I slumped back on my bed, or rather, the sofa. We spent a bit of time in England, crashing in a motel and on a real bed for once before heading back to our Paris hideout. The gang had given me my own room, as I was the only girl. Not that it really mattered, I've gotten used to them since a young age, but Bentley insisted.

Sly and Bentley were discussing details about the next heist, about how we'd get to Utah and the overall security of Muggshot's casino. I decided I would ask about it later and just get a bit of rest as my body and eyelids felt heavy. However when my head touched the pillow, I couldn't sleep. As much as I wanted to, I'd lay there for 15 minutes with my eyes closed and I would never drift off to the soothing slumber I suddenly craved. I decided to sit up, pushing off the tattered blanket that may have been making it too hot to fall asleep.

I wandered around my room for a bit, just to think. I probably just had a lot on my mind, so I pondered on everything my mind set focus on. The room was small. The desk is chipped, which may have happened when I was sharpening my blades. I had a lamp on it that didn't work. I taped the phone number my brother left for me on the lampshade...

I want to call him, and I've tried. He never picked up, it was sent directly to voicemail because it was always off. Perhaps it was never the right time, or maybe it wasn't safe. But I just want to see my brother again.

"Sky,"

"Yeah, Marie?"

"When are Mommy and Daddy coming home?" I was playing with the hem of my dress as we sat in an office, all by ourselves.

"Soon. Maybe in a couple weeks." Skylar was looking around the room.

"Can we go meet them in the airport? Can I make a big sign that says 'Welcome home Mommy and Daddy!'? Y'know like they do in the movies!" I was getting excited, standing in the chair I was in and using Skylar's head for balance. He tilted his head up slightly to look at me.

"Yeah, I'll help you make it. I'll let you know when they're coming," he smiled a little bit, and I guessed he was just not as excited as I was.

"Yay! We'll use the paint and glitter Daddy got me for my birthday!" I was hopping up and down, but as we heard footsteps, Skylar quickly told me to hush and sit down properly. He took my hand and held it as the steps came closer, and eventually faded away.

"Hey, Marie,"

"Yeah?"

"Can you hum that song Mommy used to sing?"

Skylar was always anxious. Even when we made friends he was always worried about what Sly, Murray, and Bentley thought of him. He usually closed himself off, writing stories for himself, but every once in a while he'd join us to steal cookies or play spy. If things were really bad for him, I usually hum mom's old lullaby until he calmed down or fell asleep. It's a bit tough to imagine him out there by himself, although he was the eldest one.

I wasn't sleepy anymore, so I decided to make some tea and just relax. When I peeked into the next room, I had expected to see Bentley and Sly still going over some files, but there was just Sly who was leaned back in his chair, hat covering his face. He was asleep, and it seems like Bentley probably stepped out to help Murray figure out something with the van. I made an attempt to be quiet, as I tiptoed over to him. I took a sip of my tea before setting it down on the table in front of me. I saw maps, documents from opened files. They were hard at work trying to figure who was who and where they were, no wonder why Sly fell asleep. He hadn't really slept since we got to England.

I took my time trying to move the hat from his face so that I wouldn't wake him up, but I jumped a little bit when I saw his eyes were open underneath the security of the hat.

"Isn't it a bit creepy to stare at someone while they're resting?"

"Who said I was staring, I was looking at all the work Bentley did, and you have nothing to show for it"

"Hey, I worked hard too, I just thought I needed a quick nap." We shared a quick laugh, and everything was silent. We basked in each other's presence, not really sure what to do or what to say. I leaned back onto the table, taking a sip from my tea.

Sly had always been something else. Always ready to act on the defensive or the offensive at any time. Quite cunning and, might I say 'sly', I've always admired that part of him. Whether if it was something more than that, I'm not really sure, but I'd like to know if it was something he also noticed upon our interactions.

"Up to anything in particular?" he asked, I guess he was grasping at air for something to talk about.

"No, not really."

"You haven't called your brother in a while. Why is that?"

"I mean you can only call someone so many times until you realize maybe they don't want to be found. It's been 15 or 16 years?" Sly seemed a little hurt in my reasoning. Perhaps he'd thought I lost hope, and maybe I had. "It's possible that he just forgot about me too."

"Skylar wouldn't ditch you if it meant he got a good life. We wouldn't, at least I wouldn't," I smiled at his attempt to reassure me. "Sure you're a vital part to the team, but honestly it would suck without you."

"That's cute, Sly"

"I'm serious, Marie. We do care about you. I care about you."

His last statement sent my heart reeling. It was quiet again, a little bit more tense than it was before. I'm not too sure what it should mean to me, but it felt nice to hear it from him.

"Thanks. I care about you guys too. You're all I have." silence again, except Sly returned the sentiment with a smile. Bentley called from the door.

"It'll be a long trip, let's start packing up!" Sly stood up as if on cue.

"Let's get this show on the road, darling."

Here we go -Mirai Akemi