Aunt

Axel sets down his bag and takes a look around the dim apartment. A quick call had confirmed that it was still open - no one had even known he'd moved out yet. He wasn't sure yet if he would still be staying... He'd have to talk to Darrel about it. But in the meantime, he had enough money for another month's rent.

A knock at the door makes him spin around. "Yeah?"

The door opens slowly and Rocky enters a little hesitantly. "Hey, Ax."

Axel forces a solemn smile. "Hey."

Rocky stands awkwardly for a moment, resting his hands in his jeans pockets. "Happened to drive by and saw your car so... figured I'd stop and say hi."

"Thanks. I just walked in the door."

"Oh..." Rocky pauses again. "Um... I got your fish back at my place. So whenever you're read for them again... I kept them alive at least."

Axel gives him a wry grin. "I'm sure they appreciate it. I'll come pick them up as soon as I know if I'm staying."

"You mean you still might leave?"

"No, I mean, I don't know if I can still stay here if I don't have a job in the garage."

"Oh." Rocky purses his lips. "Yeah... well... I think if you tell Darrel the same story you told me, it'll be fine."

"Sure. But I still got a record." Axel shakes his head. "Innocent or not, the record is what counts to most people. So... I can understand him not wanting to get into trouble."

Rocky shrugs. "Never know what'll happen." He hesitates again, not used to an awkwardness between them. "So um... Jess got home too?"

"Yeah. She should be at her place right about now. We followed each other back here."

"Ah. Maybe... she'd like someone to drop by later?"

"Sure she wouldn't mind. She and I are going out to supper tonight though, so she won't be around the whole evening."

"Oh. Well maybe we can all get together. Go out and get pizza or something with the gang."

Axel is starting to unpack his bag, and he looks up, shaking his head a little. "Uh, no... tonight it's just Jess and me. I'm gonna take her somewhere nice."

"Oh." Rocky stops, studying Axel's eyes for a moment, his own flickering with question. "You two... dating?"

A grin breaks free again, and Axel can feel a little bit of heat come to his face. "You could say that." He nods, setting some of his clothes out on his chair.

"Oh." Rocky pushes aside the feelings he didn't want to show. Taking one last look around, he turns for the door once more. "Well... guess I'll leave you at it. Let me know what happens... the others want to get together here soon to talk... I think it would be good."

"Yeah. We will." Axel wanders to the door, seeing him out. He notices the slight change in Rocky's demeanor, and isn't sure if it had to do with Jess or Cryptic, but he senses it's the first. "I'll call you."

"Sounds good." Rocky calls over his shoulder as he makes his way down the stairs. "Tell Jess hi."

"Will do."


Carson finishes washing another load of dishes, and wipes his hands on his apron. Seeing Aerith, he glances out to the dining area and takes note that for now, it was empty.

"Let's close up early for tonight," he suggests. "It was a busy day, so it won't hurt us much. I'll clean up and take care of the kid, then Misty's coming later." He nods his thanks to Aerith. Without her, the day would have been a disaster. "I'll see you tomorrow morning."

It isn't long before the restaurant is quiet. Carson leaves Mackenzie be in the kitchen, going with a tray to clean up some of the tables, then mop the floor. After a short while of working, he feels someone's eyes watching him. Looking up from his mopping, he spies Mackenzie who had come around the counter. He leans on his mop for a moment and cocks his head. "Feel better?"

Mackenzie nods and yawns. "Yeah. I didn't know I was that tired." She grins and holds up the envelope Aerith had left for her. "Guess it was worth it though, huh?"

Carson gives her a wry grin and goes back to his work. "Help doesn't always pay off," he comments.

Mackenzie continues to watch him, finally stepping closer. "Can I do something?"

Carson is used to cleaning up himself, and isn't quite sure what to do with the girl. Shrugging, he looks around. "You can... get a wet towel from the kitchen and clean off the counter if you want."

"Okay." Mackenzie nods and turns around to skip back around to the kitchen.

For the next half hour, work is done in silence. Carson remains tucked away in his own safe world, while Mackenzie's eyes stayed glued to him. She takes the initiative to help clean up where she can, but finally winds up just sitting in one of the booths and waiting, swinging her legs with a little bit of boredom.

Eventually, the floor is cleaned up, tables are cleared and chairs are put up. Carson's stomach growls, reminding him that he hadn't had anything to eat all day. Despite his shot nerves, he was still hungry. He takes off his apron and sighs, looking around the kitchen for a moment. One more job to do.

Reaching for the ingredients though, he pauses. He'd left the girl out in the booth. What was he supposed to do with her though?

Sighing, he continues his final task. "Hey, Mac, come here."

Mackenzie's head shoots up, a grin forming at the new nickname. Trotting to the kitchen, she pushes the door open. "Yeah?"

"What do you like on your pizza?"

"Um... I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? You like cheese, right? Pepperoni? Mushrooms?"

Mackenzie shrugs lamely. "I... don't know."

Carson stops his work and turns to look at her, his eyebrows raised. "You have had pizza before, right?"

Mackenzie slowly shakes her head. "Mama never made it and we never ate out. And the orphanage never has it."

Carson couldn't believe it, and for a moment, he just blinks. "Well... then I guess you're in for a treat." Grabbing a bunch of items from the refrigerator, he kicks the door shut. "Come here."

Mackenzie goes to the counter, eying the toppings skeptically.

Carson slices a piece of pepperoni. "Here. Try that."

Mackenzie timidly takes as bite, then smiles and nods. "I like that."

"You ought to. It's my favorite topping." Though Mackenzie had tasted what made up pizza toppings before, Carson lets her try all of them, getting the thumbs up on peppers and mushrooms, but grimaces at onions and olives.

"Alright. While I get the sauce ready, you work this dough."

Mackenzie stares at the lump of dough, and reaches for it, but has just a bit of trouble.

Carson quirks an eyebrow, then turns around to grab a chair. In one motion, he's picked Mackenzie up and set her on the chair, making her much taller.

She giggles and leans over to copy what she'd seen him do with the dough. Carson mixes and stirs up the sauce, turning on the radio in the meantime to some upbeat music that got Mackenzie to humming.

Coming back to the counter, he holds out the wooden spoon with some sauce on it. "Tell me what you think."

Mackenzie hesitates, but tries it, then smiles. "Mmm... that tastes good."

"Of course it does. Because I have a secret ingredient."

"What is it?"

"Well if I told you, it wouldn't be a secret, now would it?"

Mackenzie rolls her eyes. "Will you tell me someday?"

"Maybe." As Carson turns around, his thoughts come to a screeching halt. Maybe? He'd said maybe? What was that supposed to mean? That he'd be seeing more of her? Was he giving her false hopes tonight? Was he just putting himself through something he'd regret? He shakes his head. Tonight, he wasn't going to think about how much trouble he was getting into.

Once the dough is ready, Carson start to work it with his hands instead of using a rolling pin. Mackenzie's eyes widen as he tosses it up in the air and catches it. "Where did you learn that?"

"Herb." Carson grins as the crust becomes just wide and thin enough for the large pizza. "He's the owner... is... was..." He stops for a moment. "He got me this job here."

"Oh." Mackenzie chews on a raw slice of green pepper. "Have you been here a long time?"

"A while." Carson finishes up the pizza and puts it in the oven, setting the timer. Joining Mackenzie at the table, he grins a little and takes a towel to wipe some flower off her nose.

Mackenzie scrunches up her nose an giggles. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"So... what happens now?"

"We wait." Carson leans back against the counter, tipping his hat back and crossing his arms. "Misty's going to come and pick us up and then we're heading to my place."

Mackenzie's eyes light up. "Really?"

"Yes, really." Carson's voice remains matter-of-fact, not wanting her to get too excited.

"Does Misty live with you?"

"Nooo," Carson shakes his head. "Of course not. But that doesn't mean she can't come over for supper, does it?"

"No." Mackenzie's eyes spark with mischief. "But she did say she loves you."

"What?" Carson's eyes widen. "She did not."

"Yes she did!" Mackenzie throws her arms up. "I heard her when she was here earlier after you guys were kissing."

Carson quirks one eyebrow and gives her a look. "So, you were spying, eh?"

"I wasn't spying." Mackenzie grows sheepish. "But I did hear her say "I love you" when she left."

