Tempers

Scott's initial hesitance to approach Hope only added to his surprise at her reaction to seeing him. Taken completely off guard by her embrace, for several moments he simply stands stunned. But slowly he slips his arms around her too.

Hugging her tightly, his eyes fall closed and a million and one thoughts race through his mind. How long had it been since he'd held her in his arms? Yet it was surely impossible for him ever to hold her again as he once had. Not after all he'd done and said to her. Not after he'd cut ties and all but burned bridges. Her muffled words bring him a strange sense of comfort. She forgave him. No matter the future between them, at least he was forgiven. And that alone made his courage to see her worth it.

Eventually he pries himself away before his emotions got the best of him. Her eyes looked tired... her face perhaps thinner than he remembered. He'd worried so much since she'd been sick. But she did look much better now than she had lying in the hospital bed. There was color in her cheeks... and somewhere deep ran a new spark - the spark of a survivor. One thing remained though, and that was a beauty - in and out - that had captured Scott long ago.

Yet even so, he just now spots the unexpected - tears. Cocking his head in near-bewilderment, he lifts a thin finger to her cheek. Brushing away the tears first on one side then the other, his gaze remains soft. "What are you crying for, hmm?" His voice was barely above a whisper. "You're one of the few people that had faith I'd be back."

He could curse his blind eye - he wanted to see her with whole vision... with completely clarity. He swallows hard. There was so much he wanted to say, yet with no way of saying it. So much he wanted to tell her, yet words just didn't fit. His palm cradles her face for just a moment before it drops and he slips both hands into his pockets. "I, um..." He bites his lip. "I wanted to stop by and see you," he finally manages. "I've been released... from Brookshire, and..." He shrugs. "I guess I wanted to let you know."


Right ahead of Ashlee, Dylan wasn't paying a whole lot of attention. He heard her behind him and hadn't thought about checking his speed. Listening to her explanation of the plant, his eyes remain on the undergrowth around them. As her words are broken off though and Dylan hears her fall, he stops short and spins around just in time to see the book go flying and her hit the ground hard.

Without even thinking, he's by her side in an instant, kneeling next to her. "Aw man, are you alright?" Hearing she was not, he cringes a little. "Here, let me take a look."

Reaching for her ankle, he pushes up her pantleg, trying to be careful. He'd sprained his own ankle once before and it was not a fun experience. Unable to see it clearly enough, he unties her shoe and loosens it as much as possible before slowly slipping it off her foot. As he does, he sees that her ankle already showed signs of swelling.

Glancing to Ashlee's face, only now does he realize that she had tears of pain, and probably embarrassment, streaming down her cheeks. And without him even knowing it, a genuine compassion shows in his eyes. "This might hurt," he warns gently. Using his hands carefully, he cups her ankle and presses ever so slightly, feeling the heat and trying to feel if anything was crooked or out of place. "I don't think it's broken," he concludes, "but I can't tell for sure. At the very least, you're right - you sprained it mighty good." He slips her shoe back on, but leaves it untied so it wouldn't be restricting.

Looking back at her again, he gives her a look of sympathy. "This is my fault. I should have been paying more attention to where I was leading you." Crawling nearer her head, he pulls a bandanna out of his back pocket and wipes her tears. He'd never admit that seeing a girl cry was something he couldn't stand. "It'll be alright. We just need to get you back so Angel can look at your ankle, okay?"

Tucking away his bandanna again, he straightens a little and offers his hands. "Think you can stand?"


"Nope. Ain't seen him since earlier." Eric coils up a rope he'd been using and hangs it in the barn.

Mick sighs and tilts his hat back on his head. Odd. He'd been looking for Dylan for about twenty minutes now and had come up empty handed. He was supposed to be doing his schoolwork, so assuming he was off fooling around didn't sit very well with Mick. "Alright. Thanks." Turning to go, he stops then swings back around again. "What about Ashlee?"

"Um..." Eric thinks, then shakes his head. "I thought I saw her out back with a book a while ago but I haven't seen her since. I was gonna have her help me bringing those horses but when I couldn't find her again, I figured she was busy or something."

"Okay. Thanks." More annoyed than concerned yet, Mick looks for a few more minutes then finally scouts around for Stacy just to be on the safe side. Finding her in the dining hall, he waves to get her attention. "Hey, Stacy. Have you seen Dylan this afternoon? I can't find him." He hoped that Ashlee wasn't missing too, like his gut suspected.


"Burn the eggs? Me?!" JT continues to scramble the eggs, allowing the conversation to move on from his slow-move-ed-ness. He grins. "Never!"

"Mmhmm." Gunner peers over his shoulder. "I see a black spot."

"You watch it or you're gonna be a black spot," JT threatens. "Watch your bacon."

Gunner grins and goes back to his own cooking. "Yes, Papa."

JT waves a spatula at him. "Boy, you're cruisn' for a bruisin' and it's barely morning. Do you always start this early?"

"Early?" Gunner shakes his head. "I'm a vampire. I've been up all night. This is late for me."

"We were all up late." JT's eyes narrow, remembering the commotion Gunner had caused upon entering the tent.

Gunner stifles a laugh. "Yeah, well... didn't anybody ever teach you not to lie in front of the doorway?"

"Eggs are ready!" JT lifts the pan from the fire, while changing the subject. "Get 'em while they're hot!"

Gunner lets the bantering die down for a while, at least so they could have a prayer and eat in peace. It wasn't until the meal was over that Gunner brings up the subject of a walk again. Standing and stretching tall, he nudges Bree. "So you gonna walk with me or what?"

"Hey," JT complains. "Who's gonna do the dishes?"

