A/N: Friendly reminder! This is a work of fiction, and the author does not condone teacher/student relationship
Chapter is dedicated to FallenArcana, who has been waiting for this chapter since I started posting.
"Sup, Hayley, where's Doctor O?" Ethan asked, leading the others into the base.
"Not that we'd be able to see him if he was here," said Kira with a simple shrug. She turned to Anabel, surprised to find her facing away from the Hayley, and towards the back of the lab.
The clang of weights echoed, and Kira turned to the noise, stunned to find a chest press machine being operated in the far corner.
"Doctor Oliver?" Ethan questioned.
"Hey, guys," Doctor Oliver called back. His voice strained from the exertion that came with lifting the weights up.
"I'll never get used to that," said Kira, shaking her head.
Anabel smiled.
Folding his arms, Conner led the others towards the back of the room. "Doctor O, what's the point in building your biceps if nobody is going to see them?" he asked.
"That's the reason why I called you here," said Doctor Oliver, stopping his workout and picking up a towel. "Hayley's found a way to bring me back to normal."
Kira and Anabel glanced at one another, stunned by the news.
"That's great!" Ethan exclaimed.
"Yeah, what are we waiting for?" Trent asked.
Hayley sighed and pushed her way through the excited teens. "Hold on, everybody," she said, exasperated. "Tommy, I told you. The remolecurliser may make you visible again, but I haven't found a power source strong enough for it yet."
"I've been thinking about that," said Doctor Oliver, reaching for a black box with the Dino symbol on the front. "Maybe we should use this."
Brow furrowed, Hayley took the box and opened it. She scoffed and shook her head. "No way, forget it!" she said, sharply.
"Hayley, we got to try something," said Doctor Oliver. "My Dino Gem is the most powerful source of energy we have."
"Powerful being the operative word," said Hayley. "I have no idea how your body will react to it. It's way too risky!"
"Hayley, we don't have a choice," Doctor Oliver reminded her.
Hayley sighed and turned desperately to the others. Her gaze landed on Anabel, and she gasped. "He'll listen to you," she said.
"Wait, what?" Anabel asked, surprised that Hayley was dragging her into the minor argument.
"Tell him it's a bad idea," said Hayley.
"Oh, um," said Anabel, looking from Hayley to where she could sense Doctor Oliver was standing. "It's a bad idea."
Hayley rolled her eyes as Ethan, Kira, Trent, and Conner chuckled. Anabel didn't sound anymore convincing that Hayley did.
"I know," said Doctor Oliver. "But I can't live the rest of my life like this, and I know you don't want me to, either."
Anabel winced and turned to Hayley. "That's a good point, too," she admitted. "I mean, I can't love a ghost for the rest of my life."
With a sigh, Hayley pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fine," she grumbled. "Fine. I'll get everything set up."
As Hayley walked away, Conner, Ethan, Trent, and Kira following, Anabel felt Doctor Oliver slid an arm around her waist and pull her close. She shivered as he dipped his head, his breath brushing against the shell of her ear as he whispered: "Love a ghost for the rest of your life?" he asked.
Anabel blushed. Crap, he had heard her. Taking a deep breath, she tilted her head slightly and replied, "I neither confirm nor deny that I said that."
Doctor Oliver chuckled. "You'd make a good politician one day," he teased.
"Shut up," Anabel murmured, shoving him away and striding over to Kira.
~X~
As Hayley and the others finished setting up, Anabel stood at beside the table upon which Doctor Oliver lay. Even though she couldn't see it, she could feel the rise and fall of his chest. He was holding her hand, his thumb caressing the palm in hopes of calming her down.
"I'll be fine," Doctor Oliver said, as Anabel chewed her lower lip. "Don't worry."
"You're kidding right?" Anabel asked. "Hayley said this is dangerous and I'm inclined to believe her. She's one step below a rocket scientist."
Despite the seriousness, Doctor Oliver chuckled. "I trust that she knows what she is doing," he said, reassuringly.
"This whole calm façade," said Anabel, shaking her head. "It's not working."
Doctor Oliver sighed and raised her hand, it was strange to see it floating in mid-air but still feel the pressure of his hold around it. He pressed the palm to his lips and squeezed. "Can't love a ghost, remember?" he replied.
Anabel rolled her eyes. "I take it back," she murmured. If she had known he would use her own words to justify his cause, she would've been more careful with how she spoke. It wasn't fair that he would twist her feelings to suit his agenda.
"Can't take it back," said Doctor Oliver. "I'm doing this for you as much as I am myself. We want to see if what we have can go anywhere, but we can't do that if I'm invisible."
Anabel sighed, realising he had a point. "Just remember, if you don't make it out of this, I'll have Kali bring you back so that I can kill you myself," she muttered.
"Duly noted," Doctor Oliver said. He dropped both his and Anabel's hands back onto the table and looked around as Hayley walked over with a blanket.
Hayley sighed as she tossed the blanket over the table. "For the record, I still think this is a bad idea," she said.
