Kira had been floating on Cloud Nine since finding out that she was going to be on an album with Kim and Conner wanted to do something special for her to show her just how proud he was. He had enlisted Tommy's help and the pair were walking through the Beverly Center, Los Angeles's largest and most well known shopping mall. The eight-story monolith of a building sat right on the edge of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood and had been home to scenes in famous films like Volcano and Chopping Mall.

Conner had so many ideas running through his head as they walked through the well populated mall but none of them seemed special enough for his first and only love. Oh sure, he had dated plenty of girls in high school and before that but none of them did to him what Kira did. She brought out a level of maturity and intelligence in him that he hadn't even known existed before becoming a Ranger. He was no longer just the goofy jock that was the butt of everyone's jokes and he owed a lot of that to her. Unfortunately for him however, he was never very good at expressing his feelings but that was what he had Tommy for.

The pair that once been strictly teacher and student had developed a friendship akin to the one Tommy shared with Jason. Unlike some of the other Rangers, Tommy didn't feel the need to constantly harp on Conner or tell him what to do. Unlocking the power of the Triassic Ranger had long ago proved to Tommy that Conner was fully capable of looking after himself.

Sometimes with the other Rangers, and not just the ones he had served with either, Tommy felt like he had to be the mature babysitter type simply because he was the most tenured and experienced one out of them all. With Conner though they were friends first. He'd get on him from time to time if he thought he was stepping out of line or doing something stupid but it was strictly in the interest of looking out for a friend. Nothing more and nothing less which was why Conner had enlisted him for help. Where the others, even Jason, didn't always listen to what Tommy had to say Conner valued his opinions and input, taking his advice to heart when it was offered to him.

They had spent nearly two hours in the giant shopping mall and hadn't had a lick of luck in the gift department. Sitting in the food court over pizza slices and sodas from Sbarro's Pizzeria, Tommy could tell that Conner was lacking his usual confidence. The young man who had been such an immature boy, cocky and oblivious to the world around him when they had met two years earlier had changed dramatically in that time. The cockiness that had once dominated Conner's personality had been replaced by confidence and yes, there is a difference. He no longer shut people out when they talked to him or offered advice even if he thought he was right, a sign of maturity that most people didn't reach until a much older age.

He had a look of disappointment in his eyes and one thing Tommy hated to see with any of his Ranger teammates was disappointment, especially when he was trying to help them. If they were disappointed in something they had done wrong that was one thing but trying to help and failing made Tommy feel just as crappy.

"Come on, Conner. I'm sure we'll think of something," Tommy said encouragingly, getting nothing but a sad shoulder shrug in reply.

Taking a drink from his cup, Tommy set it back down on the table and examined the writing on it. New York's Finest it said underneath the restaurant's logo. New York. Suddenly, Tommy had an idea. He looked at Conner with a bright grin and the young man rolled his eyes at his mentor's new found perkiness.

"How serious are you about Kira?" Tommy asked. "Do you love her?"

"More than anything in the world. She means everything to me," Conner muttered softly. "I'd do anything I could to make her happy. Why? What does that have to do with anything?"

"You guys have been together for close to two years, right?" Tommy asked in reply as Conner nodded. Standing up from the table Tommy turned to walk away but Conner hadn't moved. "Come on. I've got an idea but we need to have a serious talk and the food court isn't the place for it."

Conner nodded his head and went into robot mode, not really paying attention as he followed Tommy out of the food court. The first place Tommy found that was quiet enough for them to talk ended up being the inside of his car in the mall's parking garage.

"One thing I've learned about women is that they like to know your committed to them. Even though Kim and I have only been together for a little over a week she knows that I'd move heaven and earth for her if I could," Tommy said confidently. "You have to show Kira just how much you really love her and how committed you are to her. Let me ask you a question. Can you see yourself getting married to Kira?"

The young man's mouth fell open in surprise at Tommy's question. Two years was a long time for a couple to be together, especially one with partners as young as Conner and Kira were. The topic had come up a few times in the past but he had never really given serious consideration to it. College was important to both of them and they both had their own dreams and aspirations but in his heart Conner knew that he wanted to achieve those goals with Kira by his side.

"I…I don't know. I mean, we already do all the things that married couples do," Conner muttered, Tommy wincing slightly at the subliminal message trapped in Conner's statement. "I love Kira with all my heart and I'd do anything for her but I don't know if I want to marry her yet. We're still young and in college. Besides, even if I wanted to I don't know if she feels the same way."

