Disclaimer: the usual…

Jen's dying? WHAT? No, she's not pregnant, for those of you who thought so… So what's the cause? All will be revealed in this chapter! This chapter will be short, as to I am building up for something big…

Enjoy!

A New Shade of Gray, part 1

Sky walked down the hallway with a smile on his face. He had the girl of his dreams, both parents here with him, and on top of that, a great job.

"Sky Tate Collins, Blue Ranger." He said out loud. "Has a good ring to it." He walked past the doors of Command but stopped as he saw the look on Eric's face. He ducked around a corner as Eric, Kat and Cruger talked.

"I can't believe she kept something like this from us. That heart attack nearly killed her." Eric sighed. "Wes will be heartbroken."

"But my question is why?" Kat said. "Why is this happening?"

Cruger sighed. "I don't know. But Sky should know."

Eric jumped. "No. He can't. He and Jen have barely gotten to talk. I just don't want him to hurt."

"He's going to hurt even after she's gone!" Kat spoke up. "It's better that he knows, so he and Wes can prepare for the worst."

A computer beeped in the corner as a man with green hair popped up. "Eric, it's Lucas. Do you read me?"

Eric hit the button on the computer. "Go ahead, Lucas."

"I've got some information on Jen's condition for you." The Blue Ranger said. Lucas's eyes glanced down as he sent Eric the disk containing Jen's data. "It…doesn't look good." His voice was soft, his tone shallow.

"What's wrong with her?" Eric asked.

Lucas let out an unsteady breath. "She's dying."

Sky covered his mouth as he inhaled sharply. "No," he whispered. There was only one way to find out. He rushed towards Jen's room to find out the truth.

He only prayed that she wasn't.

In Jen's room

"Wes," she whispered. "I'm dying."

Wes looked at her and stopped breathing. Tears formed in his eyes as he let out a laugh. "You…you're kidding, right?"

Her voice dropped lower as Jen placed her head in her hands. "I wish I was." Wes was lost for words.

"How?" He said.

"That heart attack wasn't just by chance." Jen sat down at the couch, Wes sat next to her. "It's a condition in my family, one that hasn't made the medical books. It's been carried by my father's father."

"So why did it end up being activated on you?" Wes asked. Of all people, why Jen? "I thought you were genetically engineered, or something like that."

Jen shook her head. "I was conceived much like everyone else. My genes were only altered slightly. But altering the DNA chain is what caused the disease to activate."

"And there's no known cure?" Wes asked. Jen nodded. She collapsed into his arms and began to sob. After all they went through to be together, after all the rules they broke, their relationship would come crashing down in an instant. "Are you sure there isn't a cure?" his voice shook wildly. Jen didn't answer.

"We'll fight this, Jen." He whispered and held her close. "You'll beat this thing." Jen looked at him with reddened eyes.

"I only hope you're right." She whispered.

Down the hall

Sky rushed through the hallway, hoping to find out the truth.

"Sky?" a voice asked. It wasn't a voice that the Blue Ranger recognized, but it sounded urgent. He turned around to see a man with green hair standing in a white Time Force uniform. "Sky Collins, Blue Ranger?" this man asked again.

"Yes, I'm Sky." He responded. "Who are you?"

This man chuckled to himself. "How rude of me. Lieutenant Trip Regis." He said. "Green Time Force Ranger."

Sky shook Trip's hand. "I'm sorry, but I don't have time to chat. My mother is ill."

Trip bowed his head. "That's why I'm here. I've been doing research back at Time Force."

"How will that help Jen?" Sky quizzed. Trip merely smiled.

"I think I have found a way to help extend her life, by a lot." Trip said. "Contact Wes and Jen, tell them to meet me at Command."

Sky nodded. "I'll go get them." He rushed off as Trip headed back towards Command.

Twenty minutes later

Jen rushed into Command as Cruger was talking with Kat. "Anubis, what's wrong?" Sky immerged from the room with the other rangers. "It sounded urgent."

The SPD Rangers leaned against the wall as the Time Force Ranger spoke. "It is." He said. Jen and Wes recognized the voice immediately.

"Trip!" they called out. Wes hugged his friend. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

Trip looked at Jen. "I have some information that will help you, Jen. It won't cure the disease," Jen's face dropped. "but it can delay it for about fifty years."

Jen sat down at a desk, Wes followed her. Trip sat down at the computer and popped in the CD. The hologram appeared on the table. "Jen's condition isn't I well known one. There was only one other condition known in history. That of a great great grandfather of yours."

"Who?" Jen asked curiously. Trip shrugged.

"His name isn't know, as to the early part of your family is unknown. But he was a carrier for it. It became a buried trait and wasn't picked up when scientists began experimenting with genetics."

"Then why was it activated in me and not my ancestors?" the Pink Ranger asked.

