All ranger stuff belongs to B.V.E., the rest is Gamine's idea, based on Legacy. No money is being made off this, and no actual rangers were harmed during filming (despite the following evidence to the contrary). Many thanks to my unnamed beta angel (Gamine) who saves my ass on a regular basis. This one was fun to write. Enjoy.
Adjusting Aji
Chapter 3 – the aftermath
"You're serious? Uh huh…. I'd love to. Yeah. Just let me know when. Okay!" Tommy laughingly hung up the phone and turned to meet Kim's inquiring gaze. "You'll never believe what just happened," he told her. "Aji asked me to be her 'honormaid' for her wedding to Jason."
"What!?!" Tommy was suddenly pelted by a small, brown haired missile as Kim tackled him.
Her questions all came out in a rush while she reached across him for the phone. "Omigosh! Did she say when? How did he ask her? Does she have a dress? Does she need any help? What did Jason say? Did he say anything?" He laughed and playfully held it out of her reach.
"I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I'm not sure, and no," he replied.
"Then give me the phone, goob!"
Kim kicked Tommy in the shins, and he went down as she tumbled across him and snatched the phone from his grip. "I have them on speed-dial. I'll just be a minute!" she smiled sweetly to her fiancé who was writhing on the floor in false agony.
"Abuse! Agony! I shouldn't marry you, you wench. You'll kill me if I accidentally step between you and your phone or your credit cards. Oh, the pain!"
"Sissy. Baby."
"All of that. You know, I'm not insured. It all goes to charity automatically when I die."
Kim stuck out her tongue at Tommy and grinned. The ringing over the line suddenly gave way to a loud but confusing conversation.
"No, I think I have it – hello? Hello? This is Aji and this… no Jason, it doesn't work. There's no visual."
"Give it here, hon. No, you've got it upside… no wonder you can't hear any… Aji, don't push that…*click*."
Tommy and Kim grinned at each other. "Sounds like Aji's still adjusting to life here."
"Well, it takes time. And shopping."
"Hmm. Your methods may be dubious, but I know better than to cross you. You'd break my arm."
"That's right! And you'll need both of them to hold Aji's bouquet." She giggled at her Tommy, picturing him in the bridesmaids dresses she'd picked out the day before. "Now keep quiet while I dial them again."
This time the phone was answered without too much ado, and Kim and Aji excitedly exchanged news. Tommy smiled, bemused, half listening to Kim chattering away happily into the phone, remembering Aji's tone when she asked him to be her honormaid. He knew what she meant, and knew how much it meant to him to be a part of her life. Light and Shadow, they had been, wholly distinct at times – merging softly one into the other at others, but not to be separated. You knew one by knowing the other. The absence of one left the other impossible to gauge. Now, as he was joining himself to Kim in marriage to celebrate their bond, he was deeply glad that Jason and Aji chose to celebrate it too.
"He did WHAT?!?!?!?!?" Kim's shriek pulled Tommy instantly out of his reverie. "That no-good, lousy, stinking… why I ought to… put that creep on the phone, Aj! NOW!"
Tommy leaned back into his chair and tried to become inconspicuous. Kim in a tirade was not to be interrupted. He felt sorry for Jason, though, whatever it was he'd done.
"Now YOU hear THIS, you unromantic slob! You did NOT travel across the galaxy to bring back your God-given, life-bound, TRUE LOVE to merely inform her that she and you are getting married. You GET your BUTT back there and you KNEEL YOUR ASS DOWN ON THE FLOOR and you TAKE HER HAND and put on your SWEETEST MOVES TO CHARM THE PANTS OFF OF HER AND SWEEP HER OF HER FEET OR I WILL PERSONALLY COME OVER THERE AND KICK YOUR SORRY ASS FROM HERE TO XERYA AND BACK MYSELF!!!!"
Good going, Jase, Tommy thought to himself. Smooth and cool, brother, that's you.
He hoped that Kim left enough of him for Aji to have something to marry.
"Now, Jason dear, put Aji back on the line, please," Kim's tone had reverted to her usual sweet self as if a switch had been flipped. Jason glumly handed the phone back to a concerned-looking Aji.
"But Jason, I could hear yelling. What's the matter?"
Jason slumped down onto the bed and pointed to the receiver. "Ask decibel-girl."
"What?" Aji put the phone to her ear. "Kim, what's wrong? What has happened? Why is Jason so upset? You were happy a moment ago. Why did you yell at Jason?"
Tommy, from his end of the conversation, watched Kim bristle once more. In a voice that was controlled, barely, Kim expounded point by point for several minutes how Jason's thumb-fingered handling of the proposal violated everything a woman from earth would expect – no, demand – as her right and due for a properly executed wedding. And until Jason did it right….
"…you can't marry him."
Tommy sat bolt upright, not believing his ears. His Kim, his darling, beloved, angel-sweet Kim, was telling Aji not to marry Jason until he backed up his clumsy proposal with actions more to her liking. Tommy winced. She'd hold him to it, too. It seemed she already was.
Aji solemnly hung up the phone. She stared out the window a brief beat, and sighed as if suddenly very tired. She turned slowly, reluctantly, to Jason. "I can't marry you. Kim says 'not until you change your wicked ways and do it like you ought to have done in the first place and treat me like the princess I deserve to be on my wedding day.'" She sighed again. "I am not sure what all that means, Jason, but if it is this important, I will abide by earth's customs. I want to do things right here. For you. For our friends. We've got a lifetime to live, and I won't start it badly."
"She what?"
"That is what she said."
"I… she… she just…." Jason seemed to develop a twitch in his right eye, just at the corner. It was if he'd blown a fuse. "After what she just said…. Now she thinks she can…. AAARRRGGGHHH!!!"
"Now, Jason…" began Aji.
Jason leveled his dark gaze on his moment-ago fiancée. "Just give me my keys. I'm going to have a little talk with Kimberly."