Tommy nodded at Conner and gave him a small smile accompanied with a friendly pat on the shoulder. At least he was using his head. But for Tommy's idea to work Conner had to be seriously committed to Kira. Tommy could plant the seed but that was all he could do. The rest had to come from Conner and Tommy knew his young friend needed to do a little soul searching.

"You think about what you want to do but we're leaving for New York in a week. I've got my idea but it won't work last minute," Tommy told him as he started the car. "We leave Friday and I need to know by Tuesday so that gives you three days to make up your mind. After that, I can't help you."

Conner nodded and turned his head, looking out the window as the mall began to fade out of sight. Would Kira even want to marry him? With his place on the university soccer team and Kira's apparently bright future as a singer, would they even have time for each other on the road of dream chasing? He loved Kira and she loved him but that was where it stopped. He didn't know how serious her feelings really were for him, all he knew was that he didn't want to give her the chance to get away.

Halfway back to Kim's apartment Conner made his decision and told Tommy to turn the car back around. Driving back to the mall, Tommy pulled out his cell phone with a smile and dialed the number of an old friend. He waited patiently while the phone rang, not surprised when it clicked over to voicemail considering it was noon. Actually it was closer to three considering he was calling New York and he was pretty sure she was at work. Tommy couldn't help but smile as the sweet Australian voice of his ex-girlfriend came on.

Hey, you've reached the Cranston residence. Sorry we aren't here right now but leave a message and we'll get back to you as soon as we can. Bye!"

"Hey guys, it's Tommy. I'm going to be in town next weekend and I need a favor," he said. "I was wondering if you guys could get four tickets to the Yankees game next weekend and I'll pay you back when we get there. Give me a call back and let me know. Bye."

Conner gave Tommy a confused look as they pulled back into the parking garage at the mall. Walking back towards the west entrance, Tommy put an arm around Conner's shoulder and started explaining his plan to him.

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Three days later…

Somewhere in the depths of space, at the tail end of the Andromeda Galaxy, a huge vessel carrying close to two thousand passengers was preparing to enter the Milky Way. In the heart of the ship, a makeshift briefing room had been established where, at a large round table, six of the ship's occupants sat with the remaining passengers standing around the perimeter of the room.

Those who were seated were all wearing black cloaks, hoods pulled up to conceal their faces. It was an unnecessary gesture considering they all knew each other but it added to the allure of evil that they were going for.

From the center of the table a holographic projection of Earth was being viewed. One figure, apparently the leader of the group, reached out and pressed a red button that changed the image from the planetary view to a more personal look on a few select people. The hooded shape that had pressed the button let out a loud and angry groan as the image changed once more. They were watching Tommy, Kim, Kira and Conner walking through downtown Los Angeles, laughing and joking like nothing was wrong. That would soon change, however.

A more bulky figure seconded his companion's angry groan with a heavy grunt. No words needed to be spoken to know that those at the table felt nothing but pure hatred for the people they were watching.

"They think this is a game. They don't understand the power we have now and it's all thanks to the sacrifice of my son," the first one spoke up, the other nine mumbling their agreements. "I think it's time we give our little rainbow friends a taste of what we are capable of. What do you think, Mondo?"

Just saying the name Mondo made the cloaked figure want to throw up. He despised the fat robot with a passion but dealing with him was a sacrifice he deemed necessary to executing his plan. The feeling of hatred was a mutual one though and Mondo stared back at the figure across from him with cold eyes. Well, as cold as a machine's eyes could be.

"Do what you want Zedd, but I will not lose my soldiers before we reach Earth," Mondo replied, gesturing to the group of Cogs along the walls. "If you want to send your Putties or Tengas down then be my guest but don't be surprised when they destroy your pathetic excuse for soldiers."

"You dare insult Lord Zedd," the body to Zedd's right snarled, standing up angrily as another figure joined him. Leaning across the table he pointed his sword at the Machine King and hissed. "You are not half the leader that he is."

"You're lucky that Lord Zedd even decided to reconstruct you," his female companion seconded. "If it wasn't for him you'd still be a bucket of bolts on the Moon somewhere gathering rust."

"Goldar, Scorpina, silence. It is not even worth it," Zedd said calmly, pushing his generals back into their seats as he looked back at Mondo. "Fool! Even Rita's Putties could destroy your Cogs!" Zedd fumed angrily. "But when you're right, you're right. Sending Putties down now would be a waste. Perhaps a few Tyrannodrones would do the trick."

