You sure you feel up to this Trini?" Jay asked Trini Anne as the two young
people prepared for their outing. Trini had been home now for two weeks,
and had been recovering from her surgery rather well, but Jay still took
very seriously the duties Dr. Carstonn had given him. This trip to
the museum was to be her first real day trip since she'd come home.
Mina, and the twins had agreed with him that they should hold off on going
until Trini Anne was feeling better and could go with them.
"I'm okay, Jay," she smiled back at him "Actually, I want to get out of the house for while." She looked around her room and smiled, "If I don't get out of here soon, I'm going to go crazy."
"You have to take it easy, Trini," Jay told her. "You know what the doctor said.
"I know he told me not to overdo it, Jay. He didn't say to stay in bed until I graduated," she joked. She smiled, "I've been slowly building up my strength. Heck, I even started doing kata again."
"Does your dad know?" Jay asked.
She shrugged, "I don't know. I haven't told him, but I haven't kept it from him. Uncle Adam said that I should start exercising lightly and slowly build up my strength." She smiled, "So I started with Hei-on katas and have been working my way up from there."
"Just stay away from the ones that require a lot of kicks," he told her. He knew better than to call them more strenuous. He'd earned his junior black belt last year, and knew that even the basic katas could be strenuous AND dangerous when used properly. Uncle Jase and his dad had taught him that early on. You always come back to First Kata, his Dad had said. He was just now starting to realize that. He was starting to see the simple blocks in the Hei-on katas as something more, how they could become deadly attacks.
Trini smiled at him, and not for the first time Jay wondered how he could get her to do it again. Something about the way she smiled at him made him feel funny inside. It wasn't a bad kind bad feeling just a little scary. "I'll keep that in mind, Jay." Sighing she said, "I'm not fragile. I just have to be careful what I eat for a while, not how I move- not too much, anyway." Then, as if she was noticing something for the first time, she became quiet. For what seemed like an eternity, they stood simply smiling at each other.
"Trini Anne? Jay?," Trini's father's voice came up the stairs and for just a brief moment, Jay felt something less than affection for his namesake. "We're ready to go."
The effect was suddenly broken and Trini looked away, blushing slightly, "We'll be right there, Dad."
~*~
"How's she doing?" Tommy asked Jase as they watched the children explore the museum. Jason had called him last night and asked if he would come along to help with keep track of the five children. Tommy jumped at the chance to spend some time with the kids. He'd never really told anyone, but as he got older, he enjoyed his time with all five of the youngsters more and more- even Trini Anne.
"She's getting restless, I think," Jase told his best friend with a smile.
"Like father, like daughter," Tommy replied. "I remember how you were right after you gave back," he looked around to make sure none of the children could hear him, "the Gold Powers." To say Jason was restless was an understatement. The fact that the normally very active Ranger had been forced to slow down by his body's attempt to adjust to the damage the Gold Powers had done to him, had nearly driven Jason insane.
Jason laughed, "I guess I was pretty bad, wasn't I."
"You were worse than she could ever be," Tommy told him. "If it wasn't for Emily, I don't think you'd have made it."
Jason nodded, "I wouldn't have," he smiled, "but not for the reasons you think."
"I don't understand?" Tommy said neutrally. "I really thought you guys were in love." He remembered how the two had spent so much time together, and how he expected them to marry. Then Jason had moved to LA for a while, and during that time, evidently the two had split up. Tommy hadn't seen Jason again until the fiasco with Billy's accident. That thought of course brought up old memories and a very old sense of guilt. Now that he was much older- and Tommy had to be honest with himself: that Billy had been gone for such a long time- he could admit to himself that he'd treated the former Blue Ranger poorly.
"Tommy, "Jason warned, "You know better than that." Tommy could sense that Jason was really in no mood to get into it with Tommy about who he dated.
"I do now, Bro." He shook his head, "Not then. You didn't act like you'd have been interested in men back then." Then as if he realized that he might have crossed a line he quickly added, "Not that you act any different now." Hell, Jason didn't act like he was interested in anyone anymore, and that thought pained Tommy. For just a brief instant, he found himself once again angry at Billy for leaving Jason behind, unwilling to let go of his memory.
