The Second Chances Saga: Chapter 8: Cleaning up the messes
Fandom: Power Rangers/ Alternate Universes (duh!)
Notes: This story takes place before they lose the Dinozords. Zack has
moved to Iowa, and Adam took his place. There was no Peace Conference. It
is loosely based on Karen Davis' BLUE YONDER, (I guess it's one of the five
universes Jason never made it to.) and that concept is used with her
permission. Timeline is modern as opposed to a few years in the past.
There
Disclaimers: I don't own the Power Rangers, Zordon, Zords, Angel Grove, Ernie's or any of Saban's other properties. If I did, I can guarantee you it wouldn't be a kiddie show. I also don't own Storm Quest, Temblor or the Time Shard. They belong to my buddies over at Sky Comics. (Joe- Just be glad I left Seeker alone-) The rest is all from my own twisted mind, and that of my best friend Kim Nichols-Hornbuckle. This is slash fiction. If you don't like guys in love with each other- run as far and as fast as you can. I'm always open to constructive criticism. I can be reached at cobalt- blue@rocketmail.com
Author's Note: There are so many good fiction pieces I've been reading in this fandom lately that I've found myself becoming a regular little thief. This piece started out as a companion piece to Karen Davis' BLUE YONDER// FAIRER THAN DEATH and pretty much uses most of what she's established there as its premise. However, I've also integrated several events from other writers as well, including Dagmar Buse (My student's LOVED Perfectly Good Reasons) and Serendipity. So I'm afraid all the lovely ladies are going to have to get in line lynch me.
Jason shook his head as he looked at the devastation shown on the holotank in the Command Center. Fortunately, most of the attack was limited to the Grant Center area of Angel Grove, a section of the city that was in desperate need of renovation anyway. As bad as things were, they were nowhere nearly as bad as they could have been. Most of the damage was to condemned buildings and rundown tenements that should be condemned. Ms. Hayes was sitting beside him shaking her head, "I haven't seen this kind of property damage since Dad and Ragnarok went toe to toe in DC."
"Huh?" Jason asked.
Ms. Hayes turned and faced him, "It was something that happened in my world. Let's just say when my Dad was forced out of retirement, half the city was damaged."
Jase smiled, "It must have been strange growing up the daughter of a superhero."
Winter smiled, "I don't know. It's all I ever knew, so I don't really have anything to compare it with." She zoomed into the area around the devastation where EMS services were having difficulty in controlling the fires. Standing up she said grimly, "We'll help."
"What?" Jason asked.
"We helped make the mess, the least we can do is help clean it up." Turning, she looked at him, "Take Tommy, Adam and Kimberly, down to the docks along with your 'zords and help move that rubble onto the barges. Use the scanners on the 'zords to find out if anybody is trapped in those collapsed buildings."
Jase felt himself smile. Zordon had never allowed them to use the 'zords to help cleanup after trashing a section of downtown. Nor had he ever allowed them to assist in the hunt for survivors, it was considered too much of a threat their secret identities. "Yes ma'am!"
Hayes smiled at him and put a hand on his shoulder, "That's one of the things that I did learn from my dad. Being a hero is more than fighting monsters. It's doing what you can to help ease pain and suffering, and taking the responsibility for that when you cause it, intentionally or not." Then she gave him a wink, "Besides, it'll keep Adam's mind off the infirmary."
Jason grinned at her, "You're a very wicked woman Ms. Hayes." Then thinking of what shed told him, he continued, "One of these days you're going to have to sit down and tell me about your dad, uh dads."
She smiled at him as he exited the room to find the others. Just before leaving he heard her say, "I think I'd like that, Jason. I think I'd like that very much."
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Billy glanced up at the readouts on the diagnostic bed. According to the readings, the Power was slowly healing the Yellow Ranger, but it was going to take a while. Although his armor protected him from most of the blast that hit the Raccoonzord, enough of an electrical charge got through that Kyle was severely burned and there was a chance of slight neurological damage.
Shaking his head, he sat down next to the raven-haired boy's bed, and waited. It was all he could do for now, sit, wait, and monitor. He understood that there was probably someone else out there who'd rather be in here, but everyone understood that he was the best qualified to monitor the situation. To be honest, he'd rather be out there with Jason, but he had a duty, a duty to the Rangers, a duty to his commander, and a duty to his new friend. He was going to fulfill that duty no matter what.
