Clear Terrain
by Christina Ortega

Looking around the misty deck of the Megaship, Jackie kept her eyes peeled for any sign of Andros. All of a sudden, a shock went through her vest making her growl. "Damn it!" Seeing a flash in front of her, she fired at it.
"You're a pretty good shot, Jackie," Andros acknowledged through the headphones.

The Purple Ninja Ranger nodded as if he were standing right next to her. "You aren't so bad yourself, Andros." Spotting him again, she fired, missed, and ducked as his laser flew by. "We're tied. Next point wins."

"You're dead," Andros told her confidently.

Jackie scoffed. "I don't think so, Andros. I really don't think so." As a red flash passed her, she hid before firing out towards the place where she had seen it.

"That wasn't even close," Andros taunted with a laugh. "Try aiming before you shoot."

"You're going down," Jackie told him, following the red flash as it passed her again. "I'm closer than you think."

Andros chuckled. "No...I'm closer than you think."

Spotting a flash, Jackie fired and looked down at her vest as it shook a second later. "I don't believe this!" Looking at the readings, she laughed. "Ah! We tied!"

"A tie!?" Andros ran up to her in shock. "That's impossible. No one has ever tied me at this game! I can beat Zhane by a mile, and we won't even get into Yaralla!"

Jackie smiled at him. "I guess you got more than you bargained for shooting against me, eh?"

Andros nodded in admittance. "You're a terrific shot, Jackie. Where did you get those skills?"

"Before I became a ranger I would watch Tommy when he was in battle," Jackie explained. "I learned, and now I can beat him in both long and short distance shooting."

"Well then," Andros noted, "I'll have to try him out sometime."

Jackie grinned. "Don't forget, Andros, that I had to beat him in order to beat you. You'd kill him in this game."

Andros frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Definitely," Jackie responded confidently.

Reenergized, Andros took off his vest and headset. "Well, I'm starved. You must be, too...do you want to get some food from in here?"

Jackie nodded. "Sure. That's a good idea, since we've eaten the same thing in Angel Grove for quite awhile."

"The exact same thing?" Andros shook his head. "Ok, then. Let's go." Leading her out of the room and into the elevator, they traveled down to the main deck before going to get some food.

~*~

Tommy shook his head after Rocky made an attempt at telling a good joke before looking down at his watch. "Well, I guess I have to go work in Angel Grove at least for an hour. Jason, Jaime, and I worked for a little bit, but only for a half hour or so. The sun is is going to go down soon, and I want to be able to shower before seeing Kat."

Jeff nodded. "I'll go with you. Today I didn't do my work, and I guess I should."

"Don't forget me," Zhane said. "I'll go, too." He wasn't exactly sure what he would do when going to help in Angel Grove along with Jeff and Tommy, but he was confident in his ability to do it, no matter what the task.

Rocky nodded. "Well, I'm going to stay out here for a little bit longer and watch the sunset. The day it so clear...it'll be a beauty."

"Can I stay?" Justin asked him. At Rocky's nod, he smiled and put his head down in the grass.

Yaralla grinned at this before looking up at Zhane. "I'll see you later, all right?"

"Sure," the Silver Astro Ranger replied. With that, Tommy, Jeff, and Zhane left Rocky, Yaralla, and Justin by the lake.

They had just reached the edge of the park when Jason stepped in front of them, his eyes dark. Zhane glanced at him in confusion, not particularly sure of who he was, but almost positive that he was a ranger. Jeff, seeing him, rubbed the back of his neck nervously. As he had told Tommy when he was in the hospital, it was no secret that Jason hated him and his attitude had obviously not changed.

Oblivious to the discomfort of the two, Tommy smiled. "Hey, Jason. What's gong on?"

The Red Ranger crossed his arms over his chest. "Can I talk to you privately for a moment, Tommy?"

Tommy nodded slowly, not having expected this from his best friend. "Um...sure...Guys, do you mind going on without me?"

He expects me to go on to Angel Grove and try and fit in without him!? Zhane gazed at the White Ranger before nodding shakily. "Sure."

"Hurry up," Jeff said. After saying this, the two left Jason and Tommy alone and entered Angel Grove to begin working on construction.

"So, what's up, Jason?" Tommy asked cautiously. "Look, I know that I said I'd be back later, but I met up with TJ and his friend Cassie, and then I met up with Zhane, Jeff, Rocky, Yaralla, and Rocky's student Justin. Don't be mad about that."

Jason glared at him angrily. "Is that all that you can say!?"

Tommy shrugged, confused. "Say about what?" As the Red Ranger sneezed, he sighed. "Bless you."

"You're hanging out with him again!" Jason exclaimed, ignoring the fact that his voice was completely nasal. "I can't believe you still trust him!"

The White Ranger thought about this and frowned. "Zhane? Yeah, I trust him."

Jason groaned. "No! You know I'm talking about Jeff!" Sneezing again, he lowered his head and sniffled before looking back at him.

"Yeah, I'm hanging out with him, Jason. He's a good friend of mine...what's your point?" Tommy asked, still not getting what the Red Ranger was trying to tell him.

"How can you not realize that he's just playing off of you!?" Jason exclaimed angrily. I don't understand how he can be this oblivious and, frankly, this stupid. This is ridiculous. Tommy knows what Jeff has done to us!

Tommy smirked. "Playing what off of me? There's nothing for him to play! Look around you, Jason! What could he possibly want from me? I have nothing more than him. No one does!"

Jason threw his hands up in the air angrily. "Have you forgotten everything he did in school...how he picked on Billy!? Hell, how he picked on all of us!?"

"Your hating Jeff was a joke a little while ago...after he changed to the extent that he did I thought you were kidding about disliking him so much...why are you making such a big deal about this? I'm not forcing you to hang out with him, but you aren't even giving him a chance!"

"I'm saying this for your own good, Tommy—"

"I'm saying this so that you'll understand, Jason..." Tommy interrupted. "I realize your concerns, and I've taken them to heart. If I sense that Jeff is making a move on me or anyone else, I'll be on top of him in a second, but if you're asking me to stop being friends with him just because you want me to, then the answer is no. I refuse to do everything you say."

Jason shook his head. "It's your mistake. I'm just trying to correct it before you or anyone else gets hurt by him like I was..."

"You aren't my leader, Jason," Tommy told him icily, "and you've never been in personal matters like this. First of all, you should try something called a decongestant, and second of all, I'm going to go catch up with Zhane and Jeff...my friends...in the city. If you want to come, fine. If not, don't bother whining about it."

Jason stared at him in disbelief before shaking his head angrily. "I'd rather make out with Goldar than spend one more minute than I have to with that jerk."

"Fine," Tommy said, his voice low. With that, he began to walk away.

Looking after him, Jason growled. "Fine," he muttered coldly before moving in the opposite direction.

Reaching Angel Grove, Jeff and Zhane watched as Tommy kicked an empty paint can angrily before picking up a hammer and nail and pounding it into the wall. Jeff put a hand on his shoulder cautiously. "Is everything ok? What did he say to you?"

"Forget it," Tommy told him quietly, the fury evident in his voice "I just got finished talking to a complete bastard, but besides that..."

Jeff stared at him before shaking his head. "Jason doesn't want you hanging out with me, does he?" As Tommy nodded, he sighed. "Look, I'm coming between you two, and I don't want to do that. If it would make your life easier, I'll just try to get together with a group in the shelter so that I don't see you that much."

Tommy glared at him, his eyes dark. "Don't you dare. I told you to forget it. Jason is an asshole anyway. If he can't accept who I'm friends with, then who needs him?" Both Zhane and Jeff watched as he pounded a nail with a hammer and pulled his finger away quickly before wincing as he saw how red it was. "Damn it all! Piece of shit!" Zhane looked at the two and sighed, having no idea what was going on as Jeff turned away. He kicked a few pebbles by his feet, hating the feeling of knowing that his best friend was miserable because of him, and not knowing what he could do to change that.

~*~

I> "What are we going to name our baby, Uriel?" Rashell asked his wife as she sat on her bed with a pillow over her stomach.
The evil sorceress shrugged. "I really don't know. Do you have any ideas?"

Nodding, the big bird suggested, "Perhaps Jija or Tropor would be good names. Jija was the name of my sister who was killed on Twupor, and Tropor was our top warrior on Hirpog for many years before being killed by Horation troops."

"Um, maybe we should wait until the baby is born to decide names," Uriel suggested, doing her best not to cringe. Tropor or Jija...names for HER beautiful child? No...she knew those wouldn't do.

Rashell touched her hand softly. "That's a good idea, Uriel. Perhaps a better name will come when we see our baby's face." He sighed. "Well, I wanted to talk to Goldar about his battle plan from the last fight on Earth. Rest, My Dear."

"I will," Uriel assured him. She kissed his beak before watching him as he walked to the door of her room and opened it.

Suddenly, screaming filtered in from the outside hall. "I never went all the way with Tommy!" Rita yelled angrily. "He just felt my breasts, and that was years ago! Kat probably went all the way with you!"

"What!? Are you mad!?" Zedd hollered. "You're just jealous because your cat was prettier than you!"

"Her!? Prettier than me!?" Rita laughed mockingly. "That's a laugh! You're jealous of Tommy because he can turn me on more than you!"

Zedd smirked. "Oh really!? Why don't you go down to him now, then!? Have him feel your breasts again, or why not have him go all the way with you!? I'm sure you'd enjoy that!" Rita scoffed and entered one room, slamming the door behind her. Zedd did the same.

