DISCLAIMERS:

COPYRIGHT: Billie and Cat are copyright by kd bard. Character or name resemblance to 'real' people living or dead is coincidental. Download it and share it with your friends, but please include the disclaimers!

SUBTEXT: This story is about two women who are committed to a caring and loving relationship, including expressions of physical. If this type of love offends you, or if love is illegal where you live, my sincerest sympathies.

VIOLENCE: None

KLEENEX RATING: 1 box

TIME LINE/CONTINUITY: This is the seventeenth installment in a modern day Uber-Xena series, starting with "The 'Commitment'" and followed by "A Family in Blood," "Personal Preferences," "Fighting City Hall," "Visions in Paradise," "What's In A Name?" "Promise Me Paradise," "While I Was Gone ...,", "Unchained Memories," "Happy Campers - NOT!" "At Loose Ends," "On Solid Ground," "Sweet Angel," "You Can Choose Your Friends, But...", "For Better Or For Worse" and "Tailspin". Since this is a continuous series, there are events mentioned within that will not make much sense if you haven't read them all in order. The complete series, along with a variety of other works, can be found on my home page at http://homepages.together.net/~warriorx/WebPage.htm.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I strongly believe that love is love, regardless of how it is packaged, so please don't flame me for believing in something so wonderful. I do however, beg for constructive criticism. Please send feedback to warriorx@together.net. A very big thank you to my wonderful beta readers ... Mom, Ili, dar, KJ, and my lovely wife, Marni. I really appreciate it. Finally, a big thank you to those who graciously host my stories and provide a forum for my expression. kd :-)

Billie rolled over and opened her eyes. There before her, a mere inches away, was the woman of her dreams. But something was different... out of sorts... unfamiliar. The faint aroma of camp fire registered on her consciousness as her logical mind fought to justify its existence. Campfire? she wondered to herself. Closing her eyes once more, she allowed memories of the previous day to replace the cobwebs sleep had left behind.

Horses. Campfire. Blazing sunset. Such were the thoughts that crossed Billie's mind as she smiled broadly then opened her eyes once more, only this time to look into the depths of pastel green looking back at her.

"Good morning," Cat whispered, not wanting to wake the rest of the family just yet.

Billie leaned in and kissed her wife. "Good morning to you, my love," she replied.

"You smell like a camp fire," Cat remarked, sniffing Billie's hair. "I love that smell."

Billie grinned. "I was just thinking the same," she replied. "I guess I should take a bath, huh?"

A mischievous grin crossed Cat's face. "A bath sounds good," she replied. "A bath... in the pond... no kids... all alone... just you and I... and nature... and a bar of soap," she said enticingly.

Billie's eyes opened wide as she thought of just what they could do with that bar of soap.

"I'll grab the towels," Billie offered, throwing off her covers.

Within seconds, the ladies were making their way hand in hand, down the well-worn path to the pond... Billie carrying the towels... Cat carrying a bag with toiletries and a change of clothing for each of them.

When they reached the side of the pond, Billie draped the towels over a sturdy bush and unceremoniously began to strip off her clothes, throwing them on the ground next to where Cat had placed their bag. Cat, a little more cautious, looked around carefully before removing her clothing and adding them to the growing pile started by Billie. As Cat removed her last piece of clothing, Billie reached into the bag and retrieved their bottle of shampoo and the bar of soap before taking Cat's hand and leading her into the water.

"Damn! This is cold!" Cat exclaimed as the cool water immediate caused a wave of goose-bumps to parade across her skin - not to mention immediately commanding two very enticing peaks to stand at attention.

"Oh yeah!" Billie replied wickedly as her sight was immediately drawn to a certain part of Cat's anatomy.

Noticing where Billie's eyes were directed, Cat indignantly splashed water at her tall wife. "Take that!" she exclaimed.

"Why you....! I'll tell you what I'll take, you little imp!" Billie replied haltingly as she struggled to regain the breath the cold water had taken away. Lunging forward, Billie caught Cat around the waist and immediately submerged both of them beneath the surface of the pond. The shampoo bottle and bar of soap flew in separate directions as the two bodies impacted the water.

"Oh... My... God!" Cat exclaimed as she resurfaced. "Billie Jean Charland! That was mean!" She added while furiously rubbing her hands up and down her arms in an attempt to regain some of the warmth the sudden immersion had chased away.

"C'mere," Billie said. "I'll warm you up."

Cat waded toward Billie - a pout planted firmly on her face as she walked into the circle of her wife's arms.

Billie tried to hide a smile as she wrapped long arms around the smaller woman and rubbed her hands across Cat's back.

"I.. It's nnooot wwworking," Cat complained as shivers caused the words to exit her mouth in staccato.

Looking around, Billie noticed the shampoo and soap floating lazily nearby. Reaching for the soap, she rubbed the bar between her hands until a rich lather formed, before dropping the bar back into the water. Beginning at Cat's shoulders, Billie ran her hands up and down the redhead's back as Cat moaned out her pleasure.

"God, Billie. That feels good," she crooned.

Taking her by the shoulders, Billie turned Cat around so she was facing away from her. Pulling Cat in close, the layer of soapy lather that now covered Cat's back created a very slippery and stimulating surface between them. Billie ground herself into Cat's back as she reached for the floating soap and once more lathered her hands. Within moments, she dropped the soap back into the water for a second time and snaked soapy hands around the front of Cat, only to begin a very thorough exploration of her breasts.

Cat threw her head back and closed her eyes. "Billie! By the gods, do you know what you're doing to me?" she asked haltingly as shudders wracked her body.

"I know exactly what I'm doing to you, my love," Billie whispered into Cat's ear as she repeatedly ground herself into Cat's back and gently nipped at her neck while sliding one soapy hand between Cat's legs. The other hand held one ripe nipple between soapy fingers, periodically pinching and sending bolts of desire into Cat's core.

"Ahhhh. Billie... Ummmm," Cat moaned as she began a rocking motion against Billie's hand.

Billie matched Cat's motion as the two bodies swayed in one rhythm. Within moments, the rhythm increased as Cat neared her pinnacle of satisfaction. With every bump... with every grind, Billie's ardor rose nearly out of control. Feeling Cat nearing her peak, she slipped her free hand between her own legs and assisted herself to climax as she and Cat plunged into the waves of fulfillment together.

Barely able to stand, Billie turned Cat around and lowered both of them up to their necks into the water. The ladies clung to each other, trading tender kisses and words of thanks for love shared between them.

By the time they regained their strength, their bodies had acclimated to the cool water and they were able to accomplish the second of their intended goals - bathing - before returning to the cabin to rouse the children from sleep and start their day with a hearty breakfast.

**********

"All right everyone - rise and shine. No sleepy-heads on this vacation!" Cat exclaimed as she threw open the drapes that covered the windows, spewing sunlight throughout the rustic cabin.

"Aw Ma! We're on vacation. Let us sleep!" Seth complained, pulling covers over his head.

"Nope! It's beautiful outside! Mom and I have already taken our baths in the pond, so if you want to clean up before breakfast, you'd better get moving!" the red head declared.

Tara sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. "Is the water cold?" she asked.

"A little, but you'll get used to it quickly," Cat replied, avoiding the sly grin on Billie's face.

"Can I go with you, Tare?" Skylar asked, looking over the side of the top bunk at her older sister.

"Yeah, I guess. Come on," Tara replied as she grabbed her backpack and shoved a change of clothes into it.

A few minutes later, the girls had grabbed the toiletries bag and headed out the door.

"Stay close to shore, girls!" Billie called after them as they sprinted down the path. Returning to the cabin, she noticed Seth was still in bed. "Roll it on out there, Scout. If you hurry, you can bathe in the rain barrel before your sisters come back," she pointed out.

"Nah - I think I'll wait for the girls to come back then I'll go take a swim too," he replied, burrowing down deeper into his covers to catch a few more minutes of sleep.

"Well, it will have to be a quick swim or you'll miss breakfast," Cat pointed out. "It will be ready at about the same time the girls return."

Always eager to eat, Seth threw off his covers. "On second thought, that rain barrel sounds pretty good to me," he replied.

**********

Around breakfast that morning, the family decided to spend their second day at Yellowstone exploring the various geysers in the park. According to the literature Billie had printed on line, Yellowstone National park possessed close to 60% of the world's geysers, and the family was intent on taking advantage of being there to see most of them.

Heading out early so as not to waste too much daylight on horseback, the family carefully followed their map to the Upper Geyser Basin, which contains the most famous of all geysers, Old Faithful. As they approached the Old Faithful area, they were required to dismount and leave their horses at the stable, as they would not need them to view the 150 or so hydrothermal wonders that were within one mile of Old Faithful.

As luck would have it, they arrived at Old Faithful just minutes before it was predicted to erupt. As the family stood behind the rope barrier, they waited in anticipation as a low rumbling began to sound, growing louder and louder, until suddenly, a small spray of water began to shoot into the air from a mound several hundred yards in front of them. As they patiently waited, the spray grew larger... and taller. Before their eyes, Old Faithful awoke from its slumber, spewing warm water high into the air; some of it falling as a fine warm mist on the tourists who clapped and exclaimed loudly at the magnificent display.

Next on the tour was the Lower Geyser Basin where tourists could observe several 'paint pots' while on a boardwalk trail. Skylar couldn't help but comment about how the paint pots smelled like someone had passed gas. Laughing heartily, Cat explained to the child that the odor came from a heavy concentration of sulfur in the mud. Undeterred by the explanation, Skylar was convinced that this was where Mother Nature went to fart!

Second only to Old Faithful, the highlight of Midway Geyser Basin was Excelsior Geyser, sporting a crater 200 by 300 feet in size, which spewed a constant discharge of water - more than 4,000 gallons per minute. Also in Midway, was Grand Prismatic Springs - a natural hot spring as wide as a football field, and nearly half as deep. Finally, the last basin within walking distance was Lone Star Geyser Basin which required a 5-mile round trip hike from the trail just south of Old Faithful.

By the time the family returned to the Old Faithful site, more than half the day had passed. The kids, insisting they were not ready to return to the cabin, convinced their parents to take a side trip into Jackson Hole, Wyoming where they planned to visit the wax museum, and if time permitted, they would also go to an old time opry matinee. This required the retrieval of their rental van from the stables and drive into town. The only concern Cat and Billie had relative to this plan, was returning to the park in time to make the two-hour ride back to camp before dark.

As it turned out, the family returned to the park with plenty of time to spare as they rode into their campsite about a half hour before sunset, with just enough time to care for and feed the horses before they lost daylight. Having eaten before leaving Jackson Hole, a light snack around the campfire was enough to satisfy their appetites before retiring for the night.

The three younger Charlands were beat from their day of hiking and exploring and eagerly retired to their beds just before midnight. Cat and Billie chose to sit by the fire as the last of the wood died to glowing embers, making sure the fire was totally extinguished prior to retiring themselves. They sat side by side on their bench as they watched the red-gold flames dance just above the wood.

Billie reached out for Cat's hand and brought it to her lips for a delicate kiss. "Thank you, Cat," she said softly as she smiled into her wife's eyes.

Cat raised her eyebrows in question. "For what?" she asked.

"For being here with me... for loving me... for giving me the kind of life I never would have known without you," Billie replied.

Cat frowned and reached forward to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Billie's ear. "Are you all right, love?" she asked.

"Never better," Billie replied, smiling sincerely. "It's just that being here with you and the kids makes me appreciate what we have. We are truly blessed, Cat," she explained.

"Yes we are," Cat agreed, leaning over to accept a kiss from her wife. "Now what do you say we extinguish this fire and turn in. These old bones aren't used to walking and hiking all day. I'm kind of beat," she admitted.

"Old bones? I'm older than you are, dear heart," Billie teased.

"Yeah, but you're in better shape," Cat pointed out.

"That comes from chasing Jen through the park every morning!" Billie chuckled. "You should join us. It might do you some good."

"Nah - I like my sleep too much to get up that early. I'll leaving chasing Jen to you, okay?" Cat replied jokingly.

Billie reached out and touched the side of Cat's face. "The only lady I want to be chasing is you!" she stated.

"Well, that wouldn't be much of a challenge considering you've already caught me!" Cat laughed.

"And I'm never letting you go. After all, who else would guarantee me a disaster-free vacation?" Billie asked.

"Who indeed?" Cat responded, yawing loudly.

"It has been great, Cat. Even having to use an out house hasn't been that bad... and I kind of enjoyed bathing in the pond this morning," Billie said as her eyebrows danced on her forehead.

"You, my love, are insatiable," Cat scolded light heartedly.

"Are you complaining?" Billie asked.

"Me? Complain? No! Not me. No way! Insatiable is good!" Cat effectively back-peddled.

Unable to stop herself, Cat yawned once more.

"Okay, Kitten... go on inside. Get ready for bed. I'll be right in after I soak the fire," Billie replied.

Yawning yet a third time as she rose to her feet, Cat nodded her agreement, then leaned in to kiss the dark haired woman. "Don't be long, my love," she said softly.

"I won't," Billie replied as Cat retreated to the cabin. A feeling a well being filled her heart at the good fortune love had brought into her life.

**********

"What would you kids like to do today?" Billie asked as she looked around the breakfast table. As was the plan, the ladies had roused the children out of bed early as to not waste a moment of their vacation oversleeping.

"I don't know," Tara replied, yawning. "Maybe kayaking?" she suggested sleepily.

"I was thinking maybe some hiking," Seth offered. "After I wake up, that is!"

"I've got my Junior Ranger class today, Mom," Skylar reminded her mother. "I have to be there by 10 a.m."

Billie looked at Cat, slight worry etching her brow as it became obvious their three children's plans for the day took them in opposite directions. Having promised the kids an enjoyable vacation, Billie really didn't want to dash any of their hopes, so she took Cat aside and discussed possible workarounds with her privately.

"Okay, Cat... I think I have an idea about how we can satisfy everyone's plans... well, maybe anyway. It depends on what you'd like to do today," Billie began.

"What I'd like to do? What do you mean?" Cat asked.

"Well, I'm thinking that one of us can kayak with Tara, and other can hike with Seth. Sky's meeting place for the Junior Ranger program isn't that far from the kayak depot, so she can be dropped off and picked up on the way. What do you think?" she asked.

"I guess that makes sense," Cat admitted. "What would you rather do today - kayak or hike?" she asked Billie.

"Doesn't matter to me," Billie replied.

Knowing this was going to become an argument based on indecisiveness, Cat decided to solve it the scientific way.

"Okay then, have you got a coin?" Cat asked.

Digging a quarter out of her pocket, she handed it over to Cat who immediately flipped it into the air. Catching it, she slapped it down onto the back of her left hand and covered it with her right.

"Whoever calls it goes kayaking," Cat declared. "You first."

"Heads," Billie called.

Cat removed her right hand from the quarter. "Heads it is! You kayak, I hike. Sounds good to me!" Cat declared, grinning ear to ear, as hiking was her true preference.

"All right then. Let's tell the kids," Billie said.

The kids were more than agreeable with the compromise arrangement. Billie and Tara, having inherited the job of dropping Skylar off at the Junior Ranger program had to leave almost immediately seeing as they had a nearly two-hour horse ride in front of them to get Sky to her meeting on time. First however, was the daunting task of throwing together a quick lunch for Billie, Tara and Skylar to take to their respective activities. Within minutes the trio was mounted on horseback and on their way.

"Have fun! Be careful! I love you!" Cat called to her wife and daughters as they rode away.

**********

"All right, Seth. Are you ready?" Cat asked as she found room for their lunch in her backpack.

"Sure thing, Ma!" he replied. "Here, let me help you onto your horse," he said to his mother as he held her mount steady.

Before taking off Seth asked Cat if she had brought along the survival kit.

Cat reached into the pack and pulled out a compact package. "Knife, first aid kit, compass, thermal blanket, mirror, candle, matches... yes - I have it. Not that we'll need it, mind you, but yes, it's in here," she said while storing it carefully away in the backpack.

Mother and son had picked a glorious day for hiking. With the sun shining brightly above, and the temperature in the low 80's, they were comfortable in shorts, Tee's and sturdy hiking boots. Topping it off with wide brimmed safari hats to protect them from the sun, they were soon on their way.

Within moments, they were galloping at an easy gait through the field, heading toward the marked trails on the map they had picked up at the ranger station. Cat was glad she had discussed the various trails with the park guide, learning there were several grades of trails available to them in the park. Prior to setting out, they had reviewed the maps carefully with the guide and jointly decided to hike the Shoshone Lake Trail. The entire hike included a 17-mile round-trip trek that crossed the Continental Divide at Grant's Pass. They hoped to complete the entire hike by 4 p.m. to give them adequate time to return to the cabin well before dusk.

About a half-hour into their ride, they reached the edge of the woods where they hitched their horses on the posts provided and set out on foot. A short distance into the woods, they scoured the sides of the trail for walking sticks and managed to find suitable ones for each of them. The Shoshone Lake Trail had no boardwalks and was rated at a moderate difficulty level. According to the trail guide, moderate trails fluctuated between periods of level walking, inclines of varying slopes, and steep rock climbing. The ever-changing terrain reminded Cat of interval training programs at the gym. She found herself thanking the gods that Seth was with her, as she relied on him often to assist her in the steeper climbs. It was after one such climb that Cat called time-out for a break.

"Okay - I've got to stop. These old bones can't take much more without rest!" she complained as she parked herself on a larger boulder. Cat was so sore, she secretly wished she had won the coin toss and a day of kayaking with Tara.

"Well, you know, we can't all be he-men like me, I guess," Seth joked, flexing his muscles.

"You are certainly your mother's son!" Cat replied jokingly.

"Huh?" Seth questioned.

"Never mind. Do me a favor and hand over the backpack, will you, sweetie? I need a drink of water!" Cat insisted as she fished their drinks out of the sack and handed one over to Seth.

"Have a seat," Cat invited, patting the rock next to her.

"Don't mind if I do," Seth replied, sitting down next to his mother after accepting the drink from her.

"So, are you having fun, sweetie?" Cat asked.

"Yeah! This is great," Seth replied. "How about you?"

"This trail is a little tougher than I expected, but it's been great so far," Cat admitted. "I hope your mom and sisters are having a good time."

Seth placed an arm around her shoulder. "I'm sure they're having a great time, Ma," he replied. "Thanks for bringing us here. This is really great," he added.

"I was wondering just how much fun this would be - considering the primitive conditions your mother has us living in, but so far it's been okay. Not that I mind. I enjoy primitive camping, but after Happy Trails, I'm surprised Mom was willing to consider camping of any kind!" Cat reminisced; a smile gracing her features at the memories.

