A.N: In case you didn't realize based on the title, this is an original chapter. Enjoy :). Also, I just realized I uploaded the wrong version of this chapter lol. This is the correct version.


Come on, Ally! Leon? She wondered. Wake up! We've gotta goooo, lazy ass. Get up! Get-

"Get up!" Ally groaned, rolling over onto her side as Kelsey tried to reach out and shake her again. "You said you'd take us out for Hawaiian food. Didn't you?" She knew she was from Hawaii, but she also knew that people from Hawaii didn't really eat Hawaiian food for breakfast. (At least, not all the time.)

"Kels. No one eats Hawaiian food for breakfast, and when they do, it's-"

"Al. It's noon," Dana pitched in from where she stood in the bathroom, curling her eyelashes. "About time you woke up. We just thought we'd let you sleep since someone decided to stay up until four am studying." Ah. And that someone had been Ally. Her professors had given her a good amount of leeway after she explained the loss of her brother. Two weeks had come and gone in which they were more lenient on assignments and due dates, but with midterms coming up, she needed to get back on track.

So, Ally let out another groan, swung her legs over the side of her bed, and hopped down, careful not to smack her head on Kelsey's top bunk. "Fine. But you guys are paying for your own food. I'm only here to make recommendations on what to order."


It'd been hard to genuinely smile, to find reasons to laugh these past two weeks. On top of her schoolwork, Diabolico hadn't let up, sending swarms of Battlings and that annoyingly powerful monster trio to harass them at any random time. Ally felt like she'd hardly even had time to process Leon's passing, to grieve. But at the same time… she knew he'd want her to continue on, to keep on fighting, smiling, and living for him. So she did.

The urge to stab Ryan Mitchell in the back was still immensely strong, though. The only reason she didn't do it was because it would be murder, and also because it would be murdering her best friend's brother. And that would turn this all into a vicious cycle, would it not? Just as long as he stayed the fuck away from her and her friends, Ally thought she'd be okay.

So when she ran right into him in her rush to catch up to the others who'd already left (she'd assured them she'd be right behind them, and Joel had confirmed that she did take a long time to get ready so they might as well get a head start), it took all the self-control within her not to lose it. "Oh." Ryan said simply. Not even a greeting.

Two women- Ally recognized them to be the newest lab hires- who were walking down the hallway towards them took one look at Ryan, turned around, and decided to take the long way to the lab.

She didn't speak. If she spoke, she'd probably scream. But he was standing in her way, right in front of the exit. "Get out of my way." He tilted his head, as if considering whether or not he should, and Ally raised her chin.

"That's what Mr. Sakamichi said, too. At the art heist." Ryan took a step closer, but Ally didn't give him any ground. "He was brave until the end." She blinked once.

"I don't know why we allow you in Aqua Base. We shouldn't."

"Why not? I saved your life, didn't I?"

Dozens of possible responses rushed through her mind, most of them involving her spitting at his feet, cursing him out, or straight up punching him. She chose the quietest, least dramatic one. She didn't have time for these bullshit games. "Look. I don't know why you still come around here, when clearly you don't give two shits about what happens to us. All I'm asking is for you to move so I can go get some breakfast with my friends." Ryan sneered, but Ally didn't even flinch.

"If I don't care," he asked, voice almost a whisper, "Then why are you still alive?"

She snapped, grabbed his collar, and yanked him down until he was eye level with her. "If you cared, then my brother would still be alive." His smirk fell for the briefest second before it was back up, meaner than ever. Ally wished with all her heart that she could punch him. Before she could let him go, his hand came up to hers, and he started to pry her fingers off of his shirt. Ally's stomach turned. He'd touched her. The man who'd killed her brother had touched her.

(Four holes from four laser blasts. Each next to a vital organ. It was a quick death. Leon wouldn't have suffered. But it was a death nonetheless.)

"Don't touch me." Ryan froze as her words seized control over his motions, and his hand fell from hers as she let go of his collar. At least, Ally realized, he'd stepped away from the exit.

"Hey, Al. What's the hold up?" Chad buzzed in through her morpher, and she didn't even wait for the doors to close before replying.

"Who do you fucking think?"

The doors closed, and she staggered to the side, quiet sobs wracking her body.


"That girl was most definitely checking you out," Kelsey teased, shoving Carter as they rode the lift down to Aqua Base, and their leader's face turned beet red.

"Thanks for the astute observation, Kels."

Ally raised an eyebrow, turning so she could face her friends as they walked back to their rooms. "What? Not looking at the moment?" She knew that he was, in fact, looking. Or rather, that he had eyes for a certain Pink Ranger, but all the same, it was fun to make fun of him. Carter made it too easy.

He narrowed his eyes at her, wagged a finger in reprimand. "Now, those were your words, not-"

"Oh, there you are." She stopped herself just in time to keep from walking right into Captain Mitchell, and Ally turned, straightening her posture. "Walk and talk?"

"Sure, Cap," Joel replied. Dana's dad shook his head, a small apologetic smile on his face.

