"Hey, Cass!"

Cassie rested the monitor on the edge of the blue station wagon and glanced over her shoulder. "Yeah? What's up?"

Ashley stuck her head out through the living room window. "You forgot your suncatchers--want me to put them in one of these boxes?"

"No; that's tapes and stuff. Hang on." She hefted the computer monitor again and walked around the end of the car, settling it on the floor of the back seat and wedging her jacket in around it.

"Hey, Ash--" She frowned as she straightened up. "Have you seen my duffel bag?"

"What?" Ashley's face reappeared, this time in one of the upstairs windows. "What are you looking for?"

"My duffel bag," Cassie repeated, turning back to the house. "I thought I put it in the car already."

"Oh!" Ashley vanished, and a moment later the screen door banged against the porch as she came flying through it. "It's under the rug in the trunk. I figured there wasn't anything in there that could get crushed..."

"Yeah," Cassie agreed distracted, trying to remember what she still had left in the house. "I think, by some miracle, everything's going to fit."

Ashley didn't answer, and she frowned. "Ash?" Her friend was staring past her, and Cassie turned to follow her gaze automatically.

Her eyes widened a little as she caught sight of the figure standing uncertainly by the Hammonds' blue station wagon. "Hey," she said, a slight smile on her face. "I didn't think we'd ever see you again."

"Uh, I'm going to go inside," Ashley said quickly. "I'll go get your suncatchers."

"Thanks," Cassie said, not taking her eyes off the Ranger in front of her.

The screen door banged again, and Cassie heard her friend quietly close the front door behind her. She tried not to roll her eyes. Ashley had always been convinced that the Phantom Ranger would come back, and she was no doubt hoping for some sort of romantic reconciliation.

"You are leaving?" he asked, looking from her to the car.

She laughed. "Hello to you too. Yeah, I'm leaving. Summer's almost over; I've got to get back to school."

"School?" he repeated, as though he had never heard the word before.

"Yeah," she said with a grin. "You know, study, learn stuff, that kind of thing."

He didn't answer, and she glanced at the car. He was looking at it oddly, and she wondered if there was something she had missed. "What brings you back to Earth?" she asked finally, when the silence had gone on a little too long.

He looked up at last, catching her eye again. "You," was all he said.

She blinked. "You're kidding." Studying him more carefully, she asked, "Why?"

"I told you I would see you soon," he said quietly.

She did her best not to smile. "That was three years ago, Saryn."

He started. "You know."

Cassie nodded. "Andros has been keeping us updated. Congratulations. Elisia's only surviving Ranger, hiding in plain sight all this time--I'm glad you got your home back."

"Thank you," he said, staring back at her. "It has kept me busy for some time now."

She shrugged. "I figured. It must be nice to have a real life again."

He frowned a little. "My time as the Phantom Ranger was just as real to me. I was hiding, yes, but it was no lie."

She heard the hum of a familiar motor, and she glanced down the street. The green Jeep Wrangler was a welcome sight, no matter how late it was, and she waved as Jake Seitzer pulled into their driveway. "It's about time you showed up!" she shouted, and the car rolled to a stop right behind the Hammonds' station wagon.

Saryn had turned to see what she was looking at, but she only had eyes for Jake as he caught the top of the driver's side door and stood up to wave at her over it. "It isn't my fault," he protested, reaching back into the car. "I had to pick up these."

"Oh!" She clapped both hands over her heart, pretending to stagger from the shock. "Well, it's all forgiven then."

"It better be," he said with a grin, not bothering to slam the door shut behind him as he strode toward her. "Because I'm not letting you leave angry."

She wrapped her arms around him as he hugged her, closing her eyes. "I'm going to miss you," she whispered.

"I know," he whispered back. "I'll miss you too. Call tonight, okay?"

She nodded wordlessly, hugging him harder until he laughed. "Hey, hey!" He pulled away, giving her a quick kiss. "You'll make me crush your flowers!"

She giggled as he presented them to her, taking them and breathing in their scent with bittersweet happiness. He would be here when she came back tomorrow, but she was catching the bus tomorrow afternoon once she returned the station wagon. The time they still had was measured in hours, not days.

"Oh," she said, suddenly realizing. She caught Jake's arm and turned him toward her visitor. "I'm sorry; Jake, this is Saryn. He's a good friend from our Power Ranger days."

Jake glanced sideways at her. "Does that mean I should or shouldn't offer to shake his hand?"

"Shouldn't," she said with a grin. "Saryn, this is Jake Seitzer." She held up her left hand proudly. "We're engaged."

***

He could only stare at the slim gold band wrapped around her third finger, the clear stone set into it sparkling at him as he struggled to keep his expression calm. "Ashley said yes!" Andros had told him, only a few days ago. Or a week... last month? Could it have been that long? "We're getting married next summer. You should have seen what I had to go through to get her a ring!"

The former Red Ranger had been so excited. It was obvious in everything he said, no matter how he tried to hide it. He had been overjoyed at the idea of spending the rest of his life with the girl he loved, and Saryn had thought it only fair, after all Andros had been through, that he have this happiness. But he hadn't been able to keep himself from envying the other Ranger...

It was not to be, obviously. The only person he wanted to spend *his* life with was in love with another, and his trip here had been a waste of time. He wished now that he hadn't come--at least then he would still be able to dream that she was out there somewhere, waiting for him.

He lifted his gaze and managed a slight smile. "I'm honored to meet you."

"Same here," Jake agreed, returning his smile easily. "You must be the Phantom Ranger that Cassie's told me so much about."

"Has she?" he asked involuntarily.

"Oh, yes," Jake said. "You're quite the hero, from what I hear."

Cassie poked him, and he grinned at her. "In fact," he continued, "you were all she talked about for the first--"

"Oh, shut up," she complained loudly, elbowing him in the ribs. "Don't listen to him," she told Saryn, flushing. "He's just jealous."

"Sure I am," Jake teased. "You were totally smitten, admit it."

The color in her cheeks deepened, and suddenly she wouldn't meet his gaze. "I was not," she protested.

He watched Jake laugh at her embarrassment, and felt an unmistakable ache in his heart as the other boy pulled her close and kissed her. *Smitten?* Had that been the exaggeration of a jealous boyfriend, or the honest opinion of someone who knew her too well? He couldn't help but wonder if that could be him holding her now if he had only found the time to return a little sooner. If only it hadn't taken Andros' excited announcement to give him the courage to conquer his fear and seek her out.

A beep sounded, and he looked down automatically. But his communicator was silent, and the couple nearby broke apart as Jake went for a little device clipped to his belt. It must have been some kind of communicator itself, for he took one look at its display and sighed. "They need me at work," he said, replacing the device. "I'll call and tell them I can't--"

"Go," Cassie said firmly. "I'm leaving in a few minutes anyway."

"But I want to see you off," he objected, squeezing her shoulders.

"Don't be silly," she said, smiling a little. "I'll be back tomorrow; we'll say goodbye then."

Jake hesitated, and finally shook his head. "I can't believe summer went so fast," he said. "It seems like a few weeks went missing, somehow..."

"More than a few," Cassie agreed fervently. She leaned in to kiss him again, and Saryn looked away. "I'll see you tomorrow," he heard her whisper a moment later.

"Drive carefully," he answered. "I'll talk to you tonight?"

"You better," she said fondly, and he waved as he backed away.

She seemed to take no notice of him as her boyfriend climbed back into his car and the machine roared to life. She watched it move carefully down the driveway and back out onto the residential road, then lifted her hand to wave again as Jake drove away.

When she continued to stare off down the deserted road, Saryn shifted uncomfortably. "I'll go," he offered uncertainly.

She gave her head a shake and turned to smile at him. "No, stay, please. Sorry, I'm just a little distracted right now. Don't leave because of me."

"Hey, was that Jake?" Ashley demanded, stepping out onto the porch with a box in her arms.

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Of course it was Jake. You were expecting Andros to show up in a green Jeep?"

"Here, do something with this," Ashley said sweetly, thrusting the box into her friend's arms.

Cassie staggered as Ashley let go of the box, and Ashley grinned. "I added a few things," she said innocently.

"Yeah, rocks!" Cassie exclaimed, clearly struggling to hang onto the box as she turned.

In a moment, Saryn was at her side, tugging the box gently away from her and nodding to the car. "This goes in there?"

She nodded, holding her arms out in front of her and making a show of shaking them out. "Thanks a lot, Ash! What's *in* there?"

"You'll find out," her friend said smugly. "No, Saryn--put it down there. She has to be able to see out the back when she's driving."

Wordlessly, he obeyed her instruction, and heard Cassie ask, "Is that all the boxes?"

"Yeah," Ashley confirmed. "There's just your backpack inside, and your suncatchers--I wrapped them up for you."

"Thanks," Cassie said gratefully. "I'll be right back."

He watched her dart up the porch steps and disappear inside the house. It took a moment to realize that Ashley was watching him stare after her friend, and he tried not to let his chagrin show as he shifted his gaze to her.

Before he could speak, she said, "She waited, you know. For almost a year after that message you left for her."

He glanced back at the house, then away, feeling his gaze settle on the car beside him. "I wanted to come back. I didn't think she wanted to see me, after everything that happened."

"Everything that *didn't* happen," Ashley corrected. "She didn't care, though. She just wanted to see you again."

He swallowed. "When... when did she meet Jake?"

"Right after Zordon's energy wave swept through the universe," Ashley answered. "He came from Stone Canyon to help with the rebuilding, and he asked her out the first day they met. She turned him down... It wasn't until after Christmas that she finally agreed to a date."

*Christmas.* He remembered, with sudden clarity, exactly what event she was referring to. Andros had shown up on Elisia with Zhane, bringing news from the rest of the border and from Earth. The two had complained of some ridiculous Earth ritual involving hanging plants and kissing, and had been nearly incoherent with laughter when they tried to explain it to him.

It had been the first he had seen of the Astro Rangers in almost a year. They had exchanged as many details of the war as they could stand, trying to get straight the stories the media had distorted or denied entirely. And before they left, they had asked him to come with them--back to Earth.

"I am needed here," he had told them. And while it was true, he knew now that Andros had been right when he said he was needed on Earth more.

"I should have come," he admitted, finally. Looking back at Ashley, he said, "The loss was no one's but my own."

"You're wrong," she said quietly, just as the door swung open behind her.

