"What am I doing here?"

Tommy was startled by the accusatory tone in Cassie's voice as he came into the kitchen from just having taken a shower. "Uh, it's Valentine's Day?" he replied, not quite sure of the answer for which she was searching.

Cassie watched her former roommate settle down onto one of the stools at the counter as he finished toweling off his short hair. She had been midway through beating a batch of eggs in an aluminum bowl when he entered, and now had completely stopped, setting the wooden spoon aside. "I know that," she retorted, not angry but tired. "We've been doing this for the past eight years. Every year, on Valentine's Day, we end up alone, having breakfast at your place."

Tommy paused, setting his towel aside on the stool next to him. "Do you not want to do this anymore?" he questioned with a slightly wounded tone. "I mean, if this is something you don't enjoy then-"

"It's not that," she assured, with a sigh and a wave her hand. "It's just that…" she trailed off, then gathered herself and stated simply, "You have someone you like, don't you?"

He blinked at her. After so long, was she finally recognizing what he felt for her?

Before he could had the chance to answer her, she continued to barrel on in her speech, clearly having spent some time thinking about the words that she now said. "You've been alone for a long time, Tommy. Ever since Kat. And there's absolutely no reason for it." She shook her head, distractedly picking up her spoon and slowly stirring the beaten eggs before her. "You're good-looking and smart and kind. Girls throw themselves at you, but you just seem to push them all away." She lifted her head and looked at him with a sad smile. "I know you're scared, but-"

"I know you are."

Cassie was taken aback by his sudden declaration. "Scared? Me?"

"Yes, you," Tommy repeated, standing up from his seat and moving to stand next to Cassie against the counter. "It's like you've given up. The Phantom Ranger left you high and dry. Your relationships with TJ and Zhane both failed." He noticed that Cassie's stirring of the eggs seemed to become more frantic and violent as he listed off her past relationships and gently, he stilled her hand with his own. "You're afraid of failure."

"No, I'm not!" she adamantly exclaimed, pulling away from him viciously and inadvertently sending the bowl of eggs spilling to the floor. "Damn," the young woman cursed, quickly grabbing a roll of paper towels off the back counter and kneeling down to clean the mess she had created.

The eggs had splashed onto his sandals, lightly coating his bare toes, but Tommy didn't pay it much mind. Years of their friendship were coming to a head in this conversation, and he wasn't about to let it go. It was important for her to identify the fear within herself, and for him to show her that she had nothing to fear with him. "Cass, it's okay. Just leave it. We can clean it later," he assured, watching her swab large amounts of goopy egg up.

"It's not a big deal, Tommy. I can take-"

"You weren't wrong. I am interested in someone." He knew if he took the direct route with her, he would just anger her again, so instead Tommy returned to the subject of himself.

Eagar to continue the former train of conversation, Cassie jumped up from the floor and smiled at Tommy, all the emotions that had surfaced just moments before hidden right behind her dark eyes. "It's about time!"

"Cassie, I'm interested in you."

For a long moment, Cassie stared at him with wide eyes, almost appearing as if she indeed was a deer caught in midst of bright headlights. She set the roll of paper towels upright on the counter with great care, more than was necessary. "Oh."

"We've been friends for the past eight years; you're my best friend, right up there with Jason. I've never felt so…comfortable with a girl since, well, ever." He tried catching her gaze, but she'd timidly turned away; a movement so unlike her. "After Kat and Kim, I didn't want a relationship. I was scared of the fallout because I didn't think I could possibly find another person to rely on who wouldn't let me down. But slowly, I realized that I could rely on you.

"Every year, without fail, we're together on Valentine's Day. No matter where you are, no matter what you are doing, you drop everything and manage to be with me on this day. When we started it, it was just something to stave off the loneliness for the both of us. But even when you weren't lonely – when you did have boyfriends – you still insisted on our ritual. Valentine's Day over eggs."

Cassie's gaze still was turned away from his, so he gently tugged her chin, forcing her to look up at him. Her eyes were honest, a myriad of emotions telling him the story of what exactly she was thinking as he continued to speak. "You have been amazingly constant in my life over the past eight years, even though we hardly see one another. Emails all the time." He chuckled softly to himself. "I always know I'll get a card and birthday present from you, even if I'm on a random island doing research.

"I want to be that constant for you," he appealed quietly. "I know you're scared of failure, but I promise I won't fail you. It's reciprocal; I know you won't fail me, so I won't

fail you. You make me feel safe, even when everything's literally blowing up around me, I know I still have solid ground in you. Let me give you that now."

As he finished his words, a tear streamed down Cassie's cheek and she caught it with the palm of her hand, swiping it aside. The silence held between them for a long moment, before suddenly she leapt at him, pressing her lips to his.

Kisses weren't unfamiliar ground for Tommy and Cassie. Goodbye kisses on the cheek, friendly pecks on the lips, yes, they were of the everyday norm. But this kiss was of a completely different nature.

Tommy could taste the salt on her lips as a few more lingering tears fell from Cassie's closed eyes and slipped down her face. But was more overpowering was the tenderness of her lips, and how she seemed to answer everything he said just with her touch. She was baring herself to him in a way she had never quite done before, trusting her in entire being in him. He knew this, and he couldn't and wouldn't let her down.

His hands had ended up on the sides of her face, and as they pulled away from one another, he gave her a small, quiet smile, his thumbs caressing her cheeks.

"Whoo!"

"Go, Dr. O!"

"I didn't know you had it in you!"

The newly united couple jumped apart from one another at the unexpected cheering and focused on the kitchen window from where the voices were coming.

The remaining four Dino Rangers were glued to the screen of the window, peering in at him like the teenage voyeurs that they were.

Tommy shook his head at his students and gave them the most confused expression ever. "What are you guys doing?!"

"Well, we rang the doorbell, but no one answered-"

"Ethan said we should look in the window!" Conner quickly pointed out, cutting off Kira's explanation.

"No, I didn't!" Ethan protested. "You did!"

"To be fair, you thought it was a good idea, Ethan," Trent added in with laugh.

"Whatever. I don't care," Tommy dismissed, holding up his hand for them to stop talking. "Just go to the front door and wait there. I'll be there in a minute."

"Okay," the four chorused, slowly moving in the direction of the front door and away from the window.

"Good kids," Cassie chuckled, having already wiped away the proof of her tears from her face. "Your rangers?"

Tommy nodded, taking a long moment to concentrate on simply her. "You're okay with this," he motioned between the two of them," right?"

"Of course I am," she beamed up at him. "We've both been alone for too long."