Kim paced back and forth across the bedroom. The Mighty Morphin' rangers had been back at the suite for a while now, letting Adam and Rocky get some more rest. They'd had dinner together in the kitchen, but Kim had wanted a few minutes alone. So, she excused herself from the group to hide in her bedroom. The door opening caught her attention.
"Kim, are you coming back out?" Jake asked.
He paused when he saw she'd been pacing.
"What's going on?" Jake frowned. "Are you alright?"
Kim didn't answer right away so Jake stepped into their room, letting the door shut behind him.
"Kim?" he asked. "Are you ok? You left me alone with your high school friends—the ones who know all of the embarrassing stories about you? You don't usually do that for long. And now they can tell me all of the stories."
"I'm fine," Kim said.
Jake shook his head, putting his hands on her shoulders.
"I don't think you are," he said.
"No, really," she insisted. "I'm fine. But how are you doing?"
Jake frowned.
"What?" he asked in surprise.
"How are you doing?" Kim repeated, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning against him. "I never meant for you to get wrapped up in everything like this. I know it's a lot to digest in such a short time frame… if you need some space away from everything—me, my friends, whatever—you just need to tell me. I'll make sure it happens."
"Kim, no," Jake said gently, tilting her chin up so she'd look at him. "I don't need space from you or your friends. I love spending time with you—you know that."
She sighed, dropping her head down to his chest again.
"I know," she mumbled. "But you usually have work and you're traveling and I know I go with you but this isn't the same and—"
"It's fine," Jake interrupted.
He pulled her over to sit down on the bed. She eyed him doubtfully but sat down next to him.
"Seriously, it's fine," he insisted. "It's kind of just the opposite of our normal. So, it's my turn to deal with your hectic schedule and life for a little while. And I am very happy to be here to support you through all of it."
Kim looked up at him with a faint smile.
"Are you sure?" she asked. "It's been a little crazy…"
"Of course," he said. "But since we're following your lead now…"
He trailed off, grinning at her. Kim frowned, not sure where he was going.
"It's your turn to take care of me," he said. "That means I'll need an allowance—"
"Jake," Kim sputtered. "I'm not making any money here."
"We aren't paying for food or lodging, either," Jake pointed out, kissing her on the forehead and then leaning his head against hers. "But you could always pay me in other ways."
"Jake!" Kim exclaimed, smacking his arm and pushing him away. "Knock it off."
"What?" he asked innocently.
She scowled and he laughed. After a moment he sighed, his expression turning serious again.
"In all seriousness," he said, taking her hands. "I have absolutely no problem with any of this. The rangers are a part of who you are. They are important to you so that means they are important to me. And, honestly, it does make me feel a little better about your safety now that I understand more of just how well you can handle yourself. Makes me a little less paranoid."
"Well, I am a little out of practice," Kim admitted. "Wait—you're paranoid?"
She looked at him in surprise. Jake nodded sheepishly.
"I'm always afraid something is going to happen to you," he said quietly. "You know it happens. Family members kidnapped to force money out of rich businessman or to blackmail them. We've known people it has happened to. I've just never wanted it to stop us from enjoying our lives together, so I was always careful. But I'll be a little less afraid now that I know more of what you are capable of."
Kim nodded, putting a hand on his cheek.
"Plus, you have a way to call for ranger help, right?" he asked.
"Well, I will now," Kim said. "I have phone numbers and I can get a communicator that will connect me to Tommy and the others. The details are in those papers Trini gave me. But from what I understand, once I'm fully registered into the system they could essentially teleport me from just about anywhere in an emergency. Be a shock to anyone who actually managed to get ahold of me."
"See?" Jake smiled. "That's even better. So, while some of this hasn't been the greatest, I'm still glad we're here."
"So am I…" Kim admitted. "Although it would have been nicer to have this meeting without my friends getting hurt."
Jake nodded in understanding. He stood up a few moments later and held out a hand to Kim.
"Alright, time to go back out there," he said. "I have more questions for all of you. And someone needs to explain what Zach was talking about. Something about a giant pig and your bow?"
Kim laughed and took his hand, letting him pull her to her feet.
Kat and Ethan arrived back in the med bay at the same time. Coming from two different places, they had each used a different elevator. Seeing each other in the hallway, they stopped in surprise. Kat had a small duffle bag slung over her shoulder and Ethan was carrying a tray from the kitchen.
"Ethan?" Kat said. "What are you doing? I thought you were sitting with Tommy."
"Well, I was," Ethan said. "But he said he was actually hungry—so I left him with Angela and ran down to the cafeteria."
Kat gripped the bag tighter.
"Angela?" she said. "Who had other patients to check on and probably left?"
Ethan stared back, quickly realizing the same thing as Kat. She turned and quickly opened the door, expecting to find an empty bed. Inside, Tommy was still in bed. He looked up when the door opened. Seeing the looks on their faces, he frowned.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Kat sighed in relief and Ethan let the door shut behind them.
"You're still here," Kat said as she walked over to his bed.
"Yes," Tommy said slowly. "I said I would be. Where would I have gone? Neither of you was gone that long."
Kat just raised an eyebrow, dropping the duffle on the end of the bed by Tommy's feet.
"Well, after this morning I think I have a right to be a little suspicious," she said, hands on her hips. "Especially when I realized you've been left completely alone and unsupervised."
Tommy sighed.
"I promised I'd stay, and I did," he said. "You brought me clothes?"
Kat didn't answer for a moment, then she sighed and dropped her arms.
"Yes, I did," she said. "So, let's get you up and changed and then you can eat what Ethan brought you from the kitchen."
She grabbed the cane Angela had left for Tommy and looked at him expectantly. Tommy didn't move for a moment, just watching Kat. Ethan walked around her to set the food tray down on the table.
After a moment, Tommy moved his pillow off his lap. Like he had that morning, he shifted to move his legs off the bed first. It was made slightly easier this time by the bed being in the upright position instead of him lying all the way down. Kat handed him the cane once he was sitting on the edge of the bed. With Kat on one side and the cane in the other hand, Tommy slowly stood up. Ethan stood a few paces in front of him, ready to catch Tommy if he lost his balance.
Successfully getting to his feet, Tommy held tight to Kat and the cane as he tried to find his balance. The dizziness wasn't as bad as earlier when he had moved from the bed to a wheelchair, but it was still there.
"Alright," Tommy said once the room had stopped spinning, taking a few breaths. "Let's go."
Carter leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling. He'd spent most of the day looking into the events of the last couple of days. Lightspeed was using all of its resources to try and figure out the source of the poison—made difficult by the fact that they still hadn't narrowed down what the drug actually was. They also hadn't found anyone making active threats against the originals or any evidence. He still had people looking into it, but right now it was looking like the responsible party was covering their tracks very well.
"Carter?" a voice broke into his thoughts.
He sat up quickly. Carter hadn't even heard someone come into his office. Joel was standing on the other side of his desk, arms crossed as he watched him.
"Everything alright?" Joel asked. "I've been standing here for a couple of minutes now—you didn't even notice."
Carter sighed, rubbing a hand over his face.
