"Oof."
Rocky looked around. This wasn't Angel Grove Park that was for sure. Turning around quickly, he noticed he wasn't really anywhere. As far as he could see there was nothing. It was just all a fuzzy gray. "Whoa. I knew I shouldn't have had that double espresso this morning."
"Hello?"
"Hello!" Rocky yelled when he heard the voice. "I'm over here!"
"Ah. There you are. Good. I'm glad you made it in one piece. Dimension traveling is so hazardous to ones health, especially humans." A, Rocky guessed it was a guy, told him. He was tall, bordering on ten feet, and wearing a robe the same fuzzy gray as the landscape. What skin Rocky could see seemed to be a milky white color and was scaly looking.
"Yeah...about that dimensional traveling thing. Do you think you could tell me what's going on? I feel like I'm in the middle of a play and don't know my lines."
The tall guy smiled at Rocky. At least, Rocky thought he was smiling, he couldn't exactly see his face from where he was standing. "It's quite simple actually. I wish to conduct an experiment and you are my guinea pig, so to speak. I want to see if gender is a learned concept or something that is inherent in humans."
"What does that mean?" Rocky asked suspiciously. For some reason, he didn't think he was going to like this experiment.
"Oh! It's not dangerous; well not anymore dangerous than the life you're currently living. It will probably actually be much easier in some ways."
"So what are you planning on doing to me? And when do I get to go home?" Rocky demanded, quickly losing patience with Tall Guy.
"I'm going to put your consciousness into a female. I thought I had explained all of this before. It's perfectly harmless. Then I will return you to your world. There are a few rules however. First is that you won't be able to speak of this to anyone. Second, you will not be able to change the existing personality all that much. The two of you will simply have to learn to get along."
"Hold up. You're gonna make me a girl?! Do I get any say in this?"
Tall Guy frowned. "No. Why would you?"
Rocky took a deep breath. It didn't seem so bad. "How long is this 'experiment' supposed to take?"
Again Tall Guy frowned, deep in thought. "To get the best results...I would say the rest of your natural life should be long enough."
"WHAT?!" Rocky yelled. "You want me to be a girl for the rest of my life, and I don't get any say in this at all?!"
"That is correct. Now if you'll just follow me..." Tall Guy turned and started to walk away.
Rocky had other ideas. He stanced and threw himself into a flying kick. He connected with Tall Guy's back, but instead of sending the scientist-alien guy flying, he felt as if he had just smashed into a brick wall. He dropped to the ground and groaned, as he tried to shake some feeling back into his leg.
"Oh I wish you hadn't done that." Tall Guy told Rocky, just before he pulled something that looked suspiciously like a phaser from Star Trek and aimed it at Rocky.
Rocky groaned as his alarm clock went off. He felt like a truck going warp 10 had decided to use him for a crash test dummy. "I don't want to go to school today." He moaned, but he knew that without a decent excuse he wasn't going to get very far with his mother.
Mumbling about school, bean burritos before bed and odd dreams, he stumbled his way over to the bathroom. He frowned; something wasn't right, but he was too tired to figure out what at the moment. Blearily he stripped down and hopped into the shower; knowing that if he didn't get in now he would never get in.
It wasn't until about half way through his shower that he noticed that something wasn't quite right. For one, his hair was quite a bit longer than he remembered. It fell down to a little past his shoulders but was still straight as before. When he looked down he was greeted with a site he hoped to never see again his whole life.
Suddenly his dream came rushing back to him and he barely managed to bite back a scream. "Okay, Ro—Rebecca. Rebecca?" He whispered urgently. "I'm okay. I just have to get to Angel Grove and find the others. Then convince them that I'm really who I say I am. No biggie, right? I can handle this."
Tightly shutting his eyes he finished off his shower and started to towel off. "Oh man. This is embarrassing. I feel like a total pervert."
"Hey butt munch! Hurry up, will ya?" A young man's voice yelled from the behind the door.
"Hold your horses. I'll be out in a couple of minutes." Rocky yelled back as he tried to figure out how in the world girls covered both their chests and their privates with one towel.
"Okay...let's see, underwear, shirt, shorts. I think I have everything." Rocky muttered as he stood in front of the mirror. He yawned, as he grabbed the t-shirt that proclaimed Matchbox 20 across the front and the longest pair of shorts he could find.
