Revelations and Reckonings
by Naomi Tilley

The following day....
Zack, Billy and Kim met by the lake in the Park, called there by Billy.

"What's up, man?" Zack asked once they'd all arrived. Billy spared them a tired smile.

"The war's over, guys. Jason finally made peace with Tommy and the others yesterday afternoon, while Jason was at physio. It might still be a little touchy between them, but he told them they're forgiven."

Relief flooded the faces of the other teens, mixed with grudging acceptance. Jason's effort to forgive the current Rangers meant they were obliged to do the same.

"Thank God," Kim muttered. "I thought this was going to go on forever."

"Jason knew he couldn't let that happen," Zack said. "What happened, exactly, Billy?"

"I talked to Jason last night, over the phone," Billy explained. "He said that Tommy and the others showed up yesterday in the middle of his physio session. They teleported there in full uniform."

"That showed some guts," Kim said. "Jason must have gone schizo at them."

"He did," Billy confirmed. "Apparently, that was the whole point. Tommy got the idea that if they went to Jason in uniform, it might help him to get rid of most of his anger and hatred. He said he beat into Tommy for nearly five minutes or so before he wore himself out."

"Well, I'm glad," Zack admitted. "Now I feel like we can try and make our peace with them as well. Let's face it, guys. We've been taking our cue from Jase, and it's really been affecting all of us pretty badly."

Billy and Kim both murmured their agreement. Then, Billy started to excuse himself, only to be interrupted by Kim.

"Wait a second," the former Pink Ranger said abruptly. "It's not all roses just yet. I don't know about you guys, but I haven't seen Trini since yesterday morning at school. I tried calling her place last night, and her folks said she'd gone out and hadn't come back. I think that business about her kissing Jason that day has really hit hard."

"What are we supposed to do about it?" Zack asked. "I don't like the fact that she's blaming herself, but there's not a hell of a lot we can do. She has to sort that out with Jason herself."

"I find it hard to believe that Trini would deliberately avoid Jason," Billy said thoughtfully. "She's too sensible."

Kim conceded, then added: "Unless she's so torn up that she can't bring herself to face him. C'mon, you guys both know how she feels about Jason. We've all known since after Zordon first made us Rangers."

Zack smiled wryly. "Everyone knew except Jason. Man, he could be blind. I bet it nearly gave him a heart attack when she kissed him."

Billy looked grim. "And if that didn't, realising his father was right behind him probably did."

Zack sighed, his amusement fading fast at Billy's somber remark. "Okay, okay. We'll head over to Jason's place, and then see if we can't track down Trini. All right?"

The other two nodded, satisfied, and Billy spoke softly in reply.

"All right."

It was not the former rangers that found Trini in the end, though. Tommy and Kat came across her by sheer accident as they were walking through the park together. They'd paused, just within sight of the lake, to talk, when the sound of muffled crying reached their ears.

"Who....?" Kat whispered in confusion. Tommy touched a finger to his lips, urging her to be quiet, and disappeared into the bushes to find the source of the crying.

Trini was distressed, but not so distressed that she was oblivious to other sounds. She heard the bushes parting, and was on her feet an instant later, just as Tommy came into the clearing. For several long seconds, neither teen spoke. Both stared at one another wordlessly, and it was not until Trini turned to go that Tommy broke his paralysis and managed to speak.

"Trini, wait. Don't run off."

She stopped, looking back at him through red-rimmed eyes. "I don't need any more abuse from you. I've been abusing myself enough to more than compensate."

"I'm not going to abuse you, Trini. I just want to talk. Kat....?"

There was a light rustling behind Tommy, and Kat appeared a moment later. Tommy glanced back at her, then spoke again to Trini. "You probably haven't heard yet, but we sort of made peace with Jason."

Fresh tears filled Trini's eyes. "Wonderful. Congratulations."

Tommy blinked, taken aback. Rarely had he heard her speak in such a dry, cutting tone. He forged on grimly. "It wasn't easy, and I don't think it's over, either. But I think we're past the worst of it. I wanted just to say I'm sorry for what I said to you."

Trini shook her head. "You aren't sorry. You meant everything you said, and you were right. I'm just as responsible for Jason being in that wheelchair as you are. Probably more."

Tommy conceded. "Maybe, but there are other ways of looking at it. How much longer do you think Jason could have coped with living in that situation? Another twelve months till High School grad, and then what? Matthews wouldn't have let him go. Jason admitted that. I think that no matter how it came about, something major would still have happened. It just happened sooner rather than later, and as a result, he ended up back with Mr and Mrs Scott. That might not have happened if Matthews hadn't lost it when he did. I know Zack's dad was working to get them out of jail, but if all this hadn't happened when it did, they probably would never have been allowed near Jason again. And if it had gone that way, I have a feeling that Jason might not have been too long in this life. Chances are, he probably would have ended up jumping off a bridge, or eating a bullet. So maybe you did help put him in that chair indirectly but he's alive, he's here, and he's got a family that loves him. You also had a hand in that."

Trini stared at Tommy with expressionless eyes. "I guess that makes some sense...." she conceded softly.

Kat nodded, getting in on the act. "Tommy's right, Trini. You made a mistake, just like we did. You're only human. Humans are sort of prone to making mistakes."

Tommy took a slow step towards her. "And besides, we all know how you feel about Jason."

Trini went a deep crimson. "What d'you mean?"

A smile tugged at the corners of Tommy's mouth. "Don't play dumb. You had a crush on him almost from when Zordon picked you guys to be Rangers."

"Don't be stupid," Trini retorted defensively. Tommy raised an eyebrow slightly at her, and she looked away, even more embarrassed. Tommy smirked triumphantly, but the smirk faded fast when he saw fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. Sighing, he walked over and put a strong but gentle arm around her shoulders.

"If he can forgive us, he can forgive you. One mistake doesn't qualify you... or us.... for life-long purgatory. Just for the record, I had no right to say to you all of that yesterday. True or not, I had no right to push the blame onto someone else. In a way, we're all a little bit at fault. And, the fact that you're hurting this much over it is proof of how much you care for him. Besides, I know for a fact that he cares about you as much as you care about him."

Trini looked up at Tommy, startled out of her misery. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah. You have to talk to him, Trini. You can't run away from him. You know that."

"I know," she conceded miserably. He gave her a quick, reassuring hug.

"Come with us to see him now, Trini. Give yourself a chance."

She was silent for a long moment, contemplating Tommy's words, before finally giving in to his argument.

"Okay."

Jason was settled on his bed, to start reading a book for Literature, when he spotted them through his window. Tommy and Kat were coming toward the house, and they were ushering Trini between them. Jason drew in a slow breath as his heart rate seemed to speed up. It looked as though Trini wanted to run in the opposite direction, had Tommy not had a good hold on her. Anxious to see her before she broke Tommy's grip and bolted, Jason maneuvered himself back off the bed and into the chair, then hurried out to meet them.

"Hey, guys," Jason greeted them quietly as he rolled out the front door. Tommy smiled a little.

"Brought someone to talk to you, bro."

Jason looked down at Trini, but she refused to meet his gaze. "Thanks, Tommy, but would you mind...?"

Tommy nodded, and let go of Trini, knowing her honour would not allow her to run off now."C'mon, Kat. Let's go. We'll see you later, Jase."

