THORN

It was hard to focus sometimes. Thorn was grateful for the one thing he had that was truly his. "What's got you so down?" Caleb asked with concern.

"I miss Sage," Thorn replied quickly. That was the easiest response. He hadn't told Caleb everything, of course, but he had explained his sister was on a vision quest and might not be back for a long time.

"She'll be okay, Thorn," Caleb said. He pulled him closer and held him. Thorn lost himself in his boyfriend's embrace for a few blessed moments.

"I love you," Thorn whispered.

"I love you, too," Caleb replied.

Thorn wished he could stay there forever. Caleb made him happy, and right now, the only time Thorn could relax was when they were together. They'd been together for almost a year. At first, Thorn had been too afraid to tell anyone except for Sage, but he'd quickly realized his parents were fine with it. They just wanted him to be happy. Other than them, Thorn had only told Katie and Kenny. He was nervous that anyone else would judge him. Besides, it was nice having something that was just his. No one else needed to know unless he and Caleb wanted to tell them.

He kissed Caleb before letting out a sigh. "I have to get home. I'm supposed to make dinner tonight," he said. He paused before adding, "Do you want to come over?"

"I'd love to," Caleb said. "And I'll help you cook."

"You really are perfect," Thorn said with a laugh.

They headed toward his house together and Thorn was relieved they didn't have to split up yet. With all of the stress he was under, he needed this time with Caleb to keep him sane.

RITA

She was sick of watching everything from the sidelines. "How sweet," she said bitterly. In all honesty, she was jealous of the pure love she'd just caught a glimpse of. She would never have that. It served her right for falling for a monster.

"Zeddy... Were we ever that sickeningly cute?" She asked.

"I certainly hope not," Zedd replied.

She watched as the Black Ranger subtly brushed his hand against the other boy's. The boy smiled in response. "I'll see them destroyed," Rita vowed. Why should they get to be so happy when she was so miserable?

"Our daughter could do it."

"No... This job is for someone special... Angeline has bigger things to worry about. "

"Who are you thinking of?"

"My secret weapon, Zeddy. She'll be mine again soon."

"Unlikely. She's one of them."

"You don't see what I see... Things are falling apart for her. She'll come to us soon, Zeddy. I know it!"

"I hope you're right. We could certainly use the help."

She touched her mirror. "Show me Angeline!" She commanded.

Her daughter appeared. She sat in her secret room practicing magic. Rita beamed with pride. Angeline might be the one truly wonderful thing that had come out of her marriage. Sure, they had other children, but none made her proud like their gifted daughter. She was their last hope. Everything was riding on her ability to save them from this hellish existence.

KATIE

Finding the Turbo Falconzord had been easy. Taming it was more difficult. The Zord was incredibly quick and did not want to be bothered.

"Look, Falcon, we're going to be buds whether you want to be or not," Katie said. "I have a Power Ranger who needs rescuing. I need your help. "

The Zord hesitated. Katie thought she might be making progress. When she got close, however, it sped away.

"Enough games," Katie said. She called forth the White Tigerzord and chased the Falconzord. After several minutes, the Falconzord stopped. She approached it on foot. "Easy, Buddy, " she said gently. She touched it. The Zord opened up to allow her inside. She'd done it!

Katie sent the White Tigerzord home. She took Saba into the Falconzord with her. "Okay... Let's go rescue Billy."

She didn't know exactly where Billy was, but her new friend seemed to. A wormhole tore open and Katie gasped as they flew through it. She had to admit, this was a fun ride. The fun ended, however, when they arrived at their destination.

"You must not allow him to go free," the evil Merkhet shouted. Katie had encountered her before. She'd barely escaped with her life, but that didn't concern her. She was much better trained now.

One of Merkhet's pet monsters attacked Billy, shoving a sword through his side. Billy cried out in pain. "No!" Katie shouted. She rushed to his side. Katie excelled in hand-to-hand combat, and she used it now. The minions were easy to take down. It was Merkhet she was worried about.

"Turbo Falconzord! Protect Billy!" She shouted. It understood and rushed to her, allowing her to put Billy inside.

"Kill the girl!" Merkhet commanded. "Bring the princess!"

Suddenly, the Sorceress walked in. Great, Katie thought. Someone else who wants to destroy me.

"End her!" Merkhet commanded.

"Firearm!" The Sorceress called.

"Yes, Sorceress?" The monster Katie recognized asked.

"Destroy her!"

"With great pleasure."

"Yeah. Good luck with that," Katie said. She easily dodged his attack.

