Kim walked along the pathways of Angel Grove Cemetery
thinking of her youth and all her friends. One particular friend being
foremost on her mind today: Billy Cranston-Scott. She smiled
at the memory of the first day she'd met the thin serious looking boy so
many years ago. How he'd been so shy about talking to her.
Later, after they'd been friends for a few years, Billy had told her that one of the things that had always made their friendship special to him was that she and Trini were the first pretty girls who'd ever been nice to him. Back then, that idea had bothered her a great deal. It was her nature to be nice to people no matter who they were, and it said a lot about how others had treated her sandy-haired friend.
Working her way along the path, she looked up to the general direction of the headstone for which she was heading. A lone figure, a man dressed in light blue polo shirt and jeans was standing at Billy's Grave. His body language was such that he appeared to be speaking to someone, but she was still too far away to make out anything he was saying.
As the path rounded a small grove of trees the headstone was momentarily obscured from her vision. When the grave was once again in sight, she saw that the visitor was gone. She briefly wondered who else was visiting her old friend this eve of the thirteenth anniversary of his death. Arriving at the gravesite she saw a single blue rose lying on edge of the stone.
Fighting tears, she looked up at the double-stone: William Kevin Cranston-Scott October 4th 1978 – August 9th 2002 . Next to his name was Jason Scott-Cranston December 7th 1978 -. Of course the final date for Jason's name had been left blank. It was in mute testimony to the love that the two men had shared that Jason had ordered his name on the stone too. She shuddered despite the late summer warmth, and hugged herself. "We miss you Billy, Jason most of all. I'm worried about him. I'm not sure he's moved on yet, and I know you wouldn't want that for him."
She sat down on a small blue and white marble bench the other Rangers had purchased in memoriam to the first of them to fall. For anyone who cared to look closely, mixed among all the animals pictured along its edges were a Tyrannosaur, Pterodactyl, Saber-toothed Tiger, Mastodon, and a Triceratops. Carved into the seat itself was head of a wolf. Sighing, she looked over the grave, "Trini is growing like a weed. She's going to be some young lady. I think before it's over, Jason is going to have to buy a shotgun to keep the boys at bay. That is if Jay, doesn't bust all their heads first." She laughed at the last, "Actually, she's more likely to do it herself. She's a lot like Jason: strong, brave, talented, and hell on wheels in the dojo. Of course she's a lot like you too. She definitely got your intelligence, but to be honest with you Billy, I think she handles it better than you did."
A quiet calm settled over Kimberly as she sat recalling all the memories she shared with her friend- the good and the bad. She talked to the stone reminding herself of all their misadventures, both as Rangers and simply as friends. She caught Billy up on their friend's lives. She told him about the spate of births that seemed to follow nine months after he'd died. She smiled and said, "I think that maybe we all turned to each other to deal with your passing, and from our sorrow a new generation of life was created. Now, your daughter is a part of another group of five friends that seem as close as we ever were. "Zack and Trini had a daughter they named Wilhelmina," she grinned in mischief, "fortunately, they've shortened it to Mina. Adam and Kat had twin little boys that finish each other's sentences, named Aidan and Alexander." She told him about the children's exploits including the disastrous attempt to dig a fishpond in the Taylor's back yard that resulted in their hitting a waterline. She recalled some of their own adventures including Billy's Jason's and Zack's attempt to launch a rocket from the roof of Scott's home, and almost setting fire to the dwelling. She chuckled, "Trust me those five are enough like us, we're not letting them go anywhere near Angel Grove Forest without at least three adults with them," she summoned the memories of that summer so long ago, they'd had one of their greatest misadventures before they ever became Power Rangers. "I really wish you could see them all, Billy."
So the afternoon passed with Kimberly quietly reconnecting with her memories of one of her dearest friends. Finally, as the sun dipped into the western sky, she got up and left, feeling much better than she had in a long time. Before she left she turned back to the grave, "I won't take so long to come back and visit next time."
