Chapter One

"I may find my prince someday,
But, I will always be my daddy's princess..."

Even after all of these years, Natalie Ocean could still clearly remember the last day she had spent with her father. The two of them had told her mother, that they would simply be going for ice cream, that he would have Natalie back in time for dinner and maybe she would have been had her father not needed to stop for cigarettes. Maybe, she never would have had to see him get arrested at all, if they hadn't had to stop at all.

Six cop cars surrounded the little corner convenience store that her father frequently visited and before Natalie even knew what was happening, her father was being arrested in front of her as another cop and a social worker tried to walk her towards another car. She tried to fight them off, she tried to get back to her father, wanting to know what this was about, wanting to know what her father had done to get arrested in such a manner.

"You didn't," she asked him, when the cops finally let her see him before he was carted off to the local precinct, "Please, tell me that you didn't. You promised. You promised me that you wouldn't do something stupid because of Mom." Danny Ocean could only look at his little girl sadly. He had done something stupid, something incredibly stupid. Tess had just left and was threatening to take Natalie with her, take his little girl somewhere he would never find her. He was being destructive and he knew it, he was on the fast track going nowhere again and no matter how much he wanted to be better for Natalie, to keep his promise to her, he just couldn't do it.

"Go," he told her, "Go with your mom. Go to that school she wants you to go to. Live your life. Become better than me."

"There's no one better than you," she told him, as Danny placed one last kiss on his daughter's forehead before being loaded into the back of a cop car.

Natalie wiped away a tear as the social worker led her back to another vehicle, ready to take her home to her mother. But, before the elderly woman could though, Natalie took off like a shot. She didn't want to go home. Home was where her mother was, home was where the woman that had set her father on his destructive path was. Home was the place that had all these 'better life' expectations for her that she didn't want to live up to. She wanted to be just like her dad.

Running as fast as her feet could carry her, Natalie let her mind go blank. She knew everything that she was running from wasn't what she wanted, but she had no idea where she was running to. She just kept running, running until she just couldn't run anymore.

"Natalie," a voice broke through her catatonic state, "Natalie, what are you doing here?"

"I don't know," she answered, her voice sounding foreign to her own ears as she looked at her father's right hand man finally realizing where she had run off to in her emotional state, "I-I. Dad's been arrested and I, I didn't want to go home. I just ran and, Rusty, I, I don't know what to do..."

"Okay," he told her, "Everything's going to be okay. Let's get you inside and get you warm. And then you can tell me everything that happened and we'll BOTH figure out what to do, how to get you home..."

"I don't want to go home," she told him once more.

"Okay, okay," Rusty responded, looking worriedly at the almost eighteen year old in front of him, "You don't have to go home, you can stay here. I'll take the couch."

"Morning," Danny Ocean greeted the parole board, as he took a seat in front of the people that would decide whether or not he would be granted his freedom.

"Please state your name for the record," one of the board members asked.

"Daniel Ocean."

"Thank you."

"Mr. Ocean," another member of the board began, "The purpose of this hearing is to determine whether, if released, you are likely to break the law again. While this was your first conviction, you have been implicated, though never successfully charged in over a dozen confidence schemes and frauds. What can you tell us about this?"

"As you say ma'am, I was never charged," Danny stated, folding his hands slightly in his lap.

"Mr. Ocean, what we're trying to find out is was there a reason that you chose to commit this crime or was there a reason you simply got caught this time," a gentleman asked.

"My wife left me," Danny began to explain, "She was threatening to take our daughter with her. I was upset. Regretfully, I got into a self-destructive pattern despite promising my daughter that I wouldn't."

"If released, is it likely you'd fall back into a similar pattern?"

"My wife already left me once and was able to take our daughter with her thanks to my conviction, I don't think she'd do it again just for kicks" Danny tried to joke, "And now that my daughter is of legal age, she can't be kept from me if she chooses to associate with me."

"Mr. Ocean, what do you think you would do if released?"

"Checkin' up on current events," a man that Danny had known prior to his arrest asked as he came up behind him.

