Just like him

Rick sits with Scott for a little while, keeping an eye on him. But something wasn't right... where had Jason and Katie gone? It just didn't seem right...

Acting on instinct, he goes for the phone and dials Nate. "Hey Nate, it's Rick. Yeah, listen um... can you swing on down by TJY? Hopefully it's nothing, but... I gotta go check something out, and I want someone here to keep an eye on Scott."

Ending the call, Rick makes sure Scott is still asleep before slipping out the door. Spotting Hal with the trash, he waves to him. "Make sure nobody goes in here, will you? Except Nate... he should be coming soon."

Hal quirks an eyebrow in question, but nods. "Alright... sure. But..." Watching Rick leave, he just shrugs, leaving his questions hanging.

Rick walks quickly down the hall, looking around to see if he could find the other two.


Austin absorbs Katie's words, anger flashing in his eyes as she dishes out her own. "I did nothing but my job! And so help me, if you start a mutiny, the lot of you will be gone, and I will form a new team."

Watching Katie come closer, Austin finds himself backing up a step as a new wave of fear hits him. What had started out as slight nervousness from Jason's apparent outburst started to build into more... more that he didn't understand.

As Katie starts talking about being afraid, Austin's hands start to shake, a bead of sweat running down the side of his face. "I crossed no line!" He raises his voice. "I am doing my job! I have been involved with this organization for years more than you and I know exactly what needs to be done and how to do it."

Jason can feel himself weaken slightly as Katie focuses her drawing power on Austin rather than him, but he remains steady, right beside her. "Was that your own idea, or someone else's, Austin? Hmm?"

"That is none of your business."

"You messed with the wrong people," Jason retorts. "You made it our business by hurting Scott."

"I didn't hurt him!" Austin backs up another step, going behind the desk chair.

"Not physically, did you." Jason cocks his head, remaining cool. "But you didn't care about his mind did you? You didn't care about his heart, did you? You didn't care that he just spent two months in pure torture that caused wounds so deep that he can barely function, did you?"

As Jason's voice raises, the fax machine starts to rattle.

Austin's fear increases, his face paling. "Come on... just... just stop it you two. That's... that's a direct order."

Jason spits a scoffing laugh. "Or what? You gonna drag us into the interrogation room too? You gonna ask us questions... make us talk? Maybe threaten us a little bit?"

"You... you are in so much trouble." Austin's voice wavers more. "You have no...idea... what you two... what you are doing."

The fax machine sparks, more smoke coming from the sides.

"Jason! Katie. Stand down." Rick shows up behind them in the doorway.

Jason doesn't move, knowing Katie won't either. "Come on, Rick," he responds evenly. "Austin was just about to tell us his master plan. Sit down. Wait a spell. Grab some popcorn."

"Jason stop it," Austin begs. "What... I don't understand... what..." By now his knees are growing weak, his fear becoming a mild form of terror.

"Tell us!" Jason shouts. "Or I will tear this office apart piece by piece and you'll be in so much fear that you'll drive yourself insane."

"Jason!" Rick barks. "No." He takes a step further into the office, lowering his voice. "You do this, you are no better than he is. Now stop before you do something you both regret."

Jason stares at Austin, a hate forming in his eyes. The battle inside of him intensifies to a degree that makes his emotions run rampant. He was so angry...so upset... he wanted to make Austin pay for what he'd done to Scott. But deep down... way deep down... he knew Rick was right.

Forcing his emotions down, he stops manipulating objects in the room, but knows his grandfather is still under Katie's influence.

Come on, Hero... Rick's right... We'll deal with this later.

Knowing Katie's anger and knowing how she felt because of what had been done to Scott, Jason knows it might take more than words to get her to stop. Slowly he tucks away more and more of his own emotions, knowing that the more he took away from her, the sooner she'd have to turn her energy back to him and away from Austin.

Austin's shaking hands grip the back of the desk chair, waiting, watching, not understanding.

