Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Seriously. My mate just bought my soul for two bucks and a toblerone.

Chapter Two – Everyone agrees that celebrations are in order

A week after the night their net worth had jumped by several million each, the crew of eleven was back together at Rusty Ryan's hotel. Ostensibly, it was a chance for them to collect their money.

What with suitcases full of cash being slightly suspicious, they had all handed their money over to Rueben to fiddle with until it was clean. On entry each one was presented with the details of a very full bank account in their name.

But the real reason they were getting together was to see Danny off. His hearing had been this afternoon, which meant by tomorrow he would be back serving his three to six months for breaking parole. It was a going away party, and congratulation, and celebration. All of this for a man who was conspicuously absent. Not that this bothered Rusty; Danny always had to make an entrance, and since the party had started forty minutes ago he was just about due in.

Rusty surveyed the room he had set up. Deceptively small, it accommodated the eleven of them perfectly. The bar was loaded with expensive drinks and ringed with metallic bar stools. Instead of a formal dining table it was littered with low couches, each cluster surrounding a glass coffee table. They whole atmosphere was only slightly detracted from by the numerous bowls of Doritos. After all, this was his hotel.

Forty five minutes late. Any second now. As he made his way towards the door Rusty noticed that the Malloy brothers were attempting to bully Linus into a drinking game. He'd have to keep an eye on that; the last time a third party had joined in a Malloy drinking game they had ended up needing two ambulances, three fire engines, an animal catcher and a priest to clean it up. Although to be fair the third person had been Basher.

Rueben was chatting with Saul and Frank, and Basher was explaining something at great length to a not very interested Livingstone. Rusty raised his glass to Yen, who was standing in the corner. The grease man silently returned the gesture. He had made it clear he was here not for Danny, but because Rusty had asked him. He still hadn't quite forgiven the delays in the vault.

The door swung open, and Daniel Ocean entered the room. The buzz of conversation fell away. Rusty held out his own glass to him.

"How long?"

Danny smiled, taking the glass.

"Three months. It'll be a nice break." He held up the glass. "To Benedict, the kind source of great… fun."

The others raised their glasses. A chorus of "to fun!" rang out in response, with everyone then returning to their previous activity. Rusty ate a chip.

As Danny came and leaned against the wall next to him, Rusty looked him up and down. The bruises were fading, but he still looked a little stiff. Confronting Benedict like that had been unnecessary. 'Leave emotion at the door' was a rule Rusty tried to live by, but Danny had never even given it a shot. It wasn't his style.

"I'm surprised they let you come."

"I'm hurt. Convincing a parole officer to let me have one last night out? Don't make me laugh."

"Have you talked to Tess?"

"Not yet. Don't want to rush it. You'll keep an eye on her, though?"

"Of course."

"The money is sorted?"

"We're untouchable."

Danny nodded. Silence. Rusty ate another chip.

"I'll send you more cookies this time."

"What would I do without you?"

Their conversation continued on, neither really paying attention to what they were saying but rather watching the body language of the other, long friendship and practice supplying the script. After a while they circulated, bantering with everyone.

As the night progressed, Rusty came to the conclusion that his fears for his old friend's mental wellbeing were unfounded. Danny was more relaxed now then he had been since he had walked in on Rusty playing poker right back at the beginning. In fact, he was triumphant.

Just as everything was winding down, the shrill sound of Danny's phone going off made him once again the centre of attention. The ringtone was Tom Jones. Rusty smirked.

Danny looked slightly perplexed as he answered, and understandably so. There weren't very many people who would have the phone number of Danny Ocean.

"Hello?"

A pause, and then a grin.

"Bobby. Nice to hear from you. You heard? It went off perfectly."

Perfectly? What a lie. So it was Bobby calling…his old mentor checking up on him. Linus's head had shot up at his father's name, and now he was staring determinedly at his drink in an effort to disguise the fact.

"Yes… I know, of course…No, it's fine, Rueben has fixed up the money."

Danny's grin had grown to a truly amazing size, and had that predatory edge to it he always had when he was manipulating his friends. As he talked, he leaned over and grabbed Linus's wrist, pulling him forward and off his chair.

"That's great Bobby. I'll put Linus on… here he is."

Linus looked paralyzed, and Danny had top push the phone into his hands. Rusty felt uneasy. That confused, apprehensive expression on the kid's face wasn't a good sign.

"Da… Dad? It's me."

Linus stood alone now in the middle of the room, everyone determinedly busy but just as determinedly listening in. Rusty saw his expression slowly turn blank, and wondered what the hell was being said to him.

"Yes…no, sir. Just the one, but it was my fault…No, Danny didn't…Yes… Yes. I know you told me that before, I just… I'm sorry. Ok? I'm sorry. I never…."

The room had fallen silent. No one even bothered to hide their eavesdropping. The click as the call was cut off was audible, and even if it wasn't, the way Linus flinched back from the phone was clear enough. He stared at it for a second, and then gently handed it back to Danny, threw the rest of his drink down his throat and left, without meeting anyone's eyes or uttering a sound.

Nobody spoke. Danny was looking after Linus, horrified. It was Virgil who voiced what everyone was thinking.

"Fu – uck! What was that? Daddy not too happy, huh? That's real fucked up…"

Turk didn't miss his cue.

"Shut up asshole, I bet he can hear you…"

"Oh yeah? Well I think he can't. Don't call me asshole, jackass."

"Yeah… well… well… you're a piece of motherfu - "

Rusty turned to Danny, ignoring the all too familiar display. Danny was pale.

"I thought… Shit. Shit. I should have known. I shouldn't have put him on."

The look on his face told Rusty everything he needed to hear.

"Danny, you look downstairs. I'll go up. He'll be fine."

Danny was moving before Rusty finished his sentence. Rusty turned to Rueben.

"Rueben? It's time for everyone to leave. I had rooms set aside."

Rueben nodded, and Rusty followed fast on Danny's heels, only stopping to grab a donut on the way out.