Cataclysm (Tsukino Akume, Drama/Friendship)
Seeing as NaNo starts - looks at clock - well, tomorrow now, certain people may want to murder me after reading this. It may or may not be the last chapter I post for Cataclysm until December. Depends on what the muses decide, really.
Title/: Cataclysm
Author/: Tsukino Akume
Relationship/: Andros/Ashley, Zhane/Karone, mentions of Cassie/Phantom
Rating/: K+
Warnings/: emotional trauma, mentally disturbed people, depression
Disclaimer/: If I owned the Power Rangers, this universe would exist. We would have known who the Phantom Ranger was - and it *would* have been a girl because I'm weird like that - and team snuggles would be mandatory every episode. As none of that is cannon, it's safe to assume that I don't.
Summary/: When Astronema was defeated, the Astro Rangers gave up more than their Powers. Reporters, fans, and long-lost relatives are coming out of the woodwork as the team struggles to adjust to it all. Bright Skies Universe.
Theme/: #64. Forget Yesterday
Author's Notes/: This chapter could totally have gone in a different direction besides snuggling. I give free reign to anyone who would like to write an AU of it where it did, provided they give me the appropriate credit.
For me, because I wanted snuggles, and anyone else who wanted them too. Love to lunaria_kitty for beta. ♥
There was something to be said for darkness. It was quiet, for one. Warmer than most people would have expected. Peaceful, really.
But most importantly, the darkness was quiet. As in alone. As in the rest of the world didn't exist as long as she was here. Just the thought of leaving made staying right where she was sound even more appealing.
Hiding under the blankets in her bedroom might not have been the most mature thing she could be doing at the moment, but at least it was comfortable.
She was pretty sure D.E.C.A. had tried to get her up more than once, but the heavy comforter she'd brought up from her apartment shortly after moving onto the Megaship was excellent at muffling sound. She had nowhere to be today now that they'd dropped out of school, anyway. Nothing short of her communicator going off was going to get her out of bed, and even that was questionable.
She heard a sound that *might* have been her door opening, but she wasn't sure until she felt the bed shift as someone sat beside her. They were silent for a few minutes, apparently waiting for her to acknowledge them. " ... Cassie?" Karone ventured finally.
"Yeah?"
There was a pause. "Are you all right?"
She considered. "Well, I just caused what Zhane called a Public Relations Blitz, and I still haven't figured out where he learned that word, so ... no. I'm not."
More silence.
"He uses the comm system to watch Earth television programming whenever Andros is busy," Karone offered. "He said something about a card that lets him borrow books, too."
" ... A library card?"
"I think so."
Zhane had a library card. He wasn't even a citizen of Earth, and yet he had found away to borrow their books. Somehow she wasn't surprised.
"Thank you."
The words were abrupt enough that she shifted slightly to peer out from under the comforter with one eye. "For what?" she asked warily.
Karone looked solemn, and the expression was so much like Andros Cassie found herself thinking of how he'd thanked her the exact same way more than a week ago. "For standing up for me, at the press conference," she explained. "When you said I was more of a victim than anyone."
Cassie blinked slowly. "I didn't think you'd like being called that," she admitted.
"I don't," Karone returned simply. "But I appreciate what you meant when you said it."
The corner of Cassie's mouth twitched, and she slipped a hand out from under the covers to squeeze Karone's. There was another pause, just long enough for Cassie to wonder if that had been more than Karone was comfortable with, before the other girl squeezed back.
Her door slid open again. There was just enough time for her to register a flash of yellow with the eye still peering out above the covers, before something flopped on the bed and crawled over her. Cassie grunted in surprise as she was nearly kicked in the stomach. Ashley manuvered her way between Cassie and the wall, then grabbed a corner of the blankets and crawled underneath them. Cassie shivered at the intruding cold body before moving closer and wrapping an arm around her. Years of experience had taught her that the fastest way to be warm again was to warm the intruder up first.
She blinked in the darkness under the blankets at Ashley, who stared back at her. "Hi," Ashley whispered.
"Hi," she whispered back.
"You're warm."
She made a face. "You're not."
Ashley frowned, peering at the sliver of light coming in from a fold in the comforter. "Karone? Why are you out there? Why aren't you under here with us?"
