The reviews for the first chapter has been amazing, thank you very much. I never thought that my new concept would be well received from you, so for that, I really appreciate it. And, you best believe I'm just getting started with my favorite OG red ranger.
Now, to all the Jimberly shippers out there, I'm sorry I have to do this, but in this chapter, Jason will be portrayed as the big brother, never the lover. I'm a big, big fan of the friendship between Jason and Kim and the guy she ends up with will surprise you all (or maybe not, lol). Furthermore, from my understanding, the status of their 'relationship' after the Turbo movie remained unknown (since Saban clearly don't know squat about relationships). So I hope you enjoy this chapter and please, no flames, okay?
One more thing, for the next chapter, I know that Jason and Aisha were never seen together on the show, however, I already have a pretty good idea on how I'm gonna take that concept. Just bare with me, okay?
Enjoy and happy reading!
Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!
X
Chapter two: Kimberly
Seeing the girl he grew up with, the girl he secretly loved, dance with her new husband at their wedding reception made Jason's heart drop right to his stomach.
Once again, an opportunity to tell his childhood best friend and secret crush how he feels slipped right through his fingers.
And, he mentally kicked himself for not saying something sooner.
Oh, who the hell was he kidding? Kimberly never even saw him anymore than a protective big brother and best friend. She even made it a point to tell anyone she ever crossed path with that he was her best friend and big brother and, though, he was handsome, strong and powerful, the thought of dating him never crossed her mind.
So, in Kim's mind and in her heart, he's forever the big brother, never the lover.
Jason and Kim practically grew up together. Both of their mothers were best friends, almost like sisters and ended up pregnant at the same time; which meant that the original red and pink rangers' bond formed before they were even born. As they grew older, their bond grew even deeper; even to the point that they were very protective and caring towards one another and if anyone messed with her, he'd be right there to fend them off and vice versa.
So, by the time they reached high school, not only did their friendship remained intact, but there was also a certain level of intimacy between them that only they can understand.
Just when Jason thought he had a chance of turning his relationship with her from friends to potentially something more, a new kid in town would forever complicate things between him and Kim.
And his name happened to be Tommy Oliver.
Kim was immediately attracted to the boy who would soon become the green ranger. The first time she ever laid eyes on him was at the Martial Arts Expo and made it her business to say that he was very cute, which caused Jason to look at her in disbelief. In his mind, Kim should be ogling at him because he's been there for her the longest, knew her strengths and weaknesses and even cheered her on when she competed in her gymnastic competitions!
So, for her to be starry eyed and all giddy at the sight of Tommy preparing to compete, well, to be perfectly honest, it hurt Jason a little bit.
And that was only the beginning.
In the weeks and months to come, Tommy and Kim's relationship was taking off and Jason was left on the sidelines. Seeing them act all loving and affectionate with one another not only made him sick to his stomach, but also broke his heart. He's not the jealous type, but he couldn't help but to feel some type of way seeing his dream girl and his 'bro' together; happy, in love and seemed ready to take their relationship to the next level.
And he was left out in the dust.
Even when Tommy lost his green ranger powers (twice), Kim was still concerned for her boyfriend. Furthermore, though she never openly expressed it, she felt some kind of resentment towards Jason for not doing enough to save Tommy's powers, which further caused the guilt to weigh even further on the red ranger's broad shoulders. He was so guilt ridden about not being able to save the green candle that the team almost fell apart.
However, a silver lining came along when Tommy returned; not only to take the mantle as the white ranger, but also assume the role as the new leader of the power rangers.
So, once again, Jason was left on the sidelines. Not only did he lose his position as the leader of the team, but he also had to bear the brunt of seeing Kimberly and Tommy resume their romance right before his very brown eyes.
So, when he was chosen to go to the peace conference, that proved to be his much needed way out.
