"You'll have to discuss that with Commander Marsie," Andros answered. "Our involvement with the Planetary Defense is subject to her authority and at her discretion."

"But isn't it true that you lead a fighter wing of which Commander Marsie is a part?" the reporter persisted. "Does the commander defer to you in battle?"

"The PD's command structure is not something I'm going to discuss," Andros told her point blank. "Commander Marsie and I recognize the necessity for a unified defense force, and because of that the Rangers are participating in PD training sims. Both the fighter wings and the Rangers are prepared to function interdependently or autonomously in a battle situation."

"Where was the fighter wing when the Ranger compound came under attack last week?" someone else wanted to know. "There have been several more incidents like that one, but the fighter wings have yet to respond. Why is that?"

"They haven't responded because it's not the job of the Planetary Defense to protect the zord hangar," Andros said, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes. "There are five Rangers living in it, and if we can't handle a few quantrons then I don't know what good you think we'll be in battle."

The ripple of amusement from the crowd almost disguised the sound of a door opening at the back of the room, but the murmur grew louder as people who had shot a casual glance in that direction turned to look again. Andros had seen Zhane the moment he entered, and luckily he didn't have to wait for the Silver Ranger to make his way forward to find out what was going on. The press conference wasn't supposed to end for several more minutes.

Problem? The silent question slipped easily past those packing the crowded room, and Zhane's serious expression was answer enough.

"That's it for today," Andros told the room without hesitation. "Thank you all for your cooperation, and I'll see you at the next conference."

He headed for the back of the room without another word, ignoring the mostly well-meaning inquiries directed at the both of them. He tried not to show how grateful he was for the interruption, even if it did mean more bad news. Zhane's hand on his shoulder as they escaped out into the hallway was the most welcome support he'd had all day.

"We should get a PR agent," Zhane muttered, just quietly enough for him to hear. He didn't let go of Andros' shoulder. "I think you get more tense every time you do one of those things."

"Where's JT?" Andros kept his voice just as quiet. "Do the others know?"

"Hey!" Zhane stepped away from him abruptly, confronting a passerby with a strangely angry tone. Andros looked on in confusion as Zhane held out his hand. "I want that camera," the Silver Ranger told the woman. "No pictures outside of the conference room; you know that."

"I--I'm sorry," the woman stammered, glancing back and forth between them. Now that Andros was looking for it, he could see the media badge on her sleeve. "I'll delete it. This is my only camera!"

"Too bad for you," Zhane informed her. "Give me your badge, too, and I'll have it sent back to you."

"But I'll be kicked out of the building!" she protested, looking to Andros uncertainly.

"Maybe next time you won't try to take pictures of off-duty Rangers," Zhane countered. "Hand them over."

"Zhane," Andros interrupted, but the Silver Ranger didn't even look at him.

"Stay out of it, Andros. This isn't Earth, and I'm not going to let it turn into Earth. Camera and badge," he told the woman. "Or I'll get your security clearance revoked."

She handed them over without further complaint, and Zhane gestured for her to precede them down the hall. "We'll escort you out," he said, his expression curiously neutral. "So you don't have any trouble with security."

She gave him a wry look for that comment, but she did as she was told. Zhane glanced down at her badge as they emerged from the building, and Andros wondered if he would really keep it. Zhane was going to ruin his image as the media's darling if he kept this up.

"Kristet?" the Silver Ranger asked, lifting his head to study the woman again.

"Kristet Sinai," she corrected. "Just married."

"Well, Kristet Sinai," Zhane said, his good humor apparently restored, "it was nice to meet you." He pocketed the badge and nodded to her pleasantly. "I'll make sure you get these back. Enjoy your suddenly free day."

From the look of surprise on her face, Andros guessed that she hadn't expected Zhane to follow through on his threat either. He couldn't help smiling as Zhane slung an arm over his shoulder and steered him away, nonchalant as though nothing had happened. They walked the rest of the way to his hover in silence, but when Zhane pressed his palm to the driver's side door, he had to say something.

"She's going to miss that camera, you know," Andros remarked, eyeing him curiously. He had almost forgotten what Zhane had come to tell him by now.

"Sure she is," Zhane said dryly, settling into the hover and waiting for Andros to join him. "You didn't really fall for that, did you? 'Oh, this is my only camera... I'd be so lost without it!' Like she would have used her only camera to do something illegal."

"So you're cynical now, too?" Andros frowned as the hover broke out of the parking grid, and it occurred to him to wonder where they were going. Somehow, this seemed more important. "When did that happen?"

