"What is it?" she asked dully.

He smiled. "I was just thinking how you glow all over when the sun hits you like that."

"Oh." She barely looked up as he came over to kiss her. The response she gave didn't hold anything near like the enthusiasm it had once had in it, however, and they had not been with one another since she had come back from the SpaceSkull. Billy hated Goldar more than ever, for taking away the spark of life and love within her with his violation of her body, mind, and soul.

"Do you want to come to the Youth Center? Tommy and Kim asked if we'd all meet them there."

Evanthe shook her head and he sighed. "You have to get out sometime."

She shook her head again. "I go out."

"Going out to get a bite to eat doesn't count." he told her. Evanthe sighed.

"There's nothing else I need to do."

Billy sighed. "You need to get out!"

"No, I don't." she replied flatly. "I don't have to and I don't want to. I don't want to see anyone."

"Why?"

She sighed. "I just don't."

"That's not an answer."

Evanthe didn't even look at him. "That's the only one there is." Billy sighed.

"I now know what Adam went through when it was Elissa being as stubborn as all get out after Finster got her the first time!" he said, leaving the room. Evanthe stretched out on the couch, burying her face in her hands, and cried.

"Mama?" she looked down to see William looking at her with wide, loving eyes. If there was one being she couldn't say no to, it was her son. "Zoo!"

Evanthe looked at him. "You want to go to the Zoo?" William smiled. "I'll see if your daddy will take you."

William's face fell. "Mama Zoo!"

"You want me to take you?" he smiled again, and she bit her lip. "But..I..."

"Mama Zoo!" he was very insistent.

Evanthe looked at him. "I..I never have been able to say no to you!"

William smiled, and Evanthe looked up to see Billy in the doorway. "Who can say no to him?" her unsmiling face hadn't changed, though.

"No one." Billy said. "Not even Zordon."

Evanthe slowly got to her feet. "If I'm going to take him the Zoo, I'd better change."

"Want me to go with you?"

She shook her head. "I. .I want to see if I can do this on my own." she said quietly.

"Okay." Billy agreed. "Let us know at the first sight of a Tenga feather, though."

"No problem." she nodded, then headed back to her room for a long-awaited hot shower.

William looked at his father with pride. "Mama Zoo!"

"Yes, Mama's taking you to the zoo," the Blue Ranger said as he went to change him.

"Mama nice."

"That she is." Billy smiled. And one day, you'll get to know the Evanthe I fell in love with...you'll really like her.

Evanthe entered the room, clean and sparkling as she had not been in months. Her eyes still held that deadness in them, however. Is he ready?"

"Yes." Billy smiled. "I'll have his dinner ready when you get back."

Evanthe nodded, picking him up and heading towards the car. Billy watched, then went back in, hoping this would help her heal.

"You're getting stronger, though." Adam told her as he watched her.

"I wish I didn't have to, though," she murmured. Adam looked at her.

"I know." She stopped, and Adam frowned. "Tired already?"

"No."

He looked at her. "Then why did you stop? You know you've got to get your strength back."

"I know."

Adam examined her. "How have you been feeling lately? Any better, worse?"

"What do you mean?"

He felt like screaming. "I'm just checking to see if you're all the way healed."

She sighed. "Adam, I'm talking, I'm able to walk, a little more clumsily than usual, but still. What else do you want to know?"

"Nothing else." he finally said. "I love you, Elissa."

She looked down, then whispered, "I don't want to keep my powers."

"Why not?"

Elissa sighed. "Because of who I am. I don't deserve them."

Adam shook his head. "Ninjor and Zordon don't make mistakes, Elissa."

"Adam, you don't know me as well as you think you do, and he did this time."

He felt like screaming into her face that she was wrong. It wouldn't do any good, though. She'd been down on herself a lot lately. "Why don't you deserve them?"

She walked to the window, staring out. "I just don't."

"I believe you do."

"I don't. If you knew half the stuff I did because of what Micheal did to me, you wouldn't want to be in the same room with me."

He looked at her with a challenge in his dark eyes. "Then tell me."

"No. It's not the right time." She shook her head. "But I do know. I think they should find a werewolf to take these powers until Gwen is old enough."