Turning towards the hundred or so Tyrannodrones that Mesogog had left behind, Zedd removed his hood and pointed a metal-tipped finger at them. He was definitely not the Zedd of old. After Thrax had freed himself from the container the Sentinel Knight had locked him away in he began attempting to resurrect his parents and other evil forces who had failed to defeat the Rangers but he didn't have enough time to perfect everything.

His real parents were long gone, having turned to good with Rita becoming the Mystic Mother but he could still recreate them using his own evil energy. He had been experimenting for months before attacking the Overdrive Rangers but the lack of time spent on them had left flaws. Where Zedd had once worn a silver mask there was nothing but the skin that looked like the way a human would look if their skin was stripped away. His eyes were now black, hollow and he no longer had he silver armor that had covered part of his body in the past. In fact, the only similarities this Zedd shared with the old Zedd was his hatred for the Rangers, his metal pointed fingertips, his skin and the staff he carried.

Somehow the group of evil villains had managed to co-exist long enough to annex dozens upon dozens of planets. Earth was to be their last great conquest before dividing up their acquisitions and ruling those planets in an agreed peace. They all knew that fighting amongst each other like they had done in years passed was not going to work so they had come together in an uncomfortable agreement, deciding to take over as many planets as possible, build their forces and attack Earth.

With a snap of his fingers, Lord Zedd let out an evil laugh as a few dozen of the leftover Tyrannodrones turned and left the room in unison. Clicking those same fingers against the stone table, Zedd raised his staff and pointed it in a circle at those seated around him.

"I hope none of you have forgotten our little agreement. Mondo has the Andromeda Galaxy, Gruumm has the Quasiterian Galaxy and Lothor has the Gamma System but Earth is mine," Zedd said sternly. "Goldar, you and Scorpina will lead my army against our Rangers. Mondo, Gruumm and Lothor will use their soldiers against whatever extra forces the Rangers have enlisted. Now, let us prepare for our invasion. Earth is only a few days away."

Their plan, in essence, was one that had been in effect since they had started their conquest with the Quasiterian Galaxy by taking over Edenoi, Inquiris and Kalderon. But all their work in annexing and destroying so many planets had been nothing but a stepping stone for their grand finale, the day when they would attack Earth.

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Same day, Briarwood…

Xander Bly had just finished closing down the Rock Porium for the evening and was walking towards his car when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Without hesitation, he grabbed the person's wrist and spun around into a fighting stance. An embarrassed look crept across his face when he saw that it was just Tori Hanson.

After coming back to help the Overdrive Rangers Xander had used his charm and good looks to finagle a date with the Blue Ranger. They had been casually dating off and on for a few months since then.

"Sorry, love," the Australian import said with a smile in his thick accent. "Can't be too careful these days especially after talking to Ethan. Can you believe they think we're going to be attacked?"

"I know. It's pretty crazy," Tori smiled, wrapping an arm around Xander's waist. "I still can't believe Tommy wants us to help. He's the greatest Ranger ever and he actually asked us."

"Makes you feel useful, huh?" Xander asked in reply. He was just about to go for a kiss when the sky opened up and a horde of Tyrannodrones descended on them. "Well, this should be interesting. Guess it's that time."

"No, don't do it again," Tori pleaded as Xander winked at her and started walking towards the drones. "I hate Plan Xander."

"G'day. I don't think I've seen you around these parts," Xander offered his hand to one of the drones as they stared at it in confusion. "Name's Xander. Look, you lot look like reasonable peop…err, creatures. If there's a problem I'm sure we can just talk it out, right?"

Tori rolled her eyes as Xander caught a kick to the chest that sent him flying back towards her. He skidded across the grass, stopping at her feet as she grabbed his shirt collar and yanked him up to his feet. Brushing his shirt off, Xander thanked Tori and started walking back towards the Tyrannodrones.

"That wasn't very nice but I'll let it slide. What do you say we start over?" he asked politely, extending his hand towards them once more. "The name's Xander. Let's just talk about th…"

No sooner were the words out of his mouth then he was skidding back across the grass towards Tori once more. This time she didn't even try to help him up. Using her ninja power, she began to harness her ability to control water, forming it into a spherical shape in between her hands.

"You guys look a little dirty. Maybe a shower would help," Tori said sarcastically, blasting the drones and sending them onto their backs before looking down at Xander. "I told you Plan Xander never works. Why don't you listen to me?"

