Author's Notes:Ha ha... you all were completely thrown by that little surprise. I am pleased! Fortunately it seems that most of you also enjoyed it, too. I've had this chapter written since shortly before posting chapter 2. It's all very Conner-centric so far, but I promise to switch things up in the next few chapters so you can see some of the further reasoning behind the actions some of the characters are taking. Please, I beg of you, speculate as to what reasons you think are applicable to some of the stranger goings on as the story progresses! I think I would quite enjoy hearing what my readers think are happening. Who knows, you may say something that inspires for later in the story/another story entirely! Oh, and for the record, the idea behind the inclusion of Caroline and her entire backstory is due to reading an incomplete story from 2004 by Yellow Stranger called The Passion of Red and Yellow. Before reading that, I hadn't thought to make Conner have such things happen to him in his life. Since that story never got the chance to go anywhere, I figured I'd borrow a portion of the idea, changing circumstances, but keeping the general idea. I hope this doesn't offend anyone. I also hope people actually read the Author's Notes, because I very nearly almost put more effort into them than I do the story!

This is quite possibly the most I've written for anything, ever. It seems people enjoyed the surprises I brought forward in the last chapter, and I hope you all enjoy the extra couple of twists and hints I've dropped into this one. I thought I had had fun writing chapter 2, but it's nothing compared to the fun I had writing chapter 3! The actual events were written out in my head, but the details weren't there, and it's always fun to see where a story manages to write itself as you fill in the details. Sometimes, you can even surprise yourself with where your story goes… Anyways, I hope you all enjoy it, and if you have any comments or criticisms, feel free to drop me a line in the review box!

Disclaimer: Power Rangers is currently owned by Saban. Power Rangers Dino Thunder was owned by Disney at the time. I only own the words and the story, as well as any mentions of characters named Jessica, Caroline, and now Josh (though I think I scared him off…).

Warning: I shouldn't need this here, but there are weirdos out there that might be stupid enough to hold it against me. This chapter contains a scene of a father bathing his three year old daughter. Despite the fact that this is a perfectly normal thing, I can't be sure that some people don't have warped minds out there. I figured fair warning was in order, at the very least.

Conner and Caroline got home just in time for dinner that evening. Under normal circumstances, his parents may have been angry, but considering this was his first public outing with his daughter, going out to meet his friends, they decided not to say anything. The two washed up when they got in and sat down for a family dinner. Caroline was overjoyed with how she spent her afternoon, and was quite talkative throughout the meal.

Eventually, Caroline asked a question which startled Conner for a moment. She asked, "Daddy, is Kira gonna be my mommy?"

Conner very nearly choked at this, but covered it well and recovered in an overly cool manner. After a moment of thought he told her, "That's up to her, sweetie. I can't make that decision on my own."

Conner's mother smiled inwardly at this response. After what happened to Caroline's mother, she worried that Conner would never manage to trust himself to love another ever again. Not that she wanted Conner to get himself back into a situation like that again, but she trusted him more now that he's had to live with the consequences of his actions already. She knew it would do Conner a world of good to have not only close friends but a stable female companion, and should it come to that, Caroline would as well. She'll want to meet this Kira before it ever came to that, of course.

Dinner was soon over and Conner was helping his parents with the plates. He turned to Caroline and said, "Go on upstairs and get ready for your bath. I'll be up in a minute." She ran off up the stairs and Conner walked into the kitchen behind his parents.

As Conner was washing out his plate, his father turned to him a little concerned and said, "You haven't been getting out for much physical activity recently, have you? I heard you quit the soccer team…"

'Physical activity?' Conner thought. 'He'll change that opinion by tomorrow.' Conner smiled weakly and said, "I've had a lot on my mind recently. My head wasn't in the game and I wasn't going to drag the team town." Conner shook his head. "But if it'll make you feel better, I'll go out this weekend and practice a little. Maybe I can find the time to get back into it at some point."

His father smiled back at him and nodded. Then it was his mother's turn to speak, "You know, Caroline brought up a good point. She needs an older female role model. She already appears attached to this Kira girl you met…"

Conner blushed quite scarlet at this. "Mom! I just met Kira the other day. Give me a chance to actually get to know her before you go planning the wedding…"

She held her hands up in front of her in mock surrender, saying, "Okay, okay… just, why don't you bring these new friends of yours over some time. It's been a long time since you've had genuine friends."

Conner grinned back at her as he finished with the dishes. "You can count on it," he said, "I've got to get upstairs and get her bathed and put to bed. I have a feeling that tomorrow is gonna be a big day…" He left the kitchen and walked upstairs to the bathroom where Caroline was waiting. He addressed her, saying, "I'll make you a deal, little lady… You try to bathe yourself tonight and this weekend when I go to Uncle Tommy's to train, you can stay and watch. Think you can do that?"

