"I love you, Elissa." Skull knew he didn't mean it in quit the same passionate way that she did, but the bond had formed regardless of his personal desires. He was almost looking forward to getting killed by either her or Adam one day. It would end the emotional torment they were all in.

"I love you too, Skull." she glanced at him. "What is your real name, anyway?"

"Eugene." he blushed a little, and she smiled.

"I love you, Eugene." She grinned as he kissed her again, on the back of her neck this time. "That tickles!"

Skull smiled. "I can tickle in other places."

"I know you can." She grew silent suddenly, remembering something. "I don't want to leave you, Eugene."

Skull also went silent. "It's for the best."

"If it was, you'd let me stay with you!" she knew they were planning to kill Girard soon, and according to them, once they did, the collar on her neck would vanish and she would once again remember things she didn't want to remember.

Skull shook his head. "No, Elissa. I can't do that to your family, or to you. You'll thank me once you have your memory back."

"I won't." she was positive of it.

The young vampire sighed. "Trust me."

"If you love me let me make up my own mind!" she insisted. Skull shook his head again

"Not without all of your memories. It wouldn't be fair, and it wouldn't be a real decision."

Elissa sighed, then changed the subject, to a degree. "Skull, who is Adam?"

"He's your husband. The Black Ranger."

"He's not as cute as you are."

Skull felt like screaming. Didn't this girl have a mind of her own? Then he stopped himself. She did. ..it simply didn't function without her memory. Slowly, he concentrated on something else. "You and he have something special, something we could never have."

"What?"

"First, a child." He explained what Sophie had told him. "Second, a mental link, a bond. You can speak to each other with just your thoughts."

Elissa blinked a little. She had heard a voice in her head every now and then, but hadn't thought much of it. "Is that who I hear in my head?"

"Yes. Speak to him, Elissa. He's hurting by you not being with him. Badly." He had watched the Rangers every now and then, especially Adam. It made him feel just a bit better, and he had dropped information about what he could when he could. He was almost positive some of his 'sessions' with Girard were because of that too. He felt it was worth the pain, though.

"How?"

Skull frowned. "I'm not certain."

"Should I try thinking his name?" since it was her name that she kept hearing, maybe that was it. Skull nodded, and she closed her eyes for a moment. Adam?

The answer came back clear and strong and she almost fell off the bed at just how much raw love was in the mental voice. ELISSA!?

So that's how I do that....

Confusion now touched his voice. Elissa?

I'm not sure what I'm doing.

You're talking to me, through our link.

Okay.

Elissa. . .how are you? Are you all right?

I'm fine. I'm with Skull at the moment.

We're going to be coming for you again soon. And to kill Girard.

I wish I remembered you. Skull says that we have something very special together.

We do. I love you more than my own life, Elissa. Our daughter, Gwen, she misses you so much.

I think I'm going to be confused when he dies. I love Skull, but I'm told that I also love you.

We'll deal with that when the time comes. She could feel a stab of pain in him that he wasn't speaking of at the notion of her loving Skull.

Okay.

What she heard next surprised her. Whatever you decide, I will love you forever, Elissa.

Even if I go with Skull?

Yes. I will be hurt..hurt beyond measure. But I will still love you.

I don't want to hurt you, but I don't want to hurt Skull either.

We'll figure something out together.

Okay. But please, let me contact you from now on.

All right.

I'm going now.

I love you.

She glanced up at Skull. "It worked."

"I'm glad for you." He honestly was; he hoped this would help her to realize where her truest heart lay now.

Elissa sighed. "It gave me the shivers. I don't know why but it just did."

"You're probably just not used to it anymore."

"Probably." She nodded. If they had used that on a regular basis, then that made sense. "Love me, please."

Skull slowly kissed her. "No matter what you choose, when you have your memory, I will love you." I wish I didn't. . .whoever said love wasn't easy obviously knew this situation inside and out.

Elissa appeared not to have any such qualms, however. "As I will you."

The two of them started to kiss more seriously, and after that, things got far too personal to be described.

And when Goldar appeared practically on top of her, she was glad of that. "Ah, there you are, my reward!"

Geez, is he stuck in a rut, or what? I think I know just how to deal with his golden stuck-upness. With a practiced scream, she started to back away. "G..go away!" her voice shook.

Goldar stepped towards her. "Never! You're coming back with me! I want my reward!"

"Never!" she backed away again. "I don't want anything to do with you!"

