Stay?

Luke watches Angel leave, keeping an eye on her until she disappears into her quarters. He heaves a contented sigh and sits back in the swing, lingering for a long while. Finally getting up the gumption to go to bed, he takes a moment to stand, and slowly heads to his bunk, taking his time as his legs resist the movement. Making it to bed, he falls to sleep quickly, so worried about the future, but so happy as well.

Jason sits straight up in bed. Like a lightbulb had gone on, he remembered where he'd seen that name. Throwing off his covers, he ignores the protest of his knee and goes to his desk, flipping open his laptop. He had to make sure, while it was fresh in his mind. Theories and calculations start coming to him like a barrage of bullets. Was this another puzzle piece found?


Cindy giggles and stares at the menu herself, finally settling on a simple cone with chocolate ice cream. She takes her time eating, sitting with Wes at a small table before they head back to the ranch. She’s quiet on the ride, tired, but allowing herself the happiness of the moment. As they pull back into the ranch, she sits awkwardly for a minute, unsure how to bring the evening with Wes to a close.


Mick closes his eyes again for a moment, letting Rosetta’s touch calm him and bring him back to reality. He looks in her eyes, his face wrought with a new kind of tension. “I thought I lost you,” he whispers. Had it really been a simple dream? Did it mean nothing, that he should just forget about? It seemed to have engraved itself too deeply to ever erase those images…that voice…
He reaches out to cradle Rosetta’s face with a hand, the inner torment coursing through his gaze.
He lies toward the back of the couch, and his voice is tight, almost timid as his tone is low. “Stay with me?”