"Hey, guys, we ready for lunch?" Rocky asked as he and Adam and Tanya rejoined the group at the entrance to the food court.
"As soon as Kim and Billy show up. Kim's probably still trying on stuff," Zack grinned.
"We may never get lunch," Rocky wailed dramatically, generating laughter form the assembled teens.
"Maybe I can run over and get you a chili corndog to tide you over," Tanya offered with a knowing grin. That was one of the few things Rocky wasn't likely to eat after having gotten thoroughly sick on one.
"That's mean, Tanya, teasing a starving man," he shot back with a grin.
"Maybe we should save some seats before the place gets any more crowded," Trini suggested practically.
"I don't think so. I think we may have a problem," Jason said, his expression troubled. The others turned to follow his gaze and saw Kimberly hurrying toward them in obvious distress, tears still visible on her too pale cheeks.
"What's wrong? Where's Billy?" Jason asked, grabbing her shoulders in a tight grip.
Kimberly looked up at him with such a distressed expression he found he couldn't maintain any anger he'd been feeling. But the dread and fear were worse than ever.
"We ... we didn't see them! We were hurrying, we were going to be late and we never saw them until be literally ran into them ..." the brown-haired girl explained.
"Ran into who?" Jason demanded, fearing the answer.
"Tommy and his dad." Her voice was a mere whisper.
"Billy came face to face with Roland Oliver?" Jason asked tersely.
"Yes."
"Oh, shit," the former Ranger leader mumbled, closing his eyes. "Where's Billy now?"
"I don't know. He freaked. He ran off. I tried to follow him, but he was too fast. We have to find him, Jason," Kim pleaded with him, tears again running down her face.
"Show us where it happened, which way he went," Jason ordered, falling immediately into leader mode. He refused to let his mind dwell on the fact that Billy was somewhere in this unfamiliar mall, terrified and alone. He knew what a flashback was like, and his heart ached for his friend.
They all followed Kimberly to the corner where they'd encountered Roland and Tommy, then she indicated the west wing of the huge complex.
"He ran down that way, but I couldn't keep up with him. He's gotten a lot faster," she explained in a shame-faced manner.
"It's okay, Kim. We'll find him. We'll have to split up. Kim, you and Adam go into the shops on this main corridor and see if they've seen Billy. Rocky, you and Tanya check the bathrooms and other out-of-the-way places. Zack, you and Kat look into the off-branching corridors and shops. Trini and I will check the outside perimeter of the building. Once you've covered your territory, go to the parking lot and start there. I'm thinking he may have gone for outside. If you find him, get the others, okay? And be aware he may be very confused, very scared. If he's huddled somewhere, don't try to force him to move. We'll deal with that when we find him, okay? Come on, guys, we can do this," he declared, pleased that they all accepted his leadership so easily. This would not have been a good time for a conflict.
Jason and Trini didn't talk as they searched the outer perimeter of the mall first, looking in every nook and cranny for their missing friend. Trini knew Jason was extremely upset, but didn't quite know how to broach the subject without setting him off.
"Jason, we'll find him. Billy's smart, he won't do anything to hurt himself," she tried to reassure him, breaking the now awkward silence.
"I know that, Trini, when he's in his right mind. But you know as well as I do if he's in the throes of a flashback, he's not in his right mind right now. And he's in an unfamiliar place, which just happens to be huge," Jason sighed, running his hands through his hair.
Trini stopped and stood in front of her companion, placing her hands on his broad shoulders. "Jason, what's really going on here?" she asked, her calm eyes meeting his tormented ones.
"God, Trini. Why didn't I report the attack right away? If I'd done that, none of this would be happening! Billy'd be safe. But all I cared about was myself, and what happened to ME, and I didn't consider he might hurt someone else. Now Billy's paying for that!"
"Stop it!" Fueled by her exasperation, the slender Asian girl managed to shake the much larger teen. "This is NOT your fault! Jason, you did the best you could. You were hurt, you're human. You don't know the future, and you had no reason to believe he'd go after someone else. You are not at fault here. Roland Oliver is the only one at fault, and don't you forget it, Jason Lee Scott!"
Jason blinked at her outburst. "But," he began.
"No buts! It. Was. Not. Your. Fault. End of story," she lectured him in an implacable tone.
"Yes ma'am" Jason smiled faintly, giving in to her insistence. But in his heart he still felt the sting of guilt. If only he'd spoken up sooner, taken Janette's advice and told his parents what had happened! Every time he thought about what Billy must have suffered at the hands of the man, Jason had to fight a wave of crippling despair. He forced his mind away from that train of thought, concentrating instead on the search.
