"So Janet's going to be away, and she was going to leave them at the office but she's afraid they won't get enough attention there, even though they'll *have* to stay there soon if she wants to find homes for them--"

Andros eyed the two little bits of fluff warily. Ashley was babbling about something, but that wasn't unusual in and of itself. Under normal circumstances, he would even have listened, but the circumstances weren't normal and he wasn't sure he liked the direction this was going. From what little he'd been able to deduce before her words had lost any semblance of punctuation, she had offered to take care of Janet's homeless kittens while the woman was gone.

From the fact that she was trying to explain this to him at an uninterruptable rate of speed, and the fact that he was here with her and the kittens while she told him about it, he suspected that his role in this was going to be more extensive than he would have liked.

"Of course," Ashley was saying, "it's going to be hard to find someone who will take both of them and Janet would really like them to stay together since they're obviously such good friends and brothers and really--"

"Ash." He lifted his gaze from the two kittens in her lap to catch her eye.

She stopped immediately, but her expression was more expectant than anything. She clearly didn't expect him to be upset about this. Surprised, yes, but not upset.

He sighed. "Ash, you're going to adopt these kittens, aren't you."

She gave him a wide-eyed look. "Of course not! I'm just taking care of them for a few days!"

He just looked at her, and she squirmed uncomfortably. "Well," she admitted, "maybe the thought crossed my mind. But I really can't; I don't have any place for them to live and my parents don't need cats running around the house, especially if..."

She trailed off. "They just don't," she said at last. "So I'm just going to take care of them for Janet, and when she gets back, she'll find them a good home. It's just so they don't have to stay at the clinic for the rest of the week; that's all."

He shook his head wordlessly, glancing back down at the sleeping kittens. Once Ashley's affections were fixed, she didn't let go that easily. If these kittens ever saw Janet Rai again, he would be monumentally surprised.

"C'mon, Andros," she coaxed, lifting the grey one out of her lap and cradling it gently in her hands. She held it out to him, an entreating look in her eyes. "Just hold him for a few minutes. He's really soft."

He rolled his eyes, but it was only for show and she knew it. She placed the kitten in his outstretched hands, her hands sliding down to cup his as though making sure he wouldn't drop it. He felt the corner of his mouth quirk upward, though whether because of the affectionate brush of her fingers or the startling lightness of the little creature in his hands, he didn't know.

"See?" she said, smiling in return. "Aren't they adorable?"

"Yeah," he admitted. He drew the kitten closer to him so that he could support it against his chest and pat it with his free hand. "It's just fur and a face," he commented, looking more closely at it.

"It's a 'he'," Ashley reproved, stroking the kitten in her lap gently. "They're both 'he's."

"And I suppose you're going to name them." He spoke only to keep up the pretense of casualness, not wanting to seem embarrassingly entranced by the still-sleeping kitten that had cuddled up to him instinctively.

"I told you, I'm not keeping them!" she exclaimed. "I'm just taking care of them! Whoever adopts them will get to name them."

"So what are you going to call them in the meantime? Cat one and Cat two?" He shifted the kitten to his other hand and put his free hand over top of it protectively. It opened its mouth a little, as though it were about to yawn, and then changed its mind. He tried not to smile.

"I'm not going to call them anything," Ashley said firmly. "Janet says they'll sleep a lot of the time anyway." A grin tugged at her lips and she added, "And when they're not sleeping, they'll be getting into trouble and I can just call them both 'bad kitty'."

He chuckled without meaning to, still watching the grey kitten sleep. "That works for me."

There was a noise from the porch, and Ashley looked over at the house. "We're in the backyard!" she called.

The sliding door slid open, and a girl who could have been Ashley's identical twin stepped out. She gave a distinctly un-Ashley-like smirk. "Oh, we know where you are, Yellow Ranger. The question is, what are you going to do about it?"

Andros' double stepped out behind her, and he heard Ashley mutter, "We have *got* to start locking the doors."

He was already reaching for his communicator when Psycho Yellow gave him a scathing glance. "Don't bother. The frequency's jammed."

*Kerone!* He tried his communicator anyway, but she was right. *Ashley's backyard, now!*

He felt something slam into him hard, not a physical impact but real nonetheless, and he heard Ashley shout something as he blacked out. He struggled against the feeling, knowing the disorientation could only be meant to keep him from yelling for Kerone again, but it engulfed his mind and pressed his defenses into oblivion.

