He could sense someone nearby. The old instincts didn't fade, no matter how much he believed in the peace of this time. The sunlight was warm on his face and a soothing breeze drifted across the river, but he cracked his eyes open against the laziness of the afternoon to identify the passerby.

Cole was early. He hadn't expected the Lion Ranger for some time yet, but there he was, striding across the park with his dog at his side. Reaching out, he put a calming hand on his own companion's shoulder, and a grey muzzle lowered itself back onto paws without complaint.

"Merrick!" Cole's shout came from a distance away. He seemed to be the only one of the Rangers who understood that sneaking up on someone who had been trained for combat since he could hold a weapon was not clever, cute, or in any way amusing.

Opening his eyes the rest of the way, Merrick lifted his head from his duffel bag and watched the Lion Ranger approach. After days spent avoiding them, it was odd to simply await Cole's arrival. Beside him in the grass, a pair of watchful brown eyes echoed his gaze.

"Hey," Cole said, coming to a halt at last. He correctly interpreted Merrick's posture to mean he was welcome, and he dropped his backpack on the ground and sat without waiting for an invitation. "You were waiting for me."

It wasn't an unreasonable assumption. He was directly across the street from the community where Cole and Alyssa lived, making no effort to conceal his presence at a time when it was typical for one or both of them to be returning from work. He wasn't sitting on their front steps, but it was close enough.

"You don't seem surprised," he observed. He put his hands behind his head and rested them against his duffel bag again, studying the other Ranger.

Cole just shrugged. "I saw you at the skate park," he said, by way of explanation.

Merrick almost smiled. It wasn't funny, but the drowsy pace of the afternoon made the revelation more of a novelty than a cause for alarm. "So did Danny," he mused aloud. "I must be slipping."

That did seem to surprise Cole. "He didn't say anything."

"Did you?" Merrick asked idly.

"No," Cole admitted, conceding the point.

"Well, now you know why I was waiting for you." He switched his gaze to the sky, pretending not to notice when Cole waved Ness away from the silver-grey shape at his side. "It's been almost a week. I didn't want anyone thinking she was being stalked or something."

Cole sounded amused. "She is, though. Isn't she."

It wasn't a question, and Merrick didn't bother to answer.

"Ness, take it easy," Cole said a moment later. "He's not a dog."

Merrick turned his head a little to watch Ness slink up to his companion, tail low but wagging insistently. She was only trying to make friends, and he relaxed a little when a muzzle was lifted to meet hers. The owner of the muzzle then got to his feet carefully, making it clear that he was standing because he wanted to rather than because he had anything to prove, and proceeded to sniff her thoroughly.

"He is, actually," Merrick remarked, watching the process. Ness' tail hadn't stopped wagging the whole time. "Half dog," he amended, when two brown eyes met his reprovingly. "Half wolf."

The eyes turned back to their assessment of Ness, and peripherally he saw Cole nod. "I remember," he agreed unexpectedly. "I knew the first time I saw him. I'm just afraid Ness doesn't appreciate the distinction."

Merrick watched as Ness allowed the inspection, creeping slowly forward as she reciprocated. "She has the right idea."

The animals continued their ritual greeting, until finally Ness decided she'd had enough and tried a play bow on him. She got bared teeth in return. Instead of tucking her tail, she ignored his response and bounced away as though the incident hadn't happened.

"She's got spirit," Merrick offered, watching her go. "Good for her."

Moon paused in the middle of his preparations to lie down and shot an incredulous look in Merrick's direction. They had gotten good at reading each other's expressions. With his head cocked, ears tilted slightly back, the message was clear.

"Please," Merrick told him. "She's a golden retriever. A little perspective on the jealousy front, all right?"

The ears went further back, and the head turned deliberately away as he lay down. Retriever or not, Moon was not impressed by Merrick's praise. Merrick just looked up at the sky again, sharing silent amusement with a spirit that might or might not be listening.

"He stays with you?" Cole asked suddenly.

Merrick frowned a little.

