Power Rangers: Whole (10/?), (Billy/Tommy), R.
Ah, and here is where I feel the ball finally starts to get really rolling, ha.
Title: Whole, chapter ten
Author: vandonovan
Pairing: eventually Billy/Tommy, with background Skull/Kim, Adam/Rocky, Jason/Zack and Aisha/OMC
Word count: 5,033 (this chapter)
Rating: R (this chapter)
Era: MMPR AU after "The Green Candle" where Tommy never becomes the White Ranger. (Picks up in 1999.)
Warnings: drug/alcohol use, mentioned dub-con, prostitution, adult language, sexual situations/innuendo, Alternate Universe, potential spoilers through Zeo.
Summary: Six years after losing his Green Ranger powers, Tommy has been consumed by inner darkness and a destructive lifestyle. Can Billy bring Tommy back or will his attempts strain the Rangers too much as they face the return of an old enemy?
Notes: Super special thanks to azelmaroark for both playing beta and helping me create and cultivate this monster. ♥
Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19.
Chapter ten:
“I can’t do it anymore.”
Billy looks up from the laptop he’s been working on for the last ten minutes, startled to see Tommy back in the therapist waiting room so soon. “What’s wrong? It’s only been ten minutes.”
“I just can’t, okay?”
He starts for the door and Billy has no choice but to close up his laptop and hurry after him. In the distance he can hear Brian calling after them.
“Give us a moment!” Billy calls back.
He finally gets Tommy to stop outside, where their words are swallowed quickly by the roar of traffic down the nearby street. Tommy’s unsettled, rubbing his arms uncomfortably.
“What is it? What’s wrong? You’ve already done four sessions. I thought you like Brian.”
“I do. He’s . . . he’s fine.”
“Are you not comfortable here? He might be willing to come to my house.”
“No. It’s nothing like that. Billy, you know. I can’t tell him everything. I can’t!”
Billy blinks. “You don’t have to tell him anything you’re not comfortable with telling him, but . . . he is trained to deal with this sort of thing.”
For possibly the first time in his life, Tommy gives Billy a ‘Are you stupid?’ look. “I mean about Zordon. He knows I’m hiding something huge and I can’t tell him I used to be a Power Ranger. I’m just wasting his time and yours and your money.”
The explanation nearly blows Billy over. It’s the sort of thing he should have thought of, or at least realized Tommy wouldn’t reveal, even to a therapist sworn to confidentiality. The next thought occurs almost immediately and it’s that even if Tommy had told Brian, no therapist in their right mind would believe him.
“I have had it up to here with Zordon and his useless rules. Come on.” Billy grabs Tommy’s arm and drags him back inside.
“But, Billy!”
Fire and determination flood through Billy. He feels more alive than he has in months. “Right now, your health is more important than that rule. Understand me?”
Brian’s standing not too far outside of his office, a perplexed expression on his face. “We can reschedule if Tommy needs a little time to-”
“I just need to talk to you for a moment,” Billy says, ushering both Brian and Tommy back into the office and shutting the door. He directs Tommy back to his chair and, after a moment, Brian settles, too. Blood pounds in Billy’s veins; he feels he’s standing on the cusp of something truly great. “The big secret Tommy’s been keeping from you is that he used to be one of the Power Rangers. The Green Ranger, in fact, who you may recall was often under an evil spell.”
He can tell Brian is listening but completely not buying it. Billy focuses on him instead of Tommy, whose eyes have widened. He continues. “He kept this a secret because our mentor has demanded secrecy from us, but also because he knew you’d never believe him.” Billy smiles. “Allow me to change your mind.”
He reaches behind him, fingers around his morpher, and then, exhilaration flooding through him, calls out, “It’s morphin’ time!”
“Billy!”
“Blue Ranger Power!”
Now it isn’t just Tommy’s eyes that are wide.
The power flooding through Billy’s veins settles his exhilaration and helps him concentrate. “Now, I know you’ve signed a confidentially contract with Tommy,” Billy says, his gaze locked on Brian, “so I recommend you keep this to yourself.”
His communicator goes off. Smiling, Billy covers it. “That’ll be the boss, undoubtedly very angry with me right now. I want you to realize how important this is. Tommy needs help. You’ve just landed yourself the opportunity of a lifetime. Don’t screw it up.” The communicator chimes again.
Turning to Tommy, Billy says, “It’s all going to be all right. Take as long as you need. I’ll be back as soon as I’ve dealt with Zordon.”
With a final nod to both of them, he presses the teleport button on his communicator and whisks out in a brilliant blue beam he knows will settle the last of Brian’s skepticism.
--
“Billy, what is the meaning of this?”
“Well, you sure didn’t waste any time dealing with this, did you?” Billy glances at the Viewing Globe just to make certain that there’s no monster attack. Everything is quiet; it’s all just Zordon. “You jump on me the moment I reveal my identity to a certified therapist, but in six years you never thought to actually help Tommy himself?”
“The protection of the world far outweighs the life of just one of its citizens.”
“You know, I actually agree with you on that? Only, that’s never been the situation with Tommy. He isn’t a random citizen; he’s a Ranger and you abandoned him. There’s never been conflict between saving Tommy and saving the world. You even knew I was looking for him; you just didn’t care.”
“This has gone beyond just helping Tommy. You have assaulted civilians and disrupted police officers and have revealed your identity to a third party.”
“All to help Tommy. All because you never did. What’s the purpose of these secret identities, anyway? It’s certainly wasn’t to keep Zedd and Rita from targeting us-they knew who we are. Was it to make sure we never got credit for risking our teenaged lives for the world? Was it to assure that we’d never get into universities because our grades suffered so badly due to constantly missing class to fight monsters? Or was it so we would always have to lie to our family and friends about where we were going and why we were always so tired? Are you really expecting us to only date within the group, or else lie to our partners for the rest of our lives? Do you really think something awful would happen if the rest of the world knew who we were?”
To Billy’s great delight, Zordon remains silent for several seconds. “The Power must be protected. There are people in this world who would attempt to take it from you.”
Billy takes a deep breath, calming his heart. “Even if that is true, we handled Rita and Zedd’s monsters for years. Don’t you think we could handle some overzealous humans?”
“You were impressionable teenagers. It was a risk not worth taking.”
