Love's Return

Love's Return
By: PernDragonrider

Disclaimer: Don't own Power Rangers, Disney does.

Jason, Tommy, Adam, Billy, and Rocky were sitting at a table in the Youth Center when Billy's communicator beeped. All five of them looked around and then Billy answered the call quietly.
"I'm here Zordon, what is the matter." Billy said his voice soft and low.
"There is a problem in the communications network Billy." Zordon replies, his voice issuing from the small speaker on Billy's wrist. "I need you to come to the Power Chamber and see if you can find the problem."
"I'm on my way Zordon." Billy says as he rises from his chair and walks to the secluded alcove the Rangers all use to teleport from the Youth Center. Billy touches a small button on his communicator and he's teleported away to the Power Chamber. When he arrives in the Power Chamber, Billy is stunned to see someone else there.
"Who?" Billy questions as the person whose back was to him turns around and smiles brightly.
"Hi Billy!" The shapely five-foot five-inch tall, blond haired, green-eyed beauty says brightly.
"Candy-girl?" Billy says stunned as the teen beauty before him simply nods her head at his question of her name.
"Morphinominal!" Billy shouts as he engulfs her into a tight hug that lifts her slight one hundred and five pound frame from the floor. "It is so great that you're back finally! I've missed you!"
"Thanks Billy, but put me down before we both fall. Please?" Candy says smiling into his laughing and warm hazel eyes.
"God you look awesome!" Billy says as he gently sets her back on her feet and releases her.
"Thanks, it took a lot of hard work, but I did it! I lost all the fat and toned up. I've even got five black belts and have competed in a few tournaments and won!" Candy tells him smiling shyly.
"Jason owes you five dates then." Billy says smiling at her. "One for each black belt. Wasn't that his promise to you?"
"It was, but I was also supposed to get a place with you and the others too." Candy says sadly. "Zordon filled me in on what I missed while I was away. Dad finally got transferred back here to Angel Grove and I'm here to stay. Need another hand cleaning up the Zords?"
"I would greatly appreciate any help you're willing to give around here Candy." Billy says seriously. "I've been working like mad to ever since the Zeo Crystal rebuilt the Command Center into the Power Chamber to get everything working right."
"Then point me to the where we need to start today and we'll knock it out in no time." Candy says smiling at her genius friend's start of surprise at her words.
"No way Candy!" Billy says teasing her. "Today you're coming back to the Youth Center with me. I can't wait to see Jason and Tommy's faces when you walk in the door on my arm. I really can't wait to see you sparring with them again either."
"Okay, one prank on Jason and Tommy coming up!" Candy says as she laughs delightedly at Billy's idea then she sobers and continues seriously. "How far do we take this prank on them Billy?"
"As far as we can get away with." Billy tells her kissing her cheek. "It that's alright with you?"
"I'm in a devious mood Billy." Candy warns him smiling brightly. "Can you handle locking lips with me without blushing bright red?"
"I'll do my best not to blush if you should kiss me on the lips." Billy promises smiling at her.
"All right, operation prank starts now!" Candy says as the two teleport to a place near the Youth Center where less than fifteen minutes ago he'd left Jason, Tommy, Rocky, and Adam when Zordon called him to fix a communications problem.
They walk into the Youth Center; Billy's arm about Candy's shoulders as her hand was wrapped about his waist and her left thumb was hooked through one of Billy's belt loops. Candy spots Jason and Tommy right away, but their backs are to her and Billy; however the shocked looked of the other two teens at the table has her smiling to herself. She leans her head on Billy's shoulder and kisses his cheek as she says quietly, "Don't look now, but the guys sitting with Jason and Tommy are about to pass out from total shock Brain-Pain."
Billy's delighted laugh at her using his old nickname has Jason and Tommy turning to see what is going on. Their stunned expressions at seeing Billy cuddled closely with a gorgeous blond on his arm have Candy's eyes dancing with delight. She leans in and again gives Billy what appears to be a loving kiss on his cheek when in reality she's using the action to hide that she's talking to him. "Well, so much for instant recognition." She says quickly after the kiss. Billy again laughs and the two stop as he turns to face her. She steps into his arms and Billy kisses her sweetly on the lips as he says, "Just so you know, there are four rangers at the table, Rocky and Adam are part of the team. Rocky's in blue and Adam's in green."
