It was all Jason could do not to panic as Bennett walked around the bed. He tugged helplessly at the straps that held his wrists, but they were bound tight: he couldn't pull them loose. Bennett watched him with obvious glee.
"Looks like you brought your boy up right, Jason. He did as he was told."
Jason shut his eyes, struggling against the nausea that was suddenly threatening from deep in his gut.
"Please," he whispered finally as Bennett hovered over him, leering cruelly. "Blindfold William. Please, don't make him watch."
"Now, you should know better than to ask that," Bennett chided him. "This is all a part of the lesson. Little William has to know what's expected of him."
Anger flashed in Jason's eyes, then, and he stared up at Bennett with with growing desperation.
"Do you really think he'd let you touch him after watching you hurt me?"
His voice cracked, heavily laced with fear and panic. Bennett hesitated, though. Jason had a point, and he didn't fancy having to fight an hysterical five year-old.
"All right," he conceded with a grumble. "I'll blindfold him. But after that, no more stalling!"
Jason nodded, trembling both with relief at sparing his son what was sure to be nothing short of a nightmare, and terror at what he realised he could no longer escape.
"Thank you."
Bennett left the room, then, and Jason turned his attention to his young son.
"William, listen up."
"Yeah?"
"When he comes back, he's going to blindfold you. You aren't to take that blindfold off for any reason, do you understand me? No matter what you hear."
Tears were rolling slowly down the child's face.
"He's going to hurt you again, isn't he?"
Jason felt nausea roll through his gut. If there was one thing he could never do, it was lie to his son.
"He's going to try," Jason admitted, as he silently wondered who would be affected worse by the terror ahead of them: William or himself? "But you have to promise me you won't take the blindfold off, no matter what you hear. Promise me, William!"
"I promise," William whimpered. "But Daddy, your legs...."
Confusion flickered in Jason's eyes, and his gaze went to his legs, strapped at the ankles the same as his wrists. "What about them?"
"Remember when we played Cowboys and Indians? The legs, Daddy...."
The door burst open, and Bennett strode back in, in such of a hurry that he didn't bother with closing the door behind him.
"Here's your damned blindfold." He tugged it down over William's eyes. "But don't worry, you little brat. I'll get to you soon enough."
Jason barely heard Bennett's harsh words as his mind tried frantically to decipher what William had been trying to tell him. Cowboys and Indians.... Cops and Robbers.... Both were games that William enjoyed playing, especially imitating his dad as the brave policeman. But what....
His breath froze in his throat. Whenever they'd played those games, he had set down one firm rule: Never tie up your captive tightly. If it had been him to catch William, he had always made sure that the ropes were so loose that William could easily slip them at any time. Maybe.... Just maybe....
Suddenly, Bennett was hovering over him again, a lecherous grin on his rubbery lips.
"I've been waiting for this for a long time, Jason. Hope you're gonna make it worth my while."
He climbed onto the bed, straddling one of Jason's outstretched legs, and reached for the young man's belt buckle. An instant later, Bennett's sneer of triumph turned into a grimace of agony as Jason ripped his right ankle free of the restraining strap and slammed his knee in Bennett's groin as hard as he possibly could.
Bennett fell off the bed with a crash and curled up on the floor, whimpering in pain like a baby, his hands clutching between his legs. On the bed, Jason quickly discovered the other ankle strap was similarly loose, and pulled his left leg free of it as well.
"William! Help me...."
William yanked off the blindfold, saw his father was half free, and threw himself into undoing the wrist straps.
"When did you do that?" Jason asked breathlessly.
"When you were sleeping," William told him. "I thought I could untie you, but make it look like you were still tied up."
"Smart boy," Jason murmured. The strap fell away, and Jason quickly ripped off the other wrist strap, then slid off the bed.
"C'mon," he said grimly, scooping William up in his right arm in a single, swift movement. "We're getting out of here."
He strode out of the room, pausing long enough to slam it shut and break off the wooden door handle.
"That might hold him for a while. Let's go."
They didn't make it far. Jason had underestimated his own recovery from the blow to the head, and they'd only just made it up a winding stairwell from the small room, and down a long hallway, when a racking pain swept through his skull, causing him to go down with a crash. He landed squarely on his broken arm, and was unable to bite back a scream of pain. William crawled out from under his father, fear in his eyes. William crawled out from under his father, fear in his eyes.
"Daddy?" He crouched down beside Jason, pulling helplessly at his shirt. "Daddy, please get up!"
Jason groaned softly, and pushed himself up onto his knees. "Sorry, tiger," he whispered weakly. "I think you might have to walk this one."
William reached out and grabbed Jason's hand. "I can walk, Daddy. We have to get out of here! C'mon, I'll lead you!"
Jason shuddered, then forced himself onto his feet. His head was spinning, and he seriously doubted his physical ability to continue.
_Trini, Tommy, where are you?_
"Jason!"
It was Bennett. His voice wavered a little, but he was clearly recovering from the kick to the groin, and out of the room. That girded Jason into action, and he forced his blurred vision to focus on the end of the hall. He tightened his grip on William's hand and the two ran, reaching the end of the hall and rounding the corner into another long hallway.
_Damn it, how big is this place?_ Jason wondered with a touch of panic. They passed another staircase, leading both up and down, and Jason back- tracked, leading William down in the hope of finding a way out. Too late, though, he realised he should have gone up instead of down as they found themselves encompassed by stone walls. They were underground, Jason realised dimly, in a strange maze of stone....
The orphanage! His heart leapt as he finally recognised his surroundings. This was the Angel Grove orphanage, which had been closed down over ten years ago, due to not being big enough to provide adequate space for all the children, and because of a dangerous maze underground tunnels, where several children had gotten lost and had nearly starved to death.
He paused for just a moment, looking around him. He had been down here just once before. The High School had gotten permission to take students down into the maze after the orphanage's closure, for a close look at the strange architecture. He had been one of the 'fortunate' few to see it, for soon after the closure, the entire place had been bought by an unknown person, and it had become off-limits to everyone.
It was all Jason could do not to throw up as it occurred to him that Bennett may well have conducted his gruesome 'lessons' within this very building. He thrust the thought to the back of his mind, and turned to take William and himself back up the stairs when Bennett's voice drifted down to him.
"Got you trapped now, haven't I? You thought you were smart, but I'm smarter than you. I'm coming for you, Jason. Why don't you do yourself a favour and just wait right where you are?"
Jason began to back into the nearest, dimly-lit tunnel, pulling William with him. He dared not say a word, in the hope that Bennett didn't know they were there, and was merely bluffing. A moment later, he heard a door creak loudly, and slam shut. Then, Bennett spoke again.
"Shall we play hide and seek, Jason? Do you like that game, William? I do. I'll be 'it'. You two can hide, but I'll find you. Then, I'll teach you a lesson you'll never forget."
