Klank, loyal servant of Mondo, the Machine King, muttered to himself as he descended into the bowels of the Lunar palace left once more by Rita and Zedd. It had taken over an Earth month to rebuild his monarch and his queen, and there was no way to estimate how long it would take to get the Machine Empire up to its once formidable strength. Accordingly, Mondo was...less than pleased. Klank needed to come up with something to divert his more-than-usually irascible master's attention from his own efforts; after all, even a machine needed to recharge once in a while. Having exhausted his other possibilities, he was now trying to find something--anything--that might help him keep Mondo and Machina off his overworked back, and scouting out the remnants of their former rivals was as good as anything he could think of.

Descending even farther into the lower levels, Klank looked into the various rooms which branched off the main staircase.

"Dungeon... dungeon...sleeping quarters...storage...dungeon...storage..." Klank hissed dismissively. He had no use for putty clay or tenga feed; the Machine Empire had no use for organic materials. Metal and ores were much more durable, even though even that had not helped much against Zordon of Eltar's accursed Rangers. Although, why mere Humans, even super-powered ones, should so consistently be able to defeat the mighty Mondo, Klank could not understand. Their technology was about evenly matched; either side always had been able to come up with defensive strategies against the other. Why the relentless logic of machines always failed was something the robot simply could not fathom. The thought processes of organic beings were so chaotic and unorganized!

Klank rounded a corner. He had reached almost the lowest level, and was about to give up his search, when he suddenly noticed a narrow doorway a bit further down. Debating shortly with himself, he approached it cautiously and found it locked. The locking mechanism, however, posed no problem; after making sure that there were no hidden traps, he dismantled the lock and pushed the door open. Inside, Klank found another of Finster's smaller laboratories. It wasn't large enough to have been used for monster-making--it seemed rather that his counterpart had used the room for research. Klank respected Finster's abilities; the little gnome had quite a reputation among the Alliance of Evil as a valued operative, although his failures to defeat Earth's Power Rangers had done a lot to tarnish it. Still...

Mondo's chief henchman started to go through the various items left behind. There was nothing really of value to him, though. Shaking his head in disgust, he turned to leave, when a cooling unit on one of the back benches caught his attention.

"Now...what is this?" Klank opened the lid. The cooling unit was still operational, and a list of contents was pasted to the lid. Klank struggled to make out Finster's somewhat crabbed writing.

"Potions and...exiles? No...Elixirs? Bah!" Klank was about to shut the lid, having no use for and less understanding of these things, when a thought occurred to him. Maybe...just maybe this could be a means of satisfying Mondo, even if it could not possibly destroy the Rangers. Hopefully, it would keep them occupied long enough to rebuild more of their army, and maybe it would even be amusing to experiment a little bit. Lastly, it could conceivably bring better insight as to the workings of the Humans' bodies and minds for the future, and maybe even show the Machine Empire some strategic weakness. Nodding decisively, Klank repacked the unit and carefully lifted it from its bench. Creaking slightly under its weight, Klank began the long way back to the throne room.

"You have found WHAT?" The Machine King stared unbelievengly at his master builder.

"Potions and Elixirs, Yer Majesty."

"What possible use could we have for something like that? That idiot Finster never did anything right anyway; I saw from his records that he'd tried some of that stuff before, and it never worked! Now you expect me to make use of his worthless efforts? What kind of an idiot do you take me for?" Mondo was livid. He stamped around the palace main hall and ranted on. Queen Machina sat against the back wall, watching her husband dispassionately. Briefly she wished there had been time to rebuild her fan, but right now there were other priorities. She waited patiently while her husband vented more of his rage and frustration, turning things over in her mind. Finally, when Mondo showed no sign of stopping, she decided to intervene.

"Your oil pressure, dear."

Her calm tone stopped the ranting monarch. Consciously calming himself, he marched back to his queen. His eyes glowered with even more than his customary ruthlessness, and he muttered angrily about Klank's uselessness. Finally noticing Machina's slight disapproval, he growled at her.

"What?"

Deliberately, the Machine Queen stared her husband down.

"Now I know where Sprocket gets his temper," she said calmly.

"Yes, well...I just hope Klank gets him rebuilt soon. I actually miss the little guy."

"So do I, dear, but there are more important things to be done. Personal considerations will have to wait. All that aside, however, I think that Klank actually has a point."

"WHAT?" Mondo screeched.

"Calmly, dear. You do agree that we need some time to rebuild ourselves?"

Grudgingly, Mondo nodded.

"Well then, why not see whether we can keep the Rangers from bothering us? If they are occupied with the effects of various potions, they won't have the time or inclination to look into what we are doing. And in the meantime, we can restructure the skybase, build an even stronger army of cogs and look into new ways of defeating them..."

Mondo thought that over for a while. Finally, he gave his consent.

"All right then; maybe we can even amuse ourselves a little bit. After all, "

here the Machine King brightened somewhat--"Somnibot almost defeated them once. If his effect had been biological instead of mechanical, that blasted Gold Ranger would not have been able to help them."

"That's the spirit, dear." Machina nodded at her husband and retired back to her corner. She could leave it to others to implement the plan. Now that Mondo's attention was on something new, maybe she could get some more work of her own done. Sometimes it's more work to come up with things for Mondo to do than to do them yourself. Robots!

"Now, Klank, let's see what Finster has come up with."

The Machine King and Klank rummaged through the various vials and powders in the cooling unit.

"Punk Potion...Sleeping Powder...Burning Pollen...bah, been there, done that. Isn't there anything more...interesting?" Mondo began to steam up again. Before he could start another of his tirades, Klank pulled out a small flagon with a clear liquid and examined it carefully. He cleaned the label and stared at it for some time, processing the information.

"Yer Majesty...I think I've found something."

"You have? What is it?"

"I'm not quite sure; the potion is called "Ecstasy", and I believe it has do with...reproduction?" Klank grimaced.

"Reproduction? Klank, have your brain circuits totally fried? The last thing we need is a potion which produces more Rangers!"

"Ah, but yer Majesty, it's different with Humans ... or most Organics, for that matter. Ye see, with Organics it's not a matter of rational decision and selecting the best parts and constructing exactly the kind of offspring ye want tae produce, but it's more a process of blind chance, having to do with biological imperatives and uncontrollable urges. I believe they actually have to insert body parts into each other to reproduce, and they can be quite incapacitated during and after the process."

Mondo made a grimace.

"Inserting body parts into each other? That's disgusting!"

"I know, yer Majesty. It's not at all what a truly civilized being would do. However, I believe I know enough of Human physiology to adapt this potion so that the Rangers would be quite overcome and could do nothing but follow their bodies' demands--no matter how repulsive that may seem to us. Of course, it would not last forever, but it would definitely get us more time to rebuild."

"How would we get this to the Rangers, though? We're not strong enough yet to send down somebody to blast them with it."

Klank thought for a moment, then consulted Finster's notations once more. Aha!

"I think I know a way, yer Majesty...Finster says here that it's best administered in either food or drink, since it is undetectable to Humans. All we have to do is look for an opportunity where the Rangers have victuals around..."

It was a lovely Friday afternoon, and a group of teens had decided to spend the day at the lake. Ever since Rita and Zedd had blown up the Machine Empire's leadership, things had been quiet in Angel Grove, and the Power Rangers relished the chance to relax and just enjoy the day. The group of six had picked out a spot right at the edge of the beach, where the trees were casting some welcome shade and the teens were in the process of spreading out their blankets, towels and a couple of coolers with drinks and snacks.

"Okay, guys, let's get into the water!", Rocky cried and began stripping off his t-shirt and shorts. Leaving them in a crumpled heap, he took off with a yell and headed into the water. The others laughed, watching him indulgently. Rocky loved water sports, and had been as hyper as a five-year-old all the way over to the park. The rest of the group stripped in a more orderly fashion, laughing and joking among themselves. Kat and Tanya took their time to rub in some sunscreen before they joined the boys, and were enjoying the warmth of the sun, when a voice hailed them from behind.

