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"When was that one taken, Uncle Tommy?" Lynne asked, still silently stunned that her uncle was about to become her stepfather. Although, Tommy had been the father figure in her life since her own had passed away. After having heard the story of how her parents had fallen in love, they had resumed flipping through the pictures and had come upon one that struck them all as being very sad somehow. "You're all there: you, Aunt Kim, Dad, Uncle Billy and Uncle Zack. You're all smiling, but none of you look happy."
"And who's that in the photo Aunt Kim's holding?" Oliver queried.
"Mrs. Kwan gave each of us a copy," Tommy explained, his thoughtful expression touched with sadness. "This was taken the day of Kim's best friend Trini's memorial."
"My namesake," Trini interjected.
"Yes. Mrs. Kwan had taken one of the six of us back when Trini, Jason and Zack were getting ready to leave for the Peace Conference. Six years later, she wanted to update the photo, only she put that picture of Trini in what would have been her spot."
"I hadn't really known Trini very well," Kat added. "She was already in Geneva when my family moved to Angel Grove, but I knew of her through the others. When I finally met her, she was the sweetest person you could have ever met."
"The voice of calm and the soul of serenity among the rest of us rowdies," Tommy chuckled, "but she could also be as fierce as a tiger when it came to protecting friends and family. She was always the one who made us stop and think."
"Jason was devastated when she died," Kat murmured.
"He always thought of her like a sister," Tommy confirmed. "And so did Kim. She and Trini were more than just best friends."
"Wasn't the day of the memorial the day you and Mom got back together again?" Jay asked, familiar with his parents' history.
"Uh huh, it was one of the saddest and happiest days of my life..."
~*~
Tommy didn't even try to hold back the silent tears which trickled down his cheek, and he wasn't alone in that particular display of emotion. Beside him, all the original Power Rangers were grieving for the loss of their friend and teammate.
They sat in their chairs in the funeral home surrounded by all of Trini's friends and family. At the front of the parlor where the casket would normally rest was a shrine of flowers and candles with a picture of Trini prominently displayed in the center. Buddhist monks performed a traditional funeral ceremony for their friend; the Kwans had opted for a public venue to accommodate Trini's many friends.
We always figured if anyone would die young, it would be me or Jason performing some stupid, heroic stunt, not Trini in an ordinary car wreck!
As the monks said the prayers, Tommy looked to his companions. Zack, like him, was trying to be stoic and failing just as miserably. The former Black Ranger put his arm around Billy's shoulders, which were shaking with his quiet sobs. They had all wondered more than once if the shy scientist's feelings for Trini had run deeper than they knew. Apparently, they had.
Next to him, Jason's rigid frame shook with slight tremors, and the original Red Ranger clung tightly to the hand Kat had offered him. This was a helluva thing to come home to, Tommy mused, knowing she hadn't been back in the States long. He truly hoped that Kat's presence would help ease his best friend's sorrow.
That left Kimberly, who was seated on his left. She had given up trying to put on a brave front and was sobbing openly. Trini had been her best friend for as long as any of them could remember. They had lost touch for a while after Trini left for Geneva and Kim for Florida, but with Kim's return to Angel Grove to go to school, they had reconnected.
Mrs. Kwan had asked Kimberly to deliver the eulogy; she hadn't been able to get through it without breaking up.
Tommy instinctively reached out to comfort her, resting a hand on her shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. She turned to him, and without looking up, folded into his arms, buried her face in his coat and sobbed.
Before he knew it, the memorial was over. They would not be going to the cemetery. There would be a private ceremony for the family later.
"Mr. and Mrs. Kwan would like you all to join them at the Youth Center for food and drink," one of the monks announced.
Ernie, God bless him, had offered to host the post-funeral luncheon in honor of Trini, and the Kwans gratefully accepted. He'd said it was the least he could do, since Trini had spent so much time at the Youth Center.
Everyone else had started to file out of the funeral home, but Kim continued to cling to Tommy.
"You guys coming?" Jason asked, his voice husky with choked emotion, as he got to his feet.
"We'll be there soon; I think Kim needs a little more time," Tommy responded, unconsciously smoothing his hand over Kim's hair. He noticed that Kat had slipped her arm through Jason's, and he smiled quietly to himself. He had wondered...
"We'll tell the Kwans you'll be a little late," Kat said, and she gently guided Jason towards the exit.
Kim finally released Tommy, but instead of heading for the exit, she walked up to the shrine. Tommy gave her a few moments of privacy before approaching.
"Come on, Kim," he said softly, and the grieving young woman numbly allowed herself to be led away. Tommy didn't direct her to either of their vehicles but headed across the parking lot towards the park.
It was a cold, gray September day, with rain threatening and a chill wind blowing in from the waterfront. It was as if all of Angel Grove was mourning Trini's death.
Tommy let the silence linger, hoping Kim would open up to him. When it became obvious that she wasn't, he tried to get the ball rolling.
"I'm glad Billy was able to be here," he ventured, figuring his questions about Billy's presence to be a safe topic.
"He loved her," Kim said at last, her tone wooden and lifeless. "He just couldn't tell her... But she knew, Tommy. She wanted him to say something... she waited... and now..."
"So, he only came back for the funeral?"
"No, he's home to stay. He's been wanting to come back for a while, I think. Things didn't work out with Cestria, but he was caught up in his research. The Aquitian Rangers felt a tremor in the Morphin' Grid signaling a Ranger's death. They were the ones who told Billy; none of us knew how to get a hold of him."
Again, a forbidding silence welled up between them. They continued this way until their mindless wandering brought them to the bend by the pond. Finally, Tommy couldn't take it any longer. He stopped, took hold of Kim's shoulders and forced her to face him.
"Talk to me, Kim. Let me help," he implored.
She regarded him silently, lower lip quivering, eyes brimming with tears. Then, the dam broke.
"It's just not fair!" Kim raged, sobbing, her clenched fists striking Tommy's chest. She needed to lash out, and Tommy let her. "She survived putties and monsters and all the crap Rita and Zedd dished out. How could she die in a stupid car crash? Why wasn't she wearing a seat belt? She was always the most careful of all of us! Why? Whywhywhywhywhy..."
Her anger had burned itself out, but her grief continued to flow freely. Tommy held her, hoping she would draw strength and comfort from him. He stood there, holding her, just being there for her for as long as she needed.
"I miss her," Kim sniffled at last.
"We all do, Kim," Tommy choked out.
It was at that admission that Kim looked up and saw her pain mirrored in his eyes.
"Oh, Tommy..." She flung her arms around him and held him as tightly as she could. He took the solace she offered, and shared his grief with her.
It was a long time before either of them could speak. When Kim did so, her words were bitter.
"I'm tired of losing people I care for. Dad—after the divorce. Mom—when she remarried and moved to Paris. You—because of gymnastics. Now Trini... I'm tired of caring and hurting because of it..."
"Kim, if you didn't care so much, you wouldn't be you," he murmured, aching at hearing such desolation in her voice. He never could bear to see Kimberly sad.
"You didn't lose your parents, even though they moved away; they still love you," he continued. "Trini may be dead, but she'll always be with you in spirit. As for me, you haven't lost me either, Beautiful."
Slowly, she raised tear-filled eyes to him, her expression one of astonishment.
He really hadn't meant to give voice to that something he'd held secret in his heart for so very long. He hadn't wanted to bring it out in the open; he hadn't wanted to have his hope destroyed. Yet, he could no longer deny it either.
"I'm still here for you."
He read wariness in her eyes, and he realized she was just as afraid as he was. She didn't want her hopes dashed either. He smiled with a warmth that even the chill September day couldn't banish.
"I still love you, Kim," he declared, making his feelings plain to both of them.
"Y-You do?" Kim stammered, scarcely able to believe her ears.
"In spite of everything that happened, I don't think I ever truly stopped," he confessed the truth that he had never wanted to admit, even to himself. "And I think I always will."
He took her hand and gently caressed the back of it with his thumb.
"Once upon a time, I know you felt that way about me, too. I hope you still do," he continued. "We can't have happily ever after otherwise."
"I do, Tommy. I still love you—always have, always will."
He reached up to brush the tears from her cheek. Cupping her face in his hands, he leaned close and kissed her. He had only intended a gentle brush of the lips, but the kiss lingered and grew in intensity until the two were entwined in each other's arms, their bodies pressed tightly together. It was a kiss unlike any they had ever shared before. It left them both profoundly shaken.
"T-Tommy?" Kim gasped when they finally, breathlessly, broke apart. "W-What just happened?"
"I think we just decided to get back together again," he panted, flashing her a lopsided grin. Before he could give it a second thought, he pulled her to him once more and kissed her senseless, his blood singing and his heart soaring. He kissed her until he felt lightheaded and weak-kneed, and he held her as if he'd never let her go.
That was what he'd been wanting to do for so long. It's what he wanted to do when Kim first left for Florida. It's what he should have done when she sent that stupid letter.
Was this why his relationship with Kat failed? He cared for Kat—truly, he had, but holding her had never felt as right as having Kim in his arms felt right now.
Forgive me, Kat, for being a blind fool and hurting us both.
When he released Kim the second time, she was the one with weak knees, and she staggered into him. He caught her automatically.
"What are we doing?" she cried out anguishedly, pushing herself away. "We shouldn't... we can't..."
"We can't—what?" he wondered, his brimming heart turning to stone-cold lead in his chest. He feared her answer.
"We shouldn't be... like this... now..." she fumbled tearfully, trying to make sense of her jumbled emotions.
Her words didn't feel like a rejection; he tried to remain calm. "Kim, you're not making any sense."
"How can we be so happy when Trini...? It doesn't seem right."
Tommy finally understood, and relief flooded him. He wrapped Kim in a fierce hug.
"Oh, Kim..." he began, searching for the right words. "Remember what the monk said? Death is just another part of life, and we can't let our grief chain Trini's spirit to this world when another life awaits her.
"Tell me something. What do you think Trini would say if she came down the path right now and saw us?"
"She'd say it's about time," Kimberly chuckled wryly; she lowered her eyes bashfully. "She'd been after me ever since I moved back to patch things up with you."
"Then how can we not get back together and be happy—even today—if that's what Trini wanted?"
"I suppose..." she murmured grudgingly, a tiny smile tugging at her lips.
"I'm right, and you know it," he exulted as he threaded his arms around her and held her tight.
He'd never let her go ever again.
~*~
"And Mom always said that was the only time you were right," Trini laughed.
