Thanks – This is gonna be a loooong list people. takes deep breath Thank yous go out to Erin, Krissy, Rachel, Traci, and anyone else who's let me bounce this idea off of them. All are great helps with ideas and I'd get nothing done without um, and also all the readers and reviewers.
Summary – Tommy reflects on his relationship with his best friend and how he got it back.
-o-
Healing Old Wounds
Tommy
-o-
"So what do you wanna do for the big day, Dr. O?" I really wish they'd stop calling me that.
Continuing to the lift weights, I cringe just slightly as my left arm is still throbbing a bit from yesterday's battle. Damn Zeltrex, I still don't know what his problem is with him, well aside the being evil thing. "I'm only turning twenty eight, it's not like it's a land mark age or anything."
"Dude you've been a Ranger since you were like our age, making it to twenty eight is a land mark age for you to reach." I do however prefer the Dr. O title to 'dude'.
Glancing at the hard-headed, soccer playing Red Ranger, I give him a cool and serious look. "First of all don't call me dude ever again. Second, I haven't been an active Ranger for that whole time frame so it's not that big of a deal I made it to my late twenties."
"You okay Dr. O?" Leave it to Kira to be the one to notice the slight bite in my tone. I swear she is the most observant person I've ever met. She's going to make some lucky guy very happy one day.
Making sure to cool off on my slightly clipped tone, I give the punk rocker a nod and reassuring smile. "Yeah, sorry, I didn't get much sleep last night."
"Lifting weights were you?" Haha Conner.
"Bad dreams?" Not exactly Kira.
"Thinking about how old you're getting?" You know Billy was always quiet when he was in blue, why exactly isn't Ethan picking up that trend?
"No, no, and no. Conner I already told you I have to work out harder than everyone else because I get half the results and that doesn't cut it while Rangering again. Kira thank you for your concern, but I stopped letting nightmares get to me around the time Bush got elected his first term. As for getting old, I am not old, I'm still in my twenties and still stunningly good looking, so back off Ethan."
"Ha he told you." See that's why Kira's my favorite. Alright, alright, I know I'm the adult here, time to act it and put a stop to this before the bantering turns into something more.
"Alright, that's enough out of everyone. Look if you all must know I was up late going through old photos and movies alright. Now can you please finish your homework already because I am not ordering the pizza until you guys are done." As a collective groan goes up, I smile to myself in amusement. Teenagers. "Sorry that's the deal. I know you guys won't do anything once you get fed but sit back and watch movies or play on the computers, so finish your work first then you get pizza." My dad would be so proud.
"Fine, be a parent. And here you said you weren't old." Nice try Conner.
"Save it for your own parents, Conner. Now finish your report, I'm getting hungry." Going to do my last twenty lifts with the seventy five set I heave a sigh as the phone begins ringing. Figures. Setting the weights down and moving to the side desk where I've thrown everything that I plan to put away eventually, I don't see the phone. "Now where's the phone at?"
"Probably under the half eaten sandwich, pile of upgraded papers, and Zord blueprints." Thanks so much for the help there Ethan.
Digging through the mess of stuff I finally succeed in locating the black and red cordless by the eighth ring. See I found it, I know where things are, I have a system. "Hello?"
"Hey birthday boy."
Snickering at the familiar voice, I drop down into one of the computer chairs and prop my feet up. "It's not my birthday yet. I'm hurt, my best friend doesn't even remember what day my birthday is. How will I ever go on living?"
"You're going to regret being so snotty to said best friend when he tells you what he's getting you for your birthday." Hm, his tone definitely screams that he has one up on me. Now I'm curious.
"Alright, I'll bite, what did said best friend get me for the oh-so-special day?"
"Well I don't know if you deserve to know now or not." Oh please.
"Come on, you haven't called in three weeks and last time it was just to check up on how the kids were doing. You owe me. Well actually you already owe me for moving to New York, this is just an additional thing." Smiling as he sighs, as he always does when I mention his move from California, I can practically hear his list of reasons being checked off in his head.
"You moved too you know." Nice try there, but you went first.
