Matt read over their paper once they were beyond the trees away from Lauren's prying eyes. Four times, because it was only one word. He flipped the slip of scrap paper over and even rotated it to find that was the only thing written (in a quite crude handwriting only recognizable as Lauren's).

Mouse

He turned around, about to announce they're only scavenger hunt item, to find both girls staring at him.

"You told her you weren't gay." Jess said with a teasing glint in her eye. "Is there something you want to share with us, Matt?" She asked expectantly.

"N-"

"Don't worry, either way I already have a boyfriend." Abby said with a half shrug and a half smile to match.

"We won't judge." Jess piped in.

Matt folded his arms."I just went to help Becker out with something and Lauren being Lauren jumped to conclusions." Jess and Abby nodded their heads sympathetically.

"We totally understand." Jess said and being the smart young girl she was, decided to drop the subject. "So list?"

"More like word." He held out the piece of paper towards them and they crowded around it.

"A mouse? Like Mickey Mouse mouse?" Jess wondered aloud.

Abby walked over to a neat little hole in the ground. "If she lets it go in the end." She said and crouched down. There was an array of little tracks in the dirt. They were scattered all over the place but the freshest tracks went in two directions. One was through a collection of tall bushes, and the another direction by a two trees and a rock. "Well there is a mouse nearby. Somewhere." She muttered the last word.

"Right," Matt walked over to Abby and sighed wearily. He glanced up at the sky and didn't need to shield his eyes from the sun, because it wasn't there. Grey clouds covered the blue sky and masked the sun. A clear sign that it was going to start raining cats and dogs."If we hurry, we might avoid the rain."

Matt walked up to the two girls, now in team leader mode. "Abby, look around those bushes. Jess, by the trees. I'll check if our little friend is home."

He picked up a stick.

Jess clasped her hands behind her back as she walked towards two large trees, planted side by side, their branches entwined with each other. Like two lovers.

Looking down she spotted the mouse tracks. Jess followed them in and around both trees, all the while wondering what the hell that mouse was doing. She sighed in frustration and sat down on the rock located in between the two trees.

"I give up." She said aloud to no one in particular.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no! You are not giving up!" Jess spun around in shock to see Lauren standing behind her, hands on her hips and a disproving look on her face. "Have you ever heard of someone succeeding because they gave up? No! You didn't because it is impossible!"

"Lauren? I thought you were scared of trees?" Jess blurted out without thinking.

Lauren gave her a strange look as if Jess were the nutter. "Scared of trees?" She slapped her leg and laughed. "That's silly! How can you be scared of trees? No ma'am, I'm not scared of trees. I'm scared of the druids." She nodded her head vigorously.

"Uh, the druids?"

"Yes! The druids! They want me for their blood shedding ritual. It's un-humane I tell ya." Lauren tilted her head at an un-natural angle.

"U-uh," Jess stammered. She looked back to where Matt was poking at the hole and where Abby was somewhere by the bushes, wondering whether she could attract their attention without alerting Lauren. "Sorry, can you be more specific?" Jess turned back to find Lauren had disappeared. She rubbed her eyes and decided she was just paranoid. Then she noticed the footprints.

Slightly creeped out, Jess stood up and went back to inspecting the roundabout tracks. With Lauren still fresh in her mind; Jess was too distracted to notice she was following not mouse tracks, but squirrel tracks. Which is why she was greatly confused when the tracks implied 'the mouse' climbed up a tree.

Jess looked up and became face to little face with an angry squirrel. It was perched on the lowest branch holding an acorn, glaring at her. She smiled softly as it was one of the most adorable creatures she had seen. "It's alright." She said in a comforting tone to the critter. "I'm not going to hurt y-"

The squirrel leaped.

Matt poked at the burrow without any luck. No pissed off mouse. Which meant it was somewhere in the little clump of ARC forestry. He stood up and brushed the dirt off his knees, about to make his way towards the blond to ask if she found anything, when he heard a high pitched scream he recognized.

Spinning around he darted towards Jess, swiping a broken branch off the ground to use as a weapon. The only thing he could think of was that a creature had somehow managed to escape the menagerie. He darted past several shrubs and trees until he stood a few feet away from Jess, her hair a complete mess. She looked flustered and stormed past him muttering something about squirrels only looking cute in television documentaries.

Eyebrow raised he turned back to the twin trees, looking for what terrorized their lovely little Jess. All he could see was a patchy squirrel cleaning itself on the tree closest to him. He dropped the branch he was brandishing and headed after Jess who was frantically fixing her hair into a ponytail.

He decided not to ask.

She brushed back her platinum blond hair and parted the branches of the bush, hoping to find the little rodent. Instead, Abby found a caterpillar and more tracks leading into a small clearing. She ignored the twigs attacking her legs as she walked through the series of bushes and into the clearing. The tracks led to a patch of green grass.

