Waking up the next morning, Cress felt a little bit better. Her throat didn't hurt as much anymore and the bruises and cuts the wolf mutant had given her were slowly healing. Her body still felt like it had been through a mincer but Cress looked forward to spending the day in bed. Even if most of it would be spent sleeping.

She hugged herself closer into the blanket when Thorne popped his head into the doorway. "Oh, you're up. Good." Before Cress could reply, he left and she heard him clanking through the kitchen. Cress hid herself under the blanket, allowing herself a few more precious moments of laziness.

She heard the door open again and, peeking through a hole in the blanket, she saw him carrying a tray.

"Breakfast is served. Canned chicken broth, piping hot lemon water, and delicious decongestants capsules for dessert." He sat the tray on her nightstand. "All made with an extra helping of love." A hand snaked under the covers, finding her shoulder, then her head. "Ah, there you are."

Cress sat up. Realistically, she knew that she had no need for any of the things Thorne brought but it was too sweet a gesture to pass up. "Thank you."

Thorne handed her the cup with the hot lemon water. "You look better today."

"I feel better too."

"You don't have an assignment today, right?"

Cress blew on the hot beverage to cool it down. "Nope, nothing on the agenda today. I have one tomorrow though."

To be as flexible as possible in her superhero duties, Cress was working as an independent IT consultant. Which made sense given her powers. Various companies and private households commissioned her, rather than her working for one company on a regular basis. That way she could pick her jobs making sudden disappearances or late night shifts easier to explain.

At least, that's how she had done it since she arrived in the US. Now that she left her double-life as Satellite behind, she might as well start working for a company. A steady job with co-workers and regular shifts might be just what she needed.

Or she could work in the field she had her degree in. But as soon as she thought it, Cress knew that wouldn't be possible. She couldn't use her diploma where her real name was printed. She might be able to forge papers like she did when she married Thorne but it was too risky.

Thorne had only known her as Cress Erland, not as Crescent Moon Darnel.

It had been a split decision not to give him her real name. The less people who knew that she was related to Dr. Sage Darnel, the less people would be able to make the connection of whose DNA he had used to base his research on the superhumans on.

The papers that Captain had stolen.

She couldn't dwell on that though. She had tried for over a year to get her father's papers back and failed. Once she could find out whom Captain sold them too, maybe then she could get them back.

For now, Satellite's fight against Captain was over. And Crescent Moon Darnel was to remain Cress Smith.

Thorne's hand found one frizzy strand of her hair and smoothed it back. "See how you feel first. You need to rest. If you don't feel better, can you reschedule?"

"I guess." The hot lemon water might not be the best remedy for her bruised throat, as it scratched and hurt from the few sips she tried. She switched to the chicken broth. "Do you have to meet a client today?"

He looked conflicted. "Not if you need me."

Cress waved his concerns away. "Nah. I'll be sleeping for most of the day. And I'm perfectly cared for," she told him, pointing to the tray. "I might move to the living room and watch some TV though."

Thorne snapped his fingers. "A-ha! See if we got a TV in the bedroom like I said, you wouldn't have to move!"

She glared at him. "No TV in the bedroom."

It was a point they had discussed several times over the last year. Thorne apparently liked having his morning coffee in bed and watching some news on the stock market, instead of looking it up on his phone. For Cress, whose brain was always buzzing with electronic and digital waves, even if she tuned them out, she preferred not adding to it with a TV in close proximity of where she slept. Especially since her powers had the side effect of affecting her sleep. Cress never really knew if she was dreaming or if some waves were infiltrating her brain. There was no way she could tell Thorne about that though.

"Okay, okay." Thorne held up his hands in defeat. "Then let's get you to the living room."

Three hours later, Cress had zapped her way through several talk shows, two game shows, one daily soap, three documentaries and an old episode of some TV show she liked as a kid. Too lazy to even hold the controller while she was comfortably lying on the couch, Cress just used her powers to switch channels.

She said she would stop being Satellite, not stop using her powers after all.