Candy laughs brightly when Billy releases her lips from what their stunned audience believed was a passionate kiss. Billy turns and escorts Candy to the table.
When they reach the table, Billy doesn't introduce her to them at all he just says, "Sugar, why don't you go ahead and start your workout? I'll sit here with the guys until you're done."
"That's a great idea Honey!" Candy says breathlessly as she gives him a quick kiss on the lips. "No swapping bedroom stories now." She chides as she moves to the mats that were always there for martial arts practice. She notices that Billy doesn't even blush when she teased him about bedroom stories.
"Hi guys!" Billy says as he sits down. "Anything happen while I was gone?" He asks innocently.
"Who is that and where have you been hiding her Billy?" Adam asks amazement in his voice.
"Oh, that's an old friend of mine. I ran into her on my way in just now." Billy semi-lies to Adam and then continues truthfully. "She was headed here to get some martial arts practice in and we kind of ran into each other out on the steps. You know Jase she might want a sparring partner or if you're not up to it maybe Tommy?"
"You'd trust me to spar with your girlfriend Billy?" Jason asks his tone surprised. "You're not afraid I'll hurt her?"
"I've trusted you with my life Jase," Billy says seriously. "Besides, were just friends and from what she told me out on the steps, she's got five black belts."
"Impressive." Tommy says seeing the devilment shining in Billy's green eyes. "What styles Billy?"
"I have no idea Tommy." Billy says truthfully. "I never asked."
Jason has already taken the bait and moved over to the padded mats to watch her work. Once Jason's left the table and is out of earshot Tommy asks Billy quietly, "Operation Prank again?"
Billy's small start of surprise is Tommy's answer. Before Tommy can leave the table Billy asks quickly and quietly, "How'd you know?"
"Well, ok truth time." Tommy says sitting back down. "Sensi entered me into a tournament about two months ago. I didn't want to, but I was the only person at the dojo capable of going at the time. So I drove up to Vegas and competed. I got my rear handed to me on a silver platter by the girl over there that is even now lulling Jason into thinking you've told a fib about her belts. Candy-girl looks great Billy and I know exactly what styles and what rank belts she's holding. She earned most of them by putting me into the mat repeatedly a month ago."
The others at the table hear a loud "OOF" and then Jason's hands as he slaps the pads to absorb his fall. "Nice move miss?" Jason asks as he gets to his feet. "Where'd you learn that one?"
"That old thing?" Candy says smiling at him slyly. "That's one an old friend of mine taught me. He was a forest RANGER and said that it turned angry bears into PUTTY in his hands."
"I can see why." Jason says as he rubs his thigh where her kick had connected before she hip-tossed him to the mat. He doesn't react to her words, but Adam and Rocky draw in a surprised breath.
"She knows?" A stunned Adam asks a smiling Tommy.
"Candy-girl knows." Tommy says smiling still. Then he turns to Jason and says loudly. "Hey bro! Need some help over there?"
"I could use a breather if you'd like to take over bro." Jason says bowing in respect to his opponent. "Forgive me miss, but I need a few minutes to regain my breath. I haven't hit the mat that hard in over two years now."
"No problem." Candy says dismissively. "It's just so disappointing when a big hulking guy like yourself runs from a little challenge like me."
Jason had already started walking away when she saw his back stiffen in anger at her words. He continued to the table, his posture rigid in his anger as Tommy took his place before her.
"Operation prank not going so good Candy-girl?" Tommy asks her quietly. His voice pitched just loud enough to reach her ears only.
"I didn't mean to make Jase mad Tommy-boy." Candy said smiling at him. "I thought he'd catch my veiled reference about that old move he taught me." Her voice is also low and quiet.
"Give the man a break Candy-girl." Tommy says his voice light but still low. "I think he's more stunned by how you look than anything else. Let Billy continue the operation while we do some serious sparring. I still owe you for a couple of those points you earned off of me last month."
"Whenever you're ready big man." Candy says the merriment in her tone clear and bright. "Bring it on if you think you've got what it takes!"
Tommy doesn't say a word and the others at the table watch as the two face-off against each other sparring fiercely. Jason's jaw drops as he realizes he's been tricked totally by the beauty that's now matching Tommy move for move.
