Grumm was angry… his warrior had failed him.
"These children must be stopped," he said to himself. "He can never find out what his life was before he came to me…" he walked over to his console and punched in a few codes, showing the rangers to him. "If his memory comes back Morgana will pay for it."
Unknown to him, his warrior had heard everything…
Back on Earth, Taylor was sitting in her living room with Sky, Collin, and Lucas.
"Shouldn't we wait for Ani?" Collin asked. Sky had called them all here for a family matter.
"Ani already knows," Sky said sadly. "I think she wants to be alone right now anyway."
"Why?" Taylor questioned. "Schuyler you're scaring me a little… what's going on?"
Sky took a deep breath. "Today, we came here to tell you guys something… something about Pop that Ani and I found out." Everyone was silent as he continued. "We came home and got called away… when we got there Morgana had someone with her that fought us… Ani and I stopped him."
"How?" Collin asked softly.
"We… we called him Pop and he froze up." There was a long, uneasy silence…
Taylor was in shock. "There's no way," she said as she shook her head. "Your father… he was lost Sky… as much as I want to believe you…" she choked.
"Mum… he had the Quantum Defender…" Sky said as he trailed off.
Taylor raised her head then and tears were coming down her cheeks.
"Cruger also told us something," he continued. He then told her about the file and how he and Ani had analyzed the video… also about his encounter with Murlock.
When he was finished, everything was quiet.
It was only after a few minutes that Lucky spoke. "So… papa's really alive?" Sky slowly shook his head as they all turned towards their mother.
Taylor was a mixture of joy, anger, hurt… and love. If Sky was right and Eric was alive…
"I want to see this ranger," she said softly. "If he is your father, then I think I know how to get him back…
Meanwhile…
Jack drove down the streets of Silver Hills. It was past dark by now, and no one had seen or heard from Ani. Sky was the only one who didn't seem worried, but Jack was kicking himself for the way he acted.
He was sure there was a reason she did what she did, but he had been too stupid to realize. As he drove, he saw a large clock tower in the distance, and he could have sworn there was a bike outside it. As he got closer, his thoughts were confirmed.
He parked and, sure enough, Ani's bike was there… without another thought, he took off his helmet and made his way inside, locking the door behind him.
It was old, but well taken care of inside. He smelled burning wood and climbed up the flights of stairs until he reached the top level.
Sitting in front of a small, lit fireplace was Ani, curled up in a red blanket, sitting against a stack of pillows. She looked so small sitting in the darkened room, and he knew he had made her like this.
He made his way towards her, and stopped when he stepped on a creaky board. Ani's head turned sharply and Jack saw that she had been crying. She turned her head back to the flames.
"Go away Jack," she said. "I don't want to talk right now." Jack walked towards her anyway and sat next to her.
"Well, I'm going to sit here and talk anyway. You don't have to. I can go on for hours," he said gently. Ani turned and looked at him. "I wanted to apologize… I never should have yelled at you like that. I'm sure there was some reason you and Sky did what you did… I just didn't listen."
Ani saw the sincerity in his eyes and smiled a little. She leaned into him and Jack gathered her in his arms, settling back against the stack of pillows she had.
"What is this place?" he asked as he stroked her hair. "I looked everywhere for you."
"This is the restored clock tower. My Uncle Wes built it for my Aunt Jen for their first anniversary… the original one was destroyed when my uncle and my… my father… when they fought for Silver Hills in 2000," she said softly.
Jack felt her tense a little and knew she was in tears again. He kissed her forehead and held her tighter. "What happened out there? You know you can tell me."
Ani felt his comforting touch on her arm and knew it would come out sooner or later.
"I couldn't let you destroy him Jack," she said softly. "I couldn't let you destroy him because… he's my father."
Jack tensed then and felt her cry a little more against him. "I'm sorry Ani… I never even thought…"
"Neither did I," she said. They sat in silence for a few more moments as Jack let it set in. "We have to get him back… I won't lose him again. I don't think we could handle it as a family."
Jack tilted her head up towards him. "I'll always be there for you… you know that," he said. "I was more worried about you getting hurt today… and when I took that hit for you…"
"Why did you Jack? I've done nothing but treat you like shit since I got here. You have no reason to want to help me."
