Fiance

"Alrighty. I'll meet you at the house in a while." Mick ends the call and tucks his phone back in his pocket. It would be nice to get out of here for a while. He loved the ranch, but sometimes getting away was a good thing... especially on days like today.

Once lunchtime rolls around, Mick ambles to the house and inside to grab the truck keys and his wallet. Seeing Rosetta, he manages half a grin, but the pain in his lip reminds him not to smile too widely. He knew she'd notice his small injury right off the bat, but wasn't sure he wanted her to know his argument with Eric had gone that far.

"Ready to go?"


Pete sighs deeply as he listens to Trey. He wasn't surprised, but he'd hoped for a better reaction. "I guess if I was in your shoes I'd probably feel the same way," he admits. "I'm sorry to have sprung this on you."

He bites his lower lip as he thinks. "I respect your decision, Trey. But before you throw it all out completely just know two things - one, feel free to ask the two resident doctors about pregnant women. They'll tell you it's possible not to detect twins, sometimes even with medical equipment." Pete was far from an expert, but he'd heard enough stories.

"And two..." He pauses, not sure how to say what he wanted, without revealing too much. "I know your... about your mother." In reality, he was friends with Cindy and respected her very much for all she'd been through and for how she'd raised Jason. "And I know that never would she have chosen not to know about you, and if she were to know about you now, she would never turn her back - ever. No matter what kind of family you're from now." He searches Trey's eyes. "You have my word on that... as your friend."

Sliding from his seat, he picks up the file he'd brought in. "If you change your mind at any time, just tell me. In the meantime, I haven't eaten yet, so if you wanna join me for some lunch, its on me."


Jason grins, a bit of humor returning to his eyes.
Or what? You couldn't bear to punish me. You love me too much.

Jeff quirks an eyebrow and looks between Katie and Jason before smirking. "You guys are getting worse at hiding your conversations, you know that?"

Jason shifts his gaze and gives him a look of innocence. "What ever do you mean?"

"I mean most people don't sit around grinning for no reason. I'm gonna start making you two talk aloud."

Jason can't help a laugh and he shakes his head. "You're as bad as a teacher making students read the notes they pass."

"Exactly." Jeff winks at Katie, knowing she knew he'd never pry. It was just fun to tease.

Trent rolls his eyes and looks up at Thirteen, nodding. "I think cheese and crackers sound great - anything to quiet this crazy bunch."

"You think a snack will do that?" Ryder quips. He returns the squeeze to Thirteen's hand under the table.

"Nah, you're right." Trent stands up and stretches, cringing a little as he straightens his tired muscles.

Ryder can't help a little smile, catching how Thirteen and Trent both stretched their arms in a similar manner. He gives her hand another wriggle with his fingers. "Want some help in the kitchen, or do you have it under control?"

Just then, the cordless phone rings right beside Jason, making him jump. Taking it from the table, he tosses it to Katie to let her answer it.

On the other end, it was a familiar voice that greets her. "Hey, Katie. It's your uncle Eric. Listen, I'm on the road and I got a stop in Nevada. I heard Trent and your dad were with you so I thought I'd pop in with... my fiance, and say hi. We'll be in the area tomorrow if that would be okay. I know it's short notice though, so if you don't have time, it's okay."


Justin can't help it that Beth's hand on his forehead, though brief, felt good. He nods and waves her out. "Take your time. I'm not going anywhere."

And he didn't. During the next couple hours, most of his time was spent asleep, though he did manage to get up and takes a shower, shave and put on some clean clothes. That in itself made him feel better, though he was still quite sleepy and got dizzy if he moved around too much.

Settled back on the couch after cleaning up, he falls back to sleep again, hoping Beth would know just to let herself in when she returned.


Kip shrugs at Karla's suggestion of a movie. His dim eyes show that he truly didn't care. Nothing seemed to interest him at all. "I won't stop you."

He takes another slow bite of soup and finally pushes the rest away, having eaten about half a bowl. "You can watch in the living room or my room - I don't care."

Getting up, he takes his bowl to the sink. "Won't be my room for much longer anyway," he mutters under his breath.


The scenery never changed. Scott stands at the window, feeling as though time simply didn't exist anymore. His mind had been full all day about what Dr. Hawks had said to him. And even though he fought it, he had realized the doctor was right - he needed more to live for than he had been. It hurt, thinking about surviving without Hope. But deep down, he knew she would want him to keep going, even after she was gone. He wasn't sure how to keep on, still feeling the sting of betrayal. But there had to be a way.... someway. A second talk with Dr. Hawks proved the future was still lost in a fog, but it was there...somewhere. And somehow Scott would leave this place... somehow, he really would survive.

He sighs and drops his hand from the cool glass. His blind eye hurt today. It seemed to always get worse the more stressed he felt. It was always a cruel reminder of what he'd endured.

"Scott?"

He whirls around, not having heard Jenny's soft knock at the door. Calming his racing heart, he looks at her with question. "Yeah?"

She smiles kindly and enters his room, joining him at the window. "Dr. Hawks just spoke with me."

Her voice sounded funny. Scott's suspicious rise and he tries to read her face. "About...?"

"Hope."

The blood drains from Scott's face. This was it. He knew it was. His hand grips the little table by the window, turning his knuckles white. "A-a-and?