Hey! What's going on? And why am I wearing this stuff?
"Huh?" Rocky turned around, but he was alone in the bedroom.
Who are you? And what are you doing in my body? The voice demanded again.
"Uh...and who are you?" Rocky asked, hoping he wasn't going completely crazy. Not that being trapped in a woman's body wasn't weird enough.
I'm Rebecca Stoner. Stop talking out loud. Jeremy is gonna think I'm totally nuts.
Uh...sorry. I'm Rocky DeSantos. This is gonna sound really strange, but this big tall alien guy said that he wanted to see if gender was inherited or not, so he decided that I get to be the guinea pig. So I guess we're sharing this body for a while.
How long is a while? And we are not wearing that to school!
The alien guy said the rest of my life, but if we can find my friends they might be able to fix this. What's wrong with what I picked out?
Adam slid around the corner, hoping against hope that he wouldn't be late. He dodged a group freshmen gossiping in the middle of the hall; but in his rush he didn't see the dark-haired girl until it was too late. He crashed into her, and rebounded off, landing on his butt. The girl fell to the floor and skidded a bit. At that moment the bell decided to ring. Adam sighed, there wasn't any use rushing to class now. "Sorry." He said picking up the books that fell out of his bag.
"S'okay. You got a hot date or something?" The girl answered.
Adam looked up her and felt his face grow warm. "Uh, no...uh...I was running late to class. I'm...uh...Adam."
"Rebecca. Nice to meet you, Adam." She replied with a smile as Adam helped her up.
Adam smiled self-consciously. He'd never been very comfortable around girls. Especially good-looking girls like Rebecca. She was tall, almost as tall as he was. Her dark brown hair fell to her shoulders and was straight as sticks. Her blue eyes sparkled. "Maybe I'll see you around, sometime."
"Count on it." Rebecca replied walking off.
Hey! That was my best friend! We gotta tell him what happened! He can help us!
You said yourself that this alien guy isn't going to let you talk to anybody about this. Just hold your horses okay? It's bad enough it's my first day and I'm late.
Yeah, but I can talk to you about it.
I know, and I don't get that either. We gotta worry about getting through school first.
It turned out that Rebecca had at least one class with each of the other Rangers. Including Rocky, who, they found out, had been missing for almost a month. Rocky was shell-shocked. He'd been gone for a month! His mother must be going absolutely nuts.
Unfortunately, Rocky never got the chance to tell his friends anything. Every time he'd try to talk to them, he felt as if a huge hand was clamped over his mouth, leaving Rebecca to do the talking. Rebecca wasn't about to go up to Rocky's friends and blurt it all out. At least not until she got to know them on her own.
"Uh...hey Rebecca. My friends and I were going over to the Youth Center and we were wondering if you'd like to come with." Adam stuttered out, after 8th hour Literature class.
"Sure. I'd love to." Rebecca said with a bright smile.
Adam blushed faintly. "Uh...great. I...uh just have to grab a few books. Meet you at your locker?"
"Sounds good to me."
What are you doing?
Talking to your friend.
No you're not! You're flirting with him.
So? You have a problem with that? He happens to be really cute.
Gross!! I try not to think about that, thank you very much.
"Rebecca? Are you okay?" Adam asked cautiously as Rebecca seemed to stare into space.
"Huh? Oh yeah. Sorry about that. Long day." Rebecca told him sheepishly, as she came back to Earth. She blushed as she realized exactly where she'd been staring at, or in this case who.
Adam gave her a sheepish smile of his own before he turned and walked away.
"Adam wait!" Rebecca yelled out.
Adam turned.
"Do you know where my locker is?" She asked.
Adam walked over to her. "Yeah. It's the one..." He trailed off and his face clouded over.
You've got my locker.
"Oh." Rebecca said quietly. "I just wanted to make sure. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel bad." She said softly, putting a hand on his arm.
"You didn't. It's not you...I'm sorry. The student that disappeared, Rocky DeSantos, he was my best friend." Adam told her softly.
"I'm sorry. Are there any leads at all?"
Oh, good idea. Pump the guy for information!
Adam shook his head. "No. The police think it might be an alien abduction because one minute Rocky was there and the next he wasn't. No one can explain it. The Power Rangers are doing everything they can to find him, but so far they haven't had much luck. I just...I feel so powerless, you know? It's my best friend and I can't do anything to help him out. I'm just stuck here waiting."
