Episode 20: Home

Following Cruger's advice, Bridge, Sky, and Syd brought the three teams of Rangers to a small villa beside the Academy. It wasn't big, just enough to have the three houses of the main core of the SPD Academy. Bridge smiled as he watched the houses where he, Sky, and Syd grew up before becoming an active part of the SPD Academy and the small building near the houses.

"That building is where Jack, Z, Commander Cruger and Kat Manx live. Papa and my uncles always had them as part of the core group of the SPD Academy. While they also offered the same to Alpha-5, Rico, and RoboKnight, they declined, preferring to stay at the Academy to watch over everything while they rested," explained Bridge, looking in front of him to see the houses. "…and here we are."

The Rangers saw three beautiful houses in front of them, separated by fences but still connected. The houses represented the three Rangers very well. Mike's was a mix between Emily's farmhouse and the Shiba House where they trained as Rangers. It had the same Samurai elements and was the biggest house by far. Conner's house was smaller, resembling the house he shared with Kira in Reefside with the same big backyard where he probably practiced soccer or even taught the other kids. Jake's house, situated in the middle, was a mix between the house Jason shared with Kat and bits of what he remembered from the house they had in Angel Grove. There were yellow flowers in the backyard, and like Conner, he too seemed to practice soccer and, like Mike, it seemed to have space enough to start his own farm.

"Shall we go?" asked Sky, and the teams nodded with a mix of trepidation and sadness as Syd guided the Samurais, Sky the Dino Thunder Rangers, Kim and Hayley, and Bridge the Megaforce Rangers, Jason, and Kat.

-L-

Mike's House – Syd and Samurai Rangers with Mentor Ji and Lauren

Now that they knew the truth about Syd, they weren't surprised to see her opening the door of the house and inviting them in. What they didn't know was that for her, it was also the first time since her dad died that she came here.

This house came with memories she didn't want to focus on too much. She took a deep breath, looked at the TV where Mike used to put her favorite fairytales when she was younger, or the kitchen where he made breakfast, often joined by Conner and Jake while she played with Sky and Bridge.

She could feel the tears when she felt a hand in hers and saw Emily there. She was not alone anymore, but it was still painful to be here. Yet, she wanted them to see what her dad had here. "You can see how it resembles the Shiba House. When dad first thought about the house, he wanted somewhere big where we could have space because Sky, Bridge, and I and later Z and Jack always ran around, , so he wanted us to have a big house."

"Everything seems big," said Kevin, looking at the TV. "You must have watched a lot of shows."

"Fairytales for me as I am dad's princess," said Syd with a smile. "Bridge liked magic shows, and Sky and Jack were more into fights and car racing, while Z was more into documentaries about cooking and music. Dad managed to get all our favorite DVDs, so we usually got here every morning, watching shows and eating cereal."

"That's a very Mike attitude," said Antonio, and Syd nodded, looking around. "Since the house was big enough for everyone, sometimes Uncle Jake and Conner came with the kids, and even Commander Cruger and Kat Manx came here often to have family time. Of course, Alpha-5, Rico, RoboKnight, and many others joined over the years, and this is where the zords were until you woke up."

Syd made a gesture for them to follow her as they went to the small training room, prepared with dummies. It also had pictures of them as a team, as Rangers, and even the past generations of Samurai Rangers were there, all of them except for Mike's father. There were also pictures of Emily's family farm, with Serena and Emily's parents, and one small altar with a woman's name on it.

"That's a memorial for grandma," said Syd gently when the Rangers looked at it. "He wanted me to know her, and she has been here all the time, guiding us."

"It is very nice of him," said Mia, walking closely to look at their pictures on the wall. "You knew everything about us, didn't you?"

"Sky, Bridge, and I learned all about our parents' teams as we grew up, and later on, Jack and Z went through the same process. Even if they weren't officially adopted, they are family to us, and well, you know Bridge and Z are a couple, like Sky and I," said Syd, walking to the side of the room. "By the way, here is where I have something for you, Jayden, and for you, Lauren."

