They had stopped at a dingy shop where they found several hats. One that caught Jess off guard was a strange head scarf that would help keep her head cooled. Trying to wrap it around her head, she found it didn't work so well. She did manage to find a blue plaid button up shirt to cover up with. It wouldn't attract too much attend like Alan's graphic tee shirt. Setting it back, she turned seeing Alan.

"Alan?" she asked turning to find the man trying on ladies' hats.

"Jess is this my color?" She shook her head and reached for a safari like hat that actually fit his odd shaped head. "Here this one!" she offered it with a smile.

"Thank you!" he smiled back and then he straightened up. Alan and Jess turned to Phil who had walked up. They both smiled big at him since neither of them had any money.

"What?" he questioned them, wondering why they shared the exact expression.

"We don't have—" began Jess.

"— have any baht—" continued Alan.

"Any what?"

"Baht is the Thai national currency," answered Alan.

Phil looked at them with another frown crossing his tanned face. Then he realized what they were asking for. "Oh! Hell no! Stu!"

As Stu was conned into buying the items, Jess walked over to a door and saw a small child looking at her. There was something strange about the child; with her dark brown locks, and deep brown eyes they simply drew her in. Jess walked by her and right as she leveled with the child, she reached out a thin arm. She was transfixed on what to do. Frozen, she just stared at the child.

"Will you stay?" the child practically begged. Deeper brown eyes begged her to stay. It confused her this child knew English, since it wasn't the national language.

"A moment maybe, but my friends need to get going soon."

The child looked over her shoulder and eight or nine … She was a child like Jack.

"Jess come on, Alan got a hat let's go," one of the guys called for her.

Jess looked down and saw the fear in the child's eyes. She knelt down to the child's eye level.

"Where are you parents at?" she asked softly.

The child seemed to look confused. "Gone."

"Gone? Surely not. Everyone has parents," she smiled. Phil walked up behind the young girl and frowned at her.

"Jess come on, we need to get Stu some food before he hyperventilates like he did in Vegas!" Phil looked at the two girls and his arms crossed.

"Why do we always find children?" He knew what she was doing. They were both parents but they couldn't take this child anywhere.

"She's all alone. I can't just leave her here!" protested Jess sensing Phil would say to leave her.

"She's not ours!"

"PHIL!" Jess knew her emotions were getting to her and that her tears would defy her again. Damn hormones. Sensing he upset her, he shook his head and grabbed for her hand.

"Jess, we can't just have a child following us. We could get into trouble!"

"Let's just have her come with us until we find a police station."

After another look at the child, Phil turned back to Jess and let out a long, low sign. "Fine, but you are in charge of her."

Taking her hand, they went to find Alan and Stu. They had been walking around for a while now and the sun was beating down them. Over time it just seemed that they were simply just lost. No one offered any advice on where to go, much less where they were exactly. Slowly Jess was getting darker by the minute and Stu was just complaining the whole way. The little girl hadn't spoken at all once bit except for sharing her name. It was Mali, which Alan told meant flowers. Jess walked beside Alan with Mali between them. Alan was kind enough to share his Fanta in a bag with her every block or so.

"Alan, can I have another drink?" asked Jess reaching for the bag which he had kindly offered not ten minutes before.

"Only for you," he smiled.

"Hey hey," warned Phil. Alan frowned at Phil but offered the drink to Jess with a smile.

"Phil, I really think we should go to the American Consulate," protested Stu now a third time. His voice was shouting but it was hard to hear him anyway with everything around them being so loud. Because of the noise, Mali kept brushing closer to Jess.

"For what?" snapped Phil continuing to walk a bit. "To report a dead body we shoved into an ice machine?"

"What did you do?" questioned Jess. She has no idea what had happened before they got her from the roof but something was definitely off about Stu's constant whinnying.

"Well what are we gonna do?" Stu gave in retort ignoring her question. "Walk around in circles 'cause that's real productive." He stopped only a moment to point at Jess. "And her! Shit, we are roasting in this heat! And WHY do we have a little girl following us?"

"Leave the girls out of it Stu! Look I'm trying to figure this thing out and you're attitude isn't helping!" said Phil holing up his left arm in protest at Stu, who neither listened but argued back.

"Look sorry its 100 degrees and we don't have a plan. And all we've done is buy him hats and soda, and find a lost little girl!"

"Hey it's a bag of Fanta," Alan said with a grimace. The little girl gripped Jess' arm more but she took several steps forward to walk in front of Stu.

"Alright Stu what do you wanna do?" asked Phil in a demanding tone, stopping and looking at his friend for the answer. Jess took a step closer to Mali as passing men looked at her and Mali. Stu was shouting something as Phil retorted back.

