She wouldn't have heard the knock if she hadn't been standing right in front of the door. She threw her towel down on the bed and grabbed for the remote, turning the volume on the stereo down to a more reasonable level. She shot another look at the mirror before pulling the door open.

"TJ!" she exclaimed delightedly. "I was just thinking about you!"

"What a coincidence," he said with a grin. He pulled his hand out from behind his back and offered her a wrapped bundle of rainbow colored flowers. "I was just thinking about you, too."

"Ohh..." Tessa took them from him carefully, inhaling the soft scent of fresh roses. "These are beautiful! Thank you!"

She pushed the door wide for him as she turned toward her desk, adding "Come on in," over her shoulder. "What's the password?" she added belatedly, laying the flowers beside her computer.

"The password is 'pretty please,'" TJ answered, putting his hands on her shoulders from behind. "'I want to see my gorgeous girlfriend.'"

She laughed, turning in his embrace to smile up at him. "Flatterer. What are you doing here so early?"

"Since when do I need an excuse?" he inquired. "I just wanted to say hi. And I like your hair," he added, grinning.

She rolled her eyes. "Most people's hair straightens out when it's wet; mine just gets curlier. I don't understand it."

"I like it," he repeated, touching her hair briefly. "So what are you up to?"

She gave him a look of amused disbelief. "Hello, prom? You think a girl can get ready in five minutes?"

"Just checking," he said lightly, and she did her best to repress a frown at his apparent evasion.

"Did you come by just to bring these?" she asked, keeping her smile firmly in place as she glanced down at the flowers. "You shouldn't have gone out of your way."

"Well, I admit that the flowers were an afterthought," he teased. "I am a guy, after all. Mostly I just wanted to see you."

She laughed, giving him a gentle push. "You'll see me in an hour," she reminded him. "Now get out of here so I can get ready!"

He sighed. "I'll see you later, then," he said over his shoulder, letting her push him toward the door.

"Yes," she said firmly. "Later. Thanks for the flowers!" she added, her hand on the doorknob. She hadn't meant to say that, but he looked so disappointed that she just had to.

He smiled at her when she waved, and she resisted the urge to lock the door behind her when it was finally closed again. He would be able to hear the click of the deadbolt from the hallway, and that would only tip him off that something was wrong. She couldn't say anything for the same reason--the walls around here were too thin for anything but the illusion of privacy.

She tried to go back to her hair instead. Unfortunately, the mirror was on the back of the door, and the more she stared at it the easier it was to imagine that he was on the other side of the door, staring back. Finally she took her brush over to the window, wondering if he would leave the normal way.

He did. She saw him exit through the main doors only a moment later, and he glanced up at her window automatically. She hadn't expected that, and she just barely kept from turning away. She even managed to wave, and he blew her a jaunty kiss. Just like TJ always did...

She swallowed, watching him saunter off down the street toward the commuter parking lot. The windows were wide open, so she waited until he was out of sight to look around for her communicator. She had taken it off before she showered.

It was on her desk, right where she'd left it--underneath the flowers. She pushed them gingerly aside, rescuing the yellow-banded communicator before backing away. She activated the little device as she sat down on Marie's bed. "TJ?" she asked, still staring at the flowers. "This is Tessa."

***

"So you think she'll like it?"

Carlos didn't even look up from his computer. "Yeah, man. I think she'll like it."

"Are you sure?" TJ persisted. "I mean, we haven't talked about this much."

"It's supposed to be a surprise," Carlos answered absently. "Telling her in advance sort of defeats the purpose."

"Yeah, but--" His communicator chimed, and he hesitated. Carlos kept typing, not paying any more attention than he had before.

Tessa's voice came across the comm link before he could even acknowledge it. She sounded a little... odd, and he frowned. "Tess? What's wrong?"

The answer startled him. "You gave me flowers," she said, the strange note still in her voice.

"What?" He saw Carlos look up from his laptop at last. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, your Psycho Ranger did," she amended, and a cold feeling settled into the pit of his stomach.

"Are you all right?" he demanded. "Are you alone? Where's Marie?"

"She went home for the weekend. Yes I'm alone, and yes I'm fine, if you don't count being incredibly creeped out. He's gone now... I don't think he knows I caught on, but--"

"I want you on the Megaship," TJ interrupted. "And I want you to be able to get here whenever you need to. Should I bring you up now, or do you want to wait a couple minutes while I talk Andros into changing the security protocols?"

