Disclaimer: Nope, don't own.

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One day she will tell you that she has had enough
its coming round again.

The rangers and Daggeron quickly defeated the monster. All throughout the fight, Nick and Vida kept looking over their shoulders expecting Madison to show up, but she never did.

"Good work, rangers," Udonna said as they returned to Rootcore.

"Have you heard from Maddie?" Vida asked.

"No," Udonna said.

"Come on," Nick said, grabbing Vida's arm and pulling her along as he ran out of Rootcore.

"What's going on with those two?" Clare asked. Xander and Chip sighed and went to go after their friends.

"Wait up guys," Xander said.

---

The four rangers appeared out of a tree by the Rocca house.

"Guys, maybe Madison's back was still bothering her and she opted to stay out of the fight," Chip said.

"She would've at least showed up at Rootcore," Vida said. She opened the door. "Maddie?" She called out.

"Madison?" Nick called out as well. They all entered the house.

"I'll check upstairs," Vida said as she ran up the stairs. "Maddie?" She called, checking in their room and the bathroom. Nick looked around the living room and paused as something dark caught his eye. He made his way over to the other side of the coffee table and froze. There, lying sprawled out face down on the floor was Madison. "Oh god, Maddie," he whispered as he went to her side. He gently turned her onto her back. Xander and Chip looked over to where Nick crouched down with questioning eyes.

"She's not up here!" Vida called as she ran back down the stairs. She stopped as she saw Nick at the other side of the living room. "Nick?" She asked. "Nick what is it?" She pushed through Xander and Chip and made her way to Nick and gasped. There was her sister……..but…..it didn't look like her sister. Her entire body looked like one giant bruise. Her face had dark splotches and puffy red marks all over and there was dried blood around her nose and the corners of her mouth. "Oh my god," Vida said. Her knees turned to jell-o as she collapsed on the other side of Madison. Chip and Xander finally walked over to see what was going on………And soon regretting that they did.

"……What happened?" Xander asked.

"What do you think?" Nick snapped at his tall friend. Vida sniffled and tried to hold in sobs as she leaned over Madison and took her face in her hands.

"Maddie, Maddie come on, wake up," she said, gently shaking her. "Maddie, please," Vida begged, her voice coming out strained and small. "Wake up!" Vida slumped backwards and wiped at her running nose with a shaking hand. Chip kneeled beside her and enveloped her in a hug. Nick gently touched her face, smoothing her hair out of her face.

"Maddie, wake up," he pleaded. Xander simply stood there, shocked at what he saw before him. "Madison, please." A meek cough emitted from Madison's mouth as she turned her head to the side. She could feel hands on her…..big strong hands. She took a deep breath and screamed, thrashing about and trying to fight Nick off.

"No, stop!" She screamed. "Please!" Everyone's eyes fell on her.

"Maddie, Maddie," Nick said, trying to calm her down. She went on screaming. Nick finally just took her by her shoulders and lifted her up, hugging her to him. "Maddie, its okay, its okay," he whispered in her ear. "It's me." Madison seemed to calm down at this.

"Nick?" She asked, her voice muffled against his chest.

"Yeah, I'm right here," he said. He rocked her gently in his arms. Vida shook herself out of Chip's embrace and crawled over to Nick and Madison. She gently touched Madison's hair with one hand and took hold of her sister's hand with the other.

"We're all here," she said. Madison's fingers tightened around her sister's hand as sorrowful sobs escaped out of her mouth, muffled by Nick's chest.

"I'm so sorry!" She cried. "I'm so sorry!"

"Shh," Vida said. She got closer to her sister and kissed the side of her forehead. She rested her head against her sister's, whispering soothing words to her as Nick rocked her. Chip and Xander got closer to them and sat on either side of Madison, each placing a hand on her leg. They felt her flinch slightly the second they touched her. "Its okay, Maddie, its just Xander and Chip," she said. Madison's muscles relaxed as she just laid there and let herself be held by the four of them. They held her as her sobs died down from frantic wails to slight little hiccups and then there was no sound at all.

"We should probably put her in her bed…or something.." Chip said. He felt so helpless right then and there and the silence as beginning to drive him mad. Vida lifted her head and nodded.

