A/N 1: So this is a little plot bunny that just won't go away. Note: I am not a Kat hater. But this one just won't go away.

A/N 2: Tommy heads to Paris to begin implementing his plan to free Kimberly while doing business in Europe. Meanwhile, Kat takes advantage of his absence to stir up chaos in Silver Hills.

A/N 3: Usual disclaimer. Power Rangers isn't mine. Eldin and Fienna are products of Boom Studios.

Chapter 14: Project Paris V - Helen and Pierre

Monday, August 16, 2004

Reefside High School

Reefside, CA

Conferences had started the week before, but now all the preparations for the new school year were in full swing.

Anton had business to do the week before, but had taken the time out of his schedule to come with Elsa and meet the entire staff for the coming year.

One of the new staff members, named Mandy, was a math teacher – she had been hired over the summer. Tommy had met her during lunch and there was no doubt she was good friends with Principal Randall.

But there was something…else…about her. Tommy couldn't put his finger on what.

"I think you can go home, Tommy," Anton said, and then lowering his voice said, "You better not stay out too long or Kat will get suspicious."

"Yeah, don't remind me. Speaking of. Before I go. When we go to Europe, we need to make an extra stop."

"We read each other's minds, I guess, because I need to make a stop too," Anton said. "I have unfinished business in Paris for a day."

"No way," Tommy said, "because that's the stop I need to make too."

"This is about Kimberly, isn't it?" Anton said.

"Yes. It's the plan to get her to safety. Her mother who hates me lives there, but I know someone from the spirit realm that can smooth things over. My goal is she's there by Christmas," Tommy said.

"Say no more. I will make the reservations."

Saturday, September 11, 2004, early in the morning

Paris, France

This was one of the few days when Helen Hart woke up in a daze, and she noticed by the looks of things, so was her now husband, Pierre.

The night they had just went through was unlike anything they had ever heard.

Helen knew quite well of the Power Rangers of Earth – in fact, she had been in Angel Grove and witnessed countless monster attacks for two years since Rita Repulsa was freed from her dumpster in 1993. That first earthquake and the countless monster attacks that followed were no game.

It was one of the reasons why she had left for Paris and had originally intended for Kimberly to follow her there.

So what she had seen last night, thanks to the spirit of the late Trini Kwan, shocked her to her core. Though, in hindsight, she probably should not have been surprised.

From the very first attack, her daughter had been on the front lines. And like it or not, had won every single time. There were bumps, bruises and everything else, but in the end, she'd won every battle she'd fought. It even included a fight which had come from Kimberly's nightmares of moving to Paris themselves.

And her constant dissing of Tommy, oh wow was that a mistake. Her younger, immature self did that, but that was definitely something she wished she could have back right now.

He couldn't have been worse than the jerk Kimberly was seeing in Florida now – the same jerk who was trying to destroy her from the inside out. And miraculously, she was still alive.

Though, she realized, if she didn't get herself straight in a few weeks time, that might not be the case either. Trini's spirit had read her the riot act – she'd been a little softer on Pierre since Pierre was a little bit ignorant, but just based on Pierre's facial expressions, she knew he'd felt a little guilt too.

But the disappointment by the late Trini Kwan was evident and it hurt Helen very much. But she knew a lot of it was true.

But now she had three weeks to get things together. Three weeks before Tommy swung through Paris – apparently he was into paleontology these days and had business in Europe and was making it a point to swing through while he could.

She was surprised to know that Tommy had his own problems – apparently the person he had married was just as bad as the asshole Kimberly was married to. The only difference was that it wasn't supposed to be that way – but the old saying was true. Blood was thicker than water.

To be frank, she was surprised he was still alive – Trini had hinted he had very nearly died not long ago, but Helen was surprised he wasn't dead already. If Kat was as bad as Trini said she was, how was he even still alive when Tommy was married to her?

"Did you feel that Pierre?" Helen asked as she prepared to go about her day – but even in a city as beautiful as Paris, a pall had fallen over the spacious mansion she and Pierre lived in. "Things have changed."

