Cozzizzie: I'm sorry! Haha ;) You know, in my head it was a lot darker, and then I wrote it and it came out so different. I had planned it to have a lot of very sad elements. Turns and his past. The siblings caring for the children were going to have a very tragic past also, and the kinship with them was what helped Turns cope and heal, in addition to time spent with the children. The boy that he brought back had a story as a survivor of the crash in the Lt. Shard chapter, and was placed in that home because he lost his family. The friendly trooper in the bar was Net. I had plans to bring him into Turns' storyline. Rabbit trails to follow later, I guess ;)

TGP212th: Thank you. I'm glad you like it :) I'm such a sucker for sappy stories, heh ^_^

This chapter is definitely rated teen for...romantic reasons. I'm not great at writing anything explicit, but- a heads up!

...

"Miss Aiya."

Hatch looked down at her through his visor and she could hear the surprise and concern in his voice. Trust caught sight of her and walked over, stopping beside them and crossing his arms over his chest and tilting his head curiously.

"Is everything alright?" He asked.

"Ah, yes. I'm fine. Everything's ok. I just have to head home early. I wanted to let you guys know so you aren't watching for me tonight." She smiled and shifted her table on her shoulder before turning to go.

"Do you want someone to walk with you? Let me call someone..."

"It's ok." She smiled at them both. "Its the middle of the day, and Bennon hasn't shown his face in weeks. Thank you, though."

"What about your table?" Hatch pointed at it, offering a hand to take it from her.

Aiya laughed. "If you guys never give me a chance to carry it I'm not going to be able to some day."

"That's not a problem. We'll just keep carrying it for you," Trust shrugged.

"It's fine. Promise." She gave them both a friendly smack on the arm. "I've got to go now, though. Loreen is sick and Oma needs some help with the shop today."

And then she hurried off before more could be said, the two troopers left looking after her as she went.

...

That evening Aiya was wiping down the last of the tables after closing when the door chimed and someone stepped inside.

"Sorry, we're close-" she looked up to the customer with a friendly smile but cut herself off when she saw who it was.

"Surge?" She blinked up at him in surprise. She could tell who he was by the medic's insignia on his shoulder plate, and he took off his helmet before inclining his head to her.

"Miss Aiya." He glanced around the shop as though looking for someone before returning his gaze to settle on her. "Is Miss Loreen here?Trust and Hatch said she was ill?"

"Yes, she's upstairs. She..." Aiya studied him curiously for a moment before a slow smile spread across her face. "Did you come to check on her?"

"Er, yes. Well, you said she was sick and I thought, I mean, the others thought...since I'm a medic and all..." He kept his eyes on the helmet in his hands as he muttered all of it, "We just wanted to make sure she's...doing ok."

Aiya blinked up at him before smiling gently. She placed the cleaning rag on the table and walked up to him, looping an arm in his, pulling him to the stairs at the back of the shop in a sly manner.

"She'll be so happy to see you. Come on."

...

Loreen was sitting up in bed reading a holo-novel when they walked into the room. She looked up at them with red-rimmed eyes, her hair hovering in unbrushed waves about her face, cheeks fever tinted. Her eyes widened at the sight of Surge and she dropped the holo-novel to pull the covers up to her shoulders.

"Aiya, what-"

"We're here to make you better!" Aiya said in a sing-song voice, hands clasped behind her in a posture or innocence. "Well, at least Surge is. I'm just here to poke fun at you." She looked up at the man beside her who had a faint tinge of color spreading across his face.

Loreen narrowed her eyes at Aiya, but after looking at Surge, started giggling. She wiped an arm over her face and let out a sigh.

"Fine. But you," she pointed at Aiya "need to leave." She raised an eyebrow and wiggled her fingers in a dismissing gesture at the other woman. Aiya feigned sadness and gave her a pouty face before turning to go. She was chuckling as she closed the door behind her.

Surge stood staring at the closed door for a minute, looking very awckward. He readjusted his helmet at his side several times before turning around to face Loreen.

She was watching him with her face in her hands and a small, hopeful smile.

"Did you really come down here to see me?"

Surge gave her a solemn nod and pulled out his med-kit. "Ma'am..."

"Loreen."

He blushed a little further but he looked her in the eyes and nodded again. "Miss Loreen, if I may?" He held out an arm, asking permission to approach.

Loreen raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "Of course, Surge. Do what you like with me." She leaned back in the pillows and closed her eyes for a second before looking at him in surprise. "Wait, woah. That came out wrong. Sorry." She grinned sheepishly up at him and saw the beginings of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He took out his medical scanner and did a pass.

"Are you taking anything?"

"Just this." She leaned over to reach for a bottle on the nightstand and handed it to him. "It's nothing too crazy or anything. Just the fever and stuffy sinuses."

Surge was scanning the back of the bottle and frowned in thought. After a moment he began rummaging through his med kit and pulled out a hypo. He looked over at her.

