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Disclaimer: Power Rangers and all its related logos are property of Disney Entertainment and/or Saban Entertainment. I am using them without permission, but I do not expect to make a profit. If I do, I promise to split it 50/50 with the Disney people. I swear, I do. All original characters are mine, and I do have permission to use them.

A/N: This takes place a few years after Dino Thunder, and is loosely based in the �Future Imperfect� universe. Don�t worry; you shouldn�t have to read that one to understand this one.

Take a sec to review too, I live for those.

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Time Force Headquarters
New Silver Hills, California 3000 AD

Alex stared at his Time Force uniform as it hung on the back of his closet door. It seemed odd, in a way, that something that was such a big part of his life was over now. There was a time that Time Force was all he had. When Ransik murdered his parents in cold blood, he vowed that he wouldn�t rest until Ransik had been brought to justice. After Ransik was contained, he found that there wasn�t much more to his life than Time Force. He�d spent so much time obsessed with stopping Ransik and drowning himself in his work that he found there wasn�t much else in his life.

He�d managed to alienate the only woman he ever truly loved, more concerned how his obligation to Time Force than his relationship. Once Jen gave him a second chance, and the two of them promised to give their relationship another try, he was determined to put all that behind him. His mission to the 21st century was his final mission. If he hadn�t been for Jen, he probably wouldn�t have gone on that one. He told Logan that once the mission was over, once Jen was back home and safe, it was over. Logan had assured him Time Force would allow him to go with no resistance, allowing him to pursue his relationship with Jen.

Now, after years of service to preserving the time line, to ensuring that the space/time continuum wasn�t tampered with, after ensuring that all the mutants were contained, it was time for him to do something for himself.

Jen walked into the room, standing in the doorway and leaning against the wall.

�You�re really going to do it, aren�t you?� she asked him.

He saw her standing there through the reflection in the mirror, but he stood turned around, cracking a slight smile. �This isn�t just for you, you know? This is something I need to do for myself, too.�

�Well, it�ll be nice to have you to myself more often.�

�Yep, no more running off at a moment�s notice, no more missions, no more mutants, no more temporal incursions. Its over for me, and I can concentrate on the things that are important to me.�

�And what would that be Alexander?�

�I can think of one thing, Jennifer,� he said, moving towards her, wrapping his arm around her waist slightly.

�Come to think of it, so can I,� she sighed.

She leaned in to kiss him, but they were interrupted as Captain Logan walked into the room, clearing his throat to get their attention. Jen immediately backed away from Alex, standing at attention.

�Sir!� she said.

�At ease Jennifer. I actually came to talk to Alex for a moment. Can you excuse us?� he asked.

�Of course sir,� she turned to Alex. �My duty shift is over in 1800 hours. I�ll stop by then,� she said, kissing him on the cheek gently, then walked over the room.

Once she was gone, Logan closed the door, turning his attention to Alex� uniform, which was still hanging up the back of the closet door. �This is a sad day for Time Force Alex, we�re losing one of our best officers,� he said.

�I stand by my decision sir.�

�I know you do. I�m not here to convince you otherwise. I just had a few questions about your report, I was hoping you clear them up.�

�I�ll do my best.�

�Your official statement was that Charlene Cambridge hijacked a shuttle onboard the Astro Megaship, came back to Earth, hijacked the time ship, then used it to travel back in time to retrieve the red Mystic Force ranger,� he brought up.

�Yes sir. If she hadn�t, we wouldn�t have been able to defeat The First. She saved us all,� he told him.

�I understand. According to the history logs, she returned to her time and received memory adaptation, where she was allowed to lead a civilian life,� he said.

�I believe that was the arrangement she made with her commanding officer.�

�As you know, just because you�re leaving doesn�t mean that the world will finally be at peace. In fact, the number of temporal incursions has increased a great deal because of your trip to the 21st century. While you were successful in defeating the First, the incident itself caused several incursions to the time line. They will have to be corrected if the natural flow is time is going to resume,� he paused. �In light of what she did, I was thinking of recruiting Officer Cambridge for the mission. I wanted your opinion.�

�You mean bring her here, to the present?�

�Yes.�

He paused. �She did some terrible things in her time, but she proved to me and the others that not only is she trustworthy, she is probably one of the finest officers I had the privilege of serving with. She would make a fine addition to Time Force,� Alex said.

