The Devil's Triangle: Trapped on the Obsidian Rosemary

By Xandra

Chapter One: Ghost Ship

****

"I hate boats," Wufei scowled.

Trowa looked up from his labors readying the great sails of Quatre's brand- new sailboat. A smirk played across his lips as a familiar braided American leapt onto the back of the complaining boy standing on the dock. He shook his head, rolling his eyes, then went back to his task.

"Aww, c'mon, Wu-man! Live a bit!"

"ONE of us won't be LIVING very long is he keeps jumping on people," the Asian pilot spat, throwing him off. "You do that again and I'll launch you off the deck before you can say--"

"Hee~chan!" Duo interrupted, pointing at Heero as he arrived on the dock. He jumped to his feet and glomped his bitter lover.

Quatre snickered. "Aww...how sweet."

The stoic young man lay still on his back for a moment, frowning. "Duo..."

"I believe I just covered this," Wufei sighed, smacking a hand to his forehead. "You keep jumping on people and you're not going to reach the age of consent..."

Duo sat up, absently straddling his koibito's spandex-masked lap as he looked back over his shoulder at Wufei. "What's that?"

"Twenty-one, Duo," Quatre said, gently, as he assisted his own lover in adjusting the controls of his ship, sweetly dubbed the Jade Prince, after the aforementioned young man.

"Thought it was eighteen," Trowa whispered.

"For Duo?"

"Good point."

"Oh. Well, Heero would never hurt me." He paused, frowning, then looked down at the boy he was seated upon. "Would you?"

Heero's mouth opened, a snide comment very visibly in the chamber to be fired, but Duo's violet eyes suddenly grew wide and began to shine, and the perfect soldier reacted as if he'd been shot. His mouth shut and he was silent.

Duo sniffled. "Heero?"

Slowly, he sighed and let his head hit the ground. A weak, defeated smile crossed his face. "Of course not."

"See?" the braided boy sneered at Wufei, who rolled his eyes. "Told ya!" Then, he turned and kissed his boyfriend, who had just managed to prop himself up on his elbows.

Quatre smiled. "I think this is a good idea," he said, leaning his head briefly against Trowa's broad shoulder. "I mean, it isn't like Wufei, Duo and Heero couldn't use a break."

"Right as usual, Little One," Trowa agreed, wrapping his arms around him and holding him close. He smiled as the little blonde snuggled into his chest, grasping the soft material of his T-shirt. He checked his watch, then tapped a finger to his love's lips. "Open."

Quatre smirked, then took his long, slender digit and ran his tongue expertly over the callused tip, wetting it effectively.

Trowa allowed this to continue for a moment while Wufei stared out across the water and Heero and Duo made out, then held it up to test the wind. "Right. Come on, guys, we have to get going."

Duo jumped up from his perch astride Heero's lap and leapt from the dock onto the deck of the medium-sized, white, red-and-emerald-trimmed boat. He skipped happily around the starboard-side deck and up onto the main platform with the wheel. "C'mon, Hee-chan! Let's go!"

Heero got up and jumped aboard, then reached for the mooring and paused, looking around for Wufei. "We're missing someone. I'll be back." He disembarked and quickly jogged off down the dock to the shore, where a five- foot eight Asian was quickly making his escape. The perfect soldier bolted off after him and dragged him back by his ponytail, fighting and swearing in Chinese. "Watch your language," he spat.

Duo laughed and Trowa smirked, but Quatre just sighed. "If he doesn't want to come, he doesn't have to..."

"Put me down, Yuy! I'm warning you! I could kick your ass any day!"

Click-CLICK. Wufei stopped arguing as the cold steel of Heero's gun came in contact with his nose. "Let's SEE you kick my ass, Chang. I dare you. I'm DAMN sure that my trigger finger is quicker than your fist, and my GUN is much more dangerous to your face than your karate to my body."

Wufei sighed and put his hands up. "Fine, fine. Whatever, but I'm staying in my chair the whole time."

Quatre sighed. "Am I invisible?"

"Of course not," Trowa said, hugging him. "The scenery would be less breathtaking if that were the case."

The blonde smiled. "Sweet-talker."

"What can I say? I'm Latin; it's in my blood."

Wufei boarded with Heero and Old Betsy escorting him and Trowa took up the helm, gently moving Duo from his spot.

"Right then," the Silencer said, stretching. The act made his tight T-shirt hike up slightly, revealing a good section of his bare abdomen in the process, making Quatre grin. "Off we go. Everything ready? Supplies?"

"Got food," Duo said.

Quatre nodded. "Got supplies."

"Sails set?"

Duo jumped up and pulled the cord, causing the great white sails to tumble down. He and Quatre tied them off. "Set an' ready, cap'n!" the braided boy said with a cheap salute and a bad pirate accent. Quatre giggled.

Trowa smirked. "Crew?"

Duo and Quatre saluted and Heero did a quick, half-hearted one. He tapped the gun on Wufei's head. "All accounted for," the Japanese boy intoned, flatly.

"Good! Well, let's get this trip on, then!"

Duo pulled the mooring and Heero kicked the boat away from the shore while Quatre angled the sails correctly to catch the wind just right. As the boat shot off, the American wailed with child-like laughter, jumping into his partner's arms. "Whoo-hoo! Off we go on an adventure!"

"Hyper, aren't you?" Quatre asked, smiling tolerantly.

"I LOVE boats!"

"Apparently," Trowa said, smirking as he steered the beautiful craft carefully out to sea. "Then say goodbye to Bermuda."

Duo hugged Heero, beaming. "This is gonna be so great! What a great idea!"

"Yeah," Wufei muttered, flatly. He sat back in his chair, folding his arms and scowling. "Wake me when it's over."

Moving the boat away from the port, Trowa paused as his eyes passed momentarily over a craft coming back in from a similar direction nearby. It was a sailboat with holed sails, weathered yellow and orange paint, several parts of its railings missing and the title "The Depri" in scratched paint printed on the mended back of it. The crew was missing, excluding a single person, the captain, at the helm. He was ragged and wearing (from what he could see) thrashed jeans, a torn tank and no shoes, his hair slicked back and deep brown. They passed each other, and Trowa and he exchanged a glance from fifty yards. Something flashed across his face that was indiscernible before the boat disappeared behind the cove nearby. That was odd!

He quickly brushed it aside, more out of slight unease than disinterest.

