The wounds from Kit's fall went unnoticed as she and her team celebrated their victory. Jaxon was at her side a minute after her victorious shout. He and the rest of the team hoisted her on their shoulders as they chanted her name. They carried her to the beach, while she proudly waved the other team's flag in triumph.

When they finally put her down, and Edison was able to push through the celebrating mob around her, he noticed her scraped hands. He pulled her from the group and, in her excitement, she followed along with energy for another adventure. But he only led her to his truck, made her sit on the tailgate and pulled out his first aid box.

"Ouch," she hissed, as he cleaned her wounds. She tried to pull her hand from his grasp but he kept a tight hold on it.

"Hold still," he instructed. He had a band aid between his teeth and his words came out mumbled.

"Stop making it hurt," she shot back.

"I have to clean it."

"Clean it, smlean it. I'll just rinse it in some water and it'll be fine." She couldn't keep her legs from bouncing and she wanted to get back to the party she could hear happening down by the water.

"These scrapes could get infected," he argued back. 

A silly grin spread across her face and she leaned in close him.

"You're pretty cute when you play lifeguard," she said.

"I'm not playing," he said, before all her words landed.

Then a smug smile pulled at the corner of his lips and he worked hard to remain serious. Kit's warm laugh rang out but she held still as she let him clean her hands. She sucked in a sharp breath as he continued to wipe the scraps and his movements became gentler.

"Sorry," he said. "Your knee is also scraped and your pants are ripped." He held up her leg to show the small tear at the knee. 

She looked at it for a moment before she threw her head back dramatically, her hand to her forehead.

"How bad is it, doc? Are you gonna have to take the whole leg?" she cried.

"I'm afraid so. And your right arm," he said, making his voice deep and gruff. 

She flashed him a bright smile before getting back into character.

"A small price to pay for victory," she said. She looked back when she didn't get a response and found a pinched grimace on his face. 

"Did you eat something sour or is it just the bitter taste of losing?" she asked.

She chuckled at the annoyed look he gave her.

"You should be nicer. I am the one bandaging you up," he said. "And you told me you weren't really into the game, liar."

"I did not lie," she argued back.

"Yes, you did. You said it was more of Jaxon's thing when you were trying to distract me."

"I said Jaxon gets really into the game. I never said I didn't."

"But you implied."

"And you assumed." They stared each other down, neither ready to give in. Edison finally pursed his lips and dropped her gaze.

"Did it work?" she said.

"What?" he asked.

"Did I distract you?" She dropped her voice down to a sultry level and leaned in. 

He gave her a bored look.

"Not for a second," he said. He returned to the matter at hand. "I'm not sure how to dress the scrap on your knee with out tearing your pants more." 

She reached down, grabbed the sides of the hole and ripped. The tear in her pants grew, revealing her whole knee.

"There you go," she said.

"You just tore your pants," he said, stunned.

"It was that or cutting off my leg. It seemed like a small price to pay." 

He shook his head and began to clean the wound. When he was done bandaging up her knee, he put the first aid box back in his truck. She watched him and didn't move from her perch on his tailgate.

"All set?" he asked, coming around to the back. 

She dramatically collapsed onto the truck, her hand going to forehead again.

"I don't think I can make it. Go on without me. Tell my team we fought a good fight. Don't let my victory be forgotten," she cried.

"I could carry you," he replied flatly.

"That would be great. Thanks," she said, snapping back into her normal voice.

She found she quite liked the puzzled and amused look Edison was making a habit of giving her. She scrambled to stand and hopped up on his back.

"To the water!" she shouted, pointing onward. 

He wrapped his arms under her legs and she felt small in his strong hold.

"Did you take something for the pain? Because you seem crazier then normal, And you're already pretty crazy," he said.

"I would take offense if you didn't make an excellent point."

"What was it? Gummy vitamins?"

She laughed. "Delicious, but no. This is just the high of victory!"

"Tonight, we are the victors!" Jaxon's voice ricocheted through the night.

"Does an intense obsession with Capture the Flag run in the family?" Edison asked, amusement in his voice.

"Actually, it does. It's a rare strand of DNA that originated with the Vikings," she explained. "It was thought to be extinct until it was discovered in the St. James blood, alive and well."

"The obsession goes beyond just you and Jaxon?" he asked.

"It runs in my whole family. People have actually tried to marry into the family just for the DNA. But we are very exclusive and complete snobs."

"Well, I already knew that."

"Hey!" She playfully slapped his shoulder and he chuckled.

The forest they had played in was located by the same lake where Drew's house located, but on a different side. The trees stood twenty feet from the water, rough sand running between the trees and the lake. By the water was a fire pit where old, fallen trees provided seats. 

By the time Kit and Edison reached the group, a fire was roaring. Half the group was roasting marshmallows, while the other half was gathered round a table of snacks and drinks. Music mixed with the crackle of the flames and various conversations.

"Where to?" Edison asked, still carrying Kit on his back.

