Shane remembered Jenny's panicked phone calls after Bill died. She had never expected to be a full-time mother and suddenly found herself in the position, with little support being offered. He remembered telling her she would figure it out, and that if she did the best that she could, with good intentions, she would be a good mother.

What kind of bullshit was that?

He struggled. From the day he knew he would have to be Sarah's legal guardian, he had struggled greatly with the parental role. He had Aaron, who he lived with, who could help and offer advice on being a father, but there was really nothing anyone could do or say that would help him worry less about everything. He even phoned his own brother, and his parents, asking for advice, and while it all seemed good and useful, the worry never went away.

Jenny never wanted to be a mother. Everyone who knew her knew that, even Sarah. But somehow, young Sarah wormed her way into her mother's heart and as she grew older, so did Jenny's love for her. Sarah had somehow become his sister's most precious thing. All Shane felt he could do to honour his sister was to look after the person she cared for most. He would be damned if he didn't do a good job.

But damn, it was hard!

Tori and Dustin were over for a visit. Aaron was at work and the girls were at school. Shane was still on leave from the Academy as he tried to figure out his new life and so his days could be rather lonely. Since their schedules weren't too busy, Tori and Dustin took the day off to be with him and offer some much-needed company and support.

"I'm the only one without a kid now," Dustin said. "I mean, of the three of us, I don't have a child. Who would have thought."

"Both of us," Tori answered, and Shane nodded along in agreement. "We both figured you would be the last one."

"Yeah, okay but… yeah," Dustin agreed as he sat down on the sofa. He looked to a family picture of the Thompsons. There were many of them sitting around – more than Dustin felt was necessary. He assumed that had been dug out of storage because of the death. He had been at the wake for Jenny and there had been a lot of pictures out then. He was certain there were more now. He wondered if, maybe, Sarah and Shane were using them to ensure they didn't forget the faces of the people they loved. "So… what's it like having a teenager?"

"Yes, please share," Tori added. Shane shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't think this is a typical experience."

"I want to be ready for anything," Tori told him. "Time flies and before you know it, Kaylee's going to be emotional and dramatic and… all that stuff."

"Sarah's a good kid," Shane said. "Jenny and Bill did something right. I just wish I knew what."

"Parenting is hard?" Dustin asked.

"I don't even feel like I've started parenting," Shane shrugged. "I mean, yesterday, Sarah was just sitting on the bathroom floor, throwing up, and the only thing I could do that felt even remotely like helping was holding her hair back. Jenny would have known what to do or say for sure."

"Was she sick?"

"It was supposed to be her first day back yesterday," Shane said. "I think she worked herself up a bit too much and made herself sick."

"But you were there?" Tori asked. "On the bathroom floor?"

"For a while, yeah," Shane nodded. "Until I had to call for help because nothing worked and… what?" Shane interrupted himself when he saw Tori smirking and very obviously trying to hold back a laugh.

"You're such a dad," she said. "Blake freaks out anytime one of the kids is sick! I swear, he works himself into a panic over nothing."

"It wasn't nothing," Shane frowned.

"No, it wasn't," Tori assured him. "But not knowing what to do, every dad has that. Every parent has it. Do you have any idea how many times I called the pediatrician? I swear, her husband chewed me out, saying she and I spoke more than she and he did and that calls at three AM about stool colour were not appropriate."

"And Tor's a good mom," Dustin added.

"I just wish there was more I knew how to do already," Shane said. "It would have been easier to have nine months to prepare and then have the kid and their problems grow with me, instead of being thrown into the deep end."

"Want advice?" Tori asked, and Shane nodded eagerly. No advice had helped him feel better about being a new parent, but he was hopeful the right advice was still out there. Tori looked to him, very seriously, and just as if she was spilling a long-kept Academy secret, she whispered to Shane, "There's never a shallow end."

"What?"

"Anyone who has ever had to care for a child for any length of time has always been thrown straight into the deep end. I'm in the deep end every single day. As soon as you get something mastered, the kid grows and suddenly, you're a newbie all over again. It's exhausting and heart-breaking and extremely discouraging, but you start all over again despite all that because you love the little monster."

