ZEDD - A WEEK LATER
I'm almost home after a meeting with a contact. I've barely seen Thomas all week, first due to avoiding him at home and finally with a three day trip off planet. I'm still hurt about him kissing that female - not because she's female, of course, but because I expected better than that from him. If he wanted to be with someone else, all he had to do was tell me and certainly not pull the same crap Annwyl did. I thought he knew me better than that, or at the very least gave more of a damn about my feelings. Even if he was considering such a thing, just tell me so that I'm not blindsided.
Sighing heavily, I land the ship and shut it down half expecting to hear he's gone off to play around in my absence. Fine, he wants to see others, whatever, but he damn well better not be bringing them back here. As I leave the ship, I'm greeted with, "Oh good. You're finally home."
Looking wearily at Dar, I say, "Why? What's going on?" Tell me he didn't bring any females back here, please tell me that's not what this is.
"I just thought that you could save a lot of time and go beat the hell out of your mate and get it over with."
Startled, I say, "What?"
"His nightmare, Zedd. You know, the one where you jump to conclusions and try to beat him to death?"
My eyes narrow. Dar siding with Thomas? "I hardly think I'm jumping to conclusions when I saw him, Dar."
Goldar folds his arms. "You actually saw him lean in and initiate a kiss with that female."
"I-" I stop and think. "No, but he was holding her and kissing her."
"So he was actively participating then. Like he does with you."
I start to answer, but I remember how Thomas kept insisting that he hadn't done anything wrong. He wasn't drunk - not even buzzed if I think about it. Between his strong sense of right and wrong and his sense of honor, not to mention his drive to do whatever he must to take care of his partners in the past, it would be completely out of character for him to behave in that manner. I'm still hurt, though, so I say, "I felt his arousal through the bond."
He exhales loudly, shaking his head. "You are bound and determined to continue to punish both of you, aren't you? And you're going to take me down with you." I give him a questioning look. "Pina gave me one chance to try and talk some sense into you before she does it and I'm sleeping on the couch. All I have to say at this point is if you are going to beat the hell out of him for 'cheating', then get to it because this waiting game you're playing is cruel beyond even what I'd think you capable of."
"I'm not the one playing any game."
"Yes, you are. Maybe not intentionally, but that's exactly what you're doing and I'm telling you as your friend you're going to end up losing in the end."
"So I'm just supposed to let this go?"
"Talk to him, Zedd. Listen to his side of what happened. The last time I talked to him - or rather he talked to me - he was sure that your relationship was over because of this misunderstanding. You let him think that way too long and he just might start looking for another relationship."
Before I can even think about it, I snarl out, "I'll kill anyone who tries to take him from me!"
"Right now, Zedd, the only one coming between you two is you. You and your stubbornness." On some level I know that he's right, but it doesn't take away the hurt. "As your friend, I'll say this - you have punished him and yourself enough for the wrong thing. Go talk to him."
"Where is he?" I'm a little afraid to open the bond, worried about what I'll find there - or what I won't.
"The last time I actually saw him in person was three days ago. I'd check either Pina's old room or his lab if I were you."
Knowing Thomas, I head for his lab. Not wanting to give him a chance to lock me out, I open the door without knocking, stopping short at what I see inside. He's huddled on a stool by his worktable, misery in every line of him down to the set of his mouth. He's wearing his sweatpants and the hoodie that I bought him but by the look of the clothes and the smell I'm getting from here, he's been wearing them for a while. Not to mention he's in desperate need of a shower. A timer goes off and he carefully removes a beaker and adds something to it, stirring quickly. In another moment, he's downed whatever was in it. "What was that?!" I demand.
He cries out in surprise and drops the beaker, which shatters on the floor. He spins to look at me, hope lighting his eyes oh so briefly and before it's gone. His voice is flat as he points to the corner behind the door. "Broom, please."
I get the object and turn back and he gestures for me to toss it to him. I do, asking again, "What was that?"
"What do you care?" he answers listlessly. "After all, I'm just a cheating whore, right?"
"I never said that."
"You didn't have to. Just the fact that you assumed that I'd do such a thing - never mind doing it in front of you - says everything."
