So Easy

Dan can't remove the smile from his face. Jade's heart was so big and that was on of the things he loved about her. She had compassion and love her family it was easy to tell that was the most important thing to her.

"Right now, I think thats what Dylan. However, he was pretty tired so many the hug should be given out tomorrow first thing when you see him."

He figured Dylan might pass out as soon as he got to his bunk. It had taken him no time to in the car and being home in his own comfortable bed was probable something that Dylan welcomed very much.

Sitting down on the couch with her feet up Beth leans back smiling still. She just couldn't seem to whip it off her face. Not that wanted to either.

"Yeah we did have a good time. After Brookshire we went for subs, ice cream and than a walk in the park. It was really nice."

Pausing for a moment Beth picks at the blanket that payed over the couch. The though of how Justin was acting strange seemed to enter her mind again.

"Is everything ok? When I saw you today it seemed like something was wrong."

Listing to Ariel as she talked Trey could feel his feelings twist and and churn, his hanger raising, and his feelings being crushed witched made his anger even higher. He hadn't wanted to form feelings for Ariel but he had and now...now it ended how he new it would pain.

"So now after YOU played me you want to be my friend, but if we had met on the street you wouldn't have given me the time of day right?"

Standing up from the bed and starting to pace back and forth it was the only thing Trey could do to keep from yelling. He wanted to, oh how he wanted to scream at the top of his lungs but if he did that whoever could be watching at the other end of the camera would surely come running and lock him in the room or something worse.

Turning and looking at Ariel again he squints his eyes he new she would be able to tell how upset he was and maybe even worse how hurt and broken he felt all over again.

"Some kind of friendship and you guys though I was the bad guy. You, Pete, this place trys to help people but all I have seen is lies, and leading people on. You guys are worse than my own mother....at least she had the decency to give me away than to pretend she liked me."

Trey new his words would sting but he didn't care. He felt like a fool and to actually think maybe maybe he was starting to like Ariel more and taking her on a date...HA...what a joke.

"Get out and leave me alone. It was easy for you to pretend to like me...."

He points his finger at her.

"...Than it will be just as easy to forget me."

Truth

Jade sighs and nods. She had a feeling that there was a whole lot to her brother's story that she wouldn't want to hear - but she would love him no matter what. "I'm glad he called you - from what I can see, you're one of the few people he trusts. He probably figured I would have told Dad... and maybe he would have been right."

Glancing again towards the bunkhouses, her fingers absentmindedly toy with Dan's shirt. "I just wanna run over and hug him and tell him I missed him and I'm glad he's back but..." She looks back up at Dan. "He probably wouldn't want that right now, huh?"


Hearing Beth answer her phone, Justin was just a little bit relieved. He wasn't sure why, but he wasn't going to try and figure it out. "Hey there. Glad you had a good day. Mine was... okay." He'd tell her later about his visit to see Jared.

"Had a good time with Zach, I assume?"


Ariel smiles and nods. "Yeah, well, sometimes the parties are too loud."

Accepting the invitation to come in, she eases down in a free chair. Folding her hands, she takes a deep breath. "I just... wanted to talk to you about something."

Looking down at the table for a moment she finally lifts her gaze again to study Trey's face. She' grown serious, though still held a soft smile. "Remember when Pete introduced us that night at the lake? It... wasn't a coincidence. I knew you were going to be there that night - Pete had told me."

Cocking her head, she tries to remember everything she'd wanted to say. "I like you, Trey... a lot, actually." A bit of color comes to her cheeks. "You're a nice guy and I've really enjoyed hanging out with you. And... because that's true, I need to be completely honest with you."

Ariel pauses again, doing her very best to be serious yet not scare him away. "I was... supposed to ensure you weren't a threat to the Elite. Pete and I have been friends for a long time, I've been aware of his position here, so he came to me when Reese wanted him to keep an eye on you." She sighs. "I did it for Pete. Whenever we hung out, I would tell him that nothing you'd done or said had roused any suspicions. The only problem was... I actually did grow fond of you. I discovered you weren't a threat at all, and I told Pete so. I... told him today that I'm not going to report to him anymore. I want to be your friend just to be your friend... not for any other reasons... if you'll still have me."

She wasn't sure if he would or not. She knew she was risking him being very upset with her for not being completely honest. She was also risking him being mad at Pete... though even if Trey figured out from this that Pete hadn't told him everything, there was a lot he still didn't know - and that was left for Pete to tell him himself. That part wasn't Ariel's job - this was.

Her eyes remain steadily on Trey, watching him carefully and waiting for his response.

Invade

Looking down at Jade Dan continues to smile. Seeing all the questions in her eyes Dan dosn't stop the questions and was happy to answer them all. He new Jade would want to know about Dylan because she lover her bother.

Returning the kiss Dan pulls away looking twords the bunk where Dylan was walking. He was home, here were they could help him and he would be safe again but was he ok that seemed to be a loaded question.

"I didn't make him come back it was his own choose. I just lent an ear when he needed it. He called me this morning asking me if I could pick him up. He was in a town two hours away and.....he will be ok now that he's home."

Looking down into Jade's eyes Dan smiles again. He really did believe Dylan would be ok now. He had people here who loved him and he new they would help. It would be one step at a time again but he wouldn't be alone.

Pulling into her drive way Beth fishes for her phone hopping whoever it was wouldn't hang up yet. She didn't want to answer while she was driving. Seeing Justin's number on the caller ID Beth gives a smile. She'd been waiting for his call.

