Disclaimer: I own nothing, only Ink and Alice who are products of my crazed imagination.

Ranger References: Contains scenes from 'The End of Time Part 2'. Alice's weapon is from Mighty Morphin. This was a really tough chapter to write, I hope it came out ok! Once again thanks for the wonderful reviews, you guys always lift my spirits!

UNITED WE STAND

The silence in the Stasis Room was thick and heavy with shock. They were back where they belonged, the place they'd called home since they were born but now it was the last place they wanted to be. They were so far from the Silver Hills they knew. A place they'd left someone behind.

"What happened to the twenty-first century?" Katie urgently broke the silence.

Her best friend's words seemed to galvanise Jen into action. Her mind began clicking again, fighting off the travel-induced sickness she could feel spreading throughout her insides and she stepped aggressively forward into her fiancé's personal space, grasping his shoulders tightly. He had the information she needed to know and she was determined to get it out of him.

"Alex, tell us! What happened to Wes?" she demanded, her eyes hard but wet with unshed tears.

The other Rangers stared apprehensively at Alex, desperate to know the answer to Jen's question. Alex bowed his head briefly in a dip of respect with eyes shut tight. He shook his head.

"He didn't make it."

His words released Jen and she stumbled backwards, her mind roaring with emotions so strong they nearly knocked her to the floor. Grief overwhelmed her. Wes was dead. The man she loved was dead. Behind her, no one stirred. Katie, Lucas and Trip all stared at Alex with varying degrees of shock, despair, anger, hopelessness and grief displayed on their faces. Jen bit her lip, trying to force the tears down. She could feel the anger boiling up inside of her but squashed it. Now was not the time to get angry. She was vaguely aware of Alex speaking again.

"But he fought bravely and his efforts helped save the future."

That was all Alex could think about? That the man they'd fought beside, relied on and become best friends with had saved the future? Jen's blood ran cold. This sealed it. Alex was not the man she loved anymore. He didn't understand how grieved and angry they all were. Wes Collins was dead. Alex stepped towards her and reached for her hands. Jen jerked at the contact and pulled herself back. She didn't want him to touch her, not now, maybe not ever again. Disgust was welling up in her stomach. When everything inside of her had died down, she was going to tell Alex exactly what she thought of him.

"Jen, now I know this must hurt but after you go through Memory Adaptation, you'll feel a whole lot better."

Alex's words jolted Jen sharply out of her desperate angry haze.

"Memory Adaptation?" she gasped, trying to wrap her head around the concept she knew so well being applied to her.

"Its standard procedure," Alex was pacing now. "Whenever someone travels back in time, we have to erase their memories to acclimatise them to the present."

Jen tried to swallow to wet her dry throat but nothing happened. Her mind buzzed as she realised what Alex was saying; everything she knew, felt about Wes would be clinically erased in a heartbeat. As though it had never happened. The world seemed to slant at that moment and Jen wondered when she'd gotten so weak. Wes would say she wasn't getting weak, he'd say she was learning to live. If this pain, heartache, brutal blunt emotions were living, she wanted to stop right now!

"When it's done, you won't remember a thing about the year 2001."

Wes knew he'd always remember this. One moment, he and the others were safe in the Clock Tower and talking about what had happened to the other Rangers and the next, Cyclobots swarmed through the windows, filling every available space with twitching jolting robot. The floor was littered with broken glass from the windows the Bots had smashed on entry and there was clearly no way out. Wes briefly wondered how Ransik had finally found their base. Someone bumped against him and he turned his head to see Eric back-to-back with him. There was a fire in Eric's dark eyes which made Wes smile; there was no way either of them was going to go down without a fight. With nods they both leapt into the fray with fists and feet flying.

"Power Sword!" commanded Alice, a large silver sword with a red hilt appearing in her hands.

The sword shone and sparkled as she spun in circles around the Clock Tower, slicing into all the Bots within reach. Ink smiled; the Bots didn't stand a chance.

