Jason approached the Cranston house slowly, his heart pounding painfully, and with what felt like a lead ball rolling in his stomach. Ever since his parents had told him what happened to his oldest friend, he'd felt tears threatening every time he lowered his control enough to speak, regardless of the subject. Now standing on the sidewalk outside the home where he'd spent a good portion of his childhood, he felt dread, shame, and a terrible guilt. He found it took all of his considerable courage to simply walk up the front steps and ring the doorbell.
"Jason. I wasn't expecting to see you here," Lawrence said, his pleasure at seeing the teen obviously muted by other sorrows and worries.
"I just got back. Can I see Billy?" he asked before his nerve could fail.
"I don't know, Jason. He's not feeling very well," the older man started.
"I .. um ... I know what happened. My folks told me. I'd really like to see him," Jason pleaded quietly.
Lawrence considered the teenager standing in front of him. Jason and Billy had been friends since both boys were four years old; they'd grown up together, at times seeming closer than brothers despite their very different personalities. The elder Cranston was well aware of Jason's tendency to be protective of his friend, and was confident that he would not do anything to upset Billy's still fragile emotional state.
"Okay, Jason, I think that may be a good idea, actually. The doctor said he needed to start seeing people again, to quit isolating himself. And to be honest, I need to run some errands and am not completely comfortable leaving him here alone. But I'm trusting you not to upset Billy. He's been through enough; I won't have him being disturbed more than he already is. Don't ask him questions, don't try to get him to talk about it. Understand?" Jason could not recall ever hearing such a stern tone from the easy-going man.
"I understand. I'll try not to upset him any," he promised. "Is he in his room?"
"Yes, go on up." Lawrence gave Jason one of the saddest smiles the teen had ever seen before turning and plodding toward his home office. Jason gazed after the retreating figure for a moment, then headed up the stairs toward Billy's bedroom.
The door was slightly ajar, so Jason tapped it lightly before sticking his head inside the room. "Okay if I come in?"
Billy looked up from the book he'd been reading and the look in those blue eyes nearly broke Jason's heart. It was a look he'd seen before, far too many times, when he looked in a mirror this past year.
"God, Billy ..." he began.
"Jason," the soft, still hoarse voice overrode his. "Did my dad let you in?"
"Yeah. I needed to see you. My folks told me what happened, I had to talk to you," the burly young man replied, finally looking away from the haunted eyes of his friend.
Billy sighed softly. "Why? What was so important?"
Jason entered the room, closing the door behind him, and sat on the chair by the bed, fixing his gaze on the tormented blue orbs before him and taking a deep breath.
"Did Roland Oliver do this?"
If Jason had physically struck the other boy, the reaction could not have been more severe. Billy flinched back away from Jason, a look of terror on his face.
"It's okay, Billy. It's okay. Please, calm down, it's okay," Jason pleaded with him quietly, startled by his friend's panic. He wanted desperately to reach out to the frightened teen, to touch him, to offer him at least the comfort of an embrace, but knew too well that would not be a good idea.
"How ... how did you know? Who told you?" Billy looked at Jason with a desperate sort of fear.
"No one told me, Bro. I know because ... because he did it to me, too. Shortly before we left for Switzerland." Jason spoke in a calm, matter-of-fact manner, watching Billy's reaction closely, nearly holding his breath waiting to see how he'd respond.
Billy's face reflected his shock at this revelation. Jason had been raped? That just didn't seem possible. Jason was the strong one, no one could take advantage of him. The tormented eyes searched Jason's intently, as if trying to see deep within the other young man, seeking a truth or assurance only he could identify. "I ... I ... I never knew," he said at last.
"No one did. My parents still don't know, though I intend to tell them later today. I hid my injuries, pretended it didn't happen. Almost convinced myself, until everything fell apart in Geneva. I've been in therapy since then, it's helped a lot." He kept his tone soothing and even, hoping it would help keep Billy calm.
Billy dropped his gaze to the book he held closed in his hands. "That's what I'd wanted to do, but somehow I couldn't. I couldn't stop shaking, couldn't move. Dad found me before I could get myself together." He spoke so softly Jason could barely make out the words, though the shame his friend felt came through loud and clear.