It’s hard for Billy not to laugh. “Do you even hear yourself? You were protecting teenagers from other humans, but thought it was perfectly all right to send us to battle space monsters on our own?” He clenches his hand. “All the times I wanted to tell my father where I was going and why I was late and never did. He would have been so proud of me.” He takes another deep breath. “Things are going to change, Zordon, starting today. Remember that conversation we had a few weeks ago? You asked me what improvements we could make. Well, I’ve got it all figured out now.”
It will take considerable time to implement all of them, but Billy’s had weeks to reason out how to achieve everything he needs to achieve. “The very first thing on my agenda is to get rid of your third rule. I’m going to talk it over with the other Rangers tomorrow and then call a press conference and reveal . . . at least my identity. The rest can choose if they want to reveal theirs.”
“What purpose will such revelation serve?”
“I have risked my life saving the world on a daily basis since I was sixteen. The thanks I have received for this has been a few parades in Angel Grove, thrown for the Power Rangers, and losing my scholarships and grants to go to university because I was needed by the Power Rangers. I don’t regret any of my time here, but there are months where I can’t pay my bills. With the time I’ve had to take off work and the money I’ve spent helping Tommy, my job is all but ready to let me go. I’m far from the only Ranger struggling financially. I don’t have time to work on the zords because I’m fixing broken computers all day to earn enough money to keep my house. That’s not right.
“I’ll reveal our identities and I’ll get us a government grant. There’s no doubt in my mind that people will be willing to give back a little for all we’ve given them. And, who knows. It may lead to bigger and better things. I’ve certainly got some plans.”
“There may be serious repercussions from this. You must be careful not to allow the media storm that will result from this to distract you from your real duties.”
“I assure you my loyalties will always be with the Rangers and the protection of Earth, but time has changed us. We have out grown you and this Command Center.”
“Although you are the leader of the Power Rangers, I do not feel you should be making these decisions without the consent and agreement of the other Rangers.”
Billy nods, conceding. “Then let us continue this tomorrow with the other Rangers. Although I expect little opposition, I agree they should all know my plans.” He touches his belt. “For now, I should get back to Tommy. I suspect this therapy session will take quite a toll on him. Someone needs to be with him when this is over.”
Zordon looks down at him for several seconds. “Billy. It was never my intention that Tommy should fall into harm after losing his powers. I regret that it happened very much.”
After gritting his teeth, Billy nods. “I know. You’re not human. You’re still learning. So am I, and with that learning comes the ability to question your authority and make changes. I know you still don’t understand, but believe me, what I have will make us stronger. It will make us so much stronger.”
“I believe in you, Billy. You will not let the world, or the other Rangers, down. May the Power protect you.”
Although he doubts he’ll ever be as blindly trusting of Zordon again, Billy does feel a strange fondness for the alien. As he touches the teleport on his belt, he says, “And you.”
--
Billy returns to the therapist waiting room a little shaken from his revelation and conversation with Zordon. The future looms big and full of potential in front of him and it’s so vast and scary it’s almost overwhelming. He’ll have to call the Rangers together tomorrow for a group discussion on how to go about revealing their identities at large. He’s desperate to reveal his own and start petitioning the government to fund the Rangers so he can quit his IT job and work on the zords full time, but he has no desire to force the others to reveal themselves if they’re not ready.
He knows for Kimberly especially it will be difficult, considering her long-standing relationship with Skull and his knowledge of the Power Rangers. Still, part of him knows that, given time, all of the Rangers will take the leap. They’ve all had to sacrifice so much to keep their identities. It’s far past time for that to change.
He’s so wrapped up in his thoughts that he doesn’t notice the passage of time until Tommy’s stumbling toward him, eyes red from crying.
“Billy!”
He has just enough time to stand up before Tommy falls into his arms, face pressed against his neck, clinging. The weight nearly buckles Billy’s knees.
Brian’s hot on his trail, notebook still in hand. “Oh, thank god you’re here.”
Billy’s eyes are wide. “What happened?”
“He’s . . . he’s fine. I think. He started talking the moment you left. It’s . . . it’s been amazing. We made quite a breakthrough; it’s just taken quite a toll on him.”
Tommy’s fists gather the fabric of Billy’s shirt and hot tears splash down Billy’s neck. Feeling less alarmed, Billy wraps his arms back around Tommy, supporting him less and holding him more. “That’s a relief.” Almost of its own accord, his hand goes up to smooth down Tommy’s hair. “Can I take him home, then? It’s been quite a day for both of us.”
“Yes, yes, of course. I, uh. I think he ought to come back in, though. Sooner than scheduled. Would Monday be all right? Gives you the weekend to recover?”
“That’s fine. Just leave a message on my machine with the time.” Softer, he addresses Tommy. “Come on, let’s get you home.”
The car ride back from the therapist is almost surreal. Tommy starts talking almost as soon as the doors are closed, but it’s a rambling, stream-of-conscious sort of talk that Billy can hardly understand let alone follow. Despite the occasional tears, Billy feels positive about the session. What he can pick up from the rambling is old memories of the Rangers and Rita and the time before the club; all things he knows Tommy needs to talk about and work through.
Tommy gets out of the car on his own once they’re parked in Billy’s driveway, but he stumbles and needs Billy to help navigate him through the front door. Uncertain they’ll make it to the bedroom, Billy deposits Tommy on the couch, and lets out a gasp of surprise when Tommy pulls him down beside him.
Tommy curls into him, sniffling softly, and Billy has no choice but to hold him back. “Hey, it’s all right.” He rubs Tommy’s back gently and feels an almost instant reaction from Tommy. His breath lets out and his shoulders slump, relaxing appreciatively. It’s such a change from the way Tommy first reacted to Billy touching him. “Are you all right?”
Tommy nods, but doesn’t lift his face off Billy’s shoulder. “Didn’t . . . realize how much I’d bottled up.”
Billy strokes Tommy’s hair again, surprised how much he enjoys it. “You denied yourself for six years. It doesn’t surprise me.”
Tommy shakes his head slightly. “I can’t believe what you did back there.”
It makes Billy a little light headed thinking back on it. “Truthfully, neither can I.”
Tommy finally lifts his face from Billy’s shoulder. There are teardrops still clinging to his eyes. “How did Zordon take it?”
Billy’s a little stunned just how pretty he finds Tommy like this. “He wasn’t happy. So, about as I expected.” To get Tommy to stop looking at him, Billy shifts his weight. “Can I get you some tea or . . . cocoa or something?”
Tommy shakes his head and settles back down against Billy. “I’m all right. What did Zordon say?”