"You have no choice." Goldar declared. Evanthe smiled. It was a dangerous smile, one that brought back memories of days none of the Rangers had ever seen, but she remembered clearly...days when she had had to fight for her life, and had won every time.

"I think I do." Her voice was low, soft, and dangerous. Every muscle was ready, every nerve intent on it's job. She wasn't what Goldar thought she was. . .she was what she wanted to be.

A deathtrap.

One that shivered and stood as he got closer. "D...Don't touch me!" I hope I get an Emmy for this. . .

"And just what are you going to do to me?" he stepped closer to her.

Too close.

Her smile was living ice. "Just this." With all the power of her body behind it, she slammed Goldar in the privates. The pained squeak he emitted was worth every moment of pain she had suffered on the moon. "Did you really think I was still afraid of you?" she almost laughed. "Are you that stupid!?"

Goldar tried charging towards her, but met her fist slamming onto the top of his head. "Sorry, Goldar." She snorted. "The reward is canceled!"

He backed up, glaring at her. "Not canceled. Delayed. I will return for you."

"You come near me again and I'll kill you." she said flatly. Couldn't this idiot take a hint?

"We shall see." was all he said before vanishing in a ball of golden light. Evanthe leaned against the wall of the house, breathing hard, trying to recover. She had fought fear plenty of times, but never quite like that before.

The sound of feet got her attention, and she looked up to see Billy running towards her. "Evanthe?"

"I'm okay."

He smiled as he caught up to her, putting his arms automatically around her. "I'm sure you are, but let's get you home anyways."

"You saw Goldar, huh?" she already knew he had, just by how concerned he was looking at her.

Billy nodded. "I heard him first, then I saw you dealing with him."

Evanthe smiled. "He bought the 'I'm scared of you' act so very well. He's not that hard to fool, though."

"He's an idiot. Always has been one, always will be one."

Evanthe nodded, then smiled at him. "Don't be afraid to leave me alone, Billy. I can take care of myself now. I did it for three centuries, after all."

"I know, I know." he smiled. "Oh, I've got some good news for you. Want to hear it?"

"Sure!"

Billy smiled. "Elissa used her their link today. She contacted Adam."

Evanthe's eyes lit up with hope. "Does she remember?"

Billy shook his head. "No. Skull told her about her and Adam's past, about their link, and she tried it."

"It's a good sign, though."

"She still wants to go away with Skull." Billy wasn't looking forward to this, either.

Evanthe leaned against the house. "Everything hinges on her getting her memories back."

"Zordon won't let us go up there and kill Girard like he let us kill Ernon."

"I know." she agreed with Billy. "But we'll figure out something.

Billy nodded. "I can understand his reasons, though. With Ernon, if she lived, Elissa would have died. Right now, Elissa is safe, she isn't in any physical danger."

"I guess you're right." Evanthe didn't like it, but she didn't really have a whole lot of options, either.

Billy nodded. "At least Skull is telling her about her past, what he knows of it."

Evanthe agreed. "Maybe the amnesia will wear off somehow?" she really doubted that, however. Girard's spells didn't do that sort of thing.

"From what David said, it won't." Tommy's new brother had easily slipped into life in Angel Grove, and had even met his adopted father, Sam Trueheart, who lived on the Indian Reservation. Sam had meant to raise David as a shaman, but Master Vile's interference had destroyed that. Or more precisely, had delayed it. His training had already begun.

Evanthe shrugged. "Who knows. It's still a little hard to believe that David is. .was..Rito."

"He's smarter than he ever acted." Billy agreed. Evanthe smiled to herself.

"And nicer, too." She was committed to somehow repaying David for what he had done for her, though he wasn't quite certain just how she could. She knew that she would think of something, though.

Billy glanced at her, then smiled. "Let's go in. There's a small surprise waiting for you."

"Surprise?"

"Something Adam and I have been working on." He told her. Evanthe raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Oh, tell me, please!" Try as she might, she couldn't get him to say anything, until they got home. Billy had her close her eyes, and led her inside. She heard a flick of a switch, then he told her she could open her eyes.

The first thing she saw, the only thing she could see, was the most perfect and beautiful blood red rose she had ever seen in all her years. She almost wept at the beauty of it. "It's beautiful!"

"Happy birthday, Evanthe." he told her. Her eyes went round with shock.

"H..how did you know?"

Billy smiled. "Three people. Your parents and..." his voice dropped off, not wanting to say who the other one was. Evanthe finished it for him, though.

