Kim woke up the next morning to find Tommy cooking in the kitchen. She just smiled. Well at least I know he's eating right. She walked over and sat down at the bar table, sitting on one of the chairs. "Smells good. When did you find the time to learn to cook?" asked Kim.
He hadn't failed to notice the speculation hidden in what she said. And he figured before Kim left to go home she would do whatever it took to get something out of him. How could he tell her? Tell her everything that had happened. Things the others didn't even know about. All the others knew about Zeltrax and Smitty was that they were one and the same, but what they didn't know was that it had been his fault. He had told them that Smitty was thought to have died while on a dig, which was partly true, but it had been his fault.
He still couldn't get rid of the image of Smitty falling to his death, going to wherever it was that turned him into Zeltrax. And there were other things the others didn't know. No one knew, except for Trent's adaptive father, Anton Mercer.
Kim could see something hidden in his eyes. She had seen it once before, back in their high school days. Back when Tommy first joined the team, but not before he tried to destroy them all, and almost succeeded. He's guilty about something, but what? It always broke her heart to see him hurting. He had already been through so much, with Rita turning him evil, then Zed always trying to turn him evil again, and then Goldar hot on his trail. It seemed he never got a break, but then he became the white ranger and everything seemed to wind down. But there had been days when she often wondered. Was it ever really over for him?
"Somewhere in between saving the world and grading papers," he responded, trying to sound cheerful, hoping that she would think everything was okay, and leave it alone. But he knew her too well, or maybe it was the other way around.
"Is everything all right, Tommy?" she asked.
Tommy walked around carrying two plates of eggs and bacon. He sat down next to her. "Why wouldn't it be?"
"It's been close to seven years since I last saw you, since most everyone saw you, except for Jason."
"I've just had a lot going on is all."
"Too much going on even for a quick hello?"
Tommy sighed. He knew she was right. He had lost all contact with his friends and in some ways even with his parents. "It's not like I meant for it to happen, it just did. A lot happened in the last seven years."
"Yeah. A lot has happened." She sighed, she wanted to be angry with him, but for some reason she just couldn't and she didn't know why. Maybe it was because she felt sorry for him, maybe it was because of the connection they once had, or maybe a part of her still really cared about him. "Did you even know that Trini died a few years ago, in a car accident?"
Tommy bowed his head down. He pushed his plate aside, no longer hungry. "Yeah, I knew. My parents called me and told me what happened." He turned to Kim. "I'm sorry I didn't show up. I wanted to, but I couldn't."
"Did it have anything to do with that picture in your room, of you and two other men? One of them was called Smitty. Yesterday you called Zeltrax Smitty."
He wanted to be angry with her for going through his room, but yet he couldn't blame her. He hadn't really been friendly or welcoming to her being here, not that it was her fault. It was his, just like so many other things. "Don't worry about that, it doesn't concern you."
That did it. That broke the ice. "The hell it doesn't! Tommy, that thing knew where to find me and used me to get to you!"
She was right, in some ways it did concern her. Zeltrax had used her, knowing it would draw him out. "You're right. I'm sorry." He sighed. He got up from his chair and started walking away. "But there are so many things that have happened in the last seven years. Things about me you don't understand, won't want to believe, maybe not want to hear."
"What could there possibly be that you've done that I won't understand? We've been through a lot together, Tommy, there's nothing about you that could ever turn me away." Kim walked over to him. "Please, tell me what happened to you. You're not the Tommy I remember."
She was right. The man he once was, he no longer was. And that scared him more than anything.
Tommy led her over to his living room and the two sat down on the couch. "Where do I begin? There's so much that has happened."
"How about the beginning?"
"It's a long story."
"I have the time. My plane doesn't leave until tonight."
He turned to her, looking into her eyes, wondering how she had been, if she was still happy, if she was still with him... "How's, umm…"
"Pete. He's doing fine. Just got a promotion in his job," replied Kim. Kim had been with Pete for a long time now. He had been the other guy. The guy she had broken up with Tommy for.
"Good. Good, you still happy?"
"Yeah. We're happy." She knew what he was doing, trying to get out of talking about what needed to be discussed. "Now it's your turn."
