AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a short one because I need to tie up a few loose ends
before moving onto the next chapter which will involve a rather large time
compression. Special thanks to Jacks for talking me out of killing everybody
off and turning the world over to the bad guys. (It's been a rough
couple of days.)
Danny
Kevin walked into his home feeling elated, as the sun rose over the eastern mountains. His date with Jason had gone extremely well- better than he ever had a right to hope for. He really never had any intention of telling Jason who he really was, but for some reason, telling him tonight had seemed right. Of course what happened after the telling had been fun too. He'd also never intended for the night go quite that far either, but after that first kiss one thing just led to another.
The couple had made their way back to Jason's house, where they'd talked and necked for most of the night. Just an hour or so before sunup Kevin had found himself in the unlikely position of being the first of the two to draw a line before things went just a little too far. He liked Jason, no he had to be honest with himself he loved Jason- how could he not, after all he felt all the things that Billy did- and he didn't want to ruin things by letting them go too far too soon. He wanted to build something with the midnight eyed man, something more than just a short intense tumble or two before one or the other of them got bored with it.
Now, if he could only find a way to deal with Tommy. He knew that there was something deep inside the former White Ranger that resented him, and knew that the knowledge of who and what he really was would push that resentment over the edge into something that scared him more than he cared to admit.
Putting his keys down on the table next to the door, he noticed the service light blinking on the phone. Absently, he loosened his shirt collar as he hit the "play" button. The voice of an old friend, a fellow traveler on the road to redemption spoke to him in an excited voice, "Hey Kev, it's me Tabitha. You'll never guess what's happened. I've been offered the greatest job in the galaxy. I'll be out of touch for a while. I have to go on a loooooong trip I'll be back. So don't worry about me. The next time you hear from me, expect a familiar tune."
Kevin smiled to himself. Tabitha deserved a break. Ever since Zordon's golden light had spread throughout the galaxy cleansing evil from the hearts of the former Ranger adversaries, none had worked harder at making up for her past sins than Tabitha. Of course he'd been surprised when the young Asian woman had approached him right after the incident with the Space Rangers with an offer of friendship- a friendship he found he sorely needed. Evidently, she'd known he'd escaped Zedd from the beginning but had said nothing. "I wonder what she means by a familiar tune?" He said absently to himself as he headed upstairs to slip between the sheets for at least a few hours sleep before he was on call at the hospital.
~*~
Tommy went over the information in the file. None of it made any sense. The good doctor was squeaky clean, but for some reason, Tommy didn't trust him. Tommy was at least honest enough with himself to realize that a great deal of his discomfort came from the idea Jason dating again- and dating a man at that. Deep down he realized that he'd never really dealt with Jason being gay, or with what had happened with Billy. He'd buried it, pretended it didn't happen, and gone on. Although his and Jason's relationship had eventually mended, he understood it wasn't the same any more. They were close again, even Bro's again, but there were times when he thought he saw just a hint of resentment in his friend's eyes. As if he too understood that things weren't like they used to be, and understood that things would be fine as long as there was nobody else in Jason's life.
Tommy shook off the melancholy thoughts and put the file in his safe. There was no need to leave it lying around, he didn't want Kim to know that he was checking up on Jason's dates. Turning out the light in the den and closing the door, he failed to hear the low hum coming from the safe. It being hidden by the safe door, he never saw the flash of white light inside as the file disappeared.
Entering the bedroom, he saw Kim look up from the book she was reading and smile. "Done with the paperwork?" she asked.
Smiling he slipped into the bathroom and told her, "Yeah, it's finished for now."
"Good," she told him from where she lay as he closed the door.
Ten minutes later, he came out of the bathroom and slipped between the sheets next to her. Snuggling up close, he noticed a concerned look in her eyes. "What is it, Kim?"
"I was just wondering…" she began.
"Wondering what?" Tommy asked.
Absently running her hands through his hair, she asked, "Have you noticed anything different about Trini Anne?"
Tommy shook her head, "Besides the fact that she's one of the best students I've ever had?" he smiled.
"I mean," she began, "About how she treats you compared to the rest of the kids."
