Raising her hands up to the fire, Rae tried soaking in the warmth the night air seemed to steal. Trying to distract herself from her discomfort, her eyes glanced over the fire to see Pogue hugging Abby to death in hopes of riding of her violent shivering. Rae sighed and thought, this wasn't helping her case. Another shiver ran through her bodyand she wrapped the damp blanket around her body tighter. I hate this place, Rae resented with the thought of her hair and clothes completely drenched and muddy from trudging through the rainy wetlands. This was worse than the day we trained the first time with the guys, Rae smoldered. Worse, than getting stuck in the freezer with Kate! At least my power of fire would be able to bring my temperature up. But, no…this dumb cave has to block that. England sucks. Rae rolled her eyes, Abby was being so annoying. She kept talking about how this was her home in her first life. That's it's the best place ever. Then she started trailing on how she remember going to blah...

Rae began to rub the side of her arms in hast and glanced around to see how the others were holding up their freeze out. Glancing to her left of the fire, Sam and Kylie were helping Reid to keep warm since he had got sick over the night. Sam placed a blanket and gave his coat, he had just dried by the fire, around Reid. His father's blue troubled eyes turned cold when he stared to the corner of the cave. There James sat dirty, wet and cold like the rest of them.

Where he had been or why he came back was still unknown. But everyone could sense the tension between everyone, mostly Sam though, Rae thought as she inched closer to the fire.

"How long do you think we will be trapped in here?" Sam looked at his son and worry lines grow with ever word he said.

Abby replied with her teeth chattering, "Until we get the stone, the invisible shield won't drop."

Pogue added, "And we won't see the stone until the sun hits that," he pointed to an emblem across the dark lake water. This lake of course, they didn't dare to touch for fish laid on the surface dead and remains of animals lied on the shore.

Abby continued to say, "I say we have an hour before the sun shows us the stone. Now we just wait."

Everyone began to go back to a certain spot they felt safe and took Abby words.

Wait.

Abby glanced over to Rae annoied, "Oh stop your blubbering, crabby pants."

Rae directed her eyes down to the flames in anger. Maybe if we weren't in this stupid freezing hell hole.

Abby was about to bicker back until the flickering flame she intensely stared at began to blur before her.

She rubbed her eyes hoping to clear them and when opening her eyes, Rae was watching Ben's face contort and his breathing become ragged. She was too close to him to figure out who was torturing him. His shoulder and arms began to shake with holding his weight up and his breath was becoming more rapid. His sweaty hair fell over his spacing out eyes and she finally noticed he had no shirt. If Rae didn't know any better it sounded like he was having s-. A moan caught her attention before watching Ben collapsed down on to Ruth's flush and panting body.

Rae's hands cover her mouth in shock and when her eyes caught Abby, she too was copying her same motion. With their minds connected Rae said, Did you just see that!?

Abby voice stumbled to say, Ben was a , a….

Fucking Ruth's brains out! Rae put me bluntly.

I can't believe he would do this…. Abby replied glancing away worried.

Rae shrugged her shoulders and said confused by Abby's notion, He hasn't done it probably over a hundred years. He finally took my advice and got laid.

Rae. Abby scooted closer to the fire and continued to say, Ben has moral codes-

So you think he should wait until he was married to do it? I think that pretty hypocritical of you Abs-

No. I don't care marriage or not. I'm pissed as to him leading on and toying with K-

She glanced up with wide eyes as if she just almost revealed a secret. Rae demanded, What's going on? And who is he toying with?

Abby hunched forward in Pogue's sleeping arms and responded, Ben confessed he had deep feeling for baby girl. And frankly I don't see how these deep emotions for her lead to that!

Rae's mouth dropped and out of reaction she searched for Kylie, who was in her sleeping bag listen to music on her i-pod.

Rae pondered to herself, Baby girl had been looking run down with the constant stress and loneliness which she thought was because of Tyler. But could have she been wrong?Was Kylie pining for another man?

Rae asked Abby, Does she have those feeling too?

Abby shook her head discreetly, I don't know. She was conflicted for weeks though. But still Kylie can't love Ben that way. It's Ben.

Rae scratched her head and replied, She might Abby. Kylie's know Ben throughout her life and now that he's a man, there is potential.

But how could he do that to her. At least wait until she gave him an answer. What if she did choice Ben, it would break her heart. Abby stressed.

Rae feeling fidgety stated, Didn't you just say she wouldn't love Ben?

Well Kylie can't love Ben.

Then why would this bother her?

"It's the principle of the matter Rae. He shouldn't go fucking people when he said he loves Kylie!" Abby yelled at Rae.

Kylie head popped up confused as everyone else stared at Abby and Rae. Abby said heated, "It's cheating."