Jason nodded wordlessly, not taking his eyes off Trini. Once the other two had gone, he spoke quietly.

"Think you could come up here? It's kind of hard to maneuver this thing on grass."

Trini hesitated, then walked up the steps and cross the porch to sit on one of the wicker seats. Jason rolled over so that he was beside her.

"Missed you at school yesterday. Why'd you run off?"

Trini spoke softly, still unable to look Jason in the eye. "I'm sorry. I just couldn't face you."

"Why? You aren't responsible, Trini."

She stared at the floor, upset and embarrassed. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Well, it's not your fault, if that's what you've been thinking."

"How can you say that after blaming the others for so long?" Trini choked out, finally looking up at him. "They didn't know. I did! And I did something that I knew would get you into trouble! I wasn't thinking at all It's more my fault than theirs, Jason. You can't deny that."

Jason shrugged. "Maybe, but I can forgive it. Trini, I knew it was wrong to blame Tommy and the others. I knew that all along. They were just an easy target when the one person that I was really angry at is in jail. I've never blamed you. As far as I'm concerned, the only person really responsible is Matthews. That's the bottom line. I don't blame you, and I want you to stop blaming yourself."

"I don't think I can," Trini whispered tearfully. "Jason, I've never been so reckless!"

"Yeah, well, just for the record, I'm glad you were."

Trini looked at him, startled. Jason smiled sheepishly.

"If you hadn't, I wouldn't have known how you felt. I would have gone for who knows how long thinking I never had a chance."

Red crept across Trini's cheeks as Tommy's words floated back to her, that Jason cared as much for her as she did for him.

"I'm sorry, Jason. I made a horrible mistake."

"We all did at some point. Like Tanya said, we're only human. We can't help screwing up occasionally. I screwed up letting my anger get the better of me. We could have all been over this a lot quicker if I'd been more willing to forgive."

"You were still in hospital, though," Trini pointed out. "Billy said something the day that you stood up for the first time, something about the anger being the only thing that was giving you the strength to keep fighting. I think he was right."

Jason nodded. "The anger was keeping me going. But if I'd forgiven everyone who was involved from the start, then I would have had enough support that the anger wouldn't have been necessary to begin with. But we're getting off track, now. You're trying to change the subject."

Trini had to smile, though the tears still welled in her eyes. "You say you've forgiven me, but it still hurts, knowing I'm partly responsible for this."

"You aren't, though," Jason argued. "Matthews is responsible. No one else. Not even Tommy and the others. Stop blaming yourself, so we can move one. And I really want to move on from this. Help me, Trini?"

She reached over and grasped his hand. "I love you, Jason."

He smiled faintly. "I love you, too."

Trini hesitated, then leaned over and kissed him lightly on the mouth. This time, instead of sitting there like a cold fish, Jason responded. When they broke apart, both were smiling.

"So, you don't mind dating a guy in a wheelchair?" he asked with a sly smile. Trini slapped him lightly on the arm.

"Don't be moronic. You're going to be out of that chair in no time. And I expect my boyfriend to be able to dance with me."

Jason looked momentarily uncertain, not quite sure how serious she was. He had never been a terribly good dancer even before the incident. Then, Trini grinned and Jason relaxed.

"Smart alec," he retorted, and Trini laughed.

"I'm sorry. I just never thought that we'd actually get together.... You know, in this lifetime?"

Jason nodded. "Yeah, I know. Just out of curiosity, how long have you...?"

She smiled shyly. "Since about six months before we became Rangers. You?"

"Beat you," he said wryly. "Since we started Junior High. It's a long time to wait. But then, you know what they say."

"Which is?"

"Tragedy brings people together."

Trini blanched, not sure whether to laugh or be horrified. She saw the twinkle in Jason's eyes, though, and managed to smile.

"I suppose it's true. If you hadn't come to Chicago, we may never have seen each other again."

"Don't say that," Jason muttered. "I have enough nightmares as it is."

The smile on Trini's face faded as she started to slide back to reality, and she decided to change the topic again.

"Do you have a lot of nightmares about Matthews?"

"Yeah," Jason confessed. "More than I want to admit. Especially now, knowing the trial is about to start in Chicago. I'm scared stiff that he'll be found not guilty, or get let off with a suspended sentence."

"Are you going to go to Chicago to testify?"

Jason looked nervous at that. "I don't know. The truth is, last night when we got home from the hospital, there was a policeman waiting for us. He had a message from the DA in Chicago. They want me to go and testify."

"Maybe you should," Trini suggested softly. "Maybe it's what you need to stop the nightmares. Or, at least help to ease them a little."

"I wish it was as easy as it sounds," Jason muttered. "I'm still scared of Matthews. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and for just a few seconds, I think I'm still with him in Chicago. That scares me so bad when that happens."

"All the more reason for you to face up to him," Trini told him. "I understand you're scared. The truth is that you might never be totally rid of that fear. That's not your fault, either. But you can't let yourself be beaten by it. By him."

"I've thought about it," Jason confessed. "I imagine myself going into court.... Walking, not sitting in the wheelchair.... And being able to stare him down. That's something I could never do. I could never hold his stare. He'd beat the crap out of me if I even tried, but I couldn't even if I'd wanted to."

"More than that," Trini said, "do you think about how he must get treated in prison by the other inmates? Not only is he a cop who was probably responsible for putting away some of the men that he's sharing the cells with, but he's a child abuser."

Jason nodded, a smile creeping across his face. "I've thought about that, too. And I can't bring myself to feel sorry for him, even just a little. It isn't just for the six months that I was with him. It's for the first six years of my life, before Mum and Dad rescued me. But what would be the best thing if I did agree to go would be to see the look on his face when he sees me with Mum and Dad. He probably doesn't know I'm back with them. He probably thinks I'm with Grandma."

Trini watched the expression on his face carefully. "Have you decided, then?"

Jason nodded. "Yeah. I want to testify. I know it won't be easy, but I want it known just how big a bastard Matthews really is. And I want people to see what he did to me."

Trini reached over and hugged him tightly. "You're really starting to get back to being your old self again, the strong, brave guy that I knew before."

Jason shut his eyes, hugging Trini back. "Only because I have you and the others to help me. I'd never get anywhere without you. I really love you, Trini."

A sad, but hopeful smile touched the former Yellow Ranger's lips. "I love you, too."

Five days later,
Chicago
Jason hesitated at the steps of the hospital, looking up at the tall building with a mixture of unease and déjàvu. In all honesty, he had never expected to lay eyes on this place again, or anywhere in Chicago, for that matter. For a moment, he had to stop and wonder what could possibly have convinced him to come back.

"Are you okay?"

Jason glanced up at Donavon, and then nodded quickly. "Yeah. Just a little nervous, I guess."

"I'd like to be able to let you skip this," Donavon told him, "but we both know that isn't a good idea. You need the physio."

"I know," Jason conceded reluctantly. "I can't help being nervous. But at least this isn't as bad as having to go to court."

A smile touched Donavon's lips. "True. C'mon, let's go inside."

A frown crossed Jason's face as they went through the doors into the large reception area of the hospital.

"I never saw this part."

"Well, don't forget you came in as an emergency, and left via the helipad," Donavon reminded him.

Jason nodded absently. Something else was on his mind, now.

"Dad, my leg braces—"

"Are you sure?" Donavon asked in concern. Jason nodded.