"Oh, I can think of a few more occasions," Tommy mused with a twinkle in his eyes. "They just weren't the sort of things you tell your children."
"Oh? Like what?" Kat asked eagerly, mischief dancing in her blue eyes.
"Like... A row boat in the middle of Angel Lake in broad daylight is a perfectly good place to..."
"I don't want to know," Trini yelped, suddenly in agreement with her father. There were some things a parent just didn't tell his kid.
"Why do you have these pictures here?" Jasmine asked as she pointed out a pair of images in the book. They were the only two items on the entire two-page spread. One was a postcard of the Manhattan skyline, the World Trade Center looming over all. On the opposing page was a newspaper clipping of the same skyline with billows of smoke where the towers used to be.
"Kim never wanted to forget that awful day," Tommy answered quietly, a lump forming in his throat.
"September 11, 2001," Kat echoed, just as choked up as her soon-to-be husband. "What a nightmare."
All the kids had learned about the terrorist attacks in their history books, but it had never really sunk in that their parents had lived through it.
"Mom and Dad were living in New York then," Jasmine murmured. "They don't like to talk about it. For the longest time, Mom had nightmares about it."
"Thankfully, they weren't in the heart of the destruction," Kat said. "They didn't talk about it much to us, either. We can only imagine what sort of Hell it was to be there that day."
"But we endured our own Hell back here," Tommy added, recalling that terrible September day.
~*~
The phone rang, rousing Tommy from a fitful sleep. Once again, he had fallen asleep on Kimberly's couch. He'd been spending most of his time with her since he'd come home for Trini's funeral—and not only because his time was short and they had a great deal to work out. Kim just didn't want to be alone; she was still hurting from Trini's death.
The phone sounded again, and blearily, Tommy answered it. What God-awful hour of the morning is it? "Hullo?"
"Tommy, turn on the TV—now."
"Mom?"
He'd let his mom know where he was likely to be over night, just as a force of habit. Fortunately, she hadn't given him any grief about it. After all, his and Kim's relationship was too new for there to be any 'funny business' yet. Even so, both of them were old enough that it was none of his parents' business anyway!
"It's important, Tommy. Something terrible's happened..."
Hearing the tears in his mother's voice was more sobering than a pot of strong coffee. His mom was not one given to tears. He grabbed the remote and switched on a local station since she hadn't specified a channel.
"... an airplane has crashed into the World Trade Center..."
"Oh God," he gasped as he saw the flames and smoke billowing out of the tall tower.
"Your father called to tell me..."
His father had flown out to the east coast over the weekend for a business meeting. Tommy felt a cold lump of fear settle in his stomach. "Dad's not in New York, is he?"
"No, thank God. He's in Boston."
Tommy never remembered hanging up the phone. Numb, in shock, he sat there in the darkened apartment staring at the horrific images filling the TV screen.
"T-Tommy, was that the phone?" Kimberly asked sleepily as she padded into her living room. "Who was it?"
"Kim..." he began as he turned to face her. He didn't know where to begin or how to tell her.
"Is that the World Trade Center? It's on fire!" she gasped, stumbling forward to join him on the couch.
Just then, live in the background of the reporter on screen, a second plane slammed into the other tower.
"... not an accident... terrorists..."
The newscasters were saying things, but the words barely registered.
"Oh God, Tommy," Kim sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks as she clutched his hand. "Those are people jumping from the windows..."
Tommy squeezed her hand, unable to speak, unable to believe what he was seeing. Almost unconsciously, he reached for the phone and dialed.
"Jase, have you... yeah, Mom said Dad called her... no, he's fine... You're right. I think we'd better get to Rocky's."
"Rocky's?" Kim queried, half paying attention to the one-sided conversation and half listening to the television.
"Adam and Tanya live in New York City."
~*~
"Have you heard anything yet?" Tommy asked as Rocky greeted him and Kim at the door. His friend's face was ashen and his brown eyes were filled with emotions too numerous to count.
Tommy's question needed no explanation.
"No," Rocky choked out. "I called both the Sloanes and the Parks. They haven't heard anything either. Mrs. Park promised to call me as soon as she knew anything."
Jason arrived shortly after Tommy and Kim. He noted the trio on the sofa and joked mirthlessly, "I see we all got the same memo on today's dress code."
None of them had bothered getting dressed; they'd just thrown jackets on over their pajamas before rushing over to Rocky's apartment. Jason pulled up a box—Rocky was in the process of moving to a larger place—and the four watched and waited, hoped and prayed.
~*~
Kat had joined the quartet, directed their way by Jason's mother. Since Helen had told her Jason had left pajama-clad and unfed, she'd stopped by the bakery for some croissants. Not, she imagined, that any of them felt much like eating. She, too, had called the Sloanes upon learning of the tragedy.
Jason greeted her at the door and wrapped her in a fierce, much-needed hug. Then, he ushered her inside.
~*~
By the time the South Tower fell, Billy, Zack and Aisha had joined the group.
"All those poor people trapped..." Kat sniffled, doing nothing to stay the flow of tears.
On screen, they watched as a monstrous cloud of smoke and débris engulfed the streets of Manhattan, turning day into night.
"Thank God Dad's in Boston," Tommy murmured.
"Was he due to come home today? If so, he could have been on one of those planes," Jason realized, feeling a chill of dread.
"No, he's not due back until Friday."
"Adam and Tanya wouldn't have been near ground zero, would they?" Billy asked, unconsciously using the media's jargon for referring to the scene of the attack.
"They don't live in the area, and I'm not sure where the recording studio is, but there could have been any number of reasons why they could have been in the vicinity," Aisha replied; she had spent some time in New York visiting Tanya upon her return from Africa over the summer. They had gone sightseeing. Tanya had taken her to the World Trade Center. She'd just been there; now it was gone!
Rocky hadn't said much throughout the morning, consumed with worry for his best friend.
"He has to be okay," he said, more to himself than to the others. "He's going to be best man at my wedding next month."
"Man, this just... just... sucks!" Zack suddenly burst out, jumping up and pacing. "How can we just sit here and watch this? We've got to do something!"
"But what can we do?" Billy asked reasonably.
"What about the Power Rangers? They've saved the world hundreds of times over, fighting monsters and living machines and space pirates!"
No one was certain if he was referring to the current teams or the ones they'd been a part of.
"The Power Rangers were meant to handle threats beyond Earth's ability to combat," Billy reminded Zack.
"So we can't do a blessed thing while kooks ram airplanes into buildings?" Zack practically shook with his fury and frustration.
"They're not kooks," Jason said quietly, his eyes straying from the scenes of earlier footage being replayed. "That's one of the things we learned at the Peace Conference, remember? Whatever else they may be, terrorists are serious people. They believe in their cause, right or wrong, enough to die for it. People who dismiss them as kooks dangerously underestimate them."
Before the topic could be pursued further, the North Tower fell.
"I'm so glad Trini didn't live to see this," Billy murmured, his voice hoarse and his soul still raw from the loss of his beloved friend. "Such a terrible loss of innocent lives would have devastated her."
"If Trini had lived," Kim spoke up through her tears, "she might have died today."
"What do you mean?" Tommy asked.
"She had an interview this week in New York... she told me the company headquarters was in the World Trade Center."
~*~
They watched all through the day, skipping classes, closing the dojo. They stayed together, needing the strength of their friendship as they waited for word on their friends.
They watched as day gave way to night in New York and Washington. They watched as recovery efforts began. They heard reports of tragedies... of triumph as loved ones were located... of heroism... of sacrifice. It was a balm to their scarred souls to know that the best of humanity could rise from the ashes wrought by the worst of humankind.
It was early evening when the call came that they so desperately prayed to receive:
"Rocky, it's Adam. I'm all right... Tanya and I, we're both all right."
The silence that had fallen over the family was just short of uncomfortable; it was time to leave the painful memories the WTC tragedy had evoked behind, despite everyone's relief that the Parks had survived unscathed. To that purpose, Kat's youngest determinedly reached over to the album still lying on his mother's lap and turned the page in the hopes of finding something to lift everyone's spirit. There was one picture in particular two pages over that seemed promising.
"Who are these guys?" Jared wondered, having come upon a group shot of nine young men, all roughly the same age, all athletic—and all wearing at least some article of red clothing. "There's Dad, and Uncle Tommy... I think I recognize these three from somewhere, but have no idea how... are those two military, or something? That looks like uniforms they're wearing."
Oliver looked over his brother's shoulder. "Yeah, they do look kind of familiar... but I can't place them, either. Mom?"
Kat didn't need to be shown the picture, snapped by Aurico, to know who was in it. She shared a glance with Tommy. It was a time when she and Kim had been more afraid than ever in their lives—when Tommy and Jason had joined with their fellow Red Rangers to save the Earth one last time.
"They were... colleagues," Tommy said casually. "Your Dad and I knew them from fighting together." He hoped fervently that none of the kids would recognize Andros or Carter Grayson, whose identities were on public record—and the Silver Hills Guardians' leaders hadn't exactly kept a low profile, either. (Luckily, the current operators of both branches of the Red Dragon Dojo had yet to meet Eric and Wes in person.) While he, Kim, Jason and Kat had been aware of their oldest sons' activities as Rangers—it had been among their proudest moments when they, too, had been chosen for that duty, Jay to wear the Red and Oliver the Black, as his second-in-command—as far as they knew, they were unaware of their parents' involvement, unless their mentor had told them.
"Oh, a tournament?" Jasmine asked, losing interest. While she, too, knew some martial arts, it wasn't high on her list of hobbies.
"Something like that," Tommy replied, glossing over the subject. He'd noticed the shadow descending over his fiancée's blue eyes, and didn't want to cause her fresh anguish by making her relive the memory. To his eternal gratitude, he succeeded in diverting the family's attention by pointing at the next photograph, showing a bride and groom on the steps of St. Magdalen's. "Goodness, I'd almost forgotten about that! Look, here's a picture of Rocky at your folks' wedding reception, Jazz," he chuckled.
"I see that," Ramon muttered, ignoring Trini's sudden delighted snicker as she took a good look at the picture. "Uncle Tom... why is Papa wearing that silly fake moustache, a mask and a cape?"
"He looks like a silent movies actor in that getup," Jared chortled. "No offense, Ramon, but that is so your dad!"
"I'll say," Trini giggled. She and Rocky mutually adored each other, and got along great. "He looks like Zorro!"
"That's exactly what it was supposed to be," Tommy grinned. "And as with most of these pictures, there's a story behind that, too."