"Billy," he reached out and put a comforting hand on the pale forearm, ignoring how the teen flinched at his touch. "There's no shame in being so injured you can't hide it. It wasn't something you had any control over. And remember, I was still an active Ranger when it happened. I had that Ranger healing factor working for me. You didn't. You could have ended up with an infection that would have made you incredibly sick, possibly even killed you. It's better your dad found you and got you treatment."
"Is it?"
Jason prayed he hadn't heard that one correctly.
"Billy, you're alive. And I know it's hard to believe right now, but it will get better, I promise you. It will get better. And I'll be here for you, as long and as much as you need me. Bro, you aren't alone. You'll never be alone." He tightened his grip on Billy's arm to emphasize his point.
Again the light-haired teen searched the midnight-dark eyes of the former Ranger leader, seeking reassurance that the friend he'd always trusted was being sincere. After a few moments it seemed he found whatever it was he was looking for, and the blue eyes filled with tears.
"Thank you." It was the faintest of whispers, but filled Jason's heart with renewed hope. Billy would try, and Jason was certain that, as always, if Billy tried he'd ultimately succeed. The former Blue Ranger was noted for his tenacity.
They sat silently for a while, both struggling to contain their feelings. Jason sensed that Billy was comfortable with him being there, which was one of the things he'd hoped to accomplish with this visit. Finally Billy glanced up at his friend.
"Why'd you come home? If I had a chance of not coming back here again, I'd take it."
"I came home because I need to tell my parents what happened. They have a right to know, and frankly, I don't like keeping things from them. Plus, I'm going to report it to the police." Again the deep brown eyes searched the haggard face of his friend, gauging his reaction.
"You're going to report it?" Billy looked at Jason fearfully.
"Yeah. It's been over a year, but it needs to be on record that it happened, even if it's too late to do anything about it, you know? When it happened, I was so scared ... Mr. Oliver had threatened to kill me, kill my parents, if I told anyone. It took a long time for me to realize that was unrealistic. He wouldn't really be able to do that, especially if I told the police about the threats. Think about it. If I report it, anything even looks like it's going to happen to my parents, he'll get hauled in. They're probably safer with me reporting it than they were when I didn't." He let Billy think about that for a moment, then spoke again.
"You could come with me." He hadn't originally intended to ask that, but Billy's reactions so far had encouraged him. He was reminded anew of something he'd learned early on in their Ranger careers. Billy might be small, quiet, bookish and shy, but he was also one of the most courageous people Jason knew. Especially when it came to choosing to do the right thing.
"I don't know, Jason. I don't know if I can bring myself to talk about it." The former Blue Ranger looked down, ashamed once more.
"You can try, it may help you a lot. And probably all you really need to tell the police is who. They have the report from the hospital; they know what was done. Tell them who, and how he tricked you, and that may be enough for a start. Billy, I ... I wasn't quick enough to save you, but who may be next? Rocky? Adam? One of the girls? I can't stand the thought that someone else will fall prey to him." Jason ran one big hand through his close-cropped hair, his expression tormented.
"I didn't think of that." Billy's gaze wandered to the window, looking at the sunlit street below without seeing. Finally he let out a weary sigh, much like a person preparing to shoulder a heavy load. "Okay. I'll try."
PRPRPR
The familiarity of the police station was oddly comforting to Jason. He'd been a frequent visitor in his childhood, taking any opportunity to visit his father at work, basking in the camaraderie the officers shared. For their part, the officers all liked Joe Scott's well-behaved son, making him an honorary detective when the boy was ten, and always asking when he was going to go to the police academy. It was Jason's secret desire to actually become a detective, like his father, though he'd not told his parents that, knowing they hoped he'd choose a safer profession.
But he'd never before come on official business, so he was a bit nervous as to how his father's coworkers would react. He looked around the busy station, recognizing most of the faces he encountered. He locked eyes with a tall, slender white-haired man who approached casually. Jason was aware that Detective Johnson knew Billy, and hoped he'd guess what they'd come for without them having to explain a lot out here in the reception area.
