Christmas Day, 1989
Joanna smiled, exhausted, as she held her newborn twins. As two other boys walked slowly into the room she looked at them, "Carter, Wes, don't be shy. Come say hello to your new little siblings. Alexandria Maxine and Casey Anthony Rhodes. Alex, Casey, these are your older brothers, Carter Grayson and Wesley Collins."
As the 14 and 9 year olds gathered around Joanna's bedside the two babies smiled up at the three above them and giggled happily. Good times were to come for this family.
August, 1992
Kim laughed as she watched the 3 year old twins she was hired to babysit. As she sat at a round table at Ernie's Youth Bar with Billy they watched as Trini, Jason, and Zach argue over which of them were going to teach the children the next year; they all knew that Kim was going to start teaching them gymnastics.
"Why not all of you?" Alex spoke from where she and Casey stood next to the arguing three. The teens froze, blinking as they did so.
Casey nodded, "yeah, you could switch days! And Billy could help us with school stuff!"
"They have a good idea," Kim called from where she sat. "We could even work out a schedule."
As they all rejoined the table, Alex sitting on Jason's lap and Casey on Kim's, they all started to debate on the schedule and who was going to teach what on which day. While this was going on Ernie brought over their smoothies.
"One chocolate, one banana strawberry, one vanilla, one blueberry raspberry, one kiwi strawberry, and, for the twins, one strawberry lemonade and an orange mango." He said as he put down everybody's smoothies.
"Thanks Ernie!" The group chorused and grabbed their cups.
"Carter and Wes are here for those two, but they agreed to wait for them to finish their smoothies." Ernie told them, pointing out the two boys at the counter. Carter was helping Wes with his homework as they nursed their own smoothies.
Alex smiled up at him sweetly, "thank you for telling us, Ernie!"
He chuckled, rubbing her head, "no problem sweetheart." He said, before walking away to serve other customers.
After they finished their smoothies they smiled and waved as the twins were carried home by their older brothers.
October 5, 1993
Casey and Alex run into the Youth Bar with Kim and Trini following close behind. As Jason was warming up they jumped on them from behind. "Whoa, whoa!" He cried, reaching behind them to grab them before spinning around. "Hey there, brats! What are you up to, huh?"
Alex squealed in delight, "Kimmy told us that there's a new guy at school!" She giggled as he let them both go to drop to the floor gently.
"Yup." He nodded, pointing at the boy with a mullet and in green work out clothing. "That's him, Tommy Oliver. Go introduce yourselves." Both twins grinned and walked shyly up the training boy. They stood a good distance away so that they wouldn't be hit by his kicks.
Noticing them he stopped throwing kicks. Leaning down to pick up his water bottle and towel he looked confused at him. "Hello?"
"Hi! I'm Alex! This is my twin brother Casey." As she said this Casey grinned exactly like his sister and waved. "We just wanted to say hi. Kimmy babysits us, especially because Mommy is in the hospital and Carter and Wes are in High School."
Tommy blinked slowly before nodding and smiling slightly. "I'm Tommy. Kim babysits you?"
Casey nodded, "yup! And she might start babysitting our best friend Carver!" Tommy nodded again.
"Huh, well, I gotta practice more before I have to get home so I'll talk to you later?"
The twins giggled again and nodded before rushing towards the bar to order smoothies from Ernie calling out as they left, "bye Tommy!"
Tommy waved as they left, wiping his face after putting down his water bottle. "Strange kids…." He muttered, shaking his head before going back to his training.
February 26, 1996
Alex wailed as she hugged Carter. Wes cried silently as he held an also crying Casey to him while his dad gripped his shoulder in silent support. Kim leaned into Tommy and held Trini's hand. Jason shook his head as he sat near Rocky. Aisha and Tanya sobbed slightly, Aisha holding a weeping Carver Monáe and Tanya's wrist as she clung to a shocked Adam. Kat stood back covering her mouth with both hands. The doctor stared sadly at the group in front of him.
"I'm sorry." He said, speaking the words the group hated to hear. "Mrs. Rhodes, she didn't make it. I'm sorry for your loss." He spoke again before turning and leaving, letting the group enter the room if they wanted to.
Alex and Casey pulled away from their brothers and rushed into the room to cling tightly to their mother's body. "Mommy…. Mommy please…." Before long the rest migrated into the room after them, Kim and Trini holding the kids now instead of Carter and Wes.
July 10, 1996
Kim stared gently at the twins that were staying with her and Tommy as they waited for the adoption papers to go through. The twins and Carver had helped her from making a huge mistake in breaking up with Tommy and made her realize that her friends would accept her even after what happened to her in Florida. She licked her lips before calling out to the six, almost seven, year olds practicing their martial arts in the backyard. "Alex, Casey! I have some people here to talk to you."
