Feeling

Giving a smile and a nod Alice cant help but smile as she saw the Article and Kyle looked at it. Not paying much attachen to the discomfort in the room she cant help but giggle and give a quick slap to Kyles arm before taking Mikes hand and smiling.

"Its nice to finally meet you Mike..."

Than turning to Phil she smiles again and takes his hand.

"...nice to meet you as well Phil."

Turning again Alice jogs to catch up with Kyle filled with her normal energy and being this close to the band and excitment just adds to it.

"So can I help with something? I am off the clock today so I can have all the fun I want."

Entering the hall Jess walks slow to the front and makes her way to the stage. Seeing Axel she walks slowly over to him and gives a wave.

"Hey, need some help."

Bending down Jess colds a cord in place for Axel as he tapes it.

As Ryder pulls Katie close her own eyes widen. What on earth. Before even a second though his lips are pressed to her as she gives a small jump. Not being able to help the small amount of pleasure that washed over her before she brings herself back to the face that this was wrong. But feeling something alse Katie's second instince kicks on telling her for the moment to keep tits up.

Wrapping her arms around Ryder Katie trys to make it look as real as she could. If she found out later that this was just Ryders way to kissing her she slap him than.

Article

Ryder grins, not to admit right now that he had, in fact, taken down a few crocs. "Well, as long as you're not mad, then come on, bodyguard. Let's make sure the coast is still clear."

Heading a ways further down the trail, they come back to the calm river. Ryder leans up against a tree, scanning the bank and keeping an eye out the way they'd come, to ensure no one had followed. He squats down to check out the ground, making sure there were no new footprints, at least where their group had crossed.

Suddenly though, movement catches his eye. His instincts kick in, and warn him that the figure moving towards them was a foe, not a friend, and he stands.

Thinking quickly, Ryder reaches out and grabs Katie, bringing her in close to him. He could only hope she'd play along and not blow their cover. There were few reasons two people would be found out here in the middle of nowhere, and in the heat of the moment, only one came to mind. Wrapping his arms around Katie, he presses his lips to hers, keeping her firmly in his grasp. A feeling washes over him that he tries to ignore. Getting caught in this position might be the only way out of this, whether either of them liked it or not.


Phil grabs several bottles of water from the counter by the gas station register, along with a pack of gum. He'd made a quick run in the middle of setting up for the concert, to grab a few things they'd forgotten. Paying for the items, his eye catches a name on the nearby rack. What's Up? magazine showed off its list of articles on the front page. What was that? Phil squints. Kyle Mitts? What on earth...

He grabs the magazine to look at it more closely.

"Buying or gawking?"

Phil looks back up at the man behind the counter. "Uh... buying." Walking back out to his truck with a bag in one hand, his other flips open the magazine that he'd never paid attention to before. There was an article about Kyle? How? Why? Did he know it? Apparently... looked like he'd been interviewed. Who was Alice Whitt? Why hadn't Kyle said anything?


Kyle spins around, hearing Alice's voice. He swallows a mouthful of the Mountain Dew, a grin surfacing. "Well, if it's isn't the Whitty woman, come to join the chaos. Welcome."

Jen lifts her eyebrows. Though smiling, she wasn't sure who this woman was. "Yes, well... desperate times call for desperate measures." She laughs. "And any time with Kyle can make for desperate measures."

"But you love me, don't you?" Kyle teases. Moving to Alice, he slings an arm around her shoulder and drags her closer to the group. "Hey, y'all, this is Alice. Treat her nice 'cause she's a journalist and we want her saying good things." He stops and turns to look at her. "Come to think of it, treat her nice just because she's my friend, and that's a good enough reason right there."

Though still somewhat confused, Mike steps forward, extending his hand. "Hi, Alice. Glad to meet you."

Jen makes it over with her braces and crutches. "Yes, nice to meet you too. Have you known Kyle long?" She couldn't help her curiosity. She usually knew all of Kyle's friends.

"Long enough to write this." Phil comes in from the side, holding up the magazine. He wasn't upset, just confused, and maybe a little put out that they hadn't known about the article. He looks to his brother. "She the one who wrote it?"

"Wrote what?"

"Don't give me that." Phil hands the article to Kyle.

Kyle takes another swig of pop and lets his arm slide off of Alice so he can take the magazine and look at it. "Well, whadya know..." He elbows Alice as he scans the article. "She did talk about us."

"Thanks for letting us know," Phil comments dryly.

"Hey, sorry... didn't think it was that big of a deal." Kyle shrugs and sets the magazine down, taking note of where it was so he could come back to it later. He wanted to read it all the way through when he had time.

Phil roll his eyes and sighs. There was no point in fighting. Not tonight... this show would be hard enough. Instead, he turns to Alice. "Hi, you must be Alice."

