Power Rangers: Whole (16/?), Billy/Tommy, R.
Sorry for the massive delay in posting the next chapter. Life has a way of doing that to you sometimes.
Title: Whole, chapter sixteen
Author: vandonovan
Pairing: Billy/Tommy, background Skull/Kim, Adam/Rocky, Jason/Zack and Aisha/OMC
Word count: 5,339 (this chapter)
Rating: R
Era: MMPR AU after "The Green Candle" where Tommy never becomes the White Ranger. (Picks up in 1999.)
Warnings: adult language, sexual situations/innuendo, AU, potential spoilers through Space, may contain triggering content, please read at your own risk.
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 sixteen:
“Look at you two!” Aisha says, standing up to greet Tommy and Billy once they finally arrive at the restaurant for lunch. She gives Billy a big hug, and then a slightly more restrained one to Tommy. “You fit right in here, don’t you?”
“Oh man, it’s been great.” Tommy slips into his chair. “I’ve never slept so good before.”
Billy hasn’t been able to stop smiling since this morning. He unfolds his napkin into his lap. “The mountain air is quite refreshing. I can certainly see why you chose to relocate.”
Her gaze shifts between them, scrutinizing. Before long, a sly smile spreads across her lips. “It is about time you two hooked up!”
Stunned, Billy looks up at her. “What?”
Tommy’s jaw actually drops. “You . . . you mean you can tell?”
Aisha laughs. “Y’all are both glowing.” She sobers slightly. “I mean, it’s probably not totally obvious to anyone else, but I can certainly tell.” She smiles more genuinely. “Congratulations.”
Flustered, Billy mutters his thanks, staring down into his lap.
Tommy remains bright and cheerful. “Haha, thanks! Hey, where’s Alejandro? I thought he was gonna meet up with us for lunch, too.”
Grinning even wider, Aisha leans forward. “Get this,” she says in a conspiratorial tone, “he’s up on the mountain peak right now, checking out this old abandoned commune. Apparently it was something of a religious hippie retreat back in the 60s and 70s; you know, during that whole Transcendental Meditation era.”
Tommy’s brow furrows. “That sounds kind of cool. He's just checking it out for fun, then?”
Mind refocused, Billy’s suddenly envisioning an idyllic mountain retreat. “With a little renovation, an abandoned commune at the peak of a mountain would make an excellent control center for the Rangers. Our own private mountain retreat.”
Glancing back and forth between them, Tommy says, “I don’t get it. Don’t you already have the Command Center?”
“You’ve been there, Tommy,” Aisha says. “That’s hardly a retreat. Apparently this place is like . . . half hotel, half school. It’d be the perfect place for us to get away from the city life. We can’t all use my uncle’s cabin, after all.”
Billy’s eyes refocus on Aisha. “Did you say it used to be a school?”
“Apparently? You’ll have to ask Alejandro when he gets back. I don’t think it was like a traditional school, so I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Just, you know, it had dormitories and things for all the religious students who came there to learn. I’m sure it’s all stuff we could knock down during renovations.”
“No. That could be perfect.” Billy feels his mind suddenly going into overdrive.
Tommy stares from Billy to Aisha and back. “Perfect for what?”
Aisha shrugs.
Tommy softly laughs. “He's infurirating when he gets like this, isn't he?”
She gives a soft chuckle. “Spit it out, Billy.”
Realizing they’re both staring at him now, Billy shakes his head clear. “It’s just an idea I’ve been contemplating. It may be moot if I can’t wrangle us government grants. Do you know who currently owns the land?”
“That’s some of what Alejandro went up there to see. That and to check out just how out of repair it all is. Thirty winters up here can destroy a place. Might not even be worth renovating.”
Billy’s already much too enamored with this idea. Even if they have to tear the whole place down, Billy wants it. “Can we see the location? Perhaps Alejandro could take us up there Monday?”
Aisha blinks, stunned. “Monday? But weren't you two were leaving tomorrow?”
Tommy’s all smiles again. “We’re having such a good time, we decided to extend our trip a few days.”
Billy's quick to add, “If that’s all right with your uncle, of course.”
“I’m sure it’s fine, though he’ll be up here to use it himself by late November.”
“All the more reason we ought to have a safe place for the Rangers to escape to.”
Aisha frets. “It gets pretty cold up here in the winter. You’re really sure you want to build a Ranger hideaway up in the mountains?” She eyes him. “Why not some place in Hawai’i?”
Chuckling, Billy says, “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. If we can’t even thinking about buying a rundown religious retreat in the mountains there’s no way we’ll be able to afford something on a tropical island.”
“Well, we deserve it,” Aisha says. “Even if it’s only a time share.”
“Oh, I certainly agree,” Billy says.
He keeps it to himself for now, but he's fairly confident that with the ideas kicking around in his head that it isn’t outside the realm of possibility for them to someday have retreats both in the mountains and in Hawai’i. In fact, if things go the way he wants, they might just need a place in Hawai’I to sometimes get away from their retreat in the mountains.
--
By the time Thursday rolls around, Billy and Tommy are rejuvenated and better than ever before. Billy’s plans to buy the property up in the mountains remain strong, and for once in his leader career he’s delegated the task to a non-Ranger. Alejandro’s capable and experienced with property sales and Billy knows he’ll do well, especially with Aisha by his side, but handing over control like that is certainly a new experience.
“It’s funny,” Tommy says as he flops down on the couch in the living room once they're back home. “You’re supposed to feel grateful to be home after a vacation, aren’t you?” He stares at the dark television. “I just wish we were back in the mountains.”
“Agreed. It makes you appreciate the mountains more though, doesn’t it?” He sorts through the mail that collected during their absence and frets a little over the bill for the fence. It was installed completely while they were gone and looks great and keeps the fans out. It’s just a lot more money than he had anticipated. He’s going to have to really start hitting the pavement with purpose tomorrow.
“I suppose.” Tommy puts his feet up on his suitcase, crossing his arms. “I don’t like knowing we can’t escape up there in a few weeks when her uncle’s using it.”
Tossing the rest of the mail on the kitchen counter, Billy makes his way to the answering machine. “If it gets bad enough, we can always rent a cabin for a weekend.”
“With what money?”
“Just let me worry about that.”
Most of the messages on the machine are garbage from fans who've discovered the number; he’s going to have to have it disconnected soon. It’s at least easy to identify them within seconds so he can delete the messages without listening to them all the way through.
It’s the twelfth message that draws him up short.