The next thing he knew he was lying on his back, something holding his head down and noise pounding in his ears. He struggled, realizing as he saw Ashley crouched in front of him that it was only gravity keeping him down. She was obviously prepared to defend the both of them, so he couldn't have lost more than a few seconds--

Even as he managed to shove himself up, four distinctive and very welcome silhouettes appeared in front of them: Kerone's violet shimmer, Carlos' black sparkles, and a crimson and magenta glow that could only be Saryn and Cassie. For an interminable moment, their teammates faced off against the two Psycho Rangers, and Ashley was turning toward him.

Then, behind her, the other two Psycho Rangers appeared and the yard erupted into chaos. Ashley pushed him down, and he heard Kerone shouting something in their direction even as all his senses warned him that there was suddenly someone else as close as Ashley. He rolled backwards, lashing out without thinking, but someone blocked his kick before it could reach its target.

"Whoa!" he heard TJ's voice exclaim over the sounds of an escalating battle. "It's just me! Come on, we've got to get out of here!"

"No!" He laid one hand on the ground to steady himself, only then realizing that he was still holding Ashley's kitten. The creature was really going to hate him after this, but there was nowhere else for it to go. "We can't leave them!"

"You think I want to ditch them?" TJ demanded, hauling Ashley to her feet. "We're a liability, Andros! We'll only compromise them by staying!"

"He's right," Ashley agreed, grabbing his hand. "They can't worry about themselves and us too; we have to go!"

TJ was saying something to his communicator, and the world dissolved around them.

The three of them reappeared on the Bridge, the fight already visible on the screen, and Andros had a moment to wonder if DECA had anticipated him or if TJ had asked for it before he dragged them out of there. Then he realized what was happening, and he stared at the screen in shock. "Why--"

"They're stronger!" Ashley exclaimed, already leaning on the forward consoles. She didn't even seem to realize she was still clutching the other kitten to her chest. "What happened? Cassie and Saryn took them alone last time!"

"I don't know," TJ said grimly. "But they're not going to be able to do it again."

That was putting it mildly. Even as they watched, the team that was Psycho Red and Psycho Yellow took Carlos down. Cassie was at his side in an instant, her stunner glowing an odd reddish color instead of its usual bright pink, but the weapon barely seemed to faze them. It took a blast from Kerone's staff, whirling over her head as she slammed the blunt end into Psycho Blue's chest, to give Carlos and Cassie any breathing room.

Andros blinked as it occurred to him that they *were* fighting the Psychos--not each other. "When did they shift?" He hadn't even noticed when the first two Psycho Rangers went from being human lookalikes to the armored forms that Cassie and Saryn had fought the last time.

"As soon as you called Kerone," Ashley answered, her eyes still fixed on the screen. He didn't bother being surprised that she knew what he meant until he saw TJ give them an odd look.

Saryn managed to knock Psycho Pink back, and the part of Andros' mind that wouldn't stop analyzing every piece of the battle noted that he and Kerone seemed to be having the most success. As Kerone swung into Carlos' place against Psycho Red, Andros frowned. His sister didn't lose any of her momentum with the change of partners, despite the fact that Psycho Red and Psycho Yellow were without a doubt the most powerful of their enemies.

"We don't know how she fights," Ashley said aloud, as though she had somehow overheard his thoughts.

"Of course," he muttered, bracing one elbow against the console in front of him. He patted the kitten in his other arm absently as he felt it stir, but he didn't take his eyes off of the screen. "We never fought Astronema hand to hand. And Kerone's never sparred with any of us."

"Neither has Saryn," Ashley added. "We're lucky when we get him to talk with us, let alone work out."

"That's why they're doing better," TJ said, with the tone of one who had just figured out what they were talking about. "When the Psychos swiped our memories, they didn't get anything on Saryn or Kerone."

"Nothing battle related, anyway," Andros muttered.

He saw TJ glance over at him before fixing his gaze on the forward screen again. "Don't beat yourself up over it, Andros. There wasn't anything any of us could have done."

"Cassie!" Ashley's exclamation was involuntary, of that he was sure--because he had a hard time suppressing his own reaction as his teammate hit the ground and didn't get up. Kerone was completely occupied by Psycho Yellow, and it was left to Saryn to square off against Psycho Red before he could advance on Cassie again.

