Cole turned away from the confusing king and continued on in search of people. There was a house nearby. He entered it. There were sounds of people so he followed them, making sure that Astor was with him.

He entered the kitchen and blinked.

"Hawk?"

 The man turned. "Yo," he half saluted. "How'd you get here?"

"I don't know," Cole said. "I was walking down the hall and I was here. How did you get here?"

"I let Nav drive." Hawk sighed, rolling his eyes and shaking his head slightly at the man on the floor. "Maybe if I wish him better sheilds this place'll provide."
 

Kristen's head snapped up when the convesation finally got absorbed  by her three brain cells.  She stared wide-eyed at Cole.  Him too?   She plopped down on her ass and looked uneasily around her.  Who was  next?  The Shadow God... sheesh!  How could this be happening?  These people were from stories... well most of them anyway.  She looked back down at the little girl.

She made a waving gesture at Cole.  "Hi.  I'm Kristen and this little girl is Suki.  How ya liking Wonderland so far?" she asked dryly.

Cole blinked at Kristen.  "This isn't wonderland.  No rabbits have talked to me yet, and there's no smily cat, and... well, this isn't a bar, so he wouldn't be here anyway..."

Suki looked up at the person who entered the kitchen and blinked. He looked familar..

Her eyes grew wide and she suddenly realized who he looked like. "'niichan?" she asked him. Before he could answer, she ran over to him, thinking he ~was~ her big brother and glomped onto Cole's leg. "'niichan back!" she called out, smiling, her eyes closing briefly. "Missed you!"

Cole looked down at the small girl in alarm.  "I don'tthink I have a sister," he said in a shaky voice. "Um... little girl.... I'm not your brother...."

Suki slowly let go of his leg and looked up at him, studying his face. Her face fell. "..oh.." she shook her head. "Not 'niichan.." she looked back up at him with her big brown eyes and said, "'wanna be 'niichan?"

Suki slowly let go of his leg and stood back and looked up at him, studying him. Her face fell. "..oh.." she said, disappointed. "Not 'niichan.." she said sadly, shaking her head in response. She looked down at her feet for a moment. Then she had an idea. She looked back up at Cole with her big brown eyes. "'Wanna be 'niichan?" she asked, hopefully.

Kristen rolled her eyes.  "It's only a matter of time..." she started of dryly but faltered at Suki's actions.

Kristen blinked at the two of them.  Cole, Suki's brother?  Not bloody likely.  Poor kid.  Kristen needed a drink.  Too bad the Snapple wasn't spiked.  She could use it.  She looked wistfully at the Snapple, shrugging.  She oppened it and took a huge gulp.  The burning sensation down her throat  made her eyes bug out and tear.  If she didn't swallow it all at once, she'ld have spit out the heavily spiked Raspberry Snapple all over the floor.  She started to caugh, gasping for air.  The room swam.

"Shit!" she croaked in a gasp.

Becarefull what you wish for... damn.

Cole looked at the small girl.  He blinked a few times.  ".....Ok," he said finally.  He looked up at Kristen in concern.  "Are you all right?  What's wrong?"

"Yah!" Suki exclaimed happily. She clapped her hands. At the sound of someone coughing, she turned around to see what was going on.

Decideing it was nothing to worry about, Suki face her new 'niichan again, looking up at him. She raised her arms to him. "Up?" she said, pleadingly.

Hawk watched the child interacting with Cole, expression slightly saddened. Whatever was bringing people to this place wasn't discrimiating for age much, it seemed.

Suddently his eyes narrowed as he caught an unfortunatly familar smell. He turned and glared at the coughing girl. "How DARE you drink around a small child..." he nearly hissed, eyes hard and dangerous.

Nav blinked, looking up. "Ooo.. anger spike..." he said in a slightly delerious voice. "I think I'm gonna..." he fell over.

Cole looked at the girl distracted by Kristen's thus far lack of answer.  He picked her up, bouncing her slightly in his arms.

Kristen scowled at Hawk.  "I didn't realize the Snapple was spiked with what tasted like 120 proof."  She showed him the bottle that clearly read Raspberry Snapple on the lable.  "So don't make assumptions.  I wouldn't drink heavy alcahol in front of children or in an ufamilair envirnment where I don't know the rules."

She got off the floor and dumped the rest of the contents in the sink disposing of the bottle afterwards in a garbage can.  Turning to Cole, she gave him a shy smile.  "I'm okay, thanks.  I wasn't expecting that."  She gave a small frown at the refrigerator.  "The others were okay..." she trailed off.  She absently took a small package of Orbit Wintergreen gum out of her pocket and put a piece in her mouth.

She gave a small shrug.  Next time she'll smell it or give it a test sip before blindly drinking, or eating for that matter, anything else from this place.

Hawk scowled, arms crossed. "Don;t wish for it next time," he said darkly before leaving the room and heading outside, thoughly irratated. "Wonderful. Bloody fools paradice...." he muttered. He was going to have to figure out how this place worked to avoid having any stray desires be acted upon, especialy since what he REALLY wanted to do was hurt something, badly. Smash that goddamned bottle over that twit girls head or something else violent.  He reached into the Shut Yer Yap and pulled out his thourmus and took a large swig. "Stronger," he ordered it before taking another drag. "Better," he said with a small, almost ferral snarl before returning the thermous. Couldn't just leave Cole alone with the kids to watch.....
 