Quatre sighed. "I'm sorry, Wufei," he said, softly, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I just wanted you to take a break...but if you don't want to come..."

"You can swim back to shore," Heero finished.

Trowa glanced back over his shoulder at the fading coastline. //Good luck!// he thought.

Wufei scowled. "Damn it, I should be working."

Duo put his hands on his shoulders. "Aww, c'mon, Wu. It isn't like your beloved DEAD people are going to DESERT you while you come on a little cruise with us."

"Maxwell," he sighed, pushing him away and shaking his head. "I am a forensic scientist. Do you know what that means?"

"Uh..." the amethyst eyes dilated with thought, then he smiled and shrugged. "You cut open dead people?"

Trowa laughed despite himself, and Quatre shook his head, snickering at his foolish friend's comment.

Wufei growled. "I inspect the bodies of murder victims in an attempt to find cause of death and their killers. That is a very significant occupation."

"Oh." Duo shrugged. "Well, it's not like they're complaining."

"But my superiors will be."

"Tell them to kiss your ass."

He scowled. "Yes, and I'd be kissing the curb. I have a good job, Maxwell, unlike YOU. At least *I* don't need another man to take care of ME."

"You say that like you actually HAVE someone."

"That's enough," Heero barked. "This is supposed to be a vacation, not a verbal boxing match. Both of you can be silent or you'll ride in a separate craft."

Wufei and Duo exchanged glances. "What?"

"Yeah, I have an old washtub aboard," Trowa said, catching Heero's drift, "And a length of rope. If you two would like to split that little dinghy for the rest of the trip, keep it up. This was going to be Quatre's and my own trip to spend some time alone, but we chose to include you, and if you interfere, you will be taken care of. Are we clear, boys?"

Wufei grumbled and sat back in his seat, folding his arms, and Duo sighed, nodding. "Yeah."

"Sorry, guys."

****

That night, four of the five pilots decided that something a little more entertaining than watching dolphins tail the boat was in order (though Duo had really gotten a kick out of those cute little things). Heero and Duo took to the back deck of the boat and laid out under the stars while Trowa and Quatre checked the maps and their course. Wufei remained in his chair, as he had been for the last seven hours or so.

Quatre finally beamed and marked an area on the map, writing the date next to it. "Here we are," he said. "Right in this general area."

"Very good job," Trowa said, smiling and kissing his love's forehead. "You'll be able to plot the course home at this rate within a few hours."

The blonde sighed. "This isn't half as easy as you make it look."

"I know, but once you get the hang of it--"

"LOOK!"

Trowa paused and looked back over his shoulder at the scene on the back deck. Duo was pointing out various constellations and Heero was patiently listening, agreeing that they were beautiful. //Well, that's special.//

"That's Orion," the brunette was saying. "He was either an archer or a warrior...he reminds me of you, Hee-chan!"

Heero smirked. "A cluster of burning gas balls remind you of me?"

Duo frowned. "You know, you take the fun out of star-gazing."

"I'm sorry," the perfect soldier said, kissing his stubborn koi on the forehead. "Ai shiteiru."

"Aww...I love you too..."

Trowa smiled and Quatre cooed. "Isn't that sweet, 'Rowa?"

"Very." He leaned over the table and kissed his lover on the forehead. "Having fun yet?"

Quatre smiled. "Yes...this is great so far..." Then, his smile disappeared and a look of void concentration crossed his face.

Trowa blinked. "Empathy flash?"

He nodded, putting a hand to his chest as the taller young man circled to his side of the table and enfolded him in his arms. "Yes...it was sort of a tight feeling on my heart..."

"Like fear?"

Quatre looked up at Wufei, who wore a narrow look on his face. "Yes...sort of..."

"I sense tomorrow that I'll regret not having brought my cell phone." He buried his nose in his book again.

Trowa frowned with distaste. Wufei's opinion was easy to omit, but Quatre's empathy flashes usually signified that something was going to happen, bad or good depending on how it felt. He checked the sails, noting that the winds had changed. Something was definitely not right here.

****

In the morning, Quatre made breakfast for everyone and they ate on the front deck, Trowa keeping a hand on the wheel as the cold morning wind roared around them. Duo was wrapped in a blanket in Heero's lap, because he had finished long before everyone else, and Wufei was in his chair, professing to be fasting because he was grouchy.

As soon as breakfast was finished and the dishes taken care of, Heero took his whining love to the starboard side of the boat to allow him a view of the dolphins coasting alongside and orca whales spy hopping nearby.

"You know, they called them killer whales originally," Heero commented, dryly.

"But they don't kill people," Duo retorted. "They eat penguins and fish and tend to kick the asses of sharks, so they're cool."

Trowa sighed, rolling his eyes, then smiled as Quatre joined him at the helm, hugging his arm. "Lovely morning, isn't it?" the blonde asked.

"Just got lovelier."

Quatre smirked at him. "You suck up too much."

"Nope, I just state the truth."

"This is what I get for falling in love with a clever, LATIN man."

Trowa smiled. "You enjoy it, so don't complain."

"Who's complaining?"

Suddenly, the Chinese pilot whom had been so docile for the last fourteen hours reacted, standing and walking to the stern of the boat. He looked out across the water. "The air pressure is dropping," he said, flatly, "there's a storm on the way." He turned and looked narrowly at Trowa, who now spotted the large bank of black clouds rolling their way. "I suggest you get the sails down and put him inside. This won't be pretty." With that said, he turned and went down under the deck into the kitchen, where he turned and redirected for the cabins in the hull.

Trowa blinked, then looked at Quatre, who got the picture. The blonde took off across the deck. "Heero! Duo! There's a storm on the way! We have to get everything ready!"

He quickly checked the dials and gages, realizing that he would have seen the change in the barometric pressure had he been paying attention. //This won't be good.//

There was a cry and he immediately looked back to see Duo holding Quatre in an awkward position.

"Whew! Lucky I'm quick or you woulda went over, Q!"

Lucky indeed! Trowa quickly whistled to Heero, who came hastily. "Take the wheel, I have to get the sails down."

"Roger."

He quickly mounted the roof of the cabin and set to work unlacing the sails, but to little avail. They were knotted somehow. "Damn. I'll have to cut the ropes."

"Trowa, wind's picking up!" Heero called.

It was. Trowa watched with shock as a gust of icy wind ripped out of no where, striking him with such force that it was like he had hit a wall. He grabbed onto the roof and held on, pulling himself low to avoid getting blown off.

