Disclaimers: Characters are owned not be writer of this particular fan fiction. Please do not sue me for I'm definitely not making any money off of this story and this is for amusement only.
Warning: Rated NC-17 for content and language.
Note: The former rangers have moved on in their lives but are pulled back into the game by a little gift left behind from an old "friend." While they fight for their lives yet again, they learn more about each other.
Age check: Billy, Tommy, Jason, Zack-27. Adam, Aisha, Rocky, Trini, Kimberly-26. Katherine, Tonya-25.
Acknowledgements: This one is for Shawn (Ozmandayus), for all the encouragements he has given me and for inspiring me to do this story with all this great writing. Thanks! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Eight – Movements and Overtime
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April 22, 2002 – 8:97 p.m. Berlin Time
Local streets of Cracow
Crawcow Poland
Troops of all nations patrolled the streets quietly. People were afraid of not just the creatures that have killed but what appeared to be an invading army of all nations.
There were over two thousand men of all nationalities and shapes walking the streets in and around the area of Cracow, ready for anything that may spring up.
The quakes did not stop. If anything, they became more frequent, once every two or three hours.
The situation was looking grave but people had hope.
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April 22, 2202 – 8:56 p.m. Berlin Time
ISS Warsaw Headquarters – Agent Kimberly Hart's Quarters
Warsaw Poland
She sat there in front of the window. Her eyes blink and soulless. She was hurting, hurting badly.
Tommy sat on the bed, watching her, as he had been doing for sometime now. She didn't seem to have noticed that he had walked into her room without a by your leave. He watched her in silence and pain. Now was not the time to talk about their relationship. She needed time to heal.
"Kimberly?" He wanted to offer comfort though. She needed someone right now to take care of her. She was hurting and he was a friend.
She looked at him blankly for a moment. Nothing registered in her mind, not yet. It took a moment but her eyes warmed to his. "Hi, when did you come?"
"Couple of minutes ago." He got up and walked over to her. She looked sad, resigned. "Thought you might want some company."
She sighed and smiled, but it never reached her eyes. "Just thinking about everything that's happening."
"I know." He sat down beside her, wanting to take her into his arms but can't. "Tell me what I can do?"
Kimberly wanted to tell him to hold her, never let her go. She wanted to rip his clothes off and bury herself in his essence. She wanted to be his and only his. She wanted him. "Nothing right now. But things are going to get hairy soon, I can feel it in my bones." She shivered. It was the same feeling she had two years before in Hungry, the night she almost lost her life.
Tommy frowned and moved to take her into his arms. She was so slight, fragile to the touch. He didn't want to break her. He wanted to protect her. He wanted her. "Everything is going to be okay."
"How do we know?' Kimberly whispered against his chest. The feel of his arms around her felt better than anything else in the world. She wanted to stay like this forever. "We don't even know what we're up against."
"We will." Tommy wanted to give her whatever assurance she needed. He wanted to lie and give her everything. "Trini is working on it now. And as soon as the rover gets here, we'll send it in and have what we need to find out what's going on. And then we'll deal with it."
She nodded, feeling the cold steeping into her again. "Hold me, Tommy. I don't want to be alone."
He tightened his hold on her. "You are never going to be alone. Not as long as I'm around."
They sat in silence, in the darkened room. Both hoped but said nothing. It was enough to know what they had each other that very moment. It was enough for now.
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April 22, 2002 – 9:08 p.m. Berlin Time
ISS Warsaw Headquarters – Adam Park's Quarters
Warsaw Poland
"Aisha and Rocky, huh?" Tanya flopped over onto her stomach. "Mind if I asked why the sudden need to play cupid here?"
"Those two are idiots." Adam muttered as he sat down on the bed beside her. "Come on, you've seen them together before. They're just so blind to everything these days."
"So you want to push them along." Tanya raised an eyebrow at him.
"Won't you?" Adam said as he laid back. "I mean, Aisha ran to Boston to get away from her feelings. Won't it be nice if every one was back in Angel Grove?"
"So there is a selfish reason in there!" She teased with a laugh.
"Come on, you know what I mean." He grinned at her. "So?"
"I said I'd help didn't I?"
"Yeah, and….?"
