Authors note: Just to be clear a few things up, just in case theres any question. This is an AU of SPD of what could have happened, if Dru had a more evil plot in wanting to take down SPD, for the most part his character is the same as it was in the show. He did come back to SPD the same way he did on the show, that's pretty much is where the AU starts. Gruumm was still defeated, but without the help of the other rangers, so that is one of the biggest differences of this AU, as is how Sky got the red morpher.

It would be five years tomorrow. Five years since he was reunited with his old friend. Five years since that same friend had betrayed him. Five years since he had lost them. His team, his friends; the people who had always counted on him were gone, leaving him alone. For the past five years he had been the lone red Ranger and until now, the only Ranger. Now Earth had five new Rangers, a new team, a new beginning.

A couple of weeks, that's all it had been since Cruger and Birdie announced the new addition, the next generation of Rangers, with Luc Wilder as their leader. He had been given the Astro morpher, Matt the Metallic, Brooke the Magma, Maxie the Nova and Sam had not at all surprisingly been given the Omega morpher. They had been doing a good job patrolling the city, keeping it safe and bringing in the bad guys. Sky couldn't deny the fact that they were a strong team with trust in each other.

Trust… Sky sighed heavily as he took a sip of his beer. That had been a problem with the team he'd had. He hadn't really trusted Jack that well. No, he had been too pissed that Jack had been given the rank of red Ranger over him. His pride had gotten the better of him. Deep down a part of him knew that if he had listened to Jack that day, then perhaps things would be not as they were today.

Jack pulled Sky to the side in the docking bay, before the two followed the others in. "This isn't a good idea, Sky. I don't think we should be going to this training exercise." He sighed heavily as he looked the blue Ranger in the eyes. "Look, I know that Dru's your friend, but something just doesn't feel right about him." He had lived on the streets long enough to get a feel about people, about who could be trusted and who couldn't. And Dru was giving him that not trusting vibe.

"Look, I don't really care how you feel about him!" exclaimed Sky. "Dru's my friend. He helped me through some tough times when I first came here." Sky looked Jack hard in the eyes. "I trust him with my life. Just let it go, Jack." With those final words Sky shoved past Jack and headed towards his ship.

Sky continued to drink his sorrows away, as he finished his drink. He eyed the bartender, giving him a nod as he pushed his glass towards him. The bartender stared at Sky for a moment, knowing that it would be going into the fifth beer. "You're not driving tonight, right?" Sky didn't answer, just gave the bartender a annoyed look, but ended up pulling his bike keys out of his pocket and tossing them to the bartender. The older man just shrugged his shoulders as he tossed the keys in the register and filled up Sky's glass. "Whatever your problems are, kid, this won't help you."

"Yeah." Sky took a sip. "Well, I don't remember asking you," exclaimed Sky harshly. The last thing he needed was for the bartender to be giving him some heart to hear talk about how he should be dealing with his problems. The bartender just shook his head and walked away to go wait on another group sitting up at the bar.

Sky drank his beer he took a look around the bar, as if he were scanning to see if any of his old flings were there. While he couldn't exactly be sure, he did notice that a few people sitting around the table in the small bar and restaurant did notice him, knowing all too well who he was or at least what they've heard about him, which gave a reason why no girls had wandered his way. He turned back in his seat to face the bar, staring at himself in the mirror, no longer knowing who he was, no longer caring.

After a few more swigs he could feel the alcohol was starting to take its effect on him and that's when he noticed a young girl come up to the bar and sitting down next to him. He briefly caught a glimpse of her face through the corner of his eye, just enough to know who the girl was. It was Brooke, one of the new Power Rangers and one he knew all too well had a crush on him, but he had never acted on it, given the rank difference and that he was never interested in her, but then he had been sober. If he hadn't been in the condition he was, he probably would have grabbed her by the arm and gotten her out of the bar, given the fact that she was underage and wasn't supposed to be there. After he watched the bartender give her a drink, he watched as the older man walked down to the end of the bar. "Somebody is looking for trouble."

