Hey everyone. I'm back with another chapter. I'm not quite back at full power, but I wanted to go ahead and post this chapter. It's still early in the morning for me, so I apologize if this chapter isn't perfect. It's very heavy with emotion so I advice everyone to strap in to their 5 point harness and get on with it.

This chapter is a continuation of events from the last chapter of Miscreants. I hope everyone enjoys.

From Chapter 39 of Miscreants

"Joy Lynn. You should know that my feelings toward you haven't changed. I really enjoyed that day we spent together and hope to spend more time with you, if that's okay with you. I'd be lying if I said the video didn't turn me on. I'm pissed that the crusty bitch, Jezebel violated you like that. I'd hoped to see that beautiful body of yours on our own terms, when we were ready to take that step.

"But once something is on the net, it never goes away. That being said, you should know that I'll be avenging you when I return. No one should be exposed like that; against their will."

"But now that I've seen it, I am even more attracted to you. You have a very healthy body and are the perfect size to me. I know you're probably feeling ragged right now, but I hope you hang on till I get back."

"Please don't let that stupid video ruin things between us. When I get back, I want to take the most beautiful girl at Angel Grove on a real date where I can show you off and make all the other guys jealous."

"If you want to talk to me, Phoebe has my number."

"I'm here for you, my lady."

On board The Prism

The Oliver's Stateroom

Kimberly sat back on the bed and blew out a breath. She had had a feeling this would happen.

Rookery had thrown down the gauntlet and from the way she'd seen him dressed, like a dark brooding hero, she knew the ladies had a hand in this.

The fashionista inside her approved the choices, but she forced herself to focus on the issue at hand and how it affected her plans that were already in motion.

She spent a few moments in brief meditation before her portable com pinged and the disembodied voice came through.

Mistress Kimberly, a message from headquarters has come through.

Kimberly looked up at it and then over at her sleeping son. She didn't want to wake him up…

"Go ahead, Kim. I've got Mav." Tommy said quietly from his side of the bed. The sleeping car was half the size of their hotel room, and there was just enough room for their travel crib.

Kimberly looked over at her mate and nodded. "Okay, I'll try not to take too long.

Tommy's voice was a little broodish and she could feel the twinge of pain from his end of the fusion. But she didn't have time to deal with that.

"Really Kim. It's nothing some meditation can't help. I promise."

Kimberly sighed again before putting on her slippers and robe and leaving the sleeping car.

Once she got to the conference car, the lights switched on automatically. Putting the com in the table she activated it.

"Sadie, please let the communication through."

"Yes, Mistress Kimberly. Playing now."

The hologram activated and the concerned faces of Aisha and Tanya appeared before her.

"So, that happened." Aisha stated with a raised eyebrow.

Kimberly nodded. "Yes it did. Tommy's looking after Mav. So give me a rundown of our situation."

Back in the sleeping car

Tommy sat in a relaxed pose on the bed and did his best to focus his mind. It was proving difficult for him, which hadn't happened in a long time. You would think all his years of martial arts training would have solved this issue long ago.

But here he was, back in the waking nightmare of so long ago.

Though he had not seen the video, and only had Kim's very sanitized version of events to go by, it was enough to throw him back into the old very ugly memories and the emotional pain that came with it.

He fought his old demons for many minutes, doing his absolute best to wrestle them back into the darkest part of his mind, behind years of mental discipline. They were proving way too strong and before he was aware of what was happening, he felt the tears trailing down his cheeks.

Only the distressed tears of his son broke them off and he wiped them with away before rising to feet to check on his son.

His son's eyes looked up at him as he fussed with an increasingly red face. Scooping his son up in his arms, he rocked his six-month-old son and looked at him closely. Was it possible that his son had some kind of sensitivity to the emotions of others? Could all Ninjetti Children share this ability?"

These were questions for another time, Tommy decided as he scooped up his child and held him close. "I see neither of us is going to find the peace we need, how about we go take a walk to clear our heads."

After gathering his son's blanket and making sure they were both decent, they left the sleeping car.

Soon, he found himself in one of the observation cars. Unlike the mainstream trains, these cars were way more comfortable and had much more refined furnishings. Tommy settled into one of the chairs and made sure his son was still nestled against his chest with one tiny fist gripping his tank top.

Taking a deep breath, he let himself be lulled into a peaceful state as he watched the landscape pass by. Unlike sitting in the state room, he seemed to be more at ease here, in the quiet car. It felt nice.

That apparently was not going to last as long as he hoped…at least the quiet wasn't.