"I'm fine," he said. "I'm just trying to figure this out before someone else gets hurt…"
Joel nodded, dropping into a chair. They were both quiet for a few minutes. Then Carter leaned forward on his desk.
"Am I wrong about this, Joel?" Carter asked. "Telling them they can't go home until we figure this out? Am I out of line?"
Joel shook his head.
"You're just trying to keep them safe," Joel said. "And what you've been saying makes some sense at least. It does look like someone is after them. Starting with the biggest threat—Tommy. And then Adam and Rocky getting poisoned with what looks like the same thing less than twenty-four hours later? Something is weird."
Carter nodded, running a hand through his hair and leaning back again.
"I spent all morning arguing with Trini about it," he said. "She thinks it's something else and so does Billy. But no one can come up with a better explanation."
"They're just tired and stressed," Joel said. "You would do the same thing to keep any of us safe. And I can't say none of us would get cranky about it either. Imagine telling Ryan he wasn't allowed to leave base."
Carter winced.
"That would go well," he muttered. "He'd probably break out just to spite me."
"See?" Joel said with a grin.
"There was something else I was considering," Carter said after a moment.
Joel frowned, watching as Carter opened a folder on his desk and shuffled through some papers. He took one of the papers out of the pile and set it down in front of Joel. He picked it up, glancing over it.
"Really?" Joel asked when he had finished. "But why pull this out now? They've already agreed to stay here."
Carter shook his head.
"Only temporarily," he said. "And Trini is already trying to argue out of the agreement to stay here. And I know Tommy isn't happy about it, either. They all want to just go charging in and try and fix it—and they don't even know what's going on yet. None of them are thinking clearly and someone else is going to get hurt. If I invoke that clause, they'll have to honor it and step down per the ranger agreements. Then we can focus on figuring out who is responsible without worrying about if the eleven of them are safe—because they will be here under our protection."
Joel didn't answer immediately, mulling over Carter's explanation as he read through the clause again.
"So, essentially this means they would have to stay here until whoever invoked this—so you—either eliminates the threat or someone proves the threat no longer exists?" Joel said, looking up at Carter. "But won't that contradict the authority of Tommy, Trini, and Billy in regards to the network? They could just override your decision."
Carter shook his head.
"Not under that clause," he said. "Because the clause assumes the team in question is acting rashly or not in control of their own actions and temporarily relieves them of their duties or authority so they can't override anything. That ensures their safety and the continued functioning of the network. That's why it requires a minimum of three reds to enact it—not including the one who puts it up. No one can just claim they are protecting someone, or that someone is under outside influence, and take control of any part of the network without support."
Joel nodded.
"I mean, it's a little extreme," he said slowly. "But given the situation, I'd say it makes sense. And maybe actually relieve some of their stress if they can just focus on making sure they and their families are safe."
"Exactly," Carter said, relieved Joel understood where he was coming from. "We already almost lost Tommy, Adam, and Rocky. The ranger network is growing still. I don't think it's ready to function without support from at least a few of the original rangers. And SPD is still growing, too—they need our support. Can you imagine trying to run anything without Tommy?"
Joel grimaced.
"I don't know that I want to," he said. "I've only seen parts of what Tommy does for the rangers in his position—and it's a lot. We'd have to replace him with multiple people…"
Carter nodded as his office door opened again. Kelsey and Chad walked in, stopping just inside when they saw Carter and Joel talking.
"Are we interrupting?" Kelsey asked.
"No, come in," Carter said. "We're just talking about what to do about keeping Tommy and company safe until we know who is after them."
"What did you have in mind?" Chad asked, shutting the door.
Carter explained what he had been talking with Joel about. Dana also joined the conversation partway through. But she had already talked it over most of it with Carter early that morning, so he didn't bother starting over.
"I mean, it makes sense," Kelsey said when he finished. "It would keep them safe. And it probably wouldn't be the best for Tommy's health for him to be stressing over reports while he's healing."
"No, it wouldn't," Dana said, shaking her head.
Chad didn't say anything right away, taking some time to think it over.
"What are you thinking, Chad?" Carter asked.
"I'm not sure I completely agree with it," he admitted. "But I do trust your judgement. If you really think taking this step is necessary, I'm not going to argue against it. Just make sure you don't overstep—they've been taking care of each other for a long time now."
Carter nodded.
"I know that," he said seriously. "And that's why I haven't done anything yet. But if I release the lockdown and they leave and someone else gets hurt…"
He trailed off, shaking his head.
"I just want to make sure no one acts rashly," Carter continued.
The door opened again, and Ryan wandered in.
"I was looking for Dana—but did we have a meeting scheduled?" he asked, looking around the room. "Because if we did, someone forgot to tell me."
Dana shook her head.
"This wasn't scheduled," she said. "It just kind of happened."
"Alright," Ryan said, grabbing the last chair and sitting down. "Then what did I miss?"
Carter sighed but quickly ran through the information again. Before he had even finished, Ryan was shaking his head.
"Are you crazy?" he hissed. "That's a horrible idea! All you are going to accomplish is making them mad."
"Ryan…" Carter sighed.
"No, I'm not kidding," Ryan interrupted. "That would be like Tommy walking in here and saying he was taking over running Lightspeed because a couple of us got hurt on a mission—or something like that. The point is you would be mad at him for doing it. Even if he had good reason. You don't have good reason."
"Someone is trying to kill them," Carter argued. "Their team is—"
Ryan scoffed, interrupting again.
"You still don't have proof anyone knows who they are," he pointed out. "I've seen the same reports you have—it's all a guess right now. You can't actually say their team is in danger. Right now, it's more likely that someone targeted Tommy, Adam, and Rocky for something else. They've done a lot of other things together, too."
"But who then, Ryan?" Dana asked. "None of them have been involved in anything in their civilian lives that would warrant an attack like this. But someone angry at the rangers? That happens all the time."
"Then why wouldn't they go after us?" Ryan countered. "Or Andros' team? Or even Op O? People know who we are—bigger statement than going after the invisible ones. No one knows the three of them have anything to do with the rangers. It's not public information. Anyone going after them as rangers would also have to prove to the public they are rangers or no one would care."
Kelsey, Chad, and Joel exchanged looks.
"He does have a point," Kelsey said hesitantly. "If someone was angry at the rangers, wouldn't they want to make sure other people knew?"
Carter shook his head.
"Not if they are angry at this team specifically," he said. "Maybe someone found out Tommy was the green ranger—I'm sure there are a lot of people still angry about what he did under that spell."
Ryan scowled, leaning forward in his chair.
"I'm pretty sure there are a lot of people still angry about what I did, too," he snapped. "And I wasn't under a spell. Everything I did was of my own free will, manipulated or not. And they for sure know who I am. Besides, if they wanted to hurt Tommy, why wouldn't they go after the others first? Like Kat? Nothing else could possibly hurt him more than losing her—except maybe losing JJ, too. He would rather die than let either of them get hurt. Look at how upset he was when Draven took them. It just doesn't make sense, Carter."