"Hi Jason, Billy. What can I do for you boys?" the older man asked in a pleasant voice.
"We're here to make statements," Jason replied softly, assuming the man knew about what had happened to Billy.
"Come on in." Johnson opened the small gate that led into the bullpen, looking curiously at Jason. When he'd spotted Billy with Jason, he'd hoped the boy was here to make a statement, but now he wondered what was up. He led the two of them to his desk in the corner and indicated the two chairs.
"Have a seat, boys. Billy, are you here to talk about what happened Saturday?" he asked gently.
"Yes, sir," was the faint reply.
"Good. We really want to get this guy, and I appreciate how hard this must be for you. I'm going to have you talk to Officer Romano, okay? She'll take your statement and answer any questions you have. Now, Jason, what about you? Why are you here?" He turned his attention to the dark-haired teen.
"I need to make a statement, too," Jason replied hesitantly, past the tightness in his throat. Now that he was actually here, he was finding it harder than he'd expected.
"A statement regarding what?" the officer prompted carefully, hoping the answer wasn't what he suddenly suspected it was.
"Same crime, but a year ago," the youth replied, unable to meet the detective's eyes.
"Okay. Hmm ... you be okay talking to Jerry?" Johnson asked after looking around at who was available. Though his face remained impassive, he felt a surge of anger and sorrow that Jason had something like this to report.
"Yeah, that's fine." At that point Jason didn't much care who he talked to, he just wanted it be done.
"Okay boys, sit tight while I get things set up." With a reassuring look at the two teens the detective went to make the arrangements, leaving them sitting together in the quiet corner.
"You okay?" Jason asked his friend softly.
"I think so. Scared. You're sure this is the right thing to do?" Billy was looking paler than he'd been before.
"I'm sure. Look, I know Angie Romano; she's nice. She won't harass you or anything, so you just tell her what you can, okay? And I'll be nearby if you need me. Just a few minutes and it'll be over and we can go home." Jason tried to sound more confident than he felt. When he saw the two officers approaching he sat back in his chair, suddenly nervous again.
"Billy? I'm Angie Romano, I'll be taking your statement. Why don't you come on with me to where we can have some privacy." She indicated one of the smaller interview rooms that lined the far side of the large bullpen area.
The former Blue Ranger looked over at Jason with a worried expression as he reluctantly rose to his feet. The dark-haired teen gave him a reassuring smile, hoping desperately Billy could do this.
He watched his friend, looking somehow small and forlorn, follow the pretty officer, then turned his attention back to the redheaded officer still standing by his chair.
"Ready, Jason?" Jerry O'Brien asked.
"Not really, but let's do it anyway."
PRPRPR
Joe Scott was indulging in a rare bout of idleness on the front porch, sipping an iced tea and watching the grass grow. He'd almost dozed off when some slight sound alerted him to someone coming near. He opened his eyes to see Jason plodding up the front walk as if reluctant to come home. It struck him that his son appeared to have aged quite a bit in the last year; he seemed somehow much older than the passing of thirteen months could account for.
"How'd it go with Billy?" he asked his son, figuring Jason's apparent depression was due to his friend's condition.
"Fine. It went okay. Is Mom home?" At Joe's nod Jason continued. "Good. I need to talk to you guys. It's ... it's important."
"Sure thing. Come on, she's in the den watching TV, I think," Joe replied, not liking the expression he saw on the young/old face.
They walked without speaking to the cheerful den where Claire sat, watching a talk show and latch-hooking a rug. Under her tireless fingers a field of spring flowers was slowly evolving. She looked up with a smile as her husband and son entered.
"Decided to come in out of the heat, huh?" she asked cheerfully, turning off the television.
"Jason wants to talk to us," Joe explained with an expression that sobered his wife as he sat down beside her, while Jason seated himself on the low stool in front of them.
The teen stared at the floor for a few moments, collecting his thoughts and gathering the courage to hurt his parents the way he knew this would. He was quiet so long his mother finally couldn't stand it any longer.
"Jason, please. Whatever it is, you can tell us," she encouraged him, leaning forward to place her hand on his knee.
