Standard fanfiction disclaimers: I don't own the characters much to my dismay. I have not intentionally tried to steal anyone's idea. This story centers on Jason, Kim and Tommy. I will have some original characters show up at some point, but please don't use them without asking first.

Sorry it took so long for this chapter. I was… detained. For anyone that hasn't read them yet I highly recommend Starhawk's First Saga. It can be found at FanFiction.net as well as at Starhawk's Aerie. It kept me thoroughly entertained and occupied for over a week. Now I have to wait for the next chapter so its back to my story.

Back in the System

A Power Rangers Story

Part Five: Tommy's Troubles

By PaperKat

Tommy flipped over his pillows with an exasperated huff. Not seeing what he wanted, he then smoothed his hands down the comforter of his bed, feeling for any tale tell bumps or lumps. Not there either, he thought to himself feeling his frustration level beginning to rise. He had spent the last ten minutes taking apart his recently cleaned trailer, searching for his car keys. Tommy put the pillows back in place at the head of the bed and then sat to think where he had seen them last. He knew that he had them this morning, he had driven to the local Waffle House for breakfast. But what did I do with them when I got back, he asked himself.

This was going to be the first honest to goodness vacation he had had in four years. I am not going to be late for my first vacation! Tommy vowed, leaning forward to take a quick look under the bed between his feet, just in case he had accidentally kicked them there. Not seeing anything there either he jerked his head up and his right hand went automatically to his scalp to brush his hair back. Encountering only short gelled spikes, Tommy grinned at his mistake. He'd had his hair short for three months now and he still hadn't gotten use to it not being there.

The hair cut had been a spur of the moment decision. Tommy had just felt a need for a change, someway to signal that his life wasn't as stagnate as it appeared to be. He had heard somewhere once that a lot of your spiritual power was in your hair and that changing it, by cutting it or letting it grow, altered your energy flow. Well, something sure changed, because the very next race he won for the first time and the cut had had the added advantage that he wasn't looked upon as a kid anymore. At least not by the fans, the crew still considered him a babyface though.

This wasn't the first opportunity he'd had to take a vacation in four years, but this was the first time that Tommy had felt like he needed it. The years since he'd given his place and powers to TJ had gone by as a blur to Tommy. Racing had occupied every waking moment of his life. Practice, training, traveling and then there were the endless meetings with sponsors and promoters. He hadn't had time to think about anything else. It wasn't until his uncle's daughter came to visit last week with her newborn son, that Tommy began to realize that if he wasn't careful the rest of his life would probably pass him by just as fast as the last few years had.

Sometimes it was hard to believe what changes had occurred in such a seemingly short amount of time. Adam had chosen not to attend college to everyone's surprise and had been completely independent since high school, doing what he loved for a living in Hollywood. Aisha was back from Africa, finally feeling that her work there was done and had been given an opportunity to work at her old radio station in Stone Canyon and hopefully that would lead to a more promising proposition. While Zack and Trini hadn't really changed location or occupation, both were now full-fledged diplomats in Geneva, but the state of their personal lives had taken a rather dramatic turn, they were engaged to be married! Which was almost as mind boggling as the fact that Justin, the youngest ranger ever, was actually married at the age of 17.

If Tommy had to have guessed who would have been married first he would have guessed… well, him and Kim, but that had become impossible after The Letter. Out of his remaining friends, Kat would have been his next choice, but the lovely, loving blonde didn't seem to be the least bit interested in a romantic life at this time. She was far too content living in London, dancing full time for the theatre and paling around with Kim, whom also seemed to be perfectly happy where she was and alone. Tanya had chosen to pursue a career as a brain surgeon and making the grade at Harvard hadn't afforded her the opportunity to have a social life. That left Billy, Jason and Rocky.

Wherever Billy was Tommy was confident that if the ex-blue ranger were with someone that he was serious about they would have known about it. Not only would Kim have shouted it out for all of them to hear, but also he had a strong feeling that Billy would have a hard time being with someone that he hadn't shown off to the rest of them. Rocky, the consummate bachelor, had been dating steadily from what Tommy had heard, but hadn't found one girl to hold his interest. Tommy knew how important family was to Rocky so there wasn't any question in his mind if Rocky would get married, it was only a matter of when and who. Then there was Jason.

