The following week, the three rangers continued to fight against the putties. All their time fighting was eating into their homework time. The three usually stayed up late finishing their homework.

"You know, I always wondered whether or not superheroes ever got a day off," Carl said during their lunch.

"I don't know how the other Rangers pulled it off," Tammie yawned.

Damon ignored his friends' comments and looked at his chemistry book. He was cramming for a test next period.

"My dad is starting to question where we always go and why I always seem tired and sore when I get home."

"What'd you tell him?" asked Carl.

"That I'm busy with my gymnastics and karate."

"Did he buy it?"

"He asked where I've been practicing since Adam told him that I haven't been at the Juice Bar in a while." Tammie sighed, which caught Damon's attention. "I can't stand lying to my dad like that. I've always been so honest with him."

Damon set his book down. "Don't worry, maybe Alex will decide to let you tell your dad."

Tammie gave him a look which showed that she doubted him.

The bell rang signaling the end of the lunch period.

"Good luck on your test," Tammie told Damon, kissing him on the cheek before heading to her class.

"What?" Damon asked Carl who was smiling at him.

"So are you two an official item now?" asked Carl.

"No," Damon said. He had been thinking about asking her to be his girlfriend for a while. But between the monster attacks, school, and homework, he never found the time.

"When are you gonna ask?"

"I don't know," Damon said. "I never find a good time too. This whole Ranger business is getting in the way."

"Oh," was Carl's only response.

"Do you still think it's a good idea for me to ask her? We barely have time to spend alone together."

"Hey!" cried Carl. "I'm still dating Melissa even though I'm always running off on her and she doesn't know about me being a Ranger. I still try everything to spend as much time with her. You shouldn't have any excuses since Tammie is a Ranger too."

"Man, I wonder how the Rangers before us managed their time."

……………………………

That afternoon, Damon finally got a chance to spend some alone time with Tammie. They went over to the Juice Bar after school to work on their homework together.

"Break time," Tammie declared, stretching. "I'm going over to the beam."

Damon nodded and stayed in his chair, watching her.

"Hey, Damon!" cried Zack as he entered the Juice Bar with Trini, Rocky, Billy, and Aisha.

"What's up guys?" Damon said.

"Just here to work out," Trini said. "What are you doing here?"

Damon nodded over to Tammie. "We're just doing some work, but she wanted a break to work on her gymnastics."

"Rocky told me that you won the karate competition," Zack began. "Care to spar?"

Damon looked up at Zack. "Sure, why not."

Tammie watched from the beam as Damon headed towards the mat with Zack. She continued on with her routine. After a while, she dismounted and headed over to Damon.

"Wanna spar?" she asked him. He began to laugh but stopped, remembering how upset she got when he laughed at her the first time around.

"You think you're up for it?"

"Damon, I've fought Chris, Carl, Jason, and those Putties. I think I can handle you."

"Are you saying I'm weak?" Damon asked, pretending to get hurt.

"No, I'm just saying that you aren't as hot as you think you are," Tammie replied with a wink.

Damon's heart just filled with all the feelings he held for her. He realized how much he really liked Tammie. "You gotta ask her soon!" he told himself. "Later, do it later!" Damon followed his almost girlfriend towards the center of the mat.

"That should be interesting," Billy said, watching to two from the bar. Adam, Aisha, Zack, Rocky, and Trini all looked up and watched.

"I'll go easy on you," Damon told her. "I don't want to mess up that pretty face of yours."

Tammie stuck her tongue out at Damon. "I never knew you to be so cocky." She swung a punch at him which he blocked. "It's kinda a turn off."

"What can I say?" he said, blocking another punch from her. "I take pride in my fighting skills."

He pulled her towards him and tripped her down. She was on her back looking up at him. She gave him a smile and flipped herself up.

"That was too easy," Damon said.

The two began to circle around the match.

"You're a pussy," she told him. "Why do I always have to attack first?"

Damon shrugged. Then he jumped and did a spinning kick. Tammie tumbled under him. Once Damon touched the ground he turned around to face his opponent. Tammie quickly kicked his face sideways and threw punches to his chest. She grabbed his arm and flipped down on the mat.

"Wow," Rocky said. "She's really getting good. She's gotten quicker."

Tammie held out her hand to help Damon out. He grabbed it and pulled her towards him. Then he put his foot on her stomach and flipped her over.

