Replacements

## Meta

**Timing:** after "Major Harry", before "Research"

**Setting:** Jones' quarters, Sydney Shatterdome

## Text

Andrea sends the tea service back on a kitchen-bound cart and catches a ride herself to the Team VS quartermaster's office, and just as she enters—

""Hill,"" calls Jayaraman.

Andrea scurries to attention.

Jayaraman indicates a box. "Another housewarming gift for the Rangers and a new tablet."

"Yes, ma'am."

"And what are you going to do?"

"Get in, get out, and keep my head down."

"Because ...?"

"The new Rangers are dangerous, unstable, and would kill me without a second thought."

"Good girl." Jayaraman returns to her paperwork. "Off with you, then."

"Yes, ma'am." Andrea ducks away, grabs a hand truck—realizes she forgot the other one down in the Rangers' quarters which means she's left them with a potential weapon—

""Hill!""

Andrea squeaks.

""Are you going or should I send someone else?""

"Leaving now!" Andrea kicks the brake, loads the box, flies down the hall, all the way to the elevator, and forces herself to continue from there at a less frantic pace so she's not a panting mess and has to blob against hand truck when she finally arrives (after engaging the brake—first day on the job, made both those mistakes and ended up spluttering on the floor, hand truck making a break for it. How she met J—).

Andrea peers into the Ranger suite.

The standard-issue common area painting is gone, replaced by at least a dozen photographs of a beautiful woman, an itty-bitty baby, and a toddler with bright eyes and wild hair; like Lachlan—

"That's Charlie."

Andrea jumps, snaps to attention, and slaps on a smile.

"And Book has the hair," continues Ranger Jones-- kinda cringing, eyes steadfast on the floor. "Well, they both have 'the hair' but, uh, the baby's—"

"Jack," interrupts another person—who, judging by the resemblance, must be the first Ranger Jones' sibling—watching Andrea expectantly from the back hall. "You need something?"

Andrea steps back, indicates the cart. "I—" but it comes out as a breathy exhale.

"What's in the box?" asks Ranger Jones-in-a-sweater.

"F ... Food," Andrea replies in a far too tiny voice.

"Cool," says Ranger Jones-in-a-tee, striding forward and taking the hand truck.

Andrea meeps, flutters.

"What?" they snap.

Andrea goes stock-still, eyes huge.

Ranger Jones-in-a-tee huffs. "Am I allowed to unload the box?"

Andrea manages a minuscule nod.

"/**Thank** you, Officer." Ranger Jones-in-a-tee rolls their eyes, lifts it effortlessly.

Scars on the back of their hand, up and down their arms, across their wrists.

Code Violet.

Andrea swallows.

Ranger Jones-in-a-tee drops the box on the table.

The other Ranger Jones steps over; together they paw through the vegetables, pasta, fruit, and juice.

Andrea shifts—

The other hand truck!

She creeps over, flips the brake, and leads it from the suite—

""Ey,"" cheers Ranger-Jones-in-a-tee. ""We've got a tablet again!""

A wordless grumble.

Andrea parks the truck on the other side of the door, slips back in—

Ranger Jones-in-a-sweater makes a happy sound /**exactly** like the one Jason makes when she brings his favorite—

Andrea rubs her eyes.

"You okay?" asks Ranger Jones-in-a-sweater. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

He's standing right where Jason would and makes the same sound but he's not Jason and Jason's—

"Earth to Officer Four-eyes," prompts Ranger Jones-in-a-tee.

"Sorry!" meeps Andrea.

"Are you okay?"

Andrea manages a tiny nod.

"She looks kinda like Derek right before he chucks, ay?"

Toast.

Ranger Jones-in-a-sweater sighs. "You're /**sure** you're okay?"

Woman, baby, toddler.

"Y-yes, sir."

Charlie, Baby, Book.

"You need something else?"

"Y-your fa-mily's very. pretty."

Ranger Jones-in-a-tee frowns.

Andrea cringes.

Ranger Jones-in-a-sweater nods, eyes on the wall.

"I—" Andrea's mouth clicks shut. "I hope you get to see them again soon, Ranger."

Ranger Jones-in-a-sweater smiles weakly, murmurs, "Me, too." Rubs their neck. "Uh, I'm sorry about earlier. I'm not— I don't—" Sighs. "I'm not used to how things work around here yet. I thought, maybe—"

"Jack ...," warns Ranger Jones-in-a-tee.

Ranger Jones-in-a-sweater makes a frustrated noise and scrubs at their face. "I know, I know." To Andrea, kindly: "You'd better go, Officer."

Ranger Jones-in-a-tee hisses.

Andrea squeaks, whirls, bounces off Ranger Hansen—

"Steady there, Officer."

—and sprints back to the Quartermaster's office.