Like a ghost, she silently entered the bathroom and locked the door after her.

As she let the water fill bathtub, her clothes fell in a pool around her. She turned off the taps and gingerly tested the water with her fingers. Deciding it was warm enough she slipped into the water and sighed blissfully. Reaching over she picked up a bottle of bubble bath and poured some in.

She smiled happily as bubbles formed and for a few minutes she played with them as she waited for him.

The creaking in the ceiling alerted her he was coming. Anticipation ran through her body as she watched the duct in the ceiling. Carefully, the duct was drawn away and his face peered through and he smiled as he saw her.

Lithely he dropped into the room and she submerged herself under the water. When she resurfaced he was sitting in the tub with her, watching as she brushed her wet locks of hair off her face.

"Hey," he whispered softly.

A wide smile flitted onto her lips. "Hey yourself," she laughed and before they knew it they had closed the space between them and were hungrily moving their lips together in a desperate kiss.

When they finally broke apart she clung to him. "I missed you," she whispered.

He titled his head down, and his lips trailed tender soft kisses on her neck. "You know how much I've missed you."

Time flew as they hugged, kissed, lovingly washed each other and simply held each other. Not one moment that was spent together would be forgotten and would be treasured until they could have their own precious time together again.

When the bubbles slowly began to disappear and the water grew cold, they both got out. Tenderly he towelled her dry and she did the same for him. They dressed each other, she let the water out of the tub.

When she turned around, he was standing there with a sad gaze.

It was time to say goodbye.

She walked over to him, he lifted his arms – an invite for a hug – and she was desperately holding onto him. Despairingly, she clutched him harder knowing when they left this room, he would become her Sky Knight and she his First Officer and nothing more.

"Aerrow," she whispered and the tears she had desperately been trying to hold back slowly ran down her face.

Aerrow looked down at her sadly. "Don't cry, Piper." he begged. "It'll work out, I promise. I'll talk to Cyclonis again, try to persuade her –"

He was cut out by a heart-wrenching sob that ripped out of Piper.

"Piper," he groaned. "Please. Don't cry, it's killing me. I'm doing my best."

"I know," she sobbed. "I know."

He clutched her close to him as she cried and discretely Aerrow wiped away the lone tears that slipped down his face. And like every other time, he gently wiped away Piper's tears and reminded her to be strong for him. Reminded her that though Cyclonis had hold of Atmos for now and control over what the Storm Hawks could and couldn't do (such as Aerrow and Piper being together) they would overcome the problem and Atmos would be free again.

And like every single other time she would step away from him, wipe her tears dry and smile sadly at him.

Because both of them knew there was no escaping the hell Cyclonis had created.