The teens sitting at the corner table of the Youth Center Juice Bar were uncharacteristically quiet and subdued. Ernie served them without comment, knowing what was going on, and lamenting the problems that had befallen his favorite group of teens. He was a bit surprised to look up and see Jason and Billy quietly heading toward the table, stoically ignoring the abnormal silence their presence seemed to cause. It was their first time in public since the case had gone to court. The other teens greeted them warmly, and soon the pair was safely absorbed into the group.
"How are you two doing?" Kimberly asked, giving them both intent looks.
"Okay," Jason mumbled in tandem with Billy's muttered 'fine'.
"Well, that was convincing. Not!" she sassed back at the boys, hoping to elicit at least a smile. The faint grins that greeted her bantering reply were better than nothing, she supposed, but not by much.
"We just wanted to see if we could come out in public without being harassed, I guess," Jason said quietly, the oddly defeated look in his eyes bothering them all. Though they wouldn't say so, that look from Billy was much easier to take than from self-confident, upbeat Jason.
"Well, so far so good," Zack declared, forcing a jovial tone.
"May have spoken too soon," Adam said softly as Bulk and Skull approached the table. The teens tensed, expecting unpleasantness.
"Jason, Billy, we just wanted to say ... that is ... we ... well, we did a little investigating on our own. You know we're detectives now, right? Well ... we investigated but couldn't find any other witnesses. You know, to back you guys up. But ... you know ... if you need any help or anything, we're around," Bulk said, looking a little uncomfortable while Skull nodded his agreement. "We think what happened, well, sucks. And if we can do anything to help you guys, we will. Right, Skull?"
"Right!"
"Thanks," Jason said in a surprised tone, oddly touched by the former bullies' show of support.
"Thank you," Billy added softly as the two looked around the table sincerely. Satisfied, they wandered off, leaving slightly shocked expressions behind them.
"That's not something you see every day," Rocky said at last. "Wonders never cease."
"A lot of things have changed since we've been gone, and that's one of the strangest," Trini agreed, looking pensively after the two.
A more comfortable silence fell over the teens after that, each lost in their own thoughts.
Trini was looking at Billy with a sense of sadness, seeing how the former Blue Ranger was suffering, and remembering Jason's struggles. The two were as different in their reactions to Roland's attack as they were in their innate personalities. Jason's reaction to the turmoil had been to throw himself into their duties, and when that wasn't feasible, to engage in more strenuous workouts than usual even for him. From what Trini could see, Billy was brooding, and definitely not eating. She knew that when Billy got extremely upset he couldn't eat, and given the fact the situation was more stressful than it had been for Jason, Billy's reaction was unavoidable. But none of that made it any easier to see her gentle friend looking like a concentration camp survivor as he toyed with his smoothie without actually drinking it.
Zack remembered all the fun the three of them had had growing up; the stronger Jason their unofficial leader, Billy their unassuming 'idea guy'. The three of them had spent years together; playing, planning, growing, learning. Whenever one had been hurt, the other two were there for him; they covered each other's tail ends as a matter of course. Now he felt as if his two closest friends were being taken away from him, that no matter how hard he tried, he'd never be on an even footing with them again. And that hurt, more than he thought possible.
Dreading the next day, Kimberly wished she could just go away somewhere and avoid the whole situation. Along with Adam and Rocky, she was expected to take the witness stand on Monday in defense of Roland Oliver. She realized, after the mess on Thursday regarding the letter Billy had written, that Victor Manning was going to go after her, wanting to know if there'd ever been anything between them. She hated this whole situation - the fact that her two friends had been hurt in any manner. But the sullying of Billy's crush on her bothered her even more in some ways. That something so innocent was being made into something to be used against the quiet teen was simply wrong, as far as Kim was concerned. And she was also worried about Tommy. She'd surreptitiously watched him the week before, and his look of dismayed anger had cut her to the quick. It was easy to overlook, but he was yet another victim of the situation.
If Kim dreaded testifying on behalf of Roland Oliver, Rocky and Adam were positively infuriated about having to do so. Adam, who'd forged a strong friendship with Billy right from the start, was consumed with an uncharacteristic rage every time he considered what Roland was accused of doing. And, Adam fully believed Billy and Jason's claims against the man, knowing they didn't lie. But, neither did he, so he was going to have to take the stand and recount how he'd spent time in the Oliver home, including one afternoon alone with Roland waiting for Tommy to arrive, and had never once seen anything out of the ordinary, nor been subjected to anything even resembling improper behavior from the attorney.
In some ways, Rocky was more torn than the others. He believed Jason and Billy, yes. But during the last few weeks he'd done an about-face concerning Tommy's role in the situation. He'd encountered Tommy alone one afternoon, at the local grocery store. Unnoticed by the former Ranger leader, Rocky had been free to observe Tommy closely, and what he saw spoke of the other teen's pain and anguish over what had happened. Finally, unable to watch the depressed teen slump around the market alone any longer, Rocky had approached his friend and struck up a conversation. Tommy had seemed almost pathetically glad to have someone to talk to, and Rocky found himself reevaluating his initial assessment of Tommy's guilt in the matter. All the former Ranger wanted now was a solution that would cause the least amount of pain to any of his friends; Tommy, Billy or Jason. He wasn't sure what that solution might be, but he wanted it with all his considerable heart.
