2313-18

The wind still rustled the leaves threateningly, the branches still squeaking in protest. The chill in the air so foreign for the season. The ground covered in melting hail, moved around by the lingering blasts, scraping the silvery ice droplets against the walls. Getting heavier and moving slower as the temperature rose, changing color from a frozen white into a bluer watery shade. It was an oddly beautiful sight, but the sound sent chills down Ike's spine.

He crouched and gripped the ice with his hand, taking a handful and looking at it melting rapidly in the heath of his palm. Water starting to run down his wrist as the sky lightened into a dusky summer's sky again. He looked up at Buck wondering. His friend looked back at him, his face blank. "Is it coming back around" Ike asked silently, knowing Buck wouldn't hear the words but instead get the meaning.

Buck shrugged and Ike turned his eyes back to the melting ice around his feet. This time the water that ensure life had come back to claim their crop, showing the power it still held over them. Despite all their efforts. Reminding them they still were part of a grander whole, a system they had almost managed to destroy by constantly trying to manipulate it. And maybe now the system was back to get them. Force them back inside to the cupolas, where they would do less harm. Remind them not to ever be secure out here but to remain what they indeed were, particles in a system that went respected. He shrugged at the notion of nature having its own mind, a vengeful mind, thought and emotions like his own. It wasn't like that, he knew that full well, still he was angry, angry that the storm still prevented him from getting in touch with Emily. He remain crouched, Buck at his side.

Please Emem, say something, he thought into the EA, but the answer was still absent. His thoughts echoed unanswered back to him. Lou's legs appeared by his side and he looked up at her, sensing her annoyance, wondering of its source. "Where's Kid?"

The question seemed natural to him, the two of them belonged, just like he and Emily. But she pouted her mouth at him and he rose to stand beside her. "Oh, is that the way the wind is blowing now?" he teased her, knowing he had guessed her mood. "What he do now?"

Lou smiled wryly at his words; "he do nothing as usual, he tending to the horses...or something."

"Oh shut up Ike!" Lou giggled, Ike always took her mind off things, joshing her into a silly mood. She nudged his side playfully, grateful for his teasing. She trusted Ike to talk when appropriate and hold his tongue when not. But she instinctively turned her head as the door behind them swung on its hinges.

Amanda's wide grin melted away the moment she stepped out of the barn, her pace slowed and she came to a standstill in front of the door. Slowly she shut the door behind her, stepping over the branches in front of her, kicking the smaller twigs out of her way. Then she raised her head and looked over the yard and finally to the house. "Came right over us did it?" she asked.

Jimmy launched himself out the door and stepped up behind Amanda, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. But then he stopped and looked around, his hand coming up to rest on her shoulder. "If we woulda been....."

"We were incredibly lucky," Teaspoon said, "let's hope everyone was. The communications up yet?"

Ike shook his head and Lou looked up at him, smiling reassuringly. "She'll be fine Ike, I know it, she's just worried sick about you, I know I would be."

Teaspoon bent down to pick up a painted wooden stick, probably a window frame from somewhere. Somewhere where they had not been as lucky. He watched the wooden piece thoughtfully, moving it around in his hands as if to assess its origin. Maybe waiting for it to tell a tale?

Then he let the piece fall from his hands and turned to them. "You know one time, we feared outer space and other civilizations. Huge plans were made and institutions were established to fight those we thought were evil. Everyone looked into the sky, wondering when the attach was gonna hit us. All were convinced other races must be as deathly as we were at that time. People told tales about being abducted into strange vessels, experiments being performed on them, first it was told the women where forced to carry the aliens' progeny, then as science progressed, it turned to the abductees being cloned."

Teaspoon looked over the congregation. "The poor aliens were painted out as the devil, but oddly they only performed acts barely outside our reach. Miracles we were able to phantom. What was known to human science, seasoned somewhat, but still... No one ever thought that if in fact there were others, more intelligent races out there, they certainly wouldn't behave in the senseless way they were described to behave. They were far too human in their antics to be believable, far too like us. An intelligent race would never stoop into destroying a functional system, not like we did. All in the name of progress. And if they were that highly developed, what would force them to come here trying to get this dirty little planet? Why would they need to conquer at all? An intelligent race would explore and try to understand, yes, but destroy, I don't think so. That feature seems to be human, and human alone. We project our fears and our shame and guilt onto somebody else, because we can't face the fact that what we have to fear is ourselves, and....."

"Amanda," Teaspoon groaned, "I was just coming to the important part! What I'm saying is..."

