Lunch

Claire and Ciara sit at the Java Cafe having lunch and catching up on their lives.

"So anyway, they trot me in to see my dad, and he just looks at me like he has no clue who I am" Ciara says

"I would give anything if my idiot parents would forget I exist" Claire says "My mom especially"

"Yeah, I hear they are going to drag you out onto the high seas again" Ciara says

"Oh my God, don't remind me" Claire sighs "The only hope I have is that somehow they won't be able to buy another boat."

"Couldn't you just ask your grandpa John to help out?" Ciara asks

"Yeah, I was thinking about that," Claire says "That's another reason I wanted to talk to you."

"Uh oh," Ciara says "what are you cooking up now?"

"Why must I always be cooking something up?" Claire says

"Oh okay," Ciara challenges "go ahead and tell me you don't have some scheme cooked up and you aren't about to ask for my help with it."

"Ummm" Claire smiles "I don't not have a scheme and I don't not want you to help me with it?"

Both girls have a good laugh at this.

"Okay, I admit, I have an agenda." Claire says "But it's nothing we haven't done before, and nothing we won't do a thousand times again."

"Oh well if it's same old same old..." Ciara says "Then by all means tell me more"

"Well, since you twisted my arm" Claire says "You know I've had Rolf working on his cloning formula?"

"Is that what he's up to." Ciara says "I was down in the lab yesterday and he seemed awfully cranky."

"How could you tell?" Claire says

"Okay, more cranky than usual." Ciara says "So you say he's close to a break through on the cloning? He looked like he was working on something else. He had a folder with my dad's name on it."

"Yeah" my Pop-pop has him rushing another one of those fake death/come back with amnesia things, for your dad." Claire says

"Yeah, I'm supposed to help him with that in a few days." Ciara says "They didn't tell all the details, but I sort of figured it was like what your Pop-pop and Uncle Steve did."

"Well, you're going to be pulled off that case to help me." Claire says

"Help you? How?" Ciara asks

"Well we don't have time to do the whole cloning thing, like we originally planned," Claire explains "And my boneheaded parents seem hell bent on doing this freaking boat thing really soon."

"And...?" Ciara asks

"Well, that's where you come in." Claire says "When they go, you are going to take my place."

"ME?" Ciara is shocked "Now wait a minute, what makes you think I want to let your psycho circus parents drag me off on what's sure to be a low budget remake of the Titanic?"

"Oh I don't know" Claire says "Maybe because YOU are the ex Navy Seal, and YOU are the one who shadowed the boat during the typhoon off Tinda Lau and waited until I managed to jump overboard and get to you."

"Yeah so the way I figure it, YOU owe ME!" Ciara says "Not the other way around."

"Oh come on C! You are the only one we can trust to pull this off." Claire begs "I need you to help me out here."

"So say I do this" Ciara says "And I am NOT saying I will, what's in it for me?"

"We'll make sure your parents leave you alone." Claire says "We'll get them off your back and you won't have to worry about pretending anymore."

"You'll make SURE they forget I exist?" Ciara says "You'll give me my life back?"

"Done" Claire says "You'll be free."

"Wow" Ciara says "It would really be nice not to have to deal with them any more."

"So you see why you have to do this!" Claire says "If you take my place, you can get yourself lost at sea, and my parents will have to let me go too!"

"Are you sure your mom is going to let you go this time?" Ciara says "We thought we had you free last time. Even dressing you up like a boy didn't work"

"Yeah well, this time we will take extra steps to make sure that doesn't happen again." Claire says

"Okay, I'm in." Ciara says "Tell Rolf to get the lab ready."

"Great!" Claire says "And you'll love looking like me!"

"He can change me back right?" Ciara says

"I'm giving him a call now, can you be ready this afternoon?" Claire says

"CLAIRE!" Ciara is annoyed "He CAN change me back right?"

Claire is on the phone "Rolf? Yeah get the lab ready we are on our way."

"CLAIRE ANSWER ME!!" Ciara says as she follows Claire out the door. "You better be able to change me back!!! I'm not staying looking like you!! CLAIRE!!"