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It was a nice night for a wedding, mild and bright. Mack was leaning against the wall of Tyzonn�s house, watching a particularly skillful couple wind their way through the elaborate figures of the traditional Mercurian wedding dance and feeling pleasantly tired, enjoying the music and the cool breeze that carried a faint hint of exotic flowers. He had begged off from joining in on the festivities, truthfully pleading ignorance of the steps, and was content to stay in his shadowed corner and observe for a while longer. He was so absorbed in the dance and in his thoughts that a tap on his shoulder startled him. A quick look around showed it was Andros who had appeared at his side.

�What�s up?� Mack asked. �I thought you and Ashley went back to the Megaship a couple of hours ago.�

�We did. This letter had been delivered to the ship, and I thought I would give it to you now, in case it�s important.� Andros held out an envelope.

�Must be from Dad.� Mack took it eagerly, a glance confirming that it was from his father. �Thanks, Andros.�

Andros turned his head to scan the assorted guests still scattered around the large garden behind the house, and smiled as he nodded at Tyzonn and Vella whirling into a complicated dance step. �It was an interesting ceremony,� he said. �I�m glad Tyzonn invited all of us. I think the others had a good time.�

�I sure did.� Mack grinned. �Mercurians know how to throw a party. According to Ty they�ll be up all night.�

�Not us. Ashley�s resting, and everyone else has returned to the ship.� Andros looked at him. �Will you be staying long?�

�A little while. I want to say goodbye to Tyzonn and Vella. They�re leaving at dawn so I won�t have a chance after tonight.�

�Very well. I�ll say goodnight now, then.�

��Night,� Mack said absently, opening the letter as Andros stepped away, murmured into his morpher, and disappeared in the twinkle of a transporter beam. He moved into a patch of stronger light and began to read.

�Dear Mack,

I hope you are doing well and are safe. The planet you described in your last letter sounds very interesting, and you must have found it a fascinating experience to meet other androids like yourself. It sounds like you discovered they�re not so very different from humans after all.

I have a lot to tell you about events here, some of it not very pleasant. It�s hard to know where to start or what to say, but I�ll do the best I can.

Rose arrived here at S.P.D. a couple of weeks after I wrote you the last time, and of course she made a very valuable addition to the research team. It was good to see her again, although I sometimes wished circumstances were different, and remembered our summer over a year ago when we were working together to make those nanorobots. This time - things were good, mostly, but it wasn�t the same.�

June 2009

Andrew watched the limo pull up to the entrance to the S.P.D. building, trying to catch a glimpse of the small, dark-haired, pretty young woman he knew was inside. He waited while she paid the driver, while she climbed out and looked around uncertainly, and while her suitcases were unloaded from the trunk. Then finally he put a welcoming smile on his face and went out through the door to greet her.

�Rose,� he said, reaching out for a handshake, feeling only an echo of the hugs they had shared in the past. �Or should I call you Dr. Ortiz now?�

Her smile at his mention of her newly earned doctorate was self-conscious, almost shy. Was she feeling as awkward as he was? �I don�t know if I�ll ever get used to that. Let�s stick with Rose.�

�It�s good to see you. I�m glad you decided to join us for the summer.�

�So am I. It should be an interesting experience, going by what you told me.�

�I certainly hope so.� He bent to take her suitcase as she lifted a smaller bag and a laptop carrying case. �I�ll take you to your room, and then introduce you to Dr. Manx and show you around.�

�Thanks, that would be nice.�

They almost ran into Joel and Angela as they went though the entrance doors. Andrew opened his mouth for introductions, but Joel caught sight of Rose and grinned, sweeping off his ever-present cowboy hat with a little bow and instantly going into flirting mode. �Well, hello. You must be Rose Ortiz.�

�That�s right. And you must be Joel Rawlings. I�ve heard about you.� Rose smiled and shook hands.

�All good, I�m sure.�

�Don�t be so optimistic, Joel,� Angela said and extended her hand. �Hi, I�m Angela Rawlings. Welcome to the madhouse.�

�Sounds like fun,� Rose said. Her smile was more genuine than the one he had gotten, Andrew observed. Only to be expected, of course.

�I guess you�ll be meeting with Kat next,� Angela said with a glance at Andrew. �Don�t let her put you to work before you get the tour.�

�I�ll try.�

Andrew led the way across the lobby towards the living quarters located in a wing in back of the main S.P.D. headquarters, past a scale model of an oddly designed, blocky building in a display case on a stand near the wall. The tap of Rose�s footsteps following him stopped, and he paused to look back.