"Actually, I thought Happy Trails was kind of fun... well, except for the poison ivy, that is. Steve and I thought it was pretty cool when the bear devoured our supplies. What I really could have lived without, however, was seeing Mom stark naked during the bear attack," Seth said, grimacing. "A guy seeing his mom naked is not cool!" he added, making Cat chuckle.

"That certainly was a memorable vacation, wasn't it? I guess I can't blame your mother for not wanting a repeat of that nightmare!" Cat exclaimed.

"So far, this vacation has been pretty cool. Thanks again for bringing us, Ma," Seth said.

"You're welcome, Scout," Cat replied as she rose to her feet. "So are you up to more hiking, or are you going to let an old lady beat you?" she asked while grabbing her walking stick.

Seth rose to his feet and bowed at the waist. "Lead on, fair lady," he said with much fanfare.

Chuckling, Cat handed the backpack over to Seth and started once more down the trail.

Throwing the bag over his shoulder, Seth too grabbed his walking stick and followed her. A few feet down the trail, he saw what he thought was a flash brighten the muted light of the forest.

Cat and Seth both looked up into the trees.

"What was that?" Seth asked.

"I don't know," Cat replied. "Maybe heat lightning?" she suggested.

"The lady we talked to at the ranger station yesterday said the weather was supposed to be nice today," Seth replied, recalling the conversation his mother had had with the receptionist at the tourist desk.

Cat turned around and looked at her son. "Don't tell me you're afraid of a little rain," she teased.

"Hey - I might melt! You know I'm made of sugar. How else would I be so sweet?" he replied laughingly.

"There's no conceit in this family - you've got it all!" Cat joked.

"It's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it!" Seth laughed as he continued to follow his mother down the trail.

**********

"Okay, Sky. Tara and I will be back to get you at about 5 p.m. Do you have your lunch?" Billie asked as she checked Skylar's backpack. "Yeah - there it is. All right sweetie. Have a great day with the Junior Rangers. We'll see you this afternoon. Okay?"

"Okay Mom. I gotta go - there's my ranger buddy!" Skylar said, spotting the new friend she had made when she checked into the Junior Ranger program the day before after their tour of the geysers.

"Have a good time today, love bug. I love you!" Billie called to the girl's retreating back.

Moments later, Billie and Tara were on their horses heading toward the kayak depot.

Arriving at the depot after another fifteen minute ride, they hitched their horses and went to rent kayaks. Originally wanting single white water kayaks, they were a bit disappointed to discover the only ones remaining were two-seat tandem models with fairly large, open cockpits. Before heading to the Firehole River, Billie retrieved a map from the depot manager and discussed with them the best route that would return them in time to collect Skylar at 5 p.m.

"Well, it doesn't look like we'll be doing a lot of rolling in this!" Tara exclaimed in a disappointed tone as she accepted the bright orange life jacket Billie handed her.

"We still have a few days left of vacation, Tare. We can come back tomorrow or the day after - early enough to grab a couple of singles. Okay? In the meantime, I'm sure we'll have a good time in this one," Billie said encouragingly.

"Yeah, I guess," Tara replied, throwing their back pack into the cockpit.

With Billie on one end and Tara on the other, they lifted the sixteen-foot kayak by the handles and carried it the short distance from the depot to the edge of the river where they carefully slid it into the water. Securing their life jackets tightly, they slipped into the seats, with Tara in front and Billie behind and began to gently paddle away from the shore. Within moments, they had fallen into a steady pace, gliding freely down the river.

"This is great!" Billie exclaimed, looking from side to side and enjoying the feel of nature around her. "Listen, Tara," she said.

Both ladies stopped paddling and fell silent as their kayak glided unassisted through the water.

"What?" Tara asked, wondering what her mother had heard.

"Just listen," Billie repeated. "Listen to the sounds of nature."

Tara frowned as she forced herself to listen to the background noise she had ordinarily pushed into her subconscious mind. Then, after a few moments, the sound of nature became a symphony to her ears. Suddenly, she heard the gurgling of water, the whoosh of the wind, chirping birds, chit-chattering crickets and the rustle of dried leaves in the breeze. Turning around, her eyes met Billie's - a look of wonder on her face.

"Wow! I didn't realize how loud it is!" she exclaimed. "I never really heard it before. It's amazing that I could block it all out."

"Cool, huh?" Billie asked.

"Very cool!" Tara replied. As she turned around and began to paddle once again, she saw a bright flash light upthe sky.

"What was that?" Tara asked as she looked over her shoulder at Billie.

Billie too was looking at the sky. "Don't know. Maybe heat lightning?" she suggested.

"Is it supposed to rain today?" Tara asked. "It seems too nice to rain."

"I don't think so. The lady at the ranger's office yesterday said it was supposed to be partially sunny and warm. Heck, if it starts to rain, we'll pull over and find shelter until it stops. It might actually cool things down if it does rain," Billie speculated.

"It wouldn't hurt my feelings if things cooled down a bit. It's pretty hot out here under the sun," Tara observed.

"Well, let's not worry about it for now. We'll deal with it if - or when it happens, okay?" Billie suggested.

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Tara replied as she once more resumed paddling.

For the next hour, mother and daughter paddled in silence, each enjoying the solitude of nature as their water craft stealthily made its way down the meandering river.

************************************************************************************************ CHAPTER VII

"Jeff, what time have you got?" Jason Richards asked the ranger standing at the opposite side of the observation tower.

Jeff removed the binoculars from his eyes and looked at this watch. "Nearly 2 p.m.," he answered before scanning the tops of the trees once more.

"See anything yet?" Jason asked as he too scanned the horizon of trees tops.

"Nope - not a thing," Jeff replied.

"Good. Maybe we'll make it through the summer without incident," Jason suggested.

"One can only hope," Jeff responded before lowering his binoculars. "I'm going to make a run to the station for something cold to drink. Can I get you anything?" he asked his partner.

"Sure. Bring me back a brewsky," Jason joked.

Jeff raised an eyebrow at Jason.

"Just kidding. A cola would be great... oh, and maybe a bottle of water too. Thanks, Jeff. I'll hold down the fort while you're gone," he offered.

"Okay. I'll be back in a few," Jeff replied as he climbed down the three story ladder that led to the observation tower.

From his perch high above the ground, Jason watched as his friend and coworker climbed into the Jeep and headed down the mountain.

**********

"How are you doing, Seth?" Cat asked, looking back at her son.

"Fine, Ma. How are you doing? Do you need to stop for a while?" he asked.

"Well, it probably wouldn't hurt to look at the map," Cat reasoned, hoping her suggestion came across as believable instead of the ruse it really was to cover up the fact that she did indeed need a break.

Finding a level place to stop and rest was not easy as they had been on a relatively steep incline for the past hour. Cat's thighs felt as though they were on fire from the rough climb, and they shook as she forced herself to climb the last few feet to the plateau directly ahead of them.

Climbing onto the shelf, Seth sat beside his mother and spread the map across both their laps. "Okay, we've been hiking for about... let's see, four hours now?" he speculated as he looked at his watch. "If my calculations are correct, we should be more than half way through the trail."

"Where exactly are we on this map?" Cat asked as she sought to find their location.

Seth studied the map carefully. "Well, the last marker I can remember seeing was right here," he said, pointing to a spot a significant distance behind them on the map. We should have seen another marker here," he added, pointing again to a spot about a mile behind where he believed they currently were, "but it wasn't there - unless I missed it. Did you see one?" he asked Cat.

"The only marker I've seen is the first one you pointed out," Cat admitted. "Maybe it fell off the tree - or maybe it was vandalized," she suggested. "Do you think we're lost?" she asked skeptically.

Seth scratched his head. "I hope not. I guess it's possible, but I'm pretty sure we stayed on the trail," he replied.

"Well, then maybe we should just forge on ahead. Sooner or later we'll come across another marker," Cat said encouragingly.

"You're probably right," Seth replied. "Are you ready to go, or would you like to rest a little longer?" he asked his mother.

"Let's stay a while longer. It's not often I get to spend time with just my son," Cat replied affectionately as she rubbed a hand up and down his back.

Seth grinned. "Yeah - there's usually a ton of girls around all the time!" he complained, referring to the fact he was the only male in a household dominated by females.

Cat frowned. "Does it bother you to be the only guy, Seth?" she asked.

"Sometimes... but mostly, it's okay. Tara is more like a guy than a girl anyway, so sometimes its like having a brother," he joked.

Cat agreed, nodding her head. "Your sister is quite a character, isn't she?" she commented.

"Tara is cooler than you know. I like having her for a sister," he admitted. "But don't tell her that! She'll use it against me for weeks!" he joked.

"You're pretty special yourself, Seth," Cat remarked. "It can't be easy growing up in a house full of girls... and being raised by two moms on top of it all!"

"Actually, having two moms has been the best part. I have friends who don't see much of either parent - usually because of work, or because they just don't have time for their kids," Seth said. "I can't remember a time while growing up that you and Mom weren't there. Sure, I didn't have a dad, but then Mom can kick some pretty mean ass when she wants to," he exclaimed.

"Seth Michael Charland! Do you eat with that mouth?" Cat asked in mock disdain.

Seth threw his head back and laughed. "Ma," he said. "if a dirty mouth was fatal, Grandma Jan would have died of food poisoning years ago!"

Seth's observation sent both of them into peals of laughter as they held their stomachs and chuckled.

Finally, unable to hold it any longer, Cat jumped off her stone perch and crossed her legs. "All that laughing is going to make me wet myself! I've got to pee really bad!" she announced, looking around for a private place to relieve herself.

"Over there, Ma," Seth said, pointing to an area behind a large rock.

Cat took off like a bat out of hell, as Seth headed in the opposite direction to find a private spot of his own.

Moments later, relieved and refreshed, they met back on the path and collected their belongings.

"We should probably get moving," Cat replied, looking at her watch. "It's already about 2 p.m. If we waste too much time, it will be dark before we get back to the cabin," she reasoned.

"Okay, then. Let's go," Seth encouraged as he helped his mother to her feet.

**********

"Hey Tare, how about we pull over to the bank over there and rest a while? I could use a break from the sun," Billie suggested to her daughter.

"Sure," Tara responded as she steered the kayak toward the shore.

Tara scrambled out of the kayak then held it steady for Billie to climb out. Once on shore, Billie pulled the front end of the narrow boat onto the bank, then reached for the backpack behind her seat. Reaching into the sack, she pulled out two bottles of water and offered one to her daughter.

"Thanks," Tara replied, eagerly taking the water and drinking half of the bottle's content before coming up for air.

"Thirsty, huh?" Billie remarked.

"Yeah. I didn't realize how much until now," Tara explained before falling silent once more.

Billie watched the woman-child for several moments as she appeared preoccupied with something in the distance.

"What 'cha thinking about?" Billie asked.

Tara looked at her mother, then smiled shyly. "Kelly," she admitted.

"Ah! I see," Billie replied.

"It's tough being away from her, huh?" Billie observed.

Tara picked up a stick and started doodling in the sand beside her as she nodded her head in reply to Billie's question.

Billie remained quiet, hoping Tara would offer more about her relationship with Kelly.

"Mom, when did you realize you were gay?" Tara asked.

Billie inhaled deeply while carefully contemplating her reply. "Well... I guess in some ways I always knew - at least deep down inside. I denied it for a long time - mostly to avoid disappointing my parents," Billie admitted. "I guess I stopped denying it when Seth was born."

"Did you love Seth's father?" the teenager asked.

Billie pulled her knees in close and wrapped her arms around them. Before answering the question, she allowed her gaze to focus on the opposite shore and tried to recall just what she did feel for the man who fathered Seth. Finally, she turned to her daughter.

"In some ways I guess I loved him - or at least I thought it was love." Looking out once more over the water, she continued. "I met Brian while in college. He was very handsome, and very popular - and quite charming. I wouldn't say I was attracted to him romantically, but he was fun to be with. We spent a lot of time together, studying, going to football games, going out with mutual friends... then one weekend, he came home with me and my parents fell in love with him. They thought he walked on water! I don't know how it came to be, but somehow my parents got the impression he was my boyfriend, and they were ecstatic."

Billie paused to drink from her water bottle. Sparing a glance at Tara, she saw the teenager was still doodling in the sand with her stick, but nevertheless, intently listening to her mother's story.

"Anyway," Billie continued. "One thing led to another and Brian proposed to me. I wasn't in love with him, but I married him more to make my parents happy, than for love."

"Did you know when you married him that you were gay?" Tara asked.

Billie stretched long legs out in front of her and crossed them at the ankles before leaning back on her hands. "I knew I was different, but to actually say I knew why... I don't know. I wasn't physically attracted to Brian when I married him, and even less so after Seth was born, but I didn't put a name to it until near the end of my marriage. By that time, Brian had developed a drinking habit and had become abusive - but then, you don't need to hear the details of that ordeal," she explained, suddenly remembering she was talking to her teenage daughter.

"So when did you realize you were gay?" Tara prompted, relentless in her search for information.

"Persistent little imp, aren't you?" Billie commented, making the teenager laugh.

"Okay, let's see. When did I know I was gay?" Billie repeated. "Well, like I said, I knew I was different. When I was in college, I had several female friends I was close to. No too long after Seth was born, one of them contacted me and we went out for dinner. Over dinner I told her I had married Brian, and she nearly choked on her food and said, 'What were you thinking? Gay girl and straight boy! No way, girlfriend!'." Billie stopped for a moment to gauge Tara's reaction.

"She knew you were gay and you didn't?" Tara asked in disbelief.

"It appears so," Billie replied. "Keep in mind, I was raised an only child, and we pretty much kept to our own, so I didn't have a lot of exposure to the diversity of different cultures. Anyway, she really opened my eyes that night. After that, things fell into place. I was suddenly able to put a name to the way I was feeling and my entire life changed because of it."

"What did Brian do when he found out?" Tara asked.

Billie's eyes narrowed as she recalled the confrontation with Brian when she finally admitted her feelings to him. An involuntary shiver passed through her as she shook off the thoughts. Looking at her daughter, she replied, "That is something I would rather not tell you, sweetling. Please understand."

Seeing the distant pain in her mother's eyes, she nodded and fell silent once more.

Feeling bad that she had cut the conversation short, Billie initiated the next question. "So, tell me about you," she said.

Tara looked up. "Me?" she asked. "What would you like to know?"

"Tell me when you knew," Billie asked.

Tara frowned. "I'm not sure I even know yet," she replied.

"And Kelly... how do you feel about her?" Billie prompted.

Now it was Tara's turn to hug her knees close to her chest. Resting her chin on her knees, she looked out over the water as she replied. "Kelly makes me feel all funny inside," she began. "Sometimes I feel like I'm gonna hurl. Sometimes I feel like I swallowed butterflies... and sometimes my stomach gets all hot. I know I really miss her a lot right now," she admitted.

"Does she ever make you feel uncomfortable?" Billie asked.

Tara rested her cheek on her knees and looked side ways at the mother. "Uncomfortable like... guilty or nasty?" she asked for clarification.

Billie smiled at her daughter's insight. "Yeah - something like that," she replied.

"Not really. I never feel ashamed of what I feel, and I never feel like it's wrong to like her, if that's what you're asking," Tara explained.

"So have you kissed her?" Billie asked, unable to look her daughter in the eyes during the question.

Tara blushed and looked down at her feet. "Yeah," she admitted, giggling.

"I see," Billie replied, smiling.

Several moments of silence passed between them before Billie reached out to rub Tara's back. "You know Mama and I love you and support you - no matter what... right?" she asked.

Once more, Tara nodded without replying.

"We just want you to be happy - and safe, Tara. There is so much you need to understand about relationships like ours... so much you need to know to protect yourself," Billie said.

"Mom," Tara said, looking Billie straight in the eyes and stopping her cold. "I'm not going to do anything stupid. I promise. Kelly and I are not sure about where this is going yet. It might go nowhere, but if it does, we'll be careful. I know the world isn't quite ready for this yet - hell, I'm not even sure I'm ready for this yet, so we'll take it slow, and we'll wait to see what happens."

Billie smiled and nodded her head. "Just know that we're here for you, okay?" she assured the teenager.

"I know you are, Mom... and I love you and Mama so much for it," she replied, hugging the older woman.

Billie held her daughter and fought to keep the moisture from her eyes before breaking the embrace and sitting back. "Wow, it's almost 2 p.m. Are you ready to head out?" Billie asked as she looked at her watch. "We want to be sure we get back to camp before dark."

Tara jumped to her feet and offered a hand to her mother. Within moments they had climbed back into the kayak and were steadily paddling along.

**********

"It's about time you got back!" Jason exclaimed as Jeff climbed the last few steps into the look-out tower.

"Sorry about that. The boss had me run a few errands before he let me return," Jeff explained. "Here, maybe this will cool your britches," he said, handing Jason a cold soda.

Jason cracked open the can and drank deeply. "Ah, that is good," he exclaimed before allowing a very long and loud burp to escape.

"Hey! Good one dude!" Jeff said, rasing his hand to Jason for a high-five. Walking around the perimeter of the look-out tower, Jeff looked over the tree tops for as far as the eye could see. "All quiet?" he asked.

"So far, so good," Jason replied just as a loud crack of thunder and bright flash of lightning split the sky.

"Holy Shit!" Jeff exclaimed. "That scared the shit out of me!"

"Dry lightning! That was close!" Jason said as he grabbed his binoculars and began scanning the treetops.

Jeff did the same as the two rangers silently investigated the panoramic view before them.

**********

Cat and Seth had reached a very narrow part of the trail that was littered with loose rock.

"Seth, I think we're lost. I can't imagine the park would allow normal hikers on trails like this," Cat remarked as she shimmied her way down the narrow ledge, holding on to the rock face with both hands.

"You may be right, Ma, "Seth replied as he looked at the trail beyond where his mother was standing. "Keep moving... I can see the trail widen in just a few more yards," he said.

"Good," Cat exclaimed. "Seth, please be careful, honey. Okay?"

"I'm all right Ma. I'm more worried about you. Stay close to the rock face and move slowly. The loose rocks on this trail are dangerous," he pointed out.

"You're telling me!" Cat chuckled in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Just then a deafening crack of thunder and bright flash of lightning startled the hikers. Caught totally off guard, Cat screamed and jumped, losing her footing.

