Standard fanfiction disclaimers: I don't own the characters much to my dismay. I have not intentionally tried to steal anyone's idea, though I haven't as of yet seen anyone else with quite this take on the 'why the letter was written' or my big question 'why the hell was Jason acting so weird after the volcano blew'? This story centers on Jason, Kim and Tommy (though Tommy doesn't show up until chapter 5). I will have some original characters show up at some point, but please don't use them without asking first.

Back in the System

A Power Rangers Story

Part One: Jason Remembers

By PaperKat

Jason Lee Scott leaned against his new maroon SUV patiently waiting, or more accurately he gave the impression that he was patiently waiting. Actually he was a bundle of excitement and nerves. It had taken everything Jason had to calmly dismiss his class, take a shower, and change then come to downtown Stone Canyon to pick-up his old comrade in arms. He knew he was early, but he hadn't wanted to take the chance of not finding a parking space to await his friend. His companions however were not as passive. Rocky queried for the fifth time in less than ten minutes the time. Jason rolled his eyes and grinned, though the occupants inside could not see him.

He still questioned the wisdom of letting the ex-blue Zeo ranger come with him, but after Rocky found out whom he was going to pick up it was nigh impossible for him to stop DeSantos from coming. Jason wasn't truly upset at his co-worker. He had wanted this to be a private visit since it was going to be less than 24 hours, but he couldn't begrunge Rocky this chance to hook-up with an old friend. Even if it did ruin his plans to get some of his questions answered. Poor Adam had just been dragged along for the ride. Though Jason could see the ex-green ranger's excitement at being able to see their old friend and teammate. Adam Park groaned loudly at his long time friend's often asked question.

"Would you just settle down?" the young Asian man asked.

"Hey, can't I be excited about seeing a friend that I haven't seen in forever?"

This time it was Jason that groaned. He turned away from building he had been watching with an expectant eye and glared good naturally at his one-time replacement through the open backseat window.

"Rocky, the two of you talked on the phone just two nights ago for hours." Jason reminded, highly amused at the idea of Rocky talking to anyone over the phone for any length of time..

Adam chuckled at Rocky's returning grimace. "Yes, listening to you go on and on. I miss you, when are you coming home, I miss you, what are you bringing me from London, I miss y…"

The ex-green ranger didn't get to finish his teasing as his friend attacked him. Rocky barreled into his backseat companion forcing Adam into the opposite door rocking the large SUV. Adam retaliated as best he could by grabbing fistfuls of Rocky's gi top, which he had not changed out of after his last class, and rolling towards the front seat trying to force his friend into the floorboard. The two continued to struggle jolting the vehicle from side to side as they each tried to get an advantage over the other. Jason just folded his arms across his chest and laughed at the two of them. He knew he should stop them, his father would have a coronary if he knew what his friends were doing in the back of Jason's college graduation present, but the original red ranger didn't have the heart. A sudden jolt raced up his spine and Jason knew that he had company.

"They say, if the house is rockin' don't come knockin', but this is my only way home."

Jason snapped his gaze to his right, stunned to find that the person that he was waiting for standing next to him and looking amused at the antics going on inside the SUV. Equally astonishing was the flood of emotions that he felt upon seeing her. He had been expecting something, but not to this degree.

"Kim!" Jason exclaimed as he wrapped his massive arms around the petite woman, trapping her arms to her sides, picking her up and swinging her around. Lightheaded with relief Jason had to put Kimberly down before he made them both fall over.

All motion in the vehicle had stopped at Jason's surprised yell, but as soon as what he had said registered the rocking increased as both combatants fought to be the first one out the door. Jason and Kimberly laughed outright as friendly name-calling and grunts of effort could be heard from inside. Kimberly turned to her long time friend and one-time leader and smiled warmly. So intense was the emotion shining in her eyes, that Jason actually thought that he was going to blush. Was she feeling the same strange, yet not unwelcome, rush of feelings he was? His hands were still on the ex-pink ranger's upper arms so it was easy for her to step into his personal space, wrap her slender arms around his waist under his opened black leather jacket and bury her face into his blood red shirt.

"I've missed you." She said softly with more reverence than the simple hug suggested.