"Do you love Sarah?" Dustin asked. Shane looked to him, slightly offended.

"Dude, she's my niece. Of course, I love her. She's all I've got left of my sister and she's just… this amazing person."

"So, then what's scary about it?" Dustin asked. "This parenting thing and the deep-end and all of that?"

"Screwing up."

"Your parents never screwed up?" Dustin asked with a frown, knowing that couldn't be true. Shane's parents, while they always seemed to have it together, would drive the red Ranger up the wall. Dustin had to listen to Shane venting and ranting about how his parents were too harsh, too tough, or how they didn't "get" him.

"I mean, they weren't perfect but…"

"And you turned out fine, right?" Dustin asked. "I mean… mostly fine."

"Dude!"

"Dude," Dustin responded, then shook his head. "I swear, my parents did everything wrong sometimes and I still love 'em. Dad and I still talk everyday on the phone."

"Does Sarah know how hard you're trying?" Tori asked Shane, who shrugged his shoulders. "I don't mean you're telling her everyday how hard you have it or how much you're trying but, you are there when she needs you, right? Even if you're clueless and in over your head, you've been there, right?"

"Yeah. I make sure I am," Shane nodded.

"Sounds like a good dad to me," Dustin said.

"You'll figure it out," Tori promised Shane, "And then Sarah will change the game on you all over again and you'll still figure it out. And then…"

"I get it. I'm always drowning."

"Keeping your head above water is good parenting," Tori smiled. "Loving everything about it, even when you kind of want to strangle them, is successful parenting."

"It's hard when I miss Jenny too, though," Shane said. "But I feel like mother trumps sister so…"

"You can talk to Sarah about that stuff," Dustin said. "You remember after Sensei died and we avoided mentioning him to Cam? You remember he later chewed our heads off because he thought we didn't care that Sensei had died or whatever."

"Yeah…"

"And you can always talk to us about it," Tori reminded him. "If Sarah's having a rough day and you just miss your sister, give us a call."

"Cam's super flexible about giving us time to help you out," Dustin said. "If you feel we're having a rough day and want to play up the grief… OW!"

"Not appropriate!"

"I'm just saying," Dustin muttered as he rubbed the spot on his arm where Tori had pinched him. "We could use the break too."

"I'll try to time it right for you, Dustin," Shane chuckled.

"That's all I'm asking."

-Ninja-Steel-

As school came to an end, Kelly shut the door to her locker. All things considered, today was a good day for her. She had only been late to her morning class, as more of the students around the school were adapting to clearing a path for her in the hallway. Navigating the school had always been difficult, given so many people were all headed in different directions at the same time, but the chair seemed to increase the difficulty simply because she needed more room to move and since the chair was heavier, she really didn't want to accidently roll on anyone's toes and crush them.

So, getting to class on time meant things were improving. And Sarah had come to school with her that morning as well, so there was that. However, Kelly still wasn't feeling right at the end of the day. Sarah had left at lunch and while Serena had assured Kelly and the other Rangers that Mick was taking care of her, Kelly wished there was more she could do.

She had never had to comfort anyone before Sarah. Her parents, well, they were her parents. It wasn't her job to make them feel better. Her friends at her old school had all been fake and the drama surrounding them had been… well, overdramatic. Her old friends never had real problems. So, a boy wouldn't text them back? Big deal. So, the cafeteria wasn't serving the good fries? Big whoop. Those girls never really needed a shoulder to cry on. Kelly's ability to truly help someone in need had been hindered because of never being needed, and eventually, not being wanted.

Sarah was the first person Kelly met who had real problems. Kelly had to learn to be comforting, and how to cope with her own stress when someone she cared for was hurt, and there was little she could do to help. She had taken some advice from Hayley, since the white Ranger was already in a strong, loving relationship that had seen a few bumps both in and outside of the relationship. From there, Kelly had learned what she needed to do to be the person Sarah could always depend on. She learned Sarah often just needed someone to sit with her and put up with the emotions. She needed someone she didn't have to worry would turn around and leave her when things were tough.

