Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers. My life would be so different if I did.

A/N: Just to let you know, this story is not related to any of my other stories. The idea and basic premise for this story belongs to Lord Trixs. I hope I do it justice. The story starts out just about a week before Tommy becomes the white tiger ranger. Hope you like it.

It was a sunny Saturday morning in Angel Grove. The temperature was warm for this time of year. At the local youth center, Ernie, the owner, was just opening his doors. He knew that Saturday was always a busy day for him. He wanted to have everything ready for the kids who would be arriving very shortly.

In the park, a tall, broad shouldered young man was walking towards the youth center. He had dark brown hair that he kept cut short. Dark brown eyes looked at you from a handsome face. His short-sleeved red top hid his shoulder muscles from view, but you could clearly see the well-developed muscles in his upper and lower arms. The top was loose, not showing the well-defined muscles of his upper chest and stomach. His slim waist and hips were hidden beneath the top as well, powerful leg muscles hidden beneath the loose fitting red pants he had on. White sneakers showed under the hem of the pants as he walked.

The young man came to the lake in the park and moved off the trail, walking over to stand at the lake's edge. He looked out over the calm waters, watching them as a gentle breeze stirred them just a little. He gave a little sigh as his mind wandered over the events of the past few weeks.

The rangers were in the command center, having teleported into it after defeating another of Zedd's monsters.

Jason, the red morphing ranger, shot out his left hand, gripping the green ranger's arm to keep him from falling over.

Tommy, the green ranger, shook his head, un-morphing and giving Jason a small smile. "Thanks, bro," he said quietly.

Jason nodded, letting go of Tommy's arm when he was sure that he was not going to fall over. He un-morphed, watching Tommy from the corner of his eye. Guilt began to weigh heavy on him as he realized that Tommy's powers were becoming weaker after each battle they fought. He was blaming himself for not stopping this from happening. Jason stepped back as the other rangers moved to Tommy, wanting to make sure that he was all right.

Jason stood beside the lake, bending down and picking up a few stones. He began to skip them over the water as his thoughts continued to go over the past few battles they had had with the green ranger at their side.

Tommy took a powerful hit from one of the putties, staggering back and going down to his knees. He looked up, stunned and helpless, as another putty approached him. He put his head down, waiting for the blow that he knew was coming.

Jason moved, flipping over Tommy and landing in front of him, blocking the blow of the putty and sending a powerful blow into its chest. He turned to Tommy as the putty broke apart, leaning down with his hand held out. He pulled Tommy to his feet, making sure he could stand on his own, before turning back to fight some more of the putties.

Tommy stood back, trying to get his strength back as he watched Jason dispatch three more putties. He sighed under his helmet, feeling like an inconvenience to the other rangers. He shook his head and got back into the fight.

Jason skipped another rock across the calm waters, his mind going to the last time he saw Tommy here in Angel Grove.

"I have to go, Jason," Tommy said, standing in the family room at Jason's house. "I need time to adjust to not having the powers anymore. Some time away from here, without having to deal with Zedd or his putties, will do me some good."

Jason looked at Tommy, trying to fight down the guilt that was building up in him. "If I had gotten the green candle, this never would have happened," he said, the guilt clearly in his voice. "You would still have your powers and still be a part of the team. I'm sorry I let you down, Tommy."

Tommy walked over to Jason, putting a hand on his shoulder. "This is not your fault, Jason," he said, conviction strong in his voice. "Rita started this and Zedd finished it. You did everything you could to help me. Stop beating yourself up over this."

Jason looked into Tommy's eyes, the guilt still heavy upon him. "I should have done more," he said, anger creeping into his voice. "As the leader, I'm supposed to protect you and the others. I failed at that and now you're no longer a part of the team."

Tommy grabbed Jason's shoulders, gripping them strongly. "I'm not blaming you for this," he said in a low voice. "And I won't let you blame yourself for it either. You are a great leader, Jason. You did not let me down, or any of the others. You have done more to keep us safe than any of us thought was possible. Stop blaming yourself for something you couldn't control."

Jason stood in silence, not sure what to say to Tommy.

