(no subject)

[echolls_cursed]

He'd told Jack he was going, and even scribbled a note down to leave on the table in case Joe stopped by. Just a few days out on the mountain with Linus to clear his head, a trek he found he was making more and more lately. Maybe because he needed the space, or maybe simply because he liked it out there. Logan had always tried to be independent, but sometimes it seemed the only way to be independent, involved being too far away from the rest of the island to cling to anyone else. Besides, it was so fucking hot, it had to be cooler up on the mountainside. It had to be. It was like a sauna on the rest of the island, but all those trees and that hight? It had to be a little better than the damn hut.

His bag was light, nothing more than a thin blanket , a pillow, and a few pairs of shorts filling it. After all, he would only be staying a few nights, and it was too hot to justify dragging along much else. Some fruit, of course, and food for Linus. Water, flip flops... Yeah, that was it. That was all he needed, and he grinned as he headed out the door, whistling for Linus to follow.

It took longer than usual to head up to the spot, the heat weighing him down and causing him to stop now and then for a drink. Even Linus was sluggish, and by the time they reached the spot, the sun was starting to set. Setting up camp didn't take long, and after playing with Linus and having a bite to eat, Logan settled in to sleep under the stars, completely unaware of what the island had planned.

He'd been thinking of and hoping for snow ever since the first day of December. It was just his luck that tonight would be the night it came. He was probably lucky not to freeze to death in his sleep. He woke shivering, his hands numb and his body covered in a layer of snow. It took him a few minutes to dig the blanket out, shaking it clean and wrapping it around himself. It was thin though and already soaked through, to the point where he couldn't decide if it was making things better or worse. His arms and legs were covered in goose bumps, and he was shaking so much that walking was slow at best.

Linus whimpered, sticking close to his side as he started back the way he hoped was the way he'd come. Though with the snow... Well, his sense of direction was bad enough, but in the snow? In the snow he had no idea which way he was walking. All he could do was hope for the best.

Two hours later, and he could hardly walk. The snow was falling thick, and his legs were numb and stiff. He was shaking harder now, his breath short and his body sore. ...He needed a break, just a few minuets rest. Just a few. That's what he kept telling himself as he sat down in the snow, the blanket wrapped tighter around himself as he tried to fight off some of the cold. It all reminded him of a safety class his mother had made him take the first time they'd gone skiing, and he couldn't help but wonder if something was happening to him. If he was dying.

Closing his eyes, he tried to think of something warm. God, he really needed to stop heading up to the mountain. This was the second time things had all gone wrong.

(Email me if you want to tag in. Leah and Shan, you guys obviously don't need to ask. <3)

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[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack was used to the unholy heat and the oppressive humidity and had been sleeping in the hammock when he awoke to find himself in the cold. He was in a chair outside his hut, which was suspiciously unlike his hut and there was snow falling lightly in the darkness. The lights around Bohemia illuminated the flakes as Jack shivered and ducked inside for warmer clothes.

Digging through what he had available, he came upon the green shirt Logan had given him to wear. There was a flash of memory of telling the guy to have fun camping before a coldness settled in his gut. Logan was camping and Jack knew he'd taken exactly what he'd needed for the weather as it was. That...was not good.

He dressed quickly and donned the greatcoat he had tucked away in the bottom of his trunk. Layers of clothes and gloves and a hat kept him comfortably warm as he jogged through the snow to the Hamlet to see if, by some chance, Logan had gotten bored and come home. When it was apparent he hadn't, Jack looked around. No way he was going to find that spot of Billy's that Logan talked about without help. His feet took him to Joe's door and he hoped he was there and not at Dale's as he knocked hard enough to rouse the man if he was sleeping...and probably scare the shit out of him if he wasn't. The worry and fear of what it must feel like to be in the clothes Logan had been wearing got shoved to the back in favor of a hardened intensity and a pinpoint focus. He'd told Logan what it felt like to have a mission.

This was it.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"What the fuck?" Joe mumbled, rubbing his eyes as he sat up in the chair he'd apparently fallen asleep in. Ozzy was already at the door, her tail wagging hopefully as someone knocked harder and he forced himself to his feet, shivering a little in the suddenly cooler air. He knew what had happened, he'd been awake to see the snow, but now he was cold, even inside his hut that was no longer a hut.

"Yeah?" he asked, opening the door with a sharp yank, shivering again within the sweater he was wearing.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

He reached up to brush the dusting of snow from his hair and looked past Joe with one last ditch try at hope. It was only a flash of a peek and then he looked at Joe. Jack had been making an effort to be friendly, to smile and at least keep from pissing Joe off, but right now he didn't have time for any of that.