"Give me a couple of minutes," she answered, and he didn't think he was imagining the relief in her voice. "I'll be ready to go then."

"All right." He exchanged glances with Carlos. "Don't let anyone else in, okay? If anything happens, call right away and we'll get you out of there."

"I will," she promised. "See you in a few minutes."

"Be there soon." He tapped his morpher and let his wrist fall, heading for the door before Carlos could say a word. "DECA, where's Andros?"

"Andros is one deck one," DECA replied.

"With?" TJ prompted as he stepped into the hall. Andros was rarely in the observatory alone.

"Zhane is also on deck one," the computer offered.

"Thanks." As he entered the lift, it occurred to him to ask, "DECA, do I have the authority to alter the Megaship's security level?"

"All Astro Rangers have that authority," she told him.

"Deck one," he said automatically, and the lift hummed to life. "So if I told you to go to security level four, you'd do it?"

"Of course. Control of ship's functions is the responsibility and the privilege of the Astro Rangers. You may alter shipwide security at your discretion."

He considered that for a moment. "Well, that's good to know," he muttered, half to himself. Still, he had no doubt that Andros would be informed the moment he gave the order, and the Red Ranger would naturally want an explanation. With no one in immediate danger, he'd better explain first.

***

"All right, who took my barrette?" Cassie was holding a single braid away from her face as she scanned the room impatiently. "I just had it a second ago."

"I ate it," Ashley told her. "Sorry. Want an elastic?"

Tessa stood up and tested her sandals, unable to keep from making a face when one of the straps cut into her ankle. Bracing her foot on the chair she'd just been sitting in, she tried to loosen it a little. "Who invented these annoying buckles?" she asked, not addressing anyone in particular.

"Here," Ashley offered, appearing beside her in an instant. "Let me do it."

The Yellow Ranger knelt next to her, her usual grace not hindered by heels and a flared ballgown. She pulled the strap free easily and slid it down a hole. "Just one, or more?"

"I think that's good." Putting her foot back on the floor, Tessa shifted her weight experimentally. "Yeah, that's great. Thanks."

"Oh, no you don't!" Ashley caught a little brown wisp of fur just before it would have tackled her sandal. "Nice try," she told the kitten. "Why don't you go talk to Kerone?"

Kerone lay sprawled on Cassie's bunk in jeans and a t-shirt, paying no attention to the activity around her. She had a comic book propped up against her knees and she seemed, for all intents and purposes, completely engrossed in it. The grey kitten was already curled in the crook of her arm, chewing contentedly on something.

"Here," Ashley said, dropping the other kitten on Kerone's stomach. "Hold on to this one too, would you? And what is--oh. Cassie?"

The grin in her voice got Tessa's attention again, and she looked up in time to see Ashley pull a pink rhinestone butterfly away from the grey kitten. "I found your barrette," Ashley offered, inspecting it. "It looks okay. No teeth marks, anyway."

"I didn't even see him take it!" Cassie held out her hand, and Ashley passed the little clip over to her. "Thanks for noticing that, Kerone."

"No problem," the other girl answered absently. Her voice sounded a little quieter than usual, but Tessa couldn't tell whether she was hoarse or just distracted.

"Want some help?" Ashley was hovering next to her friend, studying her reflection in the mirror. "I can put that in for you."

Cassie shook her head, but she handed the barrette back without argument. "How can you be ready to go?" she asked, as Ashley clipped her braid into place. "I thought you'd be the last one dressed!"

"More practice," Ashley told her with a grin. "Hold still and I'll do the other side."

Tessa laid her wrist on the edge of Cassie's desk and managed to fasten her bracelet. She paused to inspect her fingernails before reaching for the collar--she had painted them the night before, and true to form, one of them was already chipped. She supposed she should be grateful she was wearing a light color; the imperfection was less noticeable than it could have been.

She heard Ashley scold Cassie for moving her head, and Cassie's retort that if her friend would stop pulling her hair she wouldn't have to move. Tessa smiled, glancing over at Kerone. Andros' sister was still reading, though she had had to lift the comic book up when the kittens started playing with her locket. Otherwise, she seemed unperturbed.

