Yawning, she crawled out of bed and turned on her CD player, setting it to play track one as she walked into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. A smile creeped across her face as she heard A.J. McLean's voice.

Walking back into her room, she opened her closet and pulled a short black skirt and a purple boat-neck top from their hangers and began to sing along with the Backstreet Boys as she got dressed.

I may run and hide
When you're screamin' my name, alright
But let me tell you now
There are prices to fame, alright
All of our time spent in flashes of light

All you people can't you see, can't you see
How your love's affecting our reality
Every time we're down
You can make it right
And that makes you larger than life

Looking at the crowd
And I see your body sway, c'mon
Wishin' I could thank you in a different way, c'mon
'Cause all of your time spent keeps us alive

All you people can't you see, can't you see
How your love's affecting our reality
Every time we're down
You can make it right
And that makes you larger than life

All of your time spent keeps us alive

All you people can't you see, can't you see
How your love's affecting our reality
Every time we're down
You can make it right
And that makes you larger than life

Yeah, every time we're down
Yeah, you can make it right
Yeah, and that's what makes you larger than life

All you people can't you see, can't you see
How your love's affecting our reality
Every time we're down
You can make it right
And that makes you larger than life

A half-hour later, Stephanie was dressed and ready to go. She winced as her stomach growled while she fastened the buckles on her strappy platforms. I'm sorry, but I can't feed you now. Tommy's gonna be here any second, and I don't have time. Besides, I don't think that he wants a fat girlfriend, she told herself silently as she picked up her backpack up off the floor.

A knock sounded on the door, and Stephanie opened it to find her boyfriend, Tommy Oliver, waiting on the other side. "Hey, beautiful," he greeted her with a kiss. "You ready to go?" he questioned.

Stephanie grinned, tossing her curly hair over her shoulder. "Let's go."

Tommy opened the passenger side door of his red Jeep Wrangler for her, then went around to the driver's side and climbed in after Stephanie was safely inside. "Stephanie, are you okay?" he asked, noticing her pained expression as they fastened their seatbelts.

Stephanie jumped at the sound of Tommy's voice and turned around. "I'm fine, sweetheart. I'm just hungry."

"Do you want to run back in and grab something to eat before we leave? I can wait," he offered, searching her face. You know I wouldn't mind missing first period to be with you, he told her telepathically.

Stephanie smiled. "I'm okay. It won't matter if I miss breakfast today. I'm sure I'll survive," she reassured him. I survived just fine last week, she thought.

"If you're sure..." Tommy pulled away from the curb and began the drive to Angel Grove High School. Every so often, however, he'd glance at his girlfriend, who was staring out the window, lost in thought. Something's different. Stephanie looks smaller, more delicate than normal, but I don't know why. Maybe it's just my imagination. He dismissed the thought from his mind and pulled into the parking lot as they reached their destination.

Stephanie reached for Tommy's hand as they got out of the vehicle and headed for their locker. He's probably wondering by now why I'm so quiet today, she surmised, biting her lip. I just don't seem to have the energy to do anything today...

"Stephanie?"

Stephanie blinked, her mind returning to the present."Hmm?"

Tommy peered at her closely. "Steve, are you sure you're okay?" he asked as he got his books out of the locker and then closed it.

Stephanie nodded and instantly regretted it as the room began to spin. "I'm just tired. You know how I hate Monday mornings," she explained.

Tommy didn't look entirely convinced, but decided to leave it alone. He pulled her into an embrace and dropped a kiss in her hair. "I love you, sweetie."

Stephanie smiled as she raised her lips to his. Her eyes fluttered shut as Tommy's lips claimed hers, sending tingles throughout her body. Reluctantly, she pulled away. "I love you, but I'd better get to class. I've been late to first period too many times already because of you!" she mock-scolded him.

"I'll meet you at the Youth Center after school, all right?"

"Sounds like a plan!"

Lord Zedd walked into the throne room, overhearing his wife's remark. "What's going on, my dear?" he asked her as he settled himself on his throne.

Rita smiled. "Apparently, the Purple Ranger has a secret. She's slowly killing herself!" she revealed.

Zedd stared, stunned. "How do you know?"

"She's telepathic, remember? So am I. I can read her thoughts."

"Do you have an idea to destroy her?" Lord Zedd asked, noting Rita's mischievious grin.

"You'd better believe I do."

"Ready to go to the Youth Center?" a perky voice spoke up behind her. Stephanie whirled around to find Kimberly Hart, Rocky DeSantos, and Katherine Hillard behind her.

Stephanie grinned, abandoning her thoughts. "Definitely. I've got a new dance that I'm working on. Maybe you guys could tell me what you think," she suggested. "I've got a videotape with a couple of music videos on it because there were some really cute moves in them that I wanted to try out."

Kimberly nodded. "Sure, why not?" Then she grinned. "You don't happen to have any 'N Sync videos on that tape, do you?"

Stephanie smiled mysteriously. "I have Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears, as well as Brandy and Monica," she informed her.

"Oh, I'm there!" Kat piped up. "Nick Carter and A.J. McLean-mmm!"

Stephanie giggled. "My thoughts exactly," she responded as the four of them entered the Youth Center.

Rocky rolled his eyes. "I'll take Britney Spears, thank you," he told the girls.

"Yeah, watch her in that excuse for a school uniform!" Kimberly smirked.

Stephanie’s shoulders shook with laughter as she smiled at the owner of the Youth Center, Ernie. "Hey, Ernie. Do you mind if I play a tape for the guys on the VCR over here?" she asked him.

"Be my guest, Stephanie," he nodded.

"Thank you." A squeak escaped her as arms encircled her from behind. "Hi, Tommy."

Tommy grinned as he kissed her. "Hey, beautiful. What’s the videotape for?" he asked upon noticing it in her hand.

"Oh, there’s a few music videos I recorded off the tv so I could learn a few dance moves from them. Do you want to watch with us?" she invited him as Kimberly, Katherine, and Rocky all took a seat at the counter so they could watch.