"Ramon," Danny responded in amusement, referencing to an earlier meeting the two had after Danny had entered the casino that he was currently in. After Danny accidentally called 'Ramon,' by his actual name, the man had covertly suggested that the two of them meet at the Cesar at around one o'clock when things would get busy.

"Glad to meet you," the man joked, "Frank Catton can't get past the gaming board. Just got out?"

"This afternoon," Danny answered, before taking a sip of his drink, "You seen him?"

"Last I heard, he and this girl he knows are teaching movie stars how to play cards," Frank told him what he knew through the grapevine, "Why? You have a plan aready?"

"Are you kidding," Danny asked with the tiniest hint of sarcasm in his voice, "I just became a citizen again."

Natalie stood outside the club where she and Rusty now worked teaching celebrities how to play poker trying to get some fresh air into her lungs. She hadn't been feeling well for most of the night and felt an undeniable need to get out of the back room of the club and away from the overwhelming smell of Rusty's nachos.

"Hey Nat," a man called, "Natalie! What's up?"

Natalie looked toward the man calling her and realized that it had been the final celebrity that she and Rusty had been waiting on for them to start their lesson, Topher Grace.

"Let me ask you a question," Topher started, as the pair of them walked into the club, "Are you and Rusty incorporated?" Natalie scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Well, okay," Topher started again, "If you're not, you should really think about it 'cause I was talking to my manager last night..."

"Bernie," she confirmed.

"No, not Bernie," Topher corrected, "My business manager – actually, you know what? They're both named Bernie. Anyway, he was telling me that because of what we do can be considered, like, research for, like, a future gig or whatever, I could totally make it a tax write-off. The one thing is, and this is, like, just his thing and it's stupid, but I'd have to pay you by check." Natalie paused and looked at Toper with the same look he had seen her give a thousand times before while at the poker table when he had done something her or Rusty had advised against several times before.

"What," he started, trying to keep his composure against that look, "Or we could just stick to cash." Natalie nodded.

"Yeah, let's, yeah, let's just stick to cash."

"Alright," Rusty started, his arm slung across the back of Natalie's chair, "We're gonna begin with 5-Card Draw. Everybody remember 5-Card Draw?" Holly Marie Combs, Shane West, Joshua Jackson, Barry Watson and Topher all nodded as Natalie shuffled the deck of cards in her hands.

"Who wants to start us out," Natalie asked the group, "Josh?"

"Yeah," the Dawson's Creek actor responded, as he took the deck of cards she offered him and began to deal them out to the other player's.

"Josh," she said.

"Yeah?"

"To the left," she explained again, "Deal to your left. Shane?"

"Hit me," the Walk to Remember actor said.

"It's not Blackjack," Rusty responded.

"Dude," Topher chuckled as the other's joined him.

"Lookin' at 'em, doesn't change 'em," Natalie told Barry, as he looked down at his cards nervously, "You know what you have."

"Okay, let's do it," Josh stated excitedly.

"Josh," Rusty tried to remind the actor once more.

"Left, left," Josh repeated, "I'll get it."

"Lady bets," Rusty encouraged the Charmed actress, "Let's keep it movin'..."

"Blue," Holly stated.

"Blue, that's a fifty," Natalie told the actress.

"I will call you," Shane responded.

"Okay," Rusty encouraged, "Alright, Shane's calling, 50."

"There it is," the actor said as he placed the poker chip in the center of the table.

"What the hell, it's only pocket change," Topher chuckled, causing the rest of the celebrities to laugh, "Right?"

"How you bet is your business," Natalie told him, "You want to make them think that you're betting for a reason.

"Yeah," Topher responded, slightly more subdue now, "Thanks, Nat."

"Okay," she told him before pushing his cards closer to him in an effort to remind him that he shouldn't be showing the world what he was holding.

"Right, right..."

"Four," Barry asked, putting the four cards he want to replace on the table.

"You don't want four," Rusty told him, "You want to fold..."

"I want to fold," Barry asked.

"Fold," Rusty told him.

"Is that good?"

"Just like that," Rusty said, taking the remaining card Barry held out of his hand and putting it onto the table.