"Logan's still out camping," he said, giving it a second to sink in. "I need to know this place Billy used to go."

[jdick.livejournal.com]

It took Joe a moment to realize what Jack was talking about and he took a step away from the door to wake Dale and get some clothes. "He hasn't come back yet?" he asked Jack, yanking on a pair of his jeans and then stomping his feet into his boots.

He didn't need to hear the answer, really. Jack wouldn't be at his door if Logan had come back or if he thought he might be on his way. After telling Dale where he was going, Joe grabbed the trench coat he'd arrived with and the hat and mitts he'd found the year before. "It's up on the mountain. The place Billy used to go."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"I know the general direction, but not exactly where and I don't have Linus this time to help," Jack explained as he waited. He had a problem with patience at times like this, when there was something so much bigger to focus on. But this was Joe and he hadn't had any doubt that the man was joining him. There was no way he would point and bid Jack good luck...not when it was Logan in trouble.

"You got a flashlight or anything? It's a few hours until dawn yet."

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, just a sec," Joe answered, wrapping a scarf around his neck as he rubbed Ozzy's ears gently, trying to calm her down. It wasn't happening, though, and it was obvious she was going to be coming with them, too.

A second later he had a flashlight, something he'd taken from the Compound at some point or something Dale had grabbed, he couldn't remember. "C'mon, let's go," he said, letting Ozzy out ahead of them, watching her run off into the snow. "It isn't a short trip."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I know," he said flatly. If he'd known where to go, it would have been quicker from his hut rather than tromping across half the fucking island to get to the Hamlet, but that was just how it went. Plans always had to be adjusted.

Jack fell in next to Joe and stalked along the path, all the worry becoming tension that kept him at attention, his posture painfully straight, shoulders back and chest out. He watched Ozzy pass back and forth through the pool of light before them and spared a glance at Joe as well.

"You ever had to go out and find him before?"

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," Joe answered, remembering almost two years ago when Logan had taken off and he'd gone searching for him. He hadn't found him then, but it hadn't been so fucking cold out either.

"He didn't go to Billy's place that time. He just wanted to disappear. At least we know where he is this time," he added, although he was still pretty fucking nervous himself. Logan had to be fucking freezing if he was still out in this weather.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack uttered a noncommittal grunt and walked faster, his hands sunk deep into his pockets. The snow squeaked and crunched beneath the soles of his boots as his footsteps fell heavily on the boardwalk. One, two, three, four...the rhythm told him he was covering ten yards every twelve steps. The cold stung his cheeks and made his lips dry and his nose ache, all things he patently ignored.

"He'll be fine," he said after a while, mainly to reassure himself. His tone nearly made it an order, rather than a statement.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

Joe said nothing, not because he disagreed, but because he had nothing to say and he wasn't big on giving bullshit platitudes or saying shit he didn't mean. It wasn't a short walk to the mountain, but they reached it faster than Joe probably ever had before and he nodded up in the direction of the place Billy had gone.

The same place Joe had gone once, thinking about killing himself.

"Up here," he said, grunting a little as he hauled himself up the slope, the snow making it difficult. Ozzy whined beside him, but began to climb as well.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Compared to the shit they did during training, this was little more than a nice stretch of the legs. Jack cast a sidelong glance at Joe and only stayed by his side because he didn't know where he was going.

"You okay there, Joe?" he asked, amusement coloring the question.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Fine," Joe answered simply, because he sure as hell wasn't as out of shape as he'd once been. The mountain was nothing now, but he wasn't used to climbing with the snow. He'd be fine, though, he'd have to be because he'd have to find the place Billy used to go.

"You ever seen the big waterfall?" he asked as he found the path. "The one that comes down the mountainside?"

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. I've been there," he nodded. "It's, um..."

He stopped and looked around to get his bearings, but the new vegetation made it harder to place. Drawing up his sleeve, he opened the leather strap and pressed a button. Half a second later, he nodded.

"That way."

[jdick.livejournal.com]

Arching an eyebrow questioningly, Joe watched, but said nothing. He just nodded as well, heading off in the direction Jack had indicated, making sure not to fall on his ass or fall off the goddamn mountain altogether. He remembered the first time he'd gone up this way, looking for Logan and Billy.

He'd nearly killed himself and was lucky he'd only ended up with a twisted ankle.

"Can't be much further," he said after a long silence, squinting into the snow. "He's gotta be around here somewhere. You think he tried to come back or found somewhere to wait out the dark?"

