The following day, Serena and Terry were alone in the yard, going through some exercises. The others trusted them enough not to slack off while they went out. It was a beautiful day, so they had all gone to the beach, while Ji had gone into the city to run some errands.

Terry was working on his symbols, while Serena was busy working on trying to unlock the power of the disk Stephen had left her before he died. She spun the disk on the hilt of Kasamune, only to find it stopping a short time later with no effect whatsoever.

Terry couldn't help casting the occasional glance her way, seeing her growing more and more frustrated as she tried to channel her energy into the mystical blade. She growled and tried again, and again, and again...but no matter what she was doing, nothing seemed to work.

Serena hated this. She knew that Stephen obviously had something in mind when he created the disk for her, but she just couldn't get it to work. Worse than that, lately, she wasn't making any progress at all. If anything, she was taking massive steps backwards. She seemed to be even further from her goal than ever.

She couldn't understand it. Nothing she did worked, that much was hardly news. However, she now couldn't feel any of the power she had from it before.

"Do you want to take a break?" Terry asked her.

"I'm fine thanks." She said abruptly, adopting a stance. Terry just sighed.

"Our symbol power is connected to our emotions." He told her. Serena just drove Kasamune into the ground.

"Yeah, that's right Granny." She said sarcastically. "You stick a needle through the shell, wiggle it around to break the yolk, and then suck really hard!"

"You know, you were a lot nicer yesterday." He chuckled, finding her temper tantrum amusing. He knew she was more frustrated with her inability to harness the disk than with him. Although he knew he irritated her, and pretty much relished doing so, he could tell that her frustration with Kasamune was a separate issue altogether.

"Yesterday...I...well..." She mumbled. "Yesterday, you saved a kid's life. It's hard not to be impressed with that."

"Wow, I never thought I'd see the day." He said with a little smirk. "Something I did actually impressed you."

"Whatever." Serena grumbled. She spun the disk again, at which it sparked, and spluttered somewhat pathetically, before falling inert. She just cursed loudly, throwing it down.

"Wow, that's not exactly PG language." Terry sniggered, getting up and making his way over. Serena just pointed a finger his way in warning.

"Careful Sugarplum, I don't like you that much." She warned him. He just gave her that same smile that always got a reaction from her, always aggravated her.

"So you do like me?" He asked.

"I didn't say that..."

"I'm honoured." He said with a fake little bow. Serena just grabbed a towel, throwing it at him in a fit of temper.

"You know, that may just be part of the problem." He stated.

"What?" She asked in response.

"Your temper." He clarified as he came closer. "Our Symbol Power is connected to our emotions. It's affected by what we're feeling."

"I've been doing this a long time." Serena said bad-temperedly. "I was able to make sandcastles with my symbol power back when you were in diapers!"

"But what I'm saying is true, you know that." Terry stated. "Our emotions..."

"Emily beat Dekker when she was angry!" She reminded him. Terry just laughed.

"Yeah, she buried him under a mountain!" He reminded her. "She had the power alright, but even you have to admit that's hardly a demonstration of control."

"I guess not." Serena laughed as she thought about it. "Emily always was one for using sledgehammer to crack a nut."

"Wow, you actually can smile." Terry remarked. Serena's face just fell. "No, don't stop, It suits you."

"I haven't had much to smile about recently." She told him. "Now, I need to..."

"Serena, carrying on like this now would be pointless." Terry told her. He knew about what she had been through. Mia had explained a lot about her circumstances, and he understood that of all the team, she had the most to be resentful about. He just looked to her. "How do you feel about playing hookie?"

"Hookie?" She asked him. "We're meant to be on punishment..."

"Don't try and tell me you always followed the rules." Terry said with a little gesture in the direction of Ji's motorcycle. He had left it there, taking the SUV since he was going for groceries. He gave her a little look. "Come on."

"Terry, we..."

"Serena, you're not getting anywhere with this anyway." He reminded her. "You won't until you let go of your anger."

"You really think..."

"I'll tell you what, give me two hours." Terry stated, holding up his hands. "Come on, we're not doing anything important here. If you don't feel any differently, then I'll bring you back and I'll leave you alone from now on."

Serena just rolled her eyes.

"Alright Sugerplum." She groaned. "Lead the way."

"First...we really need to change." He told her, gesturing to her training gi. "You won't regret this."

"I have a feeling that's wishful thinking." She commented, heading for the house. He just followed her, putting an arm around her. She threw it off.

