THE REASON - Part Fifty: The Blessing
Summary: After the busy schedule of saving the world, Tommy calls up his new parents-in-law to get the much-needed blessings for taking their daughter's hand in marriage.
Disclaimer: Power Rangers not mine.
A/N: Okay, Tommy makes a call. And ya know, just read it. If you have answers just email me or whatever. I'm out.
"I know I should have done this a long time ago, but you gotta understand that some things aren't as simple to do than others." -Eclyptyk Neo
Next day. Early morning.
Tommy groaned as he tossed and turned in his bed. A strumming beat of pain ran through his mind. He couldn't stop it. Hear the other voice inside his mind. It grew heavy and dark with a sense of evil.
"No. No. Make it stop." he groaned.
"Did you miss me? I told you I'd be back, Tommy." the dark voice teased. "You can't get rid of me. I'm apart of you."
"No." Tommy breathed as his eyes flashed open. He sat up quickly as sweat ran across his body. "You can't win."
"But I will. You're not as quick or strong to resist me this time." the voice said. "For as long as I could remember, you've longed to feel this power all over again. You know you want to become evil again."
Tommy shook his head. He pulled the sticky covers off him, bolting for the bathroom. He ran the cold water leaning over the sink to catch his breath. He looked up into the mirror just as he splashed some of the water on his face. He looked into the mirror again, watching the person in the mirror.
He watched the image morph into a dragon and take shape as himself in his dino thunder ranger suit, but with the newly affixed shield over his chest. And he knew the image he was looking at wasn't his real reflection, but his dark reflection. He quickly splashed himself again, but when he looked back up, the image was still there.
"What do you want?" Tommy asked in a quiet voice.
"It's pretty simple. Give Mesogog what he hopes to gain, by destroying the rangers, but in the end I will be the supreme ruler."
"You can't be sure of that." Tommy shook his head. "It won't be that easy to knock me down. I won't fall."
"Give it up, Black Ranger. Your time is now done. It's time I came back to claim what is mine."
"No. I won't let you." Tommy splashed himself again, looking at the evil image on the mirror. "Evil never triumphs over good. Dark vs. Light. I'm not going down that path again."
"You. Can't. Control. It." the evil image growled.
Tommy groaned falling to his knees. The mental strain hit him hard and as he forced his eyes shut, he saw the confused falcon caught up in a web. He saw Mesogog's head in the distance. He couldn't escape it. It was bothering him. He couldn't concentrate, or figure out what was wrong and what what good. He clung to the sink catching his breath as he watched his dino gem glow with every single power inside of it. His own dino gem. The pink dino gem. The fragment of the meteorite. The broken dragon coin. He could feel the white light show through. Guide him. Tell him where to go.
He turned away and headed for his bedroom again, but before he could get to his bed, he collapsed. Blanked out.
Time passed.
Tommy awoke with a stir. He blinked away the blurry state, pulling himself up onto the bed.
"How long was I out?" he asked himself.
When he looked at the time, it indicated that only a few minutes passed.
But it felt like forever.
Tommy figured he'd get ready for the day, despite the recent events. No. He couldn't do it. Tell anyone. They didn't need to know. Or worry. It was an internal battle mostly. He had to figure it out on his own.
-----
Tommy sat in his living room tapping the phone against the palm of his free hand. He knew he had to call his soon-to-be parents-in-law. He figured they were waiting for his call rather than they call him. Give it time as Kim had told him time and time again.
He began to dial the number slowly.
He licked his lips to get rid of the nervous dryness there. But he had a lump in his throat. Though he loved his parents for their support and lively nature for helping him out in any way possible, this was one meant for him alone. And he knew that Kim's parents liked him, it's just after all these years, he may have to earn their trust all over again.
Both of his parents were glad that it was done, especially his mom. He knew his mom was wanting to be a grandmother sometime soon. The baby items she had bought through the years were an indication of it, even on his last visit to Angel Grove a few months ago. They knew about him wanting to ask Kim in marriage for three years now.