"From what I remember, the fear becomes literally paralyzing quite soon," he commented. "He wouldn't have run very far."
"But, he would try to find a place to hide, and there are plenty around. He always was best at hide-and-seek," Trini commented absently. She was a lot more worried about Billy than she'd ever been about Jason. The former Blue Ranger simply didn't have the same inner strength Jason did.
They had almost completed their circuit of the building when Adam ran up.
"We found him," he called out, his good news at odds with the look on his face.
"Where is he?" Jason asked anxiously.
"Would you believe in the car?" The teens had come to the mall in a van and a car, borrowed from the DeSantos and Hillard families.
"Thank God," Trini breathed. "Is he okay?"
"I don't think so. He's huddled in the backseat, shaking like a leaf, and won't let anyone near him," Adam reported, with a worried expression.
Jason and Trini exchanged a grim look. "It could be worse," Trini replied. "It could be much worse." They hurried to where the others were standing around the silver car.
Kimberly was trying to coax the terrified boy out of his hiding spot with no luck, and she turned toward Trini with an anxious look.
"I know it's getting hot in there, but he won't budge. If I try to get in he freaks out. What can we do?" She was trying valiantly to be calm, but her emotions were getting the best of her despite her efforts.
"Let me try," Trini said quietly. She opened the door and looked inside, her heart clenching at the sight of her longtime friend huddled into a miserable ball, trembling visibly. He'd managed to cram himself into the small floor space between the backseat and the back of the driver's seat, curled so much his knees were nestled under his chin. As Kim had noted, the car was stiflingly hot.
"Hey, Billy," Trini said softly. "Mind if I keep you company for a while?" She kept her voice soft and soothing, speaking of ordinary things, trying to calm the young man with her voice and manner.
"Should we call an ambulance or something?" Kimberly asked, taking her cell phone from her handbag.
"Can I borrow that? I have an idea," Jason requested. He punched in a series of numbers then held the phone to his ear. "Mom ...?"
PRPRPRPR
The seven teenagers stood watching the car pull away toward the exit, their expressions a combination of horrified sorrow and guilty relief. Claire Scott had shown up with her husband and Lawrence Cranston, and between them, and Jason and Trini, had finally managed to get Billy out of the car without having to resort to brute force.
The last they'd seen of the former Ranger, he'd been clinging to his father, sobbing quietly and continually while Lawrence, who appeared to have aged a couple of decades in the last two weeks, tried his best to comfort him. Jason, who had been getting steadily more upset, left with his parents and the Cranstons. It was a brutal, stark look at the effect Roland's attack had had on their friends, and had left all of them badly shaken.
"Oh, God, I feel awful," Kim moaned, her expressive eyes reflecting her misery. "It's all my fault."
"No, it isn't, Kim. It's none of our faults. There is no way we could have predicted this would happen," Trini spoke forcefully, and took in the whole group with her stern look. "I think we better sit down and talk about this. Jason and Billy are going to need us, more than you can imagine, and I think it's only fair you know what you may be getting into beforehand. Unfortunately, Zack and I have some experience in this," she concluded, sharing a rueful look with Zack. "Let's go ahead and get the lunch we planned, okay? We can talk there."
"I'm not exactly hungry," Kim mumbled, her arms still crossed over her midsection, as they had been for the last few minutes.
"Then get something cool to drink," Trini suggested, putting a comforting arm across the smaller girl's shoulders and gently urging her back toward the mall, with the rest of the teens quietly falling in behind them.
Once everyone had collected their lunch, they gathered at a large table a bit away from most of the diners. Though the food was good, and it had been a long time since breakfast, no one had much of an appetite.
"When ... how ... did you find out about Jason?" Tanya asked finally, breaking an uncomfortable silence.
"When? About a month after we got to Geneva. He'd managed to hide what had happened to him, from just about everyone except himself," Trini told them. "As for how, I think that's Zack's tale."
"And thank you for that fine introduction, Miss Kwan!" Zack said with a dramatic flair, earning a round of wan smiles from the other teens. "As she said, though, it was about a month after we got to Switzerland. We were finally getting used to not having the Powers; I know you all know how hard that can be. Plus, we were adjusting to all the pomp and circumstance of our job there. And believe me, there was plenty of pomp, if not that much circumstance. I swear, sometimes I just wanted to jump up on a table and start dancing, just to loosen those people up.