Tommy tightened his grip on Jason's shoulders, looking into his eyes. "I'm not leaving until I hear you agree with me, Jason," he said quietly. "Tell me that you won't keep blaming yourself for this, please. I can't go away until I know that my best friend is going to be okay with this."

Jason slowly nodded, letting his breath out slowly. "I'll be okay," he said. "Just don't stay away too long. Part of the team or not, you will always be a ranger."

Tommy pulled Jason into a hug, feeling Jason return it. He gave Jason a small smile as they pulled back. "I'll see you soon, Jason," he said, turning to leave the house. "Keep an eye on Kim for me. I'll be back before you know it."

Jason managed to give Tommy a small smile, keeping silent as he watched Tommy walk out of the room.

Jason shook his head as the memories stopped. He sighed once again, then turned from the lake and headed towards the youth center. He had thought he was over the guilt of Tommy losing his powers, especially after getting the letter from Tommy a few days ago. The letter had enabled Jason to let go of the guilt long enough to win the karate tournament last week, but he was feeling it start to come on again. He was beginning to wish he had lost his powers instead, letting Tommy stay with the rangers in his place. That would have made Kim happy, he knew that.

Jason's thoughts went to Kim as he drew closer to the youth center. That was another issue he had to deal with. He sighed once again as he thought about telling her how he really felt about her. He was crazy about her, not just as a friend. He had thought about telling her his feelings, but had chickened out every time the opportunity came up. He had thought that, once Tommy had left, the timing would be right. Every time he thought he felt brave enough to do it, she mentioned Tommy and he kept his mouth shut. He shook his head, a cynical smile coming to his face. It won't matter how you feel, he thought. She likes Tommy and does not have eyes for anyone else. Telling her would just ruin your friendship. Jason shook his head once again as he drew close to the youth center's entrance. He would just have to forget all of this for now. He had to concentrate on his martial arts classes this morning. The kids did not need their instructor to be distracted by his personal problems.

Ernie smiled as he saw Jason enter the youth center. "Morning, Jason," he said, walking over to the bar as Jason sat on one of the stools. "You're here early."

Jason smiled at Ernie. "Mom and dad are both at work," he said. "I didn't want to sit around an empty house, so I decided to come here. I'll get in a good workout on the weights before my classes start."

Ernie nodded, handing Jason a glass of water. "Want some breakfast," he asked, knowing that Jason often didn't fix his own when his parents were working.

Jason grinned. "Sounds good," he said. "Nothing heavy though. I don't want the kids to show me up because I'm too full from eating."

Ernie grinned. "All right," he said. "I'll make it a two egg omelet, instead of three."

Jason chuckled as Ernie turned from the bar and headed into the kitchen. He sat sipping his water, looking around the empty youth center. He was definitely early.

Ernie came out of the kitchen a few minutes later, setting a plate down in front of Jason with an omelet and a couple pieces of toast. He poured Jason a glass of juice, smiling at him. "Enjoy," he said. "This one is on me."

Jason opened his mouth to protest, but stopped as Ernie held up his hand.

"No, Jason," Ernie said. "I'm not taking any money for this. You help me out whenever I need it. Just enjoy it and consider it payment for hauling heavy things for me."

Jason grinned at Ernie. "Thanks, Ernie," he said. "I appreciate that."

Ernie nodded and headed back towards his office, wanting to get some paperwork done before his busy time started.

Jason sat at the bar, eating his breakfast in silence. He had just finished when the first few people started filing into the youth center.

Jason came out of the locker room, having changed into his karate outfit after working out on the weights. He smiled as some of his students from his first class came into the youth center. Jason set his gym bag on the bench, and then went over to the mats. He began stretching out, getting his muscles loose for his class.

Two girls walked towards the youth center later that morning, talking to each other about plans for later in the day.

One of the girls was tall and slim, long dark hair falling down her back to about the middle of it. She was very pretty, with brown eyes that seemed to sparkle with a love of life. She was dressed in a yellow tank top with yellow jeans and white sneakers. She was just about the nicest girl in Angel Grove, open and friendly to everyone she met.

