Not Brave Enough
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that related to Power Rangers.
:: This is another story that I decided to write (I know that I should finish the other story first, but I can't resist) This fic takes place post DT so the rest from it is an AU. I hope this won't be long, ten chapters top. This is the first chapter and I hope you like it.
Chapter One: Crossroads
The twenty eight year old doctor of paleontology put the letter from his former teammate and student back on the table. It was always nice to hear from them. Meaning that they hadn't forgot about this old ranger completely... Okay, maybe that was a little bit exaggerating. He wasn't that old, just a few years older than them. Underlined at the word 'a few'. Ehm.
Finding out about Kira and Connor's brand new relationship didn't surprise him at the slightest. Okay, maybe a little, but he could see that a mile before. All the signs were there, right under their noses. It's just about time for the two to finally realize their feelings for each other. The yellow and red Dino Thunder rangers were the best of friends. For Tommy, it seemed that both were afraid if the security between them, friends, would change once they explore their feelings further. They should know that it was okay to fall in love with your best friend. Was that your experience talking? In some ways, everytime Tommy looked at them, all he saw was the green ranger and a certain pink ranger back in the day. Coy smiles, stolen glances…
Stop thinking about it now will save you less trouble in the future, Tommy. However, his mind ignored the little voice behind his head and his mind continued to wander off. It's kinda ironic though, he realized that he could be a little dense sometimes if it had come to girls. That made sense. Until Kim came up to him that time after he lost his power, he didn't have a clue about her possible feeling toward him, besides as a friend that was. And don't forget Katherine.
Tommy, stop. Following the voice's advice, Tommy peered over his shoulder and sighed at the sight of a pile of students' essays about the Big Bang and its contradicting theories sitting neatly on the desk, waiting to be graded.
Tommy moved to his kitchen, opened the fridge and with beer in hand, he made his way back to the living room. Making himself comfortable on the black couch, he looked at his reflection on the blank television screen. A young man with short spiked hair and a pair of dark and sad eyes returned his stare. Guess the time had changed what before was the mighty leader of a group of teenagers in multicolored spandex whose tasks was to protect the earth from the evil thread. Fighting monsters, experiencing near-death experiences and piloting enormous machines called Zords were just everyday's routine. Boy, did he miss all the excitement.
Started from green, white, red and finally black, Tommy was slowly but surely collecting all the colors existed. Although he honestly had a hard time picturing himself in pink or yellow spandex. A small chuckle passed his lips when he thought about the little skirts that usually came one pack with the color, with exception for Tideus and Dustin because as far as he knew, their uniforms didn't come with a skirt. Tommy Oliver, PhD, the first male pink ranger. Ever. That way he really would be a 'legend'.
Somewhere between the topics about a single mother in Jason's dojo who would be a really great catch if only she wasn't a mother of three kids and Rocky's Italian restaurant, Jason told him about the red rangers' banter after Tommy left and the ex black Dino Thunder wasn't very happy about it. He could tolerate Carter's comment about his new haircut while Wes complained about him having a fanclub was a little bit… Did he really have a fanclub out there? Shortly, he could accept all except one; Jason's unnecessary special comment about something, or someone to be exact. He would willingly choke Jason to death if only it was possible, although it wasn't very mature thing to do.
However, in the television screen he also saw a man with high determination who one wouldn't want to mess with. His physical appearance was clearly different. Gone was the long hair that used to be his trademark. His body was bigger now, thanks to the defined muscles he gained from all the martial arts routine and work-outs he had done. A tattoo of Chinese characters marked his upper arm and the goatee effectively completed the makeover. Years passed had successfully created this present Tommy Oliver. All the good and the bad, he wouldn't trade it for anything. He didn't even mind the glasses.
Past should stay in the past. It's time to move forward.
Leaning against the back of the sofa, he glanced sideways to look at the pictures hanging on the wall. Some were taken pretty recently and the rest were old pictures from the old days. Days when things seemed to be much simpler than now. Really, Tommy? You probably have to rethink about that.
