Lake Lila is a 1,400 acre lake in North East New York. It is a part of the Adirondack Park and is approximately a 3 and a half or 4 hours drive away from New York City. It was one of the camp sights that Jacen had visited a few times in the past but now he was coming for a very special reason. He and Kealey were going camping for the weekend.

Everything had started out great. Jacen had gotten off work at right around lunch on Friday and then headed to make a few stops on his way to the apartment. First he had gone by a storage unit where he kept his canoe, then on to the grocery store to fill a cooler with ice as well as pick up some of the bare necessities. Eggs, bacon, baked beans, hot dogs, marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate bars, extra-soft toilet paper, bottled water, water purification tablets, bug spray, and of course beef jerky.

Pulling into his parking space at the apartment, Jacen hopped up and began his exercise of jogging up and down the stairs. Within a few minutes a three-man tent, two sleeping bags, a couple of blankets, and two pillows were all safely stowed in the truck. Standing with his arms crossed over his chest, the ex-military man contemplated the amount of items he was packing and then turned to head back upstairs again. After a quick shower to be at least somewhat clean, Jacen pulled on fresh boxers, military camouflage pants, hiking boots, and a black t-shirt. Lifting a small bag that held a couple changes of clothes in it, Jacen laid a light jacket on top and then walked into the other room to grab Kealey's bags. The amount she had packed wasn't really all that surprising but Jacen still couldn't help but shake his head and grin as he carried the one backpack and one large suitcase down the stairs to his truck.

***

"Hey good looking." Jacen said through the rolled down window as Kealey came down the library steps to his truck, "How about you and I enjoy a weekend away from everything?"

***

After a long drive, short hike, and then long canoe paddle Jacen drove the canoe up onto the sandy bank with a few powerful strokes. Their camp ground for the weekend was on one of the private camp grounds at the edge of the lake. They had seen only two other vehicles back at the parking area which meant that they were almost completely alone in the vast wilderness. About an hour and a half after arriving the pair had successfully carried their gear away from the canoe and fifty yards up to their campsite. Jacen had set up the tent and then sent Kealey in to do any unpacking, organizing, or simply resting she might want to do. While she was there he started a fire and set about making sure there were hooks and line in the trees for storing their cooler of food safely off the ground.

"So what do you think Kealey?" Jacen asked with a grin the next time she emerged from the tent. He had purposely gone far enough away from the tent so that her power would be active, knowing that there wouldn't really be anyone around for her to sense. "Do you think you'll enjoy yourself?"

It had been the longest day of Kealey’s life. The absolute longest day. Of. Her . life. Kealey liked her job, Kealey liked her job a lot, but it seemed like this particular day was dragging by. It had something to do with the fact that it was hot outside and people had a tendency to flock inside when it was hot. This was a good thing, unless you were an empath. There were people everywhere and Kealey was about ready to pull her hair out.

There was also the fact that everyone and their twin brother had decided to take off work this week and Kealey was covering three times the area of the library that she usually covered. It was going to be fine…Kealey told herself for what was probably the seven hundredth time…she was the one taking time off over the weekend. Time off to go camping with Jacen.

The thought made things way better, and Kealey continued about her day. Time still went slowly as she dealt with one obnoxious library patron after another, but as long as she kept herself busy the hands on the clock moved. Finally it was time for her to clock out and Kealey nearly ran to get her things. As soon as she was outside, the blond spotted Jacen’s truck and did break into a full run, all the way down the steps.

Grinning at Jacen’s greeting as she pulled open the door and climbed into the truck, Kealey nodded her head as she pulled the cardigan she’d worn inside over her head to reveal the tank top underneath. As they pulled away, Kealey checked the back of the truck to make sure all her stuff was there and was pleased to see it was. She felt like she’d over packed a little bit…but a girl never knew what she’d need.

The backpack was in the cab, as requested and Kealey unzipped it to pull out the boots she’d gotten to go picking through the rubble of her apartment as well as a flannel shirt she’d picked up over the last week. Into the bag went the cardigan and the shoes she’d been wearing with her tank top, and after Kealey had pulled on the flannel and boots, she was ready to go.

The drive was long, but pretty and new to Kealey considering the fact that she’d never really been outside the city. The countryside of the North Eastern United Sates was so different from the craggy rock speckled fields of Ireland that almost before it seemed possible, Kealey found herself getting out of the truck, carrying things, then riding in a canoe and unpacking a campsite.

