*Carlos?*

"Come in," he called automatically. He didn't look up from the interface, but he smiled when he heard Aura's soft boots on the ladder behind him. He couldn't help thinking the way she always asked permission to enter an area he was working in was sort of… cute.

Cute. He shook his head and tried to keep his amusement to himself. She was probably several years his senior, and was better with these systems than he would ever be. He doubted she would appreciate the appellation.

"Can I be of assistance?" Aura asked, dropping to the deck behind him.

"I'm almost done," he assured her. "You can keep me company if you want, but I don't think there's anything I'm going to need help with."

"Very well."

He felt his concentration waver, and he resisted the urge to turn around and look at her--but it was too late. The thread of the interface he had been rerouting slipped away from his focus and settled back into its former position, and he grimaced.

"Trouble?" she asked, and now there was no reason not to glance over his shoulder. Aura was leaning against one of the simple, contoured control panels, giving the impression of watching what he was doing without actually being close enough to see. "I can suppress the nav controls if it would help."

"That's okay; I can do it," he said quickly, embarrassed to have made such a basic mistake. Concentration was everything when it came to the mental interfaces the Aquitians used to control their zords, and he *knew* that--but he still wasn't completely used to it.

He brought his focus back to the main motor functions of the zord, guiding the major pathways into place to connect with the console in front of him. This time Aura was silent, and his hydrospanner hissed quietly as the last connection reached its contact point and stuck there.

"There," he said, tempted to pat the control panel as though it was a car. "The interface should at least be useable, now."

He heard a chime as Aura laid her hand against the panel in front of her, and new shadows fell across the interior of the cockpit. He turned around to see the soft glow of Cestria's Lissan symbol emanating from the rear wall.

"Well done," Aura told him, twisting to regard the lit symbol as well.

"Thanks." He turned back to the main control panel and tossed the hydrospanner up in the air, catching it by the barrel as it spun around. "Now I just have to fine-tune it enough that Cestria can actually fly it in the middle of a battle."

"I am sure she will appreciate your effort," Aura offered.

He grinned sheepishly at her sarcasm. "I'm working on it. How's Billy doing?" he added, as he gave the thruster controls a nudge. These adjustments didn't require nearly as much concentration, and he would just as soon get her focus off of him while he worked.

"The upgrade to the Zaal zord is almost complete as well," she answered. "Its energy reserves were not as depleted as I expected; Delphinius must have set the limits of self-repair lower than normal."

"Is that why it's taken so long to come back online?" Carlos asked, shifting the nav controls a little.

"Most likely. His zord suffered heavy damage during the Barox attack."

"What happened to it?" he asked curiously. "I don't think I ever found out what he did to crush the forward hull like that."

"One of the Barox set a collision course with the Ranger dome. Delphinius intercepted it."

Carlos froze at her matter-of-fact reply. "What?"

"Delphinius intercepted a--"

"I heard you," he interrupted quickly. "I was just--surprised. I never thought of the Barox as suicidal."

"Nothing I had heard of them made me think they would exhibit such a tendency," Aura agreed. "Recent events have led me to believe differently."

Carlos was quiet for a moment, tracing the path of the scanner controls to make sure they all lined up with their appropriate detectors. "But the dome is underwater," he said at last, satisfied that each scanner would supply the correct information. "Would the Barox's ship even be able to reach it?"

He winced even as he said it, for she had already given him the answer. "Not functionally," he realized aloud. "But if it was a suicide run, that wouldn't matter."

He sensed more than saw her shake her head. "Delphinius chased it into the atmosphere, and pressed it hard enough that it could not maintain its original course. It struck the ocean some distance from the city, with Delphinius still following."

"He crashed into the water?" Carlos asked in disbelief.

"I was monitoring his descent," Aura said. "I think he attempted to pull up. His zord must have been too badly damaged to respond, and his velocity was too great for the hull to withstand the impact."

"But he was fine when he teleported into auxiliary control," Carlos protested.

"The inertial dampers saved his life," Aura told him. "If they had been damaged he would not have survived, let alone walked away."

"No wonder Cetaci was so upset," Carlos said, remembering the White Ranger's anger when Delphinius appeared.

There was a brief hesitation, and he pressed one of the thruster circuits closed before turning to look at her. She lowered her eyes in the face of his questioning gaze and admitted, "Cetaci does not know."

He stared at her. "What?"

