I would

Luke looks up to Misty, the hope glistening in his eyes, the ever-present prayer running through his mind again. Still sitting next to the bed, he reaches down and takes Angel's hand in his, just staying quietly by her side. He wasn't about to leave.


"Your grandmother, eh?" Bret shifts gears, making the car fly around the far turn. "She must be quite the driver."

Landon chuckles and shakes his head. "Keep at him, Charlotte. You're firing him up."

"Hey, don't encourage her."

Landon's smile widens. "What are you gonna do about it?"

"Whoop your butt."

"How about just concentrating on your run?" Kirk suggests.

"Gotta spoil the fun, don't you?"

"When we got money riding on you, yes."

"Hey, Babe, while you're there, get these guys to lighten up. They're scaring me."

Landon snickers. "Fearless Sterling? Afraid? That'd be the day."

"He's only afraid of one thing."

Landon hears the female voice, not through the headset, but from beside him. He doesn't need to look. "Well, Maria, nice of you to join us."

"Aw for crying out loud. Get her out of here."

Maria leans on the railing. "How's the speeding bullet doing today? Still missing his target?"

"Careful," Kirk warns. "He's beating his time from last week."

"Well, that's an improvement. He does realize Pat still has him beat though, right?"

"Pat's not racing against him this weekend," Kirk reminds.

"Your loss." Maria tilts her chin a little higher, her eyes narrowing. "You could draw a much better crowd if you'd put him in the forefront instead of dragging up this old news."

"Yo, did I lose you guys or what? What's happening?"

"Little static," Landon remarks into the mic. "Hang loose. Watch that curve."

Maria glances past Landon, giving Charlotte a once-over before returning her eyes to the track.


Smart thinking? Drinking half a bottle of whiskey?
Jason shakes his head.
Well, at least it worked. You're right about Carson though - he did say the rest of his family was dead. Maybe it's hardly a relative at all... though he does look like Carson.

Reese turns around, looking at the others. "Jason, go get Ryder out of there. And... Katie? Would you mind going and bringing Carson back here? I think we should talk to him."


Jason wanders down to the lower level, getting to the holding cell and opening the door. Ryder is standing and waiting, giving a nod of thanks as he exits. "Whew. Thought I was never gonna get that guy to talk."

Jason quirks an eyebrow and looks at the bottle. "I can't believe you can even stand up."

Ryder starts to grin. "Anybody who can drink me under the table has my respect."

"It doesn't affect you at all?"

Ryder thinks and takes a look at the bottle. "Another few shots and I'da started getting tipsy. As it is, I need to get something in my stomach before all this comes back up again."

"Break room this way," Jason directs quickly. "We're not cleaning up your mess."

Ryder grins and follows Jason back upstairs to the break room, feeling just a little bit dizzy. Once there, he heads for the vending machine to find something quick and easy to get into his stomach.

Jason stands a moment, just watching him. there were a lot of things about Ryder he didn't quiet understand. One thing he'd decided to let go, but now as he was left alone with Ryder, he changed his mind. “Hey, Ryder...you, uh… you got something going on with Laura?”

Ryder turns around and lifts his eyebrows. “Not last I knew. Why?”

“You know she’s taken.”

Ryder folds his arms across his chest, cocking his head at Jason. “Nate?”

“Yeah.”

“Well... not that this has any bearing on my actions, but as far as I know, Laura and Nate aren’t exactly an item right now.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Look, I shouldn’t go around yacking about it.” Ryder didn't know who might be walking by, so he was just a little bit guarded.

Jason takes a step closer to him. “Tell me,” he directs sternly.

“Alright, settle down. All I know is that Laura turned Nate down and now they’re on the outs.”

Jason was surprised by this. Last he’d known, Nate and Laura had been getting along very well. He’d thought lately they’d seemed just a little tense, but hadn’t thought a whole lot of it. He and Laura had always been pretty close… but she hadn’t said anything to him about it. But Ryder didn’t appear to be making it up. “Oh.” He furrows his brow. “Well regardless, why are you getting her flowers and all that?”

