Cress raced home as fast as she could. She had run in front of cars, ignored red lights and now she took two steps at a time.

Nothing could get her through the door fast enough.

Thorne hadn't been outside the bank and the police haven't seen him either even though they had interrogated all the other hostages. That only left their home and Cress prayed he was there.

She fumbled hopelessly with her door keys, the more she tried to stick them into the keyhole, the more they seemed to switch positions as if to irk her on purpose. A hopeless sob escaped her when the door opened and Thorne stood in the doorway.

Cress threw herself fiercely into his arms, her face buried deep into chest as her tears flowed down her cheeks, and her hands grasping at the back of his shirt.

"Oh, hey, what are you doing that for?" He mumbled into her hair, hugging her just as fiercely.

They half-dragged each other, half-stumbled into the living room, not separating by an inch. "I'm s-s-s-o s-sorry, Thorne." She gave a pitiful sob, her carefully laid-out apology gone from her mind. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to- I know you didn't mean, I shouldn't have reacted that way when-"

"Shhh." He rubbed her back soothingly. "It's alright."

Cress shook her head and looked up at him. His soft eyes shining with nothing but love for her. Oh, she had been despicable. "It's not. I know why you said everything you said. You didn't even have to tell me, but you did. Of course, it's better to know that we could .. d-divorce. You were sensible, nothing else. It just-" she buried her head into his chest again, deeply ashamed of what she revealed next-" it sounded like you could leave me at any moment."

"I could never just leave you, kokhana."

Her throat was tight with emotion. "I know but ... my mom did. She just left and never looked back. They had a sensible marriage, her and my dad. I never wanted that, but it was sensible. Well thought-out. And she still left. Him and me. And then she was just gone."

She had never told Thorne that, careful to hide any trace that Cress Erland was actually Crescent Moon Darnel. The less he knew about Crescent, the less likely he was to be in danger because of Satellite too.

"But it wasn't fair to you. And when I saw the news and you were at the bank- I could have lost you!"

She could feel his thumbs wiping away her tears. "Nothing happened. Everything is alright."

He shouldn't be the one soothing her. He had just escaped with his life and she was the one selfishly talking about herself. "I'm so sorry, Thorne. It's not about me, you were the one-"

But he just smiled at her. "Let's first get you settled." He took her coat and purse while she wiped away her tears. A glance into the mirror showed a red-eyed disaster. As Satellite, it was different, she had been calm, collected, focused only on the mission. She wanted to rescue Thorne and she had to be at her best to do so. But as Cress, her worries and fears seemed to have come back hundredfold.

Thorne handed her a glass of water. "Here, drink. If you need anything stronger ..."

"Water is fine." She took a few gulps of the cool water, her other hand grasping Thorne's as he led them to the couch. They eased into it, once again melting into each other with Cress's head resting on Thorne's shoulder.

There was a long stretch of silence. Cress wasn't sure what to say next but just being so close to Thorne, not as Satellite but as Cress, warmed her to her very core.

"I didn't want to hurt you when I said ... what I said," Thorne started and she knew how carefully he chose his words. "I only meant ..."

"I know, you don't need to explain."

But he shook his head, his hand pulling hers to his lips to press a gentle kiss on her knuckles. "I want to." He took a deep breath. "I never thought I would marry. Ever," he stressed like he was still surprised by the development.

"My parents didn't have a great marriage and I left home as soon as I could. I started to travel. Alone."

Cress hugged herself closer to Thorne, so close that she could feel his heart beating in his chest. "You travelled with me though."

"Yeah. I don't know why but somehow ...," he trailed off. "I've met girls pretty much everywhere before." He squinted down at her as if to gauge her reaction.

When she didn't say anything, he continued, a bit more rushed than usual. "I mean if you travel alone, it's easy to ... get to know girls, you know?"

"Hmhmm," Cress agreed, biting the insides of her cheeks so she wouldn't laugh. She was all too aware that he had his experiences with women. It never mattered though once they met.

Once they met, it was suddenly just the two of them.

"But then I met you and ... did I ever tell you about it?"

"How you met me? Um, no, but I was there so..."

"Yes, but how I remember it?" When she shook her head, he leaned back, happy to share the memory. "It was at that coffeeshop in Beijing. I had just picked up my coffee-"

"Wait. You came in after me?" Cress remembered. She had entered the coffeeshop and taken in the architecture first with the open glass roof, the many plants that made it seem like a mix between a loft and a conservatory.