"You look mighty fine in an apron," Gunner quips. Grabbing Bree's hand, he drags her away from the campsite, yelling over his shoulder. "Amanda, keep an eye on him!"

Watching the two run off, JT shakes his head. Seated on a log and balancing his breakfast plate on his leg, he chuckles. "Those two... If I didn't love them so much, they'd be the death of me." Downing the rest of his coffee, he stands up and starts gathering the camp dishes. "I guess I'm on kitchen duty today."


Once in the trees out of sight from the camp, Gunner relaxes a little and leads the way to a well-worn path. "Mmm... this is nice. Fresh air. Sunshine. Sometimes I feel like the city's closing in on me, ya know?" His fingers lock with Bree's to hold her hand as they walk. "At least I got you to keep me sane..." His sentence drifts off. "Well... relatively sane," he teases.

It's a nice walk through the woods. Taking their time, they see a bit of small wildlife, take note of funny looking clouds, and eventually they wind up at a small cliff looking over a sparkling stream. They'd been walking for about half an hour and Gunner uses that as an excuse to pause. Looking out over the ridge and down to the stream, he points. "The water's so clear, I can see fish from here. I ought to tell JT to bring his rod up here instead of trying the pond."

Letting the silence linger, Gunner falls strangely quiet before speaking again, this time his voice softer than before and perhaps almost hesitant. "Ya know... spending time with you... well, I guess I figured I wasn't ever gonna find someone like you." His hand fiddles with hers, while his eyes remain on the scenery. "You're fun... and smart... and beautiful... and you put up with me and my quirks. I don't know how, but you do."

Chuckling, he finally turns to face Bree. His cheeks were slightly flushed. "I don't know if you realize how much you mean to me. I don't know how I survived so long without you, to tell you the truth." He swallows hard. I guess, um.... well, I guess I wouldn't wanna find out if... if I could survive without you again. That said, um... I... well, see I..."

Gunner's stammering is brought to a sudden halt as out of nowhere he winces and smacks the back of his neck. Bringing his hand back down, he stares into his palm where there lay a killed yellow jacket. Just looking at it for a moment, he blinks. "Hey, Bree?" His voice had changed yet again, but this time it was a strange tone of concern. "I... never told you I was deathly allergic to bees, did I?" He could already feel the immediate formation of a painful welt where he'd been stung.

Dumping the insect on the ground, his eyes find Bree's. There was no playfulness in his gaze this time - only dead seriousness. "I sure hope one of those doctors has something with them back at camp. Otherwise I'm in big trouble." They needed to get back to the campsite - and fast.

Grabbing Bree's hand again, he pulls her back to the path at a fast pace. "If I can't make it all the way, leave me and get help," he directs.


The scent of bacon wafted on the air, filling Justin's nostrils with the tantalizing aroma and awakening his stomach. Shifting just a little, he feels strangely at home yet out of place at the same time. This didn't seem like his bed. He shifts a little more, sensing he was lying on couch cushions. Had he fallen asleep in his living room? If that were true, why was he smelling breakfast? No, wait... he wasn't on his couch... he wasn't in his home at all, was he?

Finally cracking open his eyes, he comes to the full realization that no, he wasn't in his home, but rather, he was in Beth's. And that realization brings an instantly strong feeling of embarrassment. He'd fallen asleep last night, hadn't he? On the couch? And Beth had let him sleep? All night? Now fully awake, he also realizes that he was under a nice warm blanket and resting his head on a regular bed pillow. Not only had Beth let him sleep, but she'd apparently made him comfortable as well. Knowing that did help this embarrassment fade - at least she hadn't been trying to get rid of him or something when he'd fallen asleep. He did remember now how quickly he'd tired while watching the movie. He must have drifted off quite soundly after that.

Managing to sit up, Justin runs a hand through his matted hair. He smells the bacon again and hears Beth moving around in the kitchen. She really was sweet. And thoughtful. And kind. And gracious. And... He shakes his head, grinning a little to himself.

Rolling off the couch, he stretches and tries straightening himself out a little, though he still looked like a wrinkled mess. Hearing Beth continuing to work on breakfast, he slips down to the bathroom to clean up a bit before returning. Wandering back to the kitchen a few minutes later, he feels much more alert than he had in days. He still needed a clean set of clothes and he needed a good shave too, but the good night's rest had done his spirits well and today looked just a bit brighter than yesterday.

Seeing Beth at the stove, he comes up behind her. "Mmm... what do we have here?" Reaching around her, he snitches a little piece of bacon that was done, and pops it into his mouth. "Perfect, just as I suspected." Leaning over her shoulder, he gives her a quick kiss on the cheek, being careful with his scratchy face. "Thanks for letting me stay last night."


Chance's eyes dash between the others, back and forth as the seconds tick by. Nate's threat makes his blood boil and anger flashes in his gaze, but he remains silent, his feet remaining still.

What does make him break his stance is feeling Destiny's hand slip into his. Looking down quickly and seeing it to make sure he felt it right, his eyes then rise to hers, questioning her intentions. Her plea for him to go with them strikes him straight to the heart. Did this mean... she forgave him? It was something he almost dared not hope for.

Nate snaps him back to attention with his gruff order to go, and he looks again to him, then to the car, then to the building where he knew Con was. His face showed a conflict of emotions, still not allowing him to move.

Wyatt sticks his head out the window of the car and yells at them. "Come on, you idiot!"

Con's voice crackles through to Nate and Wyatt. "For all we know, there could be more guys coming - we have to get out of here now before we're all caught."

Wyatt throws an arm in the air. "Nate! Bring him!"

