Disclaimer: We own Lester. Everyone else belongs to Saban/Disney. But Lester is ours, and we claim him proudly! Long live Lester!
Authors' notes: Thank you to everyone who has stuck with us through this story, as well as all those who are just joining us. Please review, your opinions mean a lot to us!! And remember, Lester loves you!!
Timeline: This takes place in Zeo, shortly after Jason returns as the Gold Ranger. This chapter occurs on the same day as the last two. We promise we'll move on soon – Lester swears!!
Jason lay on the floor of the tree house, staring up at the sky. He had been there for quite some time, running the events of the past few months through his mind. It had certainly been an emotional roller-coaster ride. Leaving the Peace Conference (which meant leaving Zack and Trini), moving back to Angel Grove, accepting the Gold Zeo powers, his fight with Tommy, and the devastating illness that had kept him at his best friend's side for the past month. It had been the most terrifying month of his life.
But it was over now. Tommy was awake and on the road to recovery. Jason was free to get back to normal life – which basically meant spending all of his time catching up on schoolwork. He groaned inwardly at that thought. His teachers had been very lenient at his absence during Tommy's illness, but now he was going to have to buckle down and catch up to his classmates.
He took a deep breath of the crisp night air. It felt so good to just relax. I don't think I've relaxed for one second since Tommy got sick. I'm so glad I can finally breathe, knowing that everything is going to work out just fine. But he couldn't ignore the question that had been rushing through his thoughts all day. What now?
For the past month his place at Tommy's side had been unquestionable. He knew that was where he had to be, and had the resolve to stay there no matter who tried to pull him away. But that was when Tommy was comatose. Now he was conscious. In a few weeks he'd be out of the hospital and back on his feet. Jason sighed. Where do I stand then? He has this amazing relationship with his teammates, something I'm not part of. He's got a shoulder to lean on and a sparring partner in Adam. He even has Rocky as a personal chef! Does he even need me in his life?
He allowed himself a moment of misery, then mentally slapped himself. "Snap out of it!" he said aloud. "This is not the time to feel sorry for yourself. Tommy's okay now, and that's all that matters. I'm satisfied just seeing him healthy."
A shout came from the base of the latter. "Jase! You up there?"
Jason smiled. "What's the password?" he yelled back.
Two voices answered him. "Snuffle-upagus!"
A moment later Billy poked his head through the trap door and looked around. "You're alone? We thought we heard talking up here."
"Just talking to myself," Jason replied.
Zack pulled himself up. "Jason, we've talked about this. You're too old for an imaginary friend. You have to let Lester go."
Jason laughed. "I would, but you're sitting on him."
"Am I?" Zack said with a mischievous grin. "So Lester, is that a flashlight in your pocket or are you just…"
Jason interrupted him. "I do not need to hear your sexual fantasies about my imaginary friend!"
Billy shook his head, his voice filled with laughter. "You two need help. Serious psychological help."
"Come on, Billy. You can join us. You, me and Lester will have a little party," Zack said suggestively.
"MY EARS!" Jason yelled, covering his ears with his hands. "I'm deaf! I'll never hear again!" He dropped to the floor. "Oh, the tragedy! And so young!"
Billy and Zack were doubled over with laughter, and Jason joined them. When they finally calmed down enough to talk, Jason looked at them. "So how did you find me? It's been a long time since we hung out here."
Zack grinned. "Seems you're not the only one who still uses this old house."
Jason smiled. "Is that why I found a test tube set on the floor?"
Billy shrugged. "I started coming here quite a bit after Kimberly left. It…" He paused and looked around. "I don't really know how to explain it. I guess it made me miss you guys less."
"Aww!" Zack said, grabbing Billy and planting a big kiss on his cheek.
The blonde laughed and pushed him away. "In fact, I think I still have a few supplies lying around." He directed the beam of his flashlight into a dark corner, revealing a hurricane lantern. He grabbed it, pulled a lighter out of his pocket and lit it. A soft glow filled the tree house, and Billy grinned at his comrades. "Just like old times."
"Right down to Billy being the one who's always prepared," Zack added, earning a laugh from his friends.
"We did have a lot of great times in this place," Jason said with a nostalgic smile.
"Remember when we stole Kim's training bra and used it as a flag?" Zack said with a grin.
Jason laughed. "Do I ever. She wouldn't talk to us for a week!"
"How about the time we made vanilla cake for them, but used salt instead of sugar?" Billy chuckled. "I still have the picture of their faces!"
Jason grinned. "They got us back good for that one. Remember the "Indian Ceremony" they put on for us?"
"Oh yeah," Zack replied. "That war paint stayed on for a week!"
"And Jason had to go to his cousin's wedding with red and blue stripes on his face!" Billy wiped a tear of laughter from his eye.
"My mom was so mad!" Jason leaned against the wall, catching his breath.
Zack looked up at the sky. "And then there was that fateful day when Bulk wanted to show off his father's flare gun."
"We were so lucky that it was raining that day. If it had been dry the entire tree may have burned down," Billy commented.
"I just remember that as one of the few times I've seen Trini get really mad. The rain ruined all of her sketches and paintings. I thought she was going to push Bulk out of the window!" Jason snickered. "He was so scared that he avoided her for a month!"
The three boys fell silent, soaking in the memories held by the walls surrounding them. A warm blanket of friendship filled the small house. Billy was the one to finally speak, his voice subdued. "I remember sleeping here when my mom got really sick. I hated hearing her coughing at night."
