Chapter nine:
"I think I'm ready."
Billy's fork is halfway to his mouth when Tommy speaks and he decides to chew and swallow his dinner before replying. "And what would that be for?"
Tommy's clearly struggling with his words. "To . . . to see a doctor, or whatever, you know."
It's not what Billy expected. He wipes his mouth with his napkin and tries not to sound too pleased. "That's definitely something we can arrange." He's wanted to take Tommy to a professional since the moment he laid eyes on him at the Cat's Beard, but resisted, knowing at the time it'd only traumatize him. "Who do I have to thank for the change of heart?"
"Rocky, I guess." Tommy shrugs. "He thinks it will help my stamina with training."
It makes sense, though Billy suspects there's more to it than that. "He's not wrong. How is that going, by the way? Any more trouble from Adam?" Although he's suddenly not hungry, he takes another bite of food anyway.
"No. He doesn't come by when I'm there, and I never take the gi off in the dojo. I guess whatever you said to him was really effective."
"Hmm." Billy's quite confident that Adam will never bother Tommy again. He's not sure Adam's ever going to be completely all right with Tommy's past, but when he pulled Adam aside, he made it quite clear that if Adam wants to continue as a Ranger, he needs to accept all of the Rangers, current and former, even if doesn't approve of some of their actions. "Remind me to give Rocky a bonus." He looks at his watch. "It's probably a little late now, but we'll find a doctor to see you tomorrow."
Tommy blinks. "You really think I need to see someone that soon?"
"Emphatically, yes. Tommy, I'm not going to couch my words here. Everyone should have an annual physical check up, but you haven't seen a doctor in at least six years. You've been using drugs, eating poorly and having sex with . . . people you didn't know very well. You're six years overdue. You definitely need a check up."
Tommy picks at a piece of lint on the sweater he's wearing. "You don't . . . think they're going to get me in trouble? I mean, they're gonna know I used coke."
"No. Doctors are there to help. They'll protect your confidentiality." He can tell Tommy's still not sure. "Do you trust me?"
Tommy wets his lips. "Tomorrow's fine."
It isn't easy to find Tommy a doctor on such short notice, with no health care, but Billy's resourceful and has researched considerably in preparation of this day.
Although he knows that sitting in the waiting room is much easier than what Tommy's experiencing, Billy hates it. He fidgets and reads the year-old magazines cover-to-cover. He really expects them to come out and ask him questions on Tommy's behalf, but they never do. Tommy's an adult; he doesn't need Billy to speak for him.
After nearly two hours, Tommy returns tired and worn, but no worse for the wear. He has a bandage on his arm where he gave blood and a stack of paperwork in his hand. He flops down beside Billy, ignoring the other patients in the waiting room. "Well, I'll live."
Billy knows the test results he asked to have run can't possibly be back yet, but he's relieved all the same. "That's a good start. And?"
"And they'll have results back in five to six weeks. I gave them your number." He hands over the pile of papers. "I've got prescriptions and things there we need to get filled."
Billy flips through the papers. "And referrals to see a therapist as well." He glances at Tommy. "Are you ready for that?"
Staring down at his knees, Tommy shrugs. "Dunno. Guess I have to try to find out, huh?"
"That's a good attitude to have." He can't help but think Tommy's overdressed. His sweater sleeves are pushed up, revealing tattooed forearms and the bandage, and his long hair is pulled back into a neat ponytail. Tommy hardly ever wears anything that shows off any of his tattoos anymore. It's rare to see them even now, and he knows by the time they're in the parking lot, he'll have pulled the sleeves back down. "Shall we go get these filled then?"
"Yeah. Uh." Tommy gets to his feet. "There's one you can probably ignore . . ."
Billy gets up and starts making his way to the hospital pharmacy. "Oh?" He looks through the files again, much more closely this time. There's a prescription for depression medication, for antibiotics, for some sort of ointment, for various vitamins and . . . a prescription for eyeglasses. "You saw an optometrist?"
"Yeah. That's the one." He reaches for the slip of paper, but Billy pulls it out of his grasp. "I really don't think I need glasses."
"This prescription would claim otherwise. If this is accurate, you definitely need glasses." He nods toward the sign they're approaching. "Can you read that?"
Tommy squints. "Pharmacy."
Billy suspects that's because he knows what it says. "There's nothing wrong with wearing glasses."
