A/N: I do not own Power Rangers or any of the characters. Warning, contains a reference to suicide. I know Tommy as a character wouldn't die by suicide. In this story, his death is a reflection of Jason David Frank's death. The Rangers are an expression of our own pain, grief, and shock. Remember to check in with your loved ones, especially if there have been sudden changes in behavior or attitude. We have lost a truly legendary Ranger who was a hero to so many. Once a Ranger, always a Ranger.

Edit: I added Trent and Anton, and I changed the Stegozord to the Brachiozord. Thank you for catching that.

If you or a loved one are having serious thoughts about hurting yourself in some way, please know that you aren't alone. There are mental health professionals who can help you or your loved ones navigate these dark places. You or your loved one can contact 988 for the suicide hotline number if you or your loved one needs to speak to someone. Please know you aren't alone!

November 27, 2022

Katherine Hillard-Oliver couldn't believe it. She still couldn't believe the suddenness of Tommy's passing. The past week had been a blur of activity, and it had felt fast and slow at the same time. She never expected her husband to take his own life. Katherine's son J.J. walked into the room. J.J. was in his first year of high school and he was old enough to become a Power Ranger. Katherine felt tears well up in her eyes. Tommy would have been so proud to see their son become a Power Ranger.

J.J. asked, "Mom, is it okay if my friends pick me up earlier than planned?"

Katherine said, "Of course, that will be fine. I trust you and your friends to stay safe."

J.J. smiled faintly and said, "Thanks." He paused, then added, "Why did dad kill himself?"

Katherine winced at the question. She had been asking herself that same question over the past week. Her therapist had told her that she will be asking that question for a very long time.

Katherine said sadly, "Unfortunately, we will never know."

J.J. asked, "Was it because of what I said the other weekend? I had told him that I didn't care for Thanksgiving with the family, that I just wanted to be with my friends…"

Katherine hugged J.J. and said, "It wasn't your fault. Believe me, it wasn't your fault."

Katherine released J.J. and asked, "Are you sure you will be okay with your friends? You can come with me."

J.J. said, "No, I will be fine. Besides, this is a private event for you and your old friends. I'll be fine, mom. I promise."

Katherine said, "Good. Call me if something happens."

Katherine left her house and drove to the airport. On the flight to Angel Grove, Katherine let her mind revisit yesterday's funeral. That funeral was a tough one. Tommy's whole family was in attendance, and they had asked Katherine repeatedly if she could have done something to save him. Katherine also remembered seeing Tommy's therapist at the funeral, along with punching the therapist's face and threatening to sue her. Intellectually, she knew the therapist had done everything she could to save Tommy. Emotionally, however, she felt like the therapist could have done more.

Katherine had yelled at Tommy's therapist, "You are a therapist! It's your fucking job to keep him alive! How could you not know he was suicidal!? Thanks to you, I am now a widow!"

Katherine also remembered Tommy's therapist falling apart and repeatedly apologizing to her. Katherine's last words to Tommy's therapist still rang in her head.

Katherine had said coldly to Tommy's therapist, "I truly hope this eats you up and burns you out."

Katherine knew she was a good woman. She would never wish harm on anyone! But in that moment, she had dumped all of her rage and grief onto the poor therapist. Katherine heard the announcement they were about to land, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Katherine got off the plane and drove to the Youth Center. When she arrived, Katherine's mind was filled with happy memories of her Ranger days. Before Tommy had passed, these memories would have put a smile on Katherine's face. But today, they pushed Katherine to tears. She stifled a sob, and tears started flowing down her cheeks. She walked over to a table and sat down.

Kimberly sat down in front of Katherine, wiping tears off of her face.

Kimberly said, "It hurts being here."

Katherine nodded. It was all she could do to not just break into sobs. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, just like her therapist had taught her to do.

Katherine finally said, "It hurts too. Believe me, I feel like I'm burning up inside."

Kimberly nodded too. She pointed at the rest of the Youth Center, which was currently empty. Katherine had asked Ernie to reserve the whole building just for her and her guests. It was intended to be for privacy, but it also served to be a source of pain. Katherine looked around the Youth Center, memories filling her mind. She could see and hear Tommy everywhere.

Kimberly was apparently on her own trip down memory lane because she said, "I confronted Tommy in this building about him being the Green Ranger, back when he was under Rita's spell."

Katherine asked, "You did that here?"

Kimberly nodded and pointed at the wall facing the entrance. She said, "I did that while he was exercising. The other Rangers and I saved him from Rita later that day."

Katherine said, "Wow. And then you two started a wonderful relationship a couple of months after that."