Cassie could almost *hear* Karone blinking at them. "I didn't know I was invited," she said at last.
Cassie sighed, reaching for her through the fold again. Their fingers clasped, and she tugged gently. "Come on. It's warmer under here. Or it will be once Ash stops being cold."
There was a brief flash of light that made her flinch, just enough to catch Karone's vaguely amused expression, before the blanket fell over the three of them. They huddled close together, and she tried not to shiver as two cold bodies pressed against her sides.
"Ooh, you are warm," Karone murmured, snuggling closer against her arm.
Not anymore, she thought ruefully, but she couldn't really complain. It was hard to be mad about sharing blankets with two of your best friends. And they'd warm up eventually.
She probably should have been more surprised when the door slid open again. "Should I come back some other time?" she heard Carlos ask finally, sounding amused.
"No, you should get under here with us!" Ashley called.
Cassie shook her head, trying not to smile as she buried her face against her pillow again. "The bed's only so big, Ash. Carlos is gonna take up a lot of room."
"Excuse me?" he demanded, and she eeped as cold air hit her feet. "I can fit under here better than you can!"
"It's my bed!"
"Didn't you learn about sharing in kindergarten?"
She shot a glare down towards the new lump at end of the bed, where she was guessing he was. "Didn't you learn about respecting other people's property?" she countered, trying to kick him.
"Settle down, children," Ashley mocked, and Cassie poked her in the stomach. "Hey!"
"Serves you right," she teased.
"Serves *me* right? You're the ones arguing!"
"And Cassie's the one who *kicked* me," Carlos groused, somehow managing to fling himself over their legs to pin them all down down at once.
"Carlos!"
"Let go!"
"It's self-preservation," he insisted.
"I haven't done anything to you," Karone protested.
"Doesn't mean you *won't*," Carlos informed her. "It's every man for himself under here."
"It's a bed, not a warzone," Cassie huffed.
"Says you."
"Hey, if we're having slumber parties in Cassie's bed, why wasn't I invited?" Zhane demanded loudly, cutting into their conversation.
Cassie started to reply, only to yelp in protest as a flood of light hit her eyes.
"Huh." She could just make out Zhane studying them when she squinted. "Well, this could be a problem," he remarked.
"Zhane, get in here or put the blanket back down," she complained, burying her head under her pillow.
"If you insist," he returned cheerfully, flinging himself onto the bed.
More than one person cried out in pain.
"You could ask us to make room first," Carlos snapped at him, rolling off Cassie's feet. There was a small thump, followed by an "Ow!"
"You okay, Carlos?" Ashley asked, sounding concerned.
The only answer was a few choice words in Spanish.
"Carlos?" she persisted.
" ... Fine," they heard him mutter, sounding pained. "I'm fine."
"He rolled into the bedframe," Zhane added helpfully, arranging his legs under Cassie and Ashley's feet. He didn't seem to care when Cassie settled hers on his knees, bending his torso around to hug Karone's legs while he placed his chin against her thigh.
Cassie squinted down at him. "How can that possibly be comfortable?"
"Snuggling is *always* comfortable," he informed her.
"Doesn't look like it," Carlos remarked.
"Karone is *very* comfortable," Zhane promised, grinning when Karone glared at him. For a moment it looked like she was going to hit him, but she finally sighed and ignored him, resting her head against Cassie's shoulder instead.
" ... I'm not entirely sure if I wanna ask," T.J said from the doorway. He sounded vaguely amused.
"I know I don't," Andros muttered beside him. There was a pause, and Cassie was positive at least one of them was rolling their eyes at all of them, before Andros sighed. "Guys, we have a - "
"No we don't," she interrupted.
Another pause. " ... We don't?"
"Nope. Because there are no problems as long as I don't get out of bed. And I'm not getting out of bed," she said firmly.
"I like this plan," Zhane commented, reaching out to pat her leg.
Ashley put an arm around her in a semi-hug, squeezing gently. "Seconded."
"Unanimous," Carlos declared. "Zhane, move your elbow."
" ... Do I get vote?" Karone questioned. Cassie glanced at her worriedly, wishing Zhane wasn't between her and Carlos so she could kick him again for upsetting Karone, but the other girl looked faintly amused.
