Bobby and Elly had woken early. Elly was feeling in need of a few minutes of privacy. 
"I'm going to get some water and wash up a little you'll stay up here right?"

"Oh, yeah sure no problem." Bobby nodded. 

Elly walked down to the stream, she filled her water bottle then got her washing things
set, she pulled her jacket and shirts off and quickly began to wash, she was feeling a little
grimy after almost three days out on the trail. 

Darien was heading towards a stream he could hear, but hadn't spotted yet. He finally                    
pushed through the undergrowth, he was exhausted but he didn't think he was so far
gone that he should be seeing things. But he was seeing things, because what else 
could possibly explain the sight he was seeing. A beautiful naked woman at the side of
the stream. 

'Pull yourself together Fawkes, you can't lose it now.' Darien shook his head and looked 
again. That was when the beautiful woman looked up. She saw him, and covered herself.

"Hi," Darien lifted a hand to this vision and waved, grinning.  

"Oh my God, is your name Darien Fawkes?" Elly was shocked he'd gotten so close to her 
with out her hearing him coming. 

"Yeah, of course and you're the beautiful Indian maiden right?" 

"Bobby hurry up and get down here!" Elly yelled, as she pulled her shirt over her head. 

"Don't get dressed on my account." Darien was still grinning.

Bobby heard her yell and was moving in two seconds. He'd pulled his weapon just in case,
and came at full speed down the trail coming to a sliding halt only twenty feet across the
stream from his partner. 

"Fawkes, are you alright?" 

"You mean I'm not dreaming?... Yeah, just hungry. Man am I glad to see you." Darien was still staring at Elly. 

She'd managed to get dressed, or at least partly dressed with Darien staring at her. 

He wasn't what she was expecting, he was very handsome for one thing and young. 

"What happened? Did he just leave you out here or did you escape?" Bobby asked, 
he'd looked over at Elly several times, but she'd been covered by the time he'd arrived
so he was satisfied she was fine. 

Darien blinked a few times and moved to cross the stream. "Yeah this Earl guy he tied me
up and forced marched me up here and then just left me here. Said I could find my own 
way out if I just kept moving north." 

"You okay? You know with everything?" Bobby hinted about the quicksilver madness.

"Yeah, but the sooner we get back to the Agency and visit the Keeper." Darien showed
Bobby his monitor. 

"Yeah, the boss was worried about you so I think he sent her up here to be ready when
we found you." Bobby told him. 

"Great then call her in, lets get this done." 

"Ah, we still have to hike out guys. But it shouldn't take as long, if we keep up a good pace
I can have us back to the Ranger area by tomorrow early morning." Elly spoke up. 

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;

Earl and Reba were staking out the drop off site, the money had been left the night before 
but they were playing it very carefully. It was a busy area, cars coming and going, people
walking past at all times of the day. They had chosen the drop site with care, they weren't
about to lose the ransom money by picking it up to soon. 

" I still say you should just go on over there and get it. If you leave it to long someone is 
bound to find it." Earl complained. 

"No, I'm the one the thought up this plan and we are going to do it my way." Reba 
punched him in the arm. 

"Okay, okay stop hitting me." 

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Dr. Keeply we've just received notice that they found your men. They are on the way out."
Officer Withers joined them at the Ranger station. 

"Is there any chance of us getting out into the field closer to where they are?" Claire asked worried
about Darien.

"No ma'am it's hard to tell where Elly will bring them out of the woods. It's best we wait for them."

Eberts looked worried, if Claire was worried then things must not be as hopeful as they appeared.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Elly and Bobby broke camp quickly, Elly attemped to call in on her radio but she knew at this
range it wouldn't have a strong signal. They were to far up and out for the small radio.

"Man I'm starved do you guys have anything I could eat?" Darien was standing off to the side
watching as they gathered together the few things in camp and put out the fire. 

Elly dug in her backpack for the last few food items they had. She handed Darien one of the 
energy bars and passed him one of the water bottles. 

"Thanks even this tastes good." Darien ripped open the wrapper and took a huge bite, chewing 
and smiling at the same time. 

Elly grinned and shook her head, and finished drowning the fire. She never left a campsite without
being sure her fire was dead. 

Bobby was rolling up the sleeping bag, he'd been in the middle of trying to wrangle it back into it's
stuff sac when Elly had yelled. She made it look so easy, but it was slippery nylon and not easy to
keep in place while you tried to get hold of the next part to add to the bag. 

Darien was watching Elly and Hobbes, he was very happy they had found him. If Claire was near by
then he was hopeful that he wouldn't experience quick silver madness again. 

"Okay gentlemen, let's get back down the mountain." Elly stood up pulling her pack on in one fluid
motion and locking the waist band around her middle.   