"Last year, before I left for Geneva, I got a call from Tommy's dad," he began at last, still unable to look at his parents. "He told me he'd gotten Tommy a new set of weights for his birthday and wanted my help in setting them up. I said 'sure', and went on over to help, kind of excited that I was part of a surprise I knew Tommy would like. Mr. Oliver let me in and told me he was setting them up in the basement, so I headed on down there. I remember this strange smell, I didn't know what it was, then a damp rag was put over my mouth and nose and everything went black." He took a deep breath, his eyes still fastened on the worn carpet in front of him. "When I woke up I was tied to a table. My clothes were g-gone. He ... he said I ... I couldn't hurt Tommy. He w-wouldn't let m-me. Then he ... he ..." Jason heard his mom give a gasping sob and his control, which he'd held on to so fiercely all day, finally gave way.
He looked up to meet his mom's tearful eyes as she reached out to him. Somehow he ended up on the couch, between his parents, sobbing in his mother's arms while his father rubbed his shoulders reassuringly.
Claire Scott held on to Jason with the desperation of a mother whose child has been terribly hurt. **How could this have happened without us realizing it? How could he have been so hurt and not let us help?** Her mind and heart struggled with confusion and sorrow even as she offered comfort.
"Shhh ... it's okay, Jason, it's okay," she crooned that universal mantra of parents everywhere.
"I'm sorry ... I'm so sorry," he choked out, trying to regain his control.
It was several minutes before the teen's tears tapered off, leaving him exhausted, slumped between his parents. He basked in the incredible comfort of being surrounded by his parents' loving concern, a feeling so intense it was almost physical. It took him back to his early childhood, when he never had a problem that couldn't be solved by his parents' loving embrace. That was a feeling Jason found he desperately needed to experience again. Claire continued to stroke his head and back in a soothing manner until she felt he was calm enough to understand her.
"Oh, Jason ... how could you go through this and shut us out? Don't you know you can always come to us?" she chided him gently, her eyes reflecting her hurt.
"I was ashamed," he admitted in a whisper, averting his eyes.
"Son, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing here was your fault," Joe assured him, holding Jason's hand tightly to provide an emotional anchor. It was fortunate Jason didn't look up at his father right then; the anger in Joe's expression was like a living thing - sparking and writhing, wanting freedom to hurt the one who'd hurt his child.
"I felt like I should have been able to prevent it somehow. Like it was at least partly my own fault," Jason confessed.
"But it wasn't. You see that, don't you?"
"Now I do. But it took a long time," he sighed.
"Did you get help?" Claire asked in a hopeful voice.
"Yeah. The therapist there in Geneva was a great help. I started seeing her almost as soon as I got over there. She's great, you'd really like her," he said with a tiny smile as he thought of the warm, caring woman who'd helped him through his confusion.
"I imagine I would," Claire agreed quietly. "If only for what she did for you."
"I came back to tell you what happened. She kept telling me I needed to do that, that it couldn't really be over until you knew, and I'd reported it to the police. But it was so hard to think about that. Because I knew you'd be hurt. I thought you'd be ashamed of me, for letting that happen. You'd taught me better," Jason murmured.
"Son, you couldn't have known what was going to happen," Joe assured him. "Was Roland the one who attacked Billy, too?" he couldn't help but ask.
"Yeah. Told him Tommy needed help with his homework, I think," the teen replied.
"You do need to report it, Son. Billy too," Joe started to say, but stopped when Jason turned to him with a faint smile.
"That's what we did this afternoon. Sorry, forgot to tell you that part." His smile disappeared. "Guess everyone down at the station knows now. Sorry."
Joe sighed in exasperated affection. "How many times am I going to have to tell you 'you have nothing to be sorry for'? Hmmm? Come on, Son, you're fading fast here, and you're much too big for me to carry off to bed. Go lie down for a while. Rest. We'll talk more later."
Jason didn't argue. Between the long flight, jet lag, the emotional turmoil of finding out what had happened to Billy, making the police report, and talking to his parents - complete with emotional breakdown - he was as exhausted as he could ever remember being. Numbly he stumbled to his bedroom and collapsed on the bed, fast asleep almost before his head hit the pillow.
