Author's note: I'm so sorry! But here's three chapters to make up, OK? Thanks for the reviews and hopefully I'll be posting more often.

Aftermath 2: Alyssa

Alyssa

Cole was watching me again this morning.

I wish he wouldn't; even when I know it's him and not Connor, it makes me uneasy. He keeps watching me like I'm about to break or something.

Taylor sees it; she's been very careful around me the last few weeks. Max tried that for a while, but then he forgot and went back to normal. That was a relief; if anyone else had started treating me that way I might have screamed. Danny, God bless him, treated me exactly the same as always, but then he's always been so gentle with everyone it'd be hard to tell the difference.

I think Princess Shayla doesn't know what to say; she's angry with herself for not realizing what was going on, I think. And Merrick…

When did I last see Merrick?

"Alyssa?"

Taylor pulled Tara's front door closed behind her and looked around, pulling down her hood. It had been raining for four days in Turtle Cove, and the Rangers were sticking mostly to the Animarium. Four days together had strained even their friendship, though, and they'd scattered to various parts of the Animarium.

So no one had noticed straight away that Alyssa wasn't there.

Taylor had called her Growlphone and gotten a distracted, 'I'm doing homework, I'll talk to you later.' Cole, when he'd tried, had gotten a curt, 'I'm busy. I'll be back later, Cole.' No one else had even dared try; Taylor had come to see if she was here, in Tara's house. The house was empty now, of course, since Tara had gone to do whatever it was she was doing.

"I'm in here." Alyssa called from the kitchen. When Taylor came in Alyssa tossed a towel at her; Taylor caught it and began toweling her hair.

"Everyone's looking for you." Taylor commented, still toweling rapidly.

"I have homework to finish."

"You could do that on the Animarium."

"It's crowded up there. I can concentrate better down here."

Taylor nodded, throwing her hair back over her shoulder. "Can I wait with you?"

Alyssa looked up from her books finally, catching Taylor's eye. She hesitated for a minute before answering, "Sure. If you want."

"Thanks." Taylor picked a book from the shelves and settled down to wait with her.

For as long as it took.