Disclaimer: Scenes from "A Calm Before the Storm" and "The End of Time, Part I" are included, but I do not claim ownership to them and I'm not making any profit from this.
A/N: Again, scenes were taken from the actual episode, but the dialogue might not be exactly right. Sorry for any mistakes!
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Alex rose early that morning and quickly changed into his uniform, rushing to HQ before seven, anxious to lay out his new plan before the higher Time Force officials. He was certain it would work, there was no way to save Wes or Eric, but that was the way it had to be . . . and no harm would befall them simply because the other Rangers were gone.
The timeline would continue with Frax taking of Silver Hills, but being defeated by the Dino Thunder Rangers months later, it didn't matter whether Jen and the others stayed. 'I just hope Admiral Fuller agrees,' he thought nervously as he entered the building.
"Captain?" he called, knocking on his office door.
It took a moment, then Logan's voice came over the intercom: "Come in, Alex." Alex took a deep breath and stepped into the office, Logan was seated behind his desk, sorting through a mound of paperwork. "What can I do for you?" he said, "must be important, you came out of your cave."
Alex smirked, then his face became impassive again: "It is serious, sir. I found a way to save the Rangers . . . we could just send them the timeship and bring them home."
"Isn't that a bit dangerous?" Logan's eyebrow shot up. "Leaving a city defenseless? Without the Rangers?"
"Sir, they're going to lose to Frax anyway!" Alex insisted, "and they have the Quantum Ranger as well as the . . . Red Ranger."
Logan sighed, shoving away the papers so he could meet Alex's eyes; the younger man stood silently, anxiously waiting for his Captain's words. Finally, he spoke: "Time Force is not supposed to leave until they've completed their mission---or died trying."
"There's no point in losing four good officers," Alex said, "when it's not needed."
"Protocol---"
"Damn protocol, Captain!" Alex snapped, "these people deserve to live--- they weren't even sent there by Time Force! It is my fault they're stuck there, and it is my responsibility to get them out safely!"
Logan blinked, rising slowly and walking around his desk to stand in front of Alex; he was a good five inches taller than him, and an intimidating figure even to the former Ranger. "Alex," he said, his voice still gentle, "I sympathize with your position here, but you're bordering on insubordination."
"Frankly, sir," Alex said, "charges on insubordination sound a hell of a lot better than burying my fiancee."
"Time Force will never approve this," Logan stated.
"I can try anyway," Alex said, "just give me permission to take half of the day off so I can meet with Admiral Fuller. That's all I need."
Logan folded his arms, recognizing the determined set of Alex's jaw and the icy glint in his eyes, he knew there would be no stopping him. "Fine," he said, "I'll assign Vega to the desk till thirteen hundred hours, you'd better be back by then."
"Yes, sir---" he turned and took three long steps to the door, halfway into the hallway when Logan's voice stopped him: "Don't do anything you'll regret later, Alex . . . "
"Rob . . . " Alex looked at him slowly, trying to calm down before contacting the Admiral. "The only thing I'll regret, is if I sent four people to their deaths."
"All right, Commander," the secretary spoke, "you may go in and see the Admiral now."
"Thank you." Alex got up and stretched out the stiffness in his legs, then walked into the office, his heart pounding in his chest, his mouth dry. "Commander Collins, sir!"
"Yes, yes . . . please, sit down." The elderly man gestured, a tone of impatience in his gravelly voice. "I hope you got permission to do this, Collins."
"Yes, sir," Alex answered, "I spoke to Captain Logan this morning."
"Good . . . now then, what can I do for you?"
Alex took a deep breath. "Well, sir . . . I've developed a plan . . . "
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Alex dragged his feet slightly as he walked up to his chair, feeling enormously fatigued, ready to turn in even though it was barely nine o'clock. He settled himself down and flipped on the computer, cringing at the images that appeared: Giant, blue vortexes sucking up tall buildings crowded with innocent workers. The Rangers fighting off every last Cyclobot, struggling against impossible odds.
He shook his head, snapping himself out of the vision and hitting the controls to contact the Rangers; Jen appeared, as usual, her face stony.
