Kat smiles politely at the guests coming in the Angel Grove Juice Center Gym and Youth Bar.
"Kat? Is everything okay?"
"I'm fine." Kat lied. She was trying to be strong, but it was hard. "Everything's covered, have everything you like." She gestured to her guests who just walked in. Once they were away from earshot. Kat sighed. "It's just so sudden you know?" Her son JJ wasn't here, he didn't want to see anyone. He wasn't alone, Kat's parents were in town. She tried not to tear up feeling a hand on her shoulder.
"It's okay. If you need to talk, we're all here." Tanya saw her pain.
"Thanks." She shook hands with the next guests.
Kat watched as Bulk and Skull, their former bullies, now friends recreate a bad karate move with Jason, with Bulk pretending to be a great martial artist. When he fell on the floor by rolling in the air, he blushed when everyone laughed and applauded.
"That Bulk." Kimberly shook his head. She smiled at Skull who blushed. "And to think he used to be the big shot around here." She remembered his bullying back in high school. "This place." She sighed. "So many memories." This place was 'their' hangout. Kimberly remembered meeting her friends here. "It barely changed." The Juice Bar looked the same, other than a few upgrades, it looked like a 90s museum. "I'm sure he'll love it. Excuse me."
"Kat!" Seeing a familiar face, she smiles.
"Rocky!" She hugged her old friend. "How's your karate studio?" When Rocky was forced to drop out from being a Ranger after his accident, he moved away to Texas after high school graduation to study business and physical education. He never practised marital arts again, instead he taught underprivileged kids his karate skills.
"Great. Blue Sun Karate is doing good." He smiled at Kat. "How's JJ? Thinking about signing him up? If you visit, I can give you a discount."
"Maybe someday." She waved at Adam who was holding Tanya's hand. "Adam! Tanya! Come here and talk to us!" Soon all four were drinking smoothies.
"Man I forgot how good these were." Adam smiled contently drinking his banana strawberry smoothie. "Ernie had such good recipes." The late bar owner passed away years ago, and left his recipes to former lieutenant Officer Sloan who started using organic fruit after Ernie insisted that the new millennium kids would be more health conscious. "Should we bring some back to the kids?" Naming their twins.
"Yeah." She took a sip. "Wow. So good." She looked around. "I forgot how beautiful Angel Grove was." She and Adam no longer lived in Angel Grove, when they got pregnant they moved away to get away from the constant monster attacks. How Angel Grove kept standing, they had no idea. "Where's Billy?" Dr Billy Cranston was invited, but hasn't shown up yet.
"Aquitar is so far away, I'm sure Billy would be here soon." Rocky liked the former Ranger, he was the one that suggested Rocky take over as the Blue Ranger after his departure. "You know he won't miss this."
The music was bumping with dancing bodies. Kat was watching Zack Taylor break-dancing with his wife on the dance floor. When they finished, she clapped with everyone else.
"Thank you. Thank you. See kids, that's how we partied back in the day!" Zack's teenaged kids rolled their eyes and continued playing on their phones. Zack shook his head. "Your generation is missing out." Seeing Kat, he waved and walked over. "This party is just like high school." He squirmed awkwardly. "I know we barely met, but I know you made him happy." Zack and all the former original Rangers attended each other's weddings, especially after Zack and Jason came back from overseas. "He will never be forgotten."
"Thanks. I know he'll appreciate it." She shakes his hand.
Zack gestures to his wife.
"C'mon, the kids are starting to get bored." The two teens were Snapchatting away, a sure sign that they were bored and restless. Once he walked away, Jason nods to Kat.
"Hey."
Kat smiled warmly at Jason. Jason, aka, Red/Gold Ranger was teammates with Kat and everyone else. They weren't close, Jason mostly kept to himself, but was friendly with Kat. After high school, they all went their separate ways, only meeting up on occasion.
They met only three times since then, their wedding, their high school reunion, and during the crisis incident. As a retired Ranger, he mostly kept to himself, living quietly up north working as a firefighter.
"Your husband, he saved more lives than anyone we ever met."
"I know. Shame the world will never know. Thank you." She shook hands with Jason, who patted her shoulder in a friendly gesture. He goes to join his family who came with him. When she saw Aisha, she walks quickly up to her old friend and greets her with a smile. "Aisha! Goodness, it's been too long."
Aisha gives Kat a long hug.
"Sorry I never kept in touch much, being a Ambassador keeps me busy." Aisha was passionate about human rights, and moved to Africa as a young girl during the time travel era. As a little girl, Aisha and Tanya switched places so Aisha could spend time in her ancestral land. Nowadays was a Human Rights Ambassador in her country. "I'm sorry." She hugs Kat who looked forlorn. "He was a great man."
"I know." She wipes her tear away. "So tell me about your job. Bet you miss being a Ranger." Kat needed to change the subject.
"I miss it. In a way, I'm saving lives, but instead of a Megazord, I do it in a business suit. Or even a dress." She and Kat chatted for a few minutes. "You see Billy? He just walked in. Damn." She whistled. "He looks so damn good. Guess Aquitar cured him."
Kat turned around to see a well dressed Billy wearing a fitted suit with a blue tie looking around.
"Let's say hi before his friends do." She missed Billy, even though they barely saw each other in over two decades.
When Billy saw Kat and Aisha walking towards him, he holds out his arms for a group hug.
"My god, you look so beautiful. Wow." Billy was admiring them both.
"Kat or myself." Aisha joked.
"Both." He smiles sadly at them. "Wish I came here sooner." Since Aquitar was in another galaxy, it was physically hard for Billy to visit Earth. Luckily his aging spell wore off years ago, he was no longer in danger of rapidly aging.