"Then stop yelling at me like it's my fucking fault."

"It is your fault!" Stu chimed in right as Phil's cell phone went ringing. "All I wanted was bachelor brunch!"

"Shit! Shut up. It's Doug," he shouted holding his hand up to stop Stu and Alan. "Talk to me." From her closeness, Jess could manage to hear Doug's reply.

"Just got off the phone with Bangkok PD. They got him. He's okay," spoke her brother.

"Thank God. Doug found him." Beside her Stu was nearly jumping for joy. "What happened?"

"Got arrested," Jess heard her brother say.

"For what?" spoke Phil with curiosity.

"Disorderly conduct."

"Seriously?" she spoke as Phil did.

"Yeah he's okay. They said they would release him to you no questions asked. No one here has to know. He's at the Rak-a-gong Police Station."

"Okay. Okay I'll—" began Phil, but Doug's voice spoke up again.

"Phil where is my sister!"

"Who?"

"Jessica! Where the hell is my sister!" screamed Doug from the cell phone.

"She's right here man!" shouted Phil.

"Where was she earlier," asked Doug with impatience.

"On the fucking roof—" Phil spoke before thinking of a lie.

"The what!" her brother screamed from the phone.

"I'll call you when we get there," and Phil promptly clicked his phone off. "Teddy's in jail but we gotta get a cab."

Finally, they were getting somewhere. Phil hailed a cab, and the three men, Jess, and little Mali made their way to the police station. Stu kindly asked to hold Mali as Jess got in the cab, which she surprisingly accepted his embrace.

"Where did we find her anyway?" asked Stu.

"At the hat shop," answer Jess. "She was there standing there alone. Mali said her parents were gone."

A few moment of deaf silence ended when Alan reached into his back pocket. His fingers fumbled through the cards until he stopped at one card that was heavily written on.

"Thailand is a country with internal trafficking of women and children for commercial sexual exploitation, and labor trafficking. Ethnic minorities and women and girls from the northern Hill Tribes are especially vulnerable due to their lack of citizenship. Officials assert that lack of legal status is the single greatest risk factor for trafficking or other exploitation of highlanders. There is also an issue of rural-to-urban trafficking."

"Hold on, you think Mali is a part of that?" asked Stu with disbelief. Alan just continued speaking as though Stu never spoke.

"Sex tourism remains a problem. According to the Thai Government, there are no laws that specifically address sex tourism. However, the criminal code, laws on prostitution, and laws combating trafficking in persons contain provisions to combat sex tourism. While it is widely believed there are fewer incidences of Thai citizens forced into prostitution today than in past years, children from poor families remain vulnerable, and there are some incidences of Thai parents who force their children into prostitution."

"Alan, this is little girl, not a whor— someone like that!" Stu said, correcting himself before giving Mali a smile.

"It's okay. Father always said he tried to get Mommy out of it."

"Wait, you know English?" questioned Stu sensing something was strange here.

"I can. My father is American and talks like you. He is a special agent."

Phil and Stu exchanged looks with the thoughts they might want to see the American Embassy. Jess nodded and hugged her tightly.

"Everything will be fine. We will try to find your father, if we can."

Mali nodded as Jess sat back in her seat against Stu's arm.

"We will if we can," mumbled Jess into Phil's ear, who nodded and she saw a small tear fall from his eye. "Are you okay?"

"Just worried. That's all. How are we going to get home?"

Jess understood completely. But at least Jack was safe with Doug and the others at the resort.

*dot*

It was too damn early to be up, but after the night he had, it was impossible to think about anything other than the business his father wanted me to take care of and of Jess. He found the time after fighting with her, even getting a boat to travel to Bangkok to do so but he never thought it would take all night to investigate. The deal was a small arms trade between local gangs and Leslie Chow, but there was no sign of the exchange that he could find even with his information from Seth, Mr. Martinez top intelligence agent. He had arrived at the club, but Samir wouldn't talk to him. It took nearly an hour, but he had to leave after picking the lock and finding only a pistol and a few boxes of ammo.

He was sitting on his bed wondering where the hell Jess was when his phone lit up informing him of a coming video call. Turning on his laptop top, he took out his satellite connection internet and locked down the room so no one would interrupt him. Logging on, he saw the smirking face of his friend Seth.

"What's up bruh?" he muttered quietly. "I found your information. She's got quite the background."

Frowning, Jason rubbed his eyes and asked what he was talking about.

"Your woman. Jess? Yeah Jess. She's got an interesting history."

"I know. Jess has several secrets. I intend to find them all out."