Carlos, unfortunately, was left to face both the remaining Psycho Rangers alone.

"I hate this!" Ashley cried. "I wish there was something we could *do*!"

The grey kitten squirmed a little as he set it down, carefully positioning it in Cassie's chair before taking a step back. Ashley glanced over her shoulder at his movement, and her eyes narrowed as she saw him reach for his morpher. "Andros," she began, "don't you d--"

The Bridge vanished in a swirl of crimson before she could finish her sentence, and the Hammonds' backyard reappeared. Cassie was struggling to her feet, but Saryn took a bad blow even as Andros' vision adjusted and Psycho Yellow had Kerone pinned down. Carlos was holding his own against Psycho Pink, but all it would take was the slightest bit of interference from any of the others for his rhythm to disintegrate.

Andros glanced down as the Battlizer appeared on his wrist. He didn't like to think what this might do to his connection to the Power, and he definitely didn't want to think what it might do *for* Psycho Red, so he didn't. He didn't think at all as he pushed "03" and shouted, "Red Battlized Ranger!"

It was the first time he had tried to morph since the Psychos' attack, and the Power was sluggish to respond. The familiar rush was muted, as though something was pulling at it, tugging the current away from him even as he called to it. But it did come, surging through him awkwardly, uncertainly, making the battlized transformation even more torturous than usual.

Finally, though, it was complete, and he took to the air without hesitation. The Power bucked briefly before settling down, but even that momentary flicker of rebellion wasn't enough to dull the euphoric rush that came with flying. He glanced down as Psycho Red threw Saryn to the ground, and the scope on his visor zoomed in.

"Battlizer missiles!" He took aim and fired before his morph could prove itself less stable than it seemed. The Red Psycho Ranger glowed briefly and staggered under the blast, but seemed otherwise unharmed. Andros fired again, and two things happened simultaneously.

Psycho Red fell amid a cascade of explosions, effectively out of the fight for the first time since the battle had begun. And Andros fell, too--the battlized armor simply disintegrated, and without wings to support him he lost his place in the sky. His normal morph vanished with a weak flash as he hit the ground, taking the impact before it faded but leaving a wash of exhaustion and a splitting headache in its wake.

He heard someone scream his name, but he couldn't tell whether it was Ashley or Kerone. He tried without success to regain his feet, and suddenly the Black Ranger was at his side. "Come on," Carlos urged, pulling Andros' arm over his shoulder. "Can you stand?"

He only managed to groan, but Carlos got him upright just in time to see Psycho Pink and Psycho Blue ganging up on Kerone. "No--"

That was all he got out before a deep boom announced someone breaking the sound barrier. A streak of unidentified energy shot through the Hammonds' backyard, slicing past the teamup with enough force to knock Psycho Blue to the ground. Kerone swung her staff around without hesitation, slashing Psycho Pink with an arc of violet electricity that sent her foe stumbling backwards.

Zhane's Glider came to an impossibly abrupt stop at the edge of the yard before coming around for another run. This time he went for Psycho Red, still down but moving feebly in the grass, and only the Yellow Psycho Ranger's sudden and ferocious attack kept him from finishing off the Psycho leader. Psycho Yellow took the brunt of his Silverizer's attack, and the sacrifice brought her to one knee beside her "teammate". A moment later, the two of them disappeared into twin flashes of yellow and red.

There was a wordless shout from Psycho Pink that told Andros that hadn't been a part of the plan, and then she retreated in an identical flash of pink. Psycho Blue followed suit instantly, no doubt knowing when he was outgunned. The yard went from battleground to silence in a matter of seconds.

Carlos caught him as he slumped back toward the ground, and a shower of golden sparkles heralded Ashley's arrival. "Andros!" She grabbed for his other arm, helping lower him down and sliding her hand behind his head as he crumpled. "We have to get him back to the Megaship!"

"No," he gasped, starting to shake his head before giving up on the gesture. It only made the disorientation worse. "I'm fine... dizzy--"

Luckily, Ashley wasn't listening to him. "DECA," she told her communicator. "Eight to teleport directly to the Medical bay."