He also had a sneaking suspicion about what was going on in Kyle's head. He hoped to heaven that he was wrong, but there was still a nagging doubt, and he intended to find out if it was true or not. So, he sat back in the chair, a book in hand, and waited for his friend to come around.
Several hours later, Kyle groaned slightly, raised a hand to his head, and seemed immediately to regret it. Billy stood, checked the readouts and waited for the boy to open his eyes. "I would ask how you feel, but that is information I can easily ascertain from looking at your face."
"Cranston, did anyone ever tell you that you have a lousy bedside manner?" Kyle joked.
Billy smiled at him, "On occasion. However, they tell me that I'm an even worse patient."
Kyle smiled weakly, "No doubt."
"What happened out there?" Billy asked carefully, "Kimberly said that you'd drained all your 'zord's defenses to take out the Kregar walkers."
He watched as Kyle slowly remembered what had happened out there. He'd been pretty stupid, and it had nearly cost him his life, "I figured I'd take out as many as I could before I went down."
Billy gave him a long look trying to bore past those sky blue eyes to the truth beneath them. "You were expecting to die in that fight weren't you?" he asked neutrally.
Kyle shrugged nonchalantly and said, "It was a possibility." He tried to sit up in bed.
Billy pushed him gently back down, "Lay back down, Farmboy." He sighed. "I'm going to tell you something that if it ever leaves this room, I'll know it was you, and I'll reprogram the Morphin' grid to drop you somewhere in the Arctic nude and with nothing but a sock full of pennies." Kyle started to protest, but Billy cut him off.
Taking a deep breath, he began. "When I was ten years old, I was miserable. My mother had died the year before, and my dad wasn't in very good shape himself. Fourth grade had been a nightmare. I had lost my mom, I spent a eight weeks in care with my uncle- which is something I DO NOT wish to discuss- while my dad recovered, and had been beaten up at least once a week at school. That summer I found out that I would be transferring to another school due to redistricting in our neighborhood and THAT was the only reason I had for going on. The hope that things might would get better at Blue Spring at least gave me some hope. I had been wrong, and I knew it from the first week."
"What's all this got to do with me?" Kyle asked.
"Just shut up and listen, Kyle." Billy told the other boy irritably. "I have only ever told one other person about this, but I think it's something you need to hear."
Kyle leaned back and Billy could see just a little shock in his friend's eyes, "Okay."
"Anyway, life was a living hell for me at that time. I was hurting because of my mom's death," Billy fought back the pain those memories brought. Pausing long enough to regain some semblance of control to his voice he continued, "My dad wasn't much help, he'd withdrawn into his own pain, and could barely do what was necessary to keep us going financially and physically. Mind you, it wasn't that he didn't care, he just didn't have the strength to do anything more than what he was doing. He was on medication for depression and seeing a therapist at the time trying to cope with what happened. I knew that I was the only reason he hadn't gone on to join her."
Billy paused in his narration to gather his thoughts. Having this discussion with Jason right after being thrown off the Kingsley building was one thing. Telling it to someone whom he'd known for such a short time was not usually his way of dealing with things, but he thought that Kyle needed to hear it. He began again, "It wasn't so much that I wanted to die, I just didn't want to be alive anymore. After that first week, I had plans of cleaning out my desk that Friday, going home and taking an overdose of sleeping pills."
He watched Kyle start to protest, but something he must have seen in Billy's eyes stopped him. "Anyway, on my way home, I got cornered by about half a dozen sixth graders. Normally, I could outrun them- I may have been small then but I was fast, but this time I didn't even try." He shrugged and tried to put his feelings into words. Try as he might, he could not dredge up what he felt as a ten year old. He wasn't the same boy anymore and the emotions that had made him so desperate then weren't inside him anymore. "I figured that if I let them kick me to death, I'd save my dad the extra grief of his son committing suicide."
"Billy, that's." Kyle seemed to be a loss for words.
