Wes still sat against the wall in front of the hotel room Jen had locked herself in. An hour had passed and she still hadn't opened the door or responded to any of the pleas he had made, practically begging her to let him in. He wanted to tell Jen everything….but there were parts he couldn't bear to tell her, thinking she wouldn't understand. Nadira seemed to be the only one he could relate that problem to. She understood.

He sighed heavily, standing up once more, to give it another try. "Jen, please, let me in. You've got to come out eventually." No answer; he was about to try again, when he heard a click on the other side of the door. He took a deep breath, knowing he had a lot of explaining to do; more than he wanted to do. But he owed it to her. Wes opened the door and came face to face with Jen, for what felt like forever. Her eyes were red from crying, no doubt because of what had happened just an hour before.

"So are you going to come in or not?" she asked, when he made no attempt to leave the door.

"In," he answered softly, as he shut the door behind him. Never had he been so afraid in all his life; right now he'd rather be facing Ransik, the Mutorgs and an army of cyclobots, than to have to face Jen and tell her the truth. Tell her everything. He took a moment pacing around the room to gather his words, trying to figure out where he should begin. So much had happened in these last several mouths. So much had changed. The way she was looking at him now proved that to be true more than anything else. "Look, Jen, I know what you're thinking-"

But he didn't have the chance to finish, because Jen in her jealous rage had a few words of her own to share with him. "What, that you're still just the pretty boy spoiled rich kid that gets what ever he wants? You would sleep with any girl that asked you to, wouldn't you!" she said harshly.

"What!" Wes exclaimed.

"Although I guess I shouldn't be surprised." She got right into his face, angry at him, angrier then she had ever been with him. "You always did have a thing for mutants. Contemptra - ring any bells? And who could forget Theresa!" She might be acting like a stupid fool at the moment, but at that exact moment she could care less.

"Contemptra….I didn't sleep with her." And almost added, I had wanted to…but decided it best to leave that part out, otherwise Jen might shove him through the wall. He had been under a love spell and really had no control over what he was feeling. But he did recall having a feeling in the back of his mind, not to, telling him to control himself, because there was someone else who he wanted to be in the picture.

"Oh, what about Theresa?" added Jen, continuing on in her jealous rage, as if she had lost all control of everything she was saying.

"Theresa?" Wes had to laugh at that. "I was barely alone with her five minutes, until I went to go find you."

"Still long enough. You managed to have a child in less time."

"Jen, will you listen to yourself?" exclaimed Wes; this was the second time he had seen her act like this. This time was a lot deeper than the time at the super gym where she had accused him of liking Theresa and said that it had nothing to do with being jealous of him, though part of him had always doubted that. And then it dawned on him, James. Wes mentally kicked himself in the head, now seeing where Jen had been going with this. "You think that James is my and Nadira's baby?"

"Oh, what would ever give me that idea, Daddy?"

"Jen, he's not mine." He grabbed Jen's arms. "Not exactly…"

Jen angrily shoved her arms away from him. "What the hell is that supposed to me? Not exactly …"

"It's complicated," he answered softly, with a hint of grief in his voice.

Jen ignored the grieving look on his face, as she continued on in her blind rage. "More complicated than you and Nadira?" she stammered.

"Jen, I'm not with Nadira. I don't love her!" he roared, hoping that his voice would out ring hers and make her stop and listen for just one minute. One minute was all he needed, but this wasn't exactly the way he pictured himself telling her this. Telling her how he really felt.

Her face froze and she was dead still, as his words played over in her mind. I don't love her. "What…" was all she could get out in a soft spoken voice.

"Because I love you!" He stopped and stared at her face, watching as tears sparkled in her eyes, watching as the anger seemed to wither away. "I love you, Jen," he cried, feeling his own eyes stinging with his own tears, feeling exhaustion overwhelm him because of the whole ordeal Jen and he had just gone through.

