Shell

A fighter... was he really? Jared's cheeks gain just a bit more color as he gives Grace a sheepish sort of grin. "That wouldn't be so bad. Even a black sheep's gotta fight for something, right?" 

It was a somewhat encouraging thought. And even that was better than nothing at this point. Maybe Grace was right. Maybe he could ask some different questions of his mother and brother. Questions that might not be so sensitive. Simple things. Jared really didn't have a whole lot of hope when it came to his memory, but it would be nice to know a few more things. He knew he would be in the hospital for a while yet, but he'd like it if he at least had something to go on when he was finally released. 

"So, um... how often do we do this stuff with my legs and all that?" 

"Eh... falling off isn't so bad." Dylan shrugs. "Sparky always makes me get right back on again. He says if a rider doesn't, it'll just make it all the harder to get back on later. I figure he's right. Although I'm probably just more stubborn than anything and don't want Sharpshooter to think he beat me." 

His finger draws little designs in the sweat of his water glass. He hadn't talked this much since... well, it had been a while. It was better than just sitting in awkward silence though.

Eric's one eyebrow arcs and he grins back at Stacy. "Ah...so now I actually know your age for sure. I should have tried that method sooner. Although I must say, it ain't fair that you've got everybody's files. It means I don't got any secrets, and that is definitely not to my advantage." 

Leaning back in his chair, his grin becomes a full smile, his eyes twinkling. "I'll have to think up some new stuff just so I can say there's something you don't know about me."

Hunter can't help but laugh at Katie and he shakes his head. "First I'm a stick in the mud, and now I'm scared. Within five minutes, you have totally destroyed my entire reputation - you do realize this, don't you?" 

Smirking at her, he finally takes a step into the water so it comes up to his ankles. Swishing around a little bit, he stops short, his eyes going wide. "It may not bite, but I swear I just felt a nibble on my toe."

Pausing again, he furrows his brow. "Oh, wait... no... my bad." Lifting his foot out of the water, he had picked up a seashell with his toes. Remaining balanced on one leg, he lifts his dripping foot towards Katie. "Here have a shell," he teases.

Fighter for Sure

A smile spreads across Grace's face as she gives a small nod. She could understand why he had questions mostly the simple ones her wanted to know and that was a good place to start as any.

   "Maybe its those simple questions you should be asking than. The ones that don't really dig to deep."

At the mention of Jared feeling something Grace goes back to the leg that had the heating pad on it. Placing her hand over top of his leg she could feel the warmth coming through on its on, and his muscles twitching slightly. The treatment had started to work...and already.

   "Thats a good thing, it would seem your muscles want to walk again as bad as you do. After a few more days of this I think we are ready to try the harder stuff. You should be very please, most of the time it takes more than one treatment to get this far."

Taking the heating pad off the one leg and placing it on the other to do the same thing she looks up into Jared's eyes.  Studying them for a long moment searching. From the moment she had met him Grace could tell his eyes told many storys because they were deep, and full of emotions.

   "You might not know much about your past but I think you know one more thing now...You a fighter for sure."

Ashlee gives a smile to Dylan and nods her head. Horses sure could be intimating so she didn't blame Dylan for being frightened of them at first. If she hadn't spend so much time reading about them, and being around them when she got here she would of been the same way for sure.

   "Thats one thing I am not looking forward to is the first time I fall off the horse. Even if it is my fault."

Stacy can't help but laugh a little at Eric's comment about someone a little younger. Did he know how old she was? Did he think she was younger than she really was? In a way it was a bit flattering to think that maybe she didn't look her age after all.

   "You're hardly old Eric....If I remember correctly only seven years older. You have to be ten to be coconsidered out of my age range."

Picking up her cup of coffee Stacy gives a sip a small grin on her lips. To her age was just a number but teasing Eric about it anyways was kind of fun so why not.

   "Hunnnnn....ter......Hunttttttt....er...."

Katie gives a grin and cocks her head as she softly calls his name the water lapping over and around her legs. She'd always loved the sound of the water espcialy at night when it was quiet and you could hear it a little better.

   "Hey look at that I think I heard it calling your name."

Bending down Katie splashes a little water Hunter way but not to much knowing soon they would have to ride the bike back home and being wet would not only be dangerous, but would make for a colder ride.

