AN: Many thanks for all the wonderful reviews! Hope you enjoy this chapter. Only 36 more chapters to go!

Once a Ranger
Chapter 15: Billy's Story
By Daylight

As Tommy, Rocky, Adam and Tanya tried to comprehend what Billy had just told them, the former blue ranger gently put his once more squiggling daughter on the ground. She dashed around the group before latching on to Zhane's leg. He mock glared at her causing her to run off again, giggling.

"She's… She's…" began Rocky still stunned.

Tanya interceded. "She's beautiful."

Clapping his friend on the shoulder, Adam grinned. "Congratulations, Billy."

"Thanks."

Tommy watched as Celeste pretended to hide from Zhane. "Her mother is Cestria, I presume."

"Affirmative. Cestria…" Billy hesitated. "Cestria passed away during the war."

"Oh lord, Billy." Tanya put her hand to her mouth. "I'm so sorry."

Avoiding the looks, Billy gazed down at his daughter who had rushed back and was now latched on to him with a wide grin. "It's alright. I have Celeste." Shaking out of the moment, the former ranger drew his attention back to the others. "So, I hear you've decided to try one more go at rangering and you need my help as usual."

"As if we have a choice," replied Zhane with a smirk. "I don't suppose you have a spare engine lying around?"

Billy raised an eyebrow.

ooooo

Repairs soon got underway with much tsking and shaking of the head from Billy as he surveyed the damage. He soon took control ordering components from his various sources and directing the rangers in assorted tasks with a little help from several Aquitian engineers. The work that needed doing was extensive, but Billy hoped to have them on their way in a few days. The rangers were more than grateful. Though they were enjoying spending time with their old friend, it had been two weeks since the other rangers had been taken and hope of their survival was starting to wear thin.

It was when Adam and Billy were alone working on fixing the faulty coolant tank in the engine room that the green ranger realized it was time to ask his old friend the questions that had been plaguing all of them. He gave a sidelong glance at the former blue ranger

"So, Billy…," he began keeping his focus on his work. "Two and a half years. You never call. You never write."

From where he sat knee-deep in wires and components, Billy sighed.

When he didn't say anything, Adam kept going. "Understandably, intergalactic mail can't be that reliable and we certainly know that travel between galaxies is seldom safe. Still…" He looked back at his old friend. "We missed you."

Billy frowned not looking up as he continued to work on one of the displaced circuit boards. "I told you I've been busy."

"Right. With the war and helping the rangers and with Celeste. You know a message about her would certainly have been nice."

Still not getting a response, Adam added. "I'm sure your father would love to hear about her."

At this, Billy finally stopped what he was doing though he still refused to look up.

"I know it was a bit awkward with your new step-mother…"

"Samantha is a wonderful person," Billy interrupted letting out another sigh. "She makes my father happy. I have nothing against her." He picked up another circuit board to work on. "Though she did make it easier to leave." A small smile appeared on his lips. "With her around I knew my father wouldn't need me around to look after him."

"That doesn't mean he doesn't want you around."

"I know."

"Then why have you stayed away?" Adam closed his eyes for a moment almost not wanting to know the answer to the question he was about to ask. "Look... Was it us? Did we drive you away? Are we the reason you don't want to come back?"

Billy's head shot up. "No. Yes. It's…" He looked away again. "I loved Cestria with all my heart. She is the reason I left. You didn't drive me away."

"But we certainly didn't make you want to stay." Billy opened his mouth to deny it, but Adam didn't give him the chance. "I could tell that you weren't happy. You were the only one left of the original team. You were no longer a ranger. You were no longer even a high school student. I was worried that you felt like an outcast and maybe we had started treating you that way."

"That's not it." Billy paused churning the thoughts and emotions in his head. "It was different. But you guys didn't treat me like an outcast. Trust me. I know what that's like." Moving over next to Adam, the former blue ranger put a hand on his shoulder. "You were still my friends and you still are."

Adam put his hand on Billy's and smiled. "And you're still ours."

Sitting back, Billy tried to explain. "It was hard trying to figure out my place after everything changed. I hadn't decided what I wanted to do with my life and principal Caplan graduating me early didn't help things. Maybe I was unhappy. I had a lot on my mind. Then I met Cestria. I met her on my first trip to Aquitar and just fell in love with her."

Adam grinned. "Love at first sight?"

"Most definitely. But when she asked me to stay with her, I panicked. Even though I had always dreamed of exploring new worlds like Aquitar, the idea of permanently living on one was frightening. Besides which I felt like the rangers on Earth still needed me. So, I went home."

"And you missed her."

"Yes. I couldn't get her out of my mind. I hate to say it, but I even felt some resentment towards you guys as if you were the ones who were making me stay."

