She twisted, reaching automatically for Saryn as the dreamy fog of sleep lessened a little. Her hand slid across the cool pillow beside her and reached the edge of his single bed, prodding her further from her doze as she realized she was alone. She struggled to open her eyes, wondering where he could have gone.

"I am not 'shunning' her," Saryn's quiet voice said, replying to something she had only barely heard.

"You won't talk to her, and suddenly she's banned from the Command Center dome. What do you call it?"

She frowned, unable to place the second voice from her "dream". Lifting a hand slowly to her face, she rubbed her eyes and wondered what time it was. Saryn didn't seem to need as much sleep as her, even when he was unmorphed, but it couldn't be good for him to be up so late--early?--right before an infiltration assault on Dark Spectre's personal ship.

"I had nothing to do with her exclusion from the dome," he was telling the comm screen. "That was Cetaci's order, not mine. If we do not speak as much as we might, of late, it is only because her presence makes Cassie uncomfortable."

She froze. Who were they talking about?

"I'm sure she doesn't do it on purpose," the screen said, after a pause. "And it isn't a matter of you not speaking much--she says you won't speak to her at *all*."

There was no answer.

"Phantom, you can't keep this up. We can't have Defense command divided over this girl of yours."

"Tobin," Saryn warned quietly.

The voice that replied was uninterpretable as it said, "Cassie, then. We can't be divided over Cassie."

*Defense command.* Saryn, and Linnse--and Tobin. That was who he was talking to, and they must be talking about Linnse. *Her* and Linnse.

She swallowed. She hadn't thought he had even noticed how much Linnse disliked her, and now he was in trouble on her behalf. *Again,* she couldn't help thinking.

"Can't you at least *talk* to her?" Tobin was asking. "You're only making her more sure that this--that Cassie's a bad influence on you by avoiding her."

She couldn't pretend to be asleep any longer. Pushing herself into a sitting position, she saw Saryn's head turn in her direction. She slid off the edge of his bed and padded quietly over to take his outstretched hand.

Tobin didn't say a word as she entered the camera's field of view.

"I am sorry," Saryn said quietly, his fingers wrapping around hers. "I did not mean to wake you."

He tugged gently on her hand, and she could feel his desperate need to hug her, to reassure her that everything was all right. She wanted that comfort, but just knowing that he was worried made her feel better, and she was very conscious of Tobin's eyes on them.

"It's okay," she said, pulling the second chair up in front of the workstation instead. "*I'm* sorry," she offered, settling into the chair tentatively. "I didn't realize I was causing so much trouble."

"You are not," Saryn assured her.

"Actually, you are," Tobin contradicted, from the other side of the viewscreen. "Why are Phantom and Linnse fighting over you?"

She blinked, surprised that he was addressing her directly. "I--I don't know," she stammered, seeing Saryn glare at the screen out of the corner of her eye. Tobin ignored him. "I guess--Linnse and I just don't get along, and Sa--Phantom's caught in the middle. It's my fault, not his."

"It is *not* your fault," Saryn interjected. "Linnse has said things she has no right to."

"Just because she says things you don't *like* doesn't mean she doesn't have the right to say them," Tobin reminded him sharply.

He looked back at her and added, "I don't mean to offend you, Cassie, but our friend has never said a word about you until very recently. We're bound to have a few questions."

She nodded, but Saryn snapped, "'Questions' and 'accusations' are not the same thing, Tobin. Cassie is a Ranger. Linnse was outside of all limits to call her a traitor without substantial provocation!"

"She did have a reason," Cassie said quietly. She hated to defend Linnse, after the woman had given her so much grief, but she could almost see how things might have looked--to someone who refused to know anything about her or the situation. "You were captured by Dark Spectre, and I had your ruby. I think she thought Kerone and I set that trap for you."

"That is ridiculous," Saryn said impatiently. "She knows Rangers can not do that sort of thing."

