"Zhane."

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"So much for Ranger reflexes."

"We're on a base, Andros. Surrounded by a zillion guards."

"They're called 'reflexes' because you can't turn them off."

"I can't believe someone as paranoid as you taught me threat assessment."

"It was easy. 'Everything's a threat.' There, you're done."

"Funny. Is there a reason you're hiding in an empty conference room? Other than to make fun of me?"

"I like the atmosphere."

"I like you."

"The others didn't know."

"...What?"

"How you felt about me. Before the quest. The others didn't know."

"If they did, they hid it better than I did."

"I'm sorry."

"Against my better judgement, I'm going to ask 'for what?'"

"For... how I acted on the quest. For how I was about Ty, and you, and... everything."

"Okay... well, not that that's not nice to hear, but--"

"Kerone made me feel like an idiot. She just... threw a lot of stuff in my face at once. Stuff I'd been trying not to think about."

"Before the quest."

"Yeah."

"She's good at that."

"Yeah."

"It worked out. You don't have to apologize."

"Yeah, I do. To both of you... to all of you."

"Well, start small."

"I'm starting with the most important person. I'm sorry, Zhane."

"Okay. Thanks."

"I talked to Ashley this morning."

"...About?"

"Us."

"No offense, Andros, but 'us' could mean almost anyone at this point."

"Me and Ty?"

"I'm just saying."

"Me and you. She wanted to know what we were like, before--on Rayven."

"Before I--"

"Don't say it."

"Went into hypersleep?"

"Yeah."

"What did you tell her?"

"That... we were close. That we were everything to each other, so we ended up... being everything. To each other."

"She tell you to stop being so cryptic?"

"I told her we slept together. That we didn't talk about it. That--"

"I talked about it."

"...You talked about it."

"I told you I loved you. That's never changed."

"Since when?"

"I don't know. A long time."

"So not... just--since hypersleep."

"What part of 'I love you' wasn't clear? Since before Rayven, okay?"

"You didn't say."

"Well, I didn't know it was going to eat me up like this, either. Happy?"

"Sometimes. When you are."

"...That was cute."

"I try."

"Not very often."

"Often. Just not very successfully."

"Oh."

"I do try, Zhane."

"I know."

"Did I tell Ash the wrong thing?"

"Did she get mad at you?"

"No... I don't think so."

"Then probably. But thanks for trying."

"I'll just refer her to you next time."

"She... probably didn't want to ask me."

"Why not?"

"You know why not."

"No... I don't."

"Because we screwed up each other's lives, Andros. We're still dealing with that. With you. With sharing you."

"But--you didn't..."

"Try to think about it from someone else's point of view, okay?"

"I... have. And I couldn't."

"Well, we don't have a choice. So we're working through it."

"I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say."

"I don't want you to be sorry. I don't want any of us to be sorry. Just--know that it's as hard for us as it is for you."

"I do. I know that."

"Okay then. Kristet!"

She paused, turned deliberately. There was Zhane, standing inside an open, lit, but mostly deserted conference room. Andros was with him--of course--looking nonplussed and annoyed at the same time. It was a look only Andros could pull off.

"Come in here," Zhane was saying. "We owe you lunch for that little show just now."

She blinked, sidling into the conference room reluctantly. "What? For putting Commander Marsie on the newsnets?"

"You say that like it's nothing," Zhane said with a grin. "Your timing is the best. You just say the word, and we'll adopt you for life."

She shot a quick look at Andros, and she couldn't resist asking, "All of you?"

Zhane chuckled, giving her a smirk that said he understood her perfectly. "Everyone who matters," he replied in kind. "You have a job with us as long as you want it, Kristet."

She gave him a considering look. Zhane had been the first to treat her like a person, rather than a camera, and he was easily the most consistent about it. Maybe it was because he didn't mind cameras. Or maybe it was just who he was.

"You don't call me Cricket," she said at last, watching to see if he would understand that as quickly.

The look he returned to her was inscrutable. "It's not your name," he replied.

Her mouth quirked. "That hasn't stopped anyone else."

Zhane shrugged, but it was Andros who answered. "The girls started it," he muttered grudgingly. "It wasn't anything bad."

Zhane glanced at him, and Andros shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe it was something bad," he corrected, in exactly the same tone. "But they didn't mean anything by it."

