Here With Me

by highlander-bellflower

Tommy is missing, and his rebellious younger sister has set out looking for him, and along the way stumbles upon his Ranger past.

5. Part 5: Aimee

Disclaimer: Power Rangers is Saban's world, not mine. And, alas, the song "Here With Me" is by Dido and I don't own that either. No money's being made off of this, so don't sue thinking that I have any.

This is a revised section of the original part 5. If anyone's looking for the original version, let me know, because I do still have a copy of it. Hopefully this one turns out better - I've made a huge amount of changes, hence the massive author's note at the end.

Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated!

Here With Me Part Five

2003-2006 by Amie Martin

-- Aimee --

Concentration had never been one of my strong points. It required all of my attention, and most of the time my attention was occupied elsewhere. Today was no exception.

I was trying to pay attention to everything, take in every detail, remember every word said. Jason and I were in a strange place, with five people we didn't even know. I wanted to be on guard, ready for anything. From Jason's appearance at the Surf Spot to those warriors at the Command Center, this day was already too full of surprises for my tastes.

But all I could think about was Jason, binding the cut on my arm. I'd tried to tell him it wasn't serious and I'd live without help, but he'd insisted, and I didn't feel like arguing about it. His fingers kept brushing against my skin, little soft waves of warmth that can shatter a girl's concentration completely.

Maybe Jason was just trying to be gentle; maybe he thought I was in pain. Maybe it was the fact that it was Jason that made all the difference…

"I suppose you're wondering why we're here," the guy with the highlights began, sitting at the head of the conference table.

I looked up at the sound of his voice. He'd told Jason his name was Andros, and he seemed to be the leader of the other four. Each one of them wore a uniform of sorts, silvery jackets and pants with different colored accents - red, blue, black, pink, yellow. Jason thought they were Rangers, but I couldn't be so sure. If I couldn't tell my own brother had been a Ranger for years, there was no way in hell I could see it in a group of total strangers.

The important thing was that Jason believed - knew - they were Rangers, and it seemed like he trusted them. I trusted Jason's judgment, and I knew he wouldn't be here if he didn't think this was the right decision. For now, I didn't have much of choice but to follow him, and there could be worse fates.

"I think a good place to start would be with who or what it was that attacked us," Jason was saying, finishing up the bandage on my arm. He gave me a small smile before turning back towards the leader. "Whoever they are, they've got to know something about those ruins."

"I'm pretty sure they do, actually." Andros looked up, and his eyes met mine. "I'm sorry, I don't remember your name," he told me, leaning forward against the table.

Smiling a little in spite of the tension I felt, I said, "I don't think I told you my name. It's Aimee, and you're Andros, right?"

"Yeah." He nodded, "And this is Ashley, TJ, Carlos, and Cassie." Gesturing to each of his friends in turn, Andros added, "It's nice to meet you."

"Same here." I nodded, swallowing the lump my uneasiness had formed in my throat. "So… you guys are Rangers?"

Andros shot a questioning glance at Jason, who shrugged. "I told her the basics," Jason explained, "but we were… interrupted before I could tell her everything."

Seeming satisfied with Jason's response, Andros turned back to me, "To answer your question, we're Space Rangers. Basically, we're like Jason and his original group, but on an intergalactic level."

A soft "Oh" was all I could manage. Apparently the Power Rangers weren't just an Angel Grove phenomenon. Maybe Tommy played a much bigger role than I originally thought…

"Anyway," Andros continued, "the reason we're here is because of a man named Volkadir." The group of us turned towards the head of the conference table, while Andros pushed a button and called up an image on a large screen. The image showed a man with a scarred face and shaved head; one particularly gruesome scar ran from the top of his head and through his left eye, ending just below his lip. "This would be the guy in the chariot we saw at the Command Center."

"Well, isn't he attractive?" I muttered under my breath. No wonder why he had to hide behind all those red curtains - a plastic surgeon would have a field day with this guy.

Jason shook his head, giving me a warning look. When I simply shrugged, he stepped closer and whispered in my ear, "No comments from the peanut gallery."