Rick waits calmly behind them, knowing good and well what they were doing. He could feel his own fear forming because of Katie's presence, but fought it, trying to save his young friends from their own actions that could put them on the wrong side. He agreed with them, but knew that if fought in this way, the consequences could be greater than it was worth. There were other ways to make their point.

heart of the betrayer

*Katie eyes narrow as she grits her teeth. This was not cool, this was not what she wanted, this is not why she was here or what she stood for and every moment that Austin talked more the more her blood boiled.*

"My Job...MY JOB...I'll stand up for my friend over my job anyday. If this is how you do things, bullying the people who put trust in you, toruchering them than your no better than The Agency and I dont want to be here, but something tells me if you fire me alot of people will come along with and than you will be up crap creek with out a paddle."

*Katie's eyes burn with an anger so fearce, her own eyes wanted to tear from it, but they did not. Hearing Austin call Scott week just fed her anger, it made her hate him even more.*

"Scott...is FAR FAR from weak Austin. I'd have to say that man is stronger than alot of us here. Its not every day people can stand up to the angency tourte like He did. The only other person I know that can say she did would have to be Jamie. She wasnt trained for field work, She didnt have any training at all and she stood up to them."

*Standing taller Katie stays next to Jason. In a proud stance her keep her ground not being scaired by Austin's threats. As the lamp starts to shake and the phone burts Katie dont flinch as it gives her a edge on Austins own emotions. Like a floodgate being opend Katie takes the lid off her emotions hurling them in one direction and one direction only to strike her own fear into the heart of the betrayer.*

"Its not nice to make people fear you when you think you can trust them. Fear, and torment is not a good feeling Austin now is it?"

*Katie takes a few steps twords him as her emotions flow freely still not even paying mind to the small amount of pain she felt by Jason's emotional burst.*

"What you did was wrong Austin, bottom line. You could of handled it differntly. Scott was one of us, Scott was our friend. You crossed the line Austin."

I don't care

Carson works alone in the kitchen, preparing a few ingredients for the next day. Everyone else had gone home already, but Dani was too tired to do anything tonight, Jess wasn’t coming over until late, and Carson didn’t have anything to do in the meantime. Nor did he really feel like it anyway. Better to keep busy… better to keep his mind occupied. Not that it worked.

Sniffing, Carson blinks and swipes his eyes with the back of his hand again. Tears immediately fill his reddened eyes again, the salty liquid stinging them.

Trying to focus on his work, he knows his eyes are red and puffy, and he knows Jess will be there any minute, but he just can’t seem to stop the flow, once it had started.

Blinking again, he goes to the sink in frustration, splashing his face with cool water. It was no use though. The tears were determined to come.

Growling at himself for being in this state, he goes to try to at least finish up what he was doing before Jess arrived. Ten minutes later though, he’s given up and is slouching in a booth, a glass of coke for company as he waits.


Jason doesn't take time to talk with Rick either, leaving that story hanging for now. "We'll be back, Rick," he hollers over his shoulder. Following Katie down the hall, he lets her take the lead. He need not ask where she was heading... he need not ask what her motive was.


Scott watches the two leave, his eyes widening a little. Even though Katie said they'd be back, he felt so vulnerable without them. Looking to Rick, he sees the needle and cringes.

Rick smiles warmly and approaches the bed. "It's alright, Scott. This is just something to help you sleep alright?"

Scott swallows hard, trying not to see Donovan with the needle that brought so much pain. He had to trust Rick... he had to believe this was reality, not what he'd been seeing in his mind. "Okay..."

"Atta boy." Rick preps Scott's arm and administers the shot quickly and smoothly. "There you are. Now just lie back and relax, okay?"

"You're not... not gonna leave me alone, are you?"

"No." Rick shakes his head. "I won't. I'll be right here."

Scott takes a moment, trying to decide if he believed him or not, then finally stretches out to lie back down on the bed, curling up on his side. The shot worked quickly, and his eyes grow heavy. "Don't let... them... come back..."

Rick sighs deeply as he watches Scott drift to sleep. What had happened? And why were Jason and Katie so much on edge? He could only wait it out until they came back.


Austin is looking through some files in Carter's office when Katie bursts in. His eyes widen as he sees both her and Jason, then as he receives her angry words.

His facial expression turns from one of surprise to one of irritation, then anger. "First off, young lady, we knock on doors around here and..."

"How would you know what we do around here?" Jason intervenes quickly. He folds his arms across his chest. "You've been gone an awfully long time to start spitting out protocol. Or... is that what you did with Scott already?"

Austin's shoulders drop as he looks at his grandson with annoyed disappointment. "C'mon, Jase... No 'hi how are you?' I just got back and this is what I get?"