"No one tried to hurt Tanya and Aisha when they were home alone with their kids," Chad added quietly. "They would have had plenty of opportunity. Rocky and Adam would be the same as Tommy. Losing their families would kill them. So, maybe this isn't as simple as we think…"
Carter groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. The group continued debating back and forth for a while, throwing out various arguments for and against Carter's proposal.
"Alright, alright," Carter finally interrupted as it started to get more heated. "Enough."
He looked around, taking a deep breath.
"I'm not making a decision right now," he said firmly. "I appreciate the input and there is a lot to consider. I will think about this more before I do anything."
They settled down, but the atmosphere was still tense. Ryan was scowling, his arms crossed over his chest as he slumped backward in his chair.
"It's past dinnertime," Dana said, looking around. "Let's go eat and talk about other things for a while. We can come back to this discussion at a later time if necessary. Alright?"
There was a chorus of reluctant agreements from the rest of the team, and they all started moving out of Carter's office. Ryan was the last one out, still shaking his head and muttering about it being a horrible idea. Carter sighed, leaning back in his chair. Dana walked around the desk to stand behind him. Leaning over, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a hug as her head rested on his shoulder.
"It's going to be fine," she said quietly. "They are all safe here for now. We'll take it a day at a time, but hopefully we've seen the end of the problem. Now come eat—you can't spend all night in here, too."
She straightened up and Carter let her pull him from the chair so they could head down to the ranger cafeteria with the rest of their team.
"Say goodnight, girls," Hayley said, looking at her daughters. "You can see Uncle Tommy again tomorrow."
Rae and Izzy both sighed, but they didn't argue with their mother. They chorused goodnight and walked over to each take one of her hands.
It was getting late and there had been a small crowd rotating through Tommy's room, and the room next door, on and off all evening. The girls had spent a few hours with Tommy in between other things. Hayley had finally come back a few hours after dinner with Billy and Trini in tow. Conner wasn't far behind them having gotten some real sleep in his room. The other rangers had been in and out all afternoon between both rooms, trying not to overcrowd Tommy, Adam, or Rocky. Even most of Lightspeed had stopped in over the course of the afternoon along with Wes and Eric.
At this point, however, most of the rangers had already said goodnight to give the three recovering men a chance to actually go to sleep. Kim, Jake, Zach, and Jason had left a short time before, promising to come back in the morning. Aisha had finally consented to letting Rocky out of the hospital bed and they had both gone down to the Zeo suite so he could sleep in their bed—and help her get their kids in bed. Tanya was still sitting with Adam. She had brought the twins with her so they could see him and say goodnight before bed. Dana wanted him to spend one more night in the med bay just to keep an eye on him. Kat was still in Tommy's room, as were the Dinos.
"Goodnight," Tommy smiled as Hayley left with the girls.
Shifting, he stifled a yawn. Kat had tried to convince him to take a nap that afternoon, but with everyone constantly coming and going it had never happened.
"I think it's time you went to bed, too," Kat said, standing up from her chair. "I'm surprised you are still awake."
"Sleep with Hayley and both girls in the room?" Tommy snorted. "Not a chance."
Kat rolled her eyes but didn't argue.
"Well, I need to go find JJ and get him to bed," she said. "Because you know he's going to be up early tomorrow—and then won't want to go to bed."
"Probably," Tommy chuckled. "Didn't he run off somewhere with Marc?"
Kat nodded.
"I think they were going back down to the gym level," she said. "Which hopefully means he burned off some energy."
She gave Tommy a hug and kiss, still being careful not to hurt him.
"Just tell him I said goodnight," Tommy said, hugging her back. "That way he won't try as hard to come back here first."
"We're out for the night, too, Dr. O," Trent said, walking up with Kira and Ethan. "Conner is planning on crashing up here for the night."
Kat shot a grateful look at Conner who was sprawled in a chair nearby as Tommy rolled his eyes.
"I don't need a babysitter," he said drily.
"No, but this way Kat goes to a real bed instead of sleeping in a chair," Conner pointed out. "Or the other hospital bed. She's not ready for you to be alone yet. And we figured you'd be more ok with me being uncomfortable over her."
Tommy didn't argue, he just squeezed Kat's hand as she gave him another quick kiss before turning to leave.
"I love you," she said. "Get some sleep and JJ and I will be up first thing in the morning."
"I love you, too," Tommy answered.
Kat, Kira, Trent, and Ethan headed out the door, leaving Tommy and Conner alone for the night. Conner stretched out in his chair, texting on his phone.
"You're not planning to stay awake all night again, are you?" Tommy asked, watching him.
"Nah," Conner said, shaking his head and looking up from his phone. "I figure you'll probably sleep. And with my nap earlier I'll sleep lightly enough that if you do need something I'll be easy to wake up. Are you planning on sleeping sitting up?"
Conner eyed Tommy's bed which was still in the upright position.
"Nope," Tommy answered.
But he didn't do anything with the bed or try to get comfortable for sleep. Conner just went back to his phone. He knew Dana would probably be doing a round soon, anyways, so there wasn't a point in trying to convince Tommy to sleep if she was just going to wake him up. They sat in silence for a while, Conner on his phone and Tommy reading a book Kat had brought him.
Dana eventually came by to do her final round for the evening before Angela took over again. When she came in, Tommy was dozing with his book still in his hands. While she was checking in with Tommy, Conner excused himself and disappeared into the bathroom to get ready for bed. When he came back out, Dana was gone and Tommy was actually laying down, his eyes closed. Conner dropped his bag next to the second bed and sat down.
Tommy opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Conner.
"Sorry," Conner said, thinking he had disturbed Tommy. "I'll hit the lights in a minute, Dr. O. Then you can actually go to sleep."
Tommy shook his head and pushed himself up on his elbows, grimacing as he did so.
"I'm not sleeping here," he said.
Conner froze in the middle of digging out the charger for his phone.
"Umm… you have to sleep, Dr. O," he said, looking up. "I know Dana said you might have some problems with insomnia, but you should at least try."
"That's not it," Tommy muttered as he slowly pushed himself into a seated position. "I'll sleep—in my own bed."
Conner frowned and dropped his charger, hurrying over to Tommy.
"This is your bed right now," Conner said, reaching out to help steady Tommy. "So why are you getting up?"
"Because I'm going back to my bed in our suite," Tommy panting slightly from the effort of pushing himself up.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Conner said, shaking his head. "You can still barely sit yourself up without getting out of breath—how are you going to make it down an entire level and several corridors over?"
Tommy shook his head.
"Slowly," he said. "But I'm not staying here another night. Now are you going to help me or not?"
Conner groaned, running his hand over his head.
"Dr. O…" he sighed.
"You can either help me or I'll do it myself," Tommy interrupted. "Unless you want to go call Angela on me?"
Conner hesitated. He really didn't want to call Angela—especially since he trusted that his mentor wouldn't just be making a run for it for no reason. Tommy just watched him, waiting for an answer.
"Alright, fine," Conner sighed. "But they are going to kill us both…"
"That's a definite possibility," Tommy said.
"So, what's the plan?" Conner asked. "Do you want me to go find where Dana stashed the chair?"