"Just because I don't want people taking pictures everywhere we go doesn't mean I'm cynical," Zhane retorted, not looking at him. "I'd like to be able to go somewhere with my friends without seeing it on the news the next day."

Andros let out a breath of amusement. "You love seeing yourself on the news," he reminded Zhane. "I'm the one that--"

He stopped. Zhane didn't say anything, keeping his eyes straight ahead. It was obvious in retrospect, but it was harder to put into words. "Are you... protecting me?"

Zhane laughed aloud, startling him. "Like you've ever in your life let someone else protect you!" He still didn't take his eyes off of the traffic, though, and Andros just watched him.

Zhane finally glanced in his direction. Catching Andros' eye, he looked away again with a muttered, "Someone has to."

Andros felt the corners of his mouth quirk. "Don't get carried away," he warned, but he couldn't deny the comfortable feeling of warmth Zhane's actions had instilled in him. "Where are we going, anyway?"

"Back to the hangar," Zhane answered quickly. He seemed relieved that the questioning was over. "JT left some files, technical stuff that Ashley and Astrea are going over, and Cassie and Saryn called to say they're on their way in."

"JT's gone already?" He supposed that wasn't such a surprise; the other Blue Turbo Ranger often complained that their dimension interfered with his ability to get anything done. "Why are Cassie and Saryn coming? Did JT contact them, too?"

"Yes; because Cassie's bored; and no, Jay did." Zhane had an uncanny ability to remember multiple questions in order and tended to show it off at the most annoying times. Before Andros could press for more details, though, he elaborated of his own accord.

"JT was only here long enough to prove he could be," Zhane explained. "He and Justin think the former Turbo Rangers are some kind of interdimensional homing beacons that the Dark Spectre in his dimension is using to direct our Mystery Quantrons. I guess their old mentor--Dimitria?--was an interdimensional being, and she marked her Rangers somehow.

"The Robot Rangers went to tell the other Turbos, and when Cassie heard about it she decided it was a good excuse to drive Saryn crazy by insisting on traveling. So she's coming here, and of course Saryn is coming with her--just our luck," Zhane added as an aside.

Andros was quiet, thinking back over the recent quantron attacks. It wasn't obvious until one was looking for it, but they did seem to center around Ashley. They hadn't yet occurred anywhere on KO-35 but the hangar bay or the surrounding hills, and when quantrons did appear Ashley and Kerone were always the first to engage them.

"I'm just kidding," Zhane offered, shooting him a sideways look. "What are you thinking?"

Andros frowned, considering the idea more objectively. "It doesn't make any sense," he said abruptly. "Why would Dark Spectre send quantrons after the former Turbo Rangers? They never fought him, they don't have anything he wants--they're not even together, so it's not like he can mount some kind of coordinated attack."

Zhane shrugged. "Since when has something a villain done made sense? Just be glad Ash agreed to let Astrea be her bodyguard. Like she wasn't already."

Andros looked over at him in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"You know." Zhane waved a hand dismissively. "The way Astrea's made it her personal mission lately to keep Ashley happy. Safe, smiling... whatever Ash wants, Astrea makes sure she gets it. You can't tell me you haven't noticed."

"What does..." Andros faltered, just short of asking what it was Ashley wanted that she wasn't getting. "She does?"

"Yeah." Zhane smirked at the oncoming traffic. "Ty thought they were sleeping together."

Andros' eyes widened. "What?!"

Zhane chuckled, shaking his head. "I should have known you'd say that," he mused. "Is there anything else I can tell you about our teammates? You do know Ty was married, right?"

Andros folded his arms defensively. "Very funny," he muttered.

"I'm not kidding, Andros." Zhane glanced over at him again. "He's twenty-five. He and Ryse were together for three years before Ryse died fighting the occupation on Eltare. Ty was there too--you never wondered how he got so good with a stunner?"

Andros stared at him. Fighting ability didn't surprise him in anyone from the colony, to be honest. KO-35's history was short and brutal, and he'd just assumed Ty had learned to fire a weapon out of necessity. "He was on Eltare?" he blurted out. "When?"

"During its liberation," Zhane said soberly. "When the Border worlds rallied and the Frontier Defense went in to retake Eltare, he and Ryse were with the Calijyt fighters."

"Calijyt?" Andros repeated, a little alarmed by how much he didn't know. He'd always assumed Ty was a Kerovan refugee, like most of the others on Rayven. Now he wasn't even sure Ty had been on Rayven.

"Family home," Zhane explained. "Ryse was from Calijyt. Ty fought his way back, but after Eltare... He says it's not where he belongs anymore. When Tevi asked him to come back to KO-35, I guess he didn't feel like he was leaving much behind."