Despite warnings that the testimony would likely be quite graphic, Katherine had managed to sit through both Jason and Billy's turns on the witness stand. She hated her instinctive reaction to what had been done to the two teens, but was unable to change it. The whole situation ... even the idea of the situation ... sickened her. She looked at the two teens sitting quietly at the table, and found her mind superimposing an image of them tied down, naked and vulnerable. The two images were too much at odds with each other, creating a strange sort of stress she couldn't explain and didn't like. She honestly wondered if she could ever look at the two young men again and not be reminded of what they had disclosed in court and the images her mind conjured from that testimony.
New to the team, new to the town, a young woman out of place in unfamiliar surroundings, Tanya had been basically thrust into the role of impartial observer, giving the more emotionally-involved teens someone to unload on when a release was needed. For her part, she believed Billy and Jason, if only because Victor Manning's scenario was unlikely in the extreme.
"I, for one, will be very grateful when tomorrow is finally over and done with," Rocky said at last, breaking the long silence.
"You and me both," Kim agreed emphatically.
"Yeah. I'll be glad when the whole thing is over and done with," Jason agreed with a sigh. "It's been a lot harder than I expected it to be."
"You know, right, that it wasn't our idea for us to testify?" Rocky asked abruptly.
"Yeah, man, we know. And it's cool, we understand, right Billy?" Jason replied easily.
"Yeah, you guys don't have any choice," Billy admitted, looking especially at Kimberly. He knew as well as she did what she was likely to be asked about, and despite her kindness on Thursday evening he still felt incredibly guilty.
"I suppose we should get some rest, so we're fresh and ready for the morning," Adam sighed, setting his empty glass aside and preparing to rise.
"I guess so," Rocky agreed in a subdued voice, getting up as well. That seemed to the be signal they were all waiting for, and they rose as a group and headed out the door, pointedly ignoring the whispered comments that followed them.
PRPRPRPR
"To recap this, Mr. DeSantos; have you spent any time alone with Roland Oliver? At the Olivers' home?"
"Yes, sir."
"Did Mr. Oliver, at any time, act inappropriately? Attempt to harm you in any way?"
"No, sir."
"No further questions,"
"Does the prosecution wish to cross-examine this witness?"
"No, Your Honor."
"The witness is excused."
Rocky sighed and rejoined his friends. Adam and Kim had already finished their turns on the stand, and all three looked like they wanted to lash out in their frustration. The questioning had been done in such a way it made them sound like staunch supporters of Roland Oliver, which of course, had been Manning's plan.
Kim in particular had had a rough time with Victor Manning, who went after her with terrier-like tenacity. He seemed to be determined to make the former Pink Ranger appear to be a part of a romantic triangle created by an emotionally unstable genius. His questions were phrased in a manner that there was no way for her to answer that didn't make it seem incriminating somehow. By the time the defense attorney was finished with her, she was almost in tears from her frustration, and murmurs of displeasure could be heard throughout the audience.
After the lunch break, the defense called Megan Campbell to the stand. She was the current captain of the cheerleader squad, and a former friend of Kim's from when the one-time Ranger had been into cheerleading. She testified that Kimberly had indeed known about Billy's crush, and had admitted as much to the other cheerleaders. Megan indicated it had been quite the joke amongst the squad that the class geek had the hots for Kimberly. Billy kept his head down to partially hide his embarrassed blush as Kim entertained thoughts of revenge against her erstwhile friend.
Following Megan were three other former classmates, all of whom described incidents of odd behavior on the part of Billy Cranston, including a couple of things from when Kimberly occupied his body, when he and Zack were under the spell that made their teammates appear as putties, and a few other incidents - all of which could be traced back to Ranger-related events. As the embarrassing litany went on and on, Billy looked like he wished the floor would open up and swallow him whole. A few of the recollections involved Jason as well, but for the most part they focused on Billy.
Sitting on the other side of the room, Tommy was experiencing mixed feelings. He had enjoyed the testimony on Friday - the parade of people who had spoken so adamantly and eloquently of his father's good works and contributions to the community. That had left him feeling so proud of his father, and shored up his flagging faith that he had chosen the right person to invest his faith in. But this day's witnesses were not nearly as uplifting an experience. Tommy did believe in his father's innocence, and he was angry that Jason and Billy were 'attacking' him as it were, but that didn't mean he wanted to see Billy publicly humiliated, and he knew full well the reasons behind Billy's behavior in the situations mentioned. Tommy had too deep a sense of honor and fairness to be comfortable seeing someone's motivations and behavior misinterpreted in such a manner. And the way Victor Manning grilled Kimberly infuriated Tommy. Kim had been the first one to come to his defense, and he found it especially galling that she was being harangued, even if it was in an attempt to defend his father. So despite the fact the witnesses were probably helping his father's case, he still sat and stewed in anger as they afternoon droned on.
PRPRPRPR
Richard Perkins entered his office that Monday evening after court let out, discouraged and frustrated. The day's testimony had been a wallow in emotional muck, as far as he was concerned. What really irritated him, however, was that it may well have worked. Kindness and compassion aside, the Billy Cranston represented by the day's witnesses was a strange, disturbed young man who sounded like he was teetering on the edge of madness. Someone who very well could make up an incredible story of an attack such as he suffered, just to exact revenge on someone he perceived as a romantic rival.
The weary attorney propped his elbows on his desktop and cradled his aching head in his cupped hands. Focusing on trying to relax his mind, he was badly startled when his door burst open and Don Bradford all but catapulted in.
"Rich, you won't believe what I found out!" he exclaimed excitedly.