"What are you doin'?"

"You're done," Natalie told him.

"And dealer will take three," Josh interrupted, continuing the game.

"Shane," Rusty started, looking down at the cards in front of the actor, "You can't have three pairs. You can't have six cards in a 5-Card game." The rest of the celebrities tried to defend why Shane had six cards when Topher called out to everyone.

"Fellas, fellas," he called, showing the table his cards as he did, "All reds..." Natalie and Rusty looked down at the table exasperated as they mentally gave up. Getting to their feet both Natalie and Rusty made their way out into the parking lot needing to step away from the table of stars and get some fresh air after everything that had just taken place. Rusty draped his coat across the brunette's bare shoulders keeping her from the cool breeze that was sweeping through Hollywood, California.

"I think I'm gunna head home," she told him, leaning her head into his chest trying to breathe in the comforting scent of his cologne.

"You're still not feeling well," Rusty looked down at her worriedly, tightening his embrace on her petite body as he did, "You've been feeling like this for the past couple of days, are you sure that you're okay?"

"Yeah," Natalie assured him, a small smile sweeping across her features, "It's probably just that bug that Holly had a couple of weeks ago, I'll be fine with a little rest." Rusty nodded as he held her tight to his chest.

"Do you want me to pick anything up on my way home?"

"No, no, I'll be fine," Natalie responded, leaning up to place a less than chaste kiss on his lips, "I'll pick up some food on the way home. Don't be too late, okay?" Rusty smiled as he pressed his lips to hers once more.

"I won't..."

Rusty walked back into the club ready to get tonight's lesson over with, so he could get back home to Natalie when he came face to face with a man that he didn't expect to see quite yet.

"Oh, hey, Russ," Topher greeted upon spotting the reluctant teacher, "We got another player, if that's cool with you." Quietly, the game began with Rusty dealing out the cards.

"Mr. Ocean, what do you do for a living, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Why would I mind you asking," Danny asked, looking down at the cards that he held in his hands, "Two cards – I just got out of prison."

"Really," Topher asked, as the rest of the celebrities looked around the table at each other and then back at Danny.

"Well, why were you in prison," Josh asked.

"I stole things," Danny responded simply.

"You stole things," Josh asked, "Like jewels?"

"Incan Matrimonial Head Masks," Rusty answered for the man sitting across from him.

"Any money in those Incan Matrimonial-"

"Head Masks," Danny finished for Shane, "There's some."

"Don't let him fool you," Rusty inserted, "There's boatloads if you can move 'em. Think one, but you can't."

"My fence seemed confident enough," Danny subtly argued.

"If you're dealing in cash, you don't need a fence," Rusty responded.

"Some people lack vision."

"Probably everybody in Cell Block E."

"That's five hundred dollars," Danny bet bringing them back to the card game.

"Guys," Rusty said to the rest of the table, "What's the first lesson in poker?"

"Never bet on the, uh, " Barry started.

"No," Topher interrupted, "Leave emotion at the door."

"That's right, Topher," Rusty congratulated the actor, "Today's lesson – how to draw out the bluff. That much money this early in the game, I'm saying he's holding nothing better than a pair of face cards. Barr?" The actor in question looked down at his chips, then at his cards before looking back at his chips again.

"Alright," he started, "Eh, I fold."

"Josh," Rusty prompted.

"No, I'm game," the actor chuckled, "I will see you five hundred and I will raise you another five hundred of my own."

"That's a very handsome bet, Josh," Rusty told the actor, "But, be careful, we don't want to push him too high too fast. Want to keep him on the leash. Holly?"

"Call," the actress questioned.

"Call," Rusty confirmed.

"Call."

"And I'll call," Rusty said, as he too tossed his chips into the middle of the table, allowing both Shane and Topher to toss theirs in as well.

"I will see your five hundred and raise you two thousand," Danny said, going into his wallet to pull out the wad of cash in question. Rusty whistled in response.

"Guys, you're free to do what you like," Rusty told his and Natalie's class, "That's a lot of money, but I'm staying in. He's trying to buy his way out of his bluff. Josh?" One by one the rest of the table tossed in their own chips.