“Don’t you think she deserves to feel good about herself?”

“Well of course but…”

“But what?” Ryder shakes his head. “Does there need to be a reason other than making her smile?”

“I don’t get it. You don’t even know her.”

“I don’t have to, to know that she deserves to find just a little happiness out of the blue. To know that it’s the little things that will make her smile and remember that she’s worth it.”

Jason is still skeptical. “Don’t you think you’re overstepping your bounds?”

“You want to lose her to suicide?”

“Now you think Laura is suicidal?”

“No, but we might as well not even let it get close.” A faint, compassionate smile surfaces. “I don’t know if you noticed, but right about now, Laura feels like secondhand goods, who has hurt those around her to boot. She’s scared, she doesn’t know what she wants, she’s tired of fighting, but her habit is to battle until the death. And you condemn me for wanting to bring her just a little attention so she knows that she’s still worth a man’s interest?”

Jason frowns, but doesn’t really have much to argue with. “What if she were your girl?” he questions. “What would you do then?”

Ryder shakes his head slowly, and for a moment, the room is deathly quiet until he speak again in a hushed tone. “I would never stop telling her I love her, no matter if she's listening or not. I would do everything in my power to show her that in me there would be nothing to fear. I would show her that it didn't matter what she did, my love would never change. I would call her on the phone just to say hi. I would write her a letter telling her of my love, so when I'm gone, she'd still have my words. Every chance I'd get, I'd spend time with her and tell her how special she is. I'd memorize her favorite books, movies, flowers and ice cream, just so some night I could surprise her with an evening especially for her.”

His eyes gain a far away look as he continues to stare at Jason. “I'd give away my heart with no intention of ever getting it back. Until the day she'd say she didn't love me in return, I'd be at her doorstep, waiting just for her. Until the day she'd wear another man's name, I'd never give up on her. And if that day ever did come, I would leave happy still because I had lived and loved like no other.”

Jason just stands, a little stunned. Where had this depth come from? “That’s…”

“What Laura deserves.” Ryder purses his lips. “Still want to condemn me?”

“N… no.” Jason looks down then back up. “I’m just… looking out for my friend.”

“Don’t you think Nate should be doing that?”

“Apparently you’re trying to steal his job then, not me.”

“Naw, mate.” Ryder shakes his head. “You just don’t get it, do you?”

“I guess maybe I don’t.”

Ryder contemplates for a moment. “I hope you do before you lose Katie.”

Jason gets a little defensive. “I think I’m doing a fine job, thank you very much.”

“But do you really love her?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then act like it.”

“I do!”

Ryder searches Jason’s eyes. “Then why would she accept the kiss of another man?”

Jason immediately locks down his emotions, his eyes narrowing. “What are you talking about?” he hisses.

Ryder rolls his eyes. “It was my fault, alright? I just… got carried away.”

“If you hurt one hair on her head, so help me, I’ll…”

“Take it easy.” Ryder holds up his hands. “Do I look like I want to hurt her? Does she act like I hurt her?”

Jason eyes him cautiously. “No.”

“That’s right. Look, I’m sorry, and it won’t happen again, you have my word. I did want you to know though, because I don’t like secrets. Not like that.”

Jason shakes his head. “Great,” he mutters. “There won’t be any between her and me either.”

“Don’t bring it up to her,” Ryder requests. “Like I said, it was me. Don’t embarrass her. It’s not worth that heartache because there’s nothing there. Just do one thing.”

“What?”

“Don’t let her wish for something more than you.” Ryder pauses, bringing both subjects back together again. “I see Laura, scared and alone, just wanting love. At least her I can help smile because I’m allowed at the moment. But Katie… she’s full of life and adventure, but longing for more… and I can’t help with that because she’s yours.”

Jason just stares at Ryder, not sure how to take any of this. He felt like getting mad, but for some reason it was almost like he couldn’t.

Ryder sighs, and aims for the door. “I’ll see you later, Jason.”