Thomas walked down the empty halls of the Academy, headed towards Theo's office. This summer had been utter chaos- with losing the primary ranger team, his father being fired from all ranger duties, Theo and Robert taking new positions in the Academy, and him being moved into an obvious ranger leadership track. He had expected this one on one to happen weeks ago, but now they were three days away from the term starting and this conversation was going to happen.
"Hey Dad," Thomas said as Theo turned around and gave him a smile, completely ignoring the slip up. "What's going on?"
"How are you feeling about your new schedule?" Theo asked as Thomas shrugged. It was lighter in many ways, but he was no longer getting his afternoons with Kimberly. That was starting to eat at him and it had only been a week. "We need to change your afternoons."
"Just a few- we…I can make it work," Thomas said as Robert walked in and closed the door behind him. "What did I do to get the both of you?"
"After everything that happened that day, we realized we never sat down to really explain what happened with you," Theo said as Thomas laughed. "What?"
"I figured it out. You really told her I have a hereditary condition?" Thomas asked as he watched the relief flood their faces. "I don't understand how she can be my soulmate though. And I still haven't explained it to her, not really. She's not an idiot though. She knows that she rests better when we're together and that family vacation two weeks ago was hard on her…we still aren't dating, dating- but I think we're headed there. I just…"
"Sorry, what?" Robert asked as they both stared at him. There was so much more to this when it came to soulmates and Thoma didn't know that. "Thomas- that's dangerous."
"That we know we rest better together?" Thomas asked as Theo and Robert stared at him and shook their heads no. "She…I…I didn't know that it was okay to date her."
"Jesus, I'm going to kill Mitch," Theo muttered as he ran his fingers through his hair and took a glance over at Robert. "Please tell me he explained how important it is to foster a soulmate connection."
"Not really- he glanced over it in my education. I've spent most of the summer reading up on it in the library though and I got a good idea that I can't mess around with it," Thomas said as he looked back and forth between his uncles. "What?"
"Shit. You're a ticking time bomb right now," Robert said as he let out a groan. "Do you think you can explain it to her and her not run?"
"I don't know. She's still getting used to the Power Ranger world and her prophetess powers haven't come in. I mean I don't know if they will," Thomas said as he was terrified by their reactions. "What am I missing? Am I going to hurt her?"
"Robert- why don't you go grab the testing equipment?" Theo suggested as Robert nodded and Theo waited for the door to be closed again. "What have the library books said?"
"I need to spend time with her, take care of her. There's things about sex, but we're not there yet. Not by a long shot," Thomas said as Theo nodded and let out a sigh. How did he tell his 17 year old nephew, who was trying to be a gentleman, that sex was the single biggest part of keeping the soulmate connection healthy? Intimacy in every way was essential.
"You need to get there," Theo said as Thomas stilled and he shook his head. He was not going to push her on this. There was absolutely no way. "I know your father has put it in your head that he'll never allow this- but I need you to start pushing what he's told you for all of your life out of your mind. You're powerful Thomas- you flattened every instructor on that field multiple times when your soulmate connection opened up that day. We need to keep you healthy- for both of your sakes."
"Dad, she's not ready," Thomas said again and Theo forced back the smile at the second slip up. "I won't force her."
"I'm not saying you should," Theo said as Robert returned and started hooking all kinds of equipment up to Thomas. "But until then- we're going to have to hook you up and check on where you are at on a regular basis."
"Then do it," Thomas stated as Theo and Robert exchanged a glance and nodded. They didn't know how their nephew had turned into this man, but they were both proud of him.
"Hey! How's the first week back?" Kimberly asked as she picked up her phone and Thomas laid down in his bed. Thanks to the risk of rooming with him- he had been placed in a room by himself, which was really nice when it came to these talks. He was so glad that he was just able to have time to talk with her alone. "Thomas?"
"Sorry, I'm just exhausted- it's been a long week," Thomas said as he stared up at the ceiling. He hadn't been able to make it out to the Juice Bar all week and his body was hurting from not seeing her. Although Theo and Robert had done their best to tweak his schedule, the other instructors had not been nearly as kind. "I'll get my schedule figured out and be back to our normal afternoons in no time."
"About that…" Kimberly trailed off as she took in a deep breath and he suddenly sat up straight. He did not like the nervousness that he heard in her voice. "I've been asked to go train in Miami. My dad wants me to go…but I…I don't know…"
"Kim…I…" Thomas breathed out as the pain lanced through his chest and he tried to fight it down, but it only got worse. He ground his teeth to try to hold back the scream, but wasn't able to as he felt fire course through his veins. The phone clattered to the floor and he vaguely heard her worried voice, but all he felt was the pain.
"Do you know what time it is?" Doug Hart roared as he threw the door open and was met with Theo Chesterfield and Robert Trueheart. He was vaguely aware of some major shifts at the Power Ranger Academy and knew that the both of them were high level mentors. It made no sense that they would be at his house. "Why are you here?"