"Cricket," Zhane said. "Because you just keep asking questions, no matter who answers you or how. It could be more complimentary," he added thoughtfully, "but as hazing goes, it could be worse."

"It isn't hazing," Andros snapped. "It's just a nickname."

"It's hazing," Zhane told her. "It's nice of you to put up with it."

She could only shrug. "I've put up with a lot worse than nicknames."

"Look," Andros interrupted. "It was just a joke, okay? We didn't know you'd turn out to be so..."

"Useful?" she inquired. It was really a fascinating thing, to see Andros squirm. She got the impression that maybe he wasn't as good at interpersonal relations as he was with a morpher. She was starting to think that Zhane ran interference for him more than the media realized.

"Useful's a good word for it," Zhane agreed cheerfully. And it was the Silver Ranger to the rescue again, she thought, amused. "Friendly's another. Trustworthy. I mean, we only met because you broke the law. Repeatedly. Who knew you'd turn out to be so great?"

He said it in such a positive way that she couldn't be offended. But really... breaking the law? Look who was talking!

"You did," Andros was telling the opposite wall. "You knew."

She blinked, but Zhane seemed to think the comment had been directed at him. "Yeah," he said, "but the team was going through a 'do the opposite of whatever Zhane wants' phase, so me vouching for you really didn't help anything."

"I appreciate the effort," she said quickly, noting Andros' chagrinned look. "I'm just glad I can help."

"So are we," Zhane said emphatically. "So--are you hungry?"

"Ty."

"Yeah."

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"I'm not going anywhere."

"You're not going to have lunch with us?"

"That was more supposed to be a 'yes, you can talk to me,' but no. I'm not going to have lunch with you either."

"Why not?"

"Since when do you care?"

"Look, I want to apologize. I didn't treat you very well when we first met, and... you didn't deserve that."

"I knew it wasn't about me."

"Zhane's no excuse."

"I don't know. I think he's a pretty good one."

"...What's that supposed to mean?"

"I just mean, if I was worried about losing someone like Zhane, I'd be defensive too."

"Yeah. Well. I was. Worried, I mean."

"Was?"

"Look, I just want you to know... I'm glad he has you. He likes you. A lot. And--you're good for him."

"That must have been hard to say."

"You have no idea."

"...Honestly? I think he does a lot more for me than I do for him."

"Honestly--I think we all feel that way about Zhane."

"Yeah. Well..."

"Well, I didn't mean to interrupt... whatever you're doing."

"Yeah, this staring out into space can get pretty intense."

"You really should have lunch with us. We're just down the hall."

"Did Zhane send you to get me?"

"You think he would?"

"No. Not really."

"He wouldn't. He'd come himself. That's just the way he is."

"Sometimes I think... it's not so much the way he is, as it is the way he wants us to be."

"What?"

"He likes helping us. But it must wear him out when we all need his kind of support at the same time."

"Yeah... I guess it does."

"He depends on you, you know. To have his back."

"I watch out for him. We all do."

"We all try to. But you're the only one he really counts on. He depends on you. The rest of us are just sort of... a bonus."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. He doesn't talk to us the way he talks to you."

"He doesn't always talk to me."

"Yeah, he does. Except about you. When he has something going on with the rest of us, he goes to you. But when it's with you, he doesn't come to us. He starts reading, or running, or he disappears downtown."

"He doesn't--tell you what's going on with us?"

"The most I've gotten out of him are slightly inebriated opinions about whether you would or wouldn't do whatever we're doing at the time. I know more about your history from Kerone than I do from Zhane."

"Kerone again. She's either the team matchmaker, or the team trickster."

"She's the outsider. More than me, more than anyone, she's having a hard time adjusting."

"What are you talking about? She's adjusted fine."

"Well, you're her brother. You should know."

"I should. But... sometimes I don't."

"She's lonely. She's not sure she's doing the right thing, here. She thinks her reputation isn't helping the Rangers, and she's afraid Dark Spectre hasn't really let her go. She doesn't even hold the Power. She feels like she isn't one of us, and no one cares."

"Of course we care! But she never said..."

"Emotion is a sign of weakness, Andros. She's calmer, happier, freer--and she's worried about losing that."

"How do you know all this?"

"We talked. Something about brainwashing: it draws people together."

"I'm sorry about... what happened to your husband."

"So am I."

"...Sure you won't join us for lunch?"

"Here? On the Megaship?"

"Yeah. Zhane might like being surrounded by other people all day, but he's the only one."