There was a long pause as Seth found the papers near the screen. It was well lit in his room, so Jason assumed it was near night or so in LA. Jason waited while sipping on a cup of water. There were two things that concerned him; one he needed information about Jess and her background, and another about Phil Wenneck. After she revealed all those months ago that Phil could have maybe been the father to Jack, Jason worked tirelessly on finding anything he could about the man. Anything that could trap him into leaving them alone.

"Alright man, let's start with Jess, shall we?" asked Seth holding up Jess's file he had gathered.

"Go ahead," he said with a hint of excitement.

"Jessica Marie Billings, female, born on April 13, 1991 in Phoenix, Arizona. Her father is Kendall Alexander Billings, born February 18, 1959. Still living… In Phoenix from what I gathered. Mother is Jordan Freda Billings, born in 1956. She has one biological brother named Douglas Kendall Billings, born March 21, 1978. They are thirteen years apart and that alone makes the relationship of their parents odd. Their parents were 19 and 22, mom being older when Douglas was born."

"Hold on, Jess told me that her mother died," interrupted Jason.

"Yeah. Official ruling was suicide but for unknown causes. Most likely depression or something like that. She raised a son on her own, series of boyfriends over the years. Several medical records show other pregnancies but none birthed. She aborted them it seems. Then she gets pregnant when her son is in middle school and actually keeps it because she and Dad hooked up for Doug's sake. Bears Jess and then years later, kills herself. Fucking selfish to leave her son in charge of his sister when he was just a college kid himself. Dad has no idea what happened with his kids most likely."

"Jess never tells me about her father," he mumbled. Jason was shocked at this revelation. His mother had loved him until her dying breath. He had been there as her eyes closed for the last and final time. He remembered the pain well now years later. Jess' dad probably never even knew she existed.

"Anything else?"

Seth nodded. "Lots man.

"Jessica finished high school at Rochester Senior High School in Los Angeles in 2009 on the Honor Roll. Pursued an internship at Divine Dentistry owned by her brother's friend, junior and senior years. While Jessica maintained her academic grades, she became pregnant shortly before finishing school. Birthed Jack on January 1st, 2010, but she was not due until later in the spring, I think. Lives at 215 Riverdale with you. Wenneck lives around town a bit but within 30 minutes' drive from your place."

"I didn't mention anything about Wenneck yet," said Jason surprised, not recalling what he had asked Seth find exactly, but he didn't remember saying anything about him…

"No but you said anyone extremely close to her. That included him. It was easy to crack the school system; but getting his information was hard as fuck. Private and hard to get exactly what I wanted."

"Tell me about Jack that I don't already know…," insisted Jason drumming his hands on the desk.

"Fine. Jack was born in Kansas City, Missouri to you and Jessica. I didn't know your birthday was July 7!"

"I don't advertise my personal information," he commented. Seth really did his homework. He surely knew about Darcy too.

"His half-sister lives in Missouri thus far, but…."

Jason looked up as Seth stopped talking a moment later. He was reading and rereading the paper again and again. The action alone bothered him. "What about Darcy?"

"With both Betty and Jess, your name comes up with paternity issues, but only after getting the tests, did they list you as the father of their children."

"I must make sure these children are mine and not someone else's. I can't tarnish the Marshall name because people know my father," commented Jason feeling his cheek flush. "Betty never put a name down. We established that from the start. Later in court it was confirmed because for once she went the legal route and pinned me in."

"And that's it with Betty. With Jess though, there a good length of time to confirm the boy as yours."

"I can't have random woman claiming to have children from me, just because I fucked them."

Seth grinned as he spoke. "And how many women have you fucked?"

Blushing, Jason ignored his question. "Enough to have two children from Betty and Jess."

"Are you sure? Cause that sounds like more than two."

"I've fucked plenty, probably in the hundreds by now," said Jason without hesitation. Seth smirked widely, opening his mouth to form an O, and continued his report.

"Paternity was established after Jack's birth—"

"Yes, and with Jack it was done prior and after. I know for fact those. I had those results sent to me directly." Jason felt his fist curling under the table that hide his fists. He had to remain calm if he wanted to keep himself clear. But something told him that Seth may know the truth of what he did behind everyone's back. He had only done it to keep Jess to him and have an escape from the family business.

"You okay man? Is that why you wanted her background? I've not even gotten into Wenneck," his friend dared to ask holding up another folder. Seeing the response from Seth, he cleared his throat.

"Tell me about him…"

"Okay…" replied Seth sitting the first folder down.