   "The way your standing at the edge of the water like that makes me think your scared of it or something...I promise it wont bit."

  

Younger

"Stick in the mud? Me?" Hunter gives Katie a grin, watching her step into the water. Was she flirting with him? Surely not. Not after she had just spilled her guts about her boyfriend - it was obvious she loved him. No... she was just trying to have a little fun, and he'd treat it as such. Now wasn't the time for his cheesy pick-up lines. He spreads out his arms. "Do I look like a stick in the mud to you?"

Just watching her for a few more moments, he finally shakes his head, groaning. Taking off his jacket, he unlaces his boots and takes those off too, along with his socks, and rolls up his jeans. 

Standing, he walks slowly through the sand, stopping at the water's edge. He sets his hands on his hips and wriggles his toes in the water, but that was all. "I don't know... I definitely hear the water calling your name, but I haven't heard my name yet."

"Usually Sharpshooter." Dylan nods at Ashlee. "Sparky's had me on him for a while now so he's pretty much my regular mount. I've hit the ground a few times but nothing too serious and it's always been my fault. Sharpshooter can get stubborn but Sparky says it's good for me." 

Something close to a wry grin toys at the very edges of Dylan's mouth. "I guess I don't mind though." He rolls his eyes. "Now that I don't freak out around the horses."

Eric chuckles. "I could be wrong, but I think you might need somebody younger if you're after the company of somebody your age." 

He cocks his head, his eyes roaming Stacy's face as his smile remains. "But I'm glad my presence at least ain't repulsive. Seeing you two girls smiling makes the whole day worth it in my book." 

"Yeah, I suppose." Jared hoped that if he found out he'd been a lousy kind of guy, that he'd be able to shake that reputation. But why would he have been a black sheep? What had he been like? He didn't feel like a bad person. 

"I don't know... I don't want anybody putting pressure on my family if they don't wanna talk to me about any of that. I mean maybe I shouldn't care at all. Just pick up any pieces I've got and start over from scratch." 

He sighs, looking away from Grace again. "Maybe there won't be any shock. Maybe it'll never come back to me. I just... I have so many questions." 

What had his childhood been like? What were he and Justin like as kids? Had he ever been in love? Had a girlfriend? What kind of jobs had he had? 

A little tingle in his leg makes his eyes snap back to Grace. "Hey I kinda felt something there for just a second."

Stick in the Mud

Continuing to look out at the water Katie gives a small sigh resting her chin on her knees. She didn't know what to think, what to feel, everything was just so messed up and now the thought of Jason cheating...could it be true?

   "I...I don't think he would do that, but I guess...now that you said something it sure does seem like it."

Finally looking to Hunter and than back to the water Katie didn't want to think of the sad anymore tonight. It was rather depressing and she like to keep her time out on a happy note. Thats what it was about right...finding herself and her emotions. She'd dwelled enough on the bad ones it was time for the good ones.

Slipping and shoes and socks off Katie sets them aside letting her toes dig into the sand. The warmth, yet cool, and the softness felt nice. Standing Katie looks down at Hunter as a grin forms across her face. There were days she wished she was a little kid, when boys where gross and being boyish was ok.

   "I don't know about you but that water is calling my name...I think."

Rolling up her jeans Katie makes her way across the sand and to the water front. Letting the gentile waves wash over her feet. Feeling the cool water Katie gives a little shiver but a smile crosses her face as she turns around to walk backwards in the water a little more.

   "Come on, your not going to be a stick in the mud are you?"

Continuing to work on Jared's other leg time slowly slipped by. The seconds went to minutes and the minutes just didn't seem long enough. Grace didn't mind though talking with Jared was nice, and he seemed to need someone to talk too.

   "The black sheep huh? Could be true I guess, but that doesn't mean it has to stay true right? Even if you remember everything from your past if you don't like whats there you don't have to go back to it."

Finishing up with Jared's leg Grace places ice on that leg, and heat on the other give the muscles time to warm up now too. This would how it would be for at least the next week. Boring yes, but very helpful. How knows maybe even one day Grace could bring Jared down to her office on the first floor just so it would be a change up form his room.

   "So, black sheep or not its not fair they are holding things from you. Maybe the Dr could talk to help and encourage them to talk about your past even if they don't want too. I think it would be smart, and better than you just remembering one day and it being a shock to your system."