Rebecca drew him into a hug. "Hey, I'm sure he's fine."
Adam blushed bright red. "Uh...yeah. I...uh...I should...yeah." He stuttered out as he turned and walked away. Rebecca watched as he almost ran into a pole. Shaking her head, she went to her own locker.
"So did you just move here?" Tommy asked, as the Rangers and Rebecca sat around a table in the Youth Center.
"Yeah. My dad's an Air Force pilot and he just got stationed here. So here we are."
"We?" Billy asked.
Tell him!!
"Uh...I mean my family and I...we." Rebecca covered.
Rebecca!! Why?!
What and have them think I'm a screwball or worse? We need your friends to trust me. Rocky, they're hurting, the last thing they want is for a total stranger to come and tell them that I have your...soul for lack of a better word in my body.
Okay, I guess that makes sense. But it doesn't mean that I have to like it!
You just have to sit tight and let me handle this.
"Rebecca? Are you alright?" Tanya asked as waved her hand in front of Rebecca's face.
"Oh yeah. I...um...right as rain. I think the jet lag is catching up to me. I should probably go." She said as she grabbed her bag.
"Can I walk you home?" Adam asked quickly. Tommy coughed as he tried to get the shake out of his lungs, and the others tried to hide their smiles.
Rebecca ignored all of them. "Sure. I'd love to. Usually I drive, but my brother has a late practice today so my mom was going to use the car to run errands and such and then pick him up. I think it was her way of making sure I had time to hang out." She said with a grin. "Hey, maybe you could show me a shortcut. Just in case I have to walk some other time."
Could you lay it on any thicker? Why don't you just kiss the boy and be done with it, for Pete's sake!
You hush! What do you care if I'm attracted to Adam?
Do you really want me to answer that?!
* * *
"Hey Rebecca." Adam said as he walked up behind her and sat down at her table.
"Hey yourself. Did you finish your project?" She asked as she worked on a 4x6 index card.
"I think so. It's so hard. I wasn't quite sure what Ms. Appleby wanted." Adam replied as he pulled out a small photo album and laid it in front of her. "I...uh thought you might want to see what Rocky looks like. Since I talk about him so often."
"Don't worry about it. I don't mind listening if it helps. I am a bit curious to see what this guy looks like. Time to face the music, pal!
I have nothing to fear!
Adam flipped the book open and passed it to Rebecca. She stared at it for a minute before she burst out laughing. "Oh my gosh! That is not your best friend, is it?" She gasped between laughs.
No way!! I thought I burned all those pictures. I'm gonna kill Adam when this is over with.
Not on your life pal. I'm getting a copy of this one.
The picture in question was of Rocky when he was about 15, and asleep. He had a yellow Great Dane across his lap and he was wearing an Oakland Raiders jersey. That didn't seem too out of the ordinary until you got a good look at his hair. It was done up in a variety of bows and ribbons. His face was also done up in way too much makeup.
Adam smiled at her. "Yeah. This was taken just before we moved to Stone Canyon. His sisters got a hold of him when he was asleep. And one thing about Rocky, when he's asleep, he could sleep through a nuclear explosion."
"Man, that is too funny. No wonder you hang with him. He sounds like a lot of fun." Rebecca told her newest and closest friend.
Why thank you. Now stop coming on to my friend!
"He is. He's the greatest friend a guy could have." Adam said quietly.
Rebecca gave him a soft smile came to a decision. "Why don't you come over to my house tonight? We'll rent stupid movies and just hang out."
What are you doing?!
I can't let Adam keep thinking that you're missing or dead or whatever! It's not right.
Finally!
He'll probably think I'm nuts.
I don't know about that.
"So what time do you want me to come over?" Adam asked.
By now, Rebecca or Rocky, depending on who was using the body at the moment was adept enough at talking to each other that they didn't space out much anymore. "How about 7:30 or so. My dad's got some kind of fancy dinner to go to and if I don't want to go I have to have something to do."
"Oh, so I'm just a convenient distraction." Adam asked with a smile.
"Absolutely. The best kind of distraction." Rebecca replied with a saucy smile.
Gag me!
Shut up!
Adam blushed. "I'll...uh...be there at 7:30 then."
* * *
"NO! No way, this is my remote and you're not getting it." Rebecca grabbed the remote from the table.
