Sean could feel his heart racing as he followed after Taylor. He ran his hand over the painted walls, the tips of his fingers sliding over painted concrete.

What the hell am I doing? he thought to himself. I should be finding a way back, and all I can think about is how much I want him.

His expression twisted. I can't. I have too many questions to ask him, too much that I don't know. First thing I gotta do is figure out what's going on.

"Sean, are you coming?" Taylor's voice rang out from further up ahead.

Slowing his pace, Sean shook his head. This had to be some kind of dream.

Taking a deep breath, he quietly reprimanded himself - now was not the time to give in to his feelings. He still had work to do, a duty to fulfill.

With trepidation, he made his way down the hall before following through the door Taylor had disappeared into.

Immediately, he knew where he was. The room was furnished in an olden, more traditional style, with a massive oak frame supporting a large, feathered mattress in the corner. A sheep rug was splayed out on the hardwood floor, right next to a small fire burning in the hearth.

His mouth fell agape. It was like seeing another moment in time.

"I remember this," he mumbled. "This was the night where we-"

"-celebrated New Years." Taylor's voice caught Sean by surprise, his arms wrapping around Sean's waist from behind.

Sean leaned back and chuckled, placing his hands over Taylor's. He could feel Taylor's chin sinking into his shoulder, his husband swinging back and forth while humming a tune.

"That was the greatest night of my life, you know," he said softly into Taylor's ear.

"Oh?" Taylor kissed Sean at the base of his neck. "I thought that was the day we got handfasted."

"Okay, so the second best day of my life. I tend to lose track when I'm with you."

In one quick movement, Sean flipped around and swept his hands under Taylor, swinging his entire frame into his arms. A small yelp of surprise escaped Taylor as Sean gently slammed him against the wall, his husband's legs curling around his waist for support.

"That's better." Sean leaned forward, smirking. "Can't have you running off now that I've found you."

Taylor couldn't help but giggle as he inched forward, their lips now only centimeters apart.

"You can have me," he whispered.

Sean needed no further encouragement to close the distance. As their lips met, he could feel Taylor grabbing at him, his hands pulling, scratching, stroking down every defined detail of Sean's shoulders. Their movements only grew in intensity as Sean proceeded to rock his hips gently against his husband, driving them both dizzy with desire.

"Christ, Sean…" Taylor murmured, his fingers caressing his way up the back of Sean's neck.

Sean leaned to the side, nibbling at Taylor's ear. "What was that, gorgeous?" he murmured, his voice thick. Taylor could only let out a groan in response as Sean pushed up against him again, harder than before. He could feel Taylor's fingers intertwining with his hair, pulling helplessly through the strands.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"N-No...oh god, Sean, you don't know how badly I want you right now."

"That makes two of us."

He kissed Taylor earnestly one more time before letting him back down, forcing himself to place Taylor at a distance.

"But as beautiful as you are, I have to know what's going on first"," Sean said, though not without great difficulty.

Taylor lifted an eyebrow as he dusted himself off. "Seriously, Sean? Right now?"

"Yes. Right now." Afraid that he would give in to his desires once more, Sean marched over and sat on the bed, running his hand over the poles in the bed frame. He could feel the curvature of the grooves carved into the wood.

His mouth hardened into a firm line. "There's too much that I don't know. Why are we back at the resort? All of us came back to La Huerta, you know, and now we're following the lead of some conspiracy news article. Then we started running into all kinda strange shit - catalyst idols, flashing crystals, shadow monsters. It's like La Huerta never even changed. And-"

He turned back around, afraid to finish his thought as he looked at his husband. Taylor's expression was entirely unreadable under the shadows cast by the fire.

"And even you, Taylor. Last time I saw you, you sorta combined with a spirit and floated into space. Why are you back now? There's too many questions left unanswered; I dunno if I could handle losing you twice."

With difficulty, Sean let his mouth fall closed. Taylor stood still, the only source of noise coming from the flickers in the fireplace.

The passing minutes seemed to blend into eternity before Taylor eventually joined Sean by his side, kneeling down before him. He placed one hand on Sean's knee, stroking it comfortingly, the side of his face covered in bright orange by the light of the embers.

"You have to trust me, my love," he said quietly. "You won't lose me again. I promise."