"Hey Justin. Sorry about that I just pulling into the driveway when you called."

Grabbing her purse and her half of sub Beth juggles everything making her way to the door and unlocking it and going inside to set everything down. Going to the house phone and looking if there was any messages she than makes her way to the kitchen.

"I had a pretty great day. How was yours?"

Looking from the magazine that seemed to have been left behind from someone else Trey just eyes the door for a moment before seeing Ariel. Putting it down and sitting up he found it a bit odd she had come here, she never had before and tonight they were going to meet for another party. So she was here now...why?

"Hey, I guess its fine. You would of seen me tonight at the party though!"

Just watching Ariel for a long moment he waves her in farther. Going out tonight was going to be he highlight of the night. Not to mention he needed the distraction. For the last few days Cindy kept invading his mind. Why he wasn't sure but he just couldn't shake it.

"So, whats up?"

Out

Future Mrs. Palmer. It made Jade's spine tingle and she giggles. "Hi there, handsome."

Drawn into a hug, she wraps her arms around Dan's waist and leans her head against his chest, murmuring softly at his warmth. She could stay in his arms forever.

Once he pulls away though, she stands on her tiptoes to give his lips a quick little kiss. "It's spaghetti tonight with garlic bread." Food was far from her mind though and she searches Dan's eyes, her arms still lightly around him. Her gaze was full of questions. "Is Dylan okay? Where did you find him and how on earth did you get him to come back?"


Dylan trudges into his bunkhouse, closing and locking the door behind him. Wandering to the bed, he drags his backpack on the floor before letting it go. Not even taking his shoes off, he falls onto the soft mattress, the pillow catching his head. It was a far cry from a cement block under a bridge. He needed to shower. Change clothes. Empty his backpack. But his body simply won't cooperate.

Unable to keep his eyes open, he falls asleep within seconds after lying down. It wouldn't be until morning that he would wake again.


Justin felt drained. Curled up on the couch as the tv droned, he didn't really feel like getting up and making himself supper. His visit with Jared had been fine. Short. Nothing traumatic. And yet it had sapped all his energy. He yawns. This was stupid. He was fine. The whole thing was fine. He just needed to move on and not think about it.

He still doesn't want to move from the couch though.

Glancing at the wall clock, he wonders if Beth would be home by now. He usually talked to her in the evenings on the phone if they weren't getting together. But she was hanging out with Zach today and he didn't know when their day would end.

Shrugging off doubts, he reaches over his head to feel around for the cordless phone. Dialing Beth, he readjusts his weight on the couch, letting his head stay in the throw pillows. One ring. Two. Maybe her day with Zach had been such a good one that they were spending a night out too.


"I don't want to do it anymore."

"But why? You're doing so well."

"Because it's not real. I don't like it."

"But, Ariel..." Pete throws up his hands. "I don't understand."

Ariel paces on the sidewalk near TJY where they'd met. "It's not fair to him."

"Who said anything about fair? It was a plan, it worked, and now you want to jump ship? I don't get it."

Ariel sighs and finally stops pacing to look Pete in the eye. "Look, you don't have to get it. I'm out. Period."

"You at least owe me an explanation!" Pete shakes his head, frustrated. "If you didn't like it, you didn't have to agree in the first place."

Ariel grits her teeth. "I'm sorry, okay? Just... I don't like arguing with you."

"Well, I don't either." Pete sighs, calming down. "I just don't understand." Studying Ariel's flushed face, the answer suddenly hits him. His eyes widen. "You... care... about him?"

Ariel shifts her weight and breaks eye contact. "I just don't think hiding the truth has been fair, that's all."

"You like him."

Ariel raises a glare. "So what if I do? You had me play the part well enough. I can't help it if I feel compassion."

"It's more than that." Pete shakes his head. "Okay. I give up. You don't have to spend any more time with him."

"If I do, it'll be because I want to, not because I'm supposed to be gaining information." Her expression twists a little. "I didn't think you'd do something like this."

"Like what?"

"When I said yes in the first place, I thought this was some hardened criminal that held important information, vital to TJY. But all I find is a lonely young man, lost and confused. Not a threat to society."

Pete's shoulders drop and he gives her a wry little grin. "I was just doing my job, ya know. We weren't sure if he was an Agency threat or not. He wouldn't talk to any of us, so... we thought perhaps someone like you would do the trick. I..." He stops and shrugs. "I'm sorry if you got attached. I didn't realize it was getting to you."

Ariel bites her lip. "Me too. But you might want to apologize to Trey too."

"I know. Reese has been working with Angelica to find him a place besides TJY to live since the danger seems to have passed. I just, um..."

"What?"

"I don't know how to tell him that I was playing a role but wound up considering him a friend anyway."

"And now you know my own position."

"Yeah." Pete glances back to TJY then to Ariel again. "You gonna tell him?"

"I feel it's only right. And... all I can hope for is that he will still be my friend."

Pete nods. "I didn't like it... acting. I never was good at it."

Ariel scoffs. "As if. You've obviously done a good job. Looks to me like somebody just forgot to call an end to the mission when it was time."

Pete grins. "You ever thought about being an agent?"

Ariel laughs. "What, and do this all the time? No way." She shakes her head and turns towards TJY...

..."Knock knock." Ariel pokes her head just a little around the corner to see into Trey's room in the lower level of TJY. She'd never been here before - she'd always just met Trey somewhere else or at lakeside parties.

A smile creases her lips. "Hope you don't mind me intruding. I just wanted to come see you."