"Anyway, after a particularly tight-assed day, Jase and I were back in our room, and I just had to do something, so I flung a pillow at him. That's all it took to get him going. He was flailing away at me with his pillow, while I was going after him, both of us laughing like loons. It was great. Such a great release for that sort of day, you know? Then he managed to grab my pillow away, and turned his back to me, trying to prevent me from getting it back. Well, I did the most natural thing in the world, something I'd done to him when roughhousing time and again, I jumped on his back to reach my pillow. Next thing I knew, I was almost literally peeling myself off the wall. I swear, he threw me halfway across the room."
Zack paused in his story and took a long sip from his soda, his eyes sadder than they had ever seen. "I was pissed, let me tell you. I looked around to tell him off, and there he was, huddled in the corner by his bed, shaking and shivering, making this horrible moaning noise. God, it scared me almost senseless to see him like that. Jason's always been the strong one, you know? Didn't get scared, was always calm. Seeing him like that, well, it was more than upsetting. I went over to him, to tell him it was okay, and when I tried to touch him, he WHIMPERED. Jason. Jason doesn't whimper. I called Trini, 'cause I didn't even know who else to call. I hadn't really paid attention at orientation. We spent that night getting him calmed down, he'd freak even more if we tried to call anyone, and he promised us he'd see the therapist that they had available for us delegates. He did, too. And kept seeing her. He told us about what Roland Oliver did a few weeks later. He cried when he told us." Zack's eyes grew distant. "I think that's what I can't forgive Mr. Oliver for - he took Jason's strength away, his confidence. He's fought so hard to regain them, and he never should have had to."
The others were quiet, lost in thought. Zack let them have all the time they needed to process what they'd heard.
"Is ... is that the only time he's had an incident like that?" Katherine asked hesitantly.
"No, there have been others, though not as bad. There are certain things that will trigger one. Cornering him. Certain chemical smells. Jumping on his back is really not recommended. I would imagine tying him up would not go over well. And, he has a lot of bad dreams. In the beginning, after he started therapy and working through things, they came nearly every night. They tapered off gradually; last one I know about was two weeks before he left. I'd imagine they are a little more frequent now, being reminded all the time by being around Billy, and by preparing for this trial," Zack explained.
"If you want to be there for them, support them, you have to understand there will be the occasional ugliness, like what happened today," Trini informed them.
"What did happen today? I'm a little confused about that," Rocky admitted. "I mean, I understand that the sight of Tommy's dad made him remember ..."
"He probably did much more than remember," Trini interrupted him. "He flashed back to the actual event. From what Jason explained to me once, a true flashback is like being there again, experiencing all the pain, all the emotions - hate, fear, horror, humiliation. The only thing you can think of is to flee, to get away, to keep it from happening again. At least in the beginning. When he started working through therapy, and dealing with what had happened, then other reactions set in."
"Yeah," Zack agreed. "Gotta admit I really don't like that anger reaction. He was a lot easier to deal with during the fear stage."
"My God, are they ever going to be normal again?" Kat asked, looking distraught.
"Normal? Yes. Like they were before? Probably not. They were hurt in ways that are hard to comprehend. Besides the physical aspects, their trust, their belief, their innocence, as it were, was all destroyed. Yes, they will recover, but it will leave a lasting mark," Trini explained.
Kimberly stared into the depths of the soda she was slowly sipping, stirring the straw around in a distracted manner. "This just sucks, you know? They didn't do anything to deserve this. We fought more monsters than I can even recall, and now it turns out the most dangerous foe we had was Tommy's father? That just doesn't compute, you know?"
"What can we do for them? How can we help?" Adam asked quietly.
"Be there if they need us. That's the only real thing we can offer. Our support. Our understanding. If they want to talk, listen without judgment. If they don't, don't press them. Jason tended to talk AROUND it, hints and veiled references. I don't really know how Billy will react. My guess, if I had to make one, is that he won't talk about it. It's his nature usually to keep things to himself. However, his therapist may have something to say about that. And, of course, there's the trial to consider. That's going to be hard, no matter what," Trini postulated.
"Geez, I wonder how today's incident is going to affect Billy's ability to testify," Rocky wondered aloud as the others looked at him thoughtfully.
Though no one had said anything yet, Trini could feel the group drawing together, and hoped that they could supply enough support and encouragement to get their two friends through the upcoming weeks.
PRPRPRPR
Richard Perkins hung up the phone with a muted curse, startling Don Bradford who happened to be walking by Richard's open office door.
"Whoa, Rich! Naughty language at this time of the morning? Must have been a doozy of a call," he teased his coworker.