“Uh, hey, uh, Billy. It’s Skull. Listen, I just got a really weird phone call down at the station. I guess uh, you and Tommy are up in the mountains or something right now? Apparently, there was this news report that showed you and Tommy coming out of a super market up there or something? Anyway, someone notified someone who got in contact with someone else, and today I got this call from these people claiming to be Tommy’s parents.”
Billy looks over and finds Tommy has left the couch to stand in the kitchen arch. He takes a few steps forward, staring down at the answering machine.
The playback of Skull continues, “I’ve got all the information they gave me and it seems to check out, so give me a call when you get back in. I guess they’re really anxious to get back in touch with Tommy.”
Another message begins from a fan and Billy pauses the rest of the play back. He’s suddenly very glad that Tommy’s got a therapy appointment this afternoon. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t know.” He runs a hand into his hair. “I was were never really close to my parents. I can’t imagine what they’re gonna have to say to me.”
Tommy’s reaction is surprising. “They probably think you’re dead! I’m sure they’ll be overjoyed to reconnect with you.”
“No, you don't understand. I was always a huge disappointment to them. They hated that I spent more time on my martial arts training than I did in school. All of the accomplishments I made in karate were meaningless because I got bad grades. They practically disowned me when I dropped out of school. They’re gonna be disgusted when they find out how I spent the last six years of my life.” He crosses his arms and turns his back to Billy.
“Tommy.”
“They didn’t care when I went missing, did they? They were glad I was out of their hair; meant they didn’t have to make excuses for their failure anymore.”
The one thing Billy knows is that in the year he knew Tommy before all this went down, he never once met or heard from his parents-not even on parent night. Yet, he can't bring himself to believe they don't love him. “I’m sure that’s not true. They’re your parents. They’ll be happy to know you’re alive and well.”
“You don’t know them, Billy. They expected me to be a doctor or lawyer or something by now. When they find out I consider it a good day if I don’t break down in tears, they’re going to want to officially disown me.”
Billy shakes his head. “Why would they bother contacting you if they don’t care about you?”
Tommy’s eyes flash up, taking Billy in. “’Cause I’m on camera with you. They’re probably hoping I’ve made something of myself if one of the Power Rangers is my friend.”
Tommy stalks into the living room, giving Billy no choice but to follow. “And now you can tell them that you were once a Power Ranger. You can finally confide to them that all those weeks in high school when you had to miss class and couldn’t come up with reasons why were because you were fighting monsters with us. You can tell them how useful your martial arts were. You can tell them that’s why you dropped out of high school, and that’s why you ended up in the life style you did. They’re you’re parents, Tommy. It’s been six years. They’re going to understand.”
Tommy keeps his back to Billy. “You don’t know that. You were always so smart. I bet your parents never gave you any shit. By the time I was in junior high, my parents were wishing they’d never adopted me.”
Billy’s not quite sure he knew before this moment that Tommy was adopted. “They actually told you that?”
Tommy shrugs. “Not in so many words. I could tell, though. The disappointed look in my father’s eyes when I’d bring home a trophy from a karate tournament said it all. It was never, ‘Good job, Tommy’ or ‘I’m proud of you.’ It’d always just be, ‘I hope you finished your homework first’ or ‘I wish you put as much effort into your school work as you did your karate.’ I could be the leader of the Power Rangers and they’d still be disappointed in me.”
Everything in Billy wants to protest what Tommy’s saying, but the fact is, he doesn’t know Tommy’s parents or their reasons for behaving the way they did and arguing this point is useless and counterproductive. He should be taking Tommy's side. “You ought to at least let them know you’re alive. Although they may have treated you badly growing up, it doesn’t mean they don’t love you and haven’t missed you. Be better than them. If they haven’t changed you can cut off contact with them afterward.”
Tommy stalks back into the living room. “First, I want to know just what news broadcast they saw me in.”
Though Billy doesn’t usually let Tommy watch the news, he stands idly by as Tommy goes for the remote and begins channel hopping until he finds something on the Rangers.
What comes up is not what either of them expected.
“That’s right, Deborah,” one of the news anchors says, “apparently Adam Park, better known to the world as the Black Ranger, made an appearance in Soho last night, where he was seen wineing and dining with some local celebrities, including one lucky actress who claims she was asked on a date! Want to know the identity of this luck lady? We’ve got exclusive pictures and video coming up, so don’t go away!”
Before Billy can say anything to Tommy, the camera switches over to the female news anchor.
“And if you’ve got Power Ranger romance on your mind, be sure to stay tuned. The world is buzzing about the young man Power Ranger leader William Cranston was seen with up in the Southern California mountains this weekend.” On screen, a video shows of Billy and Tommy exiting the market together. Although it was shot across the parking lot, the camera used had a powerful enough zoom that it’s easy to recognize both of them. “Keen eyes were quick to point out the identity of the man as one Thomas Oliver, a former Angel Grove High School student, but who is he and what relationship is to the Power Rangers? We’ll have more information coming up soon!”
Somewhat weakly, Tommy flops back down on the couch as the television goes to commercials.
Billy remains standing, not sure which of the news blurbs unsettles him more; he makes a mental note to call Rocky after dealing with Tommy’s parents. “Are you all right?”
“Fine. Just fucking fine.” He kicks his shoes off and pulls his knees up to his chest.
Standing there, Billy watches as the peace and serenity accuminated over the last five days in the mountains just slides right off Tommy.
--
The call to Tommy’s parents goes about as well as expected. Tommy grunts one word responses and Billy waits through antagonizing silence as Tommy listens to the conversation on the other end. He has no idea what’s actually transpiring until Tommy says, “I guess I can ask.” He sets the phone down and stares at Billy with big, sad eyes.
“What?”
“They’re in Oregon. They moved there after the war. I guess they thought I was dead, or gave up on me or something.” He shrugs and tugs at one of his curls. “They want to know if I can go up there and see them.”
Billy blinks a few times. “Well, of course. Do you want to go?”
“Not really.” His eyes shift around the room. “They sound so happy. Seeing me will just disappoint them again. Maybe it’s better if we don’t meet.”
Although Billy’s willing to go with whatever Tommy decides, he can’t help but think that seeing his parents again will help. “Would it help if I go with you?”
Finally, Tommy’s gaze refocuses on Billy as he reconsiders. “It might.”
“We can go see them together, then. We can teleport up just as soon as you’re ready.”
“I thought you had stuff to do.”
“I do. I have a lot of stuff to do, but this is important.”
“I don’t know, Billy. I’m not saying I shouldn’t see them, just maybe we should put it off for a little while longer . . .”