After quietly clearing the dinner table and loading the dishwasher, Jay came into the living room where his parents were sitting quietly reading. "Mom, Dad, I'm going over to Trini's for a few minutes."
Without looking up his mom said, "Okay dear. Just don't be too long. You've got a big day ahead of you tomorrow."
"I won't," Jay said. "I want to thank Uncle Jason for the birthday gift again."
Tommy smiled at him, "Be sure to remind Jason that he's supposed to chaperone that field trip to the museum Monday."
Jay smiled remembering his uncle's excitement about seeing the new pre-Christian Celtic exhibition at the Angel Grove Museum. Over the past the few years, his uncle had become something of an amateur archeologist, and had managed to even write a couple of well received articles for National Geographic. "Will do, Dad, but I don't think I'll have to remind him. He's been looking forward to it, more than we have."
Jay left his house and headed down toward Trini's. He was unsure if his Uncle Jason had told his mom that Trini was staying with her grandmother tonight, but it was his best friend's father that he wanted to see, not her. Walking up the pathway to the huge house where Trini and her father lived, Jay felt his courage begin to waver. He wanted to know more about the man who'd died on the day Jay was born- supposedly delivering him two hours after dying- but he was afraid of hurting his uncle by prying too much. Of course it was Uncle Jason who'd told him that if he ever needed to talk, all he needed to do was ask.
Jason was sitting on the front porch watching squirrels chase each other around his huge front yard as Jay approached. "Trini's at her grandmother's Jay," the burly man told him as he put down his glass of lemonade.
"Hi, Uncle Jason, it's not Trini I want to talk to," Jay told him.
Jason flashed him a smile, and said, "Well, grab you a glass of lemonade and pull up a chair."
Jay smiled, "Thanks, but I'll settle for the chair."
"What's on your mind?" Jason asked. "You look like you've got pretty heavy burden for a soon to be teenager."
Jay laughed, "I wanted to talk you, but I'm not sure how to ask."
Jason smiled, patted the chair next to him, "How 'bout just asking, Saaba?"
Taking a deep breath, he plunged in, "Would you tell me about Trini's other father?" he said before he lost his nerve, "The one who died."
The surprise in his uncle's face almost made Jay regret asking. But then the big man smiled and said, "What do you want to know?"
Jay shrugged, "What was he like. I mean nobody ever talks to us kids about him."
Jason chuckled, "Well, that's not entirely true. Trini and I talk about Billy quite a lot. I don't want her to grow up not knowing her father at all."
"But she doesn't talk to us about him," Jay volunteered.
Jason nodded and sighed, "That's one of the ways she's like him. You've known Trini all your life. You know she doesn't talk about her feelings very much."
Jay nodded, "You can say that again. I thought girls were always wanting to talk about their feelings." The he shook his head, "But Trini sure won't."
Jason smiled, "Billy was the same way. He called it the Cranston Way. I called it bottling things up."
"Mom says that you guys grew up together. How did you meet?"
Jason leaned back in his chair, picked up his lemonade and sighed, "I stopped four sixth graders from beating him up."
"Mom said he used to get picked on a lot," Jay volunteered.
Jason nodded, "Yeah, Billy sort of stood out when it came to attracting bullies. I think it had to do with the fact that he couldn't understand the concept of not doing his very best on anything he tried. I think he was hardwired to excel in academics, and there were some people who didn't appreciate what they saw as him showing off."
"But he wasn't, was he?" Jay's comment was more of a statement than a question.
Catching the tone in the boy's voice, Jason smiled, "No he wasn't. He was just being Billy."
Jay looked up at his uncle. He didn't want to hurt the man, but he really wanted to know what kind of person would be good enough for Jason. "When, uh…, how…. Uh… how did you know you'd fallen in love with him." Jay blushed, "I mean, according to Mom and Dad it was love at first sight for them." He grinned, "Although, I get the feeling there's a lot more to THEIR first meeting that anybody will tell me."
Jason smiled, "You do, do you?" Jay nodded with the solemnity only a thirteen year old boy can muster. Jason smiled back at his nephew, "Well, you're right, but that's a story I don't think you're ready to hear just yet. Or, that any of us are willing to tell." Jason leaned forward and looked at Jay, "Does your Dad know you're asking these questions?"
