-8-

In Miami, Peter and Kate McCallister were on tenterhooks as they awaited the final news from the cop. They'd spent the last hour ringing up their friends and neighbours still in Chicago for any word for any sign of Megan and Kevin.

After the burglaries and property damage from last Christmas, the residents in their neighbourhood had spent the last year working on repairing their homes and making sure their security systems were replaced and refined. It cost them each a fortune. The houses had been pretty badly flooded, and it had taken a whole year for them all to be fully repaired, it was largely thanks to Kevin's efforts in catching the burglars responsible for flooding their homes the McCallisters didn't receive any resentment.

They had phoned several of their friends and neighbours rather than trust the Chicago police, after the half-assed check the year before, but none of them had seen any signs of Kevin and Megan. They had been given the phone number of the place the family would be staying and would keep watch, but they knew it was pointless.

Personally, the two parents knew it had been a long shot; Kevin was old enough to know how to raise the alarm, and if she had missed her flight, Megan would have instantly raised a stink. Neither of them would have gone home, not unless they had no choice, but even if they had then they would have answered the phone immediately and they would have been at the house when it was realised they were missing.

The cop's face was grim as he ended the call. "Merry Christmas. No sign of them."

Kate and Peter sagged. Truthfully they had lost hope. "We'll need to be in touch," the cop went on. "You have hotel rooms?"

"Yeah, I'll give you the details," Peter said as he tried to remember the address of the hotel they were booked in.

"Okay, good. Do you have a recent photo of your son and daughter?"

"I have one in my wallet," Peter reached his hand into his back pocket before his expression shifted into one of realisation. "I don't have my wallet. My wallet's in my bag. Kevin was looking in my bag at the airport, looking for batteries. He has my wallet. They have my wallet.

The cop stiffened. "Did you have credit cards in your wallet?"

"Credit cards, money... "

"That will help us a great deal, Mr and Mrs McCallister. If you give me the details, we'll notify the credit card companies. If your children have the cards, we can get a location on them when and if they use them."

"Megan would certainly know how to use a credit card, she's that age," Peter replied. "Kevin does too."

This was news to Kate. "Since when?"

"Oh, come on, Kate, you know that he's smart; besides, he would have seen me using the credit cards often enough to know how they work."

-8-

The concierge at the Plaza Hotel prided himself on being good at his job. He loved working for the hotel, and as such he took it extremely seriously and if there was one thing that he was good at, it was knowing when some things were not as they seem. For the last quarter of an hour, Mr Hector had been watching the front desk, where two children, a boy and a girl were chatting to Ms Stone. He would find out more about that later.

But there was just something not quite right about these two children. The girl was older than the boy by a few years, but they weren't carrying any substantial luggage. Only shopping bags. Nothing that would indicate a long stay.

Most people wouldn't bat an eyelid, but Mr Hector had always possessed a suspicious nature; it had helped him stop a few criminals from checking in, and his senses were never wrong.

From the corner of his eye, Mr Hector noticed Cedric was counting his tips.

"Cedric," Hector said quietly to get the irritatingly young and simple idiot's attention.

"Yes?"

"Don't count your tips in public."

"I'm sorry," Cedric hurriedly put away his tips.

But the concierge was not finished yet. "And find out everything you can about those young children. I want to know more about them.

Cedric was just nodding his head as he accepted the order - that was one of the reasons why Hector liked Cedric; for an idiotic klutz, he was good at following commands - when Ms Stone clicked her fingers and called, "Front, please!"

Stone turned to the McCallister children. "Enjoy your stay with us," she said, handing Megan and Kevin the credit card; Kevin took it and slipped it into his coat pocket, unaware his every move was being scrutinised. "Don't forget to remind your dad, when he arrives he must come down and sign a couple of things."

While she didn't like being patronised, Megan had to wonder if she and Kevin should have checked into a different hotel that wouldn't have so many other problems like this. As she was left racking her brains for any possible way she and Kevin could cover their 'father's absence, the bell boy, a young man in his 20s or late teens, it was hard to say, came over.

"Thank you, you've been helpful," Kevin thanked Ms Stone.

Megan nodded in agreement and offered her a smile even as the bellboy reached out. "May I take your bags, sir, ma'am?"

Megan handed him over her shoulder bag, while Kevin passed his backpack, and a few of their shopping bags but the siblings took the rest before they went up in the lift once the clerk had given him the details of the floor and suite they were going to.

The ride up in the lift was spent listening to Cedric giving them a summary of the most famous people - actors, businessmen, politicians, even ex-mayors, senators, and presidents to have stayed in the Plaza Hotel. Megan only paid him the slightest amount of attention; she was too tired to truly care, and she didn't need a history lesson.

"Up here to your left. Herbert Hoover once stayed on this floor," Cedric was saying.

"The vacuum guy?" Kevin asked.

