"Tommy!" Hayley called from down the hall. "Are you going to come eat?"

"I'll be there in a minute!" he called back. "I'm going to try getting a hold of Zach one more time."

Grabbing his phone, Tommy dialed Zach's number and waited patiently as the phone rang. It was a few weeks after the rangers had all left and Tommy was finally inviting them back for a weekend. He'd spoken to several of the others, but no one had gotten a hold of Zach yet. Even Tanya and Adam hadn't seen him for a day or two. They were on break right now, so he hadn't been at daily rehearsals—or around the studio at all.

"Hello?" Zach answered.

"Finally," Tommy said. "What is it with you and not answering the phone? Or returning calls?"

"Sorry," Zach muttered. "I left my phone on silent the other day and then it got lost. I just found it in one of my tennis shoes a few hours ago. It was dead so I had to charge it for a while…Haven't really had a chance to respond to much of anything…"

Tommy frowned.

"But how—?" he started to ask. "Never mind. Anyways, I was actually calling to invite you up in two weeks. I'm having a going-away party for Billy and the kids and want all of you to come up for the weekend."

Zach didn't respond right away.

"Zach?" Tommy said.

"Umm… Are you sure man?" Zach asked. "I mean—do you really want us all up there again?"

"Zach," Tommy sighed. "I wouldn't invite you if I didn't want you. Yes—I want all of you to come visit. Billy is going to be leaving for Aquitar again and the kids are all heading off to school. It'll be a fun weekend."

"I don't know," Zach said suspiciously. "This doesn't break our deal, does it?"

"As long as you aren't trying to get everyone to stay longer than invited," Tommy said drily. "Then no. But you could always bring pookie with you—"

"No!" Zach exclaimed quickly. "That's alright. If you want me there, I'll be there. Now when is it again?"

Chuckling, Tommy repeated all of the details for Zach. Once he was sure Zach knew what was going on, he said goodbye and headed to the kitchen for dinner.

"Yeah, I'll have to come by for a visit once I'm actually able to spar again," Tommy said, leaning back in his chair.

He'd been working in his office when Jason called, so he set it aside for a while to talk to him. Tommy had been on and off the phone with most of the rangers all week as they all made plans to come up for the party that weekend. A few had asked to crash at the house, but once he explained that he still had Billy and that the kids were planning a final sleepover, the other rangers had decided to just get a hotel again.

"Yeah, you'll have to put Rocky in his place," Jason said. "He still won't let us live it down…"

"Well, let him have his moment," Tommy laughed. "We can take him down later."

Both laughed at the idea.

"So how are you and Hayley doing?" Jason asked, switching subjects. "Making any plans?"

Tommy frowned.

"Plans for what?" he asked.

"I don't know," Jason said. "Maybe some more construction? Or new additions?"

"No," Tommy said slowly. "I'm not planning on adding anything else to the house for a while. We've got enough space for us."

"For the moment," said Jason. "But that can change quickly."

"Uh-huh," Tommy said. "Sure. If someone blows up my house again there is going to be a problem."

"I'm not helping you rebuild if you do that again," Jason retorted. "But I might be convinced for other reasons."

Tommy sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Jase, you're not making any sense," he said. "And I need to go back to work. I'll talk to you later."

"Alright," Jason sighed. "I'll talk to you later then, bro. I should probably go check on the next class since it starts in a few minutes anyways. Bye."

Shaking his head, Tommy set down the phone. Jason had been driving him nuts with cryptic comments for the past few weeks, but he'd yet to get a straight answer out of him.

"That's it," Tommy muttered, picking the phone back up. "I'm calling Trini. Maybe she can make some sense of him. Or at least make him stop…"

The phone rang a few times and then Trini answered.

"Hello?" she said.

"Hey, Trini," said Tommy. "Got a minute to talk?"

"Sure," she answered. "What's going on?"

"Is everything alright with Jason?" he asked. "He's been acting really weird."

"Tommy, Jason always acts weird," she sighed. "I learned to live with that a long time ago…"

"Ok, good point," Tommy conceded. "But he's been acting weirder than normal. Ever since you guys left it seems that every time I talk to him he's hinting at something. He keeps saying things about bigger houses, making room for families, and new additions."

"I have no idea what he's talking about," Trini said. "Is he talking about you?"

"I thought so at first," Tommy answered. "But now I'm not so sure. I can't get him to flat out answer me, so I'm starting to think he's actually talking about himself. But in a way that he's avoiding it at the same time."

"I haven't heard anything like that from him," said Trini.

"Yeah," Tommy sighed, running a hand through his hair.

He paused, taking a deep breath.

"Trini?" he asked.

"Yes?" said Trini.

"Are you pregnant again?" he asked.

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment.

"How—how did you know?" Trini finally stammered.

Tommy froze in shock.

"I didn't know for sure, actually," he answered after a brief pause. "It was just a guess from the way Jason was behaving."

"But I haven't told him yet!" Trini exclaimed. "I have an appointment later this week and was going to tell him after…"

Tommy frowned.

"Well, I guess he figured it out, then," he said.

"But how?" Trini asked. "I had to flat out tell him with Mark. He didn't get any of the hints I tried giving him…"

"Maybe he's gotten more perceptive since then?" Tommy suggested.

"Maybe," Trini said doubtfully.

"Yeah, probably not…" Tommy said, shaking his head. "But he's picked up on something. I'll see if I can't get more answers this weekend."

"Tommy," Trini said suddenly. "Please don't tell anyone yet. Not even Jason, just in case he doesn't actually know. I want to wait until after my appointment…"

"Of course," Tommy smiled. "Just let me know when I'm clear to talk, alright?"

"I will," Trini assured him. "But I need to go. Something just crashed in the living room and I know it wasn't Jason since he's still at the dojo."

"Alright," Tommy said. "Oh, and Trini?"

"Yes?" she said hesitantly.

"Congratulations," Tommy said.

"Thanks, Tommy," Trini said softly.

After hanging up, Tommy took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair.

"Well," he said to himself, running a hand through his hair. "I wasn't expecting that answer."

Shaking his head, he went back to his research. He wanted to get as much as possible done before the weekend and he had a long ways to go.

"You don't think he'll be mad that we're here, do you?" Tanya said as they waited. "We are quite a bit early…"

Tanya, Kat, and Aisha were waiting on Tommy's porch. Kat had just rung the doorbell. It was the weekend of the party, which was set for later that afternoon. They'd checked into their hotel late the night before. Leaving Sophia with Rocky, the girls had left them and Adam at the hotel so they could offer Tommy help setting up.

"Tommy has always been an early riser," Kat said, shaking her head. "He's bound to be awake. I mean, he used to go for early morning runs all the time. It can't have changed that much."

