The time has come

Walking with Kyle's arm drapped over her Alice felt so happy that she now had a new energy and a new reason to smile.

Getting to the outside of the room Alice returns Kyles kiss short and sweet but it gives emotions like non other.

"Thank you Kyle for restoring my Hope, and helping me start to fill the holes."

Finally entering the room a anew spring is in Alice's steps with a twinkle in her eye that she is sure everyone would notice.

Making her way to the bathroom Alice cleans up and throws in a pare of cloth pants, and a long night shirt. Combing out her hair and than climbs into bed throwing the top blanket off, but the sheet up to her chin. Tonight she would sleep with a smile.

Giving a nod to Wyatt and Scott Misty understands her order. She wasnt to sure about this, and to be honest she was scaired to death. Not for herself but Scott, Jason and even Katie. She wasnt sure what kind of condition she would be in when they found her.

"I'll be here for you guys and I am also linked up to your head set so I will be able to communicate is need be. Be safe guys and come back in one peace ok."

Misty's question didnt require an answer as there really wasnt one. All she could do was watch them both walk off to there destionation untill they finally were out of view.

Closing the van door once again she gives her confermation that she was linked up and could hear everything going on.

Now, it was just the waiting game and that could be the hardest part of all.

Typing a few buttons back at TJY and flipping a few switches Daltion make sure all the lights were green. Putting in his own ear peace he tests it out.

"Alright guys we are live, and green. Scott be safe out there I've got some jerky and MD back here with your name on it. I would hate it to go to wast."

Getting the response from everyone that there headsets were working Dalton stays alert and at attation. He hopes this worked and that everyone would come home safe even Phinox.

Getting into the van with the other Phinox's face still showed no emotion. There was a cloud that hung inside him he almost new that he wouldnt make it out even if he would try to.

Once inside and on there way Phinox holds out his hands as they are tied. Getting Jay and Derek's attachen he shows they a trick to keep the ropes loose.

"Hold your thumb inside the cup of your hand like this to give the rope extra. Than make your hands into fists so onces Reese ties the outsides you can tell there is extra inside. From looking at and even checked it because the Agency isnt stupid as long as you keep yours hands in fists they wont be able to tell the differance."

Letting Reese ties them up he makes sure they do as he told and all of them had room before he lets Reese tie him last. Letting out a sigh he sits back in the van. The never ending minutes were dragging on as the outcome would be no better.

"Once we are in the holding room, it will be no problem to open your hands and slip out of the ropes. After that, we kind of just have to play it by ear and hope it works out. Pick the lock to get out of the room, break down the door to get out. Have Jason or Scott open the door. We will have to see the best option. It might even work if we make a commotion and have them open the door than knock them out."

Looking across the van at the two men he gives a nod. He was sure they would do fine, and he would do whatever it took to get these two men out and back to there familys once again. How nobal, how honnerable they were. Phinox had wanted to be like that at one point in time and he though he was doing what was write but it all seemed to back fire and turned into a mess but now, at this moment it was what would make his amends.

Seeing Reese enter her office Angelica tenses just a little. She need Reese would be going with the others now, and she was scaired. If only he didnt have to go but she new, he had to.

Wrapping her arms around him and returning his kiss she pulls away before just taking him into a strong hug. Her voice cracks just a little, as she can feel he tears that wanted to break out of her eyes but she didnt let them. Though one could tell there where there by the glass look of her eyes.

"I will pray. Come back to me...ok?"

Holding on to his hand as long as she can Angelica finally has to let go. The space between them growing as she watched Reese walk out the door.

Sinking down into her chair finally a tear runs from her eye. Closing her eyes she says a quick prayer before opening them and trying to find some work to keep her mind busy. In a little while she would pray again. This whole thing was in God's hands now and Angelica new, he would do what was best. She only hoped what was best was everyone coming home again.

Moving out

Kyle watches Alice exit the pool, then he boosts himself up out of the water too. Drying off a little with his towel, he joins Alice for the walk back to their room, his arm slung around her shoulders. But this time there was more in that simple gesture... this time it was a claim on something he had just gained.

