"Hey, girl!"

Perched on the edge of the Hammonds' porch steps, Cassie didn't look up at the sound of her fiancé's voice. Staring down at the ring in her hands, she heard the door of his Jeep slam shut. She knew this was the last time he would greet her so cheerfully, the last time he would call her "girl" with a smile on his face.

She heard his footsteps on the pavement, and his shadow fell across the steps next to her as he sat down. "Hey," he said more quietly. "It'll be okay. You can come down for a visit next weekend, after you settle in. And I have some time off coming up; I'll come see you then."

She sighed, looking up at him. He smiled when she caught his eye and pulled something out from behind his back. "I brought you a present."

She drew away as he offered the brightly wrapped package to her. "No... I can't."

"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned. He set the present down and put an arm around her shoulder. "We did it last year, Cass; it won't be so bad. We'll see each other more than you think."

"It's not that," she said softly, lowering her gaze. How could she ever tell him what was really on her mind?

"Then what?" he asked. Before she could say anything, he said, "Wait--don't answer yet."

She felt his arms go around her, but she didn't even realize what he was doing until he swept her up off the steps. It was uncomfortably reminiscent of the way Saryn had held her that morning, and she squirmed against him. "Put me down," she complained, trying not to think about that. She was afraid that somehow he would know, just from the way she felt, that she was no longer only his.

"Sorry," he said cheerfully, carrying her across the driveway. "No can do. See, this--" He lifted her a little higher and she felt the metal hood of his car beneath her as he set her down. "This is the magic car, right here. It will carry me to you all semester long, and once I'm with you, we'll go anywhere you want. Just think of it--your own personal limo service! A green limo, yes, but that's all the rage now. You wouldn't want anything too conventional."

"Jake," she said, biting her lip. She wished with all her heart that there were some way out of this. Maybe it would be better to wait until the weekend. Or after that, when she was supposed to come see him. She could call and tell him she had met someone else this year...

He went down on one knee in front of his car and offered her the package again. "Your present, milady," he said. "Come on, open it. It'll cheer you up."

She was so tempted. He was obviously waiting for her to smile, even once, so he could climb up next to her and put his arm around her while she opened it. He had done this for her often during the rebuilding of Angel Grove, to cheer her up, and it was a tradition he seemed to enjoy carrying on.

"I can't," she said finally, looking down at the ring she still held loose in her hand. She couldn't wait to tell him; she knew she would keep finding excuses and it just wouldn't be fair. And it would be worse if he found out some other way--she couldn't let that happen. "Jake... I need to talk to you."

"Sure," he said, looking puzzled as he got to his feet. He waved the present just in front of her once more and said teasingly, "Are you positive it can't wait just a few minutes?"

She swallowed, trying hard not to give herself away by sniffling. He wasn't making this any easier just by being him. "You're so wonderful," she murmured, shaking her head at the proffered gift. "But there's something I have to tell you before anything else."

"Okay," he agreed. He climbed up beside her on the Jeep's hood, setting the present behind him at the bottom of the windshield. "What's up?"

She looked up at him, but the words were no closer to coming than they had been before. "I--I don't know how to say this," she said awkwardly. Searching his expression, she couldn't help but remember all the times he had been there for her. He really was wonderful, in so many ways. How could this have happened? How could she be about to break up with him?

"How about just saying it?" he suggested gently, seeming to sense her distress. He reached out and stroked her hair. "You know you can tell me anything."

She took a deep breath, knowing it wouldn't get any easier if she waited. "I think--we should stop seeing each other."

It was the first thing she had said that he had no answer for, and she hated the way the words sounded before they were even out. She didn't know how else to say it, but she tried hastily to make it sound less harsh. "I mean, I think you're terrific, and you're the best thing to happen to me since I was a Power Ranger, and I love you, honestly I do..."

She trailed off at his bewildered expression, knowing that there was nothing that could balance out that horrible first sentence. "I'm sorry," she whispered at last.

"I don't understand," he said finally, studying her. "Are you--breaking up with me?"

She blinked her eyes quickly, trying to keep them dry. "Sort of... yeah. I'm sorry, Jake; you don't deserve this at all--"

"Then why?" he interrupted. "I don't get it. Is this just a school thing? Are you just upset about going back to school?"

She shook her head. "It isn't a school thing. It has nothing to do with that."

"Then why?" he repeated, frustrated. "Everything's been so great! I could never want anything more than us, and you said you didn't either. Why on Earth would you want to break up?"

*Not on Earth,* she thought, unbidden, as Saryn's unnaturally blue eyes seemed to gaze back at her from out of her memories. "Because..." She swallowed hard. "Because I was wrong when I said that. I'm sorry."

"You want something more?" he insisted. "What? Tell me, and I'll do it. You know I'd do anything to make you happy, Cassie."

She felt her tears threatening to spill over as she glanced over at him. She looked away quickly, shaking her head. "You can't do this. It isn't you, really; it's me. It's just--I thought I was happy with you--and I *was*," she said hastily. "But... I just can't marry you."

His expression cleared. "Oh, is that what this is about? Look, you know we can wait as long as you want. We haven't set a date, and I would never ask you to until you're ready. We'll wait till you're done with school, and then maybe we'll think about--"

"No," she interrupted. "No, it isn't that. Jake..." She held out the engagement ring he had given her, taking his hand and setting the ring in it when he made no move to take it back. "I can't marry you. Not someday, not maybe--not ever."

He frowned, clearly trying to stay patient. "But why *not*? You were so excited a few months ago; you said you thought I'd never ask."

"I thought I wanted to, then," she said softly.

"Then when did you change your mind?" he demanded.

She couldn't answer. She didn't want to hurt him by telling him she loved someone else, but more than that, she didn't want to hear his inevitable disapproval when he did find out.

"I know you too well," he said firmly. "There's never been anyone else; I would have known. You didn't start acting strangely until--"

He broke off abruptly, and she closed her eyes. A tear slipped loose with the motion, but she didn't dare turn. She didn't want to see his expression.

"No," Jake said. His voice was suddenly wary, empty of the pleading tone that had been in it before. "It isn't him. You told me you were over him, Cassie. I *believed* you when you said you were over him."

She sniffed a little, biting down harder on her lip as she tried to stay in control. "I believed me too," she whispered. "I never would have asked him to drive up with me if I thought I still had feelings for him."

"He went with you yesterday?" Jake exclaimed. "He slept in your room? Man, no wonder you didn't call me last night! I guess it'd be pretty inconvenient to have your old lover on the phone while your new one was sitting right there!"

Her head came up, and she glared at him. "That's not fair! We didn't--" She stumbled a little over the words, and she hated herself for it. "Nothing happened last night! He slept on the floor the whole night!" She couldn't help feeling horrified that he thought she would sleep with someone else when she was engaged to him, but she knew she had very little room to object.

When he sighed and lowered his gaze, she felt even worse. "I'm sorry," he told her reluctantly. "You're right. That was out of line. But one day with the guy tells you what? You see him for a few hours and all of a sudden we mean nothing?"

She winced. She didn't want to think about everything she still didn't know about him, but Jake had seen her hesitation.

"We have years between us, Cassie," he insisted, pressing his advantage. "He comes out of nowhere and you're going to just dump all of that like it doesn't matter? You said he used to do this all the time, remember? He'd show up for a little while and then vanish, and what did you have?"

"The memory," she mumbled miserably.

"And it took you months and months to get over that memory," he reminded her. "Don't do that to yourself again! You know I love you more than anything, and I'd never hurt you. What do you know about him, other than that he has a history of showing up for a day or two and then leaving without a word?"

