Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.

-Dr. Seuss

Blake

"I didn't know you could dance like that, Blake." Ellen grins at me from her spot at the table.

I shrug. "My parents forced me to take lessons." I look around for Emma. She's staring at the doorway with a hurt expression. "What is it?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "Nothing."

I sigh. "Come," I say and I take her arm.

"Where are we going now?" she protest weakly, but she allows me to drag her out of the room.

"There's something I want to show you," I tell her. I know she's going to love it. "Come on. Burns can take care of himself for a few hours."

She flinches so I guess I hit a nerve. I know she's constantly worried about him. I sigh and stop. "Emma," I say, "you don't have to worry about him. Nothing is gonna happen to him. He just needs some time alone after what's happened today."

She bites her lip and looks past me. "He seemed fine just now when he went off with Rachel," she mutters.

So that's the problem. "She's not interested in him that way, squirky," I tell her.

"I know," she says, "but she'll do it just to annoy me."

"She's really not like that."

Emma crosses her arms. "Not when you're around," she mutters.

"Alright," I sigh, so you don't trust Rachel. What about Burns? Do you really think he'd trade you in so easily?"

She bites her lip an looks away. "I don't know."

"Well I do. You're doing yourself short."

She glances at me suspiciously.

"Come," I say, "I wanted to show you something to take your mind off things for a while." I take her hand and tug her with me. "We're making a short stop, there's a few things we'll need."

...

A few minutes later we're walking through one of the narrower tunnels. We don't really use this section of the mine. Parts have collapsed and others are unstable, but it's safe enough where I intend to go.

"It's getting a bit steep here," I warn her, "and the ceiling is lower." I turn on the flashlight and take her hand. "Stay close to me so you won't trip."

"Will you tell me where we're going?" Emma asks impatiently.

"You'll see," I grin. I know she'll love it. I discovered the place a while back when I was exploring. I don't come here often, but it's a good place to think.

I push the small bag over my shoulder as I guide Emma through the dark tunnel. "We're almost there," I say, "watch your head."

The tunnel ends in a small cave, or perhaps it's more a crevice. I'm not sure. One of the walls is made of solid rock and over the years, the elements have worn it down until it created a small curved shape, big enough for two people to sit next to each other if crammed real close.

The ceiling is high above our heads, but there's a small strip of night sky visible from where we are standing. It shows a few stars.

Emma stares at it in wonder. A small smile adorns her face.

I drop the bag I've been carrying and take out a blanket. Carefully I spread it out over the stone bench. "Come sit," I invite her and I gently tug her down. I point at the small crack of sky. "No one from the outside can see us here, but we can look outside." I smile at her "I thought you might like it." I know how much time she used to spend at the star tower at home.

There's a shimmer of tears in her eyes as she looks at the stars. "Thank you," she whispers.

"I know I can't take you outside," I tell her, "but I can bring a bit of outside in. We can stay for as long as you like. The others won't miss us."

She nods distracted, completely entranced by the stars above our heads. There's only a few of them, not even enough is visible to see even one constellation, but she doesn't seem to mind.

"Here," I say and I hand her a bread roll. I packed a bit of the food before we left.

She takes slow bites of it as if to savor the moment.

"There's more," I say and I open my bag. Two more rolls, a bag of chips and a bar of chocolate. I also pull out a bottle of soda. "Might as well make a picnic out of it."

She gives me a faint smile, but doesn't respond.

"So," I say, "why didn't your mother force you to take dancing lessons?"

She blinks at me confused. "What?"

I grin. "My parents did. And with the way your mother pushed you, I'd figure she would make you too."

"She did," Emma says quietly. She stares at her hands. "I was horrible. My teacher begged my parents to pull me out."

"Can't have been a good teacher then," I say, "you did just fine with me."

"That's different," she says.

"Why is that?" I ask teasingly.

She's still staring at her hands. "Because ..." she pauses, "you're not trying to turn me into someone I'm not." When I don't respond, she looks at me. "No smart comment this time?"

I shake my head at her. "Anyone who'd want to change who you are is an idiot."

Her eyes widen for a moment. It's too dark to see if she's blushing, but I know her well enough to know she is. She turns her head away. "Do you think Burns is okay?"

"You care about him a lot, don't you?" I ask.

Emma leans her head back and looks at the sliver of sky. "He protected me, against his own kind, he tried to get me back with humans." She sighs. "And now that I am back, I let him down."

"You're not letting him down, squirky," I say, "you can't hover over him all the time. He's tougher than you give him credit for."

"I know that," she says, "I just..." she bites her lip. "I need him."

I smirk and turn to look at the stars as well. "So how does that work exactly?"

She looks at me confused. "Work?"

"You know," I say, "a human and an alien."

She narrows her eyes. "I don't know," she says annoyed, "just like with anyone else I guess."

"You guess?" I grin.

Her eyes flicker with something sad. "It's not like we..." she pauses and grits her teeth. "Stop trying to annoy me!"

I laugh. "I'm not, squirky. I was just teasing you." And I'm curious too but I won't tell her that.

Emma is shivering next to me. "Are you cold?" I ask.

"A little," she admits.

I shrug out of my vest and drape it over her shoulders. "There you go."

"Thanks," she mutters and puts it on. She bites her lip and looks at me hesitantly. "If... I asked you something... would you tell me the truth?"

Somehow I have the feeling I know exactly what her question will be. I keep my eyes on the stars when I answer. "Are you sure you want to know?"

Her breath hitches and I feel her eyes on me. I turn to her and study her. She doesn't even know her own attraction. "Would it make a difference?" I ask, "for you?"

"What?" she asks startled.

"Would it change anything for you?" I say again.

She stares at the ground, avoiding my eyes. "No," she says softly.

I lean my head against the wall. "Then why bother asking?"

She gnaws her lower lip and there's frustration in her eyes.

I sigh. "Look, you shouldn't worry so much about others," I tell her, "you like Burns, don't you?"

She sighs and closes her eyes. "It was so easy when it was just the two of us," she says softly, "but since we came here... I don't know. It's just not the same. It's like he's distancing himself." She glances at me warily.

"I suppose it hasn't been easy for him," I offer, "he didn't exactly get a warm welcome. But things are better now. He's made some friends."

"Do you...," she hesitates, "do you think he likes Rachel?"

I shake my head at her amused. "Why would he want Rachel when he has you?"

She stares at me and I grin. "Come," I tell her, "let's go find that boyfriend of yours."

"He's not my...," she protests, but I ignore it.

I pack up my things and walk up to her. "Coming?"

She looks at me with her big sad eyes. "Blake..." she starts but I cut her off.

"What did I tell you? Stop worrying so much." I tap her chin and smile. "Friends?"

She lets her breath escape and casts a faint smile. "Friends."