Awakening

Still in slight shock over Hope's reaction, her saying how happy she was just added to the growing warm feeling deep inside Scott. He'd thought a lot about her too...but he wasn't sure he could say that just yet. Much time had passed and not all wounds had become protected scars yet.

Hope's invitation comes as another surprise and his eyebrows arch. Dinner? At her place? That probably wouldn't come from someone who was seeing anybody else, would it? Unless she just wanted to sit and talk as friends and nothing more.

He swallows hard. "Um..." He was utterly exhausted from his day already - did he want to push it and do any more before crashing for the night? "I..." He was on his way to decline but then he looked in those eyes... those eyes that held so much. He'd hurt those eyes once - deeply. Now he wondered if he'd ever be able to say no to anything ever again.

He bites his lip, then nods slowly. "Yeah...yeah, that sounds nice. I-"

"Scott?"

He turns quickly to see another man in the hall, wearing an apologetic expression for interrupting. He looked to be around thirty with dark hair and green eyes, and was dressed casually in jeans, and a worn leather jacket. "Brian."

The man nods. "I'm sorry. Someone said you were down here. I didn't mean to barge in."

"No, no, it's okay." Scott steps back from Hope. "Um... Hope, this is Brian. He's from Brookshire, and..."

Seeing Scott searching for the right words, Brian smiles. "I'm gonna keep him company at his place for just a little while."

"Yeah." Scott nods at Hope. "Justin was going to, but there was a family emergency of some kind."

An awkward pause follows and Brian clears his throat. "I, um, I can wait for you out by the door," he offers. "I'm not in a hurry."

"No, it's okay," Scott assures. "I just... well, I think I'm gonna need a ride to Hope's tonight, if that's okay. But I'll go with you to my house now and get a few things settled beforehand."

Another smile creases Brian's lips, indicating that he understood enough about Scott to know that this was a good step. "Sure thing. Don't mind a bit. I'll meet you outside." He nods to Hope before leaving. "Nice to meet you."

Scott waits until Brian is gone before turning back to Hope. "I guess I'll see you later then." He studies her face, tempted to return his palm to her cheek, but refrains. "I'll get in a nap or something so I don't conk out in the middle of the main course." Though his face looked so weary, a small twinkle of humor sparked in his eyes...

...Several hours later, after getting reacquainted with his house, taking a short nap and settling Brian in as well, Scott was being let off in front of Hope's place, agreeing to call Brian when he wanted a ride back home. He was without a car now, but he wasn't so sure he was ready to drive yet anyway.

Walking up to the porch, he takes a deep breath of the evening air. Even after a nap, he was exhausted, and his eyes showed it. But he'd said he'd come, so he had. It had been hard going home. There were many nightmares that still lurked there in the shadows. But he knew that facing his fears now was a good thing - he was finally ready, and Brian would stay with him as long as he needed. He hoped it wouldn't be for long, but only time would tell.

Standing in front of Hope's front door, Scott hesitates. Was this too much at once? Everything was happening so fast all of a sudden - returning from Brookshire, going to TJY, spending time with Sapphire, going home and now spending time with Hope. This day had already been a whirlwind of emotions - could he handle more? He'd try.

Pressing the doorbell, he waits.


Seeing that Ashlee was in no shape to walk, Dylan cringes. He could kick himself, but there would be time for that later. "Crawl?" He smirks. "As if."

Setting his hands on his hips, he takes a good look around, trying to figure out an answer. "Well... we gotta get you back." Walking in front of her, he turns his back and kneels. "Up you go. We'll get your book later."

Letting Ashlee ease onto his back, he directs her to put her arms around his neck before standing up. Hooking his arms around her legs, he makes sure she's secure for the piggyback ride. "Alrighty. Off we go. It won't take too long. If you need a break, let me know."

Starting forward, he walks with purpose, but carefully, retracing their way back through the woods. His hands held her legs in a firm grip, keeping her safe even if her arms let go.


Mick furrows his brow, his concern rising. "No... no, I've been looking for him and I've looked in all his usual 'hiding' places. I haven't seen Ashlee either." He thinks for a moment, then shakes his head. "Call it an unwanted hunch, but I suggest you look for Ashlee while I hunt around a little more for Dylan and I'll meet back up with you here in half an hour."

...And half an hour later, Mick was at his wits end. Dylan and Ashlee were both missing. There wasn't a very high chance of foul play, as far as them disappearing was concerned. But the one thing that did have a high chance, in Mick's mind, was Dylan getting Ashlee alone for more than smalltalk. Whether the young man had been in trouble lately or not, Mick knew good and well what his son had been into before, and there were habits that were not easy to break. Given the chance, there was no telling what kind of decisions Dylan might make in the heat of the moment. It was one thing to see the two playing cards with the others after supper - it was another to discover they were off alone somewhere.