It was hopeless now. It would be nearly impossible for her to track a mouse without tracks. If only Stephen were there, he would be able to find the slightest bend on a blade of grass and pin point where the mouse went. Abby bit her lip as she thought of her deceased friend.

She shook her head to clear her sad thoughts. As she did so, she spotted a small, brown furry rodent sitting a short distance away in the grass, scratching behind its ear like it's nobody's business.

Abby couldn't believe her luck. She crept closer to the brown blob stealthily, a skill she picked up while working at the zoo while feeding...the more aggressive animals. Just as she neared, a scream cut through the air, scaring the poor thing. As it jumped a good foot, it noticed Abby, causing it to soar higher. She grabbed for it as it landed but was too slow. The mouse darted at a Lauren speed around her and back to where Matt was, probably aiming to hide in its burrow.

Tough.

"Matt!" Abby shouted. "It's coming your way!" She dashed after the little mammal which scurried under the bushes. Ignoring the sharp thorns she pushed through quickly and Jess and Matt appeared in view.

Jess glared at the mouse, the cause of this whole fiasco. Technically Lauren was the cause, but either way, she was as angry as Lester on a rainy day (which could be today) and was ready to catch that mouse and not let go.

Matt watched it carefully, ready to move if it did. He could feel the wind, stronger than it was before, against his back. Another sign that it was going to rain, very soon.

The mouse resisted the urge to curl up in a ball and hide, but it couldn't. Not with these three humans surrounding it. But all three combined weren't as scary as that short human that chased it around the trees earlier that week. She had hardly touched the ground when she ran, that was how fast she was. Its little body shook with fear but it bravely stood its ground.

Abby made eye contact with Matt and nodded ever so slightly. He made his move and quickly scooped up the little trouble maker. It let out a squeak and struggled, as if foretelling its future with Lauren.

It fought with all its might and bit him, causing Matt to release his grip for one second, enough time for the mouse to leap.

It could taste freedom...but its dreams where crushed as Jess caught it.

She squeaked, almost matching the rodent's frequency. The only thing keeping her from dropping the mouse was the motivational thought of escaping the rain. Jess held on.

Matt gritted his teeth as he thought for a way to keep the mouse from attacking them. A mouse! They dealt with prehistoric carnivorous creatures, ten times as large as the average human was yet they were having extreme difficulty with a pesky pest? Then an idea hit him head on. He took off his jacket, shivered slightly in the cold. Using the leather side, he wrapped the mouse in a tight bundle with a small hole for air.

Jess sighed with relief and exchanged grins with Abby. Matt looked up at both girls and couldn't help but smile.

"Done," he said as the mouse rammed itself against the barrier from it and home sweet home. Matt flinched slightly when he felt a drop of water land on his head. He looked up just as it began pouring.

It was about time.

Lester glanced down at his suit which was completely soaked through. He knew his suit was ruined the instant he heard the dreadful words 'Scavenger Hunt'. It was like the time he held one for his daughter's fifth birthday, but that was another story. He trudged in the mud, stick in hand, and glanced up at Matt's bundle. A nose poked out. "What is that filthy creature?" Lester asked with a black scowl, regarding the pink nose distastefully. How very unsanitary. He glanced at the stick he was holding. How extremely unsanitary.

"It's a mouse Lester." Abby replied and walked ahead of him. The sooner they got inside, the sooner they got out of the rain.

Lester rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know that, but why is it with Matt?"

"Lauren," Team Anti-Scissors replied in unison.

Connor danced around behind Abby."Bad hair day, mate?" He elbowed Becker playfully and grinned at the soldier's normally 'perfect' hair, now ruined.

"Like you can talk." Becker retorted and threw his rock at Connor's head. It hit at a perfect angle and landed back in his hand.

"Ow, hey!"

"Hey is for horses, Connor."

And their pissing match started.

They didn't get to escape the rain, but at least they got to get out of it. Matt took a step out of the forestry and the ARC came in view, a sight he never thought he would love to see. Lauren's hot pink tarp also came into view, dampering his spirits slightly. It was placed a good 20 feet away from the forests edge, evidently showing Lauren's hate (or fear, it was hard to tell with Lauren) of trees.

As they neared, they noticed Lauren was sitting in a lawn chair of the same color, one leg crossed over the other reading a World of Warcraft magazine. It looked as if she hadn't moved a muscle since they had left.

She looked up at them and beamed. "Oh you're back, you're back, you're back!" She cheered and stood up, letting the magazine fall to the plastic covered floor. The page on 'druids' fell open. "Come in and show me what you've brought!"

The shelter tempted them, but no one dared enter because of the extreme pinkness and the fact Lauren was written all over it. Literally. In blue marker.

Lester stepped forwards and extended his poo stick, wanting to get rid of it as soon as possible. He was forced to hold it for over an hour but now, no more.