Amanda jumped over the fallen branches to get up to the man. "Oh Teaspoon, what you need is a hot cup of cafs and a cookie. You always get grumpy when you're hungry. Come on old man, if you're real nice I'll let you have two cookies." She framed Teaspoon's face with her hands and smiled at him, titling her head to the side.

Teaspoon chuckled and pinched her nose tenderly. "Amanda, it's not fair. You know that ever since you was little you wrapped me around a finger."

"That," she turned and hooked her arm around his, starting for the house, "was because you stories were all so weird, had to shut you up somehow. Gave me nightmares, Spooney!"

Emma turned to them and smiled, "fancy that! I'm amazed, I was fearing another monologue. And aliens? Where did that come from?"

"Sometimes I wonder if he ain't one," Jimmy muttered, "maybe he was trying to tell us something?"

"Oh, he will," Noah grumped, "it'll come, I feel it in my bones, it's just around the corner! When we at least expect it...."

"...it'll hit us like a brick wall," Cody filled in. "Noah? You still got them earplugs?"

"Come on," Rachel laughed and hooked her arms around Emma's and Noah's. "It's just you men gettin' grumpy from the lack of food."

Lou laughed and shook her head, looking over her shoulder to see where Kid was at. He still wasn't out of the barn. Then her EA started to hum.

Ike hugged her reflexively and she turned her face to his. He was smiling and nodding, lost to the world. Behind her Jimmy started talking. And the voice of her mother finally reached through to her.

"I'm fine Ma," she assured the frantic voice that reached her, "no worries, I'm fine."

She made her way back into the barn, shaking her head at herself, he had done it again. Waited her out, having her degrade herself to go back and search for him. Mentally she kicked herself for doing what she was doing, but she couldn't stop herself. As soon as he was out of sight she needed him back. A need he obviously didn't share. And it infuriated her, couldn't he just for once be after her? Yeah and when he does touch you, you curse at him!

She shrugged at her own incoherent behavior, listening into the barn as a muffled voice reached her. "Kid?" she asked, "where the hell are ya? Come on inside already, everyone is waitin' on ya!" But not me, no no no. Never go thinking I missed ya!

Katy's head turned in her direction a moment before Kid's popped up in the same stall. Right where I thought I'd find you, she smirked. "What ar'ya doin?"

At the rolling of her eyes his voice trailed off and he flashed her an impish remorseful smile, fiddling with the bottle. "I'm sorry Lou."

"Stop with the 'I'm sorry's' already. I...," she paused for a moment, not knowing how to put it without putting herself out on the line too. "I don't know what came over me, didn't mean to ...well, you know. I'm sorry too. I'm not used to people worryin' and fuzzin' over me, that's all. I am actually able to take care of myself."

He tossed another shy smile at her and stepped out, cleaning his hands on the pants. Putting the liniment to rest up against the wall. Keeping his eyes on the floor. "Okay Lou," he spoke silently, never looking at her. Standing still at the stall door, like he didn't know what to say or do next.

Lou decided to save the situation. "The communications are up, ain't there someone you need to get in touch with?" She tried to look innocent but she truly wanted to know who and where Kid called when he called 'home'. "You can borrow mine!" she offered. A perfect solution, she'd have to remain with him and listen in if he used hers no?

Something in his gaze told Lou he wasn't avoiding her question but really speaking the truth. A dull sorrow flashing in his eyes, taking her breath away as she sensed the pain her question brought him. For a brief moment his control seemed to fail him.

"What happened?" She asked in an intake of breath, her hand automatically reaching out for him.

"Yeah." He nodded, standing close to her, watching her eyes. Clearly uncomfortable with the topic, "I grew up with an aunt, but she's on another continent right now. So there's really no-one Lou."

She looked at him, not able to comprehend how it would feel to be that alone. He didn't seem sad about it, but rather resigned. Like it was something he had to survive. Being alone.

"How could you," Kid smiled down at her, "it's all right Lou, it's not a big deal."

She looked at him with new eyes, he was different than what she had imagined. Somehow she had figured he'd be a part of a large family, loved and spoiled. The pride of a clan, the brave pioneer whose picture circled at family gatherings while wild tales were spun.

"I want you to call me Kid," she spoke into his chest, holding onto him. "Whatever happens to you Kid, I want you to call me."

Lou closed her eyes and saw a five year old Kid before her, his sad eyes looking into hers. A little boy lost in the world, no one there to take his calls. She fought to force the tears back. "Call me," she spoke anew into his shirt, "you gotta promise me that."