Billy takes a deep breath. “I explained to him why keeping secret identities was destroying the group, and told him about some other changes we need to make. I didn’t really give him room to argue. They weren’t suggestions.”
“Brr. Would’ve liked to have seen that.”
Stretching, Billy pulls the fleece blanket off the nearby arm chair and drapes it over Tommy. “It felt good to tell him off a little after all these years. I’m grateful to Zordon for many things, but I don’t approve at all of some of the ways he’s dealt with us.” He smiles as Tommy snuggles against him with the blanket. “Tomorrow I plan to call the other Rangers for a meeting to discuss when and how we should reveal our identities to the public at large.”
A little shiver courses through Tommy. “Dunno that’s such a good idea.”
Billy strokes Tommy’s hair and feels him settle again. “It will mean huge changes, I know, but we can’t go on the way we have been. Not when Kim can’t tell her boyfriend who she really is. Not when I can’t work on the zords because I have to keep my day job. Not when you need healing and a therapist you can trust.”
Tommy takes a shuddering breath and presses his face into Billy’s shirt.
“You’re sure you’re all right?”
“No.” The words are muffled against the fabric. “You’re not going out tonight, are you?”
Billy shakes his head. “No. I think I’ve had enough excitement for one day.” He stops stroking Tommy’s hair long enough to reach out for the remote. It only takes a few buttons to queue up the VCR player. “Would a little Disney cheer you up?”
“Mm.” Tommy turns his face enough to see the television. “M’not sad, though.”
“Oh? My tear-soaked shirt begs to differ.” On the television, the image of a wavery cartoon sun appears, followed by the first intense chords of music.
Tommy manages to snuggle even closer to watch the film. He’s quiet for a few seconds, and then softly says, “Not all tears are from sadness, Billy.”
--
In the morning, Billy puts in his two-week notice at work and is summarily told not to come in for the rest of the month. He’s not sure if he’s been fired or not, but either way it’s indescribably freeing.
“What are you doing?” Adam asks, baffled.
Billy cheerfully stuffs all his cubicle belongings into a cardboard box. “Making a long-overdue change. I need to see you and Rocky at my place tonight, by the way. It’s very,” he taps his wrist communicator, “important. Be there around seven.”
He contacts Kimberly and Aisha at noon and manages to press the importance of the event on them with a little more difficulty; it’s hard sometimes to remember ‘normal’ people like to go out on Friday night. This just isn’t the sort of thing that can wait.
Tommy’s in his room napping when the Rangers arrive, which suits Billy just fine. Although he handled the therapy session rather well, Tommy’s been in and out of coherency since it happened. Expecting tempers to get a bit out of hand tonight when he tells the others his plans, Billy figures it’s better if Tommy is out of the way.
He’s given considerable thought to just how he’ll explain what happened yesterday and begins once everyone has settled in the living room. “With the return of Master Vile intruding on our already very busy lives, I’ve come to the decision that it’s past time for a big change for the Rangers. I have come up with an ambitious but potentially lucrative and very necessary future for us. Last night I discussed it briefly with Zordon, and while he was not happy about all of the finer points, I do have his support on the matter. However, what I want to do will eventually involve and impact all of you, so I want to hear your concerns and opinions first.”
Rocky’s taken a seat on the floor by the armchair Adam’s seated in. He stretches out his legs. “Are we finally gonna get new zords?”
“Unfortunately no,” Billy says, “though that may be a more realistic goal if this works out.”
Kimberly crosses her foot over her knee. “Well, don’t hold us in suspense.”
Billy takes a deep breath. “I think it’s time we revealed our identities to the public.” He isn’t met with the general outcry of protests that he expected. “We’ve all had to put aspects of our lives on hold in order to protect our secret identities and I feel like it’s come to the point where keeping them now is more detrimental to us than revealing them.”
Adam’s jaw drops. “Zordon’s okay with this?”
“Well,” Billy shoves his hands in his pockets, “not exactly. I think I may have managed to convince him that it’s nevertheless the right choice. Kimberly, I know you’ve had trouble dating Skull because of having to lie to him about your identity. Wouldn’t it be a relief if you could tell him?”
“It’s true.” Kimberly glances at the others. “I’m sure he actually already suspects. He asked me a lot of pointed questions that time we had to leave him to babysit Tommy that were really hard to deflect without outright lying.” She glances around. “Speaking of which, where is Tommy?”
Billy decides to not go into details. “He didn’t sleep well last night, so he’s taking a nap.”
Adam snorts. “What a freeloader. Doesn’t he ever do anything?”
Kimberly chucks a throw pillow at him. “Tommy’s sick. Don’t be such a bully.”
Adam blinks. “I’m not bullying. It’s just a valid observation.”
Aisha raises an eyebrow. “It’s bullying. I’m sure Tommy hates that he can’t help contribute more.”
To Billy’s surprise, Adam folds in on himself at those words. He smiles, hoping perhaps things have finally been put into perspective for him. “Aisha’s right. I know Tommy feels like he’s burdening me. While it’s a responsibility I gladly accept, there is a financial strain that I also hope to alleviate with revealing out identities.”
Rocky perks up. “We could sell autographs!”
It’s so simple and absurd Billy laughs. “That’s certainly a possibility. I admit, I’m thinking on a slightly grander scale. We’ve been protecting the world from alien attacks since 1993. That’s over six years. We have never once asked the people of Earth for any compensation. It’s true that they’ve thrown us parades and shown their appreciation, but on the whole, we have altruistically performed this service with no benefit to ourselves. In fact, we’ve had severe detriment. I’ve never been able to attend university like I had always assumed I would. Kimberly had to give up her chance at the Pan Global Games. Tommy ended up falling through the cracks of society. We’ve all had to sacrifice something to make this work.
“I’m not saying that the sacrifices haven’t been worth it. None of us would be Power Rangers if it wasn’t what we were meant to do. All the same, I strongly believe that the people of the world would be quite uneasy if they knew that the leader of the Power Rangers wasn’t getting to sleep at night because he was working on repairing the zords that he couldn’t fix during the day because he had to hold his nine-to-five job.”
The others haven’t quite followed, but Adam’s eyes are wide. “So, you plan to petition for a government grant or something?”
“That’s the idea. Ideally, I’d like to establish an actual Ranger foundation which would eventually be self-sustaining, but to start I’d secure at least enough that the five of us could retire from our current jobs and focus on being fulltime Rangers-and pursue the things we’ve always wanted to pursue.”