"Of course I do," he said softly. "I care too much about you to let anything happen. You could run me through the mud course all day and I'd still care."
"Jack," she breathed softly as his lips captured hers. The blanket fell away and Jack ran his hands up her toned arms. Ani felt her skin tingle as Jack toughed her exposed skin. She wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him back with everything she had.
Never in her life had she ever felt this way… she was burning… and she wanted more. Jack too was feeling as if he was in another world, experiencing the sense of total completion… like he was always meant to kiss her like this… hold her…
Their hands roamed and Jack's leather coat fell to the floor, as he lowered her down onto the pillows. Ani let out a small gasp of surprise when she felt Jack's weight settle on her. Jack pulled away from the kiss and grinned at her.
"You're so beautiful," he whispered as he kissed her neck and worked his way down, tugging on her shirt. Ani lifted her arms and Jack lifted the white t-shirt over her head. He was in awe of her curves as he kissed the top of her breasts.
Ani smiled and laughed a little as he gently nipped at her sensitive flesh. She reached down and pulled his red shirt over his head. Jack lifted himself away from her and her eyes widened a little.
Jack's sculpted body was littered with small scars that shone white in the firelight. Jack saw her surprise. Anyone else who had viewed his street toughened body did… what surprised him more was when she leaned up and gently traced the outline of a few of them with her lips.
Ani kissed the small scar near his shoulder and looked him in the eye. "You're beautiful," she repeated to him.
Jack smiled a little as her words sunk in… no one had ever said anything like that to him in his entire life. He knew that Ani was different… special. He knew from the moment he laid eyes on her months ago in the vehicle bay.
"I love you," he said. Ani's eyes filled with tears at his admission. She had been in love with him from the moment she laid eyes on him… she knew that now. Scientifically, her brain told her not to, but Jack had opened her up and for the first time in her life, her heart beat out her brain.
"I love you too," she said softly as he leaned down again and kissed her lips softly. Ani pulled him down onto her and all other thought was gone.
Jack removed her bra, pants, and panties slowly, kissing her skin as he went. Ani had her fun with Jack as she repeated the gestures to him, massaging his stomach and laying kisses along the way.
Ani settled back against the pillows as Jack hovered over her. Without another word, Jack entered her in one quick thrust, Ani gasped as she felt her body adjust to fit him.
"Are you ok? Did I hurt you?" Jack asked concerned. When he had entered, he had felt some resistance and feared that Ani had never done this before.
Ani let a few tears run down her cheeks and Jack's eyes grew more concerned.
"I'm sorry… I didn't know…" he stammered as he realized that this was Ani's first time. It was only his second, seeing as he was living on the streets most of his life and didn't want to risk anything out there…
Ani shook her head as she felt him pulse inside of her. "I'm fine… really," she said as he pulsed again, sending a jolt through her. "I wouldn't want it any other way," she said as her eyes closed.
Jack leaned down and kissed her and slowly made love to her. Both were in a state of pure ecstasy as they moved together.
After a small lifetime, Ani shuttered beneath him, feeling the gentle warm sensation wash over her. Moments later Jack felt the most amazing sensation he had ever felt in his life. His body fell onto hers, a small layer of sweat covering them both.
Jack grabbed the discarded blanket and pulled it over them as he adjusted himself so Ani was lying across his chest. His hand tangled lightly in her hair as she wound her arms around him. They caught their breath and felt the overwhelming need for sleep.
"Ani?" he asked gently. Ani moaned a small, happy sigh in response. "What's your real name?"
"Animaria," she breathed softly as she kissed his chest. "What about you?"
Jack smiled. With the exception of Z and Cruger, no one knew his full name… "Jackson," he said as he kissed her head.
Ani sighed happily and snuggled into him.
"I love you Jackson," she whispered before she finally succumbed to sleep. Jack grinned and settled in himself.
"I love you too Animaria…"
Up in space, the Quantum ranger looked at himself in the mirror. His suit was gone and for the first time in many years, he took a good look at himself.
