Chapter 7

Zara's Pov

I was leaning against my new to me car, hands in my jacket pockets smiling as Tommy pulled up and parked next to me. "Hey glade you could make it." I told him as he walked over to me and gave me a quick kiss.

"Ya me too." He said as he smiled down at me before he raised an eyebrow at where I had chosen our long awaited first date. "Bowling huh? You want to take me bowling?"

"You got a better idea?" I asked him as I took his hand and lead him inside. I paid the fee for two rounds and shoe rental. Tommy paid for a large pizza and drinks that would be brought to the table at our lane. Being the gentle man he let me bowl first which proved to be his mistake as I rolled the first of serval strikes. Tommy wasn't bad but he seemed to have a string of bad luck as he would hit down the middle but would only take out a few pins at a time. "I'm telling you these pines have something against me." He said with a shack of his head as he sat across from me picking up some pizza and took a bight.

I laughed. "I am pretty sure their bias, it's how your realising the ball. Here let me show you." I pulled him over to the lain, picking up his ball and put it in his hands. I repositioned his legs and his stance before stepping back and indicated he could go ahead. He looked unsure but Tommy gave it a try and sure enough he got a strike.

Timmy jaw hung open as I stood next to him. "How-"

"I use to teach kids to bowl when I worked at Top Ten Bowling, my first job. I was good enough even join the adults bowling league, much to my parents pleasure as there were cash prizes." I told him with a smirk as he rolled his eyes. "Oh and by the way it was my turn so that strike goes on my score." He grabbed me for that and started to tickle my sides, making me laugh.

Once we were done bowling Tommy suggested that we should take a walk on the beach which was nearby. We took our shoes off, rolled up our pants and walked hand in hand along the shore, letting our feet get wet in the water. We talked about everything and nothing, him telling me all about his old group of friends, well I did the same. His friends Jason, Kimberly, Trini, Billy and Zack sounded amazing, nothing like my few friends I had growing up. The sun was setting as I decided to have a little fun with him, pushing him into a hug wave of water that came up, soaking him. "You'll pay for that." He shouted playfully as I bolted down the beach, and looking back I saw him hot on my tail.

We laughed like a pair of high school kids as we ran down the beach, me only just ahead of him and he was slowly closing the distance between us. Then he grabbed me and we both fell into the water as another huge wave hit the beach. I came up spitting out water well Tommy smiled like a fool, till I splashed him in the face and smiling myself. We eventually moved up to a dryer part of the beach to relax, him propping himself up well I leaned back into him. "This is nice." I said as we watched the sun set and he ran his fingers through my hair.

"Ya, despite both of us being soaked to the bone as the suns going down, so it can't dry us." I shot him a look which he covered with a kiss. "I have a right to grumble you pushed me in but I wouldn't change a thing."

I smiled up at him before pulling him in for a kiss, he changed our positions so he was on top of me, well holding up most of his weight. Tommy buried his hands in my hair as he moved my head and started kissing my neck. I moaned as I wrapped my arms around him, my hands gripping his shirt, pulling it up as I wanted to feel his skin. "Zara, this is not the place to start removing cloths, which will happen if you keep doing that." He said in a hoarse voice against my neck.

"Then maybe we should take this somewhere where we can." I suggested. He looked at me in surprise but I could see his eyes were almost black with desire. "I can tell you Tommy that not a night has gone by lately without me thinking what it would be like to sleep with you."

Tommy seemed a bit taken back as he stared at me shocked, before a smile crossed his face and he just opened his mouth to say something when someone else beat him to the punch. "Well isn't romantic." We turned our heads and looked in surprise as a strangely armored man, or was he a cyborg, stood a couple of feet away from us. I recognised him from the news as a minion of whoever it is that controls the Tryannodrones.

Tommy and I quickly got to our feet and he pushed me behind him. "Zara, run back to your car and go home, now."

I was confused as I gripped his shoulder. "Tommy you know I can fight, we can-"

"No you can't." He said cutting me off. "You said it yourself, you're a marksmen, not a hand-to-hand combat. Now go!"

I was a bit taken back by his tone but his desire to protect me was over whelming, along with some familiarity about the situation for Tommy. So I did as he asked as I grabbed my shoes and ran. I ran all the way to my car and after fumbling with the keys I was able to unlock the door. I drove off only barely staying under the speed limit as I headed to my house and ran inside the moment I pulled into the driveway.