"OOOOH!" Lauren clapped excitedly and took the stick from him. "Pepto poo!"

Pepto? Connor decided he wouldn't question her. At least not yet.

She shrieked happily and stared at the stick for a moment, inspecting the rather disgusting part of it, before tossing it back onto the sopping wet grass.

All that hard work for nothing. That was it. That was the last straw.

"I'm sick and tired of this pointless game. It is raining endlessly and my suit is soaked. Paperwork sounds more pleasant than this." He gestured to his grey surroundings with a flourish. "Have a good day." With that said, James Lester walked, head held high to the ARC. Until he slipped in the mud. But no matter, he just got back up and continued walking, determined to keep his dignity which was already lost minutes ago.

The team watched him in silence, before Lauren spoke.

"Okay doke, we'll find him again later. Who's next?"

Becker handed her his rock and she squealed. "I've been looking for one of these everywhere!" Lauren apparently didn't look very hard, seeing as rocks where practically found everywhere. She tossed the rock into her purse and spun to Connor.

"Here ya go, Lauren. Enjoy." He carefully handed her the bird's egg.

Lauren's eyes widened like saucers and she caressed the egg gently. "Pretty." She said in awe, before chucking it as well into her purse. Connor winced expected to hear a crack or a splat but heard a soft thump. He sighed in relief seeing as his hard work wasn't destroyed as has Lester's.

"And where's Mousey?" Lauren sang as she turned to the last three. She took one look at Jess and stumbled back. "Woah!" Her hand clutching where she thought her heart was, she cocked her head. "What happened to you?"

Jess frowned and gestured to her hair. "A squirrel attacked me."

"Ohhhh." Lauren nodded. "That was Pepto." She pointed to Lester's discarded poo stick. "Named him Pepto because of his..." She leaned in and whispered. "Digestive problems. Makes him cranky." She bobbed her head.

Jess didn't know what to say about that. Then she remembered her last encounter with Lauren and decided it would be a good time to ask.

"Oh, and Lauren? Were you just in there a while ago? You said something...about druids?"

Connor's eyes gleamed. He wasn't crazy! He leaned in to listen to the therapists' answer.

Lauren cocked her head again at an odd angle, the same as she did in the forest. "Of course not." She said, her tone telling everyone she was obviously lying. "And d-" Lauren's eyes widened and twitched maniacally. "d-d-d-d-" She shivered. Becker yawned. "d-druids..." She swallowed a thick lump in her throat. "don't...exist." She said, her voice barely a whisper.

There was a long silence and Matt coughed purposefully, indicating someone should speak (Lauren guessed he was catching some sort of cold).

"Okay," Jess replied simply but the answer was obvious. Lauren was probably crazier than they had thought.

Lauren nodded like a bobble head. She eyed Matt's bundle.

He opened it slowly and the mouse took that golden opportunity to jump. Lauren was faster. Way faster. She grabbed the mouse out of the air and grinned down at it, the poor creature being squished in her hands.

"Oh you're so cute! Yes you are! Soooo cute!" She cooed and petted its head as if it were a dog. The mouse closed its eyes and shook violently with fear. "You are sooo adorable! With your soft fur and yo- HOLY JESUS ON A FISHSTICK!" Lauren shrieked and pitched the mouse into the air, all 20 feet and into the forest, faster than it took the team to walk the distance. She looked down at her finger which had two teensy little bite marks, the look on her face showing she was about to start bawling. It was similar to Matt's bite, but he wasn't the one near tears.

Abby's jaw fell as she watched the little mouse fly through the air at such heights. The zoologist side of her felt that the animal cruelty just displayed should be reported. The other side of her felt that their hard work was quite literally, thrown out the window.

Becker stretched his neck as Lauren cried, ignoring her. "Can we go now?" He asked and got a muffled response that sounded like 'No! I have more fun plans." but he wasn't certain. So instead, Becker turned to look at Matt. He raised an eyebrow at their team leader expectantly.

Matt picked up his sopping wet jacket and nodded. "Let's head back in where it's drier. We'll meet you inside, Lauren." At his last word, Connor and Abby took off with Jess on their tail. Becker smirked and walked after them careful not to slip on the mud.

"Ya think Lauren will be okay?" Connor asked and shook his dark mop of hair. Becker rolled his eyes and took a few steps away from him.

"Of course." Matt replied, wringing out his jacket. A large puddle of water was already forming where the team stood as a group in the main operations room. Lester glanced at them from his office, already changed into a new suit, looking annoyed with the mess they were making. A small wave from Abby caused him to scoff and return to work.

"How can you be so sure?" Jess undid her pony tail and let her hair rest on her shoulders.

"She has emergency services on speed dial," Matt said, recalling some information she had blurted out to him once in one of her fast paced rants. "and-"

The team watched as he squeezed out the last of the rain water from his jacket.

"She has a tarp."