"Can I talk to you for a second?"

Zhane's voice was quiet enough not to carry over the good-natured teasing and farewells taking place on TJ's front steps, but it made Andros flinch nonetheless. Talking with Ashley had pretty much exhausted his emotional quotient for the night. He knew he wasn't up for the entreaty he owed Zhane.

But it wasn't all about him... and there were some things that wouldn't wait. So he nodded to Zhane and stepped away from the group, peripherally aware that both Kerone and Tixe glanced in their direction as he did so. Ashley and Jeff had left hours earlier to see their parents, and the others had gathered by the door while TJ showed Cassie and Saryn how to order pay-per-view movies.

"For the last time," Carlos was protesting. "I did not steal your planet!"

"Did he ever explain where Aquitar went in the other dimension?" Andros asked, keeping his voice low to avoid drawing attention to them. It wasn't what he wanted to say, but he really didn't know where else to start.

"Yeah," Zhane said distractedly. "Something about Cestria invoking the protection of the Eternal Falls... I don't know. I wasn't really paying attention."

Andros swallowed. "I'm sorry I--I ignored you, most of the evening."

Zhane caught his gaze and held it. "I thought you were doing that on purpose. Why?"

"Because I don't know what to say," Andros muttered. "I'm tired, and I'm confused--"

"Coming?" Kerone interrupted, her tone falsely cheerful as she and Tixe walked across the driveway toward them. Carlos and Aura were right behind her, and TJ was closing the door behind him as he joined Tessa and Karen on the steps.

Kerone looked sympathetic, and he knew she had only spoken so loudly to warn them that the others were no longer distracted. She smiled when he shook his head, but she was careful not to let anyone else see. "We'll see you on the Megaship later, then."

Carlos gave them an odd look, but Zhane precluded any questions by saying firmly, "We're going for a walk. Don't wait up."

Then he turned and headed down the driveway, leaving Andros no choice but to follow him. For once, he was grateful not to have to make the decision, and it was a guilty relief to leave the rest of their goodbyes to Kerone and Tixe. Now if only he didn't have to worry about what Zhane was going to say.

The night was quiet and still this far from the city center, and it seemed to close around them with every step. Andros could barely hear the sound of teleportation as Kerone and Tixe left, and when Carlos' car pulled out of the driveway a moment later it left the street eerily deserted. He wondered how long they would go in silence.

Zhane answered that question for him a moment later. "What did you say to Ashley?" he asked abruptly, lifting his gaze from the sidewalk to stare off into the lamplit darkness.

"What?" It was so far from what Andros had expected that his mind couldn't quite process it.

Zhane must have taken his confusion for defensiveness, for he stopped and caught Andros' shoulder. "I need to know," he said urgently. "I can't watch you cozy up to Ash again after everything I've said and not know where I stand. I thought I could, but I can't. It's not the same anymore."

It all came crashing down on Andros at once, and he fought desperately to keep from shrugging Zhane off. "You're my best friend," he said, trying to keep his voice level. "I love you, Zhane. When did that stop being enough?"

"When you stopped acting like it mattered!" Zhane stopped, taking a deep breath as he let his hand fall. "I'm sorry," he said carefully. "I know you have a lot to deal with right now. But all I'm asking is that you tell me as much as you're telling Ash."

He flexed his fingers at his sides, trying to force them to relax. "I told her that I wanted her to give me another chance," he said evenly. "I told her I wanted to be with you, but I didn't want to lose her."

"What did she say?" Zhane prompted, when he didn't continue.

"She said she'd think about it," Andros muttered, staring down at the ground. "She said she'd give it some time and see what happened."

Zhane brightened. "That's good! We can make it work, Andros. And if we don't," he added impishly, "me and Ash can run away together and you can hook up with Ty."

Andros looked away. It wasn't half as funny as Zhane thought it was, mostly because the idea of Ashley and Zhane together made too much sense for him to laugh at. They were both carefree, fun-loving, and more innocent than any Ranger had a right to be. What did they need him dragging them down for?

"Hey," Zhane said quietly. "I was just kidding, you know."

"I don't know how to do this," Andros whispered, keeping his eyes fixed on a streetlight until they started to tear. "I can't even handle one relationship. How am I supposed to manage two?"

"Andros..."

He swallowed hard, and he felt Zhane's hand on his shoulder again. But this time the Silver Ranger stepped closer, taking both his shoulders, and when Andros didn't resist he pulled him into an awkward hug. *You're not in this alone,* Zhane promised silently, resting his head against Andros'.

