TRINI

The last thing she'd expected was to get a call from the United States in the middle of the night. She recognized the area code and answered it quickly, concerned something terrible might have happened. The last time someone had called her in the middle of the night, she'd been told that her beloved friend Billy had been killed in a freak explosion.

Cautiously, Trini picked up the phone, trying to brace herself for whoever might be calling. "Hello?" She answered.

"Trini? It's Katie... Katie Oliver?" Katie replied.

"Tommy's little girl?" Trini asked.

"Not so little anymore. I need your help."

"Katie, it's the middle of the night here... What's wrong?"

"Sorry! I wasn't sure of the time difference. I should have checked. Look, Trini... Were you the witness to Billy's will?"

That had come out of left field. Trini paused. "Yes, Katie, I was. Why do you ask?"

"Do you have a copy?"

"No. Billy only kept one copy, and it was in his safe. He had this impressive safe in the basement that no one could break into. What's going on?"

"It's Josh, Trini... Josh is living in a group home, and it's awful, and we need that will to get him back."

"A group home? He was supposed to live with your parents!" Trini was horrified. Sweet little Josh was stuck in some group home with strangers? How had that happened?

"My parents tried to get custody. They were denied. So were Kim, Jason, and my aunt and uncle."

"Oh God... Poor Josh! What can I do?"

"Help us find it? You were a witness. You can verify if it's real once we do have it."

"Of course..."

"How soon can you come back to the States?"

"Give me a few hours... I need to talk to my husband and make sure he can take care of the kids for a while."

"Okay. Thank you so much, Trini. Josh is really in trouble. He needs help."

"Billy loved that boy more than anything. It's the least I can do."

"Um... Speaking of Billy... Trini, are you sitting down?"

"I am now..." She sat, not sure what shocking news Katie might be ready to throw at her.

"It turns out that Billy's not as dead as we thought."

"What?" Trini dropped her phone. It took her a minute to pick it back up. "I'm sorry... Did you just say...?"

"Billy's alive. Aunt Casey admitted she's been keeping it from us because of some stupid hippie reason I don't care about. There's no reason that's good enough. But you needed to know that before you came home."

"Are... Are you sure?"

"Yeah. We don't know where he is... But he's alive, Trini. And I'm going to find a way to bring him home."

When they hung up, Trini rushed to pack a bag. Her husband slept like the dead, but she woke him up now. "Cho... I have to go back to Angel Grove for a while," she said.

"What? Trini... What's going on?" He asked, trying to shake off his grogginess.

"I just found out two things... My friend Billy's son is living in a group home because they never found his will, and I'm the only witness who can try to help. Also... Billy may not be dead."

"Trini... I know his death upset you, but-"

"It seems he was declared dead without proof... And if he's out there... Billy is one of my oldest friends, Cho. I have to help him."

"I understand. How long will you be gone?"

"I'm not sure... Will you be able to manage without me for a bit?"

"I see how important this is to you. Take whatever time you need."

She kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Trini booked a flight she could make that wouldn't require her to leave before the kids woke up. She needed to say goodbye to them, especially since she wasn't sure how long she'd be gone. She hated to leave them, but this was about Billy. She had to help.

KIMBERLY

She'd been surprised when Tommy called and told her to go see him because they needed to talk. She had made him wait because Kenny had a gymnastics competition. After watching her son perform exceptionally well and earn a silver medal, Kimberly had gone to see Tommy.

"Kim... This is going to be hard to hear," Tommy began.

"Just tell me. What's wrong?" Kimberly asked.

"It's Billy, Kim... Billy's alive."

Kimberly stared at him. "That's not funny," she said.

"I'm not kidding." Tommy looked into her eyes and Kimberly knew he was serious.

"How?" She asked. She'd grieved for Billy for three years, but she'd secretly hoped this moment would come. That didn't mean she was ready to believe it was really happening.

"We don't know yet... Casey finally admitted she's known all along."

"Your sister knew? How could she just lie about something this important?"

"She didn't lie... She withheld." Tommy paused, then sighed. "Okay, it's the same thing. I'm sorry, Kim. I had no idea."