For the next two years, he thrived as a delegate for the United States, but he, Trini and Zack still kept in touch with their friends back home. Jason, in particular, would write personal letters just for Kim; declaring his love for her, however, for some reason, he never brought himself to send them to her. Frustrated with his inability to tell her how he feels, he'd just rip the letters apart and throw them into the waste paper basket; not bothering to tape them back together.
Coming home from the peace conference was a surreal experience. On one hand, he was elated to rejoin the power rangers; taking on the mantle as the gold ranger temporarily, but on the other hand, he was disheartened because Kim wasn't there. She was training in the Pan Global games in Florida, so she passed her power onto Katherine Hillard, who was doing a great job as the pink ranger. Though she was smart, beautiful and quiet, Kat wasn't Kim and that made him become a little bit resentful, but he did an excellent job of keeping his true feelings bottled up inside.
Furthermore, Jason was somewhat surprised to see Tommy and Kat acting cozy with one another. What happened with his relationship with Kim? Did something go wrong? Did they break up? Was Tommy cheating on his 'beautiful'?
Jason would find out when he decided to visit Kim in Florida after his stint as the gold ranger came to an end. When he told her that Tommy and Kat were dating, to his shock, Kim wasn't surprised. She told him, in no uncertain words, that she sent a breakup letter to him; letting him know that she has found someone new and that he made her so happy. The last thing she wanted was to keep holding Tommy back from living his life, so writing that letter seemed to be a good idea; even though she knew it was gonna hurt him (and her) in the long run.
Jason was floored. Kim broke up with Tommy through a letter? He never thought she would do something like that, not to mention he was heartbroken again when she revealed that she was seeing someone else, well, he didn't know what to make of this new revelation.
So, to take her mind off the Tommy situation, he convinced her to come back to Angel Grove to help out at the shelter; with a little scuba diving to pass the time.
But, then, they ended up being kidnapped by an evil pirate queen named Divatox.
Jason went into full protective mode. He made sure Kim was okay; even as they almost drowned, trying to get the door open and made sure that Kim, Bulk and Skull (who were also captured by Divatox) made it out of the ship by swimming deep underwater, leaving him behind to deal with Divatox's kooky wrath.
When they ended up evil for a moment (after being lowered into the lava pit), all the anger, the resentment and the pent up frustration he kept bubbling in the pit of the stomach were finally unleashed when he attacked Tommy. It was like karma was biting the rainbow warrior's ass when he was almost pushed into the lava pit himself; thanks to Jason keeping a tight grip on his 'bro's neck. Kimberly (while still being evil), reveled in seeing her 'big brother' trying to shove her ex-boyfriend down the pit, however, when Leigot and his wife released the evil spell from her, she realized what was going on. Immediately, she went right to Tommy's side and together, they pulled Jason out of the lava pit; with a little assistance from the explosive fire from the pit along the way.
As the fight raged on, Kimberly was shocked seeing Jason walking through the brawl, looking like he was getting ready to cry. She was about to comfort him when she was being chased by one of Divatox's minions. She even managed to sock one of them before she was grabbed from behind, however, good ole Jason came to her rescue by knocking that guy away from her.
"Why, thank you," she said with a grin on her face.
"Anytime," he replied in a playful, sarcastic tone, then he smirked as he watched her run off; after playfully tapping his chest with her hand.
When they were finally rescued, it was the single greatest thing that ever happened to them. In the Turbo Megazord, the greatest moment in Jason's life came when he hugged Kimberly, albeit a little bit too closely. When they pulled away, for a moment, it looked as though they were about to kiss.
However, as he would find out the hard way, he'd forever be the 'big brother', never the lover.
After winning the karate match (in which Jason replaced an injured Rocky), he was stunned to learn the identity of Kim's boyfriend. Seeing her run into his arms after winning the $25,000 for the children's shelter not only caused Jason's eyes to bug out in shock, but it also put the final nail in the coffin concerning telling the original pink ranger his long repressed feelings for her.
Because Kim's guy, the guy she described as being 'the one' was none other than the former bumbling bully turned junior private detective and the guy who had seriously loved her ever since they were in kindergarten...Eugene "Skull" Skullovich!