He squeezed his eyes shut, almost crying in relief to hear his friend's voice in his head again. Not since the quest had he had that comfort, and it had been denied to him for so long before that. He hadn't remembered how lonely his own thoughts could be until they were all he had for company.

The hum of a car made him stiffen, but Zhane didn't let him go. They stood together as the headlights swept over them, the car cruised by, and the engine whispered off into the distance. Nothing else happened.

*It's going to be all right,* the Silver Ranger said at last, as though he knew how much Andros needed to hear him speak. He shifted a little, lifting one hand to stroke Andros' hair tentatively.

It was a strangely intimate gesture, and with a rush Andros became fully aware of the situation. It wasn't just his best friend holding him now... it was Zhane. Zhane, who had slept with Tixe only--three nights ago? The central figure in his vision of a perfect life. The one who had driven him crazy with just the anticipation of a kiss...

This was Zhane. Familiar yet not, his presence comforting and electrifying all at once. He was frozen in place, his head on Zhane's shoulder, longing to reciprocate but terrified to move... because this was Zhane.

"Hey," Zhane whispered, grasping his shoulders and pushing him back just far enough that he could meet Andros' gaze. "What's wrong?"

He looked away, uncomfortable with their closeness as he hadn't been before. "You..." Taking a deep breath, he felt a twinge of gratitude that Zhane still hadn't let him go. "You never chased guys before," he said softly.

Zhane might have rolled his eyes. "Cause the only guy I wanted was too dense to know it," he retorted.

Andros forced himself to catch his friend's eye again. There was a question that had been bothering him for days, and only now did he dare hope he could ask without sounding petty. "Why Tixe?"

With a half-smile, Zhane squeezed his shoulders. "Because he looks like you," he admitted. "Even Astrea saw it."

He sighed, trying for exasperation to cover his uncertainty. "Does everyone know?"

"Did you want it to be a secret?" Zhane countered.

"No," Andros said quickly. "That's not what I meant."

He was having trouble thinking right now. He didn't want Zhane to move, but he didn't know how to let him know. "I just... I want to know how many people are going to tell *me* before we can tell them."

"We?" Zhane repeated, moving a little closer. "What are we going to tell them, exactly?"

Andros shrugged, focusing his gaze on Zhane's right shoulder. He had just been talking to fill the silence, he hadn't really thought ahead to a followup. But now he was trapped, because if he didn't answer it was going to look bad...

"Andros," Zhane said softly. "Look at me or back up, because I really want to kiss you right now."

Slowly, he lifted his gaze. Zhane's blue eyes locked with his, and he was kissing Andros before he even registered what was happening. Zhane's mouth was impossibly gentle, making him feel clumsy all over again as he tried to respond to those feather-light touches. It was a pleasant kind of frustration, but he couldn't help feeling that he was chasing a memory...

His fingers clenched on Zhane's arms without conscious thought. Pressing closer, he captured Zhane's mouth with his and put an end to their play. He was owed some serious kisses after everything that had happened with Tixe, and he wanted to collect now.

Zhane leaned into him hungrily. The Silver Ranger seemed just as eager to abandon nuzzling for the dance of one open mouth against another, and he wasn't inexperienced. The thrill of that kiss elicited a moan from Andros--and the sound shocked him into pulling away.

"Zhane," he gasped, his eyes wide as he stared at his friend. "I lied to Ash."

"What do you mean?" Zhane's eyes flickered across his face, but Andros didn't doubt that he was listening. "What's wrong?"

"I told her..." He swallowed, unable to tear his gaze away. "When we used to do this, I told her--it was just a game. That it didn't mean anything."

Zhane was quiet for a moment. "Was it just a game?" he asked at last.

"No!" He shifted nervously, unwilling to step out of Zhane's embrace. "Not to me," he added, more quietly. "But... it really bothered her. The idea that we were together."

"Were we?" Zhane searched his expression, apparently unaware of how close they were. "Were we together, Andros? You said you didn't know what to think when we were younger. You said--"

"I know now," Andros interrupted. "Isn't that enough? We're kissing, Zhane! I never thought about it before; it was just what we did. But you..."

He trailed off, embarrassed, and Zhane gave him an odd look. "I what?"

"You make me feel like she does," Andros muttered.