"Tell, tell!" clamoured everybody, and he obliged gladly, giving Kat time to regain her composure.
While Tommy told the story about the bet Rocky had made with Zack about wearing a Zorro costume to his best friend's wedding without getting killed by Tanya that had their offspring in stitches with laughter, Kat let her mind wander back to that day when Kim had appeared unexpectedly at her doorstep, clearly on the verge of tears, and breezed past her.
~*~
"Good, you're home," she said without pausing. "I need to talk to someone, like, so bad...! I feel like I'll burst, or go crazy or something if I don't!"
"Why, Kim, what's wrong?" the taller blonde asked, alarmed, as she followed her friend inside her apartment and guided her towards a seat. Agitation rolled off Kimberly in waves, and it took her a few seconds to compose herself enough to speak coherently at all.
"They're gone," Kim sniffled, striving for control. "God, Kat, these idiots have actually gone!"
Completely baffled, Kat sank down next to her. "Who has gone? Gone where? To do what?"
"Tommy and the others," the gymnast gulped. "He got a call from Andros, and now they're on their way to the moon!"
It took Katherine a moment to connect the name with a face and an identity.
"Andros? The Red Space Ranger? The one who killed Zordon?"
"And saved the Earth from Astronema, yes."
"Right. But—I don't understand. What are they doing on the moon, of all places? And who is 'they'?" A terrible suspicion began to gnaw at Kat. Jason was supposed to have arrived fifteen minutes ago; sure, he had promised to pick up groceries on his way home so she hadn't given it much thought—the checkout lines could have been longer than usual—but what if...
Kimberly made a brave attempt to tell everything in order. "Tommy didn't have much time to explain everything, just the essentials, but it seems some leftover types from the Machine Empire have discovered Serpentera buried on the moon and now want to use it to destroy Earth—again. Revenge for destroying King Mondo, or something. It's too much for the current Ranger team to handle or whatever, so Tommy and Andros have gathered all the current and former Red Rangers they could get hold of and sailed off into space to fight them if they can."
"All the Red Rangers? You mean... Jason has gone with him?"
Kimberly gasped as Kat's sudden pallor and incredulous question registered. "Oh no—he didn't tell you?!?"
"He most certainly didn't," Kat said from between clenched teeth, feeling herself suddenly go weak at the knees.
"How could you not know?" Kim wondered. "You're as good as living together already..."
"His car was still parked out in front of the dojo when I passed it on my way home. How was I supposed to notice he's gone off into space instead of just to the supermarket?"
That stumped Kim momentarily. She knew Tommy hadn't picked Jason up—in fact, her fiancé hadn't been entirely sure his best friend would show up at all. Then, an idea occurred to her. "Doesn't Jase sometimes use his old motorcycle to drive in the city? Maybe he took that."
"Whatever," Kat muttered, getting angry now that the first shock was wearing off. "I'm going to kill him when he comes back! How dare he go off like that, without telling me, or better, taking me along? I was a Ranger as much as he!"
"Kat, I don't think we could help, however much we want to," Kimberly sighed. "I said as much to Tommy, but he nixed that idea right away. From what he managed to tell me in the two-minute call he gave me, this particular task is color-coded to the Red Power, somehow. Don't ask me why, I don't know anything more, either," she forestalled the next question. "If it wasn't, the new team from Turtle Cove, or maybe the Lightspeed guys out of Mariner Bay, could've handled it. No, for once it has to be just the Red Rangers."
All of them habitually kept track of the active Ranger teams as best they could.
More coherent thought processes had kicked in with Kat by now. Calling on her own experiences as a Ranger, she tried to think things through logically.
"But how can they do anything? From what I read in the Power Chamber's archives, Serpentera was the most powerful Zord ever built; even with an Ultrazord at your disposal, the best you could do was drain its energies. And the guys don't even have Zords anymore—how in the world do they hope to defeat it?"
Kimberly finally unwound enough to lean back against the couch with a sigh that was a curious mixture of exhaustion and exasperation. She rubbed her hands over her face.
"Beats me. I think Andros brought a spaceship or something so they can get to the moon at least, but other than that..." She shrugged, feeling as impotent as her friend. And as furious.
"I never was the tactician on the team, but I've picked up enough to know that if what you say is true, they've gone on a—a virtual suicide mission!" Kat said, her voice shaky.
"I know," Kim whispered miserably, tears threatening again. "Trust me, I know!"
Another idea popped up. "And what about their Powers, anyway? I thought they were destroyed?"
"Apparently not. Tommy's using the Zeo Powers, TJ is Red Turbo again, and Jase obviously has dug up his old morpher, or he wouldn't be a Red Ranger. I bet Rocky is spitting mad about that," the petite brunette snickered, momentarily distracted. "I wonder why they both didn't go... but I kinda doubt Rocky's Ninja uniform is strong enough on its own, with only the Ape Spirit to sustain it."
"Yeah, and the Ninja coins to power the armor are gone, thanks to Goldar," Kat recalled with a shudder. "Maybe they drew straws, or something. Whatever. If Rocky's staying behind... who all has gone with them, anyway?" she wondered next.
Kimberly started ticking names off her fingers. "Let's see... of the guys we've met, there's Jase, Tommy, TJ and Andros. That alien guy—what was his name again?"
"Aurico."
"Right. He'll pick up the Red Galaxy Ranger, whatshisname, Leo Corbett, then there's Carter Grayson of Lightspeed, Wes Collins and Eric Myers of the Silver Hills Guardians... and the newbie. Cole Something-or-other."
In part, the names were public record; others, the two former Pink Rangers had met personally or at least knew about. It made them marginally more comfortable to know that their men weren't in the company of total strangers. They shared a moment of silence, trying to come to grips with the fact that Tommy and Jason had gone off to fight Evil once again—and done so without them at their sides, where the women felt they belonged.
After a while, Kat cleared her throat. "You know... I don't know if I'm more scared for them, or plain mad," she confessed.
Kim nodded. "Uh huh. It's like they are old fire engine horses—as soon as they hear the alarm bell going off, they run. Right into the face of danger."
"It's the way they are, I suppose," Kat said glumly. "And deep down I wouldn't want Jason to be any different, but..."
"Yeah, but," Kimberly grumbled, calmer now that she had found a kindred soul to unburden herself to. If Kat couldn't understand what she was feeling right now, nobody could. "I still want to be out there, with the guys!"
"Me, too," the dancer admitted. "Not only am I mad at Jason for leaving like he did, I feel so left out!"
"No kidding."
"So what do we do now?"
"We wait, I guess. Until we hear from them."
"Or until Serpentera destroys the Earth."
That was a thought neither woman wanted to look at too closely. The two shared a long, anguished glance, then Kat heaved herself to her feet with a deep sigh.
"If we're stuck here waiting, I might as well put on some coffee."
"Right." Preceding her friend into the kitchen, Kat heard Kim mutter a very unladylike oath under her breath. She grinned fleetingly; her thoughts exactly! Out loud, however, all Kim would say was, "I hate waiting!"
"You and me both."
~*~
Hours later, during which Kat and Kim had grown increasingly tense, their minds filled with anxious wonderings and desultory attempts at conversation falling flat within minutes, both women flinched when Kimberly's cell phone shrilled. Even though they had been waiting for a call, it still took them by surprise. Closing her eyes, sending a quick prayer to whichever deity would listen, Kim picked up the small device and unfolded it.
"Hello?"
"Kim, it's me."
"Tommy," she squealed, feeling a huge load lift off her chest. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah—and so's everybody else. We did it."
"Oh, I'm soooo glad," Kim gushed, making frantic signals to Kat, who got the gist of the conversation from Kimberly's goofy grin alone. She, too, heaved a sigh of relief. Jason was safe!
"What happened? What did you do? You gotta tell me," she babbled.
"Later, Beautiful, when I'm home. Right now, all I want is a shower and a tall drink. Can you pick me up at NASADA?"
"Sure. I'll come right away." It was not entirely satisfactory—her curiosity was nigh on killing her—but Kim supposed she could wait a while longer for the gory details. And Tommy had better have all of them ready! The connection died, and with a happy sigh, she turned to Kat. "Tommy says they did it, and that everybody's okay."
"Oh, thank God!" Impulsively they hugged, relief making them weak. When they released each other, Kimberly reached for her purse.
"Tommy's waiting for me to pick him up at the space facility; I gotta go."
Determination suddenly flared in the blue eyes. "Okay. But I'm coming with you, if you don't mind." It wasn't exactly a request.
Kim raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Knowing Jase, he'll want to come home as fast as possible, too."
"I don't care. I have to see him, have to know he's unharmed... and then I'm going to kill him!"
"Uh-oh—poor Jason," Kimberly grinned, starting to feel giddy. Now that the danger was past, she was able to perceive some humor in the situation. She'd never seen Kat spitting mad like this before—and she very definitely wanted to be present when she let Jason have it. If Tommy hadn't called her before the mission... lucky for him, he had. Or he, too, would be facing the wrath of a Pink Ranger.
~*~
Tommy was waiting just inside the compound's gate when Kim's car pulled up. He was about to reach for the door handle when the driver's door flew open with such vehemence that he had to jump back to avoid being hit. A pink-clad bundle of energy threw herself into his arms.
"Tommy!"
He couldn't answer; his lips were sealed by a passionate kiss. When Kim finally released him he actually had to gasp for breath. He smiled broadly.
"Maybe I should go on Ranger missions more often; I could get used to such a welcome!"
Kim smacked his shoulder, instantly indignant. "Don't you dare! Letting you go off by yourself this once was bad enough; if there ever is a next time, I'm coming with you, come hell or high water!"
Before he could reply, some movement caught his eye. Kat had left the car more sedately, and was looking at him now with a strange intensity burning in her eyes.
"Jason? Is he alright?" she asked hoarsely, her face pale and her posture stiff and tense, despite Kim's earlier assurances.
Tommy nodded. "He's fine. We all are. Don't worry, Kat."
She gave him an unreadable look. "Where is he?"
"Back with the others still, I think," he answered, slightly puzzled and unnerved by her icy reserve. This was not the Kat he'd always known—warm, loving, gentle. In her place stood a woman on a mission... and Tommy wasn't at all sure he wanted to know what that mission was. A bit lamely, he added, "He's come on his bike."
"See? What did I tell you?" Kim remarked, having a very good idea of what her friend was going through right now. Uh-oh. Jason had better watch out!
Without a word, Kat wheeled around and marched off. The guards, being military and knowing when discretion was the better part of valor, didn't even try to challenge her. Tommy looked at Kimberly with a puzzled frown.