Both Jayden and Lauren shared a look as Syd showed them what she was talking about. Moving the wall, a secret room was discovered where Jayden could see the replica Syd told him Mike made for Jayden. It was a beautiful sword, similar to Mike's Masamune but with red instead of green and the symbols of all the Rangers on it.

"This is the sword I talked about before, Jayden. It is a replica of Masamune, but what I didn't mention to you is that Dad made changes on it to also hold some of the magnificent features of another mythical sword: the Onimaru Kunitsuna. The combination of the two swords makes you not only a unique Samurai but also someone with the power to eradicate the demons from the world if they were ever to appear again. It is also a symbol of trust from Dad to you, and as a final touch, there are the symbols of the Rangers, and it is connected to your lion."

Syd encouraged Jayden to grab his sword, and he did, feeling how light it was. Mike must have thought he liked to move fast and be precise, and this sword had both qualities. He chuckled, marveling at the blade, while Syd looked at Lauren, who was speechless looking at the other weapon there and a samuraizer. She looked at Syd, and the SPD Rangers smiled, nodding.

"This is yours. Dad knew you deserved a place in the team, and while you gave Jayden the Red Ranger samuraizer, nothing stopped him from using Antonio's design to create one for you," said Syd. "This is the Crimson Samurai, the unique line in the Shiba House, and this is your sword. Just like Jayden's sword is a mix between Dad's Masamune and the Onimaru Kunitsuna, yours is a mix of two swords part of the Five Swords Under Heaven, the Dojigiri Yasutsuna and the Juzumaru Tsunetsugu. A master sword for a master Samurai. And along with this, there is one more thing."

Syd turned around and opened a small door where she took out a small box with the Shiba Symbol. That box, once it was touched, transformed into a small animal resembling a Falcon. When it saw Lauren, it quickly flew towards her, happy to finally see its master.

"That was created by our team at the SPD, but since Mike has been talking to it about the master she would have, it has been quite excited to meet you," said Syd. "Happy now, Falc?"

The animal made a sound in Lauren's hand, but the older Shiba sister had not reacted yet. She had tears in her eyes as she looked at her morpher, her sword, and her zord. All hers, not shared, not hidden, just hers, and all of them created by Mike.

"He kept his promise," whispered Lauren, and when the others looked at her, Lauren just smiled, petting her zord. "When I gave the samuraizer back to Jayden, Mike promised me that I would always be part of the team, and now he made it real with this."

"Dad wanted to honor that promise because he knew you would honor the one you made to him," said Syd, and Lauren nodded while her brother walked towards her, confused. "What did you promise him?"

"That I would always watch over all of you. He may have not appreciated all my training, but he knew how good I was, and he wanted me to know that he trusted me to watch over the team he cherished."

There was a moment of silence as the team looked at Lauren interact with her zord and was welcomed by the other zords. Even the Bear, always loyal at Emily's side, roared happily as Lauren officially became the Crimson Samurai Ranger. Syd smiled, knowing her dad's wishes were finally realized, and then touched Emily's arm to get her attention.

"I know you are aware how much Dad loved you, but he also loved the life he found with you and your family, even if he didn't always show it," said Syd, pointing to the backyard. "He had plans to get a mini farm for us out there and started to build one with Jake and Conner in the backyard, but it is not finished."

Emily smiled widely when she walked out to the backyard and saw the small farm half in construction. It looked beautiful, and she had a very good idea of where Mike was going. Her father, who liked Mike more than he was willing to admit, taught Mike everything about life on a farm, so most of what she was seeing now was part of those teachings.

It was almost like going back home on Earth.

"He planned to bring animals as soon as it was finished, and to be honest, I have not stepped into this house since… well, you know since when," admitted Syd as Emily held her hand. "But I know Dad wanted this to be finished, and now you are here."

"We will help you," said Emily, looking from Syd to the mini farm. "He created this to remember the life he had with me and my family back home. Now that I know the full story of his family, I am aware of how much a simple life meant to him. He loved it enough to replicate it here and show it to you. Now, it is my turn to show you how much I love him and appreciate his presence in my life."

