A\N: Sorry about that. From now on, I swear I'm proofreading this thing...anywho, Haley. As was pretty obvious, Anton ended up abusing both Haley and Tommy. So Haley, at the tail end of the healing process, gets a bit of a different intro than Tommy did. She's also going to play a very different role. Thank WMMTGirl, too-her reviews are very detailed and help me figure out what I should and shouldn't do to keep you guys on your toes. :p Enjoy!

Location: Silver Hills, Oregon
Date: September 7, 2003

Even after all the therapy and time she'd put into healing, Haley had always imagined that if she met Anton Mercer, it would involve major fireworks. Mostly in the realm of her punching the bastard in the face.

Which it had. And then a small thud from the explosive. And she should probably be proud of that, except that after she'd blown his head off, she'd just...

Run away.

Haley shivered in the night. She'd called Tommy in a panic, scared and nearly crying, but now she was starting to reconsider. She could see Tommy waiting where she'd told him to.

And part of her didn't want to go to him.

It wasn't Tommy's fault, not at all-she loved the man like a brother, and she still wanted to just go hug him and fall back into that weird friendship they had, where she helped him with his homework and he growled at anyone who tried to date her...

But she'd just run away.

Haley saw Tommy get out of the car and sighed. Okay, she was starting to scare him, never mind. She got back in her car and drove down.

It only took five minutes, but she could already see Tommy was a twitching bundle of nerves, and winced. She hadn't meant to do that. She'd just gotten lost in thought. "Sorry, sorry." Haley said, getting out. "I shouldn't have kept you waiting..."

Tommy glomped her.

Haley glomped him back, grinning. "Missed you too."

"What happened?" Tommy demanded, and Haley noticed the very dark aura around him. "Did Anton find you?"

Haley sighed. "...I ran away."

"Oh." Tommy shook his head. "No, no, that's good, he's, um...turned himself into a giant lizard thing."

Haley frowned. "...I think I need a beer."

*PR*PR*PR*

Location: Old Smokey bar, Reefside
Date: September 8, 2003

It was past midnight when Tommy stopped talking.

Haley sipped her drink, not a beer but a Black Russian, because quite frankly it was that sort of night. "So this is going to get complicated, isn't it."

"A bit, yes."

"Tommy, I threw an explosive into the man's skull. I've probably got a homicide charge against me right now." Haley shook her head. "I'm more worried about the cops right now, honestly."

Tommy snorted. "Come on. Don't tell me you drove all the way down to Reefside in the middle of the night because you're scared of cops."

Haley looked at the ground.

Tommy felt like he'd been punched in the gut. No, worse. He could take a punch. He'd known that his whole life; it's why he'd gotten Haley out of the way but hadn't been worried about himself, back when they were in grad school.

But worse than anything anyone had ever done to him was watching Haley, the woman who he could have sworn was his long-lost sister, have that expression of shame, fear, and guilt written on her face.

He wanted to kill Anton with his bare hands.

"Look," Tommy said as gently as he could, "For right now, let's just go home."

Haley didn't look up. "I shouldn't have run."

Tommy snorted. "Hales, if Mercer showed up in my kitchen, I'd be halfway to Canada by now." The joke failed, so he tapped the back of her hand. "It's okay to be scared." He said gently. "But you don't have to be anymore."

Haley nodded.

"Come on." Tommy said, pulling out his wallet. "Let's go home."

*PR*PR*PR*

Location: 1992 Valencia Rd, Reefside
Date: September 8, 2003

Haley woke up in Tommy's house.

The sun was shining. Haley yawned and glanced at the clock. It was nearly noon, and she hadn't fallen asleep until three in the morning.

Her thoughts were still waking her up, though.

She stumbled downstairs and raided Tommy's fridge, reading his note about his school phone number and that he'd be back. She was probably going to be fine for one day, but that was Tommy for you, overprotective as hell.

She made herself food and thought.

She'd been thinking all night, it wasn't much of a surprise that her thoughts circled back. But they weren't focusing on analyzing what Anton was doing in her apartment or how he got there.

They were more focused on his face when she jammed an explosive in his mouth and set it off.

Haley found herself idly wondering when Anton would show up again. She wouldn't be able to fight him if she was like this. Wasn't that why she'd been running? She needed to focus, or he would com...

...come back?

Haley frowned, pausing, not even realizing what she was doing. Come back from what? She'd blown his skull off. He wasn't coming back. He was dead.

...He was dead.

It finally kicked in. She'd killed someone. Killed them in cold blood. She started laughing hysterically, leaning against the counter to support herself. When the laughter stopped, she shut her eyes.

Open or shut, she could see the blood everywhere. Out of the corner of her eye, but didn't she know what she'd done? She'd designed the damn thing...