"C'mon," Jason whispered to William. "Let's go."
The two turned to go further into the maze, away from Bennett, only to be chased by his voice.
"I can hear you, Jason! I'm coming for you now!"
Jason grimaced and bit back an angry, frightened remark, silently ushering William into the depths of the maze.
Then, the lights went out.
Power Chamber
"I've got something," Billy announced suddenly. "The computer is homing in on someone."
"I just hope it's Jason," Kat said anxiously.
"The viewing globe," Tommy said. "It should come up in the viewing globe."
They looked, and the mist swirling in the viewing gradually cleared to reveal a murky blackness, through which they could just make out stone walls.
"Where is that?" Tanya asked softly, of no one in particular.
"Looks like an underground dungeon of some sort," Rocky said ruefully.
Silence followed, until Billy spoke with surprised recognition.
"The orphanage....?"
"What orphanage?" Tommy asked, and David spoke as he leaned in for a closer look.
"It's the old Gardener Orphanage. It was closed down because of safety concerns about eleven or twelve years ago. There's a huge maze of tunnels underneath the building, and a few too many kids went missing for days at a time."
"It was bought by an anonymous person or persons," Billy went on. "No one ever knew who."
"I think we know who now," David muttered. "So what do we do now?" He found himself turning to Tommy, much to both his and Tommy's surprise.
"Billy," Tommy asked, "can the computer specifically find Jason?"
"It could," Billy conceded, "but it would take a lot longer. Our best chance is to just teleport in there. If we wait...."
He trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid, but the implication of his words was brutally obvious. Tommy nodded grimly.
"All right. We're going in. Everyone ready?"
"I hope you know what you're doing," David muttered as he eyed the zeonizers on his wrists. Tommy spared him a glance, and that was all, then looked to Rocky.
"I'll do the coins. You do the crystals."
Rocky nodded in wordless compliance. Tommy hesitated for just a moment longer, reminding himself of why they were doing this, then spoke the words that he had not spoken for nearly ten years.
"It's morphing time!"
"I wish Mummy was here," William whimpered, clinging tightly to his father's hand.
"So do I," Jason whispered. He edged slowly along the corridor, blind in the absolute darkness, but with his other senses stimulated by terror. Bennett had ceased making petulant threats, and silence had descended on the maze. Far more than ever, now, Jason wished to be safely in the arms of his wife, away from this nightmare.
He paused, shutting his eyes. Pain was foremost in his mind; pain from the concussion that was giving him a massive migraine, and pain from his arm which had been broken all over again. He knew he wasn't concentrating properly on their task at hand, and knew it could easily put them back into Bennett's hands. He had to concentrate, forget about his own pains. Think of William....
His breathing eased as he focused on his little boy. That made it marginally easier, and he once again began to edge further into the darkness.
_Trini, where the hell are you?_
A flash of light lit up the darkness for just a brief instant, causing Jason to cringe.
"Daddy?" William asked, and Jason squeezed his hand more tightly.
"Quiet," he whispered, and William bit his lip, falling abruptly silent. Jason felt bad. He hated chastising his son for anything, but silence was essential if they were to avoid Bennett. But about that flash of light?
It puzzled, and worried him. If Bennett had some sort of device that allowed him to see in the dark, then they were in trouble. He couldn't ignore the chance, as much as it frightened him. They were wandering around, blind, and Bennett could well be right behind them.
_Christ, I feel like I'm in Silence Of The Lambs._
His foot caught on a rock jutting out from the wall and he stumbled backwards, unable to find anything to hold onto to keep him from falling. He keeled over backwards, and was on the verge of crying out when he fell into someone. Panic hit, and he instinctively opened his mouth to shout for William to run, when a hand clamped over his mouth and a familiar voice whispered into his ear.
"Don't panic, Jason. It's only me."
Confusion clouded Jason's mind, and he quickly pulled away and turned around. His eyes, adjusting gradually to the dark, were able to make out a faint blue and black visor, just inches away from his own face.
"Billy?"
"Yes. The others are here, too. Just be quiet. I'm going to get you and William out of here. It'll just take a moment longer to activate...."
"Not me," Jason whispered. Billy paused, looking up at Jason incredulously.
"Don't tell me you want to stay here."
"No, but I'm not leaving here until Bennett is caught. Just get William out of here."
"Don't be foolish, Jason," Billy retorted. "The others will find Bennett. He'll be dealt with."
"If it was just me," Jason argued, "then I'd agree. But this is personal now, Billy. That bastard has intruded on my life enough. I have to end it myself, or I'll always be looking over my shoulder. Don't you understand that?"
Billy finally lowered the device he held. "Yes, I'm afraid I do. Trini will have me drawn and quartered for this, but I'll take William back to the Power Chamber now."
"Thankyou. William?"
The little boy poked his head slowly around Jason's leg, peering nervously up at the blue-clad figure. Jason crouched down, and hugged William to him with his one good arm.
"You go with Billy now, okay? He'll take you somewhere safe."
"Uncle Billy?" William asked tentatively. "Is that you?"
Billy smiled behind his visor. "It's me, William." He paused, then held something out to Jason. "Here, you may need this."
A quick glance revealed the object to be one of Billy's powerful torches, and Jason took it gratefully.
Billy then held out his gloved hand to the child. "C'mon, William. Let's get you out of here."
William looked to his father one last time for reassurance. Then, he reached out and took the offered hand, and the two vanished in a flash of blue and white light.
Jason breathed a heavy sigh of relief, thankful that his son was finally safe. His relief was short-lived, though. Even as he turned around, a more solid body collided with him, and the two crashed to the ground.
"Got you," Bennett snarled as he tried to pin Jason down. "I told you I'd find you."
"Get off me, you son of a bitch," Jason hissed. Freeing his right arm, Jason punched his fist into the other man's side, getting him squarely in the kidneys. Bennett groaned in pain, and Jason was able to push him aside and get to his feet. The killer eyed Jason angrily as they stood in a face-off, and for the first time Jason saw the night-vision goggles that his antagonist wore.
"That's hardly fair," he retorted. "You can see, and I can't."
Bennett sneered at him. "You think I'm going to give you an advantage now? I've waited long enough, Jason. Give up. You can't beat me."
"I beat you when I was six," Jason shot back. "Now I'm an adult, there's no way I'll let you win."
"Why fight me?" Bennett persisted. "You can't get out of here. And I don't know where you've left your kid, but I'll have him, too. I always get what I want, Jason. Sooner or later."
Jason hesitated in replying as his attention went to the torch in his hand.
"I think," he said finally, "that we should even this up a little."
Before Bennett could even wonder what Jason meant, the young man lifted the torch and switched it on.
Bennett's scream echoed through the entire maze as the brilliant light of the torch effectively blinded him. He ripped off the goggles, but the damage had been done. Whimpering, he rubbed desperately at his eyes, trying to bring his sight back, to no avail.
