"How come Andros eats meat and you don't?"

Zhane shrugged, watching her finish the last of her drink and beginning a mental countdown to see how long it would take their server to get to the table. "He grew up with it, I guess. I didn't."

"Do you think he missed it, when he lived with you?" Ashley wondered.

"Something else to drink?" a voice asked out of nowhere, and Zhane smiled.

Ashley, on the other hand, looked up with every indication of surprise. "No, I'm all set. Thank you."

"Can I get a refill?" Zhane asked, sliding his glass across the table.

"Of course," the server said quickly. Pitcher of water in hand, he topped off Zhane's glass and handed it back. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"I think we're good," Zhane said, exchanging glances with Ashley.

"Thanks, Kenston," she added, smiling up at their server.

He just nodded, the smile having no outward effect on him. Zhane wasn't fooled. His glass had been empty for several minutes before Ashley finished her drink, and Kenston hadn't so much as wandered by. It was a crowded night, but Ashley was obviously at the top of his list.

As the server moved on to the next table, Zhane found Ashley watching him curiously. "Do you only drink when you're with Andros?" she wanted to know.

He stopped, glass halfway to his mouth. "What?"

She laughed a little, looking away. "Nothing. I never see you drink anything but water unless we're with Andros, that's all."

He set his glass down slowly, considering that. "It's not on purpose," he said at last. "Maybe I just think Andros needs to lighten up."

"Trying to set an example?" she suggested, glancing down at the table.

He shrugged again, wondering what she read into that. "Maybe."

They were quiet for a few moments, and he was just about to suggest they head out when she asked, "Zhane... when you were younger, did you ever imagine what the future would be like?"

"Sure," he said, sitting back in his chair. "We'd retake KO-35, find out what had happened to Kerone... kid dreams. Funny how they work out, sometimes."

"Those were Andros' dreams," she said softly.

"Retaking KO-35 was everyone's dream." His tone was harsher than he'd intended, maybe because she'd caught him out. They were Andros' dreams.

"Right," she agreed, a little too quickly. "I didn't mean..."

She trailed off, and he let it go. "What about you?" he wanted to know. "What did you imagine for the future?"

"College," she said with a self-deprecating smile. "Family. The usual."

"The usual," he repeated, studying her. "Is that what everyone wants, then? Family I can understand, but college? What is that, exactly?"

"It's... school. It's a place where you go after you finish regular school, I guess, to learn more about a subject you're interested in. It seems silly," she added, glancing around. "Compared to this."

The restaurant was filled with travelers from across KO-35 and beyond, the occasional intergalactic or obviously alien visitor making their status as Rangers somewhat less noteworthy, and he thought he knew what she meant. "Pretty much everything I wanted when I was younger seems silly now," he admitted, his gaze resting on her again. "But that's what kids' dreams are. They're for kids, not adults."

"Retaking KO-35 wasn't a kids' dream," Ashley said firmly. "Here we are."

"Yeah." Zhane thought about that for a moment, then sighed. "Want to know what I really dreamed?"

Her look was expectant, not surprised, and he wondered why he had thought he would be able to stop hiding things after he admitted his feelings for Andros. "I imagined I'd be on the Council someday," he confessed. "Then I'd be famous, like Andros, so we could be together."

Ashley was smiling. "The Council, huh?"

He shrugged uncomfortably. "I had a teacher who said I was good at talking, and I figured that was all the Council really did."

"That's a nice dream," Ashley said gently, tilting her head to catch his eye when he looked down. "Did you... did you love Andros, even then?"

He hesitated. "I don't know," he admitted at last. "I guess I did, but... not like I do now. Does that make any sense?"

She just nodded. "Yeah, I think so. When I first met Andros, I liked him, but even when we started dating..." Her smile was hesitant. "Well, I remember a time when he wasn't the only thing I thought about, if that's what you mean."

"That sounds about right," he agreed ruefully. "It's like I can't even turn around anymore without Andros being in my face."

"Yeah," Ashley murmured. She was staring at the glass in his hand now. The wrong hand, since he couldn't close the one he usually used around a glass without wincing. "I noticed."

He didn't know what to say. If she had sounded upset, he would have felt perfectly justified in being bitter. But she didn't sound... anything. And in truth, he didn't feel bitter. Sure, she had had Andros. But Andros had been the one to choose her over Zhane, and somehow Zhane knew he still hadn't forgiven his friend for that.

"Let's get out of here," Ashley said abruptly, picking up her jacket from the seat beside her. "They're probably wondering where we went by now."

"Ash--" Zhane stopped her before she could stand, then found he still didn't know what to say. "When you think about the future now, what do you wish for?"

She hesitated, letting her jacket rest in her lap. "I don't know."

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours," he coaxed, gratified to see her lips twitch at his childish plea.