"And, for the record, I agree with Hayley," said Kira.
"We've already had that conversation," said Anabel. "His mind is made up. We can't change it."
Hayley and Kira shared a look and nodded. While the former moved away from the table, Kira and Ethan set two sets of luminous yellow patches on Doctor Oliver's chest, while Conner pulled Anabel away.
"See you soon, Doctor O," said Ethan. "Literally, I hope."
As Kira and Ethan joined Anabel, Trent, and Conner, Hayley hesitated at the re-molecuriser. She had set the Black Dino Gem inside a storage container and was about to drop it into the machine.
"I'm good to go," said Doctor Oliver.
Hayley sighed and locked the storage container into place before flipping the switch to ON. "Initiating sequence," she confirmed.
Anabel watched anxiously as Doctor Oliver's breath heightened, his legs shifted beneath the covers, allowing it to slip away slightly. He hissed and thrashed, the table creaking as he clutched it tightly beneath his fingers.
The machine exploded as smoke issued into the lab. "It's overloading!" Hayley gasped.
"What's happening?!" Kira asked Hayley.
"The energy -"
"Oh, for the love of god, just turn it off!" Anabel yelled, panic and fear in her voice as she turned on Hayley.
Startled, Hayley turned to the machine and flipped the switch to OFF just as it exploded for a second time. As the generator quietened down, Anabel turned back to the table, her breath catching as she watched Doctor Oliver re-materialise before her eyes.
Shrugging out from under Conner's arm, Anabel darted towards the table. She reached the head and cupped Doctor Oliver's head between her hands, caressing his cheek with her fingers. "Tommy? Tommy, can you hear me?" she murmured, pressing her forehead against his.
~X~
After moving Doctor Oliver upstairs to his bedroom, Hayley contacted Root Core and asked for assistance from a Mystic Healer.
"Do you know what's wrong with him?" Anabel asked. The woman had introduced herself as Eithne Devine, and she recognised the name from the story of the Hellhound that Doctor Oliver had told her a few months ago. Eithne was the older sister of Blu Raynes, and the mother of Kali Briar.
Eithne shook her head and straightened up. "I don't know, exactly," she answered. "My magic tells me that his vitals are stable. But his brain patters are wildly erratic. What exactly where you trying to do?"
"We were trying to make him visible again," said Hayley. "He's been stuck in his ranger form for several months now."
"I remember Kali mentioning it," said Eithne, nodding. "What happened when you were trying to bring him back? What energy source did you use?"
"His Dino Gem," said Hayley. "It's shattered now. But I tried to tell him it was too powerful, he wouldn't listen."
Anabel sighed and looked back at Doctor Oliver. He was unconscious, his chest rising and falling evenly as he lay under the covers of his bed. She felt awkward, sitting beside him in his room while the others discussed his prognosis around them, like they should've gone downstairs, or outside, giving him some privacy.
"Can you wake him up?" Kira asked, drawing Anabel back to the conversation.
Eithne shook her head. "He's safer the way he is," she answered. "If we try to wake up him prematurely, it could kill him."
There was an intake of breath.
Anabel felt eyes on her as she looked back at Doctor Oliver, her hand finding his at his side and squeezing it. She knew this was a bad idea, and while she had agreed that they had no other choice, and she did want him back desperately, she also wanted him back alive. Loving a ghost wasn't possible, at least not forever.
"He's going to be okay, right?" Ethan asked.
"I'm not going to lie to you," said Eithne. "The longer he stays like this, the more at risk he is."
Anabel closed her eyes, her free hand resting against the side of Doctor Oliver's face. Love a ghost? She thought. What had she been thinking? Of course, she hadn't expected anyone to take her words seriously.
"I'm going to do everything I can to help him," said Eithne. "You have my word."
Hayley nodded.
As Eithne and Hayley left the room, Kira knelt beside the bed and looked up at Anabel. "Did you hear any of that?" she asked.
Anabel nodded slowly, her gaze still on Doctor Oliver's face.
"He's going to be okay," Kira said, softly.
"I hope you're right, Kira," Anabel murmured.
~X~
With the breaking news report raging over every TV in Reefside, the Rangers left Doctor Oliver - Anabel needing a bit more persuading - to go stop the attack. They had no clue what they would be up against, none of them catching a glimpse of the report before leaving, and therefore were stunned to find a Terrorsaurus rampaging around the downtown area.
"What, but we already destroyed him!" said Anabel, flooring her Raptor Cycle and speeding ahead with Conner. The pair criss-crossed and opened fire on the Terrorsaurus, but he blocked both attacks, sending them back at their original owners.
Anabel gasped as she was hit in the chest, her thighs scraping against the leather of her seat as she was lifted into the air.
"Tyranno Staff!" Conner yelled, pulling his legs up and pressing his feet against the seat. He pushed up, propelling himself into the air and slashing downward.
The Terrorsaurus blocked and pulled Conner towards him, laughing. The spike on his chest flashing dangerously.