"Hi guys!"

Both girls turned.

"Jason!" They grinned delightedly at the former Gold Ranger. Jason had withdrawn somewhat after he'd lost the Power, but now his strength was almost completely back to normal, and he took a greater part in their activities. He approached them with a gym bag over his shoulder.

"Is this a private party, or can anyone join?"

"Not anyone, but you certainly can," Tanya reassured him, giving her former teammate an affectionate hug. She had liked the handsome boy almost from the start, sensing his innate strength and honor. She had known, when she had entrusted him with the keys to Auric's tiki, that he was fully capable of carrying the responsibility, and was aware that he would always be there for the team and his friends, whenever they needed him. That he could no longer serve as a Ranger was really a shame; he and Tommy worked well together, and their trust in each other had strengthened the whole team.

"Yeah; it's great that you could come," Kat added. "Where's Emily, though?" She grinned.

Jason blushed slightly at her mentioning his girlfriend.

"She's out of town for next week; one of her relatives just had a baby, and she's going to be the godmother."

"Oh, that's so sweet! Boy or girl?" Kat and Tanya perked up with interest.

"Girl, I think." Observing the two girls, Jason lifted his hands defensively.

"Now, don't you two get all mushy on me! I don't know anything more about it, and I'll be hearing all kinds of baby stories for days when Emily comes back. Sheesh, what is it with girls and babies?"

"That's so typically male!" Kat protested, but smiled when she said it. She'd had almost the same kind of reaction when she and Tommy had worked on their "Family Life" project and she had conned him into a weekend of babysitting little Joey. Her boyfriend hadn't let her live the whole incident down for quite some time, and the other Rangers' teasing certainly hadn't helped matters.

"Guys--don't start this! Today is much too nice to get into that argument--not that I don't agree with Kat!" Tanya scolded them playfully, rubbing sunscreen on her legs.

"Okay, okay--truce?" Jason smiled and held out his hand to Kat. She shook with him, and gave him a playful peck on the cheek. "Truce."

"So--are you coming in the water with us?"

"Sure. I may have to get out a bit earlier than the other guys, but I'm game." Jason deposited his bag next to the coolers and began unlacing his sneakers.

"Why would you have to get out early?", Tanya wondered.

"Much as I hate it, I still get tired a lot. Billy said it'll take me another couple of weeks to get back to full strength, and I certainly don't want that to last any longer."

The girls nodded in understanding.

"Well, that's certainly more mature than some others I could name!" Kat cast a telling glance at the four boys already splashing in the lake, and the other two grinned.

"Well I'm not saying that I never would have ignored advice like that before..." Jason wiggled his eyebrows, his eyes laughing, as he unbuttoned his shirt. "But, you know what they say: With age, there comes wisdom..." He had been the first of the group to turn eighteen and therefore legally adult, this summer; sometimes, he couldn't resist rubbing that in a little bit.

"Yeah, right! Grandpa!"

All laughed, and then Kat asked Tanya to put sunscreen on her back. While the girls were occupied, Jason took off the rest of his clothing, folded them haphazardly and turned towards the lake. Over his shoulder, he asked, "You guys coming, or what?"

"In a minute," Kat said, and heard the crunch of sand under bare feet as the teen walked off. Then, she noticed that Tanya's hands had stopped rubbing in the lotion. "Tanya?"

"Oh...my..." The dark-skinned girl's voice sounded slightly breathless, and Kat turned to look at her friend questioningly. Tanya was looking away from her, and Kat shifted slightly to follow her gaze.

"Oh...wow!"

Both girls stood, transfixed. Jason was walking purposefully towards the water, and both dark and blue eyes were fastened on his broad back. Muscles rippled, and moved almost sinuously under the tanned skin of his back and legs, and what was between caused the girls to catch their breath. Whereas Tommy, Adam, Rocky and Billy favored their usual baggy swimshorts, Jason was wearing skintight lycra briefs in black, not skimpy Speedoes, but of a cut to reach from his narrow waist just to the tops of his thighs. Somehow, that only served to emphasize the breadth of his shoulders, and Kat and Tanya looked appreciatively at the wayall of his impressive musculature moved as he waded into the lake. Jason stopped as soon as the water reached his hips, splashed some over his chest and arms, and dove under, swimming strongly to join the other guys.

As soon as he disappeared from sight, the Pink and Yellow Rangers simultaneously released breaths they hadn't been aware they'd been holding, and looked at each other.

"When did he turn into such a hunk?" Tanya murmured.

"Tanya!" Kat sounded shocked, but a slight blush on her fair skin gave her away.

"Well, it's true, isn't it?" Tanya said defensively.

"Yes, but..." Kat blushed even more.

"Come on, girl; don't deny that you've been drooling over him as much as I was!"

"I wasn't drooling!"

Tanya raised a mocking eyebrow, signalling quite clearly "Oh, really?" to her friend.

Kat shrugged sheepishly and busied herself with putting away the sunscreen lotion.

"Okay, so maybe I was. After all, I may be dating Tommy, but I'm not dead, you know?"

Tanya grinned.

"Neither am I. Tell you what: You don't tell Adam, and I won't tell Tommy, okay?"

"Deal. Now, let's go swimming!"

"Yeah; I need a cold shower, anyway!"

"Tanya!"

Laughing, Kat swatted slightly at her friend. Tanya dodged, and both girls dashed off to join the male Rangers in the water. Behind them, a purplish light briefly flashed around the coolers, but nobody noticed.

"Okay, guys, that's it; it's time I took a break!" Jason came up for air and brushed the water out of his hair breathlessly.

"Are you okay?" Concernedly, Tommy looked at his friend. Jason only laughed.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Mother here--" he pointed at Billy, who scowled playfully, "--tells me I get better sooner if I don't overdo it, and for once I think he's right. Besides, Rocky has dunked me so often, I need a drink to get all the lakewater out of my mouth."

"Aw, if you can't take it..." Rocky grinned, pleased that he'd been able to have the upper hand over the taller and stronger former Gold Ranger for once.

"Watch it, DeSantos; tomorrow you're scheduled for a workout with me!" Jason tried his best to look menacing. He and Rocky had had a somewhat bumpy start, but now they were becoming close friends.

"Ooohh, I'm really scared!" Rocky backed away hastily, tripped over a submerged stone, and went under with a splash.

The rest of the group doubled over with laughter. Rocky came up again, sputtering. He took a look at his friends and splashed them with his hands. "Fine friends you are! I almost drown, and all you can do is laugh!" The other Rangers laughed even harder. Rocky splashed them once more, and a general water war broke out, with lots of squealing, tickling and dunking. Jason grinned, and backed away, slowly making his way back to the beach. He hated having to go back, but he knew that his total recovery would be faster if he didn't tire himself out. Still sucks, though!

The black-haired teen made his way over to the blankets and dried himself off. Settling down in the sun for a few minutes, he opened one of the coolers and took out a can of soda. Slowly sipping the cold liquid, he relaxed as he watched his friends cavorting in the water. Suddenly, Tommy came halfway towards the beach.

"Hey, Jase! Could you throw us the ball? It's in my bag!"

"Sure!" Jason put the almost-empty can next to the blanket on the grass and got up. Turning towards Tommy's gym bag, he accidentally kicked over his can of soda. Shrugging, he retrieved the ball and made his way over to the water.

"Where do you want this?", he asked, spinning the red globe on his right forefinger.

"Where do you think I want it, blockhead?"

"Oh, there--of course!" Grinning devilishly, Jason took aim and accurately bounced the ball off Tommy's head.

"Ow!"

Laughter erupted from the lake.

"Way to go, Jase!" -- "Right on target!"-- "Field goal!"

Tommy opened his mouth to blast his friend, but a look at the laughing faces of his friends dissipated his anger before it could fully form.

"Thanks, bro!" His tone was sarcastic, but Jason knew that it wasn't meant as it sounded. Laughing now, he gave a mock salute and turned back to the blankets, throwing a parting remark over his shoulder. "Anytime!"