"The city's pretty strict about the leash law," Cole explained. "If he's not on lead or under verbal command they can pick him up."

"If they can catch him," Merrick murmured. He saw the ears twitch and knew he was forgiven for admiring Ness.

"I know," he added, for Cole's benefit. "We haven't had any problems."

Cole didn't argue, and his next question drove that concern right out of his mind. "How did you know?" the Lion Ranger asked frankly. "About the princess, I mean. That's why you're back, isn't it?"

Staring up at the sky didn't help this time, because he knew who was up there. He closed his eyes instead, trying to ignore the images that formed in the darkness. He had preferred the lecture on leash laws.

"We didn't know she was awake," Cole told him when he didn't answer. "Not until last week when she showed up at a Time Force briefing."

"She left the Animarium before that." He had to force the words out, and the hoarseness of his own voice surprised him. "That morning."

His throat closed up and he could go no further. It was embarrassingly difficult to talk about her, and he'd had no idea until he finally tried. Well, he wouldn't be trying again anytime soon.

"How did you know?" Cole repeated.

He just shook his head. It was personal, and he couldn't make the words come anyway. He was grateful when Cole didn't press. He shouldn't have said anything.

"Do you have a place to stay?" Cole asked, more gently. "Alyssa and I have a spare room."

"I find that hard to believe," Merrick muttered. He didn't open his eyes, but he was glad for the change of subject.

"You've followed all of us," Cole realized. He didn't sound angry, or even surprised. He was just fitting another piece of the puzzle into place. "From the briefing? That's how you knew to wait for me here."

Actually, it had been Eric he followed from the briefing. The other two had walked onto the Animarium, and so he had trailed the last Ranger to leave the Silver Guardians' base instead. He hadn't found out where Cole and Alyssa lived until later.

"I'm fine," he said, not bothering to correct Cole. "Thanks anyway."

"You've been here a week and you're still carrying your duffel bag around," Cole observed. "You can't be staying somewhere permanently."

He opened his eyes at last. "I don't stay anywhere permanently," he told the sky.

"So stay with us temporarily," Cole suggested, undeterred. "Or with Danny and Max, if you'd rather. They have a foldout couch."

He glanced inadvertently at Cole, and the Lion Ranger's face broke into a grin. "I didn't say it was a good choice," he said, letting the appearance of determined ignorance drop just long enough to tease the other Ranger. "But it is a choice."

Merrick considered that for a moment. There were a dozen reasons why he shouldn't accept Cole's offer. Not the least of which was that Cole wasn't nearly as naive as he let people think he was, and he would take Merrick's presence in his home as tacit permission to interfere.

"We have a porch," Cole remarked casually.

Merrick sighed, staring up at the sky. Not naive at all. But interference or no, it came down to the fact that he needed a break from being alone. He knew himself well enough to know that the impulse would pass and he would long for solitude again soon, but right now he was too tired to fight it.

The sound of Cole's growlphone made him reach for his wrist. He aborted the motion almost immediately, and Cole didn't seem to be paying any attention, but he had no doubt that the Lion Ranger had caught the subtle movement. What he read into it was entirely open to question.

"Hey." The greeting was brief but Cole's voice was warm, and he had obviously known who it was before he answered. "What's up?"

There was a pause. "Yeah," he said, apparently in response to something Alyssa had said. "Found Merrick waiting for me when I got here."

Merrick waited, but this did not appear to provoke disbelief in the Tiger Ranger either. Had he been that obvious? If the entire team had known he was here, could his presence possibly be a secret to--

"Got it," Cole told his phone. "We'll be right there."

Merrick shot him a sharp look, but Cole paid no attention. "You too," he agreed, scanning the park. "Bye."

"A time hole opened this morning at Silver Guardian headquarters," Cole said, not waiting for him to ask. He shoved his growlphone into his pocket and got to his feet in one fluid motion, calling for Ness.

Merrick removed his hands from behind his head and folded them across his stomach, closing his eyes again. Clearly, there was any number of competent Rangers already involved, and if whatever it was had begun this morning then one more wasn't going to make a difference now. He stayed where he was.