"Ma! Ma!" Seth screamed as Cat's feet slipped off the edge of the trail. Throwing himself to the ground, he reached forward in an desperate attempt to catch the falling woman. "Ma! Grab on!" he yelled.

"Oh my god! Seth!" Cat screamed as she scrambled for something to grab on to, only to have the loose rocks slip from her grasp and tumble down on top of her as she plummeted down the slope.

**********

"Look, Tara, up ahead... rapids!" Billie pointed out.

"Cool!" Tara exclaimed as she headed directly for them.

"All right, be sure to steer into them, Tara. This isn't a white water kayak. We'll need to take it easy through here," Billie warned.

"Don't worry, Mom. This will be a snap," Tara said confidently.

Approaching the rapids, Tara carefully steered the bow of the boat straight into them as Billie used her paddle as a rudder to keep the boat straight. Together, they rode the rapids, enjoying the roller coaster ride of swells and dips along the way.

"Way cool!" Tara exclaimed as they maneuvered the boat into the roughest part of the stream.

Just as an especially large swell lifted their boat, a deafening crack of thunder and bright flash of lightning startled them. Tara swung around quickly to look at her mother, nearly capsizing the boat in the process.

"Whoa, Tara, settle down," Billie warned. "We need to get out of these rapids, honey. Come on, paddle!" Billie urged as together, they managed to paddle the kayak to the closest shore. Quickly climbing out of the boat, they pulled it onto the shore before finally looking at each other.

"What the hell was that?" Tara asked loudly.

"My guess would be thunder and lightning," Billie replied.

Tara looked at the sky. "Wow! That was loud!" she exclaimed.

Billie looked up as well. "Still doesn't look like rain," she observed.

"Do you want to head out again?" Tara asked.

"In a while," Billie replied as she sat on a nearby rock and wondered where Cat was at that moment.

************************************************************************************************ CHAPTER VIII

"Ma!... Oh god!... Ma!" Seth screamed as he climbed down the slope in the direction Cat had fallen. "Ma! Can you hear me?" he yelled.

Seth? Seth - where are you? Where am I? Billie... baby, I'm sorry... Such were the thoughts that ran through Cat's mind as she lay in a stupor at the bottom of a steep ravine.

Part way down the slope, Seth strained to see where Cat had landed, finally spotting her several feet below.

"Ma!" he yelled. "I'm coming. Don't move!"

Cat opened her eyes and looked around. Realizing she wasn't dead, she inventoried her aches and pains to determine the extent of her injuries. Okay, my left arm hurts like hell... it feels like major road-rash on my legs and I've got a splitting headache. Otherwise, I feel pretty good! Cat thought as Seth finally reached her.

Throwing himself down beside her, he brushed the bangs from her forehead. "Don't move, Ma. You're gonna be all right," he assured her.

Cat looked at her son and forced a smile to her face. "Seth, Its not as bad as it looks," she said. "Help me sit up."

"No! Lay still," he urged.

"Seth, I can't lay here all day. Help me sit - please," she commanded, struggling to lift her upper body from the ground.

"Slow... take it slow," Seth said as he helped Cat sit. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like I just fell off a cliff," Cat replied, chuckling. Looking into her son's face and seeing the raw fear in his eyes, she raised her good arm and patted him on the cheek. "I'll be fine, honey. Really - I will. Like I said - it's not as bad as it looks. Okay - now help me to my feet," she instructed.

Knowing she'd do it by herself if he didn't help, Seth positioned himself behind her and lifted Cat under the arms until she was standing on her own. "Are you okay?" he asked before releasing her.

Cat shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Convinced her legs were okay, other than the scratches and bruises sustained during her slide down the rocky slope, she took a few tentative steps and almost fell on her face.

"Ma!" he exclaimed, catching her before she fell to the ground.

Cat shook her head to chase off the dizziness she felt when she tried to take a step. "Wow! I felt dizzy for a moment there," she said, allowing Seth to lead her back to a rock to sit.

"Mama, you've hit your head," Seth observed, lightly touching the bruise on Cat's forehead. "Maybe you have a concussion," he suggested.

Reaching up to feel the spot Seth had indicated, Cat winced at the contact. "Ohhh! Maybe you're right, Scout. Is it bleeding?" she asked.

"I don't see any blood, but it looks like a nasty bruise. Maybe you should sit for a few minutes before trying to walk again," he suggested.

Cat nodded then looked at her son. "Are you all right, Seth?" she asked.

Seth reached out to rub Cat's arm. "I'm not the one who fell off the cliff, Ma. I'm fine," he said.

"Owwww!" Cat moaned as the contact with her left arm suddenly reminded her it was injured.

"What is it?" Seth asked, concerned that he had apparently hurt his mother.

Cat examined her left forearm and noted the swelling, but no sign of a compound fracture. "It appears I may have a slight fracture here," she said. "We'll need to fashion a splint to keep it immobile."

"We also need to find a stream to wash the blood away," Seth said as he located two relatively flat pieces of wood nearby.

"Blood?" she asked as Seth attached the wood to her forearm with strips of his T-shirt.

"Yeah. It looks like you've scraped your legs up pretty bad," he observed.

"What do you think that bang was?" Cat asked, not remembering too much after her fall.

"It sounded like thunder to me," Seth replied. "It startled the life out of me. I wasn't expecting to hear thunder on such a sunny day!"

"Did I see a flash of lightning too, or was I imagining things?" Cat asked.

"You weren't imagining it. I saw it too. I only hope it didn't strike somewhere," Seth said. "Okay, the splint is secure," he added while looking around. "Well, we're not going back up that way," he said, pointing to the slope Cat had taken a short cut down. "It looks like we'll have to make our way through the woods. Do you think you're up to it?" he asked his mother.

"Well, considering the alternative, I guess I don't have much choice. Let's start by finding that stream you were talking about," Cat suggested.

"All right. Wait right here. I need to get our bag," Seth said as he left Cat sitting on the rock.

Cat sat there with her heart in her throat as she watched her son scale the cliff, then return again a few moments later with their backpack in tow.

"Maybe I should have taken rock climbing lessons from you before we headed out!" she joked as he rejoined her at the bottom of the ravine.

Seth smiled at his mother's attempt to lighten the mood as he helped her to her feet. Holding her with an arm around her waist, he waited several moments before he was satisfied she had regained her balance. "Here, hold onto my arm," he offered as they slowly made their way into the forest.

**********

"So, how old are your kids now?" Jeff asked Jason.

Without removing the binoculars from his eyes, Jason replied, "Carrie is eight, Jonathan is six."

"So they're both in school this year?" Jeff inquired.

"Yup! Susan is thrilled to be returning to work full time now that the kids are going back to school. Next month, Carrie starts third grade and Jon will be in first. He's really excited to be going to school all day instead of half day kindergarten," Jason explained.

"They must really be getting big..." Jeff began before he was interrupted by Jason.

"Jeff! Get your binoculars. Look! Over there," Jason said, pointing with his arm without removing the binoculars from his face. "Can you see it?" he asked.

Jeff pointed his binoculars in the direction Jason was pointing and scanned the area carefully. "I see it!" Jeff said. "Damn! It looks bad," he added before snatching the two-way radio from his hip.

"Home base 201, this is ranger tower 570. Smoke spotted in the area of Shoshone and Lewis Lakes... Repeat - smoke spotted in the area of Shoshone and Lewis Lakes," Jeff said into the two-way.

"Holy Shit!" Jason exclaimed. "There's more! Look!"

Jeff returned to his binoculars and scanned a larger area, noting, as Jason did, that several fires had ignited in the area that covered approximately a quarter of their look-out view.

"Good Lord! The lightning must have caused sparks to jump from tree to tree!" Jeff exclaimed before once more relaying the new information into the two-way radio.

"This is not good! This is not good!" Jason shouted as he and Jeff make their way down the ladder to the Jeep waiting below.

**********

"Do you smell that, Mom?" Tara asked, glancing over her shoulder as the continued to paddle.

"Smell what?" Billie replied.

"Smoke. It smells like a campfire," Tara elaborated.

"Well, maybe someone is camping nearby," Billie suggested.

The further downstream they paddled, the stronger the odor grew.

"I'm not so sure that's a campfire, Mom," Tara pointed out, a hint of worry coloring her voice.

Billie narrowed her eyes and looked around, straining to see signs of fire.

"I don't see any fire," Billie remarked. "I don't see any smoke either."

Tara fell silent once more as she continued to paddle. An eerie silence surrounded them as they glided through the water.

"Listen, Mom. There's no sound," Tara pointed out.

Billie and Tara both stopped paddling and allowed the kayak to glide through the water. Billie took in her surroundings and allowed her mind to focus on the moment. Tara was right. There was very little to be heard. No birds... no insects - even the water was still. The silence was deafening.

Placing their paddles in the water once more, they maneuvered themselves closer to the shoreline. Billie scanned the shore as they drifted by. Still no sign of life. No movement. No sound.

"Something is wrong," Billie whispered softly as she strained to listen.

For the next few minutes, the two ladies drifted slowly downstream, entering a very narrow part of the river. Tall trees lined both sides, meeting overhead in a dense canopy of leaves, which effectively blocked most of the sunlight and cast the small river channel in shadow.

"Mom, this is scaring me," Tara admitted.

"It's creeping me out too, honey," Billie replied.

They continued to drift as the movement of the water increased in speed.

"We must have hit some undercurrent," Billie observed as little effort was required from their paddles to keep the kayak moving at a steady pace.

Tara was totally spooked by the eerie nature of the dense, dark canopy and kept her eyes glued to the shoreline as they glided by, subconsciously expecting half-dressed cannibals to jump out at any moment and pelt their boat with arrows.

Suddenly, a rumbling was heard in the distance.

"What's that!" Tara exclaimed nervously.

"Shh... listen," Billie urged as she stopped paddling.

The rumbling grew louder.

"Something is rushing toward us," Billie whispered.

**********

Senior Ranger Rick Ellis stood bent over a wrinkled map of the park which was spread out over the hood of his Jeep, pointing to specific locations as a group of rangers peered over his shoulder.

"Johnson, you take your crew to the Kepler Cascade region. Davis, you've got the west side of Shoshone Lake. Burton, you and your men head for the north part of Lewis Lake, and Erikson, take a crew into the Shoshone Geyser Basin. The first order of business is look for hikers, campers and anyone else you may run across. These areas must be evacuated immediately," Senior Ranger Captain Rick Ellis instructed. "Any questions?" he added, looking around at the men.

When no responses came, he dismissed the men and rolled up the map.

"Looks bad, doesn't it, Captain?" asked his assistant, Ranger Angela Bradshaw.

"I haven't seen one ignite and spread as fast as this since the ones that nearly destroyed the park in 1988," Ellis explained. "I'm hoping the hotshots and smokejumpers can help to contain it to a region around Old Faithful. If we can do that, we'll have a chance of saving the park."

"It seems to be spreading pretty fast," Angela observed as she walked back to the ranger station with him.

"It's been a pretty dry summer Angie. This year we didn't get the heavy rains we normally see in July. The under brush is dry, the fuel load is high. The higher the fuel load, the faster it will ignite and burn. The more intensely it burns, the faster it will spread... and because it is so dry, it is consumed much faster - and it's harder to contain. The lightning struck in an area where there is a lot of small, loose under brush. Smaller, flashy fuels like dry grass, pine needles, dry leaves, twigs and other dead brush, burn faster than large logs or stumps. The smaller stuff burns up quicker and allows the fire to move forward faster. What's even worse, is that the heat generated by the fire, dries out the fuel in front of it, so when the fire finally reaches it, it's easier to ignite. Fires like this take on a life of their own! It's a no-win situation," Ranger Ellis explained.

When Rick and Angela reached the ranger station, a news crew was waiting for them.

"Captain, what is the latest status of the fire?" a reporter asked, shoving a microphone into Rick's face while a camera man pointed his lens at Ellis.

"At last report, the fire was moving Southwest at a speed of about 14 miles per hour," he said.

"Are there any reports of tourists trapped in the affected areas?" the reporter asked.

"We have just sent out crews to search the areas. This is a very dangerous job as they must enter areas already consumed by the wildfires. We expect to know more later this evening," Rick replied.

"Ranger Ellis, how did this fire start? Was it the carelessness of a camper, or a discarded cigarette?" came the next question.

"We have every reason to believe the fire started by natural causes. There were several incidences of dry lightning earlier this afternoon. That is the most probably cause of the ignition," Ranger Ellis explained.

"How long does the National Park Service believe it will be before this fire is brought under control?" the reported persisted.

Rick ran his hand through his hair, a bit impatient with the persistent questioning. Knowing the public would be seeing this later that evening, and knowing public support was important to the Park Service, he fought back his irritation and answered the question. "A fire such as this could burn for weeks... and smolder for many months afterwards. As far as when it will be brought under control - well only time and mother nature will tell," he explained.

"Mother nature?" the reported prompted. "As in... rain?"

"Rain, wind, evening temperatures. All of these play a factor in how hot and how long a fire burns. We will do our best to extinguish it through human means, but we truly rely on Mother Nature to help us out," he finished.

"Rick! There's a call for you from base," Angela called from the doorway of the ranger station.

Rick politely excused himself as the reporter wrapped up the interview. "That was Senior Ranger Rick Ellis reporting on the Park Service's progress toward extinguishing the wildfire currently raging through the Southwest portion of Yellowstone National Park. This is Monica Crocker, signing off."

**********

The rumbling grew louder as it approached the kayak and its occupants while they slowly drifted down a narrow stretch of river. A line of trees on both shores met in a canopy above them and caused a sense of eerie darkness to surround them, a darkness that seemed to grow more and more dense as the moments passed.

As the rumbling approached, the air became unbearably dry and warm. Billie stared off beyond the shoreline into the dense forest behind it and suddenly became aware that they were in danger.

"Oh my god! Wildfire!" she shouted as the flames suddenly became apparent in the trees close to the shoreline.

"Mom!" Tara shouted. "Mom! What should we do?"

Billie looked around frantically, knowing they had just moments to react. "Tara! Roll the boat... Roll the boat!" She shouted as she grabbed the edges of the cockpit and shifted her weight sharply to the left.

Following her mother's cue, Tara also shifted her weight and soon the kayak lilted sharply to its side and capsized, sending both of them into the water. The paddles, which were connected to the kayak by long bungie cords whipped dangerously around, nearly striking Tara in the head before settling on the surface of the water.

Billie and Tara both surfaced behind the kayak. Glancing over the boat to the shoreline, Billie realized the fire was not going to stop at the water's edge. Instead, it used the avenue of trees that were bent gracefully low over the river to reach the other side. Knowing the fire would pass directly over them, Billie grabbed Tara and pulled her under the water, only to resurface again under the capsized kayak, inside the cockpit, where a pocket of air would sustain them for several moments.

Mother and daughter clung to the inverted seats in total darkness inside the cockpit and relied on their lifejackets to keep their heads above water as their bodies remained protected by the river. Both were terrified into silence as they listened to roaring flames pass overhead, slightly heating the air inside their shelter as the fire licked at the bottom of the capsized boat. All they could do was cling to the inside the cockpit and pray that the danger would pass quickly.

Natural winds caused by the fierce fire, along with moderately strong water currents continued to move their capsized boat along downstream as the fire raged above them. Wind patterns and heat caused by the fire generated fire whirls, similar in shape and behavior to tornados. Once such whirl hurled a flaming log into the air, which landed on, then bounced off the bottom of the overturned kayak.

Startled by the loud banging on top of their shelter, Tara screamed as the weight of the log pushed the kayak deeper into the water, totally submerging the underwater occupants.

"Tara, honey, are you all right?!" Billie asked as they both re-emerged inside the inverted cockpit.

"What was that?" she sputtered as she struggled to regain her breath after the unexpected dunking.

"I don't know, but thank the gods we were under the boat instead of inside it. Whatever that was might have killed us!" Billie observed.

"Mom?" Tara whispered tearfully.

Billie reached around until she found her daughter. "What is it, Tara?" she asked softly.

"I'm scared, Mom," she replied.

"Me too, honey. Me too. Shhhh. Don't speak - conserve our air. It will pass soon," Billie assured her daughter as she fell silent once more, praying to any god who would listen to spare their lives - and the lives of her loved ones. God only knew if Cat and Seth were safe. Skylar had been left with experienced rangers, so surely she would have been evacuated by now. Billie could only hope and pray her family would come out of this intact.

************************************************************************************************ CHAPTER IX

"That was Senior Ranger Rick Ellis reporting on the Park Service's progress toward extinguishing the wildfire currently raging through the Southwest portion of Yellowstone National Park. This is Monica Crocker, signing off."

"Oh my god!" Kelly exclaimed as she caught the tail end of the newscast. Grabbing the remote control she furiously clicked through the channels until she found a similar report.

"It is unknown at this time if there are any tourists trapped in the midst of the blaze," the reporter was saying. "The blaze seems to be centered just Southwest of Old Faithful in the Shoshone Lake area. Stay tuned for more news at 6 p.m."

Kelly sat stunned. Where did Tara say they were going? she asked herself. She mentioned 'Old Faithful', didn't she? Oh my god! Tara, please be safe... please. After a few more moments of stunned immobility, Kelly grabbed the phone and called Karissa's number.

"Hello," an adult female voice answered.

"Mrs. Swenson? This is Kelly," the teenager said.

"Oh, hi Kelly! Hold on and I'll get Karissa for you," Jen said.

"No! No... it's you I want to talk to," Kelly explained.

"Me? What can I do for you, Kelly?" Jen asked, a little surprised - and alarmed.

"Mrs. Swenson, where did the Charlands say they were staying inside Yellowstone?" Kelly asked.

Jen immediately became suspicious. "Kelly, is everything all right? Have you heard from Tara?" she asked.

"No I haven't. I was actually hoping you had heard from them," Kelly responded.

Jen reached for the wall for support. "No. I haven't spoken with them since they left three days ago," she replied. "Kelly, you're scaring me. Are you trying to tell me something?" Jen asked.

"Mrs. Swenson, I just saw a new report on TV about a wildfire in Yellowstone... and I think it's right near where they are staying," Kelly said quickly.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" Jen cursed. "What more will those women have to endure? Kelly - what channel was it on? Okay... Okay. I've got it. Thanks for calling, sweetie - and if you need someone to lean on until we know more, feel free to come over and spend some time with Karissa and I, okay? All right then. Goodbye."

Jen hung up the phone with more force than she intended. "God damned, mother raping bastard, son of a bitch!" she screamed at no one in particular. Raising her fist to the ceiling, she added, "Why must you always do shit like this to them?"

