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"WHAT?!" Kim's scream startled her children. "So where the heck are you?"
Her eyes teared up with mirth as Trini ended the phone call. "Catch you on the flip side! My date is waiting." She hung up.
Billy eyed his friend. "I take it you consider this as payback for Kim leaving you in the lurch?" He looked at the cell phone with a question. "I've changed?! Trini Kwan, no wonder you survived working with good ol' boys." Appreciation lit his gaze. "You're a dangerous woman."
"Remember that," she laughed. "So, what do we have in the fridge, my friend?"
"Let's look and find out." Silence eased into the kitchen like a pair of comfortable old jeans until the two friends went to prepare dinner.
** **
"Please leave you name and –" the machine intoned.
"Jason Lee Scott, answer your phone or call me back before I hunt you down and do my version of William Tell. So help me – " Kimberly yelled into the phone at 5am on Saturday morning. Jason winced and hastily picked up the phone.
"Hey, Kim. What's up with you?" he tentatively asked and held the phone several inches away from his ear.
"Don't give me the small talk crap, mister!" Kim snarled. "I need you to find Trini!" she yelled.
Suddenly alert, Jason questioned Kim. "Whoa. What are you talking about, Kim? I thought you still kept in touch with her." At least she talks to you, at any rate. "When was the last time you spoke to her? Start from the beginning." He instructed.
Kim ignored his sharp tone of voice. "She's missing!" she cried. "Do something!"
"Kim, calm down. The Trini I know would never go crazy or go missing, unless she had a good reason." The former leader believed Billy would know where his friends were. "I'll call you back, all right?"
"Yeah, easy for you to say, Mr. I-Can-Do-Anything." Kim muttered. "I'll talk to you later."
"Sure. Take care, Kim." Jason mentally reviewed his schedule for the day and decided to leave the dojo at 2 pm, run by Billy's house at the end of the day, and ask about Trini. Jason left his house with a stride that bespoke a man with a mission.
** **
An incessant ringing disturbed Billy from his computer. "Hello, William Cranston speaking. Who is this?"
A surprised shriek assailed his ears. "Billy Cranston, where's Trini?!"
"Kim? Well, it's nice to hear from you too, even if I don't want to find out houw you acquired this number. Do I need to guess why you're calling?"
"Billy, I don't care if you're a genius, spy, or the Nobel Prize winner. Where's Trini?"
"Kim, I promised." Billy couldn't resist teasing the petite woman.
A memory brought a smile to her voice. "Billy, you also swore on a blood oath when we were 6 to never keep things from each other."
Billy gulped. Years of separation didn't matter when it came to Kim. "Kim, a man's word is everything!" He protested with a weak laugh.
"Jeepers," she muttered. "Please?"
"Kim…"
"Don't make me drag out ancient history, mister!" The dynamo threatened.
"She'll tell you in her own time, Kim," he replied. "However…"
Kim jumped into the silence. "Yes?"
"Listen carefully – I can personally guarantee Trini is staying somewhere safe. Even I wouldn't stay there if it wasn't." Billy twirled a pen and waited for Kim's mind to comprehend his statement.
"Oh! Okay! Now I can call Jason and—" Kim started, but Billy interrupted.
"Jason? What about Jason?" Billy asked, intrigued.
"uh…nothing. We kept in touch, and I thought between the two of you, you and Jason'd know what happened." She admitted. "I felt guilty at not coming with her."
"I see. So when did you call our mutual friend?"
Kim was only slightly embarrassed. "This morning – before he woke up."
Billy groaned. "Kim, it's 11:30am and our fearless leader might as well be pounding on my door any minute now! I told him to come later tonight! Not when I have not finished setting up everything!"
She laughed. "See what happens when you try to thwart me? Look on the positive side – he has a dojo to open and maintain. He won't be there until later, like 2pm."
"Hey Kim, why did you give Trini the address to Jason's place? The house has been empty for about a year."
Nervousness crept into Kim's voice. "Jason already told me they moved out when I talked to him. I know it's not one of my best ideas, but I always thought –"
"Wait a minute, you knew they moved out and you still sent Trini there?! Kim!!!"
"Let me finish! I just thought that…" She prayed Billy had some telepathic abilities in that brain of his.
"You thought Trini and Jason were meant to be together?" Billy's gentle voice concluded. "Okay. I guess I still have an idea on how your mind works, even after all these years." Billy couldn't resist and added, "Pinky."
"Ha! Brainiac. I know how you think too!" Kim rolled her eyes inside her home office. "Billy?" The mock-aggressive tone disappeared.