Tommy grinned. "Sure."

Stephanie popped the tape in and pressed play. Almost immediately, Britney Spears came on-screen with her "…Baby One More Time" video.

"All right!" Rocky cheered as he caught sight of the infamous schoolgirl outfit that she was wearing.

Stephanie rolled her eyes. Typical Rocky, she commented to Tommy silently, who smirked.

I do not like that outfit Britney’s wearing, Tommy responded. I mean, she’s in shape and all, but somehow, she just looks anorexic.

As soon as he thought the words, Tommy knew he had hit a nerve. He looked directly at Stephanie, whose face had paled considerably. "Stephanie? What’s wrong?"

Stephanie heard the words in her mind. …she looks anorexic… She shook off the feeling. He doesn’t know about the pressure put on entertainers to look good, she mused. "Yeah, I’m fine," she replied automatically as she pressed the stop button on the VCR. "But did it ever occur to you why most women in the entertainment business are small?"

Kimberly sat up, aware of the tone her best friend’s voice had. Uh-oh, she groaned inwardly. Someone’s gonna get hurt.

Tommy looked at his girlfriend. "Most women in entertainment are small because of eating disorders," he replied. In the back of his mind, however, he questioned whatever possible reason Stephanie could have for asking that. Why is she asking me that? Because of the pressure to conform, the person feels like she has no self-worth unless she’s as skinny as the ‘it’ girl of the moment. Where is Steve going with this?

Stephanie flinched, which didn’t go unnoticed by Kat and Rocky. She locked her gaze on Tommy. "Some of them are just naturally lucky, but yeah, most of them are bulimic or anorexic," she confirmed. "But do you understand the kind of pressure put on them? Contrary to what television tells us, thin isn’t normal for most people. But they believe that it is."

Kimberly nodded in agreement. "Stephanie’s right. Coaches put pressure on gymnasts to ‘lose a little weight’ so they look good at the competitions. Didn’t you ever notice that I hardly ever ate anything when we were out on dates, Tommy?" Kimberly asked him gently.

Tommy nodded slowly. "Yeah…but you told me you weren’t hungry. You’d tell me that you had already eaten," he responded as he took Stephanie’s hand.

Stephanie stiffened slightly as she realized what Kimberly what getting at. Kim had an eating disorder? she thought.No wonder she understands what I’m talking about. I’d be willing to bet she understands, too.

Meanwhile, the conversation had gone on without Stephanie. "Kim, what are you trying to tell us?" Rocky asked curiously.

"I was anorexic." At Tommy’s look of shock, she continued. "I know it was stupid, but at the time, I was proud of the control I had over my eating. It felt like the only part of my life that I could control…and eventually, it landed me in the hospital," Kimberly told her friends.

"I can’t picture you doing something like that, Kim. Why didn’t you ever tell me?" Tommy questioned her.

"Because I knew how you’d react, Tommy. You would’ve freaked out and tried everything you could to get me to eat something," Kimberly spoke softly.

And I’m scared to death that he’d do that exact thing and then decide he didn’t love me any more if he knew the truth, Stephanie told herself, forgetting to block her thoughts so that Tommy wouldn’t hear them.

Tommy sucked in his breath involuntarily as Stephanie’s train of thought entered his mind. No way, he thought. Stephanie’s too smart to do something like that.

"Tommy!" The shout brought him back to the table, where Kim was glaring at him. Why don’t you ask Stephanie? I’ll bet she knows a bunch of singers that have an eating disorder."

Next to Tommy, Stephanie froze. Her face drained of all color. Does she know? Stephanie thought in a panic. Aware that all eyes were on her, she slowly stood up. "I’ve really got to get going, you guys," she spoke quietly, not trusting her voice. "But I do know a girl that has one right now. Believe me, the reasons behind it aren’t always what you think they are."

"Anyone that starves herself to look good and gain popularity isn’t too smart," Tommy muttered.

Stephanie couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. She grabbed her bag quickly and glanced at her boyfriend, who was watching her with a mixture of concern and confusion written across his face. "I’ll see you tonight, Tommy," she told him.

Tommy nodded. "Okay. I love you," he replied with a slight smile.

Stephanie smiled back, but he could tell it wasn’t genuine. Something was wrong, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. "I love you, too," she responded warmly before she left, but not before Tommy caught a glimpse of the tears in her eyes.

Later that night, Tommy came over to his girlfriend’s house as planned to watch a movie with her. Stephanie had left the movie choice up to Tommy this time, who had rented ‘Enemy of the State,’ starring Will Smith and Gene Hackman.

"Stephanie?" Tommy called out as he opened her front door and stepped inside. To his surprise, no one answered him. He frowned. "That’s strange," he murmured. "Her car is in the driveway, so I know she’s here. But where is she?"

Setting the video down on the kitchen counter, he started up the stairs to her bedroom. "Steve?" he spoke up as he neared her closed door at the far end of the hall. Turning the knob slowly, Tommy opened the door a few inches and peeked inside, then sighed with relief.

Stephanie was sprawled across her bed, asleep. Tommy crossed the room to her side, intent on waking her, then stopped short. Judging from the tearstains on her face and the crumpled-up tissues on the floor next to her bed, she had been crying. Stephanie, what’s wrong?

Stephanie stirred then, mumbling something incomprehensible. Tommy kneeled down so that he was at eye level and placed a gentle hand on her back. "It’s time to wake up, sleeping beauty," he spoke softly as he kissed her cheek.

Stephanie’s eyes fluttered open and she sat straight up when she saw Tommy watching her. "Tommy!?" she panicked. Then she looked at her alarm clock, which read 7:43pm. "Oops. I guess I overslept," she apologized.

Tommy took her hand and helped her up. "It’s okay, sweetie. I’ll go get the movie from downstairs and we can watch it up here," he said as he started down the staircase.