Fastening the collar around her neck, Tessa decided that she had something to thank the Psycho Rangers for after all. Getting ready in her dorm room wouldn't have been nearly as much fun. She wouldn't have had Ashley to help, or Kerone to keep a sense of perspective... what was she reading, anyway?

"You look good," Ashley said, from out of nowhere, and she turned around with a smile.

"Thanks. So do you," Tessa added. "I was just thinking how nice it is to get ready together like this."

"Some of us, anyway," Cassie added wryly, giving Kerone a pointed look. "It's good to know that there's at least one person who isn't stressing over her hair."

Kerone seemed to sense their regard. "What?" she asked, lifting her head to look back at them.

"Nothing," Ashley said with a laugh. "Almost done with 'ElfQuest'?"

"Yeah..." Kerone set the comic down carefully, a slight frown creasing her forehead. "I don't quite understand, though--you have wolves on Earth, but not elves? Is that right?"

"That's right," Cassie told her, tilting her head to put in one of her earrings. "Wolves are like... wild dogs, kind of. Elves are--" She paused, shooting Ashley and Tessa a helpless look.

"Blonde, pointy-eared people with a sense of humor?" Ashley suggested, adjusting the double spaghetti straps over her right shoulder. "That's a tough one. Tessa, what are elves?"

"Um..." Caught, she could only shrug. "Imaginary woodland spirits with--magical powers?"

"Barefoot imaginary spirits," Cassie amended, making a face as she pulled off the socks she'd been wearing over her nylons. "Why am I wearing these shoes?"

"You're not, yet," Ashley pointed out. "You can take them off at dinner. Kerone, do you need any help?"

"No, thanks." Kerone sat up and stretched lazily, dislodging both kittens in the process. She put a hand over each one before they could slip away and smiled up at Ashley. "I'm still on kitten duty."

Tessa studied the other girl carefully, trying to decide whether Kerone's smile was just a tad bit smug. She had to wonder if she would still look that calm when it was time to go. She knew Kerone could change her appearance at will, but still...

"All right, time for some glitter," Ashley announced. "Cassie, if you're not using the mirror, could you stop sitting in front of it?"

"I will be using it," Cassie retorted good-naturedly. "As soon as I stand up."

"Are you going to wear glitter?" Tessa asked, surprised. It was something she might have expected of Cassie, but not her more classically attired teammate. Cassie's fitted silhouette dress was stunning, but the side slit was just a little too high and the single shoulder strap looked deliberately loose. It was as though the Pink Ranger couldn't suppress her rebellious streak even for a single night.

"No," Ashley replied cheerfully. "I'm not going to wear it; you are. Come here."

"Why would I wear glitter?" She joined Ashley by the mirror anyway, trading places with Cassie. The other girl was still smoothing her dress back into place after bunching it up to slide her shoes on. "I think my collar's sparkly enough."

"That's why you can wear it," Ashley informed her patiently. "It matches."

Tessa studied her reflection. She was the only one wearing a two-piece dress, and next to Ashley she felt underdressed in more ways than one. Her hair was loose and unadorned, and she wore illusion netting over a midriff-baring top and turquoise skirt. The outfit was both more revealing and slightly less formal than her friends', and she wasn't convinced glitter would be an improvement

"Here," Cassie said, reaching for the glitter. "Watch me do it wrong, then you can figure out what to change."

Tessa laughed inadvertently. "I guess that's fair."

She moved to one side to give Cassie some room. Opening the little jar, Cassie set the cover down and stepped closer to peer at her face in the mirror. "The trick," she murmured, "is to get it closer to your eyes than you think it's supposed to be..."

"Yeah, that sounds safe," Ashley interjected dryly.

There was silent movement behind them, and Tessa caught a glimpse of Kerone's purple t-shirt in the mirror. She saw Ashley glance over her shoulder when Kerone warned them, "The kittens are loose."

"There," Cassie said, sounding satisfied. "That looks pretty good." She had underlined both eyes with streaks of rainbow-colored glitter, invisible until she moved and the light caught it. "Do you want some, or should I do the rest first?"

"You're going to use more?" Tessa inspected Cassie's face, then took a step back and considered the overall effect critically. "That does look cool."