He sighed. "Elissa, is there any werewolf that you would trust with our secrets, with everything that happens to us?"

She sighed deeply. "No."

He nodded quietly. "There is no one else, Elissa."

She sighed. "Why do I feel like this!?

"I don't know."

She toyed with a strand of her hair. "I love being a Ranger, but I'm just not good enough to stay as one."

"I believe you are."

Tears formed in her eyes. "Why don't I feel it then?" Silently he came over to hold her, and she leaned into him. "I want to think I am, but I can't."

He kissed her. "You are bravest and most beautiful person I know, Elissa, and you will believe in yourself again, I know it."

"I hope so."

"I know it."

She sighed, backing away from him and slowly heading over towards the tables. Her legs gave out before she got there, however, and she collapsed to the ground. As Adam went over to help her up, she shouted in his mind, How am I supposed to fight Vile if I can't even walk!?"

You'll walk again. You're getting stronger every day, you know that.

I am not!

Yes, you are. You couldn't even have gotten this far yesterday.

Don't try to patronize me. I'm not getting better, I know it!

I am not patronizing you, you couldn't have and you know it!

Adam.. .why did this even have to happen? Why did Finster do this to me? Why?

I don't know. But he'll never do it again, never!

I get the strangest feeling that he will. Adam, can you help me to my chair? I need some air.

Sure.

He helped her gently to the chair and she wheeled outside in tears, him only a few steps behind her. They were met by the other Rangers, sans Evanthe, walking in. Kim waved the moment she saw her friend. "Hi, Elissa!" as she saw the tears, she frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Elissa wiped them away quickly,

Aisha glanced at her carefully. You sure?"

"I'm sure."

Kim glanced at Tommy with a smile after that. "All right, is everyone ready for our little announcement?" she asked. Once everyone had said yes, she glanced at Tommy. "All right, who lets out the good news?"

Tommy smiled. "You can, beautiful."

Kim grinned. "We're getting married!"

"Congratulations!"

The Pink Ranger blushed. "Aisha, will you be my maid of honor?"

"I'd be honored." the Yellow Ranger replied. Elissa glanced sneakily at Rocky and Aisha.

"Now to wait for Rocky and Aisha to get married!" she teased. Both of those blushed intently.

"We'll get to it!" Rocky said quickly.

Aisha glanced at him. "When?"

"Dunno." Aisha smiled and Rocky hugged her. "We'll get married, sooner or later."

"Who would have thought that you two would start a relationship?" Adam grinned at them.

"Us."

Everyone stiffened suddenly when the communicators beeped. At Tommy's' touch on his communicator, they heard Evanthe's voice in strident fear. "Guys, help!!!"

Elissa sighed. "Great."

"Let's go." Aisha said, looking around quickly. Elissa rolled back a little.

"I'll go to the Command Center and keep an eye on you guys from there." she said. God knows I'm not able to fight.

Maybe not right now, but you will be soon.

Yeah, right.

"Yes, that's a wolf." she nodded.

"Elissa?"

Evanthe shook her head. "Not quite." Without even knowing it, she smiled. William giggled.

"Mama smile!"

She almost touched her fingers to her lips, uncertain of the strange expression on her face. "I guess I did." she kissed him gently on the cheek. "You can always make me smile."

William looked proud as he looked at something over her shoulder. "Monkey!"

"We're not near the monkey cages, William." She shook her head. "And we're not going." They're too much like Goldar for my tastes.

He pointed behind her. "Monkey!" there was fear in his voice now. Evanthe turned around, and almost dropped her son.

"Hello! time to meet your match!!" Goldar laughed. Evanthe screamed as loudly as she could, glancing around to see there were too many people for her to morph.

"Get away from me, Goldar!" she ordered, holding William closer to her. He laughed as he stomped a little closer to her, and everyone else in the zoo started screaming and running away from her as fast as they could go. She grabbed for her communicator. "Guys, help!"

"They can't help you now!" Goldar mocked her. "We are going to have a beautiful child, my pet!"

Evanthe's lower lip trembled. "Billy's going to kill you for what you did to me."

"I don't think so!" he laughed, reaching for her. He stopped when a very familiar arc of colors came down, forming itself into a batch of ninja-morphed Rangers. The Blue one spoke first.

