All characters belong to Disney/Saban. I am using them without permission, but I am not and don't expect to make money from this.

Rated PG: mild sexual references.

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Will You Be Mine?
Trip/Katie, friendship
(Takes place several years after the series, in the future)

He saw her first, and was already smiling when she caught sight of him and broke into a grin. Katie could always make him smile. Trip quickened his steps and hurried to meet her.

"Hi!" Katie came to a stop in front of him. "Where are you going?"

"Heading home, I guess." He glanced down the Time Force corridor they were standing in towards the exit door, and then back up at Katie's face. "Why? What's up?" He didn't need his Xybrian ability to sense emotions to know something was on her mind.

"Come on, I'll walk with you." She waited for them to get outside, and to start across the wide expanse of lawn in front of the administration building. "Did you get an invitation to the party?" she finally asked.

He nodded. Lucas and Nadira were throwing a major party on Valentine's Day, partly for the holiday and partly in honor of Ransik's finally being released from prison. "Yeah, it came today."

"Mine too." They walked together for a few more steps, an unaccustomed frown on her face, before she said it. "Who are you going with?"

"Me? I - I haven't even thought about it."

"Well - are you going to ask anyone?"

"I don't think so..." He hesitated. And then he sensed a hint of anxiety and even embarrassment coming from Katie. Why should she... but then it hit him. "You want to go with me?" He promptly blushed at how shocked he had sounded.

She stopped. "I just thought if you didn't have a date... and I don't have one... we could go together... But if you don't want to, just forget it!"

She was already turning to go. "Katie, wait! I meant - what happened to Roger?"

She turned her profile to him. "We broke up."

"Why? What happened?"

"Oh, it was so stupid..." She shoved her hands in the pockets of her uniform and sighed. "Everything was going just fine between us... Then - well, we were sort of playing. Wrestling. You know."

"Katie, you didn't!"

"I didn't hurt him! I just - sort of pinned him down so he couldn't move, only for a minute. He acted like it was okay, but after that... All of a sudden he didn't want to see me anymore." She raised unhappy eyes to his. "Maybe he didn't like being reminded that I'm different. Or maybe no one wants a girlfriend who can beat him up."

"Don't worry, Katie. He's just an idiot. There's lots of guys who'd love for you to beat them up - I mean..."

She tried to look offended, but the corners of her mouth twitched. "So, do you want to go with me, or not?"

"Sure, that would be great."

Katie smiled and fell into step beside him as they walked into the trees of the small park inside the Time Force complex. She reached a companionable arm around his shoulders.

"Katie..." he said.

"What?"

"Just thinking. It's kind of too bad we never - you know - got together."

"Got together? You and me?"

"Yeah. We've known each other for years. Always been friends. We understand each other, because we're both different. Haven't you ever wondered what it would be like if we went out together?"

"Well... Sure, it's crossed my mind." She let go and faced him, looking at him intently as they came to a stop. "You know, there's one way to find out."

"How?"

He saw her glance around them. They were surrounded by trees, no one else in sight. Trip sensed what she was about to do even before she took a firm grip on his shoulders and leaned forward, bending her head to press her lips to his in a gentle but lingering kiss. Her mouth was soft, and warm... but this was Katie... It just felt strange... And his Xybrian powers chose that moment to kick in full strength, letting him clearly 'hear' her alarmed thought that it was just like kissing her brother.

He heard her make a small, muffled sound. A lot like the sounds he was trying very hard not to make. They both pulled back, stared at each other, and began to laugh.

"Well. At least we know that's not going to work," Katie gasped after a few seconds.

"Yeah, it sure won't." Trip grinned as they started on their way again, side by side. "But I'll tell you one thing. That Roger really is an idiot."