Author's note: You guys have been more than supportive of the Parallels series, and I thank you all for it. CMar, you have been my inspiration and I love you dearly for it. Special thanks to Goldstranger and Silver Warrior for your in-depth reviews, you make it a pleasure to write. Enjoy.
The sun had set hours ago, and moonlight filled the sky, but Adam refused to move from that spot. He'd been there most of the evening, and even when it began to rain, he stood his ground.
His clothes were long since soaked, but that didn't seem to bother him. There wasn't anywhere else that he wanted to be at that moment.
He recalled coming to the same spot with Rocky and the others years ago to pay their respects to Trini and Zach, and it was just as depressing then and it is now. 'Maybe even more,' he sighed inwardly. It was strange to see that even after 1000 years, everything seemed to be untouched by the passage of time. The only thing different was that now, there were a lot more headstones.
As the rain came down, disguising the tears in his eyes, he leaded down to one knee, wiping away the dirt away from her headstone. "Hello Tanya," he sighed, taking a deep breath. "I wish things could have different, I wish I'd had the chance to tell you how I truly felt about you," he said.
During their tenure as Zeo rangers, there never seemed to be a good time to approach her. There was always something stopping him. The Machine Empire, attacks on the city, not to mention his own reluctance to tell her the truth. Even after they made the switch to the Turbo technology, and eventually stepped down as rangers altogether, there never seemed to be a good time. The truth was, he had been in love with her from the moment he saw her, although technically, he was only 10 years old. During the Zeo quest, he and the other rangers were temporarily changed into children, and when Aisha chose to remain in Africa and allow Tanya to take her place, Tanya was a child as well.
He remembered being attracted to her even then, and once the spell was broken and they were restored to their normal selves, he was even more attracted to her. But still, he could never get up the nerve to tell her.
Then, to make things worse, she didn't tell him how she truly felt until he was on his deathbed. Morphing without a power coin would have killed him if it hadn't been for Tommy.
Now, Adam found himself 1000 years in the future, being forced to adapt to an entirely different way of life almost overnight. Part of him wish he died in Tanya's arms in that hospital, at least that way he didn't have to live with the pain of knowing that she loved him as much as he loved her but couldn't be with her.
Ironically enough, his headstone was right next to her. 'I suppose Jason and the others thought it was the right thing to do,' he thought to himself.
"I'm a ranger again, and I've been able to do some good in this time. I only wish you could see me now," he said, wiping the tears and rain away from his eyes.
Finally, he reached into his trench coat, pulling out a single white rose, kissing the peddles gently before placing it on her gravesite, then walking away slowly.
(*)
Tommy had been in front of the mirror for the last fifteen minutes, trying to decide which shirt to wear. He held the white button up shirt with a red tie up to his chest and admired it in the mirror, then held up the black polo shirt up to his chest, comparing the two. 'Its never been this hard to pick something to wear,' he thought to himself, but he wanted everything to be perfect. The last time he and Jen tried to spend some quality time together, not only did he feel under dressed for the occasion, they were also interrupted.
'This time is going to be different,' he thought as he finally decided on the black shirt and red tie. As he got dressed, he tried to go over exactly what he wanted to say to her. "Jen, I know things have been hectic the last few weeks, but now that we have this time, I want to tell you how I really feel…" he paused, shaking his head. "Damn I sound desperate and lonely," he sighed.
"You know, you could just tell her the truth. What's the worse that could happen?" a voice asked.
Through the reflection in the mirror he could see Camille standing in the doorway of his quarters. Not even bothering to turn around, he shook his head.
"What do you mean?"
"Its been obvious for months that you and Jen are an accident waiting to happen. I understand there have been a lot of things standing in your way; that whole Wes and Kim getting together in the past thing had to be a lot for both of you to deal with, but you have dealt with it. Now that the world isn't being threatened by some sinister force and we have some time on our hands, you should take advantage and tell her how you feel," she explained to him.
"That's just it, I don't know how I feel," he said as he continued to fumble with his tie, but wasn't doing a very good job.
Camille walked in, standing in front of him and fixing his tie for him. "Sure you do, you're just not sure if you want to admit it to her yet," she paused, continuing to work on his tie. "You love her, you always have. And I'm willing to bet she feels the same way, but one of you are going to have to stop being stubborn and say something," she told him.
"You think she loves me?"
"You can see it in her eyes. Either she loves you or you always have a booger hanging out your nose. Don't you see the way she looks at you?"
