Tommy Oliver unlocked the door to his family's house and walked inside, into the rec room. He wasn't expecting anyone to be home that night; his Mom and Dad were out of town visiting relatives on the East Coast and his younger sister, Tamara, was still away at science camp, so he switched on the radio, dropped his red backpack to the ground, and laid down on the sofa.
Sighing heavily, he store at the ceiling. "I miss you more and more everyday, Sweetcheeks. I long for your touch. I long to place my body against your, to kiss it and caress it, like I did before I left you alone and broken-hearted."
Thinking back on his many thoughts, he suddenly began to listen to the song flying from the radio speakers, Janet Jackson's rhythmic voice singing the fast paced song.
There are times when I look above and beyond
There are times when I feel your love around me baby
I'll never forget my baby
I'll never forget you
There are times when I look above and beyond
There are times when I feel your love around me baby
I'll never forget my baby
When I feel that I don't belong
Draw my strength
From the words when you said
Hey it's about you baby
Look deeper inside you baby
Dream about us together again
What I want us together again baby
I'll know we'll be together again cos
Everywhere I go
Every smile I see
I know you are there
Smiling back at me
Dancin' in the moonlight
I know you are free
Cos I can see your star
Shinin' down on me
Good times we'll share again
Makes me wanna dance
Say it loud and proud
All my loves for you
Always been a true angel to me
Now above
I can't wait for you to wrap your wings around me baby
Wrap them around me baby
Sometimes hear you whisperin'
No more pain
No worries will you ever see, now baby
I'm so happy for my baby
Dream about us together again
What I want us together again baby
I know we'll be together again cos
Everywhere I go
Every smile I see
I know you are there, smilin' back at me
Dancin' in the moonlight
I know you are free
Cos I can see your star
Shinin' down on me
Good times we'll share again
Makes me wanna dance
Say it loud and proud
All my loves for you
There are times when I look above and beyond
There are times when I feel you smile upon me baby
I'll never forget my baby
What I'd give just to hold you close
As on earth
In heaven we will be together baby
Together again my baby
Everywhere I go
Every smile I see
I know you are there
Smilin' back at me
Dancin' in moonlight
I know you are free
Cos I can see your star
Shinin' down on me
Everywhere I go
Every smile I see
I know you are there
Smilin' back at me
Dancin' in moonlight
I know you are free
Cos I can see your star
Shinin' down on me
The Red Zeo Ranger smiled weakly as he listened to the song finish. Just as he was about to close his eyes, to doze off for awhile, the phone rang and Tommy picked up the phone on the table behind himself. "Hello?" he asked and greeted at the same time.
On the other end, a shaky female voice replied, "Hello? Is this the Oliver residence?"
Tommy's ears perked up. He recognized the voice, but he couldn't pin point who it was. "Yeah. This is the Oliver residence. Are you looking for someone in particular?"
"Ummm, yes," the girl paused, "I'm looking for Tommy Oliver? Is this him?"
"Yeah, this is him," Tommy moved the phone away from his ear as the girl shrieked, "May I ask who is this?"
"You don't remember," the voice seemed to encase a frown, "You don't remember that one girl who loved you more than anything?"
"Sweetcheeks!?!?" Tommy cried into the receiver; he now knew who was on the other side of the phone: Shannon Kassandra Kaze, "How did you get my phone number? You don't even know where I live in Angel Grove!"
"Olive Oil, you know I can get whatever I want if I put my mind to it," Shannon chuckled over the speaker, "I knew you lived in Angel Grove, so I called information and got your phone number!"
"Why didn't you bother to do it before?" Tommy questioned; the two had been separated for a heart-wrenching three years.
"I, I, I've been really busy the past few years," Shannon stuttered over the phone.
"With what?" Tommy inquired.
There was a period of silence over the phone. "A lot of stuff, Tommy," she sounded as if she was about to cry, "My parents died about eight months after you left, Oliver, and I've been really busy trying to go to school, work, and trying to take care of Cam and myself."
"Oh, Sweetcheeks, I'm sorry," Tommy apologized sadly.
"No. It's okay," Shannon responded, "Since my parents didn't have a will made out, everything that they owned went to me. The house, money, the car, everything. I really needed you then, ya know that, Olive Oil? I still need you right now."
Tommy sighed. "I need you too."
"I've sold the house here in Summer Springs and I'm moving to Angel Grove within the next month with Cam to a new house. I'm working right now with a Martial Arts demonstration team that tours around in the Los Angeles area. We're due to demonstrate in Angel Grove sometime during late August and early September."
"Really?" Tommy smiled, "Very cool."
"So what have you been up to?"
"Same old. I've made some really good friends here. Some of them went on to better things."
"Really?"
"Unuh. My friends, Jason, Trini, and Zack went off to the Geneva Peace Conference."
"Wow," he heard Shannon awe, "Tommy?"
"Yeah, Shannon?" Tommy questioned.
"I'm gonna be moving around for the next month or two. I don't think I'll be able to contact you till I arrive in Angel Grove. So, I guess what I'm trying to say here is good-bye till then, because I've gotta get to a demonstration right now in Crystal Falls, that like starts in an hour," on the other end, Tommy heard Shannon kiss the receiver, "I love you."
