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Eric drops his eyes for a moment before returning his sheepish gaze. While his lips were still curled, on the inside he was wondering if Stacy's words hit a little closer to home than he'd like. Was she talking about getting hung up on his speech, or something else? He sets that thought aside to revisit it later.

Gaining her permission to teach Ashlee to ride widens his grin a little. At least with all his bungles, she still trusted him - and for him, that was actually pretty good. The redness slowly fades from his face. "You're welcome. It's the least I can do. I mean..."

His words trail off as he feels her touch on his arm. For some reason, he felt much more sensitive today... like he could feel her warmth all the way through to his skin... as if he'd just been touched by a fuzzy electrical current that ran right up his arm and then down his spine.

Blinking, he tries to get himself back on track. "...with her bein' kinda alone and all." He felt badly, too, that Ashlee didn't have a dad in the picture, but he wouldn't say anything like that, for fear it might be taken the wrong way. "Guess I'll think a little more on teachin' her."

Backing away, his arm slips from her hand and he gives her a slight nod before turning and wandering back to where the hats were again. As he stops and looks at the hats though, the black one in particular, his hand finds its way to the place on his arm where Stacy's palm had been. And once again, he knew there was more to her than the tough outer shell she wore.

...The rest of the morning went without a hitch. There were no mishaps with Dylan, which made everyone feel a little more at ease, and after leaving the tack shop, they all walked a couple blocks to get a bite to eat where Sparky let Dylan stay with Stacy and Jeff while he and Eric went to get grain. Once back, Jeff convinced them to stay for an ice cream cone before heading back to the ranch. Dylan remained quiet most of the time, and though not cracking much of a smile, his eyes proved that he was having a bit of fun and was glad to get away from the ranch for the while.

Wandering to the pickups in the parking lot, Eric aims for the second truck, only to be met by Jeff, who held the door open for him. Stacy was already behind the wheel. While Eric didn't want to be squished in the middle again, he didn't want to make a scene this time, nor did he want any more embarrassing moments. He's just ready to slide in and take his spot when Jeff's words stop him short.

Jeff gives him a silly grin and gestures inside the truck. "In you go, Sexy. Are you going to wear your hat or not? 'Cause that might determine if I need my sunglasses."

Not only did the first comment make Eric bristle, but the second one only reminded him of the awkward spot he'd been earlier in over his "shining" hair. So much for not being embarrassed again. He knew Stacy had heard the comment, and immediately he felt the heat crawling up his neck to spread into his cheeks. And this time... he'd had enough. This time, he just couldn't be sandwiched in the middle again trying to swallow his pride and pretend he wasn't feeling like the local idiot. Jeff had gone too far. Forgetting his decision not to cause a scene, Eric steps to the side, glaring at his brother. "Get in," he hisses.

Jeff lifts an eyebrow, not really sure if that was real anger he saw or not. "That spot's reserved for you, Bro. Remember me and getting carsick?"

"I ain't ever seen you carsick," Eric counters. "And I ain't ever been so embarrassed as you've made me today. If you don't get in and shut up, I'm finding my own ride home."

Jeff's humor is dropped and he furrows his brow. "Hey, cool it. I was just teasing."

"You've been teasin' me all morning and I'm sick of it. I came along today because I had something to buy, not because I wanted to be poked and prodded and made fun of."

"For crying out loud," Jeff defends, "I'm just trying to get you to lighten up."

"I don't need to lighten up," Eric growls, his eyes still glaring. "All I need is a little more respect from my brother, rather than being made a fool of all day. Or is that too much to ask?"

The angry sarcasm sets off Jeff now and he can feel his own anger rising. "You do need to lighten up," he argues. "Ever since you got back, all you've done is mope. You're in a horrid mood and you act like it's the end of the world. Well it isn't, and I'm tired of all your crap. Far be it from me to tease you a little and try to get you to laugh instead of hating everyone and everything."

"You don't need to embarrass me to tease me!" Eric raises his voice.

"I don't know why you are!" Jeff throws his arms in the air. "Get over yourself!"

"Me?! You're the one that needs to grow up!"

"Well if growing up means not having a sense of humor anymore, then I guess you beat me to it."

