Andros fidgeted impatiently in his seat as his shuttle streaked along in hyperrush. It was as fast as the little ship could go, despite how much Zhane and he had supped it up over the years. It still wasn't fast enough for Andros though, as he quietly complained about its imagined slowness.

"Stupid shuttle," he muttered. "I should have taken my Glider." Not that his Galaxy Glider would have gotten him to his destination any faster; he just needed something to complain about, and the shuttle had the misfortune of being his chosen topic.

Rather than continue to uselessly moan over the shuttle's lack of desired speed, he tried to find other things to obsess about. And his mind automatically turned to the stinted and brief conversation he had had with Zhane. It had only been a short time ago, but it felt like a lifetime.

He reviewed the conversation in his mind, and found that he could only recall three words: "Autolycus", and "come home". That was all he had really needed to hear. Just the mention of his son's name combined with the urgent tone of Zhane's mental call had been enough to send Andros running from the trade talks. He had drawn many stares, he was sure. But he had not looked back to see them, nor did he care. Saryn had followed him out shortly after, and Andros had tried to explain but knew he probably hadn't made much sense. Saryn assured him that everything would be fine, and that he should go. After Saryn had made their excuses, he would join them on KO-35.

Looking back, he tried to recall whether Zhane had said anything else. But if he had, Andros had forgotten it completely in the ensuing panic as he had raced to his shuttle and plotted the course back to KO-35.

He had tried periodically to contact his best friend since then, but Zhane wasn't answering. Zhane was blocking him, and Andros was hesitant to try harder to contact him, as he was worried that Zhane was preoccupied with handling the situation at home, whatever that situation was. He tried instead to raise either of their houses or the MegaShip on the shuttle's communications system. But no one, not even DECA, was answering his transmissions. That only bothered him all the more. He urged the shuttle on for only the hundredth time, as he tried not to think the worst.

As the shuttle approached KO-35, he remembered one other thing from Zhane's message: the MegaShip. So as the MegaShip in her orbit around KO-35 came into view, Andros began docking procedures. DECA obligingly opened the hangar bay doors, even though she still would not answer his transmissions. After the shuttle had been pulled inside, the doors closed and the hangar bay repressurized quickly. Andros exited the shuttle just as Zhane ran into the room.

"Zhane! What's going on? What's wrong?" he shouted in lieu of a greeting.

"Come on, you need to see for yourself," his best friend answered, as he quickly led the way out of the hangar bay.

He followed Zhane without really watching where they were going. He was trying to stay calm, trying to fight the panic. But he could not help the sense of déjà vu he felt as he distinctly remembered feeling this same grip of fear on the day that Karone had been kidnapped all those years before.

Looking up, he saw they were standing outside the simudeck, and he glanced at Zhane in confusion. "What are we doing here? Where's Autolycus?" But before Zhane could answer, Andros heard laughter coming from inside the simudeck.

"He's spending the night with Cassie and Saryn. And I'm glad to see you too," he heard as he turned toward the source of the well-known laughter.

And he felt a different kind of déjà vu, this time of a pleasant memory as there, bathed in the gridlines' glow was Ashley, wearing a dress very similar to the one she had worn to "their prom" four years before. Staring at her standing there, Andros almost forgot his anger at Zhane for lying to him about Autolycus... almost.

*I can't believe you lied to me!*

*Hey, I didn't lie! I was just a little sparse on the details!* came Zhane's laughing reply. *Besides, you'll be thanking me later for getting you out of another boring trade conference.*

*I'll get you for this,* he threatened half-heartedly, knowing he could never stay mad at his best friend for long.

*You're welcome,* Zhane sent with a smile as he clapped Andros on the back. He added aloud, "Have fun you two!" he waved at Ashley and winked at them both before teleporting away.

"So what was that all about?" Ashley inquired, referring to the silent talk Andros and Zhane had so obviously just had.

"Do you know what he told me to get me to come here?" Andros asked, closing the distance between them and wrapping his arms around her.

"No, I'm just glad it worked," she admitted happily as she snuggled deeper into his warm embrace. "Do I want to know?"

"Probably not," Andros informed her, even as he thought of how funny it would be to see Ashley laying into Zhane for even joking about their son's health.

Ashley stepped back then, and took his hands in hers as she led him further into the simudeck. "Begin program please, DECA," she said.

