A/N: Thank you to all for your patience, because the past month has been
very difficult on me. Please read and enjoy, and yeah... oh, and I don't
own Power Rangers!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~*~
All your life you've waited
For love to come and stay
And now that I have found
You must not slip away
I know it's hard believing
The words you've heard before
But, darling you must trust them please
Trust them just once more
~*~
Autumn had quickly turned to winter that year, TJ observed, as he walked the paths of Angel Grove Park. There were a lot of memories here, memories he had to leave behind. A few hours ago, he had gotten a call from the Texas Rangers, of all the ironic teams, to try out for a position of shortstop. If it had been a year ago, he would have gone in a heartbeat, but now... now he had a future ahead of him that involved the woman of his dreams. He knew what was more important, but a chance in the Major Leagues... he had to just see if it was meant to be. But how to tell her?
" TJ!" He looked up from his thoughts, and saw her sitting on a bench in front of him. She was gorgeous. The light shone in her eyes, and the wind had brought pink to her cheeks. He was the luckiest man alive.
" Hey sweetheart. Sorry I'm late, but I had some things I had to get done."
" It's okay. I didn't mind just sitting here and watching the people who passed by. I missed you though." She got up and wrapped her arms around him, allowing him to breathe in her flowery scent, before he kissed her. After it ended, they just stood there, savoring the feel of each other. Finally, TJ broke away and laced her fingers in his, the diamond ring on her left ring finger sparkling gently in the sun.
" Cassie, I have some news to tell you."
" Oh? I hope it's good."
" It could been seen as good. I got a job offer."
" You did? That's great! As a Major Leaguer?" He nodded, and let her kiss him.
" But, there's more. I have to go to Texas for the tryouts." Time stopped. The sparkle in her eyes flushed away, and her body seemed to freeze, though he could feel her hands clutch tighter to his thick jacket. She finally spoke, but it was so low, TJ strained to hear her sweet voice.
" Texas? You mean you have to, to leave me?"
" Only for a few months. I'll be back in no time, I promise." She pulled away, as if she'd touched fire.
" Cassie?"
" Where have I heard that before. 'I'll be back in no time'?" The bitterness in her voice surprised him.
" What are you talking about? I haven't broken a promise to you, have I?"
" No, not you, but the Phantom did." The Phantom Ranger... the only person other than himself who Cassie had said 'I love you' to. He must have broken her heart with those words. The sudden urge to track him down and hurt him flowed through his veins, though common sense beat it down. Instead, he carefully put his arms around her, and this time she let him without pulling away. She continued.
"He told me he'd come back before I knew it, and take me away to his home so we could be together. So that we could be married." That hurt, to know Cassie's first choice was the Phantom, not him. It also hurt to think he could just be the rebound.
'No. Cassie isn't like that. She loves me, more than she ever did for him. She's told me.'
" Cassie, honey. I'm not the Phantom. I wouldn't do that." TJ wanted her to see that he was different. He would be back for her.
" I know that! But... after he didn't come back, I promised myself that that was it. He was the only one I could love, and he wasn't coming back. And then... you showed me I could love again, cliché as that sounds, and that maybe the Phantom wasn't the one for me. Yet now, it feels like you're leaving me too. I can't help but think you'll never come back. Just like the Phantom." He understood now. She felt as if he were abandoning her, like the one she loved before him did. Gingerly, he took her two delicate hands in his, and kissed each knuckle.
" Cass, I swear on the love we have that I'll come home to you. And even though I'll have to say goodbye, I will be back to say hello. Okay?" She wouldn't look at him, and he had to tenderly lift up her chin. Her tears reminded him of little crystals, slipping down her cheeks.
" Okay Cassie? Do you trust me?" She nodded without hesitation.
" I trust you."
~*~
He shut the trunk of the car and turned back to his fiancée. A few days had past since he had told her, but the time hadn't help ease the pain, it made it worse.
They had decided as a couple to postpone the wedding indefinitely, until he was positive whether or not he'd get the job. It had been difficult telling their parents, but even more difficult was seeing the look in Cassie's eyes when they had to white out the date on the invitations. He returned to the present moment, where she stood in front of him, pale from the inner turmoil of his leaving. He pulled her closer.
