Gato: More and more. Huzzah.

Irie: Ahem. Can I see some oomph in that 'huzzah'?

Gato: …No?

Irie: Oh. Well then. She owns the plot and her characters.

………………………………………………

Ale rooted through her closet, mutters of frustration smothered by the radio. She pulled the umpteenth outfit from her wardrobe and glared at the mirror. I don't have anything to wear.

This though startled the Hispanic; she never put emphasis on looks – hers or those of others. Finally, she gave in to her weaker side and picked up the telephone.

"Hello, Sora speaking."

"I don't own any clothes."

Sora laughed. "Wow, this doesn't sound like the Ale I know."

"I don't understand it." Ale paused. "Maybe I'm sick."

"You're not sick. Do you want me to come over and help you?" Sora queried.

"Can you bring a new wardrobe?"

"I'll be there in ten."

…

Sora stared at the clothes splayed across Ale's bed. She laughed softly. "I thought you didn't own any clothes."

"It usually doesn't bother me," Ale replied from the closet. "Not having clothes, I mean."

"Where are you going for dinner?"

"I don't know yet. He hasn't called. Maybe he…"

The shrill ring of the telephone interrupted Ale. She ignored Sora's snicker and pulled the phone from under some shirts on the night stand.

"Allo?"

"Hey Ale, its Sean," the accented voice called from the receiver. "How are you?"

"I'm fine thanks. And you?" Ale twisted the phone cord and glared at Sora who continued to laugh silently.

"Great. So, I'm hoping you're still up for dinner."

"Oh, you know, I have some other engagements, but I think I can fit you in," she joked.

Sean laughed softly. "How does eight o'clock at Lee's sound?"

Ale paused in surprise. "That sounds great."

"Okay." Sean sounded almost relieved. "I'll pick you up at half seven."

"Brilliant," Ale replied. "I'll see you then."

"Yes. Have a wonderful afternoon, Ale."

Ale replaced the phone and exhaled slowly.

"So, where are you going?" Sora prompted.

"Lee's," Ale said softly.

"Seriously?" Sora asked, surprised. "Lee's for a first date. I mean, it's not Susur, but seriously. Lee's? I want a guy like yours."

Ale began to pull clothes from her bed once again. "Tai isn't good enough for you? He is handsome."

"I don't know – about the being good enough. He really is cute." Sora fiddled with Ale's comforter. "I haven't gone out with him yet."

"Well, I think he likes you," Ale assured.

"Here's hoping. Now, let's think about your outfit. Lee's is smart casual so, since it's summer, I'm thinking a skirt and a top."

"Okay…"

"Here!" Sora cried, pulling a loose knee length orange skirt from the midst of some jeans. She shoved through several shirts and located a white tank top. "Wear this with those white sandals, and use that purse."

Ale ran her eye over the articles and grinned. "What would I do if you weren't here, Sora?"

The red-head laughed. "Probably end up in a track suit. Besides, I learned everything I know about fashion from you. And, just so you know, you're going to have to do this for me tomorrow."

"I still can't believe I'm going to Lee's."

"Hey, at least it isn't North 44. That's when you would have to start worrying."

"About what?" Ale asked.

"About the second date. I mean, Paris is the only thing that can top North 44."

"I'd take Paris."

Sora mused silently for a while. "Maybe. Let's have lunch, then you can get ready."

Ale's eyes sparkled. "I'm cooking."

"Obviously. Considering I burn water."

…

Sean hung up the phone and turned his attention to his laptop. The website for Lee's displayed several different menu choices and displayed pictures of the area. An exposed brick wall held some small decorative pieces and surrounded modern tables. A knock on the door startled Sean from his thoughts.

"Hey, man," Joshua greeted.

"You're alone," Sean noted.

"Yeah, Kayla had to work."

Sean started. "She works? Where?"

"I dunno, I didn't ask. What are you up to?"

A strange feeling of worry fluttered in Sean's stomach. Something about Joshua's relationship with Kayla was a bit too similar to the games the four men played. He decided to ignore the feeling for the moment and motioned to the screen.

"I was just checking out the menu for the restaurant I'm taking Ale to tonight," Sean said.

"Ale?" Joshua questioned. "Who's Ale?"

"Long curly hair, hazel eyes," Sean offered. Joshua maintained a confused expression. Sean sighed and added, "The waitress at the bar where you met Kayla."

"Oh," Joshua cried. "Why didn't you just say that from the beginning?"