Still, she shook her head. "I can't," she said softly. "I wish... I wish I didn't wish it."

Heart racing, he took a breath to tell her what he hadn't admitted even to himself. Getting it out in the open would either bring them closer or destroy their friendship, and he was gambling everything on the chance that she felt the same way. "I wish I hadn't died," he said bluntly. "I wish Andros had been mine since we evacuated KO-35. I wish we had never met you."

She lifted her head, and he could see the tears glistening in her eyes. He could barely hear her whisper, "I wish you'd never woken up." A single tear slid down her cheek, followed closely by a second.

He reached over the table to take her hand as he stood, and she fumbled for it blindly. Clutching her jacket in her free hand, she let him lead her toward the door, head down in an effort to keep everyone else from seeing her tears. They must be quite a pair, he thought, making sure to avoid catching anyone's eye himself. One Ranger crying and the other with his arm in a sling... yeah, they were invincible. Nothing to see here.

He pulled her closer as soon as they were outside, putting his arm around her shoulders as they were absorbed into the crowded foot traffic of the skyport. They were less conspicuous here, surrounded by milling throngs and illuminated by the oddly tinted lights that made familiar colors look strange. It was also impossible to carry on a conversation.

He found an observation platform, and she followed without protest. Stepping up to the side of the platform, he let his grip on her shoulders relax. She leaned on the railing automatically, not looking at him. Her eyes were drawn to the departing hover ferry, and he thought he saw her smile a little.

"That could be our ride," she said, just loudly enough for him to catch the words.

He put his elbows on the railing next to her, following her gaze. "Offer's open," he remarked, wondering, just for a moment, what would happen if she took him up on it. No matter what he said, he had never seriously considered it. And yet...

"I don't really wish it," she said suddenly, still staring at the ferry. "You know that, right?"

"Yeah," he agreed, watching the giant space-faring vehicle strain against the bonds of gravity. "It's just something you think sometimes."

"Yeah," she echoed with a sigh.

"Same here," he said quietly.

The ferry was retreating into the sky now, a steadily shrinking disc of light. The red outline of the landing site it had left behind stopped flashing abruptly, and as Zhane glanced back at it the outline rippled to white. The ferry had cleared the skyport's airspace, then, and would accelerate to escape velocity under the direction of one of the orbital stations.

"It's nice to know you're not totally selfless," Ashley murmured.

Zhane sighed in exasperation. "Have you been talking to Andros? Why does everyone think I'm some kind of saint? I don't get it!"

Ashley reached out and put her hand on his, twining their fingers together when he turned his hand over to take hers. "I don't think you're a saint," she promised, the hint of a smile on her face. "Just the nicest guy I know. That's all."

"Well, if that's all," he said, rolling his eyes. "No pressure."

"No pressure," she repeated. "Zhane... this sharing thing? I wouldn't... I couldn't even think about it with anyone else. No one but you."

"And Andros," he pointed out, smiling a little to hide the awkwardness.

"No," she said slowly, shaking her head. "Just you. I think--I think maybe if I had to share you with Andros, instead of the other way around... it would be too hard."

He stared at her for a moment, then said the first thing that came to mind. "Andros wouldn't share."

She shook her head in silent agreement.

"Not unless we made him," he added, watching her reaction.

She looked over at him in surprise. "What... what do you mean?" she asked, carefully enough that he knew she had some idea what he meant.

"Nothing." He turned away, looking out at the skyport from where they stood. It was backed up tonight. There were shuttles circling, in a pattern he could almost discern himself, as they waited their turn to land.

"Zhane." Ashley sounded troubled, but she hadn't let go of his hand. "You know I don't... feel about you the way I feel about Andros."

"You don't have to," he told the skyport. "I'm just saying that if we both love Andros, we're going to have to get used to being close. That's all."

"We're already close," she said slowly. She didn't sound at all sure of herself when she added, "Aren't we?"

He squeezed her fingers reassuringly, watching the hover ferry's launch site turn blue in anticipation of an arrival. "Yeah, of course we are."

"But?" she prompted.

"I don't know," he said with a sigh. He couldn't put it into words if she wasn't going to meet him halfway. "It's different, somehow."

For a moment, she didn't say anything, and he thought the conversation was over. But then, "Zhane?"

"Yeah." He ran his thumb over her fingers idly, wondering suddenly if she'd ever asked Andros about his fingernails. He smiled at the random thought. What would she say if he asked right now?

"I liked kissing you, before," she said, chasing the thought out of his mind.

"Yeah?" He glanced over at her in surprise. She was staring back at him, and he thought she might be meeting him more than halfway. "Want to try it again sometime?"

She smiled in return. "I was thinking, maybe, now," she suggested shyly.