Sugar

Looking back up at Ryder as he whipes sweat from her face Katie shakes her head. She felt foolish still but now Ryder was trying to make her feel better how could she not let him know she wasnt mad.

"Enemies ha, you'd have to do something pretty bad for that."

Katie shakes her head again giving a small laugh.

"I am sure you will be able to see us in action sooner or later, and as for Carson dont let him get to ya eh? He's a big softly unless you mess with his friends."

Giving Ryder a once over she shakes her head as she starts forward again.

"I think the the croc should be more scaired of you than you it."

Opening the back door Alice hopes she was going in the right back door. Making her way around things Alice follows the vocies.

Coming through another door Alice just smiles as she finally sees Kyle with the rest of the band. Just standing there for a moment Alice says nothing as she watches and than drawing close as Jen throws him the MD she chuckles.

"Ya know I was told its a bad thing to give this guy here sugars and I saw it first hand let me tell you."

Alice cant help the grin the cross her face.

Croc

Ryder lifts his eyebrows. He hadn’t known about anything like this, and hadn’t been prepared for this kind of an answer. It sounded unbelievable. A form of telepathy? And being able to manipulate things? He didn’t quite understand. It sounded crazy.

But Katie’s tone proved otherwise. Ryder had known her for barely twenty-four hours, and one thing he knew for certain – she wouldn’t lie. And if that were true, then what she said now had to be the truth. He believed her.

Seeing her start to walk away, Ryder knew for certain he’d made her feel foolish. Though he wouldn’t have changed his opinion, he knew he could have handled things differently. This whole mission had disrupted his mood, and he needed to be more careful. It hadn’t been just Carson that had set him off – spying on the Agency building had made him think of Brian again too. And what he thought of Katie had just compounded the whole thing, irritating the tar out of him.

Rolling his eyes, Ryder steps forward, putting a hand on Katie’s shoulder to stop her. “So now you just walk away, is that it?”

He forces her to turn around to face him again. “I thought you had more guts than that.” He sighs and reaches out to wipe a stream of sweat off the side of Katie’s face. “I’d like to see you and Jason in action if what you say is true. But I can’t, if we’re gonna be enemies. So… how about a truce… third time’s the charm, right?”

Ryder, gives her a wary grin. “If I get taken down by a croc at the river, I need somebody to tell the guys I’m gone.”


Kyle sets a tote down by the stage and wanders back out to the pickup to grab some more equipment. Axel was there early to help out, but things just seemed to be dragging. His mood was off, and he didn't feel like performing at all. But he didn't have much of a choice.

Jen sits on the sidelines, having already spent too much energy. She throws a bottle of Mountain Dew at her brother. Kyle almost misses, but catches it, giving her a look of question. "You usually don't let me have sugar," he manages to tease.

Jen shrugs. "Thought you looked like you needed a pick-me-up."

Kyle takes a swig of the pop. Maybe he did. But this time, he didn't think the sugar would do the trick.

Reason

Katie shakes her head that was one thing about words they could never be taking back no matter how foolish they sounded now.

Turning away Katie almost felt like a kid that had been scolded and wants to now just crawl away. A feeling it had been so long since she felt. Not turning back around Katie states.

"I have a unique ability with Jason. We dont tell many people about it for many reasons. We can talk to each other without even being next to one another, and when one is in danger, or hurt the other one knows it. I can always tell when he is near and he can with me too though its a little differnt for him. It comes in handy when going on missons like this. Put us together on a team and well....we just are pretty good togther. Along with being able to manipulate things so we can get into doors, past guards and such of that nature. Thats why I am here."

Staring back the way the came Katie figured it was best to rejoin the other. She mad a fool of herself and she new it. There was no point in standing around any longer.

That's all

“All I wanted to know was why Reese chose you for this mission, and most of what you said didn’t even apply.” Ryder shakes his head. “I don’t need to know you have a photographic memory, or that you have enough stubbornness to fire a gun when you’re hurt.”

He pauses, searching her face. He could tell he’d hurt her feelings, and he lowers his tone. “I needed to know that you were sent because you’d done the most research about this operation. Or because you had the most skill when it came to getting in under security. Or because you knew exactly what it was you guys are looking for. That’s all I wanted to know.”

Sighing, Ryder takes a deep breath, calming himself. “Look, I’m sorry, okay? I just… I’ve seen too many people like you, Katie. People who are so talented that they don’t even realize they don’t need to prove it all the time. I don’t give a rat’s patooty that you can fire a gun at all, let alone with a broken arm. I care that you’re focused on success in the mission – not your own abilities. I care that you’re focused on what the team as a whole can accomplish – not what you yourself can accomplish in the team.”

He pauses, looking into Katie’s eyes. His tone grows even softer. “And I know that that’s what’s in your heart. So quit trying to tell me what you’re good at.”

