Fish out of water

Garret looked up quickly as Nate came into the room, and immediately bristled. He was feeling crowded enough the way it was. Finishing off his shoelace, he sat up and just sighed. Did Nate realize he had been preparing to leave? He wondered. 

"Look...it's time for me to go back to the Elite." His body was still trying to recover, and he was already exhausted from being up this short while, but he wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. Standing up, his tired eyes met Nate's. "I've traumatized your wife, Maggie's got me on a pedestal I'll never live up to, and you apparently think I'm capable of being human in spite of thirty-one years of Agency programming." He shook his head. "I don't think I can do this. Just...I'll leave with you now, but take me back to the Elite." His tone was more quiet and lost than angry. "I didn't think it could worse than being stuck in that room, but maybe I was wrong. I'm a fish out of water and I'm dying out here."


As Katie agrees to lunch, Jason finds himself smiling. "How about Chinese?" It felt nice to be going to get lunch with her. They'd had coffee a few times as of late, and it felt like maybe finally they were getting to be friends again.

It didn't take long to get to Tou Han's, and as they sat across from each other, Jason couldn't help but study her face...her eyes. He felt almost guilty. She'd just broken up with Hunter, and he wasn't meaning to take advantage of the situation - he just wanted to be able to relax and see her smile. But it still felt a little awkward. Maybe because there was something down deep in his heart that still stirred when he was around her.

Dropping his gaze to his food, he took another bite of chicken. "So...you doing okay?"


Travis appreciated the long ride back to the ranch. He wasn't sure Angel was purposely taking it more slowly than earlier or not, but regardless, it gave him a little extra time to mentally prepare for whatever his dad might say or ask. 

Once back, it was no surprise Lane met them as they parked. He was just relieved they were both back in one piece without a police escort. "Hey...you made it back." 

"Uh-huh." Travis threw Angel one last glance before sliding out of the cab. Most all his new things had been thrown into a new bag as well, so it wouldn't be so obvious they'd been shopping. "You think we wouldn't?"

"Well no..." Lane shrugged. Maybe a little. He frowned when he caught sight of his son's face. Was that a new cut? "Hey, what happened to your face?" 

Travis smirked. "Remember that time I shut my own head in your car door?" He moved to the bed of the truck and grabbed the two bags, then swung back around to his dad. "Don't ask."

Lane bit his lip to keep from laughing. "I won't. This all your stuff?"

"Yeah. Good enough for now anyway." He started for Angel's office as his temporary place, but Lane stopped him. 

"I think you're going the wrong way."

"What?"

Lane thumbed towards the bunkhouses. "Number seven. You have Jade and Wendy to thank for getting it ready for you."

Travis' eyebrows rose and he looked at Angel, then back to his dad. "You mean..."

"It's all yours for as long as you want, approved by Rosetta and Mick." 

Travis couldn't help a little smile. "Okay." 

As he headed that direction, Lane just let him go, but neared Angel. "Thanks...for helping him today and bringing him back. I was a little worried he might decide to stay with his mom once he got there."