Skin Deep

Phoebe was talking with Sam about how Irene was always underestimating herself and how sad it was. They knew their friend struggled with self-image for as long as they could remember, but they wished to help make a difference and help Irene gain confidence. They worried because Irene took so much upon herself and often did not rely upon others to help her out. Sam was mid-sentence about something when Phoebe gasped out gripping the bed sheets. Sam stopped and looked at her curiously.

“What is it Pheebs?”

“Irene, trouble, Dan, gun, we have to go now!” Phoebe said shooting up heading towards the door.
Sam look bewildered at first then made the connection and quickly hopped up alongside Phoebe following her down the stairs and out the door, leaving a very confused party of boys in the living room.

“Wha- who, how?” Aiden questioned at the girls swift exit.

“I have no idea, Sam and Phoebe rushed out like they house is on fire… you don’t think the house is on fire do you?” Dylan questioned laughingly.

“Uh- no, but considering their personalities it probably is something important, I think we should follow them.” Aiden stated calmly.

“I would normally agree, but the girls seem to be kind of annoyed at us, perhaps we should give them some time…” Micah ponders aloud, “if the don’t return in 20 minutes then we go after them?” Micah looked to the other guys who seemed to be thinking his words and nodded in agreement.

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After running for a few minutes Sam looked to Phoebe and asked, “ Do you think we should have brought the guys?”

“Uh- No time, we can do this, we are trained now, c’mon keep going,” Phoebe rushed ahead towards the stream she knew her sister had been at. The girls arrived to the clearing a few minutes later to find it empty.

“Dang it, were too late!” Phoebe exclaimed in anguish.

“Pheebs, calm it, we don’t want anyone to catch us here.” Sam warned, “remember that training, tracking mental connection thing you did with her, try that. See if you can tap her and figure out where she is.” Sam suggested oddly being the cool calm and collected on in the situation.

“You’re a genius!” Phoebe exclaimed clearing her mind and practicing the mind technique that Aiden had taught the girls on how to track one another. The bond was especially strong between Phoebe and Irene due to the sibling thing. “She’s blindfolded… this is going to be more difficult.” Phoebe muttered trying to follow her sisters track from her memories of where she had been. Phoebe caught t he feeling that Irene had of going through the woods by the snagging branches in her clothes. She h--ad crossed the bridge at the other side of the woods and that meant they had to have some one meeting them there because there was a major road on the other side of the woods after the clearing. “Let’s get going, we have got to be fast if we are going to make this.” Phoebe exclaimed grabbing Sam by the arm and running towards the other side of the woods.

Sam had moment or so while Phoebe was clearing her mind to text the guys just to let them know what was up, ‘Irene in mjr trouble, were off to help’ was all her message said just enough to give them a bit of info on the whereabouts of the girls.

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“What!?” Dylan roared reading the text from Sam.

“I can’t believe we let you talk us into not following them!” Aiden said sourly blaming Micah for not following Phoebe and Sam out the door.

Micah looked down at the floor in shame, “I was just doing what I thought best, I mean look at the trouble we are alkready in with them they are being emotional girls…I thought some time may help them, and female bonding sort out the emotional crises.”

“Darn it she wont answer my text now!” Dylan growled in frustration. “I have no idea where they went, just that they went after Irene because she is in trouble.”

“Aiden can you contact Phoebe?” Micah asked calmly getting over his pity party.

“I’m trying but her mind is so scattered, she’s reading Irene’s memory, and its bits and pieces.” Aiden replied hand to his head trying to get a clear thought. “She was at the clearing, the stream….and Dan came with a gun… the girls went there and she was already gone…. Phoebe read her memory connection and is trying to follow. I am not clear on where they are.”

“Gun? Ok… best plan of action, lets get ready and get to that clearing, from there we’ll continue to track the girls. Keep trying to get a text to/from Sam and keep trying to get a clear connection with Phoebe.” Micah made the executive decision and the three were off.

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Phoebe stopped in her tracks putting her arm out in a soccer mom like move stopping Sam as well. Quieting her friend the two listened as they saw Irene, Dan, and a car, with three people in it. They had arrived and now was the time to get the upper hand.

“…So all we have to do is create some sort of distraction…” Phoebe muttered under her breath as she processed the scene before her.

“There are likely several people in the car, but I think I can take them, so if you distract them and I sneak up on them from the other side. I can kick some physical butt, remember when I took down Aiden and Dylan, in 5 minutes flat. Good times.” Sam smiled fondly at the memory.

“Ok I’ll act all stealthy, and sneak up trying to free her and you start taking out guys from the back when they spot me. We got this.” Phoebe starts towards the scene.

“Rene, Sam and I are here, and we are getting you out of this.” Phoebe sent the quick thought to her sister as a heads up for an pending battle.

“Got it, get ready for some serious butt kicking.” Irene sent back and Phoebe could practically hear the smirk in her head.

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“They followed her through the woods, and are about to do something stupid. Sam and Phoebe are going to try to distract Dan and whomever else he has with him, they don’t even know how many… to get Irene out of there, and they’ll probably get all of the butts caught. ” Aiden sighed relaying the information. “Guys we’d better hurry, through the woods towards the main road at the other side, if we want to save our girls.”

“On the contrary they could buy us just enough time Aid, so let’s book this. ” Micah took off in a run in the direction Aiden had indicated as the others followed. Dylan and Aiden exchanged glances knowing exactly what Micah was feeling knowing they’d likely feel similar it being their girl. The guys rushed off mentally preparing for what the possibilities held.