Ryder shrugs lamely. “Carson set me off, and I shouldn’t have let him. For that, I’m sorry.”

Ferm

Katie own eyes fill with a blase as the emotions pool behind them. Ryder's words hurt more than maybe she'd like to addmit.

"I'm NOT trying to show off at all. I'd like to know how I am? I said I wanted to come with you because I didnt want you to go alone because that is what a team is about and just because I am not with the other does not mean they have no contact with me. I was trying to be nice you Ryder because thats the kind of person I am. Compassion, friendship, loyalty thats who I am."

Katie shakes her head. This felt like a brick wall all she wanted to do was to go with Ryder because she did want him going alone, a team sticks together. Enimy taritories no matter how many times you have gone over them can always still be dangerus. Not alowing herself to second guess Katie stood ferm.

Nervous

Ryder’s blue eyes turn to steel against Katie’s words. He opens his mouth to rebuke her accusation of him not wanting to be outdone by a woman, but suddenly he whirls around, knife drawn, staring into the brush. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He’d felt like someone had been watching him. But just as quickly, the feeling vanished.

Turning back around, he resheaths his knife. “All you’re doing is making me paranoid about a route that I know like the back of my hand.”

He takes a step closer to her. “I don’t survive because I’m neutral,” he counters. “I survive because I either stand up for what I believe, or I walk away. Last night I saw compassion in your eyes. Today I see a hothead waiting for the chance to show off. So now who’s different?”

Deal

For a moment Katie is almost stunned by Ryder's accusation.

"Well seeing as I came along before Carson I think it was my own talent that got me where I am. Carson likes me as much as he likes the next person and he has nothing to do with why I am here. We all stick our necks out for our team mates and thats why I am here. Because I had a bad feeling and I wanted you make sure YOU my team mate would be ok and not alone. Its in my blood to keep peope safe no matter the cost."

Keeping in step with Ryder Katie dosnt fall behind or slow down.

"As for getting back safly I am sure they could get us back just as well as I could or you could. I dont know what your problem is when someone is trying to be nice to you and look out for you and you gotta do it on you own. So I am a woman big whoop. Or is that the thing is it maybe I would be right and you where own done by a woman that makes you act this way?"

Katie can't help the grin that was on her face and just for a moment she lets a bit of her emotions point them self at Ryder to make him feel only a tad bit uncomfortable but not enough to worry Jason. Than shutting them off again quickly.

"Just accept that I am here with you and deal with it. Last time you seemed to like me now you seem to hate me, just stay nutreal or something and deal with it."

Suggestion

“You are full of it,” Ryder retorts. He makes several more steps back down towards the trail, then stops to turn around again. “My guess is, that you’re good enough, that being an agent is easy for you. Reese sent you because you’re one of the best, but you haven’t even been with TJY all that long, which proves you must be a natural at something.”

He shakes his head. “Last I checked though, tolerance for pain and threats to hit a teammate weren’t enough to make the cut though. So either a lot has changed, or you got here because you’re arrogant enough to slip in through the back door. Or maybe it’s because Carson likes you so much.”

Biting his tongue, Ryder stops, his eyes ablaze. “If I were you, I’d turn right back around and go back to your team. Unless the only reason you’re following me is because you don’t think your blokes are smart enough to get you back safely the way we came.”

Wake

No problem. I'll yell if I need help.

Rolling her eyes Katie jogs a little to catch up with Ryder. All of a suddon he was the one that sounded cocky.

"Yeah well if dosnt matter how many times you have gone over ground danger can still lerk. Dont underestimate me Ryder."

Feeling herself becoming just a tiny bit adgatated Katie trys to keep her cool. Ryder didnt know about her ability and there was no need to go and get him all worked up and not know why.

"Ok smarty pants I dont have a broken arm anymore, and last time I checked I have some pretty good strangth in it so unless you want a nice wack to the back of the head cool it and you said I was full of myself."

Hardly

Scott nods bravely. "Okay... I'll have Rick bring me tomorrow." Hesitating, he heads to Hope's desk, picking up his camera where the images had been locked inside.

Thinking a moment, he quietly heads to the door, ending the session for the day. He was exhausted... all he wanted to do now was sleep.


Carson rolls his eyes at Katie. "Yeah, just don't get yourself into any trouble, alright?"

Jason smirks at her.
Yeah, yeah... what he said. I doubt you'll have any trouble. All the action is down around the building, not behind us. But whatever. Holler if you see something.

Ryder stops his his tracks to spin around. "Bad feeling?" He forces a laugh and sets a hand on his hip. "Personally, I think you need to stick with your team. I've been walking this route for months. I hardly think I need a sheila like you along for a bodyguard. Unless I need someone with a broken arm to use a shotgun."