“It’s up to you. Getting it out of the way might help get your mind off it, though. And, who knows? Perhaps it will work out well.” He shrugs, thoughtfully. “I’d certainly give anything to be able to spend the holidays with my parents.”
Blinking a few times, Tommy stares at him for several seconds before hesitantly picking the phone back up. “Yeah. If you don’t mind if Billy comes, too. When’re you available?” He nods. “Yeah. That’s fine. No, it’s fine; we’ll teleport. Yeah.” He actually manages a tiny little smile. “Yeah. Okay. See you tomorrow, then.” He hangs up and lets out his breath.
“Tomorrow?”
“Yeah.” Tommy sags back, head resting on the top of the couch as he stares up at the ceiling. “I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this.”
Billy sits beside him, taking one of Tommy’s hands up in his to squeeze. “It’s not like you’ll be trapped there. If it’s too much, we can teleport back out.”
Tilting his head, Tommy smiles sadly. “I could never do this without you.”
“That’s the truth.” Billy leans over and kisses him. “I’m proud of you. I know calling them wasn’t easy.”
“Yeah. Opened up a whole host of things I need to talk to Brian about.”
“You’re ready to head to therapy, then?”
Tommy nods, his expression turning hopeful. “Unless you’d rather teleport back to Aisha’s uncle’s cabin?”
Chuckling, Billy shakes his head. “You can’t run away from this. Come on, get your coat.”
--
While Tommy’s talking to Brian, Billy tries to contact Rocky to get more information on Adam. No one answers their house phone, though, and it’s not enough of an emergency to contact him through the communicators. Instead, he gleans information from the news, cringing at the deluge of images that comes through of Adam living it up at trendy Hollywood parties.
He teleports to with Tommy to Oregon the next day.
He immediately wishes he’d brought a heavier coat. The Oregon wind slices right through the windbreaker he put on before leaving.
“I’ve severely underestimated just how much colder it would be here.” Billy crosses his arms and glances around. Having never been to Oregon before, he teleported them to a vacant lot not far from Tommy’s parent’s house.
“We could always go back,” Tommy hopefully says. He’s got a sweater on under his jacket and is much less bothered by the cold.
“No chance. Come on. Their house should be this way.”
“Look at this place,” Tommy says, staring up at the multistory house they eventually stop in front before. “What do two people need a house this big for?”
Not knowing the Olivers, Billy doesn’t feel at liberty to say. “Perhaps they got a good deal?”
The man who answers the door when they knock is tall, with the kind of greying beard that takes years of careful cultivation. “Tommy!” He wraps his arms around Tommy, drawing him close like a rag doll. “We thought you were going to teleport in!”
“We did, sir,” Billy says. “It just seemed wise not to do so right into your living room.”
Releasing Tommy, he says, “And you must be William. I’m Hank, Tommy’s father.”
One of Billy’s hands is engulfed by a handshake. “Just Billy, please.”
“You’re freezing! Came right from California, did you? Amazing. Come in, come in! Margaret! The boys are here, come quick!”
Margaret comes out of the kitchen with a smile and a glass of red wine. “Oh, Thomas!” She’s also quite tall and carefully picks her way through a living room filled with curios before giving Tommy a one-armed hug.
Billy’s nearly bowled over by the rich scent of her perfume.
Tommy extracts himself as soon as possible. “Mom, Dad.” He glances around the living room. “You both look . . . well.”
“And you!” Margaret says. “That hair! Those glasses! Why, I hardly recognize you!”
“We didn’t at all, you know,” Hank says. “If it hadn’t been for Ernie recognizing you and giving us a call, we might have never known it was you at all.”
Billy doubts that, but holds his tongue on the subject. “Ernie? You mean the owner of the Youth Center Juice Bar?”
“Oh yes, that’s the one. Very interesting man. He does love his fruit.”
Margaret takes a drink from her glass. “We saw quite a bit of him after you disappeared, sweetie. He let us put up missing posters all over his building, and kept an eye out for you.”
“You . . . put up missing posters for me?” Tommy stares from Hank to Margaret. “I had no idea.”
Billy feels quite out of place. “Neither did I.” Tommy turns to him and he shifts his weight from one foot to the other. “We all sort of stopped going to the Youth Center once the high school was destroyed. With the war going on, we were all a little busy.”
Margaret seems to notice him for the first time. “Oh, you must be William the Power Ranger.” She looks him over quite carefully. “You seemed so much taller on television. Tell me, do you get much calcium in your diet?”
“Mom . . .”
“Don’t mind her, Billy,” Hank says. “Let’s get you boys comfortable. Can I interest you in a drink? Hours d’oeuvres? Lunch isn’t quite ready yet.”
“I’ll take your coats,” Margaret says, proceeding to do without setting down her wine glass. She raises her eyebrow at Tommy’s clothes. “What a charming sweater.”
Billy watches Tommy self-consciously check that his sweater sleeves are covering every bit of his wrists. “I uh. I think I’ll have a drink. Something warm?”
Hank brightens. “Oh, I know just the thing. Have you ever had a Hot Toddy?”
Billy winces. “He . . . he really shouldn’t be drinking alcohol, Mr. Oliver.” When all eyes fall on him he shrugs. “It’s . . . it’s a medical condition.”
“You’re not ill, are you?” Margaret takes Tommy’s chin between her long-fingered hands, turning his head to face her.
“No.” Tommy jerks his face free. “Just a hot chocolate would be fine.”
“Mm.” Hank gives both Tommy and Billy a good once-over. “I’ll see what I can do. Make yourselves comfortable. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”
--
The conversation with the Olivers remains strained through lunch, and Billy realizes it’s because they don’t know Tommy anymore than they know Billy. Even had they been involved in Tommy’s life before, six years have changed them all. It’s a lot more like sitting down to lunch with strangers than Billy had anticipated.
There’s also the fact that, as Billy began to elaborate on only a little of what Tommy had been through over the last six years, Hank said, “Let’s not spoil lunch.”
After eating, they gather in the opulent living room again.
“You guys must be doing well,” Tommy says, his eyes fixed on the impressive tapestry hanging over the fireplace.
Hank settles himself in an overstuffed armchair. “Our house in Angel Grove was very well insured.”
“We lost so many things,” Margaret laments. “Pictures and books. My mother’s wedding dress.” She’s finally abandoned her wine glass and has sat herself right next to Tommy. “After losing you, it was just too much.” She squeezes one of Tommy’s hands.
“Now, now, Margaret. Don’t get too worked up.”