"I said, be quiet, Farm boy," he joked before continuing. His next few memories, although somewhat more pleasant were still choked with emotion. "All of a sudden, this red whirlwind of punches and kicks came out of nowhere screaming like a banshee." Billy laughed at the image in his mind, "I guess a lot of what I remember of those events is colored by what I feel now, but at the time it seemed almost supernatural. It was like a god had come down from Olympus to save me. A god dressed in red with eyes like midnight. In a very short time the six big kids were on the run, and Jason was seeing if I was all right." He sighed at remembering those serious eyes as they sought to help him in his darkest hour. "He took me home and introduced me to his mom, who immediately administered first aid and brownies, and then called my dad to make sure it was okay if I had dinner with them. Not long after that, I met Zack, and Trini- I already knew of Kim, and we all became friends." He sighed, "we all had quite a few adventures after that, including a brief stay in detention, that if you want to know about you'll have to ask Kimberly. It was all a big understanding and we all had perfectly good reasons for being there, but those adventures were nothing like what we're living now. Anyway, Jason saved my life," he paused and added, "and my soul, that day. Kimberly saved your life today. Don't let your soul go too. We need you, and oddly enough, we're starting to love you. Don't take yourself away from us yet."
"I'm not sure I understand what you're telling me, Billy," Kyle told him, but his tone indicated to Billy that at least some of what he was trying to say got through.
Billy sighed, "I'm trying to tell you that no matter how dark you may think things might be right now, don't take yourself out of the game just yet. You never know what the next hand might hold."
"And what if I keep getting the same lousy deal?" Kyle asked him.
"Then you've got friends who'll re-deal the hand for you." Billy told him calmly.
"Billy, I screwed up my life in Kentucky and got somebody I cared about killed. Now I'm making the same mistakes again."
"What that kiss you and Adam were sharing?" Billy asked.
Kyle nodded, "I wouldn't worry too much about it. I think everybody was too distracted by. . .," Billy knew he was blushing at the memories of what had transpired earlier in the Command Center, ". . .other things."
"Oh, the fact that you and Jason were primin' each other's pumps when you got teleported in?" Kyle kidded him in that strangely musical Appalachian accent of his.
"Colorfully expressed, but essentially yes," Billy told him. Then remembering the other two boy's positions on the floor, another thought occurred to him. If Adam was on top, it was hard to imagine the Black Ranger wanting to resist anything that might have happened. "Did Adam say no? Did he indicate that he might have wanted you to stop? Based on what I saw, it was a pretty mutual exchange of affection going on between you two." Kyle started to protest but again Billy cut him off, "Just think about two things for me. Adam seemed to be enjoying what was happening as much as you were. Talk to him about it. You may be pleasantly surprised at what he has to say. I know I was about what Jason had to say."
Kyle nodded and said, "I will." A long silence passed between the two of them, before he finally asked, "and the second thing?"
Billy smiled at him, "If you take yourself out of this world and end up hurting my friend Adam in the process, I'll be very upset with you." Pushing the raven-haired boy back onto the bed he told him. "Now you get some sleep, and when you wake up, I'll make sure you've got some dinner." Winking at him, "I'll even make sure someone else prepares it, God only knows my cooking probably WOULD kill you."
Kyle leaned back into the bed, "Thanks Cranston."
Billy left the room smiling, "Just don't make a habit of it, Kerry."
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"How's he doing?" Tommy could hear the worry in Adam's voice as they reentered the Command Center. Cleanup had taken less time than any of them had anticipated. After all, a 'Zord capable of smashing a building can be useful in cleaning up one that has been smashed. They'd also been able to find several people who'd been trapped in the rubble by using the advanced sensor suites on the 'zords. All in all, it had been a good day, if an exhausting one.
Billy looked up at them as they all gathered around for an update. "He's eating, now."
"Not your cooking, I hope," Jason protested.
Billy shook his head and smiled, "No. I asked the new Black Ranger to prepare a meal for him." He turned to Adam, "You're friend Rocky is actually very good at the culinary arts."
"Rocky is one of the new Rangers?" Adam asked shocked. Billy nodded, and Tommy watched the interplay of emotions across the young Korean boy's face.
"Cool," Adam smiled, "I always hated hiding the fact that I'm a Power Ranger from him. Turning back to Billy Adam asked, "Can I see him?"
Tommy watched the Blue Ranger's eyes twinkle as he told Adam, "Sure, he's cleaning up the dishes after cooking."
Adam stopped a second, before he realized who Billy meant, "Not Rocky, you jerk!"
Billy laughed, "Sure. Go on in." His voice suddenly became serious, "I think you two have a lot to discuss." But Tommy noticed that Billy didn't yet move from in front of the door. "But before you do, I want a word with you," looking over at Tommy, Jase, and Kimberly he added, "alone."
