(HIYA, HAPPY EASTER AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS STORY ABOUT OUR GUYS ~ AND GALS. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S EVEN LEGAL TO WRITE FAN FICTION FOR YOUR OWN BOOK BUT HERE IT IS)

(HE IS RISEN ✞)

It was Easter Sunday. Callie and Vic donned camouflage instead of pastel dresses and heels, and coated their faces in dark paints rather than makeup. Their hair was tightly braided back, courtesy Vic's superior braiding skills. This was one Easter egg hunt the girls didn't plan on missing.

For some reason Victoria Gant had not been invited to the battle grounds. It hadn't really been a big deal until she'd mentioned it to her friend (who was also a very talented assassin in the underworld), Callie Temples, who said there was no excuse for the boy's unjust exclusion of her. So, trying her best not to be suspicious, Callie had turned down her own invitation to help Victoria get even.

It was probably only 4:00 in the morning by the time the girls got to the grounds. The boy's were going to be there by 6:00. Callie wasn't an early morning riser but she knew her husband Jason had hid all 250 camo Easter eggs the day before and Callie wanted to find as many as she could before Chris and his crew came rolling in with paintball guns and masks in tow.

By 5:30 both girls were well hidden in the tree branches, Vic's red braids tucked under a brown bandanna, Callie's hands wrapped around the stock of Tippmann A-5 Sniper model paintball gun, an evil gleam in both their eyes. Between the two of them they'd found seventeen eggs, which meant they had two tablets of ibuprofen, a three foot length of paracord, six packs of dry fruit, four electrolyte capsules, a pocket knife and three extra handfuls of paintballs.

By 6:21 they saw their first victim. Joshua Marcus poked along, tenderfooting his way through the underbrush, blue eyes hidden by the dark visor he wore to protect his face. He had a bag with a few small bulges, confirming he had found a few eggs. By now Callie had eaten a pack of fruit and had drank half her water bottle. She wondered if Jason had actually put any candy in these boogers or if it was all k-rations.

"Hey," she nudged Vic. "On my count…"

Vic nodded and smiled roguishly.

"Three… two…"

Vic's finger tightened on the trigger.

"One!" Callie hissed and let loose with her own.

Josh raised his arms to shield himself and tried to run after a paintball shattered in his face, but he was forced to drop his bag and his gun in the attempt. He dove back to get them, took another shot in the shin, moaned and managed to get away with his booty.

"Well..." Callie sighed. "You can't win 'em all."

"I wonder if they're playing free for all or teams?" Vic mused aloud, before something caught her attention. "Hey! He dropped an egg!"

Callie squinted, then nodded. "Yeah he did."

"Wanna get it?"

Cal smiled briefly. "No, you go get it."

Vic grumbled something about pulling rank and slipped down quickly. She snagged the treat quickly and shimmied back up the tree. She made like she was cracking the egg for a recipe and hardly held back an excited exclamation when it opened. Jelly beans.

Callie held open her hand. "Here, give me one."

Chris was the next target, but unlike Josh, he let out a pained yelp when the first shot made contact. He glanced up, blond hair in his face, and yelled with his Australian brogue, "Did you freeze those things?!"

Callie giggled as she sent another jelly bean flying his way. "No, they came this hard. Nearly lost a filling!"

For an ex-SEAL, Jakob Tabriz made an easy target. Maybe it was because his 6' 6" frame stood so boldly. Or perhaps it was merely because he knew where all his friends were and really didn't expect the girls to be huddled on a tree branch.

They splattered him with paintballs and bruises before he cried, "I give up!"

"Then throw down your basket." Callie said firmly.

He glanced up at the tree but Vic slammed him with another shot. "No peeking."

Jakob tossed down the basket with a grunt. "Fine, you win. This round."

"Mmm hmm." Callie didn't sound convinced. "Drop the eggs."

And thus they obtained twenty two more hollow, plastic shells. Jakob had emptied his eggs the second he found them.

It took the girls close to an hour to change positions, and by this time it was 10:30 in the morning, with the dogwoods and the sunshine bright around them. They didn't see Chris waiting to get even and both ended up with a minor pelt on the torso. Chris didn't get away without several.

When they finally found a multi floral rose bush (and three undisturbed eggs in its midst) they were hungry and thirsty. Callie ripped open a bag of dried fruit, took an electrolyte capsule, an ibuprofen for her aching muscles and a swallow of water. Vic followed suit but skipped the medicine. Then they nestled in and waited for another crew member to happen along.

It was Conner and Marc, gently making their way right to Vic and Cal's hiding spot. At first Vic felt a little guilty about shooting her own boyfriend but then the guilt vanished with a renewed sense of excitement. She nailed Marc first shot.

His soft brown eyes showed confusion when he saw her, then smiled suddenly as he raised his own gun. He showered the bush.

"Oh dang!" screamed Callie, trying to get a bead on Conner. "You really did it now!"

Vic was too busy trying to hit Marc for trying to shoot her to hear.

Marc, Vic, Callie and Conner all huddled in the bush, quietly awaiting Mark 'Crash' Evans' appearance. After hours of patient waiting they recruited Chris, Joshua and Jakob as well. But the waiting game still continued. And continued.

"Dang," Chris flashed a set of white teeth at Vic. "Your co-pilot is good at this."

"Don't tell him, he'll get a big head." Vic warned playfully.

Finally Callie stuck her head out of the bush. "All together, how many eggs have the seven of us found?"

Chris took tally and quickly responded, "Eighty seven."

"Is there any way…" Cal turned back and popped another jelly bean in her mouth, then loaded the rest into her gun. "That he got the others himself?"

Vic shrugged. "Wouldn't surprise me."

"Well, not to be a party pooper," began Josh, "But I'm all for heading back to the vehicles. It's 1:45 and I haven't had anything except dried fruit. If Crash got all the eggs he'll be there and if he hasn't we'll still have half a chance at this."

They all decided this was a good plan of action

Crash was there, his booty spread on the hood of Jakob's Hummer. He had the AC running and the radio playing.

"I've been waiting for you guys." he said with a crooked grin. He waved a hand at the goodies. "I couldn't find anything else."

Unbelieving, Chris counted the shells. Finally he locked his denim eyes with Jakob's. "That's all of them."

Vic turned to Marc. "Why didn't you invite me?"

Marc sighed. "I didn't think you'd have fun."

"Of course I'd have fun!" Vic exclaimed. "I got to shoot you! Why wouldn't that be fun?!"

He blushed.

Ignoring her friend, Callie pushed past them all. "I call jelly beans! They make stinkin' good ammo."