They waited a few minutes to no answer. Kat was reaching for the doorbell again when the door finally opened. Tommy was standing there, leaning on a cane as he blinked sleepily at them. He was wearing sweatpants and had a bathrobe wrapped around him, though it was hanging open to show he hadn't bothered to put a shirt on.

"What are you three doing here?" he yawned, looking at them in surprise. "It's—it's five-thirty in the morning!"

He'd glanced down the hall at the clock. The three women blushed, ducking their heads.

"We thought you'd be awake already," Kat said.

"So we wanted to know if there was anything we could do to help," Aisha added.

"Help what?" Tommy yawned again.

"Help get set up for the party," Tanya answered.

Tommy sighed, shaking his head as he looked at the clock again.

"Alright," he said. "Fair enough. But you want to know how you can help right now?"

"Of course," Tanya smiled.

"Come back in about four hours," Tommy said. "Ok?"

"Umm… Alright," Kat said slowly. "Sure. No problem."

Tommy smiled, stifling another yawn as he closed the door. The three girls looked at each other trying to decide what they were going to do.

"So what now?" Tanya said, looking around.

"We could always go for a walk," Aisha suggested. "The woods would be amazing this time of day."

Kat and Tanya both looked at her in surprise.

"But what about that thing Rocky ran into?" Kat asked, shaking her head. "I don't want to meet anything mean…"

"Girl, that was probably a chipmunk," Aisha sighed. "I love him, I do, but he's not a woodsman."

"I don't know," Tanya said.

"It'll be fine," Aisha insisted, tugging them both off of the porch. "Come on. Let's take the chance to enjoy the fresh air."

"Let's go get something to eat first," Kat argued. "I'm hungry and the hotel wasn't serving breakfast when we left."

"Oh, alright," Aisha sighed as they went back to the car. "Where do you want to go?"

When the alarm clock went off at 9, Tommy rolled over and turned it off. Yawning, he got up and started getting ready. By nine-thirty, when he had told the girls to be back, he was dressed and in the kitchen eating breakfast. Glancing out the kitchen window, Tommy frowned when he saw their car still parked there.

"Did they ever leave?" he said to himself.

Getting back up, he headed over to the front door. But when he opened it, no one was there. Shrugging, Tommy was starting to shut the door when he heard screaming around the back of the house. Spinning and moving as quickly as he could, Tommy headed for the back door. He pulled it open to see Kat, Tanya, and Aisha bolting out of the woods. They saw him with the door open and ran straight for it. All three crowded around him as he shut the door, Kat grabbing on to his arm. They were all covered in small scratches, leaves and twigs caught in their hair and dirt on their hands and knees as if they had fallen at least once.

"What is going on?" Tommy asked, looking at them in surprise.

"There's something out there!" Tanya cried, looking back at the trees in fear.

"It's been chasing us around," Aisha added, shaking. "We were just on a quiet walk when it came out of nowhere. We tried to get away but we got turned around…"

"We could have been killed!" Kat exclaimed, holding on to him still. "I don't know what it was, but I am certain it was hunting us…"

Tommy sighed, shaking his head.

"RAM," he muttered.

Extricating his arm from Kat's grasp, he gently shoved her down the hallway.

"Come on," he said, herding them toward the kitchen. "I promise. Nothing is going to eat you."

"But there's a monster in your woods!" Tanya said.

"They aren't monsters," Tommy said. "They're—"

A knock on the door interrupted him.

"Go sit down," he said. "Relax for a minute. I'm going to get the door."

But they didn't go sit down. Instead they followed him as he limped to the front door. Pulling the door open, Tommy found himself facing the rest of the rangers.

"Hey guys," he said. "Come on in."

Shifting out of the way, Tommy let them into the house.

"Hey, bro," Jason grinned. "Where's Hayley?"

"At the café," Tommy answered, shutting the door behind them. "She'll be back later. Billy is upstairs showering."

He turned to look at Tanya, Aisha, and Kat as he spoke.

"And I think the three of you should probably get cleaned up, too," he said, jerking his head toward the stairs.

"What happened to you?" Rocky asked in surprise, looking at Aisha.

"That monster in the woods tried to eat us!" she exclaimed tearfully.

"I told you there was something out there," Rocky said.

He wrapped an arm around her, the other one holding Sophia.

"Guys," Tommy sighed, shaking his head. "I already told you. Nothing is going to eat you. They're just—"

"Uncle Tommy!" Mark cried, running for Tommy's legs.

Jason had just put him down. Stooping down a little, Tommy slowed Mark down enough so he wouldn't knock him over.

"Hey, bud," he said, giving him a hug.

Straightening back up, Tommy glanced around.

"Alright," he said. "Aisha, Tanya, and Kat—go get yourselves cleaned up. Everyone else—relax for a bit. We'll decide on lunch once the kids and Hayley get here."

Everyone talking amongst themselves, the rangers scattered to wait.

By the time Hayley and the teens got to the house, everyone was downstairs and enjoying themselves. Most of the group was in the living room talking, but a few had taken over the kitchen and the kids were running around in circles, playing with some toys Tommy had pulled out.

"We're home," Hayley said, popping into the living room. "How's everything going?"

The teens waved as they passed, running to play with Mark and Sophia down the hall.

"Hayley!" Kim exclaimed, hopping up from where she was sitting next to Tommy. "What can I help with?"

"Actually," Hayley smiled. "There's nothing to help with. We aren't setting anything up at all."

"But what about lunch?" Trini asked from one of the armchairs.

"We're getting takeout," Tommy grinned in answer.

"You're not allowed to have takeout, bro," Jason said, shaking his head.

"He is now," said Hayley. "Tommy just got cleared by the doctor yesterday. He's off his dietary restrictions."

A chorus of exclamations went around the room at the news. Hayley disappeared for a moment to get everyone into the living room.

"Alright," Tommy said. "We're having takeout for lunch. I don't care what it is, as long as it isn't pizza."

Everyone was silent, no one wanting to make the decision for everyone else.

"Chinese?" Conner suggested after moment.

"Great," Tommy said, nodding. "Sounds good to me."

"I'll take care of ordering," Hayley said, grabbing a pad of paper. "I need to know what everyone wants."

Hayley wrote down orders as the rangers took turns. Once she was sure everyone had been taken care of, she headed toward the kitchen to place the order and the rangers all went back to what they had been doing.

"Conner?" Hayley called from the kitchen.

"What's up, Hayley?" he asked, pausing by the door.

She was sitting at the table talking with Trini, Billy, and Kim.

"It's almost time to go pick up the food," she said. "Will you go tell Jason? He said he'd go get it."

"Yeah, sure," Conner said. "I think he's down in Dr. O's office."

Heading down the hall, Conner reached to open the door, but paused when he heard Tommy, Jason, and Rocky talking.

"So are you planning anymore expansions, bro?" Jason asked.

"No," Tommy said. "The office is great and I'm glad Ken expanded it, but I'm done with construction for a while."

