Kerone had redesigned one of the unconverted workrooms upstairs, and Ashley wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen it herself. Tessa was bunking with Karen overnight, at Karen's invitation. Unfortunately, none of the Kerovan Rangers' rooms were really set up to accommodate guests anymore. Enter Kerone.

There had been a time, right after they moved into the hangar, when they could shuffle things around and find the room without too much trouble. But that had been during the winter, before they'd had time to settle in. Before Zhane's room had become their private social center, and Kerone's room had become Kae's closet substitute. Ty and Andros had never had shareable rooms, and gender issues prevented Ashley from offering hers.

So Kerone had turned an empty room into one that would sleep three, easily, and if no one had actually mentioned the trouble she had gone to in the presence of the Earth Rangers, well. Karen probably knew that there hadn't been any guest-ready rooms before tonight. Probably. But if she had said anything to her teammates then Ashley didn't know about it.

Truthfully, most of the Kerovan Rangers didn't know what to make of it either. Kerone hadn't been able to transfigure material on that scale a few months ago, but now she offered as nonchalantly as Ty offered to make them breakfast. Ashley wasn't sure if it was more about increasing power or skill, but after the way TJ had frowned over the Astronema from JT's dimension she didn't really want to bring it up right now.

She didn't feel like sleeping, either, and that at least seemed to be a common sentiment. She wasn't the only one still up when she tiptoed back down the stairs to check on the zords. Not that she had to be down there to talk to them, since all five of them were inside tonight and when they were in the hangar the catwalk was easily at eye level with them. But no one upstairs would hear her talking if she was down here, and she'd be able to touch Dawn's paw while she did it, so those were the winning points in her internal argument.

Or they were until she heard the quiet voices coming from the library. Pausing on the stairs, she leaned over the railing and caught sight of Zhane and Ty conferring over a holographic display that she couldn't quite make out. This despite the fact that they were both lying on the floor, the display spread out in front of them so that the angle from where she stood was perfectly readable.

Zhane's blonde head lifted as she started down the stairs again, and she saw him look around for the source of the noise before he realized who it was. He smiled. That made Ty look up too, and he waved when he saw her. Coming from Ty, that was an enthusiastic invitation, so she walked quietly over to join them.

"Hey," Ashley whispered. "Whatcha doing?"

"Just playing," Zhane said, sliding over into Ty so she could see past his shoulder. "You want in?"

She could see the animated characters on the screen waiting for them to return to the game, and she smiled when one of them waved at her. "I don't even know what you're playing."

"Neither does Zhane," Ty assured her. "He keeps trying to make all his characters get along."

"Well," Zhane said defensively. "Cooperation is the key to success."

"Not when you're trying to incite a political rebellion," Ty told him.

"Oh, are we?" Zhane looked blank. "I thought we were dogcatchers."

"I thought he'd be really good at this," Ty said, catching Ashley's eye over Zhane's back. "Because he's so good with the big picture in real life, you know? But apparently it doesn't translate into strategy games."

"It's because they're not real people," Ashley guessed. She folded herself up cross-legged on the other side of Zhane and studied the simulated city with interest. It was almost creepy in its attention to detail. "Andros is the one who's good at strategy. Zhane's good at people."

"Is there a difference?" Ty asked, a skeptical note in his voice.

Ashley held out both hands to indicate Zhane. "Example A," she said teasingly.

"I know my strengths," Zhane remarked, unperturbed. "And I'm kind of tired of talking about my weaknesses. If you don't mind."

Ashley opened her mouth, surprised and immediately apologetic, but Ty beat her to it. "You don't have any weaknesses," he said, leaning in to press a kiss against Zhane's cheek. "Stop being such a whiner."

To Ashley's surprise, Zhane laughed, and he put his head on Ty's shoulder for just a moment. "Ditto," he declared. His voice was both stronger and lighter than it had been just a few seconds ago, but the wink he gave Ashley made her feel better. Whatever she had done, he didn't hold it against her.

"Want to play?" Zhane invited again. "You can't do any worse than me."

"Any better, you mean." Ty shooed a couple of characters in her direction. "Here, have them set up a bakery or something."

She blinked. "A bakery?"

"We can use it as a front for our effigies business," Ty said seriously. So seriously she wondered if she'd heard him correctly, but when Zhane laughed again she thought she probably had.

"Effigies R Us," he agreed. "I'm totally in on that part of the plan. I'm just not sure if it's working for the provisional government or the rebellion."

Ty nudged his shoulder. "It's working for anyone who wants an effigy, of course. We're providing a service here. We don't discriminate based on political affiliation."

"I think that might be morally questionable," Ashley ventured.

Ty leaned forward to stare at her around Zhane. "We're selling effigies."