The search of the ranch continues without any luck, and Mick went as far as to have someone check the tack and horses to confirm the two hadn't gone for a ride. The afternoon was wearing on, and it wouldn't be too long before the sun would start to set - that fact alone drew urgency into the whole matter...

"Well why would they both be missing?" Sparky shakes his head. "It doesn't make any sense." He stood with Mick, Stacy, Eric and several others in the dining room after having been pulled into the search.

"Oh, really?" Mick's eyes narrow. "I can think of one thing that makes a whole lot of sense and it isn't setting well with me at all."

Catching his drift, Sparky frowns. "Dylan wouldn't-"

"Wouldn't he?" Mick throws up his arms. "You may get along great with him, but you know good and well what he's been in and out of and I wouldn't put anything past him."

Eric wasn't sure how he got in on this mess, but he folds his arms and stands back a few feet, not knowing what to think. He certainly wouldn't ever believe Ashlee would ever make a foolish decision with a boy, but would Dylan make that mistake? He didn't know the answer.

Sparky glances to Stacy then back at Mick. "Have you thought maybe they're just off having some innocent fun or something?"

"Sure, 'or something,'" Mick mocks. "We've searched the entire ranch grounds, including the back paddocks and out by the pond. They haven't been kidnapped, so you tell me what happened." He grits his teeth. "I hate to break it to you, but Dylan's not the type of kid to go out picking daisies for the afternoon!"

"You don't have to yell at me!" Sparky's volume matches his brother's. "If you're so sure they ran off together somewhere, then lets go saddle up and hit the trail. That's the only place left."

Mick takes a deep breath, trying to contain his temper. He wasn't mad at Sparky, or anyone else here for that matter. He was just upset that his son and the girl were missing. He was worried and didn't want anything bad to happen, and it just made him madder to think that he hadn't been watching closely enough or that Dylan might really have gone and done something stupid. "Okay, fine. We keep hunting." He turns to Stacy. "Any ideas where Ashlee might want to go if she headed out of the ranch yard?"


Reese only responds to Nate with a stern look that warned not to push his luck. What was done was done and that was it. No more. He's just as glad when Nate walks away too. If he'd said much more, Reese might have put him on probation along with Wyatt. As it was, he wasn't sure who to trust now.

Left alone in his office, he gives the desk a hearty pound with his fist. This whole evening had been botched up, and why? Because apparently his men no longer trusted him. They no longer trusted him to make the right judgment call, and would rather take things into their own hands. What did that say about his leadership? What did that say about his command? Was he losing his men? Was he losing loyalty? What was it?

Rubbing his aching eyes, Reese stands. He'd take care of Destiny and Chance, then call it a night before any other disasters came along.


Chance's heart skips a beat as Destiny admits she would have met him...that she would have given him another chance. Was it true? Did she really want to trust him again? Did that really mean she forgave him?

"Oh, Destiny." His eyes flood with emotions as he stares back into her breathtaking gaze. "If it was up to me, you wouldn't lose anything ever again." His grip around her hands tightens. "I am..." He swallows hard. "I am so sorry... for everything. I made some terrible, terrible choices and... and I'm the only one to blame." He hoped beyond hope that she believed him. He had done a terrible injustice by knowing about her parents' deaths and working for the people who had done the killing. He hadn't been honest with her from the start, and had lied to her multiple times about who he was and what his job really was. But only after he'd lost her did he realize the ramifications of his actions.

"When I said I saw you every time I closed my eyes... I meant it." He bites his lip. He'd tried to rid his own misery back in Arizona with many things, including a one night stand with another woman. But he'd learned the hard way that the only way to find himself again was to quit his old life... And perhaps that realization was what shone in his own gaze now.

"There's nothing I want more than to have another chance. I'll be straight with you - I'm still learning and figuring out who I am. But one thing I promise..." He leans closer to her, with all of the honesty he had filling his expression. "...no more lies."


Wyatt pulls his jeep door shut harder than need be and just sits behind the wheel, not starting the engine yet. Glaring out into the dark parking lot, his anger simmers under the surface. Reaching down, he unclips his badge from his belt and studies it for several long moments before tossing it into the passenger seat. "Elite, huh?" he mumbles. "Maybe I'd fit better somewhere else."

Growling at himself, he finally turns the key over and aims out of the parking lot. As he drives, he finds himself not heading straight home though. He just didn't feel like it. He was tired, but too worked up to sleep. He wanted to go punch something but was too tired to hit anything.