His throat too tight to talk, Jason returned the emotional embrace, engulfing her petite shoulders with his arms and pressing his face to her hair. Five years, it had been five years since he'd seen her face to face, heard her voice without the crackle of an overseas phone line. To finally see her with his own eyes, to assure himself that she was well and alive the feeling was nearly overwhelming. Not since the whole fiasco with Divatox and Maligore had he even been on the same continent with his closest female friend.

Muiranthias and the days leading to that ill-fated visit home had left Jason with so many questions that needed answers. Muiranthias… the thought of that island still brought a shiver to his soul. It has been all his fault that Kim had been put in that situation. If had hadn't of insisted that she come with him on that outing they would have never gotten Divatox's attention.

It chilled him to the bone to think about that moment that Kim's shirt had gotten snagged, to think that she might have… Jason banished that thought quickly and pulled Kimberly closer to feel her warmth. Then when he had seen that she had been recaptured, his heart had stopped, he had failed her. Even worse than that memory was the one when Maligore had twisted their souls with his power.

He and Kim had always been close. Their connection to each other had been instantaneous upon sight across the crowded play yard and had only gotten stronger over the years, but while under the influence of the Flame of Destruction he had been connected to Kim like he never knew was possible.

He had been able to hear her thoughts and feel her flame twisted emotions as if they were his own. Divatox had called them the Children of Maligore and maybe that was enough to explain what had happened, but Jason wasn't so sure, because when Lerigot had freed Kim it was like she had died to him. The constant flow of her thoughts had instantly stopped and white-hot rage consumed him. He had been ready to destroy all of them for taking her from him, until the reality of her assumed death sank in and he faltered. That's when Tommy got the better him, flipping him over into the mouth of the volcano.

How could this thing that had existed between him and Kim had been from an inherently evil creature like Maligore if it caused him so much pain to be separated from her? Shouldn't he have hated her along with the others once she was freed from the spell?

He had struggled against Tommy's help while dangling over the lava, not because he viewed him as his enemy, but because he had wanted to join Kim in oblivion. There had been no reason for his continued existence if she was gone. When he had seen her face appear over the ridge of the volcano he had been so confused. He could see her, feel her hands helping Tommy to pull him up, but her soul wasn't with his any longer. It had been at that moment that the volcano had exploded and the three of them had been blown clear. In a daze he had wandered around looking for her.

The battle had continued on around him, but he hadn't cared. All that had been important to him had been finding Kimberly. Across the chamber he had seen her just as he had that first day in kindergarten, but the connection was gone and without it he was lost. She had seen him the same moment that he had seen her and she had made as if to come to him then she had been attacked. Lerigot and his wife had freed him from Maligore's control before he had a chance to cry out to her.

Jason could still vividly remember the feeling of elation in his soul as he felt Kim's presence in his mind once again. It was the same as what he was feeling now as he held her and knew that she was safe, just on a much grander scale. He hadn't had a chance to question it at them time on Muiranthias because some of Divatox's goons had been harassing Kimberly and a new feeling had come over him, protect her at all cost and destroy all that harmed her.

The rest of the day had been a blur, far too many things happening at once to focus on any one thing or feeling. He had gone home to his parents' house and crashed hard. He had written off all that he had felt as another one of those things that happen when you're a teenage superhero. Then the tournament had been the next morning.

At the match he had been hit by a sense of such excitement and pride that he had been able to perform far beyond his expectations considering the difficulties he had experienced after the Gold Ranger powers and the mess the previous day. After they had won, the stage had been rushed by their friends, but in the crush of bodies he had instantly found Kim. She had grabbed his hands and the jolt of pure emotional energy had sent him on a high like he'd never known. Boosted by it, he had continued to celebrate with everyone else not noticing until it was too late that Kimberly had left.

To this day he still didn't know what had lead Kimberly to separate herself from her friends before and after that day. Why had she done it? What was it that was never said or talked about that made Kim keep herself from them?

Of course they had Kim to thank for the renewed closeness of the older retired rangers. When Zordon was gone all of his former charges had felt the tremor in their souls and without being told they knew what had happened. But it was Kim that had taken it upon herself to track down every member of the old teams, pushing, pulling and in some cases dragging them out of there individual seclusion to be the family group they had once been. Kimberly had gone from being the most isolated of the gang to being the major information relay between them. She had even hunted down Andros to insure that he knew that none of the former rangers resented him or blamed him for what had to be done. And it was this new friendship that she had gained through the striped haired ranger that had given them the ability to contact Billy on a fleeting, but regular basis.

