A/N: It's been a long time coming, but the next chapter is ready for takeoff. Thanks to those of you who have been leaving reviews after every chapter. Believe it or not, I do read every single one of them and take your words to heart (both good and bad). I'm pleased that for the most part, you guys are able to ignore the timeline changes for the sake of this story. It is an Alternate Universe story after all, so things are bound to be different than they played out in the show. That's why it's called Fanfiction for a reason. Now, on with the update.


REMINDER:

- This story is an AU. It follows the events of the series; but for the sake of my O.C. Molly, the time frame in which each season of Power Rangers has lengthened. So yes, this story does take place during the season of Dino Thunder, but everyone's ages have been altered to better fit this original idea of mine. If you can't accept that, you might as well click away now.

- I have switched Tommy's profession to history at this point because I am HORRIBLE at science & chemistry and felt that writing about history would be a lot easier. Plus, I think that studying dinosaurs and fossils leans more towards the history side of the educational world.

- Tommy x Kimberly are the main pairing of this story, but there are SEVERAL other pairings that will be used during the course of this story as well. For starters, Hayley and Tommy are a couple when this story begins. As with most romances, theirs is going to take a while to blossom. So don't expect things to be all "sunshine and rainbows" in the beginning.

- Although I edit this story frequently, I do tend to make a few mistakes. So if you spot them, KINDLY let me know and I will take care of the issue immediately. Insulting my intelligence or skills as a writer for such minor mistakes is not only rude, but I will not tolerate it.

- Most importantly, I have made this story a personal challenge for myself and have written it ENTIRELY in the present tense so it seems like the story is happening right before your very eyes. It has proven to be a difficult challenge, but fun nonetheless. So I hope you guys like it too.


Disclaimer: I do not own the popular television series Power Rangers, which is based off of the Super Sentai series that air in Japan. I do not own the rights to any of the show's characters that are used in this story. Both aspects are being used for entertainment purposes only. I am the creator of Molly Hart, Samara and Austin Scott, and all other original characters featured in this story. The plot of this story was also developed by me. DO NOT REPRODUCE ANY ASPECT OF THIS STORY. Thank you.


"Reconnecting"

Molly taps her foot anxiously against the tiled floor as she stares anxiously at the door to the Spanish classroom across the hall. The bell had rang nearly three minutes ago, but she still has enough time to get to her dad's class on time. If only Trent would hurry up.

After she had gone off to answer Michael's call during lunch, something had happened back at the lunch table; and by the time she got back, Trent was blatantly ignoring her. She had to admit, it hurt a little bit. Trent is usually so welcoming and happy and to have him snub her in front of their friends was like a slap to the face. One thing is for sure, Molly is going to figure out what is going on one way or another.

Molly is pulled from her thoughts as the door to the Spanish classroom swings open and Trent steps out. The raven-haired boy stops in his tracks when he sees her standing there; and in spite of the smile she offers him, he quickly looks away from her.

"What are you doing here?" he asks as he adjusts the books in his arm.

"I was hoping we could walk to history together." Molly says as she hesitantly takes a step towards him. "We've been walking to class together everyday since I got to Reefside. Do you not want to walk with me now?"

Trent finally looks at her and sighs before shrugging. "Whatever. Let's go."

"Look, did I do something wrong?" Molly asks as they begin their trek towards the history room. "Ever since I got that phone call from Michael, you've been acting like a jerk and I don't know why."

"It's nothing Molly. I'm just tired. Sorry if that bothers you."

Molly raises an eyebrow at the coldness of his tone and pauses her stride as he continues onward. With a huff, she follows him into Tommy's classroom before taking her seat beside Kira. The other teen raises an eyebrow at the irritated look on Molly's face.

"Everything okay?" she asks as she tucks her mechanical pencil behind her right here.

"I honestly don't know." Molly says as she throws her hands up before crossing them over her chest and leaning back in her seat. "Trent's being a total ass and I have no idea why. I mean, why happened when I left the lunch table? Did I do something like knock his lunch tray over or steal his pudding cup? What gives?"