"By the Powers of Darkness, Make my monster grow!" The Sorceress screamed. And just like that, it did.

"Crap! Time to go!" Katie said. She whistled and the Turbo Falconzord came to her. She jumped inside and they jumped into a wormhole.

Billy was bleeding out. Katie applied pressure to his wound as they headed to the only place she thought might be safe. Her aunt had met a lot of unusual people over the years. Katie remembered that one of them ran a sanctuary and always had healers there. She figured that was as good a place as any to get Billy help.

ANGELINE

She had never met Josh's father, but as the White Ranger escaped, she recognized the man in her Zord. He's alive, she realized. This entire time, they've had him right here, and Josh has been mourning him.

She wasn't sure what to do. Frustrated, she used her scrying mirror. "Show me Josh," she said.

"If I can just track this last thing... I know I'll find the safe. I'll find Dad's will, and then I won't have to hide here anymore," Josh said.

"You'll get it, Josh," someone Angie didn't recognize said.

"Thanks for your help, Trini," Josh said.

Angie stared. "Trini?" She asked aloud. "The original Yellow Ranger? What's she doing back in town?" Anger and suspicion automatically began to fill her mind.

Suddenly, Josh cried out, "I've got it! The tracking device is active!"

Angie heard a beeping sound. She looked behind her and saw a safe. "Oh no," she whispered. If Josh came after it, he'd be walking into his death. They'd never let him leave. Josh needed this safe. He was obviously terrified, and if they caught him and brought him back to that home, Angie was positive he wouldn't survive the punishment.

"Damnit..." She mumbled. She had to help him... This one last time, she had to do something she knew her family would kill her for. She tried to lift the safe, but it was too heavy, so she used magic to levitate it instead. She moved it into the portal and sent it straight to Earth.

"It's not far from here!" Josh said.

"Let's go," Trini said.

Angie watched as they followed the signal to the safe. When Josh saw it, his eyes lit up, and she knew she'd done the right thing.

"Trini, this is it!" He said. He punched in a code and the safe popped open easily. Josh pulled out several documents. His hands were shaking as he examined one. "It's here... Right here, in black and white... Tommy and Kat are my legal guardians."

Trini beamed at him. "It's the real document," she said. "That's my signature right there."

Josh looked like he might cry. Angie released the image from her scrying mirror so there would be no evidence of what she'd done. She couldn't keep doing things like this, but her people had kept Josh's father from him. She owed him this much.

KAT

She was in the middle of another huge fight with Tommy when the house phone rang. "Leave it," Kat said.

"It could be important," Tommy argued.

"This conversation is important."

"Why? We're not getting anywhere, Kat! You and I have been going in circles since she left."

"I was trying to be a parent, Tommy. Someone has to be firm around here."

"What are you implying?"

"Katie needs parents, not friends. You seem to forget that there's a difference."

"I just understand her. I get why she left, and I get why she did it the way that she did. I'm proud of her for defending her friend."

"You're proud of her for getting arrested?"

"Of course not! But I am proud of her for standing up for her beliefs."

"Not everything should be solved with violence."

"He deserved it, Kat!"

"Why? Because he dared to hit Kimberly?"

"He hit his son. He worked him to the point of exhaustion. He starved him. Kim didn't even factor into that. But yes, he also deserved to get his ass kicked because he hit Kimberly."

Kat suspected it was more about Kimberly than Kenny. It wasn't that she didn't feel sorry for Kimberly. No one should ever live in fear of their spouse... But she'd stayed with him. She'd chosen that life. Kat found herself wondering if Kimberly had stayed with an abusive husband in the hopes that Tommy would swoop in and rescue her.

You're being ridiculous, Kat scolded herself. And cruel. Kimberly didn't deserve that, and she isn't trying to steal your husband. Stop being so paranoid.

"Katie needs to come home," Kat said firmly. "You need to go find her and drag her back here."

"Katie's mature enough to take care of herself, and the reason she's not coming home is because you really upset her," Tommy said. "You need to fix this, Kat. I want our daughter back."

"What am I supposed to do? Give in to her every whim? She's a child, Tommy. She needs discipline."

"She's a teenager, Kat. A very smart one. Treating her like a child is wrong."

They continued arguing back and forth until someone knocked on their door. Trini stood on the other side with Josh. "Josh? Trini? What are you doing here?" Tommy asked.

"We found the will," Trini said excitedly.

Kat put everything else aside. "That's great! Now we can claim legal custody of Josh," she said.