He just had to get the call from his parents-in-law. Their approval.
"Hello?" a teenage voice said. And Tommy knew it was Kim's kid brother Joey.
Tommy caught his breath. "Is your mother available?"
"Sorry, you just missed her. Who's calling?" the teen asked in a kind gesture.
But that wasn't entirely true. He knew as much as Tommy who was on the other line and what he was asking for. Joey was known to pick on him constantly just to keep him on his feet. And back in Tommy's high school days, he'd always get into debates with the young boy and lost. Even now, he wasn't the best candidate for debates especially against one who now was in high school and on the debate team. Tommy hadn't seen the boy, though, since his break-up with Kim eight years ago.
"It's Tommy, Joey." he said clearly, hoping not to get into another debate with the teen.
"Hey, I don't go by Joey anymore. I go by Joe." the teen corrected.
"Ya know, I really don't care, Joey. Is someone available?"
"Now, are you sure you want to talk to my dad? He's still a little ticked about you making that proposal without his consent."
"Shut up, Joey. Put your dad on the phone." Tommy said.
"Okay, but's he's still pissed off."
"I'll deal with that."
"Hang on." the teen called out into the room for his dad.
Tommy caught his breath remembering the first time he met Kim's dad, Paul. And the look on his face was so stern and angry. It took him awhile to earn his trust, but well worth it in the end. He just wasn't sure how he was gonna act now that he hasn't talked to him in eight years. He knew both his parents and Kim's were still the best of friends, it was the kids that had to resolve their differences. Kim's parents were at the brink of a divorce, but it was Tommy who managed to convince them they were making a bad mistake. And they ended up getting back together, now they were literally inseparable.
"Hello." a deep voice came over the phone.
Tommy caught his breath again. Either he found Kim's dad to be intimidating or an all around jokester. It was hard to tell. He wasn't sure what to make of it now. Not this time.
"Um...hey, Mr. Hart. It's your future-son-in-law."
"So, it is." the man said in a low voice. "Tommy Oliver. I've heard the news. And I must say.."
"Look, I'm sorry." Tommy began cutting the old man off, hoping to get what he needed to say out. "I guess I should have called you first about the situation. I mean, it happened on the spot. And you do know how much I loved your daughter. I mean, yes, we had a huge bump in our relationship, but it's been resolved."
"Stop!" Paul's voice boomed through the phone, making Tommy sink into the couch. "Before you go on and continue this long apology, which I know you're gonna do, I must say a few things."
"You don't accept?" Tommy could only conclude what he was going to say.
"Ya know, Tommy. I though long and hard about this." he said with a deep sigh. "When my wife told me the news that our little girl was getting married I was a little shocked and surprised. And Kimberly is my baby. My only daughter. She is my pride and joy next to my wife. And if anyone wants to take her away, they'd better have a good reason to. Love is a strong thing, and it's rare, especially in the youth of the nation."
"I am aware of that, sir. But..." Tommy tried to say.
"Let me finish, Tommy. Ya know, it's hard to let her go. I mean, she's growing up so fast. I can't hold onto her forever. I just gotta know she's in the best care. In good hands. I've been supporting her now through these past few years she's been in Florida. I've paid visits. Now, I'm not sure where you come in in all of this, but I am aware you were at Trini's funeral all those years ago. But I do believe there was some conflicts."
Tommy nodded slowly remembering that day like the back of his hand. He was one of the first people to arrive at the funeral sight. All of his friends were there to greet him, each holding their own sympathy for the loss of the original yellow ranger. But when Kim arrived, he felt his world come crashing down. He couldn't even look at her without feeling hurt. And as much as he wanted to resolve their differences, with the encouragement of the guys, he couldn't do it. It was painful. Only months ago he was at another funeral watching his brother ascend into the desert, his place of birth. He was cremated and his ashes were taken into the desert by the wind. He still had the arrowhead that bonded them together, and still had it now.
"Yeah. I know. But it's not easy to lose someone you love."
