He stood by the nav console, staring idly out into space. DECA could have run the systems checks he was performing now more quickly, and in fact she did run them periodically, to make sure anything her diagnostic sensors didn't pick up was reported and fixed. But it gave him something to do while he talked with Zhane, and it kept him from feeling helpless.

Ashley had called to let him know Cassie was missing hours ago, and he had immediately used the Megaship's scanners to track down and isolate the Pink Ranger's Power signature. He had had DECA keep an eye on it while it wandered around Angel Grove, but Ashley had given him specific orders *not* to teleport their friend anywhere.

"If she hadn't wanted to be alone, she would have taken her communicator with her," Ashley had told him. "I think she wants to get away from *everything* for a while, and that includes us. Just let her be by herself for a while."

Ashley had not elaborated on how long "a while" was, but he knew he would face her wrath if he brought Cassie back to the Megaship before she was ready to come. So he let DECA watch Cassie, and he kept himself occupied with unnecessary systems checks.

Zhane, he found soon after, was just as bored as he was, and between the two of them they managed to pass the time. Their chatter made the dull tasks bearable, and Andros found himself amused, as they talked, at how willing Zhane was to discuss anything--except Kerone.

His friend wasn't very subtle about avoiding the topic, but Andros didn't push him. He went along with whatever distractions Zhane found to change the topic, but he was somewhat relieved when Zhane at last brought it up himself.

They had been silent for a few minutes, working on their separate projects, and Andros hadn't been paying much attention. Until suddenly, his friend announced, *She knows I'm claustrophobic, Andros.*

He stopped, looking up as though he could see Zhane over the distance between them. *So?* he asked calmly. He had suspected that would happen sooner or later, and had been surprised Zhane had been able to fly with her in the Mega V zords without her finding out.

His friend hated the new zord cockpits, though he had voiced his dislike only to Andros. He had gotten in the habit of taking his helmet off as soon as he teleported into Mega V6, just so he would be that much less restricted. Considering his phobia, Andros had not expected his friend to volunteer as Kerone's teacher.

It seemed Zhane's crush on the girl had overcome his good sense, though, for as soon as she expressed an interest in the zords, Zhane had offered his for her to learn on. Andros shook his head--she was bound to find out sooner or later, and he figured it was testament to his friend's control that it had taken until now.

*So... I don't *want* her to know,* Zhane muttered.

*She's not going to think less of you for it, you know,* Andros told him. *Everyone's afraid of *something*.*

*Not her.* Zhane sounded torn between admiration and envy. *I don't think she's afraid of anything.*

Andros shrugged a little, though he knew his friend couldn't see it. Then he thought the better of what he had been about to say, and just reran the nav diagnostic. He was dying to ask how the two of them were getting along, stranded together on an uninhabited planet as they were, but he didn't want to sound like he was checking up on them, either.

After a moment, Zhane added, *Did I mention that this is the most boring job I can remember doing? Ever?*

Andros tried not to smile. *You know, all you have to do is say the word and we'll come get you. The Rysians and the Cai are both long gone from that system--the Megaship could come in and just blast its way through.*

*Don't tempt me,* his friend shot back, and this time Andros did smile.

They talked a while longer, the conversation turning inevitably back to Kerone, and finally Andros volunteered to talk to her himself. It was clear Zhane wasn't going to do it, and someone had to. He let his friend listen in until the morpher on his wrist beeped, and he glanced down automatically.

Activating the communicator, he said curiously, "This is Andros."

"It's Ashley," a voice came back, and he couldn't keep from smiling.

*I have to go,* he told his sister. *Will you be okay?*

"Cassie just showed up at TJ's house," Ashley continued, and he shot an annoyed look in DECA's general direction. She must have known, at the very least, when Cassie's Power signal got so close to one of her teammates', but apparently she didn't consider that useful information.

"Is she all right?" he asked quickly, saying goodbye to Kerone and touching Zhane's mind briefly on his way out.

