A/N: And so we come, dear friends, to the last chapter. I hope you all have enjoyed reading the story as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

Chapter 16

It was only a few hours later when Buzz was awakened by a gentle shaking of his shoulder. He stirred and saw Mira at the bedside. "Good morning, Captain," she smiled.

"G'morning. What time is it?"

"Just about oh-six-hundred. Sorry I had to wake you so soon, but I need to run some scans on Jessie to see how the transfusion took."

"Sure. Jessie?" Buzz slowly sat up, rousing the sleeping cowgirl.

She grunted and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Hey. Oh, hey, Mira," she stifled a yawn.

"Morning. How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been run over by a herd of stampeding cattle," she winced as Buzz helped her into a seated position.

Mira laughed a bit, "I imagine that isn't comfortable. I'm going to run a few scans, just to make sure the Hemasynth incorporated into your system. From the looks of things, it has; you're not nearly as pale as you were a few hours ago."

Buzz nodded, "I'm going to go gather up my things. Mira, is the Commander up?"

"Yeah, he's in the conference room."

"Okay, thanks." He gave Jessie's hand a quick squeeze, "I won't be long."

Buzz found Nebula gathering up the maps that were still scattered across the table. He knocked on the doorframe, "Sir, may I speak with you about something?"

"Certainly, Buzz. Come in, come in. What's on your mind?" he rested his forearms on this back of a chair.

"It's just… Andy said something to me before he died. He knew who I was," Buzz omitted how, "and he said 'Zurg will do anything to get to his son'."

Nebula sighed and lowered his head.

"You know what he meant."

He nodded, "Yes, I know what he meant." He looked up at Buzz and motioned to one of the chairs. "Sit down, Captain. Tell me, briefly, what you know about your parents."

Buzz blinked a few times as he sat across from Nebula, "My parents were Stellan and Astral Lightyear, both served the Galactic Alliance as Space Rangers. They were killed in a battle with Emperor Zurg in the Vega system when I was nineteen."

"That's enough," Nebula held up a hand. "Your parents were indeed Stellan and Astral Lightyear, although Stellan was not your biological father."

"Then who was, sir?"

He sighed again, "Zurg."

"No," Buzz's mouth went dry. "How is that possible?"

Nebula settled himself in the chair. "First, let me say this: even though Zurg is your biological parent, it determines nothing. Genetics only dictate biological make up; it's a person's actions that determine whether they are a true father or mother. Now…when your parents joined Star Command, so did a young man named Zurg; he came from the outer reaches of the Andromeda galaxy and, together with your parents, was one of the finest Rangers Star Command had ever known. He and your mother fell in love, and, well, it all seemed like something out of a story book. You remember learning about the Ursinian attack on Nicean Four?"

He nodded, "Yes. It was an unprovoked attack that resulted in the slaughtering of thousands of people."

"Among the casualties were Zurg's parents. He was furious and vowed to get revenge against their killers."

"Revenge is against Star Command's protocol," Buzz interrupted without thinking. "It is fruitless and serves no one."

"Spoken like a true Space Ranger, and your parent's son," Nebula smiled briefly. "He was hell-bent on going after the Ursinians, no matter the cost. After several attempts at trying to get Star Command's backing, he finally just stole a shuttle and left on his own. We tried negotiating with him to come back, that this wasn't the right course of action, but even your own mother's pleas went unanswered. About a week later, she found out she was pregnant with you. She sent Zurg a message with the news, believing that it would make him see reason and come back to her. It fell on deaf ears and she never tried to make any contact with him after that. Zurg collected followers, eventually succeeding in wiping out the Ursinians and becoming the terror you know today."

"But what about my mother? And Father?"

"They were all good friends, and he stepped in as a support for her after Zurg left. Your mother mourned Zurg as if he had died, and once that grief had passed, Stellan asked her to marry him. You were about three months old when they were married, and you were Stellan's son, really from the day you were born. To be honest, you even physically resembled him enough that no one thought differently, except the few of us who knew the truth."

