When I open my eyes again, I am not surprised to find both Joe and Ken are still here, looking as if they haven't moved while I slept. A quiet scraping sound draws my attention and I turn my head to find Jinpei and Ryu slouching in chairs against the wall. All four of my visitors seem to be asleep and I can't help but smile. No matter how much we may sometimes disagree and argue, we are always there for one another. As unconventional as it may be, this is my family and I love them all dearly.

I move slowly, try to pull myself up to a sitting position on the bed. My attempts rouse the men on either side of me and they both reach out gently, stopping me effortlessly. Sighing, I look from one to the other and seeing the concern on their faces, I let my head sink back onto the pillow.

"You need to rest, Jun," Ken admonishes me, his hand caressing my cheek.

"You've been through a lot," Joe adds, squeezing my fingers gently.

"But what happened? Why am I here?" I ask, frustration forming a knot in my chest.

Before either of them can respond, Jinpei shoves Ken backwards, nearly toppling the unsuspecting ninja, and hops into the space beside me. "Oneechan! You're awake," he shouts in relief, throwing himself onto my chest and clinging to me fiercely.

I bring my uninjured hand up to rub his back gently, the way I always do whenever he's been hurt or is upset about something. Once his breathing calms down, he sits up in front of Ken, who has a disgruntled look on his face. His gaze never leaving mine, Jinpei reaches one hand up to messily swipe at the tears streaking down his face. "I was so worried about you, Oneechan. You've been asleep for almost a week!"

A week? No wonder Ken and Joe refused to even acknowledge my question before. I still can't remember more than flashes of images and I have no way to tell which ones were real and which were imagined. Turning my gaze to Ken, who looks sheepishly at me from beyond Jinpei's shoulder, I bite my lip as half formed questions battle in my head. Ken sighs under my scrutiny, his eyes flicking over to Joe.

I shift as well, subjecting the Condor to my questioning look. "OK, one of you needs to start talking. Now. I need to know what happened."

Joe refuses to meet my gaze, turning instead to face Ken. They seem to have an unspoken conversation over the top of Jinpei's head before coming to an agreement and looking at me in unison. "Alright, Jun," Ken begins, his eyes dropping to his hands. "Do you remember the last encounter we had with Galactor?"

I frown, wracking my brain as I try to recall anything clearly. "I think so, but I'm not sure. I remember being on a mecha with you and Joe. We were surrounded," I continue as memories start to surface. "There were too many of them, more than we'd ever faced before…"

Ken nods, "That's right, we were definitely in a tight spot."

Before any of us can continue the story, Ryu stands, his chair creaking in protest, and makes his way over to join the crowd that has formed on my bed. He takes one look at Joe and chooses instead to insert himself in front of Jinpei, wrapping me in a hug. Ken's protest is cut short as he is pushed from the bed to land with a thud on the floor. He's on his feet almost immediately, scowling at Ryu and Joe in turn and I can't help but giggle. Ryu gives me one last squeeze before releasing me and sitting up. "I'm glad you're doing better, Jun. You had us all worried there for a while," he mumbles quietly. He smiles at me then leans over to plant a kiss on my cheek. Standing abruptly, he tries to keep his face averted, though I can see the deep red flush on his skin. "C'mon, Jinpei," he murmurs, extending one hand to my little brother and tugging him from the bed. "Let's let Jun get some rest and we'll come back later."

Ken takes the opportunity to sit beside me again and we all laugh as the door slides shut, effectively cutting us off from Jinpei's vehement comments of protest. His eyes remain on the closed door for another few seconds before he slowly turns back to me.

"Maybe Ryu's right, Jun. Maybe we should leave too so you can rest peacefully for a while."

I reach out to grab him, forgetting about the bandages on my hand and end up smacking him with it instead. He blinks at me, shock reflected in his bright blue gaze, and I can feel myself blushing. "Sorry," I whisper. "Please don't go. I want to know the rest of what happened," I plead. "Please?"

He nods in resignation, resettles himself on the bed. "So we were outnumbered, as usual, with more soldiers arriving by the second."

"They'd started arriving before you finished setting and arming all the explosives, so Ken and I were trying to shield you while you rigged the last of the charges," Joe continues, picking up the story. "Just as you got the last one in place, a random shot got through and hit one of the timers, damaging it so that there would be no way to know or control how long we had before it set off its bomb."