"TJ says she's tired, but she seems okay. She's going to stay at his house tonight."

Andros couldn't help wondering if Saryn knew about that. The other Ranger seemed jealous of nearly every relationship Cassie had, and of TJ and Zhane's friendship with her in particular.

"I'm glad," he replied, deciding not to ask why she had chosen not to go to Aquitar for the first time in weeks.

"Me too," Ashley agreed readily, but she made no attempt to end the conversation. He waited, not wanting to say goodbye but not sure what else *to* say.

"I was wondering," she said at last. "It's kind of late for dinner, but do you want to get together and watch TV or something?"

He looked around automatically, and noticed the autopilot readout brighten pointedly. He gave DECA a wry look. *I can take a hint,* he thought, amused.

The Megaship was empty except for him, but so had it been often enough in the past weeks. Most of the Rangers chose to maintain some semblance of a normal life while they were in school, socializing on their own planet and living at home whenever possible. The ship would be no more quiet with him gone than it would be any other time the whole team was on Earth, and Zhane could still contact him instantly if he needed to.

"That sounds like fun," he agreed, turning away from the nav console.

"Good," she said happily. "I'll see you in a few minutes, then?"

"I'll be there," he promised, heading out into the hallway.

The red glow from his jump tube seemed stronger than usual, and he shook his head. DECA really wanted him off the ship. Sometimes, he'd swear she acted more like a mother than a friend.

He grabbed the railing and swung up underneath it, just for the fun of it, and turned to grin at DECA's camera before he jumped. "Don't get into too much trouble while I'm gone," he advised. Spinning around, he managed to catch the bar over the red jump tube and vanish into it before she could answer.

Crimson light flashed around him as the tube dumped him onto his Glider, and hyperspace opened up around him. The tunnel would appear as little more than a colored streak of light to an observer in realspace, but to him it was a gateway of infinite possibility.

He couldn't say how the ability to navigate hyperspace had come to him, but he assumed it was a gift granted by the Power. After all, the other Rangers had the same almost instinctive ability, and they certainly had never had a use for the talent before they had come into space.

He could sense his destination beneath him within seconds, and the tunnel of hyperspace responded to his wish, collapsing behind him as he slid back into realspace. He glanced around, confirming there was no one near enough to see him, and demorphed in a flash of sparkling red. Leaping to the ground, he heard his Glider escape back into hyperspace as he strolled down the Hammonds' front walk.

The door swung open before he could ring the doorbell, and he grinned as Ashley pounced on him. "It took you long enough!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him and kissing him soundly.

"I just left a minute ago," he defended himself, when she let him talk again.

"A minute too long!" she said cheerfully, dragging him inside.

He laughed at her mock-petulant expression, but he couldn't disagree. After their fight last night, and then a whole day without even being able to *talk* to her, he had been terribly disappointed when she cancelled their dinner plans. Not that her reasons weren't valid; he was glad she had stayed with Cassie--but the Megaship had seemed so much more empty after that.

"Hello, Andros," Ashley's dad greeted him, looking up from the work he had spread across the kitchen table.

"Good evening, Mr. Hammond," Andros replied politely.

"We're just going to watch TV for a while," Ashley chirped, going over to the cabinets next to the refrigerator. "Want some popcorn, Andros?"

"Sure, that would be nice." He watched her stand on tiptoe to reach the microwaveable popcorn, and reflected that it must be strange to live in a place where most of the people you were living with were taller than you.

"Here, let me," he offered, joining her. He knew she could have gotten it on her own--Ashley wasn't short, no matter her size relative to her father and brother--but it gave him an excuse put a hand on her shoulder and reach around her.

She let him do it, beaming at him when he handed her the package. "Thanks!"

He shook his head, unable to keep from smiling back. Her good humor was infectious, and when he glanced over his shoulder, he saw even her father smiling as he returned his attention to the paperwork in front of him.