"I know. I mean, you look fine in yours. I'm just . . . they're not really for me."
Billy slides the rest of the prescriptions over to the nurse on staff and waits for her to fill them. "Why don't you try some on and see how much easier it is to see first?"
"You don't have money to waste."
"That's true." Billy leans against the counter. "Except I don't consider this a waste of money."
Although he knows Tommy doesn't want them, he puts up no resistance after that. Instead of heading home after getting the prescriptions filled, Billy takes them to a vision care store where he spends the next hour coaxing Tommy into different frames.
It doesn't take long before the chore turns into something fun as each pair he tries on gets sillier and stranger than the last. After Tommy pulls off a particularly ridiculous pair of sunglasses, Billy hands him a sensible silver frame. "I think you'd look very sharp in these."
Tommy's reluctant, but eventually slides them on and Billy's smile isn't forced. With the sweater, the ponytail and the glasses, he looks both sophisticated, hip and educated. It's a look Billy's never quite been able to pull off and they're qualities Billy finds remarkably attractive.
Perhaps that's a reason Tommy should go for another pair.
"You like these?" Tommy studies his reflection in the mirror. "I feel like I should be a professor in order to wear them."
Billy thinks that would be just divine. "You could always go back to school."
Turning to his profile, Tommy pulls a serious face. "I think I'd have to, in these things."
Though he knows he needs to not be pursuing this feeling, Billy gets to his feet. "Those are the best ones you've tried on. Let's get them so we can get home and have some dinner."
"Are you sure? They look expensive."
"I'm sure." Reaching out, he gently tugs them off Tommy's face and carries them off. It's a bit of a relief when the clerk says it'll take a few days to craft them to Tommy's prescription.
Billy's not sure he's ready for this new Tommy to be walking around his house in sexy glasses.
Finding a therapist isn't as easy.
Tommy is uncomfortable and reluctant to see one, both key elements in locating a compatible match. In the end, Billy picks a suitable looking guy; it's just a trial, after all. His name is Brian. He's not much older than Tommy, keeps a rainbow flag in the corner of his office and says he specializes in helping people with substance abuse. Best of all, the man offers a discount when Billy manages to fix his faulty computer system.
It's hard not to ask Tommy after the first session how it went. Billy wants to be patient. He wants Tommy to feel comfortable opening up to him. All he says is, "It was okay." It isn't easy not pressing for more. He takes comfort just knowing that Tommy's willing to go back.
On the work front, things with Adam remain strained. Billy's lucky enough not to need to talk to Adam often during the day, but the silence between them is lonely, and points to the fact that the problem hasn't been resolved. Fortunately Adam's let Tommy and Rocky continue their interaction, but, especially in light of the rift during Vile's last attack, Billy wants to patch things up.
"Hey," Billy says, leaning against Adam's cubicle. It's Wednesday and he knows Adam doesn't have classes tonight. "I was wondering if you wanted to grab a beer after work. Maybe we could catch up a little?"
Adam glances at him, but only briefly. "I really ought to get home to Rocky. Hardly see him anymore these days."
"I know you really value your free time, Adam, but I feel this is important."
Adam still doesn't look at him. "What? I thought we went through this already."
"If the situation was actually resolved, why are you ignoring me at work? Don't you think that's a little juvenile?"
Scowling, Adam finally looks at him. "I'm not your boyfriend. Sometimes I have better things to do at work than talk to you."
Glancing around the mostly empty office, Billy leans closer and lowers his voice. "It's exactly this sort of attitude that's damaging to the team. C'mon, let's grab a beer. I don't want to have this conversation at work."
He can tell Adam wants nothing more than to tell him to shove it, but that he wisely swallows his initial reply and, with a huff, shuts down his computer and grabs his coat. "Twenty minutes, that's it. I promised Rocky I'd be home for dinner tonight."
"Great, thanks."
Billy waits until Adam's downed most of his microbrew before saying, "Not that it's any of your business, but I wanted to ameliorate any of your misconceptions about Tommy and I being physically intimate. We aren't. He's gone through a lot of abuse and I would never further traumatize him that way. You know me better than that, Adam." He toys with the condensation on his own glass. "Furthermore, I thought you should know that Tommy's been to the doctor finally and he has a clean bill of health so far. Not all of the test results are back, and we're going to run a few more in a couple of months to make sure, but . . . well. He's incredibly lucky."
