Dear Jon,

I laughed out loud when I read the end of that letter. I think Kelly thought I was losing it for a few minutes there. Don't burn Mentor's chess subroutine out! I'm going to have to find someone to practice on before I come home or I'll be rusty!

I've been outside. Kelly took me yesterday afternoon – she actually asked Mark to come in with her on her day off, help load me into a patient transport, and take me outside. Jon, it's amazing. I have no idea where we are, and I wouldn't put it in writing if I did. But it's…it's beyond words. I can't tell you anything more specific about the landscape…nothing can ever happen to leak the location of this place to Dread. But it's amazing. I can't wait to get back outside. It gives me some inspiration when I want to give up during therapy.

Yes, I've started therapy. I'm glad – I'm glad to be doing SOMETHING. I'm so tired of lying in that bed. It'd be different if you or one of the guys were here. I'd be able to carry on a long-term conversation, or at least be able to help strategize or build something. Knowing that I have therapy scheduled every day at least breaks things up a bit. To be honest, it's some of the hardest work I've ever done. The damage to my muscles was pretty bad, I guess, and while they're healed I'm nowhere near strong. Between therapy and sitting up in that patient transport yesterday , I was so tired I slept all afternoon and through the night. But I feel a little stronger every day. My therapist's name is Sam, and he's really patient with me.

Vi has started bringing me something to eat each day. I'm honestly not very hungry, seeing how I basically lay around for most of the day. But she sits and visits with me, and expects me to eat while she does. She mainly brings things with fresh fruit or vegetables, but she says she's going to start bringing things that Lottie (her cook) bakes because they're worried I'm not eating enough. Apparently, I have to be up to a certain weight before they'll even consider dismissing me from the hospital and just coming back for therapy.

I have a whole stack of books from Kelly to read sitting here on my table – some I've asked for, some she's decided I need to read. You're right. I think I've found a great friend. She's been so kind to me ever since I woke up, and we can always find something to talk about. I've been able to ask her questions when someone references something I don't understand. She hasn't asked yet why I don't know so much, but I think I'm going to try to explain things to her. Maybe I'll explain it then when there aren't so many people so close. Vi knows – I guess Hawk told her about me. I can ask her when I need to, as well.

I should probably go, because they'll be here with a tray again soon, trying to get me to eat more. I love you. And I miss you terribly. There are days when I'm pretty lonely, and I just want to curl up in a ball and be miserable for a while. That's when I read one of your letters, or grab a new book, or get out some of the stationary that Kelly has brought me and write to you or to one of the others. Even this far away, you're all still taking care of me, whether you know it or not. What would I do without you?

They're here with my tray. I'll write again soon.

Love,

Jennifer

"Trying to get her to eat, huh?" Tank laughed as the four team members worked on the routine maintenance for the jumpship that Jennifer usually would have handled without thinking about. Jon had met Mark earlier that day, and he'd filled them in on some of the things she'd mentioned in the first letter he'd read. "They know she's always been a small fry, don't they?"

"I'm wondering more if they know we're not exactly falling over piles of food out here," Scout said, shaking his head. "She wasn't malnourished before she left or anything."

"No – but we could all probably do with putting on a few pounds," Matt said with a smile. "I can just picture Vi fussing over her, trying to get her to eat."

"I'd love to know what she saw out there," Jon said. "Green fields? Wildflowers? Clean water?"

"I don't know – Vi said they were heading north when we ran into them last year," Hawk pointed out. "It's February. Do you really think there's much in the way of wildflowers?"

"Who knows? Maybe they're under some kind of shielding system. That would explain how they'd hidden from Dread this long."

"I don't know – and we're not really getting any information from Jennifer to clear that mystery up, either," Scout pointed out. "She's playing by the rules. Good for her, though I admit I wanted to know what she saw, too," he added with a wink.

"I noticed Elzer asked about Pilot when we met up with him today," Tank said nonchalantly – though Jon missed the wink the older man sent the rest of the team.

Jon scowled a bit at the part he was inspecting – the others doubted he even knew he was doing it. "Yes, he did."

"They all knew that we were looking for help for her – we contacted everyone we knew," Hawk reminded him. "But I don't guess that Eden would want word to get out that they were a part of this. What did you end up telling him? "

"That we found an answer, and that she was healing, but that it would be a while before she was on missions with us again," Jon said simply.

"Oh…I thought you two talked for longer than that," Hawk observed.