"I'll get a bowl," Andros said, for something to do other than watch Ashley's every move. Not that he wouldn't like to, but it was a fine line between affection and lust in a father's eyes, and he didn't want to know how close he could come to that line before Ashley's dad decided there were plenty of nice Earth boys she could be dating instead.

The smile Ashley tossed in his direction on her way to the microwave made the offer doubly worthwhile, though, and he went over to the sink. Pulling a bowl from the cabinets above, he heard the muffled beep as she started the microwave, and he couldn't help but think how much the little appliance resembled a Synthetron.

On the outside, at least. It couldn't *make* food, of course. *But,* he thought with an amused grin, *it does sometimes do a better job than DECA of warming food up.*

He joined Ashley by the microwave, setting the bowl down and watching her idly tap her fingernails against the counter. "No color," he observed after a moment, and she gave him a questioning look.

He reached out and caught her hand, spreading her fingers across his palm. "Your fingernails," he explained with a smile. "No color today."

She looked down at them too, as though they weren't her fingers at all and she hadn't noticed them until now. "No," she agreed at last. "Yellow was getting old, and I feel weird wearing silver now that Zhane's around. There aren't a lot of choices anymore."

"Red," he suggested softly, kissing her hand before letting it go again.

She giggled. "Yeah, red would work. I don't think I'm really a red fingernail kind of person, though."

He only just stopped himself from reaching out again to touch her hand. "I like them the way they are," he told her. "They look nice this way."

"And less fake," she said with a grin. "You wouldn't believe how many people think I wear acrylic nails. Like I have time for that."

Any reply he might have made was interrupted by the beep of the microwave. "Dad, do you want some popcorn?" Ashley asked, looking over her shoulder as she popped the microwave door open.

He waved the offer away. "No, thank you--enjoy it yourselves. Just don't be surprised if you hear me making more in a minute."

Ashley laughed. "All right," she agreed, tearing the bag open and pouring it into their bowl. "Hey!" she exclaimed, as Andros stole a piece as she poured. "You know the rule! You can only eat the pieces that fall on the counter."

"Then what was the point of getting a bowl at all?" he teased, and she slapped his hand gently.

"Until I finish pouring, silly." She crumpled the empty bag up and tossed it into the trash can, and when she rejoined him she nodded in satisfaction. "Okay, now you can eat it."

When she reached for the bowl, though, he picked it up and turned away. "You don't want any?" he asked innocently, and she wrinkled her nose at him.

He had to smile at her expression, and he held up one piece of popcorn. "Well, all right then," he conceded. "You can have this piece."

She smirked at him, and, as he had hoped, leaned forward and ate it out of his hand. He almost melted when he felt her lips touch his fingers, and she smiled happily at him.

Then she threw a sheepish look in her father's direction, and he couldn't help glancing that way too. But her father was studiously bent over the table, doing a good job of pretending not to notice them.

Ashley caught his hand and, stopping only to reach for more popcorn, she pulled him toward the living room. Andros followed obediently, watching her munch on her handful of popcorn. He reached out and managed to push the light switch with his elbow as they entered so she wouldn't have to get it for him.

"Now the only challenge is finding something on TV that's actually worth watching at this hour," she remarked, taking the popcorn from him and setting it down on the coffee table. Perching in the middle of the sofa, she picked up the remote and pointed it at the television.

"Do we have to?" he murmured, sitting down right beside her.

She giggled. "Yes," she answered, just as softly. "Because my dad's still in the kitchen."

*An unofficial chaperone,* she elaborated, and he smiled.

*We should have stayed on the Megaship,* he kidded, not meaning it but amused by the idea of suddenly having a "chaperone".

"But the furniture's more comfortable here," she whispered, and his smile widened when she winked at him.

He glanced over at the TV screen as she started pushing the "channel" button on the remote, apparently flipping through at random. "Doesn't Carlos watch something tonight?" he asked, in an attempt to at least seem like he was helping.