"I'm ready, lead the way." Bobby shouldered the sleeping bag and motioned for Darien to take the
position between him and Elly. Bobby wasn't about to take his eyes off of Darien for even a second
now that they had found him. 

Darien was still chewing and smiling. He slouched off after Elly, very happy this nightmare was just
about over. 

They hiked all day, stopping for a few  short breaks every few hours. But Elly understood there was
a urgent health reason to get Darien back to clivization so she was pushing the pace. 

"How are you feeling now Mr. Fawkes? Do you need a break?" She asked mid day as they continued
down the mountain. 

"I'm Okay," Darien replyed, " Call me Darien, you saved my life I think we can be on a first name basis." 

Bobby moved up, " We explained to her about your need for a shot every so often." He said quietly,
"How is your head?" 

"So far so good." Darien understood Bobby's concern, he wouldn't want to be around himself, 
quicksilver mad after what had happened the last time.    

"Good, I'm sure the Doc is waiting for us, hang in there Partner." 

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Alright guys it's getting late, I think we need to set up camp, it should only take a few hours tomorrow
to reach the ranger station." Elly stopped and set her pack down. 

"There's no way we could keep going?" Bobby asked.

"Darien how are you feeling?" She was willing to consider hiking in the dark if they really had to do so.

"Tired and hungry." 

" Then I think we need to make camp. He needs rest." Elly nodded. 

"I'll gather some wood, Fawkes you sit down and stay put." Bobby ordered. 

"Don't  worry now that we've stopped I'm feeling really sleepy." Darien sank to a sitting position
on the ground beside a large tree. 

" Do you have low blood sugar? Do you feel weak or just tired?" Elly moved to Darien's side and
looked him over carelfully. 

"Tired, we walked a long way today, even if it was mostly down hill." 

"Here eat this, it should help stabilize your energy level." She gave him yet another energy bar and
also a zip lock bag with some dried fruit. 

Bobby returned with a good selection of wood and Elly built the camp fire. 

"You Okay there Fawkes?" Bobby knelt down beside his friend. 

"Yeah, want some fruit?" Darien offered Bobby the small bag. 

"No, I'm good you eat that. It'll help you keep your strength up."
Bobby stood and went over to talk to Elly. "I think he's okay, just not used to so much physical activity."

" Here we have nuts for dinner and some dry fruit." Elly offered him a snack.

Bobby accepted a handful of nuts, but he was worried that Darien would need the food worse than 
he did, especially in the morning. "Save him something for the morning." 

"I have one more energy bar, I'm sure he's as tired of them as I am, but it's all that's left." 

"I think I'll sit watch tonight, Fawkes need to sleep." 

"I was thinking the same thing, he should have the sleeping bag. We can take turns using that small blanket  
he's been carrying." Elly nodded. 

Darien didn't protest their decission he wrapped up in the sleeping bag and was out like a light. 

Elly curled up in the blanket and drifted off an hour  later making Bobby promise to wake her for
her turn on watch. She was awakened by thunder a little after midnight. 

The rain started a few minutes later, Elly herded them under a large pine tree, it was good cover and
only a few rain drops got through. In an entire forest of trees, taking shelter under one of many wasn't
to risky. The wind came up, and they all huddled together out of the rain. Elly was damp from her
rush to gather the few things out of the rain. She was a little cold once the wind started. Darien was
shivering the sleeping bag having gotten soaked quickly. Bobby seemed comfortable. 

"You shold put on something dry." Bobby nodded towards her pack. 

"I do have a shirt I could change into, but nothing to offer you or Darien." Elly felt terrible that she only
had the one change of clothes. 

" I have an idea," Bobby said and carefully removed his jacket, then the sweater then his chambry shirt.
 "Fawkes get those wet things off and put these on. " Bobby handed him the shirt and sweater. 
That left him with his tee shirt and jacket. 

"Hobbes I don't want your clothes, I'll be fine." He said thru chattering teeth. 

"Do it now, it's my job to keep you healthy." Bobby glared at his partner. 

Elly moved to the other side of the tree and changed into her dry shirt, but she was still feeling
chilled. Bobby was standing arms crossed keeping his body heat in as best as he could. 

Darien's teeth had already stopped chattering, and he was falling back to sleep leaning against
the trunk of the tree. 

"If we all lean together, it will help keep each other warm." Elly suggested. 

"You're almost as cold as he is, why didn't you say something?" Bobby scolded her. 

"Darien is the one we have to worry about." Elly commented. 

"Here let me, ... ah I'm not cold... my Mom's side of the family." Bobby was about to offer her his
jacket. 

"No, please don't take your jacket off. If you let me lean against you a little, I can soak up your
body heat." Elly felt foolish, but she was cold. She hadn't been caught in a late rain storm like
this in years. 

