Chapter 1: A Most Unusual Day

“OK, class, that’s enough for today. Study for the quiz on Monday, and have a good weekend. You have about 5 minutes before the bell, use it however you want... quietly!”

Dr. Thomas “Tommy” Oliver ended class for his first period science students a bit early this Friday morning. They had been working hard, and deserved it. And, if he were to be honest with himself, he was somewhat distracted by his own thoughts today, for some reason.

Sitting at his desk at the front of the Reefside High School science lab, he briefly scanned the classroom, and was immediately drawn from his wandering thoughts by what he saw. It made him laugh to himself. Some students slept, some of the more diligent ones studied, a few stared in breathless anticipation at the clock, and, he noticed, with no small amount of unease, some of the girls stared unabashedly at him with a dreamy look in their eyes. It was enough to make Tommy roll his own. ‘Here we go again’, he thought.

A great deal could be said about Tommy Oliver. A sixth degree black belt in karate, any opponent that ever sparred with him would say he was a formidable martial artist, quick-thinking and powerful. A PhD. in paleontology, past professors would say he was a creative, promising student. He had several good friends, spanning back to his days at Angel Grove High school. They knew he was as loyal and true a friend as there ever was. His parents knew that he was a devoted son, and that they couldn’t have done better if they had conceived him themselves rather than adopting him as a newborn baby. But there was one thing about Tommy Oliver that everyone, no matter who they were, would say: that he was blindingly handsome. And it has, on more than one occasion, caused him some problems. Like for instance the discomfort he felt under the starry-eyed gazes of the seventeen year old girls sitting before him, drooling on their notebooks while they fantasized.

Almost thirty and just shy of six feet tall, with short, thick, dark hair that he coaxed with gel into trendy spikes every morning, rather than let lie in its natural curls; exotic features, indicative of his Native American heritage: dark eyes, the color of milk chocolate, with unbelievably long, curved lashes that, in combination with his full, perfectly shaped lips and flawless facial planes, almost gave him a feminine appearance, and make no mistake, Tommy has on many an occasion been referred to as a beautiful man. Taking in the whole picture, however, his body is most definitely masculine. Broadly muscular, with sharply defined pecs and abs, long, strong legs, and, as many a woman has noticed, a tight, perfect butt that made the whole package just as appealing walking away as it is coming towards you.

Not that Tommy was aware of any of this, for it was also widely known amongst his friends and family that he was nothing if not humble about his looks, completely uncomprehending of the attention they got him. He genuinely didn’t think he was anything special that way. But he wasn’t without an ego…no, not hardly.

Tommy Oliver was, without dispute, the greatest and longest-serving Power Ranger ever and deep down, though not pompous about it, he knew it.

The Power Rangers were the guardians of all that is right and true. They have, for nearly fifteen years, protected the citizens of Earth from the evil forces of the galaxy. Begun by the interdimensional being Zordon of Eltar, who acted as their mentor, the Rangers were ordinary teens and young adults that could “morph” into superheroes with extraordinary powers. Throughout the years, there have been many teams of Rangers that utilized different powers and fought different enemies. Tommy was the sixth member of the very first team, but before he joined them, he had been the evil green Ranger, recruited by evil space sorceress Rita Repulsa to destroy the Power Rangers. She had been impressed by his martial arts skills and quiet, brooding manor. The spell she placed on him was strong, and he couldn’t fight it. Eventually, though, the other Rangers helped break the spell, invited him to join the team, and thus marked a significant moment in Power Ranger history, as well as the beginning of some of the best friendships of Tommy’s life. Other powers and uniform colors followed, and by the time Tommy graduated from high school, he had experienced enough death and destruction that he was more than ready to transfer the power to the next generation and get on with his life.

It seems, however, that the power was not yet ready to permanently release him.

Refocusing his attention on his students, but very deliberately ignoring his admirers, he settled his gaze on his four favorite students. They weren’t his favorites because they performed the best academically, or because they sucked up to him. And he didn’t give them any extra privileges or breaks just because they were who they were. But Tommy Oliver shared a special relationship with Conner McKnight, Kira Ford, Ethan James, and Trent Fernandez. Not only were they his students, but they were something much more: they were his teammates. They were fellow Power Rangers.

While in graduate school studying paleontology, he was granted the opportunity to work with the famous scientist, Anton Mercer. They had been secretly working on combining dinosaur DNA with technology. At one point, their lab, located on a remote island, was attacked, and Tommy barely escaped with his life. He was certain no one else survived.

Not long after settling in Reefside, Tommy began setting up a Ranger command center in his basement with his genius friend from graduate school, Haley. He had found a nice house on a large piece of property, completely isolated in the woods. It was perfect for his needs. He knew the time was coming when he was going to end up wrapped up in the Power Ranger life again. The creatures that attacked their lab had been mutations of a project he and Anton had been working on, the difference being that they were now evil. It was obvious that someone had gotten hold of some of their research and was intent on doing harm with it. He could only assume that they were searching the lab for the source of this current team of Rangers’ powers, and the only things Tommy escaped the island with, the Dino Gems.

A series of unusual events led to the bonding of Conner, Kira, Ethan, Trent, and himself to the gems, and the DinoThunder Rangers were born. They fought against the evil mutant Mesogog, and were all that stood between humans and his ultimate goal: to return Earth to the prehistoric time of the dinosaur. To accomplish this, Mesogog needed the gems, and to get them, he regularly released armies of Tyrannodrones and other mutant monsters into Reefside in an effort to defeat the Power Rangers. It hasn’t worked so far, and if Tommy had his way, it never would.

Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Almost immediately after, the crackling of the PA system could be heard, then the stern voice of Reefside High’s principal, Ms. Randall. “Dr. Oliver, please report to the principal’s office!”

As Tommy heard the announcement, he couldn’t help but roll his eyes. That woman was so mean. He couldn’t figure out for the life of him what made her decide on a career in education when she so obviously despised kids. He had long ago learned to trust his instincts, and something about Randall sent up a red flag in his mind. He just couldn’t figure out what it was. He started to get his books and papers together, mentally preparing himself for his trip to the office, as the students filed out of the science lab. The team stopped in front of his desk, and Tommy just knew what was coming.

“Hey, Dr. O, your girlfriend wants to see you. Got a hot date this weekend?” Conner McKnight was the red Ranger, a soccer player, and something of an airhead, if only on the surface. He wasn’t stupid, but he was sometimes so full of bravado that he missed everything else that was going on around him. He was a good kid, though, and despite some lingering self-doubt about his ability and worthiness as a Power Ranger, he was slowly but surely becoming a fine leader.

“Conner, what did I tell you about the Randall jokes? I don’t find them funny.” Tommy fixed his student with a glare.

The team had taken to teasing their teacher about the seemingly lavish amount of attention the principal paid him on a recent field trip to an archaeological dig site. Tommy thought they were exaggerating. The last thing he could imagine was Randall having anything but professional feelings towards him. In fact, he couldn’t remember too many times when her attitude towards him wasn’t downright contemptuous, and while she did seem to be in an unusually good mood that day, he would never interpret that as having anything to do with him.

“Sorry, Dr. O. What do you think she wants now?”

“I have no idea, Conner, but I’m sure it isn’t anything serious. Now hurry up, or you guys will be late for your next class.”

“Are we still meeting for training after school, Dr. Oliver?” Kira Ford, the yellow DinoThunder Power Ranger, and the most thoughtful of the group, stuck her head back into the classroom to ask just as Tommy picked up his briefcase to make his way to Randall’s office.

“Yeah, Kira, 4:00. Meet at the command center.”

“OK…Oh, and Dr. O, Good luck.”

“Thanks, Kira, see you later.”