Lou buried her face into the shirt; "Good," she whispered, refusing to let go of him. He was so warm to her touch, the steadiness in him relaxed her instantly. That calm strength he possessed, covering the passion she'd seen brief glimpses of calling out to her, partly because it was so different from her own swinging emotions. Partly because right now she needed that strength and control, it made her feel safe. Trust, a notion she was rather foreign to. They rested there and shared each others warmth. Lou felt her eyelids grow heavy and her body's weariness started to weigh on her. If she wouldn't have had to stay on her feet she would have fallen asleep. She mumbled when she felt her muscles slowly relax, feeling absolutely secure in his hold.

With a chuckle Kid lifted her up in his arms; "Lou, sweetie, you're starting to snore."

Lou laughed with her nose pressed to his neck. "You always do this Kid, carry me to bed. Should I take this as an implication?"

He grunted as he tried to get them both out the door without losing his grip on her. Then he awkwardly tried pushing the door shut behind him. Lou extended a foot and kicked it close.

The cool air outside had her hide her face in the warmth. Holding on to him for dear life. The laughter bubbling in her. "You haven't seen half of what I can do yet," she retaliated.

She closed her eyes and let him carry her like she were a child. Happy to be with him, happy to do anything with him. "Kid," she mumbled. "Whatever you think, there's no boyfriend or such. Just so you know. In case you wanna know. I mean...never mind ...whatever."

"Huh?" Kid asked again, the wind making her mumbles just soft puffs of air against his skin. He didn't quite get what she was saying, at least he couldn't be sure. What he thought he was hearing made his heart leap. He stopped before the front door, his heart pounding loudly from the emotions she stirred up in him. "Want me to carry you all the way to bed?"

Lou wriggled herself out of his hold. He laughed softly as she squirmed in his hold, inching down to get her feet to the ground. Never losing eye-contact with him. Yes I want you to carry me to bed Kid, don't make me beg. Don't make me wait much longer, I just can't stand it. When her feet touched ground she leaned her head on his shoulder, smiling back at him. His hand came to caress her cheek, the smell of horse-liniment having her wrinkle her nose in disgust..

"You and your horses," she giggled, freeing herself from his arms. Wiping her nose and turning to drag him inside, the enchantment broken by the sobering stench. "Go get a shower!"

"What? You don't like my cologne? And I had it specially made for you," he made a morose face in her direction, having her laugh at him.

"Katy may love it, you been around horses too long and too much," she teased while they squeezed themselves through the front door.

Teaspoon was eyeing them from the kitchen. Sternly. Noah behind him, casting them warning glances.

"You two, get yourselves into the shower and then scoot down here. We're sleeping downstairs, Buck says there's no guarantee that the storm won't come back. Bring blankets!"

She glanced over at Kid, the man looked dead guilty, and she rejoiced in the implication. Maybe he wasn't immune after all? "C'mon Kid," she giggled for the umpteenth time this day. Chuckling at his guilty face, dragging him up the stairs and pushing him inside the bathroom.

Teaspoon followed the pair with his eyes until they were out of sight. Then he turned to Noah with a crooked smile. "You're right son, it is a worthy sport. What'd you call it?"

"Embarrass the hell outta Kid and Lou," Noah grinned. "They're trying so hard not to let it show, the HuRec rules and all, ya know..."

"I wouldn't report anybody for being human Noah, would you?" The man peered at him.

"Nope," Noah admitted shamefully, knowing he had been altering their PEA readings not to stir up suspicions. And not only theirs.

Noah felt the blood rush to his face as he remain staring at Teaspoon walking back into the room to get more wood for the fire place.

Upstairs Kid rested his forehead against the cool mirror. He desperately needed a cold shower and the strength to stay away from Louise. He was still able to sense her in his arms, her small form clasped to him. He tried so hard to keep his distance, so hard. But he seemed to drift to her relentlessly. He seemed unable to keep away. His hands gripped the basin hard as he tried to calm his pounding heart. He wasn't sure he'd be able to stay just friends with her, he wanted more of her than that. But did she really want more of him? Was it just her way of teasing him, because she knew how he felt? The need to kiss her and make her his was so intense he never saw or heard anything but her when she was around. And even when she wasn't. And it was getting harder and harder to conceal it.

You gotta stay away, you fool, you gotta stay away from her! For her own goddamned sake, keep away!

He opened his eyes and looked down on his own hands, the knuckles whitening from his hard grip on the porcelain. Don't do this to her! The memories flickering in his mind once again. Guilt and remorse pestering him. However much he tried to reason with himself that it wasn't gonna happen again, the guilt never ceased to remind him that it just might. And it scared him out of his wits.