Andros was silent, trying to remember whether Ty had ever said anything in his presence that even hinted at that kind of past. Ty was certainly an adequate hand-to-hand fighter, but the Power tended to provide enough in the way of "instinct" that his ability wasn't unusual. He was surprisingly good with firearms, especially his stunner, but again... Andros had assumed he was from KO-35. A lot of colonists could shoot.

"Don't... say anything to him, okay?" Zhane sounded a little uncomfortable. "He told me that stuff because I asked, but I'm pretty sure he didn't want everyone to know. Don't tell him I told you."

"I won't," Andros said absently, trying to make the information fit into a cohesive picture that he could label "Ty". It was harder than it should have been, especially given his earlier assumptions, but he didn't miss the worried look Zhane gave him.

"Really," he promised, setting his thoughts aside for the moment. "Thanks for telling me." He knew it was selfish, but he couldn't help being secretly pleased that his trust still meant more to Zhane than Ty's.

Zhane shrugged. He didn't look as worried, though, and that was something. "Someday you're going to have to say more to him than just 'hey' and 'later', you know."

"It's not like I never talk to him," Andros protested. "We just don't have long, heart-to-heart conversations, that's all."

"Andros, you didn't know he was married. That's not like not knowing when he lost his first tooth or what made him become a geneticist or something."

Andros hesitated, torn between shame and laughter. "Ty's a geneticist?" he asked tentatively.

"Dammit, Andros!" Luckily, Zhane seemed to be wavering on the edge of laughter too. "What do you know about him?"

"I know he has good taste in lovers," Andros answered without thinking.

Zhane didn't say anything for a long moment, but finally he threw a sideways glance in Andros' direction. "Is it still about me?" he asked bluntly. "Or is it just that you have this history now, and it's easier to ignore each other than to get over it?"

Andros didn't return his look. "It's still about you," he said, watching the buildings change as they headed past the Keyota limits.

"Then how do I fix it?" Zhane demanded. "Do I stop seeing him? Do I start seeing you? Tell me what to do here, because you haven't really given me anything to go on."

"I didn't mean it was your fault," Andros said, startled. "I just--"

"Tell me what to do," Zhane interrupted.

Andros swallowed. "Go out with me."

"Done." Zhane didn't even look at him. "Tonight?"

"Sure." The response was automatic; he wasn't even sure what had just happened. Had Zhane asked him out? Had he asked Zhane out? Were they dating, now? "I didn't mean to say it was your fault, Zhane."

"Then what did you mean?" Zhane countered. "What do you see when you look at Ty? I don't understand why he upsets you when no one else does!"

"Competition," Andros said softly. "I see competition when I look at Ty."

"I know that." Zhane sounded exasperated. "But I don't understand why! You have me, Andros, and you've never had to compete for me. So what are you so worried about?"

Andros was quiet for a moment, hoping Zhane wasn't just saying that out of habit. "I always took that for granted," he admitted quietly. "That we were... us. But then Ty came along, and we weren't anymore.

"Wait," he added, when Zhane opened his mouth. "Just... wait."

He forced his mind to follow that train of thought, tried to find the words for it. "We hadn't been--for a long time, I guess." He blinked, stumbling over the idea he was trying to express where he least expected it. "Ty's Ashley.

"It was like you left me for Ty," he added slowly. He stared at the console in front of him, not daring to look up. "And I did the same thing with Ashley but I didn't realize it. When you were with Ty I suddenly had this feeling that I had done something terrible and I didn't--"

He swallowed hard to keep his voice from breaking. "I don't know what to do about it," he finished unsteadily.

"Okay." Zhane paused, but he hadn't let the silence linger and for that Andros was grateful. "Okay," he repeated, more quietly.

There was another pause, and this time he continued. "I don't feel about Ty the way you feel about Ashley," he said at last. "That's... special. Different. I don't know."

"Yeah," Andros agreed softly. "So were we."

"'Were'?" Zhane's voice was expressionless.

"Are?" he suggested hesitantly.

"Still love you." Zhane's words were flippant, but he had no doubt the sentiment was sincere. "Wouldn't mind beating you up every now and then, but that's nothing new."

"Ditto," Andros said with a small smile that faded as soon as he recognized the response as Ashley's.

"When I died," Zhane said, not seeming to notice, "the last thing I wanted was for you to spend the rest of your life alone. I would have wanted you to find someone who meant as much to you as Ashley--hell, I would have been the one setting you up!"

"You. Didn't. Die," Andros ground out, trying not to think about that time. He wished Zhane would stop calling it "the time I died".

"Yeah, small problem there," Zhane agreed easily. "Woke up, met your new friends... it was pretty weird at first. But you were there, and you were okay, and for a long time that was all I could think about."

