2002
The wedding march filled the small chapel and the well-dressed crowd oohed and aahed as Ashley came down the aisle in a bright yellow dress and heels, taking her place near the altar as Kimberly and Katherine, both of whom were also wearing yellow dresses and heels, came down the aisle with Billy and Malcolm as their respective escorts in dark tuxes. From beside the pulpit, Jason quickly straightened his red and gold tie and smiled as Laura came down the aisle in a white, ball-gown like dress that had sleeves and a decent neckline and a long veil that was in her updone hair with a grinning Dr. Oliver serving as her escort.
"Ah," the minister said, smiling at Jason and Laura as they both approached the altar. "Welcome."
At the back of the chapel, Tommy smiled sadly as he watched the ceremony that would make Jason and Laura husband and wife; it was sad for him because he could have been involved in the wedding party if it wouldn't have made things uncomfortable. Because Kimberly had been such a good friend when Laura had first come to Angel Grove, it was natural that Laura had made Kimberly a bridesmaid along with Ashley and Katherine; she felt comfortable around them. Tommy had taken a chance just being there that day.
As the minister spoke about the importance of love, Malcolm and Katherine smiled at each other because they, along with Laura and Jason, had been welcomed to witness Billy and Kimberly's ceremony just a few days earlier and although it had been small, it had been nice. Thomas and Helen sat in the front pew with Dr. Oliver while Rocky, Cassie, Mark, TJ, Carlos, Tanya, and Adam sat in the next pew and behind them sat a lot of people who were special to Jason and Laura, including Dr. Cranston, who had brought along Trent.
Even though Bulk and Skull had been invited, Bulk had a distaste for crowds ever since the abuse by his parents had become public and Skull had declined because he had to work while his parents looked after Spike, "Who giveth this woman?" the minister suddenly said, prompting Dr. Oliver to again rise.
"I give Laura Leigh Hammond to Jason Lee Scott," Dr. Oliver spoke softly, smiling as he hugged Laura.
Jason smiled and Laura chuckled as Dr. Oliver retook his seat and silently basked in the fatherly pride he was suddenly feeling even though he wasn't a biological father to anyone, "I wrote my own vows," Jason commented softly as he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out an index card. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and as I saw you, you were and always will be beautiful to me. My love for you has only grown over the years that I have known you and it will never fade with time, trial, or anything else."
For a moment, Jason was silent and then smiled, "That's all I have," he whispered in a gentle voice.
"Love is measureless, but it can be shown through action and as you show it to me, I show it to you now and forever," Laura spoke softly, smiling at Jason through her veil. "Whatever may come to us through the years, I will always be there for you and stand by you. My love for you is unconditional and forever."
Realizing that Jason and Laura would need their rings, Dr. Cranston whispered in Trent's ear as the minister talked about the importance of love and asked Jason and Laura if they took each other as spouses. Trent whispered back and Dr. Cranston silently picked up his young grandson and carried him from the church.
The minister smiled as Trent silently got up and approached the couple with rings on a pillow, "With this ring, I thee wed," Jason said calmly as he plucked one of the rings off the pillow and gently put the ring on Laura's ring finger, smiling as Laura did the same and repeated the words in a gentle tone of voice.
"With your vows taken and the rings on your fingers, I can now declare you husband and wife," the minister said in a pleasant voice, sighing happily as Jason carefully lifted Laura's veil and gently kissed her.
Tears of happiness filled Laura's eyes as she smiled at Jason, "I am now happy to present Mister and Mrs. Jason Lee Scott!" the minister proclaimed, smiling as the beautifully decorated chapel filled with applause.
As Jason and Laura walked away from the altar and outside, they passed all of the smiling guests and sighed with relief as they emerged into the warm sun. Even though it was barely spring, the weather had been perfect that day and for that miracle, everyone was grateful, as the wedding could be enjoyed.
"I'm exhausted," Jason commented softly. "Do you think we could just sit together alone for a minute?"
Knowing that Jason was still recovering from the injuries he had sustained on September 11th in New York, Laura nodded and they walked over to a bench that was in the church courtyard, just under a tree. Jason sat and Laura sat next to him, joining hands as they ignored the murmuring coming from the guests.
"Did I tell you that Mister Caplan offered me a job for next year?" Laura asked softly, smiling at him.