"Yeah," Zhane said with a grin. "I think that's what she's talking about."

"It's not the sale of effigies," Ashley said thoughtfully. "It's using the bakery as a front. If Effigies R Us can survive in a capitalist market, then it's a legitimate business. If it can't, it shouldn't hide behind cake and brownies."

"It's not hiding from failure," Ty remarked. "It's hiding from the government, which--and this is just a guess--probably won't like having its leaders' likenesses burned at rebel rallies."

"No one said the effigies would be burned," Zhane interrupted. "Maybe they're just going to be used as decorations. You don't know."

"That's true, they might not be burned," Ty agreed. "Some effigies are hanged."

Ashley stared at the little city, where the characters were still patiently wandering or talking amongst themselves. "Why can't we just sell cookies?" she wanted to know. "Wouldn't it be easier to open an actual bakery?"

"Well, yeah, if you just wanted to provide any service," Ty said, his tone making it clear that he was not on board with this idea.

Ashley tried not to smile at his skepticism. "Don't we?"

"No." Ty sounded exasperated. "Were you listening when I mentioned overthrowing the government? Effigies are an important expression of public opinion."

"Editorials are an important expression of public opinion," Zhane countered. "Effigies are usually an expression of mob politicking and riots."

"It's a game," Ty reminded him. "The whole point is to do things you wouldn't do in real life."

Zhane didn't answer right away, and when Ashley glanced at him she found she couldn't identify the look she saw on his face. "Wow," he said at last, when he realized they were both looking at him now. "That's a weird thing to have repeated back to you."

Ashley looked at Ty, but he didn't look any more enlightened than she felt. "What?" she asked.

He shook his head once and a smile appeared. "Nothing, it's just funny. I used to say that to Andros. Back when we were all on the Megaship, I mean. I wonder what it means that someone has to say it to me, now."

"It means we're more alike than you knew," Ty said promptly. "Which is good for me and scary for you."

That made Zhane's smile widen, and he shook his head again. "Nope," he disagreed. "Definitely good for me."

She did end up playing, just for a little while. She didn't really understand the game, whatever it was, but Ty told her what to do and where to go and the little characters made her laugh. Zhane also seemed happy to be ordered around the city by Ty and his undercover troops, which made more sense after she realized they were playing against a preset scenario in the game itself instead of against each other.

Finally, though, she told them that she had come down to talk to Dawn and they let her go. The big gold cat was sleepy but content with her company, and she sat on the paw of her zord until DECA told her that TJ had asked where she was. Just now, apparently. Wondering if something was wrong, Ashley said good night to Dawn and headed back toward the stairs.

There was a magical hologram on the door of the newly designed guest room. It was a simple overlapping "V" stamp, with one "V" perched on top of the other two and the numbers 1, 2, and 3 lined up in a row underneath. Ashley smiled as she lifted her hand to knock.

There was a pause, and then she heard Carlos' voice call, "Come in."

The door slid open and she poked her head inside. "Hey guys," she said with a smile. "Just thought I'd check and see how you were doing." It was probably smarter not to mention that DECA was reporting their actions back to the Kerovan team.

"Hi, Ash." TJ shot a sideways look at the computer monitor in their room anyway. "We were just talking about you. Come on in."

TJ was sitting on the edge of the single bed on the far side of the room, while Carlos lounging on the floor, half-propped up against the bottom bunk on the near side. Gabe was nowhere to be seen, though she glanced around again as she stepped inside. "Where's Gabe?" she asked curiously. She would have noticed if he had come down from the catwalk.

"He's outside taking a walk," Carlos offered. "Says it relaxes his inner ninja and makes it easier to sleep."

"Oh." Ashley considered that, and Carlos grinned.

"Yeah," he agreed. "I know. You don't have to say it."

She tried not to smile. "I wasn't going to say anything," she protested, but the knowing look he gave her made it impossible to keep her smile in. "Well, maybe I was thinking that he fits right in with the Power Rangers," she admitted. "His 'inner ninja'?"

"We are not that weird," Carlos said firmly.

"Actually?" TJ put in. "Yeah. I think we are."

"I guess if I asked how he got outside without anyone noticing him," Ashley added, "you'd tell me that his inner ninja guided him?"

"No," Carlos replied. "I'd tell you that he's used to sneaking around in the dark and I'd leave it at that."

"Yeah, and where'd he learn that from?" TJ wondered aloud.

"Hey." Carlos held up his hands in a parody of surrender. "I take no responsibility for what kids are learning on the street these days."

"Which is too bad, since you're teaching them most of it," TJ remarked. "He's started some kind of alien support group on Aquitar," he added, probably for her benefit.