"We tried to make a break for it and escape back to the God Phoenix," Ken says, pausing when his voice breaks. "The three of us made it to an elevator when the charge exploded, causing a chain reaction that spread through the whole mass."

"We got the door closed and the elevator moving, thinking we'd managed to escape." Joe's eyes lift, catching mine and I am surprised to see the glimmer of unshed tears before he squeezes them shut.

"But as quickly as the compartment started moving, it stopped, your explosions taking out the controls for the transportation system. When the lights started to flicker, the glitter of a reflection caught our attention." As Ken speaks, images form in my mind, memories returning.

"It was a pool of my blood, wasn't it?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

Ken merely nods, his quivering lips pressed tightly together.

"Just then you began to sway on your feet. I was able to catch you before you fell. Ken sat on the floor and cradled you against him while I did my best to assess how badly you were hurt. Your helmet was cracked and there was blood dripping down your cheek. One of your gloves was soaked with blood, and you were a ghostly pale color."

"Joe tried to call for help while I held you, begging you to stay with us, praying for your survival, not knowing what I would do if I lost you." Ken's voice cracks and he looks anywhere but at me.

"But my bracelet was damaged in the explosion and I couldn't tell if the message was getting out, so Ken and I switched places. While he paced the tiny space trying to raise Ryu and Jinpei, I did my best to keep you warm, adding to Ken's prayers with my own."

"Once I got through to Ryu, I settled to the floor where Joe and I tried to conserve your body heat with our own. There were a few moments when you seemed to regain consciousness and tried to speak, but neither of us were sure if you were aware of what you were saying or if it was just mumbled hallucinogenic dream-speak."

"Seconds later, the rest of the mecha began falling to pieces, sending our elevator car into free-fall. Ryu's timing was uncanny as usual, catching us and bringing the battered capsule into the God Phoenix. Ken and I got you settled into the medical bay where we did our best to stabilize you as we made our way back to Crescent Coral Base. Hakase and his team of doctors met us when we landed and tended to your wounds. We've all just been waiting for you to wake up ever since," Joe finishes with a small grimace and a shrug.

I look from Ken to Joe and back again, their expressions telling me even more than their words; telling me that my condition was far more grave than they were willing to admit. "Thank you, both of you, for saving me," I whisper, not knowing who to look at first.

We sit quietly for a few minutes, the only sounds in the room coming from the medical equipment beeping and whirring in the background. I suddenly realize that my throat is dry and scratchy and I ask Ken for some water. Finding both the pitcher and cup empty, he leaves the room to refill them.

"Jun?" Joe's voice startles me from my contemplation of the closed doorway and I turn to face him again. "Can I ask you something personal?"

I gulp, feeling even more aware of the dryness in my throat, as a sense of déjà vu overcomes me and sends chills along my skin. "Sure, Joe," I choke out before a coughing fit overcomes me.

He helps me get settled again, allowing me to scoot into a more upright position. Shooting me a soft, wry smile, he takes a deep breath before speaking. "I would wait until after you get a drink to ask, but," he hesitates, glancing toward the door quickly before turning back to me, "I wanted to ask without Ken here." His eyes bore into mine and I have to fight not to look away. "Do you remember any of what you said while we were all stuck in the elevator?"

I frown, not really sure how to answer him. I have memories of our time on the mecha, but they are jumbled with other images and I can't separate the two. "I'm not sure. I remember some things, but I can't say whether they actually happened. Was there something in particular you were wondering about?"

I cough again and he waits for me to catch my breath, his hand holding mine gently. He stares at our fingers, refusing to meet my eyes and to my amazement his cheeks flush a deep pink. "I thought you asked me to kiss you."

This time it's my cheeks that burn red. "I didn't know that I'd said that out loud," I admit quietly. "I wasn't sure if that was part of one of the dreams I was having."

"But, I thought you were in love with Ken." His eyes lift, meeting mine.

"I dreamed about him too," I confess. Before I can elaborate further, Ken returns, placing the pitcher on the table and offering me the cup to sip from. I take my time, letting the cool water soothe my throat.

When the cup is empty, I release the straw and smile at Ken. He sets it down, returning my grin. "Feel better now?" I nod in response and he gently pushes a strand of hair from my face. "Good, now what were you and Joe just talking about when I came in? Who were you dreaming about."