The two girls watched Jason walk across the sand appreciatively. Tanya sighed longingly, and Kat smiled a secretive little smile.

"What's up with you?", Rocky asked suspiciously. He had seen the looks they had cast towards the beach, but couldn't for the life of him figure out why they would act so weird. The girls looked at each other, at Rocky, at the other three boys and back at each other.

"Oh...nothing!" They both burst out laughing.

Adam and Tommy exchanged glances. Then, Adam shrugged helplessly. Both of them had given up on understanding some of their girlfriends' cryptic behaviour a long time ago. Tommy turned to Rocky.

"It's a girl thing, I guess."

More laughter from Kat and Tanya.

"Do you have any idea what this is about, Bill?" Rocky asked the last member of the group. The blond had seen the looks the girls had given his former team leader, and tried hard to suppress a grin. He had always admired Jason's splendid physique himself, wishing he could one day emulate him. Just as he was about to explain things to Rocky, he happened to intercept a Look from Tanya. That look made him rapidly reassess his priorities. Tanya could be quite formidable if angered, so...

"What makes you think I'm more knowledgeable about the workings of the female mind than the rest of you?" A surreptitious glance in the girls' direction confirmed Billy's suspicion that, indeed, discretion had been the better part of valor.

"Hey, you're our resident genius around here! I just thought..."

"Rocky, you thought? Isn't that a contradiction in terms?" Tanya asked sweetly.

"Hey, I resent that!"

"Ooohh, isn't that too bad!" Tanya grinned at her friend.

Rocky, however, was not going to take that quietly--not when he was in his element.

"Guys, that means war! Who's with me?" He advanced menacingly towards the girls. Kat splashed him and tried to get away, but Rocky just dove and went for her legs. With a shriek of "Tommy. help!", she went under, and almost immediately, a free-for-all was underway--Tanya, Kat and Tommy against Rocky, Adam and Billy.

Jason had reached the blankets and stood for a moment, stretching his back muscles. He watched his friends for a while longer, then returned to his spot. Before he sat down again, he bent to pick up the can of soda he had kicked over earlier. As he lifted the now-empty can, he suddenly saw that the grass underneath, where the dregs had spilled, had taken on a sickly purplish-brown hue. All around the grass was a perfectly healthy green. The implications of that slowly penetrated, and Jason sank to his knees, stunned. Obviously, there had been something in the soda, but what?

I didn't taste anything! Anything at all!

He carefully picked up the can and sniffed at the opening. Nothing. A few drops had collected at the rim, and shrugging mentally, he tasted them with his tongue. Again, nothing.

Now what?

Kat and Tanya had decided that enough was enough and waded back on land. Panting and still laughing, they ran towards their towels and began drying off.

"We could really have used your help, Jason," Tanya gasped, still out of breath. She got no answer.

"Hey, Jason! Pity you couldn't have helped us!" Silence. Tanya turned around to look at the boy. He was kneeling next to the cooler, staring at a soda can and not moving. Suddenly, a cold feeling crept over Tanya's skin.

"Jason?"

Kat let her towel drop at the concerned tone in Tanya's voice. She saw her friend walk over to the teen and put a hand on the broad shoulder.

"Is something wrong?" Her question seemed to bring Jason out of his almost-trance. He looked up at the two girls, a slightly dazed look in his eyes.

"The soda..." His voice was hoarse.

"What about it?"

"I...I took it out of the cooler and had almost finished it when Tommy wanted me to get the ball. I must have kicked it over when I got up and spilled the rest. When...when I came back just now, I found...this." He pointed to the patch of sick-looking grass. "It's almost exactly where the soda would have spilled..."

Both girls looked at the dying plants, then at each other. A horrifying thought rose in their minds, but both were loathe to voice it.

Tanya broke out of her paralysis first.

"I'll get Billy." She sprinted off towards the lake and called out for the boys to join them. Kat approached Jason hesitantly; he seemed to have shut himself off from his surroundings. She touched his shoulder.

"Jason, don't..."

"Don't what? Don't worry? Don't panic? Are you aware what this could mean?" He almost exploded.

"Yes, I am, but there's no sense in buying trouble. Maybe there's a perfectly harmless explanation..."

"What if there's not?"

Kat had no answers for that. She slowly began to massage Jason's shoulders, trying to ease the tension she could sense under her fingertips.

"No matter what, we'll try to find a way if...if it's really something bad. We're your friends, and we're here to help you, all the way. You know that, don't you?" She tried hard not to let her fear come through in her voice. Jason's muscles were hard with strain, and he took deep breaths to try and relax them. He would not look at her, but he nodded, once.

"Yeah. I know."

The others ran up to the beach and skidded to a halt. Tanya had filled them in on what they'd seen, and Billy immediately bent down to inspect the grass where the soda had spilled. Tommy put a reassuring hand on his best friend's arm, squeezing gently. The sick knot of dread that had settled in his stomach would not let him find his voice, however. The others also were silent, trying not to think about ever more frightening possibilities. Finally, Billy addressed Jason.

"How much of the soda did you drink?"

Jason calmed himself with an effort.

"Almost the whole can; maybe three-fourths."

"Did it taste differently?"

"No; I even tasted the few drops still on the rim when I found this, and it was perfectly normal."

Billy shook his head. "How could you..."

"Listen--I had most of it before; how much difference could a few more drops make?"

Grudgingly, Billy conceded the point.

"Do you feel differently"

Jason drew another calming breath and finally straightened from his crouch. He tried to assess his physical condition, then frowned.

"No...I feel just like before."

"Well, I think we can almost certainly rule out poison, then."

The group of teens exchanged relieved glances. That had been their greatest worry. Adam, however, was not convinced.

"How can you be sure, Billy? There are slow-working toxins, you know..."

"Call it...a...gut feeling, if you will. All slow-working poisons I know of leave a residual taste, and they certainly would not act on plant life like this. One more question...did you specifically select this can?"

Jason thought for a moment.

"Actually, no. There are more of that in the cooler, I just grabbed one from the top."

"Then there are two options: One, the substance which affected the grass was only in this can--please pack it right side up in the cooler, along with a grass sample, will you, Adam?--, or two, this was aimed specifically at all of us and there may be more in the other cans. In any case, we'd better take the cooler and its contents to the Power Chamber so I can analyze it; Jason, I want you to come along so Alpha can run a bioscan on you." Almost effortlessly, Billy fell into command mode, as he had done so often during the Zeo Quest. Even though the Rangers were no longer trapped in their younger bodies, they realized that right now their quiet, often self-effacing friend was the best person for the job. Quickly, they put on their clothes and collected their belongings. Then they took off for a copse of trees, out of sight, and teleported to the Power Chamber.

Billy at once began to issue orders left and right. Grinning ruefully, the others did what he told them to, preparing samples for analysis, scanning the cooler, the cans, the grass sample and other things. Alpha, meanwhile, tugged on Jason's arm and led him to one of the diagnostic medbeds. Jason eyed the apparatus disgustedly.

"Not another full bioscan, Alpha? Billy?"

"I'm sorry, Jason; but it's the only way to determine what exactly you have ingested with the soda." Billy was adamant, although he was already bent over a computer console, typing in parameters for analysis.

Jason shook his head.

"Man, I've had enough of those to last me a lifetime!"

Tommy laughed in full sympathy. He'd been caught in enough spells and potions over the time to know exactly what Jason was feeling. The two exchanged rueful glances. Jason climbed up on the medbed, grumbling under his breath.

"I hear you, bro!"

"Yeah, well..."

The exchange brought some much-needed relief to the whole group. They all fell to their tasks then, and the only sounds were the quiet issuing of orders from Zordon, Alpha and Billy.

After a couple of hours, the results began to come in. The teens gathered around their mentor's warp tube and waited for Billy to skim the results. The young scientist finally drew a deep breath and looked up from the printouts.

"Well?" Jason could barely contain himself. Waiting had never been his strong suit, and since Billy had not wanted him to overexert himself in case physical activity aggravated whatever effects the mysterious substance might have, he'd been relegated to sitting in a corner out of the others' way. He had not liked it.