Not waiting for Nate to hold to his threat, Chance straightens, his hand tightening around Destiny's. "I'll come," he relents. "Just don't blame me when we get back to base." Not explaining, he heads for the car, guiding Destiny beside him before opening the door for her and letting her in first.

Wyatt waits for Nate to get in too before pulling out of the parking lot. Once on the road and in the clear, he rolls his eyes. He glances in the rearview mirror. "You wanna explain yourself, Chance? Huh?"

Chance remains silent, his fingers still intertwined with Destiny's.

Wyatt shakes his head. "Did you really think we'd let you off that easy? Go to the enemy? Weasel your way in and do their dirty deeds while you don't have to worry about facing up to the Elite? Is that what you wanted to do?"

Chance lets his gaze move to the window to focus on the passing lights. He doesn't turn to look at Destiny - though hoping she had forgiven him, he wasn't ready to talk about it now... not that the two guys in the front seats would let him anyway. For now, his hand in hers would have to do.

Thankfully, the rest of the ride back to TJY was quiet, even though the air was full of tension. Once there, Wyatt pulls up front to park, getting out with Nate and waiting for Destiny and Chance. As they approach the building, Con's truck pulls up as well and he joins them.

The five of them walk in together and they don't make it halfway across the quiet main floor before being met by Reese. His eyes were wide in surprise at not only seeing Chance back, but Con as well. Surprise is quickly replaced with irritation, though, and while one might think he'd be pleased to see that they hadn't needed to sacrifice Chance, his expression was far from pleased. "What in the blazes is going on?!"

Con quirks an eyebrow. "Before you start yelling, just-"

"You had direct orders!" Reese was ignoring Con and pointing to Nate and Wyatt. His eyes snap to Chance. "And so did you."

Chance looks at him dimly. He still held Destiny's hand. "Your goons wouldn't let me go through with the trade."

"Wouldn't let...?" Reese glares at the others again. "I want to see you three in my office, right now." He points to Chance. "You take care of Destiny and go park yourself somewhere that I can find you." Grabbing the nearest phone, Reese dials Dalton's office. "Dalton! In my office, now!" He was smart enough to know the tech guy had to have been in on this too. Stalking towards his office, he leaves the others, knowing they'd follow.

Wyatt cringes and looks up at Nate then Con. "Well... this is going... well."

Con cocks his head. "What?"

"Nothing." Wyatt smirks and throws Nate another glance. "And here I thought we were doing something good." Starting forward, he makes sure the others are with him before getting to Reese's office.

Once everyone is there, Reese sits down behind his desk, glaring up at all four standing men - Nate, Wyatt and the two giants. "So you thought you'd do things your way, huh?"

"Look, it wasn't like that," Wyatt defends. "We just -"

"I gave you all direct orders," Reese snaps. "What were you thinking?"

Wyatt's face grows hot at being called down. "We were trying to save both of them, don't you understand? We didn't have to lose Chance."

"So you thought my decision was unwise."

"I didn't say that."

"I am sick and tired of you challenging my authority." Reese's eyes blaze. "There's only one reason you would have taken Con - how many people got shot?"

Wyatt would have preferred that Nate be in charge of answering the questions, but since he'd opened his big mouth first and was now the one being spoken to, he tries to remain cool and just reply to Reese. "We used tranquilizers to play it safe."

Reese shakes his head. "Do you have any idea what you risked?!"

"Of course we do!" Wyatt glances to the others for help.

Before anyone else can speak though, Reese cuts in. "It's Wyatt I'm talking to," he barks, keeping his eyes on his son.

Wyatt grits his teeth. "We were all in it together."

"I don't care! I had my reasons for telling you what to do. You, of all people, should have listened!"

"Why are you singling me out?! It wasn't just me!" Wyatt gestures to Nate. "He and I both set it up, and he was in charge!" He didn't want to lay blame, but he didn't want to take it all either.

"That's beside the point." Reese's eyes hold their glare. "I expect you to follow orders."

"Because I'm your son?" Wyatt regretted saying it, but it was too late. He was tired, angry, and just wanted to leave.

Reese stands up from his chair. "While you're in this building, you are a lieutenant. Nothing more, nothing less. If you want to bicker about me being your father, I suggest you save it for a more appropriate time. I expect more out of you, Wyatt. I've always been able to depend on you - until now."

Wyatt was seething. "What is the big deal? Why aren't you pleased we brought Chance back?"

"Because he was supposed to infiltrate the Underground and feed us information! That's why!" Reese slams his palm down on his desk. "We needed ultimate security to make it happen! He was going to be our guy on the inside so we could get a handle on what the Underground is really doing. But now it's all shot to pieces because of your grand ideas about doing things your own way!" His eyes drift between all of the men now. "I commend your ability to pull off this stunt, but I also recommend never doing it again. You're all dismissed."

Everyone was too stunned to leave immediately, and Wyatt only becomes angrier. "Thanks for risking your lives, guys," he comments sarcastically, mimicking what he'd expected to hear. "Thanks for getting Destiny out alive. Thanks for saving Chance from possible torture." His eyes narrow. "We didn't used to run on secrecy. A couple years ago we would have gotten a pat on the back for what we did tonight."

"Is that what you want?" Reese sits back down and stares up at his son. "Starting tonight, you're on probation."

"What?!"

"You heard me."

Shocked and angered, Wyatt spins on his heel and stalks out of the office before he could say anything else regrettable.

Reese points to the remaining three men. "I suggest you all call it a night unless you'd like to be on probation as well. I'll handle Chance and Destiny from here."