"Even Rangers can be influenced by evil," Tobin pointed out, and Cassie winced.

Then she tilted her head, surprised to see Saryn getting to his feet. He had one hand on his ruby, and an expression of utter calmness on his face. She tried not to shiver, for she knew that look. He was about to do something drastic, and she wasn't sure she was going to like it.

"If Cassie wanted my ruby, she could have taken it long ago," Saryn said, and his fingers clenched around the crystal as he lifted it up over his head. The necklace slipped off, the gold links sparkling around his fingers as he held it out to her.

She shook her head. He gave her a half-smile. "You see? She is one of a very few people who could take it by force, and she is the only one to whom I would give it if she so much as asked. But she does not."

He held out his hands again, and this time she felt the necklace chain settle around her neck. She looked down automatically, and his ruby glinted up at her as he put his hands on her shoulders. "I trust Cassie with more than my heart, Tobin. I trust her with my life."

Tobin didn't so much as blink. "Yes, well, we know how *you* feel about her. Linnse doesn't seem to agree."

"Linnse is entitled to her opinion," Saryn said stubbornly. "As long as she doesn't bother Cassie."

"She isn't, exactly…" Cassie shifted uncomfortably. Saryn shouldn't have to choose like this, but she couldn't help asking, "Was she really banned from the Ranger dome?"

"That is unrelated," Saryn told her, glancing down. "Cetaci banned her for misuse of Ranger equipment."

Tobin frowned. "'Misuse of equipment'? That doesn't sound like Linnse."

Cassie flushed, looking from Saryn's soft expression to Tobin's suspicious one. "Actually… I tried to contact Phantom last night. Linnse intercepted the transmission."

"Why?" Saryn demanded.

She shrugged helplessly, and he turned on Tobin. "This is exactly what I'm talking about. She is deliberately harassing Cassie, and I will not tolerate it."

Tobin shook his head once. "This obviously isn't resolving anything. I'm going to get Linnse."

"Wait--" Cassie glanced up, and saw Saryn tilt his head in her direction. "I know this is important, but… it's sort of the middle of the night here. I'll stay up and talk to you and Linnse, if you want, but Saryn needs to sleep."

"*Phantom*," Tobin said pointedly, "told me he'd already slept."

She was tired of this name game. He was Saryn to her, and he had said she could call him that whenever she wanted to. "If you're really his friend," she said, letting her annoyance show in her tone, "you know *Saryn* doesn't always tell the truth about things like that. You woke him up with your comm transmission."

She felt Saryn's fingers caress her hair, and she looked up involuntarily. He was smiling down at her, and her heart melted at the tenderness in his expression. For the briefest second she forgot everything else.

Then he lifted his gaze to the comm screen and said mildly, "Cassie is correct; you did wake me. But I will sleep after this conversation. I prefer to resolve this matter now."

He and Tobin stared at each other for a moment, and then Tobin's gaze shifted to her. "Under normal circumstances," he said, and there was the hint of a smile on his face, "I would agree with you, Cassie, and say this could wait.

"Unfortunately, it can't. I want Linnse to go with your Ranger team tomorrow, and if she and Phantom won't talk to each other, that will make things difficult."

She nodded reluctantly, and Tobin reached for something on the console in front of him. "I'll let her know what we're discussing," he told them, and the screen greyed out as the transmission paused.

She felt Saryn's hand stroke her hair again, and she turned toward him. He smiled, and she couldn't help returning it. "I'm sorry to make things so awkward…"

"Never apologize for being in my life," he murmured, combing her hair gently away from her face. "I would not have it any other way."

She leaned into his touch, but her fingers brushed against his ruby as she lifted her hand. To her surprise, he stopped her when she started to tug it off over her head. Looking up at him uncertainly, she said, "Linnse won't be very happy to see me wearing this."

"I do not care what Linnse thinks," he said softly, leaning in to kiss her. "I love *you*."