Zhane didn't answer right away, but the hint of a smile touched his face. "It's hard for me to take that as a compliment," he said at last. "But I'm trying, because I know how you meant it."

Dismayed, Andros closed his eyes. "I didn't mean anything by that," he whispered.

"I know." Zhane hesitated, then said quietly, "This won't work unless we can be honest with each other, Andros. All of us."

"I know!" He took a deep breath, then repeated, "I know... I'll tell her. I'm sorry I didn't do it before."

"Hey." Zhane gave him a gentle shake, and his eyes flew open. His friend was smiling at him: a genuine, affectionate smile, the likes of which had been few and far between lately. "We're all doing our best, here. It's hard, but we're trying. A few tough days here and there aren't going to make us stop."

Andros did his best to return the smile. "Right," he said, determined not to prove him wrong. "We'll keep trying."

"That's the Andros I know and love," Zhane said lightly, but the words had a serious note to them that he usually buried. "What say we go rescue Ash from her parents? We'd better get back to the Megaship soon anyway; I hate to think what Ty and Astrea could do if they started to redecorate or something."

Andros' lips quirked, but he stopped Zhane when he tried to turn away. "Wait... don't--can I have another kiss first?" he blurted, trying not to blush.

Zhane's slow grin was all the answer he needed.

***

*Ash?*

She stopped mid-sentence, cocking her head to listen. It was Zhane's voice in her mind, and it surprised her--not just to hear him now, but to hear him at all. She couldn't always talk to him this way.

*Zhane?* she answered uncertainly. *What's going on?*

*Sorry to surprise you,* he said, and she could hear the rueful amusement in his voice. *We were wondering if you wanted to be rescued.*

She glanced around, flashing an apologetic smile at her parents. "I'm sorry," she said, trying to sound sheepish and genuine at the same time. "I forgot what I started to say."

*Yes!* she added silently. *I won't get any sleep tonight otherwise!*

The doorbell chimed, and she tried to suppress a smile. She hadn't realized they were that close. Only then did it occur to her to wonder who "they" actually were... Zhane and who?

"I'll get it," Jeff said lazily, the front legs of his chair hitting the ground as he sat up and set his coffee mug down. He gave her a knowing look as he made his way toward the front door.

"Hi, Andros," she heard him say a moment later, and she breathed a sigh of relief. "Zhane... come on in. We're in the kitchen."

Her mother was already standing up, putting the tea kettle back on the stove. "Hello Andros," she said, smiling over her shoulder at them as they preceded Jeff into the kitchen. "Hi Zhane... can I get you something to drink?"

Zhane glanced at Andros, who shook his head. "Thank you, but no," he said politely. He managed a disarming smile that melted Ashley's heart, and his tone held just the right combination of regret and certainty. "I'm sorry to take Ashley away again when she's just come back, but we're having a strategy session on the Megaship and we need the whole team."

Ashley pushed her chair back quickly, on her feet before her parents could protest. "Sorry," she said, with some amount of real disappointment. "We can't leave KO-35 alone for long right now anyway... we should probably be getting back."

That brought the expected exclamations and dismayed protests, but her parents were more accepting than she had hoped. She had already promised that she would be home for Christmas, if not before, and her parents were careful to include her teammates when they reminded her of it now. Ashley hid a smile at that thought, but Andros gravely thanked them for the invitation.

She managed to get through her parental farewells relatively calmly, but when it was Jeff's turn to say goodbye, he wrapped her in a fierce hug and whispered, "Call me," in her ear. That was it, nothing more, but it was enough to bring tears to her eyes

She hugged him back wordlessly. It was strange, but she thought she was closer to her brother lately than she ever had been when she lived on Earth. She wondered if someday it would be that way with her parents, too.

"You could have stayed," Andros said quietly, as they walked down the driveway toward the street. "We weren't trying to interrupt or anything."

"I know," she said quickly, glancing over her shoulder. The front door had been closed, and there was no one at the window to know that they hadn't immediately teleported away. "I wanted to go, but I didn't know how to tell them. To us it's only been a few days, but to them..."

"It's still weird," Zhane agreed. "It was like that on KO-35, too. Everyone was so relieved we were all right, and it felt like we'd barely left."

"Speak for yourself," Andros countered. "I felt like I lived through two whole lifetimes on that quest."