Jason took his chance and spun around, delivering a kick to the side of Bennett's head. In his weakened state, though, Jason could deliver only enough power to stun him; not knock him out. The older man staggered backwards, and Jason took the small advantage, advancing on Bennett. He kicked and punched the killer back into the far wall, pinning him there.
"I'd love to just kill you," Jason hissed, closing his good hand tightly around Bennett's chubby throat. "The way you killed Sid. The way you killed all those kids. The way you would've killed me. But I'd rather see you rot in jail. And you know what happens to bastards like you in jail, don't you? Because the real criminals don't like slimy bastards that hurt children." A cold smile touched Jason's lips. "You'll be lucky to last six weeks."
Bennett managed a weak smile, showing little concern at his apparently imminent fate. "You're weak, Jason. You should kill me, but you're too weak. That's your problem. And, you hesitate."
Confusion flickered in Jason's eyes, to be replaced by shock and pain a moment later when he felt something slide into his gut, beneath his ribs.
A glance down, and he saw the hilt of a knife protruding from his stomach, to which Bennett's hand still attached.
The psychotic twisted the blade sharply, and Jason gagged in pain and doubled over, forced to release his hold on the other man. Bennett giggled softly, licking away a trickle of blood from his cut lip.
"Never hesitate, Jason. Remember that."
"Thanks for the advice, you son of a bitch."
Both Jason and Bennett looked around in surprise just in time to see a flash of light in the darkness. There was a loud crunch as a booted foot connected with Bennett's face. Then, Bennett hit the floor with a heavy thud, and didn't get back up.
Jason looked from the now-unconscious body of the serial killer, back to the approaching figure as he slid to the floor. It was a Yellow Ranger, he realised, but his vision was blurring, and he couldn't work out exactly which one it was.
"Jason?" The petite figure of the Ranger knelt down next to him, reaching out to tentatively cup his face in two gentle hands. "Baby, look at me."
He knew that voice.
"Trini....?"
The helmet came off, releasing a cascade of black hair, surrounding the face of the woman that he loved so much.
"Yes, it's me," she murmured. Jason released his breath in a rush, then looked down at the knife that was still embedded in his gut. He started to try and pull it out, only to be stopped by his wife.
"Don't, baby. Don't touch it. We'll get you to hospital, and they'll get it out there." She gently drew him to her, cradling his stocky, trembling body in loving arms. "You're safe now, my love. It's over. We're safe."
Jason shuddered and allowed himself to be wrapped up in Trini's embrace. It was only Trini who noticed the approach of the others a minute later. Tommy came first, shining a torch from Bennett's still form to where Trini was cradling Jason.
"Power down."
There was a flash of light, and the uniform of the White Ranger vanished, leaving Tommy wearing his karate gi.
"Is he badly hurt?" he asked, walking over and crouching down on the other side of his best friend.
"There's the knife," Trini murmured. "I wouldn't let him pull it out now. We don't have anything to pack it with until we get him to hospital."
"His arm," David pointed out, moving forward as he pulled his helmet off. "The plaster's gone."
"It's been broken again," Adam said as he leaned in for a closer look. Trini looked up at them all, impatient.
"Can we please teleport out of here? I would really like to get Jason to a hospital."
Tommy nodded. "Okay." He pressed the button on his communicator. "Billy? Where are you, buddy?"
"Back at the Power Chamber," Billy answered. "I have William with me. He's safe, and unhurt."
"Thank God for that, at least," Rocky muttered. Tommy went on grimly.
"We're teleporting back there now. We've got Jason and Bennett. Better figure out the coordinates for the hospital and Police Headquarters."
"I'm on it now," Billy replied. Tommy looked back to the others, then to Trini.
"All right. Let's get out of here."
They arrived back in the Power Chamber in a flash of rainbow light, bringing Bennett with them.
"Filthy son of a bitch," David growled, as they all powered down. He then took the liberty of cuffing the man's wrists behind his back. "You have the right to remain silent." He paused, his fist clenching tightly. "You have the right to be beaten to a pulp."
"David, no," Trini said anxiously. "He isn't worth losing your badge. Do it properly, please. For Jason and William."
David watched her for a moment, then conceded. Crouching down, he smacked Bennett's face lightly with the back of his hand.
"C'mon, wakey, wakey, you prick."
Bennett finally stirred, only to freeze when his gaze focused on David's uniform. The young captain smiled coldly.
"Surprise, Mr Bennett. You're under arrest for assault, attempted murder, kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment. Would you like to add resisting arrest to that, sir?"
Without waiting for a reply, David hauled the older man roughly to his feet. Bennett's gaze flickered wildly around the group of friends, until he spotted Jason.
"I'm not finished with you, Jason," he spat. "I'll come after you again, I promise!"
"You leave my daddy alone!" a small voice shrieked, and a moment later Bennett howled in pain as William ran up and kicked him hard in the shins. Tommy darted forward and scooped the enraged child up in his arms, carrying him out of harm's way. David fought back a smirk, then looked over to Billy.
"How do we get out of here?"
"Just one moment," Billy answered. "I'll teleport you directly to the police headquarters."
David nodded, and a moment later he and Bennett were gone in a flash of white light.
"Small problem," Rocky piped up, breaking the silence that followed. "We didn't figure out a story to tell the authorities."
Tommy shrugged as he carried William over to where Trini was nursing Jason. "I think it's pretty simple. David figured out where Bennett was hiding out and got there at the same time as the Power Rangers. They went in together, and were just in time to save Jason and William. David arrested Bennett and took him into custody, and the Power Rangers took Jason and William to hospital."
Adam smirked. "You and David Ashley hate each other, but you'll give him the credit for catching Bennett."
"This isn't about whether David and I get along," Tommy retorted. "It's about making sure Bennett can't ever hurt anyone again. Especially Jason."
He dropped into a crouch, passing William into his mother's arms.
The little boy immediately began to cry, clinging to her as the sobs wracked his small body. Tommy rose up again.
"C'mon, guys. Let's get them to hospital."
Late that night
Jason awoke slowly, and the first thing he became aware of was the dull pain that throbbed in his head, stomach and left arm. He moaned softly, and shifted his position a little, only to cringe when fresh pain surged through his body.
"Try not to move, Jason," a gentle voice whispered to him. His eyes opened, and eventually focused on his young wife, leaning over him and watching him with deep concern.
"Trini?"
She smiled, then leaned down to kiss him gently on the mouth. Jason sighed faintly, relaxing a little.
"I thought it was only a dream. Didn't think I was going to ever see you again."
"I couldn't let that happen," Trini murmured. She sat down carefully on the edge of the bed, and brushed her fingers lightly over Jason's forehead. "I need you too much to let some crazy take you away from me. And William needs his daddy."
At the mention of his son's name, Jason went rigid in the bed.
