The sound of crashing waves would have been pleasant, but Ashe didn’t want to risk her expensive hearing aid on the beach. The entire world was engulfed in silence as a result, her ears still recovering from the experience. She was convinced that her natural hearing was well and truly shot for good. That was less upsetting than it could have been, thanks to the technological marvel that returned sound to her world.

  At least the skies were clear and the waves manageable. Ashe’s flight was tomorrow and she wanted one last day in the city with her friends before departing for New York where she would spend the next twelve weeks in a hotel room recovering from surgery. Originally she was going to rent an apartment for a month, then fly back and forth as needed, but with her funds from her activities, she had plenty of money to spare. Her girlfriend had pulled her family name, and gotten them an upscale suite for the duration. Ashe wasn’t the biggest fan of that, but if the good ol boy’s club was going to be a thing, they may as well exploit it.

  Beside her, Crystal grinned, pulling her loose shirt over her head, revealing the bikini beneath. Ashe’s face warmed at the sight, though she didn’t look away. Her colorful tattoos stood out against her tanned skin, the vines holding the widow’s web on her wrist where the small spider was hidden. Along those vines, were some added details. Flowers, with petals in shades of pink and purple, the same shades as the lesbian pride flag.

  The tattoo had given Ashe some ideas for her own future ink, only one of which she had gotten so far. Her right arm now sported black and orange flames bursting forth from the scarred knife wound along her wrist. A less than subtle nod to her origins as Inferno. She had plans for more, like a trans pride version of Crystal’s tattoo, but those would need to wait until after her surgery. She was cutting things close enough as it was with her recovery from the firefight in May.

  Across the white sands of the gulf shore, Brie ran into the surf, laughing like a child who had never been before. It was probably true, given how difficult her life was growing up, how she was snatched off the streets of her home and sold into slavery. Ashe had rescued her from that fate, and she was glad to see the girl enjoying herself.

  Robbie hadn’t been able to join them, since he was still in custody. Ashe was livid about that, her parents having fed her false information about when he was being moved, and the man all but disappeared on them. She felt responsible for that, and lamented not being able to help with his rescue due to her own recovery. She would be sure to get him out, no matter what it took, even if they had to lead an invasion of a prison.

  Keiko was under an umbrella, still melancholic over Caralina’s betrayal as she stared off into the surf. Just getting her to leave her home was a challenge, but she finally relented with a heavy sigh. Ashe would take it as a win, and at least one of her best friends would be with her on her last day in Jericho for the coming months.

  She was nervous as hell about her coming surgery, as well as leaving the city. The Viuda were solidifying their hold on Alejandro’s territory, and Ashe’s crew seemed to be integrating well enough, even if some of them had taken to wearing flame iconography in honor of her. Ashe knew that could lead to problems in the future, as it showed a clear division between her people and the Viuda they were supposed to be integrating themselves with.

  Whispers of a name had reached her, and she wasn’t sure how to feel about it, but the Enkindled were solidifying themselves despite the Viuda integration. Friction was inevitable, but Ashe had other problems to deal with first.

  Putting those worries out of her mind, she slipped her hand into her girlfriend’s, smiling warmly as she did. Crystal squeezed, then reached up with her free hand and booped her right on the nose. Ashe nipped at the retreating finger, then pouted, which only served to make her girlfriend laugh harder. She loved the sound of that laugh, and lamented not being able to hear it, even if she could imagine it well enough.

  The loss of her hearing was just one more disability that she had acquired through her actions and choices. The same went for her scars. Her ear had healed, the piece missing obvious to anyone with working eyes. She could pursue further surgery to make it look more normal, but she saw it as another scar that told her story. Proof that she had stood up and acted, that despite life’s attempts to put her down, she had endured.

  She had survived.

  Ashe’s shoulder brushed against Crystal’s, and she resisted the urge to rest her head against her girlfriend. There would be plenty of time for that later, as she fully intended to enjoy the beach while she still could. Ashe had chosen a bikini top, red of course, along with shorts rather than a bikini skirt. She was still wearing bikini bottoms underneath it, but she didn’t want to deal with that part of her potentially becoming a problem, not so close to when she would be rid of it for good.