Tommy had no clue why his best friend was still single, in every since of the word. He knew that it wasn't due to lack of offers. They had had more than a few get-togethers through the years that had been interrupted by women asking Jason out or giving their phone numbers to him. In high school, while Tommy was still dating Kim, Jason turned them all away saying that he just didn't have the time while being a ranger for dating. When Jason had gone to the peace conference and Tommy had asked him if he had meet anyone there, the ex-red ranger had only replied that there was no one there that had appealed to him. Once back in Angel Grove as the Gold Ranger, Jason seemed a bit more interested, Emily being the most notable candidate, but that fizzled out almost before it had started.

He knew what most people thought, that Jason was gay. After all what could you say about a guy that was more than passably good looking (according to all the female rangers), that didn't have any glaring personality flaws, didn't smoke, didn't drink, didn't do drugs and that hadn't had a girlfriend… EVER. Tommy had once asked Kim if Jason was more interested in men than women, not because his friend had ever given him any indication that he was gay, but the circumstantial evidence had made him wonder. Kim had laughed so hard that Tommy had thought she would pass out with lack of oxygen. When she had been able to talk again, Kimberly had informed him that Jason just had very high and maybe slightly unrealistic standards. She had continued on with a far off, dreamy look in her eyes saying that when their friend did find that exceptionally lucky girl that there wouldn't be anyone in heaven or on earth that wouldn't know about it.

Tommy had loved every minute of his racing career so far. The fast pace, the excitement, the danger and the control without leadership responsibilities had been exactly what he had needed. Tommy honestly couldn't think of another line of work that could have possibly satisfied him after being a ranger for so long. But now, after winning his first big race just three months ago, Tommy felt like his life was lacking something… or maybe someone. Sighing dejectedly at the familiar turn of his thoughts, Tommy once again checked his pants' pocket for his keys. Seeing that they had not miraculously appeared, Tommy decided to check out the bathroom.

More and more his thoughts had been drifting to the world outside of racing, something that he'd had little contact with of late. Tommy hadn't heard from anyone outside of the racing team for nearly four months now, which wasn't anyone's fault other than his own. Despite having been in command of some of the most advanced technology Earth humans had ever seen, Tommy still hadn't gotten himself a home computer so e-mailing was impossible. The secondary mode of communication, cell phones, worked pretty well, when you knew where you put them. To date Tommy had lost four cells to the void of his Swiss cheese memory. Surprisingly it had been good old fashion snail mail that had been keeping Tommy abreast of current events in his friends' lives.

To his amazement it had been Kim that had been the one to supply almost all the letters. He got the occasional correspondence from the others, but Kim never went more than two weeks without sending something. But since those letters were sent to his parents' home in Angel Grove, unless he went home to visit he wouldn't see them. Tommy hadn't even seen his own family in almost four months, so he was severely out of the loop with anything outside of racing and he was starting to feel it. He hadn't really been lonely these past couple of years, but recently especially when the crew's families would visit he'd stop and wonder how his life could have turned out differently.

He and Kat had gone their separate ways fairly soon after she had left to go to the academy. What had started as a major crush on Kat's part and a need to 'go on' on Tommy's end, had turned into a deep comfortable friendship. Which had been fine with the both of them since their lives had taken them on totally separate journeys. They had been in love, but it had been the type of puppy love that most teenagers go through in high school. They had gone to movies, they had gone to dances, they had gone on outings and all the other little things that a boyfriend and girlfriend do, just as he had with Kimberly. But it had been nothing like what Kim and me had, Tommy quickly amended his thought, what I felt for Kim.

Feeling uncomfortable by the turn in his thoughts, Tommy quickly finished searching the bathroom and moved to the small dinette to search there again for his missing keys. It amazed him sometimes how much it still could hurt thinking about his ex-girlfriend. The anger had long since dissipated, but the pain lingered. Time and maturity had made Tommy realize that sometimes things, no matter how badly you wanted them, just don't work out. But it doesn't make the wanting go away, Tommy thought sadly as he pulled open every drawer and kitchen cabinet searching.

Unable to help himself, Tommy's thoughts returned to that old wound. He seemed to go through this every time he went back to Angel Grove, even though Kim no longer lived there. What still hurt him the most, even after all this time, was to think that he had totally read Kimberly wrong. Tommy had always thought that he was a good judge of character. He would have staked his life on the fact that Kim had been as in love with him as he had been with her, and then to hear in a letter that her feelings had just been brotherly. Brotherly, God that had cut deeper than anything else had.