"Yes I do," Jase replied. He smiled over at his friend and said, "Now, I've got a thirteen year old daughter to worry about. Trust me; I act a lot different now."
Tommy sighed toward the children as they studied a mock-up of a pre-Christian Celtic village. His voice became distant, AND thoughtful, "In case I haven't said so, - and I think I haven't: I'm sorry about how I treated you and Billy."
"Tommy that was a long time ago," Jason said.
Tommy had wanted to have this conversation with Jason for a long time. He still felt himself getting angry, and over the last few years, he'd realized that the anger he had directed toward Billy had really been about himself. He felt that he'd failed his 'Bro' in some way, and after Billy died he felt that he'd in someway had pushed his former teammate over the edge. "Still, I was wrong. I was angry at you for being what you are, I was angry at Billy because I thought he'd made you that way, and that was wrong of me." He looked over, "I'm sorry."
"It's water under the bridge Bro. It's over," Jason said wondering what had brought this on. "Besides, it's not like it's going to make much of a difference now."
"But it made a difference then, Bro. I'm sorry for it." Tommy told him.
"Tommy? What brought this on?" Jason asked confused by his friend's choice of conversation.
Tommy shrugged, "I don't know. I've wanted to tell you this for a few years now, and I just hadn't gotten up the nerve. I just worry about you being alone, now."
"I'm not alone, Tommy," Jason told him. "I've got Trini Anne and she's more than enough to keep me busy." Why was everyone suddenly worried about him being alone?
"I'm not trying to mind your business, Jason," Tommy said. "I'd just like to see you a little less sad." He smiled at his Bro. "I think you need to get out more."
"I'm out now." Jason winked at him and put a hand on his shoulder, "Of course if that's what you mean by 'out'. Of course, as far as the other meaning of the word, I haven't been 'in' for a long time."
"Don't go there Bro," Tommy smiled at him. Turning, he looked back at the kids, "So when's Trini Anne coming back to the Dojo?"
Jason turned to follow Tommy's gaze. Tommy couldn't help but notice the unconscious smile tug at Jase's mouth when his eyes fell on his daughter. "As soon as Adam says it's okay for her." Shrugging he continued, "Actually, I suspect that she may be practicing kata already."
Tommy nodded, "Good, she doesn't need to get out of practice." Turning back to Jase he said, "She's really good. You know that don't you? She's probably the best student I've ever had." Tommy and Jase had decided a long time ago that it would be best if they trained each other's children. That way there would be a little less of the father figure involved in the dojo, and less chance of complaints of favoritism. Tommy realized that it also kept him from doing the exact opposite: pushing Jay so hard that he lost his love of the sport.
"I can say the same about Jay." He chuckled as they followed the children into another wing of the museum.
Tommy laughed. Jay was always going on about how much he loved his Uncle Jase's classes, and how he always seemed to learn something new. "He loves your class, Jason. All the kids do." Without looking over to Jason, Tommy asked carefully, "Why isn't she still seeing Doctor Carstonn?"
Jason shrugged, "He said it would serve Trini better if she saw her regular doctor. He claims that he was just her surgeon and that Adam was more than capable of handling Trini's needs from here on out." Tommy sensed a tone of regret in his friend's voice. It was a tone that worried Tommy, "I get the feeling that for some reason I made him nervous." To be honest with himself, Tommy realized that the doctor made HIM nervous.
"Why do I get the feeling that there's something about that that you don't like?" Tommy asked. In a flash of understanding, Tommy realized that maybe Jason starting to miss having an adult in his life. He knew better than to expect Jason to ever try to replace Billy. As much as Tommy may not understand the concept or even approve, he realized that Jase had loved Billy as deeply as he himself loved Kimberly.
Jason shrugged, "I don't know. There was just something about the man that seemed to radiate trust to me." That surprised Tommy. Doctor Carstonn set off bells in his head that screamed something was wrong. HE didn't trust the man, and to hear that Jason seemed so taken with him, worried him. He made a mental note to make some phone calls and see what he could find out about the good doctor.
Looking up Tommy noticed that the children were discussing something they'd discovered on one of the plaques at an artifact display. "Looks like the kids have found something."
Jason smiled at him, and began to walk toward the gathering, "Let's go see what it is."
