(A.N. As promised, here is the next chapter of It's Time For Time Force. A Katie focused one this time. As the previous chapters have been, a lot of it is aligning with the events of the series but the parts delving into Katie's family and her conversations with Wes and Jen are my take. Anyway, let's get into the story. Here's chapter 3, I hope you enjoy and please feel free to let me know what you think or how you're liking the story :) )

Future Unknown

"It's a shame that the raimei tank was destroyed, it could've been a big help to us in this time period."

That gave Jen an idea. "Circuit, run a check on weapons systems of 2001."

"You got it."

"Even though your dad's tank failed, the city might have other resources that could help fight Ransik."

"This is strange," Circuit said. "According to my databanks, Raimei never existed."

"Never existed?" Lucas asked as he approached them, followed by the group. "How is that?"

"Until Ransik showed up, there was no need for Raimei to be invented but after he arrived, the city had to defend itself and the course of history was changed."

Trip's eyes widened. "Then all our futures could be altered."

Katie's eyes widened in thinly veiled distress as she asked. "You mean our families, our friends, everything might be different?"

Circuit shook his head. "Yes, that's very possible."

All of the future time force rangers looked at each other anxiously and Katie started to walk away. Wes trying to be optimistic, somewhat naively offered. "Can we look on the bright side here? I mean who knows maybe the future will change and be even better."

Jen only looked down but Katie, despite being in her own thoughts, responded. "I don't want it to be better. I want it to be just the way it was when we left."

"Oh what's the matter, you don't like it here?"

She knew Wes was only trying to lighten the mood but she couldn't join him as she responded honestly. "It's fine here but it's your home, not mine."

And with that, she walked away. All four of the future time rangers now questioning how their actions in the present would be changing their future and how different everything would be when they actually returned. But the biggest problem Jen faced was that her previous fears were coming into fruition.

Everything about the day and the battle had left Katie defeated so when Jen got up and said "come on, he couldn't have gone far," she finally snapped, telling the group.

"I'm not going."

They turned back in shock and walked towards her as Trip asked. "What do you mean?"

"What's the point?" She asked stoically.

"The point?" Jen asked, trying to keep her frustration contained. "The point is we're here to capture Ransik."

Lucas continued. "I mean come on, we're the only ones who can save the future."

"Future?" Katie's voice raised as the clock tower rang out behind them, breaking their attention for a moment. "We don't even know if we have a future anymore." She turned back to face them. "Don't you see? We're out here risking our lives and for what?" They all looked down and she walked up to Jen, stopping a few inches from her face. "Ok I'll fight but first you promise me that I'm gonna see my family again." She moved on to Lucas after Jen looked away. "Promise me that I'll make it home." She asked, gripping Lucas's shirt and when he looked away, she moved on to Trip, asking desperately. "Trip, promise me the future will still be there."

He was the only one that was able to look her in the eyes as he shook his head hopelessly. "I can't."

She couldn't say anything else as the explosion echoed in the background. Hearing the screams of the civilians, Lucas turned his head back to Katie. "I have no idea what the future holds but I know people are in trouble now." He started running to help them as he morphed. "Time for time force."

Jen walked forward next, "I promised Alex that I was gonna capture Ransik." She looked down at her wedding ring as she finished. "I'm not gonna break that promise." She followed Lucas, running as she morphed. "Time for time force."

Trip shook his head and he walked up to stand beside Katie. "Something tells me that this is the right thing to do." He ran for a second, stopping to glance back at Katie before he followed suit, morphing. "Time for time force."

The yellow ranger gasped as she watched him go and revealed quietly to Wes. "I feel like I have nothing to fight for."

What she didn't know was that he was standing behind her, looking at the photo of her family as he asked. "Are you crazy?" When she turned to him, she saw what he was holding as he told her. "It looks to me like you have everything to fight for." She took the photo from him, glancing down, as he ran after the others, morphing. "Time for time force."

She stared down at the photo. "He's right, I've got more reason to fight than anyone." She looked up to the sky as she yelled. "SO WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?" She fell to her knees as she felt a lump rising in her throat, quietly admitting out loud. "I'm afraid I'll never get to go home." Looking down at the photo, her resolve strengthened. "I can't give up. The only chance I have is to fight."

With that, she took off to help her friends, saving the rangers from a nasty strike as Trip cheered. "Alright Katie!"

"I'll never let you guys down again." She promised as Wes high-fived her and gripped her hand.

"That's our Katie."

She turned to the mutant, confidently responding. "Let's do it."

And they did it. Just like all the mutants and robots before, the time force rangers defeated the newest threat. When they got back to the clock tower, Wes found Katie in the same spot Trip had found her that morning. He stopped beside her, causing her to look up as he apologised. "I'm sorry if I came across as insensitive this morning. I was just trying to be positive."

"I know you were Wes." She said as she sighed. "I guess I was missing them a lot more than I realised." The conversation ceased for a few seconds before she asked. "By the way, how did you get by photo?"

His eyes widened a little. "Oh, it fell out of your notebook this morning. I was trying to find a time to give it back but we uh got a little busy." She laughed at his comment before he added. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be... Actually, I guess it worked out that you had it. You knew exactly what to say to get my head back in the game."

He shrugged. "Everything's worth fighting for if you really care about it."

Katie eyed him for a second before she let it go, it probably wasn't the time to initiate that conversation nor was it her business to. She pulled out the photo of her family and smiled. "You're absolutely right."

He glanced down at it, mirroring her expression. "So this is your family? You look happy."

