Disclaimer: It's Saban's sandbox, I just play here because it's fun. The title comes from the song "Dizzy" by the Goo Goo Dolls. If you've never listened to it, you should, because it's awesome.

This story takes place after my story Here With Me. While you could read this story by itself, for the background on Aimee Oliver and how she got to where she is, check out that story before reading this one.

Reviews and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated, and even encouraged!

Dizzy Part One

2006 by Amie Martin

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-- Aimee --

All of the important items in my life fit into only seven boxes.

I surveyed the packages, stacked in one corner of the room, judging how long it would take to unpack each one. There was a box labeled "videos," mostly from my dance competitions growing up, and that one I could probably shove in the closet. Another was labeled "books," and a couple simply "Misc." But three of the seven boxes contained pictures, and going through them could take the better part of a week.

Almost three years had passed since my older brother, Tommy Oliver, had disappeared and I made it my mission to track him down. I'd packed these boxes when I left my father's house to begin the search, and they'd stayed hidden in the trunk of my car until this morning. Locking the memories away didn't let me forget them, but it was easier than being confronted by them.

Along the way I stumbled upon Tommy's biggest secret – he was a Power Ranger, protector of the planet, and his experience was needed to save the world from Volkadir, a scarred humanoid looking to take over everything in sight. With Tommy missing and no one else who could activate the Green Ranger powers, I agreed to help the Rangers in their fight until Tommy was found.

That was a month ago. Somehow I expected my time as a Ranger would pass quickly, but I found all my free time – that is, the time I didn't spend searching – was filled with battles and training. I spent a lot of time with Jason Scott, former Red Ranger and Tommy's best friend, learning to transform my dance routines into martial arts. It didn't leave a lot of time for other things, like hanging out or unpacking a lousy seven boxes.

The truth was, I'd been avoiding this day. Bringing my things to the Rangers' base, claiming a room and making it my own, meant I was staying here for a while. Part of me thought my Ranger days were temporary – we'd find Tommy in a week, transfer the powers and I'd be free to go. Life, it seemed, didn't want to work out that way.

So I sighed, pulling my hair back into a low ponytail as I contemplated which box to start on first. Finally I grabbed one of the boxes labeled "pictures" and tore open the packaging tape. I might as well get the hard part out of the way first.

I was rummaging through a stack of photos from my 8th birthday when there was a knock on the door. Ashley, the team's Yellow Ranger, poked her head inside. I could see Cassie, our Pink Ranger, hovering over Ashley's shoulder.

"We heard you were bringing some of your stuff onto the ship," Ashley said, coming inside. "And we thought you might like some help getting settled."

My first instinct was to say no, but I had a tendency to shut people out, and I was trying to stop that. Instead, I smiled. "That would be great. I'd really appreciate it."

"No problem." Ashley flopped onto my bed, while Cassie lingered by the doorway. "Where do you want us to start?" Ashley asked.

"Uh, wherever is fine with me." I shrugged. "You can put that box of videos in the closet if you want, I'm not going through that today. I've just been sorting through all of my pictures."

"Pictures!" Cassie smiled and sat across from me, cross-legged on the floor. "I love looking at pictures," she said, pulling an album out of the box and flipping through the pages.

I chuckled. Photography had been one of my hobbies for a long time, so I shared her enthusiasm. "Knock yourself out."

Meanwhile, Ashley was staring at the closet, looking at items at random. "Are these all your clothes?" She took out a dark green strapless dress, running her fingers over the fabric.

"Most of them. I had to talk Jase into letting me borrow his spare closet, because they all wouldn't fit." The memory of Jason's face when I asked him about it still made me laugh.

"This is really cute!" Holding the dress against her, Ashley spun around, as if modeling for us. "Next time we go to the mall, Aimee, you have to come shopping with us."

It was the first time I could remember being asked to go out shopping – most of my friends growing up had been involved in my dance classes, and I wasn't exactly Miss Popularity – and I was touched by Ashley's offer. It seemed sincere, not some pity invite because she thought I needed friends. "Sounds good," I said, nodding. "Let me know when and I'll be there."

"Just so you know, we'll be there for hours. Ash can never decide which outfit she likes best." There was a dry tone to Cassie's voice that I hadn't expected. Even though I'd been fighting alongside these girls for a month, I was just starting to get to know them. "Is this you and your brother?"

She held up a silver frame with three black and white pictures inside. The picture on the left was Tommy's profile, long hair framing his face. My profile was on the right, and in the center was a picture of us together, my arms around his neck, both of us grinning from ear to ear. I took the picture from Cassie and stared at it for a few long seconds.

Tommy and I had been happy then. It was before our mother died, before he disappeared. It seemed like ages ago.

"Yeah, that's us." I tried to talk past the lump forming in my throat. Reaching up behind me, I put the frame on my desk. "I took those pictures as a gift for my mom, maybe four years ago or so."