"What the HELL?" Jason almost roars in his anger at her tricking him. "Where did she learn to fight like that all of a sudden?"
"I did tell you that she's got five black belts Jase." Billy says soothingly. "You approached her like she was a complete novice so she played along. I would have too."
"You did? I did?" Jason asks then thinks over his actions as he sparred with her. Suddenly he burst out with a roaring shout of laughter as he gets back up and runs to where Tommy and the young lady are sparring. Engrossed in their match, neither of them sees Jason's quick approach until he's says loudly to both of them, "Time!"
They both stop mid move and bow to each other quickly. Jason looks at Tommy's sweating face and says his voice now bright with suppressed laughter. "Forest Ranger and bears into Putty?"
"Took you long enough bro." Tommy says smiling at his now bright face. "What did Billy do finally break down and tell you?"
"No, he called me on the fact that I approached our sparring session like my opponent was a complete novice so she played along with my line of attack. That got me to thinking about the entire thing and then the comment Candy-girl made about that old move I'd taught her." Jason says his explanation to Tommy rushed as he turned his smiling eyes on the stunningly beautiful teen next to Tommy.
"You are absolutely the most gorgeously beautiful sight I've ever seen Candy Jones." Jason tells her his voice showing his belief in his statement.
"Why thank you kind sir." Candy says her voice teasing and mirth filled. "I'm sure you must say that to all of the ladies though."
"No, just to you Candy-girl; only to you." Jason's voice is soft and Tommy's eyes widen to see Jason advance on the now totally stunned Candy.
"Only you my Candy-girl." Jason says one last time softly before he claims her lips in a deep and thorough kiss. Candy's arms instinctively wrap about Jason's neck so she can steady herself as her legs turn to jell-o. Jason's arms wrap about her waist and he pulls her tightly against his well-muscled body. The two stand there for what seems like forever to them, but in reality was only about two minutes. The look of shock on Tommy's face is mirrored by the looks on Billy, Adam, and Rocky's faces from where they sat at the table.
"Wow!" Candy says softly as Jason's mouth releases hers slowly and reluctantly. "I could drown happily in that kind of kiss."
"I do believe I owe you five dates Miss Candy." Jason says licking his lips slightly and not releasing her from where she was pressed tightly to him.
"You do?" Candy asks her eyes focused not on his eyes, but on his lips.
Jason takes the unspoken hint and dips his head to again taste her sweet mouth. This time, Candy readily opens to allow his tongue access. Jason groans as she parts her lips and allows his tongue to explore her sweet tasting mouth further. This time, Tommy taps Jason on the shoulder to draw their attention back to their surroundings.
"Bro!" Tommy says his voice urgent and low.
"Wha..?" Jason says pulling his mouth even more slowly and tenderly from hers. Her sigh as his lips leave hers has him staring into her now passion darkened green eyes.
"Maybe you two should come back and sit at the table with us." Tommy says grabbing Jason's arm and giving him a small nudge in the direction of the table they'd been sitting at.
Jason's arm stays on Candy's shoulder as she wraps her left arm around his waist. Instead of her hand twining in a belt loop of his jeans however, she slides it into his left hip pocket, squeezes gently, and then allows him to lead her to the table with the others. Billy grabs a chair from another table so that Candy will have a place to sit. Jason sits next to her, pulling their chairs close together.
//Oh. Wow!// Billy thinks as he take in both of their passion darkened eyes. //I knew that if and when Candy returned, her and Jase would be explosive together. I just didn't expect it to happen this soon.// Billy looks over to Tommy's stunned expression and smiles wryly as he says, more to the other three shocked men around the table than to either Jason or Candy; "I always said that when Brain-Strain came back home that her and Jason would be explosive together."
"Explosive!" Adam groans as he shifts to ease his now straining erection that was painfully trapped by his tight jeans. "That wasn't explosive Billy, that was totally erotic."
"Erotic?" Rocky says as he too shifts carefully in his own seat. "That was way past erotic Adam. I just don't have a good enough word to describe it."