It was fortunate he slept so deeply; he was spared the sound of his parents weeping for their son's lonely ordeal, silent struggle, and loss of innocence.
PRPRPR
Breakfast at the Oliver home was a casual affair. Roland was perusing the morning paper while sipping his coffee and eating his poached eggs on toast. His wife, Virginia, who was on yet another diet in her continuing quest to lose ten pounds, was having unsweetened grapefruit juice and unbuttered toast. Tommy was working his way through a bowl of granola and a large glass of orange juice while reviewing the History chapter they were being tested on that day.
"Boy, am I glad it's Friday," Tommy mumbled, closing his book. "Miss Appleby has been on a tear this week."
"Are you ready for the test?" Virginia asked.
"Sure. I think so. Provided she doesn't ask something really obscure. Or want specific dates," her son grinned. The musical chiming of the doorbell interrupted any further comment.
"Wonder who that could be this early? Maybe one of your friends?" Roland asked, looking at Tommy.
"Maybe. In any case, I'll get it," he answered, already starting toward the front door.
The long-haired teen opened the door to find two uniformed police officers waiting.
"Hi. What can I do for you?" he asked politely. It wasn't that uncommon to have policemen come over, given his father's profession. "Do you need to see my dad?"
"Yes, please," Officer Gribben replied. He nodded for his younger partner to accompany him.
Tommy led the way into the kitchen, circling around the table and sitting back down to his breakfast. Roland looked up unconcerned.
"What's up, officers?"
"Mr. Roland Oliver?" At Roland's nod the man continued. "We are placing you under arrest. You have the right to remain silent ..." he started.
"What?" the attorney exclaimed in surprise, and no small amount of anger.
"We have a warrant for your arrest," the older officer replied, looking up from the card on which the Miranda rights were printed. "You have the right to remain silent ..." he began again.
"On what charges? I demand to see the warrant," the lawyer ground out, standing at his full height and staring angrily at the two officers.
The two policemen had been chosen to make the arrest at least partly based on their height, neither one was less than 6'3", so Roland's attempt to intimidate them physically failed immediately. However, he was within his rights, so the younger officer, Officer Ralston, showed him the warrant.
"Rape?" Roland asked incredulously. "You are accusing me of rape? That's preposterous! This is a sham meant to discredit me, nothing more. Someone will pay for this, you can be sure," he growled, handing the warrant back.
He allowed Officer Gribben to finish reading the Miranda, but balked when Officer Ralston tried to handcuff him.
"Now, this is taking it too far," he declared angrily.
"It's standard procedure, Sir," the younger officer replied, looking at the attorney with a bland expression.
Growling and muttering, he allowed himself to be cuffed and led toward the front door.
"Virginia, call Victor and tell him what happened. Tell him to get to the Police Station immediately. Don't worry, I'll be fine, and this will be taken care of," he said to his wife as they approached the front door.
Neither Virginia nor Tommy had said anything, shocked as they were by this turn of events. When the door closed behind the officers and Roland, she turned at once to the phone and called Roland's law partner, Victor Manning. Listening to the explanation of what had happened, he reassured her that Roland would be released in time for an early lunch.
It wasn't until she hung up the phone that the fear set in, and she burst into tears, despite her intention to remain strong for Tommy.
"Mom," the tall teen said softly, hugging her protectively. "It's okay, it'll be okay, you'll see. It's just all a big mistake. It has to be."
But by that afternoon they had discovered it wasn't going to be as easy as Roland had assumed. He came home at three, disgruntled and angry, to close himself in his office making calls. That evening Victor Manning came over to meet with him, carrying a sheath of papers and sporting a solemn expression.
Tommy had stayed home all day with his worried mother, offering what comfort he could. Though Virginia was an excellent mother, and a hard worker, she didn't always deal well with stress, and having her husband arrested during breakfast definitely qualified as a stressful event. The teen had also felt the emotional toll of the day's events, which left him feeling adrift in a sea of confusion. He loved and respected his father above all others, and seeing him arrested had shaken him badly. Needing reassurance that things were returning to normal he wandered down to the study to check in with his dad, and paused by the partially-closed door.