"What's up with Kat? Doesn't she believe me?"
Kim shook her head in disgust. Really, how dense could one be? "Yes, she does—but your best bud 'forgot' to tell Kat he was going along on your little pleasure jaunt," she said with heavy irony. "Taking a not-so-wild guess, I'd say Kat's royally pissed at Jason—and with good reason, too!"
Her tall fiancé winced, things finally clicking in his mind. "Ouch."
She just gave him a look that brought an embarrassed blush to his cheeks. Tommy cleared his throat, looking at Kat's back as she turned the corner of the Megaship's hangar.
"Uh, maybe I better go after her," he mumbled. "Give moral support, or something."
"You and me both," Kim agreed, reaching for his hand. Together, they followed Katherine.
"Jase can probably need our help if Kat is really this upset," Tommy mused, then nearly choked when Kim gave him a saccharine smile.
"What makes you think I'll help Jason?"
~*~
Andros was just about to take Aurico and Leo aboard the Astro Megaship, when he saw a slender blonde figure approach the group of Red Rangers. The after-battle banter had ceased by now and the usual leave-taking was underway, so the others didn't notice the young woman right away. She ignored everybody else, pushing determinedly ahead to the hangar wall, where Jason was in the process of putting on his helmet, his back to the others.
"Who's that?" Wes Collins asked TJ under his breath. "She's gorgeous!"
TJ grinned his easy smile. "Kat Hillard—Pink Zeo Ranger, later Pink Turbo. Jason's better half-to-be, I think."
"Lucky guy," Eric commented dryly. He, too, gave Katherine an appreciative once-over.
"I'll say," Carter murmured. Her blonde loveliness reminded him of his own Pink Ranger. Cole watched with wide eyes as the woman tapped Jason on his shoulder from behind.
Startled, Jason looked around. When he recognized Kat, he laughed delightedly and reached for her, still flushed with their success. "Kat! I'm so glad to see y-"
He never got to finish either his motion or his sentence. For in a reaction that was as automatic as it was surprising to everybody, Kat hauled her hand back and slapped him across the face as hard as she could. With a shout of pain, the broad-shouldered first Red Ranger rocked back.
A few steps away, Leo winced. "Ow. That had to hurt!"
"You think?" Andros said with vast understatement. He'd seen Ashley in action more than once, and unconsciously rubbed his own cheek.
Aurico tilted his head and steepled his fingers in an Aquitian gesture of amused contemplation. "I may be mistaken, but it looks to me as if Katherine is emotionally disturbed over something," he murmured.
TJ snorted. "You can say that again!"
"Who or what pissed her off?" Eric wondered. "Someone tell me, so I can move to another state the next time."
"Jason himself," Cole marvelled, his gift of perception providing him with details. Kat's emotions were too strong to hide her state of mind from his capabilities.
"What? Why?" Carter was non-plussed. She looked so sweet, so gentle... just like Dana.
A new voice supplied the information. "The esteemed Original Red Ranger neglected to tell Kat he was going off with you guys."
As the men looked around, Kim let go of Tommy's hand and stepped forward, greeting them with a nod. "Kim Hart, Pink Morphin'/Ninja Ranger. Kat's predecessor," she introduced herself. "Let's say she's... not amused about that."
"Oh boy," Wes gulped, quick on the uptake. "If I had pulled such a stunt with Jen..."
"You'd be counting your teeth by now, too," Eric muttered, his mind flashing to a certain Yellow Ranger who reputedly packed a mean punch as well.
"Never cross a lady Ranger," Leo murmured, receiving grudging nods from the others.
"Or a woman who knows she's right," Carter grinned, suddenly remembering Ms. Fairweather and her quick temper. Now there was a lady who he didn't want mad at him for any reason!
"Yeah—they've been kicking monsters around so long, and so well, what chance do we have?" TJ asked rhetorically. "None, that's what!"
"I believe even Delphine would be seriously angered if I had committed such an oversight," Aurico contributed, his smile audible even through his helmet. "How fortunate that I did not."
"They do have a tendency not only to get mad, but to get even, don't they?" Andros remarked, thinking of both Cassie and Ashley... and Karone. They all could be sweet as honey when it suited them, yes—and madder than angry hornets when riled.
Tommy cleared his throat, trying to regain control of the situation. "Really, I don't see what the fuss is all about," he ventured. "We're back, safe and sound..."
To his surprise, Kim whirled on him. "Tommy Oliver, you can thank your lucky stars that for once you did remember to call me! If you hadn't, Black Belt or not, I'd be mopping the floor with you as well!" Her brown eyes blazed fiercely. There was no doubt that she meant every word. And despite her petite stature, at that very moment none of the males present would bet a wooden nickel on Tommy's chances against her.
Which brought everyone's attention back to Kat and Jason. He'd staggered back from the force of her slap, and had to brace himself against his motorcycle with one hand; the other was cradling his stinging cheek, now bearing a clear imprint of Kat's fingers. He was staring at the love of his life with wide eyes and slightly open mouth as she lit into him but good.
"How dare you go off like that, Jason Scott? Of all the inconsiderate things... didn't you think I'd find out? Did you plan on mentioning this little jaunt to me at all?"
"Kat, I-" he started, but she interrupted him angrily.
"How do you think it would have made me feel if you hadn't succeeded, if I'd lost you without even knowing why or how? Has it ever occurred to you that I might have wanted to know that you were off trying to save the Earth? Even if only to pray for your success and be with you in my thoughts?"
Jason gulped. To be honest, he hadn't given it much thought, his mind had been on the emergency and on the mission, and what little mental energy he'd had to spare for Kat had been for her safety—he'd fought for her as much as for his planet, after all.
"I, um, I didn't want you to worry," he said lamely, knowing it wasn't an excuse.
"Like I didn't now?" she shot back. "If anything had happened to you, you never even gave me the chance to say good-bye, you idiot!"
Suddenly, her façade crumbled, the fire left her blue eyes and they filled with the tears she'd so valiantly suppressed all afternoon. "I-I nearly went out of my mind with fear, waiting to hear from you," she sniffled, suddenly embarrassed by her emotional outburst. And in front of so many witnesses, too! They must think her completely crazy. The first fat, salty drops began to course down her soft cheek.
It was too much for Jason. With an inarticulate sound, he caught her in his arms and crushed her against him.
"Ah, love, I'm sorry," he murmured into her golden hair. "Don't cry; I won't do it again."
Kat clung to his broad shoulders, her face buried in his neck. "Promise?"
He pressed a kiss against her temple. "I promise. I'll never leave you again without saying good-bye first."
Kat looked up at him then. "I'll hold you to that," she whispered fiercely. "See if I don't!"
In reply, Jason just smiled at her, and captured her mouth in a passionate kiss, totally unmindful of their audience, who were watching the couple's interaction with lively interest—and a few wolf whistles and catcalls when their liplock wouldn't end until they were both out of breath.
Flushed pink with relief, pleasure and more than a touch of embarrassment at her behaviour, Kat smiled shyly back at Jason. "I'm sorry I hit you," she murmured, eyeing the fading mark on his cheek contritely.
He grinned ruefully. "I kind of deserved it," he admitted softly. The two exchanged another gentle, sweet kiss, to the raucous sounds of approval of the other Red Rangers. He mock-glared at his brothers-in-arms.
"Okay, show's over, guys. Cut it out already!"
His only reply was laughter, but they subsided willingly enough when they saw that Kat was not about to slug anyone else.
"Now the world is truly safe at last," TJ quipped, stepping forward to greet Kat with a friendly hug. "After seeing the wrath of just one Pink Ranger when her man was in danger... maybe we should have let the ladies do the job for us, guys."
And Kimberly got the last and hardest laugh when she stood beside Katherine, mock-glowering at the men. "Well... I know one thing for sure," she began, winking at her blonde friend.
"Oh? What's that, Beautiful?"
"It wouldn't have taken ten of us, of course."
~*~
The memory faded, leaving Kat with a sense of melancholy. Jason hadn't been able to keep his promise after all, but it wasn't as if he'd had a choice... and she'd been so proud of him then, and of Tommy—knowing that even though they were 'retired', they hadn't hesitated to go back on duty, to save them all.
She glanced over at Tommy, his grey head bent over the photos. As if he could feel her eyes on him, he looked up and sent her a warm smile which Kat returned gratefully. They both had suffered great loss, but from now on, they would help each other cope with it. As soon-to-be husband and wife.
With a small smile and a silent prayer of thanks for having been given a second chance at love, Kat rejoined the merry conversation around her, searching for happier memories.
"Anyone for a refill?" Kat asked as she began collecting coffee cups from the table.
"Don't do that, Mom; I'll...." Lynne said as she began to get up from her seat.
"Rest, hon," Tommy advised. "After all, you're the one with the new baby. Kat and I know our way around your kitchen."
"Thanks," Lynne sighed gratefully.
Tommy and Kat took the requests for refills and headed for the kitchen.
As Kat put a fresh pot of coffee on to brew, she said to Tommy, "Remembering the Red Ranger mission to the moon makes me wonder if the boys ever experienced extraterrestrial travel."
"It wouldn't surprise me," Tommy replied as he sliced some more nutroll and filled the dessert plate with more cookies. "I guess you could say that was one of the perks of being a Ranger. We got to see some pretty awesome sights. We didn't exactly have time for sightseeing on that mission, but I can still remember standing on the moon and seeing the Earth so blue and beautiful filling up the sky...."
"Jason often spoke of that, too," Kat recalled fondly. "He was so proud that Oliver was chosen to follow in his footsteps—even if he could never tell him so. I think I was more scared than proud; I worried so every time I heard their communicators go off. They were so young... only seventeen...."
"We were even younger than that when we were first recruited," Tommy reminded her. "I was sixteen when I first became the Green Ranger—the same with Jason and the others. We barely had our driver's licenses, and we were piloting vehicles more sophisticated than anything NASA ever put up."
"Do you remember when we first learned for certain the boys were Rangers?" Kat queried.
"Yeah, it was the summer before Jason died," Tommy said with a wistful smile. "We were all over at the house; I had that barbeque when Caroline and Adrian came for their annual visit. All our parents were there, except for Kim's father..."
~*~
"Well, Bro, I gotta hand it to you; you pulled it off without burning the house down," Jason announced as he sat back, sipping his soda in post-prandial bliss.
"Hey, we haven't needed a fire extinguisher at my cookouts in years," Tommy pouted.
