This story might make better sense if you take a few minutes to read my previous story, Reactions: Zeo :) Happy reading!

Disclaimer: My day job is that I'm an executive producer of Power Rangers. ...JK. It's not mine.

"Oh, so now you're a Tommy?" Zack said humorously, and they all laughed at their ongoing joke about Tommy becoming colors that no one else had been.
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"Zack, I promise I will ask you if I ever decide to become a black. Now will you leave the color thing alone already?"
-Tommy in R:Z

"I'm gold, not black, so Zack doesn't have to worry about it."
-Jason in R:Z

EIGHT YEARS LATER

Riiing

Riiing

Riiing

SMASH!

Riiiiiiing

Riiiiiing

Riiiiiing

"What?"

"Jason, man, turn on the TV!"

"Wha'?" Jason rolled over and fumbled with the lamp next to the bed.

"Turn on the TV! You have to see this! And why didn't you pick up your house phone?"

"I threw it at the wall," Jason mumbled, still half asleep. "Zack, is that you? What do you want? What do I need to see?"

"Just turn on the TV!" Zack practically shouted.

Trini stirred on the bed next to Jason. "Jase? What's going on? What's wrong?"

Jason mumbled something else that was indistinct, and staggered over to grab the remote off his dresser and switch on the TV. "Okay, what channel? And this better be good or I'm gonna get my T-Rex to tear apart your Mastodon. And I'm sure a certain Saber Tooth Tiger wouldn't mind helping."

"What does Zack want?" Trini moaned, rolling over and putting a pillow over her head. "Didn't he understand the last time that we're not late night partiers like he is?"

But Jason wasn't listening. He was transfixed with the footage playing on almost every channel. "Hey babe, check this out."

"I'll presume you're not talking to me," Zack muttered.

"What?" Trini murmured.

"Rangers."

"Rangers?" she mumbled from under her pillow. "I thought they defeated Luthor?"

"New rangers."

Trini sat up so quickly Jason wouldn't have guessed she was practically sleep talking two seconds earlier.

"New rangers? Nice! Well, I mean, not nice nice…I guess it means someone's trying to take over our planet again, but you get what I mean."

"Wait, Zack," Jason said into the phone again. "This really couldn't wait until morning?"

"It is morning," Zack replied.

"It is morning?! Yeah, four in the morning!"

"Never mind what time it is…look at them!"

"And what am I looking for?"

"There's a black one."

"So?" The breaking news program broke from the anchors in the studio to footage of a black ranger fighting nasty looking dead dinosaur type things. "Oh. They didn't bother calling you again? That sucks man. Good night," Jason said pointedly.

"No, Jase-look at him!"

"Why? Can't I just dream about him instead?" Jason practically whined.

"Uh, Jason?" Trini asked, squinting at the TV screen. "That black ranger? It kind of seems like…"

Jason looked again to the screen, to see what his friend and wife were going on about. "Yeah, uh…kind of looks like Tommy's style. Okay, you happy? Good night!"

Trini looked at him pointedly, and Zack waited for him to realize it.

"Oh," Jason said slowly. "It's Tommy…" he suddenly jumped up. "HOLY CRAP! It's freaking TOMMY! Ha ha! This is great! He's a fourth color!" He did a little dance in place. "Now he's black too? Ah ha ha ha ha! I'm so sorry buddy," he said to Zack, who was uncharacteristically quiet for a moment. "This was definitely worth the call at an unholy hour. …Zack? Hey, you still there?"

"Tommy. Is. Black," Zack muttered darkly.

"Yeah…" Jason said slowly, waiting for him to continue. And then it hit him. "Oh! Tommy's black! I get it! …ohh…hang on…He didn't tell you, did he?"

"I have to go," Zack said bluntly. "Talk to you later."

"No, Zack, wait!" Jason said, but the dial tone was already sounding.

"Oh great," Trini said, sinking back into the pillow. "You think we should warn Tommy?"

"Nah," Jason said, getting back into bed and pulling the covers up. "He should have asked Zack. He knows that."

"He probably forgot."

"Which makes this even more fun for me!" Trini hit him again. "Okay, okay, I'll call Tommy."

"Take it outside," Trini said, rolling over and closing her eyes again.

Once in the safety of the kitchen, Jason grabbed a beer from the fridge (this was definitely a 'celebratory beer at four AM' moment) and opened his cell phone to call Tommy.

It rang a few times before Tommy answered groggily, and rather harshly. "Go to bed, Connor!"

"Nope," Jason said happily, taking a sip of beer. "Try again."

"Jason? Oh. Hey man. Sorry, thought you were Connor. I gave them my number in case something happened and they needed it. Bad idea."

"But what could possibly happen?" Jason asked innocently, and as if it was perfectly normal to be having this conversation at four in the morning. "And who is this Connor chap?"

"Connor is-oh…uh…no one. What do you want?" Jason heard him shuffling around a bit. "Dude. It's four in the morning."

"I thought you were going to stop saying 'dude' now that you're a teacher."

"What do you want?" Tommy repeated.

"Nothing!" Jason said innocently. "I just wanted to see how my multi-colored doctor friend is doing! Is there something wrong with that?"

"Your multi-colored doctor…?" Tommy muttered to no one in particular.

"Yep," Jason said, taking another sip. "Emphasis on the multi."

"Ah. Right," Tommy said, catching on. "Uh…so…I might be…you know…"

"Oh yeah, I know," Jason said, smiling. "The question is, does Zack know?"

"I don't know. I didn't tell him."

"You mean, you didn't ask him," Jason corrected, enjoying this more and more.

"Why would I-? Oh. Oh… Ooh…" Jason listened joyfully as Tommy's tone went from confused to realizing, to realizing what he was realizing, to absolute horror.

"Uh, I have to go," Tommy stuttered quickly.

"Whaaat?" Jason whined, sounding disappointment, but still smiling widely. "Why?"

"I need to fortify my house."

"But…we haven't talked in, like, weeks!"

"Bye Jase. Oh, hey, how's Trini?" Tommy added quickly, figuring since they hadn't talked in weeks, he had better ask.

"Pregnant," Jason shrugged, as if that explained it all. "You know."

"Um, no, but okay. Bye."

"Later!"

After hanging up, Jason sat at the kitchen table a little while longer, occasionally taking a drink and smiling every once in a while at the thought of Tommy running around his house, looking for a place to hide. For Tommy's sake, Jason hoped he never told Zack about the secret lair in his basement, although Zack would probably figure it out after Tommy didn't show up for a few days. After all, it is Tommy they were dealing with here.

Wide awake and in no mood to try and fall asleep again, Jason decided to sit on the front porch and watch the sun rise so he could see all the different colors of the sky. It seemed appropriate for the events of the night.

As he was getting up, Trini walked in.

"Well hello Ms. Take-it-outside," Jason said.

"That's Mrs. Take-it-outside to you," Trini said. She stopped when she saw he was holding a beer.

"What?" Jason said shrugging. "I think it's appropriate," he defended himself. "Want me to get you something?"

"All this talk of black makes me want licorice," she said, smiling sweetly at him.

"Well, I think we have some."

"Black. Not red."

"Um…right…guess I'm going to the store then, huh?"

"Thanks Jason," Trini said, handing him his keys and kissing him on the cheek. "Junior thanks you too."

"Hmph. Junior's grounded as soon as he's old enough to have anywhere to go."