Stephanie followed him into the kitchen. "Do you want popcorn?" she asked.

Tommy nodded as he opened her fridge. "Please. Diet Coke for you, right?"

Stephanie winced as she set the microwave timer for three minutes. Let’s just hope I can eat enough to keep Tommy from finding out, she thought, but didn’t dare say it aloud. Instead, all she said was, "That’ll be fine. So, what movie did you bring? No, wait. What was that movie produced by MTV about football and the girl in the whipped cream bikini? Oh, yeah. ‘Varsity Blues?’" Stephanie fixed him with a curious stare.

Tommy grinned. "I KNEW I should’ve brought that one!" he joked.

Stephanie glared at him. "Oh, really?" she responded, placing her hands on her hips.

Tommy winked at her. "Steph, you know you’re the only girl I’d want to see in a whipped cream bikini," he assured her.

Stephanie smiled as she closed the gap between them. "Is that so?" she inquired sweetly as she slid her arms around his neck.

Tommy covered her lips with his own in answer, slipping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. The kiss went from gentle to a heated liplock before an incessant beeping cut through the silence.

Stephanie groaned as she pulled away from the embrace. "I swear, that microwave has the worst possible timing!" she told Tommy as she removed the bag of popcorn from it and grabbed her Diet Coke. "Let’s go." She began making her way to her room. "By the way, you never did tell me what movie you brought."

Tommy shook his head, grinning. "I brought ‘Enemy of the State.’ Satisfied?" he teased her.

She nodded vigorously as she laid down on her bed. Tommy turned on her television, popped the tape into the VCR, and then joined her on her bed, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

Around the time that Will Smith’s character, Robert Dean, was being chased through the hotel, Tommy noticed that Stephanie had hardly touched the popcorn and he was pretty sure that her drink was still unopened. What’s going on here? he wondered. "Stephanie, aren’t you hungry? You’ve barely touched the popcorn."

He felt Stephanie tense in his arms. "I had a little, but I’m not really hungry. I had dinner right before I fell asleep earlier," she answered quietly, but didn’t turn around to look at him.

She’s lying to me. The realization hit him like a slap in the face. He didn’t know how he knew, but something told him that he was right. But why would she lie to me? A possible reason came to mind as he took a swig of his Coke and nearly choked on it. That’s impossible, he told himself as he doubled over in a coughing fit.

Stephanie whirled around as he began coughing. "Tommy, what’s wrong? Are you all right?" she asked frantically.

Tommy sat up and smiled weakly, color returning to his face. "I’m fine. The Coke just went down the wrong pipe," he explained, but the horrible notion remained firmly entrenched in his mind.

Stephanie eyed him carefully, concerned. She had heard his sharp intake of breath before he had a sip of his drink.Tommy? she spoke timidly.

Tommy focused his attention on her. What, beautiful? he sent back.

Her eyes filled with tears. Why are you dating me? I’m not that special. I’m not even that pretty, like Kim is. Why me?

Tommy immediately pulled her into an embrace. Don’t cry. You are special. I love you. And you are gorgeous. I love you for your mind, your personality, your voice, and anything else there possibly is to love about you. That’s why, he told her.

Stephanie sniffled and he adjusted his hold so he could look at her. "Steve, why did you lie to me about the popcorn?" he asked her bluntly.

His girlfriend’s eyes widened and she immediately broke free of his hold. "What? she questioned him incredulously.

"You heard me."

Silence reigned for what seemed like forever before Stephanie spoke again. "Why would I lie to you about eating popcorn?" her voice trembled slightly.

"You tell me."

Stephanie’s jaw dropped. In the few months that the two Rangers had been dating, they had never had an argument until now. "I can’t believe you think that I would lie to you," she finally spoke, her voice shaky. I’m lying, I admit it, but you wouldn’t understand why. You’d just try to get me to seek help.

Tommy shook his head. "Stephanie, what’s going on? Why are you pulling away? Why are you running away from me? I KNOW something’s wrong. Why won’t you tell me!?" he exploded.

Stephanie scooted away from him as far as possible without toppling off of the bed. Tears shone in her eyes as Tommy ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "Nothing is wrong, Tommy! Why won’t you believe me?" she wailed.

Tommy fixed her with a look that she knew all too well, because she had seen it before in her life. It was a look of disappointment, with a bit of betrayal mixed in. She knew what was coming before he opened his mouth. "No," she whispered, covering her mouth with her hand as her face went white.

"Stephanie, you’ve been projecting some of your thoughts lately to me, so I know you’re lying. Just tell me what’s going on!" he pleaded.

Stephanie’s eyes closed and let the tears fall. "Just leave me alone," she whispered so softly that her boyfriend had to lean over her to catch her words. "Please…just leave me alone."

Tommy sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. Respecting her wishes, he left, but couldn’t forget the sight of her in tears. I love you. Please, don’t keep it to yourself. Tell someone what’s wrong.

Alone in her room, Stephanie watched Will Smith and Gene Hackman’s characters in a heated exchange.

"You have something they want!"

"I don’t know what you’re talking about!"

Stephanie clicked the tv off and crawled into her bed. "I wish I didn’t know what you were talking about, Tommy," she whispered before she turned her lights out.

Kimberly spun around to find her ex-boyfriend looking at her with an anxious expression on his face the next afternoon in the Youth Center. "Yeah, sure," she responded, concerned. As they sat down, she asked, "What’s this about?"

Tommy looked at her, his eyes red from lack of sleep. "Kim, remember how you told us you were anorexic? What are some of the signs?" he asked.

Kimberly wrinkled her brow, puzzled, but decided to let it pass. "Most people don’t start out thinking that they’re going to be anorexic. For whatever reasons they may have, they restrict their eating habits a little and lose a few pounds. Eventually, they get ‘addicted,’ for lack of a better term, and cut back their eating until they’re living on almost nothing at all," she explained carefully. "They’re concerned about their weight and don’t think they’re attractive. The most noticeable sign is usually weight loss."