Tommy put an arm around Kimberly and smiled at Jase, "I think I liked your boyfriend better when he wasn't quite so pushy."
He watched as Jase looked questioningly back over his shoulder, "I'm not sure I don't agree with you."
"Woah there, Jase," Tommy reached out and stopped Jase, "what do you mean by that?"
Jason shrugged, "nothing really. It's just this is a side of him, I'm not used to seeing. I like it, but I keep expecting him go back to the way he was before we died."
"It's probably not going to happen, Jason," Mrs. Hayes said as they entered the main Power Chamber.
"How do you know?" Tommy asked this woman who seemed to know more about them than he was entirely comfortable with.
She shrugged, "You guys have spent a lot of time trying to get him to come out of his shell. You did a good job, but now he's got to finish coming out on his own." She smiled at Jason and winked, "To paraphrase a line from a Susan Sarandon song, "he's tasted blood and he wants more."
"Huh?" Jason asked, although Tommy thought he understood.
"You," Tommy told him. "Most of his life, he's seen you as some kind of unattainable goal. Now he's got you, and that's given him the confidence to start asking for other things he wants."
"Like what?" Jason asked.
"Respect, recognition for his accomplishments," Tommy continued. "Think of it as his next belt, Jase. With each belt, his level of confidence increases." He shook his head, "Don't misunderstand me, he's probably not going to suddenly become Joe Cool, and his personality really isn't going to change all that much. He is going to start going after things he wants though, and that's a good thing."
Kimberly smiled at him, "Looks like your Little Bro is growing up. I'd say you should look for him to start dressing a little nicer, paying closer attention to how he looks, that kind of thing."
"Why?" Jason asked.
Kimberly smiled and punched her old friend in the shoulder, something Tommy understood that she rarely did, "For you silly. He's trying to make sure you notice him, pay attention to him, still love him."
"Of course I notice him," Jase told her. "I pay attention to him." Tommy heard something in his old friends voice that warmed him all the way to his bones, "and I'll never stop loving him. It took me a long time to realize what kind of love it was, but I'm not about to let it get away from me now that I know."
Tommy should have seen the setup coming. Jason could be forgiven, he'd been distracted by Billy lately, Tommy felt he had no excuse for not recognizing the neat little trap his girlfriend had set for them. She smiled sweetly, bounced over to the Red Ranger and kissed him lightly on the cheek before saying, "Then ask him to the Fall Mixer." She turned and batted her eyes at Tommy then, and he knew he was sunk. "I'd love the chance to take him shopping for a new suit for it."
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Billy had given him a lot to consider, and knowing that Kyle was at least capable of committing suicide in the past worried him even more. By his own admission he'd walked into the first fight looking to die. Adam entered the room where Kyle was finishing his meal. Noticing how much better the Yellow Ranger looked now, than when Kim had brought him into the Command Center, all burned and ashen faced, Adam smiled to himself. "Hey Farmboy, how're you feeling?"
Kyle looked back over at him and smiled, "Like I just went ten rounds with Tyson."
Adam grinned back at him and checked the sides of Kyle's head, "Nah, can't be. You still got both ears."
They both chuckled, and Adam sat down, "You scared me, Kyle. Don't do that again."
"I didn't mean to," Kyle said.
Adam gave him a long steady look, and reached out and took the raven- haired boy's hand, "Good, because you and I have some unfinished business."
"Such as?" Kyle asked him warily. Adam could tell the other boy was concerned about what had happened yesterday.
Adam wasn't sure why he answered the way he did, maybe it was lack of sleep, maybe it was because he thought it might be funny, or maybe it was just to prove a point. He said, "This," and then he leaned over and gently kissed Kyle on the lips. He noticed with some satisfaction that the tempo of the heart monitor's beeps increased dramatically, and there was a slight rise in the pale yellow blanket covering Kyle as he stood back up.
"Do that again, and we'll have 'Doctor' Cranston," in here checking on us," Kyle joked.
"And I'll toss him out on his kiester," Adam smile back before sitting down in the chair. "Look Kyle," Adam began, "Up until recently, I really didn't have a whole lot of interest in romance, sex, girls, OR boys. To be honest with you, the whole idea seemed like it was too messy, and a whole lot more energy than it was worth." He sighed, "But my talks with you lately have made me realize that maybe I was wrong. Maybe I am interested in somebody," he gave Kyle a knowing look.
