Author's Note: I own nothing.

20 Cheering Up

Before anyone knew what was happening the first month of the school year passed. Then a week. Jen's mood grew gloomy, most of the beings working at the Base avoided her, coming to Rook instead. Then she didn't show for patrol, worried Rook went to Max. The old man frowned.

"It is a bit odd." Then he glanced at the calendar on his wall and frowned deeply. "Oh, that's why." Rook frowned again.

"Magister Tennyson?" Max shook his head.

"Has she told you about Ethan?" Rook nodded.

"Some things yes. They were engaged and he died, Pierce says he was a nice person." Max nodded.

"He was, his dad too. I trained him, Victor Valadis. He was a good man. Neither of them deserved what happened to them." Rook sat down on Max's couch as Max nodded at him to. Max sat down next to him and sighed. They were out getting supplies for the Mount Rushmore Base, not even dangerous ones. I went over the list later and it was literally a grocery run. A truck driver fell asleep at the wheel, swerved into oncoming traffic. They were all killed on impact. Jen was off planet when it happened. Saving Petropia, regenerating it actually. She found out when she landed. She didn't take it well." Rook nodded.

"For a long time it was assumed that I would marry a girl from my home town. I care for her but it is not love, but I cannot imagine losing her, or truly anyone that close. I imagine it was devastating." Max nodded.

"It was, she locked away one of her transformations, it was a mess. She's in a better place about it now. But it took a while to get there." Rook nodded.

"I understand this but why would this affect her appearing for patrol today?" Max sighed slightly.

"It was a year ago today."

"Oh." Rook frowned and stood. "Do you know where she is?" Max nodded slightly.

"I might, why?"

"I have found that grief is easier to handle when it is not suffered alone. For a time after my Grandfather died my grandmother moved in with my family, she was not ill or infirmed but she needed us regardless." Max smiled lightly and nodded.

"Check the hall of the fallen. That's probably where she is. Magister Patelliday and I are going fishing this afternoon, if you two want to come out with is." Rook nodded and headed down to the Hall of the Fallen. She was alone there, sitting on the floor looking at the wall across from her almost blankly. Rook frowned. His partner was normally quite energetic. He nodded to himself and stepped forward.

"Jen?" She started slightly and looked up there were dry tear streaks on her face but her eyes cleared slightly as she spotted him. She scrubbed at her face.

"Hey Rook." She cleared her throat. "Was I late? Sorry the Watch doesn't actually tell time." Rook nodded slightly.

"You were but I understand. Are you well?" She ran her hands through her hair and shook her head then nodded.

"I'm alright. Well as I can be anyway." She stood. "Did we need to head out?" Rook shook his head.

"No, but Magister Tennyson has invited us to accompany him and Magister Patelliday on a fishing trip this afternoon." Jen nodded.

"You know what, that sounds like fun."

The fishing trip didn't go as well as they wanted, it wasn't quite so peaceful or relaxing since Patelliday ended up kidnapped by a crew of robot pirates. But by the end of the day they were wrapping up the head pirate crew. Rook shook his head slightly as Jen turned back from Diamondhead.

"I still do not understand why you had to nearly get eaten by the Kraken." Jen laughed.

"That is in no way the first time I had to be eaten to get things done." Rook laughed, slightly startled. Jen blinked at him then laughed with him. Max smiled lightly as they managed to steer the escape pod to shore. Patelliday called it in as the human ships began to head for the docks not too far away. It seemed that they had managed to save the ships just in time as the paramedics rushed to the docks. There were a few cases of oxygen deprivation but no casualties. Jen used the key fob she kept with her to summon her bike and she and Rook headed off to the nearest Mr. Smoothie while Max and Patelliday took care of everything else. That night was a bit of a blur with Trumbipulor arriving back on Earth. But it ended well with Rook and Jen finding Blukic and Driba wandering around looking for a Mr. Smoothie.

Though both Rook and Jen had gotten a bit banged up in the fight they took the two Galvans to the nearest Mr. Smoothie. They were in luck, Jen knew the closing manager, Steve, who fixed them up with several smoothies before officially closing. Jen handed him two twenties from her wallet after he'd closed up.

"I know you guys aren't supposed to take tips but you're not on the clock. Thanks for staying open for us for a little longer." Steve grinned.

"My pleasure really, haven't seen you around school much." Jen shrugged.

"I only have to be on campus two days out of the week this year, not too bad." Steve nodded.

"Lucky!" He looked down as Blukic tugged on his pant leg.

"How do you get these so smooth!" He demanded. Driba shot to his feet.

"Blukic! There is no way he can reveal company secrets!" The two Galvans devolved into arguing. Steve glanced at Jen.

"Is that normal?"

"For them yes." Jen shrugged. Steve nodded and headed out. Jen sat down next to Rook who handed her smoothie to her. She took a sip of it and frowned. "What are you two doing out here anyway? Why didn't you just ask Cooper for help?" The Galvans looked at each other like that idea had never occurred to them. She snorted. Driba raised his scanner.

"We did make a discovery tonight!" Jen raised an eyebrow at him.

"Oh?"

"A twenty third store!" Jen raised an eyebrow.

"We'll have to check that out when they're open some other time." The four of them finished their smoothies and headed back to the Base.