Worry-free

The tap on the table lifts Dylan's gaze, and one of his eyebrows quirks, signaling his surprise. Daring to look Ashlee in the eye, he searches to see if her invitation is genuine. Did she really know him better than anybody else at the game table? He found that hard to believe, but maybe she'd spoken to him more than the others. Did she really want him there for her, or was she trying to get him involved for some strange reason? All of the above, maybe?

His eyes shift to the table where he sees his sister give him a smile. She'd heard Ashlee too, and it didn't look as though she was apposed. He looks back to Ashlee. Getting a break from school did sound good... maybe he'd stay... for a little while.

Shutting his book, he shrugs. "Yeah, okay." Standing up, he winces and takes a moment before hobbling towards the other table with Ashlee.

Trying to hide surprise, Jeff pulls out a chair next to him. "Have a seat, Tiger."

Dylan smirks. "Only if no one sits across from me." He looks over to his sister who was directly across from him.

She gives him a haughty look. "Oh really? Don't like looking at my mug anymore, eh?"

"No. I need a chair to put my foot up on."

"Oh." Jade grins and stands up, making Dan move too so she could still sit with him. "Why didn't you say so? It's all yours. Want some ice to put on that ankle?"

Dylan had to admit that he appreciated his sister's willingness to help. "Um... yeah, I guess if it's not hard to get at."

As he sits, Jade nods and goes for the kitchen. "No prob. Be right back."

Fifteen minutes later, the game had started. Dylan was settled between Jeff and Ashlee, able to keep his foot up and still play cards. Laughter between most of the players was frequent, and though competition was fierce, it was all in good fun. Somebody makes popcorn and breaks out the pop that was in the kitchen refrigerator. Winning hands rotate between players and at some point, everyone has won at least once, though Luke's in the lead - after which Jeff complains he never should have been invited and is promptly whacked upside the head with as much humor as had been in his own statement.

An hour passes, and Dylan is relaxed, but has yet to join the laughter or even crack a smile... unless the faint grin that tugged at his mouth every now and then counted. Seeing another Skip card played, he rolls his eyes over to Ashlee. "Thanks. A lot," he teases dryly.

"She just likes making you sit out," Jade comments from across the table, throwing her brother a grin. It was good to have him here, interacting at all, whether he was enjoying it as much as the others or not. They didn't always get along as siblings, for sure, but she still loved him and hoped that he'd find his place. "It's a woman thing," she concludes.

"Next game..." Dylan points at her. "You sit over here and get the brunt of all my cards. How about that?"

"Oh no, I'm quite comfy." She pats Dan's leg and leans into his shoulder a little more. "Thanks for the offer though."

Dylan smirks and shakes his head. He gives Ashlee another sidelong glance. "Next time someone plays a Reverse, I have a Draw-4 with your name on it."


It was dark in the barn, except for a few dim lights. It would have been closed up for the night, had Eric not preferred being in here than his bunk for a little while longer. He slowly brushes the red roan mare, his hands lost in the soothing task, and his mind lost far, far away. The sound of the bristles combing through the soft hair tantalizes his ears and brings so many thoughts up from the dead. The scent of the horse infiltrates his nostrils, bringing a collage of memories. The feel of the warm, rippling muscles beneath his palm births scenes in his mind from the past.

It had been so long... so long. His hands pause and he leans his arms across the mare's back, his eyes not seeing anything but years that had gone by. He could still feel the thick leather woven between his fingers as he gripped the reins and a chunk of coarse mane. The first leap always sent his heart into his throat and the trip around the track always felt so much longer than it was in reality. He could still remember the first time he and Mick and been neck and neck and without having even talked about it prior, they'd reached out, clasped hands and crossed the finish line together. And after that, they'd been the unstoppable duo.

A little smile of melancholy curls Eric's lips, his gaze still holding a faraway look. Somehow a wedge had been driven between him and Mick after a while... maybe it was jealousy... maybe it was that they were growing older and beginning to go their separate ways. But no matter their differences, eventually, they'd come back around again, as good a friends as ever. Then Eric had taken that fateful fall and nothing had ever been the same.

Glancing down, he runs his finger through the mare's hair then fingers her mane. He'd lost so much after his accident. It had taken so long for him to regain enough balance and control to even think about riding again... and so many skills had been lost. He could remember struggling with simple math and spelling, proving the depth of damage. Trucking... had been his only way out of a world where he felt stupid daily.

The mare turns her head as much as she could while in the crossties, and looks back at him as if asking if he was going to keep grooming her or just stand there all day. Eric smiles a little and shakes his head. "I'm sorry." He pats her neck lovingly. "You're as bad as a woman who feels neglected."

"It's be being pregnant part. Always makes 'em moody."

