Kat stood in front of the commander and placed her hands on his chest as he looked at her in amazement, she had persevered yet again
"I'm impressed, Kat, you've managed to bounce back from what you've been through"
"What kind of person would I be if I just took this without even attempting to try and recover?" she asked as she felt him put his arms around her and allowed him to embrace her and returned it lovingly.
"I can't walk for too long, but it's better than it was"
"I'm just glad to see that you're getting better"
Everyone was touched by the fact that Kat was able to walk on her own again, they all knew that this meant a lot to Cruger and to Kat, and it was finally coming true, Kat would truly be all right.
The party ended on a high note for everyone and the rest of the evening was quiet for the rangers.
Cruger watched as Kat spoke with her therapist about what she had just accomplished… she wouldn't have to face the therapy for much longer, she will soon accomplish what some considered unachievable, she will have made a full recovery. Cruger knew that she wouldn't give up, and he wasn't willing to give up on her either.
She sat by herself after the therapist went to talk with someone who had some questions to ask him, and Cruger went to talk with his old friend.
"Kat, I have to admit something, this is the best birthday I've had since I lost Aisynia" he took a seat at the table with her
She smiled; she knew this would be a day he wouldn't forget any time soon "I figured it would be, that's why I chose today to let you know that I could walk by myself again."
He placed a hand on her arm, "You don't know happy today has made me, I had hopped that soon you would be walking, and now… now you are" his voice tried to crack despite him and give away his emotional status now being at the point of absolutely overwhelmed.
Syd tapped Z on the shoulder as Kat hugged her dearest friend near and he returned it.
"Look at them" Syd said
"Whoa, Jack… look" Z said
"I knew they were close, but not that close… Sky… Bridge look at Kat and D.C." Jack said
"It's about time they realized they cared about each other," Sky said
"Yep" Bridge agreed
"Really?" Jack asked
"Yeah, they've cared for each other for years now, they just haven't admitted it until now" Sky said
"I thought so" Syd said, "I just, thought that I was the only one who saw it"
"Believe me Syd, you weren't the only one" Sky said, "I think anyone who has contact with both of them realized that years ago!"
Syd sighed as they watched their commander with his best friend; it was a moment they would never forget.
The Dino Thunder Rangers also noticed how close Cruger and Kat were and were happy for them… then Trent looked at Kira, this would be the best time to subtlety let their teammates know they were a couple. Kira laid her head against Trent's shoulder, she was beyond exhausted, it had been a long, hard, week and she looked forward to resting. Trent responded by placing his arms around Kira so that his hands ended up overlapping each other on her waist.
Conner was shocked when he saw this little display of affection between Kira and Trent.
"Dr. O, look" Conner said
Tommy looked and sighed, there was only one woman that ever held his heart and he had to remember to try and find her when he got home.
"What's wrong, Dr. O?" Ethan asked
"I was just thinking about the girl I dated in high school" Tommy shook his head
"You dated in high school?" Conner said
"Yes, I was never a nerd, that was Billy's role, I guess I could have been called a jock, I was into martial arts and I think most of my old friends think I must have a dojo or something," Tommy laughed
"What was her name?" Conner asked
"What was whose name?" Trent asked
"Dr. O's high school girlfriend" Ethan said
"Her name was Kimberly she was a gymnast…"
"You mean Kimberly Hart, the girl that won Pan Globals a few years back, my mom went crazy over her, said she deserved to win after all she'd left behind" Kira said "Then again my mom may be bias, Kim, after all, is one of my cousins"
Kira got several surprised looks
"My mom and her dad are brother and sister!" Kira rolled her eyes, "I was supposed to see her a week after we were taken from home, but if I can't get home that isn't going to happen!"
"Don't worry, you'll get home… we already found a way" Hayley said
"Really?" Kira asked
"Really" Hayley confirmed, "the bad news is we won't remember anything that has happened"
"Okay, as long as we get home, I don't really care" Kira said "I want to see my cousin, I haven't seen her in several years and that was the thing I was looking forward to"
The SPD power rangers were all gathered along with the Dino Thunder rangers and Hayley.
"Rangers, the experiences we have had over the past several months are ones that I am sure will be treasured in our hearts…" Cruger said
"But, I'm saddened to say that you, the dino thunder rangers, won't recall that these events ever occurred,"
"Why?" Ethan whined
"Because if you did remember this it would alter the path of the future… I wish you would be able to recall these times and you're new friends, but that won't be allowed" Kat sighed and looked at Trent. He knew the look on her face meant he had to give up the sketches that he had made in the SPD base as well, but he saw that as being a good thing… then they would be able to remember him through his art.
"Kat…" he paused and pulled the sketchbook out of his bag "I want you to keep this… it has all of the sketches I made while I was here"
Kat smiled as she took the sketchbook in her hands
"I'll take good care of it, Trent" she assured him
Cruger held the sketchpad as Kat and the SPD rangers said their final good-byes to the Dino thunder rangers then sent them back to their own time to the moment right after they were brought from. They said their good-byes and went their separate ways to go home… unaware of what they had been through.
Meanwhile in 2025:
Kat was sitting in her lab looking through Trent's sketchbook and sighed as she saw the last picture… it was of her and Cruger, but this image wasn't of something that ever actually happened… It was as if he had taken the image he had of her and the image of Cruger and used that to draw them in a different pose, one that expressed their obvious love for each other. She smiled as she traced the image with her fingers… she then noticed the signature in the lower right hand corner, she had seen that signature before… Trent had become famous for his art along with the fact that he had taken over Anton Mercer Industries after his father passed away and molded it into something that was very beneficial to the whole country… The industry now funded child welfare programs and also held meetings and concerts to raise awareness of the many homeless children and family in the country and all over the world.
Kat smiled… she knew that Trent was a good artist and she now admired a piece of his work that she would treasure, just as she treasured the friend that was depicted holding her in that picture.
She decided to frame that particular image and hang it in her room along with a couple of the other images… she had been surprised by how many there were… Trent had done a lot of drawing while the Dino Thunders were in that time. Although, there was still one thing she didn't understand, why did Trent give his sketchbook to her particularly, was it because of that image, or was it because of the general content in the book, that he thought she would appreciate it more than the rangers… that she would never know.
The original therapist and his brother were arrested in connection with Kat's injuries and given long sentences in containment, Kat made a complete recovery and she and Cruger finally admitted to themselves and the rest of the base that they had feelings for each other.
All of the SPD rangers were glad that the events of the past months were coming to an end, they didn't know how long they could have lasted like that, but it was bittersweet, they missed the dino thunder rangers. They only hoped that it wouldn't be the last time they got to see them, but as the saying goes 'only time can tell what the future will bring'.
The End
Pls. leave a review and note that all flames will be redirected at the nearest hurricane