Legal Disclaimer: You probably can figure it out by now. Not mine, not any of it. This takes place somewhere around "White Light Part 1" and is a peek into the mind of Tommy Oliver.

You Needed Me
by Cynthia

Slowly he ran a brush through his long, thick hair, staring into the mirror. The hollowness had left his eyes already. The emptiness that had touched his soul the moment the Green uniform had faded from him for the last time was gone. He felt. ..in balance. For the first time in a year, he felt as if he were at peace.

I'm glad I sent that letter. Tommy smiled, thinking about how Kim's face would light up when he came back, how it had probably lit up when she had read he was coming home. He'd thought about surprising her, about keeping his travel plans a secret, then had changed his mind. It would be better for his friends to be waiting for him.

Friends. Real friends. The kind he'd never thought he would have before he had moved to Angel Grove. He'd been a loner all of his life, thinking of other people only as sparring partners or people to be left alone. That was all he could think of Jason as when they had matched one another in the tournament.

Then Rita had stepped in and changed everything. Kim had fallen in love with him, and he had with her. He'd developed a relationship so tight with Jason that it felt as if they were brothers instead of friends. All of them. . .he could hardly imagine going back and not being on the team, though.

Not being needed. To be there and to not have powers, to not be able to help. . .to help her. It was going to be hard. And he would be a target of Zedd's now, as an ex-Ranger, and as the ex-Green Ranger in particular. It would probably be almost as bad as when his powers had been being drained.

They're all gone though, he sighed. So at least that won't be what he's after.

The thought of what their enemy could be after instead chilled him. He'd heard from the others briefly since he'd been up here; a couple of phone calls, he and Kim had kept up a stream of letters in the last three weeks. He knew that Zedd had tried to 'marry' Kim, and hearing about that had fired his blood. Tommy wished he could've been there when that happened, the thought of that. ..that thing putting his slimy claws on his girlfriend. ..

Tommy shook his head. It had come out all right. Just like the other attempts that Zedd had made during his time away. And it would continue to be all right. He knew it, knew it in every piece and shard of his soul.

He sighed, and stretched out. It was a hot day; he was going to go for a swim later. First, though, he had to have some breakfast. As he headed into the kitchen, he flipped on the radio, hoping for some decent music. The song that filled the air stopped him in his tracks.

I cried a tear, you wiped it dry.
I was confused, you cleared my mind.
I sold my soul, you bought it back for me
And held me up, and gave me dignity.
Somehow you needed me.

You gave me strength to stand alone again,
To face the world out on my own again.
You put me high upon a pedestal,
So high that I can almost see eternity.
You needed me, you needed me.

And I can't believe it's you, I can't believe it's true.
I needed you, and you were there.
And I'll never leave, why should I leave,
I'd be a fool 'cause I've fin'lly found someone who really cares.

You held my hand when it was cold.
When I was lost, you took me home.
You gave me hope, when I was at the end
And turned my lies back into truth again.
You even called me friend.

You gave me strength to stand alone again,
To face the world out on my own again.
You put me high upon a pedastal,
So high that I can almost see eternity.
You needed me, you needed me.

You needed me, you needed me.
Slowly, he smiled. That described his relationship with the others perfectly. They had brought him out of the darkness of evil and into the light of good. They had needed him, and in return, he now needed them. He had friends, good friends, and they were waiting for him to come back. And he would be going back soon.

Once he'd had breakfast, Tommy headed out for the lake. He'd made up his mind. After he'd swum a while, he'd get cleaned up and go home. He'd be early, but he couldn't wait to see his friends another day. He needed to go home.

rule

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