"No,"
"Typical man. You're worse than Trip. I gave him every signal in the world that I was interested in him, but he never picked up on it. Finally I just had to come out and tell him how I felt about him," she said.
"How did that work out for you?"
"We've been together ever since. Trust me, Jen adores you," Camille said.
"I don't suppose Jen will get sick of waiting for me to say something and just…" he was cut short.
"I wouldn't bet on it," she sighed, finishing his tie.
"I didn't think so either," he leaned down, kissing Camille on the cheek. "Thanks Cam, for everything," he said.
"Anytime," she smiled.
(*)
Trip had been at her side all night long, refusing to move. The chairs in the medical lab were more than uncomfortable, and despite his effort, he hadn't been able to fall asleep. It hurt him to see Katie hooked up to machines, and he felt helpless being unable to do something for her.
When he originally joined Time Force, the other cadets didn't exactly welcome the only Xybrian in their class with open arms. He was constantly picked on, but then she came along. Katie took up for him, telling him that they would continue to pick on him until he learned to stand up for himself. The two of them began to take martial arts classes together, and though he never had the same strength and abilities that Katie had, he was able to hold on own.
After so long, the other cadets began to accept him, and from that moment on, he and Katie were inseparable. They were the best of friends, and once they graduated from the academy, they made sure they were assigned to the same unit. For years, Katie was his only friend, and it broke his heart to see her like that.
He reached over slightly, grabbing her hand. "I know you're in there Katie, and I know you can hear me. I miss you," he said.
She didn't respond, but then again, he didn't expect her to.
"You're still here Trip?" a voice asked.
He turned around to see Dr. Young walking into the room with a clipboard in hand.
"Yeah, still here," he sighed. His voice was dry and raspy, and it was becoming difficult to keep his eyes open, but he was determined to stay.
"I told you I'd alert you when her condition changed even in the slightest, there was no need for you to stay," he said.
"I know, I just wanted to,"
"You'll be pleased to know that she's coming along very nicely. I can't explain it, but her body seems to be healing itself," he mentioned.
"But how?"
"Like I said, I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with her unique physical make up. According to all my tests, Katie is human, but I can't account for her added strength and healing abilities. Maybe its something genetic, something in her family's bloodline. All I can tell you is that I've never seen anything like it before. If she had been any other person, jumping out a plane like that would have been suicide," he explained.
"When will she wake up?"
"I don't know. According to the tests, she could open her eyes at any moment, but she isn't ready to. If I had to take a guess, shes dreaming," he said.
"About what?"
"I have no idea, but her heart rate hasn't risen and her pulse is steady. So, based on what I know, it isn't a bad dream," Dr. Young said.
"Thanks again doc,"
"I suggest you get some rest. You'll be no good to know exhausted like that. If anything changes, I'll contact you first," he said.
Trip stood up. "I guess you're right doc," he sighed, making his way towards the door.
(*)
Their quarters were only two bedrooms, and there never seemed to be enough room for all of her things. Now that he was gone, her quarters seemed much too big. She sat down on the couch, putting her feet up on the table and leaning back, trying to come to terms with everything.
Fatigue was getting the best of her. Since the accident, she hadn't been getting much sleep. Lucas encouraged her to rest, but for some reason, she simply hadn't been able to.
For the last few days, everyone had been telling her the same thing. 'He died in the line of duty. Its how he would have wanted it,' or 'It was an honorable death, sacrificing himself to save his friends,' but somehow, that gave her little comfort.
She glanced at a picture of the two of them on the table, cracking a smile as she picked it up and admired it. "What am I suppose to do without you daddy?" she asked.
"You'll live your life precious," she heard a voice say.
She turned her head slightly only to see him standing there. "Daddy?" she squealed, leaping off the couch and over to him. She tried to wrap her arms around her, but she seemed to pass right through him.
"I know I wasn't always the perfect father to you, but I do know that you're old enough to take care of yourself now. You're a big girl Nadira," he told her.
She took a step back, getting a good look at him. Although she could see him, she could also seem through him.
"But I don't know how daddy,"
"You're not alone Nadira. Lucas and the others will be there for you just in case things don't work out the way you planned them. I know you'll be fine," he said.
"You always did believe me in,"
"And even when I wasn't exactly making the best decisions, you believed in me. Because of you, I was able to change my life for the better. Now its time for you to do the same for yourself," he told her.
"But I miss you daddy,"
"And I miss you too, but don't live your life mourning me. You have your whole life ahead of you. You're a ranger now, and Lucas loves you. Focus on the good things in your life, and you'll be fine," he assured her.
"I love you daddy," she cried.
