The Power Rangers series and all associated characters, settings, and events are property of Disney Entertainment. They are used here without permission. All stories on this site are not for sale and not intended for profit.

�Jessica Jeffries to wed television news producer...�

Andrew could still remember every word of the announcement on the evening news a week ago. Jessica was getting married. It surprised him that she would have found the time out from her career as a successful reporter and television personality to have a personal life, to date, to fall in love, to get married - he wasn�t sure why; plenty of people seemed able to do it. He also wasn�t sure why it bothered him so much. Not jealousy, it had been decades since they had been a couple.

Jessica had been so beautiful, so bright, so energetic and outgoing, everything an intellectual college student with little social life could want in a girlfriend. They had dated for almost a year, and Andrew had toyed with the idea of being in love. But when his graduation arrived he began to wonder if they were both too young for commitment, and besides, she still had three years of college to keep her in Newtech City while he could move on to advanced studies in much more interesting places, and the prospect of spending a year on a dig in Egypt had seemed much more meaningful than staying in the States to be near his girlfriend...

At least they had parted friends, although they hadn�t really kept in touch until Jess came asking for the opportunity to interview his Rangers three years ago. He had wondered at the time whether he should ask her out for dinner, whether for old times� sake or to give it another try he couldn�t decide - but the time hadn�t seemed right, and he was busy, and she was completely involved in her career.

Maybe that was why Jessica�s engagement bothered him so much that he had given in to an attack of restlessness and come here, supposedly to do some hiking but in reality looking for solitude and thought. It was an excellent place for it; he was high enough in the mountains to escape the broiling heat of an Arizona summer, at least when he stayed out of the sun. At the moment he was standing in the shade of a large rock outcropping at the edge of a cliff, trying to make out the town of Tombstone in the distance, alone in the stark beauty of a desert landscape with an immensity of clear blue sky spread above him.

Being alone in a place like this had never bothered him before, but today - he kept wanting to look beside him and see Rose�s bright eyes and warm smile, and hear her tell him how awe-inspiring the view was. All of it, everything, seemed flat and pale without her here to share it. Was that love? And yet he knew it was, the part of love that had always terrified him with the idea of being tied to one person, of being dependant on someone else for his happiness, the part that was sure it wouldn�t be worth the disappointment when something inevitably went wrong, the part that had always made him run as fast as he could to the next expedition or research project or engineering venture.

Why? Andrew had never bothered to wonder why before. Maybe a father who had been too wrapped up in his business enterprises and a series of increasingly young and beautiful �assistants� to pay attention to his family, and a mother who�d had no time for anything but travel and social events for her world-wide collection of charities. He�d watched their marriage fall to ruins and eventually turn into the real opposite of love - complete indifference - and sworn it would never happen to him. But blaming his parents was too easy and too glib - he had avoided their mistakes, and found plenty of ways to make his own.

He could see now that he�d never loved Jessica or any of the other women he�d been involved with enough to get past his doubts and fears. The question was... did he love Rose enough? Their age difference was a valid concern, but had he been using it as an excuse to avoid starting a relationship that might go deeper than anything he�d experienced before?

�Andrew Hartford?�

The voice behind him was so totally unexpected and startling that Andrew turned too fast and lost his balance, a foot slipping as a small stone rolled under it. He staggered backwards, arms windmilling in an effort to right himself as he teetered on the brink of the long fall to a rocky slope below...

Until a strong hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. Andrew took a second to look down and gulp in relief before turning his attention to his rescuer.

She was a woman - at least at first glance. Her shoulders were broad and her build was wiry, with slim hips and no sign of breasts, but her voice and features were definitely feminine. Hair so red it seemed aflame in the sun topped a face dotted with dark spots too large to be freckles, and her fingernails looked very much like claws, but otherwise she seemed human enough. Her uniform - dark green overalls that left her arms bare - reminded him a little of the lizard mailman who had delivered Mack�s first letter.

�Hey, sorry to startle you. I don�t usually send customers falling to their deaths,� she said. Her grin looked human too.

�Not your fault, I just wasn�t expecting anyone up here.�

�I can see why.� She glanced out at the view and took a deep breath. �Nice planet you�ve got here. Very scenic.�

�Thanks.� Andrew returned her smile. �May I ask what this is about? Do you have a letter for me?�

�Yes, I do. I guess you�ve been expecting one.� She pulled a letter from a small pouch on her belt and handed it to him.

