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Chapter 3
(A/N: By the way this story takes place about 7 months after �Countdown to Destruction�)
Maurhee glanced around at the people in the room. There was a solemn expression on every face. It was a shame for any team to lose a ranger, especially if that ranger was a pink ranger. Pink rangers were in many ways the heart and soul of a team.
She remembered that while she was on KO-35 she was supposed to train a group of teenagers, like herself, to be power rangers. Zordon had given her a wooden box with eight morphers in it: red, blue, black, yellow, silver, orange, pink, and purple. When she arrived she was to give the morphers to the Karovians Zordon had chosen. Which would mean Commander Ryland was to bring seven people with him to greet her (4 boys and 3 girls), but imagine her surprise when there were only five boys waiting for her. She discovered that Karovians didn�t believe their women should be involved in warfare. Commander Ryland said they would rather the yellow morpher be used by a boy and that the pink and purple morphers go unused. They were only letting her keep her morpher because she had been chosen by Zordon.
She argued and argued with the Commander about letting the women Zordon chose join the team, but it was a moot point. So, she trained the five boys, but in every battle she could feel the strain of not having the pink ranger. Without a pink ranger a team was not a team, just warriors all fighting for themselves. In the battle that would prove to be �the straw that broke the camel�s back� for KO-35�s defenses three rangers were killed and Zhane had been mortally wounded. So, she knew all to well what the galaxy rangers were going through, but it seemed Leo was taking it the worst of all. Perhaps there had been something more between the Pink and Red Galaxy Rangers. Maurhee thought about that as she approached him.
�She�s not gone forever, Leo, remember that,� Maurhee said with a sympathetic smile as she put a hand on his shoulder. He quickly brushed her hand away.
�Yeah, but she�s not coming back anytime soon, either, is she Maurhee?� he asked angrily. She was shocked by the anger and sadness she saw in his eyes.
�No, no she�s not,� Maurhee answered softly. *Andros, I think it�s time to leave,* she projected towards him telepathically. He looked up in her direction and nodded. After the two teams exchanged goodbyes the rangers boarded the Megaship and set off for home.
Later, Maurhee sat in her quarters thinking. Was Leo�s attitude toward Kendrix�s �death� any different than Rocky�s attitude toward her leaving? Had he not reacted the same way she would have if given similar news? Maurhee sighed heavily. She knew the answers to both of those questions, and the answers pointed in one direction. It was time for both of them to forgive and forget, or at least that�s what she hoped was going to happen.
Even though she hated the way things between her and Rocky had ended she never regretted her decision to leave. All of the people she�d met and worked with on KO-35 had slowly helped her rebuild her confidence in herself and her fighting skills. She knew if it wasn�t for Andros and Zhane she never would have survived her homesickness. They had reminded her of Tommy and Jason more times than she could recall.
�Umm . . . Maurhee?� Ashley asked hesitantly as she walked into her room.
Maurhee quickly shook her thoughts away, and turned in Ashley�s direction.
�What�s up, Ash?�
�Well, I just talked to my dad over the vidlink and he said he had a house all ready for me and Cassie when we start at Angel Grove University next month, but I just talked to Cassie and it seems she�s going to L.A. with her band, and I was just wondering if maybe you�d like to be my roommate instead?� Ashley asked excitedly.
�Sure, I�d love to, it�ll be fun,� Maurhee said with a warm smile.
�Cool, my dad said it�s furnished and everything. So, all we need are our clothes and our �luxury items�, my dad�s words, not mine,� Ashley said, sitting down on the edge of Maurhee�s bed. �Andros, Carlos, and my brother Jake have all agreed to help us move.�
�Are we moving in the day we get back?� Maurhee asked, secretly hoping Ashley would say no.
�I don�t think so. I think every one should take it easy tomorrow. It�s been a long week after all,� Ashley said sadly.
�All right, sounds good to me,� Maurhee said as she and Ashley got up and exited her room. �I�ll talk to you later, Ash, I gotta call Billy, real quick.�
�K, I gotta go meet Cassie on the Simudeck, anyway, bye,� Ashley said as they went their separate ways.
Maurhee headed down the long, empty hallway to the Command deck. Billy was the only one of the rangers she�d talked to since she left. He�d also been the only one to contact her while she was on KO-35. He�d heard from Zordon that she�d gone to the Karovian sector, and sent a vidmessage to the Megaship. She remembered how surprised she�d been to hear from him; they had kept in touch ever since. While passing the rec room she spotted TJ holding a staring contest with his cheeseburger.