Tommy followed and looked over his son's shoulder, "See Trini, it IS your doctor," Jay was saying. Tommy looked down at the plaque to read its inscription: This display was made possible by a donation from Dr. Kevin W. Carstonn in memoriam of his brother William.
"I'm okay, Jay," she smiled back at him "Actually, I want to get out of the house for while." She looked around her room and smiled, "If I don't get out of here soon, I'm going to go crazy."
"You have to take it easy, Trini," Jay told her. "You know what the doctor said.
"I know he told me not to overdo it, Jay. He didn't say to stay in bed until I graduated," she joked. She smiled, "I've been slowly building up my strength. Heck, I even started doing kata again."
"Does your dad know?" Jay asked.
She shrugged, "I don't know. I haven't told him, but I haven't kept it from him. Uncle Adam said that I should start exercising lightly and slowly build up my strength." She smiled, "So I started with Hei-on katas and have been working my way up from there."
"Just stay away from the ones that require a lot of kicks," he told her. He knew better than to call them more strenuous. He'd earned his junior black belt last year, and knew that even the basic katas could be strenuous AND dangerous when used properly. Uncle Jase and his dad had taught him that early on. You always come back to First Kata, his Dad had said. He was just now starting to realize that. He was starting to see the simple blocks in the Hei-on katas as something more, how they could become deadly attacks.
Trini smiled at him, and not for the first time Jay wondered how he could get her to do it again. Something about the way she smiled at him made him feel funny inside. It wasn't a bad kind bad feeling just a little scary. "I'll keep that in mind, Jay." Sighing she said, "I'm not fragile. I just have to be careful what I eat for a while, not how I move- not too much, anyway." Then, as if she was noticing something for the first time, she became quiet. For what seemed like an eternity, they stood simply smiling at each other.
"Trini Anne? Jay?," Trini's father's voice came up the stairs and for just a brief moment, Jay felt something less than affection for his namesake. "We're ready to go."
The effect was suddenly broken and Trini looked away, blushing slightly, "We'll be right there, Dad."
~*~
"How's she doing?" Tommy asked Jase as they watched the children explore the museum. Jason had called him last night and asked if he would come along to help with keep track of the five children. Tommy jumped at the chance to spend some time with the kids. He'd never really told anyone, but as he got older, he enjoyed his time with all five of the youngsters more and more- even Trini Anne.
"She's getting restless, I think," Jase told his best friend with a smile.
"Like father, like daughter," Tommy replied. "I remember how you were right after you gave back," he looked around to make sure none of the children could hear him, "the Gold Powers." To say Jason was restless was an understatement. The fact that the normally very active Ranger had been forced to slow down by his body's attempt to adjust to the damage the Gold Powers had done to him, had nearly driven Jason insane.
Jason laughed, "I guess I was pretty bad, wasn't I."
"You were worse than she could ever be," Tommy told him. "If it wasn't for Emily, I don't think you'd have made it."
Jason nodded, "I wouldn't have," he smiled, "but not for the reasons you think."
"I don't understand?" Tommy said neutrally. "I really thought you guys were in love." He remembered how the two had spent so much time together, and how he expected them to marry. Then Jason had moved to LA for a while, and during that time, evidently the two had split up. Tommy hadn't seen Jason again until the fiasco with Billy's accident. That thought of course brought up old memories and a very old sense of guilt. Now that he was much older- and Tommy had to be honest with himself: that Billy had been gone for such a long time- he could admit to himself that he'd treated the former Blue Ranger poorly.
"Tommy, "Jason warned, "You know better than that." Tommy could sense that Jason was really in no mood to get into it with Tommy about who he dated.
"I do now, Bro." He shook his head, "Not then. You didn't act like you'd have been interested in men back then." Then as if he realized that he might have crossed a line he quickly added, "Not that you act any different now." Hell, Jason didn't act like he was interested in anyone anymore, and that thought pained Tommy. For just a brief instant, he found himself once again angry at Billy for leaving Jason behind, unwilling to let go of his memory.
"Yes I do," Jase replied. He smiled over at his friend and said, "Now, I've got a thirteen year old daughter to worry about. Trust me; I act a lot different now."