Billy looked at his oldest friend with a mixture of reassurance, compassion and dismay. He definitely did not relish to have to be the one to tell Jason his findings, but he knew he had to. Inhaling deeply, he began to speak.

"Well--there's good news, and bad news. The good news is, it was definitely NOT poison." A collective sigh of relief went through the group, and Jason's shoulders sagged as some of the tension left him.

"Another piece of good news is that, although there was indeed some potion added to the soda, it won't have any harmful lasting aftereffects, and it will only be in effect for a period of thirty-six to forty-eight hours at most."

"Hey, that's great!" Rocky clapped Jason's shoulder enthusiastically. He got only a slightly strained smile in return.

"What?" He looked around at the others.

Billy cleared his throat. Jason drew himself up as he prepared to pose the question he knew he had to ask. Squaring his shoulders, he looked directly at Billy.

"What's the bad news?"

That calmed even Rocky down again. The others all drew closer to their friend, and Tommy and Kat each touched Jason in sympathy and encouragement.

"The bad news is that this is one of Rita's potions.."

"Rita's?" "How in the world..." "Billy, are you sure..." The Rangers all burst out with shocked questions, and it took Zordon's intervention to calm them down enough for Billy to continue.

"I would speculate that someone, most likely remnants of the Machine Empire, found this potion on the moon and decided to make use of it:"

Alpha piped up then.

"Billy, sensors indicate that the Machine Empire is in the process of rebuilding itself..."

The Rangers groaned collectively at that.

"Well, anyways, this was indeed aimed at all of us. All the other cans, and some of the foodstuffs, have been contaminated with doses of this potion, varying in strength from very small to quite strong. Unfortunately, the dose Jason unwittingly ingested was among the strongest; that is why the vegetation on the ground was destroyed by the spillage."

"What is this potion you have identified, Billy?" Zordon's deep, calm voice interrupted the former Blue Ranger.

Billy swallowed.

"It's...it's called Ecstasy, Zordon."

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi!"

Jason looked sharply at the little android. That exclamation had even more of a distressed tone than usual. Another glance at Billy and Zordon made him blanch slightly. Billy was trying very hard to hang on to his detachment, and their ancient mentor looked----embarrassed? Nah!

Jason made himself voice his biggest concern.

"It's not related to that drug shit they're selling on the streets, is it?"

"No, it's not; however..."

"However what? Billy, you're scaring me!"

"I almost wish it were. Because then it would be easier to find a counteragent than for this."

"There is no counteragent."

The quiet pronouncement from Zordon stunned the group of teens into speechlessness.

Jason closed his eyes momentarily. Then, drawing on the inner strength which had made him such an excellent leader, he asked to know the rest.

"Alright. What does this stuff do, and how do I get out of it?"

Billy felt his face colour up. He looked at Zordon beseechingly, but he could see that he would get no help from that quarter. Reaching desperately for his scientific training, he made himself tell his friend what lay in store for him.

"Basically, what it does is cause a pronounced state of satyriasis in humans. As I said, it will run its course within forty-eight hours, maximum, like a viral infection, and there will be no lasting aftereffects. What's more, it needs to be triggered. Unfortunately, we do not know what this trigger or catalyst will be."

"What's satire...saty...whatever?" Rocky asked, not understanding. The others shrugged their shoulders, clearly as much in the dark.

Billy blushed even more, then made himself explain it in layman's terms.

"A person who has consumed this potion becomes painfully aroused, to the point where he or she is incapacitated. The only way to rid the body's system of the potion is to engage in prolongued sexual intercourse with one or preferably more partners, since penetration is necessary for a male to successfully expel bodily fluids which will collect the active agents within the victim. These fluids will not harm the partners, but it would be deleterious to let them accumulate within the afflicted body. In that case, the condition would most likely become permanent. Also, the imperative to cleanse the body of this potion is ...quite strong."

The Rangers looked at each other, confused.

"Billy...what exactly are you telling us?" Tanya asked, dry-mouthed. She couldn't have understood Billy correctly, could she?

Jason had blanched as the full implications sank in. He looked at his friend, hoping to find he was wrong, but the misery in Billy's eyes gave him the answer he was not wanting to hear. He glanced at the stunned faces of his friends, the fiery blush on Adam's face, the confusion in Rocky and Kat, and the disbelief in Tommy. He swallowed hard.

"He's saying that, once I or someone has triggered this, I must have sex constantly for two days to get rid of it; otherwise, it'll become chronic. Also, once it's triggered, I'll stop at nothing to get the relief I need. Including rape." His own face was as red as Tommy's shirt by the time he'd finished.

There was a stunned silence among the group of young people as they tried to take it all in. Jason could hardly look into his friends' eyes, Billy took refuge in his printouts, although he knew full well that he wouldn't find another answer in there, Tommy, Adam and Rocky stared disbelievingly at Jason, and the girls simply looked sick. Finally, Rocky burst out with the first thought that shot through his mind.

"Oh man... what a way to go!"

The guys vainly tried to control embarrassed snickers, but Kat and Tanya nearly decked the hapless Blue Ranger.

"Rocky, you jerk!"

"Haven't you got anything else on your brain but sex?"

Kat was almost in tears. She hadn't been intimate with Tommy very often yet, and although it had been a mutual decision, she was still somewhat uncomfortable about the whole situation. It was a very private, personal thing, and she knew it would take her some time to come to terms with her own sexuality and the feelings Tommy engendered in her. Tanya was more open about her activities with Adam; she had confided in her best friend almost as soon as they had taken the step into intimacy, but both girls treated it as a big confidence, and would not willingly share anything about their sex lives with others. For Jason to have his own--or lack thereof; nobody knew whether he'd even taken that step with his girlfriend yet, or anyone else, for that matter--spread out so publicly was mortifying in the extreme for the two girls. Besides, they knew that Jason would be absolutely horrified at the thought of possibly forcing someone to serve his own personal needs; they suspected that he would rather die than coerce another person to do something like that.

Rocky had the grace to blush. He knew that the girls were right, and he could have kicked himself for his big mouth.

"I'm sorry, Kat, Tanya;" he gulped, but went on. "I didn't mean it like that, honestly. I...I guess I just didn't think."

"It's not Kat or me you should be apologizing to," Tanya scolded him, her eyes hot with anger. Really, sometimes Rocky was too much!

"Huh?" Rocky was bewildered, then caught sight of Jason. The older boy's face had taken on a stony facade, and he was staring off into the distance. His whole posture was rigid, but at the same time there was a dejected slump to his shoulders. Tommy went up to his friend and put a reassuring arm around his shoulders.

"Hang in there, bro; we'll find a way, I promise." His voice was raw; the Red Ranger had been under enough compulsions by their alien enemies to empathize with Jason, but it had never been on such a personal level. Still, he could very well imagine what must be going through Jason's mind right now.

Jason looked at his friend and briefly touched the hand on his shoulder. He managed a feeble grin, but it didn't take hold.

"I know you will; don't you always?" He turned away from the others, shutting himself off. Right now, he couldn't take any more hollow reassurances and empty promises--he understood all too well what was in store for him, should his condition be triggered. Since no one knew what form the catalyst would take, he felt like a walking timebomb; chances were that he would succumb to this "satyriasis" when none of his friends were around to help him. Besides, who would help him with this? Emily was out of town; furthermore, their relationship was still too new to have progressed to intimacy, and from what Emily had let slip, it was unlikely that she would be able to help him anyway. He knew he could have gone to Trini or Kimberly with his problem, but they weren't available, and he really felt that going to a stranger was not for him. Suddenly, it all became too much.

"I'm going outside."

Without waiting for an acknowledgement, he turned and walked quickly to the bulkhead which would lead him to the rocks outside the Power Chamber. Before the doorway opened, however, Tanya stopped him.

"Jason , wait."

She came up to him.