�What�s this?� she asked, nodding at the model.

He put the suitcase down and joined her. �In a few years it�ll be the new headquarters building, larger than this place, and with expanded facilities for research and training, especially as we get further along in our Ranger program and start recruiting.�

�Interesting looking.�

�It is, isn�t it?� They both looked up to see that Nick had come up behind them. He held out his hand. �Hi, I�m Nick Tate, one of the scientific team here. You must be Rose.�

�Yes. Pleased to meet you.�

�Nick is also our first Ranger,� Andrew added.

�Really?� Rose looked at Nick with more interest.

He grinned. �I don�t know if I�d say that exactly, at least not yet. I�m only using a prototype based on the Time Force Red suit for now, but we�re working on new ones.� He indicated the building model again. �And this is going to be something new, too. We�re designing it with the capability to be mobile.�

�The whole building?� Rose asked.

�Yep. It�ll have a sort of tank-like mode, so it can move through the streets. And that�s not all.�

�What else?� Rose�s eyes had that sparkle Andrew remembered so well, of curiosity and imagination.

�Well, we�re also working on the possibility of transforming it into a zord someday.�

�A zord?� Rose took a step closer to the glass, her fingers reaching to touch the surface lightly as if she wanted to take the model inside apart and see how the real thing would eventually work. �It would be so big... More powerful than anything we had in Overdrive.�

�That�s the idea,� Andrew said.

She turned to him, eyes still so bright he had to smile. �This really is going to be fun. I can�t wait to get started.�

�Then let�s get you settled in, and I�ll give you that tour.�

�Sounds like a good idea,� Nick said, grinning at Andrew. �See you guys soon, right?�

It was a few minutes later, watching Rose explore her room and put away a few things, that Andrew decided the time was right to say something. The subtle discomfort and distance he felt between them couldn�t last, not if they were going to be working together every day and living right down the hall from each other. Besides, he had the unsettling feeling that he owed her an apology.

�Rose...�

�Yes?�

It had seemed easier when he had imagined this situation and what he would say. Andrew tried to remember the words he had rehearsed in his imagination. �Look, I know things are kind of strange between us now. I�m sorry for that.�

�Not your fault.� She didn�t look up, busy opening and closing the drawers in her dresser.

�But I could have handled things better. I never wanted to lose your friendship.�

�My friendship?� Rose looked at him now, her expression open and unreserved for the moment. �You haven�t lost that, and you never will.�

�Good. I just... I just want things to be like they were between us.�

�Like they were.� She turned back to the empty dresser, running a hand over the top as if checking for dust. �Sure, no problem.�

Her words were right, but the tone wasn�t convincing. He said it again, for lack of anything else. �It was my fault. I should have realized what was going on earlier, or said things differently, or something.�

�Stop apologizing!� The little flash of irritation was gone instantly as Rose turned around and faced him with a smile that looked only slightly forced. �It was me, not you. You were absolutely right; I was behaving like the worst kind of silly teenaged girl falling for the closest available man.�

�I never thought you were silly.�

�But I was. And you�ll be happy to know I took your advice.� She picked up her purse and slung it over her shoulder before looking at him again. �I found guys my own age to date in London, and you were right about that, too. In fact, I�m seeing someone now. His name�s Sean and he�s teaching advanced mathematics at the University. Very smart. We might be getting serious.�

�Oh.� Andrew felt a shock of illogical disappointment - and the even more illogical sting of jealousy - and used all his self-control not to show it. �That�s great. Really great. Glad to hear it.�

�Shall we go?�

�Sure.�

He held the door and fell into step with Rose, managing to keep a smile on his face. They had talked about what had happened; Rose had gotten past it and moved on to a relationship with a future, and that was good, wasn�t it? So why did he feel bad? Bruised ego, no doubt - had he expected a girl like Rose to spend the rest of her life languishing over him? No, not a girl any more, not a teenager - a woman, twenty years old now. But still twenty years younger than he was.

They were all waiting in the team conference room as he had known they would be, all smiles and cries of greeting and welcome as Rose walked in and stopped with a gasp of surprise. Kat had even arranged snacks and coffee, and soon Rose was surrounded by Nick, Paul, Joel, Angela, and Michael, laughing at some joking remark. Andrew was reminded again of how like a family they had become, as he stood with a glass in his hand and watched from a little distance.

�She fits in already, doesn�t she?� Kat said softly at his side.