"I'm sorry. If we had known…"

"I know. It's not your fault. It was tearing me up inside. I'm afraid it left me as not the most fun person to be with."

"True. We used to wonder if someone on Aquitar had sent us a bad tempered clone while they kept the nice, calm, patient Billy."

Billy gave him a mock glare before continuing with his story. "When I finally saw Cestria again, I realized that I couldn't be without her. So, I left. Leaving you guys in the lurch as it were."

"We managed to survive."

"And what was it I heard about the Power Chamber being destroyed?"

"Hey, I wasn't there either. And even if we had been, from what I heard, we wouldn't have been any help."

"I guess so. Anyway, I felt so guilty about how I treated you and the fact that I was abandoning you, that I could barely find the words to say goodbye."

"And that's why you haven't contacted us? You thought we were angry at you?

Looking at the floor, Billy nodded his head.

"Listen, man. We are not angry at you. Some of us might have been when you first left, but we were mostly concerned. You had us really worried."

"I'm sorry. I guess it was kind of stupid."

"It's nice to know even geniuses make mistakes, now and again."

They both laughed.

"Well, I'm glad we had this little talk," Adam continued. "But there's just one more thing I'd like to ask you."

The former blue ranger gave a half-hearted sigh as he got up to go back to his pile of burnt out components. "Yes, Mr. Interrogator."

"Exactly when did you find out about the side effects the regenerator was having on you?"

Stopping in mid flight, Billy winced. "Has anyone ever told you you're too observant for your own good?"

Adam stared at him his eyebrow raised. "The disappearances? The secret projects? I'm surprised no one else has put it together."

With a sigh, Billy sat back down. "It was shortly before you assumed the Zeo Powers."

"And you kept it a secret the whole time?" Adam ran his hand through his curly hair. "You really did have a lot on your mind."

"You guys were rangers. I wasn't. You had bigger things to worry about. Besides, I thought I could handle it."

"And?"

"And I did, for awhile at least. But the solutions I found kept wearing off. I was run ragged trying to find a cure while trying to keep it a secret from you guys. I guess that's one of the reasons I was so tense during that time."

"And that's the real reason you couldn't take the Gold Powers, not that negative proton nonsense."

Billy laughed. "I thought you might have noticed something wasn't quite right with that."

"I think everyone did. They're just used to you always knowing what's right."

"I used to think I did. Thanks, Adam." Billy offered his hand and Adam shook it. "You don't know how wonderful it feels to finally get this all out. Ever thought of being a therapist?"

Adam grinned. "It has crossed my mind. But I've noticed the people who really need help seldom ask for it willingly."

"Very true."

"So tell me about this new little person in your life."

At this Billy grinned, but before he could start describing his daughter's antics he was interrupted by the sound of stomping and cursing as Rocky entered the room. He gave the wall a good kick before slouching to the floor next to them.

"I've had it with them!"

"With who?" asked Adam. "What's going on?"

"Tommy and Andros!" The blue ranger threw up his hands in exasperation. "They're at it again. I left the bridge because I couldn't take any more of their arguing."

"I take it this has been a reoccurring problem?" questioned Billy.

"Ever since they met."

As the sound of raised voices reached them, Billy and Adam raced up to the bridge. Rocky remained on the floor deciding it was much wiser to stay out of the way rather than get between two angry red rangers.

By the time they reached the bridge, Tommy and Andros were already in each other's faces which were almost as red as their uniforms. Tanya sat in a corner her head in her hands while Zhane stood next to the red rangers trying to get a word in hoping he could calm them down.

"We're a team. We need to do what's best for the team!" shouted Tommy.

"How is disagreeing with me each time I come up with a plan helping the team?"

"Well, maybe if you actually thought things through long enough to develop a decent plan."

"You know what I think." Andros crossed his arms across his chest. "I don't think you have a problem with my plans. I think you have a problem with me."

"Really."

"Because you blame me for what happened to Zordon."

"Well, maybe I do! What did you think you were doing?"

"I didn't see you out there helping us!"

"I thought I had left things in capable hands. Obviously, I was wrong."

"You think you could have done a better job? "

"Yeah, for a start, I would have saved Zordon rather than murder him!"

Andros raised his hand and opened his mouth as if to make another point then changed his mind and stormed off the bridge.

Before Tommy could do anything, he found himself faced with the unusual site of a furious Tanya. "You… you…," the yellow ranger began. "You stubborn idiot. Both of you are such stubborn idiots. Don't you think he feels bad enough about what happened to Zordon without you blaming him? We all know he couldn't have done anything differently." She wanted to say more but was too angry. "Men," she declared before she also stomped off the bridge.

All the fire taken out of him, the red zeo ranger slumped down into a chair.

Next:
Chapter 16: Discussions
The rangers find they have a lot to talk about.