She sat there a moment. In shock. Facial features contorted in something from a horror movie. And then, she started to cry. Desarae leaned up against the wall a moment, staring down to the dead and nearly looking like wax figure type gold fish, strung together neatly onto a fishing line. Rocking back and forth after the blonde had moved from the wall with her knees to her chin.

Tears fell from those crystal blue-green eyes, as the young girl wiped them with the back of her hand. So it was true…

He did exist.

She hadn't been crazy, Maureen.

Determination sprung up in front of the teen, as she had gripped onto something she hadn't touched for a long time.

Hair dye.

-------

How did I get here?

"The …art gallery. They were admiring that." pure blue dress had twirled it's material as her body began to turn around from facing the railing.

"My dear child." the man sighed.

"We don't have an art gallery. Come along." gripping her by the hand.

"But-" Katie tried to protest, but what would she be doing in the long run? Wasting her time? Maybe she had been reborn…like in those old fairy tales her mother head read to her.

Or probably as Epps would say. That was 'bull shit'.

She missed that woman dearly.

-----

Tears. Whimpering. Crying.

Jack had been asleep in the canopied bed, his shirt carelessly thrown on the carpeted flooring.

Waking up with a startle, Maureen bolted upright and smacked her forehead on the side of the table.

"Oh!" husky tomboyish voice growled.

Pale eyelids fluttered open, as Ferriman took note of what this crazy bitch was doing at 4:00 AM in the morning.

"That. Was stupid." Epps muttered, rubbing her forehead, as she threw the extra blanket off of her slender body and had begun to get up.

"Don't get any cute ideas." A groggy yet mildly awake Jack had exhaled.

"Jack. It's a ship. What the fuck am I going to do, swim my way back?" she growled angrily, bare feet padding against the carpet.

But there was that crying again, out in the hallway.

"Epps…"

Too late, the woman had begun to peek around the door frame, only to have it slam in her face. Jack hadn't looked amused in the least bit , dark circles were under his normally young looking eyes. He looked exhausted.

"Stay out of it." he grumbled.

Narrowing her eyes on him a moment, Epps took in his tiredly state and smirked.

"Didn't sleep much?" a hint of a smile.

"If you must know, not really." the younger man muttered.

"Why is she crying?" Epps demanded.

"How should I know?" Jack asked, shrugging his shoulders, though his tone held anger.

"Then why won't you let me see?"

"Are you always so damn nosey?" Jack barked.

"Get. The. Fuck out of my way, Ferriman." Epps growled, now opening the door once more, but as quickly as her glance had seen the corridor…the whimpering had stopped. Again the door was slammed, probably alerting some of the passengers that A, some kids were in that state room fooling around, or B, something was going on.

He threw both her hands against the wall, harsh and pinning them with his own slender hands, brushing his lips against her ear.

"Don't tempt me, Maureen…" a hiss of pure annoyance.

The woman tried to break free of his grip with no such luck, she wasn't going to knee him again, oh hell no… he was ready for that one.

-----

The cell phone had rang, and in annoyance Desarae picked it up, trying to sound at least normal.

"Maureen there?" the voice asked sheepishly. It was Andy.

"N-no." Diz replied, stuttering a little.

"She hasn't been to work for a few days, you guys okay?" he sounded more concerned than angry.

"No…"

------

"I'm … "

"I know who you are." Andy replied silently, as he shook her hand.

"She told you about me?" wiping another tear from that pale cheek, did the now brunette Desarae sit down at the chair beside the coffee table.

"She talks a lot about you." Andy began, as he took a seat on the couch opposite her. And then coughed once into his sleeve.

"Don't even ask to sit down." Diz smirked. She was well aware this was a friend of her mothers, for she wouldn't just let any plain stranger into her home.

"Sorry." Andy apologized.

"What is really going on?" he asked once more, before coughing again.

"Are you okay?" Desarae asked, concerned as she began to sit up a little straighter, leaning forward trying to examine him a moment.

"Cold."

He sighed, irritated with his own sickness.

"I see."

"Where's your mother, Diz?" he asked suddenly, as if they had both been thinking the same thing.

"He took her."

"He, as in… " the slender man started to laugh, pushing the black rimmed glasses up his nose.

"Well, you're both famous for your bull shit, aren't you?" beginning to get up off of the couch.

"You know something." Diz replied.

"I know something?" he laughed again, this time pulling out a cigarette from his pocket.

"Kid, I don't know shit about you people. I do know you're mother is an inch away from getting fired, and then how can she support you two?"

A broad smile started to show up.

"How… I can get a job." Desarae replied in her defense, though more casually than anything. She was so much in shock from all this, that it hadn't hit her full on yet.

"With no experience?" a grin now.

"I can try." Diz started to get a little annoyed now, as she got up from her chair herself.

"Don't smoke in here." a mutter. Though, it was a test to see if this fool would even listen to her. She had smoked in here all the time, but her mother didn't like it too much.

"Why?" he asked, taking the silver lighter, now Desarae noticing the skull on the side of the metal.

"Don't."

"And again, I have to ask…" placing the cigarette to his lips, and lit it with a quick motion.

"Why." it was more of a statement than a question.

"Look, she's not here, she went grocery shopping or something… leave." Diz began to the door, and opened it wide with a creak.

It slammed shut.

"She's not really your mother is she?" he drawled, his voice almost held no feeling to it what-so-ever.

"Excuse me?" Desarae asked, folding her arms across her small chest, eyes widening.

"You're not her blood related daughter."

"What difference does it make? Did it take you all fucking eight minutes to pick that one out? Please, go." her tone now held acid.

"You know, I think we have a lot in common, Desarae." Andy took a puff of his cigarette.

"I think we have nothing in common." Diz muttered, almost in a growl. Something was up. He had gone from being extremely nice, and nearly squirrel-like, to someone who had disregarded her pleadings of not smoking in her own house, and his demeanor had been that of…

----

Katie slowly wandered forward, being lead by this gentle man though perhaps he didn't buy her story. And that's when those light brown eyes widened.

"Happy birthday!" at least fifteen people had been surrounding her on the large deck, as the man had let go of her small hand.

"Oh…" English accent broadened slightly, the people had begun to clap, almost… innocent.

Almost….a dream.

-----