Rashell shook his head, amused by the whole ordeal. "Pitiful." With that, he left in search of Goldar.

Uriel watched him go before putting her hands on her stomach. "I wonder what Tommy would want to name the baby if he were here..." She laughed to herself, knowing that Jija and Tropor wouldn't be at the top of his list. Uriel knew that she was nervous about having this baby...there were many risks involved in having a mortal child, and she hoped that he or she would be all right.

At the same time, she was excited. Finally, she would hold the key to Tommy's heart in her grasp. All she needed to do now was wait, and he would come to her willingly...

~*~

Jason was sitting down by the lake and looking over the calm water when, overcome with rage, he picked up a rock and slammed it into the water. "Who cares about Tommy anyway!? Hey, if he wants to dig himself a hole and bury himself in it, that's his problem, and I'm not going to be there to pull him out. I don't really care at all! Damn Tommy! Damn Jeff! They could both go to hell and I wouldn't give a damn!"
Really, Jason? You wouldn't? If Tommy was in a place of terrible suffering, you'd be the first one to offer to trade places with him and you know it. He's your best friend no matter who he's friends with. Jason thought about this for a moment before throwing another rock into the water. "Damn conscience!"

Standing up, he looked up at the sky. The sun had set a little while ago, and he knew in his heart that the only one who had ever been able to help him through things like this was Trini. Looking around, he pushed a few buttons on his communicator and teleported away in a flash of red.

He reached the Power Chamber and found both Trini and Alpha staring at him. Tanya was fast asleep on her cot. Walking over to his girlfriend, Jason sat down next to her and sighed. "I wanted to see you."

"That's good," Trini said quietly. She laughed weakly. "I thought you had forgotten about me."

Jason shook his head before grabbing her hands in his own. "Am I a horrible person?"

"Is this an open-ended question?" Trini smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "What's going on?"

"Well, first you risked your life to save Adam and me—"

Cutting him off, Trini shook her head. "I don't blame you for this, Jason. We're rangers, and sometimes we get hurt. It comes with the job description."

Jason nodded, and stared at her in wonder as he recalled what Tommy had said earlier:

We all go down, and every one of the rangers know that we all take chances. Sometimes we get hurt. That's what we do.

Burying his head in his hands, he let out a shaky breath. "I'm such an idiot."

"Well, I'm going to have to disagree until you give me a reason to believe otherwise," Trini told him. "What's wrong, Jason?"

The Red Ranger sighed. "I saw Tommy with Jeff again, and I don't know why I can't accept the fact that he's changed, but I can't, and I just blew up in Tommy's face about it. We left each other pretty worked up."

"You have to look at why it is that you hate Jeff so much, Jason," Trini told him. "Yes, you were wrong. Tommy can choose his own friends, and you have no say in his choices, but I truly don't think that you hate Jeff as a person anymore."

"Really?" Jason frowned. "What is it, then?"

Trini smiled faintly. "You're jealous of him. Tommy has two best friends...before it was just you and him...best friends forever, and you think that Jeff is your replacement, but you have to realize that he isn't. You and Tommy will always be best friends. I can't think of anything that would change that, but you have to accept the fact that you were gone for a long time...Tommy found new friends, also. Let him live a little. Don't hold him back." Seeing Jason nod, Trini touched his cheek softly. "Does that help?"

Jason grinned weakly. "Does this support the fact that I'm an idiot?"

"No," Trini responded, shaking her head. "It supports the fact that you're sensitive and a great friend."

At that moment, Alpha walked up to Trini with a needle in his hands. "I have more of the pain killers, Trini."

The Copper Ninja smiled. "Thanks, Alpha." As the blue fluid was injected into her, she looked at Jason. "Hopefully, this will be my last night in this state. I've been feeling a whole lot better."

"That's good to hear," Jason told her. As she began to drift off, he kissed her forehead and helped her to lie back. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Trini said. Closing her eyes, she let out a deep breath before letting the darkness consume her.

"Well, I've had a long day, so I think I'm going to go down to the Crisis Center," Jason told Alpha. "Goodnight." The little droid nodded and watched as he teleported away before leaving the room.

After he had done this, Rocky, Jaime, Kim, and Zack returned to the Power Chamber. "Well, I guess we should go to the Crisis Center," Kim suggested seeing that both Tanya and Trini were asleep, and Alpha and Zordon weren't present. The others nodded and teleported away in flashes of blue, silver, pink, and black.

As soon as they had left, Emily teleported into the Power Chamber. Looking around, she frowned as she saw Trini lying on a cot fast asleep. Emily walked over to her and clenched her fist angrily. "I hate you," she whispered harshly. "I hate you more than I hate Rito...more than I hate the moon powers...if ever I get the opportunity, I will kill you for taking him away from me, you whore." Turning away, she teleported, unable to stand the sight of the Copper Ninja Ranger any longer.

~*~

Zhane was walking through a hall in the Megaship and nearly bumped into Yaralla who was walking in the opposite direction. "Sorry," Yaralla said, pushing past him. "Where's Andros?"
"I was looking for him," Zhane told her. "Maybe he's still on Earth."

Yaralla frowned. "That's funny. I didn't think he had even left the Megaship. Then again, I can't be sure."

Stepping into the teleportational room, Zhane looked down as his foot hit something. Backing away, he put his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing. Jackie and Andros were curled up together, asleep, and the Red Astro Ranger was holding a book in his hands. Yaralla looked at Zhane with a smile. "What do you know...a lot did happen today."

Zhane took the book from Andros and, looking at it, he shuddered. In the middle of the page was a huge picture of Dark Specter. "Talk about something you DON'T want to see this late at night."

"Well, what should we do?" Yaralla asked quietly. "Should we wake them up?"

Looking down at the two, Zhane shook his head. "Nah. Let them sleep. It's obvious their day was as interesting as ours. Besides, I don't feel like wasting the energy. I'm tired as it is."

Yaralla sighed before moving behind him and massaging his shoulder as he walked down the hallway towards their bedroom. Zhane groaned in content before putting his hand on hers. "You'd better watch it, Yaralla, or I'll tell Rocky that you can make me moan."

"You're all stiff, Zhane," Yaralla said, ignoring him. As he climbed onto his bed and closed his eyes, she rubbed his back soothingly. "Poor thing. You just worked so hard today."

"I did, but I could tell that was sarcastic," Zhane told her groggily. "Goodnight, Yaralla."

She rubbed his arm before smiling. "What? Don't I get to read to you?"

The Silver Astro Ranger smirked. "Yeah...read me the Old Code of the Just Powers again..." At this, Yaralla shook her head before kissing his cheek and returning to her cot. Putting her head down on her pillow, she closed her eyes and easily fell asleep.

~*~

Kat sighed as Tommy kissed along her neck before pulling him towards her room. "You don't have to go..." "Yes I do...I'm so sore..." Tommy told her. As she continued pulling him towards her room, he finally gave up on trying to stop her and followed her into her bedroom.
"Well, you might be sore, but I can help work the kinks out," Kat told him lustfully before slipping off her shoes and getting on the bed. Tommy followed suit before kissing her hungrily, nearly losing it as she continued to touch him everywhere.

As she kissed up and down his neck and ear, he closed his eyes before murmuring, "It's so hot."

Kat put her hands up his shirt and smiled. "You're right. You are." Watching as he slipped off his shirt, she giggled before embracing him tightly and kissing along his shoulders and chest.

Tommy caressed her breasts before unbuttoning the pink blouse she had put on after showering. She watched him and put a hand on his arm. "What are you doing?"

"Playing Hide and Go Seek," Tommy told her softly. "Your shirt is hiding things, and I intend on finding them." With that, he continued to unbutton her shirt. Slipping it off, he kissed along her shoulders before reaching behind her and unfastening her bra.

Kat let out a deep sigh and shook her head. "Tommy, stop. We agreed...we agreed not to do this..." No, Kat, what are you doing!? We'll regret it...I know we will... No you won't...you love Tommy and he loves you. Plus, he feels so good.

Tommy licked his lips before slipping her bra straps off of her shoulders. "Do you really want me to stop, Katherine?"

"No..." Thinking about this as Tommy removed her bra, she nodded. "Yes, Tommy, you need to stop...I want you, but we can't..."

"If you want me like I want you, why can't we?" Tommy questioned lustfully. Kissing her breasts for the first time, he sighed. "I'll take it slow, Kat."

Damn it, he feels so good! Stop, Tommy! No! Don't! "Stop."

The White Ranger just smiled before kissing her naval. "I love you, Katherine. God, I love you so much."

You'd better not stop him, Kat... I need to...this is going too far... He feels soooo good!!! No, Tommy! Pushing him away, Kat sat up. "No."

"What?" Tommy questioned. It was obvious he was out of it, as her comment didn't reach him at first. "I'll do anything you want me to, Kat. Anything." Leaning forward he kissed her cheek.

Kat pushed him away again, knowing that if she let him go on one more minute that there would be no hope of turning back. "Stop it. I don't have to have sex with you, Tommy."

Tommy stared at her for a minute, her words burning him inside, before getting a good look at her. The zipper of her shorts was slightly undone, and her breasts were completely exposed. Kat's hair was up and, her nipples were swollen. Glancing down at his bare chest, he shivered involuntarily. "Oh God, no..."

"Tommy?" Kat frowned worriedly. "What's wrong?" No. Don't take this the wrong way, Tommy! Please?

"Kat...no...I don't believe it...I could have...I was going to..." Tommy gaped at her in horror before quickly slipping his shirt on. Putting on his shoes, he made a break for the door.