Stopped at a red light, he retrieves his cell phone and flips it open. It was almost one o'clock in the morning. Surely Aerith was asleep. This was silly. He didn't want to bother her. But...

He bites his lip and dials. "Aerith? It's me. I, um... I'm sorry it's so late. Can I... can I come over?"


JT grins at Amanda and shrugs. "Wash, dry, I don't care as long as it's with you." As soon as he'd said it, he could feel heat returning to his face and he turns so Amanda can't see. "Maybe I'm not as bad at this flirting thing as I thought," he mutters under his breath. A little grin does slip through though and he tosses a look over his shoulder. "How about I get the water," he suggests, changing the subject. "And maybe go dunk myself too while I'm at it..."

...Managing to get some water and help with the dishes, JT really does enjoy it, carrying on small talk with Amanda and finally getting in some chatting that they never got to do. Taking their time, it takes a while to finish the dishes and they're just getting things put away when they're interrupted by Bree's frantic calls...

Still holding Bree's hand, Gunner's pace had slowed until he was forcing himself to keep up with her. His heart was racing and he'd started to wheeze, feeling his airway starting to constrict. By the time they got back to the campsite, his eyes were swelling and it was only his good sense that kept his feet moving instead of collapsing like his body really wanted.

JT's head jerks up at Bree's urgent tone, then he immediately drops what he's doing at Amanda's order. Though his first reaction was to want to see Gunner for himself, he spins and sprints for the car.

Gunner makes it close to the tents before finally having to stop. Sinking down into the grass, he lets go of Bree's hand and sucks in his breath. "Can't... breathe," he wheezes. He'd handled this whole thing in stride, but now it was getting a little scary.

It took JT mere seconds to find Amanda's medical bag and the epi-pen. Spotting a bottle of benadryl he grabs that too, then jogs back to the others. Prepping the epi-pen, he gestures to Amanda. "Get a glass of water, would ya?" Seeing where Gunner had gone down by the tent, he slides down next to him and doesn't hesitate to use the pen.

Gunner winces as he's stabbed in the thigh, but his main worry at the moment was getting enough air.

"Take it easy," JT directs calmly, patting his shoulder. "Try to relax." He takes a closer look at Gunner's eyes and feels around his throat. "Where'd you get stung?"

Gunner blinks. "Um..." He lifts his hand to his neck.

JT grimaces. "Nice. Let me see." Getting Gunner to shift around, he takes a look at what was now a very large, reddened welt. "Mmm... good job. How's the breathing coming?"

Gunner nods. Already he was getting more air. "Better," he whispers.

"Good. Just chill here for a few minutes." JT looks up to see Amanda, waiting for the water to see if he could get some benadryl in Gunner as well.

Gunner felt terrible from head to toe. He hadn't had a reaction like this since he'd been a kid, and that time, he'd wound up in the hospital. Squinting up at Bree through swollen eyes, for once he barely had the energy to smile, but he gives her a crooked grin the best he can. "Are we...we having fun yet?"


Justin smiles, catching the rosy color in Beth's cheeks. "You bet I'm hungry." He gives her a wink. "For your cooking? Always."

Sitting at the breakfast table with Beth was...peaceful. That was the best description Justin could use when he would think about it later. He'd had a good night's rest and Beth was so very sweet.

"...so I'll probably go home and take care of the girls then see what Ma wants to do. I imagine she'll want to go up to visit Jared." Justin finishes up the last bit of food from his plate, leaving nothing behind. He didn't want to go see Jared. But if his mother wanted to go, he really couldn't make her go alone. "And then I don't know what." His brow furrows. "You gotta work later today?"


It wasn't so much speeding into the light from the dark, but more like drifting down a lazy river as a damp fog gradually lifted. At first, the soft lights were just blurry overhead patches that didn't carry much meaning. But after several slow blinks and slight squinting, the ceiling of the TJY infirmary came into focus.

The fact of time or location doesn't register immediately but as Jason lies still and allows his lethargic mind to awaken, things begin to make a little more sense. The last thing he remembers is lying on the couch at home, hearing the faint voices of his family nearby and feeling Katie wrapped in his arms.

Katie... Feeling Katie...

Jason's pulse quickens. Something was wrong. This wasn't right. Where was Katie? Why couldn't he feel her? The antidote... that was it. They'd been on the antidote since he'd been sick. But while he tries to justify the sensation of emptiness, something still doesn't seem right. It's quiet... too quiet. Though the antidote had blocked his connection with Katie, there had always been just a slight feeling... like a dam holding back a raging river - though no feelings were allowed through, the pressure itself could be felt. But now... right now as Jason awakens from his long sleep, there is nothing being held back. No pressure. It's as still and quiet as a forest with no wind. It isn't that a river of emotions are being held back - there is no river at all.