He didn't even hear DECA's acknowledgement before the Hammonds' backyard faded into the sterile grey walls of the Medical bay. *Eight...* He squinted, catching Kerone's concerned look hovering behind Ashley--and there, on the other side of the patient bed, was Zhane.

He didn't have time to say anything before Carlos nudged his friend out of the way, turning a scanner on Andros and glancing up at DECA's camera. "Diagnosis?" the Black Ranger wanted to know.

"I detect nothing physically wrong with Andros," DECA answered. "However, you will wish to review the fluctuation of his Power signature during the battle. It is... curious."

"Yeah, thanks," Andros muttered, struggling to draw breath as he pushed himself up on his elbows. "I appreciate your concern."

"Don't move," Ashley said fiercely. She reached for his shoulder anyway, as though torn between discouraging and helping him. "What were you thinking! You know you shouldn't morph with them around; TJ tried it and look what happened!"

"It is only withdrawal," he heard Saryn's voice murmur. "I can help, if you wish."

"You can't." Cassie's voice held no room for argument. "Sit down and shut up, Saryn."

He managed to turn his head enough to see past Ashley's shoulder. Saryn looked oddly drained, and utterly incapable of protesting as Cassie pushed him down on the second patient bed. He had no doubt of what Saryn had been offering, and while he was flattered, he knew too that Cassie was right. Saryn was only barely keeping his own symptoms at bay; to ask him to help any of them would be terribly unfair.

"Are you--all right?" he managed, grateful to feel Ashley slide an arm around him as she sat down. It gave him just enough strength that he could concentrate on breathing and sitting up at the same time.

"I am well," Saryn answered, with what was obviously meant to be a reassuring smile.

"He's powering both of us," Cassie said bluntly. "The Ranger powers aren't designed for that."

"Wait," Zhane's voice interjected. "He's what? Is that why you were fighting and the others weren't?"

Andros stirred uncomfortably, and he felt the Silver Ranger's gaze fasten on him. "Being too stupid to know when to sit out doesn't count," the other informed him, as though he knew what was on Andros' mind.

Andros glared at him reflexively. "You're supposed to be on Eltare," he retorted, not knowing what else to say.

"Yeah, hello to you too," Zhane drawled. "Glad you missed me."

Andros sighed. Zhane's irresponsibility was at once charming and annoying. "We swore an oath to KO-35," he reminded his friend quietly.

"No," Zhane answered, surprising him. "You swore an oath to KO-35. I swore an oath to you."

Caught off guard, Andros could only stare at him. Wordlessly, Zhane offered his hand, and Andros clasped it without thinking. "We'll vow to fight as a team forever," the Silver Ranger reminded him.

"Forever," Andros agreed, wrapping Zhane's hand in both of his. His friend imitated him, and he only just kept himself from mentally passing on the rest of his words. "Thanks for coming back, Zhane."

"I had to," the other said simply. Then he let go of Andros' hands to cuff his shoulder, a little harder than he needed to. "Thanks for not getting yourself killed in the meantime! What was that, anyway? Can't I leave you alone for a few days?"

"Hey!" He ducked half-heartedly, but with Ashley on his other side that was all he could do. "What was I supposed to do, let them fight alone?"

"Yes," Kerone interrupted firmly. "You won't help anyone by hurting yourself, Andros. Or by making Psycho Red stronger."

Zhane frowned, glancing over at Kerone for the first time. She caught his eye and stared back, and Andros watched with interest as they looked at each other. Finally Zhane asked, "Are you sure it's making him stronger? He went down pretty hard back there."

"Saryn says the use of the Astro Powers makes it easier for the Psychos to drain them," Kerone answered, not taking her eyes off of him.

"It temporarily increases the rate at which the Psychos can draw the Power," Saryn corrected, either not aware of or not bothering to acknowledge the subtext of the conversation. "That is the current hypothesis."

"Then maybe there's some sort of threshold," Zhane countered, his gaze slipping from Kerone's briefly. "Because Psycho Red didn't look too strong when Andros hit him with those missiles."

"I have data that is relevant to this conversation," DECA interjected, sounding a bit impatient. Andros didn't understand why until he remembered her earlier comment.

"My Power signature?" he guessed, tilting his head carefully to look up at her camera. Keeping the movement slow seemed to help, and he saw the red light blink at him.