�Yes, she does. I hope she�ll like it here. I know she�ll be a great addition to the team.�

�I�m sure.� Kat�s eyes examined his face for a moment and then moved back to the others. �We�ll have another addition soon.�

�Someone else? Who?�

�One survivor was found on Sirius. As it happens, he was an officer in S.P.D. Central. Someone I knew during my time there, actually. He�s requested a transfer to Earth Base and he�ll be put in charge here. It�s a good thing; I�ll be freed up to concentrate on research and weapons development.�

�I see.� Andrew considered that. Another alien, and one with a history like that - having seen the destruction they were trying to stop first-hand, having lost his entire world. It brought home the seriousness of what they were here for, contrasting sharply with the laughter he heard from the other side of the room.

August 2009

While Andrew had never been in the military, he stood at what he hoped was close to attention as the rotor blades slowed to a stop and the door of the helicopter opened. Normally the addition of a new member of their team wouldn�t have commanded such a reaction, let alone what amounted to an honor guard of S.P.D. officers and the full scientific staff, with Kat Manx at their head - but this particular addition was very special.

A large and bulky figure stirred inside the helicopter cabin, leaned forward, and climbed out, stepping down to the small landing pad on the S.P.D. building roof. There was an almost inaudible rustle of reaction from the scientists as he strode towards Kat. The navy-uniformed guards were too professional to move, but Andrew could see a few eyes widen.

Kat stepped forward and inclined her head in a formal nod to the tall, powerfully built, blue-furred, scaly-eared, dog-headed alien who faced them. �Welcome to S.P.D. Earth Base, Commander Cruger,� she said.

�Thank you, Doctor Manx.� His sharp brown eyes took in all of them. �I�m flattered by this greeting.�

�We are all proud to have you here.�

�Thank you again.�

�I�d like to introduce our development team. Angela Fairweather-Rawlings, Joel Rawlings, Andrew Hartford, Rose Ortiz, Nicolas Tate, Michael Zaskin, and Paul Carson.� She indicated each one.

�Pleased to meet you.� Cruger nodded, the gesture given a sort of nobility by his massive head. �I�m anxious to get to work, and sure we will make a fine combination.�

�There�s a small reception we�ve arranged, but I can show you to your quarters first if you wish,� Kat said.

�My quarters can wait. After the social formalities I�d like a briefing from you on your progress and a tour of the laboratory facilities, if no one objects.�

�Of course.�

�Wow,� came a lowered voice from behind Andrew. �A cat lady and now a big blue dog,� Joel went on. �What�s next?�

��There are stranger things in heaven and Earth than we can dream of in our philosophy�,� Andrew murmured.

�Slightly misquoted, but you�re right,� Rose commented with a little smile.

�As another great poet said, I have a feeling we ain�t seen nothin� yet,� Nick added. �Come on, they�re going inside.�

Andrew was the last to move, watching Cruger and Kat go through the doors into the building. �Something wrong?� Rose asked, pausing as the others followed and left them behind.

He tried to shake himself out of the mood that had suddenly descended on him. �No. I guess it just hit me - Cruger�s the only survivor from the fall of Sirius. He�s lost everything, seen his whole world end, literally, and yet here he is on a new world, joining our team. I wonder: how many of us would be able to go on living and working under those circumstances? It�s kind of humbling.�

�You�re right, of course. It puts things in perspective. Makes our personal concerns seem pretty trivial compared to what�s going on out there.� Rose looked up to the sky and then back at Andrew, her eyes holding his, more warmth in them than he had seen in months - a year - as she seemed to hesitate and then continued, �In fact, that�s why I�ve decided to stay here after the summer�s over.�

�Really?� Andrew looked at her. �We could sure use your help. But what about your teaching job at the University?�

�I can skip a year. Working on the Ranger project is more important. You and the Rawlings are leaving in May; I can do a year here and leave then too. It would be enough time to finish up my robot assistant prototype and the preliminary designs for the Delta Base zord. After that, I can always go back to the University - or - or I might stay here in the States.� Her gaze was still on his face, as if watching for his reaction.

The first thought in his head was happiness at the idea of more time with her - but the second was: �What about your boyfriend?�

�Right, my boyfriend.� She looked away and shrugged slightly. �He understands how important this is to me. We�ll work it out somehow.�

Andrew almost let it drop, a part of him - a big part - hoping it wouldn�t work out, and that... what? That Rose would fall for him all over again? Had his middle-aged male vanity really gotten that out of hand? Or maybe it was more like selfishness, when he knew all the same obstacles still stood between them. He should be thinking of Rose�s happiness. �Long-distance relationships are hard to maintain,� he said.