She smiled big at this little bit of bribery and said, "I can do it!"

Conner sat down on the closed toilet seat next to the tub and closed the drain, turning the water on warm. He said, "I'm going to sit right here and make sure you know what you're doing. If you need any help, just let me know." Once the water was filled to an appropriate level and Conner made sure the water was not too hot, Caroline stripped down and climbed in after retrieving a few of her bath toys. Conner smiled and shook his head. She was singing silly songs and playing and slowly bathing herself. About a half an hour later, the tub full of bubbles, more or less signifying that she was done. Conner held out a big fluffy towel which she wrapped herself in, drying herself off as completely as she could. While she was still wrapped in the towel, he picked her up and carried her into her bedroom, Caroline giggling the whole way. Once they reached their destination, he set her down and she scurried over to her dresser and picked out some pajamas for herself. 'She's really independent at times… I bet Kira would like that.' He thought to himself. He turned down her bed while she was dressing herself, after which she jumped in. Conner tucked her in and kissed her forehead, softly saying, "I love you princess; good night. I'll see you in the morning. Sweet dreams, little one." He got up and walked towards the door, turning off her light and almost closing her door, leaving it open by about an inch. He turned to his own room and prepared for bed himself, lost in thought about what's going to happen the next day…

Another bright and early morning in Dr. Oliver's science classroom. The Blue and Yellow Rangers found Conner seemingly lost in thought when they arrived. They took their seats and stared at him for a moment before he realized they were there, Kira continuing to stare for a moment longer after he returned to reality. He blinked and shook his head, clearing his throat and said, "So I asked the Doc last night… since Caroline knows about us, it's only a matter of time before she accidentally lets slip that we're Rangers, so I asked him and he said I can go ahead and bring them in."

They both looked a little shocked at first, though Ethan recovered quicker, saying, "That actually makes sense. Good luck with that, though. I hope your folks don't freak out too much."

"Thanks, Ethan."

"How is Caroline?" Kira asked.

"She's doing great. She really enjoyed last night. I'm thinking tonight after speaking with my parents after school, I'm going to take her to the playground at the park. I've got about three years of outdoor activities to make up for, if I can…" Conner got that far off look in his eyes again, which Kira smiled at for some reason.

Students ambled in for the next several minutes and Dr. Oliver himself strode in. He noticed that most of the other students that weren't his Rangers were looking in Conner's direction and whispering to each other. He had heard from Hayley about yesterday's spectacle in the café where Conner walked in with his daughter, and it seemed that the schools rumor mill was going quite strong. Kira and Ethan had noticed what was going on around them by this point and had started whispering to Conner, likely trying to coach him on what he should say and how he should act; hopefully telling as much truth as possible in the process. He took attendance and was about to start the lesson what Cassidy Cornell's hand shot up into the air. He sighed, knowing he wasn't going to like the question she was about to ask. He inclined his head and said, "Yes, Cassidy?"

She stood up and glared briefly in Conner's direction before saying, "Are we intending on covering human anatomy and sex education this year? Maybe especially the importance of birth control?"

Half the class snickered at this and Conner turned bright red and ducked his head, setting it down on the table in complete embarrassment. Kira glared at Cassidy. Dr. Oliver just shook his head and answered, "No Cassidy, this isn't that kind of Science class. Please refrain from any further insinuations. Now class, please pass up your completed assignments…"

The rest of the day played out in a similar manner. Over time, Conner managed to shake off the complete feeling of embarrassment, but still couldn't get over the raw contempt his fellow students appeared to now have for him. Was it truly something worthy of all the teasing and torture? But he couldn't let it get to him. Though the student body didn't know it, he was a Power Ranger, and there was no way he was going to crumple under a little pressure. He already knew the feeling of real pain, and this was nothing compared to that. The brief meetings with his teammates between classes helped strengthen his resolve over time. Once the final bell rang, Conner strode out of the school with his head held high, in stark contrast to the way he felt after that first question by Cassidy.

And yet Conner was still nervous on his way home. He was preparing to inform his parents of the secret of what was currently the second most important thing in his life. By the time he arrived, he had decided what to do. He entered his home and called out, "Mom, Dad? Could you please come into the living room? I need to talk to you guys about something…"

Caroline ran down the steps from her room, her grandmother trailing behind her, while Conner's father was already in the living room. Once they had gathered together, Conner motioned for them to sit down. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly to calm himself. Finally, he spoke up, "The reason I called you in here is because I have something really important to tell you about. Actually, I suppose it would be easier to just show you and explain later…"

He lifted his left arm up to reveal his bracelet and Dino Gem. In the next moment, the Red Tyranno Morpher took the place of the Gem. He shouted, "Dino Thunder, Power Up! Hah!" while performing the usual motions. In the next instant, in the place of Conner was standing the Red Dino Thunder Power Ranger. He took off his helmet and stared down at his parents, awaiting their reaction.