Kira was a musician, and a damn good one. Tommy knew he wasn’t just being biased because she was his student and teammate. She really was very talented. As the only female on the team, she brought a necessary, stabilizing force to the Rangers. She was tough without being abrasive, feminine without being overly girly, and she wasn’t in the least bit intimidated by all the testosterone. Tommy couldn’t be happier to have her along side them.

‘No use postponing the inevitable’, Tommy thought as he made his way up the hall through the sea of last minute stragglers still left rushing to their next class. The main administrative offices for the school were just ahead, and just as he grabbed hold of the doorknob, he took a deep breath to ready himself for whatever Ms. Randall threw at him. He really couldn’t imagine what he did this time, although she never seemed to need a valid reason to hassle him in the past. Tommy could have sworn she had it in for him, yet other times she was as sweet as sugar. It made no sense.

As soon as he entered the office, he was greeted by Mrs. Reynolds, the elderly school secretary. She was seventy-something, and had been working at Reefside for almost forty years. She genuinely loved the kids, and never spoke of retirement.

“Good morning, Dr. Oliver!”

“’Mornin’, Mrs. Reynolds. How are you today?”

“Fine, dear, just fine. I’ll let her know you’re here.”

“Thank you.” Tommy gave her his best smile, for he adored Mrs. Reynolds. She was like a grandmother figure to students and teachers alike. She in turn smiled back, for she found Dr. Oliver incredibly charming and handsome. He made her feel like a young girl with a crush, much like she knew many of the students felt about him.

From behind her she heard the door to Ms. Randall’s office, and her smile turned to a frown. In all these years working at the school, she has seen many teachers and principals come and go, but never has she known one to be as mean spirited and spiteful as Randall. She sighed as she heard Randall bark out the science teacher’s name.

“Dr. Oliver! Please step into my office.”

“And a good morning to you, Ms. Randall,” Tommy mumbled under his breath. Here we go…

Moving behind her desk to sit down, she motioned for him to do the same. He waited until she was seated, then he politely sat down in one of the uncomfortable “interrogation” chairs in front of her and waited for her to begin. Tommy was very amused by her whole demeanor. She thought she was really intimidating, and to some students she probably was, but not to him. He simply found her disturbing.

Ms. Randall fixed him with a stare and a tight smile for an excessively long time, most likely in an effort to make him squirm, before she spoke. “Dr. Oliver, I suppose you’re wondering why I called you in here.”

“Well, the thought has crossed my mind.” Tommy was not interested in playing games.

To his surprise, she let out a hearty, genuine laugh.

“Don’t be so serious! I’m just curious to know how you’ve adjusted now that you’ve been here for several months. That’s all.”

“I’m…fine. No problems. I enjoy teaching. That’s all you wanted to know?”

“Um…well, how about other areas of your life? It’s important for a teacher to have an outlet for all the stress. So, what do you do when you’re not at work? Any hobbies? Friends? What about your social life? Certainly a good-looking, single, young man like yourself ought to have a special lady with whom to spend your free time. Have you found anyone in particular since moving to Reefside?”

Tommy must have had a quizzical look on his face, because it relayed his confusion without his having to say a word. He didn’t think he could if he tried, anyway. He was too stunned.

“Don’t be so surprised! I’m just looking out for you. In fact, I’ll tell you what, why don’t you and I go out for a drink tomorrow night? Nothing fancy, just two friends getting together outside of work, socially. That is, if you’re not busy…” Ms Randall fixed him with her sweetest smile, one which Tommy would have sworn she wasn’t even capable of.

This was the last thing Tommy expected from coming here this morning. If Randall hadn’t spelled it out so clearly, he may have thought he misunderstood her intent, but she was very direct. She wanted to go out on a date with him? Ms. Randall? He barely thought of her as a woman. It wasn’t that she wasn’t attractive. If one were to look beyond the harsh, dark-rimmed glasses, she really had a pretty face. And she wasn’t old, middle thirties at the most, but she seemed older due to her stern, brash demeanor. Still, even if she weren’t his boss, Ms. Randall just wasn’t his type.

It took Tommy a few breaths to find his voice.

“Uh, Ms. Randall, I don’t think…”

She cut him off. “Oh, come on. It’s just a drink. Why not? What are you afraid of?”

Wow, she was persistent. He knew he had to walk softly or risk not only hurting her feelings (not that Tommy has noticed much evidence of her having any feelings other than anger), but jeopardizing his relationship with her as his boss, such as it were. He might even be risking his job, but he had to be honest with her.

“Ms. Randall, I really don’t think that it would be a good idea for us to explore anything other than a professional relationship. My private life outside of school is just that, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

Randall appraised him with an amused, somewhat patronizing look. Somehow Tommy didn’t think he was getting through, and if he wasn’t shocked enough by her asking him out, her next move just blew him away.

Slinking out of her seat, Ms. Randall came around and sat on the edge of the desk, directly in front of Tommy’s chair, and crossed her long legs. From his perspective, he couldn’t help but notice how her position caused the hem of her slim skirt to inch up until there was a considerable amount of thigh on display. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she then proceeded to lean way forward until her face was a mere foot from his and her blouse gaped open, revealing her black lace bra and the swell of her breasts.

Tommy coughed a time or two and averted his eyes from the sight before him, as he shifted to sit as far back in the chair as possible. His face felt red hot and the air suddenly became stifling. In all of the impossible situations he had found himself in during his years as a Power Ranger, none of them, even being dangled by his wrists over the Pit of Despair by Divatox, were as uncomfortable as this. This was not only a side of Randall he’s never seen, but it was a side of her that he’d have bet good money didn’t even exist. Tommy had plenty of experience dodging unwanted advances, but never by his boss.

Forcing himself to look her directly in the eye, Tommy tried to dissuade her again. “Look, Ms. Randall, I think I’d better go get ready for my next class. If you’ll excuse me…”

He tried to stand up, but Randall quickly slid off the desk and stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. Tommy tried his hardest to not visibly sweat as she stood above him.

“What’s the rush? Third period doesn’t start for half an hour. You know, it just occurred to me that we hardly know each other. Why not meet me for that drink? We’ll find someplace quiet so we can talk without distractions…maybe even have dinner, a bottle of wine…”

Tommy decided that he had to get out of there right now. Her hand was still on his shoulder, gently massaging.

“Listen to me, please, Ms. Randall. I’m flattered that you asked, but I’m just not interested. I have a wedding to go to tomorrow night with my parents, anyway.” He said it with a smile, trying in earnest not to embarrass or offend her. She might be creepy, but she was still a woman, and he was a gentleman.

Tommy’s cousin Tracy was getting married, and he did promise his Mom that he’d go. He quickly stood up, dodging her next attempt to keep him seated, and backed towards the door.

“Oh… well, maybe another time, then.”

Was she deaf?!

“I don’t think so. I’ve got to go.” And he hurried out the door without looking back, leaving Randall alone in her office.

She watched him go, momentarily shocked that her feminine charms failed to work on him. Shock, however, rapidly gave way to anger. Crossing the room in just a few steps, she grabbed hold of the door, and loudly slammed it shut.

I will not fail you, Master, Ms. Randall swore. I will get close to him. I will earn his trust in order to get my hands on those Dino gems, and then I will destroy those pesky Power Rangers. And with a flash of green light, she transformed into Elsa, Mesogog’s evil henchwoman.

Her position at the school gave her a unique advantage with the Rangers. She could keep an eye on them, and they were completely oblivious to who she really was. When her master gave her this assignment, she wasn’t exactly thrilled. She hated teenagers, but at least as an authority figure, she didn’t have to be kind to them or suck up to them so they’d trust her. It was a relationship full of naturally-occurring animosity.

