Eric, Wes, Jen and all other characters from Power Rangers belong to Disney/Saban. I am using them without permission, however I have not and don't expect to make money from this.
Gaby is mine.

Rated T: mild language, some violence and sexual references.

A/N: This is a sequel to 'Crossroads' and part of my 'Year of Time' series. It can, however, stand alone, with most of the background from the series being mentioned along the way.

Reviews are always appreciated.

Reversals of Fortune

Mirrorverse - Part 2

- - -

"Jesus. Suits. Doesn't he have anything else to wear?"

"Be grateful. He didn't have to give us anything. Personally I'm happy to get into some clean clothes," Wes said.

"Yeah, I guess." Eric raised a hand to his neck and pulled uncomfortably at his collar. "Man, I forgot how much I hate wearing a tie."

"And you've forgotten how to tie one." Jen came up to him, her fingers expertly taking the knot apart and reassembling it. "Wes is the same way. Can't stand to get dressed up. I'm surprised he didn't wear his old red shirt and tan slacks to our wedding."

"Hey! I resemble that remark."

"And he can't do a tie right to save his life. I've had to learn."

Wes grinned behind her. "It's just so much more fun to have you do it."

Jen snorted faintly, but the corners of her mouth tugged up. "All done," she announced, and stepped back, casting a critical eye over her husband and Eric. "And very handsome, both of you."

"Thanks, sweetheart," Wes said, dropping a quick kiss on her cheek. "You look wonderful yourself."

"Yeah, you look okay." Eric saw them both smile. Jen did look good, in one of those 'little black dress' things, her arms and shoulders bare, almost as tall as Wes and himself in unaccustomed high heels. All borrowed from the Jen of this dimension, of course, whom they had not yet met. Wes-two had provided the dress, and lent them two of his own suits. It had come in handy that he and Eric were almost exactly the same size and build.

"I guess we should get down there," Wes said.

"Yeah, if you two are done messing with your clothes and telling bad jokes, let's get this over with."

Wes gave him a half-amused look but said nothing. He crooked his elbow and held it out to Jen. "Madame, may I have the pleasure?"

"Certainly, sir."

They headed for the door of the large bedroom, one of the two rooms they had been given for their stay. Wes opened it and then hesitated, his face suddenly somber. "Going to be strange, walking into that dining room and not seeing Dad."

"Yes, it will," Jen said. She smiled gently at her husband and hugged his arm closer.

"That's something we can all be glad is different in our own world," Eric said as they headed out again.

- - -

It was still a startling sight, and Wes and Jen thought so too, Eric decided as they stood in the living room doorway. Jen and Gaby - the alternate versions - were sitting at the bar, heads together, laughing about something. The other Wes and Eric were standing just beyond them, apparently deep in conversation, their expressions serious - concentrated - a hint of irritation in his own double's face - but it was gone as soon as they looked up.

"Well, hello! All of you look great, if I say so myself," Eric-two said with his customary grin. "Meet another couple of familiar faces." He extended an arm around Gaby's shoulders. "Jen, meet Jen. Everyone, meet Gaby. I'm sure you feel like you already know each other."

"Yeah, we sure do," Wes said, shaking hands with his wife's counterpart.

Eric followed his and Jen's example, taking first Jen-two's soft and surprisingly limp hand and then moving on to Gaby. He tried not to show a reaction as she leaned forward slightly, giving him an excellent view down the very low neckline of her dress, and trailed her fingertips over his palm as they let go. His face must have shown something; she gave him an amused smile that also seemed disturbingly seductive.

"Lady and gentlemen, if you'd care to arm yourselves with something from the bar?" Wes-two said heartily, gesturing. "No? Okay, shall we go in to dinner?"

The living room had looked almost the same as in their own world, except for new carpeting and a few additional paintings and sculptures. The dining room was another matter. Eric didn't remember the crystal chandelier above their heads. Or the line of servants standing at attention against the wall, Philips among them, standing straight-backed, stiff-faced, eyes front. Or the fancy silverware laid out on the table. Goldware would be a better word, he decided, eyeing a fork that looked like it cost as much as his car.

"I see you've - uh - done some decorating," Wes said.

"Like it? I figure what's the point of money if you don't spend it? Right?"