She looked over her shoulder, seeing all her teammates, her friends, and Mentor Ji standing behind them. All of them with the same idea she had.

"We will finish this project together," said Emily, looking at Syd one more time. "Won't we?"

"Yes…" said Syd with tears in her eyes as she hugged the woman she was coming to see as her mother. "Yes, we will."

It was a promise made not only to her but to the man who saved their lives and created this new world for them.

-L-

Conner's House – Sky and the Dino Thunder Rangers with Kimberly and Hayley

Sky opened the door of the house to allow the Dino Thunder Rangers to walk in. The house was nothing too special, except for the amount of technology surrounding it. Sky made a movement with his hands, and the lights went on. Then he walked in, showing the Rangers the living room and the doors to the backyard. On the side, there was a room with a wooden door, and not far from it were stairs that led to the bedrooms.

"These are all my designs," said Ethan, looking around the house, impressed as he saw the lights, the TV, even the kitchen, or the cleaning supplies. Those all were designs he did in his free time, before he became a Ranger and was trying to find out what to do with his talent. "He created all of them?"

"Father asked Kat Manx to use them as projects for the kids studying in the 'Ethan's Secret' course. These are final projects, and to test them, he uses them here at the house," said Sky, chuckling. "We did have a few accidents over the years, but if a project is good, the kid will end up with a chance to work for the SPD Academy and is able to work with the technology used for the Rangers and the Silver Guardians back on Earth."

Sky walked towards the living room. "There is only one item here you didn't create or help to create, but that Father wanted you to have."

To his surprise, Sky got a pair of sunglasses, the same ones Conner was using during the video where they saw him outside, the very first time they saw him after waking up. He gave them to Ethan, and the Blue Ranger looked at them, confused.

"What is this?" asked Ethan. Sky looked at the glasses with a nostalgic look in his eyes before smiling at Ethan. "You'll find out—or that's what Father said. They are very special. It was an idea Uncle Jake gave him, and Father had them for a long time. Before the final battle, he left them here so he could show them to you when you woke up."

That's what Conner told him, but it was evident that now Sky was alone here, doing all the things his Father promised to do with him. It was a heavy burden, but Sky was willing to bear it for him, just like Conner was willing to raise him when he was all alone. He saw Ethan already trying to decipher the secrets behind the glasses and decided to leave him alone for now. It would take a while for Ethan to find out about the reason behind the glasses, and his Father advised Sky to never disturb Ethan when he was trying to understand something. So he indicated for the other Rangers to follow him to the kitchen, which was almost like Hayley's small kitchen at the Cyber Café, with the difference that it was still much like his home. Kira moved easily through the rooms while Hayley chuckled, looking at the kitchen.

"He got all this from Earth, didn't he?" asked Hayley, and Sky nodded. "Yes, Father and Anton Mercer talked every week, and more often than not, Mr. Mercer sent some of the new products for Father to evaluate. They were good business partners, despite Mr. Mercer's reservations at the start of their partnership. Father managed 'Hayley's Heaven' here, and Mr. Mercer the Cyber Café over there. No one made a choice without the other, but that's not all, look."

Sky went to one of the drawers of the kitchen and got a device out. Then, Sky showed the Dino Thunder Ranger team his own SPD morpher. Seeing the similarity with the device he had in his hands, he put the one he got from the kitchen in Hayley's hands. "Father thought you would love the challenge to know what's in this device. He asked Kat Manx to design it for you. Only she, Father, and I know what's there, but I'll let you find out."

"Challenge accepted," said Hayley with a smile as she took the SPD device in her hands. She was curious to see what Conner may have left for her, apart from all the rest he already prepared for her. Sky smiled, pointing to the closed door near the kitchen.

Sky stopped by the door and took a deep breath. Both he and his father spent a lot of time here, and he had been here after his father passed away, but this was the first time he brought his Father's team here, and it was hard. Still, he forced himself to open the door, and the smell of books hit him as soon as he stepped into the room.

