YAY- a quick chapter update! This chapter was the product of very little sleep last night. I hoped writing would make me sleepy, but unfortunately I just ended up staying awake until 3 AM. Blah. I think the chapters are going to be pretty action packed for a bit, now that the group is back together. I'm quite excited about where this one is going even if it is a bit unplanned! I'll try not to ignore the SG1 guys too much, but poor Daniel and Teal'c might get left out a little bit.

FUNNY STORY ALERT: with Wilddaisies permission, I'm reposting a comment she sent me on the last chapter. I snorted milk out of my nose it was that funny, and I knew I had to share! It pertains to the last little Lisbon and Jane moment when they're in their sleeping bags. [When Jane rolled over to cuddle with Lisbon, not only was that cute, but it created a hilarious mental image in my head. They were in sleeping bags and Jane rolled to face her. I'm sure you meant it as they were right next to each other, but my silly brain skewed the image. For some reason I pictured them as being farther apart rather than lying right next to each other. In my head I saw Jane glance around (trying to be sneaky) and then roll towards Lisbon from several feet away. That got me laughing. XD. Burrito Jane rolling across the floor. LOL. ] I'm still laughing! Thanks, Shelly! This chapter's for you!

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Your comments and feedback make my day! Thanks to: ELODIE WOLFE, NELLIE THE ITALIAN, TROMANA, SHOPPING-LUVA, PENELOPE LOUISE, WILDDAISIES, CHARLIEBLUE, and JADESTAR. Y'all are the best!

Chapter Seven

Tracie grumbled as she pulled the thin blanket tighter around her body. The temperature had continued to drop over the past few days, but she tried not to complain. She closed her eyes tighter as she tried to block out the faint light that was threatening to wake her up. Rolling over, she was met with a face full of scratchy leaves. Spluttering, she sat up grumpily. Wiping her eyes with the palms of her hands, she ignored the tightening pain of hunger in her stomach and looked around the small camp.

Cayt was staring into the fire with a blank expression on his face. His shoulders were hunched and his blond hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. He had carefully constructed a mask that would slip into place whenever she was around, but it was times like this when she was able to catch him off-guard that she realized how desperate he was becoming. She couldn't help but wonder if he felt any hatred toward her. She quickly admonished herself for the thought. He had treated her with nothing but kindness since her rescue.

It had been three days since her rescue, and they had been carefully tracking the Dream Spirits ever since. He had tried to get her to return the castle, but she felt a strong pull inside of her that urged her to stay. The man in front of her clearly needed someone to keep him on track and keep his head clear while they tried to get closer to the bounty hunters. He argued at first, but quickly gave up, when she pointed out how much time they were wasting. So, he lent her some of Divinia's clothes and they left with only the contents of a small bag.

They hadn't been able to even get close to the other camp. The guards were wary of another attack, and they seemed to realize just exactly who they had managed to capture. Cayt wasn't sure where they were traveling to, but he tried to ignore the possibilities of what might happen when they arrived. If she was sold before they could attempt a rescue, there was little chance he would be able to follow- not that that would stop him. Tracie was worried the vampire would try something stupid, and not carefully construct a plan.

She sighed as she packed up her things. She made a little bit of noise which snapped the vampire out of his trance while he doused the fire. He turned towards her and all traces of the morning's depression were erased from his face. She would have been fooled if she hadn't seen him for herself. She offered a carefree grin to help lighten the mood as she stumbled over the bag she had just packed. She heard him laugh softly and she mentally patted herself on the back. Mission accomplished.

The sound of a branch cracking put them both on high alert, and within a few moments they had executed their emergency plan. She was crouched in a tree with their bag wedged between a branch while he slunk off between the trees. She shivered slightly and frowned. She refused to go back to those people. From her spot in the tree, she scanned the forest as best she could and tried to keep an ear out for anything Cayt found. The soft murmur of voices caught her ear, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Cayt watching from a distance.

She quickly realized they were headed right for him and they were most definitely armed. Without a second thought, she slipped from the tree and pulled the body of a woman with long red hair towards her. Within seconds, a series a weapons were thrust in her face and her eyes darted around nervously as she silently studied the strangers. She could feel the woman's pulse racing beneath her grasp, and she fought to push down the feral urge that threatened to overcome her.

"Don't shoot," Cayt hoarsely cried out and Tracie watched in stunned silence as the strangers lowered their weapons with a look of confusion. "It's okay, Tracie. Let her go."