Tommy caught the looks that Jason was giving them all as they talked about his kisses with Candy and his comment has them all laughing. "If you thought it was bad watching from up here, you should have had the front row seat I did. Now I need a very, very cold shower. But I'm going to have to wait a few minutes so I can shrink some before I stand up and embarrass myself completely."
"Jason needs a cold shower too." Candy says smiling shyly up at his now laughing eyes. "I think I need about three cold showers after that myself." The humor in her voice is evident as is the barely suppressed passion.
"I want to take you out to dinner tonight Candy." Jason says his voice almost normal but still carrying a hint of his earlier desire.
"I'd like that very much Jason." She replies smiling at him shyly.
"I'll pick you up at seven then?" Jason asks quickly before she can think and change her mind.
"Seven is fine with me Jase." Candy replies smiling brightly. "I'm living out at the old Masterson place."
"Then you're back for good?" Jason asks his tone suddenly serious.
Candy says smiling. "I'm back home in Angel Grove for good and I've already gotten permission to take over my old duties up at the Center."
"That's great Candy-girl!" Jason says his voice distant with memories. "You always came up with something that saved our hides and the day. It will really be like old times now."
"Not quite." Candy says nodding her head at the stunned expressions on Adam and Rocky's faces. "There are some new people at the Center that I need to get to know."
Tommy's bark of laughter has everyone looking at him. "Make that four new people at the center that need to meet you properly. We'll get together at the park tomorrow guys. Tonight Jason's already staked his claim on Candy's time."
"I've got to run Jase." Candy says her voice getting a sad tinge to it. "I promised to unpack everything today." Candy stands then looks down into Jason's smiling face. "I'll see you at seven Mr. Scott." She says huskily as she kisses him, this time she's prepared when Jason tries to deepen the kiss and slides away from him laughing brightly. "Save it for after dinner Jase." Candy says her voice bright but somewhat breathless too.
"Ok Jase. Give!" Rocky demands as he looks at Jason's smiling face. "Where did she come from and what is going on between you two?"
"You or Billy want to be the one to tell the story?" Jason asks looking first to Tommy and then to Billy.
"You start Jase." Billy says smiling. "We'll pitch in where needed."
"Alright, here goes." Jason says then stops and looks strangely at Billy. "Communications malfunction?"
"Yeah, Candy-girl standing in the center of room looking like a longed for fantasy." Billy says smiling that Jason finally caught on about Zordon being in on the surprise.
"I'd never expect that from him." Jason says laughing lightly. "Guess I've learned another thing about him. He's got a nasty sense of humor when he wants to show it."
"Jase!" Rocky complains. "The story behind you and the blond with the to die for body and great martial arts skills that just left."
"Okay, Rocko. Just let me get my thoughts in order here." Jason says smiling at Rocky's impatience.
Before Jason can start the story, Tommy's communicator beeps loudly. The five move to the secluded alcove that they favor when in the Youth Center and Tommy brings his communicator near his mouth. "It's Tommy, go ahead Zordon."
"Tommy-boy, get your rears to the park. These strange looking metal-men things are attacking a couple of gals wearing yellow and pink. Hurry! North end of the lake by the boat rentals." Candy's barking voice orders. Tommy, Jason, and Billy are reaching for the button that will trigger teleportation before Adam and Rocky can even move. Adam and Rocky look in semi-shock to see them obeying the commands of a strange voice without thinking. "What?" Adam asks confused.
"Kat and Tanya are being attacked by Cogs in the park." Tommy says his command voice snapping at his two teammates. "Teleport now!"
Adam and Rocky teleport to the park along with Tommy and Jason while Billy's signal takes him to the Power Chamber and Candy.
"How'd you get here so fast sis?" Billy asks moving to her side to work the computers.
"I stopped by to thank Zordon for getting you here without the others when the alarms almost caused me to jump into his tube with him." Candy says smiling grimly. "I'm assuming the chicks in pink and yellow are the other two members of the team now?"
"Yeah, Kat in pink and Tanya in yellow." Billy says as they both look up to see the two girls morphing.
"Wow, the guys in green and blue are a good fighters, the chick in pink isn't bad, but the gal in yellow needs some lessons." Candy says. A beep on her console has her frowning and then she says "CRAP! Monster sighted at two o'clock. Looks to be a nasty one too. Armored, well protected head and chest, but the arms and legs are it's weak points as well as the junction between head and neck."
