Chapter4:Ironic

Ten drinks to many

Yugi stared at the row of bottles that where now lined in front of three adults at the table and the glasses that also seemed to be accumulating in front of the young teen that was with them though Yugi had not seemed to catch her name. His brain seemed to moving on speed time and even better everything seemed to be far funnier then it had been in years.

" I have the most amazing idea." Said Ishizu throwing back another shot of vodka which they were now doing. Seto nodded pushing his sunglasses back up onto his nose and almost falling off his chair.

"I want you to wear my dress," She said to Yugi. He laughed and nodded,

"That is the most amazing idea in the world Ishizu, god I love you!" He said following Seto to the floor.

"In the bathroom, come on!" They stood up and headed across the room, Ishizu had one arm around the girl and the other around Seto's shoulder.

"Yugi, you know what your my best friend!" Seto said laughing.

"Shut the fuck up." He said flicking a marichino cherry at his face.

They reached the bathroom and banged in. Ishizu slipped and fell to the floor, her dress already half off.

"Um can I help you." A womans voice asked from in the room.

"Oh shit, we wouldn't wanna interupt whatever their doing in that bathroom, lets just hope that its someone and my wife." Seto said pushing past Yugi into the room. He followed the other three. A man with light brown hair was laying against the toilet, and a redhead woman was laying in the bathtub clicking her flip-flop against the empty bottom.

"Don't mind us, well be out of your hair in a minute." Said Ishizu trying to sound as though she was less fucked up then she was.

"How about you stay here, you seem like you've had a little bit to drink, I mean your obviously not drunk, but I'd like to help you out." She stepped out of the tub and walked over to Ishizu who was now in her underwear, Yugi started pulling his clothing off to. "Wow, guys why are we stripping?"

"He's putting my dress on." Seto laughed helping Yugi pull over the dress, as Ishizu sat down on the floor in her underwear, since she had tried and failed at getting Yugi's clothing on. The woman with the red hair knelt beside her.

"Okay we have to get you dressed somehow, you can't really walk around the ship like that."

"Alister give her the pants your wearing under your skirt." The girl slipped off her jeans and pulled them onto Ishizu.

"Kaiba would you give me your shirt, I assume your wearing a undershirt." She said as he handed it to her, now only wearing the suit pants and a white tee shirt. The woman tied the over Ishizu's bra since she was moving to much to get it on correctly.

"Come on Yugi." Ishizu grabbed his hand and dragged him from the room with the little girl in tow.

"Aren't you going to follow them Kaiba?" the woman asked sinking onto the floor between the two men.

"Yeah once the room stopped spinning,"

"Your sister in law was right you are trashed." She laughed. Oh fuck, Seto thought he was never going to hear the end of this from his brother and Rebecca. The door opened again, right into Seto who jumped back against the wall.

"Oh shit I'm sorry about that, is there some kinda reason your all in here?" The person who had just opened the door asked, Alister stared at him.

"You were just here, wearing the middle-eastern chicks dress." She said sitting on the floor as gracefully as she could manage now that she was wearing only a skirt.

"Yeah Ishizu and you traded clothes." The man looked very confused, as he took in the other people in the room.

"I haven't seen Ishizu in more then fifteen years, and would have thought that you would be off doing something that would make the rest of us feel inadequate, rather then rolling on the floor of the bathroom, with someone who tried to kill you no less Seto." The man said kneeling down to the floor now to join the others. Seto looked confusedly at the other two occupants of the room, then started laughing.

"Sorry didn't recognize you without the shallow threats and the half shirt." He said pointing at her. "You tried to crash my plane into a mountain." Alister looked away though she was smiling ashamedly.

"Yeah sorry about that."
"Oh don't worry were still friends." Seto threw his arms around her shoulders, she looked at Valon desperately.

"Wait you thought I was running around with Ishizu, which means you know where Yugi is, could you help me find him?" Yami asked now prying Seto away and helping him to his feet.

"Yeah we'll help you, come on hon." She took her friends hand and helped him to his feet.

Coffee Talk

Mai leaned back in her chair, a now sleeping Jason in her arms watching the boys father drink his second cup of coffee. There was something very figidy and uneasy about the way the he was acting, she knew that was the way he got when something was making him very nervous.