He turned a little, forcing her to turn with him as he lifted her hand off the railing. "Now is good for me," he agreed, letting their clasped hands fall between them.

She took a step closer, tilting her head up toward his, and he kissed her before she could answer. She smiled, breathing against his mouth when he drew back. "You're taller," she whispered, looking up at him. "It throws me off."

"And you..." He pressed his mouth to hers again gently, then finished, "You're the only person I know whose breath smells good right after they've eaten. It's weird."

She giggled at that, putting her free hand on his shoulder as she leaned into him again. "You smell pretty good yourself," she said, her lips lingering against his. He took that as an invitation, nuzzling her mouth with his until she sighed and turned her head.

"I wish you could hold me," Ashley murmured, almost too quietly to hear.

Without a word, he slid his right arm out of the sling and laid his hand carefully against the back of her neck. He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze before letting go of them, and he put his other arm around her waist and pulled her against him. She relaxed, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his shoulder.

They stood that way for a long time, looking out over the skyport.

Andros stared down at the readout he'd been trying to scan for almost half an hour now. He still wasn't sure what it was about, but he knew that when he'd picked it up he'd thought it was important. Important enough to warrant sitting alone in the warmup area while he pretended not to wait up for the only two Rangers still unaccounted for.

Saryn and Cassie had returned with Kyril just before Kristet left, and Saryn had reacted with predictable hostility. Cassie's obvious fatigue had only complicated things, and when she learned that Ashley and Zhane weren't there she had insisted on staying another night so they could say goodbye in the morning. Kristet had, wisely, taken her leave, and Kyril had hung around to check out the zords while Saryn took Cassie upstairs.

Andros glanced surreptitiously out at the hangar bay. Kerone had offered to introduce Kyril to Magic, but he hadn't heard their voices for some time now. Ty, too, had returned from what had apparently been a solitary dinner excursion and disappeared into his room soon after. He had acknowledged Andros briefly, but didn't inquire after Ashley or Zhane... did he know where they were? Andros hadn't been able to make himself ask.

"Would you consider it an imposition," Saryn's voice said from somewhere behind him, "if I were to tell you that you are a fool?"

Andros craned his neck around, startled. Saryn was standing a few steps from the other end of the couch, arms folded as he regarded Andros. "Excuse me?"

"I've seen the way Zhane looks at you," Saryn said quietly, his eyes studying Andros' face. "It was not always like that, but it is there now, and it is so strong that I don't doubt you are aware of it."

Andros looked down at his reader, hoping the other Ranger would take the hint. "I'm aware of it," he said stiffly. "It's really none of your business."

"No," Saryn agreed. He didn't show any inclination to leave, and Andros wondered what had brought him down here in the first place. "Yet I do not like to see a friend behave in a way that is contrary to his own interests."

"Is there something you wanted?" Andros demanded, lifting his head to glare at Saryn. "Because I don't really want to talk about it."

Saryn lowered his gaze in an uncharacteristic show of humility. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I wish there were some way I could make you see."

"See what?" Andros asked in spite of himself. "This doesn't have anything to do with you."

"Andros, you have everything you've ever wanted," Saryn told him. "It's all here. If not in this room, then not far away. Yet you sit alone, working and, as far as I can tell, worrying for no good reason."

Andros turned his attention back to the reader without a word. He knew, sometimes, why Saryn's empathy made Zhane uncomfortable. It wasn't something he would ever mention to the Red Elisian Ranger, but he suspected Saryn knew anyway.

"Someday," Saryn said softly, "one or both of them will be gone."

Andros lifted his head, but he refused to look at Saryn.

"There will be nothing you can do to change it," Saryn continued. "Why do you make up reasons why you can't be together, when someday, reasons will come of their own accord?

"It is not complicated," Saryn added, anticipating him. "Whatever troubles you, it is not nearly as complicated as you think it is. This I can tell you with certainty: there will come a day when you will look back on this time and wish it could only be this simple again."

Andros' morpher chimed and DECA appeared in front of them simultaneously. "There are quantrons outside the hangar," she announced calmly.

Andros was already on his feet as he held up his digimorpher. "Is this you?"

The hologram nodded, and he glanced over at Saryn. Ashley was in Keyota, and Zhane could protect her if anyone could. That left only one person that could have brought the quantrons here now.

"Cassie," he and Saryn said at the same time.

"Keep her inside," Andros said, coming around the end of the sofa. "We'll take care of this."

"Andros!" Ty's shout came from above, and Kerone walked out of thin air at his side.

"We're taking the zords," Andros called back, glancing at Kerone. She just nodded, vanishing again. A moment later a shower of sparkles announced Ty's presence in her place, and Andros added, "I've had about enough of this."

"Why do they attack the only place on the planet they can't get into?" Ty demanded, stride lengthening to match Andros'. "It's not like there aren't better targets."