"Alex?"
"I need to speak with you," he said, "all of you. Where are the others?"
"Trip!" Jen called, turning away. "Get Wes, Alex wants to talk to us."
Alex stood up, unable to sit still; his palms were sweaty, he had only felt so nervous once before, many months ago. After what felt like an eternity, Wes came rushing in, asking: "Okay, what's up?"
"Quiet, please," Jen said, holding up her hand as they crowded around the table.
"Rangers," Alex said, clasping his hands behind his back, "you're mission is almost finished, only Frax and Ransik remain."
"I know!" Trip cried, excitedly, "and then we get to go home, right?"
"No, Trip," Alex said, swallowing hard, deciding not to give them all the information regarding their deaths. "The details are unclear, but according to the history banks, there's is a massive attack on the city." He sighed, leaning on his chair and meeting Jen's wide eyes. "None of you survive to make it back."
"What do you mean we 'don't survive to make it back'?" Jen demanded.
"There must be way to stop it!" Katie insisted, "what if we---"
"Katie, the attack can't be stopped," Alex cut her off, "but there is one way to escape---" he caught the interested look from Wes, a glimmer of hope flashing in his clear blue eyes "---I'm going to send the timeship, the four of you are to return to the year three thousand immediately."
"The four of us?" Trip questioned, confused.
"What about Wes?" Lucas asked.
"Unfortunately," Alex said, "he's not from the year three thousand, he must stay in his own time." Jen's mouth moved as if she gasped, but no sound came out. "I suggest you prepare to return," Alex said, "you must leave before the timehole begins to open in the sky." He took a breath, his eyes turning to his counterpart: "And, Wes . . . ?"
Wes looked up, as if hoping Alex would have some good news for him, too . . . that somehow he could help him like he could the others.
"I'm sorry," Alex said, earnestly, "there's no other way."
He closed communication as Jen and the others turned to a distraught Wes, no doubt horrified by Alex's revelation, and for good reason. The expression in his eyes would haunt Alex for a long time, he knew, he had never informed someone of their impending death . . . and he hoped he would never have to again.
But he couldn't think of Wes now, the only thing that mattered was Jen's safe return, and the time they would have together to sort things out. Sure, there was a lot of hurt---on both sides---she had fallen for another man, and he had treated her coldly, more so than he should have. But true love could survive anything, at least, that's what Jen always told him.
He shut down the computer and decided to leave work earlier than usual, knowing he would have to put in overtime the next day. 'At least it was slow today,' he told himself, having only pulled over one person for a minor traffic violation.
Once home, he undressed and crawled into bed, a drowsy smile on his face and a feeling of an enormous weight being lifted from his shoulders. When he awoke, Jen would be home . . .----------------------------------Alex opened the door and sat down in the car next to his partner, handing her the small bag he had carried out. "Brought you some lunch," he said, "hope you're hungry."
"Starved," Abigail laughed, "I forgot to eat this morning, I was in such a hurry. Is it true the Rangers are returning from the past today?"
"They should be back already," Alex said, "probably resting. Time Force won't alert anyone of their return until they've had time to recuperate."
"I didn't realize it was such an ordeal," Abigail said, dryly.
"Traveling through a millenia?" Alex chuckled. "That's an ordeal, all right."
Abigail took a sip of the hot drink, her eyes never leaving him as he pulled out of the parking spot and onto the road. "I've never seen you so happy!" she said, "you must be pretty excited about all this, huh? How long have they been gone?"
"A long time," Alex said, "too long. And, yes, I guess you could say I'm excited---once they return, we can put all this behind us and move on."
"How can you just 'put it behind you'?" Abigail questioned, "it must've been quite an experience, living one thousand years in the past."
"When a team spends a lot of time in the past," Alex told her, "they must go through memory adaptation, to help them re-adjust to life in this century. Time Force doesn't bother with people who have gone on a short mission, but they've been there for almost a year."
"Time Force . . . erases their memories???"
"Over time," Alex said, "they'll regain some of their memories, they'll be vague though. This has happened before, and it works just fine."
