Part 6

Disclaimer: I do not own the rangers, yada yada, al that good stuff. Well not that that's out of the way Enjoy the story!

Leo watched his daughter playing on the playground at the park. His daughter, he would have to get used to that. He had instantly fallen in love with the beautiful little girl the moment he saw her. He dared to glance over at his ex-lover sitting on the bench beside him, she still took his breath away.

"Kendrix, can I ask you something?" He finally spoke. Kendrix turned to look him in the eyes. He felt his breath catch in his throat as his emerald green eyes met her chocolate brown ones. *Keep it together! She left you! You can't be falling head over heels for her again, but than again I have waited so long to see her again!*

"Yes." She simply answered.

"Where you ever going to bring Jessica back to here?"

"What do you mean? I'm here right now with her!"

"If you weren't dying would you have ever come back?" Leo said sternly. He knew that Kendrix knew what he meant the first time. Kendrix closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip.

"Probably not." She finally spoke. Sadness filled her voice. "I was happy were I was, and I thought you were happy with Ginger."

"So you weren't even going to tell me I had a daughter?!" Leo was angry. He stood up to tower over Kendrix. She, however was not going to be intimidated by Leo. She stood up as well. "I missed our daughters first years of life. I never got the chance to be a good father. You took that away from me!"

"Well if you hadn't been kissing Ginger I would have never left and you could have been there!" Kendrix yelled. Leo's eyes fell to the ground. he was still ashamed of what he had done. Kendrix looked at his timid behavior, she reached out and took his hand. "That is all in the past now, there is nothing we can do to change it. We have to focus on the now. We have a daughter Leo, and I'm not going to be around for much longer." Leo looked up at her again.

"Why did this have to happen, after everything we have been through?" Leo choked out. Kendrix shrugged.

"Life is funny that way." She smiled. Leo couldn't help but smile. Kendrix's smile and laughter was always contagious to him. "Leo I have something that I really need to discuss with you."

"What is it?"

"It's about Jessica."

"Okay?"

"Come on let's sit down." They sat down on the bench once again. Kendrix put her serious face on. "I have a big delimit running through my head. You see, Jessica is really attached to my friends in Angel Grove, but you..."

"I am her father, I know where this is going. You don't know if you want to uproot Jessica so that she can be with me or if I should give up my parental rights so that Jessica can stay where she is."

"Exactly, although I wasn't asking you to give up your parental rights."

"Who would she be with."

"Jason and Kat."

"Your really got attached to that group didn't you?"

"Yeah I did, Kim and Kat have been my best friends. We all were pink rangers you know?"

"Wait! Those two women with you were rangers too?!"

"Yeah Kim was the original pink ranger and Kat took her place when she left." Kendrix explained. Leo's eyes widened as she told him about all the other rangers that she had been around. "Leo, can we please stay on subject here. I really need to know what you think about Jessica's situation." Leo seemed to draw into himself. His green eyes darkened.

"Kendrix, I know this sounds selfish, but I want her here with me." Leo finally admitted.

"That isn't selfish Leo, you are her father. Are you sure you are ready to take on this responsibility?"

"Kendrix, I help create that beautiful little girl over there and by god I am going to take responsibility." Leo had his mind made up. "If she is really that attached to your friends, I can take her back there for visits every now and then or they can come here." Leo suggested.

Kendrix nodded, "I have been thinking that same thing."

"Has Jessica started school yet?"

"She just finished kindergarten. She is so excited that she gets to spend a whole day at school this year." Kendrix laughed. "She is so smart and loves school."

"Good thing she got your brain and not mine." Leo teased. Kendrix stuck her tongue out at Leo which took him by surprise. "When did you learn to be so childish?"

"I have been raising a little girl all alone, I had to learn to have some fun." she smiled.

"Well, that's good. I have said to you that you needed to lighten up a little." He chuckled. *Wow! Kendrix really has changed. Then again so have I, after all it has been six years since she left.*

"Darn, we're going to be late." Kendrix said after glancing at her watch. "We have twenty minutes to get ready for dinner." Leo nodded remembering that they were having dinner tonight with Tommy, Jason, Kim, and Kat. "Jessica! Honey, it's time to go!"

"Okay mommy!" the little blonde called back. She jumped off the playground and sprinted toward her parents. "Daddy, can you sit by me at dinner?" She loved being able to say daddy now and she absolutely loved Leo.

"Yes sweetheart. I will sit by you." Leo smiled. Jessica latched onto Leo's hand and walked beside him. Kendrix hung back a little. She watch Leo and their daughter walking happily.

She put a hand to her forehead. *Not another one!* Kendrix thought as she tried to block out the pain of her headache. She hadn't had one in a while but this one hit her fast and hard. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to clear her head. After a few moments the pain subsided and she took off the catch up to her daughter and Leo. *Man that one was a tough one, I'll have to start bringing my migraine medicine with me now.*

Leo saw Tommy step off the elevator with Kimberly. At least he was sure it was Kimberly. He wasn't quite sure which one of the women was Kim and the other Kat, but Kendrix had said that Kim was engaged to Tommy and Kat was dating Jason.

Tommy and Kimberly walked over to the threesome. "Well, hello there stranger." Tommy teased the little girl. Jessica smiled at him.

"Tommy! You know I'm not a stranger! I'm Jessica!"

"Are you sure? The Jessica I know looks a lot like you, but she always gives me a hug." Jessica laughed as she threw her arms around Tommy's waist. "Yup you are Jessica." Kimberly, Kendrix, and Leo smiled at the sight of Tommy and the little girl.