�I�m glad you think so. But, to be sure, I plan on assigning her to work with the new red ranger,� he said.

�Who did you get for the job?�

�That�s something else I wanted to talk to you about,� he hesitated slightly. �I had every intention of promoting Jennifer to red ranger, and allowing Officer Cambridge to serve with her as pink ranger,� he told him.

The statement was enough to make Alex pause. He sat down on his bed, taking a moment to comprehend what he�d been told. He�d spent so much time in Time Force, serving his company, protecting the future; he was looking forward to finally having time to spend with her. �Sir,� he stood up. �I won�t allow my personal feelings to interfere with Jen�s decision. If this is something she wants to do, I won�t stand in her way,� Alex said.

�Thank you, I appreciate that,� he opened the door. �One more thing, your reported mentioned several causalities in the battle, but you were specific,� he brought up.

�The red Astro ranger, lightspeed ranger, zeo ranger and lost galaxy ranger were all killed as a result of the battle. They all did their part to preserve the future,� Alex said.

�Thank you for your time,� he took the uniform off the back of the door, folding it over his arm. �It was truly a pleasure Alexander,� he said, extending his hand to him.

The two of them shook.

�The pleasure was mine,� he said.

SPD Headquarters
New Tech City, California 2025 AD

The wormhole appeared, and within seconds, Jack, Charlie, Syd and Ally stepped through, only to find themselves in the Command Center.

�I swear, that�s a freakin� rush every time!� Charlie said, staring back at the wormhole as it closed.

�Welcome back rangers,� Commander Cruger said as he walked over to them.

�Sir,� Syd said, saluting him.

�At ease. I am pleased to see all of you return safely,� he said.

�All in a day�s work Doggie!� Charlie said.

�Jack, I�m sure you and Ally are eager to get home. Thank you again for your efforts, they were invaluable,� he said.

�Anytime Commander,� Jack said as he handed the morpher to Cruger, then grabbed Ally�s hand, walking towards the exit.

�What did you mean by anytime?� Ally asked. �We�re not doing that again.�

�It was just a figure of speech honey,� he said as they walked out the command center. With that gone, Commander Cruger turned to Charlie and Syd. �Cadet Drew, outstanding work. Report to the infirmary and get yourself checked out. I�ll expect a full report on what happened by 0900 tomorrow,� he said.

�Yes sir,� Syd said, saluting him, then walked out the room.

�Now, as for you...� before he could continue, he was interrupted.

�I know what you�re about to say, but before you do, let me say something. Syd didn�t know about it, and I doubt Jack will ever mention it to you, but on our way to the Terrell Ian sector, I stole a shuttle and left the megaship. On my way back to Earth, I was prepared to use my knowledge of the future to prevent SPD from ever existing, but on my way there, I saw Anthony. I know it wasn�t really him, it was the First, but it was enough to get me to thinking. Then, I saw all the rangers who died to stop the First, doing what they thought was necessary to save their families, and it hit me like a ton of bricks, it was the same thing Anthony did for me on that mission when he was killed. I understand now what he did and why he did it,� she told him.

�I thought this mission would make you see things differently,� he confessed.

�I do, which is why I want to back out of our original deal.�

�You what?�

�I know we agreed that you�d mind wipe me and my rangers when I got back, but that�s not what I want to do anymore. I get how important what you do here is now, and I want in. I want to come back to SPD,� she said.

�You know what you�re asking won�t sit well with High Commander Birdie,� he said.

�Since when did you pass by a chance to ruffle his feathers a little?�

Commander Cruger couldn�t help but let out a chuckle. �That�s true, but I received a transmission from Time Force, and I believe they have an offer for you,� he told her.

