Title: Through Time and Space

Disclaimer: they don't belong to me; only the idea of Echo Ranger

Timeframe: Nova Ranger and Omega Ranger just returned to the future. Sam discovers that fellow rangers are 'crybabies' and that a friend from the past needs his help. Will the once self-centered ranger come through in the end?

Fifteen years in the future: Delta Command Center, Kat's Lab

"It's good to be back, Nova," Sam said with a grin as he looked up at the only home that he had ever had in his life.

"Omega, report to the command center as soon as possible for debriefing," Nova stated as she started to head for the command room. "Why I had to go locate you, I have no idea. Why didn't they send someone from E squad?"

Sam sighed, as he watched Nova walk away. "Welcome back Sam."

SPD Command Room: Commander Sky Tate.

"Nova, did you manage to locate Omega?" questioned Commander Tate as he watched a battle on the screen in front of him.

"Yes sir," she replied as she saluted, as stood at ease.

Sky looked up and glanced around, "Well where is he?"

"Here sir," Omega stated as he suddenly appeared directly beside Nova ranger.

"How?" she muttered, trying to figure out how he appeared next to her without her hearing him.

"How was the mission?" Sky asked with a straight face, as he thought back to when Sam appeared back in his blue ranger days.

"Interesting," Sam replied with a grin.

"Was there any side affects to going back?"

"One."

"Really?"

"Commander, B squad's in trouble," reported Kat as she entered the room with an older version of Boom trailing behind. "Their megazord won't hold together much longer."

"Sir, my zord..."

"Good to go," Kat stated as she walked past him, then softly muttered. "I had awhile to fix it, and welcome back."

"Thanks Kat," Sam said as he headed after Nova.

"Are you ok Commander?" Kat asked as she joined him beside the console.

"Listen," he stated as he groaned, the five members of B squad were arguing with the gold badge ranger Nova, and Nova was yelling on back.

"Still?"

"Yes," he sighed. "Cruger gave me permission to suspend all their morphers."

"What?"

"It's been two years, if they can't talk peacefully then how can they be trusted to protect the planet?"

"True," Kat sighed as she watched B squad and Nova get hit be a high intensity laser blast.

"Megazord, and the Nova cycle are out of commission," Boom yelled as the entire room watched the enemy come in for the final strike.

"No!" Kat yelled out, true she might dislike the group but she didn't want them to fall in battle.

Sky laughed softly as he watched the Omega Zord appear on the scene.

"Commander?" Boom asked.

"Check it out," Sky replied as they watched as Sam single handily send the monster into retreat. "I missed having him watching our back in battle. If he had been there..."

"You don't know that," Kat replied as she remembered the fallen SPD ranger...

"Yeah," Sky shakes off the memories, and gestures toward the screen, "It looks like earth will have at least one ranger to protect it."

After the Battle: Ranger Command Center

"What?" shouted B squad as Kat silently collected their morphers.

"You're suspending us?" Derik said as he unstrapped his red SPD morpher.

"Why?" Kohl asked.

"Until you learn to work as a team you can't be trusted to protect the planet," Sky stated simply.

"Nova?" Kat asked as she stopped in front of the gold badge.

"Commander, you can't."

"Supreme Commander Cruger gave me his permission Nova," he stated grimly as he watched Kat collect the Nova morpher. "Until you six learn to work as a group, you will not carry the title of being a ranger. Being a ranger is not about being stronger, or a better fighter then your teammates. It's about being a team, not about the degree of training your received prior to being chosen as a ranger," Sky repeated the words that he himself had heard from Cruger once upon a time.

"Yes sir," Nova replied silently as she watched Kat take their morphers away.

"Commander what about me?" Sam asked quietly.

"You have shown your ability to work as a member of a team," Sky stated as he left the room.

Lunch room

"Can you believe Commander Tate?" Derik, red SPD ranger asked.

"He had a good point," Kohl, SPD Blue said.

"Right," agreed Zeke, green and Carmi yellow.