"Face it, Handsome, you're never going to live down the fire of '08," Kim teased her husband.
"It was enough to make me regret giving you the grill," Tommy's father interjected.
"Look who's talking, Thomas," Janice Oliver snorted.
"Aren't you on a first-name basis with the entire Angel Grove Fire Department?" Helen Scott added, to the amusement of all.
"How long will you be in the States?" Doris queried of Kim's mother.
"We'll be flying back at the end of the week," Caroline answered.
"Hey, do any of you bottomless pits want another burger?" Tommy asked the kids, who were congregated at their own table.
Lynne and Trini declined. Jay and Oliver were undecided, but Jared accepted wholeheartedly.
All of a sudden, a familiar chiming filled the air. Four adults snapped to attention, pulses quickening, senses alert. However, it was two teenagers who were the most obviously disturbed by the alarm. Jay and Oliver traded worried looks and all but jumped out of their seats.
"What is that noise?" Trini demanded with a touch of exasperation. "I always hear it—day and night. Is it some kind of alarm?"
"Hey, that watch you're wearing," Lynne realized, grabbing her brother's wrist. Oliver tried to jerk it away, but his sister held fast. "It looks like the science fair project Rachel showed me."
Rachel Cranston had inherited all of her father's intelligence.
"It's a kind of pager," Oliver hedged uncomfortably.
"I don't see why Rachel gave all you guys those neat watches and didn't give one to me an' Lynne," Trini huffed.
"These are the—uh—experimental models; she's waiting until she gets 'em right before she gives you one, Squirt," Jay fibbed smoothly.
"So, who's paging you?" Kim asked, doing her best not to let her knowing grin show.
"Ramon," Oliver piped up.
"We promised to help him with his car," Jay added.
"Then you'd better get going," Jason suggested.
"Bring Ramon by when you're done," Tommy added.
"Will do!" With a wave, the boys dashed off.
"Trying to get rid of the leftovers?" Kim snickered under her breath. Among other things, Ramon had inherited the DeSantos appetite.
"He's Rocky's boy all right," Kat said with a smile.
"What is it with those two?" Trini wondered.
"I know what you mean; they've sure been acting weird lately," Lynne agreed.
"Like father, like son," John Scott remarked sagely.
"Didn't Rachel's father give you all some sort of pager when you were the kids' age?" Janice asked.
"We'd hear that beep beep beep-beep beep beep and you'd be off like a shot," Caroline added.
"I see the boys are going through the same phase you did," Helen remarked, eyeing her son meaningfully.
"Which phase was that?" Robert wondered.
"The mono-color clothing phase," Helen elaborated. "Before he went to Geneva, Jason developed a liking for red clothes. After he returned, he had a thing for black."
"Oh, yes. Katherine just had to have pink," Doris commented.
"As did Kimberly," Caroline said.
"Tommy couldn't seem to make up his mind," Janice offered. "He went from green to white to red."
The quartet said nothing; they just traded knowing glances and secretive smiles.
"What was that all about anyway?" Robert asked point blank.
Each former Ranger shifted uneasily in his or her seat. It had been a long time... Their mentor was gone, but old habits died hard.
"You mean you never figured it out?" Thomas spoke up.
"And you did?" Jan challenged him.
"I thought it was pretty obvious," Tommy's dad went on.
Four pairs of eyes widened with anxiety. Was their secret about to be revealed?
"Think about it. They all started being color-specific about the time the Power Rangers showed up, right?"
"If I remember correctly, yes," Helen confirmed.
"You know how kids look up to movie stars, rock singers and famous athletes—always putting up posters, buying merchandise, wearing t-shirts and the like. The kids were just trying to find a way to emulate their favorite Power Rangers," Thomas concluded.
The retired Rangers heaved silent sighs of relief.
"Makes sense," John agreed, "but why be so secretive about it?"
"I think being secretive is just a part of being a teenager," Robert said.
The elder generation moved on to another topic without any input from their offspring, satisfied with the conclusions they had drawn. But their once-secretive teenagers continued to converse in low tones.
"That was close," Kat murmured.
"The kids may be acting and dressing like we used to, but can we be sure they're the new generation of Rangers?" Tommy put forth.
"Actually, this is the first time I've ever heard their communicators go off," Jason said.
"I'm sure," Kim asserted. The others looked to her, surprised by her certainty. "Let's just say that something very interesting fell out of Jay's backpack the other day—a very familiar something."
"Oh?" Tommy prompted, but his wife didn't respond. She cast an expectant glance back towards the house.
"So what color do you think the boys are?" Jason asked.
"Oliver is black," Kat said with certainty. "I've seen an unusual amount of black in his laundry basket of late."
"Jay must be red; the other day, he asked to borrow one of my old red shirts," Tommy remarked.
"I wonder who the other three are," Kat mused.
"Which of the other Rangers' kids are about the boys' ages?" Kim queried.
"Surely not Billy's girl; she's too young. Rachel's what—thirteen?" Jason discounted.
"Justin was eleven, going on twelve when he first received the blue Turbo Powers," Kat reminded him.
"Plus, she's been favoring blue a lot lately," Kim added. "I bet Ashala is the Pink Ranger."
Ashala Taylor was Zack and Aisha's eldest child.
"My money's on Ramon for the Yellow Ranger," Tommy concluded. Rocky's son was the obvious choice since the Parks were still living on the east coast. Although, Jasmine would have been a good Ranger, too. The same could be said for Sloan, Jasmine's elder brother by two years. Ramon's older sisters—Sophia, Carmen and the twins Marissa and Melissa—could have also been selected, but the girls were away at school now.
"Haven't the Yellow Rangers always been female?" Kat asked.
"So far, but Pink's the only uniform that's always had a skirt," Jason essayed. "Neither Trini's nor Aisha's uniforms had it, so yellow could have gone to a guy as well."
Kim was about to offer a comment when she heard the front door slam. She rose from her seat.
"That'll be Jay," she said knowingly.
"Did he forget something?" Tommy wondered.
"Let's just say that this'll teach him not to leave his things lying around the house." With that, she headed in through the kitchen door.
She was halfway up the stairs when she heard the frantic cry of "MOM!"
Kim kept her pace sedate as she headed for her son's room. She paused briefly at her and Tommy's room to retrieve the missing item. Once at Jay's room, she stood in the doorway, watching him fling his belongings helter-skelter as he desperately searched.
"You will clean this up when you're done at Ramon's," she said sternly, announcing her presence.
"Mom!" Jay yelped breathlessly, startled.
"Yes..."
"Have you seen... well, it's kind of like a belt buckle... with a gold coin in the center..."
Kim did her best to hide her smile as her son fumbled over his description; Jay was doing his best to make his missing morpher seem like an innocent, everyday ordinary object.
"If you'd put your backpack away—like I've told you a hundred times—and not just toss it in the first convenient corner you find, you wouldn't lose things," she scolded as she threw him the 'belt buckle'.
A look of profound gratitude filled his face as he caught the all-important device.
"Thanks, Mom," he sighed with relief. As he bolted from the room, he paused to give her a peck on the cheek.
"You know, your backpack isn't the safest place to leave anything important, especially if you leave it unattended," she cautioned her child. Kim gave him a smile full of irony. "Trust me on this one."
"Mom?" Jay queried, pulling up short and glancing back at her, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. He wondered what she knew.
Kim met his skepticism with her most guileless expression. "You'd better get going; Oliver and Ramon are waiting."
"Right. I promise I'll clean this up later," Jay assured her as he raced off.
Kimberly waited until he was down the stairs and out the door before offering up this prayer:
"Please, Lord, keep my boy safe while he saves the world."
~*~
"I said that same prayer far too many times for my comfort," Kat murmured.
"Didn't we all," Tommy concurred. He found himself suddenly grateful that his folks had never known about his being a Ranger. He was glad they never worried about him the way he had about Jay.
"Do you think Scott will someday be called to be a Power Ranger?" the former Pink Ranger queried.
Tommy laughed. "Probably. Like father, like son."
"You mean, you guys knew all along I was a Power Ranger?"
Tommy and Kat turned to find Jay standing in the doorway, a look of complete astonishment on his face.
"Yes," Tommy answered.
"Just as Jason and I knew about Oliver," Kat added.
"... and Ramon and Rachel and Ashala," Tommy continued, ticking down the list of their friends.
"But how? What gave us away?" Jay asked, concerned and puzzled. After all, he and his friends had given their word... "We tried to be so careful."
"You were, but it was pretty obvious if you knew what to look for," Kat replied. "Just little things: your clothes, the communicator, inexplicable comings and goings..."
"But nobody else figured it out," Jay protested. While unsettled by the fact his secret was out, he was relieved to have the burden of secrecy lifted from his shoulders after so many years.
"Nobody else kicked monster tail when they were your age," Tommy said.
For long moments, Jay was silent, struggling to assimilate his father's bombshell.
"You mean, you guys were... no way!"
"Didn't your mentor tell you the history of Earth's Power Rangers?" Kat asked patiently.
"Zarrah did, but she never mentioned their civilian identities," Jay confessed. Stunned, he regarded his father. "You and Aunt Kat really were Power Rangers?"
"As were your mother and Uncle Jason," Tommy confirmed.
"Mom?!?" That revelation was a little harder to digest. Granted, his mother was always tougher than she looked, but tiny, petite Kimberly Oliver...?
"She could kick putty butt with the best of us," Tommy said fondly.
"Your mother was the reason I became a Ranger," Kat said.
"Oh wow!"
"Didn't you ever wonder why we never questioned you and just accepted your lame excuses at face value?" Tommy asked. "It wasn't because we were dense; it was because we knew how difficult it was to keep a secret that big and still be straight with your parents."
"Tommy, do you think we should finally tell the others?" Kat wondered. "They have a right to know, especially Lynne and Trini."
"We probably should so they're ready when the next generation is called up."
"Here, Jay, why don't you take these out; we'll bring the coffee when it's ready," Tommy suggested, handing his son the once-again laden plate.
"Are you guys going to tell the others tonight about you being Power Rangers?" his son wondered.
"Maybe not tonight, but real soon. Tonight's not the night for that," Tommy said. "It's the sort of thing that could really take over the evening."
"But I can tell Lynne later?" Jay asked hopefully.
"Yes..." and he shooed his eldest child off with a laugh. Shaking his head, he added, "You'd think he was 17 again, not 37."
Kat merely smiled. She saw that the coffee was finished, so she removed the pot from the coffee maker and refilled the carafe.