"Of course you do," Zhane replied. "But we knew you were going to vote to stay in the world of no problems anyway, so Carlos voted for you."
Karone giggled softly, surprising them all. "Thank you, Carlos. Your services will be rewarded," she called.
There was a pause. "Why do I get the feeling something bad just happened?" Carlos asked warily.
"Because it's Karone," Zhane answered him immediately. "She took over the universe, you know. You should respect that."
"I already respect it," he returned dryly. "That's why I'm worried."
"Don't worry. I always reward my loyal servants," Karone promised. Cassie grinned at the playful smirk on her face. Karone glanced over at her, winking, and she pressed a fist against her mouth to keep from laughing aloud.
Andros sighed again. "Guys ... "
"No problems in Cassie's bed," Ashley called. "Only snuggling."
She could *hear* Zhane grinning. "And - ow! Carlos!" he complained, sounding wounded.
"Everyone knows what you were gonna say," Carlos informed him. "And you didn't need to say it."
"So what happens if we get in the bed, too?" T.J. asked, sounding like he was trying not to laugh.
Cassie didn't even have to consider that. "All problems go away as soon as you're under the blankets," she insisted. "This is a problem-free zone."
Silence.
"Move over," Andros said abruptly, and she felt the blanket lifting near Karone.
Cassie's eyes widened, and she choked on another laugh. She'd expected T.J. to be the first to crawl with them. Not Andros.
Then she paused, frowning. If Andros didn't want to think about problems, something was definitely wrong.
Karone sat up carefully, leaving just enough room for someone to sit on the outside corner where her head had been. She patted the bed in invitation, and Cassie saw her offer her brother a shy smile. Andros smiled back, sitting down and folding his legs to sit cross-legged. Karone immediately laid back down, resting her head in his lap. She took a moment to settle herself comfortably, while Andros looked down at her with a soft expression.
"So where am I supposed to sit?" T.J. asked finally, sighing.
Ashley sat up, moving the blankets down so Cassie could keep them over her head. "You can sit with me," she offered cheerfully. "That way you won't get caught between Cassie, Zhane, and Carlos kicking each other."
T.J. chuckled, and she heard him move closer. "Sounds like a plan," he agreed.
It took several minutes for them all to resettle, Ashley moving to fit her head in T.J.'s lap as he sat leaning back against the wall. Andros had started playing with Karone's hair at some point, running his fingers through it carefully while she watched the rest of them. Zhane and Carlos were still bickering, but the pushing and kicking had stopped.
Cassie laid there, listening, and enjoyed the feeling of her friends around her. The feeling of love and acceptance. Of finally *belonging* somewhere. She was home. Maybe she'd never expected for home to be curled up in bed on a spaceship surrounded by two jocks, a cheerleader, two aliens, and the former Princess of Evil, but it was. This was her family, as much as the Reynolds and Chris and Kelly had ever been. Dysfunctional and strange at first look maybe, but family all the same.
She'd do anything to keep this feeling, this place. Anything.
Which was why she finally sighed, lifting her face from her pillow to look at Andros. "How bad is it, and how soon do we have to deal with it?"
He blinked at her for a moment, then frowned slightly. "It's ... " He glanced over at T.J.
"Is it about what I did?" she pushed, wincing slightly.
"Don't apologize," Carlos snapped, surprising her. "That guy was a jerk."
"Carlos ... " Ashley scolded.
"I would have punched him if Cassie hadn't gotten there first," he muttered unapologetically.
"It wasn't the most diplomatic way to handle the situation," Andros allowed.
"It was a train wreck," Zhane interupted, but he sounded amused. "And Cassie's on the list."
"How do you know what a train wreck is?" T.J. demanded suspiciously, at the same time as Ashley asked "What list?"
"The list of people not allowed to talk to reporters," he answered, clearly ignoring T.J. "So far that's Andros and Cassie." He paused. "And maybe Carlos."
"I haven't done anything," Carlos protested, sounding offended.
"Not for lack of intent," Zhane shot back, and Carlos muttered something no one could hear.