"What about you Pinky? You agree with the Commander's decision to take our morphers and Nova's but not Omega's?

"I don't know," she said quietly as she got up and left the table, not able to stomach the thought of eating.

"Derik, why do you call her that?" Tami asked as she watched her roommate leave, yet again. "You know she does have a name."

Nova's room

"How can he do that?" she yelled as she tossed her bed. "I earned my morpher, unlike those B squad jerks.

SPD Roof

Sigh.

How did it come to this? Thought Sam as he gazed out over New Tech City. He used to be just as bad as the others, and yet in those few months in the past had changed him completely. And if he had to go back to what he was before, he would leave SPD.

Slam.

Crying.

"Huh, who else comes up here?" Sam wondered aloud, as he followed the sobbing female. "Are you okay?" he called out as he walked up behind the girl.

"I'm okay," she said as she wiped her face with her shelve. "Omega," she said surprised, she had no idea that anyone ever came up here.

"Hi, you're the Pink ranger right?" Sam asked, on her nod of confirmation Sam tried to recall what her name was. "I heard the other rangers calling your Pinky, your nickname?" he asked, silently hopping that her mother hadn't really named her daughter that.

"No it's not," at Sam's shocked face, she grinned as she quickly assured him that it wasn't her name either.

"Okay, so what is it?" he asked, wondering if she thought that he was a bad ranger for not knowing the name of his teammate of two years.

"Jessica," she replied. "Not Pinky."

"Why do they call you that?" Sam asked.

"They think that's what you call all Pink rangers."

Beep Beep Beep

"Omega here."

"Omega report to the Command Center," Kat ordered. "Commander Tate would like to speak with you."

"Understood," he replied as he turned to leave, "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yes," she replied as she got up to follow him down the stairs. At the landing she turned to head back toward the lunch room.

"The Lunch room closing soon," Sam said as he headed toward the door.

"I know, but maybe I can at least get an apple," she said.

"It was nice talking to you Jess," Sam said turning away.

"Thanks Omega," she replied heading down.

"Sam," he called down after her before he could think of a reason not to.

"What?" she asked pausing in mid step. "Sam?"

"I wasn't born Omega Ranger, either."

SPD Command Center: 2 days later

Omega Ranger had so far stopped 32 alien attacks, 43 armed robberies, 23 unarmed robberies, 12 kidnappings, 17 murders, etc.

"Commander, Omega can't keep this up for much longer," Kat stated as she entered the Command center shortly after the latest alien attack. "His zords barely holding together, he's in morphed form continuously, which he can't keep doing much longer or he might short fuse his morpher. He can't even get a break to go out and relax!"

"I know," Sky replied.

"Jack, couldn't take it, but at least the other rangers where there to help, and keep him sane, Sam's alone."

"I know."

SPD Roof

"Huh," Sam sighed as he slowly sank to the tiled rooftop. "Half an hour only," he promised as he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Lunch room

"Derik, check it out," Kohl said motioning toward where Kat was standing in the doorway. As soon as Kat caught sight of the suspended Nova ranger she headed toward her table. "Nova have you seen Omega ranger?"

"No," she replied as she stood at attention. All else fails, Nova thought pretend to have changed. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, no one has seen him for the past few hours, and the Commander was asking for him a few minutes ago."

"Have you tried the training areas?"

"Yes," Kat sighed as she turned to head back to the Command center. Maybe she could try to contact him on his morpher again.

"Ma'am, you're looking for Omega?" asked Jessie as she stepped out of the meal line.

"Yes, have you seen him?"

"No," she replied hesitantly. "Do you need him?"

At that Kat looked at the raven haired, green eyed nineteen-year-old with sudden interest. Was it possible that she knew where Sam was but didn't want to reveal his hiding place, if she didn't need to. "No emergency, the Commander wanted to let him know that since the Moon base ranger squad was here until tomorrow night that he could stand down for awhile."