"Nets!" she called quietly,

Enormous purple fishing nets appeared crackling with energy and blanketed over large sectors of Bots, melting them into furiously sparking heaps of metal. It was something but it wasn't enough. More and more Bots continued to swarm into the Tower. Wes, Eric and Alice were soon going to get overwhelmed. There was a blast of electrical current and she turned, vaporising an incoming Cyclobot with purple energy, to see Wes armed with the Electro Booster. He was hitting as many as he could, filling the air with startlingly bright light. The Bots were falling back but even Ink, not military minded as Alice was, could tell they were still fighting a losing battle and that even Morphing wouldn't help much.

Wes leapt to Eric's side, breathing heavily.

"There's too many, Wes. We have to get out of this place!" Eric managed through already aching sides and recent injuries that now hurt again.

Glancing around, an idea formed in Wes's head as he caught sight of the large bell above them. Ink nodded at him and Alice, slicing another Bot down, landed neatly beside them.

"Whatever you're going to do, do it now," she said, gulping in breaths quickly. "Ink and I can teleport out."

Be safe, Eric

"I have an idea," said Wes, flipping the dial of the Electro Booster to overload.

You'll be alright teleporting out of here?

I can guarantee we will be unharmed

Wes grabbed the bell rope, wound it around his forearm and linked arms with Eric.

"Now do you need my help?" he asked with a grin.

"Going up!" Eric matched Wes's grin and aimed his Quantum Defender at the rope base.

As they flew towards the clock face, feet up to crash through unharmed, Eric glanced back in time to see both Ink and Alice disappear. A little relief flooded through him. They should be safe. Then he found himself freefalling through shattered glass beside Wes. Instantly, he lifted his Morpher to his wrist.

"Quantum Power!"

"Time for Time Force!"

The armour appeared around him which meant the impact on the ground would be less life-ending but it wouldn't make him bounce.

You have something which flies at your disposal.

The Eagle! Eric quickly punched the right commands into his Morpher and almost instantly the red and white machine hovered beneath him, allowing him to drop comfortably into the seat. A glance left told him Wes had called his Red Strata Cycle and was flying beside him. They were both safe. For some reason, that made Eric feel good.

We are safe, Quantum Ranger and will find you wherever you choose to land

"Where should we head to?" Wes's voice asked via the inter-Ranger communication system linked through their helmets, startling Eric a little.

"The place with most damage," Eric replied briskly. "Wes, you know the Clock Tower's destroyed don't you?"

"Yeah, it was the only way out of there which destroyed the robots too. Dad's gonna be pretty annoyed when he finds out I….." there was a pause and a quiet but sharp gasp from Wes, causing Eric to frown.

"Wes, you ok?"

"My Dad! I have no idea if he's alright! We've got to find him!"

Daylight flooded Silver Hills, shattering the hold night had had on its desolate citizens. Things always seemed more desperate at night. For Alan Collins, things had remained the same. His Silver Guardians were still working around the clock to get as many people to safety as possible and his son was missing. He didn't want to think about the possibility that Wes was gone forever.

"WES!"

His yell was echoed amongst the crumbling buildings and copious rubble seeming the fill every available ground space. Hopelessness was crowding his mind so much that he didn't notice until they were close that a small squad of Cyclobots were heading towards him. Before he could take another breath, there was a whoosh and two Red Rangers leapt over him to fight off the Cyclobots. His heart leapt at the sight of them and he found himself full of pride as they both reduced the Bots to nuts and bolts.

"Wes! Eric!" he called.

"Power Down!"

As the Ranger uniforms disappeared, Ink and Alice appeared either side of them. Mr Collins stopped his fast-paced walking towards the Rangers when he spied the strangers.

"Who're they?" he asked puzzled.

"Friends, Dad and don't ask too much, you wouldn't believe me if I told you the truth," laughed Wes, visually checking for any signs of injury on his dad. "Dad, what're you doing here?"

"I was looking for you," Mr Collins touched Wes's arm affectionately. "Listen, I'm sorry for pushing you to do things my way. I couldn't be prouder of you, son."

Before Wes could think of anything appropriate to say, he found his Dad's arms around him. He couldn't remember the last time his dad had hugged him and meant it. It was probably back before Mom died.

"Feeling ok, Quantum?" asked Alice lightly to Eric to try to take away his embarrassment.

"I've been better."

"You and Wes have done so well. People, citizens here, will be safe because of you," said Ink with a quiet proud smile.

"I guess we're doing pretty well huh?" mused Eric, a smile tugging at his lips. "I kinda like the idea I'll be a hero and adored by millions."