Cassie was torn between smiling and trying to hide under her pillow again. The need to bury her face finally won out. " ... Aren't you guys mad?" she asked eventually, frowning as her voice came out sounding smaller than she'd meant to.
There was a pause.
"About what?" Andros asked at last. She couldn't see him, but she could imagine the confused frown on his face.
She swallowed hard. "I screwed up. I ruined the press conference," she reminded them, still not lifting her head.
"You didn't ruin anything," Ashley protested, squirming out of T.J.'s lap to hug her again.
"You were standing up for me," Karone reminded her softly, reaching out to squeeze her hand.
Carlos made a noise of agreement, and the blanket lifted slightly as he sat up enough to look at her over Zhane. "I was gonna punch the jerk if you didn't," he pointed out.
"I would have too," Andros admitted reluctantly. She peeked out from her pillow just in time to catch Karone smiling up at him, and Andros' soft, sheepish smile back.
"No one's mad, Cass," T.J. promised, reaching over to touch her shoulder. "Yeah, it wasn't the best idea, and I can't say it went over well, but. Well."
"It's too late now?" she offered wryly, turning a little more to get a better look at Andros. Was he braiding Karone's hair?
"Actually, it was probably a good idea," Zhane said abruptly.
She glanced down at him, raising her eyebrows. "How do you figure?"
"For one, we can put a positive spin on it to show that we're perfectly capable of controlling our strength." He looked back at her, and she was surprised to see that he was serious. "You could have shattered his face, and all you did was give him a bloody nose."
"I didn't want to hurt him," she protested, because yeah, he was a jerk, but she wasn't *that* cruel.
"I know," he agreed. "Which is why it was a good thing. Yeah, you hit him, but he insulted us. You just proved that we're not what he thinks we are, and that we *will* stand up for ourselves. We've also established that we're not going to accept any insults against Karone."
"There was a probably a better way of doing it, but you're right," T.J. agreed reluctantly. He squeezed her shoulder again. "Either way, it's over and done with. We've got other things to deal with now."
There was a long silence.
"Like what?" Ashley asked warily.
No one answered her, and Cassie finally lifted her head again to see T.J. and Andros looking at each other.
"Someone issued a warrant for Astronema's arrest," T.J. said finally. "They want to put her on trial."
Title/: Cataclysm
Author/: Tsukino Akume
Relationship/: Andros/Ashley, Zhane/Karone, mentions of Cassie/Phantom
Rating/: K+
Warnings/: emotional trauma, mentally disturbed people, depression
Disclaimer/: If I owned the Power Rangers, this universe would exist. We would have known who the Phantom Ranger was - and it *would* have been a girl because I'm weird like that - and team snuggles would be mandatory every episode. As none of that is cannon, it's safe to assume that I don't.
Summary/: When Astronema was defeated, the Astro Rangers gave up more than their Powers. Reporters, fans, and long-lost relatives are coming out of the woodwork as the team struggles to adjust to it all. Bright Skies Universe.
Theme/: #64. Forget Yesterday
Author's Notes/: This chapter could totally have gone in a different direction besides snuggling. I give free reign to anyone who would like to write an AU of it where it did, provided they give me the appropriate credit.
For me, because I wanted snuggles, and anyone else who wanted them too. Love to lunaria_kitty for beta. ♥
There was something to be said for darkness. It was quiet, for one. Warmer than most people would have expected. Peaceful, really.
But most importantly, the darkness was quiet. As in alone. As in the rest of the world didn't exist as long as she was here. Just the thought of leaving made staying right where she was sound even more appealing.
Hiding under the blankets in her bedroom might not have been the most mature thing she could be doing at the moment, but at least it was comfortable.
She was pretty sure D.E.C.A. had tried to get her up more than once, but the heavy comforter she'd brought up from her apartment shortly after moving onto the Megaship was excellent at muffling sound. She had nowhere to be today now that they'd dropped out of school, anyway. Nothing short of her communicator going off was going to get her out of bed, and even that was questionable.
She heard a sound that *might* have been her door opening, but she wasn't sure until she felt the bed shift as someone sat beside her. They were silent for a few minutes, apparently waiting for her to acknowledge them. " ... Cassie?" Karone ventured finally.