"Why are you telling me all of this?"
"Because I want you to understand Tommy, not just tolerate him. He didn't go to that place because he wanted to be there. He fell through the cracks. The Rangers didn't help him and Zordon didn't help him. He had nowhere else to turn. I'm not saying it was the right thing for him to do. Perhaps in the same situation you or I would find a better way of surviving. Tommy's a good guy. He's one of us and he's trying to put that past behind him. He doesn't need animosity from the people who are supposed to be his friends."
Adam takes a long drink of his beer. "He was the evil Green Ranger, Billy. I was barely in high school at the time, but I have vivid memories of watching the Dragonzord destroy buildings on TV."
"And I remember going to school with him. I remember how conflicted he was. He was under a spell, Adam. We've all been under them. You know what it's like."
"I know they never lasted more than a day or two . . ."
"It's true Tommy was under a much stronger spell. It may even be true that something about him intrinsically allowed Rita to control him more easily than someone else. The fact remains, he is not evil. He taught youth karate classes before Rita found him. He helped Jason teach his for a while, afterward. He didn't do drugs before Rita. His biggest flaw was forgetfulness. He was just an ordinary teenager, like any of us. He just fell into an extremely unfortunate situation."
"He was practicing shirtless in my dojo with those . . . those tattoos that say those things where anybody could have seen him. We have little kids that come to that dojo!"
"I know." Billy nods his head. "And that was wrong of him. He should have had a shirt on, but it was after hours and only for twenty minutes. You have to realize you had impressively bad timing that night. If you'd shown up after your class when Rocky expected you, you would have been introduced to Tommy much more naturally and would not have had the kneejerk reaction to him, or his past, that you ended up having."
"I know." Adam finishes his beer. "I keep thinking about that, but probably not in the way you want me to. I just keep thinking how I could have known him for months . . . even years and not known. It doesn't exactly make me feel any more comfortable around him."
"Rocky knew and didn't have the same reaction. Why do you think that is?"
"Because Rocky's a . . ." Adam cuts himself off. He lets out a deep breath and leans back in his chair. "Because Rocky's trusting and naïve and would be friends with fire hydrants if I let him."
Billy allows himself a chuckle. "Rocky sees the best in people. He's got amazing personal skills. He can just look at Tommy and know what's wrong and how to cheer him up, and proceed to do so in twenty seconds. It's maddening when I've hardly slept because I've been pouring through psychology books trying to sort Tommy out. You should see them together sometime."
"I just don't want him to get hurt. He's too trusting and too easily influenced."
"I know. If Tommy were some guy he picked up off the street, I'd be worried too, but he's not. I trust Tommy with my life, Adam. I have trusted Tommy with my life. I vouch for him. Zordon vouches for him. Kimberly does too, and you could call up Jason and ask him as well. We have history with Tommy. We know where he's been. It's okay."
"You don't know that." Adam lifts his chin. "We could let him back in, let him into our secrets, and our lives. If we let him back into the Command Center, what's to stop Master Vile from controlling him again? You can't promise that won't happen. And promises you can't keep makes you no better than Zordon."
"What's to stop Vile from taking control of any of us in that way? Tommy doesn't have any powers. He can't even get into the Command Center unless I let him in. Vile has no reason to use him. The best he could do would be to use Tommy as a hostage and . . . well, anyone would work."
Adam shrugs. "It's instinct, okay? He just gives me bad vibes."
"Because you met him the way you did." Billy takes a gulp of his beer. "C'mon, let's go meet up with them. We'll grab dinner and you can reevaluate Tommy properly. My treat."
Adam shakes his head. "You don't have the money to treat me and Rocky to dinner."
"That's true, I don't, but I want to do it anyway. Maybe that'll show you how serious I am about this. I mean it, Adam. We're a team and we need to function like one. Just tell me that you wouldn't be fighting just as hard to help Jason if he turned up five years from now in Tommy's condition."
"Yeah, but Jason wouldn't—"
"Ah, but what if he did? Without Zack or the Rangers to help him, maybe he just falls through the cracks, too proud to ask for help . . . Ashamed, maybe, of how he acted during the war."
"Jason did what he did because—"
"Exactly. You know Jason. You can make excuses for him. You don't know Tommy, but the 'excuses' for him are just as valid." He finishes off his beer. "Get your coat. Your twenty minutes are up."