"At the time, I did not wish to trouble her," Aura said quietly. "We had no way to contact the rest of the team, and there was nothing she could do. I told her only that his zord had been damaged in the fighting."

"And afterwards?" Carlos demanded. "Didn't she want to know what happened?"

Aura didn't answer, and he realized he had inadvertently stepped over a line that would have been better left uncrossed. Team loyalty was stronger than the bond of friendship, and Ranger teams were bound more closely to each other than they could be to anyone else--even if that someone was a Ranger themselves.

"Sorry," he said, hoping she hadn't taken offense. "It's none of my business--I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

She looked up, and her silvery eyes held something he didn't quite recognize when they met his. *You may not tell anyone else this. But I will tell you, if you wish to know. For our friendship.*

He shook his head, though he was tempted. He knew there was something strange between Cetaci and Delphinius, and he would dearly love to know what it was--but not if Aura didn't want to tell him. *I don't want you to tell me anything you don't want to,* he thought carefully. *Your team is more important.*

*It is not our *team* that is the problem,* she answered, and he could almost hear the irritation in her thoughts. *Cetaci and Delphinius used to be lovers, before the Rangers came between them. They still care for each other very deeply, I think, but they cannot seem to keep their feelings and their duties from clashing.*

Carlos just stared at her, not sure what to say to that. He had assumed the two Aquitian Rangers had some sort of past, but no one ever mentioned it in his presence until now. Even Cassie, whom he suspected knew something about them, had been strangely close-mouthed. He wondered if she had been sworn to the same silence Aura had just asked of him.

"Cestria ordered Delphinius to break off, during the Barox attack," Aura continued quietly, when he said nothing. "The hunter's ship was put under enormous stress by his pursuit, and in all likelihood would not have held together long enough to reach the ocean floor had Delphinius pulled up while he still had time.

"So Cestria ordered him out. He would not go, and finally it was too late." She paused, regarding him solemnly. "Cestria did not report him, nor will the rest of the team tell Cetaci what he did."

He wouldn't take the chance, Carlos realized. Delphinius wouldn't allow even the slim possibility that the ship might survive long enough to damage the dome where Cetaci was, even if it meant his own life. "But… if she knew," he began.

"She must not know," Aura cut him off. "I would like to think, as you do, that she would be touched by such a gesture. But I have seen her react often enough to know that she will only be angry with him for such a foolish risk. So we keep it from her."

The way she said it made Carlos wonder what else they kept from their team leader. But it wasn't his place to ask, and before he could promise not to say anything to anyone else, there was a loud rap on the metal hull above.

"How's it going down there?" Billy called, peering into the cockpit.

"Almost done," Carlos answered. "If you think you can fit, come on in."

For answer, the other Ranger disappeared. A moment later, he was climbing down the ladder to join the two of them in the small cockpit. The Aquitian zords felt roomier than the Astro Rangers' zords, probably because the cockpits had fewer control panels, but the space was undeniably cramped with the three of them in there at once.

"The upgrade to the Zaal zord is finished," Billy informed them, leaning against the back of the pilot's chair. "I think we'd all better get some sleep as soon as Lissan is done."

"Don't wait for me," Carlos said quickly. "It's going to take me another few minutes to finish this; you guys go ahead."

"We will wait," Aura told him.

"We're the repair team," Billy added with a grin. "We ought to stick together."

Carlos chuckled. "In that case, you have to tell us that story about Cestria meeting your family. I want to hear this."

"Oh, it probably wasn't as strange as you think," Billy said, shifting a little as Carlos forced his hydrospanner back inside the forward control panel. "My dad had actually been to Aquitar once before Cestria came home with me, so he had some idea of what to expect."

"He came to Aquitar?" Carlos repeated, surprised.

"Yeah…" Billy sighed. "Not the smartest thing I ever did, but it worked out. And Cestria was sweet enough to try and soften the blow the first time they met--she wore Earth clothes that night, and she even shook his hand when I introduced them."

Aquitians weren't big on tactile contact, Carlos knew. And he doubted Billy would ever ask her to "act human" just for the sake of his friends or family, which made her effort doubly kind.

"Did you ask her to do that?" Aura asked suddenly.

Carlos would have loved to turn around, to see Billy's expression, but he couldn't spare the concentration. Instead, he heard only the indignation in Billy's tone when he replied, "Of course not! She could have worn her Eternal Falls clothes if she wanted to, and she knew it. She was just trying to make it easier for him."

