Baird had decided to climb the hill and sit at the lookout. He needed the quiet so he could think. Savannah rejecting him had hurt, but he also understood why she did it. He knew how much she loved Marcus. He had seen that look in her eyes before. She and Baird had always had strong chemistry, and it was hard to fight, but deep down- Baird was glad she had stopped them from making a mistake. He would never be able to look Marcus in the eyes, and the thought of hurting Sam made his stomach turn. How could he even think about hurting her like that? When he got to the top of the hill, he came to a sudden stop. Alex Brand was sitting there, her legs crossed, crying.
Baird wasn't sure what to do. He cleared his throat and said, "Uh, sorry, I didn't know you were here. I'll leave." Alex wiped her eyes and said, "No, it's okay. I'll go. It's your land. I should have asked first." She started to get up, but Baird stopped her. "You don't have to leave, Alex. It's a nice place to think...or cry." He gave her a half-smile. She stared at him for a few seconds and said, "You can sit down, Baird. I won't bite you. I'm too tired to argue with you." Baird shrugged his shoulders and sat down a few feet away from Alex. He started pulling some of the clover that was in full bloom. He took a deep breath and let it out slow. Alex turned to him and said, "How's Sam? Is she awake yet?" Baird shook his head no and stared out at the base's wall. Without looking at Alex, he said, "She probably won't be for a few days. Rick has her in a medically induced coma so her body can recover." Alex nodded her understanding and stared out at the same view Baird was watching.
They sat in silence for a while. Finally, Alex turned to Baird and asked him, "How are you dealing with this so well? I mean, I know you aren't the most caring guy in the world, but this has to be hard for you." Baird glared at her before he said, "I'm not a cold-hearted bastard, Alex. I do care about people, you know; especially Sam." Alex shifted her position so she was now facing Baird. He glanced at her, but then turned back and kept staring straight ahead. He asked her, "How are you doing? I know you have to be feeling like shit." Alex glared at him and said, "Yes, Baird. I am feeling like shit. I decided a long time ago to change who I was as a person. I decided to be nice, kind and caring." She clenched her hands into fists and started to cry as she continued, "In the process, I fell in love with my best friend. We were finally going to get married, and now he's dead, Baird." She pushed herself up off the ground and started to walk away, but Baird stood up too, and grabbed her by her arm. She turned to slap him, but before she could, Baird hugged her to him.
Alex did her best to push herself away from him, but he held her tight. She started pounding on his chest and screaming, "HE'S DEAD, BAIRD! HE'S DEAD!" Baird held her even tighter, and she finally collapsed in his arms, sobbing. Through her tears she asked, "What am I going to do without him? I don't think I can do this alone." The more she cried, the tighter Baird hugged her. She finally said, "Will you please stop squeezing me?" Baird loosened his grip on her but didn't let her go. She stood in Baird's arms and continued to cry. Baird finally whispered to her, "It's not easy to deal with. I'm scared shitless." Alex put her arms around Baird and hugged him tight. They stood in silence for several minutes. Alex pulled away from him, wiped her nose with her sleeve and said, "Thanks, Baird, and I'm sorry. I know you're not a callous bastard. You used to be, but Sam has changed you."
Baird backed away from her and sat back down in the clover. Alex sat down next to him, and leaned back on her hands. Baird picked some more clover and quietly said, "I don't know what I'll do if something happens to her. I can't imagine how you feel right now." Alex turned and looked at him. She saw his eyes fill with tears and, out of habit, she said, "Oh suck it up, at least you're not planning a funeral." Baird threw the clover at her. She picked a handful and threw it back at him. They both smiled and Baird said, "I almost slept with Savannah today." Alex gasped so loud that Baird jumped. Her mouth was hanging open. He started laughing at her. She threw more clover at him, and said, "What happened? I thought she only had eyes for Fenix." Baird scoffed and said, "She does. She stopped me from making a huge mistake. I thought it's what I wanted, but I'm glad she stopped."
Alex looked at Baird's profile. He was kind of hot. He might be bald, but it suited him. He looked good with a goatee. She smiled and said, "I can see why you two were a thing. She's drop dead gorgeous, smart, fiery and doesn't take shit from anybody." Baird looked over at her, shook his head and said, "Yeah, when I first met her, she told me to go to hell." He chuckled at the memory but then said, "I broke her heart." Alex turned to him again and asked, "Do you still love her?" Baird raised his head and squinted at the sun. He took awhile to answer, but finally he responded, "I always will. She was my first crush. She's the first person I ever had sex with." Alex rolled her eyes at that, but deep down, she thought it was sweet. He continued, "I know I am in love with Sam, but Savannah and I have always been attracted to each other. It almost cost us both something today, and that's where you're right; she is smart. Smart enough to keep me from being a dipshit"
Alex stood up and went over to sit by Baird. He looked sideways at her, but didn't move. She turned to Baird and said, "Listen, I know what's happening right now is hard, but she's going to be okay. I remember when Drew was in the hospital with smoke inhalation, and I thought he was going to die. Just remember that she loves you. When she wakes up, she'll be happy you're there. Cherish her, Baird, because anything can happen at any moment and you could lose her for good." Baird turned to Alex and stared at her. Eventually he said, "Thanks. You wanna go get a drink? It'll take your mind off Drew and you can let loose for a little bit. I promise you'll get home safely and I'll be a gentleman." He grinned at her and she said, "Yeah, right! You and the word 'gentleman' do not go together in a sentence." She was laughing at him, but he took as a joke. Baird stood up and held out his hand to help Alex up off the ground.