 

Suki hugged him, smiling, and leaned her head on his shoulder. " 'niichan's name?" she asked. "I Suki," she told him.

Cole looked at her, startled slightly.  "I'm Cole."

Suki smiled, lifting her head off his shoulder to look at his face. "Cole?" she repeated his name. "Like that name.." she nodded. "Why you look like my real 'niichan?" she asked.

"Um..."  Cole looked down at her.  "I don't know."

Suki shrugged. "My real 'niichan went 'way.." she told Cole, sadly. "Miss him.. miss him very much!"  The three year old looked at Cole a moment, then noticed the strap to his bag over his shoulder. She looked down to see what it was and saw his bag. She pointed to it. "What in that?" she asked him, looking back at him, still pointing.
 

Cole looked down at his bag.  "Um... stuff," he said.  "Lots and lots of stuff..."

"I see??"  she asked, excitedly.

"Um...."  Cole looked at the bag aprehensively.  Shifting Suki to one arm he reached into the bag and pulled out.........

A stuffed bear.

He sighed in relief and held out the bear to Suki.  "His name's Martin."

Suki smiled happily and took the bear. "For me??" she asked, looking at Cole.

"Sure.  You can have him."

"Yah!" Suki giggled and hugged the bear. She wrapped her other arm around Cole's neck, hugging him. "Love 'niichan!"

Cole blinked, then smiled and hugged her back.  "Niichan loves you too," he said.

Astor giggled. "My prince, you are adorable," he smiled kindly. "Any child would be supremly blessed to have you for a brother."

Cole blushed slightly, smiling and half hiding behind Suki.

Suki looked at the man next to Cole, noticing him for the first time. She looked back at Cole, trying to hide his face. "'Niichan?  Who that?" she asked.

"That's Astor," Cole said, blush starting to recede.  "He's a friend of mine."

"Oh," Suki answered. She turned to Astor. "HI!" she said cheerfully. "This is 'niichan!" she introduced Cole to him.

Astor smiled kindly. "We've met," he said, putting his arm in Cole's. "What is your name, dear little sister of my prince?"

"Suki!" the child answered. She looked confused, at Cole a moment. "You a prince? Like in stories?"

"Only to Astor," Cole said, face darkening again.

"Why?" she asked.

"I don't know.  You have to ask Astor that...."

The three year old turned Astor. "Why?" she asked him cutely.

"Because he is very special to me," AStor explained. "There for he is the prince of my heart."

Cole blushed deep crimson, smiling up at Astor through his bangs as he ducked his head in embarrassment.

"Oh..." Suki said, nodding. She continued to hug the bear. Then she showed it to Astor. "This Martin! 'Niichan gave me."

Astor smiled kindly. "It's a very pretty bear." He giggled slightly. "Wonderful colour too," he winked.

She looked down at the bear in her arms thoughtfully. "Like red better.." she said.

Suki yawned and snuggled against Cole. "I tired.." she told him, sleepily. "Take nap now.." She rested her head on Cole's shoulder, hugging the bear in her arm and feel asleep shortly.

Cole held her closely, rocking her gently.  He smiled, then turned to Hawk.  "Um... is there somewhere I can put her?"

Hawk shrugged. "If a room doesn't show up by you wanting it to, she can always sleep in the Shut Yer Yap..."

Cole blinked.  "Huh?"    He looked up and noticed adoor to one side.  Peeking through it he found that itwas a bedroom for a young child.  He put Sukicarefully in the crib in the room, tucking her inwitha small smile.

Leaving the door open so he'd know if she neededanything, he returned to the kitchen.  "Um... Hawk? What's going on?"

"Damned if I know. Nav followed the white rabbit and we wound up in Wonderland," Hawk scowled.  "This place is on more narcotics then my mother..." he scowled again.

Cole blinked.  "But... but Wonderland has a Cheshire cat and that freaky guy drawing it."

Hawk raised an eyebrow.

Astor, noting that Cole's arms were free again, took Cole's arm in his and snuggled close.

Hawk raised an eyebrow. "Well," he smirked at Cole. "Did you wish for him or is he real?"

Astor giggled.

Cole blushed slightly, smilingh shyly at Astor, then looked up at Hawk.  "What?  Oh!  You don't know each other!  Hawk, this is Astor.  That's a type of flower.  It's pretty.  Astor, this is Hawk.  He's named after a bird of prey.  But it's a very nice bird of prey!" he added hastily.

Hawk chuckled. "No it's not," he smirked.  He nodded at Astor, who bowed in return.

"So," Hawk began. "Kajiro got you fixed, right? So you can just wander back to the homeworld and tell Aralu to come pick us up?"

Cole shook his head miserably.  "I've tried, but Ican't get back," he said, shoulders slumping.  "Idon't know what's wrong...."