Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Ninja Steel.

Jenny felt her heart racing as she put down her phone. She leaned against the counter, gripping the sides of it tightly.

Kathryn Baker was a free woman.

Jenny was still processing the details. Her lawyer had tried to explain that though Jenny had been caught red handed by the Silver Guardians, her connection to Sarah had made the jury question whether this was a kidnapping out of malice, or an estranged mother making a desperate attempt to reunite herself with her daughter.

Jenny knew the truth. At least, she knew what Bill had told her and she had no reason to doubt his stories. Not to mention, when she had confronted Kathryn on her own, she felt uncomfortable around the woman. Kathryn did not portray herself as a woman in an unfortunate situation. She wanted to be in her position.

However, juries were always a bit of a toss up. Some were easier to manipulate and if the defense attorney could present reasonable doubt, it didn't really matter what kind of evidence the prosecutor could bring to the table. Jenny's lawyer insisted that the state had done everything they could, but the defense was just a little stronger.

It meant Kathryn was free, back on the streets, ready to roam. Usually, for Jenny, that wouldn't be a problem. What she chose to do with her time and her body was her own business, and the men she took money from were all well aware of what they were getting themselves into.

Where Sarah was concerned was where Jenny felt stressed. Sarah still didn't know the woman who had kidnapped her was her biological mother. Jenny had intended to keep it that way. Bill had kept Sarah's mother's identify from her for years, and Sarah had just enough memory of her mother not to question her father's choice. For Sarah, it was the right call to make and Jenny wasn't going to go against that. But now, she was having serious doubts. Maybe it was better if Sarah knew. She could keep her guard up. If Kathryn did try to reach her, she would be more aware of the situation.

"You're not looking too hot," Shane said as he walked into the kitchen, making his way to the fridge for a snack. Jenny shook her head.

"Kathryn is free."

Shane froze for a moment as those words hit his ears. Then he turned to his sister, his eyes wide.

"How?"

"Stupid jury."

"You're serious? But she kidnapped, and what she planned on doing… They just let her go?"

Jenny nodded her head. She couldn't believe it herself. It seemed surreal, like she was about to wake up from this nightmare and realize none of it was true. However, no matter how many times she pinched herself or willed her body to wake up, it didn't happen.

"What are you going to tell Sarah?" Shane asked. Jenny shrugged her shoulders. She really didn't know.

She hated this part of parenting. There was no right answers, no guidance. She had made peace with the fact that all parents, whether new or experienced, were just figuring out what to do as they went. Every child, even children raised in the same household, were separate cases, which meant what worked for one child, may not be right for the other.

A pounding headache started to build up. Jenny reached for the aspirin.

"I don't know," she told her brother. "Everything? Nothing?"

"You can't tell her nothing," Shane shook his head. It was easy for him to give advice. This wasn't his child. She knew Shane had grown to care deeply for Sarah. He was her uncle, after all, but it wasn't the same care she had as a mother. When Jenny's role in Sarah's life had switched from step-mother to only parent, her care and love for Sarah seemed to increase ten-fold. Jenny had no idea she could feel so much for someone, especially someone not related by blood.

So it was easier for Shane to tell her what to do. It was easier for him to say what he thought. He didn't have the same conflicts as her. He wasn't taking the same risks.

"Kathryn may have learned her lesson," Jenny argued. "Not many people wrestle with a tiger twice. She might want nothing to do with Sarah."

"Jenny, this is a woman who kidnapped her own daughter and tried to sell her to her pimp to make money. That's not exactly a person of reason."

"It's common sense to avoid a tiger."

"And is that tiger guarding Sarah 24/7? Jenny, you should at least tell Sarah about the trial. She needs to know Kathryn's free."

Jenny sighed. She was beginning to wish her lawyer had kept her out of this. She wished he never told her about Kathryn. That she could live her life in ignorance, not having to worry something would happen.

"She's a Ranger," Shane reminded her. "That counts for something."

"It didn't help her last time," Jenny said.

"What would Bill have done?" Shane asked. "Was he about transparency? Would he have told Sarah everything?"

"No," Jenny shook her head.

"Do you think that would have been the right call? Would you have agreed with his decision?"