"See you tomorrow," Cassie said, trying to extricate herself from a hug and prop the door open at the same time. "I'll call you when I get there tonight!"

"Here," Ashley said, bounding up the steps to take her friend's backpack from her. "Mom, she'll be back tomorrow!"

"Saryn," she added, turning. She tossed the backpack to him as soon as he looked up, and Cassie yelped.

"There's breakable stuff in there!" the former Pink Ranger protested, pulling away from Ashley's parents to give her friend an affectionate shove.

"Drive safely," Ashley said, ignoring her complaints as she pulled her friend into a hug. "Don't get into any accidents!"

"Don't get into any trouble while I'm gone," her friend retorted. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ash."

Standing by the back door of her car, he watched her saying her goodbyes. He was just about to slip away when she came bouncing down the porch steps toward him. Taking her backpack from his arms, she shoved it into the backseat and closed the door behind it. Going around to the back of the car, she closed the other opening before rejoining him.

"So," she said, tossing what he assumed were keys up in the air. "You coming?"

He froze. "What?"

"Want to come?" she repeated. "I'm going to need someone to help me unload. It's a long drive, but it's not like we don't have some catching up to do, if you're interested."

"I would like that," he managed, trying not to let his surprise show. *It's nothing,* he told himself firmly. *"A good friend," she said. That's all it is; friends exchanging news.*

"Great," she said. When she smiled, he knew the false hope in his heart was only setting him up for future pain--but he would bear that pain gladly, if it meant he could spend even one more minute with her.

***

"One order of large fries, two grilled chicken sandwiches, and two chocolate milkshakes," Cassie told the woman in the drive-through window.

"That'll be nine twenty-seven," the woman answered, not looking up.

She passed a ten-dollar bill through the window, and took the change without bothering to look at it. "Here," she said, passing it to Saryn as she let the car roll forward a few feet. "Put that in my wallet, would you?"

"Here you go," the boy at the pick-up window said cheerfully, and she looked up in surprise.

"Thanks," she said, taking the order and giving him a genuine smile.

"Have a nice day, beautiful," he answered, and she laughed.

She handed the drinks off to Saryn and set the food down on the seat behind him, waving out the window as she pulled away from the drive-through. "Why did he say that?" Saryn wanted to know, as she put the car in park in the restaurant's small parking lot and turned the ignition off.

She gave him an indignant glance as she reached for their food. "Maybe because he thinks I'm pretty?"

"But--" His glance strayed to her left hand.

She curled her fingers, looking down at her ring. "He was just flirting," she said, feeling oddly defensive. "I'm engaged. It doesn't mean I can't *talk* to other guys."

He nodded, and she tried to put it out of her mind. "Here," she said, taking one of the shakes and putting a sandwich in his hand instead. "Don't eat it if you don't like it, but I'd feel bad if I'd just gotten dinner for myself."

"Thank you," he said, looking down at it. His expression was that of someone not wanting to make a wrong move, and she tried not to smile at his confusion.

"Here, let me." She slid one of the straws out of its paper wrapper and reached for the cup in his hand. He didn't let go, and she wrapped her fingers around his to hold his hand steady as she stuck the straw in. "It's probably pretty thick--it's easier if you let it melt a little before you try and drink it," she explained.

"It's cold," he said, setting it down carefully on the seat beside him.

She giggled at his expression. "It's ice cream. It's supposed to be cold." She put the other straw in her own shake and started to unwrap her sandwich.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him watching her. After a moment, he imitated her, and she laughed again when he started to pull his sandwich apart even as she was. "You don't have to do that," she said, as she removed the tomato slices. "I just don't like tomato. Most people eat it the way it is."

He hesitated, then took a careful bite of the tomato. She bit her lip to keep from exclaiming, "Not plain!" and waited for his reaction.

"It's good," he said, surprising her.

She grinned. "You can have mine, then."

She reconstructed her sandwich and wrapped it back up halfway, switching it to her left hand as she reached for the key. "Ready?" she asked, glancing at him.

Mouth full--probably of tomato, she thought, amused--he only nodded. The car hummed to life when she twisted the ignition and shifted into reverse. She put her arm over the back of his seat as she turned to look out the back window, and she saw him turn to follow her gaze automatically.

She waited until they were back on the highway to reach for the radio. She poked the "power" button with a free finger, and music filled the car as they headed north again.

***

The wind coming through the open window tossed his hair back and stung his eyes, reminding him in the smallest way of home--or at least, of the planet he called home now. Glancing sideways at her, wind streaming through her dark hair as she sucked happily on his "milkshake", he didn't know how he could ever have thought a mere place would make him complete.

She paused long enough to sing along with the music emanating from the car's speakers. "With her radio blasting, she dreams of taking it too far..."

She caught his gaze on her and flushed, and he tried not to smile. "Too loud?" she asked sheepishly, turning the volume down a little. "Sorry; I'm not used to having a CD player while I'm driving. It's fun."

He shook his head as she stuck the straw back in her mouth. "I like hearing you sing," he said simply, turning his head back to the window so she would not read anything more into that than what he had meant. And so that he would not have to think about her mouth on the same straw that he had just been using--he had no taste for chocolate, and she had eagerly offered to finish his shake for him. Now he had to fight the urge to ask for it back.

"Something's got to give somewhere," she sang, more softly this time. "Forcing circles into squares--hey!"

He looked up at her exclamation, and saw her pointing off to her left. "Look! You can see the ocean from here!"

He looked where she indicated, but there was only the hazy grey of the edge of the sky where it met the hills. "Where?"

"Right there," she insisted, still pointing. The car swerved suddenly, and she muttered, "Damn. Come on, we'll go see."

She put her blinker on, and he frowned. "You do not have to do this for me," he said reluctantly, though he was terribly curious. Water was scarce on his world, and several times he had marveled at the vast expanses of it on Earth. He had never seen them up close...

"Too late," Cassie answered cheerfully, as the car slid smoothly off the freeway and down one of the chute-like exits. "Besides, I'm ready to get out of the car for a little while."

The air smelled odd, suddenly, and he took a deep, experimental breath. "Ocean air," Cassie said, taking a deep breath herself. "There's nothing like it."

His eyes widened as they came around a corner and suddenly he could *see* it. A grey flatness that stretched into infinity, blending with the horizon so that he couldn't tell where the ocean ended and the sky began. "Water?" he whispered, awed.

"Saltwater," she corrected quickly. "Not drinkable."

He could only stare as the car turned down a side road that ran just above the rocks littering the water's edge. There was some sort of cement barrier between the shore and the road, and he frowned, disappointed. They were just close enough that he couldn't quite see over it anymore.

He heard her giggle, and he looked at her. She shot another sideways glance at him and giggled again, turning her gaze back to the road as she slowed down. "You're so cute," she said, and the car's left blinker clicked on as she pushed her foot down farther. "We'll pull over and look, don't worry."

"You don't have to--" he began.

"I want to," she interrupted, and they coasted into a line of parking spaces that ran parallel to the road. "Do we have to feed the meter on Saturdays? I can never remember."

"What?"

"Nothing," she said, pushing her door open and grabbing the top of the door to pull herself out. He recognized the same gesture Jake had used, and couldn't help but wonder which of them had started it.

He got out too, but no matter the lure of so much water his eye was drawn back to her as she stretched. Lifting her hands above her head, she leaned over the roof of the car and reached toward him, letting her breath out in a sigh. "It's so nice to be able to *move* again," she said fervently, straightening up and rolling her shoulders.

"I'm used to it," he offered before he thought.

She glanced over at him, then smiled a little. "Yeah, I guess you would be."

Then she stepped away from the car, putting her hands on the barrier and bouncing up to sit on top of it. She looked over her shoulder at him and cocked her head. "Coming?"

He blinked. "Of course." Walking around the front of the car, he paused to look at her, but she was already climbing down the other side of the barrier. He went over after her, landing somewhat unsteadily on the rocks, and she reached out instinctively.

"Careful," she warned. "They're slippery, and some of them are loose. Watch your step."

He nodded, concentrating only on following her as she took off across the rocks. She had obviously done this before, for she seemed to know exactly where to put her feet. He stumbled as he tried to keep pace, and she stopped to wait for him. He slowed, and she held out her hand impatiently.

Surprised, he took it, and she grinned over her shoulder at him. "Whatever you do, do *not* take me down with you."

"Never," he agreed, his fingers clutching hers as she pulled him forward. The extra weight must have thrown her off balance, for she flung her other hand out to the side, and he stepped closer.

The rock under his foot tipped, and he grabbed her shoulder for support. She wavered, wrapping her arm around his waist to keep herself standing, and she giggled as they clung to each other on the rocks. "Between the two of us, we'll never make it," she said breathlessly.

He did not answer. His eyes closed, he barely heard her, savoring the feel of her arms around him and her body pressed against his as she tried to regain her footing. It was probably the closest he would ever be to hugging her, and he wished the moment wouldn't end.

Then her fingers tightened on his and she lurched away, tugging him after her. "Come on," she called, and he forced his feet to follow.

They finally made it off the rocks onto the thin strip of sand at the ocean's edge, him without falling and her without having to jump away from him just to keep her balance more than once. Walking on those boulders had to be an inborn talent, he decided, glad to feel flat ground beneath his feet again.

She tossed something on the ground, and she skipped the short distance to where the water lapped across the sand. She had left her sandals behind, he realized, watching her dare the water's edge with her bare feet.

"Run away!" she exclaimed suddenly, and he watched as the water frothed in front of her and chased after her feet as she scampered back toward him.

"What is that?" he asked, frowning, and she laughed.

"What, the waves?" Grabbing his hand again, she pulled him toward the water. It frothed again, making a rushing sound as it came toward them, and he drew back in alarm. She let him go, but she herself leapt into it, jumping over the white edge and laughing as the clear water splashed up around her ankles.

The foam withdrew, then, making smooth lines in the sand around her feet, and she looked back at him. "It's just what the ocean does," she explained. "Wherever it meets the shore it makes waves that. It's something about how deep the water is or how it changes or something."

He watched her play in it, torn between her carefree game and the stretch of infinity that reached out toward the horizon. He had never seen so much water in his life. Nor, he thought, as he watched her dart after the waves to pick up something they'd left behind on the sand, had he ever wished for something he couldn't have more than he did now.

***

"Serifalls 113," she told the police officer directing traffic in and out of the dorm road.