After Tommy's trip next door that morning, Dana had taken the wheelchair away so he wouldn't be tempted again.
"It's probably in her and Angela's office," Tommy said, shaking his head. "So, no. We're going to have to do this without the chair."
Conner groaned.
"First things first," Tommy said. "Go make sure Dana and Angela are occupied. Because if they catch us in the hallway they are going to put me right back in this bed."
"You think?" Conner retorted. "They'll probably lock the door. And bar me from this level."
But he didn't argue. Leaving Tommy to finish collecting himself, Conner slipped out the door to figure out where Dana and Angela were. When he came back a few minutes later, Tommy was still sitting on the bed with his backpack next to him. He was glaring at the floor.
"Everything alright?" Conner asked, the door sliding shut behind him. "Dana and Angela are in their office talking. I figure we have at least an hour before Angela makes a round—but probably less than that to actually get out of here because Dana has got to be going to go to bed soon."
"I've been defeated by shoes," Tommy muttered in response, still glaring down at the floor.
Conner followed his gaze to the pair of shoes sitting on the floor.
"Well, at least you didn't fall out of the bed," Conner said, shaking his head. "Let me help—and tomorrow you talk to Kat about slip-on shoes. Or slippers."
Tommy glared at him but didn't complain as Conner helped him put his shoes on. When he stood up, Conner grabbed the backpack off the bed and put it on.
"I'll carry the bag," Conner said without waiting for an argument. "I know it's probably in your pocket anyways, and the bag isn't going to help your balance. I'll be fine without my bag tonight."
"Just help me up," Tommy said irritably.
"Do you want the cane?" Conner asked, reaching for it.
"I promised Angela I wouldn't use it to leave the room," Tommy said, shaking his head. "So, it stays here."
Conner sighed but didn't argue. With Conner helping support him, Tommy carefully got to his feet. They only paused long enough to make sure Tommy had his balance and then started for the door. Reaching the door, Conner let go of Tommy for a moment to stick his head out into the hallway. Tommy leaned against the wall, the effort to just cross the room already wearing on him.
"We're clear," Conner said, opening the door the rest of the way. "Are you sure you're up for this? We aren't just going next door, Dr. O."
He looked at Tommy in concern even as he reached for his arm again.
"I'll survive," Tommy said shortly. "Let's go…"
Conner didn't argue, Tommy's arm across his shoulders again. He maneuvered them both carefully out the door and into the hall. They moved at Tommy's pace, taking slow steps down the hall as they headed in the opposite direction of the office, aiming for the west elevator since trying for the east one would have them passing Dana's office. As the two men rounded the first corner, however, they found Ryan walking toward them.
"And we've been caught," Conner sighed as Ryan stopped to look at them.
Tommy didn't stop, however, so Conner kept up with him and they walked up to Ryan.
"Where are you going?" Ryan asked, his arms crossed as he blocked their way.
"I'm escaping your sister and going to my own bed," Tommy said without flinching. "Got a problem with that, demon boy?"
Ryan smirked.
"Not at all, birdbrain," he said with a grin. "But you're not going to make it out of here fast enough like that—give me your other arm."
Ryan took his other side so Tommy was supported between himself and Conner. They still moved slower than Tommy liked, but they did move faster with Ryan's assistance.
When they reached the elevator, Ryan unlocked it for them with his free hand.
"You're on your own from here," he said. "But I'll go make sure my sister stays distracted long enough for you to get down to the residential level and away from the elevator. Try to take it easy, Tommy. Conner—don't drop him."
"I don't plan on it," Conner said as the elevator doors opened.
"Thanks, Ryan," Tommy said, nodding.
Ryan grinned, then he turned and sauntered away back down the hall to distract Dana and Angela. Conner helped Tommy into the elevator, letting him go to lean in the corner as Conner went to the control panel. He pressed the button for the residential level and waited for the door to shut.
"Thank you, Conner," Tommy said quietly as the doors shut.
Conner turned, leaning against the opposite wall as the elevator started moving. Tommy was trying to catch his breath now that they had stopped moving for a few moments.
"For the record, I still think this was a bad idea," Conner said. "But I trust your judgement so…"
He shrugged.
"Someday you may understand," Tommy sighed. "But I have to do this—for Kat and for JJ. They're trying not to show it, but this whole thing scared them. Seeing me up and moving and back with them is going to be the best way to convince them I really am going to be alright. Plus, I am not letting my son spend his birthday visiting with me in a hospital room."
Conner nodded.
"I guess that would probably be a crappy way to spend a birthday," he agreed as the elevator came to a stop. "Kat is still going to kill you."
Tommy leaned his head back against the wall, chuckling faintly.
"Yes, she will," he said. "But she'll probably wait until I'm fully healed first."
The door opened after Conner placed his hand on the pad and Conner held it open with one arm, his other arm held out to Tommy. Taking a few breaths, Tommy pushed off the wall and took a few shaky steps until he could grab Conner's outstretched hand. Out in the hall, Conner pulled Tommy's arm over his shoulders again and they started down the hall.
No one else was out on the residential level. They had all gone to bed—or were at least in their own suites. So, they didn't see anyone on their way to the Command suite. Reaching their suite, Conner put his hand on the control panel and the door opened.
Inside, Trent, Kira, and Ethan were all sitting around the dining table. When the door slid open, they looked up in surprise since they weren't expecting anyone else. Seeing Conner in the doorway with Tommy, they just stared in shock for a moment.
"Conner!" Kira finally hissed as all three of them jumped up from the table. "Are you crazy? What are you doing?"
All three rushed over to help Conner bring Tommy into the room.
"You should sit down, Dr. O," Trent said, trying to maneuver him toward the couch.
"If I sit, I'm not getting back up for a while," Tommy said, shaking his head. "My room."
They hesitated but didn't argue. Trent took Tommy's other side to help Conner. As they were helping him walk toward his room, the door opened and Kat came out in a bathrobe. She had her phone pressed between her ear and shoulder and was drying her hair with a towel. Glancing up, she saw Tommy and froze in place.
"I'll text you the rest," she finally said into her phone.
Hanging up, she stuck it in her bathrobe pocket.
"Thomas Oliver!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing?"
Kat rushed forward to meet him. Conner and Trent both took a partial step away, though neither fully let go, to allow Kat to put her arms around her husband. Tommy leaned on her, smiling as he put his arms around her.
"I'm going to bed," he said.
"You are supposed to be in the med bay," Kat muttered, her face in his chest. "That's a whole floor up."
"I know," he said, resting his forehead against the top of her head. "But you are down here. So, this is where I want to be."
"You're an idiot," she said, looking up at him. "And I should call Angela. Because you really should still be under her care."
"You will be with me all night," Tommy argued. "Nothing is going to happen—and even if it did, you know how to find her and have four other adults who can run for help. I'm pretty sure Conner could make it before Angela could answer her phone if he was motivated enough."
Kat glanced around Tommy at the other four rangers. She sighed.
"Alright," she said. "I won't call Angela. But you need to go to bed."
"Lead the way," Tommy said.