Tommy shrugged, "Can't say that I have. She's always polite, a little standoffish, but polite." He smiled at her, "I guess under the circumstances I can understand that."
"What circumstances?" she asked.
"I mean, Jason's a great guy and all, but he's still only a man. It's not like she's anyone to teach her how to be a girl."
Kim smiled at him, "Oh, I don't know about that. I think she knows how to be a girl. I think she's more interested in how to be herself though."
"Why do you ask?" Tommy wondered.
He could see his wife consider her words carefully. Something was definitely on her mind. Finally, cuddling up next to him she said, "Just do me a favor."
"Anything, Beautiful," he told her.
"Listen to her sometimes," Kim said. "Think about how she talks to you compared to how she talks to the rest of us adults. Think about how the other kids talk to you compared to how she does."
Tommy gave his wife a confused look. "I'm not sure what you mean, but okay. What's this all about?"
She smiled, raised up and kissed lightly on the lips, "I think it's something you have to figure out yourself, Mr. Oliver."
Pulling her closer, he kissed her again, this time it was more than just a peck. Once again, he couldn't get over how lucky he felt. He had the woman he always loved at his side. His best friend, all his friends from high school- everyone he ever cared about- lived near him, and they'd all managed to maintain their friendships after all these years. He really was the luckiest man alive. Kim kissed him back, and before long the kissing led to other things- more interesting things.
~*~
"So how did things go last night?" Zack asked Jason while Trini Anne was loading things into the car.
Jason fought back a yawn and smiled, "Surprisingly well." He winked at Zack and added quickly, "With an emphasis on the surprise."
"What?" Zack asked. "Made it to second base then?"
Jason chuckled and winked at his friend, "Let's just say we decided to save a few things for our next date."
Zack raised an eyebrow, "So there's going to be a second date?"
There was if Jason had anything to do about it. He genuinely liked the Kevin. Some small part of his mind wondered if it was because of what Kevin had revealed to him last night, but realized that wasn't the case. The things he liked about Kevin were the things that made him different from Billy, not like him. Of course it didn't hurt that even though the doctor's hair was rapidly thinning, or maybe because of it, he was easy on the eyes. Jason was even surprised as well as just a little scandalized at himself for letting things go so far on the first date. Mentally shrugging to himself he thought, Hey, I'm a grown man. I think I can take care of myself. To Zack he said, "I'm planning on it."
"Well, you know we'll keep Trini Anne anytime you want," Zack told him.
"I appreciate that Bro." Jason smiled, "More than you know." Jason realized that for some reason at this moment he felt more than a little betrayed at Billy's dad's reaction to their being in love. Mr. Cranston was costing himself the chance of getting to know his granddaughter, and some part of him missed the camaraderie that the Cranston and Scott household's had shared when he and Billy were growing up. It was with some irony he realized that after arranging for Jason's folks to take care of Billy if anything should ever happen to him, Mr. Cranston had ended up disowning his son in the end anyway. That Jason and his family had taken care of the younger Cranston to the end.
"What?" Zack asked.
Jason shook his head and smiled, "Just thinking about Billy's dad, that's all."
As if sensing what Jason was feeling, Zack put a hand on Jason's shoulder and said, "It's his loss Bro. You can't do anything about other people's prejudices."
Jason smiled at his childhood friend and said, "I know man." Turning back to the car where Trini Anne was buckling up he smiled, "Still, sometimes it hard on her knowing that he doesn't want to get to know her." He shook his head, "In a lot of ways, she's as alone as Billy was, and I want better for her than that."
Jason felt Zack squeeze his shoulder and say, "You've done what you can for her, man. You've even gone so far as to make sure that she'll be taken care of if- God forbid- anything should ever happen to you."
Jason smiled, "Yeah, at least I know Tommy and you guys will be there for her." He smiled forcing the darker thoughts away, "And for me. You have no idea how much I appreciate Trini, Kimberly, and Kat helping me out with those things that," he made little quotation marks with his fingers and quoted an old song, "a man just doesn't know."