Sean only shook his head mournfully. "Right now, I dunno what to believe anymore."

At this, Taylor pushed himself up to sit beside his husband.

"Hey. Look at me."

He placed his hand on Sean's lower back, rubbing in a circular motion. A moment passed before Sean could finally bring himself to look back, the fire reflected in the dark brown color of his pupils.

He managed to find Taylor's hand amidst the blankets, interlacing his fingers with his. His husband gave them a soft squeeze.

"Sean, it's me. You trust me, don't you?"

Sean smirked slightly. "Are you kidding? Of course I do, babe. More than anything else. It's just...I guess, it's hard to find faith when you don't know much about anything that's going on."

"Then put your faith in me."

Taylor took their intertwined hands and placed it over his chest, right above his heart.

"On the days you find yourself in the dark, I'll be there to guide your way. When you're about to lose hope, I'll be there to lift you up. And when you feel lost, with nowhere to go, I'll be here at home with you, always.

He pushed himself closer to Sean, making direct eye contact. "There'll be time for me to answer the questions you're looking for, Sean. You'll all come to see in your own time. But tonight, I just want you. I want to remember how it feels to be in your arms."

Sean bit his lip as he began to shake, overwhelmed. "Taylor, I…"

"Shh." Taylor scooped Sean's face between his hands. Staring into his chestnut eyes, the fire was casting their cheeks aglow in scarlet hues.

"Take me, Sean."

A brief moment passed, the two of them frozen. With every fiber of his being, Sean suddenly leaned forward and kissed Taylor deeply, his breath mingling with his own.

With one hand, he pulled Taylor's hips closer as the two started to push and fall back against one another, their bodies colliding gently like two falling stars.

"Mmm…" Taylor moaned against Sean's lips as he gently explored every inch of Taylor, every detail. He could feel Taylor willingly relax and part his lips open, letting Sean take over. As Taylor's hands ran up the back of Sean's Condor shirt, making out every inch of hardened muscle, he could feel every nerve on his skin tingling with desire.

"I can see someone's been working out," Taylor mumbled with a hint of amusement.

Sean couldn't bring himself to reply, only moving his lips to the side of Taylor's cheek, trailing a line of wet kisses down the side of his jaw. He smiled as he began to kiss Taylor's neck, before proceeding to work his way downwards.

"Trust me, I got nothing on you," he replied, his voice already hoarse.

His pulse jumped as Taylor uttered small sounds of satisfaction at each time he touched his collarbone with his lips. Trying to be cautious, he began to gently massage Taylor's chest with calloused fingers as he continued to make his way down, kissing every sensitive spot on Taylor that he knew of.

At last, Taylor began to lift upwards against Sean's shirt - harder, faster, more desperate. The sudden rise in movement caused Sean to pause and lean back, a playful edge in his grin.

"Someone's impatient," he said with a tiny chuckle.

"Damn right I am." Taylor gripped the bottom of his shirt with both hands and pulled upwards as Sean lifted his arms, revealing the rock-solid muscle rippling underneath.

He desperately tossed the shirt off to the side and pressed his palms against Sean's bare chest, taking the time to roam over every hardened inch of his upper body.

Sean rolled his head back with delight. "Your hands...you're some kinda miracle worker, you know that?"

Taylor began to caress with greater force, eliciting further murmurs of satisfaction.

"I've been told that, once or twice," he said playfully. "If you think that feels nice, then you'll love what comes next."

Without further warning, he shifted his weight and shoved Sean hard against his shoulders, sending him flying back into the pillows with a gasp of surprise. Before he could react, Taylor quickly lifted himself up and straddled his legs around Sean's hips, pushing against him with force. His hands pressed down against Sean's shoulders as he leaned over and gave him a short, passionate kiss on the mouth.

Sean mumbled his discontent as Taylor pulled away, already begging for Taylor to sink back into him. Slowly, Taylor proceeded to rock back and forth on top of Sean, riding up and down while deliberately peeling off his shirt as slowly as possible. He gave Sean wink as he undressed himself, taking his time to drive Sean over the edge.

"Oh, wow…" Sean managed to sound out breathlessly. No matter how many times he'd seen Taylor without clothes on, he couldn't help but marvel over his husband's toned frame. Although his own build was more bulky and muscular, there was something about Taylor's body that always took his breath away, the way his skin ran smoothly over toned flesh and muscle. His figure was not too lean and not too bulky, yet just enough to drive him crazy.