"And then there was 'Astrea'," Andros pointed out, trying to remember if he had ever been jealous of his sister. He really hadn't, and to this day he wasn't sure why.

"Then there was Astrea," Zhane echoed, sounding more thoughtful than amused. "She... listened."

And there was the jealousy. Right on schedule. He knew he shouldn't have questioned it. Thinking was obviously not helping him in this.

"The night you and Ash went on your first date," Zhane added. "That was the night I met her--right after I saw you two in the park together. It was a weird feeling... weirder even than when you told me you loved her, you know? Because then, we were together, and she was far away. I was your friend; she was just this girl you'd fallen for."

Just this girl. Had Zhane ever talked about girls any other way? Was that why it never bothered him? Zhane wasn't serious about girls; never had been. Maybe that was why he hadn't recognized what his friend felt for him... it wasn't anything like the way he acted with girls.

"Astrea was all mine," Zhane continued. "She didn't have anything to do with the team, or you... or at least, I didn't think she did," he remarked ruefully. "I really needed someone I didn't have to share while I tried to figure out what was bothering me."

"When... did you?" He wasn't sure he should ask, but he didn't know what else to say.

"Dunno," Zhane said with a shrug. "Feels like I've always known, now."

Their speed hadn't changed, Andros realized suddenly. Once outside the city, cruising speed increased dramatically and hovers tended to sail along as fast as they could while still making the corners. Past that, Zhane usually poured on the speed to make their trek through the foothills as short as possible.

This time, they were still puttering along at city speed. It was even more noticeable now, as they headed into what could legitimately be considered wilderness. Andros didn't say anything, and Zhane didn't bother to make excuses. They both knew there were conversations they should have had before.

"Astrea and I aren't like you and Ashley either, you know," Zhane said after a moment. "I mean it when I say you have something special."

"She reminds me of you," Andros blurted out.

He could hear Zhane's grin. "Glad you said it, not me. I... I guess I'd like to think that's why you guys are so close."

"It is," Andros said softly. "I think it is. But..."

"But?" Zhane prompted, when he hesitated.

"I feel like I betrayed you," he whispered. Saying it quietly didn't make it any less real, and he was surprised by how true it was now that he'd finally given voice to the words.

"By loving Ash?" Zhane barely waited for his nod. "You didn't. You just--you did exactly what I would have wanted, if I hadn't come back. I'm glad you got on with your life."

"But you did come back," Andros insisted. "I can't stop loving her, but I never stopped loving you. So what am I supposed to do?"

"You're supposed to believe us when we tell you that it's all right," Zhane said firmly. "You're supposed to stop feeling guilty about needing us to love only you even though you love both of us, because we're not the same and we all know it. We can have different standards."

"It's not all right," Andros told the console. "I won't ask you to stop loving other people if I can't. It's not fair."

"You don't have to ask me," Zhane replied calmly. "I love you, Andros. You're the only, only person I've ever sworn loyalty to, and the only one I'd do anything for. I know you love Ashley. That doesn't change anything for me."

"You love Kerone," Andros reminded him, not sure how he was supposed to feel about that. She was his sister, and of course he wanted the person she loved to love her back. And yet...

"Sure do," Zhane agreed, a wide smile taking over his face. "It's funny you say that, though... I once tried to explain love to her. I told her I loved you, but that I wasn't in love with you.

"I was wrong," he added, as though it was a given. "She knew before I did. She understands, and I think... maybe it helps her, a little. She doesn't feel so--pressured, to be what I need, you know? Not that I ever tried to make her be, but--she knew I needed something else, and for a long time I think she tried to figure out what it was so she could be that."

"That's..." Andros hesitated, his mind currently incapable of processing the analysis of his sister. "That's how I feel about Ty, sometimes," he confessed.

Zhane sighed. "Andros, I don't love Ty. How many times have I told you that?" He shot a sideways look across the hover that didn't quite reach the Red Ranger. "No one has ever had anything from me that wasn't yours for the asking. Not Ty, not anyone."

The hangar bay was finally coming into sight, and Andros almost wished they could turn around. He didn't know how to respond to that, but he knew he wanted to. He had to, if he was ever going to accept Ty as more than just a teammate.

Zhane didn't say anything as they approached the hangar, but as the hover settled into its customary spot outside he didn't make any move to get out. Instead he braced one hand against the console for a moment, considering it, before twisting to face Andros. Andros just stared back, not sure what he was waiting for.

"You're right," Zhane said at last. "When you say I love other people, you're right." His gaze didn't waver, and it was disconcerting in its intensity. "I just love you more."