The most puzzling thing though was the faint white line that ran across his left hand ring finger. At one point in time he must have been wearing a ring of some sort.
'I have to figure out where I came from,' he said to himself. The only thing he remembered was waking up many years ago on Grumm's ship, and being hailed as Grumm's greatest warrior.
He had trained several of the aliens in Grumm's arsenal, including Morgana herself before Grumm turned her into a child.
'Those rangers… there's something about them…'
Back in Silver Hills, Sky was pacing around his basement where several pieces of exercise equipment were set up along with a few pieces of furniture.
Everyone had long since gone to bed, but he couldn't sleep… his mind was a jumble. He knew his mother was still up as he heard her walk across the kitchen, undoubtedly getting another cup of tea to settle her.
She had taken things surprisingly better than expected. It was when she grew silent and pulled away that Sky knew she was formulating some sort of plan to get his father back.
He hit the punching bag over and over as he let out his aggressions. Oddly enough, he felt a strange, stirring feeling of comfort and warmth… he stopped punching and thought for a moment.
Ani must have been feeling better, he thought as he resumed his punching. Before, he sensed her anger and hurt, but now she was calm and relaxed…
A sudden movement by the stairs caused him to turn and drop into a fighting stance, but he calmed as soon as he saw Sydney walking towards him.
"Your mother let me in… I couldn't sleep knowing you were going through all this," she said as she walked over to him.
Sky walked over to her and kissed her cheek. "I'd hug you, but I'm all sweaty," he said softly. Sydney leaned in and wrapped her arms around him tightly.
"I don't care," she said gently. "You need someone right now… I know that."
Sky smiled and kissed her head. "Thank you," he said. "I'm glad you're here." They stayed locked in each other's embrace before Sky broke away and led her over to one of the oversized couches at the far side of the room.
"I'll be right back," he said as he disappeared into a small room. Syd watched him go and felt something in her stir again. The feeling had been there for several months now, and seeing Sky like this, at his most vulnerable moment, made her realize that he trusted her completely. He let her see a side of him that no one had ever seen before…
She knew then that she loved him… truly loved him. Moments later Sky emerged, changed into sweats and a t-shirt, and Syd's thoughts were confirmed ten fold.
Sky sat next to her and he felt her sigh when he pulled her close. "It's late… you should be back at the hotel with the others," he said.
"There's no place I'd rather be right now… plus Bridge locked himself out of his room and decided to shack up with Z." Sky gave her a questioning look, although they both knew their yellow and green rangers had something going on between them… "And Jack took off looking for Ani."
"He did?" Sky asked surprised.
"Yeah… you should have seen him Sky. He felt so bad for hurting her… for hurting the both of you. I've never seen him act like this before. It's almost as if…"
"He loves her," Sky stated. Syd nodded her head in agreement.
"He knew she was hurting and wanted to be there for her… just like I'm doing for you," Syd said as she kissed his chest.
Sky's eyes softened at her disguised admission. "So you're saying that you love me?" he asked softly.
Syd's blue eyes met his and she nodded. "I do."
He kissed her lips softly and traced her cheek with. "I love you Syd," he said. "I have for a long time now."
She sighed happily when he leaned in then and kissed her passionately, lowering her down on the couch and holding her close. After several minutes, they heard someone upstairs walking around and paused.
"I think we should continue this later," Syd said. "What if your mother or your brothers came down and –"
Sky pressed his finger to her lips and settled behind her, cradling her in his arms. "Then we'll just have to settle for this… for tonight," he said as he kissed her. He ran his fingers along her back and she listened to his heart beating.
"Are you okay?" Syd asked after a while. "The way you just… stopped… he, that ranger… he's your father isn't he?" she asked gently. She had recognized the suit immediately from the pictures Sky had scattered around his room.
"Yeah," he said after a pause. Syd kissed his neck and felt him relax a little. "We're going to save him Syd. I don't care what it takes."
"I know you will Sky. He's still in there."
Sky felt her relax against his chest and knew she was succumbing to sleep. Moments later he felt her go limp in his arms and he grinned a little before closing his own eyes.
'We'll get him back…'