Eric swings his gaze over his shoulder, surprised to see Mick wasn't back at the house yet, and he gives him a wry grin. "Yeah, Jim said she was due here pretty soon."

"Mm-hmm." Mick wanders around the other side of the mare, letting his hand trail down her neck before he stops and looks across her back at Eric. He'd seen a light on and had just come to check it out. Maybe finding Eric here was a good thing. "Should be a good foal."

"Out of Turbulence?"

"Nope. Stud from the Mullin's ranch - big grey. Great disposition. Thought about buying him - he's been up for sale a few times. Figured I'd see what kind of foal this girl here would throw first though."

Eric nods absentmindedly as he picks some hair out of the brush he'd been using. His eyes study the bristles for a few moments. He'd been avoiding Mick the last few days... but maybe things wouldn't be so bad after all. Mick didn't seem to hold any grudges... for which Eric was thankful. He'd been a jerk, no doubt, and he wasn't proud of it.

Mick cocks his head as he looks at his brother-in-law, seeing the pensive stare. And he wonders. "You know... sometimes God gives us a second chance with something we love."

Eric's eyes shoot up and they lock with Mick's. Was he referring to horses?

Mick runs his fingers through the mare's mane, tugging at a couple tangles. "I keep telling Rosetta I need an extra set of hands for the training - with riding lessons and normal breaking, I mighta bit off more than I could chew with those fillies that need race training. Gotta have them ready for the track but most of my help either doesn't have the experience or they're kept too busy with other work." He shrugs. "Figure it'll come together somehow, one way or another."

Giving the mare's back a last pat, he sighs and turns down the aisle. "Goodnight, Eric."

Left alone again, Eric grooms the horse for much longer than planned. Was there...hope?

It was at least another half an hour before Eric finally shuts off the lights and make sure all the stalls were closed up for the night. Wandering outside, he shuts the barn door and looks up at the dark night sky, sighing wearily. His walk is rather aimless as he favors his leg... but he still didn't head for his bunkhouse right away. He saw lights still on in the dining room - the late bunch was probably still up playing cards. He really didn't feel like mingling right now. So, he continues to wander, forgetting about the possibility of running into the ranch's new security.


Con chuckles and shakes his head. "Yeah, you know how Jamie gets - she's the jealous type through and through."

Folding his arms, his eyes twinkle with humor before he replies to her wanting to call Jason. "Aw, you think I wouldn't have all the bases covered? I already talked to him. He's fine and he wanted you to have a worry-free break. So we're gonna at least let him think it's worry-free." He winks at Katie and nods towards the exit. "Come on. I'm driving."


"Thanks, Misty." Rick was glad he had her around to help keep his head on straight. Grabbing everything he thought he needed, he aims for the door before stopping again.

Looking over his shoulder, he addresses Misty once more. "When I get back... don't let me forget to call Cindy." The look in his eye was a grim one. "If she wants to spend time with Jason..."

He can't finish his sentence, so he turns and leaves instead.


Tal's eyes glisten as he smiles at Ryan, thoroughly enjoying the time spent with her. It had been even more fun than he thought, and seeing Ryan laugh made it all worth it.

He sighs deeply but nods. "Yeah... " Then his eyes widen. "I just had a vision of your brother coming after me. I think you're right. We definitely need to get back."

Grinning again, he stands up and brushes off his jeans before offering Ryan a hand up too. Just standing with her a moment, he cocks his head and reaches out to tuck her hair behind her ear. "We'll pick up where we left off, tonight when you come over," he reasons.

Laughter, the best Medicine

Looking up from her text book that had been sitting at the table with her for most of dinner Ashlee gives a smile to Jade. She had a text tomorrow she was studying for but she had spent the last hour doing so, maybe it would be ok this time.

"Yeah sure."

Closing her book and standing Ashlee makes her way to the table before she stops and turns to look at Dylan for a moment and than back at the group. It looked like a lot of people where there and if she asked him to join that wouldn't be her imposing right? They looked friendly enough not to mind and at least than she would know someone there.

Turning and heading over to Dylan's table she taps on it lightly to get his attachen giving him a nice warm smile. She wanted to be friends with him, and she wanted to see him smile more. There was a look in his eyes that showed deep down he wanted to smile but something stopped him from doing it.

"Hey Dylan. I know your trying to study and all but I was wondering if you would like to come play cards too. It would be nice to know someone else at the table too and it would be a nice break from school work. What do you want to say? Wanna try and venture this road with me?"

Looking up at Con Katie smiles big. It had been a little while since she had talked to Con and even longer since she had hung out with him and Jamie. Jason being sick took up most of her time not that is bothered it at all, but it just let little time for her to do anything else.

"Lunch huh? I don't know Jamie keeps me on a tight leash with all this works and everything on top of taking one hundred percent of you time away from her she might double my work load."

