Jenny hated the stuttering. It reminded her that her daughter was not well. The other symptoms she could ignore when she needed, or she could come up with explanations for them. If Sarah was confused, Jenny could pretend it was only a lack of sleep that caused it. If Sarah mixed up her words, Jenny could remind herself that it happened to everyone occasionally. If Sarah got unexpectedly angry or upset, Jenny could chalk it up to teenage hormones.

She didn't have a pretend excuse for the stutter.

"I-I-I want to w-wo-work on my skate-skateboard."

"Your hoverboard?" Jenny asked and Sarah nodded her head. Jenny sighed. "Sarah, I don't think it's safe to be in the garage right now."

"B-b-b…"

"There are tools everywhere and if you have another seizure or…"

"You s-s-s-s-suck!" Sarah shouted, kicked over her chair and stormed off up to her room. Jenny sighed as she picked up the chair and set it back by the table.

"It'll get better," she muttered to herself. "It'll get better."

There was a knock at the door so she went to answer it. Mick was on the other side. Jenny let him in, hoping for good news.

"Is it running?"

"The device is built, but still not operational," he said. When Jenny first learned of Sarah's injury, Mick had told her that he and Sarah had a little side project that they would work on when they were stuck with ideas on new weapons. Since the Rangers always had an injury or two after battles, and they could never anticipate when they would need to fight again, Sarah had the idea that they come up with a machine that could speed up the healing process beyond what their Ranger Powers could already do. In theory, if RedBot and Mick could get it running, it would help Sarah recover by healing, or at least reducing the injury to her brain.

Jenny prayed it worked. She wanted her daughter back. The teenager she had been living with was nothing like the old Sarah.

"We're still working on it," Mick promised. "RedBot only stops to charge his batteries, then he's back at it. We miss her, just as much as you."

"Doubtful," Jenny said as she glanced up the stairs. "It's hard, Mick. She's… she's not herself."

"The human brain is wonderful and flawed," Mick told her. "It's the reason we think and live and it's how we learn and grow and interact. It forms relationships. It's everything. Without it, we're nothing."

"Are you trying to cheer me up?"

"I'm saying a brain injury isn't a broken bone. When your brain is hurt, it's the person who is injured, not the body. Their memories, their speech, their personality, all of it. But Sarah is still in there. You just need more patience to bring her out."

"I don't know how much more I have," Jenny said honestly. She brought Mick to the living room and fell into the couch. "She screamed at me for an hour yesterday because I told her to brush her teeth. An hour! The last time she screamed at me for an hour was… never!"

"That's tough," Mick nodded.

"And I know I need more patience. I know this has to be twice as frustrating for her and twice as scary and all of that but… Mick, she's violent."

"Has she hurt you?"

"Not yet, but she throws chairs and books. She screams, she's…"

"Would you like me to stay with you tonight?" Mick offered and Jenny was taken aback. A part of her had been thinking of calling Shane, or maybe even Porter for help. She had also considered asking her in-laws to fly back. However, she hesitated asking anyone because she knew the position she would put them in. Though Jenny knew Sarah couldn't help it, right now, she wasn't nice to be around. Even when she was having a good couple of hours, or even a good day, Jenny was still scared. She would walk around on eggshells because she didn't want to upset Sarah.

She didn't want anyone else to have to put up with that. She loved Sarah dearly, and maybe more than anyone else could, and even she was starting to consider giving up.

"Mick…"

"I take my promises seriously," Mick said. "When we were in the past, and I promised her father I'd take care of her, I meant it."

"He wanted you to get her out of trouble."

"If he knew the whole truth, he'd want someone to watch her now," Mick said. "And it's not to say he doesn't think you can handle it. You've done amazing; but he would also know you need a break. If he were still around, he'd step up. I need do the same. I want to help."

"She's very angry," Jenny warned. "And she throws, and punches and kicks. She'll grab your hair if…"

"I was a prisoner on Galvanax's ship," Mick reminded her. "I can handle Sarah's abuse."

"She's got a short fuse," Jenny told him. "She'll go off, randomly, for no reason sometimes. I didn't cut up the cheese into cubes and she threw the plate at me."