I made a face and whispered back, "I can't be a peanut gallery until you get me some peanuts. I am a little hungry." It was a stupid comment, but it was enough to break up some of the tension I felt.

He didn't say anything, but just turned back to the image of Volkadir with a soft, almost-chuckle. Even with his head turned, I could tell Jason was smiling, and I was pleased to note that he still lingered by my side. Knowing that he was paying attention to me eased my conscience somewhat. Jason would never intentionally let anything bad happen to me.

Meanwhile, Andros was saying, "Volkadir wasn't born into power, he saw his opportunity and seized it. We think he's been plotting this for several years now."

"I don't understand." The black guy dressed in blue - TJ, if memory served me right - said, leaning forward a little to examine the image. "What opportunity did he have, exactly?"

"And why act now?" Carlos, the dark-haired guy in black, added. "Why is now so important?"

"I can answer one of those questions." Andros clicked another button, changing the image to one of two figures, a woman in a renegade-clown-meets-drag-queen costume and a man who looked as if his entire body had been turned inside out. "Volkadir was a servant of Rita Repulsa, and also of her husband Lord Zedd. While on their base on the moon, he observed every failure the duo made while planning his own rise to power."

The veins in Jason's neck tightened, trying to burst through his skin. Pressing his lips together, he asked, "Are Rita and Zedd part of this too?"

"No," Andros answered. "They're so far beyond power now that any new attempts to rule the galaxy would quickly be shot down."

Something in Jason's shoulders seemed to relax, and I ventured a hand out to touch him, directing his attention towards me. "Jase?" I whispered, "Who's Rita and Zedd?"

He leaned towards me, speaking in a low voice, "They were the original enemies looking to take over Earth." Jason shifted, draping an arm around the back of my stool, and I could feel his fingertips brush against my waist. "Tommy and I and the others - I'll explain more later."

I nodded, letting my hand drift off his shoulder blades. "Thanks."

Jason smiled before looking over at Andros. "You were saying this Volkadir was studying his predecessors?"

Nodding in confirmation, Andros continued, "Yes, but he didn't stop with Rita and Zedd. Volkadir also managed to maneuver himself into the inner circle of both King Mondo and Divatox."

A collective gasp went up from Andros' companions, but I couldn't tell why. These names must mean something, I figured, in order to get a reaction like that. I kept my mouth shut, deciding that it might be better just to listen for the time being.

"So he's using the same skills as Divatox and the rest?" the girl by the computers, Cassie, asked, sitting up a bit straighter.

"He's borrowing from different sources," Andros explained. "It's one of the reasons we were all called back into action - we've got prior experience."

Carlos leaned forward, drumming his fingers on the table. "Do we have any idea what his current plan is?"

"Or better yet, what's our plan?" TJ asked.

Switching to an image of the Command Center ruins, Andros said, "Volkadir wants to establish a base of operations before he begins his assault."

"The Command Center…" The words hissed between Jason's teeth, and I could feel how protective he was of the place, of his former life. "Please tell me you're not going to let that happen."

"We won't." Ashley's voice, silent until now, was filled with an easy confidence. "Not if we can help it."

Jason crossed his arms in front of his chest. "He thinks controlling the Command Center is some sort of psychological triumph?"

"Maybe." Andros shrugged. "But he has intelligence claiming there's a secret source of power hidden in the ruins."

Carlos raised an eyebrow. "Is there?"

"No, and if there was, it was destroyed with the rest of the building. There's nothing left but the ruins."

Silence fell over the group as everyone considered the new information Andros had presented. Okay, so there was a new threat against the planet and these five Rangers were the ones assigned to keep this threat from coming to light. I understood that. This Volkadir guy also wanted to stake a claim on Jason's old Command Center, where he'd once been a Ranger along with my brother, Tommy. In theory, I understood that too. What I didn't understand was how I ended up in the middle of this and what role I was supposed to play, now that I was involved…

"So," I began, hopping off of my stool and breaking the silence that draped over the room, "what are we going to do to stop this guy?"

