Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Megaforce. This story is fan-made.

Author's Note: This is not where the Megaforce series starts. If you want to read the series without getting lost, I suggest you read my stories in the order they appear:

No To Date Nights - The Party Night - Project Partners - Megaforce: Lives Behind The Masks - Prom Night - A Trip To Remember - First Meetings - Something She Loves – Protective Morans – Samurai In Harwood County – Rainy Days – Luck Had Nothing To Do With It – Ranger Support – Parents and Children – Hero Without The Spandex – Emma's Night – Emma's Mother – Bait And Switch – After Death – A Stormy Day – A Date For Tensou – A Mother's Advice – Mending Fences – Executioner Named Revenge –Those Three Words – On The Fourth Day – Babysitting – Tiger- A Fresh Start – On the Mountains – Looking Ahead – The Rangers' Recovery – Daughter's Nightmare – Megaforce: With Great Power –Cookies – The Babysitters: Jake and Gia – Better Off With The Burrows – A Hard Journey – The Messenger

Living in the command center was different than Emma thought it would be. She knew not to expect it to feel like home, especially not right away, but she hadn't predicted it would feel so cold.

Gosei was absent. His face was still hung on the wall and loomed over her whenever she was out in the main room, but Tensou said he needed time to recover from having some of his life force drained. Emma wasn't sure what he meant, but decided not to ask. She sometimes questioned her Ranger mentor but knew he had a reason for everything he did and was certain he would be back when they needed him.

Tensou spent most of his days working on a new project. The Armada the Messenger had warned them about was getting closer to Earth, and as a result Tensou was able to pick up some of their signatures and analyse them. He had already informed the Rangers that they were far more powerful that anything the Earth had seen before. As such, the Rangers were going to need a lot more fire power than what they had presently.

Gia hated living in the command center more than Emma, and so she spent most of her days with Jake or the others in the city. Even when she was home and Emma had someone to talk to, the cave just didn't feel warm or inviting. The girls each had a bed in the side room to sleep in, and every night up to date Emma had to crawl in with Gia because she felt so cold and lonely.

She wouldn't even keep in touch with Jordan anymore. She explained her fears to him and though he seemed doubtful that ending all communication would be good for her, he did as he was asked. Unbeknownst to her, Jordan and Gia were keeping in touch.

Gia hated going behind Emma's back. All this had only been set up because Emma didn't want to put any of her loved ones in danger, but Jordan had insisted to her that for his own peace of mind, he needed to get updates on his girlfriend. Gia tried not to tell him too much, and struck a deal that if Jordan texted her only once a week to see how Emma was doing, Gia would keep a close eye on the pink Ranger. Jordan accepted the deal – mostly because Gia had sent him a series of emoticons that told him exactly how she would kill him if he refused.

Despite still having her friends to talk to, and a school life to keep up with, Emma cut herself off from everyone. She would leave the command center to go to school, but she hardly spoke up anymore, even after Dr. Oliver assured her that he knew of the coming danger and his life being at risk was always a part of being a Ranger, and had nothing to do with her. When the others would head to the Brainfreeze after class, Emma would go straight home. Gia invited her out every day, but nothing could convince her to leave.

With Tensou still at work on his new project, and Gia out, Emma was alone again. She sat at the table where she and Gia would eat dinner and flipped through the pages of the only photo album she brought with her. It was the only possession she had that linked her to her family. She hadn't wanted to take it with her, but before she and Gia left the house for the last time, Gia snuck it in her bag. Emma had been furious with her at the time, but was now grateful she had it. She wouldn't have made it a single night without the album.

She was staring at the pictures of her teaching her mother to ride a bike when she heard footsteps coming into the command center. She looked up and saw all her friends walking in. The boys stopped close to the door but Gia went right up to the table and ripped the photo album from her hands.

"We're going skating."

"Give it back."

"You're coming with," Gia insisted. Emma shook her head.

"I don't want to go out. I told you, I'm fine…"

"You're not fine. Aside from going to school, it's been days since you've seen the sun. It's a nice day, you love being outside, so you're going out. End of story."