"Give me a minute to start my heart beating again and I'll want to hear all about it," Richard groused good-naturedly, unable to resist his friend's excited good mood.
"How'd court go today?" Don asked with some concern, not liking the expression on the attorney's face.
"Bad. Bunch of former classmates, most of whom made Billy look like a prime candidate for a straitjacket. What'd you find out? Something we can hang these bastards with, I hope."
"I think so. I just met with Barbara, and she thinks we can do it. Says it all makes sense, now. I've got all the notes and stuff here for us to go over," Don explained, pulling out his notebook, which was filled with his hasty scribbling.
"Donald," Richard said with considerable amusement. "You ever hear of this wonderful new invention? It's called a tape recorder, and detectives are using it all the time to record fascinating stuff, like this conversation with the priest."
"Ah, I hate those things. They run out of tape, or the batteries die, or they malfunction. Taking notes is much surer. Now, you want to lecture me on 'Questioning Techniques 101', or you want to hear what I found out?" the detective asked with some asperity.
"I'm all ears," the attorney said, turning his full attention to the detective. Within minutes he realized exactly how big a breakthrough the detective had made, and before he went home shortly after midnight, they'd formulated a plan to use it to best advantage.
PRPRPRPR
"The defense calls Roland Oliver to the stand."
The atmosphere in the courtroom was electric. Since the testimony of the two teens the previous week, those who had been following the case closely had been anticipating Roland taking the stand. Victor Manning began slowly, skillfully laying down the groundwork; a portrait of a civically-minded attorney, a devoted husband and father, a good and dutiful son. Everything from his being an Eagle Scout, through his stellar academic career, to a recap of his charitable activities was laid out to support the defense's position that Roland Oliver would never hurt anyone, least of all a teenager.
Finally Victor turned to the events in question.
"Do you recall what you were doing on the day you allegedly attacked Jason Scott in your basement?" he asked.
"I'm sorry, nothing stands out in my mind of any significance for that date, it's been over a year, after all. I know I didn't spend it having sex with a seventeen-year-old, of that I'm quite certain. But exactly WHAT I was doing I'm not so sure about."
"What was your opinion of Jason Scott?"
"I always liked Jason. He seemed to be a wonderful friend for Tommy, helped him fit in here at Angel Grove High, accepted him into his circle of friends. We moved quite frequently when Tommy was younger; it wasn't always easy for him to make friends. It was gratifying to see him fit in so quickly here, and I attributed that to Jason's influence."
"Did you ever have any problems with Jason? Cross words, confrontations of any sort?" Victor continued.
"No. As far as I knew, we always got along just fine."
"How about William Cranston? Did you get along with him?"
"Billy? Sure. He was a lot different than Jason was, of course. Not as athletic, more passive, I guess. Maybe not exactly who I would have guessed would get close to Tommy, but I liked the young man," Roland explained.
"What did you do on the day William was allegedly beaten and assaulted in your basement?" Victor asked.
"Let's see. Tommy and Ginny had gone to Stone Canyon to shop. I stayed home; I'm not much of one for shopping. My wife and I have a deal, I make the money, she spends it," he grinned disarmingly, garnering a small spate of laughter. "Anyway, as I recall, I spent the morning looking over some legal briefs, catching up on my reading and such. That afternoon I indulged in a movie, 'Beau Geste.' Wonderful movie, the one with Gary Cooper and Robert Preston. Ray Milland. They don't make them like that anymore. I didn't even go into the basement, let alone drag an unconscious boy down there and ravish him."
Roland Oliver was doing exactly what he and Victor had hoped he would do. He was coming across as a kindly, fatherly man, indulgently fond of his son and the son's friends, calmly certain he hadn't hurt anyone.
"Let's just make this very clear, okay? Did you anesthesize and rape Jason Scott?" Victor asked in conclusion.
"No, I did not."
"Did you beat and rape William Cranston?"
"No, I did not."
"No further questions at this time."
Victor had been quickly efficient in his questioning; there was plenty of time before lunch for the cross-examination. Richard Perkins approached calmly, his body language carefully non-threatening.
"Where did you attend high school, Mr. Oliver?" he asked.
"Glendale High School."
"Were you a popular student there?"
Roland gave a self-depreciating chuckle. "No, indeed. Definitely one of the outsiders, as it were."
"But you did have friends?"
"Sure. A few, at least."
"Would you name those few for us, please?" Richard requested.
"Hmmm. There was Jack Snowden, Mickey Turner, Martin Stevens, and Charlie Evanston. Does that help you in any way?" Richard was unimpressed by Roland's supercilious tone.
"Have you kept in touch with any of these friends?"
"Well, I see Martin from time to time, he's a sales representative for a hardware chain. Otherwise, no, I haven't seen any of them in years."
"Ah, well, in case you've ever wondered ... Charlie Evanston is a cook at a Denny's restaurant, Jack Snowden's in jail, and Mickey Turner became a priest. And as you indicated, Martin is a sales rep. A fairly successful one at that, though that doesn't really compare with being an attorney, does it? But you left one name off your list, Mr. Oliver. Dennis Ayers. You remember Dennis, don't you?" Richard asked pointedly.
"Objection, Your Honor. This line of questioning is irrelevant," Victor called out, not liking the expression he saw flit over Roland's face.
"I ask the court's indulgence. The purpose of these questions will become clear in a few minutes," Richard countered.
"Overruled. You may continue, Mr. Perkins, but please get to the point of this."
