Kate arrived on the steps just in time to hear a terrific crash from above.

She looked up to find the source, but what she saw didn’t seem real.

A storm of shattered glass fell toward her upturned face.

A baby grand piano tilted downward to follow it.

There was no time to move - no time to even think.

Kate barely managed to close her eyes before impact.

But nothing touched her. She’d heard about the sensation that time slowed down during a crisis, but had never experienced anything like this.

The gasp from the crowd at the bottom of the stairs made her open her eyes.

The piano was frozen, hovering a foot from her head.

The glass shimmered, motionless in the air around her.

“Move away, Kate,” Buck said, offering her his hand.

She allowed herself to be dragged to the side of the steps.

Kirk stood beside her, eyes closed.

“It’s okay now,” Buck whispered to him.

Kirk’s eyes opened and there was a melodious crash as the piano fell the last six feet from the air to the stairs and the glass rained down around it.

“Did you… did you stop that from hitting me?” Kate whispered to him.

He nodded, eyes wide.

“I’m sorry. There was no other way to save you.”

Kate’s mind was a whirlwind.

There were people below, so many people, and they had all seen it. Kirk would be in danger now, all his brothers, Rima…

Unless…

She had a decision to make.

But she was already stepping forward, smiling and clapping her hands.

There was no decision, not really.

“Ladies and gentleman,” she called to the onlookers. “I hope we didn’t scare you too much. We owe the scene you just witnessed to the amazing special effects of Cecily Page and friends.”

Cecily took the hint and gave a little bow and a wink.

“The point of this little stunt was to let you all know that Beatrix Li’s graphic novel, Door to Everywhere, is going to be made into a movie.”

A murmur went through the crowd.

Kate started to recognize more faces. These were all reporters and bloggers. And they were the same journalists who had been writing stories about Kate not taking on any film roles.

She had no idea what they were doing there. But she knew the one thing that would make them forget all about the piano.

“And I will be starring in it,” she added.

Chew on that.

She glanced over at Beatrix, who observed her with her eyebrows lifted in question.

Kate grinned at her and nodded.

Bea’s face blossomed into a genuine, happy smile.

Kate felt good helping so many friends at once. She had saved the aliens, and Beatrix would get to make her movie.

“Bea is going to answer your questions about the film now,” Kate said. “I hope you’ll all be sure to come out and support it. It’s going to be epic.”

Bea gave Kate a dirty look. She wasn’t much for public speaking, but Kate figured it was high time for her to come out of her shell.

Buck walked over to stand by Bea’s side and Kate smiled at the look of relief Bea shot his way.

“You’re amazing,” Kirk breathed to her as he walked her back into the building. “You saved me.”

“I think you have it backwards,” Kate said. “What did you do out there?”

“I have a… gift,” he told her. “All my brothers do. We each have a sort of superhuman power. We think it’s the byproduct of our strengths from back on Aerie.”

“So you can move things with your mind?” she asked.

“Not exactly,” he said. “I can manipulate the way an object’s mass interacts with fundamental physical forces exerted by other aggregations of matter.”

She gave him a dubious look.

“I can control gravity,” he said.

“You can control gravity?” she echoed helplessly.

“When the object is nearby,” he said. “And only for a short time.”

Kate tried to imagine having such a power and couldn’t. It was completely unbelievable. Except for the fact that she had literally just witnessed it in action.

“I used it in the confrontation with Spencer last night,” Kirk admitted. “I had hoped he hadn’t picked up on it, but I think he figured it out.”

“So he wasn’t actually trying to kill me with that piano,” Kate said. “He was trying to get you to show yourself as an alien.”

That explained the gaggle of reporters.

“We don’t know that it was him,” Kirk pointed out.

“Who else would push a piano out a window onto my head?” Kate asked.

“Will the police catch him?” Kirk asked.

“The Convention Center is full of security cameras,” Kate said. “I’m sure one of them caught this. But since we said it was a publicity stunt, they won’t really be looking.”

“Who will pay for the damages?” Kirk asked.

“I’ll text Carol to have it taken care of,” Kate said. “Times like this, it’s nice to have TV star money. I’m just glad no one was hurt.”

“Television stars make a lot of money?” Kirk asked.

“Yes,” Kate said. “I’m not a billionaire or anything, but I can handle replacing a piano and a plate glass window.”

“Are you really going to be in your friend’s movie?” Kirk asked.

Kate nodded.

“But you don’t want to be known for outer space movies,” Kirk said sadly. “You want to make a difference in the world.”

“You’re a good listener, did you know that?” Kate asked.

A smile lit up his handsome face.