"Sorry, babe. I'm a little rooted into my beliefs," Xander joked as he got onto his feet at the same time the Tyrannodrones did. Digging into his pocket, he pulled out a small object and pointed it at the drones, covering them in vines. "God, it feels good to get back to my roots. Oh come on, that was better than your shower line."

Tori rolled her eyes and playfully pushed Xander as they both took off towards the Tyrannodrones. The pair was just a few feet away from the drones when the sky opened back up, sucking the Tyrannodrones into it as they disappeared out of sight.

"Well that was weird," Xander muttered, smiling at Tori. "Come on, love. I think we need to call a few people about this."

Putting his arm around Tori's shoulder he led her back towards the entrance of the Rock Porium. Looking up at him with a smile, Tori asked the one question he hadn't wanted to hear. What's going on with Nick? Shrugging his shoulders, Xander unlocked the door to the building and let Tori go in first before following her in and locking it.

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Next day, 2025...

Standing in the middle of a secluded meadow, Bridge Carson spun a cell phone around in his hand while Z sat underneath a tree reading a book. For the last twenty minutes he had been using the cell phone as a makeshift Morpher for reasons Z still didn't understand. It was just one of those eccentric things that came with being Bridge.

She had gotten used to his quirkiness. Hell, she even enjoyed it sometimes. He was the only person he could consistently make her laugh and it didn't matter to him if he looked stupid doing it. Getting Z to laugh, breaking the former criminal's defensive wall had been a triumph for the goofy young man, one he relished and appreciated.

"Why are you doing that?" Z called out to him. "You're not gonna do it. It's been scientifically proven that no one can morph while wearing a hoodie."

"Oh yeah? Watch this. SPD, Emer…," Bridge called out as his sweatshirt spun around and whipped him in the face. "I'll get it right one of these times," he said with a hint of disappointment, Z laughing loudly. He started walking towards her and, when he was a few feet away, dropped into a somersault before popping up back onto his feet and staring down at her. "Watcha reading?"

"How Not To Laugh At Your Idiotic Boyfriend," Z retorted, pushing herself onto her feet. "It's a great read. Maybe I'll give it to you when I'm done with it."

"Why would I need that?" Bridge asked with legitimate confusion. "I don't have an idiotic boyfri…oh, I get it. Haha, very funny Z. I'm going back to the base. I need some toast."

Z rolled her eyes and grabbed Bridge's hand as they started walking back to the Delta Base. Five minutes after they had left the field a group of Tyrannodrones appeared, looking confused as to why they were in the middle of a meadow with no Rangers to attack. Bridge's craving for toast had allowed them to narrowly miss a confrontation with the drones. They wouldn't be so lucky the next time, though.

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Four days later…

The days leading up to the trip to New York had been full of attacks on Earth's Rangers. Bridge, Z, Xander and Tori weren't the only ones who had been targeted either. When Tommy had checked his email that night he found messages not only from those four but from Eric, Adam, Jason, Shane and Cole as well. Tommy, Kim, Conner and Kira had dealt with two attacks of their own and even Ethan had called to tell them that he had heard strange noises outside the lair on more than one occasion.

This trip was supposed to be a fun time for the foursome that was growing closer as each day passed. Kim and Kira were bonding like sisters, something Tommy and Conner couldn't help but smile at when they saw the way the pair interacted. Close to the same size they had even gone as far as to start wearing each others clothes. The days of just wearing pink had long since passed for Kim so putting on something yellow didn't bother her, although it was a little awkward for the guys to see their girlfriends in each others clothes.

Sadly, the upbeat mood that had dominated the group for the past week or so had been replaced by one of quiet somberness. No one wanted to say anything but they were all on edge after the attacks. Barely a word had been spoken between them on the flight to New York and while Kim had slept on Tommy's shoulder most of the time he exchanged concerned looks with Conner from across the aisle.

He knew Zedd and his army were getting closer to Earth as each day passed and he felt like he was putting millions of people at risk just by going to New York, a city that was full of crime but had never been touched by the evil the planet was about to see. Walking into such a highly populated city was like just asking for it to be attacked. Since the moment their plane had touched down at LaGuardia Airport they had all been on their toes, constantly looking over their shoulders in case of an attack. Luckily, nothing had happened yet.

Walking hand in hand with Kim, Tommy looked over at Conner and gave him a small smile as they made their way through the Bronx. Yankee Stadium, their destination for the evening and a legend in its' own right, was beginning to come into view. As they got closer, Conner felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of the mythical landmark but not because of a love of baseball or an appreciation for its' history. In fact, he hated baseball about as much as he hated his statistics class at the University of Turtle Cove.