"Thank you, Your Honor. Now, we were talking about Dennis Ayers, weren't we? You remember Dennis?"
"Now that you've reminded me, yes," Roland ground out.
"I'd heard you two were inseparable for quite some time," Richard commented. "Everyone thought you were the best of friends, closer than brothers. Would you agree with that?"
"I suppose so."
"What happened to that friendship?"
"We drifted apart. It happens," Roland explained as if speaking to a slightly dimwitted child.
"I've got a picture of you two, right here. From the Glendale High yearbook. See?" Richard retrieved the yearbook and showed it to Roland, who reacted as if the other attorney was attempting to hand him a snake.
"I want you to look at the picture, Roland, and tell the court why you two lost contact. You're under oath, may I remind you. Look at the picture!" he shoved the book in front of the reluctant witness who finally looked at the picture.
Roland paled considerably as he studied the yearbook picture, which showed him and a shorter boy standing with their arms around each other in a friendly way. The shorter boy had a muscular build, much like Jason, and fair coloring and light eyes, like Billy. From out of the pages of the old yearbook wafted the smell of old-fashioned mimeograph ink, heavy with memories.
"What happened, Roland? What happened between you and Dennis?"
"I told you, we drifted apart. We were teenagers, friendships can be transitory at that age." The man's voice was somehow less certain than before.
"I think something more than a simple 'drifting apart' occurred, Roland. You two worked on the yearbook together, didn't you?"
"Yes, I believe we did," Roland agreed reluctantly.
"And sometimes you had to work on it after school, so it would be finished in time, right?" Richard persisted.
"Yes. It was quite a responsibility, getting the yearbook out. We took it quite seriously." He was a bit paler than usual.
"Tell us what happened when you stayed after school with Dennis Ayers, to work on the yearbook. Tell us what he did to you in the darkroom."
"Nothing! Nothing happened!" Roland's white face was shiny with perspiration, his eyes the eyes of a trapped animal.
"You're lying, Roland, you know you're lying. Dennis assaulted you, didn't he? Right there in the darkroom where you guys worked on the yearbook. Didn't he?" Richard's voice was uncompromising and harsh.
"Don't be absurd, of course he didn't. That's preposterous," Roland tried to bluster.
"Is it? Seems you told Mickey a little about what happened, and he's of the opinion perhaps you should get some help. Mickey knew exactly what you were talking about, because Mickey spent his own time in the darkroom with Dennis. But the first step's admitting it happened."
"No!" More a desperate plea than a denial this time. Memories were coming back behind those haunted eyes, things the man had spent over two decades trying to deny, burying the memories deep. The sudden attack from the more muscular teenager. Being bent over and bound and used. Used so hard and so viciously. His strangled cries of pain, pleas for mercy, and Dennis's laughing snarl. Staring down at the faded linoleum floor, seeing a drop of blood splash, knowing it came from him. And over and above it all, the smell of mimeograph ink and darkroom chemicals.
"It happened Roland, you know it happened."
"No." Panicked.
"Yes." Implacable.
"Yes!" The word seemed to explode out of the man, leaving him oddly deflated in the aftermath. "Damn you, okay. Yes, he did. I trusted him, and he attacked me. I've never felt so ashamed of anything in my life," he continued. Once the memories had been released it seemed he was unable to stop talking. "He tricked me, I had trusted him, he tricked me and tied me up, and, oh, God, it hurt so bad. How could he do that? He was my friend!"
"Why did you assault Jason and Billy?" Richard asked before Roland or anyone else could stop his momentum.
"They would have hurt Tommy!" Roland shouted. "I had to keep them from hurting Tommy! I did it for him, so he wouldn't know what it was like to be hurt by someone he trusted. I had to hurt them before they could hurt him. You see that, don't you? It's the best way to handle this type of thing, an eye for an eye. It even says so in the Bible."
A hush fell over the courtroom, broken only by Virginia Oliver's surprised sob. It was as if the world stopped for just a moment in the wake of the shocking revelation, and the very air was crackling with tension.
Tommy's face was white and shocked, his eyes reflecting the devastating pain of his father's confession. In that one moment his world fell apart, and he buried his face in his hands to hide his tears as his mother began to cry. The teen had believed in his dad completely and the sense of betrayal was too much for the young man to bear stoically. And his father's claim that he'd done it for Tommy, that was salt in the wound, making him somehow responsible for the act that had so hurt two of his friends. The thought of Jason and Billy caused even more despair; how could he ever face them again? And underneath it all, an uneasy combination of pity and disgust for the teenager his father had been, and the man he'd become.
Jason and Billy both slumped in their seats with the sudden release of tension. For them Roland's confession was an unexpected gift, something they'd never expected. They hadn't been unaware of the fact their case had not been going well, and the fear that Roland would be found innocent, and their ordeals thereby negated, at least legally, had made the last few days a living hell for them both. They'd not even realized how much stress they were under until Roland's confession released them.
Behind the two teens, their parents were also experiencing a release of barely recognized tension. Joe realized that Don must have finally gotten some of those former friends in Glendale to talk, and the revelation he'd come up with was a brilliant surprise. He looked back toward the rear wall of the courtroom, where Don was usually lurking, and caught the man's eye. Joe gave him a smiling thumbs-up sign, grateful for what the dedicated detective had done.