Both Kira and Tobi looked at me surprised as I slammed the door shut behind me and locked it. "Mrs. Rodgers, what's wrong and why are you wet?"

"Um well you see this is what happened."

Tommy's Pov

The fight with Zeltrax wasn't a long one as it seemed he only was there to push my buttons but he also seemed to be weak still from his last fight. Once Zeltrax had teleported out of there I ran back to my jeep well calling Zara, praying that she picked up. I was relieved when she did but on the other hand she demanded to know who Zeltrax was. I of course couldn't tell her anything which only caused her to hang up on me which I felt was the final strike for a great evening turned bad. I decided that I had to tell her something that would explain what happened well I picked up something I hoped would soften her up.

I was unfortunately late arriving at school that morning and couldn't go see her right away like I originally planned. So during lunch I tracked her down, thankfully she was still in her office as I knocked on her door. "Hey beautiful, how you doing?" I asked her as I hid the box of chocolates behind my back.

"In all honesty, confused about why an enemy of the power rangers showed up last night, right after I confess that I wanted to sleep with you, very much killing the mood." She said as she looked at me well she sat on her desk. "So are you going to tell me why he showed up?"

"In all honesty I'm not really sure." I said as I walked over to her faking confusion, not noticing the frown on her face. "After you left he demanded that I come with him as his master had need of me and if I refused he would go after you instead. Thankfully before I could agree to keep you safe the Rangers showed up and had me clear out. I'm just glad you're alright." It was then I noticed the frown on her face which was laced with anger, taking me completely by surprise. "Are you-"

"Tommy there's something about me that I haven't told you, in fact I never told David as I discovered it after he died. I'm an empath, not a strong one mind you but it's because of this ability I know your lying to me." I froze as the realisation of what she was telling me hit me like a brick wall and that I may have made a big mistake just now. "Tommy you have been kind and curates, not to mention caring towards Tobi and myself. Because of that I have trusted you with my son and secret about my attempted suicide. I had hoped that you would at least have the decency to trust me in return."

I looked away ashamed at what I was about to say to her but as a ranger I was bound by the code that Zordon himself had put in place so many years ago. "Zara I wish I could tell you the truth, I do but I can't."

"And why is that?" I didn't miss the growing anger in her voice.

"I just can't and it will be safer for you and Tobi this way." I told her sadly.

"Then perhaps it would be better that you and I stopped seeing each other all together then." My head shot up as I looked at her in surprise, well she just gave me a hard look. "Don't get me wrong Tommy I care about you deeply but you won't trust me enough to tell me what's going on I can't have you around my son. He is my first priority and I won't risk his safety."

"Risk his safety?" I almost couldn't believe what I was hearing and it made my blood boil. "Up till now have I ever given you any reason to not trust me around your son?"

"Well no-"

"Have I not helped you out, like picking him up when you had to cover detention, driving that horrible suv that I feared would blow up? I even had a bedframe made especially for him so he wouldn't be sleeping on the floor anymore and you're now saying you can't trust me with his safety?" I was on the verge of shouting and a foot from her as I clenched my hands at my sides, the forgotten box of chocolates in her spare chair.

"I never asked you to do that, though I am grateful you did as he loves it but is beside the point." She snapped.

"Is it?" I demanded. "As the saying goes, actions speak loader then words and right now your actions are telling me a great many things."

"Well if you don't like it there the door, don't let it hit you on the way out and you don't have to come crawling back if you don't want to."

"Fine." I snapped as I turned on my heel, and stormed out of her office, slamming the door behind me. I don't know how I got through the rest of the day as the anger of our argument fallowed me everywhere. I saw Zara again at the end of the day as we were parked next to each other, as we always were, and I noticed she seemed upset. I wanted to ask what was wrong but I was still so angry at what she said that I got in my jeep and left without a backwards glance. Hours from now I would very much regret not having stopped to take the time to talk to her.

Zara's Pov

After Tommy had stormed out of my office I decided it would be best to eat my lunch in my there and think. I almost couldn't believe that I had told him about my ability and I had felt his surprise, along with a hint of fear when I had. That had changed to anger very quickly as I had decided that we shouldn't see each other anymore and as I calmed down I regretted having said it. Suddenly my thoughts were interrupted as my cell rang, causing me to jump a little. Looking at the number I recognised it as my landlady, Emma Creed. "Hello Mrs. Creed, how are you doing?"