He took a step aside so the Rangers could see what was inside the room: it looked like a small library, full of books and records, definitely Conner's office. There was a desk, glasses, pictures on the desk with his team, with Kira, in his soccer camp, and with the SPD Rangers and Sky when they were younger and later on when they became Rangers.

But it was one thing that made Trent stop. He pointed at the art Conner had displayed in his office; all of it was part of Trent's art, from before he went to help the Megaforce Rangers.

"Father didn't know anything about art, but he never failed to ask Mr. Mercer for yours," explained Sky, surprising Trent. "He said you keep him grounded. Every time he looked at this art, he was reminded you were still here, probably telling him to get better if he wanted to be the hero he claimed to be."

"I… I probably would have done that if I had been here," said Trent, clearing his voice and looking away, and Sky nodded. "Father supported Mr. Mercer and Elsa after what happened to you. That's the real reason why your father even thought about becoming partners with him."

"I figured. My dad is not someone who would partner with anyone, not even if that someone was a friend of mine," said Trent, chuckling sadly, and Sky put a hand on his shoulder. "Father said he always felt guilty for not being able to save your father and Elsa sooner, but most of all, he was grateful. He said that was partially Dr. O's and later, Kimberly's influence on him—their legacy of duty and honor that he took deeply in his heart. Then, Hayley's patience, Ethan's support, and Kira's love shaped him into the man he became. But there was also you, Trent."

"Me? All I did was to kick his ass countless times," said Trent, and Sky actually laughed. "He did say that, but Father also said your strength to change, your willingness to fight even your father, was the biggest turning point in his life. Your choices revealed a side of him that actually pushed him not to give up on you, and later on, not to give up in this fight they had against the Dark Ranger."

Trent spent a few minutes looking at Sky, processing his words before chuckling, feeling tears in his eyes. Conner and Trent had a never-ending competition between them, but under all that was a respect that was beyond all their differences, and it was clear they were friends, just by looking at Conner's perception of Trent and Trent's reaction to his words.

"He also said it would be embarrassing if you had to come back and save him one more time," said Sky, and Trent actually laughed.

Sky left him to watch over the paintings in the room and turned to look at Tommy and Kimberly. "It is not a surprise this room was also his office. Your influence in him turned him into someone who wanted to teach others, and for that, he needed tons of books and reports. He was the Historical Ranger Wikipedia, and while I admit we drove him crazy more often than not, he did answer all our questions."

Tommy and Kimberly were deeply touched, going through the books as they saw all their stories, with notes on the side from Conner. He often wondered in his notes about what path they took, motivations for Rangers and villains, but there was one book they noticed Sky had in his hands and that he gave them. The book was titled "For Love and Duty," and when they looked up, Sky was smiling at them.

"This is a book about you two, from the day you became Rangers and the challenges you faced, together and apart. Father has a few books published that are pretty good, but this is one everybody loves the most. It doesn't have your full names or families' names on it, but whoever knows the story knows he talks here about his perception of your legacy, your strength, and your love for each other," explained Sky. "It's also Syd's favorite book and the main reason we are together now."

Tommy and Kimberly took the book in their hands and looked at each other with a smile, touching the cover tenderly before Sky finally looked at Kira and signaled her to get out of the room with him. He guided her to the Master bedroom, and once he opened the room, Kira saw exactly what Conner had been doing while she wasn't here.

There was a mix of their things in that room, some probably sent by her parents. His soccer ball with her notes for future songs she left before the fight with the Armada and Mavro. One of his red jackets mixed with her yellow and black shirt, one of the many she had when she was younger and that reminded them of their times against Mesogog. His T-Rex staff with a replica of her Ptetra grips because she had the originals.

There were also tips of Blue there, probably from Sky, mixed with their things over the years, like Sky's small uniform as an SPD cadet and a picture of Sky with Conner, Conner with the rest of the SPD Rangers after a class, and a few pictures of Conner with Mike and Jake. All of them were on a table near the closed window, but there was one near his nightstand—a picture from one of their dates, Kira noticed.