Carson's eyes narrow. "Well I didn't hear her say that."

"You think it's not true?"

"I..." Carson opens his mouth, then shakes his head. "I don't really think this is a conversation you and I should be having." While cool on the outside, on the inside he was racking his brain. Had Misty really said that? He remembered hearing her say something as she left and he'd thought that's what she'd said, but then had dismissed it as his imagination. But apparently he hadn't been mistaken.

He shakes his head again, moving on. "At any rate, in the morning, you'll get to meet my sister. I live with her."

Mackenzie's eyes widen even more as she realizes what that means. "I have an aunt?"

"That's usually how it works."

"What's her name?"

"Dani."

"That sounds like a boy's name."

"It's short for Danielle."

"Ohhh." Mackenzie stops in thought. "Is she from Australia too?"

"Yeah... but she's been here a long time...." Carson grows quiet for a moment, not wanting to think about those things. Finally he turns around and busies himself with cleaning up again, wondering if he'd really been talking too much. But he had to do something to pass the time before Misty showed up.


Kyle's eyes shoot up at Alice's challenge, and a grin spreads. "Well I owe you, so it has to be my treat, so I better beat you." Breaking into a sprint, he passes Alice, whirling around to run backward. "Unless you have more money than me.... then you can buy."


A flying toy hits Scott in the head and he jumps, startled from his light sleep. He looks down at Domino who was still chewing on her rubber toy.

She looks up at him and wiggles with excitement, finally abandoning her play to jump up on the couch with him. He spreads his legs so she can crawl up onto his chest, and he gives her some loving. "Yeah, I'm not the best company in the world am I, hmm?"

He kisses her head, his fingers running down her soft fur. "But at least we're home, right?" Sure, at least they were home... in the quiet... very quiet... alone...


Ryder opens the oven door to check on his concoction and shrugs, closing it again. Well, it smelled good to him. If he ate it and died, he'd know he did something wrong.

Sighing, he looks around the kitchen. He'd already cleaned up everything else... he didn't want to leave things a mess... not when he was still begging room and board off Katie and Laura. Maybe he should stay like Laura suggested... moving upstairs he might feel a little more at home. But would it look strange to share a house with two women? At least he'd have the upstairs - that made a difference.

Shaking his head, he goes and flops down at the table, grabbing a fairly recent newspaper. He might be employed by TJY, but he certainly had a lot of time on his hands at the moment. Maybe there was help wanted somewhere that he would fit in.

The L word

Returning Carson kiss Misty lets it last as long as she can knowing though Carson needed to get back to work. Giving him arm a gentle squeeze she lets him turn back to his work.

"Oh course I will keep you in line. Thats my fav pass time you know."

Leaning aganst the table for a moment Misty looks down at her own hands before she looks back up at Carson giving him a small nod.

"Dont worry I wont let anyone know about Mackenzie untill your ready to tell anyone."

Staying around with Carson for just a little while longer Misty enjoys the time out of the office and spending a little more time with Carson. Finally though she knows it is time to get back and stands from the table placing her glass in the sink. Aiming for the door she stops and turns back to look at Carson.

"I'll call when I am leaving work, just plan on me coming to pick you two up. That way you dont have to walk. I love ya, and see you tonight."

Turning and heading out of the kitchen Misty than relizes what words had slipped out of her mouth. Stoping for a moment her own eyes go wide but it was to late now she couldnt take them bad or hide that she didnt say them. Continuing her rout she just heads out of Mom and Pop's and heads back to work.

Giving a little shrugs Alice smiles. She did have a nack of saying things at the right time but it had always been like that for a while now.

"I guess I just let god work throuh me and make sure I am will to listen and relay."

Continuing to laugh as they pass the others Alice gives a shake of her head. She liked all the jokes and she liked listing to everyones chatter. It put a smile on her face and seeing the love put a sad, but warm fludder in her heart as memorices came back to her.

Glancing over her shoulder and seeing Kyle was full of energy waiting to come out Alice turns to walk backwards while talking to him.

"So...first one to the faires wheel buys ice cream for eachother!!! Sugar..good yes yes..."

Keeping enthuseasm in her voice Alice gives a slight bounce in her walk as she turns ready to run but waits to make sure Kyle starts with her.

Counting out her tips Aerith buts at least 30.00 aside in a small envilope writting on the top.

Mackenzie, thanks for all the help today.

Licking it shut Aerith quietly enters the kitchen and places the small backages next to the sleeping child so when she was to wake she would see it.

Aerith had been thankful for the help even if alot of people would think it wasnt much. Not having Mable around sure made her relize how much there was to do, though she didnt mind.

A safe place

Carson takes a deep breath an nods, bringing his free hand over to Misty's. "Yeah... I know. I just... I don't know what the right thing is. I keep asking God and I still don't know. It seems so... gray." He shakes his head.

"Take your time tonight, if you have to work late. We'll be here until closing anyway. Just give me a call when you're getting off, so I know whether to have you come here or straight to my place."

Looking Misty in the eye, his own gaze shows all of his mixed emotions, a window to the turmoil in his heart. The thought of being a father was terrifying. The thought of spending time with Mackenzie was even more frightening. And he wasn't even sure why.

"Thanks, Misty." He pulls her into a hug. "Don't know what I'd do without you."

Despite the things happening around them, a spark manages to enter Carson's eye, and he withdraws to see Misty's face. "Well... I guess I do. I'd wallow in my misery in some faroff place, and get myself in a whole heap of trouble... that's what I'd do. But instead, I got you to keep me in line."

His arm still around her waist, he tightens his grip. "Just make sure you keep on keeping me in line, ay?" Giving her a sly grin, he leans in for a good long kiss. "That ought to last you until tonight."

He would have teased more, had he not had to turn back to his cooking. "Keep this thing with Mackenzie under your hat for a while, will you? I don't want to deal with the gossip just yet."

Letting her go, Carson gets his attention back to the stove, trying to just focus on his work at least for a few minutes before they had unhappy customers. The last thing he needed right now was to screw up at work. There was a whole lot more riding on his success now than before.


A small smile becomes visible on Mackenzie's face as her eyes happen to catch Carson and Misty kissing in the kitchen. She looks away though, continuing to help Aerith.


Taking Alice's cell phone, he gives her a rueful grin as she roughs up his hair. "Mm, water balloon fight, huh? Now that sounds like an adventure." His eyes widen a little as he thinks of the prospect, a quirky smile forming. "It could be a surprise..." Shaking his head, he gives a little chuckle, dismissing the idea as probably too annoying for the others.

Looking back at the phone, he gives a bit of a sigh, and swings his head around to look at Alice. "How come you always know what to say?"

Leaning back again, he dials a familiar number. He'd emailed his sister yesterday... talked with Phil for a minute the day before... but this time it would be a friend.

As he waits, he gives Alice a nod. "Yeah, if you got any tylenol, I'll take it. Chloe has been giving me hers but I've about run her out of her supply.

Reaching the answering machine, Kyle waits. He had expected that. Everyone would be at work this time of day. But he didn't want to bother anyone. He just wanted to say hi, and the shorter the better probably, for the moment.

Hearing the beep, Kyle leaves a message. "Hey, KT, what up? It's your bouncing, bungling, blundering, boisterous friend, calling from the road. Well... not exactly the road at the moment - we're stopped at a lovely lake for a few hours. Just wanted to say hi I guess. Miss you guys. Jen said there was a JetStream gig here soon. Looks like you'll have to keep everyone in line instead of me... since I always did such a good job."

Kyle pauses, biting his lip. It felt strange, knowing he wouldn't be there. "Um... anyway... hope you're good and... I'll talk to ya soon."

He flips the phone shut and hands it back to Alice, his eyes showing his gratefulness. "Thanks."

As she gets up and offers her hand, suggesting a spontaneous venture, he can't help a laugh. "Alright, you win." Taking her hand, he pulls himself up, stuffing the last of his sandwich in his mouth. "Lead the way, oh adventurous one."

Following Alice past the others, Kyle gives them a short wave. "We're taking a hike. Sticking around for a while?"

"Yeah." Hunter nods. "Some of us are gonna take a bike ride into town for a few things."

Chloe grins. "While Jordan and Myla get the site to themselves."