"That's what you think!"

Evanthe smiled. "Told you so, Goldar!"

The monster looked and laughed. "You're one short!"

Adam snarled deeply. "Not forever, but it could just be one of us here, and we'd still be powerful enough to get rid of you!"

"That's what you think!" Goldar chuckled. "Vile has plans for her!"

The battle began, once Evanthe got out of the way. Billy took Goldar straight on. "You're going to de, and I'm going to be the one who kills you!"

"Yeah, right!" Goldar snorted. "But you won't be able to save your friend!"

"We'll see about that."

Adam leaped at Goldar, eyes burning under his mask. "You're going to leave Elissa alone! She's been through too much!"

"I will!" Goldar retorted. "It's Finster who gets the fun of destroy the Were...slowly!"

Adam snarled, slamming his fist into Goldar's shoulder. "I don't think so!"

Goldar fell back. "You will die before her, wolf!" Adam glared at him, perfectly ready and willing to kill him right then and there.

"Get out of here, Goldar, unless you want to die right now."

Goldar chuckled evily. "I go this time, but I'd keep an eye on the wolf."

"I'd keep an eye on myself if I were you. Because one of these days, Billy and I will be there, and you won't hurt anyone ever again after that." Adam declared. Goldar only vanished with a laugh. Adam sighed. "I really hate him. And Vile. And Finster. All of them."

"You're not the only one." Billy said, looking over to where Evanthe was coming out towards them.

"Thanks for coming, guys." she said quietly, obviously ashamed at not being able to defend herself. Billy smiled at her.

"We couldn't not come. But we have to go. I'll be right back. wait for me, okay?" he asked. She nodded.

"We'll be right here." As the Rangers teleported out, she leaned against the wall, tears in her eyes. "I can't even go out with my son without being attacked, and he wonders why I don't like going out anymore."

William looked at her. "Mama sad?"

She wiped away a tear. "Just a little, dear."

"One day, you'll be happy again. That's a promise." She whirled around to see Billy behind her, her eyes wide in terror. "I'm sorry."

Evanthe took a breath. "I..it's okay."

"No, it's not." Billy shook his head. "They will pay for what they've done to you." She let him hold her for a moment, then stepped back. "What do you say we look around for a bit? Let William explore the Children's Zoo? I hear they've got the animal babies there today."

Evanthe nodded, and they headed over there. The first thing they saw was a bat display, and Evanthe almost laughed. William giggled. "Bats!"

"Yes. Those are bats." Evanthe touched the glass separating her from them for a moment, envying her distant cousins. They have nothing to do but be themselves. They don't have monsters growing in them or people trying to kill them on a daily basis.

"Me saw wolf!" her son piped up. Evanthe nodded.

"Yes, that's a wolf over there."

Billy glanced over to the lupine section, and couldn't help but ask, "Did you like the wolf?"

She replied quietly, "I love the wolf."

"Reminds you of someone, doesn't it?"

Evanthe agreed. "Someone who's stronger than she thinks she is. I should know; I've known her for almost her entire life."

Billy sighed as they headed for the reptile house. "I'm worried about you two."

"Don't be."

Billy shook his head. "I should. You jump at almost every noise. Then again, I don't blame you for that one, and Elissa right now has the self-esteem of a jellyfish."

Evanthe sighed. "We'll both get over it. We have to."

"I hope so." He slowly put an arm around her and they continued on their way.

"No, you wouldn't have. Have you ever messed up a fight?" he asked calmly. She glared at him.

"Stop it!"

"I'm sorry."

She sighed, wiping the tears from her face as her put an arm around her. "Things are going to be okay."

"When you find someone to replace me."

He kissed her gently. "You can't be replaced."

"Would you stop trying to make me feel better!?" she shouted. Adam looked back at her calmly.

"It's the truth, Elissa. That's all there is to it."

"It is not!" she refused to admit it, to believe it. She could be replaced, all they had to do was find the proper werewolf.

He looked right back at her. "Yes it is."

"Adam, it's not. As of right now, I am stuck in this chair. That's all there is to it. I'll be here for a very long time, I've faced it, and now it's time you did!"