For a moment they were unreadable. Caroline was simply grinning, having apparently forgotten that it was supposed to be a secret, and so was not worrying that Conner had just revealed it. His father recovered first, shouting, "What the hell is going on?" Conner winced at the expletive; it was not often that his father cursed, even that minorly, and especially not in front of Caroline.

"On Monday, I was approached by someone who said they could help me to achieve my destiny. He presented me with the Red Dino Gem and explained what it was. He explained that it was meant for me; it was my destiny to hold that stone and become a Power Ranger. I knew it was true, but I still explained why I might not be able to use it; I explained about Caroline and my responsibilities to her. After giving it a lot of thought, I chose my destiny."

His father didn't look completely convinced. This time it was his mother who chose to speak. "But why, Conner? How could you put yourself in this kind of danger? Think about this for a moment. She's already motherless, why are you willing to potentially make her fatherless?"

"It's not like that, Mom. There's a real danger out there, and I'm needed to help. I'm needed to lead. Kira and Ethan would be lost without their Red Ranger… The city is in danger; no, the entire world is in danger! I'm not doing this to get a cheap thrill…

"I'm doing this for Caroline."

His parents froze at this last thought. It was certainly a valid argument. Conner was fighting to protect Reefside, the Earth, but most importantly, he was fighting to protect his own daughter. Was that not the ultimate parental instinct, to protect their young? If nothing else was going to convince them, that certainly was.

His mother's expression finally softened. She said, "I can't fight that reasoning. Just do me a favor and invite those two teammates of yours over. I'd like to get to know the ones who are going to be watching my boy's back from now on."

His father, however, sighed discontentedly. He said, "I don't like it, but it looks like I don't have to like it. You've already made your decision, and it is supposedly destiny. I never believed in destiny, myself, but it seems like it plays a part here… You said you were approached on Monday? Who exactly approached you to do this?"

Conner looked away for a moment, unsure of how they were going to take this news. Returning his gaze to his parents, he said, "Do you remember that offer for an after school program from Doctor Oliver that I told you about…?" Their eyes widened at this. This was his science teacher! Why was he putting his own students in danger like that? Seeing this, Conner continued, "It's not how you think. The Doc is a veteran Power Ranger himself. I watched him turn into the Red Zeo Ranger right in front of me on Tuesday. He's been a Ranger for something like ten years now, though he hasn't been active for about 6 of those years. He's giving us extraordinary help, and even better, he can watch Caroline. One of the amazing things he has implemented is a teleportation system, and so long as someone is manning the computers, it should be possible to get any and all of us out of danger. Just last night, we had to rush out to meet an attack downtown, and while we were out there, the Doc was watching Caroline. I trust him; you should too."

Caroline jumped up at this point and shouted, "Uncle Tommy is really cool! I got to watch daddy on his computer!"

Conner's mother raised an eyebrow at this declaration. She said, "Uncle Tommy?"

Conner nodded sheepishly and placed his free hand on the back of his neck, stating, "The Doc told her to call him that. Seems he got himself twisted around her little finger right from the start. That's not to mention that I heard all Ranger children apparently refer to the other Rangers as their aunts and uncles…" His mother chuckled at this, now that she understood how close the so-called Ranger Family really was.

Any further talking and explanation was cut off, however, as the front door opened and closed and into the living room walked Conner's twin brother Eric.

Caroline jumped once again, this time rushing her actual uncle and hugging him tight; Eric bending low to return the hug. She said, "Uncle Eric! Guess what? Daddy's a superhero!"

Eric prepared to roll his eyes before he actually looked up and saw his twin wearing the red spandex and holding his helmet off to the side. He froze momentarily, unable to believe what his eyes were telling him. He let go of his niece and groaned loudly, exclaiming, "Dude! Are you freaking serious? The moment I get to the Ninja Academy, they discontinue their Ranger program, and then I come home for a visit to find my own brother gets to be a Ranger? Total gyp!"

This time it was Conner's turn to roll his eyes. He put his helmet on and powered down. He then turned to address his brother, "You realize that it's about more than just getting the chance to wear the suit? It's a real responsibility; you have to be prepared to defend not only yourself, but every innocent life that's threatened."

Eric grumbled for a second and said, "Spoilsport." He then grinned and said, "I guess it's a good thing you were chosen, then. You can have your responsibility."