Reaching the suite, Kyle stops at the door, turning to Alice one more time. "I guess this is where two prunes say goodnight."

Though he grinned, one could now see the exhaustion in his eyes. It had been a long day.

He reaches out to tuck a stray strand of wet hair behind Alice's ear. "Goodnight, Alice. And thank you." Already he was looking forward to tomorrow... This time he wasn't going to let his silly pride get in the way. They'd have all day on the road to spend time with each other.

Leaning closer, he plants a tender kiss on her forehead. Retreating, there's a spark in his eye that warned if he wasn't so tired, he'd probably be bouncing all over the hallway. A short laugh manages to slip out. "I think I'd take you over Mountain Dew any day."

Kyle opens the door and lets Alice in the room before they can linger too much longer. Their entrance is noticed by a few of the others, though most were busy with a game of UNO or watching tv. Kyle aims straight for the guys' room.

"Hey, Kyle, how's the head?" Chloe calls over to him.

Kyle scrunches his nose. "You had to remind me that's what this thing on my shoulders is, didn't you?"

Chloe bites her lip. "Sorry. You want to take something for it so at least you can sleep?"

He'd been turning her offer down all day long, but right about now, the thought of a good night's sleep was too appealing to say no again. "Alright. You win."

"Good." Chloe rises from her seat in the living room to grab the little bottle from her purse. "Here you go."

"Thanks." Trudging to the bedroom, Kyle sets the bottle down and tries to find some dry clothes. Only then does he notice that Hunter has turned in early, and he apologizes for the noise he's making. "Sorry."

Hunter eyes him from one of the beds and doesn't respond. Instead he just rolls over to turn his back. Staring at the wall instead, his gaze is not a peaceful one. He tries to sleep anyway, to keep his mind from wandering.

Kyle quirks an eyebrow at the tense feeling in the air, but he shrugs it off, heading for the shower. He was too tired to think about anything but falling into bed himself.


The sun has already shown itself above the horizon. Long shadows spread themselves across the land. Thunderheads build in the distance. On a quiet plane, if one listened carefully, they could hear the distant rumblings from within the gigantic clouds.

A more glorious morning would be rare. But on this day, those traveling in the black van through the back roads had their minds far from the golden rays or the anticipation of invigorating storms. Instead, their minds were on the task ahead... a rescue... a mission.

Wyatt keeps his eyes on the road, his fingers curled tightly around the steering wheel. He glances to his side where Scott sat, concentrating on an open book and his tool kit as he mentally prepared for what was ahead. Though he could probably perform the task in his sleep with his discovered knowledge of the bomb, he wasn't willing to take the risk of being unprepared.

Wyatt's eyes then drift to the rearview mirror. Jason and Misty were quiet. Jason was still a bit pale, but so far had hung on well since leaving TJY. Several medical bags took up one seat. No one knew how bad Katie really was. Already, Wyatt had a route mapped out in his mind that would get them back into town and to the hospital in the shortest amount of time.

As their destination is approached, Wyatt knows where to find a parking place, from all the maps they'd gone over. The abandoned brick building had plenty of trees around it... plenty of cover.

Wyatt pulls off the road and drives through an open grassy lot before coming to a stop in some trees. Without having to say anything, he and Jason get out and throw camouflage netting over the van. It wasn't a foolproof disguise, but it would keep anyone from noticing them at a glance.

Standing outside the van, Jason checks his amunition and holsters his hand gun. He and Scott were both in black and wearing bullet proof vests, prepared to take advantage of the shadows the morning sun was providing.

Jason nods to Wyatt, then to Misty. "We'll be back. If all goes well, we'll bring Katie back here. If anything goes down, we may take her to the van Reese brings. If that happens, Misty, we'll meet you on the street. Reese will have medical supplies with him in that van too."

Scott shoulders his backpack then looks down in his hand at the gun he held. Swallowing hard, he holsters it. Donning his earpiece, he tests it out, along with Jason. Everything worked. Everyone was in contact and connected both to here and back to TJY.

"Alright, Phinox, we're heading in," Jason informs. "So far so good." Nodding to Scott, both men take off through the brush towards the building.