"Earth is a little… paranoid about aliens," Carlos offered, finishing the junction and turning around. "We don't have a very good history, when you come right down to it."

"Angel Grove liked the Aquitian Rangers, though," Billy said quickly. "That probably helped."

"Bet you're glad you decided to live on Aquitar, though," Carlos said with a grin. "Can you imagine trying to live on Earth with an alien girlfriend?"

Billy hesitated, and Carlos blinked as Aura straightened up. "I must go," she said. "Good night to you both."

"Good night," Carlos said, giving her a smile that she did not return.

Billy said good night more quietly, and she nodded to him before she turned to leave. Carlos frowned a little as she disappeared up the ladder, leaving the cockpit oddly subdued in her wake.

When he was sure she had gone, he caught Billy's eye. "Is it just me, or has Aura been acting a little… strange today?"

Billy gave him a measured look. "Today?"

He shook his head, sorry he had said anything. "Never mind."

Billy's reply surprised him. "Carlos, she's been acting 'strange' for weeks now. Don't tell me you just noticed now."

His frown deepened. "What do you mean? Is something wrong with her?"

Billy didn't answer right away. Finally, he sighed and shook his head. "No. Nothing's wrong with her. Are you all done here?"

Carlos cast a glance over his shoulder, but he already knew the answer. "Yeah, Cestria's zord is ready to fly. Billy--" He turned around, seeing the Blue Ranger stop at the bottom of the cockpit ladder. "What am I missing about Aura?"

Billy put one hand on the ladder and tilted his head to one side in a strangely Aquitian gesture. "Do you really not know?"

Carlos held his hands out to the sides helplessly. "I really don't! She hasn't told me anything."

"She wouldn't," Billy agreed. "I thought it was obvious. She's… having some relationship difficulties."

Carlos frowned again. "I didn't know she was involved with anyone."

"She isn't."

"Then what are you talking about?" Carlos demanded.

"She…" Billy shook his head. "She has feelings for an offworlder."

"Damn." Carlos could have kicked himself. "That conversation was probably the last thing she wanted get into then--sorry; I didn't know. No wonder she ran off like that."

"Yeah," Billy said quietly.

Neither of them moved for a moment, then Carlos said, "Aquitar isn't like Earth, though. There's a lot of non-Aquitians here. It can't be *that* bad, can it?"

"He isn't a League member," Billy said, twisting around to regard Carlos. "He's from Earth."

Carlos winced, suddenly understanding. "Can you imagine trying to live on Earth with an alien girlfriend?" "Man! I wish I'd kept my mouth shut… How did she meet him?"

Billy sighed, a look of amusement on his face. "Carlos--a friend of mine used to say this to me, and I hope you'll forgive me for saying it to you. Are you this dense on purpose?"

Carlos could only stare at him. There was only one thing Billy could mean by that. "No way," he said. "Not… me?"

Billy nodded wordlessly, watching him for a reaction.

He struggled to remember anything she had said or done that might have tipped him off, but even in hindsight there were no definitive signs he could call to mind. "No way!" he repeated, shaking his head. "That's crazy--Aura's never been anything but friendly to me. Nice, sure, but no *more* than nice."

"Aquitians aren't as obvious about things like that," Billy told him. "They're a little more restrained in showing their feelings. I thought you knew that."

It sounded almost like an accusation, and Carlos blinked. "I did, I guess. But--she's Aquitian!"

It was the wrong thing to say. Billy turned away and put his other hand on the ladder. "So is Cestria, Carlos, and I love her with all my heart and soul. Would you love someone of Earth less just because they came from a different country?"

Carlos stared after him. Only when the Blue Ranger had vanished from sight did he realize that Billy was actually leaving. "Wait!" he called. He scrambled up the ladder and caught Billy as he stood on top of the zord, preparing to teleport down.

"Billy," he said quickly. "It isn't that she's from another planet, it's just--I *have* a girlfriend. I thought Aura and I were just friends."

Billy studied him for a long moment. "You can't change what you feel," he said at last. "Either of you. Just--try to be a little more sensitive to her feelings."

Something in the way Billy said it made Carlos ask, "Does everyone know about this but me?"

"Pretty much," Billy said, in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. "The rest of the Aquitian team, at least." A hint of a smile touched his lips. "Why do you think Cetaci is so rude to you?"