"Yeah. I want to put them on before I see Dr MacNeil. Please?"

Donavon sighed inwardly and consented. So far, Jason had been reasonably good about the braces. He wore them as much as possible, but had heeded advice to be careful about over-use. That argument on Jason's first day back at school had been the only one of its sort. Jason had not had another tantrum since.

He straightened up after clipping the braces into place and setting Jason's feet carefully on the floor. Then, with expert care, he pulled the teen to his feet.

Jason let out his breath in a sharp hiss, his hands locking in a vice-like grip onto the crutches. It always hurt badly at first, but that initial spark of pain faded quickly enough, provided he gave it the chance. Sure enough, the stabbing pain in his legs faded to a bearable level, and he began to shuffle forward, his father following with the wheelchair.

Jack MacNeil and Kate Austin were in the corridor, helping themselves to the mediocre coffee from the vending machine and trying to outdo each others' anxieties.

"I am just sick of being in this place," Jack grumbled. "I wish I'd moved somewhere and not told Philip where I'd gone!"

Kate laughed. "He would've found you anyway. He's annoying like that."

"Tell me about it. But this place— It's draining me, Kate! Day in, day out I'm treating people who never say so much as thankyou, and only care about how much it's costing them in the end. Just once I'd like to see the end product, if you know what I mean."

Kate, whose attention had been drawn away, down the corridor, nodded slowly in response to Jack's plea.

"Actually, I think I do. And I think you're about to get that chance."

Jack looked sideways at her questioningly. "What are you talking about?"

Kate smiled, and nodded down the corridor. "Look."

MacNeil turned, and momentarily froze. For just the briefest instant, he didn't recognise the young man coming slowly towards him, but then his memory kicked into gear. Briefly, he flashed back to his first sight of the boy—a shocking mess of blood and bones on a hospital trolley, delivered as an emergency to the hospital after being found half-dead. Now—

"Jason?" Jack asked, incredulous. Jason managed a grin despite the obvious pain he was in.

"Hi, Dr MacNeil. Dr Austin. Long time no see, huh?"

Paying Jack's dumbfounded expression an amused glance, Kate hurried over to greet the boy.

"It is! Look at you, on your feet! You look great!"

"No I don't, but thanks anyway," Jason snickered. He finally came to a halt, looking at MacNeil with eyes that sparkled. "Well, I'm not exactly an end product, but what d'you think?"

Jack had to laugh, then, feeling the earlier tension rapidly drain away.

"I'd hug you if I didn't think you'd go over like a top. I didn't think I'd be seeing you again at all,
let alone see you walking."

Jason shrugged lopsidedly. "Same. But I came back for the trial, and I figured I might as well stop in. Besides, after everything that happened, I wanted you to see me walking. 'Cause if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be walking at all."

"Maybe," MacNeil conceded. "Maybe not. You have to give yourself some of the credit there. You're the one who's had to put up with the pain."

Jason nodded. "Yeah. I guess."

MacNeil eyed him thoughtfully. "Here for physio?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Let's go, then."

"—And when I first got back I think that half of me wanted to go and tell everyone I was back, and the other half wanted everyone to just stay away," Jason said as Jack carefully worked the muscles in his legs. "I worked it out eventually, but it took a lot of time. But they understood, just like you said they would."

"Only the idiots don't," MacNeil told him, "and they're the ones that aren't worth worrying about. Tell me, how long was it before you started with the leg braces?"

Jason flushed red at that. "Um— A few weeks, I think—"

"Try several," Donavon added from where he'd seated himself in the corner of the room. Jack chuckled.

"Nothing to be ashamed of with that. The important thing is that you got there. And that's pretty remarkable considering how badly off you were when they brought you in."

Jason watched the doctor questioningly. "I don't remember much of that."

"Just as well. You wouldn't want to."

"Was it that bad?"

MacNeil ceased working and rocked back on his heels to look Jason in the eye. "When I got to emergency after being paged, for the first hour I wasn't sure if they were even going to need me. You were in a bad way, and that's putting it lightly. Dr Austin can give you a better idea of how close you really came, but I really don't think you need to know those sorts of details."

Jason nodded in wordless agreement. MacNeil had already provided him with more than enough information to satisfy his curiosity.

"So you decided to testify, then?" MacNeil asked, changing the topic.

Jason nodded again. "Yeah. I don't really want to, but I have to—You know?"

"Yeah, I think I do. You're lucky you have a choice, though. I got subpoenaed, and so did Dr Austin and Dr Catera."

"You'll be testifying?" Jason asked in surprise. MacNeil smiled ruefully.

"I already have. Two days ago. They wanted details, so I gave them details. The judge had to call a long recess afterwards. I think the jury needed to go and use the bathroom really quickly."

Jason's expression had darkened a little as he considered his own upcoming testimony. "I bet I get a similar reaction. I don't intend to leave anything out."

Jack faltered a little, taken aback by Jason's intensity. He glanced over to Donavon, but the teen's father was equally baffled, and concerned, by the cryptic comment.

"Yeah, well, just remember that you don't have anything to be afraid of anymore," MacNeil told him. Jason nodded.

"I know. That's why I'm testifying, more than anything. I want to show him that I'm not scared of him anymore, and that I'm getting past it. And I want him to see me with Mum and Dad."

MacNeil looked over at Donavon. "I'm tempted to come. There could be a riot."

Donavon smiled faintly, but said nothing.

"You saw him, didn't you?" Jason asked, and Jack glanced up at him.

"You mean Matthews? Yeah, I saw him. Smug bastard. He's got himself a top lawyer, although God knows how he could afford it on his cop's salary."

"Matthews had more things going than the way he treated Jason," Donavon explained. "He's run a lot of scams over the years. Even if he doesn't have the money to afford a lawyer like that, he's probably got enough in his hip pocket to take his pick."

"Whichever it is," MacNeil muttered, "the D.A.'s got his job cut out for him. Matthews is really pulling in the sympathy vote with the jury."

A cold look had settled in Jason's eyes. "Not for long."

Criminal Court,
Two days later
"How are you feeling, Jason?"

Jason looked up at the D.A.'s assistant, who was waiting with him and his parents outside the court room. It had been decided to call Jason as a surprise witness, since the trial had already begun when Jason had decided to testify. The D.A. had brought Jason into court via an entrance away from the media, and had instructed the teen to wait outside the courtroom until he was called for.

"I'm okay, I guess," he conceded. "A little nervous, maybe."

"That's understandable," the man agreed. "Just remember that you're perfectly safe. Matthews won't be able to so much as get out of his chair without bringing every guard in the room on top of him. All right?"

Jason nodded wordlessly and fell silent again, going over his testimony in his mind. He'd been warned by the D.A. that the defense attorney would try to push things back on him, make the abuse out to seem less than it was and try to force Jason into admitting that that final incident had just been a terrible accident. He was aware of all that, and he was ready for it, but it wasn't that which concerned him or made him nervous. It was what he had planned for after his testimony, that he had told no one about but the prosecutor of the case. He only hoped the judge would allow him to do it, because otherwise he could see no end to the nightmares and the torment that had been plaguing him since his release from Matthews' clutches.

"Jason? It's time to go in."

He looked up to see a court officer approaching and, with a slight grimace, allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. Thankfully, his father hadn't argued against the use of the leg braces. He seemed to understand Jason's need to walk into court, and had quietly allowed it. Now, Jason made his way through the opening door of the courtroom and down the aisle.