Dr. Oliver, however, was proving to be a bigger challenge than those damn teenage Rangers. He wasn’t as naive, and he had a nauseating sense of honor and virtue. But as their leader and mentor, he held all the secrets and the power. Without him, the team would fall apart, so Mesogog dispatched her to find and exploit his weaknesses.

He was a man, and no man could resist sex. That, as far as she was concerned, was a weakness. All she had to do was use her feminine charms to get him in a vulnerable position, and the gems were hers.

Though she loathed admitting it, there was something definitely appealing about the prospect of seducing Tommy Oliver. She didn’t understand her conflicting emotions towards him, and that was not good. She needed to hate him, despise him. Whatever this other thing she was feeling was not acceptable.

Her mind made up to not fail again, and with renewed anger towards Dr. Oliver, Elsa disappeared through an invisiportal back to Mesogog’s island fortress to plan her next move.

As soon as Tommy made it into the lobby outside the principal’s office, he heard the door slam behind him. The loud noise startled Mrs. Reynolds, who looked up from her work to see what the ruckus was about. There she saw Dr. Oliver leaning up against the wall with his eyes closed. His normally tan complexion looked pale, and he seemed a bit out of breath. Since she didn’t hear any shouting coming from Ms. Randall’s office, she couldn’t even begin to imagine what went on in there to put him in such a state. Maybe he just wasn’t feeling well.

“What’s the matter, dear? You look ill.”

“I’m fine, Mrs. Reynolds. Thank you for asking.” His voice sounded shaky, even to him.

“Are you sure? If you’re sick, I may be able to get a substitute for the rest of the day. You could go home and rest.”

“No, that’s OK. I’ll be alright. Have a nice weekend, ma’am.” Tommy mumbled as he headed out of the office into the hall. He could just barely hear the elderly secretary talking to herself after he left, something about him being such a ‘nice young man’, and that Randall is a ‘hateful woman’. It made him smile to himself, despite what just went on.


Chapter 2: What might have beens...

The rest of the school day was uneventful. Tommy managed to steer clear of Principal Randall, deliberately staying in his classroom through lunch to grade papers. When the final bell rang at 3:00, he was more than happy to gather up his books and papers and head home for the weekend.

Driving down the back roads to his secluded house on Valencia Drive, Tommy’s mind began to wander back to the occurrence that morning. He tried his best to forget about it, but it invaded his mind on and off all day long. This time, however, something else was bothering him.

The run in with Randall reminded him that no, he didn’t have anyone special in his life.

Tommy was the type of guy that liked long term relationships. Casual dating just wasn’t his style. He wasn’t afraid of commitment, and he only wanted to date a woman who felt the same way. But while it might seem like he would have no problem finding someone to spend his time with, the reality was that his love life, like many other things in Tommy Oliver’s existence, was negatively affected by the Power Ranger life.

A perfect example of this was the girlfriend he had in graduate school. He and Elizabeth met in the University bookstore while buying supplies on the first day of classes. They simultaneously reached for the same book off a shelf, and it was instant attraction.

For two years they were inseparable, but when they decided to take the next step in their relationship and move in together, the trouble started. Tommy should have known better. It was during that time that he was working with Andros, tracking the remains of the Machine Empire. There were a lot of secret phone calls, weekend trips, and many late nights spent at the “library”. It became increasingly difficult to come up with excuses to get away without arousing her suspicions. Lying to his parents in high school was much easier. Luckily, as a paleontology major, he had a built in reason to be away on digs. He hated keeping such a large portion of his life from her, but it just wasn’t the right time to tell her. It was too dangerous. If their relationship didn’t work out, that information could be lethal. When and if he and Elizabeth got married, he fully intended to tell her everything. By then, he would be done with that life for good.

Eventually, an otherwise good life together became plagued with arguments about his activities. She instinctively knew he was hiding something from her. What Tommy considered the final straw was when the red Rangers were finally ready, after over a year of preparation, to go to the moon to defeat General Vinjix and his Machine Empire. They had a huge fight before he left. She accused him of seeing another woman. He knew it must look like that to her, but he was hurt, and a little disappointed, that she would think he’d do that. They eventually worked through it, or so he thought.

Shortly afterwards, he left to do his research with Anton Mercer Industries on the island. It was his dream job, an opportunity to do cutting edge research while finishing his PhD thesis. Not only that, but he was getting paid. Elizabeth should have been happy for him, instead it was the beginning of the end of their relationship.

When Tommy returned home after their lab was attacked by Mesogog and the island blew up, he wanted nothing more than to fall into her arms and sleep for a week, then he was seriously thinking of proposing to her. Some things just aren’t meant to be.

It was four in the morning when Tommy got home, battered and bruised from his fight with the Tyrannodrones, all of his research and possessions destroyed. Still, he wanted to surprise her, since he wasn’t due back for another few weeks. Unlocking the door to their apartment as quietly as possible, he snuck inside and kicked off his shoes. Before he could make it to the bedroom, he sensed someone behind him. He spun around just before he was assaulted by some guy with a baseball bat wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts.

Twenty five years of martial arts paid off yet again for him that night. He blocked the attack, knocking the man to the floor. He laid there moaning as Tommy heard Elizabeth running from the bedroom. As soon as she saw him standing there, she screamed. He couldn’t do anything but stare at her. Words failed him.

“Tommy, I can explain,” Elizabeth stuttered while adjusting her only attire, a bed sheet.

“Don’t. Just don’t say anything. I never really knew you at all.”

Tommy felt sick to his stomach. The tragedy on the island, losing his partner and his work, fighting evil creatures that he helped create, and now coming home to find the woman he loved sleeping with another guy. These things were all catching up to him, and his body began to react violently. A groan coming from the floor behind him returned his attention to Elizabeth’s new friend. He spun around just as the guy was starting to get up. It was now that he finally got a good look at the guy’s face, as the apartment was fairly dark.

It was Rob, his good friend since they were lab partners in Organic Chemistry as undergrads.

Without a word, Tommy ran for the bathroom, slammed to door, and proceeded to throw up. As he sat on the bathroom floor, each time he thought of Rob and Elizabeth together brought a new round of nausea, until there was nothing left in his stomach. He could hear her outside the door, pleading with him to open up.

“Tommy? Tommy, are you OK? Open up. Please give me a chance to explain!” Elizabeth begged.

Tommy barely heard her. He was lost in his own thoughts of their shattered future. He just couldn’t be with someone who betrayed him like that. Tommy took loyalty very seriously. His years as a Power Ranger taught him to prize it above almost everything else.

After nearly a half an hour in the bathroom, Tommy picked himself up off the floor and took a good look at himself in the mirror. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy, his hair a mess. He splashed some cold water on his face, brushed his teeth, and left the bathroom.

Grabbing a bag from the hall closet, he made his way around the apartment, gathering up only a few clothes and a couple other things that were meant a lot to him. Elizabeth followed him around, begging him to talk to her, listen to her, look at her anything. He couldn’t.

That night, Tommy left their apartment and never saw Elizabeth or Rob again. That was three years ago.

It was unfortunate that the drive home took as long as it did, because it gave Tommy time to think about how while what happened with Elizabeth was his most recent heartbreak, it was far from his first romantic difficulty. Before her, there was Katharine Hillard, the second Pink Ranger.

Their relationship didn’t suffer from the secrets that were the downfall of Tommy and Elizabeth. Since Kat was a Ranger too, they shared a natural bond. The problems started when they were no longer Power Rangers. Once getting into college, they discovered that Rangering was the only thing that held them together. Otherwise, they didn’t really have that much in common, especially their plans for the future. Katherine wanted to join a professional dance company, and she was offered one in London. Tommy, however, had no desire to move to England. He was preparing to apply to graduate school at USC. They had a great paleontology program, and his mind was made up.

