Disclaimer: Power Rangers is owned by Buena Vista, Sara is mine. Everything up to A Golden Homecoming is canon, but it takes a distinct turn after that.

Chapter Five: A Time for Regret

I bit my lip in worry as I monitored Jason's vital signs. Just as they had in my world, the Gold powers were incompatible with human physiology and they were slowly killing him. It was one of the few times since I had come to this dimension that I wanted with all my heart to change what happened. If it had been possible I would have thrown every noble thought out the window and made sure this never happened.

It had been several weeks since that night out on the porch swing and I was still pushing the handsome former Gold Ranger away. Heart was determined to succeed where everyone else had failed, and the others weren't much help with their attempts to set us up. But I had not been kidding when I said that I was very good at pushing people away, and grit my teeth and beared each attempt until I could get away.

Fortunately, with Mondo's increased attempts to make sure the Gold powers were not transferred back to Trey, the three young men were forced to spend the majority of their time hiding out at the Power Chamber, giving me blessed relief from his charms. Until Billy laid the guilt trip of all guilt trips on me to get me to come here and watch over Jason while the others searched frantically for a cure or a way to transfer the powers.

I sighed at the memory of earlier this week. For reasons I could not comprehend, I had allowed Billy to get much closer than any of the others and he had a way of talking me into things I ordinarily would not do because of it. He was probably the only thing that kept me from losing it with the others, talking me down each time I was ready to turn and let one of them have it. And I knew that he had most likely been the one making sure that every matchmaking attempt was harmless and wouldn't provoke me to hurt someone.

He was probably the only one who truly realized how ugly I could get when I was backed into a corner, and as much as I hated to admit it, I was grateful for his efforts to prevent that. I truly liked his friends, but when I went on the defensive, liking someone just wasn't enough to keep me from doing whatever it took to get them to leave me the hell alone.

So here I was, in the direct line of fire of the one person I was trying to avoid, and even as much as I liked Billy, I was so going to get even with him for this. And to make matters worse, Trey hadn't once approached me, making me wonder just what the hell he was up to. It wasn't like him to pass up an opportunity to worm his way into my heart and I didn't like it one bit.

The silence in the room was deafening, and I just couldn't take it anymore, slamming down my novel. "All right, what are you up to?

Wisdom and Courage turned curious eyes on me, but their brother didn't lift his eyes from the computer printout in his hands.

"You're so suspicious Sara. Do I have to have a ulterior motive for being in the same room as you?" Trey of Heart replied calmly, showing more than a few signs of the time he'd spent in Rocky's company.

I gave him an incredulous look. "After the past few weeks? Hell yeah."

He shrugged. "A man must accept defeat eventually."

I was suddenly glad he was being so fucking indifferent as to not even look up, because I felt like I had been punched in the stomach at his words. "Oh." I said quietly, turning back to Jason.

"Hey. You've been here for awhile, why don't you go out and get some air?" Billy said softly.

I nodded, walking out of the room with my mind whirling. I finally got what I wanted--he had given up his quest. So why did it hurt so much? A noise behind me made me whirl around and I relaxed as I recognized what I used to tell the three souls apart.

"Courage." I nodded.

"Interesting."

"What is?"

"You do not seem to mind either my or Wisdom's company, but you bristle every time you see Heart. We are the same man."

I winced. "I'm sorry if I offended you."

"You did not. I was merely making an observation."

I shrugged. "I don't understand it either. I know all three of you are the same man, yet only he bothers me."

"Could it perhaps be because he is the only of the three of us capable of love?"

I blinked. "Is that true?"

"Yes. Neither Wisdom nor I have the capacity. Just as he has neither the capacity for the brand of wisdom of that counterpart or the courage of mine. What each of us lack, another makes up for it."

I nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. You and Wisdom are merely the physical manifestations of the traits you are named for. Heart is the so-called 'main' soul. Uh, no offense meant."

"None taken. You are right. We are the wisdom and courage, and he is everything else that makes up the man named Trey."

I thought over that for a few moments, then looked over at him curiously. "Don't take this the wrong way, but why are you here? I believe this is the first time we've really spoken."

"Perhaps it is time that we did."

I sighed. "Save your lecture. I realize how foolish I was, making wishes that I wasn't prepared to come true."

"I did not come to lecture you. I came to apologize to you."

I blinked. "For what?"

"For letting this go on for so long. To coin one of your phrases, it is time to put all of our cards on the table."

I shrugged. "Why bother? Once you three are reunited, you'll go back to helping others in need. You certainly don't need me there in the way."

"Is that not something for us to decide?"

"True." I admitted grudgingly. "But what difference does it make? You heard him, he's given up."

"He told you what he thought you wanted to hear. No amount of hopelessness can change the fact that his heart beats for you."

I quirked an eyebrow. "For someone without the capacity, you seem awfully sure about that."

"Let us just say that I see what he sees."



I tightened my fingers around the blaster Adam had handed me when the fight began and scanned the perimeter of the triangle I was positioned in front of for cogs. It seemed that the Rangers had most of the mechanized monsters preoccupied, but I knew better than to assume that fact couldn't change in the blink of an eye. My head snapped around when I saw a flash of silver and I didn't hesitate to blow the head off the cog that was sneaking up on us.

I didn't know what force was guiding my hand, but every shot I fired that fight was flawless. It seemed that the stars above were watching over us, because the fight was over seconds before a blinding flash of light exploded before my eyes and I was thrown away from the triangle to land flat on my back a few feet away.

I rolled onto my side with a groan and blinked when white boots walked into my vision. I could see five familiar figures in colored spandex helping a weak Jason to his feet, so I wasn't particularly surprised when I looked up to see the Gold Ranger standing in front of me.

He knelt down and offered me his hand without a word and I hesitantly took it, allowing him to help me to my feet. I felt like I had been slapped when he turned to walk away from me.

"Trey?" I asked hesitantly, even though I knew it had to be him.

He didn't turn around. "It's not safe for you here." He said quietly before teleporting away.

I stared at where he had been standing for a few moments, feeling something akin to having been kicked in the stomach, then nodded in acceptance. I had had my chance and I had refused it. There was no one to blame here but myself. I walked over to where Tommy and Adam were supporting Jason between them and wordlessly took over for Tommy, slipping my arm around Jason's waist as Adam carefully relinquished the rest of the weight onto me.

"Sara?"

I turned away from sympathetic brown eyes. "Our job is done now. Let's get back to the Power Chamber."