The main hall for the museum was decorated for the holidays, and most of the staff had shown up to celebrate. There were lights, food, punch, music and even a few drinks. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. Kendall hoped she would be able to enjoy her party too. Her friends were there, they were in good spirits. Even better, they were all still alive and she no longer had to worry about monsters threatening to take them away from her.
Yet, Kendall couldn't bring herself to have a good time. Not when her mind kept wandering back to Cammy, and she kept asking herself how the little girl was doing, if she was okay, and if there was anything more she could have been doing.
"Hey, have you seen Shelby?" Tyler asked her. Kendall shook her head.
"Not since this afternoon. Why?"
"I... kind of wanted to ask her to dance," he answered, scratching the back of his neck nervously. Kendall looked up at him with a little smirk.
"Shelby in particular, or are you just too shy to ask anyone else?"
"Well, she's my friend and... Come on, Ms. Morgan, I'm not making fun of whatever you and Chase have going on."
"That's because there's nothing going on. We're friends. You and Shelby on the other hand..."
"Alright, so I want to have one dance with her. That's allowed, right? So, have you seen her?"
"Like I said, not since this afternoon. But I'm sure she'll show up."
"If you see her, send her my way," Tyler said before resuming his search for the pink Ranger. Kendall watched him go with a shake in her head then made her way over to the drinks table. As she was about to pour herself a glass, someone walked up behind her.
"Party drink or coping drink?" Chase asked her, pulling the glass from her hand. "Either way, I'm not sure I'm a fan."
"It's just one drink."
"And where have you heard that before?" Chase looked knowingly to Kendall, who sighed and turned away from the table.
"I hate my mother."
"I'm not a fan either," Chase chuckled. "She's just a kid, you know. They spook easy but they bounce back. You just need to give it time."
"I miss her."
"I know," Chase nodded. He offered Kendall a glass of the punch. "Come with me."
"I've got to keep an eye on the party."
"I know that. I meant, come with me to New Zealand. Just for the holidays."
"Chase..."
"You can meet my mother and my sister. It'll be warm, we'll probably go to the beach, and we'll have a big Christmas dinner. Just one, with the whole family. And you can video chat both your parents and Jeremy at the same time without leaving Cammy unattended."
"I can't leave, Chase. She might not want me around, but... I won't leave."
"Just a week."
"I'm sorry," Kendall shook her head. "If she needs me, I need to be here. The Fishers waited eight years for me. I can wait a few weeks or months for Cammy."
"You sure?" Chase asked. "I can have you on the first flight home if you need it."
"I'm sorry," Kendall repeated again. "I just... I can't do it, Chase."
"Well, if you change your mind," Chase said and reached into his jacket before offering Kendall a plane ticket. "You're more than welcome."
"Thanks, Chase," Kendall took the ticket, kissed his cheek and then set her punch down on the table before walking off. Chase watched her go with a shake in his head. He wished there was more he could do.
"Hey, have you seen Ms. Morgan?" Shelby suddenly asked him, appearing almost from nowhere. Chase did a double take, startled by the pink Ranger and then pointed across the room.
"She just left here. Why?"
"I've got a pretty cool Christmas gift for her," Shelby smiled and then pulled a frightful looking Cammy out from behind her back. Chase's eyes widened as he looked down at the little girl.
"You... You came!"
"Where is she?" Cammy asked, tears forming in her eyes. Shelby hugged her close.
"It took a lot of convincing to get Cammy here, but she's being really brave," she explained to Chase. "Still, the sooner we can find Ms. Morgan, the better."
"She literally just walked off," Chase pointed in the direction Kendall had gone, but could no longer see the purple Ranger. He frowned. "She moves fast, though."
"I'll ask around," Shelby said and held Cammy's hand as she pushed through the crowd. Chase followed, sticking close to the girls.
"Cammy, are you feeling better?" he asked her. "If you're here, you must be. Kendall is going to be so happy to..."
"I'm scared," Cammy muttered. Shelby stopped walking and knelt before the little girl.
"We're going to find Ms. Morgan soon, I promise. Then you'll have nothing to worry about, alright. You know, she'd never let anything happen to you."
"She's been worried about you," Chase added.
"She has?"
"Seeing you is going to make her day," Chase promised Cammy. "She's not been the same since... well, you know."
"Is she okay?"
"She's fine," Shelby assured Cammy. Chase nodded in confirmation and then gently took Cammy by the arm, inspecting the burn she had suffered.
"It looks like it's doing better."
"It's itchy," she whispered. "I'm going to have a scar."
"Chicks dig scars," Chase smirked, and Cammy looked up at him with a faint smile.