"You couldn't sleep either?" Asked Gabrielle as she walked up, still wearing her traveling clothes.

Tommy shook his head. "Nope, the life of a mentor is rarely restful. There's too much going on back home."

"So, you saw the video too?"

"If you're referring to the exposé on Joy, then no. I refuse to look on as a young woman is violated in that fashion."

"Actually, I was referring to the gauntlet thrown down by Ranook. I'm hoping there won't be a school fight. It won't end well for anyone."

Tommy grunted noncommittedly. "That I have no idea about. I can't say I blame Rookery for going down this path. I'd do the same thing if it was Kim. When it comes to my crew or my family, all bets are off." He paused and took a deep breath as the ugly feelings resurfaced.

"So, you're not going to intervene?"

"Can you honestly say you would choose restraint if it was Aiden being targeted?"

Gabrielle sighed. "No, I guess not. If I didn't intervene, then his father sure would."

Tommy nodded. "Exactly. These teenagers have been through hell and the school isn't doing sh… anything to prevent that. They didn't do anything after my mate was hazed and lost our baby, in fact, it only got worse. I've been a teacher for over 5 years, and I can tell you that there is nothing in those teaching conferences or manuals to prepare you for this kind of thing. Only a blanket statement about 'zero tolerance.'"

"If the teacher didn't see it, then it didn't happen." Gabrielle said in a defeated voice.

"Yep." Tommy nodded. "And that unspoken rule has been a safety net for all bullies. In my day, before the hazing incident. A bully could be dealt with by a subtle show of force, but then the bullies realized that if they went after their target away from the eyes of a teacher or other school official, they could literally get away with murder."

"They killed your baby."

Tommy sighed and smoothed the hair on his son's head. "That is something I've never been able to completely get over. Yes, we won our case against the bullies and got the manor as compensation, but it hardly makes up for the life we lost or erases the pain and suffering we went through. It kills me that I'll never know if our baby was a boy or girl or what it could have become."

"Now Miss Joy is suffering from another hazing incident that school board will likely be sweeping under the rug. It doesn't matter if it's the FBI or a bunch of school officials that runs the school. We both know the outcome will be the same. My mate and I found out a long time ago that the only way to stop a bully is to carry a bigger stick."

Gabrielle opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

"You're incredibly lucky that you've never had to bury your child." Tommy finished softly. "I pray to the Great Power that you'll never have to do that."

Gabrielle sat in stunned silence feeling the pain radiating off the man sitting across from her.

Tommy took a deep breath as Kimberly walked into the room with a hand pressed to her chest. After taking the baby from her mate, she took his hand and looked at Gabrielle. "Don't worry, I know this has been building for a while."

Gabrielle sat in stunned silence as Kimberly helped her husband to his feet. "If I were you, I'd take full advantage of every amenity in that sleeping car. Things are going to get interesting once we get to San Diego." Without another word, they left the car.

In the conference car, just minutes before…

Kim sat back in mild shock as Aisha and Tanya reported what had happened during their visit. "They're panicking." Tanya said softly. "They wouldn't reveal too much, but something spooked them to the point where they've pulled Joy out of school and were packing too many bags for just a weekend getaway. We've persuaded them to come stay at the house under our protection for a couple of nights, but they definitely aren't comfortable staying in Angel Grove any longer."

Something is really nagging at me about all this. I can't figure out for the life of me what it is. There's a piece to this puzzle that's missing…"

Kimberly was quiet. "Send them to San Diego; to the hotel we're heading towards. It's quiet and off the beaten path. At the very least, it'll give them a place to get their bearings."

"Ok, send me the location and we'll make plans to leave.

Kimberly nodded and opened her mouth to give an affirmative answer, but she felt the sudden pain in her bond and knew Tommy needed her.

"Pinkie, what's wrong?" Aisha asked in concern.

Kimberly put a hand to her chest. "Tommy needs me, this whole thing has brought back some awful memories. I need to go get him."

Tanya nodded solemnly. "Go ahead Kim, we've got things here."

As Kim ended the communication, she saw Autumn leaning against the doorway drinking from a half-frozen water bottle. "Hey, Aunt Kim. Is everything okay?"

"Hey there, Night Owl. You're up already?"

The teenager nodded. "Yep. I'm awake and my mate is snoring loudly. I couldn't go back to sleep if I tried."

Kim nodded. "So, you wouldn't mind babysitting for the night?"

Autumn shook her head. "It wouldn't be the first time. Should I go get the portable crib and his stuff?"