Buzz took a few deep breaths, as he tried to absorb this information. "The attack in the Vega system…"

"Yes," Nebula's tone was tinged with sadness. "Zurg had been out to get Star Command, feeling they betrayed him in not supporting his thirst for blood. He still is. But he knew your parents would be part of the crew that mission. He heard that your mother had married, and he learned about you. He felt the betrayal in that, and even more because she sided with Star Command, and not him."

"So he killed them." He swallowed hard as Nebula nodded. "How did he find about me?"

"A rogue Space Ranger. One of our own who turned against the Galactic Alliance and joined forces with Zurg. I'm sure you can guess his name."

"Darkmatter," Buzz muttered angrily.

"Yes, Warp Darkmatter. He revealed your identity, and more, to Zurg. I can't say it won't be a pleasure to bring him to justice one day. Ever since then, Zurg's been hunting you."

Buzz angrily smacked his palm on to the table, "He deserted my mother and Star Command! What does he think, that I'd side with him after that?"

"He doesn't want to recruit you, Buzz. He wants to kill you. In his mind, you represent the same betrayal as your mother. And he is determined to rid himself of any reminders of that past."

Buzz shook his head in disbelief, "But… you can never achieve that! For good or ill, your past helps make you who you are."

"You're thinking too rationally, Buzz. What you say is true, but Zurg has become adept at ignoring what he does not want to believe."

A weighty silence filled the room. It was several moments before Buzz spoke. "Then I need to be the one to kill Zurg," he said with a tone of finality.

Nebula shook his head, "Not necessarily. Anyone can kill Zurg, Buzz, you're just the one who stands to benefit the most from it. Because he will not stop until either you or he is dead."

"Then…my friends... Sir," Buzz looked up, confusion and conflict swirling in his eyes, "If I left here, I could come back to Star Command, we could form a mission to go and end his villainy once and for all." He knew he would ultimately be true to his word to Jessie, but if leaving for a time would secure their safety… and yet, he was not completely at ease with the idea.

"I think you should ask the Sheriff and Miss Pride. They're your friends, Buzz, and you need them. This is a decision you'll have to make, but they need to be included. And if I may speak candidly for a moment, I think Miss Pride would have a few choice things to say if you make the wrong decision," a hint of a smile flickered on his lips.

Buzz let out a small chuckle. Nebula was right; this decision did not belong to him alone.

"One more thing, Captain. I spoke with the higher ups and your leave is still active. Once that is over you will return to duty, but here in Bonneville."

"Here, sir? For how long?"

Nebula smiled, "Two months. Since you're officially Deputy Sheriff, and since Miss Pride will be out of commission for a while, it seemed prudent. We're going to keep a watch on anything directed this way, but you can serve as our eyes on the ground. I expect to receive reports as events warrant, although no less than weekly. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," he smiled. "Thank you. I'm sure Woody and Jessie would be grateful, as well."

"I'll leave you to tell them the news. Best gather your gear; the Sheriff is due any moment. He contacted me just before you came in the room, and said he had a few things to include in my report. Once I've spoke with him, and as long as Miss Pride is stable enough to return home, we'll be taking off."

Buzz rose from his seat, "Yes, sir. I will make my first report in a few weeks."

"Buzz?" Nebula let out a deep sigh. "I'm sorry I kept this from you for so long. Given the consequences, it was the wish of your parents, your mother especially, that this was a truth only known to a chosen few."

"It's all right, Commander. That was the wisest course of action, and I appreciate you telling me now. Safe travels back to Star Command," he smiled, saluted briefly and exited the ready room. He had only taken a few steps when he ran into Woody. The two clasped hands briefly. "Your leg is okay?"

Woody nodded, "Yeah. Whatever Booster put on it worked wonders! How is Jessie?"

"Sore. I believe she mentioned something about stampeding cattle. Mira's running a few tests, but thinks she's stable enough to go home. I'm going to get my gear together and head back to the medical bay."

"I have a few things to tell Nebula, but then I'll be down."