Tommy sighed toward the children as they studied a mock-up of a pre-Christian Celtic village. His voice became distant, AND thoughtful, "In case I haven't said so, - and I think I haven't: I'm sorry about how I treated you and Billy."
"Tommy that was a long time ago," Jason said.
Tommy had wanted to have this conversation with Jason for a long time. He still felt himself getting angry, and over the last few years, he'd realized that the anger he had directed toward Billy had really been about himself. He felt that he'd failed his 'Bro' in some way, and after Billy died he felt that he'd in someway had pushed his former teammate over the edge. "Still, I was wrong. I was angry at you for being what you are, I was angry at Billy because I thought he'd made you that way, and that was wrong of me." He looked over, "I'm sorry."
"It's water under the bridge Bro. It's over," Jason said wondering what had brought this on. "Besides, it's not like it's going to make much of a difference now."
"But it made a difference then, Bro. I'm sorry for it." Tommy told him.
"Tommy? What brought this on?" Jason asked confused by his friend's choice of conversation.
Tommy shrugged, "I don't know. I've wanted to tell you this for a few years now, and I just hadn't gotten up the nerve. I just worry about you being alone, now."
"I'm not alone, Tommy," Jason told him. "I've got Trini Anne and she's more than enough to keep me busy." Why was everyone suddenly worried about him being alone?
"I'm not trying to mind your business, Jason," Tommy said. "I'd just like to see you a little less sad." He smiled at his Bro. "I think you need to get out more."
"I'm out now." Jason winked at him and put a hand on his shoulder, "Of course if that's what you mean by 'out'. Of course, as far as the other meaning of the word, I haven't been 'in' for a long time."
"Don't go there Bro," Tommy smiled at him. Turning, he looked back at the kids, "So when's Trini Anne coming back to the Dojo?"
Jason turned to follow Tommy's gaze. Tommy couldn't help but notice the unconscious smile tug at Jase's mouth when his eyes fell on his daughter. "As soon as Adam says it's okay for her." Shrugging he continued, "Actually, I suspect that she may be practicing kata already."
Tommy nodded, "Good, she doesn't need to get out of practice." Turning back to Jase he said, "She's really good. You know that don't you? She's probably the best student I've ever had." Tommy and Jase had decided a long time ago that it would be best if they trained each other's children. That way there would be a little less of the father figure involved in the dojo, and less chance of complaints of favoritism. Tommy realized that it also kept him from doing the exact opposite: pushing Jay so hard that he lost his love of the sport.
"I can say the same about Jay." He chuckled as they followed the children into another wing of the museum.
Tommy laughed. Jay was always going on about how much he loved his Uncle Jase's classes, and how he always seemed to learn something new. "He loves your class, Jason. All the kids do." Without looking over to Jason, Tommy asked carefully, "Why isn't she still seeing Doctor Carstonn?"
Jason shrugged, "He said it would serve Trini better if she saw her regular doctor. He claims that he was just her surgeon and that Adam was more than capable of handling Trini's needs from here on out." Tommy sensed a tone of regret in his friend's voice. It was a tone that worried Tommy, "I get the feeling that for some reason I made him nervous." To be honest with himself, Tommy realized that the doctor made HIM nervous.
"Why do I get the feeling that there's something about that that you don't like?" Tommy asked. In a flash of understanding, Tommy realized that maybe Jason starting to miss having an adult in his life. He knew better than to expect Jason to ever try to replace Billy. As much as Tommy may not understand the concept or even approve, he realized that Jase had loved Billy as deeply as he himself loved Kimberly.
Jason shrugged, "I don't know. There was just something about the man that seemed to radiate trust to me." That surprised Tommy. Doctor Carstonn set off bells in his head that screamed something was wrong. HE didn't trust the man, and to hear that Jason seemed so taken with him, worried him. He made a mental note to make some phone calls and see what he could find out about the good doctor.
Looking up Tommy noticed that the children were discussing something they'd discovered on one of the plaques at an artifact display. "Looks like the kids have found something."
Jason smiled at him, and began to walk toward the gathering, "Let's go see what it is."
Tommy followed and looked over his son's shoulder, "See Trini, it IS your doctor," Jay was saying. Tommy looked down at the plaque to read its inscription: This display was made possible by a donation from Dr. Kevin W. Carstonn in memoriam of his brother William.