"But not forever!" he shouted back. "I will not let you even consider being in there forever!"

"That's not your choice, is it?"

Adam stared at her for a moment, hurt written on every feature. "If you want to stay stuck in there forever, then be like that." he said. "If you don't even want to consider the possibility that you'll walk and be as strong as you have ever been, then fine by me! You taught me wolves were strong and independent, that they never let anything get them down. All you are now is a simpering baby who deliberately sits in that chair rather than try and make herself better. Face it, Elissa: the only reason you're still in there is because you're too lazy and pampered to get out. You're not a wolf. You're a lapdog." He teleported out. Elissa sat there for a moment, crying, until Kim came over to her.

"Elissa."

"What?"

The Pink Ranger smiled. "If you need someone to talk to, other than Adam, I'll listen."

"Thanks." Elissa smiled. "I think I do. He gets so emotional at times!"

"I've noticed." Kim nodded. "But it's because he really cares about you, and it scares him that you might not be like you were. That's why he won't think about it."

Elissa agreed. "I wish he would, because it might happen. I don't want it to, but it might."

"If it does, it does. If it doesn't it doesn't. That's the only way to deal with it."

The Rose Ranger sighed. "I wish I could talk to him, and just have him listen, just once.'

"He will." Kim asserted. "If I have to tie him down and make him!"

Elissa glanced back to where he had been. "I think I should go find him and sort some things out with him, or try to, if I can."

Kim nodded. "If you need any help, I'm just a communicator call away."

"Thanks." Elissa nodded as she teleported out. Kim glanced at the others, who had remained silent during the exchange.

"I hope they're all going to be all right."

"So do I."

The tiny girl he loved sighed. "I hope we can get rid of Vile soon, before he does anything else to either Evanthe or Elissa."

"We will." Rocky said quietly. "But until then, we'll keep a close eye on them both."

"I'm sorry, Master, I did just as you ordered, I attacked the Purple Ranger when she was out by herself!"

"But you did not bring her back!"

Goldar cowered. "She called the other Rangers too swiftly, I couldn't grab her!"

"A likely story!" Vile snorted. "You will grab her the next time. We mustn't keep you waiting for your pet!"

Goldar blinked a little in confusion. "Sire? What do you mean?"

"Do you desire your pet or not!?" Vile roared, and Goldar hurriedly nodded. "Then next time, don't fail me!"

"I won't!" he promised. "I'll bring her to you the moment you order it, sire! Right now if you wan!"

"Soon." Vile nodded, glaring at the Earth. "And soon, to be rid of that pesky werewolf."

"Yes."

She took a breath. "Adam, what would yo do if I were never able to get out of this chair?"

"You're going to get out of it."

"That's not what I asked."

He sighed. "I don't know."

Elissa glanced away. "I don't know what I'd do either. But it's something that we might have to face."

He shook his head. "I don't want to. You'll heal."

She took his hand. "Yes, I am getting some feeling back. Yes, I am getting strong, but that is no guarantee that I'll walk again. Adam, we have to consider that."

Tears shone in his eyes as he nodded, and she sighed. "Adam, I am in no condition to be a Ranger. I really never was a good choice for it."

"What makes you think that?"

"A lot of things." she replied. "Adam, I loved being a Ranger, but how many times have I given up my powers?"

"Only because you were too hurt emotionally or physically to use them. I would've done the same thing."

Elissa shook her head. "The Rangers don't need someone like me on the team. They need someone who won't give up the powers at a drop of the hat. Look at Evanthe, she's been through more hell than I have, and she has never given up her powers, never."

"She also went through 5 centuries of life you haven't. I'd imagine she doesn't give up much."

Elissa shook her head. "Adam, I'm no good to the team."

"I don't think you're right." he tried to tell her. "And somehow, someday, you'll realize it too."

"Maybe." She sighed. "Maybe not. That's up to time. I love you, Adam, more than I know, but I'm so scared to show you. Scared to feel it at times."

Adam touched her cheek gently. "Don't be. Please, don't ever be afraid to show that. That's another reason I want to destroy Goldar and Vile, for what they've done to your ability to express love."

She closed her eyes for a few moments. "That started before they came around."

