“Why are they playing around down there?” Eric muttered to himself. He was carrying on the fight alone while the other Rangers were on the ground, having trouble taking out one robot. Strangely enough, there was a sixth person with them. Finally, they disposed of Frax and took to the sky again. And maybe he didn’t need them anyway; they had already done some damage to the Dragon and forced it to use a good part of its ammunition. He saw the patch where the Q-Rex had damaged it before and aimed for it with the Defender, commanding the Q-Rex to do the same.

Moments later, the other Rangers joined in. Eric contacted them with his morpher, and they all took turns firing at the same weakened spot. It worked, the hole blew open again, and the Dragon looped to flee with a final blast at the Rangers. But Eric was determined not to let it get away this time, his flyer wasn’t fast enough but the Q-Rex was. When he caught up with the two flying tanks, the Dragon had crashed into the ground and the Q-Rex was still firing at it with what almost seemed to be vindictiveness.

The Rangers had barely enough power to finish the fight. As they came in view of the wrecked Dragon they landed quickly and demorphed, their flyers shrinking back to toy size. Eric had apparently satisfied himself that the flyer was no longer a threat and disappeared along with the Q-Rex.

“We did it,” Jen said quietly.

“Yeah, thanks to Wes,” Trip said. “You used my Turbobooster. That was great. I’m just glad it didn’t blow up.”

“So am I!” Wes reached to squeeze Jen’s shoulder lightly. “Thanks for getting Alex to give my morpher back.” She just smiled.

“I have to get back to the hospital. My dad…” Wes trailed off. The others nodded.

Jen said, “Go on. We’ll see you later. Whenever you’re ready to come home.”

Wes headed back over the open fields as fast as he could walk, breaking into a trot when he came to a road. They were far from the city and he was soon out of breath and forced to slow down. He didn’t notice a car approaching until it came to a sudden stop in front of him. The driver leaned toward him.

“Get in!” It was Eric, in civilian clothes and driving what was obviously his own car. With an uncomfortable glance at Wes he went on, “I’ll give you a ride.”

Wes nodded and jumped into the car. His eyes locked on the road, Eric asked, “The hospital or Bio-Lab?”

“The hospital.” They rode in silence for a few minutes, Wes staring blindly ahead.

He started slightly as Eric’s voice abruptly demanded, “Did you know Ransik was going to attack Bio-Lab?”

“Of course not! Don’t you think I would have warned you?”

“He was after the serum. You tried to take it the night before.”

“That’s right, Dr. Zaskin said Ransik took the serum… I saw him use it, but he had his own supply. That's where I got the sample I brought in. Why would he take Bio-Lab’s?” He thought about it for a moment. “He must have needed more. If only I’d thought of it! But it never occurred to me!”

“It’s not your fault.” Eric glanced at him again. Wes only shook his head.

“The fire may have taken care of the serum. Most of the records were in that lab, and it looked pretty much totaled,” Eric went on after a pause.

“Great,” Wes said glumly as they pulled into the hospital entrance.

“Go on. I’ll find a place to park.” That unfamiliar kindness was in Eric’s voice again as he went on, “Good luck, Wes. I hope he’s better.”

Wes nodded and said, “Thanks,” before running to the hospital entrance.

The room was empty, the bed sheets pulled up and the equipment disconnected. Wes stepped in and sank to his knees beside the bed. Too late. He ran his hands over the blanket and pressed his face into it, finally giving in to the tears that had been coming since the day before. His father was gone, and he had never had the chance to say goodbye, never had the chance to say what he really felt. The last words they had said to each other had been angry ones, and now nothing could change that.

“Wes.” Wes looked up, wondering if he was hearing things now. It was his father’s voice. It called him again, and he turned around to see Collins, pale and weak looking, but definitely alive, in a wheelchair behind him.

“Dad. You’re alive.” Wes got up, and sank back to sit on the bed as he felt his head spin briefly. He reached out to touch his father’s arm. “You’re all right.”

“It was the strangest thing. I was lying here, just sort of drifting. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Then I opened my eyes and saw you, and I felt better. I got up and walked down the corridor to see where you went. Almost gave the poor nurse a heart attack.”

“You saw me?” Wes asked.

“Yes. What’s the matter?”

Wes smiled slowly. “Nothing.”

Collins went on, “Listen -- this has made me realize something. We should never have let an argument stand between us for this long. We’re family. And you never know when it’s going to be too late for apologies.”

“I was thinking the same thing, when it seemed like... I’d never see you again.”

“I want you to know, I’m proud of what you’ve been doing. I’m just sorry it took me so long to say it.”

“Thanks, Dad. That really means a lot to me.”