Her friend was also pretty, her light brown hair falling to just past her shoulders. Her brown eyes sparkled with a love of life. She was slim and very petite, standing a good three inches shorter than her friend. She had on a pink tank top, under a white short-sleeved shirt that was open in the front. She wore dark pink shorts and pink sneakers. She was excited to get to the youth center, wanting to share some news with her friends.

The two girls walked into the youth center, glancing over at the mats to see their friend Jason teaching his last martial arts class. They headed over to a table, taking a seat and watching Jason as he worked with his students.

The tall girl smiled, glancing at her friend. "Jason is so good with those kids, Kim," she said. "They just seem to hang on his every word."

Kim smiled, nodding at her friend. "I know, Trini," she said. "They all look up to him like he was a hero. If only they knew just how much of a hero he is, they would be floored."

Trini smiled, nodding in agreement. "I know," she said. "But, I think that would just make them admire him more."

Kim nodded, looking up as two boys entered the youth center. She waved to them, smiling as they walked over to the table.

One of the boys was tall and slim, wiry muscles showing on his arms under the short-sleeved white top he was wearing. His face was good looking, but not in an eye catching way. His light brown hair was cut short, but not as short as his friend Jason. His blue eyes were hidden beneath wire-rimmed glasses. He had on blue jeans and blue sneakers. He smiled at the girls as he took a seat, his attention drawn to the mats as he watched Jason teaching his class.

The other boy was not as tall as his friend, but he was still slim. Hard muscles covered his body. His dark face was also good looking, but he did not attract as much attention as Jason. He didn't mind, though, having eyes for only one girl. He was the nicest person in the entire city, smiling easily and having a love for life. He wore a multi-colored shirt over black shorts, black sneakers on his feet. He smiled at the girls as he sat down. "Hey, Kim, Trini," he said. "What's going on?"

Kim smiled at him. "We just got here, Zack," she said. "I have some good news, but wanted to wait until Jason is finished his class and can join us."

The other boy turned to Kim, smiling at her. "Can't you give us a hint," he asked.

Kim shook her head. "Not until Jason can join us, Billy," she said. "He'll want to hear this too."

Jason smiled at his students as the class ended. "Good job, everyone," he said. "Keep working on your moves and I'll see you next week." He put his hands to his sides, bowing to his students as they did the same. He grinned as the kids moved away, going over to their parents who were waiting for them. He walked over to his gym bag, pulling a bottle of water out and taking a drink. He heard someone walk up behind him and turned, smiling at the young man who approached him. "Hey, Derek," Jason said. "How are you this morning?"

Derek smiled at Jason. "Hi, J-j-jason," he stuttered. "I'm f-f-fine. How are you?"

"Just fine, Derek," Jason said. He looked past Derek and tensed slightly, seeing three boys walking up behind the young man. He gently grabbed Derek's arm, pulling him to the side and watching the three boys warily.

One of the boys, the leader, was tall and heavily muscled. He stood two inches taller than Jason and outweighed him by twenty pounds. He was a menacing figure, his face usually wearing an angry expression. He came to a stop in front of Jason, looking at Derek with a glare. "Look who's here, boys," he said to his two friends. "The dummy."

Jason moved to stand right in front of the boy, not intimidated by him at all. "Back off, Gary," he said his voice low and threatening. "Don't start something you won't be able to finish."

Gary turned his glare to Jason, looking him up and down slowly. "Not even on your best day, Scott," he said, sensing his friends moving to stand on either side of him. "Just stay out of this and mind your own business."

"Derek's my friend," Jason said, refusing to back down. "That makes this my business. Mess with my friends, you mess with me."

Gary looked at Jason, trying to stare him down, but failing. He gave Jason an ugly smile. "You looking for a fight, Scott," he asked, noticing his two friends moving to stand on either side of Jason.

Jason did not pay attention to Gary's friends, keeping his eyes locked on Gary. "No, just trying to keep you from doing something you'll regret," he said. "So, just go away and leave Derek alone."

Billy and Zack stood up, moving from the table and heading towards the mats. They knew Jason could take Gary, but also knew that Gary would not fight fair if it came to that. Before they could reach Jason, three more guys moved towards the group on the mat, wanting to intervene before things got out of hand.

