Good manners won. He let himself be drawn inside the
comfortable house, but declined an offer of breakfast, wondering how Tommy
could eat again already. Instead, he contented himself with sipping
some orange juice, growing increasingly impatient while Jason and Tommy
bantered their way through generous helpings of bacon and eggs, homemade
blueberry muffins and whatnot. When finally the last morsel on their plates
had been demolished, David cleared his throat and cast a speaking glance
at the wall-mounted clock.
"If you two are done reducing the world's food supply
to almost non-existent, isn't it time we were on or way? I thought you
were in such a hurry to go." It took more of an effort than he liked to
keep irritation out of his voice. He did not like feeling left out,
and those two had practically ignored him, talking about people he didn't
know, and things they'd done together that David wished deep down he'd
shared. He'd rather die before he admitted that, though.
"Hey, this is the last time for the next couple of
days that we get a home-cooked meal," Tommy protested, but got up with
a good-natured groan when Jason stood and started stacking dishes before
his mother could prompt him. "Thanks for breakfast, Helen. You're a great
cook."
Helen Scott just laughed. "As long as you enjoyed
it, Tommy."
He grinned back cheerfully while he handed the utensils
to Jason, to put into the dishwasher. David wordlessly carried his glass
to the sink. "Oh, I did! I love my mother to pieces, you know that, but
cooking isn't exactly her strong point."
Jason snickered. "No kidding. Remember that one time
she tried to make chicken teriyaki for the gang and messed it up so royally
by adding jalapeno peppers for color?"
"Don't remind me, Bro," Tommy shuddered. "That was
even worse than when she put sugar instead of salt into my scrambled eggs."
"Yuck!" Jason made a gagging noise like a Junior High
kid, which sent Tommy into a giggling fit.
David silently wondered how the two younger men could
speak so … disrespectfully of an Elder Female; it simply wasn't done! True,
the pancakes Rachel had served him hadn't been as fluffy as others he'd
eaten at home, the syrup had been a generic store brand, but that was no
reason to publicly disparage her, was it? And why didn't Mrs. Scott reprimand
them? She should be defending the other woman … He caught himself. The
Olivers' and Scotts' lives were not like his own on the Reservation; Sam
had warned him often enough since he'd met his brother not to make judgements
based on their different cultures. Still, it was one more thing to lay
at Jason's feet in David's mind – Tommy had never spoken so about his mother
before. *Not within my hearing, anyway …* He was distracted by his
blonde hostess's voice.
"Rachel has a very demanding job as an office manager,
as you well know, Tommy. She can't be good at everything." Her tone was
mild, but a rebuke nonetheless. David suppressed an approving nod.
*Not so different, after all.*
"I know, I know." The smile Tommy gave Helen was quick
and apologetic. She mock-glared at him.
"As long as you do, I guess I can let it pass … for
now." Helen then went over to the refrigerator and took out three half-liter
bottles of water. "Here; nice and cool for your trip. Now get out of my
house, all of you!"
"Yes, Ma'am!" Tommy saluted, then jumped out of the
way of an only half-playful swat, bumping into David who barely managed
to keep his balance. "Oops."
"Sheesh, Tommy, can't you be more careful?" David
snapped under his breath, but found himself ignored as Tommy, after a long
considering look, snagged one last muffin off the table.
"Thanks, Mom." Jason hugged his mother briefly, then
slung his backpack over his shoulder. He snickered when he noticed his
best friend chewing surreptitiously.
*Just like in High School.*
The thought was warmly comforting – some things just wouldn't change. "I'm
ready when you are, Tommy; must you be always late?"
"I'll give you late," the other muttered, swallowing
hastily. But there was laughter in their voices, and two pairs of brown
eyes sparkled. The third pair, however, was hidden under half-lowered lids,
so the annoyance in them remained unnoticed.
"Thank you for the juice and water, Mrs. Scott," David
said politely. He then walked sedately out to the red car, standing beside
the right-hand door with ill-concealed impatience. He was not giving
up riding shotgun, no matter how much Jason might want to argue! Somewhat
to David's chagrin, however, his brother's best friend didn't even try
to talk him into the backseat. Instead Jason just waited for the doors
to be unlocked, plonked his backpack into the trunk and climbed inside
first.
