Argument

Even though she felt physically terrible, having Dan next to her still made her smile. Closing her eyes, she lets out a sigh, then leans her head over to rest it on his shoulder. Her comment made her giggle. "Liar. I look terrible."

Pulling the blanket up a bit more, she knows Dan gets to stay a while since he took his boots off. Wriggling down a little further so her head could lean against his chest, her one arm wraps around him as she snuggles in close. Her head was throbbing, but she couldn't be more comfortable than this. The beat of his heart and the gentle up and down of his breathing was like a lullaby, beckoning her back to sleep. "Living pillows are nice," she teases groggily.


Sparky's head hurts so bad he doesn't even want to open his eyes at all, but he pries them open anyway to see Faith and watch her as she comes near to pull the blankets up. His words were a bit slurred and someone might have trouble knowing if he was in a lucid moment or not. "You'd... make a good nurse for... for Angel," he mumbles, half into the mattress.

To the suggestion of food and drink, he shakes his head a little. He didn't feel like eating anything. All he felt like doing was sleeping, but even that was hard as achy and hot as he was. Coughing, he winces as it causes pain in his chest. Whatever this bug was, it was nasty and it had taken over very quickly. He knew that even once his fever broke, he'd be miserable for a while.

Still coughing, he manages to roll onto his side and reach for the glass of water on the bedside table. Then sinking back down again, he grimaces, trying not to complain, but it was hard. A chill comes over him and now he's glad for the blanket as he shivers, though still feeling hot as he sweats.

With the room going in circles again, everything looked a bit funny. The colors didn't seem right... and he was pretty sure that it wasn't lightning outside... or was it snow? Either way, things were very strange.

Seeming to fall back asleep again, his body rests until suddenly his eyes are open again. Out of nowhere, he reaches for the table once more, but this time, he tugs at his leather Bible. It falls to the floor with a thud and he looks over the edge of his bed, reaching down to flip the pages. He didn't realize that it was upside down, and was having quite the time trying to find what he was looking for. "I was in James," he mumbles, squinting at the blurry, upside down type. "But I suddenly seem..." He coughs, interrupting himself. "...to not be able to read."


Rick shakes his head slowly. "You're right, Katie... they didn't brand you." He takes Jason's hand, flipping it palm-side up to reveal the burn pattern that was becoming a permanent scar. "I believe that on a normal daily basis, the flow between you two doesn't have a pattern or come from one source - if it did, it would be easier for outside interference. However... Jason, I think that when you purposely force out your emotions, that it comes in that pattern every time. I think it did from the beginning, we just couldn't tell."

Jason furrows his brow. "So when Katie and I held hands... and there was so much force... it actually burned my hand, and in turn, burned hers too."

"Precisely." He looks back to the computer. "Dalton, back it up to the beginning, would you?" Once the footage was in play again, Rick points to where Jason had been standing. "Look." On the screen, Jason's hand twitches right before the glass explodes.

Jason quirks an eyebrow. "I don't remember doing that."

"I think you do it every time," Rick concludes. "I think that if we would have caught every instance on tape, we'd see that each time, you move your palm towards the target. It's so fast and slight though, that you don't even realize that you're doing it. And... I think Katie does the same thing when she draws emotions. It's just not obvious."

"What if it was? What if I were to purposely aim at an object?"

"I'd say we would need more than safety glasses." Rick purses his lips. "If you two want to experiment, be my guest. But take my advice and do it out in some open field somewhere."

The whole time, Scott has been looking at the screen too, his interest piqued. The whole thing was amazing, and he looks up out of the corner of his eye at Katie for a moment. This thing never ended with her and Jason. It was constantly evolving and they were constantly learning new things about it. Would there ever be an end? "At least... it wasn't done on purpose then," he reasons.

"That's a good thing," Rick agrees. "We know that all the Agency did was amplify the emotional state with whatever formula they have. However.... whether they realize it or not, you have been branded. Whenever you go undercover or need to conceal your identity, you will have to rely on bandages or gloves, and a good cover story."

Jason nods, slowly letting out a deep breath. "Alright... now what?"

Rick shrugs. "You two are free to go. I want you back in the infirmary tomorrow for checkups, but... otherwise, just take it easy for a few days. If you have any more ideas or epiphanies, come and see me."

Once they all split up again, Jason wanders to his office where he hadn't been in almost two weeks. Easing down in his chair, he puts his head in his hands.

I don't want to complain... and I don't want to take it away but... it sure would be nice to not have to deal with this for once.


"Where are we going?"

"My place."

"But you said you know where she is."

