Disclaimer: Saban owns these Ranger people, which means he owns the seldom used and vastily under-appreciated PHANTOM Ranger. The song “Forgotten, But Not Gone” (hey! It’s the series title song! *grin*) is sung by Gary Allan, from his album It Would Be You. (Gary Allan sings about PHANTOM a lot. *grin*) Oh, and Saban? I used some of your dialogue in the beginning of this fic. You can have it back when I’m done. *smirk*

Author’s Note: Finally, an explanation as to why the series title sounds like it’s backwards! :) Now, just where the heck is Cassie? I don’t know, but I can tell you how she got there. *grin* And that’s what these next three fics do. This is a series within the series, and I call it “Leavin’, Losin’, and Lookin’”. This fic would be the “leavin’” part. :) These fics take place three months before “What She’s Doing Now” and “Startin’ Today”. It is now roughly three months after “Countdown to Destruction”, and just days before PHANTOM made his unsuccessful exploration of the empty MegaShip on Earth. One other thing, my “After Space” version of Andros’ sister, a.k.a. “the girl formerly known as Astronema”, is used in this series also; meaning she’s Anastasia and has long blond hair now. :) Many thanks to Starhawk for the proof. :) I’m going to go now, but I have two things to say: 1) I hate loose ends, and 2) poor PHANTOM! *grin*

Cassie watched as Ashley unwrapped her birthday presents one by one, that beautiful cheerleader smile shining at everyone. She had to stifle a laugh when she saw Carlos’ gift to Ashley. A lot could have been read into that choice of gift: a fire extinguisher. No one else made the connection though, so Cassie kept her comments to herself.

Andros had been sitting quietly by himself. It was like he wanted to join their party but was afraid to try, almost as if he expected them to laugh at him or something. Ashley took the piece of cake that Carlos had cut for himself and carried it over to Andros. Carlos responded with an indignant exclamation, but Ashley wasn’t listening. She walked purposefully up to Andros and started talking to him, once again attempting to bring him out of his shell. Cassie started cutting the rest of the cake, looking up occasionally to see how Ashley was faring with Andros.

It looked like it was going very well. They were hugging, and though it was something so simple, it was something Cassie knew Ashley had been wanting for a long time. Ashley had been hoping that Andros felt the same way about her that she did about him. And judging from their hug and the quick wink Ashley threw in Cassie’s direction, it appeared that he did. Cassie knew what Ashley was going through. Seeing those two together always reminded her that she was alone.

After the party broke up, Cassie and Ashley walked through the park together, discussing Ashley’s budding relationship with Andros.

“It’s weird,” Ashley said. “Sometimes I think he likes me, but he’s so shy.”

“Well, look at it this way. He’s been riding around in a spaceship for years. So he probably hasn’t had much of a chance to date.” Cassie was trying to be reassuring for Ashley’s sake, and she hoped that Ashley couldn’t see through her. Even as she said it, she knew she wasn’t talking about Ashley and Andros. She was talking about herself and the Phantom Ranger.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Ashley smiled, falling a step behind.

“But...,” Cassie said, continuing forward and continuing to offer Ashley and herself some comfort, “that doesn’t mean he’s not interested.” Funny how neither of them had noticed Ecliptor and the shape-changed Astronema hiding in the bushes.

“Cassie?”

“Cassie?” Someone was calling her. She came back to the present and looked around, her eyes meeting the bare walls of her motel room.

“Yeah?” she answered the voice coming from the other side of the door.

“You ready to go?” TJ asked.

“Yeah, I’ll be down in a sec.” She shook her head, clearing the memories of Ashley’s birthday party from her mind. But she couldn’t help thinking then of her own birthday party, not long after Ashley’s. While Ashley had been thrilled to have Andros at her party, Cassie couldn’t help but notice who had been absent from hers. Since that day on Hercuron, she had begun to wonder if he would ever come back, regardless of his promise to ‘see her soon’.

She stood and hurriedly stuffed the last of her things in her backpack before heading for the door. “C’mon Jetson!” she called back to her dog. The yellow lab jumped off the bed and ran to her side. She reached down and gave his head a friendly pet. “At least you were at my party,” she said. “And I know you won’t leave me.” She had to grin as Jetson barked his answer. She giggled and tried to shush him. Dogs weren’t exactly allowed in the motel and she had had to sneak him in. “Jetson! We’re hiding out as it is. I don’t need a reason for them to come looking over here.”

Out of the front pocket of her backpack she pulled the pink bandanna she usually wore in her hair. She sighed and rolled her eyes as she folded it into a triangle and tied it around Jetson’s neck. Somewhere in her manic packing the day before, she had misplaced not only Jetson’s tags, but also his collar. She couldn’t believe she had done it. She was normally so good at keeping track of things during her numerous moves. It was when she settled someplace that she lost things. The only place she could think that the tags and collar were would be in the boxes she had packed for Alpha to teleport ahead of them. That was how the former AstroRangers were transporting the majority of their things. In fact the only things she had with her was what little she could fit in her backpack.