"Well Phillip Raymond Wenneck was born September 7, 1977 in Los Angeles. Making him fourteen years older than Jess. He meets the Billings at summer camp as a teenager and they were often seen together after. He finished school in 1995, a few months before his nineteenth birthday. He entered university for teaching after taking a gap year. Jess was six years old. From then on, he maintained indirect contact to her through guardians while also meeting his first wife Stephanie, whom he married in early 1999. They are divorcing currently—"

"It's finalized," interrupted Jason drumming his hands again. These were details that Jess had told him before.

"Well no, not yet…" stated Seth looking it over closer.

"Trust me. It's finalized. He told Jess at the airport yesterday when we left…" said Jason taking several drinks of water and munching on his fruit. "Trust me."

"Okay man. I got ya. So, yes, … He earned his teaching license in 2001 and began teaching at various schools in LA. However, during the 2004-2005 school year, he was employed at Rochester the same year that Jess transferred in around October. Teaches English and has spent the last several years being active in the school. Mostly due to Jess. However, there was one last bit I thought was interesting and I don't know if you even know about this."

Jason sat up and eyed him closely not understanding. In Seth's hands was a photo of Phil and Jess, but they both looked much younger than they were now. "I don't get what that's about?"

"Look! This photo was taken by someone and posted online of the two of them tagged as happy father-daughter or happy couple. Jess always looked like a teenager since she was one but he is much younger. He is 31 here while she just turned 17. They were photographed in Greece in the summer of 2008 vacationing. Only them."

Jess had on a pair of olive-green shorts, a sheer lined paisley spaghetti strapped top, and brown anklet scandals as Wenneck wore a simple pair of khaki shorts with a light gray buttoned shirt. His arm was wrapped tightly around her back with his hand resting on her shoulder. She was leaning into Phil, one leg brought up in a cute pose as her leg straddled him somewhat. While his other hand resting on his side, Jess's hands were hugging him around the middle. They looked prefect together. Smiling and all without a care in the world. This was before he even met Jess…. This was just before as Jason wasn't a thought yet. He stared at the photo wondering want mischief they got into in Greece, but could only guess the worse. Things he didn't want to think but did anyway.

"Jason?" hollered Seth from the screen.

"What?!" he snapped out not realizing he was tearing up. Turning away from his friend, he found himself avoiding eye contact.

"JASON!" he said again and this caused him to turn fully again. "Please, listen, maybe you might not understand but whoever this Wenneck person is to her, clearly they mean a lot to the other. They have history. You came along and here we are. Cheer up man! I know Jess makes you very happy." Seth gave him a thumbs up and smiled trying to offer condolence.

"Yah, but do I make her happy?" he asked quietly before saying goodbye to his friend.

*dot*

Jess sat with Mali on her lap beside Alan as Stu and Phil arranged to get Teddy.

"Sixteen years old and spent a night in jail," offered Stu in relief that they had found Teddy. "Can you imagine?"

"We love to party," laughed Alan happily.

A moment later, Phil turned sharply as did Stu. From the sound of the turn, Jess leaned over and saw not Teddy but a Buddhist Monk.

"Wait, who's this fucking guy? Wait! Wait this is the wrong fucking guy." He argued to the official who rolled the monk out to them. Quickly Phil walked back over to the official who he had spoken to before. "Excuse me there is a mistake. You brought the wrong guy. That's not Teddy!"

"Of course it is. We have his IDs and everything. These were in his pockets when we made the arrest," offered the officer handing over a small pile of cards.

"They were in his pocket?" Phil pointed at the monk as Stu took the cards from him. He walked briskly to the monk and flashed Teddy's ID in his face.

"Excuse me Sir? How did you get this stuff?"

"Teddy doesn't speak. We tried English, Thai, Chinese. Nothing," suggested the officer.

Stu marched right over to the officer and slammed Teddy's ID on the glass. "Let ask you something. Does he look like he works out at Bally Total Fitness in Palo Alto, California?"

"Look we arrest a lot of people. We cannot analyze everything."

Phil huffed and spoke up again. "What do you expect us to do with this guy? And the little girl?"

"The bigger one needs more clothing," stated the official pointing at Jess.

"No, the smaller one on her lap. She's not ours."

"Children are homeless all around the city. Not my problem."

Alan and Jess looked at each other and let out a similar sound from the Vegas days. Jess finally realized what was wrong with the wheel-chair bound man.

"Hey guys? I think he knows us," said Alan beside her. "Hi. Hello," he said to the monk, who smiled at the five of them. Jess knew who, or rather what, he was, but she was shut down by Phil when she tried to speak up.

"Do you know where our friend is?" shouted Stu as they sat outside the police station. "Teddy. He's missing."

"Stu forget it. The guy's useless," commented Phil looking through the evidence again.