Looking down at Kira he smiled brightly and she returned it with a hint of confusion on her face to accompany the smile. Leaving Conner and Kira standing on the sidewalk Tommy took Kim with him to the will call window to pick up their tickets.

"What's going on with those two?" Kim asked, slipping her arm around Tommy's waist and laying her head on his shoulder. "Conner's got the same look on his face that you used to get when you were planning something."

"Two peas in a pod," Tommy muttered slyly, approaching the ticket window as the woman behind it smiled at him. "Hi, we should have four tickets here under Tommy Oliver."

"Yep. I just need to see your driver's license and a credit card to confirm you are who you say you are," she told him, taking his license and MasterCard. "Ooh, a California boy huh? What brings you all the way to New York?"

"Business," Tommy answered simply. He turned around briefly to look at Kimberly and shook his head slowly when he saw her standing there signing autographs. Turning back to the window he took the tickets and his personal items from the lady and thanked her politely.

Tommy joined Conner and Kira again while they all waited patiently for Kim to finish taking pictures and signing autographs. He was starting to get used to Kim being stopped from time to time but when a male fan pulled up his shirt and asked Kim to sign his abs he decided to step in. Kim was legitimately flustered by the request and when Tommy approached her and pulled her into a passionate kiss in front of the man she silently thanked him for intervening. The guy took the hint and backed off as the foursome made their way inside the stadium.

"Thanks," Kim whispered, Tommy nodding his head in reply before she kissed him on the cheek. "I gotta go to the bathroom. Why don't you get us something to eat and I'll meet you at our seats, k?"

"Sure thing, Beautiful. You okay with a hot dog and a beer?" Tommy asked. Kim said that she was and kissed him one last time before heading for the bathroom.

As Kim walked away she jerked her head slyly to her right. Tommy turned his head and found Conner and Kira locked in a passionate makeout session right there on the concourse of Yankee Stadium for everyone and their mother to see. He stood there with his arms folded across his chest, waiting until Kira caught his eye and broke the kiss with an embarrassed look on her face.

"Damn you," Conner muttered with a smile that caused Tommy to smile as they got in line at the concession stand. "You owe me a beer for that one."

"At seven bucks a pop you better fork over some cash, pal," Tommy shot back, Conner rolling his eyes and pulling out his wallet. "I'm just kidding, man. Go down there and get our seats. I want to talk to Kira for a minute."

His voice was low enough so that only Conner could hear it and the young man nodded his head before kissing Kira and disappearing down the concourse. Standing in line, Tommy looked down at Kira and tried to conceal his smile.

"It's a special day for you, huh?" Tommy asked, Kira looking back at him with a confused expression. "I mean, with signing the paperwork and everything this morning."

"Oh. Yeah," Kira replied, still a bit perplexed. "Dr. O, what's going on? Conner's overly excited and you're both acting a little weird."

"I don't know about Conner but I'm just excited for you," Tommy answered smoothly without missing a beat, pointing his finger at the man behind the cash register. "Go ahead and order for you and Conner and then I'll get mine and Kim's."

Kira nodded and ordered two hot dogs, a plate of nachos and a large Coke, stepping off to the side as Tommy placed his order. Four hot dogs, one Coke, an order of nachos, a side of fries, a bag of peanuts and three beers later, Tommy was forking over close to seventy dollars for their food and drinks. Feeling slightly embarrassed at the cost of the food Kira tried to offer him some cash but he refused hit with a wave of his hand.

"You can pay me back with front row seats when you hit it big," Tommy told her with a smile, taking two trays from the man as Kira took another. "Let's go get our seats. Knowing Conner he's probably already pissed off everyone sitting around us. You know he wore a Red Sox hat just to be an ass. He doesn't even like baseball."

A stifled laugh escaped Kira's lips as she and Tommy weaved their way through the crowded concourse, careful not to drop or spill anything. He had no problem paying for the food and drinks but if Kira dropped a five dollar hot dog or he spilled a seven dollar beer he was going to have issues. Quickly making their way to their seats and expecting Conner to already have done something stupid they were both surprised to find him engaged in what appeared to be a normal conversation with the man and woman seated on his left.