"Okay," Jessie turned to leave the Lunch room.

Yep, Kat thought she was headed directly toward Sam, but how did she know where he was when no one else did? "Not hungry?"

"No ma'am," she called back as she headed toward the last place she had seen the Omega ranger relaxing two days ago.

SPD Roof

"Omega...Sam?" she called out unsure if she should use his name even though he himself had been the one to tell it to her. Even the Commander and Nova ranger didn't use, but then they might not even know it. "Sam?"

She caught sight of him sitting against the AC unit. "Sam?" she whispered as she gently shook his shoulder.

"Huh?" he came awake with a jolt. The first thing he realized that it was differently not 0800, the sun was setting not raising.

"Sam, Omega?" Jessie asked again.

"Sam please, what's going on?" he asked as he got to his feet. "What time is it?"

"1730, and the Commander was looking for you," she answered.

"Sky?"

"What?"

"Huh? O'sorry, what did the Commander want?"

"Kat said that he wanted to tell you that since the moon squad planet side for 48 hours that he wanted you to get some rest while they're here."

"Okay," as he gazed over the front entrance.

Jessie glanced down toward the exit and watched as the techs and civilians left for the day. "o'no."

"What?" Sam asked as he followed her gaze.

"Commander Tate's leaving," she swung around toward the stairway.

"We won't catch him that way," Sam said, but he knew of one way to catch up with Sky in time. He held out his hand, and asked with a grin. "Hold on."

SPD Parking Lot

As Sky headed for his car two figures flashed in front of him. "Rangers," he greeted quickly, nodding at each in order to acknowledge them. "Is there something you need?"

"Jess said that Kat said that you said that since the moon squad was planet side that I could get a break," Sam said in a rush. "So do I?"

"Jess?"

"Sorry the pink SPD ranger," he said motioning toward the girl next him.

"It's okay Omega," Sky laughed. "You're off until tomorrow afternoon."

"Thanks."

"Cadet O'Hara."

"Yes sir?"

"My friend Sydney doesn't like to be called Pinky either," he said, referring to the nickname her teammates had given her. "I'll talk to B squad."

"Thank you sir," Jessie smiled, thankful that the Commander would help.

"Have fun you two," he called out as he stepped into his car and pulled away.

"Did he just..."

"Yep," Sam grinned as he tugged her after him. "Want to go out to eat?"

"Sure, where to?"

"A friend's."

PIGGY"S

"SPD run!"

Tables turned over as the patrons ran away.

"O'no who is it now?" Piggy asked as he came out. "Whatever it is I didn't do it, I don't know it."

"That's how you greet friends?" Sam said with a laugh, as Jessie looked around in disbelief.

"Friends?" Piggy said, looking Sam up and down. "Do I know you? The voice seems familiar."

"It's been awhile, last time I was with some friends. Grum, Mora, Cruger, Jack, Z, Syd..."

"A'ha," Piggy tossed up his hands as he realized who Sam was. "The nightlight!"

"Huh," Sam shook his head as Piggy went to go get their food. "I'm never going to live that down."

"Nightlight?"

"Long story."

"I'm not going anywhere."

A few minutes later a figure walked into the area with a teenage girl trailing closely behind him.

"It's great to have you here for awhile Lizzie," he said affectingly. As he scanned the area he caught sight of a familiar figure sitting at one of the tables. "Sam?"

"Jack?"

SPD Command center: Next day

Monster attack

"Omega, the monster has the ability to create copies," Kat stated over the comm. "Though they do not hold mass they can still damage your zord."

"Like Z?" Sam asked, remembering watching her use her copying ability in a fight back when he was a kid.

"Correct," Kat said with a sudden jolt of sadness as she recalled how they had lost the yellow SPD ranger about four months after Sam had returned to the future.

Lunch room

"I can't believe this," Derik said as he slammed down his tray on the table causing the other four rangers jump in their seats. "It's been a week, and they still haven't given back our morphers."

