He didn't even jump as the glass pitcher used for making tea shattered on the gravel next to him. He didn't flinch as the ice cold liquid scattered over his jean clad legs albeit he did scowl a bit at how long it was going to take him to clean the sugar off his boots. They were country folk and country folk liked a little tea with their sugar, but the leather of his boots would not like it. He stuffed his hands in the pocket of the jeans and kept walking into the dark night amidst the yelling from the porch.

"You arrogant, self centered, egotistical, lazy, good for nothing, son of a whore-"

Seth stopped listening after that because his shoulders tensed and he had to focus quickly on breathing as the profanities laced the cricket serenaded night. Seth had never hit a woman before, nor had he ever said something intentionally unkind and he wasn't about to start now. The knee jerk insult was swallowed down and he clenched his hands into fists in the pockets. Truth was, until she brought his mother into this, he wasn't even angry.

Numb. Detached. Empty. Those were the adjectives he held on his shoulders along with the moonlight as he crunched gravel beneath boots without a backwards glance.

Something else shattered on the ground behind him, he was getting too far off for her to actually hit without having to come away from the house and all her ammunition. He wasn't enjoying the show she was putting on, he wasn't enjoying the fact that it was *his* house he was walking away from or the fact that he knew if he came back she'd either still be there or all he'd find is a charred husk of what used to be his things. He wasn't enjoying it at all - and that was why he continued the long walk without so much as a pause.

Boots stomped out a path through the knee deep grass towards the shed, the actual path was a bit up the driveway but he didn't have the energy to care and wait until he got there so he made his own shortcut. Normally he'd worry about potentially hurting wild life or show concern for the grass he had spent the last few weeks cultivating into life after the brittle winter, right now though there was only three things on his mind.

Spare set of his keys to the truck, first and foremost, his precious guitar (he kept that in a metal gun case for fear of the house catching fire and him losing it), and a bag of money he kept locked away in a hole under the floorboard because he didn't understand how banks worked and didn't trust them. It was cliche and he didn't care, he was a simple guy with a big heart and that's all that mattered.

Once he settled everything into the side of the truck, he shut the door and went around to the tool box behind the cab and pulled out a towel to wipe down his boots.

Arrogant? The irony of that was that *she* was more arrogant than he ever could be and she was the insecure type that needed constant reassurance. Self centered? Okay, so maybe he *had* pulled in a little in the last little bit and was lost in his own world more often than not. Lazy, good for nothing? Now she was just trying to bust his balls, he let loose a few choice words that would *not* have made his mother proud.

His mother had been a polish beauty but his father was pure country and so Seth had been raised to be an honest and hard worker. He toiled off the lands, lived with respect towards the wilderness and knew how to sing and dance like nobody's business. No one could honestly call him or anyone in his family 'lazy' or 'good for nothing' with a straight face - no one that knew them that is.

Okay, maybe egotistical *could* fit for a few things though, she hadn't completely been off mark which he was proving part of as he stomped his boots to ensure the tea was off completely; there's no way he'd get anything on the pristine inside of his truck. There were two things in his possessions he took complete and utter care of, his body and his truck, the latter purred into life cutting the serenity of the night (if you discounted the screaming) and the radio snapped on.

~Lookin' back.. on the memory of.. the dance we shared.. 'neath the stars above.. for a moment, all the world was right.. how could I hav--~

A shaking hand slammed out to press the off button on the stereo as the piano and guitar mix finally seeped into his brain and he realized it was Garth Brooks' song. He shivered in the relatively cool night and stared a bit shell shocked at the steering wheel as things finally fell into place for him.

Seth smiled wistfully at the steering wheel and he lovingly ran his fingers along the pattern of the leather.

"That's right, G.G, you'll never let me down, will you baby?"

He and Colt had built this truck. Every bearing, every pipe, every spring, had lovingly been placed together from the ground up and many nights spent on the garage floor with laughter, grease all over them and parts up to their elbows. Football was one of their passions but grease and machine parts had been their porn and neither boy had held back. There was as much of the friendship in this truck as there had been parts.

The frame had been primer gray at one point and he'd dubbed her his Gray Ghost until Austin had said 'Call her G.G. for short!'. The money to change the color was nil for quite awhile and even after the truck was painted in a fade job six different colors from a pearlescent white to a dark green, she was still called G.G.