"But…"

"Don't you dare but me," Gia tossed the photo album to Jake and leaned against the table. She looked Emma right in the eyes. "I'm eighteen, you're seventeen. I'm yellow, you're pink. That puts me in charge and makes me responsible for your well-being. You're going outside, you're going to have fun, or I'm going to make you."

Emma crossed her arms over her chest. Gia knew how to put the fear of God into most people, but Emma wasn't scared of her. She knew Gia wouldn't hurt her.

"I'm fine."

Gia leaned in a little closer and her expression darkened, almost to the point where she looked exactly like an angry Vanessa. That was a little more terrifying to Emma.

"Do you want to try that again?"

Emma grumbled. She pushed out her chair and got to her feet. Gia gave her a satisfied smirk and offered her her jacket, hat, and mittens.

"You're not in charge," Emma muttered as she slipped on her winter clothes. "You just happen to be older and no one voted for a second-in-command."

Gia turned to the boys and they all slowly raised their hands. Emma knew what they meant, realized she was outvoted and grumbled.

"This is stupid."

"Come on, Emma. I miss home too, and I worry about our moms all the time but… sulking in here isn't going to do us any good. Even Troy gets out to socialize."

"Hey!"

"Dude, you are theteam loner," Jake chuckled and tapped his arm.

"This just… sucks more than I thought it would," Emma said as she zipped up her jacket. She looked to Gia. The yellow Ranger nodded her head.

"Yeah, I know. But trust me, getting out makes it feel a lot better."

"What if we run into them? If we're out in the city, there's a chance we see each other and…"

"Actually, your moms are out of town, already," Jake said. "Dad tried calling the other day to invite them for dinner. I think he's getting a little lonely himself, actually."

"They told him?" Emma frowned. "But we aren't supposed to know where they are! That's the point…"

"They're only in a temporary place until they find somewhere better. Though I doubt they could," Jake smirked and then looked to Gia as if to ask for permission. She sighed and nodded her head.

"Fine. It's not like we really know where they are anyways."

"Apparently, they bumped into some Hartford guy, and when he heard they were coming from here and looking for a place to get away from the alien attacks, he offered up one of his many guest's houses in the state."

"Hartford?" Emma asked. "You mean the multi-billionaire Mr. Hartford?"

"He was the mentor for the team of Overdrive Rangers," Troy pointed out. "Something tells me that wasn't really an accidental run in."

"Wait," Emma shook her head. "Mom and Vanessa are getting away from us and hooking up with another Ranger team? That's…"

"They didn't seem to have a clue," Jake assured her. "Neither did dad, actually."

"Mr. Hartford likes to keep a low profile when it comes to his work with the Rangers," Troy said. "Most people just seem to know him for his money."

"You're sure?"

"I wouldn't worry about it, Emma," Gia shrugged her shoulders. "Even if our moms know about the Rangers, they're identities were public. That's not going to make them number one targets."

"But I don't like them being…"

"Mr. Hartford has guests staying in his houses all the time now," Noah said. "My parents wanted to honeymoon in his home in Hawaii, but he charged way too much for it."

"If he charges…"

"Emma, relax," Gia held her arms comfortingly. "We keep the focus on us, like planned, and whoever is coming isn't going to give a rat's ass about some old billionaire."

"He's actually only about forty…"

"Noah, hush," Gia rolled her eyes and sighed. Emma smiled softly and chuckled as Noah held his arms up.

"Sorry. Just saying…"

Gia looked at Emma, "Come skating with us. Please. I promise you'll have a good time, and it'll make living in a cave feel a little… less lame."

"I don't know why you girls are always complaining," Tensou said as he rolled by, "The command center feels homey to me."

"I'll try skating," Emma smiled. "You better be right about it, though."

"Have I ever steered you wrong?" Gia took her arm and started to pull her off.

"Well, there was that…"

"SHH! No there wasn't. Clearly cave dwelling has gone to your head."

"I have the scar to prove it happened."

"No you don't. Stop talking. You sound ridiculous," Gia covered Emma's mouth with her hand and playfully dragged the pink Ranger out. The boys followed and chuckled as they shook their heads.

"We gotta get them out a lot more," Jake said, to which the other two agreed.