Kimberly just nodded sadly. She said, "I still can't believe he's gone."

Katherine said, "I still can't either." She sniffled and said, "J.J. is old enough to be a Power Ranger now if he wanted to be one."

Kimberly said, "He's old enough now? How old is he?"

Katherine said, "He's 14 now."

Kimberly said, "Tommy would have been so proud." She sniffled and said, "I wish I got a chance to talk to him…about the letter."

Katherine said, "Oh. Do you mean the one you sent while you were in Florida?"

Kimberly nodded sullenly and said, "Yes. I was thinking about that all week. Did my letter make him kill himself?"

Katherine reached out a supportive hand and said, "Don't blame yourself. Your letter had nothing to do with it. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault."

Kimberly sniffled and said, "Thanks. You are a good woman. I see why Tommy married you."

Katherine said sadly, "Yeah, I do too."

The two women sat there in silence. Jason, Billy, and Zack were the first ones to join them in the Youth Center. The three of them looked as sad as Kimberly did. Katherine was surprised that Billy had come all this way from Aquitar. Then again, she shouldn't be surprised. Billy was one of Tommy's closest friends.

Katherine said, "Thank you for coming."

Jason sniffled and said, "It's the least I can do for an old friend. I just wish I could have saved him."

Katherine said, "I don't know there was anything you could have done. You spent time with him, just like I have. This was as much of a surprise to me as it was to you. You did everything right."

Jason sighed and said, "I guess so." He looked around the Youth Center, silently counting the members of his old team. He added sadly, "There used to be six of us."

That sentence made Katherine remember Trini's passing. Trini's death was very tragic and sudden, just like Tommy's was. It's a sad irony that after all of their battles against evil, Trini had died in a car accident and Tommy had died when the darkness in his heart grew to be too painful.

Jason, Billy, and Zack sat down at another table. Kimberly watched the three of them sit in silence, their minds lost in their memories.

Kimberly said sadly, "First Trini, and now Tommy. We're getting smaller."

Katherine just nodded, tears going down her cheeks. Rocky, Adam, and Aisha entered the Youth Center next. The three of them sat down at another table. Aisha was 10 years older than Rocky and Adam due to her decision to stay in the past during her Zeo Quest.

Tanya walked into the Youth Center and sat down next to Adam. The two gently wrapped their arms around each other. T.J. and Justin followed shortly after her. A few minutes later, three more guests arrived. They were Connor, Ethan, and Kira. The three Rangers looked a little intimidated to be around so many legendary Power Rangers. Yet at the same time, they felt relieved knowing that even the original Power Rangers were grieving. Katherine's heart twisted when Connor, Ethan, and Kira started crying.

Finally, Trent and Anton entered the Youth Center. They sat with Connor, Ethan, and Kira, and the five of them offered each other condolences. The scene was pretty much the same at all of the tables. The Rangers were either crying, hugging, or sitting in silence, reflecting on past memories.

Katherine let out a big exhale and said, "Alright, we are all here."

Katherine got on top of the bar and said loud enough to be heard over the conversations, "May I have your attention please?"

The assembled Rangers turned to face Katherine. Katherine said, "Thank you all for coming here. We are going to the ruins of the Command Center for our memorial. Do you have the items?"

The Rangers took out models of the Dragonzord, White Tiger Zord, White Falconzord, White Shogunzord, Zeo Zord V, Super Zeo Zord V, Red Lightning Turbo Zord, and Brachiozord.

Katherine smiled and said, "Good. Let's go to the Command Center."

The Rangers put the models away and gathered their things. The drive to the ruins of the Command Center was quiet. They made their way to the exact spot where the Command Center's original consoles used to be. Katherine stood where Zordon would have been. A rock stuck out of the ground in front of Katherine, and it acted as a makeshift podium.

Katherine said, "Thank you all for gathering here. Today we honor and celebrate the memory of a great man, a great father, a great husband, and a great Power Ranger. With his loss, we have lost a truly wonderful member of the Power Rangers. But while he is physically gone, his memory and his legacy lives on within all of us. Anton, would you like to start us off?" Connor, would you like to start us off?"

Katherine joined the group of grieving Rangers, and Anton took position at the makeshift podium.

Anton said, "Thank you, Katherine. Your husband was a good man."

Katherine felt a lump in her throat, and she whispered, "Thank you." Fresh tears poured down her face.