She looked up at him slowly. "He wouldn't do that. Not this time." She tried to stop herself, but the words were her only defense and they tumbled out regardless. "He said he loves me."

"Well, isn't that great," Jake told her. "He can say it with the best of them. So what? You waited for him to come back for almost a year last time, all because he said he'd see you soon. Look how much of a lie that turned out to be!"

"Don't say that!" She felt another tear trickle down her face, and she brushed it away impatiently. "He wanted to come back. He was just... busy." She knew how weak the excuse sounded even as she said it, and she felt a flare of irritation for having to defend him. *He *could* have come back sooner.*

"Right, busy," Jake said dryly. "That's good. So next time he's 'busy', he'll leave you alone for another three years while he goes and does who-knows-what? That's really comforting."

She turned her back on him, and he sighed. "I just don't want to see you hurt, Cassie. Can you blame me for that? I love you, and I don't want you to give up what we have just because you've made this mysterious guy into the hero of your dreams."

She bristled, her anger keeping her tears at bay for the moment. "You know I'm not like that!"

"You're a dreamer," he interjected gently, before she could continue. "There's nothing wrong with that; in fact it's one of the things I love most about you. But you can't build a life on dreams alone."

She stared at him. *What's the point of having dreams if you don't chase them?* she wondered, but she didn't dare say it aloud. "But he isn't a dream! He's real; I can talk to him, touch him..." She stopped, too late, feeling a blush tinge her cheeks as she remembered how unshakably real *that* part of it was.

"Of course *he's* real," Jake said, not seeming to notice her discomfort. "But this vision that you have of him--that's not. You told me so yourself, remember?" he prompted, reaching out to tap her chin lightly.

She caught his eye again, sadly. "But I was wrong," she said. "Don't you see? I was upset then, mad at him for not being here--I thought if he really loved me he couldn't have stayed away so long. But he *does* love me; I know that now!"

Jake was shaking his head, and she wanted to shout at him to listen to her. "Cass, don't *you* see how easy it is to tell yourself that now, while he's here? What happens when he's gone again? You'll be right back where you started, and you'll just have to go through all that pain again.

"There's no miracle cure for life, you know," he said, while she was trying to figure out how to explain why this time was different. "Maybe you want a Prince Charming, but this isn't a fairytale. It's the real thing, with school and jobs and families all getting in the way. Love isn't the solution to all your problems, Cassie. It's just what makes all those problems worth it."

"I *know* it isn't a fairytale," she exclaimed, frustrated. He thought he knew her so well, and yet he wouldn't even listen. "And having him doesn't change any of that, but it's what I want! I want to be with him, Jake!"

He gave her a look like he had never seen her before and he wasn't pleased with what he was seeing now for the first time. "I thought you were smarter than that," he said at last. He slid off the hood of the car and regarded at her for another long moment before shaking his head. "I thought you were *older* than that. But maybe you two deserve each other. Just don't come crying to me when he takes off again."

He walked around the front of the car and jerked the driver's door open, climbing into the front seat and slamming the door shut behind him. Her eyes were still wide with shock when she heard the engine rumble to life, and she scrambled down off the hood of the car just before he put it in reverse and rolled out of the driveway without a backward glance. She heard the Jeep roar as he shoved the accelerator the floor and took off down the street, and she could feel tears springing to her eyes again.

"Maybe you two deserve each other." She knew what Jake thought of her former "crush"; there was a time when he had been very vocal about his feelings toward her mysterious Phantom. There was even a time when she had been glad to hear him say those things about Saryn, because it made her feel less alone. But it made those words all the more hurtful now. "Maybe you two deserve each other."

"Fuck you," she muttered half-heartedly, tearing her eyes away from the road.

She turned back to the house and started up the steps by rote, but she couldn't make herself go in. Ashley was inside, and her mom, and she didn't want to talk to anyone right now. Dropping down on the porch steps, she covered her face with her hands and tried not to think about anything.

It wasn't long before she heard someone on the other side of the screen door, and it had to be Ashley that stepped out onto the porch a moment later. She just stood there for a little while, then, finally, sat down beside Cassie without a word.

Cassie didn't move, hoping her best friend would just go away. She didn't want to talk, she didn't want to explain, she didn't want anything except to be left alone. She couldn't believe she had just done that to Jake. She couldn't believe it was all over; time between them erased like it had never been. Even if he ever spoke to her again, nothing would be the same.

"Breaking up sucks," Ashley said at last, quietly.

Cassie squeezed her eyes shut, ignoring the tears she could no longer contain. "What do you know," she muttered. "He wasn't your fiancé."

"No," Ashley agreed softly. "But you couldn't stay with him if you loved someone else."

"I didn't want to love anyone else." She wiped her face with her sleeve before burying it in her hands again. "Love sucks. I just wanted to get married to Jake and live happily ever after. Why did *he* have to show up?"

"At least he came now," Ashley murmured. "He could have come back after you were married or something."

"He could have come back right after the war."

Ashley sighed a little. "Yeah. He could have." She felt her friend's arm go around her shoulders and she leaned against her, letting Ashley hold her while she cried.

She couldn't truly be mad at Saryn for coming back; he hadn't done it with the intention of breaking her and Jake up. It wasn't his fault that she'd never gotten over him, and it certainly wasn't his fault that she'd acted on those feelings. He had tried to be a perfect gentleman, he had tried so hard, but he could only take so much when she stopped making things easy for him.

She couldn't be mad at Jake, either; there was nothing she could blame him for in all this. Maybe he had tried to make her fall in love with him, but she had let it happen. He hadn't forced her to forget Saryn; he had told her he would wait as long as it took for her to be comfortable with him, and if it never happened that was all right too. He had trusted her when she said she was over Saryn, and he had still trusted her when Saryn turned up on their doorstep again the day before.

The problem was that without being able to blame anyone else, the only one she could fault was herself. She had made a mess of everything. She had waited for Saryn to come to her when she could just as easily have gone looking for him. She had let Jake sweep her off her feet the way she had once dreamed Saryn would. She had just allowed everything to happen around her, and now she was paying the price.

Now, to be happy, she had to somehow try and undo the last three years. She had to fix everything she had let happen, and there was no "rewind" or even "pause" to help her out. She had to do the best she could while life was still in progress, and somehow she wasn't sure her best was going to be good enough.

"Hey," she heard Ashley whisper. "It's going to be okay."

"I know," she mumbled, not convinced. How much of this could have been avoided if things had been different a few years before?

"You don't really wish he hadn't come back, do you?" Ashley asked quietly.

Cassie sniffed, not moving. "He screwed everything up. It would have been fine if he had just stayed where he was. I never would have known the difference."

"But do you wish he hadn't come?" Ashley persisted.

She straightened slowly, resting her arms on her knees again and staring down at the steps. "No," she admitted softly. "I wish... I wish I didn't have to break up with Jake. But I don't wish he hadn't come back."

Ashley breathed out in amusement. "Hard to have both, though."

Cassie scrubbed at her face again, blinking back a few leftover tears. "Yeah," she said, with a small smile. "I guess."

"It'll work out," Ashley promised, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly. "Things always do, you know. One way or the other."

"It's 'the other' that I'm worried about," Cassie murmured, taking a deep breath. The urge to cry had faded, but in its place was a feeling of calm that she knew wouldn't last. It was a precarious calm; one that would let her function only as long as no one said the wrong thing or asked the wrong questions.

"It's okay," Ashley said, giving her another quick hug. "You did the right thing."

