Since Up was with the Admiral, Taz was alone at lunch. She sighed, her fingers nervously playing with the hem of her tank top as she waited in line for her food. She didn't like being away from Up, especially on the days after she had had a nightmare. Avoiding her fellow Rangers' eyes, Taz grabbed a turkey sandwich and walked to her room.

The only thing that calmed her down after such a rocky night, other than Up, was reading. Pulling out one of her favorites, El Patito Feo, from her mahogany bookshelf, Taz plopped down on her large bed with her lunch and began to read. Sure, she had more sophisticated, adult novels, but when Taz was feeling scared, she liked to read the old folktales. She imagined her papá's voice reading the lines to her just as he had when she was young. When she was finished, she sighed, unhappy that it was over. Her left index finger was at the title page and as she went to close the book, something caught her eye. There were words scrawled on the first page in, what Taz soon realized, her papá's handwriting. She'd never noticed them before.

"A mi hija bonita, te amo." Tears started forming in her eyes and as hard as Taz willed them to stop, soon, salty tears began falling down her cheeks. Her vision quickly became obscured and the battered book fell from her hands onto the ground below. A lump caught in her throat and she began to cry uncontrollably, her petite frame shaking. She hugged her knees to her chest. Taz heard the knock on the door but she was crying too much to go and open it.

It didn't matter; whoever was at the door opened it anyway and walked in. Taz felt two strong arms wrap around her body and then Up's familiar scent filled her nostrils. She allowed herself to lean into his hold. Up didn't try to shush her, he didn't ask why she was crying, he just held her, rubbing his hands up and down her spine to comfort her She buried her face in his chest, not caring that she was getting his shirt wet.

Once the tears finally dried up, she tilted her chin up to look at Up. He smiled reassuringly at her. Taz noticed how when he smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkled. She noticed how blue his eyes were, how they sparkled like sea glass. She noticed how messy his hair was. She noticed how his shirt highlighted his muscular arms.

"No, no, you're not supposed to feel this, you idiota," Taz thought. "You don't like Up. You won't like anybody, ever. Emotions like this make you a stupid weakling, come on. No, you definitely do not like Up. Nope, not at all."

Up leaned down and whispered,

"Come on, mi mono pequeño, let's go watch The Karate Kid. It'll make you feel better." Taz smiled slightly at his nickname for her. Nodding, Taz detached her arms from where they were wrapped around him and stood up. Her quarters didn't have a television like Up's, so the pair walked to his cabin. But as Taz started leaving she felt a hand on her arm, pulling her back into another, tighter hug. "It's going to be okay," was all Up whispered in her ear. He clung to her, his chin resting on her head, hoping that his words would reassure her. Nothing upset him more than to see her so sad. Up pressed his lips to her short hair before pulling away.

Taz tried to push her feelings to the back of her mind but she couldn't. She couldn't help but like him. She couldn't help but like the man who'd saved her, the man who'd trained her, the man who was always there for her. She just couldn't help it.

Spanish dictionary:

-"El Patito Feo": the Ugly Duckling

-"A mi hija bonita, te amo": To my beautiful daughter, I love you

-"Es estúpido": it's stupid

-"mi mono pequeño": my little monkey