"Cheap move!" Tammie cried. The two got up and continued to spar.

Meanwhile at the bar, the ex rangers watched as their god daughter sparred.

"She's amazing!" exclaimed Trini.

"She really does take after Tommy and his karate."

"Her moves look familiar," Rocky thought. "Stupid! Maybe it's because you've seen her fight before and this is the first time in three months you've seen her spar again."

Rocky shook his head. "Well, I gotta get going. I got a class starting."

The ex rangers nodded and waved their goodbye.

The two teens collapsed side by side on the mats.

"What do you say? A tie?" asked Damon.

"For now, I'll beat you another time."

The two waited a while to catch their breaths. Tammie's stomach began to growl.

"Want to go somewhere and eat?"

Tammie nodded. "Why not here?"

"I was thinking of eating at the restaurant by the beach."

"Okay, but I think we should change first."

The two split up to go home and change. An hour later they were eating at the restaurant near the beach. After their meal, Damon suggested to walk along the beach. Tammie and Damon walked hand in hand down the shore, laughing and talking, not worrying about any monsters interrupting. They stopped and sat down on the sand, side by side, watching the sunset.

"This is amazing," she told Damon. "It's so beautiful."

Damon smiled at her and put his arms around her shoulders as she let out a shiver. Tammie snuggled closer and placed her head on his shoulder. Then she lifted her head so that she was able to look at him.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For this day," she told him. "After all that's been happening, this is exactly what I needed. It's been perfect."

Tammie smiled and leaned in to kiss him, which Damon was more than willing to return. They two stayed, snuggling, until the sunset was gone.

"I think we should go," Tammie said, standing up and wiping the sand off her. Damon reluctantly got up and grabbed Tammie's hand. The two began to walk back towards the car, but after a couple of steps Damon pulled her back.

"Tammie…"he began.

Tammie looked at him. "Yeah?"

Damon opened his mouth but nothing came out.

"Damon?" her voice called out.

"Tammie, you know how I feel about you right?"

Tammie's stomach filled with butterflies. "Is he going to ask what I think he's going to ask?" She slowly nodded her head.

Damon smiled and cupped her face in his hand. He looked her in the eyes. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

Tammie's knees felt wobbly and her stomach was doing crazy flips. "Yes," she finally answered softly. The two's lips met in a passionate kiss. Tammie rested her head on his shoulder and the two hugged.

"Let's go before your dad kills me for keeping you out too late, especially on a school night."

The two happily walked hand in hand back to his car.

…………………………………..

Tommy was pacing the floor of his living room. Kat and Adam exchanged looks and shrugged. Jason leaned against the doorway, shaking his head at his best friend.

"Where is she?" he asked for the thousandth time.

Aisha rolled her eyes and stood up. "Relax Tommy! She's with Damon!"

"It's seven o'clock and she's still not home. And it's a school night!"

"She's been out later than this!" Aisha cried.

The sound of the door opening caught everyone's attention. Tommy folded his arms across his chest.

"Tammie Ann Oliver!" he bellowed. The other Rangers flinched at his tone.

"Hi daddy," Tammie said, with a big smile on her face. "Hi guys."

Her aunts and uncles gave her weak smiles.

"Where have you been?"

"I was out with Damon," Tammie said, ready to be lectured.

"It's seven o'clock."

"Dad, I've been out later than this." Tammie pointed out.

Aisha gave Tommy an 'I-Told-You-So' look.

"I know," Tommy said. "But that's not what this lecture is for."

"What then?"

"Your principal called," Tommy said.

"Uh oh," everyone chorused.

"He said that your teachers have been complaining. You've been falling asleep in class and not doing your homework."

"I just get tired," she said. "And after practicing gymnastics and karate, I'm too tired to do my homework."

"Okay, then do your homework first and then practice your gymnastics. So starting tomorrow, you're going straight home to finish your work."

"What if I go to the Juice Bar instead?" she asked. "So at least I'll be closer."

"Yeah, and I can always check up on her and make sure she's doing her work," Adam spoke up.

"And we all do stop by there every now and then," Rocky said.

Tommy gave in. "Okay, deal."

Tammie began to walk out of the living room when Aisha called her.

"How was your date wit Damon today?"

Tammie smiled and a dreamy look swept over her face. "It was great." She turned away and headed to her room.

"What did she mean by 'great'?"