"Yes," DECA agreed. "Your Power signature, and the echo from Psycho Red. While yours strengthened on morphing, it began to decrease almost immediately, as TJ's did three days ago. Until you attacked Psycho Red--then your Power level and his stabilized briefly, and when you fired again the effect began to reverse."

"My Power increased?" Andros said, frowning. "Then why did I demorph?"

DECA's tone gave the distinct impression of a shrug. "It's possible the backlash overloaded your morpher. The Battlized Power boost has never been as stable as your regular morph."

"So you're saying it's a tug of war," Ashley interrupted. "Between us and them--we're both fighting over the Power. When we hurt them, the way Andros did, we get some of it back?"

"What I suggest is simpler than that," DECA replied. "Andros' attack may have simply disrupted Psycho Red's ability to drain his Power. As the drain rate fluctuates, so would Andros' Power signature."

"But it didn't work when I attacked," TJ reminded them. "I tried to fight Psycho Blue, and I just lost Power faster."

"Could it be Zhane's threshold?" Ashley asked, glancing from him to DECA. "Andros' Battlized attack is a lot stronger than TJ's was."

"We have to hit them hard enough that they can't hit back?" TJ suggested.

DECA's camera light blinked again. "The evidence does seem to support that conclusion."

"Us or them," Cassie murmured. "TJ was right, then. There's no way to get our Power back until they're destroyed."

TJ shifted uncomfortably, but Zhane spoke before he could. "Man, I wish Psycho Yellow hadn't gotten in my way! I could have taken Psycho Red there at the end."

"Guys..." TJ's voice was suddenly uncertain, and it was enough to get everyone's attention. Andros looked up at him in time to see the Blue Ranger exchange glances with Ashley. "Did anyone else see that?"

Ashley looked down, and Andros frowned. "See what?"

"What happened when Zhane tried to attack Psycho Red," Ashley said, not meeting his gaze.

He looked around the Medical bay, remembering to move slowly when things started to swim again. No one looked anymore enlightened than he felt, and he saw TJ fold his arms. "Look, let's go watch the end of the fight again," TJ told them. "I think it's important."

Andros suppressed a sigh at the thought of moving, but TJ and Ashley were giving each other that look again. The only way he could think to describe Ashley's expression was "spooked", and that was enough to get him on his feet. She wrapped her arm around his waist and pulled his hand over her shoulder, and suddenly he decided that the trip might not be so bad after all.

He lifted his head just in time to catch Zhane's knowing smirk, and Andros only barely kept himself from returning it. Ashley wouldn't be impressed, and Kerone seemed to have a careful eye on him all of a sudden too. He wasn't sure when he had become the center of attention, but he was almost glad when Saryn stumbled getting to his feet.

Kerone hesitated, and Carlos waited too while Cassie pulled his ruby off over her head. It occurred to Andros to be surprised as Ashley helped him toward the lift--he hadn't even noticed that Saryn wasn't wearing it. Apparently it no longer mattered who had it, even when they were morphed. He wondered if DECA had any idea how they shared Power like that.

He looked over his shoulder as the others followed them onto the Bridge, and he pulled away from Ashley at last. She watched worriedly as he settled into his chair, but he managed to stand without assistance for the two seconds it took to make it from her arm to the pilot's seat. Saryn remained standing, as though to prove he could, but the others took chairs or consoles as TJ pulled up the record of the fight.

"This is right after Andros teleported down," he said, doing something to Ashley's console. "Watch Psycho Yellow when Andros fires."

"Andros' and Psycho Red's Power signatures are displayed on the lower right," DECA added, as two small graphs were transposed over one corner of the screen.

Andros' eye was drawn to the graphs, and he saw the one on top falling as the one on the bottom climbed. His and Psycho Red's respectively, he guessed, glancing up at the battle just as he heard his voice yell, "Battlizer missiles!"

Psycho Red and Psycho Yellow had been fighting back to back for almost the duration of the fight, but when Kerone and Saryn teamed up against them they had been unable to maintain their formation. He remembered seeing them break apart, but he hadn't paid any attention to it at the time. Now he knew that was the only reason he had been able to single out either of them when he fired.

As the first two missiles struck Psycho Red, the Phantom Ranger lifted one hand to shield his eyes instinctively and Andros winced. He glanced over at Saryn guiltily, wondering why he hadn't realized how close the other had been. Somehow striking Psycho Red down had seemed more important...