It took Buzz only a few minutes to collect his things and pack them into the bag. As the doors to the medical bay opened, he was greeted with peals of laughter and Jessie's voice saying , "And he was just standin' there, mutterin' 'please don't give birth' over an' over."

Both women grinned at Buzz as he walked over to the bed. "I've been hearing about your exploits as a ranch hand, Captain."

He grinned back, "You should try it sometime. I'm sure Jessie would love to show you the ropes."

"No thank you," was her blunt reply.

Jessie's laugh joined Buzz's and she smiled, "Mira says I'm all cleared to go home."

He nodded happily, "Good. Woody's upstairs, but should be along in a minute."

Jessie looked guiltily at Mira, "Guess I'll be borrowin' these clothes for a while."

Mira laughed and waved her hand dismissively, "Don't worry about it. It's not like we can't get more. I am sorry about your clothes, but at least I was able to keep these." She pulled Jessie's boots out of a storage drawer and handed them to Buzz.

Jessie swung her legs over the side of the bed so he could slide the shoes onto her feet. She tugged them into place with her left arm and made a face. "It's gonna be hard to get stuff done with only one arm. How long do I hafta wear this thing?"

"A few weeks, at least. And then you'll still need to take it easy," Mira said. "And Buzz is under orders to make sure you do."

"Phooey," Jessie scoffed, and shot a grin at Buzz. "Guess that means you'll have to do all of the work. I might enjoy that, at least for a bit." She stood up, grabbing on to Buzz's arm as she wobbled slightly. She looked up at the sound of the door opening and saw Woody walking towards her. She swallowed the lump that had suddenly risen in her throat and felt Buzz step away as her brother took his place. With a smile, Woody wrapped his arm around her left shoulder and she brought her arm around his back. She pressed her forehead against his shoulder as he leaned his cheek against the top of her head. The siblings stayed that way for several moments, neither able to speak for the emotion that had welled up within them.

Woody pulled away first, his brown eyes bright with unshed tears, "Howdy, sis."

"Howdy," she smiled back, sniffling. "You okay? Buzz said you got hurt."

"I'm fine, Jess, I promise. I'm just glad to see you on your feet. C'mon; let's go home."

The trio bade the Rangers goodbye and made their way back to the ranch. Woody put the horses away while Buzz helped Jessie back to bed. They all enjoyed a few more hours of much needed sleep, waking to the mid-afternoon light. Jessie was changing, with Buzz's help, into her own clothes after taking a bath and she heard Woody's voice talking to someone. When they walked into the kitchen, she was taken aback by the amount of food that adorned the counter and the table. "Hogtie the mailman…what's all this?"

Woody laughed and rubbed his forehead, "It's from the folks in town. They heard about your gettin' hurt and, well, Dolly and Mrs. Potanski rounded up all of the women-folk and this is the result."

"They know?" Jessie reached for her braid nervously.

"They know you were hurt chasing after the outlaw who started the fire. They don't know who that outlaw was and they never will. Now, I don't know about you," he gave her a quick hug around her shoulders, "but I'm hungry."

As the afternoon was fading into evening, Buzz joined Jessie and Woody on the porch. Woody was sitting on the railing and Jessie sat on the two-seated swing and they had been talking about nothing in particular. Buzz leaned against the banister near the swing and waited for a break in the conversation.

Woody noticed the pensive mood of his friend, "Somethin' on your mind, Buzz?"

He nodded and told them everything Nebula had told him, starting with his new assignment and ending with the news of his biological father. He could see the amazement on the faces of his friends and he hurriedly reassured them, "He may have helped create me, but he's not who has made me who I am; if that makes any sense. It's just now I know why he is and will be out to kill me. And you two know the risk. Zurg will stop at nothing to get to me, including using the people I care about."

Woody inclined his head, "Is there anything we do about that?"

Buzz shrugged, "Well, there are a few options. One option is that I can leave."

"You promised you wouldn't," Jessie cut in, her voice quivered with worry and accusation.