"I can't believe these charges. It's just incomprehensible to me that anyone can take them seriously. Rape? Child molestation?" Roland's voice was filled with the confused self-righteousness of a person who feels he's being falsely accused.
"Well, the Scott boy was seventeen at the time of the alleged attack," Victor pointed out.
"I know that, Victor," Roland snapped testily. "And the Cranston boy is eighteen. I know that too. I also know I didn't lay a hand on either one of them, let alone RAPE them."
"Easy, Roland. I know that. But if they decide to carry on with this charade, there will be twelve other people you will need to convince. We need to start planning for that contingency. It would help a lot if you had a witness for last Saturday, but since you don't, we'll have to do some work to offset that."
"Dammit, I know those kids, what are they trying to do?" Roland groaned as he collapsed back onto his chair.
Tommy barely registered his father's comment; his mind was reeling from what they had said before. Jason? Billy? They were the ones who were accusing his dad of this? That couldn't be true. Ignoring the rest of the conversation, Tommy stumbled back to his room numbly, unaware that somewhere along the way he'd started to cry.
PRPRPR
"Come on, Billy, let's stop by the Juice Bar, okay?" Jason asked his companion as they walked along a quiet street near the park. Yesterday the two of them had been called down to the police station to pick out their attacker from a lineup, going in separately to ensure the integrity of the results. Jason was encouraged to see his friend had actually seemed to take some comfort in the proceedings, in knowing they were doing something to 'strike back' as it were.
"I don't know, Jase. What if Tommy's there? I'm not really up to seeing him," Billy demurred. "Or to telling the team what happened."
"We're going to have to see them sometime, Bro. And I suspect they may be getting worried about you. Besides, I'm looking forward to meeting Kat and Tanya. I've heard some very good things about them," the former Ranger grinned, trying to lighten his friend's mood.
The former Blue Ranger sighed. "Okay, I guess we could see if they're there. But I don't want to talk to them about what's going on, okay? I just ... just don't feel ready for that."
Jason nodded in agreement. He was impressed, very impressed actually, with how well Billy was doing. He'd seen the rape counselor a couple of times the previous week, and was now on a regular schedule, which Jason thought was a wonderful idea. Sure, there were plenty of signs that the former Blue Ranger wasn't sleeping very well, but that was to be expected. Jason remembered all too well the bad dreams he'd had. Still had, in fact. But Billy was overall coping much, much better than Jason had expected.
The previous day, after picking Roland out of a lineup, the two of them had talked about Tommy. They were both dreading facing their friend, knowing that the sometimes volatile teenager would not be pleased with their accusations. Jason in particular hoped there would be some way to salvage their friendship, but he was too much of a realist to expect that would be possible.
What, and how much, to tell the team was another consideration. They had finally decided a 'need to know' basis would have to work. The radio and TV stations had already reported the arrest of Roland Oliver, so there were bound to be questions, concerns.
"Truthfully, I'm not ready to tackle that either. But, we really should at least stop by and say hello," Jason said.
It was early enough that the Youth Center was not very busy yet, much to both boys' relief. Spotting the team, sans Tommy, sitting at the usual table, they strolled on over as casually as possible.
"Whoa! See, Adam, I was right. He still is alive," Rocky announced, looking up at Billy and Jason with a grin. "Pull up a chair and sit down. Adam here was convinced Billy had died and Zordon had buried him under the Power Chamber."
Adam blushed faintly at Rocky's comments. "I was just concerned when we didn't see you around last week. When I called your house, your dad said you weren't feeling well."
"I wasn't. Jason, you remember Rocky and Adam? And this is Kat and Tanya," Billy said, indicating the two girls, neatly cutting off the questioning regarding his time off.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Jason said, shaking hands with both girls and giving them the benefit of his warm smile.
"Oh, the pleasure is all ours. We've heard a lot about you," Tanya replied with a grin.
"What are you doing back here anyway?" Rocky asked, taking a sip of his vibrantly orange smoothie.
"Just wanted to come back for a visit," the first Red Ranger answered smoothly.
