Sky squirmed as Koslov removed the scope from her ear. "For a dead woman, you have good lobes," he exclaimed.

Tula, his nurse, kicked him spitefully. She glared at Roarke. "He finally learns some English, and he's hitting on the wrong person."

Roarke sat in a chair, bouncing Iris on his knee. Except for a scratchy throat, you couldn't tell that the child had been through anything remotely dangerous. He decided that Ariel didn't need to know about Sebastian's latest attempt on their child's life.

Cal didn't need to be persuaded to keep silent. "Like I'm gonna tell her that I left Iris in a room with that guy."

Skye focused her attention on Roarke, trying to take her mind off of 'that guy'. At that moment, she grew uneasy by what she sensed from him. An image was forming in her head...confusing. It came in broken images that she couldn't understand: "I can see much sadness in you."

Roarke looked up, acting innocent. "Dear, what do you mean?" He could tell she was remembering what he had figured out shortly after arrival.

Skye continued to look into his eyes, as the thought grew. "I can see who he is. You were born first...then was he..." she gasped. "Then me." She hopped off of the table and walked out of the room, floored at what she had just found out.

Roarke went after her, desperately trying to catch up with her. "What would you have had me tell you?" he asked, upset by her reaction.

She turned on him upset. "Back off, Prospero. I'm not in the mood." She turned and ran to the beach.

She stopped, and fell on her knees in the sand, as hot tears fell down her cheeks. Why hadn't he had said something before? Roarke should have come clean from the beginning.

"I know that, Antonia, and I'm sorry," she could hear him say from afar.

"Get out of my head," she yelled, angry and in tears.

Obviously Iris was in trouble...but why would her brother want to her niece dead? Skye made a face, disgusted.

Dead was the wrong word.

Harry walked into the office, and fell face down on the couch. "I'm overworked and under appreciated."

Ariel let out a laugh, as she sat in the desk chair, as Iris slept lying against her. "Try being the mother of his child."

Harry laughed, slightly amused. "And can I be given prior notice about staff changes?"

Ariel frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"First we have Angel as the bartender, now she's gone."

Ariel looked up annoyed at Harry's usual lack of information. "What do you mean 'She's gone'?"

"I don't know. If I did know, I wouldn't be asking."

Ariel rolled her eyes upward, irked at the manager. "She probably asked for a transfer." She rubbed Iris's back as the baby slept soundly.

Up above in the sky...

The young girl with orange tinted hair and ancient eyes ran into the counsel chamber, and slid the last 10 feet across the marble floor. She climbed into the chair, and started typing away on the keyboard.

She had a program going, before she left on vacation. A near by printer reported on the program's progress. She read excited, but crumbled it up as soon as she saw another council scribe.

Lady Griddlebone waltzed in, carrying the latest script. "Viola, have you read it? True Godliness vs. Evil."

Viola looked at her and grinned, noticing the woman's giddiness. "Have you been in Jennifer's stash of rum cakes, again? You remember what she did when she found out we lost her tape of 'Caligula'."

Lady G tried to look both innocent and hurt at the same time, before dismissing Viola's comments with a wave.

Viola just smiled as she typed a few sentences onto the keyboard. "There. Now the odds are even."

Lady G smiled. "What'd you do?"

Trinia walked into the chamber room. "Viola, change that back," she ordered.

Viola looked at Trinia, upset. "Well, who says that Ariel can't have Halli? She can do better than Persephone anyday. I mean...maybe Roarke will get it right...eventually."

Trinia glared at the young girl. "Ok first thing, Ariel isn't Halli's mother. Second, that'd be a little hard since she's gonna be pregnant with Miranda in like 12 hours. Third, I don't have time to do the paperwork for a move like that."

She set the manifesto from Legal down before Viola. "You're screaming and threatening paid off, Miranda's little time switch might not have gone over as well as it should have...but that doesn't mean she doesn't deserve another chance. It's been long enough."

Viola smiled as she read the decree, then quickly frowned. "Well, what about Halli? Can't we just give the kid back?"