Camera flashes from members of the media who were in the gallery flashed in his face, momentarily blinding him. Then, he blinked back into focus and made his way steadily towards the front of the courtroom, with his parents supporting him on either side.

"You," Matthews snarled at his lawyer as the court officer left the room to get the ‘surprise witness'. "You were supposed to be keeping track of the situation. You told me the little shit wasn't even in Chicago anymore!"

The lawyer shrugged helplessly. "I don't have unlimited contacts, Daniel. As far as I knew, your mother took Jason and left Chicago. I don't know where they went. I guess the CPD managed to catch up with them and convince Jason to testify."

"Yeah, well, you'd better prove that you deserve the money I'm paying you," Matthews hissed. "I want you to trash his testimony. Do you understand me?"

The lawyer didn't answer- he was looking away to the back of the courtroom.

"Here he comes— Oh, shit—"

Matthews spun around in his chair to get a look at his son, only to freeze, his heart very nearly stopping.

"What the fuck—?" he whispered finally, as he stared in disbelief at Donavon and Sarah Scott. "When the fuck did they get out of jail? And who the fuck let them have my boy?"

His lawyer had no answer. Jason had reached the gate and, pointedly avoiding so much as a glance at his natural father, he went through and allowed the officer there to help him into the witness box. The judge waited patiently until he'd settled himself on the wooden seat, and had been sworn in, before nodding to the prosecutor to go ahead.

Sarah deliberately ignored Matthews as she took her seat, but Donavon hesitated for just a brief moment, focusing a cold, hate-filled stare in the direction of the accused man. Then, he slid into the seat beside his wife and stared resolutely ahead. Matthews watched them for another long moment, but his attention was soon brought back to the bench when Jason spoke.

"Jason Lee Scott," he replied, in answer to the prosecutor's question about his full name. Before the prosecutor had the chance to ask another question, Matthews shouted out angrily from the desk, his fraying temper snapping.

"That's bullshit, his name is Jason Matthews!"

The judge glared at Matthews threateningly. "Mr Matthews, I'm only going to tell you once to be quiet! If you have even just one more outburst, I'll have you removed from this courtroom and placed in contempt of court. Do you understand?"

Matthews sat back, nodding grudgingly. The prosecutor watched him for a moment, then turned to the judge.

"Your Honour, we decided it would be more beneficial for Jason to give his testimony in full without the interruption of questions. After he's finished, the defence may question him if it wishes."

The judge nodded after a moment's pause.

"Very well, Counsel. I'll allow it."

The D.A. smiled, partly with relief, and nodded to the teen.

"Go ahead, Jason. Tell us about the abuse, and start at the beginning."

Jason drew in a slow breath, then began to speak.

"It started the same day that I was handed back to him," he said. "Back to Matthews, I mean. We were in his hotel room, and he came out after packing his suitcase and asked me who my father was. I was still pretty angry about being separated from Mum and Dad, so I said Donavon Scott was my father. He backhanded me across the face, nearly knocked me off my feet. By then I'd started to remember some of the way that Matthews used to treat me, before Mum and Dad rescued me, and I decided I wasn't going to let him get away with it again. When he came back at me, I used karate and fended him off. Then he kicked me in the head and told me that if I ever tried to fight back again, he's take my head off.

"After that, he started beating me at least three times a week. Sometimes more. Most of the time there was no reason. He said it was good practise for him for when he had to deal with dangerous criminals. Usually he started with hitting me in the face, and around the head. Then he'd start on me with a belt. He always used the buckle. Said it was important to leave a mark so I wouldn't forget the lessons. He always called them lessons.

"Most times he beat me badly enough that I'd end up throwing up. Sometimes he ended up knocking me out. And he starved me, too. The only times I didn't go hungry was when I stayed with my grandmother. It was the same every day. I got one piece of toast for breakfast, nothing for lunch and usually one toasted sandwich for dinner. That was all. He said he wanted to make sure I didn't get anymore ideas about fighting him.

"I didn't fight him, pretty much because I knew he'd kill me if I tried. He threatened it enough times. I decided the best way to survive was to become invisible. I don't know how well I managed it, because I still got the beatings. But after the first month or so, fighting back was no longer an option."

Jason paused in his story, staring down at his feet for a moment before going on.

"I lived like that for six months. I was lucky at school, because I ran into some old friends, and they pretty much took care of me there. But at home—" The teen shook his head. "More times than I could count, I imagined taking his gun and using it on myself, or going and jumping off a bridge, or something. The only thing that kept me from doing any of those things was the thought that one day I'd get away from him, and I'd be able to go back to my real parents. That was the only thing that kept me going."

He faltered, then, struggling against the threat of tears. The D.A. hesitated, then spoke quietly.

"Jason, what happened on the last day?"

Jason's jaw clenched, and he looked up, pain and anger in his eyes.

"I was waiting for him after school. When the weather got cold, he started coming to pick me up from school. I don't know why. It's not like he cared whether I got sick. A friend of mine came to talk to me and—Well, she said a few things and then she kissed me. Matthews saw. He made out like it was a good thing, but I knew he was angry. We got back to the apartment building, and he pulled into his parking space. Then he asked me to get out and check the brake lights, because he thought one of them was out. I did, and that was when the car backed into me. I lost my balance and got knocked off my feet. I couldn't get out of the way in time, and the car rolled right over my legs. I thought it was mistake, that he hadn't realised I was still behind the car. I tried to call out—Then he put the car in gear and rolled it forward, over the top of me again. Then he backed it over me again. He ran the car over me three times. Once might have been an accident. Maybe even twice. But not three times.

"He got out then, and dragged me back up to the apartment. I remember exactly what he said to me, then. I don't think I could ever forget. He said I was more trouble than I was worth, and that he should have drowned me when I was born. He said he never loved me, and that only reason he went to so much trouble to find me was because it pissed him off that someone got away with taking something that belonged to him. He said I deserved every beating I got, and that he wasn't going to call an ambulance for me, that I could die of the pain for all he cared.

"He put me in my room, and said he had to go to work, but that he'd be back later to deal with me properly. And, he got in a few parting shots before he went. I think he broke several of my ribs as well."

The teen paused again, then went on in a soft, tense voice. "After he left—I don't know how long it was. I was in pretty bad pain and I couldn't move for a while. After he left, I managed to pull myself through to where the phone was, and I called my grandmother. I didn't call 911. He was a cop. He would have found out and cancelled it. My grandmother came, and she called Chief Taylor." Jason hesitated, then looked up at the D.A. "That's all I remember of that day. I don't remember anything else."

The D.A. nodded. One glance at the jury showed that the tables had finally turned, and the odds were back on the side of the Prosecution.

"Thank you, Jason." He looked to the Defence lawyer. "Your witness."

The defence lawyer rose up slowly out of his chair and approached the witness box. He knew his only hope was to get Jason confused, and make him contradict himself. He had a bad feeling, looking at the hard expression in the boy's eyes, that that was not going to be an easy task.

"Jason—Let's just look at one issue at a time, shall we? This so-called abuse. Tell me something. Your own opinion. Do parents have the right to discipline their children?"

Jason nodded. "Yes. When they've done something wrong."

"And do you agree that people have different ideals of what discipline should entail?"