He gave her a secretive smile. "No, I had already ordered, got my drink and was ready to leave. Next to me were two business guys - suits and briefcases - who were talking amongst themselves, giving fleeting glances to someone at the other entrance. Remember how it had two? One for the quick pick-up, one for the café with the tables and waiting staff? Anyway, though I didn't speak Chinese, I didn't need a dictionary to understand that an attractive woman had just entered the place."

Cress's cheeks grew warm. She had never heard the story from his perspective, and it was strange for her to match her memories with his. She hadn't noticed that guys had been checking her out walking in.

"So, of course I had to look over and check the lady in question out," he told her with a wink. "It wasn't hard to guess who they meant. There, in the middle of the room was-"

"Me?"

He laughed, giving her a quick kiss to her temple. "Yes, you. You had your back to me though at first. I saw blonde locks, so no wonder your stood out to the Chinese guys. You wore a simple white top, a flaring red skirt and matching shoes."

"You remember that?" Cress asked in wonder.

"Of course. And I could see that you were taking in the whole place, looking up at the glass ceiling, slowly turning around. Towards me. So, put my coffee back on one of the tables and waited until you saw me."

That Cress remembered. She had turned around and, as if feeling someone's eyes on her, checked for the source when she saw Thorne, a cocked eyebrow and an amused grin on his face. He had winked and she had blushed and turned away even though he had been the one staring at her.

"So, when you got to the counter, I knew I had to take that chance."

Cress had checked the big sign with the menu when suddenly, a voice behind her had asked if she had any recommendations. It had been the handsome man, leaning over her as she stuttered to find a reply.

"You put back your coffee and ordered again?"

"Yes. And the rest is history." His thumb caressed every knuckle gently. "You see, I saw you before you even noticed me."

Cress wanted to swoon. That was so romantic. She knew the rest of the story well enough not to delude herself into thinking it had been love at first sight but she still wanted to believe it had been fate.

"Anyway, when I was about to go back to the States after we stayed in Kiev-I was already stepping into the bus to the airport-I couldn't. I couldn't just leave. Not after all those weeks of getting to know you."

And he had stepped out, walked up behind her and proposed. It had been spontaneous and sweet but now she knew he had a plan B if it hadn't worked out.

It was normal and she shouldn't have been mad in the first place so she stayed silent.

Thorne must have taken her silence as a cue to explain though. "I needed a way out, Cress. I always had one. An option to leave whenever I wanted. I always had plans on how to get out of situations if it got bad. I had to tell myself it's just the same, to convince myself that I could take that one amazing chance."

"So you could leave."

"Or you could leave. What if-" He stopped himself and continued with a smirk. "Maybe you would have tired of waking up to this handsome face every day?"

She rolled her eyes as he nudged her playfully. "Never." When Thorne didn't say anything, she nudged him back. "What?"

He scratched at his chin, deep in thought. "Didn't you ever have doubts?" He asked quietly, almost worried at her reaction.

"About us?"

He nodded.

Cress shrugged. "I can't say. I just didn't think the way you did. Imagining the worst-case scenario right away." She tried to think of a better way to explain it. "I don't plan for failure," she finally said, channelling her superhero self a little bit, her voice steady with confidence.

Thorne's eyes widened. "Damn, that's hot." He kissed her, quick and a little roughly. When he let go, she was struggling for air. "Okay, hotshot, some of us took a little bit longer to get there." She could feel his lips on the top of her head. "But here I am. I don't need an out anymore. I just want us."

Cress craned her head up at him. "I want us too. I'm so sorry I-" But Thorne didn't let her finish as he captured her lips with his own again.

This time, the pace he dictated was slow and torturous. Their lips caressed each other, let themselves linger, taking their time. They had time after all, and it had been too long. The last kiss they had shared was in the shower after the amusement park incident which Thorne had broken off, his emotions too conflicted back then.

Cress could feel his hands brushing at her hair, his fingertips soft on her temple, her cheek and then her jaw, to angle her head a little as he moved his lips lower to her neck, nuzzling it gently. The tickling sensation made her giggle a little.

"I missed that," he confessed, his mouth only barely leaving her skin to speak.

Cress closed her eyes as she let herself fall back on the couch, taking him along with her. "Kissing?" That she could certainly agree with.

He didn't answer for a few seconds as he adjusted his position over her as to not squash her beneath him. "Would it be cheesy to admit I meant your laugh?"

Cress felt light. "No, it would be romantic." She scooted backwards, Thorne following suit so they could spread out on the couch.