"Sorry you left first, not to mention you then came back only to leave again." I know we shouldn't do this every time we talk, but it's become almost tradition after two years of it. Ever since our last mission together there just was no going back to pretending the other didn't exist anymore.
-oooo-
(Two years prior, directly after 'Forever Red')
"So that was Tommy, the greatest Ranger in history." Smiling to myself as I catch the rookie's comment and then the collective laughs and protests from the other Red Rangers, I know I made the right choice. It had to be done, I had to be here to lead them, it was the right choice no matter how hard it was to see him again.
Climbing into my jeep and cranking it up, I am definitely not looking forward the long drive back to the hotel. Maybe with any luck I can get in a few hours rest and some room service before having to go home and explain to Mercer why I suddenly took off like I did.
"Tommy!" Crap.
Watching Jason jog over to me, I really wanted to get out of here without having any serious heart to hearts. Sigh, but leave it to big brother to always be on the outlook for inner turmoil. "Jase I really have to get going."
Frowning as he reaches my jeep, I know that look. Don't dig, Jason, not here, not now. "Why? You have other appointments? Don't want to interrupt me at work? Have to run out and get something you forgot from the store? That is what you told my secretary when you called, and every time you called back to find out if I was coming or not." Geez Jason let it go.
"I have a lot of stuff to do these days." I really don't want to do this now.
Giving me a 'yeah right' look, he clearly isn't going to let me slide on this. What am I supposed to say though? Sorry I didn't want to talk to you after you left and went to New York? Sorry I still feel like an abandoned puppy because you decided California just wasn't your spot, and UCLA just wasn't your school? Sorry talking to you, seeing you, being on the same planet as you still makes a little piece of me hurt inside? Right, that would go over so well.
"Jason a lot has changed over the past four years. I've changed. Look I needed your help to lead this mission, you were the first, the best, I was just doing what I had to do to stop this impending doom and I did. As for anything else, just let it go, bro. Go back to New York, go back to your life, and let me go back to mine."
"I can't." How did I see that one coming. "You did do what you had to, and you were amazing up there. You lead them with more ability, more drive then I've ever seen. You were commanding, strategic, and dead set on the mission, but you weren't you."
"Jason I was me. I grew up, I'm not sixteen anymore I'm twenty three, I've been through too much, seen too much to not know when things need to be handled a certain way. This was how this certain situation had to be handled."
"I know, but…" Running a hand through his hair, he finally sighs, apparently growing frustrated at not being able to completely figure me out anymore. "The mission's over, when we were coming back to Earth you…you still weren't relaxed. You seemed to act like we hadn't really accomplished anything. You thanked the others, but I know it was hallow, you didn't mean it, and you weren't happy with how things turned out. The only question is why."
"Jase, listen to me, please, I am happy we stopped Serpentara. I am thrilled everyone is alive and well. And I'm glad I got to fight by your side one last time, but I really don't have the energy or the desire to jump up and down and scream out how great I am with the rest of them. I did what I felt was my responsibility. It was our fault Serpentara was left there, we left it thinking there were more important, more urgent matters at the time, and now we nearly paid dearly for that mistake. I was just putting right what I made wrong." Alright so a part of me also thrilled at the chance to be in the fight again, but mostly it was for the first reason.
"Fair enough, but it's been put right it's time to rep the small joyous reward of knowing that. You should be happy." I will be when I find out if I still have a job after up and taking off, not to mention get as far away from you as possible so I can once more forget how much you mean to me.
"I am happy we stopped the big bad for another week, I just…I just have a lot of other things that I need to take care of. I have a lot of important things happening in my life right now." Yes okay so that's mostly bull, I mean the projects I'm working on with Mercer are important and we are trying to help man kind, but really it's just a matter of not being able to face up to what I'd left unsettled years ago.
"Don't lie to me, Tom. If anyone can see past that line of crap you have to know it'd be me." Damn.
"I have to go."
"I'm sorry." What? When I halt it starting up my jeep, he gives me a sad, almost guilty smile. "I'm sorry I left you." Not fair.