Megan rolled her eyes, "No, you idiot. He's talking about the president." To her relief, they came to the room quickly. "This is one of our finest suites, sir, ma'am."

"Thank you," Megan's eyes widened as she took in the majesty of the suite.

"This is great!" Kevin gasped in awe.

Dumbstruck, the McCallisters both explored the suite.

"Wow! A huge bed just for me!"

Megan almost fell in love with her bed. It was big, and the pillows and coverings looked thick, warm, and luxurious all at the same time. She had spent a lot of time in hotels, of course - some better or some worse than others, but this took it to a whole new level. She could get used to this.

In the meantime, Kevin had found the bathroom. "Luxurious and spacious," he nodded as if he were a judge, presiding over a competition.

Megan glanced over his shoulder, adding her own words of approval about the state of the en-suite bathroom before they left and went back into the main room - she thought she saw Cedric doing something with one of their bags, but it was only for a fleeting moment she was sure she'd imagined it.

Kevin opened a cupboard door. "How convenient. Hey, Megan, come and take a look at this."

Megan went over, and she gasped when she saw the cupboard was a very small refrigerator. It was packed full of snacks, sweets, and soft drinks.

"Cool," she smiled before glancing down at her brother, smirking at his awestruck face. But her smirk disappeared when she noticed out of the corner of her eye some movement. She turned in that direction, and as she turned her vision cleared and she saw the bell boy was doing something with their bags.

But Kevin was quicker. "Hey."

The bellboy stopped and froze in his tracks. "Did you want the key in the bag? Or did you want to hang on to it?"

Annoyed with him, Megan stalked over to him. "I'll hang on to it," she declared and took the key, glaring at him suspiciously. "Why were you going through our bags?" Bluntness was one of her worst traits, but it made people realise Megan McCallister was not someone to mess with.

The bellboy, shaken by the question needed to come up with a decent excuse, "I thought I'd dropped something in one of the bags," he finally said reasonably so he wouldn't earn any more ire from the McCallister siblings than he had already.

Megan shared a look with her brother. For a long moment, they exchanged words without speaking, making Cedric nervous before they turned to him.

"Okay, if you're sure," Megan shrugged, but she made sure to take the bags away from him. "If we find anything that's not ours, we'll give it back."

"That's fine," Cedric said quickly, inwardly hoping Hector didn't murder him for this. "How's the room?" He added nervously.

"It's great, thanks."

"Everything all right?"

"Is the temperature okay?"

"It's okay," Kevin exchanged another look over at Megan, wishing he would go.

But Cedric was obstinate. He wanted to take something decent back to Hector. "Do you know how the TV works?" The moment the question was out of his mouth, the moment he wished the ground would swallow him up without leaving a trace. The looks the two were sending him were filled with quite contempt.

"I think we can manage, thank you," Megan was amazed she was able to say all of that without spitting in contempt before she gently ushered him to the door. "Now, if you don't mind… it's late. My brother and I are both tired. We're hungry and we want to freshen up. Thank you," she said as she closed the door right in his face.

She turned around, about to say something to Kevin, only to find him looking through their bags. "Did he drop anything in our bags?" She asked.

Kevin shook his head. "I haven't found anything," he replied without looking for her. He moved on to the next bag. "I found his story a bit farfetched. Did you?"

"Definitely," Megan nodded as she joined him and started checking through the bags. Both of them knew the idiot had lied, but they still checked. "What do you think he was looking for?"

"I dunno, but I don't think he did it on my initiative. He didn't strike me as the type."

Megan frowned as the horrible truth settled into her mind. "So, someone told him to do it."

"Someone is suspicious of us," Kevin said.

Megan shook her head and glared at him. "This is all your fault, Kevin. I should have checked us in…"

"Oh, and how would you have explained you had Dad's credit card?" Kevin was mindful enough to keep his voice down; while the bellboy had left the room, he could still be around. "Go on, tell me."

Megan looked down, knowing he was right.

"The story we gave out was more plausible and convincing, and it would mean the credit card wouldn't have been caught out in moments, ruining the holiday," Kevin went on, "but we need to be careful." Suddenly Kevin went through his bag and brought out a plastic bundle.

"What's that, Kevin?" Megan asked curiously before he flipped the bundle over and she shuddered when she saw the tacky and disgusting clown face. "Where the hell did you get that thing?" She demanded.

"Grandma," Kevin said, not bothering to clarify although he didn't need to. Megan grimaced, wondering if Grandma Penelope would be better off with a chart detailing the ages of all of her kids. It hadn't been so bad when she and Buzz had both been younger, but as their parents had more kids it had become harder and harder for her to not only remember the names and birthdays, but it was also tricky for the old dear to realise her grandkids were growing up.

"What are you going to do with that?" Megan knew her brother usually threw their grandma's presents away. He'd likely hoped to find a bin far from Chicago so he could get rid of it while dealing with his conscience.