"Of course you would say that." He looked down at her, his eyes soft. Cress ran her fingers through his hair, free of any product she noticed. She always liked that. His put together look made her weak too but when she mussed up his hair, when it was just the two of them ...

She was distracted by his fingers ghosting over her thighs and hips. "Kiss me, Thorne."

He didn't need to be told twice. He leaned down with a grin but Cress grasped for him to lower his face to hers, his mouth to hers. She kissed him deeply and with every bit of emotion she felt for him. He moaned as her hands started to trail down his shirt, working on every button one by one. She had little room to work though, frustrating her.

He broke the kiss with a deep breath. "Cress, as much as I don't want to move and we know that couch has seen much love already, I think we should move it to the bedroom?"

Cress blew her hair from her eyes. He had a point. But still ... "Convince me," she purred, her finger trailing down the path between his opened shirt, his skin smooth and soft.

He grinned. "I'll carry you."

"Good start."

He put his lips necks to her ear, nibbling at it carefully. "And I won't stop kissing you all the way into the bedroom."

"Hmhmm." She gave the shirt a little tug.

He understood immediately. With a cocky grin, he sat up, pulling his shirt from his waistband and removed his shirt, revealing his toned chest and abs. He did it slowly, as if putting on a show for her, exuding pure confidence.

She loved that about him. Always had. His way of knowing that he looked good. That sheer confidence he always radiated. She had never been that way before Satellite but even then, she was wearing a mask so it wasn't hard. With Thorne though, she allowed herself to be just as confident without a mask too.

Between more kisses, he picked her up as if she didn't weigh more than a doll and he carried her like she was a priceless one too. Her mind wandered to the Venezuelean dream dolls Captain had stolen but only for a second. She wouldn't let Captain ruin her mood tonight.

Thorne kicked at the door to the bedroom and hurried them both in. It was dark, streetlamps and headlights painting their room in shadows. He laid her on the bed, his hands roaming over her body, leaving blazing trails of heat on her skin. He undressed her, slowly at first and then with more urgency, as her top proved to be difficult to remove.

Taking pity on him, Cress moved them into a position where she was on top. She straddled his waist and enjoyed the way his eyes roamed her body, darkening as she pulled off the tight top. No, she didn't need a mask to feel confident when he looked at her that way.

Cress started kissing every inch of his skin, the broad span of his shoulders, the firmness of his chest and raked her fingers over his abs. Thorne squirmed beneath her when she let the tip of her tongue trace the steep lines between his abs, her name escaping in between moans.
She moved back up in one fluid motion, her face hovering over his, her blonde curls brushing at his cheeks and forehead. "Tell me you love me."

He didn't hesitate. "I love you. Fore-"

She put her finger on his lips. "Love me now. That's all I'm asking for."

Thorne drew her face lower, capturing her lips. "I love you," he said again, more breathless this time.

Cress nodded. "Then show me."

And he did in the all ways he knew how.

The tip of her finger trailed tiny swirls on his chest, mirroring the ones he was drawing on her back. Their breaths had evened out and with her head lying on his chest, she could feel Thorne's heartbeat going back to slow and steady as they basked in the afterglow.

Their kisses had settled to quick pecks to whatever they could reach in their respective positions as they talked quietly among themselves. "But weren't you scared?"

"Scared?"

"When the robbers took you hostage?"

"Oh. Ooh yes." He hugged himself closer to her, nuzzling her neck. "Very scared."

Cress raised her eyebrow in disbelief, glad he couldn't see her right now. He hadn't seemed scared at all. It seemed more like an excuse to get in a few more caresses. "Right." Popping her chin up on his chest, she studied him. "But you must have been glad when Satellite came in to save everyone?"

"Sure."

"Sure? I mean imagine what happened if she hadn't?"

A quick smile flickered over Thorne's face, so fast that Cress thought she must have imagined it. "Indeed. Satellite to save the day, right?"

It was impossible to miss the sarcasm in his voice. "You ... don't like Satellite?"

"What? I didn't say that."

"It sure sounds like it." Which meant Thorne didn't like her. Cress was devastated. Why wouldn't he like Satellite? So far, people had cheered her on, minus the evil Lunars of course. She was on merchandise. She had fans!

Captain's mocking words came back to her. Has Thorne really told him that she was a "pestering little superhero who is way too goodie-two-shoes, certainly doesn't deserve her set of fine, if mostly useless powers and who desperately needs to get laid"? Thorne would never be that mean ... right?

"Nah, she's alright."

"But?"