"You had- have a busy life, Jase. I know you're working and finishing up your masters while you do it. I, I've been working a lot too and-"
"I know." Smiling at my confused look he gives a shrug. "I've been keeping up with what you're doing ever since I saw you on the news with Dr. Anton Mercer. You got quite a good deal going on there, bro. The guy is in so many stocks, charities, businesses, it's amazing he's not president yet." He says that job is all show and no substance. You've been keeping up with my work?
"He does good work, last month we took a group of kids from hospitals all over the country on a special dig he had set up. The kids loved it and some how he got the whole site sanitized and had emergency medics there just incase anything he didn't plan for happened." That was an amazing weekend. Sometimes that guy seriously blows me away.
"I know, I saw it on the news. Saw you too. He said you were his up and coming partner in his special projects area. Always knew you had a bit of Billy in you." I doubt it, though he does make me feel pretty intelligent when he's checking up on my work. Never does criticize without first pointing out all of the progress and positives of something. Not to mention the fact he's letting me stay rent free at one of his condos. "Listen, I, I've been wanting to talk to you for, well forever, but the longer I kept putting it off the harder it got. Believe it or not I'm actually thrilled this mission had to happen because it finally gave me a chance to talk to you and apologize."
"Jase you don-"
"No, you are gonna listen, bro. Look I can't just walk away this time or let you walk away without fixing this. We were, are best friends, closer than friends, we were a family and I know that things got left when I left after graduation. I just couldn't handle it at the time. Losing my powers, well Trey's powers, watching you get captured by Gasket, being back there with everything just…"
"Different."
"Yeah. I know it was a cowardly way to get out of having to deal, but I just couldn't. You had grown up, all of our friends, family they were all gone and these new Rangers were in their place. For sixteen years things had been a certain why for me, you know. I was born in Angel Grove, I meet the others when we were in preschool. Then when you came it was like you just fit into the puzzle and finished it. But after the Peace Conference, I don't know. Don't get me wrong, I am so grateful I got to go there and help, but every day I just have to wonder what I gave up leaving like that. You know what I mean?" Oh Jase.
Swallowing hard and nodding, I know exactly what he means. "I'm sorry, I know that things were different. I saw it, how you distanced yourself from the new team, but I guess I was so busy trying to, I don't know, prove something to myself, to the others that I didn't give it the attention it deserved." Not to mention having you brought back into my life right when I was getting over my issues for you and pain from losing Kim, it just brought the world down on my head.
"We both made some mistakes. I guess the only thing left to do is decide how we fix them and try to get back what we, not lost, but misplaced for a while."
Laughing, I give him a small shove as I don't know what else to do to keep us both from starting to cry like a pair of sappy teenage girls over the intense moment. "What 'we'? You left first, you should fix it by getting me a present. I hear I look good in leather jackets."
"In your dreams, knowing you and your memory you'll forget all about this mess come tomorrow." Oh is that how he wants to play this.
Giving him a look of mock outrage, I climb out of my jeep so we're now facing off in a way. "Well I'd rather be forgetful than a run away."
"Oh is that right oh evil one." Oh he's asking for it.
Standing up straight and crossing my arms, I give him an even look. "Quitter."
Mimicking my previous movement, he replies just as calmly as I did. "Loner."
"Poser."
"Punk."
"Perfectionist."
"Evil magnet." Hey I haven't been kidnapped by any new evil things since…um, okay since the last set of powers I gave up. Still though, it's been a solid five years without something abducting me, that should count for something.
Growling and leaning closer, if he thinks he's getting away with that he's about to have a face to face with the floor of the hanger. "Superman complex."
Once again matching me gesture for gesture, he all but presses his forehead against mine, a determined and almost evil look in his eyes. "I missed you."
Going soft in a second flat, I all but melt into the puddle of mush I feel like. "I missed you too." Hugging him tightly as he does the same, we both begin rambling off apologies and promises of not being stupid jerks anymore, not really noticing the now curious others coming up behind us.
It's only when the collective 'awwwww' meets our ears do we separate and look up to find an audience of eight Red Rangers staring at us. Damn it all, there goes my bad ass leader persona.
Exchanging looks with my once again best friend, we both turn to face the still teasing us rookies. I don't care how long some have been Red Rangers, they'll always be rookies to us, which means they do not get away with teasing their leaders.
