Disclaimer/Notes: Oh, how I wish I owned OO. Anyway, this is set between Once a Ranger I and Once a Ranger II.

Dedication: Happy birthday Kiana!

Say Good Bye

Mack shuffled past Rose's room miserably. Ever since Thrax had severed he and the other rangers' connections to the Morphing Grid, nothing had felt the same. The general air around the mansion was gloomy, and now that the old rangers had taken over there was no reason for Rose and the others to stick around. And they were his friends, his best friends…

He heard Rose sigh. He wondered if she was going to miss him when she was back in London teaching. Before he really knew what he was doing he knocked on the pink door lightly. "It's Mack," he announced, "Can I come in, Rose?"

"Of course," Rose called back, "It is your house." Mack smiled slightly and stepped inside. She was surrounded by piles of folded clothes and opened suitcases. "Hey."

"Hi," Mack replied, plopping down on the pink bed, "Are you leaving already?"

"My flight is tomorrow morning," Rose answered, and her tone was sad. Her eyes were too, Mack noticed as he studied her. Rose turned back to her packing. "I didn't ever expect it to happen so soon, Mack. You guys are the best friends I've ever had. Before I met the five of you…well, I guess I was pretty lonely."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." His eyes were sad just as hers were. "Rose…don't leave. Please."

"I took a job in London, Mack. I kind of have to."

"But I'll miss you too much," he protested.

Rose sat beside him on the bed. "It's not forever, Mack," she said quietly. "We'll see each other again some day."

Mack wrapped his arms around her as tightly as he could manage. She was stiff for a moment, clearly unused to this close contact, but then hers were around him as well. "I know it's not forever," he said. "It just feels like it will be." Mack looked down at her with a small smile playing on his lips. "I'll leave you to your packing, I guess."

He unwound his arms from her. Rose held onto him tighter. "I don't want you to go. I know you're only down the hall, but…"

"Need some help?" Mack questioned, waving a hand towards her possessions scattered on the pink carpet.

"Yeah, I'd like that," she answered, reluctantly releasing him. The two settled themselves on the floor and began to sort through her clothing and her many books, grateful that saying good-bye wasn't going to happen quite yet.