Aisha shrugs. “Couldn’t that be dangerous, though? It just takes one crazy nut job with a gun to take us out.”
“There is always that risk, but I think it’s unlikely. The biggest issue will be the celebrity status we’re likely to gain. Revealing our identities means everyone will know who we are. Simple things like going to the grocery store will not be easy anymore. You may have to move to bigger houses with better security. You may be stalked. You may have paparazzi following you. But it will mean the ability to market yourself. You can grant interviews. You can license your likeness. You could start the Pink and Yellow Ranger Boutique and be almost assured an overnight success.”
Kimberly and Aisha exchange amused smiles.
Rocky’s eyes light up. “People would be clamoring to enroll at our dojo!”
“It could be really dangerous though,” Adam says. “Master Vile could attack our families or friends.”
“Our identities have never been a secret to Master Vile. Zedd and Rita knew who we were. If they wanted to use our family and friends against us, they could have.”
“They have. I’ll never forget the time they kidnapped our parents.”
“Kimberly’s right. Nothing changes if the villain knows. It may, in fact, make us stronger. The biggest worry will be the change in our privacy.”
Aisha grins. “You guys can always move up to the mountains with me and Alejandro.”
“I admit it may be rough for the first few weeks while we figure things out. A secret place we can escape to when it gets too rough is in my plans. I’d like to keep the location of the Command Center a secret, so a central place in the mountains might not be a bad idea.
“I also wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page. I don’t want to force anyone to reveal themselves if they’re not ready. Due to our friendships, however, it’s likely that if one of us reveals our identity, the rest will soon be under quick scrutiny.”
“I just want a little time,” Kimberly says. “I don’t want Gene to open the paper one day and find out I’m the Pink Ranger. I want to tell him myself first.”
Billy nods. “That makes perfect sense. I imagine the same goes for you, Aisha?”
She glances around and shrugs. “I don’t know how you did it, Kim. I told Alejandro about me months ago.”
Surprised, Billy asks, “Zordon didn’t ever say anything to you?”
“He said he never intended for being a Ranger to keep me from doing or being with the things I loved. I think he trusted me enough to not reveal my identity to someone who’d endanger me.”
Billy blinks a few times, surprised.
Kimberly shrugs. “He didn’t fly off the handle when we revealed ourselves to Rocky, Adam and Aisha.”
“That is true.” Lost in thought, Billy returns to his seat on the couch beside Kimberly. “So it is possible that we could reveal ourselves only to certain officials.”
Adam chuckles. “Yeah, the ones with the money.”
“I don’t like that,” Rocky says. “The people have a right to know who’s protecting them.”
Aisha laughs. “You just want to fill your dojo.”
“Darn right, I do!”
Movement down the hall draws Billy’s gaze and he blinks a few times before realizing Tommy’s padded out of his room, blinking at the bright lights. His face has a pillow imprint on one side, and his curls are a bit flattened from being slept on.
Delighted, Kimberly calls, “Tommy!”
“Sorry,” he says, voice thick with disuse. “Was just thirsty.”
“It’s no problem at all.” Billy gets to his feet quickly and goes into the kitchen. He pours Tommy a glass of juice and hands it to him. “Are you hungry?”
“I could eat.”
From in the living room, Rocky calls, “Hey, so could I!”
Billy chuckles. “Would anyone else like a sandwich?”
In ten minutes, Billy’s passed out sandwiches and chips to everyone. Tommy settles on the couch, squeezed in between Billy and Kimberly.
Rocky licks his fingers after finishing his sandwich. “Told you I should’ve brought cupcakes.”
Adam playfully gives Rocky’s head a shove.
It’s nice sitting there with Tommy and not feeling hostility from Adam or fear from Tommy. “We were discussing revealing our identities to the public,” Billy says.
Aisha’s brow furrows. “Would we reveal Tommy’s?”
“No, I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“Good.” Tommy sets his empty plate and glass down so he can nestle more comfortable between Billy and Kimberly. “Definitely not ready for that.”
“Are we otherwise in consensus, then?” Billy glances from face to face. That none of them oppose further convinces him that it’s the right decision. “I’d like to call a press conference as early as Monday. I realize that only gives you the weekend to prepare, but the sooner we reveal the sooner I can get the next phase of the plan going.”
Adam frowns. “Two days doesn’t give us much time to do anything about our privacy.”
“I know. The problem is that without the money from the government, none of us can afford the measures we need for the privacy.”
“I don’t see why we need to reveal at all to get a government grant,” Aisha says. “We just all teleport into the mayor or governor’s office one day and make some demands. If they say no, we just stand around the next time a monster attacks and see how long it takes them to write a check.”
“Or go down to the bank,” Rocky says. “Can’t cash a check made out to ‘Power Rangers’.”
Billy becomes suddenly aware of Tommy leaning heavily against him, but ignores him for the moment. “Rocky has a point. Unless they pay in cash, then we won’t have any way of cashing the check, and furthermore, we don’t want criminals to start dressing up like us and demanding money. I’m willing to put the reveal off for a week or two, but if the rest of you aren’t ready by then, I may reveal my own identity alone, just to get things moving.”
Aisha nods. “And like I said, you guys are welcome up in the mountains with me and Alejandro. His uncle has a cabin up there that probably won’t be used until December. I’ll ask if he’d be okay with some of us staying there off and on until then.”
Billy grins. “That’d be great. Thank you.”
Rocky’s staring at him. “Is he asleep?”
Blinking, Billy glances at his shoulder, and realizes Tommy has dozed off leaning against him. It’s such a funny sight he almost laughs, but, fearful of waking Tommy, manages to resist. “So it seems.”
Kimberly catches his eye, her eyebrows lifted in surprise.
He wants to tell her it isn’t what she thinks, but the moment isn’t right. “Perhaps we ought to wrap this up, then. I won’t reveal anything on Monday, but the rest of you should start making preparations. I would prefer to do this as a team.”
“It’d certainly look cool,” Rocky says, “with the five of us on a big stage, cameras rolling, taking our helmets off on national TV.”
“Yes.” Billy smiles. “It will be every reporter’s dream assignment.”
Kimberly shakes out her legs. “I’m kind of looking forward to it.”
“It’s the boutique, isn’t it?” Aisha says. “I am right there with you, girl.”
“Adam?”
He shrugs, but nods approvingly. “I think it’ll work. Good job, Billy.”