"So, how's Geneva?" Adam asked, smiling.
Jason launched into an abbreviated version of his and his friends' escapades, generating several rounds of laughter as Ernie delivered a special smoothie to celebrate the return of one his favorite customers. They were so intent on their conversation the teens didn't notice Tommy's approach until he sat down across from the two former Rangers.
"Jason, Billy, you guys need to come with us to the Power Chamber," he said with quiet urgency.
"Why? What's up?" Jason asked, giving Billy a puzzled look, which the teen genius mirrored.
"I think Mondo put you under some sort of spell. I mean, something's going on, it has to be. Though it's not like Mondo to involve our families, " the Red Ranger commented. He had spent a sleepless night trying to figure out why his two closest friends had made such outrageous allegations against his father, and a spell was the only thing that made sense to him.
"What are you talking about? What did Mondo do to involve our families?" Though, Jason was starting to suspect what Tommy was talking about.
"Why else would you accuse my dad of such a thing?" the Ranger leader explained reasonably, still looking about nervously to ensure no one could overhear them.
Jason shot an apologetic look at Billy, then turned to Tommy. "It has nothing to do with a spell, Tommy. I'm sorry, man, but ... no spell."
"Come on, Jase! There's no way my dad did something like that. No way at all," he insisted stubbornly.
Jason shook his head slowly. "Tommy, I know this is hard to deal with, and I'm sorry, but Mondo had nothing to do with it."
"If it's not a spell, then you two are trying to frame him, and I for one want to know why," the tall teen countered, growing angry.
"Tommy, it was no spell, no conspiracy, we're not framing him. It happened, just as we reported it ..." Jason started to explain, anger creeping into his tone as well.
"That's impossible. I refuse to believe it," Tommy's tone had turned icy as he interrupted the former Ranger.
"Then I suppose there's nothing I can do to change your mind, and I won't even try, but we reported exactly what happened," Jason countered.
"Shut up!" Tommy smacked his hand down on the table, startling all of them and drawing some curious stares. "Just shut up! He didn't do it. You two are lying and I want to know why! What do you think you're doing? How could you do this?"
"Don't you dare accuse us of lying ..." Jason began, his temper finally getting the best of him.
"Stop it!" At the sound of Billy's voice the other two turned to him in surprise. The teen's face was deathly pale, his eyes desperate. "It happened! It happened, and your fighting won't change that! Nothing can change that!" He suddenly leapt to his feet and ran toward the exit, bumping roughly into Bulk, who'd just entered.
"Watch out," the bully began, but he didn't bother to finish the sentence since Billy was already out the door.
"Billy! Dammit! I hope you're happy now!" Jason all but shouted at Tommy, before running out after Billy.
"I can't believe those two! And I thought they were my friends," Tommy exclaimed, standing himself and striding quickly out the door.
The four remaining teens looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Is it just me, or do the rest of you have no idea what just happened here?" Tanya asked at last, looking around at her companions who had sat silently during the heated exchange.
"It's not just you. I think it had something to do with Tommy's dad being arrested. I heard about it on the radio this morning. But I don't know what the charges are. Maybe we should go find one of them and find out what's going on?" Adam suggested.
"Sounds good to me. Let's look in the park, maybe Billy and Jason headed that way," Rocky suggested.
The teens headed toward the park in a group, not talking much, each of them trying to make sense of the scene in the Juice Bar. It was obvious that Tommy was angry with Jason and Billy, and that they were equally angry at Tommy. But it made no sense to them. Jason had been gone for the past year, and until last week Tommy and Billy had gotten along great. What could have happened to put them at each other's throats that way?
"Look. There's Billy and Jason," Kat said at last, pointing to a distant, secluded table. "Come on."
They walked up to the table cautiously, allowing the two teens to see them approaching. They weren't sure why, but they felt sneaking up on Jason and Billy would not be a good idea. They noticed that Jason had calmed down completely, and that Billy, though he looked quiet enough, had red-rimmed eyes, as if he'd been weeping.
"Um, guys, what just happened there?" Rocky asked hesitantly.