"Ready?" Tommy asked her.
"There's just one thing about the whole Red Ranger mission that I never understood," she said.
"What's that?"
"Why wasn't Rocky with you guys? After all, he was a Red Ranger, too."
"You mean, we never told you the story?" Tommy asked, incredulous.
Kat gave him a look that seemed to say, Duh!
"How could we have forgotten; it was classic Rocky," Tommy snickered. "He was supposed to go with us but never made it. Afterwards, when he told me and Jase about what happened, we figured Someone Up There just didn't want him going on that mission after all...."
~*~
The phone rang, and Rocky answered it on the first ring. Even though Sarah had their three-month-old daughter in the bath, catching the phone so it wouldn't wake the baby had become second nature.
"Hello," he said, his smile evident in his voice. These days, it was hard not to smile. The dojo was doing well. He had a wonderful wife and a beautiful daughter. Life was smiling on him.
"Rocky, it's time."
Tommy's words acted like a slap in the face, and Rocky's breezy mood swiftly evaporated, to be replaced with something he hadn't felt in years: battle readiness.
It was a shot of adrenaline unlike any other he had ever experienced. It provided a focus and clarity of mind unmatched by even meditation. It was a sensation he hadn't felt in years, and God help him, he missed it more than he wanted to admit, even to himself.
At the time of his back injury, he had thought he was ready to retire, but he hadn't wanted to go out like that. It had left a bitter taste in his mouth. Then there was his replacement... nothing against Justin (he'd been a capable Blue Ranger), but it had rankled giving up his powers—what had been his honor and responsibility since Jason had passed the torch to him—to a mere kid.
But that was behind him now. He was needed once again—as the Red Ranger.
"Where and when?" he asked Tommy.
He could pinpoint it almost to the exact minute when Tommy had first showed up at the dojo to tell him and Jason about Andros' mission and his fears that Machine Empire rejects were trying to resurrect Serpentera. His blood ran cold at the thought, remembering what it was like to face the most fearsome Zord ever built.
Tommy told them every former Red Ranger was going to be needed to confront this evil. He was putting them on stand-by because word was going to come at a moment's notice.
Every former Red Ranger....
Although Rocky had been Zeo Ranger III-Blue, he'd never felt quite comfortable in that position. In his heart, he'd always be a Red Ranger... however, those power coins had been destroyed long ago. He knew he could still call on his Ninja powers—as Kim had demonstrated when Lord Zedd had stolen her coin, but what he really needed was the battle armor, not his Ninja fighting togs.
Jason had given voice to their mutual concern, but Tommy assured them that Andros had found a way to reactivate their old morphers. Neither he nor Jason knew the Space Ranger very well, but if Tommy trusted him.... Apparently, it was sufficient assurance for Jason, and if it was good enough for the first Red Ranger, it was good enough for him.
Even now, a frisson of excitement shuddered down his spine as he touched his power morpher, complete with Ninja Power Coin, as he removed it from its hiding place. Touching it again had been like being reunited with a long-lost friend. It had so inspired him, he had dug up every red shirt he still owned to help him get into the right frame of mind.
"At the NASADA main hangar in an hour," Tommy informed him.
"I'll be there," Rocky promised solemnly. He no sooner broke the connection than he hit the speed dial for his brother. Miguel would cover for him at the dojo.
At first, he'd been concerned about leaving his now-thriving business, but Tommy taking a leave of absence from the racing circuit and missing crucial races at Talladega and Lowes had impressed upon him the importance of the mission.
Rocky grabbed his keys and bounded down the hall in search of Sarah. He at least owed her some sort of excuse. In his haste, he'd completely forgotten she was bathing Sophia, and he was forced to double back after futilely searching the rest of the house for her.
"Hon, I gotta run... an emergency...." he fumbled. Once upon a time, the glib lies and half-truths tripped off his tongue easily. But that had been with his mother. He'd justified it all by telling himself that mothers expected the occasional falsehoods from their teenagers; however, wives did not expect their husbands to lie to them.
He still couldn't believe his good fortune in meeting up with Sarah Diaz after all these years. In high school, the pretty, intelligent, athletic young woman had dated Adam a few times, but it hadn't been serious. After high school, like him, Sarah stayed in Angel Grove, taking classes part-time and helping out her family. He had met up with her again when she brought her youngest brother to the dojo to start classes.
He couldn't suppress a smile as he studied his lovely wife. He doubted she felt very lovely at the moment, though. Her thick, shoulder-length dark brown hair was all askew as if it hadn't seen the brush yet this morning. Her expression was one of exasperation, and she looked like she'd been given a bath, too. However, her deep brown eyes still glowed with love and happiness as she regarded their little Sophia.
"Can you do one thing real quick before you go?" Sarah asked pleadingly, looking decidedly harried. "This is Sophia's last diaper...."
Rocky did some mental math. A trip to the store should only take fifteen minutes, tops. He'd have plenty of time to spare.
"I'll be right back," he promised and dashed off.
Things didn't quite work out as planned. When he left the store, he discovered his car battery was dead. An elderly gentleman offered him a jump start, but it was as if the guy could only move in super slo-mo.
He was practically dancing as if he had ants in his pants by the time his good Samaritan was finished helping him. Scarcely had he slid behind the wheel than he was peeling out of the parking lot with all due haste.... only to be stopped for speeding a few blocks later.
By the time he returned home, he was not a happy camper. At least the officer had taken pity on the 'jittery new father' and had let him go with a warning. Thank you, spotless driving record!
He sped through the front door, tossed the diapers on the couch, then hustled towards the kitchen where he heard Sarah talking.
"Honey, I need to go...."
"Rocky, please! It's Mama about Abuela Maria—she's not good," Sarah said quickly and quietly, gesturing towards the high chair where Sophia sat fussing for her breakfast.
He had to go, but he couldn't ignore his hungry baby. Glancing at his watch, he sighed.
"Daddy has no time to play airplane," he muttered as he did his best to quickly shovel the food in. Sophia, however, was not cooperating. It was still a little early for her to be having solids, but Sarah wasn't producing enough milk, and the pediatrician recommended starting her on rice cereal and a little fruit.
By the end of his 'battle of the breakfast', Sophia was wearing more than she had eaten, and he was wearing the rest.
"If I show up wearing your breakfast, the guys will never let me live it down," he murmured. He'd change shirts real fast, then hand the baby off to Sarah and still make NASADA without getting a speeding ticket.
One fresh shirt later, he picked up the bedroom extension to see if Sarah was still on the phone. She was. With a long-suffering sigh, he scooped up his little girl.
"How long could it take to get you changed?" he asked rhetorically as he headed for the nursery.
How long could it take? Longer than he'd anticipated. He quickly came to the conclusion that he wasn't dressing his infant daughter but fighting a mutant octopus with Sophia's angelic face! No sooner than he'd get one arm in a sleeve and start to work on the other, then the first one would pop out. The same thing happened with her legs. And all the while, she was laughing... the sweetest, bubbly baby laughter imaginable.
"You think Daddy's playing, don't you," he grumbled through gritted teeth.
In the end, he finally triumphed and zipped up her sleeper with a flourish.
"Ah ha!" he crowed.
She smiled sweetly, burbled wetly, then made the rudest noise of all, accompanied by the foulest stench of all.
"You didn't...." he groaned, even though it was evident she had and wasn't any happier about it than he. And she let him know—quite vociferously—her displeasure at being wet and stinky.
"Maybe we could just drop your diapers on the moon. That'd take care of those erector set rejects. Phew!"
Still, he couldn't leave her in that nasty diaper. Luckily, he remembered he'd left the new package of diapers in the living room before he took the old one off. En route to retrieving them, he noted that Sarah was off the phone and was disappearing into the bathroom.
Good! I might get out of here sometime this morning!
He returned to the changing table with Sophia and peeled her out of the soiled pajamas—the diaper had leaked. As he started to put the fresh pants on, he discovered it was much too big. He'd bought the wrong size.
He swore under his breath, then prayed Sarah hadn't heard him swearing around the baby. She'd developed hearing like his mother!
Please... please let there be a spare in the diaper bag! He implored the Powers-That-Be, and was suitably grateful when they smiled on him.
If anything else goes wrong, I'm gonna pull a Tommy and be late!
Thankfully, Sophia was more cooperative the second time around, and Rocky got her dressed in record time.
"Upsy daisy, Sweetie," he cooed, tossing his little bundle of joy up into the air playfully.
In retrospect, that hadn't been very wise. What hadn't come out in his child's diaper, now came out the other end—all over him.
"I bet you're pretty pleased with yourself," he muttered vexedly as he stomped back to his bedroom, a happily squealing baby tucked under his arm like a football.
Yet another red shirt later....
Rocky hustled out of the bedroom just as his wife emerged from the bathroom. He thrust their precious bundle at her and all but growled, "I hope you kept the receipt; she leaks."
Sarah was too astonished to respond to that comment. Instead, she said, "While you're still here, would you please take out the trash."
"Look, hon, I'll do it later. I'm really, really late...." he called over his shoulder as he headed for the kitchen door.
"Ricardo Esteban DeSantos, you are not going off to save the world until you take out the trash," Sarah insisted in her best imitation of Mama DeSantos... right down to the flashing eyes filled with maternal ire.
Rocky pulled up short and stammered, "What did you say?"
Had he been less stunned, he might have dismissed her words instead of confirming her suspicions.
"I've known for a while, and suspected for even longer," Sarah admitted, her tone tinged with sadness. Rocky could almost hear the 'I'd always hoped you trusted me enough to tell me', and fidgeted uncomfortably. It was the one thing hadn't been able to share with his wife.
"Remember back in high school when I went on a couple of dates with Adam?" she began. "One time while he and I were out, his 'pager' went off. He said it was an emergency and brought me home early. I was at my door about to go in, when I turned to tell Adam I'd see him in school the next morning. His back was to me, and it looked like he was glancing at his watch. Then, I saw him vanish in streaks of black light."
Uh oh, Adam was busted and never even knew it!
"After that, I started noticing things about the six of you: your color-specific clothes, the pagers with that weird chime and the strange disappearances, even in the middle of school. The clincher was seeing the Power Rangers vanishing from the park just as Adam had from in front of my house."
"You mean you've known that long and never said a word to us?" Rocky murmured, astonished, recalling what Bulk and Skull would have given to have that knowledge.
"I knew it was a secret, and what good would it have done to tell you? It would have been another worry for you guys. I had enough worries just knowing your secret; knowing that your secret had been discovered would have just given you one more thing to be concerned about, and you already had plenty."