"If you want me to go I can." She said sipping from her own cup, he looked back at her.

"No why would I want you to do that?"

" Seem nervous is all, is it your wife?" He was about to shake his head, lie to her just like everyone else, but no. Somehow he couldn't, it was very hard to lie to Mai, there had always been something about the way she talked that made him wanna tell her everything.

"Yeah I guess, shes gonna freak out when she notices I'm still not back, and even more when she finds out that I was with you." He said knowing that she knew full well what he meant. "But don't go, its really okay." Mai looked down at her hands, all she needed was to screw up his marriage, he seemed happy with his kid and she didn't to take that away from him.

"What about you, are you married, and kids?" She looked back to Joey who seemed far less nervous, but still on edge.

"I'm married, but me and Rafe don't have any kids, um I can't." He looked confused. "Like medically, I want them but I just can't. My husband would really like to have them."

"Oh I'm sorry, thats terrible, I couldn't imagine life without my children."

"Well like I said thats why I'm a teacher, it means at least I know that I have an influence on the next generation." He nodded, she was so the same yet totally different from the person that he had...What had he thought of her, at the time he had thought that he loved her, but no that couldn't have been right, she was just a very close friend.

"I take it you found your son?" Joey looked up from the counter to see the man that he had banged into while looking for Jason.
"Oh yeah I did, thanks for your help...I don't think I had a chance to ask your name?"

"No you didn't, but thats understandable given the way we met, I'm Tristan Taylor." He stuck out a hand to shake. Joey stared at it incredulously, oh my god it couldn't be!

"Your a duelist?" He asked, Tristan shook his head.

"No my wife is, I was more like a duelist groupy when I was younger and..." Joey threw his arms around Tristan's shoulders.

"Oh my god I haven't seen you in like twelve years."

"Joey?" He said in disbelief.

"Of all the people in the world for me to get to help find my kid, its you!" Tristan laughed,

"Yeah wow, thats...oh my god." He looked past Joey, "The kid you were looking for?"

"Yeah Jason, sit down." He motioned to the seat on his other side, Tristan sank down and ordered a cup of coffee. "You said your wife was a duelist, who are you married to?"

"Ishizu." Joey practically spit his coffee across the room.

"Really, never would have guessed that, she doesn't seem very...I don't know well nice, I don't think she really liked me."

"Don't worry she's like that to everyone, well except the people she's currently running around drunk with."

"She with Yugi by some chance?" Tristan thought for a minute, had that been Yugi!

" I think she is, and some tall brown haired guy in sunglasses."

"I think I saw them earlier, rolling on the floor or something like that." Mai shifted the sleeping child in her arms.

"So how long have you two been married?" Joey blushed, of course it would seem like that, after all Tristan had known that he liked Mai when they were younger.

"Were actually not, we met up the same way as you two I found Jason here when he ran off, I'm married to Raphael." This was news to Joey, he turned to her.

"You are?"

"Had I not told you that, oh yeah I am." Some how he had expected her to be with someone like Valon maybe, but him...It was strange he wondered how they had ended up together. Tristan looked just as confused.

"Who are you married to then?" He asked Joey.

"Tea." He knew as he said it just how strange this would seem to him, after all the last time that Tristan had seen them Tea had still been desperately pining over Yami, who had left that year and he had been doing the same over Mai.

"Oh." Was all he said, yeah i know I feel that same way about her Joey thought miserably. "So hows that going for you?" Tristan was obviously trying very hard to say this without sarcasm.

"Its really fine, sometimes...Okay I'm miserable is that what you wanna hear." He sighed letting his eyes fall on Mai and his son, wouldn't that have been better?

"I'm not happy your miserable Joe, you that but if it makes you feel better I am to."

"With perfect, beautiful Ishizu?"

"Yeah perfect, beautiful, doesn't tell you anything, sits in silence fuming for no reason, refuses to do anything that you want since she has to be the dominate over you." He said quickly staring down into his coffee cup. "You know I've never told anyone I felt that way." Joey smiled.

"Yeah well, we used to tell each other everything old habits die hard, I couldn't lie to you." He said "So no children for you either?" Tristan shook his head.