Adam stands, but looks resigned. "Let's go to my place. I can't make you buy us dinner, and anyway, Rocky's got steaks marinating for tonight. I'm sure there's enough to share."
Billy tries not to grin too broadly. "Thank you, Adam."
"I can't believe Adam let us come over like this." Tommy takes a sip of his punch, his eyes fixed on Rocky working the barbeque.
Billy smiles. It's cool October night, Adam's got a fire pit going and steaks are cooking on the grill. "Yeah. Suppose he had a change of heart."
"Something you had nothing to do with, I'm sure."
Feeling sheepish, Billy stares down into his cup. "I thought it would do us all good to hang out together."
"No, no, no!" Rocky cries, stabbing at the barbeque with the spatula. "Adam, the zucchini are rolling off the grill! Help me with this!"
Adam's like a deer caught in headlights.
Tommy hands Billy his drink. "I've got this." He jogs over to Rocky, picks up the cooking tongs and rescues the escaping vegetables.
Adam runs a hand through his floppy hair, finally satisfied with the fire pit. "It just never stops with him. He's always got to make a big to-do about everything."
Billy takes a sip of his drink. He's feeling the beer from earlier and his body has relaxed. "Are you and Rocky still fighting?"
Adam sits beside him. "We're not fighting."
Billy raises an eyebrow.
"I apologized to him!" He slumps back into the chair. "He just doesn't think I really meant it, and I haven't been home enough to prove it. And now we're entertaining unexpected guests."
Across the patio, Rocky and Tommy are giggling together about something. Checking the food, Rocky closes the grill top to let them cook and says, "C'mon, I'll show you!" Moments later, they've disappeared inside.
Before Adam can shout at them for leaving the grill unattended, Billy reaches out and puts a hand on Adam's arm. "I think tonight is more of an apology than anything else you could do."
Adam frowns, but shrugs. "He does love hanging out with Tommy, I'll give you that."
Closing his eyes, Billy leans back in his chair. "And, just take a moment and listen."
The night is silent, save for the very distant whoosh of cars as they drive by. "To what?"
"Exactly. While they're inside playing, they're leaving us alone to relax."
"I don't know about you, but I like being around Rocky."
Billy cracks his eye open and lolls his head to the side.
"Well. Maybe not all the time." Adam crosses his arms. "I just hardly get to see him these days. I'm always so busy and tired. Sometimes I think he and Tommy . . ." He purses his lips and shrugs.
"They're not. Rocky never would and Tommy . . .. He's really not interested."
Adam snorts.
"He's started seeing a therapist, you know."
"Took him long enough."
Billy ignores Adam's tone. "It's not the sort of thing you can force someone into. There's just been the one session, but I'm hopeful."
Adam stares at the grill. "It's almost like . . . I don't know, like I want Tommy to fail."
"I know. To prove me wrong. Everyone wants to be validated."
Adam grunts. "Should I go check on that?"
Billy tilts his head. "Have you ever barbequed before?"
"No." Glancing at him, Adam says, "Have you?"
Billy shrugs. "I'd leave it."
Adam reluctantly settles back down. "It isn't that I want to be validated. It just seems like everyone else is way too trusting. Someone ought to remain skeptical."
"Did you want to become leader once Jason left?"
"What?"
"Of the Power Rangers."
"I know what you meant." He shrugs. "But, not really. You were leader before he came back."
"It'd just make sense you would question my authority if you thought you'd be a better leader."
"I'd be a good leader." Adam stares at the barbeque grill again. "I don't know that I'd be a better one."
Billy likes the answer. "I really don't give you enough credit. I'm always so wrapped up in all of my work I never stop to look at how much you and Kimberly and the others are helping me hold things together."
A moment of silence passes. "We're at team, aren't we?"
"Yes. I should just . . . delegate more and—"
A loud crash comes from inside. Seconds later, Rocky and Tommy come jogging out. "There's nothing to worry about! Everything is fine and under control!" Rocky goes to the grill immediately to check on the food.
"Tommy?"
"Rocky just wanted to show me his sword collection. It's really cool!"
"Hey, I could use a hand with flipping these!"
Letting out a karate cry, Tommy karate chops his way back to Rocky's side.
"You're right," Adam says. "It was quieter."
Billy grins. "How's school going?"
"Ugh. It's almost midterms. I'm killing myself just to get to class; I have no time to study."
