It was five thirty and they were the only two people in the gym. She thought she had hidden her surprise at him cutting his trip short well when she saw him waiting for her outside of the building this morning. He let her in and then preceded up the stairs to his office while she began stretching. This was how things were supposed to be. She could feel some of the tension ebb away as they fell so easily back into to their pre-worlds routine. She rose from the mat as he came down the stairs. When he reached her he held out a bottle.

"What is this?" Payson asked glancing between the bottle of water in Sasha's hand and the flimsy paper cup in her own. He was standing next to her holding the bottle out looking straight ahead. At her question a hint of blush colored his cheeks.

"Umm...it's water," he said his voice rising at the end in a way that made her wonder if it was a question or a statement.

"Thanks,"she said her voice also high and unsure.

"So are you ready to work?" his voice taking on a more certain tone.

"You bet."

She mounted the beam and launched into her routine start to finish, then looked to him expectantly. He stood silently with his fingers resting over his lips a pensive gaze on his face.

"It is a beautiful routine that you and Amanda have created. There is strength, power, elegance, and grace and you perform it well but... it's missing something. Again."

They ran through the routine from at least ten more times before he called for a break before the vault. She grabbed her cup and was about to head for the water cooler when she saw the bottle Sasha had given her earlier next to her bag. She picked it up and gave a cursory glance to the label as she took a sip. She nearly spat the water across the room. The label read Wetumpka Lodge.

Flashback

"I promise I will try."

"Thank you." she said trying to staunch the wave of desire that spread through her at his touch. Stepping back she squared her shoulders, "I realize that things cant be the same but I was thinking on the way here that the dont have to, change isn't always bad. You and I have always been different, more like partners," she cringed and saw him wince that was the wrong word. She paused searching for the right word trying not to bungle it more than she already had, "Colleauges," yes that was a good choice. "Colleauges working towards a common goal and that hasnt changed so maybe if we let that be our yardstick. The way we look at these new developments and how we relate to one another. Colleauges instead subordinate and superior."

He stood there looking at her for a moment slack jawed at her reasoning. He had forgotten during his self flaggellation just how mature this girl... no this young woman was, he felt slightly ashamed at his childish behavior. What she was proposing wasnt even that radical it was the way they had been operating since she returned to train after her surgery. She was simply asking him to acknowledge it, embrace it. Would it be that hard? He no longer saw he as a child anyway. How hard would it be to put her into another category? Colleauge she said like Jake and Amanda his assistant coaches. Maybe it would help ease the guilt he felt in relation to misusing his power taking advantage of his position. He would need time to think forthe time being he told her, "We can try."

"Come on I'll walk you back to you vehicle."

"I though we were going hunting and fishing?" She offered a sly smile playing at her lips.

"I don't hunt." he laughed.

"Didn't think so,"

"But I do fish." He said glancing up at her. This was a bad idea. He should just send her on her way and return to his solitude, but another part of him thought this might be a good opprotunity to practice being in close quarters with her. A way to check what his responses might be, only if she was willing to do the same.

"I am open to new experiences."

"Well, come on then."

They walked back towards his cabin and she waited as he exchanged his gun for two fishing poles and a cooler. Walking in a companionable silence they made their way to the pier and rented a boat. Once they were out on the water he mounted the poles on the side of the boat and took his place on the bench opposite of hers. They stared at each other it was like an invisible line had been drawn down the center of the boat with them on opposite sides, but neither of them could look away. Payson wracked her brain for something to say a neutral topic to fill the stillness.

"Do you come here often?"

"Not nearly enough."

"It's nice."

"Is that so?" he said noncommitaly.

"Peaceful."

"Hmm.."

"It feels like you could just forget everything out here. It's so quiet. "

"Not anymore." He smiled.

Ok she could take a hint. Leaning back against the side of the boat she let out a long sigh. About fifteen minutes passed before she spoke again.

"So what do we do now?"

"We wait."