Kira spares a glance at the White Dino Ranger sitting a few rows behind them as he doodles in his art sketchbook. She frowns when she sees how tense he is before her thoughts turn to their conversation in Tommy's living room the night before.

"I'm sure it's nothing Molly. I'll get to the bottom of it though. I promise."

"You're the best Kira. Thanks." Molly says with a smile.

The final bell rings just as Tommy steps into the classroom. All the students turn their attention forward as Tommy grabs a stack of folders off the top of his desk.

"It's a nice day out today, so I thought you guys might like to work out in the courtyard." he says with a smile. The students voice their approval and Tommy smiles before holding a hand up to silence them. "If we're gonna make this work, you all have to stay within my line of vision and you are to work on your projects consistently throughout the class hour. Should this be a problem, we'll come right back inside and have a pop quiz. So, gather your things and let's head out."

Molly and Kira look towards Trent who is busy packing up his sketchbook. He catches their eyes before standing and following the retreating line of students out of the classroom. Molly looks at Kira in disbelief while the other teen offers her a shrug.


"Ethan managed to set me up with some good video editing software." Trent says as his fingers move across the keyboard of his laptop. "It shouldn't be too hard for us to throw our presentation together once we get all of the clips sorted out. I was thinking we could start filming later on this afternoon and get a few interviews out of the way. It would cut down on a lot of work we'd have to put in over the weekend."

"Sounds good to me." Kira agrees as she and Molly watch over his shoulders as he demonstrates how to cut and edit the video clips. "I was also thinking about a few guitar tracks to add as background music. I think it might spice the presentation up a bit."

"Sounds good. Do you think you could make a few sample recordings for me to upload to the computer? I want to make sure their format will work with this editing software."

"Shouldn't be a problem. So Molly, do you have any ideas to contribute? You were in media comp, right?"

Molly nods before switching her sitting position on the ground. "Yeah, I managed to get an A in the class. I could always help Trent with the editing when I'm not conducting interviews. It will make things go faster."

"That's okay Molly." Trent says, not bothering to look her way. "I think I can handle it on my own."

"I was just offering to help." Molly says with a raised eyebrow. "I don't doubt your skills. I was just offering to save you some time."

"Okay, what the hell is going on with the two of you?" Kira says suddenly, causing Trent and Molly to look in her direction. "Trent, whatever problem you have with Molly, you need to work it out now. I am not going to sit here for an entire class period while you basically shun her."

"Trent?" Molly calls out to him softly, her etched in her voice. "What did I do to make you so mad at me?"

Trent sighs before turning to face her. "I'm not mad at you. I guess I'm just...disappointed is all. When we were talking about having a dance and everything, I thought I'd ask you to go with me. I mean, you're still kind of new around here and I thought it might be nice if you could spend the evening with someone you know. When I found out you had a boyfriend, I guess I was kind of disappointed."

"Is that all?" Molly asks with a smile. Trent nods and she giggles before resting her hand on his thigh.

"Yes Trent, I have a boyfriend, but that doesn't mean I'm totally opposed to the idea of us going out and having a good time together. Next time, try talking to me instead of freezing me out just in case of rejection. I might just surprise you."

Trent smiles. "Well then, do you still want to help me make this video edits."

"I'd be glad to." Molly says as she flashes him a warm smile.


Tommy stares down at the pop quizzes in his lap from his second hour class. Unlike the rest of his classes that day, his students in second hour just couldn't seem to stay on task; and now, he was left to grade twenty-three pop quizzes that he could have avoided grading altogether. With a sigh, he sets his latest graded paper down beside him before moving to look over the next one. His phone suddenly vibrates noisily against the metal bench beside him, and he breathes a sigh of relief that he could have a few minutes of peace.

"This is Tommy." he answers as he sets the papers down.

"Hey Tommy, it's Andros." Came the Red Astro Ranger's voice on the other line. "I know you're probably busy with work and all, but we have a big problem."