Watching him, Kat covered her chest with her discarded shirt. "Where are you going!?" As he walked hurriedly out the door, the Pink Ranger lowered her head in sadness. "I sounded so horrible...shit, I must have broken his heart." Curling up on her bed, she shook her head and felt a tear fall from her eye before forcing herself to go to sleep.

~*~

The cool night air whipped past Tommy's face as he ran from the shelter. Reaching the park, he looked around at the shadows forming all around him before letting the darkness of the trees cover him completely. Stepping over to the lake, Tommy looked at it before shaking his head. It was such a nice night, and all he could think about was Kat.
You're such an idiot, Tommy! Why did you force yourself on her!? I wanted her so badly! You could have raped her, Tommy! As this thought crossed his mind, Tommy stared at the clear water of the lake and easily remembered Kat's face as she pulled away from him...the terror in her eyes had been apparent. "Oh God...I almost raped her..."

A tear fell from his eye, and he wiped it away before sitting down on the grass and throwing a stone into the water. Lying down, he closed his eyes and tried to force himself to sleep...or die, whichever came first, but no relief came for his emotional pain.

Tommy shuddered as a cool breeze touched his arms before standing and looking around like a lost dog trying to figure out his way home. On one hand, he knew he could go to the Power Chamber. No...too many questions will be asked...

Then, he considered going up to the Megaship, but, knowing is luck, Tommy figured that some alarm would sound and he would piss everyone off. The obvious choice was to go to Jason...he wouldn't care about the hour. Hell, he never had. No, Tommy! You screwed up your friendship with Jason earlier today, remember? That was when reality hit him...there was no place for him to go.

He wondered to himself why the idea of being alone was so frightening to him, but he didn't have to ponder that question for very long. Tommy knew that after hurting so many people in one day, he couldn't stand to be alone. Great, Tommy, so you'll go to someone else and hurt him or her? Being alone is what you deserve...

Tommy smiled to himself. "I could go to Jeff." At this thought, he chuckled faintly. He felt bad about fighting with Jason so now he was going to talk to Jeff. Yeah...good one... Still, he knew that it was the only thing left to do. Tommy didn't want to go back to his room for fear that Jackie would be there. His mind was made up. He didn't plan on bothering Jeff for long. Taking a blanket from the extra cot in Jeff's room and going back outside would be good enough for him. He wanted to be alone anyway.

Turning around, Tommy's body shook as he slowly walked back to the shelter. Stepping into the warm building sent chills up his spine, but he continued down the hallway towards Jeff's room and, opening the door, he grinned as he saw that his best friend was fast asleep. Walking over to the empty cot next to his, Tommy slowly pulled the cover off of it and walked back towards the door. He was sure that Jeff hadn't heard him when, all of a sudden, he heard a groggy voice behind him mutter, "What the hell are you doing here this late?"

Tommy sighed and faced Jeff who was rubbing his eyes and standing. "Don't bother getting up. I was just on my way out."

Jeff frowned. "Why do you need that?" He pointed at the faded green blanket in the White Ranger's arms.

"Um..." Tommy lowered his head in resignation. "I'm going to sleep outside tonight."

Sleeping outside? What the hell is wrong with him? Flipping on the light, Jeff easily saw that his eyes were red. "Why?"

Tommy searched for an answer to his question. "I need the fresh air." He smiled weakly, hoping that Jeff had believed him, and reached for the door, but before he could open it completely, Jeff pushed it back down. Gazing at his best friend's hand, Tommy shook his head. "I need to go. There's no way I can stand being in here tonight."

Jeff frowned. If Tommy was all right he would have just pushed him out of the way and kept going. "Tell me what's wrong, and I'll let you go."

"It isn't important," Tommy argued. "Let me go." As Jeff refused to budge, he trembled before walking away from the door and sitting down on Jeff's extra cot. Putting the blanket next to him, he rubbed the back of his neck before shaking his head. "I knew I shouldn't have come here."

"Then why did you?" Jeff asked, his mind completely off of the sleep that he was missing and on his best friend's misery.

"I didn't have anywhere else to go," Tommy told him, his voice weak. "Jason...is pissed to all hell at me, and Kat...oh God..."

"What happened between you and Kat?" Jeff inquired quietly. Whatever it was, he could easily tell that it was bad. Could she have dumped him? Why would Kat do that?

Tommy shook his head before glancing at the door of the room and wondering if he could make a quick escape. Feeling Jeff sit down next to him, he sighed. "I was in Kat's room, and things were starting to get a little passionate..." He took in a shaky breath. "We made each other promise at the beginning of our relationship that we would never go all the way, but I really wanted her Jeff. God, I love her so much, and she's so beautiful and kind, but I got out of control."

"What do you mean?"

"I forced myself on her and literally undressed her without her consent. If she hadn't stopped me...I would have raped her." Burying his face in his hands, Tommy shuddered at the memories.

Jeff took a moment to swallow this information before putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Did she come out and say that you were raping her?"

Tommy shook his head. "No, she didn't...she's too kind for that, but there was a fear in her eyes that I'll never be able to forget."

First, he goes along and gets beaten up by some mob, then he fights with his best friend, and now he thinks he raped his girlfriend? Jeff opened his mouth to tell him that he hadn't raped Kat but, seeing that he was trembling again, he sighed. Now isn't the time to tell him that he's the King of Guilt. Tommy just needs support. "You're shivering." As the White Ranger nodded, he sighed before shaking his head and forcefully saying, "You're staying here. I don't want to hear any complaining or excuses. Do you understand?"

"Sure..." Tommy gazed at him as he stood and turned out the light before walking over to his own cot and mumbled, "Jeff, you won't tell anyone that I'm here, will you?"

Looking back at him, Jeff sighed. "No, I won't."

Tommy continued to stare at him. "Promise me," he whispered pleadingly.

Turning around, Jeff saw that his eyes were large and betraying his already obvious sadness. Damn him... Slowly, Jeff nodded. "I promise. Get some sleep." With that, he closed his eyes and listened to the sound of his best friend's breathing before drifting off to sleep.

~*~

Andros awoke to an unfamiliar scent that he had never smelled before. It was pleasant...a floral fragrance, if he wasn't mistaken, and he opened his eyes dreamily and looked around for the source. Instead of finding himself on his cot as he had expected, he found that he was lying on the ground, and that there was someone lying next to him. Seeing who it was, Andros gasped. It was the Purple Ninja Ranger.
I don't even remember falling asleep when she was here! Andros thought frantically to himself. Standing, he smoothed out his shirt before fixing himself some breakfast from the synthetron in the room and sitting down at the small table to eat it.

Hearing a movement behind him, Andros turned around to hear Jackie sleepily say, "You really shouldn't leave a girl while she's sleeping."

"I'm sorry," Andros told her sincerely. "It's just, well, I wasn't planning on your staying here last night." Putting a hand through his long brown and blond hair, he smiled faintly at her.

Jackie nodded and fixed her own hair. "Yeah, well, I hadn't planned on it, either, but I'm kinda glad I did." Seeing Andros send her a questioning look, she merely smiled. "I should go."

Andros frowned. "Don't you want to eat something first? You'll be hungry if you go back to work on Angel Grove without having breakfast."

"My brother will completely freak out if I don't show up for breakfast," Jackie explained thinking of what Tommy's reaction would be to finding out that she had been with Andros the whole night. "Besides, I'll be ok with having my normal breakfast at the shelter. I guess I've gotten used to it." Walking over to him, she touched his arm. "Thanks for showing me around, Andros. I hope you enjoy Earth." With that, she teleported away in a flash of purple.

Sighing, Andros watched her go. "Bye, Jackie." He turned back to his food and immediately turned a bright shade of red as he saw his best friend standing in the doorway.

Zhane smiled flippantly. "I don't believe what I'm seeing." Touching the Red Astro Ranger's shoulder, he sighed. "The morose one finds love. Aww, our little boy is growing up!" As Andros frowned at him, Zhane quickly ran into the hallway and tried to get a head start on his best friend who was preparing to chase him around the Megaship.

~*~

"Pathetic, really. Well, you have to do what you have to do." Rito's sword illuminated with fire and, waving it towards Adam and Jason, the fire hit them both right on the chest sending them falling painfully to the ground.
"No!" Trini yelled, running to their sides in a panic. "Are you all right?" The concern in her voice was evident.

Jason looked at Rita's brother who was powering up his sword again before frantically motioning for her to get away. "Run, Trini!" Please, listen to me! Get out of here! "Run!"

"Too late, Red Ranger," Rito said, shooting more fire at the three. Trini plummeted down while Jason and Adam, already on the ground, were able to avoid it. The Copper Ranger let out a horrible cry before her body went limp.

Sitting up, Jason inspected Trini gingerly. "Say something." When the Copper Ranger made no move, Jason shook her, trying to stop tears from falling. "Damn it, Trini, say something!"

Adam stared at her before shaking his head sadly, his Black Ranger mask hiding his face. "I think she's dead, Jason."

"No!" Jason yelled. "She's not dead!" Feeling tears stream from his eyes, he cried out in anguish. "Trini, no!"

Rito watched this before smirking. "Haven't you learned yet, Red Ranger?"

Jason stared at him with fury. "You killed her!"

"No, Jason," Rito told him softly. "You killed her..."

"What!?" This was making no sense to him! All of a sudden, Jason watched as the other rangers circled around him. They backed away with fear.

