To Arrive Where We Started

Chapter One

3:45. it had only been five minutes since Cassie had last checked her watch, truly this was becoming the longest half hour of her life. It was not that Cassie did not want to be at her job, she loved it really, but when she knew that an email from Zaldin would be at home waiting for her nothing that could make the time pass quickly enough. Cassie loaded the last of the soccer balls into Carlos' van while he supervised the kids who were still waiting for their parents to come and pick them up. She hoped the parents would come soon, if the dark clouds over head where any indication she would very likely be soaking wet by the time she got home.

Cassie marveled at how much her life had changed in the last month and half. Sometimes it seemed as if it where only yesterday that she had been traveling in space as a ranger. Other times it seemed like a short lifetime ago. Now she was acting as a teacher to some of the children whose schools and lives had been torn apart by the last battle. All around her where reminders of that fight on Earth, buildings and homes where still in ruins, but all around them construction was happening. The attempt to rebuild Angel Grove was on going. It would never be the same, Cassie had felt that the moment they had returned from K0-35, the city had seen too much to return to its earlier self. And really, Cassie thought, she had seen too much to really return to her former self.

She checked her watch again, 3: 49; she was starting to suspect that her watch was moving backwards. In her distraction she hadn't noticed Carlos come up beside her.

"Cassie" he said startling her "You can go on if you want too, I can handle these three." He said indicating their students.

"No that's alright I can be patient I promise… It's only ten more minutes." Cassie said once again glancing at her watch.

"Cassie…" Carlos began

"Ya...?" Cassie said still distracted by her watch, trying to figure out if it was moving any faster.

"Get outta here" Carlos grinned lopsidedly at her

"But I…" She looked up to see Carlos smiling… "Thanks Carlos. I'll meet you guys later alright?"

"See you later Cass."

Cassie waved at him as she ran towards her bike that was parked at the top of the hill near the bleachers. Once she got to it she strapped on her helmet and started peddling towards her Aunt and Uncle's apartment where she had been staying ever since that fateful day when she had moved to Angel Grove.

As she road past dilapidated buildings and abandoned homes she though about how lucky her aunt and uncle had been that their apartment building had survived the attack. There where so many people in Angel Grove who were still living in shelters. Both TJ and Zhane where helping out with the rebuilding projects in the area. The other Rangers all helped on the weekends when their other volunteer duties would allow them. They would all be meeting later that night to enjoy a few hours together, before their busy weekend started. But Cassie never felt that her weekend had truly begun until she had gotten to read her a letter from Zaldin.

When she got to the apartment she was glad to see neither her aunt nor uncle where home, which was often the case. It frequently felt like it was she who lived here and they just visited often. Their apartment was small and cozy. When you walked in you could see the dinning area, kitchen, and living room (if you could call it a room) all at once. To the right of the kitchen was the hallway that had her aunt and uncle's room, the bathroom, and Cassie's room. In many ways Cassie was glad it was such a little space, she had gotten used to living on the ship and had become accustomed to small living quarters.

Once Cassie entered her room she dumped her bag onto her bed and slid into her desk chair and opened her laptop. She wasn't sure how Andros and Zhane had managed to rig her computer to get intergalactic messages from Eltar, but she was very glad they had been able to, otherwise Cassie knew she would not be as cheerful has she had managed being so far from Zaldin. As she waited for her computer to warm up she went back down the hall to the kitchen and put a kettle on to make herself a hot cup of tea. Outside the rain had just started to fall making the apartment seem all the more cozy. She had always liked tea, but now, especially with the rain making the skies darker and the kitchen lights brighter, it reminded her of sitting and chatting with Zaldin on K0-35. It made him seem not so far away.

Figuring she had killed enough time to allow her computer to warm up and get past the start menu she wondered back down the hallway to her room clutching her warm cup. Turning on her lamp against the darkening light coming from the small window she signed onto her email trying to keep her excitement in check. Very soon she thought, she would be reading his words and sharing in his life. Zaldin had dutifully written every week since they had been apart, always long letters he told her about each day's events, both in his official capacity and in his private life. Sometimes his stories where funny, other times he asked for her own thoughts and advice. Every now and then he described his home and the beautiful things he could see from his window as he wrote to her. He always finished his letters with "I love you." After reading his words Cassie felt like she had received a hug from across the stars, knowing that he was out there made her feel at peace with everything.

Signing into her email she was surprised to see that she had no new messages. That was odd, she thought, his letters had always arrived by this time. Deciding that he must be running a bit late she decided to take a shower and get changed for her meeting with her friends, thinking that by the time she was done with that Zaldin's message would have arrived.

After showing and changing into her favorite jeans and fleece she checked her email again, excepting to see a new message waiting for her. She impatiently tapped the mouse's hard plastic top with her finger as the page reloaded. Nothing, no new messages, not even spam mail.

"Something must have come up." She said aloud to the empty room. "By the time I get back he'll have written telling me why he was late and saying that he hoped I didn't worry."

But if Cassie was honest with herself she was a little worried, but really she thought, it's only because he's been like clockwork until this point. She finished her tea and after reloading the page once more she took her empty cup to the kitchen before grabbing her bike helmet and bag. The rain had lost it's coziness as she peddled the few blocks to the Surf Spot to meet her friends for dinner.

Once inside she found everyone except Andros and Karone seated at their normal table munching on a plate of fries (that according to Adele would be on the house for them forever). She smiled seeing her friends, it was strange not seeing them throughout the day as she had on the ship, and she found herself missing their company often.

Sitting down next to TJ she placed her order with Adele before reaching for the plate of fries and listening as each of the rangers discussed their day. Ashley was telling a funny story about the some of the people who had come into the volunteer center where she worked to sew blankets and made simple clothing for people who needed them. Part way through the story Andros and Karone arrived. Andros sat next to Cassie and Ashley while Karone sat next to Zhane. Soon after Ashley had finished her story Adele brought their food to the table.

As they each started their meals the conversation continued as there hunger became less desperate. TJ and Zhane where telling the other rangers about the structural damages to the schools they were helping to rebuild. Zhane would interject periodically about how primitive Earth's computers where. Cassie was only half listening to the story as she toyed with her soup, her mind kept returning to her computer wondering if Zaldin's message had arrived yet.

"You are awfully quite tonight Cassie." Karone said taking Cassie out of her thoughts for the first time that evening. Everyone's attention was on her now.

"Sorry, I was just lost in thought you know unfamiliar territory" she smiled at them, not wanting them to think her pathetic, obsessing about a letter that was only a few hours late. They all laughed, and for the rest of the evening Cassie made an effort to engage with her friends, after all there would likely be a message for her when she got home, she hoped.