" You'll wait for me. Right?"
" Don't ever doubt that. I'll be waiting."
" All right. I'll call as soon as I get into Houston, kay?" She smiled weakly, before pulling him into a frantic hug.
" Come home quickly. I don't know how long I can last without you." TJ kissed her with all the love he felt for her, showing that he did intend to see her soon. When he knew he had to go, Cassie helped put some bags in the back, and with one last kiss, said the inevitable.
" I love you Teej... goodbye." He got into the driver's seat and kissed her hand.
" This isn't forever. I'll be home in a few months... and I love you too." She watched him pull away from the driveway, and though she wanted to call him back and force him to stay home, but... this was a chance of a lifetime, and she couldn't hold him back just for her own selfish desires. But her heart was already mourning the loss, and he had only been gone for a few seconds.
' He'll be back... he promised me he'd be back...' And with that, Cassie walked back into their home, set on waiting for him to call.
~*~
Baby, goodbye
Doesn't mean forever
Let me tell you goodbye
Doesn't mean we'll never be together again
If you wake up and I'm not there
I won't be long away
Oh, the things you do
My goodbye girl
Will bring me back to you
~*~
A/N: Well, that was really corny, but I wanted to do a chapter with one of my favorite songs, though I didn't do it justice. Please review if you can, and thanks for reading!
Dana Grayson: Thanks!
Angelita: Thank you very much. I really enjoyed writing it, though it is short. The Blake/Tori is hopefully the next one after this...
Jphbk: I'm glad you liked that one... it was one of the more difficult ones I had to write, but hey, as long as the shipper fans approved of it...
Redwolf: Yes, you've been extremely generous in your compliments, so thank you! I don't exactly agree with some of the pairings either, but I wrote them to challenge myself. Whether they're as good as you say, I don't know. I
FuriousA027: Sure... But I don't know when that'll be. I sort of have a waiting list of couples...
Rain: Thanks... yes, the flu sucked. You don't like Adam/Tanya? That's too bad, but I'm glad I somewhat changed your feelings towards them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~*~
All your life you've waited
For love to come and stay
And now that I have found
You must not slip away
I know it's hard believing
The words you've heard before
But, darling you must trust them please
Trust them just once more
~*~
Autumn had quickly turned to winter that year, TJ observed, as he walked the paths of Angel Grove Park. There were a lot of memories here, memories he had to leave behind. A few hours ago, he had gotten a call from the Texas Rangers, of all the ironic teams, to try out for a position of shortstop. If it had been a year ago, he would have gone in a heartbeat, but now... now he had a future ahead of him that involved the woman of his dreams. He knew what was more important, but a chance in the Major Leagues... he had to just see if it was meant to be. But how to tell her?
" TJ!" He looked up from his thoughts, and saw her sitting on a bench in front of him. She was gorgeous. The light shone in her eyes, and the wind had brought pink to her cheeks. He was the luckiest man alive.
" Hey sweetheart. Sorry I'm late, but I had some things I had to get done."
" It's okay. I didn't mind just sitting here and watching the people who passed by. I missed you though." She got up and wrapped her arms around him, allowing him to breathe in her flowery scent, before he kissed her. After it ended, they just stood there, savoring the feel of each other. Finally, TJ broke away and laced her fingers in his, the diamond ring on her left ring finger sparkling gently in the sun.
" Cassie, I have some news to tell you."
" Oh? I hope it's good."
" It could been seen as good. I got a job offer."
" You did? That's great! As a Major Leaguer?" He nodded, and let her kiss him.
" But, there's more. I have to go to Texas for the tryouts." Time stopped. The sparkle in her eyes flushed away, and her body seemed to freeze, though he could feel her hands clutch tighter to his thick jacket. She finally spoke, but it was so low, TJ strained to hear her sweet voice.
" Texas? You mean you have to, to leave me?"
" Only for a few months. I'll be back in no time, I promise." She pulled away, as if she'd touched fire.
" Cassie?"
" Where have I heard that before. 'I'll be back in no time'?" The bitterness in her voice surprised him.