"They look like a professional did them." Putting the dress back, Ashley sat down next to me. "I'm sure your mom must have loved it."

If I closed my eyes, I could still see Mom's face, how proud she'd looked. "She kept it on the mantle, above the fireplace." My voice grew quieter as I spoke. "When she died… it felt right to hang onto it."

Cassie's hand covered my own. "I'm sorry. We didn't know about your mom."

"It's okay." At the sad, almost guilty expression in the Pink Ranger's eyes, I added, "No, really, I'm fine. It was a while ago, and sometimes I just miss her, that's all."

There was an awkward silence between us for a few moments, none of us exactly sure what to say next. I didn't want to go into details about my mom's death, and I was pretty sure Cassie and Ashley might not be so comfortable hearing them, not when we were having a good time just moments before.

Finally, Ashley cleared her throat. "What else do you have in here?" She stuck her hand in the box, pulling out another picture frame and holding it up so we could see it.

"Is that… Jason?" Cassie asked, leaning forward. "In a tuxedo?"

I giggled, some of the tension I felt fading away. "If that's the picture I think it is, then yes, that's Jase and yeah, he's wearing a tux."

"And you're in a prom dress…" Ashley's eyes grew wide. "Jason took you to your prom?"

Her reaction made me laugh even harder. "Junior prom, yeah."

"Now you have to tell us about this one." Cassie sat back, like a child eager for story time to begin.

"There's not much to tell." I was having a hard time meeting either girl's eyes, because their expressions only made me laugh more. I didn't think someone would find my past that interesting. "It was a pity date – I didn't have anyone to go with and it's really weird to bring your older brother as your date, so… Jase did me a favor."

"Yeah, but it's still a date, and you keep the picture from it on display." Ashley held up the frame as if offering proof. "What's between you two, anyway? If you don't mind me asking."

My face flushed red, and I busied myself with a stack of loose photos to hide it. "There's nothing going on. Jase is my brother's best friend – I ran into him literally right before we ran into you guys, and I hadn't seen him in like three years before that."

"Come on, Aimee. He doesn't look at you like a friend's little sister." Cassie moved closer to me, and I had the feeling of being trapped in on both sides. "You'd have to be blind not to notice how he pays attention to you."

"And you two are always together," Ashley added, nodding. "If you're not with us, you're out with him, training or whatever."

No matter what, I couldn't let myself think of Jason as anything more than what he was – an old friend I spent a lot of time with. We'd always acted like this while we were together, ever since Jason returned from his Peace Conference in Switzerland, and we'd never been more than just friends. "It's complicated," I said, leaning back against my desk. "Jase and I share a lot of history, that's all. He understands how I feel without having to explain myself."

"Which makes him perfect boyfriend material," Ashley pointed out. "Don't you like him, even just a little?"

I shook my head a little, deciding not to answer Ashley's question directly. My feelings tended to get me into trouble more often than not, and I didn't want these two to get any ideas. "He's my brother's best friend. And yeah, I had this huge crush on him – when I was 12. Just let it go, guys."

"You think Tommy wouldn't approve?" Cassie looked up from another photo album. "After all, he probably knows the two of you the best."

I shrugged. "Right now, it's kind of a moot point. I just know from experience that it's a bad idea to date your brother's friends."

An alarm sounded above our heads, complete with high-pitched wailing and a flashing red light by the door. "We've got incoming!" Andros, our Red Ranger and Ashley's boyfriend, shouted through the speaker. "Everyone get to the bridge!"

Getting to her feet, Ashley dusted some invisible dirt from her pants. "Do you think it's Volkadir?" she asked as the three of us headed into the hallway.

"Wouldn't surprise me. He's been too quiet for the past week." I shook my head. "And I thought I was going to get that room finished today."

"Actually we spent more time telling stories than unpacking." Cassie shrugged. "And you'll have to tell us which of Tommy's friends you used to date – we used to hang out with some of them."

I knew Cassie hadn't meant anything by it, but a sickening feeling crawled into my stomach, and I resisted the urge to stop walking and double over. Talking about my ex was not something I particularly wanted to do. The only one who knew the entire story was Jason, and he had enough common sense not to bring up the subject. Some things in my past just needed to stay buried.

On the bridge, the other three members of our team – Andros, the Blue Ranger TJ, and the Black Ranger Carlos – were already at their stations, Andros at the helm and the other two at smaller side computers. Ashley and Cassie ran to their stations, but I hung back, trying not to hover over Andros' shoulder. As the new kid, I had no idea how half of this equipment worked, and since most electronics tended to explode in my presence, I left this up to the professionals.

"So, what's going on?" I asked, jamming my hands into the pockets of my cargo pants. On the main viewscreen, there was a small, rounded spaceship, with a sheen to it that made it look like it was covered in water. "Did Volkadir finally decide to take this battle into space?"

"I'm not sure." TJ frowned in concentration, tapping a few buttons on his console. "It's not broadcasting any of the signals we've identified as Volkadir and his men."

