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.

Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated!

Here With Me Part Six

2003-2006 by Amie Martin

-- Jason --

"Yes."

No matter how softly Aimee spoke, the quiet determination in her voice was enough to almost physically knock me over. Tightening my grip on Aimee's shoulders to keep from losing my balance, I could hardly believe what I'd just heard. Aimee couldn't be a Ranger.

She just couldn't.

Before today, Aimee had never been a fighter -- she was a dancer, and her place was on stage, not a battlefield. Sure, she was a rebel, but this was taking it a little too far. Tommy wouldn't want her to become a Ranger just because she wanted to impress him.

No -- that wasn't true. I was the one who didn't want her fighting, didn't want her on the front lines. And it wasn't because she was Tommy's sister, but because she let me call her AJ and her favorite color was green and she always followed her heart…

…Because I couldn't protect her, once she was a Ranger. It was a promise I'd already made to myself, and already one I couldn't keep.

"AJ," I murmured, "please don't do this."

Aimee spun around to face me, surprise and defiance flashing in her green eyes. "You think I won't be able to do this?" she answered, a hint of a challenge in her voice.

"No, I'm sure you'll make a great Ranger, it's just…" I let go of her shoulders so I could run my fingers through my hair. "Hell, AJ, I don't know."

"Maybe we should go." Ashley flashed me a soft smile as she hooked her arm through Andros'. "I think Jason and Aimee have some things to discuss."

"Discuss, right." It wasn't hard to hear the curse under Aimee's breath.

"But what about--" Andros started to protest, but Ashley held a finger up to his lips to silence him.

Smiling up at Andros, Ashley told him, "It can wait a few minutes." To Aimee, she said, "There's a chamber down the hall from here, on the righthand side. We'll wait for you there, and then we'll talk powers and battle strategy."

"Sounds good." Aimee shrugged. "I won't be long, promise."

Ashley nodded and proceeded to usher her fellow Space Rangers out of the conference room, leaving Aimee and I alone. As the silence hung between us, the rational part of my mind tried to figure out why exactly I was so concerned with Aimee's safety. It had been three years since I'd last seen her, but in the span of a few hours I was already acting as if we'd never been apart. What was it about her that did this to me?

The answer, it seemed, was simpler than it appeared to be at first. Aimee and I had always been like this, I realized, ever since I returned from the peace conference in Geneva. When I'd left, she'd been very much a child -- demanding my attention, clinging to Tommy's side. When I came back… she'd grown so much in the time I'd been away. Aimee became more than just Tommy's little sister, but a friend and a confidant in her own right. That was when the bond between us had started to grow, bringing out feelings I didn't know existed…

And now, her transformation was complete. With her teenage years behind her and the new challenges that lay ahead, Aimee was far from the child I remembered her to be. She'd morphed into a mature rebel, a beautiful woman, and it seemed as if I was the only witness to the change.

Had I been able to see the signs, the last time I'd seen her, nearly three years ago?

-- Flashback --

I couldn't stop the smile from spreading across my face as I watched Aimee's dark green car rip into the Youth Center parking lot. It was just like Aimee to drive like she owned the road, always speeding, always taking risks. It had been a while, maybe a month, since I'd last spent time with her, and I couldn't quite explain why I smiled. Part of it was the way she drove, part of it was her mere presence…

Rising from where I sat on the steps of the Youth Center, I waved as I watched Aimee park the car. "I thought you taught her how to drive, not how to race," I called jokingly as both Olivers stepped out of the car.

"I think I did a pretty good job, but that's just my opinion." Tommy shrugged as he gave me a high five. "What's up, Jase?"

"Just waiting for you, as usual." Looking over Tommy's shoulder, I called to Aimee, "Good of you to come, AJ."

She gave me a small smile, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned back against the car. "There was a lot of arm twisting between the two of you, if you ask me," Aimee remarked, flipping her long hair over her shoulder.

"Don't lie to me, AJ, you know you loved every minute of it." I held my arms out a little, as if welcoming her. "Don't I even get a hug?"

"Well, since you asked so nicely…" The smile on Aimee's face morphed into a full-blown grin as she sauntered over to me, wrapping her slim arms around my neck as she embraced me. "It's good to see you, Jase."

My arms fell into place around her waist, as if they belonged there. "Same here." Smiling down at her, I added, "After all, it seems like I never get to see you anymore."

"That's just because you never come to see me." Aimee squeezed my shoulders tight for a few long seconds before letting me go. "It's a situation that's easily remedied, you know."

"Now that you've got that precious license of yours, you can come to me." Chuckling, I brushed a strand of hair out of Aimee's face. "Wouldn't that be something different?"

Aimee just smiled. "I think you might like that too much," she teased lightly.

Over Aimee's shoulder, Tommy cleared his throat, an almost amused look on his face. "Oh, I'm sure he would," Tommy commented, "and you can see why I'd be a little concerned." The hint of a smile told me he was joking -- for the most part. "Can't let my little sister out with just anyone, you know."

