Chapters:

1. Goodwill Toward Men

The descending tone made him wince, and he saw another red flag appear in the upper left corner of his screen. A flash of blue off to his right made him spin his ship around, racing across the simulated stone and slapping the "spring" command to avoid a force trap. A green ship appeared in his mirror, but when he tried to turn invisible nothing happened.

"Damn," Jeff muttered, pouring on the speed and hoping he could beat Zeke to her flag. A cloak bubble sped by overhead, but he didn't have time to pick up more invisibility right now. She knew where he was going, anyway.

A chime from the taskbar distracted him, and he glanced down long enough to see the message "new e-mail from [unknown sender]" pop up. The crunch as Zeke's ship slammed into him from behind brought his attention back to the game, and his ship fishtailed right into a no-cargo zone. All three of the flags he'd captured vanished, and he swore again. He really needed to turn off the e-mail notification when he was playing Hover.

Another descending tone made the whole screen freeze, and a banner appeared on his forward windshield. Windsplitter advances to level 3, it informed him. New player "Sulfur" enters level 2. Continue to compete against Zeke and Sulfur?

The university mail server always identified Ashley's source as "unknown sender", so he left the Hover simulation to see what was up. He had beaten Zeke twice before, and she would probably leave a nasty message about the forfeit in his gaming profile. Someday he would have to find out something about the other habitual three am gamers.

The subject line was "Since I know you're up," and he smiled to himself. The Kerovan time difference was impossible to keep up with, but Ashley had been wearing her watch when she left the night before. It couldn't be set for Keyota time for more than a day, but it made it easy for her, at least, to know what time it was on Earth.

I thought I'd say good morning, the e-mail began. Thanks for the moral support Saturday night. And thanks for not saying anything about Andros and Zhane to the parents. I just don't know what to tell them, you know?

"At least you're easy to buy for," Jeff told the screen. The rest of the message wasn't so easily dismissed, though, and he sat there wondering about it for several minutes. How *did* he feel about his little sister having two boyfriends?

Could be worse, he decided after a moment. Some girls had five boyfriends. In a week.

So was it better or worse that Ashley had to deal with that in a committed relationship? Could you be committed to two people? He supposed that anyone who remarried believed that they could love more than one person--just not necessarily at the same time.

The front door slammed, and he debated going downstairs to ask Val what she thought. As an Alliance member, she had a different perspective on what was or wasn't acceptable in a relationship. On the other hand, she would probably tease him mercilessly for asking.

He sighed, pushing his keyboard in and standing up. The things he did for his family.

Val was fussing with the coffee maker when he wandered into the kitchen, and she nodded in greeting as he pulled the refrigerator door open ostensibly to peruse its contents. Val literally sparkled in the bright fluorescent lights. She was in full changeling mode, and he wondered what goth club she and her friends had been terrorizing tonight.

"Hey, Val," he said, pulling a soda out of the fridge and retreating to the table. Hooking one hip over the edge, he put his foot on a chair and popped the tab on his soda with as much nonchalance as he could muster. "I've got a question for you."

She flipped the switch on the coffee maker and opened one of the overhead cupboards. "Shoot," she said, not bothering to turn around.

"How do you feel about multiple people in a committed relationship?"

"Hard to have a committed relationship with just yourself," she replied, sticking a twizzler in her mouth as she continued to poke through the cupboard.

He rolled his eyes. "I mean more than two people." He'd barely asked the question and she was already giving him a hard time. "Say you're going out with someone and one night they tell you they're in love with someone else. They still love you, they just love this other person too."

Val shrugged, turning around with a bag of goldfish in her hand. Reaching up to take the twizzler out of her mouth, she answered, "I say, more power to them. Especially if they're committed. Why, did your girlfriend drop a bombshell on you?"

"It's not about me," he informed her. "It's about a friend of mine."

"It always is," she said, the corner of her mouth quirking. "How does your friend feel about it, then?"

"She's not sure." He frowned, aware that he wasn't convincing her in the slightest. "That's why I'm asking--I don't know what advice to give her. How can you be in love with two people at the same time?"

"Happens all the time," Val answered, popping a handful of goldfish into her mouth. "Most people just don't admit it because our society frowns on polyamory. But hey, our society used to frown on black kids drinking from the same water fountain as white kids. We got over it."

Jeff watched her chew on the twizzler stick again, idly wondering if the combination of sugar and salt canceled each other out. "You think we'll get over this, too?"

