"How are you adjusting?" Carrie asked as Hannah sat down across from her and she gave her a small smile. Hannah had been there for almost two weeks and she thought it was a good time to get an initial take on how things were going. "You don't have to worry about being politically correct with me. I just want to make sure that you feel accepted, like you're making friends…"
"The others are great. The Power Ranger thing is still new, but they're all being so helpful with getting me spun up on the stuff I need to learn. There's just some things that I don't…I don't quite understand," Hannah said as there was a knock at the door and Carrie looked at her calendar before walking over to it. Julia walked into the room, without invitation, and sat down in one of the chairs. She was deathly pale and the both of them gave her a concerned look.
"Hannah- why don't you go grab Axel…" Carrie started to suggest as Julia looked up at her and frantically shook her head no. "Jules- you don't look well."
"I know. Brandon sent me out of combatives because of it and I'm sure he's going to tell Axel, but right now I really just need a few minutes where I can figure out what is going on without him being worried over me," Julia said as she frantically scanned through her phone notes, looking for something. "Crap."
"Want to share?" Carrie asked as Julia shook her head no again as she stared at the wall behind Carrie. "Do you need anything?"
"Can you just…can you tell Axel when he comes looking for me that I'll see him tonight? I'm going to need the rest of today off," Julia said as Carrie just nodded before Julia rose to her feet and quickly left her office.
"What was that about?" Hannah asked as Carrie just shook her head. She had no idea what had just happened and she hoped that Julia was okay. "Things like that though- why would Axel come looking for her just because one of the other rangers mentions that she feels off?"
"They're engaged, but they're also soulmates. When you meet Kimberly and Tommy you'll see that they are the same way, maybe even more so. And in this case- I would guess that it is more than she feels off, by how she's acting I would guess she knows something that she doesn't want to worry Axel with right now," Carrie said as Hannah nodded as there was another knock at the door and Axel quickly opened it. "You just missed her."
"Does she want space?" Axel asked as Carrie nodded and Axel let out a frustrated sigh.
"Do you know what's going on?" Carrie asked as he grimaced before he nodded. "Care to share?"
"Not right now. If I'm wrong…" Axel trailed off as he glanced down at Hannah. "How are you doing?"
"That seems to be the question of the hour," Hannah said as she smiled over at him and then patted the other chair. Axel sat down next to her, ready to listen. "Why didn't you mention she was your soulmate?"
"There is a lot that I thought could be triggering to you with your past. I thought it was easier to just explain that she was my fiance and at some point we'd explain that Power Rangers can have soulmates, but it's pretty rare," Axel said as Hannah nodded as she looked deep in thought. "What else is there?"
"Who was the girl that I replaced?" Hannah asked as Carrie and Axel went quiet and she glanced between the both of them. "I've seen the picture and I can tell that Cameron is really, really touchy about the subject, but…what…did I do something?"
"No- you didn't do anything Hannah. Shelby was his girlfriend and she died in a battle about two years ago now," Carrie said as Hannah glanced around the room, trying to come to terms with how much more dangerous this was than she thought. "The spot was just left open until they switched powers, no matter who came in, it was going to be rough."
"I can't say if Cam will come around, but it's not you. This is something that is really hard for him and I don't know if it will get easier," Axel said as Hannah nodded and he then glared down at his watch as it buzzed. "I'm covering history for Jules?"
"She needs the rest of the day," Carrie stated as Axel just nodded and he stood up to head down to that class. "It's not anything bad, is it?"
"I don't think so, but I can understand why she'd be freaked out," Axel said as Carrie and Hannah exchanged a glance, but he continued on out of the room, closing the door behind him.
"I'm so confused," Hannah whispered as Carrie just nodded. "You too?"
"Oh yeah, all the time," Carrie admitted as Hannah smiled over at her and she watched as the girl relaxed. Maybe she just needed to hear that she wasn't the only one who lived in a constant state of confusion around the rangers.