"Oh, it was. About the Oliver case," he muttered.
"Something wrong?" Don asked tersely, entering the room fully. He'd spent a lot of time already interviewing potential witnesses, seeing if there were any other victims out there. Though Don tried not to take it personally, Roland Oliver had stepped on a lot of toes over the time he'd been in practice in Angel Grove, and the detective didn't mind the idea of the man taking a fall. Roland had never been accused of any sort of professional misconduct, but he was very dedicated to winning his cases no matter who he might inconvenience in the process. And Victor Manning was even worse.
"Yeah. Though I can't really place any blame, much as I'd like to. Jason and Billy's friends decided to invite them to spend Saturday at the mall in Stone Canyon, with the whole 'gang'. Seemed like a good idea, right? Should be safe enough, right? Wrong. Seems Oliver and his son had the same idea," he paused.
"Which one encountered them?" Don asked, sensing where this was going.
"Billy."
"Ouch. How'd he react?"
"A full-fledged panic attack. Took the other kids a half hour to find him after he ran off, another half hour to 45 minutes to talk him out of his hiding spot in the car. His father says he's been a total basket case since then. The therapist who's been working with him, Barbara, saw him both Saturday and Sunday, and she's livid. Says all the progress they'd made was pretty much out the window," he sighed.
"Oh, boy, that isn't going to help the case much if he can't testify. Plus, you know, I just feel sorry for the poor kid. Goes out to have some fun with his friends, and this happens," Don noted, shaking his head sadly.
"Doesn't seem quite fair, I agree. Dammit, Barbara's last report on their progress was so encouraging! Well, I guess all we can do is go onward. And there is still a month to work on this. Maybe the kid will rebound. In the meantime, did you give me the reports on your preliminary interviews? I should start lining up character witnesses," the attorney mused.
"In the file. You have some good ones to pick from. And, you know, the two friends of Jason's in Switzerland? They are back in town, as is another close friend, Kimberly Hart. I interviewed her in Florida, she's Tommy Oliver's ex-girlfriend. No problems with Roland, but she did spend a lot of time around there before she moved. More to choose from," Don reported.
"Good. Though, from what I'd already found out about the boys, I expected to find good character witnesses, and plenty of them. I'm going to see if I can get a teacher or two, maybe even the principal. The two kids who were chosen for the Peace Conference would be excellent as well. The sticking point now is if we can get Billy in condition to testify. Barbara said she'd step up the sessions as much as she can, but it's not something that can be pushed too much. Let's meet on this case tomorrow," Richard suggested, consulting his calendar. "Say, at two. Bring your notes, and let's get the strategy down."
"Got it. Tomorrow, then, for the Oliver case. Now, you needed a report on the Stevens case, right?..."
PRPRPRPR
Trini had correctly figured both Claire and Joe were at work when she rang the doorbell at the Scotts' house. Jason answered the door dressed in his usual shorts and tank top, his body gleaming with a liberal coating of sweat. Obviously he'd been working out in their home gym.
"Trini, hi. Come on in," he invited with a smile, gesturing for her to follow him back out to the garage where the machines were set up.
"Working out again? I thought you were supposed to take days off in between sessions?" she queried, tilting her head a bit.
He gave her an abashed grin. "You are. But ... well ... working out makes me feel a little better," he shrugged, looking away from her with a closed expression.
"Jason Scott, you know better than to try to take that attitude with me. And you know you are supposed to talk about what's on your mind, not try to turn yourself into Arnold Schwarzenegger. You're still upset about Saturday, aren't you?" she asked quietly.
He let out a sigh, knowing he couldn't hide from his friend. "Yeah, I guess I am. Sometimes ... sometimes I just ... the memories ..." he looked away, unable to continue, sitting down on the weights bench.
"And, you still feel responsible. Oh, Jason, what am I going to do with you?" She stepped up to the burly teen, placing a gen0tle hand on his broad shoulder. Jason responded by reaching out and pulling her down on his lap where she could wrap her arms around his neck.
"Well, you could consider kissing me," he suggested, enfolding her slight body in his strong embrace.
"And just what exactly would you tell your parents if they happened to come home and find us? You haven't told anyone, have you?" she asked, somewhere between teasing and serious.
He flushed a little, looking away in embarrassment. "I don't know why I haven't. I'm certainly not ashamed of what we've done, our relationship. But, I guess I figured my folks have enough to deal with right now. And we haven't exactly decided what our relationship IS anyway, have we?"