"Ok then," Jason said. "So I guess you'll be going for a bigger house then. Something with a little more space?"

"I know a few realtors I could get you in contact with," said Rocky. "I've even got their numbers in my phone."

"Rocky," Tommy said drily. "I am not trusting you to find a realtor for me. If anyone besides Hayley or I are looking, it would be Anton I asked. And besides, I won't need someone in this area. Moving means getting closer to a bigger museum—probably out on the east coast. Hayley's parents love that idea, of course."

Conner stood frozen in shock.

"They would," Jason laughed. "Uh-oh. I think I'm supposed to go pick up lunch."

"Better hurry," Tommy said. "Who's going with you?"

"Billy and Ken," Jason answered. "Hopefully it won't take too long."

Hearing them moving inside, Conner darted away.

"Girls, we have got to talk to Tommy," Aisha sighed.

Aisha, Tanya, and Kat were sitting in the backyard watching Mark and Sophia run around.

"Aisha's right," Tanya said softly. "Talking to Kim didn't work. She's still all over him. I mean, she insisted on sitting right next to him earlier."

"Then let's go find him," Kat said. "Today is going to be our best chance. And there's Conner. Maybe he can watch the kids for us."

He'd just wandered out into the backyard, his hands in his pocket as he stared at the ground.

"Conner," Tanya said. "What are you doing right now?"

"Huh?" he said, glancing up briefly. "Oh. Nothing…"

"Great," Aisha said. "Can you keep an eye on Mark and Sophia? Keep them out of the woods?"

"Oh, sure," Conner answered. "I guess…"

"Thanks," Kat smiled.

Turning, the three women headed into the house to see if they could catch Tommy alone.

"Ethan, have you seen Conner?" Hayley asked. "I sent him to find Jason and now I can't find him. And lunch is going to be here soon, so get out of the fridge."

He'd just walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge in search of a snack. Grumbling, he shut the door.

"Last time I saw him was in here," Ethan answered.

Hayley sighed and started to stand up.

"Hey, Billy," Jason said, poking his head in the kitchen. "Are you coming?"

"Affirmative," Billy nodded.

He stood up and headed out of the kitchen.

"Jason," Hayley said. "Have you seen Conner? I sent him to find you and he seems to have disappeared."

Jason shook his head.

"Haven't seen him," he said. "I just realized what time it was."

"I'll go find him, Hayley," Ethan grinned.

Following Jason and Billy out of the kitchen, Ethan headed in the other direction. He ran into Kira and Trent coming from Tommy's office. They'd been in the lab.

"Was Conner down there?" Ethan asked.

"No, why?" Kira said.

"Hayley lost him," Ethan said.

Kira and Trent laughed.

"Have you checked the backyard?" Trent asked as Aisha, Tanya, and Kat came in through the backdoor.

"Not yet," Ethan answered.

Turning, all three headed outside. They found Conner sitting in the grass and staring at the kids as they played.

"Hey man, why'd you disappear?" Ethan asked, plopping down next to him.

"I don't know," Conner sighed, pulling up his knees.

Kira frowned.

"Conner, is everything alright?" she asked, sitting down on his other side.

"Yeah," he muttered.

Kira rolled her eyes.

"Spill," she said. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Conner answered.

"Come on, Conner," Trent said, joining them in the grass. "You can tell us."

He didn't answer for a moment.

"Dr. O and Hayley are moving," he finally said.

"What?" the other three exclaimed in shock.

"You can't be serious," Ethan said. "There's no way they're moving."

"They are," Conner said. "I heard Dr. O talking to Rocky and Jason about it…They were talking about getting a bigger house closer to better museums on the east coast—Rocky was even offering to help Dr. O find a realtor…"

"But why wouldn't they tell us?" Kira said, shaking her head.

"Probably because they didn't want to upset us," said Trent.

They were all sitting and staring at the grass like Conner now.

"But it's better telling us right off the bat," Ethan protested. "I'd rather know then come back from school and find out that they're gone…"

"Yeah," Trent agreed. "Guys, I don't want them to move…"

"But what can we do?" Kira asked. "It sounds like they've already made up their minds…"

"I don't know," Conner said. "I guess nothing…"

All four of them sighed, watching as Mark and Sophia ran screaming past them.

Tommy walked in to the living room to find it empty except for Kat, Tanya, and Aisha. They were sitting on the couch, talking quietly.

"Hey," he said. "Where'd everyone else go? And why does it seem so quiet?"

"Quiet?" Aisha said, raising an eyebrow. "Zach is shouting in the kitchen right now."

Tommy shrugged.

"Something just seems too quiet," he said.

The three women exchanged looks as he turned around and headed back out of the room.

"Tommy," Kat said. "Where are you going?"

"I need to check on something," he answered without stopping.

Tommy limped toward the backyard, his cane in hand. He opened the door and paused, watching the four teens sitting in the grass quietly. Frowning, Tommy stepped outside.

"Hey guys," he called. "Why don't you come inside? Bring Mark and Sophia with you. Jason should be back shortly with lunch."

They all glanced up, nodding in acknowledgement. But they were a lot more subdued than they usually were. Shaking his head, Tommy turned to head back inside and found himself face to face with Kat.

"Umm… What's up?" he asked.

"Tommy, can we talk to you?" she asked. "It's important."

Glancing back over his shoulder briefly, Tommy looked back at Kat and nodded.

"Sure," he said. "What about?"

"Let's go sit down," she said, taking his arm.

Tommy let her lead him back to the living room. He took a seat in an armchair while the three women faced him on the couch.

"So what did you need to talk to me about?" he asked.

"Well," Kat said hesitantly. "This isn't easy, but, well—mm…"

"Look," he sighed. "If you wanted to talk to me about this morning, I'm sorry. I really wasn't mad at any of you. It's just that it was one of the few chances I get to sleep in and—well, it felt good. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm sorry."

"Tommy, we didn't want to talk to you about that," Tanya said.

"Oh," said Tommy. "Ok. So what about?"

"Mmm…" Kat said. "Well, Tommy—when two friends are as close as some of us are, things can sometimes get a little out of hand. But that's why we're supposed to set boundaries."

"Uh-huh…" Tommy said, frowning. "What are you talking about?"

"Conner," they heard Hayley say in the hallway. "Here. Eat these. I found them when I was cleaning out your cupboard and they can't stay there."

"Tommy," Aisha said, trying to catch his attention again. "This is important. Overstepping certain lines could really hurt all of us."

"Aisha, what is that supposed to mean?" Tommy asked, still extremely confused.

"We know what's been going on," Tanya said, taking a turn. "And we're sure you never meant it to go this far, but it needs to stop. Someone is going to end up hurt by all of this—it might be too late already to fix things. You understand, right?"

