So, here we are with another story. This is a story of a different nature, it's got angst, loss and sad undertones, though it will get happier as time passes. Much like Watch Me Shine was used to channel the left over emotions due to the assault I suffered, this fic is meant to help me express my feelings with all the loss I suffered.

I don't intend for this to be a long story, maybe ten chapters or so. If it does, so be it.

This story may also be slow going, as my wonderfully talented beta is having a tough go of things to and may not be able to get these chapters back to me as quick as I had hoped, so patience is required all around. We're just gonna have to take this at our own pace.

Everything is cannon up till the Episodes, "Passing The Torch" and as usual, I'm using the Power Rangers Movie version to explain the acquisition of the Ninjetti Powers. Just like in my other fics, Kim was never there for the Murianthis events. This story does start out Kat/Tommy, but this will become a Kim/ Tommy fic soon.

I've had this story rolling around in my head for some time, and decided that now was as good a time as any to use it. I hope you guys will stick with it.

This fic is HEA.

Disclaimer: The Power Rangers are the property of Saban and nothing but the original plot is my own. Nothing is being made from this fic, it's for the enjoyment of both writer and reader.

I think that should about do it, so go ahead and read on!

Angel Grove, California

Spring 1998

This just in…an Amber Alert has gone out in northern California; a 4 year old Caucasian female with brown hair and green eyes was taken by her mentally unstable mother who was last seen driving a light blue late model ford minivan with the license plate 6CMB753. The child's name which is Amber Hastings was last seen outside of The Picnic Place with her father who has been shot and is currently in critical condition. If you see this vehicle please call 911 or your local police station…..

Katherine Hillard was only half listening as the vehicle suddenly appeared just ahead of her in the same driving lane. The blue minivan was a rust bucket for sure but the license plate was exactly what had been described in the amber alert. Keeping one eye on the road she looked around for her cellphone which she kept in her purse. Fumbling with it for a moment, she finally got it in hand and pressed the buttons, putting the phone to her ear.

After about a minute the voice of the dispatcher came on. Angel Grove 911, what is your emergency?"

"My name is Katherine Hillard, that amber alert car is driving in front of me. The License Plate says 6CMB753."

"That's the right car, where are you right now?"

Katherine looked up getting a look at the closest road side. "Maine St, just passed the city limit sign. About two miles from Ernie's Juice Bar."

"Got it. We have a police cruiser on the way, but I don't want you to follow her too closely, this woman is mentally unstable. She could do something really stupid if she thinks she's being followed."

Crash!

A stunned Katherine looked up to see the minivan practically sitting on her front bumper. A woman stepped out with a gun in her hand and was walking towards her with heavy footsteps and a crazy pissed off look on her face. Kat steeled herself and looked around for something to defend herself with and came up empty. At 8 months pregnancy, she wasn't in much shape to pull off her usual MMA skills, she hadn't been since that positive sign showed up on the stick. The car she drove was inoperable at the moment.

Maybe, just maybe, she could try and take down the woman anyway. She rubbed her belly again as she got out of the car and faced her adversary.

Straight and tall, she stood, as the woman stood in front of her and pointed the gun at her head. Taking a deep breath she looked straight into her eyes and with a quick strike shoved the gun away and then shoved her fist into the other woman's face. The woman stumbled back and shook her head as if she was trying to clear her vision. With the woman distracted, Kat rushed to the van to see if she could find the child.

Luck was with her and she saw the girl looking at her frantically, and with a sudden surge of adrenaline, she ripped the door open and the child ran to her. "Come on, little one. Run with me."

Bam!

Fire spread through her chest and she fell to the pavement just as the police cruiser showed up on the scene. The child ran towards the cops and was scooped up and taken to safety.

With the last of her strength, Kat watched and then closed her eyes.

I'm so sorry Tommy.

Then she passed into darkness.

The paramedics that had arrived with the police had her loaded up into the ambulance and on the way to the city hospital.

Kat never made it, by the time they arrived to the hospital, she was gone. By a miracle of The Great Power, the doctors were able to perform an immediate C-Section and save the child.

30 minutes later

Angel Grove Hospital

A worried looking Thomas Oliver walked through the sliding glass door with Jason at his side. The two had just been finishing up at the dojo when Tommy had gotten the call that Kat had been in an accident, but that is all they knew. Tommy had long since abandoned his leadership persona and was now a worried lover and daddy to be. Both men walked up to the desk, but it was Tommy that now spoke. "Hi, I'm Thomas Oliver, I got a call saying that my girlfriend was here?"

The desk nurse gave him a look of sympathy before pushing a button. "Mr. Oliver is here, Dr. Bellview."

Tommy heart dropped to his stomach as his worst fears came to the forefront. "No," he whispered.