"Of course you didn't... You'd never have kept that from the rest of us." She shook her head. "You're sure?" She asked. "You're positive he's still alive?" She knew there were tears in her eyes.

Tommy nodded. "Yeah, Kim. We're positive."

"Oh my God..." She closed her eyes, trying not to imagine what horrible things Billy must be going through to keep him away from Josh. Tommy pulled her into his arms. His embrace was familiar and safe and Kimberly allowed herself to get lost in it for a moment. No matter what happened in their lives, Tommy had always been there for her. Even after she'd stupidly broken his heart with a poorly thought-out Dear John letter, he'd continued to be her rock whenever she needed him.

"I know this is a lot to handle," Tommy said gently, holding her even closer.

Kimberly forced herself to pull away from him. She needed answers, not hugs, no matter how comforting they were. "Where is he? We have to bring him home!"

"Casey doesn't think we can."

"I don't care! It's Billy, Tommy! We're not just leaving him lost for eternity!"

"I agree. Katie's determined to find him. So is Josh."

"He knows? Oh my God... Is he alright?"

"He's safe. He ran off when Casey told him the truth, but Katie and I found him. He's at the Command Center until we can figure out a way to legally keep him from going back to the group home."

"That poor kid... He's been through so much, Tommy."

"More than we know, I'm guessing." He sighed.

A new person joined them in the park. "Hey," Jason said. "What's up?"

"Jason..." Tommy began.

"Billy's alive!" Kimberly blurted out.

Jason stared at both of them for a moment before turning unreadable. Kimberly was mildly amused at the way Jason could still flip the switch into Red Ranger mode when things turned serious. "Where is he and what's our plan?"

"We don't know, and we have no plan," Tommy admitted. "Except that Katie's on it... But my kid's not a planner. She tends to act on instinct and impulse."

"Much like someone else we all know," Jason said. "Well, whatever happens, we're bringing him home."

Kimberly knew she should go home, but she was too shaken up to deal with Mark. She looked at Jason. "Can I crash with you tonight? I don't know how to explain this to Mark, and I just... I need a night to process it," she said.

"Sure, Kim. You know you're always welcome. Becky's out of town anyway. She'll be gone for the next month," Jason replied. "I don't mind the company."

"Thanks. Just let me call home." She stepped away and dialed Mark's number.

"Where are you?" Mark answered.

"I told you I was meeting up with someone quick," Kimberly replied. "I need to stay over Jason's tonight. He needs a babysitter."

"Can't he hire someone?"

"He's in a bind, Mark, and you know I love his boys."

"Fine, fine... Just come home tomorrow?"

"Of course. I love you."

"Love you, too." Mark hung up. Kimberly hoped he wasn't drinking. Sometimes it was hard to tell over the phone.

"Come on, Kim. You look like you need some rest," Jason said.

Kimberly looked toward Tommy, but she wasn't sure what to say. "We'll get him back, Kim," Tommy said, reading her thoughts. "I promise you, we'll find a way."

JOSH

He had tried not to sleep. He knew what would happen if he did. Unfortunately, exhaustion finally made him black out. He dreamed of the group home. He was alone, in a dark room, helpless.

"Let me make it all better," Ian said in the dark.

"No..." Josh whispered.

"It's okay. I can fix you. Everything's alright, Josh. Don't be afraid. I care about you very much." He could feel his hands on him. He could feel other things as well. Somewhere nearby, Kevin and the other boys laughed at him. Ian's hands undressed him.

"Stop!" Josh screamed. "Stop it! No!"

"Take it like a man, Baby Boy..." Ian said seductively. "You know this makes you feel better."

"No!" Josh screamed again. "No, stop! Don't!"

"Aye-yi-yi!" Alpha suddenly said. Josh jumped awake as Alpha shook him. "Josh? Are you alright, Josh? You were screaming," Alpha said.

"I... Yes," Josh said quickly. "It was just a bad dream."

"Was it about the explosion?"

That was the easiest answer, so Josh nodded. "Yeah. I guess I still have some PTSD." That was true. Josh often panicked when things exploded in battle. He tried not to, but sometimes it was very hard for him. He was freezing up less often, but the fear always hit regardless.