Back down the hall, Chance had guided Destiny to the break room where he gives her a chair at the table to sit. Grabbing his own chair, he sits down close to her and leans forward across the corner of the table, taking both of her hands in his. His eyes stare into hers, conveying his sorrow and concern. "Before we do anything else... Are you okay?"

Tumble

Walking with Dylan, Ashlee does her best to keep up. She didn't want him to think she was a wuss or make him aggravated so he would want to turn around. It was a quiet walk but she didn't mind. Hearing the natural sounds and having Dylan talk here and there was nice in itself. Not to mention, adventuring a little was nice too. Her mom had told her not to go into the woods alone so she had stayed out. Now though, she was with someone and it was fun.

Moving over rocks, trees and brush, Ashlee was careful not to trip or fall. A few holes made from groundhogs or snakes were avoided too. It was dangerous ground for someone who didn't have the right hiking gear but Ashlee didn't mind.

"Umm...let me see here." Pulling out the book from her bag, she continues to walk as she thumbed through the pages, looking up now and then to see where Dylan was. The ground and all that was on it was going unnoticed, along with the rather large hole just steps away.

"I am looking for Asarum canadense. They grow low to the ground, like the shade and almost look like a lily pad. They mostly grow under bushes and other shrubs. It also says here tha..." Before she could get the rest of what she was saying out, Ashlee feels her foot sink into the ground and a snap in her ankle was soon to follow as a shooting pain ran up her leg. Tumbling to the ground, the book goes flying along with a puff of dirt and leaves where she had landed.

"Ouch...my ankle...I heard something snap in it." Along with the extreme amount of pain Ashlee felt as she held her ankle, tears formed in her eyes and she can't help but feel embarrassed she had fallen in front of Dylan too. All she could do was sit there, the silent sobs coming out. She had fallen before, but nothing had ever felt like this. Beads of sweat formed on her face, mixing with the tears. Almost instantly she could feel her ankle start to swell. "I think it's sprained or broken. It hurts to move...move it."


Heading into the tent, Bree did her best to stay quiet and not wake Amanda. She didn't know how long she had been sleeping but nonetheless, she wanted to be quiet as possible. Unzipping the sleeping bag and slipping inside, she lets out her breath. She had successfully avoided waking Amanda.

Closing her eyes and ready to drift off into sleep, Bree's eyes snap open again at the loud yelp and crashing of pans from the next tent over. So much for not waking anyone. Amanda sits up straight in the tent at the sound of the loud commotion. Her heart raced, not sure what was going on. Anything from the thought of a bear to a bobcat passed through her mind. Only after hearing Gunner's voice and the laughter that followed did she know what was going on.

Looking over at Bree, whose eyes were now wide and her own chuckles slip out, Amanda just shakes her head as she holds her own smile. "Are you sure he's a vampire?"

Letting out another laugh, Bree nods at Amanda and she props herself up on her elbows. She had been startled herself, but just the images she was getting in her mind of what JT and Gunner must look like now was too funny. "I am sure he is. Not a very quiet one, but one nonetheless."

Once everything was calm again, and realizing no one was hurt too badly, the soft sounds of breathing and a snore here and there filled the air.

Morning came as most would say all too early, but to those camping, the early morning marked just another exciting adventure for them. Breakfast being cooked, the smells and sounds of what a morning it was.

Standing by JT and helping where she could, Amanda's face wore a big smile. It was nice and different not to be in such a rush this morning. Being able to enjoy something as simple as this was truly a treat.

Looking up at Gunner as Bree places down plates and forks, she gives a smile. Her blond hair shone in the sunlight, her eyes twinkled with the sunbeams. "I think a walk sounds nice, but no matter if my uncle moves slowly or not, we should never skip out on his eggs. As long as Amanda makes sure he doesn't burn them."


Getting back to TJY, Hope goes right back to her office after stopping for only a brief moment to let Reese know she was back. Though really much hadn't gone on except for a walk and talk with Kip, she still felt drained.

Sitting down at the computer, she starts to write up a report to put in Kip's file. Everything she learned about him, what she thought, and even how she might help him. It was all part of the job. Pausing a moment to collect her thoughts, a slight knock on the door brings her attention out of what she was doing. Odd. She wasn't expecting any other people to be stopping by today. "Come on in," Hope calls, waiting for whoever it was to enter.

Not seeing the door open right away, Hope wondered if the person on the other side had even heard her. About to call again, the door starts to slowly open. Seeing who was on the other side, she can't help the look of shock on her face that was soon replaced with a look of extreme happiness. "Scott!"

She had been tired, but now it seemed as though she had mustered up energy from somewhere to stand and quickly walk to him. Wrapping her arms around him and burying her head into his shoulder, Hope just holds him close. She had missed seeing him so much - to have him here, out of Brookshire, standing in front of her, it was a joy she could not hold back as a few tears roll down her cheek. "Oh, Scott, it's so good to see you again."

Talking into his shoulder muffled her voice but she didn't care. All she cared about right now was Scott standing there in front of her. Nothing else mattered. Not her paperwork, not that she was tired, and not that the door was wide open so anyone could see. Right at this moment, it was just them.


Continuing to watch the movie and just feel comfortable that Justin had stayed, Beth doesn't even flinch when her lap becomes a pillow. Forgetting about the movie, she looks down at him and just smiles. Running her hand through his hair just a little, she felt badly for him. With everything he had been going through, emotionally he was just worn out. She didn't even have the heart to try and wake him. "Even you have to slow down sometimes, huh?"

