James stops suddenly and looks directly at Katie "Huh?"
"You said 'I love you' to me just as we crashed, did you mean it?"
"Guys, come on, no time to stop and chat" Kendall shouts to them, noticing they've stopped.
"Coming" James yells back "Yes I meant what I said" he whispers to Katie as he starts to walk towards the others.
"That's it!" Katie says stepping in line with him "that's it, no follow-up, no explanation, no, no"
"Katie" James says softly "I promise I will follow-up, explain, talk, whatever but later ok? Cause this isn't the place to have this conversation" he waves his arm around at the surrounding desert "and I rather talk to you without company" he then nods to the three others a couple of paces ahead.
"Oh, ok" she nods understanding "but can I say one thing?"
"Sure"
"You certainly know how to pick your moments Diamond"
Just they reach an area of vegetation near the bottom of the mountain.
"Stop Kendall" Logan tells him firmly just as he is about to move forward "there might be snakes"
Everyone automatically takes a step back.
"Now you tell us" Kendall glares at him.
Suddenly there is a loud bang in the direction of the plane, they turn to see a ball of flames engulf where they had stood only twenty minutes before hand.
"Ok" Kendall holds his hands up "I forgive you for not mentioning the snakes before now. So what do we do?"
"Tuck the ends of our pant's into our socks so there is no exposed skin, then we find long sticks and clear an area for us to sit. What time is it by the way?"
"11.30" James answers.
"Ok" Logan nods, noticing Carlos has reached for his hand again "we should have landed in Vegas by now which means they have noticed the plane is missing and will be starting to run a trace on us" He turns to Carlos nodding to their intertwined hands "we're on land now Los"
"Scared of snakes" Carlos mumbles.
"Tuck your socks in and" turning to the others "Kendall, James let's get an area cleared over there, by that large boulder, it should give us shade against the midday sun"
The three boys head towards the boulder, picking up large sticks on the way and begin to push smaller rocks and vegetation aside to make a clearing large enough for them all to sit comfortably.
Katie takes Carlos's hand as they work "It will be ok" he nods "are you ok? You are not your usual self. Where's the stunt loving, hyper latino that we all know and love"
"He's scared, Katie" he says quietly "when we were going down I realised it was real and I had no control, with my stunts I have some control and with the crash I could do nothing. I couldn't stop it and I couldn't help. I'm pathetic and scared"
"We're all scared Carlos"
"Are we? Look at them" Carlos nods towards the three other men currently hits shrubs and bushes.
"Kendall is scared, I know, cause he is asking Logan everything, that's his tell. James is scared too, he's panicking, did you not see his reaction to the door not opening, the pilot's death, the fuel leak and God help us if he sees a snake" Carlos giggles at this comment.
"And Logan?"
"Logan is too busy answering Kendall, ignoring James, worrying about me and trying to impress you to be scared the second this stops it will hit him"
"Impress me?" Carlos turns to look at Logan and sharply turns back to Katie.
"Yeah, Logan likes you always has, but I think this" she waves her arms towards to crash site "may have tipped him over the edge to realise" she hesitates.
"Realise what?" Carlos asks earnestly.
"That it might be more, more than he feels for Kendall and James and more than like"
"W-w-w-w-why do you think that?"
"He didn't pull his hand away anytime you've held it, he would have if it were the others. He is being protective of you, he has barely left your side and he didn't freak out when you kissed his cheek, in fact I'm sure I saw him give a little smile"
Carlos blushes at the mention of the kiss "You saw that, huh?"
"Yeah but don't worry, don't think the others did. What about you, do you like Logan?"
"Yes, a lot. Truth, half my stunt 'accidents' aren't accidents they're just slight scratches so Logan will have to play doctor" looking fondly at the brunette, he continues "and now, now he'll think I'm a wimp" he smiles sadly.
"He won't" Katie squeezes his hand "he loves looking after you, be it playing doctor or today being a hero"
"Katie" Kendall calls her "you and Carlos bring over your bags, it's all clear"
"Ok, come on Carlos and don't worry it will all work out" she grabs her bag and starts to walk to the clearing.
"Hope so" he says following her.
As they reach the area Kendall and James pass them to get the other bags.