Conner shook his head and cuffed his brother's shoulder. He turned back to his parents and said, "Well, if that's all, I think I'm going to take Caroline to the park." He bent down to address his daughter, "Would that be alright with you?"

Caroline smiled brightly back up to him and ran off to find her shoes. Conner chuckled at the reaction and turned back to his parents one last time before leaving. He said, "You don't have to worry. She's in the best of hands between my teammates and I, not to mention Doctor Oliver. I'll bring them all around at some point."

Caroline appeared by his side at once and grabbed his hand, all but dragging him out the door in her excitement. Conner's parents smiled at the sight, not only endeared at the little girl's excitement, but also at seeing Conner finally, really acting the part of father to Caroline.

The playground at the park was not overly crowded, though there were a fair number of children playing. As they approached on the footpath, they noticed a familiar figure sitting beneath a tree, guitar in hand. Conner started, "Is that…"

"Kira!" Caroline shouted before releasing her father's hand and dashing up to hug the blond singer. Kira uncharacteristically giggled back in response. Conner jogged up to them and grinned at the sight, his expressions not betraying the internal turmoil this sight was causing him. His heart tugged at the sight in front of him, reminding him so much of an action a child would do with her mother, yet fear tinged this feeling. It was irrational fear, but it was fear nonetheless. Kira, for her part, did well in hiding the same mix of feelings under her own wide smile.

"You don't mind some company, do you?" Conner asked as he sat down beside her. She released Caroline from her embrace and shook her head. Conner addressed his daughter and said, "Go ahead, sweetie. Go play and make some friends of your own. I'll be right here if you need me." Caroline ran towards the play area, giggling the whole way. Conner turned to regard the girl sitting next to him. She had her guitar in her lap and a notebook off to the side. His eyes asked his questions before he could voice them.

"I sometimes come to the park for inspiration. Just sitting here gave me an idea for another song." She gazed in wonder at the sight of the children playing, basking in an unrivaled feeling of joy given off from her surroundings.

She was broken from her reverie by Conner's voice. "Caroline said the funniest thing last night…"

"What's that, Conner?"

"Oh, she asked me a question at dinner… She wanted to know if you were going to be her mother…" He laughed softly at the thought, not realizing that it sounded like he believed it to be a laughable thing. Once he realized what it all sounded like, he quickly regretted it, yet when he turned to her, expecting a hurt expression, he was surprised to find that she was simply smiling at him. It unnerved him just a little. He cleared his throat and continued talking, "My mother actually mentioned something similar to me after dinner. She claims it would be good for Caroline to have an older female role model that isn't her grandmother… Although I suppose you're already filling in that role due to our current relationship as teammates…"

There it was again. That strange, smiling regard she seemed to have for him. So momentarily creeped out was he that her sudden subject change actually startled him. "How did your parents take the news?" She was visibly stifling a laugh at this point, though he could not for the life of him figure out why.

"Not well, at least at first." He started. "But I explained myself, apparently satisfactorily, since they are not going to give me grief about it." He stared off for a moment before saying, "My mother wants to meet you and Ethan, at least, and possibly the Doc as well."

They sat in companionable silence for several minutes. Finally Kira broke the silence, "Conner, I have a confession to make to you…" He looked at her in mild confusion before she continued, "You see, Conner, I'm-"

"Hey McKnight!"

The voice penetrated their conversation with such force that Conner actually forgot that Kira was telling him something. He recognized the voice as belonging to one of his old soccer teammates. Josh was now the team captain, but even without the title, Conner was still the best player on the team. They were all a little miffed that he quit. Conner turned his head to address the unwanted visitor. "Can I help you, Josh?"

"Yeah, McKnight, you can tell me why you quit. You had no right to leave the team like that."

Conner sighed before answering. "There were more important things going on than just playing soccer. My head wasn't—and still isn't—in the game. I'm no good to you right now. I'm not making any promises... I may get back into it sometime later, but for now, I can't."

"You can't? YOU CAN'T? What the heck is more important than soccer? It's been your life for the past three years! Probably longer considering you came here with all that blasted talent in the first place!"

"You really want to know what's more important? My education for one. Soccer can only take me through so far of my life, and I'll need something to fall back on once I'm too old for it."

Josh's eyes narrowed dangerously and he reached down and grabbed Conner by the collar of his shirt, hauling him to his feet. "Education? Are you freaking kidding me? Soccer is your key into college; your key to playing pro one day!"

He looked about ready to haul off and hit the Red Ranger. Conner didn't flinch and simply said, "Please, I'd rather not fight. I'm trying to set a good example for Caroline…"

Josh lowered his fist a little, slightly confused at this. Apparently he hadn't heard the word in the halls about Conner's child. "Who's Caroline? You're little girlfriend there?"