Austin. That was really the main reason why he was sitting here in his truck with nothing but the clothes on his back, his money and his guitar, Garth had lovingly just reminded him of that. It was the reason the relationship he just left had gone so sour and he should have realized it when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror a couple of weeks ago.

She'd left him to persue a life in opera and make it to the big times, to sing, to be something and someone. She couldn't find in their neck of the woods and he had been devastated; he couldn't leave here, he was rooted. 'If you love something you let it go' and so he had, but what he didn't realize was the change he subconsciously started going through when he made that decision.

He started growing his normally military short hair out, it now reached the end of his jaw. He had cut out the beer and heavy meats and started working out seriously until his body looked like something you'd find in GQ magazine. His body had always been decent thanks to football in high school, but now he was building muscle and tone, not just maintaining. At one point in time, below the waistline of his jeans, he had actually gotten a tattoo that read "Always reach for the moon, that way you land among the stars", a tribute to the girl that had been brave enough to do what he couldn't, he imagined she made it big and had already had several children and it was a bitter sweet thought.

He'd made it out to her family's house once, a few days after the fourth of July as the fireworks had reminded him of her. She was always a sizzling firecracker just waiting to explode and amaze the world with her talent and though he started to ask about her, all he wanted to know was that she was alive and happy. He couldn't bring himself to ask any more and the family seemed to sense it and didn't delve into specifics to torture him with.

You still can't take the country out of the boy though and even with as much as he tried to glam himself up to being someone who could fit into Hollywood, he could never take the steps to try and follow her, his heart had belonged here in the land.. but now. Everything had changed.

A few minutes ago he had been sitting at the table, shooting the breeze with some of her family and friends in their regular Saturday get togethers when the dreaded question came up. Someone else was engaged and he and his girlfriend were invited to the wedding. Nine weddings in the few years they had been together, nine times had he been given *the* look and his stomach dropped as soon as someone asked if they were going. Jenny shifted her weight, she was perched on his knee with his hand on her thigh and then cackled out a laugh nervously.

"I'm sure we are, right Seth?" His eyes were cornflower blue with brown centers around the pupils and he looked up to find her gaze hard on his, something in him shifted right then, a fault line cracked that had been on the verge for quite awhile.

When Austin left him, he'd spent a long time moping around and trying to figure out how to get the guts to go after her and finally just started trying to Hollywood-ize himself. He spent so much time on the truck, his body and work that he would just go to bed exhausted and repeat the same cycle until Colt started trying to get him to date. He tried a bit, found a few girls who were sweet but nothing really caught him, not until he found Jenny.

It had been decent with her, the sex was amazing, she didn't completely aggravate him and she wasn't too demanding so he could mostly continue his regime with little demands save for night times when she was actually home. Then the stagnant puddles began and he found that he really had no serious attachment to her other than the late nights.

It was that moment in the midst of the suddenly sour smelling food, the smell of the alcohol a few had added to the tea that permeated the air and the stale whiffs of cheap perfume the girls tried to doll themselves up in that the realization hit him. He'd never fully let go of Austin, he never let himself live and he really didn't care to. This current movement was going nowhere fast, and he wanted off, you can't live your life in a lie.

"So, Seth." Another voice spoke up, either blissfully unaware that he hadn't bothered answering his girlfriend or was trying to diffuse the potentially awkward situation as Seth stood up and dumped the woman to her feet. "When are we going to get invite to -your- wedding?"

A volley of cheers and grins went up as all eyes turned to him then and he just stared blankly into the pair of brown eyes he'd been lying to the last couple of years.

"Never." He watched her jaw drop and part of him flinched. He was not a mean guy by nature, but sometimes he was honest to a fault. Somewhere deep down, he was vaguely aware that now was not a proper time to have snapped but if he had to listen to one more boring, mindless driveling conversation or one more fake and forced laugh, he was going to break down and start eating every piece of sugar filled item in this house until it was gone and that would take weeks to work off.

"I will never marry you." The tone was incredulous as if he just realized that right then and there and they were learning it together. "Ever." The second punctuation probably wasn't necessary but he was watching her face change into all sorts of contortions and disbelief was coming up way too often for his liking.