"Yeah... I'll probably just put some on my wrists and neck, too," Cassie answered. She glanced over at Ashley. "What do you think?"

"I think Saryn won't thank you for putting anything on your neck," Ashley told her with a smirk.

Cassie only laughed. "Maybe not," she admitted. "All right, wrists it is."

Tessa's focus was on Cassie, so she didn't even notice when Ashley looked over her shoulder again. A moment later, though, Ashley got everyone's attention with a single word. "Wow!"

They looked up in surprise, just in time to see Kerone put her hands on her hips. "Well?" she inquired mildly. "You didn't think I was going in jeans, did you?"

She wore a simple tank top style dress with a skirt that swirled just above her ankles, but even as Tessa watched Kerone smoothed her hands over the waistline and the gown became a two-piece. She smiled when Kerone winked at her, the bright lilac-colored skirt and sequined top shimmering in the light.

"Am I presentable?" Kerone wanted to know.

Ashley laughed. "Very!"

Cassie just rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "Someone remind me to be a sorceress in my next life. Tessa, hold still."

She did her best not to blink as Cassie scooped up some glitter gel and ran one finger over her cheekbone. "Does this stuff come off?"

"Yes, so don't touch your face," Cassie warned, applying some under her other eye. "You can rub a lot of it off just by accident, but it stays pretty well otherwise. Want anymore?" she added, taking a step back to consider her handiwork.

Tessa glanced at the mirror, moving her head back and forth to see where the glitter began and ended. "No... Actually, that looks good," she admitted, tilting her head down to see what it looked like from above. "Thanks, Cassie."

"You're welcome," Cassie answered, smiling as she capped the jar again. "So are we all ready?"

"Kerone," Ashley interrupted before anyone could answer. "No one is going to believe you did that to your hair with dye!"

Tessa turned around curiously, but saw nothing unusual. "What are you talking about?"

Kerone put her hands behind her back, a distinctly smug smile on her face as she turned. "What are they going to think I used? Magic?"

Her straight blonde hair was pulled back at the top and loose underneath, the ends curling slightly as they always seemed to. It was a simple enough hairstyle--until one saw the rainbow wound through her short ponytail. Tessa put a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. "Speaking of elves," she murmured.

"Fairies," Cassie corrected with a grin. "Fairies have colored hair."

"We need a picture," Tessa realized suddenly. "Not just of Kerone," she added, when everyone looked at her. "Of all of us."

"Believe me," Ashley told her, a note fond exasperation in her voice, "my parents will take plenty. One of each of us, one of each of the couples, about fifty of us all together..."

"She's right, though," Cassie said. "We should have one of all us girls before we leave."

"DECA," Kerone put in. "Could you take a picture for us?"

DECA's camera swiveled slightly to regard them. "Certainly. Shall I display it on the comm screen?"

"That'd be great!" Ashley put her arm around Kerone's shoulders and motioned to Cassie and Tessa. "Come on, guys... Are we all ready?"

Tessa put her arm around Cassie's waist and tried to straighten her dress with her free hand. "I'm ready," she agreed, and in the mirror she saw Kerone nod.

Cassie squeezed her shoulders affectionately. "Smile!"

DECA's camera light flickered, probably more for dramatic effect than anything else, and an image of the four of them appeared on Cassie's computer terminal.

"Oh, I blinked," Ashley complained. "We have to do another one."

"No one move," Cassie said, rolling her eyes. "And keep your eyes open this time!"

"Everybody make a face," Kerone suggested, and Tessa giggled.

"No, I know!" Ashley exclaimed. "Everyone hold out your right hand!"

Cassie laughed this time, and as soon as Tessa freed her right arm she saw what Ashley meant. They put their right hands together in the middle, trying not to giggle as they vied for position.

"All right," Cassie declared at last. "Everyone stop being silly!"

Kerone outright laughed at that and Ashley snickered, but they stopped shoving each other.

"Ready?" Ashley asked, as they looked up at DECA's camera. Four pink and yellow communicators glittered on their outstretched wrists. "Everybody smile!"

***

"Just one more picture--stand close together, you two!"

"Mom!" Ashley called from inside. "Let them go already! We're going to make it to the prom before they do, at this rate!"

"All right, all right," her mother said with a smile, lowering her camera. "Go ahead; I won't hold you up."