With Conner and Trent still helping, Kat led the way to her and Tommy's room. She held the door open and they got him to the bed, letting him sit before they left the couple alone.
A couple of hours later there was a frantic pounding on their front door. The rangers all stumbled out of their bedrooms, looking around at each other in confusion. Yawning, Trent strode over to the door and opened it.
"Kelsey?" he said, stifling another yawn as he glanced at the time. "It's almost midnight—what are you doing?"
"Can I come in?" she asked anxiously.
Trent nodded, standing back so she could come in. Conner, Ethan, Kira, and Kat had all come out of their rooms as well. Kat poked her head silently into JJ's room to make sure he was still sleeping.
"What are you doing, Kelsey?" Kat asked after she shut JJ's door.
"Oh, Kat," Kelsey squeaked. "Umm… well, we have a problem."
"What problem?" Conner yawned.
Kelsey hesitated, looking around at the group. Tommy had also emerged, leaning against the doorframe of his and Kat's room. Kelsey didn't notice.
"Tommy is missing," Kelsey blurted out. "Angela went to check on him and he isn't in his room and we can't find him. But I promise we're going to find him—Carter just wanted all of you to know. Joel and Chad are alerting the others."
The five rangers exchanged looks and then glanced at Tommy.
"I'll be back as soon as we figure out where he went," Kelsey promised, darting back out the door.
"Uh, should we go after her?" Ethan said, looking over at Tommy.
Tommy shook his head.
"Just wait for it," he said.
A moment later there was another knock on the door, this one significantly quieter than the last. Trent opened the door again and Kelsey walked sheepishly back in.
"Tommy…" she wailed. "Why do you do this to us?"
Trent sighed as Kelsey pouted, waiting for Tommy's answer.
"I'm gonna go down the hall and tell everyone Dr. O is fine," he said. "Before they join the search party."
He ducked out, the door sliding shut behind him.
"I'm sorry, Kelsey," Tommy said. "But if I had told Angela where I was going she would have locked me in my room in the med bay."
"Couldn't you have told her after?" Kelsey pouted. "You could have locked yourself in here at that point…You know we can't unlock the door."
Tommy looked a little sheepish as he rubbed the back of his head, still leaning against the doorframe.
"Probably," he said. "But I didn't think about it…"
Kat rolled her eyes.
"Alright," she said. "Thank you, Kelsey, and we are sorry for the late-night panic. But I really don't want JJ to wake up so if you could please just go…"
Kelsey nodded.
"Of course," she said quickly turning to leave.
She paused, glancing back over her shoulder.
"I don't suppose any of you want to volunteer to go tell Dana and Angela, do you?" she asked hopefully.
No one said anything. With a sigh, Kelsey left the room. Kat shook her head and walked over to Tommy.
"Back to bed with you," she said, trying to shoo him back into their room.
"Not yet," he said. "You know either Angela or Dana are going to come check on me now. I may as well wait on the couch."
Kat sighed.
"You aren't wrong," she muttered.
Shaking her head, she carefully wrapped an arm around Tommy's waist. He leaned against her as she helped him over to the couch. Sitting proved a little more of a challenge with the low couch. Tommy grunted in pain as the movement jostled his ribs. But when Kat apologized, he just shook his head.
"It's going to happen," he said, trying to get comfortable. "So, sit down."
He tugged her onto the couch next to him. Kira, Conner, and Ethan exchanged looks.
"Do you need us or…" Conner asked, looking at Tommy.
"Go back to bed," Tommy said. "Unless you want to be out here when Angela or Dana arrive?"
"Good night!" the three younger rangers exclaimed, darting back into their rooms and shutting the doors.
Tommy leaned back against the couch with Kat curled up next to him. A few minutes later there was a firm knock on the door. Kat got up to answer. Dana was waiting in the hall, clearly not happy. Kat stepped aside to let her in, following her back over to the couch where Tommy was waiting.
"Thomas Oliver, what were you thinking?" Dana exclaimed. "I thought we talked about this—you aren't supposed to be out of bed yet."
"I was in bed until Kelsey woke us up," Tommy pointed out. "And I would be back in bed already if I hadn't been worried about you pounding on my door and waking JJ up."
Dana took a deep breath.
"What do I have to do to get through to you?" she said, a little quieter this time. "You can't just walk away from this like nothing happened."
"I am aware, Dana," Tommy said. "Considering I needed help to even get across this room. But it isn't going to make it better or worse letting me stay in my own bed. You covered the things that could potentially go wrong very thoroughly with both Kat and myself. And you have my word that if I experience anything I will inform you. But I'm going to recover here with my family—not in a hospital bed."
"I have half a mind to stick you in a cryogenic chamber for a few days," Dana said irritably, shaking her head. "It would speed up your recovery and reduce my stress levels immensely."
"No," Kat said quickly before Tommy could answer. "That's not happening. You aren't putting him in one of those machines to have him sleep for who knows how long."
Tommy leaned forward and caught Kat's hand, pulling her back onto the couch with him.
"That won't be necessary," Tommy said firmly. "I will recover just fine without it."
Dana spent a little longer arguing with Tommy but finally had to concede that the only way she was getting him back to the med bay was by force. Trent came back while they were arguing, slipping silently across the room and straight into his and Kira's bedroom without interrupting. They eventually agreed that Tommy would check in regularly and allow Dana and Angela to drop in occasionally to see how he was doing. Once they had reached a compromise both of them could live with, Dana excused herself.
"Are you ready to go back to bed?" Kat asked after Dana was gone.
"Yes," Tommy sighed. "I think we both need to get some sleep before JJ wakes up."
"They found Tommy," Billy said, letting the door close behind him. "Apparently, he was in his suite sleeping until Kelsey woke him up. Trent just left. And the girls are still asleep in their room."
Hayley, sitting in their bed, glanced up from her tablet.
"I wasn't concerned," she said with a shrug.
Billy raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, you were," he countered.
"Sure," Hayley snorted. "Concerned he was going to fall down the stairs or out of an elevator and smack his head—he can't afford anymore brain damage."
Billy sighed and climbed into bed next to Hayley. When Joel had pounded on the door a while before, he had been the one to answer it. Hayley had followed but had gone back to bed after Joel told them Tommy was missing and pulled her tablet out. They had actually both been asleep before that. As had Trini, Jason, Zach, Kim, and Jake. But Billy spent more time on the base than they did and it wasn't the first time he'd been woken by someone at the door. So, he had reacted more quickly than the rest.
"Hayley, you do not have to play games with me," Billy said quietly.
He put a hand over her tablet, locking the screen and gently pushing it down to her lap. Hayley sighed and looked over at him.
"It is ok if you are upset about what happened," Billy continued. "It is only natural that you be concerned about him."
Hayley sighed again but nodded.
"I know," she said. "And you're right—it scared me. We almost lost him again and…"
She trailed off, shaking her head as she stared at her lap.
"I don't know what I'd do if something actually happened to him," she admitted.
Then she looked up at Billy with a scowl.
"But you are not allowed to tell him I said that," she said fiercely. "It's his own fault that these things always happen to him and I am not giving him ammo to tease me about worrying."