"Doesn't seem like they would be too thrilled," Abigail said, "to have their experiences erased like that . . . no one ever refused?"
"If they refuse," Alex said, "they're memories would be erased anyway and they would be discharged from Time Force. But, so far, no one has tried to resist. They are briefed on the rules before they go on their mission, so they know what to expect."
"I see."
'They weren't briefed on anything,' Alex reminded himself, 'just sent to do a job, without any help, without any real orders. And no one has ever fallen in love on a mission either.'
"That is why," he said, aloud, "Time Force officers are not allowed to communicate with past civilians unless it is absolutely essential to the mission. So they won't feel the need to remember anything." He turned the corner to the street where he lived, circling the block slowly.
"Alert, alert---" came a voice over the radio "---report of domestic dispute on Collins Street, Building Number two-niner-eight---"
"That's here," Alex said, pulling up in front of the building. "Let's check it out." He lifted the radio: "Collins/Vega responding, we're on the scene right now."
He went in front of Vega and walked up to the large door, pounding on it and shouting: "Time Force, open up!"
Abigail stood with her hand poised at her hip, a steely look in her eyes that had developed from only a few days working with Alex.
"Let us in!" Alex shouted, banging on it again. He heard shouts coming from within, a deep voice that was obviously a man, and a feminine voice crying out in pain. "Sir, open this door or I'll break it down!"
"Go to Hell!!!" the man snarled.
"All right . . . " Alex gestured to Abigail, who pressed herself against the wall and held her blaster up to her chest. Without warning, Alex took a quick step back and kicked the door, it creaked and seemed to give in a little; he slammed his full weight into it, gasping at the pain in his back. But the door collapsed and Abigail leapt in, her weapon ready.
"Freeze!!!" she ordered, just as the man lifted his hand to strike the young woman again. "You are under arrest."
Everything seemed to move in slow motion . . . Alex looked up, pulling his gun and shouting a warning, watching the man reach for something and lunge at Abigail. She fired, but he knocked the blaster out of her hands and the shot went wild; something gleamed in the light of the room, then disappeared just as Alex reached them. Abigail let out a small utter of pain as she sagged against Alex, who struggled against the man as he tried to wrestle the blaster from his hands.
They toppled to the floor, the knife tearing from Abigail's chest as she fell limply; the man stabbed at Alex, his eyes ablaze, his breath reeking of alcohol. The sharp end tore at his uniform, but Alex managed to roll the man over and gain the upperhand; he grabbed his wrist, snapping it and forcing the man to release the knife. He clasped the handcuffs on before the man could resist any further, then rushed to Abigail's side as she writhed in pain, her chin covered in blood as she coughed and gasped for air.
"Easy, easy . . . " Alex quickly unzipped and took off his jacket, wrapping it around the gaping hole in her chest as blood oozed out. "You'll be okay."
He rushed outside and grabbed the radio, speaking urgently: "I need a Med- Team ASAP on my location, I have an officer down! I repeat, I have an officer down!" He let the speaker fall and hurried back inside, dropping to his knees and cradling his injured partner's trembling body. "Help is on the way," he assured her.
"How . . . long?" Abigail whispered.
"Not long," Alex said, "they should be here soon. They're going to take care of you, don't worry."
She coughed, blood spurting out onto Alex's gold shirt, with a shaking hand he reached down and gently wiped away the liquid, then brushed back her soft hair. Time Force had new technology used to revive officers killed in the line of duty, but they had to reach them in time . . . ten minutes at the most.
"Hang on," Alex murmured, glancing up to the see the woman sinking down on to the floor as the man struggled to his feet. "Get down!" Alex shouted, "or I'll kill you where you stand!"
"C-Commander. . . ?"
"What is it, Ensign?" Alex asked, bending over so her lips were inches from his ear.
"Don't let them . . . " she struggled " . . . use my body."
Alex closed his eyes and nodded, knowing she was referring to Sienna Jacobson and those like her; he took her hand and squeezed it. "I won't, Abigail," he promised.