"Yes. Very much so. It is three weeks away, but we must be ready when Monsieur Oliver arrives here. Cherie's life may be at stake and we must listen to everything he says."

Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004

Miami, FL

"What are you thinking about, daughter?" Lokar asked. Kimberly was nearby and was listening from a safe distance to everything they were saying.

Lokar's family was getting visibly nervous. The power of the Orb of Despair had been significantly weakened for some reason and hadn't gotten better since they all came back in August.

Kat had also noticed that the subtle spell she'd put on Tommy's house in Reefside was now inept. She had put a spell on the house during Tommy's fight with Mesogog which made it more vulnerable to attacks and made Tommy more vulnerable to spells of doubt. That was all but gone now.

"About how we need to cause chaos and I think we have a great opportunity," Kat said. "Tommy left for Europe on a business trip today and will be gone a week. He is going to London, Ireland and Spain with Dr. Mercer for business."

No one could see it, but Kimberly's heart leapt for joy. Kat hadn't mentioned the secret stop Tommy had planned – because she clearly didn't know. Only she knew.

"Europe, you say," Goldar said. As Kimberly watched Goldar, she fidgeted nervously. Goldar was clearly thinking about something.

"Yes. What's wrong, Goldar?" Kat asked.

"Call it a gut hunch, but I don't think you should have let him get on that plane," Goldar said. "I think Tommy is up to something."

"Oh come off it, Goldar. What could he possibly be looking for in London, Ireland or Spain?" Ooze asked.

"Yeah, you're overreacting," Lokar said. "There's nothing in those countries that could threaten our plans."

"The Corona Aurora, maybe. He's into paleontology," Grifforza blurted out.

"Maybe," Goldar murmured, but he privately suspected it was something else.

"I just, I don't know. My experience with Tommy boy tells me he is up to something. I just don't know what it is," Goldar said.

"I disagree, but I am willing to entertain the notion, just because Goldar is our most experienced soldier," Kat said. "And just in case, I think we should put one of our plans in motion, just to cause a little chaos and remind the Rangers we are a force to be reckoned with. Miss Chief!"

In a flash, one of the Rangers oldest enemies appeared.

"You summoned me, boss?" she said.

"I did. You still have your device, right?" Kat asked.

"I do. Are we finally ready?"

"We are," Kat said. "Activate Project Time Force. I am in the mood to cause a little chaos as Tommy boy has left the country. And tell our sixth weapon that the first chance she gets, she is to kill Wesley Collins."

"Yes, ma'am."

"What about the Ninja Storm five?" Grifforza asked.

"Not yet. I will use them if and when I find out whether Tommy boy is up to mischief," Kat said.

Kimberly, who was still listening from a safe distance, felt her good vibes evaporate somewhat. Goldar was at least suspicious of Tommy's doings in Europe and she knew better than to underestimate Goldar's experience.

And now Jennifer Scotts was about to be turned into a weapon of mass destruction.

This was going to be bad indeed.

Monday, October 4, 2005, early in the morning

Silver Hills, CA

Wesley Collins had tossed and turned all night in his sleep.

Something was not right.

The last two nights, his dear, sweet Jennifer Collins mood had turned – what was the correct word?

Schizophrenic.

Yes. That was the way to describe it, Wes thought.

The more he thought about it, the more he didn't like it. In fact, the dream he'd just woken up from was a reminder of instructions that, fortunately, Jen had given him in case of an emergency. To him, this was an emergency. And he had the sinking feeling he needed to act on it right now.

Flashback, December 2003

Silver Hills, CA

"Wes, we need to talk about contingency plans," Jen had told Wes one Saturday night after a long day of decorating for Christmas and putting their son Schuyler to bed.

"What do you mean?" Wes asked his wife. They had been married for 11 months but he'd known her for longer than that. This was Ranger business.

