Sorry about the wait again I had meant to post this before Christmas but I have been a bit on the lazy side about needing to post. Just a heads up I have gone back and fixed a few things in earlier chapters and I have reposted them. As always I don't own power rangers but I am a big fan.

-o0o-

Chapter 10

Zara's Pov

It was almost Christmas which has always been Tobi's favorite holiday and not because of Santa or presents. He loves the food, decorations and that my parents, brother and Janet Thompson (formally Rodger's and David mom) come to our house for Christmas dinner. It seemed that none of them wanted to change that tradition as they were all coming to Reefside for the holiday and until after new years. So now Tobi and I were out buying new decoration for our new house. See as when we had been preparing to move I had sold or donated all of our old holiday decorations. I had yet to discuss Christmas plans with Tommy but there was also the fact that I hadn't yet told anyone in my family that I was dating again. Let's just say I was excited but dreading that topic with my family.

Well at the store with Tobi sitting on the tree box that was on the flat deck cart, along with everything else we had picked out, we surprisingly ran into Anton Mercer. "Oh well hello again Mrs. Rodgers, how are you on this fine day?" he asked as he smiled at me, which I returned to be polite. Ever since we meet during that time when he was substituting for Tommy I had picked up the strangest feelings and vibes from him. Even now as I could feel that he was being nice but there was a darker feeling behind it.

"I am great, things are going well, yourself?" I asked ignoring my instincts that I should grab Tobi and run.

"I have no complaints. So I take it that this is your son, Tobi was it?" Anton smiled at Tobi who had turned shy and was focused on his green ranger.

"Yes, this is him. You'll have to forgive him he's shy of everyone at first." I explained as I placed a hand on Tobi's back as I put myself between him and Anton. "So what brings you here? Picking up a gift for your son Trent?"

"Actually yes as well as a few new decorations for a company party I'll be hosting for my employees next week. Though it seems to me that you have a party planned as well with the amount of decorations you have there." He said noting all we had on the cart besides the tree.

"Actually we had to get rid of all our decorations in the move so we're just buying new ones for the house. Though it will be the first time we have a fake tree instead of a real one. Right buddy?" I asked Tobi who simply nodded still not looking at Anton. "Well we'd better go. We're meeting up with my boyfriend at my house as he's offered to help set all this up."

"So you and Tommy are officially dating now?" he asked with a grin which grew in size as I confirmed it. "Well I'm happy to hear it as you two make a nice couple or so I have heard from Trent and the other students' well I was teaching his class."

That made me blush. "Why thank you. Anyway we need to go, I wouldn't want to keep Tommy waiting for us at my house. Have yourself a good day Anton and Marry Christmas." I said as I be lined for the registered.

-o0o-

Tommy was in fact waiting at the house when I pulled up and was in the phone, so I waved at him as I carried a load into the house. He returned it with a smile and a wave of his own well Tobi ran up to him latching onto his leg. I dropped my load in the living room before heading back out to get the next and thankfully last load just as he got off the phone. "Hey there hansom." I told him as we shared a quick kiss and he started to untie the tree box from my car roof. "I hope you weren't waiting for us too long."

"I haven't been and besides my brother called so he helped distract me." He said as he took the tree off the top of my car and carried into the house. "By the way what are your Christmas plans?"

"I'm happy you asked that. We're expecting my brother, his girlfriend of two years Katharine Hillard, my parents and my mother in law. Their all flying down and staying for at least two weeks. What are your plans?" I asked him as I opened the tree box and started to take the tree out, not noticing the shock on his face till I had put the stand together. "Tommy, you alright?"

"Your brother is dating Katharine Hillard?" he asked me still a look of shock on his face.

"Yes, do you know her?" I asked now confused by his reaction.

"Of course I know her she was the one who replaced Kimberly when she left the team to go train for the Olympics. Also I dated her for a while." Tommy explained looking away from me as he said the last bit. I felt his nervousness and a small amount of fear from him and it wasn't hard to know why.

I smiled as I walked over to him and kissed him. "Tommy I am not the jealous type and as she is dating my younger brother I don't think I'll have to worry about her stealing you away from me. Now if she does well hurting my brother's feelings then she'll be in trouble."9

I smiled well giving him a gentle squeeze. "Alright, I'll concede that but back to Christmas." He said getting back on topic. "It would seem that our families are working together as my parents, and my brother David are also coming for Christmas. So I was wondering if you maybe wanted to have Christmas dinner with us as my house will be big enough to accommodate everyone. I am sorry that there won't be anyone Tobi's age, unless Kat and Ben have a kid. *I shook my head* but I can a sure you he won't be bored."

