I'm back with a brand new chapter, my first one of the new year and a brand new dilemma for Jason. Now, given that I shipped him with Tanya; especially after that awesome Zeo episode, "The Lore of Auric", in which we got that pseudo romantic moment at the command center, I thought for sure that they were gonna kiss, especially after she slipped the key over his head and their tender stare down moment they shared. I almost threw my chips at the screen and let out a yell of frustration because I so wanted them to kiss, alas, it never happened. Furthermore, even though I thought they had great chemistry, Tanya and Adam are forever endgame...at least in my mind lol. So, I really do hope you like this chapter.
One more thing, I'm working on a brand new Jason/Trini story, thanks to a PM I got from SparkyTree3876, who gave me an amazing plot idea. I'm not gonna reveal it just yet, just that it'll be a combination of romance, suspense, drama and everything in between. Be on the lookout for it after this one shot series is complete.
Enjoy and happy reading!
Lots of love, hugs and kisses from your resident writer and friend, Nina!
X
Chapter five: Tanya
Jason never thought that he'll be attending a baby shower for a fellow ranger.
However, as he watched from a reasonable distance, he noticed that motherly glow she had on her face as she gently cradled her protruding belly in her hands and had the biggest smile on her face as her loving husband placed his hand over her belly and kissed the side of her head lovingly, which caused the original red ranger's heart to drop to his stomach for a second. He just seemed to never get it right when it comes to the ladies.
When he returned to Angel Grove and assumed the gold ranger's power temporarily, it did take him a little bit of time to adjust to not only being on a team again, but also having to be known as the 'sixth' ranger; however, in time, he got the hang of it and was relieved to be back where he truly belong. As much as he enjoyed staying in Geneva, coming home was the best decision he ever made.
Furthermore, since he rejoined the power rangers, his brown eyes landed on a sassy, brown haired girl from Africa who has proven that she can definitely hold her own; especially when it came to battle.
And her name happened to be Tanya Sloan.
When he walked inside the power chamber and took off his glasses, she had the biggest smile on her face, maybe more so than anyone else. Based on her smile, she was immediately drawn to him. There was something about the original red ranger that made her quite intrigued, which was surprising to her, considering that she went through her own heartbreak shortly after she joined the team herself.
Not long after settling in Angel Grove, Tanya ended up dating the captain of the baseball team, Shawn Henderson. It started off cute at first, until he almost derailed their relationship by acquiring the answers sheet from the algebra test he was taking. She was livid with him; even go so far to say that he didn't have to cheat in order to pass the test so he could remain on the team. However, his mind was made up, so she decided to cut her losses and move on...
Until he came to his senses and realized that cheating on a test could ruin his chances of staying on the baseball time if he ever got caught. So, Shawn's conscience got the best of him and he decided not only to return the answers sheet, he also begged and groveled for Tanya's forgiveness. After a little bit of time, she ultimately decided to give him another chance.
Only for their relationship to be permanently derailed when she joined the baseball team.
Furthermore, to add insult to injury, not long after Shawn had broken up with Tanya, he started dating a snobby, stuck up rich girl named Veronica, who also gave Aisha a hard time by not accepting the sassy mama bear into the Angel Grove Girls club just because she didn't come from a wealthy family. Just before the karate competition, Shawn was even gonna cheat in order to win by acquiring a special token that could make his disappear, but, in the end, his conscience got the best of him once again and he decided not to go there. Instead, he and Adam fought a good match and Shawn ended up losing...but gained a new respect and was able to maintain a friendship with both Adam and Tanya in the end.
So, Tanya didn't end up dating again for a long time since the breakup. She was more focused on being a power ranger, going to school, hanging out with her friends, indulging in her hobbies and was just living the life of a normal teenage girl...
Until Jason came along.
Truth be told, she was quite fond of him in the beginning. Tanya was clearly impressed when she watched Jason spar with both Tommy and Adam at the Youth Center and even commented that the original red ranger was really good. It was no secret that Jason was considered to be a very good looking guy; from his short wavy brown hair, his soulful chocolate brown eyes, his sexy, cute, adorable, gorgeous baby face...and that body. Man, all that training in martial arts and exercising has definitely paid off because he was literally every girl's dream.
Well, if he was every girl's dream, why can't he get a date?!
Jason has been asking that question for so long, he was sounding like a broken record.
What Tanya didn't know at the time was that he had noticed the tough, independent spirit she possessed. He felt at ease with her and felt that he could talk to her about anything and she'd always understand and/or never judge him. They had that easy, comfortable friendship that suited them well, although a tiny part of him wished there was something more. His admiration of the yellow Zeo ranger was growing and he couldn't wait to get to know her better.
