Disclaimer: I am a college student, so that means I am poor, which means that I do not own the Power Rangers or anything to do with them, unfortunately.

Timeline: The story starts in 2001; about six months after the end of Light speed.

Summary: Carter has seen a lot in his life, and been through more than anyone should have to go through. His past is scarred, but is there anyone who might break through the shield he has erected over his heart and help him start the healing?

Pairings: Mainly Carter/Dana, but there is mentions of Joel/Angela Fairweather and Kelsey/Ryan.

Heal my heart

Chapter one:

Carter Greyson's apartment:

Carter was tired. No, correct that, he was beyond tired and near dead. Currently, he was walking into his modest one room bachelor pad in Mariner Bay with the sole thought of doing nothing but showering and sleeping for about a week. That last mission had been tough. He had thought he was done with any ranger business once Queen Bansheera and her goons had been defeated, but then Vypra had to go and come back from the dead and he and the rest of Lightspeed assisted the time force rangers in killing her again.

While it was good to see his former teammates again, and to meet the new rangers, it had also made him realize that he was seriously out of shape. He vowed that he would start working out again since he did not want to be caught unprepared again should there be another mission. Then, there had also been her. He had not seen Dana in over four months, and while he was happy to see her, it also brought forth all of those old doubts and fears.

There had been a time in the not too distant past where Carter Greyson thought that he and Dana Mitchell could be an item. He was certainly attracted to her. Hell, what straight man wouldn't? He remembered her silky blond hair, her dazzling smile, her…

N o, he shook his head to clear it. What was done was done. That day that they left light speed was also the last day he spoke to Dana on a personal level. During the time force mission he had only spoken to her when an order was required. It wasn't that he did not like her, he still had feelings for her in fact, but he was ashamed of his previous actions and just could not bring himself to face her. Had he been paying attention, he would have seen the look of pain on her face as he walked away from her for the second time in six months. How could she want him, after what he had been through? How could anyone for that matter? He had nothing to offer her. She was better off without him.

These were the thoughts in his mind as he started the shower and eased in, ready to let the steaming hot shower relax his thoughts and worries away. Tomorrow would be soon enough to worry about everything.

Dana Mitchell's home; that same day:

Dana never thought she would wear that pink uniform again. She thought that when she handed her morpher to her father that fateful day, that she was done for good. But fate had other plans for her and the rest of her team, and she had willingly joined in that last fight. She told herself that seeing Carter had nothing to do with it, but she would have been kidding herself. Ever since she had saw Carter rescuing that woman from the fire on the day she recruited him, she had been smitten with the red ranger. Then they had been through so much as rangers and it was because of that bond that she thought she and Carter would become an item.

Then, after they had emerged victorious, he had handed in his morpher and walked away, and until today, she had not spoken with him. There was something there, she knew. She sighed as she eased into a comfortable chair in her living room with a cup of tea in her hands. She had class tomorrow and a big test this week, but right now, only Carter was on her mind.

She knew he was not a mean person and was pretty certain that he was not ignoring her on purpose. There had to be a reason for it, at least she hoped there was. No, she had to get him out of her mind. There were more important things in life than obsessing about a guy. She was not a teenager anymore. She was a med school student and a respected member of society. She had a wonderful family and very understanding friends. In fact, she still kept in touch with Chad, and she had been in the wedding party of Joel and Angela, and she was still best friends with Kelsey. That's not difficult, she is dating Ryan, it would be hard to believe if I did NOT see her almost every day.

No, she had to get on with her life, at least the Carter part of it. There would be nothing but trouble if she continued down that path. She reached to the table in front of her and grabbed a book. Studying was just what she needed to do to get her mind off things.

Carter's apartment: two nights later:

Carter was not having a good night. He was tossing and turning in his bed. Sleep was not coming easy to him, but he finally did fall into a fitful sleep, and when he finally did, he dreamed.

He was at the aquabase, so that meant that he was still a ranger. He was walking down a nameless hallway, his mind on other issues. So he did not see who he ran into. Making apologies, he looked up to see the smiling face of the pink ranger. She saw who he was and immediately smiled.

"No, it's alright Carter. In fact, I am glad that I ran into you."

"He liked the way she said his name, it made him shiver in a good way.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, I have something to tell you, and it's not going to be easy."

"What is it Day? You know you can tell me anything."

"I think it would be easier if I just showed you."

With that, Dana cupped his face and pressed her lips to his in a gentle but loving kiss. Carter was caught by surprise but soon relaxed and started kissing back. He was really getting into it and was about to break it off to talk to Dana, when he opened his eyes, he saw a different person's face on Dana's body. It was a face that he had not seen in over ten years and one that he prayed that he would never see again.

"Tracy!"

"Hello lover!" She sneered, "miss me?"

Carter woke up screaming, drenched in sweat, and his breathing labored.

Sleep did not come again that night.

There you go, the first chapter. I am sorry that it is a little short, but I will make it up later I promise. It will not always be this dark, but it will have its moments. I have always loved the Carter/Dana pairing and I wanted to try and do something different with it. I hope that I do it justice. As always, please rate and review. Questions and comments are always welcome.