"They don't want better targets," Andros said grimly. "They want what we have here."

"The Turbo Rangers?" Ty was angling off to the right, counting on the echo of the bay to carry his words back to Andros. "Why are they so important?"

Andros heard the question, but right now he didn't care about the answer. All that really mattered was what was happening to Ashley and Zhane while they fought off yet another futile attack here. Had DECA alerted them? Were they in the middle of their own battle? DECA would have told him if they needed backup--wouldn't she?

"DECA," he snapped, settling into the cockpit of his zord as the Power enveloped him. "Where are they others? Are they in trouble?"

"Ashley and Zhane are on their way," DECA replied calmly. "Kyril's zord is approaching the hangar from above."

Then the doors were open, his cat was plunging out into the darkness, and there was no more time to worry. Kerone was right behind him, and Ty had hunkered down in the entrance to keep quantrons from slipping past while they were distracted. An eerily ghost-like outline flitted past overhead, swooping with destructive accuracy into places the cats couldn't reach, and he felt a flicker of appreciation for a zord designed for aerial combat.

The other two cats remained behind, and it took him longer than it should have to realize why. It wasn't until he saw a flicker of non-metallic silver among the quantrons that it occurred to him. A flash of yellow, too close, confirmed that thought.

"Zhane!" he shouted over the comm. "Ashley, what do you think you're doing?"

"Bowling?" Ashley's voice came back a moment later.

"Ask a stupid question," Zhane added wryly.

"Get out of there!" Andros ordered, dismayed to find the two of them on the ground with the zords loose and not particularly discerning about whom they smashed. "You're not doing us any good down there!"

"You expect us to let you have all the fun?" Zhane's voice demanded.

"Are you saying you're not good enough to avoid shooting your own teammates?" Ashley wanted to know, and there was laughter in her breathless tone. That was something he hadn't heard in too long, and it took him aback.

An enormous shadow darkened the flashes below, cruising low and passive as it scanned the field. Andros felt his zord growl warningly, and the bird screamed in reply as Kyril's zord lifted into the night. "We clear?" his voice inquired a moment later. "My tactical shows nothing but green."

"Confirmed," Andros said tersely. The fight was over before it had begun, as he had intended when they released the zords, but he couldn't calm his heart with Saryn's words ringing in his mind. "Someday, one or both of them will be gone, and there will be nothing you can do."

"Stand down," Andros told the comm, letting his zord settle where it was. The cat was aware enough to raise the alarm if need be, and he was willing to bet it would defend itself against intruders if it came to that. After the way the quantrons had jammed their network earlier, he would feel better with someone helping DECA keep watch.

"Andros?" Kerone's voice asked. "You coming?"

"Yeah," he said, letting the crimson rush overwhelm him. A moment later he was standing beside his zord, and he put a hand to his visor out of habit. "My zord's staying out here tonight. I'll be with you in a minute."

"Acknowledged," Kerone answered, and he saw Magic lift her nose to the sky before turning back to the hangar. She passed Ty's zord with a flick of her tail, and the black cat straightened from its crouch to follow.

Andros demorphed, looking up just in time to catch a wisp of Zhane's thoughts through the darkness. *Don't trust DECA's cameras?* the Silver Ranger asked, emerging from the shadows with Ashley at his side. They, too, had let their uniforms vanish.

*It's not the cameras I don't trust,* Andros said, glancing at Ashley. She nodded, indicating that she was hearing him just as clearly. *It's the way the velocifighters locked us into the sim this morning.*

*If they could fool the zords, you think they can fool DECA?* Ashley guessed.

He nodded once, and she and Zhane exchanged glances.

"Not a good thought," Zhane muttered aloud. "How come they came to the hangar, anyway? Ash was in the city with me."

"Cassie's here," Andros answered, but Ashley was frowning.

"That doesn't make sense," she pointed out. "Shouldn't they have gone for the easier target? We were at the skyport, surrounded by civilians. Cassie was here with five or six zords and two teams of Rangers."

Andros stared at her, the scenario suddenly so clear in his mind that he couldn't believe even quantrons had been so oblivious. "Please tell me you didn't do that on purpose," he blurted out before he thought.

She looked at him in surprise. "What?"

"Set yourself up," he said, somewhat reassured by the confusion on her face. "To lure the quantrons away from the hangar."

"What?" she repeated, exchanging glances with Zhane. "No! Is that what it sounded like? No--it just seems strange in hindsight, that's all. I didn't expect to get attacked."

"We went to dinner, Andros." Zhane sounded a little impatient. "There was no ulterior motive, no hidden agenda. Just food."

"And maybe some distance," Ashley said softly.

