(Soundtrack : "Airplanes" - B.O.B feat. H. Williams)

A Delta Air 767 burst through the clouds and leveled off.

A young stewardess moved through the First Class Cabin. It was the regular mix of first class people: old ladies in Gucci enjoying

freshly baked cookies, a young crown prince in jeans and a t-shirt, business people relaxing after a tough day, and...

...a nervous young man.

Shifty-eyed. Alone in an aisle seat, the emergency row. The stewardess held on him for a moment, but not for too long. Then she continued moving into the coach section.

A few minutes later, another stewardess – an elder one- came into the first class section. Stopping at the lavatory, the "Occupied" sign switched to "Vacant" and the same nervous young man stepped out. He directly headed up the aisle.

"I'm sorry, sir. This cabin is restricted to first class," she admonished him.

Ben impassively removed a First Class ticket. "Is this what you're looking for?"

She looked at it -a little confused. She recognized in his nifty accent that he was British. She nodded.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Please. Is there anything I can get you?"

Ben looked askance. "No, thanks."

He continued into the first class cabin. The signs were turned on before the plane headed for the ground. After it successfully landed on, Ben took a taxi and went to the boutique hotel which he had already booked for a room.

SUNDAY MORNING

Ben circled around the island of Manhattan moving faster and faster till he reached the Fifth Avenue. As he came towards a building, he stopped. He took a deep breath before he knocked the door.

Richard opened the door with an expression of bewilderment mixed with amusement. He quickly stepped out, leaving the door on the jar.

"Ben! What are you doing here?"

"Hello, Dr. Castle," Ben said graciously. "I came to see Aurah."

"If Angelina sees you around here, we all may get in trouble, you know," Richard muttered.

Ben shrugged. "I don't care. If she hates me, that's her problem."

Richard shook his head." No, no. It's not that."

"Then what?"

Richard took a quick look around and said; "Maybe we should talk inside. Angelina went shopping and she won't be back for at least two hours." He pushed the door open. "Come in, Ben."

Ben walked in an enormous living room by Manhattan standards, with a view that overlooked the park. Eclectic art from around the world emphasize Angelina's passion for travel.

Richard sat on a couch and Ben sat opposite. The maid came in.

"What would you like to drink?" Richard asked Ben.

"Coffee, please," Ben replied.

Raising en eyebrow, Richard looked directly at him. "Coffee in the morning? What kind of British are you?"

Ben was struck all of a heap. He just looked at Richard who turned to the maid and said:

"Bring us some tea, Doris."

The maid bobbed her head and left the room.

"I didn't think you might have tea," Ben murmured.

"Well, we have," Richard smiled. "Now, tell me, Ben. Where do you stay in New York?"

"I checked in the Dolphin's."

"Nice hotel… So, how long are you going to stay?"

"I have permission from wok and from Adam for a couple of days."

The maid set a tray of tea cups in front of them. Ben took a sip of the tea.

"Mmm… It feels like home. This is the best tea I've ever tasted."

Richard smiled. "Aurah chose it herself when we were in London."

After a minute passed in silence, Richard put his tea cup on the table and said:

"I wish I could put you up in my house, but Angelina wouldn't be cool with that, you know."

"She doesn't even know me," Ben said, making a face. "Why does she forbid Aurah from seeing me?"

"Well, she knows that Aurah likes you a little too much. And she's just afraid of the possibility that you might fall for her as well."

Ben cracked a smile. "That's crazy! Why would I fall for a twelve-year-old kid?"

"Do I look like a twelve-year-old kid to you?" A gentle voice interrupted their talk.

Ben raised his head from his tea cup and he turned to see an eighteen-year-old porcelain skinned girl with shiny honey-colored eyes standing by the stairs.

"A… Au… Aurah?" Ben spilt half of his tea on the carpet. He jumped to his feet, saying "I'm so sorry!"

Aurah walked over and took the tea cup out of his hand. "It's okay. This carpet is only five thousand dollars. Not a big deal."

Ben flushed with fever and discomfort. "I can pay for dry-cleaning. I can even pay for-"

"Ben, relax!" Richard cut in. "This is just a stupid carpet." Looking askance at his grandchild, he added; "And it's not five thousand dollars! Aurah is just joking."

Aurah said nothing. She just smiled mischievously.

The housekeeper came in with some cleaning stuff in her hands.

"Why don't you move to dining room and let Doris do her work?" Richard offered. "I need to make a phone call. Then I'll join you."

Aurah walked through the corridor. Ben was following her as if he fell under a spell. When they entered in the dining room, she turned her head and said:

"I know what you're gonna say. You're gonna say that I look different, aren't you?"

Ben took another look at her from head to toe. "No. You're still chubby." He smirked.

"Oh, I forgot that you usually go for anorexic type of girls."

"Ha ha ha, so funny," Ben said dryly. "So… how is your period going, Aurah?"

Aurah burst out laughing. "It's going fine. Thanks for asking. Well, my grandfather examined me himself and he said I'm able to give birth… contrary to most females of your kind."

Ben swallowed. He wanted to change the subject immediately.

"I just came here to thank you," he shyly said.

"For what?"

"You went all the way to London, you coped with my former werewolf pack to find the murderer."

"I didn't do it for you. I did it because I wanted to."

Ben was puzzled. He approached to her in slow motion.

"Aurah, is there something wrong?"

Heaving a sigh, Aurah crossed her arms. "Three weeks… Three weeks passed without a word from you! You never called, you never e-mailed."

"You cell phone was out of service. And your e-mail was blocked. What was I supposed to do?"

"Those are just your excuses. You could have contacted me someway if you had really wanted to."

"I'm here now!" Ben said opening his arm to sides. "I came to New York just for you, to see you, to thank you, despite your mother's all potential menaces."

Aurah looked at him, expressionless. "Well, you saw me and you thanked me. What else?"

Ben forced a smile, hiding his disappointment. "Never mind. Sorry to disturb you. Good to see you again, Aurah. Goodbye."

Ben turned around and went to the front door with quick steps. Richard was still on the phone. Ben waved him "goodbye" and rushed out of the house.