Jason sighed deeply and looked questioningly at Billy. At his friend's nearly imperceptible nod, Jason spoke.
"Why don't you guys come on and sit down, and I'll try to explain. I guess you should hear the story from us before any rumors reach you."
Jason looked around at the faces of the current Ranger team, wishing he knew them a little better. He'd met Rocky and Adam briefly before he'd left, but they'd not had enough time to really get to know each other. And, of course, today was the first time he'd seen the two girls. He sighed again, wishing Billy was capable of talking about this, since he knew them all so much better. But one glance at the troubled face of his friend told him there was no way Billy was up to that task.
"Tommy's upset with us because ... well ... we're sorta the reason his dad got arrested," he said at last. "See, last year ... before we left for Geneva ... his dad tricked me into coming over to his house. Tommy wasn't there," Jason paused again in his halting explanation, trying to figure out how to say what he needed to say. No matter how often he'd had to explain this - to Trini and Zack, to the therapist, to his parents, to the police - he still nearly lost it every time. "And ... well .. .he attacked me. He ... it ... it was sexual, you know? And last weekend ... Billy ..." he stopped there, seeing from the horrified expressions around him that he didn't need to continue. They got it.
"My God, why?" Adam asked in a shocked tone of voice.
"I have no idea," Jason replied quietly, feeling a surge of relief that they believed him.
The other teens were silent for a few minutes, uncomfortable, trying to process the fact that two former Rangers - two former leaders in fact, since Billy had pretty much led the team during the period time was reversed - two FRIENDS, had been raped by another friend's father. It was upsetting, and confusing, in a way they couldn't quantify.
"Didn't you ever, I dunno, suspect something was up? I mean, you're a black belt, you're pretty strong, couldn't you get away from him?" Rocky asked tentatively.
"Don't you think if I could have I would've?" Jason snapped furiously, then paused, taking a deep breath when Rocky flinched. "Sorry. It's just ... no, I couldn't. He used chloroform or something like that. Some liquid on a rag. God, just like in an old movie or something. It happened so fast. And when I woke up, I was tied down. I was helpless ..." Jason's voice trailed off as he gazed into the distance, fighting to keep his voice steady.
"Sorry," Rocky mumbled, looking extremely uncomfortable. "That was really stupid of me."
"It's okay. Natural question, I guess," Jason sighed. "And, no, I never suspected anything. Mr. Oliver had always seemed so normal, so nice. I trusted him."
"Me, too," Billy agreed in a barely audible voice. "He shoved my head into the door, I remember that ... guess it knocked me out. Then ..." he looked away, unable to continue, tears flooding his eyes.
"Oh, Billy," Kat said sadly, laying a soft hand on Billy's shoulder. None of them missed how the team genius flinched at the gentle touch.
"And Tommy never knew." Adam's comment was half observation, half question.
"I don't think so. I hope not," Jason replied. The thought that his friend might have knowingly turned a blind eye to what had happened made Jason feel sick. Being a victim of Roland's violence was one thing, but if Tommy had somehow set them up ... that was something Jason just couldn't fathom. He couldn't ... wouldn't ... believe Tommy capable of that. There was just no way.
"I'm sure he didn't," Tanya agreed, understanding Jason's feelings. "If you don't mind me saying so, you seem to be dealing with this very well."
Jason gave her a small, grateful smile. "I've been in therapy for a while, it's helped." He knew it wasn't something Tanya particularly needed to know, but he wanted to keep reinforcing Billy on that point.
Kat had kept her hand on Billy's shoulder, almost feeling his struggle to not pull away from her. Sensing it was time for a change, she dredged up a cheerful voice.
"You guys want to join us in a game of volleyball? We were discussing doing that earlier, before you two got there. Three-person teams are better than two-person ones," she wheedled, forcing herself to sound as normal as she could.
Jason looked to Billy again, gauging how he was holding up. It was his first time in public since the attack, and Jason didn't want to overdo it, knowing all too well that even among friends it was stressful. But Billy just gave him another subtle nod, accepting the invitation.
"How about boys versus girls?" Jason asked with a grin, knowing full well what they were doing, and appreciating the gesture more than they knew.
To be continued...