"Josh... Would you like me to get Zordon?"

"No!" Josh said too quickly. The idea of being around any adult male right now was too much for him. Alpha was a robot, so that didn't count.

"Zordon can help, Josh. He won't hurt you."

"I just... I'm okay. It's normal. I have nightmares every night." Sometimes, they really were about the explosion, but not always... He almost preferred those dreams. Horrible as they were, they were in the past. What was happening with Ian was current and until now, he'd never thought he would escape from it.

"Aye-yi-yi! No wonder you resisted sleeping... But how can I help you, Josh?"

"Just let me rest. I'll be fine." Josh wasn't sure if that was true, but he refused to tell Alpha what was really going on. No one knew about the things Ian had done to him, and he didn't intend on letting anyone find out. Ever.

THE NEXT DAY.

KENNY

His competition hadn't gone well. He'd worked his butt off, but he'd still only come in second. Silver wasn't good enough for his father or his coach. They'd been working him all day. Only his mother had been proud of him, and unfortunately, she wasn't around. Kenny was dizzy. He hadn't stopped to eat all day.

He swayed a bit as Katie came in. "Jeez, Kenny... Again?" She asked.

"Kenny needs to practice," his coach said. "Please leave."

"You've been here all day, Kenny. Come on. You've done enough."

"Katie, just go. I'm fine," Kenny insisted.

"No, you're not."

"Mind your business, Katie. Go run along like a good girl," his father said. Kenny groaned inwardly. That kind of condescending conversation wouldn't end well.

"I'm almost done," Kenny insisted.

"I'm coming back in an hour. If you're still here, I'm dragging you out by your ear," Katie said after glaring at his father.

Kenny started working even harder. He was on the bars now. He under-rotated on his dismount and fell. He cursed under his breath. "This garbage is what you call hard work?" His father demanded. "You can do better!"

"I'm sorry, Dad... I just... I need to eat. I'm starving," Kenny said. "Can I call it a night? I promise I'll work twice as hard tomorrow."

"That attitude won't get you to the Olympics," his coach said harshly. He threw his hands up in frustration. "I'm done for tonight. Do what you want." He marched off.

"Do it again," his father said.

Kenny reluctantly got back on the bars. As he was trying to get himself moving, he slipped. His body was too exhausted. He landed hard, and his father made no move to help him. Kenny finally stood on his own.

"I'm leaving, Dad," he said. He began to walk away.

"Don't you dare!" His father said. "Do it again! Do it until you get it right!"

"No. I'm endangering myself. I'm too exhausted."

His father slapped him hard across the face before Kenny could see it coming and duck. Normally when his dad was drunk, Kenny's reflexes were quicker. He touched his face before rushing out of the gym.

"Who the fuck hit you?" Katie demanded as he ran outside.

"It's nothing, Katie," he insisted.

"Don't even! His hand print is on your face!"

"Dad's just a little too drunk."

She pulled out her phone. "Dad? Can you come get Kenny? Quickly? Have Alpha teleport you." She hung up.

Moments later, Tommy appeared. "What's wrong?" He asked. Then he saw Kenny's face.

"Take him back to our place. He's not going home tonight," Katie said. Kenny didn't argue and neither did Tommy. They walked away, leaving Katie to do God only knew what.

KATIE

"You like hitting kids, Asshole?" She demanded as she walked into the gym.

"I told you to mind your business," Mark said sharply.

"You hit my friend. That is my business!" She hit him before he could see it coming. He stumbled backward and stared at her. Then, he tried to hit her. Katie laughed in his face and gave him a beating he wouldn't soon forget.

It was all fun and games until the sirens came. "She assaulted me!" Mark cried out to the police officers who filed in.

"You're under arrest," a cop informed her.

This was just her luck. Katie let them take her to the precinct, but as soon as she was alone in a cell, she teleported out. She knew the one safe place she could go, so that was where she went.

"Katie?" Jayden asked in surprise.

"Hey... Did you miss me?" She asked before kissing him. Her boyfriend was part of a different team of Power Rangers, and no one knew about him. She had worked especially hard to make sure her father didn't find out she was dating someone, especially since Jayden was a couple of years older than her.