"No, I don't," Tommy said, glancing behind them as he shook his head. "I have no idea what you mean."

Conner had just slipped silently into the room, hugging a box of crackers to his chest. Without saying a word, he dropped into a chair in the corner, still hugging the box. Tommy frowned.

"Tommy, this is important," Kat said. "Please listen to us."

"Yeah, I got it," Tommy said, holding up a hand. "But I can't worry about that many things at one time. Just hold up a minute. Conner?"

The girls turned, surprised to see Conner sitting in the corner.

"Conner, what's going on?" he asked. "Is everything alright?"

Conner's head jerked up and he looked at Tommy in surprise.

"Yeah…" he said, dropping his head again.

Tommy sighed as the other three teens wandered in, still acting extremely subdued.

"What's wrong?" he persisted. "You aren't eating. In fact, you're staring at that box of crackers like it killed your best friend."

"I'm fine," Conner insisted, quickly opening the box.

He grabbed a handful of crackers and proceeded to stuff them in his mouth.

"Uh uh," Tommy said. "That's not going to work. What is going on with you—all of you? You're being too quiet."

They just shook their heads in answer.

"Spill," Tommy said. "Now."

"Dr. O," Conner said. "It's fine. There's nothing—"

"Come on," Tommy interrupted. "Tell me what's going on. You guys are starting to scare me."

The teens exchanged glances as Aisha, Tanya, and Kat rolled their eyes.

"Tommy, just leave them," Kat said. "They said they're fine. And we really need to finish this talk."

"We will," Tommy said, not taking his eyes off of the teens. "As soon as I know what happened. Guys, please. What's going on?"

"I'm sorry!" Conner burst out. "I heard you in the office and I didn't mean to hear but I did and I know you didn't tell us and that I probably wasn't supposed to hear but I did and I didn't mean to and I don't want you to but I want you to be happy but I still don't want it to happen and—"

"Whoa," Tommy said. "Slow down. What are you talking about? What exactly did you hear?"

"I don't want you to move!" Conner wailed. "I want you to stay here so I can come over when I'm home from school and get out of my house and spend time with everyone and have fun and spar once in a while even though I know I'm going to lose and get help with homework because I still can't write papers and I don't want to fail my classes and—"

Tommy held up a hand and Conner stopped, sinking back into the chair again. Kira, Ethan, and Trent had their heads ducked, staring at the floor.

"Conner, why do you think I'm moving?" he asked.

"Cause I heard you talking to Jason and Rocky about it," he said. "You were talking about getting a bigger house on the east coast closer to bigger museums… and you said Hayley's parents were happy about it…"

Tommy sighed, shaking his head.

"Guys, I'm not moving," he said.

"You aren't?" Conner said, perking up a little. "But why were you talking about it, then?"

"Because Jason is an idiot who keeps talking about me getting a bigger house," Tommy said. "I have enough trouble keeping guests out of this one, let alone one with more room."

"But what about the museums?" Kira asked.

"I only mentioned it because it's true," Tommy said. "If I did ever decide to move, I'd want to get closer to some of the big museums. But I'm not moving right now—I don't want to. I mean, we just got our house back together."

"No kidding," Hayley scoffed, walking in. "Besides, I like our house the way it is. Moving would be such a pain."

She'd been standing in the doorway listening. The girls frowned.

"Our house?" Aisha said.

"Yes," Hayley said slowly, pausing next to Tommy's chair. "Our house. Oh, and Jason just pulled in with lunch."

"Great," Tommy grinned, starting to get up. "Finally."

"Tommy!" Kat exclaimed. "How could you?"

Groaning, he sat back down.

"How could I what?" he sighed. "It's food. I want it. He's bringing it in the house."

"Not lunch!" Aisha said.

"Oh, good," Tommy muttered. "But I still don't know what you're talking about."

"You," Kat said. "You're living with Hayley and you're—oh…I can't say it…"

"Say what?" Tommy asked.

The three women exchanged glances.

"You're—" Tanya stammered. "You and—"

"You're sleeping with Kim!" Aisha cried.

Everyone whipped around to stare at them in shock. Tommy sputtered as a squeak came from the doorway. Kim, Trini, and Zach were standing in the doorway, having come to see what was going on. Rocky and Adam had gone outside to help Billy, Ken, and Jason carry food in. The look on Kim's face was one of complete and utter shock.

"I didn't—I never—" she stammered, eyes wide.

Hayley burst out laughing as Tommy continued to shake his head.

"Are you kidding?" she laughed. "That's not even possible. Tommy's been in the hospital almost all summer. He hasn't been able to do anything."

"Oh, thanks, honey," Tommy finally got out.

"Well, it's true," Hayley said, crossing her arms.

The four teens started snickering in the corner. Tommy groaned, rubbing a hand across his face.

"Alright," he said. "You four don't need to be here for this conversation."

"But Dr. O," Ethan protested, grinning.

"No," Tommy said firmly. "You don't need to hear about my personal life. Out."

"But—" Conner started to argue.

"Out," Tommy repeated, pointing toward the door. "Go annoy someone else for a while. And take Mark and Sophia with you."

Kira, Trent, and Ethan glanced at each other and grinned.

"Ok," they chorused. "Hey, Conner."

He leapt from the chair as they started singing.

"I love you, you love me…"

"NO!" Conner yelled, covering his ears. "Stop it!"

But they didn't stop, chasing him out of the room, the kids in tow.

"Well, that's one problem solved," Tommy muttered. "Now what are you three talking about?"

"Tommy, we know everything," Kat said. "We've been watching this going on all summer. Since Power Ranger week. And we can't let it go on any longer. You and Kim simply must stop this affair."

"Affair?" Ken said, only hearing the last part as he walked into the living room. "What affair?"

Kim spun around with another squeak.

"They think I'm cheating on you with Tommy," she cried, running over to him. "But I'm not. I promise. I didn't—I'd never—and I—oo…"

Slightly shocked by the outburst, Ken put his arms around Kim and pulled her close, rubbing her back.

"It's alright," he said. "I know. I believe you."

"But we've seen the two of you together," Tanya said. "And heard you."

"And now we find out you're living with Hayley," Kat added.

"And to top it all off, Kim's pregnant and she's not sure who the father is!" Aisha exclaimed

The rest of the guys had started crowding into the living room, trying to figure out what was going on.

"I'm not pregnant!" Kim cried, shaking her head in protest. "Kat's pregnant!"

"I am not!" Kat exclaimed in offense.

"Wait a minute," Rocky interrupted. "So Kim, Kat, and Hayley are pregnant?"

Hayley and Tommy both froze in shock.

"What?" Hayley sputtered as Tommy stared at her. "I am not pregnant! Tommy, I don't know where they got that from, but I'm not."

"Well I would hope not!" Kat exclaimed. "Kim is bad enough, but both of you?"

