For some reason, this hurt more. Losing Anne was more painful than losing either of her own parents, or even both combined.

Kelly wouldn't dare say she didn't have a good childhood. It had some major flaws that she could have done without but at least she got to play outside, hang out with her friends. She did well in school and for the most part, growing up, she had a good relationship with her parents. Still, the strain in their relationship meant that when they died, even thought it was sudden, Kelly already knew how to live without them. She already had friends and a family she knew she could count on far more than her own. Their death just confirmed that Kelly would never see them again, instead of being left with the hope that maybe they could mend fences.

But Anne… she was far more than just a woman who let Kelly live under her roof. She had taken Kelly in, without a second thought, at a time where Kelly needed a safe place most. She gave Kelly her own room, when it was clear the teenager needed her own space. She fed and clothed Kelly, and more importantly, she became the woman, the mother, who loved Kelly unconditionally. Though Kelly never would, she could argue her ideas and her opinions with Anne and still feel supported and cared for. She could come home after hearing a nasty comment and vent for hours about how much it hurt. She could talk openly and proudly about her girlfriend, about her attraction to women in general and know that it wouldn't change Anne's opinion of her.

Anne was the first mother Kelly had who saw her as a person. She was the first woman who knew Kelly's darkest secret and loved her for it, not just despite it. She celebrated romantic milestones with Kelly and had expressed joy in one day being able to attend her wedding. She even excitedly declared that she was looking forward to the challenge of planning a same-sex wedding and of getting the opportunity to get a taste of Kelly's daily life.

Oedius had taken that from Kelly, and he had taken a good wife and a good mother from Mr. Foster and Hayley. Bill, a man Kelly hoped she could trust, had ruined probably the only good family Kelly would ever find for herself.

-Ninja-Steel-

Sarah knew it probably wasn't a good idea to be alone. When Calvin had tried to tell her, she had shrugged him off. He had every right to be concerned but, at the same time, Sarah couldn't be with people right now. It was her father who had killed Hayley's mother.

She knew she had done what she could to keep her father at arm's length. She tried to learn from the mistakes that Brody and the team had made with Aiden. Still, she felt like there was more she could do. They had, in the time her father had come back, began to trust him with more of their Ranger responsibilities.

Finding out that he had been working with Oedius meant that a lot of the secrets they had shared, he likely already knew to a certain extent. Still, if Sarah had just kept him at arm's length – made him earn her trust instead of simply give it – maybe things would have turned out differently.

Sarah loved her father, though. He was a good man, or so she thought. He had fought for her when she was young and raised her on his own. His search for a wife was overshadowed by his search for a mother for Sarah – for someone he could trust to look after his daughter when he wasn't around. Someone who could help her, guide her, and love her as much as he would. Bill Thompson was a good man. He had to be.

But a good man wouldn't play a part in the murder of a friend. Even if he didn't know Anne directly, she was the mother of Sarah's girlfriend and best friend.

Maybe everything Sarah knew about him was wrong.

"Sarah?" she heard his voice call and turned around. He was making his way over slowly, cautiously. She turned away from him and heard him sigh. "Eu sei que você está com raiva."

"Eu não quero falar sobre isso," she told him. "What you did is unforgivable."

"Sarah…"

"What could you possibly say that could justify this?" Sarah shouted, spinning around so she could face her father. She was angry and it showed. "How could you let something like this happen?"

"It was the better choice," her father said. "Oedius, she… she had me in a tough spot."

"And killing Anne was the only way out?"

"Someone was going to die! Oedius said if I didn't choose someone, she would kill your mother, or you!"

"I can protect myself. I can do a better job of it against Oedius than Anne could," Sarah growled.

"She's tough."

"You don't think we know that?" Sarah asked. "While you've been… wherever you were, we've been the ones fighting her!"

"I couldn't let anything happen to you."

"So, you killed Hayley and Kelly's mom?" Sarah shouted. "You just sat there and watch that fight happen, knowing the whole time that Anne was in trouble?"

"I…"

"What kind of monster does that?" Sarah frowned.

"Madam Oedius is going to stop at nothing to get those Power Stars," Bill said and pointed to Sarah's bag where he knew she kept her star. "I can't stop her, but maybe I can take them somewhere she can't find them."

Sarah looked to her father incredulously. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. After he had just betrayed her and her team, he was asking her for the one thing she possessed that would be able to stop Oedius before she could hurt anyone else.

"Você é louco!"

"I want to right my wrong," Bill pleaded with her. "I let Anne die and I'll have to live with that guilt for the rest of my life…"

"Guilt? You let a good woman die and you feel guilty?" Sarah frowned. "I feel guilty! Eu confiei em vocé!"