"Lieutenant Tate?" Brooke was a little shaken up; she hadn't even noticed him when she sat down, having not recognized him out of uniform. "I-I….."

Sky gave a smug smile. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." He turned around on his barstool so they were facing each other. "And please, call me Sky. We're both Rangers here, no need for the formality."

Brooke smiled, though through the back of her mind she was telling herself that he was drunk and had no idea what he was saying, but at that moment she really didn't care. The only thing she cared about was that he was finally taking notice of her. "Okay." She smiled. "Sky."

"So where are your friends?" asked Sky.

"They're out. I told them I would meet up with them later," she answered as she took a sip of her drink. "Maybe you should come with us, since we are all Rangers."

Sky smirked at the thought, as he nodded towards the bartender to refill his beer. "I don't think so. Me and group events don't go well together," he said as he got ready to take a chug of his newly refilled drink, making it be his sixth beer of the night.

"Don't you think you've had enough tonight?" she asked, noticing that his balance was slowly get worse as he sat in the stool. She smiled. "We wouldn't want SPD's finest to end up in the emergency room."

"Nothing I haven't done before," muttered Sky, as he drowned himself more in his drink. "I'm very resistant. I could easily handle an army of criminals all on my own."

"Oh really?" she exclaimed in an almost flirty way, as she playfully swatted him on the shoulder. "Since we're not so formal anymore, what would you say if I asked you to dance?" asked Brooke as she heard a new song begin to play.

"I don't know about that," answered Sky, as he finished off his drink.

"What, afraid you're going to step on my feet?" joked Brooke, grinning to herself. "Nothing I haven't had happen to me before. You can't be as bad as some of the other guys I've danced with."

"Well…."

"Come on," pleaded Brooke, as she stood up and held out her hand. "It's just one dance."

"Just one?"

"Nothing bad can come out of one dance."

"No. I guess not." Sky smiled briefly, as he took Brooke's hand and followed her onto the dance floor.

In the back of Sky's mind something was telling him this was wrong, but he couldn't bring himself to break away from the girl standing so close to his body. The alcohol that he had consumed over the past two or so hours had finally impaired his judgment, as it had in the years before. "I can't believe that it taken me all these years to finally notice just how beautiful you really are."

Brooke couldn't believe that she was actually dancing with 'great Sky Tate', the man of her dreams, who she had had a crush on ever since she joined the academy, and that what he had just said was beyond anything she had ever dreamt of. She didn't answer, just smiled brightly as she slowly leaned in to kiss him.

"Wasn't Brooke supposed to meet up with us over an hour ago at dinner?" exclaimed Sam, as he and the others walked downtown having just left a late dinner. They were headed straight for the club, since they all had tomorrow off.

"That's what she told me," answered her roommate Maxie. "Brooke told me this afternoon while we were on patrol that she would meet up with us at dinner." Even Maxie was surprised because it was unlike Brooke not to show up when she said she would and even if she wasn't going to be able to make it, she was the type of person who would call.

"Maybe she met a guy?' Matt answered, adding his own ideas, knowing that there were plenty of guys who would love to date a girl like Brooke.

"Or maybe-" Luc voice was cut off by a couple that had just stumbled out of the bar and dance club that they were about to pass by on the corner. He couldn't believe what he was seeing with his own two eyes. It was Sky Tate hanging himself over Brooke, the two of them laughing and enjoying each other. "Not this time, pal!"

"Luc, what is it?" asked Sam, as he questioned his friend's declaration, watching as Luc stormed himself forward, fists clenched together. It was when he took a few steps forward to realize what his leader was heading towards - "Oh no."

"Is that...?" Maxie questioned. "Brooke with Lt. Tate?" Even with her saying it aloud it didn't make any sense. No sense at all. Sure, she knew that Brooke liked Lt. Tate, but the chances of the two ever really hooking up together were next to none.