"AAAAIIIEEE!"

Trowa's hand snapped out and caught Duo's braid as he and Quatre went skating past, forced by the strong air current.

"OWW!"

Quatre hastily grabbed onto the roof and grabbed Duo's arm, allowing Trowa to release his plait of hair. "Where did this come from?!" he cried over the whipping wind.

"I don't know!"

"MAN!" Duo exclaimed, grabbing Trowa's foot as another gust threatened to sweep him away. "THIS FIGURES!"

And then, the storm was upon them. The rain poured down in sheets of icy water, the force of it alone threatening to sink the boat, and the wind threw the little craft around like a beach ball between the mountainous waves. Trowa quickly went to his task of getting the sails down, because, at least that way, the wind wouldn't capsize the boat and they would have more a chance of surviving.

"Trowa!" Heero called over the storm. "The controls are fine, but the compass keeps changing!"

"A lightning storm!" he hissed, angrily, hauling with all his might on the ropes. They were stuck. "Just what we need!"

Duo skidded away from Quatre as the boat lurched forward, but Heero caught his braid and pulled him up onto the wheel platform with him, holding him tightly around the waist.

"Trowa! Those damn sails will sink us!"

"I KNOW!" He slammed a fist against the roof of the lower cabin. "WUFEI! GET UP HERE AND HELP US!"

As the boat lurched again, Wufei gracefully skated onto the deck, his famous large-bladed katana strapped to his hip. He jumped onto the roof next to Trowa, catching him as he suddenly slipped. "Get up in the rigging and see if you can't get these damn things down without ruining the boat," he commanded.

Trowa sighed, nodding, then kicked off his boots and quickly set off up the mast of the sailboat, being thankful for his slight weight. He was careful to keep his balance in synch with that of the boat's tossing, because if he leaned in the same direction that it leaned, he would overturn it. When it leaned toward him, he swung around and leaned back to balance it out, and when it leaned away, he hung back. It was difficult to keep this up while climbing a wet, smooth pole with the wind whipping all around and chaos roaring below, but he had no choice.

He got to the top and quickly set his talented fingers to work at the knots in the rigging holding the sails to the top of the mast. If he undid these, they would fall, but they could be put back if they survived. Otherwise, the sails could be ruined, and Quatre wouldn't like that.

Before the knot came, the boat pitched again and loomed dangerously close to the water.

Trowa quickly ditched his labors and threw all his weight back, throwing his legs around the mast and hauling back with all his might. "DUO, QUATRE, WUFEI!"

From below, Duo slid across the soaked deck with Wufei and both of them went to the side he indicated, throwing their weight against that side of it. It stopped tipping and stood upright again.

//Where's Quatre?// He paused to look for him, but nature didn't give him time to locate his love, because seconds later a bolt of searing hot lightning struck amazingly close to him, scorching the sleeve of his over- shirt. //Shit! That was close! I had better get down...//

There was another blast of lightning and a frightened cry that drew his eyes. They darted to the area just in time to see Quatre go overboard.

His heart stopped. "Quatre!"

Duo looked, then stripped off his jacket and bolted across the wet deck, leaping gracefully into the water after him.

Heero jumped. "Duo! Damn it, Trowa, get the sails down or we'll lose them both!"

"I can't! The knots are stuck!"

Wufei growled and leapt back onto the roof of the lower cabin, pulling his sword. "Fuck this! Quatre likes his boat, but his life his more important right now!" He cut the ropes.

They fell limply against the mast and Trowa quickly slid down, bolting across the deck and looking over the edge, his hands clasping his chest. //Please, if there is a God, save him!//

~

//Damn it,// Duo thought. //Where IS he?//

Here beneath the waves it was much more calm and serene than it was topside, but that was no relief. Quatre was down here somewhere, because he hadn't surfaced, and he HAD to find him.

A blast of lightning crashed above, lighting up the dark water, and a glitter of pale color from far below him caught his eye. Quatre was sinking!

Duo quickly surfaced for a breath, then dove down after the fading figure. He couldn't let Quatre drown, he just couldn't. He was his best friend! //I have GOT to save him!//

Nearby, his eyes caught on a huge, bulky form moving through the water, and Duo felt his heart pause in mid-beat at the sight. He couldn't make it out, but it was BIG. Likely to be a shark, or maybe a whale. He ignored it and continued down after the blonde.

Quatre wasn't slowing, and his own swimming ability was okay, but not good enough to keep up with him. His lungs hurt already. He was going to lose him!

Then, something amazing happened. The dark form dove down and disappeared into the darkness, only to surface once again with Quatre hooked limply over its dorsal fin. It was an orca! It came up under Duo and scooped him up too, then surfaced.

Duo quickly caught his breath, then grabbed Quatre as the whale sunk again. //Geez, thanks, man! That was amazing!//

The boat was pretty close by, but something felt dangerously bad. Quatre was still limp in his arms, and he wasn't breathing. "Trowa!" he called to the boy on deck. "He's not breathing!"

Trowa grabbed a large lifesaver on a long rope and pitched it to him, ringing him instantly. The thin young man hauled them in, carting them along with the rocking boat. He pulled them aboard.

Duo ignored his soaked and uncomfortable state and immediately started pumping Quatre's chest with all his might, hoping to force his lungs into life. Trowa sat at his right, looking desperate to help. "Trowa, you breathe for him!" Duo loved Quatre, but he was sure the blonde would rather his lover did it.

"Right," he said, softly. He parted Quatre's pale lips and put his own over them for a moment before letting go. He repeated the action again without any result.

Though it was pouring buckets, Duo was sure that he could see tears staining Trowa's pale cheeks as he set to pumping the smaller boy's chest some more.

Heero was still at the wheel, and the current was so strong that Wufei had to help him handle it. Both of them got pitched to the ground.

//This ain't good.//

Suddenly, as Trowa breathed for him again, Quatre began to sputter and cough up water. "Quatre!"

"Wha--hap--pened--?" he choked between coughs.

Trowa went to answer, then gasped and grabbed the blonde as the boat pitched again, violently knocking them all back against the cabin. Wufei and Heero nearly went overboard, but caught the portside railing and held onto it tightly. "Damn this storm!" he hissed.

Duo skidded to the portside and grasped Heero's hands, pulling him aboard, then grabbed Wufei as well and pulled him up as his love took up the wheel again. "This blows, man! I wish it would just STOP!"