He nodded, taking a pen from his clipboard and flipping through to the appropriate dorm. "Cassie Chan?"

"That's me," she said, glancing into her rearview mirror. There were cars lined up behind her ten deep, and the loop road that wound through most of the campus' residential buildings looked twice as chaotic.

The officer scribbled her dorm and room number on a post-it pad and slapped the temporary sticker on her windshield. "You have fifteen minutes to unload," he warned her. "Take your things out of the car and set them on the curb. Someone has to be with the car at all times; no moving things in as you take them out of the car."

"Right," she agreed, not really listening. The only thing worse than move-in day for upperclassmen was move-in day for freshmen, and she was glad to have missed that this year. But the sheer number of people was still overwhelming, and she gave Saryn a quick look as she eased her foot off the brake to see how he was doing.

He looked, if anything, interested by the throngs of students and family gathered by every parked car in front of the dorms. Hazard lights were flashing on almost all the vehicles and people kept leaping into the middle of the road as she tried to drive past, but she made it to the far corner of the loop without slamming on the brakes too many times.

There were two clear spots in front of Serifalls, and she took the one that had just been vacated. Turning the car off, she announced, "Well, we made it." She drew in a deep breath as she stared out through the windshield and added, "Now comes the hard part."

"Can I help?" he asked, turning away from the window.

She grinned. "You came all this way; you'd better help."

Between the two of them, they managed to get everything out of the car and onto the curb, and she had to smile at his care in handling things. Even she didn't treat her stuff that well.

"I'll be right back," she told him at last, slamming the trunk shut. "I have to move the car, but it won't take long--do you mind waiting here with this stuff?"

"Of course not," he answered. "I'll move it into your room, if you wish."

She paused, considering. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw only the one police officer, still admitting people to Res Road and clearly far too busy to keep track of who had been where for how long. "Hang on," she told Saryn, and darted for the main door of Serifalls.

The rec area was open and waiting, set up to receive the upperclassmen as they arrived. "Cassie Chan," she told the boy at the table. She didn't recognize him, but he was probably a new RA or something.

"Can I see your ID?" he asked, and she fished it out of her pocket and handed it over.

"Great," he said, and he stuck it in a nearby box.

"Hey!" she exclaimed. "I need that!"

"I'm holding it ransom," he told her with a grin. "Fill out your info card, and you can have it back."

"Look, I'm parked outside," she told him, annoyed. "I just need my key so my friend can bring stuff in while I move the car."

"You'll get it after you fill out your info sheet," he insisted, smile still firmly in place as he held out a piece of paper and a pencil.

"Cassie, hey!"

She glanced up to see Nikki walking into the rec area. "Hey," she said, trying to put her annoyance aside. "How was your summer?"

"Oh, it was great," Nikki assured her, walking around the table and pulling up a seat next to the irritating check-in boy. "Did you get your key yet?" She started sorting through the keys without waiting for an answer.

"I'm not giving out keys until they fill out the info sheets," the boy beside her tried to say, and she rolled her eyes.

"Oh, don't be silly. Cassie filled one out last year. If we could keep decent records around here, we wouldn't have to hand them out every single year. Here you go," she added, handing over the 113 key. "You going to pay dues this year?"

"I'll think about it," Cassie said wryly, taking the key. "Thanks, Nikki."

"Hey, no problem," her friend said. "Don't forget your ID."

Cassie grabbed it out of the box and gave the other girl a grateful look. "Thanks again."

She left before the kid doing check-in could protest, glad Nikki had shown up when she did. The girl had been on the Serifalls hall council for the last two years, and she knew every one of the returning students. She also knew, first hand, how frustrating some of the rules were.

Saryn was still waiting by the station wagon when she emerged, and he smiled a little in welcome as she walked over to him. "Got it," she declared, taking his hand and putting her key into it triumphantly. "That's for 113--the number's on the door. Thanks, Saryn," she added as an afterthought, circling around the front of the car.

She didn't hear his answer, but she saw him wave tentatively as she started the car. She smiled a little, hoping he didn't feel too out of place, and threaded her way slowly around the rest of the loop road. The nearest student lot was emptying out as evening progressed, and she found a space near the entrance--but she shuddered to think what it would be like in the morning. Her school was probably the only campus in existence that thought starting move-in day at night was a good idea.

Saryn was nowhere to be seen by the time she got back to Serifalls, and she frowned at the two boxes and duffel bag that were all that remained of the stuff they had piled on the curb. She looked around, but found no sign of him anywhere. Slinging her duffel bag over her shoulder, she grabbed one of the boxes and headed inside after him.

The door to her room was propped open, but she didn't have to look inside to find him. Saryn was standing farther down the hall, talking to one of her neighbors from the year before and, to her surprise, not looking the slightest bit uncomfortable.

"Phil!" She set her box down outside her room and waved as she walked over to them.

"Hey, Cassie," he acknowledged. "Your friend and I were just talking about this whole night check-in thing."

"Yeah, isn't it annoying?" she asked, trying to cover up her surprise at his involvement in *any* conversation, let alone one so casual. "Phil, this is Saryn. Saryn; Phil--he was my neighbor last semester."

"We introduced ourselves," Phil said. "Where are you living, Saryn?"

"Oh, he's not a student," Cassie said quickly.

"I only came to help Cassie move in," Saryn explained, and Phil gave her an odd look.

"Where's that Jake guy you were seeing last year?" he wanted to know.

"He had to work," she said. "Saryn's just a friend. He showed up just as I was leaving, and he was too nice to say no when I asked him to help me move."

Phil whistled. "I hope you're paying him. You live in Angel Grove, right?"

She blushed. "Yeah..." She shot a glance at Saryn. "He's a really good friend."

"No kidding," Phil agreed. "Me and my ex-girlfriend took a four-hour drive once. Then we broke up."

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Thanks for those words of wisdom. We can't break up; we're not together."

"You could still kill her," Phil told Saryn. "How can you stand driving anywhere with a girl? It's always, 'Oh, I have to go to the bathroom,' or, 'No, not that radio station!'"

"Shut up!" Cassie exclaimed.

"I enjoyed the drive," Saryn said, just as someone yelled for Phil from down the hall.

"You're crazy," Phil said. "Later, Cass, Saryn."

She sighed as he walked away. "Sorry. Phil's a little weird."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Saryn told her. "I spoke to him of my own accord. But he's wrong about driving with girls," he added, when she gave him a surprised look.

She blinked. "Well, thanks," she said, smiling. "That's nice of you to say. Oh--I have one more box to get. Be right back."

"I'll get it," he said, catching her arm to hold her in place. "You stay here and find something to do with all of this." He nodded to her door, and she groaned as she glanced through it.

"Why does it always look like so much stuff once I get it here?" she complained.

He squeezed her arm gently. "You've done it before," he reminded her. "It will work again."

She turned to him in surprise, but before she could say anything he was striding away down the hall. He disappeared around the corner, and she shook her head. She hadn't expected him to be--comforting.

*He's a real person,* she reminded herself, shifting the strap of her duffel bag over her shoulder. She bent down to gather up her box, and sighed when the bag fell forward and banged against her arm anyway. *After everything he told you, you'd think you could remember to stop thinking of him as "Phantom".*

She gave up and slid her duffel bag into the room, then grabbed the box separately and carried it inside. "Where am I going to put this?" she demanded aloud, looking around the tiny room..

"On the floor?" Saryn suggested from behind her, and she tried not to jump.

"There's no room on the floor," she objected, sighing.

He set down his box and took hers without a word, carefully placing it on top of the one he had just brought in. She sighed again. "Okay, I'm being silly. Sorry. I just hate having to unpack."

"You went to all that effort to pack it in the first place, and then..." He trailed off, gesturing around the room.

"That's exactly it!" She studied him curiously, then shook her head. "I don't even want to think about this now. I'm going to go get my schedule and copy my key." She knew she was procrastinating, but she didn't care. She would have to do both eventually anyway.

"Do you want me to wait?"

She shrugged. "You can come if you want. It won't be very interesting, but there isn't really anything to do here, either. Unless you want to talk to Phil some more," she added, and he shook his head.

"I'll come with you," he told her, and his tone sounded wry.

She grinned. "Good choice."

***

"I hate stuff!" she exclaimed, her voice muffled by the closet door and several layers of hanging clothes.

"All stuff?" he asked, amused. He looked up from her computer as she pushed her way out of the closet and slammed the door with finality.

"Yes. All stuff. There's too much of it in the world. And I own most of it!" She poked the cover of the last box and watched dispassionately as it slid to the floor.

"Most of the stuff in the world wouldn't fit into this room," he pointed out, glancing around.

She smiled half-heartedly. "Well, that's true. I guess that's comforting. How's the computer doing?"

"I haven't broken it, if that's what you're asking," he answered wryly. "Most of these cables only fit in one outlet."

"It's made so that even really dumb people can put it together," she offered, pulling lengths of cloth out of the box and tossing them onto her bed.

"Your confidence in me is astounding," he told her, trying not to smile at her sudden dismay as she realized what she had said. Then he paused, and glanced back at the mostly connected computer components. "How do I turn it on?"

As he had hoped, she giggled, and she pointed down at the floor. "There's a button that says 'power' on that part. Push it."

He did, and the computer hummed to life.

"Hey, good job," she said, watching the monitor flicker on. "Thanks!"

"You're welcome," he answered automatically, turning to watch as she tackled the bed. He wondered if he should offer to help, or if that would be too awkward. *It's nothing,* he reminded himself. *Just another thing she has to get done. Nothing to do with you.*

That, of course, was the problem. He tried not to think about how many times Jake must have stayed overnight in this very room--the key Cassie had copied was for him, and she had mentioned him losing the one from the year before. Jake had obviously come and gone as he pleased for some time.

He pushed those thoughts out of his mind and forced himself to join Cassie by the bed. "What can I do?"

She jerked one of the sheets tight against the mattress with unnecessary vehemence. "I don't know. Hang on."

He waited patiently, until finally she sighed and grabbed her pillow. "Here," she said, tossing it to him and rooting out a pillowcase a moment later.

He covered the pillow wordlessly, knowing how hard she was trying not to snap at him. Despite her attempted cheerfulness, her bad mood was getting worse as it grew later, and he hadn't yet dared to ask what was wrong.

"Thanks," she said at last, reaching for the pillow. He let go of it before she had finished grabbing it, and she swore as it fell to the floor.

