<div align="center"><strong> ~ Mae Little aka "MeiMei"- drooling over Vincent as they get ready for a night of temptingly naughty fun (or perhaps that's just what she wants to happen), still plantetside on Persephone  ~</strong></div><br/><br/>Silently mouthing...<em>three brothers and four sisters</em>, Mae temporarily became distracted when the Kincaid Clan Gift was revealed, or part of it was, leaving the last of the list enticingly blank.  Attempting to solve the puzzle put forth by Vincent's younger brother, Mae stood with her hip cocked to one side, twisting strands of her long blond hair around her finger, lost in thought. A wicked smile played on her lips as images began to form in her overactive imagination. It was only the sound of his older brother's voice, sharp, questioning, and demanding the reason for Vincent's return, acting the part of the pin to her private bubble that had the young polite snapping to attention. It captured Mae's attention, bringing her back to the conversation going on in that dark almost abandoned alley.  She wanted to know what dangers might be waiting for the man she had unwittingly allowed into her heart. His well-being was more important to her than a night out on the town.  Simply put,<strong>he</strong>was important.<br/><br/>Her eyes switched their focus from one brother to the next as she listened intently; trying her best to determine what manner of ill will may lay in wait seeking to extract its revenge. It would seem, however, that Vincent didn't feel the possibility of an upcoming threat, was that great, imaginary or not, nor did he seem to want her to know much about it. Unfortunately for him, Mae had heard more than enough to consider letting the subject drop. Though there was a time and a place for everything, a lesson Mae had learned the hard way, she had finally begun to see the benefit to a carefully laid plan.  Smiling up at Vincent as he returned to her side and slipped his strong arm around her lower back, she took a willing step closer to him pressing her body against his.<br/><br/><strong>"It's just a short shore leave for the crew. We've been traveling around for weeks straight so we came here for supplies and a little R&amp;R. Our arrival is unscheduled and we'll be lifting off by morning. I'll be gone before I am even noticed.”  </strong><br/><br/>Mae watched as the brothers exchanged a silent communication, no doubt an agreement to keep her in the dark. Oh what little the Kincaid brothers knew of a determined woman. They actually thought they could keep her from finding out there little secret, the thought almost made her laugh aloud. Instead she chose to smile warmly, purring as she stroked her fingers along Vincent's chest, fluttering her long eyelashes as she flirted openly with the man that unknowingly held her heart.<br/><br/><strong>"Though I'll certainly be taking you up on that offer for strip poker once we're back in the black, you can count on that. For now, I'd much rather enjoy a night on the town with you dancing to music that would be considered too loud and modern for the older crowd on the ship." </strong><br/><br/>Struggling with her own thoughts, Mae slowly nodded her head, accepting his response for the time being. "Fine, we'll do it your way for now. But if I so much as catch the tiniest hint that you might be in trouble we are heading back to the ship, no arguments!”  To emphasize her point the determined young spitfire poked Vincent in the belly with a slim finger slightly harder than what might be considered playful, all the while smiling as sweetly as she knew how.<br/><br/>As the conversation between the brothers continued Mae felt her hold on Vincent waver, allowing him the freedom to step from her side to accept the small box of medical supplies that had brought them to this eerie back alley in the first place. It was more than obvious that his brothers thought the world of him; the level of care that was cleverly hidden under macho pride made Mae smile. A lump caught in her throat as the oldest of the three, who had been playing the straight man in the brother's reunion, let his hard as nails persona slip long enough to show just how much he cared about his brother. Giving away a small fortune in illicit drugs may seem like an odd thing to do, but not to someone trying to protect someone they love, even when they couldn't be there personally to do it.<br/><br/>They money they had saved on the medicine didn't enter Mae's mind one bit, in fact she wouldn't care if they didn't see a penny of it. So caught up in the love of this family, Mae couldn't help but think about her own. Did they miss her? Did they stay up nights wondering what had become of her? Her heart swelled with the need to know, however a voice in the back of her mind scoffed at the idea. Had they cared about her at all, they would have tried to contact her by now, but she had heard nothing from them for nearly two years now. She knew without a single doubt that if her father had wanted to find her he would have. No stone would have been left unturned; no contact would have been missed.<em>Well now, that answers your question then doesn't it? </em>Shaking her head, Mae refused to give into the negativity these thoughts inevitably spawned. Distraction was the key, and what better distraction than the one that was staring her in the face. She was planetside with Vincent and determined to make it a night they both would never forget.<br/><br/>As she patiently waited for Vincent to say his good byes to his brothers, Mae smiled thanking them with a soft politeness she wasn't known for. If she didn't know any better she might have accused herself of trying to give a good impression. A smirk tugged at her lips as her thoughts turned to something more amusing, and she had to resist the urge to giggle, which only threatened to erupt in a playful gigglesnort. Just knowing that she actually cared what his brothers thought of her said more about her true feelings for Vince than she was comfortable with. To mask her confusion, she turned to humour, as she often did.<br/><br/>It wasn't long before they were on the move again with Vincent smiling down at her. He looked adorable with the soft blush kissing his cheeks, touched by a slight embarrassment. In fact, he looked so adorable that she had to fight the urge that tested her will, begging her to pull him down to meet her lips, capturing him with a deeply passionate kiss.  Perhaps it was her hearts way to speak the truth, however her mind was still in charge, allowing her to believe that she could ever be loved so thoroughly. It was simple to take pleasure in the arms of a stranger; they didn't expect anything from her but a good time. Instinct told her Vincent would be different and she knew she wouldn't be able to endure being rejected by him. It was safer to keep things light, playful, away from real feelings. Ironically Mae had never chosen the easy trail in life before. Normally she took life as it came, meeting it head on with enthusiasm and a strong will. In everything but the affairs of her heart, life had already shown her how easily the emotion of love could be tossed away.<br/><br/><strong>"Sorry if they came off a little strong in the beginning there. Tony tends to be a little bit of an eccentric when it comes to business, even when it involves family. Good news though! We finally finished our shopping and we saved a lot more than expected!"</strong><br/><br/>Taking the opportunity to snuggle into his side, Mae encouraged Vincent's arm to snake across her body in a tight hold as she playfully walked her fingers up along his chest. Her smile was uber sweet though not quite matching the jovial glimmer that danced in her eyes. Resting her head on his strong broad shoulder, Mae asked a question she had already suspected the answer to. The idea of teasing him however was far too much fun, and so she tried her best to get him to answer, confirming her suspicions.  "Vinnie? About that list your brother was telling me about..." Mae began, pausing for effect, keeping her tone breathlessly soft "...what's the third thing?” Trying her best not to giggle she fluttered her lashes as she continued her line of questioning. "I'd love to learn all about the Kincaid Clan and everything that has been handed down to you, every....last....succulent....inch."