"Tomorrow, we step up the plan." She grinned at him with her eyes twinkling. "How about we give Aisha a reason to really worry."
Adam's eyes reflected his amusement. "I like your devious mind."
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April 23, 2002 - 2:45 a.m. Berlin Time
ISS Warsaw Headquarters - Conference Room
Warsaw Poland
Jason looked over the floor plans again with a frown. Something wasn't quite right about the foundation plans. It was as if someone came along and purposely created an unstable base to work with. Looking through his notes, he found what he wanted. The house was set on a sloping mud hill. Bad place for a house, but still, it was workable if one knew what they were doing and wanted to take the risk.
Edward stood in the doorway for a moment and watched the man work. He was very much like Trini in that quiet moment. His mind focused on the work in front of him. The computer hummed softly and rather comfortably by his side. Edward could understand the man's protective nature, especially where Dr. Kwan was concerned. She was incredibly strong in many ways but so vulnerable in others. She brought out all kinds of protective nature in men. Must be a primitive instinct left over from the days when men hunt and women stayed home to cook and have children.
"You still up?" Edward said as he moved into the room.
Jason looked up. "Yeah, I'm waiting for Trini."
Eddie smiled. "Then grab another cup of coffee. She's just getting started."
Frowning with concern, he shook his head. "That woman!"
"You said it."
Jason smiled in reaction. "Listen, about this morning. I'm sorry, I was totally out of line."
"Forget it. You were worried about her. Can't blame you." Edward sat down across from the man and sighed. He was tired but sleep was eluding him tonight. "I can totally understand."
"Can you?" Jason asked as he put down the file.
"Sure, you're a man in love. It's only natural to want to protect the woman you're in love with." He smiled as he could see that he hit the bull in the eye. "I'm right, huh?"
"Yeah." Jason grinned happily. "So how'd you meet the girls?"
"Kimmy and I were partners when she first joined up. Even took a bullet for her about two years back. She got assigned to Glen Harding while I was resting up in the hospital. Two missions later, she brought in the doc." He sipped his coffee and absentmindedly rubbed the side of his stomach where the bullet had gone through. "We didn't recognize who Trini was back then, only that Kimmy had said that she was friend and helped defused the situation in Hungry."
"What happened to Glen?"
"Killed in the line of duty." He smiled in remembrance. "He and Kim, they were good together. But the assignment was a rough one and they should have sent in a more experienced team. Due to the nature of the assignment, they were supposed to check in every hour by the hour. When they missed two hours in a roll, Moscow team was ready to send in the troops. Biochemical stuff was real bad news. The director said to give them another hour. Kimmy called, said Glen was dead and that she picked up someone else. Shocked the hell out everyone. Background check was almost a must in the game." Edward laughed as he remembered the director cussing Kimberly out over the phone. "But Kimmy knew what she was doing and she got it done. Trini was brought in for debriefing and to do the check. Damn, did it ever throw the boys for a loop!"
Jason grinned in reaction. "I can just imagine."
"Trini was good though. Still is. She took no shit from anyone and did her job with regards to the innocents around her." Edward shook his head over the many times she and the directors went round for round over safety issues. "She scared the hell out of everyone though. Didn't have much respect for the rules when it came to doing her job. She did what she wanted and checked in with the people when she remembered."
"A real rogue?" Jason wanted to know. This was the first time he's heard anything about Trini's part in this particular organization.
"Gave the boys higher up more headaches than anyone else around."
"That bad?"
"Hell yeah." Edward laughed. "They keep threatening to fire her but never do. They can't afford to."
"Yeah, that's what I figured." Jason shook his head. He could easily imagine his mild mannered Trini doing what was necessary without regards to her own safety or the rules if it meant saving lives. That was his sweet giving wonderfully generous Trini. "So where are you originally from?"
"Me?" He looked up in surprised, pulling himself out from his reveries. "New York, New York. It sounded so nice, they named it twice."
Jason laughed. "Yeah?"
"Nice place if you can afford it." He leaned back into his chair. "My parents were bankers. Rich beyond imagination. Old money."
He nodded with understanding. "Must have been nice."
"I hated it. All the fake smiles, the stifling parties, the cutthroat business people. I just wanted all of them to shut the hell up. So I lit out the minute I could."
"Rebel?"