His lips were warm on hers before she could respond to that, but she couldn't help frowning when he pulled away. "What did you say?"

"I said I love you," he answered, fingers still tangled in her hair as he gazed down at her.

It wasn't *what* he had said as much as how he had said it, but she didn't have time to ask him about it before the comm screen came to life again. "All right," Tobin declared. "Let's talk."

The comm chimed, signaling a second incoming transmission, and Saryn leaned over her shoulder to acknowledge it. The screen split to reveal Linnse, blonde hair tousled for once and the lighting behind her dim. Clearly, they weren't the only ones Tobin had woken up to deal with this.

As Cassie had anticipated, Linnse's eyes focused on her first. "I thought this was going to be a Defense discussion."

Keeping her fingers clenched around Saryn's ruby, she felt him gently lift her hair over the chain and settle the necklace more securely around her neck. "Where I am involved, Cassie is involved," he said, almost idly, as though he was more focused on her hair than the conversation.

"That's exactly what worries me," Linnse told him, frowning. "She appears from out of nowhere two weeks ago and suddenly she's in everything you say and do. How much do you even know about this girl?"

"I know I love her," he answered, and Cassie looked up again, smiling a little. He caught her eye and asked softly, "What else matters?"

"Who she *is* matters," Linnse said, clearly annoyed.

He lifted his head. "She is a Power Ranger. You, of all people, should know what that means."

Cassie bit her lip, trying not to let her irritation at being talked about in the third person show. She knew that anything she tried to say would only hurt the situation, but she didn't like letting Saryn do her fighting for her.

He must have sensed her displeasure, for his hand squeezed her shoulder soothingly. He touched her hair again, and just that was enough to distract her. She tried not to lean into the caress, but he was never this affectionate when other people were around, and she had to keep reminding herself that they weren't alone.

"Oh, stop playing with her hair," Linnse snapped, startling her. "Just because she's attractive doesn't mean she's trustworthy."

His hand froze. "I will not have you question Cassie's loyalty," his voice dangerously quiet. "We have been through too much together."

"So what you've been through with the rest of us doesn't matter anymore?" Linnse shot back. "Haven't we earned your trust?"

"I trusted you before I knew you," he said, as though it should have been obvious. "Because you were a Ranger. All I ask is that you extend the same courtesy to Cassie."

"Look," Cassie spoke up, unable to stay silent any longer. "I know you don't like me. But I swear to you that I'd never do anything to hurt Saryn."

"Then don't call him by his real name," Linnse said coldly, acknowledging her for the first time.

"Linnse, stop," Saryn interrupted. "I have asked Cassie to use that name. I gave it to her the first time she saw me demorph."

She felt his arm slide over her shoulder, and his hand touched the fingers she still had wrapped around his ruby. She let go of the necklace and took his hand automatically. Only when Linnse's eyes widened did she realize what he had made her do.

"You gave her your crystal? Phantom, that's not just some trinket; that's your life she's playing with!"

Cassie swallowed, and his fingers tightened on her hand. "She will guard it better than I ever could," he told the screen softly.

There was a brief silence, and then Tobin said suddenly, "Phantom, I never thought I'd say this, but you're a fool."

Linnse sat back in her chair, looking distinctly smug.

"But at least he has an excuse," Tobin added, glancing in her direction. "Love does strange things to people. I really don't understand why *you're* acting so strangely, Linnse."

Linnse stared at him. "*I'm* acting strangely? He's thrown away everything he's worked for over the last four years for a pretty face!"

"He hasn't thrown anything away. He's entrusted his secret to the woman he loves. Until we have a reason to think otherwise, I think we should trust his judgment."

Her eyes narrowed. "Is that your opinion as a friend, or as third party?"

"Both," he said firmly.

Cassie glanced up at Saryn uncertainly. From what he had told her about the Defense, that was supposed to be the end of the matter. The third "vote" was the tiebreaker, and the arguing parties abided by it.

