Disclaimer: Not mine, no money made, blahblahblah...
Note: Second in my version of the series. :-) Set right after the Zeo episode King For A Day II, it marks (to me) the beginning of the relationship. Enjoy, and please pass by the feedback box on your way out? Happy Holidays everybody – again! DB, December 2005

Forty Ranger Romance Themes: Jason and Kat

#2: Friends

by Dagmar Buse

At the door of the Olivers' house, Tommy turned towards Jason and Kat. The two had insisted on going home with him, but he was more than ready for a long, hot shower and some serious sleep – both of which he'd have to do on his own. He dredged up a weary smile.

"Thanks, guys. For everything."

"Anytime, Bro," his best friend smiled back. The words might be casual, but Tommy knew that the dark eyes held barely-concealed concern. "Will you be okay?"

"Yeah," Tommy sighed. "After about three weeks of R&R, anyway."

"Too bad you can't have three weeks," Kat said lightly, but she, too couldn't altogether mask the worry she was still feeling. If you knew what to listen for, it was evident in her voice and the way she was not quite hovering over him. "We have a history test tomorrow, remember?"

Tommy grimaced. "Yes – and I wish I didn't."

"You and me both." Jason grinned wryly. "Which reminds me – I'd better go home and study at least some, or Ms Appleby will fry my butt."

"Mine's gonna be toast anyhow; I'd planned on studying tonight, but …"

"But you're in no condition to do so," Kat interrupted firmly. "One D isn't going to kill your GPA, and you can always make up for it next test."

"I just hope I can sleep," Tommy muttered, almost too softly to hear.

Instantly, Jason slipped an arm around Tommy's shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. It wasn't quite a hug, but came close. "Worried about nightmares, Bro?"

He just shrugged. It was all the confirmation Jason needed. "Want me to stay over?"

The offer was tempting, but Tommy declined after only a moment's hesitation. "Nah. I'll manage … as usual." In a weak attempt at humor, he added, "Besides, I dunno what's worse – dreaming about being back in Prince Gasket's arena, or having to listen to you snore."

Jason snorted, amused and slightly reassured. If he could still crack bad jokes, Tommy wasn't as badly off as he'd feared. "Hey, you could also be dreaming of taking Kat to the Stone County Mall for season's end sales!" As he'd hoped, that provoked snickers all around – even if Kat was vainly trying to look offended.

"I'm not that bad!"

Jason assumed a supremely innocent expression. "'Course not."

"If those are my choices, I think I'll take the shopping," Tommy murmured through a jaw-cracking yawn. Suddenly he wanted nothing more than fall into his bed and sleep for as long as he could – dreams or no dreams.

Jason did a comically-exaggerated double take. "What? Are you sure the brainwashing was completely reversed?" he asked suspiciously while Kat giggled.

Tommy grinned. He might be dead on his feet, but he could still tease with the best of them. And Jason and Kat were the very best. "Well … at least, Kat's prettier than Gasket," he deadpanned. "Or you. Not that that's saying much, but …"

Kat, who had blushed at the implied compliment, gasped in amused outrage. "Oh! You …!"

"Better quit while you're still at least marginally ahead, Tom," Jason chuckled. "Come on, Kat –Tommy's clearly too whacked to think straight. Or knows what he's saying. Maybe he'll make more sense tomorrow."

She sniffed haughtily. "Hmph."

"Yeah, I have my doubts, too, but it's worth a try, don't you think?" The Gold Ranger's face might be smiling, but the dark eyes held an unmistakeable message – one that Kat knew she would've been telegraphing herself in another minute if Jason hadn't beat her to it.

"Pffft. I'm going home. You will come with me," she ordered Jason. "And as for you, Mister … go get some sleep!" she said imperiously, pointing with her finger up to Tommy's bedroom window.

"Yes, ma'am," the young men chorussed obediently – Tommy with a decidedly sheepish expression, as he suddenly couldn't stop yawning, and Jason with a barely-suppressed laugh. He loved it when his female teammates got all maternal on his friends. -Unless they're ganging up on me, that is!-

"Goodnight, Bro. I'll see you tomorrow," Jason told Tommy, and found himself drawn into a surprise hug after all. A little embarrassed, but mostly pleased, he returned the brotherly embrace. "Sleep well."