"Don't push it," replied Alice. "It ain't over yet."

Eric, his eyes roving the battlefield in front of them, spotted something before he could answer. A Cyclobot was sitting up and turning. Instinctively he knew what it was going to do and moved into action before he could think about it.

"Watch out!" he yelled, moving to stand in front of Wes and Mr Collins and firing his Quantum Defender at the offending robot.

Things happened fast. Alice immediately shoved Ink to the side in case any stray shot hit her and Wes and Mr Collins seemed frozen in place. Laser fire lanced through the air. The Cyclobot fell uselessly back to the concrete, its body devoid of any life now. Eric, amid sparks and flames, crumpled almost in slow motion to the floor.

Wes rushed forwards to catch him and managed to prevent Eric's head from hitting the ground. Eric stared up at him, pain filling his eyes and his body trembling from the affect of the laser fire. Ink, with help from Alice, scrambled to her feet and melted down at Eric's side. His thoughts and feelings became glaringly apparent to her; anger and annoyance all overwhelmed with sharp pain. He was hurt badly.

Where does it hurt?

Everywhere but I'm not lying here while the city gets destroyed.

Think again. I am a Guardian, not a Healer. There is no magic cure except what your doctors can provide and plenty of rest.

"We've gotta get him help!" exclaimed Wes worriedly.

"I'll take him," offered Mr Collins.

"No, no, I'm going with you," protested Eric, trying to sit up but falling back with a sharp grimace of pain.

"Eric, don't worry. I've got it from here," reassured Wes, starting to get to his feet.

"I will stay here with Eric," Ink decided out-loud. "Alice, you are going with the Red Ranger."

"I won't leave you, sister. I'm meant to guard you, that's what my time here is for," Alice protested angrily.

"You were created to protect whoever needed you most. Once it was Ryan, then it was me. Now I believe it to be Wes and the survivors of this city," replied Ink calmly though Eric could feel her inner turmoil.

If you want her with you, why are you shoving her with Wes?

It is for the greater good that she should go with the Red Ranger.

"If you're sure," Alice sounded uncertain.

"I'd be glad of the help," put in Wes with a weak smile.

Alice nodded once and bowed from the waist-up at her sister. Wes started to get up but Eric grabbed him by the arm.

"Wait…..wait" Eric gasped against the pain, feeling Mr Collins carefully hold his head steady. He lifted his Morpher to his mouth. "Deactivate voice identification."

There was a series of beeps. Eric slowly unclasped the Morpher from his wrist and pressed it into Wes's hand. Wes looked at him in astonishment. Ink merely smiled, radiating pride towards Eric.

"Take this. If anything can neutralise those crystals, my Quantum Defender can," Eric managed to pant out.

He left his open hand in the air as Wes took the Morpher and stared up at the Red Ranger. The look on Wes's face said he understood and Eric, as he searched Wes's face for any mocking or triumph, believed he did. Wes clasped his hand tightly and Eric found himself squeezing Wes's hand tightly back. They'd truly been through hell together.

He understands you more than you know.

He's an alright guy.

You trust him with your Morpher.

He'll take care of it.

"Go get em, son," said Mr Collins, patting Wes on the back.

"I cannot tell you the future, Red Ranger," reminded Ink. "But I know that only good things can happen if you and Alice are working together. You will not be alone."

There was something in her suddenly mysterious smile that made Wes frown in confusion but that passed as he heard Doomtron in the distance. Alice clapped him on the back.

"Ready to save the city?" she asked with a grin.

"Let's do it."

Side by side, they ran off towards the noise.

Jen couldn't describe her emotions as the chamber door shut, leaving her trapped inside. Trip, Katie and Lucas were in their own glass chambers alongside her, all wearing desolate expressions. The only one smiling was Alex as he gave the order to input the correct commands. Jen felt what was left of her heart breaking. This machine was going to make sure that she didn't remember Wes, someone who had made such a great difference to her life. Someone she'd never see again. She couldn't remember ever feeling this sad, not even when she thought Alex was dead.

In four separate chambers, four Time Force Officers clung to their memories of their friend.