"Hope so. But the government still thinks nuclear power is the answer to all our problems, so obviously society isn't advancing as fast as I'd like."

He smiled a little in acknowledgement, sliding off the table to take some goldfish when she offered the bag to him. It was strange, he thought, retrieving the peanut butter from the counter behind her for his crackers. Some of the most radical philosophies came from his peers here in Angel Grove--not from aliens at all.

2. Peace on Earth

"Merry Christmas from Dixie," Tessa sang cheerfully, swinging her legs against the porch railing as she waited for him to dig his keys out of his backpack. "Where there's peace on Earth tonight..."

"You're not even from the south," TJ complained. The carabiner that held his keys had slipped off its ring, possibly because he'd been in too much of a hurry to clip it on correctly earlier. "I don't understand where this country affinity comes from!"

"You're not from Germany," she retorted. "But you like their cars!"

He chuckled, rooting the key ring out at last. "That's because, unlike country music, German cars are good!"

"Yank," she accused good-naturedly.

"That was so uncalled for!" He unlocked the door and held it for her, snapping his keys to the top of his backpack. He dropped it next to the sofa with hers, glancing at the phone as he passed. "You're the one who doesn't like smoothies!"

"Smoothies aren't Californian," she informed him. "They're an alien plot to ruin the one nutritionally sound thing that Americans consume by putting it in a blender and adding ice cream and sugar."

"I thought you said ice cream is nutritionally sound," TJ countered, heading down the hall toward his room. "Too many calories, you said, but a good source of calcium."

"Well, milk is better!" she called after him.

He just grinned to himself, pausing in front of his desk and jogging the mouse to turn off the screensaver on his computer. Three new e-mails: one from the Athletic Departement, one from Ashley, and a spam message that he deleted without reading. He knew what the Athletic Department wanted, so he saved it and opened Ashley's instead.

Hi TJ! She used a spirally gold font that had shown up as an attachment five times before he finally just installed it on his computer. He had been tempted to use the most obscure font he could find in retaliation, but he hadn't gotten around to searching for one yet.

"Easy for you to say," he grumbled, closing the e-mail and heading back out to the kitchen. "Some people dropped out of college before they even started."

Tessa looked up from the paper Max had left on the counter. "What are you grumbling about?"

"Ashley wished us good luck with the end of the semester," he explained, peering over her shoulder. "I said it's easy for her to say, since she doesn't have to worry about it."

"Yeah, she just has to worry about getting shot down over her adopted planet," Tessa replied. "Sorry, no trade."

"What put you in such a cynical mood?" he wanted to know. "It wasn't what I said about country music, was it?"

She looked up hopefully. "If I say yes, will you let me turn the radio on?"

"Go crazy," he said, gesturing at the radio. "I'm going to have a sandwich. Want one?"

There was a "mrrow?" from the direction of the floor, and he raised an eyebrow as he glanced down. "Did that sound like, 'I'm going to feed the cats?'" he inquired. "Because if it did, I think you need to get your ears checked."

The grey cat purred loudly, swishing his long tail behind him as he crouched in preparation for a leap. Tessa's favorite country station was in the middle of a particularly rowdy song when she turned it on, but the noise didn't seem to bother Karma. He sailed onto the counter and stepped deliberately onto the newspaper, turning around twice before sprawling full length across both pages.

"For a chance to see Rudolph's red nose glowing by--" Tessa broke off as she turned away from the radio and saw Karma. Putting her hands on her hips, she informed him, "If you think I won't move you, you're sadly mistaken."

TJ caught her eye and pointed at the bread, and she shook her head. "No thanks," she answered, scooping Karma up in her arms. Turning away from the counter, she rocked him back and forth in time with the music.

"How many lay listening with sleep in their eyes," she sang, kissing Karma's furry head as she danced. "With visions of patriots crossing the skies..."

TJ paused, surprised. She wasn't making those words up; that was actually what the singer was saying. The song had such a cheerful sound that he hadn't been paying attention to the lyrics until now.

She let Karma go when he started to squirm, but she grabbed part of the newspaper before he could lie down on it again. "This is mine," she told the cat. "Since when do you care about near-Earth asteroids?" Glancing over at TJ, she fell silent as she realized he was listening to the radio.

"When he wraps up a package of peace for the world," the singer continued, "there'll be Christmas for every boy and girl..."