Suddenly, the rain thinned and stopped, and the wind cut off. It was still very dark, thanks to the clouds, but other than that, the storm was over.

Duo blinked as every eye hit him in the silently swaying boat. All he could think to say at the time was, "WHAT?"

~

Trowa quickly turned his attention back to his baby, who was shivering in his saturated clothing. He quickly scooped him up and took him below deck into the main bunk room, where he hastily stripped him of the wet garments and wrapped him in a huge, plush towel.

"Tro-chan..."

He kissed the damp forehead of his angel, cradling him in his arms silently and thanking God that he was alive.

"Trowa..." Quatre reached up and pulled gently at the wet sleeve of his shirt. "You're all wet..."

As if that was important. He was so caring, even though he had looked oblivion in the face. He held him closer, sighing. "I was afraid I'd lost you..." he breathed in his ear. "Oh, Quatre, I was scared--for the first time in so long I was terrified, and I never want to feel that again."

Quatre ran his cold, damp fingers through Trowa's wet hair, whipping it back out of his face and revealing both of his beautiful green eyes. "Trowa...I..."

"Hush now, Little One," he sighed, holding him close. "Rest..."

"How did I get back on the boat?"

"Duo went in after you..."

Quatre smiled, nuzzling his chest. "My best friend is your hero then, and mine."

Trowa sighed, nodding. He was more than grateful to Duo for giving him back his angel and saving his life, but in the same sense, he couldn't help but hate him. //But *I* wanted to be your hero...//

"Trowa."

He looked up to see Wufei standing in the doorway, wet, like all the rest of them. "You might want to come up here and see this."

****

"The dials...they're all...spinning..." Quatre gasped as Trowa brought him out into the dim daylight.

Indeed they were. The compass was going around and around, and the gas gage for the emergency electric motor kept bouncing up, then down, then up again. The radar was flashing all over the place, then blacking out, then flashing again, and if it weren't for the fact that the system was glitching, one might think they were being attacked by ghosts, the way they kept changing.

"The motor won't start," Wufei said, flatly.

"Something must be wrong with the system," Trowa muttered.

"It's not just that," Heero said. He held up Duo's left hand, indicating the black traditional watch strapped there. The minute hand kept rotating and the hour hand kept jumping, while the second hand was frozen in place.

Trowa blinked. "Um...maybe it was the water that made it do that."

Duo flipped his wrist over and unstrapped the watch, then showed Trowa the inner side of the band, which clearly said in silver caps WATERPROOF DIVER'S WRISTWATCH.

Heero held out his own wrist, where his own chronograph was positioned. The numbers were flashing violently, first four of the number eight, then a twelve and seventy one. Then, it flickered off. It did this several times, flashing strange parts of numbers and odd codes. "This watch is hooked to a government satellite, and the only way this thing can malfunction is if the satellite comes down--which has not happened because there is still an EARTH--or if there is a violent electrical interference, and no storm could cause one violent enough to make it glitch this way."

He was silent. He couldn't think up a logical excuse for this strange activity, and that bugged him. First, the storm had come out of no where, only to stop twenty minutes later on a whim. Then, the boat had lost all control over its mechanics and anything else electric or battery powered had conked out. With a sigh, he grabbed the radio, but as he flipped though the channels, there wasn't even static.

"Dead," Wufei sighed. "Trowa, we've tried everything, and nothing works. The motor, the stove, the microwave, the outlets, the radio, the controls and the emergency radio are all out, along with Heero's cell phone and my pager. Everything is gone."

He sighed, smacking the handset down. "Damn it, this doesn't make sense! The storm couldn't have knocked everything out this way."

"Trowa..."

He turned to see Quatre leaning against his dripping best friend, a hand over his chest. "Empathy flash?"

He nodded. "Yes..."

Trowa sighed, then started checking the channels again. He kicked the control panel.

Suddenly, the static started.

Duo blinked. "Well, there's something to be said for mechanical abuse!"

He sighed, then quickly grabbed the handset. "S.O.S., this is the sailboat Jade Prince. I repeat, this is the Jade Prince. If anyone can here this, we are stranded. Our instruments are out and we need help."

There was a response, but it was garbled to the point that not one of them could understand a word of it, except possibly "be stared," but that made no real sense. Then, the radio died completely.

Trowa sighed, dropping the handset again. "Well, that was pointless. Heero, could you go check the engine room, please?"

He nodded. "Come on, Duo."

The American nodded and grabbed a toolbox, then the two disappeared down into the bottom of the boat.

Wufei sighed and strode silently to the stern, leaning on the railing and looking out over the open ocean. The sky was now a uniform gray, bland and ugly, and the water was so calm it was hard to tell it wasn't just a picture or a prop-up set they were staring at. It was just water for miles and miles around. There weren't even dolphins or whales anywhere in the distance. No seagulls, no sound, no SKY for crying out loud. It was all so...eerie. "I'll keep a look out for any ships," he said, finally. He looked back at Quatre and Trowa. "God knows we just woke up probably not even two hours ago, but Quatre should rest, and Trowa, when night falls, those of us who don't scare easily will have to be up taking shifts. Go downstairs, take a nap. Relax a while."

Trowa smiled, weakly, as Quatre fell limp against his chest. "Thanks, Wufei. This is strangely nice of you."

"Eh, get down there and get some rest. I can handle it."

He sighed, wrapping an arm around his weak koi, then scooped him up and took him down the stairs to the bunks. He laid him out on one of the bottom bunks, then climbed up himself and put his head against his soft tummy, smiling as Quatre's hands dove into his partially-damp hair. "Adoramus te, mi amor."

Quatre smiled. "Latin? What does it mean?"

"I adore you, my love."

The blonde snickered. "You're too good to me."

Trowa sighed as those soft, talented hands began to gently massage his scalp, relaxing him immensely. "Okay," he groaned into his lover's stomach, receiving a giggle in return, "WHO is too good to WHOM?"

"I want you to relax now that we're safe, and I'm trying to help."

"I understand that," he sighed. "But I don't feel safe trying to s--ohhh, that feels good..." Quatre's hands had moved to the back of his neck and begun massaging the tense muscles of his nape.

Quatre sighed. "Sleep, Trowa."

He gladly obliged. After that mind-racking, traumatic dance with death, he was exhausted. He had almost lost his love, his friends and the boat, as well as his own life. That was just TOO much excitement. Sure, Gundam piloting was much more dangerous, but piloting a mobile suit was easier, because when one was doing so, they knew they had control of what happened, life or death. When things were in the hands of fate, nothing was certain.