But five years ago, Kimberly had skillfully avoided all questions concerning her life in Florida and her break-up with Tommy or any personal information. No matter how Jason had tried he could not get Kim to open up to him which had been a totally new experience for him, and one that had hurt him deeply.

Ever since the day they met in kindergarten they had never kept secrets from each other. It had been like they had known each other all their lives, but had been separated. As five-year-olds they really hadn't noticed the depth of their connection until it had been tested.

When Zach had moved into town when they were nine she had told him point blank that she didn't like that the new boy had been taking up so much of his after school time. Now that he was an adult he realized that Kimberly had been jealous of Jason's newest friend but at the time he had been totally mystified as to why Kimberly had thought that Zach was stealing his friendship away, nothing could ever do that. Nothing could ever replace or come close to the unbelievable rightness that was their friendship. It didn't take long for Zach to charm his way into Kim's heart, however, when the charismatic African American boy had made separate plans for just the two of them, excluding Jason, then it had been his turn to be concerned. The three of them had become the Terrible Trio, at least that's what the teacher use to call them. Then came middle school and the start of all the changes.

The first was actually the summer before the seventh grade when Kimberly's mother decided that her daughter, now eleven, was too old to be having sleepovers with boys and that Kim needed to find herself some female friends. He remembered the day she had come running to his house, crying for all she was worth yelling at him that she didn't want to grow up and be a proper lady and have girl-friends. She wanted to be a boy so that she could still come over anytime she wanted to. His mother had tried to explain to Kim what her mother was trying to tell her, but at the time, all the scared little girl could see was that she was losing her best friend. He had tried to assure her that nothing would change, but to his own astonishment things did change.

It wasn't soon after they had started the seventh grade and he turned twelve that he began to realize what both Kim's mother and his mother had been talking about. Almost overnight he had started noticing that boys and girls were different and that some of the differences were rather unnerving. He began to feel weird when girls were around and caught himself spending more time than usual thinking about them. Half-way through the school year it became clear that the girls and the boys had separated themselves from each other, except for him, Zach and Kimberly.

Kimberly was the very last girl that he noticed as female. Probably because she was a late bloomer compounded with the fact that Kim fought the change tooth and nail every chance she got, much to her mother's chagrin. But he clearly remembered the day that all changed, the day Billy Cranston and Trini Kwan came into their lives. It was funny to think of it now, but Billy was Kimberly's first crush. He had been so different than the boys she was use to, meaning himself and Zach. He was shy, quite, not athletic in the least and completely puppy dog devoted to Trini, his best friend.

Kimberly had made every effort to get close to Billy and the harder she had tried the farther away Billy ran. Until finally she had cornered him and demanded to know why he didn't like her. Upon hearing from Billy that she and her friends scared him and that he just couldn't understand why she wanted to be friends in the first place, Kim had broke down into tears. Jason had had no idea how to help his friend and quite frankly he couldn't understand why it had been so important for Kimberly to have Billy as a friend. She had had him and Zach after all.

Trini had been the one that helped his completely distraught friend. After watching Kimberly try so hard to get Billy to like her, Trini had taken pity on the tiny tomboy and showed her that it was her boyish demeanor that frightened Billy. Kim had been totally intimidated by the well spoken, willowy Asian girl, but had been willing to do anything to get Billy to like her. Within a few weeks the Kim that he had known, that just two months earlier was playing in the woods with him and Zach building a fort, was gone and in her place had been a dainty little girl.

Zach had rolled with the changes easily, totally accepting Kim's new look and attitude without question. Jason had hated it. Not only was Kimberly spending more time with Trini and Billy, hanging on every word the blonde boy had to say, even if she couldn't understand half of it, but it seemed like every boy in the school had taken notice of Kimberly's change. He couldn't remember how many times he had been asked about Kim and what she was like by other boys in his class. They hadn't had any right to know anything about her. It had gotten to the point that was sick of hearing her name all the time.

After that began the Black Christmas, or so he called it now. Kimberly and him hardly ever talked directly during the winter break that year, by his design. He had been pulled unwillingly into this new group by Zach after Kim had made him a part of her, Billy and Trini, but he never called Kim on the phone during those three weeks and when she had called he didn't call back. He knew now that he had been as jealous of Kim's new friends as she had been of Zach in the beginning, but all he saw at the time was Kimberly changing and he hadn't liked it. She didn't have time for him anymore, or so he had thought until that January.