"And you think that somebody is me?" Kyle asked him neutrally.
Adam swallowed and nodded before barely whispering, "yes."
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Disclaimers: I don't own the Power Rangers, Zordon, Zords, Angel Grove, Ernie's or any of Saban's other properties. If I did, I can guarantee you it wouldn't be a kiddie show. I also don't own Storm Quest, Temblor or the Time Shard. They belong to my buddies over at Sky Comics. (Joe- Just be glad I left Seeker alone-) The rest is all from my own twisted mind, and that of my best friend Kim Nichols-Hornbuckle. This is slash fiction. If you don't like guys in love with each other- run as far and as fast as you can. I'm always open to constructive criticism. I can be reached at cobalt- blue@rocketmail.com
Author's Note: There are so many good fiction pieces I've been reading in this fandom lately that I've found myself becoming a regular little thief. This piece started out as a companion piece to Karen Davis' BLUE YONDER// FAIRER THAN DEATH and pretty much uses most of what she's established there as its premise. However, I've also integrated several events from other writers as well, including Dagmar Buse (My student's LOVED Perfectly Good Reasons) and Serendipity. So I'm afraid all the lovely ladies are going to have to get in line lynch me.
Jason shook his head as he looked at the devastation shown on the holotank in the Command Center. Fortunately, most of the attack was limited to the Grant Center area of Angel Grove, a section of the city that was in desperate need of renovation anyway. As bad as things were, they were nowhere nearly as bad as they could have been. Most of the damage was to condemned buildings and rundown tenements that should be condemned. Ms. Hayes was sitting beside him shaking her head, "I haven't seen this kind of property damage since Dad and Ragnarok went toe to toe in DC."
"Huh?" Jason asked.
Ms. Hayes turned and faced him, "It was something that happened in my world. Let's just say when my Dad was forced out of retirement, half the city was damaged."
Jase smiled, "It must have been strange growing up the daughter of a superhero."
Winter smiled, "I don't know. It's all I ever knew, so I don't really have anything to compare it with." She zoomed into the area around the devastation where EMS services were having difficulty in controlling the fires. Standing up she said grimly, "We'll help."
"What?" Jason asked.
"We helped make the mess, the least we can do is help clean it up." Turning, she looked at him, "Take Tommy, Adam and Kimberly, down to the docks along with your 'zords and help move that rubble onto the barges. Use the scanners on the 'zords to find out if anybody is trapped in those collapsed buildings."
Jase felt himself smile. Zordon had never allowed them to use the 'zords to help cleanup after trashing a section of downtown. Nor had he ever allowed them to assist in the hunt for survivors, it was considered too much of a threat their secret identities. "Yes ma'am!"
Hayes smiled at him and put a hand on his shoulder, "That's one of the things that I did learn from my dad. Being a hero is more than fighting monsters. It's doing what you can to help ease pain and suffering, and taking the responsibility for that when you cause it, intentionally or not." Then she gave him a wink, "Besides, it'll keep Adam's mind off the infirmary."
Jason grinned at her, "You're a very wicked woman Ms. Hayes." Then thinking of what shed told him, he continued, "One of these days you're going to have to sit down and tell me about your dad, uh dads."
She smiled at him as he exited the room to find the others. Just before leaving he heard her say, "I think I'd like that, Jason. I think I'd like that very much."
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Billy glanced up at the readouts on the diagnostic bed. According to the readings, the Power was slowly healing the Yellow Ranger, but it was going to take a while. Although his armor protected him from most of the blast that hit the Raccoonzord, enough of an electrical charge got through that Kyle was severely burned and there was a chance of slight neurological damage.
Shaking his head, he sat down next to the raven-haired boy's bed, and waited. It was all he could do for now, sit, wait, and monitor. He understood that there was probably someone else out there who'd rather be in here, but everyone understood that he was the best qualified to monitor the situation. To be honest, he'd rather be out there with Jason, but he had a duty, a duty to the Rangers, a duty to his commander, and a duty to his new friend. He was going to fulfill that duty no matter what.
He also had a sneaking suspicion about what was going on in Kyle's head. He hoped to heaven that he was wrong, but there was still a nagging doubt, and he intended to find out if it was true or not. So, he sat back in the chair, a book in hand, and waited for his friend to come around.