Saryn caught his eye and shook his head, very slightly. It didn't make him feel any better, but practicality reasserted itself and reminded him that there wasn't anything he could do about it now. As he turned back to the screen, though, he heard Cassie murmur wordlessly and he realized he had missed whatever they were supposed to be watching for.

'That was the first time," TJ said, straightening up. He folded his arms again, not taking his eyes off the screen. "Watch what happens when Andros fires again."

This time Psycho Yellow's reaction was unmistakable. As Psycho Red fell, she lunged forward, reaching for him even through the explosion. Andros frowned, wondering what her movement meant--was the Psycho Ranger just dismayed by the sudden show of force, or could she actually be worried about the condition of her "teammate"?

"That's not normal," Cassie said at last. "Since when do villains care whether someone goes down?"

"Ecliptor cared," Kerone murmured, and there was an awkward silence.

Zhane appeared on the screen--or rather, the blur that would eventually turn out to be Zhane. Even the computer's filter couldn't slow his motion enough for him to be clearly distinguishable. An explosion rocked Psycho Blue as the blur shot past, and Kerone dealt a blow to Psycho Pink with similar effects.

It was when Zhane went for Psycho Red that things got interesting. Psycho Yellow was in his path faster than Andros could blink, and she released a fireball that was only centimeters from impact despite the speed at which Zhane was traveling. His attack couldn't be stopped, though, and his Silverizer slashed her full across the chest.

As she fell, she reached out and laid a hand over Psycho Red's chest. They both vanished into colored flashes of light, and Psycho Pink let out a frustrated cry. She and the other Psycho Ranger vanished moments later.

"She--did she just protect him?" Carlos demanded.

Andros glanced over at Ashley and found her staring back. He didn't have to ask what she was thinking, because he was thinking it too. *They really are us...*

"Yeah," Cassie said, staring at the now-motionless screen. "Yeah, I think she did. Could they..."

"Is it possible that they care for each other?" Saryn finished quietly, when she trailed off.

"What about the others?" Kerone inquired, when no one answered. "We knew there was something different about Psycho Yellow already. But we still don't know anything about the rest of them."

Her comment, too, was met with silence.

"I don't like this," Zhane said at last. "Just in case anyone was wondering. If they have your memories to the point that they actually feel the things you do, then what separates us from them?"

"What separates us from any villain?" Saryn asked rhetorically. "The ability to love."

"But what if they *do* love?" Ashley pushed herself away from the console and began, uncharacteristically, to pace. "What if she loves him? If she knows everything I know, and she feels for... for Psycho Red the same things that I feel for Andros, then how are we different?"

"Well, for one thing," TJ put in, a hint of wry humor in his voice, "she says she's going to destroy the world. A few memories doesn't make her a different person, Ash, and they definitely don't make her you. Don't forget that."

"Still," Cassie put in slowly. "They may not be us, but they--well, one of them, at least--isn't quite..."

"Evil?" Kerone moved, tossing rose-colored locks over her shoulder. "I disagree. Showing feelings for a fellow soldier is interesting, but not conclusive. TJ's right; we know what she wants: 'to destroy your pathetic world'."

She had slipped back into leader mode; Andros could tell from the way she spoke. Her tone shifted, almost unconsciously, to mimic Psycho Yellow with the last few words, but then she fell back into the more precise phrasing so reminiscent of Astronema. "There's no reason to treat an enemy differently just because they're superficially similar to someone we know."

Out of the corner of his eye, Andros saw Saryn shift uncomfortably. He deliberately didn't look at the other Ranger, but he felt compelled to point out, "That's easy to say, but if she didn't shift to her armored form during battles... I'm not sure I'd be able to fight her."

"Not good," TJ said slowly, into the ensuing quiet. "Ash?"

Ashley hesitated, but at last she shook her head. "I could fight her, but--I'm not sure I could go up against Psycho Red."

"Anyone else?" TJ's gaze swept over the Bridge. "We need to know now."

Cassie looked down, folding her hands in her lap uncomfortably. Carlos didn't look particularly thrilled either, but neither of them said anything. Kerone didn't bat an eye, but then, she'd fought all of them for close to a year

"All right," TJ said finally. "If it comes to that, we need to keep Andros and Ashley from having to go up against each other's doubles."

