Author's note: Anna! I meant to thank you for the first review, but I got distracted while I was writing last's week's waffle…I mean note. Thanks, and stay with us. Things start getting interesting in the next Book.

Dominic and True_Blue: What would I do without you guys?

Chapter 12: 'See you later'

A month passed. Tara went back to work after the first week; her control still wasn't back then, but she refused to stay in the house anymore. The Rangers traded off staying with her during nights; the only person who didn't come near her was Merrick.

For the most part, she was back to herself; there were times when she seemed more distant towards them. Max christened those her 'Thariin phrases' and refused to be corrected. As time went on, though, they became fewer and further between.

Connor stayed in Turtle Cove for two weeks; at the end of that time he left, destination unknown.

"Tara? You home?" Alyssa called, closing the door behind her and shrugging out of her backpack.

"In the kitchen!" Tara called. Alyssa pushed open the door and stopped dead.

Tara was buckling the straps on a backpack, not looking up at her. "Sensed you coming."

"That's good." Alyssa responded automatically. "What are you…"

Tara looked up, pushing the backpack away a bit. "I have to go, for a while."

"Go? Where?"

"Away. There are some things I need to take care of, now my powers are coming back."

"Things you can't do from here?"

"Yeah. I won't be long, and I'll keep an eye on you."

"What kind of not long?" Tara grinned.

"A few months, probably. Maybe a little longer." She hefted the backpack, hesitated, and turned back to look at her. "Merrick and Cole will try to talk to me. The way we do."

Alyssa nodded quickly; though everyone could do it if they had to, only Cole and Merrick were really any good at talking to Tara that way.

"They might not get me. These things I have to…I might be out of touch. Will you tell them for me?"

"Of course. Are you going to say goodbye?"

"I'd rather not; it's not forever, but I really need to get going and they won't want me to. You know that." Alyssa nodded slowly; Tara was almost rambling, in a way she hadn't since Connor had left. "Would you do me a favor?" Tara went on.

"Of course."

Tara pulled an envelope out of her bag. "Give this to Cole for me. Tell him to read it on the Animarium, when everyone's there."

"It might be a while." Alyssa warned her.

"It'll keep. Please, Alyssa?" Alyssa nodded, taking the envelope from her. "And remember what I said."

"You'll be gone for a while and you might be out of contact." Alyssa recited. "I'll remember."

"Thank you." Tara looked at her for a minute. "He loves you, you know."

"I know." Tara smiled.

"I'll see you, Alyssa."

"See you."

"Because she wouldn't let me call you. Or anyone."

Merrick grunted, turning away. "Where is she going?"

"She didn't say. Just that she had to go."

"And she will be out of contact?"

"She said she might be." Merrick nodded.

"Thank you for coming to tell me."

"Merrick…" Alyssa said helplessly. Merrick didn't stop or look back at her, instead walking quickly away.

Alyssa delivered the message and letter to Cole, who took the news only a little better than Merrick had. Taylor didn't seem at all surprised, but the others were upset to hear she'd left.

"You don't look surprised, Taylor." Cole said almost accusingly.

"She's not happy. You couldn't tell?" Taylor asked. "She hasn't been happy since MirrorOrg."

"Because she couldn't touch the earth." Max said. "But she can now."

"No, it's more than that." Taylor insisted.

"Taylor is right." Shayla said quietly. "Something has greatly upset Tara and if she needs to leave to understand it then let her." Cole looked down at the envelope in his hands, frowning.

"I don't see why she has to leave."

"Maybe that'll tell us." Max suggested, pointing at the envelope. "What's it say, Cole?"

"She said to open it when everyone was here." Alyssa said quickly.

"We'll wait." Cole said.

"For Merrick?" Danny asked. "Why not call him?"

"He's working." Shayla said quietly. "Perhaps he would come tomorrow."

"I'll go ask him tomorrow." Cole promised.