"Listen to you," Zack said. "Talking like you were planning on dying or something."
Jason shook his head, "Nope not me. Like Conan, I plan on living forever."
Danny
Kevin walked into his home feeling elated, as the sun rose over the eastern mountains. His date with Jason had gone extremely well- better than he ever had a right to hope for. He really never had any intention of telling Jason who he really was, but for some reason, telling him tonight had seemed right. Of course what happened after the telling had been fun too. He'd also never intended for the night go quite that far either, but after that first kiss one thing just led to another.
The couple had made their way back to Jason's house, where they'd talked and necked for most of the night. Just an hour or so before sunup Kevin had found himself in the unlikely position of being the first of the two to draw a line before things went just a little too far. He liked Jason, no he had to be honest with himself he loved Jason- how could he not, after all he felt all the things that Billy did- and he didn't want to ruin things by letting them go too far too soon. He wanted to build something with the midnight eyed man, something more than just a short intense tumble or two before one or the other of them got bored with it.
Now, if he could only find a way to deal with Tommy. He knew that there was something deep inside the former White Ranger that resented him, and knew that the knowledge of who and what he really was would push that resentment over the edge into something that scared him more than he cared to admit.
Putting his keys down on the table next to the door, he noticed the service light blinking on the phone. Absently, he loosened his shirt collar as he hit the "play" button. The voice of an old friend, a fellow traveler on the road to redemption spoke to him in an excited voice, "Hey Kev, it's me Tabitha. You'll never guess what's happened. I've been offered the greatest job in the galaxy. I'll be out of touch for a while. I have to go on a loooooong trip I'll be back. So don't worry about me. The next time you hear from me, expect a familiar tune."
Kevin smiled to himself. Tabitha deserved a break. Ever since Zordon's golden light had spread throughout the galaxy cleansing evil from the hearts of the former Ranger adversaries, none had worked harder at making up for her past sins than Tabitha. Of course he'd been surprised when the young Asian woman had approached him right after the incident with the Space Rangers with an offer of friendship- a friendship he found he sorely needed. Evidently, she'd known he'd escaped Zedd from the beginning but had said nothing. "I wonder what she means by a familiar tune?" He said absently to himself as he headed upstairs to slip between the sheets for at least a few hours sleep before he was on call at the hospital.
~*~
Tommy went over the information in the file. None of it made any sense. The good doctor was squeaky clean, but for some reason, Tommy didn't trust him. Tommy was at least honest enough with himself to realize that a great deal of his discomfort came from the idea Jason dating again- and dating a man at that. Deep down he realized that he'd never really dealt with Jason being gay, or with what had happened with Billy. He'd buried it, pretended it didn't happen, and gone on. Although his and Jason's relationship had eventually mended, he understood it wasn't the same any more. They were close again, even Bro's again, but there were times when he thought he saw just a hint of resentment in his friend's eyes. As if he too understood that things weren't like they used to be, and understood that things would be fine as long as there was nobody else in Jason's life.
Tommy shook off the melancholy thoughts and put the file in his safe. There was no need to leave it lying around, he didn't want Kim to know that he was checking up on Jason's dates. Turning out the light in the den and closing the door, he failed to hear the low hum coming from the safe. It being hidden by the safe door, he never saw the flash of white light inside as the file disappeared.
Entering the bedroom, he saw Kim look up from the book she was reading and smile. "Done with the paperwork?" she asked.
Smiling he slipped into the bathroom and told her, "Yeah, it's finished for now."
"Good," she told him from where she lay as he closed the door.
Ten minutes later, he came out of the bathroom and slipped between the sheets next to her. Snuggling up close, he noticed a concerned look in her eyes. "What is it, Kim?"
"I was just wondering…" she began.
"Wondering what?" Tommy asked.
Absently running her hands through his hair, she asked, "Have you noticed anything different about Trini Anne?"
Tommy shook her head, "Besides the fact that she's one of the best students I've ever had?" he smiled.
"I mean," she began, "About how she treats you compared to the rest of the kids."
Tommy shrugged, "Can't say that I have. She's always polite, a little standoffish, but polite." He smiled at her, "I guess under the circumstances I can understand that."