Soon school had resumed after the break he had had a belt test that he hadn't told any of his friends about. He had been too upset at the time to want them to be there, but he had been in for a rather big surprise. He had completed the test along with ten other boys and had graciously accepted his belt when a very familiar, excited voice could be clearly heard over the polite applause of the parents. He had turned to see Kimberly Anne Hart cheering his name and clamping loudly while jumping on top of the folding chair she must have been sitting in behind the parents and relatives. Billy, Trini and Zach had been there too and he hadn't been able to tell if they were trying to keep Kim from falling off the seat or trying to pull her down off of it as she unwittingly made a scene of herself cheering for him.

From that moment on Jason had known that there would be nothing that would shake the foundation of their friendship. It had taken a lot of work for them to maintain a tight connection with each other. He had still had his karate and Kim had her gymnastics and then she had signed up for cheerleading. He had gone so far as to make the football team so that they would be guaranteed time together since the cheerleading squad and football team practiced at the same time. Besides it helped to reinforce the rumors that the two of them were a couple and helped him to keep most of the more annoying boys away from Kimberly without actually having to say anything to them.

It had seemed that everything was set for them and their little group. Kim, Zach, Billy, Trini and himself were a close nit group that somehow or another found a way to spend time together almost everyday and that only became easier when Kim's parents divorced. Feeling completely betrayed by her parents, Kimberly had turned to her friends and more specifically to him for comfort. She had quit the squad so that she could spend more time with them and he had followed suit quitting the team. Kimberly had totally thrown herself into the group dynamic, making them her family. He and Kim had promised each other that they would always and forever be friends no matter what happened, and it was that promise that Jason used as leverage to get Kim to come with him to Angel Grove to save the shelter.

Shortly after Kim had broken up with Tommy he had lost all contact with her. It had been like a gaping hole inside of him. A feeling of loss and a sense that he had failed her somehow. She had been very hesitant about going. In fact she had flat out turned him down the first time he had asked saying that she wasn't feeling well. After a few phone calls and a bit of manipulation on his part, Jason had convinced her to come. He had known something was very wrong with Kim at the time. She had been weak and listless not at all the girl he remembered that could light up a room with her enthusiasm for life.

He had intended that scuba diving excursion as a way to get Kim to lighten up so that he could talk to her, but then Divatox interfered. There had been no time during their imprisonment to talk then afterwards had been the competition. It wasn't until Zordon died that she had brought herself out of hiding. Jason was going to make sure that he did get his answers to all of his questions, but now wasn't going to be the time.

"Aww, isn't that sweet!" Adam and Rocky sighed in unison, bringing Jason back to the present, causing him to scowl and Kim to laugh. Time enough later when she moved back to Angel Grove to get his questions answered, now was the time for rejoicing.

Kimberly extracted herself from their hug by ducking under Jason's left arm. Neither Rocky nor Adam had actually made if out of the SUV, both young men had wedged their heads and shoulders through the window. Kim squealed and launched herself at her trapped friends. She grabbed them around the neck, one with each arm, and alternated kisses between the two.

"Oh, how I've missed you guys!"

Jason watched amused at his dear friend's antics. Kimberly had always been very open in her affection for her friends, but her current state of enthusiasm had Adam blushing and even Rocky looked a little pink. Of course that could be the result of the death grip Kim had on their necks he supposed. The former female ranger looked more like the young girl he use to go to school with instead of the woman he knew her to be.

"Looking good, Kim." Rocky commented as she pulled away. Of course Rocky would be the one to notice, Jason thought mildly annoyed.

"You like?" She asked. "Kat picked it out. She said that I should look feminine and professional."

Kimberly made a slow circle before them. Her diagonal plaid skirt of cream, mint and dusty rose came to mid thigh and was partially hidden by the tight fitting vanilla colored turtleneck that was pulled low over her hips. Her duster styled suede leather coat and knee high three-inch boots were a warm honey color. Jason hadn't noticed before but Kimberly's hair was much longer than the last time he'd seen her. It fell to the middle of her back from behind and tapered up to just under her shoulders on the sides. Thick, perfectly even waves showed that she had spent a lot of time on the caramel hued mass that morning.

"Well, I think that Kat hit the mark perfectly," Adam replied with all seriousness. The other two young men agreed with a nod.