Jason smiled, deeply relieved that they would be able to stay near their friends and families as they started their life together, "That's great, Laura," he replied softly. "I'm gonna be able to start work in the summer."
Laura smiled, but before she could reply, she spotted a carriage pulled by two horses coming down the street towards the church, "Only the best for my true love," Jason spoke softly, a smile on his face.
Shocked speechless by Jason's gesture, Laura chuckled softly as Jason helped her up and over to the horse and carriage, "Everyone else will meet us at the reception," Jason whispered as they climbed into the carriage and sat down. "I've just been around so many people all day and I just wanted to be alone with you for a few minutes. I also noticed that you were overwhelmed about being around so many people."
"You know me well," Laura whispered softly, taking Jason's hand as the horses started to trot.
Zhane's eyes widened as he touched down in front of a large, castle-like mansion that was surrounded by a wall with an open gate and the wall had a mailbox labelled 'Cranston' on it. The house looked large and intimidating, he thought as he checked his data to ensure that this was the source of the power, but it also looked as if it would hold answers to the questions he had; it looked as if it had technology inside.
Suddenly, a car pulled up in front of the house and Zhane turned just in time to see Dr. Cranston and a tired looking Trent climb out of the car, "Grandpa, why is that man all banged up?" Trent asked softly.
"Banged up?" Zhane asked in a confused voice, wondering what the little boy was talking about.
Dr. Cranston smiled, "My grandson means that you're bleeding and bruised," he explained calmly, wondering if Zhane had been injured in an accident. "What happened? Did you get into an accident?"
"I'm looking to talk to someone about technology," Zhane replied softly. "Only technology can help."
Dr. Cranston nodded, "My son, Billy, is the technical genius and owner of Mercer Industries," he explained in a calm voice. "Why don't you come in and I'll call Billy and patch you up a bit while we wait for him?"
"I don't wish to be a bother, sir," Zhane replied softly even though he could use rest and food.
Dr. Cranston chuckled, "Oh, you won't be a bother," he replied pleasantly. "Please, come in."
Zhane nodded and slowly followed Dr. Cranston and Trent through the gate and into the house.
Ernie's was filled with people and Ernie, Malcolm, and Rocky had pulled out all the stops to ensure that the public area was decorated for a wedding reception and that enough food was out. Jason and Laura sat on a small couch underneath a white wedding arch that was covered in flowers and Helen, Thomas, Malcolm, Dr. Oliver, Tommy, Ashley, Justin, and Adam all sat on chairs on either side of the couch, as everyone had agreed that standing would eventually tire Jason out and that wasn't a good idea.
As Laura wanted people to enjoy themselves at the reception, she had arranged it so that all of the guests were at carefully numbered tables and could come up to greet the bridal party whenever they wanted instead of being forced to go through a receiving line. Zach had also been hired as a DJ and he was perfectly happy to help Jason and Laura out because they had both been so kind to him over the years.
Wanting others to have a chance to greet the newlyweds and their families first, Mark, Katherine, Tanya, TJ, Carlos, Cassie, Rocky, Billy, and Kimberly all sat at a table together, "I'm so happy for Laura," Cassie commented, smiling as she watched Jason and Laura talk to other guests. "She deserves to be happy."
Suddenly, Billy's cell-phone went off and he quickly answered it, "Billy Cranston," he said calmly, listening to the caller for a few minutes before rising from his chair. "Kim, I have to take care of something."
"Okay," Kimberly replied calmly, smiling as Billy left. "Billy works really hard sometimes, you know?"
Katherine nodded, "Malcolm's the same way between his schooling and trying to learn the ropes from Ernie about how this place works," she replied, chuckling as Malcolm winked at her. "He's so cute."
"Rocky, do you think you'll come work at Ernie's full time once you graduate university?" Kimberly asked in a curious voice, as Rocky was one of the few friends she could trust. "You work here now, right?"
Rocky nodded, "Just part-time, but that might change," he replied nervously. "I've been doing…"
Without warning, the entire room except the former Power Rangers seemed to freeze in place just as Billy rushed into the room, "It's started," Billy said in an anxious voice. "My father said that this young man showed up and he looked as if he had come from someplace far away, almost as if from another planet."
"Zhane!" Ashley shouted, recognizing her friend from her time in space. "That has to be Zhane!"
