Acey turned back to the menu, shocked into silence.

"Your order," whispered Hornet, nudging Acey.

"Oh!" she said, a blush spreading across her face. "J-just spaghetti, please."

"Alright," said the waitress, taking the menus.

"What's up?" asked Prosper, looking concerned.

"Oh, n-nothing. Just thinking about the story I'm going to write," she hated to lie to them, but she wasn't even sure of what she had seen.

-x-

Lunch went by in a blur, and soon it was time to head back to the Stella.

"You go, I'll catch up," said Acey, looking around the Basilica. "I need to take a walk."

"Alright, if you're sure," said Mosca, and the others went back in the direction of the abandoned theater.

Acey soon spotted the boy and his father; they hadn't left yet. She watched and took notes, so she could compare the boy to her Scipio.

Soon enough, the man left to do something or other. Acey crept up behind the boy and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Scus-" she started, but was once again shocked into silence. It was Scipio. Her Scipio. The Thief Lord. In fancy clothes, and with a man she assumed to be his father. He wasn't supposed to have a father.

"Acey!"

Yes, it was definitely him. No doubt about it; he knew her name.

"Sc-Scipio! What are you doing here, with him, in those clothes?" she demanded, a hurt look in her eyes. Had he lied to them? "Is h-he your...your... father?"

Scipio looked down, ashamed or embarrassed.

"Then every thing's a lie." she stated simply, looking away.

"W-well, I was going to tell you all-" he started, but Acey cut him off.

"Why don't you? Huh? Why don't you come back to the Stella and tell us who you really are?"

"It's not like that... It's not what you think," he said, trying to explain.

Acey's face lost it's look of anger, and turned to one of pity. "It's him, isn't it? He hasn't got your kind eyes..." She had to be a keen observer if she was going to be an author. And, it was something she was good at.

"M-my eyes?" he stammered, completely taken aback.

"Yeah," she said, giving him a sheepish smile.

"Riccio was right..." he said, forcing a little laugh.

"About what?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh- nothing..."

"I doubt that, but I'll let it go," she said, her blush fading.

"You won't tell them, will you?" he asked pleadingly.

"No. What kind of person do you think I am?" she asked protectively.

"Thank you!" he exclaimed, hugging her.

His sudden outburst of emotion shocked her, and the cursed beet red hue returned to her cheeks. "I-it's no problem," was all she could manage to say.

"No really," he said, pulling away. "This is big. If they knew... I don't know. It just wouldn't be the same."

"Y-yeah," she mumbled, having a sudden interest in her Converse shoes.

"Thank you," he said again, as he turned to go.

"Wait!" called Acey, courage flowing through her veins.

"Yeah?" he asked, turning towards her and raising an eyebrow.

"I-," she started, then changed her mind. "Be careful."