"Thanks for dinner, Mrs. Hammond," TJ said, pausing by the steps. "We really appreciate you letting us eat in your dining room."

"It was our pleasure," she assured him. "Have a good time tonight!"

"Thanks again!" Tessa said, waving as she waited by the car.

Ashley's mother waved back, smiling, and TJ hurried to open the passenger door. "Drive safely!" she added, and then, "Sorry, I had to say it. Good night!"

TJ grinned and waved while Tessa settled herself in the car. "Good night, Mrs. Hammond."

Tessa smiled at him and he closed her door carefully. To his surprise, she leaned over and pushed his door open for him the way she always did, which was no mean feat in her dress. "Thanks," he said automatically as he climbed in. "You don't have to do that, you know."

"Reverse chivalry?" she suggested with a smile, smoothing her skirt. "Don't worry; I don't think I'm going to do it again. I'm not sure how much twisting this dress can take."

"You look fabulous," he told her as he started the car. "I'm sure I've already told you that, but you look great."

She laughed, waving out the windshield as they backed out of the Hammonds' driveway. "A girl can never hear it too often," she told him. "Thanks. You look pretty stunning yourself."

He flashed her a grin. "I knew I'd have a lot to live up to. That's the thing about having a gorgeous girlfriend; I have to be careful not to let you make me look bad."

She smiled at that, but her expression was distracted. When she didn't answer, he shot another quick look at her. "That was supposed to be a compliment," he offered, a little ruefully. "Sorry if it didn't come out that way."

"What? Oh, no," she said quickly, smiling again. "I thought it was sweet. I was just thinking about the Psycho Rangers."

Keeping his eyes on the road this time, he raised an eyebrow. "Was it something I said?"

She laughed. "No," she assured him. "Well, sort of... but not in a bad way. It was just you calling me 'gorgeous'... that's what your Psycho Ranger said this afternoon."

"Huh." TJ frowned at the road, trying to keep the mood light. "He's stealing all my lines. We'll have to have a little chat about that next time we meet."

Tessa was quiet for a moment. "Do you think they'll be at the prom?" she asked at last.

It was his turn to hesitate. "Honestly?"

"No, TJ; lie to me." She sounded amused. "Of course honestly."

The car came to a halt at a two-way stop and he glanced over at her. "Yeah," he admitted. "I do think they'll be there, for two reasons.

"One," he said, as they rolled forward again, "they should have attacked before now, so they're obviously waiting for something. It's as likely to be that as anything else. Especially since, two, they'll know we can't be as careful at the prom. It'll be crowded and noisy and we won't be able to keep track of each other very well. It's a perfect opportunity."

She didn't answer right away, and he wondered if that had been a little more than she'd asked for. But when she spoke all she said was, "So tell me why we're going on ahead, if sticking together is that important?"

He shrugged self-consciously. "Well, it's still prom night. And if the Psychos really are planning to attack, I thought maybe we should get to our seaside stroll sooner rather than later."

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tessa put a hand over her mouth. "Oh, no!" she exclaimed. "I knew I'd forgotten something."

"No, you didn't," he said, trying not to smile.

"My sneakers!"

"They're in the back. I grabbed them while you were getting dressed with the others."

She looked over her shoulder and he heard her sigh in relief. "What *would* I do without you," she murmured.

"Go for one less walk on the beach, probably," he answered lightly. He hoped he didn't sound as nervous as he felt when he cleared his throat. "But I'm glad you asked that... because I really have been wondering."

"What I'd do without you?" she said with a laugh. "If you're going to follow your friends into space, wait till after the prom to tell me, okay? If the Psycho Rangers attack, the adrenaline rush might actually make me go with you."

He knew she was joking, but he couldn't keep from grinning at that declaration. "I meant I was wondering what I'd do without you," he corrected, giving her a sideways glance. "I just wanted you to know... I'm really glad we'll be at the same school next year."

"Me too," she answered, and he could hear the smile in her voice. "We're going to have a good time this fall."

"Yeah," he agreed, checking to make sure his headlights were on. "This summer, too."

There was a silent moment, and he heard the breathless hope in her voice when she asked, "Did you get the job with Athletics?"

He couldn't wipe the grin off his face as he nodded. "I'll be coaching kids at baseball camp from the middle of June until August. Lunch is at twelve, and camp gets out at four."