"I love you too."
"Bye."
"See you," the Red Ranger replied, putting the phone back in its place.
Laying back again, Tommy grinned widely as he dozed off into his slumber.
The next afternoon, Tommy practically skipped into the Youth Center to join his four friends at the table where they usually sat. "Whoa, you okay, Tommy?" Rocky DeSantos glanced at his leader, as he sat down happily, "You look like you took some 'happy' pills with some Jolt."
"I don't drink Jolt, Rocko," Tommy sung, getting him strange looks from his four friends.
Tanya Sloan pressed her hand to Tommy's forehead and checked his temperature. "He's not sick," she assured.
Tommy looked at his friends quizzically. "Can't I be happy without arousing any suspicion from you guys?" he simply asked.
Katherine Hillard {Kat} shook her head. "No, you can't, Tommy Oliver," Kat hushed her voice, "You've been majorly depressed ever since Jason lost his powers and just suddenly becoming happy won't cut it. I'm your girlfriend and I wanna know what's going on," she demanded.
Tommy winced slightly when Kat called herself his girlfriend, but no one noticed other than himself. "Listen," he said, checking his watch on his wrist, "I have class to teach in ten minutes. If it makes you happy, how about Friday night I take you, Ms. Hillard, to Sweet Angels and I'll tell you about my secret," with that he stood up from the table and headed to the lockerooms.
"Fine, then," Kat called to him.
As the boy walked out the door, he thought to himself *Oh God. What have I just done.............*
Later that week, on Friday night, the Red Zeo Ranger sat across a table from his beautiful girlfriend, who, sadly, he didn't love, in the romantic restaurant, Sweet Angels.
As the couple shared an animated conversation over their dessert after dinner, Tommy was battling himself on whether to tell Kat the truth or not. *I've gotta tell her the truth. I've been putting her on for so long. It's not right.* he thought.
*But she loves you, can't you see that? You would break her heart if you told her now.* a small voice in the back of his head argued.
*But I don't love her. I love my Shannon. And ONLY my Shannon.* Tommy counteracted mentally.
*Who cares? You've been separated for three years and only just a few days ago she bothered to call you and say that she loved you. Katherine's been showing you that she loves you since forever!* the voice declared.
*She had her reasons for not calling sooner. And that doesn't matter anyway. I love Shannon and she loves me. I DON'T love Katherine. It just isn't right to lead her on any longer.* Tommy decided.
Looking up from his apple pie, his eyes fell upon Katherine as she placed a piece of cheese cake into her mouth. "Katherine?" he queried, getting her attention.
"Yes," the blonde answered, her eyes sparkling in the dim lights of the room.
*If she only knew.* Tommy thought as he took Kat's hand from across the table and squeezed it gently. "I have something very important to tell you," the ranger gazed into Katherine's bright blue eyes sadly.
"Yes," Kat responded, the tone of her voice telling Tommy she was slightly anxious.
Hesitating for a moment, he turned his head away from Kat, not being able to tell her what he had to. Suddenly, Shannon voice popped into his head and whispered *Do this for me, Oliver. Do this for Kat. She deserves a man who will love her the same way she'll love him. There is no such thing as a one way relationship and you know it.*
*For you and Kat, Shannon.* Tommy agreed, turning his eyes back to the Pink Ranger. "Katherine, I have known you for a little over a year and a half now and I know how you feel about me," he slowly told, watching Kat blush slightly.
*Please forgive me, Kat* he begged mentally. "Katherine, you have come to my aid when I have been feeling depressed and lonely. You are the shining light that has helped me home. I should be shot in the head for saying this, Kat, but I can't love you the way you love me. I love you like a sister, but not like a lover," Tommy was silent for a moment as he saw a single tear shine in her eye, "I can understand if you hate me right now, but I just didn't want to lead you on, like I did Kimberly. I am truly sorry, Kat."
Kat's watery eyes met Tommy's sympathetic ones. He hadn't mean to hurt Kat, he just wanted her to know the truth. Like Shannon said, "There is no such thing as a one way relationship," and he knew she was right.
Katherine removed her hand from Tommy's grip and store him straight in the eyes with a heartfelt look and whispered, "I'm sorry, too, Thomas Oliver. I thought we had something, that I guess we didn't."
As she stood up from the table and walked out on him, Tommy glanced to where Kat once sat, crystalline tears forming in his eyes. "Forgive me, Kat................"
A few minutes later a beautiful Caucasian girl with flowing curly brunette hair and innocent sky blue eyes opened the door. "OLIVE OIL!!!!!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, throwing herself at Tommy.
"Sweetcheeks," he mumbled weakly, kissing her neck.
Shannon removed herself from the hug and looked at Tommy. He was wearing a red muscle shirt and black jeans, a red flannel shirt tied around his waist. His eyes had black circles under them and he seemed extremely tired. "Oh, Oliver," she gasped, pulling him into the house, "What did you do to yourself?"
Shannon making him sit down on the sofa, Tommy mumbled, "I couldn't sleep last night."