"Yeah?"
There was a pause. "Are you all right?"
She considered. "Well, I just caused what Zhane called a Public Relations Blitz, and I still haven't figured out where he learned that word, so ... no. I'm not."
More silence.
"He uses the comm system to watch Earth television programming whenever Andros is busy," Karone offered. "He said something about a card that lets him borrow books, too."
" ... A library card?"
"I think so."
Zhane had a library card. He wasn't even a citizen of Earth, and yet he had found away to borrow their books. Somehow she wasn't surprised.
"Thank you."
The words were abrupt enough that she shifted slightly to peer out from under the comforter with one eye. "For what?" she asked warily.
Karone looked solemn, and the expression was so much like Andros Cassie found herself thinking of how he'd thanked her the exact same way more than a week ago. "For standing up for me, at the press conference," she explained. "When you said I was more of a victim than anyone."
Cassie blinked slowly. "I didn't think you'd like being called that," she admitted.
"I don't," Karone returned simply. "But I appreciate what you meant when you said it."
The corner of Cassie's mouth twitched, and she slipped a hand out from under the covers to squeeze Karone's. There was another pause, just long enough for Cassie to wonder if that had been more than Karone was comfortable with, before the other girl squeezed back.
Her door slid open again. There was just enough time for her to register a flash of yellow with the eye still peering out above the covers, before something flopped on the bed and crawled over her. Cassie grunted in surprise as she was nearly kicked in the stomach. Ashley manuvered her way between Cassie and the wall, then grabbed a corner of the blankets and crawled underneath them. Cassie shivered at the intruding cold body before moving closer and wrapping an arm around her. Years of experience had taught her that the fastest way to be warm again was to warm the intruder up first.
She blinked in the darkness under the blankets at Ashley, who stared back at her. "Hi," Ashley whispered.
"Hi," she whispered back.
"You're warm."
She made a face. "You're not."
Ashley frowned, peering at the sliver of light coming in from a fold in the comforter. "Karone? Why are you out there? Why aren't you under here with us?"
Cassie could almost *hear* Karone blinking at them. "I didn't know I was invited," she said at last.
Cassie sighed, reaching for her through the fold again. Their fingers clasped, and she tugged gently. "Come on. It's warmer under here. Or it will be once Ash stops being cold."
There was a brief flash of light that made her flinch, just enough to catch Karone's vaguely amused expression, before the blanket fell over the three of them. They huddled close together, and she tried not to shiver as two cold bodies pressed against her sides.
"Ooh, you are warm," Karone murmured, snuggling closer against her arm.
Not anymore, she thought ruefully, but she couldn't really complain. It was hard to be mad about sharing blankets with two of your best friends. And they'd warm up eventually.
She probably should have been more surprised when the door slid open again. "Should I come back some other time?" she heard Carlos ask finally, sounding amused.
"No, you should get under here with us!" Ashley called.
Cassie shook her head, trying not to smile as she buried her face against her pillow again. "The bed's only so big, Ash. Carlos is gonna take up a lot of room."
"Excuse me?" he demanded, and she eeped as cold air hit her feet. "I can fit under here better than you can!"
"It's my bed!"
"Didn't you learn about sharing in kindergarten?"
She shot a glare down towards the new lump at end of the bed, where she was guessing he was. "Didn't you learn about respecting other people's property?" she countered, trying to kick him.
"Settle down, children," Ashley mocked, and Cassie poked her in the stomach. "Hey!"
"Serves you right," she teased.
"Serves *me* right? You're the ones arguing!"
"And Cassie's the one who *kicked* me," Carlos groused, somehow managing to fling himself over their legs to pin them all down down at once.
"Carlos!"
"Let go!"
"It's self-preservation," he insisted.
"I haven't done anything to you," Karone protested.
"Doesn't mean you *won't*," Carlos informed her. "It's every man for himself under here."
"It's a bed, not a warzone," Cassie huffed.
"Says you."
"Hey, if we're having slumber parties in Cassie's bed, why wasn't I invited?" Zhane demanded loudly, cutting into their conversation.
Cassie started to reply, only to yelp in protest as a flood of light hit her eyes.
