Kathryn woke up to the sound of obnoxious knocking on her dorm door. "Go away," she mumbled loudly and turned over in her bed and back under the covers, snuggling closer to the warmth. She heard the sound of the doorknob turning, and the creak of the door opening. She cursed softly, regretting ever giving her spare key to her best friend.

"Get up Kat," Benjamin Benedict announced as he closed the door behind him. "You've missed breakfast and you'll miss lunch if stay in bed. It's almost noon." To make a point, Kathryn listened as his footsteps walked around her room and pulled open the curtains, letting in an enormous amount of light in. Kathryn groaned and pulled the covers tighter around her head.

She felt the bed sink as Ben laid down next to her. "Kat, it is time to get up. Or so help me I will pour this hot chocolate all over you. Besides, the Thunderbirds just finished their mission. I can't believe you missed it." That caught Kathryn's attention as she threw the covers off her and onto Ben. "Knew that would get you up." Kathryn turned towards Ben and hit him with her pillow, messing up his dirty blond hair.

"Oh I hate you," she told him with a smile. She'd never hate her country boy, but she didn't mind reminding him how horrible he could be.

Ben just laughed. "Not true Kat, not true," he said and reached over grabbing the hot chocolate he had for her. "Here," he handed her the mug. Kathryn took it greedily and held it in her hands.

"Benny I forgive you," she told teasingly as she took a sip. "Now get off my bed." She watched as her friend got off and dropped a bag onto her lap. "Oh food for me?" she asked, glancing at her clock as she set her mug next to it. The red numbers, now less haunting in daylight, read 11:50 am. Breakfast was over twenty minutes ago, and Madison Hall wouldn't have lunch up for another thirty minutes.

"Just a bagel," he said, sitting down on her futon.

"How was the test?" Kathryn asked, pulling the bagel out from the brown paper bag. It was still a little warm from the toaster, just how she liked them. With a smile, she pulled off a piece and started to eat.

"Easy as pie," Ben grinned.

"Wasn't it a test about foods?" Kathryn asked. "I don't know why you're taking History of Culinary."

"Because it is the exact opposite of all the med classes I have to take," Ben sighed as he readjusted himself on the futon.

"That's what you get for being so damn smart," Kathryn teased. She looked at her best friend, as she ate her bagel. From where she sat, Kathryn couldn't help but see what every other girl on campus saw in Ben, a hottie. It helped that he was Southern, so he still had those chivalrous ideals that girls loved, and he slipped into his sweet southern accent now. More importantly, Ben had dirty blond hair short, but long enough to run you hands through, vibrant green eyes that couldn't seem real. Not to mention working on his parent's farm in the summer over the last couple years gave him some major tonnage.

"What are you looking at?" he asked, looking down at his shirt. "Did I spill something?"

Kathryn looked away, reminding herself that he'd been her best friend since high school so nothing could really happen. "I was just wondering if you're going to shave today or you're going to leave that stubble. It doesn't make you look like a 6 year med student, just a rebel," she teased him, finishing up the last of her bagel.

"Maybe that's what I'm aiming for. Life as a med student is so dull," Ben grinned, leaning against the futon, with arms outstretched against it. "I should have gone into something exciting. Like English."

Kathryn crossed her legs and pulled her blanket back over herself. Why were New Jersey winters so freaking cold? "English is exciting?" she asked him.

"Oh yeah. You wouldn't know though, since you're majoring in International Business and Photography." Kathryn stuck her tongue out at him to prove a point. "My point made."

"You're annoying," she informed him, finishing up her bagel and returned to her chocolate. "But you brought me breakfast, so I suppose I'll tolerate you."

"I'm glad," Ben said, and then turned serious. "Kathryn, why did you oversleep? You never miss breakfast. You always make it to breakfast, even if you make it to class late." Kathryn sighed and scooted over, and opened up her blanket shawl for him to get under.

"It's a long story."

Ben waited on the futon as Kathryn got ready in her bathroom. He was slightly solemn, seeing as was he worrying about his friend and the fact that her nightmare had come back after such a long time. He'd known about the kidnapping since the 9th grade, when she'd spent Winter Break at his farm and he'd run into her room one night when he heard her screaming.

He knew everything about Kathryn Sally Swicord nee Tracy. Born in Kansas, youngest with five older brothers; there were five years between her and the second youngest, Alan. But most importantly, he knew that even though all of them worked for Tracy Industries, they were also part of the most important organization in the world: International Rescue.

At first he resented the Tracy men; what kind of family cut off from their youngest member? But then, as time passed and he got to know the youngest Tracy and learned that perhaps it had been for the best. Not to mention he was in contact with one of her brothers, who filled him in on a lot of it.