Before Conner could answer, a little girl on the playground had noticed the commotion coming from nearby the tree. She ran up to the two and asked, "Who's this, daddy? Another friend?"

Another round of confusion for Josh, who lowered his fist completely and started jerking his head back and forth to look at Conner, then Caroline, then back to Conner. Finally, Conner spoke up, "Josh, meet Caroline… my daughter." Now Josh's eyes got really wide as he stared down at the little girl. He heard Conner say, "Could you please let me go and leave me alone?"

And so he did. Conner was released from Josh's grasp. He was apparently in shock, as he could be heard muttering silently as he walked away, no one able to decipher what he was saying. Conner sat back down and leaned against the tree, trying to steady his breathing. Caroline sat down next to him and hugged him, asking, "Are you okay, daddy? Did that man hurt you?"

He pulled her close to him and said, "No, baby, he didn't. He just wanted to ask me a question and didn't like the answer. Caroline, you can't get angry at people if you don't like the answers that they give you. You need to live with the choices that other people make, even if you don't like them. Getting mad doesn't help anybody…"

"It's okay, daddy. I promise."

"I love you, honey. Always know that." He whispered to her.

"I love you, too, daddy."

Kira had witnessed the entire exchange from her position under the tree, but chose not to interfere. It was something that Conner had to handle on his own, and trying to say something would have made his situation worse. That's not to say that she was in a position to do anything, anyways. She felt immobilized up until the point where Caroline approached and more or less diffused the situation. Then she was conscious of the further exchange between father and daughter going on right beside her. Before she knew it, tears were in her eyes; she was overwhelmed by the sensation of love and couldn't stop herself.

The moment was cut short when they noticed a flash of green off in the distance beyond the playground. They looked up to see a swirling Invisiportal dropping off a dozen Tyrannodrones along with what appeared to be a woman wearing black leather and holding a katana made of an intense blue metal. What happened in the next moment could only be described as chaos. Civilians—adults and children alike—were running for their lives away from the invaders and out of the park. Conner, heedless of the fact that he was surrounded by these bystanders lifted his bracelet up and pressed a button on it, saying, "Ethan, morph and get to the playground at the park; there's been an attack." He turned to Kira and calmly said, "Help get all the children that are still here to safety, then return to help Ethan. I'm running Caroline home. I'll be back to help soon."

Not even waiting for any kind of confirmation, he picked up his daughter and started running for home. He hadn't noticed anything around him, so it took the little girl he had supported by his arms to bring his notice to what was happening. She said, "Daddy, why is everyone moving so slow?"

Although he kept running, he looked around himself for a moment and saw what she saw: all the other terrified people moving in what seemed to be slow motion. His eyes drifted to the bracelet on his wrist, where his Dino Gem appeared to be glowing quite strongly. He chuckled between breaths and said, "I think daddy has more powers than he originally thought he had."

He soon arrived home and burst through the door. What felt like about five minutes to him was much closer to three in real time. He set her down in the living room, and seeing his parents still there, quickly said, "There's been an attack, I had to get Caroline out of there but I've got to go back. I promise to bring my team back with me afterwards." Before he could get a response, he was gone.

Conner sped back to the park, consciously activating his Dino Gem power this time, and morphed while still running as he neared the battlefield. Time returned to normal after the transformation, which told him that this power was civilian in nature and did not work with the actual Ranger form. Ethan had just waded into the crowd of 'drones and Kira had also just morphed, preparing to join Ethan. The park was devoid of anyone other than Rangers and villains, so there appeared to be no further danger to joining the fight.

Before he quite reached the edge of the fighting, Doctor Oliver's voice could be heard over the Morpher. "It's time to use your individual weapons. They're located in your belts. You'll know what to do."

They each concentrated on the buckle-looking object on their belts, which glowed for a moment, and out of thin air popped four separate implements: a red and white striped staff with a Tyranno Head for Conner, a blue shield with the look of a Triceratops for Ethan, and a pair of Ptera-like daggers for Kira. With these new weapons they ripped into the 'drones, with Conner intercepting the newcomer's katana.

"And who are you supposed to be?" Conner quipped.

She lashed out before answering. "My master calls me Elsa." She swiped a couple more times, which Conner blocked, before kicking out landing a solid blow to the Red Ranger's gut. Conner doubled over for a moment before recovering and renewing his attack.

"Oh yeah, well Mesogog's a freak." By this time, the 'drones had been wiped out and Kira and Ethan had begun advancing on the still ensuing combat.

Elsa saw her disadvantage and calculated her survival before activating the Invisiportal and shouting, "You haven't seen the last of me, Rangers; those gems will belong to Mesogog!" She reached a hand to the sky and disappeared into the portal, taking the beaten 'drones with her.