"Let's see 'em," Rusty prompted Danny.

"I'm not sure what the four 9s does," Danny responded, "But, the ace, I think is pretty high." The celebrities groaned, knowing that even with their limited knowledge on the subject that they weren't going to be able to beat that four of a kind.

"It's tricky," Danny admitted to Rusty as they sat in the almost empty diner sharing a couple of cups of coffee, "It's never been done before. It's going to need a lot of planning and a large crew."

"Guns?"

"Not exactly, a lot of security, but the take-"

"What's the target," Rusty interrupted, looking mildly interested.

"Eight figures each," Danny continued despite the interruption.

"What's the target," Rusty asked once more, slightly more interested than he had been before.

"When was the last time that you were in Vegas?"

"What?" Rusty asked, looking shocked, thinking about his future father in law had gone absolutely insane while in jail, "You want to knock over a casino?"

Danny just smiled in response though and held up not one, not two, but three fingers. About to take a sip of his coffee, Rusty say the three fingers that Danny was holding up and just his head, mildly intrigued by what his friend was suggesting.

"Oh, ho, ho!"

"Well," Rusty started as he looked down at the series of blueprints in front of them, "If I'm reading these right and I would like to think that I am. This is possibly the least accessible vault ever designed."

"Yup."

"You said three casinos?"

"These feed into the cages of the Mirage and MGM Grand, but every dime ends up there," Danny explained, as he pointed to two of the gates shown on the blue prints.

"The Bellagio, the Mirage and," Rusty paused and looked at Danny, "These are Terry Benedict's places."

"Yes, they are." Rusty sighed.

"Do you think he'll mind," Danny asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"More than somewhat. You'll need at least a dozen guys doing a combination of cons," Rusty went on to explain.

"What do you think?"

"Well, off the top of my head," Rusty thought out loud, "I'd say, you're lookin' at a Boeski, a Jim Brown, um, a Miss Daisy, two Jethros and Leon Spinks. Not to mention the biggest Ella Fitzgerald ever. Where do you think you're going to get the money to back this?"

"Well, we're hitting these three casinos," Danny reasoned, a smirk spreading across his face, "We'll get our bankroll. Benedict's got a long list of enemies."

"Yeah, but enemies with loose cash and nothing to lose," Rusty thought out loud again, "Ah, Reuben."

"Reuben," Danny repeated. Suddenly, both men were blinded by a bright focus light. Looking up, they saw the night guard shining his flashlight straight at the pair of them. Wincing at the brightness of the light, Danny put his empty hand in front of his eyes.

"Oscar, lower it a bit would you," he asked the night guard.

"Sorry," Oscar apologized, "You guys done up here? Find what you wanted?"

"Yeah," Danny answered, holding up the blue prints in question, "Just going to take these home for the night, make some copies if it's alright..."

"Whatever you need…"

"Appreciate it," Danny said, as both he and Rusty made their way towards the elevators. It was then a silence settled between the two of them. It wasn't their usual silence either, this one felt heavier to Danny, it was almost like Rusty wasn't saying something.

"What," Danny asked, finally having enough of Rusty's silence.

"I need a reason," Rusty answered, looking at his friend head on, "Don't say money. Why do this?"

"Why not do it," Danny proposed, but Rusty just shook his head in response. Danny thought about it for another second.

"Because yesterday, I walked out of the joint after losing five years of my life and you're cold-decking Teen Beat cover boys," Danny said, causing Rusty to nod in agreement, "Because the house always wins. Play long enough, you never change the stakes, the house takes you, unless when the perfect hand comes along you bet big and then you take the house. And I want to see my daughter, I want to find her."

"Been practicing that speech, haven't you?"

"A little bit. Did I rush it? I felt like I rushed it."

"No, it's good. I liked it," Rusty admitted, "Teen Beat was harsh since your daughter left early from, what was it, oh yes, cold-decking Teen Beat cover boys." Danny, who was swinging the stolen blue prints in his hands suddenly stopped and looked at his friend.