Grace and Aiden sat in the back of their history class, trying to stay awake. Their parents were off at the annual Dojo's of America conference in Panama City this week, leaving them in the charge of their grandmother. They had been forced to go home early every evening tonight and they were about to lose it. The battles had killed them and they were trying to keep the peace between their siblings and their grandmother.
"So Mom and Dad are staying the night and then they'll be back tomorrow?" Aiden whispered as he looked over at her and she smiled.
"Yeah, do you think we'll survive?" Grace muttered as he gave her a look. He knew that she was about to lose it, she was even worse off than he was.
"I do and isn't loverboy coming over this weekend?" Aiden whispered with a hint of a laugh in his voice and she glared at him. She was ready to throw something at him if he said one more word about Josh today.
"Maybe, if he can sneak in after we've gone to sleep somehow," Grace muttered as he gave her a shocked look.
"You're serious? You're going to try this with Dad at home?" Aiden asked as she sighed over at him and he gave her a good look, something was wrong with Grace, but she wasn't going to tell anyone.
"I'm dying. I haven't…" Grace trailed off as Aiden's eyes widened. He prayed that she was not going to tell him anything that she might not have done with Josh.
"I do not want to know if you've had sex with him. Dad may like him, but there is no way that he will survive if the two of you have…" Aiden trailed off as she glared at him and he shook his head.
"And you'll kill him right now if I confirm it," Grace said as Aiden nodded.
"No more about that, it's been kinda quiet the last day or so," Aiden said as she threw an eraser at him and he held in a growl.
"I will kill you if we have something happen today," Grace murmured as he passed her a glance that she was unable to ignore. There was something in his eyes that said he was extremely worried about her.
"Mr. and Misses Oliver, could you please pay attention," Mr. Griffin said as the two of them slumped down into their chairs to avoid being disciplined again.
"I'm ready to go home," Aiden whispered as she looked over at him.
"Even with Grandma there?" Grace asked as Aiden's expression turned sour and she held in a laugh.
"Okay, you have a point, want to stay out late?" Aiden asked as she just shook her head. She knew better than to push things with her father in this type of situation.
"And face the wrath of Dad when he gets back? I don't think so," Grace shot back as Aiden sighed. He had hoped to get her out of the house tonight, to do something besides think about things in the ranger world. She seemed to have become obsessed with things lately and they all thought she needed a break, especially Josh. He saw things that none of the others saw with her.
"Chicken," Aiden provoked as she looked over at him. She was ready to kill him at the moment.
"Shh!" Paige whispered looking back at them. They then heard a crash of thunder and Aiden sighed. Grace really was going to kill him now. AS the sky darkened they exchanged a glance and then stood up. As the other teens ran from the room they looked at each other and then bolted.
"Guys," Josh said as they ran by and he then sighed, of course he'd have to go after them. The battles this week had gotten progressively worse, probably because the Oliver's were out of town.
He ran after the Power Rangers, as they were hyped up on the adrenaline and their powers, they were able to pull away from him easily. Grace was leading the way and it eerily reminded him of a battle he had watched a friend die in four years ago. He had been dreaming of this so much lately and it scared him. He could not relive this again, not with her.
"God Grace," Josh whispered as he tried to keep his calm.
The rangers charged forward hell bent on destroying this being. Grace and Aiden kept themselves in check as they felt a surge of power go through their veins. Their friends would never know, but they always went into battle like this, a little bit ahead of the game. A little bit stronger than the rest of the.
"Fan out! Bring every miganin to the ground!" Grace yelled as they entered the battleground and took the first look at the place.
The teens moved out fighting and destroying at they went. Aiden and Grace had broken through to the monster and they continued to fight unmorphed, something in the back of their minds was telling them to save their powers. This was the only the beginning of what was going to come.
"Grace! Morph!" Josh yelled as he stared at the monster in shock. He knew him all too well. "You will not kill her."
"I beg to differ," Imobilizer said as he launched at Grace mid-morph and she fell to the ground. Aiden launched at him, but the monster showed no interest in fighting him. He seemed to only have one target right now.
"Grace!" Josh yelled again as he fought his way to her. This was exactly what had happened to Baker, he was not going to see it happen to her. "Morph her Aiden!"
"I can't, I've never done that," Aiden said as Josh was held still and he attempted to move forward again.
"Just try it, I know you can," Josh said as Aiden barely nodded. He didn't believe Josh, but he was going to try it.
Aiden stood for a moment concentrating on Grace's form and then with a great burst of effort he managed to morph her. He stared as her morphed form dimmed and the monster was temporarily thrown away, giving Grace a chance to stand up. Josh then bolted towards her in desperation.
"Grace, get up!" Josh yelled as he saw her mask turn to face him and she barely pushed herself up.
"What's wrong?" Aiden asked as Josh reached him first and he gave him a scared look.
"That's the monster that killed Baker," Josh whispered before he sprinted off towards Grace.
"Shit," Aiden muttered under his breath as he watched the two of them. He now saw exactly how scared Josh was about what might happen.
"Grace, get up," Josh commanded as he placed his hand under her arm and she looked up at him with a tired gaze.
"I can't," Grace whispered as he lifted her to her feet and she gripped his arms to keep herself on her feet.
"Can you get out of here?" Josh asked as she barely managed to nod her head yes.
"I'm fine, I can stay Josh," Grace said as he clutched her hands and she saw the worry in her eyes. "What aren't you telling me everything?"
"I need you to leave," Josh said as she looked up at him and he then looked away. "He killed Baker, please, Grace, leave."
