It took a lot of pleading for Fraser to give in to Caleb's insane request; if only out of fear for his safety, he was willing to do the unthinkable. Caleb thanked him tearfully, unable to consider the alternative that could have been. He hadn't come this far to turn back now. Even if Tristan regained his memory, he wasn't about to let him go anywhere.

By the time they returned to the living room, they found that Tristan was gone.

"Don't freak out" Fraser told him.

Caleb was already distraught. His emotions had been all over the place and now he couldn't find the one person that could calm him.

"His phone is gone, but he doesn't have a wallet. What if something happens? He doesn't have an ID... What if he gets stopped..?!"

"Unlikely" said Fraser, "They'd probably just mistake him for a tourist. He's an adult, Caleb. I'm sure he's fine. The last thing you want to do is scare him by overreacting."

"How is this overreacting?! If anyone scared him it's you! Why? Why did you have to show up without warning? Eveything was fine... he was still here; even though I left he was still here waiting for me."

Fraser closed his eyes and took a breath. He needed to be patient.

"For now, go back and attend the meeting. Bruce has already delayed things for as long as he can. I'll stay in case he comes back. You don't need to worry... I won't say anything I shouldn't. If he hasn't returned by the time you get finished, I'll help you look for him."

Caleb was ready to oppose him.

"This is all I'm asking in return" said Fraser, "Considering what you want from me, I'd say it's not too much."

Reluctantly, Caleb straightened his clothes and returned to the office with nothing resolved.

Fraser expected that Tristan would most likely come back within an hour. When the hour passed he started to panic; not because he thought that something had happened to him, but because he was worried what Caleb's reaction would be.

When Tristan failed to come back at all, he steeled himself for another round of blame. Caleb's temper was wearing thin.

"Try calling him first" Fraser suggested, "It's appropriate at least. You came home and he wasn't back yet; anyone would be right to worry."

Tristan wasn't answering, but Caleb tried repeatedly.

Fraser eyed him with suspicion; convinced that there were other measures to rely on that Caleb was keeping hidden.

"Have you put a location track on his phone..?"

Caleb shook his head and Fraser wasn't sure he could believe him.

"I told you. It's different this time."

The brutal reality was that Caleb didn't even have Tibur or Millie's numbers saved on his phone. When no one picked up at the supermarket, he realized that he'd lost him.

Holding his head in his hands, Caleb sank into the couch on the verge of tears.

"What about these friends of his?" asked Fraser, "Do they live nearby?"

Caleb knew that Tibur's place was across the street, but he didn't know the number of his unit. There was one person that might know. 

"Oh" said Michael as he opened the door to his neighbor from the penthouse, "And for what do I owe such an unexpected pleasure?"

It wasn't ideal. Caleb would have gone to anyone else if he'd been left with another option. 

"Husband not with you?" he asked, clocking Fraser standing beside him, "You do realize he's married, right?"

Michael's ability to make a bad impression at every first meeting was second to none in Modesh.

"We're looking for Tristan's friend Tibur" Fraser explained.

His interest was piqued.

"Why? What's happened to Tibur?"

"We just need to speak with him" said Caleb, "Do you know how we can contact him?"

Despite the complexity of his present feelings, Michael was naturally protective when it came to Tibur. He hadn't forgotten the way that Caleb had looked at him when he suspected he was after Tristan. If his jealous streak had returned, it would do Tibur no good to be found.

"That isn't much of a reason" said Michael, "Why not ask your husband for his number?"

Fraser was already standing by to calm Caleb's temper. It was fortunate he was there to mediate.

"Tristan's out right now, but it's somewhat pressing. Can you help us? We wouldn't ask if it wasn't urgent."

Michael was prepared to negotiate. It would give him a reason to get in touch after all. Debt aside, he hadn't felt comfortable about reaching out to Tibur as of late.

"I can call him I suppose... what is it you want to say?"

Fraser was willing to concede. 

"We just want to check that Tristan's okay. He hasn't been home for a while and we just want to be sure that his health hasn't relapsed."

Caleb was terrified that it wasn't Fraser's arrival that had scared him away, but the return of his memories.

Michael casually pulled his phone out of his pocket. He was in no rush to help, and watching Caleb physically tense as he waited was actually quite satisfying. He scrolled through his contacts for quite a while before landing on Tibur's name.

"So you want to know where to find them I'm guessing" said Michael, "Before they do anything they shouldn't..." 

Michael's mocking smile disappeared when the reality dawned on him; what if there really was something going on there? He didn't care of course, it didn't matter to him, and yet he hurriedly returned to his phone screen and hit the call button.

It rang for a while before someone picked up.

"You! You're the one trying to take my Tiger's money!"

Michael pulled the phone away from his ear and checked he'd dialled the right number.

"Is Tibur there?" he asked the woman using his phone.

"Huh? Oh... He's helping Tristan carry the drinks... no wait, some other guy is helping him... well then where did Tibur go?"

Michael couldn't answer her.

"Which bar are you at?" he asked instead, "I'll help you find him."

When the call ended, Michael stepped out into the hallway and closed his apartment door behind him.

"Well, what did he say?!" Caleb demanded, "Where are they?"

Fraser shot him a sideways look, hoping he wouldn't have to step in and separate them if things got heated. As the smallest of the three, he didn't much care for his chances.

"You have a car, right?" said Michael, "You can drive us there. I'm calling shotgun."