"Oh yeah?" Adam asked, with a mischievous grin on his face.
"Yep, so you just forget it buster."
"Buster?" Adam asked with a laugh as he lunged for the remote.
"No!" Rebecca squealed as she tried to defend herself and keep the remote at the same time.
Adam dove for her ribs and started to tickle her.
Rebecca shrieked like a banshee and wiggled like a worm as she tried to get away. She managed to wiggle off the couch and landed with a thud. Adam fell on top of her; barely managing to catch himself on his arms before he smushed her. For a minute they just stared at each other, then Adam slowly lowered himself the last couple of inches and kissed her.
Oh gross! This is sickening. I don't believe this! I'm kissing my best friend! This is just...nasty. I never noticed...Adam's a really good kisser. Ewww yuck. I am NOT going there! Would you two hurry this up?
Would you mind shutting up so I can enjoy this?
No problem. You go right ahead and enjoy this. I hope you're happy.
Trust me, I am.
"Wait until Dad hears this!"
Finally!
Adam sat straight up and Rebecca thumped her head on the carpet. "Jeremy, I'm going to kill you." She growled, as she sat up and tried to go after her 14-year-old brother. Adam threw an arm around her and held her there. "Let me go, I have to kill him." Rebecca growled.
"Let him go." Adam whispered in her ear.
Rebecca sighed but did as she was told. She leaned against the couch and stared at Adam. "Wow, are you a good kisser. If I knew you could kiss like that, I'd have kissed you long before now."
I'm trying not to think about that remember?
How many times do I have to tell you to shut up?!
"Rebecca, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken advantage of you like that, and well, I'm sorry."
Rebecca stared at the Asian boy across from her. Does he really mean that?
Adam's not the most secure guy in the world.
"Adam, there's no reason to be sorry, unless you didn't want to kiss me. How...exactly do you feel about me?" Rebecca asked him.
Oh brother, now you've done it!
"I like you, Rebecca. A lot. You make me take my mind off of things and you're beautiful and smart and you seem to know me so well."
I wonder why?
"Does that mean you want to go out with me? Or are we just still friends?"
"I'd love to go out with you! I...just didn't know if you'd want to."
Yo, Rebecca. Remember the whole reason you invited Adam over here?
Rocky...I can't. I'm sorry...how do I just tell him that I've got you inside of me? I don't want to lose him, Rocky. Not when I just got him.
Rocky sighed. He understood what Rebecca was saying and even sympathized. It was a whole lot easier for her to have him inside her in some ways. She really didn't have to make any new friends. Rebecca had all of his memories of his friends that she just seemed slide right into their group. She had to wonder if Adam was falling for her or a hybrid of the two of them. Rocky had made Rebecca do some pretty wild stuff, stuff she admitted that she had loved but would never had the guts to do.
In the two or three weeks that they had shared this body, they had gotten pretty close. They bantered back and forth in ways that they couldn't do in their families. That didn't mean he wanted to spend the rest of their lives with her.
Rebecca, you can't. You have to tell him, Becca. Because if you don't, you'll always be worried he's in love with both of us together and not just you.
Rebecca ducked her head. She knew Rocky was right, but she couldn't do it. She couldn't stand to see the look on Adam's face when she told him. The look that said she was absolutely nuts, or worse. That she was playing some kind of sick joke on him. She didn't want him to freak out, but she didn't want to lie either. She was caught between a rock and a hard place and she knew it.
We need proof, Rocky. That way we can all get what we want. But since you can't talk to Adam, we need something that he can't refute. And we have to get him when his guard is down. I know I said I'd do this, but Rocky, please...just let me have a few days of a normal life okay? Please?
"Of course I'll go out with you Adam. I've been waiting for you to ask me for days now." Rebecca replied, covering her mental lapse.
He gave her a huge smile before he swept her into his arms and kissed her again. Rocky tried once again to turn the two lovebirds out, but without success. It didn't help that he was essentially Rebecca, although she was in control. He felt everything she was, and right now, it was way more information than he ever really wanted to know.
* * *
"So what's this surprise you're going to show me?" Rebecca asked as she and Adam walked toward his house. They were cutting through the park.
"You'll see." Adam replied with a smile. He reached out and tentatively took her hand. Rebecca beamed at him. A sound caught both their attention. A rip in the sky appeared and six metallic robots came through.