�Time Force?�

�Your actions caught the attention of our of their commanders, and they want to offer you a position as pink Time Force ranger.�

�What did you tell them?�

�That I�d discuss it with you. If you decide to accept it, you will be given memory adaptation and you won�t remember anything from this time period, but you will be allowed to live out the rest of your life as a ranger in the year 3000,� he said.

�Really, wow!�

�A representative from Time Force will be here shortly to discuss the details with you. Whether or not you accept is up to you. If you decline the offer, our deal will still stand,� he said.

�Thanks Doggie,� she said.

�Once you meet with the representative, you�ll have 24 hours to make your decision. Until then, get cleaned up and go to the infirmary to be checked out,� he instructed.

�Yes sir!� she said, saluting him, then walked out the room.

Bio-Lab
Silver Hills, California 2008 AD

He sat down behind his desk, removing his morpher and tossed it onto the desk. Part of him was glad to be getting rid of it, to finally be moving on with his life. He�d been so determined to find his own destiny his entire life; to not follow in his father�s footsteps, to choose his own path, but had he really? Even when he and the rangers were working together to defeat Ransik years ago, was that really his destiny? Was he meant for more than that? The mere thought alone made him sigh with frustration. Whatever the case, he was now the president of Bio-Lab, and more than happy to step down from being red ranger for good.

His thoughts were interrupted as his sister, Leslie, rushed into the room.

�Wes, you�re okay,� she squealed as she ran over to him, wrapping her arms around him. The chair tilted back, and the two of them fell to the floor. �When I heard about you going on some mission, I got worried and came right home.�

�I�m fine Leslie, really,� he sighed. �Except for the part where you�re crushing my ribs.�

�Oh sorry,� she stood up. �I just had to be sure you�re okay. When did you get back?�

�A few minutes ago,� he stood up, dusting himself off. �You didn�t have to come all the way home to check on me. You could have just called.�

�Trust me, I had to come.�

�Well, I�m fine.�

�Is Cassie alright?� she asked.

�Yeah. She�s in the hospital right now, but its only minor. She�ll be okay in a day or so,� he said.

�So tell me about this mission? Was it the Machine Empire again?�

�Leslie, if you don�t mind, I�d rather not talk about it. We lost a lot of good people out there, and I want to just put the whole thing behind me,� Wes sighed.

�Oh, sure. I understand. I�m going to be in town for a day or so before I go back to school. If you need to talk or something, I�ll be here,� she said as she leaned over, kissing him on the cheek.

�Thanks Lee Lee,� he sighed.

As Leslie headed out the officer, one of the Silver Guardians was on his way in. He stood aside, allowing Leslie out first, then walked into the office himself, and standing in front of Wes� desk.

�Lt. Gregory Tate, reporting as ordered sir!� he said proudly, standing at attention.

It was a strange sensation that washed over Wes. He had always been impressed with the work that Greg Tate did as a Silver Guardian. If memory served him correctly, Greg was the first official member of the Guardians, and had been nothing but a model employee for years. It was ironic that he picked Greg to replace him as red ranger. History had already recorded Greg as going on to do great things in SPD as the red Time Force ranger, but history also recorded that he was defeated, leaving his wife and child alone. Wes wanted to tell him, maybe help him avoid that fate, but he knew he couldn�t.

�At ease Greg,� Greg put his arms behind his back. �Have a seat,� Greg sat down in the chair in front of the desk. �How is your family doing?� he asked him.

�Um, they�re fine sir. Thank you for asking.�

�If memory serves to right, your son just turned four recently, right?�

�Yes sir, Sky turned four last week.�

Wes nodded. �You know, that�s the one thing I regret going Greg; settling down and starting a family. I�ve been so occupied with my company, with being a ranger, trying to care for my sister, I just never got around to getting married,� he glanced over at a picture of Cassie on his desk and couldn�t help but crack a smile. �But that�s something I can on correcting very soon.�

�Good luck with that sir,� Greg sighed awkwardly, still unsure why Wes called him into the office in the first place.

�Do you believe in destiny Greg?�

�I like to think I�m in charge of my own destiny sir. My fate is what I make it,� Greg told him.