Laura frowned at Ashley and then looked at Jason worriedly, "Zhane talked to me on the phone briefly and he's managed to stop time long enough for me to summon help," Billy explained anxiously. "Don't ask me how he did it, but for some reason, we all need to go back to my house right now."
"It's Jason and Laura's wedding day, though," Ashley protested anxiously. "It's not battle time."
Billy looked apologetic, but Tommy spoke up, "If the Earth needs help, it can't wait for the reception to be over," Tommy spoke up in an anxious voice, ignoring Kimberly's glare. "It could be too late by then."
"What Power Rangers did Zhane need?" Jason asked, giving Billy a look. "Who do we send?"
Billy sighed, "Zhane just said he needed help from the Power Rangers," he replied anxiously.
"I guess we'll all have to go," Laura spoke up softly, gazing around at Zack, Tanya, Adam, Katherine, Kimberly, Malcolm, Justin, Ashley, Jason, Billy, Tommy, Cassie, TJ, Carlos, and Rocky. "How, though?"
Nearly half an hour later, the group had managed to make their way through the frozen Angel Grove and into the Cranston mansion. Zhane was seated in the living room, but Dr. Cranston and Trent weren't.
"Doctor Cranston is upstairs with Trent," Zhane explained in a weak voice as he stood up and gazed at the massive crowd that had just come into the house. "Billy, are all of these people Power Rangers?"
Billy nodded, "I have to contact the others using my technology, but here's a few of them," he explained.
"Do you need specific Power Rangers or all of us?" Jason asked in a curious voice as he looked at Zhane.
Zhane sighed, "I've been doing research on Serpentera on the Moon for a long time and both General Venjix and Zedd say that the only thing that can defeat their monster is the color of love, which is red," he explained in a shaky voice, suddenly gazing at Malcolm. "Would you distribute the power?"
Before Malcolm could reply, Dr. Oliver appeared out of nowhere, "I actually made replicas of the old Morphers as part of an experiment on various power sources and technology," Billy stated anxiously as he handed Dr. Oliver the key. "I only told Doctor Oliver where they are hidden in this house."
"I did warn you about this," Dr. Oliver said calmly as he left the room to gather the Morphers.
Billy nodded and Tommy looked at Jason, "You ready to get back into action?" Tommy asked eagerly.
"I'm recovering from being in action, Tommy," Jason replied patiently. "Once a Ranger, always a Ranger, though, and if Red Rangers are needed to help, I'll help. I was the first and I have to lead by example."
An uneasy silence filled the room as Dr. Oliver returned with several Morphers, "Unfortunately, I couldn't replicate the Ninjetti power into a Morpher, but I managed to duplicate the Tyrannosaurus, Zeo, Turbo, and Space powers," Billy explained as he took the Morphers. "Jason and Tommy, these are for you."
Swallowing hard, Jason took the Tyrannosaurus replica while Tommy took the Zeo replica, "What about the Turbo and Space Morphers?" Ashley asked softly. "Andros would have taken the Space one, but…"
Laura's eyes softened and she put an arm around Ashley, "TJ will take the Turbo Morpher," Billy explained, quickly tossing the Turbo replica to TJ, who took it with a grin. "Since I wasn't able to duplicate the Ninjetti Power and that was Rocky's, I think that Rocky deserves to take the Space Power if he's up to it."
Rocky's eyes widened as he took the Space Morpher, "I'll be here when you get back," Laura whispered softly, pulling Jason in for a kiss. "I guess there's nothing to do but wait here for you all to return."
"I'm afraid that there's not much time for pleasantries," Dr. Oliver spoke up sternly. "I warned Billy a while back that there would come a time when help was needed again. It's time to get the show on the road."
Billy smiled, "I'll contact the others and they'll meet you at the designated location," he spoke softly.
One by one, Jason, Tommy, Rocky, and TJ held out their Morpher replicas, "Tyrannosaurus!" Jason shouted, smiling as he felt a rush of power flood his body and looking worried as the replica suddenly shook, sparked, and sent him to the floor in an unconscious heap with his hands around the Morpher.
"Jason!" Laura, Malcolm, and Ashley shouted as Laura dropped to her knees in her wedding dress.
Dr. Oliver's eyes widened in shock and Tommy quickly looked at Malcolm, "Malcolm, take his Morpher," Tommy said in an anxious voice. "If we don't stop Serpentera, the whole world could be doomed."