"I know you don't believe in it right now, but Tommy's correct: We will find a way to help you. You just have to believe--you're still one of us, even if you don't hold the Power anymore. The Rangers don't leave their own. You're not alone in this!" Her eyes shone with conviction and compassion, and Jason felt a tiny sliver of hope settle in his heart as he managed to meet his friends' eyes at last, and saw the reaffirming nods every one of them gave him. He looked back into Tanya's large dark eyes and produced a more genuine smile.

"I believe you."

"That's the spirit!" She laughed softly and on impulse hugged the former Gold Ranger and kissed him on the lips affectionately. Both girls often did that with all of the guys, and everybody took these signs of affection in the spirit they were given. This time, however, Jason recoiled with a sharp hiss and nearly threw Tanya across the room. Adam just barely managed to catch his girlfriend before she slammed into a console. The young people looked at a shocked Tanya and Jason, who had thrown back his head, closed his eyes and held his hands tightly clenched into fists at his side. His whole body had gone rigid, as if he could only barely hold himself in check.

"What's with you, Jase? Are you out of your mind? All Tanya wanted to do was..." Adam started in an enraged tone.

Jason slowly lowered his head and opened his eyes. Shaking himself once, he visibly forced himself to relax and looked at Billy. He could see that his genius friend had drawn the correct conclusion to his reaction, and shook his head in negation. Drawing a much-needed breath, Jason made himself look at the dark-skinned girl who still looked stunned by what he'd done. Managing a humorless smile, Jason dropped his bombshell.

"I think Tanya just found the trigger."

With that, he turned on his heels and walked out of the Power Chamber.

The six Rangers looked at each other, shocked speechless. Tanya slowly straightened in Adam's embrace and shook her head in disbelief. Finally finding her voice, she whispered, "What did I do?"

Everybody turned towards Billy, who tried for a moment to lose himself in his printouts, but knew he couldn't escape answering. He cast a glance towards the exit where one of his oldest friends had left, then made himself look at the others.

"It seems as if your display of affection was enough to trigger Jason's condition."

Tanya looked sick.

"But...I never meant to...all I wanted was...oh God..." The reality of the situation began to sink in. She stepped away from Adam and the others. The look in her eyes was a mixture of shame, disgust and fear.

"You mean...now he's got to..."

Billy nodded once, mutely.

"Oh no...!"

The young people stared at each other, stunned. Billy and Zordon had made it very clear what the potion would do to Jason---have sex soon or turn rapist, with the added complication of having the strongly enhanced sex drive possibly become chronic. Finally, Tommy stepped forward. His concern for his best friend roughened his voice as he looked up at their mentor's less-than-placid face.

"Zordon, what can we do?"

"I do not know, Tommy; I can't say where he can find the relief he needs--Jason has not confided the details of his personal life to me. Did you not say he has found a girlfriend? Maybe that young lady could be prevailed upon to help him."

Kat shook her head. "It would be no use, I'm afraid. For one thing, Emily's out of town for a few days; we can't call her back without telling her why she needs to come so urgently, and for another, she told me a few weeks ago that she took a pledge at age fourteen not to sleep with anybody before marriage. I don't know whether she loves Jason enough to break that pledge; besides, they haven't been dating all that long."

Tanya nodded.

"I don't know that I would be willing to sleep with someone I've been going out with for only a few weeks."

"There's another point: Didn't Billy say that once wouldn't be enough?" Rocky for once sounded very serious and concerned. He and Jason had had their differences after the latter's return from Switzerland, but working together had soon taken care of that problem. Now he, too, desperately looked for a way to help their comrade.

"That's correct; besides, it would hardly be advisable to send someone with no experience into a situation like that. I would assume that some experience in Jason's partner would be beneficial." The young scientist swallowed uncomfortably; he clearly wanted to say something else, but couldn't bring himself to do it. For once, Rocky was the first to catch on.

Looking anywhere but at his friends, he asked what everybody was thinking about.

"Has...has Jason ever...I mean..." his face almost as red as his former uniform, he blurted it out.

"What if Jason is still a virgin?"

Blushes spread like wildfire over everybody's faces.

"He's not."

Tommy's quiet statement dispelled the awkward silence. Both girls and the three young men looked at him, but his face was impassive under their glances. It was clear that he was not going to elaborate, and after a moment's consideration, the Rangers accepted that he would not further betray his friend's confidence.

"Well, we just have to find a solution!"

"Yeah, Rocky, but where, when, and most importantly, how?" Adam looked at his friend. "If Emily can't and won't help him, what are we supposed to do?"

The teens racked their brains. Finally, Rocky cleared his throat.

"What about...Bayswater Street?"

The four boys looked at each other with varying expressions of hope and disgust. The girls, both relative newcomers to Angel Grove, were mystified. Finally, when a look at Tanya confirmed that she was as much in the dark as herself, Kat asked the others.

"What's in Bayswater Street?"

To her astonishment, all four boys blushed again and couldn't meet her eyes.

"Tommy? Billy? If there's something there that can help Jason..."

Billy looked at her. Clearing his throat, he answered her.

"Bayswater Street is... .in the red light district. It is there that you would find..."

Kat caught his meaning and blushed furiously.

"Oh."

Tanya, whose blush was equally fierce but less visible, shook her head in disbelief.

"You've got to be kidding! You can't just send Jason to a...a...hooker! That wouldn't be right!"

"Do you have a better idea?" Rocky asked heatedly. "At least those girls are used to having sex all day! And right now, that's what he needs, right? He lets himself get laid for the weekend, and he'll be okay!"

"Don't be gross!" Both girls looked revolted.

"It's the truth, isn't it? Prettying up the words won't change the facts! We just have to get one of them to a room, and put Jason in with her, and she gets her money afterwards, and ..." his voice slowly died down as the enormity of the situation began to sink in.

"Exactly." Billy's calm voice restored order among the friends, who had listened to the exchange with growing discomfort.

"We simply do not have the funds available to implement that course of action."

"How do you know that?" Adam asked, a hint of desperation in his voice. Although he had met Jason two years ago, before he went to Switzerland, he didn't really know him all that well. The Power transfer had happened too soon to form close ties, and his association with Tommy, Billy and Kim had always been closer. But in the weeks since Jason's return he had come to respect the older boy's courage, integrity and honour. Jason was intelligent, almost as good at Martial Arts as Tommy, and his time at the peace conference had given him maturity in ways even their experiences as Power Rangers were hard put to match. Adam knew he could not let him down; neither could the others.

"I estimate that the cost, were we to go through with this plan, would come up to the vicinity of $2.500. Even if we were to pool our resources, I doubt that we could afford to give that kind of money to Jason --and that is assuming the fact that he would even consider accepting our help that way."

"How do you figure that sum?" Adam asked, intrigued despite the gravity of the situation.

"Well, to rent a hotel room in an at least halfway respectable establishment, we would have to spend roughly $200 for two days; the rest would be the...lady's...wages."

"Over two thousand dollars for...for..." Kat shook her head, amazed.

"That sum is based on the average earning for an hour's worth of actual sexual intercourse, provided by a professional who is hopefully free of disease and willing to slightly cut her rates for a chance of continuous employment for a period of 48 hours with a single partner." Billy managed to deliver that bit of information in his driest voice, carefully not looking at any of his friends.

Tanya grinned slightly, if briefly.

"And how would you know the going hourly rate for a hooker, pray tell?" "Yeah, Billy; how do you know about that?" Rocky momentarily forgot to be serious, staring at their genius friend with lively curiosity.

Billy smiled, humourlessly.

"Would you believe I saw a documentary on HBO a while ago?"

"Yeah, right!" Rocky clearly was all set to pursue this further, when Tommy brought them all back to the point at hand.

"The fact is, we can't afford it, and that's that. Besides, I don't think Jase would ever go for it."

Kat nodded. Tommy had told her a lot about his best friend, and she knew what he was getting at.

"Remember who we're talking about here, guys. This is Jason. First leader of the Rangers, champion martial artist, delegate to the Youth Peace Summit, and until recently, the Gold Ranger. Do we honestly think he would go to a hooker just to ...to..." she couldn't find the words to describe Jason's predicament, but she had made her point. Jason Scott just wasn't the kind of person to do something like that.