�In a way. I�ve been getting letters delivered by S.P.D., and before that I got one from a - a space mail carrier, I guess.�

�The ISPS.� She made a disdainful face and then explained as Andrew gave her a questioning look. �The Interstellar Postal Service. I mean, they�re okay for ordinary correspondence, but talk about your snail mail...! I work for PlanEx - Planetary Express. Fastest door to door delivery in the known Galaxy; it�s there in a kefrong or your money back. Um - that�s just over a week, Earth time.�

�Sounds very impressive.�

�If you�ll just sign here, I�ll be off. Got deliveries in two more planetary systems before my rest break.� She held out a small tablet and pointed to a blank space.

�Thank you very much,� Andrew said as he signed.

�Just doing my job.� She put the tablet away, stepped back, and grinned again. �Enjoy your letter, and don�t take any more long walks off short cliffs!�

�I�m not planning to,� Andrew replied. He watched, only mildly surprised as she dissolved into a whirling column of red energy that swiftly shot upwards into the sky and disappeared.

An express delivery. Mack had wanted him to get this letter quickly - did that mean bad news or good news? Only one way to find out. Both anxious and eager, Andrew ripped it open.

�Dear Dad,

I was sorry to hear about Nick Tate. That must have been a very hard time for all of you, but I hope you�re feeling a little better by now and that his wife and son are doing okay under the circumstances. Also I guess you�ve been away from S.P.D. for a while now and back in the house.

I have a lot of news. First of all, things went really well on Perfection before we left, and I really liked getting to know other androids, and seeing them and the humans there starting to cooperate. We all felt kind of proud we could help, you know? But after a few months it was time to leave and get to Tyzonn�s wedding, and the Phantom Ranger decided to come with us, and Cassie was really happy about that. I have to admit I was sort of sorry to go...�

Goodbyes were always bittersweet, or that�s how it seemed to Mack as he looked out from a window of the room Artemis used as an office, down at the vast courtyard behind her castle headquarters. Sweet because the months they had spent on Perfection had accomplished so much: the release from prison of Diana�s brother Seth and many others, an easing of tensions between androids and humans, an agreement for both sides to work together for peace. Bitter because all of them would miss the friends they had made here. It would be hardest for the Phantom, of course; after ten years on Perfection he had decided to join the Space team - he said because it was time to move on, but they all knew he wanted to stay with Cassie.

Mack had his own reasons to regret leaving; this was the first time he had been around androids like himself, the first time he had not felt out of place since he had discovered what he really was. And there was more. He knew he�d miss some of the people of Perfection more than others.

This was the same room where he had been brought the night the city police had captured him, the same room where he had secretly brought Diana and Phantom to confront Artemis. It had become a familiar and comfortable place to him now, where he had spent many pleasant and productive hours. Artemis herself sat at a desk near the windows lining one wall, her dark head highlighted by the sunlight as it bent over the speech she was working on. Over the last months she had largely abandoned the showy clothes of when they had met and was wearing a soft gray jumpsuit that was flattering but not revealing, her hair pulled back in a thick black ponytail.

Their relationship had become familiar too, as it turned from near hostility to growing friendship, and as he discovered a warmth and humor in her that were more genuinely attractive than her engineered beauty. A little more attractive than he was comfortable with, in fact, and while a large part of him regretted that this was the last time they would see each other for at least several months, another part felt a furtive twinge of relief at not having to face something he wasn�t sure he was ready for.

As he watched her she glanced up and smiled, and then returned to her work with a slight frown of concentration. Mack turned his attention back to the walled and gated courtyard below where people were gathering, reporters settling down in a good spot, a couple of workers setting up the small podium where Artemis would be giving her speech. It was almost startling when words broke the silence of that peaceful room.

�We have traveled a long road to reach this point,� Artemis read from the paper before her on the desk. �Sometimes we have stumbled and fallen, but we have not abandoned the journey. There is much distance yet to go, but we can reach our goal if we walk together.� She raised her eyes to look at him expectantly. �What do you think?�

�It�s nice,� he said.