"Yeah," she said. Xander and Chip stood up first and Chip helped Vida to her feet. Nick used one of his hands to push himself up to his knees while he still held Madison close with the other. Once he was on his knees, he put his hand under her knees and held her up as he rolled onto his feet.

"I'll……go get a wash cloth…" Xander said, his voice trailing off helplessly as he washed Nick carry Madison up the stairs with Vida right behind him. Chip looked at Xander.

"Ho……How could this have happened?" Chip asked. Xander closed his eyes.

"I……I don't know……" he said.

----

Chip and Xander went to the room and found Nick sitting on Madison's bed with his legs stretched out on the mattress and his back against the headboard with Madison curled up next to him and Vida lying on the other side of her sister, hugging her from behind. Xander carried a bowl with water and a cloth in it and Chip carried some ice wrapped in a towel. Xander set the bowl of water on the nightstand, figuring it could be used to clean up the blood later. Vida took the ice from Chip and placed it on her sister's swollen cheek. The touch of cold made Madison whimper in protest and burry her face in Nick's side.

"Maddie, you need to put some ice on your face," Vida gently told her sister. "Please," she said.

"Come on, Maddie," Nick said, kissing the crown of her head. He felt Madison nod against him before she slowly turned her head back to how it was before, letting her sister place the towel of ice on her cheek again. Xander and Chip climbed on to the food of the bed and squeezed in between Nick and Vida. It felt like Madison just had hands all over her. She could feel Nick holding her against him by her shoulders and the top of her back, Vida holding the ice to her face with one hand while her other arm was across her sister's torso, Xander had his arm thrown over her thighs and Chip had his around her waist. The scene could've looked incredibly awkward but Madison just lay there, taking comfort from the warmth of their bodies against her. Madison nestled her face into Nick's body as she drifted off to sleep. Vida set the towel of ice on the side of the bed, not caring about the sheets getting wet.

"Hand me the bowl," she said. Nick nodded and reached over with his free hand and took the bowl from the nightstand, carefully passing it to Vida. Chip sat up and held the bowl on his lap with one arm while the other remained on Madison. Vida took the rag, wringing out the access water before she tilted Madison's face towards her and gently wiped away the dried blood at the corners of her sister's mouth before taking care of her nose.

"I'll kill him," Xander said, looking at Madison's beaten form. "I swear to god, I'll kill him," he said.

"Get in line," Nick said, tightening his hold on Madison.

"She's my sister. I get first crack at the bastard," Vida said sadly as she ran the cloth over the rest of her sister's face.

"I say we all just go at him at once," Chip said. "He doesn't deserve a fair fight," The others looked at him, surprised to see their usual jovial and comical friend so determined and angry. The four of them sat with her, quietly formulating their own methods of destruction to the man who had caused all this while wishing they could've been there to stop it. About an hour later, Madison opened her eyes and sat up, detangling herself from Nick's embrace.

"Hey," Vida said. Madison brought her knees up to her chest, making the others release her as well as she put her elbows on her knees and buried her face in her forearms. Vida shifted closer to her sister and put her head on her shoulder, rubbing the broken girl's back. "It's okay Maddie," Vida said. "We're all here and he's never going to hurt you again," she said. Madison gave a soft groan before she got up and climbed over Nick to get out of the bed.

"Maddie?" Nick asked. Madison left the room and walked down the stairs, the others all getting up and following her.

"Maddie, maybe you shouldn't be moving around right now," Chip said. Madison reached the bottom of the stairs and paced about the living room, her body shook as she walked about.

"Please…..Just…..Leave me alone…" She said.

"What?" Vida asked as she and the guys came to a stop on the stairs.

"Just……go away…..please," Madison pleaded. The three guys all looked at each other, not sure if they should comply or not. Vida shook her head vehemently and squeezed past the guys as she went to her sister.

"We are not going away," Vida said, taking a hold of her sister's arm and making her stop. "We're not leaving you alone."

"Vida, please," Madison begged, fresh tears reaching her eyes. "Please……I can't……"

"Can't what?" Vida asked.

"I can't…….I can't stand it,"

"What?"

"I can't stand you all looking at me like that!" Madison yelled, pulling her arm back. Xander, Chip and Nick descended the rest of the stairs and stood behind Vida. Madison looked at the three of them, her eyes narrowing. "You," she spat out. "It's your fault," she said. "Why couldn't you leave me alone?"