"Alright. I'll get things rolling with that," Tommy said. "Trini, stay for dinner. It's been a long time."

"I'd like that," Trini said with a smile.

"Come on, Josh. I'll take you up to one of our guest rooms and get you settled in," Kat said. She was in full-on maternal mode now. Josh needed someone to look out for him. She needed to put everything else on hold until she took care of him.

"Thanks," Josh said awkwardly.

"You're home, Josh," Tommy said. "You're safe here."

Josh nodded as Kat led him upstairs. When they reached the bedroom, she opened the door and let him walk inside. "I hope you'll be comfortable in here. Do you have your laptop? There's a desk you can set it up on."

"Thank you, Kat. It's great," he said. He looked terribly lost.

"You'll be alright, Josh," Kat promised him. "You're welcome in our home and always will be. If you need anything else, let me know."

She left him alone so he could have a chance to process everything without having her hovering. When she got downstairs, Tommy and Trini were laughing about something. Kat felt a pang in her heart. She hadn't heard Tommy laugh since Katie had left. She desperately wanted things to go back to normal, but it felt like they just kept falling apart.

BILLY

He was fully healed when Katie transported him to Angel Grove. "I'm bringing you somewhere safe," Katie promised him.

"Where?" Billy asked.

"To my Dad."

"No... Not Tommy. I'll hurt him."

"Billy-"

"Kimberly," Billy said firmly. "I need Kimberly. I don't have any urge to hurt her. I think she's safe."

Katie hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Okay. Kim's staying with Jason. We can go there"

"Jason..."

"He's your friend, Billy."

"I know. I remember... For now." He was terrified of being around anyone, but he had a feeling if he was near Kimberly, he'd be able to resist most of the commands.

They arrived at the house and Katie hurried to the door. "Jason? I have Billy," he heard her say.

"Billy?" Jason asked. "My God... Is it really you?"

Billy nodded. "I believe so," he said cautiously.

Jason ran toward him, but when he tried to hug him, Billy felt a switch flip in his head. Suddenly, all he could think about was killing Jason.

"Billy, stop!" Katie screamed as he attacked Jason.

"Fight back!" Billy shouted. "Fight back, Coward! I know you want to!"

"I won't fight you, Billy," Jason said firmly. The shock in his voice was clear.

"Fight back!"

"Billy?" A voice called from the doorway. "Billy, stop!"

Billy looked up and saw Kimberly. The terror in her eyes was enough to make him take a step away from Jason. "Kimberly..." He whispered.

Kimberly came toward him. When she went to hug him, he didn't stop her. Instead, he pulled her into his arms. He felt her tears landing on his shirt. His own tears began to fall.

"Kim... Oh God, Kim..." He whispered.

"It's okay," she told him. "You're home, Billy. You're home and you're safe and we missed you so much... We love you, Billy. I love you."

"I love you, too," he said. His mind was slightly clearer with Kimberly around. He looked at Jason. "Jason... Jason, I'm so sorry..."

"It's okay," Jason said, recovering from his shock.

"No... It's not. I didn't mean to attack you. I can't help it. There's so much going on in my head... I can't make it stop. I have orders... Orders to hurt you all."

"Then we'll just have to cancel those orders," Jason said firmly. "It's okay, Billy, You're home now. That's what matters."

"I need to get the Turbo Falconzord back," Katie said. "Take care of him, okay?"

"Always," Kimberly promised.

"We've got him," Jason added.

Katie left. Billy was nervous. He'd had pretty good control around Katie. The act of her saving his life had broken the command to cause her harm. Unfortunately, he still felt like he could go after everyone else at any moment.

Kenny ducked his head out of the house. "Billy!" He cried out in surprise. He ran toward them.

"Kenny..." Billy said. He hesitated. The urge to hurt Kenny was very weak. The command was still being shoved through his mind hard, but looking into the same eyes that had stared at Billy in wonder when he was just a baby, Billy couldn't bring himself to do it. Kenny was safe. Billy closed his eyes and forced himself to hug the boy. He was struggling, but he wanted to comfort him. He could tell Kenny had missed him.

"Josh is going to be so relieved..." Kenny said.

"I could call him," Kimberly said.

"No... No, I can't see him yet," Billy said quickly.

"Billy-" Jason said.

"No! It's not safe. Not yet. Please... I just... I need time."

The others exchanged glances. "Okay," Kimberly said. "Come on inside, Billy. I'll help you get settled in, and you can get some rest. We'll work on what to do about Josh in the morning."