Like now, for instance. They had no way of getting anywhere and just had to pray that either the wind picked up or someone found them. They could all die of starvation or exposure, or they could come across an island and catch a ride back to Bermuda...either way, there was no way to tell.

As the sweet darkness of sleep swept over him, Trowa unconsciously nuzzled the blonde pilot's stomach and hugged him. "I love you."

"I love you more."

He couldn't argue, because before his mouth was open again, he was asleep...

Then, seemingly seconds later, his eyes were open again and he was alone on the bed. He was awake? How long had he been asleep, and what had woken him?

For that matter...where was Quatre?

"Trowa."

He looked up. Oh. There he was, and Duo too. They were standing and looking at him. "What is it?" he asked, dumbly.

Duo gestured to him. "Come on, Wufei said he spotted something weird on the horizon. Might be another boat. If it is, we can get back."

Quatre gave him a hand up and allowed him to lean against him as they ascended the stairs. The blue-eyed boy smiled at him. "Your hair is standing out like a Chinese paper fan."

Trowa sighed, then ran a hand through his hair, pushing the bang back out of his face momentarily before allowing it to fall back down again in its natural style. It was so used to being this way that it was sort of a reset action to make it return to this--brushing it back. Strange, but it worked.

They reached the deck and were met by Wufei and Heero. The sails were up again somehow and they were moving. The Japanese pilot was at the wheel and the Chinese pilot standing at the his place on the stern deck, and just beyond him, floating motionless on the surface of the ocean, was a huge ship. It seemed to be old, but not too old. Perhaps it was an old tanker, or maybe cruise ship. The question was, what was it doing way out here?

"What's that?" Quatre asked, softly. Trowa felt his hand being squeezed.

Wufei had located a telescope somehow and he was standing still, looking at the large craft in the distance. They were maybe half a mile away from it now. "It's a ship, all right," he said. "It's ancient, but it looks seaworthy. If it's still in good condition, we might have a chance to get out of here. It may have good instruments, or possibly some supplies. Maybe even a radio."

"What's that printed on the side?" Trowa asked, squinting in an attempt to make out the words on it.

Wufei turned a bit to the text on the upper side of the ship. "It says Obsidian Rosemary. This is a cruise ship."

"How can you tell?" Duo asked.

"No tanker or navy captain with any self-respect would christen a ship with such a gaudy name."

Well, THAT made sense. Now that they were closer still, Trowa could make out large pipes protruding from the deck of the large vessel, signifying that it was probably a 1920 steam ship, used for commercial publicity. The Titanic had been much like this, but the coloring was different. The outer shell of the hull was a pitch black, and the rest of it was an odd gray that might have been white at one time, decorated with thin paintings of colorful flowers that were faded. All things considered, it was in great condition, but once again, the question of why it was here and not in a museum arose. It didn't make sense!

Of course, things had stopped making sense this morning.

Duo got a length of rope from the supply kit as they came up close to the monstrous liner. It really WAS huge. It made the Jade Prince look like a spec, and that sailboat was a good thirty-two feet long at least. It was like a hotwheels car versus a MONSTER TRUCK. The braided boy made a lasso with the rope, fastening one side of it to their boat, and managed to hook it on the giant rusty anchor hanging half-cast, maybe twenty feet above them. Near it was an old steel ladder that led the rest of the way up onto the boat. "Well, going up?"

"Oh no," Quatre said, shaking his head. "I am NOT going up there!"

"C'mon, Q. You aren't afraid of heights, are you?"

"Well, no," he started, tensely. "B-but--"

Duo beamed, then cut him off. "Good! Let's go!" He quickly loosened his shoulders, then grabbed onto the rope.

Before Quatre could say anything, Heero caught his boy by his braid. "Wait."

"Hmm? What? You agreed with Wufei that we should check it out!"

"I'm going first, because I'm armed."

"Good point."

Trowa narrowed his eyes. "Hold it! WHO agreed to WHAT? No one asked Quatre or I our opinions!"

"You were sleeping," Wufei said with an indifferent shrug. "We were going to leave you a note and come back."

"What if its unstable in there?" Quatre asked. "It looks ancient. If you went in there and got hurt, what would we do?"

"You'd survive."

"WUFEI!" Quatre cried, looking hysterical. "We CANNOT go up there! It's unsafe!"

The Altron pilot rolled his eyes. "BREATHING in this world is unsafe, Quatre. If we just keep floating, we'll die. At least if we go up there we'll have somewhat of a chance. Stay here if you want, we're going up." He turned to Heero, who was already stretching. "After you."

"Thank you." He jumped and caught the rope in his hands, then began slowly and carefully began climbing the rope. Duo waited a moment, then hurried and followed him.

"Nice view, Hee-chan."

"Fuck you."

"Yes, please."

Wufei scowled, looking away as the American and Japanese boys quickly headed up the rope. "You two coming?"

Trowa looked at his love, who looked worried. He himself knew that there was no other choice for them, so he sighed and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll be there to protect you."

Quatre looked at him, his wide, innocent eyes shining with fear, but he nodded. He was much stronger than many knew. "All right."

"As soon as they get off the rope," Wufei said, "you and Quatre can get up there, Trowa. Too many at a time and it might break, and THAT would be dangerous."

"You'll go last?"

"Just to be sure you all get up all right."

Quatre smiled. "I'd hug you but you'd probably hit me."

Wufei shook his head, then looked up as Duo's voice echoed down.

"WHOA! LOOK AT THIS VIEW!" The brunette boy was standing on the anchor, holding its neck and looking out across the ocean. He waved down to them.

"Duo, get over here," Heero barked from the ladder. He was hanging back with one hand grasping a metal rung as he looked at his koibito. "NOW."

"Okay, I'm coming, I'm coming!" Duo hopped carefully from the anchor and onto the ladder beneath Heero, his nose bumping his lower back. He blinked. "Could ya speed it up, Hee-chan? I like your ass, but not that much."

"I'd tell you to bite me, but considering where you're head is positioned, I think it would be in my best interests to refrain."

Duo shrugged. "Whatever THAT meant."

Heero rolled his eyes, then started off up the ladder.

Wufei gestured to the rope. "Quatre first."

"ME?" he squeaked. "Why ME?"

"If you slip, Trowa can catch you."