"Ooooh," Kyle teases. "What? Time in the front of the bus doesn't count?"

Jordan is lying down on a blanket and shakes his head. "Not when you're going sixty miles an hour and have to keep both hands on the wheel, it doesn't."

Myla leans over him, smiling. "You mean, not when you can't have your arms around me."

As they kiss, Blake throws up his arms. "Time to move out! No gawkers! Move along, folks, move along."

Myla and Jordan laugh, and she sits up, shaking her head. "You guys are all a bunch of silly gooses, you know that?"

Shawn's eyes widen. "Gooses? Um..."

Myla starts laughing even more. "Geese?"

Kyle shakes his head, grinning, then turns back to Alice. "Let's leave this gaggle to their geesing." Heading away from the group, Kyle walks a little slower than normal, his eyes drifting every whichway, his hands needing to fidget with anything as he walks, proving his energy was at a high level but wasn't being spent. "I am having fun," he comments. "I'm still glad I came and got away from everything else... Just taking a little more getting used to than I thought maybe. I do enjoy the routines, and hanging out with this bunch really is a blast... I wouldn't want them to think I was complaining."


Ryder's eyes stay glued to the television while he continues to do push-ups. He'd lost count, but really didn't care. He was just exercising for something to do anyway. The food on the tv was making his mouth water though. He'd been watching this station for the last couple hours, and was tempted to try out one of the more practical dishes, just to keep himself from getting bored.

He'd already called Reese a while ago, but had been told there really wasn't much for him to do around the office. He'd taken the hint and had let things be. He knew Katie had offered to give him something to do, but he didn't really want to bother her. She had enough to worry about without having to come get him and show him the ropes.

The ringing phone startles him, but he keeps doing his push-ups, letting the answering machine take over. Hearing a man's voice, he quirks his eyebrow and listens. Whoever it was seemed an interesting guy... a close friend maybe? What on earth was JetStream? Oh well... it wasn't any of his business.

After a few more minutes, Ryder finally gets up off the floor and wanders to the kitchen, starting to poke around in the cupboards and refrigerator. Why not? He shrugs. It was better than going out and drinking again. Besides, he really wanted to avoid questions about his black eye for now.

Henry's meowing makes him look down. "Well there, tiger. Where have you been all day?"

Henry weaves around his legs, purring loudly.

"Think I ought to fix the two ladies supper? With my luck, they'll be going out with their guys tonight. But... at least I'll have had a good meal, ay? And then they can have the leftovers. Gotta earn my keep somehow."

Nodding with satisfaction, Ryder keeps searching until he thinks he's found enough ingredients to make the chicken.


The restaurant has grown a little quieter, but the sounds of chatter and clanging silverware still fills Mom and Pop's. Carson leans back against the counter, totally exhausted. Aerith had been a trooper all day long, but even with her there, she'd been busy with tables almost the entire time, and Carson had manned the kitchen once more. Now he knew why Herb had needed his help. He wondered though, if once he got going, if he'd be able to settle into a routine. Mom and Pop's still wasn't a big restaurant, and as far as he was concerned, it could stay that way. They had a good base of consistent customers that liked the homey atmosphere. It wasn't broken, so it shouldn't be fixed.

Giving a deep sigh, Carson finishes his glass of water, and knows he needs to get the plates for table eight finished. Aerith could handle the deserts for table five.

Wandering to the stove once more though, his eyes glance to the little table in the corner of the kitchen. Mackenzie had long since conked out from her own exhaustion. Her arms were folded on the table, acting as a pillow for her head. She'd been that way for half an hour already, despite all the noise. How tired she must have been.

Carson swallows hard, and finds himself nearing her, just watching her steady breathing. What was the reason this child had been brought into his life? Was it just chance, and it would pass quickly without affecting the future? Or was there something bigger here... something God had in mind? Carson didn't have a clue.

Reaching down, he gently tucks a strand of Mackenzie's unruly blonde hair behind her ear. She stirs, and he withdraws quickly, but she doesn't wake. Was he doing the right thing by taking her home? It was too late now. But what would the consequences be?


Scott pulls his knees up to his chest as he sits on his couch, listening to Domino play around with one of her toys. His eyes aim towards the droning television, but he doesn't really focus on the picture. He felt lonely tonight. Without the fear to invade his mind, all that was left was a bit of emptiness.

Closing his eyes, he leans back in the corner of the couch, ignoring the meal that he'd warmed up in the microwave. He takes himself to a happier place... a warmer place. The park... Domino... sunshine... Hope. It was a safe place in his mind, and one that he visited often.

Water

Listing to what Carson said Misty cant help be a little surprised. This all was so heavy and confusing being pulled one way and another.

Leaning aganst the wall Misty lets out a sigh. She felt bad for Carson and new this had to me tough on him.

"I was going to work a little late but I should be out before the restront closes and I can bring some movies with me."

Walking closer to Carson Misty puts her hand on his arm giving him a reassuring smile.

"Its gonne work out u know that. Its just getting to that point. Its never easy you know but doing the right thing is a must no matter what."

Continuing to smile at Kyle Alice cant help the but let a little sympathy show. She felt bad for Kyle relizing that this really wasnt what he wanted to do anymore. Often people ran away from there problems thinking it would fix them but all it did in the long run was make it worse.

Pulling out her cell Alice holds it for just a moment before holding it out to Kyle. She didnt know if he had actully talked to anyone in a while but maybe it would help.

"Why dont you try calling them? If not your family than why not one of your friends? I bet they would like to hear from you."

Continuing to smile like she always did Alice throws her arm around Kyle's shoulders and ruffles his hair a little.

"I think you need a vacation, or maybe..."

Alice lowers her voice a little.

"...maybe a water balloon fight.."

She cant help her laughter at the comment just thinking about it made her laugh alot. Invising everyone all soping wet. It just struck her funny bone.

"Oh....want some tylanol for that headache?"

Looking down the way a little Alice takes note to a fariswheel that is down the way on the beach and a smile cross her face. She know she was being spontaineus, and maybe even a little crazy but that didnt bother her.

Knowing her laptop would be ok with the other Alice pops up and holds out her hand for Kyle to take the energy in her eyes.

"Come on you need to do something on a whim, we are going for a ride."

Never better

Laura returns Nate's kiss, her eyes closed as she takes in the sweet moment. And for one of the first times, she didn't feel the want to pull away... the want to leave. Though having always enjoyed Nate, becoming more comfortable with him, and enjoying these kinds of intimate moments, there had always been a barrier, hidden in the shadows. But today... today she had defied that barrier with her own strength born of peace. And she wouldn't let it keep her from the pure bliss of the sweet kiss, left to linger on her lips.

As Nate withdraws and rests his forehead against hers, she opens her eyes to stare at him, her mouth curling into a smile. Her eyes sparkle. "Mm... I think we should start where we left off every day." Giving a little laugh, color comes to her cheeks as she realizes she normally didn't say things like that. But she felt like it. And she was tired of holding in the words and attitude that mad her...her.

She gives Nate's hand another squeeze, then lets him move back around to his own seat again, picking up her fork. Taking another bite of salad, she grins at Nate again, then picks up her glass of iced tea to toast. "To a new day, a new outlook, and a new understanding."


Mackenzie keeps her chin rested on her arms, but her eyes look up and follow Aerith's movements. "Aerith," she repeats. "That's a pretty name." Looking to the cold milkshake, she purses her lips in thought, then seems to change her mind, shifting a hand to bring it closer to her. Taking out the straw, she licks the end of it, trying it out, then she nods. "Okay," she agrees to Aerith's offer.

Diving into the ice cream, some might wonder how often she got treats like this. Though seemingly wanting the whole thing, she just couldn't eat it all, and winds up with the glass only half empty, but a full stomach.

Slipping from her seat, she goes to follow Aerith around, not minding the customers a bit. She showed no fear or nervousness, just curiosity and a thirst to see and understand what Aerith did when taking orders and making sure everyone at the table was happy.

Mackenzie follows Aerith around the tables, then back to the kitchen, watching everything, and helping get some people's drinks. Though quiet, the look in her eye gave away that she was having fun.