Buzz sat next to her on the swing, taking her left hand in his right, "If the choice were mine alone, I wouldn't. But it's not anymore, Jessie. It's yours now; yours and Woody's."

She gripped his hand tightly. "You're stayin' put," she stated firmly.

"Woody?" Buzz and Jessie looked over at him.

He grinned, "You think I'm stupid enough to disagree with Jessie and face her wrath the rest of my life?" His grin faded and he looked seriously at his best friend, "I told you once that this place was your home, Buzz. It still is, and will be as long as you want." His smile returned and he stood up, "I'm goin' down to Ken's, if you two are all right."

Jessie stared, her mouth dropping open. "You're goin' to Ken's?"

Woody nodded a bit sheepishly, "I want to thank Dolly and the rest for all of the food. And," he paused, "I thought I'd stick around, maybe have a drink."

"Really?"

He exhaled the deep breath that usually precedes a confession. "The truth of the matter is that life's short and we need to appreciate what we have while we have it. That hasn't exactly been my way of thinking for the past year."

"Ain't that the truth," Jessie retorted with a gentle grin.

He tousled her hair, "I figure it's time I changed that. You'll be okay, Jessie?"

Her grin mellowed into a warm smile, "'Course I will. 'Sides, I've got the Deputy Sheriff with me."

He smiled and looked at Buzz, "Don't stay up too late, Deputy; we have an early morning."

"Yes, sir," Buzz saluted, his tone infused with contentment.

As Woody rode away, Jessie looked back at Buzz, "You said there were a couple of options. What are the others?"

Buzz pursed his lips thoughtfully, "I could leave here, go back to Star Command and head up a mission to bring Zurg's reign of terror to an end. Then I could come back in complete safety."

"But you don't know how long that would take. It might be years, and what if it never happens? What else?"

"I could leave Star Command," he said simply.

Jessie looked at Buzz with wonder in her eyes, "You'd leave Star Command? But…Buzz…where would you go?"

"Here. Woody said this place is my home, after all. And I have a job here; I could be Deputy Sheriff and help you with the ranch."

Jessie turned the idea over in her head; it seemed ideal, having Buzz around all the time. She surprised herself and him by shaking her head, "No."

"I thought you'd jump at that offer," he admitted.

"It is tempting, but… I don't want you t'leave Star Command. It's in your blood, Buzz, and you might be happy here for a bit, but it wouldn't last; you'd end up unhappy with the choice and then you'd be unhappy with me an' Woody and it would just all fall t'pieces. You thrive on the structure and b'sides, if Zurg found out you were here, you'd be unable to fight him. An' I don't want any of that to happen. We've always known the risks, Buzz, but t'be honest? I think Star Command needs you as much as you need them."

He sighed softly, his free hand coming to rest over their clasped hands. "Jessie…I wish I could swear that I would never let anything happen to you; but… I can't," frustration and regret filled his voice.

She nodded, "I know. An' it's okay."

"I can promise you that if anything ever happened, I would do whatever I had to to get you back and make things right. But I have a favor to ask of you." His bright blue gaze was piercing.

"Okay?" her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Promise me that you'll at least give me a chance to find you before you make up your mind to do something noble like deciding my life is worth more than yours." He smiled at her chuckle and brought his hand up to caress her cheek. "I've lived enough life without you, Jessie Pride; it's not something I intend to take up again."

She leaned her forehead against his and whispered, "I promise. But," she tugged back just as Buzz's lips brushed against hers, her voice filled with mock severity, "you'd better be quick about it, Ranger. I've waited long enough for you."

Buzz grinned. "Ain't that the truth," he quipped. Her soft laughter was muffled as he closed his lips around hers, kissing her sweetly and soundly.

Later, as they lay on a blanket watching the stars, Buzz thought about how many truths there were in life; some big, some little, and all with their own consequences. He felt Jessie stir along his right side, nestling into him with small sigh. He wrapped his arm around her tightly and felt the heavy weight of contentment settle on him. No matter what the consequences, he reflected as a meteor trailed across the sky, the truths in his life were worth it.