Had she been running from Anton at all, or just from this realization?

Haley took a breath. She'd...she'd killed someone. Taken a life. She let that knowledge settle in, reaching up to the Green Dino Gem hanging around her neck in an instinctive gesture that she honestly didn't realize she even had anymore.

Now she just had to figure out what to do.

No, you don't, Haley's inner voice told her. You already know.

*PR*PR*PR*

Location: Reefside Police Station
Date: September 7, 2003

"You know," Captain Vasquez said, leaning back, "I've been having a very strange day. Would you like to hear about it?"

Haley cautiously nodded.

"It started when I got an email from Silver Hills PD. Apparently some guy was found dead in an apartment last night. Neighbors really didn't say anything, but they weren't too surprised. Apparently, the resident has a fondness for explosives."

Haley winced.

Captain Vasquez continued. "But you know what that guy did? He regrew his entire brain case and brain matter." Captain Vasquez shook his head. "Hell if I know how he even has any memories, but apparently once the autopsy gremlins found him, he tried to throw one into a wall. Then he came down here. Now, this afternoon, he showed up and demanded I charge you with assault and attempted murder."

Haley paled.

"Since he looked totally fine, I sent him away with a flea in my ear, as my dear old mother used to say." Captain Vasquez reached behind him. "Then I found this." He handed it to Haley.

Haley opened it. "A UN file?"

Captain Vasquez nodded and sat behind his desk. "It's impressive reading. Suspected arms dealing, international theft of some highly precious gemstones...Wales is actually pretty angry about that one, they're supposedly some sort of magical stones that King Arthur's court used." Haley tried not to reach for the Green Dino Gem around her throat.

Captain Vasquez saw anyway.

"You weren't the only intern to turn up at a hospital." He said. Haley blushed. She hadn't mentioned that part. "But you are the only one he tried to contact again. Any reason you can think of?"

Haley tapped the gemstone around her neck.

"Which one is that?" Captain Vasquez asked. "Morgana's?" Haley nodded. "Wow, first guess." Captain Vasquez grinned, then grew serious again. "Ms. Ziktor, I grew up in Angel Grove. We take supervillains very seriously there. And right about now, I'd say we've got a new one on our hands."

Haley shook her head. "The Power Rangers can handle it. I just..." She laughed strangely. "I thought I'd killed him."

Captain Vasquez shrugged. "No body, no crime, in my opinion. And as far as assault charges, given that he landed you in the hospital on one occasion, I don't think he'll bother pressing charges."

Haley nodded slowly.

So that was it. It was...over...she shook her head. This was probably the weirdest day of her life. "I'm sorry, this is..." She blinked. "How can he be alive?"

Captain Vasquez snorted. "Heck if I know." He tilted his head. "Actually, I'd have just told you that, but there's something I want to ask you."

Haley felt her heart rate shoot up.

"He's got a son." Captain Vasquez pushed across a picture. "Kid's name is Trent. I'm guessing you want to stay in Reefside for a while, the Power Rangers are here and, well, they're something to watch."

Haley nodded, confused.

"If you run into the kid, keep an eye on him for me, would you?" Captain Vasquez asked.

Haley frowned, turning the idea over in her mind. It made sense...

Made a lot of sense.

Vasquez was from Angel Grove, where Ranger-hunting was the city's pastime. He'd already identified the Dino Gems as the Arthurian Stones. He'd probably figured out that Anton was Mesegog.

And he needed a connection to the Power Rangers. So he needed her to do something for him.

"If you wanted to talk to the Rangers, you could have just asked." Haley found herself saying.

Captain Vasquez chuckled. "Well, I actually wanted to see if you'd hang around first. Didn't think you'd jump in with both feet. But yeah, let them know." He caught her eyes. "If the Power Rangers need anything, I mean anything...I'll do what I can."

Haley nodded.

Captain Vasquez tapped the paper. "And I know it's a lot to ask..."

Haley smiled. "If I see him."

"Of course."

*PR*PR*PR*

Location: 1992 Valencia Rd, Reefside
Date: September 7, 2003

Tommy considered.

There was a lot in what Haley had learned. That the Dino Gems were properly called the Arthurian Stones (Haley had known that, but for her own safety had avoided contacting Tommy, so now she had to fill him in); that the police captain could identify Power Rangers, or at least Ranger allies; that the police force was offering to help the Rangers.

And that Haley wanted to stay.

Tommy glanced at some of the designs Haley had drawn and asked his most burning question. "A cafe?"

Haley grinned. "Kids tell you a lot. Once I've got this set up, it'll be the best source of information we have."

"Clever."

"Thank you."

Tommy nodded. "Then let's build it."

It had been less than twenty-four hours since Haley had thought she was running from something. Now she looked at her plans and smiled.

She'd apparently been running home.