Rootbeer breakfast

A quiet city. A quiet countryside. A quiet ranch. God sends His peace, despite the turmoil in the hearts and minds of His children. Night envelopes all, before a new dawn comes. Perhaps the dawn brings newness. Perhaps it brings opportunities not presented until now. Perhaps it brings chances to grow and learn that yesterday didn't hold.

"Jason!"

Jason lifts his head under his pillow, blinking in the dim light of his bedroom. The voice came again.

"Jason, I know you're there! Pick up!"

His answering machine... it was Reese. Jason groans and flops back down again. Reese had probably already tried his cell phone, which he'd turned off several hours earlier when he'd finally gotten to sleep.

"Jason!" Reese's growl comes over the machine. "Look, Hotshot, I'm tired of you coming in late. I want you here within half an hour, do you understand me? I want you out on the street with Con and I want you to do it on time. The department isn't revolving around you, Jase. Now come on - get your hind end out of bed and get in here!"

The click almost seemed to shake the room. Jason grimaces and finally sits up in bed, putting a hand to his head. He had a headache... but otherwise his body felt alright. No traumatic events... just... quietness. Feeling the string around his neck, Jason fingers the ring that dangled, hidden beneath his t-shirt. He'd tried to sleep off all his bad feelings, but the confusion was still here this morning. Katie had left without actually telling him goodbye, she'd cut herself off from him, and left him a token to remember her. What did that mean? He was afraid to ask. Part of him wanted to call... wanted to email... but if Katie really wanted to be away from him, then he should probably just leave her alone. He didn't understand... and it hurt just a little bit. But... it was obviously what she wanted.

The phone rang again. "Coming!" Jason shouts to no one. He trips over Trooper and yells at the dog to get out of his way, scrounging for a clean pair of jeans.


Gage sits in the quiet, dark room, hearing the sounds of a new day, out in the hall. He heard Rick walk by - he recognized the steps. He heard Dalton... or was it Con? Both men had long strides. The clicking of heels was Susanne. And there was the softer sound of Ty's tennis shoes.

This morning though, Gage doesn't get up off the bed. Last night, he'd had a lot of time to think, and what he had come up with, wasn't pleasant. He'd thought a lot about Katie, putting the pieces together until he figured he knew what was happening. She must have left to mentally recuperate. The hard part was knowing that Gage was one of the reasons this had happened to her. He'd helped torture her... he'd helped hold her against her will and had helped separate her from her lifeline, Jason. And she wasn't the first. He'd helped inject fear into others.

At the time, he really hadn't thought much of it. He'd thought there was a bigger purpose behind it all. But now... now he knew the truth... and the guilt was overwhelming.


Scott curls up on his bed, his hand stroking Domino's head. Yesterday had been a whole lot tougher than he'd thought it would be, especially seeing Gage walking around. Seeing someone constantly, who was apart of the data his mind held wasn't a feeling he wanted to repeat. He didn't know yet how to control these things, and it was a little frightening.

He was more tired than he thought he'd be too. Though working alongside Dalton hadn't been all that hard, it had been mentally stressful, trying to get back in the groove of things again.

And this morning... this morning, he wasn't sure he was ready to go back. Nothing traumatic had happened, but he just felt... alone. He had his sister at work... he had Dalton... he had everyone else who were his friends... but no one really understood what he was going through, mentally. He didn't know how to tell them, and he didn't like jumping at the little things, or cringing when a random piece of information surfaced that made him remember the Agency. Couldn't he just stay in bed today?


"A rootbeer float... for breakfast?"

Gunner lifts an eyebrow at the waitress by his table. "Got a problem with that?"

The waitress sighs and shakes her head. "No... whatever happened to eggs and toast?"

"Do I look like an ordinary man to you?"

"No, I can definitely say, you don't." The waitress rolls her eyes and heads back into the kitchen. "Your float will be right out."

Gunner only grins when she's gone, then opens up his laptop. He'd told Reese he'd be in late today, and it was for a good reason. He'd just gotten some new files from Billy and he was itching to find out what was in them. One day he'd find the right one. One day.