He could have understood if she had just fallen out of love with him, it had happened to him and Kat after all. Or he could have seen that some guy came in and swept her off her feet, because he hadn't been around to protect what was his. But, for her to say that in some ways she felt like he was her brother!

It sure has hell didn't feel like she thought of me as her brother that last night we spent together, Tommy thought sourly as he jerked up his jacket from the table and slammed out the door. He and Kim had gotten closer than they ever had at being actual physical lovers that night. That last encounter had haunted him for years, because it hadn't been him that had instigated it, but Kimberly. She had been all but begging him to make love to her, but he hadn't been willing to have their first time be out in public and completely unprotected.

Tommy had always known that he had been walking a fine line when it came to having a relationship with Kimberly. From the very start he could see the way the team had treated her a little bit differently. She had been the favorite little sister to a group of overprotective siblings. They never were too overt about it in front of Kim, but Tommy had seen it. Once, in the very beginning when he had first joined the team, Tommy had caught the team discussing Kim's love life or more accurately his possible future role in it, at the Youth Center.

"Well, I think it's great that Kim's finally fallen head over heels for a guy," Trini had told the others, a dreamy smile on her face. Tommy had just turned the corner into the Center when the mention of Kim's name had brought him up short. He had stopped to listen in when Trini's grin had turned teasing and she turned to Billy. "For awhile there I thought that Billy had ruined her for all other men."

Tommy still remembered how surprised he had been to find out that Billy had been Kim's first major childhood crush. He had watched Billy blush crimson when Trini had nudged his shoulder with her own. Zack and Jason just chuckled when the flustered blonde boy had adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat.

"I highly doubt that Trini," Billy had told her and then addressed the others. "It's not that I see Tommy as an unsuitable counterpart for Kimberly. I am just apprehensive that there may be a possibility that Rita's spell has unforeseen side effects and/or there may be a high probability that Rita will target Tommy again in the future."

Tommy had nearly choked on his own sudden gasp to realize that they had been talking about Kimberly and himself, not some other guy and the pink ranger. It had floored him to think that Kim had been, as Trini had put it, 'head over heels' for him. He had known that she had been at least interested, but to be head over heals? Billy's comment about him being a possible target had been his own main concern, and one of the reasons he had not attempted to ask Kimberly out.

Tommy hadn't been nearly as shy as everyone had thought he was. If it hadn't of been for Rita's spell and being forced into being Rita's Green Ranger he probably would have asked Kim out that very next day at school after meeting her by the lockers. Even after the spell was broken by Jason, he had had concerns that he could unwillingly hurt someone if Rita's control became active again somehow. That had been the reason that he had willingly endured all the tests Billy had performed on him following his liberation from the forces of evil.

"And you think that Kim might be in the middle of it," Jason had concluded, after Billy nodded the red ranger just shook his head. "We're all possible targets, Billy, including Kimberly by nature of what we do. It would be ridiculous to believe that being with Tommy would be anymore dangerous than her being with us, except if that danger came from Tommy himself."

"You don't really think that Tommy's just bluffing us, do ya?" Zack had asked leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table. When Jason had given a helpless shrug, Zack had turned his attention to Billy. "You did run tests on Tommy, didn't you?"

"Yes, but not all of them are completed yet."

"I think you're all being paranoid," Trini had scolded them. "Tommy's a great guy and Kim really likes him. Besides, what could it hurt? If he doesn't work out we'll send Jason here after him and he'll be long gone like that Bobby guy."

"Bobby Jenson was a big mistake," Jason had growled under his breath and even his friends had seemed to cringe at his tone. It certainly had made an impression on Tommy, don't fuck with Kim unless you wanted a pissed off Jason coming at you. "I should have never let him get near her."

"It is not your fault that Robert turned out to be such an unsavory individual," Billy had assured his friend even as he had frowned his displeasure.

"Yeah, man. How were you suppose to know that creep wasn't even going to wait for the lights to go out before he started making the moves on Kim?"

"Problem is that we can't just 'get rid' of Tommy, if things didn't go well between him and Kim." The other three teens had looked at him questioningly.