Carson hangs up the phone with Misty, glad that she was at a spot in work that she could take a break and come down to Mom and Pop's. He didn't have time to wait for her though. He needed to start helping Aerith. He'd seen several more customers come in, and couldn't leave her high and dry. Though he knew she could throw a few meals together, she was more used to waiting on tables, not doing the cooking.

Getting back into the kitchen, he glances around, not seeing Mackenzie. Assuming she must be out on the floor with Aerith, he grabs his apron and looks up from under his ball cap to see the posted orders. They were already several behind. Tying off the apron behind his back, Carson moves quickly, prepping the oven and starting on some of the chicken.

Moving too quickly though, he doesn't watch himself, and burns his hand on one of the heated frying pans. Holding back a curse, he withdraws his hand to suck on his singed finger, rolling his eyes at his own stupidity. Going to the sink, he passes by the window to the front, and only then spots Mackenzie helping Aerith. For the first time, he just stands, watching her.

She really was small for her age... thin too. Carson wondered how good of care she'd been receiving, even when her mother had been alive. He wondered what kind of financial situation June had been in... had she even been able to afford proper care? Mackenzie wore a strong attitude, but was she physically strong? What had her childhood been like? Why did she want to spend time with him so badly? He didn't understand.

Without realizing it, he moves closer to see her more clearly. He watches her as she smiles at Aerith. She had traces of her mother in her, but he wasn't sure he could have picked her as being June's daughter. He wondered then, if what he was seeing was more of himself instead.

Carson's stinging finger makes him look back down and he sucks on it again for a moment before going to the sink and rinsing it with cold water. Staring into the sink, his mind drifts a million miles away. Only the sizzling chicken makes him realize that he'd better start paying more attention or else he'd be burning the food. Getting back to work was hard. But it isn't long before he's able to give Aerith several orders for the waiting tables.

Mackenzie helps Aerith, once in a while stealing glances into the kitchen at Carson. She would have gone to him, had he not pushed her away earlier. But she tries to be content with simply making herself useful, and wondering what the rest of the day would bring. Was she going to be taken somewhere else? Sent back to Arizona? Had Carson gotten a hold of Heather?

She fills up a glass with soda pop, just when the bell on the door rings again. She peers over the counter and spies someone she recognized. It was her father's girlfriend. Her eyes follow her as Misty walks back to the kitchen. But she stays where she is, not knowing where she was or wasn't welcome.

Misty's presence in the kitchen brings to Carson a sigh of relief. At a brief stopping point, Carson wipes his hands on his apron and goes to her, bringing her into a tight hug, followed by a strong kiss to the lips. "Thanks for coming."

Drawing away, the stress is evident in his eyes. "Mackenzie is here." He shakes his head. "She just... showed up. Said some stranger offered to bring her from Arizona. Now that social worker is on my butt, blaming me for kidnapping, and I've been told to turn the kid over to the local authorities or social services or whatever."

Carson takes a deep breath, knowing that what he'd just said really crammed everything into a nutshell. "Heather set me up, and I'm gonna be in a whole heap of trouble, no matter what I do. So... yeah."

He takes off his ball cap to wipe the sweat from his brow before slapping it back on his head to cover up his unruly hair. "I can't leave Aerith alone for any longer today - I already just a about put us in a bind, and that's not a good thing right now. Not after the conversation I had with Herb today." A deep breath follows. "Tell you about that later. For now though..."

His eyes drift back to the front where Mackenzie was now sitting on the other side of the counter, swiveling a little on one of the stools. "I need you... to do me a favor and... and..." He swallows hard. Take her down to the police station as a runaway.

Carson's mouth opens, but the lump that had risen in his throat seems to choke off the words. He looks back to Misty with desperation. Why was he going to put Mackenzie through that trauma? Hadn't she been through enough?

"I need you to..." Take her downtown! His gaze moves back towards the front again and he stares through the window at the little bonde-haired, blue-eyed girl who had had the grit and gumption to come all this way with a complete stranger.

Carson's shoulders drop. He closes his eyes and shakes his head. "...to come over to my place tonight. Dani won't be home before midnight, so by tomorrow I'll need a witness that I didn't hurt the girl."

He cringes, knowing that he'll get into trouble. "I'm so dead," he mutters. "Both Mackenzie and Heather have me over a barrel." He shakes his head, defeated. "So can you come over after work and... I don't know... bring a kid's movie or something?"

The smell of smoke fills Carson's nostrils and he suddenly spins around to race to the stove. "Aw dang it."


Kyle grins. "Yeah, but if you woulda given me permission for the chip, it wouldn't have tasted half as good."

Leaning back against the tree, he takes another bite of his sandwich. At Alice's question, he doesn't answer right away, but follows up with a quirky smile. "I'm good... never better." He nods. "Yeah... what more could I ask for? I feel like I'm a million miles from my family that I thought I wanted to be that far from, I'm on the road with a team every day doing something that really isn't my forte, I'm successfully beating out the pain of losing a girlfriend I should have been over ages ago, the weather here reminds me of all the springs of my childhood - which brings up a whole new slew of memories I don't want to deal with, and... I've had a king-sized headache the last three days."

His smile widens, though his eyes are dim. "So yeah. Couldn't be any better, right?"

Help!

Standing Nate smiles again and goes over to Laura bending down in front of her still holding her head. His eyes sparkle and what would happend next one might guess but it was far from what would be going on.

"It's ok, I think I good place to pick up again would be here."

Leaning in Nate looks deep into Laura's eyes. His emotion flooded forth and his love showed. Just being this close to Laura gave him chills that he wouldnt trade for anything. He loved the way she made him feel.

Coming close Nate's finger gently cradle Laura's face as he moves slowly but closer to Laura till finally his lips meet hers. Every so slowly letting his emotions show. With everything Laura had been through he didnt want to go to fast.

Finally pulling away from her he rests his forhead agains her and continues to look into Laura's eyes.

"I think that was a good place to pick up dont you?"

Giving a smile and a nod Aerith heads into the back back to get a fresh glass when she hears the door to Mom and Pop's open. Looking up through the window she see Carson and she eyes him for only a moment before looking back down at what she was doing.

Looking up again as Carson comes into the kitchen Aerith gives a nod an emotion flickering in her eyes for a moment about the whole situation.

"Yeah I will its not a problem. I hasnt been to busy today so I think you should be ok."

Bringing the glass out of the kitchen again Aerith gives a smile to the little girl as she bends into the ice cream pin to put it into the glass than adding some milk. Bringing it back to the counter Aerith sets it down for the little girl.

"Well thats a shame if you dont want it...I put extra strawberrys in it and everything for you. By the way my name is Aerith."

Aerith gaves a smile as some more people walk into the door and than gives a slight nod to the one infront of her with the milkshake. Grabbing a few milkshakes she turns to her little friend again.

"How about you finish the milkshake and than help me out? I'll even give you some of the tips that I get!"

Maybe keeping the girls mind off what was going on around her would help a little. She felt bad for her and couldnt help but have a bit of simpathy.

Sitting down under a tree where is was quiet and shaded Alice holds her laptop as she types away. Keeping an eye on everything around her she wtaches Kyle, and some of the others as they interact.

Today had been a more quiet day for her as she wasnt as talkitive and her own mind traviled alse where.

As Kyle comes and sits down next to her Alice closes her laptop in time to see him steal a chip. Placing her laptop aside she gives Kyle a strong nudge with her shoulder as a laugh makes its way out.

"You know, you could of asked for one and I would of givin it to you, you silly wild thing."

Still looking at Kyle a more searous look pass through her eyes as she continues to smile at Kyle.

"How are you doing today?"

Help

As Nate takes Laura's hand, the tingle runs up her arm and she smiles. "Okay," she agrees. "We start where we left off." Her fingers tighten around his. "Thank you, Nate. I could never ask for anything more than you... as a friend... and as more than a friend."

She leans her face onto his hand as his finger runs down her cheek. Closing her eyes for a moment, she takes a deep breath, wishing that reality didn't always have to run with the clock.

Looking back to Nate, her smile remains. "There's just one problem... I don't know where we left off."


Carson grins at Herb and Mabel, and shakes his head. Looking at the clock, he rises from his seat. "I better go relieve Aerith. You take it easy and I'll come back by to see you. We'll talk more about the restaurant when you're out of here."

