Avalon Series
All To Blame•Made Of Glass•These Walls•New Beginning
Avalon Mitchell has always been a loner; always taking care of herself, and she wasn't afraid of anything. But her past and current mistakes makes things hard for her when she transfers to Angel Grove High. Now she has to deal with working on a team along with keeping her secrets from them, knowing that if she is found out, her whole life would fall apart. Being part of the Angel Grove street gang, The Vipers, makes things harder for Avalon as she is constantly pulled in two different directions. The pressures of good vs. evil while battling her own demons has never been so strong and when it starts to affect everyone around her, she needs to figure out what's most important. Tommy/Kim, Billy/Trini, Fred/Bailey, Jason/Avalon, Billy/Avalon, Rocky/Aisha, Adam/Sabrina, Adam/Tanya, Tommy/Kat, Connor/Bailey.
Made of Glass
Full Summary – [Sequel to All The Blame]. Things have changed though some things have stayed the same. The rangers continue with their battle against Rita and Zedd, but this time they have to divide their attention with the battles within themselves. How can they go on with the change of rangers and their personal lives hanging in the balance? It's only a matter of time until they prove they really can save the world. When the fate of three planets falls in the balance, they'll need each other now more than ever. From the moment Avalon Mitchell met the Power Rangers, she knew what was important: family, friends, and, love...but she's tormented by the pain and misery of her past that she thought was over. She's made of glass but the glass is starting to crack.
Tommy/Kim, Billy/Trini, Fred/Bailey, Jason/Avalon, Billy/Avalon, Rocky/Aisha, Adam/Sabrina, Adam/Tanya.
Chapter 01
Some Things Never Change
Tommy Oliver took a running start and jumped forward. Lifting his feet he drove them into the punching bag that sat in front of him. He bounced off the bag and landed on his feet; turning on his heel and smacking it into the punching bag before finishing the combo with a series of lightning quick punches and kicks. He finished ending by striking an elbow into the bag. He held his pose for a second then dropped his arm, backing away from the bag.
"Great job, man," Jason Scott said, releasing his grip of the other end. Each blow Tommy delivered to the sack caused him to emit slight grunts, struggling to maintain his grasp on the punching bag. "You have nothing to worry about. You're going to win the competition next week."
"I don't know that for sure," Tommy denied. He brought a hand up, resting it on top of the punching bag. His eyebrows lowered, he shook his head, glossy ponytail flipping up over his shoulder. "Those guys are tough, man. I'm really going to have to work hard if I even have a chance."
"With us there you won't have a problem," Jason reassured him. The red ranger placed a hand on the white ranger's shoulder, gripping the skin taught and shaking him. "We're all going to be there to cheer you on. And you know Kim wouldn't miss it for the world." He watched as Tommy sucked in a quick breath, turning away from Jason.
Jason slowly nodded.
He recognized that look, how many times did Tommy get nervous around Kimberly?
Too many to count.
It was odd considering the two meshed together so well, they had been dating for so long. With a fond smile, Jason remembered the times he had to pose as Kim's boyfriend to make sure a guy wouldn't continue to pressure her into wanting to go out. Nearly every guy that came into her vicinity was attracted to her kindness. Since she and Tommy had gone steady, he could see a distinct change in them and couldn't be happier. Did he find it entertaining to watch Tommy bumble around and squirm when the pink ranger came by? Yes. So the fact Tommy seemed to be down in the dumps, as much as he thought it was funny, he was going to do his best to help his friend.
"What happened this time?" Jason crossed his arms, resting his hands on the opposite bicep. He gave Tommy a long look. "It couldn't have been anything too bad if you're still talking to each other."
"It's not bad exactly," Tommy drawled, his eyes downcast. "Depending on the way you look at it." It was strange, Tommy had a strong sense of justice, doing what was right, and being a leader. Nevertheless when it was the object of his affections, his insecurities came out. He didn't want to make a mess of something good. He truly did care for her and about her. "We were talking during one of my martial arts classes once, about how we were going to go back to her house after school to do our homework—"
"Sure, if you want to call it that," Jason interrupted with a knowing smile. The corner of Tommy's mouth lifted up in a smirk, making Jason chuckle. He waved the white ranger over to a nearby bench and sat down, straddling it. Pressing a towel to his face and neck his eyes moved across the room to the juice bar portion of Ernie's. Kimberly Hart, Trini Kwan, Zack Taylor, and Billy Cranston were all sitting around, piles of books and papers out in front of them, talking and laughing with each other in between sips of their smoothies.