Carlos shrugged. "I thought she was rude to everyone," he said honestly, and Billy did smile at that.

"Just don't say that to her," he warned.

"Duh," Carlos muttered.

Billy clapped him on the shoulder. "Get some sleep," he advised. "And Carlos--she doesn't expect anything of you. She just… cares for you. She wouldn't want it to hurt your friendship."

He wanted to say something to that, although he wasn't exactly sure what, but the wail of an alert burst into the zord bay before he got the chance. The noise echoed off the walls and penetrated every corner, filling the bay with the sound of urgency.

"What *is* that?" he demanded, loudly enough to make himself heard over the sound.

"That's the intruder alert," Billy answered, cocking his head as though listening for something.

Carlos waited, though he couldn't imagine what the other Ranger expected to hear in this cacophony. Finally Billy shook his head. "It's a drill," he said loudly. "If it was real, the Ranger alarm would have sounded too."

"You have drills?" Carlos asked incredulously.

Billy shrugged. "Cetaci's idea. She'll expect us in auxiliary control. You have the coordinates?"

Carlos nodded, reaching for his morpher. He saw Billy touch the gold band on his wrist just before the world disappeared from around him.

Auxiliary control shimmered into view as the shadowy darkness fell away once more, and he found Cetaci and Cestria already there. To his surprise, Kerone was there as well, her jeans and t-shirt looking out of place when surrounded by Aquitian uniforms.

"Aura?" Cetaci asked of Billy as soon as he arrived. The alert seemed muted, although no less urgent, in this part of the dome, and Carlos found he could hear himself think again.

"She went to sleep," Billy replied, joining Cestria at the internal scanner array. "Should we wake her?"

"No," Cetaci said quickly. "She's been working all day. What of Delphinius?"

"Also asleep," Cestria told her. She pointed to something on the readout in front of them. "The 'intruder' has been isolated on level one, above the living quarters."

"Have Delphinius go," Cetaci said, and Carlos raised an eyebrow.

"He's asleep," Billy reminded her.

"It is his duty shift," Cetaci insisted. "He will participate in the drill."

Carlos tried to figure out what time that would make it, if the duty shifts were on their second rotation. Cetaci and Delphinius had had the night watch for the last few weeks, which meant it had to be after two back on Earth. It didn't feel that late, but then, it never did until he had to get up in the morning. At least this time he would still be on Aquitian time when he woke up.

"You had Delphinius cover for Aura this afternoon," Billy said, turning away from the scanners. "He's been up since your shift ended this morning."

Carlos suppressed the urge to whistle. No wonder the Black Ranger was sleeping.

"Then you may go in his place," Cetaci said calmly. "Locate and contain our 'intruder', and report as soon as you are done."

Billy only nodded, grabbing a stunner from the weapons locker by the door on his way out. Carlos glanced in Kerone's direction, and found her watching the scene with interest. Not Cetaci and Cestria, but Billy and the weapons locker. He didn't know whether to smile or shake his head--*once a tactician, always a tactician,* he thought.

"Wake Delphinius," Cetaci told Cestria, and Carlos' gaze snapped back to her. "Apprise him of the situation and have him join Billy."

Cestria continued to enter commands into the scanner array, coordinating the datafeed with Billy's movements as he reported them to her. "You said Billy would take his place."

"One Ranger is not an acceptable counter force," Cetaci retorted. "You know that. Have Delphinius back him up."

Cestria still did not look up. "Why do you allow Aura to sleep while Delphinius may not?"

"It's his duty shift," Cetaci repeated stubbornly.

"It is favoritism," Cestria countered.

Cetaci frowned, and Carlos tried to stay as unobtrusive as possible. "It is not too much to ask that members of this team follow procedure," the White Ranger informed her second in command.

Cestria stepped in front of her to add the visual from Billy's current location to the display. "This is only a drill," she said quietly. "The well-being of this team should come before training sims."

Cetaci positively glared at her. "Contact Delphinius," she said icily.

Cestria pushed something on the control panel and straightened up, turning to face her teammate. "No."

Carlos glanced sideways, seeking out Kerone with his eyes. She was watching the confrontation with undisguised curiosity--the same appraising look she had given Billy when he stopped by the weapons' locker.

"Then I will," Cetaci snapped, reaching for the comm console.

To Carlos' infinite surprise, Cestria caught her hand. "You are behaving unreasonably," she told her leader.