Taking careful steps down the stairs, Tommy was amazed at the seats Billy and Katherine had gotten for them. They were right behind the Yankee's dugout as close to the field as you could possibly get without actually sitting next to the players. Tommy and Kira had been surprised to see Conner engaged in a legitimate and normal conversation with two apparent strangers but Tommy nearly dropped both trays when he saw who he was talking to.

Handing the trays to Conner just in time to avoid dropping them, he was bombarded with a huge hug from none other than Katherine Hillard. He had been happy to have Kim, Conner and Kira with him but seeing Billy and Katherine absolutely made his day. Breaking his hug with Katherine he offered his hand to a now standing Billy who shook his head in refusal, opting for a hug instead.

"I see you guys have already met Conner," Tommy said with a smile. "This is Kira Ford. Yellow."

Billy gave Tommy a knowing look and politely shook Kira's hand as Katherine did the same. The initial shock of seeing Billy and Kat wore off a few moments later and reality hit him. Kim was going to be walking down those stairs any minute and he was nervous about how her and Katherine were going to react and interract.

He was just about to tell them about his second go around with Kim when he felt a body sit down next to him. His body was turned in a way so that Kim couldn't see who he was talking to until he turned towards her and leaned back in his seat. Surprised was apparently the word of the day for them. She jumped out of her seat and nearly knocked Tommy's beer over when she saw the two former Rangers.

"Oh my God!" she shrieked, giving Katherine a tight hug. "I totally wasn't expecting to see you guys here. What a surprise! You guys look amazing. What are you doing here?"

"Thanks. So do you," Kat replied with a polite smile. "Tommy left us a message last week asking if we could get tickets. The investment firm I work for has season tickets so I managed to grab a few for tonight. We haven't seen you guys in so long and we thought it would be fun to meet you here."

"My idea by the way," Billy interjected as everyone laughed.

As Kim moved to hug Billy, Kat gave Tommy an awkward look and he replied with a smile and a shrug of his shoulders. That was about all he could manage. He couldn't explain why or even how it had happened, it just did. Kat smiled understandingly and sat back down as Kim sidestepped to avoid stepping on feet and took her seat next to Tommy at the end of the row. Handing Kim a hot dog and the plastic cup of beer he put his arm around her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly so only she could hear him. "No awkwardness or anything?"

"You love me don't you?" she asked in reply, Tommy immediately nodding his head. "Then I don't have anything to worry about, do I?"

She stuck her tongue out at him playfully as he leaned in for another kiss. They were an hour early for the game and the Yankees were walking off the field having just finished taking infield practice. All-Star shortstop and third baseman Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez were walking off the field side-by-side and Kim pulled out her camera to take a picture.

A-Rod noticed the camera and slapped Jeter on the chest with his glove, the pair stopping and smiling for her while she snapped the photo. Kim gave them appreciative smiles and they nodded politely before disappearing down into the dugout. A vendor selling Churros was walking down towards them and Billy had pulled out a wad of cash, passing it down to Tommy when Derek Jeter popped back out of the dugout.

Tommy was in the process of taking the money from Billy when he noticed a baseball coming at him out of the corner of his eye. He reacted a moment too late and if Kim hadn't reached out and caught the ball it would have smacked him in the eye. The multiple time All-Star gave Kim an impressed look at her bare handed snag.

"Kim Hart, right? The Olympian?" he asked. She nodded her head and he reached into his back pocket, pulling out a black Sharpie. "Would you mind?"

"Not at all," Kim answered, catching the pen, signing the ball and tossing it back to him. "There you go."

"Thanks," he said, his hand disappearing into the dugout for a second as someone handed him a ball and he tossed it to her. "Enjoy the game."

She read the ball that had been signed by the whole Yankee's starting lineup with a huge smile and then handed it off to Tommy who stared at it in pure shock. Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, catcher Jorge Posada, designated hitter Jason Giambi, pitcher Roger Clemens, outfielders Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon and Bobby Abreu, first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz and second baseman Robinson Cano had all autographed the ball.

"Does that stuff happen all the time?" Billy asked with a laugh, Kim smiling sheepishly.

"You should have seen us at Musso & Frank's," Tommy interjected with a laugh of his own. "Brad Pitt actually came to our table and asked Kim for an autograph."

"No way. You didn't tell us about that," Kira replied. "The only person we saw when we went was that guy from the old 7-Up commercials that thinks he's funny but is actually pretty lame. That is so not fair."