Carlos' loud sigh indicated that this wasn't the first time TJ taken it upon himself to spread the word. "I didn't start anything, and it's not a support group!"

Ashley couldn't help laughing. "Sorry," she told him, when he gave her a mock-glare. "But that didn't sound like the protest of an innocent man."

"Shows how much you know," he informed her. "Some of us get together for coffee. It's no big deal."

"Because it's really easy to get coffee on Aquitar," TJ agreed dryly. "And to find people who drink it."

"Okay, the part of this discussion that's about me is over," Carlos informed them. "What's going on with Zhane? And why didn't you tell us?"

He was looking at her now, she realized abruptly. "What?" Ashley glanced over at TJ for help, but he looked like he was waiting for an answer too. "What are you talking about?"

"Zhane," TJ repeated patiently. "And Andros. What happened there?"

Ashley just stared at him. Instead of wondering what to say, the question of which currently had her mind paralyzed, she found herself wondering what they could have seen. Compared to their usual warm affection, Zhane and Andros had been practically distant with each other the entire evening. She had tried not to notice until now.

Had they kept their distance for her sake, so she wouldn't have to answer awkward questions? It would be just like Zhane to anticipate this confrontation for her. Or had they done it for themselves? The Earth Rangers were their friends too. If Zhane and Andros didn't want them to know, then maybe it wasn't her place to tell them.

Copout, her mind whispered.

Ashley sighed. Yes, she admitted. It was.

She wasn't going to lie to her friends. She didn't know what she was going to say to them, either. So she just took a deep breath and began, "I guess it's not really a new thing."

Oddly, this didn't seem to shock either of them. TJ raised an eyebrow at her, but Carlos' expression didn't change at all, and somehow she had kind of expected him to be the angry one. Instead, he just asked, "And you were going to tell us when?"

"Um..." She made a face, wondering when exactly he thought the appropriate moment would have been. "Well, we've been kind of busy lately," she offered lamely.

Carlos snorted. "Karen told me that relationships around here weren't what she expected, but I figured she just wasn't used to living with you and Andros. Little did I know," he added, rolling his eyes at her.

Ashley smiled tentatively. They weren't taking this as badly as she'd expected, which was sort of weird but mostly just a relief. "So far it's working out," she said carefully. "It wasn't easy for any of us, but I'm actually... starting to get used to it."

"How's Andros taking it?" Carlos wanted to know.

At the same time, TJ asked, "What about the rest of the team?"

She blinked. Maybe she'd been silly to worry about their reaction at all. Obviously they were taking it seriously without blowing everything out of proportion, and she started to relax a little. "The team almost fell apart at first," she admitted. It was strange to be able to say that now and realize how far they'd come. "I thought we'd really screwed up.

"Remember when we disappeared last year?" Ashley added. "After Andros took all the astromorphers and gave them to you?"

"You went on some kind of Power quest right before the dimension switch," TJ said. He exchanged glances with Carlos, who just nodded.

"Yeah," she said ruefully. "Barely. Zhane almost didn't come. He and Andros weren't talking to each other at all for a while there."

"This started last year?" Carlos demanded. "I've seen you a hundred times since then! We e-mail every week!"

She gave him her best embarrassed apology look. "I didn't know how to tell you," she confessed. "I thought you'd be... upset. Jeff was. He pretended not to be, but--"

"Jeff knew?" TJ was giving her the eyebrow again.

"All those times I asked you how it was going with Andros," Carlos complained, ignoring both of them. "How hard was it to say, 'well, Carlos, things are a little different now'?"

"Hard," she said firmly. "I didn't expect any of this, and I couldn't exactly call you up and be like, 'guess what, guys, turns out Andros and Zhane are both gay,' now could I?"

TJ had been giving her an odd look since she'd mentioned them being upset, so she didn't register his expression right away. Carlos, however, had been getting ready for what was probably another complaint about their lack of communication, and the fact that he came to an abrupt halt half a second after he opened his mouth was very obvious. The stare he gave her brought back that nervous feeling full force.

"What?" Carlos said after a too-brief pause. That was all, just "what."

"Um..." She glanced over at TJ. "What do you mean, what?"

"No," Carlos corrected. "The correct question is, what do you mean, gay?"

It was her turn to open her mouth and find herself stuck with nothing to say.

"Maybe you should start with the quest," TJ suggested, folding his arms. "Andros and Zhane weren't speaking to each other. Why not?"

"Because... Zhane was--" She had a really bad feeling about this, but it was too late to stop now. "Zhane was seeing someone new to, well... make Andros jealous. And it worked, so they had this big fight, and Kerone had to--"

She stopped when she saw the looks they were giving each other. "Didn't you know? You're the ones who asked about them," she accused. She couldn't help feeling vaguely betrayed, as if she'd been maneuvered into something she'd meant to avoid.

