Disclaimer-I do not own the power rangers.

Chapter Twelve-Ranger Duty Again

During the ride home, Kim kept replaying everything in her head. Everyone had missed her so much, her students, her co-workers, Ernie, and most importantly of all- her friends. All of her old friends had missed her, and they had shown it. Smiling, Kim settled back in her seat for the long ride, and fell asleep.

"So, when are we gonna tell Dr. O what Dulcea told us?" Kira asked.

Although they had gone to Phaedos two days ago, the rangers still hadn't been able to talk to Dr. O. about it. He hadn't been home when they had gone there, and the next day he wasn't at school, which made them, wonder if something big had happened. Dr. O never ever missed work.

"Well, if he isn't here today, we will just have to go to his house to talk to him. The way Dulcea was talking, he really needs to know this." Ethan said.

"Yeah." Agreed Trent and Kira.

"What do you think Conner?" Asked Kira, knowing that he hadn't been paying any attention.

"Huh? What do I think about what?"

"Some leader you are." Kira said. "We just said that if Dr. O isn't here again today, then we should go talk to him at his house after school."

"Oh, ok." Conner said. It didn't make a difference to him, everyone else always made the important decisions, except in battle, when he finally took charge.

The four of them decided to go see if Dr. O was in his room yet. They had him first period, but they couldn't wait any longer. They knew that it was important that they talk to him right away. And it was very important. Luckily for them, Dr. O was in his room.

"Hey Dr. O." Conner said to his mentor. "So, what's up?"

"Nothing." Tommy said smiling. Which was something he hardly ever did in Conner's presence. He was usually either forcing himself to smile, or shaking his head in disbelief at the red ranger's stupidity.

"Are you feeling ok?" Asked Conner, referring to how his teacher had been absence from school the previous day, and of course, because he had noticed the smile.

"Of course Conner." Said Dr. O defensively, but still smiling. "I feel great."

"Woah. Are you sure?" Ethan asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"You just said 'Conner' and 'great' in the same sentence. And you were smiling the whole time." Kira said. "When that happens, something must be wrong. Especially if you are the one who said it."

"And you know what else?" Trent said. "You are here unusually early. You usually get here just as the bell is ringing for first period to start."

"I do not." Tommy told them.

"You do too." Ethan argued. "Every single day, except maybe for one or two exceptions- when you walked in right after the bell rang- you have walked in to this room, just on time."

"Wow, I didn't know you cared." Tommy said. "But seriously guys, nothing is wrong with me. Nothing at all. And if you think I am early, it's because I didn't have to worry about the twins today."

"Why not?" Kira asked curiously. As a single parent, he had to worry about the twins every day, because there was no one else to worry about them for him.

"I will tell you later." Tommy said. It was almost time for the bell to ring, and he didn't want other students to be walking into the room when he was trying to explain the situation with Kimberly to them. Haley might know who the twin's mother is, but the four teenagers didn't. Haley knew, because as one of Tommy's friends, she had been invited to the wedding, the wedding that had never happened.

"Ok. But we have to tell you something really important. The other day, two days ago, we went to Phaedos."

"What!?" Tommy said. "You went to Phaedos? How and why?"

"Dulcea said-." Kira started.

"Dulcea? Oh no, you didn't." Tommy said. He now knew full well what had happened in his absence.

"Dulcea said that in a time of great need, other teenagers went to Phaedos in search of the great power, and that they received the powers of the Ninjetti." Kira continued. "She said that there was a great danger stirring around Earth, and that we needed greater powers than the ones we have. And she said something about you being there a long time ago by Earth standards, and how, by the time we got back the falcon would be reunited with the crane, and how there was great danger to the eagle and the dove. And that we needed to tell you about the danger."

Tommy just at there. He had been reunited with the crane, but who were the eagle and the dove? Then it hit him, Ann and David. Of course, they would be in danger. Sure everyone was in danger because of some new threat, but they were the children of two power rangers, two of the most powerful rangers of all time. Tommy was called the greatest ranger ever, and Kimberly was the ultimate pink power holder, the greatest and original holder of the pink power.

Tommy forced himself to calm down. Class was about to start, and the twins were perfectly safe. They were with Kimberly and Kat, who would shortly be joined by other former power rangers, who were more than capable of defending themselves. Just then, the bell rang, and Tommy forced himself to stand up in front of his class.

"Ok everyone, take your seats. Just because I wasn't here yesterday doesn't mean that you don't have to take your tests today."

As one the whole class groaned. They had been hoping that in their teacher's absence, he would forget about the test.

"Everyone get a pencil out, and we will begin.

Later

As soon as school ended for the day, eight periods later, Tommy rushed out of his room and headed for the parking lot. He wanted to get home as quickly as possible. If he could get to the computers in the dino lair, he would be able to track the movements of Kim and the twin's, to see if there was any monster activity in Angel Grove. Especially since he now knew how to work them.

