Good morning?

Though a bit surprised at Hope's halt and seat on the ground, Kip follows suit, kneeling in the grass by the little flower bed. Confused, he pays close attention to what she has to say, his gaze fixed on the flower as she talks about it. Being handed the cup, he has no choice but to take it, curious enough now to continue listening.

Putting the pieces together as she weaves her words, he begins to realize what she's getting at. His eyes watch as she digs up the flower and puts it in the cup he's holding. He stares down at it before gently fingering the soft petals and touching the little leaves as if trying to prompt it back to healthy life. He didn't always notice flowers, but for some reason today, he felt rather sorry for the trampled blossom.

Looking back at he ground as Hope fills in the hole, he feels a new pang in his heart... in a place where he had his own hole... in a place that was full of scars. Before he can think about it too much, though, he realizes Hope is standing again. Getting to his feet, he follows her quietly, his pace much slower now. His head bent, he studies the flower he still held, carrying the cup as if he thought if he squeezed too tightly he might break it.

Without even realizing it, Kip has gradually come to a full stop in the path. His eyes still studied the delicate petals as his mind replayed all of Hope's words. He'd been trampled just like this flower. He'd been neglected, too. Maybe he'd even been dug up already by the efforts of his friends, but he'd had no where else to go, and the holes left were far from being filled in.

His fingers stroke the bent stem. He was this flower.

As his vision blurs, Kip turns his back on Hope. His lower lip quivers and he swallows hard. He knew he had open wounds that needed to heal. He knew those wounds were affecting his life and dictating his actions. He knew that things between himself and his father were not "normal" but really were unhealthy. He knew that, just like his flower, he'd been forgotten. And as a result, this world had become a terrifying place to live.

Drawing in a shaky breath, he sniffs and tries to compose himself, but tears linger in his eyes. "I wasn't always like this," he admits quietly. As a matter of fact, it really hadn't been that long ago that he'd felt much happier. "When Kyle joined our group I was... excited. I thought it was my chance, ya know?" He didn't know if Hope knew the background of Kyle and the band, but he assumed he'd told her as much. His life had been pretty good, living with Erik's family - he couldn't complain, and he'd been the one to always make everyone laugh. And now... now he was the only one not laughing.

He lifts his shoulder to swipe away a leftover tear. "I don't know what happened after that." He said he didn't, but he did. He'd had trouble with hyperactivity but he'd probably always have trouble with that. He had some confidence issues, but that wasn't abnormal. He was in new surroundings - but the others were too. No... those weren't it. The heart of the matter was that he'd been trampled on a few times, then that last fight with his father had been the equivalent of someone taking this flower and mercilessly ripping it out of the ground and leaving it to die in the sun. Kyle was right. It all revolved around the abuse.

Feeling a new tear trickle down his cheek, Kip ignores it. He could feel Hope behind him, but remains as he is, unwilling to face her. Holding up the flower, he squints at the sorry little sight. "Wouldn't it be better if this flower had never been planted in the first place? Then it would never have to go through this trauma."


As Ryan steps back from Alec's touch, he recoils slightly, not used to her retreating like that. The eyes that used to spark and glow when around him now stared back at him like ice. He swallows hard.

As Ryan talks, his stomach starts to churn. He remembered saying he hated her, but he hadn't meant it. He'd just wanted her and Carson to leave so they wouldn't get hurt. But deep down he knew that his words had cut like knives and there was no taking them back.

Getting to Ryan's final decision, her, "No," hits Alec harder than he'd thought it would. He wasn't sure what he'd expected. He'd tried not to predict what Ryan might say or how she'd react to him coming. But even so, somewhere, he hadn't prepared for rejection. Hesitation, maybe, but not flat out rejection. She hadn't even given them a chance to talk things over. He'd said his piece, she'd said hers and that was it? Nothing more? She wouldn't even consider the possibility of working things out? Did this have something to do with that guy in there on the couch?

A seed of jealousy is planted.

