With the people clapping and shouting, he found his escape quite easy to perform and he slipped out of the banquet room. His feet led him down the hall and quietly into his room. The instant he found his bed, he collapsed onto the warm mattress and ran his hand over his face. Then he let out a deep sigh and his eyes drifted shut. The music from the banquet reached his ears still and he forced his mind to finally shut down.

He found himself running through the same sewer as always and he climbed the same ladder as always. When he stood in front of the door, he opened it and stopped in his tracks. The man looked at him and he nodded as he held his arm forward. A pain raced through his body and when it ended, he looked at his arm. Then he looked up at the man and found him walking away.

He followed after him and asked, "Is this the same as yours?"

The man nodded and said, "Just don't let me down."

His arm jerked and he opened his eyes with his sleep now ruined. He sat up and tried to register everything the dream had meant. It was the same as always. He stood in front of his father and took his mark before he woke every time. Then he heard the reason why he woke up.

The scream was hard on his nerves and he quickly found his father's weapon that he had stashed long ago. He made his way to the door and quickly stepped into the hall. The lights were all out and he had to wait in order for his eyes to adjust to the difference. When he could see, he quickly slipped down the hall and stopped when he saw the intruder. The man held her neck tightly and he looked quickly for any sign of the royal, but he only found him being restrained.

A low growl escaped his throat and he lined the weapon up with the intruder. When his mother winced in pain, he moved into action and cut the intruder down. The body hit the floor at his feet and he looked down at his mother. She turned her gaze to the right and the other intruders raised weapons. He growled again and aimed his weapon.

Someone chuckled and said, "You attack and the king here dies."

His brows tightened and he said, "Show yourself."

Maria looked at him and said, "Be careful."

He nodded and said, "Don't worry."

He heard a groan and turned his attention to his right to find someone with their knife shoved deep into his chest. His eyes tightened and he saw his mother run over to the fallen. She held onto him tightly and he saw them exchange looks before his eye fell closed. Then someone chuckled again and a gunshot echoed through the hall. When he looked at his mother, he found her watching him with her worry fear fully evident and he looked down at his stomach.

A red stain grew on his shirt and he stumbled just as he saw the knife slide across his mother's throat. She fell next to the king's body and he groaned as flames started to burn the corners of the hall. Smoke gave him a decent cover and he made his aching body move to the door. When he opened the door, he slipped into the nearby forest and collapsed next to a river. His upper body fell into the river and he lost himself into the darkness just as the castle exploded in the distance.

IJKL

The birds chirped of a disturbance and the local wildlife ran for safety within the depths of the forest. A twig snapped and she spun around just in time to see a buck charging straight for her. With a smirk, she grabbed a branch above her and pulled herself up out of harm's way. Once the buck was gone, she returned to the floor of the forest and let out a deep breath. When a trigger was set, she looked straight ahead of her and rolled her eyes.

The man stood as cocky as ever with his gun tilted slightly at her as he wore a stupid grin. He chuckled at her immediate attitude change and put his gun away while his feet slowly approached her. She looked away and he quickly snatched her waist. She almost screamed as he brought their bodies up against each other and then he rewarded her with one of his wonderful kisses. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he trailed kisses down her neck as his free hand traveled down to her hips.

She moaned as his hand started a massage on her hip and he nipped her lip. With a content sigh, she felt her body give up to him completely and her fingers slipped down his chest and looped around his belt loops.

Then she returned his playful game with a nip on his lip and growled, "We must stop."

He chuckled and said, "I will when we are both satisfied."

When she felt his lips on her cheek, she said, "I mean it, Buck."

His arm on her waist tightened and he growled, "Quit fighting this, Cas. You know you want me."

She jerked free and said, "Don't talk to me like that Buck."

His eyes flashed and she stepped away. Something disturbed the river nearby and she looked into the shadows. When she stepped into the darkness, her eyes adjusted quickly and then she saw the disturbance. The body was halfway under the water and she cautiously approached the running water. Her eyes noticed two bloodstains on the body's lower back and right shoulder.