She swallowed hard, feeling her composure threatened already. "No I didn't," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. She heard the waver in it anyway, and she blinked quickly in a vain attempt to hold back more tears.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Ashley asked, immediately concerned. "You were right to break up with him. I heard you talking before I called Jake, so I know you and Saryn made plans to meet tonight--you can't be engaged to one person and date someone else at the same time."

"I know," Cassie said, sniffing again and brushing the tears away impatiently. She'd had enough sobbing for one afternoon. "That's not what I meant."

"Cassie," her friend said, eyeing her with a sort of tentatively amused expression. "Are you going to 'fess up, or do I have to drag it out of you?"

"I--" She couldn't help smiling a little at her friend's knowing tone. "We... kind of kissed," she admitted, rubbing her eyes and taking another deep breath. Jake was gone. There was nothing more she could do to make things right between them. She had broken up with him, and though it had been every bit as hard as she had expected, now she had to keep going.

"Well, I sort of figured that," Ashley said, looking disappointed. "You make it sound terrible."

"We didn't--just kiss," she said, feeling her lips twitch at Ashley's immediate interest. "It was--umm... well, trust me. It wasn't something you do when you're engaged to someone else."

"Did you sleep with him or not?" Ashley demanded.

Cassie looked down again, feeling her cheeks heat up as she tried not to think about it. "Well... maybe."

"Maybe?" Ashley repeated, obviously enjoying her friend's discomfort. "You don't 'maybe' sleep with someone, Cass. You either did or you didn't."

Cassie glanced over her shoulder at the screen door and then glared at her. Ashley clapped a hand over her mouth and glanced inside as well, but her mother was nowhere to be seen. "Sorry," she whispered. "So? Did you or didn't you?"

She hesitated, but Ashley made an impatient gesture with her hand, and finally she admitted, "Did."

Ashley let out a sigh of relief. "I knew it. You should have seen how jealous he was when he saw Jake kiss you yesterday!"

Torn between embarrassment and curiosity, she was totally unprepared for Ashley's next statement. "That's ten bucks for me!"

Cassie stared at her in surprise. "What did you just say?"

"Oh," Ashley said, pretending to be embarrassed and not doing a very good job of it, "Andros and I had a little bet. Nothing important."

"You bet on us?" Cassie hissed. "I can't believe you!"

Ashley shrugged a little. "Come on, Cass. It was either you two or Zhane and Kerone, and Kerone does nasty things to us when we make bets about them."

"So you bet on whether or not I'd sleep with Saryn?" Cassie couldn't decide whether to be outraged or just laugh.

"Well, Andros wanted to keep it to kissing, but we both agreed you'd do that so there wasn't much fun there."

"You have no life," Cassie informed her.

Ashley grinned. "Just because I only sleep with my future husband doesn't mean I have no life. Hey," she added suddenly. "What was it like, by the way? I mean, he is an alien and all--did you really do it? Or did you just... you know?"

She blushed furiously, but she couldn't resist her friend's conspiratorial tone. "We really did it," she mumbled, glancing over her shoulder at the door again. "He's--" She looked back at Ashley's expectant expression and bit her lip in an effort not to giggle. "You wouldn't know he isn't human."

"So?" Ashley leaned closer and whispered, "Is he good?"

This time she did giggle, but she nodded emphatically. "There was another girl," she said softly. "I think she was the only one, but they must have been together for a long time, because... wow."

"What happened to her?" Ashley asked, diverted.

Cassie looked down. "She was one of the other Rangers for his planet."

"Oh." Ashley looked chagrinned. "Sorry." There was a brief pause, then she said, "Okay, back to the topic."

Cassie felt her lips twitch, and she looked up to see her friend grinning at her. "So we've established he's good all-around," Ashley continued. "What about kissing in particular? Say you had to rate him, one to ten."

She sighed inadvertently, feeling warmth steal through her as she remembered his uncontrolled kisses on the floor of her dorm room. "Ten."

"Hey, he has one point on Jake!" Ashley exclaimed.

A gentle rap on the screen door made them both jump, and they turned to see Ashley's mom regarding them through the screen door. "Are you watching the time?" she asked, pretending not to notice their guilty expressions. "I don't want you to miss your bus, Cassie."

Cassie glanced down at her watch automatically. "Yeah, I should get going," she agreed, scrambling to her feet. She might not have to catch the bus, but she didn't want to explain why right now, and besides, Saryn would be waiting.

"Cassie." Ashley's mom stopped her before she could grab her backpack. "Are you all right? You and Jake didn't fight, did you?"

She froze, clenching her left hand and putting it behind her back as though she could somehow prevent this conversation. "Kind of," she mumbled, looking over at Ashley.

Ashley shrugged helplessly, though her expression was sympathetic. She probably didn't want to say anything for fear she'd mention something Cassie hadn't meant anyone else to hear yet.

"We're not together anymore," Cassie blurted out, wanting to just get it over with. "I--I gave him the ring back."

"Cassie, why?" Ashley's mom asked, sounding genuinely concerned as she stepped out onto the porch. "You and Jake are so happy together; what could have made you break up?"

Cassie sighed, not wanting to go through this again. It had been hard enough to explain to Jake. It would be impossible to explain to anyone else. "I just... I don't love him as much as I thought I did, that's all."

"That's all? Yesterday you were upset that he couldn't come with you to move you in to Serifalls, and now you don't love him 'as much as you thought'?"

"Mom," Ashley said quickly. "Cassie really needs to get to the bus stop. Maybe she could call you tonight or something."

"There's someone else," Cassie muttered, not wanting them to start arguing over her.

"Since when?" the older woman inquired mildly. "That's an easy answer, Cassie, and you're not the type."

"It's true," Ashley put in, glancing sideways at her friend. "I've, um, met him."

"Then who is he?" her mother wanted to know.

Cassie shifted uncomfortably, glancing covertly at her watch. At least maybe they would have time to calm down once she'd left, and this could blow over in a semi-peaceful way. "It's Saryn," she said quietly.

"Saryn who?"

Ashley gave an exasperated sigh. "Saryn, the Phantom Ranger. I told you he was here yesterday, and that he went with Cassie to help at move-in."

"Yes," her mother agreed. "I'm only asking for his last name."

"I don't think he has one," Ashley said, glancing at her friend again. When Cassie said nothing, she added, "You know, like Andros. It's no big deal."

"But do you know?" her mother persisted, and this time there was silence until Cassie shook her head. "So you've broken off your engagement to a boy you've known for two and a half years to be with someone you'd never met until yesterday, and you don't even know his full name."

"I'm not asking anyone to understand," Cassie said, scuffing the toe of her sandal against the ground. "I just know I love him, and I couldn't wear Jake's ring knowing that."

No one said anything for a few moments, and finally Cassie reached down and grabbed her backpack. She swung it over her shoulder and said quietly, "Bye. I'll e-mail you when I get there."

"Cass, wait." Ashley leapt up the porch steps, saying, "Let me get my keys and I'll give you a ride to the bus stop." She disappeared inside the house before Cassie could protest, and she was left to wait in uncomfortable silence.

"Cassie," Ashley's mom said at last. "I just hope you're not making a big mistake here. I only want you to be happy, you know."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Cassie burst out. "You want me to be happy, Jake wants me to be happy--but no one wants me to do what I know will *make* me happy!"

The other woman sighed, and held out her arms for a hug. Cassie stepped forward reluctantly, hugging her back as her friend's mother told her, "We're just trying to watch out for you. Remember, you'll always have us."