The Blue Ranger held up his hands in opposition. "Jason, don't!"

"No!" Tanya screamed. "Stop it!"

"It's us, Jason!" Adam shouted. "Get a hold of yourself!" Jason could only watch in horror as they unmorphed and fell to the ground with blood pouring from their stomachs. Sick, he watched in horror as Jaime, Emily, Jackie, Andros, and Zhane fell to the ground next to the other rangers.

The Red Ranger looked around in horror. "What the hell is going on!?" Before he could question any further, the rest of the original rangers appeared, unmorphed, in front of him. "Guys! What's going on!?"

Seeing him, Zack backed away in horror. "Hey, Jason, chill, all right? We can talk this through!"

"Talk about what!?" Jason screamed. All of a sudden, he watched as the Green Ninja Ranger began to cough up blood and fell to the ground while holding his throat. "No! Zack!"

Looking down at him, Kim and Billy gasped in horror. "Jason, how could you do that!?" Kim exclaimed. As Billy fell next to Zack, she shrieked before watching in horror as blood began to pour from her chest like a small stream. "No!!!!!" Plummeting to the ground, she coughed a few times before becoming numb.

Trini, from her spot next to Kim, looked down at her dead best friend's body before walking up to Jason and kissing him passionately. "It's ok, Jason. I know you didn't mean to kill them. That's just the way you are. I forgive you, and I'll forgive you for what you did to Kat."

"Katherine?" Jason stared at her numbly before watching as their setting changed to an illuminated white scene. Looking beyond his girlfriend, the Red Ranger saw a hospital bed set up in the background. Jason left Trini side and gasped as he saw Kat lying in the bed with Tommy kneeling by her side sobbing.

The Red Ranger could only watch in horror as Tommy stared at the heart monitor in disbelief when Kat flatlined. "Don't leave me..." Tommy whispered pleadingly. In his white tank top and white pants, he seemed to match the rest of the room around him. "I know Jason didn't mean to hurt you, but...no..."

Wiping his tears with his hands, Tommy stood and looked over the dead body of the Pink Ranger. Jason gazed at her as well before sighing. "She looks so peaceful." Trini, who was still standing behind him, nodded and slowly faded away.

"That's because she's finally free of you," a voice whispered in his ear. Turning around, Jason saw that it was Jeff Fowler, and the dark-haired boy was shaking his head. "You ruined everyone's life...and look at what you did to Kat! You killed her!" Turning around, he watched as Tommy pulled a gun from underneath the mattress of Kat's hospital bed and put it up to his temple. Jeff ran up to him in protest. "No! Tommy, don't!"

"Don't try to stop me, Jeff," Tommy told him quietly. "I can't live without her."

Jeff shook his head. "No! I won't let you!" He could only freeze in horror as Tommy looked at him through teary eyes and, pointing the gun at him, killed him with one shot.

Glancing at Jason who had been watching him with awe, Tommy smiled faintly. "No more pain...no more guilt...I'm sorry for hanging out with him. He wanted to be my friend, but I was yours...I should have put a sign up or something saying that I was your friend and couldn't be one to anyone else." The White Ranger laughed at his own pun before putting the gun up to his own head again.

"Don't!" Jason yelled in horror. "You can't!"

"I can," Tommy breathed weakly, "and I will." Clicking off the safety, the White Ranger let out a shaky breath before staring at Jason, a tear escaping his eye. "Know that if you ever were in a place of suffering, I would take your place in a heartbeat. Always remember that, Jason." With that, he pulled the trigger, and the Red Ranger could only watch as Tommy fell to the ground with a bloody hole through his temple.

Running to his side, Jason stared at him in terror before watching, amazed, as his body disappeared in a flash of white. He felt a hand touch his shoulder and, looking up, he saw that it was Trini, and she was holding a knife up above him. Tears were streaming down her face. "Zordon says I have no other choice but to stop you, Jason. You've destroyed too many lives." Plunging the knife down, Jason felt the sharp point pierce his skin...

"No!" Sitting up on his cot in the Crisis Center, Jason took in a few deep breaths before looking around the room. The other rangers were fast asleep. Good. At least no one had heard him cry out.

Getting off of the cot, the Red Ranger sighed. Why had the dream felt so real? Maybe that's because you have been killing everyone lately... Looking up at the ceiling, Jason sighed. He knew that he had to see Trini. Pushing a few buttons on his communicator, he teleported up in a flash of red.

Reaching the main room of the Power Chamber, Jason nearly bumped into Alpha who was working on some consoles Stepping back apologetically as the droid jumped, Jason looked at Trini who was asleep as well as Tanya. "How are they, Alpha?"

"Good morning, Jason," Alpha said. "They'll be on their feet in no time. Hopefully, they will be well enough to leave by tonight." Smiling as he saw how peaceful Trini's face was, Jason put a hand on Alpha's shoulder and watched as the robot faced him in confusion. "Um...is there something I could help you with, Jason?"

The Red Ranger nodded. "I had a question for you, Alpha. Do you think it's, well, normal to question the friendships that your friends have?" As the droid's lights blinked faster, he tried to explain what he meant. "What I mean is, uh, let's say I have a friend and that friend is hanging out with another friend that I don't like because I don't think he is safe to be around. Do you think it would be right to confront that friend and tell him that he might be making a mistake by hanging out with this person, or should I just leave the situation alone?"

Thinking about this, Alpha sighed. "I'm not programmed for this type of question, Jason, but what I will say is that every person deserves a second chance. If there were no second chances in life, most of us would have been destroyed long before now." Seeing Jason nod his thanks and begin pushing a sequence of buttons on his communicator, the robot tilted its head. "Just talk to Tommy, Jason, and keep an open mind." He chuckled as the Red Ranger stared at him, startled, before teleporting away. After watching him leave, Alpha shook his head. "Humans have the strangest lives. Ay yi yi."

~*~

Jeff woke up the next morning to a harsh rustling sound. Looking around in a daze, he sighed. What time was it? Who was in the room with him? That was when he remembered what had taken place the night before, and he turned his attention to the other side of the room where Tommy was shaking in his sleep.
Standing, Jeff walked over to the other side of the room and, eyes still half closed, shook Tommy to get him awake. "Hey...get up." Jeff sighed as the White Ranger continued to shiver and talk in his sleep before shaking him again. "Wake up, Tommy."

"Sorry," He said, slowly opening his eyes and glancing at him while getting his bearings. "Was I bothering you?" He shrugged timidly.

"Not really, but you were definitely having a nightmare," Jeff informed him, sitting down on the cot. "Are you ok?"

Tommy smiled weakly and rubbed his eyes. "I deserve it after last night."

Jeff sighed at this. "Come on, Tommy. You are being way too hard on yourself about this." He put a hand on his best friend's arm. "Look, Kat probably didn't think of it as the beginning of rape."

"She may not have thought of it, but I know it was," the White Ranger mumbled softly. "God, I can't believe I did that."

Well, I thought he was going to be in better spirits this morning, but I guess I was wrong. "Um, I was going to go get some breakfast. Do you want to come?"

Tommy shook his head. "I don't deserve to eat after what I did."

"Damn it, Tommy, you're out of control!" Jeff exclaimed in amazement at his friend's guilt. "It was one mistake, and you didn't even go all the way with it! I don't see what you're so worked up about!" As the White Ranger lowered his head and took in a shaky breath, Jeff forced himself to calm down before saying, "I'm going to tell Kat that you're here."

"If you tell her, I'll leave before you can get her back to the room," Tommy said coldly. Glaring at Jeff, he muttered, "I came here because I thought I could trust you. Don't ruin my trust."

Jeff threw his hands in the air, exasperated. "You can trust me, but you need to trust me in this, because I know you're making a big mistake by keeping your feelings from Kat. I know you'll be happier in the long run if I tell her where you are."

Tommy smiled at this before shaking his head. "Jeff, you sound like Jason. That's funny. I always thought you two were so different."

Good person to bring up, Jeff. Seeing that this was a lose/lose situation, Jeff sighed and said, "I won't tell Kat that you're here, but I'm hungry so I'm going out. Do you want me to bring you something?"

"Whatever..." The White Ranger turned around on the cot and let out a deep sigh. Watching him, Jeff nodded to himself before standing and exiting the room.

~*~

Reaching the outside of the shelter, Jason looked around to make sure no one had seen his teleport before shaking his head. How had Alpha known that he was talking about Tommy? He supposed it wasn't important, but sometimes both Alpha and Zordon knew information about them that would have been impossible to know unless the two were watching their lives from the Power Chamber. They're probably spying on us. It does get pretty boring in there when there are no disturbances in the area.
The Red Ranger walked inside before stopping right inside of the dining room. Not seeing Tommy, he continued down the hallway towards the White Ranger's room. Ok, Jason, don't get nervous about apologizing. It isn't like this is the first time. He smiled, knowing that he had been apologizing to Tommy about letting his mouth get the best of him just a few weeks ago when he had accidentally brought up the Uriel incident.

Knocking, Jason frowned as there was no answer. "That's funny," he thought aloud. "Tommy wasn't in the Crisis Center last night..."

Jason opened the door and looked inside, shaking his head as he saw that Tommy wasn't there. He was never up very early, and since he was still recovering from his weakened condition on Horat, Jason had guessed that he would be in bed even longer than usual. Where could he be? All of a sudden, it dawned on him. Kat's room.

Walking further down the hallway, Jason stopped in front of Kat's room. He was about to knock when the door flew open and Kat appeared in a tight pink halter top and tight black pants. Stopping abruptly as she saw Jason, Kat smiled faintly. "Hi."