"Cassie," he said uncertainly, as she retrieved it. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she said quickly. She smoothed the comforter over top of the pillow and sat down on the edge of the bed with a sigh. Glancing around the room, her gaze caught his momentarily and then slid away again.

"Are you?" he asked, resisting the urge to sit down beside her.

She sighed again, shaking her head once.

He couldn't help it. He sat down and put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently until she looked up at him. "It will be all right," he offered quietly.

She smiled a little and patted his hand absently. "Thanks... I'm sorry; I always get like this when I'm moving. It always feels so... final, you know? Like I'm on this path, and things keep happening to move me along it, but I don't get any say in where it goes."

Before he knew what he was doing, his arm had slid around her shoulders and he was telling her, "You do have a choice. You can do anything you want to with your life."

He held his breath as she leaned against him, her head on his shoulder. "I wish I thought that was true," she whispered.

"It *is* true," he insisted--or tried to insist. His voice came out much softer than he had intended, and he turned his head to the side in an effort to ignore the sweet, clean smell of her hair. He knew there was something she needed to hear, but he could only think enough to repeat what he had already said. "You can do anything you want."

She didn't say anything for a few moments, and then, just when he had resigned himself to the silence, she burst out, "Why do you have to be so nice!"

Startled, he didn't know how to reply.

She jumped up before he could find words, pulling the closet door open again and taking her sleeping bag out of it. She pushed the last box under her bed and threw the sleeping bag down on the floor, clearing the few remaining items out of the way with her foot as she did so.

"I need some sleep," she announced. "You don't have to sleep now, but I'm going to the bathroom, and when I come back I'm turning out the lights." Gathering things up, she headed for the door. As she pulled the door open, she added, "If you still feel like being Mr. Helpful, you could set my alarm for me. We'll have to get back on the road early in the morning."

With that, she was gone, leaving him to stare after her in confusion.

***

Cassie tugged on her nightshirt and dropped her clothes on the heater on her way to the sink. She pulled off her ring as she went to wash her hands, setting it on the edge of the sink. Another girl came out of one of the stalls, and Cassie tried not to smile as the second sink sprayed water in all directions.

"That one's a little sensitive," she offered, stifling a giggle at the girl's dismayed expression.

"Yeah..." The girl prodded the faucet as though it was a wild animal. "They should have a sign about that or something."

"They used to." Cassie watched her twist the knob again, more carefully this time. "It must have been taken down over the summer."

"Well, I'm making a new one," the girl said decisively. "I'm Jean, by the way."

"I'm Cassie." She turned the sink off and shook her hands vigorously. "I'd shake your hand, but there doesn't seem to be much point."

"No," Jean agreed with a grin. "Hey," she added, seeing Cassie reach for her ring, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure. I live down the hall, by the way, in 113."

"Oh! We're neighbors, sort of. Me and Krissy are right across the hall from you. We saw your boyfriend this afternoon," she added. "He was moving your stuff in just as we were leaving for dinner."

"He's not my boyfriend," Cassie said uncomfortably, twisting her ring a little. "He's a friend from home; he just came to help me move in."

"Oh..." Jean winked. "Must be nice to have a friend like that."

Cassie didn't know whether to laugh or stare. "No--it isn't like that. My boyfriend had to work, so Saryn drove up with me instead."

Jean shook her hands off, finally giving in and wiping them on her sweatpants. "I guess that answers my question, then," she said, a slight smile on her face. "I was going to ask what it's like to be engaged. So--is your friend seeing anyone?"

Cassie's eyes widened. "Yeah," she said quickly. "He has a girlfriend back home. I think they're pretty serious."

"Too bad," Jean said, shrugging. "He's really cute."

"Yeah..." Cassie looked down at her left hand, unable to finish the sentence.

"So have you ever wondered?" Jean asked, turning to lean against the counter. "I mean, about getting married? What if someone else comes along?"

"I love Jake," Cassie protested, picking her shirt up off the heater and folding it distractedly. "Who else could possibly come along?"

"But what if you meet someone you love more?" Jean persisted. "I mean, how do you know you've found the one person you want to spend the rest of your life with?"

"I just know," Cassie said defensively, folding her jeans and putting them on top of her shirt.

Jean shook her head. "That must be nice. I wish I felt that way about my boyfriend."

"You have a boyfriend?" Cassie asked, surprised after her earlier question about Saryn.

"Sort of." Jean waved her hand dismissively. "It's a long story. Hey, are you going to the block party tomorrow?"

Cassie sighed. "I can't. I have to drive back home and return the car I brought to move my stuff."

"Long trip?" Jean asked sympathetically.

"Four hours."

"Wow," Jean said, pushing away from the sink. "That's rough. It's a good thing you have someone to talk to."

"Yeah," Cassie agreed, gathering up her things. "It was nice of him to come."

"Well, have a good night," the other girl said, catching the door as she left and holding it for Cassie.

"Thanks. You too," she said, as they headed back toward their rooms.

Jean swung her door wide open, waved over her shoulder, and strolled inside. Cassie hesitated, waiting until the door had closed again to shift her stuff to one arm and try her own door. It creaked a little as she pushed it open, as always, and she blinked at the darkness.

"Saryn?" she whispered, creeping inside and closing the door gently behind her.

She heard the sleeping bag rustle from somewhere right in front of her. "Yes?"

"Um--I'm just going to turn on a light for a second, all right?"

"All right."

She dropped her things on her bed and reached for the reading light on the headboard. It flickered on, and she looked down at the floor automatically. Saryn had his back to her, shoulders set just like Jake's when he was punishing her for something.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out, unable to bear the thought that he was angry with her. "I'm sorry I was so rude. I really didn't mean to be--"

He shifted a little, and she stopped. He still didn't look at her, but his voice was gentle when he told her, "It's all right. I understand."

She sighed, tempted to ask him to explain it to her. He was the last person who deserved her temper, but he was the only one around for her to snap at. She wished Jake had come. He was used to her moods, and always knew how to make her laugh when she was upset about something.

She put her clothes and toothbrush away and climbed into her freshly made bed. She hesitated before turning out the light, glancing down at Saryn again. "Are you sure you're comfortable?" There was really nothing she could do, but she suddenly felt bad for dragging him all this way and then making him sleep on the floor.

"I'm comfortable," he assured her, still facing the opposite wall. "Don't worry."

She waited a moment, watching him. He was completely wrapped in her sleeping bag, but it suddenly occurred to her that he had no clothes to change into for the next day. What had she been thinking to ask him to come along with her?

She had thought it was her due, of course. After three years of hearing nothing, she had thought he owed her at least some explanation. She had waited so long for him to come back, and he hadn't so much as sent a message to tell her he was all right. She had had to hear it over the news, and later, from Andros. She couldn't help wondering if things could have been different if he had contacted her, somehow.

The conversation with Jean weighed on her mind as she reached for the lightswitch, and she asked quietly, "Saryn?" He didn't reply, but she plunged on ahead anyway. "Have you ever been in love?"

There was only silence for a moment, and she thought he wouldn't answer. Then, at last, he said, "Twice."

"Really?" She pulled her comforter up over her shoulder and turned to face him in the darkness. "What happened?"

"Dark Spectre happened." There was a bitterness to his tone this time, but he didn't hesitate. "She died in the first attack on Elisia."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't know."

"There is no way you could have. I don't talk about it."

There was a subtle warning in his voice, and she knew she should let it be. But for some reason, she couldn't, and she had to ask, "Was she--very beautiful?"

She heard him sigh a little. "She was the kindest and most loyal person I've ever known. Her smile is the thing I miss most about the old Elisia. And yes," he added, as the sleeping bag rustled again, "she was very beautiful."

She bit her lip, troubled. "Was she a Ranger?"

"Yes," he said simply.

Why was it so hard to hear him talk about his old love? *I'm engaged,* she reminded herself, running her thumb across the ring on her third finger. *We never had a chance anyway.*

"You said you loved twice," she said, steeling herself. She could do this. She had to know, had to remind herself that he had never really felt anything for her. He would have come back long ago if he had.

"Yes," he repeated.

She waited, but he didn't continue.

"What happened?" she asked tentatively, knowing how nosy she was being and hoping he wouldn't be able to guess why.

He sighed again, very softly. "She loves someone else."

"'Loves'?" she repeated. "Present tense?"

"Is that what I said?" he asked, his voice uninterpretable.

"Sorry," she murmured, tugging her comforter closer. It was a warm night, but somehow she needed to feel it wrapped around her. "I don't mean to pry."

He breathed out, and his tone sounded amused. "Too late."

There was silence for a few minutes, and she wondered how long it took him to fall asleep. Her old roommate had fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, but Cassie had never been so lucky. She rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling, her eyes wandering across the glow-in-the-dark smiley face someone had painted there before she moved into the room.

"Saryn?" she asked, as quietly as she could in case he wasn't awake.

"Yes?"

She smiled sheepishly. He probably wished she would just shut up, but she was going to ask this one last question. "You said Elisia was doing really well, and that the border is back together, and that you were glad you didn't have to be Phantom anymore."

He didn't answer.

"So why did you come back to Earth?" she pressed. "You never came to visit before. If everything's so great, how come you came to see us now?"

"Andros made me realize what I was missing in my life," he said softly.

She frowned up at the ceiling. "Andros? How?"

His answer surprised her. "He has Ashley."

"And the person you like loves someone else," she murmured, realizing that his "present tense" was much more "present" than she had thought.

"Yes." His whisper sounded sad, far more so than it had moments ago when he was talking about his first love. He obviously hadn't gotten over this other girl yet, and Cassie had the strangest urge to seek her out and hurt her for making him so upset.

"So why did you come to Earth?" she asked, trying to distract him.

She heard another rustle from the floor, and this time when he spoke his words were muffled. She could barely make them out as he replied, "I don't know."

She waited, but he didn't say anything else. She stifled a sigh of her own, knowing she had already asked too much. Taking a deep breath, she tried to relax enough to sleep.

She remembered something suddenly, and she twisted around to see the clock beside her bed. Half past twelve. She freed one arm from underneath her too-warm comforter and touched the "alarm" button. Instead of the twelve AM default, it was set for six the next morning.

***

A strident repeating buzz jolted him out of a restless sleep, and for one panicked second he couldn't place the sound. Then he heard the voice that had haunted his dreams for years, sleep-fogged but recognizable nonetheless, mutter, "Stupid alarm."