Katie gave a little smile. She was trying to be funny but once the joke was said it just didn't seem as funny anymore and she rolled her eyes at herself. She new Jamie wouldn't mind if she tagged along and what she said now just seemed dumb.

"I think I can take a lunch break today. I just need to call Jason to see how he is doing before we go."

It felt strange saying she had to call Jason. It was so abnormal, for them to ever have to pick up the telephone to talk to each other that now it just felt strange. But at least they had that still so they could get a hold of each other when they needed too.

Misty's look held one of worry. It wasn't often a smile wasn't on her face even in hard time, but this time...this was something completely different. This was there friend, someone close to them who was not given a choose to live or die. This was out of there hands and Misty hated it.

"Yeah its right here on the counter."

Standing Misty goes over to the counter and picks up the needle along with the pain killers. Handing them to Rick she lays a hand on his shoulder and trys to give the best smile she could at this point. It was hard, but it was all she had.

"I'm going to keep seeing what I can do. We are going to figure this out, and we are going to save Jason and Katie. One without the other is not an options."

Letting out another laugh at one of Tal's jokes Ryan almost had tears in her eyes. Once Tal started it was on a roll for sure. It had turned out to be a pretty good afternoon and Ryan was pleased with that. She might haven't taken a longer lunch than intended but that just met she would work a little later tonight.

"Tal you have got to stop...my sides hurt so much...oh my goodness."

It had been a long time since Ryan had laughed like this but it felt good. To just open up like this and laugh as loud and as long as they wanted too. Laughter the best medicine....Ryan was starting to think that saying way true.

Looking up at the clouds she finally sits up and glances at her watch and than back at Tal. She didn't want to time to end not yet, but she new she had too. Letting out a small sigh she throws a blade of grass Tal's way.

"Well I better get back or everyone is going to think you kidnapped me. Not that I mind that thought but you might end up having an angry Auto mob coming after you and that...can't end well."

Worsening condition

It turned into a quiet day, and too quickly the hours passed. It was after supper now, and people were starting to filter out of the dining hall for the evening. Some to run errands in town, some to finish last minute chores, and some to just go home and relax. A small group remained though, and the sound of shuffling cards could be easily heard.

Jeff sits back in his chair and fingers the deck of UNO cards. Laughing at something Clint had said, he engages in a conversation with Dan before rescuing his cup of coffee that Luke had just stolen.

Jade munches on a cookie and glances around the room to see if anyone else was sticking around. Smiling, she calls out to a nearby table. "Hey, Ashlee... wanna stay up for a while for some UNO?" It was still early evening... even if Ashlee needed to go to bed sooner than the others, it would be a couple hours yet, and Jade really did want to get to know the younger girl. They weren't all that far apart in age and Ashlee seemed like she could be a lot of fun.

Dylan looks up from his usual corner table where he'd been doing schoolwork throughout supper, gingerly seated with his foot propped up on a chair and leaned back so his ribs and shoulder didn't hurt as much. He wasn't surprised to see a group playing cards, nor was he surprised his sister was inviting Ashlee to join in. Jade had always been like that... friendly, popular... the most rebellious thing Dylan had seen her do was come looking for Mick a while back. She liked people and probably genuinely wanted to include Ashlee in the fun.

Dylan knew his invitation wouldn't be coming - he'd said no so many times that they'd finally quit asking. Not that he cared... right? He needed to get his schoolwork done and besides, UNO wasn't his favorite game...

He puts his eyes back on his history book. Maybe he should go back to his bunk so he wouldn't be distracted.


"Hey, little sister." Con towers over Katie's cubicle wall and smiles down at her. Since Jason had been sick, it seemed the close friends rarely interacted anymore and Con missed it.

"Jamie's off today and I'm hungry for lunch. Wondered if you'd let me buy you a sub or something... take a short break from work...?"


"I don't understand." Rick rubs his eyes and moves away from the microscope. The lab table in the infirmary was cluttered with data readoffs, bloodwork and DNA analysis. And none of it was making any sense.

"There's got to be something to work with. It can't just be invisible." He shakes his head, frustrated. "I know it's a foreign thing to begin with - the telepathy that Jason and Katie have can't be medically or scientifically explained, even though we've tried. But what's happening to Jason's body is real. He's really getting sick. He's really being killed from the inside out. I mean look at this!"

Rick grabs an x-ray and waves it in the air. "That scan we took of his knee when all this happened? Look at the damage! He was fine before the last couple attacks. Now suddenly he needed surgery again because all that cartilage that grew back simply deteriorated. Every weak spot he has is attacked, like whatever it is has intelligence and knows where to go. But there's no reason why!"