Very carefully, Beth slips from under Justin and lets his head gently fall to the couch. She didn't want to wake him but she knew she couldn't stay there all night either. Going to the closet, she takes out a blanket and pillow before returning to where Justin rested. Placing the pillow under his head and the blanket over him, she gives a smile. He did look peaceful while he slept.

...Sizzling bacon can be heard in the kitchen and Beth hummed to herself. The table was set with two glasses of orange juice. It had been a long time since Beth had cooked breakfast, but it really did feel good to again. Now she just needed to wait for Justin to wake.


Destiny's heart thumped in her chest. She wasn't sure what was going on, but being yanked from the van and seeing people who stood in front of her, she knew. Her heart thumped even louder...what was going to happen? Chance was there, so did that mean they were really going to do the trade? She couldn't help the tears that rolled from her eyes, down her cheeks and made little pools. She was scared and didn't know what to do.

Nate stands ready. Seeing Destiny, he knew all that would happen. It played out like a movie in his head so he wouldn't get an unexpected surprise.

Destiny jumps as the men fall to the ground and she is not sure what to do. But her legs carry her and she moves to where Chance is. She wanted to hug him - to do something - but there was nothing that could be done.

Moving closer to Destiny and Chance, Nate knew there wouldn't be enough time to sit and chat. That could be later - right now they needed to go. "Let's go, Chance. You're coming with us. Don't make me ask you again or I'll knock you out myself and carry you. Let's go before it's too late and we're all dead."

Destiny looks to Nate and then to Chance. Letting her hand slip into his, her eyes plead with him. She wasn't sure what was going on or why he wanted to stay, but she wanted him to come with her. "Please come with us? I don't want to go without you."

She'd gone far too long without him already and now after all of this, she knew she did have forgiveness in her heart for him. Just now was not the time for that. But her eyes might have betrayed her and given away everything.

"Let's go." Nate points up the way to the car where Wyatt was waiting. His voice was a bit irritated, but he had hoped that they would have been gone by now. There was no time for talking - there would be time for that later.

Botched Exchange

Receiving Ryan's kiss, Tal chuckles and returns it, pulling her in for a quick but tight hug. "Mmm.... food at your place sounds good."

Turning her around while keeping one hand over her shoulder, he aims them back towards her car. "And yes, Eli has plans so we get the living room to ourselves." Grinning, he looks down at her as they walk. "And if there's nothing worth watching on tv, I can always watch you - you're always worth it."


"Plant, huh?" Dylan swipes the book out from under Ashlee's arm. While his mouth didn't smile, his eyes did twinkle ever so slightly. Flipping open the book, he starts to amble forward as he peruses the pages. "How come you get the interesting science? I never got to hunt plants."

Still browsing, he absentmindedly reaches down to pluck a long strand of grass and starts to chew on the end of it. Leaning on the fence, he flips through a few more pages. On some days, a jaunt into the woods would seem a rather pitiful way to pass the time. But today... it was worth getting out of here for a little while, and it was certainly better than cleaning more stalls. Besides, Ashlee might be younger, but she was far from being a pain.

"I know my way around the back trails pretty well," he muses. Closing the book, he hands it back to her. "Come on." Keeping the stem of grass to fidget with, he leads the way further away from the barn and to the main trail that wound its way through the woods. "There ought to be a lot of plants out there. Don't know if we'll find the right one or not, but it's worth a shot for an 'A' grade, right?"

Continuing down the path, Dylan paid little attention to the distance covered as they drew farther and farther away from the ranch yard. He was as quiet as he usually was - commenting about a few things he spotted along the way, like a freaky looking squirrel or a hawk that had caught a snake for its lunch. Otherwise, it was a light breeze, crickets and birds that filled the silence with sounds of nature.

"So what's that plant look like again?" By now, they were in the woods, off the trail, and Dylan had a long stick he was poking and prodding around with. He pushes aside some weeds to reveal a batch of poison oak and promptly turns and goes the other way, making sure Ashlee followed. He could have stayed on the trail, but it was much more interesting here, if one didn't mind stepping over logs, climbing over rocks and avoiding prickly bushes.


Accepting the paper from Hope, Kip looks at it a moment before tucking it into his back pocket. He didn't know if he believed everything she said yet, but it hadn't been too horrible of an experience. Actually... despite the emotional roller coaster, he felt better than he'd think he would.

"Thanks. I'll, um... I'll probably call you soon." Standing up, he slips his hands into his pockets and just looks at Hope for several seconds, biting his lower lip in thought. "I think I enjoyed this too, in a really weird sort of way." A crooked grin slips out. "See ya."

Turning around, he aims for his car, and eventually aims for home. Tonight would be a quiet night... he might like to spend a good part of it alone in his room.


"Mmm... you know I love my coffee." JT grins and starts to head towards the tents with Amanda, but stops when she turns around. Taken off guard when he gets tugged forward, his eyebrows rise in question, and he's pretty sure his face is wearing a dumb expression. Once Amanda plants a kiss on his cheek though, he forgets about his expression, which is now one of pure surprise, his eyes rather wide.

"I.....m happy we got kidnapped too," he manages, before quirking a silly sort of grin. His hands still in hers, he gives them a squeeze before a light laugh slips out. "I'm not sure it's as break from crazies though."

Noticing her flushed cheeks makes his grin widen and he steps forward, slinging his arm around her shoulders. Her bit of affection might have been a surprise, but he couldn't deny that it made him feel special...and he liked that. "But it's definitely a nice break from the crazies at work."

Ambling to the tents, he finally has to go his own way, and gives her an extra little squeeze. He was tempted to return that kiss on the cheek, but he resists...for now. "Goodnight, Amanda. See you in the morning." And letting her go, he aims for the guys' tent.