"Elissa. She's the only other person who knows it."

"She told me how you two did something special every year, even after we met." He'd been wondering just why on that day, they would always vanish for the whole twenty-four hours. Now he knew. He frowned for a moment, as Evanthe's eyes darkened just the tiniest shade. "What's the matter?"

"Just over six hundred years ago, I turned seventeen," she breathed out the words. "Three days later, I became immortal."

He held her. "Not a very nice birthday present."

"Not at the time, no. But it made certain I would be around to meet Elissa. And you."

Billy nodded. "And to save Elissa from Michael."

"I bless that snowstorm now." she would never have thought a quirk of the weather would have brought her a friend she would die for, time and time again.

"I think we all do."

Evanthe smiled at him warmly. "I love you, Billy."

He took her hand. "I wish you and Elissa could do whatever it is you two do on this day."

"We will next year." Evanthe was certain of it. She smiled a little. "I'm six hundred and twenty-eight today."

"And I'm lucky." He purred into her ear, and she practically melted on him right then and there.

"Not nearly as lucky as I am."

Billy grinned. "Let's celebrate!"

"Oh?" She smiled at him. "Got anything in mind for how?" she wasn't very surprised when he pulled her to the couch and began to demonstrate just how people got birthdays in the first place. . .

It wasn't until much later, with the two of them were under an afghan and in each other's arms, enjoying their presence, when a very familiar beep sounded. Evanthe glared at the device. "This is great!" her voice was laden with sarcasm.

"It will be if that's Elissa calling to say she's back."

Evanthe nodded as Billy picked up the communicator. "This is Billy, what is it?"

"And it had better be good! We were having fun!" Evanthe leaned over and spoke into his communicator.

Zordon's voice responded sternly. "I'm afraid that it is not. Girard is in Angel Grove, demanding Evanthe's surrender."

The Purple Ranger growled something nasty. "He's not getting it!"

"Let's go make sure he understand that." Billy declared.

"You got it!" Evanthe declared, reaching for her clothes. Billy touched his communicator again.

"Zordon, have the others meet us there."

Points of light transformed themselves into the Rangers, with Evanthe's purple hiding deep in the back. As they arrived, Girard stated, "I want Evanthe."

Tommy growled, "You're not getting her!"

"Then Elissa dies." This was Girard's final stroke. Use the heart of the good vampire to bring her back to him. . . then kill them both. It would be a master stroke, and the first successful in his war against good. he liked it.

A soft voice spoke. "Don't hurt her." he couldn't see who it was, but he was certain it wasn't Evanthe. She was still too broken.

"Who said that?"

The Rangers stepped aside, and Purple ranger calmly walked up, confidence in every stride she made. "I did."

Girard looked mockingly at her. "And just who are you?"

"Your worst nightmare."

The vampire lord looked at the Rangers, then laughed. "So you replaced Evanthe! How cute!"

Aisha laughed herself. "No one can replace her!"

Girard glanced at the violet-clad Ranger. "Let me see who you are." He commanded.

"Of course." She seemed to smile, and slowly unlatched her helmet. His jaw hit the street when he saw who it was: Evanthe!

"How!" How had she possibly recovered from all that they had done to her! It shouldn't be possible!

"It's called 'healing'. . .'love'. ..things you don't know anything about." Evanthe didn't so much as flip an eyelid when she saw Sophie and Skull appear behind Girard. They couldn't kill Girard, but in this one instance, Zordon had decreed that they were not to try to save a life. They only had to defend the innocence, and Girard had lost his innocence a very long time ago. "And you will never harm Elissa."

Before he could make another motion, Skull and Sophie spoke in unison. "For Elissa. ..and for our freedom!"

With a single joint motion, the two of them drove the stake deep into Girard's hating heart. He had no time even to look surprised as he turned to dust and blew away on the breeze: this time never to return.

Slowly, the Rangers relaxed, and Evanthe sighed deeply. "It's over." With a flicker, all of them demorphed, leaning against whatever they could.

Sophie looked at the Purple Ranger. "Evanthe, drink from your husband."

"Why?" She looked curious for a moment, then her eyes went very wide. "You mean. .."

Sophie nodded. "For you to no longer be controlled by me, drink from him. Please."

Evanthe turned to Billy. She had never been able to ask him the first time, but now, she would. Billy smiled. "You don't have to ask that." With a gentle motion, she bit into his neck, drinking just enough to shatter the control she had once been under.

