Disclaimer: Don't own Power Rangers

Introductions

It was a quiet Saturday afternoon in the Oliver house. Kira had decided to spend the weekend with one of her band mates working on their latest new song that she insisted was to be a surprise. Something about it being a gift for Peyton but that's as far as she would elaborate on the issue and would get annoyed if pressed on the subject. So Tommy decided to make it a father-daughter weekend with just him and Peyton.

"Dad, are you sure it's okay to ignore your phone?" Peyton asked dubiously.

"Yes, Peyton, I'm sure." He assured her "The rangers can handle anything Mesogog has and if they need me for that they aren't going to call my phone."

"Okay…" Peyton shrugged drawing out the word a bit too long giving the impression she didn't really believe him.

Tommy smiled to himself as they sat together watching a movie. He began to look back on the past month and realized that if anyone had told him this time just last month he'd be sitting in his living room watching Mulan with his seven year old daughter he would have said they were insane as he had no children. Then he realized that he had yet to tell any of his friends about Peyton. Tanya was the only one that knew and he had no idea who, if anyone, she told about his daughter.

Life had definitely gotten more complicated as he tried to find the balance between teaching, ranger business and fatherhood. Sure he didn't have it mastered by any means but he was getting better. Hayley got Peyton to school in the morning and he got her after school. The teenagers dealt with the ranger business for the most part and when he was needed Hayley watched Peyton and reassured her that her daddy would always come back to her. She'd had nightmares after finding out about his ranger life in which he didn't come home. They had just gotten those dealt with they didn't want anything to trigger them again.

Peyton was so engrossed in the movie she didn't realize he really wasn't watching it. She still had dreams about her grandfather and missed him dearly. Tommy had assured her that was okay, expected even, as he had raised her until his death. She leaned back on her dad and was rewarded with his arm around her.

"Dad…" she froze as they heard someone in the entryway.

She looked to Tommy in fear as he stood silently. He put a finger to his lips indicating she should stay quiet as well. He also held a hand up to tell her silently to stay where she was and she nodded.

Tommy felt a wave of terror wash over him as someone came into his house unannounced. If this was one of his rangers he would read them the riot act for not announcing themselves as they entered the house. They had told him not to expect them at all that weekend. He stood, silently instructing Peyton to stay silent and stay put.

He took defensive stance and moved quietly around the couch towards the entryway, then turned the corner to see who entered without letting him know they were coming.

"Tommy!" Jason said in shock that his old friend would greet him that way as if expecting evil not a friend.

"Jase…"

"Damn, bro if you'd answer your phone you'd know I was coming." Jason said.

"Sorry… I…"

"Na… it's okay bro… I…" what Jason was going to say died on his lips as Peyton rounded the corner to stand beside Tommy. When she didn't hear a fight or yelling she figured it was safe to join them.

"Daddy…"

"Peyton, it's okay… come here."

"'Daddy'…" Jason echoed in shock as Tommy picked the small girl up and held her on his hip like one would a smaller child. Peyton took after Kimberly in her petite stature and given Tommy's strength he could still easily carry her and occasionally did.

"Yeah… it's a long story, come in the living room I'll tell you everything." Tommy replied.

"Peyton, this is Jason, he's one of my best friends."

"Hi…" Peyton smiled shyly.

Tommy led them back into the living room where he put Peyton on the couch to finish the movie. He then turned to Jason.

"Okay, um… how…" Jason asked as they walked into the kitchen.

"Kim left to attend a training class for the pan globals when we were 18, what she apparently didn't know until she got there was she was pregnant." Tommy explained.

"You two…"

"Don't go there bro… I used protection, not my fault it failed… I would have been there for her if she had told me but she didn't." Tommy said indignantly.

"Any idea why?"

"All I can figure is she was trying to protect her by telling as few people as she could that Peyton was mine. She knew I was sill a ranger and think about it Jase, you know what I would have done…"

"Yeah, you'd have dropped everything for that baby…" Jason sighed "Given up the power and school and then you really wouldn't have been able to keep them safe, the evils of the galaxy had a mark on your head, bro."

"Seems like they still do sometimes." Tommy sighed "Mesogog knows about her but I put the fear of God into him and Elsa after they captured her." he explained, "Conner said I terrified even them after that happened." He shook his head. "I can't believe I scared my own team."

"Think about it, that lizard freak had your child, of course you were going to go full force, guns blazing to rescue her."

"You're right." Tommy chuckled.

"Tommy, I think the movie is over…" Jason said as Peyton entered the kitchen.

"Daddy, are you coming back?" she asked

"We'll be out there in a minute…" Tommy assured her.

"Peyton, come here." Jason said coming down to her level.

She walked up to him hesitantly at first then Tommy gave her a reassuring nod and she sped up a bit.

"Look, your dad told you I was his friend what he didn't say is I knew your mom as well… she was a great friend."

"Can you tell me about her?" she asked.

"Sure…" Jason looked at Tommy as he ushered her back to the living room.

"Does she know about the…"

"Rangers, yes… like I said Mesogog kidnapped her and forced me to reveal my ranger past to her." Tommy sighed.

They joined her in the living room and Jason sat on the coffee table in front of Peyton ready to attempt to tell her about her mother. He wasn't sure how good a job he could do, but he'd give it his best shot. He realized Peyton didn't know Kimberly and his heart broke for her. It was extremely unfair that even strangers knew her mother better than she did. A daughter should know the woman that gave her life.

To Be Continued