She looked for the body's face and when she found it buried in the mud under the river, she quickly rolled the body over. With his face revealed, she quickly knelt in the stream and held his head on her knee as she wrapped her jacket around him. Since she wore warm and loose jackets, it fit the frozen body perfectly and she started to maneuver the body out of the stream. When her legs finally gave out on her, she fell back with the body next to her and she heard a hoarse moan come from the once more hidden face. She rolled the man onto his back and checked his pulse to see how stable he was.

A branch moved nearby and she looked up in time to see Buck watching her with his normal predator look. When his gaze landed on the man's disfigured face, she could see his face tighten in distaste and she rolled her eyes. Then she heard a painful gasp of air and she looked down at the man she held. His eyes remained closed, but from the strain his face held she could tell he was deep down the path of death. Her hand brushed his dark hair from his face and her hand was covered in rich blood.

Again she looked up and said, "Buck, please help me get him to the medic unit."

Buck sent another distasteful look to the man and said, "Fine."

Then he approached them and knelt down as she slipped an arm under his right arm. Buck took his left arm and they slowly began to lift the man up and moved him to the waiting jeep. When he was lying in the back of the jeep, she sat on the jeep floor tending to the wounds that she could work with and let Buck drive. Everytime he hit a bump, she sighed and barked for him to be more cautious. The instant she finished closing a laceration on the man's right arm, the jeep pulled up to the headquarters and the medic squad ran up to the back door.

She jumped out just before the man was moved onto a gurney and the doctor yelled, "Take it easy until I can examine this one!"

When the gurney disappeared, she let out a deep breath and heard, "You are one stubborn woman. I cannot believe this guy is still alive. Looks like he was on barely clinging to life."

She sighed and asked, "Can I just go to my room without you griping the whole time?"

His arm wrapped around her waist and he whispered, "You must remember that it is our room, Cas."

With a content sigh, she leaned back into him and said, "Since it is our room, I expect you to obey the rules like always.

He chuckled against her neck and said, "I will if I wish to."

She rolled her eyes and slowly headed into the headquarter's lobby. When she received her cardkey, she walked over to the stairwell and started the walk up to the fifth floor. The instant she found her complex, she swiped the cardkey and opened the door. Her hand placed the cardkey on the nearby table and she kicked off her shoes next to the closet. The door was shut and she let him kiss her on the cheek before she slipped away from him and quickly made her way into bathroom.

When she let out a deep sigh, she relaxed into the warm water around her aching body and closed her eyes. Hands started massaging her shoulders and she looked up to see him watching her. She rolled her eyes at his mischief and relaxed further into the water as his hands slid water over her back.

He kissed the top of her head and asked, "Feeling any better now, Love?"

She smiled and said, "Feeling good enough to climb into bed and maybe sleep."

He chuckled and said, "There's my girl."

His hands found hers and he lifted her up out of the protecting water. Her flannel shirt was instantly slipped onto her damp body and she let him brush her hair. When she found her shorts and panties nearby, she pulled free from him and finished dressing for bed. The instant her eyes fell on the bed, she sighed and collapsed on her side of the bed. Then she wrapped the covers around her and shifted until she found the right position for some sleep.

He slipped into bed right behind her and his arm rested over her waist. His lips trailed down her neck and she slowly looked over her shoulder. When she met his gaze, she ran a hand down his jaw and placed a kiss on his lips. Then he kissed her nose and she sighed contently and rolled over to face him.

When he looked directly at her, she shifted closer and asked, "What is it?"

His hand trailed down her face and he said, "You are just so remarkable. I still can't figure out why you chose me."

Then she smirked and said, "It wasn't that hard once you became a gentleman."

He chuckled and said, "Get some rest. You have a long day tomorrow."

With a sigh, she rested her head in the space between his shoulder and neck. Their hands became laced together and he kissed the top of her head. When she sighed, her eyes fell closed and he watched her slowly slip into a good night's sleep.

IJKL

His head pounded as if a knife was constantly ramming into his skull and he heard someone yelling. Slowly he forced his eyes opened and he found himself halfway under the river. Two hands pulled him up out of the water and he strained to see who was hanging over him. When his eyes came into focus, he found his old friend watching him with worry etched all over his face.

Then he heard, "Ty, I tried so hard to get there on time."