Kimberly looked over at Tommy with tear-filled eyes, knowing his pain had to be almost unbearable. She knew, perhaps better than anyone, how Tommy's faith in his father was the only thing holding him up. Now with that gone, Kim was worried for him. She caught Katherine's eye and saw the blonde was obviously having the same thought. She found herself praying the former Ranger would let his friends help him through the pain.
Trini, Zack, Adam, Rocky, and Tanya all felt a sense of relief along with an aching sorrow. They were glad the trial was over, gratified that their friends had been vindicated, while hurting for Tommy and the damage this would do to his family. As they had feared, it turned out to be a no-win situation.
Victor Manning threw himself down on his chair in utter defeat, Roland's confession having taken him completely by surprise. Roland himself turned to his attorney, still trying desperately to make him, make someone, understand he had only done what a good father had to do.
"No further questions," Richard said softly, returning to his seat.
PRPRPRPR
It was the most natural thing in the world for them to meet again at the Juice Bar after court was dismissed. Jason and Billy had left together with their families, presumably to discreetly celebrate the end of the trial. Tommy and his mother had been spirited away by family friends, who had formed a human wall of protection around the distraught woman and her son. And the seven former Rangers who'd loyally attended every day of the trial decided to have their own post-trial get-together at their favorite table.
"Can you guys believe it?" Rocky asked in wonder, rolling his glass between his hands.
"Incredible," Tanya agreed. "I honestly thought they were going to lose after the testimony Monday made Billy look like a mental case. Did he really do the things they talked about?"
Zack and Trini both laughed at that. "Oh, yeah, and then some. Being Power Rangers caused all of us to do some very odd things now and again," Zack told her, looking around to be sure they wouldn't be overheard.
"Sorry I ended up missing out on that," Tanya murmured, only partly in jest.
"Yeah, we had some good times," Rocky agreed. "Guess that's all over with now. The gang's never going to be the same."
Kat laid her hand on Rocky's forearm. "We can still all be friends, Rocky. It will just be a little different, that's all."
"A little different? Can you really see Jason, Billy, and Tommy getting together any time soon? Why didn't Roland just name Tommy his accomplice? I mean, geez, what a thing to lay on his son. 'I hurt your friends for you.' Pretty much a copout on what he did," Rocky pointed out.
"I don't think it was a copout, Rocky. I suspect Mr. Oliver honestly didn't even remember what he did, or why he did it. His confession was not faked, I'm sure of that," Trini countered.
"Fake or not, copout or not, it doesn't matter. Tommy is totally devastated by this. I saw the look on his face. God, this is going to kill him," Kimberly moaned.
Trini reached over to put a comforting arm across her friend's shoulders. "He'll be okay, Kim. You know how strong Tommy is. This is hard, sure. But he can and will get through it. I just hope they don't send his father to prison for years."
"Why not?" Adam demanded, his expression angry. He ignored the comforting hand Tanya put on his shoulder. "That man hurt Billy, hurt Jason, hurt his own son even, when you get right down to it. And you don't think he deserves prison for that?"
"I don't think his going to prison will help anything. You heard what he said, the same thing happened to him when he was a kid. It's a vicious cycle, Adam. A kid is molested, and grows up to molest. It happens all too often," Trini said calmly.
"Are you suggesting Jason or Billy would ever do anything like this? Come on! They know firsthand how terrible it is," Rocky pointed out.
"No, I'm not suggesting Jason or Billy will go on to molest someone else. Mainly because they're both getting help. That's the huge thing, right there. Besides, I'm guessing Mr. Oliver never intended to do what he did. I don't think he's a vicious person at heart. He acted out of the damage done to him years ago. He does deserve some compassion," Trini stated.
"Hmph. I find it hard to be compassionate to someone who tied down and beat and raped one ... two ... of my friends," Adam countered.
Tanya sighed sadly. "Then be compassionate for Tommy's sake? His dad going to prison isn't what Tommy needs, either."
"I just feel so bad for all of them. I know it's foolish, but I kept hoping somehow they'd find out it really hadn't happened," Kat said softly. She looked around and had to smile at the expressions that greeted that confession. "I know, it wasn't going to happen, but I could hope, couldn't I?"
"I just think it's important to remember they are all our friends, and we need to be there for them. All of them, if they'll let us. There wasn't a winner in this situation, just losers," Kim said, looking around at the group. They all fell silent, considering her words.
"You got that right, Kim. No winners in this one. But we still are their friends, so we'll stand by them, right?" Zack asked, glancing around. He picked up his smoothie and held it aloft. "No matter what, we're all friends."
The others raised their own glasses with the quiet exclamation of "Friends!"
PRPRPRPR
Roland's confession had made any decision by the jury a moot point, and the judge had declared sentencing would be done in two weeks' time. The former Rangers had tried to contact Tommy in the nonce, but he made himself unavailable, and avoided all contact with his friends. Outside of that the group of former Rangers began to get on with their regular lives again as summer began to mature. Several of them would be attending Angel Grove University. Rocky was going into business for himself, and Jason was helping him get that started. He and Trini began to date 'officially', much to the gang's delight. Trini had decided to forgo returning to Switzerland, as had Jason, but Zack planned to make his decision at the end of summer. Billy was still seeing Barbara frequently and looking at different colleges to attend.