Once they had made the decision to leave Angel Grove and the world’s spotlight for a while, they had wanted to do it as soon as possible. To just disappear seemed to be the only way they could get some peace and quiet, to readjust to a normal life. So Alpha was teleporting their belongings ahead to their destination, and they were driving Ashley and Carlos’ cars. They were driving instead of teleporting there for two reasons: one being that they didn’t want to use the energy required to teleport the vehicles, and two because a road trip sounded like a lot of fun.

She quietly opened the door and looked covertly around. She knew it had to be safe out if TJ had just been at her door, but she wasn’t taking any chances. She slung her backpack over her shoulder, hooked Jetson’s leash onto the bandanna, and ran behind the back of the motel. In the back of the parking lot, hidden from the road, Carlos’ green Camaro and Ashley’s yellow VW Rabbit Cabriolet were parked. Cassie smiled as she ran up to Carlos’ Camaro. It was the wrong color of course, but Carlos had loved the car too much to make any kind of change after he became the Black AstroRanger. He had on occasion borrowed his father’s black SUV, but he just felt more at home in his green Camaro.

Ashley and Andros were throwing their bags into her trunk. They were taking Ashley’s car along with Zhane and Anastasia. Cassie and Jetson were riding with Carlos and TJ in his car. TJ was checking the maps, talking over their route with Carlos.

“Finally!” Zhane teased. “Let’s get on the road!”

“Quiet Zhane,” Cassie grinned as she threw her backpack into the backseat of the convertible Camaro and opened the driver’s side door for Jetson. He jumped in without any urging on her part and settled happily into the backseat. As he did, Carlos noticed the ‘collar’.

“Cassie! A pink bandanna? C’mon, he’s a guy! Think of his ego. The other dogs are going to laugh at him!” he said with all seriousness.

“Well I think he looks cute,” Ashley answered.

“You would,” Andros added.

“What?” Ashley threw a mock glare at her boyfriend.

“You just like it because he’s yellow and it’s pink,” Zhane joined in.

“Ashley!” TJ exclaimed. “Are you sure you want those two riding in your car?”

I don’t think so,” Ashley sighed with a laugh. “But you’re more than welcome to ride with me, Anastasia.” Anastasia thanked her and gave her boyfriend a shove in Ashley’s direction.

“I’m sorry,” Andros said, kissing Ashley. “Am I forgiven?”

“This time,” she smirked back. She stopped in midword as Zhane suddenly appeared beside her. He leaned over to kiss her only to be pushed away by Andros.

“Hey!” Zhane grinned at his best friend. “I was only trying to apologize too!” Ashley rolled her eyes at Zhane’s lopsided smile as Anastasia wrapped her arm around his and pulled him into the car.

As the others were getting into Ashley’s car, TJ stayed standing long enough to refold the map till it was just the small section they needed at the moment. He climbed into the Camaro’s passenger seat and saw that Carlos was still waiting on Cassie to get in. TJ had always thought that having only two doors was a serious disadvantage of owning a sports car. It always required one of the front seat occupants to be inconvenienced any time the backseat passengers wanted in or out. But he reasoned that when you bought a sports car, you weren’t looking at convenience; you were going for the look and the power. And Carlos’ Camaro certainly had those.

He saw Carlos make a face at him as he rolled his eyes in Cassie’s direction. She had been oblivious to the entire discussion it seemed. She was leaning on the back of the car, staring at the hills that bordered Angel Grove and the clouds that filled the early morning sky above them.

She was leaving again. It was nothing new to her. She had moved before at the spur of the moment. Whenever the situation had warranted it, she could be gone within hours. She had always known how to disappear. When you were flat-out told at a young age that you weren’t wanted, you learned to make yourself scarce. She had a different reason for running this time, but she was running nonetheless. And for once she wasn’t totally happy to be leaving. She thought she had finally found a home here, that her running could finally come to an end.

But it hadn’t, and she was on the move again. She looked at those clouds and wondered who was beyond them, and vaguely she wondered if Phantom could be standing right beside her and she’d never know. But she’d know; she knew she would. She wondered if he’d notice her absence. She wondered if he ever thought of her, or if she was something he forgot about when she wasn’t there. She wondered if he would even know that she was gone.

Distantly she thought she heard something, someone calling her name. She turned to see everyone staring at her expectantly. She flashed them a sheepish grin and climbed into the car, throwing an arm around Jetson. Carlos smiled at her as he too got in and closed his door. The two cars rumbled to life, breaking into the quiet of dawn. They pulled out of the parking lot and onto the nearly deserted streets.

She watched the buildings as the car sped away. She was going to miss this town, this town that had been her home for almost two years. They had so many reasons for leaving, none of which they thought anyone would understand. Now that the public knew who they were, everyone wanted something from them. And unfortunately the thing the public wanted most was something that they couldn’t give them. It had gotten to the point where the former AstroRangers hated to be reminded of that fact.

It seemed Zordon’s sacrifice had done more than just wipe out evil. The wave of powerful good energy had spread from the Dark Fortress, into Angel Grove and throughout the universe. And the AstroRangers had been dangerously close to its effects. They had all felt different as it passed by, demorphing them as it went. The feeling wasn’t bad, just... different, like something was more, or was it less? None of them could be sure. And since it sounded so silly, they hadn’t mentioned the feeling to each other, dismissing it as inconsequential.