"We have to have one person that can handle it. He can be our liaison to the world."

"I think he already is."

"You should wear a bell," Kerone informed their mostly noncorporeal guest. "If you sneak up on me one more time I'm going to become as paranoid as Andros."

"No," Zhane interrupted, ducking between them and plunking his plate down on the table. "Believe me, that takes practice. Years of practice."

She looked down at him as Kyril stepped out of the way, sure Zhane's choice of place was not an accident. He was sitting down across from Kristet, with Andros at the other end of the table--ensuring that there were no two empty seats next to each other. He had practically pushed Kyril out of the way to get there, and the only thing she could think was that he really was jealous.

She hated to admit that it made her happy. It gave her a warm feeling inside to think that maybe Zhane still cared enough to be jealous. What had Andros said about him, years ago when she first found her way onto the Megaship as one of its crew? "I'm not sure he wants a serious relationship..."

Yeah, she thought, a little annoyed after all this time. With me, anyway.

That probably wasn't fair to either of them. She had told Ashley repeatedly that Andros loving Zhane didn't mean he loved her any less. Why was it so much harder to believe the same about Zhane when suddenly he was completely absorbed in Andros? Why was it so hard to believe what he had told her in the past--that he would wait for her as long as it took--just because he was now as distant as she had been?

"You're not very good with the Synthetron, are you." It was Ty's voice, maybe the most conversation they'd heard from him in days, and it got everyone's attention.

"I--" Kristet knew it too. She glanced around the room, sighed. "No. Help would be appreciated."

"Here." Ty leaned over her shoulder and punched the "activate" and "input" buttons. "What do you want? DECA's pretty good with Keyota stuff. It's better not to ask for anything that isn't local."

"Excuse me," DECA interjected. "Synthetron files may be updated at any time and with very little trouble. If there is some kind of food that you feel is unsatisfactory, you are welcome to do something about it."

"I am doing something about it," Ty said curtly. "I'm avoiding it."

The ensuing quiet was a little uncomfortable. There wasn't any reason to snap at DECA, but she was clearly reluctant to needle Ty in return. It was probably the first and only time Kerone had seen the computer at a loss for words.

"Don't argue with a cook," Zhane said blithely, as though nothing had happened.

DECA took that diversion without perceptible hesitation. Which wasn't saying much, since she could hesitate faster than any of them could blink. "Would you prefer I saved all my arguments for you?" she inquired smoothly. "You would soon be overwhelmed by your antithesis: logic and rational thinking."

"You mean I'd be underwhelmed by your lack of creative spontaneity," Zhane responded immediately. Out of the corner of her eye, Kerone saw Ty pointing out something else on the Synthetron while Kristet reluctantly followed his lead.

"I tried that," Kyril whispered, leaning across the table and tapping her plate to get her attention. She totally missed DECA's retort as she tried to figure out what he was talking about.

"The bell," he prompted, amusement sparkling in his eyes. "It drove me crazy."

She couldn't help giggling. He would, too. But she'd bet he couldn't create one himself--not one that worked, anyway--and that meant he would have to be corporeal enough to wear a real one. Most people wouldn't understand, but it wouldn't be the sound that drove him crazy. She didn't miss the brief pause in Zhane's argument with DECA while he shot them an assessing glance.

"Kerone?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing?"

"Planting pajamas."

"What?"

"I don't know; Cassie said it once. What are you doing?"

"Making the rounds."

"Oh?"

"I'm trying to apologize. For the way I've been acting lately."

"I think you've been a lot better lately. Why apologize now?"

"Well, no one likes to apologize when things are going badly."

"Maybe not on the side of good."

"Which, last time I checked, we are."

"Point. So what are you apologizing for, again?"

"Well... my attitude, mostly? Since the quest... before the quest, even."

"Apology accepted. Is that all?"

"...Yeah. I guess so."

"That was nice of you."

"Everyone acts out of character sometimes."

"Maybe you could do it more often."

"And here I was just thinking you were the easy one."

"Why do people keep saying that?"

"What?"

"That I'm 'easy.' I'm calm, I'm balanced... where do people get that?"

"You sound like Zhane."

"...How?"

"He complained after the quest that everyone thought he was so good, so selfless."

"He is."

"Sometimes other people see you more clearly than you see yourself."

"Sometimes other people are stupid."

"Thanks."