He lifted his gaze to Tessa's, and she smiled a little sadly. "Who sings this?" TJ wanted to know.

She shrugged. "Clint Black, maybe? I'm not sure."

He set the bread down slowly, catching her curious look. "I was just thinking about JT's dimension," he offered, frowning. "We were so horrified by what they're going through... but it happens here too, doesn't it. It's that bad for some people right here on Earth."

"You can't help everyone," she said softly, setting the paper down again. "But that doesn't mean you don't help anyone."

"No," he agreed pensively. "I guess that's true."

3. Silent Night

The paper was soft in his hands, its crispness gone after having been read more than a dozen times. There wasn't enough light in the meditation room to read it again, but it didn't matter. He could picture every word in his mind's eye.

She could have waited until they got back. She would have waited, last year. They had been late returning from their tour: two days later than they'd expected, actually. But he hadn't thought they would find Ashley gone when they finally made it back to the hostel.

He had known she was going home to celebrate the winter holidays with her family. Her parents had even invited him to come with her, which was generous of them after he'd gotten in the way so many times the year before. She hadn't mentioned it in her letter, but she was gone and the message was clear: her parents might welcome his presence, but she didn't.

No, not like last year at all. He wouldn't sleep on the floor of her room, or join her family at dinner. He wouldn't stumble through gift-giving or stocking rituals, nor would he be required to sing songs he didn't know the words to. He certainly wouldn't be ambushed under hanging sprigs of greenery.

He didn't miss the unfamiliar festivities, which frankly made him uncomfortable. But he missed being included. He missed having her tug on his arm, laugh at him, and tell his embarrassing stories to her relatives. He missed having Ashley want him around.

She hadn't even recorded the message. She had written out a letter by hand, leaving it propped by the pillow on his bed. He didn't know whether to be glad she had taken the time or disappointed that he didn't get to hear her voice.

In point of fact, Zhane had been in his element. He loved cameras and attention and all the things that Andros shied away from. He had taken a lot of the pressure off of Andros, and for that the Red Ranger was grateful. He had even managed to divert some of the focus from their personal lives, something Andros hadn't given much thought to since it hadn't occurred to him that it would come up.

There had been advantages to being a child Ranger after all, it seemed. Funny that he hadn't been able to appreciate it until now. Or perhaps it was only the nature of war that the public didn't care so much about their lives off of the battlefield...

They had asked about her. He wondered if she had seen any of that. He couldn't remember which questions had been asked where, now. It had all blurred together after the first couple of days.

Zhane had kept him from having to answer any direct questions about his relationship with Ashley, but he had done it at the expense of his own reputation. Andros didn't like it, but Zhane had only laughed and said that was what he was there for. He truly didn't seem to care what the media thought of him, and perversely, they loved him for it.

She hadn't called yet. The terminal in his room would have a record of it if she had. Was she waiting for him to tell her he was back? Or had she just added that to make her departure seem less abrupt?

Her letter had started out friendly enough, if more muted than her usual style. But the last paragraph was almost accusatory, and she didn't sign it the way she used to. Instead of "love always", it simply said "love"... he told himself he shouldn't read anything into it, but he had to. Ashley didn't just forget things like that.

Pulling his knees up to his chest, he let the paper drift to the floor. She had said she would try. He was trying too, and Zhane had been patience personified since that night outside the Hammonds' house. But it just didn't seem to be enough, and he didn't know what else to do.

There was a gentle tap on the door, and he sighed. He didn't want to go anywhere. But he also didn't want to share the room with anyone. Maybe the closed door would be enough to deter whoever was outside.

He heard a click as the door slid open. The intrusion was enough to make him glad he had his back to the wall. Not close enough to lean against it, but close enough that no one would walk between it and him. He would be able to observe whoever entered without seeming to, and he would know as soon as they settled somewhere so he could get up and seek refuge somewhere else.

"Want to be alone?"

It was Zhane's voice, and he barely kept himself from looking up. He couldn't meet Zhane's gaze right now. There was too much unsaid between them. Too much that should be said, too much that hadn't, and far too much that he knew he would never find the words for no matter what the circumstances.

Andros just nodded.

"Good," Zhane said with a sigh, closing the door behind him as he came into the room. He sat down on the floor behind Andros, resting his hands on Andros' shoulders as he leaned back against the wall. "Me too."