Tommy had to laugh at that. "All right. You win. It all started…"
It was late in the year of 1999. Tommy sat on his bed in his dorm room, watching one of his favorite sitcoms when it was interrupted by a special news report.
"This just in. Dr. Anton Mercer, archeologist, has just discovered this year's most extraordinary find." On the screen Tommy saw three brightly colored rocks, or gems, one red, one blue, and one yellow. He eyed them closely, as if he had some idea as to what they might be. "It is unknown what era these brightly colored gem fossil rocks have come from…" The rest Tommy had blocked out, his eyes were intent on the gems.
"I knew what they were. I'm not sure how, but somehow I knew they were ranger related, maybe even Zordon related. I had to get a hold of this Anton Mercer, so I made a few calls and spoke with a man called Terrance Smith. Smitty. And from there I met Anton Mercer."
Tommy stood next to a young man in his early thirties. "Anton Mercer, I'd like you to meet Tommy Oliver. He's the young man I told you about."
Anton Mercer walked up to the two. "Oh yes, the one who knows it all."
Tommy chuckled. "I wouldn't say that."
"Well, either way, I am very interested in what you know about these gems. They are unlike anything I have ever seen before." Tommy nodded his head. "Shall we?" Mercer led the way, as Tommy and the other man followed him.
"And from there I helped the two of them research the dino gems, not revealing everything about them, but enough. I didn't tell them I was once a power ranger, but I did tell them these gems were from out of this world and had great powers."
"So you're saying these gems could have come from another planet?" asked Anton Mercer.
"Yes. What I believe could have happened was some time during the Jurassic era these gems ended up here on Earth, either someone left them here or maybe they were brought here by asteroids."
"Well, that would explain why the gems seem to each hold a power of some sort, alien related. The red gem for Tyrannosaurus, the blue for the Triceratops and yellow for Pterodactyl; but how would something from another planet possibly be something dinosaur related?"
Tommy laughed. "That the ingenious part. When a baby is inside its mother's womb, it begins to connect with its mother, so when it's born, it will know who its mother is."
"I see what you're getting at. The gems bonded with dinosaurs and somehow gained the dinosaur abilities. Excellent. But could it work again?"
"How do you mean?" asked Tommy.
"The red gem and the Tyrannosaurus bonded together, now could the gem bond again, with a human, or another living creature?"
"It might be possible, but we might not be able to choose who or what it bonds with. The gems were found together, but all of them bonded with different dinosaurs. I think the gems choose who they bond with."
Mercer chuckled. "For someone who was going to school to start a business in a Martial Arts school, you seem to know an awful lot about these gems and dinosaurs."
Tommy laughed. "Well, let's just say I know this guy who was really into dinosaurs and pretty wise when it came to stuff from out of this world."
"I would love to meet this guy. Perhaps he could teach me a thing or two."
"Perhaps, but," Tommy sighed, "he died, pretty recently."
"From there I was taken under Anton's wing, with Smitty helping me on the side."
"You're doing it wrong," laughed a man. He got down on his knees next to Tommy who was trying to brush away the dirt from the fossil.
Tommy laughed. "Think you can do any better?"
The man took the brush from Tommy's hand and began to brush away the dirt and debris from the fossil. "Nice and easy strokes." After a few moments Smitty handed back the brush to Tommy. "Now you try."
Tommy began to brush gently, swipes brushing away the dirt from the fossil. "I think you got it, kid." Smitty looked over his shoulder. "Hey Anton, looks like we'll make a scientist out of him yet."
"During that year a lot had happened. I became friends with the two, we were almost never apart. We went to digs together, finds, everything. But then…"
Anton and Tommy were walking around the dig site. Anton had his arm around Tommy's shoulder, talking to him quietly.
Tommy looked at Anton, surprised and shocked. "Are you sure? I mean, Smitty knows more about this stuff than I do."
"That may be true, but you have more knowledge about these gems than he and I put together do. I need you, Tommy. I want you to step up and become my partner, we'll do great things together, to better mankind." Anton stopped and faced Tommy, holding out his hand. "What do you say, partner?"
Tommy seemed hesitant for a moment, then making a quick decision he held out his hand and shook Anton's.
"Somehow Smitty had found out and wasn't too happy. I guess I couldn't blame the guy."