Now, she felt woozy from all the TV (and the painkillers she had taken probably). Americans had way too many programs. And it seemed like more often than not, there was something related to the superhumans. Cress had stopped watching them awhile ago as they were often wrong, ridiculous or mean (though she definitely had a bookmark on the articles Why Satellite is the best superhero, Thesuperhero nerds love: Satellite, and the ones where she ranked pretty high on one list or another).

The newest idea was that the superhumans were not humans at all but aliens from the moon whose powers were only activated after the last Lunar eclipse. Strangely, most people, even if they didn't agree with the idea itself, had taken to the new name given to the superhumans - Lunars. Some even called for a special organisation where the superhumans, who fought crime banded together: The Lunar League. With so many superheroes spread around the globe, Cress had no idea how this could work but it wasn't her concern anymore. It might still be an interesting idea for the other superheroes.

When the news switched to Captain's latest raid and what he stole, she turned the TV off, feeling the tug of a bad conscience at letting Captain roaming unsupervised now that she had made the decision not to be Satellite anymore. She snuggled herself deeper into the covers of her blanket, about to doze off and not thinking about it further when Thorne came into the room from the kitchen and sat on the armrest of the couch. "You need anything?"

A sweet question if he hadn't come in every twenty minutes asking the very same thing. Cress almost groaned but she didn't want to snap at him when he tried to be sweet. "No, Thorne, I'm good. Just trying to get a bit of sleep." She looked up at him, thinking how to phrase her next words so they wouldn't come off as rude. "I thought you wanted to meet a client?"

"Only if you really don't need me?"

Another question he had asked her just as much. "No, I'm really good. Look." Cress curled herself into the blanket, perfectly rolled up in it up to her nose. "See, I'm cozy and sleepy and won't need anything but rest," she muffled through the blanket.

When she looked up at Thorne, the corners of his lips were lifted up in amusement. "Okay, okay. I get it. You want me gone. The meeting is in three hours. Think you can manage that long with me around?"

Cress yawned. "Just so."

"Very gracious of you."

"Hm-mhm." She felt him softly brush her forehead before he left.

She must have dozed off for a bit but then she heard a sweet melody. Popping an eye open, she saw Thorne winding up a small music box. It was exquisitely crafted in what looked liked gold and seemed very old. Cress's body felt too heavy to sit up properly but she craned her neck as Thorne placed the music box on the couch table. Cress listened to the melody, almost like a lullaby. "This is so beautiful. Where did you get it?"

"It's for the client I'll meet today. It's one of the objects I had to acquire for him." Wringing his hands when he said it, Thorne looked almost nervous though Cress couldn't tell why. "I thought you'd like to listen to it for awhile until you're asleep ..." He trailed off.

Cress knew that Thorne's job involved acquiring lots of things. It had started with finding replacement parts for an old car of his and then he made a little business out of it. He knew how to network, had a way to find obscure, rare things. Especially books which Cress loved because it sounded so romantic to find rare first editions. She also knew that he also dealt in antiques, so this music box was no surprise for her.

Still, it was rare that she saw the things he acquired, preferring to keep them safe (depending on their size) in a vault or storage room he rented rather than their apartment.

Thorne glanced at her as he wound the music box up one more time."I'll let you sleep now."

He left and the melody started again, the song unfamiliar but there was something soothing about it and her lids drooped once more. She fell asleep with the melody playing in the background.

Weeks passed and Cress had to admit that not being Satellite from one day to the other was harder than she would have thought. She had to learn not to react to every siren, every police call or every time Captain stole another rare or expensive object. It made every nerve in her body itch with the need to do something—anything.

But it got easier with time and Cress allowed herself to make some new plans. She and Thorne had met each other while travelling and New York was not necessarily meant to be a permanent place for them. They had wanted to settle down and get a feel for being married. Or just being together actually. She knew they did it kind of backwards but it had worked out well for them so far, no matter what people like Blakely might think.