Jason squeezed his brother's shoulder in support. "Let's just wait till we hear what the doctor has to say, before you start thinking the worst."

Tommy took a deep breath and then nodded. "Yeah. Ok."

Minutes later, a tall man in a pair of scrubs covered by a white jacket was walking towards them. He looked to be in his early 50's with a hint of grey in his hair.

"Mr. Oliver?"

Tommy nodded as he got to his feet.

"Is this your friend?"

"Best friend and brother in all but name."

The doctor nodded. "Come back to my office…we have some things to talk about." Tommy gulped but walked after the doctor, Jason following behind them.

The doctor led them to a private waiting room, and sat them down after locking the door. "I hate delivering this kind of news, but your girlfriend, Katherine Hillard was shot this morning. From what the police said, she saved the life of a child who was being abducted. She was able to distract the assailant long enough to get the child to a safe distant before being gunned down. Your baby is alive and in the NICU, but your girlfriend was DOA….dead on arrival."

Jason looked confused. "But how?"

"That's what I would like to know. I brought you back here and no one can hear us….I need to know if you are in fact the famous power rangers like I suspect."

Tommy and Jason exchanged looks and then gave the doctor solemn looks. "Why do you want to know?"

The doctor nodded. "That's fair enough. I've been working in the ER for 30 years now and 10 years as the department head. Mr. Oliver, the well-being of a baby is directly tied to the mother as I'm sure you know. Once the mother's heart stops pumping blood and thereby oxygen, the baby no longer gets any air. Katherine's heart stopped beating 2 minutes before she got here, we had no hope of the child making it. The paramedics did all they could to keep her alive, but she was still DOA. Just to be sure, I performed an immediate sonogram just to see what the state of the child was. It was still alive, though obviously struggling to breathe. We did an immediate caesarian-section on her and got the baby out just in time. What made me wonder is that there was absolutely perfect child in my hands. I was expecting some sort of brain damage from lack of oxygen. But the baby was very alert and screaming it's lungs out. He's in the NICU for now under supervision. But Mr. Oliver, that baby is a miracle, the only answer is that this baby had to have inherited some kind of magic or alien ability or whatever it is you guys have. It's impossible for it to have survived otherwise. We're still under Doctor/Patient confidentiality here. So none of this goes out of the room. But I'd really like to know so that I can somehow concoct an alibi in order to help you guys keep your secrets."

When Tommy didn't answer, Jason took over.

"Yeah, we were and so was Kat. Though we're not aliens from outer space. To keep a long story short, we were just a group of teenagers that were gifted with special powers from an alien. Though I had assumed that when we handed our powers to the next generation, they would leave us completely. I can't explain how the baby survived."

"Dulcea," Tommy suddenly whispered.

Jason and the doctor looked at him.

Who's…"

"Dulcea. She said that The Ninjetti Power came from inside us….and that to those who possess the power, anything was possible, all she did was help us unlock it. Kimberly is the true holder of the Crane Powers. When she left, she handed over her coin to Kat. But Katherine was only borrowing the powers, not possessing them. When the baby was conceived, I gave it…him my DNA. My falcon power is what helped him survive long enough to be born. That's the only explanation."

Jason was quiet and mulling it over in his head. "It seems plausible to me."

The doctor was looking between them, he didn't understand much of what he'd heard, but the theory was a good one. "I'm no comic book nerd, but that does make some sense to me, in a Peter Parker kind of way, if you don't mind me saying so. "

Tommy looked as though he were numb. "What is your suggestion on how we should proceed and you'd better hold to that doctor/patient thing. We may not bear the mantle anymore, but we have more than just our identities to protect. I don't want my girlfriend's body to be sold to some science lab for experiments or my son to be studied by the government. We've just spent the last four and a half years busting our asses to protect this city."

Jason nodded though he was slightly surprised to hear Tommy curse. It didn't take a genius to see that his brother was on edge…he could see a part of the old Tommy showing through. Poor Tommy was clearly just minutes away from losing his mind. He was, for lack of a better word, in survival mode, and he didn't know how long till Tommy truly broke down.

"I'm an old fashioned man, Mr. Oliver. I swore an oath when I became a doctor; my word is my bond. I only wish to help you in whatever way possible."

Tommy nodded. "Then tell me what I need to do."

"Your son is in good hands for now. Kat's body is still in a back room, if you'd like a last moment with her before she's taken down to the morgue. I know there are still arrangements to be made and her father has been notified. Once we're done with that, we can head up to the nursery so you can officially claim your son and tend to him."

Tommy nodded in a somewhat wooden way. "Okay, let's go tend to Kat."

Yes, Kat is dead. Though I hope everyone can see that even though she was 'killed off', I gave her a heroic end and her death was not in vain.

Reviews will help me along in the telling of this story.