"You had worries...?"
She nodded. "Before discovering, I'd never really thought about the Rangers being mortal... about them getting hurt or killed. They were nameless, faceless superheroes.
"But knowing there were ordinary teens in those suits was different. People I knew could be hurt or killed while trying to save Angel Grove—me. I was scared for you guys every time there was an attack.
"And I'm still scared, Rocky. You could re-injure your back on this mission. You could die, and I don't want to lose you. I love you. I need you; our babies need their father...."
"Babies?" Rocky gulped, latching onto that single word from all of Sarah's explanation.
Sarah smiled shyly and nodded, resting a hand on her tummy. "The doctor said that's why I'm not producing enough milk for Sophia."
"Already? But it's too soon, isn't it?"
"Not really. Remember how excited you were when I passed my six-week checkup with flying colors?" she teased him, recalling how they'd celebrated. "I haven't had an ultrasound yet, so we're not sure of the due date, but I'm guessing next June.
"Rocky, I know you have your duty as a Power Ranger, and I can't ask you to turn your back on it. Just please come home safely; your family needs you."
Rocky seemed to be frozen with indecision, glancing at his watch to see just how close he was going to cut Tommy's deadline. He looked back at Sarah, who regarded him with patience and understanding. She wasn't going to force him to stay. Then he looked to Sophia who was blowing little tiny bubbles with her spit. Her little rosy cheeks got rounder as she smiled up at him with absolute love and trust.
In that moment, he knew what he had to do, and he reached for the phone.
"Tommy, I can't make it," he said when he connected with the mission leader's cell phone. "You guys go on without me. The Earth has ten other Red Rangers to defend her; my family only has one me."
~*~
Kat laughed merrily at their friend's exploits. "Poor Rocky... what a day!"
"Back when he first told us about it, Jase and I were practically rolling on the floor because we were laughing so hard," Tommy recalled. "He just glared at us and said, 'wait 'til you have kids of your own'. Now, it's funny in a sympathetic sort of way. The first time I had a day like that with Jay...."
"I'm glad Rocky stayed behind," Kat said, sobering. "If anything had happened to him, what would Sarah and the girls have done?"
"We would have taken care of them...."
"Just as you took care of the kids and me after Jason died," Kat concluded for him, catching his hand and giving it a supportive squeeze.
"And just as you've taken care of me since I lost Kim," Tommy murmured and raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. "You know, I almost didn't ask Rocky because he was a family man."
That and the fact that had anything happened to him, he would have been responsible, having recruited him. He still didn't like to contemplate the personal Hell it would have been to have to tell Sarah her husband had died. He thanked the Lord that he'd never had to face that.
"If you hadn't, you would have hurt his feelings beyond measure," Kat said.
"I know; that's why I went through with it. I guess someone heard my prayers that he'd decide to stay home on his own."
"Come on; let's get the coffee out there before it gets cold," Kat recommended.
"I'm surprised Lynne hasn't come in checking to see if we'd gotten lost," Tommy joked.
The two returned to the living room to find it strangely silent. Eight pairs of eyes regarded them intently.
"What?" Tommy wondered. "Did I spill something on my sweater?"
"Dad, is it true?" Trini asked, unusually sober.
"Is what true?"
"Jay says that you and Aunt Kat—and Mom and Uncle Jason—used to be Power Rangers."
Tommy's stern gaze fell on his eldest child, who smiled sheepishly and shrugged helplessly. He looked the very image of his father just then.
"Jay, how could you?" Kat scolded gently. "We asked you to wait...."
"You know Jay—can't keep a secret to save his soul," Trini snorted.
Oliver elbowed his best bud in the side. "She's got that right! It's a wonder you never spilled the beans about us... whoops!"
"Spilled the beans about what?" Lynne interrogated her brother, regarding him with suspicion.
"Don't worry, bro," Jay laughed, elbowing Oliver in return. "Our folks have known all along."
Oliver's eyes went wide with surprise.
"Known what all along!" Trini fumed, hating to be left out. The boys conveniently ignored her.
"You'll have to tell them sooner or later," Tommy whispered to the boys, giving them a knowing smile. Their wives were liable to give them all kinds of grief for keeping this from them. Thank God it was a secret he'd never had to keep from his wife—or his wife-to-be!
"It makes sense," Rachel mused thoughtfully, diverting the conversation back to their parents. It was obvious that none of her teammates was ready to open this particular can of worms. "I often wondered about my father. Some of the gadgets I'd seen over the years, and some of the technologies he's developed... they were all based on the advanced technology he'd been exposed to as a Power Ranger."
"Do you mean to say that all our folks—Jasmine's and mine, too—were Rangers?" Ramon gasped.
"All except for your mother," Kat confirmed.
"Whoa!"
"So when you told us about Divatox kidnapping Mom and Uncle Jason, they weren't just civilians," Trini concluded. That certainly shed a whole new light on their parents' early lives.
"I bet you guys could tell some awesome stories," Jay hinted eagerly.
"We could," Tommy responded, "but not tonight."
"Wait! Wait... stop. Oh, there. That one!" Jared chortled, stabbing at a picture with his index finger. "I can't wait to hear the story behind that one."
"Which one... oh good Lord!" Kat gulped, blushing beet red to the roots of her hair. "Jason promised me he'd gotten rid of every last one of those."
"He may have, but Kim didn't," Tommy replied, grinning from ear to ear.
"Mom, is that really you?" Lynne gasped, torn between astonishment and merriment.
In the photo, Kat was garbed in what appeared to be a chainmail bikini, brown leather gloves and boots and assorted jewelry. Her hair was dyed a fiery red. In one hand she hefted a sword; in the other she held a leash connected to the metal-studded collar around Jason's neck. As for her husband, he was dressed in a fur loincloth and little else.
"Red Sonja?" Rachel hazarded a guess as to her identity.
Kat nodded. "Jason had been curious to see what I looked like as a redhead, so I indulged him for Zack's Halloween party that year."
"They won first prize," Tommy added.
"So, what was Dad?" Oliver wondered, and Kat's blush deepened.
"Her barbarian boy toy," Tommy snickered.
"But Red Sonja was sworn by her goddess never to give herself to a man unless he bested her in fair combat." Rachel, while more widely read in popular literature than her father, could be just as slow on the uptake as Billy.
"Nine times out of ten, Dad could best Mom," Jared said reasonably. "I guess this was the tenth time."
"If you think Jason and I looked adorable, turn the page and see what Tommy and Kim went as that year."
"Oh no..." Tommy groaned as Lynne turned the album page. He cringed at the peals of laughter.
Kimberly was decked out in an elaborate ballet costume, complete with strappy bodice, stiff tutu and toe shoes. Tommy was also dressed in ballet apparel, complete with slippers, tights and what appeared to be a cod piece. The two were posed as if dancing.
"I can't think of a ballet where the costume required a cod piece," Rachel murmured with a frown.
"Trini, I never knew your dad could fill out a pair of tights so well," Lynne said in a stage whisper loud enough for everyone to hear.
Tommy blushed as the others guffawed.
"Oh, but you haven't seen the best pic of my Dad 'in drag'," Trini snickered and began flipping through the album.
"Katrina Michelle, don't you dare..." Tommy scolded, piquing everyone else's curiosity.
Kat knew exactly which photo her fiancé's youngest was searching for. She leaned over to whisper in his ear, "If you didn't want anyone to see it, you should have pulled it from the book."
He scowled at her.
"What I never understood is how Zack could get you guys to do half the weird things you did," Kat continued for the audience in general. "Not even Rocky could cajole you guys into things as well as Zack could."
"Dad always said Uncle Zack's persuasive abilities were part of his charm," Rachel remarked.
"By the way, how did Billy escape this particular indignity?" Kat asked.
Tommy shrugged. "He drew the longest straw."
"Here it is," Trini declared and opened the book wide. The two-page spread was filled with pictures from what appeared to be some sort of variety show. There were photos of Kat in full ballet regalia, Kim in a leotard, but the crowning glory of the showcase was...
"Oh. My. God!" Lynne gasped, choking on barely suppressed laughter.
Jasmine stammered, "Is that my dad in a blonde wig and baby-doll nightie?"
"Apparently, Aunt Kat, you weren't the only one who tried it as a redhead," Ramon observed, chuckling as he identified his dad in a blue Spandex dress with a British flag emblazoned on the front. Not to mention the red platform boots.
"Who were you guys supposed to be?" Jared asked, breathless with laughter as he eyed the picture of his Uncle Zack dressed in leopard print halter, flares, and sporting a 'do of kinky curls—and were those cones on his head?
"We were supposed to be the Spice Girls," Tommy explained with forced patience and a crimson flush heating his cheeks. "They were a group popular during the mid- '90s."
"They play their stuff on the oldies stations," Jay noted.
"As to why we were dressed that way..."
~*~
"... give me one good reason why we should go along with this cockamamie idea of yours," Jason demanded as he eyed his costume warily: skin-tight leggings, white tube top with mesh mid-riff sleeveless tee to top it. Completing the outfit were sneakers, a shoulder-length brown wig, fake nose piercing and temporary tattoos.
"Because it's too late to back out," Zack said simply. They were due on stage in less than an hour.
"Don't complain, 'Sporty'," Tommy grumbled. He closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to see the slinky little black dress and spiked heels he was going to have to wear. Where had Aisha found high heels in his size? "You've got the most reasonable costume of us all."
"Yeah, you didn't have Aisha attacking your legs with hair remover either," Adam interjected glumly. This was not what he had in mind when he said he'd help out when he and Tanya came home for Thanksgiving.
"Tommy doesn't have to wear a wig," Rocky pouted.
"That's only because I grew my hair out on my own." Even so, Aisha had attacked him with blow dryer and curling iron to get the style just right.
"You grew it out because Kim refused to marry you if you didn't," Jason countered with a knowing grin.
"Well... that, too," he confirmed with a sheepish grin and glanced at the gold band on his left hand. Had it been six months already?
"I'll tell you all why we're doing this," Billy spoke up as he put the finishing touches on his green makeup. "Marguerite Langly."
Marguerite was a little girl from the beginner's class at the Red Dragon Dojo. She needed a kidney transplant and the family needed help with the medical expenses. The Angel Grove Children's Foundation was staging a talent show as a fund raiser. When approached by the committee to take part, the guys had agreed readily.
"Why couldn't we have done a martial arts demonstration?" Jason grumbled. "Kim's doing gymnastics. Kat's dancing ballet..."