The three Rangers looked to each other and then around for observers before shouting, "Power Down!" Conner turned to his teammates and said, "Could you guys follow me home, please? I promised my mother I'd bring you guys when I dropped Caroline off…"

They nodded and soon found themselves walking at a brisk pace, Conner taking point and the others a step or two behind him. On the way, Conner spoke into his bracelet, saying, "Doc? Could you monitor us? If you can, I'd like you to teleport to the front door of my house when we arrive."

An answer piped through. "Sure thing, Conner. See you there."

The journey lapsed back into silence for several more minutes. Finally they reached his house, and in a flash of four colors, Dr. Oliver was suddenly standing in front of Conner's door. He nodded in greeting and stepped aside to let Conner open the door. Once he let them inside, he called out, "Mom, Dad, Eric, Caroline? I've brought company."

At the mention of his twin, Dr. Oliver glared at his Red Ranger, but Conner just shrugged and directed everyone into the living room where his family was waiting. They all found seats, Caroline shifting away from her spot between her grandparents and taking over her father's lap, Kira sitting next to Conner in the loveseat ('Rather closely' Conner's mother noted), Doctor Oliver and Ethan taking separate chairs, while both of the older McKnight's and Eric sat on the couch.

Conner gestured to each of them in turn, saying, "This is Kira, Ethan, and my science teacher and mentor Dr. Oliver. Guys, these are my parents and my twin brother Eric. Eric goes to the Wind Ninja Academy in Blue Bay Harbor, which is why he hasn't been around school." Conner figured he'd answer the question that his friends were likely thinking of asking before they had the chance to ask it.

"Dude!" Eric hissed. "I wasn't even supposed to tell you guys, let alone complete strangers!"

Dr. Oliver stepped in to cover for Conner's not-quite blunder. "Actually, I already know about the Academy. I knew about their Rangers already, and Hayley and I have been in contact with Cam since I first heard about their team starting up."

Not just Eric's jaw dropped at this declaration; so too did his own Rangers' as well. Ethan managed to recover first, "You mean, Hayley is in on all this, and you never bothered to tell us?" Ethan had the good sense to mostly look hurt, rather than angry.

Their mentor ducked his head sheepishly and simply said, "Sorry, I forgot."

Caroline recalled Hayley from the day before and said, "I like Hayley. She gave me juice!" This declaration was met by a round of chuckles from the current and former Rangers in the room.

Conner's mother, however, looked concerned from this statement. She said, "Who exactly is this Hayley that offers juice to my granddaughter?"

"She owns this cybercafé just beyond the school." Conner answered. "It's something like a teen hangout. They have a bunch of public computers there, and they serve drinks like coffee, lattes, smoothies, and the like. I met the others there yesterday, and Hayley gave her some juice on the house."

"Hayley sounds nice." Eric chimed in. "I might have to check this place out before I go back."

"Doctor Oliver," Mr. McKnight injected, "what possessed you to make Rangers? My son tells me you're a veteran, or so it seems. Tell me, how is it that you are a veteran?"

"That's a long story, Mr. McKnight. I'll try to summarize, though." Tommy gave it a little thought and finally committed to what he wanted to say. "I move to Angel Grove as a Freshman in high school. Shortly after that, I was put under a spell by the villainess Rita Repulsa and forced to become her Evil Green Ranger. After several days of torturous imprisonment within that spell, the other Rangers managed to free me and I joined them. I was part of the original team of Earth's Power Rangers, and was the original Green Ranger. I eventually lost my powers and was then given a new set of powers, making me the first White Ranger. When Master Vile used the Orb of Doom to turn back time into a simulated past, our powers were destroyed, and five of us went on a quest to obtain the Zeo Crystals, which allowed us to fix time and restore everyone to the proper ages. It also gave us new powers, and I became the Red Zeo Ranger. When a new threat emerged in the form of the Space Pirate Divatox, yet newer, stronger powers were needed, so I traded up to become the Red Turbo Ranger. A couple of weeks after I graduated high school, I transferred my Turbo Powers to a new Red Ranger. If you know your Ranger History any, the name Theodore J. Jarvis Johnson should ring a bell. Before he was the Blue Space Ranger, he was my replacement as the Red Turbo Ranger."

"Wait, Doctor O.," Kira interrupted, "if the last set of powers you had were Turbo, how come you can still turn into the Red Zeo Ranger?"

Dr. Oliver laughed, "That one's easy. If you paid attention, I never said we lost the Zeo powers, just traded up for the Turbo ones. The Zeo powers never left us, and those of us who started with the Zeo powers still have them to this day."