"You know I missed you," Jayden said.

"So, I sort of got arrested for beating the hell out of my friend's dad. Can I hide here for a bit?"

Jayden laughed. "You would. Sure, Katie. You're always welcome."

"Good."

"Did you tell your parents?"

"Not exactly."

"Call them, Katie. They'll be worried sick."

She shrugged and decided he was probably right. She called her father first. "How's Kenny?" She asked.

"He's not saying much," her father replied.

"He'll be okay... But um... Dad, I'm sort of not in the country."

"What?"

"I got arrested, and I teleported out of jail."

"You did what?!"

"I beat the hell out of Mark."

Her father sighed. "He's the one who hit Kenny?" He guessed.

"Yeah."

"I wish the kid had told me that. Katie, why didn't you call me?"

"I'm calling you now."

"Next time you get arrested, call the grown-ups before you flee the country. Are you safe?"

"Very safe."

"Fine. I expect you home tomorrow."

"I'll come home once you straighten this out."

"I'm holding you to that."

"Love you, Dad."

"I love you, too, Punk."

After he hung up, Katie called her mother. "Are you serious? Katherine, come home right this instant!" Her mother shouted. Katie hated when her mom called her that. Literally no one else ever did.

"I can't," Katie argued. "But I'm safe, alright?"

"Where are you?"

"Safe. That's all I'm telling you."

"I'm the parent, Katie! Tell me where you are!"

"I'm fine, Mom."

"Katie, you don't get to just run away! You're not acting like much of a leader right now."

Katie suddenly felt herself become overwhelmed with anger. "Excuse me? You've never led a team! You're one to talk!"

"You're not mature enough to lead if you think this is okay!"

"You know what? Screw you, Mom! I've never given you a reason to doubt me! I've never screwed up, and hell, I've never been evil! That's more than you can say!"

"Katie! How dare you?!"

"How dare you insinuate I'm not a good leader? I'm the only one out of you, me, and Dad who has never been evil. Why would you treat me like you can't trust me? Why is my word not good enough for you?"

"You come home right now, Young Lady!"

"No!" Katie hung up.

"Rough conversation?" Jayden asked in concern.

"I think I'm going to stay for longer than I initially planned. I'm going to be there if my team calls, but other than that... I'm not going home until she stops being a lunatic."

"Well... I guess it's a good thing we have comfortable beds here," Jayden said with a smile. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her again. "Stay as long as you like."

That was entirely too tempting. She thought the change of scenery might be good, and maybe she'd figure out a way to find Billy. That mattered more than anything else.

KIMBERLY

She had fallen asleep on Jason's couch, but now she was in the guest room. She assumed he'd moved her up there and tucked her in. Jason could be incredibly sweet to her when she was having a rough time. She'd planned to go home, but she had passed out before she could. Now, she woke up to the sound of her cell phone ringing.

"Katie?" She asked as she answered it. "What's wrong?"

"Kim, Dad just called me... I need you to get between him and your husband," Katie said.

"Wait, what? What happened?"

"I sort of beat the hell out of your husband and now he's flipping out on Dad and threatening to call the cops because he 'kidnapped' Kenny."

"Back up. What do you mean you beat Mark up?"

"Kimberly... He hit Kenny."

Kimberly froze. Her heart shattered. She'd known Mark was abusive to her, but he'd always been a saint around Kenny. He never touched him in front of her.

"He hit my son?" She demanded.

"Yeah. Him and the coach were working Kenny so hard, Kenny didn't eat. When I got him to leave, Mark hit him," Katie said.

"Thank you for telling me that. I'll take care of it." Kimberly had never been so full of rage in her life. It was a foreign sensation. She said a quick goodbye to Jason before hurrying to Tommy's house.

"Kim! He kidnapped Kenny!" Mark said. "I called the police."

"You hit my son!" Kimberly cried out before throwing the hardest punch she'd ever thrown in her life. Mark stumbled backward. His hand reached up to his nose. Kimberly was pretty sure it was broken, and she was ready to do worse if he tried to touch her.