"Yeah, you know where everything is, but make it quick. Your uncle Tommy is not doing well."

Thankfully, Autumn didn't need any more explanation, and she hurried towards her aunt and uncle's room.

Now after leading her zombie-like husband into the room and sitting him on the bed, she took in his face and it broke her heart. Though her mate had led the team into battle on several different occasions, she knew he was also a man with his limits.

This whole situation with Joy had brought up the painful past in unbearable agony. She'd really thought that Tommy had come to terms with the death of their unborn child all those years ago, but now she knew in all certainty that he hadn't.

She didn't know what to do to comfort him.

She hated this feeling of helplessness.

Silently, she helped him strip down and get into his track pants and then she changed into her own pajamas and got into bed with him.

Instantly his arms wrapped around her and he pulled her close.

And then the inner dam the proud warrior had constructed with years of mental discipline collapsed.

The pain flared through their connection and Kimberly was ready for it. She tapped into the power of her inner warrior and used it to withstand the deluge of emotion coming from her mate. She felt his pain and her heart broke for him, but she didn't let it consume her. Instead, she held him through it, gently stroking his back.

Finally, her strong husband fell asleep and went slack in her arms.

And then she realized she really needed the bathroom.

After taking care of her personal needs, she went back into the room and stopped short, seeing a soft white light glowing around her husband's sleeping form.

The bond told her he was okay, so she sat in the chair across from it, pull up her legs and watched over him.

The spirits were at work.

Inside Tommy's mind

He felt the power overtake him moments after he fell asleep. The anguish he'd felt before was muted and he felt calmer.

He opened his eyes and knew he was dreaming or somewhere between the realm of sleep and the realm of the spirits. Before him, dressed in full warrior regalia was his Ninjetti Spirit in a form he'd only seen once before.

"I had a feeling I'd see you again. I know you manifested a few days ago."

The warrior nodded before standing to his feet. "You're weakened and you will not have the strength to continue without letting me take my place fully. You need my power to balance you out."

Tommy shook his head. "You know I can't let that happen. The darkness inside of me is still there. If I free you…"

"..Nothing bad will happen." The falcon warrior interrupted with an impatient tone. "How many times must we go over this? That phantom darkness is long gone. The pure power that came from Zordon's sacrifice cleansed us and drove any remaining darkness from you. Only I remain."

Tommy knew deep within that the warrior was right.

"You've grieved your child long enough. Now it's time to move on. There is too much at stake with the young warriors to stay back. There's a terrible storm on the horizons and you need to be at full power to combat it."

Instantly the pain flared again and tommy's spirit flinched. The warrior grimaced and in an instant stood in front of him.

"Your child's spirit is at peace. When it died, it wasn't far enough along to feel the sting of death. It's at peace with the ancestors, never even knowing what it lost.

"How can you know this for sure?"

"I am born of both Ninjetti Power and Shaman Power. If you were to let me merge with you fully, you'd see it too. The child's spirit is at peace and plays with the spirits of other children taken too soon."

"Can I see it?"

The warrior nodded and held out his hands. "Let me join you and I'll show you."

Tommy took a deep breath and nodded. Instantly, the warrior faded into a white light and became one with him.

It took several minutes, but when Tommy's eyes opened and the vision faded, he found himself in the bed of the sleeping car. Kim sat in the chair in a peaceful pose. With his heightened sight, he could see the pink power within his mate though her eyes didn't glow.

"Kimberly." He said in a raspy voice.

I'm here handsome. Are you okay?"

"I am now."

Kim walked over to the bed and allowed his arms to wrap her up again. They sat quietly in that intimate pose for many minutes before he spoke again.

The Falcon told me there was a storm on the horizon, but he wasn't just talking about the situation with Joy. I wasn't so far gone that I didn't hear what you told Gabrielle. What's going on now?"

Kim sighed and blew out a breath. "I'm not exactly sure; but I know that this hazing thing is just the tip of the iceberg."

Tommy sighed again and held his mate tighter. "Well, whatever it is, we can handle it together."

Kimberly nodded and then yawned. "Autumn is looking after Maverick for us, I think we should take advantage of the peace and get some sleep. We're really going to need it."

Tommy kissed the crown of her head and then let himself fall back to the bed with her in his arms. "Good idea. I'm exhausted."

They slept soundly that night and it was a good thing…because the storm winds were blowing...

So, what did everyone think of this chapter? I'd love to hear your thoughts on what will happen next. Please feel free to leave a review!