"I'm not pregnant!" Kim protested again. "And I'm not having an affair with Tommy!"

"You aren't pregnant, Hayley?" Jason asked.

"No!" she said.

"Oh," he muttered.

"Everyone quiet!" Tommy shouted.

The room instantly went silent.

"This is worse than high school kids," he muttered, shaking his head. "Alright, we're going to go back to grade school. I'm going to ask a question and, if it applies to you, I want you to raise your hand. No talking and everyone tells the truth. Got it? Good."

He took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair.

"Now," he said, looking around. "Anyone who is cheating on their significant other, please raise your hand."

No one moved. Tommy nodded.

"Good," he said. "See how easy asking questions is? Moving on. Anyone who is actually pregnant, please raise your hand."

He looked pointedly at Trini. She glared back at him for a moment and then sighed and raised her hand slowly. Jason stared in shock. Everyone else looked just as surprised.

"Trini?" Jason said. "You aren't—are you really—I mean—"

She laughed, putting a hand on his cheek.

"Yes, Jason," she said. "We're having another baby. I had an appointment to confirm it a few days ago. This wasn't how I planned on telling you, but—oh well…"

His mouth continued to move wordlessly as he stared at her. Trini smiled, shaking her head. Chuckling, Tommy turned away to talk to the group again. Then he froze.

"Tanya?" he said in surprise.

The rest of the group, minus Jason, turned to look at Tanya. Her hand was in the air, too, and her face turned red as they all looked at her.

"Really?" Adam said. "We are—for real?"

Tanya nodded.

"Uh huh," she said. "I was going to tell you when we got home…"

Grinning, Adam wrapped his arms around Tanya and gave her a hug.

"Now that one I wasn't expecting," Tommy said, shaking his head. "Are we all on the same page now, though? I'm hungry."

"Wait," Aisha said. "But what about everything that happened this summer? I mean—we know you and Kim were alone together a lot. And for longer than maybe you should have been…"

"What do you mean?" Tommy groaned, glancing longingly toward the kitchen.

"Like at the hospital," Tanya said. "I was coming to sit with you and I heard—well, I heard the two of you together. You were complaining about her being all over you…"

"What?" Tommy frowned. "Wait. Do you mean the day Kim tried giving me a haircut?"

"That was funny," Rocky snorted. "The look on your faces when I walked in and caught Kim half draped across the bed trying to use those clippers."

"Oh…" Tanya said, blushing and hiding her face in Adam's shoulder.

"But there was a time at the hotel in Angel Grove, too," Aisha persisted. "Kim was up in your room alone with you for at least an hour."

"Yeah, because she thought hurting me while giving me pain meds was a great idea," Tommy muttered.

"I was giving him a massage," Kim said. "I've got a license since a lot of my gymnasts need them. I may have gone a little overboard making him take his pain medication—"

"May have?" Tommy said.

"Ok, I did," Kim sighed. "But I made up for it. You thanked me for the massage."

"Though that was the last time I asked you to help with that," Hayley said drily.

"Oh, and you!" Kat exclaimed. "What are you thinking? Living with Tommy and going out on dates with Billy?"

Billy started, nearly falling off the arm of the chair he was perched on. Hayley rolled her eyes.

"What nonsense are you talking about now, Kat?" she sighed. "Because this is getting old."

"Your trip together," Kat said, crossing her arms. "Remember?"

"You mean my biking competition?" Hayley said. "Tommy was supposed to go but he wasn't up for it. So Billy kept me company instead."

"And I'm married," Billy added. "My wife would not appreciate the implication that I have been unfaithful to her."

"Oh," Kat blushed. "I guess I forgot about that…But that doesn't excuse Hayley's behavior."

Tommy frowned.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"She's been nothing but controlling since the first time we got back together," Kat said shortly. "I mean, really. She's constantly telling you what to do and trying to control who can be around you—she had Kira slap me the first day we met! That is not alright! Hayley is out of control. And it's starting to make me think she was always that way and that she used our breaking up as an excuse to take over—She's not letting you make your own decisions!"

"Don't," Tommy snapped, interrupting. "Stop right there, Kat. Yes, Hayley does make a lot of decisions regarding us. And you know what? I'm alright with that. She never does anything I'd disagree with and if she tries, I say something. I'm not a pushover. And besides that, she's had every right over the last few months to everything she has done."

"Nothing gives her the right to take over your life!" Kat argued. "What gives her the right to even think she can make decisions like the hospital visits? Or kicking us out of the hotel room?"

"She has every right to do so as my wife," Tommy snapped back. "I was stressed and sick and drugged half the time. That meant she had every right to do what she could to make things easier on me. Including removing you from my rooms."

Tanya, Aisha, and Kat froze.

"You're married?" Kat sputtered. "But—when?"

Hayley raised an eyebrow.

"We've been married since the week before that get together," she said coolly. "Is that a problem?"

"Yes—no—I don't know!" Kat stammered. "But you were just friends! You always said that. Is that why you stopped talking to me after—well, you know. Because that way you could have Tommy all to yourself?"

"How dare you!" Hayley snapped, taking a step forward.

Tommy grabbed her wrist and pulled her backward onto his lap.

"Knock it off, Kat," he growled. "I was the one who went after her. And it took years of asking to get her to stop laughing at me when I asked her out. We didn't even go on an official date until last year. I don't want to hear anything about her manipulating me again. Got it?"

His arms were wrapped around Hayley's waist now. Twisting around, she put her arms around his neck. Aisha and Tanya were looking extremely uncomfortable now, as did just about everyone else in the room. This was not how they'd been planning on enjoying the day. Kat nodded mutely.

"Now," Tommy sighed. "Can we go eat? I'm hungry and there is Chinese in the kitchen."

"But Tommy," Aisha said softly. "Why didn't you tell us you were married?"

He frowned.

"I thought you already knew," he said. "I told Jason to pass on the news. You did tell them, right, Jase? Jason?"

"What?" Jason said, finally snapping out of his surprise over Trini.

"Did you tell everyone about me and Hayley getting married?" he asked.

"Yeah," Jason said. "Well, kind of. Kim and Trini had already figured it out and you two told Billy. But I told Zach and Rocky. He was the only one around at the time, but he was going to tell Aisha and the rest."

Aisha, Tanya, and Kat turned to glare at Rocky.

"Rockford DeSantos!" Aisha exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell us? Or at least one of us? Even Adam would have passed on the news faster."

"I actually knew already," Adam said, running a hand over his head. "But when Tommy told me I thought he was still keeping it quiet so I didn't say anything…"

"Fair enough," Aisha sighed. "Now what's your excuse, Rocky?"

"I forgot…" he mumbled. "And then I thought I had, so I didn't say it again… sorry…"

"Can we please go eat lunch now?" Tommy asked, looking around the room.

No one protested, so they all started to get up. But when they heard the back door slam open, everyone froze again.