Billy nodded. "Thank you," he said. He followed her inside. When they were alone, Billy realized he was trembling.

"Are you cold?" Kimberly asked. She immediately wrapped him in a thick blanket.

"Kimberly..." He whispered. He shook his head. He couldn't tell her. He couldn't express everything that had happened in the last three years. He barely remembered half of it. He'd done horrible things... He'd been too weak to fight their commands sometimes.

"What is it, Billy?" She asked.

"Nothing."

She looked at him sympathetically. "I know you must have been through a lot, Billy... Just know that I'm here for you, okay? I'm not going anywhere. When you're ready to talk, I'll listen."

"You should get home."

"I am home."

"What?"

"I left Mark. Kenny and I are staying with Jason until I can get on my feet."

"You... You left him?" Billy suddenly remembered the bruises he'd seen on her, and the number of times he'd stitched her up and taken care of her when things had gotten out of control. "I'm so proud of you, Kimberly."

"That means a lot to me." She squeezed his hand. "The point is, you're stuck with me for a while, Billy."

"I don't mind. You're safe... I know I won't hurt you. I could never hurt you."

"I know. I trust you."

He was glad one of them trusted him. Billy curled up on his new bed, suddenly exhausted. Kimberly crawled into the bed and made herself his teddy bear, something she'd started doing after he lost his wife. It seemed to comfort them both. He breathed in the scent of her shampoo and forgot about everything else for just a moment.

ZEDD

He was furious. "They failed us!" He cried out. "The Blue Ranger was our best chance of finding freedom! We needed him for leverage."

"We'll find someone else, my Lord," Angeline said. On his order, she never called him Dad. Occasionally, she addressed him as Father, but usually, he was Lord Zedd or "my Lord." He preferred it that way.

"Yes... Yes, you will, Child," he said. He looked to his obnoxious wife. "Who will replace him here?" He asked.

"It must be someone they won't notice is missing," Rita replied. "Someone we can take without causing a stir at first." She paused thoughtfully. "Ah-ha! I've got it!"

"Who is it?" Zedd asked.

"Angeline, send your monsters to the coordinates I just gave you on your mirror."

"Yes, Mother," Angeline replied.

"Watch and learn, Zeddy," Rita said. "This is going to be unforgettable!"

AISHA

She was working with one of her favorite lions when suddenly, a monster appeared. Aisha let out a cry of surprise before getting into a fight stance. Decades before, she'd switched destinies with Tanya, relinquishing her role as the Yellow Ranger so she could save people in a different way. She'd managed to remember everything from both timelines, but she hadn't had to fight a monster since.

As it attacked, Aisha defended herself. She got a few good hits in. "Just like riding a bike," she declared.

Three more monsters showed up. "What the heck is going on?" She demanded.

"Come with us, Yellow One," the first monster said.

"I'd rather not," Aisha replied. That was when one of the other monsters hit her from behind.

"Rita will be so pleased!" She heard the monster say before everything went black.

THE NEXT DAY.

JOSH

He couldn't believe it when Kenny called and told him to come by Jason's house because his father was back, but he still ran all the way there. When he stepped into the house, he saw what he'd been so certain he'd never see again... His father sat on the couch.

He was paler than usual. He had a few visible scars he hadn't had before. His eyes looked lost... But it was his father. He was alive.

"Dad..." Josh said softly. His voice cracked with emotion.

"Josh..." His father stared at him for a minute before standing up and opening his arms. Josh ran to him, suddenly a little boy again. "You're alive..." His father whispered. "You're here. You're alive. You're not dead."

"You're not either," Josh said as he hugged him.

"They told me... They told me you were dead."

"I'm okay, Dad. I promise." Josh looked into his father's eyes.

His father nodded slowly. "I missed you so much..." He whispered. "I thought I lost you."

"I thought I lost you, too," Josh replied. "But we're both here."

"Yes. We are."

It was impossible, but it was true. His father was here. They were together again.

"How have you been doing?" His father asked awkwardly.

"I'm okay," Josh said too quickly. He almost blurted out the truth. He wanted to tell him what he'd been through, but he couldn't. He knew it would destroy him, and he was afraid of it changing the way his father looked at him. He could never tell him the truth.

His father seemed to sense how troubled he was. "Josh... I know it's been a while, but if you need to talk, you can talk to me."

"I know, Dad." Josh hugged him again. "We have a lot of catching up to do."

He felt tears in his eyes as he sat beside his father. This small moment was more than he'd ever thought he'd have. He was beyond words.