"I thought the last Terrorsaurus was ugly," said Conner. "But you've even got him beat!"
The Terrorsaurus shoved Conner away. The spike on his chest glowed and a spark of energy spiralled out, colliding with Conner, and knocking him backwards.
"Fire lasers!" Ethan and Kira called, both riding at top speed towards the scene. They each hit a ramp, sailing overhead and criss-crossing mid-air.
The Terrorsaurus turned, the spike on his chest glowing again. This time he directed the blast at Blue and Yellow Rangers, knocking them from their bikes, mid-strike.
"Compy Claws!" Anabel called. She rushed forward, swinging her left arm up and her right arm around.
The Terrorsaurus scoffed and blocked both hits. He shoved Anabel back, her arms flailing as she tripped. He then hooked his fist into the front of her suit and hauled her up, into the air and over his head.
Anabel groaned as she landed on the roof of a car. She demorphed, and her morpher sparked.
"Fire!"
"Trent!" Conner called, turning to see the White Ranger arrive on his ATV.
Turning also, the Terrorsaurus thrust out his chest, blasting Trent off his ATV. The White Ranger groaned as he hit the ground and demorphed, his morpher sparking on his wrist.
"Trent!" Kira called, running to his side. "Back off!" she hissed, calling on her Ptera Grips and running at the Terrorsaurus.
Raising his arm, the Terrorsaurus blocked Kira's attack and, like how he had dispatched the Green Ranger, looped an arm around the Yellow Ranger and lifted her into the air. He pressed his clawed hand to her back and tossed her forward, into the Red Ranger attacking from the left.
Conner and Kira groaned as they collided. They both hit the ground, demorphed, and their morphers sparking, too.
The Terrorsaurus laughed loudly and turned away. "This is too easy," he said, setting his gaze on the Blue Ranger that was racing towards him.
"Hovercraft Cycle!" Ethan commanded. His bike changed forms and he flew into the air, narrowly avoiding another blast from the Terrorsaurus.
"Bring it!" the Terrorsaurus challenged.
Ethan flipped over mid-flight and soared back down, opening fire on the Terrorsaurus. The monster dodged and then jumped into the air, landing on the back of the Hovercraft.
Ethan struggled to dislodge him, but the Terrorsaurus ripped him away from the controls and dropped him off the side.
Landing with a crunch, Ethan stumbled and hit the ground on his knees. He demorphed, his face contorted in pain as he fell over onto his stomach, his morpher sparking like the others.
"Ethan!"
Crowding around their friend, the others helped Ethan up, each supporting cuts and bruises as the Terrorsaurus strode towards them.
"This guy has worked my last nerve," said Conner. "Ready?"
The others nodded. "Ready!"
"Dino Power, Power Up!"
Nothing happened.
Looking down at her morpher, Anabel hit the power button, hissing as an electrical shock rippled through her finger. "Ow!" she cried, pulling back, and looking at the others.
"What's going on?" Conner asked.
"That thing fried our morphin' energy," said Ethan.
The Terrorsaurus laughed as he stopped a few feet away. "Not so tough now, are you?" he taunted. He leapt into the air and flew away.
"He's gone," Conner groaned.
"Now what do we do?" Trent asked, looking around at the others.
Anabel shook her head. "There's nothing we can do right now," she said. "Hayley can try and fix the connection when we get back, but the only other person that understand the morphin' grid is in a coma. We have to wake Doctor Oliver up; he could be the only chance we have of getting our powers back."
"Then let's head back," said Conner. "Maybe Eithne has returned with a solution."
The others nodded and started off, stopping only as Cassidy and Devin rushed towards them carrying recording equipment and a microphone.
"Hey, guys," said Cassidy. She paused, drinking in their appearances. Her gaze ghosting over the cuts and bruises on their face and arms. "Oh, my goodness, what happened to you?"
Kira hesitated and glanced at the others. "Um, well, things are a little fuzzy, but I'd say a giant mutant attack," she said.
"Well, didn't the Power Rangers come to help you out?" Cassidy asked, tilting her head to the side, and frowning.
"No, I guess they couldn't make it," said Trent, shaking his head.
"Yeah, no Power Rangers anywhere near here," Conner agreed, nodding his head.
Devin frowned. "That's weird. I mean, they normally show up whenever somebody needs them," he said.
"Maybe they're at the laundromat," said Kira, awkwardly. "You know, washing those shiny suits?"
Cassidy crossed her arms, tapping her chest with her microphone. "Yeah, maybe," she murmured, her eyes on Anabel. "Are you okay?"
Anabel forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah. I just have to get home," she said. "Mum tends to worry when there is a monster attacking the city."
"Yeah, she's the Mayor, I can't see her being all too thrilled," said Cassidy. "You think she would give me an interview sometime? I'm curious has to how she intends to deal with these frequent attacks, especially if the Rangers have abandoned us."
Anabel glanced at the others. They hadn't abandoned Reefside, but they couldn't fight without their morphin' abilities. They wouldn't stand a chance if they tried.