"Dr. O!" Ethan yelled, skidding to a stop in the doorway. "Dr. O! You're never gonna guess what Conner just did! This is great!"

Tommy frowned.

"What did he do this time?" he asked warily.

"We were running around with the kids and the raptors," Ethan exclaimed, bouncing in place. "And one of them knocked something over, so I yelled for Conner to move and he did."

"Oh no," Tommy said, shaking his head. "Please don't tell me."

"Oh yeah," Ethan grinned.

Hayley sighed, rubbing a hand across her face.

"Wonderful," she sighed.

"It can't be true," Tommy muttered.

"What can't be true?" Adam asked.

"That," Tommy said, pointing to the doorway as a red blur suddenly streaked past.

"What was that?" Zach exclaimed, spinning in surprise at the sudden breeze.

"Conner," Tommy sighed as the blur went past again. "Ethan, please tell me it's just him."

"I don't know," Ethan said. "Somebody hit me!"

The rangers all looked at Ethan in surprise. Zach, who was closest, immediately started shaking his head and backed away.

"Not happening, dude," he said.

"Aww… Come one," Ethan said.

"Ethan," Hayley said.

He ignored her, running over to Rocky.

"Rocky, hit me," he said, holding up his arms.

"I'm not gonna hit you, kid," Rocky said, shaking his head.

"Fine then," Ethan retorted. "I'll ask one of the girls to do it. They probably hit harder anyways."

Rocky glowered at him and stood up.

"You asked for it," he growled.

He swung at Ethan, who promptly blocked with one arm. A blue gleam spread over the place where Rocky's fist hit Ethan's arm.

"Agh!" Rocky exclaimed in pain, shaking his hand as he stumbled backward. "What was that?"

"Not just Conner, Dr. O?" Ethan laughed, turning to Tommy.

Tommy groaned.

"Dr. O?" Trent said, appearing suddenly through the wall. "I think we've got a problem…"

"I noticed," Tommy sighed.

"No, not the abilities," Trent said. "Conner may have just knocked over Kira and—"

A shrill scream echoed through the house from the backyard.

"Never mind," Trent said, turning and disappearing again.

"I'll take care of it," Hayley sighed.

Shooting a glance at Kat, Hayley smirked and gave Tommy a kiss before hopping up. He smiled after her. Kat just glowered.

"Come on, Dr. O!" Ethan crowed. "You gotta try yours!"

"Ethan," Tommy sighed. "I just want to eat lunch…"

"Come on, please?" Ethan begged.

As Tommy shook his head again, Hayley came marching back into the house with the teens and kids in tow. She was scolding Conner and Kira. But the moment they got in the living room, Conner darted over to Tommy.

"We got our powers back!" he exclaimed. "Do you have yours, Dr. O? You've got to try."

"You know what?" Tommy said. "Alright. I'll try."

Suddenly Tommy vanished. Several of the girls let out squeaks as the guys jumped.

"Yes!" Conner exclaimed, punching the air. "We're all back! This is great. Right, Dr. O? Dr. O?"

"Hayley," Ethan said. "Where did he go?"

"Kitchen," Hayley said. "He said he was hungry. So I hope his was on top."

"No, mine was!" Jason cried, leaping up. "Tommy!"

Jason ran out of the room toward the kitchen. Hayley smirked.

"Now as for the four of you," she said, looking at the teens. "Lab. Now."

"But Hayley," Ethan said.

"No protesting," she said, crossing her arms.

Grumbling, all four of them trooped out of the room and toward Tommy's office.

"Lab?" Rocky said. "What lab? There's no lab in this house?"

Hayley paused, raising an eyebrow.

"Well," she said. "I guess we really aren't on the same page. Come on."

She gestured for the rest of the rangers to follow.

"Yes!" Zach said. "Finally we get to see the lab!"

Aisha, Tanya, Kat, Adam, and Rocky exchanged confused glances. Jason stalked past them back into the living room, hunting for Tommy. In the office, the trapdoor leading down to the lab was already open. Billy, Zach, Trini, Ken, and Kim headed straight down the stairs without hesitation. The rest paused for a moment, not sure about what was going on.

"Are you coming or not?" Hayley asked, pausing at the top of the stairs.

Shrugging, Adam followed her and the rest followed him. They all stopped in amazement at the bottom of the stairs, looking around at the newly finished lab. Hayley had upgraded all of the computers and equipment since she had to replace it anyways.

"What is this place?" Aisha asked, staring around in shock.

Then they noticed Tommy lounging in a chair eating out of a to-go container.

"Hey guys," he said. "Where's Jason?"

"Upstairs," Hayley said. "I'm sure he'll be down shortly. Sit down."

She directed the last part at the teens. They all sat down, pulling chairs over to the main computer. Tommy moved closer, too, finishing up the food he was holding. As he sat back down next to the kids, Jason stormed downstairs.

"Tommy!" he exclaimed. "Where's my food?"

"Whoops," Tommy said. "Sorry, bro."

He sheepishly held out the empty container. Glaring at him, Jason snatched it away and stuck it in a trash can.

"Conner," Hayley said. "Will you go get the rest of the food while I get the computer ready for some tests?"

"We can eat down here?" he asked.

"Only if you stay away from my computers," she said.

Grinning, he darted away at super-speed, coming back with loads of food and passing them out to surprised rangers. Not thinking, he handed the last one to Tommy instead of Jason.

"Hey!" Jason exclaimed.

"Whoops," Conner said, stopping and glancing back and forth between Tommy and Jason. "Umm… Sorry, Jason."

Tommy chuckled.

"Here, Jase," he said. "I'm full anyways."

He handed his food to Jason, who took it with another glare.

"Ok," Kat exclaimed suddenly. "I want to know what's going on. How is Conner doing that? And why is there a secret lab under the house?"

"Well we weren't going to keep our base where anyone could find it," Conner said, dropping back into his chair with his food. "And I have no idea why I can move like that again."

"Again?" Tanya said.

"Guys," Tommy said, frowning. "Do you really not realize what this is?"

They shook their heads.

"Well, apparently the wedding isn't the only thing they missed," he muttered.

"We missed the wedding, too," Ethan grumbled. "Remember? You two took off without us."

"Save it for later, Ethan," Tommy sighed. "Kat, this is the Dino Thunder lab."

"The what?" Aisha exclaimed.

"Dino Thunder?" Conner said. "You know, Power Rangers? Just like you guys?"

"They're power rangers?" Rocky shouted.

"Duh," Ethan smirked.

"Seriously," Kira said, shaking her head. "As if we didn't make it obvious enough. I mean, why else would Dr. O have brought us to power ranger week?"

The rangers who hadn't known, Adam, Rocky, Tanya, Aisha, and Kat, just shrugged.

"We thought you guys made him bring you…" Tanya said slowly.