“I’ve learned a lot about myself and what’s important to me this weekend,” she said slowly. “And I think I can actually make a difference as Katie. I might rather be Kate in my real life, but Katie has influence in ways Kate never could. I’m going to embrace that instead of fighting it. I like being Katie sometimes.”

Kirk smiled and nodded.

“But you already saw that in me, didn’t you?” she asked.

“I see so much in you, Kate,” he said, stopping to take her hands. “I know you’ve changed your mind about some things today. I hope that I might be one of them.”

She looked up into his handsome face, losing herself in those cool gray eyes.

She had known him for such a short time, yet he had shown her so much of himself. He had shown her parts of herself, too. Was it really so strange that she felt she had known him for an eternity?

She looked up at him, unsure what to say.

“I chose you as my mate the day we met,” he told her. “You do not have to answer me now. But I want you to know that my heart is yours if you ever decide to accept it.”

“A mate is forever,” she said.

“Yes,” he told her solemnly.

Instead of feeling the heavy burden of the decision, she felt a sudden lightness in her heart.

“Are you doing something to me?” she asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Are you… messing with my gravity?” she asked.

“No,” he said, looking mystified. “Why? Is there something wrong with it?”

“More like something right,” she said with a smile. “My answer is yes. I accept you as my mate.”

He bent to kiss her and, she finally understood what people meant when they talked about time slowing down.

Kirk’s mouth was warm against hers.

She went up on her toes to put her arms around his neck.

He wrapped his arms around her, one hand spreading wide between her shoulder blades, pressing her closer.

Kate was lost in his embrace, waves of desire pounding through her body as he kissed her carefully, thoroughly.

“Um, hey, guys,” Beatrix’s voice seemed to come from far away.

Kate managed to pull away from Kirk.

“Hi,” Kate said, running a hand through her hair as she turned to her friends.

Beatrix stood before her with Buck at her side. Cecily and Solo were behind them.

“Thank you so much,” Bea said. “You don’t have to actually do the movie.”

“Oh, I can’t wait to do the movie,” Kate said. “I mean, if you want me for it. I’ll play any part you want. I could do a cameo if you have someone else in mind for the lead.”

“Are you kidding?” Bea asked. “If you’re willing to do it, I’d kill to have you as the lead. But… you know I can only pay you SAG minimum, right?”

“I knew that,” Kate said. “And I’m fine with it. I’m really excited to work with you, Bea.”

“Me too,” Bea smiled.

“We’re going to get something to eat,” Cecily said. “Want to join us?”

“I um, I think Kirk and I want to go home and talk,” Kate said.

“Talk, huh?” Bea teased.

Cecily elbowed her in the ribs.

“If you keep elbowing me, I’m going to take a self defense class,” Bea muttered.

“See you guys at home later,” Cecily said. “And great job, Kirk. I’m glad Kate has someone to look out for her since she’s clearly hell bent on putting herself in harm’s way.”

Kate watched as the four of them headed down the hallway toward the north exit.

Just then, there was a commotion as two security guards dragged someone down the hall.

Kate turned to see Spencer Carson trying to break free.

“Gentlemen,” she said to the guards, turning on the charm. “You can let him go. He only did it as part of a publicity stunt.”

“We weren’t informed of any publicity stunt,” one of the guards said.

“I’m very sorry,” Kate told him. “We made this plan at the last minute, and didn’t think it through, or of course we would have made sure you were informed. My manager has all the necessary permits from the convention center,” she lied. “I’ll be sure to ask that you be compensated for your trouble.”

“He hasn’t been cooperative,” the other guard said. “We’re going to escort him out of the building regardless.”

“That’s fine,” Kate said. “Would you mind giving me a moment with him first?”

The first guard shrugged.

“Sure, Katie,” the second one grinned. A fan. Thank goodness for small favors.

They let go of Spencer, who shook himself like a golden retriever who had been yanked out of the pool.

The guards backed off a bit, giving Kate room to talk to Spencer.

“A publicity stunt?” Spencer spat.

“Careful,” Kirk said coolly.

“You’re lucky you’re not going to jail,” Kate told Spencer. “Now here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to be polite to those guards, you’re going to leave, and if I catch you at any Con I attend in the future, I’m going to tell the truth about what happened, and I’ll have copies of the security footage to back me up. Do I make myself understood?”

Spencer scowled at her, but nodded.

“Good,” Kate said, turning on her heel.

She gestured to the guards and they jogged up to retrieve Spencer immediately.

Kate turned back to watch as they led him outside.

He looked smaller somehow. She hoped he would remember their arrangement.

“Whether he honors that agreement or not, you have me now,” Kirk said, echoing her thoughts. “It just means I can’t let you out of my sight.”

“Good thing I don’t want you to.” Kate smiled up at him.

“Let’s go home,” Kirk said, his voice husky.