"It was summertime, and my mom would make us lemonade and peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches," Jason added.
"Trini would make brownies. Double fudge brownies." Zack smiled. "She did the same thing when we crashed here with Kim when her parents were fighting."
"We've been through a lot together in this old house," Jason remarked.
Zack laughed softly. "Hell, we've been a lot together period." He put an arm around each of his friends. "You guys know I love you, right?"
Billy and Jason smiled. "We love you too," Billy said. His smile widened to a grin. "And see how secure we are in our masculinity to say that!"
"What masculinity?" Jason asked. "Zack's got more estrogen than Xena, Warrior Princess!" The former Black Ranger punched him in the arm, and Jason laughed. "You know I'm kidding." His smile faded a bit. "Seriously, though, what brings you guys here? I know you didn't just stop by to reminisce."
"What, we can't just come here to enjoy your company?" Zack asked sweetly.
"Not after the ordeal we've been through you can't," Jason answered. "What's up?"
"We just wanted to see how you were doing," Billy said.
"I'm great! Why wouldn't I be? Tommy's awake and he's going to be okay. Everything's fine now. Things can go back to normal." He avoided looking at his friends.
"What's your definition of 'normal', Jase?" Billy asked.
Jason shrugged. "Tommy will get out of the hospital, come back to school, be a ranger again – you know, normal."
"And where do you fit into Tommy's 'normal' life?" Zack asked. There was a long pause as he waited for Jason's answer. It didn't come. "That's what I thought."
Jason sighed. "I know what you're going to say, Zack. And my answer is still no."
"Jase, come on. You have to talk to him!" Zack pleaded.
"And say what? 'Glad you're feeling better, Tommy. Just thought you should know I've decided that I'm gay and I want you to be my boyfriend.' This is followed by a passionate kiss and happily ever after, right?" Jason scoffed. "He'd never speak to me again!"
"That's not what I mean and you know it," Zack said.
"I don't care how you want me to say it! That's crossing the line, and I am not doing it. I value Tommy's friendship way too much." He looked at Billy. "You know what I'm saying, right? It's just a bad idea!"
"Sorry Jase. I gotta go with Zack on this one."
Jason looked at him in shock. "Great! Now you're both ganging up on me!"
"We're not trying to gang up on you," Billy explained. "We just want to see you happy."
"How is losing my best friend going to make me happy?"
"How can you be happy when all you can concentrate on is hiding how you really feel?" Zack challenged. "What kind of a life is that?"
"A life with Tommy in it! That's all I want!"
Zack let out a grunt of frustration. "That's not what you want! You can't want to spend the rest of your life lying to him!"
"He needs to know how you feel," Billy interjected. "I think we've all learned that life is too fragile to leave things unsaid."
"How are you not getting this?" Jason yelled. "If I tell him, I'll lose him. I can't lose Tommy!"
"You almost did! Or are you forgetting that he died in your arms?!" Zack hollered.
"Forgetting?" Jason rose to his feet. "How could I forget? You don't think I remember how it felt to hear his breathing stop? You don't think I remember holding his body? You don't think that haunts me every time I close my eyes?" Tears began to stream down his face. "Do you honestly think I've forgotten how much I begged to go with him? How when his heart stopped, mine shattered?" He dropped to his knees, sobbing. "I just want to be with him. That's all I've ever wanted. I just want Tommy."
Zack and Billy wrapped their arms around their anguished friend. "Let it out, Jase," Zack said, gently rubbing Jason's back. "You don't have to be strong anymore. Not for us."
"I was so scared," Jason said, his speech interrupted by sobs. "I thought…" He couldn't bring himself to finish the statement.
"We all thought that," Billy said. "But now we can rest easy knowing that Tommy's going to be okay." Jason nodded, still shaking in his friends' arms.
"We'll get through this," Zack said. We'll get through this the same way we've gotten through everything else – together."
Jason took a deep breath, calming himself. "What would I do without you guys?"
Billy squeezed his hand. "You'll never have to find out."
"Now about Tommy, don't you…" Zack began, but Billy cut him off.
"Look, we've all had a very long, very emotional day. Let's get some sleep, and we can finish this conversation tomorrow."
"Good idea." Jason threw a grateful smile in Billy's direction. "Lets head home."
"Or we could just sleep here," Billy said. Leaning back, he grabbed a handle on the wall and pulled it open.
"When did you build that?" Zack asked with a laugh.
Billy shrugged. "I needed someplace to keep my experiments. But I also have…" He pulled two sleeping bags, a few blankets and some pillows."
Jason shook his head, a smile on his face. "You are the ultimate boy scout."
"That's not all." He pulled a Bunsen Burner from the space, followed by a large beaker, a gallon of water, and a metal canister. "Anyone want some hot chocolate?"
Jason and Zack couldn't help but laugh. "I take it back, Billy," Jason said. "You put boy scouts to shame."
"We should get some sleep," Zack commented, looking at his watch. "It's almost one – we have to be at school in six hours."
Silently the boys spread out the sleeping bags and pulled blankets over them." As they stared up at the stars, Jason found himself smiling. I really do have the greatest friends in the world. "Thanks guys."
"Anytime," Billy said sleepily.
"What he said." Zack yawned. "Night."
Jason closed his eyes. Good night, Tommy. That was the last thought he had as he drifted off to sleep.