Kohl glanced across the room toward where Nova sat by herself, who didn't look as happy as they did. "Nova ranger still hasn't gotten hers back yet either."

"Guys settle," Carmi said as she turned toward Jessica. "So where were you last night? You didn't come in."

"What?" Derik glanced at the pink ranger with a glare on his face. "So, where were you Pinky?"

"I was working," Jessie replied as she noticed Commander Tate entering the room and heading their way.

"Where?"

"Um, the lab," she lied, unable to tell them that she had crashed at the home of a former SPD ranger's house, Jack and his wife Ally had put the pair up for the night since they had been awake most of the night regaling Jessie of when Sam was a member of his team, their mutant powers, and also what had happened after Sam had went back to the future.

"The lab?" Zeke countered. "But..." I was there all night, he thought to himself.

"Cadet O'Hara, come with me," Sky ordered as he motioned for her to follow him out of the lunch room.

Jessie could hear the snickers of the others as well as the whispers from the other squads.

SPD Command Center

"Commander Tate," she started.

"Quiet," he ordered as he motioned for Kat to join him as his way toward his office. "Cadet

O'Hara I understand that you have been sending time with Omega ranger."

"Yes sir, Sam...Omega," she corrected herself quickly.

Sky held his hand up, "Who told you his name?"

"Sam did," she replied. "Is something wrong Commander?"

"Nothing is wrong Cadet. I understand that you where at Jack's and Ally's last night."

"Yes sir," she replied. "Jack showed up at Piggy's and invited Sam over..."

She was interrupted from saying more as Boom ran into the room, "Omega's in trouble, he needs help."

Sky glanced at Kat and nodded his approval.

Jessie followed Boom toward the monitor, "Commander, Sam's in trouble, he needs help."

"I know."

"Then let us help him, or let Nova go," she asked as she watched a copy strike Sam's zord.

"I agree."

"Sir?"

"I can't send Nova, or the other's because their morphers were cut off from the grid, we won't be able to reactivate them in time to help."

"So how are you going to help him?"

"By sending in another Gold badge," he replied.

"What? But how..."

"Here it is sir," Kat handed a silver box to Sky, and stepped back, giving Jessie a smile.

"Cadet...Jessie, this is the Echo morpher."

"Sir?"

"There is one thing though."

"What's that?" she asked as she strapped the Echo morpher to her wrist and morphed. "Cool."

"Until the situation with the rest of B squad and Nova ranger is handled, you won't be able to reveal that you are the Echo Ranger."

"How do you plan to do that sir?" Jessie was momentary startled to the computerized voice that she spoke with.

"Your suit will handle anyone from doing a physically competition, as for the rest. Kat?"

"B squad's schedule and room assignments are being altered. Your things have already been moved to your new room."

"Understood sir," Echo saluted. "Permission requested in order to join in the fun?"

"Granted," Sky watched as she ran out toward her jump tube. "Kat?"

"Being handled," she replied. "As far as Delta base is concerned Echo is on loan until the ranger situation is handled."

"Okay, and in reality?"

Kat grinned and replied with a laugh, "Bridge said that he could use some help on the LIMITED REACH," the limited reach was a deep space ship. "The TAD order's just needs your signature and Cruger's final approval."

SPD Command Center: After the battle

"The monster retreated," Omega ranger reported as he stood at attention in front of the commander. "As soon as Echo ranger appeared it was as if it didn't want her to see him."

"Alright," Sky said. "Kat start analyzing the data that was gathered and try to identify the alien."

"Right away Commander," she replied already heading toward her lab with Boom following closely behind.

"As for you two," Sky motioned for the pair to follow him into his office. "Omega I assume that Cadet O'Hara told you the situation with her new morpher?"

"Yes sir," Sam nodded his understanding of the situation. "No one is to know that Jessie and Echo are the same person."

"Good," he replied as he revealed that Nova ranger had been transferred from Delta Command center.

Lunch room: the next day

"What happened to Nova?" asked Carmi.

