A/n: Of course, I don't own, please don't sue.For the record, Audrey is my fav. character.

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"He…. What?! Its not real, vaina, it can't be!" Audrey flipped the jacket over and looked on the inside of what she assumed was the sleeve, the thin sloppy blue stitched line ran from the wrist to the elbow was quite visible. "Ay, Dios mio…."

 

        "Audrey!" Milo caught the teen just as her knees buckled. The youngest Ramirez girl was muttering, but the linguist figured out the basics of what she was saying. His own knees gave out beneath him, now, she was siting in  his lap. Milo was quite sure Kida wouldn't mind, but there was an unfamiliar face the was glaring daggers at him, there was, how ever also a familiar sound. It was the cat. "Fluffy, come here girl."

 

             Fluffy, his darling cat. The cats he had raised since she was five weeks old. The one person, er, living being who had loved him unconditionally, and never held resentment towards him. The cat that had just walked right past him and curled up in the mechanics lap, purring and ignoring him completely.

 

             "Audrey…." Sweet's eyes were in the process of becoming very red, and very damp. He kneeled beside her and held out his arms. Slowly, Audrey scooped up Fluffy and allowed Sweet to pick her up, cradling her like an infant. Now more then ever, he felt the need to protect her, this small  vaurnable little girl. His best friend's daughter. Kida hesitantly made her way over to the small group.

 

            "Dr. Sweet? Why don't you take her to her room. Come on, Ill take you." Kida glanced down at Milo, who was still staring at shock at Fluffy, and rolled her eyes. Kida quickly led her companion down the corridor where the team had stayed many times before.

 

           Vinny sighed. Manuel was a good man. He cared about his family and he loved his daughters, Audrey in particular. It was something Vinny wasn't used to. Having a family and being loved. His father usually worked when he was a child, and his mother was always taking care of the younger ones. Vinny glanced at  his friends. Mrs. Packard wore the expression she always did, Cookie had removed his hat and appeared to be praying, and Mole was on the brink of crying. That left the new boy, though he looked upset, he hadn't known the man and looked like he was about to skew Milo. In spite of the situation, Vinny smiled. This boy may be just what they need. Well, maybe not them, but her.

 

            "Who is that guy?" Sam questioned, not loudly, but Milo heard him anyway.

 

        "I'm Milo Thatch. You're new here aren't you?" Milo stuck out his had and Sam shook it, though not enthusiastically.

 

             "I'm Sam Romero, the navigator." Sam's attention returned to where Sweet and Kida were walking.

 

              "Why did you guys take the back door? It's not needed you know." This had been troubling Milo. Why hadn't they just taken a ship?

 

          "Well, ah, you see, Mole thought he remembered a hole at the top of the cavern where the Leviathan is. He wanted to see if we could avoid the whole truck… driving thing…." Vinny explained, in his own way that the team had learned to understand.

 

          "But why?"

 

               "If I must be in zhe water, I'd razer be under zen above." Mole crossed his arms defiantly, though there was no need. "And we would have gotten out of zere with no problem,   'ad zhe children not fired zhe missiles."

 

          "Speaking of kids, two things." Vinny stated. "One I wanna see Jule. Two, where'd Sam go?"

 

 

            Milo had been smiling when Vinny mentioned his daughter, known to the world as Jule, for even he had difficulty pronouncing her full name. Now, however, he was worried. He looked up and saw Kida and Sweet walking towards him, heads hung low and whispering.

 

*****

 

           "Audrey?" Sam whispered, opening the door slowly. Peeking inside he saw her lying in the middle of a large bed, curled in a tiny ball with a sheet drawn up to her shoulders.  Sam stepped inside, quietly shutting the door and made his way over to the bed, careful not to trip over her boots. "Audrey?"

 

         Sam crept to the other side of the bed, in hopes of getting her attention, but, she was already in an uneasy sleep. The navigation expert smiled, sitting down lightly on the edge of the bed. Being unsure of himself was not something Sam was used to, nor was it something that he liked.

 

             "Audrey, I know you can't here me, well, you could be faking it, but I'm pretty sure you're not. I'm sorry, for everything, wither it be what happened to you dad, or what went on this morning, I'm really sorry. If my brother ever found me talking to a girl like this, he'd probably pound me, but I cant help it. I really like you Audrey, but you probably only see me as a jerk. That'll change." Sam smiled slightly, leaned over and kissed the young mechanic lightly on the cheek. "Pleasant dreams, Sweetheart."

 

             Had Sam stayed another few moments, he would have seen the object of his affections smile as well, like a child would in its sleep just before Christmas.

 

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           "Romero, where have you been?!" Just as Audrey was known for her temper, Joshua Sweet was known for being patient.

 

             "I was taking a look around, is all."

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So what'd ya think? R/r!