"No." Carlos was frowning at her. "We asked about your new thing with Zhane. Which now makes even less sense than it did before, so don't stop there. They had a fight, and then what?"

Her new thing with Zhane. Ashley couldn't imagine what they were talking about. Why would they think she had a thing with Zhane? "What thing with Zhane?" she blurted out.

"Ah," Carlos said, lifting a finger in her direction. "No. Andros and Zhane had a fight. Then what?"

"Then we got new morphers and they got back together and that's it," Ashley said with a sigh. They'd definitely taken it too well. Apparently they'd been having a different conversation the whole time.

"That's not it," Carlos began, but TJ cut him off.

"So you're not with Zhane," he said to her, giving Carlos a warning look as he did so.

Ashley frowned. "I'm with Andros," she reminded them. "I've always been with Andros. I don't know where you're getting this Zhane thing."

Carlos snorted. "Yeah, you've always been with Andros like I've always been with Aura."

She caught his eye pointedly. "Yes?"

Carlos opened his mouth, then paused. "Okay," he said after a moment. "Bad example."

Ashley smiled, feeling like she'd actually won one. It didn't keep Carlos quiet for long, though. And the victory had only given TJ more time to think, which he had always done quickly and thoroughly. It was a good quality in a team leader. It was really annoying in a friend who didn't know how to mind his own business.

"You just said that Andros and Zhane 'got back together' after your Power quest," TJ was saying. "Before that you said they were gay. After that you said you and Andros were still together--random Carlos and Aura moments notwithstanding," he added, glancing sideways at Carlos.

"So which is it?" Carlos demanded. Only then did he seem to realize what TJ had just said, and he straightened. "Hey!"

"I didn't say they were gay," Ashley said, trying to stay calm and as un-defensive as possible. "But they were... when they were little, I mean, they kind of--" She stopped. She was at a total loss.

"Don't look at me," Carlos said, folding his arms. "I have no idea where you're going with this."

"Zhane had a crush on Andros when they were younger," she blurted out. "Okay? And now it's--I guess... I don't know how long it's been reciprocal. Except it's not just a crush, I mean... I think they really love each other.

"They do," she repeated, more firmly, because that was a terrible thing to say, that she thought they loved each other. Of course they did. "They love each other, and it's fine. They had some problems there for a while, with the quest and the other dimension and Ty and--well, me--but it's okay now. They're fine now."

"Yeah, don't gloss over the 'well, me' part," Carlos told her. "Totally aside from the fact that I find the idea of Andros and Zhane being in love with each other disturbing, I want to know where you fit in all of this."

"We asked you if Andros was treating you right," TJ said, studying her with an intent expression that was easy to miss next to Carlos' belligerence. "You didn't say anything about breaking up with him then."

"We didn't break up!" Ashley insisted. "He's dating both of us, all right? He's going out with me, and he's going out with Zhane, and it's fine."

"That doesn't qualify as fine," Carlos declared, glaring at her. "When your boyfriend decides to start seeing other people? That qualifies as a big gigantic step backward."

"No it doesn't!" she exclaimed. "You know what would be a step backward, is if Andros didn't tell me about Zhane and just ignored him and Zhane ran off with someone else and spent the rest of his life hating us both! That would be a step backward!"

"So instead you want Andros to dump you and start fooling around with a boyfriend he didn't tell you about because he's having some kind of, what, identity crisis?" Carlos' voice rose incredulously on the last two words. "When he comes crawling back are you going to forgive him for screwing up your life just so he can do it again?"

"He didn't screw up my life!" Ashley snapped. "Andros has never, ever hurt me, and I know you didn't want me to come to KO-35 but it was the right thing for me! For all of us! This is the way it's supposed to be, Carlos!"

"Yeah, this is the way Andros thinks it's supposed to be." Carlos' dark look only made her more angry, because now he wasn't even giving her credit for her own decisions. "I'm sure he likes having a girlfriend and a boyfriend at the same time."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" Ashley cried. "Andros tore himself apart over this! You know what he's like; he doesn't think he even deserves to be happy and Zhane's just as bad! They felt horrible about this!"

"Ash," TJ interrupted. "We want to know how you feel about it. You were our friend first. So maybe Andros and Zhane were unhappy--that's too bad. But what about you? Don't you deserve a guy who isn't thinking about someone else?"

"TJ..." She bit her lip, just as frustrated by his coaxing as she was with Carlos' accusations. She could feel tears stinging her eyes and it wasn't because of them it was because of her, because she couldn't find a way to explain it to them.

"Hey," TJ said quietly. "It's okay, Ash."