She looked down at the steps as she pulled away, fighting her tears again. *She doesn't think it will work either.* Would this really turn out to be her biggest mistake? Everyone else seemed to think so, and she hated the loneliness of being the only "crazy" person around.

"Okay," Ashley said, a tad breathless as she ducked through the screen door again and darted down the front steps. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah," she said. Lifting her head again, she followed Ashley to her car and climbed into the passenger seat. She waved half-heartedly as they pulled out of the driveway, but she couldn't help thinking her friend's mother was shaking her head as the car drove away.

She sighed, leaning her head against the back of the seat. "This sucks," she said, mostly to herself.

"Hey," Ashley chided. "I thought we'd gotten past the sucking part. We were onto... kissing, I think."

Cassie felt her lips quirk at the way that had come out, but she didn't take the bait. "Maybe."

"Definitely," Ashley said firmly. "Look, you have to do what your heart tells you, no matter what anyone else says. That's one of the basic rules of love, remember?"

"I guess," Cassie murmured, but her friend's certainty was reassuring. Of course, it was easy for Ashley to be sure; she and Andros had been together practically since they'd met. But it was a relief to have her best friend on her side.

"Cassie." Ashley's tone was stern as the car turned onto the main street. "You always used to say he'd come back. And he *did*. Don't let anyone tell you this is wrong just because it's... a little unconventional."

She smiled at that, turning her head to make sure her friend saw her. "A *little* unconventional," she repeated, and Ashley shook her head.

"Well, you never could do anything the normal way. Hey, speaking of your lover boy, there he is now. Did you tell him to meet you here?"

Cassie nodded wordlessly, not trusting herself to speak after the "lover boy" comment.

"Good." Ashley gave an exaggerated sigh of relief as she pulled up in front of the bus stop. "I was going to be a little worried if he was already stalking you or something. So you're going to call me tonight, right?"

"Yeah," Cassie said, still smiling as she pushed the car door open. "Thanks, Ash. For everything."

"Hey, what are friends for? Keep me updated!" Ashley waved at her as she closed the door. Then the car pulled away from the curb again, heading on down the street to take the back way home.

***

He watched her climb out of the car, reaching back to grab her bag before she pushed the door shut behind her. She waved after her friend, then turned to look for him. He smiled tentatively as she caught sight of him, and the look of undisguised relief on her face reassured him.

She walked over to him, yanking the second strap of her backpack over her shoulder as she smiled back at him. "You have *no* idea how glad I am to see you," she said, keeping her voice low as she joined him.

"Almost as glad as I am to see you," he suggested, longing to pull her into a hug but not sure it was the right thing to do. He settled for resting his hand on her shoulder as his fingers played with her hair, but she took it as the invitation it was and stepped closer.

"No," she said, wrapping her arms around his waist as she leaned against him. "Much, much more glad than that."

"I don't think so," he countered, hugging her hard. He wouldn't tell her that he had been half-afraid she and Jake would reconcile, that the fear that she would show up at the bus stop with her fiancé instead of Ashley had been tormenting him ever since he left her at her friend's house. But he was terribly grateful to see her here alone, to have her arms around him again and to hear her say she was glad to see him.

"I do," she said, leaning back to stare at him.

"I don't," he maintained, responding to the challenge in her tone.

"I do," she insisted, and before he could answer she had pressed her lips to his. Her kiss was as welcome as her sudden presence, and it was hard to muster up the appropriate indignation when she pulled away.

"That was unfair," he told her, trying not to smile at her smug expression.

"But it was more fun than arguing," she pointed out.

"And it conveniently let you get the last word," he retorted, though he couldn't disagree about that.

"But--"

This time he kissed her, gently, but thoroughly enough that she couldn't continue. He wasn't sure what he expected when he let her go, but she smiled up at him, dropping all pretense of argument. "Now we're even," she murmured.

The rush of air and the squeal of brakes announced the arrival of her bus, and she glanced over her shoulder nervously. "You're sure I don't have to be on that, right?"

He smiled, taking her hand and pulling her away from the bus stop as the doors opened. "I'm sure. You can be at Serifalls right now if you want to be."

She gave him a surprised look. "Really?"

"Do you want to be there?" he countered.

She hesitated only a moment. "I guess so..."

He tugged her off the sidewalk, ducking behind the hedge that lined the main street and broke only briefly in front of the bus stop. She paused when he did, looking at him expectantly, and he pulled her a little closer. It wasn't necessary, but it was a good excuse, and he put his arm around her shoulders as he closed his eyes.

He felt the air change as the swirls of red swept across his vision, and when he opened his eyes again the late afternoon sunlight was streaming through the window of her small room. He glanced over at her and saw her staring around in surprise.

"You can still teleport," she said, tilting her head to look up at him at last.

"Of course." He let his arm slide off her shoulders, but she didn't step away. "Can't you?"

She actually laughed. "Saryn, if I could still teleport, why would I bother taking the bus back to school?"

For the first time, the true significance of the watch on her left wrist struck him. "You no longer have your morpher."

She shook her head. "We left them on the Megaship. It was safer than trying to keep track of them ourselves when we weren't wearing them. We just don't need them anymore, not since Zordon's energy wave."

"I see," he said, trying to imagine that. No one had *needed* a morpher since the last war, but he couldn't conceive of being without his. Being a Ranger was so much a part of him that it simply hadn't occurred to him to give it up.

"You have yours?" she asked.

Wordlessly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his ruby. She stared at it for a moment, then lifted her eyes to his again. "I suppose the red should have clued me in the first time I saw you," she murmured.

He looked down at it, a little uncomfortable. "I'm sorry for..." He remembered Ashley's words the day before, and he repeated, "everything that didn't happen. You don't know how many times I regretted not speaking to you when I was on Earth the first time."

"Why didn't you?" she asked frankly, reaching out to touch the stone in his hand.

She drew back in surprise when he caught her hand, but she didn't object. He put the ruby into her hand and stepped back, watching her reaction. "I was afraid," he said quietly. "It isn't everyday that you look into someone's eyes and know in an instant that they could be everything that gives your life meaning."

She had been staring down at the ruby in her hand, but she looked up at that. "Being afraid isn't a very good reason, then," she said, with a small smile.

"No," he agreed. "But fear is the hardest feeling to overcome."

"Yeah," she said softly, looking down again. "I guess it is."

"You were not afraid?" he asked, not sure what he wanted the answer to be.

She hesitated. "I was terrified," she admitted. "Sometimes for you... sometimes of you. I think--maybe I still am," she said, searching his expression.

"Terrified?" he echoed.

"Well... at least really scared," she said, not taking her eyes off of him. "Of where we're going. What can happen, really? I don't know how long you're staying, or how much you even want to stay, or what I'm going to do when you leave--"

"Cassie," he interrupted, moving closer instinctively and wrapping his arms around her. "It's all right. This means as much to me as it does to you. Probably more."

She hit his shoulder half-heartedly as she leaned into his embrace. "Does not."

"Does," he disagreed, trying not to smile.

"Does *not*."

"Stop arguing," he told her sternly. "I know my heart, and it wants you. Forever."

She stilled at that, and he held his breath in the sudden silence. "Forever--like the rest of our lives?" she asked timidly.

"Longer," he murmured, turning his head to kiss the top of hers.

"Forever like getting married, forever?" she persisted.

"I wouldn't ask you to get married unless you wanted to," he said, not entirely sure of the custom behind the ring she had worn up until a few hours ago. But Andros had wanted it for himself and Ashley, and if it meant forever, that was what he wanted with Cassie, too.

"Silly," she mumbled. "That's why you're supposed to propose. So you'll know."