�Nice? That�s all?�

�I think it�s very nice.�

�Too flowery? Too poetic? Does the road thing sound stupid?�

�It�s fine.� He shook his head at her. �It�s just a speech, Artie. You must have given hundreds of them before.�

�It�s not �just a speech�. I�m announcing major changes to our laws, giving humans an equal voice in the government for the first time in over a hundred years.� She shot him a mock glare. �And don�t call me Artie.�

�Sorry.� He grinned unrepentantly. �Don�t worry, you�ll do great. They�ll love it.�

�Will they?� Artemis propped herself on an elbow, looking down at the page again. �A lot of people - a lot of my fellow androids - won�t like this. They�ll say I�m giving the planet to the humans.�

He moved closer and sat in the chair on the other side of the desk, leaning across it towards her as he asked, �Are you afraid of losing the next election?�

�Not afraid, exactly.� She pushed the papers aside and sighed. �I�ve been Planetary Leader for five years. When my term�s up I think I�ll be ready to let someone else take over.�

Mack watched her, wondering at the hint of weary resignation he thought was behind the curve of her lips. �You�re tired, aren�t you?� he asked. �I mean, it�s been hard on you the last few months. Dealing with Diana and the humans, and with the androids too, trying to work out something to make them both happy when nothing will.�

�That�s the essence of compromise,� she answered with a half-smile. �Come up with something both sides can live with, even if neither likes it very much. And you�ve worked just as hard, and been an incredible help.�

�Well...� Mack leaned back and shrugged modestly. �I don�t know how much help I�ve been. I�m not a politician or a diplomat or anything.�

Artemis looked amused, but there was a warm glint in her eyes. �No. You�re something better: a bridge between the two sides, an android who understands how humans think and feel, and who shows we�re not so different from them.�

�Yeah... I guess that�s because I thought I was human until a couple of years ago.�

�You did?� Her brows drew together in surprise and disbelief. �How�s that possible?�

�Well...� Mack shifted self-consciously in his seat, now wishing he hadn�t mentioned that fact. �My father - the person who created me - programmed me with artificial memories of a childhood and stuff. I remembered growing up human, and had no reason to think I wasn�t until--�

�Until what?�

Mack found himself even more uncomfortable with the idea of trying to describe how it had felt to wake up with no body, his head connected to a mass of wires, and after the initial disbelief and denial to be forced to the realization that everything he had taken for granted was an illusion. Then the confusion of the next days and weeks, the anger, the shame, the feeling of disconnection from everything he had ever known, leading him to no longer care if he continued to exist, and perhaps even to wish it could all be over. He�d thought he had learned to accept it - but he still wasn�t eager to talk about it, not even with a fellow android.

�Until I - found out,� he said finally.

�Found out. How?�

Mack swallowed, shrugged, and looked away. �I was damaged. Woke up while my dad was repairing me.�

�Mack.� Artemis� voice was so gentle that he looked up at her again. �I can only imagine how I would feel if I suddenly discovered I was human. Horrible.�

The irony made him smile. �Man, I would have given anything back then to have it all be some kind of dream, or to get turned human somehow.�

�Your creator did this to you? Deceived you this way, let you be hurt - and you still call him �father�?�

�He had his reasons. Not good ones, but - he loves me and he�s my family. I was pretty mad at him for a while, but not anymore.� He smiled at her skeptical look. �Well, not very much, anyway.�

�I admire your forgiving nature.� She added in a mutter, �I�m not sure I share it.�

It was time to talk about something else. �So... what do you think you�ll do once you leave office?� Mack asked.

�Hmm.� She acknowledged the change of subject with only a raised brow. �Continue to work with Diana, I suppose, if it�s needed. Go back to my old hobbies that I don�t have time for now, or take up a new one.� Artemis paused, smiling faintly. �Or... I know what I�d like to do most of all.�

�What?�

There seemed to be a hint of wistfulness in her eyes as she looked through the window at the sky and then back to his face. �I was created here on Perfection and have never left it. I wish I could travel through the stars like you, to see other planets and other peoples.�

�Maybe someday you could come with us,� Mack said impulsively. �There�s room on the Megaship, and I�m sure Andros wouldn�t mind. You could see KO-35, and Mercuria, and Earth, and... all the places we haven�t even been to yet.�

�I�d like that. Someday, if you return, I�d like that very much.�

�We�ll have to come back to make sure everything�s going okay here.�

�Soon, I hope.�

�I guess that�s up to Andros, but I�ll see what I can do.� Mack raised a hand to brush back his hair and grinned. �Who knows, maybe when we come back I�ll get some work done on myself. Fix up my face, new hair, tune up the old body. What do you think?�

�I think it would be a shame.� Artemis� expression was gravely serious, but her eyes twinkled. �I�ve become quite fond of you exactly the way you are.�

�You have?� Mack smiled, half embarrassed, half flattered, interested in exploring the topic further, but hesitant - but the sound of the door opening turned both their heads to see the ever-faithful and ever-scowling Tyr ushering a group of people into the room.