Even Tommy at the time had been wondering how Jason figured he wasn't expendable. The others had been a team long before he had gotten there, and he certainly hadn't done anything to make them trust or like him. Why couldn't they just tell him to hit the road if he upset Kimberly in someway or any of them for that matter? Jason's next comment had gone a long way to forging the permanent bond the two now shared, a bond that Tommy had never been able to equal in all these years.

"I meant it when I said he's one of us now. If it turns out that he can still be affected by Rita's spell, or if she comes back looking for revenge we'll all deal with it, as a team." The others nodded their agreement without hesitation, and to Tommy it had looked like they had all meant it too. Having seen that his team was with him Jason had continued. "If Kim and Tommy hook up and it doesn't work out, we'll deal with that too, no matter how weird it may get."

"Billy, Jimmy, Johnny, Bobby, Tommy…" Zack had said out loud thoughtfully. "What is with that girl and the Y at the end of the name?"

"She does appear to be developing a predictable pattern," Billy had agreed, smiling at his steepled fingers.

"Maybe if I'd stuck with Zachary Kim would have let me play with her Battle Cat action figure back in third grade."

"I doubt it Zack," Jason had chuckled, patting his friend on the back. "I wasn't even allowed to touch that thing let alone play with it, and I'm the one that bought it for her for her birthday."

The group had gone back to normal everyday topics at that point and Tommy had then joined them as if he had not been listening. That had been the first time that he had felt like he was apart of their team. He had felt himself click into place among them like he had always been there, like he had always belonged there. He had finally recognized that the smiles had been genuine not just polite and any questions that were passed his way Tommy had known that there had been nothing behind them other than the one asking had just wanted to know him better.

He had learned a lot that day about these old friends and the way they thought and felt about each other. It had been something that Tommy had desperately wanted to be apart of and they had thrown the door wide open for him. Not knowing in the beginning if he had wanted the other rangers' friendship more than a relationship with Kim, Tommy had bided his time. He had known that if he had truly wanted a relationship with Kim, he couldn't go about it haphazardly like he did everything else. Letting his emotions and hormones led the way, the other rangers would have never stood for it. As embarrassing as it was for him to admit, Tommy knew that the first time he'd seen Kim, he had fallen for her looks not her personality.

It still made him grin to think about the first time that he had seen the original pink ranger. Kim had been almost as still as a statue as she had watched him warm-up before the match. She had caught his eye immediately when he had gone out on the mats. Kimberly had been shapely in all the right places and even her short stature had appealed to him immensely. There had been something just utterly feminine to him about her petite frame that you just didn't get in tall, extra leggy glamour girls. Thank goodness he had had the match with Jason to distract him or he might have been the one staring.

If Tommy had of tried to start a relationship with Kimberly just because he had been physically attracted to her back then he might as well of signed his own death warrant no matter what Jason had said about him being a member of the team. Tommy had known that above the others Jason had been the most protective of Kim. At first he had tried just not starting anything at all with her, just being her teammate and friend, but that had gotten increasingly hard incredibly fast.

It had only taken a few weeks for his physical attraction to be compounded and complimented with a genuine liking of her company. He soon realized why Kim had been so adored by her friends. She had had a way of making every moment special, finding that silver lining in bad situations and she had never let a day pass without at least one smile to brighten your day. Tommy had found himself trying to find ways of spending more time with Kim even as he had tried to stay aloof. When he had started daydreaming about just talking to her without the others around, he had known he was in deep. He had been falling in love and he had enjoyed every moment of it. Memories of that time were some of Tommy's best. He had finally found a place where he belonged, with friends that would have done anything for him and a girl that had made him feel alive and special like no one had ever done before. Or since, Tommy thought morosely to himself.

It hadn't been until he had lost his Green Ranger powers that first time that he had started to realize how deeply his feelings for Kimberly ran. Yes, it had been physically painful to lose his powers, and he had known that not being apart of the team anymore would affect his friendship with the other rangers, even though they all had said that it wouldn't. But it had been the thought of not having that connection with Kim, that reason to see her constantly, which had finally scared him into action. With a slight push from Zack, of course.