"... Tanya's singing," Adam added. Looking at his blonde wig and skimpy—whatever (he wouldn't have called it a dress!), he was beginning to wish he'd stayed in New York for the holiday.
"You were all enthusiastic about the routine during the rehearsals," Billy reminded them.
Which was true. They'd gotten a kick out of learning the old dance steps and learning how to lip-synch the words (as none of them but Zack could carry a tune, karaoke was out!).
"That was before we knew we had to dress in drag," Rocky retorted. "Besides, what do you have to complain about? You don't have to go out there in falsies and a wig."
With six guys and only five Spice Girls, someone had to be the odd 'girl' out, and Billy had drawn the longest straw. He, however, had not escaped totally unscathed. He had been recruited to be Master of Ceremonies for the event.
"Perhaps not, but you do not have to appear in public in green make-up and horns and be a demon-cum-Las Vegas lounge lizard," Billy murmured ruefully, glancing down at his outré garb.
"You're Lorne, the guy from Angel," Rocky said helpfully. "He's cool."
"Why do you guys think I waited until almost curtain time to tell you about the costumes," the mastermind behind the Spice 'Girls' said with a wide smile. He was already in costume, sporting Scary Spice's trademark hair 'horns'.
"Where'd you find all this stuff anyway?" Tommy wondered as he caved to the inevitable and began getting dressed. The others were doing likewise.
"Aisha and I combed every theater department and costume shop in a sixty-mile radius," Zack explained.
"I thought Aisha was on the organizational committee and was therefore exempt from sponsoring an act," Billy remarked. Aisha had been the one to persuade him that it would be 'fun' to dress up as a demonic lounge singer.
"She is, but each committee member picked an act to oversee. 'Isha all but drooled over my idea to have us all in drag."
"A woman after your heart," Jason muttered as he tried to figure out how to apply the paste nose stud.
"Ain't she, though," Zack sighed dramatically, and his reaction had Tommy and Jason speculating.
At that moment, Aisha popped into their dressing room to check on them, and she nearly died laughing at the sight of five total hunks primping in front of the mirror. Four of the men scowled in annoyance.
"C'mon, 'Lorne', the show's about to start; I need you on stage," she snickered. "Guys, the three acts preceding yours are, in order, Tanya, Kat and Kim. You can watch them from the wings."
With that, she grabbed Billy's arm and dragged him off.
"Please tell me I do not have to sing..." his friends heard him plead as he was tugged down the corridor.
"It's for a good cause... it's for a good cause..." Jason chanted to himself like a mantra.
"I'm going to kill myself in these shoes," Tommy muttered as he rolled his ankle and stumbled.
"'Posh', you're lopsided; fix your boobs," 'Scary' directed.
"I hope you all remember that I had nothing to do with this," 'Ginger' said in his defense as he applied his lipstick and plumped his cleavage.
"I have to admit, this tops anything you've gotten us into—to date," 'Baby' remarked.
"By the way, Rocky, isn't Sarah doing anything tonight?" 'Sporty' wondered.
"She has her hands full with the girls," Rocky answered.
"Which means, she won't be able to operate the camera!" Adam said brightly, praying for no photographic reminders of this day of infamy.
"Sorry, Adam, but my dad is fully loaded with video and Minolta," Tommy said glumly. "He said he wanted to record this for posterity."
"Your father would," Jason glowered. "Can someone help me with these stupid tattoos?"
By the time Aisha returned, they were ready.
"Oh, don't you guys look precious!" she declared with barely-contained laughter.
"Not one word, Aisha Karan Campbell; not one bloody word," Rocky ground out through clenched teeth, glaring at his childhood friend defiantly.
"Come on; Tanya's up next," his usual partner in mischief tittered.
"Let's go; I want to catch Tanya's performance," Adam said eagerly. He rarely missed the chance to see his wife perform.
"Let's get this over with," Jason mumbled, and the quintet tottered down the hallway on their unfamiliar and unwieldy footwear.
~*~
From the wings, the guys could see Tanya on stage, garbed in a stunning gold lamé evening gown, reclining on the piano, belting out an old standard: I've Got A Crush On You.
"It's been so long since I've heard Tanya sing, I'd forgotten how good she was," Tommy remarked as the melody wrapped itself around them.
"Isn't that Skull at the piano?" Rocky queried.
Sure enough, their one-time nemesis, decked out in white tie and tails, sat at the keyboard providing Tanya's accompaniment.
"He goes by Gene these days," Jason responded. He glanced over at Tommy and frowned. "Bro, now you're lopsided the other way."
"Then you fix 'em," Tommy challenged mutinously.
"Not used to playing with 'em from this angle, eh?" Jason leered as he filled his hands with the foam cups and shifted them about until they sat just right.
"You know, you're awful good at that; plenty of practice, eh?" Tommy shot back, but Jason refused to rise to the bait. However, he couldn't restrain a small grin.
Rousing applause alerted them to the fact that Tanya's number was over. She took her final bow and moved off stage. Adam met her, caught her about the waist and spun her around.
"You were wonderful," he cheered proudly as he moved to kiss her.
"Don't," his wife cautioned him with a wide grin. "You'll smear your lipstick."
Adam pouted.
"Rocky, you're all but falling out of your dress," the chanteuse chided.
"I'm s'posed to," he answered with a haughty sniff.
"Girl Power and a Wonder Bra, huh?" she teased.
"Sh!" Jason hushed. "Kat's on."
All eyes turned toward the stage as the tall blonde floated out to center stage, the picture of ethereal grace. Her piece was from Swan Lake.
"I always wished I could have seen her perform on stage," her fiancé sighed longingly.
"She was something," Tommy murmured, recalling the one time he'd seen her perform with the touring company, "but she's even better now than she was then."
Swept up by the beauty of the performance, the backstage observers felt that it ended much too soon. When Kat at last took her bow, it was all the guys could do to keep Jason from walking out on stage to greet her. They restrained him—barely. However, he was still the first to greet and congratulate his lovely ballerina, handing her a long-stemmed rose.
"How'd he smuggle that up here?" Rocky wondered.
"Yeah, he doesn't have any cleavage to hide things in," Zack added.
Kim was on stage next, but where Jason glowed with pride for the love of his life, Tommy looked downright nervous as the stage hands set up the balance beam.
"Tommy?" Jason queried, noting the pale face under the blusher.
"I wish she'd have chosen anything but the beam," Tommy said tightly, remembering that a bad fall off the beam was what had the doctors telling her to retire from the sport.
"She'll be all right, Tommy," Kat assured him, placing a comforting hand on his arm. "She's been practicing quite a bit, and she's not doing any of the really dangerous tricks."
"I can't believe she wanted to do a beam routine, of all things," he muttered as his wife strode out from the opposing wings.
"With the height of the stage, nothing else would have worked—visually," Aisha spoke up. "This was her request."
"I think I understand why she chose it," Rocky began thoughtfully.
"She left gymnastics in a bad way; she has to prove to herself that she's the master of the beam and not the other way around," Kat finished for him.
"I can see that, but... Why couldn't she have just played her guitar and sung one of the songs she's written?" Tommy continued pigheadedly. "She loves her music as much as she loves gymnastics."
"She already did that, Tommy," Aisha laughed. "She and I did a duet earlier. Stop being such a worrywart!"
"He can't help it," Jason said in his best friend's defense. "He worries because he cares so much."
"Thanks, Jase."
Just then, Kim's music blared out over the loudspeakers. She had picked a funky, rhythmic James Brown tune to give her performance a little added punch. Get Up Off That Thing soon had everyone clapping.
She mounted the beam, poised and confident, and she never wavered throughout her nearly flawless routine. Still, Tommy heaved a sigh of relief when she dismounted without mishap. As soon as she bounded backstage, he wrapped her in a fierce hug.
"Tommy?" she queried, puzzled by his unexpected reception.
"You had me worried," he murmured.
"But Tommy, I demonstrate on the beam at the gymnastics center all the time," she said. She still worked part-time at the gym even though she was no longer in college.
"C'mon, 'Posh', time to get in our spots," Jason teased, smacking Tommy on the arm.
Kim wriggled out of his arms, took a step back and regarded her husband's outfit critically.
"No fair," she grumbled. "You look better in that than I would."
"It's those long legs of his," Aisha consoled her with an impish grin.
"And now for a blast from the past..." Billy's voice rang out, "... the Spice Girls?"
The dubious emphasis on Girls had the audience tittering already. When the curtain rose, riotous laughter filled the auditorium.
The guys were doing a medley of the group's old hits, opening with their very first.
Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want.
So tell me what you want, what you really really want.
I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want.
Tell me what you want, what you really really want.
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna really
really really wanna zigzig ha!
Backstage, the girls were practically prostrate with laughter.
"Oh God...!"
"I can't watch..."
"They're going to kill themselves in those shoes!"
"Woo-hoo! Shake what yo' mama gave you!"
"Where'd they get their choreography?" Kat gasped.
"Zack studied all the video footage he could find to get authentic stuff," Aisha answered.
"Doesn't Sporty do back flips during this song in the video?" Kim asked.
The opening number segued into the ballad Too Much, and if anything it was even funnier than Wannabe.
"They look ridiculous," Tanya chortled as the guys tried their best to look sexy and sultry.
"Oh, I can't stand it...." Kim giggled as she doubled over.
As Jason took center stage to belt out the verse, "I need a man, not a boy who thinks he can," Kat was wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.
"No wonder they never let us watch them in rehearsals," she said with helpless merriment.
Their set concluded with Spice Up Your Life. By the time the boys reached the chorus, the girls were mimicking their movements.
Slam it to the left
If you're having a good time
Shake it to the right
If you know that you feel fine
Chicas to the front
Uh Uh. Go round.
Slam it to the left
If you're having a good time
Shake it to the right
If you know that you feel fine
Chicas to the front
Hi Ci Ya Hold Tight!
The guys disappeared backstage as quickly as their high heels could carry them, only to find their friends and significant others awaiting them positioned in their final pose.
"Laugh all you want, but we'll see who's laughing when they crown the winner tonight," Zack warned them.
~*~
"So, who won?" Oliver asked once he could speak again. His sides hurt from laughing so hard. More than one family member was wiping his or her eyes.
"The Tiny Tots Tap Troupe," Kat replied, still bubbling over with mirth.
"Zack always claimed that the whole thing was rigged," Tommy said, his cheeks still flaming.
"You guys did get honorable mention," Kat consoled him. "You might have won if you'd done your own singing."