I hope you'll forgive me if the characterizations aren't exactly right. I haven't watched MMPR in a long time.

Passing the Torch… Back?

"Thank you for doing this. There's no one else we could trust to safeguard these while they're not being used."

Jason nodded grimly as he accepted from Katherine the ornately carved wooden box that contained the original five Power Coins that had given Earth's first Power Rangers their incredible powers. The blond-haired woman stepped back to join Rocky, Adam, Aisha, and Tommy, who had all formed a loose semi-circle around Jason. They were behind Jason's home on his private beach, having chosen to meet here for the privacy the little beach provided them.

"I'm happy to do it, guys," he told his friends. "You know you can always trust me."

Now it was Tommy's turn to nod, and he placed his hand on Jason's shoulder. "And Jase, if anything happens, don't hesitate to use them."

Of course, "anything" didn't mean just anything. It didn't mean that he should use the power to foil a bank robbery or help an old lady across the street. Jason knew what "anything" meant. It meant if danger struck. If beings from another world came to do harm to his planet. Once again Jason Lee Scott had the power to fight them within his grasp. The pride he had always felt as a Power Ranger returned now to make his chest swell slightly.

"Hey," Rocky said then, trying to lighten the heavy mood, "while we're here, why don't we have a cookout or something?"

The others all chimed in with their own statements about how great that sounded, and what kinds of food they wanted cooked on the grill. Jason just laughed to himself and shook his head, throwing a mock-glare Rocky's way.

"There you go… First you take my spot"—meaning his spot on the Power Rangers—"and now you just decide you're going to have a cookout at my house," Jason joked.

"Hey!" Rocky looked indignant for a second. "You gave up your spot, pal."

Jason thumped his predecessor lightly on the chest with his fist and began to lead them up toward the house, the whole group talking and laughing amongst themselves, just like old times. Some things may change, but some things never did, Jason realized, and he was glad for that. It felt good to have them there.

Inside the house, however, a pair of eyes watched the group, their owner half-hidden behind the curtains. No one seemed to look up, or they might have noticed the look of concern on Kimberly's face.

…

Kimberly's heart leapt into her throat when she saw Jason being handed the box, and it wasn't a good feeling. While it was true that being a Power Ranger was the best thing that had ever happened to her, and while it was also true that she had been reluctant to give it up, she had had a good reason for doing so. An important reason. Jason's reason was just as important, she knew. Now she had a great job as a gymnastics instructor, and Jason was finally getting around to starting up his first karate school. They were building a great life together. To bring the Power Rangers back into that… somehow, she had the sinking feeling that being a Power Ranger again would tear apart all that they had worked for.

She knew what Jason was thinking. Here was his chance to be a hero again. The first sign of danger would be his excuse to use the Tyrannosaurus Power Coin and become the Red Ranger, and then she would lose him. She just knew it. It couldn't be any other way.

Stop it, Kimberly, she told herself. You were always the positive one. It isn't like you to be so cynical.

But she couldn't help it. She'd grown, she'd changed, and more than that, she'd become accustomed to this new life. She was more attached to it than she could have been to being a Ranger. "Far beyond the call of duty," was what Zordon had said. That meant their time was over. Time to step down. She had to convince Jason to let go.

The screen door out back creaked open, and Kim heard the ruckus of happy voices and pounding feet as the troop entered the house. Standing in the door between the living room and the main hallway, she crossed her arms in front of her stomach and waited for Jason to appear. When he did, she caught his eye with a worried look.

"Kim? What is it?" he asked.

"Jason… We need to talk."