There was movement, and then a crash, and he heard her swear. The buzz continued, unabated, and he almost rolled over to see what was happening. But just in time he remembered to stay facing the other wall, and he remained where he was. He had seen what she took with her when she went to change last night, and there was no way he wanted to see her walking around in nothing but a t-shirt.

He heard her fumbling with something, and at last the alarm was silenced. She sighed, and the springs of her bed complained as her weight shifted. "Saryn?" he heard her ask sleepily, and he moved a little to let her know he was awake.

He hit something as he stretched, and he heard her exclamation of surprise as he realized it hadn't been furniture he had bumped into. He sat up abruptly, just in time to see her try and catch herself against the bed as she tripped over him.

She was too off balance for that to work, and he grabbed her before she hit her head on the bureau. She yelped as he pulled her backwards, stumbling a little, and before he knew what had happened she had, quite literally, fallen right into his lap.

"Man, I'm so sorry," she said breathlessly, trying to push her hair out of her face and clutch his shoulder to steady herself at the same time. "I didn't even see you; I thought you were closer to the desk than that and I didn't think--"

Her voice gave out as she gulped for air, and he felt her fingers tighten on his shoulder. Her body was pressed against his bare chest, warm and fragile through her thin pink t-shirt, and he tried desperately to remain motionless. His arms were wrapped around her as she tried again to explain, and he couldn't hear a word she was saying.

Her arm brushed his face as she combed her hair back, and he glanced down inadvertently. The soft curves of her body held his eye, and her long t-shirt slid off her thighs as she pulled her knees up to her chest and tried to gather herself. He could only stare, wishing he dared slide his arm under her bare legs and cradle her closer against his chest.

"Saryn?" she asked, her voice calmer now that she had caught her breath. "Are you--all right?"

He swallowed, glancing up at her quickly. Her innocent brown eyes were so full of concern that he couldn't return her gaze, and he tried to look away--but the only thing he could see was her. She shifted, and his downcast eyes took in every movement.

"I'm really sorry," she repeated. "I hope I didn't--"

Her hand slid off his shoulder, fingers just brushing his chest as she drew her hand away, and he lifted his burning gaze to meet hers once more. She broke off at the look in his eyes, her own eyes widening as she stared back at him.

He tried not to move, tried to stay absolutely still, but his body screamed that this was the only chance he would ever get and he *had* to take it or he would regret it the rest of his life. He fought to ignore it, fought to ignore the fact that a gorgeous and barely dressed girl who had been his only desire for more than three years was sitting on top of him as he tried to pretend it didn't bother him in the least--and he lost.

He pulled her closer and kissed her, tasting her lips for the first time and almost melting at the exquisite sweetness. He kissed her again, tightening his arms around her as her fingers convulsed against his chest, and to his utter shock he felt her respond.

She kissed him back and he leaned into her, wanting to feel her pressed close against his bare chest, wanting to feel her hands on his skin and her lips on more than just his mouth. Her arms twined around his neck, trapping him against her, and suddenly she was falling backward against her sleeping bag as he kissed her again and again, trying to make up for all the dreams when he had woken and found himself alone.

He felt her fingers stroke his hair, and he moaned as she brushed it back across his forehead and kissed him harder. He pressed closer, sliding his hand down her bare leg and trying frantically to distract her--if she found out what that did to him, he would be lost to her forever.

"Saryn--" She wrenched herself away, pushing him off of her as she sat up, gasping for breath. "What are you--what are we *doing*?"

She wasn't far enough away--he had to touch her; he couldn't stand having her warmth so close and not reaching for it. She stared at him as he caressed her leg, only barely stopping himself from pulling her into another passionate embrace. He wanted that again, he wanted it forever, and he wanted it right now. He didn't know what small shred of civility kept him from acting on that desire, but he clung to it, even as he ran his fingers hungrily across her skin.

"Saryn!" She finally pulled away, her face flushed as she climbed to her feet. "I--I have to go take a shower. I'll be back in a few minutes."

She all but flew out of the room, and he stared down at the floor rather than watch her leave. He closed his eyes as the door slammed behind her, loud enough to momentarily drown out the pounding of his heart, and he felt a single hot tear slide down his cheek.

"No," he whispered, clenching his fingers as he tried not to think. He tried, more than that, not to feel. How could he have ever done that? It was the worst crime he had ever committed, and against one he cherished above all others. Another tear escaped, and he wondered, fleetingly, if she would ever speak to him again.

***

"Hey, Cass. You're up early."

Cassie glanced over her shoulder as she scanned the hall unhappily. "Yeah, I guess so. How's it going?"

"Great," Nikki said, leaning against the opposite wall to stretch her legs out. Her curly golden hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail, and she was dressed in the same old jogging shorts she had worn day after day the semester before. "It was so nice to wake up this morning and not have to think about classes."

"Yeah," Cassie agreed again, glancing down the hall. Her room was empty--Saryn had been missing when she returned from her shower. She had expected him to be back within minutes, but as she dried her hair and got together a few things for their second road trip he still had not returned. She was starting to get worried.

"Hey, your boyfriend's outside," Nikki offered, capturing her attention instantly. "You might want to go talk to him. He looks like his best friend just died or something."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Nikki. I was wondering where he had gone."

"Cassie--" Nikki stopped her just as she was turning away. "I thought your boyfriend's name was Jake."

She bit her lip. She shouldn't have ignored the "boyfriend" comment, but it had seemed easier than not. "It is," she said quietly.

Nikki shook her head. "Be careful."

Cassie sighed. "I'm trying," she muttered. "It isn't working."

Nikki straightened up and clapped her on the shoulder. "You know, sometimes the easy way isn't the one that will make you happy. Don't get your heart broken twice, Cass."

She tried to smile, and Nikki tapped her chin lightly before turning away. "See you at the floor meeting tonight," she called over her shoulder. She disappeared around the corner before Cassie could even register her words.

"He looks like his best friend died or something..." The other girl's first words superseded her more recent sentences, and Cassie pulled her door shut and went to find Saryn.

He was indeed outside, sitting on the stone steps right in front of the main door. He was staring down Res Road, apparently lost in thought, and he didn't so much as twitch as she walked up behind him. She scuffed her foot deliberately against the stone, and still he didn't move.

She wasn't quite sure she wanted to sit down next to him, after what had happened a little while ago, but he looked so far away. She felt like he might not even hear her if she talked to him now.

She sat down gingerly, flinching as he turned his head toward her. His eyes were distant and a little too bright, and she wondered what he was seeing. "Saryn?"

He swallowed, lowering his eyes and turning away again.

"Saryn," she tried again. "I--" The truth was, she had absolutely no idea what to say. He had kissed *her*, but she hadn't exactly objected. And what had that meant, anyway? What had she been thinking to let him to do that? What had she been thinking to let herself enjoy it?

She *had* enjoyed it, she knew that much. She had felt something come alive inside her, something that wanted his touch so badly that she had been willing to forget everything else. She had never felt that way with Jake. She'd never felt so... consumed, so overwhelmed by another person. And--she had liked it. If someone had described the feeling to her, she thought it wouldn't sound so nice, but it had been the most intoxicating sensation she'd ever felt.

"I'm sorry," he muttered at last. "I know that's not enough. But it's all I can say."

She bit her lip, feeling her heart sink. She couldn't help but remember his "second love" that he had spoken so wistfully of the night before. He obviously missed her more than anything in the world, and he seemed like the type to be completely loyal. He probably wouldn't even look at another girl when he cared for someone else so strongly. He needed *some* release, and she was there...

She looked down, resting her chin on her hand dejectedly. There was a time when she would have given anything to be the one he was that loyal to. She had daydreamed about him time and again, and most of her fantasies had centered around him coming back and declaring his undying love.

She had grown up since then. Now she knew how silly that dream had been, and she had long since gone on with her life. But the dreams had never stopped, and now that he was back, her fantasies seemed suddenly so much more real. There was even a tiny part of her mind that whispered that she could be the best second choice he'd ever had, if only he'd give her the chance.

But now there was Jake. He had been one of her best friends for the past few years, and she knew she was the only girl in his life. It wasn't fair to him for her to go chasing after some teenage daydream, just because one of the old gang had come back into her life.

Was that what this was about, really? Did she just miss the intensity of life as a Power Ranger?

She sighed. *No,* she admitted to herself. *But that would be an easy excuse.* In all their conversations, she and Saryn had barely even mentioned the Rangers. They had filled hours the day before talking about everything they were doing *now*, not what they had been doing three or four years ago. She was, if anything, longing for the person she had just met, rather than the Ranger she had known so long ago now.

But that wasn't fair to any of them. Not to him, still pining for someone else, or to her, settling for second best in a relationship that she wanted to last the rest of her life. And definitely not to Jake. She clung to the thought of Jake as she firmly put aside any idea of telling Saryn how she still felt about him.

"You don't have to apologize," she said quietly. "We can't help who we are."

"No," he agreed, his voice barely above a whisper. "We can't."

***

"Deny all that you feel," Cassie sang idly, staring out the window, "and they will bring you home again..."

He didn't say anything, recognizing the words of a song that had been playing yesterday. She had turned the radio off almost half an hour ago, when it played "one too many slow songs". He had been happy for the silence, for every song seemed to be both sad and far too relevant to his life for his taste.

She continued to sing, and he tried not to listen. As beautiful as her voice was, he really didn't want to hear about "silent legacies" right now. It was made somehow worse that it was her singing, rather than some abstract figure on the radio.

"Your body is alive, but no one told you what you'd feel," Cassie continued, reaching out to poke the crystal hanging from the rearview mirror. It twirled, sparkling in the sunlight and throwing rainbow sparkles across the interior of the now-motionless car. "The empty aching hours, trying to conceal--"

"Why are we stopped?" he interrupted, not wanting to hear the next words. "Is there a problem?"

She shrugged helplessly, giving the crystal a last push and resting her hand on the steering wheel again. "I don't know. There must be an accident up ahead--I've never seen the freeway like this."

"Will we be here long?"

She shrugged again, reaching for the radio. "I don't know. Bored?"

Static filled the car as she scanned through stations. He waited, not sure what she was looking for but even more sure that he didn't want to try and answer her question. They had barely spoken since they stopped for breakfast on the way off campus, and he wasn't so much bored as he was so tense that he wasn't sure he could go the rest of the way without exploding. He *wanted* to talk, wanted to tell her everything he was feeling, but after the way she had taunted him the night before he knew he couldn't do it.