"Carlos you sit here and lean against the rock as you might be still experiencing shock"
"I'm ok Logan" Carlos says sitting down.
"Are you sure?" Logan says sitting beside him.
"Positive " he smiles at the other brunette "but I will let you know it I feel wobbly"
"Promise?"
"Pinky swear" Carlos holds out his little finger to his friend.
"Pinky swear!" Logan hooks his little finger to the Latino's.
"So what next Logan?" Kendall returns dropping the bags and sitting down the other side of Logan.
"We need to collect sticks and light a fire"
"I'll collect the sticks" Katie says.
Kendall and Logan both look at her.
"Don't start, I'm a grown-up, I can handle myself" she tells them hands on her hips.
"How about I help?" James says, standing beside her.
"Fine!" both Katie and Kendall answer, glaring at each other. Katie storms off with James running after her.
"So Logan do you know how to light a fire?" Kendall asks him, causing Carlos to smile remembering Katie's comment about Kendall's tell.
"Of course, we've all been camping before so we can all light fires" Logan tells him.
"No we can't, Logan. I always had a lighter when we were camping as did James. Didn't you?"
"Oh, Oh yeah. But it can't be that hard right and fire just needs three things. Air, fuel and ignition"
"We have two of those things but we are missing the ignition bit"
"Kendall get some small rocks and stones" Carlos suddenly speaks up.
"What?"
"We need to build a pit to hold the fire so it doesn't spread on this dry ground. The rocks will give a barrier. Logan can you check the other side of this boulder to see if there is dryish moss to use a kindling"
"Huh?" Logan says as both him and Kendall stare blankly at Carlos.
"Guys, are you forgetting, I went to Camp Wonky Donkey. I know how to light a fire"
"Ok!" they nod.
A couple of minutes later Logan arrives back with moss and dried leaves "Will these work?"
"Perfect" Carlos answer him beaming, causing Logan to blush.
Just then Kendall arrives holding a number of small rocks "Logan I need your help to get some more"
Logan hops up and follows the blonde, leaving Carlos to start building the pit. He makes a circle using the rocks and places the moss and leaves in a small pile in the centre. Grabbing one of the sticks the boys have used earlier, the snaps it in half and sharpens one end against the boulder. James and Katie then arrive back each carrying an armful of sticks and twigs.
"Are these ok?" Katie asks.
"Yeah they'll definitely do the job" Carlos smiles some what cheerfully.
"Why are you smiling?" James asks him cautiously.
"Just thinking about our time in Camp Wonky Donkey, lucky one of us paid attention during the camp fire sessions and learned how to light one" he smiles even wider.
"Carlos, we aren't at camp now!" James says in a panicked voice "we are stuck in the desert! With no cell reception and no one knows where we are and" but before James says anything else Carlos breaks out in fits of laughter and is joined by Katie.
Kendall and Logan arrive back and look to James "What's up with them?"
"I don't know I was just explaining our situation and they started to laugh"
"Is this a sign of shock?" Kendall turns and asks Logan, causing Carlos and Katie to laugh even harder.
"Y-y-y-you were right Katie" Carlos says wiping the tears caused by the laughter from his eyes "all the tells, no wonder you always win at poker"
"What are you guys talking about?" James asks them.
"It's nothing Jamie" Katie winks at him "now Carlos, we need fire"
Carlos nods, he uses the rest of the stones to build the remainder of the circle making sure there are no large gaps. He then takes the two sticks and setting them up near the moss he begins to twist them together causing friction. After a couple of minutes there is a small glint and smoke begins to appear. Carlos continues for a couple more second to make sure that there is a flame. He then grabs some of the sticks that Katie and James have collected, using the smaller, drier ones he carefully builds a pile. These slowly begin to catch on fire.
"Wow Carlos. You did it. You made a fire" Logan looks at him in awe.
"I mightn't be the smartest and you mightn't like them but my caveman qualities came handy sometimes" he shrugs.
"I like all your qualities" Logan says quietly.
Suddenly there is thudding noise coming from the distance. All five jump up and make their way out from the boulders shelter.
"It's a copter" James says, shielding his eyes from the sun and staring towards the noise.