Anton said, "Tommy Oliver was not only a good man. He was also a true Power Ranger. Every Power Ranger who has ever existed and will exist in the future need to live up to his name. I want to share with you all the time he saved me from Mesogog. I will spare you the details, they are not as important as the man who saved me. Anyone else would have tried to kill me, but not Tommy. He understood that I was under Mesogog's control. He understood what that meant, and he fought to free me from Mesogog's control. He saved my life, and I am forever thankful. I am forever in his debt. Tommy Oliver, you were truly the greatest Power Ranger ever."

Anton wiped a tear and joined the group of grieving Rangers. He patted Katherine sympathetically on the back. Connor took his spot at the podium.

Connor cleared his throat and said, "Ethan, Kira, and I prepared this speech. When I first met Dr. Oliver, all I knew was he was just a teacher at our school. I had no idea who he really was. Ethan, Kira, and I met him when we were in detention. We had no idea we would become Power Rangers. Then after that, Dr. Oliver became one of us. Or I should say, he rejoined the Power Rangers by becoming the Black Dino Thunder Ranger. He had proven himself worthy of the Power Ranger title over and over again, as he had with all of you. He was a great Ranger, and I was honored to serve with him. He had saved my life multiple times, and I can truly say that I couldn't have done some of my battles without him. Ethan and Kira share my thoughts when I say that we will all miss him."

Connor wiped a tear and rejoined the group. He nodded at T.J., signaling that he would go up next.

T.J. stood at the podium and said, "I honestly don't know Tommy that well. All I know is that he had helped me on a very chaotic day, and he had chosen me to be the Red Turbo Ranger. It was an honor to carry the torch and continue fighting his fight. I too am saddened by this loss. Tommy Oliver, it had been an honor to continue your mission."

T.J. rejoined the group, and Adam went to speak at the podium.

Adam stood at the podium and wiped a tear off his face. His voice cracked for a moment, and then he started to talk.

Adam said, "When I first met Tommy, he was this mysterious White Power Ranger. I was there when Rocky, Aisha, and I saw him and Kimberly save Billy's life. From that moment onward, I have fought alongside Tommy. I was proud to be by his side as the Black Ranger and the Green Ranger. It's funny to refer to myself as the Green Ranger considering that Tommy Oliver was the original Green Ranger. Although I didn't know Tommy as the Green Ranger, I knew him as the White Ranger and the Red Ranger. He led the team by example, and no matter what happened, he always knew what to do. He was there for each and every one of us, no matter how bad things got. He truly was the model of a Power Ranger. Thank you Tommy, for everything you have done."

Adam wiped a tear from his cheek, and he rejoined the group of Rangers. Rocky and Aisha gave him sympathetic pats on the back. Tanya gave Adam a warm hug. Jason walked up to the podium to speak.

Jason looked out at the Rangers, and he took a moment to collect himself. He cleared his throat and said, "I remember Tommy very well. He was one of the first Power Rangers ever. When we met, we were two teens competing for a medal in a martial arts tournament. I had no idea how things were going to change after that."

Jason wiped a tear and said, "After that moment, Tommy became the Green Ranger. He gave us a tough fight while he was under Rita's spell, even going as far as destroying the consoles in the Command Center and sending Zordon away. Then we freed him, and he joined our team. It had been a journey with him. We learned to fight as a team. He was like a brother to me. I was there when he lost his Green Ranger powers the first time. I was there when he regained his Green Ranger powers. I was there when he lost them again."

Jason paused for a moment, overwhelmed by emotion. The memory of the green candle burning out flashed in his memory. He became overwhelmed by grief and regret all at once.

Jason said, "Tommy, I am truly sorry you lost your Green Ranger powers. I truly wished I did more to save those powers. I have been wanting to say that to you. I am also truly sorry we didn't spend more time together. If I had known that our last conversation was going to be the last one ever, I would have pushed to spend time with you. If I had known you felt this way, I would have done everything in my power to save your life. I'm sorry, Tommy. Not only was I unable to save your Green Ranger powers, I was also unable to save your life."

Jason was quiet for a few moments. He let the flood of grief and regret wash over him. He gripped the sides of the podium as if he was bracing himself against these emotions. He took a few deep breaths, then he continued.

Jason said, "I was honestly relived when Tommy became the White Ranger. It was truly wonderful having him back on the team again, and I wish I took more time to appreciate that. We had a bond that couldn't be broken. Tommy, you will be missed and you will be remembered. I will miss you, buddy. Tell Trini I said hello."

Jason left the podium, and Kimberly took his place.