Since they had found themselves drifting apart due to lack of similar interests, and since neither of them had any intention of giving up their dreams, they decided to part amicably. Tommy still heard from her at Christmas and in e-mails from time to time.

Probably the greatest heartache of Tommy Oliver’s life, though, had been Kimberly Hart, The first Pink Ranger, and his first girlfriend. They met at the beginning of junior year in high school. Tommy had just transferred to Angel Grove from a school just outside Phoenix. You could literally call it love at first sight. Their connection was instantaneous and complete, surviving his evil Green Ranger days and countless battles. Anyone who knew Tommy and Kimberly knew that few couples were so in love, even though they were so young.

Theirs was not a physical relationship. They never shared more than the occasional chaste kiss. The depth of their bond was almost spiritual, and Tommy was sure he would spend the rest of his life with her, so when she was offered the chance of a lifetime to train for the Pan Global games in gymnastics, he encouraged her to follow her dream, certain that their love would survive.

When the unfeeling “Dear John” letter came, addressed to him not at his home, but at the Youth Center, Tommy’s devastation was as great as his love for Kimberly. There was no warning, no signs, and no logical explanation for it. She just abruptly ended their relationship, claiming to have met the one she “was supposed to be with”. Tommy thought that was HIM, but he had heard that if you love something or someone, set them free, so he did. He loved and respected her so much that he would gladly sacrifice his own happiness for hers. Now, nearly thirteen years later, he had still never experienced that kind of connection with another, not even Elizabeth.


Chapter 3: Secret Admirer

1992 Valencia Drive finally came into sight, which was a good thing, since by now Tommy was in a very melancholy mood. Spending the last thirty minutes reliving all of his past romantic failures was not exactly how he had planned to spend this beautiful Friday afternoon. At this point, he figured he’d better snap out of it, since the team would be there soon, and he’d hate to unintentionally take anything out on them.

Letting himself into the house, he mechanically put himself through his getting-home routine: check the snail mail, the e-mail, and the voice mail, change out of the teacher get-up of shirt, tie, chinos, and loafers, then grab a quick snack. Before he knew it, he heard the familiar sound of teenagers on the front porch. He opened the door before they had a chance to knock.

“Come on in guys and head downstairs. I’ll be down when the others get here.” Tommy told them.

“Sure thing, Dr. O.” Ethan, the Blue Ranger answered.

As usual, the first two kids to arrive had been Ethan and Trent, the White Ranger. They usually came together, since Ethan didn’t have a car and he and Trent lived close.

Ethan was the “brain” of the team. He was a self-described computer geek who liked nothing better than to spend the day online gaming or surfing the web. Like most nerdy kids, he was somewhat socially immature, but very easygoing, and he seemed to have found a real niche with his fellow Rangers.

As time has gone on, Tommy has even noticed some of their traits rubbing off on each other. As a result, Ethan has become more athletic, like Conner, and more stylish, like Kira. Conner seems to use a little more intellect, like Ethan, and is more considerate of others, like Kira. She, in turn, appears, like Conner, more socially gregarious, and like Ethan, more humorous.

The real loner of the group was Trent. Of all the Rangers, he is the one who reminded Tommy most of himself. The resemblances were uncanny. Both were adopted, although Trent was orphaned only a few years ago, but Tommy was just a baby. Trent is also quiet and shy like Tommy was as a teen, but like Tommy did, he, too, came out of his shell since being embraced by the security of the team. The biggest similarity, though, was the fact they both began their Ranger careers against their will as evil Rangers. History was repeating itself.

The fact that Trent was adopted by Anton Mercer was of no small concern to Tommy, however. Anton was thought dead when the island exploded. His sudden appearance in Reefside seemed almost eerie, especially since it happened at about the same time that the monster attacks began, necessitating the formation of a new team of Power Rangers. These days, Anton just didn’t seem like the Anton who had been Tommy’s mentor in graduate school. This new Anton was cold and removed, almost mechanical. Something about the whole thing set off alarms in Tommy’s psyche, so having Mercer’s son on the team made him anxious, but he was careful not to let Trent know this because so far, the kid has never given him cause to doubt his loyalty to the team.

Only another five minutes or so went by before the Red and Yellow Rangers arrived. As usual, Conner couldn’t help himself from making some sort of wise crack.

“Hey, Dr. O, glad to see you’re still in one piece. I guess Randall wasn’t after your butt after all. We thought you were dead.”

His comment momentarily reminded Tommy of Randall’s come-on that morning. For once, Conner was right; she was after his butt, in the biblical sense, too, although he had no intention of sharing that little piece of information with the Rangers. Thank God for Kira, who, rolling her eyes at Conner’s inane repartee, pushed him along downstairs, giving Tommy an understanding smile on her way. Tommy returned the smile, grateful for her sensitivity.

The last, but certainly not least, member of the team to arrive was Tommy’s friend Haley. They met in graduate school when both were working in the campus labs late one night. While Haley was a Computer Science and Engineering major rather than paleontology, they still hit it off over a cup of coffee in the student lounge. From then on, she became one of Tommy’s best friends. When he needed a place to stay after his breakup with Elizabeth, she gladly let him crash on her couch for a couple of weeks.

It was during this time that she confronted him with her own suspicions about what his extra-curricular activities were. Having a genius IQ combined with a surprising amount of common sense for one so smart helped her put two and two together. She knew, after he returned from the island, that he was in possession of three crystals of extraordinary power, and that he was looking for a way to channel it. After asking a few odd questions one day about how she would design a system for tracking energy signatures or if it was theoretically possible to build a device that could use that energy to tap into something called a morphing grid, she told him she wanted in on whatever he was up to. Tommy decided to trust her. She was a good friend, and he needed her expertise if her were to safely pull off the creation of the Dino Morphers.

Tommy came clean that night about his history as a Power Ranger, the research he and Mercer were doing on the merging of dinosaur DNA with technology, the discovery of the Dino Gems, and what happened on the island. It was then that she realized why Elizabeth thought he was cheating. The weight of all that knowledge on his shoulders was bound to make him behave suspiciously. She was happy to use her talents to help bear some of the burden.

Of course, Haley would by lying to herself if she denied that she was hoping their partnership would eventually develop some fringe benefits. The truth was inescapable. She was hopelessly in love with Tommy Oliver, and of course, he had no idea.

The more time she spent working in the labs with him, the more she found herself falling for him. He was not only outrageously good-looking, but he was kind, generous, funny, and, despite everything that he has seen and done, he still retained a boyish sense of innocence. The fact that he trusted her with his secret meant that he respected her. Her intelligence didn’t threaten his ego and he was very evolved compared to most men she knew.

Haley never dared to hope that Tommy would ever return her love. He has not once given her any indication that he felt anything for her besides friendship. It may be a deep friendship, but that’s all. She didn’t think he was shallow, but Elizabeth was so beautiful. Haley had also seen pictures of his other girlfriends, Katherine and Kimberly. They were also stunning. If those were the kind of women he was attracted to, she couldn’t possibly measure up. Her looks and figure were only average, at best, no matter how intellectually gifted she might be.

She had been there for him when his relationship with Elizabeth ended three years ago. He was fuming with anger when he showed up at her door at 5 in the morning. As the day went on, his anger had turned on himself for not having been a better judge of character. Eventually, his anger dissolved into profound sadness, and he all but cried on her shoulder over the loss. Tommy shared with her the histories of his other relationships, as well. Haley just couldn’t believe that these women would take a guy like Tommy Oliver for granted. They obviously didn’t appreciate what a fine catch he was. In fact, she had even considered apprehending Elizabeth, suddenly feeling fiercely protective of him.