"Anabel?" Cassidy asked.
"Um, sure, I'll ask her," said Anabel. "I really have to go. Come on, guys," she added to the others, leading them away from Cassidy and Devin.
~X~
Arriving back at Doctor Oliver's, the teens hurried up the stairs and found Hayley and Eithne standing side-by-side inside the main bedroom. Doctor Oliver still lay unconscious under the sheets.
"Any news?" Kira asked, looking from both women.
"There's no change," said Eithne. "I'm corresponding with Rune back at Root core. She's going through every medical book she we have. We'll find something, it's only a matter of time."
"Not too much time, I hope," said Ethan. He launched into an explanation of what had happened in the city, and how they couldn't morph anymore thanks to the Terrorsaurus.
Hayley's face paled and she rushed out of the room, calling over her shoulder about checking the connection in the lab. Trent followed her, as did Ethan, leaving Anabel, Kira, Conner, and Eithne in the bedroom.
"I wish there was something I could do," said Kira, huffing. "I feel completely helpless."
"Doctor O is pretty tough, Kira," said Conner. "I mean, he gave me a C minus on my term paper."
"Pretty sure he was being generous," Kira teased, weakly.
Eithne smiled.
"Guys, we have a problem," Trent called from downstairs.
Conner looked from Kira to Anabel and left the room to check on what was happening.
Kira placed a hand on Anabel's shoulder and looked up at Eithne. "We saw in the Video Diary that you were killed by the Master," she said. "How did you get revived?"
"I was brought back by a Vampire Queen," said Eithne. "Nikki no longer has that kind of power. No one does anymore."
"But he's not dead," said Kira. "He's in a coma."
Eithne nodded. "Yes, but I don't understand what you're trying to say," she said, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"Well, don't all spirits go to a sort of way station before they cross over?" Kira asked. "You were the Hellhound, right? Don't you control which spirits cross over and which don't?"
"I'm not the Hellhound anymore," said Eithne. "And, besides, I never have had control over that. Neither did my sister or brother. The only person who does is the one who controls all three heads."
"Kali," said Anabel. She looked away from Doctor Oliver and up at Eithne. "Kali, your daughter. She can help us! She can stop him from crossing over."
"Granted that he is there," said Eithne. "When you're in a coma, you don't always appear at the gates, ready to cross over. Sometimes, if a spirit is strong enough, they'll fight to stay alive." She gasped and looked down at Doctor Oliver. "That's why is brain patterns are erratic. He's fighting."
"How do we get him to stop?" Anabel asked.
"You don't want him to stop," said Eithne. "The second he stops fighting to live, is the second he dies."
"Then what do we do?" Kira asked,
Eithne looked thoughtful. "We could anchor him," she said, finally. "Send someone in. Someone he has a close connection with, someone that will anchor him to this living plane. Do you know anyone?"
Kira looked toward Anabel. "Can't love a ghost, can you?" she asked.
"Oh my god!" Anabel groaned, shooting her friend a look. "Did you all hear that?"
"You weren't exactly subtle about it," Kira chuckled.
Anabel sighed and looked back at Doctor Oliver. She wanted to help in any way she could, and therefore knew exactly what she needed to do. "Do it," she said to Eithne. "Send me in."
Eithne considered the teenager before her and then nodded. She took out her wand and looked up at Kira. "You may want to go get the others," she said, nodding at the door.
Kira nodded and left, leaving Anabel alone with Doctor Oliver and Eithne.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Eithne asked. "I can project you into his mind, but I don't know where you're going to end up or what you're going to encounter. He may not think you're real, and bad things tend to happen when someone feels they're under threat, especially in their own head."
Anabel looked back at Doctor Oliver. "I'm sure," she said. "I have to try, at least."
Eithne nodded. "Okay. Here's what you have to do…" she said.
~X~
Anabel furrowed her brow as she looked around. She was no longer in Doctor Oliver's bedroom surrounded by her friends, and Eithne. Now she was standing in the middle of a very green forest, while strips of white cloth hung from branches. Had it worked? Had Eithne's projection spell worked? If yes, where in Doctor Oliver's head had she landed?
"Anabel?"
Slowly, Anabel turned, and her breath caught as she found herself face-to-face with a very visible Doctor Oliver. A small smile spread across her lips, and she stepped toward him, throwing her arms around his neck as he reached for her at the same time, his arms wrapping tightly around her waist and almost lifting her off her feet.
Doctor Oliver squeezed Anabel tightly. She was real, very real. When he had first seen her appear, he wasn't sure if he were imagining it; after all, he had just fought two of his past Ranger selves, imagining up some familiar company wouldn't have been the weirdest thing of the past hour or so.
"What are you doing here?" Doctor Oliver asked as they separated. He held her at arm's length, but still close enough so that he could touch her, hold her, even. She looked the same as she had done that morning. Still wearing those skin-tight jeans with an off the shoulder green top, her brunette hair pulled back into a high ponytail, and white flat sandals on her feet.