"William... Where is he?" "He's safe, baby. Remember, Billy took him out. He's right over there. See?"
Jason looked past Trini, and saw his son sleeping in the next bed.
"Is he all right?"
"He's not physically hurt," Trini told him, "but he was in shock. The doctors had to sedate him in the end. He started screaming and he wouldn't stop. Jason, what happened? I mean, did Bennett...."
"No," Jason said softly. He paused, then added bitterly, "Not while I was conscious, anyway. I've got no idea what Bennett might have done to me in front of William when I was out." He paused, then went on softly. "When I woke up, I was tied to a bed. He'd taken the plaster off my arm, broken it all over again. William was there as well. Bennett must have been watching from somewhere, because he came in almost straight after I woke up." Jason shook his head. "I knew what was going to happen. I couldn't stop it.... But I didn't want William to have to watch, so I asked Bennett to blindfold him. He did, only because he knew William would probably claw his eyes out afterwards. But William said something to me when Bennett went to get a blindfold. He mentioned when we used to play cowboys and Indians, and cops and robbers. It took me a moment to understand what he meant, though."
"What was it?" Trini asked. A tired smile touched Jason's lips.
"The little sneak managed to untie my ankles, but left it looking like they were still tied up. So, when Bennett climbed up over the top of me, I kneed him in the groin. It gave me and William just enough time to run. But then we ended up in the maze If you and the others hadn't shown up when you did, we would have been in trouble."
Trini smiled. "Well, just for the record, it was David Ashley who caught Bennett. The Power Rangers just got you all out, and brought you, me and William to the hospital."
"So you did use it," Jason murmured. Trini nodded.
"Yes. Don't you remember?"
"It's just a blur after I took William into the maze," he confessed. "I think I remember Billy, and my fight with Bennett, but that's all."
"Well, so you don't worry, Tommy seems to be fine. I don't think there's any need to be concerned."
"What about David?" Jason asked. "Does he know?"
"Yes, he does. And he's been sworn to secrecy. Everything's going to be all right, Jason."
"Everything will be all right providing Bennett goes to jail," Jason muttered. "If the judge lets him off again...."
"I don't think that will happen," Trini interrupted him gently. "This is Angel Grove. We only have one judge."
A smile touched Jason's lips. "Brian Madison. The Hammer."
"Exactly. Bennett can appeal, but he's likely to get twenty or thirty years for this."
Again, Jason couldn't keep smiling. "Twenty or thirty years.... And we have to live with this for a lifetime. It doesn't seems fair."
"We'll get past it," Trini whispered. Lying down carefully next to him, she hugged him as tightly as she dared. "Somehow, we'll get past this. You, me and William, together. It's going to be all right, Jason. I promise."
Jason said nothing, merely shutting his eyes against a steady flow of silent tears.
Three weeks later
Michael Oliver arrived at the hospital early in the morning, before going to the precinct for work. Jason was due to be discharged from hospital that afternoon, and he had know doubt the young officer was looking forward to going home. Especially after the tantalising stories he'd heard about Trini's cooking, he guessed that hospital food left a bit to be desired.
William had been sent home from hospital the next day, after the rescue. A long talk with Donavon's associate, Marty Brandon, had not only settled the little boy down, it had relieved fears that Bennett had assaulted Jason in front of William while Jason had still been unconscious. And, more of a relief to Jason and Trini than anything else, William himself had not been touched by Bennett.
Michael hesitated as he came to the room where Jason was. It was Jason's emotional well-being that concerned him most. The young man not only had to live with the final confrontation, but also with the knowledge of everything that had happened from his sixth birthday onwards. He knew Jason well enough to know that he wasn't spilling his innermost thoughts to anyone, even Trini, and that did worry him.
Swallowing back his own concerns, he rounded the corner and walked into the room. Jason was alone, sitting up in bed and writing carefully on a letter pad, which he put down when he saw Michael.
"Morning, sir," he greeted Michael quietly. Michael nodded.
"Hello, Jason. How are you feeling?"
"A little better. My stomach still hurts pretty badly."
Concern flickered in Michael's eyes. Upon arriving at the hospital the night of the dramatic rescue, Michael had been met by Trini and the Scotts after David had filled him in on the details at the precinct. William, physically, seemed to be fine, but Jason had been in a bad way. He'd apparently been knifed by Bennett in the middle of a last, vicious fight, and had arrived at hospital just as he'd begun to throw up blood. An x-ray and ultra-sound had revealed heavy tearing to his kidneys, and the doctors had then rushed him off to surgery to try and save the vital organ.
The surgery had been successful, much to everyone's relief, but Jason had been under the close watch of the surgeons and nurses for two long weeks, in case his kidneys had decided to fail after all. Now, the crisis appeared to be over, and though Jason was still required to check in the doctor for regular appointments, he would be going home that evening; something that Michael knew for a fact that he was looking forward to.
"I'm sure you'll be fine, Jason. And, I'm sure you'll be glad to get home tonight."
Jason smiled a little. After nearly three weeks in intensive care in hospital, he desperately wanted to be home with his wife and child. "Yes, sir. Ah.... About Bennett...."
"The committal hearing was yesterday. Didn't David come in to tell you?"
"No," Jason said, starting to feel uneasy. "What happened?"
"Relax, Jason," Michael said, smiling reassuringly at him. "Bennett's been committed for trial. It's been set for two month's time, and the judge refused bail, despite his lawyer trying very hard to get the evidence thrown out. It's also helped a lot that we found all those videos of those children he abused. They're reopening the case in Chicago because of it. Bennett isn't going to escape justice this time, Jason."
"No offence, sir," Jason murmured, "but I'll rest easy when he's been found guilty and sentenced."
"Fair enough," Michael conceded. He covered the rest of the distance to the bedside, noting silently that Jason surreptitiously turned down the pad he'd been writing on. "Where is Trini, then?"
"She's taking William back to Kindergarten today."
"You think he's ready?"
Jason shrugged. "He asked yesterday afternoon when he could go back. We figured that if he was asking, and if he wanted to, then he was ready."
"Well, I just stopped in to make sure you knew about yesterday. I need to get going, now. Oh, and Tommy will probably be stopping in to see you before you go home."
"Thanks for the warning," Jason said, smiling wryly. "Oh, Chief?"
Michael looked back around at him questioningly. "Mmm?"
Jason hesitated, then tore the top sheet off the pad in his hands and carefully folded it over.
"Here."
Michael hesitated, then walked back to take it from Jason.
"What's this?"
"My resignation."
Michael froze. "Excuse me?"
Jason said nothing, merely watched his superior with dark, unreadable eyes. Michael unfolded the paper and read it through silently before responding.
"You aren't serious about this, are you?"
"Yes, sir," Jason said softly. "I've been thinking it over carefully. I'd like to give the minimum notice, if you could formally accept it."
"No."
Jason blinked, staring at Michael in confusion. "No?"
