So now we know how they ended up stranded, but there's more to come... Yeah I know, keeping it kind of vague, but where'd be the fun in letting you know what's going to happen?

BTW - I try to give good ol' Stalker Hen (god I love that name!) a cameo in my stories, she's got to have her moment!

Chapter 3 – A Friend in need…

And now they were here, huddled into a small cave in the side that they hoped was the base of a large terra. With a little, ok, a lot of luck they'd be able to climb up to the top and reach safety. If they were even luckier, they would be found long before that and rescued from this accursed place.

Finn jerked his head up as he felt his chin contact his chest. He looked beside him at the slumbering figure of his partner. Giving a sigh and changing position for the fifth time in the last half hour, he struggled to stay awake. He was exhausted, not only physically from the strains resulting from the crash landing and resulting hike (and mad dash) through the wasteland, but his mind was numb from the constant rush of adrenaline as he reacted to every rustle and shift of rock. He peered out of the cave's entrance, convinced that something, anything was about to attack them. Then as silence surrounded him, he would relax, his tired, burning eyes drooping shut.

Come on, Finn ol' buddy, get it together, got to keep awake. Piper'd never forgive me if she woke up in the belly of some creature. I can just hear her now "Finn, how could you let this happen, if you'd just listened to me, we never would have been devoured. Now we're going to be digested and it's your entire fault'." He grinned and shifted again, putting his shoulder against the wall to prop himself up. He glanced behind him again. As he regarded the slight figure, curled on her side, his smile faded. He reached his hand out and laid it gently on her forehead. His eyebrows knitted with concern as he felt her rising temperature.

He whirled back around as he heard yet another suspicious noise. Acting instinctively (some could call it recklessly) he gripped his crossbow and with a yell, hurled himself out of the cavern entrance. He spun in a circle as he checked all directions. Nothing.

Finn sighed and let his shoulders sag. Stormclouds, he was tired. He stooped down and re-entered their tiny enclave. To find Piper awake and staring at him. For a moment she gazed at him in confusion, then as she moved she felt the sharp twinge from the needle points and gasped both in pain and realization.

"Owwww." She softly moaned. "Dang, these hurt." Once more she grabbed at one of the spines and tugged. Gritting her teeth and tightly shutting her eyes, she pulled hard. For a long moment nothing happened and then she felt a tearing as the barb finally let loose. She yelped. Bringing the dart around she could see where the barbs had spread open as she had pulled it out. Dropping it she felt for the wound and could feel stickiness. She pressed her finger against her flesh in an attempt to staunch the bleeding. Then she grabbed at another dart.

"Here, let me. I can see them better. Besides, this way you can be mad at me, for making you hurt."

Piper opened her eyes to see Finn leaning towards her, his face full of concern. She hesitated for a moment and then stretched out so her leg was behind her. Finn grabbed the leg just below the knee with one hand and firmly grasped the lowest barb with the fingers of his other. "OK, hold still. I'll make it quick."

She didn't have time to brace herself as she felt the barb torn out. She didn't yelp this time, but made a small noise in her mouth, her lips pressed tight. Finn rapidly moved from barb to barb, grabbing hold of them and swiftly pulling them out. Piper held herself as still as she could, knowing that what he was doing was right. Taking it slow would have only prolonged the agony. She tried not to collapse as she realized that Finn had stopped.

"Umm, Piper, uh, there's just a few more, but they're in your, um, rump." Finn said in a tentative voice.

"Just…do…it." Piper hissed through gritted teeth.

She felt him place his hand on her upper thigh. He nervously changed position and then determinedly reached out and plucked the remaining barbs out of her.

Piper made a small moan as she felt each one tear loose. Once again she felt herself begin to relax as Finn seemed to stop. She felt him begin to lightly rub his hands on her thigh only to pull away.

"Umm, Piper? Could you check to make sure I got them all?"

She sighed and reached back. She investigated the sore flesh and was about to tell him that he had indeed gotten them all when her finger brushed against a barb that was sticking out about a quarter inch. It was close to the back part of the knee, on the inner side.

"Nope, one more, but I think it's going to be hard to get. See, right where my finger is?"

Finn replaced her finger with his, feeling the thin shaft. Taking hold of it between his fingernails he started to pull. Piper lay stone still as he continued to work at the barb, her eyes tightly closed and her mouth a thin line. Her fists were clenched and every muscle was tight. Finn changed hands and began to pull again. Time and again he tried to get a better hold, wiping his sweaty hands on his pants. Piper finally had enough, the barb was in deep and there was no budging it. She turned to look at the boy behind her. His face was a study in concentration, his brows lowered over his eyes, the tip of his tongue poking out between his teeth. She reached back and laid a hand on his arm.

"Enough, Finn. You got most of them. I think that one's going to need a bit more than just a good yank. We'll just have to wait until we get back to the Condor and we can use the first aid supplies."

Finn sat back. They regarded each other for a long moment. "Ok, if you say so. It definitely is in deep. If it's as long as the rest of them, you're gonna need more than just a needle and a pair of tweezers. It's not exactly a little splinter, you know."

"I know." Piper smiled tiredly. "I'll deal with it when I have to." She turned and moved to a sitting position, slowly placing more of her weight on the right side. "Ouch! Guess it's a bit tender to be sitting on." She ruefully admitted and lay back on her side. As she stared out into the shifting haze she realized that it was getting darker.

"How long did I sleep?" she asked.

"Forever."

Piper frowned at Finn's flippant tone. "Really, Finn, how long has it been?"

"I dunno, four, five hours."

She suddenly realized that the blond was worn out. His eyes were red and his body sagged where it leaned against the wall.

"Well, since it looks like night's coming on, and we definitely don't want to be moving around then, we should stay here." Looking over at Finn, Piper continued. "Seeing as you've already taken the first watch, I'll take the other. Anything comes along, I'll whack it over the head with my staff."

Finn opened his mouth to argue, after all, she was injured and obviously just as beat as he was. His words died in his throat as Piper reached out her hand and laid it on his shoulder, her face studying his. Her expression was a mixture of concern and tenderness. "Please, Finn, sleep. You need it, and you won't be doing either of us a favor by trying to be heroic. Besides" she continued, a small grin lifting up one corner of her mouth. "I don't think I'll be getting much sleep with all these knives poking at me. Even though those barbs are out, it still hurts like the dickens."

Finn looked down for minute and then nodded. He helped her to sit closer to the entrance, her energy staff held in a defensive position, ready to strike in any direction. Curling himself behind her he made sure his crossbow was readily available.

"Wake me if anything happens." He mumbled as he drifted into much needed sleep.