Kendall didn't know what hurt more: the fact that she had no idea what to believe or who she could trust, or the fact that her new friend was gone, almost like he didn't exist. When Ivan and Koda had gone to his apartment to question him on what had happened to Kendall, certain he had something to do with it, a woman they had never seen before answered the door, claiming she had been living in the building since before Kendall had even moved in.

With Heckyl gone, and no other leads, the three boys and Cammy had put all their energy into looking after Kendall. They had convinced her at the very least to let them take her home and from there did what she would let them do to take care of her. Right now she was sitting on her bed, going through in her mind what could and couldn't be true about recent events.

The newspaper, the news, the magazines, her computers, her phone, everything with a date was telling her that she had only disappeared for a day. Her captor had only held her for a matter of hours. Yet her mind, the only thing she had trusted her entire life had her convinced she had been missing for a month. Facts were telling her she was wrong, but her gut refused to believe it, pulling her both ways, furthering her confusion.

Her friends, the ones she was convinced no longer cared for her now that their duties as Rangers was over were going above and beyond to look after her. Cammy, the only person she knew she could trust of the group was happy with them, smiling and talking to them. She seemed to trust them, so Kendall should have too.

But if they cared, they wouldn't have left. Those thoughts weighed heavily on her mind. And they never showed up to help her. Whether she had been gone a day or a month, they hadn't come. She had gotten herself out of trouble.

Or had she? How had she wound up back home? Had her captor had enough of her? Did she break out? She still felt so weak, she doubted she had been able to leave on her own. Surely he had to let her go for her to be back home. But if he had taken her, why would he let her go?

"You're safe now," Chase told her, coming into her room after knocking softly. With him he carried a bowl. As he brought the bowl closer, Kendall smelled the soup and panicked. She pushed Chase away, spilling the soup on both him and herself as she jumped out of bed and ducked into the corner. Chase cried out as the hot soup burned his chest.

"Bad call on the soup," he told himself as he removed his shirt and saw the red marks on his chest. He would tend to them later. Right now, he needed to be sure Kendall hadn't burned herself too badly. He set the bowl down, showed Kendall his empty hands and approached her slowly. "Come on, Kendall. You can trust me."

He reached out his hand, hoping she would take it. She was more responsive the more control she had. Eventually, she took his hand and accepted his help back into bed.

"Since soup is off the table," he said. "What would you like to eat? I'll make you anything."

"When did you come back?" Kendall asked him. Chase frowned.

"I was only at the market an hour."

"Here," Kendall said. "When did you come back home?"

"America, home?" Chase asked. "As soon as Koda and Ivan told me you were gone."

"When?"

"The day you went missing," Chase told her. "You have to believe me, I know it doesn't feel like it, but you were only gone a day. The flight's long, but if I could have been here sooner, I would have."

"You didn't wait?"

"Why would I?" Chase asked her. "You know how much you... mean to me."

Chase trailed off because that wasn't true. He had ignored his feelings for a while; having convinced himself that his feelings for his Ranger mentor turned teammate was nothing more than a crush. However, being away for so long forced him to re-evaluate. He had missed her, he constantly found himself wondering what she was doing...

It was no wonder, on Halloween night, the Cupid Charger had no effect on him. At home, in New Zealand, he learned he had fallen in love with the scientist, and had been in love with her a while. Yet, he never told her. Not in a single video call or email he had sent.

Chase chuckled: no wonder she was confused about how he felt towards her. She didn't know. He hadn't been honest with her. Until now, there was no reason to tell her. Given her state of mind and the fact that she was desperate to find something real, he knew he was left with no choice. She was scared; he needed to be honest with her.

"I love you," he said. "And not the friendship I love you, where we say it when we think the other needs to hear it, but cover it up as something friends say because you're not ready. I love you, love you. And I know you're still not ready and you're scared and now's not the time. I know if you weren't... well, like this you'd be rejecting me as gently as you could, wanting to preserve the friendship and... Well, that doesn't change anything. I love you, a lot. I jumped on the first plane because I can't live without you."