He swallowed, trying to keep Saryn's warning from overwhelming him. "I don't want distance," he confessed, the words rushing out of him as he looked from one to the other. "All I want is you guys, and I don't know how to tell you and I'm worried that something I didn't do is going to keep us apart."

Ashley opened her mouth, then glanced at Zhane before answering. He looked back at her and suddenly Andros felt very, very alone. He couldn't stand having the two of them at odds. But they obviously weren't anymore--and he had always known he couldn't compete with either of them.

Then Zhane put an arm around Ashley's shoulders and reached out to Andros with his free hand, pulling him close enough to hug the moment their fingers touched. Andros felt Ashley stumble and went to steady her automatically. The next thing he knew, she was pressed up against his chest and Zhane's arms were around them both, holding them close... holding them together.

Zhane had pushed her. It might have annoyed her if the results hadn't been so perfect. His right arm was obviously feeling better, and she wasn't above taking advantage of the situation. She snuggled against Andros, feeling strangely safe with his arms around her and Zhane's across her shoulders.

"We're so stupid," Zhane's voice whispered, his breath teasing her hair.

She lifted her head in surprise, finding those thoughtful blue eyes only inches from hers. His mouth found hers, briefly, gently, and she was too surprised to pull away. Then he turned his head, kissing Andros before the Red Ranger could say a word, and she thought Andros was just as startled. Suddenly embarrassed, she tried to take a step back, but neither of them would let her go.

"Kiss and make up," Zhane teased softly. His meaning was clear, but Andros must have seen how flustered she was. His eyes met hers but he made no move to kiss her, even when Zhane sighed.

"We're so stupid," the Silver Ranger repeated, and this time he sounded frustrated by it. "We're all right here, totally in love with each other, and we can't even hug without it turning into a big thing."

"It's not the hugging," Ashley murmured. She tried to look away, but they were so close that there was nowhere safe to stare. The warm comfort of their embrace had turned stifling, and she swallowed hard.

"I'm sorry," Zhane said immediately. "I shouldn't have done that."

"It's not even the kissing," she admitted, trying not to blush. "It's just... this isn't what I'm used to, okay?"

"Ash..." Zhane waited until she looked back at him. "You don't have to sleep with me. You don't even have to kiss me. Just--let me be with you.

"Please?" he added, more quietly.

She found herself blinking back tears, and for the life of her she couldn't have said what for. The heartfelt entreaty hurt more than she could have anticipated. It brought into sharp contrast the differences in their approach to this relationship: he was willing to beg, and she couldn't even bring herself to give it a chance.

"I love you," she whispered, tilting her head to rest it against his shoulder. She freed one arm to wrap it around his waist, wondering if it conveyed anything of what she was feeling. "I really do. I just don't love you that way, and I guess... I don't want to lead you on."

"Ash," Zhane said wryly. "If you've told me once, you've told me twenty times: you're not in love with me. I get it, okay? I understand. You're not leading me on. Believe me."

Her face was hot, and not just from repressed tears. "I'm sorry," she murmured, almost inaudibly.

"So am I," Zhane said, very gently. "But not for what we aren't. Only for what we are and don't acknowledge. I love you. I need Andros. I need him so much--I can't even tell you. But I can't hurt you, and I know you need him too. So if there's any way... any way at all that we can all be together, I think we have to try it."

"I think so too," Andros offered, his voice almost as quiet as hers had been. He didn't say anything else, but those words were enough. He was as tentative as Zhane was insistent... as tentative as she felt, sometimes.

"Yeah," Ashley said at last, lifting her chin to smile at Zhane. She sniffed once, blinking hard as she added, "Okay." She shifted just a little, giving Andros a careful, token kiss. "Me too."

"Good." Zhane sounded, finally, satisfied. His arms tightened around the two of them, and they just stood there for a long moment, close in the darkness.

Ashley took a deep breath, comfortable enough in the embrace but still self-conscious about anyone seeing them that way. She supposed it wasn't likely that anyone would be randomly passing by this late at night, and she doubted Kerone and Ty would care even if they did see them. But she couldn't help a twinge of relief when Andros shifted, his grip loosening.

"I told Kerone we'd be in soon," he said quietly, and she let him step back without complaint. Zhane was less willing.

"What, you think she's waiting up?" he demanded, catching Ashley's hand as she pulled away. "Tell her we decided to run away."

"We have to talk about the quantrons." Despite his words, Andros sounded amused. Glancing sideways, Ashley saw that Zhane had taken his hand too. "Saryn will want to know what happened, if Kyril hasn't told him already. And you guys are right--the quantrons shouldn't have come here with you in the city."

"He never stops thinking," Zhane told her. "How do you put up with it?"

"I try to ignore it as much as possible," she answered, smiling a little as they made their way back toward the hangar. "Sometimes I kiss him to shut him up."

"Tried that." Zhane sounded disgruntled. "Didn't work."

