Please

Kyle grins and gives Alice's hand a squeeze. He'd just brought her back to drop her off, but an impromptu trip for ice cream seemed to be a very good idea. "That sounds great."

He leans over and gives her lips a long, tender kiss. "You always have the great ideas... especially those involving sugar."

Laughing, he turns the engine back on again and pulls out once more. On the way, maybe he'd swing by the little park where he'd spent hours as a little kid, and where he'd received his first skinned knee after falling off a swing...

...It would be much later when the band would gather at Erik and Theo's apartment. On nights they couldn't actually practice because of the other tenants, they always wound up talking about new songs, what they would change about such-and-such song, how they'd arrange things onstage... the list went on. They couldn't help it - the band was their love... their lives.

"Oooh, we get to open for Skyline?" Theo's eyes widen. "That's awesome! I mean, we've had fun at these few little parties and charities, but this will be an actual concert!"

"Way cool." Russ nods his approval. "All we gotta do is impress the right person sometime and wham! We'll be outta here!"

Kyle grins and leans back in the corner of the couch with Alice. "Yeah, I thought it sounded pretty good myself. Wayne seemed pleased. Might not be huge to him, but it is for us."

Twila claps her hands. "Getting onstage is gonna feel great."

Kyle's fingers absentmindedly toy with Alice's on his lap. "There's just... one problem."

Erik was the first to know what he was talking about, and his shoulders drop a little. "Kip."

All eyes seem to automatically turn in Karla's direction. Kyle gives her the best kind of smile he can. He'd called her specifically tonight to come. He usually didn't... Wayne and Jackie were handling any engagements and business deals until they got a fuller schedule, and Karla didn't have a whole lot to do with managing, per say. Technically, it was Wayne and Jackie's job right now, though the whole band knew that once they started having an actual schedule, they'd be relying on Karla to keep them all straight and going in the right direction. So tonight, Kyle's reason for wanting her there was two-fold. First, he respected her and wanted her in on anything happening. And second, she was the open door to Kip.

"I... didn't bother calling Kip yet," Kyle admits to her. "He's been avoiding band meetings and I was pretty sure he'd turn down this one too. I... we... need to find out what Kip's plans really are. We all want him here, as you well know. But he won't talk to the rest of us about anything but the weather, it seems." He sighs, but retains his smile. "Would you mind letting him know we've got this gig coming up and... find out if he's on board or not?"


"I'm okay." Jason really was... he wasn't good, but he'd had worse days too. His eyes study Katie's, remembering what it felt like to see them, fall into them, and feel her little tugs on his emotions to make him laugh.

Lifting a hand, he brushes her hair aside and cradles her face tenderly. "Rick was here to check on me and make sure everything was alright." He was so tired right now... his body wanted to sleep so badly, but his mind fought against it.

"Katie..." His tone was soft, but serious. "If... if Rick can't find a cure in time..." He knew she wouldn't want him talking like this, but he had to. They had to face reality, and he needed to say things in case he didn't get another chance. "...I couldn't bear the thought of you giving up."

The back of his hand strokes her cheek softly. "I might be new to God's family... but if there's one thing I've learned... it's that we're here for more than just the people we meet along the way. I know you love me and I know you don't want me gone. But God didn't make you just so you could love me then lose out and quit. He made you for more than that."

Jason pauses as wave of pain spiders through his body and he tries not to let it show. "We're here for God's purpose, not ours. Joy can be found in any situation - even this one." His voice starts to crack and he swallows hard, trying to maintain control. "Please... promise me you won't give up... promise me that when I'm gone you won't stop living. The world needs you... God has a bigger plan for you. Please... don't give up."


Susanne nods thoughtfully. "Yeah. I know he did some bad things, but... I still thinks he deserves another chance. If he would just... let someone in." She sighs. "I guess we've given him a choice though, and if he chooses not to accept the help, then we just have to know we did everything we could."

She shrugs and turns to leave, knowing she had a lot of work to catch up on before she left at five. And she was leaving at five, for sure, since she had a date with Chuck tonight, and he was picking her up at her house at six. There was no way she was going to let Reese make her work late tonight.