Shaking the nagging voice off his head, Tommy regretted of how he had lost contact with almost all his old friends from Angel Grove. Of course, they were no longer resided in the little town. According to Jason, his friends were now scattered all over the world. Korea, Africa, Mexico, Australia and Canada were just to mention some of them. The original red ranger was the only person Tommy still got in touch with and even that meant every three or four months. Although Jason was just an email reach, Tommy had always been a bad correspondent and sadly, that hadn't changed.
Mesogog had been defeated and now when he saw clips of the currently active rangers on the news, he couldn't help the lonely yet strange feeling that surged through him. He realized that he had done his job and now it was the next generation's time to complete the line of the ranger legacy. And you're far too old to do the job, Oliver. He cracked a grin when Elsa's comment once upon a time about him being too old to be a ranger popped inside his head. Despite what happened, Elise still hadn't surrendered her position as the Reefside High principal yet and she did a marvelous job. The fact that Anton was there to help her might be one factor that supported it.
Everybody's happy and now it's your turn to be happy, Tommy. He couldn't say that he didn't enjoy his life. Teaching was wonderful, Reefside was almost as perfect as Angel Grove and dealing with teenagers sometimes reminded him that he was finally getting older. He was content with his life right now. Maybe he had to start thinking about his abandoned love life. This house surely needed a homey touch.
Getting on his feet, Tommy was about to reach his first essay when the doorbell rang. He frowned and looked up at the clock. Who could that be?
Another louder knocks at his front door and he leaped out of the couch. "Coming!" With five wide strides, he reached the door and unlocked it. When he swang it open, he saw a tall guy with a bashful grin standing on his front door. Tommy's eyebrows hiked up and he asked, "Yes, can I help you?"
The guy extended his hand and shoke Tommy's hand firmly. He finally introduced himself. "Hi, I'm Ash and I was kind of, you know, lost,"
" I see," Tommy replied and nodded his head. He saw a black sedan parked near his jeep in the gravel driveway. He returned his eyes back to the black haired guy. "You just have to follow that side road," Tommy lifted his hand and pointed at the dark rocky road which nearly invisible to the eyes. He mentally asked himself how come this guy could reach this part of Reefside. His woodened cabin was located in a somehow secluded place in the woods. Not many people came here and that's just one of many reasons that Tommy bought this place. "don't turn, just go straight until you see an Aids billboard, you won't miss it, and then turn right. You'll reach the main road. You'll know where to go,"
"Cool," Ash nodded appreciatively. "I tried to figure the way out myself, but well, I wasn't doing a great job. Then I saw your light. Thanks by the way,"
"Don't mention it," Tommy offered a smile. Another handshake and he watched as Ash walked back to his car. Folding his arms over his chest, he saw something moving on the passenger seat. There's another person in the car. Ash had started the engine and right before he made a turn, the person slightly turned her head to look back at the house and Tommy's heart grew cold almost immediately, like someone had thrown a bucket of ice water over his heart.
It was dark alright and the street lamp didn't help much either, but he was positively certain that the face he saw was noneother that the face of his former girlfriend, Kimberly Hart.
He instinctively reached for the doorknob, grasping it tightly. When the car finally vanished from his sight, Tommy was still standing in his front porch like an idiot. His brain went numb and his system refused to cooperate.
"It can't be," Tommy muttered, still taken aback. "it's just not possible,"
For the next twenty seconds, Tommy was still stunned. He couldn't be more surprised even if that very second, Rita dropped from the night sky wearing a tutu. Not a very appealing picture, if one asked.
No, no, no. That's what you got for acting all melancholy at night, Tommy. No more liquor for tonight. See what happened? And you only had one gulp…
Releasing a long and deep breath of air, Tommy managed to regain his composure back and span around and bolted the door behind him. That couldn't be her. He should realize that there's no way she would suddenly pop up from out of nowhere after almost a decade. In Reefside, of all places.
Don't give it a second thought, Oliver. That part of your life had ended and you really need to move on with your life. A life without Kim. Live with it.
:: Okay… so, was that really Kimberly that Tommy saw or his eyes just playing tricks on him? And about the skirtless yellow ranger in the story, I stopped watching PR after Kim left the show so I might get it incorrect. Sorry! Thanks for reading. Review please, I'd love to hear from you. No flame though.
-Yuuri
