Hey everyone, I'm here with the next chapter! Quick shoutout:

Jnr Cpl Scarlett - I didn't end the story when they rescued Hunter because, as you said, the pain doesn't just end once they are 'safe'. It can stay with someone for many years and I wanted people to try to understand that!

On that note, here's chapter 19:


The rangers were sitting outside when Blake found them.

"How is he?" Shane asked.

"Asleep," came Blake's reply. He saw the look on their faces. "I know what I did seemed harsh, but I know my brother. He just needed a kick, that was all. I'm sure he'll feel better now that's out of him."

There was silence. None of them really knew what to say. They'd never seen Hunter like that. It had been a shock. Suddenly a scream ripped through the silence. It came from Ninja Ops.

"Hunter!" Blake was down the steps in a second, the others close behind him. Blake, scared that Hunter was in trouble, almost laughed in relief to find it was only a nightmare.

"It's ok," he said, "There's nothing to worry about."

But Dustin, Shane and Tori had never seen Hunter have a nightmare before and they were shocked to see him yelling and crying at apparently nothing, even though his eyes were wide open.

"Whoa, creepy." Dustin whispered to Shane.

"It's ok." Blake said again, to reassure them. "He's just having a nightmare. Give him a minute and he'll be fine."

Sure enough, Hunter's cries quieted and he lay still, his breathing slowly returning to normal.

His eyes flickered open. "What's everyone looking at?" he said sitting up.

Blake smiled at his brother. "You had a nightmare. Gave us all a fright screaming like that."

"Did I? I'm sorry."

"No worries bro." Shane said. "We'll know next time."

While the others were lounging on some chairs, Blake and Hunter were having a whispered discussion. It looked urgent.

"I wonder what those two are on about now?" Dustin said to Shane and Tori.

"Dunno, looks like we'll find out soon enough." Shane said.

"Fine, it's your choice Hunter. If you think it's the best thing…" Blake said and then the two of them stood up and headed over to the others.

Hunter looked nervous. "I've been thinking…" he began.

"That's dangerous." Dustin broke in. Shane gave him a punch on the arm.

Hunter smiled, then his face turned serious. "I've decided I want to tell you all what happened. Sensei reckons talking about it might help and, although I can't make you understand some of what happened…" he trailed off. "I owe you the truth," he said simply.

"Hunter no, you don't owe us anything." Tori began.

"No, honestly I do. I've been lying to you for so long. You guys deserve the truth, and I, I want you to know."

"If it helps man." Shane said. "But you know you can stop whenever you want to, alright?"

Hunter nodded and sat down. Blake sat on one side of him, Tori on the other. Dustin and Shane sat on chairs opposite and Cam and Sensei hung around nearby.

Hunter stared at his hands for a while and then started to talk quietly, "It's funny; I don't really know where to begin." He took a deep breath. "Ok, when I was five my father was killed in a motorbike accident. He was a racer as well. Strange how I've taken after a man I never knew."

He gave a small laugh. "I don't remember much about him. My mother was alone for sometime, then one day she brought Phil home. He seemed really nice. A good guy. He was friendly to me and it did look like he cared for my mother. It must have only been a year after my father died that they got married; probably because of me. My mother knew I needed a father and Phil seemed a good choice. Then it all started to go wrong. I don't know why exactly, but I remember the first time Phil hit me. I can't remember what I'd done, but it had made him angry and he hit me, hard, across the face. I'd never been hit before, not properly, before that. I was shocked and crying. He was disgusted. After that, he used to hit me regularly. For the smallest things, like, I remember once I was helping mum set the table. I was about seven and I dropped something on the floor. Phil went ballistic and started hitting and kicking me. It got gradually worse. I know I went to hospital a lot; an awful lot."

Hunter paused, the pain of remembering his past was clear on his face even though he spoke in a flat, emotionless tone. Blake put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, which Hunter held on to gratefully. He took a deep breath and continued, "You'd have thought they would have guessed something was up, even though Phil made me say I'd fallen over. If anyone at school noticed all the bruises, they didn't say anything. Then, when I was ten, a teacher asked how I got a cut on my head and I told her the truth – that my step-dad had hit me. The first and only time I've ever told anyone, except you guys. She went to see him and he was all nice and everything. I don't know what he said to her but it got rid of her suspicions. But once she'd gone…" he paused.

"I...I don't really remember," he continued slowly. Blake knew he wasn't being entirely truthful, but he wasn't going to pressHunter about this. "It's all a bit hazy. I remember a dark room and a lot of pain; then I woke up in hospital. I'd been in a coma for two weeks. After that, Social Services decided to investigate. I went to a Home for a few weeks, but then I was sent back."

He shook his head. "That year was the worst. I didn't go to school; I had to help around the house. Phil was mad. He'd almost gone to prison because of me and he wasn't going to let me forget that. He'd tell me all sorts of things to scare me and then lock me away in the basement, in the dark."

The others noticed Hunter's hands were shaking but his voice remained steady, even getting stronger as he continued,"Luckily my next door neighbour's son was in the same class as me at school. You see, Phil had said we were moving away, that's why I wouldn't be at school anymore. But the alarm was raised, 'cos they knew we hadn't moved away, and the police came round. Mother was screaming and crying, Phil was shouting. They were both arrested. I was literally pulled from my mother's arms and taken away."

He said it so calmly, Shane thought, that's what made it all sound so much worse. He's just accepted it.

"The people at the Home were lovely, but they couldn't understand me. I refused to talk about what had happened to me so there was nothing they could do. I heard that Phil had been sentenced to prison, with my mother, so I just thought it was easier to pretend they were dead. No one asks questions if you say your parents are dead." He turned to look at Blake. "I'm so sorry. I just wanted to make it all go away. I knew there'd be questions if I said they were alive but in prison and I didn't want to answer them. They were dead to me. Will you ever forgive me for lying to you?"

Blake swallowed. "There's nothing to forgive," he said with a weak smile, "I'd probably have done the same in your position."

"Well, there you are." Hunter tried to smile. "My life story. So, now you know. I can't ask you to understand, but I've explained myself to you and I hope you can all forgive me for not telling you."

"It's like Blake said." Shane answered him, "What is there to forgive? Don't worry about it man."

"So… does this mean you're back in the team?" Dustin asked.

Hunter looked away. "I can't, I'm sorry. I wasn't going to tell you guys, but my powers are gone. I don't just mean my ranger one's just 'cos I've handed in my morpher, I mean my thunder ones as well. I've got nothing there. I'm sorry, but there's no point in me trying to be something I can't be."

"Well Hunter, we have to respect your decision…" Shane began.

"No we bloody well don't." Blake said angrily. "Hunter you're a great ranger. You can't just bail on us bro."

"Not my choice." Hunter said with a shrug. "How can I be a ranger when I can't use the powers? Please Blake, don't argue with me. We've just made up."

But just as Blake was going to give an angry retort, the computers beeped a warning that an alien had been sighted.

"Uh oh, look who's back." Cam said…