"I mean that there may be contingencies where I might be…incapacitated or compromised, and so might you," Jen said. "You know how evil is, Wes. They never rest. The Lothor thing was almost as bad as the Orgs over in Blue Bay."

"Yeah, I admit it's crossed my mind a time or two. It's hard not to worry about Schuyler in particular in such a situation."

"That's why we're talking about this, or it's one of the reasons," Jen said. "In such a situation, Schuyler needs a safe place. If one of us is turned bad, it will put Schuyler in immediate danger."

Wes nodded. "So, what do you have in mind?"

"There is a family, the Tate family, that I have been in contact with that would take him in for such a scenario. They live in a futuristic city a couple hours up the coast. Jen then slipped a piece of paper in his hand with contact information.

"And then if I am compromised, or your are, the other one also needs to get to a place of safety until the situation blows over. And if it's me, I'm going to need to call Dad and put in for time off."

"Exactly," Jen said, nodding as if to say, 'that's one of the reasons I married you.'

End Flashback

Now that situation was staring him right in the face. Without thinking, while Jen was still asleep, he got up, went to his storage closet and grabbed a small suitcase. As quickly as he could and with as little noise as possible, he went down the hall to his closet and grabbed a few pairs of clothes for the road.

He then grabbed his hygiene materials from the bathroom, and then went to his office and grabbed the contact information for the Tate family. Actually, he didn't need it, as he was actually going to Angel Grove to use a liaison to get in contact with them, but it was good to have it.

As quickly as he could, he then went to Schuyler's room, scooped him up, grabbed the baby's car seat, and headed to his personal car.

Only when he was on the road did he breathe a sigh of relief. He would truly breathe a sigh of relief once he got to Angel Grove.

Monday, October 4, early evening, Collins residence

Silver Hills, CA

"He's gone? Already?" Miss Chief asked her new protégé as they stood outside the medium sized, two story house. It was semi-dark outside, so no resident could see Miss Chief – or Jen for that matter.

"Yes. When I got up this morning, he was gone, no warning," Jen said as her eyes flashed dangerously. "Took our child too because Schuyler wasn't in his crib. My memories are sort of hazy but I think I may have given him instructions or protocol to take care of the child."

"Ah," Miss Chief said. "Forget about him, we can deal with him later. In the meantime, consider relocating with me to Miami. We can strategize on how to eliminate the Ranger line and you could torture the original Pink Ranger as well. Though, she's pretty much impervious to verbal taunts at this point."

"I'll consider it. See you around," Jen said. Miss Chief then nodded and teleported away in a flash of red.

"Wesley, I am so going to get you for this next time we see each other. I am going to rip your heart right out of your chest," Jen snarled as her eyes flashed maliciously. Though her time where Steelix had turned her evil was only brief, it had made her uniquely vulnerable to an evil spell, especially one cooked up by Lokar and his henchmen.

October 6, 2004, early evening local time

Paris, France

If you'd asked Tommy as recently as six to seven months ago if he thought he'd be welcomed in by Helen Hart in Paris, or that he would even be there, he would have laughed at you.

But yet, there he was. Though, Helen had to do a double take upon seeing him for the first time in years.

Gone was the long haired, ponytail look he had in the day. Replaced by, um, a completely professional look. Apparently he wasn't kidding when he said he was in Europe on business.

It made Tommy chuckle just a bit upon seeing her expressions. Pierre by comparison seemed stoic.

"You're constantly staring," Tommy said to Helen, in an amusing voice. "Want to let me in on why?"

"It's just, how you look now," Helen said. "Gracious, Cherie is going to freak!"

"Might I remind you, that's why I'm here," Tommy reminded her. Helen was surprised that Tommy hadn't laid into her from the first second – she would have deserved it.

"I see you brought your mentor with you," Pierre said.

"Yes. Anton Mercer, who as it turns out also has business here this week," Tommy said. "I brought him along because I can actually talk with Kim in my mind now and let's just say I don't want to leave Anton alone by himself."