"My lunch is at twelve!" She sounded delighted. "TJ, that's so great! Congratulations! I can't believe we're both going to be on campus all summer!"

"Neither can I," he admitted. "I just found out yesterday, and you have no idea how hard it was not to tell you until now."

"Why didn't you?" she exclaimed. "We couldn't have asked for a better schedule!"

"Nope," he agreed, still smiling at the road. "But I waited because there was something else I wanted to ask you."

"What? You can't top camp," she told him happily. "This is going to be a great summer."

"It could still get better," he replied, ignoring the urge to cross his fingers. "Wait and see."

"See what?" she demanded. "You're just one surprise after another tonight!"

They turned onto the one-way boulevard and he put on his left blinker, the Tracker gliding easily into a half-full parking lot. It wasn't quite warm enough for a California summer yet, and most of the beachfront stores were still closed or on reduced hours for the off season. The tourist town would be alive with activity within a month, but now it was still shaking off the sleepy cool of winter.

TJ turned the engine off and rescued their sneakers from the back seat, passing Tessa's to her and opening his door to put his own on. He briefly debated feeding the meter, but he really didn't need to come back to a ticket tonight.

Tessa shot him an amused glance as he grabbed some quarters and climbed out of the car. "Am I supposed to be in suspense right now? Promise you're not going to make me to do something silly," she added, pushing her door open to follow him.

"I guess you'll just have to decide," he answered, resetting the meter. "Shall we go for a walk?"

She closed her door behind her and checked his lights as she joined him. He held out his arm, and she smiled up at him as they linked elbows and sauntered toward the boardwalk. There were a few residents and some obvious prom couples wandering along the seawall, and a single in-line skater sped past as they stepped onto the concrete blocks that formed a path along the beach.

"This is nice," Tessa said a few moments later, leaning her head against his shoulder briefly. "It was a good idea of mine to come before the prom instead of after."

"Yours, huh?" he teased. "Too bad you didn't think of it while you were forgetting your sneakers."

"That's what I have you for," she reminded him. "To think of details like that."

"Well, here's another detail," he said, guiding her toward one of the benches along the boardwalk. "Tell me what you think about it."

She swept her skirt out to the side and sat, patting the bench when he didn't immediately join her. "Sit down," she urged. "You've got your back to a fabulous sunset."

"I have a better view in front of me," he told her with a smile. He took his left hand out of his pocket and went down on one knee, offering her the little velvet box he'd been carrying around with him since last weekend. "This is the other detail I was talking about."

Her eyes widened, and he continued quickly, "I'm not asking you to marry me, Tess. I know it's a little soon, and we don't really know what we're doing with our lives yet... but I know I want to spend mine with you, and no matter what you say tonight, someday I am going to ask.

"If you think you might say yes," he said carefully, "then I want you to have this. It's my promise to you that you'll always be the most special person in my life, and that someday I'm going to ask to be your husband."

Without a word, she took the box gently from his fingers and cracked it open. He was so focused on her that he heard her breath catch, and when she lifted her gaze to his he felt his heart skip a beat. "A promise ring?" she whispered, searching his expression.

He had to swallow. "Yeah... Not quite engaged, but--close?"

"I'm not sure I'm ready to be engaged," she confessed, staring down at the ring again.

"I understand," he said quickly, hoping he didn't sound as crushed as he felt. "If you--"

"But I want to wear your ring," she interrupted, looking up and gracing him with a smile. "If you promise to ask someday, I promise to say yes."

He could only stare at her. "Really?"

She laughed. "Really! I love you," she added, leaning forward to kiss him gently.

"I love you too," he murmured, amazed at how fast his heart had regained its footing in the clouds. "Here..." He tugged the ring free from its box and took her left hand, sliding the gold band onto her third finger. "Here's to forever," he said with a shy grin.

"Forever," she agreed quietly, lifting her hand to stare at the intertwined hearts in the fading light. "That's how long we'll be together."

***

"You can keep your invitation." The woman at the door gave them a motherly smile. "It's to help you remember your senior prom. And don't forget to take a candle, either."

"Thanks," Tessa said, smiling in return as she slid the holographic invitation back into her purse.