He put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her a little away from him so he could look into her eyes. "Then tell me what I must do to 'propose'."

She folded her arms across her chest. "You have to go down on one knee and say, 'Cassie, will you marry me?' Then you have to wait till I say 'yes', and you have to look relieved, like you weren't sure I was going to agree. Then you can kiss me and tell me you love me."

He felt his lips twitch, and he fought to stifle a smile as he went down on one knee. "Cassie," he said carefully, gazing up at her. "Will you marry me?"

She stared back at him, arms still folded, and he was completely unprepared when she burst into tears. "What's wrong?" he asked, bewildered. Standing, he took a step closer to her and she turned away.

"This won't work," she said, hunching over as she sat down on the edge of her bed. She lifted one hand, making a token effort to wipe away tears that just kept coming. "It can't work, Saryn; I don't know why you're even trying."

She didn't move when he sat down beside her, but he didn't dare try and touch her. "What won't work?" he asked gingerly, hating to see her cry. What had he done wrong?

"Us!" She pulled back further onto the bed, gathering her legs up to sit cross-legged and lean her elbows on her knees. "We're from different *worlds*! How can we ever be together like that?"

"We're together now," he pointed out, not understanding what had prompted her outburst. "What's wrong with wanting it to stay that way?"

"I *do* want it to stay that way," she protested, sniffling as she tried again to dry her tears. "But you wouldn't want to live here, and I can't go to Elisia, so how can it?"

Unable to stand it any longer, he reached out and pulled her hand away from her face. He stroked her cheeks gently, brushing her tears away and sighing as new ones took their place. "I would stay here on Earth if it was the only way to be with you," he told her, though inwardly he flinched at the thought of leaving his own world permanently. "And there is no reason you can't come to Elisia. But in the end, what does it matter? You and Jake weren't always near each other, but you still maintained a relationship."

"He was in another *town*," she insisted, though she seemed a little calmer now. Lifting her hand to her face again, she scrubbed her own tears away without immediately replacing them. "You're from another planet!"

For a moment, he wasn't sure what to say to that. He certainly couldn't dispute it--but as he glanced down, the red stone in her other hand caught his eye and he smiled a little. "So is Andros," he reminded her, meeting her gaze once more. "It does not keep him away from Ashley."

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She hesitated, then finally pressed her lips together again and stared up at him. "You're right," she admitted quietly. "They manage."

"So can we," he said firmly. "All we have to do is try."

"Yes," she said at last. Her smile was tremulous as she added, "Yes, I'll marry you. If you still want me." She wiped away the last of her tears impatiently. "I'm such a wreck today; *I* can't even believe it. I'm not always like this, honest."

"I think you're wonderful," he whispered, reaching out to touch her face again. "This is the part where I get to kiss you?"

Her smile strengthened a little, and she shook her head. "You forgot to look relieved."

He couldn't keep himself from smiling, and as he leaned closer he whispered, "I'm so relieved."

She shook her head and started to draw back. "Uh-uh, you don't sound very relieved to--"

He kissed her, sliding one hand around behind her head to keep her from pulling away. She squirmed a little, but she relaxed against him almost immediately and he felt her arms go around him as she started to return his kiss. He shifted, slipping his free arm around her waist and kissing her harder, careful to keep his hands from wandering too far.

She turned her head, and he forbid himself to kiss her again, but it didn't work. He kissed her temple gently, stroking her hair with his hand, and his heart melted as he heard her whisper, "I love you."

"I love you too," he murmured, running his hand through her hair again and resting his cheek against hers. "Thank you for... believing in me. In us."

He could hear her swallow, so close, and her arms tightened around him as she hugged him hard. "Thank you for giving me something to believe *in*," she whispered back. Her voice sounded choked, but before he could answer there was the sound of loud banging out in the hallway.

"Jean!" he heard someone yell. "Leah! It's the block party or no dinner, so get out here!"

Neither of them moved for a moment, and then he heard a door open across the hall. He could hear someone talking, presumably Jean or Leah, and then the first voice answering. "There isn't a lot of privacy here, is there," he murmured, amused that he could pick up the entire conversation.

He felt her shake her head as she pulled away. "No," she admitted, lowering her head quickly. He saw her rub her eyes before looking up again, giving him a bright smile in return for his concerned look. "But they're right; if we want dinner, we should get moving."

"Dinner?" he asked uncertainly.

"Hungry?" she countered, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and looking down at her hands.

He was a little surprised to see that she still held the ruby he had given her earlier, though when he tried he couldn't remember her giving it back. "Do you still--um, need this?" she asked abruptly, holding it up.

He shrugged. "Only when I'm morphed. Since I don't think that would be wise here, no, I don't. Why?"

She giggled a little, and he raised an eyebrow at her. "I was--" She giggled again, and he couldn't help smiling at her obvious amusement. "I was trying to picture the Phantom Ranger walking around campus."

"Do they know who you are?" he asked, suddenly curious.

She shook her head. "No. Just a few people in Angel Grove. Well..." She hesitated. "A lot of people in Angel Grove. But it didn't get as far as it might have. There weren't any cameras there when we morphed, and the police were all too happy to frighten reporters away for us afterwards. There were a lot of people willing to help us sort of... cover things up."

He sighed. "It's terrible that you have to hide your identity that way."

She gave him a startled look. "We were lucky. There were a few days when it looked like there might be chaos, but people really rallied around us. The few who didn't were mostly discredited, but I can't even imagine what things would be like if the whole world had found out that I was... well, you know."

"The Pink Ranger," he said firmly. "You were the Pink Ranger. And you still are. It's something to be proud of, Cassie, not something you should have to hide."

"I am proud of it," she insisted. "That was the best year of my life! But it's over now, and if everyone knew who we were we'd never have any privacy again."

He looked down, troubled, but not willing to offend her by saying anything against her world. Instead, he settled for, "You'd like Elisia, I think. I hope you will visit sometime."

She smiled a little. "That much better than Earth, huh?"

"No," he said quickly, catching her eye. "I didn't mean it that way--"

"I know," she interrupted, still smiling. "I was just kidding. I'd love to see your world."

He smiled back, relieved. "Good," he said. "I would have been disappointed if you'd said you didn't."

She giggled, throwing her arms around him once more. "How could I not want to see it? I want to know everything about you. And I want to know about Elisia, and your friends, and the new Ranger team, and where you live, and what the stars look like, and--"

He chuckled himself when he realized that she would just keep going until he stopped her. "Then you will," he promised, hearing her quiet as soon as he spoke. "You have only to say the word and we'll go."

"Thank you!" She pulled back to kiss him once more before bouncing up off the bed. He smiled as she rummaged through her backpack, glad to see her happy once again.

Pulling something out of her bag, he saw the flash of plastic before she stuffed the card into her pocket. Then she turned to him and cocked her head. "You never said anything about dinner--are you hungry?"

"Yes," he admitted, unable to stop smiling.

Her lips quirked. "What's so funny?"

"It isn't that," he said, shaking his head and trying to smooth his expression out. It proved impossible, and finally he gave up. "I just... I'm just realizing that--we're actually here. *I'm* actually here, with you... and it's wonderful."

Her expression softened, and she sighed softly. "I'm so glad you came."

"Me too," he agreed quietly.

The sound of pounding feet in the hallway made her start, and he heard someone yell, "Hall sports!"

She giggled. "If you can stand even one night here now that the dorm's full, I'll be impressed."

He caught his breath. "Can I--stay? Overnight, I mean?"