"Is it Lord Zedd?" Tommy asks as he sits upright, fear suddenly filling the pit of his stomach.

"No, it's a different problem. We've managed to locate another barrier like the one containing Zedd. Rita Repulsa is inside and it would seem that she's in some sort of stasis just like Zedd."

"How is any of this possible?" Tommy asks as he stands to his feet and begins pacing in front of the bench. "Zordon's tube purified the negative energy bound to Rita, Zedd, Divatox, and all their lackeys. I mean, it even wiped out the remnants of the Machine Empire. So how is it that the two of them are suddenly alive."

"There must be a higher power at work here that's pulling all the strings behind this operation. My guess is they need Rita and Zedd to carry out some sort of task they can't do on their own. As far as who or what this entity is, I haven't the slightest idea. We'll have to keep conducting research until we find a lead."

"Right. The last thing we need is another war on our hands."

"What are you talking about dad?" Molly's voice suddenly appears from behind him. Tommy jumps in surprise before turning around to see his daughter staring at him with an inquisitive look in her eyes. "Andros, I've got to go."

Molly raises an eyebrow at the foreign sound of the name while Tommy slides his phone into his pocket. "Something I should be worried about?" Molly asks as she folds her arms over her chest. "That phone call sounded pretty serious."

"How much did you hear?" Tommy asks carefully.

"Not much." Molly says with a shrug. "Just enough to know that you've got a serious problem on your hands. Something involving a war and some dude named Andros."

Tommy smiles at his daughter's words before resting a hand on her shoulder. "It's nothing you need to worry about kiddo. Just an old high school rivalry is all. No need for you to worry.

The final bell of the day rings and the rest of the students turn to their teacher as they pause their work. "Alright guys, that's it for today. Unfortunately, there won't be anymore class time this week for you guys to work on your projects together. You'll have to do that on your own time."

"But Doctor Oliver, I have so much work to get done." Cassidy protests as Devin nods beside her. "I mean, I need all the time I can get if I want to perfect my video project."

"You all have a test next Friday over the entire unit and it won't be a walk through the park. It will be more like a walk beneath a volcano. So I want to use all the available class time we have to create study guides and prepare you all for this test. It's the last one before midterms."

The students groan in protest. "But your tests are so hard Doctor O." Conner exclaims.

"Aw, come on you guys." Ethan says. "The test won't be that bad; and besides, Doctor O's history tests aren't nearly as bad as his chemistry tests were last year."

Everyone grows quiet as they recall their low scores on the final exam the previous year.

"He does have a point." Trent says with a nervous laugh.

"I'll have study guides typed up and printed off for you guys tomorrow. We'll begin working on backtracking through the semester's lectures first thing tomorrow. Have a good day."

Everyone gathers their supplies before making their way back into the building while Kira joins Tommy and Molly.

"Would you mind if I stayed with you and Hayley again tonight?" Molly asks.

"Of course I don't mind." Tommy says with a smile. "Anytime you want to stay, just let me know."

"Do you mind if the guys and I come and hang tonight too?" Kira asks hopefully. "After all, we had to cancel yesterday to chase a certain someone to the train station."

Molly laughs nervously as she recalls her crazy escape plan the day before. "Sorry about that Kira."

"I don't mind if you guys come over for a while." Tommy says. "Hayley's making spaghetti, so I know Conner will be happy."

"Cool. Anyway, Molly's coming with me and Trent to the park so we can finish working on our project. We'll bring her to your place once we've finished up."

"Sounds good. See you all later on tonight then."

"Bye." the girls say with a wave before heading inside. Tommy watches them go before gathering all of his things and heading for the door. When he steps inside, he is surprised to find Kimberly waiting for him.

"Hey Kim, what are you doing here?" he asks as the two of them begin walking towards his classroom. "Don't you have practice with the gymnastics team?"

"I decided to reschedule practice for tomorrow so I could work on a few things before our little ranger reunion. Kat and I managed to convince everyone to come this weekend."

"Wow, that's really short notice. Everyone's really able to come though."