"Maybe I can help you someday. Civil engineering, right? I've always been interested in that."
"What are you still doing working that IT job, Billy? You could get a degree in anything without trying and be making ten times what you are now."
"I have even less free time than you do. I hardly sleep anymore. Maybe someday. I'm certainly not where I expected to be with my life."
"Zordon didn't really take our future into consideration, did he?"
"It's a worthwhile trade off, though, isn't it?"
Adam shrugs. "Depends on how much you like to sleep."
"Gentlemen," Rocky calls from across the patio. "Dinner is served!" He holds a tray laden with grilled steak and vegetables.
They move inside where it's warmer for dinner, and Billy is impressed by how good the food is.
"So." Rocky grins. "Tommy's birthday is on Wednesday. We should plan to do something for it."
Tommy's eyes widen and he stares at his food, flustered.
"Is it?" Billy's embarrassed. For all of his smarts, he tends to forget so many simple things. "Well . . . perhaps you can throw a party for us, Rocky?"
The way Rocky's eyes light up reminds Billy of a puppy getting a new toy. Rocky looks at Adam eagerly. "Can we? Please?"
Confronted with such enthusiasm, Adam's perpetual frown finally starts to melt. "I've got a midterm that morning, but . . ." He shakes his head, smiling softly. "I guess we could. A small one."
Rocky launches himself toward Adam in a hug. "You're the best!"
Chuckling, Billy exchanges glances with Tommy. Although he's certain they're all going to benefit from relaxing and hanging out tonight, he's starting to suspect Adam's going to benefit most of all.
The party for Tommy's birthday is planned on short notice, but with a carefully timed and worded phone call, Billy's able to arrange a very special surprise.
Rocky and Adam host, and to keep the surprise, Billy and Tommy arrive after all the guests have assembled and the music and food have started flowing.
"I can't believe you guys went to all of this for me," Tommy says, staring at the colorful balloons decorating the front door.
Billy's trying not to smile too brightly. "We've got a lot of birthdays to make up for." He reaches out and rings the bell.
"I'll get it!" a voice from inside calls.
Tommy's brow furrows. "Hey, that sounded like-"
The front door swings open to reveal Jason, grin on his face and drink in hand. His eyes widen in shock. "Tommy?" He blinks and shakes his head in disbelief. "It is you! I don't believe it, bro! How you been, man!" He reaches out and grips Tommy's hand in a fierce shake.
Zack bounces up behind him, grabs Jason around the shoulder and winks at Billy. "Hey, Tommy! Happy birthday!"
Jason manages to look even more surprised. "That's right! You and I share the same birthday!"
"C'mon in, guys. Hey, Billy." Zack ushers them in.
Jason looks at Billy finally. "You planned this whole thing, didn't you, you little sneak?"
Feeling suddenly sheepish, Billy jams his hands in his pockets. "Affirmative. I thought it might be a pleasant surprise for both of you."
"It is, it is!" Jason slaps Billy's arm affectionately as he enters. "You're looking good, man. Keeping on top of these new attacks?"
"Uh-huh," Zack warns. "Hey, no Ranger talk, remember? That's part of The Deal. Besides, uh," he nods his head toward the living, "Skull's here."
"Right, right." Jason grins from Billy to Tommy. "I swear he's got me on a leash!"
"I heard that!"
Jason winks at Billy. "I'll call you later." Much louder, he says, "Have you seen Kim? She's here too and still smoking as ever."
As Jason leads the way into the living room, Tommy stops and stares at Billy. "Jason and Zack are together?"
It's hard now for Billy to think of a time when they weren't. "I forgot that happened after you left. They got together during the peace conference and have been going strong ever since."
Tommy shakes his head as they continue to the living room. "Is anybody here not gay?"
"Uh, roger that! I am definitely one-hundred par-cent hetero!" Skull says, quite cheerfully.
"Can you believe it!" Jason calls. His arm is now around Skull. "Skull and Kim!"
"That's enough, Jase," Kimberly teasingly says.
"Hey, uh," Zack bounces up to Tommy again. "I don't really think any of us identify like that, you know? I mean, I have definitely had my fair share of girls. Fair share. It just turned out that the person of my dreams happens to be a gorgeous, Jason-shaped man."
Tommy's eyes linger on that Jason-shape a little too approvingly for Billy's comfort.