"Ben," Kathryn said dramatically, opening the bathroom door and leaning against it. "Must we go to class today?" Ben raised an eyebrow at her, grinning slightly. He knew where this was going.

"I suppose not," He told her, watching her gray eyes gleam mischievously. "I'm sure we could skip Bio for the day." Kathryn's grin widened and he watched as she twirled back into the bathroom. Ben watched her leave, the way her long auburn hair swished behind her.

"I still can't believe you convinced me to take that class," he heard her say. Without responding -she always complained about Bio whenever it was brought up- he looked around her dorm. Her shelves were filled with camera gear, class books, and photo albums. Any photo not in an album was tacked onto her wall of corkboard. His eyes lingered on a colorful shadow box. He knew what it was; he'd given it to her for her birthday a year ago. It was her USA team leotard, folded, and the three medals she'd won while on the team. Bronze for the floor event, silver for Team USA's overall second place standing, and her greatest strength, gold for the uneven bars.

"Ben," he turned around at the sound of his name and found himself face to face with Kathryn. So close, he could smell that Herbal Essences shampoo she used and he couldn't help but grin.

"Sorry, what?"

"Come on," Kathryn said, and he watched her carefully as she avoided his gaze. "Let's get out of here." She held out her hand for him and he pulled himself up with it, wondering what she had in store for him today. Not that it mattered, he would do anything she asked him to.

Austin Jacks was not a man who enjoyed being made a fool of.

And that's exactly what had happened to him eleven years ago in a small town of Kansas.

It had been a smooth and perfect plan. Kidnap the girl, ransom her off, get the money, escape and live wealthy for the rest of his life while the Tracy family searched frantically for the daughter they would never find.

He couldn't remember there being any flaws in his plan. The Tracy princess was hardly known; it was only by coincidence that he had found out about her. That meant they'd pay whatever he wanted them to get the only girl back. A boy would have been okay, they had enough of them to go around, but they would have struggled much more, and they were older.

The timing had been perfect. The swimmer Tracy and Kathryn had their sports at the athletic center at the same time. Only the gymnastic practice ended half an hour before swimming practice did, so she always walked alone to the pool and waited. After working there for months, he'd gained everyone's confidence (co-workers, bosses, members and above all the Tracys'), that it hadn't bothered anyone when he went up to talk to Kathryn on her way to the pool. Or later when he informed the swim instructor that Kathryn Tracy had been picked up by her father and not to expect her.

The hiding place was excellent. His grandfather still had land under his name, and while the old man was gone, Austin had planned to stuff the girl in the cellar, right in the middle of the wheat field. The old house used to stand there until it burned down in the 20th century, making it long forgotten. No one would find or hear her there, not while he had her hidden in the chest.

But something had gone wrong. In no more than eight hours from her disappearance, she was had been found and handed over back to her family. And Austin? Well he had been discovered and sent to court. By Kansas State law, he could have been given a sentence of 165 months, or 13 years and 9 months. But only if had harmed the child, which he technically didn't. Though he had locked her up in a chest with nothing but breathing holes, so something about intent had let 146 months in jail, or 12 years and 2 months.

It was the biggest humiliation of his life. To end up on the news the way he had, disgracing the good name he had. And for what? A snot nose brat who belonged to a new money family? Who would grow up not knowing about how life really was. How her daddy's business was going to get little guys like him out of the market and onto the streets. Oh that Tracy had more than he deserved.

But Austin wasn't just going to sit around and wait to be let out of jail. Not at all. He'd made friends on the inside, some who even wanted to see Tracy go down. So for eleven years he had put himself through a daily routine, thinking and plotting secretly. So it was only a matter of time, eleven years into his sentence to be exact, he was let out early for good behavior and parole. Which he of course broke as soon as he could.

Now he was on his hunt again. Oh he was doing what he did best.

"See you later Joe." Austin looked up to see a couple of college students walk past him. He put his mop against the wall and smiled at them, and waved. He recognized the pair immediately. Inseparable these two were, not to mention he would remember those gray eyes and face as long as he lived.

"Later Ben," he called back, and grinned. That's right; he was doing what he did best. It was only a matter of time till he got his revenge.

A/N: Part two. Eeek. Sorry if this is a weird cut in the story, I just didn't have it set up so that I could break it into chapters for the website so I'm trying to figure it out.

But anyway you've met the antagonist of the story! And my favorite couple ever, which is weird. Is it weird to ship a ship you've created?

Read and review my fellow readers. Danke!