"Without a cause." He smiled. It was the first time in a long time he got to talk to anyone. "As nice as this is, you might want to go save the science team."
"Excuse me?"
"They're not going to sleep until Trini leaves. And I don't think Trini is leaving anytime soon. But others can't do what she does and still function correctly. Think you can talk her into going to bed?"
Jason nodded his head and stood up. "Yeah, I'll give it a good try." He turned to leave but turned back. "Thanks for sharing."
"Thanks for listening."
"And I'll have your house done before this is over."
"Yeah?" That was a surprise.
"Yeah. I think I know just what you want." They shared a moment of companionable silence.
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April 23, 2002 - 1:55 a.m. London Time
45 Clover Street - Emmerman Residence
London England
Karen Emmerman watched her husband with concern. The day had been long and full of pain, she could tell just by the look in his eyes. "Honey, come to bed."
"Can't sleep."
"How do you know unless you come to bed?" She pulled her robe on and walked over to stand by the window with him. "What's wrong?"
"The quakes in Poland."
She sighed. His work was beginning to affect him a lot more than before. "Everything will all right."
"You remember Dr. Trini Kwan?"
"Yeah," she remembered her well. A Nobel Prize winner in her home, what a treat!
"She's over there right now trying to figure out a way to stop this."
She frowned. It was the first time he's spoken with such concern. "She's virologist. Why would she...." Her eyes went wide. "It's not natural earthquakes, is it?"
He shook his head. She's never asked about his job, never needed to. He's never brought it home before. What he did was important, but important in a way that didn't include telling your beloved about it.
"Jonathan?"
"I want you to take the kids and go stay with your brother for a while."
"Jonathan?"
"No, Karen. Don't ask, I can't tell you. I just need you to do this."
Her eyes shown in the darkened room as she nodded her head. He's never asked her to do anything this seriously. "You come too?"
"No, I have to hold down the fort here." He kissed her wrinkled brows. "I'll be all right. We'll be together again."
She hugged him tight. It was the first time in their marriage that she truly wondered about him. She was scared but didn't show it. She would do this for the kids, for him.
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April 23, 2002 - 3:05 a.m. Berlin Time
ISS Warsaw Headquarters - Science Unit
Warsaw Poland
Trini chewed on the end of her pen. She looked over the list of things she had here. The shipment from Brazil was late due to the stop in Florida for the rover. She needed some of the stuff there, but she was still missing a few things. It was possible to find the stuff locally. If only....
Jason stopped at the end of the science unit encampment. Things were quieter now but the people hadn't gone to seek their beds yet. Tired, exhausted men and women milled around, working on things, tying up loose ends. Agent Van Bureau wasn't kidding. These people aren't going to leave until Trini does.
The science team was giving him curious looks as he walked among their ranks heading for Trini. She had her back to him and was busy scratching away at the note pad in front of her. Her long flowing handwriting covered most of the page. Other sheets of paper was scattered over the workbench. Her brows were wrinkled with concentration and contemplation. Something was troubling her. To her left she had a growing list of things to she would need at a later time.
"I thought all doctors were suppose to have illegible handwriting." Jason commented from just behind her left ear, and watched her jump.
"Don't do that!" She batted him with her hand then turned back to her notes. "What are you doing here?"
"Rescuing your poor science team." He glanced over his shoulder to see that they were now the center of everyone's attention.
"What?" distractedly.
"It's three in the morning." He said and waited until the pen paused to grab it out of her hand. "Time for bed."
"Can't," she said as she grabbed another pen from behind her right temple. "Got to figure out this formula so we can work on something to counter act the acidity in the tentacles."
"Can't it wait until tomorrow?"
"Well yes but.... Hey!" he grabbed the other pen out of her hand. "Jason!"
He put the pens in the back pocket and grabbed her wrist to keep her from trying to get them back. "It's three in the morning. You are tired. Your team looks ready for a few hours of sleep as well."
Trini looked over his shoulder and noted that the others did look worn out. "Go to bed guys. You're done for the day."
The science team looked at one another but no one made a move to go. Jason smiled in reaction. "They're not going anywhere until you leave."
"What?" She looked at him and then the others again. "Guys! Go. Bed. Sleep."
Jason looked over his shoulders again. No one moved a step. "See? Told you."