"Let me go," Cetaci insisted, twisting away from the Yellow Ranger. She sounded suddenly more like a plaintive child than a determined commander. "This team answers to my orders, not yours."

Cestria hesitated, and the glance she gave Carlos and Kerone said she was very much aware of their presence. "I would not say this now," she said quietly, "if I thought you would listen at any other time. But this--" She made a small gesture toward the comm system, leaving no doubt about what she meant. "This is not about the team. It is about you and your relationship with our Black Ranger."

Cetaci's eyes were wide as they darted from Cestria, to Carlos and Kerone, and back again.

"Delphinius has been miserable since you joined the team," Cestria continued, ignoring Cetaci's obvious distress. "Yet he continues to act impartially, while you do not. Perhaps…" Her voice dropped a little, and she said quietly, "As much as it pains me to say this, perhaps you were not the best choice for leader."

Cetaci stared at her, but no reply was forthcoming.

Carlos knew the feeling. He had never heard the soft-spoken Aquitian question her leader's orders in anything but the most unobtrusive of ways, and Cestria had *never* questioned Cetaci's position. Now she had done both in as many minutes.

The alert ceased suddenly, and Carlos caught a glimpse of the panel in front of Cestria as the schematic of level one went from orange-red to a muted green. The words "Intruder Neutralized" flashed across the display, but no one seemed to notice.

The click of a metal clasp was loud in the ensuing silence, and Cetaci removed her wrist communicator without a word. She held out her hand and let the bracelet fall to the console, the gold band clattering against the panel as she turned and walked out of auxiliary control.

***

"Cestria," Delphinius said tiredly, entering the small room on Billy's heels, "I have been up since this time yesterday. Tell me this is important."

The Yellow Ranger said nothing, merely held up the abandoned communicator.

Delphinius glanced around the room, his eyes taking in the communicator on Cestria's wrist before seeking out Billy and Aura and finding the same gold band on their wrists. "No," he said, looking more exasperated than anything else. "Why?"

"I was kind of wondering that myself," Billy put in.

Carlos shifted, looking sideways at Aura. She had perched on one of the chairs by the weapons' console, and he saw her reach up to rub her eyes sleepily. She did not look at him, but neither did she seem to be avoiding his gaze. It was as though everything Billy had said related to someone else altogether.

"I questioned her authority," Cestria said uncomfortably, drawing Carlos' attention back to her.

Delphinius tilted his head, and when he spoke his tone was dismissive. "Not a day goes by that her authority is not questioned. It's never been enough to make her leave before."

"I told her she might not have been the best choice as our leader," Cestria admitted.

Far from looking shocked, Delphinius just leaned back against the comm console and muttered, "Good for you."

"Delphinius, please," Cestria said, a distressed expression on her face. "I should not have said it."

"What did she do?" Billy wanted to know. "More than--what she was doing before?"

"She insisted again, after you left," Cestria answered, catching his eye.

Delphinius looked sharply at her, then at Billy. "What did she do?" he demanded, echoing Billy's question.

Aura moved a little, and Carlos looked in her direction involuntarily. She had propped one elbow on the back of her chair and was resting her chin on her hand, frowning at Cestria. To all appearances, she was completely absorbed in the conversation.

He couldn't help looking for Kerone next. Andros' sister had an uncanny knack for making herself invisible when she didn't want to be noticed, and it actually took him a few minutes to figure out where she had gone.

Kerone was leaning casually against the doorframe, taking in the entire scene without being a part of it. Only then did it occur to him to wonder where Saryn was--hadn't he been working with Kerone earlier?

"What?" Delphinius exploded, and Carlos realized he had missed whatever explanation the others had given him.

"Where is she now?" the Black Aquitian Ranger demanded, taking the communicator from Cestria's hand. "Did you track her Power signature?"

Cestria looked uncertain. "What are you going to do?"

"I am going to explain to Cetaci what it means to be a Ranger," he replied firmly. "It is something one of us should have done long ago."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Billy asked. "No offense, but you may not be the person she wants to see right now."

Delphinius hesitated, and actually seemed to consider his teammate's words. "Perhaps not," he agreed at last. "But there is no one else, and *someone* must talk to her." A wry look touched his face as he added, "You must admit, there is little I can do that would make the situation worse."