Truth is he knew he would never propose but admitting it aloud and realizing that he wasn't scared about commitment, just wasn't interested in being with her were two different relevations. She slapped him hard and when he turned his head back towards her in the now deathly quiet livingroom, she slapped him again, this time he kept his head turned and sighed.

The slap had pointed his head towards the front door and so he twisted his body and went, ignoring the sudden shoving from behind as she tried to slam him down to the ground, she managed a few punches to his back before someone bodily hauled her off him and all the chaos began. He could only imagine what it must look like, somewhere in that she had managed to get free enough to hurl the tea pitcher at him and various other things, but he had never once looked back. He didn't even look in the rear-view mirror when driving down the edge of the gravel and onto the country road.

The moonlight lay across the black ribbon road before him, sliding in an out of existence as he drove under the boughs of the huge trees that lined the road. It was a journey he had taken so many times in his life yet this time it felt new and now he knew why.

He wasn't going back. He wasn't ever going back to her. But she was out there somewhere and even if all he got to do was say goodbye, he was going to find her and tell her. He needed closure and he needed to see her one last time. Sometimes in order to move forward, you have to go back.

"We'll find her, G.G." Fingers smoothed down the steering wheel that he kept immaculately oiled and he looked over to the passenger seat where his white guitar lay and grin. Austin had been the only woman he had allowed free reign in G.G. She got to eat, drink, lay on the seats half hazardly.. it was the place he got his first kiss with her.. every other person had to wait and food was out of the question!

He laughed then, finally feeling *something* and smiled at the warmth that had been so long gone in his body. He'd find her, somehow, he wondered if she would even recognize him now, if anyone would.

"Wait, wait, Ford. Go back. Seth told her in front of her family?"

It came in a hushed whisper as Colt stepped through the doorway of his bedroom with his phone to his ear. A glance over his shoulder reassured him that Tenacity had fallen back to sleep and he carefully drew the door closed in order to concentrate on his brother's early morning phone call. By the hint of light just beginning to peek in through the front windows of his home, it could hardly be more than five in the morning. Ford hadn't yet been to sleep and, jazzed on Jager and Red Bull, he'd evidently decided it was a fine time for gossip.

Colt squinted through the rapid fire response that came before he responded. "And so Jenny attacked him?"

News travels fast in small towns. It almost goes without saying that the more salacious the news, the faster it travels. Those that witnessed the incident first hand would become minor celebrities and for weeks would be tapped to relive the moments. What were Seth's exact words when he told Jenny that he'd never marry her? Was Jenny really sitting on his lap when the whole thing went down? What was the expression on Jenny's face when he said it? It's no wonder that such incidents end up in giant fish stories. After all, who wouldn't get tired retelling the same story over and over? Embellishments were expected. In true Southern tradition, it's not about the truthfulness that a story is rated but for its entertainment value. Thankfully, Colt was well versed in the art of Southern gossip and, thus, able to pick out which parts of it were truth and what were garnishes.

"He left his own house? So where is he stayin'? The guy's my best friend. Please tell me you at least offered the couch."

Aunt Alma?s house. When his younger brother's response came through the phone, Colt's free hand lifted to rub his cheek. Despite how much his appearance had changed over the years, there was one constant with Seth. Everything always boiled down to that girl. Austin Daniels. If she wasn't his cousin, if he didn't love her so much.... well, damn, if he wouldn't hate her guts for what she had done to his best friend.

Ford's next question caused a laugh to escape him in spite of the news. "Well, I dunno if she's any good, Ford. Seth ain't much the kind to talk 'bout it and I ain't never been with her. Probably one of the reasons that Seth landed with her. But I'm sure Seth won't mind if you're there to console her. Just call me and let me know how that works out for you, buddy."

Their parting was swift and the call ended. It was the close of Ford's night. It was the beginning of Colt's day. Man, how his life had changed over the last couple of months. The thought caused him to drop the phone on the couch next to where Molly was curled up in a ball of chocolate colored fur and he retraced his steps towards the bedroom. After gently opening the door, he took a lean against the frame to let his eyes drift over the woman in his bed. All that was visible from the mound of blankets and nest of pillows was a halo of brunette locks. Only now could Colt begin to understand Seth.