Eric is tired of the verbal war and throws Jeff one last glare before spinning on his heel and stalking towards the other truck.

Watching him go, Jeff sets a hand on the open door to steady himself while trying to control his shortness of breath. Getting uptight wasn't the smartest thing anymore and his racing heart proved it. He hadn't wanted to get in a fight - he really had just been kidding around. Why couldn't Eric just be... Eric again?

Seeing his brother join Sparky and Dylan, Jeff's shoulders drop a little and he slowly climbs in the passenger seat next to Stacy before buckling in. Giving her a sidelong glance, he purses his lips. "I'm... sorry about that. I guess I didn't know he was that sensitive today. I hope I haven't embarrassed you as much as I've apparently embarrassed him." He really hadn't wanted to make anyone feel awkward. He was just tired of seeing his brother so sad and had only wanted to get him to laugh and have fun. Maybe he really had teased too much. He probably teased everyone too much. But life was too short to take everything so seriously all the time - a fact that he knew better every day.

Looking back at Stacy, he gives her a sorry sort of grin. "I can make it up to you... a little bad singing on the way home... no more jokes for a week... dinner at my place? Er, bunkhouse? I make a mean microwave lasagna. Or we could come back to town for dinner that actually tastes good."


Carson grins as he wipes off the counter again, watching Dalton leave. The big guy was alright, and Dani always seemed happy around him. Carson was pretty sure they'd make a good couple. He had to admit, it sent a little pang to his heart though, thinking about his baby sister getting married. They'd always be brother and sister, but he knew that their relationship would change some, and it would be a little bit of an adjustment. It would be Dalton's job to take care of her, not Carson's. He wondered if that would be easy to let go of or not. Sighing, he turns and heads back to the kitchen. That was one thing he could always count on - life would always change.


Hearing Beth's response, Justin questions what he would do next - he could tell by the tone of her voice that she felt badly. Wasn't it rightly so? She'd gone too far on this one, and probably should feel a bit badly about it. He still couldn't bring himself to reprimand her, though. Not like he did other people.

Looking down at the chocolate again, he goes for a paper towel, wetting it under the faucet to clean up the mess. The movie wasn't even near the end and Beth was suggesting she leave. Part of Justin wanted to stop her to make sure the consequences of this whole thing weren't too great. But part of him would just as soon have her leave. If he couldn't trust her to respect boundaries, maybe their friendship had gone too far.

"Up to you," he finally calls back. Tossing the messy paper towel into the trash can, he picks up the chocolate again and wanders back into the living room. Resuming his seat on the couch, he doesn't look up as he puts some chocolate on the ice cream he really didn't even want anymore.


"More prepared?" Rocky laughs. "What? I don't look prepared to you?" He stands straighter and looks down at himself. He did look a bit disheveled. But it didn't spoil his grin. "If I go home first, Puzzle is gonna expect me to stay, and I'd hate to disappoint him. That and..." He shrugs. "Call me lazy." The laughter still twinkles in his eyes.

"Shall we say... fifteen minutes? Coffee shop across the street?"


No sooner had Ryan curled up with him and Tal was asleep. Normally the floor would be too uncomfortable, despite the soft blanket, but this morning, he was so tired he could have slept anywhere. And maybe having Ryan in his arms helped...

...The sound of soft puppy whimpering rouses Tal from his sleep and he pries his eyes open. Yawning, he sucks in a deep breath of air, only now feeling something heavy on his chest. Glancing down, he realizes it's Ryan's head, and he grins. He didn't know what time it was, but light was shining brightly in the window and the sounds of traffic indicated activity. His gaze drifts lazily to the clock on the wall. It was nearing eleven o'clock. Even with as tired as he'd been, he was surprised he'd slept that long. He must have been extra comfortable.

Glancing at Ryan again, his arm gives her a little squeeze. "Hey," he whispers. "Want some breakfast?" Shifting a little to twist his neck around, he kisses her forehead. Somewhere along the way, fear of her not liking his apartment had dissipated. And somewhere along the way, apprehension had dissipated, too. For right now... this morning... he couldn't be happier.