Mark stared at her. "You... You hit me?" He asked.

"Yes, Mark. It's called karma."

The police arrived and Kimberly knew she was in trouble. "That crazy bitch broke my nose!" Mark told them.

They looked from him to her. She shrugged. "He hit my son," she said again. "I was defending myself. He's abusive. He's been hitting me for years." It was hard to say, especially in front of Tommy.

"You son of a bitch!" Tommy shouted. He lunged toward Mark.

"Tommy, no!" Kat said, grabbing his arm. "He's not worth it."

"Okay, you're both under arrest," one of the cops decided. "We'll sort this out at the precinct."

"Can you guys keep Kenny tonight?" Kimberly asked.

"Of course we can," Tommy said.

"It's no problem," Kat added.

Kimberly nodded as they forced her into one cop car and put her husband in the other. It was going to be a very long night. When they arrived at the precinct, she looked at Mark. "I want a divorce," she told him firmly.

"Kim... No, baby... We can work this out," Mark said. "I'm sorry."

"Your chance to apologize went out the window the second I found out you hit Kenny. Go to hell."

"He was being defiant."

"I don't even want to hear your excuses. Nothing is going to excuse you putting your hands on him. I never want to see you again."

"You have nowhere to go!"

Kimberly tried not to panic. Her parents would never take her in. She knew that. That left Tommy and Kat or Jason and Becky. She couldn't ask Kat to allow her to stay in her house like that. It wasn't fair. She decided Jason would be her best option.

"I have more choices than you think," Kimberly said, realizing it was true. She hated herself for staying with Mark for so long. It was time to do right by her son. She was never going back to Mark, no matter what.

ONE WEEK LATER.

KATIE

She'd been enjoying her time away too much. Officially, she'd left Thorn in charge of the team, but she'd told him to call her if they needed her. He hadn't called. Katie hoped he wasn't trying to handle everything on his own.

All charges had been dropped. Katie refused to go home because of her mother, and she'd made that clear to her father. He wasn't happy about it, but seeing as how he had no idea where she was, he couldn't do much.

She'd been in touch with Josh and Kenny. Although Kenny was upset his mom now knew his father had been hitting him, he understood why she'd had to tell her and he wasn't mad at her. Josh was still in hiding. He was working on trying to track his father's safe. Trini was helping him as much as she could.

"Billy's got to be in another realm," Katie said aloud. "So how do I reach him?"

"I'm not sure," Jayden said. "But if I can help, just tell me what to do."

"I think I have to do this on my own."

"What about your team?"

"If this place is awful enough to make Aunt Casey lie to us all for three years, I'm thinking my team would be safer here."

"Katie... Please be careful."

"I will be." She kissed him. Suddenly, something came back to her. "The Turbo Falcon Zord... It can tear open wormholes. It has to be tamed, though... It only helps people it trusts."

"You're talking about taming a wild Zord?"

"Yeah. So?" She grinned. "It'll be fun." She knew taming a wild Zord would be the easy part... Getting to Billy was going to be more difficult. She had no idea what she was walking into.

BILLY

Sometimes, he had powerful dreams when he wasn't in the place that made him forget everything. It was probably all in his head, but it was hard to tell. That night, he saw someone he didn't expect.

"Billy?" She asked. "It's me, Billy. It's Katie."

He had to think hard. Who was Katie again? "I'm sorry... I have some memory issues," he said.

"I'm Tommy and Kat's daughter," she said carefully. "Do you remember me?"

"I... I'm not certain."

"It doesn't matter. I'm coming for you, Billy. I'm going to find you."

"No one can find me. I'm lost."

"Not if I can help it." She looked at him. "I'll find you, Billy. I promise. Just hang on... Hang on for Josh."

He froze. "Josh is dead."

Katie looked startled. "No, Billy. Josh is alive."

"Liar! You're trying to trick me!" He shook his head. "My son is dead. They showed me... They told me... He's... He's gone. He's dead. I killed him."

"Billy, no! Listen to me! Josh is alive. He's at the Command Center. He's safe."

"That's not possible!"

"I'll prove it to you... When I get you back. I'll take you to him."