Tommy nodded slowly, absorbing the information that Kimberly had given him. If that’s true, then Stephanie may be anorexic. How long has she been hiding this from me? Why wouldn’t she tell me?

Kimberly studied Tommy carefully. Something’s up. He won’t ask me that just for nothing. "Why did you ask me that? Thomas Oliver, what’s going on?"

Tommy met her gaze straight on. "I think Stephanie might be anorexic," he told her in a low voice.

Kimberly’s eyes flew wide open and her heart nearly stopped beating. "Stephanie Marks, the Purple Ranger? That Stephanie?"

Tommy nodded, then a flash of violet caught his eye. It was Stephanie, who stopped next to the CD player and placed a CD on the turntable and pressed play. She shrugged off her purple sweatshirt as she waited for the song to start, wearing a white sports bra and a pair of checked purple and white boxer shorts.

Tommy recognized the song as it began to play. It was one of Stephanie’s favorites, for reasons he couldn’t imagine. It was a slow song, Mariah Carey’s ‘Close My Eyes,’ from her Butterfly CD. Stephanie began to dance as it continued to play, warming up to it, then placed a different CD in the tray. He grinned as he recognized that CD as well. Stephanie just can’t get enough of her Backstreet Boys ‘Millennium’ CD, Tommy mused as ‘It’s Gotta Be You’ began to play.

Baby It’s the way you make me
Kinda get me go crazy
Never wanna stop

It’s gotta be you

I can’t control it anymore
I’ve never felt like this before
Oh you really make me lose my head
My hungry heart must be fed

Uh-huh, uh-huh
Baby
It’s the way you make me
Kinda get me go crazy
Never wanna stop

It’s gotta be you
All the way
It’s gotta be you
Every day
I promise you
I will be true to you
Yes, only you

Now I know why I was born
To feel my feelings one by one
Can’t see the world I’m walking through
‘Cause baby, I see only you

Oh, yeah
Baby
It’s the way you make me
Kinda get me go crazy
Never wanna stop

It’s gotta be you
All the way
It’s gotta be you
Every day
I promise you
I will be true to you
Yes, only you

It’s the way you make me
Ooh, ooh
Kinda get me go crazy
Ooh, ooh

Baby
It’s the way you make me
Kinda get me go crazy
Never wanna stop

And you know
I can’t the world I’m walking through
‘Cause of you, yeah

It’s gotta be you
All the way
You’re all that I ever wanted
It’s gotta be you
I will be true to you
Yes, only you

It’s gotta be you
All the way
You’re all that I ever wanted
It’s gotta be you
I will be true to you
Yes, only you

Aah, uh-huh, uh-huh
Aah, uh-huh, uh-huh

I promise you
I will be true to you
Yes, only you

Stephanie’s communicator went off in the middle of her dance. "Damn," she whispered. Checking quickly to see if anyone else had heard it, she let the song finish playing and then turned the CD player off. She hurried out to the hallway, where she met up with Kimberly and Tommy.

Tommy smiled at her, then turned his attention to the device on his wrist. "Tommy here. What’s up?"

"Tommy, I need you guys here NOW!" Rocky shouted over the tiny speaker. "Tanya, Adam, and I are getting slammed by the tengas!"

Tommy nodded. "We’ll be right there," he assured their friend. "Kim, are we clear?"

Kim glanced around and nodded. "Clear."

"All right. Let’s get to the park."

With a red, a pink, and a purple flash of light, the three teenagers teleported.

Adam Park, Tanya’s boyfriend, groaned just before he launched himself into a high kick to knock a tenga out of midair. "Just hold on. They’ll be here," he reassured her.

At his words, a purple streak tore into the tengas, throwing them every which way. "Apparently Stephanie must not be having a good day," Rocky observed as he joined the two.

Stephanie took a fighting stance and glared at the tengas. "I suggest you move before I make you move," she threatened. A slight gesture with her index and middle fingers, and the tengas were airborne. "How’s THAT for making you move?" she asked them sweetly.

Tommy had just sent a couple of tengas packing with Kimberly’s help, and turned in time to see Stephanie’s pained expression before she dropped to her hands and knees. The tengas she had been holding in the air were freed, and immediately began to make their way toward the downed Ranger. "Stephanie!" he cried.

Tommy ran to Stephanie’s side while Kimberly and Rocky fended off the remaining tengas. "Stephanie? Tell me, please. What’s going on?" he pleaded with his girlfriend.

Stephanie shook her head as if to clear it as Tanya, Adam, Kimberly, and Rocky joined them. "I’m fine, really. It was just a dizzy spell. It’s no big deal," Stephanie explained.

Kimberly bit her lip. I hate to say this, but Tommy was right. She is, she realized as she took in Stephanie’s appearance. The singer had always been petite, but she looked small—almost like a thirteen year old—someone four years younger than she actually was.

Rocky hadn’t missed Stephanie’s altered appearance either. He stared in horror. He had heard about girls at school having eating disorders, but he never thought that the young woman he considered his ‘little sister’ would have one. Steph, you’re beautiful already. Why would you do this?

Tommy watched his girlfriend’s eyes clear, then decided to get the truth out of her. Stephanie, he called.

Stephanie looked up and locked gazes with him. What?

I know the truth, Stephanie. No more secrets. You’re anorexic, aren’t you. It was a statement, not a question.

The Purple Ranger began to shake, but quickly pulled herself together. She stood up quietly and started to walk away, but Tommy reached out and grabbed her arm. "Tommy, let go of me!" she cried out, beginning to struggle.

Tommy shook his head as he stood up. Before, Stephanie could have easily flipped her boyfriend over her shoulder. Now, she didn’t have enough muscle to hurt a fly. "Stephanie, you can’t run away from me any more. I know what’s going on, and I’m scared. I don’t want to lose you." He repeated what he had told her a moment ago. "You’re anorexic, aren’t you."