"I'm sorry for bumping into you," Jason told her sincerely before looking over her outfit. She looks good today...I wonder what the occasion is... He was about to say something else when Kat pushed past him and moved quickly towards the exit of the shelter.

Jason frowned in confusion before running to her side and forcing himself to keep up with her quick pace. "Why are you walking so fast, Kat? Is something wrong?" He looked at her in concern as she didn't respond and put a hand on her arm. "Kat?"

The Pink Ranger halted and regarded his hand before pulling him into a corner of the shelter. "I know that you're coming here as Tommy's messenger, Jason, but I'm not ready to see him, all right? When he ran out like that, I was scared out of my mind!"

Hearing the waver in her voice, Jason shook his head at this. "Kat, I'm not hear as Tommy's messenger. In fact, I was looking for him. He wasn't in his room this morning and he didn't come to the Crisis Center so I thought you might know where he was." Leaning towards her, he gazed into her eyes worriedly. "What happened between you two?"

"So, he isn't with you?" Kat shook her head in confusion. "If he isn't in his room, he isn't with you, and he isn't in the Crisis Center then where is he?" She lowered her eyes guiltily. "Tommy was in my room last night, and we were heating up, but Tommy...he started going a little further than I was ready to go, so I pushed him away from me. After that, it all happened so fast. He stared at me as if I was some kind of monster before mumbling incoherently to himself, and after that...he just left, and I don't know where he went. Jason, he seemed so scared, and I'm afraid that I broke his heart!"

Jason sighed. "You know what? Maybe he went to the Megaship. Lately, he's been getting along really well with Zhane, and since he needed someplace to stay—"

"That's probably where he is." Kat smiled. "I'll contact Zhane later to see if Tommy's there. Jason, you are so smart. Thank you." She motioned towards the dining hall. "Well, I'm kinda hungry. Do you want to eat with me?"

"Sure," Jason said. He rubbed her arm comfortingly, and the two walked into the large room and found that it was already bubbling with hyper workers ready to start the day.

Grabbing a bowl of cereal, Jason sat down at a table next to Kat only to find that she was staring at something and shaking her head. "What's up?"

"Look at this." She pointed towards a person sitting alone at one of the tables. "Have you ever seen him by himself before?"

Jason, following her gaze, shook his head at who he saw. "Jeff was born with a group of friends around him." Seeing how tired and upset he looked, Jason smiled to himself. Good. It's what he deserves after all that he did sophomore year. The Red Ranger thought about this before sighing. He is Tommy's best friend. The least you could do is care a little bit about him. "I wonder why he's alone." Kat just shrugged, proving that she didn't know any more than him.

The two watched as Jeff motioned for one of the attendants to come over to him. When she did, he sighed. "Um, I'm planning on working all day, and I don't think I'll be able to come back for lunch. Just in case I'm busy, could I have another packet of cereal so I won't faint out there?"

"Sure," the woman said. She walked into the large kitchen of the shelter and, five minutes later, came out with a small box of the 'Raisin Bran'. "Here you go."

Nodding his thanks, Jeff stood. "I appreciate it."

The woman smiled. "It was no problem. Hey, just be careful out there. Don't dehydrate yourself." Jeff grinned before walking out of the room with his cereal in hand. Kat shook her head, not missing the fact that the young attendant had been watching the lower half of his body as he had left the dining area.

Turning back to the Pink Ranger, Jason looked her over once more before grinning faintly. "Mind if I ask you a question?" As Kat looked at him with interest, he sighed. "Um, why are you dressed like that today?" Kat's face fell at this, and he quickly tried to cover for himself. "Kat, believe me. You look really nice. I'm serious. It's just that, you know, you never wear clothes like that...the outfit looks fabulous. Believe me, it does, but—"

"I know what you're saying." Kat frowned. "Please don't tell Tommy I said this, but I think he walked out on me last night because he knows how conservative I am. Seeing that we had gotten that far...he must have thought I was ashamed of showing him my body, when I really wasn't, and I want him to know how much not going all the way hurts me by giving off a message that says 'I'm not the conservative person you think I am.'" She looked at Jason for approval of the statement.

Jason just eyed her before shaking his head. "Promise me that you'll be yourself, Kat. Tommy loves you for who you are. He's my best friend, but if he can't accept your limits then he isn't the right person for you. Don't feel like you have to change your image to please him."

Kat nodded in resignation. "You're right, Jason. It's just that I love him so much, and I want to please him. Ever since I became good again...when Rita's spell was broken...I've wanted to please him. When Kim dumped him, I did everything I could to make him happy despite the fact that I wanted him for myself. Ever since we've been going out, I've wanted Tommy to know how much I love him, and I want him to be himself around me. Despite what happened between Uriel and Tommy, I want him to be happy no matter what.

"The sad thing is that my life is built around him completely. When there was that small period of time when I thought that he was going to dump me for Kim, I was devastated, because if he left me my world would be destroyed. On Horat, dumping him was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, but I thought he would be loyal, and he was...but I don't even know why! He has all these beautiful people around him everyday...Kimberly, Trini, Tanya, Emily, and even Yaralla!"

Jason smiled. "Your forgetting that most of those people are either going out with or have crushes on lucky guys in our group." As his thoughts turned to Emily, he sighed and forced his mind to discard the pictures in his head for a moment. "Trini and I have been going through hard times too, Kat, but I know that we'll pull through, and so will you and Tommy."

"If ever I find him," Kat quipped to herself. She looked around before quietly asking, "Should I try contacting the Megaship?" At Jason's nod, they both stood and left the room in search of a quiet place to use their communicators.

~*~

Zhane walked out of the area of the Megaship where the cots were kept before yawning and smoothing down his silver short-sleeved shirt. Leaning against a wall in the hallway, he yawned again before smiling to himself as he remembered how much Andros had yelled at him about his relationship with Jackie. Andros didn't even want it to be called a relationship. Oh, I've got to talk to Jackie.
Walking into the control room, Zhane glanced at Yaralla who had the monitors set on the construction workers in Angel Grove. He sighed, knowing that Yaralla was probably back to her 'all work and no play' mood. "So, what are we working on today?"

Zhane frowned when she didn't answer and, moving over to where she was sitting in the middle of the room staring at the screen, he put a hand on her shoulder. "Yaralla, are you ok?"

All of a sudden, the tan woman came to life. She looked at him with a playfulness that Zhane had not seen in her for years, and stood, shaking him with excitement. "I've been waiting for you to show up, Zhane! Andros is being such a wet blanket!" Yaralla hugged him tightly. "So, have you eaten, gotten dressed...I guess that's obvious, brushed your teeth, showered—"

"You wouldn't be suffocating me like this if I hadn't showered," Zhane choked as she nearly squeezed the life out of him. "Are you feeling ok, Yaralla, because you seem...a little hyper."

Yaralla giggled. "You know what? I love Earth! Angel Grove might not be much to look at, but the scenery and all the people have made me feel alive! I haven't felt this good in two years!" Grabbing his hand, she tugged on it expectantly. "So, will you come down to Earth with me? Huh? Will you?"

Zhane stared at her in shock. Ok, who is this person, and what has she done with Yaralla? "Um, I'm still a little tired. Actually, I was thinking of going back to sleep for a little bit—"

"Don't you start acting like Andros!" Yaralla chided. She dragged him out of the control room and towards the teleportational area. "Come on! We'll have fun! Plus, it's a gorgeous day out!" Practically lifting him up the stairs to the teleportational holes, Yaralla pushed him in front of the silver one. "Cheer up!" With that, she pushed him down before he could get a word in. Laughing to herself, Yaralla slid down after him.

Reaching the Earth, Yaralla saw that Zhane was sprawled out pathetically on the ground of Angel Grove Park and, smiling, she pounced on top of him. "Awww...poor Zhane! Not a good landing?"

"Not after pushing me out of the Megaship like that!" Zhane exclaimed, still amazed by Yaralla's giddiness. "Um, how long have you been this...happy?"

"I've been happy all morning!" Yaralla told him. Sticking a hand into the pocket of her tight blue jeans, she pulled out a square object with silver foil around it. Pulling the foil off, Yaralla showed it to him gleefully. "Rocky told me to try some Earth chocolate, and it is the best thing I've ever had!"

The chocolate couldn't have... Taking a small bite of it, Zhane the chocolate melt in his mouth before swaying dizzily. "Whoa...that stuff is jammed pack with something that caused your hyperness this morning. I don't think you should eat anymore."

Yaralla laughed and hugged him again. "You're so funny, Zhane! Have I ever told you that you're like a big brother? I love you!" Kissing his cheek, she giggled and grabbed his hand. "So, where are we going first? The shelter? The city? Do you want to hang around here?"

Still feeling dizzy, Zhane looked down at the chocolate in his hands before lowering his eyes in thought. On one hand...we should both be examined by Alpha to see what about this Earth food is making us respond like this...but, then again, it did taste really good, and there isn't any threat to Earth right now. Being a little hyper for a couple of minutes wouldn't hurt... Taking another bite of the chocolate, he swallowed it before eating some more. Yaralla took some from him, and the two finished up the whole bar before looking at each other playfully. "Maybe the others will be in Angel Grove and we can hang out with them!" Zhane said, obviously having the same reaction to the chocolate that Yaralla had.

She nodded excitedly. "Yeah! Mmm...that stuff is sooo good! Hey, Andros has some Earth money, doesn't he? Do you think we could buy some more?" Putting a hand through her silky hair, she smiled before bouncing around like a small child. "Maybe Rocky will be around! He can tell us where to buy more!"

