The Falcon and the Frog II

Disclaimer: I'm playing in someone else's sandbox.

Note: So, I've decided to continue F&F II. Although, this is going to be a little different from its predecessor. These chapters will hit different points, chronologically, along a timeline of Adam and Tommy becoming a couple in the wake of a much different version of "The Letter" and focus less on the relationship between the two Rangers and more on how it affects the world around them.

Chapter 2: Grease Monkey Ballerina

Tommy Oliver, Zeo Ranger V mumbled something incomprehensible to his boyfriend Adam Park, Zeo Ranger IV as they walked . . . well, Adam walked, Tommy trudged . . . along the tunnel leading from the main Command Center to the Zord Bays.

"What was that love?" Adam asked.

Tommy glared at the far too cheery Green Ranger, "I said, why do I have to be up so early on a Saturday?"

Adam sighed and wondered why he had to fall for someone who clearly wasn't a morning person. "Because Billy needs to make those adjustments to the Red Battle Zord's neural interface systems and he needs you there to do it."

"Don't see why," Tommy responded grumpily, "Zord works fine."

"Uh huh," Adam rolled his eyes, "then why do you have migraines after you pilot it?"

"Ummmm," Tommy's brain was not sufficiently awake to refute a logical argument.

"And," Adam continued, "if you hadn't kept putting this off, Billy could have made the adjustments weeks ago, right after school. So, now you're stuck with Saturday morning."

Tommy stopped dead, crossed his arms and his face set firmly in a pout, "I hate you."

Adam stopped as well, turned to his boyfriend, and regarded him with his head cocked to one side for a moment. He then closed the distance between them, getting close. So close that his chest touched the backs of Tommy's crossed arms. Tommy started breathing fast and his pout was replaced with an uncertain expression. "You hate me, huh?" Adam asked with a lusty smirk.

"Ummmm . . ."

Adam brought his face close to Tommy's, their lips almost touching. His breath ghosted across Tommy's lips as he asked, "Are you sure about that?"

Tommy's resistance was breaking and he was just about to surrender completely when the moment was broken by the sound of a loud crash from the Zord Bay. He and Adam exchanged a glance and sprinted for the doors to the Bay. Tommy's mind, now wide awake and in what the others referred to as "leader mode" ran through numerous scenarios. While security at the new Command Center was usually highly effective, Tommy also recalled sourly how you supposedly needed to have a Power Coin to get into the original . . . didn't seem to stop Goldar, Rito, and an Anti-proton detonator.

The Red and Green Rangers stopped in front of the heavy Bay doors. Adam went to the keypad and Tommy took up a ready position. They exchanged a glance and Tommy nodded. Adam keyed the entry code and the doors slid apart. They charged into the room, but what they saw made them freeze in their tracks.

Zord parts and tools were scattered on the floor around Billy's workbench, as if they had been hastily shoved off it. Which, they most likely were, given that the aforementioned technician . . . and the Pink Ranger now occupied the surface of the workbench, locked in a passionate embrace.

It now dawned on both Tommy and Adam that the crash they heard was the Zord parts hitting the floor. Adam grabbed Tommy's arm and the two started to back away quietly. However, the Bay doors decided to choose that moment to close with a rather resounding metal clank.

Startled by the sound, Kat broke off the kiss she was sharing with Billy and looked towards the doors . . . spotting her two fellow Rangers. Her already flushed complexion darkened even further. "Oh . . . um . . . hi guys. You're, um, early."

Underneath her Billy made an inarticulate, confused sound and then tilted his head back over the edge of the workbench so he could look in the same direction Kat was. The former Blue Ranger's skin did a good impression of the Red Ranger's suit, "Ah . . . salutations."

That afternoon at the Juice Bar, Tommy pulled Kat aside, "Kat, I um, I don't really know how to ask this. But, well, I know that when you first came here, and when you first joined the team you were kind of interested in me, but I was with Kim at the time . . ."

Kat glared at Tommy and through clenched teeth said, "What, exactly, are you implying Tommy Oliver?"

Tommy relaxed, smiled, and held up his hands in a gesture of surrender, "Sorry Kat, I just needed to be sure. Billy's my friend and I don't want to see him hurt."

Kat's expression was confused for a moment, and then softened and relaxed as understanding dawned on her, "It's okay."

That settled, Tommy switched gears, "So, tell already, how did this start?"

Kat rolled her eyes and laughed lightly, "You came out of the closet and you became worse than Kim and Aisha combined."

Tommy glared at his teammate. She laughed again, "Okay, okay . . ." The Australian's warm blue eyes became wistful as she began, "It started about a month before you got the letter. My Zord was pretty badly damaged in a battle. You remember, that robot that looked like a toaster?" Tommy nodded and Kat continued, "Anyway, I got to talking to Billy about the repairs that would need to be done, that lead to me helping him out with the Zord repairs. I discovered that I'm a lot more mechanically inclined that I ever thought I could be. I started becoming obsessed with machines . . . I damn near did a complete rebuild on my Dad's engine last weekend." Tommy raised an impressed eyebrow at the comment, "So, I started spending more after hours time with Billy, helping with the Zords, and I finally got to see that side of him that I think you've been the only one to see ever since Kim left."

Kat looked up at Tommy to find him smiling the biggest smile she had seen on his face since the day he and Adam had announced their relationship and the team had responded with congratulations rather than the hostility they feared. Kat had known Tommy worried about Billy, and now she knew how much.

"That's great Kat," Tommy responded, pulling her into a hug. A hug interrupted when Billy walked up with Adam and said, "Hey! Watch where you're putting those hands!"

Tommy smiled at his old friend and replied, "No worries Billy. Not to disparage the young lady, but her attributes are not what I'm into these days," and winked in Adam's direction.

Kat playfully smacked Tommy's arm as Adam laughed and Billy commented, "Disparage and attributes both in one sentence? I'm impressed."

Kat laughed and said, "Don't be, they were both on last week's SAT prep quiz."

"Billy," Tommy said in an oddly flat voice.

"Yes Tommy?"

"Say goodbye to Kat."

"Why?"

"Because I am going to tickle her to death," Tommy answered as he turned towards Kat, a manic grin on his face, his hands outstretched and his fingers wriggling.

"Uh oh Kat, he's got that evil green look in his eyes," Adam announced, "you better run!"

Kat squealed and took off across the Youth Center, Tommy hot on her heels and Billy hot on his while Adam doubled over with laughter.