Anabel stared at him. "I came here for you," she said. "Came here to tell you that you have to keep fighting, no matter how bad you want to stop, you can't."
"What is it?" Doctor Oliver asked, detecting the panic in her voice. "What's wrong?"
"This place isn't real," said Anabel, after a pause. It seemed to bring her hardship to tell him what she was about too, like she had promised she wouldn't or something. As if him knowing would still the fight left inside him. "This is all in your head. Your body is back at home with the others. Back with mine. I was projected here by Eithne Devine to anchor you."
Doctor Oliver furrowed his brow. "Then what is this place?" he asked.
"It's a sort of limbo," Anabel answered. "What we did to make you visible backfired. The generator overloaded and you were put in a coma. Eithne said that your stable for now, but if you stop fighting then you'll die. You can't die. That's why I was sent here, to keep you fighting."
"Give me a reason to fight?" Doctor Oliver asked. He cupped her face and pressed his forehead against her own.
Anabel smiled. "If I'm the reason you want to live then yeah, fight for me," she said.
"I know I couldn't live without you," Doctor Oliver admitted.
"We wake up from here then you won't have too."
Anabel closed her eyes as Doctor Oliver pressed a kiss to her forehead. It was the first sign of affection he had given her since getting his body back, and while he knew he wanted to kiss her properly, he also wanted to do when they were both awake. Doing it now just didn't feel like the right time.
Pulling back, Doctor Oliver frowned as Anabel furrowed her brow and looked around. "What is it?" he asked.
"Something's coming," Anabel answered. "Something… not right."
"How do you mean?"
Anabel shook her head. "It's like it's broken," she answered. "Like Trent when the White Dino Gem was first starting to take over him. He was neither good nor evil, he just was."
Doctor Oliver frowned then his eyes widened, and he pulled Anabel behind him. She squeaked, her fingers curling into his shirt as she pressed herself against his side.
"What is it?" Anabel asked, fearfully.
"I had a feeling I would run into you," said Doctor Oliver.
Anabel opened her mouth to ask who when a strange voice cut her off. She gasped as she looked around, spotting another Green Ranger approaching from afar. The last time she had seen this Ranger had been on the video diary that Doctor Oliver had put together.
"It's been a while, Tommy," said the Green Ranger. "I see you switched to basic black."
"It seems to work for me," Doctor Oliver replied. "Let me guess? You want to fight."
"You guessed right," the Green Ranger confirmed. He clenched his fist and dashed forward.
Anabel swallowed and glanced at Doctor Oliver. He squeezed her hand and then pushed her back against a tree. "Stay here," he warned, before running to meet the Green Ranger in battle.
As the fight raged, Anabel noticed that the Green Ranger was strong. She could remember Doctor Oliver telling her that his first time as a Ranger was a lot stronger than the rest, and most of the reason behind it was because the Green power coin had been infected with Darkness, and while Good always triumphed, Darkness always had the upper hand in any fight.
Leaning against the tree, Anabel watched helplessly as Doctor Oliver struggled against his former identity. He had, at some point, obtained the Dragon Sabre, but lost it at the next interval. He was now trapped into a stronghold as the Green Ranger tried to force him onto the ground by his arm. Doctor Oliver tugged free, and stumbled back, leaving the Green Ranger open to raise the Dragon sabre to his lips and blow.
The whole area shook as a minor quake ripped through. Green lightning energy rippled from the Dragon blade, across the ground and towards Doctor Oliver. The earth exploded and he was thrown backwards, hitting the tree that Anabel had been hiding behind and rolling onto the floor.
Stepping out from behind the trunk, Anabel knelt beside Doctor Oliver, rolling him over onto his side and then helping him stand. He looped an arm around her shoulders as she gripped his waist with one arm and the hand pressed to his chest.
"Needing help from children now, Tommy?" the Green Ranger mocked.
"Hey! Who you calling a child?" Anabel snapped. "At least he has help, what do you have?!"
Doctor Oliver tightened his hold around Anabel. "Careful, he's too powerful," he warned.
"But he is you," said Anabel, stubbornly. "And I know you wouldn't hurt me."
"I would've when I was him."
Anabel stopped and turned to face Doctor Oliver. "What?" she asked, stunned at his answer.
Doctor Oliver sighed. "Don't look at me like that," he said, shaking his head. "You remember the video diary better than any of the others. You know my origin story. I was evil first, and back then, when I was him, all I cared about was destroying the Rangers. I would've destroyed you."
"I don't believe that," said Anabel, shaking her head. "Rita Repulsa may have had control of your mind, but not your heart. Even though you fought to destroy the others, you still knew deep down what you were doing was wrong. That's why you tried to step down when Jason offered you a place on the team after the sword of darkness was destroyed. You wouldn't have tried to do that if you really believed what you had done previously was your choice."
Doctor Oliver chuckled.
"Are you finished?" the Green Ranger asked. "Or do I have to destroy you both?"