"Take some time off," Mick said. "Visit a… is it called a spa?"

"A spa? While my daughter's sick?"

"If you're getting plates thrown at you, I think you more than deserve it," Mick nodded. "Take the day to take care of yourself. Don't worry about me."

"She'll throw anything in reach. I've hidden the knives and stuff that can really hurt…"

"I shape shift," Mick reminded her. "If she throws something dangerous, my go-to is a rock. It won't hurt."

"She yells."

"She can't be worse than Galvanax."

"Mick, are you sure?"

"I'm positive," Mick flashed a big smile to put Jenny at ease. "I want to do this, and you need a break. Take it while you can."

"You don't need to do this."

"Neither do you," Mick said. He pulled her up off the couch and brought her to the door. "I will be fine."

"Call me, please, if you need anything."

"Don't worry," Mick said. "Besides, Kelly promised to stop by after training. I won't be alone."

"Just remember she doesn't mean it, okay," Jenny said. "When she gets really difficult I remind myself who she really is and that helps."

"Have fun," Mick said and practically had to push Jenny out the door.

"Tell her I can be home in a heartbeat," Jenny said and Mick closed the door. He made his way upstairs to Sarah's room and saw her tinkering with some tools. As soon as she noticed him, she hid the tools behind her back.

"Only me," he said and Sarah breathed a sigh of relief.

"I-I thought you w-were m-m-m-mom."

"I made her leave."

"Why?"

"Don't you think she deserves a bit of a break?" Mick asked.

"I wi-wi-wish I could tak-k-ke a break."

"You deserve it too," Mick nodded. He pointed to the bed. "Can I sit?"

"Are y-you go-go-going to tell on m-m-me?"

"For tinkering? No," Mick shook his head. "My rules are a little different."

"I-z-z-is the rec-c-covery machine r-r-ready?"

"We're working on it full time. Any ideas what we can use to power it?"

"Like a ba-ba-battery?" Sarah asked and Mick nodded. "I-I don't – I d-don't know."

"We'll keep thinking," Mick said. He didn't want anything to feel like a problem. He didn't want Sarah to believe that she wouldn't get better – that Kelly would be stuck as her replacement forever. Even if the device never worked, Sarah needed to hold onto hope. As flawed as it could be, the brain was also very gifted. There was a chance, however slim, of recovery for Sarah in a more natural way.

He pointed to what she had put behind her back, "What are you working on?"

"Just a – Just a – just a gift for… for Kelly."

"Can I see?" he asked and Sarah handed it to him. "What is it?"

"It's a-a-a fidget-t-t – a fidget cube," Sarah answered. "She-she likes them for-for-for when sh-she writes."

"That's sweet," Mick smiled and he was glad he had asked. He was glad he had caught her tinkering. He'd be sure to tell Jenny about it later. Though he knew the mother didn't want Sarah handling tools, he thought she might like to know that Sarah was still Sarah.

"H-h-how is she d-doing?"

"Kelly's been wonderful," Mick said. "Training is going well. Pink looks good on her. Not as good as it does on you, of course. Yesterday, did she tell you she defeated twenty Kudabots, without help."

"That's-s good."

"She's been a great Ranger, but we all miss you," Mick said. "I know Jenny can be a bit strict with getting out, but if she does give you a chance, you need to come by the base."

"W-Will she be h-h-home soon – soon?"

"A few hours, I think," Mick said.

"Can we go-go-go now?"

"Sarah, I'm bending the rules for tinkering. I don't think she'd be happy if you left the house."

"P-P-Please?"

"Maybe in a couple of days."

"N-Now!" Sarah shouted. Mick shook his head.

"I'll take to your mother and convince her that it'll be good for you to get out next time I come."

"I w-w-w-want-t-t-t-to lea-leave n-n-n-n-now!" Sarah screamed and grabbed the screwdriver from behind her back. Mick saw the tool in her hand and transformed into a rock just as Sarah hit him with it. He breathed a sigh of relief, glad he had changed in time and glad it was him being hit with the screwdriver and no one else.

"Sarah! Stop!" he heard Kelly shout as the acting-pink Ranger raced into the room and grabbed Sarah's arm, pulling her away from Mick. "You're going to hurt him!"