"Star Trek," she said with a grin. "We can watch that, if you want. Or we can put in a movie--we have plenty."

He shrugged a little. *I didn't come to watch TV; I just came to be with you. Whatever you want to watch sounds good to me.*

She stared at him for a moment, and he thought for just a second that she might kiss him. But then she gave her head a shake and turned her attention back to the TV. "Star Trek it is, then," she said lightly.

"--tell you a story," someone was saying, as the TV finally settled on a channel and Ashley dropped the remote back on the coffee table. "An ancient legend among my people."

Ashley reached for another handful of popcorn, and offered him a piece as he had done for her earlier. He took it from her fingers, his loose hair falling forward as he did so, and she brushed it away from his face.

"It's about an angry warrior," the person on the television continued, "who lived his life in conflict with the rest of his tribe. A man who couldn't find peace--"

Suddenly Andros was paying closer attention. "Listen," he told Ashley softly. "He's talking about me."

She smiled indulgently, turning her attention back to the TV.

"For years," the man explained, "he struggled with his discontent, but the only satisfaction he ever got came when he was in battle. This made him a hero among his people, but the warrior still longed for peace within himself."

He glanced over at Ashley, and saw her entranced by the quiet story. He smiled a little at her concentration, studying this character that Andros had so flippantly labeled "himself" as he recounted the story of meeting a woman warrior, brave and beautiful and wise.

"That's you," Andros whispered, putting his arm around her shoulders and giving her a squeeze. She flashed a smile in his direction, and they were silent another moment, listening to the end of the tale.

Ashley turned to him, searching his expression, and he smiled. She smiled slowly in return, and he couldn't resist leaning forward to kiss her, just once.

She closed her eyes, pressing closer to him, and he kissed her again. He didn't mean to, but her arm slid around him and he didn't want her to let go. She didn't seem to mind, but they both started when the front door slammed and they drew apart guiltily.

The murmur of voices said that Ashley's mother had finally arrived home, and they could hear the clattering in the kitchen as her father warmed up what was left of dinner for her. He and Ashley exchanged glances.

Then, with a smile, Ashley shifted a little and leaned against him again, more companionably this time, and turned her attention back to the TV. He hugged her shoulders, relaxing against the sofa's cushions and just enjoying the feel of her snuggled up to him.

A moment later, Ashley's mother poked her head into the room. "Hi, kids," she said, smiling her approval of the scene. "How was school?"

"Hey mom," Ashley answered, tearing her gaze away from the TV as though she had been totally entranced by it. "It was all right."

"And you, Andros?" her mother asked. "How was your day?"

"It was good," he said, figuring he shouldn't say any more than that. *Well,* he narrated silently, *I helped evacuate about three million people from the front lines of Dark Spectre's assault, my best friend was shot down over an alien planet, and my sister disappeared to "rescue" him. How was *your* day?*

Ashley smothered a giggle, but her mother saw it anyway. "I don't want to know, do I," she said ruefully, and Ashley shook her head.

"Probably not," Andros admitted.

"As long as you're both safe," Ashley's mother said, resignation warring with a fond look on her face. "And don't stay up too late--it sounds like you've earned your sleep today."

"Definitely," Ashley agreed, not quite suppressing a yawn, and Andros smiled.

When he looked back at the doorway, her mother was gone. "You didn't tell her about Cassie's mom," he said quietly.

"Dad'll tell her," she murmured.

He nodded his understanding, and she squirmed a little closer to him. "Hey," he said, patting her shoulder. "If I'm going to be your pillow, at least give me that one at the other end of the couch."

She giggled, but she sat up to retrieve it for him obediently. He put it between him and the end of the couch, and pushed it into the most comfortable position he could manage.

"Comfortable?" she teased, putting her head back on his shoulder as he finished rearranging the cushions.

"Almost as comfortable as you," he said, kissing the top of her head to show he was kidding.