"Huh." She could just make out Zhane studying them when she squinted. "Well, this could be a problem," he remarked.
"Zhane, get in here or put the blanket back down," she complained, burying her head under her pillow.
"If you insist," he returned cheerfully, flinging himself onto the bed.
More than one person cried out in pain.
"You could ask us to make room first," Carlos snapped at him, rolling off Cassie's feet. There was a small thump, followed by an "Ow!"
"You okay, Carlos?" Ashley asked, sounding concerned.
The only answer was a few choice words in Spanish.
"Carlos?" she persisted.
" ... Fine," they heard him mutter, sounding pained. "I'm fine."
"He rolled into the bedframe," Zhane added helpfully, arranging his legs under Cassie and Ashley's feet. He didn't seem to care when Cassie settled hers on his knees, bending his torso around to hug Karone's legs while he placed his chin against her thigh.
Cassie squinted down at him. "How can that possibly be comfortable?"
"Snuggling is *always* comfortable," he informed her.
"Doesn't look like it," Carlos remarked.
"Karone is *very* comfortable," Zhane promised, grinning when Karone glared at him. For a moment it looked like she was going to hit him, but she finally sighed and ignored him, resting her head against Cassie's shoulder instead.
" ... I'm not entirely sure if I wanna ask," T.J said from the doorway. He sounded vaguely amused.
"I know I don't," Andros muttered beside him. There was a pause, and Cassie was positive at least one of them was rolling their eyes at all of them, before Andros sighed. "Guys, we have a - "
"No we don't," she interrupted.
Another pause. " ... We don't?"
"Nope. Because there are no problems as long as I don't get out of bed. And I'm not getting out of bed," she said firmly.
"I like this plan," Zhane commented, reaching out to pat her leg.
Ashley put an arm around her in a semi-hug, squeezing gently. "Seconded."
"Unanimous," Carlos declared. "Zhane, move your elbow."
" ... Do I get vote?" Karone questioned. Cassie glanced at her worriedly, wishing Zhane wasn't between her and Carlos so she could kick him again for upsetting Karone, but the other girl looked faintly amused.
"Of course you do," Zhane replied. "But we knew you were going to vote to stay in the world of no problems anyway, so Carlos voted for you."
Karone giggled softly, surprising them all. "Thank you, Carlos. Your services will be rewarded," she called.
There was a pause. "Why do I get the feeling something bad just happened?" Carlos asked warily.
"Because it's Karone," Zhane answered him immediately. "She took over the universe, you know. You should respect that."
"I already respect it," he returned dryly. "That's why I'm worried."
"Don't worry. I always reward my loyal servants," Karone promised. Cassie grinned at the playful smirk on her face. Karone glanced over at her, winking, and she pressed a fist against her mouth to keep from laughing aloud.
Andros sighed again. "Guys ... "
"No problems in Cassie's bed," Ashley called. "Only snuggling."
She could *hear* Zhane grinning. "And - ow! Carlos!" he complained, sounding wounded.
"Everyone knows what you were gonna say," Carlos informed him. "And you didn't need to say it."
"So what happens if we get in the bed, too?" T.J. asked, sounding like he was trying not to laugh.
Cassie didn't even have to consider that. "All problems go away as soon as you're under the blankets," she insisted. "This is a problem-free zone."
Silence.
"Move over," Andros said abruptly, and she felt the blanket lifting near Karone.
Cassie's eyes widened, and she choked on another laugh. She'd expected T.J. to be the first to crawl with them. Not Andros.
Then she paused, frowning. If Andros didn't want to think about problems, something was definitely wrong.
Karone sat up carefully, leaving just enough room for someone to sit on the outside corner where her head had been. She patted the bed in invitation, and Cassie saw her offer her brother a shy smile. Andros smiled back, sitting down and folding his legs to sit cross-legged. Karone immediately laid back down, resting her head in his lap. She took a moment to settle herself comfortably, while Andros looked down at her with a soft expression.
"So where am I supposed to sit?" T.J. asked finally, sighing.
Ashley sat up, moving the blankets down so Cassie could keep them over her head. "You can sit with me," she offered cheerfully. "That way you won't get caught between Cassie, Zhane, and Carlos kicking each other."
