A/N – This takes place just before Bug's funeral, during Bug's funeral and just afterwards! It features more of the rangers, but of course is central to Taz and Up. ENJOY!

Oh, and for the record, I was given a prompt called 'Taz dies.' I've actually written this - But I'm probably only going to post that when I finally finish writing these oneshots. - As a sort of finale I guess lol.

It had been a long two hours. Up, Megagirl and Tootsie had gone out in another Drop Pod to try and gather some of Bug's remains, so they could return to the Bug World one last time and bury him accordingly. Krayonder, as Megagirl had said, was alive, but had a large bandage around his head and seemed dazed and confused. He was being tended to by Specs.

February had retreated to her room and hadn't left since she went inside. Taz was sat by the docking station, waiting just in case Junior decided to come back. She would personally kill him, with her bare hands if she had to. Those bugs couldn't have got onto the ship by themselves now, could they? Much to her annoyance however, Junior didn't come back.

Up, Megagirl and Tootsie did however, and Taz looked at the box Up was holding with a slight wince. There wasn't much then.

"It just feels right that we bury him down there, y'know?" Up muttered, frowning slightly.

"Yeah, he deserves to be laid to rest on his home planet." Taz replied, pulling herself up into a standing position, wincing slightly.

"No sign of Junior?" Up asked, setting his jaw slightly, and Taz shook her head. Negative. Up sighed and placed the box down on the floor gently. "In that case, we better gather everyone."

"I'll get February. She's locked herself in her room." Taz sighed, and began to walk away. Up however, reached out his hand and gripped onto her wrist. She looked back at him, furrowing her eyebrows slightly. Silently, he pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her tightly and burying his face in her hair. Taz froze slightly, having forgotten what this sensation felt like. Slowly, her arms wrapped around his waist, and she rested her head against his chest.

"I was so worried I was gonna lose you today Taz." Up mumbled. "An' obviously, I feel really bad about Bug and February, course I do. My heart aches for 'em…I'm just so glad it wasn't you."

"Ey' Up," Taz sighed, not moving a muscle. "Listen to me, idiota. We've been through too much for me to let some estúpido bugs drag us apart." She looked up at him, and he gave her a weak smile in return, nodding his head. "Now c'mon…Let's get dis funeral over with." Reluctantly, she moved away from the warmth of his arms and headed towards February's room, wondering what she was going to tell her.

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Slowly, The Starship Rangers of Starship 15-A2 made their way from the drop pod onto the Bug World once more. Specs and Tootsie carried the box covered by a cloth bearing the G.L.E.E insignia out of the pod and then laid it on the ground. The others then formed a circle around it, all staring down at the remains of their fallen Ranger.

"Ten-Hut!" Up barked suddenly, and Taz instinctively stood a little straighter, clasping her hands together in front of her. "We are gathered here today, to pay out final respects to our honoured dead…" His voice wavered slightly, and Taz glanced at him, frowning. "…Bug. Who we lay to rest, here, in his native soil." He paused again. "Bug, I know that your body exploded in space, and the few remaining bits of your body we managed to salvage are lyin' in a this box at m'feet-" February made a small whimpering noise. "But I like to think that you're still out there…somewhere."

"Would you settle for somewhere right here?" A cheerful voice asked, and Taz spun around to see what looked like a giant fire-ant stood on two legs staring at them with large, bulbous blue eyes.

"It's a damn bug!" Taz cried, wishing she had brought her zapper with her as the others crowded behind her and Up, all looking terrified. She froze slightly as Up stood in front of her and outstretched his arms slightly, almost in a protective manner. Her gaze flickered from the bug to Up for a moment, until she focused on the problem at hand.

"No, guys, it's me! Bug!" the alien said quickly, holding up its claws, looking nervous.

"…Bug?" Up asked in disbelief, and Taz felt February stiffen beside her.

"Yeah." Bug replied, looking at them mournfully. "I know I look a little different, but- When my body died up there-"he gestured to the sky. "I woke up down here. And I know it's weird…But I'm still the same old Bug! …So what do you say everybody?" he paused. "…February?"

Taz glanced to her left as February stepped forward, her lips pulled upwards slightly in a small smile. "Oh Bug…" she murmured softly, and stepped towards the creature, lightly feeling around its face and…mandibles, and suddenly she laughed, delighted. "It's really you!"

Taz raised her eyebrow slowly, and glanced at Up, who was watching the two of them with delight written all over his face, and she shook her head slightly.

"I can understand if you still hate bugs." Bug was saying, looking nervous, and February smiled.

"I thought I hated bugs." She said quietly, still smiling. "But there's one that makes me feel like more than I ever could be!"

"It's that bastard, Pincer, isn't it?" Bug suddenly asked, annoyed, and February shook her head, giggling.

"It's you, Bug!"

"Oh cool!" Bug said brightly, and Taz simply stared as they embraced. Today was really turning out weird. Shaking her head to clear it of her thoughts, not really paying attention to what February was saying next, Taz almost choked on her own oxygen supply when she saw February kiss. Well…To each their own, right?

"Well, Tarnations y'all!" Tootsie said suddenly, taking Megagirl by the hand, and Taz glanced over at them, raising her eyebrow slightly. "What do y'all see we turn this here funeral-" he paused, getting on one knee and then turned to Megagirl, pulling out a ring. "Into a weddin'?"