Kira crossed her arms over her chest in partial disappointment but the frown on her face quickly turned into a smile when Conner planted a soft kiss on her cheek. Putting his arm around her, she laid her head on his shoulder as Kenny Lofton, the leadoff hitter for the Cleveland Indians stepped into the batter's box to start the game.

By the time the sixth inning had rolled around Conner had gone through three hot dogs, six beers and most of the nachos Tommy had purchased for he and Kira. After the third beer he had gotten sick of paying so when the "waitress" rolled around every inning or so Conner would slip Tommy the money for the beer. The Indians were down 5-1 thanks to a two run homerun by Jason Giambi in the third and a three run shot by Derek Jeter in the fifth.

After touching home plate and heading back to the dugout after his homerun Jeter had actually pointed to Kim's group and winked at them, a moment caught live on the Jumbotron. People all around them were congratulating them, exchanging high fives and asking how they knew Derek Jeter which resulted in Kim having to sign a few more autographs. Tommy didn't mind but if the attention stayed on Kim it was going to take away from the moment that was soon approaching.

Luckily, not everyone had noticed and once the action had resumed on the field everything around them had quickly died down. The top of the sixth had the Indians putting three runs on the board after a bases clearing triple by slugger Travis Hafner.

With each out during that half of the sixth inning Conner could feel the butterflies dancing in his stomach growing more and more intense. When Trot Nixon grounded out to end the inning he found his hand creeping into his pocket. Without drawing any attention to himself, Tommy sent Katherine a text message and then nudged Kim with his shoulder, tilting his head towards Conner.

"Hey, Kira," Tommy said softly to her. "Can you see who's due up for the Yankees next inning? I can't see that far without my glasses."

Kira nodded and turned her head towards the scoreboard, her mouth falling open as she read the message on the Jumbotron. Kira Ford, will you marry me? it said in big red letters. When she turned her head to look at Conner he was no longer in his seat but had taken a knee right there in the middle of the row ignoring the massive amount of peanut shells that littered the ground. He had a small black box in his hand that was holding a gold ring with a shiny green emerald, Kira's birth stone, resting on top.

"Kira Ford, you are such an amazing woman. You've shown me more things in two years than I've seen in my whole life before I met you," Conner said with his eyes locked on hers. "Will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?"

By that point the image of Conner on his knee proposing to Kira was on the big screen in centerfield for all 57, 000 plus people in The House That Ruth Built to see. Even the game had been put on hold as the Indians took their positions in the field but had their backs turned to home plate, staring up at the scoreboard like everyone else in the stadium was.

"Are you serious?" Kira managed to squeak, tears filling her eyes.

"Sweetie, I'm more serious about this than anything else I've ever done," Conner replied, the two couples on either side of them looking at one another and smiling. "I want you to marry me. I want you to be my wife and I want to be with you for the rest of my life."

"Yes. Yes, Conner. I'll marry you," Kira whispered. Conner removed the ring from the box and slipped it on her finger, both of them standing up in unison. The words She Said Yes! flashed on the screen and as Conner kissed Kira passionately the whole stadium including the players on the field started clapping and whistling. "I love you so much, Conner."

"I love you too, Kira," he replied, kissing her again before retaking their seats as the people around them offered congratulatory handshakes, high fives and shoulder pats to the newly engaged couple. Kim gave Tommy a hard elbow right to the side and he spun in his chair, turning his head from Conner and Kira to look at her.

"What was that for?" he asked, rubbing his ribs.

"Because you knew about this and didn't tell me," Kim replied matter-of-factly. "I can't believe you knew Conner was going to propose to Kira and you didn't even tell me about it."

"Sorry Kim but I wanted it to be a surprise," Tommy replied defensively. "Besides, would you have enjoyed it as much as you did if you had known what was coming?"

"Dammit Tommy, why do you always have to be right?" Kim shot back with a playful smile. "And don't get any ideas either. If you propose to me like that I'll shoot you down in front of the world."

"Who said I wanted to propose to you?" Tommy asked with a serious look on his face as he went to take a sip of his beer and caught another elbow to his ribs, spilling some of his beer. "You keep hitting me like that and I won't ever ask you to marry me."

Kim got a hurt look on her face but Tommy wiped it away quickly with a smile and a passionate kiss. The brief moment of awkwardness was put aside when Kim put her arms around his neck and returned the kiss with one of her own.

"One of these days, when things settle down, I promise you I'll put a ring on your finger, Beautiful," Tommy said quietly so only she could hear him. "I know we've only been back together for a few weeks but I already know there's no one else out there that I'd want to spend the rest of my life with. I love you, Kimberly Ann Hart."