Andros blinked, as if surprised by my offer. I was slightly surprised myself - I only half-understood this Ranger business, but if Tommy and Jason thought this was a worthy cause, the least I could do was try to help. "Well," Andros said, "there is one other thing, one you two might be able to help us with."

Laying a hand on the center of my back, as if to signal his presence next to me, Jason asked, "What's that?"

"We've created new powers to fight Volkadir." Andros stood and began to pace; maybe he was nervous about something? "They're similar to the powers we had as Space Rangers, but with one major exception."

"And that is…" Carlos gestured with one hand for Andros to continue.

"The one plan Volkadir didn't have access to was that of the Green Ranger," Andros explained slowly. "The team would have six Rangers, with the Green Ranger controlling the Dragonzord."

A look of confusion crossed Jason's face. "But the Green Ranger powers are dead," he said. "They were completely drained - we had to create a new Ranger to compensate for it."

"These aren't the original powers," Andros clarified, "but rather a revamped design of them. These new powers are substantially stronger and can't be used by evil."

I leaned back towards Jason, trying to draw strength from them. They were discussing the Dragonzord powers - Tommy's powers. If there was any part of the conversation I had to be a part of, this would be it. "What's the catch?" I asked, almost afraid of the answer.

His eyes meeting mine, Andros said quietly, "The only one who can use the powers now is their original owner - the original Green Ranger. It's… a design flaw."

Whistling under his breath, Carlos commented, "So, while we've got five of us right here, we've still got to keep searching for the last guy."

"Tommy…" Jason's voice trailed off, and I could feel his fingers tighten against my back.

"Yeah, Tommy Oliver and his Dragonzord coin," Andros was saying. "We had tracked the coin to the ruins, and that's when we found you…"

It took a moment for all of the information to work its way into my brain. Andros and his friends were looking for Tommy - my Tommy - and they hadn't found him either. Was he so far gone that even a group of Rangers didn't know where he was? I could feel my hope of ever finding my brother teetering on the edge of desperation, and I didn't know if I should be angry, upset, calm, or any of the above…

"AJ, are you okay?" Jason's hands slid up my back to rest on my shoulders, as if doing so could calm me.

"What's wrong?" Ashley seemed genuinely concerned, an odd emotion coming from a stranger.

Shaking my head slowly, I said through clenched teeth, "Tommy's… Tommy's not a Ranger anymore."

There was an almost apologetic look in Andros' eyes. "I know, but we need his help. He's the only one who can control the Dragonzord - that's why we're looking for him." Glancing up at Jason, Andros added, "Jason, you were his best friend - do you know where we could find him?"

"No." Jason's voice dropped a pitch. "Neither of us know where Tommy is."

"Not for lack of trying." The words came out with more bitterness than I had originally intended. "Wasting two years searching and nothing to show for it…"

"Wait a second," TJ interrupted. "Don't tell me you've been looking for him too."

Jason squeezed my shoulders. "Aimee is Tommy's younger sister," he told the others. "And he's been missing for almost three years."

The Space Rangers fell silent for a few moments, Cassie turning to the computer screen nearby. I rested one of my hands on top of Jason's, silently thanking him for saying what I could not. There were so many emotions I couldn't quite put into words - anger that they might find Tommy before I did, hope that they might help with my search, fear that we might never find him at all.

Finally, Andros looked up, his eyes meeting mine. "Then we can look for Tommy together," he said, and the other Space Rangers were nodding in agreement. "We need Tommy to help us stop Volkadir, and you need to find your brother. If we're all looking for him, we might as well join forces."

A stranger, offering to help? It seemed too good to be true. If Andros and his friends found Tommy, he'd be a Ranger again - a thought I found unsettling - but at the same time, I'd have my brother back. Nodding slowly, I agreed, "Well, it couldn't hurt."

Cassie mumbled something unintelligible from her computer console, pressing buttons and scrolling through screens. A curious TJ stood and went over to her, leaning over her shoulder to look.

"What do you have there, Cass?" TJ asked, his eyes glued to the screen.

"I think there may be another option." Cassie turned away from the console and back towards the group. "Guys, remember when we were tracking that signal down in the ruins?"