"They do?"
"They go crazy for it," Chase nodded.
"It's more the courage we're looking for," Shelby rolled her eyes. "But the bone head here is right."
"Ouch," Chase feigned being hurt by Shelby's name calling.
"Scars tell stories. You've got a good one. You just... won't be able to share it with too many people."
"I know," Cammy whispered, looking down at her arm sadly. "If I tell Jon and Bella, they're going to freak, and they're already so worried."
"All the more reason to find Ms. Morgan, right?" Shelby smiled. "She'll take care of you."
"I know."
"Let's check out the lab," Chase suggested. "She wasn't having fun at the party. Maybe she went off to be by herself for a bit."
-Dino-Charge-
Down in her lab, Kendall was leaning against the center console, taking some time just for herself to breathe. The holidays had always been a difficult time. She hoped it would be easier with her friends surrounding her. But every moment she spent upstairs reminded her of Cammy. She couldn't stop herself from imagining how excited Cammy would be at the party, with all the lights and the food and her friends around her to celebrate.
Thinking of how happy it would make Cammy to celebrate a real Christmas only brought to mind how badly Kendall had failed her. She had promised to protect the little girl from people and things that wanted to hurt her. Yet, in less than a week's time, Cammy had become the purple Ranger (though temporarily), run away from Fury, flown a PlesioZord, had hidden from villains who were tearing the city apart looking for her and her friends, built an energem retrieval device, risked her life to ensure it could do its job, was burned, kidnapped, and almost died on an exploding alien space craft.
If social services had been involved, Cammy would have been removed from Kendall's care and probably relocated across the country to ensure this never happened to her again. And Kendall couldn't blame them. The poor kid was traumatized.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered under her breath as she wondered if she ever would get to see Cammy again, and if she even deserved a part in her life.
"Kendall?"
She thought she was hearing voices first. Sledge and Fury had beaten her pretty badly. Kendall expected it to be a while still before hallucinations and voices weren't to be expected. But then the little voice called to her again and it seemed so real, Kendall couldn't stop herself from turning around. When she did, she saw Chase and Shelby standing just outside the elevator door.
But they weren't the ones calling for her. Holding both their hands, Cammy stood, looking worriedly over at Kendall. She couldn't believe her eyes as she looked to her sister, especially when she noticed Cammy seemed dressed up for the Christmas Party, as though she planned on staying the rest of the evening.
"Shelby said you were scared and sad and lonely and Chase said you were worried," Cammy said. "But... you'll keep me safe, right?"
Kendall nodded her head. She didn't know what to say. She had a million things she wanted to promise the little girl. At the same time, she had a million apologies to make. She didn't know where to start or what would help Cammy the most.
Cammy let go of Chase's and Shelby's hands, "Is... are they gone?" she asked. "Sledge and Fury and all those monsters."
Kendall gave a little nod, turning to the console. She brought up the map. Curious, Cammy walked over, taking a look for herself as Kendall ran a scan of the city.
"The ship crashed here," she explained, pointing to the mountains. "Every scan I've done since that day shows no sign of life."
"And if they ran away first?"
Kendall changed the map to reflect the country, running another scan. Cammy watched again until the scan finished and the results were up.
"No aliens?"
"None that my scans can detect," Kendall said. "And if there are still some around... I'd never let them hurt you."
"She can say that now," Chase added. "She is the purple Ranger. With her own Zord and Megazord."
"That is kind of cool," Cammy whispered. Kendall looked down at the little girl's burned hand, feeling guilt wash over her. Tears came to her eyes, but she tried not to let Cammy see. She wiped them quickly.
"I learn from my mistakes, Cam," Kendall said. "It's perhaps the one good lesson my father ever taught me. If I make mistakes, I need to fix them. Even if the possibility of risk to you was low, I shouldn't have... Cammy, I never wanted anything to happen to you. You need to understand that."
"You'll protect me?"
"I promise," Kendall nodded. Cammy smiled and put her arms around her sister before burying her face in Kendall's stomach.
"Good, because I'm scared."
Kendall knelt down, wrapped her arms tightly around Cammy and held her close, "You don't have to be."
"But the monsters..."
"They'll never hurt you again."
"I thought I was going to die. I thought for sure Sledge was gonna kill me and Chase and you weren't going to make it. I was even scared you wouldn't give up the energems..."
"Cammy, those rocks mean nothing to be."
"They could destroy the whole world!"
"I can get them back," Kendall assured her. "If I lose them, I can get them back. Cammy, I never want to lose you."
"You won't," Cammy smiled. Kendall looked to her happily, breathed a sigh of relief and then wrapped her up in a tight hug.