"Ready," he smirked, making a big show out of waiting
for the other two with exaggerated patience.
David shook his head reprovingly, but Tommy gave Jason
just a look that set him to sniggering, then backed his car out onto the
street. The three young men were silent as they navigated the morning traffic,
which suited David just fine, but as soon as they were on the way to Falcon's
Pass Jason scooted forward in his seat. To his chagrin, David found that
the other managed to be much closer to Tommy by leaning his arms on the
driver's seat backrest than David himself, who was buckled into his seat
belt and could only relax by turning away from his brother, resting
his shoulder against the window.
"Shouldn't you be belted in?" he asked a little sharply.
"It is the law, after all." Jason only smiled and shrugged.
"I've just slipped out of the shoulder belt; see?
I'm still inside the hip strap, the road's not all that dangerous, and
besides, I trust Tommy to drive safely. He knows this is neither his stock
car nor his Zord, don't you, Bro?"
"Yeah," Tommy said genially, sparing his brother a
quick sideways glance. "You don't think I'd take chances with the two of
you of all people, do you?"
David didn't particularly care to be lumped together
with Jason like that, as it implied that Tommy made no distinction at all
between them, but there was nothing he could say without appearing churlish.
But he couldn't help that his voice sounded somewhat clipped, garnering
him a strange look from Tommy. Silently admonishing himself to get his
act together, for the sake of peace if for nothing else, David forced a
small smile.
"No, of course not." He lapsed into silence again.
Jason met Tommy's eyes in the rear view mirror, but
all he did was raise an eyebrow, then give a minute shrug. He was far too
glad to be able to spend some quality time with his best friend, and get
to know this newfound brother of Tommy's; he was not letting anything
spoil his good mood.
*Besides, he may just be pissed that he had to
get up so early, come into town and now drive back again. All because some
idiot rodent managed to gnaw through a few lines in my car's engine.*
Jason inwardly cursed the marten or whatever it had been; the critter had
been making the rounds through the neighborhood lately, but optimistically
he'd thought his car would be spared.
*Stupid, Scott,* he told himself,
but it was too late now. *Oh well. I'm sure David'll get friendlier
as soon as he's fully awake.*
Determined to make friends with Tommy's sibling if
he could, Jason nudged the other on the shoulder.
"So Dave, what's so great about Falcon's Pass, anyway?
Tommy couldn't tell me much, except that it's right outside the reservation
and great for hiking," he ventured.
David didn't look at him.
"My name is David, not Dave," he said curtly. He felt
brief satisfaction when Jason jerked back a little, astonished, but relented
before Tommy could comment. The question had been innocuous enough, and
he was proud of what the Tribe had accomplished in the area.
"I'm not used to having my name shortened," David
said by way of apology, summoning a half-smile. Jason shrugged.
"Okay. Sorry."
Tommy spared a glance from the road at his brother.
"I've called you Dave," he said, a very mild rebuke in his voice. "Several
times, in fact. You never minded ..."
David opened his mouth to comment, bit back whatever
he was going to say as too uncivil, when Jason said it for him.
"Don't be dense, Bro. It's different for you; you're
his brother."
Jason's easy, accepting manner irrationally grated
on David's nerves even more – because he knew he was being unfair.
He didn't know what set him so on edge about Jason; so far, Tommy's friend
had shown him nothing but acceptance, but that's how it was … and the fact
that David didn't like himself very much for what he refused to name unfounded
jealousy didn't help, either. Grudgingly, he nodded towards Jason.
"Yeah. No offense," he managed.
"None taken," Jason replied, and had to suppress a
tiny smile at Tommy's relieved expression. David hadn't struck him as very
congenial or friendly so far, but for Tommy's sake he could put up with
some grouchiness until they got to know each other better. Optimistically,
Jason reflected that until today, he'd always managed to get along with
almost everybody – even Bulk and Skull in a pinch.
"Anyway, to get back to my question – what IS so great
about Falcon's Pass? Except for general scenery and stuff?"
Determining to match Jason's behaviour, David decided
to answer. After all, he did
not want to be shown up by this interloper
– not in his brother's presence, anyway.