"You love me?" she choked, now really feeling foolish because of what she had been saying to him. Eric had said Wes loved her, but hearing it come from Wes made it all the more real.

"Yeah….Yeah I do."

"I love you, too."

Wes smiled and gently stroked her cheek, wiping away one of her falling tears. "Good. I was hoping you did." He leaned closer to her, his lips almost touching hers. "So I could do this." He looked into her eyes, watching her smile back at him and then he kissed her gently on the lips. The kiss was everything he hoped it would be, and more. "Oh Jen…" He wrapped his arms tightly around her, not wanting it to be over.

Jen followed his lead and wrapped her arms around him, deepening the kiss, needing to be close to him. The passion and love the two had held back for so long was racing out like a raging fire. "Lock the door…" Jen whispered in-between kisses.

"I think I can manage that," answered Wes as he returned her kisses. He slowly drew apart from her and quickly locked the door and made his way back over to her. "Now where were we?"

"Right about…." Jen raised her hands up to draw him closer. "Here…." She leaned in and kissed him passionately on the lips.

Eric was chained against a column, hands behind his back. It had been hours since he had been captured. His face was covered with bruises and his shirt ripped apart; they had tried to get information out of him, but he didn't dare say a word. He couldn't let them know other rangers were coming, although he suspected that the Mutorgs were quite aware of the wild force rangers they had had an encounter with in Turtle Cove.

"Thirsty, ranger?" asked Rofang, as he approached him with a glass of water. He snickered, as he moved the glass closer to Eric's mouth and then splashed it against his face. "Foolish human, your end is near."

"For your sake, you better hope you're right," hissed Eric. "Because if it weren't for these chains, I'd kill you right here and now; with my own bare hands I'd put an end to you, pathetic worthless piece of shit!" Rofang slapped Eric across his face, cutting his lip in the process. Eric spat out the blood and looked up at Rofang all wise-assed. "Is that the best you can do?"

Rofang was about to strike him again, when Takach stopped him. "Rofang, stop meddling with the human and come over here, we have more important things to deal with than his pathetic life."

"You're safe for now, but mark my words, when the time comes I will do what should have been done hours ago," hissed Rofang, as he walked over to join his brothers.

"I'll be waiting," said Eric, as he watched Rofang and the others move into the darkest shadows away from Ransik, who was off in the corner sharpening his sword. He couldn't read lips nor understand the language in which they were speaking, but from what he could gather whatever they were discussing wasn't for Ransik's ears. The former quantum ranger could only guess just why. And he'd be putting his money on the fact that the Mutorgs weren't planning on staying loyal to Ransik for long. Just long enough, until what they needed to be done was done, which could be something he could use to his advantage when the moment showed itself.

An army of cyclobots returned back to the base. A number of them went over to Ransik and gathered around him, but one cyclobot made his way over to Eric, and was acting rather out of character compared to any of the cyclobots he had ever run across. This cyclobot was looking right and left, as if looking to see if anyone was watching him, as he walked right up to Eric.

Eric waited, as if expecting to be struck across the face or punched in the gut, like he had already been numerous times throughout the hours he had been here, but this cyclobot just stared into his face. And then it occurred to Eric that this cyclobot meant no harm to him, which could only mean... "Merrick?" he whispered as low as he could.

The cyclobot nodded his head in response.

Eric glanced around, making sure no one was watching. The mutorgs were too preoccupied in their discussion to notice, and an army of cyclobots blocked Ransik's view. "It's too risky. You need to get out of here and get help."

"I can't just leave you here, they'll kill you," Merrick replied, keeping his voice low.

"They'll kill both of us if you don't get the hell out of here." Eric could see Ransik start to emerge from the crowded army of cyclobots heading their way. "You know where their base is, you can bring the others here. It's the only way."

"Hey you! What are you doing over there?" roared Ransik.

Merrick looked over at Ransik and then glanced at Eric. "I will be back," he whispered. Merrick, posing as a cyclobot, made his way over to Ransik, in the movements of the cyclobots he had observed since he had joined hours ago.