"That's the problem," Tommy said. He licked his lips once more, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, she kissed me and, uh, I needed to get back to my class. So I was saying that we could continue, uh, hanging out at her place. But the way I said it made it seem like I was thinking of doing something else…" He trailed off, lifting his gaze to meet the red ranger's. Jason looked back at him through squinted eyes; clearly he wasn't getting what Tommy was trying to point out. Tommy lifted his eyebrow, giving him a pointed stare and a few seconds later, Jason's eyes widened in recognition.
"Oh."
"Yeah."
Tommy shook his head.
How could things have gotten so weird between them? Normally he would have been able to talk to Kimberly and clear up the misconception, this time, however, he couldn't find the right words. Kimberly gave the impression she moved on from the topic, though things had become significantly awkward at times. Still, she managed to greet him with a warm smile that accompanied a hug or a kiss on the cheek that melted his heart like it was always did. He just wished he knew what she was thinking every time those silences came between them. He rarely had to consider their struggles in the middle of a monster fight; she was always at his side, ready to help out in any way she could.
If only we could be in a monster fight all the time, Tommy thought. Then we wouldn't have any problems.
Jason's voice broke him out of his thoughts. "Well…do you love her?"
Tommy didn't have to think about it for long. It had been on his mind a lot as of late. Whenever he saw the pink ranger a smile would form and he would get butterflies in his stomach. Large winged ones that increased their fluttering pace the closer she got to him, when her perfume lingered on him, or when he saw she was wearing some sort of clothing or jewelry he had given her. He couldn't imagine himself with anyone else honestly, and whereas they were still young, he had never felt that way about a girl before.
Jason took Tommy's silence as the answer he was looking for. "Well, if you really do love her, and I think you do, and I think she loves you, too, then you shouldn't have any problems." He draped his towel around his neck, standing up from the bench. "Besides, I've seen you and Kim go through worse due to some of the strange schemes Rita and Zedd have come up with. If anyone came make it through this, you two can."
"Thanks, man." Tommy stood up from the bench as well, gathering his things. Zipping his bag closed he slung it over his shoulder and turned around, moving to head over towards his friends' table. A cry escaped his lips. He almost walked right into Bailey Mitchell, who had approached them, beaming. "Hey Bailey! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."
"That's alright, Tommy," Bailey replied with a wave of her hand. "I should have made my presence known." She clasped her hands together, eyes moving back and forth between the two rangers. "I was just making sure we were still on for my lesson this weekend?"
"Of course," Jason agreed. "You and Fred have really been improving. In fact, Tommy and I think it may be time for you to test for a new belt. You've been putting in so much practice and you both work hard."
Bailey's freckled nose wrinkled and her eyebrows lowered. Her dark eyes shifted back and forth behind her glasses, almost of worry, as she planted her hands on her hips. "Um, doesn't it take a long time to go up in belt levels?"
"It really depends on how much you're practicing and for how long," Tommy explained. "You and Fred practice three times a week with our classes if not a private one. Besides, we're saying it's a possibility, if anything we may put you two into a tournament first." He laugedh quietly, seeing Bailey's eyes light up before she started to jump up and down.
"Beauty! That's so cool!" She cried in her thick Australian accent. "Thanks, guys!"
"You're welcome," Tommy said. "You deserve it, you really do." He put an arm around her shoulders and the two strolled over to their friends' table, pulling out their chairs and sitting down amongst them. Tommy put an arm around Kimberly's shoulder and leaned into her, giving her a kiss on the cheek. The scent of her perfume, flowery mixed with citrus, wafted up his nose. Combined with the mega-watt smile she then gave him, Tommy could feel his heart swell.
"So, is everyone excited for Valentine's Day?" Kimberly asked the table. "The Student Life Committee is planning on selling flowers and candy again, and I expect to get a lot of money from my friends." She laced her fingers together, batting her eyelashes at the rangers and their technical advisor.
