Disclaimer: Power Rangers and all related characters are owned by Saban Entertainment/International, used without permission. I intend in no way to present this as an official representation of the afore-mentioned characters. I am not in any way paid for this; this is simply for myself and the reader's pleasure. Any and all mistakes are mine and mine alone. All original characters are property of myself, the girl in the red jacket.

Author's Note: This story is set after the original Rangers have retired and the Space Rangers are around. For the sake of this story the original Rangers are in their early twenties. Any and all mistakes are mine. Please don't think I'm morbid or disgutsting for writing this. I don't hate Jason either, he's my favourite Power Ranger in fact. But this story wouldn't go away. Part of the reason was I started it about a year after one of my best friends diagnosed with lung cancer. He is my editor, my fellow Ranger fan, my good friend and my hero. There were times we weren't sure he was going to make it but I'm happy to say he went into remission just a few months ago. This is dedicated to him. I love you Gavin, I told you we could beat it!

Bad News
By The Girl in the Red Jacket

"Jason? Jase, are you here?" Tommy called opening the door to Jason's apartment with his spare key.

Jason was supposed to meet Tommy at their Dojo, they had been planning to spar together after classes but Jason had never shown up. Tommy remembered the last time Jason had missed sparring and shuddered slightly. Unlike himself, Jason was never late and usually when he missed sparring or any other set meeting something was up. Even though they had retired from being Rangers Tommy still worried when someone was late or something strange happened, he couldn't help it. Old habits die hard. After half and hour of waiting, Tommy had gone to find Jason, worried that something was amiss.

"Jase?" Tommy called entering the living room. He stopped in his tracks. The room was dark and Jason was sitting on the floor to one side. He made no sound even though Tommy knew Jason was aware of his presence.

"Jason? What's wrong?" Tommy asked quickly walking over and sitting beside his friend. Jason stayed silent for a few more seconds before answering in a flat, listless tone.

"Sorry, I wasn't up to sparring today." Jason said quietly, keeping his eyes on the ground.

"That's okay, I don't mind. But what's wrong?" Tommy asked softly knowing something was deeply amiss. Jason looked at him, the normally cheerful brown eyes had lost their sparkle.

"I have cancer." Jason replied in an emotionless tone. "It started in my lungs and it's spreading quickly to my other organs. I just found out today. I had a normal check up three days ago, yesterday they called me asking to run more tests and today they told me."

"Oh my God." Tommy whispered letting the words sink in. "What are you going to do?"

"There's nothing I can do." Jason's tone was dull and completely void of any emotion. "It's spread too much to be operated on. The only thing to do is to let it run it's course."

"You're just giving up?! What about radiation or…or chemotherapy? You can't just give up! You can't just let yourself…" Tommy trailed off not wanting to say the word.

"Die." Jason sighed. "I said the exact same thing to my doctor this morning. The cancer is too far advanced to respond to radiation, it won't make a big enough difference. Chemotherapy was an option but I said no. It would only buy me a few months, at the most, and it will make me sick the whole time. I don't want to spend the rest of my time throwing up all day."

"How long?" Tommy asked. Jason sighed again, looking wearier than he ever had before, even after giving up the Gold Ranger powers. "Jase, how long do you have left?"

"Not long. Less than a year. The doctors told me I won't make my next birthday." Jason replied feeling tears come to his eyes. He had not cried yet, everything was still sinking in. But Jason knew when the reality did hit him it would hit him hard. "On the X-ray of my lungs my whole left lung was cloudy. You couldn't even see it properly. My right lung is almost as bad and it's starting to cover my heart too."

"I don't know what to say." Tommy put his hand gently on Jason's shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't. Please don't do that. I don't want anyone's pity. I don't want people to look at me differently." Jason said quickly. This is what he was afraid of. "If I have less than a year left I want to spend it enjoying myself. I don't want to be treated differently, especially by my friends."

For a few seconds they both sat in complete silence. Tommy was at a loss for words. They had both been faced with death before but this seemed to be set in stone. There had always been some way, some hope, however unsure, that they could overcome the situation before. This time though, there was nothing to be done.

"I'm not telling anyone else." Jason remarked after a minute or so.

"Why?" Tommy asked quietly.

"You're my best friend, Tommy, my bro. I tell you everything and I know I can trust you not to treat me like I'm glass about to shatter. But the others don't know me as well as you do. No one knows me as well as you do, except maybe Billy." Jason replied softly. "I won't be able to stand it if everyone treats me like I'm about to break all the time. I can't live like that either."

"They'll notice something is up sooner or later." Tommy commented. Jason nodded slowly.

"I know, I'll tell them at some point but not right away. For a few months at least, I want to live as normally as I can. Once this gets out it won't be the same." Jason sighed. "Until I have to I'm not going to live that differently. I love my life, I don't want it to change."

"You know I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to." Tommy remarked. "I think you should tell them but I won't say anything until you want me to."

"Thanks, I will tell them, in awhile." Jason said softly.

"I do want you to know that I'll always be here if you need to talk or if you need or shoulder to cry on or if you need anything at all." Tommy said wanting to get that point out. Jason hesitated slightly.

"Near the end, well, I know near the end it's going to be bad and that I'll be in pain. If you don't want to be around when that happens I'll understand." Jason knew a little about what would happen near the end and about what kind of shape he would be in then. It scared him that no one would want to be around him then, but he couldn't blame them if they didn't.

Jason realized he would have to be hospitalized or move to a hospice then. His parents now lived in New York, he could always go live with them but he didn't want to leave Angel Grove. He hadn't spoken to his parents since he left the Peace Conference, they had been disappointed in him for leaving and since they were in New York and he was in Angel Grove there hadn't been much communication between them.

"Jason, no matter what happens I'm going to stick by you. I promise that whatever happens you won't be alone when you go through it. I'll be there with you." Tommy replied with more conviction than Jason had heard him use before.

"You don't know how much that means to me." Jason whispered feeling tears flood him. It was beginning to sink in, the harsh fate Jason had been dealt was hitting home now.

"You'd think that with all we've been through and how many times we've face death before that I wouldn't be scared." Jason felt the tears begin to streak down his face. "I can't explain why I'm so terrified."

Tommy said nothing but hugged Jason close and let Jason cry on his shoulder. Jason needed to get all his fears and sorrows and regrets out before he drowned in them. Tommy had said he would be there for Jason if he needed anything and Tommy was always true to his word. Tommy felt tears rolling down his own cheeks as well. His best friend, who was a brother him, would be gone in less than a year. After all the good they had done for the world it wasn't right or fair for Jason to die so young.

If anyone had walked in just then they would have been shocked to see two of the strongest and toughest Power Rangers ever, crying in each others arms. Weeping for all they were going to lose prematurely.