The twins stopped practicing to look at her before grinning and nodding. As they came inside they grabbed their towels and water bottles. They silently followed Kim into the living room where there was an older woman and a young man, both and suits, waiting for them. As they entered both stood and bowed at the children who bowed back in return.
"Hello Casey, Alex." The woman said smiling at them, "I'm Sensei Mizuaki, and this is Sensei Smith. We're from a ninja school. Your friends, Adam, Rocky, and Tanya, all made very high recommendations about your attendance at the Celestial Ninja Academy."
Alex and Casey could do nothing but blink as they processed what Sensei Mizuaki was saying. "So you mean…." Alex trailed off.
"We'll get to be real ninjas?" Casey demanded before sharing a look with Alex, both nodded.
"We're in!" They chorused happily, making both Senseis smile.
September 13, 1996
"Mr. Oliver?" The nurse called out to the waiting room. "Mr. Oliver your fiancée has had your son." Tommy stood up with Alex and Casey following close behind. "I'm glad to say both are safe and sound in their room. If your group could follow me." She smiled at them as Jason, Trini, Zack, Adam, Rocky, Tanya, Aisha, and Kat all stood to follow them. After a few moments of walking they came to room 413 and were let in.
"Tommy, Alex, Casey. Come see Jake." She grinned at them. "Jason, Trini, come meet your godson."
December 15, 1996
"MOM! MOM!" Alex called panicked as she and Casey ran into the Youth Bar.
Everybody stopped what they were doing as the twins they were so used to seeing rushed into the establishment. "Alex, Casey, what is it?" Kim questioned as she fed Jake.
"Carver's been kidnapped!" Casey burst out as Alex started to sob hysterically.
"Oh god no." Ernie said, speaking the thoughts of everybody in the Youth Bar.
January 14, 1997
Carver cried as she held the newborn close to her chest. The other four girls being held by her father with her all held hands silently as they stared in resigned silence.
They would have a hard time hiding the child.
November 21, 1998
Kim and Tommy held the three kids close to them as they watched the news of Zordon's death in shock and horror. Their father figure, the man they looked up to since they were 14 going on 15, the man that had given them their powers was dead.
Alex and Casey cried silently, their grandfather figure, the man who helped to protect them, the one who understood that children had found out the Rangers secret and congratulated them, was no more; just like their mother.
Carver held Matt closer to her as the news came in, one of her only trusted and precious people, was gone; taking with him a bit of her hope. Maybe she'd be stuck here forever and she, and her son, would die.
December 25, 1999
Another year gone by without Carver and Alex and Casey sat silently in their room after their birthday celebration. Things would never be the same until they found her.
Carver gasped for breath, grateful her "father" had gone out drinking before the contractions hit. Yet another child from a man who never should've had her. The girls around her cried for her, knowing that at some point, her children would be found and all of them would die.
May 15, 2000
"Carter, hey Carter!" Casey called as he and his twin rushed into the living room where their oldest brother was sitting, relaxing after a rough day at work.
"Yes?" He asked, slowly putting down the novel he was reading.
"Does anyone at your work know how to ride dirt bikes? And could they teach us?" Alex asked, grinning at Carter's exasperated face.
He sighed, "I don't know but I can ask."
The twins cheered. "Thanks, bro! You're the best!"
May 16, 2000
Carter sat at the table his team shared in the mess hall. "So my younger siblings want to know if anyone here can teach them how to ride dirt bikes."
As he said this Captain Mitchell and Ms. Fairweather were walking passed and froze at the same time as the other 5 at the table. "You… you have younger siblings?" Kelsey asked, feeling dazed.
Carter, not noticing their expressions, nodded. "Yeah, three. We all have different dads, except for the two living with me; they're twins."
Chad spoke up this time, "three different dads and four different kids?" He sounded as though he doubted Joanna's honor.
"Yeah, mom was engaged to my dad and when I was 13 months old he died when a burning building collapsed on top of him, he was a firefighter. Wes' dad was forced to leave mom if he still wanted to be a part of his family. He's the reason I went to college and why Alex and Casey will go when or if they decide to. He made a trust fund for all of us and helped pay for mom's hospital bills and funeral service. Mom actually married the twin's dad, but he was hit by a drunk driver and died on impact." He explained, voice harsh as he all but glared at Chad.
Kelsey nodded her head, "I have a buddy in town who wouldn't mind teaching them. He owes me a thing or two. But you will have to bring them here to meet us, you know that right?"