Again, Jason nodded. "Yes."

"All right, then. Now please tell the court why you feel that your father was abusing you, and not simply disciplining you for doing something that he felt was wrong."

In the body of the court, Donavon and Sarah exchanged worried glances, hoping Jason would not allow himself to be confused by the defence lawyer.

Jason barely hesitated before he answered.

"One evening, Matthews came into my bedroom and told me he had to punish me because I hadn't let the dog out. He hit me at least fifteen times with the belt buckle, as well as beating me with his fists."

The defence lawyer nodded. "All right, that may seem a little extreme, but you admit that it was punishment for not doing a chore."

Jason's gaze narrowed considerably, and he spoke in a flat, cold voice. "We never owned a dog."

The lawyer froze, caught momentarily off-guard. Finally, he shook himself out of it, then went on quickly.

"Well, let's go on to the accident where you were injured. Would you agree that when a person is in severe pain, their judgement is impaired?"

"That depends," Jason answered. "Some people's judgement might be impaired. Other people have perfect clarity and recall. I don't remember much else about that day—like what I did at school—but no matter how hard I try, I can't forget even the smallest details about what he did to me."

"Jason, Captain Matthews has testified that it was just an accident, that he put the car into gear by accident."

Jason didn't flinch. "Like I said before. Once might have been an accident. But he ran the car over me three times. I was screaming before the third time. He knew I was under the car and he deliberately ran me over."

The lawyer stepped back, deciding to take a more aggressive stand before his defence was completely blown out of the water.

"You were in pain, Jason. Do you honestly expect us to believe that your father—the man who helped give you life—would try to kill you?"

Still Jason didn't flinch. "Yes," he said bluntly. "I do, because that's exactly what he did."

"Jason, Captain Matthews has a strong sense of discipline due to his years as a police officer dealing with hard criminals. You were kidnapped and brought up in a completely different atmosphere. Is it so unreasonable to think that you might feel you were being treated a bit harshly, when in fact that was simply the way that Captain Matthews lived?"

Jason stared coldly at the lawyer. "I still have plenty of marks and scars from his treatment. Would you like to see?"

"I don't think that will be necessary," the lawyer said dismissively. "No need to overdramatise things, I think."

Jason sat back a little. "Maybe Matthews was used to living like that, but if that's true, then he must have spent a lot of time with prostitutes before he got me back."

Startled silence met the statement. Slowly, the defence lawyer looked back at Jason.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Anger flashed across the teen's face. "While I was with Matthews, he raped me and sexually assaulted me several times. Is that common practice for a cop? Even a Chicago cop?"

The judge spoke then, tensely.

"Jason, that is not a part of this case. If that truly happened, it should have been included as one of the charges."

"Excuse me, Your Honour," Jason said quietly. "But it is a part of it. It was part of the abuse that I had to live with. Please, I needed to say it."

For several long seconds, the judge said nothing. Then, finally, she nodded. "All right. I'll allow the statement to remain, but the jury is instructed to disregard it in their deliberations as there is no physical evidence to prove or disprove it. Does the Defence have anything more to say?"

The lawyer shook his head. "No, Your Honour."

The judge nodded. "Very well. You're excused, Jason."

"Please, Ma'am," Jason said abruptly. "There's something else I want to say."

"You'll have an opportunity to say something more at the end of the trial," the judge replied. The D.A. rose quickly, then.

"Your Honour, Jason's parents will be taking him back to California tomorrow. They won't be here for the end of the trial. We're asking special permission for Jason to say what he wants now."

For a long moment the judge didn't answer. Finally, though, she conceded.

"All right. We seem to have thrown procedure out the window anyway. Go ahead, Jason."

Jason hesitated for a long moment. He'd been building up to this for a long time, and he wanted to get it right. Finally, gathering his courage, he raised his head and looked directly at Matthews, speaking slowly and with great deliberation.

"You are not my father." The words came out forcefully, even more forcefully than Jason had hoped. He went on, gathering more courage and determination from the anger and defeat that he read in Matthews' eyes. "You might have brought me into this world, but you are not my father. I will never acknowledge you as my father. You've lost. I win. And I swear to God, I will never let myself become like you. Never."

Gritting his teeth, he rose and made his way out of the witness box, edging across the floor, nearly halfway to the gate, when he halted and looked at Matthews again. This time, there was no hesitation and no fear, and he felt a freedom the likes of which he hadn't experienced since before the whole mess had started so many months ago. He spoke again, and couldn't resist a triumphant smirk as he did so.

"You don't mean anything to me. I'm going to go home now, and I'm going to forget you. Forget what you did and forget who you are. You are nothing."

He looked away from Matthews, then, and continued on towards the gate.

Matthews moved so fast, that no one had time to react. As Jason neared the gate, he flew out of his chair and over the top of the table, tackling Jason and bringing the teen to the ground with a violent crash.

"Little bastard!" he screamed, hysterical with rage. "You fucking little shit!"

One hand came up to deliver a blow, only to be jerked viciously back, the wrenching force pulling him off and away from Jason. Seconds later, Matthews was tackled by three court officers while a fourth went to Jason's aid, along with the Scotts and the D.A.

"Are you all right?" Donavon asked tensely, the fear he felt reflected audibly in his voice. Remarkably, Jason was smiling.

"I'm fine. Thank God for the leg braces. Never thought I'd be grateful for them being so heavy and strong."

While Sarah hugged him in relief, Donavon rose up to face Matthews as the former officer was dragged unceremoniously to his feet. The judge was determined to get in before anyone else, though.

"Mr Matthews!" she roared, bringing an abrupt silence down on the entire court. "I am placing you in contempt of court, and I certainly hope the police will add a fresh charge of assault to the list. Bailiff, get him out of my courtroom! Right now!"

"Wait!" Donavon called, and stepped quickly in front of them as they started to take Matthews towards the side door. The bailiff and the officers halted, not quite sure what Donavon was planning to do or say. However, none were surprised when Donavon hauled off and slammed his fist directly into Matthews' jaw with a blow so strong that it nearly sent Matthews over despite the men holding onto him.

"Mr Scott!" the judge interrupted in a less angry, but equally forceful tone. "Do you realise what the penalty is for striking someone in a courtroom?"

Donavon grimaced as he rubbed his knuckles. "Yes, Ma'am, I'm aware of the penalty."

The judge paused, then nodded. "Well, then, it's just as well for you that I didn't see anything. Isn't it?"

Donavon could barely withhold a grin. "Yes, Ma'am."

"All right, then. I suggest you and your wife take your son and go before anything else happens. I would like to get on with this court case!"

Biting back the urge to laugh out loud, Donavon helped Jason to his feet and, with the aid of the fourth court officer, they quickly left the courtroom.

"I can't believe you decked him!" Jason burst out, once they were outside the courtroom. Donavon smirked, unable to resist it.

"I have been waiting to do that for thirteen years. Damn, that felt good."

Sarah spared her husband a reproachful look. "That's a fine example you're setting, Don." She couldn't fight off a broad smile of her own, though, and finally gave in to her emotions, sweeping both her husband and son up in a huge embrace.

Donavon laughed softly, then, feeling an immense sensation of relief as he realised that the worst was finally over.

"You know," he said as he looked affectionately at his son, "even if Matthews does somehow escape this, there's no way he will ever be able to get his hands on you again. No judge would ever reverse the adoption proceedings."