"On it!" Billy says as he touches the button that will allow him to inform the Rangers in the field. "Tommy, Candy says monster at two o'clock, nasty, well protected head and chest. Weak points are the arms, legs, and the junction between the head and neck. Still scanning for weapon capability now."
"Good work you two." Tommy says and they can hear him splitting up the team to fight against their newest foe. "Jason! Rocky!" Tommy says loudly. "Arms, legs and junction between head and chest. Everything else is armored."
"Got it bro. I'll take Tanya and Adam on the right!" Jason barks back as he maneuvers so that he, Adam, and Tanya are to the right of the monster.
"I've got Kat on the left with us Tommy!" Rocky says as he moves near Kat, but still keeps room for them to fight and dodge any type of blast from the monster.
"SHIT!" Candy cries as she's already reaching for the emergency teleport button for the team. She hits the button and then says to Billy. "No beam or laser weapon, sonic one. Would have turned their bones to jelly before they knew it. Give me two minutes and I'll see if I can't cobble together shielding that will work with the new armor configuration they have now."
Candy's fingers are flying over the console and the information on the small monitor before her is flying at a furious pace as the Rangers appear in the Power Chamber.
"What was the emergency teleport for?" Tommy barks his voice angry and commanding.
"Sonic weapon you're not shielded for. Give Candy a couple of seconds and she'll have you ready to get back out there." Billy says calmly as he watches her fingers flying over the console, her head bent in concentration on the monitor and she didn't even flinch when Tommy barked. Suddenly she shouts "Eureka!" Candy turns and runs toward Tommy first and reaches for his helmet with the barked order of, "GIVE NOW!"
Smiling, Tommy removes his helmet and as Jason follows, so do the others. Candy digs into the pocket of her white shorts and produces one of the smallest sets of screwdrivers any of them has ever seen. She selects one and then fiddles with something on the inside of Tommy's helmet. She thrusts it back into his hand after about two seconds and reaches for Jason's next. The same fiddling as in Tommy's and then she's moving down the line making the adjustments quickly but carefully for all of them. Kat and Tanya's shock doesn't even seem to register on her as she takes their helmets and fixes them. When she's handed Adam back his helmet she barks out, "There, that will hold until I can cobble together the necessary pieces to install an automatic overrides for sonic emissions later, after I get the danged things built. Go! Tear that thing apart now, but if you start feeling like Jell-O get out and back here. Sonics can be nasty and do even nastier things to your insides."
Tommy calls out, "Back to Action!" As they're disappearing in multi-colored streams of light, Billy says from over near the console he was at. "Nice work on the adjustments Candy. That will block all of the sonic emissions for their entire armor."
"Thanks Brain-Pain." Candy replies her head down and back watching the monitor before her instead of the Viewing Globe. "You know Brain-Pain." She says sadly. "I still can't stand to watch them fight."
"I'll keep an eye on them, you watch the monitors and keep us advised Brain-strain." Billy replies smiling at her.
The fight with the monster goes as usual. They disable it and then it grows to gigantic proportions and the team calls for their Zords.
"OH CRAPOIDS!" Candy cries. "Billy, we've gotta make remote adjustments on the Zords for the sonic emissions!"
Billy's face drops from the Viewing Globe to the console and monitor before him. "I've got Tommy's, Adam's and Kat's Zords you take Jason's, Rocky's and Tanya's."
"On it." Candy says as she starts pushing buttons furiously. They both hear Tommy's relieved. "Thanks Brain One and Brain Two. That was a shaky ride for a while." Tommy's comment came as the remote adjustments took effect and the sonic emissions weren't shaking his Zord apart anymore.
"Copy that Leader-man." Candy answers absently, a smile in her voice.
The fight was over soon now that the monster's sonic weapon wasn't able to shake apart or destroy their zords. The six teens teleport back to the Power Chamber and power down upon arriving. Tanya and Kat are still in shock about Candy being there with Billy.
"Brain two!" Jason snaps and smiles as Candy's head snaps up from its downward facing position. Her smile of delight at his remembering her designation is breathtaking.
"You remembered!" She cries happily and then to Tanya and Kat's surprise launches herself into his arms.