"Oh I have no doubt about that as Ben alone will happily to play with him but I have a confession Tommy. My family doesn't know I'm dating you, not that I'm ashamed of dating you or anything but I've been worried." I couldn't look at him as I said this as I was ashamed of myself.

I could feel his confusion at my words. "Worried about what?"

"That they may think it maybe too soon for me to be in a serious relationship. I mean its been two years sure but I am still recovering emotionally. I've only been off anti-depressants for a few months now and I did relapse with the drinking not too long ago." Tommy winced as he remembered that night but then it looked like he got an idea.

"Call your parents." I stared at him. "Hear me out Zara. As it is my idea to have Christmas dinner at my house let's ask them what their thoughts are on the subject."

I thought about it and realized that he had a good point, so pulling out my phone I dialed my parents' home phone. ("Hey honey, this is a surprise. Is everything alright?") My mom asked her voice full of concern from my speaker.

"No mom everything is fine, we just had a question for you and dad, is he there?" I asked biting my lip nervously.

("We? Zara is there someone besides Tobi? A man perhaps.") I was surprised her hope in her voice.

Tommy took this as his que to speak. "Ah yes ma'am, I'm Thomas Oliver, I'm the science teacher at Reefside high school and I'm Zara's boyfriend."

Unexpectedly we both flinched and I dropped the phone as a squeal of excitement came from my mother. I quickly recovered my phone well asking Tobi and Tommy to both stop laughing as she started demand to know how we ended up together. I eventually got her to calm down enough to ask her and dad (who had picked up the receiver on the other phone just as she shared her excitement) about having Christmas dinner with Tommy and his family. They were all for it but recommended we call Ben and Janet and see if it was alright by them. Well I did that Tommy called his brother and parents to clear it with them as well and we soon found our self's pleasantly surprised as they all agreed. After that we discussed who would make what and what time my family and I would be coming over well the three of us decorated the house.

-o0o-

A few days later it was Christmas day and my family and I were heading over to Tommy's house my mother in law Janet Johnson aka David's mom and Tobi's grandma was in the passenger seat next to me well my mom sat in the back with Tobi. My dad was in Ben's car with him and Kat as they fallowed close behind me on the way out of town. I was both excited and a bit nervous of this gathering as I knew that well my mom and Janet were happy that I had found someone but dad wasn't. He felt that we were moving too quickly in our relationship as we had only gone on a few dates and I was already calling Tommy my boyfriend. He thankfully had said all this the day before Kat and Ben had arrived which meant Kat still didn't know who it was I was dating. Tommy had asked that we not tell her as he wanted to see the look of surprise on her face when she saw it was him. There was a bit of a close call this morning with Tobi telling her well we were opening gifts as he was excited to go over to Tommy's for dinner.

When we finally pulled into Tommy's drive way I saw a two vehicles I didn't recognise parked next to Tommy's jeep. Ben parked next to me then hoped out to take the turkey from dad's lap before his whistled as he looked at Tommy's house. "I'll say this for your boyfriend Zar, he has good taste in houses and location."

"Just wait till you see all the dinosaur bones he has in his personal collection. Come on Uncle Ben, you too Aunt Kat, you'll love it." Tobi said as he took hold of Kat's hand and started to drag her towards the door behind him, well I handed her one of the pies my mom and Janet had made as she passed. I was grinning as we all approached the door just as Tommy opened it, a big mischievous smile on his face as the former pink ranger's jaw dropped in shock. "Hello everyone, come on in. Oh hi Kat, I didn't know you would be here."

"Tommy?" Kat stated in surprise as she looked from him to me and the confused looks on her own boyfriend's face to Tobi's grinning one. "Your Zara's mysterious boyfriend. Zara why didn't you tell me?"

"Tommy and I thought this would be more fun, seeing as your old friends and wouldn't hold it against us." I said as I walked passed her and threw the front door that Tommy was still holding open, steeling a kiss on the way. I took the pies I was carrying to the kitchen where I could smell the rest of dinner cooking and a women with long brown hair was standing by the stove. She smiled at me as I put the pies on the counter. "Hello, you must be Zara, I'm Sarah Oliver, Tommy's mom."