"Like I said before, it was a buried trait. It was always a recessive gene and wasn't activated, and became locked away. That was until your parents tweaked your DNA. This caused the disease to be unlocked, as to the genes were altered."

Jen was speechless. All because her parents wanted a perfect baby girl, this deadly disease was unlocked. Jen looked from Trip to Wes, then to Sky.

Sky returned her worried gaze with one of his own. He felt a hand squeeze his as Syd sighed. Jen's eyes turned back to Trip.

"What are the chances that Sky is carrying the gene, or even…" she swallowed hard. "has it."

Trip began typing at the computer. "Very unlikely, as to his genes weren't altered." Wes let out a sigh of relief.

"You said that the disease could be delayed, how?" Wes asked.

Trip sighed. "I know that you'll bite my head off if I say this, Jen."

"Then say it." Jen retorted.

"You can't morph anymore." He said.

"What?" Jen and Wes said simultaneously.

Trip put another hologram up. "Every time you morph, it takes a certain amount of energy to do it. Every time you morph, a chemical in your DNA is activated to protect you. That chemical is exactly what the disease runs off of." Jen was silent as Trip continued.

"So you're saying that the next time I morph, it may kill me." She said. Trip nodded. Jen slammed her fist against the table. "This is bullshit." She muttered. "There's no medication that I can take that'll help me morph?"

"Not at all, even in the future." Trip said.

Jen sighed. "I can't just give up my morpher. The Rangers need me to help them defeat the mutants."

Another voice entered the conversation. "That's why we're here." Two more people immerged from the room.

"Katie?" Wes asked. She nodded. "Lucas?" he nodded as well. He hugged his friends. "It's so good to see you guys again."

Lucas sighed. "I only wish it were under better circumstances."

"If only." Katie echoed. She turned to Jen. He face was pale, her eyes red. "Jen," Katie said. "how are you feeling?"

The Captain shook her head. "I don't know."

The Rangers talked more as the SPD Rangers were briefed on the new way of command. Wes contacted Eric, who would be arriving in New Tech City tomorrow.

Later

It was unusually warm out as Jen sat on the balcony sipping an iced tea. "So it comes down to this." She glanced at her morpher. "Life can end with the push of a button." Jen began to reflect on her life before she became a ranger. How she met Wes and fell in love. How Sky was born.

Now that would come crashing down in a flash. Her and Sky had barely began to know each other, and all ready he would loose her. No, she couldn't die. There was too much to do. She needed to revamp Time Force, and get some updated software. Her and Sky needed to exchange more information. Her and Wes… they needed to do so many things.

She took a sip as she glanced up at the night sky. "Need some company?" a voice asked. Wes walked up besides her as she moved over. Wes couldn't help notice how quiet she was. "Jen," he couldn't find the words.

"I know." She whispered. "It's come down to this. The next time I morph, I may be gone."

Wes shushed her. "Don't say that." He whispered. Jen sniffed as tears fell down her cheeks. He held her close as tears flowed form his eyes as well. "Don't say that. You'll beat this. Eric and me can defeat the mutants, plus the SPD Rangers as well. "That's seven rangers. Plus Trip, Katie and Lucas. That's ten." He took her hand. "That's more then enough. All I want you to do now is relax, maybe this thing will die down a bit."

Jen sighed and buried her face into his shoulder. "I hope you're right, Wes." She squeezed her eyes and let out an unsteady breath. "I hope you're right."

The next day

The alarms blared as the SPD and Time Force Rangers raced down the stairs and into their vehicles.

"Base to Collins, come in Wes." Jen said into her headset.

"I read you loud and clear, Jen."

"Base to Landors, come in Jack." She said.

"Copy that, Captain. I hear you loud and clear."

"Good. Listen up, Rangers. This mutant is dangerous. His weapons are powerful, so watch your back. Work in pairs in order to defeat him."

Kat pressed a button. "We've got a visual, Jen."

"Bring it up." She said. A mutant came on screen as the Rangers arrived in scene.

Wes stepped forward, his badge held high. "Time Force! You're under arrest!"

The mutant snickered. "It'll take more then the ten you to stop me!" he yelled and fired at them.

"Watch your back, Delgado!" Jen said.

Z's voice came over the PA. "Copy that." Jen watched as the Rangers fought. Wes was indeed right. Their strength was great, their power full.

The mutant was caught in no time. Jen smiled as they celebrated their victory. "Good job, Rangers."

A powerful shot caught the Rangers off guard and they fell, their uniforms smoked.

"I thought Time Force would have put up more of a fight." The mutant said. Jen recognized the voice immediately. Her eyes grew wide with fear as the mutant came on screen.

Sky watched as the mutant walked towards them. "Who are you?" Sky asked.

From command, Jen shuttered. "Who is he?" Cruger asked. Only one word came out from Jen's mouth.

"Steelix…"

ch 8 up soon…