Sophie smiled, then looked at Skull. "You may want to go get Elissa." She looked back at the Rangers. "Skull and I are going to Europe for a while."

"Sophie," Evanthe sighed. "Thank you. And you too, Skull."

As Skull vanished, Sophie looked at the Rangers. "Is there any chance you can tell me where Vincent is?" Once Evanthe had told her, she sighed. "Thank you. I guess it's time I et my sister-in-law, and started to make up for what I did.'

"Thank you for one other thing." Evanthe said quietly, remembering what she and Billy had discussed earlier. "For making me a vampire."

Sophie smiled. "I'm glad you found happiness."

Elissa came over to him and kissed him gently. "Love me, Skull. Right here, right now. I want you." His eyes went saucer-like. "I want you, Skull. I love you. Make love to me."

Skull didn't believe what he was hearing. "You can't be serious! You have your memories back!"

"I am, and I do. I still love you, Skull. As much as I love Adam, and I want you." She pulled him to the bed and fell backwards, taking him with her. "Remember what we did this morning?"

"Yhh...yeah."

"How about a replay?" she kissed him full on the lips, then stared into his eyes. "Will you make love to me?" he said something rather dreamily that she took as an affirmative. "I love you, Eugene Skullovitch."

"I love you..Elissa...Park.."

She started kissing him down the chest. "Just Elissa for now. Your lover."

Words became unnecessary, and when they were done, Elissa had a tear in her eyes. "Are you sending me back to Adam?"

"Yes." Skull said firmly. "Sophie and I are going to Europe for a while."

"I can't face him." Elissa had not lost her love for Adam, but another love had joined it.

"He loves you."

Elissa sighed. "I know. But I'm so confused. I love him, but I love you just as much."

Skull stood up , dressing. "Come on. It's time and past time you were home."

As she put her own clothes back on, she sighed. "I guess this is good-bye, my knight in shining armor."

"No." Skull said firmly. "You're going back to him. I'm just the dumb idiot who took you from him in the first place."

She looked at him. "But I fell in love with the guy who treated me like a princess. Who massaged ointment into my wounds every day, who always kept me guarded once Rito told him what Finster did to me."

"It was the least I could do. I would've sent you home if I could have."

Elissa nodded. "I know you couldn't. And I'm glad you didn't.'

He closed his eyes for a moment. He hated his life and his unlife in that moment. Things had been so much simpler when he was younger. . .and he had a lot of explaining to do to Bulk. His old friend really needed someone to talk to, and he wanted to be that person again. Maybe Bulk would listen to him when he spoke too. He sighed. "It's time for you to go back."

"I love you. Don't forget that. And I know that you love both me and Sophie." Elissa said quietly. She'd come to some other decisions while waiting for him to return. Skull nodded, and she sighed a little. "Let's go. Before I throw you back onto that bad." She glanced at him for a moment. "You know, I just remembered something. You were the only person at Angel Grove High that knew Adam and I were sleeping together our junior year and didn't tease us!"

Skull smiled. "Why should I? If you'd been my girlfriend then, I couldn't have waited either!"

ELissa smiled. "If Had seen you that day, instead of Adam, I might have been."

"Not the way I was then," He reminded her. "Besides, there's no way I would have been up in the mountains with Billy."

She wrapped her arms around him for a moment. "I wish you were right now. I don't want to lose you."

He touched her shoulder gently. "You'll. .we'll. .always have what we had here. The good parts, anyway."

She looked at him. "It's over then? Even if I don't stay with Adam?"

Skull sighed. "If you decide not to stay with him, I don't know."

Tears fell down her cheeks as she nodded. "We'd better go."

Both of them melted away into light, and then for the first time in three months, Elissa was back on Earth. She had remembered Adam only during the time she had been wolven, and all those times she had been caged and penned. When she had returned to her human form, she had not remembered loving him. ..or anything else.

She looked across at him, where he stood with the others. Their faces were familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, all slightly changed by the passage of time, short though it had been. Adam stared at her. "Elissa..." She looked at him, tears streaming down her face. "I love you."

She couldn't do it. She turned and ran, stopping not that far away, her shoulders shaking with tears and grief. Elissa? his voice touched her mind. What's wrong?

Leave me alone.

Elissa? what's wrong? Please talk to me. Do you love me?"

I do. .but..but. .

But you love him too. Still?

Yes.

Are you going to leave me? More strength than she had imagined possible was in that question. And more agony.