Jen's tirade caused Steve, Karissa and Fred to flock from three different corners of the house to see what the commotion was about.

"The Charlands are in trouble again. It appears they're in the middle of a god damned wildfire!" she shrieked when met with three questioning looks.

**********

Movement through the forest was slow and difficult as Cat felt the effects of her fall down the slope with every step. She tried hard to hide her discomfort from her son - an effort that proved futile as he forced her to take breaks every half hour.

"Seth, we'll never make it back to the cabin before dark at this rate," Cat complained. "Hell - we won't even make it out of the forest before dark!" she added.

"Mom, I'd rather spend the night in the forest than not make it back at all - and that's exactly what will happen if you fall and injure yourself again," Seth reasoned.

"If we don't show up before dark, your mother will call out the National Guard," Cat explained as she limped beside her son.

"Look, Ma, I don't want to worry her either, but I'll risk her wrath before I risk your safety," Seth insisted as he helped Cat over a large log.

Cat stopped and looked up at her tall son, who looked back at her. Reaching up, she touched the side of his face. "When did you turn into a man?" she asked. "It seems like yesterday that you were just a little boy."

Seth grinned and took his mother's hand to lead her safely through the forest. A few hundred yards further and he stopped dead in his tracks.

"What is it, Seth?" Cat asked.

Seth looked into the tree tops and sniffed the air. "I smell smoke," he said.

Cat looked around and also tested the air. "You're right. It's probably a camp fire. That means straight ahead there might be someone who'd be able to give us directions out of this place," Cat said hopefully.

"Maybe. Come on," Seth said as he took Cat's hand once more leading her in the direction of the campfire odor.

After another hundred feet, they still had not encountered the help they were looking for. At this point, realization set in that the aroma of camp fire was becoming much stronger and for some unknown reason, their eyes had begun to burn.

Stopping in a clearing, Seth led Cat to a fallen log to sit as he spread the map out on the ground between them. After studying the map for several moments, he folded it up and stuffed it unceremoniously into their back pack. "Okay - I give up," he said. "We are hopelessly lost."

"I kind of suspected that before I fell off the trail a while back," Cat admitted. "So - now what do we do?" she asked.

"I guess we don't have much choice except to keep walking until we find signs of life," Seth replied as he climbed to his feet.

Reaching full height, he looked around once more for a suitable exit from their clearing. As he turned around, the smell of campfire hit him full in the face with such force, he took two steps backward. "What the hell...," he muttered, only to be immediately stifled by a dull roar in the distance. As the roar increased in volume, it was suddenly accompanied by loud crackling and popping noises.

Just then, the sound of a low flying helicopter began in the distance. Cat and Seth looked up as the sound grew louder. Suddenly, the helicopter became visible.

"What is that larger container hanging below the helicopter?" Cat asked.

Seth's eye grew larger as all of the clues fell into place. "Oh shit!... Oh shit!" he exclaimed, back-peddling in the direction of his mother.

"Seth! What is it?" Cat asked.

Throwing his backpack to the ground, Seth immediately dropped to his knees and began digging at the earth. "Mom! Quick! Dig a hole.... quick!" He shouted.

Without hesitation, Cat threw herself down next to her son and began digging as quickly as her injured arm would allow. Luckily, the turf as relatively soft and free of tree roots as a shallow indentation quickly cleared beneath their efforts.

"Seth, tell me we're digging this hole for a good reason," Cat rasped as she struggled with only one hand to clear as much soil from the hole as possible.

"Wildfire!" Seth shouted as he continued to work.

Cat suddenly climbed to her feet. "Wildfire!?" she exclaimed as she frantically scanned the trees once more.

"Ma! We don't have a lot of time. It's moving toward us pretty quickly," Seth yelled as he continued to dig. "Listen to the roar - it's getting louder and louder!"

Cat grabbed at her son's arm. "Seth... we need to run. Come on. We need to get out of here!" she screamed.

Jumping to his feet, Seth grabbed his mother by both arms. "Ma - there is no way we are going to out run a wildfire... especially with you injured. Do you understand?" he shouted into her face.

"So what do you propose we do?" Cat asked hysterically.

Seth pointed to the hole behind them. "We need to get into that hole and cover ourselves with dirt," he said firmly.

Cat's eyes flew open. "Are you telling me that I just helped dig our grave?" she screamed.

"We don't have any other choice - don't you see?" the young man asked. "We can't out run it... there is no where to hide - no where! Look around!"

Cat looked around frantically as the roar of the fire increased exponentially. Suddenly a strong gust a wind bombarded them with a wave of heat so intense, it took their breaths away.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Seth exclaimed at his mother's indecisiveness.

Grabbing Cat's arm, Seth dragged his mother into the hole and quickly pushed the mound of dirt next to the hole on top of her. Then, quickly climbing in beside her, he pulled the remaining dirt over himself.

"Close your eyes, Mom. I"ve got to cover our heads," Seth warned, shouting above the roar of the oncoming fire as he dragged a small pile of soil over Cat's head, then another pile over himself before wriggling him free arm beneath the surface of the earth.

For what seemed like an eternity, mother and son lay entombed beneath the earth as a raging inferno danced merrily above them.

Terrified beyond reason and convinced she and Seth would die where they lay, the only thoughts that ran through Cat's mind were those of her family. Please keep them safe, she prayed. Billie... Tara... Sky... Seth, I love you.

**********

"Mom... I can't breathe," Tara whispered. "We're running out of air."

Similar thoughts were running through Billie's mind as she and her daughter clung to the seats in the cockpit of the capsized kayak. Before making a decision, Billie listened carefully to the muted sounds above them. Gone was the intense roaring of the fire. Gone was the crackling and popping of burning wood. Gone was the sound of trees falling nearby.

"Tara," Billie said. "When I count to three, reach up and push on the floor of the cockpit We need to lift it up high enough for me to get under it and turn it over," she explained.

"Okay," Tara replied into the darkness. Reaching up, she allowed her life jacket to keep her buoyant as her hands made contact with her target. "I'm ready," Tara whispered.

"All right. One... Two... Three!" Billie counted as they both pushed up.

The bow of the kayak rose above the surface of the water for a couple of inches, allowing Billie to reach under and gain leverage against the capsized deck of the boat. Pushing it further out of the water, she instructed Tara to swim out from beneath the kayak and to roll it upright from the side. Within moments, the kayak was upright again and the ladies were holding onto the bow and stern, floating along downstream beside the boat.

Billie and Tara were totally immobilized by what they saw once their eyes had adjusted to the muted light. For long moments, neither could speak. Finally, the silence was broken.

"Mom - it looks like a scene from a war movie," Tara exclaimed.

"This must be what hell looks like," Billie mused.

As the ladies floated down stream holding on to the boat, their eyes were burned by the residual smoke and ash which filled the air. Everywhere they looked, the landscape was blackened and charred, many areas still afire with small blazes. The low hanging smoke cast a dark pallor over everything in sight and caused them intervals of uncontrollable coughing. The only sound they heard was a roar in the distance as the wall of fire continued to move forward.

"We need to get to shore," Billie observed as they continued to drift down stream.

"Maybe we should let go of the kayak and swim to shore," Tara suggested.

"No - We're going to need the kayak to find our way out of here. Let's try to drag it to shore behind us," Billie replied.

Holding onto the kayak with one hand and swimming with the other, the ladies struggled against the rapidly increasing current to no avail. They were getting no where, despite the extreme amount of effort they were both putting into pulling the boat ashore.

"This is no use!" Tara shouted as she struggled against the current.

"All right. Stop swimming... rest. Maybe we can use the current to our advantage further on down stream and steer it to shore," Billie suggested as she also stopped struggling and simply held onto the boat while resting.

"Its getting dark, Mom. We're not going to make it back to the cabin on time," Tara observed.

"I know. I'm worried about that too - but I'm more worried about how Mama will react if we aren't there. She'll probably call out the National Guard to look for us," Billie joked.

"Sky is gonna be really mad at us for not picking her up on time, you know," Tara pointed out.

"Oh my god! I forgot all about picking Sky up at 5 p.m.!" Billie exclaimed.

"Well, its not like we forgot on purpose, Mom! Geesh!" the teenager exclaimed, exasperation clearly filling her voice.

"Hopefully Mama will realize we're late and go to collect her for us," Billie hoped.

Tara looked at her mother, an expression of fear suddenly clouding her features. "Mom! What if Mama and Seth are caught in this too?" she asked.

Billie's head snapped around to look at her daughter, fearful realization falling like a mask over her features as she absorbed her daughter's comment. Feeling totally overwhelmed and extremely vulnerable, tears filled Billie's eyes. Fighting them off in a show of strength for her daughter's sake, she took a deep breath.

"Let's pray to god they aren't in danger," Billie replied. "We can't lose hope that we'll all survive this Tara. Mama and Seth are smart. If they have been caught up in this mess, they'll figure out how to survive it - I know they will. And Skylar.... Well - if Mama hasn't picked her up on time, at least she's with adults that will surely take care of her until we can get there. What time is it now, Tara?" Billie asked.

Tara looked at her watch, thanking the gods it was water resistant. "It's almost 6 p.m.," she answered.

Billie frowned. "Really.? It's awfully dark for only 6 p.m." Billie observed, wondering to herself if the residual smoke was contributing to the darkness.

"Maybe we should try getting in the boat, Mom," Tara suggested. "We might move faster down stream if we're inside the boat instead of dragging behind it."

"Okay. I'll hold it and you climb in," Billie replied, grabbing the bow to stabilize the kayak as Tara struggled to climb into the cockpit.

"Your turn, Mom," Tara said as she braced herself against the opposite side of the kayak to counteract Billie's weight, which nearly capsized the small boat for the second time.

"Phew! That was close," Billie exclaimed as she righted herself in the cockpit, and looked around for the paddles. Finding them still attached to the bungies and floating nearby she reeled them in and handed one to Tara. They were slightly melted and charred by the fire, but still useable.

"We're going to have to paddle pretty hard to fight against this current," Billie observed as she dug one end of the paddle into the water and pushed with all her might.

Together, Tara and Billie managed to move the kayak to within ten feet of the shore, when the front of the boat hit a partially submerged rock, sending them back into the mainstream of the current.

"God damn it!" Billie shouted as they fought once more against the rapidly increasing current.

With fading daylight and fading hope, Billie and Tara continued to fight against the impossible current until totally exhausted, they paused to rest.

"Mom - I can't do this any longer. My shoulders are killing me," Tara complained.

"I know, sweetie - I know," Billie replied before suddenly falling silent. "Shhhh," she said to her daughter as she listened intently to the sounds of nature around them.

"What is it, Mom?" Tara questioned in barely a whisper, fear of the unknown evident in her voice.

Billie frowned as she strained to see what lay ahead of them down stream. Her vision cleared as the current rapidly moved them closer.

"Oh my god! Tara - brace yourself - we're going over the falls!" Billie screamed as the kayak dropped from sight.

**********

Cat lay as still as she could while the deafening roar seem to linger just a little too long above her head. The raging fire moved quickly, sucking the oxygen from the air and from everything in its path. Such was the case for the small alcove Seth and Cat had dug for themselves. As the fire raged overhead, the pair lay as still as possible so as to not disturb the layer of soil on top of them, however the intense heat from the fire caused the moist soil to quickly dry, and then to become hot as small granules of sand burned their exposed skin. Breathing became difficult as their oxygen supply was rapidly depleted by the vortex of fire above them.

Both Seth and Cat held their breath for as long as was humanly possible. When it came down to a choice of breath or unconsciousness, Cat chose the former by suddenly sitting erect and gasping for air. A split second later, Seth followed her lead.

Luckily for mother and son, the wall of fire was moving fast enough to have passed over them, so little danger lingered from the fire alone... however, the same could not be said about the smoke. Inhaling deeply as they escaped their sandy grave, smoky air filled their lungs, causing them to cough uncontrollably.

Climbing from the hole, Seth crawled on hands and knees to where he had left their back pack - or at least to what was left of it, as the fire had quickly burned away the nylon material. Luckily for them, a bottle of water was still intact, albeit a bit melted and deformed by the fire. Ripping off pieces of his T-Shirt Seth quickly doused both pieces of cloth with some of the water and quickly returned to Cat. Handing the wet rag to her, he motioned that she should cover her mouth and nose with it and in the process, block out the smoky air while inhaling clean moist air filtered through the wet rag. Within moments, their coughing had subsided.

"Ma, are you all right?" Seth asked as soon as he could talk.

Cat just nodded, while continuing to hold the rag to her face. "Are you?" she returned.

Nodding, he offered his hand to Cat. "Here, let me help you up," he said.

Once he had Cat on her feet, he brushed the now-cool granules of sand from her skin and noted several hundred small red burn marks left behind. After repeating the process on himself, he retrieved what was left of the water.

"Drink some of this," he instructed. "It's probably warm, but wet."

Cat drank sparingly, knowing they had just this one bottle of water between them. Handing the water to Seth, he too took a small drink as he surveyed their situation.

"We've got to find our way out of here," he observed.

Cat looked at her watch and marveled that it was still operational. "Seth, it's past 6 p.m. We'll never get out of here before dark. We should look for something that might provide shelter for the night - that is, if there is anything left," Cat suggested.

Seth nodded. "I agree," he said.

Looking around, Cat noted the blackened, burned out terrain. There were many smaller fires still burning all around them. The heat was intense and uncomfortable against skin that was already tender from the burning sand that had covered them in their makeshift shelter. Although the immediate danger had passed when the raging wall of fire sped through, the air was still toxic and heavy with smoke. Feeling tremendously overwhelmed, Cat wrapped her arms around herself and began to cry.

Seth took his mother into his arms and held her close. "Mama, we'll make it out of here. I promise," he said softly.

"Seth, I'm worried about your mother and sisters. We have no idea where Mom and Tara are. I hope to god they aren't caught in this too," she said shakily.

"I know, Ma. I've been thinking about that myself. At least we know Skylar is safe," he reasoned.

Cat nodded as a shudder ran through her slight frame.

"Don't give up on them," Seth whispered. "Mom and Tara are pretty tough."

Cat stepped out of the circle of Seth's arms and looked around. Reaching up, she wiped the tears from her face, smearing the dirt and grime left behind by the smoke and soil. "We need to get back to civilization so we can find them, Seth," she said.

Seth agreed. "I know Ma, but like you said, we'll never make it out before dark... and it will be too dangerous trying to travel at night. We don't need you falling off another cliff in the dark," he said, trying to lighten the mood.

Cat nodded. "Okay... so let's find somewhere to spend the night," she replied, taking her son's arm as they slowly made their way through the burning rubble.

**********

Billie and Tara clung to the cockpit of the kayak with all their might as the small craft plunged over the falls. Billie's immediate thought was that they would both be killed instantly by the impact at the bottom of the drop, however, the waterfall turned out to cascade down the mountainside in steps, which meant multiple falls of shorter distances. What she did not anticipate though, was the scattering of boulders throughout each stretch of the falls.

Mother and daughter felt like they were inside a pinball machine as their kayak bounced off boulder after boulder, throwing them around the inside of the cockpit like rag dolls. It was a miracle that both of them managed to remain inside the boat, and that the boat didn't capsize as they made their perilous journey down each leg of the falls.

What they could not foresee, was the last leg of the falls which was nearly a vertical drop of about 30 feet. Both ladies suffered from bruised ribs from being throw back and forth against the sides of the cockpit, so when the kayak took its final plunge, neither was able to hold on as there were catapulted from the boat and into the cold water of the falls.

Billie was frantic with fear. As long as they were in the kayak, she felt some measure of control... some measure of security, since Tara was within her grasp. As they plummeted down the final leg of the waterfall, she lost contact with her daughter as she watched her disappear under the foamy white spray at the bottom of the falls.

"Tara! Tara!" Billie screamed, knowing her voice alone could not save the child.

Suddenly, she found herself surrounded by white bubbly water as she too was pulled under the surface and dragged along by the current. For what seemed like an eternity, Billie was submerged, fighting for air and dealing with the reality that she had lost her daughter. Finally, the buoyant qualities of her life jacket brought her to the surface of the water where she flailed around and gasped for air.

Rubbing the water from her eyes, Billie scanned the area frantically while calling out Tara's name - to no avail. The girl was nowhere to be seen. "Nooooooo!" Billie screamed as loudly as she could as the current continued to drag her down stream.

************************************************************************************************ CHAPTER X

"Damn it! What is taking so long?" Jen complained as she held the receiver to her ear. She had called the Yellowstone National Park Service nearly 15 minutes earlier and had been on hold for most of that time.

Kelly and Karissa paced back and forth from opposite ends of Jen's kitchen as they waited for news of their friend. Steve sat at the table trying to contain his anxiety as his leg nervously bounced up and down. Fred stood against the counter, his legs crossed at the ankles as he sipped a cup of coffee. A heavy tension fell upon all occupants of the room.

"Yes.. Yes - my name is Jennifer Swenson," Jen began as someone finally answered her hold. "I saw the news report on television about the wildfires in Yellowstone and I'm calling to check on whether all of the tourists in the park are accounted for. We have some friends that are visiting there this week and we haven't heard from them."

All movement stopped as soon as Jen began to speak. Every eye in the room was on her as they waited expectantly for news.

A deep frown creased Jen's forehead. "What do you mean you don't have any accountability for tourists at the park? They registered to stay in one of your cabins. Don't tell me you don't have a record of that!" she stated firmly. "W...Wait! Damn it!" Jen shouted into the phone before looking at her family. "They've put me on hold again!" she said incredulously.

Kelly looked at Jen - intense fear evident on her face. "Tara is in trouble. I can feel it," she said softly.

Jen reached out her hand to the teenager who willingly took it. "We don't know that, Kelly. Don't give up on them yet," she said.

Jen's attention was suddenly drawn back to the phone. "Yes. Okay. Their names are Billie and Cat... I mean Caitlain Charland, and their children, Seth, Tara and Skylar. I believe they are staying in one of the cabins in the backcountry," Jen spoke into the phone. "Yes, I'll hold," she added. "Like I have any choice!" she complained to her family as she waited once more.

Jen looked at her watch while she waited impatiently. "It's about 8 p.m. there right now," Jen observed.