"No, it's not okay!" she burst out. "You don't understand, it's--they are thinking about me, they're thinking more about me than they are about each other! And I don't deserve that because they're too good for me!"

She felt a tear spill down her cheek, and as soon as she closed her eyes another one followed. She brushed them away impatiently, opening her eyes when she realized that wasn't helping. "They're too good for me," she insisted, her voice catching as she realized it was true. "They love me just as much as they love each other.

"Both of them," Ashley whispered, swallowing hard. It was a strange thing to say aloud, a realization that she hadn't truly acknowledged in her head yet. "They both care about me. I don't want someone who only thinks about me. Not when I have them."

There was a long moment where no one said anything. Not even Carlos, whom she could tell was bursting with repressed indignation. There had been a time when she admired his chivalry, his ingrained sense of tradition and family and the duty of the strong to look out for the weak. She had let him open doors for her, carry her books, and drive her around Angel Grove.

She had never taken his protectiveness toward her as any reflection on her. He liked her, yes, and he was in the habit of doing things for women. But she had never gotten the feeling that he thought less of her because of it. She could shoot, she could fight, and she could take care of herself.

This was the first time Ashley had seriously wondered whether he really believed that. It was also the first time she'd found his attitude more obnoxious than sweet.

TJ was the one who finally broke the silence. "Did you say Jeff knows about this?"

"Why?" she asked, with more force than she'd really intended. "Would that make it okay with you?"

"Hey," TJ said firmly. "If it's okay with you, that's all we care about. I just want to know what we can and can't mention to your family. That's all."

She swallowed. "Jeff knows," she admitted, not quite willing to look at Carlos yet. "He reacted pretty much like you did, but lately he's gone back to supportive big brother mode. Neither of us have told Mom and Dad."

"Are you going to?" TJ wanted to know.

"Not right now." She hated how insecure that made her sound, but if she couldn't talk to her friends without bursting into tears then she wasn't even going to try with her parents. "No... as far as they know, Andros and I are still planning to get married."

"Oh?" How Carlos could make that one word sound so dangerous, she had no idea. "Was that the plan?"

"Of course it was!" She bit her lip, trying to regain some sense of equilibrium and failing miserably. "Why else did I come here, Carlos? Why am I a Ranger on a planet six galaxies away from home if I didn't come here to be with the love of my life and raise a family someday!"

She didn't know whether to be grateful or dismayed that he didn't answer. She didn't like the way he was looking at her, like she had said something completely unexpected and maybe he had never really known her after all. And she was getting really tired of explaining herself.

"Good night, guys," Ashley said at last. She wasn't going to stand here and try to hide her hurt and disappointment just to make them feel better "See you in the morning." She turned to the door, but TJ's voice made her pause.

"Hey, Ash." There was an evenness in his tone that might have been pity or forgiveness. She couldn't tell, but she was pretty sure she didn't want either one. "Sleep well."

She didn't smile. "You too," she told the door, and then she went through it and when it closed behind her she was home again. Home, on the catwalk, with zords and holograms and her teammates all around her. Where she was supposed to be.

She couldn't hear any voices from below her, but when she leaned over the railing she could see Zhane and Ty still hunched over their game and for some reason that made her feel better. She thought maybe she would go back down and talk to them again. She wanted some company right now... company that didn't want to interrogate her or feel sorry for her.

As she made her way toward the stairs, though, the picture on Kerone's door caught her eye. The sparkling violet dragon had been on her door since before Karen arrived, but now there was a second dragon beside it. A much smaller dragon. A baby dragon.

The image made Ashley smile, and she lifted her hand to knock, very softly. Who knew if Kae was asleep or not? Kerone had tried to stick to a schedule for him when he first arrived, but the last few days had to have completely disrupted her effort.

There was a long moment before the door slid open. Kerone's curious expression turned into a bright smile when she realized who it was. She held up one finger, glanced over her shoulder once, then slipped out into the hall with Ashley.

"Hi," Kerone whispered. "Have you come to save me from myself?"

The way she said it made Ashley giggle, even if she didn't have the faintest idea what Kerone was talking about. "Only if you need it," she whispered back. "Is Kae sleeping?"

Kerone nodded. "And I'm driving myself crazy with 'what ifs'," she murmured. "I'm so worried. I just want it to be tomorrow, so we can take him to Keyota and get him registered and get it over with already."

"Oh..." Ashley reached out to hug her instinctively. With everything that had happened since they'd been back, she had completely forgotten that there were other things to worry about. And everyone knew that Kerone would be Kae's guardian, but not many of them had really thought about what it meant.

Kerone hugged her back and didn't let go. It was as comforting for her as she'd wanted it to be for Kerone, so she just stood there and held on. Kerone knew everything there was to know about her and she didn't think it was weird or terrible or wrong. She just accepted it and moved on.