"I was."

He glanced up at her, asking hesitantly. "Tell me about them?"

She grinned before she gushed. "So it's just the four of us. My mom and dad met at time force when they were eighteen and they've been together ever since then obviously, they had me and my brother Josh. They trained us for most of our life to join time force if that's what we wanted but they were happy no matter what we decided. Josh didn't end up joining time force and they were fine." She glanced over at him. "You know, even though we grew up 1000 years apart, the things we did with our parents are still pretty much the same."

"Really?" He asked. "I mean, I doubt we did the same things – my parents weren't around much – but even a thousand years later, it's all still the same."

"Technology-wise, there's been some changes but from what I've seen, yeah." She shook her head with a smile. "I remember doing sports and all the stereotypical 'male' activities with my dad and brother but I always loved spending time with my mom. She was my best friend."

"That's nice Katie, your family sounds amazing."

"They are." She nodded. "We may bicker and have disagreements from time to time, god knows Josh and I used to get on each other's nerves when we were young but... They're my family and I love them."

"They love you too Katie." He said as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "And I have no doubt that they'll be there waiting for you in the future when you get back."

She smiled, "thanks, Wes."

With a final squeeze, he left her to her own thoughts and for the first time that day, – and possibly since she'd gotten to 2001 – she felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. It was nice having someone to talk to about her family and she was glad that Wes was that person.

They all sat at the table, food out in front, as Katie walked up to the head of it, addressing the group. "Hey you guys, I have something I want to say." Jen sat down beside Wes and they all gave her their full attention. "I know someday we'll make it back but for now, I'm glad to say that this is my home and you guys are my family."

They all smiled and raised their glasses to cheers. Wes looked at Katie with a smile and she couldn't help but return it.

She meant what she said, even though she missed her family and the year 3000, the clock tower in 2001 was slowly becoming her home and as she looked at the rangers, she didn't even need to question it: they were already her family.

They enjoyed their meal and the hours passed before Jen found herself on the roof again. A place she seemed to find herself thinking every day. After everything Katie had brought up that day, she found herself thinking about Alex. When they'd first arrived in 2001, a simple glance at Wes would have Alex flooding through her mind but as she'd gotten to know him better and their friendship had strengthened, each day, she found herself thinking about him less and less. The ache in her chest didn't hurt so bad anymore and she felt like she could breathe.

What had replaced that feeling, though, was guilt. Even though he was gone, the thoughts and feelings she'd been having about Wes felt as though she was betraying him. Her mind drifted to earlier that day and how impressed she'd been when Wes threw himself in front of the two civilians to take the hit. He didn't think about his safety, he just did what he had to do to protect his people. That made her feeling for him grow which in turn made her guilt grow stronger. How was she meant to do this? The more time she spent in the present, the more she'd continue to fall for Wes and the more she'd feel as though she was betraying Alex.

She sighed, shaking herself out of her thoughts. She'd made a promise to herself. Protecting the city and capturing Ransik would be her focus, all of her attention was on that task. She was not to waste time thinking about her evolving feelings for Wes or about Alex. Her focus laid here and that's where it would stay.

She climbed back through to the clock tower and it was eerily quiet. She walked around until she found Katie. "It's so quiet."

The yellow ranger laughed. "That would be because the boys are out."

Jen nodded with a laugh before she sat down on the bed beside Katie. "Can we talk?" The girl nodded and she started off by saying. "You know you can talk to me right?"

"I do."

"I don't like knowing that you kept all of that to yourself and you were hurting. We had no idea you were feeling like that Katie." The girl looked down. "I'm not trying to make you feel bad, I just want you to know, I'm here for you, just like you are for me."

Katie smiled. "Thanks, Jen."

The pink ranger sighed. "Now for the not-so-nice part, we need to talk about what happened today." Katie nodded, her eyes falling once more to stare at her lap. She knew what was coming and Jen had every right to be angry. "Now I can only imagine how you feel being apart from your family like you are but don't ever use that against us again. Whether that's as an argument or to get your own way or to prove your point. We all have things in our future that we want or that we miss but we can't let our emotions get in the way of what we're here to do. We're teammates, we need to be here for each other not against each other."

"I know that Jen, and I'm sorry." She finally looked back up at her friend. "It was wrong of me to ask you guys to promise me things that I knew you couldn't and it was even more wrong of me to use that as a reason to not fight. I promise, I won't ever put any of you in that position again."

"I'm glad." She smiled sadly at the yellow ranger. "And just to address the things that were brought up today... Is the future changing the longer that we're here? Yes, it is. But is there a chance that your life back home will still be the same as you left it? Of course." Jen looked down as she told her. "No matter what happens, the future I'm going back to isn't going to be the same as I left it but there's a chance that yours will be." She looked back up at Katie. "But the only way we're going to find out is if we capture Ransik and give ourselves the chance to go back."

Katie nodded. "I promise Jen, I'm here to fight until the end. We are going to catch Ransik and we are going to save the future."

Jen smiled with a nod, mimicking Wes's earlier words. "That's our Katie." That made them both laugh as she pulled the girl into a hug. "Never scare me like that again, ok?"

The yellow ranger tightened her arms around the girl. "I promise... Thanks, Jen."

The moment was interrupted by the boys bursting into the room, seeing them in a hug. "No way, group hug."

Soon enough, the boys jumped on top of them, crushing them in a group hug, making both girls laugh. Jen looked over at Katie with a smile. "It's like you said in there, we're family and family sticks together."