“Hush, Hank. That’s enough.” She doesn’t take her eyes off Tommy. “I’m so sorry we weren’t there for you. It’s only when you look back on your life that you realize the things that were truly important to you.”
“Mom.” Tommy glances away, embarrassed.
Although he feels quite awkward sitting in on such a private family moment, Billy decides to intervene. “Tommy’s got something very important he needs to share with you.” Both Hank and Margaret look at Tommy in surprise, but Tommy stares at Billy, bewildered. “When he was at Angel Grove High, struggling to maintain his grades and keep up his martial arts training, he was also working with me and the others, as a Power Ranger.”
“What!” Hank nearly gets to his feet. “Is it true?”
“No!” Though Margaret doesn’t look away from Tommy, her expression clearly changes. “You never said anything!”
Tommy shakes his head. “I wasn’t a very good one.”
“But it’s true?” Hank finally gets to his feet. “My boy! You should have told us!”
Like a melodramatic actress, Margaret puts a hand to her head. “I don’t believe it!”
Since Tommy’s not doing it, Billy continues. “All those times he had to miss class, he was with the Rangers. All he assignments he didn’t get completed on time, he was with us. As you know, we’ve only recently been able to tell anyone about our secret identities. He had to keep it from you.”
“Billy,” Tommy says. The shocked expressions on both of his parent’s faces clearly make him uncomfortable. “It’s not what you think. I wasn’t a good Ranger. I was . . .” He clenches his jaw for a moment. “I was the Green Ranger. The evil one controlled by Rita Repulsa.”
Margaret pushes flat back on the couch, as if Tommy’s words had physical strength. “The Green Ranger!”
“What did that evil woman do to you, Tommy! You haven’t an evil bone in your body!”
Billy finds he can’t look at any of them. “She put him under a mind control spell. He didn’t have any choice but to obey her. Fortunately, we were able to eventually free him, and he was able to fight with us until his powers faded.”
“I remember that!” Hank says. “I remember the newspaper headlines, and when he switched sides. That was you!?”
“Yeah.” Tommy tugs at the crease of his jeans. “I did a lot more damage than I did good, though.”
Finally, Billy finds he’s able to look at Tommy. “That’s not true. Empirically, it’s not. You saved the lives of all of the Rangers more than once, and the world.”
Tommy stares at his lap.
“Tommy!” Margaret pushes off the couch and throws her arms around him. “We should have known.”
“Mom, please. I was still a bad student. Sometimes I just forgot to do assignments, or to turn them in. I still spent too much time practicing martial arts instead of studying.”
“If I had known you were saving the world with those skills!” Hank booms. “We only ever wanted the best for you, Tommy.”
Margaret is openly weeping. “We thought tough love was the right way. We didn’t want you to be too attached to us. We wanted you to find your own place in the world and to strive to be the best. We never dreamed we’d really run you off.”
“All those years,” Hank says. “We searched all over for you.”
Billy has no idea how to breech such a sensitive subject, but since Tommy appears to be shutting down, he tries. “Losing the power isn’t easy. It’s a little like dropping an addiction cold turkey. With the war brewing and Tommy withdrawing, he . . . slipped through the cracks of society.”
“Billy,” Tommy finally whispers.
“You have to tell them.”
Silence stretches through the living room as Tommy struggles with his next words. “I . . . I started working at a club. I met this guy and . . .” He swallows hard. “I danced for money, which I spent on drugs. I was a wreck. I hardly even knew there was a war at all. After everything I’d done-the people I’d hurt, the buildings I destroyed-I belonged in that club. It was wretched, but I deserved it.” He blinks a few times before shifting his gaze to Billy. “Or . . . at least I thought I did until Billy found me.”
To Billy’s surprise, Tommy reaches out and takes Billy’s hand in his. His grip is fierce. Drawing a deep breath, Billy takes over the story. “I convinced him to leave the club. It took a little more persuasion to convince his boss to release him from his contract. I regret not having searched for him sooner.”
Margaret wipes her eyes. “You should have come to us, Tommy.”
Tommy lowers his gaze. “I couldn’t.”
“He was very set in his ways,” Billy says. “It took considerable perseverance and effort to get him to finally leave with me. He’s been staying in my home several months now and is doing much better.” He smiles admiringly. “His recovery has been quite remarkable.”
“I owe it all to Billy.” He finally glances back at his parents. “I really thought you’d never want to see me again. I’d disappointed you so many times . . .. I thought you’d be glad to finally be rid of me.”
“Oh, son. We never meant it. Not like that.” Hank steps close, reaching down to squeeze Tommy’s shoulder. “You’re our son and we love you no matter what.”
“All those years we were trying to mold you into the perfect little academic star we completely ignored your natural talents.” Margaret sniffles loudly. “You were out saving the world and had to come home to angry parents, berating you for ignoring your stupid essays! Will you ever forgive us?”
Turning back to his mother, Tommy shakes his head. “I never blamed you. I only ever wanted to make you proud of me.”
“You have, son!” Hank says. “You have! There isn’t a prouder father in the world. A Power Ranger! My son!”
“But I was the evil one, dad!”
“If you were ever evil, it’s only because your mother and I weren’t there for you growing up! If anyone should be blamed for what the Green Ranger did, it’s me!”
“Dad, no.”
As Tommy starts to stand, Billy’s communicator gives off its dreaded little chirp.
Both Hank and Margaret would have ignored it, but Tommy spins around instantly. “No.”
Billy winces. “I’m afraid so.”
“What is it?” Hank asks, looking between them. “What was that?”
Instead of explaining, Billy just answers. “I read you Zordon.”
“Master Vile has released another monster on Angel Grove. Teleport to the Command Center immediately.”
The look on both Hank and Margaret’s faces is priceless. Despite the graveness of the situation, Billy can’t believe how long he’s wanted to do something like that. “I’ll be there right away.” He looks up at Tommy. “Can I leave you here?”
“I hate this so much.”
Getting to his feet, Billy says, “I know, but it’ll be all right. I’ll come back as soon as we’re done.”
“What if you don’t?”
“I will. Enjoy reconnecting with your parents.”
“Promise me you’ll be careful.”
“I will.”
“Promise me.”
Billy feels the seconds ticking away. “I promise. I’ll be back before you know it.” He steps back. “Mr. and Mrs. Oliver. It’s been a pleasure. I apologize I have to run out on you like this.”
They’re both too dumbfounded to reply.
“Billy, wait.” Before Billy can reply, Tommy grabs him and kisses him. “That’s for luck.”
Being kissed in front of Tommy’s parents makes Billy’s heart rate sky rocket, but also leaves him glowing, feeling like he belongs. “I’ll be back soon.” He nods once more and then teleports out.