"Good idea!" Zhane exclaimed. "Hmm...I bet that Tommy knows where to get it, too. He said something about Godiva, and that's supposed to be the best of all!"

"The best!?" Yaralla asked in awe. At Zhane's nod, she jumped around him happily. "Oooh! This is going to be sooo fun! Hey, let's go into Angel Grove and scope out the construction scene! Then I can see Rocky!" She pulled down on her cotton white tank top. "Do you think I'm pretty, Zhane?"

The Silver Astro Ranger nodded. "Of course I do! You're beautiful!"

Yaralla giggled. "I think you're cute! You look like Wellen Traporad!"

"I do not!" Zhane told her, hearing the name of the famous holographic film star. "He always gets the girl! Who do I have?" This thought upset him, and he lowered his head morosely.

"You have me!" Yaralla said excitedly. "Come on, Zhane! Wellen Traporad wasn't always in those lovey dovey movies! He was in those gangster movies, too! See, you could be him, and I could be your lovely sidekick!" She thought for a moment. "Andros could be the brains of the operation! We'd have our own little gang!"

Zhane smiled at this. "You're right! The Astro Gang!"

Yaralla grinned widely. "Yeah!" Taking his hand, the two began to walk towards Angel Grove, not knowing exactly what they had gotten themselves into by innocently trying Earth chocolate.

~*~

Kim glanced at Jaime who was completely silent as they walked through Angel Grove. She didn't know how much longer she would be able to stand this! The day before, they had barely spoken to each other, and when they had, Jaime had been completely distant as if he didn't want to be with her!
"So, um, have you been all right while working on Angel Grove?" Kim questioned cautiously. "You know...no injuries?"

Jaime glanced at her before looking at the ground. "No, I've been ok." Turning a little red, he gazed ahead of him again before smiling faintly. "How about you?"

Kim sighed. "I've never been better." Puh...yeah, right. Stopping abruptly, she put a hand on his arm. "This has gone on long enough, Jaime Talsik!"

Hearing the use of his full name for the first time off of her lips, Jaime looked at her with shock. "Kim, what's wrong? What did I do?"

"What did you do!?" Kim threw her arms in the air with exasperation. "I asked you if you wanted to walk around with me this morning so that we would actually get into a conversation instead of saying nothing to each other! If we're going to have a relationship, then it needs to be two ways!"

Jaime sighed. "Kim, I'm just waiting for you to start the conversation. I'm being as open as I can!"

Kim smirked. "Why do I have to be the one to start a conversation!? Just because you aren't from Earth you can't say something!?" All of a sudden, she began laughing at her own words.

"What?" Jaime looked at her with concern. Either I'm missing something, or she's gone off the deep end... "Kim, what's so funny?"

"I feel like I'm talking to Tommy sophomore year!" Kim chuckled. "He was very reserved, and I had to coax him into talking to me."

Jaime smiled at this. "Well, um, I was kinda nervous about talking to you, and so I asked Jason and Tommy how I should act, and they both agreed that I should act shy because you liked that in a guy!"

"Yeah, I liked that in Tommy, but you aren't Tommy," Kim told him. She sighed. "Kat told me to make sure that we always did stuff together in order to open up communication." Laughing, she rubbed his hand. "I've tired myself out. Yesterday we walked for about two hours, worked together, and hung out together, all the while accomplishing nothing!"

Both the Silver and Pink Ninja Rangers laughed at this. "Can we start over," Kim asked, "as Kimberly Hart of Earth and Jaime Talsik of Triphoria. You know, instead of me trying to be Kat and you trying to be Tommy?"

Jaime nodded happily. "I would love that." Hugging, the two smiled before continuing down the street. They had been talking for about five minutes when a frantic Kat and Jason stopped in front of them. Jaime frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nice outfit, Kat," Kim said with a smile. "It looks great on you! Do you mind if I borrow it sometime?"

Kat quickly replied, "Yes, you can borrow it, and I'm glad the clothes look good. Listen, Guys, we've been looking all over for Tommy, and we can't find him. Have you seen him?"

"No," Jaime told her worriedly. "I've been with Kim the whole day, and we haven't seen him. Didn't he stay in his room at the shelter last night?"

Jason sighed. "That's what I thought, but he wasn't there when I went to talk to him this morning. Tommy wasn't in the Crisis Center or on the Megaship either, and so far we've checked the shelter twice, looked in Angel Grove Park, and checked out the area where he would have been working in the city today and there has been no sign of him."

"That's really weird," Kim acknowledged. She shook her head. "Where could he be? Do you think the moon powers have something to do with his disappearance?"

"I don't think so," Kat commented, her voice showing how upset she was at the whole situation. "Zordon would have contacted us. Plus, Jason checked with Alpha this morning, and the droid hadn't seen him."

Jason nodded. "Yeah, we're going to keep looking for him. Thanks anyway, Guys."

Jaime stepped towards him with concern. "Do you want us to come with you?"

"It's all right," Kat told him honestly. "Just keep your eyes peeled. If you see him, contact us. After a little while, if we can't find him, we'll contact you."

"Contact us if you find him, too," Kim told her. "If you don't, I'll be worried the whole day." Jason nodded, showing her that they would, before running off with Kat down the street. Jaime watched them go before lowering his head and hoping that the White Ranger was all right before continuing down the street with Kim.

~*~

"So, what are your true feelings for Rocky?" Zhane asked Yaralla flippantly. Putting a hand through his blond hair, he flashed her a dazzling white smile. "Are you serious about him?"
Yaralla shrugged. "I'm not sure. It's good to be around different guys...no offense of course, Zhane, because you know I loooove you." She sang out the word 'love' and put her arm around his waist. "Well, he's cute. In a way, Rocky is you with brown hair and an earring."

She looked around before letting go of him and walking a few steps away before looking down at the ground in interest. "You can tell where the blast hit. See?" She jumped into a bunch of dirt which matched the ground of most of the city. "The blast hit here." Jumping to the left, she landed on a patch of grass. "It didn't hit here!" Yaralla jumped back and forth a few times before giggling. "I'm so smart!" Running back over to Zhane, she put her arm around his waist again. "You're so tall! How come I can't be as tall as you?"

"I'm a guy," Zhane said proudly. "Besides, Rocky's tall, too." Yaralla nodded before poking him and giggling to herself. "Anyway, I'm happy to be around different people, too. Tommy and I have a lot in common, and Rocky seems like a nice guy." He was surprised by how good he was feeling. While Zhane wasn't as hyper as he had been before, he was happy to be alive and happy to be around the woman that he considered a sister. In a way, he felt on top of the Universe.

Hearing someone call her name, Yaralla turned around to see Rocky waving towards them. "Look, Zhane! It's Rock-y!" She ran over to him. "Hey! We were looking for you and the others!"

"I didn't think you were going to come down, so I went to the Megaship," Rocky explained. "Andros told me, quite glumly, that the two of you had left him to do all the work on the ship today."

Yaralla nodded. "So? He's a bore. It isn't like he has anything better to do." Waving to Zhane, she smiled. "Will you be ok on your own?" At Zhane's nod, she grinned. "Keep your eyes open, Zhane. You might find what you're looking for." With that, she walked away with Rocky and excitedly began telling him how much she loved Earth.

Zhane sighed before turning around and bumping into someone who had been walking in the other direction. "Oh, I'm sorry! Let me help you up!" He lowered his hand to her. "I didn't see you coming."

"I didn't see you, either," The woman said. Standing with her brown clipboard in hand, she gazed at him before pushing back a loose strand of her blond bun. "Do I know you?"

"Do I know you?" Zhane asked, looking her over. She definitely looked familiar. "Um, I just got into Angel Grove." He hoped that he hadn't given away too much, but that was what Tommy always said.

The woman thought about this for a minute before extending her hand. "It's Zhane, isn't it?" At his nod, she smiled. "I'm Emily, the Gold F Ranger. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, too," Zhane said. "Um, I'm sorry, again, for knocking you over."

Emily grinned. "Don't worry about it, Zhane. It wasn't like I saw you." She looked down at her clipboard before gazing at him again, her blue eyes clear. "What are you doing right now?"

"Walking around by myself," Zhane explained. "Yaralla just ran off with Rocky."

Laughing at this, Emily took his hand and led him towards the construction workers. "Well, we're down a few people because most of the builders have been going AWOL over the last couple of days. Do you want to help us out?" At Zhane's nod, she smiled. "Good! Um, I'll show you around, and then I'll give you something easy to do, ok?"

Zhane nodded. "Well, I did work yesterday with Jeff and Tommy."

"You worked with Jeff?" Emily smiled. "I haven't seen him in awhile. Anyway, we're ok on the lifters and nailers for right now, but we do needs some painters."

"I have no clue whatsoever what that is, but I'll help out anyway," Zhane told her. She just chuckled and led him closer to the workers with a feeling that they were going to get along just fine.

~*~

This is hopeless... Looking at Jason who was rubbing his eyes, Kat sighed. "What if something really does happen to him, Jason? It'll be all my fault!"
"No, it won't," Jason told her forcefully. "We're going to find him, Kat, and he's going to be all right." Do you know that for sure, Jason? Really? Or are you just saying that because you don't want the guilt placed on yourself if Tommy really is hurt? At this thought, the Red Ranger shook his head fiercely. No! We're going to find him, and he will be in perfect condition!