"I think it's time the rookies learned a little lesson about respecting their superior ranking Rangers."
Nodding in agreement, I slip out of my jacket and give a purely evil Green Ranger smile. "Come're rookies, let's see what you got."
-oooo-
"So like I was saying, it's just about the best present one can receive." Torn out of my musings by his mocking voice, I really don't care anymore about what the present is, he already gave me the best present I could ask for after that mission.
Sighing and refusing to go sappy on my friend or in front of my new team, I swallow the memory back down and go back to the game. "Now Jase you know you aren't allowed to kill Wes no matter how annoying he is. We promised Eric."
"Okay second best present in the world." A real life?
"A statue of me made completely out of chocolate."
Laughing on his end of the line, I'm sure he's trying to keep himself together fairly certain he's still at work. "You really need a new girlfriend, you know that right." Ouch. Thanks, I really needed that brought to my attention, bro.
Gazing over at the watching me intently kids, I know nothing is going to get said that should be said. I want to reprimand him for that little comment, maybe even lash back a bit, but that would just result in the present teens finding out a little too much about me. "What for, I get HBO and ShowTime on TV now." Leaning back and pinching the bridge of my nose, I want to hang up now, or at least talk about something more pleasant.
"Well I'll be sure to tell Katherine that when we get there." Good you do tha-What?
"What?"
"Katherine, you know tall, blonde, wears tight shirts, no bra, your female equivalent personality wise."
"What?" Sitting up once more and focusing on his words, I can't register what he's just said fully. Katherine? My best female friend in the world, Katherine, is coming here? Here to see me along with Jason, great. Both my best friends, both of whom I've had less than innocent thoughts about over the years, how nice. Well at least I can get some private time with Kat, maybe, I mean we were definitely close in Angel Grove, and we've keep in contact. Also she hasn't mentioned seeing anyone, so…
"Okay make the brain function for a minute bro, she is coming with me to see you for your birthday in two days. Also Adam, Kim, and my parents are coming too." Oh, nice, well even if Kat isn't seeing anyone I doubt we'll have any private time to rekindle our close friendship with so many others around. Geez and I really could use her magic touch considering Jason's going to be so close at hand again too.
"How? Why? How?" My mouth apparently hasn't caught up with my brain yet.
"Well Kim is bored and back in Angel Grove as I already mentioned last month. My folks miss you like crazy and figured this way they'd get to see both their boys. Kat is taking a break from the hospital, she practically screamed at the chance to come see you and since I would be heading through her area thought what the hell, I'll leave the bike and take the car. Kim's coming up with my parents. See everyone's happy and you get the best present ever, me. Okay and the other important friends in your life too, blah, blah, blah, but mostly me."
"I um, are you sure you wanna come all this way? I mean, there's not much to do in Reefside except hang out with the kids." I'm sorry, but I honestly don't know whether to be happy or not. At least if he's at arms length I don't have to run the risk of embarrassing myself, or remembering just how nice he looks, but him, here, while I'm lonely, not a good idea.
"We all want to meet the new group you're leading. Besides there'll be plenty of stuff to do with all of us together, trust me I'm sure we won't be bored." I have to call Kat. Maybe she can think of something to help make this easier. After all she is the only one who knows about my little high school interest in our friend. Though I suppose that's something one can't hide when slightly intimate with someone else.
"Alright. Uh, I'll um, get the spare rooms ready, no sense you guys staying at a hotel when I have all this room." My mouth just has a will of its own, doesn't it.
Sounding relieved at the offer considering I'd paused for a bit too long before giving it, he makes a few noises before talking to someone else in the background quickly. "Cool. Hey I'm sorry, but one of the interns just fried seven networking systems, I have to go take care of it and then bury the body. So see you on Friday, bro." Hanging up quickly to apparently go slaughter the little intern, he leaves me still in a state of slight shock and worry.
"Um, Dr. O?" Walking over to me and slowly taking the phone from my hand after I simply sit and hold it for a good two minutes, Kira gives me a concerned look. "Are you okay? What happened?"
"They're coming to see me."
To be continued………