Author's Notes: The inscription on his ring is actually a language, points for whoever knows what that language is without using a translator.

Also sorry it's late it's just been a shitty week so yeah I'll try to be more on time with the next chapter.

Summary - Back on Earth Tommy gives his answer.

o

Yes and No

Zedd

o

Looking down at the ring with what I hope is pleased awe, Tommy finally meets my eyes again hopefully not seeing or feeling just how nervous I am through our bond. I know he loves me, I'm certain of that thanks to the bonding, but this, this is different. This last step isn't about love or the need to be together so much as the choice to be. After all it is rare but it is a known fact that sometimes bonded couples will seek life partners else where, wanting separate mates for the separate aspects of their lives.

"Yes."

Let's just hope that Tommy doesn't feel that way, because if he does I'm honestly not certain how well such a thing will go as I've no intention of sharing him. Any part of him. Still caught up in my thoughts I don't instantly register that he's answered my question, only really coming around when his hand finds my shoulder, touching it gently.

"Zedd, yes."

Wait what? Yes? Yes wha…oh, yes. Wait yes? He said yes? Refocusing on the situation at hand I look up at him hopefully. "Yes?"

Smiling brightly and pulling me up to my feet, he wraps his arms around my neck pressing a hard kiss to my mouth. "Yes."

"Yes." Pulling him up off the ground, not caring in the least that he generally doesn't like it when I pick him up- as he claims that he is not a girl and thus does not need to be swooped up like one -I swing us both around holding onto him with crushing force that he can now thankfully take due to his much stronger bones. "You said yes!"

Laughing and only protesting for appearances I believe he pushes on me when I finally set his feet back on the ground, though still refuse to completely let him pull away. "You said yes."

"Yes I think we've established that." Smiling in amusement as he allows me to remove the ring from the box and slip it onto his finger, he studies the inscription thoughtfully for a moment before giving up on attempting to read it and asking as I knew he would. "What does it say?"

"Mon cœur est a vous."

Scowling as that really doesn't answer his question considering he does not speak Eltarian he nevertheless is still pleased enough to be unable to keep a smile from his face. "And that means?"

"My heart is yours. Which you already knew, but just incase you ever needed a little reminder…" Looking away as I clear my throat rather unused to being so unchracteristally romantic, I can only hope this doesn't bring a laugh or scorn from my mate, the past thoughts of Zarek still fairly fresh in the back of my mind.

Pressing his lips to mine once more, a reaction I'd hoped for, he breathes out his response in a tone which borders between love and lust. "I promise to take care of it."

Knowing perfectly well he isn't referring to the ring, I give a smile in return before gesturing to the set up I had created early this morning. "I know you will. So what do you say we celebrate?"

"I would love to celebrate, but what do you say we save the food for later." Smile turning into a devious smirk, he with deft fingers unsnaps my pants, before sliding his ringed hand inside. "As I really don't think that that is what's going to satisfy my appetite right now."

"I love it when you're bad." Just about to respond in kind to his touches I'm stopped short as the oh-so-annoying voice interrupts our private moment.

"You two are worse then human teenagers."

Turning slowly, eyes narrowed in a glare of death, I find myself looking at none other then the most infuriating creature on the planet- this one or any other -leaning far too casually against the doorframe separating the deck from the inside of the house. "Oh this better be good."

Head falling onto my shoulder but hand still down my pants as his position is blocked from Zordon's view thanks to me being in-between them, Tommy gives a muttered string of swears and jabs which don't really seem to be directed at anyone in particular unless of course you wish to count the universe.

"It is, but if you'd prefer me to wait for you both to finish…" Giving a calm shrug but still not leaving, he is pushing it and badly.

"I hate you."

-oooooooo-

Back in the house, all of us sitting around the living room, myself and Thomas less then happy about the impromptu visit, I look at my 'friend' heatedly really just wanting to get this over with so I can get back to the much more pressing matters at hand. Namely what's pressing against the crotch of my pants. "Talk."

Smiling slightly, he shakes his head. "As hospitable as ever."

"I'd be a hell of a lot more so if you had bothered to call before just dropping in unannounced again." Honestly you'd think he lived here with how he just shows up. First after I rescue Thomas from Mesagog and now when I'm about to get rather good marriage proposal sex.

"I'd call if I ever trusted you to answer the phone I'd given you." Not even sure where that damn thing is as he's right I never do answer or use it as (a) he's the only one with the number and (b) interplanetary calls cost a damn fortune, I respond in kind.

"I don't answer it because I have better things to do then listen to your constant complaining about what those better things to do are." That made sense, trust me.