"Sarah…"

"Vocé deveria ter vergonha! You should follow this trail until it ends and just keep walking!"

"Sarah…"

"I'm not giving you a Power Star!"

"I know I can't be trusted, but Sarah… I know what Oedius is planning next. Without a Power Star, without something, she'll strike again."

"Who?"

"I don't know. She won't tell me. She just said if she didn't get a Power Star in her hand, she'd kill again."

"Then we'll protect our parents," Sarah said. "But I am not handing you a Power Star."

"Sarah, I know what I did was wrong," Bill said as he approached his daughter, being sure not to move too quickly or unexpectantly so she knew he wasn't a threat. "In hindsight I can see where I went wrong and what I should have done instead. But honey…"

"Don't call me that."

"Sarah… All I want is for you to be safe. I made that deal with Oedius because she threatened you and… I wouldn't be doing this, I wouldn't be asking you to trust me right now if I didn't think I was doing the best thing to keep you safe."

"And my team?" Sarah asked. "The people I care for?"

"I'm not asking for their Power Stars," Bill said. "All I'm asking for is yours. One star and it'll buy us enough time to think of a new plan. You've been down a Ranger before, right?"

"I can't trust you," Sarah shook her head and turned away from her father. He had fooled her once already. As much as she wanted to believe it wasn't his intention to cause harm, her team, her friends, her girlfriend were in pain because of him. She couldn't let that go.

"Sarah…"

"I can't hand over my Power Star," Sarah refused. "I can't let my team down like that. Without it, I can't help them."

"You'll be safe. Oedius…"

"Is a manipulative bitch!"

"Well, that's a little mean, isn't it?" Oedius asked, appearing from nowhere, as Bill was used to. Sarah jumped and turned, facing the monster. She grabbed her Power Star in her hand. Oedius smirked, "Though, I guess it isn't a little deserved."

"You promised you wouldn't hurt her," Bill growled. His instinct was to step in front of his daughter. He wanted to protect her. However, when he moved closer, Sarah stepped away.

"And I haven't," Oedius said. She held out her hand, "Hand over the Power Star, Ranger."

"Over my dead body," Sarah growled.

"That can be arranged."

"You promised!" Bill shouted.

"I promised if you brought me a Power Star," Oedius reminded him. "And watching you now, that doesn't look like it'll happen."

"So, he is working for you?" Sarah asked, looking to Oedius.

"All for you," Oedius answered. "His primary goal is your protection. I find it sick but, to be honest, it doesn't matter to me whether the Rangers live or die."

"All she wants is the Power Stars," Bill told his daughter. "She promised, if I got the Power Stars, she wouldn't hurt you. Sarah, I know what I've done. I know you can't trust me but… All the Rangers and their families are still in danger. If you give up your Power Star…"

Sarah shook her head, shoved her Star back into her pocket and turned the other way to run. Bill watched her go, disappointed his plan had failed. He knew he needed one Power Star to show his loyalty to Oedius and he thought taking Sarah's might be the best choice all around. Oedius would have what she wanted and would be happy enough for the time being. Sarah would be protected and wouldn't need the Power Star anyway. The rest of her team could keep their Stars and their Powers to protect themselves and their loved ones.

However, Sarah had been burned. She made friends and trusted easily, but she was also a good judge of character. To be so wrong about someone she trusted and loved dearly had to burn. Bill wasn't surprised that despite his points and his pleading, she wouldn't do what he asked.

Just as quickly as Oedius arrived, she disappeared. Bill felt his stomach turn. It was too much to hope that she would just watch the Power Star run off and not do something about it.

"No!" he shouted as Oedius reappeared, this time in front of Sarah. The monster struck the pink Ranger down with her blade before reaching into Sarah's pocket. Bill ran forward, pushing Oedius away just as she got her hand around the Power Star. It slipped out of her hand, Sarah snatched it up and bolted into the woods. Bill stood in Oedius' path, blocking her way.

"You're meant to work with me," Oedius growled. "What was that?"

"You promised you wouldn't hurt her!" Bill shouted. He pointed to her blade, where fresh blood dripped to the ground below.

"You promised you'd get me a star."

"And if you want me to get you one, you'll leave her alone," Bill growled. "I'll do what you want. I won't stay in the way of taking over this planet. But I won't let you hurt my daughter."

"You will need to do better than this," Oedius told him. "This begging, the apologizing… You need to pick a side. Me, or the Rangers."

"I'm loyal to you," Bill assured her.

"Good," Oedius smiled just before she grabbed him and they disappeared.