EPILOUGE

As T.J. Pressed his foot to the brake, the car seemed to take an exceptionally long time to finally come to a halt.  Sitting on the passengers side, Andros nervously fidgeted with the small box in his hands.  His clammy palms gripping it tightly, he scooted up a bit in his seat, feeling the sweat on his lower back stick to the apoulstry. 

Through the windshield, a colorfully decorated sign read 'Angel Grove Park.' Parking against the curb, it didn't take them long to realize this was the spot.  The hill was tall, yet certainly not too steep.  Coated with freshly mowed grass, a single tree was perched at it's peak.  It's branches were long, and spread out, which might have provided a relieving shady spot on a bright spring day.  Sitting next to the tree was a park bench, which at the moment, was unoccupied.

T.J. watched as the sun slowly began to sink.  It had taken them the entire day to

set this long awaited reunion up.  Originally, Andros had opted to spend the day on the Megaship, alone with his thoughts.  T.J. however, would hear nothing of it.  Thus, the two men had spent the entire day at his apartment, rehearsing a speech nearly three years in the making.  Andros had been surprisingly calm the entire day, simply talking with T.J., and bouncing ideas off of him.  He'd even gone out to get her a beautiful bouquet of daisies, he'd remembered they were her favorite. 

Even T.J. however, wasn't quite sure what he'd brought in the golden box he held in his hands. 

Overall, things had gone surprisingly smooth…

Until they'd gotten in the car.

T.J. looked over at his friend.  Even after an almost three year period of idleness in their relationship, T.J. knew he'd never seen his Kerovan friend in this state of mind.  It was always somewhat of a light shock to him whenever Andros strayed from his usual withdrawn, reserved personality. 

Thus, this entire mission had been one shocking surprise after another.

Though it suddenly occurred to him that he'd never seen Andros so apprehensive before, let alone fidgeting like he was.  Considering the Kerovan's usual state, T.J. couldn't help but find a bit of guilty humor in it all.

He flashed a smile.  "Nervous?" Even before the word left his lips, he realized the utter idiocy of the statement.

Judging from the look of rebuttal, Andros realized it too.  "W-what gave me away?"

Noticing the stutter in his voice, T.J. placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.  ""Just trying and relax Andros," he said, trying to muster up some measure of comfort in his voice.  "Everything's going to be fine.  You'll see-"

"But what if it isn't?" Andros cut him off.  "What if it isn't fine?"

Taking his eyes away from the Kerovan's deep brown ones, the young man shook his head.  "Why wouldn't it be?"

Andros moved away from his friend's hand, and leaned his head against the window. What followed was a silence that spread the Kerovan's anxiety across the seat to T.J. 

"I don't deserve her you know." he finally said, his voice no longer nervous.  He was simply stating a fact.  "I walked away from her.  I abandoned her.  She deserves someone who won't run away…ever. 

"Ashley deserves a real hero."

T.J. nodded, not to agree with his friend, but to let him know he understood.  He'd known this day been all too easy.  After three years away from the woman you love, you didn't just buy her some daisies, wrap something in a box, and say hello.  He'd seen enough soap operas to know that.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Theodore J Jarvis Johnson looked deep in his heart, and found the words.

"Maybe she doesn't want a hero," he said "Maybe all she wants, is you."

Andros looked up at him.

"And besides that, you don't need me to tell you your a hero.  You don't need to think about saving the universe from Astronema, or stopping the Machine Empire, to know you're a hero pal."

T.J.'s eyes drifted up the hill.  "Why don't you go up there, and ask her?  She'll tell you what a hero you are.  With any luck, you walk up that hill, and you'll be saving her from a broken heart.  And I think you know that's something the Red Space Ranger can't prevent.

"But Andros can."

The Kerovan exhaled through his nose.  "What if she's just come here to tell me how pitiful I was for leaving, and how she could never love a man like that?"

T.J. took another look, then shook his head.  "The important thing isn't that you ran away, but that you found it in your heart to come back to her, and correct the mistake you made.  Your love for her never died, Andros.  I knew that from the moment I first saw you at the spaceport.  Now why don't you go up there, and let Ashley see it?"

"But…" T.J. could barely hear him speak.  "What if her love for me died?"

T.J.'s head drooped a bit, knowing that despite what he'd said on the Megaship, that was in fact a possibility.

Finally, he shrugged.  "I guess there's only one way to find out."

Looking at him, T.J. could see that it was taking a moment for Andros to take it all in, as it would any man.

Then at last, he gave a slow, brave nod.  "You're right."

T.J. grinned from ear to ear, and gently slapped him on the chest.  "Now, go get 'em tiger."

He nodded once again, this time much quicker.  Reaching into the back seat, Andros picked up the daisies, and opened the car door.

"Wait."

Half out the car door, the Kerovan stopped.

T.J. smiled, guiltily.  "I'm sorry man, but I have to ask." he motioned toward the golden box in his hand.  "What'd you get her?"          

Andros' eyes quickly dropped downward.  "Oh!" he said, surprised.  "I almost forgot!" He looked up at T.J.  "This isn't for Ashley."

"What?"

Alternating the flower and the box between his hands, Andros held it out toward T.J..

Now it was T.J.'s turn to be surprised.  Frowning, he took the golden box.    "What?  What's this?"

Andros stole a downward glance.  "It's…it's something I owe you."

With a confused smile, T.J. held the gift back toward Andros.  "Thanks buddy, but you really don't owe me anything."

Ignoring his friend's hand, Andros stepped out of the car.  "Yes I do." he said.   "You're a good friend T.J..  I wouldn't be here right now without your help.  I hope you realize what that means to me."

