Disclaimer – I don't own them.

Author's notes – Um, I'm bored. School is lame, work is nearly none existent.

Summary – Mesagog has been defeated and Mercer saved. However Tommy doesn't seem as happy as he should. Wanting to cheer their friend up the kids try and play matchmakers.

-o-

'How it Began'

Tommy

-o-

"And this is where we store the bones that have been prepped and are ready to be shipped." Tossing up his hands, my guide seems less than thrilled about having to give me the tour. "Any questions?" Yeah, do you ever take that stick out of your butt or is it a permanent fixture.

"Um, just one. What exactly am I supposed to do?" Not that I'm not enjoying being on an actual dig site, in ninety degrees weather, dying of thirst, and getting an attitude from my guide, but you know when I took this internship I sort of expected to be doing something besides dying of heatstroke.

"Stay out of trouble and do what the leaders of each area tell you to." Great. Walking away and leaving me to my own devices, I think he's been in the sun too long.

"I think I just made a friend." Rolling my eyes and dropping my backpack onto the ground, I can't believe I thought this was a good idea. Sure it gives me the hours I need to graduate, but at what expense to my own sanity.

"Smitty's just a tad temperamental today, don't pay him any mind." Turning around and coming face to face with a tall, well dressed blonde man, I know I've been busted. Great, first day on the job and I already got caught bitching about one of the people in charge. I really have to learn to watch my mouth.

"Sorry, I um, I was just…"

"Thinking what a jerk your new 'friend' was?" Something like that. Before I can think of an acceptable response, his hand is out and shaking mine. "You must be the new intern, I'm Anton Mercer." Mercer? As in the Mercer who owns this dig site? Great, good job with those first impressions, Tom, really.

"Tommy."

"Well I've heard a lot about you Tommy." Oh yeah? This could be interesting. "Not many people with your unconventional sort of hobbies take an interest in digging up old bones. Racing motorcycles, speedway cars, sky diving benefits, martial arts, s'quite an interesting list." Someone's done his homework on me.

"Yeah, um, well I got into dinosaurs when I was in my early teens. Could say it sort of just up and hit me one day."

"That's how it usually happens. Well I'm sure you'll do fine. Just be careful not to fall into any of the holes and maybe you'd better stay out of Smitty's way, he's never been fond of the interns." The other blonde guy, right? Yeah, I noticed.

"I'll keep that in mind."

-ooooooo-

(Cyber Café)

"That's it?" Um, yeah, what'd you expect it to be? Your dad wasn't always evil, Trent. He used to be pretty normal and boring back in the day.

"Well yeah." Taking a drink of my soda, I give the kids a shrug. Don't even see why they care how I met Mercer. As far as I'm concerned the guy used me and screwed me over, and no amount of explanations or apologies is going to make me be buddy-buddy with him again. "What'd you expect?"

"So nothing else happened?" What are you guys looking for, Kira?

Glancing at Hayley for some help, she seems just as lost as me. I mean it's not that odd the kids asked me to come here with them today. Even though Prom was a week ago, along with our last battle together as Rangers, I still meet up with them nearly every day here. After all what else is there to do in the summer? But what is with all this Mercer questioning today?

"Well, he did push Smitty in a hole." Smiling and giving me a wink, Hayley still finds that too amusing.

"I didn't push him, Hales. It was an accident, I just happened to stumble back into him and bam, into the pit he went. Mercer thought it was funny." Well not funny so much as well deserved. Smitty was always such a jerk, can't say I'm too shocked he was Zeltrax.

"Yeah well what about when you lived at the mansion?" Blushing when Trent gives her a look at calling his current home a 'mansion', Kira gives a shrug. "I mean, how'd that happen?"

"It didn't. I didn't live there, I just hung around there a lot. I mean yeah I sort of had my own room, but I was living with Hayley on campus. I just liked going over there because it was quitter and I could get my papers done in peace." Alright and because he always had a full fridge, not to mention a pool, and an amazing entertainment system.

"Yeah we did live in a very loud area. Even I went with him to your dad's place on more than one occasion, Trent." Smiling and wiping down the counter, she gives me a bit of a look. "Though not too much work was being done by Tommy when we were over there. If I remember correctly he was usually bothering our host while I handled our projects. Well until he spilled grape soda on the leather couch, then we both got banned from his den."

"He tickled me! You don't tickle someone with grape soda in their hand." Okay so I called him old and he was trying to prove me wrong, but still.

"He tickled you?" Well yeah, we were just goofing around. What's with that look, red boy?

"Yeah, well, was about the only time he ever acted like someone…well not him. I don't know." Pushing my empty cup away, I'm really not in the mood to talk about this anymore. What brought this topic up anyways? "Why are you all so interested anyways?"

"Well…" Exchanging looks, they are really sending my level of paranoia through the roof. What are they planning? They don't even like Mercer, well aside Trent and even he has a hard time living with the man I think. So what's all this about? "It's just when we saved him, he um, well he seemed so sorry about whatever happened between you two and for the whole Mesagog thing. Then Trent said he's not been doing to well and we just thought maybe…"

"Maybe what? Look if he's still sick and not well from the whole Mesagog experience he does have all those high priced and discrete doctors. I really can't do anything for him." As a new thought surfaces and makes my blood boil ever so slightly, I give the man's son a calm and slightly dangerous look. "And if he's sent you here to tell me this in some attempt of getting the Ranger Technology back-"

"No! That's not it at all. It's just…" Looking to the other three for help, Trent finally gives up. "I don't know, I just, I think he wanted to talk to you is all. There just seems to be a lot of unresolved things between you guys."

"No there isn't. Look I understand you just want to help your dad, Trent, but I've had my fill of him and I'm sure he feels the same way about me. Look, I'm gonna head out. I've got some stuff to do, and Elsa asked if I'd consider teaching a summer school class, so I'll see you guys later." Not the full truth but I am definitely done with this conversation. I don't even see why they care, we were friends yeah, but geez with how they're acting you'd think I was dating the man. Ha, riiight, there's a demented idea I really don't need to go into.

To be continued…………