Wyatt paces, his hands on his hips. He loosk worriedly to Misty. Would this really work?


Reese looks up as he hears Jason's voice over his own mic. In the lower level garage, he catches Phinox's eye and nods. It was time now that they pulled out too. They were on schedule.

"Alright guys, lets get moving."

The teams had changed. With the new plan in place, Reese wanted more agents to watch their backs in case anything went down. He would be presenting Derek, Jay and Phinox to the Agency. But driving separately at a safe distance would be Con, Nate, Ryder, Carson and Laura who would take secluded positions around the perimeter of the building. Hal would be the one staying to watch the monitor, while Dalton took care of communication and tracking from the control room.

Everyone donned their own mics and tested them, talking to Hal and Dalton. They were as ready as they ever would be. The perimeter team was in black with bullet proof vests, though with the hope that they wouldn't be needed. Derek and Jay climbed into one of the vans, each trying to prepare themselves for what would happen. Halfway there, they would be tied up along with Phinox. They were all banking on the Agency simply believing that Reese would tie his own men as a sign of surrender, not of trickery. Both Derek and Jay's minds were on their families... the ones they loved.

Reese looks around at his team and lifts his eyes with a silent prayer. "Get ready in the vans. We have two minutes." Breaking off from the others, he sprints up the stairs. He felt bare without dressing for the occasion like the rest of the team, but he was the dropoff man... any weapon or sign of battle would be a threat.

Jogging down the hall, Reese stops at Angelica's office. Taking a deep breath, he knocks the enters. "We're pulling out," he informs. Looking her in the eye, he conveyed all of his worry and hope that they would all be back soon, everyone safe. But if not, he wanted her to know that he cared about her.

Approaching slowly, he pulls her up out of her chair to take her in a strong embrace. "If you want to know how we're doing, ask Dalton or Hal," he tells her quietly. Pulling away, he brings his hands up to cradle her face, leaning in to kiss her lips. "Pray for us," he whispers. Brushing her cheek with his hand he turns, and is gone.

Chill

Gentily giving Kyle a hug back Alice feels so much peace that, that in itself could be over welcoming.

Closing her eyes as she returns the hug silently she thanks the only person who could of helped her find this peace...God.

Being pulled away to look to Kyle, Alice had no doubt that her eyes held a new glow, a new fire, a new twinkle. She was sure her face like Kyle's was brighter.

Slow and steady, she liked the idea of that. It would give them the chanse to warm up together, build a trust, a faith, and a promise.

Giving a small chuckle Alice finally replys.

"I rather like prunes...but I think you right. We better get out before we catch a chill and get sick."

Giving Kyle's hand another squeeze Alice finally lets go and swims over to the edge to climb up the ladder and grab her towel to wrap it around herself.

Adventure

"At least somebody likes my quirks," Kyle teases softly.

A peaceful quiet settles over them like a blanket. It had been a long time since he'd felt this kind of peace... and it was nice.

As Alice leans in closer, he lets her, tilting his head just a little. Their lips touching is like a warm breeze with the power to make any heart melt. Having her arms around him was something he hadn't known he wanted until now.

For now though, he lets the kiss stay simple and brief, choosing instead to pull Alice into a hug. Slower was better this time around. This time he wanted to savor each and every small moment, enjoying simplicity, rather than rushing in headlong. He wanted something saved for the special times... some things kept for the future... some things kept for the moments that would mean even more... he wanted passion to be gradual, rather than spending it all at once. Tonight's moment was meant to only be the beginning.

Drawing back, he finally releases her to bring both of his hands up to cradle her face. "You're an amazing woman, Alice... This is one adventure I can't say no to."

Grinning, he taps her nose playfully with his thumb. There was a new energy about his smile... a new spark. A fire had been lit in the darkness, now shining through his gaze. There was an anticipation instead of a dread of what was to come.

"Think we better get out of the pool before we both turn into prunes?"

Quirks

Giving a little laugh Alice couldnt be more content at this moment. A leap of faith is what she had been told once to take and now the time had come that she was trying it again. This time maybe, just maybe it would work out. Thats all she could hope for.