Carlos saw Billy and Cestria exchange glances, and this time when he shot a covert look in Aura's direction he found her looking back. She shrugged a little at him, and he smiled uncertainly. She tilted her head, giving him a "what's wrong" look, and he shook his head.

"She's in the southern research dome," Cestria said. "Do you need the coordinates?"

"No," Delphinius answered, and his tone was uninterpretable. "I know where to find her."

"Good luck," Billy offered quietly.

The Black Aquitian Ranger disappeared into the teleportation stream, leaving only a dark water molecule shape to mark the place where he had been. The signature glow of his team's teleportation streaked upwards and melted through the ceiling to vanish from view.

Quiet reigned for only a moment before Aura murmured, "Cetaci can halt conversation without even being present."

Carlos forced a laugh, and saw Billy give him a strange look from across the room. He sobered quickly, deciding that silence might be the best course after all.

"I am sorry to have brought you into this while you should have been sleeping," Cestria said, a soft sigh escaping from her lips. "I know you have done too much work today."

"No more than Delphinius," Aura said with a slight shrug. "We will survive."

"Thank you for your support," Cestria said quietly.

Billy reached out to touch the back of her hand. "You were right in what you said," he told her. "Things will work out. Don't worry."

"He is right," Aura agreed. "The situation has been escalating--we could not continue to ignore it and still function as a team."

Cestria still looked uncomfortable, and she switched her gaze to Carlos. Her eyes flicked past him to include Kerone as she said, "I apologize also for drawing you into this dispute. It is not any of your responsibility."

Kerone surprised him by speaking up for the first time. "Don't apologize. Matters of authority don't wait on convenience. I hope you resolve yours."

Billy inclined his head in her direction.

"I will remain here," Cestria said, when no one seemed ready to add anything else. "I suggest that everyone else rest while we have the opportunity."

"I'm a little tired," Carlos admitted, stifling a yawn.

"You're not staying here alone," Billy informed her. "I'll help you cover for Cetaci and Delphinius. You won't," he added, turning to Aura.

Carlos glanced over in time to see her close her mouth. "Very well," she said at last. "I will sleep, on the assurance that you do not take the entire night watch yourselves."

"We will wake you if they do not return," Cestria promised, and Aura nodded once.

"I was working with Saryn," Kerone said idly, looking around as though she expected him to appear. "I'm surprised he isn't here."

Billy frowned. "The alert would have sounded throughout the dome, and he knows procedure as well as the rest of us. What could have kept him?"

"He probably went back to the Megaship," Carlos offered. "Andros signaled me when they arrived."

Cestria nodded absently, glancing at the scanners. "The Megaship arrived several hours ago. You are free to use our equipment to contact your teammates."

It was a token offer, and they all knew it. Their communicators would work over this kind of distance, and Kerone could talk to Andros as easily as the Aquitians spoke among themselves.

"Thanks," Carlos said. "But I'm going back to the Megaship for the night anyway--I'll just make sure someone knows where he is before I go to bed."

"Actually--" Kerone hesitated. "I would prefer to know where he is before I leave. We hadn't completed our plans for tomorrow's assault."

Carlos almost agreed, before what she had said registered. He frowned at her. "If you were still working, what are you doing here? No offense," he added hastily, as he realized how that sounded.

Kerone shrugged. "Cassie wanted to talk to him alone."

"Cassie's here?" Carlos repeated.

"Cassie teleported into the dome shortly after the Megaship arrived," Cestria put in.

Anticipating the next question, Kerone said, "She only came into the control room a few minutes before the alert went off. I would be surprised if they had both teleported back to the Megaship in that amount of time."

Carlos lifted his left wrist and reached for his communicator. "Cassie?" he asked. There was no sense in guessing when their teammates were only as far away as the touch of a button.

There was no answer. He looked up to frown at Kerone, and she just shrugged. "She was here before the alert went off," she maintained.

"This is Cassie," his communicator said, and he looked down in surprised. "Hi Carlos! How's it going?"

"Fine," he said warily, his frown deepening. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine!" The communicator staticked for a moment. "How are you?"

"Uh--" He glanced around the room to see Cestria leaning over one of the scanner consoles, apparently completely immersed in the readout. He was just in time to see Billy turn away too, hiding a grin.

"I'm fine," Carlos repeated. "You, uh, didn't respond to the intruder alert."

"No…" He heard her giggle, quickly stifled. "I was--asleep."

"I see." He looked helplessly at Kerone. "Saryn isn't with you, by any chance, is he?"