"The Tribal Elders have voted to lease the land from
the government and make it into some kind of park, or a nature preserve
– only not the kind you'd find at Yellowstone, for example. Rather, we
want to keep it as untouched by civilization as possible, to protect the
plants and animals in their natural habitats and eventually offer guided
tours to schools or other groups. No amenities except right at the entrance,
no concession stands or stuff like that – and certainly no masses of people,
either. We even plan to have visitors petition for admittance first."
"Sounds good," Jason commented. "That way, you'll
keep control over who's getting access, in what way and for how long."
"That's the idea." David refused to be impressed by
the other's quick grasp of the concept. He was not above a little personal
boasting, though. "I've applied for Forest Ranger training; as soon as
I'm done, I'll be working full-time as a Falcon's Pass Guide."
"Cool." There was genuine approval, if not admiration
in the deep voice.
"You haven't told me that," Tommy said, somewhat surprised.
Inwardly, he winced; he really should've made the effort sooner to inquire
about David's plans for the future, instead of filling his ears with all
the stuff he was doing at Uncle John's track. Sure, becoming a race car
driver was far more glamorous than working as a nature guide, but he knew
well both professions were equally worthwhile in their place, and he had
to admit, it fit what he had learned so far about his brother's inclinations
and chosen life.
*Trust Jase to draw that out of David within an
hour of meeting him,* Tommy thought fondly, remembering how Jason had
managed the same thing with him when they'd first met. He'd been the quintessential
loner, wary, even suspicious of strangers, and even more so after having
gotten involved with 'the gang' as Rita's Evil Green Ranger, but he'd been
defenceless before Jason's genuine interest and openness. Within days,
Jason had learned enough about Tommy – and offered the same degree of information
in return – that it felt as if they'd known each other for ages. It had
paved the way to friendship with Trini, Zack and the others, and Tommy
knew he'd be eternally grateful for that.
*Jase has been my Bro right from the start. My
best friend, for always. Wish it would be the same with David …*
But Tommy was aware why it couldn't be so, not yet,
anyway; for one thing, his brother was too much like himself, reserved
and keeping to himself, for another, they didn't live in close proximity
and met at school each day as he and Jason had … and neither had the gift
of making friends easily.
*Not to mention the Ranger factor.*
Having to trust one's very life, and the fate of one's
planet, to another had a way of cementing relationships fast, Tommy acknowledged
wryly to himself. It wasn't anyone's fault that he'd found his brother
under much different circumstances than he'd met his Bro. But, as there
was nothing he could do about that, he decided to try and lighten the atmosphere
by latching onto a detail that seemed pretty amusing, all things considered.
Tommy sent a grin towards David. "You know … once
you're done, you'll be the only Ranger left, among the three of us," he
said. "Jason's already retired from it twice, I get the feeling that now
we're out of school the team won't be able to keep it up for much longer
…"
Jason laughed, but David felt another pang of jealousy
– this time one he could acknowledge for what it was, though.
"It's hardly the same," he said a bit sullenly. Did
Tommy have to remind him of that one thing he'd had with Jason that
David would never be able to share?
He didn't notice the sympathetic look Jason sent in
his direction. The one-time Red, then Gold Ranger could relate to what
David was feeling; boy, could he ever! He'd given up his Powers willingly
for a greater goal the first time, and he'd known from the outset that
the Gold Power would have to be returned to Trey, but that didn't mean
he did not feel envy every time his friends' communicators chimed
and they rushed off without him. How Billy had stood it for so long, he
had no idea.
"Perhaps not," he mused, half to himself. "You won't
handle giant robots or fight aliens from Outer Space like we did, but the
kind of Ranger you're gonna be is doing something just as important – preserve
the land from attacks that come from everyday people. Every day, too. Littering,
pollution, careless exploitation, general neglect of nature's balance …
and that's just for starters. And who knows, maybe in the long run yours
is the better way." Jason grinned suddenly. "At least it's less dangerous,
and you won't be put under any evil spells anymore."
David grunted noncommittally. For a moment, he thought
he'd heard condescension in Jason's words, but he seemed sincere enough,
and there was little sense in quarrelling. Not if he wanted to get at least
some
enjoyment out of this weekend, despite Jason's presence.