"It's his risk to take, Linnse," Tobin added, when she didn't say anything. "You don't have to like his decision, but you do have to respect it."

When Cassie looked back at the screen, she found Linnse staring at her. "I'll respect it," the other woman said, grudgingly, but she didn't take her eyes of Cassie.

"Good," Tobin said, as though everything was settled. "Then we're done. Linnse, I need to talk to you for a minute."

She looked wary, but she nodded in mute agreement.

"May it go well, Phantom, Cassie," Tobin said, reaching for the console in front of him. "Sorry to wake you up," he added, and the split screen vanished before either of them could reply. Linnse's image disappeared a moment later.

Cassie looked up to find Saryn gazing at the blank screen thoughtfully. He turned his head when she moved, and smiled a little when he caught her eye. "Tobin likes you," he remarked.

"You think so?" she asked doubtfully.

He nodded, running his fingers through her hair.

"Do you have any idea how hard it was to concentrate with you doing that?" she murmured, reaching up to catch his hand and still it.

His smile widened, and his reply was the last thing she expected. "Yes."

She turned in her chair and climbed to her feet, holding both his hands in hers as she looked up at him. "What did Tobin mean when he said Linnse was going with us tomorrow?" she asked, well aware that there were only centimeters between them now.

*Kiss me,* she thought impulsively. She didn't know how many of her thoughts he could pick up on, but if he *could* hear her, she was counting on him to think she didn't mean him to.

"He wants the Defense wing stationed here to escort us," he said. He lifted one hand, fingers still entwined with hers, to brush her hair back from her face.

*Kiss me,* she thought again, gazing into his eyes. "I thought he didn't even want the Defense helping the Alliance. Why does he want to help us?"

"The--the chance to destroy Dark Spectre, I think," he said. She didn't miss his slight stammer, but his expression was perfectly calm.

"That's very… 'big picture' of him." She was just close enough to feel him breathing--slow and even, but in the back of her mind she could feel his focus slipping. *Kiss me.*

"'Big picture'?" he repeated softly, his gaze straying from her eyes as his thumb traced a gentle line across her cheek toward her chin.

"You know," she murmured. *Kiss me.* "Focusing on what's important."

His eyes flickered back to hers. "You know I can hear you, don't you."

She widened her eyes. "What do you--"

"Kiss me," he interrupted softly. His lips were hungry on hers before she could reply, and she leaned into him eagerly. His hands slipped out of hers and his arms encircled her, holding her close as he granted her silent request.

When at last he let her go, she stared breathlessly up at him, drinking in every detail of his expression. Sometimes it still amazed her to see his solemn features smiling tenderly back at her. "We should sleep," she murmured finally.

"Are you… tired?" he whispered, his gaze just as intent as he lifted a hand to her face again.

With his fingers on her skin and her heart pounding in her ears, she couldn't even *remember* what it felt like to be tired. "No," she admitted, longing to feel him kiss her again. "But--"

"We'll sleep," he promised, brushing a hand through her hair. She closed her eyes and leaned into the touch, not surprised to feel his mouth on hers a moment later. She felt guilty returning his kiss when he had just said--

He made it all right with a single word. "Later," he breathed, kissing her again.

***

"If everything goes according to plan, we should be back before tomorrow," Andros told the comm screen. Sunlight shone through the window behind the face in front of him, and the boy cracked a smile.

"We'll keep everything together here. Don't worry about us."

The scuff of a footstep on the metal deck made Andros turn his head. Ashley was leaning against the nav console at the back of the Bridge, watching the conversation with a fond expression on her face. When he looked over his shoulder, she smiled and walked around to join him at the pilot's station.

" 'Morning," she said affectionately, putting her hands on his shoulders and looking up at the main screen. "Hey, Justin."

"Did you just get up?" the former Blue Ranger asked.