"I guess so." Eric knew Wes well enough to hear the dubious tone.

"Well, come on. Sit down."

They sat, boy-girl-boy-girl, with Eric the odd man out. The two Weses and Jens faced each other across the table, and Eric, to his discomfort, found himself across from his double, who was next to his own Gaby. The servants moved in to serve the first course, which was a deep orange soup.

"Aren't you worried about them seeing us with you?" Eric asked, as soon as the room was clear of other people for a moment.

"They know better than to step out of line," Wes-two said. His eyes darted up to theirs as all three stared at him, startled. "I mean, they're very loyal. I have the utmost faith in their discretion."

"I'm sure you do," Wes said.

Silence fell, as they all bent over their soup. Some kind of fancy stuff, Eric decided after trying unsuccessfully to identify what was in it. Just the sort of thing someone would serve to show how sophisticated they are. Not at all his own Wes's style. If they were home, in the Collins house without Mr. Collins, they'd be sitting there with a pile of pizza boxes or fast food burgers, and he wouldn't be trying to keep his tie out of the damn soup and wondering if he was using the right spoon.

"So..." Wes looked across the table at their counterparts and smiled in an obvious attempt to make conversation. "Jen - do you work with the Silver Hills police, like Jen does in our dimension?"

"The police?" Jen-two looked blank. "No. Why should I work? I've got this beautiful house to live in, lots of nice clothes, and Wes to take care of me."

"Besides, Jen has Ransik to worry about," Wes-two said quickly.

"Right... I guess you can't wait to get him after all this time, especially because of what he did to Alex."

"Alex?" To Eric's surprise, she made a face. "Alex was a bastard."

"Now, Jen, honey..." Wes-two took her hand.

"Well, he was," she said peevishly. "He beat me, and he deserved-"

"I'm sure our guests aren't interested. Especially not when we're trying to enjoy a nice dinner." The voice was soothing, but there was a sharp edge under it. Jen-two pouted but was silent. "Speaking of our guests - have you been in touch with your own Time Force again?"

"Not yet. We'll probably try again later tonight," Jen said, still eyeing her double.

"You have something that can communicate with them? And it's small enough to carry with you?"

"Yes, it's not nearly as big as the chrono-communicators. A side benefit of the dimensional technology."

"I'm curious - what happens when they're ready to bring you back? What's the transfer like? How does it work?"

"It's kind of like a timehole," Wes answered. "Jen tells them when we're ready, and they use the communicator to home in on us. Then the dimension-hole appears and drops over us."

"I see. Very interesting." Wes-two smiled, his eyes moving for a moment to meet Eric-two's.

"May I ask - when can we meet with Lucas, Trip, and Katie?" Jen asked. "They can't be on assignment all the time."

"Soon," Eric-two said. "Very soon. They're busy until late tonight, but you should be able to see them tomorrow."

"Good."

"They'll be expecting you."

Was there something strange about the way he had said that? The words were perfectly ordinary. So was his expression, and his tone of voice. Eric took another look at his own double, seeing him smile blandly back. Why did the guy make his skin crawl? Was it only because he was friendly and charming and everyone seemed to like him? Because he was everything Eric sometimes wished he was...? He had to admit Jen was right, he didn't like being around himself in these other dimensions, no matter what they were like.

Still, there was what Jen-two had said... And now Gaby had picked up a bread stick and was playing with it, delicately nibbling at the tip when she saw him watching, staring at him from under lowered eyelids. She slowly ran her tongue over her upper lip and smiled faintly. Eric shivered.

- - -

"I just..." Eric hesitated, unsure of what he wanted to say as he stood in the larger guest bedroom they had been given, looking down at Wes and Jen who were seated on the bed. "Look, something's wrong here. I can't explain it, maybe it's just a feeling, but something's wrong. We need to be careful."

"We always are." Jen regarded him thoughtfully. "You can't say the other Wes and Eric haven't been nice."

"Sure they've been nice to us. But still - something's off about them. Did you hear what Wes-two said about the servants?"

"Yeah," Wes said. "I have to agree with you. I get a weird feeling from them too. Thought it was just being around - myself - but I'm starting to think there's more to it."