"Oh..." The blonde swallowed hard, then cracked his knuckles and carefully mounted the rope. He looked back at Trowa. "You WILL catch me, right?"

He nodded. "Of course, Little One."

Quatre sighed, looking worried, then started to climb.

Trowa looked at Wufei, who was adjusting the handle of his katana so it lay flat against his hip. "What if YOU fall?"

"I can swim."

He shrugged. Wufei was very set in his ways, and attempting to change his mind on anything was insane. "All right, then."

"Trowa..."

He looked up at Quatre, who was stuck about halfway up the rope (about a bit more than the height of an average room above his head). "What's the matter, love?"

"I'm afraid...please, hurry up..."

He sighed. "Quatre, I want you to slide back down here. I'll carry you up if you like."

The blonde looked back at him and jumped, then shut his eyes. "O-okay..." Slowly, he inched back down and let go of it, instantly adhering himself to Trowa's chest like a sock with static cling. "I d-don't know why I'm so s-s- scared..."

Trowa smiled, tolerantly, then pried the boy off him and turned his back to him, allowing Quatre to hoist himself onto it. He grasped his legs at the knees and set them crossed around his trim waist, then adjusted his arms so they weren't choking him. "Now, the rope is going to swing a bit, but I want you to hold on to me no matter what. Don't let go until I tell you."

"Got it!"

"Good." He looked up at the anchor, twenty or so feet--or two stories-- above him, then sighed and grasped the rope with both hands. Utilizing all of his upper body strength, Trowa began the slow ascent up the rope, carrying his koi on his back and a load of pressure in his chest. Quatre's weight wasn't too much, but he had never been too strong in this department. He could climb, certainly, but his arms were tired for some reason, probably from going through something very like this with the mast of the boat. Still, he managed to make it to the anchor without too much trouble.

Now, the problem would be getting Quatre off his back and onto the ladder. He hauled himself over the anchor, straddling it and allowing the Sandrock pilot off his back, then got up and turned to him, balancing carefully on the bent leg of the giant steel hook. "Quatre, I want you to slide around me and get up on that ladder."

"WHAT?!" he peeped, wide-eyed. He clung to the anchor's neck. "I can't! I'll fall!"

Trowa sighed. "Quatre--"

"I won't move! I am NOT falling from this height! I hit that boat and I'll break my back!"

Why was he so scared? Quatre was usually very brave in his own reserved way, and he wasn't really afraid of heights, because he had been born in a colony. Something was really wrong with this picture. Trowa gently took his love's shoulders and looked into those shining cerulean eyes. "I will NEVER let you fall, Quatre."

The smaller boy looked into his eyes, and slowly, his tensed muscles relaxed. He nodded, sighing. "I trust you, Trowa. I know you won't, but I can't help but fear that you might make a mistake and I'll fall..."

"I promise you, if anything happens to you that I could have prevented, you won't be leaving this world alone. I could never live without you."

Quatre smiled, then sighed and nodded. Trowa leaned carefully back against the ship, allowing the blonde some room to get past him, then watched as he slowly, cautiously mounted the steel ladder. He took a few steps up, then looked at Trowa. "Hurry."

He nodded, then jumped over and caught the bottom rung of it, hanging there by one hand calmly as Quatre paused.

"Don't DO that!" he exclaimed. "You'll scare the life out of me!"

"Hurry it up!" Wufei exclaimed. "We haven't got all day!"

Trowa nodded and pulled himself up onto the ladder properly, then followed Quatre to the top and climbed up over the side.

Duo and Heero were no where in sight. The old deck of the boat was in tact, though the wood was an ugly grayish-brown, and the old black smokestacks were rusting. It would have been a magnificent liner a hundred years ago, but now...it was amazing it hadn't sunk already!

"Boo!"

Quatre gasped and Trowa jumped, but it was just Duo.

"Ha-HA! What took you two so long?"

"Don't do that," Trowa spat.

Wufei appeared on the rail of the boat, smirking. "Maxwell creeped you out, I assume?"

Trowa scowled. "We had better get checking around. Where is Heero?"

"Looking for a radio," Duo said. "He told me to scout for you three."

"Well, that's fine." Trowa looked on past Duo as his eyes hit a very annoyed-looking perfect soldier, whom had just arrived on the scene. "Nothing?"

"Not in the wheelhouse. It's probably somewhere else on the ship."

"I vote we go exploring!" Duo exclaimed.

Quatre shook his head. "I don't think--"

"Of course not! You're blonde!" Duo bawled, jumping on his back and messing his hair. "C'mon, have some fun! It's not like we have anywhere to go, and besides, if we find a radio or some supplies that are usable, it won't be a total loss, so just chill!"

Though he didn't like the crack on Quatre's intelligence, Trowa had to admit that he was right. It WOULD be better to search the boat for a radio or supplies to fix the boat with. The chance to be rescued or receive some help was worth a little inconvenience. He nodded. "All right, but we'll need a map of the ship and all of the rooms in it."

"Already handled," Heero said, presenting an old blueprint. "There are various rooms in which passengers stayed in, a main ballroom that took up a good fourth of the second floor of this place, and the brig and engine room that take up the entire area of the hull. There are several other places, like the kitchen and the storage rooms on the map, but other than those, nothing very decisive. I suggest a full top-to-bottom search." He shrugged. "It isn't like we have anything better to do. Besides, if we fine something- -anything--we might be better off than we are now."

That was a good point. Trowa nodded. "Do we split up or stay together."

"Together," Quatre said, grabbing Trowa's sleeve. "We stay together until we get at least a hint of how to navigate this thing. Then, MAYBE, we can split into groups."

It was decided that they would stick together. They all did a quick inventory of their resources, which consisted of a handgun, a katana, a pack of gum (?), a few quarters and a pocketknife. Well, it wasn't like they were staying onboard--just VISITING, so to speak.

~

Quatre didn't like it. Something was wrong with this place--he could feel it. The air was thick with sadness and terror, and his heart told him that they shouldn't be here. //We should go back to the boat,// he thought. Nervously, he looked up at Trowa, who looked fearless as usual. That was relieving. Hell, at least ONE of them was brave!

Heero led the way to a stairwell that brought them into a shadow-draped hall, adorned in thick curtains of cobwebs. It was cold and dank, and it was amazingly dark. The only light emanated from the small porthole windows lining the wall, and that much was dim.

"This is so cool," Duo muttered as they approached the end of the hall. "Like a time-tunnel..."