Kimberly said, "I have a lot of fond memories of Tommy, so its hard to pick one to talk about. The best way to describe the time Tommy and I spent together was magical. Our relationship had survived a lot. It started rough with the Green Ranger saga, but things got better after that. We were there for each other, even when Tommy lost his Green Ranger powers, even when I was spending more time practicing gymnastics than I was helping the Rangers. I remember he was there for me after I had my fall. I remember our farewell date before I left for Florida."

Kimberly felt a lump in her throat. She swallowed and wiped away tears from her eyes. Her voice broke when she started to talk again. A storm of emotions overwhelmed her, and her grief and regret started driving her words.

Kimberly said, "Tommy, I'm so sorry I sent that letter. I am very, very sorry about that letter. That letter was cruel and heartbreaking. I was a coward when I wrote that letter. I admit it. I should have called you instead. No, I should have put in the effort to come in person. I should have talked to you about our relationship, given us a chance to make our long distance relationship work. Instead, I decided to rip your heart in half by sending you that horrible letter. Tommy, I want you to know that I truly regret that letter."

Kimberly was quiet for a moment, unable to speak. She sobbed into a kleenex for a couple of minutes. When she finally composed herself, she said, "Tommy was a wonderful man, and I truly loved him and cared for him. Tommy, I will miss you deeply."

Kimberly wiped fresh tears off of her cheeks. She motioned for Katherine to speak, and Kimberly rejoined the group.

Katherine took her spot at the podium. Katherine said, "Tommy was a loving father and a wonderful husband. I don't remember much of my first few encounters with him since I was under Rita's spell at the time. But I do remember the times I spent with him after that. I remember the joy I felt fighting by his side as a Power Ranger for the first time. I remember our battles afterward as Power Rangers, and all of the things we have done for each other. I also remember…."

Katherine paused when she felt a lump in her throat. Tears started to pour down her face. Her heart ached painfully.

Katherine said, "I remember when Tommy proposed to me in front of the Youth Center. That was a wonderful moment in our lives. I also remember Tommy becoming a father for the first time. I remember Tommy and I celebrating all of J.J.'s milestones while he was growing up." She sniffled and said, "I also remember one of our last conversations, when we speculated on J.J. becoming a Power Ranger."

Katherine wiped a tear and chuckled, despite the intense grief.

Katherine said, "We were actually talking about what color Power Ranger he would be. We joked that the Power Ranger colors were hereditary, and that J.J. was going to either be the Green Ranger or Pink Ranger, and that he will eventually be the White, Red, and Black Rangers." She sighed sadly and said, "J.J. is old enough to become a Power Ranger if he wanted to. Whatever color he ended up being, even if it was the Pink Ranger, Tommy and I would have been so proud."

Katherine took a moment to breathe. The emotions inside her threatened to overwhelm her again.

Katherine finally said, "Tommy will be missed, there is no doubt about that. But like I said, his memory and legacy will carry on. The Power Rangers will continue, and we will honor his memory by living up to his example. He was the best of us. He was the best Power Ranger, the best husband, and the best father you could ask for. Tommy, I will miss you forever, and you will always be in our hearts. Once a Ranger, always a Ranger."

The Rangers made a circle and dug a hole big enough and deep enough to bury the model Zords. Once they were done, they stood in a circle and placed the Zords inside. The Brachiozord was placed first, then the Red Lightning Turbo Zord, then the two Zeo V Zords, then the White Falconzord and the White Tiger Zord. Jason and Kimberly placed the Green Dragonzord inside the hole, and they embraced each other in a warm hug. Katherine placed the White Shogunzord inside the hole. A tear fell off of Katherine's cheek and onto the model Zords. The Rangers buried the model Zords carefully and respectfully. Once they were done, they all assembled in a circle.

Jason said, "There is something we used to do as Power Rangers. Billy, Zack, Trini, Kimberly, and I did this after we first became Power Rangers, and it has become something of a tradition whenever a Power Ranger left. I want to do that ritual now."

Jason placed his hand in the middle, and Kimberly put a hand on Jason's hand. All of the other Rangers each put a hand in the middle, resulting in a big pile of hands. Anton stood back and took his phone out, ready to take a picture. Everyone was surprised when they saw two ghostly hands join the pile. One belonged to Trini, and one belonged to Tommy. The assembled Rangers lowered their hands, and they all crouched down to jump. They jumped into the air and shot their hands into the air. They all said while jumping, "Power Rangers!". Anton took a picture at that exact moment.

Katherine smiled after they finished the ritual. Anton sent the picture to everyone's phones for them to keep. Katherine turned toward the podium, and she thought she saw Tommy waving at her. He had a smile on his face and said, "May the Power protect you all."

Katherine said, "May the Power protect you too, Tommy. Rest in peace."