"You say that as though their destruction is necessarily assured," Saryn said, his voice quiet. "Have we reached a consensus on this matter?"

"No." Andros turned around in his chair, the frozen image from the end of the battle on the screen behind him. "But they've threatened to destroy the world, and if it's our team or theirs, I say we keep each other alive at any cost."

"I don't." It didn't surprise him to hear Ashley disagree, and he tried not to look over at her. "Maybe there's some way we can reason with them. If there's a chance they can change, we owe it to them to try and show them another way."

"They aren't us," TJ argued. "I think we're projecting our own feelings onto them too much. No matter how they act, they're still evil, and it's our duty to stop them." He looked around and added, "So I guess I vote yes; we do what it takes to stop them."

"I agree," Kerone put in. "If someone says they're going to destroy your planet, I'd say that's pretty clear. It doesn't matter what they look like."

"The question is not what they look like," Saryn countered. "It is whether the memories they absorbed have altered them on some deeper level. I think it is entirely possible, and I vote no. We should try to communicate with them."

"They're stealing our Power, Saryn." Cassie didn't look at him. "It's their choice to keep doing that, and it's their choice to fight. If they've changed, it sure doesn't show. I say we treat them like villains, because that's what they are."

"You don't just choose to stop being evil," Zhane told her. "If you don't know any other way, you might not even think of it. I'm with Ashley, so if this is a participatory democracy I vote no."

Andros looked over at Carlos, but the Black Ranger just shrugged. "It's not my Power they're draining, but if they hit me I'm hitting back."

He could feel their eyes on him. It was obvious which way the "vote" had gone, but it was still his call and everyone knew it. He wouldn't have asked for their opinions if he weren't going to consider them.

"If we can find a way to talk to them--reason with them," he amended, giving Ashley a sideways look, "then let's not pass it up. But the safety of this team comes first, and until any of them proves otherwise, they're still our enemies. We can't afford to forget that."

"So we hit back," Kerone said, glancing at him for confirmation.

"We treat them like villains and we hit back," he agreed. "If it's going to be another three days before the next battle, though, we have some time. So if anyone has any suggestions, let's hear them."

"Oh..." Ashley looked as though she couldn't decide whether to laugh or just shake her head. "Saturday. Saturday is three days from now."

Andros didn't get it until he saw Cassie roll her eyes. "They're going to crash the prom, aren't they."

TJ sighed. "That was my thought as soon as DECA told us about Saryn's timeframe," he admitted. "I was hoping I was wrong."

"Is there any way Saryn and I can be there?" Kerone wanted to know. "The four of us barely held them off today, and if they're stronger by this weekend then we're going to need everyone together to face them."

Andros couldn't help wondering if she intentionally didn't mention Zhane.

"Maybe," Cassie said, exchanging glances with Carlos. "Me and Carlos would have to split up and take you. They don't let non-students come unless they have an AGH date."

"They may attack before that," Andros interjected. "They were earlier than we expected today."

"Yeah, but if we don't get permission slips before the weekend we won't be able to do it if we need to." Carlos glanced over at Kerone. "What do you say? Want to be my date for the prom?"

Cassie laughed. "That's about how he asked me, too," she informed Kerone.

Carlos raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, and I suppose you can do better?"

Cassie tilted her head back, looking up at the ceiling as though giving the matter serious thought. "Okay," she said at last, sliding out of her chair.

Standing in front of Saryn, she said solemnly, "I've known you for more than a year now, and even after everything we've been through, I don't think we've ever once danced. Every evening I spend with you is more romantic than any I could have with someone else, but I'd love to go dancing. So would you like to go to the prom?"

Saryn lifted one hand to her face and ran his thumb across her cheek, smiling at her as though she was the only other person in the room. "I would be honored," he said softly.

"Not fair," Carlos muttered. "That was rehearsed."

Cassie smiled, but she didn't take her eyes off of Saryn and it was hard to tell whether the expression was directed at him or Carlos. She tilted her face upward as Saryn leaned forward to kiss her, and as they held onto each other Andros glanced in Carlos' direction.

He was looking at Kerone. "Did I mention that I don't dance?" he inquired mildly.

She just grinned at him. "I've never danced in my life, and I don't plan to start this weekend."

He heard Ashley sigh. "I think you two may have missed the point of the prom."