It really must have been grand in its time. Just the look of it made it apparent that only people with either a LOT of money or serious persuasive talents could've taken a trip on this boat.

That brought up that same question. What was it doing here, abandoned, and what had happened to the people here? It was very unlikely that an entire crew would ditch such a grand vessel in the middle of the ocean and leave it, and even if they had, how had the passengers and crew gotten away from it? Why leave it in the first place? Was it dangerous?

No, it was just old. It seemed by the condition of the dusty red carpet over the wooden floor that it had been left in its prime. WHY?

Quatre's thoughts completely stopped as they came to the end of the hall. Straight ahead was an adjacent hall like the one they had just exited, but to the right...

They turned and all of them froze. It was a pair of giant stained-glass, gold-trimmed doors, picturing colorful rose bouquets and angles. Though it was foggy and old, it was still beautiful.

"The ballroom," Heero said, holding up the blueprint and indicating a pair of large doors. "From here we should make some headway to the guest rooms and the engine room." He handed it to Duo, then stepped forward and grasped the golden handles, gently turning them and pushing the colossal glass gates apart.

It was indeed the ballroom, and it was huge, big enough to store a large two-story house in. They slowly descended the wide grand staircase, looking around at the beautifully-crafted sculptures caked with cobwebs and dust that stood around the upper balconies that surrounded the upper half of the chamber, branching from the stairs. The hardwood dance-floor was carpeted by a thick blanket of dust that was completely undisturbed by footsteps or any kind of movement, excluding some strange swirling patterns here and there. There was furniture that may have been lining the walls forming a circle in the center of it all, right below a giant crystal chandelier. To both sides of the ballroom were lesser staircases, red-carpeted and small, that seemed to lead into yet more halls, which meant that the guest rooms were probably nearby.

"This is amazing..." Quatre whispered, clutching Trowa's arm.

"Yeah, sorta like the Titanic without Leonardo DiCaprio," Duo said, smirking. "Wonder what happened..."

Wufei looked more than a bit skeptical. "This should be in a museum, not here in the middle of no where. I don't like it."

"I vote we go back to the boat," Quatre said. "I'm not afraid, but as far as I can see, if an entire crew and all the passengers on this place would just ditch it, there MUST be something wrong."

Trowa nodded. "Of course, but we SHOULD at least look around, Quatre. When it gets dark, we can go. Now, we have to decide how to split into groups..."

Quatre sighed, then let his mind drift, looking around the ballroom with a good deal of admiration. As a child, he had been on an ocean liner like this, but it had been a cruise ship, not a steamship. It was really beautiful, though the suspicion that this was all a bad idea stayed with him.

Then, something caught his eye from the side and he instinctively looked back, peering at one of the lesser staircases that led into a hallway parallel to the one they had come down, the one leading back the way they had come. There, looking at him from the shadows of the residential corridor, was a little boy. He looked to be maybe six, with large gray eyes and dirty blonde hair, wearing two-piece blue pajamas and hugging a doll. From where he was standing, Quatre couldn't make out much more than that, except the form of a larger person behind him, reaching for him.

Quatre spun all the way around and looked at the boy, his heart stopping. He looked do scared and insecure, and that person, whoever it was, didn't look too nice. "Oh my God..."

"Quatre?" Trowa grasped his shoulders. "What is it?"

"Do you see them?"

Trowa turned him around, forcing him to turn his back on the figures, then looked into his eyes. "See what, Quatre?"

He turned his head and looked back, then gasped as a pair of arms wrapped around the boy and pulled him back into the darkness. The last thing he saw was the boy's face contorted in fear. He ripped away from Trowa and bolted across the grimy floor, slipping on the dust as he made his way to the steps. He took them two at a time and stared down the dark hallway, holding his breath.

There wasn't even a footprint on the floor.

He stared around, dumbfounded. "What...?"

"Winner!"

"What are you doing, Quatre?!"

"Dude, where ya goin?!"

"Quatre!"

The others rushed up and caught him by the shoulders, sputtering out exclamations of confusion and worry. Finally, Trowa's voice got up over the rest. "What are you doing?!"

He looked at him, then shook his head. "I...I thought I saw people...watching us...a-a child..."

Duo grabbed his shoulders. "Q, this place is ancient. Why would there be anyone but us here?"

He sighed, shaking his head. "I think I'm seeing things."

"That's it," Trowa said. "I'm keeping Quatre with me. Duo and Heero can stick together, and Wufei, you can pick a side."

"No, thanks. I can handle myself."

"It isn't safe--"

"I can manage, Trowa," Wufei said, firmly. "We meet back here in a while, since our watches aren't working. Let's say roughly ten minutes."

Heero nodded. "Duo and I will take that hall over there. Trowa and Quatre, you two take this one."

"I'll look around on deck for anything," Wufei said.

So it was agreed. They all went their separate ways.

As they headed off down the hall, which turned out to be a simple, dark hall without doors that led to a stairwell, Quatre couldn't help but worry about what he had seen. Ghosts? That meant that people had died on this ship, and that was not a good sign. //Places like these should NEVER be disturbed...// he thought. However before he could think more on this, he tripped and hit the floor.

Trowa paused, then knelt down and took his shoulders. "Quatre," he said, gently. "Are you sure you're all right? I mean, you just hallucinated and now you're falling all over yourself..."

"I've only fallen once," he retorted, pulling himself up onto his knees. "And I tripped on something." He reached back under his feet and produced what had tripped him, and the object itself made him pause.

"A doll?"

It was a doll, all right. It was a stuffed clown doll in a suit of many colors that seemed to be stitched together from many kinds of cloth into a soft, colorful body. What was even stranger was the fact that it only had half a face, and not the face of a human; its eye was a purple four-pointed star and the mouth was a big red oblong shape, curved upward into a macabre grin. The right side of the face was missing, and in its place was a piece of black cloth, and it had been stitched in place immaturely right down the center of the face. The little boy had been holding this freakish doll...

"Strange-looking little thing," Trowa mused, touching a finger to the left side of the face. "Looks sort of like my mask..."

He was right, it did, but Trowa's mask was right side, while this was left. It was odd. He held it for a minute, sensing a strong emotion of something attached to the doll--left behind by the boy that owned (or had owned) it. He gave it a gentle squeeze and it squeaked. "A child's toy shouldn't look like this..." he whispered. "It looks like a reject Frankenstein experiment...see here, it's made out of other stuffed dolls."