Title: Whole, chapter sixteen
Author: vandonovan
Pairing: Billy/Tommy, background Skull/Kim, Adam/Rocky, Jason/Zack and Aisha/OMC
Word count: 5,339 (this chapter)
Rating: R
Era: MMPR AU after "The Green Candle" where Tommy never becomes the White Ranger. (Picks up in 1999.)
Warnings: adult language, sexual situations/innuendo, AU, potential spoilers through Space, may contain triggering content, please read at your own risk.
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 sixteen:
“Look at you two!” Aisha says, standing up to greet Tommy and Billy once they finally arrive at the restaurant for lunch. She gives Billy a big hug, and then a slightly more restrained one to Tommy. “You fit right in here, don’t you?”
“Oh man, it’s been great.” Tommy slips into his chair. “I’ve never slept so good before.”
Billy hasn’t been able to stop smiling since this morning. He unfolds his napkin into his lap. “The mountain air is quite refreshing. I can certainly see why you chose to relocate.”
Her gaze shifts between them, scrutinizing. Before long, a sly smile spreads across her lips. “It is about time you two hooked up!”
Stunned, Billy looks up at her. “What?”
Tommy’s jaw actually drops. “You . . . you mean you can tell?”
Aisha laughs. “Y’all are both glowing.” She sobers slightly. “I mean, it’s probably not totally obvious to anyone else, but I can certainly tell.” She smiles more genuinely. “Congratulations.”
Flustered, Billy mutters his thanks, staring down into his lap.
Tommy remains bright and cheerful. “Haha, thanks! Hey, where’s Alejandro? I thought he was gonna meet up with us for lunch, too.”
Grinning even wider, Aisha leans forward. “Get this,” she says in a conspiratorial tone, “he’s up on the mountain peak right now, checking out this old abandoned commune. Apparently it was something of a religious hippie retreat back in the 60s and 70s; you know, during that whole Transcendental Meditation era.”
Tommy’s brow furrows. “That sounds kind of cool. He's just checking it out for fun, then?”
Mind refocused, Billy’s suddenly envisioning an idyllic mountain retreat. “With a little renovation, an abandoned commune at the peak of a mountain would make an excellent control center for the Rangers. Our own private mountain retreat.”
Glancing back and forth between them, Tommy says, “I don’t get it. Don’t you already have the Command Center?”
“You’ve been there, Tommy,” Aisha says. “That’s hardly a retreat. Apparently this place is like . . . half hotel, half school. It’d be the perfect place for us to get away from the city life. We can’t all use my uncle’s cabin, after all.”
Billy’s eyes refocus on Aisha. “Did you say it used to be a school?”
“Apparently? You’ll have to ask Alejandro when he gets back. I don’t think it was like a traditional school, so I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Just, you know, it had dormitories and things for all the religious students who came there to learn. I’m sure it’s all stuff we could knock down during renovations.”
“No. That could be perfect.” Billy feels his mind suddenly going into overdrive.
Tommy stares from Billy to Aisha and back. “Perfect for what?”
Aisha shrugs.
Tommy softly laughs. “He's infurirating when he gets like this, isn't he?”
She gives a soft chuckle. “Spit it out, Billy.”
Realizing they’re both staring at him now, Billy shakes his head clear. “It’s just an idea I’ve been contemplating. It may be moot if I can’t wrangle us government grants. Do you know who currently owns the land?”
“That’s some of what Alejandro went up there to see. That and to check out just how out of repair it all is. Thirty winters up here can destroy a place. Might not even be worth renovating.”
Billy’s already much too enamored with this idea. Even if they have to tear the whole place down, Billy wants it. “Can we see the location? Perhaps Alejandro could take us up there Monday?”
Aisha blinks, stunned. “Monday? But weren't you two were leaving tomorrow?”
Tommy’s all smiles again. “We’re having such a good time, we decided to extend our trip a few days.”
Billy's quick to add, “If that’s all right with your uncle, of course.”
“I’m sure it’s fine, though he’ll be up here to use it himself by late November.”
“All the more reason we ought to have a safe place for the Rangers to escape to.”
Aisha frets. “It gets pretty cold up here in the winter. You’re really sure you want to build a Ranger hideaway up in the mountains?” She eyes him. “Why not some place in Hawai’i?”
Chuckling, Billy says, “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. If we can’t even thinking about buying a rundown religious retreat in the mountains there’s no way we’ll be able to afford something on a tropical island.”
“Well, we deserve it,” Aisha says. “Even if it’s only a time share.”
“Oh, I certainly agree,” Billy says.
He keeps it to himself for now, but he's fairly confident that with the ideas kicking around in his head that it isn’t outside the realm of possibility for them to someday have retreats both in the mountains and in Hawai’i. In fact, if things go the way he wants, they might just need a place in Hawai’I to sometimes get away from their retreat in the mountains.
--
By the time Thursday rolls around, Billy and Tommy are rejuvenated and better than ever before. Billy’s plans to buy the property up in the mountains remain strong, and for once in his leader career he’s delegated the task to a non-Ranger. Alejandro’s capable and experienced with property sales and Billy knows he’ll do well, especially with Aisha by his side, but handing over control like that is certainly a new experience.
“It’s funny,” Tommy says as he flops down on the couch in the living room once they're back home. “You’re supposed to feel grateful to be home after a vacation, aren’t you?” He stares at the dark television. “I just wish we were back in the mountains.”
“Agreed. It makes you appreciate the mountains more though, doesn’t it?” He sorts through the mail that collected during their absence and frets a little over the bill for the fence. It was installed completely while they were gone and looks great and keeps the fans out. It’s just a lot more money than he had anticipated. He’s going to have to really start hitting the pavement with purpose tomorrow.
“I suppose.” Tommy puts his feet up on his suitcase, crossing his arms. “I don’t like knowing we can’t escape up there in a few weeks when her uncle’s using it.”
Tossing the rest of the mail on the kitchen counter, Billy makes his way to the answering machine. “If it gets bad enough, we can always rent a cabin for a weekend.”
“With what money?”
“Just let me worry about that.”
Most of the messages on the machine are garbage from fans who've discovered the number; he’s going to have to have it disconnected soon. It’s at least easy to identify them within seconds so he can delete the messages without listening to them all the way through.
It’s the twelfth message that draws him up short.