"Do you deserve more?" Jason's anger starts to boil again, and this time he doesn't hold it in. "Besides, it's her who came in here first, not me." He nods to Katie. "You gonna answer her question?"

"I don't have to." Austin stands up straighter, bypassing his disappointment. "I'm the senior officer here, and I don't like being questioned. You get to where I am and make it this far, then you can make all the decisions you want to make." His tone grows more stern and he looks directly at Katie. "As for you, I don't know where you got your information or who skewed it, but I am here tonight doing my job. If you got a problem with that, I suggest you go home and sit and think about your job here and what it would be like without this job."

Jason takes a step forward, his eyes blazing. "Are you threatening her, Austin? Do you actually have the nerve to say something like that? Where do you get off? Answer her question! How could you do that to Scott?!"

"It's protocol!" Austin shoots back. "Scott is weak! Those Agency goons could have done anything they wanted to with him. He doesn't know how to block out their mind games. He was never trained for field work. Don't you get it? He could have compromised this whole department!"

"But you only assumed he would! You didn't give him a chance! He's in no shape to take something like that and you knew it! And you interrogated him anyway!"

"Stand down, Jason," Austin barks. "Or so help me, your job will be on the line too. You do not question me, do you understand?"

"Oh, I understand alright." Jason's tone grows low and cool, and suddenly the desk lamp starts to shake. At the same time, the phone cord sizzles and sparks, causing the phone to smoke then burst in a small show of sparks.

Austin jumps and looks down quickly, then back up at Jason, questioning the timing.

Jason grits his teeth.
Go for it Katie. I don't care what you do.

Justice

*Katie wraps her arm around Scott again as he starts to shake. If anyone was good to talk with Scott about this Katie new it was Jason.*

"You WILL be ok Scott and soon those dreams will stop, and it will only be a memorie. God will keep you safe and help you deal with this. Just remember that."

*Katie watches as Jason goes to the phone.

Yeah sometimes I think we communicate better this way. You can see my feelings, I mean there is no way you could miss interpit them.

Continuing to watch Jason Katie turns her attachen back to Scott as she holds him. How he heart hurt.*

"Rick is on his way Scott. He's gonna check you over and make sure you ok. He might even give you something to help you sleep if you want. Jason and I have to leave to do something but we will still be in the building and Rick will be with you till we get back ok."

*As Rick looks to Nate and gives a nod about the phone Nate gives him a small nod back letting him know if he needed anything he new who to call. Than turning back to the game Nate smiles at Maggie and Janet as he muses.*

"So are you going to deal or just hold the cards all day Janet?"

*Janet can't help the smile that spreads across her face as she brushes a bit of her long flowing hair from her eyes.*

"Don't rush me Nate or I'll deal you all the bad cards."

*Janet cant hold the small giggle as she gives Maggie a nudge and starts to deal the cards only to pause for a bref moment again to give Rick a kiss before he left.*

*As Rick enters the infermary Kaite gives him a nod and gently removes her arm from around Scott. Giving his arm a gentil squeeze.*

"Rick's gonna stay with you for a little bit untill we get back ok. You hang in there."

*Standing Katie gives one last look at Scott before turning and walking away from the bed. Letting out a long sigh Katie makes her way to the door only calling over her shoulder the flames that were in here eyes were still there.*

"Betrayel Rick, Betrayel by one of our own."

*Katie leaves the infermary before Rick can even reply. Her mind set was on one thing now and one thing alone, there was no stop, there way no holding back. There was only anger and pain. Austin couldnt get away with this.

Seeing the light on down by Reese office Katie makes her way through the cubicles still she came to the office. Entering and seeing no one in Reese office Katie glances to Carters door and can see a tiny light on underneath it. Walking over to it Katie fails to knock just flinging it open. Steping inside and see Austin her face is flush as the anger in her eyes flaired.*

"How could you Austin, how could you do that to him when You darn well know what he has been though. He thought he could trust you and you stabed him in the back. What kind of justice do you stand for because this sure is not what I call right."

Card game

Jason can feel the tension in the flow of emotions and knows that Katie is growing angrier, just as he was. He can feel his own emotions being bottle-necked as she shut herself partway down so as not to affect Scott, but he keeps himself steady.