Carter looked at her, grateful. "Thank you. And only if Captain Mitchell says it's okay." He nodded to the aforementioned man.
At the mention of his name and when everyone looked at him, Captain Mitchell cleared his throat. "I'll think about it."
September 13, 2000
Alex and Casey ran into the mess hall, Alex on the phone with Kim. As they reached Carter and the others they grinned and placed the phone on the table after hitting the speaker button. As everyone stared silently Casey cleared his throat. "Okay Mom, you're on speaker." Cheerfully, he and Alex plugged their ears.
"CARTER JAMES GRAYSON! WHAT HAVE I HEARD ABOUT MY CHILREN LEARNING TO RIDE DIRT BIKES!?" Kim screeched at him as everyone else in the hall snickered at the fact that Carter Grayson, the fearless Red Ranger, was getting middle named.
"Now Kim," He started, trying to placate her.
"Oh, don't you 'now Kim' me! Tommy Oliver stop laughing or so help me god-!" She broke off in the middle of her sentence to yell at her husband.
"Kim, they are perfectly safe. I looked into their teacher and they have all the protective gear and nothing has happened." He winced at a few of the words that were being said. Other people in the hall were passing around bowls of popcorn and his Rangers, his team, was silently laughing their asses off.
"We'll talk later." She growled before the dial tone was heard.
Carter spun to face a laughing Alex and Casey, "Why the hell would you tell Kim?!" He demanded, "That was one of the rules of our agreement! I find someone to teach you and Kim doesn't hear about it until you are in front of her!"
They slowly stopped laughing, "We told Jake when we called to say happy birthday. Jake told Dad and Dad told Mom." Carter groaned, nobody in the hall could stop their laughter now.
November 25, 2000
Carver cried happily as she was being carried out of the building she had been trapped in for the past four years. As the rescuer carrying her passed the closet she had placed Matt and Riley in when she heard the commotion she started to frantically grasp and motion at the door until the man holding her called out.
"Chad, Joel! Check this closet; she's trying to tell me something!" Hearing affirmative cries from both men he tried to continue on but she kept stopping him.
"Oh my god, Carter. She hid two babies in here." One man said as both reached down to grab the children. When she could clearly see the boys she slowly relaxed into Carter's hold, happy her sons were still safe.
"Follow me; we need to get to Dana!" He ordered, rushing forward; the two men following close behind him until they reached the door. The sudden sunlight made Carver clench her eyes shut and shove her face into Carter to shield herself from the sun. Her sons, who had never before felt the sunlight or even been outside, started crying in pain. Finally, they reached the Ambulance and Carver and her boys were handed to the EMTs.
"Mama!" the voice of her four year old came, Matt not knowing how to react to the many new people around them.
"M-Matt…. Riley… No, no." She muttered, trying to reach for them. She was stopped by gentle hands.
"Shoosh, sweetheart, shoosh. They'll be fine and so will you." A woman's calming voice muttered to her. "Carter, any more survivors?"
There was movement, "no, we got the info just as we found her and the babies." He seemed to take in a deep breath. "They were children, Dana, not older than 13. How could someone do this?"
Dana sighed, "I don't know Carter, honestly I don't."
That was all she could take; Carver blacked out, hearing both of her sons calling for Mama and then she heard no more.
March 10, 2001
Carver looked around nervously at the new environment. She still wasn't used to so many people but she was slowly getting better. Alex and Casey had spoken to their Sensei, who had then shown up and tested her, and Carver was allowed to join the Celestial Ninja Academy.
"Welcome, Carver. I'm Sensei Jones, I'll be instructing you in your command of the Chaos element. Soon, in a round a month, you'll join Alex and Casey as their third." The woman who was accompanying her told her gently.
June 12, 2001
Kim, the triplets as they were now called, Jake, Matt and Riley all cheered at Tommy walked across the stage to receive his Ph.D.
This was one of the best days of their lives so far.
February 27, 2002
Alex held Riley and Casey held Matt as they watched the jury state their opinion, a unanimous "guilty", and the judge give Carver's birth father the sentence that would change their lives forever.
"Kyle Edward Monáe, on multiple accounts of rape, abuse, murder, and kidnapping of minors you are hereby sentenced to death row. I do hope you enjoy your stay."
Across the nation people burst into cheer as Carver burst into relieved sobs, Kim and Tommy, her new parents, holding her close.
October 29, 2002
Kim cried into her hands as the children listened blankly. "We're sorry, Kim, so, so sorry. The island Tommy was on exploded… and we can't find him anywhere." Carter told the now grieving family.
February 15, 2003
And this, is where our story well and truly, begins.