"You can expect a lot from me," Zack said with a raised hand. He grinned, bringing his hands up behind his head, interlacing the fingers. Using his left foot he pushed against the floor so that his chair rocked back on its back two legs. A dreamy look crossed his face, it increased with each passing second. "I'm going to make sure Angela has a great Valentine's Day."
"Oh yeah?" Trini rested her chin in her hand, smiling at his enthusiasm. "What are you going to do this year?"
"I'm going to send her two dozen roses," Zack replied. He dropped back to the floor with a light thud, the only sound that marked his friends' stunned silence. "Everyone usually gets one or two flowers or so and I want to stand out. What girl doesn't like to get flowers?"
Kimberly pointed over at him. "Zack, that's genius," she said. Zack nodded his thanks. "Angela will have to go out with you when she sees how much you care about her. Now,"—she placed a finger on her chin—"you need to write something sentimental in the cards that go along with it. Something masculine but feminine at the same time."
"Is that possible?" Jason asked with a laugh.
"Seems to work for you," Avalon Mitchell announced her presence as she walked over to their table. Dropping her backpack to the ground, she pulled out a chair and sat down next to her sister, who leaning onto her shoulder, laughing along with her. "I mean, what with those long eyelashes you have going on, I'm sure with a little lipstick and blush there would be some guys out there that may find you attractive, yeah?" She crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back in her seat, a smirk gracing her features.
"Ha ha." Jason rolled his eyes.
"Hey Av, what's up?" Tommy asked the orange ranger.
It had been almost a year since she had joined the power rangers—if he counted by the school year—and she had managed to become one of the group pretty easily. He remembered the way she used to be when he and the other rangers had met her. She was cold, standoffish, and had backhandedly insulted them each time one of the rangers would try to talk to her and help her fit in. She had been a new student to Angel Grove, transferring from her old school a month after the start of the semester. That had been her story, anyway. It wasn't until she had suddenly burst into battle as the orange ranger that they had gotten the whole story. She and her sister Bailey had been dropped off at the airport by their father three years before, putting them on a plane from Australia to Angel Grove to live with his sister. What they didn't know was their aunt had moved, leaving the two girls stranded on the street. Avalon had gone to try and find them a place to live and had fallen into a bad group.
The street gang the Vipers.
With the Vipers she stole from houses, stores, ran drugs, robbed people, and created damage, anything that would be a way for her to get money to support her and Bailey. Due to her work with the gang she was able to get them an apartment for the two to live in for the three years. It wasn't until Bailey begged to be able to go to school, rather than constantly go to the library to teach herself new concepts, that Avalon had agreed and enrolled them in Angel Grove Middle and High school. Her work as a power ranger was difficult at first, especially as she had started to ditch out on monster battles to run with the gang, or ditch the gang to work on monster battles. The constant stress caused her to lash out even more, pushing her to the edge of exhaustion, though over time she slowly managed to become friends with the rangers. It wasn't until a group of putties were sent to attack them at school that the other rangers found out about the life she and Bailey had been hiding.
After it had been revealed, things had gotten better for the sisters and they had become good friends with the rangers. Bailey was like a little sister to Tommy as well as being Billy's assistant in the Command Center and Avalon was Billy's best friend, one of the girls, and one of the guys, rounding out the group with her sarcastic, witty, and impulsive personality while she enjoyed shopping and going to the mall. The only downside was she was still part of the Vipers, knowing it would end up hurting her or her friends in the long run, despite her friends' pleadings for her to get out.
"Nothing," Avalon replied with a slight shrug. "I just have a lot of homework to do." She rested an arm on the table before pointing over at Billy with her free hand, revealing the 'V' tattoo on the inside of her wrist. A sign she had been a part of the gang and was loyal to them. "Did you know the Cranstons have the rule you need to have all of your homework done before you can 'engage in extracurricular and leisurely activities?" She dropped her hand, rolling her eyes. "It's all I can take to stay awake in school in general, but that's just torture."
Billy shrugged with a pleasant smile. He wasn't offended, having grown up with two college professors as parents as well as his own interest in science and history, he knew the value of hard work and how a good education took precedence over just about everything else. "They just put a lot of emphasis on education; you can't really fault them for that."
"The only time it's worse is when Smurf, over here, starts to nag me about it," Avalon continued. She crossed her leg at the knee. "But I guess that's the price to pay when a family you barely know is willing to take you in, no questions asked." She smiled her thanks over at the blue ranger who smiled back and nodded.