Cameron sat in Erick's city office and stared out the window, down into the busy streets below. He did not want to be here, but he knew how important it was to continue to unpack everything that had happened and was happening. Kimberly and Tommy's disappearance had blocked a lot of what he needed to work through most and he was frustrated by it. He had made such good progress and now he felt like he had stalled.
"You always settle at that window when it all feels too heavy. What is it today?" Erick asked as Cameron looked over his shoulder and just nodded at the doctor. He didn't want to talk today. He suspected that even more was about to change with his ranger team with Julia and Axel getting engaged. He didn't know what to do about his demotion to being a blue ranger or the fact that his heart ached every time that he morphed because he now had something in common with Shelby in the Power Ranger world. He couldn't even ask Tommy if this had happened before and he couldn't find the files about the old ranger teams right now. "Cameron- it works better when you talk."
"I'm now the blue ranger. That...that is what Shelby...it's one thing to be demoted. It's another thing to have the same color and similar powers to the woman that I couldn't save," Cameron stated continuing to stare out at the city. He wanted to disconnect from this as far as he possibly could, but all it took was for him to look at his communicator and he was reminded of the linkage. "I don't know what to do with this. If Kim and Tommy were here- I'd be gone. But they aren't. So I'm holding on to these powers and I feel like I'm losing it every second that I think about it."
"That's hard. I don't think Kim or Tommy would want you to continue to be a ranger if it is tearing you apart like this. You can walk away."
"Not now and I'm not sure that I'll ever be able to."
"Jules! " Axel called as he walked into the living area. He hoped that she might be eating dinner, but she wasn't there and when he checked the fridge it was obvious she hadn't made herself anything to eat either. "You seen her?"
"I didn't know anyone else was here," Cameron said as Axel nodded and let out a sigh. "Everything alright?"
"Brandon pulled her out of combatives today, told me she was just sluggish and it was going to get her hurt. She then took the rest of the day off," Axel said as Cameron just nodded and he tried to settle. "I'm just…I don't know what I'm walking into."
"Make a couple of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, grab some ice cream, and I'm pretty sure you'll be safe," Cameron joked as Axel nodded and then went into the kitchen to do that. It was obvious that Axel was delaying this conversation, but Cameron wasn't going to call him out on it. He suspected that Axel was just nervous, but he had never seen him this way. He headed back out to the main bay, knowing that he was going to head off anyone else for at least a few minutes to give Axel a chance to get it together.
"Hey Jules?" Axel called as he walked into their suite carrying a tray of food and a couple of bottles of water. "Brandon said you had a rough day- I've got some dinner if you want it."
"I…I don't know," Julia said as she sat up from the couch and he walked over and sank in next to her. "I don't know what's wrong with me."
"Are you sure something is wrong?" Axel asked, gently as she nodded and he placed the tray down before turning his full attention to her. "Do we need to go to the hospital?"
"I don't know…I checked my phone and I went back through our bathroom and…" Julia trailed off as Axel grabbed both of her hands and she finally looked up at him. "I'm late."
"I know," Axel stated as she sobered and then gave him a confused look. How in the world did he know that? "You switched your breakfast and you haven't had your monthly chocolate and ice cream night in awhile. I didn't think it would take you this long to realize though, but there's been a lot lately."
"You're just telling me now?" Julia shrieked as Axel nodded, but gave her a firm look. "I…we don't have any tests and…"
"Give me five? I stashed a few things in the medical bay a couple months back," Axel said as Julia stared at him again. "After Dr. O and Kimberly told us we didn't need to wait…I just thought it would be smart to have some stuff around. Take a deep breath, I will be right back."
Julia hugged her knees to her chest and rocked back and forth on the couch. They had talked about starting a family, but they had also talked about a lot of relationship milestones in the last few months. She had always been careful when it came to sex without protection and Axel had never given her any push back on it. How had this happened?
"Baby, it's okay," Axel whispered as he appeared in front of her and she felt him cup her face and just then realized she had been crying. "I'm not going anywhere and this is not your fault."
"But it is…I must have mistracked or…or…" Julia hyperventilated as he pulled her into a tight hug and she just shook her head against him. "We can't do this right now."