"Nope, she doesn't feel like shes ready for them, when the fuck will she be."

"Not bitter at all though are we?" Said Mai playfully, "I get though if I could have children I would I wonder what her problem is, afraid to lose her figure."

"That sounds like something that you would have thought, not so self absorbed anymore are we?" Tristan asked with a laugh, Mai shrugged.

"Well now a days I look like shit no matter what I do, so I gave up on caring at all." Joey was about to speak when the room erupted in yelling.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Screamed a darked hair woman, she ran red painted nails irritably down her dress. "Since when do you act like a fucking teenager? For fucks sake Seto you didn't even act like one when we were teenagers!" This got all of their attention, Joey looked at the man who she was yelling at. He was slumped against the wall head in his hands, he seemed to be wearing an undershirt and suit pants, could this really be the psycho businessman that I used to fight with all the time, thought Joey.

"This is really not a good time for this, why don't we go over here, and Alister can help him okay?"

"Yugi doesn't look so drunk." Tristan said referring to man now walking with the woman over to where they were seated. She slumped forward in a chair next to Tristan. Thats not Yugi is it? Joey let his eyes linger over the other man,

"Hi Yami." He said with a smile, Yami turned to look at the people that he had just walked to.

"Oh, hello Joey its good to see you again. Would you guys mind if she sat here, we are currently trying to get her husband, Yugi and Ishizu under control."

"Its fine." Said Tristan, "your watching my wife so that I don't have to, thanks." Yami smiled gratefully and ran off to follow the other three. The dark haired woman slumped forward into her arms. "Are you okay?" Tristan asked leaning in closer to her, she looked up big green eyes filled with tears making lines of eyeliner slide down her cheeks. I know you, he thought turning back to the others and sure enough both had a similar look on there faces.

"Thanks for letting me sit with you, I'm sorry about all this, I mean with him and me, all we ever seem to do anymore is fight." She looked away from the other three, her long black hair falling gracefully over her shoulders. Joey looked between his two friends, hoping to see them just as confused as him. Tristan was still watching the woman, she was looking ahead her slender fingers twirling nervously through her hair and it hit him.

"Duke, are you sure your okay." The other two stared at him then back to the beautiful woman sitting on his other side. She looked away from the wall and back to table.

"I don't know anymore, hes so impossible...I just..How did you know my name?" She sad suddenly realizing that they had not been introduced yet.

"You look different, but I could always recognize you we were pretty close when we were younger." Her eyes widened and she threw her arms around his shoulders.

"Oh Tristan I've missed you so much!"

"This whole trip is like making the world suddenly get really small and you just keep running into people you never thought you would ever hear from again." Said Mai with a laugh. "Its good to see you again Duke, and you are a girl right?" She smiled and nodded.

"In every ways shape and form. When your husband is a billionaire there is nothing that can't be done these days."
"Really, impressive. Can you have children?" She asked instinctively holding the boy in her arms closer, he will never be yours a voice in her mind said, you lost that chance years ago.

"I can, not that I do my husband just isn't really..."
"Sane." Offered Joey, Duke laughed.

"Yep thats the word I'm looking for. He keeps saying that he..."

"Isn't ready for that kinda responsibility?" Asked Tristan, Duke looked shocked.

"Yeah thats exactly what I was going to say."

"Ishizu says the same thing all the time, its just a weird excuse I don't have any clue..."
"What the fuck that he really wants anymore?" They exchanged glances.

"Yeah." Duke leaned across Tristan taking a sip from his coffee cup.

"Hes beautiful by the way Joey, your son. And I do know your not together, though I was shocked, I have already experienced your sister. Wow."

"Yeah that about sums it up, shes nuts."
"Her and Rebecca are friends, or they are now I haven't seen them apart all day."

"Does Rebecca happen to be a chain smoking, sex therapist as well cause then they would have a lot in common." Joey said as Mai burst out laughing. "What?"

"I'm sorry I could never see your little sister as any of that."
"Oh thats cause you knew her pre-Esme. After her daughter it all went down hill, though I suppose she is doing very well and is happy, really I don't know why I care so much, I guess I'm jealous." He stopped realizing what he had said, its being with them, they make me wanna tell them everything.