"I wouldn't have questioned it. I let him do whatever he thought was right with Sarah. He was her father."

"But Jenny, you had to have an opinion," Shane insisted. "You didn't just suddenly start caring for her when Bill disappeared. There must have been times where Bill made a decision and you didn't think it was right. Would this have been one of those times?"

"He was a great father," Jenny shook her head. "I guess not."

"Then I guess that's your answer," Shane said. He grabbed an apple off the counter. "We'll see if it's the right one."

-Ninja-Steel-

Sarah had called to let Jenny know she would be home late. She had been out training with the Rangers and then they decided to go out for ice cream. Jenny told herself that they were together, and that even though Sarah was still limping from her injuries, she would be safe. She told herself that Sarah was still within her curfew hours and there was no reason to be worried yet.

And still, she worried. With everything passing minute where Sarah wasn't home, Sarah's odds of running into trouble increased.

Finally, the door opened and Sarah called out that she was home. Jenny heard the door shut and then Sarah locked it. Finally, Jenny could relax a little.

"Did you have fun?" she called out as Sarah walked into the living room. The pink Ranger sat down on the couch and raised her leg up, massaging it after her long day.

"I did," she smiled. "Preston was able to do a little magic show in the park. He got the attention of a few little kids."

"And after?" Jenny asked. If kids were involved, this had to have been before sunset. Jenny knew Kathryn's working hours were at night, when the sun was gone. That was when Jenny felt the most worried.

"We were just chilling," Sarah shrugged. "How was your day?"

Terrible. Awful.

"It was long," Jenny answered so as not to alarm Sarah. "The lawyer called."

"Is the trial over?"

"It is," Jenny nodded. "Kathryn is free."

"She's… free?"

"The jury bought into her sob story. They let her go."

"On everything?"

"Everything. I guess they saw her as the victim."

"Oh," Sarah said. She looked down at her wound, tracing it over the bandage. Jenny watched her, her own heart breaking. She had been lucky. Sarah was alive and well and was expected to make a full recovery. Her kidnapping could have been a lot worse. Jenny was also lucky that Sarah was strong willed. She wasn't going to let one unfortunate situation scar her for the rest of her life. She had put it behind her.

However, that had been when Sarah had been sure that Kathryn and the other two men would spend the rest of their lives in jail. That had been when that chapter in her life had a definite end.

"How are you feeling?" Jenny asked. Sarah shrugged.

"I guess I'll just have to watch my back a bit more," she answered. She looked to her step-mother. "But you don't think they'll come after me again, right? That was just a one-off. Wrong place, wrong time?"

Jenny felt like she had been punched in the chest with those words. Sarah didn't know the connection, and so had been lead by what she knew to believe that Kathryn and her helper had seen her and got lucky with their kidnap. Sarah assumed she was just another statistic.

She didn't know she had been their target. That it was Kathryn's plan to come after her.

Jenny wanted to omit the truth. It would be easier not to bring it up and let Sarah believe whatever she wanted. However, Sarah had asked her now. If Jenny were to lie, it would be a direct lie.

"I hope so," she said. Parents lie to their kids all the time, she told herself in hopes of easing her guilt. Sarah nodded her head.

"Then hopefully I have nothing to worry about," Sarah said with a smile. She rose to her feet and started to make her way to her room, "But I promise I'll be careful."

"Sounds good," Jenny said with a heavy heart as she let Sarah go to her room. Once Sarah was gone, Jenny let out a deep breath leaned back into the couch. "At least she's safe right now. She's home, the door's locked, Shane's here. No one's getting in. No one's getting out."

She looked around the room again. She doubled checked the front door was locked, then checked that all the windows were closed. She also closed all the curtains. She didn't want anyone peeking in.

She made her way upstairs and did the same with all the windows and curtains on the second floor. Then, when she went to sleep in the guest bedroom, she left the door open. If someone was walking around in the middle of the night, Jenny wanted to know about it.

Jenny tucked herself into bed but couldn't close her eyes, afraid that if she did, someone might sneak past her. She looked up to the ceiling.

"I live with two Power Rangers," she said to herself, yet that didn't make her feel anymore comfortable. Somehow, she had two superheroes in her home and this was still the most scared she had ever been.