Billy clears his throat. "I believe most of us have come to the decision that sexuality isn't really as binary as our society has determined it to be. Most people fall somewhere in the middle of the Kinsey scale, with various degrees of bisexuality. That's uh, a study predominately done by Alfred Kinsey in the 1940s and 50s to show how—" Realizing Tommy's not paying him any attention, Billy shuts up. "There does seem to be an unusually high same-sex ratio within the Rangers, however."
Suddenly, Tommy's eyes are on him. "You?"
Billy didn't expect Tommy to ask him quite so pointedly. He shrugs slightly. "I'm probably about a two on the Kinsey scale."
Rocky appears with drinks in his hands and gives one to Tommy. "That means he usually fantasizes about Kim, but sometimes dreams of going down on Jason."
Feeling himself starting to blush, Billy ignores the comment and nods at the drink Rocky gave Tommy. "I hope that's not cola. You shouldn't have sugary drinks after dark."
Rocky gives him a peculiar look. "It's his birthday!" He turns to Tommy. "C'mon, let's get you some pizza!" He drags Tommy off to the kitchen.
"I've dreamed about going down on Jason," Kimberly cheerfully states. "Does that make me bisexual too?"
"Only if you thought you were a guy while dreaming," Aisha says.
Zack waves his arms sharply. "Although I understand the appeal, can we please stop talking 'bout going down on my man?"
Skull raises his hand. "I am in complete agreement with Zack for once."
"I'm straight, Tommy," Aisha calls as Tommy returns from the kitchen. "Unless you count some experimentation in high school."
Laughingly, Kimberly settles on the couch, pulling Skull down with her. "What about that night a few months ago when you got really drunk and made out with that waitress?"
"That was to make Alejandro hot. It so doesn't count." To Tommy, she says, "Alejandro is my man, of course. He's got a job up in the mountains tonight, otherwise he'd be here. He told me to wish you happy birthday, though."
"Uh, thanks."
"Yeah, it's too bad Trini couldn't make it," Zack says. "This is turning into a real Ranger—" He stares at Skull. "Range of old high school friends. Yeah, like a high school reunion."
It's unreal how strange it feels to Billy to continue to keep their identities secret from the likes of Skull. If Skull were any brighter, it'd be a complete farce. The music is too loud in the living room, so Billy makes his way to the kitchen, where he finds Adam sticking candles into a massive cake.
"You guys really pulled out all the stops for this party. Thank you."
"Thank Rocky. This is almost all his doing."
The cake is decorated half with the Gold Ranger and half with the Green Ranger. It's well done, but very Ranger-y. Given Tommy's reaction to being back in the Command Center, he's not exactly happy about it. "Zack is going to flip when he sees that."
"I'm more concerned about Skull's reaction."
Behind him, Billy hears Jason say, "You've gotta see this cake Rocky put together man, it's amazing."
"There's a cake, too?"
Jason pulls Tommy into the living room and they all crowd around the table, looking at the cake. "We're made of frosting, bro!" Jason laughs, delighted.
Tommy stares at Jason more than the cake. "It's amazing." He's certainly not disturbed by the picture.
Adam gives Billy a pointed look.
At a loss, all Billy can do is shrug.
After cake and ice cream, everyone gathers around Adam's fire pit outside, reminiscing and occasionally roasting marshmallows. It's much later than Billy wanted to stay out on a weekday night, but Tommy's having such a good time catching up with Jason and Zack he can't call it a night.
"Jason and Tommy look like good friends," Adam says, leaning close to Billy. "He has no idea what happened to Tommy, does he?"
Billy shakes his head. "He knows most of it. I wanted him to be prepared." He glances to Adam. "He's got a lot of personal turmoil to work through now that he knows what happened to Tommy. Don't let the smiles fool you; he's feeling quite guilty now."
Adam crosses his arms. "Everyone seems to like Tommy so much."
"He's a likeable-guy."
"He certainly has a way with other guys."
Billy tries not to think about that. His interest in Jason can only be in passing; there's no way Jason would ever do anything to jeopardize his relationship with Zack.
Even so, it's worth it to see Tommy with friends again. Though he can tell Adam's not completely convinced yet, seeing Jason—someone Adam admires—getting on so well and trusting with Tommy gives him hope. Adam's smart. Billy knows once he figures it out and trusts him, he'll know for sure and likely become Tommy's biggest supporter.
