St Simons had never been so silent. At least, that's how it seemed to Spike. After Jenny had been reunited with her parents, Team One had sped as fast as the law allowed to the hospital where, according to Winnie, Cassie had been brought.

Currently, they were waiting anxiously in the visitors lounge. Ed had just joined them from his paperwork - he'd been the one to shoot Danforth - and was watching the swinging doors with as much anxiety as the rest of them.

Jules and Sam were sitting close together; the latter was holding the former's hand as if to keep her from drifting away. Spike knew Jules blamed herself for Cassie's injuries. But really, how could she? She was lucky to get out of there, and if a part of Spike had been resentful at the time, he certainly wasn't now. He wouldn't wish Cassie's fate on anyone.

But she'd be okay; she'd promised him. Cassie would be fine... right? She couldn't leave him - them, Spike corrected. He honestly didn't know what feeling was worse: the blank anguish he'd felt when he'd realized who Danforth had hit, or the restless waiting. Why couldn't the nurse just come in and let him see her?

Admit it, jokerboy, Spike thought with a rueful snort. You've fallen hard and fast for Little Miss Crisis Negotiator. To be honest, it probably happened that first day on the job.
A soft hand on his shoulder brought Spike's attention back to the real world, and to Parker, who was giving him a sympathetic look.

"You okay there, Spike?"

"They said she'd be fine, right?" Spike muttered. "Because if they lied-"

"It was two shot wounds to her back," Parker interrupted. "Both of them were slowed down by her vest. I'll be surprised if she isn't awake in the next hour."

Spike took a deep breath. "You're right, Boss."

A welcome distraction came in the form of a young man barreling into the room, startling everyone. Spike stared: the scrawny boy's hair was a mix of red and brown, and his brown eyes were glancing around the room anxiously.

"Can we help you, son?" asked Ed.

"I'm... I'm looking for Andy - I mean Cassandra," the boy said nervously, looking at Team One still decked out in their uniforms. "Cassandra Wellington. I'm her brother."

"You're Timothy?" asked Jules. She looked desperately relieved by the distraction.

The young man smiled. "That's me. I'm guessing Andy's talked about me?"

"A bit. Mostly about how well you're doing in vet school," Jules answered.

Timothy rolled his eyes. "She's always talking about that."

"Straight As are nothing to sneer at," smiled Ed.

'Besides," murmured Sam knowingly. "It's a sister's job to brag."

"Not like you need any help, eh Braddock?" laughed Wordy.

The atmosphere in the room was visibly lightening. Even Spike's shoulders were less slumped, and Jules was smiling again.

"She talks about you guys a lot though," Timothy continued. He nodded towards Parker and Ed. "As I understand it, Ed Lane is the scariest of you all."

Everyone laughed, and Ed joined in as well.

"I'm scary too," Spike mock-pouted. Wordy laughed, and ruffled the man's hair.

"Sure, Spike. Sure you are."

Timothy's eyes widened perceptibly, and he looked at the Italian. "This is Spike? Oh, Andy talks about you the most. "Guess what dumb thing Spike did today", "Sometimes I want to slap some sense into that idiot", "He's so annoying"..."

Spike frowned as the rest of his team laughed.

"It's not all bad," Timothy reassured. "She always ends her complaints with a smile, and she compliments you quite a bit."

"Oh, good," Spike said. "I was beginning to worry if all that was just an act..."

Timothy's eyes reflected something Spike didn't understand. "Oh, no, Mr. Scarlatti. She cares about you very much. She cares about all of you," he finished to the room.

However, Spike was too busy remembering Timothy's earlier sentence. Cassie actually cared about him... was it a hidden message? Did she really feel something too? Why the heck did all this deep thinking hurt his head so much?

Then a nurse, dressed in powder blue scrubs, entered through the double doors. She had a clipboard in hand, and was smiling.

"Your teammate is awake, if you'd like to visit her," she said. At once Team One came alive: Jules and Sam jumped off their chairs; Wordy, Ed and Parker stood straight up, their eyes losing their former listlessness. Spike, in fact, was almost out the door when a hand pulled him back.