Now, as he watched Kim and Skull take their first dance as husband and wife, Jason wondered what would've happened if he actually opened his mouth and said something to Kim? Would thing actually be different between them? Would he be dancing with her as her husband?
Those questions will probably never be answered.
"It's funny, isn't it? Who would've thought that Kim would end up marrying Skull of all people?" another male voice said, snapping Jason out of his thoughts.
The original red ranger looked up and was started for a second when Tommy approached him, holding a glass of white wine in his hands.
"I didn't see you there for a second, bro. How you doing?" he asked, still staring at Kim and Skull on the dance floor.
Tommy sighed deeply as he took his place next to his best buddy. "I'm fine, to be honest. How about you?"
"I'm fine, too. Our little pinkie's all grown up and married," Jason said, sniffing and wiping his eyes playfully.
Tommy couldn't help but chuckle. "Cute, Jase. But, seriously, how are you really doing?"
Jason sighed deeply when the laughter died down. "Honestly, I'm gonna be all right. I just mentally kicked myself for not being man enough to tell her how I felt."
"Man, you had every single opportunity to say something to her and you blew it. What happened?" Tommy asked, looking somewhat surprised.
Jason looked at him with a frown on his handsome face. "Bro, every single chance I had to tell her, for some reason, I always chickened out. Plus, I'm always the 'big brother', never the lover. Furthermore, I'll be violating the 'guy code' by dating my best friend's ex; even though I've known Kim way before you ever came into the picture. So I just kept my mouth shut and let the opportunity pass me by."
"I'm sorry, bro. I had no idea..." Tommy said, but Jason cut him off.
"It's not your fault, man. It's mine. I realized too late that Kim and I could've been something more, but, in all honesty, we would've never worked, no matter how hard we tried. Plus, I know you're still feeling raw about the breakup letter she sent you," Jason said, patting him on his shoulder.
Tommy sighed loudly. "Eh, I got over it. Could she have gone about it a different way? Yeah. But I'm not gonna spend the rest of my life dwelling over it. Besides, I've moved on. I'm getting married soon and I'm happy."
"Oh, so you and Kat managed to work things out?" Jason asked, looking somewhat hopeful for his friend. After passing their powers on to a new team of rangers, Tommy and Kat decided to go their separate ways.
"Nah. Kat and I didn't get back together. I'm about to marry the girl I met in college, Hayley Zitkor. Besides, Kat moved back to Australia and is engaged to the son of the prime minister. It just wouldn't of worked out between us because we're moving in two different directions," Tommy explained.
"Well, at least you were able to find happiness with someone. I have a feeling that I'll never find the happiness like you guys have," Jason said, looking sad.
"Aw, bro, you will. I'm sure there's a girl out there who's waiting for you to sweep her off her feet. Just remember, love does work in mysterious ways. You just have to work hard to find it," Tommy said before he spotted his fiancee Hayley conversing with several members of the wedding party. Excusing himself, the legendary ranger decided to join his soon to be wife, leaving Jason alone.
Needing some fresh air, he decided to step outside for a little bit; feeling the cool night air being wrapped around his body as he sat down at a nearby bench. With the moon and the stars beaming down on him, Jason pondered what Tommy had just said.
Love does work in mysterious ways, but does love work for everyone?
If love does work, then why is it that he can't call it his own? What was wrong with him? He's a decent guy, big hearted, outgoing, friendly, smart, handsome and knows how to treat a woman right, so why can't he find love?
Even with all those qualities I possess, it seems no girl would give me a chance. What the hell's wrong with me?!
"Jason? Is everything okay?" a female voice called out to him.
He looked up and his eyes landed on the blushing bride, Kimberly. She stepped out to get some fresh air herself when she noticed him sitting by the fountain, looking a little bit sad and out of place. Feeling bad for him, the new Mrs. Skullovich decided to look for him, in hopes to smooth things out between them.