Several hours later, Kyle groaned slightly, raised a hand to his head, and seemed immediately to regret it. Billy stood, checked the readouts and waited for the boy to open his eyes. "I would ask how you feel, but that is information I can easily ascertain from looking at your face."
"Cranston, did anyone ever tell you that you have a lousy bedside manner?" Kyle joked.
Billy smiled at him, "On occasion. However, they tell me that I'm an even worse patient."
Kyle smiled weakly, "No doubt."
"What happened out there?" Billy asked carefully, "Kimberly said that you'd drained all your 'zord's defenses to take out the Kregar walkers."
He watched as Kyle slowly remembered what had happened out there. He'd been pretty stupid, and it had nearly cost him his life, "I figured I'd take out as many as I could before I went down."
Billy gave him a long look trying to bore past those sky blue eyes to the truth beneath them. "You were expecting to die in that fight weren't you?" he asked neutrally.
Kyle shrugged nonchalantly and said, "It was a possibility." He tried to sit up in bed.
Billy pushed him gently back down, "Lay back down, Farmboy." He sighed. "I'm going to tell you something that if it ever leaves this room, I'll know it was you, and I'll reprogram the Morphin' grid to drop you somewhere in the Arctic nude and with nothing but a sock full of pennies." Kyle started to protest, but Billy cut him off.
Taking a deep breath, he began. "When I was ten years old, I was miserable. My mother had died the year before, and my dad wasn't in very good shape himself. Fourth grade had been a nightmare. I had lost my mom, I spent a eight weeks in care with my uncle- which is something I DO NOT wish to discuss- while my dad recovered, and had been beaten up at least once a week at school. That summer I found out that I would be transferring to another school due to redistricting in our neighborhood and THAT was the only reason I had for going on. The hope that things might would get better at Blue Spring at least gave me some hope. I had been wrong, and I knew it from the first week."
"What's all this got to do with me?" Kyle asked.
"Just shut up and listen, Kyle." Billy told the other boy irritably. "I have only ever told one other person about this, but I think it's something you need to hear."
Kyle leaned back and Billy could see just a little shock in his friend's eyes, "Okay."
"Anyway, life was a living hell for me at that time. I was hurting because of my mom's death," Billy fought back the pain those memories brought. Pausing long enough to regain some semblance of control to his voice he continued, "My dad wasn't much help, he'd withdrawn into his own pain, and could barely do what was necessary to keep us going financially and physically. Mind you, it wasn't that he didn't care, he just didn't have the strength to do anything more than what he was doing. He was on medication for depression and seeing a therapist at the time trying to cope with what happened. I knew that I was the only reason he hadn't gone on to join her."
Billy paused in his narration to gather his thoughts. Having this discussion with Jason right after being thrown off the Kingsley building was one thing. Telling it to someone whom he'd known for such a short time was not usually his way of dealing with things, but he thought that Kyle needed to hear it. He began again, "It wasn't so much that I wanted to die, I just didn't want to be alive anymore. After that first week, I had plans of cleaning out my desk that Friday, going home and taking an overdose of sleeping pills."
He watched Kyle start to protest, but something he must have seen in Billy's eyes stopped him. "Anyway, on my way home, I got cornered by about half a dozen sixth graders. Normally, I could outrun them- I may have been small then but I was fast, but this time I didn't even try." He shrugged and tried to put his feelings into words. Try as he might, he could not dredge up what he felt as a ten year old. He wasn't the same boy anymore and the emotions that had made him so desperate then weren't inside him anymore. "I figured that if I let them kick me to death, I'd save my dad the extra grief of his son committing suicide."
"Billy, that's." Kyle seemed to be a loss for words.
"I said, be quiet, Farm boy," he joked before continuing. His next few memories, although somewhat more pleasant were still choked with emotion. "All of a sudden, this red whirlwind of punches and kicks came out of nowhere screaming like a banshee." Billy laughed at the image in his mind, "I guess a lot of what I remember of those events is colored by what I feel now, but at the time it seemed almost supernatural. It was like a god had come down from Olympus to save me. A god dressed in red with eyes like midnight. In a very short time the six big kids were on the run, and Jason was seeing if I was all right." He sighed at remembering those serious eyes as they sought to help him in his darkest hour. "He took me home and introduced me to his mom, who immediately administered first aid and brownies, and then called my dad to make sure it was okay if I had dinner with them. Not long after that, I met Zack, and Trini- I already knew of Kim, and we all became friends." He sighed, "we all had quite a few adventures after that, including a brief stay in detention, that if you want to know about you'll have to ask Kimberly. It was all a big understanding and we all had perfectly good reasons for being there, but those adventures were nothing like what we're living now. Anyway, Jason saved my life," he paused and added, "and my soul, that day. Kimberly saved your life today. Don't let your soul go too. We need you, and oddly enough, we're starting to love you. Don't take yourself away from us yet."