"If there happily married they make us all jealous." Said Duke.

"Where the fuck is he!" All four heads shot back to the voice that had just spoken. The man was wearing a business suit and was irritably running his hands through short black hair.

"How the fuck should I know, I'm not his keeper, you are." Said Duke coldly. The man fixed her with a icy glare and then rolled his slanted grey eyes.

"Then do you have any idea where he is now making a complete and utter fool of himself?" Joey looked over to Mai, her violet eyes were watching the man with interest.

"I think he went outside, but its a waste of your time to try and talk to him right now Mokuba hes not gonna listen." Duke looked back at all of her friends. "Yes you do all know him as well." He stopped fuming for a moment and looked over at his sister in law.
"I know them?" As the younger man calmed down a little Joey could see some of the child he had known in his eyes, though so much of him was like looking right at his older brother.

"Joey Wheeler, Tristan Taylor and Mai Valentine." Said Duke quickly, Mokuba looked them all over and smiled, this is him though Joey, not his brother.

"Once I get my lovely sibling under control I would be so glad to see you guys again."

"We look forward to it Mokuba, you know I think I know which way they went do you want me to show you?" Mai asked with a smile, somewhere in her mind she couldn't help but feel an immature surge of pleasure at the fight that was inevitably about to break out and for the first time in years she didn't want to pretend that she wasn't thinking it.

A Bonding Moment

note the writers younger sister wrote the following paragraph :)

and then Mariah was eating cheese and dancing around the room with Yoda being weasel so rock on Sam is probably the bigest weasel of all and she bites.

"Near! Far! Where ever you are! I believe in that! The heart will go on! Will stay

forever this way! You are safe in my heart go on and och!" yell Yugi hitting in to a pole

"I'm flying Jack I'm flying!" cried Ishizu standing on top of a pool chair.

"There you are on friend!" yelled Seto throwing himself on top of Yugi who was rolling on the deck floor.

Seto slumped against the doorway that lead out to the top floor deck. Outside he could hear the sounds of what could only be Yugi and Ishizu singing at the top of their lungs. Though to really call it that would be an insult to any singer that had ever lived. He felt Yami grab his arm and drag him forward.

"Where we going Yugi?" He said words all slurring together. Yami ignored him opting instead to continue up the stairs with Alister and Valon is tow. The group reached an end of the narrow hallway and walked into the sunlight. A pool was situated into the deck where people would have been comfortably laying had it not been for the two people balanced vicariously on the front of the boat.

"NEAR! FAR! WHEREEVER YOU ARE!" The Titanic theme song blared harshly from Yugi and Ishizu who would randomly stop singing to fall over laughing, almost falling over the edge.

"YUGI! Get down from there before you get killed!" Yami leaned Seto against Alister who had just stepped up behind them, and bolted across the deck. He pulled the younger man down causing Yugi to fall directly on top of him.

"Och, thats gonna leave a mark Yami." He said laughing and not moving his bodyweight off the practically identical man. Yami nodded turning over so that his younger friend was propped up against a wall with him.

"Its okay Yugi, I just don't want you to get hurt." Yugi's thoughts were still groggy, but yet he could feel how concerned the other man was for him and leaned into his shoulder.

Ishizu staggered backwards, her balance was really off maybe this was why she very rarely drank. She grabbed for the bar and pulled up trying to make sure she didn't hit the ground. Her body fell forward and she could suddenly see the water beneath her. As she was sure her whole body was about to fly into the water, something gripped her waist and she was pulled with a thud back to the wood surface of the deck.

"Oh god Ishizu! What the hell are you doing?" She looked up trying to make th room stop spinning, and found two very concerned light purple eyes staring back at her, his arms still holding her up. She looked back to the place which she had almost fallen from and then back to her baby brother, a smile crossed her face.

"Thank you so much Marik." She slide her arms around him, as he pulled her to her feet and walked her over to a table not far from where they had been sitting. He hugged her against him.

"Of course I helped you, I mean what are siblings for right." He lead her to a seat between him and Odion. She looked over at her older brother, Zara was sleeping in his arms and she immediately felt bad for what she had done. She lay her hand on his shoulder causing him to turn his golden eyes to her.

"Yes?"