For the first time in a very long time, Billy feels that just maybe all is right with the world again.
Title: Whole, chapter ten
Author: vandonovan
Pairing: eventually Billy/Tommy, with background Skull/Kim, Adam/Rocky, Jason/Zack and Aisha/OMC
Word count: 5,033 (this chapter)
Rating: R (this chapter)
Era: MMPR AU after "The Green Candle" where Tommy never becomes the White Ranger. (Picks up in 1999.)
Warnings: drug/alcohol use, mentioned dub-con, prostitution, adult language, sexual situations/innuendo, Alternate Universe, potential spoilers through Zeo.
Summary: Six years after losing his Green Ranger powers, Tommy has been consumed by inner darkness and a destructive lifestyle. Can Billy bring Tommy back or will his attempts strain the Rangers too much as they face the return of an old enemy?
Notes: Super special thanks to azelmaroark for both playing beta and helping me create and cultivate this monster. ♥
Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19.
Chapter ten:
“I can’t do it anymore.”
Billy looks up from the laptop he’s been working on for the last ten minutes, startled to see Tommy back in the therapist waiting room so soon. “What’s wrong? It’s only been ten minutes.”
“I just can’t, okay?”
He starts for the door and Billy has no choice but to close up his laptop and hurry after him. In the distance he can hear Brian calling after them.
“Give us a moment!” Billy calls back.
He finally gets Tommy to stop outside, where their words are swallowed quickly by the roar of traffic down the nearby street. Tommy’s unsettled, rubbing his arms uncomfortably.
“What is it? What’s wrong? You’ve already done four sessions. I thought you like Brian.”
“I do. He’s . . . he’s fine.”
“Are you not comfortable here? He might be willing to come to my house.”
“No. It’s nothing like that. Billy, you know. I can’t tell him everything. I can’t!”
Billy blinks. “You don’t have to tell him anything you’re not comfortable with telling him, but . . . he is trained to deal with this sort of thing.”
For possibly the first time in his life, Tommy gives Billy a ‘Are you stupid?’ look. “I mean about Zordon. He knows I’m hiding something huge and I can’t tell him I used to be a Power Ranger. I’m just wasting his time and yours and your money.”
The explanation nearly blows Billy over. It’s the sort of thing he should have thought of, or at least realized Tommy wouldn’t reveal, even to a therapist sworn to confidentiality. The next thought occurs almost immediately and it’s that even if Tommy had told Brian, no therapist in their right mind would believe him.
“I have had it up to here with Zordon and his useless rules. Come on.” Billy grabs Tommy’s arm and drags him back inside.
“But, Billy!”
Fire and determination flood through Billy. He feels more alive than he has in months. “Right now, your health is more important than that rule. Understand me?”
Brian’s standing not too far outside of his office, a perplexed expression on his face. “We can reschedule if Tommy needs a little time to-”
“I just need to talk to you for a moment,” Billy says, ushering both Brian and Tommy back into the office and shutting the door. He directs Tommy back to his chair and, after a moment, Brian settles, too. Blood pounds in Billy’s veins; he feels he’s standing on the cusp of something truly great. “The big secret Tommy’s been keeping from you is that he used to be one of the Power Rangers. The Green Ranger, in fact, who you may recall was often under an evil spell.”
He can tell Brian is listening but completely not buying it. Billy focuses on him instead of Tommy, whose eyes have widened. He continues. “He kept this a secret because our mentor has demanded secrecy from us, but also because he knew you’d never believe him.” Billy smiles. “Allow me to change your mind.”
He reaches behind him, fingers around his morpher, and then, exhilaration flooding through him, calls out, “It’s morphin’ time!”
“Billy!”
“Blue Ranger Power!”
Now it isn’t just Tommy’s eyes that are wide.
The power flooding through Billy’s veins settles his exhilaration and helps him concentrate. “Now, I know you’ve signed a confidentially contract with Tommy,” Billy says, his gaze locked on Brian, “so I recommend you keep this to yourself.”
His communicator goes off. Smiling, Billy covers it. “That’ll be the boss, undoubtedly very angry with me right now. I want you to realize how important this is. Tommy needs help. You’ve just landed yourself the opportunity of a lifetime. Don’t screw it up.” The communicator chimes again.
Turning to Tommy, Billy says, “It’s all going to be all right. Take as long as you need. I’ll be back as soon as I’ve dealt with Zordon.”
With a final nod to both of them, he presses the teleport button on his communicator and whisks out in a brilliant blue beam he knows will settle the last of Brian’s skepticism.
--
“Billy, what is the meaning of this?”
“Well, you sure didn’t waste any time dealing with this, did you?” Billy glances at the Viewing Globe just to make certain that there’s no monster attack. Everything is quiet; it’s all just Zordon. “You jump on me the moment I reveal my identity to a certified therapist, but in six years you never thought to actually help Tommy himself?”
“The protection of the world far outweighs the life of just one of its citizens.”
“You know, I actually agree with you on that? Only, that’s never been the situation with Tommy. He isn’t a random citizen; he’s a Ranger and you abandoned him. There’s never been conflict between saving Tommy and saving the world. You even knew I was looking for him; you just didn’t care.”
“This has gone beyond just helping Tommy. You have assaulted civilians and disrupted police officers and have revealed your identity to a third party.”
“All to help Tommy. All because you never did. What’s the purpose of these secret identities, anyway? It’s certainly wasn’t to keep Zedd and Rita from targeting us-they knew who we are. Was it to make sure we never got credit for risking our teenaged lives for the world? Was it to assure that we’d never get into universities because our grades suffered so badly due to constantly missing class to fight monsters? Or was it so we would always have to lie to our family and friends about where we were going and why we were always so tired? Are you really expecting us to only date within the group, or else lie to our partners for the rest of our lives? Do you really think something awful would happen if the rest of the world knew who we were?”
To Billy’s great delight, Zordon remains silent for several seconds. “The Power must be protected. There are people in this world who would attempt to take it from you.”
Billy takes a deep breath, calming his heart. “Even if that is true, we handled Rita and Zedd’s monsters for years. Don’t you think we could handle some overzealous humans?”
“You were impressionable teenagers. It was a risk not worth taking.”
It’s hard for Billy not to laugh. “Do you even hear yourself? You were protecting teenagers from other humans, but thought it was perfectly all right to send us to battle space monsters on our own?” He clenches his hand. “All the times I wanted to tell my father where I was going and why I was late and never did. He would have been so proud of me.” He takes another deep breath. “Things are going to change, Zordon, starting today. Remember that conversation we had a few weeks ago? You asked me what improvements we could make. Well, I’ve got it all figured out now.”