Ashley glanced over at him, and she found Zhane doing the same thing. They were on opposite sides of Andros, so their eyes met briefly and she smiled. The corners of his mouth lifted in return, and he offered awkwardly, "I guess you kind of did."

Andros shrugged, not missing their silent glances. "Just like everyone else," he said uncomfortably.

"Not really," Ashley said, frowning a little as she thought about it. "I remember the quest, but my vision is kind of... blurry. When I was in it, this was just a dream to me, but now that I'm back--the vision's like a dream. It's harder to remember now than it was right afterward."

"Mine too." Zhane stared down at the ground as they paused by the mailbox, waiting by unspoken consent until someone picked a direction. "I remember how it made me feel, but the actual vision is fading. Again."

That seemed odd to her, but it wasn't until he said "again" that she realized why. "I thought you didn't see anything this time," Ashley said, watching him closely.

Zhane didn't look up. "I lied," he told the ground softly. Then he drew in a shaky breath, lifting his head and folding his arms across his chest. "I'm sorry," he said, meeting her gaze squarely. "I shouldn't have, but I thought it would be better if I kept it to myself."

"What did you see?" she whispered, certain she already knew. There was only one reason he would have kept it to himself.

"I saw Andros," he said. His gaze didn't waver from hers. "He loved me. I don't remember how or why, but we were together and nothing else mattered.

"That's not perfect for me anymore, Ash," he added, surprising her. "I don't care what some stupid vision said. It's not perfect without you. Andros says you agreed to give him a chance, and that's what matters to me now."

She bit her lip, glancing at Andros. "I didn't promise anything," she murmured, determined not to commit to something she didn't totally understand. Andros wanted to be with her and Zhane? What kind of a relationship was that?

The same one it was before, something in her mind whispered rebelliously. As long as they didn't worry what she thought, she had been perfectly willing to accept their close friendship. She had known they slept together, at least in the literal sense of the phrase, and that they had a bond she wasn't truly part of. Only when she had seen Zhane refuse Andros' kiss because of her had she started to worry.

So was she worried for herself--or for them?

She almost smiled at the thought. It would be nice to think she was that unselfish, but she wasn't. If they thought she should be worried, then she was worried. Andros said he and Zhane hadn't been together since the days before KO-35 fell... but she was pretty sure he hadn't told her the whole truth about those days, so how could she be sure he was doing it now?

"You don't have to promise," Andros said softly. As though he had read her mind, he added, "There's something I have to tell you, though... about me and Zhane. Before he was in hypersleep."

Ashley looked up, surprised at the guilt in his voice. Zhane looked uncomfortable too, and that was enough to convince her that he knew what Andros was going to say. Perversely, that made her feel a little better: at least they felt bad about lying to her.

"It wasn't just a game, was it," she said, proud of how steady her voice sounded. "He meant it when he kissed you."

Andros gave her a startled look, and she shrugged self-consciously. "You don't get that jealous of your best friend's lover. Not even you. But your boyfriend's lover? That I could see."

Andros and Zhane exchanged glances. Zhane, too, shrugged, tossing a grin in her direction. "She's got a point."

"Not even me?" Andros repeated, frowning a little. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"He doesn't think he's jealous," Zhane confided in an exaggerated whisper, and she giggled in spite of herself.

"Why didn't you say something?" Andros wanted to know, giving her an odd look. "If you knew it was more than that... You could have at least told me!"

"Yeah, since he couldn't even admit it to himself," Zhane put in. "Would have made my life easier."

Zhane's attempt at levity didn't change the truth. "I wanted to believe you," she said with a sigh. "All along you've been saying you love me: you always have, will, want to... If I couldn't believe you about Zhane, how could I believe the rest of it?"

There was utter silence for several seconds. She could have counted the number of breath she took before Zhane ultimately waded into the quiet. "I think that's my apology, too," he said with a sigh. "At least one of them.

"You said you didn't know I was serious about you," he told Andros, searching his friend's expression. "You thought maybe I was just kidding around, because I wasn't serious about anyone else back then either.

"The truth is..." He trailed off, then shrugged helplessly. "I didn't know how to tell you. I'm sorry I expected you to know something I couldn't say."

With that, another aspect of Andros' hesitance began to make sense. When he said he hadn't known--he really hadn't known. Or at least... maybe, as Zhane had said, he just couldn't admit it to himself. She sighed, suddenly and forcibly reminded that Andros had never been very good at reading other people.