"Let's divide and conquer," she said. She pushed back and he let her drop down. "I'll find us a spot to sit."

"And I'll get skewers and marshmallows," he said.

"Alright! Go team!" She held up her hand and he gave her a high-five before they headed in different directions. 

Kit circled around the logs until she found an open space and claimed it. She scanned the crowd and spotted Jaxon by the table of food. She couldn't hear what he was saying but he was making dramatic movements with his arms, his face alight with excitement. He had a group around him.

Jaxon was always the most animated after a win. He turned into an unstoppable force of energy that pulled people along. He switched from his typical quiet and morose self into the center of the party. 

Kit watched as he threw his head back laughing and all the girls smiled, stars in their eyes. Edison passed the group, skewers in hand, but none of the girls even noticed him. When Jaxon was on, no one could hold a candle to him.

"For your victory, I present you with marshmallows," Edison said, with a sweeping bow. He handed her a skewer with two marshmallows on the end and sat.

"A trophy worth fighting for," she said, lowering her skewer over the flames. "Mr. Reigns, are you ready to watch greatness happen right before your very eyes?"

"What greatness do you speak of?" he asked. He positioned his skewer next to hers.

"The greatness of a s'more so perfectly cooked it melts in your mouth. A perfect medley of creamy marshmallow, chocolate and graham cracker."

"Are you talking about the s'more I'm making?" he asked with a smug grin.

"You think you can make a better s'more than me?" she asked.

"Probably. I make pretty good ones."

"Alright. How about I'll make you one and you make me one? Then we'll see who is the best."

"Deal." He offered her his hand and she shook it.

Jaxon's warm laugh filled the air and they both looked over at his group. "I think I see the family resemblance between you and Jaxon more clearly now," Edison said.

"How so?" Kit asked.

She looked at Jaxon and saw the obvious connections between them. They shared the same cheeks, nose and smile. But he had brown hair while she was blonde. He was serious and moody and she hoped she was neither. He did know how to have a good time but he didn't do it nearly enough in her opinion.

She looked back at Edison and found him giving her a mocking smile.

"Oh, I don't know," he said, dramatically dragging out his words. "He is laughing, can't seem to stand still and has more energy than anyone here."

She looked back and Jaxon played out Edison's description as if on cue.

"That's what you're like, except all the time," he added.

"Is that such a bad thing?" she asked.

"It's exhausting," he answered. 

She laughed and took it as a compliment. She turned her attention back to her marshmallows to find they were on fire.

"Uh oh!" she said. 

She pulled them away from the fire and began to wave the skewer, but the flame only grew. Edison began to laugh. A few seconds later, the marshmallows were a crisp black. They slid off her skewer and sizzled as they landed in the fire.

"What I just witnessed was not greatness," he chuckled. "But it was hilarious."

She laughed along and pulled the last bit of charred marshmallow off her skewer.

"Oh, well," she said.

"Oh, well? I thought you were a pro," he said. There was still a hint of laughter in his voice.

"Me? No, I'm horrible at making s'mores," she said. "Just ask Jaxon. I always burn them. He always has to make them for me." She grinned as the laughter left Edison's face, replaced by suspicious confusion.

"But what about witnessing greatness?" he asked.

"I asked if you were ready? I never said it was actually going to happen. Jaxon was busy so I needed someone to make me a s'more," she said, giving him a sly grin. "By the way, those marshmallows are coming along nicely!" They both turned to the skewer Edison was holding over the flame. The marshmallows had expanded and were golden.

"You just conned me." He spoke the words but he looked like he couldn't quite believe them.

"Yeah. But don't worry. You'll get your s'more. I'll go grab more marshmallows," she said. She jumped up from her seat. She gave Edison one backwards glance and chuckled at the baffled look on his face.

Her mission to secure two more marshmallows was not a short one as she ran into her celebrating teammates. Neil offered her soda and she chugged it on her way to the marshmallows. Jaxon spotted her and grabbed her, lifting her onto his shoulders, shouting "MVP!" She waved as if to her adoring fans. 

When Jaxon finally put her back down on the sand, a girl in shorts and a bikini top caught his attention, and Kit slipped away. She put two marshmallows on her skewer, grabbed a few extra just in case, and headed back towards the fire.

**********************************************************************

Skidillydoo how do you do?!

Okay otay! So my wonderful friend theaxbank asked me a question for my author's note and so I shall now grace you with an answer! This was the question: "If you could wish for one thing knowing it would come true, what would you wish for?"

My reply is...well, I know I will sound like a beauty pageant queen when I say this but world peace. Yeah, it sounds cliché but that doesn't mean it's not a good answer. That is my selfless answer. My selfish answer is I would love to see all my books published. Simple, but that's all I want.

NOWWWWW! That I have answered the question you must answer it! What would you wish for?

Also who really what's a s'more right now??

Alaafia, Ifẹ, Wara didi

Semi-escape artist