Andros swallowed, knowing there was nothing he could say that wouldn't sound trivial after that. "Does it scare you?" he asked abruptly. He didn't know where the words came from, but they weren't wrong if Zhane's expression was anything to go by. "Loving that much?"

Zhane just smiled. "Does it scare you?"

Andros nodded slowly.

"Why?"

"Because..." Andros glanced out at the hangar, then back at Zhane. "What if I lost you? I don't have the best history, you know." He tried to smile, but it didn't quite work. "It happened once--what if it happened again? What if there was no Ashley, and you didn't come back? I'm not that strong, Zhane."

"You don't have to be," Zhane insisted. "Ashley is here, I did come back, and this is now. It's not the past, it's not the future, it's just now. You're wasting the present if you keep trying to anticipate the future."

Andros hesitated, suddenly reminded of a long-ago night on Rayven. "You've told me that before," he said quietly. "Haven't you."

Zhane shrugged. "Probably. You never did listen."

"You keep trying," Andros said, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"I learned 'stubborn' from you," Zhane retorted.

"Does it scare you?" Andros repeated, sobering. His friend hadn't answered the question, and it was strangely important to him that he know.

"Sure," Zhane agreed, surprising him. "It scares me when I can't control it, and it scares me when I can because that means I might screw it up. What if I say something wrong, or do something--wrong? I feel like I should know what you're thinking, but I don't always, and then I'm on my own and that's scary.

"But there's nothing about life that isn't like that, and if there is I figure I'm probably doing it wrong," Zhane added with a grin. "So yeah, loving you scares me. But not loving you scares me more, so..."

He trailed off deliberately, and Andros considered that for a moment. It was a startling thought, as simple as it seemed. As hard as it was to figure out where he stood with two people, how much harder would it be to let either of them go? Maybe he didn't think he could do it--but he had never considered not doing it.

The comm chimed, and Zhane reached out to activate the link. "Zhane, hover 342," he responded automatically, despite the fact they were well out of the traffic grid.

"An Elisian shuttle accompanied by a zord escort has just cleared the upper atmosphere," DECA's voice responded. "You are about to have company."

Zhane exchanged wry glances with Andros. They could sit out here all day and none of the other Rangers might be the wiser, but DECA knew perfectly well where they were. "Thanks, DECA," he answered.

"Tonight," Zhane said, deactivating the comm link. "Whether Cassie and Saryn are still here or not, okay?"

Andros paused, aborting his motion to climb out of the hover. He knew immediately what Zhane was talking about. "Yeah," he agreed, trying to suppress a pleased smile. "No matter what."

"Hey, quit hogging the food!"

"Since when does scooping some onto my plate count as hogging it?"

"Since I had to drive into Keyota twice today, so I should get it first!"

"Hey, you volunteered to pick Andros up. And I could be wrong, but I think you also volunteered to get the food. So stop pretending it was a trial!"

Kerone giggled at Zhane's expression, which consisted mostly of a very put-upon pout. It had absolutely no effect on Ty, but Andros sighed and reached over to grab the dish out of Ty's hand. "Eat something and behave," he ordered, passing it to Zhane.

Zhane's face broke into a wide grin, and he winked at Ty. "Yes to the first, no to the second," he crowed, piling his plate with what had to be first and second helpings at the same time. "What's everyone else having?"

"Zhane, when you're eating more than I do, you know there's something wrong," Cassie put in, watching him with amusement. "Save some for the rest of us."

Zhane paused, eyeing her with mock dismay. "Oh, you wanted some too?"

Ashley poked her in the ribs, and Kerone handed her the salad with a murmured apology. "Distracted?" Ashley teased, putting some on Kerone's plate before taking some for herself. "Just because you don't eat doesn't mean we don't want to."

"You don't eat?" Kyril interrupted, looking up from the other side of their outdoor picnic. She hadn't thought anyone else was paying attention, and she hesitated uncomfortably. Instead of waiting for her answer, though, he just smiled at her and mimed relief. "Now I don't feel so alone!"

"You eat," Cassie chided, as Ashley passed her the salad bowl. "Especially when Raine and Saryn cook!"

"Well, at least I'm discriminating," Kyril remarked, unfazed. "Not that Saryn chooses to grace us with his culinary efforts very often."

"Saryn has other people to cook for," Saryn countered, and his use of the third person made Kerone giggle again. He was in a good mood, despite what he had previously referred to as Cassie's "hijacking" of his plans for the day.

"Like Raine doesn't," Cassie exclaimed.

"Whose side are you on?" Saryn wanted to know, and it was so obviously an Earth expression that Kerone and Ashley exchanged grins.