"Don't know, who's that new gold badge?"

"I heard that's she'd called Echo Ranger and that she here to assist Omega until the rest of the rangers are reinstated." Zeke revealed.

"I wonder if they're going to...hey where's Pinky? I haven't seen her," Derik asked.

"Don't know, they rearranged all our schedules and room assignments in order to make us more social able," Carmi said as she searched the crowded room for their former teammate. "We're lucky to still see each other at meals."

Sam's room: same time

"So how does it feel to be a gold badge?" he asked with a grin, as Jess tossed a pillow at his head. "Hey!" he cried out pretending that she had hit him.

"Sam, knock-it off," she sighed as she slumped back into the window seat. "This is so weird, I mine I'm technical two rangers: the suspended SPD pink ranger, and the replacement gold badge ranger: Echo ranger."

"Your right," he sighed. "It's going to be hard on you. But look at it this way."

"Really what?"

"As the suspended ranger you get to bad mouth Sky and get away with it."

"So?"

"And as the gold badge, you have to report yourself!"

"Sam, you're right."

"What?"

"I'm in suspended ranger mode," she started to hit him with the pillow.

"OMEGA RANGER ECHO RANGER Report to the Command Center," Kat suddenly called over the speaker system.

"Let's go," Sam said as he headed toward the door, he turned around to watch Jessie suddenly call out, "SPD Echo Ranger! Stir of Night!"

"What the?"

"Secret, remember?"

"Right," Sam suddenly grinned.

"What?"

"No one's going to see your face."

"Right."

"Your going to be more untouchable then me, at less I demorph!"

Jessie stormed past him muttering, "Shut up."

Training room

Derik, Kohl, Zeke, and Carmi were sparing against Charlie, Tom, Will and Sarah from C squad.

"Hiyah!"

Commander Tate enters with Omega and Echo following closely behind him.

"Commander on deck!"

"Greetings B squad, C squad you are dismissed," Sky stated as he nodded to the other squad. "Cadet Frish report."

The squad stood at attention. "Welcome, Commander Tate, Omega and Echo Rangers," Derik states as his gaze is caught on the morphed female standing close to the unmorphed Omega ranger. Why is she morphed? he wondered. "Sir Cadet O'Hara's current location in unknown."

Sky waved off his concern as he supplied the squad with an answer, "Cadet O'Hara was reassigned, and I am here in order to introduce you to your new squad mate. Cadet Law!"

"Here sir!" called out Elizabeth 'Liz' Landrey, Jack's daughter. "Cadet Lan, err Law reporting as ordered!" she said as she struggled to get her uniform straight. "This is impossible," she muttered, still wondering how she ever let her dad and Uncle Sky talk her into helping with the situation with the current B squad for earth side.

Sky shook his head at her, knowing full well that she should be on her vacation not going back through her training again in order to assist him.

"As you can see, she needs assistance," Sky said which earned him a murderous look from Liz. "Please see to it that you help her in any way possible."

B squad left the room with their new squad member, as Liz walked past Sky she muttered, "You so owe me Sky."

Sigh.

"You okay Commander?" questioned Sam as he watched B squad leave the room.

"I'm fine Omega," he replied as he started to head back to his office.

Omega's room

"So how was it Liz?" questioned Sam as he sat on the floor. "How are they treating you?"

"I'm beginning to understand Jess's behavior," she replied as she recalled how Derik had treated her that day. "How in the world did he ever become red ranger?"

"Don't know," Sam stated, he started to tell her what he knew, when his door opened. "Jessie!" he exclaimed watching his friend enter the room and sit down next to him on the carpet. "What's up?"

"Life's confusing," she stated as she closed her eyes and learned back. "I had to keep running in and out of the lab today because they wanted to either talk to either myself or to Echo!"

"Man," Liz said with a shake of her head. "I thought that I had it bad, worrying about someone seeing me and realizing who I really am but I haven't been here for a couple years. At least I only have one alias here. Nobody knows that I'm a ranger's kid or a ranger myself."

