Ram had been sitting at a cafe table sharing a meal with Trudy, when an angry fist met his right eye. The force knocked him out of the chair and onto the deck with a loud thud.

Alarmed Trudy stood staring at the culprit, "Lex, what is your problem?!"

"My problem?" he asked, laughing in anger, "My problem is Ram is supposed to be my friend and he didn't care to tell me my wife was a founding Techno!"

Ram stood up dusting himself off. Pain was now searing through his eye, but he understood Lex's anger. He had known and used Tai-San against the City from the beginning. But he had changed, and so had she. Evidently it was too much for Lex to understand, but then again it was too soon.

"Ram is this true?" Trudy asked.

"I promised her I'd keep quiet. She asked me not to tell anyone. She wanted to put the past behind her."

"I...I can't believe this," Trudy backed away from him. She was no longer hungry. She knew she couldn't be angry at Ram, but this was far too great a secret. "What if she's still working for them? We could all be in danger!"

"I know this. But the Technos, they aren't a bad tribe."

"No?" Lex asked, "What about the so-called deleted? What about Pride? He didn't die at the hand of evil? And Java and Siva?"

Ram grabbed his glass of ice water from the table and held it against his bruising, swelling eye. "You would do anything for the right price wouldn't you Lex? The Technos didn't kill Pride, two idiots out for themselves killed him. And sibling rivalry killed Java and Siva, only the weapons created by Technos aided in their deaths."

"He has a point Lex..."

"So you're on his side then?"

"I didn't say that," Trudy frowned, "I still have a hard time believing there's any good in the Technos."

"You saw what Mega did in the end? He gave up his life to save the city."

"To no avail!" Lex said.

"But the point is he tried. I founded the Technos with good ideals in mind, somewhere along the way I lost myself. It's why I gave up the game. I could've gone back, taken my rightful place on my throne, but then I saw that an empire isn't needed to control this new, strange world we live in. It just takes good people with the same ideals, like the Mallrats. Doesn't that count for something?"

Lex sat down. He was angry. He wasn't thinking straight, and it wasn't Ram's fault Tai-San lied. He drew in some deep breaths and retreated within himself. Tai-San could've gone back too. But she was here with him.

After a few minutes, he stood up. He was aware Trudy was still standing there, but Ram had gone. "Where's your boyfriend?"

"The bar, he needed something to ease the pain."

"You're still here?"

"Yes Lex, we're something like family. I want to make sure you're going to be okay."

Lex sighed. He would be okay in time. "I'll be fine if you do me a favor."

"This being?"

"I told Ryan I'd get Tai-San to organize a baby shower for Khail and Ebony, but I didn't get a chance to ask her. Do you feel like taking up the task?"

Trudy smiled, "I can do that." She paused. She wasn't quite sure what to say to Lex. She knew that he was hurting and she was worried about him. "So what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to crash on the Mariana for a few nights. I'm far too bitter right now Trude, I just need to think."

Trudy understood. She patted him on the back kindly as she was leaving and said, "A blind man could see her love for you is real. Don't wait too long to forgive."

~0~

As the days wore on, Josh grew restless. It was frustrating not knowing who he was, and lying in a hospital bed wasn't helping him get back his memory.

Danni saw how agonizing it was for him to lie around all day every day. It was agonizing for her too, to watch his morose, bored stare every time she came in to check on him. One morning she waltzed into the room and threw the blinds open letting in the sunlight.

"I prefer it dark in here."

"Well I'd prefer some light if we're going to get you out of that bed."

Josh gave her a funny look, "What do you mean out of the bed?"

"Today we're going to begin your rehabilitation. There was no damage to your body in the time you were in a coma, but after months of not walking you're going to need some practice."

"What's the point in learning how to walk again if I don't even know who I am?"

"Maybe you'd remember if you'd stop wallowing in pity. You've been dealt a second chance in life, so grab it by the reigns and go for a ride!"

Josh looked at her with that signature smirk of his. He was amused by her dedication. He felt as if no one had ever talked to him that way. In fact, since he couldn't remember anything, no one had ever talked to him that way. He liked the challenge.

"Fine," he grumbled, "Where do we begin doc?"

"Exercise."

Danni helped him into a wheelchair and wheeled him down the hall to a large room in a different ward.

"What is this place?"

"The best part about this hospital is everything has been preserved after the virus thanks to the Technos. Mainly people come in here to work out, but the room's original purpose was for massage therapy and to rehabilitate those with certain paralysis."

Josh only grunted in response. And Danni began his therapy.

For an hour they worked on his legs. She began by massaging them gently to evoke a response from Josh, who flinched with pain, but never showed any sign of weakness. He could wriggle his toes, which was a good sign, so she began bending the legs like he was cycling. During this time Danni would tell him some medical term and to be polite he'd respond with a question which she'd gladly answered. He liked the chat, it was a nice reward after weeks listening to the quiet of a darkened hospital room.

~0~

From outside the Rehabilitation Room, Dragon observed the two. He was kind of jealous. Danni had never just had a talk with him about anything and nothing at all. Things between them had always held an edge of hostility.

"I don't like that guy," he admitted aloud.

"Aww, are you jealous little brother?"

He turned glaring at his sister, "We're practically two seconds apart, that hardly makes you older than me."

"Ten minutes is hardly two seconds," Kyra laughed, "And trust me, Danni isn't digging him, at least not yet. But no need to worry about these things now, we've got bigger matters on our hands."

"Like?" he turned his attention to his sister.

"A Techno homing beacon has gone off. Nano is working on getting the coordinates."

"Who do you suppose it is?"

Kyra smiled, "The Prodigal daughter's!"