"No, I'll fight, I'll be fine," Grace said as he sighed. He wanted her to leave, now.
"Grace, please," Josh murmured as he placed his hands on each side of her helmet.
"I'm fine. I'm morphed, I'm not leaving you here alone," Grace said as he closed his eyes and reluctantly nodded.
"Promise you'll leave if I tell you to," Josh said as she nodded.
"Do the two of you always have little love spats in the middle of a fight?" Imobilizer asked as they looked over at him.
"Do you always kill new Power Rangers?" Josh spat back as he released Grace and she looked over at him.
"Yes, happens to be the part of my job that I enjoy the most," Imobilizer said as he looked over at Grace with a smile. "She is beautiful."
"You bastard," Josh said as he launched into the monster with all the force that he could muster. If he so much as touched Grace, he'd make sure that he had a slow, painful death.
"Leader of the rangers, the one without limits, into my midst, into your death," Imobilizer said as Josh struggled to get to her, but was held by several of the minions.
Grace stepped closer to them and pulled out her sword. Josh began to fight his way out of the pack, but was afraid he would be too late. He was able to catch glimpses of her as he fought and his hear dropped. She was susceptible to this monster as well.
"Leader of the rangers, man with the highest morals, come forth now and meet your doom," Imobolizer cooed as Grace took another step forward and held the sword up above her chest.
"Grace don't! Fight it!" Josh yelled as he was held firm again and he could not look away, even though he tried.
"Leader of the rangers, keeper of time itself, your time has ended, the deal is done." Imobilizer said as Josh let out a pain filled cried.
As the words were said Grace plunged the sword into her stomach and then fell to the ground. It took Josh a moment to figure out where exactly he had seen it before and then it hit him. Baker had died the same way.
"No!" Aiden yelled as he sprinted towards her and Josh's eyes glazed over with hatred. He calmly walked over, grabbed her sword and then plunged it into the monster's stomach.
"Monster her who kills freely, you are killed in the same way, sword of the dying kills again," Josh ground out as the monster exploded into thousands of pieces.
"Josh?" Aiden asked as he looked over at him and saw the anger lingering in his eyes.
"Let's get her out of here, before the police come," Josh finally said as he placed a hand over hers and then gripped her communicator.
The rangers teleported into the Oliver's living room and Josh quickly pulled Aiden aside. He knew that they did not have very long if they were going to have a chance of saving her from the same fate as Baker.
"Call 911," Josh said as Aiden nodded and then he sprinted off for the nearest phone. "Paige, get as many towels as you can find, we need something that might be able to stop the blood."
"Okay," Paige said as she ran up the stairs and started tearing through the linen closet.
"Grace, come on, stay with me," Josh said as he gently patted her face and her eyes fluttered open.
"Josh?" Grace muttered as she reached a hand up to touch his mask.
"Yeah, you're going to be okay, I just need you to hang on for me," Josh whispered as he leaned down closer to her and gave her hand a squeeze.
"What happened?" Grace asked as he took in a shaky breath. He knew he was going to tell her the truth, he just wasn't going to like it when he did it.
"He tricked you the same way that he did Baker. I need you to stay with me," Josh repeated as her eyes slipped off to the side and he shook her again.
"I'm cold," Grace murmured as she looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
"Grace!" Melody yelled as Aiden caught her and she looked up at him. What in the world was going on here?
"Power down," Grace whispered looking up at Josh.
"You know I can't," Josh whispered back as she barely nodded. She just wanted to see him one more time, especially if this was the last thing she ever got to see.
"Please Josh, do this for me," Grace murmured as she reached up for the clips to his helmet and he sighed.
"Grace…" Josh whispered as her hand went limp and he stared.
"Please…" She murmured as her head tilted to the side and he quickly powered down which caused Melody to gasp. Why in the world did her granddaughter want to see him?
"Don't you leave me," Josh muttered as he checked her pulse and looked at the pool of blood they were in. "How long?"
"Ten minutes, at the very least," Aiden said as Josh hung his head and then looked over as Paige ran down the stairs with towels and sheets.
"She won't make it that long," Josh said as he held a sheet over her wound. "We need Billy."
"Why?" Melody asked. She knew that Billy was a friend of the family, but surely he wasn't a ranger as well.
"Do it if you want your granddaughter to live. Paige, keep the pressure even on her stomach," Josh directed as he shook Grace's shoulder again. She was not going to die like this, he couldn't let her die like this.
"Okay," Paige said as she watched Josh's frantic motions.
"Aiden…" Josh warned as he put down the phone.
"Billy's on his way," Aiden said as Melody looked over at them. How could Billy, who lived in Angel Grove, get here faster than the ambulance?
"You're not dying on me now, I need you to stay with me," Josh murmured as he felt Grace's skin begin to cool under his blood soaked hands.
"You love her?" Melody asked, finally putting together the pieces of the puzzle. "Don't you work with Tommy?"
"My God," Billy said as he landed and looked around at the blood covered rangers.
"She can't die," Josh said looking up at the elder ranger and watched as the color drained from Billy's face.
"You aren't the only one thinking that," Aiden whispered as Billy quickly teleported away and Josh closed his eyes.
"Tommy will kill you for being with his daughter," Melody said in a tone that displayed utter confidence in what Tommy would do to him.
"He already knows," Josh said as he looked up from the pool of blood to Melody and then back to where Grace had been last. Melody stood there in shock that the boy had not been killed, but maybe it had to do with him being a ranger.