Chase waited for her response and suddenly grew very worried he set her back. She was fragile, scared and very confused. His confession could have pushed her away from recovery. Finally, he got his answer in the form of a subtle nod and a quiet, "Okay."

"Okay?" he asked. "So we're... okay?"

"You would have been there... if you could?"

"In a heartbeat," he promised her. "But you were already home by the time the plane landed."

"Fact?"

"Yes," Chase nodded. He pulled out his cell phone, reminding her of the date. "It's just been over a day. The flight from New Zealand takes half a day. You know this, right?"

Kendall looked at the date on the phone, yet more proof her mind was lying to her. And Chase was right, the flight back for him was half a day in length. She clutched her head as she started to cry. Chase wasn't sure what to do, but he sat next to her, put one arm around her and then called Cammy into the room. Like a rocket, Cammy raced in, jumped on the bed and cuddled with her sister. Chase tried to let go, now that Cammy was around, but Kendall held his hand. Chase pulled up the chair he had been using to sleep on to keep watch over Kendall at night and stayed with her, holding her hand. He turned on the TV, something mindless so Kendall could rest her brain for a few hours. She seemed to need it.

"I see him again," Koda whispered to Ivan from the door in reference to Heckyl. "I kill him."

"Indeed," Ivan agreed.

-Dino-Charge-

Days passed: actual days, the Rangers would tell Kendall, and she believed them. She was starting to feel a little better. More and more she managed to decipher what was true and what had been fabricated in her mind by the captor: the magician, Cammy called him, using the same title she had for Heckyl. Kendall wasn't sure why. She knew whatever had happened to her mentally seemed to be supernatural – or magical for the little girl and Ivan, who believed in that sort of thing – but no one made the connection to her that Heckyl appeared to be behind her kidnapping.

Not that it was confirmed. Kendall couldn't remember the face of the person who took her. She knew nothing about who he was, what he looked like or how he had taken her. All she knew what that he had gotten a lot of information about her regarding the Rangers, the energems and the chargers, implying that, like Sledge and Fury, he was on the hunt for the stones, and that he had killed Cammy – the latter of which Kendall had seen, felt, and heard for herself was untrue.

And even if Kendall could put his face on her captor, no one else could. Not a single one of the building's residents or staff reported seeing anyone matching Heckyl's description ever. All of which claimed the woman who lived in his apartment now had been there for years. Even Kendall recognized her neighbour and seemed convinced she had met Heckyl somewhere else. She was also convinced they were still friends, and her heart was breaking every day when he didn't reach out to her. She thought she had made a real friend, on her own, and now, suddenly, he couldn't care any less about her. When she needed a friendly face most, he was nowhere to be found.

Even the museum staff couldn't remember seeing Kendall with anything matching Heckyl's description, though they all admitted seeing their boss hanging out with a young man. It was all much too confusing for the Rangers, so they decided until they saw him again; they wouldn't waste any more time on him. If he never turned up again, it would be for the best. But they were ready to hurt him if he did show his face.

However, once thing remained unchanged. Kendall would not eat soup. Chase placed the bowl in front of her carefully. She didn't panic like the last time he had made it for her, yet she wouldn't eat it. Her stomach growled, so she was hungry, but she shook her head. Suddenly, her face turned green and she raced to the sink, throwing up what little was left in her stomach from the meal the night before. Mostly, though, it was dry heaves. None of the boys nor Cammy could understand. Kendall ate soup at the Dino Cafe on a regular basis, especially if she wasn't feeling well. Now, she couldn't stand to look at it.

Fortunately, Chase had prepared a back up meal. He had done so after proposing soup for breakfast and seeing Kendall wince. When she was done throwing up, he offered her a jelly sandwich. Kendall ate without trouble.