It was almost two weeks before the Rangers could persuade Merrick up to the Animarium. He gave no reason for his refusal, mostly just saying he couldn't. Cole and Alyssa kept at him, though, and the day Princess Shayla came down to ask him he capitulated and went back with her.

They settled around the fire, and Cole pulled the envelope, now slightly the worse for wear, from his pocket. He opened it carefully and drew out several pieces of paper. Glancing briefly at them, he passed them around the circle, holding one back for himself.

"Dear everyone," he started after a minute. "Please don't be angry with me for not telling you I was going. I was afraid you'd talk me out of it. Worse, I was afraid I'd let you talk me out of it.

"I'm not telling you where I'm going. If you need me I'll be there. But for now, I have to go. There are things I need to do, and I'm going to do them.

"There should be a note for everyone, Cole. Hand them around. You can read them whenever you want.

"Remember, I may be out of contact, so don't worry. I'll be keeping an eye on you." Cole hesitated. "The rest of it's private." he announced, folding the paper back up. Alyssa, Danny and Max were scanning their notes: Taylor had apparently read hers and was staring at the fire. Merrick was looking at his still-folded note, and Shayla was looking at Merrick.

After a minute Merrick rose to his feet, still clutching his note. "I have to go." He bowed briefly to the princess, turned, and walked out of the clearing.

Alyssa moved out of the jungle and stopped, looking around. Cole was seated at the top of the cliff, staring out over the Animarium.

"Cole?" Alyssa called, shading her eyes to look up. Cole rose to his feet and a few moments later he landed beside her in a spray of gravel.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No. You've been out here all morning, so I thought you might be thirsty." She held out a bottle of water, and he smiled, taking it from her. "Cole?"

"Yeah."

"What was in your letter?" He hesitated, lowering the bottle to look at her.

"Why?"

"Mine was…about you. Sort of."

"How so?" She nodded slightly; she'd brought up the question, after all.

"That…I shouldn't expect you to forgive me right away." She sat on a nearby rock, twining her hands in front of her. "I knew Connor was acting oddly. I knew it wasn't the way you'd act. But I just put it down to Toxica's weapon. Maybe if I'd paid attention…"

"She said I should forgive you." Cole's voice cut across hers, and she looked up to see him staring out at the lake. "All of you, but you especially. Because she couldn't tell the difference, and Connor doesn't even have blood…or he didn't then. And she could sense him. She said, since there was no reason for you to think he wasn't me, I shouldn't be blaming you."

"Do you believe her?" Alyssa asked very softly, giving Cole the option of ignoring her if he wanted.

"I didn't need her to tell me that." He turned, crouching in front of her. "Connor would have fooled me. He was me. Tara said it…"

"No." Alyssa said firmly. "He's not you, Cole."

"He was then." Cole shook his head. "That's not important. I don't blame you, Alyssa. I don't think I ever did." Alyssa smiled, brushing a tear away from her face.

"Thank you." She looked up. "Was that really in your letter?"

"Some of it. Yours?"

"No. Not really."

"What was in yours?" Alyssa shook her head.

"It's all very…vague. A lot of stuff about building bridges."

"Bridges where?"

"Between hearts." He smiled at her.

"I think we have that covered."

Merrick read his note for the fifth time. It was very short.

Merrick,

Please don't be angry with me. I have to go. I can't stay in Turtle Cove anymore.

Don't come after me…I need this.

Look after the Princess.

Tara.

She had written it in Animarian, knowing he'd read it easier than English. Princess Shayla had confirmed hers was also in Animarian but declined to tell him what was in it. Since he hadn't told her his he couldn't complain.

Merrick shifted slightly, laying one hand against the ground. He'd been doing this on and off for nearly an hour now; Tara hadn't responded and he could get no sense of her.

Whatever you're doing, Tara, he thought, sending it with as much force as he could, Do it quickly and come back to us. We'll help you.

Come back to us.

Author's Note: Not my usual style of ending, but putting a happy ending here would have ruined the next one. Anyway, the Cole/Alyssa bit was nice, I thought. R&R!