"No. Friends for now, I'd say, very INTIMATE friends," she said with a warm smile. "Let's get past the upcoming unpleasantness, then we can decide if we are meant to be something more. Sound reasonable to you?"
His eyes took on a glow she couldn't help responding to as he said huskily, "Very reasonable." He pressed his lips against hers in the gentlest of caresses, halting further discussion. The feathery touch was quickly intensified to a passionate exploration of each other's mouths, their hands roving over now-familiar and welcome territory, sliding under clothing to gloss over warm, smooth skin.
For a little while at least, the two lovers forgot what had happened in the past, forgot what was going to happen in the future, and concentrated on a very pleasurable present.
PRPRPRPR
It was one of those perfect Angel Grove afternoons; bright, clear and mellow. Kimberly was desperate to get out to enjoy it, finding the temperate weather a welcome relief after the heat and humidity of Florida. Not really in the mood for company, she headed out to the park, intending to take a nice long walk and simply relax. School was letting out early all that week for extracurricular activities since it was the last week of the school year, so the park was already fairly crowded. She hurried past the more popular areas and settled down to a comfortable stroll once away from the crowd.
Lost in her thoughts and pleasant daydreams, she didn't notice the tall figure rapidly approaching until he was quite close. It took only a second for her to recognize it as Tommy, out for a jog. She stood her ground and let her former boyfriend approach.
Tommy slowed, then stopped, looking at Kimberly with a neutral expression. "Hi, Kim," he said awkwardly.
"Hi," she replied, just as awkwardly, remembering their former ease with each other with a pang of regret. "Glad to see you out and around."
"I needed to get out, and figured I wouldn't run into anyone here," he explained.
"Funny, that was my plan, too. Though I'm glad I ran into you. I've been worried about you." She fixed him with a warm, concerned look.
"Why? Just because my two best friends are trying to destroy my father?" he asked scathingly.
Kim looked at him closely. "Do you really believe that?"
He met her eyes frankly, his expression filled with painful anger, then he broke the contact, his head falling forward as he sighed deeply. "No ... yes ... I don't know. My first thought was that they were under a spell, but Zordon couldn't find a trace of one, and now any further investigation that way is unavailable."
"You did have them scanned?" she asked, a bit surprised.
"Yeah. Had to argue like crazy to get Zordon to go along with it. They both came up clean." He paused, his eyes again seeking out Kim's. "Kim, my dad wouldn't do that, I know he wouldn't. I understand they were hurt, I really do. I saw the look on Billy's face Saturday, but ... I swear to you, my dad couldn't have done that."
Kim considered him solemnly. "Oh, Tommy, this is such a mess. I guess if it was my dad, I'd feel the same way."
"So you're siding with them," he concluded bitterly.
"I'm not 'siding' with anyone. I don't know what happened, I wasn't there, only the participants know for certain. I do know Billy and Jason don't lie, especially about something like this. If you want to know the truth, I'm hoping for a mysterious 'third party' to show up and be at fault. Someone who could easily be mistaken for your dad. A clone even ..." she trailed off thoughtfully.
"Sorry, Kim. I ... uh ... I had Zordon check for that, too. It's my dad, not a clone," he smiled ruefully at her. "But, the fact you even considered that ... well ... thank you. It means a lot to me."
"Somehow it will work out, Tommy. You have to believe that," she said with quiet conviction, laying a small, warm hand on his arm. He closed his own hand over it as he considered her.
"Thank you. I've ... I've missed you. Somehow, no matter what was going on, you always found a way to make it better," he said so softly he might have been speaking to himself.
"I know I really hurt you with that letter. I'm so sorry, Tommy. I was in danger of washing out of the team, and Coach Schmidt told me I was too distracted, that I had to simplify my life, cut out everything that wasn't directly related to my gymnastics. You were one of those things. I regretted sending it as soon as it was gone, I was such an idiot," her voice trailed off.
"Kim, you have to give it your all, I understand that. I want you to have your chance to prove to the world just how talented you are," he stopped when he saw the tears in her eyes. "Kimberly, what is it?"
"I didn't make the team. I got cut last month," she confessed. "So it was all for nothing, after all."
In an act that was as natural as breathing, Tommy pulled Kimberly into a gentle, comforting embrace. "I'm sorry, Kim. I know how hard you worked for that, how much it meant to you."
"I was stupid to even think I had a chance," she muttered, her voice muffled by Tommy's shoulder.
"Kimberly Ann Hart, don't you ever say that! You're one of the most beautiful, talented people I've ever known, and if they didn't realize that then it's their loss," he declared emphatically.