Blakely, who was currently sharing a table with her, Thorne, Anthony, Carina holding baby Charlie (he finally got a name, Cress had been happy to learn), Shan and Kate. They were in a small coffee shop Shan worked for which Thorne looked less happy about. He had finished off his cake and coffee and was now inspecting the baby strollers and squealing children around them with suspicion.

Cress snickered. So much for 'baby eyes'.

"Guys, sorry, but how did we get from bars, cocktails, and beer pong to coffee shops, vegan brownies—"A kid crawled next to their table, kicking at Thorne's chair"—and annoying children."

"They're not annoying," Carina cried. "They are all precious. Aren't they, Charlie?" A woman hurried to them, picking up the child from the ground when it started to scream and kick against his mother. Even Carina looked dismayed.

Thorne glared at Carina but waited until the mother and her screaming child were out of earshot. "Precious, huh? Face it Carina, kids suck." He then leaned forward, stroking Charlie's belly, making the baby squeal happily. "Except you, you delightful little pumpkin."

"Aww," the girls cooed which seemed to please Thorne, Cress noticed with an eyeroll. Anthony just shook his head, mouthing 'sucker' at him. When Anthony noticed Carina's glare he pretended to be very interested in his coffee cup.

"I was never a fan of bars and beer pong," Kate admitted, steering the conversation back to what Thorne had said.

"Big surprise there," Blakely sneered under her breath but caught herself when everyone turned to her. "I mean, you're obviously not the partying type."

Finding Blakely's comment thoroughly rude, Cress looked over to Kate but she just shrugged. "No, never have been. I don't like getting drunk just so I don't feel left out."

"No one should be forced to drink," Thorne agreed with a smile at Kate. "Still, nothing wrong with a party and a few drinks from time to time. But okay, no party. But do we really need to hang out at—" he glanced at the menu, grimacing"—Mugs, Rugs & Hugs?"

"It's a family-friendly business, Thorne. Not every place is happy to have families with small children at their place," Carina reminded him, cradling Charlie as if to remind Thorne of their newest addition to the group.

"We're not just for families," Shan reminded Carina curtly. Cress had the feeling that this purely family-friendly business wasn't an image that sat right with Shan. "I'll let you know that we're a super hip place. We had a few reporters and bloggers come here to interview us and take photos. Our purple cheesecake is all over Instagram." She raised an eyebrow at Thorne, daring him to disagree with her.

"I know, I know." Looking over the menu once more, he suddenly perked up and found Cress's knee under the table, stroking the bare skin. She wasn't quite sure if he only craved the touch or enjoyed being a bit more daring in view of the parents and children around them. Not that Cress cared about it either way as she just enjoyed the caress. "I didn't mean to insult the fanciness that is Mugs, Rugs & Hugs." Anthony snickered, earning him a reproachful glare from both Shan and Carina. Thorne took the opportunity to draw small circles on Cress's skin, making her shudder. Thorne continued unperturbed. "But okay, what are everyone's plans for the weekend then? Anything where we could hang out together?"

"Oh, there's a reading by Joel Kimbrough. We talked about his books, I know you read them too." Kate said excitedly to Thorne.

"Who?" Cress asked.

"You don't know him?" Cress shook her head but she could tell that Blakely, Carina, Anthony and Shan apparently didn't know the author either. It would only take Cress a few seconds to look him up in her mind but there was a proud glint in Thorne's eyes. "Huh, you usually know everything. He's a science fiction author, known for his space adventures."

Kate nodded. "There are so many layers to his stories and he will take questions! It's rare that he goes to readings these days so I can't wait. I've prepared a few questions in advance," she whispered as if sharing a secret.

No one else looked enthusiastic about it though. Blakely, at least, managed to keep any comments to herself this time.