"Yeah--Aquitar's time is different, so DECA let us sleep in. For once," she added, slapping Andros' shoulder lightly.

"How is it my fault?" he protested.

"It isn't," she said with a grin. "The fact that she *always* lets you sleep late is, though. Isn't this a little early for you to be up?"

"Very funny," he muttered.

"I'm just kidding," she said, tugging his ponytail gently. He tried not to smile.

"So how did everyone do last night?" Ashley asked, looking back up at the screen.

"Terrific," Justin said. "We'll keep Earth safe. Good luck, you guys."

"Thanks," Andros answered automatically.

"We'll see you tonight," Ashley said, her tone cheerful and full of a confidence Andros couldn't help but envy.

Justin nodded, as though that went without question. He touched something on his wrist and the screen went blank.

Ashley's hands slid off his shoulders as he turned. She grabbed the back of her chair and spun it around, sitting down next to him. "Think they can do it?" she asked quietly, studying him.

He gazed back at her, feeling a surge of protectiveness for this normally carefree girl. She projected a lightness that radiated from deep within her soul, but she had her doubts, just like everyone else. That she shared them with him both amazed and reassured him. He wasn't alone.

"Yeah," he said, reaching for her hand. "Rocky and Justin have been Rangers before; they know what to expect. The rest of them will be fine with those two leading them, and we won't be gone that long. If we're lucky, none of them will have to fight at all."

She smiled, squeezing his hand gratefully. When she didn't say anything in reply, he took the opportunity to divert her. "It's funny to see you in your uniform again. Is everyone wearing them?"

She nodded, glancing down at her flightsuit. "Everyone I've seen. It hasn't been that long," she added, shooting him an amused look.

"A week, at least," he pointed out mildly. "Maybe more."

She thought about that for a minute, and he saw the smile she tried to hide. "You might be right," she agreed. "It's so annoying to change back and forth…" Catching his eye again she asked, "Does it bother you?"

He shook his head. "I'd rather see you in shorts and a t-shirt any day," he admitted, and she stifled a giggle.

"There's one for the rulebook," Ashley said. "Female crewmembers shall wear civilian clothes at all times, because--"

"Not 'female crewmembers'," he interrupted, trying not to blush. He did *not* want to hear her finish that sentence. "Just…" He trailed off, realizing he would only get in more trouble with that.

"Just me?" she suggested, a glint in her eye.

Before he could answer, she leaned forward and kissed him gently. "I'll keep that in mind," she whispered.

She didn't pull away, and he opened his eyes to find her mouth tantalizingly close as she gazed at him. Without even realizing what he was doing, he had tugged her to her feet and taken a step closer.

When he hesitated, she slid a hand around behind his head and pulled him close enough to kiss. He let go of her other hand and wrapped his arms around her waist, enjoying the feel of her body pressed against his as he lost himself in her kiss.

A noise from the doorway made him start, and Ashley's hand rested against his chest as she turned to look.

"That," Carlos said wryly, "is the last time we send *you* to get Andros for breakfast."

"He was talking to Justin," she protested, not moving. "I waited."

"So I see," Carlos agreed with a grin.

He looked sideways at Ashley, but it was impossible to concentrate with her so close. Gently, he removed her hand from his chest and stepped a discrete distance away. "Is everyone else up?"

Carlos shook his head. "No; just us and TJ. I figured DECA would have woken Zhane and Kerone, at least."

"She probably did," Andros said. "Zhane's not very good about getting up, though--"

"Not like anyone else I know," Ashley murmured, and he shot a glance in her direction.

Carlos chuckled. "What about Cassie and Saryn? Heard from them yet?"

"I'll call Cassie," Ashley offered, when Andros shook his head.

Carlos held his hands up defensively. "Not because of me. I have nothing to do with it; I just wanted to know if they were going to be at breakfast. In fact, that's where I'll be. See you there."