"How can that be cheating when they aren't even dating!" Rae stressed out.

Reid sweating from his fever added, "Want to know what's cheating really is Abby." He pointed over to Kylie, who was taking her ear buds out, "It's when you see your best friend's girlfriend locking lips with another man, even though you're still dating Tyler. I saw you kiss Ben." He tried standing up, but fell to his knees, "He maybe like a statue and can't woo your every need right now, but he isn't dead. He doesn't deserve to be treated like crap when he practical worships your feet."

Abby questioned Kylie, "You kissed him?"

Pogue asked Abby, "Didn't Tyler technically cheat on her too, kissing that girl from school."

Rae said annoyed, "Wow, sensing a theme. I'm pretty sure Abby you were the cheatie a lot."

Abby added, "So were you! You had sex with Aaron Abbot while he was dating Kira."

Pogue's mouth dropped and Rae yelled, "That was secret! And they weren't together. I end that fling when I started dating Caleb…."

Meanwhile Reid continued to say, "Love doesn't stop because of a bump in the road."

Kylie stared at the ground and James came over to comfort her. He rubbed her back and stared at Reid with anger. But Reid didn't notice in his fit of rage. He turned his head to his father and yelled, "You have no one to come back to. Fuck you!"

Sam said, "Reid you need to rest. You're not in the right set of mind-"

"Yes, I am." Reid stood up shaking, whether that was from anger or his cold, "You can protect Penn's son, but don't say anything when I join. No concern or worry if it's too dangerous for me to go. You're the worst father ever. And that's saying something when Caleb had an addict of a father that was rotting upstairs. But you know what, he didn't abandon Caleb."

He pointed over to James, "You make him look better. The father that has been a workaholic since Tyler was born. He still made time for Tyler and shows that he cares."

Sam yelled, "You don't know anything about this man. He's cheated on his wife and used his own son to keep it a secret." He turned to James, "That really sounds like a man that cares for his family." He directed his attention back to Reid. "I love Meredith with all my heart. She ran out on me. So you can shut your mouth about how I was a shitty father." Sam's fist clenched as he explained, "Want to know why I didn't say anything Reid. It's because I see that you're a capable man to make your own decisions. I know you can take care of yourself and you'll be alright."

He turned back to James with his temper still flaring, "And why did you come back?"

James hollow face stayed stern, "I came back to save my son."

James words unhinged Sam's tireless rage and he stared at James in the awkward silence.

"The sun is hitting the emblem," Kylie said quietly. Everyone turned their attention to the lake waiting for something to happen. Hopefully something good and not bad, Rae preferred in her mind.

The emblem on the wall started to move from the side revealing a red shiny gemstone inside the cavern. Rae said out loud, "And how are we suppose to get that-"

Instantly a boat with skulls in the front submerged from the depths and the flame of the skull eyes flickered. Steam simmered from the boat as it crashed gently into the shore. "Oh," Rae said in shock. She turned to her group and said, "I call dips riding in it."

Pogue said, "I'll go too. I can lift Rae up to reach it."

Sam shook his head and said, "I feel comfortable if James and I just went."

"Screw that," Rae jumped into the boat, "I'm going."

Sam lip twitched and restated, "Fine, Rae, Pogue, James and I are going."

They began to climb into boat that frankly reminded her of something that would take Dante to hell. Rae shook her head at her thought, Caleb nagging her to read the book. The sad part is after she caved in and started to read it, she liked it. Stupid Caleb always has to be right, she gave a sigh in defeat, but man do I love him.

With the one oar James paddled them across the murky water till they stood right under the emblem. It was higher than they had thought and Rae looked over to them. "I guess you're going to have to give me a boost up there." Pogue nodded his head and bent down so Rae could sit on his shoulders.

As they slowly rose up, James tried to keep the boat steady with the oar and Sam holding onto a jagged rock the stuck out from the cave wall. Rae hands stretched up, but she wasn't even close. "Crap." She glanced down at Pogue and told him, "I'm going to stand on your shoulders." Pogue nodded his head a bit and held securely to her feet. Again Rae stretched for the hole that held the gem but she was still short. "I just need another foot and I could get it."

Sam called up to Rae, "Come back down. I have an idea."

Rae used the wall to help lower herself, until Pogue's arms gently guided her down to the boat floor. Sam continued to say, "What if Pogue and I lifted you up over our heads. Think you clear it?"

"Definitely," Rae said staring at the hole.

Sam glanced over to Pogue and asked, "Can you do this?"

Pogue smiled and responded, "Don't insult me. She's like a twig."

Rae rolled her eyes and said, "I wouldn't go that far."

With them bracing her feet, they lifted her up high. Rae gripped onto the ledge of the hole for the boat began to shift a lot. Sam yelled at James, "Hold her steady!"