�I know.� Rose was looking up at him again with that watchful expression, just a hint of something he couldn�t identify under the surface.

�If you and Sean get along well, if you really like each other - it�s not easy to find the right person. I�m just saying you should think about this before you take the risk.�

�You want me to leave?�

�No, of course not. You�re a big help to us. I�m just saying maybe you should talk this over with Sean, find out how he really feels. Maybe - maybe he could come here. We could use a mathematician; I could talk to Kat--�

�Don�t bother.� The warmth had gone from her eyes and her voice, as she faded back into the cool stranger who had arrived at S.P.D. two months before. �Sean wouldn�t be interested. And don�t worry, we can handle the separation just fine.� She turned and walked quickly through the doors into the building.

Puzzled and disappointed, Andrew followed more slowly. Had he said something wrong again? Was he missing something? Did Rose still feel... and was that why she... But no, she had a boyfriend she said she was happy with, and anything else was only fantasy. Forget it, and concentrate on what Cruger�s arrival had reminded him of - their work - the reason they were all there.

October 2009

�Happy birthday, Rose.� Andrew raised his glass of wine and clinked it against hers across the small restaurant table. �And many more. This is one of the big ones, isn�t it?�

�Yes, twenty-one,� Rose answered. Her eyes flickered up to his face with a spark of teasing irony. �I�m a real grown-up now.�

�Don�t be so happy. This is when you stop wishing you were older, and in a few more years you�ll be wishing you were younger.�

�Hasn�t happened yet.� Another glance, with an eyebrow raised almost challengingly, before she took a sip of her first legal alcoholic drink - and made a face before setting it down.

This was far from the first time they had had dinner together in the last months, but it was still a special occasion. Up to now it had been meals in the cafeteria, occasionally with Kat and Cruger but usually alone, only natural since they were the only human team members who were single and living in the residential annex. The first time had been when Andrew saw Rose eating alone and hesitantly asked if she minded company. The next had been a few days later, when it was her asking to join him. Soon it had been almost every evening. It had been a little awkward at first, with both of them fencing around their history and hiding behind talk about work, but the tension had faded and they had fallen back into something close to the easy companionship of their summer together.

The occasion of her birthday had seemed to demand more, and Andrew had offered to take her out to dinner at a nice restaurant to celebrate. He hadn�t been at all sure she would accept, but she had. It had seemed so much like a date when he knocked on her room door dressed in a suit, and when she had opened it and appeared in a soft gray dress; he had had to remind himself quite sternly that it wasn�t, and of such inconveniences as their age difference and her boyfriend.

�So, what do you think,� Rose said between bites of her salad, �about a unicycle?�

�A unicycle?� Andrew asked in surprise. �You mean for a personal Ranger vehicle?�

�Duh, yeah.�

�What would be the advantage?�

Her eyes brightened. �Maneuverability. It could turn on a dime, much faster than a conventional vehicle, including in narrow spaces where a motorcycle would have to back up.�

�It would also be unstable.�

�Not with gyros and automatic stabilizers. And as Ronny would say...� Rose put a look of awestruck joy on her face and said in a fair imitation of the former Yellow Ranger, �That baby would so rock!�

Andrew laughed. �Yeah, too bad she can�t be here to test drive everything we�re working on.�

�Are you kidding?� Rose grinned. �She�d never let Nick, or anyone else, get their hands on any of the stuff. Not that I�d blame her; last time we spoke she said racecars looked pretty dull after driving zords for almost a year.�

�Do you miss it?� Andrew asked after a moment.

As he knew she would, she understood exactly what he meant. �Well, sure, sometimes. Being a Ranger was exciting, and working on the equipment was a great challenge. It was fun, and I learned a lot. Not just about robotics, either.� Rose smiled. �But in a way I�m glad it�s over. There�s a lot to be said for normal life, too. As normal as life gets at S.P.D.,� she added with a laugh, and looked up. �How about you?�

�Do I miss the team, the others? Of course. Do I miss the excitement? Sometimes... But you�re right. At some point it�s good to come back to real life. And I have to say my real life�s a lot more relaxed without the fate of the planet hanging over me.�

�And yet here you are, working to help a Ranger team that doesn�t exist yet.�

�I guess it�s ironic.� Andrew shrugged, smiling. �Or just my luck.�

�You must miss Mack.� Rose was watching him now, her expression more serious and sympathetic. �Have you heard from him lately?�

�Not since the letter a few weeks before you got here, when he had joined the Space Ranger team.�

�Mack always wanted adventure in faraway places, and he sure got his wish. Did he sound happy?� Rose�s eyes were bright.