It will take considerable time to implement all of them, but Billy’s had weeks to reason out how to achieve everything he needs to achieve. “The very first thing on my agenda is to get rid of your third rule. I’m going to talk it over with the other Rangers tomorrow and then call a press conference and reveal . . . at least my identity. The rest can choose if they want to reveal theirs.”
“What purpose will such revelation serve?”
“I have risked my life saving the world on a daily basis since I was sixteen. The thanks I have received for this has been a few parades in Angel Grove, thrown for the Power Rangers, and losing my scholarships and grants to go to university because I was needed by the Power Rangers. I don’t regret any of my time here, but there are months where I can’t pay my bills. With the time I’ve had to take off work and the money I’ve spent helping Tommy, my job is all but ready to let me go. I’m far from the only Ranger struggling financially. I don’t have time to work on the zords because I’m fixing broken computers all day to earn enough money to keep my house. That’s not right.
“I’ll reveal our identities and I’ll get us a government grant. There’s no doubt in my mind that people will be willing to give back a little for all we’ve given them. And, who knows. It may lead to bigger and better things. I’ve certainly got some plans.”
“There may be serious repercussions from this. You must be careful not to allow the media storm that will result from this to distract you from your real duties.”
“I assure you my loyalties will always be with the Rangers and the protection of Earth, but time has changed us. We have out grown you and this Command Center.”
“Although you are the leader of the Power Rangers, I do not feel you should be making these decisions without the consent and agreement of the other Rangers.”
Billy nods, conceding. “Then let us continue this tomorrow with the other Rangers. Although I expect little opposition, I agree they should all know my plans.” He touches his belt. “For now, I should get back to Tommy. I suspect this therapy session will take quite a toll on him. Someone needs to be with him when this is over.”
Zordon looks down at him for several seconds. “Billy. It was never my intention that Tommy should fall into harm after losing his powers. I regret that it happened very much.”
After gritting his teeth, Billy nods. “I know. You’re not human. You’re still learning. So am I, and with that learning comes the ability to question your authority and make changes. I know you still don’t understand, but believe me, what I have will make us stronger. It will make us so much stronger.”
“I believe in you, Billy. You will not let the world, or the other Rangers, down. May the Power protect you.”
Although he doubts he’ll ever be as blindly trusting of Zordon again, Billy does feel a strange fondness for the alien. As he touches the teleport on his belt, he says, “And you.”
--
Billy returns to the therapist waiting room a little shaken from his revelation and conversation with Zordon. The future looms big and full of potential in front of him and it’s so vast and scary it’s almost overwhelming. He’ll have to call the Rangers together tomorrow for a group discussion on how to go about revealing their identities at large. He’s desperate to reveal his own and start petitioning the government to fund the Rangers so he can quit his IT job and work on the zords full time, but he has no desire to force the others to reveal themselves if they’re not ready.
He knows for Kimberly especially it will be difficult, considering her long-standing relationship with Skull and his knowledge of the Power Rangers. Still, part of him knows that, given time, all of the Rangers will take the leap. They’ve all had to sacrifice so much to keep their identities. It’s far past time for that to change.
He’s so wrapped up in his thoughts that he doesn’t notice the passage of time until Tommy’s stumbling toward him, eyes red from crying.
“Billy!”
He has just enough time to stand up before Tommy falls into his arms, face pressed against his neck, clinging. The weight nearly buckles Billy’s knees.
Brian’s hot on his trail, notebook still in hand. “Oh, thank god you’re here.”
Billy’s eyes are wide. “What happened?”
“He’s . . . he’s fine. I think. He started talking the moment you left. It’s . . . it’s been amazing. We made quite a breakthrough; it’s just taken quite a toll on him.”
Tommy’s fists gather the fabric of Billy’s shirt and hot tears splash down Billy’s neck. Feeling less alarmed, Billy wraps his arms back around Tommy, supporting him less and holding him more. “That’s a relief.” Almost of its own accord, his hand goes up to smooth down Tommy’s hair. “Can I take him home, then? It’s been quite a day for both of us.”
“Yes, yes, of course. I, uh. I think he ought to come back in, though. Sooner than scheduled. Would Monday be all right? Gives you the weekend to recover?”
“That’s fine. Just leave a message on my machine with the time.” Softer, he addresses Tommy. “Come on, let’s get you home.”
The car ride back from the therapist is almost surreal. Tommy starts talking almost as soon as the doors are closed, but it’s a rambling, stream-of-conscious sort of talk that Billy can hardly understand let alone follow. Despite the occasional tears, Billy feels positive about the session. What he can pick up from the rambling is old memories of the Rangers and Rita and the time before the club; all things he knows Tommy needs to talk about and work through.
Tommy gets out of the car on his own once they’re parked in Billy’s driveway, but he stumbles and needs Billy to help navigate him through the front door. Uncertain they’ll make it to the bedroom, Billy deposits Tommy on the couch, and lets out a gasp of surprise when Tommy pulls him down beside him.
Tommy curls into him, sniffling softly, and Billy has no choice but to hold him back. “Hey, it’s all right.” He rubs Tommy’s back gently and feels an almost instant reaction from Tommy. His breath lets out and his shoulders slump, relaxing appreciatively. It’s such a change from the way Tommy first reacted to Billy touching him. “Are you all right?”
Tommy nods, but doesn’t lift his face off Billy’s shoulder. “Didn’t . . . realize how much I’d bottled up.”
Billy strokes Tommy’s hair again, surprised how much he enjoys it. “You denied yourself for six years. It doesn’t surprise me.”
Tommy shakes his head slightly. “I can’t believe what you did back there.”
It makes Billy a little light headed thinking back on it. “Truthfully, neither can I.”
Tommy finally lifts his face from Billy’s shoulder. There are teardrops still clinging to his eyes. “How did Zordon take it?”
Billy’s a little stunned just how pretty he finds Tommy like this. “He wasn’t happy. So, about as I expected.” To get Tommy to stop looking at him, Billy shifts his weight. “Can I get you some tea or . . . cocoa or something?”
Tommy shakes his head and settles back down against Billy. “I’m all right. What did Zordon say?”
