A/N: WARNING… THERE IS A CHARACTER DEATH IN THIS CHAPTER… NOT ANY OF MY MAIN CHARACTERS, BUT SOMEONE THAT WILL COME INTO PLAY IN PART 3… ENJOY!
The following day, Taylor sat at her desk and waited patiently for Cruger, now named Commander of the SPD operation, and Dr. Manx. Eric and Wes were off on assignment for the day, but Eric had assured her that he would be home as soon as he could. He was just as concerned as she was in regards to their children.
"Lieutenant Meyers?" Cruger said as he entered. Taylor rose and saw Cruger and Kat come in.
"Please have a seat," she said. The two alien beings did as they were told and Taylor sat.
"What's this about Lieutenant?" Kat asked.
"Well, I've called you in here to ask you a few questions," she began. "Last night…" she said trying to explain everything. "Last night my son had a night terror. When Commander Meyers went to check on him there appeared to be a force field surrounding him."
Cruger's brows lifted and Kat looked alarmed. "Do you know what caused it?" the doctor asked.
"No. But we do know that it came FROM Schuyler. He was in control of it… it nearly tossed Eric through the wall," she said grinning a little.
"What about your daughter?" Cruger said suddenly.
"My daughter, according to the Commander, made a box levitate to her hand," she said calmly. "Do you have any idea what could be causing this?"
Kat shifted a bit in her seat. She had an idea as to what may have happened. "Lieutenant, I think it may have something to do with you and Commander Meyers being exposed to the chemicals used in one of the experiments."
"The one where we were first developing the technology four years ago?" she questioned. Kat nodded her head.
"But as you can see, Sky and Ani are perfectly healthy children… with the exception of their… gifts," Cruger said. Taylor sat back in her chair.
"Gifts?" she asked sarcastically. "Some chemical infected my children," she said with disgust. "What if they can't control these 'gifts' Commander?"
Cruger had a feeling she would feel this way. She was very protective of her kids, with just cause.
"They'll learn to harness them in time… I can assure you that nothing but good can come from this. They were meant to get these gifts, and they're going to do wonderful things with them in the future. I promise you that."
"You've dealt with this sort of thing before?" she questioned.
"We both have," Kat said. "Other beings go through the same thing when they come into something that seems too big for them, but I promise all of this is for the best. They're very powerful children even without their 'gifts.' They have you and Commander Meyers as parents."
Taylor smiled a little at that compliment. She couldn't deny the truth. Sky and Ani both had big shoes to fill if they ever decided to follow in their parents' footsteps.
"You'll help them then?" she asked.
"Absolutely," Kat said.
"What about the others that were in the room when it happened? Will they be affected too?" she said thinking of Melissa and her, then, unborn child.
"We haven't heard anything from the others, seeing as they've moved on in their lives, but as far as we know Sky and Ani are the only ones affected," Cruger said.
"Do you think it's… in me? Like I passed it on to them?" she said, suddenly worried that if she and Eric were to have another baby…
"We don't know that for sure," Cruger said. "We'll just have to wait and-"
"Excuse me Lieutenant," a cadet said as he entered her office. "Forgive me for interrupting, but there's an Alyssa Evans at the front desk asking urgently for you."
Taylor dismissed him and turned back to Cruger and Kat. "Thank you both for your time." She rose and headed towards the front desk.
The sight that met her eyes made her blood run cold. Alyssa turned when she heard the large doors open. Her face was stained with tears and her eyes were red and puffy. Taylor saw the large swell of her stomach and smiled a little.
"Alyssa?" she questioned. "What's wrong?" Alyssa grabbed her in a tight hug.
"Taylor… it's Danny…" Alyssa said softly as she pulled away.
The tone in her voice could only mean one thing…
Four days later saw the skies over Turtle Cove in a deep gray. Ten figures dressed in black stood around a single headstone decorated with bright flowers all around it.
A senseless act by a drunk driver had taken Danny Delgado from them. The day Alyssa came was a day that changed everyone's lives forever.
Wes, Jen, Eric, Taylor, Alyssa, Cole, Merrick, and Max all watched as Princess Shayla stepped forward and placed a small black crystal at the foot of the stone. The Wild Force Rangers knew it was a piece of his Zord Crystal and they all knew the Bison was hurting as well.
A young woman with brown hair stepped over next and placed her left hand on the stone; a bright gleam could be seen coming from her finger. She placed her lips to the stone and turned back to the group of people she knew meant so much to her fiancé.
"Thank you all for coming," she said softly. "I know it means a lot to him."
"If you need anything Kendall," Taylor said as she felt Eric hug her a bit closer.
The young woman smiled. "Thank you Taylor," she said softly. She looked around and made sure that there was no one else around. "Before we got engaged… Danny… told me about you all. What you were, and what you did for the Earth."
Shayla smiled a bit and the others knew their secret was safe with Kendall. "He told me that you all were the best friends he ever had… that it was the happiest time of his life," she said softly. Everyone stood there for a few more moments before returning back to their cars…
Later that evening, Taylor sat out on her porch with a cup of tea in hand. She stared out at the moon and shivered. Danny was gone… it just didn't seem possible. He was a ranger and a good person… he didn't deserve to die.
She ran her hand through her hair and felt tears coming to her eyes for the first time since she had been told about her friend. She placed her head in her hands and let her tears flow… her cup fell to the ground and shattered.
A pair of arms wrapped themselves around her and she turned into Eric's chest. He held her and soothed her as best he could. Danny had been a good friend to them, but he knew his loss was hardest on Taylor.
"Damn it Eric why'd he have to die!" she cried. "I should have kept in better contact with him! Who knows, he and Kendall could have been married by now!"
Eric kissed her head and rubbed her back gently. "It's not your fault Taylor… it was an accident." She just held him tighter.
"Where… where are the kids?" she asked softly as she wiped her eyes.
"Wes and Jen said they'd keep them for the night," he whispered as he helped her to stand. "They figured you needed some time."
She hugged him tight and kissed him. "I love you," she said softly, almost desperately. Eric held her just as tightly. "I don't think I'd be able to survive without you."
He held her back a bit and looked into her eyes. "Don't talk like that… you still have Sky and Ani. That's something to live for."
Taylor laughed a little and placed her head on his shoulder. She wasn't going to tell him like this, but it seemed like the right thing to do.
"And this one too," she said as she moved his hand to her stomach. Eric's eyes widened. "I found out yesterday…"
He leaned in and kissed her gently. "Are you happy?" he asked. Taylor could only nod her head as a reply. Everything had hit her at once today, and she finally felt her body succumbing to it all.
Together, Eric and Taylor entered the house with the hopes of a better life for their children…