"Ah, hello? Yes. Skylar? Yes, she is their youngest child. She's about 11 years old," Jen said into the phone. "I see," she said, looking at her family with intense concern on her face. "No - it's not like them to be late for anything. If they haven't picked her up yet, its probably because they can't. What's that?" Jen asked. A few moments later she added, "Jesus! I assume you have someone looking for them?" Jen asked hopefully. "Good. Look - these people are like family to us. Is there any way you can contact us when they are found?" she asked. "Thank you... and please - if there is anything we can do to help, just ask and we'll be on a plane immediately... what's that? Yes... yes, I can do that. I will be there as soon as I can. Is there any way I can talk to her?" Jen asked.

Several moments passed before Jen's attention was drawn back to the phone.

"Jen?" a small shaky voice said.

"Sky? Skylar, honey - are you all right?" Jen asked.

"Mom forgot to come get me. I'm scared," Skylar admitted as she began to cry.

"Sweetie - I'm sure Mom didn't forget you. She must have been delayed somehow. Honey, do you want me to come wait for Mom and Mama with you?" Jen asked.

"Can you?" Sky replied shakily.

"I sure can. I'll take the next plane out, sweetie. I'll get there as fast as I can, okay?" Jen replied.

"Okay. Please hurry," Skylar urged.

"I will, sweetie. I will. You need to be brave, love - okay? Now can you put the nice ranger back on the phone Sky?" Jen asked.

"Look, the girl is there with both her mothers, and older brother and sister. Have none of them shown up to claim her?" Jen asked. "Well then something is wrong! There is no way in hell any of them would abandon this child. Please do everything you can to find them, okay? All right. I'll be there as soon as I can. I assume Skylar will be well taken care of tonight?" she asked. "Good... and thank you. I'll see you tomorrow," Jen finished before hanging up the phone.

Jen looked at four expectant pair of eyes. "Billie was supposed to pick Skylar up from the Junior Ranger program three hours ago and she hasn't shown. She's also late returning a kayak she rented."

Kelly and Karissa clung to each other while Steve just dropped his head into his hands, worried about his best friend's safety.

"What do they think has happened, Jen?" Fred asked.

"They don't know, Fred. It's not like Billie to be late picking up her kids. There is absolutely no way she or Cat would forget to pick up their child. And there's the missing kayak. Fred, I am really scared," Jen admitted. "I cant help but think the wildfires have something to do with their disappearance."

"You need to get on a plane as soon as possible to be with Skylar until they find the others," Fred insisted. "I will stay here with the kids."

Jen flew into her husband's arms and began to cry. "I'm so scared," Jen cried.

Fred held her close and rubbed her back. "I know, sweetheart. I'm scared too. But like you said to Kelly - don't give up on them. They've been through worse."

**********

By 8 p.m., Senior Ranger Rick Ellis and his assistant, Ranger Angela Bradshaw were standing around a large conference table along with several other members of the Emergency Wildfire Rescue team.

Rick Ellis looked around the table at the stoic faces of the rescue workers. "We have reason to believe there are people still missing in the wildfire area. Specifically... three groups - the four-member Robertson family who registered a hike at Douglas Knob, two members of the Charland family who reportedly rented a kayak at the lower Firehole River depot this morning and never returned, and two more members of the Charland family who had planned a day-hike on the Shoshone Lake Trail. The Charland family disappearance is further supported by the fact that the youngest daughter was dropped off at the Junior Ranger program this morning and was due to be collected at 5 p.m. That never happened. She is currently staying with Angela here, until a family friend arrives to claim her tomorrow," Rick explained.

"So far the fire has consumed the greatest part of the Southwestern corner of the park. Luckily, it is heading away from the Old Faithful area, but it has already destroyed thousands of acres between the Shoshone Geyser Basin and the Continental Divide, including the southern part of Firehole River area and Grant's Pass that runs through it," Rick Ellis explained as he pointed to the map spread out before them. "This is where we believe several members of the Charland family were headed earlier today. Douglas Knob is just slightly to the southwest of Shoshone Lake, but it too is currently being consumed by fire. As I mentioned earlier, this is where the Robertson family was headed."

Rick Ellis began to walk around the room as he spoke.

"Relative to the wildfire's progress, as you know, this has been an especially dry year, with little to no rain during a normally rainy June and July. Rain so far this August has also be scarce. Drought conditions have lead to extremely favorable conditions for this fire to spread quickly. Add to that the fact that wind is assisting the fire by adding oxygen to it, and I guess I don't have to explain to you how difficult this fire will be to fight, and how difficult these rescues might be. We need to be especially weary of the wind causing vorticity tilts that might cause forward bursts. As you know, forward bursts can cause fire to shoot out 100 meters or more at a speed of 100 miles per hour. This particular fire is generating winds that are 10 times stronger than ambient wind, so be on the look out for random areas of spotting caused by the wind, and changes in wind direction. During a rescue effort, strong and variable winds can quickly turn a relatively safe situation into a deadly one."

"Now, as you know, warmer temperatures allow for fuels to ignite and burn faster, adding to the rate at which wildfires spread. Because of this, most of the search and rescue work will be done later in the day and through the night and early morning before the temperatures become uncomfortably hot, and dramatically increase the danger level of rescue attempts. If the people who are missing are still alive, and let's pray to god they are... they will tend to stay put at night since they don't know the trails and terrain as well as we do. This should make finding them less difficult - as they will not be moving targets. Any questions so far?" Rick asked as he continued to pace.

"Okay... one more thing - as you know, the terrain in the wildfire area is a mixture of hills and valleys. I don't need to remind you that the steeper the slope, the faster the fire will spread up hill, partially because ambient wind usually blows up hill, and partially because heat and smoke rise, drying out the fuel in front of it further up the hill. For this reason, be especially careful when ascending the slopes. Our goal is to find these people and get them out of there as soon as possible... all without endangering ourselves in the process. You will not be out there to fight the fire - just to rescue the missing. Leave the fire fighting to the hotshots and smoke-jumpers."

Rick Ellis stopped at the head of the table and placed his hands on it. "One more chance for questions before we get started," he said.

"Do we have a description of the missing people?" one of the rescue workers asked.

"What we know is that the Robertson family is a mother, father, son and daughter. No other information is available about their race or ages. One of the two Charland groups is a mother and daughter, with the daughter being around 15 years old, and the other group is a mother and a 17 year old son. Both mothers are in their late 30's. Any more questions?" he asked, waiting a few moments before continuing. "Okay then, see Angela about your assignments. If you find any of the missing persons, report back immediately to the base. Good luck and god speed to all of you."

Several minutes later, assignments given, the rescue workers headed out on their missions. Rick turned to Angela and saw the concern on her face.

"Keep your fingers crossed that something good comes out of this search," he said.

"I'm really concerned about the girl, Skylar," Angela replied, looking at Rick. "I would hate to be the one to tell her that her family has been lost to the fire," she added.

"Well, with any luck, we won't have to do that," Ranger Ellis replied. "Where is she now?" he asked.

"She's in my cabin watching a movie. I told her I'd be back soon, so I guess I'd better get over there," Angela replied.

"Someone is coming for her tomorrow, right?" he asked.

"Yes. A family friend is flying in tomorrow morning. She called just a few minutes before this meeting to say she had booked a plane that lands in Cody around 6 a.m.," Angela explained.

"Well, if we do have to give the child bad news, then at least she'll have someone to help her through it," he commented.

**********

Cat and Seth pushed onward through the forest, trying to cover as much ground as possible, and still look for a place to set up camp for the night before it became too dark and too dangerous to continue. The prospect of finding shelter was slim, as nearly every inch of forest had been burned out and was still smoldering - yet they continued to look. The density of smoke in the air was so high, it was nearly impossible to take a deep breath without coughing. Continued exposure to the poor air quality was sure to cause respiratory problems.

The duo listened to the creaking of the forest around them as they struggled through the debris. Tall trees that were once so regal and strong were swaying perilously to and fro as the winds stressed their weakened trunks.

"Mom, this is really creepy," Seth said as he looked upward at an especially loud creak. "It looks like a haunted forest," he added.

"You're right. I can almost imagine the trees coming to life like those in 'The Wizard of Oz' when Dorothy picked their apples... remember that?" she asked.

Seth chuckled. "Let's just hope the flying monkeys don't come after us!" he joked.

"I always hated those monkeys," Cat said.

Seth looked at her with surprise on his face. "That show was around when you were little?" he asked incredulously.

Now it was Cat's turn to laugh. "Oh yeah... black and white TV, out houses, no running water, and 'The Wizard of Oz'. Them were the good ole days," Cat said in her imitation grandma voice. "Geesh, Seth! 'The Wizard of Oz' was filmed in 1939! How old do you think I am anyway?" she asked.

"Oops!" Seth said. "You sure look good for your age," he added, scooting several feet away to avoid the swat on the arm Cat had sent his way.

Just then, a strong gust of wind shook the weakened trees, freezing Cat and Seth where they stood. Both of them looked into the treetops as a loud cracking sound filled the air. On the verge of dusk, it was nearly impossible for them to see what had caused such a loud noise - until it was too late.

"Ma! Watch out!" Seth yelled as he began to lunge toward his mother - but not in time to pull her from the path of a large branch that had broken and fallen from the treetops.

With a sickening thud, the branch grazed Cat's shoulder, knocking her over and trapping her right foot under it. Momentarily stunned, she laid there in shock, not really feeling any pain, and totally confused about what had just happened.

"Ma!" Seth yelled again as he circled the fallen branch to find her trapped beneath it. "Oh my god! Oh my god!" he exclaimed as he brushed the hair from her face. "Ma! Mama... talk to me," he demanded.

"W... what happened?" Cat said, still dazed from the blow.

"Ma, you're trapped under a tree. Lie still. I'll try to push it off you," he said.

Seth surveyed the situation. Estimating the branch to be about three feet in diameter and at least 20 feet long, he knew he had his work cut out for him. Placing his back against the limb, he braced his feet in the dirt and pushed with all his might. "Aaarrrggghhhh!" he screamed as the limb remained where it was. Resting for a moment, he tried a second time. "Aaarrrggghhh!" he screamed again, getting absolutely nowhere with the limb.

By this time, the shock had begun to wear off as awareness filled Cat's senses, and intense pain invaded her trapped appendage. Not wanting to panic her son, Cat did her best to hide her discomfort from Seth as he pushed futilely against the log.

Finally realizing it was not within his power to move the log on his own, Seth sank to the ground with his back to it and held his head in his hands. What am I gonna do? he asked himself. It's getting too dark to see! What am I gonna do?

"So much for finding shelter, huh?" Cat joked to cover the pain.

Seth looked at his mother, then at the sky. She was right - darkness was descending quickly. He had to somehow free his mother from this trap, then find something to protect them from the elements while they waited for daylight. Climbing to this feet, he looked around for something he could use for a lever. Finding a fairly large stick, he dragged it over to where his mother was trapped and wedged it as far under the log as possible. Then, rolling another medium sized log up to it to use as a fulcrum point, he pulled the stick down as hard as he could. The log that trapped Cat's leg moved a fraction of an inch before the stick he was using as a lever snapped in half, causing the log to roll back into place while sending Seth sprawling onto his back on the forest floor.

Unknown to Seth, the rocking motion of the log as it fell back into position and trapped her foot between it and the earth once more, had caused excruciating pain as she felt the bones in the foot snap. Waves of pain spread up Cat's leg from her injured foot as she closed her eyes tightly to trap the tears from escaping. "Seth... Seth - enough. It won't move. You'll just end up hurting yourself," she choked out.

Seth fell to his knees at his mother's side. "Ma, we can't leave you like this," he said, tears welling in his eyes.

Cat took deep breaths to calm herself. As she did so, she realized the pain that had been radiating from her trapped foot was easing. Knowing this was due to the lack of circulation, she quelled her panic at the knowledge that if this log wasn't removed soon, she stood a good chance of losing her limb.

"Seth, we don't have much choice right now. The sun is almost set. We need some type of shelter," Cat pointed out.

Still on his knees beside his mother, Seth wiped the tears from his face and looked around until he spotted a area of trees and low lying brush that had been partially spared by the fire. "I'll be right back," he said to Cat as he climbed to his feet and made his way to the brush. Some time later, he returned dragging several large branches that still contained leaves, and arranged them over and around Cat. "There. That should protect you if it rains tonight," Seth remarked.

"Get under here with me, Seth," Cat told her son. "I need someone to keep me company."

Despite random areas of still-burning brush a slight chill begin to settle over the forest as Seth wriggled in next to Cat and placed his arm around her.

"I will find someone to help us at first daylight, Ma. I promise," he whispered to her.

"I know you will, sweetie," Cat replied.

"Does it hurt?" Seth asked.

"It did at first, but now it's kind of numb," Cat answered honestly.

Seth was silent for a few moments as he digested Cat's reply. "That's not good, is it?" he asked.

Cat was silent for a long time.

"Ma?" Seth pushed.

"No, Seth. That's not good," she finally answered.

**********

The current was so strong at the base of the waterfall that Billie could not fight against it. White water tossed her around, pulling her under the surface several times only to release its grip as her life jacket returned her repeatedly to the surface. In a particularly rough part of the rapids, she was ricocheted back and forth between several small boulders until finally the current tossed her head first into a larger one, knocking her unconscious.

Darkness descended over the river as day gave way to night. Only the night owls were witness to the figure floating by, its head held above the water only by a swatch of bright orange. Several miles downstream, the figure floated into an alcove and through the motion of the water lapping gently against the shore, was deposited on the sandy river bank, where it lay quiet and still.

The sound of gurgling water was deafening to Billie's ears as she lay in a totally relaxed state, seeming suspended unassisted ... in air? What is that sound? Where am I? she questioned as she floated aimlessly. What has happened to me? Why does my head hurt?

Along with the gurgling water, a sudden coldness began to creep into her limbs. I'm cold, she thought to herself. Why am I cold? Has Cat stolen the blankets again? her subconscious mind asked. As she reached over to retrieve the stolen blankets, she found herself capsized - faced down and struggling to breathe.

"Pfff... Sppp.... Argh... What?... What is happening?" She sputtered until reality came crashing in. As she reached across herself to retrieve her imaginary blankets, she inadvertently rolled in the water, submerging her face and instantly bringing herself back to consciousness. Flailing frantically in the water, Billie finally managed to right herself so that her head and upper body were floating above the water; suspension assisted by the life jacket she still wore. Looking around in the near pitch darkness, she suddenly remembered she was not alone when she took the plunge down the waterfall.

"Tara! Tara!" Billie shouted into the darkness. The only sound that returned was the muted hooting of the night owls. "Tara..." she whispered once more before breaking down into uncontrollable sobbing.

After several moments, Billie gained reign over her emotions and took stock in her own predicament. I've got to find Tara, she told herself. But it's so dark... I'll never find her in this darkness.

Able to make out the slight outline of a river bank nearby, Billie successfully fought her way against a very gentle current and reached shore. Climbing out of the water and immediately stumbling forward on weakened limbs, she suddenly realized she would get nowhere in her present state. Allowing herself to stay where she had fallen, she closed her eyes and welcomed the escape through sleep from the nightmare that was her reality.

************************************************************************************************ CHAPTER XI

Seth was suddenly awakened by a movement at his side. Opening his eyes, he was barely able to make out Cat's silhouette as daylight was just beginning to make an appearance. She was sitting up and tying something around her leg.

He sat up and pushed their makeshift shelter to the side. "Ma, what are you doing?" he asked.

"I've got to get free of this tree, Seth. I can't stand being trapped here a minute longer," Cat explained, near hysterics as she wrapped strips of torn clothing around her calf - just above where here foot was lodged under the log.

Seth watched her for a few more minutes, not understanding what she was trying to accomplish. "Ma, what exactly are you doing there?" he asked again.

"I'm making a tourniquet," she explained, sparing a glance at her son.

Seth was startled by the crazed look in her eyes. "A tourniquet?" he repeated. "Why do you need a tourniquet?"

Cat looked at her son and explained quite 'matter of factly', "To stem the flow of blood when we amputate my foot."

Seth jumped to his feet. "What the hell are you talking about?" he shouted. "Are you out of your mind?" he asked.

"It's quite simple," Cat explained. "Once these strips are wrapped around my leg, we slip a stick under them and twist it to tighten the strips. After a while, the circulation stops flowing to the limb below it. Then we can amputate."

Seth was sick to his stomach at his mother's clinical explanation. "There is no freakin' way you are going to amputate your foot, Ma!" he explained loudly. "No freakin' way!"

Cat looked at her leg and then back at her son. "You're right - I might need some help," she observed. "You have to help me, Seth. You'll have to cut through the skin then snap the ankle bone," she reasoned.

Seth was convinced the pain had caused his mother to become delusional. "No!" he screamed. "No! I won't do it! I can't!... I can't!"

Tying the last knot, Cat reached for the stick she had found earlier and slipped it beneath the strips of cloth. She was able to twist it two full turns before the pain became so intense, she had to stop. "Aarrgghh!" Cat cried as she held the knot tight. Tears rolled down her face as the excruciating pain almost caused her to abandon her plan.

"Ma - stop... please stop," Seth begged, becoming suddenly sick to his stomach.

Cat held tight to the stick, not allowing the two full turns to become unraveled as she fought through the pain.

Seth looked around frantically until he found a suitable place to deposit the contents of his stomach. When it was over, he sat back on his knees and wiped his mouth while trying to regain his breath. Finally, he climbed to his feet and turned back toward his mother. What he saw chilled the blood coursing through is veins.

"Ma - No!" he screamed as he lunged forward and grabbed the jackknife she held precariously close to the skin below the tourniquet. In his haste, he grabbed the knife by the blade and slit his palm open in the process. Seth threw the knife as far into the forest as he could before turning to address his mother once more.

"What is wrong with you!" he shouted. "What are you thinking? Damn it, Ma! You could bleed to death out here."

A clarity suddenly filled Cat's eyes as she saw the blood covering her son's hand. "Seth! You're bleeding!" she exclaimed, pointing to the steady flow of blood that dripped from his injured hand.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" he exclaimed as he ripped yet another piece of his T-shirt off and wrapped it around his hand. "It must have happened when I grabbed the knife," he explained.

"Come here, let me look at it," she said as she released the hold she had on the tourniquet.

Watching the tourniquet unravel sent waves of relief through Seth's heart as he knelt down and extended his hand forward for Cat to examine.

Cat poked and prodded the wound, causing Seth to wince. "It's pretty deep, Seth," she said. "It really needs stitches. I'll re-wrap it, but you'll need to keep your fist clenched to keep the pressure on it... and we'll have to replace the bandage shortly. This one is already pretty soaked in blood."

"Okay, Mama," he replied, closing his fist tightly.