�How�s the big speech coming?� Diana asked brightly as she stepped inside. The rebel leader seemed to have picked up some of the fashion sense Artemis had discarded, and today was dressed in a clinging green dress that draped becomingly over her slim figure, her unruly hair tamed into loose curls, a touch of color on her lips.

�As finished as it�s going to be,� Artemis said, gathering up her sheets of notes. �Is it time to go down to the courtyard yet?�

�Any time you�re ready.� This came from the Phantom, who had entered with Cassie�s hand in his and the other Astro Rangers behind them, followed by Diana�s brother Seth who hesitated and looked around the room curiously before coming in.

�All right.� Artemis stood. �Let�s do this.�

�We won�t be coming with you,� Phantom said. �It�s time for us to say goodbye.�

�So soon?� Diana asked. �You�re not coming down to hear the speech?�

�No. We�ve done as much as we can. Both of you need to show you�re capable of handling Perfection�s problems yourselves now. The best way to prove that is by us disappearing now, when you�re starting to lead this world in a new direction.�

Seth shook their hands and clapped Mack on the shoulder, and even Tyr approached to offer them a grave nod and the hint of a smile. Then it was Diana stepping up to face Mack, taking both his hands in hers. �I�m not sure how to thank you,� she said. �You took a great risk to help us.�

�That�s what we do,� Mack said simply.

�Where will you go next?�

�To KO-35 first. Then Mercuria for a friend�s wedding. After that, I�m hoping we�ll be able to visit Earth.�

�Then I�ll say again: thank you, and wish you happiness and safe journey. I hope we meet again soon.�

�I�m sure we will.�

She leaned in and reached up to kiss him on the cheek and hug him tightly. Then she went on to the Phantom, silently embracing him, both trying to smile through the pain of good friends parting, before saying a few words of farewell to him and the other Rangers.

And finally Artemis; she shook hands solemnly with Andros and the rest of the Rangers, and gave Phantom a smile when she came to him. �I�m glad we can part as friends,� she said. �I realize now how much good you�ve done on Perfection. Thank you.� As he nodded, she turned to Mack.

�I�ll miss you, Mackenzie Hartford. May your journeys be good ones, and may you return soon.�

�I�ll miss you too. Goodbye, Artie.� He folded his arms around her as she stepped in to hug him, and closed his eyes for a moment.

�Don�t call me Artie,� she whispered, and kissed him quickly before she whirled away and started for the stairs leading down to the courtyard.

Mack watched from the window as Artemis and Diana took their places side by side on the podium, with Seth and Tyr a few steps behind them, and as Artemis began to speak words he couldn�t hear through the glass. The light touch of a hand on his shoulder pulled his attention back to the room and his companions.

�We should get back to the ship,� Andros said.

�I kind of wish we could stay a little longer.� Mack looked out and down again.

It was Phantom who answered with a soft, �All good things must end, so new ones can begin.� But he took a long, slow look around before they activated their transporters, as if trying to memorize this last view of the place he had called home for the last ten years.

There were only the usual sounds of quiet conversation from the Rangers at each station on the Megaship�s bridge as they exchanged information during the liftoff from Perfection, ascended through the atmosphere, and as Andros at the helm set them on a course for KO-35. Sitting in his place at the ship�s internal monitoring station, Mack watched the viewscreen shift from the planet below to the stars ahead, beginning to visibly stream backwards as they entered hyperrush.

�Well, I guess that�s that,� Carlos said with a sigh. �In a week we�ll be back home, or as close to home as we get.�

�It�ll be good to see KO-35 again,� Cassie said. She looked over at Phantom, who was standing at the side of the room still staring at the screen. �Have you ever been there, Phantom?�

�No. I�m looking forward to visiting.� He turned his head and gave her a half-hearted smile.