"True, but since your 15, nobody realizes that your already a ranger," Sam said. "Nearly everybody here just knows me as Omega, morphed or unmorphed."

"Then my roommate is bugging because I keep leaving and entering at odd time's during the night," she sighed as she managed to relax for the first time since that morning. "And I've only been in there for a day! So how's life at B squad?" she asked with a smile.

"I'm so glad the Cruger let me train under him on Eltar and not on earth. Those guys are horrible! How did you ever last two years being on their squad?"

"Patience, and a lot of time in the lab," Jessie replied as she leaned into Sam. "I tried to switch squads but they told me that I would get use to it."

Knock

"Yes?" Sam called out as his door opened.

"Pardon me," the cadet said. "I'm looking for Echo ranger."

"Why?" asked Sam.

"I was asked to give this message to her," he gestured toward the data pad he was carrying.

"I'll give it to her," Sam said as he took it from the cadet.

"Thank you, I couldn't locate her room anywhere," he muttered. "I don't think she even has one here."

After the cadet left Sam passed it off to Jessie, "Here you go."

"Thanks," she said as she punched in her authorization code, and glanced at the data. "It's just a brief for the new zord specs," she stated as she tossed the data pad onto the table.

"Man, I feel sorry for that kid he was probably walking around the entire base looking for Echo's room," Liz said with a shake of her head. "Wait until you reveal yourself as Echo ranger, it'll differently be a riot," she softly laughed at the image.

Laughter softly fades

SPD Command Center

"Commander Tate," Kat walks into Sky's office with a folder in her hands. "Commander?"

"Yes?" Sky answers as he turns away from the window and sits down at his desk. "What is it?"

"Sir...the creature that Omega and Echo fought against yesterday, we were finally able to confirm the DNA signature," Kat paused as if unsure how to proceed.

"Well?"

"Sky, its Z."

"What?" he exclaimed with a shocked expression on his face, as he flashed back to the last time that he had seen the yellow SPD ranger.

The rangers had went up against an alien called Akimbo, who somehow managed to absorb Z as well as Sky, Bridge and RIC. Cruger, Sydney, and Ty; the new green ranger, had managed to release Bridge and had been in middle of trying to release Sky when Akimbo suddenly shifted dimensions, which caused Sky to be in a coma for a little over six months.

Akimbo ended up taking Z, and RIC with him, and since they had in the process of transferring Sky, Kat believed that a second copy of Sky had been created that day and that he had been trapped along with Z inside the alternate dimension as well.

Kat had never managed to figure out exactly how Sky had been split into two lifeforms, though SPD's top scientists refused to believe her readings of right before Akimbo shifted dimensions. This clearly showed two separate readings from the red ranger, one inside and the other outside the device.

And quite frankly Sky didn't want to think about someone out there that looked completely like him, with all of his memories and feelings up unto that point in time intact. But since Kat believed that there was a second Sky Tate out there that he should somehow sense if the second Sky Tate had died. Since he never did, the others had all been believing that Z was somehow still alive. Over the years though, Sky had stopped believing Kat's theory about the second Tate, and that both Z and the second Sky would return to them in time.

"You mean?" he asked hesitantly unable to voice the possibility out loud.

Kat had tears running down her face, "It's her."

OMEGA, AND ECHO RANGERS REPORT TO COMMAND

Hallway outside the Ranger Command Center

"What do you think they want?" asked Jessie as she stood outside the command room.

"Don't know," Sam replied as he pressed his hand to the keypad. "Don't worry about it Echo."

"Thanks Omega."

"Omega and Echo rangers reporting as ordered," Sam stated as he snapped a salute to Tate, and acknowledged Kat with a nod of his head. Jessie stood beside him, still wary of his friendship with the Commander of SPD New Tech City.

Battle with Akimbo

As the dust cleared, Omega could make out three deathly still figures laying in the crater.

"Z!"

The End

Please R/R