Oh come ON! Seriously? Wait, was that a Tootsie Pop ring?

Up's face lit up like she had never seen before, and he turned to her, obviously excited about the prospect of a wedding on the ship.

"Oh Tootsie!" Megagirl gushed, a metallic hue arising in her cheeks. "My pleasure circuits are at the maximum capacity!"

"Oh we're just getting started y'all!" Tootsie beamed, standing up and taking Megagirl's hands in his own. He turned to Up, expectantly, and Up looked even happier at the prospect of being the one to marry the two of them together. Sighing slightly, Taz stepped up behind Megagirl and clasped her hands together in front of her. The others formed a semi-circle around the couple, and then Up began.

"Do you, Ultrabeam Megagirl, take this man, Tootsie Megagirl, to be your lawful wedded husband?"

Tootsie Megagirl? Did he change his name or something? Yeah, what was Tootsie saying about his name earlier? His first name is what he does, and the second name is what he loves? How…Romantic.

"Affirmative!" Megagirl beamed, and Taz raised an eyebrow slightly as Up grinned at her before turning to Tootsie.

"And do you, Tootsie Megagirl take Ultrabeam Megagirl, to be your awful cybernetic harbinger of doom?"

"Hell yeah!" Tootsie grinned, unable to keep his eyes off of Megagirl. Actually, Taz was starting to feel a little bit sick of all this already. Was everyone on this stupid ship pairing off? She could see Krayonder had his arms around Specs' shoulders and inwardly groaned. Looked like it.

"Then by the power vested in my by the state and county of Mobile, Alabama, I now pronounce you, Man vs Machine – FIGHT!" He paused, looking confused for a moment, but it was all Tootsie and Megagirl needed. They moved forward and kissed, and Taz shook her head in mild disbelief.

"Oh- Guys, I hope you don't mind!" Bug said eagerly, holding onto February's hand with his claw. "But I invited some friends!"

Taz froze as load of bugs began to make their way onto the scene, not feeling very comfortable with being surrounded by so many of them. She felt herself reluctantly relax however as Up's arm draped over her shoulder, and he grinned down at her.

"Some day, huh?" he asked her casually, and Taz nodded, wrapping her arm around his waist in a companionable manner. They still fit together perfectly, she noted, trying to hide a smile. "It all turned out pretty well though, wouldn't y'say?"

"Si." Taz agreed, leaning against him slightly. "It turned out pretty well."

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"Say, Bug." Up called out, as the Starship doors closed. Bug had just finished saying his goodbyes to his friends and was heading to Earth with them, to assist them in confronting Holden and to hopefully be officially accepted as a Starship Ranger. "Did'ja happen to see Junior on Bug World?"

"Junior?" Bug asked, glancing up at him in surprise. "Didn't I say? Junior's dead!"

"What?" Taz asked immediately, her eyes widening. The others all turned around to stare at Bug, who shrank back slightly from their stares.

"Well- When I woke up back in my body in the hive, my best friend Roach told me that someone was trying to destroy the hive, and was heading to the Over-Queen, which is the source of all our power. I ran to stop him, but he was going to shoot me anyway." He paused suddenly, looking mournful. "Then Bugette…An old friend of mine, a caterpillar…she jumped in front of me to save me, and he killed her instead." February bit her lip, taking Bug's claw gently. "But, what he didn't know, was that Bugette was carrying carnivorous larvae inside of her mucus sack and when she died…They burst free. Junior also didn't know that when baby bugs hatch, they devour the closest mammal to them for nourishment…And that mammal just happened to be him."

"Junior was a mammal?" February asked, looking disturbed at the story, but also a little confused. "I thought he was like, human!"

"Humans are mammals February." Specs told her, shaking her head slightly and readjusting her glasses.

"Seriously?" February asked, and then shrugged, looking unconcerned. "I'm sorry about your friend though Buggy. She sounded really brave!"

"She was." Bug said quietly, and Taz exchanged a look with Up, who was also looking stunned by the news they had just received.

"What d'you think?" he asked her quietly, and Taz sighed, shaking her head.

"He deserved what he got." She said simply, shrugging her shoulders. "De only thing I regret is not being able to kill de hijo de puto myself."

Up gave her a fond smile, lightly ruffling her hair, and she glared up at him, batting his hands away.

"This means it's gonna be harder to prove our case against Holden." Up said grimly, leaning back in his seat.

"Jou really think he was de one behind all of dis?" Taz asked, thinking of the few times she had interacted with Holden. He had always unnerved her, but he had saved Up's life, and had personally visited her to promote her to Lieutenant. Could the head of the G.L.E.E really be the bad guy?

"Wouldn't surprise me." Up muttered, looking down for a fleeting moment at his robotic hand. Silently, Taz reached out and slipped her hand into his, intertwining their fingers together. Up stared at their fingers silently, and then moved his gaze up to her face. She was determinedly looking away from him, a light pink hue on her cheeks, and Up hid a smile, deciding not to say anything about it.

After time, the team began to fill out, deciding that sleeping would probably be a good idea. Soon, only Taz and Up were left, still holding hands, and still remaining silent.

"Hey, Taz." Up said quietly, and Taz glanced at him, raising her eyebrow slightly. "I know I asked ya this earlier…But how about we watch the Karate Kid tonight?" he flinched, almost as if expecting her to strike him or shout at him again. Instead, Taz's lips pulled up into a smile.

"Sounds like a plan."