�Teej?� Maurhee called as she entered the rec room. When he didn�t react to her call she tried again. �TJ!� Still nothing. �Earth To TJ!�
�Huh? Oh, Hi, Rhee,� TJ said disappointedly.
�Nice to see you too, Teej,� Maurhee said sarcastically as she sat down across from him.
�Sorry, I was just thinking about something,� he said softly.
�Is everything all right? You seem really depressed,� Maurhee observed with concern.
�Everything�s perfect,� TJ huffed sarcastically as he rested his chin in his hands.
�There�s only two things that can get that kind of a reaction out of you . . . So . . . I�m guessing your current mood has something to do with Cassie and The Phantom, right?�
Her suspicions were confirmed by a roll of TJ�s eyes.
�Teej . . .� Maurhee said in a reprimanding tone.
�I know I need to give her space and time to get over this . . . well . . . this . . whatever it is, but Rhee, I�ve waited nearly a year, and I�m not sure how much longer I can wait to tell her!� he yelled in frustration.
�Teej,� Maurhee said after giving TJ a few minutes to calm down
�Yeah?�
�Maybe it�s time you made a small move,� she said meekly and thoughtfully.
�What do you mean by a small move?�
�Well, drop subtle hints about your feelings through your words and your actions, I guess,� Maurhee stated as she wondered if she was giving TJ good advice.
�Maurhee, you know how thickheaded Cassie can be sometimes, what if she doesn�t get it?� TJ asked worriedly.
�Then, it seems you�ll have no other choice than to be up front about it. She needs to know how you feel, Teej.�
�I don�t know if I�d be able to tell her.�
�You would Teej, after all, you�re part of a long legacy of red and blue power rangers, and when push comes to shove you would do whatever you have to,� Maurhee said, placing a hand on her friend�s shoulder. She�d grown accustomed to counseling rangers with secret feelings for their best female friend. It all seemed to start with Jason and his feelings for Kim, then it was Tommy and Kat, followed by Adam and Tanya, then Andros and Ashley, Zhane and Karone, and now TJ and Cassie. Why was it people came to her for advice when she could barely keep her own love life straight? She had never understood that and probably never would. Then all of sudden she remembered what she had originally set out to do.
�I gotta go do something real quick, but if you need to talk about this some more later all you gotta do is find me,� she said, patting his shoulder and getting up from the table.
�Thanks, Rhee,� TJ said before finally taking a bite of his burger. She smiled and exited the rec. room. She headed back down the Mega ship�s wide corridors towards the Command Deck.
As soon as she stepped into the large room she was greeted by Alpha 6.
�Evening Maurhee, how are you?� the little robot asked cheerfully.
�Hey Alpha, I�m doing good. Could you do me a huge favor and set up a vidlink with Billy Cranston?�
�Sure, I�ll have it done in a jiffy,� The robot said as he wobbled off to the communication controls.
�Thanks Alpha you�re the best!� she called after him.
Almost immediately the smiling face of the sandy blond haired young man appeared on the screen.
�Maurhee, I was hoping you were the one trying to contact me, how did things go on Terra Venture?�
�Well, The Psycho Rangers are gone for good, but the Pink Galaxy Ranger was lost for a while in the process,� Maurhee informed him sadly. �But on a lighter note we have all decided to head home, to Earth. You�re still there aren�t you?� she asked hopefully. She knew Billy had returned to Earth nearly eight months ago, but whether he�d stayed or not she had never been quite sure of.
�Yes, actually I�ve just started my own software company, and your father is one of my partners,� Billy said with a smile.
�That doesn�t surprise me. The minute my mom told me about his retirement I knew it wouldn�t last very long. Good luck with your business, Billy, and wish my father good luck for me too.�
�I will, and as a matter of fact both of your parents are joining Kat and me for dinner tonight. I�m taking her out for her birthday.�
�Awww . . . It�s nice to see things with the two of you are going so well, wish her a happy birthday for me. Well, I guess I had better get to the point so you can finish getting ready then. I was just wondering if you could inform the gang of my return. I don�t think I�ll have much time to do that.�
�I will, I�ll send them all an e-mail first thing.�
�Thanks Billy, well, I�d better go. I�ll see you soon. Me, you, and Kat will have to get together and do something when I get back.�
�Yes, I suppose we will,� Billy said with a grin.
�See you later, Billy.�
�Good-bye Maurhee,� Billy said as they were disconnected.
Maurhee sighed and headed back to her quarters for some much needed sleep.