"Your temperature is a little high. This won't counteract or conflict with the medicine you took. I'm going to give it to you for the fever, ok?"

She nodded and he reached over to put a hand on one side of her face, steadying her head as he injected the hypo into the side of her neck. He was so swift and skilled she barely felt it before she heard the shussh sound of it being applied and it was quickly removed.

But she did feel the cool of his fingers beneath the material of his gloves on her face, and she raised a hand to cup her own around his. She leaned into his touch, and closed her eyes.

"You feel so nice right now."

Surge froze, the spent hypo hovering in his other hand mid-gesture of placing it back in his kit. He was completely unsure of how to react, but settled on just holding still and watching, not wanting to disturb her. She had a very peaceful expression on her face.

After a minute she sighed and opened her eyes to give him a smile of gratitude. She released his hand and he let it drop to his side, still watching her intently.

"Thank you for coming. I do feel a bit better already." She smiled up at him with kind but tired eyes. He nodded and placed the hypo back in his kit before standing.

"You're welcome, Miss Loreen." He reached down to straighten the covers over her as she settled back down against the pillows and gathered his helmet from the nightstand. He rose to go but she caught his hand.

"Please come again? When I'm not sick." She gazed up at him hopefully.

He gave her a small smile in return.

"Of course."

...

A few weeks later they both sat on the balcony, sipping some hot chocolate and staring up at the dappled orange and grey of the sky. The sound of distant speeders hummed over and between the buildings around them. A bubble of laughter rang out from some people passing by on the street below.

Surge's foot was tapping in time with the song on the radio that drifted out to them from within the shop. Loreen ran a hand lightly over the blossoms along the railing of the balcony and sighed, letting her head fall back to pick up the beats of the song as well. Surge watched the long dark waves of her hair fall down the back of her blouse as she did so, and couldn't keep himself from staring.

He'd thought she was beautiful the very first night he'd met her after walking Aiya home, and found her deeply lovely when she had lain in bed, pressing his hand to her cheek. But now that he'd had the chance to get to know her by more than just her smile and mischievous eyes, he found her breath-taking. The smog-wrapped glow of the night lit up her face, calm and peace, and her hair shone, soft and bright, waves falling over her shoulders. She glowed.

She seemed to sense him looking at her and opened her eyes , turning to smile at him.

"See something you like?" She teased.

He smiled and shook his head, looking out at the street below. She had no idea...

Then he felt her arm wrap around his shoulders and he looked up to see her standing over him, staring down at him impishly.

"Well, I do."

She pulled him into the shop before he could respond.

It was quiet inside, a few candles lit and the soft waves of music slipping from the radio. The others were at Aiya's house for the evening, so they were alone. Loreen led him over to the sofa and pulled him down to sit with her. She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder for a few minutes, eyes closed again and listening to the music. He smiled and wrapped an arm around her to settle in. He liked it when she did this, cuddled up beside him, sitting in quiet. He could feel her heart against his arm and her hair was soft and silk on his cheek. He closed his eyes and savored it.

But then he felt a hand on his cheek and opened his eyes to see her looking up at him. She stared at him for a minute before a slow smile slipped across her face and her eyes fell to her hand as it traced a path down the side of his face. Still looking at him, she placed her hand on his chin and then ran her thumb over his lips.

After this she sat back and stared at him curiously. She tilted her head.

"Surge, do you want to kiss me?"

His eyes widened and he sputtered. He could feel the heat blossoming on his cheeks. "Loreen, I..." He couldn't remember a time since he'd met her that he hadn't wanted to.

She was still studying him, her head to one side. Her eyes were panning his face and finally came to stop on his eyes.

"Can I kiss you, then?"

Loreen heard him draw in a breath, but he still couldn't seem to find his voice. She watched him close his eyes in frustration at himself before letting out a breath and nodding. He opened his eyes to fix her with an embarrassed, and somewhat cheeky, grin.

Loreen laughed.

And then she kissed him.

She pulled him close and kissed him with the full passion of her longing that had been there since the day she'd been sick. She could still feel the cool of his touch on her cheek, although with the passing of time it had come to be a blaze that had lingered there, seething and simmering and filling her with a longing that burned when he was around.

She found that his touch was more steady and reliable than his words. His hands passed over her arms and down her sides in long, confident caresses. Firm but gentle, soft but focused and deep and warm. He slid a palm to her back and pulled her to him as his hand slipped up her backbone. They both shuddered when their bodies met front to front.

And then they were on the floor, rolling and kissing and wrapping themselves around each other, hands running paths over one another and tangling in each others hair until their fingers were singing and their bodies hummed. They continued until Surge puled away suddenly.

His breathing was quick and ragged.

"I...need to...stop. I can't..." He closed his eyes, as though he was trying to ground himself. He looked down at her, eyes desperate."If we keep going...I need to..."

"...Do more than kiss?" She offered, equally breathless. She pulled him back down against her and he moaned softly into her hair. She grinned and began easing her blouse up and over her head.

"So do I."

...