"Thanks, Mrs. Applebee," TJ added. He picked up two of the little wax- and glitter-filled glasses, handing one to her with a grin. "I notice that they didn't give us matches. We may be graduating, but I guess we're not that trustworthy yet."

"Now, TJ," the teacher reproved gently. Her smile was fond. "You know it's dangerous to have open flames in a place where people are dancing and moving about without warning."

"Right, of course," TJ said knowingly. "I thought that was probably it, Mrs. Applebee." He winked at the teacher, and she waved her hands in an exasperated gesture, shooing him away.

"You're terrible," Tessa murmured, as they stepped through the door. An older man nodded at them as they entered the dance hall, and she smiled politely at him.

"Hi, Mr. Kaplan," TJ greeted him. "Anybody causing trouble yet?"

He looked so serious that for a moment Tessa almost believed him. But Mr. Kaplan just frowned at him, and she knew he'd been teasing. "Not until you arrived, young man," the principal replied, a suspicious look on his face. Tessa couldn't tell if it was real or faked.

"Good," TJ said easily. "We'll go see what we can do, then."

She followed quickly as he headed deeper into the room, stepping around the linen-covered tables and smiling at anyone who seemed to catch her eye. "TJ," she hissed, when he showed no sign of slowing down. "Some of us are wearing heels!"

He turned around at that, holding out his free hand apologetically. "I'm sorry," he said, sliding his arm through hers and pulling her close to him. They started forward again, more slowly, and he added, "I guess I just want to find the others. I didn't mean to walk so fast."

"It's okay," she said, squeezing his arm. "I'm kind of nervous too... would you think it's silly if I asked you not to leave me alone much?"

"Are you kidding?" He gave her a grim look that he tried to lighten with a smile. "I'm not letting you out of my sight. I'll feel better when we catch up with the others," he added, glancing around the room.

"Could we have gotten here before them?" Tessa suggested, following his gaze. It was almost nine, and the room was starting to fill up with elegantly dressed students talking, drinking punch, and just generally milling. There were even a few couples out on the dance floor, but no one she recognized.

"Maybe," TJ said doubtfully. "They would have had to leave quite a bit later than we did, though, and I thought they were going to be right behind us."

"Well," she said, setting her candle down on a nearby table, "Maybe they--"

Something cold and sharp pressed against the back of her neck. "Don't move," a familiar voice hissed, and she froze.

Andros stepped out of the crowd in front of her, wearing his Astro flight suit. "Oh, Rangers," he called, in a strangely singsong voice. "You can come out now; we have your friends!"

TJ was motionless at her side, and she guessed that whoever had a weapon to her head was holding him too. What surprised her more than the sudden appearance of the Psycho Rangers was the fact that no one around them seemed to be paying the slightest attention to what was going on. It was as though they weren't even there.

Even as the thought formed in her mind, though, she saw a student walk right through "Andros". No ripples, no cool sound effects--he was just in front of "Andros", and then he was behind him, apparently unaware that he had just defied the laws of electrostatic repulsion. The student kept right on walking, and "Andros" braced one hand casually against the back of a chair.

So they could touch things. The pressure on her neck was real enough, too... but as far as anyone else was concerned, the Psychos might as well have been ghosts. She wondered suddenly if she and TJ were just as invisible.

"What do you want?" Tessa demanded, just as a girl at the table next to them got up. The girl didn't so much as blink. That answered that question...

"We're here," Cassie said, stepping out of the crowd with Carlos at her side. "Let them go."

"Now, you see," "Andros" told her condescendingly, "there are two reasons why I can't do that. One is that I only see two of you, not seven. The other is that he--" He pointed something that looked just like an Astro Blaster in TJ's direction. "He's one of the Rangers we're going to have to destroy. I couldn't let him go in any case."

"So let her go," TJ interrupted. "Tessa never did anything to you."

The Psycho Ranger eyed him, then turned his gaze on Tessa. It was unquestionably creepy to have anyone leer at her, let alone someone who looked just like Andros, but there was no other word for the look he gave her. "If your other friends would show themselves," he allowed at last, "I might consider it."

"If it's Rangers you want," Ashley began, walking through one of her classmates to stare "Andros" down.

"Then it's Rangers you've got," Zhane finished. He stepped around a table to stand beside her. "Don't bring civilians into this."