"You're right, how stupid of me. I should have known to either mention girls or booze if I wanted you to understand."

"Hilarious," Josh returned dryly. "I didn't know you were going on a date with a girl. It's good to hear, cause quite frankly I was starting to worry about you, man."

Sean merely glared.

"No, seriously." Joshua ran a hand through his hair. "Wait, does Tai know about this? I mean, isn't it against the rules?"

"So is what you're doing with Kayla," Sean responded.

Josh narrowed his eyes. "Why is everyone on my case about Kayla? You're all just jealous."

"Jealous?" Sean scoffed. "Jealous of what? That you're having another meaningless fling with yet another meaningless girl? Big surprise, Josh. They day I'm jealous of that is the day I grow tentacles and move to Iceland."

Joshua slumped onto Sean's bed and observed his best friend. "You've changed," he said slowly. "The idea of actually going on a date with a girl used to terrify you."

"That was ages ago, Josh. I've grown up." Sean finalized his reservation over the internet and closed the laptop. "It wouldn't hurt you to try and act mature."

"I have changed," Josh said, almost like a defensive child. "I really like Kayla."

Sean nearly fell off his chair in surprise.

"You reacted differently than Tai," Josh observed. "You actually believe me."

"Of course I actually believe you," Sean nearly shouted. "I've known you for longer."

"Well yeah, but…"

"Are you sure you like this girl? I mean really like her?" Sean interrupted firmly.

"Yes," Josh responded immediately.

"I don't trust her, Josh. And I'm not saying this because what you're doing is against the rules or whatever. I'm saying this because it's true. I don't trust her."

"Well that's just…" Josh paused and considered Sean's words for a moment. Alone, this comment from his best friend would have an effect. Coupled with Tai's remark from last night, it forced Joshua to think. Finally, he quietly asked, "Why not?"

"I don't know," Sean admitted. "She just seems a lot smarter than she wants us to know. Girls like her are dangerous."

"You're wrong," Josh heard himself declare. "You're all wrong. I know Kalya, and I know that she's a good person."

"Would you listen to yourself?" Sean shouted, his Scottish temper flaring. "How can you know her? You've been with her for two days, Joshua. All you can know about her is that her name is Kayla and that she's good in…"

"Shut up!" Joshua bellowed. "Why can't you just accept the fact that I've found a girl who actually likes me? Not everyone is going to make the same mistake you did, Sean. Not everyone is that stupid!"

Sean's face remained impassive; his shoulders slumped slightly, but he kept a steady gaze on the blond man seated on the bed. To a stranger, Sean appeared unperturbed. Joshua, however, knew this lack of emotion to mean pain and anger.

"Hey, Sean, I…"

"No," Sean interrupted darkly. "You're right. Not everyone is as stupid as me. I just thought you had grown up enough not to throw that in my face anymore."

Joshua searched for a way to apologize to his Scottish friend, but his mind jumped quickly from one possibility to the next. Tai and Steven chose this moment to enter loudly.

"Good afternoon one and all," Tai called jovially.

"God, I love twins," Steven said, a suggestive smirk in place.

They both paused and stared at the two boys, immobile by the computer. Tai recognized Sean's pained expression and Steven noted Joshua's hesitation.

"Guys?" Steven ventured.

"Hello, gentlemen. What can I do for you?" Sean asked with strained etiquette – another sign of his anger.

"What's going on?" Tai demanded bluntly.

"I…said something stupid," Joshua said lamely.

"That's nothing new," Steven noted.

"Yes. Well, it seems Joshua enjoys throwing certain unfavorable events in people's faces."

The two newcomers froze, their eyes fixed on Joshua. Said boy quickly dropped his gaze in embarrassment.

"You didn't?" Steven demanded.

"I didn't mean to! I was angry and it just…slipped out."

"That's ridiculous," Tai reprimanded angrily. "You've screwed up tons of times, but we don't repeatedly remind you, do we? I mean, this thing you're doing with that slut is going to end up as a mistake, and we won't rub your face in it. What the hell is your problem?"

Joshua refused to meet Tai's gaze. He didn't even dare to defend Kayla. "I'm sorry."

"Forget about it," Sean muttered. "It doesn't matter." The lie was evident to everyone in the room, and though he tried to block the memories, they flooded back.