"I love you, Dad," Josh said through the tears.

"I love you, too," his father replied. It seemed to surprise him that he was saying the words. Josh wondered what had happened to his father in the last three years. He was afraid of the answer, but he desperately wanted to know anyway. Whatever it was, it was clear that just like Josh was a different person now, so was his father.

TOMMY

He had spent the last several hours in a conference room with several lawyers as well as representatives from Social Services. Kat was with him, along with Trini.

"The minor boy belongs in our care until this is sorted out," one of the people from Josh's group home said.

"The will says he belongs with us," Tommy said firmly. "We have the witness here to confirm it."

The judge nodded thoughtfully. "Are you able to provide Joshua with a stable and safe environment?" He asked.

"Absolutely," Tommy said. "Josh is already like family to us. We'll do anything in our power to keep him safe. He's comfortable with us."

"Josh belongs with people who care about him, not strangers," Kat added.

"I'm inclined to agree that it is in the best interest of the boy to respect his father's wishes. He's spent enough time being bounced around in the system. There is absolutely no reason why Doctor and Mrs. Oliver should not be allowed to take him in," the judge said.

Tommy was relieved. He'd been worried this wouldn't go well. The last time they'd faced a judge to fight for Josh, they'd been told they were unfit for the job.

"But, Your Honor-" the one called Ian objected.

"My decision is final. It is always in the best interest of a child to see that they are in a home. The Olivers have proven they have an adequate home. They're already raising a child who seems very well-adjusted from her school records. She's active in the community and by all accounts, she's a very happy young lady. I believe that the Olivers are more than capable of providing Joshua with an environment he can thrive in," the judge insisted.

"Thank you, Your Honor," Tommy said, shaking his hand.

"It is my pleasure, Doctor Oliver. You're an outstanding member of the Angel Grove community. Joshua will be lucky to have you and your wife for support."

As they left, Tommy smiled. "Thanks, Trini," he said.

"Of course," Trini said. "I'm just glad it went well."

"Do you want to come by tonight?"

"I can't. I promised Jason I'd spend some time at his place."

"Okay. I'll see you soon, then." Tommy hugged her. Trini hugged Kat as well before going to her rental car and driving away.

"We did it," he said to Kat after a moment.

"We did," she agreed.

"Look... I know things are bad between us, Kat, but we'll get through them. The important thing right now is to focus on being here for Josh. He's been through a lot."

"Don't worry. Josh is my priority as well. And at least he's in this country..."

"Kat-"

"Forget it. Let's just get home so we can tell him the good news."

"He's at Jason's. Billy agreed to see him."

Kat softened. "Do you think Billy will let us see him soon?"

"I don't know. Jason said he's in rough shape. Apparently, he attacked him... But he'll come around, Kat. Billy's strong. I know he'll come back from this."

She nodded. "Let's go. I'm going to make something for dinner so Josh can eat when he gets home."

They reached their car. Tommy opened the door for her out of habit before walking around to his side of the car and getting in. They drove in an awkward silence. Tommy tried not to dwell on that. They'd won. After three long years, they were finally going to be able to help Josh. That was the only thing that currently mattered.

When Kat got out of the car, Tommy pulled out the communicator he used to call the team. He dialed Katie. "Hey, Dad. What's up?" She answered.

"We did it, Katie," he said. "We got custody of Josh officially. He never has to go back to that place."

"Awesome!" Katie replied. "I'm so glad to hear that."

"So when will you be coming home?"

"Is she still there?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then not yet. I'm not coming back until she's gone, Dad."

He sighed. "How can you two work things out if you won't talk to her?"

"She should have thought of that before she started acting like an asshole."

He couldn't argue with her. Kat was acting like an asshole lately. "I miss you, Punk."

"I miss you, too, Dad."

When they disconnected, Tommy closed his eyes and tried to think. He missed Katie more than anything, but he knew how stubborn she was. She really wouldn't come home if she didn't want to. For the first time, Tommy considered that he might really have to choose between his wife and his daughter. He knew what his choice would be, but that didn't make it any easier to accept.

He cleared the thought from his mind as Kat called out to the car. "Can you pick up butter? We don't have enough," she said.

"Sure," he replied. He welcomed the excuse to drive away for a little bit. He hoped that when he returned home, Kat would magically start acting like the woman he'd fallen in love with so many years before and that she'd find a way to fix this mess. He desperately wished it would be that easy, but he knew better. This was starting to feel like the end of the line for them.