Ryan had been on the base for three days before he met Lauren.

It was an accident, even then. The team had been very welcoming, and his father and Ms Fairweather equally so; but the others, the workers and officers, the staff, kept giving him looks and leaving wide berths when they passed him. Conversations stopped and rooms emptied when he entered.

It didn't surprise him, but it was tiring pretending he didn't care, keeping up appearances in front of the others. On the third day, he murmured some excuse and wandered off, looking for a corner for a few moments alone. He had a vague impression of Carter holding Dana back from following him, and he made a mental note to thank him later on.

There was a staircase, in a distant corner of the base, winding around an elevator shaft, pressed against a wall. Portholes in the wall meant that sounds echoed up and down, giving notice of anyone coming.

Ryan climbed it soundlessly, already letting his mind drift. From the looks of things, few people came here, and he'd hear anyone coming long before they got here.

He rounded the final corner and found a girl sitting on the top flight of steps.

She couldn't have been more than nine, and it surprised him. Lightspeed was, in essence, a military base. He hadn't thought there'd be children here.

She glanced up from the book in her lap, studying him. "Yes? Who're you?"

"Who are you?" he returned, one hand already drifting to his morpher.

Her eyes followed the movement and she relaxed. "Ryan."

"That's me," he agreed, still tense. "And you are?"

"Lauren Sh - Lauren."

"Lauren," he echoed.

She set her book aside, sitting up straighter. "Your father's my guardian."

"He must've forgotten to mention that."

"Must have," she agreed.

Ryan tapped his morpher, keeping his eyes on her. "Carter?"

"Yeah," Carter answered. "What's wrong?"

"Who's Lauren?"

There was a pause before Carter said "Where are you?"

Lauren rolled her eyes, leaning forward. "We're at the top of the south west staircase, Carter. Captain Mitchell hasn't told Ryan about me."

"It's been busy," Carter said defensively. "She's the Captain's ward, Ryan."

"Thanks," he said absently, lowering his morpher. "Can I sit?"

"It's a free base, more or less." She shifted slightly to one side, but he settled a step or two below her.

"Surprises me that my father would keep you here," he said after a minute. "There must be safer places."

"Special case," she said vaguely. Catching his look, she added, "You're fighting demons, right?"

"Right," he agreed.

"I'll be fighting something else, one day, unless they find me first. This is a good place for me to hide. Water disrupts their powers, they can't find me here."

"So you're hiding on an unused staircase, reading..." He tilted the book towards himself. "Something in Japanese," he finished with a frown.

"I'm supposed to stay out of the way of Ranger stuff," she told him. "And that's all that goes on around here now. I do fight training with the trainers in the gym, I have a tutor, and apart from that I keep away."

"Sounds like fun."

"It is what it is. It'll be over eventually, anyway."

"You think so?"

"Rangers always win in the end," she said firmly.

Ryan nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah."

They sat in silence for a while; Lauren picked her book back up, and Ryan leaned his head against the wall and relaxed for the first time in a long time. Occasionally faint voices echoed up the stairwell, and Lauren turned pages but didn't speak. It was the most peaceful he'd felt since leaving the demons.

Eventually Lauren shifted, laying the book aside. "Ryan."

"Yes." His voice was thick with tiredness and he cleared his throat, forcing himself to sit upright.

"It's getting late. The others will be looking for you."

"Yeah." He stretched, surprised at how drowsy he was. "Are you coming?"

"No."

"It's dinner time," he pointed out.

"I eat later." She was concentrating fiercely on her book, avoiding his eyes.

"Why? Are you supposed to avoid the Rangers as well?"

"No," she said hesitantly.

"Then come on." Lauren shook her head, and Ryan added, "It'll be nice to spend time with someone who doesn't think I'm going to curse them for knocking over the salt."

"Most of the staff think I'm pretty weird too," she warned him.

"This is Lightspeed. Find me one normal person in this whole base."

"Yeah. I guess." She studied him for a moment. "Do you hate it here?"

"Do I what?"

"Hate it here," she repeated. "It can't be anything like what you're used to."

"It's not," he agreed. "I don't hate it. It's...I'm getting used to it. But I'm with my sister and my father. That makes up for everything."

"Yeah," Lauren said distantly. "I suppose it would."

He watched as she carefully closed her book, tucking it under one arm. "Do you hate it here?"

"I hate the water," she said honestly. "It's keeping me safe, but...my power, what will make me a Ranger, is based in fire. Being down here all the time is like drowning, bit by bit."

"Did you tell my father?"

"Yes. He gets me upworld when he can. It's harder now, but he does his best." She stood, watching him. "But I like the people."

"Even the ones who think you're weird?"

"Especially the ones who think I'm weird. It's fun to freak them out." She grinned, looking her age for the first time.

Ryan smiled. "You'll have to show me that."

"I will," she agreed easily, leading the way down the stairs.

The Rangers were gathered in the mess, talking quietly. Joel caught sight of them first, leaning forward to murmur to Dana, who twisted in her seat to watch them.

By the time they reached the Ranger's table Carter had pulled over another chair and the others had shuffled plates and glasses to make room for Lauren. Carter greeted her with a grin and immediately engaged Kelsey in a discussion about sport, occasionally asking Lauren's opinion. Joel joined in loudly, covering Dana as she leaned into Ryan. "You ok?' she murmured.

"Yeah." He watched as Lauren laughed, charmed by something Carter was saying. "Yeah, I think I am."