"We don't know that we are doing this right now," Axel said as he pulled back and she looked up at him. How could he say that? It was the only thing that made sense. "There's a lot of other reasons you could be late. Do you want to at least rule this out before we go to the doctor to see what's going on?"
"I…I…" Julia whispered as she started sobbing and Axel just opened his arms and she fell against him. He didn't say anything as she cried against him and he gently rubbed her back. He didn't know why she was reacting like this, but he wasn't going to force her to give him an answer. "I'm a ranger."
"You are and you're not less valuable if you're pregnant," Axel stated as she just shook her head and he tried to figure out what was bothering her so much. "Jules…I don't know what to say to help you with this…I thought we…I thought you were ready if this happened."
"That was theoretical. This is real and I'm freaking out," Julia said as Axel leaned down to give her a kiss and she settled into him again. "It's not that I don't want children with you, it's just…"
"This wasn't your plan?" Axel suggested and she nodded. He firmly placed a box in her hand and she stared at him. "You will feel better to know one way or the other- don't keep playing what if with yourself."
"You're going to have to look," Julia whispered and he nodded that he would before he moved back to let her stand. "I'm sorry…I…"
"Look at me…I'm not mad. You haven't done anything wrong. You're okay. We're okay," Axel said as she nodded at him before wrapping her arms around him again. "I'd take this burden from you, but I can't. All I can offer is a way for you to find some peace."
"Did you make peanut butter jelly?" Julia asked as she looked at the tray and he nodded. "Okay…I'll stop stalling and I'll be back in a bit."
Axel watched as she walked into their bedroom and then disappeared into the bathroom. He had thought she would have a lot of reactions, but this had never crossed his mind. He had mostly thought that she would be happy, maybe a little concerned with the timing. This was the first time he had seen her this level of scared and he couldn't just fix it.
"Three minutes," Julia said as she put her cell phone in his lap and he nodded. "I don't know how we do this Axe."
"Neither do I, but we'll figure it out," Axel said as she curled into his side and grabbed the carton of ice cream. He didn't try to force the conversation and held her as she silently nibbled on the ice cream and generally tried to melt into him. She normally had plenty to say and her silence did not comfort him, it terrified him. The timer sounded on her phone and he gently placed her back against the couch before he stood up. "You want to come with me?"
"Just tell me," Julia whispered and he leaned down to give her another hug before he walked out of the room. She settled back against the couch and tried, for what must have been the hundredth time, to imagine that she was pregnant and be happy about it. All she felt was dread. Dread that she would be leaving the rangers a man down. Dread that something would happen to Axel and she would be left alone. Dread that she would lose the baby because there was such a large target on her back. Nothing about this felt joyful and she desperately wanted for it to be.
"What ya thinkin?" Axel said as he sat down next to her and she looked over at him. "Jules…come on, talk to me."
"What did it say?" Julia asked in a small voice and he pulled her into his lap and she clung to him. "All I see is this ending poorly. I don't know how to even try to maybe be happy about it when I'm terrified that I'll lose you or the baby or…"
"I'm not going anywhere," Axel said as she stared up at him and he let out a sigh. This wasn't him leaving her, this was dying that she was worried about. "I could get hit by a car, just as well as, I could be killed in a battle."
"Not comforting," Julia muttered as he just rubbed her back and she gave him a nod. She was ready to hear whatever it was he had to say.
"We're going to have a baby," Axel whispered as he smiled at her and she felt the news jolt through her. She stared at him before throwing her arms around him and he held her close. She didn't know where she was on this, but he was right about one thing. She did know that he was not going anywhere.
AN: The story is going to split for the next few chapters. A chapter from each location will be posted each week. If you want to read what is going on, on Earth in order you can read Chapters 11, 13, 15, 18, 20, 22, and 24 once they are completed. If you want to read the Kimberly and Tommy chapters together- they will be chapters 12, 14, 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, and 25, 26. Chapter 27 will then bring it all back together.