His eyes narrow slightly, trying to recover as quickly as possible from the surprise of Ryan's response. But he wasn't fast enough. As his mouth opens to respond, he's met with a closed door. Really? She was kidding, right? He stares at the door.


Tal is sitting up by now and can't help it that he's relieved when Ryan rejoins him. Maybe somewhere deep down he'd worried just a little that she'd be swept off her feet again by the man she'd cared for. But having her snuggle into him again, the worry is washed away. He grins and gives her a squeeze, turning to give her head a kiss. "Nah, nothing girly. When we paused the movie, I wouldn't let Eli watch the ballet competition like he wanted to."

Eli throws him a smirk but has no rebuttal and simply turns the movie back on.


Outside, Alec still stands. He knew he'd done some stupid things. He knew it wouldn't be easy to gain back Ryan's trust. But this? She said she forgave him, yet she wasn't going to even give him the time of day? He'd come all this way and risked the Elite coming down on him, and all she could say was no, without even trying? Seriously? He wasn't ready to give up. Especially when she'd gone back inside to be with whoever it was she'd been cuddled up with. It sure hadn't taken her long to find someone else to warm his place on the couch.

"Ryan?" He knocks on the door again. "Come on. You can't just walk away and leave it like this."


Inside, Eli looks up from the television and glances over at Tal and Ryan but doesn't say anything. He'd heard Ryan's refusal and, quite frankly, he was proud of her. Surely Alec wasn't childish enough to just stand there and throw a fit.


Alec waits, but the door remains closed. He tries the handle. Locked. Growling, he tries it again anyway. "I came all the way over here. I risked the Elite coming down on me. I've groveled. I've said all I can and you just walk away? Come on!"


As the knocking grows louder, Eli rolls his eyes. The words, "You've got to be kidding me," come to mind, but he doesn't say them. It wasn't Ryan's fault. Glancing over at her again, he knew she didn't want to get up, and he didn't want to make her either - once had been bad enough. Surely Alec had gotten the message.

"Ryan! Just give me five minutes!" The knocking turns to several bangs.

"Think he'll go away?" Eli mutters.

Tal throws him a look and his arm tightens around Ryan. "I think someone forgot to tie his leash short enough."

More banging. "Just five minutes!"

Eli shakes his head. "Alright. That's it." Getting to his feet, he swaggers to the door, opening it quickly but only wide enough to show his irritated stance. His eyes meet Alec's with challenge. "Ryan's done talking to you. Apparently the closed door wasn't enough for you to understand that. So I'll try it this time. Your conversation is over."

Alec glares at Eli, his fists clenched at his sides. He scoffs. "I shoulda known you'd come in her place. I guess I thought she'd have the guts to come back out here."

Eli's temper flares, though he manages to keep a lid on it while pointing a finger at Alec. "If I didn't feel so sorry for you, I'd belt you right now. I don't need to defend Ryan - you know good and well what kind of woman she is and the guts she has. So all I'm going to say is leave. Now. Before I call the Elite and tell them you're harassing people."

"You can't-"

"Leave, Alec." Eli would never admit that speaking those words hurt. He'd trusted Alec... he'd been his friend. Though not the same as Ryan, Eli had felt betrayed too. "I'm through with you and Ryan's through with you. She's moved on. We've moved on. You're no longer welcome here."

While Alec wanted to argue, he knew Eli would do has he threatened and call the Elite. And then he'd probably be in more trouble than he surely was already. Still glaring, he wanted to push past him and go inside. He wanted to force his way in and make them listen... make Ryan listen. He wanted to say everything he wanted and not be told what to do. But looking at Eli, he knew he'd be stupid to try.

Backing up a step, Alec takes one last glance inside, then one last glance at Eli. A light scoff comes out, followed by a wry sort of grin. "See ya around then." He nods, and finally turns to leave, his footsteps slow as if his feet weighed more than they should.

Eli watches him leave and doesn't close the door again until he's satisfied that Alec really wasn't coming back. Locking up again, he returns to his chair in the living room to plop down and resume watching the movie.