Cayt felt a wave of relief sweep over him when he recognized the group. He stumbled forward, thankful to stop anything drastic from happening. He nodded reassuringly to the young vampiress who had backed away nervously. Her eyes scanned the group and her body was still stiff with tension. He grasped Jack's hand in a firm shake and repeated the formality for Sam. Turning towards Jane, he wasn't all that surprised when the older man pulled him in for a brief hug. Lisbon repeated the gesture, and he exhaled slowly with the thought that maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay.

Wayne Rigsby watched wide-eyed as the consultant and his boss hugged the man in front of him. It still hadn't really dawned on him that the two strangers that had appeared out of nowhere were actually vampires. The whole notion was still quite ludicrous, even if he had just traveled through an actual wormhole a few days ago. His brain was full for the day. He shot a warning glance at the girl that had previously been holding Grace. The redhead had moved closer to his side once she was released and still wasn't as trusting of the situation.

"How are we on the schedule?" Jack asked the blond vampire. Cayt's expression tightened and his eyes slid to the vampiress who was standing awkwardly at the edge of the forest.

"We have an hour before they should be on the move. There's some fallen trees up ahead if you'd care to sit while I fill you in," Cayt said as the others nodded. Jane frowned as he tried to ascertain the vampire's condition. He looked about ready to fall over, and his movements were edgy. He doubted the others would notice. Cayt had a good mask in place, but Jane made a living out reading people and there was something missing in the other man's gaze. His eyes just looked lifeless.

"This is Tracie," Cayt added as he gestured for the young woman to come closer. She was nervous, although she stared them in the eye. Cho cocked his head when he noticed her unusual eye color.

Jane felt his lips curve into a smile. She was definitely a feisty one. Introductions were made to the rest of the team, and the vampiress shyly apologized to Van Pelt for her earlier mistake. The redhead tried to put the other girl at ease, although Jane had a feeling Rigsby wouldn't be so forgiving. He made a mental note to keep an eye on the situation. Tracie's mood instantly shifted and she bounded over to a fallen log. Her eyes still flickered to Cayt's apprehensively, but she seemed much more at ease with the group.

"She's a bit exuberant," Cayt muttered which caused Jack to grin.

"No kidding. What's the story with that one?" Jack asked while the other agents dropped their packs by their feet and plopped down. Cayt frowned, and Jane and Lisbon exchanged a quick look.

"We were documenting the last big negotiations of the rebel faction, when they brought her out. She was unconscious and was meant to be a gift for somebody. Div didn't want to leave without her, although she knew we were outnumbered. She caused the distraction, so I could get Tracie out of there." Cayt froze and ran his hands over his face refusing to look them in the eye. "It should have been me."

"I'm sure she knew what she was getting into," Lisbon said softly as she placed her hand on the vampire's shoulder. She could feel him draw in a few shaky breaths and a few seconds later he looked up at her with a distraught expression. The others moved away to give the two of them some privacy and filled in the rest of the team with the current situation.

"This is all my fault. She'd be better off without me," he mumbled.

"Now stop that," Lisbon said firmly as she gave him an intent look. "That girl loves you unconditionally, and is more than capable of taking care of herself. She's counting on you to help get her out of this mess, which her stubbornness helped create. Don't push her away without giving her a choice." Lisbon stared at the vampire who looked duly admonished after her little rant.

"M'sorry," he said softly and Lisbon smacked him in the arm.

"Don't apologize to me. The stress is getting to you, and you were probably due for a little meltdown. Now let us help you, and I promise we'll get her back." Cayt nodded and Lisbon patted his arm as they headed towards the rest of the group.

"Oh! I almost forgot," Lisbon said while she reached into her pack. She immerged triumphantly with two small packs of blood. She handed one to Cayt and tossed the other to Tracie. The younger vampiress shot her a look a grateful appreciation. "Elina said your rations had most likely run out weeks ago. You need to keep up your strength if your going to help her."

Jane had to admit the two vampires looked much better after feeding, and he wondered just how hard they had been driving themselves while they tracked the Dream Spirits. He quietly walked over to Lisbon who was repacking her bag and bent down to help her. Their hands brushed as items were replaced and he could see the faint smile forming on her face.

"Are you always that good at calming distressed vampires?" he teased quietly. Her teeth tugged at her bottom lip and he knew she was thinking of an appropriate retort.

"I got my three brothers through high school romances and eventually had to listen to their problems with their more serious relationships. It's not that different," she glared playfully at him as she zipped the bag.

"You could write a relationship self-help book. Proven methods work with the human or vampire of your choice!" he grimaced when she elbowed him in the side and shook her head as she walked away. Grinning he followed at her heels as the group began to head off into the forest.