Torn between a smile and tears, he accepted the silent invitation as he had accepted Zhane's unquestioning support for as long as he could remember. He leaned back against his friend without a word. As Zhane's arms went around him, he sank gratefully into the quiet embrace.

4. Deck the Halls

It was a hundred and ten degrees outside.

Actually, she had no idea how hot it was. Not in terms of temperatures she knew, anyway. But it felt like a hundred and ten just lying here on the cool stone floor. She could only imagine what it would be like it she tried to do anything.

Part of the problem was that the windows were still open. She was tired, she was hot, and the last thing she felt like doing was getting up and closing the windows. Even the climate control was all the way on the other side of the room. Plus it was only midmorning, and she felt bad about turning it on before the heat of the day really set in.

So she lay on the floor, discman beside her and an electronic reader in her hand as she tried to ignore how crummy she felt. The news from home didn't hurt, but it didn't really help, either. Not with a painfully hot sun outside and Saryn off doing who knew what while her headphones played "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas".

Hi Cassie dearest! Ashley's light-hearted greeting made her smile, at least. How's life in the desert? Is Jetson doing any better? I hope you're feeling all right, and that the babies are doing well. You're almost into your third trimester now, right?

She let the reader fall, wondering whether she had enough energy to respond to Ashley's enthusiasm right now. It was actually more comfortable to lie there without supporting her arm, and she closed her eyes for a moment. The music was soothing and there was something fundamental about lying on the floor that made the world seem simpler. Maybe she could just sleep through the middle of the day.

She didn't hear the door open over her headphones, but she could feel the subtle mood shift that meant Saryn had just entered. She smiled involuntarily, knowing she must look a sight lying on the floor in the middle of the room. She didn't open her eyes until she knew he had walked past, apparently trying not to disturb her.

He was closing the windows. She watched through slitted eyelids, reaching out to turn her discman down as he dialed the windows shut and adjusted the climate control. He disappeared into the bedroom for a moment, but when he emerged he caught her eye immediately.

"Are you not too warm?" he asked quietly, gaze flicking to her discman as though not sure whether she could hear him or not.

She pulled her headphones out of her ears and felt around for the "stop" button. "I wasn't motivated enough to do anything about it," she said, settling her hands over her stomach with a sigh. "Even standing up seems like too much work right now."

Saryn crouched down beside her, laying one hand against her forehead before stroking her hair back from her face gently. The caress brought a familiar sense of well-being, and she found herself smiling again. "Thanks," Cassie whispered.

"Is there any way you would be more comfortable?" he murmured. "And if not, would you care to be uncomfortable in the community center instead? There is an informal gathering taking place which I think you might enjoy."

"That sounds nice," she agreed, lifting her hand to twine her fingers through his. "Is it any cooler in there?"

"Considerably." He slid his free hand under her shoulders and helped her up, stepping back to give her room to stand. He collected her discman and reader from the floor, placing them on the counter while she tried to stretch some of the aches out of her back.

She smiled gratefully, taking his hand again as they headed for the door. Stepping out into the courtyard was an unpleasant experience, no matter that she had told herself it would be warmer than she expected. They followed the promenade around the edge of the courtyard rather than crossing it directly, but even in the shade the air was intensely hot.

The first thing she noticed on entering the community center was that it was much cooler than their own apartment. Maybe today's heat wasn't just in her mind, after all. The second thing she noticed was Jetson getting up from the floor beside Shei, wagging his tail in greeting, and her third observation involved the fact that one of the topiary plants had been brought inside and set up next to the buffet counter.

Shei's lighted marbles were arranged inside the pot, around the rim so that they formed a circle around the base of the desert tree. Green and yellow ribbons had been tied in bows on the ends of some of the branches, while others were draped with pink sparklers that looked suspiciously like leftovers from one of Mirine's bike shows. The overall effect was unusual, but the intent was clear.

"It's a Christmas tree," she whispered, hand over her mouth. She felt tears prick her eyelids, and when Saryn touched her shoulder tentatively she turned and buried her head in his chest. They had made her a Christmas tree.

Saryn's arms went around her, and she heard his worried voice in her ear. "Did we do something wrong?"

"No," she said emphatically, lifting her head to wipe the tears away from her eyes. Smiling at him, then turning to include the others, she murmured, "You did it absolutely right."