�Yeah, it sounded like he�s having a great time.� Andrew paused for a sip of wine. �Sometimes I kind of envy him, being out there and seeing places and things most people can�t even dream of.�

�So do I, in a way. But I have plenty to keep me down to Earth. I happen to like my everyday life here, and there are people I wouldn�t want to leave for long.� Rose�s eyes held his for only a second before she continued, �My family. My friends.�

�I know what you mean. Too bad you couldn�t be with your parents today.�

�At least I got to talk to them, and I can�t complain about the gift they sent.� Rose laughed. �The Complete Book of Robotics Actuator and Sensor Design on CD-ROM. Just what I always wanted.�

He hesitated, wondering whether it was something he had the right to ask, but curiosity prompted him - or maybe it had an element of jealousy too. �Did your boyfriend call too? Or send you something?�

�Right, Sean.� She smiled in a way that impressed him as evasive, and shrugged. �We celebrated in our own way.�

Meaning what? But Andrew wasn�t entirely sure he wanted to know, and he was quite sure it would be a mistake to ask for an explanation. Instead he returned her smile and said, �Glad to hear it,� and told himself he meant it.

January 2010

�Three... Two... One... Happy New Year!�

Laughter and cheers filled the scientific conference room at S.P.D. as the wall clock�s second hand swept past �12� and into the new year of 2010. Andrew raised his plastic cup of champagne in salute and then downed half of it. It was sweet and not even close to the quality Spencer would have served at the mansion, but he had no complaints as he looked at the happy faces surrounding him.

They had made a party of it, all of the team agreeing that they had been working hard enough to deserve a little blowing off of steam, so everyone had pitched in to decorate the room with balloons and ribbons, and to bring refreshments. Nick Tate, Paul Carson, and Michael Zaskin had brought their wives; Joel and Angela were there of course, along with Andrew and Rose. Taxis would be paid for if anybody needed one. It was a night to relax, and they were all certainly doing that. Even Kat Manx and Commander Cruger had come and were at least pretending to have a good time, even if Andrew suspected they found the celebration to be just another strange Earth human quirk.

As if reading his mind, Joel and Nick converged on the two aliens. �Come on, Kat, Commander,� Joel said, holding out two fresh cups of champagne. �You have to drink to the new year. It�s tradition.�

Kat shrugged and took hers. �I will drink if it is tradition. However, it seems a waste since alcohol has no effect on my metabolism.�

Doggie glared at the cup and frowned. �It has an effect on mine. It makes me ill. No, thank you.�

�No getting sick allowed during the party,� Nick said with a grin. He grabbed the offending drink from Joel. �Just means more for me!�

Andrew chuckled and turned his attention back to the small group gathered around him as Lyn Tate asked Michael Zaskin, �I hope Heather didn�t mind babysitting Sky and Bridge tonight instead of coming along.�

�For the exorbitant amount you�re paying her? She�d much rather be able to afford a new computer game than watch her old man getting plastered,� Michael said, a grin betraying pride in his daughter.

�She deserves hazard pay for watching those two,� Paul Carson said. �Kids that age are already hard to control, and when you add in Bridge and Sky�s talents...�

�Bridge and Sky? What�d they do now?� Nick asked as he and Joel joined them.

�Nothing. Yet,� Paul said ominously.

�Good, I think. Anyway, everyone be quiet. Doggie�s about to make a speech.� Nick turned back to where Cruger was indeed stepping into the middle of the room to face all of them.

�Stop calling him Doggie,� Rose protested in a half-whisper. �That�s very disrespectful.�

�It�s not disrespectful; it�s affectionate. I love dogs.�

Cruger cleared his throat loudly as there were a few smothered laughs. After a last sharp glance at Nick and Rose, who were both looking conspicuously innocent, he began.

�I have been with you on Earth for over five months now, and it has been a productive and satisfying experience. You have accomplished much, but there is much more to be accomplished. This is the beginning of a new Earth year, and there will be changes and new challenges to come with it.� Cruger paused for a moment and then continued in a slightly less formal tone.

�We�ll be losing some of you in the next year as you return to your normal lives. We�ll gain others even before then, as more beings from other planets come here to join the fight against Gruumm. Some of them, like Dr. Manx and myself, will be refugees from the ongoing battle who wish to make a stand here. Unfortunately, as Earth becomes more known in the galaxy, it will also attract beings whose motives are not so favorable. Much of S.P.D.�s mission in the years to come will be controlling and combating extra-terrestrial criminals.�

He nodded at Nick. �With this new year Nicolas Tate will become publicly active as the first S.P.D. Red Ranger, and I suspect this city will need his protection all too soon. There are difficult and dangerous times ahead for all of us. We must and will be prepared. That is all.�

�Wow,� Joel muttered. �Bummer.�

�Do you think he�s right?� Rose asked a few minutes later. The party had broken up into smaller, quieter groups; the Tates and Carsons, the Zaskins with Kat, leaving them with Angela and Joel. Cruger had disappeared.