But something in the back of his mind told him he had no choice but to love her. Whatever she wanted from him he'd give it to her, he knew that. It was too late to turn back, now he had to guard her with his life.

Teaspoon watched his protégés roaming into the room, one by one. All tired to their bones. Cody slumped down at Ike's side, a plate of biscuits in his lap. He exchanged a look with Buck on the other side of Ike and blinked his left eye exaggeratedly. Buck grinned and nodded. Ike still was immersed in the hour-long silent conversation that made his face lit up. Buck had steered him inside from the yard, explaining to them not to expect anything from his friend. He was literally in another world, wrapped up in a long-distance thought-exchange.

Teaspoon grinned at the thought of the power women held over men. Jimmy and Amanda were hauling another divan to the room, and yes, he had seen the hand on her shoulder. Even though Teaspoon felt he had no right to interfere, Amanda still felt like a daughter and he would wring Jimmy's neck if he hurt her. But knowing Amanda it probably meant that Jimmy would be the one licking his wounds. He'd have to have a talk with the young man, for his own sake. He was not as though as he let out. The volatile temper the young man flashed from time to time reminded him of himself in his youth. Luckily he had grown out of it. With luck, so would Jimmy. He had seen a lot of changes in the young man since he came here, gone were the constant fights with the vet, it was only occasionally the two of them clashed together any longer. And it seemed more amicable than before. Knowing their past had made him very aware of the difficulties that might arise having the two of them in the same team. But they had grown into assets, their shared history had overcome their animosity.

Jimmy and Amanda were entailed in a tug of war over a blanket, his niece chuckling happily. They'd make a fine pair, Amanda loved to have some man she was able to test her strength with, Teaspoon knew Jimmy was a match. Amanda tired easily if she found no opposition. But he truly suspected neither of them would ever settle down. Both had too much of adventure in their blood.

Emma walked in with a tray of hot drinks and admonished them both. Teaspoon smiled at the young woman's voice, she was scolding her children. And her children obeyed. Panting they sat down together, sharing the blanket. He grunted thankfully at her when she offered him the hot drink. Sam tagging after her with the bread basket, truly wrapped around her little finger. Teaspoon had to stifle a laugh at the sight. Sam Cain, the second in charge was under Emma's orders right now, and he looked perfectly happy. Women! he thought, always exerting that power they have, the glue that held them all together. Love.

"Roll up your sleeve old man," Rachel's voice woke him from his reveries, holding the Invitae out she bobbed her head to have him hurry up.

"Yeah right," Rachel smiled, "that's what wrong with you men, you know it has to be done and still you keep protesting."

"Ah, too deep into fridge again," she smiled. "It's gonna be the death of you yet."

"I'd rather die happily with a piece of bacon between my teeth than live to be a hundred and fifty on an asparagus," he admitted.

"Gross," Emma let out from the other side of the room. "Is it time for veggy-meal for Mr. Spoon, Rach?"

Teaspoon glared at them both, he'd have to find a way to manipulate that thing. Glancing up at Noah's amused grin he knew he wouldn't find a collaborator in the doc. "Noah?" he still had to try, "tell'em my cholesterol is perfectly normal, in fact I think it's too low and needs to be increased, right?"

Rachel pinched Noah in the side and shoved him to the divan, Noah looked apologetically at him, signing he really had nothing to say in front of the health-committeé.

Teaspoon shook his head sadly in his direction as Noah was pushed down on the sofa and forced to roll up his sleeve. Smitten, him too. Not to be reckoned with, few of his men were in fact, most of them were under the influence of some woman.

"Huh?" Emma asked, inching down at Sam's side on the couch next to the fireplace, "what you talking 'bout Teaspoon?"

"Nothin'." Teaspoon waved the protests away, seeing that now was his golden opportunity. "I have a question to you all. Seeing as we're invited to join the Blue Creek socials next weekend I was wondering who will sign up to stay here and watch the place? Ike and Buck are going to visit their homeburghs, so they're out of commission. Buck, can you get Ike off that EA for a minute or two?"

Ike looked like he was waking up from a very pleasant dream when Buck nudged him hard. Angrily he swatted Buck's hand away.

"Ike! You've been on the thing for an hour and a half, enough already. Em! He needs to work." Buck shouted the last part near Ike's ear.

Teaspoon cleared his throat, "okay boys and girls, who is volunteering to stay back? Uh Amanda and Jimmy, you'll be holding up the peace and calm in Sweetwater anyhow so don't bother."