"And the ship design isn't right," Andros said. "I swear, that looks like something they'd build on Aquitar."

Aquitar… where had I heard that name before? Maybe Jason had mentioned it during one of our talks about his life as a Ranger, I couldn't be sure. While my memory was slightly better than my brother's, minor details never seemed to stick with me.

"Whoever it is, they're not carrying a lot of weapons." Cassie rested her chin in one hand. "There are signs of battle damage on the hull, so I think it's seen some action."

"Wait – they're broadcasting something. It could be a distress signal." Ashley looked over her shoulder at Andros. "Can we patch it through our speakers?"

Nodding, Andros tapped a few buttons on his console and a static-filled voice crackled through the bridge. "Attent – ace Rangers. This is – ly Cran – on, form – ue Ranger – questing assistance. My ship was – ttacked upon leaving Aquit – cannot assess damage. Requesting permission – to dock and com – pairs. Repeat. Attent – ace Rangers…"

"His transmitter's been hit, so the message is a little broken," Carlos said, "but I think he's looking for us."

The sickening feeling grew worse, and I grabbed hold of Andros' console to steady myself. The message was broken, yes, but I thought I caught a name in there, and if I was right…

"Aimee, are you okay?" Andros tore his eyes away from the viewscreen to look at me. "You're getting pale."

"I know that voice." I stood up straight, trusting my legs not to give out on me. My hands were shaking, part rage, part panic. "Is there any way we can talk back to him?"

Ashley turned around in her chair. "Friend of yours?"

"Friend of Tommy's." It was easier to separate us this way; it made the pain hurt less. "I want to talk to him."

"Okay." A few clicking noises came from Ashley's panel. "The channel should be open… now."

Slowly, a man's face appeared on the bridge's viewscreen. His blond hair had grown out since I'd last seen him, now in a shaggy cut around his face. There was a bit of stubble on his chin; the man I'd known had always been clean-shaven. But his eyes were still the blue I remembered, wide and honest and fully relieved to see us.

At least, until his eyes drifted across the room and settled on me.

"AJ," Billy Cranston whispered, shock replacing the relief on his face. "What are you--"

"Don't call me that," I snapped, and Billy pulled away from the viewscreen. I was over the surprise of seeing him there, and now I was just angry. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Ashley stood up from her seat and went to Andros' side. "We got your message, but it's pretty jumbled. Is everything all right?" She looked nervous, and it sounded to me like she was trying to change the subject.

"My transport was attacked by unknown forces," Billy said. I could feel his eyes on me, and I wondered if the curiosity was killing him. "Preliminary diagnostics check shows damage to the hull and sensor arrays, but I can't confirm the damage until I dock. I was hoping the Space Rangers might have a base with adequate room to complete repairs."

Andros nodded. "Well, we're the Space Rangers." He glanced over at me. "Neo Space Rangers, actually. And you're--"

"Bill Cranston," I hissed between my teeth. "First Blue Ranger. He ran off to Aquitar some time ago, isn't that right, Bill?" I'd believed for years that he'd simply moved out of town; it wasn't until I became a Ranger that I finally found out what really happened.

Billy didn't say anything, but his eyes dropped away from mine.

Carlos twisted around, leaning forward so his elbows were resting on his knees. "Our docking bay could easily handle a ship that size, even with the Zords in there," he said.

"All right." Andros hit a few buttons on his console. "I'm sending you the proper coordinates for the landing. We'll see you in a few minutes."

"Got it." Billy focused on something off-screen, nodding to himself. "Thank you for your hospitality."

As the viewscreen faded to black, I started to head for the door. Billy Cranston was back, and after the way he left five years ago, there were a few burning questions I had to ask – along with an old fashioned ass kicking that Billy well deserved. I didn't care if his ship was damaged or whatever his problem was. This was to settle an old grudge between Billy and me.

"Aimee, wait." Ashley caught my arm just before I walked out of the bridge. "Are you okay? You don't seem too happy to see Billy, and I thought he was your friend."

"No, he was Tommy's friend," I snapped, and Ashley pulled back a little. Rubbing my temples, I said, softly this time, "Look, it's a long story and I don't want to go into it right now. I just need to go talk to him."

"…Okay." She let go of my arm, and it was hard to miss the concern in her eyes. "Don't do anything stupid, all right?"

I gave her the best cocky smile I could manage as I started down the hallway. I'd waited five years for this day to come, and if my actions fit Ashley's definition of "stupid," I was beyond caring.

"Well," I said as the bridge door slid closed, "You know me."

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Author's Notes: Yeah, the pairing seems to come out of nowhere. It reminds me of this kid I dated in high school – seemed like a good idea at the time, but looking back, we had nothing in common and the relationship didn't make sense at all. That's the feeling I want Aimee and Billy to have, something they can laugh about later.

Let me know what you think!