ZEDD

It doesn't take more than that last hit to make up my mind. I will put an end to this before he either succeeds in actually breaking me, or I finally snap and return his discipline full force.

I wait as patiently as I can to make sure that he's soundly asleep. I take a deep breath and steel myself to do something I swore I wouldn't do. Gently, I slide my hand down his body and take him in hand. I start with slow, soft strokes, gradually building up as his arousal grows. He moans in his sleep and I slip out of his grasp, working my way down his body. In another minute, I have him in my mouth and I'm using every trick I ever learned to hurry him along without waking him.

"Oh, yes, Zedd. That's so good." My eyes flick upward, fully expecting to meet his, but he's still asleep - I think. Regardless, I continue until his body moves of its own accord, thrusting up at me. Suddenly, he cries out as he empties himself down my throat before he settles down into an even deeper sleep as I catch my breath.

I watch him sleep for a little while longer, hoping against hope that it's over as truly I know I can't take much more of this. Wearily, I get out of bed and dress once more the new set of injuries he graced me with aching much more than I think they should under normal circumstance. Moving to the mirror and checking my face again I hiss as I check to see if he actually succeeded in breaking my nose. It's already been broken once in my life time and I'm not looking forward to this being the second. Looking back at the sleeping human one last time I leave the room and head back down to the kitchen to see if Pina's there, not looking forward at all to facing her or any of the others right now.

Making my way slowly back the kitchen, not eager for another confrontation with Dar over my newest wounds I reach the door all too soon and taking a deep breath hope that Pina is alone. I push the door open to find that much like my life lately this latest hope is dashed to hell as it honestly seems that nobody has really moved, except Dar, who is now at the stove cooking lunch. Jason sees me come in and raises an eyebrow. "Another door?"

"More or less."

Once more, everyone else spins around and stares at me. This time I ease myself down on the closest stool, putting my back to the door and, for a change, I don't really care. Wordlessly, I tilt my head so that Pina can get a better look. She checks me over carefully before she says, "It's not broken, but it probably hurts like hell. Do you want some pain killers?"

"I don't care." The look on Dar's face speaks volumes and I really don't want to fight with him anymore now than I did earlier. "With any luck, he'll be himself again when he wakes up."

"If he's not," Dar warns "I will deal with him."

"Go ahead," I answer listlessly, much to my company's surprise it seems.

"Zedd-" Looking at me in a far too shocked manner, Jason shakes his head sternly.

"What?"

"You don't mean that."

"Jason, look at me. In the past twenty four hours I've allowed myself to be punched in the face twice by him, fucked into exhaustion, had my staff taken, and apologized for it all. This is not the time to tell me what I mean and don't mean."

"Zedd-"

"No." Speaking the word as sternly as I can I fix the former Ranger with a hard look. "I'm exhausted, beaten, and miserable. I am no longer pretending to be defeated so he will let his guard down, I am fucking defeated." Turning to Dar I continue as calmly as I can. "Do what you want. Just make sure you put us both out of our misery. Don't forget - we're bonded." Dar opens his mouth to protest, but I stop him. "Dar, I can't bring myself to hurt him, no matter how much he hurts me because I know it isn't him that's doing it. That inability is making me his punching bag and his doormat. I don't want to live like that and we don't know what will happen to me when you kill him. We certainly can't send him back to Earth to save him from your wrath. So, if this didn't work, you do what you have to do. Just don't leave me comatose or catatonic for the rest of my natural life."

"Zedd-"

I shake my head, stopping her. "Don't, Pina. Just- don't."

Everyone falls silent as Dar sets plates in front of us. Hesitantly, Andros says, "But what if it did work?"

Dar growls, "Then he better come in here with an apology on his lips."

"Or at the very least my bottle of whiskey he hijacked earlier" I mutter more to myself than them.