"Sorry, folks. Just Alyssa. I know how much you all are saddened that you won't get to spend time with good 'ol Captain Mitchell." Dana rolled her eyes, linked her arm in Kelsey's.

"Oh, we're so sad," she teased, and Ally giggled, waving to her friends as they went back to their rooms. It didn't take a genius to realize that, with both of his kids back where he knew they were safe, Captain Mitchell was an entirely different man. That was good news for Ally and her team, though. He was much less strict, a lot more… fatherly. She appreciated it, especially since her own dad was the opposite of such.

It came with the territory, both of him being Asian and a doctor.

"What's the notice for, Captain?" Ally asked as they strolled down the hallway.

"This won't sound pleasant at first," he began, and she braced herself, "But after everything you've all been through, Lightspeed has decided to have each of you Rangers undergo… examinations." Ally wasn't stupid. She'd seen enough episodes of Law and Order to know what he actually meant.

"You mean psych evals."

She watched as Captain Mitchell cringed. "Yes. Psychological evaluations."

"And I'm first."

He scratched the back of his neck. "Unfortunately, yes."


Was this what she got for thinking Law and Order was cool? That Stabler and Benson were badass? Yeah, Ally realized, probably. "How effectively would you say that you cared for your little siblings?" The psychologist, a Filipino woman who Ally figured was in her mid-thirties, asked calmly.

She shrugged. "Pretty well. I mean, I took them home from school, gave them snacks when they were hungry and couldn't reach the boxes in the pantry. Made sure they didn't watch too much television, and that their assignments were in on time."

The psychologist, Ms. Mabuti, nodded slowly. "Wouldn't you say that that was your parents' job?" She shrugged again.

"Yeah. But they were busy. They still are."

"Your mom, Cindy. She's a lawyer, is that right?" Ally nodded. She was almost afraid to speak, that if she said another word her mind would be probed into. "And your dad, Scott. He's a doctor." She nodded again. Ms. Mabuti let out a low whistle. "They make a lot of money. No wonder they could afford to have four kids. Especially in Hawaii." That much, Ally could agree with. Ms. Mabuti clicked open her pen. "Tell me about your oldest brother. Leon."

Of course. This all had to lead back to him. "When my parents were too busy to cook dinner for us, Leon would order pizza and we'd stay up late, watching movies."

"Would you say that that's where your inspiration to become a filmmaker came from?" Ally froze, feeling pinpricks of tears in her eyes.

"Sure." If she spoke any more than that, her voice would break.

"What about at school? Was Leon well-liked?" Ally wasn't so sure about this. When she was in eighth grade, he was already a senior in high school. They'd never spent time together on the same campus, even though she'd eventually been transferred to the same performing and visual arts academy. But she did hear the occasional rumor of girls (and guys) that liked him. Oftentimes, his art would be the talk of the entire school. He was a star student.

"Yeah. Kept up with his work, and had a lot of people interested in his art." Ms. Mabuti scribbled down something in her notebook.

"I understand that you were bullied throughout grade school. Is this true?" Ally nodded, laughed.

"What is this, a lie detector test?"

"No. I'm merely here to help you learn more about yourself. Now tell me, when you were watching over your younger siblings, who was watching over you?"

This stupid psychologist already knew the answer. She just needed to make sure Ally knew it, too. "Leon. He would pick us up from school when we'd missed the bus. He would take me to self-defense classes most of the time. He taught me how to paint, even though I was god awful at it."

She stopped writing. "Do you miss him, Alyssa?"

More than she would ever be able to express. "Yes."

"Do you believe he was in any… danger? Thanks to the masked assailant that was targeting art galleries?"

Hell yes. That was what had terrified her about his first gallery opening, especially because she couldn't be there to watch over him. With her abilities as a Ranger, no doubt she would have been able to take down Ryan before he could… before he could… "Alyssa?"

"Well, it wasn't the masked assailant who killed him now, was it? So I think it's a little too late to be asking that question." She didn't realize she'd stood up, had paced over to the psychologist, until she spoke the last syllable. Ms. Mabuti didn't flinch. Instead, she just clicked her pen closed.

"Thank you for your time."


Ally's jaw dropped. "But sir-"

"Alyssa, I'm sorry. It's in our best interest to send you home, just for a few days. You've been under tremendous amounts of stress," Captain Mitchell paused, inhaled deeply. "More than all of us here have been. You need to take a break. Be away from all of this, just for a little while."

There were many words she wanted to say, most of which included pointing out the fact that she wouldn't be feeling like this if Ryan had at least paid for his crimes. "I know what you're thinking." Ally shook her head. "Just because my son is a Ranger now does not mean he wouldn't have had to answer for what he'd done." Captain Mitchell's phrasing was all off. Wouldn't have had. Meaning-

"He was exonerated. Or whatever fancy law term it is." Her boss nodded, and it took everything within her not to scream.

"There was no evidence to actually place him at the scene of the crime, besides for eyewitness reports. That masked assailant and his men knocked out all the security cameras before they went in. And because Ryan was morphed, his gloves and suit prevented him from leaving any fingerprints or strands of hair behind." Ally's mom was a lawyer, so she knew what happened next. "Without proof, your local government didn't feel the need to charge him." That was a lie. She knew it was.