Tessa gritted her teeth in an effort not to protest. TJ wouldn't thank her for speaking up now, but she could see what was happening. The others had successfully made themselves inconspicuous among the ghost-like students until she and TJ walked into something they didn't understand. The Psychos were using her as a hostage to draw the others out... but they couldn't possibly mean to let her go.

She felt TJ squeeze her hand, and she tried to glance sideways at him. He was gazing only at "Andros", and when she shot covert looks at the other Rangers she found them just as focused. She couldn't tell if it was deliberate or not, so she did the only thing she could: she followed their example.

"I didn't bring anyone into it," "Andros" was saying. "You did that all by yourselves. I don't see why you're getting so upset about it now."

"The person who starts the fight makes the rules," an identical voice answered. "You made this Tessa's fight the moment you threatened TJ."

Andros and Kerone stood off to one side, twin expressions of serenity on their faces. Neither looked the slightest bit ruffled, and for some reason, she found that odd. They could both pull an excellent poker face when they wanted to, but it seemed that if there were any situation that called for something other than calm, it was--

"Drop your weapon," a low voice growled. A shadow wrapped itself around "Andros'" neck, and her eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't even seen Saryn until he spoke.

"Andros" looked as startled as she felt, which was somewhat comforting. Unfortunately, although Saryn seemed to be glaring in her direction, the sharp pressure on her neck didn't ease. Ashley's voice came from somewhere behind her, and Tessa tried not to start.

"You can't kill him," the Yellow Psycho Ranger informed Saryn. She sounded absolutely certain of herself, to the point where Tessa was sure she was sneering. "You're an empath. You'd feel him die."

Saryn's eyes narrowed, and there was a look on his face that had never been there before. "Never doubt that I will kill to protect those I love," he said quietly, and the sound of his blaster arming seemed to echo in the silent room.

There wasn't any noise, Tessa realized suddenly. She didn't even know when it had happened. The students still swirled around them, and the lights out on the dance floor flashed, but their voices were the only things that disturbed the eerie quiet.

Their voices... and the sound of "Andros'" grunt as Saryn forced him unceremoniously to the floor.

"I told them," he said, lifting his gaze to regard someone just beyond Tessa, "that I thought it possible you care for each other." His blaster didn't waver. "If that is true, you will both drop your weapons and walk out of here alive. If it is not, I assure you that he dies the moment you harm anyone in this room."

There was a long and uncertain moment. "Andros" dropped his blaster first, not that it was threatening anyone being pointed at the floor, but the gesture almost seemed to be a signal. The cold edge at Tessa's neck eased a second later, and she heard another clatter of metal on hardwood.

TJ made a move toward Kerone, drawing her with him as he did and giving Tessa her first glimpse of the person that had held them both. "Ashley" took an involuntary step forward as Saryn kicked the nearest blaster away and let the Psycho Ranger up, his own blaster still conspicuously present on his wrist.

"Not so fast."

It was TJ's voice that spoke, and Tessa reacted without thinking. She pulled away from TJ the moment Psycho Blue trained his weapon on Saryn, and she interposed herself between them. "Don't," she told him simply.

"Tessa!" TJ and Psycho Blue reprimanded her simultaneously, but she didn't take her eyes off of the Psycho Ranger in front of her.

"You aren't just a killing machine," she said, willing the words to be true. "Not now. Not ever again. You can be more. You are more, already. Don't throw that away."

For as long as she lived, she would never forget the look on his face as he lowered his blaster. He couldn't hurt her, she knew that, but he couldn't have her either, and she couldn't help remembering the roses still lying on her desk at school. She hadn't even bothered to put them in water--they would be shamefully wilted by now.

"Psycho Pink," Cassie cut in, her tone urgent. "Where is she?"

"TJ" didn't answer, still staring at her, but behind her she heard Andros' voice say, "We came to destroy you. Her mission was to capture your ship."

"DECA!" Zhane sounded horrified, and she tore her gaze away from Psycho Blue to watch him trigger his communicator. "DECA, this is Zhane."

When no reply was forthcoming, he repeated, "DECA, it's Zhane. Answer me!" The effort was met with no more success than he'd had the first time.

Zhane traded looks of fear and fury with Andros, and the Red Ranger touched his own morpher. "DECA!"

There was no answer.