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry I didn't ask earlier, but you're over Trini, aren't you?" Uncertainty laced her words.
"Why else do you think I'm willing to be your partner in crime, cupid?"
Kim laughed. "Thank you, Billy. Just one last thing – don't be a stranger, okay?"
Billy sighed. "Fine, Kim. I have to go if your idea is to work... Keep in touch."
"Bye."
** **
Jason motioned to Adam and Rocky. "I'm going to Billy's now. I'll see you tomorrow."
Adam glanced at the clock. 2:15pm. "Billy's one-on-one is in a few hours. What's the rush?"
"I need to discuss with Billy about a personal matter," Jason muttered. "I'm not sure, but I think he has the answers."
"Sure, go and we'll see you later."
"Later." Jason headed towards his car, preoccupied with Kim's phone call. Trini, he mused, "where are you?
** **
Buying a case of beer at a local liquor store, Jason arrived at Billy's house and found a car parked out on the driveway.
Looking around, Jason noted the weedless lawn and the blue rental car. He stepped onto the porch and rang the doorbell. Hearing nothing from inside the house, Jason checked the doorknob and knocked on the door. Again, there was no response. He peered through the window and couldn't see any movement.
Billy expected me, right? He mused as he walked around the house. Maybe he's just--- his mind froze at the sight of a figure asleep in the hammock between 2 trees. He approached the hammock and a small grin appeared on his face. His eyes searched for the changes on the face he had not seen since he left Europe. Jason murmured, "C'mon, Trini…" He hoped he wouldn't be on the wrong end of her reflexes.
Hearing her name, Trini reluctantly opened her eyes. When she saw Jason's face, a sleepy smile appeared. "Hi handsome," the words caressed his ears. "I haven't had this dream in years…so nice," she murmured and slipped back into sleep again.
No kidding, Jason thought as he contemplated the situation. Apparently everything was set up and the food only needed to be cooked. Meanwhile, Trini's sleeping form brought back fond memories of Switzerland.
**Flashback**
A knock on the dorm room roused Jason from studying the text at midnight. He maneuvered past Zack's sleeping form and opened the door to see who stood on the other side.
The tear-stained face of Trini Kwan greeted his eyes. Wordlessly, Jason pulled Trini into his arms, soothing her before asking, "Homesick?" The head buried in his shoulder nodded. Still holding her, Jason moved so he could close the door and guided her to his bed, where he just continued to stroke her back. Trini had been experiencing homesickness lately, and if he was honest, Jason missed home, too. However, it was the first time Trini cried and it was in his and Zack's room at night! Jason always knew Trini could be considered as attractive, but until that night he found out she was special to him. More than "teammate" special, but at that moment, he could not in good conscience do anything while she was so vulnerable. That being the case, Jason simply continued to hold and soothe Trini's tears.
"Jason," she gulped, "Angel Grove was on the news and I missed home so much." She took a deep breath, "After this semester, I'm leaving." Her wet eyes met his. "I hate feeling helpless!"
Jason's arms tightened around Trini at the words before he pulled her away to see her face. "Trini, let me tell you a secret," he whispered as his eyes drilled into hers. "I'm also homesick, but I hold onto the fact that you and Zack are here. No matter where we are, as long as the two of you guys are with me, home is here, too."
Trini blushed at the intensity of Jason's gaze. He continued, "And I promise you, I'll be here for you, no matter what." The burning light in his eyes demanded a response and Trini blinked before a very quiet "okay" and "thanks" came from her lips.
Jason's intense gaze softened before he noticed the soft red jersey Trini wore. However, Trini just leaned against him again and he continued patting her back. Lost in his own thoughts, he absentmindedly patted her back until he remembered the late hour and the fact Trini's breathes were deep and even. Easing her from his shoulder, Jason gazed at he unguarded face. He shifted her and gave the lightest of kisses on her forehead and tenderly tucked Trini under one of the blankets. Moving to his desk, the young man turned off the lights and grabbed an extra afghan off a chair and covered himself as he carefully slept on top of the blankets. Sleep was in a long way in coming that night.
**End of flashback**
Jason chuckled as he remembered Zack's reaction the next morning and how surprisingly comfortable it was in spite of the narrow twin bed. Such sleepovers only occurred a few more times in Switzerland up and including the night before Jason returned to the United States to helm of the Gold Ranger powers.
The young man looked at Trini's sleeping body on the hammock and decided to take a quick doze for a few moments. He prayed for forgiveness, hoped Trini wouldn't kick him off the hammock and onto his rear end if she woke up, and eased onto the hammock next to Trini.