"But? But nothing." His eyes widened. "Wow, that's a scary face. You're all scrunched up. Good thing you didn't have that look when we were-"

"She's a superhero. A Lunar. Why wouldn't you like her?" Why wouldn't you like me? she mentally added.

Thorne sighed. "You're weird about it. Do you have opinions about every Lunar across the globe?"

"Yes." Most of them anyway.

"Seriously?" He looked honestly surprised. "I didn't know you followed them that closely."

"What is so wrong about Satellite?"

"Nothing, seriously." But Thorne knew her better than most and knew she wouldn't cave in that easily. With a roll of his eyes, he offered. "Fine. I have nothing against her but she's ... you know..."

Cress stayed silent.

"You have to admit that she's kinda dorky, don't you think?"

Dorky?!

"I mean, she does those poses and makes those speeches like a superhero from a kids show."

She hasn't done that in almost a year. Granted there was still footage of her right when she started out of a superhero. So? She had to grow into her role.

And maybe realize that she was the only Lunar who actually acted like a superhero from the comics.

"Actually, Captain found a way to get me out. You know he can phase through walls." He gave her a dreamy look. "Now that's a cool Lunar if you ask me."

"He's a thief." Cress did her best not to spat the words at him. That was the Lunar her husband liked? That was more than questionable.

"With a great set of powers. And great with the ladies, I heard." His eyes widened. "I mean, he has a big female fanbase. From what I heard. That's all I meant. Although what do I know? Ha."

But Cress had already stopped listening.

Dorky.

Suddenly, she was back in childhood with everyone making fun of the small kid with the long, frizzy curls and who loved to act out her favourite daydreams.

They had thought her silly then. Apparently, not much had changed.

Cress had liked being Satellite for that reason. Not having to pretend that her favourite childhood stories were silly. It had allowed her to be just like one of the heroines in the stories and in many ways, people had come to like Satellite for that.

"Oh come on, what's with the long face?"

She gave him a small pout. "Nothing. But Satellite came to save everyone no matter what you think of her."

"That she did. I just don't have a thing for girls like her."

Wow. Who would have thought that with so little words Thorne could ruin a great night? It was like one wrong thing to say after another.

"Girls ... like her?"

"Yes."

"And what kind of girls would you like then?"

Thorne drew his eyebrows together. "Girls like ... you?" He said slowly as if it was too obvious to explain.

That was so frustrating. She was Satellite! She was a girl like her! Where did Thorne even draw that line, even if unknowingly? How could he like Cress but not Satellite?

But of course, she couldn't be too angry about that or it would be suspicious. And also, was she now jealous on behalf of Satellite? Did she want Thorne to fancy another woman even if it was her disguise? That made no sense and left her feeling silly.

She forced a smile on her face. "Ah, yes. That's good to hear."

He looked proud of himself.

Cress laid her head back on his chest. She would not let this get to her. If they had talked about any other Lunar girl, she would be elated to hear that he wasn't interested in her.

Then again ... "Which Lunar do you like then?"

"I told you, Captain is kinda cool."

She rolled her eyes. "I mean from the girls."

Thorne gave a little laugh. "Ooh, so that's what it's about? Sorry to disappoint you, I won't answer a question like that. Nothing good can come out of it," he told her with a knowing tap to her nose.

"Android? You saw her up and close." And what a sight she had been.

"Nope."

"Mechanic?"

"Uh-uh."

"Red?"

He raised an eyebrow. "She's wearing a hood."

That didn't stop many admirers to point out her enviable curves. And they were all wearing masks anyway.

"Okay there must be one superheroine you fancy."

He smiled brightly at her. "Of course." He kissed her nose. "You." His hands found her hips and turned them both so that he was on top. His lips found her neck and trailed languid kisses down to her collarbone. His hands weren't as languid as they explored the rest of her body. "You're my very own superhero," he muttered.

Cress held in a sigh. She should be flattered that her husband was so into her, despite him trying to distract her from the topic at hand. She guessed it wasn't a fair one to begin with, so she left it at that and returned his heated affections.

She still couldn't quite shut up the little voice in her head that her husband wasn't into her. Not completely, at least. After all, if he thought Satellite was dorky then didn't he just love the Cress he came to know with all her secrets? The Cress who hid everything away that could link her to Satellite and even her life as Crescent Moon Darnel?

But as Thorne kissed his way down her body, every thought of Satellite left Cress's mind.

Cress grabbed a hoodie from the floor, rightly assuming it was one of Thorne's. She wondered if he ever got the hang of tidying up after himself, as she pulled the soft cotton over her head.