�Was Joel right about Cruger�s speech?� Angela said with a twinkle. �Hell yeah, the guy sure knows how to kill a party.�

�No.� Rose poked her arm as Joel grinned. �You know what I mean.�

Andrew sighed. �Yes, I think Doggie - uh, Cruger - is right. Kat has reason to push us to work fast. We�re going to see trouble sooner rather than later.�

�But we can handle it, right?� Rose was smiling at him with both confidence and a faith he found quite touching.

�Of course we can.�

�You know what I think?� Joel asked. �I think this party needs some loud music and dancing.� A moment later he was adjusting the volume on the CD player he had brought as his party contribution until an old rock number was vibrating the air. Then he returned and held out a hand to his wife, and whirled her into the open space in the middle of the room where Nick and Lyn quickly joined them.

�Eat, drink, and be merry,� Rose said softly, with a sparkle of amusement in her eyes. �For tomorrow we...�

�Don�t say it; we�ve had enough bummers for one night. Let�s dance.�

They had both had just a little too much champagne when Andrew escorted Rose to her door, only a few yards down the hall from his own, or at least he thought that explained the way everything seemed so beautiful and perfect at that moment in the late night stillness of the empty hallway, alone together, still warm with the memory of Rose in his arms in the slow dance that had ended the party, looking down into her face and daring to lean close, both of them still smiling over some silly remark he couldn�t even remember.

�Goodnight,� he said, vaguely wishing he could think of some excuse for the evening not to end. �Happy New Year.�

��Night, Andrew. It was a lot of fun.�

Rose made no attempt to open her door or move away. Andrew felt as if he was drawn into the dark eyes gazing so intently into his, and began to bend his head down to her, close enough to imagine he could feel the warmth of her body and smell the faint clean scent of her hair. Was he going to kiss her? And was she inviting him? Her face lifted, her lips slightly parted, promising to be as soft and warm as he remembered so vividly.

But - that damned cold thread of rationality and caution stopped him. While their age difference no longer seemed as all-important as it once had, he was still older by a good margin and had the obligation to at least act as if he was more mature. Much as he�d like to, he couldn�t give in to his desires and sweep Rose into his arms - and everything that stood between them, including the small detail of her boyfriend, under the rug. There was too much chance they would both regret it later.

So he stepped back and took her hand instead, wondering if he saw disappointment in her eyes for just a moment.

April 2010

�Commander Cruger has a few things to say to all of you before we prepare for the press conference this afternoon. But first, I want to show you something.� Kat�s voice sounded slightly hoarse, and she looked tired and worn - the only time since the fall of Sirius that Andrew had seen her seeming anything but indestructibly young and strong. She had hinted now and then that she came from a very long-lived species, and on this day he could see the tracks of many years and the echoes of remembered tragedies in her eyes.

With a gesture she led them - Joel and Angela, the Zaskins, the Carsons, Rose, Cruger, and Andrew himself - across the S.P.D. lobby, their footsteps echoing emptily. The building was locked down, the only other people in sight were uniformed S.P.D. guards at the doors, keeping the crowd of reporters and onlookers they had passed through a few minutes before at bay. They collected around the display case in the back, where the model of S.P.D�s new proposed headquarters had been covered by a drape. With no preliminaries, Kat pulled it off.

The model was different. It had always been an odd-looking structure, and now it was topped by the figure of a dog�s head, teeth bared, seeming to look out at them the way the full-sized version would one day look out over the city it would protect. Andrew quickly looked at Cruger, who stared at it with no visible reaction, and then back to Kat.

