Emma looked down at her growing stomach sadly. She was happy to be pregnant, but not happy that the pregnancy was keeping her from helping out a friend. She always liked trying to go the extra mile for the people she cared about. She loved making her friends happy. It brought a certain joy to her life she couldn't get anywhere else.
"I kind of feel bad," she said. "Orion was really counting on us."
"What can we do?" Noah asked her with a shrug. "We've got our lives here on Earth already. A trip to Andrasia is going to take months away from everything we've worked for until now."
"Not to mention, Joe," Jordan pointed to his fiancée's stomach. Emma looked down at it again, this time with a sigh. Her excuse for not helping Orion was a good one. Her son couldn't be born in space, and in the time it would take to get to Andrasia, or find it, and get back, she would give birth. Unless she could bring a team of doctors, as well as her friends, on Orion's little ship, it just wasn't safe or ideal.
"I wish there was something we could do," Emma pointed out. "A way we could help him out. He's losing his home and now he's got to think we've all turned out backs on him."
"But we haven't," Jake shook his head. "We've just... got other things to do."
"They aren't more important," Troy agreed, "But they can't be dropped just to look for a rock in space."
"This isn't a rock," Emma said. "This is Orion's home. He helped us save ours. The least we can do is help him find his."
"He does have a home," Jordan pointed out. "Here, with us. Don't we count for something? I mean, I've only spend a little time with the guy, but he's a good friend."
"Orion's been missing Andrasia since the moment he left," Gia reminded the Rangers. "When he and I were... a thing," she ignored the eye roll from Jake, "His face would light up anytime he talked about life on Andrasia. He could go on and on about mining, his friends, and just the way of life in general. He seemed happy here, but nowhere near as happy as when he thinks of Andrasia."
"But if it's not where it was, what can we do?" Jake asked. "None of us have even been there. We wouldn't know where to look for it if it's gone."
Jake shrugged his shoulders and looked around the room to his friends, "I want to help the guy. Really, I do. But it's just not possible for any of us to drop our lives for the next few months to look for a wild goose egg."
"On a wild goose chase," Gia corrected her fiancé, then shook her head, "But you're right."
"But there's got to be something," Emma insisted once again to her friends. "If we can't take Orion home, what if we brought home to Orion. Between all of us, we've got to have heard enough about what Andrasia was like to be able to bring it to Earth."
"You and Orion spent a lot of time together," Jake turned to Gia. "Plus you've got a wicked memory. How much do you know about Andrasia?"
"There was something I remember him saying," Gia said. "He had read an article on immigration in the newspaper and asked about it. I told him that sometimes people coming from other countries weren't welcomed into the US and that it was causing a lot of problems for us and the immigrants. He didn't get why it was such a problem. Apparently, on Andrasia, when someone moves into a new village, they're usually always welcomed."
"Usually?" Troy asked.
"He said there was always the odd wanderer that would stir up trouble. But he said when someone even a group of people, showed a genuine interest in becoming part of the village, they were given a celebration to make them feel welcomed and at home."
"Maybe we can do that," Emma offered. "We can welcome Orion to Earth. Make him feel like he's moved to a new home."
"It's not much different from a welcome party," Gia shrugged her shoulders. "A little tour to get to know the village, some tips from locals about where to build a house or where to gather or hunt the best foods, then a few chants, speeches, and a list of rules for being part of the village."
"We can do that here," Jordan suggested. "Gia, you and I have gotten to know the city pretty well. And we know the laws Orion will have to follow. We can brief him on stuff like that."
"Noah and I can tell him where some of the cool shops are," Jake said. "There's a soccer store just across the street that sells some really great equipment, and a league in town Orion can join. His version of the sport is pretty much the same as ours here. He should have no problem fitting in."
"I can do my best to keep him up to date on all the latest gadgets," Noah offered. "But I am really pressed for time for the next few months. I've barely got enough room in my schedule for sleeping. I'll do what I can to help out, though."
"Noah, don't work yourself to the bone with this," Gia shook her head.
"I'd never forgive myself if I didn't," Noah insisted.
"I guess I can do a speech," Emma offered up.
"You'd be the best for it," Jake nodded his head with a chuckle. "Really get him in the heart. Make him feel like Earth is better when he's here."
"That's the plan," Emma said. Finalyl all eyes turned to Troy. Jordan started to laugh.
"Dude, that leaves you with the chanting."
"No way," Troy shook his head. "I am not singing. Emma can sing. Why can't I do speeches."
"Dude, whenever you make speeches, they come across as cheesy," Jake pointed out. "Plus, we want heartfelt, not a motivational, war speech."
"But I don't sing. Or chant."
"What if you wrote a poem?" Emma offered.
"Poetry? No way."
"You've got to do something," Jake said, then pointed to Tiger, "Team up with the cat. I'm sure you can come up with something if you put your heads together."
Troy looked to Tiger, who tilted her head when she looked back at him. He shook his head.
"You guys aren't serious?"
"Tiger's a great dancer," Gia pointed out. Jordan nodded his head.
"Yeah, you should see those two dancing together in the cruiser," Jordan chuckled. "I've got to get that on camera one day."
"Do it, and I'll make sure Joe's the last kid you ever have."
"I'll just shake that off," Jordan smirked. Gia punched his arm.
Troy grumbled, "I'm not dancing."
"You've got to do something," Emma said. "Orion's one of our best friends. You need to find a way to welcome him home."
Tiger looked to Troy and started to shake her head up and down, following what looked to Troy like a beat. He sighed loudly while Jake pat him on the back.
"Don't tell us what you're doing," he said, "That way, if you fail, you can just pretend it was a comedy routine."
"Yeah, like you planned something awful," Jordan agreed. Troy huffed loudly.
"You guys suck."