Giving Herb's shoulder a pat, Carson heads for the door, but turns one more time. "Oh, and Misty says hi." Still smiling, he continues his route, leaving the hospital, then catching a waiting cab to Mom and Pop's. Soon... soon he'd have his own vehicle.


Mackenzie's eyes sparkle above her smile as Aerith's gentle nature draws her in. "Sure." She nods. "Can it be strawberry?"

She scoots up onto one of the stools, letting it swivel just a bit as she waits. She doesn't have to wait for long, however. When the bell on the door rings, she turns, spotting the one she'd been looking for.

Carson heads through the restaurant, having taken the front route instead of the back this morning. Aiming for the kitchen, he almost doesn't see Mackenzie at the counter, but when he does, he stops short. Blinking, he looks around to see if anyone else was there with her. "Mackenzie?!"

She grins at him. "You remembered my name."

"Of course I did." Carson is totally confused, and looks between her and Aerith, who was in the kitchen. "What are you doing here?"

"Visiting you. And the lady in the kitchen said I could have a milkshake."

Carson finds that hard to believe that Mackenzie was just visiting, and he bypasses his awkwardness for a moment in order to get some answers."Did you come back with Heather?"

"No."

"Well who's with you?"

"Nobody."

Carson's eyes widen. "What? You're alone?" He looks around, then pulls Mackenzie off the stool and into the back hall out of sight from the front customers. "How did you get here?"

Mackenzie shrugs. "A man said he could take me to you."

A strange look of panic hits Carson, and he squats down in front of her, to look up at a better angle to see her eyes. "Who? When?"

"At the orphanage, really early this morning. I got up to get something to drink, and he was there."

"You mean you went with a total stranger?"

Mackenzie withdraws a little as Carson's voice grows stern. "He said his name was John Smith. He really was nice," she tries to convince him.

"Aw Mackenzie." Carson groans and stands up, putting his hands on his head. He turns a little circle, keeping his frustration to a low growl

Mackenzie bites her lip. "Are you mad at me?"

"Yes! No... yes. I don't know yet."

"Well I just wanted to see you, and John said he knew where you were. He wasn't a bad person."

Carson's mind works overtime to figure out this thing. Pacing a moment, he crouches down in front of her again. "It was foolish of you," he chides. "Do you realize what will happen now?"

"I have to go back."

"That, and they're going to blame me for taking you."

"But I left on my own."

"It doesn't matter." Carson desperately tries to explain. "You don't belong to me, and now I'm in a whole lot of trouble."

Fear enters Mackenzie's eyes, along with a couple tears. "But you're my dad. And John didn't say you would get into trouble."

Carson's gaze shows his desperation. How could he make her understand? He had been set up. A do-gooder wouldn't be that stupid. A kidnapper wouldn't have brought her here. Someone from social services wouldn't have left her alone. It was obvious that someone - most likely Heather - wanted to make him look like the ultimate bad guy so there would never be even a chance for Mackenzie to be with him.

Whether or not he wanted to see his daughter was beside the point. This kind of underhanded action and child trickery angered him. "John did it on purpose," he emphasizes, trying to be gentle. "I'm gonna have to call Heather and have someone come get you."

Disappointment flickers in Mackenzie's eyes. "You really don't want me, do you?"

"That has nothing to do with it," Carson retorts. "Don't play that came, 'cause I'll win." Mackenzie might just be twelve, but Carson knew good and well how smart she was.

She sighs in defeat.

Carson stands up again, calming down a little. "Come on." He nods to the kitchen. "Get that milkshake while I make that call." Pushing the door open, he gives Aerith a pleading look for help. "Would you please watch Mackenzie here? I have to go make a quick call, then I'll be right back to start cooking. If customers complain, blame it on me."

Once he's gone, Mackenzie looks to Aerith again. "I guess I got him in trouble." The look on her face is a sad one. "I just thought maybe I'd have another chance." She sits down at the table, folding her arms to rest her chin on them. "I'm not sure I want the milkshake anymore," she mentions quietly. She bravely held back the tears that wanted to come.

Out in the hall again, Carson busies himself, looking for the right phone number, and finally finds it. It takes some doing, but with a little work and a bit of frustration, he finally gets Heather on the line.

"Miss Jones, this is Carson Banks... from Nevada?"

"Mr. Banks." Heather's tone is a cool one. "Where is Mackenzie?"

Carson grits his teeth. If Heather wasn't involved, she'd certainly pounced on him quickly. "You tell me," he counters.

"This is no time for games," Heather warns. "Your daughter has been missing since early this morning. I find it highly coincidental that you would call me on this particular day."

"You'd like to think I did something, wouldn't you?"

"If you know something, you had better say so right now."

Carson leans back against the wall. "Ya know, It's interesting that you've known she was missing, you suspected me, yet you didn't contact me. Now why is that?"

"Mr. Banks." Heather's voice grows even more irritated. "Have you seen her or have you not?"

"I have. And somebody needs to come pick her up."

"So what did you do? Send one of your henchmen to get her?"

"I did no such thing!" Carson can't help it as his anger spills over. "You yourself made such a point that I wouldn't want anything to do with Mackenzie, now you accuse me of taking her? Why would I?"

"Who knows. I don't have the mind of a criminal. Ransom? Just to make a point?"

Carson rolls his eyes. "Look, just send somebody over here to get her, alright?"

"There have been storms here, Mr. Banks. It will be at least tomorrow morning before someone can be there. I suggest you take Mackenzie to your local social services office in order for her to receive proper care until the morning."

"I..."

"Either that, or I will call the local authorities and have you arrested. You take Mackenzie down to social services the moment you hang up. Do you understand me?"

Carson tries to collect his thoughts as quickly as possible. "Why aren't you calling the authorities now, Miss Jones?"

"Call it the benefit of the doubt."

"That's hard to believe."

"Someone will be in town directly in the morning. They will come to your place of work and expect to pick up Mackenzie there. If you or the girl are not found, you will wind up behind bars before you know it."

The click on the line makes Carson growl as he slams down the receiver. He knew exactly what Heather was doing. It was obvious now. She wasn't going to call the police because she knew good and well that he hadn't taken Mackenzie, and she was banking on that fact to be confident he would not do anything to harm the girl either. More than likely, this "Mr. Smith" was keeping an eye on him somewhere, just to be on the safe side. Heather was devious, but Carson wouldn't want to believe she'd allow a child to be harmed. But... if he didn't take Mackenzie somewhere by morning, she would have him in trouble anyway - and in deep trouble.

But... Carson groans and leans against the wall. God, what am I supposed to do now? What are you doing to me?

If he didn't turn Mackenzie over to social services, he would be in deep trouble. But if he did, she would be put through an unnecessary ordeal that would upset her even more than she already was. And she wasn't at fault. Wouldn't that be harsh? No... he had to. He had to follow the rules by the letter, or else Heather would have him in trouble so quickly it would make his head swim.

Turning back to the phone, he dials TJY's infirmary, thankful when he hears Misty answer the phone. "Hey, Babe, it's me. Listen, I need your help... I'm in a bit of a jam. Can you come down to the restaurant?"


Climbing up onto a large rock, Kyle stands, looking out across the rippling lake. It brought back swift memories of home. He takes a deep breath, taking in the fresh air. He saw Jen and Phil, smiling and laughing, spending time on the little sandy beach. He saw the fun times with friends... Katie, Jason and Mike. He saw Misty and their favorite lookout point.

"Kyle!"

The scenes faded before Kyle's eyes, and he was once again at Coral Lake in Wyoming. he turns around, looking down at the group. It takes him a moment to come back to reality, and another moment for his usual smile to return. He waves at Myla. "Yeah?"

"We got the food ready. You joining us or what?"

"Uh-huh." Kyle nods, but turns back around, not quite ready to get down yet.

Myla sighs. "He okay? He's had a lot of these moments lately."

"He's alright. Take it easy on him," Hunter advises. Those on the bus had discovered Kyle's frequent ups and downs during the trip, though he himself seemed unaware of his mood swings. No one drew attention to it, and no one was upset over it. They accepted Kyle like anyone else, though if asked, they might admit he was a little different to work with than originally thought. But no one would ever want him off the team. He was a valuable teammate, and even more valuable a friend. Hunter gives a little nod, knowing in a few minutes, Kyle would be back.