For someone who had never camped before, Kealey felt strangely at home in the woods. It was so quiet, and everything smelled so good and earthy compared to the city. It didn’t take long for them to get things set up and while Kealey busied herself making the tent into something far more comfortable than a tent had any right being, Jacen wandered off to do something else. Once that was accomplished, she set about organizing clothes and everything else. At one point, Kealey poked her head outside to ask Jacen a question and realized that he was nowhere to be seen. That meant…Kealey beamed as realization dawned on her. They really were alone. If she couldn’t see Jacen, that meant that she was definitely out of the field of his ability. That’s why, when she emerged from the tent to find him and he asked what she thought, Kealey made her way over to Jacen and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, looking up to grin at him.

”I think that this place is incredible.” she said, ”It really is like being around you when there’s nobody around. I can’t feel a thing, even when you were out of sight.”

That said, Kealey glanced around the campsite. There were hooks in the trees for their food, and a fire crackling merrily in the fire ring in the center. Everything looked perfect, absolutely perfect.

”When all the hard work is done, what do campers do for fun?” she asked with a grin, eager to begin her first camping experience.

Jacen had to smile as Kealey wrapped her arms around him in a hug. He had hoped the fact that they were away from everything and everyone would give her a chance to relax and really let her hair down and he was really pleased that things seemed to be working.

"I'm glad you like it Kealey. I was hoping you would. And as for fun, there are a couple of options." Jacen said as he glanced up to check the position of the sun as it began to move toward setting, "We've got probably another hour and a half or maybe two hours of daylight left. You'll be amazed by just how many stars you can see once the sun goes down. But for now we can head out on the lake for some fishing or exploring, we could go for a short hike, or I can buckle down and fix us some dinner if you happen to be hungry."

Looking back down at the blond, Jacen lifted a hand to run through her hair before leaning down to give her a lingering kiss on the lips. "Ladies choice. What'll it be?"

The sounds of birds in the trees were beginning to fade off as one by one they returned to their nest in order to get ready for the arrival of nightfall. An early waking owl hooted in annoyance at the sun before closing its eyes and searching for at least a little more sleep before its nightly hunt. Deer moved as silently as ghosts through the underbrush, heading for their night time shelter as the honking of geese came from overhead. It was a wonder world of nature, away from all of the convenience of modern life but also away from the cares of that modern world.

***

A couple of miles away from the pair, four men was struggling through the tangled brush. Their orange jumpsuits stood out brightly against the muted forest colors but none of them seemed to car. Two held large hunks of wood that could be used as clubs while the others had pistols tucked in their pockets that they had taken from some guards that would no longer be finding any use for them. The escape had been executed perfectly and now the run was going any better. Ignoring what many people thought was the easy path of following roads, these four had headed for the most desolate country they could find. Each of them had been studying specific survival information so that no one would become suspicious of their individual knoweldge but yet, combined, they would be more than enough to overcome whatever obstacles came their way. The taste of freedom in their mouths and the four knew that within a couple of weeks they would be able to find some little town where they could enjoy alcohol, women, and real food for the first time in a really long time.

Kealey smiled again at Jacen when he pointed out that he was glad she liked the place, ”How could I not?” she responded with a bright and giddy smile, ”It’s probably the most gorgeous place on the planet, there’s not a person around who can mess with my impression of it, and you’ve promised more stars than I could probably believe.”

Jacen laid out several options for what to do with the last couple hours of daylight and off the top of her head, Kealey didn’t know what to do. On top of it, Jacen kissed her. She kissed him back with the same complete abandon that seemed to take over whenever he did that. Unfortunately, it also made it really difficult to think about hiking. The kiss ended and Jacen pointed out that it was a ladies choice for their activities for the next couple of hours and Kealey had to laugh, ”How am I supposed to decide anything when you’re doing that?” she said, then hmmm’d thoughtfully as she looked around. She was a little hungry but it looked like they were in the deep woods and Kealey kind of wanted to orient herself to the surrounding area.

”Why don’t we walk around for a while and check out the area around the campsite, and then see about getting some food.” Kealey said, already pulling out of Jacen’s arms and making her way towards the edge of the campsite. ”But I thought all this time you said you couldn’t cook.”

As they walked and explored, Kealey saw and heard more wildlife than she’d even thought of seeing since she moved to New York. The animals weren’t skittish either and Kealey was reminded of something she’d heard once about how animals weren’t quite as terrified of humans when they weren’t around them all the time.