"I can't," Malcolm replied anxiously. "I'm not in any way a Red Ranger nor can I take on the Red Ranger power without compromising the energy I have from the powers I've taken on in the past. When I gave up my power for the last time, I was told that I couldn't compromise the energy from my past powers by adding new ones or else I'd be risking my life. It hurt a lot to hear that, but that's how things are now."
Laura sighed heavily, "Love is what will bring this Serpentera down and love is what Zedd hates most, right?" she asked in an anxious voice as she slowly stood up. "I've never taken any other power except my own, but I can't stand seeing Jason suffer like this. Billy, could you possibly transfer Jason's power to me?"
"Katherine, why don't you and Malcolm get Jason to the couch?" Dr. Oliver spoke up softly, knowing that Laura's love for Jason and her willingness to help would more than likely help her take on the powers.
As Katherine and Malcolm carefully moved Jason to the couch, Laura took the Tyrannosaurus Morpher from Jason's hands, "Laura, it's your wedding day and I don't think anyone would forgive themselves if you got hurt," Tommy spoke up anxiously. "Maybe you should give the Morpher over to Adam."
"Tommy, I would never forgive myself if I didn't help Jason because it would clearly kill him to try and Morph again and I don't know what it would do to someone who isn't as closely connected to Jason as I am now," Laura replied in a snappish voice, promptly turning her back on him to face Adam, TJ, Ashley, Cassie, Kimberly, Billy, Carlos, and Zhane. "Zhane, I'm Jason's wife and I wish to go fight in his place."
Zhane nodded and slowly returned to the couch he had been sitting on, "I have enough power to send you and the other Red Rangers to the Moon and when you destroy Serpentera," he explained in a weak voice as he showed his wrist instrument to the group. "Once it's done, you'll all return back here."
"Look after Jason," Laura said, gazing at Malcolm and Katherine. "Tell Jason I love him with all my heart."
Malcolm looked alarmed as Laura leaned down and gently kissed Jason before stepping away from him and holding the Morpher close to her heart, "I suspect that time has frozen in response to whatever is going on on the Moon," Zhane spoke anxiously. "Laura, you should probably Morph before you go."
Swallowing hard, Laura held the Morpher out, "Tyrannosaurus!" she shouted in a commanding voice.
"You're really brave, Laura," Ashley commented in a soft voice, tears filling her eyes as she looked at Laura all decked out in the Red Tyrannosaurus Ranger suit. "I'm just really glad you're my sister."
Laura sighed heavily, "I love you," she replied softly. "We should all really get going."
There was a heavy silence as Zhane lifted his hands and used the little power he had in his wrist instrument to send Laura, Tommy, Rocky, and TJ out of the Cranston Mansion, "They'll come back when Serpentera is destroyed," he breathed heavily, eyeing the unconscious Jason. "I'm afraid I have very little power…"
"I believe Jason will be fine, but has lost some energy and strength trying to Morph," Billy observed in a concerned voice as Malcolm and Katherine walked over to the couch. "All we can do now is stay here and hope that General Venjix, the Cogs, and Zedd are stopped before Serpentera can come to Earth."
Dr. Oliver nodded and sighed solemnly as he loosened his tie, "I have great faith that Serpentera will be destroyed before it can damage Earth, but as always, a price will have to be paid," he replied somberly.
"Is someone going to die, Doctor Oliver?" Katherine asked in a concerned voice. "You seem so sad."
Dr. Oliver shook his head, "Nobody will die that is not supposed to," he replied in a somber voice.
Moon
Brief introductions was all that the Red Rangers had time for before they gathered at the same dune where Zhane had spent much time spying on General Venjix, Zedd, and the Cogs, "Wow, I didn't know that Seprentera was going to be that big," Tommy said in an anxious voice. "That might be bigger than…"
"We've got to have faith that we can defeat it, Tommy," Rocky replied softly. "So many have already died."
Tommy sighed as he peered at Zedd and noticed that the mechanical man had difficulty moving without the assistance of the Cogs while General Venjix seemed to be focusing his energy on Serpentera, "…WHY WON'T THIS INFERNAL CONTRAPTION WORK?!" an angry voice suddenly boomed across the surface.
"Serpentera is millions of years old!" Zedd barked gruffly. "Did the Cogs bother to replace the parts?!"