"Great as in 'he finally asked me to be his girlfriend' great," Kat said.

"Oh, boy," Tommy sighed.

……………………..

Over the next few days Tammie went to the Juice Bar to do her work. Lucky for her, none of the monsters attacked over the next few days, so that left her time to do her homework.

Thursday afternoon, she walked in the Juice Bar and headed to her usual table. A large man approached her table.

"May I get you anything?"

Tammie looked up. The man had a look of surprise on his face.

"You must be Tammie?" he guessed.

"Uh, yeah, I am."

"Hi, I'm Ernie. I used to own this Juice Bar."

"Oh, I've heard about you from my dad and his friends' stories."

Ernie chuckled. "How about a chocolate shake on the house?"

"That'd be great, thanks."

Tammie began her history homework. Ernie came back a few minutes later to give her order.

"History eh?"

"Yeah," Tammie said. "Worst subject for me. I'm more of a mathematics kinda gal."

Suddenly Tammie's cell phone rang. She flipped it out and answered it.

"Okay, I'll be there."

Tammie stood up. "Um, I gotta go somewhere. It was nice meeting you!"

Tammie turned and ran out of the building.

Ernie shook his head and made his way back to the counter.

…………………………………………..

Half an hour later, Tommy made his way in the Juice bar with Jason and Adam.

"Ernie!" the two ex Red Rangers cried. They went over and shook his hand.

"Nice to see you again Jason, Tommy."

"Adam didn't mention you being back."

"That's the whole point of a secret," Adam smirked.

The four men chatted for a bit.

"I had the pleasure to meet your daughter today Tommy. She wasn't too hard to spot considering that she looks like Kimberly."

"Speaking of my daughter," he said, scanning the room. "Where is she?"

"She took off," Ernie said.

"What?"

Ernie chuckled. "She said she had somewhere to go. Kinda funny, though. She reminded me of you and your group of friends."

"What do you mean?" asked Jason.

"Well, I was talking to her and then her phone rang. She shot up and said she had to go and ran off. Didn't even bother collecting her things." Ernie nodded to her books and binders on the table nearby.

Tommy walked over and began to pack her things.

"Excuse me while I hunt down my daughter," Tommy said, half joking. "I'll see you two at dinner tonight. It was nice seeing you again Ernie."

……………………………………

Tommy arrived home and found Tammie sleeping in her bed. He laid her things down and went back downstairs.

The moment she heard her door close, Tammie sat up in her bed, still clothed in her ninjetti outfit. She demorphed and laid back down on her bed.

"Ugh, those stupid monsters just won't quit."

Her eyelids slowly closed over her eyes, exhaustion taking over her body. Tammie gladly welcomed the sleep.

The putties had attacked again at Angel Grove Park, this time Goldar accompanied them again.

Two hours later, Tammie felt herself being shook.

"Sweetie," Tommy said gently. "Your aunts and uncles are here now. We're about to eat dinner."

Tammie sat up and made her way to the bathroom as Tommy went back downstairs. Tammie washed her faced and combed her hair. On her way down, she looked at her cell phone and saw that she had three missed calls, all were from Damon. She decided to call him back. The two talked for a few minutes before hanging up.

"Hurry up, Tammie!" Rocky exclaimed. "I'm getting hungry."

Tammie smiled and seated herself at the edge of the table with Jason on her left side.

Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, including Tammie. She was having a great time talking and hearing more about her parents' high school days. Zack was in the middle of retelling the time when he caused Jason to fall short of breaking a record at the Juice Bar when Tammie's cell phone rang. Tammie excused herself as Zack continued on.

However, Billy wasn't listening. He was engrossed in his own thoughts.

"That series of beeps sounds vaguely familiar," Billy thought.

Tammie came back and made her way over to her dad. She whispered something to him which caused him to shake his head.

"No, Tammie," he said sternly.

"Please?"

"You've been spending enough time with your boyfriend as it is."

"But, we need to talk about something important."

"Tammie, no!" he raised his voice. "Sit down and finish your dinner."

Tammie did as she was told. Once everyone finished their dinner, Tammie excused herself to her room. Everyone else settled in the living room to watch a movie. Jason felt himself getting tired. His class at the dojo today had worn him out. He stared out the window and what he saw woke him right up. He saw a familiar beam of red light in the sky. He closed his eyes and blinked several times.

"I'm seeing things," he told himself.