She had never seen that picture before, and Sky noticed, grabbing the picture to give it to her. "Father said he took this during a date. He told me you looked so peaceful and beautiful he could not contain himself. I think it was shortly after his incident with the Nighlok?"

Kira nodded, remembering the moment because she recognized the clothes she was wearing. "This was our first date after he got out of the hospital. I became a little paranoid and was very protective of him. At the time, only I had my powers back and he almost died, so…"

"I know, Father talked about it proudly. I believe he liked the attention," said Sky, and Kira rolled her eyes with a smile.

"He took me out on a date to assure me everything was fine, and shortly after, Mike and his team managed to defeat the Nighlok," said Kira, looking down at the picture. "It was a good date, it helped me to relax, and Conner seemed really happy about spending time together."

"He was," said Sky, looking down. "You are going to see times when he lost faith, Mother, and times where everything seemed impossible, but even then… I bet that even now, wherever he is, Father is still feeling the same way he did about you."

Kira nodded, and when Sky walked towards her, she hugged her son. Sky was all she had from Conner, and his presence here was the only reason why she was stopping herself from locking herself in this room, where she could live surrounded by her husband for the rest of her life.

There was a moment of silence, where mother and son relied on this silence and the red colors surrounding the room before Sky looked at his mother and smiled. "Want to see the backyard? Father built a small soccer camp there."

"He taught you to play soccer, didn't he?" said Kira, looking at him with a smile, and Sky nodded. "Of course he did, with a father like Conner and an uncle like Jake, it was impossible for you not to learn."

"You are right, Mother. He did teach me, Bridge, and Jack, but Bridge is not very good at it, and Uncle Mike used to be dragged by Z and Syd, either to have tea time with Syd or to learn new meditation techniques with Z. It was, as Father often said, a roller coaster."

Kira laughed at that. "Just like we were."

Sky nodded, and together, mother and son, took one more look at the room as the laugh died down. This was their home now, and despite him not being here, it felt almost as if Conner was still there, lingering in every part of himself that he left for them.

-L-

Jake's Home – Bridge and Megaforce Rangers with Jason and Kat

Bridge was smiling when he walked into his house. He was the one who came here often, more than Sky and Syd went to their parents' houses. He wanted to be near his dad as much as possible, but it was also the fact that his papa always brought work back home, so Bridge had to come and get the documents for Cruger and Kat all the time.

The first thing Jason and Kat noticed was a replica of blasters on a few boxes in the living room. They were replicas of Jason's old blaster with a Tyrannosaurus and a crane on it, both red and pink. There were also others, for each original Ranger.

"What is this?" asked Jason, looking inside the box and showing one blaster. Bridge laughed as he walked towards him, grabbing the black blaster replica with a Mastodon engraved on it. "Papa asked Kat Manx to create them so we could do this."

Bridge fired the blaster, and Jason was hit with water in his face. He looked at Bridge for a long moment, stunned, while the Rangers and Kat, standing behind him, tried and failed to contain their laughter. Bridge had a shy smile, and looking at him, Jason started to laugh too.

"I used to do this with Jake too when he was younger," said Jason, chuckling as he looked down at the blaster, which was simply a water gun. "Once he came back from his visit to Reefside, I felt bad for putting so much training on him, so that summer Kat and I decided to get our broken blasters and turn them into water guns. Remember that Kat?"

"I do. We got everything and everyone, and you, Jake, and I teamed up and took them all down," said Kat, hugging Jason, putting her head on his chest. "Rocky had to pay for dinner because he dared to challenge the mighty Tyranno and his son."

"Papa did the same to us," said Bridge, smiling. "He claimed he was trying to teach us to work as a team, but I know he was trying to get us to be comfortable with each other because this happened right after Jack and Z joined the team. While it was never proven, we know he and my uncles let us win. There is no way they failed so many times against cadets with no coordination."

Jason nodded, smiling as he put the blasters back in the box. Even in his pain, Jason was happy to know that Jake never thought about Jason's firm treatment during his training and chose to remember the moments when they were just two guys trying to navigate the world. Bridge put a hand on his shoulder, making Jason look at him.