So Cammy pushed her soup away and pretended she was going to throw up. Chase shot her a look.

"Nice try. Eat."

"I'm allergic to vegetables."

"You're not. Eat it then I'll take you to school."

"Fine," Cammy muttered. "But if I really do throw up, you'll be sorry."

Chase rolled his eyes. At least Cammy was still her regular self. He was glad for that.

"You'll watch her?" he said, turning to Ivan and Koda, who were enjoying their meals in front of the TV. Both gave a thumbs up. So Chase looked to Kendall, "You're okay with them?"

Kendall nodded her head. She had learned to trust her three teammates. They had been by her side since she woke up after her capture. By default, the fact that they hadn't left meant they had to care. Even with so many conflicting thoughts in her head, Kendall knew not to contradict that one saying.

They've stayed, so they care, she reminded herself. Chase smiled, packed up Cammy's bag then gave it to the little girl as they made their way out the door.

"I'll be back in half an hour."

Kendall nodded her head but checked the time: 8:30. Chase knew she did this. It seemed to be how she coped with the conflicting time lapse in her head. She kept track with every clock, watch and cell phone she had on. Right now, the time on the oven seemed to be enough. Chase knew he had to be back by nine, otherwise she would panic and he would lose her trust.

Fortunately, the school was five minutes away. He had more than enough time to drop Cammy off and come back. He had given Kendall more time than he needed, just in case something happened on the way.

When Chase and Cammy were gone, and Kendall finished her breakfast, she walked to the couch and sat next to Koda. She saw he and Ivan were playing a video game and watched curiously.

"Want to play?" Koda asked, offering her a controller. "This going away present from Chase. Ivan and I play."

"Do I?"

"No," Koda said. "Too busy. But not busy now."

Fact. Kendall was often too busy for things like video games. But now, she was resting. Now, she had a lot of time to relax. She took the controller from Koda and let him guide her through the game.

"I'm impressed," she said. "For a caveman, you're really good at this."

"Kendall teached Koda a lot," Koda told her. "When I first come out of glacier, very confused. Kendall was first friend. Teach me what I need to learn."

"I taught you video games?"

Koda and Ivan both laughed at this, earning a frown from Kendall. Koda explained a little more.

"Kendall help Koda feel comfortable with new friends. Koda learn to like Chase, Chase teach Koda to play."

"That makes sense," Kendall nodded. Then she looked to Ivan, "Who taught you?"

"Koda did."

Kendall gave another little nod before her player suddenly shot the head off Ivan's. She looked to the game in horror, as did Ivan. Koda simply laughed and prodded Ivan playfully.

"You lose to Kendall."

"I have not lost," he shook his head. "I have merely lost a life. Besides, a true knight never attacks a damsel."

"How win if can't attack damsel?" Koda asked and Ivan stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"You raise a good point, Sir Koda. Lady Kendall, I do apologize, but it seems for my honour, I must not hold back any longer. Prepare to have thine appendages removed."

"You wouldn't," Kendall shook her head, setting the controller down in fear. Koda nudged Ivan, drawing the Knight's attention to her. Ivan set his controller down too.

"Lady Kendall, it is merely in the game," he assured her. "In real life, I would defend thee with my life."

"I protect Kendall," Koda took her hand softly. Kendall seemed to respond to his words. He smiled to her. "I not let people hurt Kendall."

"No hurt Kendall, he says," Ivan added in the hopes that hearing one of Koda's catchphrases would build trust in Kendall. It seemed to work. She nodded her head and smiled.

"I still don't like the game."

"T'was expected," Ivan chuckled. He turned off the game and put on some television – something mindless to help her rest. She had come a long way in only a few short days. He wouldn't push her any further.

She came a little further when, before nine, Chase walked back through the door and the four of them sat in front of the TV until around lunch, when the other Rangers video called to see how Kendall was doing.

They care, she told herself. They always cared.