Title: Tarnished Gold
Rating: PG
Warnings: The usual Power Ranger warnings such as mild violence.
Summary: Tommy's back in Angel Grove to finish high school but nothing ever goes as planned.
Author's note: This is the third fic of my Forget Me Not series. The other two fics in the series are: Losing White and Faded. This fic takes place about 6 to 8 months after Faded ends. I strongly suggest reading Losing White and Faded first or you will be very confused.
Time frame: As the title suggests, this takes place during Power Rangers Zeo but it's a complete AU.
Disclaimer: I claim everyone you do not recognize from the show. Everyone else belongs to Disney.
Tommy Oliver walked though Ernie's new café. He had gone to the Youth Center and was told about the lake café.
"Tommy!" Ernie said as soon as he walked up to the counter. "Are you just visiting?"
Tommy shook his head. "I convinced my parents to let me attend my senior year in Angel Grove. I like the new café."
"Thanks I just opened it."
"Where are Jason and the others?" Tommy asked looking around.
"Don't know. I haven't seen them yet but school hasn't been out long."
Tommy looked at his watch. 3:30. It figured. The one time he's early, no one's around. He looked at the menu and ordered a strawberry smoothie. He took it and sat down at a table. His Uncle Josh and Aunt Stephanie weren't expecting him until at least 5. He had been grateful that they allowed him to move in with them as his parents didn't want to move back to Angle Grove and almost didn't allow him.
He waited a half hour. Maybe he guessed wrong and they were at the Youth Center after all. HE got up and walked to his black and white truck. He was about to get in his truck when a red truck pulled up beside him.
"Tommy!" Jason yelled getting out of the truck. Tommy saw a blond girl next to him. Jason came over and they hugged. "How long are you here?"
"My parents agreed to let me finish high school in Angel Grove. I'm staying with my Uncle Josh and Aunt Stephanie."
The blond got out of the truck. Tommy noticed she was very tall and had a communicator on her wrist. He had gotten a letter from Jason mentioning a Katherine Hilliard and a Tanya Sloan. He assumed she was either Katherine or Tanya.
"Tommy, this is Kat Hilliard. Kat, this is Tommy Oliver."
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Kat said sticking her hand out.
Tommy took it and shook it. "Same here. I..." Their communicators going off interrupted him. He had missed hearing that six tone beep. "You guys better go. We'll catch up tomorrow at school."
"Welcome home bro," Jason said before he and Kat hurried away.
***
Later that evening, he, his Uncle Josh, and his Aunt Stephanie sat down for dinner.
"Tommy first I want you to know how happy your Aunt and I are that you are here." Josh Rush started. "Now we have a few rules. First curfew is 10 PM on school nights and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. We do expect you to keep your grades up and help with a couple of chores."
"We think these are fair rules." Stephanie said. "Your Uncle and I are not used to having a teenager around but we are not so old that we don't remember being teenagers."
Josh was seven years younger then Charlotte Oliver and in Tommy's opinion, was a cool uncle. He raced cars and jet skis. His Aunt Stephanie was two years younger then Josh and was an artist. It was quite different then his parents.
"Now Charlotte said you were seeing a Dr. Peterson in Napa. Dr. Peterson said you wouldn't be needing to see a psychiatrist regularly however, we do have Dr. Taylor's phone number if you need to talk to someone."
"Thanks." Tommy said. He didn't like going to the psychiatrist at first, but he later would admit that it helped. His memory problems had gotten better. It would be rare for him to blank on someone's name now. Maybe his parents were correct. Maybe he just needed to leave Angel Grove.
"No problem," Stephanie said with a smile. "We have you registered at the high school and you will be starting tomorrow. I spoke to Mr. Kaplan and he said there are two classes you were taking at Vintage High School that are not offered here so you will need to pick different classes. You will be happy to know that they have finished rebuilding the high school."
"That's great."
It became quiet as they finished eating their dinner. Tommy couldn't help but smile. He was glad to be back in Angel Grove.