"And like you have any say in who I hang out with." Aimee rolled her eyes, and I laughed. "Influence, maybe, but that usually doesn't count for much."

"Especially not with the way you act, always being so stubborn." Coming up behind his sister, Tommy threw an arm around Aimee's shoulders. "And speaking of being stubborn, didn't you say you had some homework to take care of?"

She groaned, nodding her head in reluctant agreement. "Yeah…"

"And you haven't seen Jase in so long…"

"Tommy, what are you saying?" Aimee shot a quizzical yet suspicious look at her brother. "That doesn't sound good, you know."

"I think he wants you to stay with us," I suggested, Tommy nodding in agreement. "I mean, you could work on whatever you've got while we train, and after we could get pizza or something."

Unconsciously, my heart beat faster, just a little. I wanted her to say yes -- I didn't want her to leave so soon, no matter what I told her earlier on the phone.

Her eyes met mine for a brief second before focusing on a point just over my shoulder, and it took a moment for me to realize what she was looking at -- the door to the Youth Center. I winced as I remembered why Aimee never came here, even though nearly two years had passed since it happened. Her first real boyfriend broke up with her here, and I had been the only unfortunate witness to her heart's destruction. Aimee still held onto her feelings, and I couldn't ask her to do this, as this was the one demon I could see she still wasn't ready to face.

When she didn't say anything, Tommy looked down at her and frowned. "AJ, don't tell me you still won't go in the Youth Center. I mean, that was, what, two years ago or something."

"I like grudges, Tom. They're fun." Aimee cracked a weak smile at the poor joke. "I'm not… I just don't want to go in there, okay? Let's just leave it at that."

"You're going to have to get over it someday, you know." Tommy crossed his arms in front of his chest, staring down at his sister. "So I take it you're going back home, then?"

The look in her eyes was sad, almost apologetic, but with a hint of jaded sarcasm. "It's not like I don't want to stay," Aimee said bitterly.

"Then we won't stay here." My solution came easily, the words just pouring out of my mouth. "It's a beautiful day outside -- we could head over to the park and work out there."

I could almost see Aimee's shoulders relax at the idea. "Now, that's a suggestion I like," she said, smiling triumphantly at her brother.

Tommy shook his head in resignation. "Fine, have it your way. But this time I'm driving."

"Good, because I'm going with Jase." Tossing Tommy her car keys, Aimee moved to stand by my side. "Just don't wreck it for me, okay?"

"Nice -- my own sister, turned traitor." In spite of his words, Tommy was smiling as he walked back towards Aimee's car. "So I'll see you two there?"

"We're not going to run off on you, if that's what you mean." I chuckled, waving him away. "Go, we'll catch up in a few minutes."

Slipping an arm around Aimee's shoulders, I guided her to the other side of the parking lot, where I'd parked my car, a beat-up black Grand Am. Aimee hovered close to my side, shivering a little in the slight breeze. Unlocking the car, I reached inside and pulled out a faded black sweatshirt from the backseat. I tossed it to an unsuspecting Aimee, chuckling as the heavy fabric practically fell on top of her head.

"What the hell was that for?" she half-grumbled, gathering the sweatshirt in her arms.

"You look cold." I let go of her so she could pull the fabric over her head. Leaning back against my car, I watched her carefully, still able to feel the emotional concern radiating from her. "Are you okay, AJ?"

Aimee, looking like a lost little girl with my sweatshirt coming down halfway to her knees, stared down at the ground. "…Not really," she admitted softly, pulling the sleeves of the sweatshirt over her fingers.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head, and I pulled her close to me again, running my fingers over her long dark hair. Rocking her back and forth in my arms, I said quietly, "You know, Tommy's right -- you are going to have to face this sooner or later."

I could feel her shaking against my chest. "Tom's stronger than I'll ever be," Aimee whispered into my shirt. "I mean, he can face all sorts of things… he doesn't let his emotions rule his life, like I do."

"No, he keeps it all inside, and that's not good either." I sighed, holding her tighter, knowing Aimee wanted the physical contact more than anything else at the moment. "Broken hearts heal with time, AJ, they always do. Someday you're going to get past this -- and I'll be here for you, whenever you need me."

"…Whenever I need you?" Aimee looked up at me, her bright green eyes filled with tears.

"Whenever you need me." On a whim, I planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'll always be here for you, AJ. Always."

The smile she gave me was stronger, bordering on a smirk. Aimee's eyes were glittering, her tears fading as quick as her mood was shifting. "Always," she mused. "I think I like the sound of that."

Laughing, I only shook my head. Leave it to Aimee to go from practically crying to practically teasing me in a span of a few minutes. "Come on," I said, tugging on her hand, "we should get going. Tommy's waiting for us."