"He understood. So how's things? How are the Aquitians?" Naming the Alien Rangers who took over their duties when they all turned into kids.
"Training the new rangers to take over their positions. So far Delphine and Aurico are at odds who would be the next leader." Unlike the Rangers on Earth, the Aquatians stayed as Rangers many years after their teenage years has passed. "Delphine thinks it should be her niece, while Aurico believes she isn't ready." Billy and Cestria were no longer together, Billy wanted to return back to Earth while Cestria needed to stay in Aquitar.
"I'm sure they'll resolve their differences. Welcome back."
Hearing his name, Billy apologized.
"We'll talk again. I want to talk to you about something." Billy went to join his old friends who were exchanging hugs. When a young woman came up to Kat, she shyly introduces herself.
"Mrs Oliver? I'm Minh Kwan. I just wanted to say, mom spoke highly about your husband." She smiled sadly at her. "I wish we met under better circumstances." She knew how Katherine felt. "I always looked up to you all."
"Thank you. Your mom, I heard she was a great woman." Kat never met Trini, but according to the stories she heard, Trini Kwan was kind and brave like her husband.
"Yeah." She looked down. "I hope you don't mind me crashing the party." Minh was always curious about this place.
"This is a public bar, besides everyone here is welcome. Especially family." She shook Minh's hand. "Order a smoothie, everything is already taken care of."
She shook hands with the her old teachers and principal, both Ms. Appleby and Mrs Clapton were a lot older but were now happily retired.
"Attention, attention everyone!"
"Who's the geek in the costume?" Bulk snorted.
Alpha 5 was tapping on a milkshake glass.
"May I have your attention please?"
Kat couldn't believe he showed up. She thought she saw a middle aged couple watching with wine glasses, something about them looked familiar.
"Thank you." Once everyone quieted down. "We're all here to celebrate a man. Someone very special to us."
The room instantly sobered down.
"We all know he wouldn't have wanted us to be sad. Be glad he was here. A hero, who embraced us with green luck, who's white light shined bright and far, who's big red heart was full of love, and who's guidance and wisdom was a dark solid black. Let us lift our glasses, that he will always be part of the Morphin Grid."
"That what grid?" Spike, Skull's son asked.
"Shh." Justin, former Turbo Blue Ranger scolded. He was only twelve when he became a Ranger, but always was glad that he part of the crew. When Alpha lifted his glass, so did everyone else.
"Forever green, forever white, forever red, and forever black."
"It's Morphin' Time!" All the Rangers shouted with everyone looking confused.
Once the music started playing again, Kat was surprised when Billy pulled her aside to give her a letter.
A few weeks later Kat and everyone that was at the party, as well as the rest of the former Rangers came to see the ribbon cutting of the newly rebuilt building.
"Welcome everyone." The Mayor greets. "Thank you." Once the polite applause quieted down. "We are here to reopen the Museum of Natural History that was destroyed by monsters a few months ago. Thanks to a generous donor, we have raised funds to reopen the museum with a grand reopening. But first, may I present our special guest speaker, Dr. William Cranston."
Kat gave a enthusiastic applause along with everyone else. She wondered why Billy insisted she and JJ appear here, all dressed up.
"As you all know, we recently lost someone near and dear to us. A friend, a comrade, a hero, a father, a brother, and a husband. Dr Thomas Oliver was a good man, he loved this city as well as the history behind it. Thanks to his fundraising efforts, we managed to open a new wing, a wing designed to the dinosaurs and sabertooth tigers. Mrs Katherine Oliver, you and JJ come up here to cut the ribbon for our grand reopening."
Kat was happy to cut the ribbon, both her and JJ blushed when everyone applauded.
"Now a second surprise, Minh, will you come up here?"
Kat was wondering why the young woman was here, she wasn't a citizen of the city.
"Thank you." She gave a nervous smile. "This is the only time I came to Angel Grove, my mom always talked about how everyone welcomed everyone." She cleared her throat. "I'm happy to hear that the museum will be free for the next few days, that way everyone could see the history of the dinosaurs." She smiled at Kat and JJ. "Thanks to Dr Oliver's generosity, I like to invite you all inside for the newly named, Dr Tommy Oliver Museum of History and Science!"
Kat had to be held up by her friends hearing the news. When JJ started hugging her, she couldn't stop the tears.
"Come inside! Come see the history! Especially the Trini Kwan Wing!"
Kat hugged her son hard. Her and JJ, Tommy made sure they were taken care of. Especially when Billy handed her the papers.
"Kat? You coming?" Aisha asked.
"In a minute!" She and JJ sat down on a bench to read Tommy's letter.
Kat, JJ. If you are reading this, it's because I couldn't be there in person. I asked Billy to take care of things, just in case. I love you both. Take care of one another. Tommy/Dad.
"Tommy." Kat hugs the letter. She and JJ hug one another.
"Will we ever see him again?" JJ sniffed.
"Someday." She looked up hearing a familiar flute. "Take care my love." She takes JJ's hand and walked inside the museum only looking up when she thought she saw a large white bird flying in the clouds. She couldn't help but smile at the image. 'Fly free. We'll join you again someday.'
The couple that were at the party were watching the former Pink Ranger walking in with her son.
"I'm going to miss him." Rita sighs. "He was a great Green Ranger." She sighs. "The memories." Even though he was human, she almost considered him a nephew.
"But he sure kept us on our toes." Zedd smiled.
"He sure did." Divatox agreed. She used her powers to appear next to them. "There will never be anyone like him."
"Amen." Rita agreed. They all disappeared, they all agreed to keep the monsters away from Earth, at least for awhile. That way Tommy's families and friends could relax and be safe.