Anabel ignored the Green Ranger, her attention focused solely on Doctor Oliver. "You can beat him," she said. "I believe in you." She leaned forward, pressing her lips softly against his.
Instinctively, Doctor Oliver dropped his arm to her waist and pulled her closer. When they parted, Anabel's eyes remained close for a second, when she finally opened them, Doctor Oliver smiled as she raised her gaze to meet his. While that wasn't meant to have happened yet, it had, and it felt right.
"I guess I'll just destroy you both!" the Green Ranger interrupted. With a burst of power, he was across the clearing and barrelling into the couple.
Anabel gasped as she felt herself get roughly shoved aside, her back hitting the trunk of a nearby tree as she slipped in the leaves. She landed with a thud at the base, a gold coin at her feet.
Empowered by Anabel's actions, Doctor Oliver seemed a lot stronger than before, he fought vigorously, and blocked the Green Ranger at every turn. But still, the Green Ranger seemed a little stronger. While he rendered Doctor Oliver to his knees for a second time, he stepped back, lifted a stone column onto his shoulder and then stubbed it into the ground, balancing it delicately against a grassy mound.
The explosion following the collision of the stone column caused Anabel to look up. Her eyes widened and she jumped up, snatching up the gold coin and rushing out into the open towards Doctor Oliver. Before she could reach him, the Green Ranger wrapped an arm around her waist and backed away.
"No!" Doctor Oliver yelled, straightening up. He took a step forward, but the Green Ranger held the tip of the green dagger to Anabel's chest.
Anabel swallowed and met Doctor Oliver's gaze. While she believed he wouldn't hurt her, she could now see what he meant when he had said the Green Ranger only cared about destroying Rangers. But, why could she sense that the original green ranger was both good and evil, if he were now holding her captive? What was his endgame?
"You know better than anyone how powerful I am," said the Green Ranger, his gaze set on Doctor Oliver. "Why don't you just give up the fight?"
Doctor Oliver stared at Anabel. "That's the one thing I'll never do," he said.
"Then I guess this is over."
Anabel took a deep breath as she felt the tip of the dagger press closer to her chest. One sharp, powerful shove is all it would take to end her life. But would he do it? She wasn't meant to be here, and she wasn't the original Green Ranger's target, so why had he taken her now? What did he have to gain by destroying her?
Then… the dagger was gone, and so was the Green Ranger's arm. Without missing a beat, Anabel dashed across the clearing to Doctor Oliver, taking comfort and safety in his embrace as his arms encircled her.
"Are you okay?" Doctor Oliver asked.
Anabel nodded as she looked around, her gaze finding the original Green Ranger. He tilted his head to the side, watching her closely.
"You passed the test," said the Green Ranger, tearing his gaze from Anabel and back to Doctor Oliver.
"Test?" Doctor Oliver questioned. "What are you talking about?"
Lifting her head, Anabel spotted the Red Zeo Ranger step out of the trees behind the original Green Ranger.
"You haven't been fighting us," said the Zeo Ranger. "You've been fighting for your life."
"And you've proven your will to live is stronger than any Ranger power," said the White Tiger Ranger, appearing on the other side of the original green.
Anabel's eyes widened as she surveyed them all. The trio of Rangers held out their hands, palms up, to reveal three pieces of the black Dino Gem.
Doctor Oliver met Anabel's gaze before he took each shard from his past selves. Once together in his hand, they glowed and reformed.
"Good luck, Black Ranger."
~X~
Anabel opened her eyes and sat up. She was back in her own body, in Doctor Oliver's bedroom - Doctor Oliver! Turning quickly to her left, Anabel sighed in relief as Doctor Oliver's eyes opened and met her own, she smiled and rolled onto her knees, winding her arms around him as he, too, sat up. His own arms encircled her waist and he pulled her into his lap.
"You're awake," Anabel murmured.
"Thank you," said Doctor Oliver. "For bringing me out of it."
Anabel pulled back and smiled. "Can't love a ghost, remember?" she said, laughing.
Doctor Oliver chuckled and looked down at his clenched fist. He uncurled it, revealing his remade Dino Gem sitting comfortably in his palm. "That was weird," he said, meeting Anabel's gaze again.
"I could make a comment about it being your head," said Anabel, shrieking as he tickled her side. Her breath became shorter, raspier, as she pushed at his shoulders and wrenched herself away.
The door opened and Hayley's head appeared through the gap. She sighed in relief as she saw the pair were awake. "Oh, thank god," she said, stepping into the room.
Anabel rolled off Doctor Oliver's lap and stood from the bed.
"How are you feeling?" Hayley asked.
"Never better," said Doctor Oliver.
Anabel straightened her clothes and turned to Hayley. "Where are the others?" she asked. "Shouldn't they be here?"
"They're in the city," Hayley replied. "Just before you went under, the Terrorsaurus attacked again. Trent called up to say there was trouble…"
Anabel nodded. She could remember Conner leaving the room to find out what was going on, she went under the projection spell not long after.