"The one you like loves someone else," he remembered her saying. He tried not to think about it, but he couldn't keep her words from repeating in his mind. "So why did you come to Earth?"

*We can't help who we are,* he thought, answering a memory that couldn't hear him and probably wouldn't care anyway.

"Damn!" Cassie exclaimed, and he looked over at her in surprise. She put a finger to her lips and pointed at the radio.

"--has overturned on I-5 just north of Willow Creek," someone was saying. "All southbound lanes are blocked, and officials estimate that they'll remain closed for another hour while cleanup is underway. Once again, if you're planning to head south on I-5 in northern California, now is a good time to change your plans. There's been a--"

"Funny," Cassie muttered under her breath, turning the radio off. She flipped her blinker on and put her hand on the back of his seat, craning around to look out the back window.

He stared out the window, keeping his mind as blank as he possibly could. He just didn't want to think anymore. Thinking would only put him that much closer to talking, and talking would just get him hurt again.

Neither of them said anything for several minutes, and Cassie sighed in exasperation. He glanced at her inadvertently, but she was still staring out the back. "Everyone else wants off too," she said. "And they're not going to let us--hey!"

She waved suddenly and turned back around, sliding the car into the space left by a kind driver behind them. The traffic was crawling in the breakdown lane, but at least it was moving. "There's an exit up ahead about half a mile," she explained, stopping once to let another car in. "Everyone must be trying to get off the freeway up there. I never thought I'd say this, but we were lucky we were in the slow lane."

No response seemed to be required on his part, so he said nothing. She seemed completely focused on the road, and he was perfectly willing to let her be distracted. They crept along, silently and in stark contrast to the same trip the day before, until Cassie finally sighed and reached absently for the CD player.

The same CD she'd had in there yesterday afternoon started to play, and he clenched his jaw. He would not give her the satisfaction of admitting the music was getting to him. She *knew* how he felt, and she could still play something like this. He had never suspected her of petty cruelty, and he tried to convince himself that she simply wasn't thinking.

"I'm the only one, who'll walk across the fire for you," she sang softly, and he closed his eyes. "I'm the only one, who'll drown in my desire for you--"

"Must you sing along?" he asked through clenched teeth.

There was silence for a moment, and the singer continued, "It's only fear that makes you run..."

"Sorry," Cassie said, sounding a little startled. "I didn't realize it bothered you."

"Hey," she said a moment later. She sounded almost cheerful. "We're onto the exit ramp; that's a good sign. We'll get out of here yet."

"Yeah," he agreed, only because she seemed to expect him to reply.

"Um--" He saw her glance in his direction. She pushed something on the CD player as she did so, and the music paused. "Did I mention that I have no idea to get back to Angel Grove without using the interstate?"

He looked over at her. "No."

"Well, I don't," she said. "So we're going to be sort of stuck until they get that accident cleared up."

He tried not to sigh. "That's all right. I don't have anywhere to be."

She clapped her hand over her mouth, and he gave her a questioning look. "Sorry," she said, and he heard the giggle in her voice. "That was funny. Don't ask me why."

He smiled reluctantly and she lowered her hand, grinning back at him. For a moment, he thought she would say something, but then she just turned back to the road and kept the car inching along the exit ramp.

They finally reached the end, and Cassie breathed a sigh of relief as they pulled out onto the two-lane road that ran beneath the interstate. "That was a nightmare," she remarked, not sounding particularly upset. "So where should we go?"

He looked over at her. "You're asking me?"

Another smile graced her expression, and she lifted her hand palm-up on the steering wheel in acknowledgement. "Okay, silly question. But I don't even know what town we're in. And when I try to think of something to do, sleep is the only thing that sounds really good."

He frowned, surprised. "You only just woke up."

"At six in the morning!" she exclaimed, shooting an indignant look in his direction. "After five hours of sleep!" She paused, as though something had just occurred to her. "How long do you usually sleep?"

"Longer than that," he acknowledged, smiling a little. "If you want to sleep, I'll listen to the radio and wake you when the road is clear."

She shook her head, slowing to turn down a dirt road. "Is everyone on Elisia like you?"

Puzzled, he watched her bring the car to a halt in the shade of a giant bay tree and turn the engine off. "What do you mean?" he asked finally, as she twisted in her seat to face him.

"You know," she said, smiling. "Incredibly thoughtful. Generous. Nice in a totally unreal way."

He stared at her, knowing those words would burn themselves into his mind. "No more than everyone on Earth is like you," he said before he could stop himself.

She tilted her head, leaning against the back of her seat. "Like me how?"

He knew he was going to say it. He couldn't stop himself, not after the nicest thing she'd ever said to him and the way she was looking at him right now. "Kind," he said softly. "Loyal. Someone who can believe no matter what."

Her eyes were wide, but she didn't interrupt.

"And..." He looked away, but he heard himself say it anyway. "So beautiful."

She was quiet, but when she responded it wasn't at all what he expected. "There's plenty of beautiful people here," she said, a grin in her voice. "Maybe they *are* all like me."

"No," he said immediately, surprised into catching her eye. "You're beautiful from the inside. It's not the same thing."

She regarded him steadily, her smile fading as her gaze locked with his. "So are you," she said, a long moment later.

He stared at her, trying not to read anything into that. It didn't matter what he wanted to hear; he wasn't going to ask. She knew how he felt. There was no need to keep throwing it in her face, especially if she was just going to ignore it.

"Saryn... why did you come back to Earth?" she asked slowly.

He sighed softly. She was going to try and drag it out of him again, and he knew, no matter his resolve, that he was going to tell her. Again. "I told you," he reminded her, trying to avoid his fate anyway.

"You said you didn't know," she corrected.

"You weren't listening the other three times you asked?" He knew he sounded bitter, and he hated it. She couldn't help the way she felt, and no matter what motives he had ascribed to her when he was angry he knew she wasn't being intentionally mean to him.

She studied him. At last she said hesitantly, "You said... you had a second love."

He closed his eyes, not wanting to meet her gaze any longer. "You know I do."

"But I don't know who," she whispered.

"You must."

"Please," she begged, and his eyes opened involuntarily. "Please tell me who you love, Saryn."

His jaw clenched, but he couldn't resist her imploring tone any longer. "I came back because of you," he repeated, frustrated with her repeated questioning. "I love you. I need you. I can never, ever be complete without you by my side, but I will live, because you love someone else. But I will never stop wondering what might have been if I had found the courage to seek you out earlier."

Her eyes were wide, and she reached out one hand toward him. She let it fall before she touched him, though, and he closed his eyes. How long could he continue in her presence before his heart was finally beyond hope?

He heard something click, and the faint hum of the CD player was audible in the silent car. The one opening chord was somehow familiar, and the words started immediately.

He opened his eyes, and found her watching him closely. As soon as he caught her eye, he realized she was whispering the lyrics--inaudibly, but he could see her lips forming the same words that came from the speakers.

She trailed off, and he could only stare at her. They sat that way for one immeasurable moment, and the song went on, saying nothing... and somehow, he hoped, saying everything.

"Just to reach you," she breathed. "Saryn--" He held absolutely still. She had said nothing that had to mean anything, nothing even in her own words, but the look in her eyes was the most beautiful thing he'd seen in... years. He could barely breathe, waiting on the rest of her sentence.

When it came, it brought his rising hope crumbling down into nothing. "I love Jake," she said quietly, and for the briefest moment, he felt anger flare inside him. He couldn't hate her--but he could hate Jake, and for a few seconds, he did, with an intensity that frightened him.

"But I love you--I've *always* loved you more," she said, her eyes steady on his.

"Saryn?"

He had no words, no way to answer as he waited for the scene to dissolve before his eyes as it had so many times before. As soon as she uttered those words, he knew it was a dream--one he had to wake up from, again, and face the lonely reality of life without the love he had cherished for longer than she knew. The music continued to play as they waited, separately together.

He could feel her fingers on his, knew what she was doing as she leaned toward him, and knew he would never feel her lips touch his. He had dreamed her into his arms so many times before, he could recognize the dreams where she would end up there and those where she would not. This was one of the times where she would vanish just as he reached out to touch her.

She kissed him, gently, her lips lingering on his just long enough for it to dawn on him that they had actually touched. He followed her when she drew away, kissing her tentatively and feeling her return it with the same hesitance. He kissed her again, and he could *feel* her. Her mouth was actually there, beneath his, and her hands were sliding gingerly up his arms to pull him closer.

He was all too willing to obey, and he slid his arms around her eagerly. She opened her mouth as he moved closer to her, sliding her tongue under his and wrapping her arms around behind his shoulders. He welcomed her kiss, his heart pounding in his ears as his world narrowed to just the feeling of her mouth on his and the heady sensation of her arms around him.

Then she moved, leaning closer to him until her body pressed against his chest and their kiss deepened. He shifted restlessly, feeling her hands move across his back and wanting to pull her into his lap and feel the rest of her so close. He leaned back, pulling her with him to keep their mouths from parting, and gathered her legs up to slide her into the passenger seat with him.

She scrambled a little to help him, ending up on her knees on the half-seat between them, hands rubbing his shoulders as her tongue teased the inside of his mouth. It was almost too easy to tug her off balance, arms around her waist as he swung her onto his lap, sliding one hand up her spine to bury his fingers in her hair as he kissed her again.

That was a mistake, for she only imitated him, running a hand through his hair as she held his head close to her and returned his kiss with the same intensity. He tightened his arms around her, acutely aware of every movement her fingers made, trying to concentrate on her kiss and failing miserably.

"I think," she breathed, kissing his mouth between words, "that the back seat is the... traditional place for this." Her kiss moved down to his neck as he tilted his head back in pure ecstasy, feeling her fingers stroke his hair away from his scalp.

"What?" he mumbled, lowering his head to follow her hand.

"Anything," she said, answering a question he didn't know he had asked. "Plus..." She pressed her mouth to his again, and he moaned as her other hand started to stroke his hair. She couldn't possibly know what she was doing to him, but he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep her from finding out.

"Plus there's--more room," she continued breathlessly, her legs sliding across his as she shifted to rest both hands against his chest and push herself away from him.