"You can't come after me." He remembered her now, somewhat. It was starting to come back. She was Josh's friend. "I'll hurt you... All of you... I don't want to."

"You won't hurt me, Billy."

"You don't know what's in my head!"

"I know what's in your heart. You won't hurt me."

"You don't know me anymore, Katie!"

She looked nervous as he snapped at her. "I'll find you, Billy. I'm going to help you. You're going to be alright," she insisted.

"I have to go. They're coming."

"Billy, no-"

He looked up and saw Merkhet standing over him. "Soon, you can meet our Sorceress," she said. "She's not ready yet... But she needs to see you. She needs to understand..."

"Yes, Merkhet," Billy replied.

As he began remembering more, the commands hit him. He had to destroy them all... Every last one of them. It was his destiny.

Fight, a small voice in his mind urged him. Don't give in to them.

Billy was so tired of fighting... But he couldn't give up yet. He had to try to hold on. If Josh was alive... If it was somehow true... He had to get back to his son.

TANYA

She watched as her daughter trained with Jason. Maddie adored him so much. Tanya sometimes wished she hadn't kept the truth from everyone. She couldn't stop her mind from flashing back.

"Jason," she said with excitement as he walked up to her.

Jason pulled her into his arms and swung her around like he'd started doing when they were in high school. "Oh, T, it's great to see you!" He told her.

"It's good to see you, too," Tanya replied. She was smiling like she always did around Jason. He was a very close friend of hers, and over the years, they'd had an on-again-off-again relationship. Every time he came back to town, that old flame seemed to rekindle. He'd been gone for three months this time.

"You'll never guess what happened when I went to Tampa!"

"What?" His news couldn't be as great as hers, but she was willing to let him go first.

"I met this girl, and... And I think she's the one, T. I mean, for the first time in my life, I'm considering settling down."

Just like that, Tanya's smile faltered. Her heart ached. She wasn't sure what to do. She knew Jason wasn't the monogamous type. She hadn't expected him to declare himself her boyfriend or propose or anything... But now he seemed so happy. How could she destroy that?

"I'm really happy you're happy, Jason," she said honestly. She decided then and there that she was okay to do this on her own. She wouldn't destroy Jason's new relationship. She'd raise their baby alone.

"Are you okay, Mom?" Maddie asked with concern.

"Yeah, honey, I'm fine," Tanya lied. She'd waited so long... How could she tell them now? Many years and several children later, Jason and Becky were still together.

You have to tell them, she reminded herself. She'd kept this secret long enough. "Jason? Can we talk?" She asked him.

"Of course, T," Jason said.

"Maddie, go on home. I'll catch up."

"Okay, Mom," Maddie said. She seemed suspicious, but didn't say anything else. She gave both Tanya and Jason quick hugs goodbye before she left.

"What's going on, T?" Jason asked.

"I... There's... Jason, there's something I have to tell you. Something I should have told you before," Tanya said.

Jason raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"It's about Maddie."

"I'm listening."

"She's... Maddie's your's, Jason. She's your daughter."

Jason blinked at her for a moment. "Huh?" He finally managed to ask.

"I found out after you left, and when you came back... Well... You had just declared your love for Becky. I couldn't mess that up for you."

"Mess it up for me? Tanya! You were carrying my kid!"

"I know... And I know I should have told you... But I was so afraid of hurting you... And then I was afraid in general... I knew the more time went by, the angrier you'd be..."

"So you waited until she was sixteen? Jesus, Tanya! She's almost a legal adult!" He shook his head. "How could you keep this from me?"

"I... I thought it was the right thing at the time."

"It wasn't! Does she know?"

"No. I wanted to tell you first."

"Holy shit... Holy shit, she's my kid... I have a daughter... Oh my God..." He shook his head again.

"She's a great kid, Jason."

"I know that! I love the girl to death... But I missed out on so much, Tanya! Because you lied to me."

"You never asked. Who else did you think I was sleeping with? I wasn't as wild as you, Jason. I didn't sleep around much. You were the only one at that point."

"Oh God... I'm a damn idiot..." He sighed. "Let me tell her. She should hear it from me."