"Yeah, everything's fine. I just needed to step out for a moment," he said as he gestured her to sit down next to him.
"I needed to step out for a moment as well. Listen, um, I hope everything's okay with us. We've been friends for so long and I don't want no hard feelings between us," she told him, looking a little bit apprehensive.
He gave her a tainted smile. "Everything's fine between us, pinkie. It's just that...well, I wanted to tell you something for the longest time, but I never had the courage to come right out and say it, so I had written letters that I ended up not sending because the frustration of not saying something was eating away at me."
"I don't understand, Jase. What were you trying to tell me?" she asked, looking confused.
He looked right at her. "That I love you. And not in a brother/sister type of way."
"Y-you loved me?" she asked, her voice cracking in shock.
Jason nodded his head slowly. "Yeah, I loved you, like a man loves a woman. I didn't know when I harbored these feelings for you or how it came to be, but I knew that I loved you and had I finally the chance to tell you how I felt, things could've been different between us. I was hopeful that you felt the same way or at least told me that you were flattered, however, things just kept getting in the way."
"Like Tommy, you and I getting kidnapped and my now marriage to Skull, right?" Kim asked, stating the obvious.
He chuckled sarcastically. "Yeah, all of those above. You must think I'm weird, huh?"
She placed her hand on his shoulder and smiled softly. "Nonsense, Jason. You're an amazing guy with a heart of pure gold..."
"I'm sensing a 'but' coming," he replied, preparing to get his heart broken all over again.
"But we've been friends for so long; hell, practically all of our lives. I just can't picture myself being with you like that. It'd be weird, not to mention, wouldn't that violate some type of 'guy code' of dating your best friend's ex?" she asked softly.
"Yeah, you're right about that. I just thought you should know, so that you wouldn't have to find out from someone else later on," he replied, lowering his head in shame.
"Oh, Jase. I'm sorry it has come to this. To be honest, though, even if you had said something, I still can't see you as nothing more than my best friend and big brother. I can honestly say that I've never been so happy in my life than I am now. I love my husband very much. Skull makes me happy and all it took for me is to see how much he has changed when we started meeting up again. Furthermore, I'm gonna tell him that he's gonna be a daddy in about eight and a half months," Kim said as she placed her hands on her still flat stomach.
Once again, Jason was floored with the news. Not only is Kim married, but she's also pregnant with Skull's child, which further broke the original red ranger's heart. He just can't catch a break, huh?
"Oh, um, well, congratulations, pinkie. I'm sure Skull will be thrilled with the news," he said, trying so hard not to break down and cry.
She had the biggest smile on her face as she stood up and wiped the dirt off her wedding gown. "Thanks, big bro. Well, I better go back inside and tell my husband the big news. Are you coming?"
"Um, actually, I'm about to head on home. I have to be at work first thing in the morning, but, um, congratulation again and I wish you and Skull all the best. I'm really happy for you both," he replied as he stood up himself. He leaned over and pecked her on her cheek before he started heading towards his car.
"Hey, Jase, for what it's worth, I think you're an amazing guy. Any girl will be lucky to be with a guy like you," she replied as she headed back inside.
But will I ever be lucky enough to find someone who will love me just for me?
Did he ever had a chance with Kimberly to begin with?
He'll probably never know.
Coming up in the next chapter: Jason's brief encounter with Aisha made him realize that he never even had a chance with the sassy mama bear, especially after he went to Switzerland and her subsequent permanent relocation to Africa. Where does he go from here? Stay tuned!
Like I said before, please don't throw your flames at me, Jimberly fans. I have nothing but respect to you all for shipping them together, but this is from Jason's side of things. Even him and Kim acknowledged their close friendship and their 'brother/sister' relationship, so I went with that theory in order for this story to work, all right?
And how did you like Kim's mystery guy? Were you surprised that it was Skull? Given how obsessed he was with her during their stint together (and that I still believe that Kim is Spike's mom), I thought it'd be cool to have him be her husband in this one shot (wink, wink).
Please review!