"Welcome, Dr. Mercer," Helen said. "I have heard of your business ventures and it speaks well for Mr. Oliver that you are by his side."

"The pleasure is mine, Mrs. Hart."

"That you can talk to Kim means there must be danger back in the States," Pierre said in his heavy accent, addressing Tommy again.

"Yes. There is. I don't know if the bitch I am currently married to knows I am here, but I do know that she knows I left for Europe and has used the opportunity to cause chaos back home."

"Not to Cherie?" Helen asked, a bit of alarm in her voice.

"No. Not yet. But Kim has told me she's concerned that that could come crashing down any second too."

"Then let's start talking," Helen said.

Over the next hour or so, Tommy went through the history of Earth's Rangers, starting specifically in 1993 with the Green Ranger mess. Much of the early years Helen already knew, but the more recent years sans Kimberly being married to Kaden was new news.

"Which brings me back to the beginning," Tommy said, "and the threat we face today. The threat that I and my original team face is not new, though the revelation that my wife is his daughter and Kimberly's husband is his son is new to me."

"Lokar," Anton mumbled, as Tommy nodded.

"Our threat's name is called Lokar and he first arrived on the scene in Angel Grove about three weeks after I was freed from my evil service," Tommy said. "Rita Repulsa took a big gamble and called on him to defeat us. Together, he and one of Rita's monsters sent us to a horrible island in another dimension."

"Cherie was there too, I assume?" Helen asked.

"Yes. All six of us. This was before Kat came on the scene," Tommy said. "We barely made it out with our hides intact, and how we did I am still not sure. Lokar came back for a second round shortly after Rita stole my powers, but he lost then too."

"We thought we were done with him, but in reality he was simply hiding out in the Talos Dimension where he's from, biding his time for when he could strike next," Tommy said. "And it turns out he did, after four of us who were on that horrible island including Kim had left the team."

"So Cherie was in Florida training when he decided to attack," Pierre said.

"Yes. He was. From what I have been told, he manipulated Kaden and Kimberly's relationship and the letter that ended us," Tommy said, the last word full of bile and bitterness.

"With Kat and I, the way I understand it he didn't target her initially. But over time, he lured Kat into his power – she is technically his daughter after all – and with it compromised the powers we held as Zeo Power Rangers," Tommy said. "The crystal our powers were bonded to became compromised and if our mentor Zordon had not severed the connections we could have died."

"Dimitria, our second mentor, also had us removed from the powers that came after the crystal a few weeks into that whole thing," Tommy said, "and it's a good thing she did. Kat was fully under Lokar's thumb by that point and may have caused irreparable damage."

"And she's responsible for Trini's death?" Helen said. "The way you have explained things, it wouldn't surprise me."

"She was," Anton said, speaking up for the first time. "At the time, Tommy thought it was just a hit and run, a run of the mill hit and run. Nope. Kat was behind that too. And as you probably already heard, Tommy would be dead too had Kimberly not interfered."

"And you plan to beat all this, how?" Helen asked. "This is a tall order, even by your standards."

"It is," Tommy said, "and I would probably not have a shot if not for this."

Reaching into his briefcase, he pulled out a small circular like object.

"This is the Orb of Hope, which I recently acquired," Tommy said, "and it is a key factor in how I plan to free her. My goal is that she comes to you by Christmas. I should have agreed to put her on that plane to Paris in the 90s, but I intend on rectifying that mistake. And if I can get her free, she has agreed to the plan."

"You understand he can't say much right now, because he has to take care that Kat can't hear him. No matter where he is," Anton said. "Lokar is a demon-like creature who has already put a past Pink Ranger under his control just to take advantage of Tommy's absence."

Both Helen and Pierre nodded glumly. This was going to be tough indeed.

"In fact as soon as I am done talking to you I have a little something in mind that can help Kim, at least temporarily which the Orb can do for me easily…" Tommy said.

Review box is at the bottom. Please review/follow if you don't mind. Thanks.