Sometime later, once she was fairly sure of the layout of the area surrounding the camp, and after a tummy growl that seemed incredibly loud in the otherwise quiet woodlands, Kealey decided that it was probably time to eat.

”Soooo. About that food.” she said with a grin, looking up at the darkening sky, ”Then I think it might be almost star time!”

Following right behind Kealey, Jacen had to laugh slightly at the blond's comment. She had remembered his saying that he couldn't cook and was reminding him of that fact. "I really can't cook but camping food I can handle. Bacons and eggs for breakfast, hot dogs and beans for dinner, and sandwich stuff during the day. Oh... and of course a sweet treat for dessert."

Jacen had known that he was going to introduce Kealey to the wonder of s'mores on this trip and he couldn't wait to see her reaction. If she had thought burgers and chicken parmegan were good then she would probably come close to having an orgasm from the flavour of a s'more. Hiding a grin he knew he couldn't wait to see her expression at the moment.

"If you're ever in the woods alone just listen for the sounds of ducks and water." Jacen pointed as they walked along, "It'll lead you back to the lake. Then you can just follow the shore until you recognize the area near our camp site."

***

The sun was finally setting behind the trees and the sky was filling with shades of purple, red, and orange as Kealey and Jacen made their way back into the camp. The fire had been left covered, smoldering gently so that it would catch anything nearby on fire and now Jacen uncovered it to make an area ready for cooking. After pulling out a couple of long cooking forks he speared some hot dogs to roast before placing a pot of beans next to the fire to begin warming.

"Here." He said with a grin, pulling Kealey over to the fire and handing he one of the cooking forks, "Hold your hot dog over and fire and slowly turn it so that it browns all over without burning. If you do get a couple of black spots don't worry about... it'll still taste good."

Settling down in the classic indian sitting position, Jacen held his hot dog of the fire. As it roasted he alternated between watching the food, looking at the beauty of the fading sunset, and watching every expression that popped upon Kealey's face.

Camp food. Apparently that fell into a completely other category than regular food, and apparently Jacen was good at that kind of cooking. Kealey listened to the laundry list of food and nodded her head slowly. Kealey wasn’t a health freak, by any means, but the food Jacen was explaining sounded like a health nut’s nightmare…and perfect for their weekend camping trip.

”Something sweet?” Kealey said, a slow grin spreading across her features when Jacen mentioned it, ”Strawberries?” she guessed, the smile turning into a slight smirk.

Jacen explained to Kealey how to find her way back to the campsite as they started making their way back and Kealey took note of what side the lake was on when walking towards the camp as opposed to away. ”Ducks, lake, campsite. Got it.” she said in conformation, hoping she wouldn’t be lost enough to ever have to use the info, but glad to have it just in case.

As they walked, Kealey couldn’t help but be a little amazed that the myriad of colors the sunset was producing in the sky. It made a person quiet and reflective to see those kinds of colors in a natural setting, she decided and was quiet and reflective until they made it back to the camp and the fire and Jacen set about getting things ready for dinner.

Simple food was simple and Kealey had seen the scene playing out many times on TV and in movies and she grinned when Jacen handed her the fork and nodded eagerly with his instructions on how to cook it. She wrinkled her nose when he mentioned the dark spots and promised herself that she would settle for nothing less than a perfectly cooked hotdog. Hotdogs weren’t her favorite thing in the world, but they were limited on their cooking capabilities.

Down Kealey knelt in the dirt, kind of like a catcher waiting for a pitch and held her fork and hotdog out over the flames, rapt concentration apparent on her face as she followed Jacen’s instructions and slowly turned the fork. The fire was hot, and Kealey was close enough that she could feel her cheeks pinking up slightly and she ran the back of her hand over her face getting rid of the sweat, but smearing a line of dirt from the bridge of her nose across her cheek and almost to her ear. Slowly, the hotdog browned, and Kealey could smell it, it probably smelled better than any hot dog Kealey had ever eaten. ”Does the fire make it taste better?” she asked, eyes not leaving the slowly turning fork, ”Because this smells better than I remember hot dogs being…”

The hot dog looked like it was probably done, Kealey thought, and pulled it in to look at it. ”There!” the blond said with a grin, ”And not a single black spot. Now, where’s the buns and stuff?” she added with a grin over at Jacen in the fading light.

"Fire makes everything taste better." Jacen said with a grin, "Ask any man an they'll say that. Seriously though, something about the smoke adding to the flavor really does make most foods, especially meat, taste better."

