Author's note: I'm so sorry! I got my chapters mixed up…I won't do it again, I promise!

7 Another Problem

"We have another problem." Merrick said grimly, striding into the temple.

Three days had passed since Alyssa had disappeared. Cole had taken to wandering the park, looking for a way into the pocket dimension; the other Rangers were trying to find other ways in. They'd talked to Wes and Eric, who promised to talk to Time Force; nothing had come of it yet.

"What is it, Merrick?" Taylor asked tiredly.

"Tara is missing."

"Tara's…but she goes off sometimes, right?" Max asked.

"Not in the middle of a fight. Not like this." Merrick said. "I've been calling her, but she's not answering. She hasn't been to work and she hasn't been home." He looked at Princess Shayla. "She would answer me if she could. She won't answer Cole either; I've asked him."

"When did you see her last?" Max asked.

"Here, after Alyssa vanished."

"Has anyone seen her since then?" Taylor asked, looking around the group. Everyone shook their heads. "Great. So now we have two missing people." She glanced at Merrick again. "Any idea how to find her?"

"Not if she doesn't want to be found. Tara's not someone we could sneak up on."

"Yes we could." Cole said from just inside the clearing. He came across and slumped into a chair. "She blocked us from her senses. She can't feel us anymore."

"But she can still hear us?" Merrick asked.

"Yeah, she said she doesn't need to know where we are for that."

"When did she tell you that?" Taylor asked.

"The other day. Before Toxica jumped me." Cole looked away, focusing on the large rock where the Lion customarily slept during the day.

"Then why did you ask her to look for Alyssa?"

"Because she can sense us if she tries. But she has to try." He stood abruptly.

"Cole, where are you going?" Shayla asked.

"Out."

"Where?"

"Just…out." He looked back at them. "I won't leave the Animarium, OK? I just…I have to go."

"OK." Merrick said suddenly. Cole looked at him in surprise before nodding and heading off.

"Merrick?" Taylor asked. Merrick shook his head.

"If it makes him feel better, let him. Have we heard from Wes?"

"Not yet." Danny said quietly.

"We'd better hear from him soon." Max muttered. "Or else Cole's gonna erupt, and he won't be alone."

Cole looked up sharply when Tara's heartbeat changed. Although he generally couldn't hear her very well, there wasn't much else to block the sound here.

"Is she waking up?" Alyssa asked.

"I'm not sure." Cole hunkered next to her. "Tara? Are you awake?"

"I hope so. I'd hate to be dreaming this." Tara murmured. Alyssa smiled, relieved. "Cole?" Tara asked softly.

"Yeah. It's me."

"Really you?"

"Really him." Alyssa knelt beside her. "Are you OK?"

"No. I can't feel anything."

"They built this place so you couldn't find us." Cole told her. "It's all plastic and concrete."

"What? No-it's a pocket dimension. Tied to Earth but not part of it."

"How do you know?" Alyssa asked, helping her sit up.

"I was tracking you after you vanished. You disappeared from the middle of the park."

"Tara." Cole touched her shoulder lightly. "Do the others know?"

Tara didn't look at him as she answered. "Animus told us someone wasn't what they seemed. And Merrick is suspicious of…you."

"Why?"

"Because I was, and I told him why."

"And…why were you?" Alyssa asked, when she didn't go on.

"He wouldn't talk to us, and he wouldn't let me touch him…and I could sense him, a tiny bit." She buried her face in her hands. "I hate this! I can't feel anything!"

"But-it'll be OK, once you leave, right?" Alyssa asked uncertainly. Tara looked up, eyes very wide.

"I don't know. The last time this happened I wasn't blocked like this." She buried her face again, aware that she was crying but unable to do anything about it.

Everything got kind of confusing for a while. As soon as Cole realized she was crying-which didn't take long, since her heart was pounding-he scooted over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. The next thing she knew, she was crying all down his front and his arms were wrapped comfortingly around her and get a grip and stop crying, idiot, that's his girlfriend sitting beside you…

When she managed to gather herself enough to look up, though, Alyssa was smiling gently at her, not seeming at all worried. Tara pushed gently away from Cole, sliding off to sit on the floor.

"All right?" Alyssa asked softly. Tara nodded.

"I shouldn't have…I mean, I didn't…" Alyssa frowned briefly before she realized what Tara meant.

"Don't worry about that. Are you OK now?"

"Better, anyway. Thanks."

"Tara, can you do anything?" Cole asked.

"Nothing. There's no water, no wood…nothing." He touched her arm, and she looked up at him.

"Are you OK?"

"I'm an Elf. I'm always OK." Cole made a face, and she smiled. "I'm fine, Cole. Really. I'm just tired, I guess."

"You've been asleep for three days." Alyssa pointed out.

"I'm an Elf, Alyssa, but I'm far older than I should be. I draw a lot of power from the Earth. When that power is cut off…I need to readjust."

"Sleep." Cole told her quietly. "We'll wake you if…" he trailed off. Tara nodded quietly and settled into a corner, watching them quietly.

A little later Alyssa came to sit beside her. "You OK?" she asked quietly. Tara nodded, watching Cole pace back and forth in front of the bars.

"You know what I love about Cole?" Tara said suddenly, as though continuing a conversation. Cole glanced across at them but kept pacing.

"What?" Alyssa asked softly.

"He's always the same. Inside, I mean. I mean…he looks at Animus, even now, and sees Kite, and tries to protect him. And he looks at me, and sees…" she trailed off.

"He sees you." Alyssa said quietly. Tara shook her head quickly.

"He sees a little girl, because that's how he saw me first. Even now, now when he knows who I am…he still sees a little girl. It's…oddly comforting, actually."

"You miss your brother." Alyssa said suddenly.

"I do." Tara agreed easily. "It's nice to have another."

"What was he like?"

"My brother? Serious, nearly all the time. It was hard to win his trust…harder to win his respect, but once you had, he never let go. He was the best archer of our time." She glanced up at Cole." And he loved me and took care of me. Even after…I scared him. I could see it in him. But he stayed with me and protected me until I made him leave."

"That must have hurt him." Cole commented.

"Maybe. But I'd rather he were alive there, and angry at me, than dead." She glanced around. "It's really boring in here, isn't it? What have you been doing?"

"Not much of anything." Alyssa said, accepting the change in topic without comment. "We don't get hungry or thirsty or tired in here."

"Really? Weird…feels like I'm about to drop."

"Were you tired when you arrived?"

"I was unconscious when I arrived." She grinned at the look on Alyssa's face and added, "but yeah, before he grabbed me I was pretty tired."

"So nothing changes." Alyssa said slowly.

"Does that mean we won't get older?" Cole asked.

"Let's not be here long enough to find out." Alyssa answered.