James said frustrated as he paddled back and forth to counter their motion, "I'm trying Sam! But this boat wasn't made for people to stand up on."

Sam countered back, "Then make it."

Before her eyes, the sparkling red gem lay before her and she took her left hand to grab it. She claimed, "I got it-"

Rae support suddenly disappeared under her and the only thing keeping her safe was her hand that grasped the ledge tightly. Sam yelled at James when the boat shifted away and almost making Pogue fall in, if Sam quick reaction didn't tug him back. "What are you doing?"

James said pissed off, "There's a fucking current Sam. And it's getting stronger the longer we wait. If you want to drive, I'll gladly get Rae down!"

Sam glanced over to Rae struggling to hang on, "Just paddle."

Getting closer to the wall, the boat gave a wicked shift again, and Sam automatically grabbed onto the jagged rock to steady them. Rae eyes began to water from her hand aching in pain from straining to stay alive. She yelled panicked, "I can't hold on any longer!"

"We're almost there," James shouted.

Before Rae could process, she was falling to her murky death. Why water? Out of all the ways she could go, why did it have to be the worst thing she fear? Despised?

"Gotcha," Pogue said out of breath and Rae opened her eyes to see she was safely in Pogue's grasp. She hugged him tightly in relief and Pogue whispered, "You think I let anything happen to Caleb's wife."

Rae smiled up and shook her head. "I highly doubt you would. And I'm so thankful for that."

The boat moved away from the wall with diligence and kept at a fast pace to where Abby, Kylie and Reid waited. It was only a few ten feet that the boat stopped it motion and holes started to seep the bottom of the boat. "What the-" Pogue said shocked as the water was eating the bottom away.

The smell of burnt rubber overcame Rae's sensed and Sam, who foot was at the bottom, began to rip of his shoe that was starting to melt. "Hot, hot, hot!"

Rae screamed as she raised her legs up onto the seat. "We're sinking! I don't want to burn to death! I take it back, I rather drown!"

Sam grabbed the oar to keep the boat going, but it too was denigrating. Rae looked straight ahead and saw James staring at them all with an eerie expression. Before Rae could put anything together, James jumped out of the boat and began to pull them to shore. Kylie yelled, "No!"

James ached and cursed as the boat finally crashed into the shore. In hast Kylie raced over to James, who was badly burnt and bleeding. The acid on his skin still was eating him alive and James grabbed onto Kylie's hand.

"Make sure you save my son."

Kylie shook her head, "I'm not letting you die James. Tyler needs you."

James smiled as Abby covered his body with her sleeping bag, "Kylie. He needs you. You have always been there for him, when I wasn't." He turned his glanced over the others and said, "And don't listen to anyone else. I know you love Tyler. That's why you've been listening to the bonus song put on your birthday track. What was the song he choice again?"

Kylie eyes weld up as she whispered, "Today I Met the Boy I'm Gonna Marry."

"See, even I know your love is true just by looking into your eyes. It's the same kind of look, my son gets when saying your name."

"You can't die James." She turned her attention to the boat and asked, "What was the point of doing this? Jumping out and hurting yourself? He needs a father." She glanced back at his pale complexion, "What will I say to him?"

James gave a half smile and said, "Tell him I died to make sure my son lives on happy and healthy life. And tell him I'm sorry it took me this long to show him how much I care and love him. Baby, don't cry."

Kylie curled up with her knees and James said, "This was the way I want to go. I finally did something I'm proud of." His shaking hands reached for Kylie's face and he said, "I wish you both the best of luck." His eyes closed and Kylie stared at James paralyzed.

Rae wrapped her arms around Kylie and said, "He doesn't have much longer now."

Kylie's eyes glanced down and caught sight of the gem. Her hand touched the cool surface and Rae could see the gears turning as to what we shall do next. "I want him to have a burial, even if it's not a proper one. He deserves to be laid to rest."

Rae suddenly got a vision,

People, maybe four, where huddled by a fire and they began to say, "I wish they fucking get out already."

"Patience Miguel. Once they exit out of that cave that stone will be ours." His dark black eyes turn toward the cave and whispered creepily, "And above all that brunette will be mine."

"I thought we had to target the red head and not let her out of our sight?"

The unknown man cunning eyes flickered over to Miguel. "Doesn't mean we can't have some fun either."

Rae snapped out of her vision and barely could swallow.

"Kylie?" Rae asked quietly.

"Yes," Kylie answered back staring down at James deceased body.

"Once we leave the cave, Gabriel's men will be waiting for us. He knows about the stone."

Kylie removed his wedding ring and slid it on her necklace. She turned to Rae with fire burning in her eyes, "Then we shall plan."