"Good," she said with a small sigh, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder. "I'm glad you're safe, too, Andros."

He smiled, a little surprised. He heard the reference to her mother's comment in her words, but he hadn't been expecting it. He was touched that her parents seemed to extend their protectiveness to all of Ashley's friends, and to him and Cassie especially, but he hadn't thought more of her mother's remark than that.

"I'm glad you're safe, too," he replied, seeing with sudden clarity just how true it was. "Promise me you'll stay that way," he added impulsively.

"I promise," she murmured, reaching out for his free hand. "You promise too."

He caught her hand, letting her fingers rest loosely in his and breathing in the soft scent of her hair. "I promise," he whispered.

"Good," she said again, her voice content.

Neither of them said anything more for a few minutes, and after a while he found his attention wandering back toward the TV show that still played in front of them. The two warrior characters were teleporting back to their ship, suddenly wearing what he assumed were their shipboard uniforms, and their whole attitude had changed.

Suddenly the two were nothing more than teammates, treating each other with a kind of cool distance that reminded him more of Cetaci and Delphinius. *Not like us, after all,* he thought drowsily, hugging Ashley and feeling her squeeze his hand reassuringly.

He was vaguely aware of her resting comfortably against him, and he thought it was only a moment later that he felt Zhane's sudden presence in his mind. But when he tried to blink his eyes open, his eyelids felt heavier than they should have, and he couldn't remember when Ashley had turned the TV off.

He twisted his head slightly, trying to get a glimpse of Ashley's face, and found her eyes closed too. The living room lights were still lit brightly, though, despite the enveloping silence--her parents had apparently gone to bed already. Ashley must have still been awake when they left the kitchen, or perhaps her parents had left the lights on as a less than subtle hint.

*Andros,* Zhane repeated, and Andros tried to focus on him.

"Yeah?" he asked sleepily, and only when his voice broke into the quiet did he realize he had spoken aloud. *Yeah?* he repeated, a little more clearly. *What's up?*

*We're about to lift off,* Zhane answered. *I just wanted to let you know--sorry for waking you up.*

There was a brief moment in which Andros didn't have the faintest idea what his friend was talking about. Then the memory of that morning crashed home, and he remember exactly where Zhane was. *Are you all right?*

Zhane sounded amused. *Of course we're all right. We're getting ready to leave, remember?*

Andros shook his head once, careful not to disturb Ashley. *Yeah, sorry. Are you--is Kerone going to the Dark Fortress?*

There was a pause, and it let his tired brain catch up a little. Of course she was going to the Dark Fortress; she had been set on the idea since the moment she left the Megaship. The question was whether Zhane was coming back without her or not.

*We're both going to the Dark Fortress,* Zhane said finally. *Don't ask me how I convinced her, because I really don't know. We're taking Ash's zord--we'll come back for mine afterward.*

Andros tried not to sigh. *You're sure it's safe?*

*Oh yeah, I'm totally convinced,* Zhane said wryly. *We're just going to sneak onto Dark Spectre's flagship, leave our *zord* with its impossible-to-miss Ranger markings on the side in a hangar bay somewhere, meet with one of Evil's most ruthless villains, and sneak out again. No problem.*

Andros felt his lips twitch. *Oh, well if that's all, I feel a lot better. Thanks.*

*Anytime,* Zhane replied. *I'll let you know when we're back.*

*Be *careful*, Zhane.*

*I always am,* he answered lightly, and Andros rolled his eyes.

Zhane's focus faded, and Andros found himself wide awake. He didn't think he was going to be able to fall asleep again after that, and he gently tried to disentangle himself from Ashley's embrace.

Her hand was still in his, and she felt heavier now than she had when he had fallen asleep. He smiled to himself. It was as if she had taken all her bounce off into unconsciousness with her, and he was left only with the body she had deserted in favor of dreaming.