Billy takes a deep breath. “I explained to him why keeping secret identities was destroying the group, and told him about some other changes we need to make. I didn’t really give him room to argue. They weren’t suggestions.”
“Brr. Would’ve liked to have seen that.”
Stretching, Billy pulls the fleece blanket off the nearby arm chair and drapes it over Tommy. “It felt good to tell him off a little after all these years. I’m grateful to Zordon for many things, but I don’t approve at all of some of the ways he’s dealt with us.” He smiles as Tommy snuggles against him with the blanket. “Tomorrow I plan to call the other Rangers for a meeting to discuss when and how we should reveal our identities to the public at large.”
A little shiver courses through Tommy. “Dunno that’s such a good idea.”
Billy strokes Tommy’s hair and feels him settle again. “It will mean huge changes, I know, but we can’t go on the way we have been. Not when Kim can’t tell her boyfriend who she really is. Not when I can’t work on the zords because I have to keep my day job. Not when you need healing and a therapist you can trust.”
Tommy takes a shuddering breath and presses his face into Billy’s shirt.
“You’re sure you’re all right?”
“No.” The words are muffled against the fabric. “You’re not going out tonight, are you?”
Billy shakes his head. “No. I think I’ve had enough excitement for one day.” He stops stroking Tommy’s hair long enough to reach out for the remote. It only takes a few buttons to queue up the VCR player. “Would a little Disney cheer you up?”
“Mm.” Tommy turns his face enough to see the television. “M’not sad, though.”
“Oh? My tear-soaked shirt begs to differ.” On the television, the image of a wavery cartoon sun appears, followed by the first intense chords of music.
Tommy manages to snuggle even closer to watch the film. He’s quiet for a few seconds, and then softly says, “Not all tears are from sadness, Billy.”
--
In the morning, Billy puts in his two-week notice at work and is summarily told not to come in for the rest of the month. He’s not sure if he’s been fired or not, but either way it’s indescribably freeing.
“What are you doing?” Adam asks, baffled.
Billy cheerfully stuffs all his cubicle belongings into a cardboard box. “Making a long-overdue change. I need to see you and Rocky at my place tonight, by the way. It’s very,” he taps his wrist communicator, “important. Be there around seven.”
He contacts Kimberly and Aisha at noon and manages to press the importance of the event on them with a little more difficulty; it’s hard sometimes to remember ‘normal’ people like to go out on Friday night. This just isn’t the sort of thing that can wait.
Tommy’s in his room napping when the Rangers arrive, which suits Billy just fine. Although he handled the therapy session rather well, Tommy’s been in and out of coherency since it happened. Expecting tempers to get a bit out of hand tonight when he tells the others his plans, Billy figures it’s better if Tommy is out of the way.
He’s given considerable thought to just how he’ll explain what happened yesterday and begins once everyone has settled in the living room. “With the return of Master Vile intruding on our already very busy lives, I’ve come to the decision that it’s past time for a big change for the Rangers. I have come up with an ambitious but potentially lucrative and very necessary future for us. Last night I discussed it briefly with Zordon, and while he was not happy about all of the finer points, I do have his support on the matter. However, what I want to do will eventually involve and impact all of you, so I want to hear your concerns and opinions first.”
Rocky’s taken a seat on the floor by the armchair Adam’s seated in. He stretches out his legs. “Are we finally gonna get new zords?”
“Unfortunately no,” Billy says, “though that may be a more realistic goal if this works out.”
Kimberly crosses her foot over her knee. “Well, don’t hold us in suspense.”
Billy takes a deep breath. “I think it’s time we revealed our identities to the public.” He isn’t met with the general outcry of protests that he expected. “We’ve all had to put aspects of our lives on hold in order to protect our secret identities and I feel like it’s come to the point where keeping them now is more detrimental to us than revealing them.”
Adam’s jaw drops. “Zordon’s okay with this?”
“Well,” Billy shoves his hands in his pockets, “not exactly. I think I may have managed to convince him that it’s nevertheless the right choice. Kimberly, I know you’ve had trouble dating Skull because of having to lie to him about your identity. Wouldn’t it be a relief if you could tell him?”
“It’s true.” Kimberly glances at the others. “I’m sure he actually already suspects. He asked me a lot of pointed questions that time we had to leave him to babysit Tommy that were really hard to deflect without outright lying.” She glances around. “Speaking of which, where is Tommy?”
Billy decides to not go into details. “He didn’t sleep well last night, so he’s taking a nap.”
Adam snorts. “What a freeloader. Doesn’t he ever do anything?”
Kimberly chucks a throw pillow at him. “Tommy’s sick. Don’t be such a bully.”
Adam blinks. “I’m not bullying. It’s just a valid observation.”
Aisha raises an eyebrow. “It’s bullying. I’m sure Tommy hates that he can’t help contribute more.”
To Billy’s surprise, Adam folds in on himself at those words. He smiles, hoping perhaps things have finally been put into perspective for him. “Aisha’s right. I know Tommy feels like he’s burdening me. While it’s a responsibility I gladly accept, there is a financial strain that I also hope to alleviate with revealing out identities.”
Rocky perks up. “We could sell autographs!”
It’s so simple and absurd Billy laughs. “That’s certainly a possibility. I admit, I’m thinking on a slightly grander scale. We’ve been protecting the world from alien attacks since 1993. That’s over six years. We have never once asked the people of Earth for any compensation. It’s true that they’ve thrown us parades and shown their appreciation, but on the whole, we have altruistically performed this service with no benefit to ourselves. In fact, we’ve had severe detriment. I’ve never been able to attend university like I had always assumed I would. Kimberly had to give up her chance at the Pan Global Games. Tommy ended up falling through the cracks of society. We’ve all had to sacrifice something to make this work.
“I’m not saying that the sacrifices haven’t been worth it. None of us would be Power Rangers if it wasn’t what we were meant to do. All the same, I strongly believe that the people of the world would be quite uneasy if they knew that the leader of the Power Rangers wasn’t getting to sleep at night because he was working on repairing the zords that he couldn’t fix during the day because he had to hold his nine-to-five job.”
The others haven’t quite followed, but Adam’s eyes are wide. “So, you plan to petition for a government grant or something?”
“That’s the idea. Ideally, I’d like to establish an actual Ranger foundation which would eventually be self-sustaining, but to start I’d secure at least enough that the five of us could retire from our current jobs and focus on being fulltime Rangers-and pursue the things we’ve always wanted to pursue.”
