Gone

"Good." Sparky draws Faith even closer, kissing the top of her head before turning to watch the sun slowly come up over the horizon. He sighs with content, finally feeling as though he had a real purpose here. He finally felt like he fit... like he'd been waiting all these years for the last puzzle piece to come along. He knew that some people still didn't think they should be this close because of their age difference but he'd given up fighting them. It just didn't matter. He knew he could trust Faith. He knew she wasn't just taking him for a ride, and he certainly wasn't out for anything but Faith's love and companionship. Other people might see him as becoming bogged down with caring for her, but he loved every moment of it. Why let love slip by when it was right here within reach?

His arm tightens around her shoulders, wishing he could somehow tell her how he felt, but there really were no words. "I love you," he whispers in her ear. Cocking his head so he can give her another kiss, he smiles. "I'll see you at lunchtime if not before."

And too soon, he's ambling back towards the barn, now joined by some of the others to begin the chores for the day. With something to look forward to, hours always seemed to drag by, and this morning seemed to take even longer. But eventually lunch time does come, and eventually Sparky does get everything together along with Faith, and eventually they do make it to the little clearing he'd talked about. It had taken them a little while to walk there, taking it slow for Faith, but Sparky didn't mind.

The clearing was just like he'd described - away from the rest of the world, secluded and so pretty. The grass was waving in the breeze, and the trees surrounded them as if providing them a small world all their own. The path there had been cleared, and part of the clearing had been mowed, proving that even though this was a secluded spot, it had been taken care of.

Sparky makes a beeline for a large old oak tree, under which to spread the blanket, and after getting Faith settled near him, the food is laid out and enjoyed.

Leaning back against the tree, Sparky chews his chicken thoughtfully, turning to just watch Faith. His eyes sparkled with life that had been absent for so long. "Thanks for coming out here with me... this is nice." He smiles. "I thought you might like it here, too."


"Yeah... thanks, Misty." Rick wasn't sure how much he could "enjoy" the time away now with his mind running rampant with theories, but he would try. "I know you're quite capable of keeping everything under control. If anything else comes up, don't hesitate to call. Otherwise, I'll see you soon."

Ending the call, Rick finally wanders back over to Ty and Libby, not surprised that Ty had his arm around her. "Aright you two... how about some supper? And since we're in Vegas, we really should take advantage of a nice dinner somewhere, don't you think?"

Ty quirks an eyebrow. "But I-"

"On me." Rick winks at them. "You guys deserve it. Come on."


Jason ambles back into the kitchen to clean out the glass he'd just used, glancing out the window to check things over. He was feeling much better now - pretty close to normal, which was a relief. He'd let Katie go this morning so it was just him and Destiny again for a while.

Wandering into the living room again, he takes a seat the computers, though his eyes do glance to the couch were Destiny was. He was sorry for the last few days with him being down, but he hoped she was still recovering from her own experiences.

Swiveling in the chair, Jason eyes her with question. His idea hadn't been approved, but he didn't care. "If you want to go back to your own place... you know, just to check on things, take a look around... we can." Maybe baby steps towards her goal of getting away from the safe house was the best route.


"So... Nick's offering me the job." Eli stares down into his half-empty glass of pop as he sat across from Scarlet at Tou Han's for lunch. The meal was over, and Eli had just been telling her that an old friend from Florida was offering him a job at his trucking company.

"Not exactly what I want to do the rest of my life, but I still can't seem to get my bills paid off, I know Ryan doesn't mind me not paying her more, but I mind, and this job pays really well... well enough that I could be caught up within a year, tops."

Glancing back up to Scarlet, his eyes hold more than anticipation though. They held hesitance. A job in Florida meant he wouldn't be in Nevada... and that meant he'd be away from Ryan... and away from Scarlet. But it would only be for a year... right? He bites his lower lip, waiting to see what Scarlet would say.


"So what do we do?" Quinn's eyes remain focused outside the window. It was hard to believe he was standing in the same room as Axel, let alone having a conversation with him. It felt like a strange anomaly in time - on one hand, it felt like no time had passed, and on the other, it felt as though a lifetime had passed them by.

"Apparently you have an appointment out of town."

Quinn scoffs quietly. "Just the possibility of a minor gig."

Axel had his own questions about that, and it seemed a good enough time to attempt small talk. "How do you do it? I mean... afford to be on the road like that?" He knew well enough that Quinn couldn't be making a lot of money. Even if he was well-known, little gigs and traveling around most times didn't pan out.

Quinn finally turns around and leans against the window sill. He was hesitant to answer, knowing that it had the potential to bring about resentment. But the truth was the truth. "A few years ago, um... Granddad died."

Axel's eyebrows rise. He'd had no idea. He remembered their grandfather very well and was now saddened by this news. "I didn't know... how?"