When he pushed gently on her shoulder, though, trying to lever himself into a sitting position, she stirred. "Shh," he whispered, when she murmured something incomprehensible. He had hoped not to wake her. "It's okay, Ash; go back to sleep."

His voice proved to have the opposite effect of the one he had intended, for she shifted again and her fingers twitched in his. Her hand curled automatically into a fist as she lifted it to her eyes, and he found her blinking sleepily at him as her fingers relaxed again.

"Andros?" she murmured. "Where are we?"

"At your parents' house," he said softly, brushing a disheveled strand of hair out of her eyes. "We must have fallen asleep watching TV."

"Oh..."

Her confusion was charming, and he kissed her forehead gently. "It's still nighttime. Go back to sleep."

"But what about..." She glanced around the room, squinting her eyes as though whatever she was looking for might be hiding. "I thought--Zhane was here, for a second."

He regarded her in surprise. "I was just talking to him. He and Kerone are on their way to the Dark Fortress."

She craned her neck to look up at him, blinking. "Both of them?"

He nodded silently.

She seemed to think about it for a moment, then curled up against him again. "Kerone will protect them," she said, with a certainty he envied. "They'll be fine."

"Yeah," he said softly, hoping she was right. "Hey, Ash?" He had to say something before she fell asleep again. "I'm going to head back to the Megaship."

"No," she protested immediately, lifting her head again. "Stay?"

He shook his head, smiling so she wouldn't take offense. "I'm not sure your parents would be too thrilled to wake up and find us both still on the couch."

She sighed. "I guess not," she admitted, but she made no attempt to sit up.

He stroked her hair, waiting for her to move, and at last she stretched reluctantly. Her arms extended out in front of her, he looked away as she arched her back and stretched her long legs until they touched the end of the couch.

Then he felt her struggling into a sitting position, and she let out an amused chuckle when she realized he had averted his eyes. "It's okay; you can look now," she teased, touching his shoulder.

He turned his head in her direction, and without warning she was there to ambush him with a kiss. "You're so cute when you're embarrassed," she whispered, pressing her lips to his again.

His skin tingled as his body started to wake up the rest of the way, and he leaned into her kiss with a hunger he couldn't explain--or deny. He felt her hands on his chest and he shifted restlessly, wanting her closer than she was.

*No, Andros...* Her mental whisper echoed in his mind even as he slid his arms around her, kissing her harder and feeling her fingers tighten on his shirt. *Don't you let go, too,* she said, sounding almost amused. *Or we'll never stop.*

*I told you,* he started to say, and then felt the thought vanish as she slipped her arms around his neck. Her fingers were warm on his bare skin, and she turned her head to kiss his cheek, his jaw, and he wondered why *he* always had to be the one who was in control.

*Not to kiss you when you're waking up,* she finished. *I know, I shouldn't have...*

She started to pull away, tilting her head to lean against the back of the sofa. He watched her eyes slide closed, and he heard her draw in a sharp breath as he leaned forward and kissed her neck lightly. When she didn't protest, he kissed her again, tracing the curve of her neck until he reached her t-shirt. Brushing his fingers against her lips, he whispered, "It isn't fair, you know."

He kissed her mouth then, and he felt her responding to his touch. "What isn't?" she asked breathlessly, when he drew back at last.

"To make me always be the one that stops us," he murmured, watching her flush and trying not to feel guilty for doing that to her.

She looked down, reaching for his hand. She only played with his fingers for a moment, and he let her, watching her bite her lip nervously as she tried to catch her breath. "You're right," she admitted finally, her voice husky as she raised her eyes to his again.

The expression on her face startled him, but not half as much as the demanding kiss she pressed against his mouth a second later. "I'll stop," she promised softly, pulling away enough to catch his eye. She ran her fingers across his face, stroking his cheek and brushing his hair back. "Just... do that again?"

"I don't--" He started to say that he didn't think that was a good idea, but she kissed him, sliding closer and wrapping her arms around his neck before he could finish.