"You, too, Bro."

Without thinking, Tommy turned and offered the same hug he'd just given Jason to Kat. "Thanks, Kat." Before he could change his mind he kissed her soft cheek. "You were great."

She colored prettily. "Thanks, Tommy. You're welcome." This was more, much more than she'd ever hoped for. -Tommy just kissed me!- Sure, it had just been a quick peck on her cheek, not a real kiss, but still … for this alone, she'd let him off the mall season sales hook. After she'd let him sweat over it for a while, that is. "You. Bed. NOW!"

"Right. Until tomorrow then." With a tired sigh, Tommy shuffled towards the front door, waved once at his friends, then disappeared inside the house. Kat and Jason stood watching until, moments later, the blinds were drawn in his window.

"He'll be dead to the world in five minutes or less, or I don't know him," Jason said quietly. "Come on, I'll walk you home; there's nothing more we can do today."

Katherine just nodded. "I guess not." Slowly, the two wandered off down the street. "Are you sure he'll be okay?" she asked Jason presently.

He gave it some thought. "Eventually, yeah," he replied. "I mean, it'll probably take awhile; ever since Rita and Zedd worked him over back when, Tommy's been kinda freaked by not being in control of his own mind – and this was worse than anything those two ever did to him. But he knows we'll be there to help if he needs it."

Kat sighed. "Sure – but will he ask for help? You know how stubborn he can get."

"If he doesn't, there are ways to make him talk," Jason said simply, then gave Kat a look. "And you know them as well as I do. Don't you?"

Even if Billy hadn't told him how hard Kat had worked to aid Tommy in getting past the anger and hurt Kimberly's Dear-John letter had caused – and Jason still didn't know where that had come from; he strongly suspected there was another reason than what she'd written, and one day soon he'd find out the truth from her – Kat's actions during the past two days had proved without a doubt that she was well aware of how to find and press Tommy's buttons.

"Sometimes I'm not so sure," Kat murmured. Her earlier elation over Tommy's kiss had given way – again – to self-doubt and insecurity. She'd fallen heads-over-heels for the dashing White Ranger the moment Rita had sent her after Tommy, but until now, she never had had any inkling that he regarded her as more than a replacement Pink Ranger, his teammate … a friend at best.

When Tommy had disappeared from the lake so suddenly, she had acted purely on instinct, doing her best to get him back once Billy and Zordon had found where he'd been abducted to. That she was putting her life and the team in danger when she'd demorphed in Prince Gasket's arena hadn't mattered at all; she only thought to bring Tommy back where he belonged. In his right mind, on the side of Good, with his friends.

And the one person who'd backed her all the way, been at her side every step, was walking beside her now, his powerful, black-clad body a reassuring presence in a world that, due to their 'day job', sometimes could go topsy-turvy in an instant.

Kat snuck a peek at Jason. She hadn't known him all that long, but he was fast becoming a fixture in her life – the rock on which all of them relied to a greater or lesser extent. -Much like Billy, really. Tommy may be the team leader, have the charisma, but Billy is the voice of reason and the guy to calmly fix things that go wrong … and Jason is the Big Brother we all wish we had. Protective to a fault, ready to offer help or advice, but always ready to hold back, to let us make our own experiences.-

It had astonished her how quickly and completely Tanya had trusted Jason during the crisis with her parents; that her very practical, down-to-earth friend had been willing to trust the 'new' guy with the key to Auric's tiki had been the best indicator. -And Tanya's a pretty good judge of character. Well, except for her one lapse with Shawn,- Kat mused. As for herself … she'd been prepared to like Jason based on his reputation as the first Red Ranger and just because he was Tommy's best friend, but she was fast coming to the conclusion that she wanted him as her friend, too. And not only because he'd supported her while searching for Tommy these past few days, or been only a fraction of a second behind her in the arena.

Jason had realized, as she'd done, that only the true sight of his friends might bring Zeo Ranger Five back to his senses. They never communicated overtly, or consciously made a joint decision, but a quick glance had been enough. Luckily for all of them, their stratagem had worked and Tommy had recovered.