5. Home for the Holidays

"Are you making this a tradition?" Ashley asked, holding the bowl of popcorn out of his reach as she headed for the sofa. She picked up the remote off of the TV and plunked it down on the cushion next to her when she sat, putting her feet up on the coffee table.

"What, staying home and watching movies on Christmas Eve?" Carlos paused to turn the VCR on before joining her. "There are worse traditions."

"I meant fighting with Aura." She set the popcorn bowl on the table and leaned back, pointing the remote at the TV and pressing "play". "Last year it was the whole being ashamed of her thing, and this year it's--"

She paused, glancing over at him. "What is it this year, again?"

He rolled his eyes. "I wasn't ashamed of her," he said, retrieving the popcorn bowl from the table and putting it on the sofa between them. "And we're not fighting this year. She just refuses to let the idea that I stole her planet go, that's all."

"I thought Cestria did that." She fast-forwarded to the beginning of the movie, smiling a little as the familiar scene appeared on the screen. She clicked the volume down so they could keep talking over songs she had memorized years ago.

"She did," Carlos agreed, taking a handful of popcorn. "But the team got split up, and Cestria and Billy vanished behind the veil without telling the other Rangers how to follow them. The team had to be together to make the protection cover the entire planet. Cetaci had a disc with records from the Eternal Falls on it, and since I saved her I technically made it possible for Aquitar to disappear."

"That's not what Aura's upset about," Ashley said with certainty.

He sighed, shooting an annoyed look at her as she reached for the popcorn. "Did someone tell you?"

She smiled. "Karen."

"Someone's getting coal in her stocking this year," he grumbled, crunching loudly on a piece of popcorn. "Or maybe a lint roller. Those things are pretty useless."

"Says he who has a black cat," Ashley put in.

"What does that have to do with anything?" he demanded.

"All you wear is black," she pointed out. "Goof's cat hair doesn't show up on your clothes. If you had a white cat, you'd want a lint roller."

He just shook his head. "Whatever you say."

"So what are you really fighting about?" she asked after a moment.

"We're not fighting," he repeated irritably. "We just had a little disagreement over how much time she should be spending with lowlife scum like Cen, that's all. And where's Andros, anyway? Since when is he too busy to spend extended periods of time alone with you?"

"Did you call her old boyfriend a lowlife scum to his face?" Ashley wanted to know.

"No." Carlos frowned at the TV. "I'm trying to avoid running into him, actually. I haven't seen him since he turned up at her class reunion."

"Which class reunion?" she asked casually.

"The last one." He shot a sideways glance at her. "I'm not telling you how old she is, so just forget it."

She just smiled, not taking her eyes off of the TV.

"You didn't answer my question," he said, a few minutes later.

"Neither did you," she retorted.

"Where's Andros?" he insisted. "You can't tell me he's just too busy to come. You're here, after all."

She shrugged. "He and Zhane were on a publicity tour. That was more important."

There was silence for a moment, broken only by the words of Dr. Seuss and the animated sounds of Christmas in Whoville. "Things aren't so great for you guys right now, are they," Carlos said at last.

She just shrugged again.

He took another handful of popcorn and leaned back against the cushions. "Holidays suck," he declared.

Ashley didn't quite manage to stifle a giggle. Instead of answering, though, she cocked her head. "Listen," she said suddenly, glancing toward the window. "Do you hear that?"

Carlos gave her an odd look. "I hear the Whos singing."

"Not them," she said, getting to her feet. She walked over to the front door and peered out, then gestured for him to come see. "There's carolers across the street!

"Christmas Eve is kind of late for caroling," he muttered, but he got up anyway and came to look. "You're right. Do you suppose they have families?"

"Scrooge," she accused. "You didn't go with *your* family. Do you have any hot chocolate?"

"Why?" He caught her gaze and shook his head emphatically. "Uh-uh. No way. We are not inviting a mob of hungry carolers into this house."

"Come on," she coaxed. She was already heading for the kitchen, leaving him with no choice but to follow. "They're going to all the trouble of singing on Christmas Eve. The least we can do is give them something to drink."

He sighed, taking the tea kettle from the stove to fill it with water while she collected mugs from the cupboard. "Even when you're depressed you're such a do-gooder," he complained, putting the cover on the tea kettle.

"Someone has to be," she said over her shoulder. "We should turn on the driveway light for them. Do you want these cookies?"

"Help yourself," he replied, pulling open another cupboard. "I think there's some dessert plates in here or something."