�That�s a good answer, you remind me a lot of myself when I was younger. Searching for my own destiny, not accepting the one that was presented to me,� Wes sensed Greg was uncomfortable, so decided to cut right to the chase. �I�m stepping down as red ranger, it�s just not for me anymore. I�m going to focus on other things,� Wes picked up the morpher, tossing it to Greg, who caught it. �I�m offering the position to you, if you�re willing.�

�W-What? You mean me, be a ranger?�

�That�s the idea.�

�But I thought they were encoded with DNA or something. I couldn�t use it if I wanted to.�

�The nice people at SPD have found a way to bi-pass that. Greg, there are a lot of guys on the Silver Guardians that I have a tremendous amount of respect for, but you�re on the top of that list. Your record has been nothing but spotless since coming here. You�re always on time, always professional, always give it your all. There no one in the Guardians that I�d rather have as red ranger and leader of the Silver Guardians,� he said.

�But sir, isn�t Commander Myers the leader?�

�Eric will be stepping down as well. He recently lost someone close to him, and he will no longer be with the company in an official capacity. Make no mistake Greg, there will be a lot of responsibility involved. You�ll command the entire unit, you�ll answer only to me, but I think you�re up for the job. So what do you say?� he asked him.

Greg stood up proudly. �I�d love to accept sir, but I have to discuss it with my wife first. This is a major decision, and my wife wouldn�t like it if I accepted this without at least consulting her,� he said.

�I understand, take all the time you need.�

�I�ll give you my decision by the end of the week, sir,� he said, setting the morpher down on the desk.

�I look forward to it Greg,� Wes said as he watched Greg walk out the room.

Reefside, California 2008 AD

Karone dropped to one knee in front of Andros� tombstone, placing a red rose on his grave. �You never gave up on me Andros, never. You were always there to protect me, to keep me safe, but this time it cost you your life,� a tear rolled down her face. �Your efforts were enough to save us all, I will never be able to thank you enough for what you did. I love you,� she sighed, standing up.

Next, Kendricks walked over to Leo�s tombstone. �I keep waiting for you to jump out from behind something and tell me it�s a trick, but you�re not going to, are you?� she tried to control her emotions, but with no luck. �You were a good leader, and a good friend. You will be missed. I love you,� she sighed.

Dana approached Carter�s tombstone slowly, unsure of how to react or what to say. Unlike the others, she hadn�t brought anything to leave him; she didn�t have anything prepared to stay. She still wasn�t sure if she believed it was true. After all they�d been through, all the battles they�d survived, she just assumed that this one would be like the others. She was sure he�d be okay, but this time, he wasn�t so lucky. With all her medical knowledge, she wasn�t able to save him. She couldn�t help but feel that it was her fault, that she somehow let him down. �I�m sorry Carter. I tried to save you, I did, but it was just too late. It�s my fault, but I promise that your sacrifice won�t be in vain. You saved the world, and I�m going to make sure everyone knows it.�

Finally, it was Katherine who approached Tommy�s tombstone, dropping to both knees and gently putting his green power coin on top of the tombstone. �I understand now why you did what you did, why you kept going back. You did it so I wouldn�t have to, so Kimmy would be safe, so she could grow up in a world where she�d never have to be a ranger herself. Now I know there is no escaping your destiny. I�ll always be a ranger, and one day, I suspect Kimmy will be too. When that time comes, I only hope that she is as wise and brave as her father was. I love you Tommy, and I�m going to miss you. But its finally over honey, the world is safe,� she tried.

One by one, the four of them walked away as the sun finally set. The moon had risen, shining down on the cemetery. The wind began to blow a little harder, and clouds filled the sky. At that moment, a figure stepped out of the darkness, almost as if it came from Tommy�s tombstone. The figure watched as the girls got into the car and drove away, watching as the car disappeared into the darkness. With a smile on his face, he folded his arm. �Awww, wasn�t that sweet? If only you humans could comprehend that you can�t kill an immortal. It isn�t over honey, its just beginning,� he sighed.

End?

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