DISCLAIMER: I forgot this last time, but I don't own anything but the character of Meredith. I own the writing of this particular story, but some things were borrowed from the actual show to make it all tie together. PR is owned by someone else. I got this idea from another site. Enjoy!

SMILE

Tanya found Meredith sitting in the park. "Hey! Can I ask you a question," Tanya asked her purple clad friend. "Of course," Meredith answered. She turned herself to face her on the bench. "You've often said you know Rocky is your soul mate. Tommy and Kimberly talk about being soul mates. How did you figure that out? How did they? I mean, you dated Jason, from what I've been told, and they're so different," Tanya asked. Meredith smiled. "They are different." "So how did you know," Tanya asked. Meredith looked at her boyfriend, playing touch football with her brother and friends. The game play stopped for a minute and Rocky looked over at her and smiled. "That! Right there. That smile."

Meredith related the first time she fell victim to the smile of Rocky DeSantos.

"Jason, we've discussed this a hundred times. Discussing it a hundred more isn't going to change my mind," Meredith told her then-boyfriend, Jason Scott.

"Meri. Come on. You won't even talk about it with me," he said.

"Maybe that should clue you in that I'm not ready for that step. God, Jase, we've only been together a year," she said, turning her back to him while walking through the park.

Jason grabbed her shoulder, stopped her and turned her back around. "I understand that, but you and I haven't been alone together since this whole thing with Tommy," Jason said.

Meredith looked around before replying. "That THING with Tommy was horrible. For both of us. Tommy and I are trying to get past the awful things he said and did while he was the evil green ranger. You of all people know how much that affected me," she said.

"I know, Meri, but why can't we go out right now. Why can't we be alone," he asked her.

Meredith looked at her boyfriend. The guy that, just 12 months ago had helped her get used to her new school and had swept her off her feet. She looked into the brown eyes that, just a few weeks ago she would have been happy getting lost in and never finding her way out. Today, she didn't feel like being with him. Yes she cared for him, but she would have expected some understanding for him. Especially since he knew how much she treasured the relationship with Tommy.

"Look, Jase, we're going to the Angel's Festival this weekend. We'll spend the entire day together, OK," she said.

Jason's look softened a bit. "OK. I'll see you tomorrow. I have a class to teach," he said.

After a quick kiss, they took off in opposite directions.

The next morning, still a bit bummed about the argument with Jason, Meredith got up, excited about spending the day with Jason. She knew she'd neglected him, but Tommy was very important to her and Meredith felt that if Jason cared about her at all, he would understand her desire to help her brother work things out.

She had just showered and changed into her blue jeans and purple top when Tommy knocked on her door. "Yeah," she said.

"Jason just called and said he's got something to take care of at the Youth Center and he'd meet you at the festival," he said.

"OK. You and Kimberly going to go," Meredith asked her brother.

"Yeah. Do you want to walk with me to her house," he asked."No. I'll head over to the park and wait for Jason," she said.

"OK. See you there," Tommy said, heading downstairs and out the door.

Meredith went downstairs and grabbed her wallet off the table. She took the money out of it and stuffed it in her pocket. She went out the back door and started walking off the opposite way Tommy went.

Two hours later, Meredith was sitting at a picnic table talking to Billy, totally bummed about Jason standing her up. She'd wanted to go home, but Billy had convinced her to hang out with him. They had walked around the festival and Meredith had found an awesome necklace she was sure Tommy would like.

Billy saw some friends from the science club and excused himself from the table. Meredith decided to get a lemonade and walk back home.

She was headed to the lemonade stand when she was waylaid by Skull. "Meri Oliver. Where's Jason? You two haven't been together much in the last few weeks. Trouble in paradise," Skull asked.

"We've both been busy and I've got to get going," she said.

Bulk and Skull blocked her path. "You weren't leaving without a Ferris wheel ride with me, where you," Bulk asked, slipping his arm around Meredith's shoulder.

"Meri, I was looking for you! Come on, you promised me a ride on the Ferris wheel and I've already bought the tickets," Rocky said. He was standing to her left and took hold of her wrist. Meredith was able to get away from Bulk's arm and stand with Rocky.

"Thanks for waiting. Bulk and Skull detained me and I was afraid you'd go without me," she said.

She and Rocky took off, his hand on the small of her back, leading her away.

When the got in line for the Ferris wheel, Meredith let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Rocky. I was worried I was going to have to do a few karate moves on them," she said. She was going to slip out of the line when Rocky stopped her.

"Now that I've saved you, don't you think the nice thing to do is accompany me on this thing? I mean, I know you're supposed to be waiting for Jason, but Tommy said he hasn't shown up yet and he said you really like riding these things," he said.