T.J. chuckled, and she heard him move closer. "Sounds like a plan," he agreed.
It took several minutes for them all to resettle, Ashley moving to fit her head in T.J.'s lap as he sat leaning back against the wall. Andros had started playing with Karone's hair at some point, running his fingers through it carefully while she watched the rest of them. Zhane and Carlos were still bickering, but the pushing and kicking had stopped.
Cassie laid there, listening, and enjoyed the feeling of her friends around her. The feeling of love and acceptance. Of finally *belonging* somewhere. She was home. Maybe she'd never expected for home to be curled up in bed on a spaceship surrounded by two jocks, a cheerleader, two aliens, and the former Princess of Evil, but it was. This was her family, as much as the Reynolds and Chris and Kelly had ever been. Dysfunctional and strange at first look maybe, but family all the same.
She'd do anything to keep this feeling, this place. Anything.
Which was why she finally sighed, lifting her face from her pillow to look at Andros. "How bad is it, and how soon do we have to deal with it?"
He blinked at her for a moment, then frowned slightly. "It's ... " He glanced over at T.J.
"Is it about what I did?" she pushed, wincing slightly.
"Don't apologize," Carlos snapped, surprising her. "That guy was a jerk."
"Carlos ... " Ashley scolded.
"I would have punched him if Cassie hadn't gotten there first," he muttered unapologetically.
"It wasn't the most diplomatic way to handle the situation," Andros allowed.
"It was a train wreck," Zhane interupted, but he sounded amused. "And Cassie's on the list."
"How do you know what a train wreck is?" T.J. demanded suspiciously, at the same time as Ashley asked "What list?"
"The list of people not allowed to talk to reporters," he answered, clearly ignoring T.J. "So far that's Andros and Cassie." He paused. "And maybe Carlos."
"I haven't done anything," Carlos protested, sounding offended.
"Not for lack of intent," Zhane shot back, and Carlos muttered something no one could hear.
Cassie was torn between smiling and trying to hide under her pillow again. The need to bury her face finally won out. " ... Aren't you guys mad?" she asked eventually, frowning as her voice came out sounding smaller than she'd meant to.
There was a pause.
"About what?" Andros asked at last. She couldn't see him, but she could imagine the confused frown on his face.
She swallowed hard. "I screwed up. I ruined the press conference," she reminded them, still not lifting her head.
"You didn't ruin anything," Ashley protested, squirming out of T.J.'s lap to hug her again.
"You were standing up for me," Karone reminded her softly, reaching out to squeeze her hand.
Carlos made a noise of agreement, and the blanket lifted slightly as he sat up enough to look at her over Zhane. "I was gonna punch the jerk if you didn't," he pointed out.
"I would have too," Andros admitted reluctantly. She peeked out from her pillow just in time to catch Karone smiling up at him, and Andros' soft, sheepish smile back.
"No one's mad, Cass," T.J. promised, reaching over to touch her shoulder. "Yeah, it wasn't the best idea, and I can't say it went over well, but. Well."
"It's too late now?" she offered wryly, turning a little more to get a better look at Andros. Was he braiding Karone's hair?
"Actually, it was probably a good idea," Zhane said abruptly.
She glanced down at him, raising her eyebrows. "How do you figure?"
"For one, we can put a positive spin on it to show that we're perfectly capable of controlling our strength." He looked back at her, and she was surprised to see that he was serious. "You could have shattered his face, and all you did was give him a bloody nose."
"I didn't want to hurt him," she protested, because yeah, he was a jerk, but she wasn't *that* cruel.
"I know," he agreed. "Which is why it was a good thing. Yeah, you hit him, but he insulted us. You just proved that we're not what he thinks we are, and that we *will* stand up for ourselves. We've also established that we're not going to accept any insults against Karone."
"There was a probably a better way of doing it, but you're right," T.J. agreed reluctantly. He squeezed her shoulder again. "Either way, it's over and done with. We've got other things to deal with now."
There was a long silence.
"Like what?" Ashley asked warily.
No one answered her, and Cassie finally lifted her head again to see T.J. and Andros looking at each other.
"Someone issued a warrant for Astronema's arrest," T.J. said finally. "They want to put her on trial."