As the teens tried to come up with other options now that the first shock was over, Tommy withdrew from the group and silently made his way to the outside. At the edge of the cliffs, right below the satellite dish, he found Jason sitting on a rock, his knees drawn up to his chin and his arms clasped around them. He was staring out over the desert, towards the horizon. A rock slipped under Tommy's foot and clattered down the steep hillside. Jason looked back at him briefly, acknowledging his presence, then returned his gaze to the distance. Tommy remembered standing in this very spot once before, with Jason, Kim, Billy, Trini and Zack. It had been here that Zordon had first shown them the Thunderzords, and Tommy remembered the feeling of helplessness he had experienced when it had become clear that he would not be able to sustain his powers much longer. He imagined that, though the cause was different, that Jason had to be going through something very similar right now.

He shared his friend's silence for a few moments, then made himself ask in as normal a voice as possible.

"What happened in there?"

Tommy was proud of the fact that he managed to keep all traces of accusation out of his voice. He knew that Jason hadn't meant to hurt Tanya, and that he needed all their support right now.

Jason waited a few more moments, then answered, without looking at his friend.

"Instant hard-on."

The bald statement hung between the two young men, then Jason continued.

"Man, I've never felt anything like it. One moment, I was normal, then the next, when she kissed me...it was all I could do not to rip her clothes off there and then!" He shook his head. Then, a note of worry crept into his voice.

"Tanya's alright, isn't she? I didn't mean to hurt her, it's just that..."

Tommy smiled reassuringly.

"She's okay. A bit shook up, but I don't think she did more than bump her hip on the console. Adam managed to catch her in time."

Jason's shoulders sagged in momentary relief.

"Good."

When it became clear that he wasn't going to say anything more, Tommy slowly came closer, trying to put a brotherly arm around his best friend's shoulders. To his astonishment, Jason stopped him before he could actually touch him.

"You'd better not."

Slightly hurt, Tommy looked at the other boy. They had always been able to comfort each other with touch; a rare thing among most young men, but it had made their relationship and close friendship that much more precious. Tommy had never admitted it out loud to anyone, but after Jason had left it had taken him a long time to get over the loss of something so trivial as a shared smile, an understanding look or a brief touch on the arm or shoulder. Mostly it had been Jason who had initiated the contact, but over the course of their friendship, they both had learned to express their feelings for each other that way, and he knew that Jason had cherished these brief exchanges as much as he himself had done. They were only just coming to the point where they could pick up the pieces of their former relationship and return to the way that they had shared before, and to have Jason reject him now...hurt.

Jason seemed to know what was going through the Red Ranger's mind, and turned slightly towards his friend. Smiling ruefully and all too briefly, he explained.

"It's not you; it's me." Gathering his thoughts, he knew he would have to do better than that. Looking down at the ground, he tried to explain.

"It's...it's just that I'm still...aroused."

"What? But you've been out here for almost half an hour! I mean...normally it takes me some time to get it down again, yes, but never that long. And I don't think that you'd be so different from me!"

Jason glanced at Tommy. "You've never had one of Mondo's...Rita's...whoever's potions in your bloodstream, either."

"Oh...yeah. Sorry."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not! Look, bro, I..." Tommy took another step towards Jason, reaching out again and snatching his hand back as Jason flinched visibly.

"Jase?"

A moment's silence passed between the two boys, then Jason gave the explanation his friend deserved.

"Look, Tom, it's not that I don't want you to touch me; actually, the way I feel right now, I can't decide whether I want to hit someone or bawl all over you."

"If that's what you need, you're welcome to do either."

Jason smiled briefly, humorlessly.

"I know. Thanks. Problem is, the more I think about it, the closer you get, a third option starts to crop up."

A batallion of butterflies started to prepare for liftoff in Tommy's stomach.

"What third option?" His voice had dropped to a whisper; try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to speak normally.

Jason looked at his friend, meeting his gaze fully.

"The third option...you're starting to look awfully tempting, my friend."

The butterflies went from revving up to full kamikaze runs for Tommy. He stared at Jason, his former rival, enemy, teammate, leader, best friend, as the meaning of Jason's words sank in. The young men looked into each other's eyes for long minutes, then Jason smiled bitterly and turned away, to look over the desert once more.

"You'd better stay where you are." His deep voice was expressionless.

Tommy stood rooted to the spot, his thoughts chaotic. Jason couldn't mean what he'd just said, could he? Slowly, the full impact of the situation descended on Tommy. Jason needed help; only another Human could give it to him. Although Billy hadn't said anything specifically, Tommy was sure that they were rapidly running out of time; Jason was running out of time. Tommy knew that his friend would rather die than brutalize another; such an action went against everything they both believed in, against everything they had been taught and what they were fighting for. He was as certain about that as he was about himself; the two of them had talked often enough to know and appreciate each other's values. Tommy knew he could never bring himself to consciously hurt another, although he had accepted long ago--with Jason's help--that his own capacity for violence was far greater than Jason's. It gave him a greater edge in a fight, true, but it had been Jason's influence again that had taught him to integrate that dark aspect of his personality into himself and make it work in a positive rather than a destructive way.

Tommy's thoughts whirled. He knew that their friends were inside, trying against hope to come up with a solution for the problem, but all of them knew that chances were slim. Jason needed someone, needed someone now, or he would turn into someone no one, least of all Jason, could live with.

You're starting to look awfully tempting, my friend...tempting...my friend...friend

Tommy's butterflies suddenly crash-dived and vanished.

I can't do this...to do this would mean...touching Jason...having him touch me...making love to Jason...letting myself be fucked by Jason...taking his cock up my ass... having him thrust into myself just as I thrust into Kat...

Memories of his girlfriend and their trysts suddenly overwhelmed the rather violent images his mind had conjured up before. Kat was still a bit hesitant about being intimate, but they were both slowly gaining more confidence; they had started to experiment a little, and they were both losing more and more of their inhibitions. Sharing their feelings for each other through making love was turning out to be a wonderful experience, and it served to bring them closer together emotionally than before. Tommy had been somewhat leery about bringing their relationship to that level; he had always thought that his first intimate encounter would be with Kim, but that was not to be. Kat had given herself to him out of genuine feeling, and Tommy knew that sharing himself with her physically had helped him ultimately to let go of any lingering feelings he still had for the former Pink Ranger. She would always have a place in his heart; after all, nobody ever forgets their first love, but Kat had found her own place in his heart. Tommy did not often open himself to others, but he freely acknowledged that he loved all of his teammates; only some more than others. Kim certainly had held first place for a very long time, but now that she had gone, the one person he was closest to was...Tommy looked up, startled. All of a sudden, he knew that he couldn't decide who meant more to him: The young woman who shared his body, or the young man who shared his spirit ... and always would. With that realization came a sense of calm, even of rightness. The Red Ranger knew that what he was about to offer would be honest and given out of love, whatever reason others might try to read into it.

"What if I don't want to stay where I am?" Tommy's voice was quiet. All of his previous anxiety was gone, replaced by the certainty that, if Jason--if his friend--needed him, even that way, he would and could give him the way out nobody had been able to find so far.

Jason whirled around to stare openmouthed at Tommy.

"What?!"

Tommy drew a calming breath and smiled slightly at his friend.

"You heard me."

Jason got up and looked into Tommy's eyes.

"Bro...do you know what you're saying?"

"I'm saying that if you need me, I'm there for you. In whatever way you need me. After all, you've been there for me more times than I could count. Maybe it's time I returned the favor."

"I...I couldn't do that to you!"

"Why not?"

"Tommy, haven't you heard what Billy said? I ... I could rape you!" Jason nearly choked on the word. Rape had always been the one thing he held in absolute abhorrence. Violence against others was something he had fought against all his life; it had been one reason he'd found so much contentment in his Martial Arts, because contrary to popular belief Martial Arts was not about violence, but about avoiding it. Fighting alien monsters had taken the whole concept to another plane; all the villains they had battled had tried to do violence on the Earth in one way or another, but rape thankfully never had entered the picture.