Of course, that deffinately brought up the question of whether hot dogs really qualified as meat. A person assumed that hot dogs had actual meat in the ingredients but was there any way to be sure? Glancing down at his tubular shaped food item, Jacen raised an eyebrow as he continued to slowly turn it. Why was it he had brought hot dogs again? Maybe he should have splurged and brought some decent sausages. At least then you had a little better idea about the ingredients.

"Huh?" Jacen's voice had a confused tone as he glanced back up at Kealey, her question yanking him back from his own pondering. "Oh, buns and condiments and stuff are over in the cooler." He answered as his normal ready smile appeared back on his face, "The camp plates and silverware are sitting next to it so grab yourself one and then cover over to get some beans."

Looking back down at his hotdog Jacen realized he had been distracted for to long. What had moments before been a perfectly browned hot dog now had a long black streak on one side with a couple of black spot on another. Quickly pulling his fork away from the flame he examined the damage before quickly deciding that it wasn't to far gone. Besides, the charred bits would add flavor and texture.

In just a few minutes the two of them were settled down, sitting on the ground with some decent sized logs as back rests. The fire was slowly dieing down to glowing coals and embers which allowed the stars and moon above to shine with a brilliance you would never seen in the city. Instead of the hundreds of stars you could see shining through the city lights, out here int he wilderness you could see thousands or maybe even more. Out here it was almost impossible to find constelations because there were just so many stars but that didn't make it any less beautiful.

"When will you be able to see about getting into design school and everything?" Jacen asked quietly, somewhat awed by the beauty of the heavens even though he had seen it on previous occasions, "Somehow I think this could be some great inspiration for you right here."

Kealey nodded when Jacen pointed out that smoke apparently made everything taste better and tried to puzzle out in her mind exactly how and why that was. ”Maybe it has to do with the fact that cardboard would taste good after working as hard as you have to work to set up a campsite.” she said, grinning and winking at Jacen, then moving to go about dressing her hot dog.

Ketchup, mustard, and a fluffy bun later, Kealey was reclining against what had to be the most comfortable log ever to be placed around a campfire ring. Jacen had been right, the hot dog tasted amazing. Even if Kealey didn’t know if it was because of her reasoning or his, she knew that this was something she definitely wanted to do again. Hot dogs were mediocre at best when cooked in the microwave, and pretty darn near stellar when cooked over an open flame.

Jacen asked her about fashion school, and something occurred to Kealey. Something she hadn’t filled Jacen in on since he’d returned from Florida. ”I completely forgot to tell you.” she said, popping the last bit of hotdog/bun into her mouth and finishing it before expanding the thought.

”I filled out all the paperwork while you were gone. Submitted some sample drawings and things like that. The admissions rep told me that I should be hearing back in the next couple of weeks if I got accepted or what the next step is.”

Jacen had seemed distracted as he spoke, and one look at the sky explained exactly how and why that had come to be. The night time sky in New York was pretty in a metropolitan way that probably couldn’t be copied very many places in the world. The way the darkness spread itself out behind the cityscape with a speckling of stars to accent the twinkling city lights was something that Kealey hadn’t been sure she’d find a rival to. Until now.

There was something about natural beauty that made a person’s heart skip a beat in their chest sometimes and that’s exactly what Kealey felt as she looked up into the night sky and realized just how many stars there were. ”Woah….” she breathed, dusting off her hands and putting her plate down beside her.

Having grown up and lived in towns and cities her whole life, Kealey had never realized just how many stars there were in the night skies. People had described it before, and various TV shows tried to film what she was looking at and broadcast it to the masses, but it wasn’t the same.

”Isn’t it amazing.” she whispered, speaking too loud seemed wrong at this point. ”I heard something once, and never really got it until now. What if somewhere out in all that craziness, there’s someone on a planet that’s circling one of those stars having this exact same conversation? It seems possible in all that.”

The blond mused over that question for a moment, allowing her mind to drift into the physical and metaphysical questions the philosophy books were always going on about. It was easy to think that way when you were kind of staring it in the face. There just weren’t any more words to say at the moment, though, and Kealey kind of shuffled down in the dirt until her head rested against the log and she stared straight up at the sky, for once not concerned in the least about the state of her clothing.

”You should definitely try this.” she pointed out a moment later with a sideway glance towards Jacen. ”If you don’t look anywhere else for a little while, it’s like you’re floating.”