Tommy snorted.

"They did," he said. "Because they wanted to meet the rest of you."

"Oh," Aisha said.

"Alright," Hayley sighed, turning around. "Let's make this official. Tanya, Kat, Aisha, Rocky, and Adam—meet the Dino Thunder rangers."

The two teams nodded at each other.

"But wait," Rocky said. "Weren't there five on the Dino Thunder team? I could have sworn I saw five on the news."

Just about everyone turned to stare at Rocky.

"Umm… Rocky?" Tommy said, glancing down at himself.

He was dressed all in black, as he generally was.

"What?" Rocky said.

"Dude," Ethan laughed. "Dr. O was the black Dino Thunder ranger."

"You were a power ranger again?" Rocky exclaimed. "Wait—you stole Adam's color!"

"Hey, it was my color first," Zach protested.

"And it's not like I had a choice," Tommy said drily.

"Right?" Conner snickered. "Bond with the gem or die? Great choice."

"Conner," Tommy growled.

"Yeah, I know," he grumbled.

Hayley turned away, her computer finally ready.

"Alright, I need to interrupt for a moment," she said, reaching up onto a shelf and pulling down a small box. "But I need to run some tests on you five. I want to make sure that the sudden reappearance of your abilities isn't going to hurt you."

As the conversation continued, the Dino Rangers patiently let Hayley poke and prod at them.

"So why are they back, Hayley?" Trent asked.

"I'm not sure yet," she said. "But my best guess is that they were just recharging the past few months. They're genetic abilities, after all, so they don't rely on the morphing grid. But you really overtaxed them during that last fight."

"Makes sense to me," Ethan said.

"And it explains why Conner still couldn't stop eating," Kira added.

"You guys being rangers does explain a lot," Adam said. "So you lost your powers right before ranger week?"

"Yeah," Trent answered. "It wasn't fun…"

"What did you guys think had happened?" Tommy asked, holding out an arm for Hayley. "We weren't exactly in the best shape."

The five rangers exchanged glances.

"We thought you were in a car accident…" Aisha finally said.

"How on earth did you come to that conclusion?" Tommy said.

"Jason said you collided with a car…" said Tanya.

"Yeah," Conner snorted. "Cause a giant mutant dinosaur slammed him into one."

"And the fight is the reason I couldn't talk," Kira said. "Using my scream really killed my vocal chords. And Ethan and Conner were nearly killed when the Zords exploded…"

"That was not cool," Ethan muttered. "Mesogog didn't take kindly to Trent, either."

"Yeah…" Trent said, rubbing his shoulder. "I wasn't a fan of that… Especially after that near escape from the island explosion…"

"At least you got your dad off in time," Kira said, leaning against his shoulder.

Trent nodded in agreement.

"Wait, your dad is involved?" Kat asked.

"Only a lot," Ethan said. "He was the evil villain, after all."

"Ethan!" Tommy said.

"Sorry," Ethan sighed.

Trent shrugged, putting an arm around Kira's shoulders.

"That's alright," he said. "Dad's come to terms with it and so have I. It's not like either of us chose to be the bad guy. And it worked out alright in the end."

"You were evil?" Adam asked in surprise.

"Yeah," Trent said, running a hand over his head. "There was an evil encoding on my dino gem that controlled me for a while. But my dad broke it trying to save me from Mesogog."

"Wow…" Tanya said. "You guys had it rough…and we really didn't make it any easier on you the following week…"

"That's alright," Kira smiled. "At least we're all on the same page now."

"Yes," Hayley said. "And I'm done with the five of you. So everyone out while I work. I'll let you know what I find out later."

"And we should probably make sure the kids aren't driving Billy nuts," Trini said. "I'm sure they've finished eating by now."

"Then let's head upstairs," Tommy laughed. "And rescue him. Anyone up for some games in the backyard."

The teens darted up the stairs ahead of the rest of the group. By the time everyone else was upstairs, they were already out in the backyard with the kids and Billy.

"So how about a bonfire tonight?" Jason asked, glancing around. "You've got plenty of wood around, Tommy."

"And a fire pit outside," he said. "Sounds like a plan. We'll have to go get some more wood, though. The pile in the yard is a little small."

"Well don't look at me," Rocky muttered. "I'm not going out there ever again."

Tommy sighed.

"Rocky, come on," he said. "I'll show you your big, scary monsters."

Jerking with his head, he led the way to the backyard. The only one immediately visible was Billy, who was sitting on the steps.

"Hello," he said, glancing up as the rangers piled out into the yard. "Is everything alright with your abilities? The teens didn't explain anything."

"Hayley is still running tests," Tommy answered. "Where are all of the kids?"

"They went into the woods," Billy answered.

"What?" Aisha exclaimed.

Tanya, Kat, and Rocky looked at Tommy nervously.

"Well, that works," Tommy said.

Taking a deep breath, he put two fingers in his mouth and let out a shrill whistle. Some of the others jumped. For a moment nothing happened, and then several large figures came trotting out of the trees. The rangers stared in shock as they saw the raptors for the first time.

"Tommy!" Trini squeaked in terror.

Conner was riding his red raptor, Spot, with Mark up in front of him. Kira, riding yellow Melody, had Sophia. Ethan, riding blue RAM, was laughing as they trotted back and forth. Trent followed along with them, shaking his head at something Conner had said. Both Mark and Sophia were giggling and having the time of their life.

"What are those things?" Aisha cried, gripping Rocky's arm as she watched them approach.

"Bro, this is not a good idea," Jason said, shaking his head. "That can't be safe."

"Relax," Tommy said, limping to meet the raptors. "I trained them myself. They're perfectly safe."

"Unless they're trying to eat you," Rocky muttered as the rangers hesitantly followed.

Seeing the rangers coming, Trent helped Mark and Sophia slide off of the raptors. Aisha and Trini both scooped up their children and took a step back.

"These things are awesome!" Zach exclaimed. "Can I go for a ride?"

"Umm… I don't think that's a good idea," Tommy said, shaking his head.

"But you said they're safe," Kim frowned.

"They are," Tommy said. "When the kids or I am in charge. But I don't think Zach is going to fit up there with one of us. The raptors don't take kindly to strangers trying to ride them."

"It took weeks for any of them to let Trent ride," Conner said, sliding down and patting Spot on the shoulder.

"But they like him now," Kira said.

She slid off, too, and Melody sniffed at her hair before turning and doing the same to Trent. Without the teens on their backs they were a little more antsy.

"Well, I don't have anything going on," Zach grinned. "I could stick around for a while. Those have got to be fun to race."

Tommy raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms.

"What was that?" he said.

"You can't tell me you wouldn't have fun seeing any of us try and hold on," Zach continued, missing the look Tommy was giving him. "I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd like to stick around and give it a shot."