"To be ready to fight the bad guys?" Carlos offered. "No, I think we've pretty much got it covered."

"Ash," TJ interrupted before she could respond. "I hate to bring this up now, but..."

He trailed off, and Andros followed his gaze. The Blue Ranger was gazing at the main screen, where an image from the Psycho battle still lingered. "How are your parents going to feel about the yard?" TJ wanted to know.

She sighed again, squirming around until she could slump back in her chair. "Thanks for bringing that up, TJ. I was trying not to think about it."

"What's wrong with it?" Kerone asked, in all innocence.

"It's a disaster area?" Carlos replied.

"We turned it into a battlefield?" TJ suggested at the same time. "Usually the city takes care of that, but I'm not sure how they compensate private property owners. It could be a while before the paperwork goes through."

"For that?" Kerone looked a little surprised. "Do you just want it to look the way it did before?"

"'Just'?" Ashley said dryly. "Yeah, just that."

Kerone shrugged. "I'll take care of it, if you want."

"I'll go with you," Zhane said quickly, getting to his feet.

Kerone didn't answer, looking from Ashley to Andros as though for permission.

"Yeah," Ashley said at last, seeming to realize that she was waiting for an answer. "I mean, if you could do that, that would be great, but I obviously don't expect you to--"

"I'll be back in a few minutes," Kerone interrupted lightly, hopping down from the console she had been perched on. A violet flicker danced around her and she was gone.

***

Most of the yard was glowing by the time Zhane arrived, and he had seen that expression often enough to recognize intense concentration. So he took a step back, patiently waiting for her to finish working her magic.

Waiting patiently and watching--it felt like all he'd done since he reached Earth. He hadn't expected any big celebration, but he hadn't thought he'd show up in the middle of a battle either. It was great to be able to help, but he hadn't felt as extraneous as he'd felt on the Bridge just now in a long time.

He told himself that it was just his nature to want to be the center of attention whenever possible. It was what Andros would tell him, if not quite in those words. Andros' sister would probably say it too, given the chance--she might even tell him the way he thought she was acting was his imagination.

After all, why would she ignore him? There were six other Rangers on that ship, and all of them had equally or more valid points to make about the Psycho Rangers. He wasn't even contributing anything significant enough for her to ignore.

But he wasn't imagining the silence that was the only word he'd had from her in weeks. And he wasn't imagining the surprise he'd felt on seeing her on Earth in the first place. She had said nothing about returning to the Megaship, and he was trying not to think about how long she might have been there. He could almost forgive Andros for not saying anything... but only if she had arrived since the last time he had asked about her directly.

She was watching him. He hadn't even noticed when the glow faded, leaving only a neat and apparently well cared-for lawn behind. "Nice," he managed, wondering how long he had been oblivious to her regard.

She shrugged. "It wasn't hard. I spent a lot of time out here yesterday."

It was exactly the opening he had hoped for. "How long have you been back on Earth?"

"Saryn gave me a ride back the night before last."

He couldn't help a flare of jealousy, and in some distant corner of his mind he was aware that Saryn would be amused. "Why did you come back?"

"He said they needed me," she replied, looking away. "I guess... I missed that."

"Yeah," he said without thinking. "I know what you mean."

He saw her smile a little, and he couldn't bring himself to regret the confession. "So," he offered awkwardly. "How have you been?"

She seemed to think about that far longer than the question warranted. "I don't know," she said at last. It wasn't an answer, but it had the ring of truth.

"Well, that makes two of us," he said, a bit ruefully. He wasn't even sure whether he meant her or himself.

"Tell me what you've been doing," she said suddenly, startling him. "What's happening with the Defense petition? And why aren't the Kerovan shipments getting to KO-35?"

He opened his mouth to explain when he realized what she had just asked. He only just stopped himself from giving her a sharp look. She could have heard that anywhere... couldn't she?

"Oh," she was saying, with every appearance of regret. "I told Ashley I'd be right back..."

He put a hand over her communicator before she could reach for it. "Tell her you're done and then come for a walk with me," he said impulsively. "I've missed you."

He held his breath as she just looked at him. He was starting to remember exactly how nerve-racking her presence could be. So often he had absolutely no idea how she would react.

He tried not to sigh in relief when she smiled back at him. "I missed you, too."