She promised herself that if he could ever love her, she would never break his heart. By now, the love she felt for him was so strong that she sometimes thought her heart would burst. Their friendship meant the world to her, and she didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize it, but she also didn’t get where she was in life by not taking risks. It was time he knew how she felt. She has given him ample time to get over that bitch, and he hasn’t dated anyone since. There would never be a better time. Soon, Haley was going to put it all on the line and she would know once and for all if her dream would come true.

“Hi, Tommy. Sorry I’m late. I bought a bunch of new laptops for the café. They were supposed to be delivered by 2:00, but naturally, they didn’t get there until almost three.” Haley apologized. “Tomorrow night, Ethan is going to help me install them into the network. Maybe now there won’t be any more waiting lists to use the computers.”

She was the owner of Haley’s Cyberspace, a coffee house/smoothie bar with computers. Kids could do homework, play video games, chat on-line, or just chill with friends. Haley found that she preferred being her own boss to feeling exploited by high-tech corporations who just wanted her ideas. Recently, business has been booming. For a while, the place had a reputation as a geek hangout, but having kids like Conner McKnight and Kira Ford spending time there has done wonders to attract different types of crowds. Kira’s band even played there regularly.

“That’s OK, Haley. We haven’t started yet. I don’t have anything really formal planned for today anyway. The kids are downstairs, why don’t you go on down. I’ll be right there.”

As she disappeared down the hidden stairway leading to the basement command center, Tommy debated telling her about Ms. Randall’s pass at him that morning. Eventually, he decided not to mention it to anyone. Maybe then he, himself, could forget that it ever happened. Taking a deep breath to dispel any residual bad mood, he followed her down the steps.


Chapter 4: Chance Encounter

When Tommy got to the bottom of the stairs, the sight before him made him laugh to himself. The Rangers were scattered around the command center, each in their own little world. Conner was practicing bouncing a soccer ball from knee to knee; Kira sat in a corner, lightly strumming her guitar and singing to herself; Ethan had his laptop out, gaming away; and Trent sat at the command console with a sketch pad, designing his latest comic book hero.

They were all from different worlds. Before they became Power Rangers, they barely even knew each other’s names. The only two with anything in common were Kira and Trent, both being the artsy types. In a way, they sort of reminded Tommy of Billy and Trini from the original team. They shared a special bond, understanding each other instinctively, and if Tommy wasn’t mistaken, there was a fair amount of attraction there, too.

Well, the sooner he got started, the sooner he could set them loose to enjoy their weekend. He loudly cleared his throat. They immediately looked up from their activities.

“Guys? OK, listen up. Seeing how it’s Friday, and that you all would like to have lives, I thought we’d just go over some hand-to-hand combat techniques this afternoon. That seems to be where the team as a whole takes the worst beating. It’s easy to fire a weapon from a distance, but when you get up close, it’s important to be able to defend yourself. Your suits might be able to deflect energy blasts, but they don’t offer any protection against broken bones. These Tyrannodrones are getting stronger and bolder, and now we also have the Triptoids to deal with, too.”

This was Tommy’s special area of expertise. He had been studying martial arts since the age of four, and now, as a sixth degree black belt, he was lethal on the battlefield.

“Alright! Dr. O, can I practice on Conner?” Ethan asked.

It took about 3 seconds for the Blue Ranger to feel a soccer ball bounce off his skull. The others laughed as Ethan rubbed his head, even Tommy and Haley. It was obvious that the only thing seriously hurt was his pride.

“No. I’m not going to have you attacking each other just yet. Someone’s bound to get hurt. Unmorphed, you don’t have the stronger defensive instincts afforded you by being tapped into the morphing grid. You’re going to practice on me. I know how to safely deflect an attack without injuring my opponent. I won’t counter-attack just yet. Once you have the techniques down, then you’ll practice together. Ok, let’s get started.”

With that, Tommy took the group, minus Haley, through a series of stretches and warm-up exercises, then he taught them a couple of basic katas, utilizing several different combinations of blocks, strikes, and kicks. Eventually, they moved on to more complicated moves, each Ranger taking turns practicing with Dr. Oliver.

An hour later, the kids were slumped in a heap on the mats Tommy had spread on the command center floor, exhausted. Haley sat near the back of the room, welding torch in hand, making adjustments to the Raptor cycles. Tommy had made his way to the weight machines in the corner. In no way was that enough of a workout for him, so he proceeded to do several sets of lifts, working each individual muscle group.

Conner had gone upstairs to retrieve some water for the gang while the group took a moment to recover from their training session. Tommy grabbed a towel to dry the sweat from his face and took a bottle from his student, nodding his thanks. Haley had finished her work on the bikes, and was sitting up at the console with Trent. Suddenly, Tommy looked up as if startled.

“Haley, what time is it?” He asked excitedly.

“About 5:15, why?”

Shit!

“I had something I had to do this afternoon. I almost forgot…gotta go, guys, enjoy your weekend. Maybe I’ll see ya at the cafe…” Tommy said rapidly as he threw down the towel and ran up the stairs. A few seconds later, his Jeep could be heard screeching out of the gravel driveway and down Valencia Road.

Haley couldn’t resist the chuckle that escaped her throat. Tommy was notoriously forgetful. She was forever teasing him about it in graduate school, which he claimed had been the story of his life since high school.

“What’s up with him?” asked Ethan.

“Yeah, he sure ran out of here in a hurry. Do you know what he’s gotta do, Haley?” Kira questioned.

“Maybe he does have a hot date,” Trent joked.

“Stop! Ewww! No! Just don’t even joke about that, it’s gross!” As usual, Conner was the first to comment

“What’s gross?” the White Ranger didn’t know what he said wrong.

“Dr. O having a date, that’s what’s gross. He’s a teacher. Teachers don’t date. That’s like thinking of your parents having sex. It’s disgusting.”

“Dr. O dating isn’t quite the same as parents having sex, Conner. Now, Dr. O having sex, that’s pretty gross, but just dating, well…that’s not as gross,” Trent countered.

“You guys are such morons,” Kira started. “Why’s it so hard to believe that a young, good-looking guy like Dr. Oliver would have a date? I mean, come on, when you’re his age, you’ll still like girls if you’re not married. Maybe he’s looking for a wife.” Boys were so dumb sometimes.

Conner couldn’t let that go. “He’s not young! Wait a minute…you think Dr. O’s hot, Kira? Get out, you’re making me sick here.”

“All the girls at school think he’s hot, for a teacher, I mean. Besides, he was a man before he was a teacher. I think you guys are just jealous that he has a date tonight and you don’t.”

Up until now, Haley simply observed this exchange between the teens with amusement, but what the Yellow Ranger said caught her attention. She figured she’d better speak up before this conversation got any further out of hand.

“Wait a minute! Guys!” Haley had to almost yell to be heard above the friendly argument that had erupted amongst the team. They all turned to stare at her. “What just happened here? I don’t know what Tommy had to do today, but I highly doubt it was a date. Besides, he’s had girlfriends…and don’t call him old, thank you very much. I’m older!”

“Girlfriends?” That caught Ethan’s attention, who up until now had pretty much kept his mouth shut. As resident nerd, the topic of girls was not his area of expertise. His last, not to mention only, date had been a disaster. “Come on, Haley. Don’t hold out on us here.”

“No, no, no…NO way! Forget it!”

“Awwww, Haley. Come onnn! Pleeeesssee?” All three kids pleaded in unison.

“We won’t tell him what you said, we promise.” Conner could whine better than a toddler.

“If you want information, you’re going to ask him yourselves, but don’t expect him to answer you, though. Tommy’s intensely private about things like that. He embarrasses very easily.”

And that was the truth. Haley could just imagine Tommy’s reaction if the kids suddenly started asking him about his past romantic relationships. He’d probably turn fifty shades of red. She knew how shy he was where women were concerned, and she had too much respect for him to divulge the details of his personal life.