He was gone before either of them could answer, and Ashley turned a puzzled gaze on Andros. "What was that about?"

He shrugged. "I have no idea. Want me to wait?"

"That's all right. I'll be right there."

"Right." He hesitated, and her expression lightened when he reached out to touch her face. She tilted her head, letting her eyes slide shut as he kissed her gently, and he brushed her hair away from her face. "See you at breakfast, then," he murmured.

"See you," she echoed with a smile.

He heard the muted beep of her old communicator as he left the Bridge, and he couldn't help glancing down at his left wrist. He had given TJ's old communicator to Zhane, and it felt strange not to have any weight at all on his wrist.

"Yeah, well, that's what you get for sleeping in the observatory," Carlos' voice was saying from somewhere inside the Glider holding bay.

Walking through the door, Andros found Carlos addressing the comm unit on the wall. Concerned, he reached out to his friend. *Zhane?*

*Yeah?* his friend's voice replied immediately.

Over the comm unit, Zhane answered, "Yeah, sleeping in. There's a real punishment."

*Claustrophobia?* Andros asked.

*Something like that,* Zhane said. *We'll be right there.*

"How about not getting breakfast?" Carlos suggested. "If we leave and you're not here--"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Zhane interjected hastily. "No need to make threats."

*We?* Andros repeated suspiciously.

There was a sudden silence.

*Zhane?* he demanded. *Where's Kerone?*

"DECA, can you put us through to Kerone's room?" Carlos asked.

The comm chimed. "Hey, Kerone, wake up," TJ said, over Carlos' shoulder as he passed.

*She's… sort of here,* Zhane admitted. *But it's not like that, Andros; honest. She just came to say good night when she got back from Aquitar, and then we were talking, and…*

"Kerone?" Carlos asked, frowning. When there was no reply, he glared up at the camera in the corner. "Very funny, DECA. Want to tell us where Kerone is?"

*And *what*?*

*And I asked if she wanted to sleep here,* Zhane said reluctantly. *But it was nothing, really. It was late, and I didn't want her to have to walk back to her room.*

*A whole five second ride in the lift,* Andros agreed. *That was thoughtful of you.*

"Kerone is on deck one," DECA informed them.

TJ looked up from where he was setting his plate on the table. "The observatory?"

"But Zhane's--" The other Ranger broke off abruptly, and Andros saw Carlos glance in his direction.

*Andros, I swear, nothing happened. We talked and we went to sleep. That's all.*

"Hey guys!" Ashley greeted them cheerfully, almost bouncing into the holding bay. "Look who decided to join us!"

Cassie gave her a shove as she walked in on Ashley's heels, laughing as her friend exclaimed indignantly. "You make it sound like you never see us!"

"We don't," Ashley retorted, grinning at her friend. "Saryn," she added, as he paused in the doorway, "stop hogging her!"

"Hey…" Cassie spoke before he had a chance to answer. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Andros said, for TJ and Carlos' benefit as much as hers. "Zhane slept in the observatory last night, and Kerone just went up to talk to him. That's all."

"Why was Zhane sleeping in the observatory?" Cassie wanted to know.

At the same time, TJ asked, "*When* did she go up to talk to him?"

Andros saw Saryn glance down the hallway, toward the lift, and knew what he was seeing. "Sorry we're late," Zhane said a moment later, poking his head around the doorframe. "Did you miss us?"

"Oh, yeah," Ashley said, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. "How did we ever get by without you?"

"Hard to imagine, isn't it?" he replied, putting an arm around her shoulder and pulling her into the holding bay. "Now, since I'm so indispensable, how 'bout you get breakfast for me?"

"You wish!" she exclaimed, pushing him away from her with a laugh. "So what's all this about you and Kerone and the observatory?"

He looked startled. "Andros told you?"

Ashley looked around the room, apparently noticing that everyone was listening to their conversation. "It was a secret?"

Standing beside Saryn in the doorway, Kerone folded her arms. "Zhane said not to tell anyone."