She was aware of Thorne's eyes roaming up and down her body. When she glanced at him, he gave her an appreciative smile.

"With legs like that it's a shame you're not a Lunar. They're a superpower of their own."

Cress chucked a nearby pillow at him. He blocked it easily and put it under his head. Looking down at herself, there wasn't much he could see of her legs anyway, with his hoodie being so big, it almost reached her knees.

"The delivery guy will agree."

"Stop it, Thorne."

"What, appreciating my wife?" Raising his arms over his head, he stretched like a cat. "Never."

It was awfully sweet actually. "I'll check if we have enough money in the hallway box."

"Sure. If not, search the floor for my pants. There must be somewhere..."

"Ha-ha, very funny." Walking over the door, she eyed the mess that was their bedroom. His mess actually, aside from the wayward underwear and clothes, he had ripped from her body and carelessly threw it around. Easy to fix, unlike his stuff. "Please, Thorne-"

"Clean a little bit after yourself," he finished for her before blowing her a kiss. "No worries, I will. Tomorrow."

Ah, yes, tomorrow. She had heard that a few times already.

While walking down the hallway, Cress linked herself to a local the newsfeed. There was still no sight of Jina though the rest of her gang had already been put into prison. She wasn't worried about them, they were normal humans after all.

But Jina had turned out to be a Lunar like herself. She was still in shock over that.

Turning into sand. Cress wondered what Jina could do with a superpower like that.

The rest of the news assured the people that none of the hostages had been harmed and all of the gold and money had been secured, except for one gold bar.

Cress almost ran into the little cabinet in their hallway. One gold bar was missing?

Captain!

The little box which stored a bit of cash fell through her hands and landed with a thump on the floor.

He just couldn't help himself, could he? Stealing whatever of worth was nearby if the possibility presented itself. Yes, he had saved Thorne and herself (kinda) but this wasn't enough to excuse his crimes.

Though looking at the few dollar bills and coins, she guessed a gold bar would come in handy now. Good thing she had a few work opportunities coming up.

The bell rang but the money wouldn't be enough to pay for the pizza and drinks. She quickly looked for her purse.

"Cress, the delivery guy," Thorne called-unnecessarily-from the bedroom.

"I know!" Ah, there was her little handbag. She pressed the buzzer with one hand while looking through the bag with the other. It was awkward, and probably didn't look very superhero-ish.

When she didn't find her wallet, Cress checked everything again. She knew she had put it in there-

Her fingers landed on something coarse, giving way under her fingertips. "What?"

Pulling her hand out, the inside of her palm was filled with ...

... sand!

The bell rang again, this time on the apartment door. "Cress?"

"I'm coming," she called out weakly, not taking her eyes of the inside of her bag, filled with sand. She stood up weekly when suddenly, the sand trickled down the ground as if by their own volition and moved smoothly through the hallway and underneath the tiny gap below the door.

"Huh?" She heard from outside when Thorne appeared behind her, quickly pulling up some pants.

"Cress, the door."

"I ... ," she said absent-mindedly, her eyes still following the path the grains of sand had taken. Nothing had remained. " "I lost my wallet."

"Crap. No worries, I still have enough money." She hardly heard Thorne opening the door and paying the delivery guy who looked a little freaked out, as he peered into their apartment. "Dude, eyes on me, not the lady with the fantastic legs."

Cress knew the guy hadn't been ogling her. He, like her, had seen the trickles of sand that had moved on its own and he quickly fled once Thorne was done paying him.

"Strange guy," Thorne said closing the door and suddenly turned concerned. "Everything alright? No worries, we'll just make sure to lock your credit card accounts and call the police in case someone found your wallet. If not, well we'll just have to apply for all of your documents." He gave her shoulder an encouraging squeeze and Cress forced herself to smile weakly up at him. "We can go to the Ukrainian consulate first thing in the morning if that's what you're worried about?"

Jina knew who she was. She had followed Satellite right back into her life as Cress and Cress hadn't even noticed.

Her secret identity, Jina had found out.

Her mind in turmoil, she still managed to reassure Thorne that he was right and that's what she would do. She called the credit card company's emergency number and locked her accounts while Thorne set the small table in the living room. It was late, after all, no need for the formality of a dining table.

Everything seemed normal but Cress knew, somewhere, Jina was watching her, ready to attack.

It was only a matter of time.

A/N: Cress and Thorne reconciled but at the same time, they're still enemies as Satellite and Captain. And now we have Jina who knows who Satellite is. I hope you liked this chapter and let me know in the reviews. Many thanks to kiminicricket for betareading.