TJ frowned, "If Serpentera isn't even working, all we have to do is blow it up," he hissed anxiously.
"Do we have some sort of explosive device available to us?" Laura asked in a concerned voice.
Murmurs of doubt rose from the other Red Rangers and Laura frowned at their insinuations that she didn't have anything useful to say because she was not the original Red Ranger, but sharp glares from TJ and Rocky quickly silenced them, "You know, if we were to summon and combine whatever Zords we could, we could simply blast Serpentera to smithereens," Tommy observed as he studied the large structure.
"Summoning the Zords would drain us of our powers, Tommy," Laura replied in a reluctant voice.
Tommy sighed heavily, "It's the only chance we have," he replied in an anxious voice.
The Moon shook violently as all the Red Zords were summoned and Zedd swore as the combined Zords marched out to where General Venjix, Serpentera, and the Cogs were, "THE POWER RANGERS FOUND TIME TO COME, YOU IDIOTIC METALHEAD!" General Venjix yelled anxiously. "THIS WILL END NOW!"
"If we concentrate every bit of our firepower on Serpentera, it should explode," Tommy said anxiously, his hands itching to use the controls and get the job done quickly. "We can go back to Earth then."
Laura frowned, "If we blow up Serpentera, it will damage this and hurt all of us," she argued in a concerned voice, knowing that Serpentera had enough parts to cause damage to the Ultrazord when destroyed.
"It's your wedding day and we shouldn't even be here," Tommy said anxiously. "We should be at home."
Rocky glared at Tommy, "What will happen to all of us if we blow up Serpentera?" he asked sharply.
"This is a really foolish plan, but it may be the only way," TJ spoke in a somber voice, sighing as the other Red Rangers murmured their assent to Tommy's idea. "Laura, Rocky, I'm really sorry to not agree…"
Laura sighed heavily, "If it's the only way, we'd better do it now," she said in a reluctant voice.
"Prepare to focus all firepower on Serpentera," Tommy commanded, reaching for the weapons console.
Feeling as if something terrible had suddenly happened, Jason woke with a start and shot up in bed with a terrified expression on his face, shocked to find himself in a bed with Malcolm, Katherine, Ashley, and Zack sitting in chairs beside his bed while Billy lingered anxiously by the window looking worried.
"What…happened?" Jason asked in a scared voice, wondering why he was in a strange bed. "Where's…?"
Before anyone could reply, Tanya, Adam, Kimberly, Justin, Cassie, TJ, Ashley, Carlos, and a shaken looking Zhane all hurried into the room with Dr. Oliver at their heels, "Jason, you're awake," Ashley said in an anxious voice as she sat on the edge of the bed. "I have to ask; what exactly do you remember last?
"I remember standing in the living room and trying to Morph," Jason replied slowly, quickly frowning.
Malcolm nodded, "It didn't work and you passed out," he replied in a concerned voice. "Laura…"
"Laura took my Morpher?!" Jason asked in a terrified voice. "Why would Laura take my Morpher?!"
Billy sighed sadly, "Because she's closer to you than any of us," he replied in a somber voice.
Tears filled Jason's eyes and he began to sob, not doing anything when Malcolm sat on the bed and pulled him into a gentle hug, patting his back when the crying turned into coughing, "Something awful's happening," Jason said in an anguish-filled voice. "I can feel that something awful's happening."
Pieces of incinerated metal littered the moon's surface and the Red Rangers lay scattered amongst the metal, each of them having suffered an injury when Serpentera blew up because the fragments had destroyed their Zord just by the impact of hitting it. So far, there was no sign of anyone else around.
Rocky groaned as he slowly sat up and quickly realized that his left arm was at a funny angle and most likely broken, but his worry was quickly dashed when he saw that Tommy, Laura, TJ, and the other Red Rangers had all suffered some sort of injury and were struggling to get into a sitting up position.
"Does anyone see Zedd, General Venjix, or the Cogs anywhere?" Tommy asked as he got to his feet.
Swallowing hard, Laura slowly got to her feet and placed a hand on her abdomen as she looked around and saw pieces of General Venjix and the Cogs while a battered Zedd remained and holding General Venjix's weapon in his hands, "Zedd's still alive," she said in an anxious voice, helping TJ to his feet.