"What are they?" Rebecca asked as she and Adam started to back away from the robots that were making their way to them.
"Get out of here, Rebecca. I'll hold them off." Adam yelled.
Rebecca, I gotta take over. Adam won't survive this.
Are you sure? You've never been able to do it before
Trust me. This time it'll work. It has too.
Rebecca agreed and suddenly she was in the background of the fight. "I'm not leaving you, Adam." Rocky yelled.
Adam gave Rebecca a pained look. She had told him that she didn't know any of the martial arts that they others knew. He couldn't protect her if she stayed. He'd have enough problems fighting the cogs unmorphed as it was. And her being here meant he couldn't morph. "Rebecca." He yelled back, pleading with her to go.
"I'll be okay, Adam. Trust me." Rocky yelled back. "Now let's kick these rust buckets back where they came from." He barely remembered to check the part about Mondo at the end.
Adam stared at his girlfriend as she suddenly flung herself into the fray and started kicking and punching for all she was worth. What was more amazing was the fact that she was connecting. It was as if she knew exactly how to fight. Between his own fights with the cogs, he watched Rebecca, ready to help at any time if she was overwhelmed. But instead he found himself watching her form. Fighting forms were distinctive, like fingerprints, everyone had their own and the more he watched the more he found himself thinking the impossible. With the small exception that a few of Rebecca's moves were overbalanced...
The cogs disappeared, going back to the Sky base in orbit around the Earth, but Adam barely noticed. Rebecca came to his side and touched his arm.
"Are you all right?" She asked.
Adam grabbed her by the shoulders, and glared at her. "Who the hell are you?!" He hissed.
"Wh-what are you talking about?" Rebecca asked, and winced as Adam's fingers dug into her shoulders.
"Where did you learn those moves?" Adam demanded.
Rebecca stared at him wild-eyed before she sighed. "You're not going to believe me." She whispered, her voice husky with tears. Here was the moment of truth. She couldn't put it off anymore, and deep down she knew she shouldn't have put it off this long.
"Try me." Adam replied, his voice as hard as steel.
Rocky, help me.
I'll try, Becca.
"It's me, Adam. Rocky." Rocky said quietly. "Rebecca didn't learn those moves. I was...Adam, buddy, this is really hard to explain."
Adam let go of Rebecca and stepped back. "Wh-what? Rebecca, is this some kind of sick joke?"
"No! Adam I swear it isn't." Rebecca cried, tears burning in her eyes. "It's the truth. We've...we've been...joined, I guess is the best word for it, for almost 3 weeks now. I wanted to tell you, but...I didn't know how."
"And I couldn't Adam. This alien guy told me that one of the rules was that I couldn't talk to anyone about it."
"So...why now?" Adam asked as he stared at his girlfriend. Things were starting to make sense. The way she just slipped into their group. The way she was so positive that Rocky was all right. "Didn't you think I deserved to know?" He demanded.
"How was I supposed to tell you?" Rebecca yelled at him. "Did you just want me to walk up to you and just blurt it out?! Oh yeah, that would have worked. You would have labeled me crazy and Rocky would be stuck here for the rest of his life. You were and still are, his only hope of getting his body back."
Where is your body anyway?
You know...I'm not sure. We'll have to find that.
Let's hope it's not decomposing somewhere.
That was a mental picture I didn't need to have. Thanks a lot!
Rebecca smiled a bit at the sound of Rocky's indignation. It hadn't occurred to her before.
"When you space out...you're talking to Rocky aren't you?" Adam asked.
Rebecca nodded. "Or at least we're talking to each other. We sort of go back and forth on who gets control."
Adam nodded and then looked up at Rebecca. "So who was it a week ago when I asked you out?"
"It was me, Rebecca. I-I had asked you over so that I could tell you about Rocky, but...I guess I wasn't strong enough to stick to it. I like you Adam, I'm not going to deny that. I should have told you so long ago, but at first I didn't know how, and then when you asked me out...I was afraid you wouldn't want to go out with me if I told you the truth." Rebecca gave him a faint smile. "You should have heard the comments he was giving me too. Rocky is really protective of you."
"That doesn't mean I forgive you for lying to me." Adam told her coolly.
Rebecca nodded. "I didn't expect you to. I just want to know how you're going to help Rocky."