"Oh, this isn't going to go well," announced Matt, knowing all too well what Luc was about to do. "Luc, don't!" he yelled as he ran towards his friend, with Sam and Maxie following quickly behind him.

"You son-of-a-bitch!" exclaimed Luc as he punched Sky hard in the face, causing the red Ranger to fall backwards.

"Luc, what the hell was that for?" yelled Brooke, not understanding why her leader just threw a punch at Sky for what seemed no reason at all to her.

"Stay out of this, Brooke," shouted Luc as he furiously stared down at Sky, who was slowly pushing himself up as he wiped the blood away from his cut lip. "Besides, you should be thanking me. I just saved your sorry ass from this asshole."

"Just saved me?" she questioned. "What are you talking about?" By now the others had gathered around along with a few other bystanders who came to see what all the commotion was about.

"He doesn't care about you, Brooke." Luc clinched his fists tighter and tighter together, feeling all the rage and envy he had held so long against Sky come over him in full force. "All he cares about is screwing you over and then forgetting all about you come morning." Luc stood over Sky. "Isn't that right, Tate!"

"Shut the hell up!" roared Sky as he went at Luc, throwing punches left and right. Even in his drunken state he managed to get a few hard hits on Luc's face, but not without taking a few to his own. Both of them ignored the pleas of the other Rangers standing around them, asking them to stop.

Maxie wrapped her arms around Brooke who was full of mixed emotions, as the two watched the two men continue to go at it. Sam watched helplessly, not knowing what to do, along with Matt who had known that Luc has had issues with Sky, but he never thought it was this bad.

"I may not have been able to stop you from hurting her, but I sure as hell won't let you do what you did to her, to Brooke!" Luc caught Sky off guard and came at him with a hard uppercut punch to the face, causing Sky's body to turn and drop to the ground hard. Luc was about to continue his effort at beating the hell out of Sky, until he felt Matt wrap his arms around him, holding him back.

"That's enough, Luc!" shouted Matt. "He's so drunk that he can barely stand up straight." Matt knew if he didn't hold Luc back that he would do some serious harm to Lt. Tate, as things could very easily get way out of hand.

"I don't care! I'm going to teach this bastard a lesson," Luc roared, trying to break free of Matt's hold on him as Sky slowly was getting his bearings together to push himself to his feet. "Let me go, Matt!"

"You're going to pay for that!" shouted Sky, as he stood up getting ready to attack Luc, but before he could lay another hand on him he felt two arms wrap around him in a tightening grip, forcing him back. "What the hell!"

"Sky, you need to stop this before you get hurt," announced Sam.

"Let me go, Sam!" exclaimed Sky, as he tried to break free from the eighteen year old's hold.

"No!" Sam answered firmly; he would not let go, no matter how hard Sky struggled to break free. There was no way in hell he was going to let him go. "You're not yourself. Let me get you back to the academy before you do something you'll regret."

"Sam, what the hell are you helping him for?" shouted Luc, not believing that Sam would be helping Sky, especially after what he had been planning on doing with Brooke.

"Look, I don't expect you to understand," exclaimed Sam. He hated this, feeling caught up in the middle between his friends and someone who years ago had saved his life. The youngest member of the team hated this; a great amount of agony came over him.

"Understand?" exclaimed Luc as he forced himself free of Matt, causing Matt to fall to the ground. The girls rushed to his side to help him up. "Understand. I wouldn't understand!" Luc just shook his head, feeling slightly betrayed by Sam's actions. "We're supposed to be friends, Sam. What the hell wouldn't I understand?"

Luc just shook his head and turned his attention back to the man he hated more than anything. He got right in Sky's face; it took everything he had not to punch him. Sky struggled to get free, wanting nothing more than to rip Luc apart. "And to think you're the big hotshot that took out Gruumm and cleaned up the planet from a bunch of dirtbags just like him."

"What the hell is your problem? You haven't liked me from day one, when you joined the academy."

