Chapter Nineteen

There was a clash of metal on metal above her. Cautiously, Shadow opened her eyes. There, above her, stood Jack and Sky, their swords crossed over each other blocking the blow intended for Shadow. A relieved sigh escaped her when she knew she wasn't going to die, and the tension in her muscles relaxed.

Bridge and Z jumped in and began to battle with the alien as Sky and Jack helped her to her feet. Shadow sagged against Jack, his arm around her waist, and glanced at Sky. She hoped that he knew she was thankful for his help. Jack led her away from the fight.. Shadow winced as pain flooded through her shoulder and she bit back a cry.

"Are you alright?" He asked. Shadow could hear the worry in his voice. She nodded.

"Good, now we can talk about what the heck you were thinking just jumping in like that!" Jack cried.

"I was doing my job." She seethed, fighting the urge to yell at him.

"And you could have gotten yourself permanently injured, or killed. Not to mention that you violated a direct order given by your leader, me."

"I don't need a lecture right now, Jack." Shadow bit out through clenched teeth. The pain was beginning to make her feel light-headed and she felt as if she were going to pass out at any moment.

"Well you need something. You can't just keep disobeying me. I have a mind to tell Cruger about this."

Shadow looked up at him anxiously.

"You can't do that, Jack." She said pleadingly, "Please don't do that. If I got kicked off the team it would kill my father."

"Well you should have thought of that before jumping into the fight." He hung his helmeted head and sighed. "Just go back to Headquarters," the authority had left his voice, "we'll talk about this when we're through here."

Fighting back unwanted tears, Shadow watched as Jack hurried back into the fray.

"Power down." she muttered. Her morph left her, leaving Shadow standing there with a downtrodden look on her face. With a glance at the fighting, Shadow turned, grabbed up the dress she had dropped earlier, and headed back to Headquarters.


Jack felt like crap. The fight with Grumm's alien had taken a lot out of him. Add that to his fight with Shadow and Jack had reason to be tired.

Trudging into Headquarters, Jack searched out the black Ranger. He found her in her room, guitar perched on her knee and hair hanging down around her face as her gaze stayed fixed upon the strings that her fingers were skillfully moving over. Jack took in the beauty before him. How did he ever come to deserve one so wonderful? But he might have screwed it all up by pulling rank on her. Anyone could see that Shadow was pissed at him for doing that. A blind man could have seen how badly she wanted in that fight. But it had been in her best interest that Jack keep her from it. So why did he feel so crappy about his decision?

"Shadow." He said quietly, almost afraid to disturb her. Her head snapped up and her eyes met his. Perfectly manicured eyebrows came together in a frown.

"What do you want?" She asked, not angrily, but not happily either. Her gaze had returned to the guitar.

"I'm…" Gosh it was hard for him to do this. "I'm sorry." He moved into her room, vacating his position against her doorframe. "I shouldn't have pulled you away from the fight, and I shouldn't have embarrassed you in front of the rest of the team."

Her fingers halted on the strings. She didn't move for a few moments, then, finally, her gaze traveled to meet his. Jack was hit by the tears shining within the hazel depths. Slowly, calmly, Shadow placed the guitar down, letting it lean against the bed. Jack moved to sit beside her.

"I hate not being able to do what I'm supposed to." She said quietly. Jack gripped her hand in his, feeling the hurt in her voice.

"I know." He replied, guilt building within him.

"And I don't like that you think I have to be treated with kid-gloves. Jack, I'm just as strong as you or Sky. I can handle myself in a fight, no injury is going to change that."

"I know that," he cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand and turned her face so that she was looking at him. It was time that he faced the truth, and time that Shadow knew it. "But your shoulder's not the reason I'm so worried about you." He took a deep breath. "I care about you, Shadow, a lot. I've never felt this way about someone before and the fact that I feel this way about you, it scares me."

Shadow opened her mouth to say something, but he shook his head. He had to get this all out before she said anything.