"And I will always love you precious," he said.
She closed her eyes and leaned over to kiss him, but when she opened her eyes, she found herself still lying on the couch. Nadira sat up, picking up the picture of her father on the table. "Thank you for believing in me daddy," she sighed.
(*)
Jen glanced at her wrist to check the time, only to remember that she didn't bring her Morpher with her. Today, there was no need to. She was determined that this time, nothing was going to interrupt her time with Tommy.
She found herself sitting alone in the café, admiring the atmosphere. When Camille originally suggested the café, she thought it was the best idea. But after actually walking in and getting a good look at the place, she regretted not coming in sooner. The smell of hamburgers and bacon seemed to fill the entire café, and everyone seemed to be having a good time. She'd found a cozy little booth off in the corner, allowing her to see the entrance, but far enough away that no one else could see her.
Just then, he walked in. She quickly stood up, waving her arm slightly to get his attention. He saw her, making his way towards her.
"Sorry I was late, I just to make sure I…" he paused, noticing she had on a pair of jeans and a baggy sweater. Her hair was pulled back in a pony and she had a pair of sunglasses resting comfortably on her head. "Geez, now I'm over dressed," he said.
"No, you're not. You look very nice," she assured him.
"Thanks," he sighed, sitting down across from her in the booth. "I just wanted everything to go smoothly tonight. Our last date didn't go very well,"
"I know,"
"Did you order yet?" he asked.
"No, I wanted to wait for you," she picked up the menu. "Camille recommended the bacon and eggs,"
"This late? I was kinda hoping for a burger and some juice," he said.
Just then, the waitress walked over to them. "Are the two of you ready to order?" she asked.
"Yes," Tommy closed his menu. "I'd like a double cheese burger and a grape juice, if you have it," he said.
"No problem," she turned to Jen. "And you ma'am?"
"Give me the same," Jen said.
"I'll be back in a jiffy," she said, walking away.
"So…" he paused. "Admiral Logan said that the repair teams will have the science lab operational again in about a week. I guess we should enjoy our vacation while we can," he mentioned.
"No shop talk Tommy, not today," she said.
"Fine with me,"
"Tommy, the last time we tried this, there were a lot of things I wanted to tell you. Now that we're finally alone, I want to…" she was cut short as Lt. Emery walked over to them.
"Hey guys, what are you doing here?" he asked cheerfully.
"Getting something to eat," Tommy said dryly.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked.
"Yes," they said in unison, not realizing how rude they sounded until it was too late.
Lt. Emery took a step back. "Whoa, I can take a hint. I'll leave you two alone," he said, finding a different seat.
"He's a good guy, but he has very bad timing," Jen said.
"Yeah," he agreed.
She paused. "I've never been good at this, so I'll just come out and say it. The last time I was in a serious relationship was with Alex. We were engaged for a while, but when I went back to the 21st century, he just grew apart. There were a lot of complications that stopped us from being together when I got back," he said.
"Wes," he brought up.
"Don't get me wrong, I loved Wes. In a lot of ways I still do, but part of me believes that I was looking for reasons not to marry Alex. By the time I got back to the present, I'd changed. It took me a long time to accept that I could never be with Wes, and it took even longer for Alex and I to put the past behind us and become friends," she took a deep breath. "But now I think its time to concentrate on how I feel here and now," she said.
"And how do you feel?" Tommy asked.
She hesitated again. "I know that you're still not over losing Kimberly the way you did, but I was hoping that we…" she was cut short as the waitress returned.
"Here you are. Enjoy," she said, putting their plates and glasses down on the table. "If you need anything, my name is Mandi, just ask for me," she said cheerfully, walking away.
"What were you saying?" he inquired.
"I was saying that it would be nice if we…" she paused. "I mean, it would be great if we could…" she paused again. "What I mean to say is that I…" she sighed with frustration.
"I think it would be a great idea," he said.
"You do?"
He nodded. "I know our situation has been strange to say the least, but I feel the same way. I always have," he said.
"You have?"
He didn't respond. Instead, he stood up, making his way to the other side of the booth and sat next to her. Before she could do anything, he leaned in, kissing her gently on the lips. He backed away slowly, only to see that Jen's eyes were still closed.
"Camille was right, this café is great," Jen sighed.
Tommy smiled. "I don't know about you, but suddenly I'm craving desert," he mentioned.
"Oh yeah, me too,"
Tommy stood up slightly. "Mandi, check please," he called out.
Make sure you check out "Power Rangers Zeo Genesis: The Eltarian Chronicles"