Chapter 7

Jason and Trini made it upstairs with the rangers. They wished that there was a door at the top of the stairs so that the rangers did not hear any thing bad about their mentor. They knew that Kim was mad. They were also glad that there was not a door. They wanted to hear the exchange. It had been a long time in coming.

They knew Kim and Tommy did not fight over the letter. All of the old rangers felt that they should have fought over that. They just calmly discussed it with each other. Everyone else felt that they needed to shout at each other. If they had of shouted then they would not be on eggshells around each other. Jason and Trini sat down on the couch with Kira and Ethan. Trent was in the recliner and Hayley was standing near the kitchen door. They all cringed when they heard Kim start off the conversation yelling.

"What do you mean? You are not letting them go after him. They are the Power Rangers. They can do this." Kim said. She threw her arms up in frustration. She knew that this just added to everything that they had not said to each other.

"Kim, I have made my decision. I will not risk those kids. They are too young to know the dangers." Tommy said as he moved away from the computer. He knew that this could possibly hurt his and Kim's friendship but he was charging ahead. If she wanted to fight then he would rise to the challenge.

"Who are you and what have you done to the real Tommy Oliver? You are not the same guy that got the Power all those years ago. You are not even the same guy that Rita chose to be the Evil Green Ranger." She knew that it was a bad move to bring up Rita but she went there with her eyes wide open.

"I am the same. I have just grown up." Tommy said. He folded his arms across his chest. He stood on the opposite end of the basement and faced her like the adversary he used to be.

"THOMAS OLIVER! We were younger than them when we became Power Rangers. We had faced hundreds of monsters and putties by the time that we were their age. I was captured several times by this age." She said. She knew that Zordon had never held them back. He just told them the let the power protect them. She had to make Tommy see reason.

"I know that is why I am not sending them in." He said. He could not send them in. He knew that it was not Connor's fault that he was captured. He did not know how Zordon did it each and every time one of them was captured. He could not handle this.

"No that is not what happened. You are afraid. I have never known Tommy Oliver to be afraid of anything." She said with a sad voice. She had never seen him like this.

"I was afraid once before." He said quietly. He knew that she did not know that fact. He had told the others not to tell her. She would have been worried while she was in Florida.

"Oh when was that?" She asked. She had detected a sad note in his voice.

"When you were captured by Zedd." He whispered. He unfolded his arms and put his hands in his pockets.

Upstairs they were straining trying to hear what Tommy had said. It had gotten quiet and they were worried that they had killed each other. Trini and Jason thought the right opposite. They hoped that they were at least hugging and working out their differences. The younger rangers had never heard Dr. O yell before. They were all shocked that he had actually raised his voice.

"What?" She questioned. She was not sure that she heard him right. She took a step closer to him. She crossed her arms over her chest. She was trying to control her temper. She knew that she needed a cool head when Tommy was like this.

"WHEN YOU WERE CAPTURED BY ZEDD." He yelled. He walked across the room and came to stand in front of her. He made sure that his hands were in his pocket. He wanted to reach out and take her in his arms. He knew that whenever she was in his arms everything was better. The only problem was that Kim did not want to be in his arms right now.

"Tommy, that was years ago. I was tired and running back and forth from the gym to fight. These guys are not doing that. These so-called bad guys are not even like Zedd and Rita. If they were, they would have used this as an opportunity to do something big. These guys don't even care about your personal lives outside of being a Power Ranger." She stated. She actually did know what they were like except for that Elsa. She was just guessing.

"Kim, I am not going to risk those kids." He said as he took a step back. He needed to put some distance between them before he did grab her up.

"They are the Power Rangers. We did the same thing when we were Power Rangers. Zordon I am sure was afraid for us but he let us go each and every time. He trusted us to know our limits. Being a Power Ranger means you put someone else before even yourself. That is also why Zedd captured me. Remember Kat was being attacked. I went in after her and Zordon let me. He knew that nothing would stop me from being a ranger. Tommy you came and got me when Zedd and Rita captured me. I am sure that Zordon told you all the dangers but you went anyway. Tommy what about when Jason went willingly into one of Rita's dimension after the Green Candle? He was told of the dangers. He was almost killed by Goldar. He went in for you. What about when Billy, you, and me went in for Rocky, Adam, and Aisha? Billy almost died because of that snake. Tommy we faced this all the time. Those kids need to do this if they are ever going to make great rangers. They have to do this. If this was you or any of the others while I was a Power Ranger, nobody would hold me back. Trust me if I know Kira she will go after him." She stated.

She took a step forward. She wanted Tommy to understand. She also had seen the hurt in Kira's eyes. If she was not mistaken Kira liked this Connor. She had the same look that Trini has every time that someone mentions Jason's name. Kira was being a true Yellow with a little of Pink mixed in.

"Kim you don't know Kira though and Zordon warned us in all those times. I also didn't ask for Jason to go in there for my candle." He said as he threw his arms in the air. He did not see what Kim was talking about with Kira and Connor.

"First off Jason went in because you were under his command at the time. We could not lose you to Rita again. Second, yes, Zordon did warn us but what did he always say to us before we left for battle. May the Power protect you. Finally, Kira is a Yellow if you have forgotten that fact. She will go because of that fact alone even if she didn't like Connor, which she does. I saw it in her eyes. She cares for him more than a teammate. She is just following in the predestine footsteps. Look at Jason and Trini, Andros and Ashley. They are Red and Yellow." She said. She had retreated a few steps because if she did not she might have wrung Tommy's neck. She was picturing his neck between her hands.

"Kim she will stay here because I told her to." He said. He was sure that his rangers would do as he said. They would not go after Connor unless he told them that they could.

"Whatever. You are not the Ranger that I knew. You have changed but not for the better. The old Tommy would have already been out of here and got Connor back. You are shaming the color Black." She said in a yell. She was fuming once again. She just stared at the man who looked like Tommy.

"Kim you have no idea what you are talking about. And if I have changed that is because of you. You wrote that letter and it has caused this change." He shouted back. He knew that mentioning the letter was bad but she had pushed him to this. All he could think about was wringing her beautiful neck. He needed to make her see his side.

"I refuse to believe that a letter that was years ago changed you from one of the greatest rangers to this excuse for a ranger. I have to go. I don't know who you are anymore. And don't follow me Tommy. If I am captured, so be it. I would rather be captured than stay here with you. And if you do not let those kids go I will go after him myself." She finished as she turned to go up the stairs. Thank goodness, she did not need to pass him to go up the stairs. She guessed that he would grab her and make her see his reason.

"Kim stay out of this. They want you. You would be walking into an ambush." He said. He had not forgotten that she had one part of the inner strength duo that he needed.

"At least I would be doing the right thing." She screamed. She ran up the stairs as fast as she could go. She did not pause at the top of the stairs where the others were waiting. They saw her face as the tears she had been holding back begin to spill down her checks.

"Kim! Kim!" Tommy yelled as he too ran up the stairs. He had seen her face before she ran up the stairs. He knew that he was the cause of her pain. He just wanted her to understand why he couldn't allow the rangers to rescue Connor. Jason caught him at the top of the stairs. He saw Kim ran out the front door. He just prayed that Elsa would not try to get her again.

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