He clenched a fist. "There's another one, but I can't even think that name without wanting to kill everything in sight."

She touched his cheek. "Never forget what we've had."

"What we have."

"I'm going out, honey, do you need anything?"

Evanthe shook her head. "I'm fine."

He came over to her, putting a hand on her distended belly. "Our child." Evanthe only sighed and looked away. As the child had progressed in growth, it had seemed to sap away all of her strength and all of her joy with it. "Evanthe, I love you." She only nodded.

Her mother looked in; she had come to stay with them as Evanthe became unable to do her regular chores around the house. "Don't you think it's about time you smiled? At anything?"

Evanthe didn't look at her. "I don't have much to smile about anymore, Mother."

"You don't?" Diana lifted an eyebrow. "Look around you. What do you see?"

"I know you all are here and what you feel." Evanthe murmured. "But I just haven't been happy."

"Why?"

Evanthe sighed. "I don't know. I just haven't."

Her mother looked at her. "If you can give me one reason, with something to support it, I'll accept it. But until then. .."

The Purple Ranger glanced at her, then at her stomach, but said nothing else. Billy sighed as he went into the other room to get his things, and Diana sat down next to her daughter. Evanthe toyed with a string for a moment, deep in dark thoughts. Suddenly, she stopped, a strange expression going across her face. "Mother!"

"Time?"

Evanthe nodded, fear and a strange elation in her at the same time. "Yes!"

"Billy!" Diana shouted. The Blue Ranger came running back in there as fast as he could.

"Time?"

Evanthe nodded. "We'd better get moving."

"No."

Adam sighed, and she glanced over at him, knowing what he was thinking. With a slightly disgusted air, she rolled away and out the door. Adam sighed again as the phone rang and was given to Kim by Ernie. "Just how long is this going to go on?" Tommy wondered. Adam shook his head.

"I don't know."

Kim slammed the phone down suddenly and looked at everyone. "Guys! Evanthe's having her kid!"

Adam jumped up. "Let's get going!" this was one birth none of them were going to miss!

"Where's Elissa?" Tommy asked, knowing she'd want to be with them. Adam sighed at once.

"She's probably outside. Upset as usual."

"You might want to tell her the news." Tommy suggested. Rocky nodded.

"And fast!"

Elissa.

Don't start with the 'you should be continuing with your therapy' speech! I've heard it enough times so that it's etched into my brain!

Evanthe's in labor.

What?!

Evanthe is in labor.

I'm just outside. Let's get to her!

On the way!

"What is her name?" Elissa wondered.

"Elissa Diana Cranston."

The first Elissa blushed a severe shade of red, then looked down. "She shouldn't have."

"Why not?" Billy retorted.

Adam nodded. "Sounds like a beautiful name to me!" he sighed as Elissa backed away from them. Billy looked at them.

"I'll be back later. I want to see how Evanthe's holding up. The birth was kind of rough on her."

As he left, Elissa wheeled a bit more away from them. Tommy called her name, and she looked back at them. "Yes?"

"We're going to be keeping an eye on Evanthe and little Elissa, because of Vile." her leader said quietly. "Do you want to take a watch?"

She shrugged. "Sure."

"Billy's going to watch first," Tommy said, then they quickly set up who watched when. Elissa glanced at her watch; she had some time.

"I'll be back for my watch." She started wheeling her way out.

Adam nodded. I'll go with you."

"If you want."

"Billy." Her eyes opened, and he kissed her forehead.

"We're going to keep you both safe." She nodded, looking away from him. He couldn't remember the last time she'd looked directly at him. "Please, don't turn away from me." She didn't twitch. "Please, look at me."

Slowly, she turned to look at him, and he saw tears of pain and shame in her eyes. "I love you so much. I wish I could turn back time so that none of this had to happen to you."

"So do I."

He smiled. "Marry me."

"I already am."

"Marry me again, then."

She glanced away, nodding quietly as he picked up the baby, who had been brought in there with her, and sat down to look at the newest addition to their family.

"Then why do you keep bringing it up?"

"I'll stop."

She sighed. "Our anniversary is in three months." He nodded. "Guess we won't be dancing all night."

