Wrapping up the night

Carson can’t help his laugh as Jess gives him a bad time, and he ends up taking her hand to slide out from the booth too. “Sorry.”

He wipes his eyes again. “It was just too perfect.” Another laugh escapes. “But I promise I won’t be that mean again… at least the rest of tonight.”

Grinning, he follows Jess to the kitchen, willing to try whatever she suggested to get rid of this stinging pain. “Bread we have. Lead the way, nurse Fisher.”

It doesn’t take too long after taking Jess’ suggestion that the sting finally starts to subside. Carson blinks and squints at Jess, a wry grin forming. “Well I’ll be. You do know what you’re talking about.”

Still teasing, he sets the slice of bread down and grabs Jess around the waist, spinning her around. Flopping down in a chair, he pulls her down with him so she’s straddling his lap and he can look her in the eye. “You care too much, you know that?”

Reaching up, Carson puts a had to the side of Jess’ face, running his thumb along her cheek. His voice lowers. “You’ve been much more than I deserve.”

Studying her eyes silently for several moments, he finally leans in for a kiss. Yet as he does, the one thought that still haunted him, lingered in the back of his mind.

He presses his lips more firmly to hers, willing himself to focus on her, not somebody else. But the shadows remain.

Tightening his hold around Jess’ frame, he pulls her in closer to him, feeling her warmth, her lips against his. But the name taunted him.

One hand on her waist and one on her back, he falls into the passionate exchange, his desire to just feel her. But it’s not her that his mind continues to see in the fog.

Finally…slowly… Carson lets Jess go, but instead of letting her see his face, he draws her into his arms for an embrace. “Thank you for… for just being you, Jess.”


Jason eases down in the other chair next to Katie, a good feeling coming over him, despite the trouble they were in. At least they had each other, and were in this thing together. No matter the rough spots along the way, their friendship had endured.

An amused emotion is passed from him to her.
Yeah, come to think of it, I think one of those times you were over to my place I woke up with a wet shirt, and it wasn’t me.

A grin creases his lips.
But your drool is better than Trooper’s any day.

Rick sighs and looks between the two younger agents and shakes his head. “I ought to tell you to quit talking to each other, but I won’t. In the meantime though, I wouldn’t take this suspension so lightly… either of you. Whether you like it or not, we have to proceed with a bit of caution here. I know you feel badly about Scott and so do I. But now may not be the time to make a stink about it.”

He turns to put a few things away on the counter and prepares to leave once again. “But..." He looks to Nate and Katie and Jason. "That's not to say that we tread very carefully. I'm on your side. And if it came down to it, I'd put my job on the line for this too. But let's not be too hasty to make that happen. I'll make sure when Scott is here, that he's protected. At least that will help with this issue. As far as your suspension goes... my advice is to not stir up trouble unless you have to."

Not waiting for an argument, he pulls on his jacket. "I'm heading home now. If anything happens, call me."

Jason heaves a weary sigh, watching Rick leave. "Well..." He glances up at Nate. "What'll it be? You staying or going? If you go, maybe you won't get pulled into this mess."


Clint yawns and scrunches his eyes tight before opening them again and staring in at the stubborn engine. It was late. He was exhausted. And the little light in the shop just wasn’t enough.

Tossing his wrench onto the work bench, he lets it clatter among the other tools. Slamming the hood of the car, he wipes his hands on his rag and trudges to the office to mark down what was done for the day, and wrap things up.

Glancing at the clock, he cringes. His wakeup call was going to come way too early. But, if he could figure out what was wrong with this car, it would be worth it. Even Wes was having trouble, and if Clint could figure it out… He grins.

Shutting off the lights, he makes his way back through the shop in the dark, knowing right where everything was to sidle around or step over, without even seeing it.

Locking up the door behind him, he stuffs his hands in his jacket pocket and trudges toward his bunk house. The gravel crunches under his boots and he glances towards Angel and Luke’s house. A different smile surfaces as he thinks about his and Wendy's plans to go into town tomorrow for lunch.

Stepping quietly up on the porch, Clint turns the doorknob of the bunkhouse door, hoping not to wake Jeff.

To perfect

*Jess watchs Carson for a long moment as his eyes still fill. The more Carson talks about regret the more Jess heart starts to race as fear and worry take over. A million and one things run through Jess mind on what was wrong and could be causing Carson so much pain. As the truth finally comes out Jess cant help but hide her own smile as she playfuly pushes him to the side. A playing tone in her voice.*

"Your a big jerk you know what. I thought something was really wrong."

*Jess can't help but shake her head a little as she lifts Carson's head from her shoulder. Leaning in she gives him a kiss on the lips before pulling away just shaking her head again. Slidding from the booth Jess stands and holds her hand out to Carson.*

"Come on lets go to the kitchen. If we get some break and places it over your eyes it will help. The yeast helps draw out the oils that sting and make your eyes water."

*Katie can't help the smile that spreads across her face as Domino and Scott interacte once again.
Like two best friends that had been long parted the joy of seeing a tiny spark in Scott eye made Katie happy. Domino was not just a dog to Scott, it was his compain his friend.

Because Hero's are smart and I know having your best friend around....

Katie moves her eyes from Scott to Jason as she smiles back at him.

...can really help you when your feeling down.

After a moment Katie turns to Scott again and seeing him asleep once again she gives a small nod and walks over to Jason giving his arm a light squeeze and noding to a few empty chairs on the other side of the room. Sitting down Katie leans back for a moment thinks about a few differnt things.*

"Personaly, if I get suspended I don't really care. I dont feel much like working in a place that calls what they did to Scott justice."

*Giving a small shake of her head Katie trys to get herself in a lighter mood. She didnt want to think about this now. For sure tomarrow there would be much talk of it. Letting a smile come to her face Katies eyes twinkle.

I guess you havnt seem me much when I sleep huh? Sometimes I wake up and think someone threw water on my pillow.*

*Wendy sits alone on her bed holding a small peace of plastic in her hands. A small tear falls from her face as her mind moves a million miles a minute. What was going to happen now? What did this mean? How could she have let this happen. Though she new it was to late now and what was done was done the feeling still sanke in and hit her in the face waking her up to the cold world that layed before her. Was it best to tell someone or keep it to herself? Should she at least tell Clint or would he turn away. Wendy believe that Clint was not like that everything with them was perfect maybe to perfect, but still the feeling the fear lingered. Standing Wendy throws the small item in the trash and turns back around heading for her bed. Throwing back the covers she snuggles under the blankets as more tears come. All she wanted to do was sleep, all she wanted to do was turn back time, but neather of those would come easy tonight.*