Author's Note: I guess the site's going to be down for a couple of days (Sunday night thru Tuesday night) I'll try to get a few more chapters in before that, and will try to remember not to leave it at a cliff hanger the last chapter before then. If I forget, I apologize, now!

OOOOOOOO

The movie they were seeing was one that was highly anticipated by the younger crowd – meaning people in High School and College – so the theater was filled with a majority of people that age. When Ian and Cassie met up with Shawn, River and Gina in the lobby after getting their tickets, they decided that they'd better send someone – or a couple someones – into the theater to get them seats or they'd end up sitting in every corner of the place alone instead of in a group.

Shawn and Gina volunteered to go in, and Shawn handed Ian some money, giving him a long list of items he wanted from the concession stand. That was the best part about going to the movies, after all. Gina did the same thing – although her list of snacks was much shorter – and Ian waved away her money, telling her that it wasn't often he got a chance to treat someone who was a fan of his mom's. She smiled, and disappeared into the theater with Shawn.

While Ian had been talking with Gina and Shawn, River had taken advantage of the distraction and had come up beside Cassie, his arm once more going around her waist.

"Let's get in line, Cassie," he told her, steering her towards the crowded line. "Ian can catch up."

She nodded, unable to hide the feminine pleasure at how much he seemed to enjoy having his arm around her – she wasn't above feeling a bit smug about that. After all, there were a lot of women and girls in the room, and all of them had taken at least one look at River – and several had taken more than that and were still looking. She was with what were easily the two best looking guys in the place, and she knew that pretty much anyone in the room would have killed to be with just one of them. And she had both!

That particular observation was proved only a moment later, when a couple of her friends came up to her – both eyeing River speculatively as they did so.

"Hey, Cassie," the first said – a blonde with big blue eyes and a smile that was almost predatory as she looked at River. "Who's your... friend?"

Cassie smiled, and couldn't help but put her arm around River's waist. Oh, they would be so jealous! God, she loved this.

"This is River Hayden. He's a friend of a friend, really. River, this is Angela and Crystal. They go to school with me."

Angela – the blonde – offered her hand to River, who took it with a smile as wide as any Cassie had seen, his blue eyes sparkling. He was definitely in his element, she knew.

"It's nice to meet you, River. What school do you go to?"

"The Air Force academy," he answered, his eyes lingering on Crystal, who blushed prettily at the attention.

"Oooo, are you going to be a pilot?" Angela asked.

"He's got to learn how to get out of bed without knocking himself out before he can learn how to fly a plane..."

The drawl from behind River gave notice that Ian had arrived, and River grinned even broader, completely unperturbed by Ian's reminder at his head injury from way back when. It was always a good conversation starter, after all, and he wasn't self conscious about it.

Both girls smiled when Ian came over to stand on the other side of Cassie, who had let her arm drop from around River's waist when the blonde cadet had stepped forward to take Angela's hand, and waited for Cassie to introduce them.

"This is Ian," Cassie said, unsure if Ian would let her put her arm around his waist. Touching his knee during a private moment in the truck was one thing, but he hadn't done more than smile at her since they'd entered the lobby, and she wasn't certain what he thought of her – something that would have to be fixed, eventually. "He's at the Air Force academy, too."

Ian nodded to them, but didn't offer either of them his hand – which didn't surprise River at all. He was the social one of the two, after all.

"What year are you two?" River asked.

"Seniors."

"What are you going to-"

"Hey, the lines moving."

A voice from behind them caused all of them to look back, and a guy was standing there, waiting impatiently for the five of them to take the four steps forward and fill the space that had been created when the people at the front of the line got their food and headed for the theater.

"Thanks for the tip," Ian said sarcastically as Cassie, Angela and Crystal all stepped forward guiltily. River had taken a step as well – one that put him in the middle of the three girls, where he could have plenty of chances to flirt with any or all of them – but Ian didn't see the point of moving. It wasn't like they were going to wait any less time if they filled that little space, after all.

"You being a smart ass?" The guy asked him, catching the sarcasm in the cadet's tone easily.

"You're a bright one, aren't you?"

"You'll have to pardon my friend," River said, stepping in before Ian could pick a fight in the lobby. He gave the guy a smile, and pulled Ian back by the collar of his jacket. "He's on medication."

"Fuck you, Hayden," Ian muttered, but he didn't press the issue, and the guy – who didn't want a fight any more than River did – back down as well, allowing River to diffuse what could have been an ugly scene.

"Are you trying to get your ass kicked?" River asked Ian softly as he pushed the dark haired cadet closer to the people in front of them – who had turned to watch the exchange between Ian and the guy.

"He wouldn't have a chance..."

"What's your problem?"

"What?"

"You're being awfully belligerent – even for you."

Ian shrugged, and realized that he had been picking the fight. He could have just moved forward like everyone else had, but he'd been annoyed at the way River had been making the move on every girl around him – including Cassie. Which was fine, if it was only Cassie that River was interested in. Ian knew Hayden was a good guy, and Hayden was far better company than he was – but if he was interested in Cassie, then he needed to show interest only in Cassie – and not the other two girls. Dumb bastard. The guy behind them had simply been a way for Ian to let off some steam.

He looked at Cassie, who was standing between her friends looking at him, her eyes slightly puzzled as well.

"I'm fine."