My cheeks burn again and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they could feel the heat radiating from them. "Joe was trying to help me sort out which of my memories are real events from the mecha and which were dreams." I shift uncomfortably, looking from one of them to another. "It turns out that I was dreaming about both of you."

"Good dreams, I hope," Ken remarks, his eyes dancing.

They were good dreams, but the cold light of day and the knowledge that that's all they were, mere dreams, tarnishes their glow a little. "Yes, they were," I offer softly, averting my eyes. Joe's fingers squeeze mine gently and I squeeze back.

"So, why don't you tell us about them, Jun? You couldn't have told Joe too much while I was gone." Ken settles into a more comfortable position and watches me expectantly. Turning slightly to my left, I see Joe taking up a similar position. I take a deep breath, trying to decide just where to start and just what to tell them.

"I… I'm not sure that would be a good idea," I stammer out.

"C'mon, Jun," Ken wheedles, his eyes wide and innocent. "You started to tell Joe…"

I sigh, first trying to sort out the memories and then deciding what to share with my eager audience. "I dreamed that I was trapped in an elevator with you, Ken. But it wasn't on a mecha, it was here on base. We were stuck in the dark and couldn't call for help."

"It sounds like you might have been more aware of your surroundings than we realized," Joe remarked quietly.

"I also dreamed that I was stuck in an elevator on the God Phoenix with you, Joe."

"You know, Jun, being trapped in elevators doesn't exactly scream 'good dreams' to me," Ken points out, one eyebrow lifting slightly.

"I think that depends on how you pass the time, now doesn't it, Jun?" Joe teases and I find myself flushing again.

"Jun?" Ken prods and suddenly I can't keep it all to myself anymore. Without raising my eyes from the blanket in my lap, I relate the events of my dreams, leaving nothing out. When I finish, the room once again falls silent of everything except the sounds of the machinery monitoring my condition. I keep my eyes averted, unable to face either of the men sitting beside me now that my secrets have been laid bare. All I want to do is sink down beneath the blankets and pretend I'd never said a word.

"Oh, Jun," Ken breathes, leaning forward to wrap his arms around me. At the same time, Joe's arms encircle me from the other side. I just sit there, feeling warm and loved in their embrace. It's not the reaction that I expected from either of them and I'm not sure what it means. Is it sympathy for feelings that can never be returned or something more? When they both release me, I'm left feeling cold, confused, and a little scared as I wonder where things will go from here.

Ken's finger gently tips my chin up until I have no choice but to meet his gaze. His eyes search mine. "Jun, you know that I do love you, don't you? When you were lying in my arms, injured and bleeding, all I could think about was how much it would hurt to lose you. I regretted all the missed opportunities to tell you how I feel about you. I regretted that I'd never had the chance to do this…" As his voice trails off, he moves closer until his lips meet mine. The kiss is everything I hoped for, just like the one in my dream. And then it's over and I yearn for another.

But before I can do anything about it, another hand gently turns me and Joe's face is before me. "That goes double for me, Jun," Joe whispers before his lips capture mine. This kiss also rivals my dreams and when it ends I find myself gasping for breath. I look from one set of blue eyes to the other, not sure what to make of this new turn of events. I find myself wanting to be with both of them and I don't know how to choose, don't want to have to choose.

"I… I don't know what to say…" I start.

"Don't say anything, not yet at least. You've been through a lot." Ken strokes my arm gently as he speaks.

"It's too soon for you to make a big decision like this," Joe says, his hand grasping mine.

I shake my head slowly, "No, I need to figure this out. It's not fair to any of us to leave things hanging like this. But I love you both and don't want to hurt either of you." I can feel the sting of tears in my eyes and it's a struggle to keep them from falling.

"You've loved me longer," Ken jokes with a snicker.

"Yes, but you haven't paid attention to her for most of that time, so it doesn't count," Joe counters.

I can't help but giggle and I do my best to smother it with my good hand. They argue with each other, laughing about who deserves me more. Before long, the words escalate to gentle shoves, but when I get caught in the crossfire, they both instantly forget their dispute, all their attention focused on my well-being.

I find myself relaxing under their ministrations, their touches gentle and soothing. I could get used to this sort of solicitous behavior and find that suddenly the urgency of choosing between them is no longer so pressing. Closing my eyes, I snuggle into the pillows, pull the blankets up to my chin, and decide that, at least for now, I'm just going to enjoy my recovery.