To Kae. Kristet had told them to take this chance to tell Kae's story as truthfully as they could. Say he came from the other dimension, she'd urged them. Say you found him on a slave ship that crashed. Say he's attached to Kerone because she's the one who rescued him.

Just don't tell anyone that it didn't happen yesterday.

"It's going to be okay," Ashley whispered, and she felt the arms around her squeeze tighter.

"Yes," Kerone echoed softly. "It is." There was a pause, and then she murmured, "I heard you yelling, a few minutes ago. You and Carlos. Are you okay?"

This time Ashley was the one to hug her harder, but she didn't bother trying to avoid the subject. "He doesn't like the thing with Andros and Zhane," she whispered.

"Tough luck," Kerone whispered back. "It's none of his business."

It made Ashley giggle. "No," she murmured. She felt like she should feel guilty for saying it, but she didn't. "It's not."

"I could turn him into a frog for you," Kerone offered, very quietly. "If that would help."

She laughed outright, leaning into Kerone to rock her back and forth without letting go. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you dearly. I'm so glad you're my friend."

Kerone held onto her, but Ashley heard her murmur, "Will you tell that to the adoption center tomorrow if I need a character witness?"

"I'll tell anyone who asks that you're the most wonderful caring person I've ever met," Ashley promised, squeezing Kerone's shoulders as she finally drew back. "But they're not going to ask. You're a Power Ranger, and that's pretty much the best character reference anyone could want."

Kerone didn't quite meet her eyes. "Just because I can fight," she said softly, "that doesn't mean I can raise a child."

Ashley considered that. "No," she agreed slowly. "But having a morpher means that you know yourself well enough to judge your abilities and limitations. And that applies to everything--not just battle situations."

She thought she could hear the smile in Kerone's voice when she murmured, "Are you telling me that if I think I can do it, then I can?"

She smiled back at Kerone's downcast expression. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

Hazel eyes lifted to meet and study her own. "My morpher doesn't work for me," Kerone said matter-of-factly.

"Because of what you are," Ashley reminded her. "Not who."

Kerone didn't look convinced by the distinction.

"You were chosen by the Power," Ashley said softly. "Don't you remember? Just because you can't use it, that doesn't mean anything. What matters is that it was offered to you in the first place."

Kerone finally smiled again, and Ashley returned it. "It'll be all right," she murmured. "There's no one better to take care of Kae than you."

Kerone didn't look embarrassed by that assertion, which didn't surprise Ashley at all. She wouldn't be ready to fight for it if she didn't already believe she was the best guardian for Kae. But still... "Does it surprise you?" she asked abruptly.

Ashley could guess what she meant, but she'd rather be sure. "What?"

"That I'd want to take care of him," Kerone said, keeping her voice very quiet. Maybe too quiet to be heard on the other side of the door, if there happened to be a child leaning up against it. "That I'd want responsibility like that for anyone."

"No," Ashley said, just as softly. "For lots of reasons."

"Tell me?" Kerone made it more a question than a command.

Ashley smiled. "For one thing, you're always taking care of us," she said gently. "You look after everyone on the team, so no, it doesn't seem strange that you'd accept responsibility for another person. And for another, you're always so good with the kids at the Center--they're going to be jealous of Kae when they find out you've adopted him."

Now Kerone did look a little embarrassed, but pleased too. She didn't say anything, though, just waited, like she knew Ashley wasn't done. How she could tell was a mystery... but she was right.

"And also," Ashley said with a little sigh, "I know you've wanted a family for a long time. We're your family now, and we always will be, and I think maybe you want to give that feeling to Kae."

"You're sad," Kerone whispered. She was watching Ashley's expression with that combination of intensity and naivete that had made her look so dangerous, so threatening as Astronema. Now it just made her look curious.

"Why?" Kerone was asking. "Is it because of me?"

"No no," Ashley assured her. "It's just--well... I guess it's just from talking to Carlos tonight, that's all."

Kerone held up her left hand. Catching Ashley's eye, she gave her fingers a deliberate snap and reminded her, "Frog. I could really do it, you know."

Ashley smiled at the reminder. "I always wanted a family, too," she admitted quietly. "I mean, I have one, but..."

"You want children," Kerone said with utter certainty. "I know."

Ashley gave her a surprised look, but her smile didn't fade. "How do you know?"

Now Kerone smiled back. "Well, I could sound very observant and insightful and say that you're my friend so of course I know just by talking to you. But I could also tell you the truth, which is that Zhane and I were talking about it a few days ago. And Zhane always knows."

"Yes," Ashley agreed, knowing that she had started taking that for granted a long time ago. "That's true, isn't it."