She shifted, just enough that he couldn't tell if her pose was deliberately provocative or only coincidental. "You did last night," she said innocently.

He gave her a wry look. "That's not quite what I meant."

She smiled, and her soft words were at odds with the teasing look that lingered on her face. "I... I'd like to wake up with you again."

"So you can trip over me again?" he suggested.

She giggled. "I'm not spending the night on the floor, so if you want to be with me you'd better sleep on the bed."

He sat further back on her mattress and lay down, resting his head on her pillow as he looked over at her expectantly. She clapped her hand over her mouth, but her eyes were laughing at him and he could tell she was grinning. "Wait, hold still," she said, looking around the room.

He raised an eyebrow as she turned to her desk, yanking open one drawer after another. Finally she pulled something out and held it up, turning to him with an impish look on her face. "Smile!"

He couldn't help smiling at her obvious delight, though he had no idea what she meant to do. Then a white light flashed at him, and he blinked as she lowered the object in her hands. "You're so cute," she said, doing something to it and tossing it to him. "Want to take one of me?"

He caught it automatically, then glanced back at her. "What is it?"

"Camera," she said, coming over to him as he sat up. "It takes still pictures of people, but you have to go and get them developed."

He gave her an apologetic look. "I've never been very good with recording devices."

"No, it's easy," she said, perching on the bed beside him and reaching over his shoulder. "See, you slide this part open, and then you look through here. When you push this button, you get a picture of whatever you see through the window."

"I'm familiar with the concept," he said dryly. "But my comment stands."

She drew back, sitting cross-legged on the bed as she faced him. "Just try," she coaxed. "It doesn't really matter how it comes out. It's just fun to take the pictures."

He lifted the camera reluctantly, staring through it at her, and he smiled as soon as she did. "You're beautiful," he murmured, and her smiled widened. He pushed the button, and the device flashed again.

"See, that wasn't so hard," she said cheerfully, taking it from him and closing it again. She tossed it down on her bed as she got up again. "We'd better get going before all the food's gone."

"Food sounds good," he said fervently, getting to his feet, and she gave him a sheepish look.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to make you wait."

"I'd rather wait with you than eat with anyone else," he offered.

"But I bet you'd rather eat with me than anything," she said with a grin, reaching for his hand. "So let's go."

He smiled, taking her hand and letting her lead him out into the hall. She paused outside the door and patted her pocket with her free hand. "Okay: key, ID. That's good." Then she pulled the door shut and tested the knob, apparently satisfied when it wouldn't turn. "We'll have to walk a ways for dinner," she said apologetically, as they started down the hall again. "I hope you don't mind."

He shook his head, squeezing her hand. "Nothing I do with you could be unpleasant."

She smiled up at him and moved a little closer, bumping her shoulder against his as they walked. "Same here. Everything is fun with you."

As they rounded the corner by the stairs, she added, "Oh, I meant to tell you, they lock the doors at seven. Your key will only get you into my room; you won't be able to get in through the dorm doors after they're locked."

He pushed the door open for her and she stepped through, pointing at a black box off to one side. "That's the card reader. It unlocks the doors for a few seconds to let in students with IDs. See--" She fished her plastic ID card out of her pocket and slid it through the box. "If the doors were locked, they'd let me in now."

He frowned at the card in her hand. "How does it work?"

She looked at it, surprised. "I don't know. It's magnetic, I think. Why?"

"May I borrow it sometime, and scan it?" he asked, as she looked up. "I might be able to duplicate it."

She stared at him. "You're kidding."

He shook his head, and a grin crept across her face. "Don't tell anyone that, okay? You could do a great black market business with fake ID cards."

"I have no motivation other than my desire not to get locked out of your building," he assured her.

She laughed. "I know. You can definitely borrow it, but until then--" She pointed down the exterior of the dorm. "That's my window, the single one right near the tree. If you get locked out when you're not with me, you can knock and I'll come let you in."

"If it is nighttime and I am not with you," he said quietly, smiling at her, "the loss is mine."

"Oh, but during the day it's no big deal," she teased. "Men. You're all the same."

"That was intended as a compliment," he told her, his smile widening. "But I remind you that this morning was *your* idea, not mine."

"It was not!" she retorted indignantly.

"It was!" This was indisputable; she had kissed *him* first, and it had been her idea to move to the back seat.

"Was not!"

The door slammed open again, and he stepped out of the way just as two more people emerged from the dorm. One of them he recognized from yesterday, but the other was a stranger.

"Oh, how cute," Phil remarked, pausing to nod to him. "A lovers' quarrel. Haven't you got her in line yet?"

"Shut up, Phil!" Cassie exclaimed. "And it isn't a lovers' quarrel!"

He leered at her. "Yeah? So are you free or what?"

Saryn took an instinctive step forward, and Phil backed off hastily.

"No, he's just kidding, Saryn," Cassie said, obviously trying to suppress a giggle. "He thinks sexual harassment is a joke."

"It was just a question!" Phil protested, eyeing Saryn. "You're awfully defensive. You sure you're just a friend?"

He didn't mean to, but he glanced at Cassie anyway and found her looking sideways at him. Phil didn't miss the exchange, and he nodded wisely. "Right. Didn't think so." He walked off without another word, his friend trailing behind.

Cassie rolled her eyes. "I swear, Phil is one of the weirdest people I know. Not in a good way, but not really in a bad way, either. I've known him for a year and a half, and the only thing I really know about him is that he almost never means what he says."

"It's hard to have a conversation with someone like that," Saryn said, following her as she moved away from the door.

"You'd know," she said wryly. "He's like that all the time. I've never talked to him when he was actually serious. At least, I don't think I have. Maybe I wouldn't be able to tell."

"I still don't like the way he looked at you," he muttered.

He felt her hand slide into his again, and when he glanced over at her she was smiling at him. "That's sweet... but I don't think he'll do it again. Not after the way you glared at him," she said, giggling.

He shrugged, taking careful note of their route as they left Serifalls behind. "I didn't mean to. Not that I wouldn't have done it if I'd thought about it," he added darkly.

She giggled again, squeezing his hand. "I love you, you know."

His irritation dissolved, and he felt himself smiling again. "I love you, too."

***

Cassie rolled her eyes as she made herself comfortable on the ground. "You would like hot dogs. Those things are terrible for you, you know," she informed him.

He only shrugged. "They taste good. And after attending more than my share of diplomatic functions, I can assure you that taste is a luxury. I've come to believe that as long as it is digestible, there's nothing intrinsically bad about it."

"Hi Cassie!"

She looked up, her smile fading as she searched the crowds gathered on the lawn in front of the president's office. The main street had been blocked off so that the university picnic could expand in all directions, and a good number of the town's residents had come to join them as well. It was almost impossible to pick anyone out, but finally she caught sight of Marissa waving to her.

"Hey!" she shouted back, gesturing at her friend to come over. "That's Marissa," she said quietly, leaning toward Saryn. "We've been in a lot of theatre classes together, and that's Colleen and Joy with her. Joy sings, and Colleen and Marissa are drama majors."

"Drama majors?" he repeated, but before she could explain the other girls were close enough to overhear.

"Hey guys," she said, smiling up at her friends. "This is Saryn. Saryn, this is Marissa, and Colleen, and Joy."

She saw him nod politely at them, and then added, "Hello," when all three of them said "hi" or waved as they were sitting down. "So how was summer?" she asked, shifting to give Saryn more room as he moved closer to her.

"It was great," Colleen put in enthusiastically. "I met this guy--"

"Hey," Joy cut her off, staring at Cassie. "Since when are you not engaged anymore?"