"Thanks. I'm out of touch with business fashion so I humbled myself to ask Kat for help. All I ever seem to wear anymore are sweats at the studio, leathers when I'm riding or clubbing clothes when we go out and none of that would have been appropriate for this meeting." Kim quickly turned to Jason to get his full attention. "So whatcha getting me for dinner?"

"Hey! That's my line!" Rocky pouted.

"Snooze you loose. Besides it's been nearly twenty hours since I've eaten and even my boots are starting to look good. How about we swing by Harry's Haven and load up on greasy, grilled burgers and oil dripping fries. Now that I'm away from my personal dietician I feel the need to splurge."

"Kat isn't really that bad, is she?" Adam asked. He seemed amused at Kim's off handed complaint.

"She can be if I let her. After she saw how much I ate on the run or sometimes not at all if I was consumed by a project, she took it upon herself to rescue me from myself. I've never felt better, but sometimes you just need fat, cholesterol and sugar."

"Well, I hate to be the one to give the bad news, but Harry's closed last year." Rocky informed the female ex-ranger with a curiously serious frown.

"How 'bout we order pizza at my apartment?" Jason suggested as he opened the front passenger door and placed Kim's piteously small travel bag and bulging portfolio inside. She must have not been kidding when she said this was going to be a short visit, he mused silently.

At his suggestion Kimberly's stomach growled. All three males raised an eyebrow in her direction. "I don't think she's going to be able to wait that long, Jase. How about I'll call ahead and by the time we get to your apartment the pizza will be waiting for us." Adam stated as he unwedged himself from the window to retrieve his cell phone from inside his forest green bomber jacket.

"Don't call Micheal's, their crust sucks. Get Angelo's they make an awesome deep dish, and…" The rest of Rocky's instructions were lost as he pulled his own head inside and rolled up the window.

"Your carriage awaits m'lady," Jason entreated as he offered his hand for her to step up into the tall vehicle. Kim smiled and took his hand, hitching her left leg up to get in. As her short, loose skirt rose up, Jason glimpsed the tail end of a tattoo on the inside of Kim's thigh. Stunned for a moment, he forgot to let go of her hand. Kim softly speaking his name pulled his attention from what looked like a green dragon's head on her lightly tanned thigh to her sparkling brown eyes.

"I'll show you it later."

Jason did blush then, being caught looking at his friend's leg in such a manor. He quickly shut the door, made his way to the diver's side and got behind the wheel. Kim, with a tattoo?! And she hadn't said anything? What on Earth was she doing in London?

"So are you going to tell us or are you going to keep us in suspense?" Rocky asked as he leaned over between the two front seats. "Not that you told us anything to begin with. I had to beat it out of Jase here that you were coming into town for this job interview."

"Well, I did promise Kat that I'd tell her first." Kim hedged.

"Aww, come on Kim! She's a zillion miles away, and we're right here!"

"We could just stay here until you tell us." Jason offered, dangling his keys in front of her. Kim's stomach gave a loud protest and Kim glared at him. It felt too good to return to the easy teasing that they had shared as teenagers.

"You are a cruel, cruel man Jason Lee Scott." Kim huffed like a child, her bottom lip thrust out in a pout. Jason's only response was to jingle the keys. "Fine! Have it your way."

Kim reached into her coat and pulled out a rather space aged looking cell phone and started punching buttons at a furious rate. She waited a moment, then started pressing more buttons at a much slower pace as she hunted for the right ones. Once done she clicked the phone closed and turned to them with a frown.

Jason watched amused as both Adam and Rocky's faces fell at her serious look. It took all he had to keep his own neutral expression on as Kimberly put on an act for them. He knew his friend well enough to know that she would have never dragged this little scene out if she didn't have good news. Besides, he had an almost enter 'sense' that Kim was just pulling their leg.

"I got the contract." She told them dejectedly as she dropped her eyes to her lap.

"Kim, I'm sorry. I… Wait. Did you say you got the contract?" Adam asked puzzled.

Kim whipped her head up and a killer smile lit her face. "I got the contract. I'm coming home!"

Rocky squealed nearly as loud as Kimberly did as they awkwardly hugged over the top of her seat. Adam gave an enthusiastic 'All right' as he too tried to join in the embrace. Jason only chuckled as he started the SUV. He couldn't keep the smile off his face as he pulled out into traffic with only one thought on his mind. It's about damn time!