"I said not to tell anyone we slept together," he corrected. "Because we didn't!" he added hastily, seeing Ashley's wide-eyed expression.

Andros did his best not to laugh, but it was a losing battle. He believed his friend when he said nothing had happened, but Zhane was just digging himself deeper with every word. He felt a chuckle escape as he looked down, trying to hide his expression.

He could explain. He could have stopped Zhane from saying anything in the first place, knowing how it would be misinterpreted. But he couldn't help enjoying the other's discomfiture. It was only fair, after all the situations Zhane had gotten him into.

"So she *was* there overnight," TJ said, exchanging glances with Carlos.

Carlos spread his hands to the side. "Don't look at me. I wasn't defending them!"

"There's nothing to defend," Zhane exclaimed. "We were just looking at the stars, and we fell asleep. That's all."

"Andros said she went up to talk to you," Carlos said.

Zhane rolled his eyes. "Well, we talked while we were looking at the stars. It's an observatory; what do you expect?"

"It's an observatory with a history," TJ muttered, and Andros suspected he had spoken just loudly enough for them to hear on purpose.

"Only in your imagination," Ashley shot back from her place by the Synthetron. Andros glanced at her, and she looked over at him just in time to catch his eye. She winked, and he looked down to hide his smile.

With a clatter of finality, TJ pulled his stool out from the table and sat down. Cassie laughed at him, but he pretended not to hear. "I'm just over here, minding my own business," he announced to the room at large.

Cassie put a hand on his shoulder and leaned down to catch his eye. "You do it *so* well," she said, straight-faced, when he looked up.

Ashley put a plate down across from them and added impishly, "Lots of practice, no doubt."

"What's that supposed to mean?" TJ demanded.

Cassie just laughed again and went to join Andros at the Synthetron while Carlos reclaimed his place by TJ. "Did you hear that?" TJ asked of his friend. "What was that?"

"Didn't hear a thing," Carlos replied, grabbing his fork.

"Go ahead," Andros told her. "I'll be right back."

"Thanks," she said over her shoulder, punching a few buttons on the Synthetron. "Where are you--oh."

He set an eighth stool down at one end of the table, and Ashley watched him with amusement. "We need a bigger table. You know that, right?"

"So, on our list of priorities," Carlos interrupted, "is that before or after saving the world?"

"After saving the world," Cassie answered, turning away from the Synthetron. "But before giving anyone a tour of the ship."

"What?" Carlos looked startled as she sat down next to him.

She gave him an odd glance. "Well, you do want to show Karen and Tessa around, don't you?"

Andros paused on his way over to the Synthetron, but as Zhane turned away from it just then and he had to jump out of the way. "Sorry," Zhane offered, and Andros shook his head.

"No problem," he said, punching a combination into the wall unit. He listened for the rest of the conversation underway at the table, but as Zhane walked past Saryn he heard their brief exchange instead.

"So," Saryn said quietly, and Andros heard his friend's footsteps stop abruptly. The words were barely audible, and Andros wouldn't have even noticed them if he hadn't been straining to overhear someone else already. "When you are lying in bed, does she tell you all her plans for universal domination?"

Andros froze. In the pause, he heard TJ saying, "I didn't want to bring it up. I mean, it isn't just some place we live; it's the Megaship."

He turned, worried. Zhane and Saryn hadn't seen each other much in the last couple of weeks, but he had thought they were at least learning to tolerate each other. Except for that incident yesterday with Cassie…

Then, to his infinite surprise, he heard Zhane chuckle. "If they ever compare notes, we won't have to worry about Dark Spectre."

"I suspect not," Saryn agreed. "Yet we do not love them any less."

"No," Zhane whispered, just as softly. "You were right about that. I'm--sorry for what I said that day."

"You were hurting, even as I was," Saryn replied quietly. "It is in the past."