�You�ve been on Earth. Maybe we can visit there soon. Andros?�

�Sure.� He threw them a glance, and exchanged a look with Ashley that struck Mack as oddly nervous.

Cassie got up and crossed to where Phantom stood. �And meanwhile, there�s something we need to discuss.�

�What�s that?�

�Your name. I can�t go the rest of my life calling you �Phantom Ranger�.� She tilted her head. �You never had a real name?�

He shrugged. �My official designation was �XOM1738�. You�re the ones who started calling me �Phantom Ranger�. I thought it was as good a name as any, and a lot easier to pronounce.�

�That�s for sure. Still, Phantom�s not a name.� Cassie considered him, a finger tapping her lips. �I can see I�m going to have to do something about this.�

�You�re in for it now.� T.J. snickered as she shot him a glare. �Just don�t let her name you �Sue�, man.�

�Excuse me?� Phantom said blankly.

�Never mind, just an old Earth joke.� T.J. climbed to his feet. �Who�s up for shooting a few hoops in the Simudeck?�

�Make it zero-grav basketball and I�m in,� Mack said, starting to get up.

�Wait, guys.� Andros had turned around to face them and again looked at Ashley, hesitating uncharacteristically. He held out a hand to his wife as she rose and went to his side. �I - we - have an announcement to make. Or a couple of announcements.�

He paused again awkwardly, but Ashley took over. �What Andros is trying to say is...� Her smile widened into a grin, her eyes brightening. �I�m pregnant! We�re going to have a baby!�

There were a few seconds of stunned silence before a babble of congratulations and good wishes burst from all of them. Cassie jumped up, went to Ashley and hugged her. In another moment they were all crowding around with slaps on the back for Andros and more hugs for Ashley. Even Alpha joined in with happy cries and much arm-waving, and DECA with congratulations and an almost smug statement that she had, of course, already known.

As the commotion died down Andros took a step back and cleared his throat, his expression becoming serious again. �Um... there�s more, guys.� He waited until Ashley took his hand and the others were facing him again expectantly before continuing.

�Ashley and I have talked about this a lot since we found out she�s pregnant. The Megaship�s great, but - you said it yourself just now, Carlos, it�s not really a home. We both don�t think it�s right to raise a child here. So...� He took a deep breath. �We�ve decided to leave, and settle down on KO-35.�

Again silence descended on the bridge as Mack, Cassie, T.J., Carlos, and Phantom all looked at each other uncertainly. Finally, �Leave?� Cassie said faintly.

�You�re quitting the team?� T.J. said. �Giving up being Rangers?�

�We�ve discussed it with the Kerovan Elders.� Andros put an arm around Ashley. �The two of us, and Zhane, will be training a new Ranger team, one which will stay on the planet most of the time.�

�Why not us?� Carlos asked. �We could stay on KO-35.�

�You�re from Earth, all of you except Phantom and Alpha,� Ashley said. �Andros and I have decided to live on KO-35 for now, but I know all of you miss your home. The Elders thought it would be better to have a Kerovan team who wouldn�t be likely to want to leave sometime in the future.�

�So where does that leave us?� Mack asked.

�The Elders are very grateful for everything you�ve done over the years,� Andros said. �They�ve decided to turn the Astro Megaship over to you. You can base yourselves on Earth and spend more time there, but still go wherever you�re needed in the Galaxy.� He spread his hands. �It seemed like the best solution for everyone.�

�I hope you�re not mad at us,� Ashley said in a small voice after another few moments of silence.

�Mad? Of course not.� Cassie stepped up to hug her again. �We understand. It�s just that we�ll miss you. Right, guys?� She and Ashley both smiled at the chorus of agreement from Carlos, T.J., and Mack. �When is all this happening? When are you due?� Her voice faltered just a little. �Are you going to leave the ship now, when we get to KO-35?�

Ashley laughed. �Well, I�m due in just over five months. That�s in November, Earth time, I think. And no, we�re going to Tyzonn�s wedding with you and then we�d like to go to Earth. I want to see my parents before the baby comes, and spend some time with them if you�re all willing to stay there for a while.�

�Of course we are.� Cassie looked around as everyone nodded. �It�s been a long time. I�d like to see more of my family, too, instead of just a few days a couple of times a year.�

�I wouldn�t mind sticking around long enough to have a real life on Earth myself,� T.J. said.