Trinia looked at her, astounded. "OK...first thing, You want to go against Zeus? Possible eviction from Hades...just to return a child, that is a Goddess, to her father who gave her away as though she were some piece of furniture."

Viola looked at her lap top screen, trying to control a small spark of anger. "Roarke was young at the time. He had no idea that she existed."

Trinia cocked a smile, as she sat down. "Oh, Please...I'm gonna choke now on your righteous defense of the man."

Viola closed her eyes, and took a breath. She tried her argument from another angle. "You told me that Roarke and Sebastian were both Demigods, and that Hades brought Skye here because it was now time for her to know what she truly was."

Trinia looked at the girl, and laughed. "Hades' motives are never that pure. It's summer, Persephone's gone home to her mother. Hades brought Skye here to get a little action, that's it."

Viola settled down. 'This is going to be harder then I thought,' she figured to herself. "What would Barry do?" she murmured.

"He's busy promoting that Wild West movie to Europe," announced the Lady.

"We could ask Mr. Josephson," suggested Trinia.

Lady G laughed. "You mean there is a Mr. Josephson?"

"Sure. Who do you think signs the paychecks?"

The Lady looked at them startled. "We get paid?"

Roarke sat at his desk, finishing up some overdue paperwork. The wind whistled through the trees, making the office door swing open. He looked at the door, and it shut by itself. Roarke smiled, and continued his work.

"Too much paper work...too many worries: really brother," frowned Sebastian, as he came through the wall. "The idea for the night is to spend it resting: or in your case, with your family. By the way, when ARE you going to marry dear sweet Ariel? Hopefully before the poor Iris is one."

Roarke smiled, sinisterly but amused. "When you ever been concerned about my work load?"

Sebastian scowled, and moved over to the couch. "It is so unusual that I would be concerned about my family? Lord knows you were never concerned about us."

Roarke glared at his brother, with mounting anger. "Considering the fact that you tried to kill Ariel and Iris - several times - I'd have to say 'yes'. I won't even mention today's little incident."

"You're still holding that little indiscretion against me?"

Roarke scowled dangerously.

Sebastian decided to change the subject. "I hear that Skye is here."

"I always hated that particular nick name you branded on her," said Roarke. "Yes, she is here. She was killed by a crazed father."

Sebastian smiled. "Touching, and almost fitting for her in a way. Her being the protector the clan...her mother would be proud." He cocked a smile. "I guess Zeus's curse might come true after all. It can always be a little irritating when the King of the God's would like to hand you your head on a plate, for something that...just really isn't your fault."

Roarke looked at him, annoyed. "I'm sure that I have no idea what you mean."

Sebastian looked at him astonished. "Come now, dear brother. You know that Zeus forever curse the children that came from the affairs of Kronos - not that Zeus was the pillar of marital fidelity himself. Still that curse does include the children of their children...yadayada, stuff like that. Could have been that curse that you got into this situation in the first place."

Roarke ignored him.

"Ever thought about that, while you were sweet-talking away your life?" Sebastian headed for the door, pausing in the frame to regard his brother. "What is the name of that young girl? Doubt Ariel knows about that one?" At Roarke's look of sheer panic, he chuckled, "You haven't told her about either one of them. I certainly would love to hear you talk your way out of that one."

Roarke smacked the desk, in anger. He looked up at him. "What's your agenda, brother?"

Sebastian beamed, strangely sincere. "I'm going to show you exactly what family is, Prospero. That you don't leave it because it's easiest that way." And with that he disappeared.

The singing awoke Skye. She opened his eyes, and saw her walking around the shore. Not quite an apparition, more solid than a ghost: her fine hair blew back in the breeze, yet her thin white dress was yellowed and old. Skye placed her at being maybe 10 years old. She held in her hands a small silver ball.

The girl walked up to her, and smiled, then continued to walk down the beach.

Viola smiled at Trinia, when she finished typing. Trinia looked at her, trying not to make it a big deal. She handed her an envelope. Viola opened it, and looked at the other woman in shock.