"What?" Xander asked, astonished that this had been turned on them. Madison's eyes narrowed even further as her eyes fell on Nick.

"You were the worst one!" She said. She stalked over to him hitting his chest with the palm of her hands. "You made him so angry! Why!" She screamed as her hits became more frantic. Nick simply stood there and let her hit him. Vida looked away as hot angry tears spilled down her cheeks at the sight of her hurt and angry sister. "It's your fault!" She screamed. Chip swooped in and took hold of Madison, pulling her away from Nick.

"Stop it," he said, holding her. "This isn't Nick's fault, or your fault. It's his fault," he said sternly. "He's the one with the problem, not you or any one of us," he said.

"No!" Madison protested, squirming in his embrace. "It was my fault," she sobbed.

"No, it wasn't," Nick said, going over to her. "Madison, you can cry and scream all you want, damnit you can hit me until your hands go numb if that'll help you, but don't you dare say this is your fault," he said.

"Yes it was!" Madison said. "I could've stopped it…..I could've fought back……I could've done something!" She broke off into ragged sobs. Vida went over and pulled Madison away from the guys, wrapping her into a tight hug.

"Shh," she said. "Maddie, this isn't your fault. Okay?" This went on for another hour before the five of them sat at the kitchen table. Nick, Xander and Chip sat across from Madison and Vida. Madison's vacant eyes stared at the flat table.

"He told me he loved me," Madison whispered. "I……I thought that…….well, he loves me, so maybe its something that I'm doing wrong that keeps making him hurt me…."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Xander asked. Madison's lips turned up into a sad sort of smile as she looked up at them.

"I was ashamed………I mean, how would it look like…….Me, a power ranger being………." She looked down. "I can go up against any thing the Darkness pits against us without question but let some guy……some normal human being guy hurt me without fighting back? I thought I…………..I thought you'd all laugh at me or something,"

"Laugh at you?" Chip asked. He reached across the table and took Madison's hand.

"I just…….He'd get this look in his eyes and I……….I'd just get so scared……..I couldn't move……I couldn't fight…….All I could do is beg him to stop. What kind of ranger does that make me?" She asked. Vida made her sister lean against her, letting Madison put her head on her shoulder.

"How could you think that?" Vida asked. "Nothing about this is your fault and it doesn't make you less of a ranger."

"He was just so angry today……" Madison said, thinking back to before. "Earlier, things were perfect. We were laughing, horsing around, and then when we got back from the store he started saying all this stuff about Chip, Xander, Nick and Toby. I told him he was being paranoid and he hit me…………He just…………kept hitting me and saying all these awful things. Then when the morpher went off he just kept hitting me and saying those things……and then he grabbed it……and………..I don't know what happened……he just got even more angrier….."

"Oh…..god," Nick whispered, realizing Ben had been the one who picked up when he called.

"He….." Madison continued, tears leaking out of her eyes. "He was choking me…." She whimpered. Vida and Chip tightened their respective holds on her while Nick and Xander's hands tightened into fists. "I thought he was going to kill me………then……he just stopped and went back to normal…Hugging me, calling me 'honey'," there was venom in her voice as she repeated the endearment. "And he made me promise never to talk to the guys ever again……and I said no. I told him I wouldn't promise him anything,"

"That-a-girl," Vida said, smiling gently.

"And then…….he shoved me over the coffee table……and that's the last thing I remember before you guys…"

"It's never going to happen again," Xander said. "He's never going to even look at you again, I promise." Before the others said anything more, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Chip said. He got up and went to the front door, opening it. His blood seemed to boil at the sight of who was standing on the front porch. Ben simply brushed past him as he entered the house.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Get out," Chip said, glaring at him.

"Excuse me?" He said.

"You heard me, get the hell out," Chip said.

"Whatever man, I'm just here to see my girlfriend," Ben said.

"You mean the girlfriend you tried to kill this afternoon? The girlfriend you left in an unconscious heap on the living room floor?" Chip spat out. Ben looked at him before turning his attention elsewhere and looking up towards the stairs.

"Maddie?" He called out. "Honey, are you home?"

"You sick bastard," Chip growled before launching himself onto the larger man's back. Back in the kitchen, the others heard a commotion coming from the other room. They all got up and saw Chip on Ben's back, his arms around his neck as Ben tried to throw him off.