It was Billy's turn to sigh.
"Hayley," he scolded gently. "That is not entirely fair, and you know it."
She continued to scowl at her lap, so Billy reached over to take her hands in his, squeezing them gently.
"Yes, you are right," Billy said. "These kinds of things always seem to happen to Tommy. It has been that way for as long as I have known him. However, most of the time it is because Tommy is put into circumstances that require him to respond immediately and he is not given time to think through any potential consequences."
Hayley's shoulders slumped.
"I know…" she mumbled. "I just…"
She shook her head.
"You just do not want to see him hurt," Billy supplied. "He is your best friend."
Hayley nodded.
"Billy," she said, shaking her head as she squeezed his hand back. "It would kill me not to be able to see him or talk to him again. It would be almost as bad as losing you or one of the girls."
Billy nodded in understanding.
"Tommy knows that," he said. "That is why he fights back. It is how you both show you care for each other. To be honest, your relationship reminds me a little of Jason and Tommy when they first met."
Hayley nodded again, some guilt flashing across her face.
"I'm sorry," she sighed.
"It is fine," he said quickly. "Tommy is one of my best friends, too, and I know your relationship is nothing beyond that. You do not get upset when I am excited to do something with Trini or Kat."
"Well, no," Hayley frowned. "Of course, that doesn't bother me. Billy, I love the way our life is and our friends and everything we do—though maybe with a little less panic."
Billy chuckled.
"I would prefer a lot less panic," he said.
Hayley took a deep breath and shook herself. Turning to Billy, she looked at him seriously.
"Ok, enough about me," she said. "How are you feeling trying to handle things for Tommy? I know it was a lot to dump on you out of nowhere."
"I am alright," Billy said. "It is a lot less than it would normally be since Carter and Trini have both taken on some of his tasks for themselves. However, it is a lot more work than I would have anticipated. Even after helping during the Draven incident. I much prefer my normal position as I am far more comfortable with research-oriented tasks. I do not particularly enjoy being in charge…"
Hayley nodded but didn't say anything for a moment.
"Billy?" she asked.
"Yes?"
Hayley took a deep breath.
"Do you think you would ever step away from the rangers completely?" she asked.
Billy frowned, considering the question for a moment.
"I do not envision a day where either of us would turn down a challenge issued by the rangers," he said slowly. "However…"
He trailed off, sighing.
"I do fear that someday our daughters will follow in our footsteps," he admitted.
Hayley sighed, too.
"But it will be by their own choice," she said. "And there is nothing we can do to stop them."
"I know," Billy said quietly. "But I have lived through being a ranger myself… I have experienced all of the things that could go wrong whether it was personally or being right there to see it happen to a friend. I do not want either of them to have to experience that for themselves."
Hayley leaned against him and Billy put an arm around her shoulders.
"That's why we need to make sure that all of the tools and resources possible are there to support them," she murmured. "Which is why we are always working to improve things for the rangers now."
"Yes, you are right," Billy agreed. "That is also why I am glad they like to spend so much time with Tommy. He has had the same thoughts and, in some ways, is already helping to train them to be ready in case they do ever decide to take that step. As he does with JJ."
Hayley nodded, stifling a yawn.
"We should try and get some sleep," Billy said, glancing at the time. "We need to be ready for whatever tomorrow brings."
With Hayley in agreement, they both got comfortable and turned off the lights to try and get some sleep before morning.
Saturday June 23rd, 2018
Mariner Bay, CA
Trent and Kira were up first the next morning in the Command suite. Knowing everyone else would be waking up soon, they started making breakfast for six plus Conner. Ethan was the next one up, wandering out in his pajamas.
"Oh good, breakfast," he yawned. "Need help?"
The couple shook their heads.
"We're pretty much done," Kira said.
"I'm surprised Dr. O isn't up yet," Ethan said, sitting down at the table. "He must've been tired to still be asleep."
"He did almost die less than three days ago," Trent pointed out. "I think we are going to have to expect him to sleep a little more than he usually does."
Kira and Ethan both flinched at the reminder.
"Maybe I should go wake Conner up," Ethan said, quickly changing the subject.
He got back up from the table to go knock on Conner's door.
"Breakfast, Conner," he said, trying not to be too loud.
Hearing movement in the room, Ethan headed back to his seat at the table. Kira and Trent joined him, bringing the rest of the food with them. Conner stumbled out of his room a few minutes later, clearly still half asleep.
"Coffee is on the counter," Kira said.
Conner headed to grab a cup of coffee and then sat down to fill a plate. The four rangers talked quietly for a while as they waited for the rest of the suite's occupants to emerge. When the door to Tommy and Kat's room opened, they all looked over.
"Good morning," Ethan said. "Kira and Trent made breakfast for everyone."
Kat had her arm around Tommy's waist again as he leaned on her for support.
"We made a smoothie for Dr. O since Dana said he shouldn't jump straight to solid food," Trent said, jumping up and going to the fridge.
"Thank you both," Kat said with a smile as she helped Tommy to a seat at the table.
"Why do you both have wet hair?" Conner said, looking between Kat and Tommy. "Didn't you shower last night, Kat?"
Kat raised an eyebrow as she looked across the table at Conner.
"I did," she said. "What is your point?"
"So, you showered again this morning?" Conner grinned.
"Conner, I can't stay upright for more than a minute or two on my own," Tommy said, looking at Conner. "The dizziness is better this morning but taking a shower alone wouldn't have gone well."
"Oh, right," Conner said sheepishly, quickly going back to his breakfast.
"So, how are you feeling this morning, Dr. O?" Trent asked, handing Tommy his smoothie.
"Better," Tommy said as Kat helped him sit. "The room didn't spin nearly as much when I got up this morning."
Trent sat back down next to Kira to eat his own breakfast as the conversation continued. The rangers were almost done eating their breakfast when JJ finally emerged from his room.
"Do I smell bacon?" he asked, yawning and rubbing his eyes. "Dad?"
JJ froze when he saw Tommy sitting at the table with the rest of the group.
"Dad!" he exclaimed, running over.
Tommy turned as JJ slid to a stop next to his chair.
"Happy birthday, JJ," he smiled.
JJ grinned but hesitated, fidgeting in place until Tommy pulled him into a hug. The now eleven-year-old hugged him back carefully.
"I thought you had to stay in the med bay," JJ said when Tommy let go a few moments later. "Dana said you were going to be there a while."
"Dana and I worked out a compromise," Tommy said.
Conner choked on his food and Ethan slapped him on the back as he coughed. Tommy shot them both a look as Kira and Trent sighed. Kat just shook her head and got up from her seat.
"Happy birthday, sweetheart," she said, giving JJ a hug and kiss. "I can't believe my baby is getting so big."
She hugged him tighter, smothering him a little.
"Mom," JJ finally protested, wiggling out of her arms. "I'm not a baby."
"You will always be my baby," Kat said with a smile. "Now sit down and eat your breakfast."
JJ grumbled but plopped into the chair next to Tommy.
"Happy birthday, kid," Conner said, still coughing a little.