Carlos nodded, "Yeah, we were tracking the Dragonzord coin and a biorhythm signal we thought was Tommy's." He shrugged, "Aimee, that must have been you, then."

"And you and Tommy have the same parents?" Cassie asked me.

I almost laughed at how silly the question sounded, given the situation. "That's what the term 'sister' implies."

"Then I know why your signal's almost identical to your brother's."

A surprised look crossed Andros' face. "We're listening."

"Okay. Tommy and Aimee have the same parents - the same bloodlines," Cassie said. "Genetically, they're not all that different, and those similarities are what our scanners were picking up on."

"So that explains why we thought Aimee was Tommy," Ashley concluded.

Cassie nodded, "Yeah, but there's more." She called up another screen on the computer in front of her. "When Rita originally created the Green Ranger, she used the same genetic similarities to attune the coin to Tommy, hence why no one else could assume the Green Ranger powers."

"I don't understand." Jason shook his head as if to clear it. "I had control over the Dragonzord powers for a while, and I'm not related to Tommy."

Jason had the Dragonzord at one point? And the Green Ranger was created by Rita, and wasn't she evil? My brother was not evil, and no one would ever be able to tell me otherwise…

"The Dragonzord was different - you didn't actually have the Green Ranger powers themselves," Cassie clarified, her voice breaking through my jumbled panic of thoughts. "Where's the Dragonzord coin?"

My body seemed to move in slow motion as I dug the coin out of the pocket of my ripped leather jacket. "I've got in right here." The coin felt like it fit perfectly in the palm of my hand, as if this was where it belonged.

"Well, with all the new modifications…" Cassie's voice trailed off. "Andros was partially right, in that Tommy can access the powers…"

"What is it?" Ashley was both interested and concerned.

"It has to be Tommy or someone of his blood. They're the only ones who can merge with the Dragonzord powers," Cassie finished. "In other words, a sibling could do it - and Aimee is Tommy's sister."

Slowly, I could feel all of the eyes in the room focusing on me and the golden coin in my hand. I knew what Cassie was suggesting - she'd just told me I could become a Power Ranger, like my brother and his best friend before me. I could know firsthand what Tommy's life had been like - would he be proud of me, if I took this step, or would he think I was being too reckless for my own good? There was tremendous amount of weight and responsibility behind this decision, and I wasn't sure I was ready to make it. Tommy was the fighter in the family…

Behind me, Jason's hands tightened on my shoulders, and I could feel the worry and tension pouring off of him in waves. He'd been worried about me in the ruins, but then again, I'd been worried about him too. I was a big girl, and I knew what I might have to do…

"You guys can't possibly be serious," I said, awe creeping into my voice. "I mean, you're not serious… right?"

"Well, it could just be temporary," Cassie said quickly. "Just until we find Tommy."

"And that way we could fight Volkadir and look for him at the same time," Andros added. "We can easily transfer the powers when we find him."

Ashley stood and brushed past Andros - a little closer than absolutely necessary, a remote part of my brain noted - and stopped in front of me. "Could you help us?" she asked softly. "Could you be a Power Ranger?"

It was a full minute before I could bring myself to answer. I traced the edges of the Dragonzord coin with one fingertip, staring at its design as if doing so could tell me what path to take. Jason had been a Ranger. Tommy had been a Ranger - and this was my opportunity to walk in his shoes, follow in his footsteps. And as much as it scared me, I did want to help Andros and the others, the cause Tommy believed in.

When I finally spoke, I didn't know what I would say until I just came out and said it, a faint whisper echoing in the silence of the room:

"Yes."

-

A/N: I hope this section is an improvement over the first version; it sounds like it is to me. I tried to make Andros sound less stiff and formal and Aimee a bit less bitchy. It's easier to see, from her point of view, why she'd be angry over someone else looking for her brother at the same time she is. I hope that point managed to come across, somehow.

Many thanks to all those who reviewed so far. The only way I know if you read this is by reviews, so please keep them coming and let me know how I'm doing so far! Thanks!