"I think I might have found a use for it after all," Kevin smirked.

-8-

Later, Megan was sitting reading a book by the pool. She had splurged on a nice little facial and a massage, delighted that the Plaza Hotel had those facilities.

"Would you mind if I worked on my cannonballs?" Kevin's voice cut through her blissful silence, and Megan sighed. To her delight, Kevin had directed the question towards a couple of men in a jacuzzi. Megan's jaw tensed and twisted when she saw their interested looks at her brother, and she was about to snap protectively when they shrugged.

"No."

"Thanks!"

Megan, meanwhile winced, "Kevin," she began, but it was too late. Her brother raced towards the pool and there was a huge splash. But as Kevin swam off, he left something behind.

"Oh, my God!" Megan averted her eyes in embarrassment as Kevin's swimming shorts slipped off, exposing his backside.

"Yikes!" Kevin fortunately got there and snatched them up.

-8-

Apart from that little debacle, Megan and Kevin had both had a wonderful time so far. They'd had a lovely meal and they'd had a lovely time talking after his…interesting swim. Megan had enjoyed having time with her brother, just him and her, and she regretted not spending much time with him after the heartbreak she'd gone through last Christmas. She had nearly died, wondering what kind of scrapes her little brother could have gone through before they got back from Paris.

Right now they were watching a movie in their room, with one of the room service staff preparing some ice cream. Megan…was not too sure about Kevin's choice of film; she hadn't liked the original Angels with Filthy Souls movie, and she was…far from impressed with Kevin's choice. She would have preferred something a bit nicer, a little less…seedy, a little less gross but it was Kevin's turn for the choice, hers was for tomorrow. And as long as she only had to watch the piece of trash once, that was fine with her.

As the dramatic movie was playing, Megan smiled as she hugged Kevin, who was cuddling into her chest, looking happy.

"This is a vacation," he said.

"I hope so," Megan smiled.

"Hold it right there!" The gangster spat, holding a cigar.

"It's me, Johnny," the woman, the floozy, the moll, said.

"I knew it was you," Johnny sneered, "I could smell you getting off the elevator."

Megan sighed, she did need to chat with her brother about his movie tastes. He didn't seem to have any.

"Two scoops, sir?" The room service guy asked.

"Two? Make it three, I'm not driving," Kevin said.

Megan gaped at him and nudged him. "Be nice, Kevin, say please."

"Megan-," Kevin said.

Megan glared at him. "Kevin!"

Kevin dropped his gaze and turned to the room service guy. "Sorry about that, may I have three scoops of ice cream, please?"

The room service guy obliged, but Megan caught his smile of thanks. She smiled back, and passed the bowl to Kevin, raising her brow at how much he wanted, when they had turned the suite into an ice cream parlour that looked like it had gone through a category 5 tornado. Her bowl was next to her, but she was waiting for Kevin to get his…substantial order before she tucked in.

"It's Gardenias, Johnny," the moll tried to excuse, but it was obvious it wasn't going to work, "your favourite."

"You was here last night too, wasn't you?"

"I was singing at the Blue Monkey last night."

"She was not," Kevin said loudly, "She was smooching your brother."

Megan rolled her eyes.

"You was here, and you was smooching with my brother," Johnny spat accusingly, making Megan turn towards her brother suspiciously. "Have you seen this part?" She asked him.

"No," Kevin said too quickly, but Megan was not in the mood to say anything else.

"That's a dirty lie!" The moll argued.

"See?" Kevin said smugly, making Megan roll her eyes again and look upwards, wondering why her little brother loved movies like this.

"Don't give me that." Johnny spat, "You been smooching with everybody! Snuffy, Al, Leo, Little Moe with the gimpy leg, Cheeks, Boney Bob, Cliff… I could go on forever, baby."

"You have me all wrong!"

"All right. I believe you," Johnny said amiably before he bent down and pulled out his Tommy gun. "But my Tommy gun don't!"

Megan rolled her eyes again, wondering why gangster movies were always the same, no matter what.

"Johnny! You're the only duck in my pond!" The moll tried desperately to save herself.

"Get down on your knees and tell me you love me."

"Baby! I'm over the moon for you!"

"You gotta do better than that!"

"If my love was an ocean, Lindy'd have to take two planes to get across it."

Megan had never thought much of the original movie, especially since the main gangster, Johnny, seemed to love blasting people away with that stupid Tommy gun. "Maybe I'm off my hinges, but I believe you. That's why I'm gonna you go. I'm gonna give you till the count of three, to get your lousy… … lying… … lowdown, four-flushing carcass out my door!"

"She's rat bait."

Megan shook her head. That was obvious.

"One! Two!" Johnny cackled as he fired his gun, cackling insanely like a lunatic. "Three! Merry Christmas, you filthy animal. And a Happy New Year."

Megan turned to eye Kevin. "Kev, I think we need to talk about your tastes in movies."