"I agree too." Jen sighed. "The other Jen - it was okay when she said her Wes 'takes care' of her. I mean, that's not me, but things are different here. But - Alex beat her? He deserved what he got? That's just bizarre."

"Yeah. Seems like almost everyone here is a lot different from us."

"The other Eric and Jen sure are," Eric said thoughtfully. "And the other Gaby. Kind of makes me wonder how much the other Wes is different from you, besides his taste in servants and decorations."

Wes took Jen's hand. "Let's hope we don't stay here long enough to find out."

"Seems like a good time to call Time Force." She took out the communicator and lifted the tiny lid.

This time it took only a minute to establish a firm link, and Trip's voice spoke to them, faintly but clearly. "Jen, Wes, Eric. Are you okay? Is anything wrong?"

"We're fine, Trip," she said. "Just wondering if you're making progress on getting us out of here."

"We're getting there. Probably tomorrow morning. We're rushing it as fast as we can."

"We're okay," Wes said, leaning in. "No need to rush. Better to take your time and make sure we get home this time."

"That's what we're doing. We're reworking the transfer calculations to automatically compensate for the number of people and the 'distance' between dimensions, so this kind of thing won't happen again." Trip's voice hesitated. "Guys... the readings indicate that you're in a dimension that's really different from ours. I mean really different, on a very basic level."

"Strange. All we've seen are some differences in personalities, and Ransik still being around."

"Yeah, well, it's more than that. Not sure what exactly, but I have a bad feeling. I think you're in danger. So we're hurrying."

They all exchanged glances. While Eric had reservations about Trip's so-called psychic abilities, he knew Wes and Jen believed in them. "Okay, Trip, we understand," Jen said after a moment. "Thanks. We'll be in touch." Her eyes stayed on the communicator after the connection was broken and the lid closed. Her fingers curled, grasping it tightly, her head bowed.

"Jen, what's wrong?" Wes asked.

"In danger. I think he's right. And it's all my fault." Her voice was very low.

"Your fault? What are you talking about?" He rested a hand on her shoulder.

"If I had told them I was pregnant, we'd be home already. None of this would have happened."

"There was no way you could have known that." Wes moved a little closer and wrapped his arm around her.

"I should have known my pregnancy might throw off the transfer. I have scientific training; I should have guessed."

"No, you shouldn't. This isn't your fault."

"It's because I didn't want it to change anything. Because I didn't want you treating me any differently, and I don't want to have to slow down, or stop working, or do anything different. It was just selfish. We planned for children; I thought I was ready, but - maybe I just don't want to be pregnant."

"Jen..." Wes hesitated, his face a picture of helpless concern. "No, that's not true. It's just - an adjustment. Anyone would feel the same way."

"You were right before, you know. I was irresponsible."

"Now that's definitely not true. You're the most responsible person I know."

"You really think so?" Her voice was small and vulnerable.

"Yes, I really think so."

"I do want this baby. Your baby."

"And so do I." Wes sighed. "Still can't believe it. We're going to be parents. A mother and a father. Real, grown-up parents. I just hope I do okay."

"You'll be a great father, Wes..." She raised her face to his, eyes shining. He caressed her cheek before kissing her.

Eric had already gotten up and was on the way out. They didn't need him for the next scene in the continuing drama of their marriage; in fact they had obviously forgotten he was there. Very quietly, he opened the door and slipped out into the hallway and then to his own bedroom.

- - -

For the second time in two days, Eric was yanked roughly out of sleep. He twitched violently half awake, aware of something hammering at him, a loud, threatening noise... Then light, as he opened his eyes. The ceiling light. He blinked up at it groggily, realizing he had fallen asleep with the light on and still fully dressed except for jacket and shoes. The hammering turned into a knocking on his door, rapid and urgent. A voice shouted from the other side.

"Eric! Eric, open the door!" It was Wes's voice. Whether it was his Wes or the other one was impossible to tell.

"What?" he yelled.

"It's Ransik! He's attacking again! We need your help!"

The other Wes, then, probably. Eric swung his feet to the floor. The last few days had taken their toll; he was tired, but the rush of adrenaline at the call to action was clearing his head rapidly. "Okay, okay. Be right there." He opened the door to Wes's face. Two of Wes's face to be precise, with two Jens behind them. Eric blinked, startled, feeling as if he was seeing double.