He took a deep breath, knowing now would be his chance to finally say what he wanted to say, what he had wanted to say for so long. "You want to know why I hate your guts so much, so that I would like nothing more than to rip you apart and see you stripped of your morpher and your honor?" Luc licked his lips. "It's because you're no better than the criminals you brought in."

Sky locked his eyes with Luc, anger flowing through his body, the alcohol impairing his judgment. "What?"

"You hurt my cousin." Anger flowed through his body. "You got what you wanted from her and then you just took off." No longer being able to control himself, Luc punched Sky hard in the gut, causing the red Ranger to drop to his knees, letting out a hard raspy breath.

"Luc!" Matt, along with the girls, ran over to their leader and pulled him back from Sky before he could get in another hit on him.

"I don't know… what you're… talking about," gasped Sky as he was nearly out of breath; everything was starting to blur and darkness was starting to settle in. He started to stand up, only to drop back to his knees. Sam knelt down next to him, holding Sky firmly.

"Maybe this will refresh your memory." Luc paused for a moment, wanting to make sure he was looking Sky right in the eyes. "Does the name Ally Samuels mean anything to you!" he shouted angrily, as he once again broke free. "Because she means something to me!"

Before Luc could take another hit on Sky, Sam teleported himself and Sky out of the downtown area. Luc dropped to his knees right in the spot where Sky and Sam once were. He slammed his fist into the pavement. "SAM!!"

"Luc?" Matt gripped his friend's shoulder. "You going to be okay, buddy?"

Luc stood up and brushed Matt's hand away. He firmly walked up to Brooke with anger burning in his eyes. "What the hell were you doing at the bar? I told you months ago to get rid of that fake idea."

"Luc, I-I…"

"Just forget about it!" he answered harshly, as he brushed past her and started walking off into the late night alone.

Maxie walked up to Brooke, wrapping her arm around her friend. "Don't worry, he'll get over it. He just needs to cool down for a while."

"Good thing we have tomorrow off, because I do not want to be around him when he's like this."

"Do you guys think Sam will be okay?" asked Brooke.

"Sam's tough and I'm sure Luc and he will work things out." Maxie offered her friends a warm smile. "Come on, let's head back to the academy."

Sam sat in Sky's darkened dorm room. He had gotten Sky into bed and gotten a cold cloth to clean up the blood on Sky's face. It had been an easy matter, Sky had passed out the moment they teleported in.

He couldn't bring himself to leave Sky's side, whether it was because he didn't want to return to his room and have to face his friends or out of concern for Sky's condition, not wanting him to be alone. Maybe it was both; he couldn't be sure. So he sat there in a chair watching as the man he had seen struggle to move forward turned violently in his sleep, reliving that horrible day through his nightmares. It was heartbreaking watching as the most feared Ranger and SPD officer violently tossed and turned in his sleep, calling out his former teammates' names.

Names Sam knew all too well. They were the names of those who had helped him, and became the first real friends that he ever had. He was connected to them in a way he would never be connected to anyone else. All of them had special powers, which they had gotten from their parents due to an accident that had happened years ago. At the time it was an almost comforting feeling to know that their parents had known each other, even for the briefest of time it may have been.

It was a sight watching the fear of emotions shine on Sky face. It was enough to frighten anyone; Sam could feel his heart pounding against his chest, it nearly broke his heart seeing his friend like this, so much pain, so much anger …so much guilt. He had watched it everyday for the last five years getting worse.

"I'm sorry. ...Sam. It's my fault," Sam heard Sky whimper in his sleep. "They're gone. …I couldn't save them."

A few tears rolled down Sam's cheek, listening to Sky's soft whimpers. "You know I don't blame you." He sighed heavily, perhaps now understanding why Sky had been keeping him at a distance all these years. "I never did." He kept his eyes locked on Sky's sleeping face. "You know that, right?" His eyes started getting heavy, he struggled to stay awake for just a while longer, but sleep would prevail….