Tears filled Stephanie’s eyes, but she didn’t confirm nor deny the accusation. Then, in a move that stunned Tommy and the others, she flung him over her shoulder. Tommy landed on his back and stared. Apparently she wasn’t as weak as she looked. He automatically let go of her arm, which gave her enough time to get a few feet away from the little group. Almost immediately, she melted into her signature purple teleportation stream and streaked across the sky, disappearing from sight.

Adam held out a hand to help Tommy up, which he accepted gratefully. "Stephanie’s got an eating disorder?" he inquired.

Tommy nodded yes. "I don’t know how long it’s been going on, though. For all I know, this could’ve happened before she came to Angel Grove," he explained. "If I know Stephanie, she went back to the Youth Center. She left her stuff there. I’m going after her."

Tanya put her hand on Tommy’s shoulder. "We’re all going."

Stephanie zipped up her bag, but then heard one of her favorite songs come on the radio. Ironically, it was Britney Spears singing "Baby One More Time," the same song that Tommy had criticized the day before. Summoning a weak smile, Stephanie began to sing and dance. As she sang, she assumed an attitude appropriate for the song and began to realize what Tommy was feeling.

Oh baby, baby
How was I supposed to know
That something wasn’t right here
Oh baby, baby
I shouldn’t have let you go
And now you’re out of sight, yeah

Show me how you
want it to be
Tell me baby ‘cause I
need to know now
Oh because

My loneliness is
killing me
I must confess I
still believe
When I’m not with you
I lose my mind
Give me a sign
Hit me baby one
more time

Oh baby, baby
The reason I breathe
is you
Boy you got me
blinded
Oh pretty baby
There’s nothing that I
wouldn’t do
It’s not the way I
planned it

Show me how you
want it to be
Tell me baby ‘cause I
need to know now
Oh because

My loneliness is
killing me
I must confess I
still believe
When I’m not with you
I lose my mind
Give me a sign
Hit me baby one
more time

Oh baby, baby how
was I supposed
to know
Oh pretty baby I
shouldn’t have let
you go

I must confess, that
my loneliness
is killing me now
Don’t you know I
still believe
That you will be here
And give me a sign
Hit me baby one
more time

My loneliness is
killing me
I must confess I
still believe
When I’m not with you
I lose my mind
Give me a sign
Hit me baby one
more time

I must confess, that
my loneliness
is killing me now
Don’t you know I
still believe
That you will be here
And give me a sign
Hit me baby one
more time

Tommy, Adam, Kimberly, Rocky, and Tanya teleported into the locker bay by the Youth Center, then made their way into the popular teen hangout. Tommy stopped dead in his tracks as the song playing reached his ears. Oh, no. The girl I criticized yesterday for looking like she was anorexic, he realized. The thought made him sick to his stomach. How could I be so stupid? All of the signs were there.

Stephanie happened to catch sight of her friends and winced. I guess my time is up, she told herself. She stopped dancing, then gasped as a dizzy spell overtook her and it became hard for her to breathe. She swayed slightly as the edges of her vision began to turn black. Oh, my God, what’s happening? Tommy!

Tommy jerked his head up as he heard his girlfriend’s voice echoing in his mind and his face paled as he realized she was about to collapse.

Stephanie’s eyes locked with Tommy’s and he could very clearly see her fright before she collapsed. Her head made an ominous cracking sound against the floor, but she barely noticed. Tommy, I’m sorry…I love you…

Tommy felt an emptiness that scared him immensely in the back of his mind where he usually felt Stephanie’s presence as he ran to her side. Don’t you dare die on me, Stephanie Marie Marks. I didn’t lose you to Goldar and I’m not gonna lose you now. I need you. Frantically, he felt for a pulse. He found none. "Tanya, Adam, go call nine-one-one. She’s got a possible head injury, unconscious, and she’s not breathing," he instructed them, who immediately turned and ran to the pay phone in the hallway. "Kim, get the sweatshirt Steph was wearing earlier and put it under her head."

Kimberly did as she was told and gently lifted Stephanie’s head as so not to injure her any further and slid the makeshift pillow underneath. Her hand came out with red spots on it. "She’s bleeding," Kimberly announced unnecessarily.

Tommy looked at Rocky, who nodded. "Rocky, we need to start CPR. She’s going into cardiac arrest," he told him, trying to hold back tears.

Rocky started CPR immediately, oblivious to the crowd that had gathered around them.

Adam and Tanya ran back into the room with the paramedics, who pushed their way through the crowd and knelt at Stephanie’s side. "What happened?" the female asked Tommy as the other two resumed CPR where Rocky left off.

"She couldn’t breathe. She collapsed and hit her head on the floor before she went into cardiac arrest and Rocky started CPR," Tommy explained numbly, tears streaming heedlessly down his cheeks. Suddenly, he found himself hesitant to tell them that his girlfriend was anorexic. Luckily, Kimberly solved that problem for him.

"Excuse me, but can I talk to you over there for a moment?" Kimberly spoke up, directing the lady’s attention away from Tommy. Rocky walked up to them and pulled his distraught leader into a hug.

"She’ll be all right, Tommy," Rocky told him fervently. "My sister’s a fighter. She’s not going to give up."

Meanwhile, Kimberly had moved to a corner of the room with the female paramedic while the others worked to get Stephanie’s heart beating again. "I have a feeling that Stephanie wouldn’t want the whole world to know what’s going on," she said, "but she’s anorexic, which is why she collapsed."

"She’s breathing," one of the paramedics announced, causing everyone to breathe a sigh of relief. "We’re stabilizing her now, but she suffered a heart attack and she’s still unconscious."

The woman walked back over to Tommy, noting his tear-streaked face. "Is she your girlfriend?" she inquired gently. He nodded wordlessly. "If you like, you can ride with us to the hospital."

Tommy looked to his friends, who nodded. "Go with her, Tommy," Adam advised. "We’ll tell the others and meet you there."