Before Jason could protest, Michael tore the piece of paper in half, then half again.
"I'm not accepting this, Jason. Because I don't think you have thought it over carefully. Now, listen to me. When you go home today, you talk about this with Trini. And stop thinking about what might have happened. Stop thinking about Bennett altogether. You think about everything you've gotten out of being a cop."
Jason opened his mouth to protest, and was interrupted by Michael.
"No, don't say anything. When you've thought it through properly, and talked it over with Trini, then come and talk it over with me. Until then, I do not want to know about this. Do you understand me, Captain?"
Jason conceded grudgingly. "Yes, sir."
"Good. Now, I have to go." He shot Jason a meaningful look. "I'll see you back at work when you're ready. Not before. And until then, take care of yourself." He paused in the doorway. "We need you where you are, Jason. You're a good cop. Don't do something that we both know you'd regret."
Then, he was gone. Jason stared at the open door for several long seconds before sighing faintly and lying back down to start thinking his situation over once more.
Dragon Dojo
Tommy paused outside the room where he'd just finished with a class, breathing heavily. Though he would not have admitted it to the others, for fear of worrying them, ever since reactivating the powers the previous week, he had been suffering throwbacks to the days that he'd been on drugs. He was having nightmares again; not severe, just enough to distress. But he wouldn't have told the others. Especially Trini, knowing that it would eventually get back to Jason.
Sighing inwardly, he walked down the hall to his office, and took the liberty of locking himself in. As before, he could still feel the remnants of the morphing rush pumping through his system, but he was determined not to let it dominate him again. He'd been through this once before, and it had landed him in a shit load of trouble with drugs. He was not going through that again.
A sharp rap on the door snapped him back to reality and he grudgingly went to unlock it, prepared to tell Rocky or Adam to take a hike and leave him alone. He was brought up short when he opened the door to find David Ashley standing there. Tommy turned away abruptly, going back to the couch and collapsing onto it.
"Trini's not here today. She's getting everything ready for when Jason goes home tonight."
"I know that," David replied tersely. "It's you I wanted to see."
Tommy glanced back at David, eyeing the other man's uniform. "Got a search warrant?"
David sighed heavily and stepped into the office, closing the door behind him.
"Stop acting like such an asshole, Oliver. I didn't come here to try and bust your ass over anything. I want to talk. It's about Jason."
That caught Tommy's attention, and he sat up quickly. "What about Jason?"
"Your old man told me this morning, Jason's thinking about quitting the force."
The former Ranger's jaw dropped. "Is he nuts? He'd go crazy if he wasn't a cop!"
"That's true," David agreed. "But I think that everything that's happened with Kyle Bennett has really shaken him up. He can cope with your ordinary, run-of-the-mill psycho, that you chance running into on the job. It's the fact that this bastard has been following Jason around since he was six that's the problem. Look, your dad told Jason to talk it over with Trini before he made any hard decisions, but I honestly don't think even she's going to change his mind. But we both know that if he quits, then he's going to regret it."
"So what do we do about it?" Tommy asked. David hesitated, looking distinctly uncomfortable.
"I think he may listen to you, Oliver. It's going to take someone who's just as stubborn as him to knock some sense into his thick head."
Tommy regarded David curiously. "Let me get this straight. You're asking me for help?"
David glowered at him. "Don't get cocky, Oliver. This is for Jason. I'm not trying to boost your ego."
"I'll do whatever I can to help Jason," Tommy retorted. "I'm not trying to be cocky about anything. I just think it's funny that you're coming out with this now, when at first all you could do was try to make Jason quit. Is that why you're not trying to make him change his mind yourself?"
David faltered, then sat down in the nearest chair. "I know I was an asshole at first. I just thought that Jason was one of those guys that had gotten everything on favours. I didn't realise how hard he'd worked to get where is now. But now I do know, and it's all the more reason to make sure he doesn't screw up and throw it in. Look, are you going to help or not?"
"Of course I will," Tommy snapped. "I said I'd do anything I could to help Jase."
The older man nodded, clearly relieved. "Okay, then."
He stood up to leave, only to be brought up short when Tommy spoke.
"It's a real rush, isn't it?"
David hesitated, then looked back at him questioningly. "What are you talking about?"
"Morphing. Being a Ranger. It's a huge rush. Really gets the adrenalin pumping."
"Yeah," David conceded reluctantly. "It guess it does."
"Let me guess," Tommy went on. "You couldn't sleep that night, could you? After it was over, I mean. You were up all night thinking about it."
The police captain stared at Tommy with a touch of suspicion. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I was. What are you getting at, Oliver?"
Tommy stared at him intently. "I lived with that rush for four years. First it was the dinosaur powers. I was the first Green Ranger. Then the White Ranger. Then the Ninja powers. After that came the Zeo crystals. And last of all came the Turbo powers. And each one was more powerful than the previous. By the time I gave up the power to someone else, I was living with power that probably would have sent any ordinary person insane. But I learned to live with it. It's sort of like smoking, you know."
David cringed a little; he was an avid smoker. Tommy went on quietly.
"When you've been living with something like that for so long, it becomes part of your life. You don't want to give it up. In the end, you can't give it up, even though you know you should. But if you don't have a choice, then you start looking for something to replace it. And you keep looking until you find a replacement. And then you latch onto that replacement even though, in the end, the replacement turns out to be more dangerous than the original addiction. Do you understand what I'm getting at, David?"
For several seconds, David said nothing. Eventually, he sighed, his shoulders slumping a little.
"Yeah, I guess I do."
Tommy nodded. "Good." He got to his feet. "I was planning on going to see Jason this afternoon anyway, before he went home. I'll see if I can't talk some sense into him then."
David spoke quietly. "Look, Oliver...."
"What were you, born in a boot camp? My name's Tommy. Quit calling me Oliver. We're not in the damn army."
A smile touched the corner of David's mouth. "I'm sorry for giving you such a hard time. It's just, every drug addict I've known has always gone back to the stuff sooner or later. I'm sorry for not giving you the benefit of the doubt."
Tommy shrugged as he followed David out of the office. "It's not that big a deal. You didn't understand what was behind it before. Now you do. And it's like I said to Jase. I've been clean now for over a year. Nearly two. I don't plan on using ever again."
David glanced back at him. "How are you coping after...." He paused as a couple of students passed them in the hallway. "...after you know what?"
At that, Tommy hesitated. "I've had better weeks," he conceded finally. "But I haven't had the urge to go and find a fix, either. I think I'll be okay. But that was the last time for me using it. I don't think I could cope again."
"I think I can understand that," David murmured. He stuck out his hand to Tommy as they stood on the steps in front of the karate school. "Truce?"
Tommy accepted the extended hand, shaking it firmly. "Truce. And remember, if your kids one day start getting secretive about what they've been doing, and they get a fetish for wearing just one colour, you'll know what's going on."