The tangy bite from the extra mustard blended perfectly with the slightly acidic sharpness of the ketchup and greasiness of the hotdog as Jacen took his first bite. There was something special about the first hot dog of a camp out and this trip was no exception.

"You got a good point there." Jacen murmured through a mouthful of food as Kealey pointed out that anything would taste good after working to get camp set up. For a few moments there went about quietly eating and then it was on to answer Jacen's question about design school.

"That's great!" Jacen said with a grin after swallowing the latest bite of food he had taken, "Have you decided whether you're gonna do all fashions, just women's fashions, or just a section of women's fashion?" Jacen wasn't that knowledgeable about the whole fashion industry but he, like most americans had seen the occasional reality TV episode that gave a glimpse into the industry and knew that you could specialize in things like swimwear, under garments, or even dresses.

Looking back up into the sky, Jacen just looked at the stars we he listened to Kealey speak. Finishing off the last of his food he set his plate over near the fire ring without ever getting up. He had never thought about anything like what Kealey was saying but it did make sense. Out of the millions of stars, planets, and moons that were out in the universe surely there had to be intelligent life on one of them.

A few moments later, at Kealey invitation, Jacen moved from his log over to hers and slid down so that he was stretched out alongside the blond. Perching his hands comfortably on his stomach he just let his head lay against the rough bark and stare upward. "You'll never see anything like this in the city." He murmured quietly, "New York's beautiful in its own way but this... this is something else."

Thoughts of dessert had been temporarily forgotten as had thoughts about how messy and dirty their backs had to be getting. Staring up into the sky Jacen allowed himself to just be swept up into the beauty of the night. Off in the distance they could hear the peaceful hooting of an owl as it set off to begin its night time hunt. A slight breeze blew through the trees rustling the leaves but for the most part everything was still and peaceful.

Jacen seemed interested, genuinely interested in what side of the fashion industry Kealey was planning on going into and she smiled over at him for a second as she pulled together her answer. Yes people specialized, but everything Kealey had seen or read seemed to suggest that specializing early on made it very difficult for a person to be launched.

”Just women’s fashion in general.” Kealey said softly, daydreams of work tables, runways, and sketches already starting to surface in her mind, ”I might specialize later, but I couldn’t narrow it down right now if I tried. I’ve got so many ideas. I just hope the admissions people think they’re as interesting as I do…and that there’s not a personal interview.”

It seemed almost strange to be talking about the type of fashion that Kealey would be immersing herself in when she was laying in the dirt in the middle of nowhere. It was strange what kind of metropolitan effect New York had on people…and how effective settings like this were in debriefing from that mindset.

Jacen moved to lay by her and Kealey turned her head away from the sky to grin at him for a minute. He pointed out that you didn’t see things like ‘that’ in the city, and Kealey had to imagine he meant the sky. There wasn’t a whole lot to say about that, and Kealey simply occupied herself for a little while listening to the animal noises and staring at the stars. It really did feel like she was floating, but soon enough she was getting restless. It was their first night in the campground, Kealey’s first night camping, the stars weren’t going to go anywhere over the next couple of days.

Pushing up from where she’d slouched down into the dirt, Kealey turned and planted one hand in the dirt on Jacen’s far side and leaned so that instead of the stars, he would be looking right up at her, or a curtain of blond curls.

”Okay. We did stars. Now what? she said, face full of almost giddy excitement and running through possible ideas for fun in her head. The sun going down had somewhat limited those options, and Kealey was a little stumped, but Jacen was apparently some kind of pro at this kind of thing. Surely he knew exactly what came next. [/color]

The question about what to do next was definitely an interesting one. With it being night time there weren't very many choices but Jacen could still come up with a few that made him grin.

"Well..." He drawled out, his eyes shining mischievously as he purposely took his time responding to Kealey's excitement, "There's still s'mores or skinny dipping as a possibility but I wouldn't want to use up all the fun on our first night."

Rolling over, Jacen lifted up a hand to carefully cushion Kealey's head as he took over the position on top, now smiling down at the blond. "We could slip on down to the lake, leave our clothes on the bank, and then bathe each other in the moonlight. I be your skin would pretty much sparkle in that sort of light." He said with a grin before dropping his head to plant several kisses on her neck and throat, "But if we do to much, we'll run out of things to do over the next couple of days."

There was no question about what direction Jacen was heading and from the sound of Kealey's slightly increased breathing, she was OK with his decision. "Maybe we should go ahead and move into the tent... everything will still be here tomorrow." He murmured as hand moved up to slip under her shirt and caress the bare skin of her stomach while he began to nibble on her earlobe, "We... need... our rest."