Tal had heard the brief conversation and knew that Ryan had, too. He didn't know how she felt, but he knew it couldn't be good. And that made him sad. Moving down on the couch, he roots around in the cushions until he's lying on his side and he pulls Ryan down in front of him, tucking her in close with a strong arm wrapped around her. Hooking her legs with his, he kisses the back of her head and settles into the throw pillow to stay for the duration of the movie.


Completely in his own little world, Eric never even saw Stacy coming. Smacking into her full-force, it was pure reflex that drives his hands out to grab her so he didn't knock her right to the floor. "Whoa!" His eyes widen as he tries to catch his balance.

Steady again, he realizes his hands are still on her waist and he retracts quickly, only to realize that Stacy's own hands are on his arms. Her touch was... soft... warm... delicate but strong. Eric blinks and tries to shake a sudden strange feeling that he didn't want to acknowledge. Then he remembers he doesn't even had a shirt on, which automatically sends heat to his face.

Clearing his throat, he backs up a step, embarrassed amusement in his eyes. In order to salvage any dignity, he reaches up to lean a forearm on the wall, while crossing his ankles and setting a hand on his hip. His pose was an obvious attempt to fake a cool move, and a chuckle slips out. "Um... good morning?"


Feeling Beth's hand on his, Justin almost tenses... almost. A sensation seems to spread up through his arm, winding its way around until slipping through the tiny cracks surrounding the back door to his heart. It was a feeling he'd avoided. It was a feeling he hadn't wanted to face. But today... today things were not the same.

Slowly turning his hand over, his palm meets hers, his thumb running gently along her hand for a moment. "Thanks, Beth."

Leaning his head back against the wall he stares at nothing in particular, while leaving his hand right where it was. "Ma's doing okay I think. Freaked out there for a while but some of her friends came and helped calm her down." He sighs. "I know she might be losing her son but... I don't know... I guess I still see a guy who deserved this, even though I know that's a poor attitude on my part."

He takes a sip of his coffee, grateful again for Beth bringing the warm drink. "At any rate, I'm sure Ma will be glad to see you too."

As she was. It wasn't long before Justin shares Beth's company with Lydia, who does her best to dry her tears and gives Beth a big hug and a thanks for coming. It was hard waiting, but that's all that could be done. As the hours passed, a numbness overtook the initial shock, bringing on a strange combination of exhaustion and alertness. Soon, the news comes that Jared had made it through multiple surgeries. The little group wasn't yet informed of the total extent of his injuries, but it still wasn't looking good, and the doctor wouldn't say one way or the other if he thought Jared even had a chance to survive the night.

While Lydia and Justin opted to continue staying at the hospital, Justin knew he couldn't expect the same of Beth - she had her own life and a job she needed to be at...

"...so I know you probably need to go." Justin slowly paces the small hallway, fiddling with his half-empty pop can. He stops for a moment to look at Beth, managing the best smile he could. He was so tired and knew the stress must be so obvious on his face. "I, um... really appreciated your company today though. I'm glad you came."


Gunner snickers and shakes his head. "I have a feeling he's gonna find out the hard way about a lot of things." He reaches up to squeeze Bree's knee to tickle her.

JT rolls his eyes. "I have a funny feeling too, and it says you're right." Picking up his coffee mug again, he takes a sip and grimaces, finding out that it had grown cold."

Gunner sighs deeply and gives Bree's leg a pat before hefting himself up off the ground and brushing himself off. "Well..." He stretches tall and yawns a big yawn. "I don't know about the rest of you, but this vampire is getting a weebit sleepy. And you know we vampires get grouchy when we don't get our beauty sleep." He reaches down to take both of Bree's hands and pull her up quickly, all the way into a hug and a quick peck on the lips. "What say we leave these youngsters be, while we, uh, go... make sure the tents are set up correctly?"

A wry grin curls JT's lips and he looks up at them with a dry expression. "Careful, Vamp. There's garlic in her sleeping bag."