“Uh, hey, uh, Billy. It’s Skull. Listen, I just got a really weird phone call down at the station. I guess uh, you and Tommy are up in the mountains or something right now? Apparently, there was this news report that showed you and Tommy coming out of a super market up there or something? Anyway, someone notified someone who got in contact with someone else, and today I got this call from these people claiming to be Tommy’s parents.”
Billy looks over and finds Tommy has left the couch to stand in the kitchen arch. He takes a few steps forward, staring down at the answering machine.
The playback of Skull continues, “I’ve got all the information they gave me and it seems to check out, so give me a call when you get back in. I guess they’re really anxious to get back in touch with Tommy.”
Another message begins from a fan and Billy pauses the rest of the play back. He’s suddenly very glad that Tommy’s got a therapy appointment this afternoon. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t know.” He runs a hand into his hair. “I was were never really close to my parents. I can’t imagine what they’re gonna have to say to me.”
Tommy’s reaction is surprising. “They probably think you’re dead! I’m sure they’ll be overjoyed to reconnect with you.”
“No, you don't understand. I was always a huge disappointment to them. They hated that I spent more time on my martial arts training than I did in school. All of the accomplishments I made in karate were meaningless because I got bad grades. They practically disowned me when I dropped out of school. They’re gonna be disgusted when they find out how I spent the last six years of my life.” He crosses his arms and turns his back to Billy.
“Tommy.”
“They didn’t care when I went missing, did they? They were glad I was out of their hair; meant they didn’t have to make excuses for their failure anymore.”
The one thing Billy knows is that in the year he knew Tommy before all this went down, he never once met or heard from his parents-not even on parent night. Yet, he can't bring himself to believe they don't love him. “I’m sure that’s not true. They’re your parents. They’ll be happy to know you’re alive and well.”
“You don’t know them, Billy. They expected me to be a doctor or lawyer or something by now. When they find out I consider it a good day if I don’t break down in tears, they’re going to want to officially disown me.”
Billy shakes his head. “Why would they bother contacting you if they don’t care about you?”
Tommy’s eyes flash up, taking Billy in. “’Cause I’m on camera with you. They’re probably hoping I’ve made something of myself if one of the Power Rangers is my friend.”
Tommy stalks into the living room, giving Billy no choice but to follow. “And now you can tell them that you were once a Power Ranger. You can finally confide to them that all those weeks in high school when you had to miss class and couldn’t come up with reasons why were because you were fighting monsters with us. You can tell them how useful your martial arts were. You can tell them that’s why you dropped out of high school, and that’s why you ended up in the life style you did. They’re you’re parents, Tommy. It’s been six years. They’re going to understand.”
Tommy keeps his back to Billy. “You don’t know that. You were always so smart. I bet your parents never gave you any shit. By the time I was in junior high, my parents were wishing they’d never adopted me.”
Billy’s not quite sure he knew before this moment that Tommy was adopted. “They actually told you that?”
Tommy shrugs. “Not in so many words. I could tell, though. The disappointed look in my father’s eyes when I’d bring home a trophy from a karate tournament said it all. It was never, ‘Good job, Tommy’ or ‘I’m proud of you.’ It’d always just be, ‘I hope you finished your homework first’ or ‘I wish you put as much effort into your school work as you did your karate.’ I could be the leader of the Power Rangers and they’d still be disappointed in me.”
Everything in Billy wants to protest what Tommy’s saying, but the fact is, he doesn’t know Tommy’s parents or their reasons for behaving the way they did and arguing this point is useless and counterproductive. He should be taking Tommy's side. “You ought to at least let them know you’re alive. Although they may have treated you badly growing up, it doesn’t mean they don’t love you and haven’t missed you. Be better than them. If they haven’t changed you can cut off contact with them afterward.”
Tommy stalks back into the living room. “First, I want to know just what news broadcast they saw me in.”
Though Billy doesn’t usually let Tommy watch the news, he stands idly by as Tommy goes for the remote and begins channel hopping until he finds something on the Rangers.
What comes up is not what either of them expected.
“That’s right, Deborah,” one of the news anchors says, “apparently Adam Park, better known to the world as the Black Ranger, made an appearance in Soho last night, where he was seen wineing and dining with some local celebrities, including one lucky actress who claims she was asked on a date! Want to know the identity of this luck lady? We’ve got exclusive pictures and video coming up, so don’t go away!”
Before Billy can say anything to Tommy, the camera switches over to the female news anchor.
“And if you’ve got Power Ranger romance on your mind, be sure to stay tuned. The world is buzzing about the young man Power Ranger leader William Cranston was seen with up in the Southern California mountains this weekend.” On screen, a video shows of Billy and Tommy exiting the market together. Although it was shot across the parking lot, the camera used had a powerful enough zoom that it’s easy to recognize both of them. “Keen eyes were quick to point out the identity of the man as one Thomas Oliver, a former Angel Grove High School student, but who is he and what relationship is to the Power Rangers? We’ll have more information coming up soon!”
Somewhat weakly, Tommy flops back down on the couch as the television goes to commercials.
Billy remains standing, not sure which of the news blurbs unsettles him more; he makes a mental note to call Rocky after dealing with Tommy’s parents. “Are you all right?”
“Fine. Just fucking fine.” He kicks his shoes off and pulls his knees up to his chest.
Standing there, Billy watches as the peace and serenity accuminated over the last five days in the mountains just slides right off Tommy.
--
The call to Tommy’s parents goes about as well as expected. Tommy grunts one word responses and Billy waits through antagonizing silence as Tommy listens to the conversation on the other end. He has no idea what’s actually transpiring until Tommy says, “I guess I can ask.” He sets the phone down and stares at Billy with big, sad eyes.
“What?”
“They’re in Oregon. They moved there after the war. I guess they thought I was dead, or gave up on me or something.” He shrugs and tugs at one of his curls. “They want to know if I can go up there and see them.”
Billy blinks a few times. “Well, of course. Do you want to go?”
“Not really.” His eyes shift around the room. “They sound so happy. Seeing me will just disappoint them again. Maybe it’s better if we don’t meet.”
Although Billy’s willing to go with whatever Tommy decides, he can’t help but think that seeing his parents again will help. “Would it help if I go with you?”
Finally, Tommy’s gaze refocuses on Billy as he reconsiders. “It might.”
“We can go see them together, then. We can teleport up just as soon as you’re ready.”
“I thought you had stuff to do.”
“I do. I have a lot of stuff to do, but this is important.”
“I don’t know, Billy. I’m not saying I shouldn’t see them, just maybe we should put it off for a little while longer . . .”
“It’s up to you. Getting it out of the way might help get your mind off it, though. And, who knows? Perhaps it will work out well.” He shrugs, thoughtfully. “I’d certainly give anything to be able to spend the holidays with my parents.”