It was probably a half an hour later when JT was sound asleep, tired from a hard day at work, then the excitement of a camping trip. He was deeply asleep enough that he didn't hear the tent's flap being unzipped.

Gunner and Bree had just parted for the night as well, since some clouds had made stargazing nearly impossible. Knowing that JT was already asleep, Gunner does his best to be quiet when stepping into the tent. As he does though, his foot lands on something he knows is not the ground nor a blanket or backpack. Realizing it's a leg, he immediately tries to shift his weight, but his other foot is already in the air, making the maneuver impossible.

The result is one wail from the lumpy sleeping bag and one wail from Gunner as he stumbles blindly into the tent. The pots and pans for breakfast had been set aside for the morning, which happened to be Gunner's new landing place. And the new result, immediately following the wails, is a resounding crash, another wail, then dead silence. Not even the nearby crickets dared to chirp for several moments that were so very still, one might worry about the survival of those involved in the terrible ruckus.

Then a rather stunned Gunner's voice breaks the silence. "I'm okay!" Another hush falls over the campsite until there's a very quiet snicker. Then another. And before long, the two men sounded like boys at a sleepover, the laughter rolling on the night air. There's as bit more of a ruckus involving pots and pans until eventually the noise quiets down. Every so often though, there's another bit of muffled laughter, until finally sleep accompanies the night...

Eggs and bacon sizzled in the frying pan over the campfire, JT and Gunner tag-teaming the making of breakfast in between sipping coffee and chatting with Amanda and Bree. It was a gorgeous morning, and other than a few aches and pains from sleeping on the ground, no one had any complaints.

"...So if you wanna go for a walk or something, I'm game." Gunner moves the bacon around in the pan while engaging Bree in a conversation.

"You sure you feel comfortable leaving us two kids alone back here?" JT teases while sipping his coffee. He tosses Amanda a wink.

Gunner smirks. "I think we're safe, Mr. Slow Mover."

JT's jaw drops and his cheeks flush before he can help it. He can't even look at Amanda as his hand goes flying to whack Gunner's arm.

"Ow!" Gunner chokes on a laugh. "Watch it!"

"That's for walking on me last night," JT mutters.

Gunner rubs his arm. "Coulda fooled me. I thought it was for-" He sidesteps to avoid another whack. "Alright, alright!" He looks over at Bree. "We might need to skip breakfast and take that walk a little earlier than planned."

Hiding his embarrassment, JT returns to the pan with eggs and scrambles them with vigor. "You are so not skipping out on my eggs."


"Okay." Scott nods, giving his sister a small smile. He was glad she wanted to spend time with him, especially after worrying she might not even forgive him for his attitude towards her since he'd been gone. "Sounds good to me. It's... been a long time since I've had your cooking." And that was no lie. It had been years.

Cleaning up his place at the table even though he didn't have to, perhaps Scott was unconsciously trying to delay the inevitable departure. But they really did have to leave. The ride back to TJY was quiet - he was tired enough that he considered just heading straight home, but he'd at least want to see if Hope was back by now.

Getting back into the Elite building, he leaves Sapphire off at her cubicle, then wanders down towards the hall again. This time he was spotted by a couple other people, including Susanne, who had to stop and talk to him and say how glad they were to see him. Though exhausting, a part of him did feel good, knowing how the others cared. There were still others he wanted to see, like Rick and Dalton and Katie... but if he didn't happen to run into them, he'd just wait until the next day or two. He only had energy left for one more...

Wandering down the hall, he finally comes back to Hope's office. The door was closed. It had been open earlier, right? His stomach gives a new little flop. Lifting his hand, his knuckles pause for a very long moment. What if she didn't want to see him? What if him showing up would just ruin her day? What if she didn't want to be friends at all after he'd broken up with her? What if...?

Taking a deep breath, Scott finally gives the door a hesitant knock as his hand trembles slightly.


Being invited to stay, Justin can't help it that his body seems to sink a little further into his chair as if resisting getting up and leaving. Had he actually been fishing for the invite? What was wrong with him? He was exhausted - that's what it had to be.

Looking up as Beth returns to the table with pie, he does have the energy to grin. "You sure do know how to keep a guy around, don't you? Now I'll have to stay just to make sure none of that goes to waste." Forcing himself to get up, he raises his hands over his head to stretch tall, then stifles a yawn. "Okay, I'll stay. But I wouldn't want to go face-first in a slice either, so maybe I better take you up on your offer of the couch for a while." Another wry grin surfaces and he shakes his head at the mental image.

Wandering into the living room, he avoids admitting that he was glad she wanted him to stay a while. He really didn't want to go home where it was just him, himself and his overactive mind. He just wanted to forget about his stress if just for a few hours.

Scanning Beth's collection of movies, he picks one out and it isn't long before he's taken up one end of the couch with Beth on the other. With his legs curled up and tucked into an impossible position - as usual - he falls rather quiet, letting the movie take over his brain for a while. It didn't take all that long, though, for his position to move closer to the center of the couch. While eating pie, he winds up right next to Beth, laughing over a funny part in the movie, and somehow just doesn't move from there.

Fighting to keep his eyes open, Justin's shoulder rested against Beth's. He really needed to go home after the movie if he was this tired or he was going to fall asleep on the road. Really... he needed to stay awake... he really... did...

Was his head resting on hers? His eyes struggle to stay open.

That was an important part of the movie, right? He thinks so... maybe... This couch was awfully comfortable. If he could just stretch out...

Was that the ending music as the credits rolled? He couldn't get his eyes open. If his legs were stretched out, where was Beth? His pillow moved. But he didn't.