"I don't know," Ken said, shaking his head. "They've been seeing me here since construction started and they still don't want me to touch them."

"It'll be fine," Zach insisted. "A couple weeks with us around and they won't know who to play with first."

Tommy cleared his throat.

"But Zach," he said, smirking. "If you stay here, won't Pookie get mad?"

Zach froze.

"Pookie?" Kim said. "What's a Pookie?"

Tommy laughed as Zach spun to look at him in horror.

"We had a deal!" he cried.

"Which you just broke," Tommy retorted. "By trying to convince everyone to stay, Puddin'."

"Oh, come on," Zach pleaded. "I was just kidding."

The other rangers were snickering now.

"Too late, Cream Puff," Tommy smirked. "Your Schmoopise Poo is no longer a secret."

Zach's face turned red as the others started laughing harder.

"Man…" he muttered.

"So who is she?" Trini finally sputtered.

"I think her real name is Janet," Tommy answered. "But she answers to Pookie just fine."

Tanya and Adam exchanged a look.

"Zach, that's not the Janet who works at our record company, is it?" Adam asked.

Zach just glared, giving them enough of an answer.

"Oh," Tanya laughed, a hand over her mouth. "I don't know how I'm going to face her on Monday…"

"I'm so dead," Zach grumbled. "No thanks to you, Tommy."

"You brought it on yourself, Fruit Loop," Tommy said.

Throwing his hands up in the air, Zach turned and stormed back toward the house as everyone started laughing even harder. He passed Hayley on her way out.

"What's his problem?" she asked, looking at the others.

They just started laughing harder.

"Well," she said. "If you guys aren't too busy tormenting each other, we have an invite to join Anton for an afternoon out. He wants to treat the kids and Billy. Who is in?"

Everyone agreed with the idea as the slowly brought their laughter under control.

"You guys head for the cars," Tommy chuckled. "I'll go find Tater Tot and drag him out if necessary."

Hayley opened her mouth as if she was going to ask and then changed her mind.

"Fine, go ahead," she said. "Don't take too long."

The rangers, still laughing, headed for the cars as Tommy limped toward the house. Kira, Conner, and Ethan sent the raptors back out into the woods. Just as Hayley made it around the house, Zach came storming out followed by a laughing Tommy. He climbed into the car and slammed the door. But no one seemed concerned, laughing even harder.

"Rangers..." Hayley sighed, shaking her head. "I'm never going to understand them..."

"Zach!" Jason yelled. "Stay out of the presents! We aren't opening anything until everyone is here!"

Pouting because he'd gotten caught, Zach dropped the gift back in the pile on the table and slunk away. Jason sighed, shaking his head. It was December and they were having a Christmas party at his dojo. Almost everyone was there. The only ones they were missing were the ones coming from Reefside. And Billy, but he was back on Aquitar and not coming back anytime soon. He'd sent gifts for all of them though.

"Rematch, Jase," Rocky asked from the mat in the middle of the room. "You still haven't beaten me since that last fight during the summer."

"Just shut up, Rocky," Jason sighed. "I'll beat on you later if it makes you feel better."

"No one is beating me," he grinned. "I'm the champ and I can take any of you."

Rolling his eyes, Jason just kept walking.

"Trini," he said. "Any word from Tommy and Hayley?"

"I just spoke to Hayley," she said, glancing up. "They should be here soon. Can you get the rest of the food from the car?"

"Of course," he said, smiling.

Trini and Tanya were both several months into their pregnancies now and they were obviously pregnant. All of the rangers were extremely excited about the two new babies coming. Jason grabbed Adam to help him. They were bringing in the last load when Tommy's jeep pulled up, Hayley behind the wheel. Hayley and Tommy climbed out, Tommy with his cane in hand.

"Come on in," Jason said. "Everyone else is here."

They followed Jason inside. Rocky and Zach were sparring in the middle of the room while Ken watched. Aisha, Kim, and Kat were all hovering around the table with the food, making sure everything was set up. Tanya and Trini were sitting at the table, laughing as they watched Zach and Rocky.

"Too bad we can't sick Trini on you," Zach muttered, pulling himself off the floor. "She'd take you down a peg or two."

"Yeah right," Rocky scoffed. "She only took me down last time cause she snuck up on me."

Trini glared at him, but didn't get up.

"Someone is full of himself," Hayley said.

"Tommy! Hayley!" Kim exclaimed, rushing over to meet them.

Everyone crowded around for greetings and hugs, including Tanya and Trini. Kat hugged Tommy, but just exchanged nods with Hayley. Over the past few months they'd been on better terms, but neither was ready to be friends again. Once initial greetings were over, Tommy turned to Rocky.

"So you're still the champ?" he asked casually, leaning on his cane.

"Yep," Rocky grinned. "Jason won't even go for a rematch."

"Well, you're not quite the best yet," Tommy said, taking off his coat.

"Why not?" Rocky frowned.

Everyone was watching, wondering what Tommy was getting at.

"You still haven't beaten me," he said. "Ready to give it a shot?"

"I don't know," Rocky said, eying Tommy's cane. "I don't think it would really be fair…"

"Don't worry about it," Tommy said. "Bring it on."

"Alright," Rocky said reluctantly, looking at Hayley. "If you really want to."

Hayley rolled her eyes, taking Tommy's coat.

"I'm sure," Tommy said.

Nodding, Rocky turned and walked over to the mat. Tommy followed.

"Ready?" Rocky asked.

"Yep," Tommy grinned. "Oh. Just a second."

Spinning, he tossed his cane to Hayley and spun back to face Rocky, dropping into a ready stance.

"Now I'm ready," he smirked.

Rocky stared for a moment, and then Jason said go. Tommy burst into motion, knocking Rocky off of his feet before he knew what was going on. All of the rangers started laughing.

"Come on, Rocky," Tommy said, pulling him to his feet. "I know you can do better than that."

Glaring at Tommy, Rocky brushed himself off.

"You don't need the cane," he accused.

"Nope," Tommy smirked. "Never said I did."

"Then why do you have it?" Rocky exclaimed.

"Oh, he just likes carrying it now that he doesn't need it," Hayley said from the sidelines.

"It helps keep people in line," Tommy grinned. "You ready to fight for real this time?"

"You're going down," Rocky growled.

But by the end of the fight, it was Rocky who was groaning on the ground.

"So who's the best?" Tommy asked, grinning as he offered Rocky a hand.

"You are," Rocky muttered.

"That's what I want to hear," Tommy laughed.

He pulled Rocky up as the other rangers cheered.

"And just like that, things are back to normal," Jason said, shaking his head.

"Things are never normal around here," Hayley sighed.

"But you wouldn't have it any other way," Tommy said, slinging an arm around her shoulders.

Rolling her eyes, Hayley leaned against him as the other rangers chorused in agreement. Still laughing and joking around, they all gathered around the long table for dinner.