Gunner laughs and slings an arm around Bree's shoulders to head away from the campfire. In reality, he just wanted to give JT and Amanda some space. Though being alone with Bree for a while was a bonus. "Don't worry, Papa Bear, I'm too tired to suck anyone's blood." Once nearer the tents, Gunner stops and turns to look down at Bree, his eyes twinkling as light from the moon and nearby fire reflect in his gaze. "I hope you don't mind me pulling you away. I was about to go crazy watching your uncle slide further and further away from Amanda." He chuckles. "Maybe now he'll at least talk to her."


JT watches as his niece and Gunner leave and he just shakes his head. Turning up his nose at his coffee again, he tosses it out into the grass behind them before sighing deeply. Just staring at his empty cup, the heat from the campfire seems to grow even warmer. Or maybe it was just him. A sidelong glance creeps over to Amanda and all of a sudden he felt very silly. Here he was, a grown man, and he'd been avoiding a very good... pretty... friend ever since they'd gotten here.

Almost smirking at himself, he gets up and moves to sit down on the log beside Amanda. "So, I, um... haven't had a chance to actually ask you yet what you think about being the victim of a kidnapping." A chuckle slips out and he shakes his head. "I don't know which is worse - them doing it, or me letting them." Looking into the fire, a grin remains. "Maybe I was just waiting for a real reason to take some time off work."


Wyatt snickers at Nate's comment about gaining weight. "Yeah, I'd hate to drag your sorry carcass anywhere now. We'd never make it in time."

Still grinning, he shakes his head. "No good about Dalton. We take him out of here, Dad's gonna know in an instant we're up to something. He just needs to prep a secondary screen in case anybody walks in on him. Besides all that, he couldn't track us if he was up on a roof with Con. Naw... I'd say our next step is to ask Con if he'd be willing to go with us and then see if Dalton will agree too. If one of them says no, we'll put the kabosh on it."

He thinks for a moment, then sighs. "I hope Destiny really is okay. I don't know if Chance could take it if she wasn't."


"Where'd he go?"

"Across town. Far as I can tell, he went to the McKade place. It was slow going the whole way so I'd say he was on foot the entire time. He's on the move again now, but I think he's just headed back to his apartment."

Reese looks over Hal's shoulder at the monitor and nods. "Well, just keep an eye on him."

Hal glances up at him. "You don't want me to send somebody to get him?"

"Not unless it's obvious he's running." Reese sighs. "Alec's like a high-strung kid. Come down on him too hard and you'll break his spirit. Give him no rules and he'll run wild. I wanna try giving him some freedom. We still know where he is at all times and I have a hunch he's not gonna try to split."

Hal shrugs. "Whatever you say."

"Let me know where he goes for sure. I figured he'd test us pretty quick - I want to try giving him this small bit of freedom. It's my last effort to try and make this work."

Hal glances back at the screen. "If it doesn't, that'll kill the program won't it?"

"Yeah."


Hearing all about everyone at TJY, Scott again felt as though a lifetime had passed. It was almost a numbing feeling though. He felt like he should be sad or happy or anything - but he'd been so far removed from everything, that it was almost as if he were entering a life he didn't even know anymore. Jason was dying? It was a strange pang in Scott's heart. Laura and Nate had had their baby? They were a family now... a family Scott didn't even really know. Alec had gone and come back again? Justin had mentioned something about that. And Gage? It sounded like he was doing well. Scott wasn't quite sure how he was supposed to feel about that one. And his parents... yes, he'd see them. He should. It was only right, no matter if there was tension there or not.

Smiling a little at Sapphire's last comment, Scott shakes his head. "You don't ramble. You just share a lot of information. If you stopped now, you wouldn't be Sapphire anymore."

Taking a sip of his drink, he leans back a little, feeling tired but not wanting to yet. He wasn't used to being out and about, and the emotional wear and tear alone was enough to exhaust him. But he didn't want it to end this day faster than it should.

"How, um..." He bites his lower lip, afraid to even ask. Maybe he shouldn't. But he did want to know. "How's Hope? I... I looked for her but didn't see her."