"They don't have the ability to morph," said Anabel. "Why are they out there?"
"I tried to tell them that," said Hayley. "But they were determined. I've been monitoring them in the lab. They aren't doing so good."
Anabel looked down at her own wrist. Her powers were also trapped inside the Terrorsaurus, but she couldn't just leave her friends to be destroyed. "I'm going to go help," she said. "I may not be able to morph, either, but maybe one more could make all the differences."
"Wait," said Doctor Oliver, standing from the bed. "I can morph. I'll stand a better chance."
"This Terrorsaurus is more powerful than the last," said Anabel. "You can't beat him alone."
Doctor Oliver smiled. "I won't be alone," he said.
~X~
Conner, Ethan, Kira, and Trent cried out as the ground beneath the exploded, throwing them into the air and then hurtling them back onto the rocky ground. They coughed and clutched at their sides or chests, trying their hardest to ignore the pain that rippled through them. They couldn't give up, Anabel and Doctor Oliver were still under, and they were the last line of defence for the people of Reefside.
The Terrorsaurus laughed as he stalked towards his prey. They were seconds away from being destroyed, and he could return victorious to Mesogog's layer, the Dino Gems in his possession. He stopped a few feet away and looked up, startled by the appearance of an outsider.
Conner gasped and looked up as Doctor Oliver kicked the Terrorsaurus in the chest, knocking him backwards. "Doctor O!" he called, stunned at his appearance.
"You're okay?!" said Kira, smiling.
Doctor Oliver nodded back then turned his attention to the Terrorsaurus.
"Not for long!" the Terrorsaurus said, regaining his footing.
His smile fading, Doctor Oliver faced the Terrorsaurus. He raised his wrist, his morpher appearing as the key slid into the palm of his free hand. He raised both, slid the key into the lock and twisted it.
"Dino Thunder, Power Up!" he commanded, morphin' instantly. "Brachio Power!"
"Big deal," the Terrorsaurus scoffed. The horn on its chest glowed and he fired several blasts of red energy at Doctor Oliver.
Leaping into the air, Doctor Oliver avoided the attack and flipped over. He double kicked the Terrorsaurus, knocking him across the clearing and over a cliff.
As Doctor Oliver chased after him, Anabel rushed over to her friends. "Are you guys okay?" she asked, clutching at Kira's arm, and checking them all over for bruises. They had a couple, and in some awkward places, but they looked relatively fine otherwise.
"Are we okay, are you okay?" Kira asked, hugging Anabel. "What happened? How did you wake Doctor Oliver up?"
Anabel shook her head. "It's a long story," she said. "But right now, we need to get our powers back." She caught Kira's wrist and pulled her across the quarry to the cliff where Doctor Oliver had knocked the Terrorsaurus. The pair were still fighting in the ravine.
"Whoa, when did he get Super Dino Mode?" Conner asked, noticing how the spikes on Doctor Oliver's suit were more prominent than before.
"I don't know," said Ethan, shaking his head. "But he chose a good time to bust it out."
"We have to get down there!" said Trent.
The others nodded and rushed down the small hill parallel to the cliff top. The minute they reached the bottom, the Terrorsaurus howled as an energy orb from Doctor Oliver collided with him, causing him to explode.
"Look!" said Anabel, pointing at medium-sized crystal as it flew into the air. It landed not that far away, shattering upon impact with the ground. As the shards rolled away from one another, six brightly coloured orbs fluttered into the air and soared towards their respective Dino bracelets.
Ethan laughed as his Dino gem glowed. "Sweet, we got our powers back!" he said, looking to the others.
Dropping her arm, Anabel crossed the quarry to Doctor Oliver. The others following behind her.
"Are you going to tell us what happened now?" Conner asked, looking between his teacher and ex-girlfriend.
Anabel and Doctor Oliver considered one another.
"Trust me," said Doctor Oliver, looking up at his other students. "You wouldn't believe us if we told you."
~X~
After explaining the situation to Conner, Ethan, Trent, Kira, and Hayley, Doctor Oliver saw them off for the night, promising the teens that he would be back at school when it started back up after the long weekend. As they two cars disappeared from his drive, he turned back to his house and strode inside, finding Anabel on the phone in his kitchen.
He folded his arms and leaned against the door frame, listening to the one-sided conversation as the eighteen-year-old brunette paced back and forth. As he watched and listened, his mind couldn't help but wander back to the events that had happened that day, the fact that she had put herself at risk and entered his mind to make sure he kept fighting… and not only that, but the kiss. Had she done it with the intention of empowering him just so he wouldn't give up the fight, or had she meant it?
He understood that they had agreed to take this slow. To keep a necessary distance from one another in case their feelings were just a cause of personal understanding. But, she had also said she loved him - granted, she hadn't said it to him, more like in passing. But, could she really love him? Also, could he love her? He knew that he would do anything to protect her, and seeing her in his head earlier, feeling her get ripped away from him by his past self-had made him want to fight to get back to her.