Tommy sighed to himself at the memory of those days after finally breaking down and kissing Kim then asking her out. Even though he had been living with the threat of losing his temporary powers at any moment he had never been happier with Kim. Then he had lost his powers all together and depression had set in. He and Kim had been a couple but the complete loss of his powers had left him doubting his place in her life again. When Zordon offered him the White Ranger powers, Tommy had jumped at the chance.

For a time everything had been like it had been before despite him now being in the leader role, that was until Jason had left. Tommy knew now that unconsciously he had been using his best friend's presence as a back up. In the back of his mind Tommy had known that Jason wouldn't let things get too out of hand without stepping in. If Tommy had really messed up Jason would have let him know it without preamble, but once Jason was gone, Tommy didn't have that safety net anymore. He had to function on his own, make his own decisions, deal with new rangers that had never had to work as a team and what was even worst was that Kim had fallen completely apart.

Tommy had caught her one-day in the Command Center hanger crying her eyes out next to the damaged red dragon thunder zord, whimpering Jason's name. The site had pole axed him. He had always known that the two of them had been close, but he had no idea that Jason's leaving would cause Kim so much pain. Not for the first time Tommy had wondered if there had been more to Kim and Jason's relationship than mer friendship. Kimberly had hid distress well from the others, and he had suspected that maybe Billy had an idea that she was having a rough time of it, but she steadfastly kept her misery to herself. To see her in pain, needing someone to look after her and direct her had made Tommy decided to be the best ranger and leader he could possibly be.

He had thrown himself into the role, trying to fill the void that Jason had left. Tommy couldn't replace Jason as her friend, but he had tried his level best to at least give her the peace of mind that as a leader he had been just as capable. It had been a tricky proposition, being Kim's leader one moment then switching modes to be her boyfriend the next. Tommy hadn't know if he had been coming or going in those days, but gradually Kim started to respond to the change and had adapted to the loss of Jason's physical presence in her life.

Being the White Ranger had been really tough on Tommy. Not only had he been given the leadership role that he hadn't quite been expecting, but also he had had the added pressure of living up to the White Ranger myth of being the best. The only time he had felt normal had been when he had been alone with Kim, and even then he had had the specter of Jason Scott over his head.

The more pressure he had experienced the more he had wanted to loose himself in Kimberly. He would daydream constantly about being with her intimately, drowning himself in her and blocking the rest of the world out so it would be just the two of them. Then he'd remember Jason and Tommy had no doubts that the ex-ranger would have hopped the first flight back to give him a lesson on why he couldn't use Kimberly as 'stress relief'. It had felt a little bit like he was trying to take advantage of Kim, being her leader and all. Besides, Kim just wasn't that kind of girl. Funny, I never had that problem with Kat, Tommy thought to himself a little embarrassed. Somehow, Tommy had learned to control himself, keeping his baser thoughts to himself and letting only the deep love and affection show through. Then there had been that weekend and the last time he had ever spent anytime alone with Kim.

That weekend had been magical to Tommy. During a short two-day reprieve in training, Kim had convinced her mother to let her come to Angel Grove. All of the Zeo rangers including Billy had met Kim at the airport then they had spent the entire day together as a group. They had gone to the Youth Center, the park, the lake; they even made a stop at the Power Chamber so Kim could see Zordon. Amazingly enough it had been Zordon that had reminded the group that maybe Kimberly and Tommy would like to spend some time alone. They had laughed at their friends' sheepish expression just before they had en masse teleported out of the chamber.

Dinner and a movie had been the original plan they had made, but Kim had suddenly decided that she'd rather have the evening be the two of them without distraction. A quick stop at KFC to pick up some suitable picnic food and they had headed for the park. Tommy had laid out his emergency blanket from his truck for them and they had talked and laughed all through their meal. He had always loved to listen to Kim talk. Others might have perceived her rolling topic changes as being air-headed, but Tommy had always thought of it more as a way to see into Kim's mind. Whatever she thought she said, no matter how trivial or meaningful.

He had contently listened, laid out on his side, his upper body propped up by his elbow, as she had rambled on about anything that had come to her mind. He had watched the expression change on her face depending on the topic, her body and hand gestures acting out everything she had said. There had been another reason that Tommy had tried to concentrate on Kim's voice and face. He had been desperately trying not to notice the way the knot she had tied below her breasts in her thin rose colored T-shirt had molded the material to her chest. Or that her cut-off jean shorts had showed off her legs, made even more sleek and shapely by the training that she had been undergoing. Tommy had been fighting his desires for Kim from the very beginning of their relationship. At first he had held back because of the other team members then it had been out of respect for Kimberly, but in that moment all his resolve had failed him.