Of course, it bothered Haley more than she cared to admit to think about Tommy with another woman. She knew she had no reason to be jealous, especially of just the simple thought of it, but she couldn’t help herself. As long as he wasn’t seeing anyone, it left the possibility open for her to have him. The problem was, the Rangers’ little discussion reminded her that he could be swept up by some other woman at any time. If she was going to make her move, maybe she ought to do it soon, before it was too late. Her mother always said there was no time like the present, and come to think of it, Haley didn’t have any other plans this weekend.

Her mind made up, she dismissed the teens to go enjoy their Friday night. She knew she would see them sometime this weekend at the cybercafé. For now, she had plans to make for the seduction of one Tommy Oliver.

Kimberly Hart left Reefside Memorial Hospital feeling pretty good about herself. She had just aced an interview with the manager of the laboratory. They had a position open for a supervisor in their blood bank, and Kim was thrilled when they called her in Florida about the job. She flew in just a few hours ago, and would be staying until Tuesday morning. The Medical Director of the lab would like to meet with her as well, but he wasn’t available until Monday afternoon. Until then, she had the whole weekend to spend in Reefside. The only problem was that she didn’t really have anything to do.

Well, there’s always shopping…she thought with a smile.

Kim still didn’t know how she ended up in the field of Clinical Laboratory Science. She had always loved biology in high school, but she never expected to make a career out of it. Now that she was doing it though, she found it fascinating. Every sample received in the lab was a mystery waiting to be solved, and when it was, the patient was that much closer to getting better. After all, a doctor can’t treat a patient until he knows what’s wrong. That’s where the lab comes in.

In the past few years, she found herself specializing in the section of the lab that matches and prepares blood for transfusion. It was an exciting area because each unit of blood released could make the difference between life or death. On the flip side, one mistake, and a patient could receive a unit of the wrong blood type and be dead in a matter of just a few hours. Highly trained Blood Bank technologists were worth their weight in gold, and there were hundreds of openings in hospitals across the country for someone with experience.

Kim had been working in the lab at a large academic medical center in central Florida for the last 7 years, but she just wasn’t happy there anymore. She was tired of the East coast. As a native California girl, she missed the mild climate and eccentric people of her home state. In truth, her distaste for the southeast part of the country probably had more to do with some of the experiences she had there. Her life blew up in Florida, and although that was almost ten years ago, it still left her with a bad taste in her mouth.

Though she was weary of the sunshine state, it wasn’t until recently that Kim seriously considered moving home. It takes an incredible amount of emotional energy to make a change, even if it means remaining discontented with the familiar. Why right now felt like the right time to act, she didn’t know, but if she has learned anything else by being on her own, it was to trust her instincts.

It was also her instincts that led her to Reefside. When she began scanning the internet and various professional publications for available jobs, she had no idea where she wanted to go. Although she was born and raised in Angel Grove, she didn’t have any desire to settle there again. There were a lot of memories there. Maybe they weren’t bad memories, but they were reminders of a previously happy life, and she hasn’t been truly happy since, but right now she didn’t want to think about that.

Whether it was their eye-catching ad, or their inviting description of life in Reefside, she didn’t know, but something about it made her immediately send Reefside Memorial her resume. Walking through the busy streets of downtown, Kimberly marveled at how great she felt, better than she has in a long, long, time. This was a beautiful city, large enough to have lots of opportunity, yet with a friendly small-town atmosphere. The hospital had a state-of-the-art laboratory, and the other technologists greeted her with warm enthusiasm. She could tell that they were as impressed with her as she was with them.

This place just felt right. It felt like home.

For now, though, Kim wanted to get back to her hotel and change out of this suit. She was staying at the Marriott about two blocks away from the hospital. To save money, she opted not to rent a car since the lady in the Human Resources department told her that everything she would need was within walking distance.

It was just after 5:00 on this beautiful Friday afternoon. On the cab ride from the airport, Kim thought she saw a big shopping center about a half a mile up the main road, and she couldn’t think of a better way to spend her evening. She’s been a self-proclaimed shop-a-holic since junior high. Some things never change.

Stopping back at her room, Kimberly slipped her petite 5’2” frame out of her interview clothes and into comfortable jeans, sandals, and a sleeveless black top. Checking herself in the bathroom mirror, she reached up and pulled the combs from her just-below shoulder-length hair, shaking down the conservative up-do she wore to the interview. This past year, she decided to have her hair highlighted in warm, red tones. Her naturally caramel colored locks always had an auburn tint to them, especially in the sun, so this looked very becoming. After a quick freshening of her makeup, she grabbed her purse and headed out the door.

Stopping at the front desk, Kim asked the clerk for directions to the one thing she needed before her excursion could begin: an ATM. She usually used her credit cards or her checkcard to make purchases, but she figured she’d better have some cash for food or cab fare, just in case she bought too much to carry comfortably. The lady said there was a bank with a teller machine about a block up the street. One last glance at the clock in the lobby told her it was almost 5:45, leaving her just over three hours to shop before the stores close…plenty of time to do significant damage to the Visa.

All the way into town, Tommy mentally berated himself for forgetting that he needed to go to the bank this afternoon. He was refinancing his house, and he had to sign the papers in front of a notary public. Since it was Friday, they were open until 6:00, but he wasn’t sure if the woman he was supposed to see was going to be there that long.

Using all of the driving skills gained during his early college years spent racing on his uncle’s stock car team, the handsome science teacher made it to the bank in record time. He quickly turned the corner onto the main street, hoping to be fortunate enough to find a parking space on the street.

Yes! Just in front of the entrance to Reefside Federal Savings, a man was getting ready to pull out of his spot. Tommy pulled up near the rear of the Ford Explorer, and maneuvered the Jeep right in as soon as it was gone. A quick time check told him it was 5:35. He kept his fingers crossed that he could get this done today. Reaching into the backseat, he grabbed his briefcase with his copies of the mortgage agreement and his glasses, then ran into the bank.

Tommy Oliver emerged from the bank just before six feeling pretty lucky. Not only did he get a great parking space, but the notary lady was still there. Even better, the final credit check qualified him for an interest rate almost a half of a point lower than originally quoted.

Just before getting back into the Jeep, the thought occurred to him that it was payday. He usually never forgot that, but maybe today he was subconsciously suppressing everything to do with work because of Principal Randall. Well, since he was here, he figured he ought to withdraw some money for the weekend.

Making his way back onto the sidewalk, he spotted an auburn-haired woman standing in line at the ATM. He could only see her from behind at this point, but something about her was so familiar. Tommy got in line. There were two people between him and the woman, so although his curiosity was killing him, he decided to just be patient until she was done and he could see her face.

Five minutes later, the mystery lady was done with her turn at the cash machine. Taking a couple steps to the side of the line, the red-head spent a couple seconds filing her receipt and tucking her wallet back into her purse. By now, Tommy could almost see her in profile, except that her long hair was partially obscuring her face. Still, Tommy saw enough to have developed a suddenly rapid heartbeat. It couldn’t be…

His mind was reeling. What would Kimberly Hart be doing in Reefside? No, that wasn’t her. Kim’s hair wasn’t that color, but she was built like that…

Then, of course, the woman looked up, ready to make her way down the street, and Tommy wouldn’t have been more stunned if Mesogog dropped from the sky wearing a hoop skirt, signing show tunes, and playing the ukulele. Ok…need to find voice…

“Kimberly?”


Chapter 5: Welcome to Reefside

When Kim heard a man’s voice call her name, she naturally began looking around for the source, but didn’t see anyone on the street that she immediately recognized. Deciding he must mean some other Kimberly, she turned and began making her way up the street. Then she heard it again.

“Kimberly!?”