Not long after returning from KO-35, Andros had tried to morph before they teleported down to help with the rebuilding efforts on Earth. Nothing happened. Thinking Andros had finally learned how to joke, Zhane attempted to morph. Again, nothing happened. The AstroRangers discovered to their dismay that none of them could call on their armor.

Alpha had run all possible tests and DECA had checked (and rechecked, at Andros’ insistence) the data, but the outcome was always the same. There was no trace of their Power signatures at all. The Astro Powers had been ‘overloaded’ it appeared. Basically it was the reverse of what Zhane had gone through when he had awoken from hypersleep. Zordon’s energy had filled them with more Power than the human body (even a Ranger’s body) could possibly safely handle, even under extreme circumstances. And so the Power inside each of them had simply shut itself down. Alpha hypothesized that in time enough excess energy would dissipate, and when it once again registered within the safe levels, they would be able to morph. Anastasia’s sorceress powers were strangely unaffected by the wave of energy. The only explanation they could come up with was that her powers were something she had cultivated from within herself and were not Ranger powers, so they would not be affected in the same way.

Their Power was gone for who knew how long and it only intensified how isolated and different she felt. The loss only made her think of Phantom even more. To have the thought of him there in the face of their recent hardship and loss would have been a great comfort. If only she had known that he was thinking about her the way she constantly thought about him. It would have been nice if he had called, just once... sometime. But as usual he was silent, as if he never existed, as if she had never existed.

Cassie cast a glance over her shoulder at the car behind them. Ashley and Andros were in the front seat, talking as they drove along. Whatever Ashley had said had made Andros blush and Cassie couldn’t help but giggle along with her friend. Andros was taking the Power loss harder than the rest of them, Cassie thought as she turned back around. It wasn’t really a ‘Power loss’, but to him it might as well have been. Andros hadn’t said it, but they knew he thought his Power was gone for good.

He had been an AstroRanger for longer than he would say. Cassie had always suspected it was because he and Zhane had come to the Power at such an unnaturally early age that neither of them truly remembered it. But after having the Power there for so long that it was a part of you, and to lose touch with it in such an uncertain way must have hurt them more than the Earth Rangers could possibly know. Yes, they had lost their Turbo Powers, but that was different. They had known the Powers were gone and they had only held them for a few months. The Astro Power had been as much a part of the Kerovan Rangers as any part of their body, and when (or whether, in Andros’ case) it would come back was so unknown.

Zhane seemed to be adjusting well. His new relationship with Anastasia was a suitable distraction from all of life’s ills. But Andros wasn’t, and it didn’t seem as if even Ashley could help. For Andros had been at ground zero of the wave of energy. He had had a front row seat for the whole light show. He had absorbed more energy than any one person possibly ever should in a lifetime, let alone in such a brief moment in time. And though no one had voiced it aloud, they were sure that Andros doubted his ability to ever regain control of his morph again. The return of his sullen and quiet nature that they thought was gone was proof that he was hiding his fears. Leaving town would take them from the prying eyes of the public, and maybe give not only them some privacy, but Andros some peace if he had to deal with a permanent Power loss.

Cassie sighed as the city streets of Angel Grove turned into the expressway that led to the highway out of town. Yes, they were leaving for the privacy, a chance to live a normal life for a while. But they fully intended to return. The MegaShip would be waiting for them. NASADA had temporary loan of it as a display only. After Alpha was finished teleporting their things he was going to meet them at their destination and say good-bye. Then he was going back to watch over the MegaShip. He and DECA would ensure it was safe, and that reassured Andros somewhat as he left his ship in their care.

But she knew what bothered her the most about leaving. She was leaving him. Or rather it was the closest to leaving him as she had ever come. Phantom knew she lived in Angel Grove. If (no, not if, when, she told herself) he returned, she wouldn’t be there. They had no Power signatures to trace. He would never find her. If he even bothered to look, she thought sourly.

She hated that she felt that way, but she did. She hated feeling so... forgotten all the time, like she was second or even lower place in his life. And she didn’t want to be forgotten anymore; she wanted to be gone. She knew she loved him, wished he would come, and she hoped she would see him again, but she couldn’t help but feel a little happy to be running away from him. She was finally doing what he had done to her so often. She was disappearing without a trace. And sadly she realized that part of her hoped it hurt him as much as he had hurt her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the feel of a wet tongue on her face as Jetson licked her playfully. She looked at him and smiled as she ruffled his fur. Maybe there was some way to leave Phantom a message, she wondered. If he did want to see her, she could at least give him a chance... maybe. She had till they reached their destination to decide. Whatever message she had, she would have to send with Alpha when he returned to the MegaShip. She would have time to consider it, to think of just how much she missed Phantom, how much she had always missed him, of how it felt to be forgotten, and whether the love was worth the pain.

She smiled again at Jetson as Carlos turned off the expressway and onto the highway, Ashley just a moment behind. Cassie took a deep breath and turned her face up to the bright sunlight of early dawn. I may be forgotten, she thought, but I am so gone.