So close to being sound asleep, Justin had somehow wound up with Beth's lap as his pillow. And as the credits did indeed roll up the television screen, he felt more relaxed than he had in weeks.


Axel tinkered with the engine of the car, the only one in the shop after closing time. He just wanted to finish this up, then he'd be done for the day. Thankfully, Jess had been willing to wait for him. Her company was nice, and though he was just as quiet as he usually was, he really did like it when she hung around the shop.

Her getting his attention, he responds with an, "Mm-hmm," though keeps working. He really was listening. He just needed to get this one more thing loose... He squints into the engine bites his tongue as his wrench slips.

Jess' topic of choice does make Axel pause for a moment, but he keeps working, letting her say all she wanted to. There was a hint of nervousness in her voice... why?

Finally when her point is brought out, Axel does come to a complete stop in his work. A smile creases his lips and he looks over his shoulder at her, just watching her for a moment or two. Eventually straightening from the car engine, he sets his tools down and wipes his hands on a rag before approaching her slowly.

Standing in front of her, his smile remains, a warmth welling up inside of him. "Of course I'll help you," he offers gently. He couldn't begin to describe how he felt in that moment... to know that Jess had opened her heart to the point of wanting to be a part of something that was the most important thing in his own life... to know that she was accepting into her life the very Giver of life. It was an amazing thing to witness someone who had come up against so many obstacles, to come to this point and be an entirely different person. And all of the joy and pride in this very moment shone in Axel's eyes.

His smile widens and he reaches out to pull Jess into tight hug. "I'm so proud of you." After an extra squeeze, he draws back far enough to plant a long, loving kiss on her lips. "How about talking about it over supper at my place tonight?"


The parking lot was dark, except for one light off to one side. And under the light was a parked car holding three figures, unaware that they were in the sights of a rifle scope.

Wyatt drives nearer and slows, studying the situation. "Yo, Con, how's it looking?"

"Looking fine, looking fine. Just take 'er in slow. I've got the whole scene in my sights."

"Roger that." Wyatt gives Nate a sidelong glance then looks in the rearview mirror. "Got yourself together, Chance?"

Chance shifts his weight. "Yeah," he responds quietly.

In less than two minutes, the Elite car is parked facing the kidnappers at a safe distance away. Wyatt remains behind the wheel, watching Nate and Chance walk towards the other vehicle. Chance's steps are heavy and he refuses to look Nate in the eye. Instead, he focuses on the two men who were now standing at the front of their car.

"Stop right there," comes a gruff order.

Chance automatically stops, feeling Nate stop as well. His insides churned as he waited to see Destiny and make sure she was alive - make sure she was okay.

One of the men reaches in the car and roughly pulls Destiny from the backseat, forcing her to stand and yanking off her blindfold. He gives her a little shove. "Walk," he orders.

The other man takes her arm, and doesn't give her an inch, pulling her with him towards Nate and Chance. They stop feet from the Elite team. The man glares at Nate then shifts his gaze to Chance. "You come with us. And you..." His grip tightens on Destiny's arm. "You go with them back to your own safe haven.

Chance's eyes are glued to Destiny, hardly hearing what the man was saying. He didn't care. All he cared about was that she was safe - that's all that mattered. He takes a step forward, wanting to get this exchange over with to be sure Destiny would be alright. All he wanted was to touch her... to hug her and really know she was unharmed. But all he can do is catch her eye, his own gaze filled with remorse, compassion, and something awfully close to love.

Just as he steps forward though, the man nearest the car suddenly collapses. The whole scene halts and the man with Destiny whirls around, wondering at the thump of the man slumping to the ground. "What the-" Though reaching for his sidearm, he doesn't even have time to finish as the second dart reaches his neck. Wincing, he gropes for it and jerks it out of his flesh just in time to melt like jello, completely unconscious.

Chance swings his gaze to Nate, unsure of their next move. He wanted to go back with them. He wanted to get out of here as quickly as he could. Yet his feet remain glued to their place.

"Get them back out of there, Nate," Con warns. "Those guys won't be down for long."

Though not hearing Con, Chance suddenly backs away from Nate, his hands raised slightly. His eyes dart back and forth between him and Destiny, desperation flickering in his gaze. "Take Destiny," he begs. "I'm staying to finish off the exchange."

A nice break

Ryan almost ignores the jeers of the others as she stands talking with Hunter - other than a snicker that escapes at the mention of her being scared. She wasn't really - some good competition was good and she knew this brought a little more interest to the game.

Seeing the women that flock to Hunter and want his attention, Ryan just shakes her head a little and smiles. He could have the glory for tonight, and the women that went with it. Ryan could tell already he was going to be a popular one with the ladies, and that was okay with her.

Giving a short wave to Hunter as he drives away, she can't help the smile that spreads across her lips at Tal's voice. Tal might be different but he sure did have a way that just seemed to get to her. When his voice was soft but deep, it just seemed to send chills up and down her spine.

"Well, as long as I am the winner in your book and I'm the only one you're kissing, I guess that's all that matters, huh?" Turning her head to the side to see Tal's face, Ryan grins once again. Humor and a spark that some might call love danced in her eyes. Leaning in to press her lips against Tal's, she didn't care where they were standing. She wanted to give him a kiss and that was that. Pulling away again, she searches the depths of Tal's own eyes, just getting lost in them. If not for the start of a loud engine, she might have stood there all night.

"How about we grab some food and head back to my place? Not sure if Eli has plans with Scarlet but I could use the company none the less. I am sure we can find something on television that's worth watching."