He watched Taylor continue to grind up and down, entranced.

"You sure know how to give a show, gorgeous. You just gonna keep on teasing me all night?"

Taylor leaned forward once more, his smirk only inches away from Sean's. "Maybe."

But instead of kissing him, as Sean initially expected, Taylor began to move down lower, placing his lips right underneath his chin. Sean felt a moan escape him, the sensation of Taylor's lips on his collarbone making him melt into the sheets. There was nothing else in the world could make him feel so completely at ease.

He suddenly gripped the sheets in shock as Taylor began to bite, sucking gently while grazing with the edges of his teeth.

"O-Oh…" Sean moaned, his head driven further into the pillow as Taylor continued. "Oh man, Taylor, that feels…"

His line of thought was cut off, the sensation overcoming all of his senses. Taylor drifted down further in response, causing his skin to tingle on edge. He felt him making his way downwards, leaving a wet trail over Sean's pecs, abs - then eventually even lower as he placed moist kisses over the surface of his skin.

Sean gripped the sheets forcefully, his fingers almost tearing the material. "Goddamn, Taylor…", he groaned, his head whipping to the side. "What are you doing to me…?"

Taylor let out a small chuckle, kissing the furthest spot he could reach before coming face-to-face with the fabric of Sean's jeans. He hurriedly ripped off the belt around Sean's waist, fingers fumbling with the clasp.

As he moved to unbutton his own jeans, a firm hand clasped over his fingers. With an affectionate smile, Sean sat back and moved towards him.

"Here, let me", he said gently. Fumbling with the clasp, he gently undid the belt around Taylor's jeans, pulling them off slowly. He wanted to savor this moment as much as he could, to fully experience every part of this night with him.

He tenderly kissed Taylor as he undressed him, their hearts beating soundly from the passion of the moment.

"You sure about this, Taylor?"

"I've missed you, Sean. For tonight, I want you. Please."

Sean pulled away with a smile, the world coming to a complete stop around him. All he could make out was the love in his husband's eyes and the racing of his own heart.

"I'm all yours, gorgeous," he said softly, before pulling Taylor back on top of him.

Despite months of physical therapy after returning to Hartfeld, Quinn could feel her lungs panting for air as she sprinted back to the clearing as quickly as she could. A sense of dread clung to her shoulders; Sean had never reappeared, despite hours of waiting, and with nothing to explain the strange crystal or his disappearance into thin air, she could only fear the worst.

The first signs of daylight were beginning to glow through the branches of the jungle, casting the dirt floor in mild sunlight. The jitter of small animals prepping for the day filled the forest with the hum with life. Despite the situation, Quinn couldn't help herself from stopping for a moment to take it all in, breathing in the fresh morning air.

Her eyes snapped back open. They had only been under nightfall for no more than a couple of hours - the time and weather at La Huerta were irregular yet again.

Why, oh, why couldn't we just enjoy a nice vacation for once?

Shaking her head, she continued running along the pathway. To her relief, it wasn't much longer before she found herself near the clearing's entrance.

Right as she was about to turn the corner to join her friends, Estela's voice rang loudly through the air, filled with rage.

"We got you all back. It's time for us to leave."

"Yeah? So you can go back to your poshy lifestyles while this island keeps causing more demonic bullcrap?"

Quinn slid to a stop. A sense of worry gripped her heart - had they found out about Sean? More importantly, were they all safe?

Hesitantly, she pushed her way through the woven branches. Jake and Estela were standing near the middle of the clearing, both looking like they were about to pounce and attack the other. The rest of her friends were only starting to wake up, their slumber disrupted by the commotion.

Zahra rubbed her eyes, though Craig was still snoring logs by her side.

"Jesus Christ, y'all ever heard of common manners?" she spat out irritably.

Grace muttered something unintelligible as she sat up, her hair caught in a web of tangles.

"Wha-? What's going on?" she mumbled, reaching for her glasses. Aleister moved almost imperceptibly next to her, blinking gently as he woke up.

The two in the center pointedly ignored the commotion. Estela jabbed a finger into Jake's chest, marginally knocking him back.

"You really think this is worth it? Risking our lives again so you can have another 'adventure'?"

