THE FIRST NIGHT

AUTHOR'S NOTE/DISCLAIMER

Takes place after "The Trouble With Shellshock". I'm not sure how much time was supposed to have passed between the Green With Evil Saga and this ep, so bear with me. Power Rangers belongs to Haim Saban, Fox Kids, and Disney. Not a slash, just friendship.

Hearing rapping on his window, Jason moaned in his bed. You've gotta be kidding, he thought to himself. The knocking came again and the leader of the Power Rangers sat up and then climbed out of bed.

"Tommy?" he asked sleepily. He opened the window. "What's wrong?"

"I killed you," Tommy answered. Okay, not what I was expecting, the leader of the Power Rangers thought to himself.

"What?" Jason asked.

"We were in the Dark Dimension and I ran the Sword of Darkness through you," Tommy repeated.

"Oh, Tommy, man. It was just a bad dream," Jason assured, moving aside so that his friend could come in.

"It was so real, Jase. I could practically hear your screams as I woke up," Tommy told him. Yeah, I know how that feels, the Red Ranger thought to himself. He was still having some nightmares about that himself. Of course, he wasn't about to tell Tommy.

"Tommy, you know what happened wasn't your fault. Rita had you brainwashed," Jason said.

"But I should've been able to fight it. I should've been---" Tommy began to say.

"Why? You had just moved to Angel Grove, you had no prior knowledge of a space witch that has world domination on her mind," Jason interrupted.

"I just---I've been having these dreams for a few weeks now," Tommy admitted.

"What?" Jason asked. "Tommy, why didn't you say anything?" he wondered. The newest Ranger shrugged.

"I thought I could handle it. I mean---after all---this is my problem."

"No man, this is our problem. What affects one of us, affects us all."

"I wouldn't let it get in the way of---"

"That's not what I mean." Tommy looked at Jason in confusion.

"Tommy, we may be saving the world together, but we're all friends first. If something's bugging you, you've gotta talk to us," he said.

"I just---why was it me? I swear, Jason. I wasn't a bad guy," Tommy stated.

"And you're still not. We've been placed under spells before. Heck, Kim and Billy got turned into punks," Jason stated. Tommy averted his gaze, but Jason grabbed his chin and made it so that they were looking at each other. "Tommy, this was not your fault. You did nothing wrong. It was Rita. You get me? This was all Rita's doing." Tommy nodded.

"Can---can I crash here tonight?" he asked softly.

"Yeah, of course. You want the bed?"

"No, the floor's fine." Tommy lay by the bed. For a long time, he was silent. Then, he finally spoke. "Jason?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Anytime." The two lay in the darkness, each lost in thought.

THE END