Sky woke up with a massive headache and a sickly feeling in his stomach, as the events from last night came back to haunt him at full force. He had once again drowned himself in alcohol and had found a girl, but instead of it being just some girl at the bar, this time it was someone he knew, maybe not that well, but enough to know that she wasn't a girl he should have playing around with. "…Such an idiot." He slowly opened his eyes, only to have the morning sun shining in his face through the window. "Wh-where am I?" He started to push himself up, but quickly felt like the room was spinning around. Slowly he lay back down and that dizzy feeling died down the moment his head hit the softness of sheets. It only took a few quick moments for him to realize he was in his room at the academy. "How'd I get here?" That seemed all blank to him.

"I brought you here last night."

Sky turned his head and saw Sam sitting in a chair to the side of him, looking as if he didn't get a good night's sleep. "Sam?" he questioned, not sure himself if that really was him sitting there. Maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him and no one was really there.

"Yeah. You were pretty out of it; you passed out the moment I teleported us in."

Sky took a few soft breaths, trying to ease the heavy pain in his head. "Did you stay here the whole night?"

"Thought it might be a good idea."

"You didn't have to do that," answered Sky as he slowly sat himself up, trying his best to ignore the dizzy sickly feeling that was overcoming him.

"I know, but I thought you could use a friend." Sam turned slightly and grabbed a water bottle and a couple of aspirin he had gotten early this morning for Sky. "Here."

Sky took the pills and swallowed them with the water. "Thanks for helping me out, Sam, but…" He licked his lips, as he met Sam's eyes. "I can't be your friend." He knew things had gotten out of hand with Brooke, he knew even in the state he was in that it was wrong to play her on like that. And then things had only gotten worse when he fought against Luc. "I'm not worth the time."

"Sky…"

"You may only get one team, Sam, don't screw up what you have with them to save my sorry ass."

"So what are you saying, that I should have let Luc beat the shit out of you?" asked Sam, as he watched Sky push himself to his feet and walk, staggering, towards the door.

"Not like I didn't deserve it," muttered Sky, as he leaned against the door for a moment to gather his bearings. He used his other hand to open the sliding door.

Sam stood up and turned to face Sky. "Is what Luc said about Ally true?" asked Sam, knowing all too well who she was. He may have only met her couple of times, but he knew she had been Jack's girlfriend. The last time he had seen her was from a distance at the memorial services.

Sky never met Sam's eyes. He just sighed heavily and turned his head to face the door as it swished open. "See you around, Sam."

Before Sky made it all the way out the door and started to stumble down the hall, Sam called out to him. "I don't blame you for what happened back then. I never did."

Sky stopped, but never turned around to face him. "You may not, but I was there. I did kill them, Sam."

They had been on the deserted training planet for almost an hour, preparing, doing stretches and getting their gear on before they would run though the ten mile course of battlefield like experience. Only SPD's best ever trained here, but years ago it had been shut down because too many officers were getting injured, due to the course being unpredictable.

"I have a bad feeling about this, guys," announced Bridge. "Something just doesn't feel right about this place, something's off." The young green Ranger couldn't be exact in his feelings, only enough to know that something just wasn't right.

"I have to agree with Bridge," answered Jack as he checked out the deserted planet that looked untouched for years. His eyes connected to the SPD signs, reading DANGER, BEWARE, BANNED, CLOSED DOWN. "SPD wouldn't have shut this place down unless they had a very good reason."

"Don't tell me, a guy like you, who has probably broken into places with signs like this, is afraid of a little danger," mocked Dru. "Besides, the officers that got hurt here weren't even Rangers, and they didn't have special powers like you."

"Powers or no powers, this place still gives me the creeps," exclaimed Syd as she looked around; it was all just too quiet for her, an eerie feeling, as if her instinct told her it was a bad idea coming here.

"Nothing bad is going to happen, trust me guys," announced Sky. "Back when Dru was still at the academy, he and I would always sneak off here to train. And we're both still here."

"Thanks, Sky, that's so reassuring," answered Z, a bit annoyed. "But what if Cruger finds out about this? I may not have been at SPD that long, but I'm sure he wouldn't be pleased with what we're doing."