�This is our tribute to the people of Sirius,� she said softly. �The redesign was done before - before our recent events, but this seems like an appropriate time to reveal it. Now it�s also a tribute to our first Ranger, and first casualty. It will be symbolic of the alliance between Earth and the forces of S.P.D. in the galaxy, an alliance we will be announcing to the press today.�

A glance passed between her and Cruger, and he stepped forward, head bowed over the glass case and then lifted proudly. �Thank you, Dr. Manx,� he said. �Thanks to all of you. My fellow Sirians would be proud.�

Angela broke the brief silence that followed with: �Are you sure about revealing to the whole world that you�re both aliens? That S.P.D. is an interplanetary organization?�

�Quite sure,� Cruger answered. �We have little choice, anyway, after Mirloc�s attack on the city. We must explain who he is and where he came from, and it may as well be the truth.�

Mirloc. The name sent a shiver through him now, but it had meant little to Andrew the first time he had heard it, when Cruger had informed them - could it be only a week ago? - that a notorious and very dangerous alien criminal had landed on Earth with a small band of followers. With Joel out of town on a family emergency, Cruger had been concerned enough to ask for help from Bio-Lab in the form of the two Rangers working for them.

It hadn�t been enough. The sun had been warm and bright that morning, but instead of the freshness of a spring breeze Andrew had smelled the sting of smoke when he and the others ran outside after hearing the news. Instead of a clear blue sky he had seen a dark cloud above Newtech City, the place he had come to think of as home. The day Cruger had warned them of had come, sooner than anyone had expected or been prepared for. They had huddled around the television in Andrew�s quarters, as helpless as any other citizen, hushed, some of them remembering other times, other threats to other cities, other losses.

Nick, so dedicated and brilliant and fearless, so proud to be the first S.P.D. Ranger. He had not disappointed them in his first major battle. Mirloc�s gang had been captured and Mirloc himself had fled the planet, apparently defeated - but it was victory at a terrible cost. Nick had died when the weapon he took from Mirloc turned out to be a booby trap. The suit had failed to protect him when it exploded - he had not failed them but they had failed him, all of them; the suit they had built with so much care, had thought was so powerful and such complete protection, had not been good enough to save him.

Failure. Andrew had been unable to keep the word out of his head as he stood in coldly drizzling rain at the graveside service, looking around at the circle of faces around the coffin and reading the grief on each one. Cruger and Kat in their hologrammed human disguises were impassive, and he remembered Kat once asking him whether the tears she could not shed helped ease the pain. Lyn Tate stood dressed in black, clutching little Sky�s hand, her face numb and dazed. The Carsons were with her, Paul not looking much better, and Andrew remembered that he and Kat had known and worked with Nick for longer than any of the rest of them. Joel wore the stricken look of a man who blamed himself for not being there when his friend had needed his help, all of his cheerful bluster gone, Angela close at his side. Two strangers were present too; Wes Collins and Eric Myers stood leaning together, supporting each other, perhaps feeling the guilt of having survived the fight that Nick had not.

And Rose, of course, raising her eyes to Andrew�s for a moment with so much grief and so much sympathy in them that he had circled her shoulders with his arm and drawn her close. He could feel her sigh before she leaned her head against him.

Now Rose was still at his side, as if she had always belonged there, as they stood in an empty lobby looking at the future of S.P.D. Her fingers found his, and he accepted the gesture of comfort and understanding, and returned it.

May 2010

S.P.D. has had a major loss. Nick Tate was killed fighting an alien criminal named Mirloc. He saved a lot of lives, and all of us will always remember him as S.P.D. Earth�s first hero. He left a wife and young son - S.P.D. and Bio-Lab will make sure they don�t lack for money, and I�ll help if they�ll let me, but that�s a poor substitute for a husband and a father.

I think back to the risks I exposed all of you to when you were Rangers, and I�m terrified by how close we came to losing you, how close the team and all its members came to death so many times. Maybe all of us who have been Rangers, or worked with them, have gotten too complacent and assumed somehow that Rangers are immune, that it will never happen to you or that something will always save you or bring you back. Well, it�s happened now, and there�s no bringing Nick back. I know the risk is necessary, that it�s for the greater good, but I find myself wishing that you were safe back home and would never touch that Tracker again. Selfish, I know, and I suppose deep down I wouldn�t really want you to give it up, but right now I�m feeling like just another father afraid of losing his child.

�Andrew?� He looked up to see Rose in the doorway, looking hesitant. She was dressed for travel in a light jacket and had her suitcase behind her and a bag in one hand. �I hope I�m not disturbing you, but I�m leaving soon. Wanted to say goodbye.�

�I was just finishing a letter to Mack. Of course you�re not disturbing me - I�m glad you came; I lost track of time.� Andrew got up and crossed the room to face her as she stepped inside. �So - I guess this is it, huh? For a while, at least.�

�For a while. At least.�

�I still wish Cruger hadn�t insisted that we leave on schedule. I feel like we should be working harder than ever.�

Rose shrugged slightly and smiled with a trace of sadness. �Maybe he�s right. I�ve been at it for a year; you guys for almost two years, and despite how great it�s been we�ve been under a lot of pressure. After what happened S.P.D. Command has decided to put up a protective force around Earth for a few years, and Kat and Cruger think we�ll be pretty safe for a while. Maybe right now we need some time off to calm down, and then make our decisions about whether to come back when we�re thinking more clearly.�

�When did you get so smart?� Andrew smiled down at her.