"Looks like there's not many to choose from right," Cody chuckled, "coz' I'm not staying either. There's only one logical pair to leave behind, huh?"

Lou appeared in the doorway, her eyes rapidly scanning the room. Combing through the hair with her fingers, "where's Kid?"

"Oh shut up," Lou muttered and shoved herself down at Noah's side. "What's going on?" she asked in his direction.

"Oh, here he comes," Cody chirped, having Kid stop dead in his tracks at the threshold.

"What?" Kid asked, casting a glance around the room, exactly like Lou had. Finding her curled up at Noah's side he smiled involuntary.

Lou crept closer to the armrest, freeing a spot for him. Answering Noah's amused glance with a murdering one.

Rachel handed her the Invitae, "it's just Cody being silly," she said softly, "never mind them. Kid come over here, I gotta check you out too!"

"What's goin' on?" Kid asked Lou while Rachel was examining the results. "You okay Lou?"

Lou glared at him, he was probably referring to her blushing cheeks. "I'm fine," she snorted. "But Cody won't be when I'm through with him."

Gratefully she took it, realizing she had forgotten all about it. Kid wrapped it around her and she smiled into his blue's. A theatrical moan was heard from the other side. She looked up around the room and found them all smiling teasingly at her. She muttered and curled herself up into a ball, her back to Kid. Not believing them, exposing her like this on front of Teaspoon and all! Noah's soft chuckles stopped when Rachel pinched him hard.

Teaspoon chuckled and extended his legs. "Okay folks when you're done giving them a hard time, there's actually serious matters to be discussed."

Lou looked up at him, fearing for a moment the discussion would focus on her and the Kid.

Sam moved forward on the couch he was sitting on, resting his elbows on his knees he nodded. "Teaspoon's right, you better listen up."

Teaspoon shot him a grateful glance. "As you've probably noticed, HuRec's not to be trusted."

"What Amanda told us about the hut and the last days' events has convinced us. There's no way we can trust the organization any longer. You've all heard the rumors," he looked around the room. Meeting with the eyes directed at him. "It seems there's some truth in them too. They must have known about the weather about to hit section 22 and us. Still they gave the warning far too late."

Sam rose to shut the light out, leaving them all in the flickering light from the fire. "What I'm saying is we still depend on them, but we can't trust them."

"All we have is each other," Teaspoon continued. "Until we find out what is going on, that's all we really have."

The silence grew in the room. The only sound was the burning fire, the flames casting shadows on the wall as they danced veiled in yellow and orange. The red brace pulsating like a heart. Transfixed by the beauty Lou scooted closer to Kid. The semi-darkness enfolding them. Kid groaned and moved to position his legs on the stool in front of him, having her slide into his lap.

Noah made some snide remark that it suited him right for tormenting them all earlier.

She chuckled, trying in vane to placate her mirth, Kid mumbled in response and Lou was again overwhelmed with the feeling that this had happened before. She knew full well she hadn't ever been curled up on a divan with her head resting on Kid's shoulder, teasing him. But somewhere deep inside of her she felt a memory echoing, like this had happened before. It felt like an age-old habit of theirs, like this was how they had spent their nights, cuddled up on a sofa, watching the fire.

Without taking her eyes off the burning fire she rested her head against his chest, his heart softly drumming against her ear. She was too tired to even ponder on Teaspoon's words, the steady beat of his heart filled her mind and her eyes drifted shut. Like from a far she heard them speaking softly, discussing in low voices. Even that felt oddly familiar, but she couldn't get a clear recollection, just a vague emotion of recognition. Seemed so far away somehow, yet eerily close, just under the surface. But it seemed to slip further when she tried to catch it. But the sense of affinity remained, like she knew him and always had, just like he seemed to know her. Not her history or where exactly she came from. That didn't seem to matter. He just knew her, like she knew the rhythm of his heart.

Grunting she protested when he wrapped the blanket tighter around her, breaking her musings, his arm coming around to hold her. His breath fanning her hair as he moved to cover her, making her lose the heartbeat. As he settled she pressed her ear up to his chest again, catching the calming slow rhythm, feeling her own heart answer, falling in to beat with his. Like it had been doing so for centuries.

|Prologue||Chapter 1||Chapter 2||Chapter 3||Chapter 4||Chapter 5||Chapter 6||Chapter 7||Chapter 8||Chapter 9||Chapter 10|
|Chapter11||Chapter 12||Chapter 13||Chapter 14||Chapter 15||Chapter 16||Chapter 17||Chapter 18||Chapter 19|