Sure enough, two minutes later, Kyle comes bounding back to the group, barging in on the picnic lunch. "Now this is a rest stop."

"Here here," Heath agrees, lifting up his bottle of lemonade.

"Mmm..." Kyle takes a bite of his sandwich. "Who's the cook?"

Myla raises her hand.

"Oh, you sweet woman." Kyle slings his arm around her, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Heeeey," Jordan growls teasingly.

Kyle steps back and holds up his hands, grinning. "Just a friendly thank you, there, killer."

Jordan laughs. "Just be sure you keep it that way."

The teasing continues, and Kyle winds up flopping down on the ground next to Alice, stealing one of her potato chips.

No, Laura!

Looking around the room Herb gives a short chuckle as he shakes his head a little.

"The best it can be I guess, though I hate sitting still and thats what they are making me do here. Not to mention Mable cant make me clean here."

"I hurd that Herbert."

Giving a cringes another laugh comes forth and a smile at his wife his eyes show much life still aside form what he has been through.

"Oh nothing dear..no no nothing at all."

Looking back to Carson Herb gives a wink.

Sitting at the quiet restront with Laura Nate was enjoying the small talk. Being here now, its not what he planed but he wasnt disapointed eather.

As the talking shift though Nate can feel the tone in Laura's voice change and see the look in her eye was more serous now.

Nate couldnt help but feel a little bit a nervousness rise inside of himself. He didnt want it to but it just happend. Maybe it was the unknowing of what Laura needed to talk so serous with him about.

Listing to Laura stays quiet. He didnt want to intarupt her or cut her off not when she had something like this to say. Giving nods here and there was all he did to let her know he was listing.

Taking everything in that she said Nate just listened till finally she was finished. Staying silent for a moment Nate works everything through in his head till finally he looks up at Laura. He felt alot of things at the moment and the emotion could be seen in his eye.

"No Laura, I am sorry I dont to start over."

Giving a small sigh Nate reaches out across the table and takes Laura's hand in his.

"I would just like to start from where we left off, and continue to let outself change and grow. I love you so much Laura I could never turn you away."

Running a finger down the side of her face Nate just smiles as he looks into Laura's eyes his love pouring out of them.

"I'll never regret getting sick and kissing you. It was the best thing that ever happend to me.

Looking down at the young girl a smile forms on her face. Something about the girl reminded her of Carson but she wasnt to sure why. She remembered heading about Carson's daughter but only in passing.

"No, he's not here right now, but he should be back shortly if you would like to wait."

Giving another smile Aerith looks around the dinner and than back at the girl as she leans on the counter.

"Would you like a milkshake? Its on the house!"

Looking

Carson grins. "Well I just hope I can live up to your expectations, Herb. I... can't thank you enough. I'm still kinda shocked, but this means... it means a lot to me." He gives a little sigh, but it's one of contentment. "Wait 'til Dani hears about this. She's gonna make me pay more rent." He laughs.

He shakes his head and looks around the room, feeling the opportunity to switch subjects before he had to go, and before he had to think of anything else to say in regards to his accepted offer that was making him just a smidge uncomfortable. "They treating you alright in here?"


Laura giggles and accepts Nate's arm. "We shall. For your stomach's sake." With a quick stop to get her purse, she follows Nate outside, keeping her arm linked with his until they get to his car.

It doesn't take them long to settle in at the little restaurant, both able to order quickly, and enjoy the quiet of the little corner table. Conversation is kept light, with nothing in particular discussed until there is a pause, and Laura seems to grow quiet before speaking again.

"Nate..." Laura takes a bite of her salad and chews it thoughtfully. So many things ran through her mind... so many feelings. Ryder's words continue to bounce around in her head, colliding with her own thoughts and conclusions.

Giving a little sigh, she twirls her fork in her lettuce. "I've been thinking... a lot."

She rolls her eyes at her own hesitance and she finally looks up at Nate. "I know I haven't been the greatest person to be around lately... person... friend... girlfriend." She holds up a hand before he can respond. "Don't tell me otherwise, because I know it's the truth. This Bryce incident hasn't helped matters, but I'm setting that aside."

She sighs again, trying to collect her thoughts. "I know I haven't been fair to you lately either. No... I take that back. I haven't been fair to you from the very beginning."

Looking down for a moment, she thinks back over all the things she'd decided to say...that she'd been wanting to say. After talking to Ryder today, then once again seeing Nate's deep affections, she knew she should take this chance before it was too late.

"After this whole thing with... with Bryce... I, um... I realized that... maybe I don't have quite the handle on myself or my life like I thought I did. I used to be pretty confident.... in myself, my work... but as the world around me moved on, looking back now, I see that I failed to grow as time passed. I was hired at TJY because I was good at what I did... because I wouldn't take no for an answer, and I could beat up most of the guys."

She grins a little before going on. "And all that was great, working with Con, Jamie, Jason, and sometimes you. But then as my job shifted, I didn't. I got lost in my own little world, somewhere along the way, and I started getting confused about who I was. I didn't see it at the time, but I do now."

Laura leans back in her chair and plays with her napkin in her lap. She lets her eyes roam for a moment, trying to put words to her feelings, and finally looks back to Nate again. "Then you came along." A little laugh escapes and she shakes her head. "I had no idea you were watching me, and then when you got sick and you hauled off and kissed me..."

Her amusement is genuine and it sparkles in her eyes as she smiles. "I couldn't imagine anyone wanting me enough to pursue me like you did. All I'd ever had was men after the wrong sort of things, with Con standing behind me, my shelter with a big warning sign ready for any man with guts enough to approach me."

She shakes her head again. "But you won out. Through all the trouble I put you through, you stuck it out like no one ever did." Her smile starts to fade, though the look in her eye was one of peace, not resentment, not fear, not heartache. It was a look that had been absent for a long time.

"And it was then that I started falling to pieces. On the inside. While you were offering me love and stability, every time I saw you, I crumbled. I liked to hide it. I liked to pretend that I was just playing hard to get. But... looking back... I know that the fact was, that you shook up my world enough that I was beginning then to question myself and who I was. I wasn't supposed to need anybody - I was strong enough. Yet I felt like I was starting to need you. I wasn't supposed to want anybody - I was just fine on my own. Yet I felt like I was starting to want to spend all my time with you."

A little laugh escapes before she grows sober again. "It scared me because I wasn't used to feeling those things... even though I wanted them, they made me feel out of control. So in order to stay in control, I pulled back all the harder, making it all the more difficult for you. I thought that... I could have both."

She nods, showing that she had found the truth of her own actions. "I thought that I could be stubborn and as self-reliant as always and have you at the same time. But... I was too immature to realize that in order to gain freedom in love, I needed to give up a portion of that independence. In order to gain the confidence and strength in love, I needed to give up the reliance on myself. And..."

She shakes her head, brave enough to continue looking Nate in the eye. "...I didn't see those things then like I do now. I didn't see that I was pushing you away and making things so difficult for you. I saw sometimes how I hurt your feelings, yet I was too selfish to change. It wasn't a lack of love or a lack of want for a relationship... it was simply because I didn't want to try and change. I didn't want to make the effort. It was hard for me to get past my own need to take care of myself, and my own pride. Even then, because of the turmoil it caused, I just wound up breaking down and feeling like a child all the time. Which... in turn... made me pull away all the more... especially when you proposed to me."

Laura pauses, taking a sip of her iced tea to regroup a little bit. Taking a deep breath, she lets out out slowly. "Then... after all this mess... something finally clicked. It feels like I got a swift kick upside the head, and... I want to apologize."

She nods. "I want to apologize for all I've put you through from the very beginning, not just lately. I feel as though my eyes have been opened and I'm just now able to see that while I thought at the time I was in control, really... I wasn't. While I thought my stubbornness was a sign of strength, really... it wasn't."

Her eyes study Nate's, hoping that her words were making sense. For in her mind, they did. The answers had appeared, as clearly as day, after so much thought, prayer, and words of her friends, old and new. "I haven't ever really been myself with you, Nate. Instead of letting confidence and strength support my actions, I let them stand in the way and dictate my actions. Instead of letting myself love and live without fear, I hid behind fear, but labeled it as independence or even let my brother take the blame. In an awful paradox... because of my own pride and stubbornness, I let fear cloud my judgment, and I let independence rule my relationships. And so..."