"He always hoped to be half of the papa you were to him, and, if it helps, he was the best one I could ever ask for," said Bridge, looking softly at Jason. "I do not remember much of my birth papa, but I know he would be happy I ended up with Jake. He taught me all I know just like you taught him."

Jason nodded, and before Bridge could react, Jason hugged him, a big contrast to the first time they saw each other when Jason almost hit him. Bridge smiled, touched by his grandfather's movement, and hugged him back.

"Thank you, Bridge, and I'm sorry for what I did when I met you. You are truly Jake's son," said Jason. Bridge nodded proudly, and then he looked at Kat. "Well, he did learn all about Jason, except cooking. That was Grandma's department, or that's what Papa said."

"Please, tell me he was good," said Kat, and Bridge smiled. "He was the best. We spent most of our time in Syd and Mike's house since it was bigger, but Papa always was in charge of the kitchen. You know, for someone so distracted by the cartoons we were watching, he was pretty good."

Kat laughed. "He did that when he was a kid too, eager to help but too distracted to actually do anything," said Kat, looking at Jason. "Like that time he ended up covered in eggs and flour."

Jason nodded, and Bridge chuckled when he noticed Emma looking at one particular item hanging by the door to his papa's office. He smiled as she walked towards it, touching it. The item had green touches all over it, but it was almost like the same thing Emma used.

"It's like yours, but mine is custom-made with green and it has a small phoenix on the back," said Bridge, getting Emma's attention. "You know about the course, and while some of the kids wanted new cameras, I wanted this one. Papa told me it's the same you used, and he made sure to show me some of your pictures."

"He did?" asked Emma, speechless, and Bridge nodded. "I'm not as good as you are, but maybe we can take a little trip to the forest when this is over and you can teach me?"

"Of course," said Emma, holding back her tears as she looked at Bridge and then at the camera, lost in her thoughts. Bridge smiled at her, squeezing her arm gently before he looked towards the table, where Noah and Orion were looking at the design on his papa's desk.

"Impressive, uh?" said Bridge, and Noah nodded, looking at him. "This is a mix between my designs and Orion's technology, right?"

"It is, you were right, as always, Noah. If papa had put more into his studies, he would be at yours and ma's level. These designs took papa months, but they got the approval of the team. It helps the planets stay connected, and it will be very useful to send resources or if they get attacked," said Bridge, looking at the designs. "You two didn't know it back then, but both Andresia's technology and your ideas, Noah, made this possible. Papa just put them together."

"But this is… if that becomes real, it could avoid another attack like the one on my…" said Orion, realizing the reason why Jake thought of that in the first place. "…this was because of the attack on my planet."

"Mostly, papa didn't want any casualties, and since he was the Commander, it wasn't like anyone was going to stop him. Besides, it did get us some allies from the farthest side of the Universe, so we are planning to launch it soon…" said Bridge, looking at the designs with a sad smile. "He would have loved to see your faces."

Noah and Orion shared a look, and then both hugged Bridge. The three of them still holding the designs Jake got ready. It was Bridge's job to present it, but now, with Noah and Orion, he was sure no one would oppose his papa's wishes, and if they did, they were going to find the resistance of every Power Ranger in this family.

Which brought him to the next thing they wanted to show them. He went upstairs and came back, holding a picture he showed Troy. As soon as he saw it, Troy looked up, unable to believe his eyes. "This was sent by Tensou before RoboKnight came to stay with us permanently as Earth's representative. Do you recognize the school?"

"Yeah… this is my martial arts school," said Troy, pointing at the picture. "This is my sensei."

"Yes, and these are Kendall and Chase," explained Bridge. Troy had to look twice, and it took a moment before Bridge spoke again. "Earth was not attacked twice after you were drained of energy, Troy, but papa wanted to be sure Kendall and Chase would be ready, so he contacted your teacher, explained the basics without going into much detail, and he gave both of them classes. Papa wanted them to be ready, and you were the man he trusted the most with leading the team. He wanted them to learn from the man who taught those values to you, and they did."