�Me either,� Mack agreed. �I haven�t been back since I left. It�s been more than two years.�

�Then this is great, right?� Carlos said, stretching his arms out with a grin.

Cassie left Ashley and took Phantom�s arm, looking up into his face. �It can be great for you too. Earth can be your home now, if that�s what you want.�

�Anywhere you are is home to me,� he replied, reaching to cover her hand with his.

�That�s so sweet...� For a moment they seemed about to launch into another session of gazing into each other�s eyes, a habit that still amused all of them with the effect Phantom had on the usually so self-possessed and unsentimental Cassie. This time, though, Cassie nodded and said decisively, �Now we really have to think of a name for you.� Side by side, they began to slowly walk towards the door leading out to the corridor. �Earnest, like the play? No, I�d probably think of Ernie every time we�re together.�

�How about Andrew, since I�m an android?�

�Hey, that�s my dad�s name!� Mack exclaimed.

�Tom? Sounds a little like �Phantom�?�

�As in Tommy? Absolutely not,� Cassie was saying as they stepped through the doorway.

�You are now one, body and life blended for all time.�

Mack watched Tyzonn and Vella smile at each other, hands clasped as they stood before the Mercurian official who had presided over their wedding ceremony. He looked around as the onlookers standing in a circle surrounding the couple remained silent, and then back to the small dais they stood on. Apparently something else was going to happen.

It started with their hands. Tyzonn and Vella stood unmoving as their joined hands shimmered with silver and dissolved, seeming to melt together. The transformation into mercury continued up their arms, down their bodies, until only two vague forms were left in liquid metal. Then they began to come apart - a ribbon of silver here, a streaming wave there, rising into the air and weaving together in a dazzling and intricate display of glistening threads, pouring into and through each other until they seemed one entity. Then, slowly, the ribbons and threads reluctantly separated and retreated into two humanoid forms again, and took on the solidity of flesh, and Vella and Tyzonn stood smiling again, each in the place the other had occupied.

There was a murmur of approval from the onlookers, and a brief burst of foot-stamping that Mack took to be applause. For a few moments again he thought the ceremony was over, until he saw several people among the crowd move farther forward towards the happy couple while others fell back, laughing and calling out joking remarks. �What�s going on?� he said to Carlos and T.J., and got only shrugs.

�Didn�t you guys bother to look up Mercurian wedding traditions?� Cassie gave them a superior smirk. �This is the part when the bride and groom scatter flowers over the single people in the party. It�s supposed to help them find true love.�

�You mean like throwing the bride�s bouquet?� Mack said.

�Kind of.� Cassie took a step and tugged at Phantom�s arm. �Come on, don�t you want to join in?�

�But I�ve already found true love,� he answered, smiling and taking her hands as she stopped and turned back to him for, apparently, another bout of soulful gazing into each other�s eyes.

�There they go again,� Carlos said with a dramatic sigh. He started for the crowd gathered around Tyzonn and Vella, his voice trailing back faintly. �Ohhh, Phantom...�

�Ohhh, Cassie,� T.J. echoed, dodging with a laugh when Cassie swatted at him absently but accurately without looking away from Phantom�s face.

A hand poked Mack in the back, urging him forward. �You go too, Mack,� Ashley said. �You guys can all use some true love.�

�Okay, okay, I�m going.� Mack located T.J. and Carlos in the crowd and joined them, laughing and holding up a hand to shield his face as a flurry of vivid blue petals smelling faintly of lavender drifted across the bright Mercurian sky and showered him. He caught a glimpse of Tyzonn, holding a large bag out of which he was grabbing handfuls of variously colored small flowers and tossing them into the air with a grin. The people around them were scooping petals and blossoms from the ground and throwing them at each other in a happy confusion of laughter and shouts. Mack was sorry when the noise died down, the last flower had fallen to earth, and everyone began to drift away.

When the music started he followed T.J. and Carlos to the shade cast by Tyzonn�s house, and they watched a few couples move out onto the lawn and into some kind of complicated dance he didn�t even want to attempt, especially as more and more people joined in. He spotted Andros and Ashley and thought for a moment they were brave enough to try it, but they stayed in a corner in a slow dance that fit the music quite well. After a few moments Cassie and Phantom followed their example.