Talk about burning up... I knew he wasn't the good ol' boy he claimed to me... he's been trying to get me in his good graces for months and...

Jason suddenly remembers that he'd never told Katie about that.

...long story. Bottom line - Austin's a jerk and a coward. This was the last straw for me. Him and me... we're through.

Scott starts to shake again as another tear surfaces, his mind and emotions being overtaken by pictures of when he was captive. He felt as though he were in a nightmare, unable to wake, and his fear was so great, it was starting to make him feel like he was going to be sick.

"You can't," he manages quietly. "It's... it won't leave me alone.... I can't.... I can't shut it out..."

Jason's jaw tightens and he stands up. He gives Scott's shoulder a gentle pat. He knew exactly how it felt and more. "Hang in there, buddy. It'll be alright." Turning, he heads to the phone.

Sometimes I wish I could talk to other people like you... Sure would help out the phone bills.

Jason picks up the receiver and quickly dials Rick's number.


"Aw man!" Rick throws down his cards on the dining room table, having lost another round. He smirks with humor across at Maggie. "Do you realize you've beat me three times in a row now?"

He collects the cards and starts to pass them to Nate, but then stops and hands them to Janet instead. "I think it's your turn to deal."

The ringing phone makes him jump. "Alright. I'll answer that, but nobody stack the cards!" Getting up, a smile spreads on his face and he grabs the phone in the living room. "Yeah, hello."

"Rick."

"Jase? What's up?"

"I'm with Scott. He um... he's having a tough time settling down. Thought you should come see him."

"I gave him something to sleep," Rick muses.

"Yeah well... I'll tell you what happened later."

"Alright. Is he bad?"

"It's not good. He's in the middle of a nightmare and just can't calm down. He needs to get some rest before he makes himself sick."

Rick nods. "Okay. Give me fifteen minutes." He hangs up and goes back to the small group, leaning down to give his wife a kiss on the forehead. "Sorry, but duty calls. You three have fun, and I'll be back in a while."

He gives Janet's shoulder a squeeze. "I don't know if I'll be late or not." Looking over to Nate, he gives a little nod, signaling that it was TJY related, then heads for the door.


Jason hangs up and turns back to Katie and Scott, feeling helpless. "Rick's on his way." He paces the floor, trying to decide what to do.

I wanna march down to wherever Austin is and knock his block off... But I'm not leaving Scott until I know he's safe. The nerve... the gall! One of our own....


It seems like forever, but Rick finally comes, pushing open the door to the infirmary. Seeing Jason, then Katie, his eyes fill with questions, but he goes to Scott without waiting for answers. "Hey, Scott, you don't look so hot."

Scott shakes his head, having returned to hiding his face in his knees.

Rick sighs deeply and goes to prepare a needle. He didn't like sedating anyone, but in this case, maybe it was best. "You two gonna tell me what's going on?" he asks quietly.

Wrong group of friends...

*Katie continues to listen as her own anger grows. Trying to keep a lid on it Katie knows she wont be able to hold it for long. The emotions she felt right now were to great, worse than anything she ever felt before. Griting her teeth Kaite hand still rests on Scott's back as he leans into her. As her eyes meet Jason's so much emotions run through her own tell a tail in itself.

How could he? It was bad enough Scott was taken for two months and torchured, but to have Austin...one of our own turn there back on Scott and do this...it burns me up even more.

Katie quiets herself for a moment as she continues to keep the lid on.*

"Its ok Scott. Don't worry we wont let it happen again. Your gonna be ok and your going to get through this. We are with you every step of the way and we wont let you give up. When things feel like they are to heavy to hold alone we will be there to help hold you up. Thats what friends do, thats what friends are for. We wont let you stand in the world alone."

* Katie's eyes break away from Jason's for a moment as she looks down at Scott while she talks. Searching his own face, seeing the fear and tears in his eyes. Seeing such a strong person being broken now it only was to feed Katie's anger even more. Scott's pyscal scars where cleaned and starting to feel, the the wounds on the inside were still there and ripped open again that much was for sure.

Once again Katie looks up to catch Jason's eyes, this time the flames could be seen. A look not often seen by many, that could strike fear into the hardest of hearts.

Call Rick! I don't wan't to leave Scott alone but I don't wan't Austin to get away with this eather. He messed with the wrong group of friends.*