"I'm really sorry Odion, I..." She stuttered not sure what to say, how do you explain that you are having the worst existence of all time, cause you and your husband can barely be together for five minutes without getting bored, so you decided to get drunk with your 13 year old niece! To her amazement he smiled and took her hand.

"Its okay, are you alright Ishizu?" She nodded feeling Marik's grip tighten on her, I must look really unstable, she thought. "It doesn't matter, your both alright." She leaned back into her little brother's grip, at least she had them if she was doomed to never have anyone that realy loved her.

Seto had sank to the floor watching the others slowly dissolving as well. His head was killing him and the bright sunlight was definitely not helping in anyway!

"Are you okay Seto?" Alister asked kneeling down on the ground next to him. He nodded leaning against the wall and trying to make it stop blurring all into one color.

"Its okay, you can go I got it, I just am gonna sit here for a while." Alister looked up at Valon, who shrugged he assumed that it was probably fine, what would it matter, how much trouble could he get into before they reached the shore.

"Come on Ali, hes probably okay. Lets go find Cordelia before the boat gets to the island." Valon said pulling her up, she nodded.
"Sure your going to be okay?" Seto nodded and threw his head into his hands. The sun was still to bright, this would be his newest invention something that turned the sun off! He heard the sound of footsteps walking away from him. Fuck the human race, he thought, he would definitely resurrect and sue the person who invented alcohol!

"Would you get up!" He automatically recognized the voice of his younger brother, free for the first time in years of the utterly chipper and uppity attitude. Seto groaned and forced his face up. Mokuba knelt down in front of him, a look of disgust on his tan face, and pure shame in those grey eyes.

"Don't you tell me what to fucking do! What makes you think you can control my life?" He snapped, his head pounding so badly he wanted his brother to feel the same pain he was at this moment.

"Well at least I can control my own life, which is more then you can fucking do anymore!" Mokuba shot back, a sneer playing across his features. Oh fuck why is so much like I was at that age? Seto sucked in a breath of air, his head was now pounding more then it had been before, how could he tell him what to do?

"You know what? My life would have been in control! My fucking life would have been in control if it weren't for you!" Seto rose up clutching to the wall, his mind told him to stop, but yet his pounding head was making him want for once in his life to make this kid suffer to. "Because of you I gave up everything! So you could have the life that you deserved! My fucking life was ruined so that you could have your fucking precious control!" He felt his himself chock and fall against the wall, oh my god. His mind suddenly comprehended what he had just said. His head was still pounding, and he could not make himself lift his head up, look at his little brother. "I..fuck..I'm..." He tried, but the words just didn't seem to form right. He heard his brother move up as well, still completely silently. For the first time in what seemed like forever he wanted to hold his little brother and comfort him, and not just ignore his every word as he had for the last fifteen years. A fist connected with his face harshly with the side of his face throwing him off balance and he collided with the guard bars of the side.

"Is that how you always fucking felt? So why bother pretending to care about me!" Shouted Mokuba crossing to where Seto was now doubled over, blood pouring from his nose. That little bastard just punched him in the face!

"Maybe it was to get my fucking whiny little brother to shut the fuck up for five minutes!" He spat blood onto the clean deck and lunged forward. Mokuba slammed to the wooden ground, head colliding with a chair and his older brother on top of him. He rammed up again sending Seto flying into the bars. He bounced off hitting the ground in a heap.

"You know I was always glad that you fucking ignored me, at least I didn't have to deal with your disgustingly warped personality! Your not my brother, he died years ago!" Mokuba kicked at his brother, Seto breathed in deeply ignoring the pain that was pressing through his body, those words hurt more then any punch that the younger man could throw. He reached out and pulled out the darked haired man's leg out from under him. Mokuba staggered back trying to get his balance, his stomach slumped over the bar. He chocked hard his eyes tearing in pain, he could feel himself blacking out as he leaned forward only just able to get the feeling that his body was about to start falling as everything went black. Seto pushed himself out of the ball, prepared for another blow which his brother didn't seem to be throwing. He looked over to the younger man, his black hair was falling over his eyes he seemed to be trying very hard to get a breath and he was still not moving up. Seto felt his older brother instinct push both his anger and pain out of the way.