"Yep." Kimberly nods as they head into his classroom. "After explaining the situation with you and Molly to everyone, the others really want to see you again and make amends. They know that they were wrong for helping me, but they want the chance to earn your forgiveness too."

"How'd you guys manage to convince Rocky to come?"

Kimberly pauses for a second before taking a seat on the edge of his desk. "It took a lot of convincing. At first, I didn't think he'd be willing to make the flight from New York. In the end, Rocky's decided that he's tired of holding onto all of his anger and he just wants some answers from you. I can't promise you that things will go well, but at least you both will have the chance to attempt at making things right."

"I still can't believe I accused the two of you of sleeping together. I mean, you were both two of my closest friends. You would have never done something like that to me. I just can't believe it took me seventeen years to finally realize that."

"You were angry." Kimberly says as she does her best to reason with him. "Sometimes, when people get angry, they don't see or think about things as clearly as they should. I am the perfect example of that."

Tommy nods as he clasps his briefcase shut and takes hold of his keys. He pauses for a minute before looking back at Kimberly who's staring off into space.

"I hope you don't mind, but I told Molly she could stay with me again tonight."

Kimberly is pulled from her thoughts by his words and smiles softly. "That's okay. You two can take all the time you need to get acquainted. I'm sure that in a few days, when the others get here, you two will be inseparable. You both need this time in order to build a bond and establish trust that I took from you. No matter how long it takes."

Tommy nods before heading for the door. Kimberly stands and follows him out as they begin their walk towards the parking lot.

"So what have the others been up to since I last saw them. I haven't spoken to anyone other than Jason since Rocky and I fought back then. I hope things are going well for them."

"Katherine's living in Illinois in some small farming town. She's a dance teach there when she isn't subbing as an English teacher. She isn't married, but she's not complaining. Adam and Tanya got married about ten years ago. They're living in Sacramento with two little boys. Adam is a police officer and Tanya manages at some night club downtown. Zack and Angela got married. Zack is still dancing and they have three kids."

"What about Billy?" Tommy asks as they step out of the side doors and into the warm afternoon sunshine. "I'm sure the guy has to be working for NASADA or at a technology lab of sorts."

"Not quite." Kimberly says with a smile. "He's a physics teacher at Harvard. His wife is also a professor. I don't talk to Rocky much, but he and Aisha have been dating for a little over a year. They got back in touch with each other when Aisha moved to New York. Rocky is the head chef at a fancy five-star restaurant in an exclusive hotel and Aisha is working as a veterinarian. She's sort of helping him deal with his depression. They're good for each other."

The two of them stop their walk when they reach Kimberly's purple mustang. A breeze blows by and ruffles Kimberly's hair. She smiles before tucking a few strands behind her ears.

"I've missed out on so much." Tommy realizes. "I hope the others can forgive me for not being there for them."

"Of course they'll forgive you Tommy. They all care about you very much. I still care about you."

Tommy smiles before pulling her into a hug. "Thanks Kim."

"Anytime Tommy." She says as the urge to call him 'handsome' dies on her lips. "Anytime."


Kira is sitting on a park bench beside an elderly African American woman, the two of them smiling widely at the camera in Trent's hands. Molly stands beside Trent as she looks over his shoulder at the miniature screen attachment in his hand, her eyes observing the scene.

"Hello my fellow classmates and viewers." Kira begins her interview as she gives a small wave to the camera. "I am here in Reefside's Central Park with Ms. Regina Green, my next door neighbor and a dear family friend of mine. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to do this interview with me Ms. Green."

"It's no problem shuga." Ms. Green says as she straightens out the gray shawl covering her shoulders.

"As you know Ms. Green, my friends and I were given an assignment to cover some of the significant moments that took place back during the civil rights movements. It is to my understanding that your parents were active participants in some of the events and rallies that took place. Can you tell me a little bit about their experiences at that time?"