Furthermore, there was even a glimpse of them heading towards something more when she entrusted him to be the keeper of Auric the Conqueror. By slipping the key of his head and assuring him that she couldn't think of anyone more deserving to protecting the key (after Louie Kaboom stole the key away from him), Jason's heart was beating hard against his chest when they stared at each other tenderly for a moment. For a second, it looked as though they were about to kiss.
Alas, that moment never came when Tanya turned away and continued her quest to find her family on Mysterio Island; ultimately rescuing and then reuniting with her explorer parents.
And Jason was happy to be a supporting friend.
Over time, their friendship didn't go any further because Jason's time as the gold ranger was running out. Turns out, the gold ranger's powers weren't meant for humans and he almost died as a result. Though the rangers were concerned for his well-being, Tanya was the most concerning of them all. Though their friendship didn't translate into something more, she still cared for him deeply and in the end, he survived and was grateful to the rangers for being there for him.
He couldn't ask for anything better.
After graduating high school, Jason moved to Los Angeles and attended UCLA while Tanya stayed behind and became a radio personality; with plans on relaunching her singing career along the way. The Zeo powers were upgraded to Turbo and, in a truly surprising move, Justin Stewart, a troubled, but gifted 12-year-old kid who experienced abandonment following the death of his mother and his father basically working all the time, replaced Rocky as the new blue ranger. It took a little time for Tanya, Adam, Kat and Tommy to adjust having Justin being a part of the power rangers, but he quickly got the hang of it and they became closer.
However, all good things must come to an end. With the exception of Justin, Tanya, Adam, Kat and Tommy ended up passing the torch to a new team of rangers: Cassie, TJ, Ashley and Carlos. It was a bittersweet, watershed moment for Tanya because she loved being a power ranger and she loved being a part of a team, but, she was on to bigger and better things and, to be perfectly honest, she couldn't wait to see what the next chapter of her life was gonna happen.
She thought about Jason occasionally; wondering what he was up to and how he was doing since losing his gold ranger's powers. Though she still cared for him deeply, she didn't see him as anymore than a good friend, maybe a big brother type even. Besides, after graduating high school, she gave love another try...with a guy who was right in front of her face all along.
That guy just happened to be Adam Park.
After over three and a half years of dating, Adam and Tanya got married in an intimate, private wedding ceremony; only inviting their closest friends and family, including the ranger family. Sure enough, swallowing his pride and putting on a brave face, Jason ended up attending the wedding; happy to see Tanya so happy, even though a part of him wished that it was him who was marrying the former yellow ranger instead.
It was that only saying that popped up in his brain when he watched Kimberly marry Skull: he's forever the big brother, never the lover.
After the wedding, Jason ended up going back to Los Angeles and carried on with his life as a real estate agent while Tanya was living her life as Mrs. Adam Park. She was so happy to be a married woman that the next natural step was to become a mom.
And when she got the exciting news, thanks to her doctor, she barely contain her excitement when she finally told her husband that they were expecting. He literally went on the rooftop of their home and happily shouted to the world that he was gonna be a daddy and he was over the moon with the news.
When Jason got the invitation to attend Tanya's baby shower, he was somewhat surprised to hear from her after all these years. Sure, he was a little heartbroken that yet another girl slipped through his fingers, but, to be fair, he never spoke up or expressed any kind of interest in her; plus, with her breakup with Shawn was still somewhat fresh, Jason didn't wanna come off looking like a jerk had he finally spoken up about his intending feelings for her, so he just kept his mouth shut and focused on just being her friend.
Now, as he watched Tanya and Adam being greeted by their friends and fawning over her pregnancy, a genuine smile formed on the former red/gold ranger's face. Truth be told, he was happy for her: happy to see her so happy, in love and glowing. He hasn't known Adam that long, but he knew the former black/green ranger was doing an excellent job taking care of his wife and that's all Jason could ever ask for.
"Hey, stranger. What are you doing standing there by yourself?" Tanya asked as she made her way through the crowd and spotted him standing next to the swimming pool.
He smiled at her. "I didn't want to disturb anything. By the way, you look really beautiful. You have that motherly glow and you haven't even given birth yet."
She grinned foolishly. "I've been getting that a lot lately. I may have that motherly glow on my face, but my babies are having a field day with my bladder."
"Babies?" he asked, looking confused.