…

When the boys first decided to enter the con man business as a way to raise enough money to start the cruise, they didn't have any of their current rules regarding girls. They all assumed that the others would make good decisions. Unfortunately, they hadn't foreseen Angelica Heart – a cold, ruthless girl whose actions contradicter her name. Her father owned a series of hotels in British Colombia, and she had wealth to match. Sean met Angelica their first night in Vancouver, and charmed her clothes of within an hour.

It only took that one night, and Sean couldn't get enough of the spoilt princess. He took her to dinner, plays, bars – everything. He spent all the money he conned on this girl; the other guys told him she wasn't worth anything. They warned him to be careful. Sean took no notice of these warnings – he quickly fell in love with Angelica Heart. Eventually, all the boys agreed that Angelica seemed perfect.

The boys remained in Vancouver for nearly a year, not only because of Sean's beloved brat, but also due to the huge amounts of money they conned. Nine months after their arrival in Vancouver, Sean proposed. Angelica accepted immediately, and while the news surprised his friends, they remained supportive. None could guess at the trails which would follow Sean's innocent declaration of love. The Scot approached Mr. Heart about his wish to marry Angelica, and the business tycoon welcomed Sean into the family. He treated Sean like his own son. Angelica watched this exchange with a happy grin – the perfect picture of a perfect bride to be. Mr. Heart offered one of his hotels as the site of the weeding and reception. Sean eagerly agreed, happy to avoid the stress of a search. No one questioned the kindness Mr. Heart radiated. They assumed he truly wanted this marriage to happen. Angelica spent every possible moment with either her father or Sean. Sometimes, she would disappear for hours, and upon her return, declare that she had gone shopping. Nothing suspicious about a fiancée on a shopping trip.

The day of the wedding arrived, and Joshua – Sean's best man – took the job of calming Sean's expected nerves. The job proved very simple, as Sean continually declared his joy and love for his 'perfect Angel'. Tai and Stephen played the role of the two other groomsmen and toasted repeatedly to the future couple's health and happiness.

Sean took his place at the front of the church, his best friends in tow. His green eyes sparkled as he scanned the tiny gathering. He and Angelica agreed to have a small wedding, and apart from the three con men, Sean invited no one. Only Angelica's immediate family sat in the decorated chairs. They smiled at Sean with forced joy.

The wedding song began, but instead of a beautiful bride, the Secret Service appeared from every possible direction. Josh, Tai and Stephen scattered in three separate directions. Sean remained frozen, stunned, his eyes fixed on the back of the church, where his beloved stood in jeans and a T-shirt, a cruel smile on her face. Sean's gaze remained on Angelica's horrid grin as the agents handcuffed and dragged him off.

Despite endless hours of questions and attempts to convict he boys for something big, the largest crime the agents could prove was theft of three packs of gum. Still, they had to appear in court. As they waited for their day, a cold cell their new bedroom, they learned the truth about Angelica Heart. She and her father suspected the boys of theft and con, but couldn't prove anything. Angelica decided to get close to the group to see if she could find anything, and so she chose Sean. She fooled him into thinking she loved him; she fooled everyone. She gathered enough circumstantial evidence for a prosecution, or so she thought. She used the wedding as a trap, for she knew all four boys would attend. Luckily for the boys, the evidence did not hold up in court – they had covered their tracks perfectly and could not be connected with any of the con schemes. Mr. Heart and Angelica fought desperately for the persecution of Sean and the boys, but in the end, lost. The boys got off with community service for the theft of the gum.

Throughout this entire ordeal, Sean hardly spoke, unless to defend himself from a charge. Even then, his voice sounded hollow and pained. Every time he looked at Angelica's impassive face, he flinched. It took Sean several months to recover from the shock of Angelica's betrayal. At first he turned to the bottle, and then to random women, then back to the bottle. Finally, he managed to get his life back under control. When the boys thought back on that time, it changed Sean – hopefully for the better.

…

"I was an idiot," Sean murmured.

"You were in love," Stephen said in an unusually kind voice.

"Same thing." Sean looked at Joshua with stern eyes. "You be careful. Don't fall in love too quickly."

"I know what I'm doing," Joshua insisted weakly. "I do."

Tai attempted to lighten the mood. "Alright, that's enough of this. Sean has a date to get ready for."

Sean nodded. "That's right. An actual date; it's been a while since I did that."

…

At half past seven, Ale stood in her kitchen, her nails tapping a steady rhythm on the counter. She adjusted the skirt one final time and forced herself to breather regularly. The young woman couldn't understand the nerves which caused her heart to pound loudly and incessantly.

'Calm down', she chanted mentally. 'Remember to breathe. Respira.'