Tommy grinned weakly. "Thanks, man," he answered before he went outside to the waiting ambulance.

Tears sparkled in Tanya’s eyes as Adam put his arms around her to offer comfort. "This is gonna kill the others," she spoke softly, her voice breaking as they walked out into the locker bay.

"I know," Adam replied quietly. "We all love her so much."

Rocky raised his communicator to his lips after he checked for onlookers. In an unnaturally somber voice, he spoke, "Rangers, this is an emergency. Meet me at the Power Chamber immediately." Then he looked to the others. "Let’s go."

Kimberly, Adam, Tanya, and Rocky each touched a button on their communicators and were instantly swallowed up by their signature colored teleportation stream, then disappeared, heading for the Power Chamber.

"I’ve got it." Trini opened a communications channel between her and Tara. "Tara?"

The voice of Tamara Oliver, Tommy’s younger sister, immediately came over the line. "What’s up?"

"Tara, we need you to teleport here immediately. It’s an emergency," Rocky informed her, all traces of humor gone from his voice.

"Just a sec." A few seconds later, a black teleportation stream arrived and revealed Tara with a curious expression on her face. "What’s going on?"

"What’s the emergency?" Jason added.

Aisha glanced around. We’re missing someone. Two someones, actually. Where are the lovebirds? "Where are Tommy and Stephanie?"

Rocky took a deep breath and looked at Kimberly, who squeezed his shoulder gently. Then he faced the others. "They’re at Angel Grove Memorial."

"But why?" Katherine asked.

Kimberly stepped forward. "I’m only telling you this because it has to do with what we’re going to tell you. Jason and Billy already know this, but I was anorexic up until three months ago."

"Why are you telling us now?" Zack asked her.

Kimberly’s eyes began to well up with tears. "This afternoon, Stephanie went into cardiac arrest," she told them, bracing herself for their reaction.

"Oh, my gosh."

"That can’t be true."

"But she’s a Power Ranger!"

"Why?"

Above the noise and confusion, a long, drawn-out cry could be heard. "NO!" Tara wailed, dropping to her knees.

Everyone fell silent as Jason put his arms around Tara and Kimberly spoke again. "She had a dizzy spell and had a hard time breathing. Then she collapsed and hit her head on the floor, which started bleeding almost immediately. She was unconscious, and Rocky performed CPR until the paramedics got there and got her heart beating again," she recalled. "Tommy’s with her at the hospital now."

Tara sat up, her tears reduced to sniffles. "Why did she collapse?"

Kimberly bit her lip. This was the hard part. "Because she’s anorexic. She was slowly starving herself to death, and her heart gave out on her."

As the shock finally wore off, Kimberly buried her face in Rocky’s chest and began to cry as the others watched in stunned silence.

"We must take advantage of this," Lord Zedd decided. He stroked his chin thoughtfully, then grabbed his ‘Z’ staff. "Despair, heed my call! Destroy the Power Rangers!"

Rita smiled. "Soon, those pesky Rangers will be nothing more than a bad memory," she said as she sipped a glass of wine and handed another to her husband.

Zedd accepted the glass with a nod. "And we will reign supreme over the Earth!" he bellowed.

Tommy paused a moment and took in all of the machines that his girlfriend was hooked up to. There was a heart monitor, a machine checking her vital signs, an IV feeding her nutrients and keeping her hydrated, and a respirator. They had revived her at the scene, but they didn’t want to take any chances.

He shuddered and turned back to the still form on the bed. Steph, I need you. I love you," he told her before he put his head down on her bed and fell asleep for the night.

Kimberly looked up from Rocky’s chest and peered at the Viewing Globe cautiously. "Oh, don’t you just love who they sent this time?" she spat out.

Rocky narrowed his eyes. "Rita and Zedd have a sick sense of humor," he snarled.

"So, what’s the plan?" Billy questioned.

Rocky looked around the Power Chamber at his teammates. "The ninjetti are going after this one. We’re down two Zeo Rangers since Stephanie’s in the hospital, and if I know Tommy, he won’t be in any shape to fight," he explained.

Jason nodded slowly. "Good idea. If we need backup—"

"We’ll be there."

Jason grinned at Rocky. "All right. Ninjetti power, power up!"

"BLACK NINJETTI POWER!"
"PINK NINJETTI POWER!"
"BLUE NINJETTI POWER!"
"YELLOW NINJETTI POWER!"
"RED NINJETTI POWER!"
"GREEN NINJETTI POWER!"

"NINJA RANGERS!" Zack, Kimberly, Billy, Trini, Jason, and Aisha shouted before they were teleported to downtown Angel Grove, where Despair was waiting for them.

"Hello, Rangers," Despair spoke aloud as the Ninja Rangers materialized in front of her. She buffed her fingernails lazily across the front of her black catsuit that looked like it had been spray-painted on. She stood up and tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder. "You’re so young. It isn’t fair to feel so much pain and despair, is it? Well, when you meet your end today, you won’t feel so bad. After all, you’ll be dead."

"Sorry, Despair, but I don’t think so. You’ve messed with Tommy’s head long enough. Mess with the whole team, and you’re going down," Zack threatened.

"We shall see."

A flock of tengas arrived in a hail of feathers and began the assault. The Rangers spread out. Kimberly sank to the ground in a split as two tengas charged her from opposite sides. They collided with each other, each knocking the other out. Kimberly jumped up and giggled. "Gets ‘em every time," she announced, dusting her hands off.

Zack kicked a tenga to Aisha, who shoved it at Billy. "Anyone for a game of bowling?" Aisha shouted at the five birds currently trying to overpower them. She nodded to Billy, who, with a quick spin, sent the tenga into the air only to fall on his comrades a few yards away.

"And it’s good!" Zack yelled as he held his arms up to indicate a touchdown.

"Oh, it’s all good, all the time," Aisha interjected, grinning.

"Definitely," Billy agreed.