Cat laid back down after tending to Seth's hand, as trying to sit upright for too long with her foot trapped under the log caused discomfort in her lower back.

Seth knelt beside his mother and watched her face as she lay there. It was obvious the circulation was beginning to return to her leg after the tourniquet had loosened. It was also obvious that Cat was in tremendous pain. He chided himself for not being able to carry out his mother's wishes, but given the same choice, he would have made the same decision. He wasn't convinced there was no hope of rescue. He only hoped he could convince Cat of that.

**********

Billie's return to consciousness was both slow and confusing. She was cold. She was in pain, although not cognizant of why... at least not yet. She had yet to fully awaken. She had yet to fully recall the perilous white water ride she had taken down the river, assisted only by her life jacket. She had yet to fully recall how she had been battered against several boulders along the way.

Her eyeballs fluttered behind closed lids as she struggled with self awareness. Her mind registered wet lapping against her cheek, but her body was unable to react to shoo the offensive gesture away... so she endured. Several moments later, the lapping continued as she finally managed to open her eyes. Only through the grace of god was she able to remain still, for right beside her, running its wet, rough tongue across her face, was a black bear!

Billie was paralyzed into inaction, forcing herself to remain still and silent, knowing if she made any sudden movements, she would quickly become the bear's breakfast - not that it wouldn't happen anyway, but she wasn't willing to push her luck. Her body tensed and ached as the bear sniffed its way down the length of her form, stopping to lick something off her leg. For several long minutes she laid there as still as a statue, until finally, the bear slowly lumbered away.

Closing her eyes, Billie allowed tears of relief to escape her lids. For several more moments she continued to lay still, giving the bear ample time to put distance between them before she dared to move. Finally, she lifted her head and looked around. The bear was nowhere to be seen.

Struggling to sit, Billie surveyed her surroundings through the dim morning light and realized she had lost consciousness on the river bank the night before, just a few inches from the water's edge. Running her hands through her hair, she encountered a tender spot on the back of her head and wondered how that had gotten there.

Her recent memory was fuzzy as she closed her eyes and concentrated on the events that brought her to this place. Slowly, the memories returned... the wildfire... the capsized kayak... the water falls... Tara. Tara! Oh my god! I've got to find Tara! she thought. Forcing herself to relive their descent over the falls, she recalled the last vision of her daughter as she disappeared under the spray of white water at the base of the falls.

Billie's rational mind struggled with the possibility that Tara was dead while her emotional mind refused to consider it. Her heart, winning out over her head, provided the catalyst that brought Billie to her feet. "I've to got find her," she said out loud, resisting the urge to scream Tara's name, lest the bear hear her and return.

Considering the white water currents had pushed her along down stream, she assumed the same would be true of Tara - even more so since the teenager weighed much less than she did. Looking for, and finding a stick to support her aching body as she moved along the river bank, she started out. Assuming Tara would still have her life jacket on, she scanned the river, and both sides of the river bank for anything bright orange.

Tara, sweetheart. I'm coming. If you are nearby, please give me a sign, she prayed, moving as fast along the bank as her battered body would permit. Cat - oh Cat! I am so sorry. I've lost Tara. I've lost our baby. Please - whoever is listening, please let me find our daughter alive, Billie begged.

**********

"Jennifer Swenson," Jen said, giving her name and picture ID to the rental car clerk at the Yellowstone Regional Airport in Cody, Wyoming.

It was only 6 a.m. when Jen landed in Cody, Wyoming. Sitting in her rental car, Jen spread the map out on the seat beside her and studied it carefully for the shortest and simplest route to the park. She was not very good at directions, and even worse at reading a map, so what should have been an hour ride, took two and a half hours and three wrong turns.

Finally, at nearly 8:30 a.m., she pulled up to the ranger station near The Old Faithful Inn. Before she barely made it out of the car, she was nearly tackled by 11 year old Skylar.

"Jen! Jen!" Skylar shouted as she threw herself into Jen's arms and began to cry.

Jen wrapped her arms around the little girl and held her close, placing soft kisses on the side of her face. "Shh... It will be all right, Sky. You'll see," she whispered as the child clung to her.

"Jen, I'm scared," Skylar cried, her body trembling with fear.

"I know, sweetie. I'm scared too," Jen admitted.

"Mom didn't come back for me. Mama is gone too!" the child choked out, the sentence broken several times by gasps for breath as sobs wracked her small frame.

"Shh... calm down, Sky. Honey, it won't do Mom and Mama any good if you make yourself sick," Jen reasoned with the child. "I'm here now, Sky. I won't leave until they find Mom and Mama. I promise. Okay?" she added.

Skylar nodded and made and attempt to calm herself as Jen brushed the yellow-gold bangs from the child's face.

Just then, a movement caught the corner of Jen's eye as she saw a female ranger approach them.

"Hi, I'm Angela Bradshaw. I've been looking after Skylar," she said, extending her hand in greeting.

"Jennifer Swenson... call me Jen," came the reply and return handshake. "Thank you for taking care of her," Jen added.

"She's been great. No problem at all," Angela replied.

"So, I assume they haven't been found yet," Jen stated, getting right to the point.

Angela looked nervously at Skylar, then sent a covert message to Jen that she didn't want to speak in front of the child.

"Skylar, honey, why don't you go climb into the car. I'm going to get us a room at the Old Faithful Inn until Mom and Mama return. Okay?" Jen asked the child.

Skylar obediently did as she was told, effectively putting her outside of hearing range of the adults' conversation.

"So what are you not telling me?" Jen asked pointedly.

"Well, we don't know much yet. The four Charland members haven't been seen since yesterday morning. The only thing concrete that we do have is the kayak Billie rented. It was found by firefighters, but unfortunately neither Billie, nor her daughter Tara were in it - which might be a good thing considering how battered it was," Angela replied.

"Battered?" Jen asked.

"It has several dents and holes in it as though it had been smashed against rocks," Angela described.

Jen closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "Look," she said wearily. "Skylar and I will be staying at the Old Faithful Inn. Please call me the instant you know anything... anything at all. Okay?" she asked.

"I will. I promise," Angela replied as she watched Jen join Skylar at the car.

**********

"Roger, tend to the brush over there," Michael Elliot instructed one of the 20 hot shots under his command. "The rest of you, gather the loose kindling lying around and pile it together in that clearing. We need to build a firebreak around this area before the wildfire reaches it. If we can burn the fuel under controlled conditions ahead of the fire getting here, there will be nothing for it to burn, and nowhere for it to go but out. Please work quickly, the wildfire isn't far behind us," he said as he pitched in to gather loose brush.

The team of hotshots worked fast and efficiently until the immediate area was cleaned of flammable brush, logs and tree limbs. Then, as the team stood around the tall pile of loosely stacked wood, armed with axes, picks and shovels to stop any fire that might wander from the burning pile, Michael set fire to it. Within minutes pile was ablaze, burning quickly. Within an hour, it had burned down to embers.

"John, Randy, Steve... take the containers and fill them in the river. We need to completely soak these embers before moving on," Michael instructed the men.

John, Randy and Steve each grabbed two empty 5-gallon jugs from the nearby stack of equipment and headed a few yards away to the river edge.

"Man! This is one of the worse wild fires I've ever had to fight," Randy exclaimed as he led the crew of men to the river.

John, the oldest member of the crew chuckled. "That's because you were just a child during the last really big fire in 1988," he said. "That was by far the worse fire we've had in the park's history. This one is small in comparison," he added.

"Yeah, well, this one is bad enough, John. I would sure hate to be trapped in it," Randy replied.

"Speaking of which..." Steve interjected. "Look! Over there!" He said, pointing to a spot at the edge of the river.

"What the heck?" John exclaimed as he dropped his jugs and ran to the river bank.

There before them, was the body of a young girl, still wearing her life jacket, lying half in the water, half on the bank. John reached her quickly and dropped to his knees beside her. Turning her over, he felt for a pulse, but was having trouble locating one.

"Steve, give me a hand pulling her out of the water. Randy - run back to the crew and tell the chief to send Ethan... and tell him to bring the first aid kit!" John called after Randy who was off like a shot.

Steve and John pulled the young girl from the water and tried to remove her life jacket. Struggling with the zipper, John cursed under his breath then pulled his jack knife out of his pocket to cut the jacket off. It was obvious through various bruises on her face and arms that she had endured a rough ride down the river.

"Damn!" Steve murmured under his breath. "Is she alive?"

"I don't know. I'm not a doctor! I can't find her pulse," John replied before his attention was diverted to a loud rustling noise approaching them. "Ethan! Over here!" he called to the one paramedic they had on their crew.

Ethan suddenly appeared from the dense brush at the side of the river, followed by the entire hot shot crew, each scrambling to see what the commotion was all about. Michael Elliot was the last one to arrive on the scene.

"All right, guys. Back to work. Three of you grab the water jugs and go soak the fire. The rest of you help spread out the embers until they are all cold. Got it!?" he commanded.

The crew of hot shots did as ordered as Michael approached John and Ethan who were still tending to the girl. "What do we have here?" he asked.

"Steve spotted her as we were going after water," John explained.

Michael took one look at the girl and tried hard to control his emotions. The girl reminded him of his daughter who looked to be about her age. "Damn!" he whispered under his breath.

**********

"Ma, I am going to look for help," Seth said as he paced pack and forth. Cat had been writhing in pain for the past hour and he just couldn't sit and wait anymore for someone to find them.

"No, Seth. What if something happens to you?" Cat asked.

Seth stopped pacing and faced his mother. "If I don't go, something will happen to you - you'll die here!" he exclaimed angrily.

"Don't be ridiculous," Cat replied. "I'm not injured enough to die," she pointed out.

"Well then it's killing me! Do you understand? I can't stand to sit here and watch you in so much pain. I won't sit and do nothing any longer. I am going whether you like it or not!" he shouted.

"Seth! Seth! Come back here this minute! Seth!" Cat screamed as she watched her son walk away.

**********

"Tara! Tara!" Billie called hoarsely as she continued to make her way along the river bank. She had yelled out the child's name so many times her throat was raw.

Billie's head was aching from the blow she had taken against the rock while caught in the rapids. Several times she had to stop and sit to regain her orientation and balance, and to prevent herself from loosing consciousness as she walked. It was during one such break that she spotted something orange on the opposite bank as she stood to resume her search.

Billie's eyes were as wide as saucers as she trained her vision on the orange spot across the river. Using her walking stick as leverage, she limped to the edge of the water and carefully took several steps into the depths. Tears blurred her vision as hope filled her heart that she had found her daughter.

Several feet into the water, she suddenly lost her footing and fell, victim once more to the undertow. Luckily, she was crossing a particularly shallow part of the river and was able to regain her footing by firmly planting the end of her walking stick into the muddy river bottom and using it as an anchor against the current.

"Tara, baby. Mom's coming," she called out as she once more moved forward toward the opposite bank.

After what seemed like an eternity, Billie successfully reached the opposite shore, then stopped dead in her tracks. Confusion overwhelmed her as the dizziness returned. Stumbling toward a large rock, she sat down and lowered her head into her hands. For several long moments, she fought the urge to give up; to just allow herself to fall into the realm of unconsciousness.

Oh god! Oh god! she chanted to herself, fighting hard to stay alert. I can't lose it now. Tara needs me, she reminded herself.

"Tara!" she said out loud, suddenly remembering why she was crossing the river. Pushing her nausea and dizziness aside, Billie's head snapped around, quickly scanning the area for the orange object she had spotted from the other shore. Within seconds, she located it... a bright orange life jacket. Not trusting her legs, Billie threw herself to the ground and crawled to the life jacket. Picking it up, she immediately recognized it as similar to the one Tara was wearing.

Is this Tara's jacket? she asked herself as she closely examined it. Why is it torn? Why is there blood on it? Where is Tara?

Feeling overwhelmed by the questions that were running through her head, Billie sat back and surveyed the area for answers. Allowing her eyes to slowly scan the area between the water's edge and where she was sitting, a bigger picture began to emerge. Billie could visibly see drag marks leading from the edge of the river, a reddish brown trail in its wake. The same reddish brown stain covered a much larger area close to where she found the life jacket.

Is that blood? she asked herself. Oh my god! Is Tara hurt? she thought while looking around once more.

"What's that?" she suddenly asked out loud. Crawling over to the object she had spotted, recognition dawned on her as she drew near. It was a tennis shoe - the exact kind that Tara wore - and it was covered in blood.

"No!" Billie screamed, grabbing her head to ward off the intense pain that invaded her skull. "Tara!" she repeated over and over as she rocked herself back and forth.

"GRRRRRR," came a sudden sound from nearby.

Billie's head snapped up, her eyes wild with fright as her mind registered the meaning of the sound. There before her, a mere 10 yards away was a black bear. Knowing she was as good as dead if she panicked, Billie slowly reached behind her until she located her walking stick. Then, with dexterity she didn't know she possessed in the condition she was in, she quickly jumped to her feet and launched herself into the river, allowing the current to take over and carry her downstream and out of the jaws of danger.

**********

Jen paced back and forth across the floor of her suite nervously biting her fingernails as Skylar quietly watched cartoons on the couch nearby. She was filled with intense worry as she waited for word about her best friends, who had yet to surface from the wildfires. It was now close to noon, and still no word.

Suddenly, the phone rang.

"Billie? Cat?" Jen said anxiously into the receiver.

Jen listened intently to the voice on the other end, disappointment immediately clouding her features as she realized the caller was not who she had hopped. "Yes?" she said. "Oh my god! Yes... Yes! I'll be right there. Wait! Wait... Skylar. I need someone to stay with her," Jen added. "Okay. Good. I'll wait until you get here. All right. Bye."

Jen hung up the phone and turned her attention to the child on the couch who was looking up at her with hope in her eyes. Approaching Skylar, Jen knelt before her and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"Did they find Mom or Mama?" Skylar asked hopefully.

"No sweeite. Not yet... but they will - I promise," Jen replied, knowing her promise would be fulfilled, and hoping that when there were found, it was alive and not dead.

"Who was that on the phone?" Skylar asked.

"That was the Ranger station. They need me to go there and give them a better description of your moms and your brother and sister. Angela is on her way over here to spend some time with you while I'm gone. Okay?" Jen explained.

"I wanna go too!" Skylar whined.

"No, sweetie - I'm afraid you can't. It's pretty crazy out there because of the wildfires, and we think it's a better idea for you to stay here with Angela," Jen replied.

Skylar frowned and threw herself back on the couch, crossing her arms across her chest in protest.

A knock on the door drew Jen's attention away from the pouting child.

"That will be Angela," Jen said, kissing Skylar on the head. "I'll be back soon, honey. Okay?" she added before letting Angela into the suite.

Jen's stomach was in her throat as she made her way to the Ranger station where a Jeep was waiting to take her to the park infirmary. Ten minutes later, she was standing in a brightly lit room looking down at the battered body of a young girl lying on a table.

Covering her mouth with her hand and fighting the tears that were coursing down her cheeks, Jen nodded her head.

Rick Ellis wrapped his arm around Jen's shoulder and led her out of the room.

************************************************************************************************ CHAPTER XII

"Help! Help! Can anyone hear me?" Seth yelled loudly before waking a few more yards. "Help!" he repeated.

Seth had been walking for about an hour, tying pieces of his T-shirt to burned out trees along the way to assist him in finding his way back to Cat. After using torn pieces of his shirt for an air mask, to treat his and Cat's wounds and for trail markers, he was down to a small piece of cloth that would not go much further. Tying the last piece to a small sapling, he continued his trek, trying to memorize the contours of the land and the direction of the sun as he moved along. At periodic intervals along the way, he stacked rocks or pieces of burned out logs into small piles, hoping he could find them again to lead a rescue effort back to Cat.

Before long, Seth was tired and totally disoriented. Looking at his watch and seeing it was nearly noon, he knew the sun would be at its hottest within a couple of hours - a situation that would only lead to dehydration for both him and Cat; especially since Cat was trapped with no way to find water. Driven by a new sense of urgency, Seth continued to hike through the burned out forest, looking for any signs of help.

**********

Billie allowed the river's currents to carry her down stream and deposit her in a shallow lagoon. With no resistance from the water, she was able to easily make it to shore, where she dragged herself onto a rock and reevaluated her situation.

Numb from her injuries and emotional trauma, she sat there disoriented and confused. Several scenarios ran through her head relative to Tara's disappearance... that she had drowned... that she had floated ashore and walked into the forest... that someone had found her... and finally, that she had fallen victim to the bear Billie encountered at the place she had found the life jacket.

Given the blood at the site, the drag marks at the river's edge and the torn and bloody condition of the life jacket, Billie's disoriented mind settled on the last possibility. How else could such a large blood stain have occurred? How else could the life jacket have been torn? How else could Tara have disappeared without a trace? The bear... the bear that had been growling at her for invading its feeding grounds. Tara had encountered the bear - and the bear had emerged victorious.

Distraught with grief, Billie allowed herself to slide to the ground from the rock she was sitting on. Weakened by her head injury and emotional state, she fell into a state of unconsciousness.

**********

Cat twisted her body and reached for a branch from their makeshift shelter that Seth had thrown off them that morning. The noon time sun was directly overhead and the intensity of heat it was casting was nearly as unbearable as the constant throbbing in her foot that was trapped below the tree limb. Somehow she had to reach the branch and use it to shield herself from the sun. Straining to reach as far as possible, her fingertips reached just short of their destination.

"Aarrgghh!" Cat screamed in frustration as she strained to reach once more, pulling a muscle in her side in the process.

Curling back into a ball to protect her injured side, she began to weep and pray. "God... please don't let me die here. Please!" she cried before summoning her remaining strength to try reaching the branch again.

"If... I... could just... reach... an... inch... further...," she grunted out as her fingers still fell just short of her target. "Ahhhhhh!" she screamed as she lunged her body forward in one final effort to reach the branch.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as Cat finally reached the branch, but in the process snapped the tibia in the leg lodged under the tree. Waves a searing pain radiated up her leg and into her hip as she fought to retain the contents of her stomach. Losing the battle, she wretched for several moments before she finally regained control and raised herself into a sitting position.

"Oh my god! Oh my god!" she moaned as she grabbed her injured leg with both hands and tried her best to stabilize the break in order to minimize the pain. "Seth, where are you? Please come back... please!" she murmured, looking around desperately for signs of her son.

Looking around for something she could use as a splint, she finally located two small branches within her reach. Laying down and using her trapped foot as an anchor, she shifted her body to manually align the two halves of her leg bone. The alignment was so painful, she screamed loudly throughout the process, finally falling silent after the alignment was complete. Then, placing the branches on both sides of her leg, she tied them tightly around the limb using strips of cloth she had ripped from her T-shirt.