(FADE TO BLACK)

***

Nature woke up early. In some ways it did so far quieter than the city but in some ways it was much more loud. The birds gentle chirping was the perfect noise to slowly pull someone from their slumber while the sounds of noisy squirrels chattering away at some other animal was more likely to jerk someone awake. Jacen had been slowly coming awake when the rat-a-tat-tat of a nearby woodpecker shocked him completely alert. Sitting up he was surprised to find that Kealey had already slipped out of the tent. Perhaps just for a pit stop or maybe for a quiet walk but either way it was definitely time for him to be up. After pulling on his boots, pants, and shirt, Jacen slipped out of the tent to see about getting the fire stoked back up.

About ten or fifteen minutes later the wire was going merrily and a small coffee pot sat on a stone at the edge of the fire. With the fire heating the stone it kept the instant coffee good and warm while giving even that a smokiness you could only find out in the woods.

"Kealey?" Jacen called, trying to attract the young woman's attention wherever she might be as he poured himself a cup of the now hot coffee, "You about ready for breakfast?"

OOC – For the love…this thing got long….and didn’t accomplish a whole lot. I guess I got caught up in Kealey’s thought process. I went ahead and had her feel the approaching baddies…it was vague so you can do with it what you choose.

Jacen seemed stumped too, at least for a little while Kealey leaned over him and waited to see what was next on the agenda, and Jacen had suggestions. Jacen definitely had suggestions. Kealey’s eyes widened slightly, he had mentioned skinny dipping. Kealey looked around, somehow she’d thought he meant somewhere slightly more secluded. Jacen also pointed out the s’mores. Those sure sounded yummy. Jacen also pointed out that if they did everything fun on the first night, they’d run out of things to fill the next few days, though, and Kealey had to acknowledge the wisdom of that statement. Kealey was just getting ready to ask what else there was to do when Jacen moved.

Kealey laughed as Jacen rolled them and hooked her legs around his, looking up with an eyebrow raised as her hands moved to run over his shoulders and down his back. This was not getting them any closer to s’mores or skinny dipping, but Kealey wasn’t complaining, not at all. Jacen elaborated on the skinny dipping idea and while Kealey felt her cheeks reddening at his words her heart started that strange little fluttering and pounding thing it did every time Jacen said things like that. Kealey wondered idly if she’d ever get used to it, then simultaneously wondered when they were going to go down to the lake. The wondering came to an abrupt stop when Jacen’s lips found her neck. In fact, thoughts of many kinds careened off their respective paths at that point.

Kealey didn’t respond, well didn’t respond verbally, when Jacen again pointed out that if they did too much there’d be nothing left for the weekend. That seemed to make more and more sense as the seconds passed by. They did have the whole weekend after all…

Jacen’s suggestion that they move to the tent along with the shiver his nibbles on her ear sent down her body were met positively to say the least and as they made their way to then tent, Kealey couldn’t help but smile at Jacen’s last words. Rest. Yup, this was exactly what they needed.

*****

Silence could wake a person up, Kealey decided as she stared at the roof of the tent. There were birds chirping and Kealey could hear the wind moving through the branches of the trees, but everything else was so silent. It was almost like waking up in the convent before the bells rang. Well, maybe not…Kealey decided, turning her head and regarding Jacen’s sleeping form for a few moments. No, waking up like this was definitely not like waking up in the convent…ever.

Suddenly, Kealey was restless. It had been so quiet the night before that even when she’d been outside Jacen’s field she’d been alone with her emotions. That was always the case when she was around Jacen, but the sudden urge to really be alone was overwhelming. Kealey looked at Jacen again for a moment, if anyone would get it, he would.

Gathering enough clothing to be decent on a walk while staying quiet enough not to wake Jacen was a feat that Kealey was proud of as she made her way out of the tent and back down the path they’d taken on the little walk the night before. It really was true. There were so few people, so spread out, that Kealey really did feel alone in the woods. The blond didn’t know what time it was, but as she walked she saw a few different little animals. It felt good. It felt really good.

As she walked, Kealey couldn’t help but be a little reflective about the way that things had turned out. It was an easy thing to do when she was really alone. Sure, it was easier to sort out her own feelings when Jacen was around…but he muddled her emotions in a completely different, and far more pleasurable, than usual. It was amazing how far she’d come since she’d walked off her plane in New York, bound and determined to launch into some crusade ordained by God.