"Yeah, well," he muttered. "Anyway, Sam has made me
promise not to disturb anything, so it'll be my decision where to
camp, where to go and what to do. You two will have to follow my lead in
this. Is that going to be a problem?" David challenged Tommy and Jason,
leaders and strong characters both. Somewhat to his disappointment, neither
objected.
"Of course not," Tommy snorted. "What do you take
us for, anyway?"
He received a friendly cuff on the side of his head
from the back seat.
"Careful, Bro," Jason sniggered. "David might give
you an honest answer, and I for one am not going to help you kick
him out of the car!"
Tommy put on a wounded-puppy expression. "Would
I do that?"
"You don't want me to answer that, either."
Jason sent a slightly conspiratorial wink at David, suddenly allying the
two of them against Tommy, who assumed an exaggerated pout as he drove
on. David managed a small smile. He envied the easy camaraderie between
his two companions, but that wasn't anything new; he'd never been able
to tease and banter like that with his peers. He had known that even before
meeting Tommy and his best friend.
*This isn't Jason's fault. It's the way I am; I
shouldn't take it out on him.*
Calling to mind all his foster-father's teachings
about accepting one's own nature first so that he could accept others',
David resolved to make more of an effort to be pleasant – if only that
Sam Trueheart would have no reason to chide him once they got back. The
older man had ways of learning things one wanted to keep hidden that were
uncanny sometimes; David did not want to incur Sam's anger, or worse,
his disappointment. Besides, if he didn't keep his resentment under tighter
wraps, he'd only end up spoiling this weekend more than it already had
been. Much better, then, to try and be civil, at least.
To that end, he launched into a description of Falcon's
Pass and what the Tribe already had accomplished regarding their plans.
To his satisfaction, he found two avid listeners who asked intelligent
questions, and the atmosphere in the red car lightened considerably as
they rode along on the increasingly bumpy roads, towards their goal. All
three took notice of that … and none chose to comment.
~*~
Tommy parked the car at a small trading post right
where the entrance of the future Nature Reserve was going to be; the proprietor
had consented to let him use an old shed in the back as a makeshift garage
so that the 4X4 wouldn't get damaged or stolen. They took the opportunity
to fill their canteens with fresh, cold water for the trek to the campsite
David had in mind, stocked up on a few munchies to eat on the trail, and
struck out.
As the three young men walked at a leisurely yet
brisk pace into the hilly wilderness, David critically looked at the others'
outfits. He himself was dressed in sturdy cotton pants, t-shirt and flannel
overshirt, with a lightweight suede jacket and well-worn moccasins. Tommy
had chosen jeans, a trademark red shirt and ankle-high hiking boots, while
Jason … David frowned. The t-shirt and flannel were sensible enough, but
he was wearing shorts, and some rather weird-looking shoes. They looked
like some kind of loafers; tough enough and certainly not new, but …
"Are you sure you're dressed appropriately?" he
asked as neutrally as he could. "It gets pretty cold at night out here
… and what kind of shoes are those, anyway?"
Jason grinned over his shoulder as he marched on.
"Don't worry. The pants have detachable legs –" he pointed out the concealed
zipper at the hem, "I have a weatherproof jacket packed, and the shoes
were bought at a mountaineering store in Geneva. Zack and I used to do
quite a bit of mountain-hiking on the weekends, when we had the time. They
were okay for the Alps; guess they should do here, too."
Try as he might, David couldn't find fault with
that, so he just harrumphed and quickened his pace – so much so that after
ten minutes, Tommy called him back.
"Hey, what's the hurry, David? We on a schedule, or
what?"
"No, of course not," David sighed, telling himself
he better get his temper under control. The trail wasn't overly strenuous,
but that didn't mean it was completely without danger – if a hiker wasn't
careful, the loose pebbles and sand could lead to slips, those could result
in hard falls … and they did not want to risk injury. So, David
slowed down to a more reasonable speed, staying slightly ahead of his brother
and Jason as he led the way deeper into the sun-drenched landscape. It
was an intriguing mixture of desert and mountains, mostly dry but not overly
so. There was plenty of hot California sunshine during the day, but they'd
be able to find some shade for breaks, and enough shelter so the decidedly
cold nights wouldn't bother them too much as long as they had their tent
and a campfire.