After practical speeding the whole way home, then rushing into the basement after quickly confirming that there was no one home, Tommy rushed down into his basement. After a quick scan, he saw that Angel Grove was completely monster free, and judging by the reading, it had been for quite some time. Just then, he heard the wall open, and the four dino thunder ranger walked in.

"Hey Dr. O." Conner called, in his usual greeting.

"So Dr. O, where are Ann and David?" Kira asked curiously. She had been wondering that all day long, and hadn't really been concentrating in any of her classes.

"Maybe you guys should sit down, this is going to be a long story." Tommy told the four teenagers, just as Haley walked in.

"Hey Haley, I am just telling the guys something about the twin's, maybe you should listen too." Tommy said.

"Ok." Haley said curiously, but not questioning what he wanted to tell everyone. She had absolutely no idea what was going on anyway.

"Well, first of all, the twin's aren't home right now, and they aren't at the daycare center. They are spending the day with their mother."

"What!?"

Haley's sudden outburst surprised everyone, well except for Tommy of course, he had expected this reaction. Every single person who knew Kim, who he had talked to in at leat the last twenty-four hours, had had the same reaction.

"Yes, Haley, they were with their mother." Tommy said smiling. "That is why I have been happy all day. Which the four of you noticed earlier.

"I know, that for as long as I have known you four, you have wanted to know who their mother was, but didn't think it was appropriate to ask. For all I know, you asked Haley who she was, and she told you not to ask me, and wouldn't tell you. And, if you had asked me, I wouldn't have told you anyway. But anyway, their mother and I were engaged. She was a gymnast, and she had her own studio in Angel Grove, where we both lived at the time. Well, about three years ago, she was working on her routine on the balance beam, when she fell off. She went into a coma and three moths later, the doctors found out that she was four months pregnant. Neither one of us had known that, and the doctors hadn't detected it in any of their tests. After another five months, when she still didn't wake up, the doctors had to perform a c-section, and the twins were born. A few months after that, I got offered a job at Reefside High School, and I excepted the job. Angel Grove reminded me too much of her, and I needed to get away form it all. So I took the twin's, and we moved here. Of course though, we moved her here too, she was at Angel Grove memorial, but they were able to move her to Reefside Memorial.

"So we were in essence a little family, with some minor differences to other families. Every day, I would go to work and leave the kids at the daycare, and every day I would pick them up after work, and we would go to visit her. Sometimes, some of our old friends would visit her also, but none of them lived here. Until, Jason moved here about a year ago, but that really isn't important. What is important, is that besides Jason, we were her only visitor's, her mother disowned her comatose daughter after she found out that she was pregnant. We have visited her every day, until two days ago, when she woke up."

"What, she woke up!" Haley shouted.

"Yes, she woke up. You might have guessed it already, but Haley knew her. They met a few times, but that was a long time ago. Anyway, she woke up, and yesterday, she came home. Today, she went with the twin's to visit our old friend's back in Angel Grove. And she wanted to check on her gymnastics studio, which her best friend, Trini, has been running for her. So now you know why I wasn't at school yesterday, I was bringing my fiancé home from the hospital. And today, I was 'unusually early' because I didn't have to drop the twin's off anywhere."

"Wow, Dr. O." Kira said softly. "We never knew. We all just assumed that she was dead, because we did ask Haley about her, and she told us not to talk about it. But Dr. O, who is she? I mean, what's her name? You never said."

Tommy was about to answer Kira's question when he heard someone calling his name from upstairs, Kim and the twin's were home.

"Ok guys, that must be them right now. Just stay down here for a second. I haven't exactly gotten around to telling her about you guys yet."

"Sure Dr. O."

Tommy quickly went upstairs to find Kim and the twin's. He found Kim in the front room, sitting on the couch with Ann and David asleep on top of her. He quickly hurried over to help her out.

"Hey Beautiful." He said leaning over to pick David up. He was heavier than Ann.

"Hi Handsome, what took you so long?" Kim asked.

"I was in the basement." He answered.

"You have a basement too? This house is huge." Kim said, leaning her head against Tommy's shoulder as he sat down next to her, with David asleep on his lap.

"Yeah, do you want to see it?"

"Sure."

"Do you want me to put the kids upstairs in their rooms?" Tommy asked her.

"No, I like holding them. It helps to make up for everything that I missed." Kim said.

So they went downstairs, Tommy wanted to show her the dino lair, it was easier than telling her. When they went down there, Tommy led her over to the secret trap door hidden in the corner.

"Do I want to know what is down there?" Kim asked him suspiciously.

"Just trust me. Besides, you need to know what is down there."

"Ok, I trust you." Kim told him.

"I know. Here, I'll go first."

So Tommy went down the stairs, back into the dino lair, which was still occupied by Haley and the four teens.

"What do you want to show me Tommy?" Kim asked, as she walked down the stairs. Then, she stopped dead when she saw everything. The sub-basement was full of computers and other technology, the likes of which she had only ever seen in the old command center. Some of it, she even recognized from her old ranger days. The room also contained four color- coded teenager's, and a woman who slightly resembled someone Kim knew. But who it was, she couldn't figure out, even though she recognized the woman almost immediately.