"It was common practice back then for mothers to make dolls from scarps for their children," Trowa said. "It's a rag doll--ugly or not, that's all that it is."

Quatre held it for a moment, then nodded. "This must have a place somewhere on this ship. I think I'll keep it for a while."

"But Quatre--"

"Trowa, I have told you that I have a strange feeling about this place, and it has something to do with this little thing. I...Trowa, I don't like this, but my heart is warning me about this doll and this place."

His green-eyed prince took him into his arms and hugged him, kissing his scalp. "Okay...okay, you can keep it for now, but put it back here before we leave. I don't like the idea of taking things from where they were left."

He nodded. "All right."

~

Wufei picked through the various papers and maps, marked by black ink and points plotting which places the boat had probably stopped at. The place was a mess, and the wheel was half broken, but there was indeed no sign of a radio. He found a book labeled, "Captain's Log," but other than that and a compass that was broken, there was nothing of interest.

He sighed as he continued digging around. "So much for that." As he searched through the mass of trash on the floor, he came across an unmarked book. //Well, it isn't like I have anything better to do...// He flipped it open and let his eyes scan down the page.

It was the ship's voyage log, the book that contained the names of every passenger, their class and their room number, and the list of passengers went on forever. There was even a list of the captain's top men. This might be somewhat helpful. If they went to the rooms of the people in first class, they might find some valuables that could be of use.

Of course, if they didn't find out where they were or fix the boat, what good would it be?

Suddenly, the door slammed shut and the tumbling of the gears in the lock resounded.

He turned and looked at it, then tried the handle. It was definitely locked. //Oh, no. How the hell...?// He slammed a fist against it, angrily, then looked back over his shoulder at the glass windshield just in front of the wheel. With an agitated growl, he quickly went to it and tried to shatter it, but his fists only bounced off harmlessly, not leaving so much as a scratch on the surface. //Bad karma. I don't like this at ALL.//

The one thing the others didn't know about Wufei was the most important thing--he was claustrophobic. Certainly, piloting Nataku wasn't frightening, because he knew Meiran's spirit protected him within it and he could always get out, but any other small, enclosed place that he couldn't escape made him edgy to the point of almost insane nervousness.

He sighed, then started going through the drawers of tools in the desk nearby, looking for a key or SOMETHING to get him out of it. Unfortunately, there wasn't a single thing that seemed to be of any help. What had closed to door, and why was it locked?

Wufei looked at his sword, then at the door again. //I don't want to destroy something so old, but...oh, fuck it! I am NOT staying in here!// He pulled the katana from its sheath and lifted it above his head, aiming at the dead-bolt lock and handle. He brought it down several times in an awkward cubic shape and both fell out. With a swift kick, the door flew open and broke off. "Whew..."

A soft giggle caught his ear and he quickly stepped out onto the deck, glancing around vigilantly for the source of it. It was accompanied by very light, feathery music, like that of a child's toy piano.

//Bad karma,// he thought again. He turned and peeked around the corner beyond the wheelhouse, where the strange sound was coming from. His eyes widened.

There, standing on the stern deck in a gray, lacy dress, was a little girl. In her hands was a small, golden box with the lid drawn back, revealing a faceted, black gem spinning on a glass plane. The music was coming from this. She looked about seven with raven black hair hanging limply over her shoulders and eyes so pale they were like silver. She had a little wreath of white flowers seated atop her head that made her look all the more innocent, and her cute little face with upturned nose and pouty lips added to the effect. She was like a little china doll.

He blinked. What was a little girl doin on this old ship? "What are you doing?" he asked.

She smiled, cutely, then giggled.

Then, something clicked in his mind. He looked around, noting that no one else was up here, then turned back to her. "YOU locked me in there, didn't you?"

Her smile widened into an impish grin. She held out the music box and he once again noted the creepy music. "Will you play with me?" she asked, innocently.

Something was VERY wrong here... //Maybe the people Quatre saw...maybe someone else got caught out here and decided to board the way we did...did he see her? He said he saw a child...// "Little girl, are you alone?"

"Play with me," she commanded.

He shook his head. "Answer my question."

She shook her head. "You won't play with me?"

This was becoming quickly aggravating. "NO, now answer me."

She frowned, then scowled and held her box to her chest. "You'll be sorry you didn't play with me..." Then, she faded out.

Wufei stared for a moment, then rubbed his eyes and blinked. //What in the name of HELL just happened?!// He didn't like the feeling of this deck anymore, and he suddenly wanted to be anywhere in the ship but up here. With a quick shudder, he turned to head for the stairs, but he froze again.

It was the little girl again, only now she was in front of the stairs, skipping rope in her lacy dress. She was looking right at him, and her box was gone.

"Look, kid," he started, tensely, feeling his heart's palpitations increasing. "You owe me a SERIOUS explanation. What are you doing on this ship, and--how did you disappear like that?"

She cracked another impish grin. "I told you to play with me. Now I guess I'll have to play with YOU." She stopped in her activity and tossed him the rope, then giggled. "And I wanna play...hide and seek!"

Wufei snatched the rope from the air, then looked at it. It wasn't a jump rope--it was binding rope, like the one Duo had used to--

His eyes widened. "The BOAT!" He ran to the side of the ship and looked down over the edge at the water. There was no sign of the Jade Prince, but there was a small length of cut rope dangling from the anchor. He looked out across the horizon at the undisturbed surface of the ocean, then went to the other side of the ship and did the same. Quatre's sailboat was gone. He turned back to look at the little girl, but she was gone again. "This is not good..." He looked at the rope again, then inspected both sides. One of them was neatly hemmed, as all ropes were when they were first made, and the other seemed to have been severed by a hot blade, because it was slightly blackened and warm. "This is definitely NOT good...GUYS!" he took off down the stairs and into the hall that led to the ballroom.

They were trapped on a boat with a ghost. Trapped on the Obsidian Rosemary.

~

Little did the Chinese pilot know that he and his comrades were being watched, and by more than one entity.

{"You won't hurt them, will you?"}

{"Of COURSE I will, Toby. They have Jake, after all. Do you want them to keep him?"}

{"No! Of course not! Oh, I miss him..."}

{"Don't worry--I'll get him back for you. I promise."}

{"But...I don't want you to hurt them..."}

{"Oh, come now. In every life, a little rain must fall, and I sense a storm coming their way."}

****

TBC