"Mokuba are you okay?" He pushed himself off the floor, his younger brother went completely limp and before Seto could react he slipped forward, just as his legs slide over the edge of the boat Seto's mind caught up with the situation. He lunged toward him and threw himself over the edge grasping for the unconscious man that was falling toward the water. His hands closed over thin air and his body did the only thing that his very fuzzy mind could think of in at that moment. He climbed onto the edge of gate and dropped into the water below. He could vaguely hear Ishizu call out his name as he fell faster then he would have expected. He hit the water with a force which felt more like hitting a brick wall. He didn't have time to take a breath, but dove down deeper to where he could make out the outline of his younger sibling. He reached out as far as he could and just managed to grab Mokuba's jacket in his fingers. Seto pulled the limp form up to him, and pushed them both upwards suddenly aware of how deep down he seemed to be. He paddled even harder, he could feel his senses becoming more clouded as the need for air forced him to move a little slower. In a rush of air he broke the surface. The younger man was limp in his arms, Seto pushed him onto the dock and jumped up. Dear fucking god how could I be so stupid, he threw himself onto the hard wooden planks pressing his head against his brother's chest. Please be breathing! He could feel nothing against his cheek. He could feel tears filling his eyes, there was no way that he was going to let his brother die thinking that he felt like that. He pressed hard against the suit coat, and breathed into his pale lips. Then repeated the action, his mind racing over every possibility of what could happen. Nothing seemed to be working, the younger man lay perfectly still. Seto chocked hard, and bent forward hitting Mokuba's chest one last time.

"Fuck, what the hell did I do to you. You can't fucking die like this!" he shook his shoulders hard, the younger mans head lulled from side to side. Seto gripped the thinner frame against his. A cough brought made him jump, and he felt water hitting his shoulder. He pulled Mokuba up so that he could look him in the eyes, resting his hands on either shoulder. He brushed his younger brother's black bangs off his soaking wet forehead. Mokuba remained silent trying to catch his breath.

"I'm so sorry Mokuba, I...I didn't mean any of what I said to you up there." Seto tightened his grip on Mokuba's shoulders. He nodded taking another deep breath, realizing for the first time in his life how good it felt to breath!

"Its okay, neither did I. Still friends?" He asked now looking up, a smile playing on his still a little to pale face. Seto laughed and nodded.
"Yes. Always." Clap .Clap .Clap. They both looked up to see Maxamillion Pegasus walking down the dock towards them.

"Very good show Kaiba's, good to see that time doesn't knock the drama out of you two." He dropped two towels onto the ground in front of them. Seto wrapped one around his brother's shoulders, there eyes met and he was happy to see that light that he thought he had lost when Mokuba was younger in his now twenty-nine year old eyes.

"Mokuba!" They both looked up to see who the newest person was. Rebecca ran down that dock, their young son in her arms and dropped to the ground next to her husband. He wrapped his arms around his family. Seto smiled, why had he resented them so much? At least they were happy.

"Are you okay!" He looked up, Ishizu dropped next to him.

"Yeah I guess, why do you care?" She laughed.

"I have my reasons. Come on lets go inside."

"Whatever you say, yeah lets go see what this psycho has planned now."

Close encounters

"Didn't I say we should have asked her where she was going?" Valon said, having left Seto laying on the floor upstairs they had proceeded to search the deck for Cordelia, who it seemed was no where to be found.

"This isn't like her, she is normally not hiding on a boat, there really isn't anywhere for her to go." Alister snapped standing up on her tiptoes to look over the sea of people in the dinning room. She spotted Serenity and Rebecca on the other side of the room and was relived to see that Esme was not with her either, at least that meant that the girls were together. There was also another woman with them who, by the looks of it was ranting to the other woman. "Come on Val." She grabbed his hand and navigated through the people until she reached the other door. Serenity was lighting another cigarette and Rebecca was trying to help the other woman.

"You don't happen to have seen our children yet have you?" She asked, Serenity looked over to her and shook her head.