Kelly would always be that person for Sarah, but right now, she wasn't that person that Sarah needed. Jenny had played that role for the pink Ranger as well, but with the bonus of having that motherly bond with Sarah that Kelly would never have. Having lost two mothers, Kelly knew what that absence felt like and it was heart-wrenching. The unconditional love, support, and guidance that Sarah would need for the rest of her adult life had been cut short and the pink Ranger would have to make do with the limited experience Jenny had shared with her. Likewise, Kelly only had a mother like Anne for a short time and felt completely ripped off that there was experience and love that she would no longer receive. It was desperately needed and yet, there would never be another person who could provide her with it.

Kelly thought maybe, since she had lost Anne only a short time before Sarah lost Jenny, that maybe she could help. Maybe she could offer advice and the girls could learn to lean on each other. They could figure out the motherless world together. Unfortunately, Sarah was having a much harder time with her grief than Kelly had, and it pained the green Ranger that she didn't know how to help. She couldn't be that person who would just sit and listen because right now, Sarah needed that person to be her mother.

"You coming?" Brody asked. Kelly looked up from her locker and realized she had been staring at it for a while. Brody looked to her with some concern. "You okay?"

"Just… worried."

"About Sarah?"

"I wish she hadn't left school," Kelly nodded. "I wish there was something I could do."

"She'll come back," Brody said. "The hard part's over. You got her here. And she lasted most of the day."

"I know. And I know it gets a little better over time but… it's hard to see someone you love hurting."

"I know." Brody leaned against the lockers.

"What helped you?" Kelly asked. "I mean, if you don't mind me asking."

"With what?"

"When your mother died."

"The fact that I was two was a pretty good help," Brody said. "I mean, I barely remember her at all. I know I had a tough time with it but life kind of moved on a little easier. Dad was always there."

"After you lost your dad?"

"Being a prisoner kind of kept my mind off that a lot of the time. Otherwise, Mick really helped," Brody said. "He was pretty good at just talking about feelings and stuff and seemed to understand when I needed his advice and when I just needed a good cry. Serena said he's with Sarah now. I'm sure he's doing the same with her."

"I wish I knew how to do that."

"You do," Brody said and offered Kelly a sincere smile. "Sarah loves you and she came to school for you. Somehow, whether you know it or not, you made this easier for her. She came to school for you. She sat through all those classes with you. You were there for her. It's just right now, she needs someone else too. It's good that she's reaching out to other people… even if they reach out to her. Once this passes it'll help her remember she's not alone. She had people supporting her the whole time. And you're still grieving Mrs. Foster. At least now you know, if you're having a bad day, there are other people around who can deal with Sarah. You two might want to be each other's whole world, but it's good that you aren't. I think that's the mistake dad made with us. After mom died, our family was everything to each other. When I lost that, I had no idea what to do with myself. I was lucky to find Mick. I was lucky he reached out. I'd be dead without him."

"Can I still wish I could do more?"

"We all do," Brody assured her with a nod. "Letting her process her feelings, with whoever she'll listen to and whoever can help, might be the best thing you can do."

"You're right. You have to be."

"I hope so. I hope this all gets better soon. We need the team at full strength again."

"Speaking of… I don't want to just come to training," Kelly said as she looked up at Brody, "I want to learn to fight, even if it's just the basics of self-defence. Oedius has taken so much from me and the people I love. Next time I see her, I want to kick her ass."

"Today might be a good day to get back into it," Brody smiled. "Mick's still out with Sarah and Dad's cleaning up after the explosion still. Serena offered to pick up training and she said she knows a few things you can do in the chair to protect yourself. Are you sure you're ready, though?"

"Positive," Kelly nodded. "I just might need a little help getting dressed for training. I haven't quite figured out pants yet."

"Maybe we'll find Hayley and see if she can help," Brody chuckled.