Jason and Tommy were talking softly as they followed
David, but the longer they walked, the quieter they became. It was past
mid-morning now, the temperatures were approaching the mid-nineties already,
and they all needed their breath for other things than conversation. About
two hours into their hike, though, Jason, who was bringing up the rear
by now, called for a halt. Surprised, Tommy turned back to look at his
friend, and was shocked to see that the normally indefatigable Jason was
flushed, sweating heavily and all but gasping for breath.
"What's up, Bro? Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.
"Yeah," Jason panted, a wry grin playing around his
mouth as he reached for his canteen to take a few slow sips. "It's just
… I'm still not quite over losing the Gold Powers," he admitted. "It's
nothing serious, really, I just tire more easily than I used to. Man, I
hate this," he grumbled as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. "I know
Zordon said I'd get back to normal eventually, but can't 'eventually' come
sooner?"
Relieved, Tommy grinned and took a deep draught of
his own flask, grimacing a little as he swallowed. The water had become
tepid by now, but it was wet, and that was what counted. "Oh, okay. As
long as it isn't more than that …"
"Nah. I have more sense than that," Jason claimed,
blithely ignoring the hoot Tommy couldn't resist giving as he rested his
backside against a handy rock. "Unlike a few other people I know." He stared
innocently at his friend, who glared back in fake outrage. "Although …
tell me again why I shouldn't pack Mom's cell phone? Wouldn't it be a good
thing to have, just in case of an emergency?" He looked questioningly from
Tommy to David.
"It would, if there was reliable service in this area,"
David explained. "As soon as Falcon's Pass Park is fully operational, we're
probably going to set up a relay pole or something at the Trading Post,
but right now … cell phones do work, but it's a hit-and-miss thing
half the time, depending on where we are. Up on the rises, it's mostly
fine, but in the gulches …" He shrugged tellingly.
"And any accident, if there is one, will happen in
a place where it's impossible to call for help," Jason said drily. "Murphy's
Law right at work."
"Isn't it always?" Tommy added, fastening his canteen
again to the hook on his backpack. Jason's coloring was better now, his
breathing had calmed, and he seemed to be recovering rapidly now that he'd
had a few minutes to rest. "You ready to go on?"
"Sure."
"He better be," David muttered, irritated by Tommy's
solicitousness towards Jason and by what he thought was an avoidable delay.
"If we have to stop every half-hour, we'll never make it to camp."
Tommy looked strangely at his brother. "Come on, Dave;
we've been on the go for nearly two hours already. And to be honest, I
kinda liked taking a short break myself," he said loyally, not wanting
to make Jason into the culprit for whatever was bugging David all of a
sudden. "After all, it's not as if we have a set time to get anywhere."
"If he isn't fit, he shouldn't have come. The desert
and the mountains are no place for weakness."
Jason drew a deep breath. He was becoming uncomfortably
aware that what he thought was grouchiness in David ran apparently much
deeper than that – and that it seemed to be centered on him. Well, he'd
deal with that in his own time … and hopefully, without Tommy noticing
that there might be problems between him and David.
"Would you rather I'd have kept quiet, played Macho
Guy and collapsed on you?" he inquired mildly, bent on staving off a confrontation.
This wasn't the place. "I am fit enough, or I wouldn't have come
on this trip in the first place, no matter how much I might've wanted to.
But I'm honest enough to recognize my limitations, and admit when I need
a breather." The dark eyes were calm, but held a hint of warning and challenge
for David. "You have a problem with that?"
"No," he mumbled. Aware that he'd nearly come off
as the heavy in this situation, David hid the baleful look he would've
loved giving the one-time Ranger. "Just as long as it won't slow us down."
"Trust me, it won't," Jason replied quietly, and adjusted
the straps of his backpack. He straightened and took a couple of steps
on the barely-visible path. "I'm ready."
"Then let's go," Tommy decided, and the three young
men continued at a sensibly brisk pace, following the directions David
gave from time to time. After a while, Tommy managed to let Jason take
the lead and fell into step with his brother.
"Dave? Don't be so hard on Jase, okay? He knows what
he can do, and he won't slow us down," he explained. "We didn't delay all
that long, after all." There was a faintly-troubled expression in the chocolate-brown
eyes that alerted David that he better tone down his behaviour, or his
brother would pick up on the fact that all wasn't rosy between his companions.