Aisha shrugs. “Couldn’t that be dangerous, though? It just takes one crazy nut job with a gun to take us out.”
“There is always that risk, but I think it’s unlikely. The biggest issue will be the celebrity status we’re likely to gain. Revealing our identities means everyone will know who we are. Simple things like going to the grocery store will not be easy anymore. You may have to move to bigger houses with better security. You may be stalked. You may have paparazzi following you. But it will mean the ability to market yourself. You can grant interviews. You can license your likeness. You could start the Pink and Yellow Ranger Boutique and be almost assured an overnight success.”
Kimberly and Aisha exchange amused smiles.
Rocky’s eyes light up. “People would be clamoring to enroll at our dojo!”
“It could be really dangerous though,” Adam says. “Master Vile could attack our families or friends.”
“Our identities have never been a secret to Master Vile. Zedd and Rita knew who we were. If they wanted to use our family and friends against us, they could have.”
“They have. I’ll never forget the time they kidnapped our parents.”
“Kimberly’s right. Nothing changes if the villain knows. It may, in fact, make us stronger. The biggest worry will be the change in our privacy.”
Aisha grins. “You guys can always move up to the mountains with me and Alejandro.”
“I admit it may be rough for the first few weeks while we figure things out. A secret place we can escape to when it gets too rough is in my plans. I’d like to keep the location of the Command Center a secret, so a central place in the mountains might not be a bad idea.
“I also wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page. I don’t want to force anyone to reveal themselves if they’re not ready. Due to our friendships, however, it’s likely that if one of us reveals our identity, the rest will soon be under quick scrutiny.”
“I just want a little time,” Kimberly says. “I don’t want Gene to open the paper one day and find out I’m the Pink Ranger. I want to tell him myself first.”
Billy nods. “That makes perfect sense. I imagine the same goes for you, Aisha?”
She glances around and shrugs. “I don’t know how you did it, Kim. I told Alejandro about me months ago.”
Surprised, Billy asks, “Zordon didn’t ever say anything to you?”
“He said he never intended for being a Ranger to keep me from doing or being with the things I loved. I think he trusted me enough to not reveal my identity to someone who’d endanger me.”
Billy blinks a few times, surprised.
Kimberly shrugs. “He didn’t fly off the handle when we revealed ourselves to Rocky, Adam and Aisha.”
“That is true.” Lost in thought, Billy returns to his seat on the couch beside Kimberly. “So it is possible that we could reveal ourselves only to certain officials.”
Adam chuckles. “Yeah, the ones with the money.”
“I don’t like that,” Rocky says. “The people have a right to know who’s protecting them.”
Aisha laughs. “You just want to fill your dojo.”
“Darn right, I do!”
Movement down the hall draws Billy’s gaze and he blinks a few times before realizing Tommy’s padded out of his room, blinking at the bright lights. His face has a pillow imprint on one side, and his curls are a bit flattened from being slept on.
Delighted, Kimberly calls, “Tommy!”
“Sorry,” he says, voice thick with disuse. “Was just thirsty.”
“It’s no problem at all.” Billy gets to his feet quickly and goes into the kitchen. He pours Tommy a glass of juice and hands it to him. “Are you hungry?”
“I could eat.”
From in the living room, Rocky calls, “Hey, so could I!”
Billy chuckles. “Would anyone else like a sandwich?”
In ten minutes, Billy’s passed out sandwiches and chips to everyone. Tommy settles on the couch, squeezed in between Billy and Kimberly.
Rocky licks his fingers after finishing his sandwich. “Told you I should’ve brought cupcakes.”
Adam playfully gives Rocky’s head a shove.
It’s nice sitting there with Tommy and not feeling hostility from Adam or fear from Tommy. “We were discussing revealing our identities to the public,” Billy says.
Aisha’s brow furrows. “Would we reveal Tommy’s?”
“No, I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“Good.” Tommy sets his empty plate and glass down so he can nestle more comfortable between Billy and Kimberly. “Definitely not ready for that.”
“Are we otherwise in consensus, then?” Billy glances from face to face. That none of them oppose further convinces him that it’s the right decision. “I’d like to call a press conference as early as Monday. I realize that only gives you the weekend to prepare, but the sooner we reveal the sooner I can get the next phase of the plan going.”
Adam frowns. “Two days doesn’t give us much time to do anything about our privacy.”
“I know. The problem is that without the money from the government, none of us can afford the measures we need for the privacy.”
“I don’t see why we need to reveal at all to get a government grant,” Aisha says. “We just all teleport into the mayor or governor’s office one day and make some demands. If they say no, we just stand around the next time a monster attacks and see how long it takes them to write a check.”
“Or go down to the bank,” Rocky says. “Can’t cash a check made out to ‘Power Rangers’.”
Billy becomes suddenly aware of Tommy leaning heavily against him, but ignores him for the moment. “Rocky has a point. Unless they pay in cash, then we won’t have any way of cashing the check, and furthermore, we don’t want criminals to start dressing up like us and demanding money. I’m willing to put the reveal off for a week or two, but if the rest of you aren’t ready by then, I may reveal my own identity alone, just to get things moving.”
Aisha nods. “And like I said, you guys are welcome up in the mountains with me and Alejandro. His uncle has a cabin up there that probably won’t be used until December. I’ll ask if he’d be okay with some of us staying there off and on until then.”
Billy grins. “That’d be great. Thank you.”
Rocky’s staring at him. “Is he asleep?”
Blinking, Billy glances at his shoulder, and realizes Tommy has dozed off leaning against him. It’s such a funny sight he almost laughs, but, fearful of waking Tommy, manages to resist. “So it seems.”
Kimberly catches his eye, her eyebrows lifted in surprise.
He wants to tell her it isn’t what she thinks, but the moment isn’t right. “Perhaps we ought to wrap this up, then. I won’t reveal anything on Monday, but the rest of you should start making preparations. I would prefer to do this as a team.”
“It’d certainly look cool,” Rocky says, “with the five of us on a big stage, cameras rolling, taking our helmets off on national TV.”
“Yes.” Billy smiles. “It will be every reporter’s dream assignment.”
Kimberly shakes out her legs. “I’m kind of looking forward to it.”
“It’s the boutique, isn’t it?” Aisha says. “I am right there with you, girl.”
“Adam?”
He shrugs, but nods approvingly. “I think it’ll work. Good job, Billy.”
For the first time in a very long time, Billy feels that just maybe all is right with the world again.