"He knows something. He's wearing Teddy's sweatshirt!" exclaimed Stu.

Jess sat below Phil's knees with Mali seated on her lap and all that she could think about was what to do. The guys wouldn't listen to her if she said that man wouldn't talk for anything.

"What if he doesn't understand," Stu said in doubt. "I'll act it out like charades."

Stu stood in front of the monk and Alan and raised his hands.

"Watch. Two words," he said raising two fingers.

"Is it a movie?" asked Alan quickly, thinking the game was for him too.

"It's not for you Alan," Stu scowled at the man-child.

"… American teenager in Asia…" Stu said, waving his arms around.

Immediately Alan had a reply. "Karate Kid with Jaden Smith. It's easy 'cause you were talking through it."

Phil sighed, impatience riddling his face. "Stu it's a waste of time. Let's just leave this fucking guy here!"

From Jess' view the monk gave Phil a look of disappointment. It was rather stale but she noticed his blank stare. Alan flipped his notes from his pockets just seconds later.

"Oh here's something. There are 500,000 monks living in Thailand. It is not uncommon for them to take a vow of silence at the age of 8."

"There you go," offered Phil to Stu.

"Is there anything else in that envelope?" asked Stu pointing at the envelope above Jess' head.

"Nah its empty," commented Phil waving the thing again. There was a moment of quietness that settled in the group while the noise of the hurried city continued without them. Jess looked up to see Stu thumbing through the small stack of cards.

"Oh, whoa hang on. A drink card from White Lion Bar, Bangkok," he read from one card, then

"Worth a shot," agreed Phil.

As they had reached the area, the driver gave them all look of despair. Jess focused on keeping Mali's eyes closed from the sight of the destroyed street before her. Everywhere wreckage of soot and fallen building pieces surrounded them.

"Is this the right street?" asked Phil taking a hold of Jess' hand as she nearly took a tumble over a fallen sign.

"Are you serious?" asked Jess unsure they should even take one step into this intoxicated street. Phil pulled her and Mali closer to him as Alan wheeled the monk forward. Mali tucked her head into the crook of her arm while she noticed that several of the people were given them sour looks of annoyance.

"Whoa!" Stu let out suddenly. "Whoa this is the White Lion here." His finger, though shaking, was aimed at the large burnt sign. Jess looked around, noticing several of the women cleaning were giving her a nasty look.

"What the fuck happened here?" questioned Phil looking around too. Suddenly something behind them made Jess let out a scream and she held Mali in a tightened grip. The man behind them began to scream and shout in Thai at them and Phil just let up a hand saying they would move. A moment later, he grabbed for Jess to step aside just as Stu got hit in the head by a thrown shoe. Just as they reached halfway down the street, Alan stopped and let out the best words they could ever hear.

"Whoa Whoa! Guys check it out."

There before their eyes was Stu and Jess in a shared photo with noticeable tattoos. Jess looked at herself; her body pressed against Stu's like she was his wife or something, and saw the tattoo was on her lower side. Stu's hands were holding her bottom and she seemed to be straddling him oddly. The tattoo though was the one she had before, but it had much more detail. Lifting her top, she noticed it now had a wreath wrapped around the star but there was more that she couldn't see beyond her shoulder.

"Holy shit Stu! Look!" Phil let out loudly pointing to the male covered with a face tattoo resembling Mike Tyson's. Jess stood Mali on her feet and lifted her top again.

"Is there something there?" she asked Mali.

"Yes," the small girl answered. "It's a star with the letters 'PJ' in it. Oh and a pretty rose wreath!"

"That's my face!" screamed Stu staring blankly at the photo of them. Stu seemed to noticed what Jess had and let out a groan.

"I hope this never gets online. I will get sued for sexual harassment. I just know it!"

"Only if Jess presses charges," muttered Phil.

"But there are other employees who notice how I treat Jess, which is not above anyone else, but they think we are actually fucking," worried Stu.

"And that's a problem why?" smirked Phil knowing he was not fucking Jess, but he had and it was fantastic….

"I have been approached by several of the older women asking that Phil. But I tell them all the same. Stu is my boss. Sorta deal breaker. Besides he's a best friend of my brother."

Caution covered her face as her eyes lingered on Phil, he seeing right through her words. Yeah, Phil was that too, except he had been her teacher. The person who taught her the education she earned. Yeah, Phil knew the lie and played his smile out without even letting Stu or Alan know.

"Yeah that didn't really apply to me, did it?" he whispered then smiling wider taking another second to look at her side, then turning to Stu.

"Shut up!" she playfully snapped at Phil first. "Let's go in already."