Spotting Yaralla and Rocky walking together past the shelter, Kat ran up to them with a worried expression on her usually smooth features. "Hey, Guys."

"Hi, Kat," Rocky said with confusion, already sensing that something was wrong. "What's going on?"

Catching up with them, Jason shook his head before saying, "We have no idea where Tommy is. Have you seen him at all today?"

"No," Yaralla told him. "I just came down from the Megaship a few minutes ago."

Rocky nodded. "Ever since I left the Crisis Center, I haven't seen him. Why? Do you think he's in trouble?"

At this, Kat lowered her eyes and pulled down on her pink halter. "I hope not, Rocky."

"Don't worry too much," Jason told them, forcing himself to sound optimistic. "There are a lot of places Tommy could be in this city. We haven't checked many spots, so until we do, we aren't going to fear the worst." It's a little late for that, isn't it, Jason?

"Yeah," Kat said. "Thanks anyway, Guys." With that, the Red and Pink Rangers continued on leaving Rocky and Yaralla to stare after them, speechless.

Kat skimmed the workers near the entrance of Angel Grove with her eyes, but frowned when she didn't see Tommy. "This is like looking for a needle in a haystack." All of a sudden, she heard someone call her name and, turning around, Kat sighed with relief as she saw it was Emily.

The Gold Ranger F saw the troubled look in her eyes instantly. "What's going on?" As Zhane walked up behind her, she watched as he, too, noticed the worry on Kat's face.

Stepping behind Kat, Jason sighed. "Tommy's missing. Have you two seen him?"

"No," Emily told him. "Hell, I didn't even see him yesterday!"

"I was going to look for him earlier, but I figured that he was probably busy," Zhane told them, his eyes widening. "Do you think he was attacked?"

Kat shook her head. "No, Zhane. I'm sure he's all right. Maybe he's just working at a different spot in the city. Jason and I are going to check out some more areas first before morphing or doing anything else that would be rash."

"That's a good idea," Emily told her. Gazing at Jason, she smiled faintly. "Let us know if you find him or if you need help looking. We'll keep our eyes peeled." Zhane nodded.

"Thank you," Jason said. With that, he and Kat walked further into Angel Grove together. Zhane watched them go before sighing. I hope he's all right... He then followed Emily back to the area where he had begun to pain the wall of a building.

Meanwhile, Kat turned to Jason. "I'm really getting worried, but I want to go down a few more streets before calling Zordon and getting the rangers involved."

"I feel bad for working them all up like this," Jason admitted, "but it needed to be done. You're right, though. We should hold off on calling Zordon. He's in a meditative state, and I wouldn't want to pull him out of it." Nodding in agreement, Kat looked around the bleak Angel Grove streets and spied more workers before sighing. Tommy, where are you?

~*~

Rita fixed her hair before looking back out of her Repulsascope at the humans that were valiantly trying to fix Angel Grove. She smirked. It was amazing how they had nothing better to do than to recreate material things. Hearing footsteps, she turned around and growled as she saw her husband standing in the opening of the throne room.
Zedd walked up to her before smirking. "You're using your Repulsascope, I see. Am I interrupting your daily viewing of the White Ranger?"

"Go back to hell and rot there," Rita told him scornfully. "I wasn't even looking at the rangers!"

"You're my wife, and you can't talk to me in this fashion!" Zedd roared in anger. She had never talked to him like that, and he was going to make sure that she never did again. Rita put her hands on her hips and growled. "You can't talk to me in the way that you have been for the past couple of days because you're supposed to be loyal to your wife!"

Zedd laughed harshly at this. "Loyal to my wife!? You're the one sleeping with a ranger!" As the two continued to argue, Uriel walked into the room and covered her ears at the horrible screaming.

Stepping, unnoticed, into the throne room, she moved easily past Zedd and Rita and put a hand on Rita's Repulsascope. This is the best time to check on him...when no one else notices... Leaning towards the Repulsascope, she smiled as Angel Grove came into view. Moving it around, Uriel found the White Energy and, zooming in on it, she found that he was sitting on a cot nibbling absently on a small bit of food while talking to someone that she had never seen before. Could he be another ranger? Oh, who cares...as long as he's all right.

Meanwhile, in the shelter, Jeff sighed. "Tommy, you need to talk to Kat. There's no other way to get past it!"

"You're right," Tommy admitted softly as he took a few more pieces of cereal and stuck them in his mouth. "When I get up the courage to, I'll talk to her, and we'll straighten this whole thing out."

"Come on, Tommy!" Jeff countered. "By that rate, you'll talk to Kat in a few years!" I can't believe he's letting one misunderstanding ruin his whole relationship with Kat!

Tommy smiled faintly and looked down at his communicator which he had switched off while Jeff had been gone. "I'll probably never talk to her again. You're right, Jeff. Maybe it's better this way. All things happen for a reason, right?"

"Not when they can be changed," Jeff told him icily. Taking his hand, he pulled him up with more force than Tommy had ever experienced from the less-than-expert martial artist and tugged him out of his room and towards the exit of the shelter.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Tommy cried, trying to get his hand free of Jeff's iron grip. "Let me go!"

Jeff sighed. "This is for your own good, Tommy. Believe me." Pushing him outside, he grabbed his hands again before yelling at the top of his lungs, "Kat! If you can hear me, come to the shelter! Kat!" Hearing him, Tommy tried once again to pull away from him.

A couple of streets away, Kat turned around as she heard a faint voice call her name. "Jason, do you hear that?"

"Yeah, we'd better get back," the Red Ranger said with concern. The two began to run back towards the shelter.

"You bastard!" Tommy hollered angrily. "I can't believe you! Asshole!" Finally getting free of him, he ran as fast as he could away from Jeff, who took a moment to get his bearings before chasing after him.

The White Ranger scurried ahead and rubbed his eyes to push away the tears that were now falling from them. Looking around as he reached the back of the shelter, he shook his head. "I'm sorry, Zordon." With that, he pushed a few buttons on his communicator and teleported away.

A few seconds later, Jeff reached the back of the shelter and looked around in shock as he saw that Tommy was out of sight. "That's impossible!" Jeff muttered, gazing around. "I was only a few feet behind him! How did he get that far ahead!?" Shaking his head, he felt the impact of Tommy's words for the first time before walking back to the shelter and wondering if he had done the right thing.

As his teleport ended, Tommy landed on his knees in the middle of a barren street. He lowered his head to the ground before letting the dust assault his eyes as he cried into the warm ground. "I can't believe him..."

The White Ranger was so involved in his own emotion that he didn't hear a voice murmur, "Oh my God." He did, however, feel the hand on his back and, looking up, Tommy gasped as he saw that Jason was standing above, his expression fierce. The Red Ranger's glare faded quickly, however, and he turned around. "Kat, he's here." Looking down at Tommy again, he shook his head before lowering his eyes, but not fast enough for the White Ranger to see a tear escape one. Tommy then glanced back at Kat who was walking towards them, a shaky smile on her face, before burying his face in his hands so that she couldn't see him. He wasn't sure if he deserved to have her look at him ever again.

~*~

"So, how are you feeling," Zack asked a recently released Trini who seemed to have a bounce in her step.
The Copper Ninja Ranger smiled. "I feel great. The injury really wasn't that bad. I was stunned, and there was some burning, but besides that, I'm great." Seeing him look away and lick his lips, Trini frowned. "What's on your mind, Zack?"

The Green Ninja Ranger shook his head. "It's nothing, really. Well, I know I told you that I didn't care that Tanya was going out with Adam, too, but the truth is that I don't know how she could still go out with him after he almost got her killed when she was kidnapped by Gasket."

"There was no way Adam could have stopped her from being abducted," Trini told him. Seeing that this had not appeased him, she sighed. "You're playing a game, Zack, and in this game you have to be willing to take chances, and you have to be willing to make sacrifices. I hate to say it, but you were the last one to come on. If Adam finds out about you two, you'll probably be the one that is forced to give up Tanya." As Zack frowned, Trini shook her head. "You need to decide if she's worth all the pain that you're going through."

Zack nodded slowly. "Tanya is worth it, Trini. I love her, and I can't just give her up. We're too deep together." As the two rounded a corner, Zack turned away quickly and ran towards Angel Grove Park.

"Zack!" Trini called, not quite sure what had set him off. Turning back around, her question was answered. Adam and Tanya were standing in front of the shelter making out. That bitch...

Catching up with the Green Ninja, Trini embraced him tightly and, feeling him tremble under her touch, quietly said, "I don't agree with your decision to stay with her, Zack, and if there was anyway I could talk you out of doing this to yourself and to Adam then I would, but I know there isn't.

"What I will say is that if you feel like Tanya is worth all this pain then you have to be prepared for more and more as you and she get deeper. This is what happen when you play with fire. You get burned." Zack gazed at her before nodding, knowing that she was right...things would get worse...and she couldn't talk him out of it...

~*~

Kat looked down at Tommy for a few seconds and watched as he furiously wept at his tears. She could practically hear a voice inside of him saying that he was a wimp for crying...that he was a jerk...that he was somehow to blame for whatever fault he thought he had committed. For once, I wish I could meet that little voice face to face and kill it...
Bending down next to him, Kat grabbed his hands with her left hand and threw her right one around him, embracing him tightly. "I love you, Tommy."

"Why?" The White Ranger asked quietly. "Why do you? I don't deserve it."

"You do deserve it," Kat told him gently. "About that one night...I'm so sorry for dropping you like that. I want you, Tommy. You don't know how badly I wanted to let you keep going, but I know that we must have made the decision to stay pure when we first started going out, and I want to honor that choice for as long as I can."