Cassie clapped her hand over her mouth in an exaggerated display of distress, but her eyes sparkled over top of her hand. Ashley laughed, reaching in front of Kerone to take the rolls away from Zhane. "Never argue with the cook," she advised, putting a roll on Kerone's plate and another on her own. "That's what we learned as soon as Ty moved in."

"Are you just going to serve me some of everything?" Kerone wanted to know.

"Basically, yeah," Ashley said with a giggle, passing the rolls on to Cassie. "Between Zhane and Cassie, someone will eat it if you don't."

"I'm starving," Cassie interjected promptly. "Andros, could you pass the... whatever that is?" she finished, indicating the dish in his hand.

"How do you know you want it if you don't know what it is?" Zhane teased, taking it from Andros and passing it her way. "It could be worm feet!"

"Worms don't have feet," Cassie reminded him.

"Not anymore," he agreed ominously.

Ashley laughed. "Zhane! Stop it!"

He glanced over at her with a smirk. "Want to know what's in the salad?"

"No!" she exclaimed, giggling. "Andros, make him stop!"

Andros just shrugged, giving her a "what do you want me to do?" look. "He did get the food," he pointed out reasonably. "And he's not eating the worm feet."

Ashley wrinkled her nose at him, and Andros' carefully neutral expression dissolved into a smile. He picked up Zhane's plate and handed it to Kerone, neatly avoiding Zhane's attempt to stop him once he realized what was happening. "Told you," he reminded Zhane. "You should have behaved when you had the chance."

"You're no fun," Zhane complained, turning his attention to Kerone. "C'mon, Astrea," he entreated. "I'm hungry!"

She glanced at Ashley, who frowned prettily at Zhane. "Apologize first," the other girl insisted.

Zhane put the back of his hand to his forehead and let out a dramatic exhalation. "I'm so sorry I teased you about the food!" he declared. "I will never, ever, even think about doing such a thing again!"

Frozen in place, he lowered his gaze to Ashley with a hopeful look. "Convinced?"

"Not in the least," she said with a giggle. Catching Kerone's eye, she cocked her head at Zhane, still grinning. Kerone passed him his plate without a word.

"That never works on you," Saryn told Cassie, and Zhane let out a hoot of laughter. Ashley's giggles intensified, and even Andros smiled. Kerone saw Cassie smooth Saryn's hair affectionately when she thought no one was looking, and he gave her a look that was reserved for no one else.

"You avoiding someone?"

The night was still and quiet, the barest hint of a breeze chill across the stone and grass. He saw Andros start at the sound of his voice, but he didn't bother to apologize. Andros had promised.

"Everyone," Andros admitted, surprising him as he straightened from the front of the hover and turned to face him. "Except you."

"Could have fooled me," Zhane muttered. "I had to ask DECA where you were."

"Why didn't you just ask me?" Andros' frown was barely visible in the starlight. He seemed genuinely puzzled, and now Zhane didn't know what to think.

"I thought we were going out," he said at last, trying not to sound as hurt as he felt. Ashley had insisted that Cassie and Saryn stay the night, and somehow between the stairs and their rooms, Andros had vanished.

"Aren't we?" Andros was the picture of innocence--or he probably would have been, if Zhane could see properly.

"You disappeared," Zhane pointed out.

"I told you." Andros shifted a little. "I'm avoiding everyone else. It's been a really long day."

Starting with his own private workout that lasted until the rest of them trickled down into the kitchen and found him on the mats. They had all participated in another of Marsie's sims that morning, and then while they had the afternoon off Andros had gone to do a press conference. Between the news from JT and the arrival of their friends the evening hadn't exactly been relaxing, either.

"Yeah," Zhane agreed guiltily. Only now did it occur to him what he was asking. Andros, for whom socializing had never been a high priority, had spent his entire day in the company of others and now meant to accompany Zhane back to the city.

"You should take it easy," he said, hoping his disappointment didn't show. "Why don't we do this some other time?"

"You promised." Andros sounded almost petulant, and Zhane stared at his silhouette in surprise. "Can't we at least get something to drink?"

"Hey," Zhane said quickly. "You don't have to twist my arm. I just thought maybe you wouldn't want to, that's all."

"I don't want to go into the city," Andros admitted. "But I want to be with you."

"Well, hey." Zhane couldn't quite contain his grin. "That's works out, then, 'cause I'm not in the city. You can stay right here and be with me at the same time."

"But it's not a date unless we go somewhere," Andros said with a sigh.

"Who says?" Zhane demanded. "The best dates end back at home anyway. We'll just get a head start. We can even sit in my hover and pretend we're going somewhere, if you want."