Tommy's Pov

Dinner was great as Tobi easily won my parents attention and was able to get David and Ben to play with him which wasn't hard as Zara's brother loves him and David loves kids. Zara spent a great deal of time talking with my mom which left me very little time to spend with her. This did allow me and Kat to catch up a bit and even at one point we were able to sneak down stairs and show her the lab. "Tommy this is fantastic. Zordon would be proud of what you have accomplished and how well you've done with your team." Kat said as she looked around at all of the gear Hayley had made.

"I'm glad you think so, I still feel at times that I don't do as near a good job as him but we all can't be Zordon." I told her as I leaned against the wall looking at her, relived that she was happy in her civilian life. I had tried to keep in contact with all the rangers and friends I had made over the years but it's hard to keep track of everyone wellbeing an active ranger once again. I would be lying if I didn't worry about her or the others from time to time. "So I was wondering, how did you and Ben meet?"

A smile graced her lips as she took on a far off look. "It actually was well I was a collage over 2 years ago. Some no good hoodlums had decided to try and steal my purse, which as you know I am more then capable of handling them myself. Ben had been walking nearby when he over heard me shouting at them to back off and decided to come to my rescue. I ended up rescuing him instead and I did bruise his ego a bit but I made it up to him by taking him out to dinner. After that he asked me out and well it's been two years."

"So you must have meet Zara's husband David then." I asked still curious of the man I will never meet who had Zara's heart first.

"Only once before he left on tour and died." It angered me a bit that she and the rest of Zara's family don't know about the task force both Zara and David had been a part of and was headed by David's father. Kat must have seen something in my face as she approached me and put a hand on my shoulder. "Tommy I feel I must tell you that Zara wasn't in the best condition after David died."

"I already know about that and I'm glad you were there for her when she needed someone." I said truly grateful.

Kat looked a bit surprised. "Wait she told you?" she looked at me in surprise well I nodded and smiled. "I'm surprised she told you, not even her family knows about her attempt as we've kept it a secret between us and her therapy councillor."

"That's because Tommy is amazing, I trust and much as I love him." we both turned and found Zara standing on the stairs to the lab smiling at us.

"Zara, you know about all this, about him being a ranger?" Kat asked surprised, and quickly explained Zara's dealings with the team.

"It's kind of hard not to know after being kidnapped then poisoned by Zeltrax." Zara then went on to explain in detail about the events just over a month ago and her current role with the team.

We joined the others upstairs and when it was seven came Zara pulled out a picture of her husband David and lit a candle. This was to signify that even though he was gone he was still remembered by those who had loved him in life. Zara explained that it had been on Christmas day at seven o'clock when they had been informed of David's death and now they do this every year to remember him. My brother even said a traditional remembrance of the dead prayer which all of Zara's family was grateful for. To dispel the bit of sadness that overcame everyone we played some family games. it came to an end when Zara and Ben started to wrestle each other (which apparently happened every time they got together) and Tobi started to yawn. Well Zara and her family prepared to leave for home I carried Tobi out to the car and buckled him in before I pulled her aside for a moment.

"I just wanted to say that I love you and glad things went so good tonight." I told her above a whisper so no one but she would hear me as I held her close. I didn't give her a chance to say anything as I kissed her, well pulling her against me. Our sweet moment was interrupted by whistling and a car horn coming from the direction of Ben's car. Zara growled as she pulled back and sent a glare in the same direction. "Ben grow up and dad I'm 27, so I am more then allowed to kiss my boyfriend in front of you."

This caused laughter to fill the air as I kissed Zara one last time and reluctantly let her go, standing on the porch till they were gone. Heading back inside I saw that my parents and brother were all smiling at me. "What?"

"Nothing son, it's just that we can all see that she makes you happy." My dad said as he started to fold up my extra chairs so they could be put away.

"Her boy Tobi is so cute and so polite for his age." My mom said with a grin. "You don't see that all that often with a 4 year old. Also her parents and Janet were easy to get along with as I had a wonderful conversation with both of Olivia and her about different pie and other desert recipes."

"It was really good to see Kat again and seeming so happy with Ben. I can see the two of them getting married and having kids of their own soon enough." David said as he helped me to pick up cups that were scattered all around the living room and kitchen. His words did give me pause to think about Kat and Ben. He was right that the two looked happy and great together, which made me happy but where did that leave me and Zara. Sure we had only been dating for a few months, and slept together a few times as well but where was this leading to with our relationship?