"That's the spirit." Ashley paused on her way to the front door to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Merry Christmas, Carlos."

"Bah humbug," he called after her. But he filled a plate with cookies and brought it over to the table, and when she came back into the kitchen he helped her pour cocoa packets into the waiting mugs. The world went on, after all.

6. All I Want

She flew along the catwalk, antigravs smoothing the passage of her skates over the metal grid. She trailed her fingers across the wall to correct her course as the catwalk curved, and her wheels clicked as she leaned to far into the turn. Straightening, she lengthened her strokes as she sailed toward the stairs.

Her digimorpher chimed just as she crouched to jump, and she reached down to tap the antigravs higher as she launched herself into the air. They hummed in protest, trying to compensate for the sudden lack of substrate, then caught and held just as she hit the third stair. She skidded down the steps, bouncing off the railing when she reached the landing to take the second set of stairs even faster.

She didn't remember the last landing by the time she hit the floor. The adrenaline flooding her system made everything but the here and now insignificant. Sliding across the deck, she lifted one foot to turn the antigravs off and careened into the nearest zord in lieu of braking. Collapsing against a giant paw, she drew in deep lungfuls of air as her digimorpher went off again.

This time she fished it out, triggering the communicator without checking to see who was calling her. "Yeah?"

"It's Ty," the digimorpher answered. "You all right?"

"Yeah," she repeated, trying to moderate her breathing. "What's up?"

"Have you been able to test the network link in the holding bay yet?"

"No," she said, pushing herself up and letting her wheels roll back toward the bottom of the stairs. "I'm having a little trouble getting into the system. Give me a second."

"Will do," he answered, and the comm light on her digimorpher went out again.

The monitor flared to life at her command, and the network accepted her password without complaint. Someone had left her a message. Her hand hesitated over her digimorpher as she realized who had sent it.

Hey girl! Ashley's fond greeting might as well have been spoken aloud. She could hear it in the cavernous bay, a ghost of her friend transmitted from one galaxy to another. How are things? I hope you're talking to the cats for me!

She sighed, staring at the screen until a voice from behind her made her start. One of her skates slipped, and she steadied herself against the monitor as she turned around. Ty stood there, arms folded and an amused look on his face.

"Looks like the network link is working," he remarked.

She held up her digimorpher pointedly, and he shrugged. "I like teleporting," he said with a rueful smile. "What else can I say?"

The confession prompted a return smile from her, and she relaxed a little. "It's working fine," she agreed, glancing over her shoulder. She logged out quickly, and Ashley's message vanished. "I just got distracted."

"No hurry," he said easily. "Like I said, I felt like making the trip. Having fun?" he added, glancing at her skates.

She followed his gaze, shaking her hair out of her face when she looked up again. "Yes," she admitted. "There's a lot of room here. I'm starting to think that moving isn't such a bad idea."

His gaze wandered over the zords, up along the catwalk, and across to the maintenance bays that Zhane had suggested converting. "It's going to take a lot of work," he said. "But I think it'll be worth it to have some place private."

She didn't realize she had sighed until he looked back at her. "You can't go back, can you," she said without thinking.

"No." Ty didn't even ask what she was referring to. "Why? Do you want to?"

She shook her head slowly, but she had to admit, "Sometimes. Do you?"

"No." The bleakness of his gaze belied his answer. "The past is past, Astrea. If we spend the present mourning what was, then today means nothing. We'll just miss yesterday for the rest of our lives."

She rocked one skate back on its heel, wondering what it had taken him to reach that conclusion. Did Zhane know his story? Would Tevi tell her, if she asked? Ty rarely had anything but positive or amusing stories to tell from his time before the Rangers.

"I keep waiting for them to get over this," she said, feeling she owed him some explanation. "Andros and the others, I mean. I keep waiting for them to figure out that it doesn't matter, that they're the same people they were before, but they don't. They haven't. And I'm starting to wonder if they ever will."

He didn't answer right away. When he did, though, it was no great revelation. "It takes time," Ty replied at last. "Everyone says that. But they say it because it's true. Time heals, even when we don't know exactly what's wrong."

That wasn't much comfort. How could she tell him that she wasn't just worried for them? They were her heroes, the people she looked up to for their strength, their self-assurance, their perspective. And now they were just as awkward with each other as she had once been with them.

"Don't mourn the past," Ty reminded her quietly. "Today is all we have."

After a pause, she acknowledged his words with a nod.