The bus had reached the west beach in fifteen minutes, while Caleb's car arrived in under ten.

"Do you know what this Millie girl looks like?" asked Michael. 

Caleb nodded, scanning the outdoor seating area for signs of Tristan's friend. At a table in the corner he caught sight of her, sitting alone with a large pitcher of beer and a couple of empty glasses.

"Oh!" she cried, upon spotting Caleb; casting a discerning eye over the two men that accompanied him. "Are one of these the reason Tristan's been like a lost little puppy..?" 

Caleb didn't care what impression she had of any of them, he just wanted to see his Tristan as quickly as possible.

"Is he still here..?" he asked.

Millie motioned to the door. "He brought the beer and headed back inside I think, talking to some other foreigners."

Tristan's pyjamas and broken arm had caught the attention of many of the patrons at the little beach-side pub. Curious glances were followed up with questions as the night wore on and inhibitions wore down. Maybe because his tolerance for alcohol had been lowered, Tristan didn't seem to mind so much.

"I only have a couple months left on my visa but it's easy enough to extend" an amiable looking blonde guy was telling Tristan at the far end of the bar; "Last time work took my passport to immigration and did it all for me."

Tristan wondered what had become of his passport.

"A friend of mine arrived before his visa was ready though. He took the ferry out to the mainland for the day, and passed through border control on the way back to activate it. People do it all the time. Have you taken the ferry yet?"

As Tristan was about to answer that he hadn't, a voice cut through the vibrant chatter and soft music of the lively little pub.

"Baby."

The tone was too familiar, and yet the word was so bizarre.

"Caleb?"

Tristan turned around. Behind Caleb's large but shuddering frame, his husband was ordering a drink at the bar. It seemed like they must have resolved things between them... so why was he calling him so intimately..?

"We were worried about you when you didn't come back" he said, "I tried calling but you didn't answer... so we came to take you home."

What in the sister-wives was this..?

Tristan pulled out his phone, the screen filled with missed calls from Caleb.

"I thought you'd be busy" he said, "I hadn't meant to worry you... both."

The blonde guy he'd been talking to had already returned to the conversation at his table. There was no easy escape from Caleb's longing gaze.

"Have you seen Mille and Tibur?" he asked, looking for an out, "They're probably wondering where I've got to."

Michael had stayed back to question Millie, and suffered through her wrath when she discovered who he was. The last she'd seen of Tibur was when he'd gone to the bar with Tristan, but where he'd disappeared to after that was anyone's guess.

A quick glance around the pub and he couldn't find him. It was the sound of voices from the side alley that led Michael to look again outside.

Tibur was smoking with a Modeshi man. By the unusual sound of his light and frequent laughter as they spoke in their native tongue, it was clear that he was drunk. His happy demeanor shifted the second he caught sight of Michael.

"What are you doing here?" he asked him in English.

"Tristan's husband was on the warpath. Just wanted to make sure you hadn't caused any trouble. So you're smoking now? You have money for drink and cigarettes, but nothing to pay me back with..?"

Those dark expressive brows were furrowed again.

"Tristan bought me a drink, and Farang gave me a cigarette... rest assured, I'm working on getting you your money."

Michael scoffed.

"It seems you're happy enough accepting whatever you want from other men. Yet you didn't even consider letting me give you what you really need."

Farang asked Tibur a question in Modeshi. He replied in return while locking eyes with Michael.

"What did he say?" Michael was curious, and a little defensive.

Tibur laughed and his eyes all but sparkled.

"He wanted to know if you were lost, so I told him that you must be... since you were looking round here for a prostitute."

"Er... in South" Farang told him helpfully, using the little English he knew, "Find there."

Michael's expression hardened. The laughing Tibur was too much. Too infuriating... too tempting. He flicked the cigarette from his hand and grabbed hold of his arm, pulling him towards the beach as he giggled uncontrollably.

Farang just shrugged and threw his cigarette butt to the ground. Foreigners were crazy.

Inside the pub, Tristan had returned to find Millie alone at their table. She pouted and pulled him away from Caleb's side.

"You're not getting him back until you apologize!" she said. Unsure of why he should, but loyal to a fault when it came to protecting her friends.

"I'm sorry?" asked Caleb.

"That's better!" she commended. 

Hearing the magic word, she released Tristan with a push into Caleb's waiting arms.

"Are you alright?" he queried, worried that Tristan had been thrown around while still recovering.

"I'm fine" he said, resolutely breaking free.

"And then there's this one! Wait... who's this one?" 

Millie was watching Fraser intently, her lined eyes narrowing on his expensive clothes and neat appearance.

"Fraser" he announced simply, "I flew in today but I guess I shouldn't have left it as such a surprise. I think I gave Tristan quite the scare."

Tristan's gloomy expression hinted at some unspoken conflict between them.

"And who do you think you are to go around scaring my friend?" Millie demanded.

"Tristan's brother-in-law as it turns out..." said Fraser, "Having heard so much about him, it's a shame we're only meeting today."

Tristan looked carefully at the two men. They seemed so different, and yet side-by-side there was no mistaking the copy and paste of those deep blue eyes.

"I'm sorry about earlier" said Fraser, "I didn't know about the accident. Caleb's filled me in... it seems you really can't remember him at all?"

Tristan shook his head, and Fraser was clearly relieved.

"Well I'm glad to meet you at last, in any case. You're all my brother's talked about for a long time..."