"I didn't mean you. Although you do have your moments."

"Thanks again. I think."

"You're welcome."

"Kerone... do you feel out of place here? Because you're not."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, I was... which? The question, or the answer?"

"You're unusually quick today."

"I'm having a good day."

"I guess so. Or Zhane's finally wearing off on you."

"I wish he would, some of the time."

"But not when he's clowning around, huh?"

"Not when he's totally avoiding the question. Like you, now."

"...Yes. I do feel out of place."

"More than Ty? More than Ashley?"

"I don't know. I can't judge their feelings. Just mine."

"How do you feel?"

"Like an imposter."

"What are you talking about? You're not an imposter, Kerone!"

"I'm not one of you, either."

"Yes you are. You're my sister, our friend, a Ranger... how can you not be one of us?"

"How can you say I'm a Ranger when I have to fake everything that goes with it? I don't have the Power. I can't morph. I can't jump out of windows like Ashley. I can't fight like you--"

"The Power isn't what makes a Ranger, Kerone. A Ranger is part of the team. You've always been part of the team--DECA considered you a Ranger before we ever came back to KO-35."

"So Saryn wasn't a Ranger when he was the Phantom?"

"He had been a Ranger before. That was enough."

"Then how come Ty could lock me out when he took over the Megaship? Everyone else could still get in."

"Kyril couldn't. DECA's programming doesn't define a Ranger anymore than the Power does. Kerone--remember when we were on the quest? 'The team will consist of four humans and one other,' that's what they told us. You're the other. It doesn't mean you're not part of the team."

"It's not exactly inclusive, either."

"You're not the first alien Ranger! Look at Billy, on Aquitar. Look at Kyril."

"Kyril doesn't always feel like part of the team, either."

"We all have times when we don't feel like part of the team. We all feel left out sometimes. I'm sorry you've been feeling like that lately--all you had to do was say something and every one of us would do everything we could to change that."

"It doesn't matter that much. It's just a feeling; I'm not going to turn the whole team upside down just to make you pay attention to me."

"Why not? That's what the rest of us do."

"Kind of my point."

"It's not such a bad thing, you know. I mean, it is when it gets out of hand--"

"Like you and Zhane?"

"Yeah. Like me and Zhane. I screwed up. I'm probably still screwing up. But I don't know what else to do, so I'm just trying to figure it out as I go."

"Zhane too. It hasn't been just you that's making things weird."

"It's--sometimes I think it was just bad timing. Or... partly bad timing. If all of this hadn't happened now, when we're just starting a new team, and Ashley and Ty have both moved away from home, and KO-35 has never had adult Rangers before... well, Zhane and I couldn't have picked a worse time to be second-guessing each other."

"It's not one of those things that waits, I guess."

"No. It's not. And that's what I'm trying to tell you. You said you can't judge other people's feelings. Well, we can't judge yours, either, so if you don't tell us what's going on with you we'll try to guess, and sometimes we guess wrong. That doesn't help you. It doesn't make us feel any smarter, either."

"You're very articulate today."

"Thanks. I told you, I'm having a good day."

"Were you this good with Zhane?"

"How do you know I talked to Zhane?"

"You talked to Ty. You must have talked to Zhane."

"No. I mean, yeah, I talked to Zhane. No, I wasn't this good."

"That's too bad. He'll probably forgive you."

"He always does. I wish he didn't have to do it so often."

"He doesn't mind."

"Do you?"

"You're my brother, Andros. You get forgiveness built-in."

"Well... just remember, it works both ways."

"I will."

"I'll get Andros and Astrea." Just like that, Zhane was gone, leaving his teammate and media liaison behind in a shower of silver sparkles. Kyril knew they had more to do that afternoon--things that didn't involve assessing hangar damage after lunch. But right now even that was on hold as the sunburst pattern of the Elisian Rangers flashed across the comm screen.

"Good news and bad," Azmuth said, the moment the logo faded and a view of the health center took its place. She was worried... it had taken him quite a while to learn how to decipher her expressions, and this was one he didn't see very often. Nonetheless, he recognized it, and it was contagious. Azmuth didn't worry easily.

"The good news is that Cassie and Saryn have a baby girl," she informed him without prompting. "The bad news is that her sister isn't quite so eager to join her in the world. She's smaller, her heartbeat is irregular, and she doesn't want to leave her mother."