"Parking," Andros muttered, and Zhane's eyes widened.

"What did you say?"

"Parking," Andros repeated. "That's what Ashley calls it when you sit in a vehicle and don't go anywhere. Apparently they do it a lot in California."

Zhane chuckled, but he was careful to keep his voice as nonchalant as possible. "I'm not sure you totally understand the concept, Andros. It's not just... sitting there."

"How would you know?" Andros retorted. "I'd never even heard of it until Ashley mentioned it."

"Why am I not surprised?" Zhane asked rhetorically. "Guess I'm just going to have to show you, then. In," he added, indicating the passenger side of the hover.

"Thanks, Kerone. We really appreciate it."

"You're welcome," Kerone said with a smile, stepping back into the hallway. "Good night."

"Don't forget the bathroom's divided," Ashley added over her shoulder. "And try to ignore the cats in the morning. They're louder than we are."

"They are," Kerone agreed with a giggle. "Especially when it rains."

"Hopefully it won't," Ashley told Cassie, who was glancing back and forth between them with an amused look on her face. "Sleep well!"

Cassie shook her head, but she echoed them and waited until they moved off down the catwalk to close the door. Ashley peered over the railing as they went, wondering where the other Elisian Ranger had gone. Or, for that matter, their own teammates.

"Where's Zhane?" she asked Kerone idly. "I didn't think he'd miss a chance to tease Cassie, but I haven't seen him since we came upstairs."

"I think he went to find Andros." Kerone was weaving a web of violet light behind her fingers, paying little to no attention to where she put her feet. "He was looking pretty quiet after dinner."

Ashley frowned a little, remembering the same thing. "Do you think he's all right?"

Kerone nodded, still not looking up from her hands. "I think it's just the press conferences. He really doesn't like them."

Ashley considered that, but it wasn't like they hadn't been over it before. "I'd offer to do them, but I'm not even from KO-35. And I love Ty, but he doesn't speak well in front of a lot of people."

"I'm not the best representative, and Zhane's too... Zhane," Kerone finished. "I know. I wish we could switch off, but Andros is just better at it than anyone else."

Ashley leaned against the railing outside her own door. "On Earth, some people have people that do press conferences for them," she mused. "Public relations. It's like a whole career. Do you guys have anything like that?"

Kerone gave her a wry look. "You're asking me?"

Ashley laughed, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. "Sorry. Just thinking out loud, I guess."

There was a moment of silence, and then Kerone shifted. "Even if we did," she said at last. She turned, looking over the railing and surveying the hangar below. "Who would you trust--with this?"

Ashley turned too, following her gaze. "I don't know," she said thoughtfully. "That's a good question."

Footsteps on the stairs made her look over her shoulder, and she smiled in welcome at Ty. "Hey," she said, making room for him on the railing. "Want to play 'where's Zhane'?"

Ty gave her a bemused smile. "He's outside," he offered. "He went to find Andros, I think."

Ashley nudged Kerone. "You were right," she remarked, before glancing back at Ty. "There's a game on Earth called 'where's Waldo'," she explained. "There are these really big pictures and you try to pick out this one person out of hundreds. He's always dressed the same way, but it never helps."

"I see." Ty leaned on the railing obediently, considering the empty hangar below. "I can see why this would make you think of that."

Ashley rolled her eyes, and he grinned indulgently at her. "Don't worry," he assured her. "I'll learn something about your planet yet."

"If it's only going to be one thing," Kerone interrupted, "could you forget the 'where's Waldo' story and pick something else?"

Ashley bumped her shoulder gently, and Kerone pushed her right back. "There are more useful things to know about Earth," she pointed out. "Like the fact that it's far, far away from here. And that it doesn't have spaceflight yet, so we don't have to worry about cultural contamination for a few centuries at least."

"Hey!" Ashley protested. "We have space shuttles!"

"That's true," Kerone agreed solemnly, leaning on the railing and catching Ty's gaze. "They go to the moon," she said, as though imparting a great secret.

Ashley shoved her again, ignoring her laugh as she turned to Ty. "One of those shuttles turned the Megaship into the Astro Megazord," she informed him.

"After Zordon rigged it," Kerone agreed from behind her.

"So Ty," she said, as though she hadn't heard a word. "You would know--does KO-35 have public relations agents?"

"You mean people that talk to reporters when you're too busy, and make you look good when you do stupid things?"

Ashley smiled at his description. "Yeah, that's pretty much it. So you do have them?"

"Sure," he said with a shrug. "How do you think Kinwon's stayed on the Council this long?"

"You don't like Kinwon?" Kerone asked, leaning forward on the railing again.