Collins rested his hand on Wes’s shoulder. “For now, your place is with the Rangers. I understand that now. And I want you to make your own choices, and do what makes you happy.”

“I’m sorry for all the things I said.”

“Wes, we both said things we shouldn’t have. But I hope that’s all in the past now.” They smiled at each other for a quiet moment, then both turned as they heard a light tap on the door.

“Come in,” Collins said. Eric opened it and stood staring at them. His face went through an extraordinary change, the harshness and tension dropping away, replaced by a smile that almost glowed with relief and happiness.

“You’re better. You look great,” he said. Collins smiled and held out his hand for Eric to shake.

“I feel great,” he said. “I’ll be back at work before you know it. How’s everything at Bio-Lab? Quiet, I hope?”

Eric smiled again and shrugged lightly. “Just the usual evil mutants and giant robots. Nothing we can’t handle.” Wes looked up at him in surprise, feeling a grin form itself on his face.

“Well, I guess I should keep it short and let you get some rest.” Eric hesitated for a moment. “I’m really glad to see you’re all right.”

“Thank you,” Collins said with another smile. Eric turned to leave.

“Hold on, Eric. Could you give me another ride?” Wes asked, jumping up.

“Sure.”

Wes turned back to his father. “I’ll be back later, Dad. Get some rest.”

“I will.” They both looked down at him in surprise as he added, “It was almost worth being attacked to see you two getting along.”

“Is that what we’re doing? Getting along?” Wes asked as they left the room and started out of the hospital. Eric glared in response. Wes smiled.

This time, Wes noticed the suitcases in the back seat as he got into Eric’s car. “Going somewhere?” he asked.

Eric didn’t look at him. “Not anymore, I guess. I need to talk to you about it.”

“Go ahead.”

“Later, at Bio-Lab. Where to?”

“Hillside Beach. The north end. When we get there, would you mind waiting for me, and driving me back to Bio-Lab?”

“Okay. As long as you don’t start thinking I’m your damn chauffeur,” Eric grumbled.

“I can take a company car, if you don’t…”

“It’s okay, Wes.” Eric looked slightly amused. After a pause he went on. “What was the story between you and your father anyway? All those months you didn’t talk to each other.”

Wes took a moment to answer. “We had an argument… a really bad one. But it started before that. I guess we never really understood each other. I didn’t like some of the things he did, running his business... he was disappointed that I didn’t want to follow in his footsteps. Since my mom died I guess he got kind of obsessed with Bio-Lab, and I thought that was all he cared about. But today...” Wes smiled and shook his head. “He understands about what I’m doing, with the Rangers.”

“He thought about you. Sometimes he’d ask me about you.”

“You like my father, don’t you?”

“Is that so hard to believe?”

“I guess not. You know -- in a lot of ways you’d make a better son for him than I do.”

Eric shot him a glance. “The thought’s occurred to me. But don’t worry. You’re his blood. And I’m just the hired help.”

Wes looked at him, puzzled. “What happened to you, to make you so cynical?”

Eric kept his eyes locked on the road. “I’m just realistic.” His expression did not invite further conversation, and the short ride was over without another word.

As Jen had told him when he contacted her, the Time Force officers -- with Alex --were on the beach saying their goodbyes. Behind them loomed a spherical metal ship, studded with small projections and with a rocket-like cone on the bottom. Wes and Eric got out of the car and started toward them. As they got close enough to see Alex’s face, Wes saw Eric stop and do an almost comical double take, his eyes moving from Alex to Wes and back again. Alex stared back.

“What the hell…” Eric said.

“Tell you later.” Wes left Eric and walked quickly up to Alex, who stepped forward to meet him. They looked at each other for a moment.

“It was you at the hospital, wasn’t it? You saved my father,” Wes asked.

Alex nodded. “I brought medical equipment with me that’s more advanced than what your friends have.”

“Now, wasn’t that playing with destiny?”

Alex smiled faintly. “We each make our own destiny. You showed me that. You’ve chosen your fate. I thought saving your father was… the least I could do.”

Wes smiled at him. “Whatever the reason, thanks.”

“Goodbye, Wes. Good luck.”

To Wes’s surprise Alex walked past him and over to Eric, who had been watching them with an intensely curious expression. “Eric Myers?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s an honor to meet you,” Alex said.

“Why? And who are you?”

“Wes can explain.” With a quick nod Alex turned away, moving to the others who were standing in a line waiting.

“Sorry I was hard on you. You don’t operate the way I’m used to, but I see now that you’re excellent Rangers.” He moved along the line to shake hands with Lucas and Trip, and get a smile from Katie.