By the time she had completed splinting her leg, her hair, face and neck were drenched in sweat, further smearing the soot that had collected there from the smoky air. Feeling light headed and physically weak, Cat laid down and remained as still as possible to avoid jarring her broken leg.

Lying there helpless, parched and dehydrated, her mind started to wander. Billie, did I tell you I loved you before we parted yesterday? I can't remember! I love you so much. I'm so sorry! Please don't let me die. There is so much I want to do. My kids need me. Billie, take care of the kids.... I'm so sorry... I'm...

Finally, the pain was too much to bear as Cat's defenses shut down and she drifted into unconsciousness.

**********

"Hey! Hey! Over here!" Seth shouted as he waved his arms frantically above his head. "Over here!"

"Stay where you are!" one firefighter called out to Seth. "We'll come to you."

For what seemed like an eternity, Seth stood and watched four firefighters make their way toward him from the top of a burned out knoll. "Hurry!" he shouted. "My mom needs help!"

It took a full fifteen minutes for the firefighters to reach him. The first thing they did was provide him with drinking water, then look him over carefully for injuries. Considering his bare-chested, soot covered appearance, they insisted on a quick physical examination.

Seth brushed off their attempts to examine him, insisting that aside from the cut on his palm and the smoky air he had inhaled, he was fine. "Look! I'm fine. It's my mom that needs help. She's stuck under a fallen tree limb," he explained quickly.

"Whoa... slow down there one of the firefighters instructed. First, we need to know who you are," he stated.

"Seth Charland. I was hiking with my mom, Cat... I mean Caitlain Charland when the wildfires trapped us. We were looking for a way out of the forest when a strong gust of wind knocked a burned out limb from the treetops. It hit my mom and trapped her leg beneath it," he explained.

"How long ago was this?" the firefighter asked.

"I don't know! Yesterday sometime. Yesterday afternoon," Seth replied impatiently. "Look, she's still trapped. We need to find her," he insisted.

"Was she alive when you last saw her?" came the next question.

"Well of course she was alive!" Seth shouted incredulously.

"All right. Calm down," the firefighter said soothingly. "Do you think you can find your way back to where you left her?" He asked.

Seth nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. I marked the trail. Follow me," he said as he turned and started walking in the direction he had come from.

**********

Rick Ellis used his walking stick as leverage as he made his way over several large boulders, stopping many times to recapture his breath. Having worked in an administrative capacity at the park for the past several years, he had little opportunity to hike and had hence fallen into less than top physical condition. Nevertheless, after the hot shots had discovered the Charland girl earlier that morning, Ranger Ellis felt a personal drive to assist in the search for the rest of her family.

Rick led his crew to the base of the waterfall that Billie and Tara had fallen over the previous day. Turning to face the men, he said, "Since the girl was found a couple of miles downstream, we can only assume she and her mother traveled this part of the river. I need half of you to cross the river and search the other side as the other half of you remain on this side. We will move slowly downstream, searching the water, river banks and short distance into the forest on both sides looking for the child's mother. Any questions?" he asked, looking at the faces of the large crew assembled before him.

One man raised his hand. "Do you believe she may still be alive?" he asked.

Rick ran his hand through his hair. "Well, considering the condition the girl was in, we should be prepared for anything... but let's hope for the best," he replied. "Any more questions?" he asked, looking around once more. "Okay then. Let's go."

**********

Seth began leading the team of firefighters into the forest in the opposite direction from which he had come, stopping every few yards to locate the markers he had built after running out of material from his T-shirt. Nearly an hour and a half later, they came across the last cloth marker he had left.

"Look! Over there," Seth pointed. "I left that marker about an hour after I started out for help. We're about half way there!"

The firefighters looked at each other and nodded, impressed with the forethought this young man had put into his search for help.

Barely able to keep up with Seth as he ran from marker to marker, the firefighters had to call several rest breaks as they were struggling to run through the forest in full gear. Finally, after another hour, they approached the clearing where Cat still lay trapped under the tree.

"There! There she is!" Seth shouted as he ran directly to Cat and threw himself onto the ground beside her. Expecting to find his mother in the same condition she was when he left, he was shocked to find her unconscious and unresponsive. "Ma! Ma!" he exclaimed loudly, shaking her in the process. "Ma! Wake up!" he insisted.

Suddenly, Seth felt a hand on his shoulder. "Hold up, Son," the firefighter instructed. "Let me take a look at her."

Seth climbed to his feet and stood behind the firefighter, looking over his shoulder as he tended to Cat. The other three men surveyed the site and discussed how to remove the tree from her leg.

"I need water here!" The firefighter shouted as a member of his team brought a bottle over to him. Pulling the spout on top of the bottle, he drizzled water over Cat's face.

Seconds later, Cat began to moan and toss her head slowly from side to side.

"Ma!" Seth began before being silenced by the man tending to her.

"Caitlan," the man said, softly tapping the side of her face. "Caitlan, can you hear me?" he asked.

Cat struggled to open her eyes. "Seth?" she said softly.

"I'm here Mama. I've brought help," her son replied.

"Caitlan, I need to you lie still. You've succumbed to dehydration. I'm going to lift your head and give you some water, a little at a time, okay?" the firefighter instructed as he lifted her head.

Cat drank sparingly before the firefighter gently laid her head back down. "What's your name?" she asked hoarsely.

"Jack. Jack Kilburn," he replied.

"Thank you, Jack," Cat said.

"You're welcome," he answered before looking down at her leg. "Caitlain."

"Cat. Please, call me Cat," she interrupted.

Jack grinned. "Okay. Cat - my crew is trying to figure out how to remove the tree limb from your leg without causing further discomfort or damage. Hang in there for a few more moments, okay?" he asked.

"Well, I guess my plans for running to the store just flew out the window!" Cat joked, trying hard to smile through the pain.

"Yep - the store can wait," Jack quipped back. "I'll be back in a moment," he added as he went to consult with his crew.

Seth moved into the spot that Jack had just vacated and held his mother's hand.

Cat looked into her son's face and smiled through the tears that were rapidly filling her eyes. "Thank you, honey. I am so proud of you," she said.

Seth just nodded, unable to speak through the emotion that had constricted his throat.

Just then, Jack returned. "Okay," he said. We've radioed our location to the station and they will have an ambulance standing by as soon as we carry you out of the forest. We're going to try throwing a rope over that tree limb up there, then tie the other end to the log, then all of us will pull on the end of the rope. Seth, when we get the log high enough to set her free, we need you to grasp her under the arms and pull her free. Then we'll release the log. Cat, you'll need to brace yourself. This will probably be pretty painful," he warned.

"It can't be much worse than it has already been," Cat replied. "Let's do it."

**********

Jen picked up the phone and called the Ranger station for what seemed to be the hundredth time looking for news of her friends... and as with the 99 times before, hung up disappointed.

Returning the phone to its cradle, she turned to the child in her charge and once more relayed that no news was good news before resuming her pacing.

No news is good news, she said to herself. Who the hell made up that saying? No news is good news? Hell no! - no news is NO NEWS! Geesh, what do I look like - an idiot? she mused as the furrow in the carpet endured yet another trip back and forth across the room.

Suddenly the phone rang, causing Jen to jump out of her skin. "Jesus Christ!" she exclaimed as she reached for the phone. "Hello?"

Jen's knees suddenly weakened as she reached forward to brace herself against the wall. "Oh my god," she whispered into the phone. "Yes... please. Call me as soon as they get here. Thank you... thank you so much!" she said before hanging up the phone.

Turning to Skylar, she opened her arms to the child who ran into them without hesitation. "They found Mama and Seth," she said in a voice made shaky by emotion. "They're going to be okay!"

Skylar hugged Jen tight around the neck. "When are they coming back?" she asked.

"Soon, sweetie, soon," she said as she held the child.

**********

Rick Ellis and his men combed both sides of the river bank for two miles before coming across the location where Tara had been discovered. So far, the search had yielded nothing. Calling a break, the men sat round and scanned the area, looking for clues that might assist them in finding Billie.

"Wow, there seems to be a lot of blood here," one of the men remarked.

"The girl had some pretty serious injuries," another replied.

"What are those marks? It looks like an animal has been here," a third man observed.

"I wouldn't be surprised. With human blood on the ground, it might attract some of the larger park animals," Rick replied.

"I hope whatever animal made these marks doesn't find our victim before we do!" one of the crew remarked.

"Well, let's hope we find her first," Rick replied while rising to his feet. "Okay guys... break over. Let's get moving," he added, spurring his crew into action.

Splitting the crew in half once more to scan both sides of the river at once, the men began to move forward in a relatively straight line. An hour later, they had covered two more miles when the river opened into a calm, shallow lagoon.

Pressing forward, they continued their search until one of the men on the opposite shore shouted out, "There! I see something over there!"

Looking in the direction the man was pointing, Rick too saw something that didn't quite fit with the surrounding environment - a bright orange spot.

Soon, everyone in the crew pinpointed the target as a stampede of feet ran in that direction.

"We found her! We found her!" one of the crew members exclaimed as they descended on the body laying partially obscured by a large rock.

"Give me some room," Rick instructed as he made his way to the front of the crowd. "Ethan, come with me!" he shouted out as the paramedic that had attended to Tara moved in behind him.

Ethan broke through the crowed and knelt beside the body and immediately began taking vital signs while Rick Ellis searched her pockets for some sort of identification. Finding a slim billfold in her back pocket, he opened it.

"Billie Jean Charland," he read from her license. "We've found her!"

A cheer rose up from the crowd of rescue workers as they celebrated their find.

"Ethan?" Rick asked softly as he watched the paramedic work.

"She's alive, Rick. Her pulse is strong, but judging by the lump on her head, she no doubt has a concussion. She also has similar bruises on her body that the girl had. They must have taken one hell of a ride down the river," he commented.

Just then, Billie began to stir.

"Billie? Billie, I'm Rick Ellis, and this guy beside you is Ethan. We're here to take you out of this hell," he explained.

Billie opened her eyes and stared in confusion at the men posed above her.

"Billie, can you hear me?" Ethan asked.

Billie turned her head toward the voice. "Tara?" was all she could say.

"Let's not worry about that right now, Billie. We need to get you out of here," Rick said.

Billie's eyes grew wide as she struggled to sit. "The bear. Tara... she's gone. The bear...," she repeated, near hysterics.

"Calm down, Billie. You're going to be all right. Jeff - bring the stretcher!" Ethan called over his shoulder.

With efficiency born of experience, the rescue workers strapped Billie into the portable stretcher, and they were on their way out of the forest.

**********

"Okay, ready? One, two, three!" Jack counted as he and his men tugged on the rope that was slung over the tree.

Seth was posed behind Cat, with his hands under her arms, ready to pull her out as soon as her leg was free.

Loud grunts were heard from the men as they pulled on the rope. Loud creaks were heard from above as the limb which bore the weight of the fallen log cried under the load.

Cat laid on her back with her eyes closed, fighting against the pain in her foot as the log began to shift.

Jack and his crew managed to take three or four steps backward before the log was high enough to free Cat.

"Okay, Seth. Pull her out!" Jack yelled.

Seth quickly lifted his mother from beneath her arms and pulled her several feet away from where she had laid for the past 24 hours. Cat screamed out in pain as her injured leg bounced along the ground while Seth pulled.

"She's free!" Seth yelled, signaling to the firefighters that it was okay to release the log.

"Okay, guys, slowly move back," Jack instructed as he and his team stepped forward three paces and lowered the log to the ground before releasing the rope.

"Phew!" Jack exclaimed as he walked toward Seth and Cat. "That was harder than I thought it would be!"

"Jack! Watch out!" one of the men in the crew suddenly exclaimed as a deafening crack exploded above them.

"Wha...?" Jack exclaimed as he looked up just in time to see the limb they had used for leverage come crashing down on top of him.

"Jack! Jack!" Seth screamed as he watched the limb make violent contact with their rescuer as Cat looked on in horror.

Within seconds Seth and Jack's entire crew were pushing on the limb, trying desperately to move it.

"Come on! Move!" shouted Seth, angry frustration clearly filling his voice.

From Cat's vantage point, she could see the lifeless body of Jack trapped under the limb. Pulling her professional mask over her features, she called out for them to stop as she struggled to crawl over to Jack.

The firefighters looked at her questioningly and continued to push.

"It's okay - she's a doctor!" Seth said frantically - immediately halting all activity.

Reaching under the log, Cat felt Jack's carotid artery as the bystanders held their breaths.

Several moments later, Cat bowed her head toward the ground and cried.

************************************************************************************************ CHAPTER XIII

"We have to find my daughter," Billie insisted as she struggled to release herself from the straps that bound her to the backboard.

"Ms. Charland, please stop struggling - we have no idea what type of internal injuries you may have. You'll do yourself more harm than good if you continue to fight us," Ethan scolded.

"I'll do you more harm than good if you don't unstrap me!" Billie threatened, daggers shooting from her eyes.

Rick Ellis fought to hide the grin that was slowly making its way onto his face as Billie continued to give his chief medic a hard time.

"And what the hell is so funny?" Billie asked sharply, noticing Rick's expression.

Rick's face reddened with embarrassment. Clearing his throat he said, "My apologies, ma'am."

"Look," Billie said, "my daughter is probably lying out there somewhere, injured - or worse! Now untie these goddamed straps and stop this Jeep. I need to find her," Billie insisted.

"Ms. Charland, we found your daughter this morning," Rick said, placing a calming hand on her shoulder.

"What? You found her and you didn't tell me?! Damn it! I've been out of my mind with worry! Where is she?" Billie demanded.

"She was air-lifted to West Park Hospital in Cody," Rick explained calmly.

Billie's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Hospital? How badly is she hurt?" Billie asked as tears filled her eyes.

"I'm not a doctor, ma'am," Rick replied.

Billie quickly turned her attention to Ethan. "Were you there when they found her?" she asked.

Ethan avoided eye contact with Billie. "Yes, ma'am, I was," he replied.

"Look at me!" Billie demanded.

Ethan did as he was told, allowing Billie to see the pain in his eyes.

Billie blinked to rid her eyes of the tears that had welled there. "You're a medic - tell me... How bad is she?" Billie asked.

Ethan looked away once more.

"Please," Billie whispered, desperation filling her voice and eyes.

Ethan cleared his throat and looked once more at Billie. "She was in pretty bad shape when we found her, ma'am," he replied.

Billie closed her eyes and allowed more tears to spill down her cheeks as she lost the battle to hold her emotions in check. Tara, she anguished, my baby. I am so sorry! Cat... oh my god, Cat. I need you. I am so sorry, Cat! I lost her... I couldn't protect her... Tara - I am so sorry!

**********

Jen and Skylar were waiting in the infirmary when the Jeep containing Seth and Cat arrived. Seth jumped from the open topped Jeep as it rolled to a stop and met Jen half way, holding her back from seeing Cat.

"Seth! What are you doing? Let me go!" Jen demanded as she tried to get past the tall young man.

"Jen, wait. Let me take Skylar. Mama looks pretty bad right now and I don't want to scare her," Seth whispered into Jen's ear.

Jen finally took a step back and looked at the boy-man before her, gasping as she took in his own appearance. Seth was covered in black soot from head to toe. He was shirtless and bore several scratches on his chest and back from tree branches as he searched for the help that led the rescuers back to Cat. "Oh my god, Seth! Look at you!" she exclaimed.

"This is nothing... just a little dirt, is all. I'm fine. Mama, on the other hand is on her way to the hospital. She's a little banged up," he explained. "Why don't you go see her before they load her into the helicopter. I'll stay here with Sky," Seth offered.

Jen nodded and left the child with her brother as she made her way toward Cat who was still laying on a stretcher placed across the back of the open Jeep.

As he watched Jen walk away, Seth knelt in front of his sister and took her hand. "Hey Munchkin," he said.

Skylar was crying. "S... Seth, is Mama gonna be okay?" she sobbed.

"Mama will be fine. The firemen are going to take her to the hospital to check her out. She's got a hurt leg and arm, but she's going to be okay. You've got to be brave for her... we all do. All right?" he asked.

"Where's Mommy and Tara?" the child cried.

Seth's brow knit into a frown. "They're not back yet?" he commented, more to himself than to the child.

"I don't know," Skyar sobbed. "Seth, I'm scared," she admitted.

Seth tried hard to push his fears into the background as he dealt with his little sister. "I know, Sky. I'm kind of scared too."

**********

"Cat!" Jen called as she drew closer to the Jeep. "Cat!" she called again, starting to run, stopping only when she reached her friend's side.

"Jen!" Cat cried hoarsely as the tears stole her voice.

Jen threw herself on top of Cat and held her close for several long moments, shaking violently with turbulent emotion. Finally, releasing her friend, she stepped back. "Look at you, damn it!" Jen scolded. "Why the hell can't you live a normal life!? Are you trying to put me in the loony bin?" she asked angrily.

Cat was too wrought with emotion to reply. Instead, her uninjured hand made its way to her mouth while she tried to stifle violent sobs.

Seeing Cat in this state was more than Jen could bear. Throwing herself at her friend once more, she held her close and shared her fear and pain. "Don't you ever do this to me again - do you hear me? I couldn't bear losing you or Billie - I love you both so much!" Jen cried.

"Billie!" Cat suddenly exclaimed. "Where is she? And Tara?... Oh my god! Where are they?" she demanded.

Jen's face contorted with pain as she contemplated how to answer Cat's questions.

"Jen! Where are they?" Cat asked once more in desperation.

Jen reached out and touched the side of Cat's face, still struggling to find the right words.

Cat violently pushed her friend's hand away. "No, Jen! Tell me! Where in hell are they? Tell me now!" she demanded angrily.

Jen took Cat's hand. "Sweetie, they haven't found Billie yet," she began, "and Tara... Tara has been flown to a hospital in Cody," she replied.

Cat struggled to sit up. "Jen... Jen, help me get off this stretcher," she said.

"Cat, no! You're injured. Stay where you are," Jen told her, physically pushing her back down onto the stretcher.

Seeing Jen struggle with his patient, the paramedic who had been making arrangements to transport Cat to the hospital intervened. "Whoa there, Caitlain. You need to stay put. We're about to transport you to the helio-pad to fly you out of here," he added while tightening her restraints.

"Where are you taking me?" Cat demanded.

"To West Park Hospital in Cody," came the reply.