"Right," he agreed, gazing up at her flushed face and trying to remember why he shouldn't just pull her back into his arms and kiss her until neither of them could breathe. He was about to ask when she pushed the car door open and scrambled out, grabbing his hand to pull him after her.

He stumbled to his feet, tilting her head up when she turned to look at him and kissing her again. She responded immediately, reaching up to touch his face as her lips pressed gently against his and she sidled closer.

He took a step forward, and the full length of her body was warm against his. He felt her hands between them on his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her, effectively pinning her there as he kissed her lips, her forehead, her eyes when she closed them and then her mouth again... He knew he would never be able to make up for the kisses he had missed these last three years, but he couldn't stop himself from trying.

"Saryn," she murmured, tilting her head back as he kissed her neck, gently at first and then with increasing intensity as she didn't protest.

"Yes?" he breathed, afraid to speak but unable to ignore anything she said. He ran his hands over her back and tugged the neckline of her t-shirt lower so he could kiss her collarbone, tasting her sweet skin with a hunger he knew would never be appeased.

"I love you," she whispered, freeing her hands to slide them up over his shoulders and around behind his neck.

He froze. Lifting his head, he stared into her eyes and tried to formulate some kind of reasonable sentence. "I..."

She smiled tentatively, her breathing quick and warm on his face as she rested her hand against his cheek. "Say something," she whispered, kissing him once and then searching his expression for some sign of understanding.

"I--I want..." Her fingers touched his forehead gently, tracing a curve all the way across his face as she waited on his reply. "I want to hear you say that," he murmured, trying to catch his breath and speak loudly enough to be heard over the sound of his heart, "every day, for the rest of my life."

Her face broke into a wide smile, and she leaned into him to hug him tightly. "I love you," she murmured again. "I love you so much."

"I love you--Cassie," he said, kissing the top of her head and smoothing out her t-shirt with his hands. "I have waited so long to say that... I thought--"

She turned her face up to him and kissed him before he could finish, giggling a little at his expression. "Sorry. Go ahead."

"I thought I would never get the chance," he said, expecting her kiss this time. He was not disappointed, and he caught her before she could stop and opened his mouth to hers, pulling her closer.

She shifted, one hand fumbling against the car behind him. He let his mouth slide off of hers, kissing her cheek, and then her temple, jealously trying to get closer and bring her attention back to him.

He felt the exclamation she tried to stifle, and he drew back in alarm. "Cassie?" he murmured, feeling her breath tease his skin as she tilted her head up. "Are you--"

"I'm fine," she promised, lifting her wandering hand to touch his face. "The door--" Her upturned face was an invitation he couldn't resist, and he pressed his open mouth to hers. Her sentence trailed off into a wordless murmur, and he felt her fingers caress his cheek.

He drew away as her hand came dangerously close to his hair, and she finished breathlessly, "--handle pinched my finger..."

He covered her hand with his, bringing it around in front of his face to kiss her fingers. She closed her eyes, leaning into him as he drew the injured finger into his mouth and sucked gently on it. He let his tongue trail across her other fingers, and her hand twitched a little as he kissed her palm.

He broke off, turning his head to kiss her temple soothingly. She tilted her head in response, but he didn't let go of her hand. Kissing her palm again, he moved down to her wrist, and he felt her shiver as his lips touched the inside of her arm.

There was a click, and she braced herself against him as she tugged the door open. He took an inadvertent step back, thrown off-balance by the movement, and she followed. Freeing her arm, she lifted her hand to the back of his head and whispered, "Duck," as she pushed gently against his shoulder.

He let her guide him backward, not taking his eyes off of her as the doorframe hit the back of his legs and he sat down hard. "Scoot back," she murmured, and he complied wordlessly. He tried not to protest her absence, but his whole body was aching to feel her again while she was maddeningly unaffected by their separation.

Then she was there, straddling his legs as she knelt over him and pressed her lips to his, and his arms went around her almost of their own accord. He ran his hands across her back, caressing her spine and reveling in the feel of her fingers massaging his shoulders. She wriggled closer, and he gasped into her mouth as her hips pressed against his.

That was the moment that all the clothing between them began to feel unbearable. He had ignored it until now, satisfying himself with her face and her neck and her arms--so unattainable for so long, they almost seemed to be enough. And he hadn't wanted to go too far... if she only wanted to kiss, he didn't want to be the one to force the issue.

But now... he bit back a moan, kissing her frantically as she shifted on top of him, trying to keep his hands from straying too low. "Cassie," he murmured hoarsely, knowing that if he didn't tell her she would push him past the limits of all control without even realizing it.

Her arms slid across his shoulders as she wrapped herself around him, her kiss just as thorough and passionate as any of his. "Yes?" she whispered, turning her head to nuzzle his cheek and lifting a hand to the back of his head. Before he could speak, she had buried her fingers in his hair as she trailed gentle kisses down his neck.

All his thoughts dissolved into warm tingles of sensation, and he relaxed into her arms. "Nothing," he breathed, rolling his head back and closing his eyes as her fingers slid across his scalp.

"Good," she whispered, dropping her hand to his shoulder and sliding her fingers under the collar of his shirt. She pulled it lower and lower, and his skin burned beneath her lips as her mouth followed her fingers.

He didn't remember moving but suddenly he could feel her thigh under his hand, bare below her cutoff shorts. She arched her back and leaned into him, the gentle weight of her breasts a tantalizing pressure against his chest as her weight across his legs shifted.

"Cassie," he groaned, clutching her waist and fighting desperately to keep his hands from sliding under her shirt. He couldn't stand it any longer. "I can't--"

"Don't," she murmured, her hands rubbing his back as she leaned down to kiss his mouth. His body was traitorously compliant, and he couldn't get enough of her kisses as her arms wound around his neck.

"I can't," he gasped at last, heart pounding in his ears as he wrenched away from her. She wouldn't let go, kissing the side of his face down to his neck, teasing his skin with her warm tongue. "I can't do this," he insisted, closing his eyes as her body moved against his, more with every indrawn breath. "Not if... if we aren't going to finish it."

"Who says we aren't?" she murmured, drawing back at last. He opened his eyes to find her staring down at his chest as her fingers traced idle patterns across the fabric of his shirt. He caught her hands before they made him more crazy than he already was, searching her expression as she lifted her gaze to meet his.

Without another word, she tugged her arms free and reached for the hem of her shirt. He stared as she pulled it slowly off over her head, drinking in a sight he had always been so sure was not for him. She didn't stop there, watching him from underneath her eyelids as she bared her breasts to him. She was oddly shy for someone who had pushed him into the backseat to begin with, he thought distractedly.

When she didn't move, he reached out to stroke her sensitive skin, holding his breath as he waited for her reaction. He couldn't help feeling that he was somehow overstepping some boundary. She squirmed in his lap and his fingers tensed involuntarily, cupping her breast as she inhaled sharply.

That was all the convincing he needed, and he leaned forward to kiss her hungrily. She gasped again as his tongue touched her breast, clenching her fingers on his shoulders as he drew her nipple into his mouth. He let go just long enough to murmur breathlessly, "If you ever--wondered...?"

He felt one hand teasing the ends of his hair as she ran her fingers across his neck and shoulders, and between feverish kisses he managed to continue, "You are more beautiful... in reality--"

Her hands wandered lower, sneaking under his shirt even as he spoke, and he buried his head in her shoulder, trying to suppress a moan. "Than," he whispered, swallowing hard as he inhaled her intoxicating scent, "you are in my dreams..."

"You dreamed about me?" she whispered back, tugging at his shirt. He forced himself to help her with it, pulling it off impatiently as she ran her hands across his bare chest.

"Every night," he breathed, gathering her close to him and smoothing her hair down her back. Her rapid breathing echoed his as he held her pressed against him for an interminable moment, and he thought fleetingly that he couldn't have made as many mistakes in his life as he had believed if he was allowed to be this happy.

Then her hands slid down his chest, so slowly that he didn't realize what she was doing until they reached his lap. The blood pounding through his veins caught fire as her fingers started to explore, and with a growl, he pushed her off his lap and back against the car door.

Her mouth opened under his demanding kiss, and he felt more than heard her moan as his hands roamed across her skin. He ached with the delicious torment of her teasing, feeling the urge to be even closer and have her all around him becoming impossible to ignore. There was no turning back now, and they both knew it.

But when his hands fumbled with her shorts, she stopped him, twisting to the side and whispering, "You first."

He obeyed without hesitation, her hands driving him to distraction as she tried to help. Her fingers were on his skin more than they were on his clothes, and she caught his hands in hers before he could return the favor. Her long raven hair fell everywhere when she kissed him, making him crazy to feel something more substantial against his skin.

Finally she let him go, unbuttoning her shorts and letting him free her of the last of her clothing. This time when he ran his hands up her bare legs, there was nothing to stop them, and she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down with her onto the seat. Desire building to a fever pitch within him, he pressed gently against her, gritting his teeth as she moaned.

He tried to be slow, careful--she was not Elisian, and he would not have her hurt for the world--but her hands slid down his chest to his hips, urging him on, and he gave in to her burning touch on his skin. He pushed into her again, and again, harder, some inner fire raging out of control as he heard her cry out. It consumed him, overwhelming his every sense, until finally, euphoria burst through him and he shuddered from release.

The feeling permeated every part of his being as he relaxed, and he wrapped his arms protectively around her as he rested his head beside hers. He listened to their ragged breathing in the otherwise quiet car, and as his heart gradually began to slow, he could hear her CD still playing.

"And I've finally found it," he whispered contentedly. He heard her breathless exhalation of amusement and knew that she understood.

***

He should have been heavy, lying over top of her as he was, but all she felt was a deep and abiding comfort, secure in his closeness for the first time. Stroking his shoulder idly, she tried to ignore the seatbelt poking into her side, not wanting to move from their entwined position.

"Are you comfortable?" he whispered, breath tickling her ear.

"No," she said with a smile, turning her hand over to trail the backs of her fingers across his skin. "But I don't care."

He shifted, settling his weight to one side and taking her place against the back of the seat. "I do," he murmured. A moment later, though, he added, "You're right. This isn't very comfortable."

She giggled, and, with a sigh, he pushed himself into a sitting position. He retrieved his shirt from the floor and wedged it into the corner between the backseat and the door, then leaned back against it and held out his hand to her. "Try this," he offered softly.