"How are things anyway?" Trini asked, closing her books and moving them aside.
She shifted in her seat, her arm gently brushing Billy's. His cheeks turned a light shade of pink as he bowed his head, his smile widening. The others rangers looked at each other as they exchanged their own smiles. The blue and yellow rangers hadn't been going out long; they were still in the early stages where any sort of PDA seemed to embarrass them more than anything else. Billy more so than Trini; but Billy had always been slower to the affections of girls, despite his charming nature garnering some interest over the years.
"There's something wrong with this picture!" Zack announced. He stood up, pushing his chair back and, with determination, marched around the table over to Billy and Trini. Bending over, he took hold of the legs of Billy's chair, dragging it to the right; this placed it directly flush against Trini's. Billy's face reddened even further when Zack picked up Billy's arm and placed it around Trini's shoulders. "There we go!"
"Zack!" Kimberly admonished.
"Just call me cupid," Zack said. He flashed a beaming smile, rounding the table back to his seat. He dropped down and rested his hands on his stomach. "Isn't Valentine's Day great?"
"It is if you have someone to spend it with," Bailey pointed out. She then held up a finger. "Unless you count the fact it's a thinly veiled commercial holiday which does nothing but promote the message that human feelings should be exploited at least once a year." She cleared her throat and continued. "Not including it's more a sexist holiday than others because of the focus on men having to make all of the romantic plans while the woman just has to get dressed up nicely and follow along with what the man is doing."
"Wow." Tommy laughed. "Remind me to never get into a debate with you."
"That's sound advice," Avalon declared.
"But, I love the candy hearts and all of the chocolate so if I can support the holiday for that, then that's what I'll do," Bailey added with a sweet smile, causing the older teenagers to laugh.
"Oh come on, Valentine's Day is one of the best day of the year," Kimberly declared. "All the candy, flowers, presents, just being able to spend time with the people you love. It's, like, just so heartwarming and nice." With a wistful sigh she sat up, peering into the cup that once held a smoothie. "I'm going to get something to drink, does anyone else want something?" Getting a chorus of no's in response she took her cup and went over to the counter to get a refill.
"Alright, I'll bite." Avalon dropped her feet back to the floor, pointing with her thumb over her shoulder. "What's up with Pinkerbell and her fascination with Valentine's Day?" She held out her hands and overly exaggerated expression of excitement coming to her face. "Please tell me it's because by being born with the last name Hart it made her genetically incapable of being able to dismiss the holiday."
"You got the born part right," Jason replied once he stopped laughing. He put a hand over his mouth and cleared his throat before sitting up and nodding at her. "Valentine's Day is Kim's birthday."
Avalon's nose wrinkled. "Really? I didn't know that?"
She rested her chin in her hand. Great, now she had to think of a gift for her to get. What do you get a girl who was so well off she could afford a new car practically every year? More importantly how was she going to afford it? She didn't have a job. As soon as the obvious thought crossed her mind Avalon's knee started to bounce up and down, her foot tapping against the floor. The answer was so simple; get some of the Vipers together, case a house, and pawn off whatever they found. They were overdue for a money haul anyway and she was sure Chase hadn't scheduled a drug run for a while, not that she was aware of. The benefit of it was it would show the Vipers she was still working along with them as she slowly and surely wheedled her way out of the gang.
Guilt caused a flood of sweat to reach Avalon's palms. She hastily wiped them along the seam of her shorts. Bailey noted her movement and glanced at her for a second, then quickly looked away. Her sister knew her well enough to perceive whenever she was nervous and as of late, her nervousness solely had to do with the Vipers.
"Well, that explains why she's happier than usual, yeah?" Avalon finally found her voice, though her throat seemed to have become lodged. She brought a hand up and rubbed the back of her neck, the muscles felt tight. I do kind of owe them; I don't have any means to get money either way.
"So what are you going to get her for her birthday, Tommy?" Bailey asked, moving the focus of conversation over to the white ranger. Avalon shot her sister a grateful look, which she gave a half smile to in reply.
"Hopefully something she won't forget," Tommy replied.
"I'll say," Jason agreed. He snickered to himself and Tommy reached out his foot, kicking him in the ankle. Jason let out a cry of pain but continued laughing. He only stopped when Kimberly came back to the table, sitting down again. "Anyway, Kim, what do you want to do for your birthday? We could have a party or go out to dinner or something."