Colleen gave her friend an irritated look, but when she turned her gaze on Cassie she didn't look any less annoyed. "What's this? What happened to Jake?"

Cassie sighed, looking around for a napkin as she set her cheeseburger down. "Maybe I just took my ring off and forgot to put it back on; did you ever think of that? Why do you immediately assume Jake and I broke up?"

"Well, did you?" Marissa wanted to know.

Saryn offered her his napkin, and she took it gratefully. "Thanks," she said, smiling at him.

"Oh, I know that look," Colleen said with a grin. "You're with him now, aren't you."

"Darn!" Joy exclaimed, then blushed when Colleen and Cassie both turned to stare at her. "Well, come on. You can't blame me for hoping."

Saryn just shook his head and started on his second hot dog, pointedly ignoring them. Cassie giggled, but she knew Marissa hadn't been diverted. And she might as well get used to explaining. "Jake and I--broke up." It was harder to say than she had expected, but she made herself keep going so it wouldn't be so obvious. "Saryn and I are just..."

Now she was stuck, and looking at him didn't help. He paused and glanced over at her, clearly waiting on her answer as much as any of her friends. "Well, we sort of knew each other in high school. When I was in high school," she amended. "Now we're kind of--"

"Getting back together?" Marissa suggested. "That's so romantic!"

"Poor Jake," Joy said thoughtfully, then exclaimed as Colleen elbowed her. "Ow! I'm sorry, okay? I'm just trying to think of everyone here."

"Well, I think that's great," Marissa said firmly. She looked up as a hamburger appeared in front of her, and Cassie grinned as *Marissa's* high school sweetheart sat down beside her. "Thanks honey," she said, tilting her head up for a kiss.

Dan kissed her, then turned his attention back to his own food. "So are we going to eat this here, or go watch the movie? What's the verdict?"

Marissa shrugged, glancing around at her friends. "We were thinking of going back to my room just to get away from the crowd," she told Cassie. "Do you guys want to come?"

"I'm still in," Colleen said, getting to her feet. "But since me and Joy don't have anyone to wait on us, we'll have to catch up with you after we get our food."

Joy bounced up, and Cassie caught Saryn's eye. "Do you want to go?"

He shrugged. "It's up to you. I wouldn't mind going somewhere quieter, but this is fine too."

"Sounds like a yes to me," Marissa said, grinning. "We'll meet you guys at my room, okay?" she asked Joy and Colleen, and Cassie stood up just as Saryn finished his hot dog.

"Are you still hungry?" she asked, holding out her hand to help him up. "You can have as much as you want, you know."

"Plus there's dessert," Marissa added helpfully. "They have ice cream bars!"

"Oh, where?" Cassie turned where she was, trying to figure out where the desserts were. "I want one! But Saryn doesn't like chocolate."

"What?" She turned back just in time to see Marissa staring at Saryn as though he was from another planet, which he was. "You don't like *chocolate*?"

"All right!" Dan exclaimed, startling Cassie. "Join the club, man. I thought I was the only person on campus who didn't like chocolate."

Marissa just sighed. "Well, I guess they make up for it in other ways," she said, but she didn't sound very sure.

Cassie laughed, linking her arm through Saryn's. "They usually have cookies and stuff, too, if you want dessert that doesn't have chocolate."

"Yeah, it's not the end of the world," Dan said, putting his free arm around his girlfriend's shoulders. "Although some people would have you believe otherwise."

Marissa just sighed again. "Doesn't like chocolate," she repeated sadly. "It's a terrible thing."

***

Marissa too had her own room, Saryn discovered, and it was, if possible, smaller than Cassie's. When she first opened the door, he wasn't entirely sure that six people would actually fit inside. But it turned out that, since Dan and Marissa counted themselves as one person, it was possible to fit most of the girls--and Dan--on the bed, while Joy sat in Marissa's desk chair and Saryn offered to sit on the floor.

Cassie protested immediately, of course, saying there was plenty of room for him on the bed. There wasn't, especially since he wasn't sure how close she wanted to be to him in public. And it was easier to simply lean back against the bed and not have to worry about her nearness completely distracting him while he was expected to be watching a movie.

At least, so he had supposed. It turned out there was very little movie watching involved, though it provided some background entertainment. Colleen and Cassie and Joy talked through most of the beginning, making him totally confused when he tried to follow both conversations. Dan would periodically tell them to be quiet, but with Marissa in his arms he didn't seem too concerned with enforcing it.

Finally, Saryn gave up on trying to comprehend the movie at all and just listened to the girls talk. That made things far easier, until he felt the mattress shift behind him and Cassie's hands started to rub his shoulders. "Backrub?" she offered quietly, and he couldn't say no.

Colleen kept talking, and Cassie's hands started to ease some of the tension from his shoulders. He relaxed a little, trying to stay on top of the conversation so he wouldn't think too hard about her. But when Joy said something he felt Cassie turn a little, and then her fingers were smoothing his hair absently and it was suddenly that much harder to focus on anything else.

He couldn't help remembering the look in her eyes that morning, when she had begged him to tell her who he was in love with, and the look of sweet disbelief on her face when he had said it was her. He relived the first moment she had told him she loved him for maybe the fiftieth time that day, and he tried to keep a smile from overwhelming his face.

He tried, too, not to let in the flood of memories that followed that simple declaration, but with her fingers in his hair and her touch as gentle as it had been then, it was impossible. He saw again her delightfully shy expression as she tugged her shirt off, felt her arms go around him--

"Oh, look!" Joy exclaimed. "Saryn's blushing! Isn't that cute?"

He heard Cassie giggle, and he shifted uncomfortably. He had no idea what they had been talking about, or what they thought had embarrassed him. But if she was doing this to him on purpose, he was going to find a way to get even.

***

Saryn positively squirmed when she and Joy laughed at him, and her hand froze as she realized what she was doing. His dark hair was so soft, and it shone slightly auburn as she played with it--she hadn't even thought about it until he moved.

No wonder he was blushing, she thought, feeling her cheeks heat. He would probably kill her for that later. She sat back against the wall again, both hands in her lap as she tried to keep up her end of the conversation without letting her embarrassment show.

She was given an abrupt reprieve by shouting out in the hallway, and she saw Marissa glance down at her watch. "Damn," the other girl said, making no attempt to move. "Floor meeting in a few minutes. And the RA saw us come in, too, so she knows I'm here. I guess I'm going to have to go."

Colleen made a show of stretching, but Joy scrambled to her feet without complaint. "It won't take that long. Maybe she'll give us candy again; you never know."

Colleen frowned, sliding toward the edge of the bed. "Is it Erin again? I didn't know she was coming back."

"We'd better go anyway," Cassie offered. "Have a good night, you guys."

"Hey, come over tomorrow night and we'll finish the movie," Marissa suggested.

"After dinner," Dan reminded her, and she nodded.

"I'll call you," she said. "Lunch tomorrow?"

"Sounds great," Cassie agreed. "When do you get out?"

"I'm free at noon," Colleen put in, and Joy agreed.

"Noon is good," Cassie said, trying to call to mind more than her morning schedule for Wednesday.

"Noon it is," Marissa said, resting her head against Dan's shoulder. "We'll see you then. Nice to meet you, Saryn."

Colleen and Joy echoed her as she and Saryn made their way to the door, and Joy added, "Even if you aren't single." Cassie pulled the door open, and she heard Joy exclaim, "Hey! If you don't stop hitting me I'm going to report you."