"For.."

"We wait, quietly, for the fish to come."

"Oh," she said with an air of disappointment.

He let out a long suffering sigh "What does this not meet with your expectations?"

"I just thought there would be more, that we would do more."

"Such as..."

"I thought I would at least get to hold your pole." His cocked an eyebrows at her phrasing causing her to blush and stammer out a clarification, "The fishing pole."

"Right. Feel free." He said fighting the heat he felt rising in his own cheeks.

Shifting on the bench she leaned forward and grabbed the pole."Now what do I do?"

"Nothing you just hold it still."

"Don't I need to move it around?" He reached forward and grabbed her wrist to stop he movements. The contact burned and he realized it was the first time he had touched her since that night. Warmth was spreading up his arm from the place where his hand lay on top of hers.

Clearing his throat and shaking off the feeling, he said, "No, we are on a small lake just let the fish come to you."

She stilled her movements and leaned forward towards the edge of the boat in anticipation of catching something. He reached over to the cooler, opened it, and grabbed a beer without thinking. It wasn't until he heard a muffled cough that he looked upand saw Payson watching him with a small smile playing at her lips that he realized maybe adding alcohol to the mix wasnt such a good idea. He sat the beer down quickly.

"I've always wondered, what would you have done if we drank those beers you gave us that Sunday? And how the hell did you know we went to that party?" That last question had been plauging her and the others since that day. Many therioes had been proposed from him actually being at the kegger to clairvoyace.

His smile took on a mischeivious edge. "Now why would I go and reveal all of my secrets to you Payson Keeler?''

"Your secrets are safe with me."

"I'm sure they are." He looked her in the eye meaningfully.

"I trusted your awe of me and guilt at being caught to prevent any of you from actually drinking it."

"And the party?"

He gave her a measuring look."You're not the only ones who go to the Spruce Juice."

"Damn. I had money on you being there. Standing in the shadows giving us a disapproving glare whilst plotting out our punishment."

"Sorry to disappoint." he laughed.

"Good thing this is a secret or else I would be out of twenty bucks."

They both chuckled as the silence settled back in. After half an hour of holding the pole and nothing happening she turned to Sasha. "Do you have anything other than beer in that cooler?"

He reached in and handed her a blue bottle, untwisting the cap she took a long sip. it was crisp cool and refreshing she looked at the label it was plain white and said Wetumpka Lodge on the label.

"This is the best water I have ever tasted."

"It comes from the springs located on the grounds. They are very proud of it."

"As well they should be, it's like water only so much better." He watched as she closed her eyes and took another sip.

"It's bloody expensive is what it is, $3 dollars a bottle." He grumbled.

"So how do we know if we have caught anything?"

"I'm sure we haven't."

"Why?"

"Because catching fish requires patience, silence, and stillness, none of which we have supplied."

"Sorry about that," she replied sheepishly. "I'll just go and you can get back to your vacation." She went to place the rod back in the holder when she felt the tug. "Sasha, Sasha I think I've got something!" Placing his arms around her he grasped the rod guiding her hands showing her how to reel it in. His front was pressed up against her back and together they pulled the fish into the boat. Payson was bouncing on the balls of her feet it was a surprising adenaline rush to actually catch something.

"Ha ha! That fish didn't stand a chance."

Sasha looked up to her face which was flushed with joy and happiness in her accomplishment she was glowing with pride. He felt his heart twist painfully he knew exactly how the fish felt hook, line, and sinker and she wasn't even trying. "Against you Payon Keeler no one stands a chance. "

She looked back down at the bottle of water. It was blue with a white label that read Wetumpka it didn't mean anything, perhaps he had simply liked the water as well. However she couldnt shake the niggling feeling inside of her said that there was an underlying meaning a gesture of some kind hidden in him giving her this particular bottle. She looked around to find Sasha but he was no longer on the floor. She looked back down at the bottle and smiled grabbing her bag and heading towards the vault.