All of the Red Rangers quickly faced Zedd, who raised General Venjix's weapon, "You may have destroyed Serpentera, but I will destroy all of you," he grunted angrily. "I will kill every last one of you if it's the…"
Remembering what Leanbow had told her long ago, Laura frowned and thrust Jason's morpher at Zedd, engulfing both her and Zedd in a fire-like fog, "No, you won't," she replied in a commanding voice.
Zedd howled in agony and Laura felt both intense pain and relief as Zedd disappeared, "LAURA!" she heard Rocky, Tommy, and TJ yell in unison as the fog faded and she felt herself hit the ground very hard.
"It's over," Laura breathed in a heavy voice as she lay on the ground with a hand on her abdomen while Tommy, Rocky, and TJ surrounded her while the other Red Rangers glared daggers at Tommy. "It's over."
Angel Grove
Time had passed since the destruction of Serpentera, General Venjix, and the Cogs, but all of the former Rangers were still reeling from what had happened and hadn't gotten together since they had returned to Earth. Deeply guilty over what his insistence had caused, Tommy found himself in his bedroom and packing to return to MIT because he knew that both Jason and Rocky were extremely upset with him.
Everyone involved in the Moon attack had suffered serious injuries, but the story had been that an earthquake had occurred during the reception and it had stuck. Despite suffering five broken ribs and a cracked sternum, Tommy wanted nothing more than to leave and escape what he had chosen to do.
"Tommy, you shouldn't be up," Justin commented softly as he lingered at the door to Tommy's room.
Pain shot through Tommy's ribs and sighing, he slowly sat down next to his half-filled suitcase, "I have to get back to school," he replied softly, caressing his healing ribs. "Is Uncle Frank still picking up Rocky?"
"Yeah," Justin replied, frowning at Tommy. "Doctor Oliver told you to stay in bed, though, didn't he?"
Tommy sighed heavily, "Where's everyone else at?" he asked in a stressed voice. "Who else is home?"
"Just me," Justin replied in a concerned voice. "Ashley's visiting Laura and Jason and everyone else…"
Tommy looked at the floor; everyone had phoned him since the incident, but he had ignored their calls because all he expected and deserved was hate. If he hadn't insisted on blowing up Serpentera, then nobody would have gotten hurt and he wouldn't feel like an outcast among his caring friends.
"Tommy, are you okay?" Justin asked in a concerned voice as Tommy shuddered and turned pale.
Shaking his head, Tommy pulled the suitcase on to the floor and laid down on his bed, "I'm in pain," he replied in a faint voice, trembling as he closed his eyes. "Just turn off the lights and let me sleep a bit."
As Tommy laid there, he heard the door open and close, "Doctor Oliver!" he heard Justin say in an anxious voice as the sound of footsteps. "Tommy says he hurts and he's lying down right now…"
There was soft talking and Dr. Oliver silently entered Tommy's bedroom, making himself comfortable on the bed before he spoke, "Would you like a painkiller?" Dr. Oliver asked softly. "And maybe some juice?"
"Please," Tommy spoke in a faint voice. "Uncle Frank, I want to go back to MIT as soon as possible."
Dr. Oliver sighed and frowned at seeing the half-filled suitcase on the floor, "When you're feeling better, you can," he replied gently. "For now, why don't I get you a painkiller and you have a nice long nap?"
Without waiting for a reply from Tommy, Dr. Oliver left the room and wandered into the kitchen where Justin was sitting at the kitchen table with a concerned looking Rocky, who was studying a cast that extended from his hand to his elbow and was in a sling, "Rocky, do you want a pain pill?" he asked softly.
"How's Tommy?" Rocky asked in a concerned voice. "Did you tell him about Jason and Laura yet?"
Dr. Oliver shook his head, "I found no reason to," he replied calmly. "They need space from each other."
"How long do you think they'll be in Hawaii with Jason's parents, Ashley, Malcolm, and Kat for?" Justin asked in a concerned voice. "I know they wanted a honeymoon, but after what happened…"
Rocky sighed, "Laura almost died on the Moon and that's why Jason and Malcolm's parents insisted on taking a family vacation instead of Jason cancelling the honeymoon," he explained in a distressed voice, grateful that Tommy was in bed and nobody had to talk to him. "Jason and Laura were really badly affected by what happened and they need to be around family right now so they can gain back their strength."
"Are Adam and Tanya still going to come over today?" Justin asked softly. "After they see TJ off?"