In the wake of his dramatic confession some facts about what happened finally became clear. Roland had honestly not remembered the attacks on Jason or Billy, but had committed them in a sort of blackout state. Dennis Ayers had been killed ten years before, his bullet-riddled body found in an alley in Elko, Nevada. His murder remained unsolved. It turned out he had not only assaulted Roland, but Mickey Turner and Jack Snowden as well. Mickey had gotten counseling, and turned to his faith to get him through, but Jack hadn't been so lucky and was now serving a life sentence for murder, on top of a string of sexual assaults he'd committed over a five-year period.
The courtroom was filled to capacity the day Roland was due to be sentenced. The bailiff brought him out to his seat beside Victor Manning, and he looked over at the two teenagers sitting once again with Richard Perkins. Judge Addison looked at Richard first.
"Before sentencing, does the prosecution have anything to say?" he asked.
"Yes, Your Honor. I would like to read a statement prepared by the two plaintiffs." The Prosecutor stood up and began to read from a typed sheet. The two teens had labored over the statement with Claire Scott's help for several hours until they got down what they felt needed to be said, in as formal a format as they could manage.
"When we first decided to press charges against Roland Oliver, we had two primary goals in mind: affirmation that harm had been done to us and assurance that the same harm would not be done to anyone else. With his confession in court we got the first thing. There is no longer any doubt that a crime was committed against us, and who committed that crime.
"The second point is not so easy - how to prevent this from happening to anyone else. Sentencing Roland Oliver to prison will assure that for a few years at least, he cannot hurt anyone else. And the odds are he'd be quite punished, probably brutally so. But we can't help but wonder what's the benefit in that? The long-term benefit. There's none we can see. The Oliver family will be devastated; he'd probably come out of prison with more problems than he went in with. So, while we can admit the idea of Mr. Oliver being punished is something that appeals to both of us, too many innocent people will suffer along with him to make us comfortable with that solution.
"Plus, there is a fact that we cannot overlook. We both had help available to us to assist us in dealing with what happened, and families who love us and supported us when we needed it. From what we understand, Roland Oliver at age seventeen didn't have that option. His fear and pain were never assuaged, he had no one to turn to for help. When you really consider it, the late Dennis Ayers is the one who started the chain of events, and who knows what event in his life led to his assaulting Roland. What we do know is the cycle has to stop somewhere. Sometime, the hate and fear and violence have to end. It might just as well be now. It is our belief that with time and treatment, Roland Oliver will not represent a threat to society, but will in fact offer a great deal of good in the future.
"With this in mind we respectfully request Roland Oliver not be sentenced to a punitive prison sentence, but to a period of confinement in a treatment center, specializing in the treatment of sexual disorders. It is our hope that his future will not be sacrificed due to the pain of his past, and that from these devastating events some small good can arise.
"Respectfully,
"Jason Scott and William Cranston"
There was a thoughtful silence in the court as Richard finished reading. "It's signed by both plaintiffs, " he said, handing the document to the judge. Judge Addison looked over the letter, then rested his gaze on the two teenagers.
"You two really feel this way, huh?" he asked gently.
"Yes sir," Jason replied firmly as Billy nodded beside him.
Sitting behind Roland were Virginia and Tommy Oliver, and they both looked over at the two former Rangers with grateful expressions.
"Thank you. Counsel, does the defendant have any statement to make?"
"Yes, Your Honor, I do." Roland stood up before Victor Manning could speak.
"I just want to say I'm sorry. Truly sorry for what I did." He forced himself to look at Jason and Billy. "I hurt two innocent people with my actions, and I recognize that nothing I can say or do will reverse that. And for that I'm sorry, more sorry than I can ever express. When I was practicing as an attorney, I heard my fair share of confessions, and expressions of remorse, and never fully understood just how sincerely they can be meant. What it's like to stand on this side of the fence, and know I've caused irreparable harm to someone. It's a horrible feeling." He seemed to rouse himself from a sort of reverie. "I'll abide by whatever the court decides is fair and judicious punishment for the crime I have committed. Thank you." He sat down and stared at his cuffed hands.
Judge Addison sat thinking for a few minutes, thumbing through the case file. Finally he looked up with a slight frown. "Will the defendant please rise. Roland Oliver, you have been found guilty of one count of rape, one count of assault, and one count of child molestation. Given the unusual and extraordinary circumstances of this case, I am moved to leniency, however. You are to be sentenced to a period of not less than six months in a treatment facility, at which time your case will be reviewed and the issue of further confinement decided upon. Your attorney has requested that said confinement be executed at a facility in Kentucky, I believe. That is acceptable to the court, and is where you are hereby committed until such time as the counselors there declare you no longer a threat to society. This case is closed."
PRPRPRPR
Two days after the verdict was passed Virginia and Tommy Oliver left Angel Grove for Kentucky, and the house where Roland defended his son against a nonexistent threat was put on the market. Tommy continued to cut off all contact with his former Ranger teammates.
A month later Billy Cranston left Angel Grove for New York to attend Columbia University, with a major in physics. His father moved to Oklahoma to take a position with a different retail chain store, and start night classes at a nearby university. He was finally pursuing the future he'd put on hold at Billy's birth.
Jason stayed in Angel Grove and attended the police academy there while still helping Rocky establish his dojo. After graduating from the academy, the younger Scott decided he needed a fresh start in a new town. He left Angel Grove three weeks later, after his application was accepted by the first city he'd applied at.
Eventually the sordid case of the local attorney who raped two teenage boys ceased to be a major topic of conversation in Angel Grove, and new horrors were found to captivate the citizens.