"Merrick," Cole said impatiently. That was it, just his name. As though he was remiss for not jumping straight into the fray the moment he revealed himself to the leader of the Wild Force Rangers.

"None of my business," Merrick informed him from behind closed eyes.

"Not yet," Cole agreed. "But Princess Shayla's making it her business, so you're going to need to know eventually. And if Jen's only contacting us now you can bet she hasn't called the princess. You'll be able to find out what's going on without her ever knowing you were there."

Merrick opened his eyes and frowned up at Cole. The boy had been taking lessons from Taylor. He was even worse than Merrick remembered.

Sitting up, he accepted the hand Cole offered him without a word. Let the interference begin, he thought irritably. Was it too late to walk away? He hadn't actually committed to anything yet...

Moon flowed up off the ground behind him, haughtily ignoring Ness as she bounded to Cole's side. Cole ruffled her ears affectionately, reaching for Merrick's duffel as he did so. Merrick got to it first, swinging it over his shoulder as Cole shrugged and turned away.

Sure he hadn't committed. Just by being here he had committed. Any communication with Wild Force would draw him back into their group as inexorably as the seasons changed, and he had known that when he first arrived. Yet here he was, falling into step with Cole as he walked knowingly into the same situation he had left behind two years ago.

Couldn't stay together, couldn't live apart. Was the cycle as destructive as those late-night fireside chats made him think it was? He had tried to break free. He had tried, but the moment she set foot on the earth again, here he was. Right back where he had started.

Literally. He jerked as he realized where they were, then cursed silently as he caught Cole's sidelong glance. He couldn't be on the Animarium, but where else had he thought they were going? The Rangers had been using the Animarium's magical properties to travel since before he had awoken.

Moon seemed untroubled, ambling along at his side even as the ancient forest blended once more into the younger trees of Turtle Cove. Ness galloped out in front of them, then turned to race back as Cole led them confidently toward the street. Silver Guardian Headquarters loomed ahead of them.

Merrick just stood there and waited when they stopped him at the gate. He wasn't surprised, but Cole looked somewhat annoyed. "Look," he told the guard, "Commander Collins asked us to come. Am I a security risk now?"

"You're cleared to go through," the guard informed him. "But we can't let him in without an ID or confirmation from command."

Cole pulled out his growlphone and flipped it open. He didn't see the guard's eyes widen, but Merrick did. "Jen," Cole said, turning away from the gatehouse. "I'm outside, and--"

"That won't be necessary," the guard interrupted hastily. He had Cole's attention immediately, and Merrick narrowed his eyes. He *knew* not to underestimate the Lion Ranger, and yet he still did it...

"Go on through," the guard was telling Cole. "Sorry for the inconvenience, sir."

"Never mind," Cole told his phone. "We'll be right there."

They were waved though the second checkpoint as well, though Merrick caught a couple of nervous glances being directed Moon's way. He didn't mean to look menacing, but the half of him that wasn't wolf didn't mitigate his predatory appearance in the slightest. His presence had gotten Merrick out of several tight spots without the use of a single fist.

How Cole knew where to go, Merrick didn't know. Perhaps he was a more frequent visitor to the base than the incident at the gatehouse suggested. Or perhaps Alyssa had managed to convey more than he'd thought in that brief phone conversation. As he saw Cole tilt his head to one side as he paused at a corner, though, he reminded himself not to make the same mistake as the guard.

It was strange to be back among equals. The thought flitted through his mind unbidden, and he frowned a little. It was true, and it had only now occurred to him. It was strange to be around people who could match him move for move, anticipate him, and even manipulate him. It left him feeling uncomfortably... complacent.

There were five Rangers already assembled when they rounded a last corner and found themselves at the end of a hallway that had been cordoned off. He picked out Alyssa and Taylor immediately, but his mind was sluggish to supply the names of the other three. Jen. She was the one Cole had just called. Eric, the one he had followed that first night back in Turtle Cove. And Jen's lover... Wes?