Bobby opened his arms and she moved into his embrace. He was nice and warm it was hard to
understand how he could be warm when both she and Darien were chilled. 

"You always this warm?" Elly snuggled into his body, slipping her arms around his lower chest
and up between the jacket and his shirt.    

Bobby swallowed reminded himself to behave and closed his arms around her slim body. 
"Yeah," He wanted to add it was his heritage or something, but he was afraid to talk with her
tucked into his embrace. 

"I could sure get used to this." Elly sighed and rested her cheek against his chest. 

Bobby was thinking he could to, that is having her in his arms. " If you can get some sleep."

It was three hours later, the rain had stopped and the sun was starting to lighten the eastern sky. 
Elly moved in Bobby's embrace, "Um thank you, it wans't deep sleep but it was nice. I've never
had my own personal heat sorce before." 

She moved her arms from around him slowly, then eased back from him. 
"The rain stopped about an hour ago." Bobby told her. "Your welcome. I'm going to go..."

"I'll see if I can get a fire started." Elly searched for some dry wood, and had a small fire
going by the time Bobby was back from  his pee break.

"Fawkes you awake there buddy?" 

"Yeah, man this ground is hard." Darien stretched lifting his hands over his head, pulling the 
sweater up to reveal his taunt abdomen as he did so. Elly noticed, but she only admired. 
She was much to caught up with her attraction to Bobby to care that Darien was a hunk and a half.

Bobby saw her reaction to his partner's innocent stretching session. Thought he wished Elly would
look at him like that, then remembered she had, several times over the past few days. He'd been
the one to tell her it wasn't possible. 

" Do I smell coffee?" Bobby blinked and looked over to the fire again. 

"Yes, there is enough for one cup each I think." Elly smiled. 

"Your are an my hero." Darien said as he stumbled forward from under the tree. 

Elly handed him a tin cup of hot coffee. Then poured a second one and handed it to
Bobby. 
"You first." He nodded. 
"No you first you've been up all night, and you kept me warm." she insisted. 
Bobby accepted the hot coffee and took a sip, "Oh, yeah that hits the spot thank you." 

Darien was savioring his mug full, and watching his partner. Hobbes had kept her warm
last night, what had he missed when he'd gone back to sleep?
Bobby looked tired, three days of stubble on him was almost half a beard. Darien just had
a little darkness around his chin. But the way Elly was smiling at Hobbes, he missed
something. 

Elly was staring at Bobby but after sleeping in his arms, she just couldn't help herself. 

They hiked out Elly called in their location as soon as the radio was in range of the
ranger station. 

Claire and Eberts  were waiting for the trio when they came out of the woods. 

"Darien I have a shot ready, how are you feeling?" She rushed to his side. 

"My head is starting to hurt but my monitor still reads two green." 

"Agent Hobbes good work." Eberts greeted him.

"It was all Elly's doing I just followed her." Bobby gave her the credit. 

"Thank you Miss Red Horse." Eberts turned towards Elly.

"You're welcome, glad we found him all in one piece." 

Claire had guided Darien over to sit on the back of the SUV and she was just done
giving him his counteragent injection. 

"Bobby thank you for rescuing him. Are you alright?" Claire was noticing his three day
growth of beard and rumpled clothes. 

"Yeah, I just need a few hours of sleep."  

"Agent Hobbes, there was a report of a couple being picked up for speeding who resisted arrest
late last night. I believe it is the man you were looking for." 

"Did he tell where they were hiding Mrs. Wellmen?" 

"I believe Earl made a full confession." Eberts smiled. 

"Alright now we can go home." Darien moved over to low five his partner. 
"I've had enough of the woods to last me a long time." 

They all piled into the SUV and Officer Withers  offered to drop Elly off near her dad's place
on the way back to the station. 

"Fawkes that sweater I gave you is Elly's." Bobby remembered when they pulled up to a stop
at the end of the trail for her father's cabin. 

"Oh sure, and thank you for rescuing me." Darien turned in the seat and smiled at Elly.
He handed the sweater to Bobby who was climbing out to say good bye to Elly. 

"If you are ever back up this way give me a call I'd like to see you." Elly told him. 

"Same here if you are ever down near San Diego... Elly I ..."

" I'll keep in touch, thanks for sharing the hike with me." She touched his cheek with the palm
of her hand then turned towards the trail home. 

"Let's go." Bobby climbed back into the Ranger truck.

Darien was about to say something smart about what had just happened, along the lines of
Bobby and Elly sitting in a tree, then thought better of it. Bobby didn't look at all happy. 
They must have parted friends, but not with plans of continuing things. Not that Darien even 
knew if there was anything to continue. 

Claire was watching, feeling sad that Bobby looked so hurt. 

Bobby closed his eyes and napped on the drive back to the Ranger Station. 

end