She was brought out of her reflections by Jason's deep voice. "Trust me on that."

"I do," Kat acknowledged quietly. Something in her voice made him look at her questioningly, and she elaborated. "Trust you. And not just because you're on the team, or because you went along with me. I trust you because … just because."

"Um, okay. I guess." Jason smiled slightly. It wasn't the best explanation he'd ever heard, but some part deep within him understood exactly what Kat meant. "Thanks. It's mutual."

"Thank you."

"We're friends, then? I mean, not just because we both, um, play on the same team, or like Tommy?" He winked at her, letting Kat know that he'd taken notice of her feelings, but not in a way that made her uncomfortable.

-Weird. If Rocky had said the same thing to me, I'd be impersonating the Red Battlezord by now!- No, it seemed more as if the two of them were sharing a secret just between themselves … and it felt great. There was only one answer she could – and wanted to – give.

"I'd like that."

"Great!"

Both started to grin like silly children. There was a whole lot of things that could, and probably should, be said on this topic, but Kat suddenly realized that they had walked nearly all the way to her parents' house. She stopped at the beginning of the driveway. "Oh. We're here," she observed inanely.

"Right," Jason answered, seemingly as perplexed by the circumstance as she was. For a few seconds, the two stared at each other; both wanted to continue the talk they'd begun, but neither knew how to bring it about. Then, imperceptibly, the moment passed. Jason shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other. "Listen … I'd love to talk to you some more, but I really need to study," he murmured. "On how we can help Tom if he does end up having nightmares, I mean," he added hastily. "Can we maybe do it later?"

Kat experienced a curious mixture of regret and relief. Choosing not to examine the dichotomy further, she just nodded. "Same here. Shall we both take rain checks?"

"Please."

"Okay then."

There was nothing else to say … or possibly too much. Deciding that a strategic retreat would be the wisest course, Jason cleared his throat. "Good night, Kat," he said as neutrally as he knew how.

"Good night, Jason," she replied, striving to match his tone. "I'll see you at school?"

"Sure. Bye."

"Bye."

About to leave, Jason turned unexpectedly, reached out and gave her a hug. "You were terrific today," he whispered into her ear. "Demorphing as you did … that was probably the bravest thing I've ever seen."

-Oh Lord. Kat shouldn't feel so good in my arms!-

Flattered and pleased, Kat didn't pause to think and thanked him for the honest compliment with a tiny kiss.

"Thank you. You were pretty brave yourself," she replied.

-Oh my God. Was that a static shock I just got? It must've been!-

"I'm glad you're my friend."

-And that's all we'll ever be! Kat's exactly the kind of girl I used to dream about, from her looks to her personality. But she's clearly in love with Tommy; I can't butt in on that. If I'd only been back from Geneva when she moved here! But I wasn't, and now … now, I can maybe have Emily instead.-

Which wouldn't be a bad substitute at all, Jason told himself as he released the blonde girl. Meanwhile, he'd be content to be Kat's friend.

"Ditto," Katherine managed to reply, slightly numb from surprise.

-Oh my. I'm glad he's willing to be just friends. If he weren't … how could I ever choose between Jason and Tommy? They're both everything I ever wanted in a boyfriend – strong, brave, intelligent, drop-dead gorgeous … and I'd better stop thinking about Jason in those terms right now. Or I'll be in deep trouble. I want Tommy, not Jason. Tommy. End of story.-

And maybe she could convince herself of that in time. She summoned a bright smile from she knew not where. Friendship would be a nice, safe substitute.

"Bye," she repeated, and almost ran towards the house. To her relief, her mother's appearance at the door provided a welcome distraction. But she did look back once, and gave a small wave in farewell. Jason acknowledged the gesture by raising is hand in an almost-salute, then strode off.

As he walked down the street towards his own block, a line from an old song came unbidden to his mind and he started to hum under his breath. 'You've got a friend …'

Which wasn't such a bad place to start.

For her part, Kat just stared at her mother when she idly asked about her companion. How could she not see – not know?

"That's Jason. He's my friend."

And that was a good place to start.