"They couldn't have missed you," Andros said, apparently talking to himself now. "And if they can't teleport into the hangar, they shouldn't be able to scan it either. Even interdimensionally."

"They've done it before," Ashley pointed out, diverted in spite of herself.

"No, they haven't." She could almost hear Andros frowning. "You're always outside when the attacks happen. Justin's the only one who was able to come right into the hangar. And he's a Ranger."

"His Power signature would let him teleport in," Zhane offered, joining the conversation with obvious reluctance. "Saryn did it this morning."

"Right." Andros paused. "But if they can't penetrate the hangar shielding, how did they know Cassie was inside tonight?"

Neither of them had an answer for that. When they reached the nearest door, Andros held up his digimorpher almost absently. He must have let go of Zhane's hand to step inside, and Ashley felt Zhane squeeze her fingers as they followed. She returned the pressure, keeping her hand in his as they walked into the light.

Saryn, Kerone, and Ty were gathered at the bottom of the stairs. Three pairs of eyes immediately turned to them, and Ashley tried to act as casual as possible. What did they care who she held hands with, anyway?

"The quantrons cannot teleport into the hangar," Saryn said. His gaze was on Andros, and Andros alone. "You knew this?"

Andros only nodded. "We were just talking about it. They shouldn't be able to scan it, either, unless there's something about ID travel that lets them see through Power sanctuaries."

"I do not know." Saryn looked distinctly troubled, and Ashley felt a little silly for wondering what he would think. It wasn't like there weren't more important things to worry about.

"The homing beacons Justin talks about are linked to their Power," the Elisian Ranger was saying. "Is it possible that Dark Spectre can, indeed, see such a thing through the very defenses designed to protect it?"

"I don't think so." Kyril's voice drifted to them from somewhere behind the stairs, and Ashley finally noticed him standing over by the comm. She couldn't tell what he was doing, but whatever it was, he was doing it awfully fast. "As far as I can tell, the hangar shields should be as effective between dimensions as they are within this one."

Saryn didn't question that, seeming to take Kyril's opinion as fact the moment he offered it. "Then they did not know Cassie was here. Unless they have been monitoring her movements since our arrival?"

"That doesn't make sense," Andros said, frowning again. "If they were going to do that, why wouldn't they just wait until she left again? There's no point in attacking someone inside the hangar from the outside."

"What if they're not after the Turbo Rangers at all?" Zhane was staring at the floor, and he didn't seem to notice the quiet that greeted those words. "What if there's something here that they want, instead? Maybe it's the hangar itself. Maybe Ash just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong times."

"What would they want with the hangar?" Andros said at last. "They can't get inside."

"Could it be the zords?" Saryn offered. "It seems that if they were after the Turbo Rangers, Ashley would have been an easier target tonight. Not that I would wish that for you," he added, glancing in her direction at last.

She managed a smile. "I know. We were talking about it, too." This time, his gaze did flicker to their joined hands, but his expression didn't change.

"I don't see what they'd want with the zords," Andros was saying. "They had their chance during the sim this morning. Why attack the hangar? It isn't any easier to get to the zords than it is to one of us."

"I was outside tonight."

Ashley looked at Kerone in surprise. She wasn't the only one, either. Kyril had joined them while she wasn't paying attention, and he turned when the rest of them did to stare at the former princess of evil. Kerone just stared back at them, her face revealing none of what was going on in her head.

"What are you talking about?" Andros demanded. His tone was more hostile than confused, and with a sinking sensation, Ashley knew that he understood what Kerone was suggesting. And he hadn't dismissed it.

"Other than Ashley and Zhane, Kyril and I were the only Rangers who weren't in the hangar." Kerone's voice was even, almost distant. "I've been with Ashley almost constantly since the first attack. Even that night... we were together when the quantrons appeared."

"That's ridiculous!" Zhane burst out. "What would they want with you? How could they find you? You didn't even know Dimitria!"

Kerone just looked at him, waiting for it to dawn on him.

"Dark Spectre's revenge," Saryn said quietly. His voice was the only sound in the silence.

"No." Andros was shaking his head. "He's gone. There's no way he can find you here."

"It's entirely possible that he tagged her in some way, even as Dimitria tagged the Turbo Rangers," Saryn pointed out. "She was his second in command. I would have monitored her whereabouts."

Ashley saw Kerone flash Saryn an amused look. "Would you?" she asked, something suspiciously like laughter in her voice.

Saryn's lips twitched as he returned her look, but he didn't answer.

"Wouldn't he send more than quantrons?" Ashley couldn't help wincing when everyone's attention turned to her, but it was only the truth. "No offense, Kerone, but you destroy quantrons like they're toys. If Dark Spectre was after you, why would he send quantrons?"

