"Hey, Kris," Junior felt Kris' grip around his hand tighten. Before him, Junior knew, stood Axel. "I was kind of hoping that the last time I saw you would be on that trail. Obviously not."
"Get out," Junior demanded, his voice hard but even toned. Axel simply smirked in reply.
"Come on, Junior," he coaxed. "Don't you want there to be a one on one fight. Winner gets Kris." Junior shook his head violently in reply. "No? Well, I guess I have no choice but to leave." Junior and Kris quickly glanced at each other, wondering if this guy was off his rocker. Axel turned to go, but something stopped him.
"Axel!" Kris called after him spontaneously. He faced her, eyes cold. "Why did you want to kill me?"
"Simple. You got in the way of Junior completely loving Laura." Junior's eyes widened. "Now I see that you're," He meant Junior, "going to divorce her either way, so it really doesn't matter if she's alive or not." He shrugged his shoulders. "Well, except for the fact that the police are after us."
"They're not getting anything out of me," Kris insisted. Junior tried to object, but Axel cut him off.
"I know, Kris. You were always good at keeping secrets." She only nodded in reply. "Well, when Danni asks for Greg, tell her that he got…called away on…business." Junior's hands clenched into fists, forgetting that his hand was holding Kris'. She was smirking though, it was just the type of thing Axel would do. Without another word, Axel dashed out the door into headed who knows where.
"He's a good kid," Kris muttered under her breath.
"Are you kidding me?" Junior snapped, letting go of her hand completely. "He almost killed you!"
"Ok, so he's a bit psycho," Kris admitted. "But he was just trying to protect his big sister."
"I can't believe you're buying that bull crap!"
"You heard him!" I snapped back. "The only reason he wanted me dead was so that his sister could have you! If you hadn't married her in the first place when you wanted me, this never would've happened." Junior shut his mouth, unable to argue with it. Suddenly, Kris burst out laughing.
"What's so funny?"
"I don't know," Kris replied. "I think it's something like we've been avoiding our real feelings, and it led to this."
"Kris, maybe they put you on too many drugs…You just got back from the hospital. You weren't even supposed to leave in the first place."
"I just want the mess to go away."
"Attempted murder doesn't just disappear. You've got the scars to show."
"But maybe if I just don't think about it, it doesn't have to exist."
"Denials not the answer."
"Works best for me."
"Kris, let's talk about this."
"Let's not. I've had the entire country wanting to talk to me. All I want is silence." Junior nodded, but knew that Kris couldn't run forever. Eventually, she'd have to face the past. Wildfire was gone, and she almost went with him.