Slamming the x-ray back down, he heaves a sigh. He didn't mean to yell at Misty - she had no control over any of this, and she was trying just as hard as he was. He was just so frustrated. Con had been to see Jason this morning and when he'd returned to TJY, he'd come to see Rick. Apparently after Katie had left the house this morning, Jason had taken a nosedive. Thankfully, Con had been there to help him when he'd gotten sick and to get some liquids in him and get him settled down on the couch again before leaving. But Con had said he'd never seen Jason look so pale and it was very obvious that he was extremely worried. And so was Rick. With each passing day, Rick knew that Jason was worsening. He'd stopped visiting TJY... he'd stopped going anywhere but for short walks... he'd stopped playing the guitar.

"I can't tell him he's going to die." Rick's tone had quieted. "He knows it's killing him, but I can't tell him there's nothing we can do... I just can't. I won't."

He gathers up some things to put in his bag. "I'm going to the house to check on him while Con keeps Katie distracted for a while. There's no need in getting her upset." He searches the counter then his bag, then the counter again. "Do you know what I did with that syringe of antidote and pain killer I was going to give Jason?"


"I want to speak with you about your upcoming hearing."

Alec scoffs at Justin and remains slouched on his cot. He was getting tired of these routine sessions... every day was the same... every day went by without hope of any change except when he'd be carted off to be placed behind bars. "What about it? We all know I'm gonna get a guilty verdict."

"You may still have a chance if you fight for it. I just don't want to see anybody else get the guilty verdict, too."

Alec furrows his brow. "Anybody else?"

Justin shrugs as he shifts a little in the folding chair, tapping his pen on the table. "Well, yeah. I mean, you go to prison, there's gonna be other people on trial right behind you who could end up in prison, too."

"Who? I don't understand."

"It's pretty simple really." Justin remains casual, even though on the inside he was continually reminding himself how to deliver the message the way he wanted. It was a little hard to keep his head in the game today. He'd slept well though - even that, he had to admit. It had been a little embarrassing, waking up on the couch with Beth this morning, but she hadn't seemed to mind and really... he hadn't minded so much either. So they'd shared some breakfast before parting ways and by then, Justin had gotten to TJY almost late. But it was getting up and going that had brought back all his worries and stress about everything else, which made it difficult to focus on Alec's bad attitude today. But he had to. "See, Reese got permission to help people like you who have been in the Agency. You go to prison, that will be proof that the program failed."

"So?" Alec was still confused.

"So if the program fails, that's gonna open up the doors to investigation. And if they investigate, they could pull out other people who are on the straight and narrow now but were connected with the Agency in some way or another in the past, and put them on trial."

"Like who? Gage?"

"Him..." Justin pauses, making Alec want more. "And people like Carson... Phinox... Ryder... Misty..." He pauses again. "Ryan."

Alec's eyes flash. "Ryan? Why? She didn't do anything."

"No, but she was planning on contacting the Agency when you disappeared. Now, the other law enforcement may not have all of that information, but believe me you, they will find it. If they get their foot in the door, they'll dig up anything they can. They'll say that Ryan had her own contacts or that she wanted to join the Agency - it would be too risky to let her go. And Misty? Carson? They've both been in a few scrapes since being out of the Agency and those will certainly be used against them. They could even drag Scott back into all of this and put him on trial all over again as a new case."

Alec swallows hard. He wasn't so sure he liked the sound of all that. "Well they can't do that just because I went off the deep end. I mean, that's not fair. Just because I turned doesn't mean the others did."

Justin shrugs. "Maybe not. But you know how the system works. Right now, the Elite is under extreme scrutiny. Reese has put more than his neck on the line with this thing."

"He was stupid to," Alec mutters.

"Was he? He did it because he cared and you know it. Thing is, he cares about those other people too. More is riding on this than just your own future."

"Well what would I have to do? Go grovel in front of the judge or what?"

Justin hides his hope that maybe they were getting somewhere. Alec was thinking through it now. "You just need to tell your story the way you and I both know it needs to be told. Do you want to go to prison?"

Alec glares at him. "Of course not."

"Then you're gonna have to behave like it. Yeah, you're gonna have to swallow your pride, but isn't it worth it? Isn't it worth it if it will keep people like Misty and Ryan out of prison too?"

Alec's eyes drop and he fiddles with his fingernails. He didn't like this. When it was just him, he couldn't care less. But... with the others on the line too... it wasn't so easy to just turn his back and give up. "So I gotta pretend I actually care and lie and say I promise to be a model citizen from here on out."

"Who said anything about lying?" Justin quirks an eyebrow. "You do care. And you can say you'll do your best at reintegrating into society. If you're saved from prison, I would hope that wouldn't be a lie."

Alec still doesn't raise his eyes. He knew he cared. Way deep down, he knew it was true, whether he wanted to admit it or not. Prison was the last thing he wanted... and seeing others put there because of him was not a pleasant thought. But to go and basically beg before the judge? Could he really do that?