"I said I think I do." JT keeps his eyes on the road, his jaw muscles tightening with every second as the tension runs high.

"Then why aren't we going there?!" Gunner didn't understand and his frustration was growing.

"Because we can't just barge in there," JT answers firmly. "I'm going to go home and call Crescentview and see if Bree was checked in there. If she was, we have a place to start."

"Why can't I call TJY? We'll have those guys in ten seconds flat."

"Just cool it, Gunner!" JT waves a hand at him. "Let me think!"

Gunner falls silent, still rubbing the back of his sore head.
Where are you, Bree? Don't let them win. God, why did this have to happen?

Twenty minutes later, Gunner paces the kitchen like a caged tiger while JT was on the phone. Walking back and forth and back and forth, he holds an icepack to the back of his head, half listening to the one-sided conversation JT was having on the phone at the table.

"All I want to know is if Bree Conner was checked in today." JT's voice was strained as he tries to stay calm. "I know you can't give me any information about patient's conditions - I'm a doctor and I happen to know all about privacy laws. But what I do not know is if Bree Conner was brought in today. Would you please check for me?"

His fist clenches as he keeps from losing his temper. "My name is Doctor Jack Timble. Yes. Thank you." Being put on hold, he sighs and runs a hand through his hair. Part of him wanted to know that Bree was there so they would know what they were dealing with, and part of him wanted to find out that she was not. A voice comes back on the line and he pays attention again. "Yes, I'm still here. What?" He blinks in amazement. "You've got to be kidding me. No, no, wait... I just..... don't...." Hearing the click on the end of the line, he growls and slams the phone down. "Gah!"

Gunner quickly joins him. "What happened? Is she there?"

"They wouldn't tell me." JT looks up at him, his eyes narrowed with anger. "Apparently they have my name on file and are not to hand out any information to me whatsoever."

"What?"

"That's our answer though." JT shakes his head. "If they've got me pegged, there's only one reason."

"Because they've got Bree."

"Bingo."

"Now what?"

"We make some more calls."

"Oh, come on!" Gunner shoves a chair in anger. "Quit making calls and lets go get her!"

"We can't do that, Gunner!" JT stands up, slamming his palm on the table. "This is going to take legal strategy, not storming the gates!"

"They used brute force!" Gunner raises his voice in anger. "They played it dirty and you know it. I say we go in and play dirty right back at them!"

"And do what?! Wind up in jail?"

"I'm Elite, dang it!" Gunner holds up his badge. "I can get in where you can't!"

"They won't let you in!"

"I'll get a warrant!"

"They won't let you! Don't you hear me?!" JT shouts his question, trying to get through to him. "Bree's father has control everywhere! No matter the price, they've got it. I don't know why this is happening again, but I can guarantee that we can't just waltz in there and take her back out again. It just doesn't work that way!"

"Then we make it work that way!" Gunner's eyes blaze. "I can't just sit here while you make your phonecalls, knowing that she's in that place getting tortured! It isn't right!"

"I know it isn't right!" JT is one step from giving Gunner a shove, but he withholds physical force despite his anger. "She's my niece, Gunner! You think I don't care?! I want to barge in there now as much as you do, but I know good and well that it just isn't going to work! Crescentview isn't like Northside! They got guards there... armed guards. If they've got me pegged, I won't even be able to get past the first gate. You may be able to get into the front building, but I'd bet my life savings that they'll know you too and you'll leave there with no more information than when you came. Put up a fight and they'll have you behind bars so fast your head will swim, whether you're Elite or not." He pauses, panting from his spiel. "We have to go through quiet legal channels with this one. It's the only way we're going to win."

"But..." Gunner's shoulder's drop, the reality of JT's words starting to sink in. "That could take days."

"It could take weeks," JT confirms grimly. "But if we make one wrong step, we could lose this before it even starts. Who we are matters nothing to people like this. My brother-in-law has connections everywhere... and I mean everywhere. We've got to watch our step and play this smart."

Gunner sinks down into a chair and puts his head in his hands, his temper calming down. "What do we do?"

"I'm calling an old lawyer friend of mine. I have a few other contacts that may be able to help me figure out why this happened. We have to understand what the reason is here. I'm sure it has something to do with money, but I don't know what. Once we figure that out, we'll have something to go on."

"And me?"

"Get the lowdown on Crescentview. Figure out everything from who's not allowed to have contact with Bree, to when they have the electric meter checked. Anything and everything."

"That's gonna take some time."

"I know. But you got the resources."

"Reese would have a fit if he knew I was working on something like that."

JT quirks an eyebrow. "Who said he needs to know?"