Jessica let go of Tommy and ran back to latch onto Leo's hand. "I still like you Tommy, but I want to stand with daddy!"

"Oh fine, I didn't want you to stand by me anyway." Tommy pretended to pout. Everyone laughed at his face.

"You still have Kimberly to stand by you." Jessica pointed out.

"Oh look there's Kat and Jason." Kendrix said. Jessica moved from her spot to give Jason a hug. Everyone knew that Jessica liked both Tommy and Jason but Jason was her favorite.

"Hey kiddo." Jason said as he hugged her back. Leo watched the way Jessica and Jason interacted. He saw how close they were to each other and knew exactly why Kendrix didn't know what to do. He started having second thoughts about taking her away.

"Hello again." Katherine said to Leo as she put out her hand. Leo took it but instead of shaking hands he kissed the back of it. Kat blushed. Kendrix laughed at the look on Jason's face. She couldn't tell if it was jealousy or shock. Maybe both?.

"Shall we go in?" Kim said. The group of seven went inside and were seated rather quickly. Jessica sat between Jason and Leo. Kendrix and Kat both could see the confusion in her bright green eyes. She didn't know which one of the men she liked more. After ordering food Kendrix looked around the room, she spotted a claw machine near the door.

"Jessica, do you want to go play a game?" Kendrix said pointing to the machine. Jessica nodded her head excitedly. Kim knew exactly why Kendrix was trying to get Jessica away from the table.

"I'll take her over there, I saw a really cute pink bear in there." Kim grabbed her purse and took Jessica's hand. They went over to the machine.

"What's on your mind Keni?" Leo asked. He could see something was troubling her. She watched Jessica and Kimberly for a few moments before speaking.

"We all really need to talk about Jessica." she replied.

"I thought we already did." Leo said, but he too had seen the way Jessica clung to Jason.

"I know, but Leo can't you see the way she..."

"No Kendrix, don't do this. Leo is Jessica's father." Jason interrupted her. "Even though I would love to have Jessica, she should be her father."

"Jason, I thank you for that, but actually.... I saw the way she almost worships you. Plus she adores Tommy as well." Leo began. "I think we should all sit down and discuss this. I mean from what I hear, you and Tommy are like fathers to her. Kat and you are her godparents."

"Leo..." Kendrix started.

"Jessica is coming back. We should all talk about this later." Kat cut in. They all smiled as Jessica came back with a bright red puppy in her hands. Kim had the pink bear she had mentioned.

"I see you got yourself a toy there short stuff." Jason teased Jessica.

"Yeah and so did this one." Tommy said pointing at Kimberly. Jessica and Kimberly stuck their tongues out at the two men. Their food came shortly after. While they were eating Jason kept glancing at Kat. Tommy noticed the nervous look in his eye, he knew exactly what Jason was going to do.

They finished eating and decided to order some dessert. Jason decided that after they ordered the dessert would be the perfect time to purpose to Kat. He had been carrying around the ring for almost a month, now he was about to use it.

The waiter wrote down all their orders and left the table. Jason took a sip of water. Tommy winked at him and mouthed "Go for it". Jason took Kat's hand. She smiled as she looked at him. "Kat, I have something to ask you." Kat had no idea what was going on.

*Why does he look so nervous?* She thought to herself.

"Kat I love you with all my heart and I know that you love me too, but I'm finding that it isn't enough for me anymore." Jason took a deep breath.

*No! He's going to leave me!* Kat wanted to cry but she held it in and kept smiling pretending to not know what was going on. She had always been a little insecure about relationships. All of them had turned out badly. Jason got up out of his chair and got down on one knee in front of her. *Oh my god! This isn't a break up! This a proposal!*

"Katherine Lynn Hillard, I love you. Would you do me the greatest honor of my life and become my wife?" Jason asked as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring. Kat gasped as tears gathered in her eyes.

"I thought you would never ask! Yes!" She cried as he slipped the ring onto her finger. Everyone in the restaurant clapped for the happy couple. Jessica looked at her mom.

"Why is Kat crying mommy?"

"Remember I told you some people are so happy that they look like they are crying?" Jessica nodded her head. "Kat is really happy right now." Kendrix explained. Jessica didn't quite understand what just happened but she did hear something about "wife" and she saw Jason put a ring on Kat's finger, so she assumed that Kat was happy about the ring.

Leo looked over at Kendrix, he would have already purposed to her like that. He had had it all planned out before she left. He still had the ring, it was somewhere in his apartment. Oh yeah, right beside one of her pictures on the mantle. Still inside the velvet box. He kept it as a reminder of what he could have had with her if he had been able to control himself around Ginger.

The waiter came with the desserts and the bill. Jason took the bill before anyone else could look at it. "I'll get it." he stated. Tommy however, grabbed the bill from his hands and shook his head.

"It's on me, consider this your engagement party." Tommy smiled. Jason knew that there would be a party back home in Angel Grove too but he didn't argue.

"At least let me pay for the three of us." Leo motioned to Kendrix, Jessica and himself.

"It's not a problem, I can get the whole thing." Tommy said. Leo finally gave in and let Tommy get the bill. The seven left the restaurant together, but once in the lobby they split ways. Jason and Kat went to her room and Tommy and Kim went to Tommy's room. Kendrix and Leo took Jessica to his apartment. Kendrix had checked out of her room and was staying with Leo so that he could get to know Jessica.

"Have a good night everyone!" Kat called as they parted ways.

"Of course!" Leo shot back as he glanced at Kendrix. *This really is a good night. I have Kendrix and my daughter. What more could I want?*