"He's not going to escape this," Jason said firmly. "I know he won't. And I don't care. I just want to forget him, and start over fresh."

Donavon looked to Sarah, who nodded her agreement. Smiling, Don ruffled Jason's hair and hugged him once more.

"I think," he said with quiet relief and determination, "that it's time to go home."

Angel Grove desert,
The Power Chamber
"Zordon, you are aware of the charge against you?"

Zordon nodded and answered as he watched the five regal-looking figures from his tube.

"Yes, I am aware. Non-power related interference with a human's life."

The chief among the five stood apart from her companions, speaking in a serious voice.

"The charge against you has been laid and proven. You admit to your own guilt, and for this the punishment is severe. However, we have taken into account the influence which you have had on this planet, and on the youths with which you have had contact, including the victim of this recent incident. It is not without merit, and certainly worth a great deal in your defence. As a result, the council has come to a decision. Jason, the first Red Earth Ranger and the victim in this matter, will be consulted by us in a discreet manner. Your fate now will depend on Jason's personal feelings towards you. If he has forgiven you, then you will be forgiven. If not, then punishment will be carried out as decreed in the Council Code. You will not alert the other Rangers, either past or present, to our plan. We will not have Jason's opinion influenced in any way. Is that understood?"

Zordon nodded. "I understand. They will not be told anything. Tell me, how will you approach him without revealing yourselves or your motives?"

"We have our ways," was the simple reply. "Remain on guard. You will know when we have our decision. For now, farewell."

Then, they were gone. A long moment of silence passed, and then Alpha shuffled out from where he'd been hiding.

"Zordon? What are we going to do? Whether or not we stay on Earth now depends solely on whether Jason is still angry at us!"

"There is nothing we can do, Alpha," Zordon answered grimly. "If Jason is still angry, then so be it. I cannot blame him for it. But we cannot do anything to influence him. We must simply have faith that, deep down, he is still the same boy that I chose to lead the first Earth Ranger team. Now, Alpha, we can do nothing but wait."

In a side chamber, unbeknownst to both Alpha and Zordon, Rocky stood frozen, hardly daring to breathe. He understood the importance of the people who had just been in the Power Chamber, and he understood what was going to happen. He had heard everything and, trembling with excitement and nerves, he teleported out of the Chamber to go and find his friends.

"Trini, have you heard from Jason?" Tommy asked as Trini joined the group of friends in the Youth Centre. She smiled and nodded.

"He phoned yesterday afternoon, after he finished in court. They'll be home tonight."

"That's good news," Kim said with a sigh.

"What about the trial?" Adam wondered. "Did he say anything about that?"

Trini couldn't resist a smile. "According to what Jason told me, he literally stood up, faced off with Matthews and told Matthews that he meant nothing to him. Then Matthews lost his temper, jumped out of his seat and threw Jason to the floor."

Tommy started up out of his chair, a mixture of anger and shock on his face. "He what? Is he okay? His legs—"

"He's fine," Trini reassured him. "At least, he says he is. He told me that the leg braces kept his legs from getting hurt again. Anyway, he sounded fine to me. Tommy, he was laughing about it! Apparently after the court officers got a hold of Matthews, Mr Scott punched him! Right in front of the judge!"

"Oh no," Tanya moaned. "What did the judge do?"

"Apparently the judge ignored it," Trini answered, giggling at the memory of Jason's retelling of the incident. "But whatever happened, guys, I don't think I've heard Jason sound so—so happy for a long while. He really did sound happy."

Tommy breathed a sigh of relief, then, and sank back into his chair. "That's good to hear. I know he's not exactly going to be able to forget any of what happened, but maybe he'll be able to start over again. I hope he can, anyway. He deserves that much."

"Hang on," Billy commented wryly as his gaze went to the door of the Centre. "Here comes Rocky."

"Looking like he's about to burst a valve," Kat remarked in amusement. All eyes went to the current Blue Ranger as he shot across the floor and skidded to a halt, barely avoiding slamming into the table.

"Easy, Rocky," Tommy said with a laugh. "What's up, man?"

Rocky shook his head, struggling to get his breath. In his excitement, he'd teleported to the middle of the park instead of to the Youth Centre, and had covered the entire distance running faster than he ever had before. Accepting the glass of water that Tanya handed to him, he swallowed a couple of mouthfuls, spluttered and coughed a few times, then forced the words out.

"Gotta tell you something," he gasped. "About Zordon. You know, how he said he was going to be punished?"

The teens all exchanged glances, and then Tommy got up quickly.

"C'mon. Let's go outside and find a shady spot."

A murmur of agreement swept across the group, and they hurried from the Youth Centre together.

"Okay, Rocky," Tommy said quietly as they sat beneath the boughs of a large Oak tree. "Spill it. What do you know?"

"I was in one of the side chambers," Rocky explained. "I'd just come from checking up on my Zord. There were five people there that I'd never seen before, so I ducked into the side chamber so I wouldn't be seen. I never saw their faces, but they were talking to Zordon. Guys, I think they were from the Council, or whatever it is that Zordon has to answer to. Anyway, one of them was talking, and she said that they'd pretty much found Zordon guilty, but because of the influence he's had, he deserved a chance—"

"You mean they're not going to do anything?" Kat asked breathlessly. Rocky grimaced.

"Not quite. Let me finish. They said that whether Zordon is punished or not is gonna depend on Jason."

"Jason?" Adam echoed. "How do you mean?"

"She said that they're going to approach Jason at some point, and if Jason has forgiven Zordon then they'll forgive him. If Jason hasn't forgiven him, then Zordon will have to leave here. Probably for good."

"So what do we do, then?" Tanya wondered.

Rocky frowned. "I think it's obvious. We have to tell Jason so he can tell these people that he forgives Zordon. Guys, we can't lose Zordon!"

Tommy was watching Rocky with a suspicious frown, then. "Rocky, what else did these people say?"

"What do you mean?" Rocky asked nervously. Tommy leaned forward a little.

"I mean, did they say anything about not telling us? In case we tried to influence Jason's decision?"

Rocky shifted a little on the grass. "Well, they might have told Zordon not to tell us—But he didn't! So it doesn't count!"

Tommy shook his head. "We can't tell Jason. We can't tell him anything."

"But—" Rocky protested. Adam sighed.

"Tommy's right, Rocky. These people that you saw talking to Zordon, they'd probably know if Jason was prepared for them. They'd know if he'd been influenced in some way, and that might turn out worse for Zordon than if we just let things go."

"So what do we do?" Kat asked softly. "Do we just let Jason condemn Zordon? Because we all know that's what he'll do."

"We don't know that, Kat," Kim protested. "None of us know what he'll do."

Trini nodded. "If he forgave all of us for making a mistake, then we have to trust that he's forgiven Zordon as well."

"We can't interfere," Tommy said softly, definitively. "That's all there is to it. We just have to hope, and trust that Jason is ready to forgive totally."

That night
Jason sank into his bed, relieved to be home, and know it was permanent. Although standing up to Matthews, like he had done, had been frightening, but the accompanying sense of freedom had been awesome. For the first time in nearly a year, he felt as though his life was finally returning to what had been before.

Of course, his legs were still healing slowly, and that was something that he would simply have to be patient about. It would probably be a long time before he could walk without the braces, and then he knew he might always need a cane, but things were definitely better. That was something he could no longer deny.