Jay swallowed, "No sir."
Jason considered what the boy had told him. He wasn't sure how much Tommy would want his son to know about Jase's and Billy's relationship. Tommy had never seemed comfortable with the idea of Jason and Billy being lovers. He suspected that the only reason the situation had not become an issue over the last thirteen years, was that Jason had not dated anyone. He had his hands full with an extremely active daughter who'd inherited her father's intelligence. "You just know. It doesn't necessarily hit you all at once, just one day you know." Jase told the boy. "I'll tell you what, I'll tell you more, when you're a little older."
Jay looked at him, "You just don't want to make Dad mad by talking to me about things he might not be comfortable with my knowing."
"Okay, you nailed me there. Your Dad and I fought over Billy once, and I don't want to fight with him again. I love him too much for that," Jason told him.
"Okay," Jay said. "But would you do me a favor, Uncle Jason?"
Jason smiled at the boy and nodded, "What is it, Saaba?"
"Will you tell me more about him later?" He looked down at his watch. "I think I'd better get home soon. I just wanted tell you not be sad about Uncle Billy on my birthday. If he was as special as you and Mom say, I don't think he'd want that." Jason could see the boy's eyes glisten with unshed tears, reflecting his own. An old expression came to his mind; Out of the mouths of babes.
"I'll try to remember that, Jay." Jason told him standing up. "C'mon, I'll walk you home."
Across town, the man known as Dr. Kevin Carstonn finished putting the last of his dinner away. "You would think that after almost twenty years, I'd have learned to cook by now," he said to himself smiling. "I can build a nuclear reactor, but I can't boil water."
Entering the Spartan living room he sat down and looked at all the boxed still left to be unpacked. He briefly wondered how he'd managed to collect so much stuff while living in the field for almost twenty years. Berating himself for being grouchy- must have been the visit the cemetery, he unfolded the paper and smiled at the headlines: NEW CELTIC EXHIBITION AT ANGEL GROVE MUSEUM A CRITICAL SUCCESS.
Later, after they'd been friends for a few years, Billy had told her that one of the things that had always made their friendship special to him was that she and Trini were the first pretty girls who'd ever been nice to him. Back then, that idea had bothered her a great deal. It was her nature to be nice to people no matter who they were, and it said a lot about how others had treated her sandy-haired friend.
Working her way along the path, she looked up to the general direction of the headstone for which she was heading. A lone figure, a man dressed in light blue polo shirt and jeans was standing at Billy's Grave. His body language was such that he appeared to be speaking to someone, but she was still too far away to make out anything he was saying.
As the path rounded a small grove of trees the headstone was momentarily obscured from her vision. When the grave was once again in sight, she saw that the visitor was gone. She briefly wondered who else was visiting her old friend this eve of the thirteenth anniversary of his death. Arriving at the gravesite she saw a single blue rose lying on edge of the stone.
Fighting tears, she looked up at the double-stone: William Kevin Cranston-Scott October 4th 1978 – August 9th 2002 . Next to his name was Jason Scott-Cranston December 7th 1978 -. Of course the final date for Jason's name had been left blank. It was in mute testimony to the love that the two men had shared that Jason had ordered his name on the stone too. She shuddered despite the late summer warmth, and hugged herself. "We miss you Billy, Jason most of all. I'm worried about him. I'm not sure he's moved on yet, and I know you wouldn't want that for him."
She sat down on a small blue and white marble bench the other Rangers had purchased in memoriam to the first of them to fall. For anyone who cared to look closely, mixed among all the animals pictured along its edges were a Tyrannosaur, Pterodactyl, Saber-toothed Tiger, Mastodon, and a Triceratops. Carved into the seat itself was head of a wolf. Sighing, she looked over the grave, "Trini is growing like a weed. She's going to be some young lady. I think before it's over, Jason is going to have to buy a shotgun to keep the boys at bay. That is if Jay, doesn't bust all their heads first." She laughed at the last, "Actually, she's more likely to do it herself. She's a lot like Jason: strong, brave, talented, and hell on wheels in the dojo. Of course she's a lot like you too. She definitely got your intelligence, but to be honest with you Billy, I think she handles it better than you did."