Rocky nodded, "Cassie and Carlos should be done practice soon and they'll be here too," he replied softly.
"Do you think Billy and Kim will ever visit again?" Justin asked in a concerned voice. "I miss them."
Rocky shook his head, "You know that Kimberly sees Jason and Laura as her best friends and blames Tommy for what happened," he spoke softly. "Why Tommy insisted on blowing that thing up when…"
Suddenly, the door opened and footsteps entered the house, "Anyone home?" Adam's voice called out.
The phone rang as Justin got up and ran into the other room to greet Adam and Tanya, so Dr. Oliver quickly grabbed the cordless, "Frank Oliver," Dr. Oliver said into the phone, frowning as he heard someone reply in a concerned voice. "Yes, I am a child psychologist and I can be over there in about fifteen minutes…"
A few minutes later, Dr. Oliver hung up the phone and sighed, "Sorry, guys, I've got to run an errand, but you are all welcome to hang out here," he said calmly. "Please make sure Tommy doesn't try to leave."
Swallowing hard, Dr. Oliver grabbed his keys and silently strode out of the kitchen, leaving Adam, Tanya, Justin, and Rocky to figure out what to do with themselves and with Tommy, who needed much help.
Honolulu, Hawaii
Warm sunlight streamed through the suite that Jason and Laura shared and Jason found himself opening his eyes, deeply shocked when he didn't find Laura next to him. Concerned about where his new wife was, Jason quickly got out of bed and smoothing down his khaki shorts and t-shirt, he walked over to the balcony and saw Laura standing on the beach with Kat, both of them wearing one piece suits and sandals with their other clothes on the sand as if they were about to go swimming in the very calm ocean.
Suddenly, the sky darkened and the water exploded, immediately engulfing Laura and Kat, "LAURA!" Jason yelled, horrified when he tried to open the balcony door and it was locked. "LAURA, I WON'T LOSE YOU!"
The waves dissolved and when the waves receded, Kat was gone and Laura's lifeless body lay on the beach while Tommy, who had appeared out of nowhere, walked off down the beach without stopping to find Kat or see if Laura was okay, "TOMMY!" Jason shouted, banging on the glass. "LAURA, NO! PLEASE STAY!"
Tommy didn't turn and as he walked further away, Zedd's cackling filled the air as he if he had claimed some sort of victory even though Serpentera had been destroyed, "Death is the victor," Zedd grunted.
"…Jason!" Jason suddenly heard a concerned voice say as he felt someone shaking his shoulder. "Jason!"
Gasping anxiously, Jason shot upright and realized that the room was dimly lit and that he was in bed next to Laura, who was holding him with a worried expression on her face, "You were having a really bad nightmare," Laura explained softly, gently wiping sweat off Jason's face. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"You and Kat were on the beach and were going to go swimming," Jason explained anxiously. "T-the water exploded and covered you and Kat. When the water went away, you were dead on the beach, Kat was gone, and Tommy was walking on the beach away from you. Zedd said that death was the victor."
Laura nodded and sighed, "It was just a nightmare, Jason," she replied softly. "Tommy did make the decision about blowing up Serpentera, but we all went along with it. I'm here and never leaving you."
Jason sighed and Laura gently embraced him, "I may not ever be able to have children because of everything I've been through, but we can still build a family with each other and with any children who don't have a home but need one," she spoke softly, smiling as he sighed sleepily. "Are you okay now?"
"I'm not because I wish that you didn't have to go in my place," Jason replied, tears filling his tired eyes.
Laura gave Jason a look, "I chose to go," she replied softly, gently caressing his cheek. "Out of love."
Smiling as Laura wiped tears from his face, Jason laid back down, "What time is it?" he asked groggily.
"About five," Laura replied softly. "I can get us some breakfast if you don't want to get up just yet."
Jason sighed and closed his eyes, so Laura quietly got up and put on a colorful shirt and a pair of tan capris before she combed her hair and put it back in a ponytail. After putting some sandals on, she kissed Jason while he slept and she quietly left the room that they were sharing in one of the resort's many condos.
Malcolm, who was wearing a Hawaiian shirt, khaki shorts, and sandals, was sitting at the kitchen table, silently writing a letter and looking very thoughtful, "Oh, hey Laura," he said calmly upon noticing her, but frowned when he saw the concerned expression on her face. "You look upset. Is everything all right?"
