CHAPTER 2: TJ

"Hello Dino Thunder!" Jason boomed when he opened his front door after being summoned by the bell.

"A little louder, Jase," Rocky said from behind the original red ranger. "I don't think Nevada heard you."

"Funny," Jason replied as he greeted the newest arrival of guests to his abode.

Rocky began instructing them where to put the plate of food they were each carrying.

"Ah, my young protégé," Jason said when Conner crossed the threshold carrying a plate of brownies wrapped in tin foil. "Where's the girlfriend?"

"Bed rest."

"Fun," Rocky said dryly before turning to Kimberly, who was in the process of apparently strangling Jason. "Hi Kim!"

"Rocky!" She also threw her arms around his neck in a crushing hug, despite her small build.

"Hi!" Rocky gasped. "How are you?-Ow.-Can't breathe."

Kimberly stepped back, smiling widely at him. "Sorry. Where are the girls?"

"Upstairs," Jason provided. "There's a lot of oohing and aahing coming from Cara's room. It's gross," he attempted to scrunch his face in disgust, but it still didn't hide his huge cheesy grin.

"Aww!" Kimberly gushed, handing Tommy the diaper bag. "Look at the new daddy blush with pride over his baby!"

"I'm not a new daddy," Jason replied. "And I am not blushing!" he added defensively. Rocky and Conner both nodded sadly at him. "Shut up, subordinates," he muttered as Kimberly blew them a friendly kiss before darting up the stairs.

"If we really were subordinates," Conner said conversationally as the four of them made their way to the kitchen. "Then we would be taking orders from you, and none of us have ever done that."

"I have," Tommy said darkly.

"Doesn't count," Conner said shortly. "You were evil half the time. Anyway, we're also all reds, so we're equals. But your sense of superiority stems from you being the first red."

'Your sense of superiority stems?' Jason mouthed to Tommy, who shrugged as best he could whilst carrying both the diaper bag and baby seat. He gratefully handed over the baby seat when Jason offered a hand to take something from him.

"Therefore, as we're equal but you're original, we are not subordinates. If anything, we're inferior," Conner concluded logically.

Rocky lightly punched him. "That's exactly the sort of thing we don't say out loud in front of Jason."

"Inferior..." the mentioned leader said thoughtfully as they entered the kitchen. "I like it. You're all my inferiors..."

"Why's that?" Adam asked from the kitchen table, before adding, "Hey Tommy."

"Hey, how's it going, man?" Tommy replied, and Kira and Hayley instantly started mocking how cool the guys always greeted each other, even though they sometimes hadn't seen each other for a year.

"Because," Jason answered Adam. "Not only was I the first red, I was also the first ranger. Now you may all fall into line behind me," he said dramatically.

"Yes, you are," Rocky said soothingly, as if it were an unfortunate curse.

"Zip it, ape man." As Jason used his free hand that wasn't rocking Samuel's baby seat to point accusingly at Rocky, the sliding door leading to the backyard opened and TJ stepped through backwards with a little boy dangling off his shoulders.

"And if you chase him up the tree one more time," he yelled threateningly to a group of kids in the yard. "Uncle Jason is going to come out here and eat you!" This announcement was met with excited screams, which were muffled when TJ closed the door behind him. When he turned and was facing the rest of the room, he began hopping from foot to foot. "Oh no," he said in mock horror. "One of the little monkeys got me! Get him off! Get him off!"

"I'll get him," Jason said evilly, and the boy screamed through the chocolatey grin that was still plastered on his face. "Nom, nom, nom! Hmm...tastes like chicken..."

"You can take him, Tyler!" Zack encouraged from across the kitchen. "Remember to jab!"

"Hey, TJ," Adam called. "Watch out for his-."

"Ow!"

"...right hook," Adam finished as TJ clutched his jaw.

"Agh. Okay," he said weakly as Jason hurriedly peeled a giggling Tyler off his back and the rest of the kitchen howled with laughter. "Note to self...don't pick a fight with the kid of a Dojo owner..."

"Whoops," Tyler Park muttered. "Sorry Uncle Teeje..."

"It's fine, kiddo," TJ said, forcing a smile. "Did your mom teach you that one?" Although the question was directed at the three year old, TJ was looking at Adam. Adam nodded, then added an exasperated eye roll.

"Yep!" Tyler said excitedly. The adults looked on amusedly as he randomly squatted in the middle of the kitchen. "It's because I'ma frog!" He began to hop out of the kitchen and into the front hallway as the former rangers laughed again, but this time at a reddening Adam. "Ribbit, ribbit!"

"I'm going to be getting some interesting calls from his teachers when he starts preschool next month," Adam muttered as Zack doubled over with laughter next to him. Adam jabbed him. "This is your fault you know! You had to leave for that damn conference before we got the animal spirits."

"You're-welcome!" Zack gasped, then also squatted in imitation to Adam's son. "Looky daddy-Imma froggie!"

"We are a proud amphibian," Adam said with less enthusiasm. He suddenly smiled as TJ pulled out his phone and began conspicuously video recording Zack's charades.

"What do you think?" he muttered to Conner. "Post this on YouTube?"

"Nah," Conner replied giddily. "No one might ever see it...put it on Facebook and tag him in it!"

"Great idea, kid," TJ said, and despite knowing him for years, Conner beamed at his predecessor. "Time for a new status!"

TJ Johnson:
Hey friends, remember when I almost got my teeth knocked out by a 3 year old? Yeah, me neither...because right after, THIS happened!
[video]

Connor McKnight, Adam Park, and 14 others like this.

Jason Scott commented: inferior.
Carter Grayson commented: Make sure he's still drunk when we get there
Rocky DeSantos commented: I've witnessed Zack drunk. Trust me, THIS isn't Zack drunk.
TJ Johnson commented: Carter Grayson (and PRLR) No promises...he may hop away before that. How long until you get here?
Carter Grayson commented: LOL! We're about 2 hours out...can't wait to see you all!
Kelsey Winslow commented: Carter! HANDS ON THE WHEEL!