One of the guys, matching Gary in height and weight, came to a stop right behind him. "Is there a problem, Gary," he said, smiling as Gary spun around to look at him.

Gary looked at the guy, shaking his head. "No problem, Steve," he said. "Just talking, that's all."

Steve smirked at Gary. "Right," he said. He glanced past Gary to look at Jason, and then met Gary's eyes once again. "If you want to take Jason on, go ahead," he said. "But your friends stay out of it, got it?"

Gary stiffened, knowing that with Steve and his two friends there, his friends would not take part in anything he tried to do. He glanced over his shoulder at Jason, narrowing his eyes at him. "One of these days, Scott," he began, "we'll meet up when none of your friends are around. Then we'll see just how tough you are." He nodded to his friends and moved around Steve, heading out of the youth center.

Jason relaxed, looking at Steve and giving him a grin. "Thanks," he said. "That could have gotten real ugly."

Steve smiled at Jason. "Anytime, Jason," he said. "Any friend of my brother's is a friend of mine." He looked at Derek as he moved to stand in front of Jason. "Are you ready to go, Derek," he asked.

Derek nodded, looking at Jason. "Bye, J-j-jason," he said. "I'll s-s-see you n-n-next w-w-week."

Jason gave Derek a broad smile. "Keep working on your moves, Derek," he said. "You'll make yellow belt before you know it."

Derek beamed, nodding at Jason. He picked up his gym bag and left the youth center with his brother and his friends.

Jason let his breath out slowly, turning to grab his gym bag. He turned back around, grinning at Zack and Billy as they walked over to him. "Hey, guys," he said. "Come to see the show?"

Zack grinned at Jason, shaking his head. "Only you would see it that way, Jason," he said. "What was that all about anyway?"

Jason shrugged. "Gary was trying to start trouble with Derek," he said. "I was just making sure that he knew how I felt about it."

Billy frowned at Jason. "Gary Wilkerson is not someone to mess around with, Jason," he said. "He's as mean as they come."

Jason nodded at Billy. "I know that," he said. "But, I'm not afraid of him. Nobody picks on my friends when I'm around." He slung his gym bag over his shoulder. "I'm going to grab a quick shower," he said. "I'll join you guys in a few minutes."

Zack and Billy watched Jason walk towards the locker room, then exchanged glances. "This could be something we'll have to keep our eyes on," Billy said. "I don't see Gary letting this go at all."

Zack nodded in agreement. He put his hand on Billy's shoulder. "Let's go join the girls again," he said. "I can't wait to hear Kim's news once Jason is with us."

Billy nodded and the two of them walked back over to the table and sat down.

Jason sat down at the table with his friends, smiling at the girls. "Hey, Kim, Trini," he said. "What's new?"

Kim smiled at him. "Well, now that you've joined us, I can share my news," she said. She looked at the others. "I got a letter from Tommy yesterday. He's coming home. He'll be here by the end of the week."

Smiles broke out on everyone's faces. "That's great to hear," Zack said. "It will be good to see him again."

Billy nodded. "It sure will," he said. "We should do something to welcome him back."

Trini smiled, nodding her head in agreement. "That sounds like a great idea, Billy," she said. "We could throw him a surprise party. That would let him know just how glad we are to see him again."

The others nodded in agreement, liking the idea of a party to welcome their friend home.

Jason sat back, listening to the others plan the party. He was glad that Tommy was coming back, but his emotions were mixed up inside. This likely meant that Tommy and Kim would pick up right where they left off, a thought that did not make Jason happy. He mentally shook his head, trying to get those thoughts out of his mind. He had had his chance to tell Kim how he felt, now that chance was gone. Tommy was coming back and by the look on Kim's face, he knew that he could not tell her his feelings now. He would just have to stand back and watch the two of them, not letting either of them know just how he felt. This was going to be a long week for him.

A/N: Let me know what you think. I'm still working on my other story as well as this one. I don't know when I'll update either one, but I'll do both of them when I can. Thanks for reading.