"Heart attack." Quinn ambles back over to the couch and sits down again, sighing. "He, uh... had a will written up and... I'm going to be set for... quite a while if I don't squander."

"I see." Without even having to think about it, Axel immediately knew that he'd been intentionally left out of any inheritance. He'd always been doted upon by their grandfather and had always had a knowledge that one day he and Quinn would receive something after Granddad died. But apparently that had changed. It shouldn't be surprising though. "Well that's.... that's good for you. At least you get to do what you like, right?"

"Yeah." Quinn could see that look that passed in Axel's eyes - disappointment? It seemed there was no anger though.

Another long, awkward pause follows. Axel looks at the floor, a million and one questions running through his mind. Granddad was dead - that left no grandparents. How about their parents? Were his mother and father even still alive? How were they? What about their cousins? Where was everyone now? Were there any marriages? Children in the family? Yet he felt unworthy to ask these things. Innocent or not, it wasn't surprising that he had no idea about any of that now. He was the black sheep of the family, shunned and ignored. There was one question though, he had to ask. "Quinn... do you believe me?"

Quinn sighs deeply and folds his hands on his lap, not even sure how to reply. "I don't know, Axel... I've spent a lot of years believing in your guilt and... I've hated you for a long time. To suddenly just take your word for it is asking a lot, don't you think?"

Axel swallows hard. It was asking a lot. Could he really blame his brother for that? "Do you believe me?" he repeats quietly.

Quinn thinks for a long moment, unable to decide. It felt like a worse inner battle now than it had all those years ago. He remembers the words of Anastasia, and dwells on what he was feeling now. Belief was a choice, and he could choose to believe, whether it was backed up by evidence or not. But could he really take that step? There was still a part of him that wasn't so sure this all wasn't just a big lie. Yet the more he talked with Axel, the less that seemed likely. Quinn would be able to tell if his brother was just being manipulative... right? "I can't answer that," he finally responds. "But... I will say that... maybe for the first time, I... I want to believe you."

Axel has a hard time controlling his emotions, feeling the tears that wanted to come. That's all he'd wanted to hear. That's all he'd ever wanted. Just an ounce of faith - that's all. And in that very moment, it felt as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. His fingers fiddle with a loose thread on the arm of the chair, unable to speak again just yet, lest his voice crack.

The ringing phone suddenly breaks the silence, making both men jump, but Axel doesn't answer it. Instead, the answering machine picks up. "Hey, Axel, yeah, it's Leo. Thought I might catch you. I had to move that car you were working on - you know, the one from that Thornton guy. I was just gonna tell you that I drove it out into the lot 'cause we needed another open bay but... since you're not there, this message obviously has no point. Figured you must've found the problem anyway since the engine started up, but if you need the bay back, we're only using it a short while. And I have... no idea why I'm even talking anymore. Catch you later."

Both men's eyes rise to lock with one another. The car had started.

Quinn blinks. "Did you..."

"No." Axel shakes his head slowly. He had not fixed it prior to this - he had not just led Quinn to believe it wasn't so that they would talk. "Two minutes before you came, I tried to start it again and it wouldn't."

"Well then how..."

Axel's lips show a faint grin. There was a whole lot that could be said now, but words didn't really seem to be adequate. Both knew that this was impossible. But both knew that anything was possible with God. Perhaps they had done a better job together today than they thought. "I guess... you can go now."

"I guess so." Quinn had been so prepared earlier this morning but now it felt almost strange that he would take off. "I, um... yeah." Standing up along with Axel, he looks at him for a long moment. "I guess this is-"

"It was good to see you, Quinn." Axel holds out his hand. "If you're ever back in the area..."

Quinn looks down at Axel's hand. A day ago, he would have turned his back. But after a night, time to think, time to pray and a surprisingly calm conversation... that hand no longer looked like a threat. Slowly, he reaches out and grasps Axel's hand. "Yeah."

Shaking his brother's hand, it's as if the first few threads of a long lost bond find each other and begin to intertwine. "You know you can stay... I got room..."

Quinn smiles a little, letting go of Axel's hand. "Thanks, but... I better go. The open road, ya know?"

"Sure." There were still so many things Axel would like to know, but he refrains. At the very least, he had Quinn's phone number.

The walk downstairs, a final check on the car and Quinn's leave take less than twenty minutes. And even though the auto shop was busy, to Axel, it felt quiet. He excuses himself from work, asking Daryl for the rest of the day off, but doesn't explain to anyone else, simply slipping back upstairs.

Once alone again, he wanders to the couch to sit, then rolls onto his side, closing his eyes. It felt like so much had been accomplished and yet nothing at all. The whole thing was over... it was hard to fathom.

A fresh tear finds its way between his closed eyelids and trickles down to meet the couch. He had time to rest and try to recuperate before Jess called him later.