Shan took a sip of her cappuccino. "I doubt that's for me. I never liked reading." She laughed at Kate's horrified gasp. "What, it's true. Books just bore me so quickly. Anyway, I talked to this hot guy online and he asked if we could meet this weekend. He's a street artist and wants to take me to his friend's art gallery. They're going show some light installations about, oh, I don't know. The relationship between spiritualism, consumerism and technology or something. I don't remember and really, isn't it all the same? Originality is dead. But he's super cute so whatever." She flipped her hair, making her pretty curls bounce. "Not sure we'll be staying long but you can come along if you want?"

The corners of Thorne's mouth dropped in displeasure. "An art gallery? Might as well go the reading." He sent an apologetic smile at Kate. "Sorry, Kate, that wasn't what I meant. Just that this isn't quite what I was looking for this weekend."

"I understand," Kate said curtly. "So, you don't want me to get your copy of Space Ranger on the Ninth Moon signed then?"

"Oh." He smiled sheepishly. "No, that would be nice actually. Thank you, Kate."

Cress looked up at Thorne. "Space Ranger on the Ninth Moon?" She asked, amused by the title. She hadn't taken Thorne for someone who was an ardent fan of what sounded like pulp magazines.

"They're really good." He shrugged but she could see the slight blush on his neck. "And as Kate said, Kimbrough writes pretty deep stuff. His works often employ the vast emptiness of space as a symbol of loneliness and the battles each of us face against our own personal demons. In the end, his protagonists overcome their feelings of insecurity only after they accept the help of an unlikely assistant, such as an android or an alien or"—his mouth quirked to one side—"pretty girl who happens to be a skilled marksman when she's handed a high-powered ray gun," he added with another stroke of Cress's knee, up the inside of her thigh.

By now, Cress had become suspicious of Thorne's affections. It wasn't as if Thorne wasn't against PDA per se but this was more than he usual did, especially since they were surrounded by their friends. And he had that sneaky grin on his face as if he was the only one in on a secret but Cress doubted anyone else noticed.

Kate was talking about the plot of Space Ranger on the Ninth Moon and Thorne's hand travelled higher up Cress's skirt to the point Cress had to squeeze her thighs together, effectively trapping Thorne's hand between them. "Stop it," she hissed out of the corner of her mouth.

Thorne peered at her, all innocent. "I can't help it. I'm just following the rules of this fine establishment." At Cress's curious glance, he slid the menu over to her.

Cress read it over, slowly starting to grin. Of course, he would get ideas from that.

Hugs, Mugs & Rugs apparently prided itself on being a place for more than just coffee (mugs) and comfort (rugs). They invited you to mingle with the other guests, meet new people, exchanging hugs or—as they phrased it—"get a feel of your neighbour. Touch them, hold them, share the love."

Snorting, Cress glanced at the hand between her knees. One thumb had escaped her grasp and resumed stroking her skin in circling motions. "That's not a hug though," she said matter-of-factly.

Thorne pretended to be surprised. "No? Hm, must be doing something wrong then. Still, I'm pretty sure I got the 'getting a feel of your neighbour'-part just right." He bit his lip, obviously pleased by his cleverness, making Cress giggle.

"And what are you two doing?" Shan asked them with suspicion.

"Just sharing the love like your coffee shop wants us to do." Thorne explained proudly, but his hands slipped into more safer regions.

"Gross. That's not what it's about. You can play footsie at home." She looked at Carina. "How long does this newlywed phase last?"

It was Anthony who answered though. "Until you're having a kid," he muttered. When that earned him a round of raised eyebrows, he quickly backtracked. "Because then, the best part is about to start! Really, if I had known what having a child would mean, I would have planned for one much sooner. I should have gotten her pregnant at our wedding—no, right when I met Carina-bam! Instant family happiness." He pressed a quick kiss to his son's head but kept his eyes on Carina, gauging her reaction. "Love you?"

Carina bit the inside of her cheek. "You better."

Thorne steered the conversation to the topic at hand. "Okay, so we have a book reading, an art gallery ... Carina, Anthony? Blakely? Any plans? Please?"

