Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers, that belongs (once again) to Saban. I'm just borrowing them for a bit. Any non-Ranger verse characters belong to me, so don't use them unless you ask first.

The Initial Plot

For years, he'd watched the small family from a far. Occasionally he would be granted permission to enter the inner sanctum for weekend Bar-B-Ques or small birthday parties. That's where he'd first seen her.

The fact that she was married to him only increased his desire to have her. Soon, he became a trusted friend. Always there when something was needed at the office, and then slowly that grew to encompass things outside the work place as well.

As time passed and he saw her more, his infatuation with her grew. That was when he knew in order for him to be happy; he would have to be removed from the picture.

When the time came that another favor was required of him the decision that now was the best time to act came to him. So instead of having the brakes fixed like he was asked, the time that should have been spent accomplishing that task had been spent rigging everything else.

Late in the afternoon, the call came in from the Highway Patrol. A car accident had claimed his life. Immediately, he went over to the house to console the grieving family. What he heard sent a chill through him: she was supposed to have gone with him along with the youngest child. Only the smallest boy developing a slight fever had kept them home and allowed him to die alone.

Three days later, Jacob Michael Oliver-Trueheart was laid to rest on the Reservation outside Angel Grove, CA. His two oldest sons flanked Rebecca Marie Grayfeather Oliver-Trueheart. She was mother only to the one on her right, Thomas James Oliver-Trueheart, and the small one who stood stoically in front of her. Tyler Andrew Oliver-Trueheart was the spitting image of his brother, Thomas, or Tommy as he was called by many. Both the younger Trueheart boys resembled their oldest brother, David Trueheart, who was the spitting image of their father. There was no one that doubted their relation to each other.

He knew all of this and wanted it to be his. The oldest boy lived on the Reservation with their late father's brother. David never even factored into the plans he had made. Thomas was pretty much his own man already, but was loyal to his mother. At fourteen, the boy knew about responsibility and shouldered a lot of it when it came to the youngest. Tyler had turned four only a month before. From what he had heard, the boy had not spoken since being told his father was dead.

As he stood watching the small family, Russell Johnson couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to be able to hold Rebecca in his arms each night or satisfy himself with her beautiful body. Yes, she would do just fine. The boys were just a small annoyance that he could deal with. After all, weren't older siblings built in babysitters?

It wasn't until they were at the small reception after the funeral that he made any move to talk to the grieving widow. Reaching out to take her hand, he gave it a small squeeze. He'd practiced for hours in front of a mirror to make sure the smile he gave her was slightly saddened.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Rebecca. Jacob was a good man and we'll all miss him greatly at the firm." He gave her hand another small squeeze. "If there's anything that I can do for you or the boys, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you, Russell. You were such a good friend to Jacob." Tears slipped from her eyes as she talked with him. "I still don't think it's really sunk in that he's gone." Her gaze shifted over to the boys, where the youngest was sleeping in the arms of the middle boy. It was easy to see that he had cried himself to sleep. Now, the other two sat with him and spoke quietly. "And poor Tyler, he still hasn't said anything. He doesn't even make a sound when he cries."

"I'm sure it will just take time. All of the boys were so close to Jacob." He watched the trio. Two of them were part of the package, but he had no doubt that they could be controlled. His gaze returned to the raven haired beauty in front of him. "I'll bring you Jacob's things from the office. That way you don't have to worry about it."

She nodded. "That will be nice." A soft sigh escaped her. "These next few weeks are going to be hard enough. Anything I don't have to do myself is just one more hurdle dealt with."

He let go of her hand. "Remember, if you or the boys need anything, just call me." As he walked away, his heart soared. She had agreed to let him do something for it. It was just one more step towards his goal: to be Rebecca's husband and make her totally dependent on him for everything.

A/N: I have not abandoned 'Family Stands'. As I stated in my other short stories, I realized that some of the connections I was trying to get people to make weren't happening. That was my fault and now I'm going back to fill in the gaps that need to be taken care of so that the true depth of the story can be understood. Also, there's a poll on my profile page. Help me decide Russell's fate.