"No I thought they were with you guys by now, shit okay lets go find the whelps." She said looking over to the other women. "Becky could you make sure my dearest sister in law doesn't have an melt down or something while I go look for Esme?" Becky shrugged picking up her little son from the seat next to her. Serenity followed the other two. "Where have you already checked?" They quickly listed off the locations they had already scanned as the group headed up to the shops. "This girl is going to be in trouble, she and her daddy and her uncle, speak of the devil." She said as they entered the coffee shop area. A blond man seated at the counter looked up as they entered. Alister remembered forcing Kaiba'a wife to sit with them earlier, so they must be friends of Yugi.

"Hi Serenity, whats wrong?"

"Have you seen Esme, and where the hell did you get these people?" She looked over the three others, yeah she knew that she definitely hadn't met them at some of his stupid party things, then why did he know them? Unless.. "Old friends?" The pretty black haired woman slapped a hand to her mouth and looked to the man to her right.

"Your sister Joe?" He asked with an air of mild humor, she looked at him very few people ever called her brother that and she slapped herself for not realizing automatically who he would manage to scout out.

"Yeah I'm his sister, though last I checked you knew my fucking name Tristan, nice to see you as well, like the suit throughly boring."

"The prostitute look is good to, I hear your a sex therapist?"

"Why need one?" She said a sly smile playing on her lips, he rolled his eyes.

"No, just wondering interesting line of work is all."

"Not really what I would have placed for you, actually I would have switched you and Mai if I had to guess fifteen years ago." The dark haired woman. Serenity looked her over quickly and nodded. Then turned to Mai.

"What do you do?" But the blond woman was barely listening, she looked past the younger woman to the other two people with her.

"I was watching you earlier and I have decided that I do know you, so what are your names?" She said looking at the brown haired man.

"Valon Prince, and yeah I do believe we've met once or twice Mai." Joey stifled a laugh, it was really amazing how little they all seemed to be able to tell who they were talking to. She looked to Alister.

"Oh well its good to see that you are a little more girly now, I was worried about you. Whats up with you two, why are you hanging with Joey's younger sister?" Valon looked at Serenity, she and Wheeler were related!

"We're looking for Cordelia, she and Esme wandered off together." Alister said. "My daughter." She explained.

"How old is she?" Joey asked knowing that his niece would not normally hang out with someone who was younger since they were just not as cool.

"fifteen." This time Mai looked a little taken a back.

"Is she kinda tall with blond curls?" Alister nodded, why did she know that? "I saw two blonds they were talking to my husband right before I came here. He was gonna show them some animal that lives in the water around here, I think they were gonna hang out on the back deck." Mai said watching all three adults look visibly relived.

"Thanks so much Mai, I'll see you later okay?" Said Serenity leading the way out the door. She nodded. Alister followed quickly after the other woman up a flight of stairs which opened into a more empty deck then the front. On the far end, leaning close to the gate was a tall blond man and two girls, they seemed to be listening to something that he was talking about. Alister dropped right behind the door, Valon looked down in surprise and knelt near her.

"Ali?"

"It's Raphael, I can't talk to him, I mean if I go over there and say she's my daughter he's going to question and.." She stopped and stared at the ground, he could tell what she was going to say already.

"I'll get her, stay here and I'll make sure he doesn't talk to you, this is none of his business." if he had wanted it to be it would have! He brushed her arms reassuringly and walked out followed by Serenity. Why are you being such a coward! She thought. She saw Valon talk to Raphael though the blond didn't seem to remember him, and soon the group walked back over.

"Hey there." Said Cordelia seeing her mom as she entered the stairs.

"Have you been here the whole time Cori? You couldn't have found me at some point to mention where you were?" She rolled her eyes.

"Mom I'm old enough to take care of myself, I wouldn't have gone anywhere."

"Yes but I was worried about you, please tell me next time okay?" The blond nodded leaning against her mom.

"Are you gonna tell me what has been bugging you this whole time?" Cori whispered so only her mother could hear. Valon made eye contact with his friend, she smiled back putting an arm around her daughter's shoulders.

" I will tell you when its the right time okay sweety." This didn't seem to satisfy Cordelia, but she shrugged and dropped the subject, it wasn't like her mom to not tell her something and it was obvious that whatever it was this man knew. She looked at Valon who was a little ahead of them now, yes there was most defiantly something that the two of them were not telling her, and the second she could get Esme away from their parents they were going to be doing some investigating.