He had wanted her so badly that evening and he had missed her so much that just being able to look at her and be with her had been enough to drown his senses. He had already been in a daze when Kimberly had started to crawl her way to him from across the old worn blanket. Tommy hadn't been able to or wanted to protest when she had slid her body next to his. He had been helpless to do anything more than let his eyes drift closed when she had started to kiss him and play with his hair.

Before long, Kim had worked him over onto his back and herself onto his thighs. It had taken him a moment to realize that his shirt had been pulled from his pants and pushed up his chest. Kim had somehow managed to work his belt free without his assistance and had been working on pushing the material of his pants downward. As little bits of reality had forced their way into his pleasure-fogged mind, Tommy had found himself tugging at the knot in her shirt as she had moved her mouth across his bared chest.

Kim had moaned out loud and it had been like a bucket of ice water over his head to Tommy. He had never heard her make such a noise in all the time they had been together and he had realized it had been because he had worked his other hand into the back of her shorts and had been unconsciously massaging the flesh there. Startled by how fast things had gotten out of hand, Tommy had sat up quickly, but that hadn't dislodged Kimberly much. She had continued her assault on his senses by biting and licking at his neck while her hands had trailed down his rippled abdomen. When her fingertips had passed his navel and made an attempt to delve behind his underwear, Tommy had been forced to place Kimberly beside him or lose his mind.

Tommy remembered stumbling through an apology as he had tried to put his clothing to rights. When he had spared a look at Kim he had noticed that she looked a bit embarrassed also. He had cursed his lack of control when he had seen the way Kimberly had hung her head, hiding her face and refused to meet his eyes afterward. When he had been more decently covered, he had offered to take Kim back to Kat's where she had been staying. Kim had agreed and they had hardly spoken a word on the way over. The next day all of them had met again for a day of just hanging out, but it had been interrupted before it got started by Zordon's call. He had never gotten to say good-bye to her, and by the time the fight had been done Kim had already taken her flight back to Florida.

It had been only three weeks later that he had received the letter that had ripped his heart unceremoniously from his chest and plopped it still beating at his feet. Tommy had been completely blind-sided by Kim's letter, and for months afterward he had wondered. Over the years he had replayed that night again and again, wondering that maybe if he had of given in that Kimberly wouldn't have left him. Tommy forced himself to stop thinking about the past and things he couldn't change. Water under the bridge, Oliver. Just find your stupid keys!

Tommy made his way around his trailer hoping that maybe he had left his keys in his '69 Firebird. After an hour of searching through the interior of the car and his packed suitcase in the passenger seat, Tommy finally admitted defeat. He looked through the back windshield at his race crew pretending not to watch him, and Tommy could see that by the way they were chuckling that they knew exactly where his keys where. As he approached them he readied himself for the teasing he was about to get.

"Anyone seen my keys?" Tommy asked, trying to get the ribbing done and over with as soon as possible.

"What'z it worth to ya?" Ricky asked, stoking his short black goatee. The other guys snickered.

"Come on guys. I what to be in Angel Grove by nightfall," Tommy reminded them.

"Ah, hot date with an old honey?" Jim asked, knowing full well what it would lead to.

"Naw, man. You know both his ex-girls are in London," Ricky winked at the rest of the guys before continuing, "living with each other."

Tommy could feel the blush burn his neck as the guys laughed at the old joke. It never failed to fluster Tommy to be reminded that his two high school girlfriends had been roommates for such a long time. There were always naughty little suggestions about the girls' relationship that Tommy had stop trying to forestall a long time ago. The guys were going to say whatever they wanted, plus they only did it because they knew it got a reaction out of him. Of course it didn't help matters that Kim's letters almost always came with pictures of the two of them and a boyfriend was never mentioned, for either of them which had always puzzled him. What ever happened to the 'One' that Kim had left me for? Tommy thought snidely to himself.