"He's funny that way," Kerone murmured. There was nothing mocking in her voice, just affection and honesty. Zhane was funny that way, and Ashley had never really figured out how he did it. It was just who he was.

"Why were you talking about children with Zhane?" Ashley asked softly.

"Because of Kae." Kerone's voice got very quiet again, and Ashley wondered if she thought he might be awake after all. "Zhane said--it's funny," she repeated, the same way she had before. "He said he'd run away with me. But you know... I don't think he would."

"He said that to me, too," Ashley whispered, watching Kerone's expression carefully.

Kerone just nodded. "And he wouldn't with you, either," she said softly. "Do you think?"

Ashley smiled a little, for reassurance more than humor. "No he wouldn't," she murmured. "He wouldn't leave all of us for anyone... not unless we really needed it. Or unless we were Andros," she added as an afterthought.

The brief look of amusement that flashed across Kerone's face was an echo of her own reassurance. "Yes," she agreed. "But..." When the amusement vanished, her face looked even more serious in its wake. "I would. If it was the only way to keep Kae."

Ashley just looked at her for a long moment. "Would you?" she asked at last. They all felt something for Kae, and no, it didn't surprise her that Kerone would want to help him as much as she possibly could. But if there were some reason she shouldn't? If someone had a convincing argument for Kae's being better off in someone else's care?

"Yes," Kerone said simply. "This is important. I understand what he's going through maybe better than anyone on this planet, and I won't take that away from him."

Impulsively, Ashley hugged her again. "No one will ask you to," she whispered. "It's going to work out."

Kerone hugged her back, and just like before, she didn't let go. They just stood there, clinging to each other, comforting. Finally Ashley murmured, "I'm going to go downstairs for a while. Want to come?"

Kerone gave her a final squeeze before releasing her. "I'll stay here," she whispered. "I'm afraid Kae's going to have nightmares again after all the fighting. It's better if he doesn't wake up alone."

"Do you have enough to do?" Ashley asked. "What do you do while you're not sleeping?"

"Oh, I catch up on the news," Kerone said lightly. "Read. Listen to Saryn's incredibly complicated messages about how the League works. Things like that."

"Practice magic?" Ashley suggested, curious.

"Sometimes," Kerone agreed. "I promise, I have plenty of quiet things to do."

"Okay." Ashley smiled at her. "Let me know if you need a night off sometime. I'd be happy to help with Kae-watching."

Kerone smiled back. "Thanks."

"Oh," Ashley added, as she moved toward the stairs and then stopped again. She pointed at the door. "I like the new picture."

Kerone's smile didn't change. She just nodded her head once, eyes catching the violet glow and sparkling briefly. Ashley wondered, just for a moment, if it meant anything that Kerone and Zhane had both chosen mythical creatures to represent themselves.

Although she listened, she didn't hear Kerone's door open and close behind her. When she reached the hangar floor, she glanced back up and saw Kerone leaning idly against the railing, watching her progress. She waved, and Kerone lifted a hand to wave back before turning away.

It occurred to Ashley then that Kerone had never really stopped being the outsider.

She wondered about that, frowning a little as she stared up at the catwalk. She had been the princess of evil when she first came to them on the Megaship. She had been Zhane's friend, Andros' sister, and their only contact inside the monarchy. She had been their sorceress. Their spy. Their secret weapon, often enough--but she hadn't been a Ranger.

Things had changed since then, obviously. She was everyone's friend, part of the family, and most definitely a Ranger. But somehow...

It wasn't so much that she was different, Ashley realized suddenly. They all had that in them. It was just what she had said to Andros when she came back from Elisia: they were all "dangerous" in their own way. But Kerone was the only one who let it keep her apart from the rest of them.

"Looking for someone?" a familiar voice asked.

She didn't jump, but only because Andros' presence no longer set off any alarms in her mind whatsoever. Instead she glanced over her shoulder, smiled at the intent expression he was directing at the catwalk--clearly an imitation of her--and said, "No. Just thinking."

"About?" Andros prompted, turning a gaze so similar to his sister's on her.

"Kerone," she admitted. "She seems... sometimes I feel like she seems... less a part of us, somehow. Less than the rest of us, I mean."

"I feel like that about all of us sometimes," Andros said. But he didn't take his eyes off of her, as though he was waiting for her to explain.

"Yes, but..." She tried, but she couldn't find the words. "I don't know," she said with a sigh.

"She's always stayed a little separate," he offered unexpectedly. "At first because she was afraid we would change our minds, I think. Then because she was afraid she might hurt us. But now, I think... it's just where she's comfortable."

Ashley blinked. "So--you've thought about it too?"

"She's my sister," Andros said simply.