I don't know. I don't know what to think anymore.

You need time to rest. .to recover.

What do you think I've been doing these past three months? I've been doing almost nothing but resting!

But now you have your memories.

I know. But I lost a big chunk of my heart.

Whatever you decide, I'll live with.

Adam, he protected me. He did something that I've never felt with you.

W..what's that?

Made me feel like I was the only one in the universe besides him. She could feel and hear his agony, and it started up her own tears again. Then, he spoke again.

I'm sorry, Elissa. A deadly calm was in his mind.

For what?

For not being good enough for you.

She turned just in time to see him start to walk away. The other Rangers and Skull also watched, not quite certain just what to do right now. "ADAM!"

As he kept on walking, Elissa literally collapsed onto the road, crying her soul out. "What have I done?"

He answered Zordon calmly. "She loves Skull. I'm quitting."

"Adam, I beg you to reconsider your decision."

Adam shook his head. "I've made up my mind."

Zordon looked down at the young man, and cursed all that was evil for doing this to the Rangers he loved so much. "You will be missed, but I ask you to stay long enough for us to find a replacement for you."

"There's no need." he said. "Sophie said Goldar left, and Finster isn't that much of a problem on his own."

"Goldar went to get Master Vile." Zordon told him. He had detected which way the winged monkey's teleportation stream had went, and it worried him. Master Vile was almost evil incarnate.

Adam shook his head. "You'll find someone, but I can't face Elissa anymore." she destroyed my reason to be, and he expects me to just sit here and smile and take it.

Zordon told him, "That is a major problem for the Earth, and the Rangers."

Adam sighed. He couldn't abandon his duties. It wouldn't be right. But he could make a stipulation. "Just call me when you need me to fight. But no other times. Not to be with the others for anything. I don't want to see Elissa."

"So be it." Zordon declared. Adam quietly teleported back to his place, and started packing. He barely glanced up with Elissa and Evanthe both walked in. There looked still to be tension between them, but it would ease in time.

Adam ignored them both as he kept no packing. Elissa spoke. "I guess I'm not the only one leaving the Rangers."

"I guess not.' Evanthe replied.

The Black Ranger spoke. "I'm staying until they find a replacement. But I'm not going to stay here."

"I hope Liana makes a good Rose Ranger." Elissa said. She couldn't handle the fight anymore, and ran out of the room in tears once again.

Evanthe turned her burning gaze on her friend. "What in the world do you think you're doing, Adam?"

"She doesn't love me, she loves SKull." Adam said frostily.

Evanthe sighed. "Did she ever say that she doesn't love you?"

"She made it clear that I'm not good enough for her." Adam sparked back. Evanthe felt like strangling something. Maybe it was both of them.

"Look, I can't hear you guys when you speak o each other, so what did she say to you?

Adam sighed. "That he made her feel like she was the only one in the universe besides him. something that it appears that I've never been able to do."

Evanthe asked, "What did it feel like the first time you two made love?"

"Like it was just us."

"Like it was just the two of you. In the universe."

Adam sighed. "Yes. But it's obvious that she didn't share that feeling."

"Why don't you ask her?"

Adam half-glared at her. "I don't have to! She already told me!" Evanthe threw up her hands and headed off to find Elissa. She was going to get this straightened out of it killed her.

Again.

"Go away, Evanthe." Despair was in her friend's voice. Heck of a homecoming.

Evanthe wasn't leaving that easily, though. "Sure. Just as soon as you tell me how it felt for you and Adam the first time you made love."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Elissa was surprised, Evanthe had never asked that sort of thing before!

"Answer the question."

Elissa sighed. "Like I was in heaven."

"Apparently he's no longer good enough for you, then." Evanthe said calmly. Elissa looked down.

"I love him, the same as I always have."

Evanthe rolled her eyes. "So that's why you're leaving him, leaving the team, and going to Europe with Skull. Sheesh, I wish Billy loved me that much!"

Elissa looked out over the cliff. "I never wanted this to happen. I never wanted to lose the one man I shared so much with in my life. The father of my child. The man who held me close every night."

"He's back there, packing to go, because he thinks you don't love him."

Elissa shook her head. "He wouldn't listen to me when I tried to tell him that."

"Would you listen to him if the first thing he did after coming back from when Ernon or Rita had him was to look at you, then run away swearing he loved them?" Elissa shook her head. "So why should he listen to you now?"