"Anything you want to do," Trini added, reaching out and grabbing onto her best friend's arm. "Even go on a shopping spree if you want."
"You think that's a good idea?" Avalon remarked, lifting her eyebrow. "I mean, giving her that much attention would probably make her head swell even bigger than it already is." Kimberly let out a shriek and tossed a balled up napkin at her. "Relax, Pinkerbell, I'm just kidding." She looked at her watch before leaning over and picking up her backpack. "Anyway, I gotta jet. I need to get some homework done."
"So just stay here and do it with us," Zack protested. "We'll make a party of it."
"Because if I did my homework with you lot, I wouldn't get anything done and I like my freedom," Avalon replied.
She pulled her backpack straps up over her shoulder, doing her best to avoid the rangers's gaze. It wasn't that she didn't like living at the Cranstons' house, she really did. Mr. and Mrs. Cranston—they insisted on letting her call them by their first names, something she still wasn't used to—were treating her and Bailey very nicely, almost as if they were their daughters. They had a curfew that was meant to be followed—though Avalon had broken it a few times—they had the rule about getting their homework done—just a step down from a set GPA for them to sit at, which Billy and Bailey, of course, blew out of the water—they had chores, as well as had dinner together every night unless plans had been made ahead of time and was also run by Mr. and Mrs. Cranston.
In a way, Avalon felt trapped and free at the same time.
There was a big portion of her that appreciated it, knowing it was a family structure she had craved for the past three years. Nonetheless another part of her was used to running around on her own and making her own decisions, she resented the regulations being put on her. They only paled in comparison to the restrictions she had placed on her by being the orange stegosaurus power ranger.
There were so many parts of her life being applied to other people she didn't remember who she really was and the thought alone was starting to scare her. Enough so it kept her up at night, constant trains of thoughts clacking through her mind as the hours dwindled by. No matter how hectic things became she knew she wouldn't trade anything about it, knowing life was going to get better.
It was just going to take a lot of hard work.
"You coming, Sis?" Avalon turned back to her sister.
"Yeah, I'll come too," Bailey agreed. "Getting all of my homework done and torturing Av while she's still working on hers will keep me entertained for the rest of the day." She laughed, reaching behind her and yanking her hair out from the confines of her backpack. Avalon playfully reached over and smacked her on the back of the head. "Actually, I might go to the Command Center to see what we can do with Steggy. I've got some ideas and who knows what's going to work." She waved. "See you later, guys."
"Later," Avalon added.
She and Bailey left the youth center and started their walk back to the place they had been calling home for the past couple of months. Avalon stuck her hands into her shorts pockets, eyes squinting against the sunlight and as she did so, she felt a twinge of pain by her eye. Extending her arm, her fingers lightly grazed over skin. It stung against the minor pressure. Removing her hand, Avalon noticed foundation smudging her fingertips. At least the other rangers didn't notice she had used makeup to cover the bruise.
They would have gone crazy if they found out, she thought.
"When are you going to get back?" Bailey asked. Pushing her glasses up her nose, she granted her sister a disapproving frown, having ignored her a few moments before. Avalon knew how much Bailey hated what she was doing, yet she supported her sister unconditionally.
It was all Avalon could ask for.
"Hopefully before curfew," Avalon replied. She reached out and ruffled Bailey's hair. "I have no means to get money before finding a job, yeah?"
"I guess." Bailey stopped and turned, giving her sister a hug. "Be careful."
"I always am." Avalon stuck out her pinky finger and hooked it around Bailey's. She backed away from her sister, crossed the street, and turned around the corner, disappearing from sight.
A/N: So it's just the start to the story, first chapter had to end on a bit of a cliffhanger just like the last chapter to All the Blame did. This chapter was done in a way to start the new story as well as to do a kind of recap to the last story for those that are just reading the story.
While this story does have an adventure and lots of monster fights, as the summary shows, it also has to do with a lot of normal teenage problems that the rangers are going to go through. Because I thought balancing their personal lives with their ranger duties would get to them at some point in the show, though since that wasn't the point and it was a kids' show, they couldn't really show it.
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter of the story and I hope you continue to enjoy it as it goes on.
~Avalon