"Haley?"

"Jeez Kimberly, what took you so long?" Haley said. "You know I'd hug you, but Ann is sleeping."

"That's ok." Kim said. "So, Tommy, this is what you wanted to show me?"

"Yeah, these are the dino thunder power rangers." Tommy replied, shocked at the way she had reacted. She didn't seem surprised to see that Tommy had a secret room under the basement of is house, where he kept highly advanced technology that was used to track the whereabouts of any evil thing or monster that came anywhere near Earth. In fact, Kim seemed to think that that was perfectly normal.

"Wait a minute." Kira said. "Did you say Kimberly?"

This question was directed at Haley, who nodded.

"As in Kimberly Hart? The first pink power ranger?" Ethan asked catching on to what Kira was saying.

"The one and only." Kim said smiling. "So, who's the current bad guy?"

"Well, so far, there is no bad guy." Tommy told her. "We destroyed Mesogog, who wanted to change the world back to the prehistoric times, when dinosaurs ruled the earth. So far, there haven't been any new threats."

"But Dulcea said that a new threat was stirring. She said that after the falcon was reunited wit the crane, the eagle and the dove would be in danger." Conner said.

"The eagle and the dove?" Kim asked. "Who are they?"

Then she remembered the sleeping child she was holding in her arms. She gasped.

"Not Ann and David? They're just kids. What would anyone want with them?"

"Well, you know, they call Dr. O the greatest power ranger ever." Trent said. "Plus, they have the powers of the crane and the falcon in them. Not to mention their own animal spirits."

"But which one is which? How do we know who the eagle is and who the dove is." Kira asked. "I mean, it has to make a difference. If they possess the wrong animal spirit, and it's powers, then it can't be good, can it?"

"No, I don't think it can." Haley said. "If something does happen, and they do receive their powers, then the results will most likely be disastrous if they are given possession of the wrong power. But I don't know any way to figure out what their power is unless they actually receive their powers the way all of you did. And you can't give little two-year olds the power."

"I don't know. The way I see it, you possess he spirit of the animal who you most resemble. Ann is a headstrong leader, she does resemble the eagle. And David seems to prefer to be in the background. He let's Ann lead him. But he is, well I don't know if this could be an accurate description for a two-year old, but he is firm with his decisions. Ann might lead him, but he is in control." Kim said. "But I could be wrong. I have only known them for two days. They could be entirely different."

"I know." Conner said. This was such an unexpected statement to be hearing that everyone just stared at him, even Kimberly who couldn't possibly know that he acted like an idiot most of the time. "Which one is older?"

"I don't know." Kim said, turning to Tommy. "Tommy? Which one was born first?"

"Umm." Tommy said.

"Oh come on Dr. O. Don't tell me that you forgot." Trent said.

"Hold on, I remember now." Tommy said. "It was David. But I don't see why that matters Conner."

"It matters, because of what Dulcea said." When everyone just looked at Conner he threw up his hands in exasperation. "Jeez, am I the only one who pays attention when people are talking?"

At this, everyone just burst into laughter. Well, Kim didn't, she didn't understand what was so funny.

"Oh come on guy's. Do you want to know what I have to say or not?" Conner said. When everyone stopped laughing, he started talking again. "Dulcea said that the eagle and the dove were in danger. Not the dove and the eagle."

When everyone just stared at him he continued.

"When she was talking about Dr. O being reunited with Kim, that isn't what she said. She said that the crane would be reunited with the falcon. Not that the falcon would be reunited with the crane. It matters because of the way she said it. Dr. O has probably been visiting you for however long it was that you were in the hospital, so he was technically already with you. Kim on the other hand, was off somewhere else, in her head or something. So when she woke up, she was reunited with Dr. O, who was already united with her.

"David was born first, so theoretically, he should be the eagle." Conner continued. "Kim, you said that you thought that Ann resembled the eagle more, but you forget that our animal spirits represent what is inside of us, not the way we act. So, David is the eagle, and Ann is the dove."

"Wow." Ethan muttered, after no one said anything for a minute. "I never thought that I would see the day when Conner had to explain something to me, and it made sense."

"You know, Conner." Said Kim. "I think that your explanation is very logical, it makes a lot of sense. And I for one don't understand why everyone keeps implying that you are an idiot, or at least that you act like one."

"Well, you don't see him every day, and see how he acts every day. You just met the guy about fifteen minutes ago." Trent said. "But I can see how he would seem like a genius to you."

"I don't know about genius. I happen to know a genius, and I am sorry to say Conner, but you are very far from it. But you do seem very smart." Kim said kindly to Conner.

"Smart I guess." Tommy said. "But definitely not intelligent."

While everyone was debating about how smart they thought Conner was (or in everyone but Kim's case, how smart they thought he wasn't), Conner just stood there watching it all. It was a nice to have someone think that he was smart for a change.

Just then though, something happened that no one had expected. And when I say no one, I mean no one. What happened was, that out of nowhere, Goldar appeared.