Carina and Anthony looked apologetic and Cress doubted they had anything planned. The couple had made themselves rare after the birth of Charlie, rather having people over than going out. That only left Blakely who seemed ecstatic that the spotlight was finally on her.

"I'll accompany Rob and Ryan to a wine tasting. I mean he does them all the time since he's a sommelier but this time it's way cooler. One of Ryan's celebrity friends has their own vineyard and is sells his own wine. And Rob told me there is always someone famous participating. Last time, there had been Gil, the singer, and this time the rumour is that Iko is coming. She's here for fashion week! Can you imagine me meeting her?!" There was an excited pitch in Blakely's voice, making it hard to follow her.

Thorne groaned. "Guys, seriously? What's going on? We can't spend our weekends like posh old people. We're young, we should do something ... anything that is actual fun." He looked accusatorily at the group. "You make me feel old."

"You are the oldest one," Anthony pointed out.

Thorne made an indignant sound. "I'm twenty-six." He turned to Cress. "We need new friends, Cress."

Cress just shook her head at Thorne while he defended himself to the group. Still, she appreciated his efforts to plan a fun weekend with friends. He hadn't said as much but she could tell. Aside from a few times they met their neighbours Carina and Anthony and their friends and co-workers, Cress hadn't really managed to find friends of her own. Thorne, for his outgoing nature, had also only just moved to New York a few weeks before they met and didn't have any other contacts besides their neighbours either.

The first few weeks after Cress moved to the US, she and Thorne were only involved with each other. He had shown her around, trying to give her the full American experience (her favourite had been a drive-in cinema which she knew from the movies and always wanted to visit—it ended up being more about making-out rather than the movie but Cress had hardly been one to complain about that). And they still loved spending time together but to really settle down and start a life in New York, Cress knew that in the long run, she needed friends and a more steady job.

A normal life.

Cress hoped that things were about to change now. With her double-life as Satellite behind her, Cress had more time and a less erratic schedule. Before, she had always had to make sure to come up with excuses to Thorne if she were late for a date or had to leave without so much as a hurried explanation. It had been easy to blame it on her job—the odd hours, the spontaneous calls she had to answer and the disappearance stunts she had to pull.

Since Thorne had learned that she had a free weekend, he had exactly two plans: Some fun activity with friends on Saturday and, as he called it, "sexy times" for just the two of them on Sunday.

Seemed like so far, their plans for Saturday didn't work out the way they had anticipated. Cress herself wasn't opposed to going to a book reading, or an art gallery, or even the wine tasting but Thorne was right—it all sounded very fancy. And kinda stuffy.

"Okay, okay." Thorne held up his hands in defeat. "You're all super fun people with exciting lives. The Rolling Stones would be jealous." He sighed. "I was just hoping for something more casual."

"We can plan for something more casual next weekend?" Anthony offered. "Poker night with the guys?"

"Ah, so the casual weekend plans are just for the guys?" Carina challenged.

Anthony squirmed on his chair. "You mind?"

Carina shrugged. "Whatever, knock yourself out. Charlie and mommy will have special weekend plans too, isn't that right, Charlie?" She continued to babble to her child while Anthony and Thorne high-fived discreetly.

Shan crossed her arms. "So, the girls aren't invited? Shame on you, Thorne."

Thorne held up his hands. "Never said that. You can come but assuming that you hit it off with art-gallery guy"—he leaned conspiratorially towards her—"I doubt you want to play poker with the guys next weekend. Or am I wrong?"

Shan grinned. "No." She turned to Blakely. "I still need to go shopping, you want to come along?"

The group resumed planning their week and Cress suddenly realised that she could make plans too. She could join Shan and Blakely for shopping (probably wouldn't happen but still) or visit Carina or maybe meet Kate for coffee. She didn't have to come up with excuses if duty called.

And she and Thorne could have the entire weekend to themselves.

All because she wasn't Satellite anymore.

A/N: Big thanks to kiminicricket for betareading, the fic would be very messy without you. :) Also, a big thank you to everyone who left a review, I appreciate it as every fanfic writer does.