Jon scowled again and attacked the bolt he was trying to loosen with a little more force than necessary. "He wanted me to tell her that he hoped she was back on her feet quickly…and that he looked forward to seeing her again soon."

"And what was your response to that?"

"I told him I'd let her know."

The other three couldn't help but laugh out loud now. "So, that explains why Elzer looked so confused when we left. I think he was trying to figure out why Captain Power was suddenly so…disgruntled," Scout said in an attempt at an innocent tone.

Jon looked up at their laughter, realizing that he'd been set up. "Go ahead, laugh all you want. You won't be laughing when you're on KP duty for the next two weeks," he said with mock seriousness. He couldn't quite keep the corners of his mouth from twitching upwards, however.

"I think I need to head to storage to get a few parts," Scout said quickly. "Anyone want to come along?"

"I'll help you out," Tank said, standing up and stretching. "These old bones can only stay cramped up around an engine for so long."

After the two of them had left the hangar, Hawk decided it was as good a time as any to bring up something that had been bothering him for a little while. "You know, Elzer wasn't all that bad. After all, she did save his life – it's normal for him to inquire about her after that."

"I know," Jon sighed. "I'm not usually quite that…touchy."

"Everything about this is new for you, Jon," his friend reassured him. "I figured that was part of what took you and Jennifer so long to figure this out in the first place."

"That was part of it," Jon agreed. "How do you have a relationship in the middle of a war? It's not like normal rules apply."

"There were dating rules? Why didn't I know that?" Seeing that he'd succeeded in getting Jon to smile, Hawk went on. "No – you'll have to figure things out for yourself. Just like you're doing now – you've managed to stay in touch, with Davis's help, even though you're so far apart. All of us can see what it does for you to hear from her. You're like a kid on Christmas morning when we meet him to get Jennifer's letters," he teased gently, glad to see that it produced a smile from Jon this time instead of a grimace. "And from what Davis has told us, she's pretty much the same way. You'll figure it out all over again once she gets home. There is one thing I wanted to talk to you about…" Matt wasn't sure how to proceed, but Jon looked at him, concerned, when he didn't go on.

"What is it?"

"When Pilot does get back, and you two figure out your new normal, you're going to have to be careful. We weren't careful back at the Passages because we didn't care – we just wanted to get her well. But it was pretty obvious how you two felt about each other. I was actually pretty surprised today by Elzer's comments, because I've fielded questions from other leaders. Cypher asked me just the other day how you were holding up with Pilot gone. I thought the rumor mill would have gotten back to Elzer by now."

"The rumor mill?" Jon had put down the tools in his hands and was giving Matt his full attention at this point. "What are you talking about?"

"Jon, Cypher knew you and Jennifer had feelings for each other. Granted, he told me he'd noticed a few things the past few times we've all been together, so it had started before Christmas. But you're going to have to be careful. Like I said, no one was hiding anything at the Passages, and I know some of the people we work with in the Resistance realized that you had a personal stake in finding someone to save Jennifer. People figure things out…and people talk. The more people talk, the more chances there are that someone we don't want to hear about it will hear. If Dread gets wind that you have feelings for each other –"

"He'll do everything he can to use it against us," Jon sighed. "I know, Matt. Just by being with me, she's in more danger. And that's on top of the fact that she's a 'traitor to the machine,' and a member of my team." Jon stared at his hands for a moment. "That's one of the reasons I put off admitting anything to her in the first place."

"Hey – I'm not saying it can't work," Matt said quickly. "There's no way I'd tell you not to be with her because of this – I'm just making sure that you realize that you'll have to be careful. When we're outside this base, you're going to have to be…discreet."

"What, no holding hands while shooting biomechs?" Jon joked. "I know, Matt. But it's not like we were doing anything like that before, and Cypher figured it out on his own. I don't think I can completely hide it –"

"No one would expect that of you, Jon. And I still think that the casual observer would have no idea what's going on. I just wanted to be sure you were thinking about it. I wanted to be sure you knew to be careful. Once you get her back here, we don't want anyone targeting her again for a little while." Wanting to lighten the mood, Matt shifted gears. "Although, it seems like you might want to be a little obvious around Elzer. That man has had his eye on her ever since the Freedom One incident. Jennifer never even noticed him, but…you might just want to be sure he, well, gets the picture."

Matt was glad to see the small smile that appeared on Jon's face as he pondered just how to communicate the idea.