David laughed, then. "Thanks for the tip. I'll see you around, O.... I mean, Tommy."
Tommy nodded, smiling faintly as David got into his car and drove off. "Definitely." Still smiling, he turned and headed back into the building to make arrangements for that afternoon.
St. James Hospital
Jason paused in his short walk, one hand gripping the side rail as a light wave of dizziness swept over him. The cricket bat to his head had left him with far more than a mild concussion; it seemed to have given him a severe case of vertigo. The dizziness passed, and he opened his eyes again, focusing once more on the floor ahead of him.
"Are you okay?" a feminist voice asked. Jason spared Trini a glance, then nodded quickly.
"Yeah. Just dizzy. I hope it won't last."
"The doctor said it should go in a couple of weeks," Trini reminded him. "Don't forget, you had a fractured skull. You're lucky to be going home today as it is."
Jason sighed as he turned around and began to make his way back to the wheelchair that was waiting for him, all the while ignoring the physiotherapist that hovered within arm's length of him.
"That doesn't both me as much as this gut wound."
Trini's smile faded. "Try to stop worrying about it. The doctors did a wonderful job."
"Yeah, I know," Jason conceded. "It just shakes me up, knowing how close I came to needing a kidney transplant."
Trini nodded wordlessly; it had shaken her, as well. If ever there had been a good argument for her father's wish for Jason to quit the police force, this was it. Never had she come so close to losing not only Jason, but William into the bargain. In all her life she had never been so frightened.
She paused, doing a double-take on her thoughts. That was not entirely true, she supposed. The time that Jason had vanished without a trace during Tommy's stint as the Green Ranger under Rita's power had left her so scared that she'd very nearly broken down into tears after his rescue. But it was the same thing over again, and, just quietly, she wasn't sure she could cope.
Coming back to reality, Trini got up and walked over to join her husband as he sank back into the wheelchair.
"How are you feeling?"
Jason sighed faintly. "I'm ready to go home."
Trini smiled and leaned over to kiss him lightly on the mouth. "Good. I'm ready to take you home." She smiled up at the orderly that was waiting.
"Back to his room, Jimmy."
The orderly smiled. "Yes, Mrs Scott."
Jason watched with mild amusement as Trini packed what few clothes he had into a small suitcase, ready to go. Had he done it, the clothes would have been tossed in carelessly. Trini, however, was consistently methodical in the way she packed the suitcase. She caught him watching, and smirked at him.
"Don't you give me that look, Jason. If I let you pack, we'd be up half the night trying to sort it all out."
Jason sighed and lay down carefully on the bed. "Fine. I know when I've been insulted."
"Don't you be smart with me," Trini retorted. Jason grinned.
"You wouldn't let a wounded guy sleep on the couch, would you?"
"You're pushing it," she warned him. "Behave yourself, if you want that roast that I cooked today."
A grin lit up Jason's face. "Okay, you win. I'll behave."
"You, behave?" a voice retorted from the doorway. "That'd be a first."
Jason looked up, then smiled.
"Hey, Tommy. C'mon in. How's it going?"
"I'm fine," Tommy said dismissively as he walked in and carefully shut the door behind him. His gaze went to Trini. "How's the patient?"
"Obnoxious, as usual," Trini said with a snort as she closed the case. "Seriously, Tommy, how are you doing?"
Tommy glanced back at the closed door, then spoke quietly. "I really think I'm going to be okay. You don't have to worry. Either of you."
"Good," Jason murmured. "I wouldn't forgive myself if it tipped you over again."
Tommy smiled cheekily. "Neither would I."
"Smart ass."
"Moron."
Trini rolled her eyes at their banter. "I think I'll take this out to the car. You two can stay here and call each other names."
"Trini, hang on," Tommy said quickly. "I need to talk to the both of you. To Jason especially. This is serious."
Trini glanced wonderingly at Jason, then set the suitcase down.
"All right. What's wrong, Tommy?"
Tommy looked to Jason. "David Ashley came by the dojo today. He told me that you tried to give Dad your resignation."
"You what?!" Trini exploded, and Jason cringed.
"Thanks, Tommy. Thanks a lot."
Tommy merely shrugged, unapologetic. Meanwhile, Trini had Jason pinned with a harsh stare.
"What is this about resigning? And why haven't you said anything to me?"
Jason swallowed hard, shifting uncomfortably on the bed.
"Okay, I tried to resign, but Chief Oliver wouldn't let me. He just tore up my resignation and said he didn't want to hear anything about it until I'd talked it over properly with you."
"That's nice to hear," Trini said dryly. "Considering you haven't talked it over with me even just a little! Damn it, Jason..."
"Give me a break," Jason protested. "Look at everything that's happened!"
Trini nodded. "Yes, I am. And I'm looking at everything that's happened to you that hasn't had anything to do with Kyle Bennett. Jason, it's over! There's no need for you to even think about resigning anymore! You know there isn't."
"Yes, there is," Jason argued softly. "There're two very good reasons. You, and William. What happened this time is what I've been dreading. That someone would eventually turn on you or William to get to me. William came away without being hurt this time. Next time he might not be so lucky."
Tommy walked over to stand beside Trini. "This isn't about William, Jase. It's about you."
"My family is about me!" Jason snapped. Tommy nodded.
"Yeah, they are, but you resigning isn't primarily because of what might have happened to William. Why don't you just bite the bullet and admit that you're hurting? C'mon, bro. You know you are, and it's really getting to you this time."
Jason faltered. Tommy's words were true, as much as he tried to deny them. From the moment that the hypnosis had revealed the true extent of Bennett's obsession with him, a deep pain had been simmering just below the surface. Before he even realised it, tears were spilling over his cheeks. Trini quickly climbed onto the bed beside him, and slid her arms around his trembling body.
"It's okay," she murmured, cradling him to her. "Go ahead and cry, baby. Let it out."
Tommy leaned over the bed a little, reaching out to grasp Jason's hand gently in his own. This had been much easier than he'd expected, but he was grateful all the same that Jason was not resisting him or Trini.
"Stop trying to keep it to yourself, Jase. You need help with this. Don't shut us out."
"All I wanted was a normal life," Jason choked out, his face half- buried in Trini's shoulder. "But no matter what I do, something terrible always happens. When we became Rangers, I thought it was our big chance to really make a difference...."
"We did make a difference," Trini insisted, quietly confused at the flood of emotion from her husband. Jason pulled back from her, roughly wiping the tears away.
"Sure, we got rid of Zedd and Rita, and all of them. But what about the real crims? The people like Bennett? We never did crap as far as that was concerned."
Tommy and Trini exchanged worried glances.
"Jase, that wasn't our job to deal with them," Tommy reminded him quietly. Jason fell back against the pillows, rubbing gingerly at his stomach.
"I'm so damned confused. I don't know whether I'm coming or going now."