When Austin had first left Thomaston, Colt had clapped Seth on the back and made some crude comment about finding him a rebound girl. But that was before. Before Ten, before Colt understood what existed past one night stands and friends with benefits. Seth had humored him. He had laughed weakly and made an admirable attempt at being a good sport as Colt forced woman after woman upon him. Eventually, Seth had settled on Jenny and, even as clueless as Colt was, he could see it was a relationship bound for failure.

A bird whistled outside the window as if it was its own personal mission to herald in the dawn. Ten burrowed deeper within the covers. The bruises that had marred her body this past week had faded just in time for Beltane. Though the physical reminders of her difficult week had faded, he couldn?t help but hope that she got another couple hours of sleep after a late night at the masquerade ball. Because, although yesterday had been a good day, there was nothing promising that today would hold the same.

There were times when he had to admit to himself that he wasn't sure he was strong enough to watch her battle her own body. But what was his alternative? To break up? No, he'd have to find some way to deal. He'd have to be stronger because the tension he felt over it only made her struggle more difficult. And if he was making the situation worse didn't he owe it to her to stay away?

And it was in that moment that he finally fully realized the depth of Seth's loss. He had given up Austin because he'd loved her. He hadn't fought her. He hadn't used her guilt or his grief to manipulate her into staying. He'd let her go to explore her dreams. Colt had always knew Seth to be the better man but it took that moment for him to understand the depth to which that was true.

With that realization came action. He had failed Seth once. He wouldn't do so again. Colt dressed quickly and tossed a clean set of clothes in a bag. A simple note to Ten was all he left before he grabbed the keys to his truck off the pegboard beside the door and headed out with Molly on his heels.

Friend in crisis. Gone to GA. Back before you know it.

Seth had gathered up the tool box and was out at the fence, hood still up and fingers messing with some wire so he could create a solid wrap to keep the fence from sagging. There were a couple nails captured between his teeth and one was gathered up to put into the loop he'd made and his left hand held the wire and nails, right moving to his jeans to get the hammer so he could put that together.

Pollen coated the old round tops of the fence posts, kicking up into a yellowish cloud with each pound of the hammer. This time of year everything seemed to be covered in pollen. After a round of hugs and admonishments for not calling home often enough, Colt had left Aunt Alma sweeping a layer of pollen off the hardwood floors of the Daniels' family farmhouse to find Seth.

Slowly. Colt approached slowly. He'd always found it best to give Seth a moment to steel himself to these sorts of conversations and even when he reached him, he started off easy. "Gonna be hot as hell today, huh?"

Every footfall had made Seth's shoulders raise a little and by the end he had started ignoring where the hammer was and whacked his thumb. No noise was made though as the hammer paused, instead he stopped breathing then slowly breathed out.

?Save it, Colt. I'm not here to whine or harass the family. I just need some closure. I'll move on, I swear." Perhaps it was the recent break up and the fact he was still in turmoil, or perhaps he just changed a bit over the last few years, probably the former, but either way, he dove in head first which was unusual. The hammer went back to work to finish off the nail and he began coiling up another nail hold on the other side of the post, shifting around. His gaze never looked up to Colt with that.

?Wow. Good seein' you too, Seth." It felt uncomfortable letting his eyes linger on Seth when Seth refused to look his way so Colt let his eyes slip to the herd of cattle that watched the fence repair from the distance while lazily chewing their cud. "Why would I tell you to move along? Accordin' to Aunt Alma all you've done is work and eat since you got here. She loves to feed people and Lord knows there's more than enough work here to keep you busy."

That put him in his place and his eyes closed, head falling forward a minute in shame. "Give me a hand, please?" He tried to start again, there was more to say but he wanted to at least get the boy involved, working together always helped.

Colt gave a nod as he took a step forward to stretch out the wire and hold it into place. "Where do you want to start, Seth?" On the project? On what's going on with him? The question was open ended.

He worked quietly for a few moments, pulling out the other two nails he'd been harboring in the corner of his mouth and pounded one in, the other went into his pocket.

"I don't know anymore, Colt. I really don't. I've been so .. " He paused and started wrapping another loop, last one and then held it out against the wood for Colt to hold, the hammer found again. His voice was found again before he could start pounding though, defeated, resigned, tired.