She pulled back a little to look up at him. "That's sweet, thank you." She sniffed delicately then smiled a little. "Aren't I supposed to be comforting you?"
"We'll comfort each other," he decided, releasing her reluctantly.
"Sounds good to me," she smiled, taking his hand. They began to walk through the park, along the paths they'd strolled when their relationship was just beginning, rarely speaking, both simply enjoying being in each other's company.
PRPRPRPR
The buzz of the intercom interrupted Richard Perkins from his perusal of the various reports spread all over his table. He hit the reply button impatiently.
"What is it, Brenda?" he asked distractedly.
"The Scotts and Cranstons are here for their meeting with you," his secretary announced calmly, used to his sometimes abrupt manner.
"Already? Oh, it's two. Please show them in," he requested, scooping the papers back into their files.
He looked up with a smile at the five people with whom he'd be spending a significant amount of time in the next few weeks. "How're you folks doing?"
Various murmurs sounding vaguely positive greeted his question, as he looked them all over appraisingly. Jason and his parents seemed to be doing well, perhaps a little tense, but that was to be expected under the circumstances. The same could not be said for either of the Cranstons, however. Lawrence looked tired; signs of depression making him seem much older. Billy frankly looked like hell. It didn't take a detective to see the kid wasn't eating well; he'd struck Richard as slim but well built when they first met; now the boy could at best be described as outright thin, his blue eyes dull and surrounded by dark circles that told of a long spell of sleepless nights.
Keeping his pleasant expression firmly in place, Richard cursed inwardly. If Billy didn't make significant progress during the next four weeks, there was no way he could risk putting him on the witness stand, and the attorney knew the case would be lost before it began if either boy could not testify. The police had not found one clue at the scene of the assaults, outside of the fact there was a table down there. But there was no way to know if anyone had been tied to it, or assaulted on it. No other victims had been located, if they even existed. The two teens' testimony was crucial.
"I thought we'd get together and go over what we will be doing to get ready for court, and what we plan to do once the trial begins. First thing is, starting next week, I'm going to interview character witnesses for you two. I'd like to line up at least one teacher, maybe the principal of the school. Is there a minister or priest who would know either of you well enough to testify?"
"The minister, Roy Callahan, at the Methodist Church has known Billy since we moved here," Lawrence supplied.
"And Father Giovanine at the Catholic Church knows Jason very well," Claire chipped in.
"Great. The first ones will be witnesses basically telling the jury that Jason and Billy are good kids, don't lie, don't get in trouble, that sort of thing. Then we want to bring in witnesses to what was done. The doctor and a couple nurses from the hospital, the paramedics as well. During their testimony the pictures taken at the hospital will be shown to the jury. Jason, I'm sorry to put you through this, but I need for you to be examined by a proctologist to determine if there was any lasting damage from when you were assaulted; if there was, that will be discussed. Then we'll present reports from Jason's therapist from Geneva, plus Barbara, of course. The two friends from Geneva who helped Jason through his therapy, Trini and Zack, is it? Some expert witnesses to talk about rape, the physical and psychological effects. After that testimony you two will take the stand. Jason first, then Billy. Do you two know how the questioning works?" he asked gently.
"Yeah," Jason replied while Billy nodded mutely.
"Good. Before you testify, we will have practiced; I'll try my best to prepare you for what the defense attorney may ask. It's going to be very hard for you both, I won't lie about that."
"Do you think we have a chance of winning?" Jason asked abruptly.
Richard paused to think about it. "Yes, I do. But a lot will depend on how you two do on the stand. We never found any evidence in the basement, so it's your word against his at this time. But that's often the case in these sorts of situations. Are you having second thoughts?"
"No. Not really. I still don't want him to ever do this to anyone else," Jason said slowly.
"Billy?" the lawyer asked quietly.
"No. No second thoughts," he replied softly.
"Okay, then. We will proceed as if we know we're going to win," Richard declared, opening his note pad and poising his pen for work. "Let's decide on some potential witnesses, and I'll start calling tomorrow."
PRPRPRPR
"My meeting with Mr. Perkins is at two thirty," Trini told Jason, her nervousness evident even over the phone lines.
"Trini, he's really nice, you'll like him," Jason reassured her.
"I know, you said that. But, this is serious, Jason. It makes me nervous. And, I think I'm going to tell him about us. I think I need to," she all but whispered.
"Trini, if you think that's what you need to do, you know I won't object. It's not like I'm ashamed of what we've done," he replied.