"I wish I'd been there to fight with you, Wes." Trip

"I'm sure you fought with courage, right until the end." Katie

"You saved the city, Wes." Lucas

"I don't care what this machine does to me. I'll never forget you, Wes and I'm proud to have been your friend. I'm only sad that you never knew how much you mean to me." Jen

An inner battle raged within Jen as she watched Alex keying in the final commands. Protocol called for her to allow this treatment to start and for her mind to be wiped of the memories she had of 2001 but she didn't want to. Wes had been the one to teach her that sometimes doing what was right meant breaking the rules. Alex turned briefly to smile at her as Jen's mind whirled. The right thing to do was to go back and help Wes.

"No!" Jen shoved the door open to her chamber and stepped out, determined fire filling her eyes as she pulled the headset off and faced Alex. "I don't want to forget. In fact, I'm going back to help him."

"Jen! Just wait….." Alex tried, grabbing her arm.

"I'm with you, Jen," Katie appeared beside her, her headset in her hands.

"We all are," added Trip.

"Don't try and stop us," warned Lucas.

Jen smiled back at her friends. They understood; they knew what they had to do. They couldn't stay here and let it happen. They had to try and make a difference.

"I don't want you to go, you could be destroyed," Alex said softly, his sorrowful eyes focused on Jen.

"We have to, don't you see? How can we live our lives knowing that it cost Wes his?" reasoned Jen, emotion colouring her words deeply.

Alex bowed his head, unable to find words to express himself. This was it. Jen slowly, shakily, removed her engagement ring and placed it in Alex's hand. The one sure thing she knew was that no matter how it all ended, she couldn't be with Alex anymore. They'd both changed too much to be together. Alex raised his eyes to her, a wealth of feelings in one look. In that second, Jen saw the man she'd loved and he was imploring her to reconsider but she also saw his unspoken realisation. He knew they couldn't be together either and he squeezed the ring in his hand tightly. Suddenly, Alex stepped to one side. He was letting them go. Despite how badly against regulations it was. Despite the fact he was sending the woman he loved back to the man she loved instead. Jen felt her eyes fill with tears.

With a nod back at her team, she led them past Alex towards the door when Alex's voice stopped them.

"Take the Megazord and use Jet Mode," they turned back to look at him. "It's got the best chance of making it through the vortex."

Jen smiled at him, hoping she conveyed her gratitude to him. She felt Katie squeeze her shoulder in support and Trip and Lucas flank her closely on either side, like an honour guard. This was where she belonged; with her team going back to retrieve their lost team mate and finally, Alex seemed to understand.

"Thank you," she managed, her voice cracking with emotion.

He nodded back and pressed his lips together, words held back behind them. They'd have time to talk later. Quickly, Jen turned and led her team out the door, her mind buzzing instantly with details. Would they get back in time to save Wes? She blotted all thoughts out of her mind of him dead on the streets or of three more bodies of people they'd left behind. They could do this. She began running as they entered the Zord Bay and heard the others pick up the pace behind her. One thought burned in her mind, she wished she could somehow transmit it to Wes wherever he was.

"Hold on, Wes!"

AUTHOR SHOUT-OUTS

White Time Ranger: LOL sorry for taking so long to update! The end of term of uni can be pretty darn frantic! I'm so thrilled you enjoy my writing as I love to write this story. I can't believe I'm finally near the end. Eric's thoughts are always so hard to get right so here's hoping I nail them! Thanks for your unending support and kind words, hope you like this chapter!

Blooming Violets: Eric/Taylor are my fave couple in PR along with Merrick/Shayla so I hope I do them justice. It won't be too couply, more implication than anything else and only in my final chapter. I'm glad Alice and Ink's battle scenes were realistic. Thanks for reviewing!

Cmar: You saying that I've got Eric and Wes down perfectly is a massive compliment as I adore your TF work! I think wounded pride is very much an Eric characteristic! Eric is changing and I hope I manage to show his learning curve realistically. Thanks for always being so honest and giving me such great criticisms I can work with!

TF Princess: As always your short but sweet review made me smile! I really try to get all the emotions right so am thrilled you think I've done it! Thanks for reviewing!

Kokuryu: I have read Cmar's TF work and adore it! I can only hope I come close to that standard of excellence. I'm thrilled you think I'm getting Wes and Eric down pretty well. Hope you keep on enjoying it!