"I'm lost."

Colt could only imagine the amount of work that it took to say those two words. Just hearing those two words come slipping out of Seth's mouth exhausted Colt. He released his hold on the wire so that a hand could lift to reach up and rub the back of his neck. "You realize this doesn't make sense, right? Gettin' closure? She ain't even here, man. How're you gonna get closure?"

"I don't know. I had hoped that by taking care of the family I had le.. you know.. her family," the quick correction exhausted him as much as the admittance earlier, "that I could find some peace."

There was a shrug and a deep breath taken. "I don't have anywhere else to go at the moment, no direction. Jenny's got the house, -if- I'm lucky she won't burn it down when she finally leaves." A pause. Then he shook his head to get that thought out of it. "I'll find her somehow, say what I need to and then.. I don't know. Something has to change though."

Colt exhaled heavily and he kicked at a stray patch of high grass. At least Seth realized that. He realized that he had to face down Austin... but the question was whether or not he was ready to face Austin. "You sure this is the right time for that? I mean you've been through a lot. Maybe in a week or two you and Jenny will figure things out. She ain't a bad girl."

"You're supposed to feel something after you break up with someone. I'm empty, I don't regret a--" Wait, what? Seth paused then and stared at Colt hard. "What do you mean 'figure things out'?" Seth may have changed appearance but Colt had completely lost it, obviously he was an alien possessing Colt's body, Grover had always teased, but...

Colt's hazel eyes met Seth's gaze steadily. There was a pause as he reconsidered his methods but he pressed ahead. This was the path he'd chosen. This was the one he'd follow. "Y'know... make it work. Jenny's pretty hot. You've been together this long."

This was really confusing. First he overlooked the man to make sure it was indeed Colt who was speaking to him. Then he actually pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Then he stared back at him and tilted his head, finally knocking his hood off to free his own hair so he could get his fingers through it. He always felt better when he could slick his hair back.

"Colton... I'm not following you." He finally admitted, he couldn't figure out what Colt's angle was here, this was uncharacteristic of him.

"I mean why are you goin' back to Austin? Why're you leavin' the woman who has been by your side for the one who couldn't get away fast enough? She's not f****n' worth it man."

For one brief second, Seth's body shuddered as the tension sang through him and then it was blinked away in abject horror as he realized he had wanted to punch the younger boy. He was definitely riding the turmoil. A deep breath.

"Didn't say I was going back to her. I just need to find her and.. I don't know. There's something unfinished. I never properly got to say goodbye, I always thought she'd come back." His fists clenched and unclenched as he fought to digest the rest of Colt's sentence.

"She had dreams, Colt. Dreams that were bigger than mine. I never wanted her to regret that, never wanted her at my side in Georgia living in a fantasy in her head and hating me for keeping her here. She was always worth it. Always." The stare came up, defying Colt to argue with that.

A fight would have been easier. Colt had been expecting to be punched but what came instead took his breath away more than a shot to the gut. Finally, after years of not understanding the bond between Seth and Austin, Colt understood what it meant to have someone who was worth it. Someone he'd leave the woods of Georgia for. Someone he didn't mind the world knowing how felt about. Someone he worried about night and day. And someone whose happiness was more important than his own. His gaze dropped to the stretch of ground between them before lifting back up to Seth.

"She's lost too."

His breathing shallowed, Colt might as well have punched him. Seth had been searching for her, might have had the notion but there was a safety in coming here. Family was here, she was not. Now Colt hinted he knew where she was and part of him wanted to shake the boy until he gave the information and the other wanted to stick his fingers in his ears and sing while running away.

A flood of questions slammed into his mind but Seth could only stare at the cows now, somewhat jealous of their simple life. His own face went through changes as he tried to formulate something to say and in the end he had nothing. His eyes closed and shoulders slumped as he sighed shaking his head.

Colt couldn't help but wonder if this wasn't what Austin needed as well. She was so torn between soaring high with her dreams or growing strong in her roots. Austin was going to be pissed at him. That much was certain but, in the moment, he had no doubts that he was doing the right thing. "Come on, Seth. I want to tell you 'bout a place called RhyDin."