"What circumstances?" she asked.
"I mean, Jason's a great guy and all, but he's still only a man. It's not like she's anyone to teach her how to be a girl."
Kim smiled at him, "Oh, I don't know about that. I think she knows how to be a girl. I think she's more interested in how to be herself though."
"Why do you ask?" Tommy wondered.
He could see his wife consider her words carefully. Something was definitely on her mind. Finally, cuddling up next to him she said, "Just do me a favor."
"Anything, Beautiful," he told her.
"Listen to her sometimes," Kim said. "Think about how she talks to you compared to how she talks to the rest of us adults. Think about how the other kids talk to you compared to how she does."
Tommy gave his wife a confused look. "I'm not sure what you mean, but okay. What's this all about?"
She smiled, raised up and kissed lightly on the lips, "I think it's something you have to figure out yourself, Mr. Oliver."
Pulling her closer, he kissed her again, this time it was more than just a peck. Once again, he couldn't get over how lucky he felt. He had the woman he always loved at his side. His best friend, all his friends from high school- everyone he ever cared about- lived near him, and they'd all managed to maintain their friendships after all these years. He really was the luckiest man alive. Kim kissed him back, and before long the kissing led to other things- more interesting things.
~*~
"So how did things go last night?" Zack asked Jason while Trini Anne was loading things into the car.
Jason fought back a yawn and smiled, "Surprisingly well." He winked at Zack and added quickly, "With an emphasis on the surprise."
"What?" Zack asked. "Made it to second base then?"
Jason chuckled and winked at his friend, "Let's just say we decided to save a few things for our next date."
Zack raised an eyebrow, "So there's going to be a second date?"
There was if Jason had anything to do about it. He genuinely liked the Kevin. Some small part of his mind wondered if it was because of what Kevin had revealed to him last night, but realized that wasn't the case. The things he liked about Kevin were the things that made him different from Billy, not like him. Of course it didn't hurt that even though the doctor's hair was rapidly thinning, or maybe because of it, he was easy on the eyes. Jason was even surprised as well as just a little scandalized at himself for letting things go so far on the first date. Mentally shrugging to himself he thought, Hey, I'm a grown man. I think I can take care of myself. To Zack he said, "I'm planning on it."
"Well, you know we'll keep Trini Anne anytime you want," Zack told him.
"I appreciate that Bro." Jason smiled, "More than you know." Jason realized that for some reason at this moment he felt more than a little betrayed at Billy's dad's reaction to their being in love. Mr. Cranston was costing himself the chance of getting to know his granddaughter, and some part of him missed the camaraderie that the Cranston and Scott household's had shared when he and Billy were growing up. It was with some irony he realized that after arranging for Jason's folks to take care of Billy if anything should ever happen to him, Mr. Cranston had ended up disowning his son in the end anyway. That Jason and his family had taken care of the younger Cranston to the end.
"What?" Zack asked.
Jason shook his head and smiled, "Just thinking about Billy's dad, that's all."
As if sensing what Jason was feeling, Zack put a hand on Jason's shoulder and said, "It's his loss Bro. You can't do anything about other people's prejudices."
Jason smiled at his childhood friend and said, "I know man." Turning back to the car where Trini Anne was buckling up he smiled, "Still, sometimes it hard on her knowing that he doesn't want to get to know her." He shook his head, "In a lot of ways, she's as alone as Billy was, and I want better for her than that."
Jason felt Zack squeeze his shoulder and say, "You've done what you can for her, man. You've even gone so far as to make sure that she'll be taken care of if- God forbid- anything should ever happen to you."
Jason smiled, "Yeah, at least I know Tommy and you guys will be there for her." He smiled forcing the darker thoughts away, "And for me. You have no idea how much I appreciate Trini, Kimberly, and Kat helping me out with those things that," he made little quotation marks with his fingers and quoted an old song, "a man just doesn't know."
"Listen to you," Zack said. "Talking like you were planning on dying or something."
Jason shook his head, "Nope not me. Like Conan, I plan on living forever."