Mick couldn't be hurt as a stone, not with such a small screwdriver, but he still appreciated Kelly's help. Kelly managed to pry the screwdriver from Sarah's hand and toss it out of reach. "Sarah, you need to stop."

"Shut up!"

"Sarah, settle down!"

"F-Fuck you!" Sarah pushed herself off the bed and stormed out of the room. She stomped down the stairs and then Mick and Kelly heard a crash.

"Well, something's broken."

"I'll replace it," Mick said. He turned to Kelly, "Thanks for the help."

"Are you okay? Mick, I'm so sorry, that's not like Sarah…"

"I know," Mick said. He picked up the fidget box. "She made you this today."

"She can't have tools," Kelly shook her head and pointed to the screwdriver. "That's why."

"She found a way," Mick shrugged. "But she broke the rules to make this for you. I think she wanted to give it to you today."

Kelly looked to the small box with a smile and instantly she knew what it was. The fidget spinner craze had now long passed, but Kelly had always found that having something on her desk to fidget with helped her focus when she was trying to write. She liked the distraction it caused. She had mentioned having one when she lived with her parents, but that she had to leave it behind when she got kicked out.

"She remembered?"

"Remembered?"

"I told her about my fidget spinner a few weeks ago," Kelly said. "She noticed I always tapped my pencil when I was thinking and mentioned that I liked having something in my hands. I thought with everything going on, you know, that… I mean, I never expected her to replace it."

"She's still Sarah," Mick smiled. "She's just… a little harder to love. You've got to want it."

Kelly nodded her head, held the box in her hand and walked downstairs. She found Sarah pacing the kitchen.

"Sarah?"

"W-What?" Sarah snapped. Kelly held up the fidget box.

"Is this for me?"

Sarah's face softened when she saw it, and the anger seemed to disappear from her body. She nodded her head. "I-I know – I know I'm n-no-not supposed to t-t-tinker but..."

"I love it," Kelly smiled. "Thank you."

"Will it – will it help?"

"Lots," Kelly put it in her pocket. Suddenly, the front door opened.

"We brought p-p-pizza!" Calvin announced as he walked in, with the other Rangers right behind him. He was carrying a stack of pizza boxes in his hands. Sarah instantly frowned when she heard him.

"N-N-Not funny."

"That's why you get your own," Calvin chuckled and opened the lid of the top box, "Pineapples, because you're a freak."

"Yes!" Sarah smiled and grabbed the box while the others set up around the table. Brody pulled out a chair that seemed a little wobbly and Kelly took it from him.

"You may want to double check all your seats," she told the others. "Apparently, they make great projectiles when angry."

"We spend too much time sitting anyway," Levi shrugged his shoulders then opened a box of pizza, "Mmm sardines and broccoli."

"And I-I-I'm the f-freak," Sarah rolled her eyes at Levi.

"You can blame my parents for that one," Levi said and all eyes turned to Brody. The red Ranger shook his head.

"Not from my side."

"Adoptive parents," Levi added.

"Have you told them you found your real family yet?" Preston asked as he took one of the regular pepperoni slices.

"Not yet," Levi shook his head. "I thought I'd wait until things settled down a little so they can get a chance to actually meet Brody and vice-versa."

"Do you think they'll take it well?" Hayley asked.

"I think so," Levi nodded. "They've always made suggestions for ways I could look for Brody. You know, different organizations and stuff. I never could tell them he was abducted by an alien and taken across the galaxy."

"M-M-M-mom does think it's-it's-it's weird when I tell her I've been f-fight-fighting them," Sarah said and Levi pointed to her.

"She knows."

"Is that pizza I smell?" Mick asked as he came downstairs. He looked to the options. "What do we have?"

"Pineapple for the freak," Calvin pointed to the box on the counter by Sarah. "Sardines and broccoli for the freakier, and just regular pepperoni for us normal peasants."

"What about all crusts?" Mick asked.

"You can have mine," Kelly offered. "I hate crusts."

"Weirdos," Calvin whispered to Preston. "What's wrong with regular, good old fashion pepperoni pizza?"

"N-No-No pineapples," Sarah smirked.

"Touché," Calvin nodded.