He paused, then went on softly. "I didn't forget about Bennett straight away. I don't even mean a year or so after it happened. I remembered Bennett right up until around my eleventh birthday. Then, after he confronted me when I was twelve, it all came back again. I carried that with me all the time I was a Ranger. I didn't manage to block it out again until I went to the Police Academy."
Tommy stared at Jason incredulously. "Why didn't you ever tell us?"
Jason shrugged. "It wasn't that I didn't trust you at all. I guess I was just plain scared. That, and I didn't want someone like Rita or Zedd using it against me. When I met up with Bennett again, when I was twelve, I knew then that if he ever got a hold of me, he'd probably end up killing me. There was no end to the nightmares I had about it." He hesitated, slowly evaluating his own emotions. "It's not specifically about Bennett. It's about fear. Deep fear, the kind that you never seem to get rid of. Bennett gave me that fear when I was six, and he gave it back to me again when I was twelve. Then we became Rangers, and we had more reason to be afraid." He spared Tommy an apologetic look. "Like when I ended up fighting it out with Goldar and then you in the Dimension of Darkness. And then when Goldar threatened me in the Dimension of Doom."
"He threatened you?" Trini asked in shock. "What do you mean?"
A strained smile touched Jason's lips. "That's right. I never told any of you, did I?"
"What's this about?" Tommy demanded to know. Jason and Trini exchanged glances, and then Trini spoke quietly.
"After you lost the Green Ranger powers and went up to the mountains, Jason got depressed. He blamed himself for letting the powers get drained."
"That's ridiculous," Tommy growled. "It wasn't your fault, Jase. In the end, it was probably better anyway. Those powers were tainted. I think they caused more grief than good."
Trini nodded. "Well, Jason was still depressed, and with that competition coming up, the rest of us decided to head up the moutains to find you. It backfired, though, and we were captured. Jason had to defeat a monster on his own, then come into the Dimension of Doom after us."
Jason took over from Trini, speaking with his eyes cast down. "I got them out okay, but Goldar grabbed my foot as I was heading out myself. Zordon had told me that unless I escaped with the others, I'd be trapped there forever. For just an instant, I had these horrible images racing through my mind of being controlled by Zedd But I managed to shake Goldar off I kicked him in the face to give myself time to get out. As I was going, though, he shouted after me. I've never forgotten it, and I don't think I ever will. He told me he'd devote his life to destroying me."
"Why didn't you ever tell us about that?" Trini asked, staring at him incredulously. Jason shrugged.
"I honestly didn't think anyone would listen. But that added to the fear all over again. I can't tell you how some days it was so hard just to get myself out of bed. Sometimes I would have preferred just to stay in bed, safe inside. When I became a cop, I thought I'd be able to get rid of all that fear. I mean, I knew I might end up in dangerous situations some times, but I thought I wouldn't ever have to deal with anything like Goldar or Bennett Man, was that a hopeless wish."
Trini regarded him sadly, and reached out to brush her fingertips over his cheek. "Is this why you tried to give Chief Oliver your resignation?"
Fresh tears rolled down Jason's cheeks. "I just don't want to have to deal with that fear anymore!"
Tommy shook his head as he walked around to the other side of the bed, and sat on the edge.
"And I thought I was the one with all the neuroses. Jase, you know we can't totally get away from that sort of fear. But you sure as hell won't escape it by quitting. You know it doesn't work that way."
"Jason, I feel that fear as well," Trini told him softly. "Every time you walk out the door to go to work, I feel it. Every time I take William to Kindergarten, or play group, I feel it. But resigning isn't going to make it go away, or even make it any easier to deal with. This is the sort of fear of knowing that anything can happen to any of us, at any time. Everyone has to live with that. It's just that it's a little more acute in some than others." Slipping her arms around him again, Trini hugged him to her as tightly as she dared. "I love you, Jason. I won't stand by and let you make a decision that I know you'll regret."
"Me either," Tommy told him. "And you won't get it past David Ashley, either. There's no way any of us are gonna let you throw your career away. So don't even think about it."
A weak smile touched Jason's lips. "I'm lucky to have you guys, aren't I?"
"I'll say," Tommy retorted. Trini smiled.
"Yes, you are lucky. And I'm lucky to have you for a husband. Jason, I'll admit it. There have been some times that I did wish you would retire Recently, at that. But when I stop and think it through properly, I find that I don't really want that at all. I know you feel the same way. You love being a cop. I really don't think you'd ever be happy doing anything else."
Jason looked up into her light brown eyes, feeling a surge of love for his beautiful, wise wife.
"You are right. I know you are. Maybe it's just taking me longer to get back on track, but I know you're right. Even when I gave the chief my resignation, doing it made me sick to my stomach. I could have hugged him when he tore it up."
Tommy snickered. "That would've been a sight."
Jason smiled a little. "I guess you're right, Tommy. All of this.... And everything else.... It does hurt. I just never let myself acknowledge it."
"It's time we all did," Trini murmured. "But for now...." She hugged him closely, then reached out with her other arm and drew Tommy into her embrace as well. Then, she favoured Tommy with a light kiss on the cheek and Jason with a lingering kiss on the mouth. "It's time to go home."
"You look great, Jason. Relax, it's not like you're the one getting married here."
A wry smile inched onto Jason's face. "No, but you don't have a wife that can pick out a fault from half a mile off."
Rocky laughed, pausing to glance over his own reflection in the mirror once before turning away.
"Hey, you took the plunge. You've gotta live with it."
Jason looked around, and spotted Tommy watching them, listening to the conversation with a mixture of mirth and panic on his features. He grinned, and nodded.
"Yeah, Rocky, and I wouldn't have it any other way."
Tommy visibly relaxed, then, and turned back to fixing his own bow tie. Adam, who sat calmly on the sofa, watched the preceding with more than a little amusement.
"Think you can stay on your feet for the whole ceremony, Jase?" he asked teasingly, and Jason chucked a pillow at him.
"Don't be a smart ass, Adam. I've been back at work for three weeks, now."
Adam laughed. "Sure, with everyone waiting on you hand and foot. We know all about it," he added, enjoying the shade of red that Jason's face went. "David's been telling us everything."
"Okay, that's enough," Michael Oliver announced, walking into the room dressed in a striking tux, the same as Tommy and the others. The older man favoured Adam with a mock frown. "You should know better, Adam. With Jason's reputation, he shouldn't have to expect anything less."
"Oh, great," Jason moaned as he headed for the nearest armchair. "Now they're ganging up on me."
Shaking his head, he flopped into a chair just a little too fast, and a moment later he cringed in agony as pain flared through his gut. Tommy was out of his chair an instant later, and at Jason's side.
"Easy, bro. Man, you've gotta be more careful."