"It wasn't my idea Smitty, you have to understand I never had any intention of taking your spot," said Tommy.
"You still accepted his offer. My offer! After everything I've done for you, this is how you repay me, by taking my spot on the team!" yelled Smitty; anger burned in his eyes as they filled with envy.
Tommy sighed heavily. "Look, I'm sorry, but there's something about those gems..."
Tommy was cut off by Smitty. "The gems again! More secrets." Smitty got right into Tommy's face and pointed his finger directly at him. "Just remember it was me who had convinced Mercer to let you join this expedition! If it weren't for me you wouldn't even be here! Remember that when your big paycheck comes in!"
Tommy sighed. "He really hated me. After everything he had done for me. I was the one who had gotten the offer, just because I knew what those gems stood for, thanks to my ranger days."
Kim squeezed his shoulder. "You can't blame yourself, Tommy. You had no way of knowing Anton Mercer was going to offer you the job."
"Maybe that part wasn't my fault. But what happened after was…"
Tommy was on the top of the mountain studying the gems while they were inside the small box, when Smitty snuck up on him and jumped him. The two went rolling over the edge, along with the gems. Tommy quickly grabbed a hold on the edge while his other hand caught onto Smitty, somehow Smitty had managed to catch the box with the gems.
"Just hang on, Smitty!" yelled Tommy as he struggled to get a good grip on the ledge.
They were hanging onto the edge of a mountain. Tommy gripped the rock tightly, while his other hand hung onto Smitty.
"You have to drop it, Smitty. I need you to use your other hand to climb up me and reach the top of the mountain; it's the only way we'll both make it."
Smitty held on to the small box which held the Dino gems. "Never!! There's no way in hell I'm dropping this money keeper, not with what it can do for me!!"
"Smitty, you have to! Forget the money!!!"
Laughter... "Easy for you to say, you're already getting paid twice the amount I was. I won't let you win!"
"How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?"
"Sorry's not good enough, traitor!"
"Look, just drop the case and climb to the top and you can have my spot. I'll tell Mercer I don't want it. Alright?" Tommy's hand began slipping. "I can't hang on for much longer!"
"We have a deal, then!" But Smitty didn't drop the case, instead he tossed it to the top of the mountain. "You didn't really think I would drop it, did you, not after what I've seen, what it can do!" With those words Smitty began to climb up Tommy's back and reached the top of the mountain.
Once Smitty was on the mountaintop, Tommy used both of his hands to pull himself up. Tommy watched as Smitty dove for the case, then everything happened so fast. There was a massive earthquake. Smitty ended up dropping the case. It went flying into midair, almost falling over the edge, but Tommy dove and caught it just in time.
Tommy then watched in horror as Smitty fell off the mountain. "SMITTY!!!"
Tommy turned to Kim, expecting her to be angry, hurt, upset with him, everything but compassionate.
"It wasn't your fault. You did everything you could have."
"Did I? I should have kept an eye on him during that earthquake, instead I was making sure that those damn gems were all right," Tommy yelled.
"Not everything bad that happens is your fault."
"I haven't even told you the worst of it. There's more, a lot more. The experiments Mercer and I did on the gems. It went against everything I once stood for as a ranger. The experiments we tried, we tried them on lizards, and we ended up turning them into monsters, and then one of them became Mesogog, to this day I don't know how we created him, but he was the strongest. People got hurt, people died, and then the monsters we created became too powerful to control. Mesogog destroyed Mercer's and my lab, killing everyone in sight. I barely escaped with my life." Tommy bowed his head down, sighing heavily, on the brink of tears. He hated himself for what he had done. "So for the next four years I hung low, and ended up here. Mesogog and the monster I helped create were here and I was going to be the one to take them down, but…"
"But three teenagers found themselves in your basement and bonded with the gems," she finished.
"Yeah," sighed Tommy. There were times when a part of him wished that they never found the gems and that Trent hadn't gotten involved in this mess. The mess that he had created. And then there were those days he wondered what he would do without them, but that still didn't change what he had done. He turned to face Kim. "I'm no better then Rita, Zedd and the Machine Empire all combined!" he yelled, storming off.
"Tommy!" called Kim as she ran after him.