The buzzer rang loudly and Ale jumped back from the counter. Taking a deep breath, she strode across to the door and pulled it open. Sean stood on the threshold, clad in brown pants and a black leather jacket over a green shirt. The shirt brought out the emerald colour of his eyes and gel held his brown locks off his face. Ale felt a smile start on her face as she took in the handsome man at the door.

"Sorry I'm late," Sean said.

"Fashionable late," Ale attempted, though the expression sounded wrong. "Don't worry about it. It's great to see you."

"Wonderful to see you too, Ale." Sean smiled and produced a small bouquet of lilies. "These are for you."

Ale gasped. "I love lilies. How did you know?"

Sean mentally exhaled in relief. "I just took a guess. You look beautiful."

Ale flushed and Sean looked at her once more. Her hair tumbled in its natural curls down to her shoulders and onto the straps of her white tank top. The shirt cut relatively high in the front and low in the back – it flaunted her curves. The flowing, orange skirt went nicely with her skin tone and drew attention to her legs.

"Are you ready? Your chariot awaits downstairs."

Ale laughed. "A chariot? Well, I'm impressed. Let me just put these flowers in a vase and then we'll go."

…

Tai sat in his room and stared at the piece of paper with Sora's phone number. His hand rested about the phone as he thought his plan through. In truth, fear broke through his usually calm exterior. Had the other boys been in the room, they would have killed themselves laughing. He, however, felt justification for the fear. Since Tai entered the business he hadn't actually courted a girl. Especially a girl he like – a girl with whom he could see a relationship. Before hesitation could form again, Tai picked up the phone and dialed, hoping Sora had yet to leave for work.

The red-head pulled a hair elastic out of her mouth and quickly wrapped it around her thick, straight locks. She dove across her bed and nearly knocked the phone over in an attempt to answer.

"Hello?"

"His, is Sora there please?" a familiar voice asked from the receiver.

"Speaking. Hello, Tai," Sora replied.

"Oh, hey Sora. How are you?"

Sora fiddled with her stuffed animal, an absurd smile on her face. "I'm doing pretty well – just getting ready for work. And you?"

"I'm great," Tai responded. "I won't keep you long if you're getting ready. You're still up for dinner tomorrow?"

"Of course."

"Alright. Well, I'd like where I'm taking you to be a surprise, but I have on quick question. Do you own anything to wear that is semi-formal? Like a dress or something?"

Sora wrinkled her nose at the idea of a dress. She mentally went through her wardrobe and decided to call Ale for help later. "Sure. But where are we going?" she pressed.

"That's a surprise, fair damsel."

Sora giggled before she could stop herself. While mentally cursing herself for the stupid response, she conceded, "Fair enough. So I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"How does eight o'clock sound?"

"That sounds perfect. Thanks for the phone call. See you tomorrow at eight."

"Good-bye for now, Sora," Tai intoned.

"Good-bye."

Upon hanging up the phone, Sora reached for her cell and punched in a quick text message. She sent the plea for clothing help to Ale, and left for work.

In his hotel room, Tai stared at the bouquet of white roses he purchased for Sora. He planned to meet her at the Cheshire before it opened with the flowers as a surprise. The brunet checked his watch, his reflection, grabbed the flowers and left on a mission to woo the beautiful red-head.

…………………………………………………

Gato: Okay, so it has been FOREVER. I know this. And, I apologize. School is freaking killing me – I hate university. Anyhow, many, many MANY thanks to all of you for your patience. A special thank you to Resheal Mannan and friends for the barrage of the most flattering e-mails I've ever received. You all rock my world.

Irie: Wooooooooooo. Even though this is so exciting, what do you say we do reviewer response?

Gato: Do you have somewhere to be?

Irie: Lint Land.

Gato: …Right. Moving on…

TO JyouraKoumi: Thank you.

TO nickygirl: Thanks!

TO INUYASHAREDSTAR: He does indeed. Gracias!

TO Marie Darkholme: I know that 'lass' can get repetitive, but I couldn't think of any other Scottish slang. Thanks for the review!

TO Stever-Racer: I'm also a fan of Sean's morals. That's why I made him that way. Anyhow, thanks for the review! Glad you're liking it!

TO white artemis: They are going out indeed. In spades even! Sorry, the cliches are attacking me. I hope the new characters aren't too confusing…thanks!

TO Ayame: Here's your update! What do you think of Sora's personality?

Gato: That's all for now. Next chapter…the dates!