We all eat silently, lost in our own thoughts. Finally, Dar clears the plates and pulls a pie out of the fridge. He takes up a knife and begins to cut when the entire top crust collapses. We all exchange surprised and puzzled looks. Suddenly, Jason asks, "What kind of pie was it?"

I can hear amusement in his question and look at him as Dar answers, "Strawberry. Why?"

Jason starts to laugh. While I don't know what has him so amused, his laughter is contagious and shortly we're all smiling and Pina's giggling. Finally, Jason settles down enough to explain. "I'd bet all the money in my bank account that Tommy did that. He hates pie crust, but loves the fillings. He did that to one of his mom's apple pies once. After that, she made extra filling for him so that he'd leave her pies alone."

In spite of his obvious irritation, Dar remarks, "Then, if I don't kill him, perhaps I'll have to take a page out of his mother's book."

None of us know what to do after the meal, so we all just hang around in the kitchen, waiting. Darkness falls and the evening meal is almost done before the door opens again. Cautiously, Jason addresses the one we've all been waiting for. "Hi, Tommy."

"Jase," he grunts in return as he heads for the fridge. We all exchange hopeful looks as Jason addresses him again.

"You okay?"

Thomas sighs. "Just sick of the weird dreams I have after a migraine." Wait, what?

Jason relaxes slightly. "What was it about this time?"

I see his back tense and he shudders slightly. "It was bad. I don't really want to talk about it."

Jason looks at me questioningly. I shrug in return. The former Red Ranger takes a deep breath. "I think maybe you should talk about it, bro. I think maybe you're a little confused on some things."

"What things? And I said I don't want to talk about it. Isn't there anything to eat?" Head still buried in the fridge looking for food, he is getting a tad testy, but otherwise seems himself much to my relief.

"Like exactly what day it is and when you actually had your migraine. Tommy, you had your migraine two days ago."

"Uh huh, sure I did. Think maybe you need some sleep yourself, bro."

"Tommy I'm serious. You had your migraine two days ago, and you haven't been sleeping, you've been…well, not you."

He turns away from the fridge, looking slightly miffed but still more exhausted than anything, "Ha ha, Jase, very funny. Okay fine, I'll play along, if I wasn't me, then who was I?"

"Someone who owes your mate an apology." Looking up sharply at Dar's comment, I give him a stern glare of my own as Thomas takes in his words looking surprised, but only for a moment.

He scans the faces around him before his gaze locks on me. Suddenly, he turns white and looks like he will be sick. "Zedd? Oh my god what happened to you?!" Seriously?

"I walked-"

"I swear to the power if you say into a door again I will beat you this time." Looking at Pina curiously as she does seem somewhat serious, I give a shrug of defeat.

"-into a wall."

Moving to me quickly and reaching for my face, I can't help the flinch that comes this time, and not by my own choice either. "Zedd what happened? Who the hell did you get into a fight with?"

"It was hardly an actual fight Thomas. For that to be the case I would have had to have tried to hit you back." Hearing the words before I can stop myself, I realize too late just what kind of impact they will have.

Suddenly backing up from me and looking as if I had just struck him, he shakes his head slowly as realization seems to dawn. "Oh god, what the hell happened? Did I- Zedd, did I do that to you?" Miserably, I nod. "It wasn't a dream?" I shake my head, unable to meet his eyes any more. Silence falls for a minute before he suddenly looks to his other victim. "Pina, I didn't - please tell me I didn't do what I think I did." No answer was forthcoming. He speaks, barely above a whisper. "Oh god. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Before I can stop him he flees from the room. Damn it, bad enough he hides my staff now he takes off too.

"I'll get him." I rise to go after him despite my body's protests at moving, but Dar stops me.

"Give him a few minutes." I look at Dar like he's lost his mind. "I'm serious. Give him a few minutes to deal with the fact that what he thought was a dream actually happened before you shove his face in it again... With your face." How amusing.

Reluctantly, I sit down again and try and figure out what I'm going to say to him when I do go after him.