"What the old dog doesn't know won't hurt him," announced Dru.

"That coming from the guy who's been missing over a year," said Jack, as he got into Dru's face. "Just where have you been all that time?"

"I told you. I don't remember," answered Dru, getting very defensive as his eyes glared right at Jack's.

"And why don't I believe you?"

"Hey Jack!" Sky lightly shoved Jack away from Dru. "Lay off him, or else-"

"Or else what, Sky?" exclaimed Jack. By now the others had gathered around Jack and were all facing Sky and Dru.

Sky could feel his anger and resentment towards Jack flow right through him. "You know what, I don't need this. If you guys don't want to run the course, fine. I'll see you back on Earth." Sky turned around. "Come on, Dru; let's show them what an SPD officer is all about."

"Sky, don't go away mad!" exclaimed Syd as she called out to him, but he never turned around to face her.

Sky felt as the water poured down his body. He leaned his head against the wall, closing his eyes tight, as he banged his fist against the shower stall walls. "I should have never have left you guys alone," he cried as he slid down in the shower, leaning his back against the wall and bringing his legs up against his chest, and burying his head into his knees.

He didn't remember much about that moment, only that it was a quick and swift moment. A moment he wished he could get back, but he knew that no matter what he did he would never be able to get it back and take it away. It would forever be the moment he lost and with it, it took four people he would forever miss.

It had been only about twenty minutes since they had left the others. They had been running, just enjoying each other's company like they had years ago back when they were just teenagers goofing off. "You have no idea how good it is to have you back, Dru." He turned around. "I thought that…" But Dru was nowhere to be seen. Sky turned around and around, but Dru was nowhere to be seen. "Dru!" called out Sky, but no answer came. "Dru!" he called over and over, but no answer came.

When Dru never answered his calls Sky started getting concerned, because it wasn't like Dru to fall behind. He was about to head back in the direction he was coming from, hoping to find Dru just straggling behind, when….BAM. Something whacked Sky hard in the head and his body dropped to the ground unmoving.

A dark shadow stood over Sky. It kicked him hard in the gut, causing his body to turn over on his back. Sky blinked his eyes a few times, but was seeing unclear double images. Darkness was starting to cave in. And in the last second before the darkness took over, he saw his attacker. "Wootox…How did you…escape…?"

After that the only thing Sky remembered was waking up; his uniform was torn and blood was all over and in his hands was the red morpher. At first he had no idea what had happened, only these quick horrifying flashes going through his mind that didn't make any sense, and then voices in his head.

Over time it all did come together for him: those moments that were lost. He didn't have to be pychic to fill in the rest of the pieces. He knew what had happened after Wootox had hit him from behind. But unlike the last time Wootox had used his body, this time he had succeeded, and with it left memories for Sky that weren't his own. It was like he was there, which made him feel a part of the killings. It may have been Wootox that killed them, but he had been the weapon that killed his friends.

Sky just sat there soaking wet, with the water still pouring down. He had relieved that day over and over for the past five years. And he didn't want to. He wanted it to be over, to be gone. So he wouldn't have to face it everyday for the rest of his miserable life. "I can't do this anymore."

"Sir!" announced Sky, as he saluted Birdie.

"Ah, Lt. Tate, what do I owe this visit to?" asked Birdie. Just moments ago Sky had entered into his private office room. He was still on Earth tying up a few odds and ends before returning to Galaxy Command. The old commander eyed the young lieutenant cautiously, sensing something was wrong. "Are you all right, Lieutenant, you don't look well?"

Sky cleared his throat a bit; he still was feeling a little sickly. He knew well enough that Birdie really didn't like him, but he was the only one he could go to for this kind of request. "No, I'm fine, sir. Just had a long night was all."

Bridie nodded his head, knowing all too well about some of Lt. Tate's long nights. Though he hadn't heard anything yet, he was sure by noontime something would be out. He folded his hands together. "All right, Lieutenant, what is it that I can do for you?

"With your permission sir, I would like to…"