"I know. And I think he'd rather know now, than to find out when I'm testifying under oath at the trial. Which means I should also tell my parents," she said.
"And I mine, I guess. Oh, boy, like they haven't had enough surprises recently," he commented ruefully. "But, for what it's worth, I think you're right. We pretty much agreed to not keep any secrets from him and Don Bradford, the detective. I'm sorry I left that for you, though quite honestly I didn't think about telling him. I just didn't see any reason."
"That's okay, Jason. I can handle this," she said stoutly. "I'll call you later tonight and let you know how it went, okay?"
"Sounds good. Good luck, Trini, and also, thank you. I suppose I haven't said it recently, or enough, but thank you for everything," he said huskily.
He could hear her smile over the phone lines. "You're welcome. I'll talk to you later. Okay? Bye," then the soft click of her hanging up. Jason set the phone back on its cradle and remembered how it had been, and how it started...
Four Months Before, Geneva...
Jason looked at the empty bed on the other side of their dorm room and sighed. Zack was off on another of his beloved theater field trips, this time to Spain, an activity Jason found to be boring in the extreme. He turned his attention back to the book he was trying to read, finding he'd completely forgotten what was supposed to be happening in the story.
Ten minutes later he decided he simply wasn't going to be able to stand being in that room another moment, so he went in search of Trini.
He found his pretty friend in her room, sitting quietly on her bed with tears drying on her cheeks.
"Trini! What happened?" he asked, sinking down beside her and taking her hand in his.
"Hi Jason. Nothing, really ..." she started to murmur, but he interrupted her.
"Trini, 'nothing' does not make you cry. Did you get bad news from home?"
Mutely she handed him a crumpled piece of paper. He opened it and read it quickly, frowning as he went.
"Oh, man, I'm sorry. For what it's worth, Richie's an idiot for doing this," he said, looking at her intently.
"No, he's not. I understand his reasons, really. But ... I had hoped it would work out. I was really looking forward to seeing him again this summer, I'd built up all these dreams of how he'd greet me, how he'd sweep me up in his arms and tell me he missed me, how he'd kiss me right there in front of everyone like Tommy used to do with Kimberly. Guess that's not going to happen; I feel like such an idiot," she sighed, fresh tears slowly creeping down her face.
Jason didn't stop to think about it, he simply reacted by reaching out to draw the slender girl into a warm embrace. She let herself relax into his arms, hiding her face in his neck while he gently rubbed her back in a soothing manner.
He didn't realize it, but it was the first time since Roland's attack that he'd reached out to someone else's pain, forgetting his own problems. All his innate concern for others, somehow muted by the attack and the aftereffects, finally came to the forefront again. He tried to figure out what they could do to take Trini's mind off Richie's unceremonious dumping of the pretty Asian girl.
"You want to go out for one of those godawful coffee things you like so much?" he asked with a grin when she seemed calmer. As he had hoped, his unconventional invitation brought a smile to her face.
"Gee, Jason, spending all this time in a foreign country sure has made you sophisticated," she smiled, unable to resist his grin.
"Yep, the folks back home will be mighty impressed," he laughed, puffing out his chest in mock pride. "Come on, before I change my mind and we end up with hotdogs or something like that."
They ended up at the small café near the dorms, sipping espresso on the open patio, and people-watching. They didn't talk much, Trini was in an introspective mood and Jason had never been that good at small talk. The fact that they were together was enough.
Afterward, Jason escorted her to her dorm room, pausing to look down into her almond eyes with a look of warm concern. "You going to be okay?"
Trini's smile was both grateful and a bit sad. "I think so. Thank you, Jason. Would ... would you like to come in for a minute?" She'd enjoyed their evening and found she didn't want to be alone.
"Sure," he replied easily, entering the room and taking a seat on one of the motel-style chairs. Soon they were chatting about one of the recent seminars they had attended, chuckling over some of the more absurd ideas they'd encountered.
"Guess I should get going before your roommate comes back," Jason said at last, rising from his chair.
Trini rose with him. "She's on the same fieldtrip Zack is. The place is mine for tonight." She looked up at Jason then stepped a little closer. "Thank you, Jason," she said, reaching up to kiss him on the cheek.
Later neither one could really say exactly how that chaste peck on the cheek turned into an anything but chaste French kiss which turned into so much more, until Trini touched a spot he wasn't expecting and he flashed back to his assault.