Troy was stunned, and for a long moment, he said nothing, looking at the picture. Both Kendall and Chase looked older, but they were still the same kids he met before, and his sensei… he seemed happy. But what surprised him the most was that Jake once again put Troy and not himself as an example.

"Don't look so surprised, papa always admired your leadership, Troy, and he knew Kendall and Chase could learn a lot from your sensei. He just made it happen," said Bridge, and then, he got closer to Troy so no one could hear him. "You will see this later, but my papa, when he was lost… he reached out to you, his leader, to give him strength."

Troy looked at him for a long time, and then he looked back at the picture. Jake, the powerful White Ranger that led this Academy, looked up to him, the Red Megaforce Ranger that led him into the battle where he lost everything.

Jake, who held the power of the Universe in his hand, looked at Troy, who held the power of his father and many Red Rangers after him. Troy wasn't sure what he did to deserve it, but he was sure of something. He wouldn't let that belief down.

Troy smiled at Bridge, hugging him briefly before Bridge walked to Gia. He made a gesture for her to follow him, and while she was nervous, that's what she did. Bridge guided her towards a room, between the master bedroom and Bridge's own room, and stopped at the door, looking at Gia.

"The master bedroom is yours now, and we can visit it later, but before I wanted to show you this," said Bridge, taking her hand in his. "Ready?"

Gia nodded, unable to say anything as Bridge opened the door. When she got into the room, she gasped as she looked at what was inside. There were tons of documents, pictures, and notes. She looked at the pictures, all of them from Jake's time while she was asleep, with training sessions of the SPD Rangers or some with him, Conner, and Mike in class. Some of them were of Alpha, RoboKnight, Rico… even Jordan. Gia noticed some pictures were removed, but she was still impressed.

"I took some of them because you haven't seen everything, and papa said you always were looking for answers, so I will give them to you once we finish watching the memories," explained Bridge with a smile. "Papa knew you would want to know everything that has been going on while you weren't here, so he documented everything and put it here for you. He decided to make it a room because he thought you would spend hours here."

Gia chuckled, of course, she would spend hours here. There was everything she wanted to know, and Jake couldn't tell her in the letter she first read. She walked to the table, where there was a picture of Jake dressed as Commander with the moon shining over him, featuring his handsome face. She smiled, touching it.

"He knew me too well," said Gia and then took a deep breath. "Everybody tells us he was a hero, and every time I see the memories, I see it, in every fight and every choice he made. But then I see you, and you have learned his goofiness."

"He was still the same guy you knew, ma. He just had more responsibilities and more to deal with, and it wasn't always easy," said Bridge. "But you know he never forgot you or any of the Rangers."

"I know, this is another piece of evidence of that," said Gia, looking around the room before looking at Bridge. "Tell me something, Bridge. Did he… did he ever want to just run and leave everything behind?"

The question wasn't a surprise for Bridge, but he did have trouble answering it. Were there times when his father wanted to leave? He never expressed it, but Bridge was able to see the fear, desperation, and pain in his eyes more times than he thought possible.

"He lost hope a few times, and I believe he thought he wasn't good enough to lead the Academy. There was a time… a very dark time for all of us," said Bridge, his eyes getting sad while Gia stroked his cheek, feeling bad for making him talk about it. Then, he looked up and smiled at her. "…but he came back, and we were stronger, all of us. We fought together, like you all did at the beach, and now the world is in peace."

Not with his father or his uncles, but there was peace, and that made the pain more bearable because it meant the sacrifice meant something. Gia nodded, looking around the room. This place was full of memories that were now hers. She could almost feel Jake here, near the window, with a soft smile on his face.

Gia smiled before putting the picture of Jake inside the pocket of her leather jacket, near her heart, and took Bridge's hand, looking at him. "I'm sure your papa is watching over us and will keep this peace, just like he did while he was here."

Bridge nodded, smiling softly, and then, both mother and son walked out of the room, closing the door behind them. This was their home now, but it was also Jake's, and his presence, while only in memory, was enough to carry them to the next adventure waiting outside these walls.