Trini blew out a breath and rolled her eyes. "Why?"
"Cause you are their head and the body doesn't sleep until the head does." Jason looked over at some of the men for confirmation. They nodded their agreement. "See?"
She sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Why do I feel like I'm being blackmailed here?"
"Cause you are." He smiled and reached for the pens again. Putting them on the worktable, he helped her out of her lab coat. "Come on, say good night to these nice people."
She glared at him and turned her head to look at the exhausted team of scientists. "Good night guys. I'll see tomorrow morning."
There was a chorus of good-nights as Jason escorted Trini out of the science unit. She could hear one of the female scientist whispered to another, "Won't mind someone like that putting me to bed. Course, I won't want to be sleeping." There were murmurs of agreement and Trini almost laughed.
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April 23, 2002 - 3:15 a.m. Berlin Time
ISS Warsaw Headquarters - Agent Kimberly Hart's Quarters
Warsaw Poland
Kimberly watched Tommy's sleeping face from across the pillow. He was so very beautiful. Peaceful in his sleep and so full of energy when he's awake. His long lashes fanned out under his eyes, those long lashes that gave his face just enough feminine touch to not make it too harsh in its masculinity.
Tommy stirred awake slowly, feeling the weight of Kimberly's eyes on him. She was quiet as she watched him open his eyes, completely fascinated with his face. She smiled back at him when he smiled at her. Those perfect lips curling into a sweet smile. She looked almost sixteen again, sweet and innocent.
They touched lips slowly. Innocently. Their relationship was still precarious, they both thought that. They will go slow. Slow was good. Slow was nice. Slow was going to drive both of them out of their minds. But if that's what it took to find their way back to each other, then it worth well.
Tommy held his breath as he pulled back. He had a feeling that he was going to need a lot of cold showers in the near future.
Kimberly let out a sigh and prayed that she had the patience. She didn't particularly like cold showers but they look to be the forecast for her near future.
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April 23, 2002 - 3:20 a.m. Berlin Time
Underground Caverns
Cracow Poland
The screaming finally stopped. It was silent for all of a minute before it started again, this time a man's voice. It was blood curling and horrible. The others could only cover their ears in a helpless gesture of protection from the horrifying sound.
The ground rumbled again. Another of the tentacled creatures appeared. There were six of them now. And three humans left.
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April 23, 2002 - 3:21 a.m. Berlin Time
ISS Warsaw Headquarters - Dr. Trini Kwan's Quarters
Warsaw Poland
"That was not exactly fair." Trini complained as she took off her shoes. "You blackmailed me."
"I didn't blackmail you." Jason said taking off his shirt. "You blackmailed yourself."
"What?"
"If you weren't so soft hearted, you could have easily kept those guys down there on overtime for another twenty hours before a mutiny ensues." Jason helped her undo the zipper on the back of her A-shaped tailored dress.
She looked at him as he's gone completely over the edge then shook her head and slipped out of the dress. "You know, that's what's wrong with you men, you always feel like you know what's best of us."
"No, my dear." He turned down the bed. "Just when you're in your scientist mode. Then you forget everything else but work. Workaholics, that's what they call people like you."
"We're not exactly on vacation here." Trini said getting underneath the sheets.
"Trini, nightshirt." Jason pointed to the garment laid on the bed.
"I don't want to wear it." She said as she patted the space next to her. "Besides, you're just going to take it off of me anyways."
He raised one amused brow at her. "I am?"
"Well yeah." She grinned at him unabashed. "Isn't that why you got me up here?"
Jason shook his head in exasperation and put on the pajama pants. "No darling. I got you up here to sleep." He got into bed and pulled the blanket up. If she didn't want to wear the nightshirt, she didn't have to.
She looked at him incredulously. "You don't want sex?"
He laughed and kissed her on the nose. "Trini, I'm a guy. Of course I want sex. But not tonight. Tonight, you sleep."
She watched him with a rather bemused expression as he turned and kill off the lights. "Jason, you serious?" She couldn't really believe it.
"Yes, and stop asking me." Jason reached over and pulled her down to lie next to him. She wiggled into place causing all kinds of pains for Jason. "And stop trying to make me regret it."
"What?" She said innocently.
He grunted in response.