Andros watched, bemused, as Zhane went over and sat down next to Kerone at the table. Saryn glanced in his direction, and he turned quickly back to the Synthetron. He couldn't help wondering what *that* had been about.

Pulling the Synthetron open, he almost jumped when Saryn spoke behind him. "You heard."

"Yeah," Andros admitted, picking up his breakfast.

Saryn seemed to consider. "I believe you would call it 'an inside joke'."

Andros nodded, no closer to understanding, and resolved to ask Zhane about it later. Ashley interrupted before he could reply, and he headed over to the table.

"So what do you think about showing Karen and Tessa the Megaship?" she was asking, as he put his plate down next to hers.

He glanced around the table. Ashley and TJ were waiting on his answer, but Carlos was frowning down at his food. Cassie didn't seem to be paying any attention, looking over her shoulder as Saryn made his way toward them from the Synthetron, and on Andros' other side Zhane was trying to bully Kerone into eating something.

"I think," Andros said slowly, sitting down, "that if you trust them, it's fine with me. I mean, they already know we're Rangers--showing them the Megaship couldn't really hurt anything, could it?"

"Nope," TJ agreed. "And they'd love it! I think it's a great idea."

Cassie laughed as she moved her stool over a little to give Saryn more room. "We all know what you think, TJ. Tessa will probably be here before tomorrow."

"I can't help it if I want to spend time with my girlfriend," TJ complained. "Carlos, back me up here. You'll get Karen up here tonight when we get back, right?"

Carlos looked up, his blank expression fading into a rueful smile. "Can't. She's visiting friends in Stone Canyon all day. She won't be back till really late."

"The ship isn't going anywhere," Ashley said with a grin. "You can give her the tour tomorrow."

Andros heard Zhane sigh, and glanced over at Kerone. "Kerone, eat something," he told her gently. "You'll need the energy."

She shot him an uninterpretable look, and he heard Cassie teasing Saryn over something he had said. Finally, Kerone reached over Zhane's arm and took a piece of fruit from his plate.

"Hey!" Zhane stopped midmotion as he went to snatch it back. He slapped his forehead instead. "What am I doing? Here, eat as much as you want."

"Why do you not eat?" Saryn asked curiously, catching Cassie's hand as she tried to hit him and holding her motionless as he regarded Kerone.

She lifted her free hand. A violet sphere appeared over her palm, then collapsed in on itself and spread outward in ripples just before it touched her hand "It's something to do with the magic, I think," she said, letting her hand fall. "I don't know quite what. I never knew I didn't eat as much as everyone else until I came here."

Saryn nodded thoughtfully. He seemed not to notice Cassie squirming at his side, attempting to free her hand. "The magic is always with you?"

"Yes," she said simply, taking a small bite of her fruit.

Andros watched Zhane watching her for a moment, then glanced back across the table when Saryn said nothing more. He wouldn't have seen it if he hadn't looked just at that moment, but Saryn's eyes suddenly widened and he turned to Cassie with a startled expression on his face.

She jerked her hand away, a decidedly smug expression on her face, and went back to her breakfast. Saryn blinked, and then Ashley reached across the table to take the salt from right in front of a distracted Carlos. His view was blocked for a moment, and when Andros caught another glimpse of them they were both eating as though nothing had happened.

"Salt?" Ashley offered, and he took it absently.

"Thanks," he said, setting it down. *Ash,* he thought, picking up his fork without really looking at it. *Do you think…*

*What?* she asked. She sounded curious, but she didn't so much as look his way as she reached for her juice.

*Do you think… we all have more secrets than we used to?*

Lifting her glass to her lips, he saw her just stop herself from shaking her head. *No, not really.* She frowned faintly, then added, *We're closer than we used to be. I think that just makes the secrets we do have more obvious.*

He considered that for a moment, then felt her hand fumble for his under the table. *Maybe you're right,* he said, squeezing her fingers and smiling at her.