Jen was standing at the end of the line. Alex faced her and said, “I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say anything,” she replied. “I know you were trying to do the right thing.” Wes, watching, felt another sharp pang of jealousy as she stepped forward to hug him. Alex put his arms around her.

“When you come home -- we can talk,” he said. Jen said nothing as he stepped back and strode quickly into the timeship. A few moments later the ship hummed to life. A thin beam of light shot into the sky, opening the familiar black whirlpool of a timehole. The ship lifted off and swiftly flew into it, and disappeared.

Wes turned his head to watch Jen. She gazed after the ship, her face pinched with unhappiness. “Goodbye, Alex,” he heard her say softly.

On the trip back to Bio-Lab Wes told Eric the whole story, about the other Rangers, Alex, and how he had come to be the Red Ranger. He continued as they walked to Mr. Collins’ office, drawing curious looks from people who had never seen Eric out of uniform. As they opened the office door Eric commented, “So you got to be a Ranger because of your DNA. You always were lucky.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Why did Alex say he was honored to meet me?”

“Beats me. Maybe because you’re the Quantum Ranger. I guess we’re all part of history to him, like George Washington or something. Weird.” Wes went to his father’s desk and leaned on it. “I don’t think I’d ever get used to sitting here. Just glad it’s only temporary.”

He looked at Eric, who was standing in front of the desk looking acutely uncomfortable. “You said you wanted to talk to me?”

Eric straightened to attention. “Yes, sir.”

Wes winced. “Geez, Eric, don’t call me sir.”

“Suits me.” Eric pointed to a letter lying on the desk with Wes’s name written on it. “I’d like to get that back.”

Wes picked it up. “What is it?”

“My resignation.”

Wes stared at him in astonishment. “Why would you resign? I thought you like this job.”

“I do.”

“Is it because of me taking over? Do you hate me that much?”

Eric looked even more uncomfortable. “I don’t hate you at all. I just figured with you in charge, I’d be out of a job soon. And why wait to be fired?”

“What makes you think I’d fire you?”

“Taylor and Jennings seemed to have you pretty much under their thumbs. They both think I’m just a security guard who doesn’t know his place. They’d love to see me out on my ass. And you have no reason to keep me around.”

“That’s not true. Dad thinks you’re doing a good job, and from what I’ve seen I agree.”

“But you and your friends don’t like me, or trust me. You all think I’m some kind of trigger-happy nutcase.”

“Well… maybe we used to feel that way. But not anymore.”

Eric seemed to consider that for a moment. Then he went on in a milder voice, “What about Taylor? He pretty much told me he was going to get me fired.”

Wes opened his mouth, said, “Well...” and closed it again. Taylor and Jennings had indeed asked him to fire Eric, and had seemed quite put out when he refused. They had put their reasons in different words, but it had pretty much boiled down to exactly what Eric had said.

“They already talked to you, didn’t they? Those two don’t waste any time. What did you tell them?”

“I said I would never fire someone my father thinks is valuable. And that I didn’t want to do it anyway. And that at least no one could accuse you of brownnosing.” Eric looked startled for a moment. Then he laughed.

“A joke and a laugh in the same day. Never would have believed it,” Wes murmured. He held the letter out to Eric.

“Thanks,” Eric said with a brief smile. “Well… I’d better get back to work. See ya.” He turned to leave.

“Eric…” Wes hesitated, unsure of what to say. “All of us made a good team today. I hope we can start working together.”

“I’ll help when I can.” That cool and distant mask slid into place again. “But I work alone.”

It was late when Wes returned to the clock tower after another visit with his father. There was only one person still up. Jen was sitting on the sofa in the main room.

“How’s your father?”

“They’re keeping him a few days for observation. But he’s going to be fine.”

“That’s great.” But behind her smile, her eyes were puffy and red. She had been crying.

“Are you okay?”

“I don’t know.” Her voice was full of misery.

Wes sat next to her and put his hand on her shoulder. “It’ll be all right. Alex will be there when you go back to your own time.”

Jen looked up at him, her eyes bright with tears. “He’s not the same Alex. The timeline has shifted, and the history of my world has changed. This Alex had a different life. He’s… harder.” She sighed shakily. “I don’t know how I feel about him anymore. And…”

“And?” Wes prompted.

She glanced at him quickly and looked away. “Nothing.” After a moment she went on. “We haven’t restored our own timeline. Not even close. The new reality in our time is terrible. There was still a war. Still a lot of people killed. And now, the mutants have been… suppressed. Executed or locked up. What’s going to happen to Trip and Katie when we go back? A lot of people consider them mutants.”

“Maybe we can still change it. Make it better.”

“I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t know if we can. I don’t know what to think, or how to feel.”

Wes slipped his arm around her shoulders, and let her lean on him.