"I'm not sure I understand what you're telling me, Billy," Kyle told him, but his tone indicated to Billy that at least some of what he was trying to say got through.
Billy sighed, "I'm trying to tell you that no matter how dark you may think things might be right now, don't take yourself out of the game just yet. You never know what the next hand might hold."
"And what if I keep getting the same lousy deal?" Kyle asked him.
"Then you've got friends who'll re-deal the hand for you." Billy told him calmly.
"Billy, I screwed up my life in Kentucky and got somebody I cared about killed. Now I'm making the same mistakes again."
"What that kiss you and Adam were sharing?" Billy asked.
Kyle nodded, "I wouldn't worry too much about it. I think everybody was too distracted by. . .," Billy knew he was blushing at the memories of what had transpired earlier in the Command Center, ". . .other things."
"Oh, the fact that you and Jason were primin' each other's pumps when you got teleported in?" Kyle kidded him in that strangely musical Appalachian accent of his.
"Colorfully expressed, but essentially yes," Billy told him. Then remembering the other two boy's positions on the floor, another thought occurred to him. If Adam was on top, it was hard to imagine the Black Ranger wanting to resist anything that might have happened. "Did Adam say no? Did he indicate that he might have wanted you to stop? Based on what I saw, it was a pretty mutual exchange of affection going on between you two." Kyle started to protest but again Billy cut him off, "Just think about two things for me. Adam seemed to be enjoying what was happening as much as you were. Talk to him about it. You may be pleasantly surprised at what he has to say. I know I was about what Jason had to say."
Kyle nodded and said, "I will." A long silence passed between the two of them, before he finally asked, "and the second thing?"
Billy smiled at him, "If you take yourself out of this world and end up hurting my friend Adam in the process, I'll be very upset with you." Pushing the raven-haired boy back onto the bed he told him. "Now you get some sleep, and when you wake up, I'll make sure you've got some dinner." Winking at him, "I'll even make sure someone else prepares it, God only knows my cooking probably WOULD kill you."
Kyle leaned back into the bed, "Thanks Cranston."
Billy left the room smiling, "Just don't make a habit of it, Kerry."
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"How's he doing?" Tommy could hear the worry in Adam's voice as they reentered the Command Center. Cleanup had taken less time than any of them had anticipated. After all, a 'Zord capable of smashing a building can be useful in cleaning up one that has been smashed. They'd also been able to find several people who'd been trapped in the rubble by using the advanced sensor suites on the 'zords. All in all, it had been a good day, if an exhausting one.
Billy looked up at them as they all gathered around for an update. "He's eating, now."
"Not your cooking, I hope," Jason protested.
Billy shook his head and smiled, "No. I asked the new Black Ranger to prepare a meal for him." He turned to Adam, "You're friend Rocky is actually very good at the culinary arts."
"Rocky is one of the new Rangers?" Adam asked shocked. Billy nodded, and Tommy watched the interplay of emotions across the young Korean boy's face.
"Cool," Adam smiled, "I always hated hiding the fact that I'm a Power Ranger from him. Turning back to Billy Adam asked, "Can I see him?"
Tommy watched the Blue Ranger's eyes twinkle as he told Adam, "Sure, he's cleaning up the dishes after cooking."
Adam stopped a second, before he realized who Billy meant, "Not Rocky, you jerk!"
Billy laughed, "Sure. Go on in." His voice suddenly became serious, "I think you two have a lot to discuss." But Tommy noticed that Billy didn't yet move from in front of the door. "But before you do, I want a word with you," looking over at Tommy, Jase, and Kimberly he added, "alone."
Tommy put an arm around Kimberly and smiled at Jase, "I think I liked your boyfriend better when he wasn't quite so pushy."