He looked around in surprise has his "prom" program began to play. Only this time as the stars sprang up around them, it was an Earth song that started to play.

"It's finally my turn to surprise you, Andros," she giggled at his expression.

"I could learn to like surprises like this," he answered, kissing her hands. "Somehow I feel like I should be asking you if you would like to dance."

"Or something," she grinned as she stepped back into his waiting arms. They slowly started to dance, swaying to the music. And Ashley sighed as she laid her head on his shoulder. "We never seem to have time like this anymore, Andros."

He remembered her saying those same words on prom night, and he remembered the promise he had made then to 'do something about it'. He knew he had been gone too much lately. He not only missed the woman he loved, but he was missing his son's childhood.

"I'm sorry, Ash. I should be here more. And I will."

She lifted her head to look in his eyes, "But what about your work?"

"I'll tell them what I should have told them from the start; that my family is more important to me than whatever they have to offer," he smiled. "And I can always go back to helping the government, when you and Autolycus are ready to come with me again. If you want."

Ashley laughed at the idea of a screaming baby at the next trade talks, "They may just pay you to stay away."

"Sounds like a plan then," he agreed. "But for now, I have a surprise for you too." Ashley hadn't been expecting that, and Andros took advantage of the moment.

"I've arranged for everyone to visit." Her face lit up at the idea and he answered the question before she could ask. "Yes, everyone. Billy says Coral is old enough for travel so Carlos and Aura will be here too."

"Oh Andros! That's wonderful! Thank you!" she cried and pulled him close again, then just as quickly let him go. "C'mon, it's been a long time since we've been stargazing. Let's go see some real stars!"

Andros was overwhelmed with her enthusiasm, and followed her lead. They ran hand-in-hand from the simudeck, heading for the lift. DECA's light blinked at them, then went out, as she switched off the program.

The observation deck was as deserted as the rest of the Megaship, but with the two of them there together it didn't ring with emptiness the way it sometimes seemed to of late. Instead the place where they had spent so much time felt welcoming, tinged with the fondly tolerant air that home often has when one has been away from it for a while.

"I feel like I haven't been here in forever," Andros said, echoing her thoughts as they strolled through the doors.

"It's always been here," she teased gently. "It's only us that's changed."

He came to a stop, paying no attention as the metal portal above irised silently open. He studied her as she gazed back at him, squeezing her hand unconsciously. "Not so much," he said at last, his hazel eyes not leaving hers. "This is where we first kissed, you know."

She smiled, lifting his hand in hers and twining their fingers together. "How could I ever forget that?"

A look of regret flashed across his face, so quickly she wasn't even sure she had seen it. "I thought maybe... I don't know. It seems like we're apart more than we're together, lately."

Ashley tightened her fingers on his, lifting her other hand to touch his cheek gently. "You know distance doesn't change anything."

"You just said it did," he reminded her.

She shook her head firmly. "I said we'd changed, not the way we felt. Maybe we act differently now, but I still feel the same way about you. I love you, Andros. I always will."

He pulled her closer at that, wrapping his arms around her as if he could keep them together forever just by holding on. She felt him swallow hard as he whispered, "I love you too, Ash. No matter what happens... I'll never stop."

She smiled and closed her eyes, secure in his embrace as they let the quiet moment linger. After a little while something occurred to her, and she said softly, "You know, it's funny..."

He turned his head to kiss her cheek gently. "What's that?"

"Well..." She glanced up, toward the transparent dome that had been revealed when the ceiling slid away. "Look."

Andros tilted his head up without letting her go, but he didn't reply.

"In all those stars," she continued softly, "in all those planets and suns and galaxies, and through all the space in between... somehow the two of us found each other. How did we get so lucky?"

He didn't answer aloud, but he couldn't help the grin that spread across his face.

"What?" Ashley wondered, sensing his amusement.

"I don't know for sure," he told her, unable to resist, "but I suppose Zhane set it up."

She giggled. "I suppose he must have."

"Either that," Andros added quietly, lifting one hand to stroke her hair as he stared out at the stars, "or we were meant to be."

She sighed a little, making a contented sound as she cuddled closer. He smiled, closing his eyes and hugging her more tightly. Whichever it was, he knew he would never take it for granted again.