The door to his room opened and a familiar face appeared.

"Still awake?" Catherine asked, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. Jason smiled faintly.

"Not for long," he answered, stifling a yawn. Catherine hesitated, then sat down on the edge of the bed. She'd already heard the general details of the court case, along with a gusty recitation from Jason of Donavon's assault on Matthews. Donavon and Sarah had both been tentative about telling her of that part, until she'd shown only relief that her son had finally gotten a dose of his own medicine. Now, she reached out and affectionately brushed Jason's hair from his face.

"Well, you need a good rest. Your mother 鉓said you didn't get much rest on the flight home from Chicago."Jason pulled face. "There's never enough leg room. I couldn't move around much, and I got pretty stiff and sore. And, I've got a sore butt from being taken everywhere in the wheelchair."

Catherine laughed softly, then leant over to kiss him on the forehead.

"You'll feel better tomorrow."

Jason sighed faintly. "I feel better now. I feel like it's over, finally."

Catherine caught hold of his hand and squeezed it gently before standing up to leave the room. "That's because it is over, sweetheart. You're back where you belong, back with the people that love you. It is over, baby."

Jason smiled again. "I know."

Catherine hesitated, then left the room, leaving Jason encased in darkness and silence. He lay awake for a little while, simply appreciating being in his own room, in his own bed, before slipping into a deep sleep.

Jason awoke with a start to find himself back in his own bed, in his own room in the home in Angel Grove. He lay still for several seconds, trying to recall what had just happened. He'd had a dream, he remembered. A very odd dream—

He shifted a little unconsciously, only to cringe at the pain it caused him, and a faint groan escaped him. He remembered he'd dreamt that he'd been on Phaedos, talking with Dulcea, and that his legs had been completely healed. That, he reflected dismally, was something that would only happen in a dream. He shifted again, more carefully this time, and reached behind his head to adjust his pillows. It was then that he realised he was clutching something in his hand.

Curious and confused, he opened his hand to find a strange, round, metallic object resting in his palm. Reaching up to turn on his bed lamp, he gave the object a closer examination. It was not unlike the original Power Coins, he realised as he looked it over carefully, except that this was older.

He faltered as he turned it over to look at the other side. Etched clearly into the metal surface, staring back at him with wise, piercing eyes, was the image of a tiger. In an instant, Jason felt something akin to an electrical charge surge through him.

May your spirit animal continue to protect and guide you, Dulcea had told him in his dream— only now he began to realise that perhaps it had not been a dream after all. His heart beating in his throat, Jason reached across for the communicator that Billy had made up for him nearly two weeks ago, and activated it.

"Tommy?"

Tommy stirred, groaning in protest at the voice that interrupted his sleep. He grumbled incoherently under his breath, and flopped over onto his stomach, burying his face in his pillow.

"Tommy, damn it, wake up!"

Tommy's head came up from his pillow, his face twisted into an annoyed scowl, while his hair went in every direction. A moment later, the voice, and its origin, registered in his sleep-fogged brain.

"Jason?" he asked, snatching his communicator up from his desk. "That you?"

"Yeah, it's me. I know it's late, but I've got to talk to you."

"Now? Can't it wait till morning?"

"No, it can't! I need to talk now!"

Tommy sighed, and started to disentangle himself from his blanket. "Okay. Meet me at the all-night diner in five minutes."

Silence met Tommy's words, and the Red Ranger spoke with more than a touch of annoyance.

"What's wrong now?"

"You stupid moron," Jason snapped, though there was no real malice in his voice. "I can hardly get out of bed without help! Especially in the middle of the night!"

"Oh," Tommy muttered, red-faced as he remembered. "Look, give me a second to put on my robe, and I'll teleport to your room."

"Thank you," Jason answered, appeased. Rolling his eyes, Tommy climbed out of bed, tugged on his robe, and teleported out of his room.

Jason was sitting up in bed waiting when Tommy arrived. Unable to help himself, the former Ranger smirked at the sight of his friend's wild mop of hair.

"I forgot how you looked when you first get out of bed."

Tommy focused a threatening scowl on his friend as he sat down carefully on the edge of the bed. "Watch it. Don't forget you woke me up. Now, what's wrong?"

Jason hesitated, then. "I'm not sure that anything's wrong—I think that maybe I've actually set something right, but I'm not sure. Tell me something, what did Dulcea look like?"

Tommy blinked in surprise. "Dulcea? Man—I haven't thought about her for a long time. Well, she was beautiful, that's for sure."

"Thick brown hair down past her shoulders?" Jason inquired. "Really deep brown eyes? Strong accent?"

Tommy stared at Jason in astonishment. "How do you know?"

"I had this really weird dream," Jason explained softly, "but I'm not so sure it was a dream. She was in it. I was on Phaedos, and she was talking to me—About you guys—and about Zordon. She wanted to know what I thought about him now, after everything had happened, whether I was still angry at him for interfering."

For a long moment, Tommy had trouble breathing. He bit down hard on his lower lip as he recalled what Rocky had told them less than twelve hours ago.

"So—What did you say?"

"Well, I sort of admitted that I was still angry at him at first. But then I started looking at how I felt properly, and after a while I realised that Zordon never wanted me to get hurt, that his intentions were the same as yours. And then I told Dulcea that I forgave him."

Jason finally looked up from the blankets to Tommy's face, and felt a touch of indescribable relief at the brilliant smile on his friend's face. Tommy laughed as loudly as he dared, and threw his arms around Jason in a tremendous hug.

"You saved Zordon, bro! The Council, or whatever it is, they were going to punish him for interfering, but Rocky overheard them tell Zordon that his fate would be up to you, that if you forgave him, then so would they. So you saved Zordon!"

Jason sighed faintly. "I figured it was something like that, but I'm glad I didn't know about beforehand. I probably wouldn't have gone by my true feelings."

"That's what we figured," Tommy agreed. "Rocky wanted to tell you, but we decided against it. Probably just as well, too."

"Well, after I said I forgave Zordon, Dulcea told me that was what she wanted to hear, but she couldn't influence me in any way." Jason sighed and settled back a little against his pillows. "I feel better, though, just like Dulcea said I would. I needed to really forgive everyone— Even Mum and Dad for not telling me the truth early on. After all, if they hadn't let me forget everything, I would have been able to really protest when Matthews came for me."

"It's over now, bro," Tommy said softly. "Don't get hung up on it now."

"I won't," Jason murmured.

"So," Tommy said after a moment's silence. "What happened at the trial? Trini said you told her that your dad decked Matthews."

A grin lit up Jason's face as the memory. "Oh yeah, well and truly. I said what I wanted to. I told Matthews that he didn't mean anything to me, and I was going to forget about him totally. He flipped and tried to attack me. When the court officers got a hold of him, Dad just went up and hit him square in the face. The judge pretended that she didn't see that, but she put Matthews in contempt of court for attacking me. It was lucky. Dad really doesn't need anymore jail time."

Tommy smiled faintly at the images Jason's words presented in his mind. "After everything that's happened, I don't think any judge would be game enough to give your dad jail time. The media would rip them to shreds." He paused, stifling a yawn. "And I bet your dad's been waiting a long time for a shot at Matthews."

"Has he ever," Jason muttered, pulling a face. "He said that when we came out of court on the day. He said he'd been waiting for thirteen years for a chance like that."