Jason hurled himself into a flying kick and collided with a tenga in midair. "You want a piece of me?" he challenged the unlucky bird. One well-placed kick sent it into a nearby wall. "You can’t handle this."

The Rangers regrouped and turned to Despair. "It’s all over," Kimberly announced. "Give it up."

Despair fixed her icy-blue gaze on Kimberly. "That’s what you think, Pink Ranger. Think again," she retorted as she summoned a magic spell and wove it around Kimberly, who immediately fell into the depths of despair.

"Kim?"

"Yeah?" she looked up, smiling.

"I don't know just how to say this, Kim, but I think we should just be friends."

She looked down for what seemed like forever, than looked back up at him, tears in her eyes. "I was wondering when you'd finally break up with me," Kimberly spoke softly, her voice quavering. Wiping away her tears, Kimberly continued bravely. "I'm not mad at you, Tommy. I understand that I don't control your heart. I don't have any say over who you fall in love with. I hope you and Stephanie are happy together. I just want you to be happy."

Tommy was speechless. Finally, he found his voice and came around to her side of the table and gave her a hug. "You know I'll always have a special place in my heart for you, Kimberly Anne Hart. I'll always love you," he whispered.

Kimberly nodded, blinking back tears. "I know. Same goes for you, Thomas James Oliver. You are not an easy man to get over. Now get going. Stephanie's at the lake."

He looked at her quizzically. "How would you know?"

"Because Adam just told me." She pointed to someone standing behind her and sure enough, there was Adam.

Tommy smiled. "Thank you, Kim. Thanks, Adam."

"You're welcome, Tommy." As soon as Tommy had left the Youth Center, she burst into tears. I've lost him...forever.

Rocky narrowed his eyes. He was not going to stand around and watch Despair treat Kimberly like dirt because Tommy had broken up with her. Wait a minute. Do I love her? he wondered. I know I like her…but is what I’m feeling love? Aw, nuts. I’m just going to get my butt down there and knock Despair into the nearest black hole.

Rocky turned to the others. "I’m going down there. I’m not going to stand and watch this."

Tanya smiled. "Go for it, Rocko."

Adam turned to Tanya. "I knew he liked Kimberly," he whispered to her.

"It’s morphin’ time!"

"ZEO RANGER III, BLUE!"

Despair screamed in pain as a blast hit her in the arm, causing her to lose control of the spell she had over Kimberly. She whirled around to find the Blue Zeo Ranger behind her, anger evident in his stance. "I’m impressed, Blue Ranger," she hissed through clenched teeth. "But you just made a dangerous mistake."

Kimberly stood up, her legs still shaky from the effects of the spell, and found Rocky facing off against Despair. Unbeknownst to Rocky, Despair was conjuring up another spell. "Rocky, look out!" she screamed as she launched herself into a tumbling run and knocked Despair to the ground, pinning her with her knees.

Rocky ran up to Kimberly and Despair, who were engaged in a struggle and pulled out his Zeo blaster. "Let her go, Despair," he instructed her in a deadly calm tone of voice.

Despair stopped long enough to turn her head and find herself staring down the barrel of Rocky’s weapon. "This isn’t over, lovebirds. I’ll be back for you," she hissed before she was teleported.

Rocky and Kimberly were too stunned by her words to notice that she had disappeared. "What?" they chorused in surprise.

As I close my eyes
Steady my feet on the ground
Raise my head to the sky
And though time rolls by
Still I feel like a child
As I look at the moon
Maybe I grew up
A little too soon.

Tommy watched Stephanie silently the next morning as her favorite song played on the CD player he had brought in. "I don’t understand, Steve. What was going through your head?" he suddenly asked, breaking through the silence. Why did this have to happen to her? he added silently.

He leaned over and kissed her forehead gently. "I’m never going to stop loving you, Steph. No matter what you do, I’m always going to be here," he promised.

Miraculously, the tiny figure in the bed began to stir. "Stephanie?" Tommy queried, hope rising within him.

Stephanie groaned as her eyes fluttered open. She winced at the bright light as her eyes tried to adjust to it. "Water," she managed to croak out as she spotted Tommy next to her.

Tommy hurriedly poured her a glass and helped her sit up so she could drink it. "Is that better?"

Stephanie nodded slowly. "Yeah. Thank you," she answered distractedly, looking around the room in confusion as she finally noticed her surroundings. "I’m not in my room. Tommy, what happened?"

Tommy bit his lip. "Steph, you went into cardiac arrest in the Youth Center a few days ago. Remember the dizzy spell you had?"

Stephanie closed her eyes. "Oh, yeah," she remembered all too well. "Tommy, I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you."

"I know. Steve?"

She looked up to find Tommy gazing into her eyes. "What?"

"Are you hungry?"

Stephanie started to shake her head no, she was fine, but the look in Tommy’s eyes stopped her. She sighed, realizing that her secret was out. I’m relieved, in a way, she told herself. I wanted to eat, but I couldn’t because it had become a habit. Her stomach made its’ presence known with a growl, which made Tommy grin. She looked at him with the corners of her mouth turned up in a slight smile. "Actually, would you believe that I am?"

The wide smile that Tommy gave Stephanie in return was spectacular. After a nurse had checked her out and brought in breakfast, which was a couple pieces of toast with butter and a glass of orange juice, he sensed Stephanie beginning to panic in the back of his mind and turned to her. Stephanie was staring at the food with a terrified look on her face. "Stephanie, what’s wrong?"

Stephanie’s hands began to shake. "I’ve gone for so long without food that I’m scared of it," she admitted in a whisper.

Tommy took one of her hands. "You’re a Power Ranger," he told her. "You haven’t let Goldar beat you. Don’t let this control you, either. You don’t back down from a challenge. Don’t let it win."

Stephanie picked up a piece of toast hesitantly. She squeezed his hand. Almost immediately, he squeezed back. "Here goes nothing," she murmured.

"I have faith in you, Steph. I know you can do it," Tommy encouraged her.