As they continued their meal, JJ chatted excitedly about what he wanted to do with the day. The adults all smiled as they listened, his excitement contagious. It was clear he was happy Tommy was up and eating breakfast with them. As they were starting to clean up after eating, there was a knock on the door.
"Who's that?" Ethan said as they all glanced toward the door. "It isn't Hayley—she doesn't knock."
"I think I know who it is," Tommy said. "Someone want to get the door?"
Kat was already heading in that direction, looking at her watch.
"You know who it is?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder. "I didn't tell you I called her. So how?"
"Called who?" Tommy frowned.
Kat pressed the button to open the door and then quickly got out of the way as the six members of Ninja Storm crowded into the room. They were all carrying presents, including the laser tag Conner had given to JJ three days earlier. Kat let the door slide shut behind them, looking at them in surprise. Everyone else except Tommy was just as surprised.
"What are you all doing here?" she asked.
"Dr. O called," Shane said as they deposited the gifts in a pile out of the way. "Happy birthday, JJ!"
Grinning in excitement, JJ ran over from the table and started talking with the Ninjas at top speed. Tommy watched him with a smile as Kat walked over.
"Are those JJ's presents?" she asked, stopping next to his chair.
"They are," Tommy answered, looking up at her. "It's his birthday—and I knew Carter wasn't going to let us go get them."
"So, you sent the Ninjas?" she said. "How long have they had a key?"
Tommy hesitated, rubbing the back of his head.
"Uh, they don't," he said. "I didn't give them one after we change the locks the last time."
Kat frowned, hands on her hips.
"I may have told them to break in," Tommy said sheepishly. "But I asked Hayley to disarm anything dangerous. The most we may have to do is fix the lock on the front door. I told them right where the presents were, so they didn't have to mess up the house looking for them."
"Tommy…" Kat sighed.
"It's his birthday," Tommy protested, turning to look at their son. "Though I guess I probably could have just asked the Ninjas to come without the presents—he hasn't even noticed yet."
And he hadn't. JJ was too excited about the Ninjas' arrival to acknowledge the presents they had brought with them. The four Dinos had joined the group, greeting their friends.
"Did you have them stop at the dojo, too?" Kat asked, having noticed the laser tag box amidst the wrapped gifts.
"Oh, yeah," Tommy said. "I figured why not bring it. JJ can use it in the gym like he wanted and I'm sure Hayley can find something to rig up so more of the kids can play."
Kat shook her head. Tommy grabbed her hand and tugged her down to sit on his lap.
"I know it's been a rough few days," he said quietly, wrapping his arms around her. "This will be good for him—and everyone else."
"I know," she said, being careful not to lean back.
Another knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Kat glanced at her watch again.
"Oh, that must be my surprise," she said, starting to stand up.
"Your surprise?" Tommy said, raising an eyebrow. "Who did you call?"
Trent beat Kat to the door. Krista was waiting outside the door this time, holding a large cake in her arms.
"Sorry, my arms were full," she said to Trent. "I couldn't get my hand on the pad without dropping it."
Conner, hearing her voice, abandoned the conversation he was having with Hunter and Shane to run to his wife. Trent had already taken the cake from her to take it to the kitchen.
"Krista—you're here!" Conner exclaimed, catching her in a hug.
She laughed, hugging him back as he spun her around.
"I am," she smiled. "Kat asked me to bring a cake for JJ."
Tommy looked at Kat.
"We probably could have coordinated better," he said.
"Probably," Kat agreed, laughing. "But this works out well. Trent, put the cake up out of the way please—that's for later this afternoon at the party."
"Party?" JJ exclaimed, hearing part of what his mother had said. "There's going to be a party?"
"I got it all arranged last night," she said. "I couldn't invite your friends here, of course, but I still wanted you to have fun. So, after lunch we're going to have a party just for you."
JJ bounced up and down in excitement. The door opened again, this time without a knock, and Hayley walked in with Rae and Izzy.
"Happy birthday!" they all said, joining the crowd.
Still standing next to Tommy, Kat smiled as she looked around the room. She was more relaxed than she had been in days.
"Alright, JJ," she said, wading into the crowd while Tommy watched from his chair. "You need to go get dressed. You four, too."
She looked pointedly at the Dinos who looked down at their pajamas—they'd forgotten they hadn't gotten dressed yet. The Ninjas snickered as their friends practically bolted from the room to get changed. Kat shooed JJ out as well, telling him he had to wear actual clothes before he could leave the suite.
While everyone was getting dressed and ready for the morning, the Ninjas piled the presents carefully by the door so they'd be ready to go later before spreading out around the room. Shane and Hunter were in the kitchen now, talking quietly with Tommy at the table. Rae and Izzy were interrogating Cam in the living room while Hayley was talking with Kat about the plans for the day. A knock on the door caught their attention.
"Got it!" Dustin said, darting over.
He hit the button to open the door. Jason and Marc were waiting on the other side. Seeing Dustin standing there, Jason stared at him in surprise. He was expecting one of the Dinos or Kat, not a stranger.
"Oh—hi, Jason!" Dustin grinned. "Come on in."
"Who are you again?" Jason asked, frowning at Dustin as he ushered Marc inside. "I'm pretty sure I remember Trini and Billy mention you—you look familiar."
"Dustin," he answered.
"He's with us," Tori said, shaking her head. "Hello again, Jason."
Tori and Blake walked over to say hi. Cam nodded from the couch, not breaking his conversation with Rae and Izzy. Jason looked at Tori and Blake in recognition and realized he was looking at one of the ranger teams Billy and Trini had discussed on Thursday.
"I remember you two," he said. "You were at the dojo."
"They're ninjas, dad," Marc hissed, elbowing him. "They did a demonstration the same day you did—remember!"
"I remember, Marc," Jason said drily.
Then he turned back to Tori, Blake, and Dustin. Shane and Hunter were watching from the table with Tommy. Hayley and Kat had glanced over but quickly went back to their own conversation.
"Just in case you don't remember," Tori said with a smile. "I'm Tori and this is Blake. You've met Dustin now."
She lightly elbowed Dustin, who was standing next to her, and he grunted.
"Cam—who you also met in Angel Grove—is over on the couch with the girls," Tori continued. "And our fearless leaders—Shane and Hunter—are talking with Dr. O in the kitchen."
Shane and Hunter both nodded.
"It's nice to meet you all," he said. "I hope we aren't interrupting. Marc wanted to come tell JJ happy birthday."
"Dad!" Marc exclaimed. "Don't embarrass me!"
"How am I embarrassing you?" Jason asked. "That's the whole reason we are here."
"But the ninjas are here," Marc hissed. "So don't—wait…"
He paused, frowning as he looked around at the Ninjas spread around the room.
"Why are you all here?" Marc asked. "Don't you teach at a secret ninja school somewhere else?"
"We're just playing delivery service today," Blake answered.
"Delivery?" Marc repeated.
"JJ's presents," Tori nodded, gesturing to the gifts piled by the door.
"But how did you get here?" Marc pressed.
Hayley heard Marc and frowned as she turned to look at him.