"I'm sorry you had to say it before I could see it," Andros muttered, almost inaudibly. "And--" He gave her a miserable look. "I'm sorry I didn't know how to tell you. I'm really--I'm just not good at this, Ash. I'm sorry."

She opened her mouth automatically, then realized she had no idea what to say. "I... I feel like I should apologize too," she said ruefully, mustering a small smile. "This is hard. Like it's not bad enough when you're just trying to make one other person understand what you feel, you know?"

"I'll second that," Zhane agreed fervently, and there was a flash of gratitude in Andros' eyes.

"I'm sorry you had to watch us together for so long," she told Zhane at last. "If you'd said something..." She trailed off, then shook her head once. "I really don't know what would have happened. But I think maybe--I'm kind of sorry we didn't find out."

"Can we find out now?" Zhane asked, giving her a hopeful look. "If we all swear to tell the truth from now on?

"I swear," he added, not waiting for her answer. He lifted his left hand in an approximation of a court oath, and continued, "To always tell Ash and even Andros the truth, except before present-giving holidays. Or when there are practical jokes involved. Or when it will get me out of chores, or--

He danced back as Andros swung at him, laughing aloud. "But whenever it matters," Zhane finished triumphantly. "I swear!"

Ashley couldn't help giggling a little, and Andros caught her eye. "I swear, too," he said quietly... hopefully.

She took a deep breath, her smile fading. "This--this isn't what I'm used to, in relationships," she said, feeling awkward. "But... I'll try. At least for a little while, okay?"

"Okay," Andros agreed, but Zhane gave her a suspicious look.

"What," he demanded. "You don't have to swear? How does that work?"

A smile tugged at her lips again. "I swear to tell the truth," she repeated obediently. Some inner demon made her add, "At least as much as Zhane."

He yelped indignantly, but Andros actually chuckled. "Obviously I'm the only one who's going to mean anything around here," he remarked, to no one in particular.

***

"Galaxy Gliders are approaching from Earth." DECA's voice sounded unusually loud in the otherwise silent holding bay, and Kerone opened her eyes.

She couldn't see Ty, but she heard him shift and his disembodied voice drifted to her out of the darkness. "Your eyes are glowing."

She closed them again, willing the magic away, then peeked out from between her eyelashes. "Is that better?"

"I can't see you anymore, if that's any indication." Ty sounded amused, but then, she was coming to realize that he almost always sounded that way. "Should we clear out before they get back?"

"Not unless you want to," she answered, reminding herself that he couldn't see her shake her head. "At least this way they won't be able to sneak past us and pretend nothing happened."

"Good enough." He paused, then added more quietly, "Don't tell them why, okay?"

She shook her head anyway. "I wouldn't."

Three of the jump tubes flashed, casting a shadowed orange glow over the holding bay momentarily. She frowned in the direction of the landing, considering. "We should do something about the color of the Gliders. I thought they'd just change automatically or something."

"The Galaxy Gliders are not directly linked to the Power," DECA offered without being asked. "They are part of the Megaship's original design, and are enhanced only secondarily by their users' status as a Ranger."

Three teleportation streams lit the holding bay, darkness returning only as the sparkles fell away and faded from their forms. Kerone smiled to herself, sure she had caught Andros' startled gaze before the light vanished entirely. She had no doubt that he had gotten used to having the ship to himself again.

"DECA," Andros' voice said sternly. "Lights."

Illumination flooded the room once more, brighter this time and perfectly steady. The surreal nature of the darkness vanished, and she found herself blinking in the renewed light. Across from her, Ty looked just as taken aback.

At first, no one moved. Ashley was the first one to break the silence, taking in their solemn expression curiously. "What are you doing?" she wanted to know.

Kerone didn't move. "Having a séance," she replied calmly.

There was silence again, and she could feel Ty's gaze on her. That wasn't unusual, though, considering the others were regarding her with varying amounts of confusion. She didn't elaborate, though she did have to stifle the urge to laugh. It was only their reaction that made the words funny.

"For who?" Zhane asked at last.

She shrugged, rearranging her legs idly. "No one in particular," she answered. "We just thought we'd have one and see who showed up."

Ashley's peal of laughter caught her by surprise, and she glanced over at the landing. The Yellow's Ranger's eyes were sparkling with mirth. "There really isn't anything you can't do, is there," she said between giggles.

"Has anyone showed up yet?" Zhane asked, right on top of her. He bounced down the stairs with no regard for how many were actually there, an interested expression on his face as he joined them at the table. "Can we help?"