"What were you doing over there with the human?" Ransik shoved the robot and walked on past him. "Stupid robot! Just go outside, you're on night call."

He nodded his head and watched as Ransik moved into a back room. Merrick once more glanced over at Eric, knowing that there was a possibility that when he returned that Eric might no longer be alive. Be safe, my friend. He turned and ran outside and continued on in his search for Jen, one thing was for sure they didn't have her, which meant she was elsewhere. He also knew he needed to make contact with his teammates, but only when he was sure the coast was clear.

"We should have done this a long time ago," exclaimed Jen.

Wes grinned. "Oh yeah, the Clock Tower was way more romantic, especially with Katie, Lucas and Trip watching somewhere off in the corner," he joked. They lay on the bed, Jen laying her head on his chest, with the covers over their bodies. The memory of what had just happened flowed vividly through their minds.

Jen traced her finger against his chest, before taking his hand into hers. "Sorry about earlier, for jumping to conclusions," said Jen, knowing that she had been a fool for saying the things she had.

"I think I can forgive you," grinned Wes as he brought her hand up and kissed it gently. "Besides, I always found you very attractive when you're angry." He brought her hand down and felt as she traced her finger around his neck, going all the way over to his right shoulder. She gently brushed her fingers against the battle scar that had been left by Ransik's sword.

"Does it hurt?" She didn't know how he had gotten it, but she could only guess that Ransik was somehow connected.

Wes didn't answer at first, as if his mind had drifted elsewhere. It had been deadly painful; it would be a pain he would never be able to forget. The pain of Ransik striking him and pulling the sword out of his flesh and the burning sensation he had felt as Nadira tended to the wound with the limited resources she could find. He recalled her telling him that he was lucky to be alive.

"Wes…"

"No, not anymore," he answered softly.

A few moments of silence passed between them. Jen sighed heavily; she didn't want to ruin the moment, but there were some things she still didn't know and wanted to know. Things only Wes would be able to tell her. "Wes…" she started, as she leaned up slightly, so she could be within eye level of him. "Why?" She could still see her and the others in the time ship, moving farther and farther away from Wes. "Why'd you send me and the others back? Why have you've been hiding all this time?" She wanted to know why he hadn't left Silver Hills or made any attempt to get in touch with anyone. It might have been too dangerous for the Silver Guardians that remained here to make a run for it, but Wes with the quantum morpher stood a chance.

Wes didn't answer. And it wasn't because he didn't know the answers. He knew them all too well, better than he wanted to. And as much as he knew he owed Jen the answers, he just wasn't ready to let her in on them. "Can we just lie here a while longer?"

The sound of his voice frightened her and she could feel his heartbeat start to rise. Wes was scared, more scared than she ever thought he could be. Whatever had happened must have affected him more then she thought possible.

"Please…" he pleaded. He was near tears, staring her right in the eyes. He was practically begging her to drop the subject.

It was heartbreaking to watch. What had happened to the fun-loving, immature Wes she had known? Knowing he needed her to be strong right now, to hold him, to love him, to let him know that everything was going to be okay, "It's okay." She kissed him gently on the lips. "We don't need to talk about that right now." She rested her head back on top of him again and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close, hoping that the strength and touch of her arms would take whatever fear he had away.

Wes lay there, letting Jen take care of him, but knew no matter what she did, no amount of her love or caring for him, would take away what he was feeling now. He wasn't even sure if he could ever even begin to tell her. He feared she would never understand, maybe even resent him. He hated himself for what had happened. Some nights he even wished he were dead.

He watched as Jen slowly closed her eyes, falling into a deep sleep. She was so beautiful. He loved her so much, more than anything in the entire world. And she returned that love, with even greater strength, but all he could think of right now was: I don't deserve this…..not after what I've done….not after how many lives were lost, because of me…