This time she was sure someone was definitely trying to get her attention. She scanned the people on the sidewalk with what must have been a puzzled expression on her face. Then she saw a man walking towards her. He was about her own age, short dark hair, well built, with attractive wire-rimmed glasses, and something about the way he moved was very familiar.

“Kimberly? It’s me, Tommy.”

As he got closer, he took off his glasses, and she got a good look at his eyes. Oh my God!

Dumbfounded at the sudden recognition, she practically stumbled backwards into the brick wall of the bank building. Immediately, he raced forward and grabbed her elbow to steady her.

“Kim, are you OK?” Tommy felt bad for startling her. The memory of another time when he turned up unexpectedly as the White Ranger came to mind. She fainted dead away, then.

“Tommy…hi…” Not her most eloquent words, but it was the best she could do at the moment.

The initial shock at finding her here was wearing off for Tommy, but in it’s place, nervousness and hesitation set in. Back when they were dating, just seeing her face could make even the worst day brighter. Now, here she was, a mature woman, more beautiful than ever, but then the memory of how she broke up with him surfaced. He was suddenly unsure if maybe he should have just forgotten that he even saw her. She obviously barely recognized him. Not for the first time, Tommy was reminded by his own insecurities that their relationship must have meant a lot more to him than it did to her.

No, cut it out! You’re thirty years old, for God’s sake! What happened with Kim was a long time ago, Tommy, water under the bridge. Do you think you were the only kid ever dumped by his high school sweetheart? We’re not kids anymore. Stop acting like one, he berated himself.

Despite the way she ended things, he still considered her a special part of his past, and harbored no hard feelings. After all, they say you never forget your first love. Maturity and a constant overexposure to teenagers taught him that sometimes the things they do aren’t always logical, rational, or fair, but are almost certainly emotion and hormone driven.

Kimberly could barely breathe, never mind do anything other than stare at Tommy, taking in the 2004 version. It has been twelve years since she last saw him, and she had to admit, those years have been kind to him. She was completely thrown off by his short haircut. Tommy Oliver’s long, thick hair had been his trademark. Everyone was jealous of it, and even though he wasn’t vain, she knew he loved his hair, too. She did have to admit, however, that this new look was very appealing. It made his face look more angular, his perfect features more defined than when he was younger.

And his body, well let’s just say that if she had made a bet back in high school that he couldn’t get any sexier, she’d have lost. Dressed in a form-fitting, short-sleeved black t-shirt and loose workout pants, the muscle mass that he has gained over the years was well displayed. Other new additions completing the package were the glasses, making him look very mature, yet edgy, and a tattoo of a yin and yang on his right forearm. That didn’t surprise her. Tommy’s dedication to the study of the martial arts encompassed both his mind and his body.

Kim knew she should say something, but her voice would not cooperate. How is it that one chance encounter with a man she had been in love with when she was seventeen could reduce her to a nervous wreck? They never fought, didn’t part on angry terms. Of course, if Kim were honest with herself she’d admit that they didn’t part on any terms at all. That was the problem.

This guilt over the way she ended things was what kept her from speaking to him twelve years ago when she returned to Angel Grove for a visit and was captured by Divatox. He had risked his life to save hers then, and she couldn’t even conjure up enough courage to thank him and explain why she broke up with him, face to face. She just acted like nothing unusual happened. Her remorse was too overwhelming, and the pain of her recent experiences with the guy she left him for was still too fresh.

What she did to herself and to Tommy back then was her life’s biggest regret and darkest secret. Now thirteen years later, the opportunity to apologize and come clean was standing right in front of her. Fate was funny that way. It might let you put off the inevitable, but you can’t escape it forever.

Maybe this is what drew her to Reefside. Kimberly was finally ready to make some positive changes in her life. Facing the pain caused by the consequences of the bad choices she made when she first moved to Florida was the first step towards burying her guilt once and for all. She had to forgive herself before she could expect anyone else to forgive her.

Ok, Kim. Get your head out of your ass and talk to the guy. He could have just pretended he didn’t notice you, and would you have blamed him? He’s a good guy; you have nothing to be afraid of.

“Uh…sorry. What’s wrong with me? It’s good to see you, Tommy. I was just a little surprised to see you,” she finally stammered out before she stepped forward to give him a light hug. Holding him, even that briefly, reminded her of the happy, confident girl she was when she was dating him.

“No, it’s OK, I didn’t mean to startle you. I was surprised to see you, too.” Tommy finally released the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding in. “What are you doing in Reefside?”

“I had a job interview, actually, at Reefside Memorial Hospital. And you?”

“I live here, got a house on the outskirts of town. I’m a science teacher at the high school.”

“Science? Wow! I always expected you’d teach martial arts. How’d you end up…”

“Well, it’s kind of a long story,” Tommy began, then realized that they were standing in the middle of the sidewalk when an old lady bumped into him from behind. He apologized then reached for Kim’s hand and led her a few steps to the narrow alley between the bank and the next building.

“Sorry, we were sort of blocking traffic,” he apologized anxiously. “…job interview? What do you do?”

“No, no, you’re right, we were in the way…I’m a Clinical Laboratory Technologist. I guess we both went into the sciences.” Kim was finally beginning to relax. He didn’t seem mad at her. This might not be so bad.

“Uh, yeah. It was an unexpected move for me. Everybody’s been pretty blown away by it. Have you heard from any of the others?” Tommy didn’t have to explain who he meant by “others”. Their Ranger team had been a very tight group.

She looked away and shook her head, visibly uncomfortable. The reminder that she not only hurt Tommy, but also neglected all of her friends was all it took for Kimberly to withdraw back into herself.

Tommy immediately felt awful for asking the question. She must have had her reasons for keeping to herself, and they were none of his business. He knew what her answer was going to be, anyway. No one had heard from Kim since the incident with Divatox on Muranthias, not even Jason Scott, one of her oldest childhood friends. It had been right around the time they all graduated. Some of them, like Tommy, that were still Rangers had been very busy saving the world in between making decisions about colleges and careers. Eventually, their lives took them in different directions. They stayed in touch, although sometimes sporadically, but not Kimberly. She seemed to have burnt all bridges to her former life, and no one knew why. Tommy had to take the initiative to change the subject.

“So, are you still living in Florida?”

“Uh-huh, Tampa-St. Petersburg area.” The pregnant pauses in their conversation were becoming very awkward. Kimberly felt like there was an elephant standing there on the sidewalk with them. She knew this third party was her guilt, and that Tommy probably wanted an explanation for her letter and disappearance. He would never ask her though, he was too polite.

Tommy was really beginning to wonder if it had been a huge mistake to approach her now. He was clueless as to what he did all those years ago to make her angry with him, but whatever it was, she didn’t appear to be over it. Maybe he should just let her go about her business.

“Oh, well, good luck on your interview. It was nice seeing you, Kim. I’d better let you go…” Tommy forced himself to say with as much of a smile as he could muster. He didn’t want to make her feel obligated to talk to him. He might have loved her more than anyone else in his life, but to her, he was probably just an old boyfriend. She wouldn’t even look him in the eye.

She could only nod her acknowledgement.

He realized that was all he was going to get out of her. Tommy was a big believer in fate. He’s seen it work too many times, so he refused to believe that crossing paths with Kim was an accident. Today of all days, after what happened with Randall that morning, and after his mind had spent the last several hours fixated on his past relationships…running into Kim was a sign. It had to be! What it meant, well, that he didn’t know…but he still wasn’t going to push her.

He nodded back, then turned and headed towards his Jeep parked on the street, not looking back.

Kim could only watch him walk away. Where did all the resolve to fix her life go? She had been determined to move forward, atone for her mistakes, and put them behind her. God, or fate, or whatever gave her this opportunity, and she was just letting it pass her by.