"Yeah." She looked away, scared that he didn't love her as he once had. She couldn't believe that just because of an accident, he would keep on caring. "What are we going to do?"

She shrugged. "We have three months to decide."

"I know." He nodded. "But whatever it is, we'll do it together."

"I hope." she murmured. He looked up at her.

"I love you, Elissa."

"How?"

He shook his head. "Because I do."

"How can you love me? I can't even walk anymore!" she almost shouted it at him. He retained his calm, however.

"I didn't fall in love with those incredible legs of yours."

Elissa looked away from him. "Maybe you would be better off with someone a little stronger, physically and emotionally."

"There's no one better for me than you." He said it firmly and with strength. It was one of those basic concepts of the universe, like gravity, light, and time.

"Yes, there is." She said. "Somewhere."

He shook his head. "Even so, I don't want to meet her. I love you, that's all there is to it."

"How can you love a cripple like me?" she howled. "How?"

"How can I not?"

She sighed. "Adam, I can't even stand myself!"

"That doesn't mean I don't or can't love you." he replied, thinking the most calming thoughts that he knew.

Elissa turned her chair away. "You shouldn't. You should have someone who can walk with you. Work out with you. Be able to get up in the middle of the night without help."

"I should have someone I love, and I love you!" he declared. Elissa broke down into tears and he tried to hug her, only to have her wheel away again. "Elissa!"

Adam, for your own sanity, leave me.

I stay with you because of my sanity and because I love you. I'd go crazy without you.

No, you wouldn't.

Trust me, I would. He had come close to it when she was kept up with Girard and Skull. He knew.

I should get back. My watch is coming up. Adam, please consider leaving for your own sanity, because I seriously doubt I'll ever be the same again.

"I'll still love you forever." He said. She said nothing, just going back to the hospital. * * * When she rolled into Evanthe's room, her friend was about half-asleep. "Hi." She said softly. Evanthe looked up at once.

"Hi."

Billy smiled as he looked up. "I'll see you later. I'm going to go spend some quality time with William so he doesn't feel left out."

After putting Little Elissa into her mother's arms, he left. Adult Elissa settled her chair into a comfortable corner. "How are you?"

Evanthe sighed, and Elissa nodded. "The baby is beautiful."

"I know."

"Why did you name her after me?" Elissa wondered.

"Because you're my best friend."

Elissa looked at her. "You shouldn't have, though."

"Keeping a personal promise?" Elissa frowned, and Evanthe elaborated. "Something I told myself. Long before we ever met Billy and Adam. That if by some miracle I ever had a child, and it was a girl, I would name her after the first real friend I've ever had: you." Elissa blushed. "I would never have made it through this last century without you."

Elissa said nothing beyond. "You need rest."

"I've been resting."

Elissa rolled a little closer to the bed. "Evanthe, do you think. ..that Adam..."

"He loves you."

"Is sick and tired of me being in this chair?"

"Yes." Evanthe said honestly.

Elissa raised an eyebrow. "Are you?"

"A little." Evanthe once again spoke honestly. She didn't believe this crippled creature was Elissa. Elissa was a wild, strong, passionate warrior who never gave up and who could outdrink, outfight, outhunt, outrun, and outlove any human, most werewolves, and a good many vampires.

"I'm sorry."

Evanthe shrugged. "When you're ready, if you're physically able, you'll walk again."

"I wonder if I ever will be. Physically or emotionally ready." Elissa thought quietly. Evanthe nodded.

"I think you will be. One day."

Elissa sighed. "Why don't I?"

Both of them almost jumped straight up to the ceiling when a bolt of lightning became Goldar with a group of Tengas. Evanthe clutched her child to her tightly. "No!!!" she shouted. "Elissa, teleport to the Command Center!"

Elissa went for her communicator, only to have it catch on her chair. That gave Goldar the chance to backhand her out of the chair and into a wall. Evanthe stared at Goldar. "Leave me alone. . ."

"Time to come with me." Goldar said, motioning a Tenga to rip the baby Elissa from her Goldar slipped the collar he'd used nine months earlier around her neck. "And time to watch her die."

"Can't you ever leave me alone!?" she begged. "Leave my family and friends alone at least!"