Adam stared at her a moment before he roughly grabbed her arm and hit the teleport button on his communicator.
Rocky?
Trust him. He's taking you somewhere beyond your comprehension.
Oh thanks.
When Rebecca felt something solid under her feet she almost lost her footing as Adam abruptly let go of her arm. She caught herself and then looked around. Panels and consoles covered most of the workspace and a small robot was puttering around the consoles. It stopped and turned toward them and then let out a high-pitched. "Aye yi yi." When it caught sight of her.
Adam looked slightly above him. "Zordon, she says she's Rocky. Or at least has Rocky in her." His normally inflective tone was flat and Rebecca winced.
Who's he talking to?
Turn around.
"Oh wow." Rebecca breathed as she turned and looked up. There, was a giant bald floating head staring down at her. "Uh...hi. I'm Rebecca...well and Rocky I guess. I-I don't know exactly how to explain it." Rebecca stuttered out.
Zordon won't take your head off. Relax.
I'm trying. I'm talking to a giant floating head. What do you expect me to do?!
"Welcome. This is the Power Chamber and I am Zordon. This is my faithful assistant, Alpha 5. If you would please go to Alpha he would like to run a few tests on you."
"Okay...uh...I can tell you how Rocky says this happened. He says that he was in the park and then suddenly he was in this dimension. All gray. And he said that this really tall funny looking alien came and told him that he was supposed to be part of an experiment, a guinea pig of sorts, and that he was going to be transferred into a girl's body for the rest of his life." Rebecca spat out as Alpha waved a device over her body. She refused to look at Adam. She didn't want to see the hatred in his eyes.
"Ayi yi yi, Zordon. The tests indicate that she's telling the truth. She really does have Rocky's spirit inside of her."
"How do we get him out?" Adam asked as he went over to the little robot.
Rocky...exactly what is this place?
Uh...Rebecca, don't ask me that. I don't want to lie to you.
But Rocky...all right. That's only fair since I did ruin your life for the past three weeks.
No, you didn't. This is all that Tall Alien Guy's fault. Remember that.
Yeah. Rebecca answered, but she didn't seem so sure.
"I'm working on that now, Adam." Alpha told the Asian teen.
"Alpha, use the mind splitter on them." Zordon ordered the little robot.
What’s a mind splitter?
Beats me.
"Uh…you know what? That’s okay. I don’t think I need to have my mind split." Rebecca said as she slowly backed away from the little group.
"Sorry, but it doesn’t work like that, Rebecca." Adam snapped, as he grabbed her arm.
"Rebecca, you will not feel any pain, nor suffer any ill effects." Zordon told her, watching the teenage girl.
"Yeah, and I’m sure that’s what the serial killers tell all their victims too." Rebecca told them.
Trust him. Zordon’s never done anything to hurt one of us before. It’ll be okay.
If you say so.
* * *
Rebecca watched as Tommy and the rest of the group, which now included Rocky again, laughed and joked by Billy's locker. Silently she turned away from the happy group and walked toward the front doors. She couldn't blame them for excluding her, after all, Rocky was their friend; she was just an imposter. "Well, it's back to the old Rebecca. The friendless one." She muttered quietly as she unlocked the car and slipped inside.
Rocky watched Rebecca as she turned and walked away. He was worried. Ever since they had been split, Rebecca had been avoiding them all like the plague. He could understand her being afraid of them all excommunicating her, but it wasn't like that. Once the team saw that Rocky hadn't held a grudge against Rebecca the rest of them, with the exception of Adam, had forgiven her. After all they were both victims. It wasn't as if Rebecca had asked for it.
"Hey guys. I'll catch up with you later." He said, watching Rebecca.
"Are you sure, Rocko?" Tommy asked.
Rocky nodded. "I'm positive. I'll see you later. There's something I need to do."
* * *
"REBECCA!!"
Rebecca sighed as her dad bellowed from downstairs. "COMING!" She yelled back as she closed her Lit book and trudged down the stairs. "What?" She asked as she came to the front door.
"Some guy at the door for you." Her father frowned at her and she tried hard not to roll her eyes. Her Air Force Captain of a father didn't approve of men hanging around his only daughter.
She opened the door and saw Rocky standing there. "What do you want?" She asked as she turned and let him in.
"Just wanted to talk to you." He replied. He smiled at Captain Stoner. "Evening sir. Do you mind if I take your daughter out to dinner?" He asked.