�Well, here we are again,� Carlos said, his voice slightly rueful. �The three lone Rangers.�

Mack shrugged. �Nothing wrong with being single.�

�Which you may not be much longer,� T.J. said with a laugh. �Not if Artemis and Diana have anything to say about it.�

�We�re all just friends.�

�Sure, just friends. I gotta hand to ya, Mack, not one but two hot babes waiting for you to come back.�

�They�re not waiting for me,� Mack protested, unable to keep a chuckle of amusement from his voice. �And I don�t think either one would appreciate being called a babe. Even a hot babe.�

�Come on, Mack,� Carlos coaxed. �You had something going on with one of them, right? Which one?�

�Who says it was only one?� Mack grinned. �The more the merrier!�

It was later, when he stood under the first hints of light in a pre-dawn sky, watching the last of the wedding guests trail off in search of their own homes and a little sleep, lifting his eyes from a second reading of his father�s latest letter, that the conversation came back to him.

Strange, he thought. Reading about a fellow Ranger�s death, even one he had never met, had saddened him, and yet when he read the letter again what struck him was something about his father�s tone when he wrote about Rose. Something that stirred a suspicion Mack dismissed immediately - and then retrieved for a closer look. Could it be? No. But why not? The idea of it disturbed him - but he�d seen far stranger things in the short span of his life so far. He�d tried for a more improbable relationship right here on Mercuria, with Strellia, and seen an equally unlikely one happen between Cassie and Phantom. Even Andros and Ashley were from vastly different worlds. Was an age difference more of a gap than the divide between human and android, or Earthling and alien?

That brought him back to Artemis. Had he felt attracted to her because of herself, or only because she was an android like him? Was it love, or rather the beginnings of what could be love, or only the same desire to belong somewhere, and to someone, that had drawn him to Strellia? Would it fade just as quickly? If only he�d had more time on Perfection to find out - but even as he had the thought Mack realized the problem was too much in himself for more time to have helped.

�And now the big news - it�s kind of good and bad. The good part is that Ashley�s having a baby. The bad part is that she and Andros are going to leave the Megaship. But then there�s another good part - the people on KO-35 want us to keep the ship, so T.J., Carlos, Cassie, Phantom, and I will be the new Astro Rangers.

Then we went to Mercuria for Tyzonn�s wedding. It was great, a lot of fun, and you�d have loved to see their customs and stuff. We all had a good time. Ashley and Andros want to come to Earth next to see her parents before the baby comes, so that�s where we�re headed now. And we�ll be around a lot after that; since all of us except Phantom and Alpha are from Earth we�re planning to make it our new home base and we�ll spend most of our time there or close by. That�s the rest of the good news - I�m coming back, Dad!

I�m sending this letter by express delivery so it�ll get there before I do, but expect me in a couple of days, probably. Can�t wait to see you and Spencer and be in the mansion again!

See you soon.

Love, Mack�

Andrew barely realized he had jumped to his feet as he read the last lines. He read them again, a grin spreading over his face, and then looked up, took a breath, and whooped into the blue of the wide cloudless sky above, not caring if anyone heard or if no one heard. His son was coming home!

It was night when DECA dropped him off. Mack looked up to the stars above, his eyes finding the Megaship only as a greater darkness blocking their light. He raised a hand to wave, smiling at himself for the gesture to a now-empty ship. His teammates were already back in Angel Grove, and even Alpha was visiting Adam Park and his �brother�, Alpha Six. For all of them it was a time for homecoming, and for family.

The mansion glimmered white in the soft lights hidden in hedges and bushes. How long had it been since he had walked across this lawn, grass giving way to the crunch of gravel underfoot as he got closer, past the little statue guarding the entrance and up the steps to the front door? Two years - closer to two and a half. Far too long.

As he lifted a hand to knock, it occurred to Mack that he was no longer the confused, lonely, still angry boy who had walked out all that time ago. Had his father changed as much? Had Spencer? Would even the house itself be different? Would it still feel the same?

The doorbell seemed to echo. Mack waited for the sound of footsteps and smiled tentatively as the door swung open. And then he was hugging his father fiercely, and then Spencer, and all he could manage to say was, �Dad, Spencer, I�m home!�

TBC...

Send review...