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"I really hope not. If he's not where he said he'd be, we're all fucked," Jack replied. When the trees opened up a bit and he could hear a trickle of water and the faint crackle of ice as water bound up in the cold, he slowed nearly to a halt. The sun was going to rise soon and the sky was a pale gray as the clouds filtered the light.

"We've got to be about there...does Linus obey you?" he asked, knowing the dog didn't listen to most things Jack said other than 'leave Dulcita alone'. "Would he come if you called?"

[jdick.livejournal.com]

Joe snorted softly, because he didn't think his own dog obeyed him properly half the time, then shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe," he answered, because it couldn't hurt to try.

Pushing himself up another steep stretch of the path, he found them near enough to the waterfall to see that Logan wasn't anywhere around. "Logan!" he shouted, just in case. "Linus!"

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

The sound of Joe's voice was enough to get Linus' attention, tail wagging as he nudged his master and whimpered. Logan wasn't going anywhere though, his breath short and his eye's nearly shut as he tried to stay alert. He didn't hear Joe, all his attention focused on the simple task of breathing in and then breathing out.

The golden retriever whimpered again, then barked sharply, doing a little circle in the snow before dashing off to find the other man. Over sized paws left behind distinct prints, and the golden retriever moved fast through the snow, dodging through the trees until he found what he was looking for.

He paused to sniff Jack, bashing against the man lightly and whimpering softly, before trotting over to Joe with another sharp yip.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack heard him before he saw him. He spared a brush of his fingers against the dog before he looked at Joe. The flakes were coming down lightly, just enough to prove that the sky was capable and that gravity worked.

"Son of a bitch," Jack said under his voice, amazed that it had actually worked. His luck was never that fucking good. One look at Joe and the two dogs and Jack pointed the way Linus had come from. "I'm going to follow his footprints. Betcha Logan's that way."

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Christ," Joe muttered, shaking his head as he brushed his hand over Linus's head. A moment later the dog ran off through the snow again and Ozzy followed, barking as she bounded after him.

"Yeah, let's go," he agreed, following the path they'd both left behind. He knew where Linus was going and he knew Ozzy would follow Linus wherever he went now. Logan had to be at the end of that trail. Joe just hoped he was still in decent shape.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Stalking after the dogs, he began to breathe harder as the fears he had kept pushed back so well to this point began to push him on, his steps growing longer and faster until he was jogging to keep up with the dogs.

"Logan!" he called, the dawn not bright enough to see very far. "Joe, do you see him at all?"

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"No, I don't..." Joe had run after them all, had paused now to scan the snow, but he couldn't see anything. It was just white. White and grey and there wasn't enough light, even with the flashlight he was holding.

"Motherfucker," he cursed under his breath, moving again, following the dogs until he saw Linus stop. "There," he said, pointing without even stopping. He was running now, over the snow, legs burning from exertion. "He's gotta be there."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack looked in the direction Joe pointed and hopped a little before he broke into a flat out run. The tail of his coat whipped behind him as his boots hit hard and snow swirled in his wake. He didn't slow until he nearly tripped on Linus who had darted toward him, barking sharply.

When he got a good look at Logan, his heart dropped to the pit of his gut. He was dressed just like he'd been when Jack last saw him, the blanket he'd brought completely useless in weather like this.

"Logan!" he shouted, skidding to a stop and hitting his knees. "Shit, baby, don't be...JOE!"

As if he needed to yell...he'd simply forgotten Joe was right there with him.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Motherfucker," Joe swore again, not to anyone in particular, not even to himself, just because he didn't know what else to say. And maybe it was stupid, maybe it meant he'd get sick, but he didn't fucking care. The only thing he could think to do was to strip off his jacket, yanking the blanket off Logan's body, sending snow scattering everywhere.

"Shit, Logan, c'mon," he muttered, draping his jacket over Logan's shoulders, trying to wake him up. There was no doubt in his mind that he could, because it wasn't an option. There was nothing else that could happen.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan wasn't sleeping, but he was only dimly aware of the sound of panicked voices. His head felt heavy and his pulse was slow as he tried to gasp for more air.

Reaching blindly, he held onto Joe, his grip weak and his body shaking hard.

Linus wiggled his way in, nuzzling his owner pathetically and whimpering softly. He was smarter than he looked though, half on top of Logan as if trying to keep him warm, unaware of the fact that he was getting in the way.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Most days, Jack only needed to know enough first aid to do up a bandage or get ice. He'd learned enough in battle and the Agency to know what to do, though. He'd just hardly ever had to use the knowledge.

Jack felt Logan's neck for his pulse and shook his head. He shot Joe a dire glance and then shrugged off his greatcoat to pass it to the man.

"I'm gonna pick him up, Joe. Wrap that around him," he said quietly.