Eight months had passed by since the day of the lab exploding. Anton and Smitty were never found and people assume that they didn't make it off the island in time. When Tommy and Kimberly returned to Reefside they were interviewed by a news reporter wanting to know what happened on the island and they were able to survive the explosion. And of course, they couldn't tell them the whole story. Dinosaurs had perished from the earth for millions of years. And it would sound like they were mentally crazy if they said they saw a human like dinosaur. People would just laugh and say "What planet are you from? Don't you know dinosaurs are extinct." So, they just told the same story to the newspaper reporters that they told Captain Mitchell.

Life for Tommy and Kimberly had slowly started to return to normal when they moved into their new home. Their home sat on a three-acre ground lot at the end of Valencia Road, which was in the middle of the forest. There were a few others who lived on that road, but their homes were right before you would enter the forest. For Tommy and Kimberly, living at the end of the forest was prefect. There were no neighbors, no one trying to find out personal information about, and they didn't have to worry about someone finding the dino gems. As soon as the moved into their new home they build a lab in their basement in case another team of rangers would form.

Kimberly had been substituting ever since she was laid off work at the Reefside Fitness Gym. Currently, she had been a long-term substitute teacher for the PE teacher at Reefside Middle School, who had taken a leave of absence. She had learned that some PE and Health teachers would be retiring and she was filling out several job applications for the Reefside school district hoping to get a job at one of the schools.

Tommy working at the Reefside Museum was finishing up his PhD at Reefside University. If it wasn't for the lab explosion, Tommy would be graduating with his PhD this spring. But, since all of his work was lost it meant he had to take more classes. If he did the whole internship, it would have counted for 36 credit hours. At the present time, all Tommy could think about what could have been.

"Tommy, are you okay?" Kimberly asked when she walked into their bed room. "You've been depressed all day. What is bothering you?"

"A lot of things," he answered.

"Like what?" Kimberly questioned when she crawled in bed next to him.

"I feel guilty because I didn't go back for Anton and Smitty," Tommy confessed when he hung his head. "Maybe if I went back for them-"

"-Tommy, there was nothing we could have done," Kimberly interrupted. "We had to get away from Mesogog and the tryannodrones. I am sure that Smitty and Anton knew about the lab exploding and they were probably fighting to get out and just didn't find a way off the island."

"I guess you have a point," Tommy smiled weakly.

Two weeks had passed since Tommy and Kimberly had the talk about Anton and Smitty. There was something else bothering him, that he was determined to keep a secret. The graduation date for the college students who would be graduating in the spring of 2003 would have taken place the pervious Saturday at noon. That was the day Tommy was supposed to be walking across the stage and getting his long-awaited PhD. Meaning he'd become Dr. Tommy Oliver. With having a PhD, he has better chances of getting a job that he wanted. He wished that he kept a copy of all his work with him. But, when he went into the internship, he thought it would be an ordinary internship. One without any explosions, his creations turning on him, a human like dinosaur appearing out of nowhere, or having to watch the island sink underwater after the explosion.

"Tommy, I've got some great news!" Kimberly squealed when she walked into the house. She was dress in a light pink sheath dress and light pink strappy high heeled shoes. "You'll never believe what was in the mail when I came back from my job interview-"

"-did you get your job?!" Tommy interrupted.

"Yes, I did!" Kimberly cried as he picked her up and spun her around. "And I've got more good news. You've graduated college!"

"Kim, I've got another year left," Tommy corrected her when he put her down on the floor. "I know that you wish-"

"-No, Tommy, you've graduated!" Kimberly corrected as she reached into the large brown envelope and pulled out a letter.

Dear Mr. Oliver,

We are pleased to inform you that you've graduated this semester. We received your portfolio of your research papers and your blue prints for your projects. They are really amazing. We just hate that you weren't able to finish your internship. If you had finished you would have had even more projects to show and more research to help combine technology and dinosaur DNA. We are sorry, we didn't contact you until now. We contacted the dean of the school when we got this portfolio and we thought that you had earned all the credit hours that counted towards your PhD. But, it took a while for him to get back with us. He just got back with us today. Inclosing with this letter, is your PhD.

Sincerely,

Janice Hartz

Reefside President

Wayne Smith

Science Department head

"I can't believe I actually graduated!" Tommy gasped as his diploma hit the floor. "I have several choices to pick for my career!"

"I thought that you wanted to be a teacher," Kimberly reminded him when he gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I know you wanted to live a nice and quiet life."

"I do," Tommy answered. "But, I don't know of anywhere that needs a science teacher."

"Reefside High just had two of their science teachers retire," Kimberly informed. "One of them taught paleontology. The principal asked me if you'd be interested. And if you were, he'd schedule an interview with you."

As Dr. Bostrom looked around the large crowd in the science museum, he couldn't see no sign of Tommy Oliver. When he heard Tommy had graduated from college with his PhD a month ago, he knew he found himself a new paleontologist to travel around the world with him. Tommy was supposed to be the best in his graduating class and he heard a lot about him from professors at MIT.

"Excuse me," said Dr. Bostrom when he bumped into a tall man with short spiky hair talking to a short petite woman with Carmel hair. "Have you seen someone by the name of Tommy Oliver."

"Actually, I am Tommy Oliver," Tommy replied. "And this is my wife, Kimberly."

"It's an honor to finally meet you. I am Dr. Wayne Bostrom," introduced Dr. Bostrom as he shook Tommy's hand. "I've heard a wonderful thing about you from college professors and other paleontologists. They say that you were one of the best students in your graduating class. I only choose the best paleontologist in the world to travel with me to study fossils and dinosaurs. But, sadly, your family can't come with you."

Tommy put his arm around Kimberly and look up at Dr. Bostrom.

"I'm sorry, I can't come," he answered with a smile. "I've already accepted a job last week, as a science teacher at Reefside High School-"

"Dr. Oliver, this is a once in a life time opportunity," argued Dr. Bostrom as her jaw dropped. "Why would you give up something like thing? Most Paleontologist dream of this chance!"

"After the island exploded, I realized what really mattered to me. I want to live a quiet life with my wife and I realized that I can still do something with paleontology-"

"-like what?" remarked Dr. Bostrom when he gave Tommy a dirty look.

"I'm going to be teaching some paleontology classes next year," Tommy informed when Kimberly wrapped her arm around his waist. "We may be taking some field trips even. My goal is to start a paleontology club for students who are interested in dinosaurs."

Dr. Bostrom walked away from them and headed towards the entrance. He didn't say "I understand" or wish him well with his upcoming career.

"He has no idea how much I've wanted to live a quiet life, "Tommy whispered giving Kimberly a kiss on the head.

"Unless he's been a power ranger," Kimberly giggled. "I can't wait to see what Reefside High has in store for us."

"Neither can I," Tommy agreed when they headed towards the door. "I know this is the start to a nice and quiet life."

The End

Author's note:

I didn't think it would take me this long to complete the story. But, when you work on the outline several times trying to decide about what you want to happen in the story, it will take a little extra time. I am glad that I finished this story because this is a story that I've been wanting to tell for a long time. There will also be a sequel to this story, which I hope to start this summer. I've been planning it while working on this story and an old villain will be returning and a former ranger from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers will be returning for the story.