And no matter what his feelings toward Jason, the very last thing
David wanted to do was hurt Tommy. Not if he hoped to build as close a
relationship with Tommy as he shared with Jason.
"Yeah, I know." He made his voice conciliatory. "I
was just … well, really hitting a comfortable stride, if you know what
I mean? The kind of pace that makes you feel you can walk for hours without
tiring …" Which was even true, as far as it went. It just wasn't the whole
truth. "And having to stop just then … I guess it pissed me off, a little."
David produced a weak smile, feeling vaguely ashamed of himself for prevaricating
like that. Tommy pondered what he'd heard for a second, then smiled back.
"Yeah, I guess I can understand," he said. "Been there
myself a couple of times." The brothers exchanged a faintly amused look.
"As long as it wasn't anything more, though. For a second there, I was
kinda afraid you had a problem with Jason."
David froze inwardly. He hadn't expected Tommy to
notice, didn't want him to notice. So, to allay any suspicion, he
assumed a purposely bland expression. "Why should I?" There was a momentary
pang at the dishonesty; he had a problem with Jason, a very definite
one, actually – David wished the other had never come back from wherever
he'd been before, or at least not come on this trip with them – but he
couldn't very well tell that to Tommy. Not when he was looking at him with
such hope-filled eyes.
"Dunno, man. All I do know is that I want you and
Jase to get along. I mean, until I found you, Jase was the only brother
I had … only he wasn't really, not like you are," the younger man confessed.
"Next to my folks, you two are the most important people in my life."
"That … that's great, thanks," David managed, at once
gratified that it should be so and intensely jealous that Jason should
be included. He was fine with being in one category with the Olivers; after
all, they were decent people, and the only parents Tommy had ever known.
But an outsider? The idea grated. However, David knew that after what Tommy
had just admitted, he had to keep quiet and hide his feelings. Casting
about for an innocuous way to do that without raising suspicion, he had
an idea.
"What about Kat, though? Isn't she your girlfriend
and should be included?" David knew he could handle that; the bonds
between man and woman were different from family. They took nothing away
from him.
Tommy blushed and smiled sheepishly.
"Well, yeah. But she's … different."
*Mainly, she's not Kim,* Tommy thought with
a small inward wince. He couldn't help it, but somehow, his relationship
with his lovely blonde teammate wasn't quite going the way he'd envisioned
it would. It was more than what he'd had with the petite gymnast, yet less
… and wholly confusing, especially as Tommy was well aware he was still
carrying a torch for Kimberly. However, this wasn't the point, and WAY
too complicated to go into now, even if only in his mind. With by-now practised
ease, he pushed the images of Kim back into a dark corner of his memories.
"Oh yeah?" David smirked, oblivious to his younger
sibling's thoughts. Tommy resisted the temptation to stick out his tongue.
"Prettier than both of you, anyway," he shot back,
with enough emphasis that it brought Jason to a halt. He waited until the
brothers caught up with him.
"Who is?" he asked curiously.
"Katherine," David answered succinctly. Doing a classic
double-take, Jason started to laugh. He affectionately punched Tommy's
shoulders as the three resumed their trek.
"I should hope so," he chuckled. "I love you to pieces,
Bro, but I do not want to date you!"
"Aww. And here I thought I could take you home, introduce
you to Mom and Dad next," Tommy mock-pouted, falling back into the easy
teasing he'd always enjoyed with Jason.
"Sorry, darling; the engagement's off," Jason simpered,
and the two broke into gales of laughter, leaving David nonplussed and
fuming quietly to himself. How dare Jason speak about love so lightly?
His flippancy was denigrating everything noble about that emotion, and
besides, why didn't Tommy defend his girlfriend? It was as if he was tacitly
accepting what seemed like a putdown of everything that was so desirable
to David … who was not aware that he didn't have all the facts, that he
was blinded by unreasoning resentment from seeing the deep affection between
Jason and Tommy beneath the banter. Jason may have spoken lightly about
loving Tommy, but that didn't make it any less true … and Tommy knew it
and returned the sentiment in full measure.
Or maybe it was just that David didn't want to see.
To Be Continued ...