"Jason had a bad night," Laura explained softly as she walked over to the fridge. "What happened to me affected him and I told him to sleep in. He's been on edge ever since what happened that day…"
Malcolm nodded and sighed, "I'm worried about Jason too," he replied softly, quickly noticing that Laura was peering at the letter he was writing. "I'm writing a letter to Kat because I'm thinking of proposing."
Laura smiled, "That's wonderful," she replied softly, smiling as Ashley came out of her bedroom wearing khakis, a t-shirt, and sandals. "Hey there, Ashley, how are you doing this morning? Did you sleep well?"
"I miss Eugene and Spike a lot," Ashley replied softly as she sat at the table. "I wrote Eugene a letter."
Laura nodded, but didn't say anything, "Once I'm graduated high school, Eugene's agreed that we can actually start dating instead of me just babysitting Spike for him so he can work," Ashley rambled on in an excited voice before she turned somber. "I'm not in a hurry to get married, though, because Andros…"
"The guy who killed Zordon?" Malcolm asked softly, gazing up at Ashley. "What about Andros?"
Ashley sighed, "Andros proposed to me and insisted that we could marry after all was well," she replied softly, deeply embarrassed as tears filled her eyes. "He wanted me to live with him on his planet and he really tried to seal our love with a bond on Phaedos, but I was uncomfortable and Mark stopped him."
"You don't need to feel pressured to go fast," Laura replied softly. "Go to college and grow a bit."
Ashley nodded and sighed while Malcolm finished the letter, folded it up, and hid it in his pocket, "I'm going to go talk to my parents for a few minutes," he announced as he stood up. "Excuse me."
Once Malcolm was gone, Laura opened the fridge and took out some cottage cheese, apples, and some whole wheat bread, "What do you want for breakfast, Ashley?" she asked softly. "I'm getting Jason's."
"Oh, I'm not hungry yet," Ashley replied softly. "I think I'll go back to bed for a couple of hours, actually."
Once Ashley had returned to her room, Laura quietly put some apple slices and cottage cheese on a plate and it didn't take long for her to make a couple slices of whole wheat toast and get a glass of milk to go with everything because Jason needed continued nutrition. After getting the proper cutlery, Laura put everything on a tray and quietly returned to the bedroom that she and Jason had been sharing.
To Laura's surprise, Jason was awake and sitting up, "I brought you some breakfast, my Lion," she spoke softly as she set the tray on his lap, sitting at the end so he could eat. "Are you feeling any better?"
"Not yet, but having you and the rest of my family here helps," Jason replied softly. "I love you."
Laura nodded and gently massaged Jason's feet as he ate, knowing that they both needed time to heal.
Angel Grove
"Uncle Frank, I want to leave and go back to school," Tommy said softly, placing a hand on his ribs as he entered his uncle's office where Dr. Oliver was working at his computer. "All I've been doing is resting."
Dr. Oliver sighed calmly, "You may be an adult, Tommy, but I don't think it's a good idea for you to be traveling until your ribs are completely healed," he replied in a firm voice. "Why do you want to leave?"
"Everyone blames me for what happened," Tommy replied softly, wincing. "About destroying…"
Dr. Oliver frowned as Tommy sank into one of the empty chairs and groaned softly, "I'm not going to force you to talk to anyone if you don't want to, but I'm not allowing you to fly across the country back to school until you're well enough," he stated firmly. "Broken ribs require rest, time, and possibly painkillers."
Before Tommy, who was scared to confess that he had been thinking about overdosing on painkillers just to get some rest, could speak, Rocky poked his head into the room. Tommy flinched and looked at the floor, not wanting to even look at anyone he had caused harm to because of what they might say to him.
Choosing to tune Rocky and his uncle out, Tommy lost a sense of awareness for several seconds and was only vaguely aware of both his uncle and Rocky leading him back to his room, "…Rocky, go and get Tommy's prescription and some juice," he heard his uncle say in a gentle voice. "Tommy, just relax."
Almost immediately, Tommy felt a cold cloth being placed on his forehead and felt his uncle tucking him into bed in a way that he would be comfortable, "Just rest," he heard his uncle say softly. "You'll be okay."
I won't be okay until I can get far away from here. Tommy thought as he fought the temptation to sleep.
The last thing Tommy heard as he drifted off to sleep was his uncle talking softly to him about healing.
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