"Family first," said Ed, nodding deferentially to Timothy. The young man smiled.

"Of course. Which is why you must all come with me."

Seeing Ed's surprise, he smiled. "You are family, too. And I think Andy will be glad to see you haven't deserted her."

"We'd never do that!" Spike said heatedly.

"I know. So you'd better get in there," Timothy replied. The nurse led them all down a brightly lit hallway, and into a small, cosy room. There were a few chairs, a TV in the far corner, and a white hospital bed with a nightstand and IV stand beside it. In the bed was Cassie; her red hair fanned across the pillow, and her eyes were closed, chest rising and falling. But as the nurse quietly shut the door her eyes opened, the brown staring around at Team One.


"Hey," Cassie said softly.

Spike couldn't help it. He rushed to the bedside, and gathered his petite friend into a hug, shoulders shaking with suppressed sobs. Cassie rubbed Spike's back comfortingly, giving the rest of the team a smile.

"It's okay, Spikey. I'm fine."

"You're such an idiot," came the techie's muffled voice.

"You scared all of us," said Jules, and her face had lost some of its whiteness at seeing her best friend alive and well.

"But it was the right thing to do," Cassie said- more for Spike than anyone else. "You understand, don't you Sarge?"

"I do," Parker said quietly. "That doesn't mean I liked it."

Spike finally pulled away, wiping a hand across his face. Cassie laughed.

"Crying, Spikey?"

"Course not," Spike muttered gruffly. "Just got something in my eye... you're wearing that awful kiwi-lime perfume again..."

Cassie rolled her eyes, and punched her friend in the arm. "I'll get you when I'm better." As the rest of the team- and Timothy- chuckled, Jules moved to give Cassie a hug as well, shoving Spike to the side.

"Next time, you lead the escape, okay?"

"You kidding? I couldn't have scrambled up to that window like you did," Cassie rebuffed. "Look, what's done is done, okay?"

A tense silence filled the room. Timothy rolled his eyes.

"I thought you guys were the fun team?"

"Oh, we are," Cassie smirked. "Spikey just ran out of humor. As usual."

"Hey!"

Everyone laughed. The fact that Cassie was back to her normal self was a relief to them all. Parker reached inside his shirt pocket, bringing out a small envelope. He walked over to Cassie's bedside and handed the pink material over.

"This is from Jenny," he said with a smile. "She wanted to say thank you, but couldn't do it in person."

Curious, Cassie gently tore open the pink envelope, smiling when another, brighter pink piece of paper awaited her. It was sparkly, and covered in childish drawings and doodles.

"You gonna read it?" asked Timothy.

Cassie looked around at her team, all of whom smiled. "Alright."

She cleared her throat. "Dear Cassie. I would be saying all this out loud, except Mom says you're in the hospital getting better. She says that I could write a letter, to thank you for being so nice to me when I was so scared. You and the monkey-lady were so brave. I mean, she climbed up all those chairs and out a really high window! Then when the baddies catched us, you didn't let them near me. You were really brave, and really kind! You told me stories of your friends so I wouldn't be scared, and you made me smile. I also wanted to say that everything you said about your friends was true. They really are superheroes! Plus, Spike really has spiky hair!" This caused everyone in the room to laugh. "He was really worried about you. I know, because he wouldn't leave your side until the traveling doctors came in. All of your friends were worried. Aren't you glad that they made us safe? Thanks again for being there. I love you! Jenny."

Cassie looked up, blinking rapidly. All around the room, more than a few eyes were wet. Spike looked like he was going to burst into emotion again. Ed stepped forward as the red-head placed the letter onto her bedside table.

"As you know, forensic investigators thoroughly search the scene of the incident," he said. A very small smile lifted the corner of his mouth. "Including the security cameras."

Cassie's jaw dropped. "Um."

Parker felt the need to continue where Ed had left off. "It's part of protocol, Cassie. Needless to say, we heard everything you and Jenny talked about."