She glanced at Ty. He just shrugged, a small smile on his face, and she took that for agreement. "Sure," she said, moving over to make room beside her. "Have a seat."

"DECA," Andros interrupted, watching Ashley bound down the stairs after Zhane. "Have you detected any evidence of spiritual or supernatural activity in the holding bay?"

"No," the ship's computer replied. "But Kerone assures me that I would not be able to detect it in any case."

Andros narrowed his eyes at her, and Kerone smiled back innocently. "Come on, Andros," she coaxed. "It's just a game."

"Why does that sound familiar," he muttered under his breath.

"Scared?" Zhane suggested, a smirk on his face. "I can think of some dead people who wouldn't have very flattering things to say about you."

Andros frowned at him, but he made his way over to the table without another word. Kerone reached for his hand, and he sighed quietly. Zhane took her other hand, and she saw Andros accept Ty's somewhat grudgingly. Ashley joined the circle between Ty and Zhane, and as her fingers slid through Zhane's the room vanished.

"Dammit!" Zhane's voice exclaimed, echoing oddly through the roaring in her ears. "You'd think we'd get a warning or something!"

"What's going on?" Ty sounded apprehensive, and she couldn't blame him. "Astrea?" he added. "Is this supposed to happen?"

Blinking rapidly in an effort to clear her sparkling vision, she almost didn't notice when her knees folded under her. She heard someone exclaim, "Kerone!" and suddenly there were arms around her, anchoring her as her head continued to swim.

"Stupid morphin grid," she heard Zhane mutter. "It must be doing something to her."

"But it didn't hurt her before!" That was definitely Ashley's voice, almost as close as Zhane's and just as worried. "What's happening now?"

"She didn't have the Power then." Zhane's voice was getting farther away, and she succumbed to the temptation to close her eyes. She wanted to tell them that she didn't really have the Power now, but she couldn't seem to get the words out.

The roaring in her ears intensified, and she could only barely hear someone saying, "Her power is at odds with that which we gave her. She will never wield both simultaneously."

The darkness overwhelmed her, and she was left suspended in a chaotic whirl of almost -sensation. The only thing she was sure of was that she couldn't touch anything--and she didn't seem to be breathing. That had happened, once or twice when she wasn't paying attention, but never had her senses gone haywire like this.

As the thunder retreated, slowly, almost painfully, she winced at the buzz that took up residence just inside her skull. She could feel arms around her again, though, and that was as reassuring as the sound was irritating. She tried to open her eyes and found, somewhat to her surprise, that she could.

"Astrea?" Zhane's concern was unmistakable, and she knew without having to look that he was the one holding her. "Can you hear me?"

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out, so she settled for nodding. It wasn't as easy a proposition as she had expected, but she managed to forestall the darkness that tried to accompany the movement. Some distant part of her mind wondered where Kyril was when she needed him.

Zhane was holding her up, in a mostly seated position against his chest, and Ashley was next to her with a worried hand on her arm. Andros and Ty were crouched in front of them, studying her with equally intent hazel and gold gazes. If she hadn't felt so helpless, she might have smiled at their expressions.

"We're on the Megaship," Ashley told her, as though she couldn't see that for herself. "Do you have your morpher?"

That wasn't really the first thing on her mind, but she shifted carefully and managed to coordinate her fingers enough to draw it out of her pocket. She held it out wordlessly, and Ashley looked relieved. "We weren't sure," she said. "They wanted to take it away from you."

Kerone opened her mouth, determined to make words come out this time. "They?" she repeated weakly, figuring that one word was as good as several in this case.

Ashley lifted her gaze to Zhane's, and she felt the Silver Ranger shrug. "Some manifestation of the morphin grid, I guess," he answered. "They said you knew that you couldn't use the Power, but you didn't tell us."

She managed to nod again, but she still couldn't handle a complete sentence.

"She tried to morph," Ty said, coming to her rescue. "Nothing happened."

"How do you know?" Andros demanded.

"I asked," Ty said simply.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Zhane asked, loosening his grip as she tried to sit up a little straighter. She didn't mind leaning against him, but she didn't have to look like an invalid doing it.

It was never topical, she wanted to tell them, but she settled for shrugging.

"They said you couldn't hold the Power the way you are," Andros said, still watching her. "But they said they could make you human again."