Jake wiped a sleeve across his mouth, grimacing. "Oh, sure. Go and assume our one shot at fixing up this shithole and getting Talor back is for my personal amusement. You know, Katniss, maybe if you didn't spend so much time sitting around like ducks in a pond, we'd actually figure something out."

"Oh, trust me, the last reason why we're here is to satisfy your expectations." She gritted her teeth, her fingers curling into fists by her side. "We can't afford to leave each other behind for some stupid scavenger hunt. And we won't get anywhere from guessing ourselves over a conspiracy headline. We need to regather and get off this island while we can, now."

Jake firmly shook his head. "No can do, Cabron. There's too much going on here to be leaving tracks behind. I gotta do somethin' 'bout it, with or without you."

Estela threw her arms up in exasperated fury. "For the love of god, Jake!" she fumed. "What could be worth all this? To avoid your family again? Here's a suggestion: how about you grow a pair and confront them so you can stop forcing your own shit on us!"

The color drained from Jake's face. He stumbled back as if he had been slapped, his mouth hanging open.

"Don't. You. Dare-"

"Stop!"

Quinn's voice echoed throughout the clearing, causing everyone to come to a halt. She scowled, her impatience getting the best of her.

"Both of you. Stop arguing this instant! We have too much to worry about for you two to be tearing our group apart. We need to stick together now more than ever."

Both Jake and Estela could only stare in response, Estela's face slightly flushed with embarrassment and Jake wincing as he bit down on his tongue.

"But-"

"Now is not the time for it." Quinn walked between the pair, giving each of them a look. "We're stuck on this island again for the time being and only alive thanks to luck and miracles. It's time for us to focus on what we're up against, instead of needlessly bickering."

But before anyone else could give their input, a resounding thump suddenly echoed across the forest grounds, causing the earth to tremble.

Jake stepped back. "The hell?" he cried out, immediately checking for intruders. "They got a T-Rex out here now?"

Diego groaned. "At this point? Probably."

The thumping began to progressively increase, both in number and sound, as if a herd of rhino were stampeding their way through the jungle. The group glanced around nervously, searching for something that didn't exist; except for Zahra, who appeared to be praying towards the sky.

"Please, oh please, don't let me die out here like this. Not surrounded by these morons," she pleaded mournfully to herself.

Everyone instinctively began to gather closer, forming another half-circle. Estela and Jake stood at the head, already poised to fight for their lives.

Diego gulped anxiously. "I really hope that's the gorilla from the Jungle Book and not Planet of the Apes," he murmured, his voice shaking.

Aleister glanced over at Raj and Craig, both still passed out.

"Well, at least a few of us will be blessed with dying peacefully," he muttered remorsefully.

"Goddammit, not again!" Michelle cried out. "I swear, Estela, this is the last time I'm letting you pick where we stay!"

"Shh!" Estela's eyes doubled in size. "It's coming this way!"

Sure enough, the falling steps were cascading towards their general direction. The ground only shook more and more violently, causing leaves to scatter to the ground; the creature had to have been crawling closer by the second.

"Get ready…" Jake grumbled, his muscles tensing up.

Finally, the branches blocking the entrance began to tremor, as if someone - or something - was trying to drive their way through. Just as Jake was about to spring forward into battle, a surprisingly familiar voice sounded out from within, cursing and spewing loudly.

"Damn foliage! This accursed island had five years to trim and tidy itself up, only to become the spawn of Satan himself! Bah!"

Jake's defensive stance immediately fell as his jaw dropped.

"No...way…is that…?"

A gloved hand abruptly ripped through the branches covering the entrance, waving wildly in the air to clear some type of path. A leather boot shortly followed, the stranger heaving in his or her effort to destroy the entrance entirely.

"What charlatan crafted this tomfoolery? I swear to the gods, if there lies no treasure on the other side-"

The branches broke apart at last to reveal a fair-skinned woman stumbling through, waving her arms to steady herself. With some effort, she managed to regain her balance, letting out a sigh of relief.

Her eyes finally caught on to the group gawking back at her, still as rocks. A wide grin spread across her face as she raised a hand in salute.

"Oho! Long time, no see, ye barnacle-eating sea urchins", Yvonne called out with a wink. "Ahoy, mes amis!"