That gave Stephanie the courage she needed to force down the food.

But what about Rocky? a voice in her head asked her.

What about him?

Admit it. You have feelings for the Blue Zeo Ranger.

That thought stunned her, and she remembered what Despair had said before she had disappeared the day before. "This isn’t over, lovebirds," she had snarled.

Does that mean Rocky likes me? I like him, but I don’t know if I love him. All that mattered was getting him out of the line of fire yesterday. I didn’t care what happened to me as long as he was okay.

"Kim?"

Kimberly looked up to find Rocky standing next to the park bench that she was sitting on. "Yeah?"

"Can we talk?"

Kimberly smiled in invitation. "Sure. Sit down," she answered, patting the bench beside her.

A few seconds later, Tommy appeared in the doorway. "Tommy!" she squealed as she ran over to him.

Tommy grinned as he lifted her up into the air and swung her around. "Hey there," he responded as he kissed her. "How was therapy today?"

Stephanie smiled. "You’ll be happy to know that I’m on the road to recovery. I’ve gained four pounds over the last two weeks," she informed him.

Tommy nodded. "That’s good," he responded warmly. "You’re stuck with me, since I have no intention of letting you get away."

Stephanie smiled softly. "Tommy, I’m so sorry I wouldn’t tell you what was going on. I was scared of how you’d react if you knew," she said. "I know you wanted to know how long I was anorexic. It started two years ago, when some people got on my case about how I looked right after I made my first album. I couldn’t forget what they said. After I lost a couple of pounds, everyone began to tell me how good I looked, so I figured I’d look better if I lost even more. It all spiraled downward from there," Stephanie explained, tears coming to her eyes.

Tommy’s arms encircled her and held her tightly. "My poor baby," he whispered. "You were right. There is incredible pressure put on performers to look good. Although I must admit," he added, "I love you just the way you are. Don’t ever change."

Stephanie grinned as she gave him a kiss before she pulled away. "I love you too," she replied softly as she pulled the popcorn from the microwave. "I’m ready for movie night. Grab the Cokes off of the counter for me, will you?"

"It’s regular Coke this time? Someone get a camera," he teased her. "Sure, I will." Tommy followed Stephanie up the staircase to her room, where she set the popcorn down on her bed in front of her. "So, what movie are we watching tonight?" he asked curiously as he set the drinks down on her nightstand.

Stephanie cracked open a Coke and took a sip, which made Tommy smile. She set it back down and grinned wickedly. "You know that one blonde guy on ‘Dawson’s Creek?’ James Van Der Beek?" she questioned mischieviously.

Tommy grabbed a handful of popcorn as she started the movie. "Yeah?"

"I rented ‘Varsity Blues.’ What does that tell you?"

Tommy wrapped his arms around her. "That I’m going to die a very happy man," he teased her.

An hour later, Tommy glanced at Stephanie, who was asleep with a smile on her face. Grinning, he turned off the movie and covered her with the blankets on her bed, then turned to leave.

The voice in his head brought him up short. "I cherish you so much, Tommy. You were there when I needed you," Stephanie said in the Youth Center at a dance as Madonna’s song ‘Cherish’ was heard in the background. "Do you want to dance with me?"

"Sure," Tommy saw himself answer her and led her out into the middle of the floor.

So tired of broken hearts
And losing at this game before I start
This dance, I’ll take a chance
I’m telling you, I want more than just romance
You are my destiny
I can’t let go, baby can’t you see
Cupid, please take your aim at me

Cherish the thought
Of always having you here by my side
Oh baby, I cherish the joy
You keep bringing it into my life
I’m always seeing it
Cherish the strength
You’ve got the power to make me feel good
Oh baby, I perish the thought
Of ever leaving, I never would

I was never satisfied
With casual encounters, I can’t hide
My need for two hearts that beat
A burning love is the way it’s got to be
Romeo and Juliet
They never felt this way, I bet
So don’t underestimate my point of view

Cherish the thought
Of always having you here by my side
Oh baby, I cherish the joy
You keep bringing it into my life
I’m always seeing it
Cherish the strength
You’ve got the power to make me feel good
Oh baby, I perish the thought
Of ever leaving, I never would

Who
You
Can’t get away, I won’t let you

Who
You
I could never forget to

Cherish is the word I use to remind me of
Your love

Keep givin’ it
Keep givin’ it to me, boy
Keep giving me all, all, all your joy
Give me faith
I will always cherish you

Romeo and Juliet
They never felt this way, I bet
So don’t underestimate my point of view

Romeo and Juliet
They never felt this way, I bet
So don’t underestimate my point of view

Cherish the thought
Of always having you here by my side
Oh baby, I cherish the joy
You keep bringing it into my life
I’m always seeing it
Cherish the strength
You’ve got the power to make me feel good
Oh baby, I perish the thought
Of ever leaving, I never would

Cherish
Give me faith
Give me joy
My boy, I will always cherish you
Cherish your strength
Keep givin’ it
Keep givin’ it to me boy
I could never forget to

Cherish the thought
Of always having you here by my side
Oh baby, I cherish the joy
You keep bringing it into my life
I’m always seeing it
Cherish the strength
You’ve got the power to make me feel good
Oh baby, I perish the thought
Of ever leaving, I never would

Tommy laughed quietly as he realized that Stephanie was broadcasting her dream to him. Mimicking her smile from earlier, he crawled under the covers with her and kissed her.

Stephanie woke up abruptly. "Thomas James Oliver, were you trying to manipulate my dream again?" she demanded, one eyebrow raised.

Tommy smiled innocently. "Um, no?"

"Nice try, Tommy. It worked. Just don’t be surprised one of these days when I manipulate one of those dreams that YOU have."

"You going back to sleep?" he asked her.

"Uh-huh," she yawned. "Are you staying?"

"If you want me to," he responded as he put his arms around her and closed his eyes. "I love you, Steve."

"I love you too," she said sleepily.

"Good night."

"For once, it will be."