"By car?" Dustin offered. "Well, two cars. Crowding into one isn't fun if we don't need to."
Marc was staring at them suspiciously. Then his eyes widened.
"Wait a minute!" he yelped.
Hayley sighed.
"Marc, you aren't supposed to be asking questions, remember?" Hayley said.
"I didn't ask them, I figured it out on my own!" Marc protested. "And it wasn't on purpose—it just happened!"
"What are you talking about, Marc?" Jason asked.
The Ninjas, along with Hayley, Tommy, and Kat, were looking at Marc now, too.
"They're rangers!" Marc exclaimed eagerly.
Tommy groaned quietly as Jason stared at his son in surprise. Hayley and Kat both sighed and the Ninjas froze—they hadn't planned on being outed to anyone that morning.
"Think about it," Marc said. "How else could they have just driven on base? This place is supposed to be top secret with restricted access. You can't just drive in because you want to. And they aren't here to visit Tommy, Rocky, or Adam. They're just bringing birthday presents. How do you just deliver presents to a secret base like this without an escort? Plus, they're ninjas and rangers are all practically ninjas."
Tommy choked on his water, quickly turning it into a cough which just made him grimace in pain. Marc didn't notice, still looking at the three Ninjas right in front of him.
"Tell me you aren't," he said, staring at them expectantly.
Tori, Blake, and Dustin just stared, hesitating. None of them were sure how to answer since this hadn't been planned.
"They are!" JJ inserted. "They have to be. How did I never notice before? I've known them practically forever!"
Tommy grimaced again as everyone looked to see JJ had come out of his room while Marc was talking. He was grinning excitedly as he nodded in agreement with what Marc had said. The six Ninjas exchanged looks. Shane and Hunter looked at Tommy who just shrugged. Sighing, Shane stood up and walked over to Marc with Hunter right behind him. Izzy and Rae, sitting with Cam, hadn't been phased by the conversation at all and were still focused on Cam.
"You're right, kid," Shane finally admitted. "Yes, the six of us are rangers. Ninja Storm, to be exact."
"This is so cool!" JJ said, racing over to Kat. "Mom—they're power rangers!"
Kat sighed, nodding. JJ turned and ran to where Marc was now peppering Shane and the rest with questions.
"What's going on out here?" Conner asked as he walked out of his room with Krista. "It got kind of loud real fast."
"Conner!" JJ said, whipping around to look at him. "The Ninjas are power rangers!"
Conner froze, looking at the Ninjas who just shrugged. Ethan, Trent, and Kira had poked their heads out of their rooms as well to see what was going on.
"Oh, really?" Conner exclaimed, trying to sound surprised.
"That is brand new information!" Ethan added.
Trent sighed, shaking his head as he actually came walking out.
"Smooth, guys," he said drily.
Tommy just groaned as he dropped his head into his arms.
"Please don't guess the other four," he muttered under his breath. "Please don't guess the other four…"
"Wait—you knew?" JJ exclaimed, frowning at Conner.
"Yeah, we knew, kid," Conner said with a shrug.
JJ scowled, crossing his arms.
"How come they told you and not me?" he asked.
"JJ," Kat scolded.
"What?" he protested.
Conner just shook his head.
"Well, we've been friends for a long time," he pointed out, ruffling JJ's hair on his way to the kitchen. "But sometimes you just gotta figure things out on your own. That's what we had to do."
"Well, that's not wrong," Hunter snorted.
Conner shot him a smirk as he grabbed an apple off the counter and sat down at the table with Tommy.
"So, what are we doing for the party?" JJ asked a little while later, bouncing around the suite. "Who's coming? Are there games? Where are we having it?"
Kat sighed, shaking her head. JJ had been asking questions since he came back out of his room from getting dressed. In between interrogating the Ninjas with Marc, of course.
"It's a surprise for a reason," she said. "You know it's happening, so now you'll have to wait for the rest until this afternoon."
"Mom…" JJ groaned.
She just raised an eyebrow as everyone else snickered in amusement. The suite was still crowded with people. The Ninjas and the four younger Dino rangers, with Krista, had taken over the living room and were sprawled over every available piece of furniture or on the floor. Conner had snagged one of the armchairs and pulled Krista into it with him, happy she was at the base. Rae and Izzy were sprawled on the floor under everyone's feet. Marc was still talking with some of the Ninjas, completely fascinated by them—especially knowing they weren't just ninjas but also rangers. Jason and Hayley were sitting in the kitchen with Tommy and Kat.
"Dad?" JJ asked, looking at Tommy hopefully.
Tommy shook his head.
"Sorry, kiddo," he said. "I know absolutely nothing this time. Your mom planned this without me."
Grumbling, JJ wandered back to the living room to help Marc continue to interrogate the Ninjas. Kat shook her head. Glancing at the time, she stood up and stretched.
"Alright," she said. "Time to get moving. We need to get everything set up for after lunch."
She turned to the group in the living room.
"Alright, all of you up and to the elevator," she ordered.
The conversation paused as they all turned to look at Kat in surprise.
"Wait—what?" Shane said.
"You are all coming with me," Kat said. "Tommy may not have planned it, but he delivered me a set up crew with the presents."
"But I thought that's all we were doing," Dustin protested.
They all looked over at Tommy who just shrugged.
"You heard her," he said. "I just got out of the hospital—Kat's in charge."
"Isn't she usually?" Ethan smirked.
"In most situations," Tommy admitted, smiling at Kat.
She rolled her eyes.
"Let's go," she ordered. "JJ and Marc, you stay here."
Grumbling, the Ninjas and Dinos were getting to their feet. Kat started shooing them out as they were trying to get their shoes on. Conner hesitated and Kat caught him glancing back at Tommy. Recognizing the red ranger's need to make sure Tommy was alright, and that he didn't necessarily trust Jason to be his protector yet, Kat sighed.
"Oh!" she said, spinning. "Krista."
"Yes?" Krista said, turning from trying to hand Conner his shoes.
"I need you and Conner to start going through the cupboards and start pulling stuff together for drinks," Kat said. "Some things will be provided with dinner, but I want to have as many options as possible. Just make sure there is nothing red."
Conner immediately relaxed as he and Krista nodded in agreement. The rest of the group had already moved out into the hallway.
"No purple, either," Tommy added.
"It was one time, dad!" JJ protested.
"That you remember," Tommy countered.
"You two are also in charge of making sure everyone eats lunch before the party," Kat said.
"Kat, I'm not letting our son starve," Tommy protested. "I'm very good at making sure he is fed."
"But not yourself when you are sick or injured," Kat countered, a hand on her hip.
"Does that mean I can force feed him tofu?" Conner grinned.
Scowling, Tommy hit Conner in the ankle with his cane—Dana had returned it earlier that morning. Conner yelped, leaning down to grab his ankle as everyone else laughed. Ethan, who had poked his head in to see what was taking Kat so long, snickered.
"And that's why Krista is staying with Conner," he laughed. "To prevent bloodshed."
Kat shook her head as she pushed him back out the door and followed.
"Good luck!" Ethan shouted before the door closed.