To Love a Pterodactyl
Chapter 1: The Airport
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but we can all dream.
Tommy awoke from another nightmare of his time against Mesagog. It had been three years, but the dreams still lingered. Fingers groped clumsily for the alarm clock as it blared in his ear. 9:30 already. Tommy usually slept in late on Saturday but he had plans for this morning. Kira was coming back into town. Her tour just ended and her second album was hitting stores on Tuesday.
"Maybe this time you can finally tell her," a voice in his head called out.
"You could be her white knight too Tommy," another voice added.
"Then again we might hurt her like we did all the other rangers," a darker voice finished.
Tommy sighed. "Why must my thoughts manifest themselves as my old ranger forms?" he thought to himself. He realized he needed a shower and a shave before he went to the airport.
"Want to look good for her don't you Tommy?" the black ranger asked, his smirk clear.
"Don't you start on me too." Tommy mumbled aloud.
The four rangers each placed a hand on his shoulder. He remembered her high school prom. He saw her afterward and she told him she was leaving for New York. This was his last chance to tell her how he felt, but he couldn't do it. He wished her good luck and gave her an almost fatherly kiss on her forehead. He had regretted that for almost three years.
He awoke again, the four rangers a far off dream. He realized he had hit the snooze button on the clock and dozed off again. It was now almost 10:00. He panicked and jumped out of bed to get ready.
"We will be beginning our decent into the Reefside Airport momentarily. Please fasten your safety belts," the pilot called over the intercom.
Kira Ford sighed, making sure her belt was secure. It was not so long ago that she was piloting a giant pterodactyl, but for some reasons airplanes made her nervous.
"Were there really power rangers here mommy?" a little boy in the seat behind her asked.
"I think so dear," the mother replied. Kira could hear the boy's disappointment. She turned around in her seat and smiled at him.
"There were Power Rangers here. I even met them once." His eyes lit up when she spoke.
"What were they like miss?" he asked gleefully.
Kira blushed at being called miss, feeling older than 21. "They were really awesome," she began and said before thinking about it, "that black ranger of theirs was really amazing."
The boy went back to bothering his mother. "Do you think we can try to find them when we land mommy? I'd love to meet a power ranger." His mother sighed and shook her head.
Kira got his attention again, the newly charged dino gem on her wrist thanks to her time with the Operation Overdrive team. "I bet if you wish really hard one of the rangers might come see you. I remember the yellow ranger being very kind. I'm sure she would love to make a little boy very happy."
The boy was ecstatic, but the mother snapped, "Don't you go getting my son's hopes up with that nonsense young lady."
"Yes ma'am," she muttered defeated and returned to her seat. Her thoughts turned back to Tommy. God how she had missed him in New York. It turned out it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. She had been living in a run down apartment singing at bars, Bar Mitzvahs, funerals, and anything else she could get just to scrape by. On a good week she lived off of soup, tuna, and ramen.
"He'll probably be late," she giggled to herself. The plane landed and she rushed off, secretly hoping to beat Tommy there. Then again, she had something else to do as well. She hadn't stood for five minutes after she received her luggage before Tommy arrived with a bouquet of yellow roses.
"Sorry I'm late Kira," he blushed and panted a bit having clearly run all the way to the terminal.
"It's fine Doctor O. I knew you'd be late." She blushed and kept her head down as she took the roses and took in their delicate scent.
"You are 21 years old Kira, you really can call me Tommy."
"Okay Tommy, will you hold my bags and my guitar for a few minutes while I take care of something?" she asked, seeing the child and his mother waiting for their bags to come through the luggage line. Tommy nodded and she ran off to the bathroom.
Her Morpher appeared on her wrist and the words "Dino Thunder, Power Up!" passed her lips all too easily. And there she was, morphed for the first time in months. She was doing it all for that little boy to meet a ranger, but she felt a twinge of pain imagining what Tommy would think. He had lost his ranger powers six different times now. (A/N: I am counting the Ninja powers separate despite the lack of costume change)
She stepped out, earning a gawking gaze from a woman just entering the ladies room. She walked right passed Tommy, whose eyes grew wide, but he also had a bright smile on my face. Kira kneeled behind the boy and gentle tapped his shoulder. "Excuse me," she said sweetly.
He turned and his jaw dropped. "Mommy! Mommy! A power ranger!" The mother turned around and grimaced.
"It is probably just someone in a costume trying to attract tourists son."
"I assure you," Kira forced the words through gritted teeth, "I am the real deal ma'am."
"Prove it," the mother smirked.
Tommy stepped up, "I heard what's going on. My name is Tommy Oliver. I was a martial arts champion in Angel Grove. Perhaps we could spar. If the yellow ranger beats me, she has to be the real deal."
"I will not allow my child to be subjected to this," the mother replied sternly.
Kira finally decided to just ignore her. She turned back to the little boy, "You know I'm real right?"
"Yes ma'am," the little boy smiled even as his mother pulled him away.
Tommy returned to the bags and Kira made her way to somewhere devoid of people and demorphed.
She was noticeably depressed when she climbed into Tommy's jeep.
"That was a good thing you did back there Kira," Tommy whispered after the two had been driving for almost fifteen minutes in silence.
"That woman threw it in my face though," she sighed. Kira's back became rigid. Tommy was holding her hand.
"It was very kind and very sweet. I'm proud of you."
"Thank you Doct…Tommy." She could feel the blush creeping on her cheeks.
Tommy smiled and held her hand tighter, "We'll work on that."
Kira made no attempt to get away, even moving her fingers around his. "He's just being nice," she thought to herself.
"How have you been Tommy?" she asked quietly, though the question really lurking on her mind was "are you seeing someone?"
"Things have been too quiet since you left. Conner is still over almost every day to raid my fridge. Trent and Ethan stop by around once a week. Some Friday's Hayley takes me out. She insists I need a girlfriend." Kira turned her head to hide the blush at the last.
"It won't be you. You're too young for him," the voice inside her head reasoned.
"Still a bachelor doctor then?" Kira giggled and turned to see Tommy blushing.
"For now I guess," he forced a smile.
Kira hadn't realized how close they were until she saw Tommy's penthouse/base of operations. His black jeep came to a slow and easy halt. "I'll get your things," he volunteered.
"Thank you for giving me the guest room Tommy," she smiled so cutely, "I'll try not to be too much trouble."
Tommy chuckled, "No trouble at all Kira. You and all of the other rangers are welcome here anytime as long as there is an open bed." He loaded his arms down with her bags, leaving her guitar for her. He had learned long ago the consequences for messing with her instrument.
"Still thank you," she whispered, the tone of her voice different but not in a way Tommy could recognize. She stood on the tips of her toes and kissed her old teacher and mentor's cheek.
He was stunned, but not in a bad way. His arms wrapped around her to the best of their ability and held her in a hug. He couldn't help but take in the sweet lilac scent of her strawberry blond curls. "You're welcome beautiful."
Both of the rangers were shocked. Kira because Tommy thought she was beautiful, Tommy because he hadn't meant to say it out loud.
"Thank you even more Tommy," she whispered, laying her head on his chest.
"We should get inside," Tommy begrudgingly added.
She pouted a bit and broke away. He went first and unlocked the door. She stepped across the threshold.
"Surprise!" a mass of voices shouted. A big yellow banner welcomed the ranger.