Reese nods at Nate. "Thank you." He looks to Chance once more. "If you know the Underground so well, you tell me what comes next."

"I need to offer them the trade and then wait. They will probably run it up to the top dog then call me back. If they're desperate, it'll be quick. If they want to make me sweat, they might wait a day or so."

"Then make the offer." Reese holds up his phone. "From here." He nods to Nate. "You're free to go, but keep yourself available."


Kip digests Karla's words, remaining quiet for a long while after she'd spoken. He wasn't asleep though. On the contrary, his mind was going a million miles an hour. It hurt - everything did. He didn't know what was happening to himself... he didn't understand what was going on inside of him and it was scary. Maybe Karla was right? Maybe he should at least try what Kyle had suggested? And if he didn't like it, he didn't have to keep going... and Karla said the others wouldn't think any differently of him. So... was there really any risk to talking to someone?

Rolling onto his side, he faces Karla, closely enough that his forehead rests against hers. He closes his eyes and sighs deeply, draping his arm around her. "Okay," he finally whispers. "I'll tell Kyle I'll do it. But let's forget about it for tonight, okay?"

Pulling her closer, he battles with his mind for peace. And half an hour later, he doesn't even feel a blanket being pulled over the both of them by Gram who pads softly from the room again.


With just a little bit of imagination, the brick, two-story house might look like a fairytale cottage, complete with rounded windows and ivy crawling up the south end. A long driveway set it back into a cozy grove of pines and oaks, far enough from the main road to make one think they were far away from civilization. The front yard was spacious, dotted with tasteful bushes and shrubbery. The backyard was bigger than one might think, half cooled by the shade of trees. A stone path led the way from the broad back porch with a swing, around a vibrant flower garden and to a peaceful respite with a bench and small rock pool.

The inside of the house was just as elegant, though without a huge interior or fancy furnishings, it maintained a homey feel. The wood floor bore small marks - evidence of children's play. The kitchen, though bare, told of happy meals and singing. Living room and dining room both, though void of furniture, held memories of running children, silly shrieks and very simply, the love of family. A sun room in the back had hosted many quiet hours, spent with loved ones, or in prayer. Three upstairs bedrooms still echoed with laughter and the late night whispers of sleepovers.

And Kyle loved telling Alice about it all... his fall down the stairs when he was six, sneaking into the kitchen at midnight for cookies with his cousins, adventures with Phil out the bedroom window that no parent ever knew about, and the tears spilled in the sun room after the death of his dad. His aunt and uncle's house on the edge of town had given Kyle many fond memories that still entered his mind often. As he'd grown older, the time spent here had grown less and less. Life moved in and sleepovers, backyard camping and birthday parties had been outgrown. Then last year, his aunt and uncle had moved out of town to be closer to Kyle's aunt's parents. Today though, he'd had permission to come and had given Alice the grand tour, complete with stories for each room - some sweet, some sad and many funny.

Lying on his back in the front yard and watching the clouds pass over, Kyle squints into the bright sky. After the stress of last night dealing with Kip, today was a slice of heaven. "So... I guess this is the last place I really wanted to show you. Sometimes I wish I was still a kid again so I could come hang out here but... I guess these are just good memories to treasure, ya know?"

He rolls onto his side to look at Alice and a smile spreads from ear to ear. "Cool house though, huh?"


A knock at the door rouses Cindy from her light sleep as she sat in the living room chair with a blanket. She'd been there most of the time since being brought back by Susanne the night before. Not knowing at first what the noise was, she looks quickly to he couch, finding that Jason was still there and still sleeping. He slept most of the time now, and when he did wake, he wasn't always lucid enough for conversation. Rick had sent along some more powerful pain killers that knocked Jason out most of the time - a stark reminder that the end was approaching more quickly every day.

Cindy walks to the couch and reaches down to run a finger through his hair. Oh, to have her son full of life again. Another knock makes her jump and she realizes that's what had woken her. Heading to the door, she hopes it's not someone who just wanted to chat. Everyone meant well, but a few quiet hours had been nice. Opening the door, she looks out only to be met by a stranger. Or was he? It only takes a moment for Cindy's face to pale, her heart leaping into her throat as she simply stares.