"Thanks for the compliments," Sam grinned. Jules rolled her eyes and poked the blonde in the ribs.

"We have to disagree with you on one point," she said, giving her friend a mock-glare.

"You're a superhero too," Wordy piped up.

"If any of us deserve the title, it would be you," Parker said. "I've never seen someone so compassionate-"

"Dedicated-" Ed chimed in.

"Loyal and brave," Wordy smiled.

"Skilled," Sam said with a laugh. "More than me, even..."

"Intelligent, and a quick thinker," Jules said after giving Sam yet another kidney-shock. Spike gave Cassie an unreadable look. "You're a true friend."

It was some time before Cassie was able to speak. She looked around at all the familiar faces. She'd laughed with these people, cried with these people, fought with these people, and was willing to die for these people. To hear them say such kind things about her meant more than words could describe.

"We'll leave you to rest for a while," Parker said gently. He patted his favorite negotiator on the hand, before leaving the room with Ed and Wordy. Jules beamed at Cassie, then dragged Sam away.

Timothy glanced at his sister, then at Spike who was shuffling nervously from side to side. The boy smirked.

"See you in a few minutes, Andy. Just going to get some Tim's." Timothy kissed Cassie on the forehead. "Try not to get shot again for a while, okay?"

"Love you too, Timmy," Cassie laughed, waving as her brother exited the infirmary room. The soft slam of the door seemed to jar Spike from his day dreams. He meandered over to Cassie's bed and sat on the edge.

"You nearly gave me heart failure, idiot." Spike's voice was low, and Cassie could hear the pain. "Why didn't you take me with you to patrol those hallways? I know a bomb when I see one..."

"Spike..." Cassie had no words. She knew her friend was right, but at the same time... "Look, it was a freak accident, okay? There was nothing to be done. I'm fine. I'm gonna be fine. Jenny's fine, I'm fine, you're fine, we're all perfectly fine."

Her words made Spike relax a little. "You're right. You are-"

"Don't say that word again, Spikey. I think it's been said at least six times."

"By you, if you couldn't recall!"

Cassie caught the hidden grimace her friend tried to hide when he glanced at her bandages. The wounded red-head laughed.

"Awww! You were worried about me, Spikey! I knew it..."

"Course I was worried," Spike said, rolling his eyes. "You can't seem to stay out of trouble..."

He and Cassie laughed, and it was a good sound, a sound they were glad to hear again. The techie gave Cassie a teeny smirk.

"I'm a superhero, am I?" he teased, and Cassie knew he was referring to the security footage. Instead of trying to deny it, however, she merely shrugged.

"It's true. You've always been a superhero... at least to me." The last few words slipped out in a rush of air, barely louder than a whisper. Both Cassie's and Spikes eyes widened slightly, and the lack of a gap between them seemed glaringly evident.

"I-" Cassie didn't know what she was about to do- deny her sentence?- but was in any case stopped from doing it by Spike's lips on her own. It was unexpected, it was completely inappropriate (they were co-workers, for God's sake!) but surprisingly, Cassie didn't give a damn.

So that was the explanation for her feelings. Why, during her captivity the only face she'd pictured was his, the only one doing the rescuing was him...

Cassandra loved Michelangelo. Cassie loved Spike.

Michelangelo loved Cassandra. Spike loved Cassie.

Spike pulled away much too soon for Cassie's taste; she gave a small groan of disappointment when his lips left her own. They stared at each other, revelling in what just occurred, and feeling absolutely no guilt whatsoever about it.

"What does this mean?" asked Cassie breathlessly.

Spike smiled, a little bit of his customary humour shining through. "I'm just the techie, I was hoping the brilliant negotiator could tell me."

Laughing, Cassie punched Spike on the shoulder before grabbing the fabric of his vest to pull him back in.


It's finished! For good, I expect. Cassie's future stretches out and you're all more than welcome to imagine what lies in store for her... but she and I will part ways. Again, thank you all so much for the encouragement to get this out there. Much love.