Kealey’s brow furrowed slightly at that thought as she dropped down onto a rock to think, it had been a long time since that particular thought had crossed her mind. Then again, it really wasn’t. Hadn’t that been the basic point of everything she’d done since the mad man had shot at her and Jacen in the apartment? Sitting and waiting for her particular mission to present itself had resulted in nothing but trouble and misery. It seemed like with every step she took in a direction that contributed to her personal growth, things improved. It all seemed so foreign now, her life in Ireland. Mother Superior had been right, a nun’s life had been all wrong for Kealey. Surely work in the fashion industry would provide many opportunities the old woman would approve of.

Something tickled at the back of Kealey’s mind and she tried to bat it away mentally like some sort of imaginary mosquito…until she realized what it was. Feelings. They were vague, but they were distinct. Opening eyes she hadn’t realized she’d shut, Kealey glanced around and found herself every bit as alone as she’d been before. It was probably the people who owned one of the other cars. Brow furrowed again slightly, Kealey concentrated and could only sense feelings of urgency mixed with several other things that were far too vague to pick out individually. Someone called Kealey’s name and she actually jumped, confused for a moment until she realized it was Jacen.

Kealey didn’t have a watch, so she didn’t know how long she’d been gone. Apparently it had been long enough for Jacen to get up, make the fire big again, and start some coffee. As she re-entered the camp site, Kealey took in the smells of both the fire and the coffee with a grin, completely forgetting about the emotions she’d sensed in the forest and made her way to Jacen for a quick hug before responding to his inquiry about breakfast. ”Morning sleepy.” she said with a smile, “Breakfast? That would be more than amazing…and that coffee smells awesome. Did you sleep well?” she added as an afterthought with a bright and slightly knowing grin. ”I know I did. What’s on the agenda for today?”

Jacen had just taken a sip of his coffee and was walking over to pull out some bacon and eggs when he heard Kealey approaching the campsite. Looking up he smiled as he pulled out the food from the cooler, "Morning yourself, beautiful. I slept great... I guess it must have been all the exercise we had yesterday. Putting the camp together, you know."

It was fun to tease Kealey and Jacen gave her a quick wink just to let her know he was teasing as he stood up and made his way back over to the fire. It was still amazing how Kealey could look good in pretty much any sort of clothing she might put on. Whether it was something fancy and glamerous for clubbing or something much more simple for going out in the woods, she was sexy as hell. How did women do that?

"And the agenda today is completely up to you. We can canoe around the lake, go fishing, go for a hike, or if you're feeling adventerous, we can hike up to this crystal clear pool I just happen to know about. It's perfect for swimming." Jacen said as he put some of the bacon in the skillet to begin frying while he cracked eggs and whipped them together to get them ready for cooking. He grin was playful as he watched Kealey pour herself some coffee. Of course by "swimming" he was referring to skinny dipping but since they'd talked about it before there was no question she'd be able to figure out the innuendo. Whatever they did, they were going to have fun.

The sound of bacon sizzling was something special and Jacen could already feel his stomach rumbling. There was just something about being outdoors that increased a persons appetite. Every time he turned around while out in the woods it seemed like he was ready to snack on some jerky or whip together another meal. Maybe it was just the fresh air and clean living, but whatever it was, Jacen enjoyed every minutes of it while he was away from the city. This was his refuge, his place to get away from it all, and now he was sharing it with Kealey.

"I hope you like bacon and scrambled eggs." Jacen spoke up as he used a fork to flip the bacon over so that it would cook evenly, "Like I said, I'm not a great cook but this is one of the things I can handle. Although I should have thought to pack something sweet too... oh, I know. If we go out hiking or hike to the pool, we can probably find some wild blackberry bushes. This should be the perfect time to get some ripe berries."

Jacen spoke and Kealey grinned, ”Mmm hmmm.” she hummed the same smile still slowly spreading across her face, ”All that physical exertion just wore me right out. Who knew carrying camping gear could be so conducive to sleeping like a baby?” They both knew the work around camp wasn’t why they’d slept so well, and Jacen’s wink actually made her flush a little.

Down she sat on her log, crossing her legs at the knee in a way that was probably more well suited to a person perched on a barstool in a dress than someone in flannel and jean shorts and sitting on a log. It was all Kealey had to work with though, and she did her best as she watched Jacen make his way back to the fire. He was so at home in the woods and she was so clueless. Jacen seemed to have infinite patience for her ignorance in most cases, though and Kealey hoped that it would be the same as the weekend went on. The night before had gone well enough, she supposed, and as far as Kealey knew, she was a quick learner.