-L-

SPD Academy – Meeting Room

While his team was talking with other Rangers about their experiences, Andros managed to sneak back into the meeting room where he found Anubis Cruger. When the Commander looked at him, he didn't seem surprised.

"Andros, I was wondering when you were coming to see me personally," said Cruger, and Andros walked towards him, still a little cautious, which was also expected.

"Jake told you about us, didn't he?" said Andros. "If he did, you know I came for answers about this time jump and my daughter."

"He did. I believe his words were 'careful with my Uncle Andros. He's a good guy, one of the best, but if we don't ensure him Kendall is fine, he will become our worst nightmare.' Jake was right, of course, as you didn't settle down with the answer we gave you before."

"Of course not, neither is Ash, Leo, and Kendrix. They just trust you more," said Andros. "Now, give me answers, Commander."

"Very well… I was hoping to show this later, but I guess time's up," said Cruger with a chuckle. "But before we get to the important part, let me show you something."

Andros didn't want to see anything, but when Cruger turned around and opened the door, leaving the room, Andros had no choice but to follow the Commander. There was a room near the meeting room where Cruger waited for Andros to catch up before opening the door, showing the Red Space Ranger another room, smaller but big enough to fit a small crew, around six or seven people.

Andros also noticed that this room looked like his Command Room in the AstroShip but with upgrades. "This is the Space Simulation Room, designed and created by your daughter and Jake," said Cruger, behind Andros.

Andros looked at it, marveling as he passed a hand on the controls. He could almost feel his little Ranger running calculations while Jake put things together, and he could not stop himself from chuckling. This was a better job than he or any of his Rangers could have done.

"It looks amazing," whispered Andros, looking up towards Cruger. The Commander nodded, walking towards him. "Your daughter is not gone, Andros, she's on Earth and she's good, better than you can imagine. She's strong, brave, and smart. You know Jake didn't forget about her or Chase or anyone."

Andros nodded, and yet there was that pain in his eyes Cruger still saw, and that's when he remembered Jake telling him about Andros, everything he lost, how it affected him not to be able to see what was going on, to have evidence and not only words.

So Cruger decided in that moment he would break the rules and hoped that it was fine. He walked to the controls and projected a small image only he and Andros could see. As soon as Andros saw it, he looked at the Commander, surprised.

"Is that real?" asked Andros, unable to hide his smile, and Cruger nodded again. "Very real. She is everything, and she's not alone. That boy beside her is Chase. Do you understand now why they can't be here?"

Andros nodded, walking closer to the projection. His hand almost touched his daughter's face, and he felt a tear run down his cheek. "Purple, uh?"

"Jake had the same reaction," said Cruger, walking to stand beside Andros. He put a hand on the Red Ranger's shoulder and looked at the picture. "They will come soon, but first, they need to make sure everything is taken care of on Earth. They are our strongest connection since RoboKnight came here, but they are not the only ones."

"No? Wait…" said Andros, looking at Cruger. "There's more?"

"Many more. We need more than the SPD to protect the Universe, and the others… they are as amazing as your daughter, Chase, and their friends. You all will meet them when the time is right, but Andros, you have to know, this world, despite its peace, also has challenges, and your daughter and other Rangers will need men like you to guide them. Are you ready to be there for them?"

Andros looked at the image of his daughter and felt his pride rise as he saw her like that, so strong and so similar to her mother. He was proud of her, and he would make sure to tell her just that once he saw her again. As for the Commander's question… Andros looked at Cruger and nodded.

"I was there for Jake when he needed me, and he always has been there for us and my daughter, so you can be sure I will honor his work and our legacy with any other Ranger that needs us," promised Andros.

Cruger nodded. "Good, because we need men like you, Andros. Now more than ever."

Andros looked at the picture one more time while Cruger took a deep breath. His words, while true, had a hidden meaning of whatever was going on with the corruption and what he and Clare felt before. But whatever it was, he had to trust these Rangers—past, present, and future—would be ready for the challenge.

Because none of them were ready to lose any more than they already had.