For Now

Hunter had his helmet off as he waited and watched Ryan nearby. He could tell she was still going through the grieving process and that this was  natural...and healthy. A small part of him worried just a little... she'd loved this man very much to have had his death affect her in such a way. But mostly he just wanted to make this time as easy as possible for her. It might not last....what they had together. But she was a big part of his world right now.

As she returned, he stood from his bike and studied her just a moment. She said she was okay but her eyes said differently. Without responding right away, he simply reached out and pulled her into a strong hug, holding her close for several moments. He kissed her head before pulling back and brushing the hair from her face.

"You're right... the rest of the day is ours. How about a nice long bike ride until you decide where we're going next?" He smiled. "Or if you already know where you want to go, tell me and I'll take the longest route possible."

Jason studied Katie's eyes in silence as his mind and heart tried to decide the right thing to do. He finally gave her hand a squeeze. "Okay." They knew her abilities were coming back - it was just a question of how quickly, and whether it would be enough to stabilize Jason.

"For now... we'll see how you progress, and I wouldn't mind picking Garret's brain." He leaned his head into the pillow and closed his eyes, feeling the weariness all the way to his bones. "And... If I get worse or yours isn't progressing... I'll let Rick try and stop mine again." He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and trying to relax. His emotions flowed in a very shallow stream to Katie, not enough to cause much difference, but enough to help keep the edge off, easing his headache at least for now.


Kirk's brow furrowed at Adison and he cocked his head. "If not Reese... Who should we be talking to?"


Clint cried out in pain as his wrench slipped inside the pickup engine. Withdrawing his arm and dropping the tool, he revealed a deep gash on his wrist that was bleeding quite well. A curse slipped out as he put pressure to the wound with his free hand. Already it hurt just to move his fingers. He couldn't afford to be one-handed right now. 

Pushing the door open with his shoulder, he walked quickly to Angel's office. His jeans, arms and face sported dirt and grease, proving the day had been a hard one. He managed to get inside the office, and by now the blood was running down his arm to mix with the filth. 

Spying Angel, he simply stood there lamely, his eyes betraying him as they revealed just how weary he felt. And, at the moment, in pain.