"I love you too Thomas James Oliver," Kim replied, resting her head on his shoulder. "I always have and I always will."

A little over an hour later the game had ended with the Yankees squeaking out a victory on a game winning single by Derek Jeter in the bottom of the ninth after the Indians had tied the game on a Travis Hafner homerun in the top half of the same inning. From the time they got up from their seats until the time they reached their cars in the parking lot people would notice Conner and Kira, stopping the couple to congratulate them on their engagement. The walk to the parking lot which should have only taken ten minutes at the most took closer to thirty after being stopped so many times.

Billy's metallic blue Mustang complete with a BOYNBLU license plate was up first before the black Durango Kim's record label had provided them with for the trip. The group of new and old friends exchanged hugs and goodbyes, promising to stay in better contact with each other. Conner and Kira also promised an invitation to their wedding whenever it happened, surprising both Billy and Katherine considering they had just met a few hours earlier.

Walking the rest of the way across the parking lot the public displays of affection between Conner and Kira were starting to heat up. They were twenty feet or so ahead of Tommy and Kim who had fallen back to give the couple a little extra space.

"It's a good thing we're not sharing a room with them and that theirs is on a different floor," Kim muttered with a smile. "I'd hate to hear what goes on between those two tonight."

Tommy groaned at the statement, Kim chuckling a little and letting her fingers interlock with Tommy's as they continued to watch Conner and Kira from behind. Even someone who had never met the couple could tell that they were beyond in love with each other. Conner kept a protective arm around Kira's shoulder, constantly looking to his left and right which wasn't surprising considering it was almost midnight in the middle of the Bronx.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but seeing those two makes me wish I was a teenager again," Kim retorted with an awkward smile. "We missed out on so much these past few years. I just feel this void when I think about how much we didn't get to do together."

"We've got the rest of our lives, Beautiful," Tommy replied, squeezing her hand just a little bit tighter than usual. "Besides, who knows how things would have turned out if you hadn't left. We are who we are today because of what happened. I've got a beautiful Olympic gold medalist who's about to release her first album for a girlfriend and that probably wouldn't have happened if you had stayed in Angel Grove. And as much as I hate that we spent so much time apart, I'm glad we did because I really like who we are now."

Stopping in the middle of the parking lot, Tommy took a page from the book of Conner and Kira and started kissing Kim right there. The occasional drunk fan would howl or whistle at them as they passed by but the couple was too focused on expressing their love to each other to pay it any notice. It wasn't until Tommy felt his cell phone vibrate against his leg five minutes later that they broke their embrace.

Pulling out his phone, Tommy read the text message from Conner that simply said "We're waiting…" and rolled his eyes. Taking Kim's hand again they continued to make their way through the parking lot back to the rental car. The weekend trip that had started off so sourly with the worry of more attacks had turned around into a great day thanks to the baseball game. Plus, they still had another whole day in New York before they had to catch their eleven o'clock flight back to Los Angeles the next night.

To Kim that meant a whole day of shopping in Times Square and on Fifth Avenue. To Tommy, that meant a whole day of time with the woman he loved in one of the most famous and amazing cities that the world had to offer.

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Whew, another one down. I apologize to those of you who didn't understand the little sequence with Bridge. I've been wanting to write that scene for awhile and, even though it was somewhat out of place I thought it added a little humor to what was a rather, in my opinion, serious chapter. I know some of you were reading that and scratching your heads, wondering where that came from so I'll tell you. At Power Morphicon this past summer there was a panel called "Unsung Heroes" that consisted of Samuell Benta and Gareth Yuen (Will and Dax) from Operation Overdrive, Richard Brancatisano (Xander) from Mystic Force, Matt Austin (Bridge) from SPD and Johnny Yong Bosch, Walter Emmanuel Jones and Jason Narvy (Adam, Zack and Skull) from Mighty Morphin'. They all went up and did their morphs individually and when Matt Austin did his, he was wearing a hoodie that basically made him completely butcher his morph. Trust me, it's a whole lot funnier than it sounds. If you haven't seen it go to YouTube and type in "Unsung Heroes." I think it's in the second or third in the series of five clips. Watch all five of the clips if you have time because Jason Narvy seriously owns Benta at one point and it's quite possibly one of the funniest things I've ever heard come out of anyone's mouth. If you do watch the video, let me know what you thoughts of it. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Talk to you soon.

WK