"Everything about you drives me crazy, but thats a good thing. I've kind of gotten use to you quirks and think I would miss them."

Stopping her hand at her jaw Alice cradles Kyle's face. She her hand shakes a little her heart thump in her chest like it might explode out. Leaning in a little close to Kyle Alice's eyes dont leave him till her lips finally press aganst his. Her eyes finally falling shut, the chill runs down her spine, and a new emotion, one differnt from anything before blossoms as her arms wrap around Kyle.

Ever since

Kyle lets Alice move, but continues to rest his arm around her waist. Something was happening here tonight... and though it was a little scary for them both, it was something they'd both been waiting for. Their reasons for resistance were different... their reasons for some insecurity were different... but their feelings for each other were the same. Being best friends had taught them both that they didn't want to be without the other.

His thumb rubs her back just a little and he closes his eyes as her fingers run along his face. A smile surfaces, along with a slight laugh at her final statement. "You took me to the top of the ferris wheel and I've been up there ever since."

Water drips from his hair and makes him blink again. Leaning in close, he lets his forehead rest against hers, his eyes finding hers once again. His smile surfaces one more time, his voice returning to a whisper as her hand moves along his cheek. "I gotta tell you that drives me crazy."

Fear

Kyle's words hit Alice's ears and bring a worm sensation to her skin as a small flam starts to flicker lighting up the dark and empty spots of her heart.

Feeling Kyle's arm loosen a little Alice knows he is letting her move if she wished but she dident want to her was to comfortable, but she didnt want to see his face better. Letting go of his hand she moves ever so slightly and twists in his grips so she was not look face to face with him.

"I've grown use to being your shadow, and following after you. I cant imagen going back to a normal life."

Bringing her hand to Kyle's face again Alice runs her fingers over his cheeks, his jaw, his nose and eyes as her eyes never leave his. It was like she was almost maping out his face to always remember. Her touch soft, light.

"Kyle Mitts, you stole my heart from the first moutain dew toss. I'm sorry it took me this long to put aside my own fear."

Too accustomed

For Kyle, time seems to slow and almost stand still. His eyes don't move from Alice's as she speaks, her words being absorbed and digested carefully and slowly.

Her hand on his face sends a tingle down his spine, and he doesn't back away. He just looks into her eyes, forgetting about everything else.

"Your eyes," he whispers. "They hold the morning and evening light all in one. I've been waiting for the chance to be a part of their horizon for a long time."

Shifting his head, his eyes drift close as his lips brush Alice's palm. "I can't walk away. You mean too much to me." He knew he was risking his heart again. He knew that once more, he was putting everything on the line. But it was like a habit he couldn't break... and he couldn't help the hope he felt, that this time... maybe he wouldn't be left alone in the end.

Moving down, he leans his chin on her shoulder, resting his head against hers, his wet hair touching her cheek. Though his arm remains around her, he relaxes a little, freeing her to move if she pleased.

"I've grown too accustomed to my shadow to let it go now."

Bear with me

Feeling Kyle's hand finally take hers and lock fingers the companionship she had been missing, the emptyness she had longed to fill was now hanging in the balance of wondering if it would be now filled.

Searching Kyle's eyes so many question she wanted to ask, so many things she wanted to throw at him and hound him to know if this was true so her heart wouldnt be broken again as the emptyness would swallow her whole once more.

Kyle her best friend wanted to be..more? Had she really over looked it this whole time? Did Kyle really want to be more? The worst that could happen is he would say now, and they would just be friends again.

"As sure as the sun rises every day, I will be there at your back to make sure smile, and to make you laugh as I know you will be for more."

Still letting Kyle hold her one hand she brings his other to his face to wipe the water away that was making its way down his face. Her hand felt a little shaky as the ground she would be walking would be risking her hear again but she was read, and she felt comfortable with Kyle and maybe her talk with Hunter had made something click. Seth would want her to be happy.

"If your willing to bear with me Kyle than please dont let go, but if you cant understand that something I might get scaired, and are not willing to stick with me than walk away now. My heart cant handle losing anyone else that I feel so close to. If you need sometime to think as well, than I understand."