He starts sweeping around the base of the stool, clearing the way for him to stand and finish cleaning up. "Thomas, I was hurt and angry. I looked up when I felt your arousal and you were kissing and holding that woman."
"I wasn't kissing her. She was kissing me. And I'm sorry, but I can't help it if I still find females attractive. It doesn't mean that I'm going to have sex with every one of them that gets a reaction from me."
"Look, it was too much like-" Shaking my head and knowing bring up my ex right now is very likely the wrong thing to do I however realize I wasn't fast enough to curb my mouth as he raises a curious brow.
"Like what?"
Taking a breath I grit my teeth and continue. "Like Annwyl."
Confusion crosses his face for a moment before it's replace by sudden understanding and once again depression. "Seriously, Zedd? You think that little of me that you believe I'd do what that bastard did to you?"
"I didn't say that, I just… Thomas just tell me what happened. Please."
He shakes his head. "Why? It doesn't really matter any more, does it?"
"Thomas, if you remember, I told you before that when I get upset that sometimes I need time to calm down."
He glances up at me before returning his attention to the pieces on the floor. "Zedd, you still aren't all that calm. You look like you're ready to get into a physical fight and I'm not up to it. If you're going to hit me, just get to it because I have better things to do than worry about when it's going to happen - or if you don't even care enough to bother anymore."
He finishes cleaning up as I'm floundering for something to say. "Thomas-"
He shakes his head sadly, holding up a hand to stop me. "Either you trust me or you don't. It's as simple as that. If I wanted to cheat on you, I could have easily done it with Becky while we were on Earth. Trust me, looking back I can see several opportunities where I could have gotten away for long enough. When you figure out whether you trust me or not, let me know. Otherwise, just - leave me alone and don't talk to me again."
I can't help but wince as he uses my own words against me. He heads to the back of the lab, where I now notice a cot like Pina's set up and, judging by the blankets and pillow on it, is in use. He lies down and pulls the pile of covers over himself, sighing heavily as he does.
"Thomas, I love you."
"But you don't trust me."
At a loss for something to say, I head up to the kitchen where I'm certain the other two are wondering what's happening. Once there, I ask the first question on my mind, "How long has he been sleeping in the lab?"
They both look surprised. "As far as we knew, he's been sleeping in Pina's old room" Dar informs me.
"Well, then he's stolen the cot from Pina's office. And what has he been doing for food?"
"He's not joined us in some time, but Dar always makes sure that there is food for him" Pina says.
"But is he actually eating it?" They exchange looks but don't answer me, clearly not sure. "So - until today - none of us has actually seen him in days, we aren't sure if or what he's eating or how he's sleeping - if he even is."
"Apparently so" Pina replies uneasily.
"In addition, when I walked into his lab, a timer went off, he added something to a beaker, stirred it and drank it. I asked him twice what it was, but he wouldn't tell me."
Immediately, Pina stands up. "I'll go check on him."
She heads out quickly, Dar and I not far behind her. When we get to the lab, it's empty. It's not been all that long since I left him, where is he? I open the bond, just a little, hoping it'll help me pinpoint where he went. I'm briefly overwhelmed at the level of depression I get from him before I regain my focus. I'm puzzled as it seems he's in our room. I follow the bond until he closes it, but by now I'm certain that he's in the bedroom.
When we get there, I take a deep breath before I open the door, bracing myself for whatever I'll find. The other two flank the door, not sure what to expect either. My heart sinks when I realize that he's packing his clothes. "Thomas? What are you doing?"
"Packing."
Feeling my blood run cold, I swallow hard before forcing myself to ask. "Where are you going?"
His back is to me, but I can still see when he wipes his face. "Back to Earth. Or rather - back home."
Pain squeezes my heart. Has our relationship been damaged so much that it can't be fixed? "Thomas, please don't."
"Why not? You don't trust me. How can we have any kind of relationship if any time I'm not right against your side you think I might be out cheating on you?"
"But I-"
"I think the part that upsets me the most is that you didn't even give me the benefit of the doubt. You just immediately assumed the worst possible thing - that I wasn't even capable of being faithful in the first place."