The elderly woman sits upright on the bench and smooths out the wrinkles in her skirt before pushing her glasses up onto the bridge of her nose. "I was just a young 'gal at the time, but I remember it very clearly. My parents were very engaged in the marches and bus boycotts back where I grew up in Alabama. Why, my own father marched with Martin Luther King Jr. himself. They were beaten, spit on, arrested, and sprayed to the ground by hoses. They endured so much pain and suffering for one thing and one thing only, and that was the ability to be treated equally within the confines of these United States. My parents were just two people involved in a massive organization that ended up doing so much good not just for blacks in this country, but for people of all minorities. I am their descendant and I feel more than privileged to be living the life I lead because of the sacrifices and risks they took back then."

"Thank you so much for your account." Kira says.

"Anytime Kira."

"And...cut!" Trent exclaims as he ends the recording. "Kira, that was great; and of course, your testimony was inspiring Ms. Green. Thanks for helping us out."

"I'm just glad I could be of assistance to you young folks." Ms. Green says as Kira helps her up from the bench. "I'd best be off now. You're still coming by to help me water my flowerbed aren't you Kira?"

"Of course Ms. Green." Kira says with a smile. "I'll be by at five."

The woman gives the three teens a small wave before heading off towards the park entrance to where she'd parked her car. Kira watches her go with a smile before turning to her friends.

"So what should we do next?" Molly asks as she looks between the two of them.

"We could always do another interview." Trent suggests. "We could hit up that soul food restaurant off of Main Street."

"Maybe we could interview a few whites too?" Molly suggests. "I mean, African Americans weren't the only people affected by the civil rights movement. We should try to get a few outside perspectives on things."

"That sounds like a great idea." Kira agrees. "We can head down to the retirement home and see if any of the residents are interested in talking to us."

Trent and Molly nod in agreement before heading for a picnic table a few feet away where they're backpacks are waiting. Just before they arrive, a massive group of Putties materialize in front of them and begin dancing around wildly.

"What the hell are those things?" Kira asks as the three of them slowly begin to back away.

"I don't know." Trent says. "Whatever they are, they don't look friendly."

A few civilians in the park spot the clay-faced creatures and begin screaming in panic before running in every which direction in an attempt to escape. A few more Putties materialize before giving chase, causing an even bigger uproar as the citizens do their best to flee the park.

"We have to help those people." Molly says as her heart begins beating hard in her chest.

"I couldn't agree with you more." Trent says as he lifts the sleeve of his white sweatshirt up and places his hand over his morpher.

"Trent, don't." Kira says quickly as she places her hand over his and gives it a squeeze to stop him.

Molly turns to the two of them, an eyebrow raised, as she tries to figure out what's going on. "Are you two okay?"

"Don't worry about us." Kira says quickly as Trent rolls his sleeve back down. "Look, can you fight?"

"A little." Molly says with a shrug. "My Uncle Jason taught me a few defensive moves just in case I ever found myself in trouble. Other than that, I'm a gymnast."

"That's good enough for now." Trent says as he takes a defensive step in front of the two girls. "We have to do what we can to hold these creatures off so everyone else can escape. Think you can handle it?"

"You can't be serious." Molly says in disbelief. "Those creatures look dangerous and we could get hurt. We should call the police and let them handle this."

"There's no time to call them." Kira points out as two Putties corner a small child beside the playground equipment. "We have to do something or risk everyone getting hurt, or even worse, killed."

Without waiting for her answer, Trent and Kira break into a sprint and charge at the creatures. Trent tackles one of them to the ground while Kira elbows one in the chest before kneeing another in the groin. The creatures fall to the ground in pain but waste no time standing back up and making a lunge towards the two un-morphed rangers. Meanwhile, Molly stands, frozen in fear as her eyes dart towards each and every Putty in the surrounding area.

"How can this be?" she wonders aloud, her voice wavering with each word. "They look like the monsters from my dream - the dream with the Green Warrior."


A/N: So Molly's been having dreams about someone known as the Green Warrior. Do we have an inkling of an idea as to who that mysterious hero might be? Go ahead and leave me a review and we'll find out if your suspicions are true.

-KairiAngel13


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