("Hello, is this Mrs. Zara Rodgers?") An unfamiliar voice asked kindly but I detected a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Yes it is."

("I'm Shannon Diol, Emma's oldest daughter. I am unfortunately calling to inform you that my dear mother suffered a massive heart attack a few days ago and passed away.") She informed me.

"Oh... I am so sorry for your loss, if there's anything I could do to help you and your family at this time, don't hesitate to ask." I offered already thinking if there was anything I could do.

("I am very grateful for the offer, my mother said that you were very kind but that is not the only reason I am calling. I am sorry to inform you that the house you are currently renting a long with my mother's are being put up for sale. I am sorry but you have till the end of this month to move out as my siblings and I have to prepare the house for sale.")

I remember saying good bye to Emma after once again giving her my condolences before hanging up and putting my face in my hands. My life had been turning around that last few months since Tobi and I had come to live here. I had a job that paid for the necessities that were needed for a growing boy like Tobi and I had been lucky to have found a house to rent that was in my price range. Things had continued to go well when I meet Tommy as he seemed like the kind of man you don't come across all that often. He was attentive to my son the moment he meet him, as most men wouldn't be when the child wasn't theirs. Then yesterday on our long awaited first date which had been going great and the moment I tell him I wanted him, the world begins to turn against me. First that armored freak shows up and ruins our date, then Tommy and I have a fight that could very well have ended our growing relationship and now I have to find a new place for my son and I to live.

I dwelled on what I would have to do and how crushed Tobi would be when I told him we would have to move again. I felt even worse about what I had said to Tommy during our fight as I really needed his advice. Eventually I admitted to myself that I just needed him, and so did Tobi. I decided to talk to him after the school was out for the day but when I was at my car and saw that he was still angry I couldn't bring myself to talk to him.

I thought again about our argument we had that morning and I realised that I had been wrong to have said what I did. 'I mean sure he is keeping a secret from me but dose that define who he is or his intentions towards me and Tobi?' I asked myself as I parked at the house and headed inside to change cloths and put my bag inside. It was then that an idea came to me. 'I wonder if I made my famous Hamburger Casserole, took it and Tobi to Tommy's house and offered it as a piece offering would help? Would he let me apologise and make things right? Or is it too soon, should I give him time?'

I was so lost in thought as I stood in my kitchen looking to see if I had all the ingredients to make it that I didn't hear my front door open and someone walk in. I picked up his intense feelings before I turned and saw the same armored guy from the beach was standing in my kitchen. I back up as fear filled me as he approached, throwing the table aside as it was in his way, his sword out. "You are coming with me Zara Rodgers."

I had by this point backed up right into the kitchen sink, which meant he had me cornered. "Um I don't suppose I can talk you out of it, can I?"

His way of answering was to grab me around the neck, pick me up and pin me against the fridge. "I intend to use you to break the fighting spirit of Dr. Tommy Oliver as he seems to care for you so much." He informed me as I struggled to free myself from his grip. I tried kicking him, clawing at his hands but nothing worked.

"Why do you want to do that?" I struggled to ask as the edges of my vison began to turn grey. "He a high school science teacher."

He laughed meticulously as he brought his face close to mine. "You clearly don't know that the man you care so much about is a Power Ranger." Before I could really think this over my world went dark.

-o0o-

When I next woke I had a terrible headache much like the one I had when the Black Dino Ranger had knocked me out. This time however I was being carried like a sack of potatoes and as my eyes adjusted I saw my hands were chained together. I had just considering a plan to get away when he ducked into a small cave and dumped me on the floor. "Ow! That hurt you-" He cut me off with a slap across the face, dazing me as I fell on my side, which gave him enough of an opening to put a needle in my arm and inject something. A burning sensation slowly started to spread up my arm and throughout my body. "What did you just do to me?" I demanded as I tried to pull free of the chains.

"I have injected a deadly poison into you and unless the antidote is administered in two hours you will die." He informed me as he secured the end of my chains to the rock wall above my head. "I have no drought that Dr. Oliver will come to recuse you and if he is able to defeat me and find you in time he thinks he'll succeed. What he doesn't realise is that I do not have the antidote readily available, just more of the poison. And when he goes to "cure" you, you will instead die in moments."

I stared at him in shock as he laughed well he left the small cave and then sealed it behind him.

A/N: Be truthful now how many of you hate me right now?