Ashlee gives a nod to Dylan. She new Moonbeam was a calmer horse and that was ok with her. For her first time riding she didn't mind that at all. She'd rather be on a calm horse than a wild one that would scare the crap out of her.

   "Yep he does. She is pretty calm and that is alright with me. What one are you riding on?"

Stacy gives a large smile to Eric, she didn't know why he was thanking her but hear that this made him feel like he was a part of something she things she understood. As much as Ashlee needed a father, Eric wanted to have a child as well. Maybe...just maybe Ashlee was the way he could experience that.

   "It's my please Eric...it's not only Ashlee that enjoys your company...I do too. Your very nice, and its really is nice to be able to talk to someone else my age."

Cheating

Hunter just lets Katie talk, quickly realizing that she needed to let some of this out. He felt bad for her - it sounded like this whole thing with her and Jason really had screwed things up. He still didn't understand it, but he continued to refrain from asking a bunch of questions. It really didn't matter and he might understand more of it later. For now though... Katie's feelings were obviously being hurt and that's all he needed to know. 

Sitting up with her, he sighs. "Don't be sorry." He knew what being jealous felt like. Boy did he know. It didn't feel good. It felt like being left out and shoved to the side. "That's a tough bit to swallow, for anybody, let alone you, who's been like, 'connected' as you say, to Jason." He wondered if it was a whole lot worse for her after not being able to communicate with Jason like she had before. Once again, Hunter was clueless about all that or what it was like, so his imagination had to fill in the cracks. And who was Rick? He wasn't sure. 

Falling into silence for a few minutes, he rests his arms on his knees and watches the peaceful water. Finally though he turns his head to study Katie, his eyes searching her face. "Jason's not... cheating on you, is he?" 

Jared listens quietly to Grace, finding her story an interesting one. Lots of people would probably turn out bitter after all that. But not her... she had embraced a new life away from her blood family. There was a strength about her. A peaceful one at that. Jared couldn't help but wonder what it was or how she'd gotten it. 

"Yeah, I see what you're saying. I think we all must be wired to want to know our real families, but I think that's cool that you've got your adopted family and love 'em that much." 

Thinking back to her suggestion a few minutes prior, he shakes his head. "Whenever I talk to my mom about family, she clams up. Kinda like Justin, but not quite as bad. I'm...." His eyes drop. "...getting the feeling that I'm a black sheep or something. If I was that important or loved, I woulda heard from somebody, even if I didn't live around here. I mean I know I didn't - that much I've found out.  I guess I'd just moved here recently. But still... if I had like family or friends that cared about me, I would have at least gotten a note in the mail or a phone call." 

All of a sudden, Jared realized just how alone he'd been feeling. His eyes remain down and his jaw muscles tighten as he tries not to let it bother him. It did though. All his mom talked about was current events... her days of shopping and her friends. And Justin, who only visited on rare occasion, would barely say hi, let alone talk about anything in the past. Jared was getting tired of fishing for information "You'd think my mom and brother would have like, sat down with me and filled me in, or something. I mean, isn't that the way it should work? I lost everything and they're just letting me sit here like a dummy and not even trying to help me regain anything. I like my mom, don't get me wrong, she's awfully sweet, but... I just don't understand."

Dylan glances over his menu at Ashlee and gives her a little nod. "Yeah... yeah when Eric lets you start riding by yourself maybe we can ride together. Sparky's still working with me too but lots of it's just practice now." 

He finally sets his menu down, decided on what he wanted. "So he's.... got you on Moonbeam?" 

Eric cups his water glass with his hands and looks at the ice while a smile spreads on his lips. His eyes rise to Stacy and he shakes his head. "I don't know what you're thanking me for. I'm the one feeling mighty special right about now." 

He glances over at Ashlee and Dylan talking then back to Stacy. His eyes find hers and he just searches them for a few moments. This setting... being here... was nice. It was almost like a little family and... it sent a nice warmth through Eric. He wondered if this is why Jeff had wanted to be with Stacy and Ashlee too, if it had felt like this for him. And then he wonders what his brother might think if he knew Eric was spending time like this with them. Would he mind? 

"Thanks for letting me come along... I haven't... felt a part of much in a while so... this is nice."