*That's not a good idea,* he managed, but he felt himself kissing her back with an intensity belied by his words.

*Don't trust me?* she asked, pushing him back against the cushions and sliding her tongue into his mouth. He groaned softly, feeling his insides go weak and knowing he couldn't push her away now if he wanted to.

*I promise, Andros,* she said again, her hands clutching his shirt as she relaxed on top of him. He could do nothing with his arms but put them around her, and she shifted within his embrace. Her mouth did not leave his, though, and he found he wanted her to pull away less with every passing second.

She let her arms slide under his, and suddenly her whole body was pressed tightly against his. He could feel her hands behind his shoulders, between him and the sofa, and he was totally surrounded by her. He gave himself up to the feeling, knowing with startling certainty that he had been lost the moment she kissed him.

He didn't know how long they were there--with his heart pounding in his ears to the exclusion of all else, he had no sense of time. All he knew was that his blood was on fire, and anything she did just seemed to make it worse. But something in him was perversely convinced that she was the only thing that could quench it, and that instinct was all he could listen to.

That, and the one that cried out for her when she pulled away from him. With a quick twist, she slipped out of his embrace, and for the briefest instant he might have done anything to get her back.

Then he closed his eyes, reminding himself that this was exactly what they had been trying to avoid. "Ash," he whispered hoarsely, propping himself up on one elbow. All he could see was the back of her head as she sat on the floor, leaning against the sofa.

"I think you're stronger than me," she said, and her tone beneath her utter breathlessness sounded odd. Almost... amused? "That was *hard*," she added, and this time he was sure he could hear a grin in her voice.

He just stared at her, not sure what to say. She was treating this like--a game. *Ash?* he repeated, not trusting his voice this time.

At that, she turned. "Yeah?" she asked, catching his hand and kissing his fingers. Her face was flushed, but she was smiling.

"Nothing," he muttered, suddenly uncertain. His fingers twitched, longing to touch her again, and he pulled his hand away.

"No," she insisted, twisting further to face him. "Tell me."

"It's just..." He gazed back at her, worried that he was the only one to feel this way. "We can't just keep joking about this. It's serious."

She frowned a little, reaching for his hand. "We're just making out, Andros. It's not like we're getting married or anything."

He swallowed. "That's what I was afraid of," he whispered, seeing her hand still on his. "Does this--not mean anything to you, then?"

"What?" she breathed, and the expression of complete shock on her face reassured him somewhat. *Andros--I *love* you. I thought you knew that.*

*I do know that,* he said, finding some comfort in the unshakable truth of their mental rapport. *I just don't know if it means the same thing to you that it means to me.*

She stared at him for a moment, concentration evident in her posture as she hastily tried to decipher that. *What, because of what I said about marriage?* she asked at last. *We're only seventeen!*

*But we've said "always",* he reminded her softly. *Is that so different?*

He could see the turmoil in her expression, and at last she asked slowly, "Andros, are you asking me to marry you?"

He blinked. "No."

"Then what *are* you saying?" she persisted, giving him a searching look. "I love you. I always have--"

"And I always will," he repeated, even as she said the words herself.

A brief smile touched her face. "Yeah. But marriage--that's a whole legal thing, with signatures, and justices of the peace... and it's something you just don't do this soon." Her smile widened for a moment, and she actually giggled. "My parents would freak, for one thing."

"Our love isn't about paperwork, Andros," she continued more softly, turning his hand over and tracing the fate line that ran across his palm. "It's more than that, to me. What is it to you?"

"It's 'always'," he said simply, taking her hand and pressing her palm to his so that their fate lines melded together. "It's never been any less than that to me, and I guess I was just worried that when you said it, you didn't mean it."

"Why?" she insisted curiously, looking up at him. "What did I do to make you think that?"

He shifted uncomfortably, and she sighed. "You're going to make me guess. Okay. Is it because I made a joke?"