EPILOG:
Jason Scott let himself in his apartment and immediately crossed to the air conditioner and set it to high. Nine months of living in Phoenix and he still wasn't used to the heat. He quickly stripped off his uniform and jumped in the shower. He had just finished and was crossing to the bedroom to get dressed when a knock on the front door caused him to change course, wrapping his towel around his waist as he went. He took a quick look out the peephole and gave a gasp of happy recognition.
"I don't believe it!" he grinned, opening the door.
With a slightly cocked eyebrow Billy gave Jason a teasing once over. "Interrupting something? I could come back later," he offered with his own grin.
"Don't you dare! Come on in. What in the world are you doing in Phoenix?" Jason asked with a laugh.
"Just happened to be in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop by for a visit," Billy joked, his eyes alight with good humor.
"Billy, no one is ever just in the Phoenix neighborhood," he countered.
Beneath the good-natured bantering there was a more serious undertone. Earlier that day Jason had noticed the date, and his thoughts had been filled with his quiet friend, wondering how he was doing. It had been a year since Judge Addison had spoken the words 'case closed', signifying the end of a completely miserable chapter in their young lives. Jason hadn't seen much of Billy after that, and it wasn't that long before the blond moved to New York to start school and a new life far from California.
Looking his childhood friend over carefully, Jason was pleased to note the other young man had regained the weight he'd lost in the immediate aftermath of Roland's attack. The former Blue Ranger was once again lean but muscular, the lines of his face reflecting his inner calm. Jason flushed a bit, realizing Billy was returning the scrutiny.
"Caught me, huh? I was just thinking you look good. Better. How are you, really?" Jason asked with an intent look.
"Better. I'm still seeing a therapist in New York, but we seem to be winding down. Things got bad for me right after I moved there; homesickness, loneliness ... on top of the other issues ... well, it was hairy. But I got through. How about you?"
"Good. The force provides assistance if needed, but I've been okay."
"What happened with you and Trini?" Billy asked after a slight pause.
"She never wrote you? I thought she kept in touch. Well, it just didn't work out. I love her, but not that way, you know? Our breakup was amicable, to say the least," Jason reported quietly.
"I'm glad you were able to maintain the friendship at least. Though I thought you two made a good couple. And to answer your question, no, I didn't keep in touch. Have you?" he asked.
"As a matter of fact, yes. Mostly through Trini, but I know what everyone's up to."
"Well? Give me the scoop, man. The latest dish, I think it's referred as," Billy smiled.
Jason had to grin at that request. "Well, let's see. Tanya and Adam are a couple, both attending AGU with majors in communications. Rocky's dojo is doing great, he's got a government contract, would you believe? Keeps him very busy, and the business very much in the black. Trini is pre-law, getting ready to transfer this coming year. Kimberly is studying business and teaching gymnastics at Rocky's dojo. I understand they are also an 'item'. Oh, Zack got a job as a choreographer for a talk show. A huge break, or so I'm told. He's ecstatic. And Katherine is taking general courses at AGU, still undecided on a major."
"Given in true police report form, just the facts," Billy quipped, smiling at Jason's flush. There was one more person on both their minds, but neither one wanted to bring him up.
"Force of habit, I guess. You hungry? I haven't had dinner yet, and was planning to eat out. My treat," Jason invited.
"Sounds good, thanks. Any decent Mexican food places around? I'm dying for a good Mexican meal," the blond queried with a longing look.
"Absolutely. Just let me put on a few more clothes and we can be on our way," Jason replied,
"I was wondering if they required clothing in this town, seeing as how you seemed so comfortable wearing just a towel," Billy teased him.
"Smartass. I'll be right back," the burly young man mock-growled, heading toward the bedroom.
They kept up a steady stream of cheerful, bantering conversation as they ate a huge dinner in a small, out-of-the-way restaurant Jason had discovered. The atmosphere was friendly and casual, which suited their moods perfectly. Both were unconsciously sounding out the other, and frankly happy with what they were finding.
After dinner they returned to Jason's apartment and settled down with beers in the living room.
Conversation eventually flagged, and they sat quietly for a time, each lost in his own thoughts. It was, Jason decided, now or never, and he cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"Billy, there's something I have to ask you, and I want you to give me an honest answer. I've been afraid to ask this question for over a year now, and I can't stand to have it hanging over my head any more." He took a deep breath, and mentally braced himself. "Do you blame me for what Tommy's dad did to you?"
"Huh?" Billy asked, completely confused. "Why would I blame you?"
"Because I didn't report it when attacked me. If I had, you wouldn't have been hurt." Jason noted in a detached part of his mind that they both shied away from using the term 'rape.'
Billy looked down for a long time, thinking, while Jason waited, his heart beating painfully. "I suppose at some level, yes, I do blame you. Please understand, I don't want to blame you. I understand completely why you didn't report it. If I'd had any choice, I wouldn't have reported it either. Especially not right after it happened. God, that was awful, the whole scene at the hospital, then having to do the lineup. And Jason, I also realize you DID come back to report it, and I doubt I would ever have had that courage. So, I guess the answer is yes and no. Do I wish you had reported it and stopped Mr. Oliver before he could get me? Yes. Do I understand why you didn't? Yes. Am I harboring hatred for you in my heart because you didn't? No." Those warm blue eyes met Jason's dark ones frankly and without fear.
"Thank you," Jason said softly, his heart lighter than it had been in far too long.
"You're my friend, Jason, and have been for a very long time. I'm not ready to sacrifice that friendship to the likes of Roland Oliver."
