POWER RANGERS: ANIMARIUM- Episode 16- "Wingman"
In this story, set soon after part 15 and almost 6 months after "Rangers on the Frontlines", a soldier who was on deployment when the rangers visited the middle east comes to Angel Grove and forms a deep bond with Tommy's son Cayden.
Joint Coalition Base, Iraq
It was the day after the huge battle.
Tommy sat near the fire ring looking at a photo of him and his son from a couple weeks before the rangers had left for the mission. Suddenly a young officer came up.
"Excuse me, sir. May I join you?"
Tommy looked up. "Corporal Ortega, of course."
Ortega sat next to Tommy. "Thank you sir."
"If you don't mind, I'd rather you call me Tommy."
"Sure. And you can call me Miguel." he noticed the photo Tommy was holding.
"Who is that?"
Tommy showed him the photo. "That's my son Cayden. He's just a couple years younger than you. He's going to be starting his senior year in high school in a couple months."
Miguel smiled. "Awesome. He looks just like you."
Tommy smiled and looked at Miguel. "I talked to Captain Rollins last night. Since your deployment here was almost over anyway, he's decided to consider it completed once we leave for Germany tomorrow. Have you thought about what you're going to do after you get back?"
"I haven't. But I do know I'd better start getting it figured out. I mean I don't have any family back home. I was an only child, my parents died in a freak car accident just before I started my deployment, and my grandparents died last year. I've got nobody." he looked at the ground.
Tommy put his hand on the big Marine's shoulder.
"You do now."