Looking down at her book, Ashlee wasn't sure if she had been reading the page or not, maybe she had been just looking at the pictures, maybe she was trying to figure out a problem she had come to, or maybe her brain just didn't want to function with her today. But seeing a shadow stretch out across her face causes her to look up.

Seeing Dylan standing there with his arms crossed over his chest and the sun to his back, Ashlee can't help but think how extra cute he looked at that moment. Trying not to skip a beat, she swallows, trying to put her words together to reply to her friend.

"I'm not so sure myself if I was reading or day dreaming. Science has always been a subject I liked more being hands-on with. Especially when it came to plants."

Setting her book down, she sighs, squinting one of her eyes from the sunlight as she looked up at Dylan. He was bored, and she wanted to see if she could find the plant in her book to be able to look at it herself and see the different parts. Maybe they could help each other out.

Standing ans brushing herself off, she scans the area. The best place to start looking was in the woods. That's where the most plants existed with their full potential of being untouched.

"It is a pretty nice day out. Maybe we could go for a walk in the woods and explore a little. You are bored, I would like to find this plant - it sounds like a good cure for both of us. Not to mention some good company to go with it. You never know - it might be fun."

Ashlee gives a smile at Dylan holding the book under her arm. She hoped her liked the idea. It sounded like fun to her, but most of the stuff she liked, it didn't seem like Dylan was interested in. Maybe he was bored enough though, to think this was. Spending a little extra time with him might help her get to know him a little more too. Maybe they had more in common than they both knew.


"You never have to rush across the bridge and your friends I think know that. However, you're wrong about not taking the first step. You have already started with the first step by talking with me. Now you just need to keep moving forward at your own speed as long as you keep moving."

Hearing that Kip had a few other things he needed to do today, Hope gave a small nod of her head. There was no time line when she would be here with Kip and she didn't want to start. She wanted him to be comfortable and set the pace himself. Somehow she knew he would, and it was what was best for him.

Taking a piece of paper from her pocket, and a pen, Hope writes down her name and phone number. Smiling, she hands it to Kip to take. "When you're ready to talk again, here is my name and number. My calendar is pretty open and easy to work around, so you never have to worry about that. It was very nice meeting you today, Kip. I enjoyed it and look forward to chatting again."

Meeting Kip really had been nice and getting to know him was just as good. It was always nice to meet someone new. That was one thing Hope liked about her job the most - getting to meet new and interesting people and trying to help them. Everyone was special to her and she liked showing people that.


As the owl hoots and the moment is broken, Amanda can't help feeling a little bit of disappointment rise. They have both been lost in that moment, a moment that almost seemed perfect. Now it was gone though, so there was no point in dwelling, even if she was disappointed.

"Bacon and eggs sounds great. Maybe us women can get up too and make the coffee." Giving a smile, Amanda gives a little squeeze to JT's hand before walking a bit away from the fire and turning to give him a smile. She'd had fun tonight, talking, laughing - just sitting there and cuddling with JT by the fire. It was something new, it was exciting, and she liked it.

Mustering up all the guts she had, the moment couldn't be passed by. Walking back over to JT, Amanda takes his hand and pulls him a little closer. Closing her eyes and pressing her lips to his cheek, she could feel her heart racing. Pulling away, her smile was still held fast on her face as her cheeks held a crimson color now.

"I really am happy we got kidnapped today. It's a nice break from the crazy world."


Smiling across the table at her brother and gathering her things, Sapphire felt like this time had been cut short. She did have to go back to work, but the want to just stay and chat more with her brother was strong too.

"Of course we can. Maybe next time you can come over and I can make us some dinner. I'd really like to be able to spend more time with you, Scott."

Though time had made them go their own ways, there were still parts that were connected and Sapphire never wanted to lose that. Scott was the best, and her only brother. She'd already thought she lost him once, now she wanted to make sure to get in all her time while she could.


Sitting across from Justin, Beth gives little nods here and there, letting him know she was still listening to him. She was happy to hear Jared was going to live. No matter how a person could be, Beth would never wish ill will onto them.

Beth could see Justin had much turmoil inside of him and she couldn't blame him. There was a lot of stuff his brother had done that was not good. She only hoped Justin could work through it and soon let it go.

Standing and starting to clear the table off to get some of the stuff out of the way, Beth stops at the table again and rests her hand on Justin's for a moment. Looking down at him, a smile was on her face and her eyes twinkled. "I've spent way too many evenings alone over the years to really start wanting them again. You're being fine company and cay stay as long as you like."

Turning again to take some more stuff into the kitchen, Beth calls over her shoulder as she goes. "We can watch a movie, talk more, or you can simply take up a spot on the couch and rest. I have no objection to any of those ideas."

Coming back to the dining room again, Beth was carrying a pie dish this time with two little plates and forks. "Plus if you get a little hungry later, I made fresh cherry pie for dessert. I'd hate for it to go to waste."


Leaning on the workbench and just watching Axel work, Jess didn't mind waiting for him at all. Whether it was an hour or fifteen minutes, she liked just sitting there, chatting and watching him as he moved around the cars. He seemed so natural at it.

"Axel?" Jess shifts her weight from one foot to the next as she leaned on the bench. She was still new to all this stuff even after going to church for a while with Axel. It was still sometimes hard for her to find words on how to say things.

"Ummm...I've been thinking about it a lot since last Sunday and how the pastor was stalking about being baptized..."

Jess is quiet for a moment as she moves around some of the screwdrivers and ratchets on Axel's desk into different patterns. Looking up at him again, her eyes sparkle like they normally did, but something was different this time. There was an extra light that seemed to be growing.

"...I think I'd like to be baptized too. I was wondering if...if you could help me."