"Is that where you took my daughter?" Cat asked desperately.

"Your daughter?" the paramedic asked.

"Yes... earlier today. Tara Charland... she's about 15," Jen volunteered.

Recognition dawned on the paramedics face before it clouded over again with concern. "Yes, I remember," was all he said, busying himself by checking over his paperwork. "All right then," he added, looking at Cat, a professional mask pulled over his features. "Let's go."

Jen clung tightly to Cat's hand as she watched the paramedic jump into the driver's seat of the Jeep. "Cat.... hang in there. They'll find Billie soon - I know they will," she tried to assure her friend.

Cat's eyes filled with tears as her worst fears came crashing down around her. Too choked up with emotion and fear, all she could do was nod as the Jeep began to drive away.

Jen was forced to release her friend's hand as she promised to take care of Seth and Skylar, waving furiously and whispering 'I love you' as the distance between her and her friend rapidly increased.

**********

Skylar and Jen waited for Seth as the doctor on-call cleaned and stitched the wound in his palm. An hour later, a freshly showered Seth greeted them in the waiting room just as the front door swung open admitting four litter bearers carrying a still-combative Billie.

"Mom!" Seth shouted as he met them half way across the room.

"Mommy!" Skylar added, jumping up from her seat next to Jen and running toward her mother.

"Hold on there guys," Rick Ellis said. "Let us put her down in one of the examination rooms first," he instructed, halting the advancing children who dutifully followed them into the same room Seth was in when his hand was stitched.

"Billie, I'm going to make the arrangements to shuttle you to the hospital by helicopter. I'll be right back," Rick said as he left his men to settle Billie in.

As soon as the firefighters worked the backboard from under Billie and left her resting on the table, the children threw themselves at her.

Billie immediately surrendered herself to her children, holding them close and giving up all attempts to hold back her tears. "By the gods, I love you guys," she cried.

Jen stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame as she watched the heart-wrenching scene before her. Finally sensing her presence, Billie looked over to her friend and reached a soot-covered hand out to her. Jen was at her side in an instant, clutching for dear life to her friend and fighting back the seemingly endless stream of tears that had taken up permanent residence on her face the moment her plane touched down the previous day.

"Jen," Billie croaked, too choked up to speak. "Cat.... Tara," she whispered.

"Cat's going to be fine," Jen replied shakily. "They just took her by helicopter to the hospital."

"Tara?" came Billie's fearful next question.

"They took her to the hospital this morning. She's... she's...," Jen began before breaking down into uncontrollable tears. Lowering her head to Billie's chest, she felt her friend's arms circle around to hold her as they shared their pain.

Seth stood by, holding his little sister in his arms as they too shared their mother's pain.

**********

"Her name is Tara Charland," Cat informed the EMT's as they wheeled her stretcher into the emergency room. "Please, I need to know how she is," Cat begged. "They brought her in by air this morning."

"I'll get a nurse for you - maybe she'll be able to tell you more. We kind of lose track of them after we bring them in," one of the paramedics offered as they left Cat alone in one of the examination rooms.

Cat laid there for what seemed like hours before someone finally attended to her. "Thank god!" she exclaimed as an ER doctor looked in on her.

"Who do we have here... let's see - Caitlain Charland," he said, reading her information from the paperwork attached to a clipboard. Looking up, he failed to hide the surprise on his face when he saw the condition Cat was in from her night in the burned out forest. "Whoa!" he exclaimed. "Looks like you've had better days!" he observed.

Cat raised herself onto her good elbow and looked at the doctor's name tag. "Look, Dr. Quinten, my daughter was flown in this morning... her name is Tara Charland. She's only 15. Please - I need to know how she is," Cat implored.

Dr. Quinten pressed Cat back onto the bed. Sitting down on the edge of it. He looked his patient as he took a small pad of paper from his coat pocket and scribbled Tara's name on it, then looked at Cat. "Was she caught in the wildfires too?" he asked.

Cat nodded her head vigorously, too choked up to speak.

Dr. Quinten patted the back of Cat's good hand. "I'll see what I can find out. Don't go anywhere - I'll be right back," he said, walking into the hall to flag down a passing nurse.

Cat watched as he handed the paper with Tara's name on it to the nurse, who nodded and then walked away. Dr. Quinten then returned to Cat's side and looked at the papers on the clipboard once more.

"Okay, Caitlain. It says here you have a broken leg, a crushed right foot, and possibly a fractured arm," he began.

"I'm pretty sure that the radius fracture is nondisplaced and the tibia fracture is angulated. I did my best to realign the angulated fracture while still trapped under the tree, but it still hurts like hell, so it may only be partially aligned. As far as the foot is concerned, it is probably comminuted - the tree hit me hard, and pretty much crushed the hell out of my foot," Cat explained.

Dr. Quinten's eyebrows jumped high into his hairline as he listened to her diagnosis. Picking up her chart once more, he thumbed through the pages then smiled when he found what he was looking for. "I thought as much!" he exclaimed after reading the word 'doctor' under 'occupation'. "So, Dr. Charland," he said. "Considering your background, you probably know what's coming. We'll have to take x-rays, then properly realign the angulated fracture as soon as possible before it starts to knit together the way it is. I don't have to tell you it won't be pleasant... and, if your foot is truly comminuted, it will probably mean surgery. But - this is all speculation until we see the x-rays. I'll order them right away," he said while scribbling instructions on her chart. "I'll also order a chest x-ray to determine any damage from smoke inhalation," he added.

As Dr. Quinten turned to leave the room, he nearly ran head long into the nurse he had sent on a fact finding mission about Tara a few minutes earlier. Taking the folder she handed him, he thanked her as she left the room, then returned to sit on the edge of Cat's bed to read its contents.

Cat watched his face closely as he read. "Dr. Quinten?" she questioned nervously.

Dr. Quinten spared a look at Cat before returning to the information in the folder. After what seemed like an eternity, he closed the folder and looked Cat square in the face. "Well," he said. "The good news is that she's alive..."

Cat let out a gasp and fought to hold her tears in as she listened for the rest of the news. "And?" she asked, prompting the doctor to finish.

"And the bad news is that she's just barely holding her own. I won't lie to you, Caitlin - she's in rough shape... internal injuries, compound fractures, excess fluid in her lungs. She's in intensive care right now," he explained.

Cat laid flat on her back and closed her eyes, letting the tears spill out over her cheeks. "My baby," she cried softly. "Billie, I need you," she added.

"Is Billie your husband?" Dr. Quinten asked.

Cat looked at the doctor and shook her head no. "Billie is my wife... my partner. She was with Tara when the wildfires began. She hasn't been found yet," Cat explained.

Dr. Quinten felt his gut clench as he realized that the lady before him was living her own private hell. Resolving to do what he could for her, he reached for Cat's hand and squeezed gently. "Look, let's set your broken leg, then I'll run to ICU myself to check on Tara, okay?" he offered.

Cat whispered a pathetic 'thank you' as she watched Dr. Quinten leave the room to order the x-rays.

**********

The helicopter arrived with Billie just as Cat was being wheeled from x-ray to the cast room.

"I need to see them - now!" Billie demanded as she was wheeled into an examination room. Getting no response from the EMT's attending to her, she lost her temper. "Damn it! My wife and child are somewhere in this hospital and if you don't tell me where they are, I'll find out for myself!" she shouted, trying to sit up as she spoke.

"Calm down, Ms. Charland," one of the EMT's instructed as he pushed her back onto the gurney.

"I'll calm down as soon I know where my wife and daughter are!" she exclaimed. "Now get me someone who knows what the hell is going on around here - you got that?" she demanded.

"All right! All right! I'll get someone. Just calm down, okay?" the EMT ordered as he left her alone in the room.

Not five minutes later, Billie heard a piercing scream followed by agonizing sobs from elsewhere within the emergency room area. Her blood suddenly ran cold as she recognized them as coming from Cat. Having been left unattended, she was quickly on her feet and heading toward the source of the screams.

It wasn't everyday that a soot-covered six-foot Amazon came crashing through the emergency room, so no one was prepared to stop Billie as she quickly located the cast room. There, a trembling and sobbing Cat was painfully enduring a fine realignment of the broken bones in her leg. Upon seeing her dark haired wife, Cat threw her arms open and cried out to her. "Billie! Oh my god! Billie!" she sobbed.

Within seconds, Billie crossed the room and wrapped herself around Cat. The two ladies held each other close, sobbing violently as Dr. Quentin patiently looked on.

"Cat! I thought... Oh my god, Cat. I'm so sorry," Billie cried. "I love you so much!"

Cat stroked Billie's hair while placing several kisses on the side of her face. "Billie! Sweetheart. I love you too!" she declared haltingly through her tears.

Billie caught Cat's face between her hands, trying hard to focus as her vision blurred in and out. "Cat... Tara! I... I lost her. The kayak went over the falls. God... Cat... I...," Billie struggled to explain as she swayed back and forth.

"Billie... she's here. She's alive," Cat replied before suddenly realizing Billie was on the verge of collapse. "Dr. Quinten!" she yelled.

"Stretcher in here, STAT!" the doc yelled into the hall as he rushed to catch Billie before she fell to the floor.

************************************************************************************************ EPILOGUE

Billie and Cat sat solemnly in the boarding area of the Cody Wyoming airport, waiting for their flight home. It had been three months since their disastrous trip to Yellowstone National Park... three long months of grief and recovery. Looking back on the trip, they counted themselves lucky - at least they had made it out alive - all of them. The Robertsons, who had been hiking on Douglas Knob were less fortunate. Nearly a week after the fires began, firefighters found them huddled together in a cave, all four of them victims of smoke inhalation.

As they were rescued, each family member was flown by helicopter to the hospital in Cody, Wyoming. Save Skylar and Seth, all had sustained life threatening injuries. Tara was by far the most critical with internal injuries, a compound fracture of the leg and a concussion - all sustained during her tumultuous ride down the river. When her rescuers found her, she was near death - her pulse too weak to be easily detected. She spent weeks in the hospital under close supervision, supported by a respirator due to the amount of smoke and water she had inhaled into her lungs. Contrary to Billie's fear, her daughter was not devoured by the bear, but rescued by Michael Elliot and his team.

Billie's worst injury was a concussion which in itself was not life threatening, but the fact that she had pushed herself to find Tara, put her at risk for a massive brain hemorrhage. It was the concussion that had caused her to lose consciousness that day in the emergency room. She was released from the hospital two days after her rescue with strict instructions to rest - something that was difficult to do considering she spent all of her time at the hospital with Tara and Cat.

For the first two weeks in the hospital, Cat was confined to her bed, her injured leg in traction. During that time, Billie spent long hours by Tara's bedside, holding her hand and apologizing for what she saw as her failure to protect her daughter. For two long weeks, the teenager lay in a drug-induced coma, intentionally sedated to allow her internal organs time to heal without the interference of outside trauma. Billie dutifully stayed by her side all day long, returning at the end of each day to Cat's room to spend time with her wife and relay their daughter's progress to her. More often than not, Billie would lie beside Cat and drift off to sleep as darkness fell over the room.

Finally, Cat was able to spend short amounts of time in a wheelchair, giving her the mobility she was craving. Her first visit to Tara since they were admitted to the hospital two weeks earlier was one of the most painful experiences Cat had ever endured. There, looking small and vulnerable, was her daughter - the child she had given birth to - barely clinging to life on her own. Gone was the feisty, independent teenager. In her place lay a fragile young child, battered and broken - her features barely discernible through the bruises.

During that first visit, Cat searched her soul and came to the realization that Tara's preferences in life were part of who she was, and after staring death in the face, she admitted that unconditional support was the only option. Cat learned that life was too precious not to live it with as much happiness as possible. She also learned that living with fear was not living at all. Seeing her child fighting so hard for her life made her realize that Tara was strong enough to weather any storm that came her way because of her lifestyle. In that moment, Cat was forced to realize that her daughter didn't need permission to be true to herself. Putting aside her own fears, Cat welcomed Tara's identity with love and pride.

Cat's hospitalization was nearly as long as Tara's. Her foot had been crushed by the tree limb, and further made worse by the break to her tibia. Severe infection had set in, causing extensive tissue damage. Had she been trapped for much longer she would have, in all probability, lost her leg. Cat would face several surgeries, and months of rehabilitation before it would be normal again, but it was a small price to pay for her life.

Seth and Skylar flew home with Jen so they would not miss any of the upcoming school year. Cat and Billie were touched beyond words at the love and sacrifice willingly given by their best friend when she flew to Yellowstone to be with their youngest child, knowing she would be the one to break the news to Skylar had things turned out differently. The two ladies shared a love and emotional intimacy with their friend that was almost unheard of between people who are not romantically involved. They lived inside each other's skin... breathed each other's air... shared a heart and a love too profound for words. Cat and Billie considered themselves to be the luckiest women in the world to be blessed with such friendship.

After nearly a month in the hospital, Tara was well enough to fly home. Not wanting to overwhelm the teenager at the airport, Jen alone picked them up, but arranged for a small gathering at Cat and Billie's house to welcome the three ladies home. As they pulled into the driveway, their family was waiting for them... Seth, Skylar, Fred, Karissa, Steve, Kelly, Doc and Ida - all of whom were excited to welcome their loved ones home.

Pulling the car to a stop in front of the garage, Jen and Billie both climbed out - Jen to assist Cat, and Billie to retrieve a wheelchair from the trunk for Tara. With considerable help from Seth, and Steve, Tara was gently seated in the wheelchair, her broken leg suspended before her, while Cat hobbled along on her crutches, Doc and Fred escorting her on each side. As they approached the house, Billie thought it was curious that Ida, Jen, Kelly, Karissa and Skylar we all standing in a straight line in front of the stairs, until the group suddenly parted to reveal a wheelchair ramp the guys had constructed especially for them.

Tara grinned and Cat cried as they each reacted in their own unique ways to the gesture of love before them. "Cool! That will be fun to free-style down in the wheelchair!" Tara exclaimed, causing the adults to chuckle as a hint of the girl's old personality reemerged from the depths of her battered body.

After countless welcome home hugs, the family dispersed to the backyard where Doc, Ida, Jen and Fred had prepared a picnic lunch. Billie pushed Tara nearly halfway across the lawn toward a shaded area of the yard when she suddenly realized Kelly was walking a short distance away, obviously needing time with Tara, but not wanting to intrude on the rights of the family.

Billie stopped pushing and looked at Kelly. "Hey, Kelly? Wanna do me a favor and push Tara into the shade over there?" she asked, pointing to a secluded area of the yard where years earlier, she had built a bench that completely encircled a shade tree.

Kelly eagerly took over the controls and soon, she was sitting on the bench, under the shade tree with Tara.

The girls sat in total silence for several long moments, neither one knowing how to start the conversation. Finally, their eyes met, causing both to blush deep shades of pink as they giggled. Before long, Kelly reached out and offered her hand to Tara, who took it willingly.

"I missed you," Kelly said softly.

Tara could only nod, as her throat was constricted with emotion.

"I wanted to die when I heard you were hurt," Kelly continued. "I have never felt so lost and sad in my entire life," she admitted.

Tara locked eyes with her friend for several long moments before raising Kelly's hand to her lips and kissing the back of it. "I'm sorry," Tara said hoarsely, blinking rapidly as tears gently cascaded down her cheeks.

Kelly touched the side of Tara's face. "Don't be sorry - it wasn't your fault," she said before leaning in to delicately kiss the tears from Tara's cheeks.

Tara grinned and blushed as Kelly's gesture embarrassed her in front of her family.

Billie stood behind Cat, her arm draped around Cat's waist as they watched the teenage girls from across the yard. Cat pressed her head into Billie's chest as they shared the tender moment. "They're cute together," Cat commented softly.

Billie kissed the side of Cat's head. "Yes they are," she admitted. "They kind of remind me of us."

Cat just chuckled and thanked the gods above that their lives had been spared - giving them the opportunity to share moments such as these.

Physical injuries aside, the most devastating experience any of them endured by far - including Skylar and Jen... was the emotional turmoil as each of them realized how fragile life was. They came so close to losing each other forever. The devastation at Yellowstone made them realize how precious family is, and how quickly life can be snuffed out. Never was that so evident than in the death of Jack Simmons, who had died saving Cat from a certain death. He had made the ultimate sacrifice by giving his life... a sacrifice he knew he could be called upon to make, but never in his wildest dreams, nor in the dreams of his coworkers, did he believe would come to fruition. Cat was tormented by grief and guilt for weeks following his death.

It was because of Jack's death that Cat and Billie were in the Yellowstone International Airport on this day. They had flown home with Tara months ago, but had returned for a special occasion - a memorial service honoring Jack Simmons and the other firefighters who had given their lives during the Yellowstone Wildfires. Cat met with Jack's family and thanked them profusely for the ultimate sacrifice they had to endure - the sacrifice of losing a son, husband, father, brother and uncle. She would carry the vision of Jack dying before her eyes for the rest of her life, a death that was the result of courage, conviction and dedication to duty. He was truly a hero - a belief she shared with his family, bringing a measure of comfort to their grieving hearts.

Cat shifted uncomfortably in her seat, manually tugging at the walking splint that encased her foot.

"Are you okay?" Billie asked, placing a comforting hand on Cat's leg.

"Yeah, it's just a little uncomfortable dragging this thing around all the time," Cat complained.

Billie just smiled and patted her leg.

Just then, their flight was announced over the intercom.

Billie stood and offered her hand to Cat, helping her to her feet. Once standing, Cat grabbed her crutches and hobbled to the gate beside Billie. Stopping just before entering the gate, Billie turned around and scanned the seating area with a bittersweet smile on her face.

Once settled in their seats on the plane, Cat looked at Billie who was deep in thought as she stared out the window.

"Billie," she said softly, capturing the dark haired woman's attention.

"Huh?" Billie replied.

"Are you all right?" Cat asked.

Billie looked down at her hands folded in her lap as she nodded, then looked back at Cat. "I'm fine," she assured her wife.

"You look preoccupied," Cat observed.

Billie smiled. "No. I was just thinking about how excited I was when we first landed here three months ago," she explained.

Cat nodded as she too, recalled the feelings of excitement.

Billie reached over and touched the side of Cat's face before reaching for her hand. Bringing Cat's hand to her lips, she kissed it tenderly. "Do me a favor, Kitten?" she asked.

"Anything," Cat replied, mesmerized by the powder blue orbs looking back at her.

"Please... never promise me a disaster-free vacation again. Okay?" Billie said, grinning mischievously.

THE END