"… yeah, Mum, I promise, I'll be there," said Anabel, pulling Doctor Oliver from his thoughts. "New Beginnings Hospital. South L.A. 3:30pm. I'll be there as soon as school lets out."
Anabel looked up, spotted Doctor Oliver leaning against the door frame and smiled. Her mother's voice seemed to blend into the background as she met his gaze, and she had to tear her gaze away just to hear the rest of the instructions.
"I can send a car for you if you want. It may get you there faster."
"No, mum, honestly, I'll be fine," said Anabel. "I have to go. We can talk more when I get home, alright? Okay. Love you."
Anabel hung up with a sigh and turned to Doctor Oliver.
"Being the daughter of a political figure sounds difficult," said Doctor Oliver.
"You have no idea," said Anabel, shaking her head. She switched off her phone and slid it into the back pocket of her jeans. "Are you okay?"
Doctor Oliver nodded. "I think so. Eithne gave me a clean bill of health before she left," he said. "What about you? Any lasting side effects?"
"Not that I can feel," said Anabel. "Eithne did say if I feel woozy or dizzy in the next few days to just take it easy, and I said I would. But, I do have a full schedule coming up, what with Cheer season drawing in, Mum's campaign, the opening of the new Children's Hospital, and school starting back up."
"How do you do it all?"
Anabel shrugged. "Guess I was just born differently," she answered. "Plus, it also helps to have things in place to help you unwind at the end of the day."
"What helps you unwind?"
"Reading, music, friends," said Anabel. "I also get cuddles with Malt and Coco."
Doctor Oliver looked confused.
Anabel smiled. "They're two Pomeranian puppies mum bought for me," she said. "One is all brown, like chocolate, and the other is tanned - hence Coco and Malt."
"So, I guess that means you'll be leaving soon?" Doctor Oliver. Was it her imagination, or did he sound disappointed at the idea?
Anabel shrugged. "They have a dog sitter. She doesn't mind waiting for me," she said. She considered him for a few seconds, before adding, "You look like you want to talk?"
"I got one thing that I can't get out of my head," said Doctor Oliver, pulling out a seat and sitting in it. He faced Anabel, his legs slightly apart as she leaned against the edge of his table. "When we were under… you kissed me."
Anabel looked surprised. "Yeah…?" she asked, unsure of what he was trying to say. Did he mean to say he regretted it? Was he going to push her away again? Freak out and say it shouldn't have happened, that it was inappropriate, and nothing can happen between them because he was her teacher?
Was he about to reject her again?
"Did you mean it?" Doctor Oliver asked.
"Did I mean, what?" Anabel asked. "To kiss you?"
Doctor Oliver nodded.
"I wouldn't have done it if I didn't mean it," said Anabel. She sighed and pushed away from the table but hesitated as she stepped closer to where he was standing. "I've never denied how I feel about you. I know how I feel, and I know what I want. The question is… do you?"
Doctor Oliver stared up at her. He would admit that in the beginning he didn't want to do something that would compromise them both; something that would have severe repercussions on both their parts, and repercussions that neither could walk away from. The fact of the matter was, if they were caught then he'd lose his job, and she'd be considered a victim of grooming or even sexual assault.
These were the main reasons why he had been so hesitant to pursue his feelings, or even consider them to begin with. He was protecting himself as much as he was her. But he couldn't deny it anymore, and quite frankly, he didn't want too. Anabel had admitted how she felt, and it was his turn to do the same.
Reaching out, Doctor Oliver caught her wrist and pulled her to him, his arm sliding around her waist as she straddled his lap. With his one arm around her, he lifted the other and cupped her face, brushing aside her hair and pressing his forehead against hers as she bent her head to meet his.
He gazed up, looking her in the eyes.
"We'd have to be super careful," he said. "No one can find out."
"We manage to keep our identities as Rangers a secret every day," said Anabel. "We both know the consequences if anyone found out those. What makes this any different?"
"This could ruin us," said Doctor Oliver.
Anabel leaned forward, her lips brushing against his. She felt his breath hitch and then he groaned as she pulled away, not a lot, but just enough that she lost contact with him. "A lot of things can ruin us," she said. "But I'm willing to take a chance to see where this leads. Are you?"
Surging forward, Doctor Oliver pressed his lips back to Anabel's. His arm tightened around her waist and soon both hands where on her hips. He lifted her up as he stood himself and set her back down on the side-counter, her shoulders resting against the kitchen cupboards that run along the wall.
Anabel wrapped her arms around Doctor Oliver's neck, her fingers threading in his hair at the back of his head. Her breathing hitched and came in a short gasp as he pulled away, resting his forehead against hers, his own breathing heavy and rapid.
Anabel smiled as she met his gaze. "I'll take that as a yes," she murmured.
Matching her smile, Doctor Oliver pressed his lips to hers again.
Don't forget to check out A Call to Arms! It's the team up between this team and the Ninja Storm team, featuring Kali Briar.
Let me know your thoughts on this chapter, and see you soon :)
~Twix