"I think he's a good person," Ty responded equably. "I have nothing against him personally, no. I'm just not convinced he has the practical skill to run a colony this big, that's all."

"Hmm." Kerone rocked back on her heels. She didn't say anything else, and Ashley caught Ty's curious look.

"He hasn't been our favorite person lately, either," she explained for Ty's benefit. "He wants to make the Rangers part of the government, and he's never listened to any of our arguments about why it's a bad idea."

"A subordinate part," Kerone added under her breath. "He thinks we should answer to the Council... but you knew that already."

"I heard the conversation about the Council's new welcome screen," Ty agreed. "They're displaying the Ranger and PD logos right alongside the Council markings. Like we're part of them or something."

"I think Andros and Marsie talked about that." Ashley frowned, realizing that Andros had been gone so often lately that she wasn't sure whether he'd spoken to the PD commander about or not. "He doesn't like it either."

"Too bad we don't have a PR agent to take care of that," Ty said wryly.

Ashley glanced over at Kerone and found Andros' sister looking back. "We were just talking about that," she said after a moment. "I know it seems a little crazy, but..."

"It doesn't sound crazy to me," Ty said, when she trailed off. "We're arguably more busy than the Council, and I don't know about you but I think we have more stress. But they get someone to tell the world how great they are, and we have to wait until we have free time that we can give up to answer questions. If I was Andros I would have given up on that whole press conference thing a long time ago."

"But do we want someone other than Andros doing it?" Kerone didn't sound convinced. "I agree that it would be nice to have someone else help us out. But between the time it would take us to explain things to them and the time we'd have to spend watching to make sure they were saying the right thing, it might be worse than it is now."

They were silent for a moment, and finally Ashley pointed out, "We could just ask Andros. I mean, he's the one doing most of the work."

"And the least likely to let anyone help," Ty argued. "I already know what he'll say."

"Maybe," Ashley said reluctantly. "Maybe not."

"If Andros doesn't want one, we're not going to have one," Kerone said, voicing the obvious. "So we might as well ask him first."

"I'm sorry to interrupt--"

Ashley jumped, and she felt Kerone tense at her side. She was a little embarrassed to whirl and find nothing more threatening than Kyril, holding his hands out with an apologetic look on his face. "I didn't mean to startle you," he said ruefully. "I just thought I might take Zhane up on his offer."

"Of course," Ashley said, flashing a smile at him as she stepped away from the railing. "Sorry; I didn't hear you come up the stairs."

He smiled back, but didn't reply. "I hope we're not imposing," he said instead, glancing at the others as she led him toward Zhane's room. "It's very kind of you to provide us with a place to stay overnight."

"You're not imposing at all," Ashley said firmly, smiling at him again as she knocked on Zhane's door. "We're glad to have you here. The bathroom's just down the hall, boys on the left. I hope Zhane's sleeping bags are comfortable enough for you," she added, glancing through the open door.

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Kyril said with a smile. "Please thank Zhane for me if you see him before the morning."

"I will," Ashley promised. "Pleasant dreams!"

Kyril looked more amused than the comment warranted, but his tone was grave when he replied, "And to you."

"Did I say something funny?" Ashley whispered, as they moved a discreet distance away.

"I'm not sure he sleeps," Kerone murmured. "Cassie said something about that once."

"Oh." Ashley wrinkled her nose. "No one told me!"

"Is it rude to ask why he needs a room if he's not going to sleep?" Ty asked quietly.

"Probably," Kerone said with a giggle. "It must be one of those strange Elisian things."

Stifling a yawn, Ashley wondered privately if that wasn't redundant. Or maybe it would make more sense in the morning. Should she check on Andros before she went to bed? She trusted Zhane to take care of him, but he might need the extra moral support...

"Well, whatever it is," Ty was saying, "it doesn't work for me. So if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to go keep my nightly appointment with bed."

"Have a good night, Ty," Kerone said warmly, and Ashley echoed her. "Are you going to sleep now too?" Kerone asked her as Ty wandered off.

She wavered, but if they were still outside... that was a lot of stairs. "Yes," she agreed at last. "You coming?"

Kerone just smiled. "Thanks for letting me share your room," she said, falling into step as they made their way down the catwalk. "I hope I don't keep you up."

"You won't," Ashley said with certainty. "I miss having you around all the time."

"I'm right next door," Kerone pointed out, still smiling.

"Not the same," Ashley countered. "I don't have a violet nightlight anymore!"

"I could make you one," Kerone offered, brightening.

Ashley laughed. "It won't be the same," she maintained, following Kerone into her room. "But I'll take you up on it anyway!"