"Wait. That's not it, Thomas. Please let me explain."
"Like you let me explain?"
"I deserved that."
He laughs, but there's no humor in it. "Glad you agree." Before he can say anything else, his communicator goes off. "Go ahead."
"What's up bro? Hayley said you called. "
"I'm coming home, Jase."
A stunned silence falls for a long minute. "I'm sorry - you're what now?"
"Coming home."
"Not that I won't be happy to see you but why? And what's wrong, you don't sound like you're okay."
"I'm fine, just…Things just - aren't working out here."
I can hear the instant hostility in Jason's voice. "What did Zedd do?"
"Nothing. I'll see you in about a week or two depending on how I decide to try and get back. Okay?"
"Tommy, are you sure?"
"If it's going to be a problem, bro-"
"No, of course not. It's still your house, after all. Let me know when to expect you and how, okay?" And apparently I was wrong about him giving up his safety net…
"I will."
"And we will talk about what happened when you get here, got it?"
"Jase-"
"No, I told you and him if he hurt you it'd be his damn life. And just so you know if I don't see or hear from you now in the next few days I will come there and get you and he definitely does not want me to come there right now." I've never been intimidated by Rangers, especially not human ones, however judging by his tone, human or not, I'm not so damn certain he doesn't have the ability to kill me at the current moment over the thought I'd harm his brother.
"I'll let you know when I'll be coming, I promise."
"All right, I'll see you then, bro."
"See you. Tommy out." He sighs. "Now I just have to call Andros or Trey and see if they're available to take me. Return the ship, Zedd and get your credits back."
"But Thomas, it's your ship."
"I won't need it. Once I'm there, I'll stay there."
"So - you're giving up on us?"
"I'm not the one that gave up. However to answer your question, I am ending what we have, as mates at least" he agrees. He turns and looks at me. "Zedd, it's not working out. We can't do anything about being bond mates, but we don't have to keep trying to force things to work when they clearly aren't meant to."
"It's not clear at all" I argue. "Just because I've been too hurt and stubborn to listen to you doesn't mean that it can't work. I told you, love, that I will screw up and that when it happens I will try my best to fix it and learn from it so I don't do it again, but I am not some all knowing all powerful creature, Thomas. I make mistakes, I have many, many faults, and the only thing I can do is try and learn fix them when they come up."
He shakes his head. "You've told me before that you trusted me and then turn right around and make a liar out of yourself. For whatever reason, even though I've never done anything that I'm aware of that would warrant the suspicion, you don't trust me."
"I do trust you, Thomas. I explained what happened when you were sick and this time I was hurt by what I saw."
"All right, why don't you tell me exactly what you saw?"
"I saw you holding and kissing that-"
He cuts me off. "No, you didn't. Did I have my hands on her hips? Yes, I did. Did she kiss me? Yes, she did. Did I kiss her back? No, I did not."
"But I felt your arousal."
He sighs. "I apologized for that already. I can't help it if I'm still attracted to females, but I never had any intention of sleeping with her - or anyone else - but you."
Before either of us can say any more, suddenly Pina curses in the hall followed by Dar's shouted warning. "Intruders!"
Thomas and I curse in unison, snatch up our staffs and head out of the room. The hall is filled with people, none of whom I recognize so I have no idea whose enemy has invaded our home. I'm also more than angry that the alarms didn't alert us to their approach. Regardless, we throw ourselves into the fray. In no time, I lose track of Thomas in the sea of bodies and with him having closed the bond, I can't even try and find him right now.
"Zedd, watch out!" Heeding Thomas' warning, I duck just in time to avoid taking a shot to the head.
Between the four of us, we drive them out of the palace. Out in the open, it's easier to fight, but there are more people out here waiting for us. Screw it. I start charging my staff, intent on laying waste to the whole lot of them. A quick look around shows me that Goldar and Scorpina have already triggered their warrior transformations - which will help protect them from what I'm about to do - but Thomas hasn't morphed yet. What was that phrase they used to use back in the day? "Thomas! It's morphin' time!"