-- End Flashback --

I looked up, Aimee's eyes seeming to bore holes into my skull as she stared back at me, arms crossed in front of her chest. She leaned back against the conference table, keeping about five feet of space between us, but I could still recognize the simmering anger she held just beneath the surface. Aimee's mood had shifted again, and this time it wasn't for the better.

"Well?" Her voice was sharp, bitter, stubborn. "I thought you had something to say to me."

In spite of the situation, I gave a small, soft chuckle. Aimee had grown up, yes, but she still had the same blunt determination I remembered from her childhood days. Quieting, I shook my head and said, "You're not really serious about this, are you?"

"And why shouldn't I be? Tom was a Ranger, you were a Ranger. You guys did just fine out there."

"AJ, that wasn't my point." I took a step closer to her, and I was relieved when she made no move to pull away from me. "We trained our entire lives for something like this. We knew what to do when we were attacked. You, on the other hand--"

"I didn't do such a bad job down in the ruins, if that's what you're referring to," Aimee snapped.

Sighing, I brought one hand to my forehead, massaging my temples gently. "We were lucky, AJ -- there could have been so many more warriors down there, in the beginning. You're a dancer… this isn't the life you have to live."

"But I have to." Aimee's demeanor softened; she uncrossed her arms and relaxed a bit. It was then that I noticed the Dragonzord coin, still clutched in her hand. "You heard them, Jase," she explained, staring down at the coin. "They need an Oliver to activate the Dragonzord, and they said -- they said they'd help look for Tommy."

Bridging the gap between us, I put one hand under Aimee's chin and tilted her head up, so she was forced to look into my eyes. "And I would have helped you, too," I reminded her, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

"I didn't say I didn't need your help." Aimee bit her bottom lip, as if she was nervous about something. "Jase, you're the only one I have left," she whispered, her voice coming close to breaking. "If I lose you, I'll be alone again, and I don't think I can handle that."

"You're not going to lose me." I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tighter than I had originally planned. "It's just… I don't know, AJ. I'm worried about you, fighting out there…"

"Then teach me." Her words were slightly muffled as she buried her face in my chest. "Teach me how to fight."

I blinked. "You want me to teach you martial arts?"

She nodded. "You keep saying I don't know what I'm doing, so we should change that."

"I suppose I could do that." I rested my cheek against Aimee's hair. "You'd have to promise to actually listen to me, you know," I commented.

Now, Aimee laughed, looking up at me with an almost-smile on her face. "Well, you've got a better chance of telling me what to do and actually getting me to do it than most people."

"I think I'm going to take that as a compliment." Becoming serious, I rested my forehead against hers, surprised again at just how close Aimee and I had become in so short a time. "So I can't talk you out of this?"

"Afraid not." Aimee smiled wistfully. "Remember the last time we saw each other? You told me you'd always be there for me, whenever I needed you."

"I remember."

"Jase… thank you."

"For what?"

Aimee hugged me, her arms clinging to my neck. "For keeping your promise. So far, you're the only one who has…"

I smiled, dropping a kiss on the crown of her head. "Of course, AJ… I'd never break a promise to you. Tommy wouldn't either… just wait and see."

After a moment, I reluctantly pulled away from her, my brow furrowing a little. "The other Rangers are probably looking for you," I said, running a hand over my hair.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Aimee shot a glance towards the door. "Will you come with me?" she asked, and I thought I heard a bit of nervousness in her voice.

"Well, it's not everyday that you become a Ranger. You didn't really think I'd miss that, did you?" Grinning, I offered an arm to Aimee. "Come on, I'll show you the way."

Aimee's eyes sparkled almost mischievously as she looped her arm through mine. "Lead on, Red Ranger," she said.

As I guided her down the hallway, I couldn't avoid the nagging sense that I was bringing Aimee one step closer to fulfilling some part of her destiny, her path in life. If everything happened for a reason, then maybe Aimee was meant to come back to Angel Grove, find me, become a Ranger. After all the things I'd seen in my life, I'd learned not to question fate as much as I used to.

All I knew was that I would do anything in my power to help Aimee, not because she was my best friend's little sister, but because she was my friend, my confidant, from days gone by. If Aimee wanted to become a Ranger, then I had no choice but to support that decision.

I only hoped it was a decision she wouldn't live to regret.

-

A/N: For all those who have been reading this all along, I thank you, and you have more than earned your fair share of cookies from me. I can never apologize enough for the ever-increasing period of time between updates, but now that the semester's over and I have only my job to worry about, perhaps I'll have some more time to write and finish this story by the time school starts back up again.

I have the nagging feeling that something's missing from this section, but I can't quite put my finger on what. This may be from the fact that it was written in huge pieces, mostly during breaks between double shifts at work, and in trying to connect one day's work to another I may have missed something. Let me know what you think of the work, what's good, what's bad, and the like, and then I can try and fix it to the best of my ability.