"I'm her mother."

"And I'm apparently her father, and I'm just as shocked as she will be, so she should hear it from me. Alright?"

"Okay..." Tanya sighed. "Do you hate me?"

Jason softened. "T... I could never hate you... Especially now that I know you had my baby... An amazing little girl who's literally everything I always wanted in a daughter. I'm pissed, but I can't hate you. You did a really good job with her... I just wish I'd been there for more of it."

"I do, too. I was wrong to keep it from you, Jason. I'm sorry."

"I guess I'll have to start making up for it now." He shook his head. "I'll talk to her... And then, somehow, I'll figure out how to tell Becky. That may need to wait until she comes home. I'm not sure that's an over-the-phone kind of conversation."

Tanya was surprised when he hugged her. "Thank you for finally telling me," he said.

"You deserved to know," she replied.

"She's amazing, Tanya... And I've been incredibly proud of her anyway... But now I'm proud to be her father, too." He paused. "Now we know where she gets her Martial Arts skills from," he added with a grin.

Tanya smiled back at him. Maybe things would be okay after all.

MADDIE

She was surprised when Jason called and asked her to meet him at their favorite dinner spot. Still, she quickly left the house and headed there.

Jason stared at her for several moments before seemingly recovering from some form of shock. "Maddie, we need to have a pretty serious conversation," he said after a minute.

"Okay. What's up? Is this about my mom? She was acting really weird," Maddie said.

"Sort of... Your mother told me something I didn't know... Something you don't know, either."

"Are you going to fill me in?"

"Maddie... Have you ever wondered where you come from?"

"I come from Angel Grove," she said with a laugh.

"No, I mean... Did you ever wonder who your father was?"

"Yeah, I guess... It's never been a big deal to me. Mom's great." It was odd to be having this conversation again.

"What would you do if I told you I know who he is?"

"I'd say the apocalypse came if Mom actually told someone... But cool. Who is he? Do you know him?"

"Oh, yeah... I know him pretty well."

"Awesome. So who is it?"

"It's me, Maddie. I'm your father."

Her jaw dropped. That had been the last thing she'd expected to hear. "Wait... Seriously?" She asked. She loved Jason. He'd always been like a surrogate father to her anyway... But if this was true... It might change everything.

"Yeah. Trust me, I was just as surprised as you are."

"Jason... Or... Dad, I guess... Am I supposed to call you Dad now?"

"Well, Maddie, I guess that's up to you. Sixteen years of calling me Jason might be a hard habit to break... But if you want to call me Dad, I'd be okay with that."

"I don't know. I guess we'll just stick with Jason for now and see what happens."

"That's fair."

"Does this mean things have to get awkward between us now?"

"No. Not at all. We've always been close, Maddie. If anything, this just explains why I'm so attached to you."

"You're attached to me?"

"Very. I'm surprised you hadn't noticed."

"Mom's really got some explaining to do..."

"She does... For now, though, you have me to help you get through this, okay?"

"Okay." She looked at his face, studying it, trying to see herself in there. She'd always looked like her mom, but she'd never considered she might look like her dad, too. If there was a resemblance, she couldn't spot it, but that was probably because she was still in shock.

"Are we cool, Maddie?"

"Yeah. We're cool." She smiled. "As far as Dads go, you're one of the best ones I've ever met. Your boys love you... Holy shit, I have four brothers!" She clapped her hands over her mouth. "Sorry."

"Hey, you've cursed in front of me before. No need for it to be weird now."

"Did I ever tell you that you reproduce like a bunny?"

He laughed. She smiled, realizing she'd had her father's laugh in her life this entire time and hadn't known it. "Once or twice," he said. "I guess it's even more true now, huh? Five kids is a lot."

"But I'm you're only girl."

"That's right. And that makes you particularly special, Maddie."

"I mean, as far as we know... Unless you have an army of illegitimate kids out there," she teased him.

"Not as far as I'm aware," he said with a laugh.

"Jason... Can I hug you?"

"Always. You never had to ask before. Why should you ask now?"