Laura pauses again, giving her words time to sink in. "...So looking back, I can tell that I never really have just let myself be me. Which, ironically, was what I was trying to be all along."

A sadness enters her eyes, realizing the truth of the matter. But today, the peace remained. She had let go of her fear, somewhere along the way. Through recovering from a tragic and frightening experience, she had learned more about herself than ever before. And while the revealed truth was not something that felt good, it was indeed the truth that must be faced.

She swallows hard, now at the end, and not really knowing what would come next. But she'd started this thing, and she needed to see it through.

"Um... so... I guess..." She gives a little shrug. "I don't know what to do now," she admits. She offers the best smile she can. "I've said for so long now that I love you... and I don't want you to think that that part was never true - because it was. But it's been a reserved love... a love that's only been allowed to go so far before I yanked it back in order to keep it from opening up my walls. You, on the other hand... you've loved me freely, and have opened yourself up to everything, pain and all, because you're simply that generous and willing to sacrifice for me."

A tear appears in Laura's eye. "Never have I felt more humbled, Nate." A small smile surfaces once more. "And... all that to say... I'd like to start over." She gives a nod. "If you say no, I'll understand, because I've made you wait so very long already. But... I want a chance to give you the real me... the me that should have been there all along. I... can't promise the outcome, but I'm not gonna try to. All I can ask for is one more shot. Will you... give me that chance?"

She can't help a light chuckle. "If you say yes, I promise not to make you get sick in order to steal the first kiss again."


The bell above the door at Mom and Pop's rings. It's fairly quiet inside, but a few people have ventured out for their morning coffee. No one seems to pay much attention to the newcomer. Her short height helped aid her in going unnoticed. She stops just inside and looks around, squinting as her eyes roam the faces. Not finding who she was looking for, she heads boldly to the counter. She can just see over it and puts her arms up on it, helping boost herself up just a little more until she can see the woman at the register.

"Hi." Her big blue eyes stare at Aerith with question. "Is Carson Banks here?"

*blinks*

Studying Carson's eye for a long moment Herb can tell Carson ment what he said. There was no changing his mind. Herb wouldnt trust the restront in anyone elses hands.

"I am happy you said yes. Once I get out of here we can draw up the papers, and on the slower days we can go over a few things."

Though Herb didnt say it he was excited and look forward to teaching Carson things about the business. It was like the son he had always wanted and God had provided even if it wasnt what he had exspected.

"This going to be a whole new adventure for me too Carson. I know you will do great."

Looking at Laura Nate grins feeling warm and fuzzy inside that Laura liked the gifts. It was nothing big but if it put a smile on her face than thats what mattered.

"Mmmm...you could starve me as long as I got to spend a little time with you."

Nate stomach at that moment makes a loud gigaling sounds as he looks down and than back at Laura.

"I guess my stomach disagres with me so I guess we should feed it."

Standing and grabbing his jacket Nate throws it on and than hold out his arm to Laura.

"Mi lady shall we?"

Then you would have...

Luke smiles up at Angel, giving her a little nod. Though in his mind, he was already deciding that he would be staying awake for the trip home. He wasn't going to let Angel out of his sight until he knew she was safely back home. Not to mention, if he slept, he knew his energy would diminish, and he needed all of it right now, just to be able to keep on his feet and keep walking without worrying Angel.

"Alright." He gets up from the chair and grabs his bag. "Let's go find Gunner and get ourselves out of here. At this rate, we'll be home for supper."


Seeing the pleasure in Herb's eyes was enough for Carson to say yes to anything. He nods slowly, swallowing a lump in his throat. "Yeah... yeah, I'm sure."

Something tugged on the back of his mind, and something prodded his heart just a little bit. He knew what it was. He knew what it meant. He knew. But he closed his mind to it. For once... for once, he would think of someone else, and would be glad to do it.

His eyes return to Herb's. He would not mention Reese. He would not mention the other opportunity he had, to get back onto the Elite team. It was a pain he wasn't sure he'd ever felt before, because while it hurt, there were results that made him feel good, like he'd done something worthwhile for once.

"It would be an honor," he states with confidence. "I'd argue with you that I'm not good enough for the job, but I know that wouldn't get me anywhere." He grins a little. "It'll be nice to have the stability... I don't have to pretend that I haven't needed that in my life."

For the briefest of moments, Mackenzie's face flashes in his mind. Stability and being a father were two things that seemed to go hand-in-hand.

He shakes the thoughts from his mind, and just as quickly as they had been there, they were gone. "You and Mabel are going to have to teach me a lot... I may know how to make food taste good by now, but I certainly don't know how to run a business." A smile spreads. "I think I can remember a bit of math."


"...so I've kinda been working a little more." Scott sits in the familiar chair across from Hope, not really knowing what else to day. He'd told her that he'd gone to work by himself that morning, and that he was interacting with people at TJY just a little more now. The fear was slowly subsiding, and he wasn't sure just what else he needed to talk about now.


Laura walks from Susanne's office, her hands full of papers. In the copy room, back to Susanne's, to Reese, back to the copy room, then to see Jason, stop by Wyatt's desk, get information from Sapphire, then another round, landing her back in Reese's office for a good long while, only to discover that there were files she'd taken home with her the night before, that she now needed. Unfortunately, she'd forgotten to bring them back in.

Rolling her eyes at herself, she makes her way back across the main floor, fishing her keys out of her pocket. She wasn't even going to bother grabbing her purse.

Heading at a fast pace towards the exit, she only stops momentarily at Nate's cubicle. They'd both been at work all morning, but had hardly had time to say hi to each other. "Forgot stuff at home," she says quickly. "When I get back, we can run for a late lunch if you haven't withered away to nothing by then." Walking backward, she throws Nate a smile before spinning around to continue her route.

The ride home is a short one, and she makes it in good time. Getting inside, she shuts the door behind herself, tossing her keys on the table as she heads for her room.

On her way though, she spots Ryder in the bathroom. He looked like he'd been up for quite a while, fully dressed and awake. But his clothes were a little messy, and he was leaning over the sink, his face covered partway with what looked like a cold cloth. Laura pauses. "Ryder?"

"Mm-hmm," he mumbles, but doesn't look up.

Laura's eyes narrow as she frowns. "Something wrong?"

"Uh-uh." He still refuses to look up, shaking his head just a little.

Laura sighs. "Men," she grumbles. "You're all the same." Boldly, she enters the bathroom, reaching under his bent form to shut off the water in the sink. "What's wrong? Are you sick? Hurt?"

Ryder straightens just a little, but keeps the cloth in place. "I walked to the store." His words are still quietly mumbled. "Wanted to replace some stuff in the fridge."

"And?" Laura cocks her head. "So what?"

Ryder finally sighs and lets his hand drop, revealing his face.

Laura's eyes widen at his swollen black eye and split lower lip. "My goodness, what happened?"

Ryder shakes his head and turns the water back on to rinse out the cloth. "Kid was picking on an old lady. I intervened. He attacked me."

"Wrong place, wrong time." Laura sighs. She could tell by Ryder's speech that his mouth hurt. "Then what?"

"I won. Cops came. I told 'em I was Elite, so they let me go."

"And here you are."

"Here I am."

Laura shakes her head. "Do you look for trouble, or does it just follow you around?"

Ryder puts the cloth back to his hurting face. "I have no idea."

"Well come on... you're not going to do a whole lot of good taking care of yourself that way."

After convincing Ryder to let her take care of him, fifteen minutes later, he's on the living room couch, lying on his back with an ice pack on his eye.

Laura folds her arms as she looks down at him. "Now... just stay out of trouble for the rest of the day, will you? If you're that insistent about the food, we'll shop tonight and you can come along as my bodyguard."

Ryder gives a little smirk. "Yeah, alright. Just figured I oughta earn my keep until I find my own place."

Laura bites her lip and thinks for a moment. "You're... welcome to stay, ya know."

Ryder lifts the ice pack to see her more clearly. "Me, stay here, indefinitely, with two women? Don't you think that looks a bit odd?"