After a long moment, it was Kyril who answered. "That's a good point," he remarked, exchanging glances with Saryn. "The princess of evil must be worth more than a couple of automated soldiers."

"Former princess of evil," Zhane corrected automatically, and Kyril inclined his head in wordless apology.

"I don't know," Kerone admitted. "Maybe I'm wrong."

"Maybe we all are," Andros said grimly. "Maybe we don't have the faintest idea what he wants. All we can do is watch out for each other."

"Did JT leave his ID data with you?" Saryn asked, glancing over at Andros.

"Yes. Did it mean anything to you?"

Saryn frowned. "I confess, I did not give the information the attention it deserved. It was downloaded to our terminal after Jay had departed, and at the time I was not particularly concerned with details. Perhaps that was an oversight on my part."

"Ashley and Kerone couldn't find anything when they went over it," Andros told him. "DECA's been analyzing it ever since. She says the travel algorithms are complicated, which makes me wonder what kind of computer Justin was using. But she can't find any way to create a homing effect either--let alone mask it."

Saryn only looked more pensive. "Curious." He didn't say anything else, but Ashley knew that look. Saryn, too, would be working on that data the moment they got home.

"I'm going to go talk to DECA," Kerone said abruptly. She had an odd look on her face now, but she shrugged it off when Ashley shot an inquiring look in her direction. "Just in case."

"I'll go with you," Ashley offered, watching for her reaction.

Kerone just smiled at her. "Going to be my bodyguard?"

"Maybe." Ashley mirrored her expression. "It might not hurt."

"Hey--" Zhane didn't let go of her hand when she took a step forward, and her smile faded as she looked back at him. Andros, too, was watching her, and she wished she could say something.

But she couldn't, not in front of the others, and Zhane must have realized it at the same time. Frustration flashed in his eyes, almost too quick to see, and then he released her fingers reluctantly. "Take care of yourselves," he said, including Kerone with his eyes.

"We will," she promised. She joined Kerone with a nonchalance that probably didn't fool anyone, considering who they were talking to. *See you in the morning?* she suggested hesitantly, not sure he would hear her.

*You'd better,* Zhane sent back immediately.

She saw Ty studying Zhane curiously, and she sighed to herself. No matter what happened between them, it wouldn't be a secret for long.

Saryn had already vanished up the stairs by the time the rest of them gave up on answers for the night. Kyril stayed behind in the zord bay, saying he wanted to see more of the hills at night. So, after offering token warnings about nocturnal predators, Andros and Zhane found themselves trailing Ty up the stairs.

They climbed in an ever more awkward silence, and when Ty reached the top Andros saw him glance back at them. He just waved when he saw Andros watching, turning away before either of them could return the gesture. "'Night," Zhane called anyway.

"Night," Ty answered, not pausing. Something about the way he slouched across the catwalk seemed different to Andros, but figuring it out wasn't high on his list of priorities.

They both stopped in front of Andros' door, and he shot a sideways look at Zhane. Zhane made no effort to hide the fact that he was looking back. He took a deep breath just as Andros opened his mouth to speak, and they both hesitated again.

Finally, Zhane's mouth quirked a little and he tried again. "Want me to sleep with the girls?" he asked. He didn't take his eyes off of Andros.

Andros raised his eyebrows, but Zhane only smiled in rueful acknowledgement of the words. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah," Andros admitted. "And no," he added, when Zhane looked away. "I don't want you to sleep with the girls."

Zhane's gaze snapped back to his. Andros could almost see him struggling with his conscience. "You sure?" he asked at last.

For answer, Andros stepped into his room and touched the light inside, leaving the door open behind him. He walked over to the window, perfectly aware that Zhane was still standing on the threshold. He touched another light, then reached up to pull the elastic out of his hair.

He heard the door close.

Turning, Andros saw Zhane standing just inside the room. He was watching from the opposite wall, an unreadable expression on his face. Andros pulled his locket off over his head and dropped it on the windowsill. He kicked his shoes off carefully, looking up in surprise at Zhane's loud sigh.

"Dammit, Andros!" The Silver Ranger strode across the room, grabbing his pajamas off the floor and retreating back to his position by the door. "What are you, the king of the accessory striptease? I should just go sleep on the couch!"

But he didn't, and Andros watched in fascination as his friend stripped and donned his pajama bottoms with no more modesty than he had ever shown. He didn't put on his t-shirt, though, and Andros flushed when Zhane caught him staring. Zhane blinked, then--oddly--seemed to relax a little.

Closing the distance between them, the Silver Ranger paused when Andros looked away. "Were you like this with Ashley, too?" he asked. The amusement in his voice held a hint of genuine curiosity.

"What?" Andros couldn't think of anything else to say.