"Oh, God, Jason!" she gasped, releasing him at once. His face had turned deathly pale, his eyes were terror stricken behind a glaze of tears, and his breath starting to come in short, panicked gasps-his mind had brought back up Roland Oliver and what he had done to Jason that day in the basement. In an instant, pleasure turned to terror as the young man experienced a vivid flashback.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he muttered repeatedly as she cursed herself for a fool. She had known, dammit, known what had been done to him. Though he'd never specifically said, she had done some research and from what she'd learned had guessed that what Tommy's dad had done to him. She should have realized touching him that way could cause a problem.
"No, Jason, I'M sorry," she said softly, staying close but not touching him. "I should have realized, not gone so fast."
"I wasn't even thinking of what happened," he murmured, not responding to her comments yet. "I'd forgotten ... until you touched me. This is so stupid!"
Trini reacted instinctively, putting her arms around Jason in an effort to comfort him, feeling the tremors that had started running through his body. She had seen him have flashbacks before, and understood that he would need time to calm back down, so she didn't press him with questions but simply provided the solace of her touch and understanding presence.
At last Jason's breathing returned to normal and the tremors ceased, only to be replaced by a dull flame of embarrassment and a resigned feeling that he'd never be 'normal' again.
"I'm sorry, Trini, I didn't realize ... I should have known this wouldn't work," he muttered.
"Yes, it will." Her adamant tone brought his eyes to hers, torn between astonishment and shame. Trini smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
"Jason, so you had a flashback. It's completely understandable under the circumstances. I'M the one who should apologize. I shouldn't have just touched you there without warning, I shouldn't have gotten so carried away," she countered. "He touched you that way, didn't he?"
Jason nodded miserably. "When he was finished. He made sure I ... I reached completion, to humiliate me, I guess. Seems it worked real well."
Trini reached out a gentle hand and lifted Jason's head so he was looking at her. She spoke gently, but firmly. "Jason Scott, you stop that. Right now. Roland Oliver is not going to win, we've all agreed to that; you and me and Zack. He's not going to ruin your life, much as it seems he wanted to. Now, tell me something: do you wish to continue?"
Tormented dark eyes met hers with surprise and no small amount of respect. "I'd like to, yes. But, I don't know if I can," he admitted at last, glancing down at his now flaccid organ.
"I think you may be surprised," she smiled reassuringly.
"Let's try this again, okay? But first, you need to realize my touching you is not the same as when he touched you. I know Zack helped you get past the problem with being touched, especially from behind. But, correct me if I'm wrong, touching you intimately was not part of the program," she said lightly. He blanched suddenly at the image that produced, a spasm of fear crossing his features, and Trini could have bitten her tongue.
"I'm sorry, Jason. I didn't mean to make light of what you're going through."
"It's okay, Trini, I know you aren't," he reassured her.
"Now lie back here comfortably. How about I give you a massage first, to help us both relax a little? Sound good?" she asked. At his nod she rose to her knees beside him, reaching over to the bedside table and fumbling with something there. The soft, faint scent of roses reached him and he understood she was using some sort of lotion. She started on the front of his shoulders, correctly figuring that was a safe area for him. As he relaxed under her hands, she moved her attention to other areas, finally getting him to roll over so she could massage his broad back. She giggled as a low grumbling sound of pleasure issued from the now thoroughly relaxed former Ranger.
"Roll back over, please," she requested, backing away a little to allow him to do as she asked. She was pleased to note he was showing the beginning signs of renewed interest in the proceedings and decided it was time for them to try again.
"Jason, look at me. Keep looking at me, and understand that you are being touched by someone who cares about you, cherishes you, and would never hurt you," she said soothingly, reaching out to again caress him. He flinched, the nightmares again in his eyes, but she continued to talk to him quietly, reassuring him, insisting he look at her. It worked. Soon the only thing in those midnight orbs was renewed desire.
It wasn't long before his natural generosity and concern asserted itself, and the warm hands reached for his petite partner, drawing her closer. His eyes glowed with lust as he began a gentle exploration of the various delights that were Trini, until together they reached heights they'd not known existed.
"Gives a ... gives a whole new meaning to 'morphinominal', huh?" she giggled at last, giddy in the afterglow.
"Oh, yeah," he mumbled, turning to her again. He raised himself above her and tenderly kissed her. "Thank you."
She ran her hands over the planes of his face, looking him in the eye. "In case you didn't notice, I enjoyed myself quite thoroughly. Thank YOU."
They cuddled for a time, before retiring in turn to the small bathroom to clean up, returning to the bed where they slept in each other's arms, content and happy.
To be continued...