"I've watched the two of you grow up. I always thought to find a son-in-law in some lawyer or medical doctor. But I think you've done alright for yourself, Tommy. Digging up dinosaur bones."
"So, is that a blessing?"
"Is that a blessing?! What? Do you think that this is the basis of the call?" his voice grew with fury. "Do you realize what you're getting yourself into?"
"But I love your daughter, Mr. Hart. And if I do recall, we were the ones who showed you and your wife what true love was."
"That's in the past, Tommy. And you are right. But I haven't seen you in eight years. How do I know if you've changed?"
"You've been talking to my parents. They've told me. And I understand what you're getting at. And I respect that, I'm just asking if I get your blessing to carry on and do the wedding?"
It went silent.
Tommy caught his breath unsure of what to make of the gesture. He never could tell when Kim's father was joking and not. "Mr. Hart?"
"Yes, Tommy." the man replied.
"So, do I get a yes?"
Mr. Hart chuckled. "What do you think you were getting? A beating?"
Tommy let out a breath. "Well, it did seem that way."
"You know I'm just playing you, Tommy. I gotta keep you on your feet. Just glad that you finally did it. I think we waited too long for it."
"Yeah. Well, thank you, sir. And I promise you, your daughter is in good hands."
"I know she is. I have no doubt that you'll take good care of her, son."
"Thank you, Mr. Hart."
"Hey. Hey. C'mon, now don't need to be proper. You know you can call me Paul."
"Or dad?"
"Sure. Whatever works for you. But I should go, it seems there is a lot of planning to do. And if I know anything about weddings, let the women do it."
Tommy chuckled, remembering that his father had told him the same thing. "Got it. Send my wishes to my mother."
"I will, son. But I expect more frequent calls from you."
"Got it." Tommy laughed. "Bye."
"Bye, son." the older man hung up the phone.
Tommy forced out a breath, letting out a sigh of relief. He knew that Kim's dad was all for it, he just didn't like the interrogation that went with it. But was what done was done. Now, he had to call his own parents and tell them the status of the situation.
He dialed up the number of his parents house pushing the receiver to his ear.
When the receiver clicked, a deep voice came on the line. His father. "Hey, Tommy. So, give me the dirt?"
Tommy knew what he meant by that. "It's all squared away. I got their blessing."
"Like there ever was a doubt. But did Paul give you a hard time?"
"Oh yeah."
"Just keeping you on your feet. So, brushed up yet. You're lucky your mother isn't around."
Tommy forced out a breath. He would have to talk to Trent about that. He knew about his ethnic origins– Filipino. "Not yet. But I'm working on it, sorta."
"Busy? Don't worry, I won't tell her. Just keep that in mind. Next time you call, she may be the one to pick it up."
"I will. And thanks, dad. Ya know, for all that you've done for me."
"No doubt. We're always here. And I know your real parents would be just as proud. As well as your brother."
"Yeah, I know. I'm just glad it's all over."
"You weren't ready in the past. Now, you were. But yeah, it's all done. Just got to set those wedding plans and you'll be husband and wife."
"I can't wait. I just wish I wasn't such an ass."
"Love is hard. It's never easy. It's not supposed to be or it'll be a perfect world. And no one is perfect. Don't forget that."
"Yeah. I won't. Thanks, dad."
"Well, I'll let you go. You must be living a pretty hectic life with all the teaching and experiments you're working on."
"Yeah," Tommy nodded slowly. "So, I'll call you later?"
"Whenever you need me, Tommy. Bye."
"Bye, dad." Tommy said and hung up.
The rest of the day was calm, but he was glad it was. Just a day to relax. It was rare, but well-treasured. Time for himself to catch his breath on the recent events.
To be continued....
A/N: Short and simple, but not all too important at the moment. Okay, and I made Trent a Filipino–but to most he looks Hispanic. Sorry, being a Filipino myself, he looks like it, but remember that's what makes a AU story so much fun. Until next time, peace out.