He didn't even see Zhane move, but the tug on his t-shirt jolted him out of his confusion and he lifted his arms to let Zhane pull it off without protest. The action left him feeling oddly young, and he was paralyzed with indecision. Did he want Zhane to undress him? It wasn't that the idea was necessarily bad, just foreign, and the faster Zhane went the less control Andros had--

Then he felt Zhane's mouth against his, and the kiss was more familiar than anything else they could have done. The warmth surged through his entire body, making his skin tingle as Zhane's hands settled lightly on his hips. He pressed forward without thinking, demanding the kiss be more than just contact, and he felt Zhane's fingers clench reflexively.

It wasn't gentle, and it wasn't easy, but he felt like he'd been waiting for this for days. The feelings from this morning came rushing back, the sensation of being nothing outside of this moment, and he remembered Zhane's demonstration of "parking" with a hot flush that might have been embarrassing if Zhane hadn't been just as breathless. He slid his tongue around the inside of Zhane's mouth, exploring a sensation still so new despite their long history.

He had his hands on Zhane's shoulders, barely noticing the muscles tense under his touch when Zhane turned the kiss back on him with a vengeance. His hands shook as they abandoned their self-control, snaking around Andros' back and obliterating the space between them. Andros gasped at the full-body contact and he felt Zhane take advantage of it, his kiss so hungry it could easily have been intimidating.

It wasn't. Andros wound one arm around Zhane's neck in a desperate attempt to bring them closer, his other hand sliding down to Zhane's elbow, wanting only to touch and keep touching like this. His body was hot and screaming for more, drowning in sensation and completely overwhelmed by this unstoppable tide of feeling. All he cared about was this, this feeling here and now, with Zhane.

They stumbled sideways, movements jerky and uncoordinated when they couldn't stop kissing even long enough to get where they were going. He barely felt his foot connect with something on the floor and then Zhane was pulling him down on top of him, not letting him go as they tumbled onto the mattress. The sleeping bags slid across his skin, the coolness making his breath catch even as Zhane swung one leg over his hips and rolled on top of him.

Andros stared up at him, remembering so many pillowfights that had ended just like this. Then Zhane shifted deliberately, grinding their hips together, and Andros groaned aloud. He arched upward inadvertently, fists clenching as he struggled for the control he hadn't even realized he'd lost.

"I--I didn't--" He could barely breathe, and Zhane pressed one hand against his chest as if to steal the last of his reserves. Zhane's mouth covered his, hot and unrelenting, and he felt the words flow out of him anyway.

*I didn't know it could be like this,* he thought, eyes closed against a world that was too bright when he felt this much. It was like the senses he didn't need were shutting down, defensively, trying to keep from overloading.

Something about the mental contact made Zhane tremble against him, and the kiss broke, for just a moment. *What?* that familiar voice asked at last, unsteady even in the non-physical world of thought. *The pillowfights?*

He wasn't the only one who remembered. He let his eyes open, vision filled with Zhane's flushed face and glittering blue gaze. He reached up, fingers tangling in blonde hair as he forced their mouths back together. Zhane sank into him willingly, kisses hard and passionate as he pressed Andros back into the mattress.

*Anything,* Andros thought, when he had enough focus to project the words. This time he felt Zhane moan into his mouth, and he wondered if it was really the telepathy or just the foreplay. *Anything with you.*

Zhane wrenched himself away, staring down at Andros with dark eyes. "Did you think about it?" he panted, his gaze strangely intent. The question obviously meant more to him than Andros knew, but all he had was the truth.

"No," he said honestly. Zhane closed his eyes, and guilty sympathy penetrated the haze of desire that clouded his thoughts. "But I don't think like that, Zhane. You know that."

Zhane was looking at him again, wearing an odd expression that prompted Andros to ask, "Did you?"

Fingers danced across his chest, skittish and almost idle, but clever enough to draw a gasp from him just when he was almost distracted. The pattern they traced brought him back to his pounding body with a suddenness that made him twist restlessly, and he heard Zhane's breath hitch when he moved. He fought the urge to reverse their positions and lost, but Zhane might as well have read his mind.

Catching his wrists, the Silver Ranger leaned forward and tore a kiss from his breathless mouth. Hands pinned against the mattress, Andros didn't bother to fight such a welcome assault, lifting his head and returning the favor when Zhane didn't move fast enough. The hold on his wrists dissolved, trailing fire across his skin as Zhane let go and collapsed beside him.

"Promise me," he muttered, the words sharp and breathless as Andros caught at the edge of his pajama bottoms. "Promise me you'll think of it from now on."

Zhane trembled under his touch, flinging his head back with a soft cry when Andros found what he was looking for. The sound alone made him blush, and he found himself watching his friend's reaction with quiet wonder. What had he done to deserve this? And with the only thing asked in return something so easily given...

"I promise," Andros whispered.