Jason had another, more personal reason to hate rapists; his father's younger sister had been raped and even conceived a child; his cousin Jeremy--despite everything, the whole family loved the bright, friendly child which had been forced into the world through an act of violence, but all of the family had had to deal with the trauma his aunt had gone through, and it had taken her years of therapy to rebuild her life. Now she was married to a childhood friend, and Jeremy had found a great friend in his stepfather, but as is often the case, the victim wasn't just one person. The thought that he could turn into someone capable of disrupting so many lives turned Jason's blood cold, and he felt sick at the possibilities Billy's report had opened up. He knew that, even had she been here, Emily would probably not be able to help him, and his first and so far only lover was back in her native Switzerland. Bernadette would help him, he was sure of that, but there was no way he could get there in time, and teleporting her here was simply not an option. He might not be a Ranger himself anymore, but he would never jeopardize the team's safety simply to satisfy his own personal needs. If either Trini or maybe even Kimberly were here, he could go to either one of them, but they were in Geneva and Miami respectively, and again, there was no way for him to get there in time to do him any good. As for Tommy's offer...he couldn't possibly be serious, could he?

A look into Tommy's eyes, however, proved that Tommy was.

"It's not rape if both partners are willing. And I am willing." The conviction in Tommy's voice rocked Jason.

"Why?"

"As I said, you were there for me. Even after I tried my level best to destroy the world, and kill you--several times over. You forgave me, and accepted me as your friend. You basically gave me my life. It's high time I gave you something back. So--if you really need me, I'm here for you. In whatever way you need me to be."

"This is hardly the same!" Jason protested.

"Maybe not," Tommy conceded. "But if no sense in beating around the bush having sex with you is what it takes, then that's what it's going to be."

Seeing that Jason was about to reject his offer out of hand, Tommy used the one argument he knew Jason wouldn't be able to refute.

"Besides, you'd do the same for me."

As he'd known it would, that shut Jason up. Tommy stood, waiting. It was up to his friend now to accept his offer or not. And maybe, just maybe, the others had found a solution other than this.

Jason took a few steps, then looked at his best friend again. He'd been only halfway serious when he'd said that Tommy looked tempting; he'd never been attracted to guys before, although he had speculated, like most people would, what it would be like. He'd just never met anyone who could possibly tempt him that way--but, come to think of it, if he ever were inclined to give a homosexual encounter a try, it would have to be someone like...Tommy. Who had just basically offered himself. And it wouldn't even be just for the hell of it. And it would help him out of this mess. And...he couldn't possibly do that to Tommy. Could he?

Feeling slightly dizzy and more than a bit hysterical, Jason forced his mind away from images of touching Tommy; of running his hands across the hard, muscled torso, of grinding his hips and his still-engorged cock against Tommy's tight butt, of kneeling behind him and easing the pressure in his groin, which had not abated since its violent eruption when Tanya kissed him, by slowly pushing his aching shaft into a hot, soft opening...with a shudder, Jason wrenched his thoughts towards the here and now.

"Look, you know I'm not into guys. And, while I appreciate the offer more than I can say, I know you're not, either. So, I'm wondering--why?"

Tommy could do nothing but be totally honest.

"Because...you're you. I couldn't do this for anyone else. Just you."

Jason was dumbfounded.

"Why me?"

His question came out in a barely audible whisper.

Tommy looked at his friend and said what was in his heart, speaking a truth that both knew, but had never before acknowledged.

"Because I love you. As my friend, as one of the really great guys, as someone it's been a privilege to know, and as a person this world would be poorer without. I can't let you do this to yourself; I can't let you suffer, or worse, let you go. As Kim said to me, when I lost the Green Power the first time, we need you. I need you. I've needed you a thousand times while you were gone, I needed you when you came back--and not just to become the Gold Ranger!--, and I will probably need you a few million times for the rest of our lives. And you know what? I know you'll be there for me. Even when you're someplace else, like you were in Switzerland, you'll be there if I really need you."

Both boys remembered anguished, doubtful letters and reassurances; late-night phonecalls and encouragement which had kept their relationship alive even across months and two continents.

Tommy swallowed once, hard, then made himself say the rest.

"Now you're the one who needs someone. Granted, it doesn't have to be me, but it looks like there's nobody else. And you know something? It feels great to be needed that way. And that's why I can offer you this. Giving my body to you is nothing compared to what you've given me in the time we've known each other. You've saved my mind, my spirit, even before we became friends. For once I can pay you back."

"I never expected you to ‘pay me back'," Jason protested, shaken and touched.

"I know. But maybe that's what I need to do."

Jason's eyes misted over. He turned away from Tommy, too choked up to formulate a reply. Here was his best friend, offering him everything he was, a way out of his predicament, and more love than he knew what to do with, and he still couldn't bring himself to accept the offer. In addition, a small part of his mind urged him to take Tommy up on his offer, to grab the way out of the nightmare his life was threatening to turn into, and his needful body wasn't helping by screaming at him to just say yes and get it over with. Again, lustful images of him thrusting himself into Tommy's mouth and ass assailed his mind, further threatening his slowly eroding control.

In desperation, Jason looked at his friend again.

"What if I can't control myself? What if I hurt you? Damage you...internally?"

Tommy swallowed. He didn't want to think about that; despite his conviction that he was doing the right thing, that he would gladly suffer more for the sake of his friend, these issues had to be addressed. After all, there was a very real possibility that his fighter's instincts would kick in without him meaning to, and then disaster would strike. Jason needed a willing partner, or his friend's physical needs would override his honor, and the damage to Jason's spirit would be far greater than any injuries Tommy's body might suffer. Besides, the male body wasn't exactly ideally equipped to handle that kind of treatment. Fortunately, Tommy could offer at least some reassurance.

"You won't have to control yourself all that much. What's more, if you should get violent, I'm more than able to handle you." Both young men grinned slightly at that. While Jason was stronger and more muscular, Tommy was faster and more agile. All in all, they were pretty evenly matched, as they knew from countless workouts and sparring matches.

"I won't fight you. I repeat, whatever you need, I'm willing to give--freely. Plus, I know that, if at all possible, you won't want to hurt me. Just as I couldn't hurt you or Kat when Gasket had me in that arena. You trusted me with your life then; I'm trusting you with mine now. I'd say the odds are pretty good."

Jason turned away again, fighting his tears, and looked towards the horizon. The sun was about to set and slowly painted the desert sky in vibrant oranges and reds. After a few minutes, he spoke. His voice was a bit hoarse with emotion, and so soft that the Red Ranger had to strain his ears to hear his friend.

"I...I don't know what to say."

"All you have to say is yes."

"Part of me wants nothing more. But there's another part that tells me that this is not right, that I'd better take just two more steps and jump off this cliff, and the problem will go away."

Tommy started, alarmed; they were indeed only a couple of steps away from the edge and a forty-metre drop. He was about three yards away from Jason--if the other should decide to...

Jason looked back over his shoulder and grimaced slightly.

"Don't worry; I'm not going to do anything stupid."

Tommy breathed a sigh of relief.

"You scared me for a moment, bro."

"Yeah; I scared myself. But...you know what? When there was a chance that the loss of the Golden Power could kill me, I accepted that as part of the price for being a Ranger again. I'd do it again in a heartbeat, even knowing the outcome. But for something like this...some stupid potion...I don't want to die for something like this. Not after what you just told me. Especially not after what you just told me. I feel like... I have too much to live for."

"You certainly do."

Both young men looked at each other, the emotion of the moment making them feel awkward with each other. At the same time they'd never felt closer. Finally, Tommy couldn't hold Jason's gaze any longer and lowered his eyes. All of a sudden, he noticed the considerable bulge in Jason's black jeans. The other teen noticed the sudden blush, followed Tommy's eyes and reddened himself. Self-consciously, Jason cleared his throat. The small sound exploded into the awkward silence and the two tried to compose themselves.