"Merrick!" Alyssa exclaimed, a smile of sincere welcome on her face as she caught sight of him.

Taylor looked thoroughly aggravated, but her expression softened a little when she saw him. She nodded once, managing a smile that made her stormy eyes clear for just a moment. "Good to see you again," she offered.

He nodded in return, and found himself on the receiving end of a disgusted glare from Eric. He caught the man's eye and held it, staring calmly back until Eric sneered and looked away. Like he needed their drama on top of his own.

"We've stationed security in every direction we can cover, but if one of the whole crystals is causing this it could fluctuate without any warning," Jen was saying as he and Cole joined the others.

"It's lasted too long to be a shard," Wes added, his headset in his hands and his beret stuffed absently in his pocket. If the schedule he had followed last week was typical, his workday had ended several hours ago. "Unless it's a really big piece, which would be almost as bad as a whole crystal."

"The shards are less predictable," Jen offered, possibly for his own benefit. "But if it's a whole crystal then the odds of it turning up here at SGH are microscopically small."

"Meaning it's probably being manipulated by someone who knows what they're doing," Wes finished with a sigh. "Just what we were hoping to avoid."

He and Jen caught each other's eye, silent conversation flowing between them as easily as the spoken explanation had been rattled off. "Not necessarily," Jen said at last, but the words lacked conviction. "There are other explanations."

"We just haven't found them yet?" Eric suggested, and the look he shared with the Time Force officers indicated a private joke.

Wes smiled a little, then looked around at the assembled Rangers. "I'm sorry to ask this of you," he said with a sigh. "But we're going to need a Ranger guard around the clock. We have to assume someone who knows what they're doing is behind this, and we can't even guess what they might be planning.

"Eric, Jen, and I will cover the night shifts," he added. He said it as though it was a given, or maybe as though he had said it before. Their belated arrival must mean that they were getting the condensed version. "I know you all have work schedules--"

"I'll take a night shift," Merrick interjected. Seeing Wes' surprised look, he shrugged. "If you trust me, of course."

"We trust you," Jen said quickly. "We're just trying not to take advantage of you--all of you--any more than we already are."

"I'll take a night shift too," Taylor put in. "I don't have to be anywhere in the morning."

Awareness ghosted across the back of his mind, subtle as the wind on his skin, and Merrick stiffened abruptly. The entire world narrowed to that momentary sensation, and he heard his own words as if from a distance. "I need to go."

He wasn't sure whom he'd interrupted, but Wes wasn't the only one looking at him strangely. "Sure," the Red Ranger said, recovering quickly. "We'll just get you an ID to get you through the gate--"

"Now." He would have turned and started walking if not for Alyssa's hand on his arm. She was still the only one who dared touch him, he thought distantly. The only Ranger, at least...

"Merrick, stay with us while we work out a schedule, all right?" Her concerned gaze reached straight through him, bringing him back to himself abruptly. A warm pressure against his leg reminded him of Moon's presence, and he shook his head once.

"Sorry," he muttered. She might be on Earth, but she would have called one of the Rangers if she were in trouble. For all he knew, she was with Max or Danny right now. He had to get over that urge to run to her side.

"Merrick?" Alyssa was still giving him that worried look. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." He pulled away from her, ignoring the stares he was getting from the others. "I'll stay. I just--remembered something, that's all. It's nothing," he added, when Alyssa glanced at Cole.

"I'll take an early morning shift," Cole offered, as though nothing had happened.

Alyssa followed his example, taking some of the pressure off of him. "I can come after school," she volunteered.

He wasn't staring at nothing, he realized a moment later. He was trying to listen, and he was mostly succeeding. But he was instinctively facing the direction that led to her.

He couldn't get over the compulsion. No matter what he told himself, he knew it was impossible. It was part of what made him who he was, part of the magic that had been embedded in his oaths. The incredibly powerful magic of the Animarium seemed to disrupt it somehow, but as soon as she left the bond flared to life again.

So much for commitment. No amount of time would be enough to erase the words he'd said millennia ago. His very presence here proved that there was no starting over.