Adding insult to injury, not once had he heard word one about the guy in Florida. Of course it had been three years between when Kim had broken up with him and when she had started writing her letters after Zordon's death. A lot could have happen in that time, but nothing was ever said in any of the letters Kimberly or any of his other friends had written. Tommy imagined that if anyone did know it would be Jason or Kat, and neither one of them would probably tell him just to spare his feelings.

Tommy had once made the mistake of leaving one of Kim's mass mailed correspondences out one time, and the guys had picked it up almost immediately. Thankfully Kim had always made sure never to directly reference any of their past lives as rangers, so Tommy hadn't had to worry about their secret getting out. Unfortunately that particular letter had contained pictures from one of the girls' vacations to one of the French Riviera's topless beaches. Even though none of the pictures showed anything too revealing of the girls, the photos had really stirred the crew up. They weren't the only ones, Tommy reminded himself thinking of his own reaction to seeing Kim and Kat posing for the camera arm in arm in nothing but bikinis.

Now every time he got a new letter he had to share it with the crew. The guys always got a kick out of Kim's rambling glorified portrayal of his friends' lives. She always made every event seem like it was the most important thing to talk about. Every time Jason, Rocky or Tanya passed their exams, they heard about it. When Aisha got back from Africa and finished her GED, they heard about it. When Justin fell head over heals for a girl, they heard about it. When Trini got the measles and Zack had to nurse her through it, they heard about it. There was nothing that Kim didn't talk about in her letters, and it always surprised him when he would read about himself.

Kim's letters were mailed to all the rangers, despite the fact that she talked to most of them on the phone or emailed them regularly. She had said that it was because she could never keep track of what she told whom so she just covered all her bases by sending them all the same letter with the salutation always being 'Hey Guys!' Even though Tommy had infrequent contact with the other rangers (which was usually mentioned in the letters) Kim always seemed to find out things about him.

Like the time he got a ticket for parking in a red zone while trying to help a little old lady pick up the groceries she had drop, or the time that he got lost on the way to a race and almost missed it. She always included the other stuff like what races he was in the time and date, but that information was something that anyone could get. He had suspected years ago that either Kimberly or Katherine still kept in contact with his mother, but as of yet, he hadn't had the courage to directly ask his mother if it was true. In a way he didn't want to be disappointed to find out it wasn't Kim asking about him.

"So, Oliver what you got in trade for your keys?" Ricky asked.

"I'll let you use my trailer for the whole time I'm gone," Tommy offered, unable to think of anything else.

"Damn, boy! You must be desperate to get back home!" Ricky exclaimed, tossing the keys that he had had in his pocket to their owner.

"Just leave the guy alone, Rick." Jim grumbled. "It's the first time he's seen his friends in a year."

"Yeah, and I hope I still remember where Jase lives," Tommy confessed to the crew.

"Well, ya know where he works, just show up there." Ricky suggested.

"Probably going to have to. By the time I get to Angel Grove it's going to be lunchtime. See you guys later." Tommy called back to them as he jogged back to his car. They yelled back for him to drive careful and he waved back as he pulled away.

It was going to take Tommy almost three hours to get to Angel Grove. Hardly anytime at all when you consider that he spent that much time twice a week, just going around in circles. Tommy settled himself into his seat, rolled down the window and turned on the radio in an attempt to not let himself drift into his driving zone. The almost meditative state that he had dubbed his 'driving zone' allowed Tommy to be aware of all the other drivers on the track in relation to himself. It wasn't an overly aggressive posture, in fact it was one of the reasons he had only won one race, but Tommy held an industry record because of it. Four years and Tommy hadn't crashed, not even once and he still managed to make his presence known in the standings. While the 'zone' was great for racing, where your only choice is to go left, it did not suit well for everyday driving that involved right turns and off-ramps.

Tommy wasn't too concerned about finding his way to Angel Grove. He had made the trip many times over the course of four years, from various locations. It was once he got into the city limits that he needed to pay closer attention. About two years ago, Angel Grove had ceased being a target of monster attacks. In fact, from what Tommy gathered from the news, nearby Turtle Cove was the new hot spot with its own set of Power Rangers combating the problem. Because of the newfound peace in the city, Angel Grove had started expanding. Each time Tommy came back there was a new road or new construction making it difficult for him to maneuver around the city. After an entire year passing, Tommy was sure that there would be new surprises waiting for him in downtown Angel Grove.

End part 5