"Ransik, Frax, and Nadira are attacking Bio-Lab. Lucas, Katie, and Trip are fighting them there," the closest Wes said. "And there's an attack downtown, probably Conwing, the only other member of his team left. We thought if you three can help at Bio-Lab, the rest of us will protect the city. Eric's already gone, and Jen and I need to go back him up. Will you do it?"

He only needed a glance at his own Wes and Jen to see that they had already agreed. "Okay," he said, nodding. Not much choice, after all, they could hardly refuse. Still - part of him rebelled, and said they were walking into danger, even more danger than usual.

- - -

They made good time, swooping down in their flyers only a couple of minutes later. The scene of the battle was easy to spot; a flare of blaster beams flickered through the night from the trees near the Bio-Lab warehouses. Eric didn't bother to land; he simply leaped from the Eagle as it passed over.

It took only a glance to size up the situation. The yellow, blue, and green Rangers were in a group, sabers drawn. Facing them were the tall, powerful form of Ransik, Nadira with her pink hair gleaming in the moonlight, and a small group of cyclobots. A glint of metal revealed Frax, watching from the outskirts of the battle, obviously ready to either move in or retreat. A squad of Guardians was set up, sniping at the robots and trying to get a clear shot with a couple of larger blaster weapons.

Ransik had spotted them. Eric saw him snarl and start in their direction, a saber ready in his hand. Nadira was right behind him, looking more determined and grim than Eric ever remembered seeing her. Wes and Jen stepped up next to him as they all came to a stop.

"I'm surprised you finally have the courage to fight us face to face," Ransik said with a cold glare.

"And I'm surprised you're here in person, instead of sending one of your mutant flunkies," Jen retorted.

"You've destroyed two of my 'flunkies', as you call them," Ransik snarled, stabbing a finger at them. "Or rather, your own flunkies have. They were good men, and you'll have to answer for their deaths, too."

"Deaths? What's he talking about?" Wes asked softly.

"I have no idea," Jen answered just as quietly.

"We haven't killed anyone," Eric called. "Which is more than we can say for you. But we're certainly not going to let you do it again!"

"Agreed. It ends here." Ransik's hand dropped to his belt. Eric tensed, expecting another weapon, or perhaps the twinkling light of a transporter. Instead the gloved fingers pulled out a small object that caught the light as he held it out. A badge, one that Eric recognized instantly. "Time Force!" the mutant growled. "You're under arrest."

"What?" Eric almost didn't hear Jen's shocked gasp beside him through his own astonishment, but there was no time to wonder about it. Ransik was coming straight at him, Nadira headed for Jen, and Frax joined the fight, his robotic body gleaming gold as he attacked Wes.

Eric reacted automatically, ducking as a fist swung at him, twisting out of the way as the mutant pivoted and kicked. Ransik was just as fast and strong as he remembered. The last time they had fought, he had ended up demorphed and helpless. He had the Defender out and fired at his opponent as fast as he could before being forced to block another attack. A few feet away, Jen was almost evenly matched with Nadira and Wes was holding his own with Frax.

But they had backup - or should have. He risked a quick glance in the direction of the other Rangers, to see Lucas, Trip, and Katie a little distance away. They were ready; they had summoned their heavy artillery and assembled them into one large cannon, aimed right for the three human, two mutant, and one robot combatants.

"A little help here!" Wes shouted as he kicked Frax.

But that help wasn't what Eric expected. To his alarm, Lucas' voice rang out, sharp against the night air. "Fire!"

"Wait! We're--"

Wes's shout was too late, and Eric had the feeling the other Rangers wouldn't have listened anyway. A thick beam of energy stabbed at them, spreading slightly. Time seemed almost to slow as it reached for them. Wes shouted incoherently and dived for Jen, trying to push her down and protect her with his own body. Eric instinctively leaped in front of both of them.

The world seemed to explode in fireworks. Eric landed on his back, shuddering, with no breath to cry out as he demorphed in a multicolored flash. The last thing he saw was long black hair and the gleam of light reflecting off a silver mask as Ransik loomed over him.

- - -

TBC...