Jason drew in a hissing breath between clenched teeth. "I'm fine. Just give me a minute." He paused, his gaze going to Tommy's bow tie, which was only half-tied, and sloppily at that. "Pretty shabby, Tommy. Don't you know how to tie one of the those things?"
Tommy smiled sheepishly. "Not really. Mum always did it for me."
Jason shook his head and took the liberty of retying the bow tie himself, grateful for the distraction from his slow-healing stomach wound.
Despite the doctors allowing him to go home early from the hospital a few months back, Jason had remained under the close watch of a home care nurse, paid for by Donavon and Sarah Scott. It had turned out to be just as well; two weeks after going home, Jason had suffered partial kidney failure and had needed to be rushed back to hospital. An emergency operation had been needed, and the doctors had called in a specialist who, in an effort to save the kidney instead of putting Jason on the list for a transplant, had cut away the damaged part and moulded body tissue to the remaining portion in an experimental operation. The surgery had been successful, but Jason had been three times as long in recovering as a result.
He was back at work, finally, after deciding not to resign, but was still restricted to light duties, and minimal, standard exercise. Jason had found, to his pleasant surprise, that he could cope with the restrictions better than he'd expected. He was enjoying simply being back at work and in the office, and he was openly grateful to Michael, David, Trini and Tommy that they hadn't let him chuck his job in on the basis of a few controllable fears.
Those fears, too, had dimmed considerably when, after a month-long trial and a short jury deliberation, Kyle Bennett had been found guilty on all charges and sentenced to twenty five years imprisonment for the crimes of attempted murder and assault, and an additional sentence of fifteen years for the abduction of Jason and William. He was appealing the sentences through his lawyer, of course. That was no surprise to anyone, but the encouraging part was that with evidence found in the old orphanage after Jason and William had been rescued, the DA in Chicago had had the case there reopened. A new judge had accepted the fresh evidence as valid in a committal hearing, and, consequently, Bennett would be required to answer the charges in a new court case in Chicago. Even if his current sentences were reduced, the killer would still be in jail for a very long time.
He finished the bow tie, and Tommy pulled back from him, smirking.
"Let me guess. Trini taught you that?"
Jason grinned. "Nope. Dad did, the day before my wedding. He said no son of his was going to embarrass himself with not being able to fix his own bow tie."
Michael groaned comically. "I've failed my son!"
Tommy laughed and stood up. "Just let me fix my hair, and then we can get going."
"Isn't that supposed to one of the girls' lines?" Rocky asked in a low voice, only to cop an elbow from Adam.
"Knock it off."
Michael smiled amusedly at the banter, then helped Jason up from the armchair.
"Are you feeling all right?" he asked, quickly becoming serious again. Jason nodded.
"Yeah, I think so. Trini made sure I had plenty of rest yesterday and the day before. It's probably just as well you made me take those days off."
"I thought as much," Michael murmured. Jason smiled faintly, holding his breath as he turned a little from left to right, and back again, trying to loosen up the tight stomach muscles and avoid getting a cramp. Tommy, having tied his hair back in a tight pony tail, joined them near the archway.
"Well, I guess I'm ready as I'll ever be."
Michael grinned, looking from his son to the other three young men, and nodded.
"Okay, then. Let's get going."
They rode in a limousine, provided courtesy of Kat's diplomat father. Jason rode with Tommy on one side with their backs to the driver while Michael, Adam and Rocky sat on the opposite seats.
"How's the stomach, man?" Tommy asked, watching Jason in concern. In conjunction with suffering vertigo as a result of his fractured skull, Jason had also developed a minor case of motion sickness. That they'd discovered the hard way, the night that Trini had taken Jason home from hospital the second time. Unfortunately, Jason had been unable to rid himself of either the vertigo or the motion sickness, and it looked as though both complaints were permanent side effects of that last conflict with Bennett.
On the bright side, Michael had pointed out when the doctor had made the prognosis, Jason would be entitled to a hefty compensation package, enough to set himself and Trini up comfortably, possibly for the rest of their lives.
Sure enough, a lawyer had taken up Jason's case against Bennett in a civil trial, and the judge had awarded Jason near to two million dollars for all that he'd been through. The money had come through immediately, uncontested by Bennett, after the discovery of several large bank accounts in the killer's name.
"Not too bad," Jason conceded. "I'm doing better because I've had a couple of days to rest up."
"Good," Rocky retorted. "We don't need you throwing up in the limo."
"You could try being a little more sympathetic," Adam chided him lightly, but Rocky only smirked. Jason grinned as Rocky's comments reminded him of something else.
"Speaking of sickness, Adam, how's Tanya doing?"
Adam had to smile, then. Tanya, to the joy of the young couple, was one month pregnant.
"She's doing great. The doctor thinks she's past the morning sickness now. At any rate, she was feeling better this morning."
Jason grinned. He could understand the young man's excitement; he'd felt the same after learning that Trini was pregnant.
"You're gonna love being a dad, Adam. It's the best feeling."
"Yeah," Rocky snickered. "The sleepless nights, cleaning up dirty diapers, arguing over who gets to stay up with the baby...."
"You know, Rocky," Michael commented, eyeing Rocky with a mix of amusement and annoyance, "I think it's time that you found someone and settled down. Maybe then you'll stop being the epitome of the randy bachelor."
The others laughed, and Rocky immediately quieted down, annoyed at not having a good come-back handy.
"I can't believe I'm actually doing this," Tommy mumbled nervously as he stood at the church altar rail, with Jason at his side. Jason had to smile.
"Just remember, if you decide to do a disappearing act, you'll run straight into me because I am not letting you chicken out of this."
"Thanks a lot," Tommy retorted dryly. Jason laughed softly.
"It's going to be fine, bro. Trust me. Granted, it's not easy, but it's worth the effort."
Tommy wrung his hands together in agitation. "You really think I'm doing the right thing?"
Jason could barely believe his friend's timing, that he was asking that question right then....
"Yes, of course you are! You're going to make a good life with Kat, Tommy. Just have a little faith in yourself. The rest of us do."
A smile touched Tommy's lips, then. "Thanks, Jase."
"Anytime, bro. Heads up, here we go."
Tommy's heart leapt into his throat as the organist launched into the Wedding March and, fighting his nerves, he turned around slowly. In an instant, all traces of panic and fright were gone, and he found himself feeling nothing but love and joyful anticipation as Kat came down the aisle, on the arm of her father. She was beautiful in a flowing white satin gown, a long veil obscuring her face from view. Tommy glanced sideways at Jason, took in his friend's broad grin, and finally relaxed, stepping forward to join Kat as she reached the first step before the altar.
Jason moved back a step, catching Trini's eye from where she was standing on the other side with Tanya and Kim, the three women radiant in their bridesmaid dresses. She flashed him a brilliant smile, mouthing the words 'I love you' before returning her attention to the priest. Jason watched her for a moment longer before finally turning to face front himself, silently thankful for the good life that he had been given.