With pain racing through his body, he whispered, "You were not the one that failed to perform their responsibility, Ben."

Ben shook his head and said, "Do not blame yourself. Your mother died at the hands of a man out to gain revenge against your father."

His eyes fell closed and he whispered, "I could have save her though. I just stood there as Jerrold was killed."

Then a noise echoed throughout the wilderness and he felt Ben's supporting arm release him. His upper body returned to the cold water and he felt the darkness start to take over again. When the ground shook violently, the current increased rapidly and he was pulled off the bank. Then everything went black.

IJKL

With the monitor beeping out his vitals, the doctor placed the chart on a table and examined the last wound. Her hands uncovered his shoulder and she froze. A scar in the shape of a lion covered the upper bicep and she cautiously examined it. It seemed as if it was a scar deep within the skin and she let out a deep sigh. Then she cleaned the laceration running down his inner arm and started stitching it closed.

A muffled groan reached her ears and she looked down at the man. He was still lost somewhere in his subconscious and she knew better than to wake him. It could damage the slim chances of him ever fully recovering. Then the door opened and she looked up to see Casey watching her. The woman was remarkable when it came to acting on her feet, but sometimes she wondered if the woman actually cared if she was helping someone survive.

She studied the woman as Casey looked over the man on the examining table with a strange look. It wasn't everyday that Casey could be seen actually puzzled when she faced a problem. Then she checked his pulse and ran her eyes over his healing chest wounds. Finally her eyes found the scar on the man's arm and she looked up at the doctor.

The woman nodded and said, "I just found it. I wish I knew what it meant."

Casey examined the scar and said, "I've seen this before."

The doctor looked up at her and asked, "What do you think it means?"

She shrugged and said, "Give me today to look into it and I'll let you know first thing in the morning, Tam."

The woman smirked and said, "Can always count on you."

Casey met her look and said, "Yeah right. Maybe you should get out more often."

Then she turned and left the examining room. Tammy sighed and then finished cleaning and closing the man's wounds. When she finished stitching the last laceration on the man's right thigh, she dropped the needled into the trashcan and let out a deep sigh.

"This one must have been in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Then she turned the lights off and left the room. She walked to her office three rooms down and closed the door. When she collapsed into her chair, she pulled out a copy of the man's chart and recorded all found injuries and her recovery job. Her door opened and she reluctantly looked up. She rolled her eyes as she faced Buck and knew why he was here.

He leaned against the wall and asked, "Is he going to live?"

She leaned back into the chair and said, "I honestly don't know. The monitors show that he will, but he isn't responsive. Every once and a while a moan escapes from him."

Buck sighed and said, "Just great. Please tell me that Casey isn't helping out with this one."

Slowly she met his gaze and said, "She volunteered her services and no way am I going to turn her experience down."

He growled and said, "Fine. Jeff can change her mind."

When the door was slammed shut, she ran a hand over her face and mumbled, "Jeff doesn't even have that kind of disrespect for her."

Her phone rang and she slowly picked it up. When she heard Casey on the other end, she knew the woman had come through with some news and quickly left her office. She ran to the man's room and closed the door behind her. Then she turned around and found Casey watching her from behind the man.

She approached the man and asked, "What did you find?"

Casey pulled out a piece of paper and said, "Look at this."

Tammy studied the sketch she had drawn to the scar on the man's arm. Then she looked at the information at the bottom of the paper. When she looked up, she met Casey's gaze and then looked down at the man.

Then she said, "I can't imagine him being a survivor of Chris's gang."

Casey sighed and said, "He isn't. He's way too young."

Tammy looked straight at her and asked, "Do you think he knows Chris though? What if he's Chris's legacy?"

She rolled her eyes and said, "Highly doubt it. Chris wouldn't have let himself be found when he was this injured.""

With a sigh, she said, "I suppose you're right. I guess we'll just have to wait until he wakes to find out anything about him."

Casey shook her head and said, "You can, but I'm going to start looking now."

Then she took the sketch back and walked to the door. She slipped her jacket on and quickly left the room. Tammy shook her head and looked back down at the man on the table.

"He's way too young to have been involved with Chris, but still."

PGS