"Final question, Doc: why did your teleport stream contain the color black if you've never been a Black Ranger?" Conner asked.

Tommy blinked in confusion at this one. It didn't make sense. "There was black in my teleport stream?"

"Yup," replied Ethan, "it was pretty clear. You had bits of Green, White, Red, and Black."

The doctor mused for a few seconds before saying, "I guess I'll have to have Hayley scan me when I get back to the Command Center."

The topic was interrupted by a low rumbling sound followed by giggling. Everyone's eyes turned to Conner, who blushed and said, "Well, it is about that time. Think we can get some dinner soon?" This time, the whole room laughed, even his own daughter. Conner would have wallowed in his own embarrassment had he not been really hungry.

Mrs. McKnight smiled warmly to her guests and said, "You're welcome to stay for supper. I usually cook far more than we five can eat, anyways, and three more shouldn't put a strain on things."

Ethan and Kira took turns calling home and acquiring permission to stay, and Conner went into the kitchen to help his mother with the cooking. She insisted he help her from time to time, as one day soon he'll be on his own and having to cook for himself and Caroline, so he darn well better learn now while he can.

The food was prepared quickly and the eight of them settled down for a meal filled with quiet conversation. When they were all finished, Kira finally decided to point out something that she noticed before but hadn't had the opportunity to ask about. "Doctor O., what's with that weird looking watch? I can't seem to find a way for it to tell time?"

If it had a watch face, it would have been silver in color, but the band was striped in green, white, and red. Their teacher lifted the device on his wrist a little higher so everyone could see and said, "This is one of the original communicators that we Rangers used back in the old days. It stopped working when the Power Chamber was destroyed many years ago, but Hayley rewired it to patch into our communication and teleportation networks. I try to wear it when I'm out of the house, in case I need to get back to the Command Center in a hurry." A six tone sound came from the device, which startled everyone in the room (except Caroline, who either didn't notice it or didn't care). Tommy simply stared at it for a moment before reaching up to hit the button for communication. Tentatively, he said, "Hello?"

"Tommy!" Hayley's voice rang clear through the device. "You forgot that it still played that sound when you're being paged, didn't you?" They could all hear the smirk on the other side of the line. Tommy had the good sense to blush at the accusation which was clearly correct to the others in the room. She continued, "I hope I'm not interrupting your dinner with the McKnight's, but I need you back here. There's something we need to discuss about one of our recent discoveries."

Dr. Oliver looked around the room and flashed a smile to everyone replying, "I'm on my way." He addressed his present company by saying, "Gotta go; duty calls." He stood up and stepped away from the table before raising the communicator back up and pressing the other button, thinking specifically of his own Command Center as he did it. In a show of four colorful lights, he disappeared from the McKnight home.

"I don't think I can get used to that." Conner's father said.

The dishes were handled and everyone had retired to the living room, where Conner's parents had proceeded to ask non-ranger related questions of their son's guests. After about an hour or so of conversation, a loud, sleepy yawn was emitted from the littlest one. Conner smiled and picked her up, cradling her against his shoulder. "Come on, sleepyhead," he said as he stood up, "I think it's a little past your bed time." Kira was focused on his actions in such a way that she inadvertently and unconsciously got up to follow him. No one said a word, though.

When they arrived in Caroline's room, Conner was slightly startled to see the beautiful Yellow Ranger right beside him. He smiled a half smile to her before setting his daughter down on the bed, causing another yawn to be issued from her. He withdrew some pajamas for her and proceeded to change her into them. Once properly dressed, she turned around and climbed into her bed. Conner reached down and tucked her in, and as he did the last night, kissed her forehead and told her, "I love you, princess; good night. I'll see you in the morning."

She smiled back up at him and yawned once more, saying, "Good night, daddy." Sleep came to her quickly and Conner directed Kira out of the room, turning off the light and nearly shutting the door behind him.

Once they got downstairs, Conner addressed his teammates. "Come on, I'll take you guys home." They said their goodbyes to the McKnight family and went outside, piling into Conner's car. The ride to their respective houses was filled with a comfortable silence. Ethan found yet more respect for his leader, getting a slight glimpse into his home life, and getting the chance to meet and get to know his closest family. Kira was still overwhelmed from the display in Caroline's room. The depth of the Red Ranger's affection and love was staggering, and never before had she met anyone like him. He dropped them each off, waving to them and saying their goodnights to each other, before heading home himself. Soon after arriving, he excused himself to his bedroom before changing and going to bed himself. A peaceful sleep drifted over him for the first time in years.

After Conner left, Eric went to bed himself, feeling a little overwhelmed from what all had happened that day. Conner's parents remained seated in the living room, contemplating what all they learned and saw that night. Mrs. McKnight broke the silence first. "They're good kids, and I think Dr. Oliver is a stronger asset than they even realize. I was already convinced of this before, but now even more."