He gave her a guilty look, wanting to find the words for her, but unable to do it before she spoke. "That's it, then," she said, with a rueful look.

"Andros, I had to do *something* to break the mood," she told him. "You said it wasn't fair to make you always be the controlled one, and you're right. But you know why it's always you? Because I'm *terrible* at it."

He cracked a smile at that, and she tilted her head to one side to grin affectionately at him. "I'm serious. You saw how badly I handled things, just now--I *knew* how hard it would be when I promised you I would stop, but I told you I could do it anyway. And I almost couldn't. Damn it, Andros, but you're so sexy!"

She immediately clapped a hand over her mouth and glanced over her shoulder, totally missing his blush. "I probably shouldn't have said that so loudly," she muttered.

He felt his lips twitch, and she turned in time to glare at him. "Don't say a *word*," she threatened--but at least she did it quietly.

He let go of her hand at last, reaching out to tuck her hair behind one ear. "You're not exactly easy to resist yourself," he murmured, fingers lingering near her face a moment longer than they had to.

"Maybe we just need more practice," she said impishly.

He shook his head, drawing away from her and pushing himself to his feet. "I think I'm going back to the Megaship now."

"But it's so lonely up there," she purred, looking up at him with dangerous eyes.

He knew she was only teasing, but even her "jokes" got a reaction from him. "Don't tempt me," he whispered, smiling to show he was kidding. He almost was.

Then she laughed, standing up and abandoning the seductress act that she did so well. Too well for his peace of mind, in fact. "Sleep well," she said fondly, and even those words were suggestive to his overactive imagination. "See you in the morning?"

"Always," he promised, reaching for his communicator. He saw her smile at him just as he escaped into the teleportation stream.

***

Cassie twisted restlessly, feeling the couch beneath her and wondering if she had slept at all since the last time. She felt like she had been awake for hours, and she couldn't remember ever wanting morning to come as fervently as she wished for it to arrive now.

Finally, she threw off the afghan and sat up, wandering over to the sliding glass door between living room and porch. The sky was starting to lighten, almost undetectably, but it was enough for her. She wasn't going back to sleep.

Every since her nightmare about Saryn earlier, her dreams had been increasingly interrupted by bouts of wakefulness. And even odder, as the night wore on, things had been growing more and more loud.

She couldn't explain it; the house itself was perfectly silent. But there was a noise just beyond her ability to hear it, pressing against her mind and keeping her awake. She could pin only one label on the feeling: Saryn.

But the label, no matter how satisfying in its ability to explain away what she would be forced to call hallucinations otherwise, did not make any logical sense. Their empathic bond had only worked over a distance like the one between them now once before, and it had been at a time when he was feeling so strongly about her that his strength had let him project the feeling onto her.

Guilt she had at least been able to understand, even if she didn't agree with it. But this *noise* didn't seem to have any meaning at all, and she couldn't imagine what could be upsetting him so much that he would unknowingly project background noise onto her. He had never done that before, no matter how strong or unintentional some of his broadcasts were.

She sighed, staring out at the shadows visible on the screened-in porch. Cestria said he was unusually strong--strong enough to impress even the Aquitians, who were gifted with their own phenomenal mental abilities. He had admitted to her, though, that he had never had any real training, and that he had, to the best of his ability, shut his empathy down for the last three years.

She would dearly love to see him work with Cestria to try and learn to use his talent, or at least control it better. But she wouldn't suggest it, knowing how many bad memories he associated with empathy. Her own training was limited, and mostly directed at dealing with him, since her own empathy was virtually nil when it came to anyone else. It had gone a long way toward helping her control what she felt around him, though, and she wished he could have that confidence too.

Clenching her teeth, she clapped her hands over her ears. Thinking about something else wasn't helping, although there were admittedly better topics she could have chosen than empathy. This noise was going to drive her insane.

*Come on, TJ,* she urged, watching the pale color of sunrise begin to streak across the sky. *Wake up.*