Chapter 15: Coming Around

Karone had finished feeding Rory and placed her in the crib. Rory held her arms out to Karone and let out a small gurgle. "Sweet dreams, little one," she whispered. She kissed Rory's forehead before turning on the mobile that hung over the crib. She picked up a wildcat toy that was on the floor and placed it in the crib with Rory. She smiled as Rory slowly drifted off to sleep when there was a knock on the door. She glanced at her daughter before walking over to the door. She opened it and her eyes widened in shock. "Dad?" She asked. Caspar stood there and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Hello, Karone," he answered.

Karone then went to close the door when he blocked it. "Karone wait, we need to talk, he insisted. Karone shook her head.

"No, dad, you and I said enough nine months ago," she answered.

"Karone, it's important."

"Yeah? Can you fit in your schedule to actually talk to me? Or are you going to do like what you did on my wedding day?" She asked.

"Karone I'm serious."

"And so am I."

Karone let out a sigh. "Alright, come in, but be quiet, I just put Rory down for her nap," she informed.

"Rory?" He asked.

"Yeah, Aurora Corbett, my daughter, Rory," she replied.

"What an…interesting name."

Karone crossed her arms over her chest. "If you've come all this way to criticize, then you can go," she informed.

"Right, right, sorry," he answered.

Karone pushed some hair behind her ear. "You said you needed to talk to me, well then talk," she told him. Caspar sat down and Karone sat across from him.

"I came to say that I was sorry," he answered.

She sat back against the couch and just stared at him. "Took you five years to finally do that? After you smacked me so hard I lost my balance in front of my boyfriend who is now my husband? After you tried to get me to cut ties with Leo? When you tried to talk me out of marrying him before making up a stupid excuses? For calling my child an abomination that I should kill it? Now you come to apologize to me?" She asked. Caspar sat there in silence. She shook her head and let pursed her lips and felt her jaw tighten.

"Yes," he answered.

She shook her head. "I'm ashamed of you, dad. When I first joined Andros before Dark Specter took me again. Andros told me how great you and mom were. How you two were the greatest parents that any kid could ever ask for. Now that I finally saw you, it's hard to believe that you and mom were the same people Andros told me about," she explained. Tears pressed against her eyes. "You may think that I let you down, but you're the one who let me down dad," she added. Caspar let out a sigh.

"If there was anyway I could make it up to you, I would. I want to start over, Karone," he answered.

Karone just stared at him and looked up when Rory started crying. She picked Rory up, out of her crib and sat down. "So…that's Rory?" He asked. Karone nodded.

"Yes, this is Rory. The baby you wanted me to kill," she replied.

"S--She's beautiful," he told her.

"Thank you."

Rory stopped crying and curled up against Karone's chest. "I know about Hayden," he informed. Karone looked at him.

"How do you know about Hayden?" She asked.

"Ashley told Andros who stormed into the throne room and started yelling at us about how it's our fault."

"Good…I'm proud of him."

Caspar cleared his throat. "And I'm proud of you, Karone," he informed. Karone looked at him. "Not just for being a Power Ranger and doing all these great things, but because you didn't listen to mother and me. You stood firm with your decision to stay with Leo and to keep Rory. I can't be anymore prouder of you," he added.

"Do you think that makes everything, alright dad? After five years of torturing both Andros and me you think that makes everything alright between us? Just by saying your proud of me do you think that it'll be forgotten and that you and I will be okay again? No…no," she answered.

Karone shook her head at him. "You apologized to me, but guess what dad. The damage is done. The damage is already done," she added.

"I want to try to make it up to you," he answered.

"It's not just me dad. You didn't hurt just me, your hurt my husband, you practically hurt my child, you hurt Ashley, and you hurt my brother. Knowing that you hurt those three people that are the closest to me, you should just take Andros's spiral saber and plunge it into my chest."

She looked down at Rory when she started to whimper again. "I have to take care of Rory," she informed. Karone stood up with Rory in her arms and went to see what was wrong while Caspar sat there thinking of it all. Knowing that everything that his daughter told him was true. He placed a hand over his face and let out a sigh. He had no idea how to make it up to her after everything he said and did. He looked up when the door opened and saw Leo standing there.

"What are you doing here?" Leo asked.

Caspar held his hand up. "It's fine, Leo, it's fine. I'm leaving anyways," he informed. He walked over to the room that Karone disappeared to and looked inside. "And Karone. I love you so much and I truly am sorry," he added. Caspar turned and left the room. Karone stood up and watched as her dad left the house and saw Leo standing there with a quizzical look on his face.

"Okay, what was that?" He asked.

Karone sighed. "Dad trying to make things alright," she replied. Leo walked over and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"You okay?" He asked.

She looked at Rory and looked at the door that her father just went through. "I don't know, Leo, I really don't know," she replied. Leo kissed the side of her head and took his turn of taking care of Rory for the rest of the day. Karone stood there in the living room with her arms crossed over her chest. She lowered her head with the tears finally falling down her face. She had no idea what to do, she had so many emotions running through her all at once. She had no idea whether if she could ever forgive her dad after the hell he put her through during the past five years.