Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, only the plot and the circumstances.

Of Kidnappings and Love
by DarkHonda aka Tal

Chapter thirteen

Suddenly there was a slight, itching pain all over and Kelsey was forced back to reality. A mental voice in her protested against the return to the world of living, wanting her to stay unconscious because it felt so much easier.

"Kelsey?" A delicate, pierced with worry, female voice greeted her back.

"Ugh," Kelsey grunted as she forced herself to open her eyes, blinking rapidly from the strong light. A moment later she sat up in a speed that made her dizzy, a hand resting on her stomach, looking worriedly for Doctor Masen.

"Don't worry, Kels," Dana said and squeezed her shoulder. "The baby's fine." She reassured.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. The suit protected your baby better than it protected you," Dana smiled and Kelsey breathed in with relief. "How do you feel?"

"I'm glad." She admitted, ignoring Dana's question.

"I know." Dana caressed her head for a moment, her eyes still pierced with worry. Kelsey couldn't see that, all she remembered was a vague of another dream where she had met Ryan and he healed her…

"Kelsey?" Dana's voice woke her from her haze, Kelsey glanced at her slightly blushing.

"Yes?"

"Can I call the guys in?" Kelsey sighed inaudibly, she didn't feel like reliving Carter of what she expected was one hell of conscience attack. Her stomach hurled in frustration and Kelsey smiled at Dana.

"Can I have dinner? Or breakfast? Or both? I'm starving!" Dana laughed and shook her head.

"Sure," Dana smiled, "I'll tell Carter to get it, be right back." She disappeared behind the door to the infirmary. Kelsey sigh deeply, she couldn't remember much of the time she was unconscious, just a hint of a dream, a fragrance of masculine taste in a complete darkness. Should she worry? The thought itself worried her for a brief moment, but then she shrugged it off and tried not to think about anything, just concentrate of getting well for the baby. Her baby. It was funny how one little person can change so much without even being born yet, and how she loved that very same little person. She couldn't wait to meet him or her already! Would the baby look like Ryan, with large dark eyes that would give a mature depth to her baby's softness? Maybe would her baby have Ryan's dirty blond hair and maybe even magic! Or maybe her baby would have her sometimes yellow-sometimes green eyes, or her slightly light brown curls? Or maybe a combination of Ryan and her, dark eyes and light brown curls?

She smiled, there were so many possibilities…

"Kelsey?" Carter's deep voice came from the door and Kelsey raised her eyes to meet his.

"Hi, Carter, did you get my food?" She smirked and Carter smiled.

"Yeah," he entered the room and dragged a food cart behind him, placing it next to Kelsey's bed. She sat up, her eyes hungrily ravaging the food, she was so hungry! Carter silently put a tray on her thighs.

"What can I get you?" He grinned.

"That," she pointed at some roast, "And that," she pointed at some spaghetti, "And that," she pointed at some sweet corn. "Thanks," she half laughed while Carter busied himself with filling her plate.

"No problem," he said as he put the full plate on the tray and dug out a fork and a knife, handing them to her. She took them enthusiastically and started to eat, everything looked so good.

"Kelsey," Carter breathed deep while Kelsey started out with her spaghetti, "I'm sorry about the –"

"Carter, relax," Kelsey said with a mouthful, "It wasn't your fault. I'm fine," she swallowed and had another mouthful of spaghetti, "The baby's fine. No hard feelings." She concluded and Carter seemed relieved, yet somewhat worry.

"What?"

"Are you sure? I mean, it took me a while to get used to the idea of you being pregnant," he admitted, looking guilty, "but I hate the thought I might've hurt the baby, he's a part of our team too. I'm really sorry." He blurted and Kelsey nodded and swallowed, reaching out for a napkin from the cart.

"Thanks for being honest, but I really am fine and the baby is, too. Or so I'm told." She said seriously, "I can't be angry with you when it wasn't your fault, how could you know the monster was about to grab me?" Carter pressed his lips to one another, not answering.

"You couldn't," Kelsey said softly, "I'm a Power Ranger still and it's my obligation to take those kinds of risks. I know I can get hurt and everything has been taken into an account."

"But I could hurt you and the baby real bad," Carter insisted quietly, Kelsey sighed. "Tell me what to do to not hurt you, Kelsey. I can't stand the thought…" He begged and she stared into his eyes.

"I don't want you to hesitate when we fight, Carter, that is dangerous," she hurried to say, "My suit still protects the baby, I promise you that I wouldn't be fighting if I wasn't one hundred percents sure that my baby isn't protected." She insisted stubbornly.

"But –" that did it as far as her patience could hold.

"Carter! What are you trying to tell me? That I should quit now? We could barely handle that monster when we're five rangers, do you really think you could do better without me?!" She snapped, Carter looked frightened for a moment.

"Isn't that option… better?" He said in a small voice.

"No!"

"Why?"

"Because I can still function as a ranger and I will! Being pregnant isn't making me disabled in some way. What happened to me last battle, could have happened to you, too, and you would have been in the very same condition! The fact I'm pregnant has nothing to do with it." She spat, now very close to unleash her pregnant rage all over Carter. He seemed to have noticed that fact too, raising his hands in the air he stepped back a few steps.

"I understand, but it doesn't make me less reassured. How can you stand that?" He half moaned in frustration.

"That's why I'm running to see Doctor Masen every after battle: to be sure." She explained and Carter nodded.

"So… we're fine?" He hesitated.

"We're perfect." She agreed, watching how he stared at the room, uncomfortable. "Carter?" She asked quietly and he frowned slightly at her tone, looking at her expectantly.

"Do you think Ryan's ever going to come back?" He seemed to think about it for a few long, silent moments.

"In the past I thought we've beaten him, but he kept rising every time I thought we're through with him," he explained cautiously. "We used really powerful weapons that time and he's state when we left…" his voice drifted for a moment, he cleared his throat once, avoiding her eyes. "I think that if Ryan survived that, it's going to take him a while until he reappears again. You felt the power of our normal fire power, Kels, and it took you three days to regain conscious. If Ryan survived our firepower, I think it's going to take him a while to recover." He ended simply and Kelsey gulped and nodded, her eyes glazing with unshed tears.

If he survived. Only If.

And if he hadn't?

A/N: Hmm... I wonder what happened to Ryan, I'm sure I'm not the only one. Oh well. Review! :D