"Too much Sugarplum." She warned him. "Too much."

At the beach, the Rangers were having a whale of a time. Antonio, Jayden and Mike were playing a game of Frisbee, which was quickly becoming a game of keep-away from an increasingly irritated Emily. Her small size meant it was relatively simple to throw it just out of her reach, and they were finding it hilarious watching her run around, flailing wildly as she tried desperately to get it.

Kevin came out of the water, having enjoyed some time to get some swimming in, coming to Mia's side. She was the only one that seemed not to be having a complete ball, instead just reading Dan Brown's "Digital Fortress" as they all played. Given the cast, she couldn't go in the water, and she doubted taking part in a game of Frisbee would do her recovery any good.

"How's the water?" She asked him. Kevin just smiled.

"It's really mild." He told her. "It feels great getting back to it."

"I guess it's only natural you've been thinking about it." Mia answered, putting a bookmark into the pages, holding her place. "The news has been all about the Olympics lately."

"Yeah, I had kind of noticed that." He commented. "2016's not THAT far away."

"It still has to be hard to think about." Mia answered, beginning to play with some sand absent-mindedly. "I know it's not the same thing, but because of the arm, being on the bench like this...sometimes it's hard seeing all of you working, training..."

"Mia, I'm not going to go all nut-job on you again." He chuckled. "It kind of sucks that I can't go to London, but seriously, I'm over it."

"But your dream isn't like any of ours." She replied. "We can get married any time. Emily can go to college any time. Your dream, the Olympics...if you don't make it next time..."

"I already accepted that my dream isn't likely." He assured her, stroking her shoulders gently. "Well, that one anyway. My dreams have kind of changed lately."

"Really?" She asked him. He just nodded.

"What Ji has with Brenda, that's what I want." He told her. She just smiled.

"You mean...?"

"Obviously a lot of that depends on you." He told her. "But now when I'm dreaming, now when I'm imagining myself on a podium being given a medal, it's not just me up there. Now, I'm there with our baby."

She leaned into him as he held her, watching over the others playing.

"Come on guys, that's not fair!" Emily whined as the Frisbee soared over her head yet again. "Stop it, I want to play!"

"Alright Em, we'll let you play." Jayden assured her as she ran to him. He then launched the Frisbee over her head yet again, in Antonio's direction. Kevin and Mia just laughed as she ran after it.

"I'm really looking forward to it." Kevin assured her. "If it wasn't for all this, if we could just get the families together...I'd marry you right now. I'd really like to meet your parents first. Dad told me so much about them."

"I'm sure they'd love to meet you too." She answered. "Considering you do want to take their only daughter from them."

They just held each other, turning back to the game as Emily ran away with the others in hot pursuit, having finally managed to snatch the Frisbee out of the air. The others were running after her, laughing as they did so. Mia couldn't help laughing, imagining not the Rangers, but her own kids before her. She looked to Kevin and smiled.

"I love you." She told him.

"I love you too." He answered, kissing her softly as he held her.

In another area of the city, Serena was holding onto Terry as he pulled into a parking lot. He flicked down the kick-stand and rested the bike as he killed the engine, getting off the bike. Serena slipped off the back and followed him as he went inside.

She looked around as they got inside, realising where they were. The sterile halls, the desk, the people walking around in scrubs...they were at a hospital. Terry approached the desk, at which one of the nurses smiled.

"Terry, this is a surprise." She stated. "I thought you dropped out."

"Well, I did have to take a sabbatical." He told her. "That doesn't mean to say the kids have to wear it. Can I have it?"

She held up a hand, and walked away into the back, coming back a little later with an acoustic guitar. She handed it over the desk.

"They'll be really glad to see you." She told him. He just smiled, before heading for a side room. Serena followed him, seeing where he was going. It was the Children's Ward. As he went in, she could see all of the kids suddenly lighting up. They cheered as he went in.

"Well, I guess you all remember me." He chuckled. He pulled up a seat and sat down, beginning to tune up. Serena couldn't help smiling too as the kids leapt out of bed and started to surround him, sitting on the floor, looking up to him. "If you'll just give me a minute, then we'll begin."

Over at Camp Combat, Spike and his friends were packing up, ready to head home. Kimberly was just saying her goodbyes to her former team mates Ed and Greg in the yard, while Spike packed his stuff into his bag. He didn't even notice as Vicky came in.

"So, you have to be pretty stoked." Vicky stated, causing him to jump. He didn't know how she did that, normally he was pretty alert and aware. People rarely managed to sneak up on him, but somehow Vicky managed to find a way. He just looked to her.