Derek swallows hard, bringing Liz a little closer with his arm around her shoulders. "Hi, Cindy."

Cindy blinks and tries to say something, but no words come. She clears her throat and looks down for a moment, finally looking back up at him again. Squaring her shoulders, she takes a deep breath. "Derek. It's been a long time."

"Yes... it has."

Sensing the tension, Liz moves forward and stretches out her hand. "I'm Liz. Jason's sister. He told me a lot about you the last time I was here."

Cindy weakly accepts the handshake and does her best to smile. "I know he enjoyed getting to know you a little bit."

Derek shifts a bit uncomfortably. "We... came to see him... if that's okay."

"Um... he's sleeping at the moment. He, um... well it's..." Cindy swallows again, mustering up her courage while she battled against images from the past that bombarded her mind. Standing before her was the man who she, at one time, had blamed for ruining her life. This was the man that was the father of her sons. This was the man that had abandoned her when she'd needed him the most. Who had taken advantage of her in a vulnerable moment, only to tuck tail and run. And yet... the wounds didn't hurt quite as badly as they used to. Cindy looks between father and daughter, finding it hard not to be bitter against the fact that this girl had her dad in her life, while Jason had had no father growing up. But she knew it wasn't Liz's fault. And right now, Derek had just as much right to see his son as Cindy did. "Come in... please."

Derek's shoulders drop in relief and he offers a gentle smile and nod, following Liz into the house. Cindy leads them to the kitchen, offering them seats at the table as she sits with them. "Jason... is pretty out of it most of the time," she explains. "If you catch him when he wakes, it may or may not even register with him that it's you."

Derek nods. "We understand. I would have come sooner, but we just got word. I think Rick was waiting until he knew for sure that..." He lets his sentence trail off. "Well... he just said maybe now was a good time."

After having cried so many tears, Cindy again struggles to keep her emotions at bay. She had always been strong but this... all of this... it was beginning to take its toll and she wasn't sure how much longer she could stand up under it. "Yes, Rick has been here often to check on Jason. He wants Jason to be at TJY but Jason asked to stay here as long as he could so Rick agreed."

Derek nods again. "That's good. That he gets what he wants... Jason, I mean." An awkward silence follows until he clears his throat. "May I go see him?"

"Yes. He's in the living room." Cindy gestures to the next room.

Derek stands and holds out his hand for Liz to join him and they both slowly find their way to the couch where Jason still lay. Derek takes a knee and Liz quietly lowers onto the edge of a cushion. "Jason?" Derek sets as hand on his son's shoulder.

Jason's eyes flutter open and he looks up at the two blurry faces. He furrows his brow, thinking for a moment, then lifts one eyebrow. "Took you long enough," he teases weakly.

Liz breaks into a smile and she laughs softly. "Yeah well... timing isn't our best quality."

Jason manages a crooked grin as he fights to keep his eyes open. His hand moves to rest on Derek's. "Hey..."

"Hey." Derek forces himself to smile. "We didn't want to interrupt your sleep. We just wanted to say hi and let you know we were here."

"Mm-hmm..." Jason's eyes fall shut but he pries them open again. "Liz... you got a... a toothpick?"

She blinks. "A toothpick?"

"Two." Jason holds up two fingers. "To prop open my eyes."

Liz giggles. "No. But if you're that tired, we'll let you sleep."

"If you do that, you might.... might never get to talk to me." Jason tries not to wince too much as a new wave of pain hits, and he concentrates on the conversation instead as a good distraction. "So what's new... with you guys?"

Derek shakes his head. "Not much. Same old stuff. Figured we were due for a little vacation to Nevada was all."

Jason's mouth curls into a wry grin. "Sure."

Seeing his son's eyes dropping again, Derek gives his shoulder a pat. "You rest now, okay? We'll be around."

"Mm-hmm." Jason gives them both a weak wave.

Liz is reluctant to leave the couch, but she pries herself away to follow her father back to the kitchen, rejoining Cindy.

Cindy does her best to muster up another smile. "Katie spends a lot of time over here too... she and Jason are so close, you know. I'm sure she'll be here after work like usual."