"Is he okay?" Kimberly asked as she peaked from around the stairs and Doug looked back at her. It dawned on him that something must have happened to Thomas and that his daughter was now seen as essential in helping the rangers. "I didn't have another number to call when he…what happened?"
"She needs to come with us," Theo said as Doug shook his head and Kimberly felt a wave of pain go through her. She barely fought down a scream as she gripped onto the wall and slowly slid to the floor. "Please- she's going to get worse if she doesn't."
"Then she can go to a regular hospital and be treated. She's not going with you," Doug said as he slammed the door in their faces and Theo looked over at Robert.
"We can't kidnap her," Robert stated as he heard her scream and squeezed his eyes shut. Her soulmate bond had not opened as fully as Thomas', but it sounded like it was finally opening now. "I think we're going to have to wait it out."
"I hate when you say that," Theo said as he looked at the stoop and then looked back down at his communicator. He knew his sister still wore hers, but she was solidly ignoring him telling her that she needed to get her ass to the hospital and sit with her son.
"Sally still ignoring you?" Robert asked as Theo nodded. "Go, he needs someone to sit with him. I'll wait."
The hours rolled by and Thomas' symptoms continued to worsen. The doctors tried, desperately, to get him some sort of relief, but the past month had pushed Thomas too far and his soulmate bond was too young to be able to withstand this kind of pressure. Theo held one of his hands as Thomas continued to writhe and scream in pain. The last message he had gotten from Robert made it sound like Kimberly was not much better, but her father refused to let them take her to a Power Ranger hospital. She was now in a normal hospital, but they were having even less success. They had put in for a consultation- with any doctor other than Robert and they were hoping this would be enough to convince her parents to transfer her here, at least for the night.
"He won't do it," Amelia said as she walked into the room and Theo looked up at her. "You can transfer him, but…"
"I know, Amy," Theo whispered as he shook his head. None of the doctors were going to be comfortable with placing the two of them in one bed and letting their bond settle, but it was the only thing that would work without riding it out. "I can't believe that Sally and Mitchell won't even come to…so we just have to ride this out?"
"I really hope not," Amelia said as she sat down across the bed from him and she placed her hands on Thomas and immediately jerked them back. "How powerful is he?"
"What do you mean?" Theo asked as Amelia held up her hands and he saw the burns. "Oh jeez- he's not burning me."
"It's not him, it's her," Amelia muttered as she started to cry. "Who hurt her?"
"You know what Griffin tried to do, it's probably that," Theo said as he stood up and wrapped Amelia up in a hug. He felt her pour all of the pain out and he absorbed much of it. This was one of the few things he could do for her when her powers got overwhelmed. "Oh Ames."
"I'll go try with her family- if we let this go on it could tear the both of them apart," Amelia mumbled against his chest and she then pulled away and hastily wiped her tears.
"Dad?" Thomas asked as Amelia gave him a look and Theo then turned back towards the bed. "Please- make it stop."
"We're going to get her here Thomas and it will get better," Theo said as Amelia left the room and Thomas crushed his hand as another wave of pain hit him.
"Your pain meds will not work," Robert said as the doctor ordered another syringe of morphine and he shook his head. "You've already given her too much."
"We need her to be coherent so that she can tell us what is hurting," the doctor insisted and Robert just shook his head. She was not going to be coherent until she was with Thomas and they were further delaying that with every stupid step they took. "Your own doctor said this would be fine."
"Please, let her go to our hospital, just for the rest of the night and then she can come back for an evaluation," Robert begged Doug and he shook his head. He did not trust the Power Rangers, even if they were revered by so many in this world. "You can come with her- we have something that will get her pain down to where she can at least tell us what is hurting her."
"You showed up at my house and then this happened. How did you know?" Doug fired back as Robert let out a sigh. Kimberly deserved to hear from Thomas that he was her soulmate and he couldn't trust that the pain was blocking that sense enough for him to explain this to her father. "How did you know!"
"Hello- I'm Amelia Parker, the pain specialist that they called," Amelia said as she held out her hand to Doug and Robert kept his face neutral. What the hell was Amelia doing? "Dr. Trueheart is correct- the Power Ranger hospital does have access to additional pain medications that will greatly help your daughter."
"Like hell I am taking…" Doug trailed off as Amelia continued to stroke his hand and Robert watched as he calmed.
"She needs to be transferred, Mr. Hart," Amelia reiterated as Doug nodded and Robert continued to hold his breath. "We need your permission."
"She can be transferred," Doug said as the doctor presented him with a form and he signed it. "How will she be transferred?"
"You can come with me, Dr. Trueheart has a more expedient way for her to travel," Amelia said as Doug nodded and Amelia nodded to Robert to go take Kimberly. "We'll get the paperwork done here and then go join her."
"Yes, yes that sounds good," Doug said as Robert took one last glance back at them and Amelia shot him a thumbs up before he teleported Kimberly out. He had no idea what Amelia had just pulled on the hospital staff and Doug Hart, but he honestly didn't care.
AN: It's a holiday weekend here in the states- which means it's a twofer weekend. An additional chapter of all of my stories will be dropping on Christmas day!