"Yeah, it's been a long time since I've seen dad." Spike responded. "I know they need to work on things, but I really miss them."

"From what I've seen, the feeling is pretty mutual." She answered. Spike just let out a little laugh.

"Yeah, they always are a little full-on when it comes to me." Spike told her. "I am their only kid."

"They never had any more?" Vicky asked him. He just sighed and shook his head.

"They tried for a while." Spike told her. "It just never happened."

She felt a little badly for bringing the subject up. Spike could see the saddened look on her face and approached her, hugging her.

"It's fine, really." He told her.

"Jimmy drives me up the wall all the time." She admitted. "But I can't remember a time I wasn't a big sister. It's a huge part of who I am. He drives me nuts, but I can't imagine him not being around."

"I guess you don't miss what you never had." Spike told her. "Kim...mom...she's been great to me. I wish things had been different. I wish...sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to have brothers and sisters."

"In a word, annoying." She giggled. As she looked to him, he couldn't help smiling. Their eyes connected, and for a moment, it felt like his heart stopped altogether. Everything stopped as he looked into her eyes. It was only as the door opened, and they heard a noise, a small coughing, that they snapped back to reality.

"The car's ready." Kimberly told them. "Are you ready to head back?"

"Yeah, we'll be right there mom." Spike answered. Kimberly looked between them both and smiled, before picking up Spike's bag and heading out.

"We're heading out soon." She told them. "We thought we'd eat out tonight. Vicky, would you like to join us? The others are..."

"I'll call my mom." She answered, pulling out her cell phone. "I'm sure she won't mind."

As Vicky left, Kim looked to Spike, and he could see where her thoughts were going.

"She's just a friend mom." He assured her. She just nodded.

"OK." She answered with a little, hugging him and kissing his cheek gently. "She's just a friend."

"She is!" Spike protested as he followed her out the form. Kim just nodded.

"I believe you." She answered with a chuckle.

Back at the hospital in the city, Serena was sitting with a little girl on her knee, listening to him as he played his guitar. Terry seemed to be having the time of his life as the kids listened to him.

"So looooo-ooong honey babe yeah,
Where I'm bound, I can't tell.
Goodbye's too good a word babe,
So I'll just say...fare thee well."

He looked around the kids with a broad grin as he neared the end of his song, Bob Dylan's Don't Think Twice it's Alright.

"You just kinda wasted my...precious time."

The kids all joined him for the last line.

"But don't think twice, it's alright!" They called out as he finished up. He got up, putting his guitar aside. "Alright kids, I have to go now..."

They all started to moan and protest, but he just held up his hands.

"It's alright; I'll be back in a couple of days." He assured them. "I promise, I'll be back soon."

They left the ward, leaving the kids to rest up. Serena generally hated hospitals, having spent a lot of time in them when she was sick, but for the first time since Emily was born, she had actually found herself enjoying her time in the hospital. Terry looked to her, and she just smiled.

"So...?"

"Alright, that was kind of fun." She admitted.

"I like coming here every now and then." He told her. "The kids like it, and when I see what they're going through, if I can help them take their minds off it, even for a little while, it makes me feel good about myself."

"I'll bet it does." Serena commented, casting a look back to the ward. "That girl I was holding, Jenny..."

"She's going to get her tonsils out later." Terry stated. "I may only be a med student, but I can't help taking a little look at the charts."

"She's going into surgery tomorrow." She answered. "You made her happy. I can see why you like that."

"Well, I do what I can." Terry told her.

"You know, maybe if there had been someone like you around when I was in hospital, it wouldn't have seemed too bad." She commented. He just laughed.

"You know, that's the second time today you've said something nice to me." He commented. Serena paused, unable to answer. She struggled to find something to say in response. It was as she stumbled over her words, trying to find a comeback. He just smiled.

"I like cheering the kids up. The way I see it, it's just another part of the healing process." He told her. "Trust me, it doesn't matter how bad you feel. If you ever visit the cancer ward, your own problems don't seem to matter much."

"I can imagine." Serena answered, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks for this. I really had a good time."

"You know, if you keep this up, I'll start thinking you don't really hate me after all." Terry chuckled. Serena just shoved him playfully as they headed for the parking lot, preparing to head home.

A/N: The song Terry was singing was Bob Dylan's "Don't think Twice its Alright." Needless to say, he owns the rights, I don't.