She came willingly, taking his hand and snuggling up against his side as he wrapped his free arm around her. She sighed happily, resting her head against his chest and whispering, "I've been talking to my angel..."

He chuckled as she echoed the singer and asked, "How long is this--CD?"

"This is the last song," she murmured. They were quiet for a moment, the words of "Talking to My Angel" the only sound aside from their breathing. Then she remembered something, and she pulled away a little to look up at his face. "Saryn?"

He was watching her, arm still around her shoulders and a peaceful look in his eyes. "Yes?"

She hesitated, but curiosity got the best of her. She lifted her hand to his dark hair and ran her fingers through it. His eyes widened, and an unmistakably dreamy expression flitted across his face.

She giggled at his reaction. "I thought so. What, do you have a hair fetish or something?"

He caught her hand with his and drew it to his mouth, kissing her fingers. "Only when it involves the woman I love," he murmured.

"You do!" she exclaimed delightedly. She tried to free her hand, but he wouldn't let her go. "You have a hair fetish!"

He let out a long-suffering sigh as he lowered her hand. "Jenna always used to tease me about that, too," he admitted.

She giggled and leaned into him again, playing with his fingers as he relaxed his grip on her hand. She didn't have to ask to know that "Jenna" had been the first love he had mentioned the night before. "I think it's cute," she informed him.

"I'm glad," he replied wryly. "Since there's not much I can do to change it."

She sighed in contentment, turning his hand over and running her thumb across his palm. "You know how you said you dreamed about me?"

She felt him nod, his chin rubbing against her temple.

She smiled, her hand stilling on his as he rested his cheek against the top of her head. "I dreamed about you, too," she confessed quietly. "All the time."

He didn't answer right away, but finally he asked, "With or without the hair fetish?"

She dissolved into giggles, burying her face in his chest. "I'm not sure," she admitted, her voice muffled by her laughter and his body.

He obviously understood her, though, for he teased, "They must not have been very memorable dreams, then."

She quieted, trying not to blush as she remembered. "Oh, they were," she whispered, turning her head so he could hear. "Believe me, they were."

He squeezed her shoulders, hugging her closer to him. He said nothing aloud, but his nearness was the only reassurance she needed. She didn't know how long they stayed like that, but it did dawn on her after a while that the CD had long since stopped and she still had no particular desire to move.

"Cassie?" she heard him whisper, and she let out her breath in a sigh.

"Yeah?" she murmured drowsily, and it was only then that she realized how easy it would be to fall asleep in his arms.

"Go to sleep," he breathed, sounding amused. "That's all I was going to say."

She tried to shake her head. "I don't want to sleep anymore," she murmured. "I might wake up and find out that this was just another dream."

"You won't," he assured her, and she felt him kiss the top of her head. "I'll be here when you wake up."

"Promise?" she breathed, settling herself more comfortably against him.

"I promise," he agreed softly.

***

He had been as reluctant to doze off as she, but when her sudden movement brought him awake he knew it had happened anyway. As blissful as the feeling of waking up with her in his arms was, he couldn't help his disappointment at the thought that he had missed watching her sleep.

She was still pressed up against his chest, but he saw her fingers twitch. "Awake?" he whispered, reaching down to stroke her hand.

"Yeah," she murmured, twisting her hand beneath his.

He saw her watch glint up at them from her wrist, and he moved his fingers to cover its face--too late. "Man!" she exclaimed, putting her hand on the seat and pushing herself into a more upright position. "It's ten-thirty!"

His skin felt suddenly cool without her, and he sighed a little as he sat up. She grabbed for her clothes, muttering something about bus schedules, and he felt a wisp of cold fear creep into his heart and settle there. Did everything just revert back to the way it was before? Was he not now to be any more a part of her life than he had been two days ago?

He couldn't bear that thought, and he didn't want to hear her say it--but he hated the silence even more. Uncertainly, he reached out to her, but before he could touch her, she froze. Something had fallen out of her shorts' pocket as she scrambled into them, and he watched her slowly reach down to retrieve it.

Turning to him, she held up the key she had made for Jake the day before. Searching his expression, she said carefully, "I don't know exactly what all this meant to you. Maybe it was nothing. But when I said I love you... I was never as serious about anything in my life."

"Everything I said, I said from my heart," he told her quietly. "I love you more than life, and I don't think that will ever change."

She smiled a little, her eyes not leaving his as she held out the key. "Do you want this, then?"

"More than anything," he breathed, making no move to take it.

She looked down and reached for his hand. "Then keep it," she said, pressing it into his palm and curling his fingers around it with her other hand. "I--I'm going to have to talk to Jake anyway."

"Cassie..." He swallowed. "I *want* to be with you, but if you--" He found he couldn't finish.

She sighed, an uncertain sound that tore at his heart. "I just feel like my life has turned upside-down, you know?" She lifted her gaze to his again, her eyes begging him to understand. "And now I have to try and hold things together somehow."

He reached out and she let him pull her into a hug without a word. "It will be all right," he promised softly, key clutched in one hand as he stroked her hair with the other.

She didn't answer right away, but when she did it made him smile. "It sounds so convincing when you say it," she murmured.

"It will be all right," he repeated, hugging her tighter. "We'll make it all right."

She sighed as he continued to caress her hair, but she didn't sound as troubled as she had before. "I believe you," she said at last.

"Good," he murmured. "Because I have it on good authority that 'Mr. Helpful' can't lie to you."

He heard her choke back laughter, and her body trembled with restrained mirth. "I can't believe I said that!" she gasped, giggles escaping even as she tried to speak. "I was so rude last night--I'm sorry!"

"It's all right," he assured her, gratified to hear her laugh. "I understand."

"You always do," she whispered, suddenly serious as she pulled away to stare into his eyes. "Thank you."

He smiled, and he felt his heartbeat quicken as she glanced down, her eyes sliding inadvertently across his body. "God, you're gorgeous," she murmured, then bit her lip as she looked up at him sheepishly. "I didn't mean to say that out loud."

He cupped her chin and tilted her head a little, smile fading as he leaned in to kiss her. "So are you," he whispered, his lips touching hers gently. She put her hands on her knees and leaned closer, her tongue brushing against his playfully, and he slid his hand around behind her head as their kiss deepened.

Finally she drew away, and he felt a thrill at the warm smile she turned on him. "You'd better get dressed," she said softly. "Before you give me any ideas."

He followed his fingers with his eyes as he let his hand trail down her neck and across her shoulder. "What kind of ideas?"

"The kind of ideas that will make us *really* late getting back to Angel Grove," she said firmly, catching his hand with hers. Her act was spoiled by the grin that tugged at the corners of her mouth, but she pulled away from him and rested her hand on the door handle threateningly.

He obeyed with an overly loud sigh, and she just laughed at him. "C'mon, Gorgeous," she teased, pushing the door open. "Let's get moving."

***

It was almost two before the Hammonds' station wagon rolled into their driveway again, and Ashley must have been waiting for it. The screen door opened before the sound of the motor had faded into silence, and Ashley came sauntering down the porch steps toward them. "It's about time," she declared, looking unbearably smug. "Did you two sleep in or something?"

"For your information," Cassie told her, climbing out of the car and stretching thoroughly to cover her blush, "there was an accident on I-5 that tied up traffic for hours. If you'd been listening to the news, you would have heard about it yourself."

"Are you guys okay?" Ashley asked, switching from smug to concerned in the space of heartbeat. "What did you do?"

"We're fine," Cassie assured her, reaching back into the car for her backpack. She remembered just in time to pull her Melissa Etheridge CD out of the disc player and put it back in its case. Stuffing it into her bag, she added, "We just got off the highway and... uh, waited for everything to get cleared up."

She backed out of the car and slammed the door behind her, careful not to meet her friend's gaze. Unfortunately, she didn't manage to avoid Saryn's, and he caught her eye over the top of the car as she straightened. He smiled innocently at her, and she felt a return smile threatening to give them away.

Ashley didn't miss the silent exchange. "Just waited, huh?" she said, her earlier smugness returning full force.

"Yeah," Cassie said, swinging her backpack over her shoulder. "Just waited. Have you seen Jake today?"

"No," her friend answered, momentarily diverted. "But he called twice last night, and again this morning. If you weren't going to call him, you could have at least told me so I could let him know!"

Cassie sighed, pulling her backpack over the other shoulder and tapping her fingers against the strap nervously. "I meant to call him; really. I was just waiting until--we got everything set up in the room, you know? And then it was so late..."

"Cassie?" Ashley interrupted, when she trailed off. "Where's your ring?"

She looked down involuntarily. The third finger of her left hand was conspicuously bare, and she should have expected Ashley to notice. She let go of her backpack and shoved her hand into her pocket. "That's kind of what I wanted to talk to him about," she said reluctantly, pulling out Jake's ring and holding it up so Ashley could see it.

Her friend's eyes widened, and she glanced back and forth between Cassie and Saryn. "Oh, you have got to tell me this story." She hesitated a moment, then added, "Look, I promised to let Jake know when you got back--do you want me to ask him to come over? He'll probably want to anyway."

"Yeah," Cassie said determinedly. "We need to talk before I leave again."

"I'll be right back," Ashley said, shooting another glance at Saryn before she headed back into the house.

Cassie took a deep breath, turning to face Saryn over the top of the car. "Maybe you should disappear for a while," she suggested quietly. "I don't want him getting upset with you."

He laid his arm across the top of the car, and she reached out to meet him halfway, covering his hand with hers. "I'll leave if you want," he answered, his tone sympathetic. "But when..."

"Will I see you?" she finished. With a tentative smile she asked, "What are you doing tonight?"

A look of relief flitted across his features, and he smiled back. "Seeing you, I hope."

"I'll be back on campus by nine... I don't--" She looked around, suddenly puzzled. "I don't even know how you got here, come to think of it. Can you come? Can you even stay?"

"I can come," he assured her quickly. "And I can stay. I have my own transportation."

She looked at him speculatively. "Faster than a bus?"

"Much," he said his smile widening. "Do you want me to pick you up here? Or at the bus stop?"

"At the bus stop," she said with a sigh. "I don't want to freak anyone out more than they're already going to be. Thanks, Saryn."

"You're welcome," he said softly, kissing the fingers of his free hand and laying them over hers. "I love you."

She imitated his action, smiling as he turned his hands over to clasp hers. She squeezed his fingers, feeling his words, his very presence, reassuring her as she gazed back at him. "I love you, too."