Tommy nodded slowly. "I know, Kat, but I want you so much...that night, I could have raped you if you hadn't gotten through to me!"

Kat laughed at this before gazing into his sad brown eyes and kissing his cheek softly. "Is that what you truly think? Did you think I pushed you away because I was afraid that you were going to rape me?" At his nod, she shook her head, a small smile gracing her features. "Tommy, there was no way that I considered that night to be the beginning of rape, because when I told you to stop, you did. If you were going to rape me, you wouldn't have honored my decision and kept going!

"I love you, and I know you love me, too. Tommy, I trust you, and I know in my heart that you would never rape me."

"I'm so sorry, Kat," Tommy told her. "From now on, I'll be sure to honor your decisions."

Kat giggled lightly before saying, "I don't know for how much longer my decisions will matter. They might change. You never know, but for now I would prefer to wait."

"I'll wait with you, then," Tommy told her. Kissing her gently, they both stood, and the White Ranger faced Jason who had turned away and was making a pattern in the dust with his foot.

Stepping behind the oblivious Red Ranger, he put a hand on his shoulder before looking down at the ground. "It's either a drawing of a sad person, or a really messed up version of Zordon's tube." Hearing his best friend chuckle weakly, Tommy sighed. "I'm sorry that I snapped at you that one day...plus, the decongestant comment was really low. Believe me, Jason, I know you're looking out for my best interests."

"I can't choose your friends for you, and I know that now," Jason told him, turning towards the White Ranger. "If you want to be friends with Jeff, that's your decision. There's just so much anger in me towards him...I can't—"

"I don't expect you to be friends with him just because I am, Bro," Tommy told him seriously. "If you don't like him, I can understand that."

Jason nodded before shrugging. "I'll try to have an open mind, but for now I'd rather let you two be friends with me on the side."

Tommy sighed. "Jason, you aren't on the side, ok? Don't you realize that I'm better friends with you than I ever have or ever will be with Jeff?"

"Seriously?" At the White Ranger's nod, Jason frowned. "Why? I thought you two were best friends!"

"We are," Tommy told him, "but you're supposed to be able to share everything with your best friend. I can't share everything with Jeff. He's not a ranger and you are. In that way, I'll always be closer to you. Plus, rangers aside, I can tell you more. We've been friends longer." He shot Jason one of his patented 'Well-what-do-you-think-of-that?' looks.

Jason smiled. "Thanks."

Tommy shrugged. "Plus, you're a better sparring partner than Jeff. He's so easy to beat."

"Are you serious?" At Tommy's grin, he nodded. "I had a feeling that was the case."

As Kat walked up to him, Tommy put his arm around her before looking up at the sky. "It's getting dark already?"

"You were gone for awhile," Jason told him. "Anyway, where were you?"

Tommy smiled sheepishly. "Um, I was with Jeff." The Red Ranger stared at him for a few moments before smacking his arm flippantly and smiling, obviously accepting the news well. The three turned back towards the shelter, and Tommy put his other arm around Jason. They all laughed and the Red and Pink Rangers went on to tell Tommy about what they had gone through trying to find him.

~*~

From the moon, Rita and Zedd both watched as night fell upon the Earth and workers from the shelter joined together outside. A campfire was lit, and a few of the attendants had returned with marshmallows galore. Trini and Jason were whispering things to each other as they sat besides the fire, and Adam and Tanya were talking about all they had been through lately, kissing every so often.
They're such sickening creatures Zedd thought to himself before continuing to scan the area. Rocky was excitedly telling Yaralla about how the city had been destroyed. Tommy and Kat were toasting marshmallows together and, after they had become brown, both rangers pulled them out. Taking hers off the stick she had been using, Kat was about to put it in her own mouth before turning to Tommy and holding it up for him. He looked at her questioningly before taking a bite and swallowing the smooth bite before offering the Pink Ranger his. She took a bite and, he watched with enjoyment as it slid down her throat before saying, "I love you."

"I love you, too," Kat told him. Putting her arm around his waist, she kissed his chin before looking at him expectantly.

Tommy touched her cheek gently before kissing her lips. Pulling away a few seconds, he smiled shyly. "I didn't say it before, but you look really good today. I've never seen you wear anything like this. It was an interesting change, but I liked it."

Kat smiled before inquiring, "So, you like this better than anything I've worn before?"

"I love you...I'd love you if you wore rags and your hair was matted against your face, Kat. Whatever you want to wear and makes you feel good will make me feel good in turn." She kissed his cheek before snuggling closer to him and putting her head on his shoulder.

Zhane and Andros, who had been putting some finishing touches on a wall near them, snickered at this. Dipping his paint brush in white paint, Zhane flicked some at Andros' arm and, seeing the Red Astro Ranger stare at him angrily, shrugged. "Sorry. It was an accident."

"An accident, huh?" Taking his roller, Andros rolled some of the white paint on him before smiling smugly. "Well, that was accidental, too. We're even."

"I don't think that was accidental," Zhane said slowly. As Andros' eyes glimmered, he smiled slyly before jumping on top of him. The two wrestled with each other on the ground, laughing and playfully rolling around in the dust.

Yaralla groaned before standing from her place by Rocky and walking up to them. "Guys, this has gotten out of control. Will you please stop? You're are embarrassing me!" As she had asked, the two Astro Rangers stopped and looked at her.

Seeing their sweet smiles, she gaped at them in horror before they both jumped her and tickled her to no end. Though she cried for them to stop, they showed her no mercy. Jackie, Zack, and Emily laughed at this as she glanced at them between giggles.

Rita watched this before turning to her husband. "Kat loves Tommy."

"Tommy loves Kat...they all love each other..." Zedd observed, realizing that he had never really said the 'L' word before.

Thinking about this, Rita lowered her head. "Tell me honestly, Zeddy. Did you have sex with her?"

Zedd shook his head. "No. It was the same as you and Tommy, pretty much. She felt me, but nothing more than that happened." Gazing at her, he sighed. "I'm...sorry..."

"I am, too," Rita told him, surprised by how good it felt to apologize to him. Walking over to her husband, she kissed him passionately, happy that they were back together again.

From the doorway to the throne room, Rashell and Uriel clapped. Rita and Zedd glared at Rashell who was cawing softly before grumbling and leaving the room. "I'm glad that things will finally go back to normal around here," Rashell noted. "Are you going to come to bed now?"

"No," Uriel told him, also glad that Rita and Zedd were no longer fighting. "I think I'm just going to stay up for a little longer and watch the Earth." Rashell nodded and pecked her cheek before leaving the room. Staring after her husband, Uriel sighed and sat down on Zedd's throne, letting her mind wander to her child again.

Uriel stood and walked over to the Repulsascope, her black skirt flowing gracefully over her long smooth legs, and looked through it, spotting Tommy and Kat kissing each other by the fire. Putting her hand on her stomach, Uriel smiled evilly. "Just wait, Katherine. Wait until I have this child, and then the White Ranger will be mine for the taking..."

~*~

After teleporting back to the Megaship, Yaralla and Zhane stepped in front of Andros, their eyes bright. "So, tell us honestly...do you like Earth?" Yaralla questioned.
Andros nodded slowly. "Yeah, I do. The rangers are really great people, and the scenery is beautiful. I'm really going to like it here." He yawned. "Still, I am tired."

"I have to do a quick check on the thrusters," Zhane told them, "but I'll be there in a second."

Yaralla nodded. "I've got to look at the results from the main engine scan. You go on ahead, Andros."

"That's what you get for not doing your work earlier," Andros told them with a chuckle. Wishing them both a good night, he left the room and went to his cot.

In the control room, Zhane frowned at Yaralla. "You looked at the results from the main engine scan this morning. I know because when I walked in, DECA was saying something like 'main engine is online and in perfect condition.' What are you doing?"

Motioning for him to be quiet, Yaralla went through her pockets and pulled out two bars of chocolate. Holding one up to him, she smiled faintly. "I couldn't resist."

"You're amazing," Zhane breathed in wonder. "Did Rocky get them for you?"

"He sure did," Yaralla said. "I'm not going to have mine now, though, since I'm going to sleep, but tomorrow is another day." She stuffed her bar back in the pocket of her jeans.

Zhane followed suit before smiling. "You're the best, Yaralla." She merely smiled and waited for him to check the thrusters and gather the results before walking with him back to the sleeping area of the Megaship. They hid the chocolate in different areas of the room before grinning as they went to sleep and dreaming of the smooth food going down their throats the next morning. Earth was definitely going to be an enjoyable place to stay...

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART TWELVE OF ALLIED EVIL...

The End

Darn it! One page away from beating Golden Wars as the longest story in AE! Oh well...so, what did you think of an Allied Evil story without any real physical fighting? Was it an interesting change? Did you miss the action? I really want to know, so that if you didn't like this type of story then I'll know not to do it again. So...new plot developments...Rocky and Yaralla are getting closer...what do you want to see happen between Andros and Jackie. This idea was played with, but it isn't set in stone yet. Let me know if you like this idea, or if Jackie isn't Andros' type...whatever. Remember, my Andros isn't like the Andros on PRiS. Unlike PRiS' version of the character, mine has not been alone for two years. Instead, he has been with his two best friends after KO-35 was attacked. Well, any comments you have for me should be sent to Rkacat@aol.com I look forward to seeing what you thought of this story, and thank you for reading! I really appreciate it!

1 2