"You're telling me, Tommy," Shannon ruefully chuckled, removing his shoes from his feet and massaging them, "You look dog tired. What happened last night? Why are you here?"
"I broke up with my girlfriend. I want you in my arms again, Shannon," Tommy replied Shannon, before his eyelids fell over his eyes, placing him into a deep and peaceful sleep.
Tommy was aroused from his sleep with a sensual feeling on lips. "Mmmmmm," he moaned, as Shannon's sweet lips moved away from his.
"Morning, Oliver," she greeted him, as Tommy rose into a sitting position.
"Morning?" he queried, rubbing his eyes; he couldn't have slept THAT long.
As his vision cleared, the Red Ranger saw Shannon shaking her head. "No, it's actually about three in the afternoon," she clarified, her blue eyes meeting Tommy deep brown ones, "Are you okay, Oliver? You usually don't lose sleep very often. I should know."
"Yeah, I'm okay," he assured his long time love, "I've just gone through a lot lately and I've been missing you more than ever."
"Me, too," Shannon agreed, "Even after you broke off the relationship, I just couldn't let go of you. I love you way too much."
Tommy store into Shannon's eyes and saw the glow and twinkle in her eyes that he had longed for ever since he had left her. "How about we head down to Summer Springs and then come back here," the Zeo Ranger kissed the girl lovingly, "to have some fun."
Shannon traced a line across his jaw with her finger, sending shivers up Tommy's spine . "I'd like that very much, Mr. Oliver..............."
"Well, I hope you haven't forgotten it since the last time," the brunette giggled as they emerged from the trees and wandered towards the springs.
"How could I forget?" he grinned, staring at her, "Summer Springs is where I met you, almost fifteen years ago to the day, Ms. Shannon Kassandra Kaze."
Sitting down on the sandy bank, Shannon sat down in Tommy's lap and the Red Zeo Ranger cradled her protectively. "You remembered!" she checked her watch, then suddenly shrieked, "Oh, man! I'm late for my rehearsal!"
"Rehearsal?"
"Practice. We always have choreographed routines for our demonstrations and we have practice on Saturdays," Shannon stood up from her boyfriend's lap, "I've really gotta go, Oliver. Please understand."
Tommy nodded his head. "Of course," he assured, as he watched her running silhouette disappear into the green and lush trees, "Till we meet again, Sweetcheeks................"
His depression, even though very little at the time, began right after being reunited with his true love for that day. When he came back, he came back to an Angel Grove where he had to resolve the one problem he had left hanging; That one being his relationship with Katherine. After the Pink Ranger was emotionally stable (that's not meant as an insult), they had a long talk about that Friday night, deciding they were better off friends.
It was strange for the Power Ranger, talking to her face to face; for it was the first time he had broken someone's heart so badly. Tommy never thought his news would hit Katherine so hard. On that particular night, after everything that had happened within the amount of three days, Tommy had been so naive and worried about his long love for Shannon, he totally underestimated the girl's reaction. Tommy had been an idiot, and with the help of Katherine, he had been able to see that.
That's when the depression hit him like an ocean wave pounding against rocky cliffs. The feeling of not being loved by anyone anymore; The feeling of hope slipping away day by day, more and more; The feeling of regretting his mistakes that he just couldn't change. They all began hit him full force, eroding away his confidence, his hope, his pride. And one thing after another, Tommy started to slip; He started to fall from his high perch of leader. The supposedly noble leader of the Power Rangers began to find ways to torture himself. Drinking was probably the best and easiest way out for him. But, no. Tommy Oliver didn't want freedom. He didn't want the easy way out. He wanted pain.....................and that's what he gave himself, until Adam and Tanya caught him. They caught Tommy inflicting his pain on himself and that's when everything began to turn for the worst.
*But, time to put that in the past* Tommy thought to himself as he stood up from his seat in the bleachers of the Angel Grove amphitheater *Face the facts, Tommy. You lost Shannon, you lost Kim, now you've lost Kat. You thought you had Shannon within a heart's grasp, but she slipped through your fingers yet again. You can't hold onto one girl for very long, can ya, Oliver?*
The group had just finished watching the demonstration and now were heading down the stairs to the bottom. As the emotionally distraught ranger slipped his sunglasses over his eyes, he suddenly heard a sweet and loving voice sing out to him, "Since when do you need to protect your eyes, Oliver?"
Stopping in his tracks, he looked down and searched for the origin of the voice. After a minute his eyes fell upon a brunette beauty with long curls of brown hair and sky blue eyes that matched the color of the sky. "That's just like you, Kaze, spur of the moment!" Tommy snapped back whole-heartedly; a smile creeping up onto his lips for the first time in a long time.
Removing his dark glasses, he began to slowly walk down towards the girl who had been demonstrating earlier, who he now could recognize as HIS Shannon; taking a thought with every step he took. *My God. It's true. You finally came back to me after all this time. You came back to me, Sweetcheeks* he made it to the bottom and threw himself at Shannon in a hug *And I'll never let you go again.*
As their lips met with a passion and love only the two could possess, Tommy never once thought back on his time of depression, but he thought to the future, which later showed the woman in his arms to be the savior of his world.