A quiet calm settled over Kimberly as she sat recalling all the memories she shared with her friend- the good and the bad. She talked to the stone reminding herself of all their misadventures, both as Rangers and simply as friends. She caught Billy up on their friend's lives. She told him about the spate of births that seemed to follow nine months after he'd died. She smiled and said, "I think that maybe we all turned to each other to deal with your passing, and from our sorrow a new generation of life was created. Now, your daughter is a part of another group of five friends that seem as close as we ever were. "Zack and Trini had a daughter they named Wilhelmina," she grinned in mischief, "fortunately, they've shortened it to Mina. Adam and Kat had twin little boys that finish each other's sentences, named Aidan and Alexander." She told him about the children's exploits including the disastrous attempt to dig a fishpond in the Taylor's back yard that resulted in their hitting a waterline. She recalled some of their own adventures including Billy's Jason's and Zack's attempt to launch a rocket from the roof of Scott's home, and almost setting fire to the dwelling. She chuckled, "Trust me those five are enough like us, we're not letting them go anywhere near Angel Grove Forest without at least three adults with them," she summoned the memories of that summer so long ago, they'd had one of their greatest misadventures before they ever became Power Rangers. "I really wish you could see them all, Billy."
So the afternoon passed with Kimberly quietly reconnecting with her memories of one of her dearest friends. Finally, as the sun dipped into the western sky, she got up and left, feeling much better than she had in a long time. Before she left she turned back to the grave, "I won't take so long to come back and visit next time."
After quietly clearing the dinner table and loading the dishwasher, Jay came into the living room where his parents were sitting quietly reading. "Mom, Dad, I'm going over to Trini's for a few minutes."
Without looking up his mom said, "Okay dear. Just don't be too long. You've got a big day ahead of you tomorrow."
"I won't," Jay said. "I want to thank Uncle Jason for the birthday gift again."
Tommy smiled at him, "Be sure to remind Jason that he's supposed to chaperone that field trip to the museum Monday."
Jay smiled remembering his uncle's excitement about seeing the new pre-Christian Celtic exhibition at the Angel Grove Museum. Over the past the few years, his uncle had become something of an amateur archeologist, and had managed to even write a couple of well received articles for National Geographic. "Will do, Dad, but I don't think I'll have to remind him. He's been looking forward to it, more than we have."
Jay left his house and headed down toward Trini's. He was unsure if his Uncle Jason had told his mom that Trini was staying with her grandmother tonight, but it was his best friend's father that he wanted to see, not her. Walking up the pathway to the huge house where Trini and her father lived, Jay felt his courage begin to waver. He wanted to know more about the man who'd died on the day Jay was born- supposedly delivering him two hours after dying- but he was afraid of hurting his uncle by prying too much. Of course it was Uncle Jason who'd told him that if he ever needed to talk, all he needed to do was ask.
Jason was sitting on the front porch watching squirrels chase each other around his huge front yard as Jay approached. "Trini's at her grandmother's Jay," the burly man told him as he put down his glass of lemonade.
"Hi, Uncle Jason, it's not Trini I want to talk to," Jay told him.
Jason flashed him a smile, and said, "Well, grab you a glass of lemonade and pull up a chair."
Jay smiled, "Thanks, but I'll settle for the chair."
"What's on your mind?" Jason asked. "You look like you've got pretty heavy burden for a soon to be teenager."
Jay laughed, "I wanted to talk you, but I'm not sure how to ask."
Jason smiled, patted the chair next to him, "How 'bout just asking, Saaba?"
Taking a deep breath, he plunged in, "Would you tell me about Trini's other father?" he said before he lost his nerve, "The one who died."
The surprise in his uncle's face almost made Jay regret asking. But then the big man smiled and said, "What do you want to know?"