He watched as Jase looked questioningly back over his shoulder, "I'm not sure I don't agree with you."
"Woah there, Jase," Tommy reached out and stopped Jase, "what do you mean by that?"
Jason shrugged, "nothing really. It's just this is a side of him, I'm not used to seeing. I like it, but I keep expecting him go back to the way he was before we died."
"It's probably not going to happen, Jason," Mrs. Hayes said as they entered the main Power Chamber.
"How do you know?" Tommy asked this woman who seemed to know more about them than he was entirely comfortable with.
She shrugged, "You guys have spent a lot of time trying to get him to come out of his shell. You did a good job, but now he's got to finish coming out on his own." She smiled at Jason and winked, "To paraphrase a line from a Susan Sarandon song, "he's tasted blood and he wants more."
"Huh?" Jason asked, although Tommy thought he understood.
"You," Tommy told him. "Most of his life, he's seen you as some kind of unattainable goal. Now he's got you, and that's given him the confidence to start asking for other things he wants."
"Like what?" Jason asked.
"Respect, recognition for his accomplishments," Tommy continued. "Think of it as his next belt, Jase. With each belt, his level of confidence increases." He shook his head, "Don't misunderstand me, he's probably not going to suddenly become Joe Cool, and his personality really isn't going to change all that much. He is going to start going after things he wants though, and that's a good thing."
Kimberly smiled at him, "Looks like your Little Bro is growing up. I'd say you should look for him to start dressing a little nicer, paying closer attention to how he looks, that kind of thing."
"Why?" Jason asked.
Kimberly smiled and punched her old friend in the shoulder, something Tommy understood that she rarely did, "For you silly. He's trying to make sure you notice him, pay attention to him, still love him."
"Of course I notice him," Jase told her. "I pay attention to him." Tommy heard something in his old friends voice that warmed him all the way to his bones, "and I'll never stop loving him. It took me a long time to realize what kind of love it was, but I'm not about to let it get away from me now that I know."
Tommy should have seen the setup coming. Jason could be forgiven, he'd been distracted by Billy lately, Tommy felt he had no excuse for not recognizing the neat little trap his girlfriend had set for them. She smiled sweetly, bounced over to the Red Ranger and kissed him lightly on the cheek before saying, "Then ask him to the Fall Mixer." She turned and batted her eyes at Tommy then, and he knew he was sunk. "I'd love the chance to take him shopping for a new suit for it."
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Billy had given him a lot to consider, and knowing that Kyle was at least capable of committing suicide in the past worried him even more. By his own admission he'd walked into the first fight looking to die. Adam entered the room where Kyle was finishing his meal. Noticing how much better the Yellow Ranger looked now, than when Kim had brought him into the Command Center, all burned and ashen faced, Adam smiled to himself. "Hey Farmboy, how're you feeling?"
Kyle looked back over at him and smiled, "Like I just went ten rounds with Tyson."
Adam grinned back at him and checked the sides of Kyle's head, "Nah, can't be. You still got both ears."
They both chuckled, and Adam sat down, "You scared me, Kyle. Don't do that again."
"I didn't mean to," Kyle said.
Adam gave him a long steady look, and reached out and took the raven- haired boy's hand, "Good, because you and I have some unfinished business."
"Such as?" Kyle asked him warily. Adam could tell the other boy was concerned about what had happened yesterday.
Adam wasn't sure why he answered the way he did, maybe it was lack of sleep, maybe it was because he thought it might be funny, or maybe it was just to prove a point. He said, "This," and then he leaned over and gently kissed Kyle on the lips. He noticed with some satisfaction that the tempo of the heart monitor's beeps increased dramatically, and there was a slight rise in the pale yellow blanket covering Kyle as he stood back up.
"Do that again, and we'll have 'Doctor' Cranston," in here checking on us," Kyle joked.
"And I'll toss him out on his kiester," Adam smile back before sitting down in the chair. "Look Kyle," Adam began, "Up until recently, I really didn't have a whole lot of interest in romance, sex, girls, OR boys. To be honest with you, the whole idea seemed like it was too messy, and a whole lot more energy than it was worth." He sighed, "But my talks with you lately have made me realize that maybe I was wrong. Maybe I am interested in somebody," he gave Kyle a knowing look.
"And you think that somebody is me?" Kyle asked him neutrally.
Adam swallowed and nodded before barely whispering, "yes."
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