She felt a sinking sensation in her stomach. "No," she whispered, staring at her morpher. "You didn't..."

"We told them you were magic," Zhane said quickly. "We said you wouldn't want the Power if it meant giving that up. Is that... were we right?"

Her eyes slid shut in relief. "Did you?" she murmured, clenching her fingers around her morpher.

"Yeah." Zhane sounded uncertain. "No Power for you. Sorry."

Her lips curved upward. "Thank you," she breathed. "You were right."

"Whew." Zhane's relief sounded exaggerated, but she knew he was only covering up the sincere feeling underneath. "You had me worried there for a minute. It's not every day you have to make that kind of decision. For someone else, no less!"

"Thank you," she repeated, her voice gaining strength as she opened her eyes and tilted her head back toward him. "I wouldn't... I wouldn't have gone on the quest if I'd thought I was trading one power for another."

"That's what I thought," Zhane agreed. He gave her a gentle hug before reaching out to touch her morpher. "You get to keep this, but it won't do anything for you except call us. And DECA. Plus it looks cool."

She smiled, lowering her eyes to Andros'. "Thank you," she repeated, holding his gaze. "That must not have been easy for you."

"I already have my sister back," he told her quietly. "I just want her to be happy."

"Besides," Ashley added, "we figure you're still part of the team. You fought all of us as Astronema, so it's not like you need the Power for that. You could even fake the uniform if you wanted to. No one would ever know!"

She glanced down at her morpher again, still smiling. "I'd have to practice," she murmured. "But I probably could."

"What about her zord?" Ty asked practically. "Can she still call it with her morpher? Will it answer?"

"I communicated with mine before we had the Power," Ashley pointed out. "Sort of. Maybe Kerone's will talk to her anyway."

"You'll probably have to learn to use it manually, though," Zhane remarked. "That might take a while."

"You taught me how to fly the Mega Vs," Kerone reminded him, bracing her hands against the floor and sitting up on her own. "I could do it."

"Do you want to?" Andros asked quietly. "We'll all help, but only if you want us to. I know you didn't really want to go questing in the first place... do you want to be a Power Ranger, Kerone?"

She sighed, staring down at the floor. "Now he asks," she muttered, drawing a chuckle from Zhane and a grin from Ty.

"Yes," she added, catching Andros' eye again. "I didn't want the Power because I didn't need it. I didn't want Cassie's morpher because I didn't earn it. I earned this one, though, and I still don't need the Power. But I want to be part of this team."

"Good," Ashley declared. "Cause we want you on it!"

"Plus Ash doesn't want to be the only girl," Zhane put in, and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Can you stand?" Andros wanted to know. "Is there anything we can do?"

She reached back and found Zhane's hands as he shifted behind her. "You could--" She gasped as Zhane simply lifted her to her feet as he stood. That was one thing the Power did for them that she couldn't mimic, she thought wryly. They were strong.

"You could get me something to drink," she said, as though nothing had happened.

Ashley was on her feet immediately, but she let Andros go over to the Synthetron while Ty stood more slowly. "How do you feel?" she asked anxiously. "They said your magic was having a bad reaction because the key wasn't protecting you anymore, but it was supposed to stop as soon as you were out of the grid."

Kerone took a deep breath, nodding once. Her head wasn't pounding anymore, and that alone was worth celebrating. "It has stopped," she assured them. "It's just--taking me a few minutes to believe it, that's all."

***

Zhane perched on the table beside Astrea, stroking her hair fondly as Andros place a mug of hot chocolate in front of her. He watched in surprise as Andros set an identical mug in front of Ty, then headed back to the Synthetron without a word. Since when did Andros know the meaning of the phrase "peace offering"?

"Thank you," Ty said after a moment, craning his neck to follow Andros' path.

"Thanks, Andros," Astrea added, wrapping both hands around her mug.

Andros didn't turn around. "You're welcome," he said, his back to them as he collected something else from the Synthetron. On his return trip, he brought two more mugs, which he set carefully in front of Ashley and Zhane.

Zhane caught his eye and smiled, and Andros nodded before turning back to the Synthetron. He came back with a mug of his own, pausing between Zhane and Ashley to set it down on the table. "Does anyone want marshmallows?" he asked suddenly.

"Ooh," Ashley exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "I'll get them."

Astrea lowered her head suddenly and lifted a hand to her temple. Concerned, Zhane slid his fingers through her hair and started to massage her scalp gently. She sighed, letting her hand fall, and he shook his head as a thought occurred to him.