"Maddie, go upstairs," Vida said, but Madison couldn't even move.

"Get off me!" Ben yelled. He finally was able to toss Chip off of him. Chip landed on his back on the floor, groaning as he sat up, leaning against the back of one of the armchairs in the room.

"Chip," Vida exclaimed worriedly, going over to her fallen friend as Xander charged at Ben, shoving him against the wall.

"You've got a hell of a lot of nerve showing up here after all this," Xander growled as he punched Ben in the stomach. "What, thought you could get a few more punches into Maddie after she regained consciousness!" Ben shoved him away, making him stumble back towards Chip and Vida. Nick launched himself on Ben, the two falling onto the ground in a storm of punches and kicks. Madison simply stood there, watching this all go on. Vida got up from Chip, leaving her injured friend in Xander's care as she went to Madison and pulled her into the kitchen since Ben and Nick's fighting blocked off the stairs. Ben and Nick rolled about on the ground until Nick ended up on top of him. He grabbed Ben by his shirt collar and slammed his fist into Ben's face over and over again. Ben lifted his knee and slammed it into the unsuspecting assailant. The blow knocked Nick to his side as Ben got up. He delivered a kick to his fallen opponent's stomach before going to the kitchen.

"Stay away from her!" Nick forced out as he tried to get up. Ben ignored him as he found the girls in the kitchen. Vida had tucked Madison behind her.

"You stay the hell away from my sister," Vida threatened. Ben ignored her as he looked over her shoulder to Madison.

"Maddie, honey," he said. "I'm sorry about before. I was just upset, I promise, it'll never happen again. I love you," he said. Vida scoffed.

"Love her! Are you severely messed up in the head? Look at her! Look at what you did to her!" Vida screamed.

"I wasn't talking to you," Ben growled.

"Well I'm talking to you, you son of a bitch!" Vida yelled. Ben growled as his hand flew across Vida, backhanding her across the face. Vida fell against the kitchen table before rolling over and falling against one of the chairs, slamming her jaw against it. Madison's eyes widened as she saw her sister fall to the floor. Madison stared at Ben and took several steps away from him. Ben approached her.

"Come on, sweetheart, its okay. I'm sorry about before, I really am,"

"Get away from me," Madison whispered, tears flowing down her face. Ben got closer to her.

"Honey, I know your upset, but-" he began. Madison's backed into the kitchen counter. Her hands flew back to the surface and her fingers curled around the handle of a kitchen knife. Madison quickly held the knife out ahead of her, making Ben stop.

"Upset? You think I'm upset? You could've killed me today…….you hit my sister and you think I'm just upset?" Ben put his hands up.

"O..Okay Madison, this isn't funny," Ben said. Chip, Xander and Nick came into the kitchen with Xander holding Nick up. Chip went over to Vida and helped her sit up. Xander set Nick against the table and joined Chip. Vida groaned and rubbed her sore jaw.

"Its not supposed to be funny," Madison spat out.

"Just put the knife down," Ben commanded.

"No," Madison said. Ben went to take the knife from her but she slashed at him, making a small horizontal cut on his forearm. Ben stepped back, holding his cut arm. "I'm done listening to you. I'm done lying to everyone I care about."

"Madison, you're just upset, you don't know what you're saying," Ben said. Madison shrieked as she charged at him and slammed him into the wall, holding her bent arm at his chest with the knife at his neck. The two stood there. Ben staring at her in wide eyed terror while her body trembled with anger. Her eyes were glazed with such hate and darkness.

"Maddie," Nick said, coming up behind her. "Maddie, put the knife down, he's not worth it," he told her gently, trying to get through to her. Madison slowly stepped away from Ben, holding the knife out at him again.

"Get out," she said. "Get out, or I swear I'll kill you." Ben stepped away from the wall, staring at her. "Get out now!" She screamed. Ben quickly ran out of the kitchen, slamming the door behind him as he left the house. Madison remained standing there, the knife held out as her body trembled. Nick put a gentle hand on her outstretched arm.

"Okay, okay," he said soothingly. "It's over, he's gone," he gently lowered her arm. Madison's fingers released the knife and it fell to the floor with a small clank before she fell back into Nick's arms. Nick grabbed her and guided her to the floor as she held onto him, sobbing. "Its okay, its okay," he told her, stroking her hair as she buried her face in his chest.