"Cassie didn't want surgery," Kyril said carefully, aware of and ignoring Kristet's careful monitoring of the conversation.

"Dara still thinks it won't come to that," Azmuth answered. "She is concerned, however, for the girl's welfare after she is born."

A burst of light from behind him announced Zhane's return with Kerone and Andros. He kept meaning to ask why Zhane called her 'Astrea.' Unfortunately, now didn't seem the appropriate time, and when he didn't forget he often thought she seemed so distracted by other things that she would just brush the question off.

"And Raine?" Kyril asked, knowing Azmuth would have already volunteered her opinion if it differed from Dara's.

"She says Saryn is pouring so much energy into Cassie that he won't have anything left over for the baby," Azmuth said quietly. "She's not sure any of the rest of us should try on a human infant."

"How's Cassie?" Andros interrupted, predictably impatient.

"Cassie is not in any danger at this time," Azmuth answered. "She is drained but not completely exhausted, responsive, and suffering only slight side effects from the prolonged intensity of her link with Saryn."

"Side effects?" Zhane repeated. "What side effects?"

"She is--" Azmuth hesitated for the first time. "Perhaps more aware than she ought to be. It is an unintentional but not unheard of result of Saryn's unshielded empathy. Dara assures us that it will pass."

"What about the twins?" Kerone wanted to know. "I'm sorry, you must have already said--are they all right?"

"The first was born without complications," Azmuth replied. "She is with Raine, waiting for her sister. The health of the second twin is still in question."

"Her health?" Kerone repeated. "How much of her health? Her survival?"

"Her survival is not assured," Azmuth admitted. "I am sorry to send such news. I will, of course, send word as soon as I know one way or the other."

"You're at the health center now," Kyril said, not because he wasn't sure but because the others probably didn't know. "Are the others with you?"

"Mirine is here, but I have seen her only once since I arrived. She's dividing her time between hospital security and empathic sibling control. Nen has remained behind at the compound with Shei. Cassie's dog has not allowed her out of his sight."

"Jetson's there?" Kerone interrupted. "They let him into the health center?"

Azmuth gave her an odd look. "As her companion, certainly he was allowed in. As Raine tells it, he is easily the calmest person in the room right now."

"Where's Ashley?" Zhane wanted to know. "We haven't heard from her since she got there."

"Ashley has joined her friends from Earth in the cafeteria. I will tell her that you inquired after her."

"Her friends from Earth?" Andros repeated. "Who else is there?"

"Carlos Vargas, Karen Carista, and TJ Carter all arrived shortly after Ashley did. They have not been able to see Cassie, of course, but they are here and it is possible that knowledge of their presence has had a beneficial effect."

***

"You did it Cassie, you did it; you can relax."

"She isn't breathing."

"Saryn, sit down!"

"Do not tell me what to do when I can help!"

"Raine!"

"Saryn, she'll tell you if you can help. Saryn!"

"I have to--"

"What you have to do is trust me! I won't let this baby die!"

"Saryn! Let her do her job!"

"Mirine!"

"Saryn, sit down before you fall. Raine, what can we do for Cassie?"

"I'll take care of Cassie if you take care of her."

"What--Raine, what do I know about babies?"

"Not to drop them. Support her head. There, like that. Saryn, help her."

"What's her name?"

"Cassie, look at me. Look at me."

"...Terra."

"That's pretty. Saryn, don't you dare get up."

"Cassie, they're going to be just fine. It's going to be all right. Cassie?"

"Raine, I need some of that water."

"Saryn--"

"She's breathing. Her heart rate isn't evening out any."

"Arrythmia?"

"A serious one. Breathing won't do her any good if she can't circulate the oxygen in her blood."

"Saryn. Cassie needs you right now. So does Terra."

"Mirine, have him hold her."

"Cassie...?"

"Just stay there. I'll take care of her."

"Someone please describe Jenna for me."

"What did you just say? Are you--Dara? What are you doing?"

"I said. Someone. Please describe Jenna for me."

"She watches over Cassie."

"Yes, I gathered that."

"She does?"

"Saryn--are you all right?"

"Blonde... Taller than Cassie. Curly hair and green eyes."

"I see."

"What's going on?"

"Wrong about what? Cassie?"

"She is not talking to us."

"Her heartbeat is steadying. Hand me another blanket."

"We need to get Cassie into something dry and warm."

"Dara... she's barely responding."

"Saryn?"

