Before Mr. Hartford had even had enough time to contact Mack, the red ranger came sliding down one of the poles, his usual grin nowhere to be seen. "Oh God," he muttered, rushing to Rose's side. "Rose. Rose, stop. It's OK. I'm here now." Mack brushed her bangs away from her eyes gently, whispering.

"How did you know to be here?" asked Andrew once Rose had stopped screaming and was being cradled in Mack's arms as if she might break. He could see how much his son loved the pink ranger just by glancing at the entwined couple.

"I'm not sure. I woke up and knew to go to her." Mack looked down at Rose sadly, one hand stroking her dark hair soothingly. Andrew nodded. "Any reason for her nightmares yet, Dad? I'm really worried about her."

"I don't know what's causing it. But another thought has occurred to me, Mack. She could be seeing the future, couldn't she? I have to look into it some more. It could just be stress from her ranger duties as well. The fact that it's recurring could mean a lot of things."

"I hope it's not the future," Mack mumbled. "I'm not sure what Rose's nightmare is about exactly but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with a battle. I just haven't asked yet because she's upset enough as it is." Andrew saw his son's arms tighten around the dozing Rose.

"When are you going to tell her?" asked the elder Hartford quietly.

"Tell her what?"

"That you love her," replied Andrew. "Everyone sees it." Mack shook his head.

"Now isn't the best time, Dad." He let go of Rose, laying her down. He brought a chair over to the bed and sat down, reaching for Rose's hand. The red ranger held onto her firmly, wordlessly saying he was not about to leave her.

"All right then." Andrew resumed his post at one of the base's computers, watching the green lines wave over the screen.

It was well past three a.m. when Rose woke up from her dream again, though she managed not to scream this time. She sat bolt upright, taking in the command center, seeing a sleeping Mr. Hartford slumped over with his forehead on the computer screen. Someone was holding her hand, she could feel it. The pink ranger looked over to see Mack, his right hand gripping her left, his head resting near her pillow.

He hadn't left her.

It was always so hard when he left her room in the middle of the night. But he was still here, he was still here for her.

She pulled her hand away from his, lying down again. Rose propped herself up on her elbow, watching her red ranger sleep. Suddenly Rose needed to be closer to him, and before she really knew what she was doing she rearranged herself again. She nestled her head in the crook of his neck, hugging him to her as tightly as she could. "Oh Mack," she whispered, and then tears spilled from her eyes.

Mack was awake immediately. "Rose?" The pink ranger pulled away from him, still crying. "Did you have your dream again?" She nodded, closing her eyes.

He abandoned his chair, climbing onto the uncomfortable hospital bed with her. Instinctively Rose burrowed closer to him. He was lying flat on his back, Rose on top of him. The responsible conservative Rose was not to be found in this terrified, exhausted version of his beloved pink ranger. She cried into his chest unashamed, her arms wound around his neck. Finally she spoke in a very shaky voice, pulling her face away so she could look at him.

"Listen to me Mack, and listen good. In the event that some insane villain tries to kill me, you are not to sacrifice your life in exchange for mine. Do you understand me? I'm just not worth it."

"Isn't that up to me to decide?" Mack asked softly. He lifted his hand to her face, wiping her tears away with his thumb. "And anyway, Rose, that's not going to happen. I won't let it."

Rose just shook her head. Then she thought about something that had been in the back of her mind since the day she'd met him, and was made even more evident by the way he was holding her and the way he was looking at her. "We're not just friends, are we, Mack? There's something more?"

"God I hope so," murmured Mack without skipping a beat. Rose slid off of him, now blissfully happy. She kept her head on his chest, closing her eyes once more.

It didn't matter if they ever found out the cause of the horrible dreams that had plagued her mind for weeks. As long as she and Mack were together, that was all that mattered.

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