"

Celeste face fell and now, the sad smile drifted to her lips. "He always thought I was an angel. We used to be a couple. Gavin and I know each other since high school. He was the one who brought me to this place and he was the one who opened up my senses to the beauty of the beach, standing behind me, holding on to me as I stood in the sand, feeling the waves licking at my feet. I was kind of a hermit before I met him. But he always had a temper and I cannot handle his tantrums. For all his goodness, he had this flaw that I cannot take. His anger is primary directed to his own past. He never knew who his real parents are and he so wanted to find them. I kept thinking to myself if I had been stronger and wiser, I could have offered him support but I can't… I just can't. I... "

"You tried your best. It's in my opinion that our past or trials are not excuses for the way we become. We choose to be good or bad to other people. You're a good person." Joe returned the compliment she gave him while thinking about his doomed relationship with Iola, allowing the guilt which Celeste's recounting brought back to him to eat at him again before silently willing it to go away. "I know it and I have a gut feeling about it. We keep thinking about the things we should have done but… after all… we can't see the future and we are not perfect."

"One good person saying that to the other." Celeste replied jokingly but Joe could tell she was touched by his words.

"I'm not that great… my first girlfriend…" Joe exhaled heavily. "Oh well, it's all in the past."

"Come here…" Celeste rose up both her hands to his face and Joe was taken aback by the sudden intimacy. "I felt that! I won't hurt you. Come here."

"Why?"

"I want to see you."

Joe furrowed his brows and leaned in closer so Celeste could let her hands roam all over his face. Smallish fingers felt around his facial bones and Joe never felt so watched. He closed his eyes and tried to relax but at the same time, worried about the ugliness she might find in him just by touching his face.

He opened his eyes again when she was no longer sizing him up with those tender touches. A look of assurance was on her face and she wore the most amazing, comforting smile. "You're more than a good person. You're a beautiful person. Never doubt that about yourself."

He had to keep his lips from trembling. An almost stranger had, in that short span of time, affirmed him and made him feel good about himself. Probably she had not known the impact of her words, probably she was just doing to ease somebody's self-doubts but she had touched him in more ways than she would ever know and he was immensely thankful for her generosity and graciousness.

"I didn't know you can tell a good person by just touching his or her face." Joe tried to be light-hearted about the intensity of the encounter but his gratefulness laced his words. Celeste heard it and felt around the surface of the ledge they were sitting on.

"Of course you can't… but… maybe touch is a more intimate way of knowing someone else. I used to be able to see but after a high fever in my childhood, I lost my sight. It was difficult at first, however, I grew to appreciate my own unique experiences. When we see something, we don't bother to know it another way, thinking our eyes have shown us more than enough. But our eyes cannot tell us how rough the trunk of a stoic, old tree is. Our eyes cannot show us the smoothness of baby leaf or the biting cold of seemingly fluffy snow. In a way, when I had sight, I was so complacent about how the things around me appeared to me. Now, I feel I know the things around me more intimately… though I do wish I can still see. And I may, once again… there's hope… and I hope that if the cornea transplant's successful, I take with me my lessons learned when I am surrounded by darkness."

"Looks like you saw more than we do. I'll pray for you that it's going to be successful too." Joe commented sincerely. Celeste blushed furiously under the hanging kerosene light and if he had thought she was pleasantly pretty before, she seemed to be glowing with a beautiful halo from within.

He felt like he had made a good friend.

"Celeste! Where were you? I was worried sick. Shouldn't have let you gone off with Ga… Hi, Joe!" Nicole suddenly appeared behind her friend and placed her hands on Celeste frail shoulders. She threw a megawatt smile at Joe who felt his cheeks burned because she was looking gorgeous even with her trendy black-rimed spectacles (she must be wearing contacts) and wind-blown hair. And her smile was one who could draw a stranger to her and make him or her feel like an old friend.

"Hi, Nic. Guess I should be… ah… going now…" Joe stood up abruptly- now feeling flushed for another reason because Vanessa's face appeared before his mind's eyes. "I… hmm… well…"

"Thanks for accompanying Celeste… and remember the pointers you promised to show me on volleyball…. I will love to see the photos you took as well." Nicole teased him and Celeste laughed light-heartedly.

"Oh yes… the girls are all flattered."

Joe's jaws dropped. How did they know he had taken snapshots of them? Then he remembered in the evening, Frank had gone island exploring with Holly while Joe invited himself in a game of beach soccer with other resorts goers, playing alongside Adam and against Gavin. Frank must have been the tattle-tale!

Nicole clapped his back. "It's ok, Joey. Just tell us next time so we can all pose better. And a free print-out each!"