Jay shrugged, "What was he like. I mean nobody ever talks to us kids about him."
Jason chuckled, "Well, that's not entirely true. Trini and I talk about Billy quite a lot. I don't want her to grow up not knowing her father at all."
"But she doesn't talk to us about him," Jay volunteered.
Jason nodded and sighed, "That's one of the ways she's like him. You've known Trini all your life. You know she doesn't talk about her feelings very much."
Jay nodded, "You can say that again. I thought girls were always wanting to talk about their feelings." The he shook his head, "But Trini sure won't."
Jason smiled, "Billy was the same way. He called it the Cranston Way. I called it bottling things up."
"Mom says that you guys grew up together. How did you meet?"
Jason leaned back in his chair, picked up his lemonade and sighed, "I stopped four sixth graders from beating him up."
"Mom said he used to get picked on a lot," Jay volunteered.
Jason nodded, "Yeah, Billy sort of stood out when it came to attracting bullies. I think it had to do with the fact that he couldn't understand the concept of not doing his very best on anything he tried. I think he was hardwired to excel in academics, and there were some people who didn't appreciate what they saw as him showing off."
"But he wasn't, was he?" Jay's comment was more of a statement than a question.
Catching the tone in the boy's voice, Jason smiled, "No he wasn't. He was just being Billy."
Jay looked up at his uncle. He didn't want to hurt the man, but he really wanted to know what kind of person would be good enough for Jason. "When, uh…, how…. Uh… how did you know you'd fallen in love with him." Jay blushed, "I mean, according to Mom and Dad it was love at first sight for them." He grinned, "Although, I get the feeling there's a lot more to THEIR first meeting that anybody will tell me."
Jason smiled, "You do, do you?" Jay nodded with the solemnity only a thirteen year old boy can muster. Jason smiled back at his nephew, "Well, you're right, but that's a story I don't think you're ready to hear just yet. Or, that any of us are willing to tell." Jason leaned forward and looked at Jay, "Does your Dad know you're asking these questions?"
Jay swallowed, "No sir."
Jason considered what the boy had told him. He wasn't sure how much Tommy would want his son to know about Jase's and Billy's relationship. Tommy had never seemed comfortable with the idea of Jason and Billy being lovers. He suspected that the only reason the situation had not become an issue over the last thirteen years, was that Jason had not dated anyone. He had his hands full with an extremely active daughter who'd inherited her father's intelligence. "You just know. It doesn't necessarily hit you all at once, just one day you know." Jase told the boy. "I'll tell you what, I'll tell you more, when you're a little older."
Jay looked at him, "You just don't want to make Dad mad by talking to me about things he might not be comfortable with my knowing."
"Okay, you nailed me there. Your Dad and I fought over Billy once, and I don't want to fight with him again. I love him too much for that," Jason told him.
"Okay," Jay said. "But would you do me a favor, Uncle Jason?"
Jason smiled at the boy and nodded, "What is it, Saaba?"
"Will you tell me more about him later?" He looked down at his watch. "I think I'd better get home soon. I just wanted tell you not be sad about Uncle Billy on my birthday. If he was as special as you and Mom say, I don't think he'd want that." Jason could see the boy's eyes glisten with unshed tears, reflecting his own. An old expression came to his mind; Out of the mouths of babes.
"I'll try to remember that, Jay." Jason told him standing up. "C'mon, I'll walk you home."
Across town, the man known as Dr. Kevin Carstonn finished putting the last of his dinner away. "You would think that after almost twenty years, I'd have learned to cook by now," he said to himself smiling. "I can build a nuclear reactor, but I can't boil water."
Entering the Spartan living room he sat down and looked at all the boxed still left to be unpacked. He briefly wondered how he'd managed to collect so much stuff while living in the field for almost twenty years. Berating himself for being grouchy- must have been the visit the cemetery, he unfolded the paper and smiled at the headlines: NEW CELTIC EXHIBITION AT ANGEL GROVE MUSEUM A CRITICAL SUCCESS.