"Yeah, babies. I'm expecting twins; a boy and a girl. Even I was stunned when I went for my checkup. Adam damned near fainted," she laughed softly.
"Wow, that's great, Tanya. I'm really happy for you," Jason said sincerely, even reaching over and patting her shoulder gently.
"Thank you, Jason. Listen, I just want you to know something and I hope it doesn't change things between us in the long run," she said as she took his hand into hers and together, they began taking a stroll throughout her big backyard.
"Whatever it is, it won't affect our friendship. I can assure you of that," he replied with a soft smile on his handsome face.
"Okay, here goes nothing: back when you re-joined the team, I-I did harbor a small crush on you," she confessed softly, which caught him off guard for a moment.
"Y-you did? I had no idea," he said under his breath.
"It's true. After my breakup with Shawn, I thought I was through with love. The way he broke up with me was pretty harsh, so I put dating on the back burner for a long time and focused on being a power ranger and hanging out with my friends. However, when you walked through the power chamber and took off your glasses, I have to admit, I was smiling so big at the sight of you smiling at us. My admiration for you grew when I watched you spar with Tommy and Adam and, honestly, I blushed a little bit. In case you've forgotten, you're a very good looking man," she told him with a wink, causing him to blush something terrible.
"Thanks, Tanya. To be honest, I harbored some feelings for you as well, however, I didn't say anything because I didn't want to come off as a jerk, plus, your breakup with your ex was still fresh, so I just kept my distance and continued being your friend. Although, when you slipped the key over my head, a tiny part of me hoped that we'd be able to kiss; especially after the way you looked at me and vice versa. I mentally kicked myself for not making the first move," he confessed with a frown.
Her frown matched his own. "I know how you feel, Jase. But, you're right; my breakup with Shawn was still fresh, plus, I was getting reacquainted with my parents, so dating was way out of the question for me at the time. However, I never stopped caring about you."
"Same here, Tanya. You're a really good friend and helped me through my own trials and tribulations when I was losing the gold ranger's powers. If anything, I gained another sister from another mister," he said, squeezing her hand softly.
"Kim told me that you're the best 'big bro' she ever had. Well, I share the same sentiments. You're an amazing man and I'm sure that someday, a lucky girl will come along and sweep you off your feet," she assured him as she leaned over and kissed him on his cheek lightly.
Yeah, when pigs fly, a inner voice in his head said in a somber tone, but he kept his smile on his face as he released her hand. The last thing he wants is to ruin her happy moment.
"Thanks, girl. Well, I guess you need to go back to Adam. He's gotta be wondering where we are," Jason chuckled softly.
Tanya shrugged her shoulders and laughed. "Knowing him, he'll be sending a search party to find us. Furthermore, a couple more people have shown up, so I better go greet them."
"Just don't overexert yourself, okay?" he said, the tone of his voice sounding concerned
"I won't. Thank you again for coming to my baby shower. I'll catch up with you later," she said before she turned on her heel and walked back towards the party, rejoining her husband's side a moment later.
Just face facts, Scott; you're never gonna find the 'one'. Every time you thought you found someone, she ends up slipping right through your fingers. Will you ever get it right? I don't think so. Just cut your losses and just own up to the fact that you'll never find a love to call your own in the long run. It'll save you the trouble.
Shaking those negative thoughts out of his head, Jason refused to accept that he'll be alone and miserable for the rest of his life. Okay, so he lost his chance with Trini, Kim, Aisha, Kat and now Tanya, but that doesn't mean he's ready to throw in the towel just yet. He was handsome, smart, caring and he knows in his heart that a girl is out there for him. He just needs to reach down deep inside and find her before it's all said and done.
Just as he was about to make a quiet exit, he noticed a beautiful blond girl chatting with a group of Tanya's co-workers at the radio station. A huge smile formed on his face because he recognized her from the beach club almost ten years ago and he could never forget the sultry look on her face as she was sitting behind her friend Eddie's bike; not to mention the elephant pendant she was wearing around her neck.
With a new purpose and a bounce in his step, Jason went over there and reintroduced himself to the blond bombshell named Emily Harper.
Looks like the original red ranger may have finally found the 'one'.
Coming up in the final chapter: It appears that Jason may have finally found love with Emily...until he receives his own "Dear John" letter. Where does he go from here? Stay tuned!
This one shot series wraps up in the next chapter, so strap on your seatbelts and get ready for it. Oh, and my newest story "At Every Turn" will be posted within the next two weeks. It's gonna be a good one, I tell you what lol!
Please review!