She gasped harshly, her breath rattling in her throat and her body arching up a bit as her eyes widened and she opened her mouth for air; Alex lifted her, holding her to him as she began to convulse uncontrollably. Tears stung his eyes with every painful cry that she uttered, her body thrashed on the hard floor and in his arms, blood still flowing from the stab wound.
Then . . . suddenly . . . she stiffened and collapsed against him, her head rolling to the back and her eyes glazing over. Alex let out a small murmur, gently laying her down and folding her hands over her stomach; her eyes stared up at the ceiling, wide with pain but dulled by death; he pressed his fingers to her eyelids and shut them, choking back a sob.
Fifteen minutes later, a team rushed in and crowded around Abigail's body; a medic pulled Alex away from her. "Are you injured, Commander?" he asked, looking at the blood covering his uniform.
"No, no . . . "
"How long as she been dead?" another asked.
Alex glanced at his watch and shook his head. "Too long . . . fifteen minutes," he replied. "She was killed trying to break up this disturbance here . . . the guy pulled a knife on her."
"It was an accident!" the man insisted as two other officers led him outside.
"It was an accident," Alex snapped, "that you stuck a knife into her heart!?" He took a step forward, but was held back and decided not to resist.
"We're bringing you with us, Commander," the medic said, "check you out, just to be safe. Then I imagine you'll be given the day off . . . come on, sir."
Alex allowed the man to lead him outside and into the waiting vehicle, feeling a numbness coming over his body as they wrapped Abigail's body and carried it out. 'She was so young . . . '
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It was nearly seven o'clock at night when Alex checked into his office, planning on heading over to see Jen before the day ended. The room was dark when he entered, lit only by the glow of the computer screen---a screen that showed the timeship still sitting on the beach. He tore off his sunglasses, for a moment wondering if he was imagining things . . . but the ship was still on the beach, motionless.
"Oh no," he murmured.
Tossing his glasses aside, he hit the communications button and called out frantically: "Jen! Jen, come in!" She appeared, sitting down at the table calmly. "Why haven't you left yet!?" Alex demanded, "you should have already returned by now!"
"We've decided to stay," Jen replied, "we're going to fight to save the city."
"No, that's out of the question!" Alex watched her expression change slightly, either her dislike of being told what to do, or a recognition of his genuine concern. He lowered his head, sighing as he tried to forget about everything that had happened. "Listen to me, Jennifer, you don't know what you're up against. Once the timeholes begin to open in the sky, it'll be too dangerous for you to return. I won't even be able to send you the Megazord!"
She made no response, just sat in silence and stared at him with wet eyes--- tears? Alex felt his frustration building, he had tried pleading, now another approach.
"Now I'm ordering you," he said, "pack your equipment, and get back---" she cut off the transmission before he could finish.
For a moment, the reality of what had just happened didn't sink in, but then he realized what Jen had just done; she had chosen to die fighting as Wes' side, rather than return home to him. He would never hold her again, never tell her how much he loved her and how sorry he was for everything he had said and done before . . . it was too late.
His face twisted with pain as he sank down, sitting on the cold floor and leaning his back on the console; he banged his head against it, cursing loudly. "Damn it, Jennifer!" he yelled, "why did you do this to me?" He squeezed his eyes shut, fighting off the tears he felt coming on.
"No . . . "
He would not break down, he hadn't cried in years, not since he had lost the last person he had loved . . . Sienna. Her beautiful face flashed before his eyes: Her soft, full lips . . . her round, penetrating eyes . . . the beautiful curves of her body . . . a part of him wanted to run to her, out of spite, spend a passionate night with his old flame.
But then he remembered the way it felt to slide that diamond ring onto Jen's finger and hear her voice as she threw herself into his arms:
"Yes!!! Oh, Alex . . . "
No. He would stay faithful to her, no matter what the outcome would be when- --and if---she got home; whether he would visit her grave tomorrow, or welcome her into his arms when she emerged from the Memory Adaptation room and all thoughts of Wes were erased. He would love her . . ."You and me."
"Forever . . . "
TBC