There was a brief pause. "He's asleep too," Cassie informed him, her tone suddenly breathless. "Can it wait?"

"You tell me," he said dryly. "Kerone says he was helping her with some plans."

The communicator staticked again, and Saryn's voice came back instead of hers. "Our plans were nearly complete."

"Saryn," Carlos greeted him, trying not to smirk. "Sorry to wake you up."

"He's right," Kerone said quietly, surprising him. "Leave them alone, Carlos. We were done."

Stung by the reprimand in her tone, Carlos said only, "Right," before cutting off the comm link. "Couldn't you have told me that before I called her?" he asked, frowning at Kerone.

"I didn't know they were together," she admitted. "I wouldn't have insisted if I had known."

"They have earned their rest as much as any of us," Aura offered, and Carlos couldn't help feeling a little defensive.

"I was only trying to--" he began, but Kerone cut him off.

"Thank you," she said, and her smile looked genuine. "That was nice of you, Carlos; I mean it. But I think I'll just go back to the Megaship too."

He nodded, but this time it was Aura who stopped him. "I would speak with you before you leave, Carlos."

He tried not to sigh. "Sure," he said, trying to sound cheerful. "I'll be there in a few minutes," he told Kerone.

She nodded. With a flick of her wrist, a violet outline shimmered around her and her form dissolved into the magic teleportation that would take her from surface to ship.

"I'll walk you back to your room," he offered, and Aura nodded once.

She spoke as soon as they were out in the hallway, heading for the lift. "I wanted to apologize for leaving so quickly this evening."

"That's all right," he said quickly, but she spoke again as though she hadn't heard him.

"I am--uncomfortable discussing alien relationships," she said, staring down at the ground as she walked.

*Because you want to have one?* his tired brain thought unbidden. He only had half a second to be glad he had not spoken aloud before he realized she had paled.

"Damn," he muttered. "You heard that."

She swallowed but did not look at him.

"Note to self," he said under his breath. "Don't make any more telepathic friends."

Her breath caught a little as she inhaled, but she managed a look of amusement as she lifted her gaze to regard him. "'Note to self'?" she repeated.

The corner of his mouth quirked. "Something my--" He stopped himself just before he said "girlfriend". "A friend of mine says that sometimes," he said, forcing himself to smile. "I guess I picked it up."

She looked down again and didn't answer.

"Look, I'm sorry," he said awkwardly, as they reached the lift. The doors opened automatically, but he ignored them. "I didn't meant that to sound so--"

"You do not need to apologize for your thoughts," she said quietly. "I assume Billy told you."

He sighed. "You knew I wouldn't be smart enough to figure it out on my own, huh?"

Her head came up, and she actually looked startled. "That is not what I meant--"

"But it's true," he interrupted ruefully. "Billy *had* to tell me, because I had no idea. Aura… I like you, really; it's just… not like that."

"I understand," she said softly. "I assumed that if you felt the same way, you would have spoken before now."

He felt terrible for the sadness in her grey eyes, and he wished there were something that he could say that would comfort her. "I'm sorry," he offered quietly, knowing it wasn't enough.

"Emotions are intransigent," she answered, her tone just as quiet. "Unchangeable, no matter what anyone would wish. And I would not even want you to try, for it would make you someone other than who you are." She searched his expression, and added, "Yet you are still uncomfortable."

"Because I don't like to see you unhappy," he said helplessly, reaching out to touch her shoulder before he thought. He remembered just in time that she was Aquitian, and he withdrew his hand.

"This has never been a problem before. I do not want it to come between us now." Her eyes were still on his, and she seemed perfectly sincere. "The only thing that would make me truly unhappy is if I were to lose your friendship over this."

"You won't," he said firmly. That, at least, he could do. "I promise you that."

She smiled at him, a real smile that curved her lips and touched her eyes. It was not an expression he saw often on her, or on any Aquitian, and it made him smile in return. "Then I am content," she murmured. "I will say good night here, and go the rest of the way alone."

The words sounded suddenly lonely, and he hoped fervently that they were not a prophecy. If anyone deserved someone who could love her in return, it was Aura.

"Good night," she said, putting a hand on the edge of the lift door and stepping inside. The lift chimed once, acknowledging an occupant, and Carlos took a step backward.

"'Night, Aura," he said softly, as the doors closed. The lift hummed to life, and she was gone.