" What are you talking about? I haven't broken a promise to you, have I?"
" No, not you, but the Phantom did." The Phantom Ranger... the only person other than himself who Cassie had said 'I love you' to. He must have broken her heart with those words. The sudden urge to track him down and hurt him flowed through his veins, though common sense beat it down. Instead, he carefully put his arms around her, and this time she let him without pulling away. She continued.
"He told me he'd come back before I knew it, and take me away to his home so we could be together. So that we could be married." That hurt, to know Cassie's first choice was the Phantom, not him. It also hurt to think he could just be the rebound.
'No. Cassie isn't like that. She loves me, more than she ever did for him. She's told me.'
" Cassie, honey. I'm not the Phantom. I wouldn't do that." TJ wanted her to see that he was different. He would be back for her.
" I know that! But... after he didn't come back, I promised myself that that was it. He was the only one I could love, and he wasn't coming back. And then... you showed me I could love again, cliché as that sounds, and that maybe the Phantom wasn't the one for me. Yet now, it feels like you're leaving me too. I can't help but think you'll never come back. Just like the Phantom." He understood now. She felt as if he were abandoning her, like the one she loved before him did. Gingerly, he took her two delicate hands in his, and kissed each knuckle.
" Cass, I swear on the love we have that I'll come home to you. And even though I'll have to say goodbye, I will be back to say hello. Okay?" She wouldn't look at him, and he had to tenderly lift up her chin. Her tears reminded him of little crystals, slipping down her cheeks.
" Okay Cassie? Do you trust me?" She nodded without hesitation.
" I trust you."
~*~
He shut the trunk of the car and turned back to his fiancée. A few days had past since he had told her, but the time hadn't help ease the pain, it made it worse.
They had decided as a couple to postpone the wedding indefinitely, until he was positive whether or not he'd get the job. It had been difficult telling their parents, but even more difficult was seeing the look in Cassie's eyes when they had to white out the date on the invitations. He returned to the present moment, where she stood in front of him, pale from the inner turmoil of his leaving. He pulled her closer.
" You'll wait for me. Right?"
" Don't ever doubt that. I'll be waiting."
" All right. I'll call as soon as I get into Houston, kay?" She smiled weakly, before pulling him into a frantic hug.
" Come home quickly. I don't know how long I can last without you." TJ kissed her with all the love he felt for her, showing that he did intend to see her soon. When he knew he had to go, Cassie helped put some bags in the back, and with one last kiss, said the inevitable.
" I love you Teej... goodbye." He got into the driver's seat and kissed her hand.
" This isn't forever. I'll be home in a few months... and I love you too." She watched him pull away from the driveway, and though she wanted to call him back and force him to stay home, but... this was a chance of a lifetime, and she couldn't hold him back just for her own selfish desires. But her heart was already mourning the loss, and he had only been gone for a few seconds.
' He'll be back... he promised me he'd be back...' And with that, Cassie walked back into their home, set on waiting for him to call.
~*~
Baby, goodbye
Doesn't mean forever
Let me tell you goodbye
Doesn't mean we'll never be together again
If you wake up and I'm not there
I won't be long away
Oh, the things you do
My goodbye girl
Will bring me back to you
~*~
A/N: Well, that was really corny, but I wanted to do a chapter with one of my favorite songs, though I didn't do it justice. Please review if you can, and thanks for reading!
Dana Grayson: Thanks!
Angelita: Thank you very much. I really enjoyed writing it, though it is short. The Blake/Tori is hopefully the next one after this...
Jphbk: I'm glad you liked that one... it was one of the more difficult ones I had to write, but hey, as long as the shipper fans approved of it...
Redwolf: Yes, you've been extremely generous in your compliments, so thank you! I don't exactly agree with some of the pairings either, but I wrote them to challenge myself. Whether they're as good as you say, I don't know. I
FuriousA027: Sure... But I don't know when that'll be. I sort of have a waiting list of couples...
Rain: Thanks... yes, the flu sucked. You don't like Adam/Tanya? That's too bad, but I'm glad I somewhat changed your feelings towards them.