After a moment, there's a flash of light and I know that he's ready. I don't know how much it'll protect him, but it's got to help more than not. I throw my power out in all directions, leveling the ones still standing. It's been a long while since I've expended so much power at one time and it leaves me weak and shaking. In truth, my staff is the only thing really keeping me upright at the moment - and it won't for long.
My three companions make their way through the bodies over to me. "Pina, Dar - you know what to do."
Before I can say any more, I go to my knees. "Are you all right?" Pina asks anxiously.
"Too much power at once" I answer shortly.
"Shit! Look out!" Dar barks, but there's nothing I can do to protect myself. I sink the rest of the way to the ground, aware of what's going on around me, but not really. I hear a fight going on, which stops abruptly. As I recover, I become lucid enough to understand the conversation.
"-leave them alone for the rest of their lives." Thomas.
"Tommy, no! He can't be trusted!" Dar.
"I know but there's really no other choice."
A new voice says, "Agreed. Say your goodbyes." Fuck. I know that voice, but from where?
Thomas says sadly, "Take care of him for me."
I feel a quick kiss on my forehead. "Goodbye, Zedd. I'm sorry, I love you."
"Thomas, don't go." Reaching for him weakly I can't make contact as I can't even get his face to come into focus. "Where are you going? Are you going back? Don't go back."
Before he can respond, the other voice says, "Time's up. Let's go."
Thomas pulls away from me and moves away, saying something in a language I don't understand. Dar and Pina continue to protest, but to no avail apparently. After another minute of their shouts I can hear a ship taking off and Pina addressing Dar. "I'll get him inside. You go make some calls. Quickly. Start with Kerch and Mara." My parents? Why? "Come on, Zedd. Let's get inside."
Pina helps me to my feet and half carries me inside and up the stairs, finally settling me on my bed. I can hear Dar messing with the communication system. "Got it!" Dar says triumphantly. "Goldar calling Distress Reds and Trey of Triforia - priority red channel."
"Pina? What's going on?"
"In a minute, Zedd. Dar I thought you were going to call Kerch and Mara first."
"Couldn't reach them. I'll try them again in a minute." Just then several responses come through the system. "Rangers, Tommy has been taken from us. We're probably going to need your help to free him."
Jason's voice comes through loud and clear. "I thought he said he was coming home."
"He was planning to" Dar agrees. "We were attacked a short while ago. Tommy was given the choice of leaving with the leader of the group and we would live or he would kill us all."
"And, of course, we all know how he would choose" Trey says with a sigh.
"So who took him?" Andros asks.
"An Eltarian by the name of Wopenga." Who? "I'm going to make some other calls and see if we can get more help and an idea of where he's holing up these days."
"See what you can find out about what we're up against, too, Dar. If necessary, we'll summon all active Rangers."
"Will do, Jason. Goldar out." He disconnects the call and waits a minute before starting to initiate another call.
"Who the hell is Wopenga?" I ask, already feeling my strength starting to come back.
"He's the one your mother slapped outside the hospital" Pina answers me. Oh god. Knowing he's been sharing pets - among other things - with my brother, this can't possibly end well. Just then, my mother picks up the line.
"What's the matter, Goldar? You don't call us unless something's wrong with Zeddic." Her tone is far more worried than I would have previously believed before our visit.
"It's not Zedd this time, milady. It's Tommy. He's been taken. By Wopenga."
"Kerch! Wopenga has taken Tommy!"
There's a pause and then I hear my father. "What is Zedd doing now?"
"Recovering. He had to use a large amount of power as we were badly outnumbered."
"And why has he taken Tommy? Do you know?"
"He was going to just kill all of us, but offered to let us live if Tommy went with him."
I'm a little surprised to hear my mother cursing at length. I know Thomas had mentioned it before, but I've never heard her do so. "Mara, be calm. We'll find him and help get him home safely. Goldar, we'll see about getting some information. I have a feeling that Jax may know something that will help."
"Let us know please, Lord Kerch. I've already alerted several Rangers who are coming to help as well."
"The more the better. Just in case." Just in case we have to have an all out war to get Thomas back is what he isn't saying. "Let me get on this quickly. Kerch out."