"You have a point." Elissa leaned against a tree. Evanthe growled to herself; this was going to take desperate measures.

"Wait here." She was gone only a moment, then reappeared with Skull in her grip. "You two wait here." she snapped, almost tossing him at Elissa, then vanishing again.

Elissa looked at him. He looked back. "Ummm. ..hi."

"Adam's leaving me."

Skull frowned deeply. "Oh, man..."

"I don't want to lose him..." Elissa sighed just as Adam and Evanthe teleported back in. Adam didn't look as if he'd wanted to come, but he arrived just in time to hear what she had said.

"Elissa..d..did you say what I think you said?" Elissa nodded, and Adam tried to keep going. "But---"

Evanthe shut him up. "I want yes and no answers to this. Elissa, do you love, Adam?"

"Yes."

"Do you love Skull?"

"Yes."

"Do you want either of them to leave you?"

"No."

Evanthe turned to skull. "Skull, do you love Elissa?

"Yes."

"Adam, do you love Elissa?"

"More than anything."

"Do either of you want to lose her?" Evanthe was putting the time she'd spied on the Spanish Inquisition to good use here and now. And for a much better cause than they had.

"No."

Evanthe kept going. "Skull, do you love Sophie?"

"Yes."

"Elissa, do you have any problems with that?"

"No."

Evanthe turned to Adam. "Adam, do you have any problems with Elissa loving Skull and him loving her?" she remembered something then. "Oh, and the first person who lies gets their heart torn out."

Adam looked a little confused when he answered. This was a part of Evanthe he'd never dreamed exist! "Yes."

"Why?"

"I'm jealous. Just like I was when Elissa was remembering Jareth."

Evanthe nodded. "Why?"

"I love her," Adam said softly. "And I can't stand the idea of someone else in her life that could steal her away from me."

"And if he doesn't steal her away?"

"I'd be happy," Adam admitted, but there was guilt in it too.

Adam, for those three months, my universe consist of Goldar, Rito, Girard, Sophie, and the rest of those idiots on the moon. I didn't have you there. Do you see how easy it was for Skull to have made me feel like that?

Yes.

Elissa spoke aloud. "I love you, Adam. And I am more confused now than I have ever been."

"I Love you too."

Elissa looked at him. "You have to understand That I need to get my emotions back in focus." She turned to Skull. "you have to understand that also, because you should take the time to do it yourself."

Skull nodded. "I know." None of them noticed when Evanthe teleported away, her self-appointed task of making them all talk to one another and not stew in silent misunderstanding completed. What they did once they were done talking was their decision. She'd just gotten it started.

Elissa continued. "Skull, I appreciate the offer of going to Europe with you and Sophie, but I can't accept."

Skull nodded. "I understand."

She looked to Adam. "I can't stay a Ranger, either."

"That's up to you."

Elissa wasn't done yet. "I can't stay with you until I think things through, either."

"I understand that too."

She looked at them both. "Skull, Adam. I love you both."

"I love you." the two of them spoke in unison, then glanced at each other, finding a strange form of brotherhood in the love they shared for her.

"Adam, take care of Gwen for me. Skull, take care of yourself and of Sophie. She loves you." Adam nodded, as did SKull. "Liana is taking my place on the tam, till Gwen is ready to. Ninjor picked the wrong person for these powers."

But he couldn't have. Adam kept that to himself. The Rose and Purple Ranger powers couldn't have been held first by anyone but the two of you. Ninjor didn't pick you...they did. "There will never be a Rose Ranger as good as you." he told her out loud.

Elissa didn't believe him. "I've been nothing but a liability to the team. Look at all that's happened to me."

"Tommy had just as much, and look what he turned out to be,' Adam retorted. "You've also been the finest warrior we had."

"And you're biased." She almost smiled a little.

"True." He admitted. "But aren't we all?"

Elissa smiled very faintly. "I guess I should go find an apartment now." she started to leave, when Adam caught her hand.

"Elissa."

"Yes, Adam?"

He pulled her into a deep kiss, one from the depths of his toes and his soul. I love you.

I love you too. You're the only guy who gave me a piece of heaven!

You are my heaven.

Don't try to sway my judgment!

It's the truth.

She smiled again. "Is should go."

Skull sighed just a little. "I need to get back to Sophie." Elissa glanced at him, something curious in her mind.

"Skull, if you had to choose between me and Sophie, who would you choose?"

He looked confused for a moment, then finally said. "Right now. I don't know."