"Astrea," he said into the quiet. "I just want you to know that as late as this evening I considered you the most uncomplicated part of my life. Then you had to go and confuse me all over again."

Ty chuckled a little, and she let out a breath of amusement. "No one likes to be taken for granted," she said lightly.

"Marshmallows," Ashley announced, placing a bowl in the center of the table. Her tone was muted, as though she didn't want to dispel the tranquility that seemed to be sneaking up on them.

Astrea reached out and helped herself to several, but instead of dropping them in her mug she put them in Zhane's. "Thanks," he offered. She nodded once, enough to acknowledge his thanks but not enough to displace his hands.

Ashley put one in her own hot chocolate, then pushed the bowl toward Ty. "Like you really need hot chocolate to be sweeter," she told him with a smile. "But they're fun."

Ty gave her an "I'll take your word for it" look and retrieved a single marshmallow from the bowl. He held his hand over the rim of his mug and let it roll in, smiling a little as it splashed against the side. "Nice," he said noncommittally.

Zhane saw Andros move out of the corner of his eye, but Ashley was too late to stop him. "Hey!" she exclaimed, glaring at him as he stole the marshmallow out of her mug and popped it into his mouth. He grinned at her, licking the sugar off of his fingers deliberately.

She sighed, but Zhane could tell she was trying to suppress a smile. "Can I have the marshmallows back, Ty?"

Ty handed the bowl back to her, and she tossed one at Andros before he could duck. "Brat," she accused good-naturedly.

Andros reached for another marshmallow, but Astrea was quicker. She slid the bowl away from both of them, taking two more marshmallows and protecting the bowl with her arm. "No food fights," she told them, adding the marshmallows to Zhane's mug. "It hurts my head."

"Too bad you let TJ keep the kittens," Andros told Ashley. "They would have helped us."

Ashley shook her head, blowing across the top of her hot chocolate. She had been reluctant to leave the kittens behind when she and Jeff left that evening, but they knew TJ and Max now. They were settled, and TJ had offered...

"I don't know," she said, sounding torn between amusement and regret. "They listen to Kerone. It's like mind control or something."

"No, it's not." Astrea's tone was that of someone who had repeated the same argument several times before. "I just talk to them better than you do. And believe me," she added, rolling her shoulders uncomfortably, "they wouldn't be causing any trouble tonight."

Zhane dropped his hands to her shoulders and she relaxed as he started to knead the muscles in her neck. He caught Andros' gaze on his hands, and he stared at his friend thoughtfully. Funny... he didn't look jealous now. Wistful, maybe, speculative, definitely, but not jealous.

As though he had sensed the regard, Andros looked up, away, then back as he realized Zhane had seen him watching. Zhane just smiled, and he would have sworn Andros blushed. The Red Ranger looked away again quickly.

"Do you really talk to animals?" Ty asked unexpectedly.

Astrea didn't answer, and he continued, "I only wonder because the zords have some superficial cat similarities... maybe you'll be able to communicate with them after all."

"That's kind of a cool idea," Ashley put in, swirling her finger in her hot chocolate idly. "Watch Kerone end up with better control of her zord than any of us."

"Watch Kerone end up with more injures than any of you," Astrea muttered under her breath.

Zhane chuckled. He knew she was kidding, but he couldn't resist saying, "Don't worry. We'll watch out for you."

"Great," she murmured, still not lifting her head. "The Ranger that spent two years recovering from a near-death experience is watching out for me. Now I feel safe."

Ashley clapped a hand over her mouth, but her eyes danced with laughter even as she tried to stifle a giggle. Zhane rolled his eyes, but the grin on Andros' face was worth it. They could joke about things now that they hadn't even been able to talk about last year... and oddly, it did make him feel safe.

Andros countered that having the former princess of evil at their backs was enough to make anyone nervous, and Astrea only retorted that he didn't know what nervous was until he saw her in a zord. Ty wondered if that said more about her skill or lack thereof, and Ashley warned him laughingly that he would find out soon enough.

Zhane just smiled, pulling out a stool and taking a place at the table instead of on it. For once he didn't have to say anything, and it was a good feeling. He had nothing else to hide, no secrets he hadn't already shared, and no ruffled feelings to smooth between the others. Whatever happened now, it would happen with him, not in spite of him.

***