"And eyewitness reports weren't enough?" Captain Mitchell heaved a sigh.

"Because he was a Ranger… we were given… options."

Ally got to her feet, knocking over her chair in the process. "He confessed to murdering my brother. You were there when he said-"

"And this was only after he saved my life. And you say all of this after he saved yours." She could do nothing but stare.

"You say that like it makes up for what he did."


"Good luck in there," their driver, George, murmured as they pulled up into their driveway. She hadn't needed to get a ride from him since before she'd gotten her license. No doubt the old Japanese man was reminiscing just as she was. "Your mom and dad just started preparations for the…" He cleared his throat. "For the funeral." Ally sighed, closing her eyes as she rested her head against the window.

"I don't wanna go in there, Uncle."

He chuckled, and something rustled as he dug into his pocket. "I wouldn't, either, kiddo." Ally glanced down, saw a White Rabbit candy in his wrinkled palm. "Your family deserves better."


The first thing Ally's parents did when they saw her was not hug her. It was to tell her to sit at the dining table, just as they had when she was about to get scoldings as a kid. "Alyssa," her dad began in his usual quiet manner. "Why didn't you tell us you were a Power Ranger?"

Well, shit.

"You guys would've freaked out," she blurted out, "Would've told me to come home, and I didn't want to-"

"Well, we're freaking out now," her mom retorted. "After what happened to Leon…" A look of utter realization passed over her face, and Ally braced herself for what she knew was about to happen. "The word going around is that there was a sighting of a Power Ranger there, at the… at the gallery."

"Yes, mom."

"Another Power Ranger killed your brother, Alyssa. Don't you think it's time you gave it up?"

"I know that, mom," she argued, even though she wasn't sure how to continue from there. "But…" She thought of this morning, as her best friends had tried authentic Hawaiian food for the first time. When, for the first time since Ryan had arrived at Aqua Base, Dana truly smiled.

She thought of the fights, and all of the bruises, broken bones, and other injuries that came with them.

She thought of how strong she was now.

She thought of how proud Leon would have been of her.

"But?" Her dad pressed.

"I can't." She glanced down at her arm that still had her morpher attached. Even though it was unlikely that Diabolico would send his forces here, she'd still worn it. "Not after everything I've been through. Mom, dad, I've made some of the best friends I've ever had in my entire life thanks to being a Ranger. I've helped so many people, just like you guys do!"

Neither of her parents spoke. Instead, they merely exchanged anxious glances.

"Alyssa," her father murmured, "Thanks to all of this, we realized how dangerous your position as a Ranger is." Oh no, she thought. Here we go with the ultimatum. "We've already lost Leon to that man."

"We don't want to force you to come home," her mother continued, having collected herself, "But we don't feel comfortable with you being a Ranger any longer. Especially because…" She paused, "Because you couldn't be here to stop it from happening, we've realized that your powers are not worth the risk."

She almost didn't believe what she'd heard, even though it's what she'd been telling herself over and over and over and over, ever since she'd got that call from Mrs. Fairweather. That if she'd just been there, she could've saved Leon.

But it was different hearing it from her parents. It was almost like… like her powers were all that she was now. "I know that the man who did this was exonerated. But he did it, and there's no changing that fact." Her mother leaned forward, took Ally's hands in hers for the first time in years. "If you can just please bring him to us, so we can truly see the man who killed Leon," Her mom shook her head. "We'll know this was all worth it. Alyssa, can you do that?"

It would be so easy.

So simple.

And if she didn't… her parents could very well have her kicked out of Lightspeed. She knew how powerful they were, and they wouldn't hesitate until they got what they wanted. That was what had catapulted them to success in their fields, what had bought them this gigantic house that she stood in.

"I can, mom. I'll do it for Leon." Tears trailed down her parents' cheeks, and Ally's heart broke as grief finally swarmed in. And for the first time in years, she fell into her parents' arms as she sobbed, finally realizing the gravity of what she'd lost.


Ally didn't want to go back to the airport. Actually, she couldn't, not until the next day. According to Captain Mitchell's reassurances, she was just on paid leave, not on probation. Although that was what it'd felt like when they'd booted her out of Aqua Base, told her she was off for the next three days.

So here she was, looking out over the crashing ocean waves at the affectionately named Mother's Beach. She'd come here after any particular rough school days, and today felt like it. The sun was beginning to set already, casting a golden glow over the rippling water, the golden sand, and Ally took a deep breath. No matter where she went, this place would always be home.

"I miss you so much," she whispered, "I feel like I'm betraying you. By being in Lightspeed with… with him." Of course, there was no response. "I've thought about leaving. I really have. But once I bring him in to mom and dad before I petition with my work to have him stand trial… maybe, I think, everything will be okay. Justice will be served. You'll be able to rest."

The wind murmured over the sand, as if it was speaking back to her. "I don't think I ever told you I loved you, Lee. I thought it was silly, weak. I should've said it. I really should've."