Jacen gave a laundry list of options as far as the day’s agenda was concerned. Why he was having her choose, Kealey had no idea, but the inherent little challenge that went along with the last option ticked something off in her mind. A crystal clear pool that Jacen knew about, that would take a hike to get to. Something from the night before came to mind and Kealey smiled with a raised eyebrow. There they went again, saying a lot without saying anything at all. Foot bouncing as she stared up at the trees and thought, Kealey ran over the options for the day. There was the hiking and the canoeing, fishing didn’t really appeal to Kealey, and then there was the loaded final option. Well, Jacen had been the one to suggest it.

”If I’ve ever felt adventurous, it’s right now. Besides, I’d love a swim.” Kealey said, attempting to run a hand through her hair and wincing at the snarls and tangles. Giving up after a moment, Kealey settled for pulling the curly mess back into a tail at the base of her neck and securing it with a rubber band from around her wrist.

Jacen was cooking by this time and Kealey grinned as she watched him, mouth watering at the smell of the bacon coming from the fire. Kealey could find her way around a kitchen better than most, but a camp fire? Surely she’d have ruined everything by point. Jacen was handling it expertly. He looked good like this, too, comfortable and relaxed.

Jacen spoke again, about the food and Kealey rose, moving to sit in the dirt by the fire as he cooked. It wasn’t cold out by any means, but the heat from the flames still felt good. ”I think if you cooked dirt over that fire I’d like it Jacen…I’m starving...but yes, I like bacon and eggs.”

Something sweet? Kealey had to chuckle a little bit, Jacen was always thinking about dessert. She didn’t mind though, because her attention was usually floating in a similar direction. Jacen suggested an option and Kealey’s head swung to level a slightly disbelieving glance in his direction, ”Right off the bushes? Actually eating the berries right off the bush? Let’s do that, and the swimming!”

In a short time the bacon was done and after putting the hot meat on a metal plate Jacen dumped the eggs into the remaining bacon grease. Thankfully not only would it keep the eggs from sticking to the pan, but it would also flavor and season the eggs to that salt and pepper would really be unnecessary.

"If you're feeling adventurous I'm sure we can keep the day plenty entertaining for you." Jacen said with a grin and a quick glance over at the blond beauty. Even with her hair snarled and tangled he couldn't think of a time when she'd looked more beautiful. The outdoor air and physical exertion was giving her a healthy glow that made him want to forget breakfast and take her back into the tent to explore just how far that glow extended.

Clearing his throat Jacen turned his attention back to the foods and the eggs that were suddenly a lot closer to being done than he had realized. "And yes, we can eat berries right off the bush. You have never tasted really good berries until you've eaten them freshly picked."

Quickly dishing out the eggs and bacon onto two separate plates as well as grabbing two full cups of coffee, Jacen moved over to take a seat next to the woman he was quickly becoming infatuated with.

"I've got to say, you've made an excellent choice Kealey. Berries and swimming are a great combination. After our hands are all sticky from berry juice we'll definitely be ready for a swim."

The bacon and eggs were perfect if you just ignored the need for some sort of sweetness to cut the savor side of things. The saltiness blended with the slightly bitter taste from the coffee and all in all made for a good breakfast though Jacen had to admit the berries were sounding better and better as a final course.

"How about you wash the dishes while get the food hung back up and the fire put out?" He spoke up again once they had both finished eating, "There's some soap in my pack and it's a quick walk down to the lake. Once that's done we can see about heading off for those berries and our swim!"

***

"I'm starving! When are we gonna find some food?" One of the club wielders snarled as the four men continued to make their way through the trees.

"Shut up Vinnie!" One gunman snapped back, "We're all hungry and I'm sick and tired of your whining! We'll get food as soon as we can!"

"Blake! Vinnie!" The other gunman suddenly barked as he pointed off to the right, "A cabin!"

"Pretty rundown Joe, but maybe there's some food left or something." Blake admitted as he eyed the building rather doubtfully, "Better than nothing."

"According to the maps we should be able to make it to the lake by tonight. There's a parking area where we might be able to get hold of a vehicle if we want or at the very least steal some food." The last clubman observed as they all turned to go check out the rather run down looking cabin, "We'll find something!"