"Better things, the only reasonable thing you are doing right now is bedding Thomas, and only then because I know it'll keep you from getting into trouble by stealing more priceless objects from the High Council to sell on the intergalactic black market." Crap he wasn't supposed to know about the black market business. But damn it it's not like ships and houses and small islands just pay for themselves you know.

"Me bedding Thomas has no effect what so ever on my business affairs thank you very much and further more if your precious Council would do a better job with security maybe so much of their 'priceless' crap wouldn't end up missing all the time." I really hope they don't raise security though that would make my job more difficult.

Cutting in before Zordon can respond, Thomas has apparently had enough of it. "Okay could we maybe stop talking about who's bedding me for two minutes and focus on the reason you're here, hm?"

Smiling at my mate, I respond less then egger to get on with it as I know it's most likely some new trouble concerning me. "But the previous topic is most certain to be more entertaining."

Head in hand he counts quietly to ten, his frustration, both mental and sexual showing. "As nice as that is to know, I would however like to move on with the conversation. So let's try this again. Hello Zordon, what brings you to our neck of the universe?"

Smiling and sitting back in his chair the blonde idiot looks at his young charge calmly. "Good news for the two of you." "Good news? And us? No sorry those things don't generally mix.

Narrowing my eyes at him I give the impression of relaxing when in reality I am nowhere near it. "Do tell."

"Well it would seem that the Council of Light has invited you both to come to Eltar for an as of yet undetermined amount of time." A what now? What was that last muttered part there?

"Come again?" Clearly as lost as myself, Thomas looks curiously at the eltarian not quite understanding.

"Yes well it would seem that there is a situation of sorts, nothing to be too overly concerned with, however it was decided that it might perhaps be in the best interest of the two of you if you were to come back to Eltar with me for a period of time which should be no longer then it takes to clear up said situation." Right.

Not at all taken in, I give my response in bland, 'I know you're full of it' manner. "What's the situation?"

Clearing his throat and clearly either not authorized to tell me or rather simply that he does not want to, he attempts and fails to gain his unconcerned composure back. "It's all rather unimportant really."

"So unimportant you want us to immediately pick up our lives here and go to Eltar?" See my mate knows the drill, he's more then just a pretty face. And nice ass. And very talented mouth. Okay what were we talking about again?

"Yes."

"No." Shaking his head Thomas is having none of it. Not that I blame him I'm originally from there and even I don't want to go back.

"Thomas-" About to argue back he's not really given the chance as the darker part of half-breed is rather adamant today.

"Zordon."

Lifting a hand in an attempt to defuse this to a degree, knowing when Thomas is getting just a bit too edgy for his own good, I mimic their little conversation. "Zedd."

Turning his brown eyes on me the Ranger gives a small snicker before relaxing a bit. See not so hard to deal with his moods once you learn enough about him to figure said moods out.

"I knew this was not going to go over well." Heaving a sigh and apparently too tired from either his trip or other business to play with us for much longer, Zordon shakes his head.

A bit calmer now Thomas makes his next point easily enough. "It's not going well because you're not telling us everything, or really anything for that matter. You just want us to pick up and go with absolutely no information on the matter at all."

"Listen both of you, I just need you to trust me on this, you need to come to Eltar for as long as you do everything will be fine and you will be in no immediate danger."

"No immediate danger, so that means what we stay here we die in a week, we go to Eltar it'll take what a month? Two? Three? Give us a time frame." Not at all liking the avoidance being carried out through this entire matter I press the main issue once more. "What is this about Zordon? I want to know especially since I damn well know I've been banned from that planet by the very people you now say want me back there. What is going on? Is this some sort of trap? Are you working for them again? Is this their way of trying to eliminate the both of us in one fail swoop?"

"No, no, none of that." Groaning and rubbing his eyes he's nearing his cracking point I can see it but he's not there just yet. Not that I can't quickly push him there mind you.

"Than what? Speak Zordon what is happening that is so damn important that we have to go planet hopping right when everything is suddenly falling into place?"

Voice raising, he responds in the manner I'd expected. "I can't tell you."

My own response matching accordingly, "You can or we don't go."

"Zedd."

"Zordon."

Hands clenched and teeth bared he is asking for a fight and like hell if I'm not ready to give him one. "Damn it Zedd just do as you're told for once in your life."

"I will when you stop being a manipulative ass for once in yours."

Both of us poised and glaring at each other, Thomas mostly forgotten as the old fire and fight ignites between myself and the Council's ex-prize, it in the end is unsurprisingly Zordon who admits defeat first. Though the manner in which he does definitely takes my breath away. "Zarek."

The one word stopping me cold I look at my long time friend/enemy in shock, certain I'd misheard. "W-what?"

Sitting back but not attempting to lose eye contact with me, he repeats himself quietly. "Zarek is alive Zedd. And he's coming for you."

To be continued……