Ashley looked at him, wondering when her mental definition of chivalry had stopped being Carlos and started being Andros. She wondered why she hadn't noticed until now. And mostly she wondered how to tell him without sounding crazy.

"I love you," she said at last.

His eyes lightened even though he didn't smile. "I love you too," he said, slowly and seriously. Not as though he had to think about it. Just... as though he was enjoying it.

*Hey, psst.* Zhane's voice didn't startle her either, and she glanced over at the library. He was still sprawled out on the floor, but he had twisted over on one side so he could see them over his shoulder. *You guys want some hot chocolate?*

Now Andros did smile, and she knew the question hadn't been for her alone. She almost asked if Zhane was planning to make it, then remembered his comment about strengths and weaknesses. Instead, she read Andros' smile and answered for both of them, *We'd love you forever.*

*Like you don't already,* he answered flippantly.

She was surprised to hear Andros suggest, *Longer than forever?*

Zhane just waved at them as he got to his feet, though whether it was a gesture of annoyance or affection was hard to say. They made their way over to the library, where Ty was still peering at the city game, and Andros hesitated almost imperceptibly when Ashley sat down where Zhane had been a moment before. He dropped to the floor across from them, though, and he studied the holographic display for a long moment.

"The government's been bought out by a marshmallow factory," Ty said, from out of the blue. He looked perfectly serious as he studied the game. "The rebels win by default."

"Capitalism conquered the city?" Andros inquired.

"No," Ty said without looking up. "Junk food became the new social currency. It turns out the dogcatchers were misguided change agents masquerading as sometimes-employed city officials."

"What happened to Effigies R Us?" Ashley wanted to know.

Ty lifted his head and caught her eye with a solemn expression. "All of their products are toastable now."

Before she could giggle, he added, "And they're doing a good business in sharp pointy sticks."

"Effigies R Us?" Andros repeated.

"A grey market scheme that went from cottage industry to bakery front in a matter of days," Ty informed him. "Very profitable, even under the new marshmallow regime."

Andros seemed to understand that this was not a thing that needed to be explained. Or maybe he was just more interested in the fact that Zhane was ambling back over, with a careless expression on his face and a spoon that he was tapping against the fingers of his free hand. He looked very tired, to Ashley.

"Anybody want more than just chocolate?" Zhane asked. "Vanilla, mint... marshmallows," he added, giving the game a passing glance.

"Extra chocolate," Ashley supplied hopefully.

"Extra chocolate it is," Zhane agreed, without a moment's pause. "Anyone else?"

Andros shook his head, but Ty asked for mint, and Ashley wanted to follow Zhane back to the kitchen area and ask if there was anything she could do to help. Zhane could boil water without help--a distinct improvement over a year ago--but he still seemed tired. She wondered if she looked just as worn out, and then decided she didn't really care. Not here. Not when she was surrounded by friends.

She got up to follow Zhane and asked if there was anything she could to do help. The question earned her a smile, and the tired look vanished momentarily. He was okay, she thought with some relief. Still Zhane, despite the last few days.

"You can keep me company," he told her. "Things always turn out better in the kitchen with a beautiful woman around."

"Oh, is that what you've been doing wrong all this time?" she said lightly. Then her eyes widened and Ashley clapped her hand over her mouth. "Oh, I didn't mean that."

To her surprise, Zhane's smile was sincere. "I know," he told her. "Before, the thing about weaknesses? I was just being moody."

Relieved, she offered, "Well, no one is ever moody on this team."

He took her more seriously than she'd expected. "We live together, Ash. We see each other at our best and at our worst."

Her smile fading, she studied him for a moment. "I still love you at your worst," she said at last. Quietly.

"Back at you," he said easily. She had no doubt that he was just as serious as she was.

Ashley took his hand and kissed him impulsively, warmed from the inside when he smiled at her. His expression remained bright and happy over the tiredness as he made their hot chocolate, and she was glad to see it. But it wasn't until she was helping him carry the mugs over to the library that she realized what it was that Carlos thought he had seen between her and Zhane.

She stopped, sudden understanding making the mugs in her hands momentarily unimportant. But no one looked at her oddly. Andros and Ty were idly debating the merits of a product front versus a service front for their now less politically-neutral effigy business. Zhane was annoying the game characters by dragging his hand through the holographic display. And Ashley was just standing there watching them, wondering when she had started taking their acceptance for granted.

She hadn't "started," she decided after a moment. She just always had. Ever since the Turbo team, she'd had friends who would support her no matter what. She had not only gotten used to it, but she had broadened that trust to include everyone she had gotten close to since.

She still had friends like that. But as she sat down next to Andros and set his hot chocolate within easy reach, she thought that maybe they weren't the same ones she'd started out with.