The two young men regarded each other solemnly, until Billy smiled suddenly. "Before we start getting all sentimental and mushy, maybe we should have another beer?" he suggested with a laugh.
"Good idea," Jason agreed, standing to do just that when there was a knock on the front door. "Must be my day for visitors," he muttered as he took his customary look outside. He turned from the peephole and gave Billy an amazed look. "You aren't going to believe this." He opened the door.
"Tommy, come on in," he invited quietly as Billy came to his feet in the room behind him.
The tall young man, his trademark long hair trimmed short, stepped into the room self-consciously. He glanced quickly at the other two men and visibly gathered his courage to speak. "Jason. Billy. Good to finally see you," he said.
"Good to see you, too," Jason replied. "Come on and have a seat. I was just getting us another beer. Would you like one?" he offered easily.
"Yes, please," Tommy replied, taking a seat on the couch while Billy settled back down on the easy chair across from him. Jason returned to find his two friends both silently contemplating their feet.
"Well, this is fun," he quipped; handing the others a fresh bottle of local beer each. Slightly strained smiles met his comment.
"How've you been, Tommy? What're you doing these days?" Jason asked when the silence became too heavy.
"I'm doing okay. Taking classes at the community college in the town we moved to. Teaching at a local karate school at night. It's good, there. A good place to be," he said.
"How're your parents doing?" Billy asked cautiously.
"Mom's doing better. She, ah ... she started drinking a bit when the trouble hit last year. It got out of hand, but it's better now. Dad just got released. He's on really strict probation, until they tell him otherwise. He's looking for work, something easy, to just get used to being out again," Tommy reported.
"Good. Sounds like they're doing better," Jason said. He hated the awkwardness, the tiptoeing around certain subjects. They had once been the best of friends, able to discuss anything, any time. Each of them ready and willing at any moment to place their life and safety in each other's hands. Now conversation resembled navigating a minefield. They could barely look at each other. This just wasn't right; he wasn't quite ready to sacrifice their friendship to what had happened in the Olivers' basement.
"Guys, I can't do this any more," Jason said abruptly, causing the other two to look at him curiously.
"Do what?" Billy asked.
"Do this dance around each other. We used to be best friends! Now look at us. Afraid to say the wrong thing. Afraid to mention what happened to us. Hell, if I didn't know better, I'd say we're afraid of each other, and that's ridiculous." He took a deep breath and looked at his two friends. "Two years ago Roland Oliver bent me over a table and raped me. Last year he did the same thing to Billy. Because, as it turned out, someone had done the same thing to him years before. And we paid for that. We paid in innocence, in faith, and in trust. But I'll be damned if I want to pay in friendship as well. All three of us have lost a great deal in the last two years, and my gut feeling is that unless we want to lose our friendship as well, we need to start talking. This has got to be worked through; we've got to move on. And I'd really prefer moving on with both of you as my friends. What do you say?"
Billy's smile was rueful beneath tear-filled eyes. "I say the two of you are worth it."
They turned to Tommy to find him openly crying, hugging himself as if in pain. "I'm so sorry, so sorry I didn't believe you. I was so sure you were wrong, that my dad wouldn't do that. Then to find out I was the reason he did it ... I figured you two would never want to see me again, so I left without seeing you, because I couldn't bear to see the censure in your eyes. Now you say you want my friendship? I don't deserve to be forgiven so easily." His voice had faded to a hoarse whisper at the last.
"Tommy, I'd have done the same thing if it'd been my dad. Billy too, I'm betting. I never blamed you for believing in your dad. Well, okay, maybe at the time I did, but later, when I'd had a chance to think about it? No, you did what you had to do, what your heart told you to do. You aren't to be blamed for that," Jason said with quiet conviction.
Tommy looked at him with a wary look, barely daring to believe his friend was sincere. But the expression in those midnight depths was warm and accepting, and lent Tommy the courage to hope he might not lose the friends whose value he'd not fully realized until they were gone. He glanced at the lighter eyes of the former Blue Ranger and saw a similar warmth reflected within. He covered his eyes with his left hand and took a deep breath. They'd done it again, like they had so many years before, when he first faced them after being released from Rita's evil spell. They'd offered him acceptance and unconditional forgiveness for what was past, and offered him friendship with which to face the future.
"Thank you," he breathed, struggling manfully with his composure. "I can't believe you two forgive me. Thank you." He reached out blindly, instinctively, and the other two responded in kind. Somehow, without quite knowing how it happened, then ended up in a three-way embrace. It seemed the most natural thing in the world for them to do so. After a few minutes they stepped back again, looking at each other with unguarded affection and warmth.
"I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted off me at last," Tommy said, smiling despite his still moist eyes.
His two friends regarded him solemnly, then Billy piped up with a grin. "Hey, no problem, always glad to help."
The three of them looked at each other and suddenly erupted in nearly hysterical laughter. They laughed at the absurdity of them sitting in this small apartment pouring out their hearts and souls to each other like a gaggle of teenage girls on a sleepover. They laughed with the giddy relief of finally being able to offer and accept each other's forgiveness and understanding. They laughed because none of them ever drank much and the beer was going to their heads. They laughed until Jason's neighbor pounded on the door and threatened to call the police, to which Jason shouted back he WAS the police, causing yet another round of hilarity. They laughed because they'd finally come out on the other side of a long ordeal: older, wiser, perhaps a bit sadder, but still friends.
And as long as they had that friendship, they had everything they needed in life.
The end.