Silence fell for a while, and then Tommy spoke softly, eyes cast down.

"I'm sorry, Jase. I'm sorry for everything. Not just this business with Matthews, but everything else, too. I'm sorry if we made you feel like you weren't part of the group anymore. I never meant for that happen. I don't know how it happened."

Jason watched Tommy seriously. "I'm sorry too, Tommy. I'm sorry for holding on to my anger for so long. I just—"

"You don't have to explain."

"Yes, I do. Everything built up so much, and I was so used to keeping in my emotions by then. What with getting hurt like I did, and my legs and everything, I just didn't know how to deal with my anger anymore. You guys were convenient targets."

"You mean legitimate targets," Tommy corrected ruefully. Jason gave him a warning look.

"Don't start. I mean you were convenient targets. I was really confused, angry, hurting, and I just couldn't get around it. If you guys hadn't come to the hospital that day while I was in physio, I would probably still be angry with you. Dulcea was right, though. We can never really begin to heal properly while we're holding a grudge of any sort. That included Zordon."

"Lucky for Zordon," Tommy murmured. He paused, then grinned. "Lucky for us, too. I hate to think who they might have sent in Zordon's place. After all, they couldn't just leave us to do as we
pleased."

A faint, amused smile crossed Jason's lips at that, but he said nothing. Tommy caught the look, and smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Ha, ha."

Jason burst into laughter, then, the likes of which Tommy could not remember hearing from his friend since long before the entire mess had started. He realised dimly in the back of his mind that Jason had not been truly happy from the time that Trey had taken back the Gold Powers, and understood finally how he had inadvertently contributed to that. Leaning across, he threw his arms around Jason in a quick, affectionate hug.

"What was that for?" Jason asked, recovering from his burst of laughter and gently drawing back from the embrace. Tommy shrugged.

"Nothing special. It's just— I was thinking that we can't go back and change anything, but maybe we can start over fresh. You know?"

After a moment, Jason nodded. "Yeah, I get you. Thanks, Tommy."

"Anytime, pardner," Tommy drawled, winning himself a smack over the head with one of Jason's many pillows. The Red Ranger yelped, then laughed.

"Okay," he said decisively, standing up and stepping back from the bed. "I'm getting out of here before your folks walk in and catch me. See you tomorrow?"

Jason smiled, and refrained from reminding Tommy that it was already ‘tomorrow'.

"Sure, bro."

A broad grin broke out across Tommy's face at that. Jason had not called him ‘bro' since— Well, not for a long time, anyway.

"Okay. I'm outta here."

"Tommy, just a sec—"

Tommy paused in teleporting, looking at Jason questioningly. Biting lightly on his lower lip, Jason reached under his pillow and produced something small and round. Tommy leaned forward for a closer look, and his eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the object.

"It's a Power Coin!" he burst out. "Where did you get that?"

"In my dream, Dulcea gave it to me," Jason explained. "When I woke up, I had it in my hand."

"Can I have look?" Tommy asked, and Jason handed it over wordlessly. Tommy turned the coin over slowly in his hands, inspecting it closely. Finally, he looked up at Jason with a smile.

"Tiger?"

It was Jason's turn to shrug and smile sheepishly. Tommy laughed softly and handed the coin back to his friend.

"I could go along with that." He paused, then spoke again softly. "Welcome back to the team, bro."

Jason only smiled in return, and Tommy finally activated his communicator, teleporting out in a flash of red light. After a long moment, Jason placed the coin carefully on the dresser next to his bed, and lay back down carefully.

Welcome back to the team—

It hadn't sounded pretentious, or false. Smiling contentedly to himself, he switched off the bed lamp and, within minutes, was fast asleep.

Odds were that he would always need a cane, and he'd accepted that. He was happy just to be able to walk again. He knew deep down how close he had really come to losing that all together.

"Jase, you ready?"

Jason looked around, and couldn't help but grin as Tommy joined him on the path, long hair blowing wildly in the wind.

"Nice look, Tommy," Jason commented wryly, and Tommy stuck his tongue out in retaliation.

"Stuff you. I didn't have time to tie my hair back."

"Running late as usual, huh?"

"What about you?" Tommy retorted, unable to conceal a grin. He paused to look his friend over. Both boys wore dark maroon robes for high school graduation, a day they both felt had been long in coming. The robes hung down at ankle length which, while causing mild concern as a potentially tripping obstacle to Jason, also hid the scars that ran up and down his legs- scars that would have otherwise been all too visible with the weather being far too hot for long pants.

Tommy looked back to Jason to find his friend smirking at him.

"What?" he asked, uncomfortable at being caught staring. Jason, however, only laughed.

"C'mon, we'd better hurry. Between the two of us, we might make it for the closing speech."

Tommy had to laugh then, as well. "Right, let's go."

They made it just ahead of time, and found their seats with their friends.

"Thought you guys weren't gonna make it," Adam murmured as Tommy sat on one side of him and Jason sat on the other side, next to Rocky. Jason smiled and shook his head.

"Couldn't not make it. Not when I came so close to missing out permanently."

Rocky choked on his gum while Adam grinned, seeing it for the joke it was. Tommy pulled a face, then reached over to punch Jason lightly on the shoulder.

"I still say you ought to let us take a photo of you afterwards and send it to Matthews in prison. I bet it'd really piss him off to see you standing."

"Nah," Rocky said. "We take a photo of him with the Scotts. If you want to piss the guy off, that's the way to do it."

"You guys are evil," Zack chortled, from where he sat in the row in front, listening to the conversation.

"Not evil," Tommy corrected with a pious look. "Just—"

"Lame," Jason finished, and the small group dissolved into laughter.

"You guys had better knock it off," Tanya told them in a chiding tone. "Mr Caplan won't let you graduate if you don't listen to his speech.

"Fat chance," Jason retorted. "I don't know about the rest of them, but I can still pull the sympathy vote with him."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Mr Scott," a voice said from behind, causing all of them to jump. Victor Caplan focused a hard look on the group, but the sparkle in his eyes gave away his good humour. He clapped Jason once on the shoulder, then headed on up to the front to take his place. The teens exchanged relieved smiles, and settled back into their seats to listen.

After a while, the Principal's voice faded into the background, as Jason reflected over how—colourful his teen years had become. He remembered going into Middle School, and the Junior High with some reservation, worried that he wouldn't find any good friends, worried that he wouldn't quite fit in, worried about everything in general. But there'd been no reason to worry- he'd gone into those years with Billy as his best friend, and had brought Trini, Zack and Kim into the group soon after. They'd already been a close knit team by the time that Zordon summoned them to be Rangers.

Everything that had happened—Everything that was still to come, would benefit him in some way. It hadn't all been easy, but that in itself was not such a bad thing. He looked down at his legs, covered at the moment by the long graduation robe. Some things he would always have to live with—

His gaze flickered upwards, to Tommy and the rest of his friends. Some things they would all have to live with. Jason looked back to his feet. They'd get by. They always had, and there was no reason why they shouldn't manage now.

A hand touched his shoulder, and he looked around to see Adam watching him with obvious concern. He answered the unspoken question with a brilliant smile, instantly dissolving any worries Adam may have had. Adam returned the smile and, once more, they settled back into their seats to enjoy the rest of the ceremony, and the rest of the day.

End