  Jessica and Rachel had joined a game of beach volleyball with some of the other girls, as well as Jason and Todd, which was a bit amusing to watch. Though, more entertaining were the reactions of her parents to the attendees of their outing. Both were off to the side, lounging in the sun while watching the ongoing antics of many members of Ashe’s faction within the Viuda.

  Crystal nudged her, and Ashe found her grinning visage to be concerning. Crystal gestured towards Ashe’s parents, then began to sign. She was stilted and slow, but she had been practicing almost nonstop since Ashe’s injury.

  Sure, it was a skill that would serve her well going forward, but she didn’t have to go through the trouble. Ashe had working hearing aids, Crystal didn’t need to learn a new skill like that. It made her heart swell with love at the effort her girlfriend was putting in all for her benefit.

  “I know you’re adopted and all, but it’s easy to see where you got it from,” Crystal said, signing the same to the best of her ability.

  Ashe frowned, not wanting to even delve into what she meant by that, turning back to where her parents were lounging. Despite the injuries her mom had suffered, she was back on her feet and working again, albeit on light duty. Her leg probably would never be as good as it was prior to being shot, but she wouldn’t be forced into a desk job because of it. She’d even kept up with her daily workouts, and as a result, was still quite fit despite being off her feet for several weeks while she recovered.

  Their dedication to fitness and being ready to act had rubbed off on her, and Ashe too was in fairly good shape given events. She certainly wasn’t looking forward to the weeks in a bed, barely able to walk. One of her friends had warned her about how much of a bitch the recovery was. It was why she had made sure that someone would be with her at all times. That girl’s mother had been her caregiver, yet left after barely two weeks, and her friend had almost died because of it.

  It wasn’t just the fact she was left alone when she could barely even stand, but she was alone a thousand miles from anyone she knew. Alone in a hotel room for weeks with no companion but her raid team and her thoughts. Ashe tried to comfort her friend during that time, but she wasn’t able to join them for raids due to the shitty wifi of the hotel. It made things difficult, but Ashe made sure that someone always reached out and talked to her each day.

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  Abandonment could easily kill, and so soon after a major surgery when depression was more likely to set in? Ashe made damn sure that she wouldn’t spend a single day alone when it came time for her own recovery. It was also why she had insisted on a gathering of all her friends, allowing them to invite their own friends as well.

  If she had to guess, there were almost thirty people present.

  “You’re just going to ignore that, aren’t you?” Crystal asked, an amused smirk on her face even as she signed out the sentiment.

  “Damn right I am,” Ashe said, not bothering to sign it. “You admitted to finding my parents attractive, how did you expect me to answer that?”

  “Just teasing,” Crystal said, signing something close enough to get the point across. “I’m surprised they accepted the invitation.”

  “Same, if I’m being honest,” Ashe said. “I told them that some of the girls I helped would be here, and they were hesitant. I think their caution won them over, as they don’t want me to slip back into the role of Inferno.”

  “They’re keeping an eye on you,” Crystal said with a frown, signing only the phrase for watching. “I suppose I can see that, even if it does bother me. I’m convinced my donor hopes I die working with the Viuda so he can use my death as a political point.”

  “He would,” Ashe said softly, pulling her girlfriend into a hug. “Don’t worry, I won’t let him hurt you, even if it means that Inferno has to come out of retirement.”

  “He’s going to win,” Crystal said, returning the hug tightly. She was struggling to remember to sign everything, but Ashe wasn’t going to complain while she could still read her lips. “I can see the way things are shifting. He has the momentum and the support. Even if he fucks up the campaign, I can’t see him losing.”

  “We’ll burn that bridge when we come to it,” Ashe said with a chuckle before nudging her girlfriend. “Come on, let’s forget about all that heavy shit and have some fun with our friends.”

  Crystal shook her head as Ashe pulled her along, making for the refreshments. Several coolers were set up, most containing beer which Crystal had happily grabbed, but Ashe fished out one of the bottles of unsweet tea that she made sure were packed with the rest. Sure, it was a bit sacrilege for her southern blood to drink tea without sugar, but under the hot sun, she didn’t like drinking anything sweet in general.

  The volleyball game was in full effect, and Ashe wanted to join in, but lamented that she couldn’t risk it. Anything worse than a sprain might result in her surgery date being delayed, so she wouldn’t be able to do much. Instead, she eyed the tidal line and made a decision.