"She is aware of what is happening."

"That's good enough for me. Let's get all of you more comfortable, here."

"Is she--"

"She's as stable as her sister is, for now. The best thing for her is to be with her family."

"Saryn? Does she have a name?"

"Jenni."

"Cassie?"

"What did she say?"

"...Her name is Jenni."

"Oh, thank god," she whispered fervently. She would have embraced Azmuth right then, but TJ was closer and he wasn't an alien. Ashley threw her arms around him, saw everything around her blur as the tears finally came, and she felt Carlos hug her when TJ let go. His arm still around Karen's waist, they ended up in a group hug that made her laugh through her tears.

She hadn't been able to cry since Raine's call came early that morning and the waiting had begun. Now that she knew she didn't have to, she couldn't stop herself. The words tumbled out faster than the tears. "Can we see them? Can we see Cassie?"

Azmuth hesitated, obviously torn. The answer was clearly no, and yet she hated to tell them that after the endless day they'd spent in each other's company. "I'm sorry," she said at last. "Cassie can barely keep her eyes open, and Saryn is raw from a day without defenses... neither of them is prepared for company right now."

Ashley swallowed hard, knowing it was the truth but wishing it didn't have to be. Azmuth must have seen something on her face, though, because she wavered. "Perhaps... if only one of you were to go in? For just a moment?"

They all looked at each other, and Carlos pushed her forward without hesitation. "Go. Quick. Tell her we'll expect food in return for babysitting."

She giggled to cover her sniffles, rubbing her eyes determinedly as she followed Azmuth down the hall. Azmuth hadn't been kidding when she said "no company," for she waited outside while she gestured Ashley in. "Just for a moment," she said through the door, when everyone inside turned to glare at them. Azmuth withdrew quickly, closed the door, and Ashley was on her own.

"Sorry," she said awkwardly. "I just--"

"Ash?" Cassie's voice was quiet but her smile was genuine. Ashley forgot all about the other women in the room.

"Cassie!" As carefully as she could, she made her way over to the bed where Cassie was propped up against Saryn and an awful lot of pillows. She held one baby, while the other was being fussed over by Raine and someone Ashley didn't recognize. Dara?

"How are you?" she asked, keeping her voice down as she stared down at the tiny person in Cassie's arms. "How are they?"

There was a yelp and a sudden rustle of movement from under the bed, and she looked down to see a yellow tail being tucked further away from her feet. It was replaced a moment later by a black nose and reproachful brown eyes. "Sorry, Jetson," she apologized. "I didn't even see you."

"You are not the first," Saryn remarked, sounding surprisingly calm for someone who supposedly couldn't handle company. "He will survive."

Ashley reached down to pat him anyway, and Cassie gave her a grateful look. "They're okay," she said, her voice still breathy and a little distant. "Dara says they'll make it."

"But apparently we are all confined to the health center indefinitely," Saryn put in. He was feeling good enough to complain, which Ashley suspected was a good sign.

Raine apparently agreed. "Keep it up and we'll assume you're well enough to leave," she warned. "Alone."

"Ash..." Cassie's half-whisper commanded everyone's immediate attention. "Thanks for coming. All of you. It really means a lot."

"We had to," Ashley promised. "Whether we could help or not."

"You did," Cassie said softly. "You don't even know."

"Switch," Dara declared, inserting herself between Ashley and Cassie. She smoothly exchanged one baby for another, giving Ashley a friendly but decisive look as she turned around. "She needs some rest," she said, not unkindly.

"I'll go," Ashley said quickly. "But the others say hi--oh, and Carlos says to tell you he wants food when he babysits."

Cassie was smiling again. "Tell him he's got it."

"'Kay." She leaned forward to kiss Cassie's forehead. "We love you guys. Don't forget."

Cassie reached for her hand as she drew away, fingers brushing against hers. "Love you too. All of you."

Ashley smiled, then stopped just before she turned away. "Oh! They'll never let me live it down if I don't come back with names!"

A whisper of a laugh escaped, and Cassie hugged her baby a little closer. "This is Terra," she murmured. "Jenni's with Raine, now."

Ashley shot the other women a glance, barely catching sight of the tiny child between them. "Jenni and Terra," she repeated. "I'll tell them. Get some rest, okay?"

Cassie's nod was almost imperceptible, but the way Saryn's arm tightened around her shoulders said that he would make sure of it.