"Because now I'm your daughter... And this is the first time I'm hugging you since we both found out... And that makes it special, I guess." She hugged him. It didn't feel any different than usual. Jason's arms were safe and comforting, but now she knew he was her father. It didn't have to change anything. "I'm glad it's you," she whispered.

"Me, too, Kiddo," he replied. He hugged her tighter and Maddie knew they'd be alright.

THE NEXT DAY.

ZEKE

Everything had gone insane. Zeke was mildly annoyed that Katie had decided to name Thorn as the temporary leader of the team. He was the Red Ranger. Shouldn't that be his job if Katie and Sage were both unable to be there? Still, he saw how much Thorn was struggling with his new role.

"Dude... Call Katie," Zeke said.

"No... No, she's busy," Thorn insisted.

"Don't be a dumbass. She said to call if we needed backup. That monster just grew to, like, six times its original size. It's time to call her."

Thorn hesitated. Kenny took a hit to the chest and stumbled backward. Josh grabbed him and steadied him just before he got knocked off of a cliff. "Dude! It's time!" Zeke said again.

Thorn nodded. He opened up his communicator. "Katie, we need you!" He said.

Within seconds, Katie appeared in full morph. "Finally!" She said. "I was starting to think you guys didn't need me anymore."

"Yay! Katie's back!" Maddie said.

"For now," Katie clarified.

"Girl, we need to talk! You have no idea what I just found out."

"Cool. We'll do that after we kick this monster's ass."

"Sounds good."

They called the Zords. Even without Sage, they could form the Megazord because the Dragonzord wasn't part of it. Katie manned the White Tigerzord. Together, they attacked the monster. It vanished quickly, but was immediately replaced by something worse.

"Holy shit... What is that?" Zeke asked.

"I am Killer Bee!" The monster declared. It looked like a giant bee and Zeke wasn't happy about it. He was deathly allergic to stings from regular bees... What would happen if a giant monster stung him?

The bee attacked hard and Zeke tried not to have a complete and total meltdown. Maybe Katie's instincts had been right. If bee monsters reduced him to a pathetic wimp, why should he be trusted to lead? He frowned, hating how inadequate he suddenly felt.

"White Tigerzord, coming in with the swatter!" Katie declared. She literally had a giant fly swatter in her Zord's hands.

"Seriously?" Zeke asked aloud.

"Squish goes the monster!" Katie said as she swung the fly swatter and the bee slammed into a wall. It let out a final pathetic buzz before dying. "Boo-yah! That's how it's done!"

"God, I missed you," Kenny said. As they left their Zords, everyone rushed to Katie.

"When are you coming home?" Josh asked.

"When my mom gets her head out of her ass... So possibly never," Katie said. "But I have your backs, guys. Always."

"We know," Zeke said. "Where are you hiding out, anyway?"

"With my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" Zeke and Maddie asked in unison.

"Yep. I have one of those. Surprise."

"Okay, now we really need to talk!" Maddie said. "I'm buying you coffee before you leave so we can chat." She led her away.

"Girls..." Zeke mumbled. "Come on, guys. Let's get some food. My treat."

"You had me at your treat," Thorn said.

"He had me at food," Kenny said. "I'm starving."

"I can't," Josh said. "I should head back to the Command Center... I can't risk being seen."

"Then we'll bring you dinner," Zeke insisted. He felt bad for Josh. His situation sucked, and the fact that they now knew his dad was somewhere beyond their reach didn't help.

"I'm okay-"

"You need to eat. I've got you." Zeke might not be the team leader, but he was determined to make sure everyone was taking care of themselves. Right now, Josh needed extra help in that department, and he was happy to provide it. As much as he liked to pretend to be a jerk, Zeke was actually a very nice guy.

Thirty minutes later, armed with entirely too much food, a computer that played movies, and a library of digital movies, Zeke walked into the Command Center with Kenny and Thorn. Josh looked surprised he'd actually shown up. Zeke put on a movie as they ate, and for the first time in what was probably way too long, Josh smiled and seemed to relax. If Zeke had accomplished that much, he knew he could truly handle anything the world threw his way. Maybe he was ready to be a leader after all. He smiled at the thought before giving his full attention to the movie on his computer.