Cassie stifled a giggle as she stepped out into the hallway, and she heard Dan tell Saryn to leave the door open. He followed her toward the main door, and she glanced over her shoulder. She waited until they had stepped outside to turn to him and say, "Saryn, I'm sorry about--during the movie. I didn't think..."

He glanced around them and she trailed off, wondering if he was really upset. She was too surprised to protest when he took her arm and made the whole world fade into a wash of red light. As her room reformed around them, dim in the waning evening light, she frowned a little. "You really shouldn't--"

She broke off as his mouth pressed hungrily against hers, kissing her with enough heat to erase everything else from her mind. Her heart pounded in her ears as he pushed her backwards, and she felt his hands slide under her t-shirt. She twisted against him, yearning to be closer, and didn't resist when he shoved her down on the bed.

He braced one knee against the mattress and leaned into her, and for a brief moment his rough kiss was the only thing she cared about. But as she tried to pull him closer he drew back, and she could only stare breathlessly at him as he let go of her and took a step away from the bed.

Even in the half-light, she could see the expression on his face. He knew exactly what his touch had done to her, and he hadn't made her body burn without feeling some of it himself. But as she gazed at him, a slow smile spread across his face. "Maybe next time you'll listen to the answer when you ask me something."

She was meant to understand that, but she couldn't think clearly enough to know why. His smile was the only thing she could get her mind around, and she had to ask, "What?"

"'Do you have a hair fetish', she asks me," he said, apparently addressing someone else but not taking his eyes off of her. "When I finally admit it, what's the *first* thing she does in the middle of a group of complete strangers..."

She giggled at his look of fond resignation. "Okay, okay; I said I was sorry." She sat forward on the edge of the bed and gave him a deliberately inviting look. "Let me make it up to you."

She thought he might have taken her up on that, if someone hadn't chosen that exact moment to bang on the door and make them both jump. He sighed, and before she could protest he strode over to the door and yanked it open. "What?"

She giggled again at his obvious impatience, but the person on the other side of the door wasn't intimidated. "Who are you?" a vaguely familiar voice demanded.

"Who are *you*?" Saryn wanted to know, and she got up and pulled the door the rest of the way open.

"Hey Dave," she said, trying to repress a grin at his expression. "What's up?"

"I need some tape," he told her, not missing a beat. "Do you have any?"

"You always have a hundred rolls of duct tape!" she exclaimed. "What are you asking me for?"

"Because I don't need duct tape," David informed her. "I need some of the wimpy Scotch stuff you have."

She rolled her eyes and went over to her desk. Only when she pulled one of the drawers open did she realize how dark it was getting, and she had to ask, "Saryn, could you hit the lightswitch?"

The overhead lights flickered to life, and she squinted a little. "Thanks." Grabbing her roll of Scotch tape, she pushed the drawer shut again and turned around, tossing the tape to David as she walked back to the door. "There you go."

"Thanks," he said. "I'll give it back to you in a few minutes."

"David! Cassie!" Nikki's voice was audible from clear at the other end of the hall. "Don't go anywhere!"

Saryn sighed audibly, and she poked her head out into the hallway to see what was going on. Nikki was knocking on people's doors, gesturing them to come out when they opened the door. "Floor meeting," she explained. "It's important, so meet us in the rec area."

"Yeah, right," David muttered "It's always important." He turned and headed the other way without another word.

"David, I'd better see you in the rec area in five minutes!" Nikki shouted after him.

Cassie leaned against the doorframe and shook her head. "Maybe if we just stay here, she won't notice us."

"Cassie, bring whoever you're talking to and get down to the rec area," Nikki ordered, waving a few more people out into the hall.

"But he's not a floor resident," she protested.

"Unless he's supposed to be at another floor meeting in this dorm, I don't care," Nikki answered. "Come on."

"What are you, the new RA?" Cassie demanded, only half joking.

"Yes," Nikki answered. "Come set a good example for the freshmen." She paused to knock on another door, and Cassie stepped hastily back into her room.

Pushing the door shut quietly, she waited till the knob clicked and then turned to Saryn. "I bet she won't notice if we don't show up," she suggested.

He put a hand on the doorframe behind her and leaned a little closer. "I'm willing to find out," he said softly, and she tilted her head up toward him. He kissed her gently, and she closed her eyes.

She heard a muffled click behind her, and she tried not to giggle as the light behind her eyelids disappeared. Then his hand was on the back of her head, and she wrapped her arms around behind his neck as she leaned into him.

Then someone was pounding on the door, and she pulled away again, not sure whether to laugh or sigh. Without a word, she reached behind her back and fumbled for the doorknob. Saryn found it before she did and pulled it open, his other arm still around her. "Yes?" he said calmly.

"You again," Nikki said, and Cassie turned around. Before she could say anything, though, Nikki added, "Come on, floor meeting, let's go. You don't have to stay," she said, more quietly. "Just come stand in the doorway while I do announcements."

"You mean we can skip the 'getting to know you' games?" Cassie asked wryly.

"I won't tell," Nikki said with a grin. "But it looks bad if none of the upperclassmen come for the beginning."

Cassie looked up at Saryn, and he nodded once. "We're coming," she said, reluctant to step away from him but knowing Nikki would never forgive her if she didn't put in an appearance now.

***

The fact that they arrived a little late ended up being to their advantage, for the inside of the rec area was already lined with seated students. He and Cassie lingered on the periphery, with probably a good quarter of the attendees, until Nikki finished the announcements she had mentioned earlier. He waited till Cassie stopped whispering with one of the other girls from her floor, and then they, along with most of the other students gathered in the doorway, started to drift away.

"So tell us your name, major, and something about yourself," Nikki was saying as they left, and he was just as glad to have missed that. No one seemed to care--or even know--that he wasn't a student, but he would have had a tough time answering those questions inconspicuously.

"I swear," Cassie fumed, as they reached her door, "if one more person asks me where Jake is..."

"Hey, Cassie," someone said from behind them, and she turned.

A girl in a fall jacket waved as she passed, and Cassie smiled. "Hi Meg. You're just in time to miss the floor meeting."

"I know; I timed that well, don't you think?" Meg grinned, turning to walk backwards down the hall as she spoke. "Who's your friend?"

Cassie sighed in exasperation. "Not Jake!"

"Yeah, I can see that," Meg agreed. "Nice to meet you, not-Jake."

"Saryn," Cassie said. "His name's Saryn."

"Ah," Meg said, nodding. "That's nice. Well, see you later." She disappeared into an apparently unlocked room, and Cassie shook her head as she turned back to him.

"Are you tired of that yet?" she asked, bending down to grab the roll of Scotch tape David had left outside her door.

"Not as tired as you," he said with a smile. He pushed her door open for her, and she flipped the lights on automatically as she walked in.

Dropping the tape back into her desk, she turned and made a face at him. "You are too; admit it."

"I'm not," he insisted, closing her door behind him. "I don't mind."

She sighed. "I'd mind if people kept asking you about *your* old girlfriend."

"I'll remember that," he said softly, and she sighed again.

"No, I didn't mean that. I wouldn't really; I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize," he murmured, leaning against the closet door as he watched her.

"Yes, I do," she told him. Her smile was tired and amused at the same time.

"No, you don't."

"Do," she said, stepping away from her desk and coming toward him. He caught her hand before she reached him, and she gave him a questioning look.

"Don't," he told her. "And no hitting me this time."

She laughed, moving into his embrace without another word. He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close. "I love you."

She turned her head and rested it against his chest, snuggling against him. He breathed out contentedly, closing his eyes and reveling in the feeling of just being able to hold her. He smiled as he heard her whisper, "I love you, too."