"Never!" he laughed, and the group of them, Goldar, Tengas, Evanthe, wheelchair-Elissa, and baby Elissa teleported away.

"Elissa. . ." Evanthe slowly uttered the word as her friend began to twitch.

"E..Evanthe?" Elissa's eyes opened barely.

"I'm here."

"And so am I!" Finster entered, a delicate silver rod in his hand. Elissa shivered as she saw it.

Evanthe glared with hate at the monster that had become the bane of her best friend's life. "Leave her alone!"

Finster ignored her, sliding the rod down Elissa's bare arm. "What a wonderful scientific experiment!" he laughed as Elissa screamed. Evanthe pulled at the chains with all her strength.

"Don't you dare touch her!" she shouted. "Finster, I swear I'll tear your heart out if you don't get your hands off her!"

Finster paid her no mind, however, as he ran the rod towards the injured area of her back. Elissa screamed in pain as it touched her back, then touched every other part of her. Finster ran it all over the exposed flesh, enjoying the screams he pulled out of her, right up until the moment Elissa passed out.

Evanthe pulled at the chains, screaming and crying in heartbroken agony. "Elissa...no, Elissa, don't die! Please, don't die!"

She barely noticed as Goldar entered and came over to her. "Time for some fun, Purple Ranger...pet!" Evanthe ignored him as she kept her eyes on Elissa. Goldar started to stroke her, and she whispered softly.

"Without Elissa, I don't care."

Goldar started to do things to her that he liked and she didn't, until the moment Vile burst into the prison chamber, furious. "Stop!"

"What is it?" Goldar asked, annoyed. Evanthe only dropped her head, crying in shame and agony and loss. Vile marched over to them.

"What did you do to her?" he screamed in her face. "What did you do to my perfect child of evil?"

Evanthe said nothing, until Vile blasted her first with a spell, then backhanded hard. "Tell me!"

"She. ..good..." Evanthe murmured, looking up at him with hate in her eyes.

"She wasn't supposed to be!" he shouted, punching her even more. "She's not even Goldar's child! The DNA codes are pure vampire!"

Evanthe felt the most incredible rush of relief in her life. Alpha must have changed the DNA somehow.. .I didn't know he could do that... "Too bad.." she murmured.

"Pity." Vile hissed. "You're going to hurt for it. Pretty badly!" For almost ten minutes he kicked, punched, and threw her around the room, hurting her in every way he could. Finally, he stopped and looked at Goldar. "I can't kill her. She's a vampire. But I can change that. I'm going to send you back in time, to three days before she became a vampire. In those three days, you must kill her. Do anything you want to do to her before then, but she must die without becoming vampiric. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sire!" Goldar vanished, and Vile turned to inflict some more damage onto Evanthe. But before he could so much as lift a foot, all three of them had vanished.

Billy went to where Evanthe lay on the floor, in a silent pain-filled sleep, and picked her up, putting her on the examining table. "Alpha, what's wrong with her?"

"She's in a coma, Billy." the robot said quietly after a scan. "And this is strange. Her body is reacting as if. . ."

"As if what?"

"As if she isn't a vampire."

Billy's eyes widened, then he caught sight of something else. Adam had just undid Elissa's bonds, and as he did so, the werewolf faded for a moment. Aisha caught her breath. "Did..she just fade?"

"Yes." Adam said quietly. "Vile must be messing with time. If Evanthe never becomes a vampire, then Elissa never left Michael."

Rocky growled, "If Vile is messing up time, then we have to stop him."

"Rangers, it is imperative that we stop Vile from altering Evanthe's past." Zordon told them. "For her sake as well as yours. For if she never becomes a vampire, then the Night Rangers would not have been found."

"How do we fix it?" Rocky asked.

"Someone must go into the past and stop Vile from interfering. We can tap into his spell to go back to just when and where he is sending his troops, and send a small force of our own to do this." Zordon advised.

Kim stood up. "I'll go."

"So will I." Tommy said, looking around. "Two heads are better than one at times."

Kim nodded. "Let's do it. We have some friends to save."

"According to the scans, you will have three days to be certain she becomes a vampire, and to return Vile's forces to this time frame, or you will be trapped in the past: forever."