Now in a panic, Jason's whole body feels like one big dead weight. But it doesn't stop him from obeying his racing heart and sitting bolt upright. Before he can cry for help, two strong hands keep him from attempting to roll out of bed.

"Easy, Jase, easy," Rick soothes. His own heart is racing from Jason's sudden stirring. He'd been by the bed to do a routine check on Jason's vitals and had just about fallen backward when his still patient had sprung to life. "Just relax," he prompts gently.

Jason numbly obeys but is still caught in confusion. "Where... what..."

"You're at TJY... and you're okay." Rick can't begin to relay his relief. Since Jason had been brought here, he hadn't been awake until this morning. Rick smiles and pats his young friend's shoulder. "You've been asleep... for quite a while. How do you feel?"

"Um..." Jason tries to bypass the strange emptiness. "I hurt." The more alert he grows, the more he realizes just how much he really does hurt.

"Where?"

"All... all over." Jason licks his dry lips and swallows hard. "Feel like I got hit with a train... and run over... five times."

"Any sharp pain?"

"Um..." He tries to think clearly. "I don't think so. 'Cept..." He moves and winces. "My knee."

"Mm-hmm." Rick pulls back the blanket to take a closer look. "Well..."

Jason grimaces. "Please don't tell me it needs surgery again," he mumbles.

Rick sighs. How many times had he worked on this knee himself or forced Jason to a surgeon? And every time he'd made sure everything was done to save as much as possible. But it appeared like the inevitable was finally happening. "Lucky for you, it looks like you're gonna get a new knee."

Lucky? Jason is too tired to be despondent, but he certainly knew this was far from lucky. He'd always hoped he'd be able to strengthen his knee so it wouldn't give him any more trouble. But it looked like this curse of his had finally gotten the best of it. A replacement wouldn't be fun but maybe it would help in the long run. "Great."

"Anything else particularly painful?"

Jason shrugs. "Headache. But no... not really. Just ache all over." As Rick continues to check him over, the dread of emptiness comes back. "Rick are.... are Katie and I... still on the antidote?"

Rick pauses his work, "Well, it's-"

"Jason?" Cindy had just returned from a coffee break and couldn't begin to describe her relief at seeing her son awake - finally. "Oh, Jason."

Though still somewhat lethargic, Jason is able to return a weak hug to the strong one he receives. Feeling his mother's shoulders shaking slightly, he frowns. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Cindy sniffs and straightens. "I just... I was so afraid I wouldn't see you awake again."

Only then does Jason begin to realize how close to death he must have been. His eyes drift back to Rick. "Am I..."

Rick waits, then thinks he knows what Jason is trying to ask. "I think you're on your way out of the woods. Not quite there yet but..." He squints at his patient. "Do you remember how you felt when you were staying at home?"

"A lot worse than this." That much was true. Jason does remember lying on the couch and finally just giving up because it was all too much. At the moment it feels more like a bad case of flu than anything else.

Rick can't help it that surprise is evident on his face. He had hoped the cure would work but hadn't really expected results this quickly or this effective. Would it last? He could only hope. "Good. I mean that you feel better now."

"What happened anyway?" Jason tries to sit up but can't find the energy so he just lies still again.

"You lost consciousness and were brought here. It's been a couple weeks."

"Wow." Jason's eyes go back to his mom. She looks tired... older in a way, and he realizes just what she must have been put through. "I'm sorry," he apologizes softly.

"Don't be," Cindy whispers, a new tear trickling down her face. Her hand brushes his cheek lovingly. "I'm just glad to see you and talk to you one more time."

Rick lays a hand on her shoulder. "And you should have many more times, too."

Jason forms a weak smile before he again considers the emptiness he felt. "How did... what did you do? Is it the antidote?"

Rick exchanges a look with Cindy before shaking his head. "No. It's something else."

Jason's eyes show worry. "Is Katie okay?"

"She's just fine," Rick assures. "She'll probably be waking up shortly too."

"Did she get sick?"

"No. We just... tried something new to help you both." Rick gives him another pat. "Just rest for a while, okay?"

Ten minutes later, Jason was still awake. Cindy had gone to the spare room to rest some more and Rick and Misty were busy working. But Jason's eyes were on the bed next to his, watching Katie's sleeping form. Was she really okay? What had really happened? Why did it feel like Rick was hiding something? And why did Jason feel such a vast emptiness?

Please wake up, Katie... I need to know you're okay.
But his silent words had no river of emotions on which to travel. They didn't simply meet the brick wall of the antidote - there was no current on which to flow at all. But the strangest thing of all was that though Jason's panic returned, it didn't... feel like panic.