"Not if we work it out the right way." Laura shrugs. "I could move my bedroom down here into the office we never use. Then you could have the upstairs to yourself. There's only a half-bath up there, but there's two rooms and a nice closet. It's not like you'd be staying with a single woman, and that way we'd be on separate floors."

Ryder quirks an eyebrow out of habit, but lets it drop again as it hurts more than he thought it would. The thought was appealing. Katie was really the only friend he had right now, and Laura was quickly becoming a friend too. It felt nice not to be completely on his own at the moment. But still... "And Nate wouldn't mind?"

It's Laura's turn to lift her eyebrows. "He better trust me more than that."

Ryder's mouth curls up into a little grin. "Sure, but does he trust me?"

"I have no idea." Laura shrugs. "But he does trust me, and Katie too, so... I don't see a problem. Unless you do want to leave, then of course, that's fine."

Ryder shifts his weight a little, in a better position to look up at her. "So gonna marry him?"

Laura's jaw drops. "I thought we were talking about living arrangements."

"We were. I changed the topic. Nate's name made me think of it."

"Well I hardly think it's any of your business."

"No, it's probably not." Ryder can't help the spark in his eye. "So?"

Laura lowers herself to sit on the coffee table, her arms still crossed. "So what?"

"Are you?"

Laura would walk away from anybody else. But it was hard with Ryder. Something about him just forced her to trust him and not be upset or afraid to talk to him. "I don't know."

Ryder just studies her for a moment, finally putting the ice back over his one eye. "If everything around you came crashing down... if you lost your job, your home, and your brother moved away... who would you want to hold you?"

Laura blinks. What kind of a question was that? "I... what?"

"You heard me."

She thinks again. "Well I guess..." Only one face came to mind. "I guess Nate." She could already feel his strong arms around her, holding her, just letting her cry on his shoulder, and helping her weather the storm.

"Then why are you waiting?"

Again, Laura is taken off guard. "Because.... because I... well... I mean... what if it wouldn't work? What if I said yes and five years down the road we just couldn't get along and things went wrong? What if I messed things up? What if he would decide he couldn't stand me any more? What if circumstances drove us apart? Then what?"

Ryder doesn't miss a beat. His stare pierces Laura's gaze with intensity. "Then you would have had five years of love and life you never would have experienced otherwise." He shakes his head slowly. "I can tell you love him, and it's obvious he loves you too. There's no way you could wind up hating each other. Why not step out now and take the chance before it's too late? Why not take the chance that you will be this in love for the rest of your lives? If you back away now, you'll never know. And even if does fail, then you've only gained the experience of loving so deeply that you were willing to risk it all..."


...Laura slips back into her cubicle, letting out a long sigh. The morning had been long, it was completely gone, the noon hour was over and she was hungry, knowing she needed to go see Nate so they could go to lunch. While her stomach was empty though, her mind was very full.

Sitting down at her desk, she suddenly notices the gift from Nate, unaware that it had been there for quite a while already, waiting for her.

A smiles slowly spreads on her face. She picks up the rose and puts it to her nose to breathe in the sweet smell. Then setting it down, she cuddles the teddy bear, nuzzling her face into the soft fur.

Her eyes glance to the handwritten note and she picks it up next, running her thumb over the words. Taking the note, she pins it up on her wall, next to other notes that Nate had written her. Some were silly, some were cute, others showed his love.

Setting the gift down she looks at the rose again, then across the floor to Nate's desk. She could just make out the top of his head, and knew he was there. She stands up and slowly makes her way over to him. Her hands slip into her pockets and when she arrives at his cubicle, she leans on the doorway a little, just watching him work for a moment. Withdrawing one hand, she knocks on the wall, getting his attention.

Looking into his eyes, she studies him for a long moment until a smile creases her lips. "Thank you. I needed that today. Now are we gonna go to lunch, or have I starved you to death?"

Package

Looking back at Carson Herb's face lights up. Hearing that Carson would take this oppertunity put Herb a bit at ease about what would happen to Mom and Pop's and he new now it would be in good hands. But before they continued he had to make sure this is what Carson really wanted.

"Your sure Carson? You dont need time to think about it? I just dont want you to jump on something quickly and than later on down the road kick yourself in the butt. That would hurt me more than maybe seeing the restront close."

Herb continues to watch Carson and the excitment was evadint in his own eyes about what the future would continue to hold for him. This would be a whole new experince and Herb was excited to let it happen.

"Well thats good that at least you have an income coming in. I know if you didnt that might be a little harder on you. So I am happy for that. The money is there anyways in the little jar if you need any extra. Laura and I always take turns putting money in there incase we are in a tight bind or anything."

Going to the fridge Katie opens it and grabs an apple she dubs as her lunch today. Taking a bit out of it. Turning to see Ryder run to the bathroom Katie shakes her head a little and laughs.

"If you need anything call me, and I might call u later as well to see if your feeling better to come in."

Aiming for the door Katie trys to block out the sound of Ryder in the bathroom shutting the door behind her.

Angel gives a sigh not getting anymore information from Reese. She new that she wouldnt but it had been worth a try anyways and now they were leaving without Jeff.

"Ok, I'll let them know. Thanks."

Though her eyes were a bit sad she turns to Luke and gives a nod.

"I'm ready to go, and I hope you sleep some on the plane you look so tired."

Running a quick hand through his hair Angel gives him a kiss before turning to Rick again.

"Thank you again and if you guys ever need help please let me know. Let Misty know thank you again as well."

Watching Laura without her knowing it Nate gives a smile as he watches her get up and leave her desk. This was the moment he had been waiting for.

Standing from his desk Nate reaches into the draw and pulls out a backage that held bright pink color roses wrapped in a pretty white and red paper along with a stuffed white teddy bear. Placying them both on Laura desk with a little note that said "I love you." Nate smiles turning to walk back to his own desk.

Ache

Carson sits a little straighter, sensing that Herb had something important to tell him. He couldn't imagine what, but he respected Herb more than most anybody, so he was all ears.

As the words sink in though, Carson's eyes start to widen, his jaw dropping. He blinks, completely dumbfounded. He'd known that there was the possibility that Herb wouldn't be able to do as much... and he'd even thought about the extra hours he might have to put in. But... ownership?

This was more than just an offer... it was a privilege... an honor. This was an offer that belonged to family... Mom and Pop's was a part of the Franklin family...

But as Carson looks at Herb, he suddenly realizes that whether he was blood family or not, he had earned this place of honor. This offer should have been going to the son that Herb and Mabel never had. And that thought alone caused the emotions to surface in Carson's eyes. Herb had become his mentor... his guide... and in a way, he'd been a father to him. They had never spoken of it... but it was there, and this proved it.

"Herb, I..." Carson stops, swallowing hard. Was he really capable of this? And where did this put Reese's own offer to him? Was it now down to one or the other? And if he chose one, was that the point of no return?

He lets out the long breath he'd been holding, and leans back in the chair, still in shock. "I don't know what to say," he finally admits. "Ownership? It's... wow." He could barely even process the thought.

Letting his eyes drift downward, he thinks for a moment before looking back up at Herb. He knew how important the restaurant was to him. And Carson knew good and well that if he said no, there would be no one else. Closing Mom and Pop's would surely age Herb more than anything, more than likely harming his health even more. Not to mention, it would also hurt their income.

Reese's offer lingers in the back of Carson's mind. He could almost taste the action he wanted. The missions... the adventure... doing what he was best at.

He looks back to Herb, searching his eyes. An ache settled in his heart. But he saw the answer clearly.

"I accept."


Ryder grimaces, still holding his stomach, and even now feeling even worse, learning that apparently his tongue had been loosened without him even knowing it. Who knows what he'd told Katie.

"Yeah, yeah... no trouble." He waves her off. "And Reese has me back on the payroll, so I've got money, don't worry about it."

He thinks for a moment, contemplating the day ahead. "If you have anything I could do at TJY later... call me or something. I could..." He suddenly stops, his eyes squinting a little. "...or maybe not." Spinning around, he aims for the bathroom, where the consequences of yesterday's binge would catch up to him.


Reese is ready to leave the infirmary, but stops as Angel questions him. He slowly shakes his head. "I'm sorry... no, I can't give you any more information. You would have been able to say goodbye to him, but as I said, he's not even here."

He purses his lips grimly. "You can tell people back in Texas that he had a job to do. That's all I can say."