TOMMY - TEN YEARS LATER

I sigh happily. The palace is truly my favorite place to be. We can all be relaxed - no hiding who we are, no behaving a certain way because of our status. This is where Zedd and I fell in love. Where Dar and I actually became friends. Where two of my children were born. Where my life really came together.

Gina stayed on Eltar while we went on vacation. We've just come from a long visit on Earth. Jason's decided to retire, Hayley's going to sell the Cybercafe and they're going to travel. Jason and David are both getting grey in their hair - a not so subtle reminder that one day they'll be gone - along with Stephanie, Hayley and the other Rangers I've served with. Billy and the kids - well, the Dino Thunder Rangers - will outlast the others unless something happens.

David and Stephanie's kids are doing quite well for themselves and representing the tribe proudly. Jimmy - well, my godson takes after me and his father. After doing a tour of duty with S.P.D., he turned to teaching and mentoring. I shake my head at the memory of Jimmy taking Mara Jane out to show her how things have changed since we were there last for any length of time. Zedd caught Jimmy holding Mara Jane on the front porch and very likely about to kiss her. Really it was all I could do to keep him from killing the young man.

Megan, Dylan and Sinai are all on Earth for now. We'll pick them up before we return to Eltar. Sinai's mother has finally gotten past her issues enough to allow us to bring her with for vacation. She still doesn't really trust us and doesn't think much of me, but Sinai and Teran finally wore her down enough. I doubt that she realizes that her attitude is what drove Teran to look for another mate.

Pina and Dar have started talking about having children of their own, now that ours are older. Zedd and I talked about it and we're done having kids - well, for now at least. If we decide in another hundred years that we want to have more, we can. We still have lots of time.

Mara Jane is working in the garden. Thankfully she loves it. She was more than a bit dismayed at its overgrown state when we got here and has been working to get it under control ever since. Jacob is likely out in the woods somewhere. He loves it so much that he's been known to deliberately stay out there all night. As long as he checks in twice a day, I really don't mind, although if it were left to Zedd, he'd have to check in every hour on the hour.

The twins are still finding their way, but they're doing it together. Like their elder siblings, I started teaching them martial arts when they were about five. Grace - if it weren't for the martial arts, I swear that child couldn't walk across flat ground without falling on her face. Thank the powers that she has the brains to make up for it. Sullivan, on the other hand, does very well with anything physical, but isn't much of a talker. Of course, Grace speaks for them both quite often.

"Thomas!" I smile at Zedd as he joins me in the turret.

"Yes, dear?"

"Did Jacob check in with you this morning?"

I sigh to myself. "Yes, Zedd, he did. Would you stop worrying? It's not like he hasn't done this a dozen times before."

"That doesn't mean that I don't worry about him."

"I do too, mate, but he's twenty three. On Earth, he'd be old enough to drive, vote, drink - damn near whatever legal thing he wants to do. Hell, he could join S.P.D. if he wants. Just be grateful that he doesn't want to." Mostly because he'd have to spend far more time indoors and in the city than he'd like, I'm sure. "He mentioned something about staying near the clearing where the village used to be, so he might not get great reception for his check in tonight."

He sighs heavily, knowing as I do that the magic surrounding that area messes with the cuffs. "He really needs to deal with more people."

"He does well enough, Zedd. Did he tell you that he's thinking of getting his license to work at the zoo on Eltar?"

That's one thing that living on Eltar these last dozen years has done - allowed the Eltarians to see that, while Zedd is still highly dangerous in the right circumstances, he's not a constant threat to all and sundry at the drop of a hat. There are still some that give him a wide berth, but for the most part they seem to think that he's 'outgrown' his rebellous stage, thus the children are able to forge their own paths.

"The zoo will be lucky if he doesn't decide to set them all free" Zedd mutters.

"He won't. He knows that most of them have been born and raised in captivity and couldn't survive in the wild" I assure him. "He just wants to make sure that they get the best possible care in there."

"Between him and Mara Jane alone, I'm going to get old before my time - never mind adding the twins into it."

I raise an eyebrow at this. "Mara Jane?"

"Her and that boy."

"Jimmy? Oh for the love of - Zedd, they've been friends forever."

"Yeah, and it looked like he was trying to be more than friends to me."

"Zedd, one kiss isn't going to have her misbehaving or becoming easy. Stop it. Besides, you know you're going to live forever."

"Daddy!" Mara Jane hails me from the garden.

"What?" I call back.

"Want me to make lunch?"

"If you want to or I will in a few minutes!"

"Okay!" I watch as she heads inside. Once she's in, I turn to my husband and wrap my arms around him. "Zedd, you are worrying way too much about things."

I kiss him lightly. Before it can become anything more, I hear my other daughter. "Daddy! Where's Papa?"

Laughing lightly, I call back, "Up here!" I smile at Zedd. "Later, lover."

"Promises, promises" he says, but there's a ghost of a smile on his face. We leave the tower and head in different directions.