Trying not to blush, and realizing it was not a gift he could return, T.J. brought his hand back.  His eyes looked the bright box up and down. 

"Besides," Andros finished, just before slamming the door shut.  "You deserve it."  With those words, the Kerovan began his journey into Angel Grove Park, and up the hill toward the woman he loved.

Feeling a bit like a little boy on Christmas morning, T.J.'s heart pumped with a curious anticipation as he lifted up the lid.

What he saw nearly reduced him to tears.

Looking up toward the hill's peak, T.J. had to squint to see the distant form of a woman in a wheelchair peeking up over the horizon.  Her familiar long, brownish blonde hair flowed like a peaceful river with the evening breeze.  Against the sky, a bright pink from the setting sun, she was like an angel.

Clutching the Blue Astro Morpher in his hands, T.J. Simply watched as Andros make his way up the hill, toward the angel. 

    *                *                *

Inserting his key into the front door of his small, suburban house, Tommy Oliver turned it sideways, and let himself in. 

Walking into darkness, Tommy checked his watch.  Almost a quarter past two in the morning.  He hadn't expected her to wait up for him at this hour, though a small part of him had kept his hopes up. 

His broad muscles were stiff as he wriggled out of his leather jacket, which felt heavy after the long drive.  Had they still lived back in Angel Grove, the trip wouldn't have been nearly as long.  But since they'd purchased this house out in the suburbs of Stone Canyon, a trip to the N.A.S.A.D.A. Spaceport was a voyage in itself.  It had taken him a total of six hours to get home, counting a pit stop at a gas station, and a relaxing meal at a place now known as the "Surf Spot" in Angel Grove.   The drive had left him tired, and longing for a hot shower, and some quality time with his bed. 

But as Tommy kicked off his shoes, and stepped a bit further inside, what he saw on the couch stopped him dead in his tracks. 

He smiled She looked so cute, curled up with a blanket, and spread out across the sofa.  The television was still on, it's flickering light casting a gleam across her gorgeous complexion. 

So she had been waiting up for him after all.     

Switching off the television, he kneeled down next to her on the sofa.  For a moment he simply watched her breathe, settled down so peacefully in a tranquil slumber.  Then he reached over to touch her hand.  To think, less than forty eight hours ago, he thought he might never see her again.  The mere suggestion had nearly broken his heart.  Touching the diamond ring on her finger, and then looking down at his own, it had been hard enough to leave her for so long.  To not see her, hear her, or feel her presence.  It had been more painful that any blaster shot, or sword wound.

And yet, she had understood.  After all, she had been a Power Ranger herself.  Knowing her wisdom, perhaps she knew he'd missed it even before he did.  He supposed that was what it like to have a soul mate. 

Brushing his fingers through her strawberry blonde hair, he placed a gentle kiss on to her soft tender lips.

As he pulled away, she let out a soft, stirring moan.  Her ocean blue blinked open, as she stared light-headedly at her husband.

"Mmmmm…Tommy?"

He kissed her on the forehead.  "Shhhhh, it's okay Katherine.  Go back to sleep."

Turning a bit against the sofa, she closed her eyes again.  "Mmmmm, how did it go?" her Australian accent mumbled, only half awake.

Tommy smiled, for a moment, thinking of the nine brave men he'd fought alongside to defeat the forces of evil one last time.  "Pretty good." he whispered.  "We saved the world."

Katherine made a barely audible sound, and then drifted back into her dreams.

As he stood, and made his way up the stairs to the bedroom, Tommy's thoughts wondered back to the conversation he'd had with Jason in the eatery on the Megaship.  It had been as if they'd never separated.  Their lives as Power Rangers had brought them together in a bond not unlike a brotherhood. 

Perhaps that was why he always called him 'bro.'

  He'd asked Jason if he ever missed it.  He'd told the truth and said "occasionally", while Tommy had for the most part, denied missing it at all.  He felt guilty about lying to Jason.  Though, there were just some times that it was hard to admit that he sometimes missed it.  And that there were still brief moments in his life, where he wished he hadn't given it all up.

Just then, a loud sound pierced the silence of the dead night.  Bringing a stop to what he was doing, it didn't take Tommy long to realize what it was.  He'd grown all to familiar with it by now.  Half undressed, he pulled on an undershirt, and quickly made his way into across the hall. 

Stepping into a room decorated with teddy bear wallpaper, and nearly tripping over a toy left in the doorway, he quickly peeked over the edge of the crib.  Half smiling, half dreading the chore, Tommy reached into the crib, and picked his infant son up into his arms. 

Holding the baby up against his shoulder, Tommy began a slow, circular rotation around the room, gently rocking back and forth.  He let a soft "shhhhh" escape between his teeth every few moments, attempting persuading his son to go back to sleep. 

But it wasn't working, not tonight.  And so, as he and Katherine had started doing lately, he proceeded to sing softly to the child.  Letting each note flow rhythmically through his lips, and into the baby's ears.

Slowly but surely…the crying stopped.

Half relieved, half disappointed that he had to put him down, Tommy set the baby back into his crib.  For a moment, he braced his hands against the side of the crib, and just stared.  He was so small.  His little face, his curled up little arms and legs, all his tiny fingers and toes.  He was so wonderful, so beautiful.  Even now, after four months, Tommy could barely believe it.

Just then, he looked up to see Katherine peeking through the doorway.  He smiled at her, and motioned her forward.  Wrapping her in his arms, the two parents stood proudly, and watched their child sleep warmly, comfortably, and peacefully in his crib.

Then, he remembered why he gave it all up.