No, she couldn’t blow this. Kimberly Hart didn’t need another regret in her life. Gathering up all the strength and courage still buried within her that had made her a formidable Power Ranger, she ran after him.

“Tommy…wait!”

Kim caught up to him near the curb. She caught his arm, and he spun around to face her with a questioning expression.

“Listen, Tommy…I’m really sorry. Seeing you just reminded me of some things that, well…I just made some mistakes. I didn’t mean to act cold or anything. I really am happy to see you.” Kim forced herself to smile confidently. She had to make him believe her, and was going to do this if it killed her.

“Uh, that’s OK. Don’t apologize. I suppose it’s a little weird for both of us. Let’s start over…” When Tommy flashed her that little boy grin, Kim instantly remembered how immediately drawn to him she was the first time she saw him.

“So, are you here by yourself?” For all Tommy knew, she was here with a boyfriend, or even a husband, maybe the very guy she left him for. A quick glance at her left hand noted the absence of a wedding or engagement ring. What are you doing, Tommy? Why do you care? You probably would have been married by now if Elizabeth hadn’t…he forced his mind back on track before anymore self-defeating thoughts entered his head. “How long are you staying in California?”

“Yeah, I came alone. I’ll be here until Tuesday morning. I have another interview Monday afternoon, so I’m stuck here all weekend. I’m staying at the Marriott down the street,” Kim told him, motioning towards her hotel.

Hearing that, Tommy suddenly got a crazy idea.

“Do you have any special plans while you’re here?”

“Not really. I was just going to go to the mall. I can still shop with the best of them.” They both shared a laugh at the memories of how she and Aisha, the Yellow Ranger, used to shop nearly everyday after school. Everyday that they weren’t being attacked by Rita Repulsa or Lord Zedd, that is.

Tommy took a deep breath before continuing.

“Would you… um… can I buy you dinner tonight? We could sort of catch up. Unless you don’t want to…” Tommy felt himself turning red.

Kim couldn’t believe her good fortune. Just as she was drawing up the courage to ask him if they could go somewhere and talk, he went and did it for her. They always did seem to be on the same wavelength.

“That’d be nice, I’d like that. But please, let me buy you dinner. I owe you that much.”

“Kim, you don’t owe me anything. It was a long time ago. We’ve both grown up. Let’s just go and spend a nice evening getting reacquainted with an old friend.” Tommy didn’t want to make her feel she had to explain anything. He was definantly curious about what happened, about the other guy she claimed to have met in her letter; but if she didn’t want to talk about it, then he’d have to live with that.

“Why don’t we just talk about it later, OK? I really do want to explain…”

“Kim… later, deal?” Tommy wanted to make this as easy on both of them as possible. They were almost strangers. A highly emotional reunion would be jumping the gun a little.

Kimberly genuinely smiled for the first time since meeting him here, and Tommy was surprised to find that it could still fill him with warmth, just like it always did.

“It’s a deal. So, where are we going for dinner? You live here, what’s good in Reefside?” Kim was feeling much more at ease. Revealing her past to him wasn’t going to be easy, but just being near Tommy, even for this short amount of time, reminded her of how she could always tell him anything, and he never judged her. He simply loved her.

“I think know where I’m taking you. You’ll see when we get there. Um, before we go, though, I need to get a shower and change. I had been working out, then I remembered at the last minute that I had to get to the bank before they closed, and just ran right out of the house…” Tommy explained as he self-consciously glanced down at his workout clothes. He probably looked sweaty and gross. “You know my memory.”

Kim laughed at how he could poke fun at himself. When they were dating, she found his complete lack of short-term memory endearing. He was always so cute when whatever he was supposed to be doing suddenly dawned on him. Some things never change.

“Well, is where we’re going formal? Casual? Do I need to change?”

“No, no, you look great. That’ll be fine. The food is good and they have a nice, quiet atmosphere, but it isn’t a fancy place.”

“Sounds perfect. How about I go on to the mall while you go home and get ready? You can pick me up there.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m sure. That way I can pick up a few things I need.”

“At least let me drive you up there, then I’ll pick you up at the same place. It’s almost 6:30 now. Give me ‘till eight? I live about 20 minutes away.”

“No problem. I’ll see you at nine, then,” she joked, teasing him about the chronic punctuality problem he had in high school.

“Ha, ha, ha. I’ve gotten over that. I had to, since I’m the teacher now. Gotta set a good example. Eight o’clock, at the mall, no later.” God he hoped Mesogog didn’t pick tonight to cause trouble.

“Let’s get going, then.”

He led her to the Jeep and pulled out into the light traffic. They rode in silence for the five minutes it took to get to the mall’s main entrance. He parked at the curb to let her out.

“OK, I’ll be right here at eight o’clock, I promise.” He swore while giving her a quick wink.

“Sure you will, Tommy, we’ll see.” She just couldn’t resist needling him as she hopped out of the Jeep and closed the door behind her.

“I will! Just you wait…” he called after her right before she reached the entrance.

“I’m sure I will have to wait!” she hollered back as the automatic doors swung open to let her in. Ha, I got the last word.

Laughing to himself, he started for home, more determined than ever to be on time.


Chapter 6: It’s NOT a date!

As soon as Kimberly hit the mall, all of her previous anxiety about baring her soul to Tommy was alleviated. Shopping has always had that kind of therapeutic affect on her. She wasn’t looking for anything specific, but it didn’t take her but forty-five minutes to find three pairs of shoes, a killer pair of jeans, two handbags, and a to-die-for pink cashmere sweater, all on sale, and all of which she just couldn’t live without. It was a new record for her, and in a mall she wasn’t familiar with, too.

There was still over a half an hour before Tommy was supposed to pick her up, and Kim figured that $400 was enough spent to consider this a successful shopping spree. She decided she’d have a seat in the food court with a cup of Starbuck’s coffee and people watch while she was waiting. If she remembered correctly, the food court was about ten stores down, just past Nordstrom’s. It would be good to have a seat and relax for a while with some quality caffeine. This had been a very busy day, starting at six in the morning when she had to be up to get ready and make it to the airport for her ten o’clock flight. After a layover in Houston, she finally landed in California almost seven hours later at quarter till two. From there she got a cab to the hotel, checked in and made it to the hospital for her interview by three-thirty.

Strolling casually down the mall, she found herself lost in thought again about her past mistakes and her upcoming dinner with Tommy. It was so good to see him again, and she was amazed at how quickly they fell back into the easy banter of their teenage years once they got over the initial awkwardness. He looked incredible, and she could tell that he had retained the quiet shyness that she found so charming in high school. It was her immaturity and bad judgment that caused her to so impersonally end their relationship all those years ago, but it was his rationality and compassion that would make tonight’s task bearable.

Just before she reached the Starbuck’s, she inadvertently caught a glimpse of herself in a mirrored store window. Somewhere in the far reaches of her mind, panic set in. She was having dinner, today, in less than an hour, with Tommy Oliver, the man she had loved more than any other she’s dated since him.

But this was NOT a date. No….no, no, no, No! This was JUST DINNER. Just dinner with an old friend. Like if I had run into Adam, or Aisha, or Trini. Yeah, and if I say it enough times I might actually start to believe it. It’s not a date, it’s not a date, it’s not a date! Oh God, look at me, I’m a mess. Maybe I can slip on this new sweater, and the matching pink suede heels. Better not. That would look too much like I’m trying to impress him, besides, it’s not like it’s a date. Let’s see, I already touched up my face once today, but that was before I had a…NO!..before I had dinner plans. This constitutes an emergency. Quick! To the make-up counter at Nordstrom’s!

And with that, all thoughts of a relaxing cup of java went out the window in favor of last-minute primping and preening. But it’s still not a date.

On to Part Two.....