"You're a Power Ranger, and that means that you're constantly putting yourself in harms way. I know that you can handle it. I know that you can deal with the injuries and whatever Grumm can throw at us. But…but I don't know if I can deal with you getting hurt. You mean too much to me and to see you hurt, it tears me up inside."

Whatever else Jack had been going to say was cut off by Shadow's lips over his. He kissed her back with a passion that seemed to come from deep within him. Her arms lay over his shoulders, her hands holding his neck. Jack felt the heat from her touch travel through his entire body. He drank in her taste, her smell, her feel. He wanted this moment to last forever.

The cards had been laid on the table, and Shadow had accepted them.


Sky sat leaning against Old Oakie, watching the sun sink below the horizon. It had been a long day and the weariness of it all was beginning to catch up with him. He couldn't believe that only that morning he had kissed Shadow, so much had happened since then.

He remembered the emotions that had coursed through him when he saw the alien throw Shadow onto the ground. Fear had flooded him, along with regret, hurt, love, and every other conflicting emotion there is. To think that Shadow was about to die, it had paralyzed Sky momentarily, until his brain had registered what was happening and he had jumped in to block the blow that would have surely ended her life. But Jack had been there too, and Sky remembered the relationship between the red and black Rangers. There was no room for him in Shadow's life, no matter how much Sky wished there was.

Sighing, Sky stood and headed back in to Headquarters. He desperately needed sleep, but as long as thoughts of Shadow flitted through his mind he knew that he wouldn't even get a moment's rest.


"All SPD personnel to the docking bay. All SPD personnel to the docking bay." The automated voice came through the speakers throughout Headquarters.

Shadow hurried along with the rest of the Power Rangers to the docking bay. Rarely were they called to muster without notice of some kind about their visitor. But today was different. No one had heard that there would be a visitor to SPD, no one knew who this mysterious person was or what their business was about.

Commander Cruger stood above the recruits, hands behind his back, looking down at them all over the tip of his snout. A figure stood beside him, having just stepped out of his vehicle, looking just as serious as the Commander.

"Cadets," Cruger spoke loudly, his voice carrying over the heads of those assembled, "we have a guest today. He will be touring our facilities and seeing what improvements can be made to our weapons and to all of you. I expect you to give him the same amount of respect that you would me. Now, return to your training."

The cadets split off, each going back to their tasks. Shadow stood rooted to her spot, gazing up at the visitor. She didn't seem the only one in awe. The rest of the Rangers were standing around her, mouths agape. Cruger and his companion started down towards the Power Rangers.

"Rangers," Cruger said, "I would like you to meet-"

"Grandpa!" Shadow cried, her astonishment at the sight of her grandfather leaving her, and throwing her arms around the older man. He remained steadily on his feet as she jumped up and wrapped her arms tightly around him.

"Hello, Shadow." Dr. Tommy Oliver laughed as he hugged his granddaughter tightly. "It's good to see you."

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" She asked, stepping out of the embrace.

"Why didn't you tell me you finally became a Power Ranger?" She blushed at his lightly accusing tone.

"I thought, Daddy would tell you." She shrugged. He smiled down at her.

"Ahem, Dr. Oliver, it is a pleasure to meet you sir." Shadow looked over her shoulder to see Sky step forward, hand extended. Tommy reached out and gripped the blue Ranger's hand firmly.

"The pleasure's mine, Cadet." He smiled at Sky before returning his attention to Shadow. "Now, are you going to introduce me to the rest of your teammates or are you going to make them do it?"


Well, what did you guys think? I think that I'm going to start wrapping up this story, but there are still a few more points I want to hit before ending the whole thing. Expect about, I don't know, five more chapters maybe. I'm not sure, but I think that I'll be ending this within five to ten chapters. So, if you want to have a say in who Shadow ends up with don't forget to cast your vote. The count now stands at:

Sky- 67

Jack- 58