Alice's eyes beg, and plee with Kyle what her heart wants, and yet they hold the darkness, the shiled that also said it didnt want to be hurt anymore. She gave him all the outs he could want without making him feel traped, Alice just wanted to make sure this is what Kyle wanted and was willing to stick with her.

Tell me

Kyle blinks back a bead of pool water. Alice had just proven him wrong. She was flirting with him... and it was obvious that she was very comfortable here with him, aside from all the teasing and the bantering. What had changed? And when? He swallows hard.

The mischief disappears from his eyes, though he tries to maintain some amount of humor. "I think it's okay..." He lets his sentence linger for several moments, trying to figure out exactly what else he wanted to say. "...as long as you mean it."

His fingers move a little so that he has a hold of her hands now instead of the other way around. His voice gets quieter. "I... don't think I could stand getting my hopes up for nothing."

He knew that his words were starting to reveal his true feelings. He knew that all of a sudden, he was starting to relay the deeper feelings that he'd been hiding. But the time seemed right. Maybe the gnawing feeling in his gut from being at odds all day long had proven to him the way he really felt. And he was tired of the games... he either wanted to know if he and Alice were just going to stay friends, which he would accept, or if there really was something more there.

Kyle's eyes continue to gaze into Alice's, trying so hard to read her and what she was really thinking. His voice comes out almost a whisper. "Either tell me to walk away now, or tell me not to let go. I can't stand the unknown in between."

Ok?

Giving another quirky smile back at him in the moonlight her eyes seem to dance as a suddin peace is about her as she is in Kyle's arm.

Was it the water? Was it all the emotions, could it be the long day Alice didnt know. But she felt safe, comfortable and just...differnt when she was with Kyle.

Grinning she gives a little nod of her head.

"I think, I might be is that ok?"

Question

Maybe it was the late hour. Maybe it was the emotions that couldn't be sorted through. Maybe it was out of tiredness. But whatever the case, a grin quirks the corners of Kyle's mouth.

He still doesn't move his arms. Instead, he just shifts his head a little more to get a straighter look at Alice's face. There was something behind her words. But he didn't believe that it was true. He was looking too deeply. To prove it to himself, his eyes narrow teasingly.

"Alice Whitt, are you flirting with me?"

Hidden meaning

Looking back at Kyle for that bref moment she catchs sight of the look the moved through his eye. Though she wasnt sure one hundred precent what that look ment it made her own heart skip a beat, as she can feel a little color come to her cheeks.

For just this bref moment, for this time being her toung was loose and she didnt feel scaired. The feel that had held her back wasnt there is almost felt like she was...free.

"You wouldnt have to worry, I'm not going anywhere. I think your stuck with me."

After the words come out of her mouth Alice cant help but wonder if she just over steped her bounds of there friendship. She didnt want to push Kyle away when she new they were only friends yet she couldnt help saying what she did. Maybe the hiddon meaning would be over looked.

Set up

Kyle's eyebrows rise as Alice settles back into him, getting more comfortable. He had expected more of a fight than this.

Glancing down, he catches Alice looking up at him. For some reason, his pulse quickens just a little, and he wonders if she can hear his heartbeat.

"You're not supposed to make it this easy," he muses. Oddly, his voice has grown quieter. "One might think you were trying to set me up."

His eyes search hers, and for a moment, the same look passes through his eyes that had the night on the beach. He doesn't want to let her go... he wants to let her go. The muscles in his hands tense, ready to back off, but yet they stay where they are.

"I'd... hate to get comfortable just to have you slip away."

Comfortable

Keeping her finger lock over top of Kyle's Alice leans her head back into his shoulder as if getting comfortable and lets herself float a little bit.

"OK, I am comfortable and in good hands. I am ready to stay he all night with you."

Moving her head a little so it was still on Kyle's shoulder she looks up at him the grin still on her face as her breaking is soft on his neck.

Okay

Kyle gives a short laugh, keeping his arms locked around Alice's waist.

Hearing that she wouldn't give up and that they would be stuck there all night, Kyle shrugs. He doesn't move his arms.

"Okay."