Mr. McKnight sighed. He knew she was right. Whatever misgivings he still had from before had all but melted away after spending the evening with the people his son was going to working with day after day. He turned his attention to another sight he'd seen that night. "I don't think you need to worry about Caroline not having a role model anymore. She already seems to be attached to Kira. From the look in our son's eyes, I think he may be on his way to healing his heart, soon, too."

That thought brought a warm happiness to her. She wanted her son to move on. She'd seen him grieve for three years now, and it broke her heart to see him act the way he had all that time. Even though the circumstances were unusual, she wasn't going to complain if he was able to become a better man because of this. Her husband wrapped his arms around her and she leaned into him, content that this night turned out as well as it had.

Doctor Tommy Oliver once again sat in his study working on his personal computer. He was preparing to shut down for the night and had reached the final phase of his routine: checking his email. He logged into the account and found three new messages, all in reply to his latest news. He chuckled at the names: Jason, Kimberly, and Billy. It figures the three matching dinos would answer first. He started with Jason's.

[From: Scott, Jason

To: Oliver, Thomas

Subject: RE: I've done it

Body: Hey Bro,

You're really something, you know that? What's next? You gonna become a Ranger again, Mr. Legendary? I kid. But seriously, there's a pool going around on what your next color is going to be. I've got money on Orange myself. I will not be happy if I lose.

Sounds like a handful. I'd say you know how to pick 'em, but it looks like you didn't pick 'em. I hope you know what you're doing, what with the one with the kid. Sounds cute, though. I bet you've already told her to call you Uncle Tommy, haven't you?

I think I might take you up on that offer for a visit. Maybe get all the original dinos together for a family reunion (with the rookies too). I think I'll start making some calls right now…

I felt you using your Zeo powers, man. Cut that out before I have to hurt you! You know it's not as strong without the others working with it, or at least enough Red Rangers to supplement the power.

Anyways, catch ya later, Bro.

The ORIGINAL Leader of the Power Rangers,

Jason Lee Scott]

Tommy simply shook his head. He's still sore about that whole stealing his leadership thing? Jason had a good idea, though. He'll probably call with the details by Saturday. Next email…

[From: Cranston, William

To: Oliver, Thomas

Subject: Congratulations

Body: Salutations Tommy,

While I commend you for creating a new team, I should remind you that Hayley did most of the work, and all you really did was supply the Gems and draw up designs. Had it not been for her, you'd have probably called me up and forced me to do everything for you.

Okay, I'm joking. Or maybe I'm not. I actually wouldn't put it past you if you were determined to do it.

I got a call from Jason this morning. He said something about organizing a party for the originals in your basement. Is he serious? I'll admit, I wouldn't mind meeting the newest incarnation of the Tricera Ranger. It sounds like he could use my sage advice. I've already informed Jason that I'm in.

I look forward to our next encounter.

By the Power, Billy Cranston]

Tommy rolled his eyes at Billy's comments. What, just because he forgot to mention Hayley in the email, he deserves that? 'Wait, did Jason really word it as 'a party in my basement?'' Tommy shook his head once again. Last email…

[From: Hart, Kimberly

To: Oliver, Thomas

Subject: You better not disappoint me

Body: 'Sup Handsome,

I'm in for your next color to be Pink. If I lose, it's coming outta your pocket.

You made the Pterodactyl a Yellow? What, couldn't handle seeing a flying pink zord over Reefside?

Okay, I'll stop teasing.

It sounds like you've managed to round up quite a crowd of Rangers. If no one else has said it, at least know that I'm proud of you for doing this. I'm certainly not surprised that you're the one to wind up mentoring a new team. You couldn't escape the power with a pair of those fake moustache glasses.

Okay, seriously going to stop the teasing.

I got a message from Jason today; something about a shindig in Reefside. I think he wants to make it a week long, though. I'll have to see about getting some vacation time. A week with you? Sounds like a dream come true. Oh, and I can't wait to hear that Yellow of yours sing.

May the Power Always Protect you,

Kimberly Anne Hart]

Tommy simply stared at the message for a moment. She seriously thinks he's going to be a Pink Ranger next? She seriously thinks he's going to pay for it when he's not? Oh, she's going to get it when she arrives for that shindig. 'Wait… did Jason really call it a shindig? Jason is really, really weird.'

Tommy put his computer to sleep once again and finished out his evening ritual. It had been a long, full day, and he regarded the object now adorning his left wrist. It was currently powerless, but he knew it was only a matter of time. Funny, he wouldn't have known it was supposed to be for him had they not told him about his teleport stream…