  “Do you want to build a sandcastle?”

  Crystal blinked, looking from her to the shoreline, then smiled. “Sounds lovely. Plus, we can watch the game without being too far away.”

  “Awesome,” Ashe answered.

  Watching Jason and Todd playing on opposite sides was a bit amusing. There was some ongoing debate about keeping the number of girls and boys even, but that turned into a friendly ribbing on which of those boys was one of the girls and which would be carrying their shopping haul later in the evening.

  At least, that was the extent of what Crystal had been able to relay to her, due to not being able to listen in herself. The lack of natural hearing was almost enough to drag her down into a depressive state. She only had herself to blame for continuing down a path that she knew would be dangerous, but she had done so regardless.

  Yet, she didn’t regret any of it.

  They picked a spot not far from where Keiko had set up, so as to help keep her company. Caralina was currently being held by the Viuda under what amounted to house arrest, and would remain there until her child was born. What came next would be decided later, but there was little chance she wasn’t executed for siding with the man if they kept her.

  Ashe didn’t want to see a child deprived of their mother, but at the same time, knowing how the kid was conceived, would Caralina even be capable of loving them? Those were questions that were beyond her, and out of her hands besides. Ashe would be gone for three months, as would Crystal for that matter. Keiko and Brie would be managing the integration with the Viuda going forward, and she could only hope it went smoothly.

  She knew her friend was hurting, but she would give her the space to work through that hurt as best she could, though not without leaving some instructions with more than a few people to make sure that she didn’t fall too deeply into a depressive rut. Eyeing the book in Keiko’s hands, she knew that at least one of her ideas was bearing fruit. Her friend was about a quarter of the way into one of the recommendations that Ashe had forwarded.

  It was quite a lovely series, all set in a small northwest town and followed a small group of women as they found their own queer happily ever after. Ashe herself was saving the third book for her recovery, eager to see how the final member of the queer coven moved past her desire to never date again.

  Shaking off that thought, she left Keiko to her book, hoping it would provide her some comfort as Ashe started building a sandcastle in the way her mother had taught her, dripping wet sand as if laying brick and stone. It created a unique look rather unlike what was usually seen, and Crystal gave her an amused look before she too had started laying down lines of sand as a base.

  They added walls and towers, and soon had a moat that spanned the pit they were using to procure wet sand. It was relaxing, and once the volleyball game ended, several of those who had been playing decided they had the right idea of it. Dozens of castles sprung up from there, as well as one sand sculpture by Todd that impressed everyone present.

  Crystal relayed that he had won a sculpting contest over at Daytona earlier in the year, which Ashe had no problems believing if his near accurate rendition of the Sphinx was any indication. A grill was soon fired up, her parents helping Brie prepare a metric ton of burgers and hot dogs for all in attendance.

  A bonfire soon followed as the sun set on the sea behind them, casting the beach in a warm glow. There, even her parents began to loosen up, talking with several of the girls, hearing their first hand accounts and how their lives had changed for the better. Many of these stories brought a blush to her cheeks as they spoke of how she had helped them personally.

  Crystal nudged her at the retelling of Brie’s own origin, how the man that had attacked Ashe also abused her. How Ashe had taken her in, promising that she would do all she could to make sure that no girl suffered like that while she could prevent it. The retelling was chilling, and more than a bit sobering. It left her parents in a contemplative state.

  They were still coming to terms with her actions, and it wouldn’t happen all at once, but Ashe was almost certain that her relationship with them would recover in time despite the shit they pulled with Robbie. If they were going to save him, she couldn’t let them know how much it affected her. She would give them the space they needed, and honor their request to see that Inferno remained dead, at least for a time.

  Other stories soon followed, lightening the mood once more. Thankfully, the topics turned less heavy in short order and everyone was laughing over the time Kate put a blow horn on Jessica’s door to scare the shit out of her.

  The entire scene warmed Ashe to the core, seeing everyone get the chance to relax and be carefree after everything they had been through. Sure, Ashe would be departing for several months, but she knew this was where she belonged, even if she wouldn’t be allowed to openly work with them, she would still support them in other ways.

  Ashe had found her place in the world, and she would return in due time.

  The Reluctant Ranger! It's Sentai action combined with a touch of sapphic romance and a worldwide threat where our heroes aren't the only fighters on the stage.