Jenny can't help the new smile that spreads on her face. "She's going to be okay, Scott. She woke up and the cancer is completely gone."

Stunned, all Scott can do for a moment is stare at her, dumbfounded. "She... it is?"

"Uh-huh." Jenny reaches out to touch his arm. "Looks like you'll get to see her again after all."

Half and hour later, Scott was seated on his bed, silent tears streaming down his face. Even though he'd found that he had to focus on more than Hope in order to live, knowing that she was still here... it gave him more courage than she would probably ever know. She was more than just what he hung on to. She was his rock. She always had been. He was learning that he could survive on other things... but he'd rather have that solid care and support to stand on.

Wiping his eyes with his sleeve, he sniffs. Somehow with the joyous news, a little bit of his anger had disappeared. He had so much to be grateful for right now, it was hard to stay mad at others who had tried their best to help him. But... but they'd still betrayed his trust. Those he'd thought he could trust the most... Justin... Dalton... Sapphire... They'd all kept him in the dark about someone he so deeply loved. While his anger seemed to be subsiding, it was turning into a form of confusion on what to do now.

The ringing phone just about makes him jump out of his skin. Would he ever stop being so scared? Taking a deep breath and sniffing again, he answers, his voice raspy and quiet. "Hello?"

"Hi, Scott."

"Reese?"

"Yes."

Scott swallows hard. What did Reese want? Maybe he didn't know that he'd already been informed about Hope. "They... they told me about Hope."

"I'm glad." Reese's tone was mild and gentle. "It's great news, huh?"

"Yeah."

Reese lets a short pause linger. "Scott, I... I'm calling because I need your help."

Scott tenses. "With... with what?"

"A case. Well, it's not much of a case yet, but it might turn into one. I... know this might be difficult for you, so if you don't want to do this, I understand."

Scott's fingers dig into the blanket on his bed. "What is it?"

Reese does his best not to get excited or agitate Scott. He'd asked Dr. Hawks' permission to do this, and really was needing help. "Well, you see, a while back, Mick Henson's son, Dylan - he got into a bit of trouble. Come to find out, he'd been manipulated and lots of stuff that happened really wasn't his fault. Mick wonders if the Agency had something to do with it."

Scott stands up and starts to pace, rubbing his forehead nervously. "That... that was recent though."

"Yes... but you know the Agency sometimes plans things years in advance. I... I was wondering if you-"

"No," Scott states flatly. He wasn't going to try and dig. He wasn't going to try and call up Agency data. He could risk falling into that nightmarish vortex, never to get back out again. No, he couldn't. He just couldn't.

"A boy's life may be at stake, Scott," Reese prompts gently. "We need to know if-"

"Even if I know nothing, that doesn't mean it wasn't the Agency."

"I know. But it also might indicate we'd need to investigate more recent avenues."

Scott is silent for several long moments. "No. I...I can't. I can't do it. I don't know how."

"Alright. That's okay. I just wanted to ask. You take care now, okay?"

"Yeah." Ending the call, Scott feels a lurch in his stomach as he returns to his window. He'd been working so hard at deflecting Agency data, he had no idea what would happen if he tried to recall it himself. He had no triggers, which meant it would all be him. He couldn't. He just couldn't. Especially not without someone else with him to make sure he didn't spiral out of control.

But as he stares out into the dim world, guilt tugged at his heart. He knew Mick's son was just a teenager. If the Agency had gotten him into trouble, it probably hadn't been a pleasant experience, and the Agency was not known to give up easily. What if Scott really could prevent something else from happening? If there had been no plans before his own abduction, he'd know nothing. And even if the Agency had been out to get Dylan from day one, that didn't mean it was included in the data that Scott had retained. It was a long shot to say the least, and a very risky one. No... no, he couldn't.

Going back to his bed, he sits back in the corner, pulling his knees up to his chest and rocks slightly. The guilt persists and his grip around his legs tightens. What would Justin say? What would Hope say?

Scrunching his eyes shut tight, he mumbles incoherently to himself, repeating numbers, files and Dylan's name. In his mind's eye, he saw lists and lists of names, scrolling data and computer-like images. Sweat runs down the side of his face and he continues to rock, mumbling the data that he was seeing.

Suddenly his eyes fly open again and he is still. Blinking, he felt his head pounding and his pulse racing. But he knew.

Picking up the phone, he draws in a shaky breath, dialing with trembling fingers. "Reese?"

"Yes. Scott?"

"Mick's right. The Agency has had their eye on Dylan for years, just to put pressure on Mick. They planned to make Dylan into a drug addict as they watched Mick's reaction, like a lab rat. Then they planned to take Dylan and make him their own rat."

Reese lets out a low whistle. "Well, they succeeded in step one, but we intervened just in time, apparently, but I doubt they'll give up on making him a lab rat too. Thank you, Scott... You may have saved Dylan's life."

Hanging up, a new feeling crept up on Scott. He was... proud of himself. For the first time in a very long time, he felt as though he had actually accomplished something. He had used his inner terror against that terror itself, aiding in winning a battle. It might be a small battle, but it had still been won - now that they knew it was the Agency, more precautions with Dylan could be taken, and he would be safe. Take that, Agency scum.

Sinking back down on the bed, Scott lies on his side and curls up. He was exhausted. But he'd done something good. Something good.