Finally, Tommy found his voice again.

"So...you want to go ahead, or what?"

Jason thought for another moment, then met his friend's eyes fully.

"No."

Before Tommy could protest, Jason went on.

"I appreciate your offer; I really do. And I promise, if there's no other way, I'll come to you. But only if it's the only way out. Doing something like that will have an effect on our relationship, and the last thing I want is to lose you as my friend."

"You won't."

The quiet reassurance calmed Jason even further. Inside, he accepted Tommy's offer, as the other had known he would; they were too close, had been through too much together to let each other go without a fight. Together they would pull through, somehow; after all, they were a team, weren't they? But Jason still was somewhat reluctant; some part of him still hoped there would be another way.

There has to be another way! There has to be!

Tommy watched his friend for a few more moments, then looked over his shoulder towards the entrance to the Power Chamber. Their discussion had taken longer than he'd thought; the others inside must be going crazy with worry by now. And maybe, just maybe Billy, or Alpha, or Zordon had found a solution by now.

"You coming?"

Jason nodded, but didn't move.

"Give me a bit more time. I'll be right behind you."

"Okay. Don't take too long. The others care about you too, you know."

Jason smiled slightly.

"I know. I just ..."

Tommy nodded understandingly. He'd been a loner for large parts of his life, and he understood the need for solitude--just as Jason had taught him that there were times when a friend had to breach that solitude and hold out a hand to the other. He'd done that today, and no matter what the ultimate outcome would be, their relationship--they--would survive. He turned away from the broad-shouldered figure in black and made´his way to the door. Just before he opened the access, he heard Jason's voice come to him through the gathering dusk.

"Tom?"

"Yeah, bro?"

"I love you too."

Tommy let the words, never before spoken between them before today, settle into his soul .

"I know."

With that, he put his palm on the access panel. As the entrance opened with a soft "whoosh", he heard Jason once again.

"Thanks."

As the Red Ranger stepped into the tunnel to rejoin their friends, he smiled, even though the solitary young man behind him couldn't see it, and whispered his answer.

"Anytime, my friend. Anytime."

An uncomfortable silence greeted Tommy as he returned to the Power Chamber. His teammates looked up at him with various expressions of hope and despair, but it was obvious that they hadn't found a way out of Jason's -- their--dilemma. Nevertheless, Tommy felt he had to ask.

"Did you come up with anything? Billy?"

The former Blue Ranger shook his head once. Billy's face all too clearly showed his frustration that so far even his brilliant intellect hadn't been able to come up with even a slightly workable solution. Well, actually, he had one, even a fairly obvious one, but he'd been hesitant to put this before the team. After all, there was no way to accurately guess at the reactions of the two-- no, four--teammembers it would involve. And the repercussions, should they indeed choose that course of action, would be staggering for all. Still, Tommy deserved an answer.

"I'm sorry, Tommy; none of us has come up with even a remotely feasible plan."

"Rangers." Zordon's deep voice turned everybody's attention to his timewarp tube.

"Rangers, I fear time is running out on us. Further analysis has revealed that Jason has slightly less than two hours left before his condition becomes irreversible. If there is a way--any way at all that you can help him, it has to be implemented now."

Billy and Tommy shared a despairing glance. Both young men knew that they simply could not let their friend down. Breathing deeply, Tommy asked for details he had to have, before he could go back to his best friend.

"What can we expect, Zordon? What exactly is going to happen; what will Jase have to deal with?"

Billy had turned towards Alpha, who had extracted another printout from the analytical computer. The little android had been uncharacteristically quiet in all the time the Rangers had discussed their former teammate's predicament, working instead on the various analyses, checking his databanks for the smallest detail that might point towards a solution. So far, all his efforts had been in vain. This, however, was something he could help the Rangers with.

Billy quickly scanned the data Alpha handed him, then summarized for his friends.

"This is going to sound callous, guys, but actually things could be a lot worse."

"What do you mean, a lot worse?"

"Well, according to the little information we've been able to find, Jason will not experience pain or fever of any kind, although there will be some degree of physical discomfort until and unless he achieves physical relief. He won't be delirious; on the contrary, his mental faculties will remain at the same level they are now. However, the biological imperative will be getting stronger, the longer he has to wait. Ideally, he should have had started to seek relief as soon as his condition was triggered."

At that, Tanya flinched guiltily. Adam squeezed her hand comfortingly, and Kat gave her a sympathetic smile. To Tanya's everlasting relief, none of the Rangers looked at her accusingly.

"Basically, the longer Jason waits to do something about his ... condition, the stronger the initial urge is going to be. To be perfectly blunt, as soon as he starts ejaculating, the more control he should have over his actions. The danger of injuring a willing partner decreases exponentially. His need should run in two-hour cycles, with shorter rest periods in between. After all, even a chemically hyper-stimulated body needs time to recharge, as it were."

"Phew!"

Rocky's exclamation drew the others' attention. He looked at them apologetically.

"I'm sorry; I don't mean to be flippant or anything, but ever since Billy first came up with what's wrong with Jason, I kept having this vision of Jason turning into Mr Spock."

The others looked at him as if the Blue Ranger had lost his mind.

"You know, from Star Trek? The episode where Spock gets this blood fever and has to mate or die, and only a duel to the death could break him out of it?"

Predictably, it was one of the girls who first lit into him.

"Really, Rocky, how insensitive can you get?" Kat seemed on the verge of exploding--or breaking into tears; it was hard to tell at the moment.

"I know you watch that stuff all the time, but Jason's problem can hardly compare to ..."

"Actually, it is not a bad comparison." Billy's voice stopped the blonde Australian from further verbal attacks.

"Furthermore, it certainly is a legitimate concern. Although I hadn't made the connection, when I first took a look at the data, something seemed familiar about it. Like Rocky, I'm relieved that this potion of Rita's won't have the same effect on Jason as pon farr had on Mr Spock."

The others looked at Billy with varying degrees of astonishment and disbelief. Finally, Kat found her voice again.

"Billy...are you seriously telling us that you --of all people---watch Star Trek?"

The young scientist's faint blush and slightly sheepish expression gave him away. Somewhat defensively, he said:

"Well, I used to, when I was younger..." his voice trailed away, as the others grinned; this revelation eased the tension that had gathered around them to some extent, and the six teens all relaxed slightly. Soon, however, their smiles vanished as they were well aware that they were no closer to a solution than before.

Adam had been watching his comrades closely; although it was a relief to all of them that Jason's problem might not be as dangerous to him or to his eventual partner as they'd previously assumed, it still didn't change the fact that so far they hadn't even come close to finding said partner. Something in Billy's expression caught his particular attention; there were just too many glances between the printouts, the exit behind which Jason had vanished, and the rest of the team. An uncomfortable feeling spread through his stomach. In a slightly strangled voice, as if dreading the answer, he asked nevertheless.

"You've come up with a way, haven't you?"

All the others' faces swivelled to Billy, who coloured up again. Swallowing several times, he finally made himself look at his friends and say what had to be said.

"Yes."

That quiet statement drew a deluge of excited questions from Rocky and the girls; Tommy, who had found his own answer outside on the cliff, exchanged a rueful glance with Billy. Adam noticed that exchange, and his sense of unease grew stronger.

At last, Billy held up his hands to quiet everybody down, looked once more at their leader who nodded encouragingly, and told the group his solution.

"I have been hesitant to suggest this, because it would mean a very personal involvement from all parties, and I could not guarantee how Jason would react to such a proposal, but I can see no other way."

"Billy, why don't you just cut to the chase and spit it out? As Zordon said, Jason's running out of time, fast!" Patience had never been Rocky's strong suit.

"Acutally, it's fairly obvious."

"It is?"

"Yes. One or more of us has to help Jason."

Stunned silence greeted that statement. Before any of them could react, however, Tommy spoke into the sudden quiet.

"It's the only way, guys. We all know this, even Jase."

With a deep breath, he dropped his own bombshell.

"That's why I told him that I'll go with him."

E-mail: kittiec@starpower.net