�Just born that way.� There was a spark of the old spirit in her grin as she nodded towards the desk and his letter. �Be sure to say hi to Mack for me.�

�Will do. You�re headed to your parents first? Then back to London?�

�My parents, yes.� Rose frowned and looked away. �But not London, at least not yet. I haven�t decided. I may stay in the States.�

�I see,� Andrew said, not seeing at all. �Uh... what about...?�

�Sean. My boyfriend.� Rose said it with what sounded like distaste, took a breath and then raised her head resolutely. �I have a confession to make. When I told you I had dated guys my age, that was true. The one I dated longest was named Sean, and he�s a mathematician. But when I left London a year ago we were both fine with letting it end. There�s no boyfriend.� She met his eyes steadily. �I�m sorry. I told myself it was an exaggeration more than a lie. I told myself it was just so you wouldn�t worry about a repeat performance of me throwing myself at you. But I suspect my hurt pride had a lot to do with it.�

She looked a little apprehensive, as if she expected him to be angry, but anger was the furthest thing from Andrew�s mind at the moment. �I understand,� he said, not bothering to hold back a grin. �I felt a little of that hurt pride myself at the thought that you had gotten over me so easily.�

They smiled at each other, sharing another of those moments of unspoken communication that had come to mean so much to him. Then Rose said the words he didn�t want to hear:

�Well, I guess I�d better get going.�

�Need any help with your luggage?� Andrew asked.

�No, my driver�s down the hall; he�ll get it.� She paused, blinking a little, and said softly, �Goodbye, Andrew.�

�Let�s keep in touch this time. And let�s say �so long� instead of goodbye.�

Her lips barely trembled as she said, �So long, then.� After a long moment she leaned forward and stretched up as he bent his head to meet her in a too-short and too-chaste kiss.

Rose was almost out the door when she turned back, eyes with a hint of sparkle in them. �You know, Andrew, you were right about a lot of the things you said to me that time. But you were wrong about one thing.�

�What�s that?�

�I never once wondered what I see in you.� And before he could respond, she was gone.

�Rose just left, and she said to say hello to you. Spencer is picking me up in an hour, just enough time to finish this letter and give it to Kat, and make sure I�ve packed everything. It feels very strange to leave this place that has gotten to feel like home, but I have to say I�ll be very glad to get back to the mansion and have Spencer around to nag me. I�ll miss the people I worked with for the last couple of years, though, and especially Rose. She�s a very special woman.

I guess that�s all for now, Mack. Take care, and be safe.

Love, Dad�

Mack had a frown on his face when he looked up at the sound of his own name and found Tyzonn in front of him, watching with an expression of amusement that quickly faded. He realized he hadn�t even noticed the party winding down or his friend coming to talk to him.

�Mack, is something wrong?� Tyzonn asked.

�No.� Mack quickly folded the letter and shoved it into a pocket. �No, it�s nothing.�

�That was a letter from Earth, wasn�t it? I sent one on to the Megaship earlier. Has anything happened to your father? To one of the others?�

�No.� Mack sighed. �Dad�s been working on a new Ranger project. Everything sounded like it was going great - but now their first Ranger was killed fighting some criminal.� He paused, trying to understand his own reactions. �It�s weird, I feel like I knew the guy. Maybe it�s because he was a Ranger, or maybe because Dad sounded pretty torn up about it.�

�I�m sorry.� Tyzonn�s face was full of sympathy.

�Hey, I shouldn�t have said anything. You don�t need to hear about something like that on your wedding day.�

�Mack, death is a part of life. Neither has meaning without the other.� Tyzonn�s eyes moved to where Vella stood with a small group of people, obviously waiting for him. �This reminds me to cherish the good things I have now, knowing they won�t last forever.� He smiled. �Except maybe love. That lasts even when we are gone.�

�Have a great honeymoon, Ty,� Mack said softly.

�Come back and visit us soon.�

�I will, promise.�

Mack saw Tyzonn and Vella wave to him before they rejoined the dance, and watched for a few more minutes, enjoying the music and laughter, before he turned away. Love lasts - assuming you know it when you�ve found it. Would he?

TBC...

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