"I know I can't see but I hope to have one too. One day, who knows, I may regain back my sight." Celeste chimed in and Nicole patted her friend's shoulder.

"Ah… yup. Sure… hmm… see you girls… ah… later…" Joe stammered, red-faced at being caught.

The girls giggled and waved goodbye to him as he walked backwards for a few steps. He waved back at them awkwardly and then turned around, thinking how Frank would feel with a handful of sand stuffed down his shorts.

***

"Hey!" Frank shouted in surprise. Joe had crept up behind him and, with lightning quick actions, pulled the back of his board shorts open and threw in a handful of sand. He stood up and futilely tried to shake the sand out but it seemed to spread even more as Joe had thrown in damp sand, not the powdering dried kind and it was sticking to his butt, making him feel prickly and itchy.

Joe was rolling in laughter on the breakwater rough surface. "Hah! That's priceless! I wish I have a camcorder to record your dance."

"Very funny. You left me alone out here…"

"Correction. I asked you if I could take a walk and you said, yes."

"Not for so long! An hour at least and what did I do to deserve this?"

"You told Holly I took pictures of the girls sunbathing and Holly told the girls."

"Holly found out herself. Holly loan us this tripod stand, remember? She also happened to have a powerful SLR digital camera with her that she loan to AC. AC happened it at our direction and caught you with your camera plastered to your face in their direction."

Joe's laughter was more subdued but it was still there. He struggled up into a sitting position with no help from Frank and clutched his side. "Ok, ok. Whatever. It was still too funny. Haha." Joe controlled himself when Frank glared at him, still trying to storm the sand out. "How's the stake-out? Any action?"

"None, thank goodness. I'm going into the sea to rid myself of sand. Watch carefully."

"It's already close to three. I don't think the thief would strike…" Joe protested but grudgingly faced the direction of the study room. "Let's have a time limit."

"All right. We'll watch until five. Now that you have your break, it's my turn." Frank scowled. He wanted to just dive into the sea from the breakwater but it was too dark and he knew the waters were pretty shallow close to the beach. Climbing down, he waded into the waters until he was at chest level, his teeth chattering because it was absolutely cold in the waters. The water helped rinsed away the sand and, after he was satisfied, he trudged back to shore, climbed up and plopped down onto the breakwater.

"I'll get you for that eventually." He warned Joe before lying down, cushioning his head with his hands.

"Aw, what happened to forgive and forget?"

"And whatever happened to a bit of fun? Frank winked at Joe with an evil smile and closed his eyes- intending to nap for a while because, as unwilling as he was to show Joe he was tired, his eyes were soon finding it very difficult to remain open.

The sea was the most perfect foil for stake-out with its rhythmic lullaby. He had no idea for how long he slept but he knew he was awoken when piercing sun rays sliced through his eyelids. Suddenly, he remembered about the stake-out and immediately rolled over to his side with one hand pressing down on the surface of the breakwater and the other frantically rubbing his eyes away of coagulated sleepiness.

"Whoah… what's the time?"

"Six-thirty. Sun is rising." Joe muttered robotically, weakly gesturing out to the dawning sky. He seemed too tired to even yawn. "Nothing happened. You won't wake even when I kicked your side."

"Hmm…" Frank replied, shamed-faced. He had always scolded Joe for being irresponsible when it was him who needed the chiding now. "I'm sorry, Joe."

"It's ok. The sand issue's forgotten, right?" Joe turned around, too tired to lift his hand up to cover the yawn that threatened to split his handsome face into two. Frank chuckled lowly, shaking his head. He had forgotten about it and knew Joe was still a little bothered by his false accusation, no matter how trivial issue was.

"Forgotten and forgiven before it was even done." Frank assured Joe. "Looks like stake-out was a failure. We have to think of other ways then. Sorry to have made you lose sleep."

"No worries… not like all our plans work anyway before…" Joe yawned again. Frank stood up and gave his brother a hand. "Can you clear the camera and tripod? My hands are aching from not sleeping."

"No problem." Frank answered and did as he was asked. Joe had jumped down the breakwaters and landed painfully on his knees but there was no real harm done for he staggered up and tottered on the sand. With the tripod and the camera under his care, Frank had to be more careful about his exit than Joe.

On their way back to the hut, Frank had to pull Joe aside with his free hand lest Joe trip over jutting stones and the occasional fallen branches. Joe was about to crumble to the sand and doze off when the angry footsteps of Gavin suddenly advanced upon them, catching the two brothers by surprise. Before Frank could stop him, he landed a hard punch onto Joe's right jaw, sending Joe crashing down on his butt onto the sand.