Blinking a few times, Tommy stares at him for several seconds before hesitantly picking the phone back up. “Yeah. If you don’t mind if Billy comes, too. When’re you available?” He nods. “Yeah. That’s fine. No, it’s fine; we’ll teleport. Yeah.” He actually manages a tiny little smile. “Yeah. Okay. See you tomorrow, then.” He hangs up and lets out his breath.
“Tomorrow?”
“Yeah.” Tommy sags back, head resting on the top of the couch as he stares up at the ceiling. “I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this.”
Billy sits beside him, taking one of Tommy’s hands up in his to squeeze. “It’s not like you’ll be trapped there. If it’s too much, we can teleport back out.”
Tilting his head, Tommy smiles sadly. “I could never do this without you.”
“That’s the truth.” Billy leans over and kisses him. “I’m proud of you. I know calling them wasn’t easy.”
“Yeah. Opened up a whole host of things I need to talk to Brian about.”
“You’re ready to head to therapy, then?”
Tommy nods, his expression turning hopeful. “Unless you’d rather teleport back to Aisha’s uncle’s cabin?”
Chuckling, Billy shakes his head. “You can’t run away from this. Come on, get your coat.”
--
While Tommy’s talking to Brian, Billy tries to contact Rocky to get more information on Adam. No one answers their house phone, though, and it’s not enough of an emergency to contact him through the communicators. Instead, he gleans information from the news, cringing at the deluge of images that comes through of Adam living it up at trendy Hollywood parties.
He teleports to with Tommy to Oregon the next day.
He immediately wishes he’d brought a heavier coat. The Oregon wind slices right through the windbreaker he put on before leaving.
“I’ve severely underestimated just how much colder it would be here.” Billy crosses his arms and glances around. Having never been to Oregon before, he teleported them to a vacant lot not far from Tommy’s parent’s house.
“We could always go back,” Tommy hopefully says. He’s got a sweater on under his jacket and is much less bothered by the cold.
“No chance. Come on. Their house should be this way.”
“Look at this place,” Tommy says, staring up at the multistory house they eventually stop in front before. “What do two people need a house this big for?”
Not knowing the Olivers, Billy doesn’t feel at liberty to say. “Perhaps they got a good deal?”
The man who answers the door when they knock is tall, with the kind of greying beard that takes years of careful cultivation. “Tommy!” He wraps his arms around Tommy, drawing him close like a rag doll. “We thought you were going to teleport in!”
“We did, sir,” Billy says. “It just seemed wise not to do so right into your living room.”
Releasing Tommy, he says, “And you must be William. I’m Hank, Tommy’s father.”
One of Billy’s hands is engulfed by a handshake. “Just Billy, please.”
“You’re freezing! Came right from California, did you? Amazing. Come in, come in! Margaret! The boys are here, come quick!”
Margaret comes out of the kitchen with a smile and a glass of red wine. “Oh, Thomas!” She’s also quite tall and carefully picks her way through a living room filled with curios before giving Tommy a one-armed hug.
Billy’s nearly bowled over by the rich scent of her perfume.
Tommy extracts himself as soon as possible. “Mom, Dad.” He glances around the living room. “You both look . . . well.”
“And you!” Margaret says. “That hair! Those glasses! Why, I hardly recognize you!”
“We didn’t at all, you know,” Hank says. “If it hadn’t been for Ernie recognizing you and giving us a call, we might have never known it was you at all.”
Billy doubts that, but holds his tongue on the subject. “Ernie? You mean the owner of the Youth Center Juice Bar?”
“Oh yes, that’s the one. Very interesting man. He does love his fruit.”
Margaret takes a drink from her glass. “We saw quite a bit of him after you disappeared, sweetie. He let us put up missing posters all over his building, and kept an eye out for you.”
“You . . . put up missing posters for me?” Tommy stares from Hank to Margaret. “I had no idea.”
Billy feels quite out of place. “Neither did I.” Tommy turns to him and he shifts his weight from one foot to the other. “We all sort of stopped going to the Youth Center once the high school was destroyed. With the war going on, we were all a little busy.”
Margaret seems to notice him for the first time. “Oh, you must be William the Power Ranger.” She looks him over quite carefully. “You seemed so much taller on television. Tell me, do you get much calcium in your diet?”
“Mom . . .”
“Don’t mind her, Billy,” Hank says. “Let’s get you boys comfortable. Can I interest you in a drink? Hours d’oeuvres? Lunch isn’t quite ready yet.”
“I’ll take your coats,” Margaret says, proceeding to do without setting down her wine glass. She raises her eyebrow at Tommy’s clothes. “What a charming sweater.”
Billy watches Tommy self-consciously check that his sweater sleeves are covering every bit of his wrists. “I uh. I think I’ll have a drink. Something warm?”
Hank brightens. “Oh, I know just the thing. Have you ever had a Hot Toddy?”
Billy winces. “He . . . he really shouldn’t be drinking alcohol, Mr. Oliver.” When all eyes fall on him he shrugs. “It’s . . . it’s a medical condition.”
“You’re not ill, are you?” Margaret takes Tommy’s chin between her long-fingered hands, turning his head to face her.
“No.” Tommy jerks his face free. “Just a hot chocolate would be fine.”
“Mm.” Hank gives both Tommy and Billy a good once-over. “I’ll see what I can do. Make yourselves comfortable. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”
--
The conversation with the Olivers remains strained through lunch, and Billy realizes it’s because they don’t know Tommy anymore than they know Billy. Even had they been involved in Tommy’s life before, six years have changed them all. It’s a lot more like sitting down to lunch with strangers than Billy had anticipated.
There’s also the fact that, as Billy began to elaborate on only a little of what Tommy had been through over the last six years, Hank said, “Let’s not spoil lunch.”
After eating, they gather in the opulent living room again.
“You guys must be doing well,” Tommy says, his eyes fixed on the impressive tapestry hanging over the fireplace.
Hank settles himself in an overstuffed armchair. “Our house in Angel Grove was very well insured.”
“We lost so many things,” Margaret laments. “Pictures and books. My mother’s wedding dress.” She’s finally abandoned her wine glass and has sat herself right next to Tommy. “After losing you, it was just too much.” She squeezes one of Tommy’s hands.
“Now, now, Margaret. Don’t get too worked up.”
“Hush, Hank. That’s enough.” She doesn’t take her eyes off Tommy. “I’m so sorry we weren’t there for you. It’s only when you look back on your life that you realize the things that were truly important to you.”