Captain Nicolas Stoner smiled at the young man. He liked him already. "Aren't you going out with that Park boy?" He demanded, turning on his daughter.
"Dad? Rocky's just a friend, nothing more." Rebecca said as she dragged Rocky out the door.
* * *
"So what do you want?" She asked again as they sat in a booth at a local Mexican restaurant.
"Just to talk. How come you're avoiding us? We're still your friends." He said quietly.
Rebecca shrugged. "Didn't think anyone would want me around. Considering I was a big fake and all. I'm sorry I made you sit there for so long. I should have just told them right away. I can't blame everyone for hating me."
Rocky stared at her. "No one blames you or hates you." He told her.
"Adam?" She deadpanned.
Rocky sighed. He needed to have a serious talk with his best friend over this whole issue. But first he wanted to feel out Rebecca's thoughts on the relationship. "Do you still have warm fuzzies for my best friend?"
Rebecca gave him a strange look. "Warm Fuzzies?" She shrugged. "Yeah, I do. I really liked him, Rocky. He was the first guy that didn't run screaming the other way when I came into a room."
"I doubt that." Rocky protested.
Rebecca smiled sadly. "My dad's an Air Force Captain, and everybody on base knows it. Any guy interested in me is usually from the base. So, the guys find out and then they back off. But it doesn't matter anymore anyway, because Adam's not interested in me anymore."
Rocky sighed. "I don’t know about that, but I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet. Don’t let him stop you from hanging out with us. Everybody wants to know you now, not just me reincarnated."
Rebecca gave him a soft smile. "Okay, I'll try. Thanks Rocky."
* * *
"Hey man." Rocky said as he found Adam sitting alone in the park.
"Hey." Adam replied, not turning.
"Why aren't you with the rest of the guys?" He asked as he sat down next to his best friend.
"No thanks." Adam said.
"Because Rebecca's with them?" Rocky asked, deciding to get right to the heart of the matter.
"I can't believe you just forgave her so easily! She lied to us, to me and she didn't tell anyone. You're lucky you didn't need your physical body to come back. She could have…"
"But she didn't. Adam this isn't her fault any more than it is mine. She didn't choose to have me sharing her body. Trust me, it wasn't all fun and games and most times I felt incredibly awkward. The point is, don't blame her for what happened. It's not her fault. Adam, this is the first time that she's had a chance at a normal life. Do you blame her for wanting to take advantage of it?"
"Yes!" Adam exclaimed. "She lied to me, Rocky. And worse, she put you in danger. She held you hostage, in everything but name. So yeah, I do blame her. Let her get her own life and leave yours alone."
Rocky shook his head. His best friend was being way too stubborn for his little plan to work. He'd seen first hand how happy Adam had been while going out with Rebecca. Granted it had made him sick for a while, since Adam was basically doing everything he'd done to Rebecca to him, but he could see why Rebecca liked Adam so much and vice versa. They both bolstered the others failings. They, for lack of a better phrase, completed each other. And he was damned if he wasn't going to make them both see that.
"Stay right here." Rocky demanded. He ran over to where Rebecca was playing volleyball with the rest of the team. Once she had tentatively rejoined their group, she had been greeted with nothing but open arms.
"Sorry, I gotta borrow her for a few minutes." He told Tommy and Billy as he dragged his other half off the volleyball court.
"Rocky? What's this about?" Rebecca asked.
Rocky ignored her until he got back to where Adam was sitting. Rebecca tried to pull out of his grip but he held on. "Do you still have warm fuzzies for him?" He asked, again using the term his sister, Rosa, used. He made a mental note to stop watching Buffy with her.
"Wh-yeah I guess." Rebecca asked, giving him a strange look. But Rocky was tired of the two of them denying what everybody could see plainly.
"Adam, do you still have warm fuzzies about Rebecca?" He demanded, giving his best friend a hard glare. Adam couldn't be talking about Rebecca this much without having some kind of feelings for her.
"Yes, I guess so."
"Good, then kiss and make up." Rocky announced.
They both looked at him as if he was crazy.
"You heard me. Right now, kiss and make up."
They looked at each other and then back at Rocky. Adam cautiously put his arm around Rebecca and Rebecca rested her head on his shoulder.
"Kiss!" Rocky ordered.
Smiling they did as they were told.