Meredith, who had avoided looking at Rocky, looked up at him. He sent her a smile that turned her insides into mush. The jolt she felt at meeting his smile both alarmed and pleased her. She hadn't felt like that with Jason in a while. She smiled back. "OK, since you did 'save my life,'" she said.

They rode the Ferris wheel and had a great time talking about school and their friends. At the end of the ride, Meredith, unhinged by the attraction she felt for Rocky, excused herself to go find Jason.

She was approached about the party at Sue Davis' house. She didn't know if she would go, but when she saw Tommy she asked him about it.

"Are you and Kimberly going to Sue's party," she asked.

"Probably not. Kimberly's heading to Stone Canyon in the morning for a gymnastics competition and she asked me to go with her. I'll probably go to bed early and then head out with her in the morning," Tommy said.

"I'm not sure I want to go and I still haven't talked to Jason," Meredith said.

She went to her room to do some reading for English. She ended up falling asleep and missed Jason's call about going to the party.

Meredith told Tanya that she and Jason had broken up a few weeks later. Meredith told Tanya what happened and told Tanya that Rocky's smile that day at the festival had hooked her.

Tanya looked at her friend. "A smile? That's it," she said.

"Yeah, but that might be over simplifying things. I mean, I love Rocky for more than that. He came to see me not long after Jason and I broke up and not once did he tell me I would feel better. He didn't tell me all the stuff you would expect to hear from your friends. Especially if that friend had feelings for you," she said. "He let me cry and bemoan the relationship, say some nasty things about Jason and the 'other woman.' He never agreed or disagreed. He just let me do what he thought I needed to do to get better. The day I realized I wanted to be with him, he had sat on the floor in front of me and looked up at me with those beautiful eyes of his and smiled. He said he'd be there when I was ready, for whatever. No pressure, no expectations. Just like that day he took me on the Ferris wheel. I don't know if he knew I was looking forward to that ride with Jason or what but he was such a great friend to me that day. Every time he kisses me, my insides turn to mush. I get butterflies before our dates and still anticipate that good-night kiss. I love him. I can't imagine not," she added.

"Do you think Adam and I are soul mates because I get butterflies every time he smiles at me. I get all giddy when he's talking to me when we're all together. I sometimes can't think when I'm around him," Tanya said.

"Probably. You're definitely in love with him and that's wonderful. You both deserve that. But don't take my word for it," Meredith said.

Tanya and Meredith watched the guys. She hoped that she'd provided a little insight into why she loved Rocky as much as she did.

"I can't speak for everyone, but I know that Kimberly fell for Tommy while trying to free him from evil. She was willing to sacrifice herself and her powers just to get him free from Rita. Zack changed his womanizing, player ways for Aisha and hasn't even given a hint that he's gone back to them. Jason treats Katherine like a princess. I just hope it lasts longer for her than it did for me," Meredith said.

"Do you ever regret that it didn't work out with Jason," Tanya asked.

"No. I wouldn't trade my time with Rocky for anything. He's the best. Jason and I were right for the time we were in, but we would have broken up anyway because our paths were so divergent. I was worried about Tommy and he was worried about taking the relationship to the next level. I couldn't be with someone I didn't trust," she said.

"I've only known Adam a short while, but I trust him with everything. And he trusted me with the secret that he's a power ranger. That's HUGE," she said.

"It is. It means he figures you're going to be around for a while. Jason had been dating Emily for several weeks and never told her. He told Katherine about everyone a month into their relationship," Meredith said.

"Rocky, why do you love, Meri," Adam asked his friend.

"Because she's Meredith. She's honest about herself and her feelings. She doesn't try to be someone she's not. She doesn't do things just to make everyone else happy or more comfortable. She sees the good in everything. She's still friends with Jason. Despite how mad and how hurt she was after their break-up, she eventually welcomed him back into her life. I can get lost for hours, just looking in her eyes. The look on her face after we kiss is something that gets me all giddy. It's a look of pure joy and happiness. Meri's just unlike any woman I've ever met. I can't imagine not having her in my life," Rocky said.

"Do you think Tanya and I are good for each other," Adam asked.

"I do. You have that look that Tommy gets when he's around Kimberly. I'm sure I have it when I'm around Meri. You and Tanya are good for each other," Rocky said.

Adam gave what his best friend had said some thought. He hoped he had a chance to be as happy as his closest friends. If Tanya agreed to go out with him, they might have the chance.

***I know this was fluff, but I thought we could all use some fluff once in a while. Next installment: Silence. Miss Fortune found the Oliver twins studying in the park. Instead of causing physical harm to them, she used some of the magic dust Finster had created to make the Oliver twins unable to speak. How will it affect the rangers and their ability to fight as a team when Zedd and Rita unleash the Terror Blaster, a monster that brings fear to the residents of Angel Grove by projecting scary images through the televisions that are unable to be switched off.*** -mereditholiver