“Mom.” Tommy glances away, embarrassed.
Although he feels quite awkward sitting in on such a private family moment, Billy decides to intervene. “Tommy’s got something very important he needs to share with you.” Both Hank and Margaret look at Tommy in surprise, but Tommy stares at Billy, bewildered. “When he was at Angel Grove High, struggling to maintain his grades and keep up his martial arts training, he was also working with me and the others, as a Power Ranger.”
“What!” Hank nearly gets to his feet. “Is it true?”
“No!” Though Margaret doesn’t look away from Tommy, her expression clearly changes. “You never said anything!”
Tommy shakes his head. “I wasn’t a very good one.”
“But it’s true?” Hank finally gets to his feet. “My boy! You should have told us!”
Like a melodramatic actress, Margaret puts a hand to her head. “I don’t believe it!”
Since Tommy’s not doing it, Billy continues. “All those times he had to miss class, he was with the Rangers. All he assignments he didn’t get completed on time, he was with us. As you know, we’ve only recently been able to tell anyone about our secret identities. He had to keep it from you.”
“Billy,” Tommy says. The shocked expressions on both of his parent’s faces clearly make him uncomfortable. “It’s not what you think. I wasn’t a good Ranger. I was . . .” He clenches his jaw for a moment. “I was the Green Ranger. The evil one controlled by Rita Repulsa.”
Margaret pushes flat back on the couch, as if Tommy’s words had physical strength. “The Green Ranger!”
“What did that evil woman do to you, Tommy! You haven’t an evil bone in your body!”
Billy finds he can’t look at any of them. “She put him under a mind control spell. He didn’t have any choice but to obey her. Fortunately, we were able to eventually free him, and he was able to fight with us until his powers faded.”
“I remember that!” Hank says. “I remember the newspaper headlines, and when he switched sides. That was you!?”
“Yeah.” Tommy tugs at the crease of his jeans. “I did a lot more damage than I did good, though.”
Finally, Billy finds he’s able to look at Tommy. “That’s not true. Empirically, it’s not. You saved the lives of all of the Rangers more than once, and the world.”
Tommy stares at his lap.
“Tommy!” Margaret pushes off the couch and throws her arms around him. “We should have known.”
“Mom, please. I was still a bad student. Sometimes I just forgot to do assignments, or to turn them in. I still spent too much time practicing martial arts instead of studying.”
“If I had known you were saving the world with those skills!” Hank booms. “We only ever wanted the best for you, Tommy.”
Margaret is openly weeping. “We thought tough love was the right way. We didn’t want you to be too attached to us. We wanted you to find your own place in the world and to strive to be the best. We never dreamed we’d really run you off.”
“All those years,” Hank says. “We searched all over for you.”
Billy has no idea how to breech such a sensitive subject, but since Tommy appears to be shutting down, he tries. “Losing the power isn’t easy. It’s a little like dropping an addiction cold turkey. With the war brewing and Tommy withdrawing, he . . . slipped through the cracks of society.”
“Billy,” Tommy finally whispers.
“You have to tell them.”
Silence stretches through the living room as Tommy struggles with his next words. “I . . . I started working at a club. I met this guy and . . .” He swallows hard. “I danced for money, which I spent on drugs. I was a wreck. I hardly even knew there was a war at all. After everything I’d done-the people I’d hurt, the buildings I destroyed-I belonged in that club. It was wretched, but I deserved it.” He blinks a few times before shifting his gaze to Billy. “Or . . . at least I thought I did until Billy found me.”
To Billy’s surprise, Tommy reaches out and takes Billy’s hand in his. His grip is fierce. Drawing a deep breath, Billy takes over the story. “I convinced him to leave the club. It took a little more persuasion to convince his boss to release him from his contract. I regret not having searched for him sooner.”
Margaret wipes her eyes. “You should have come to us, Tommy.”
Tommy lowers his gaze. “I couldn’t.”
“He was very set in his ways,” Billy says. “It took considerable perseverance and effort to get him to finally leave with me. He’s been staying in my home several months now and is doing much better.” He smiles admiringly. “His recovery has been quite remarkable.”
“I owe it all to Billy.” He finally glances back at his parents. “I really thought you’d never want to see me again. I’d disappointed you so many times . . .. I thought you’d be glad to finally be rid of me.”
“Oh, son. We never meant it. Not like that.” Hank steps close, reaching down to squeeze Tommy’s shoulder. “You’re our son and we love you no matter what.”
“All those years we were trying to mold you into the perfect little academic star we completely ignored your natural talents.” Margaret sniffles loudly. “You were out saving the world and had to come home to angry parents, berating you for ignoring your stupid essays! Will you ever forgive us?”
Turning back to his mother, Tommy shakes his head. “I never blamed you. I only ever wanted to make you proud of me.”
“You have, son!” Hank says. “You have! There isn’t a prouder father in the world. A Power Ranger! My son!”
“But I was the evil one, dad!”
“If you were ever evil, it’s only because your mother and I weren’t there for you growing up! If anyone should be blamed for what the Green Ranger did, it’s me!”
“Dad, no.”
As Tommy starts to stand, Billy’s communicator gives off its dreaded little chirp.
Both Hank and Margaret would have ignored it, but Tommy spins around instantly. “No.”
Billy winces. “I’m afraid so.”
“What is it?” Hank asks, looking between them. “What was that?”
Instead of explaining, Billy just answers. “I read you Zordon.”
“Master Vile has released another monster on Angel Grove. Teleport to the Command Center immediately.”
The look on both Hank and Margaret’s faces is priceless. Despite the graveness of the situation, Billy can’t believe how long he’s wanted to do something like that. “I’ll be there right away.” He looks up at Tommy. “Can I leave you here?”
“I hate this so much.”
Getting to his feet, Billy says, “I know, but it’ll be all right. I’ll come back as soon as we’re done.”
“What if you don’t?”
“I will. Enjoy reconnecting with your parents.”
“Promise me you’ll be careful.”
“I will.”
“Promise me.”
Billy feels the seconds ticking away. “I promise. I’ll be back before you know it.” He steps back. “Mr. and Mrs. Oliver. It’s been a pleasure. I apologize I have to run out on you like this.”
They’re both too dumbfounded to reply.
“Billy, wait.” Before Billy can reply, Tommy grabs him and kisses him. “That’s for luck.”
Being kissed in front of Tommy’s parents makes Billy’s heart rate sky rocket, but also leaves him glowing, feeling like he belongs. “I’ll be back soon.” He nods once more and then teleports out.