"I gave you that nickname Candy-girl." Jason says as he hugs her tightly to him. "How could I ever forget it?"
"Thanks for the assist out there Brain-Strain." Tommy says using Billy's nickname for her. "Billy, you've got to bring her up to speed on everything ASAP."
"Not now Tommy." Billy says smiling happily at Candy held gently in Jason's arms. "Tomorrow is soon enough. Hey, BS?" Billy looks at Candy and continues. "You still a four hour a night gal?"
"Yep BP." Candy says smiling at his reference to the amount of sleep she got each night. "Four hours no more and sometimes less. Why?"
"Well, I calculate that Jase would have you back to your place around one in the morning, so, I was going to get you to meet me here at six. I can bring you up to speed on everything in about two hours and that will leave us time to check the Zords over. Gives us a good morning of work before meeting the gang in the park at noon."
"Sounds good to me." Candy says smiling and then she quickly tilts her head backwards, grabs the back of Jason's neck with her right hand and pulls his face to hers. She kisses him soundly on the lips and then wriggles sensuously out of his loose hold. She takes one step away from him and says, "Catch ya at seven. See all of you tomorrow at the park." Making a small motion of rubbing her communicator against her shorts and teleports out of the Power Chamber.
"Who the heck was that?" Kat asks looking at Jason, Billy, and Tommy's smiling faces.
"That Rangers was Candice Jones." Zordon answers obvious amusement in his voice. "Candy is a good friend to Jason, Tommy, and Billy. She helped Billy out by working with him before she accidentally discovered he was a Power Ranger. After her accidental discovery, Billy told me. Candy became a friend to all of the Rangers and worked in the Command Center in a capacity much like the one Billy does for all of you now."
"Where did Brain two, BS, and BP come from?" Adam asks Billy.
"Brain two is what Jase nicknamed Candy after she started working with us," Billy says smiling as his fond memories of that part of his life flicker in his mind. "I'm Brain one. BS is the way I shorten the nickname I gave her, when we were in grade school together, which is Brain-Strain. BP is the shortened version of my nickname from Candy which is Brain-Pain."
"Let me guess." Rocky says as he smiles to show he's not being mean. "Candy is as smart if not smarter than you are?"
"Actually, Candy possesses three times more intelligence than I do." Billy says seriously.
"Why did she quit working with you guys?" Tanya asks looking around the room.
"Candy's dad was a career Air Force officer." Tommy answers. "His duty station was changed from Top Gun to Area 51 about two years ago now. Candy said he'd retired and that they've moved back to Angel Grove permanently now."
"Billy, you are not the only one to have graduated early." Zordon says compassion in his voice. "Candy said that she's also been, as she put it, given the boot from school at the end of last year."
"Oh man, trouble abounds." Tommy says smiling as he looks at Jason's sparkling with humor eyes.
"You can say that again bro." Jason says his voice filled with teasing and humor. "Brain one and Brain two both on the loose all day long. We're going to have to keep a close eye on those two or they'll accidentally blow-up Billy's garage again."
Billy simply collapses to the ground laughing with delight and almost hysterical. "We... did... not... blow... up... my... garage." He gasps out. "We... just... singed... the... car... slightly!"
"Yeah slightly." Jason says laughter now in his voice as well. "It only took two fire trucks to put out the blaze and your dad had to rent a car for three weeks before he got a replacement."
"The two of them are dangerous together?" Tanya asks looking shocked.
"No, not anymore Tanya." Tommy says smiling. "Billy and Candy were eleven when they accidentally set fire to Billy's garage during an experiment. I didn't live here at the time, but Jason and Trini made sure I knew the story so that I could tease them with it when they were putting their heads together on a project for anything."
"Okay Jase!" Rocky says his voice stern. "I want the story of you and Candy. That scene in the Youth Center this afternoon was intense!"
"Tomorrow Rocko." Jason says sighing. "I need to get home and get cleaned up if I'm going to be on time to pick her up at seven for dinner."
"You either tell me the story tomorrow Jason or I'm gonna beat it out of you." Rocky replies laughing to show he's kidding his friend. His voice gets serious as he says, "The two of you look good together Jason. Have a fun tonight and don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"Oh, I'll have fun alright." Jason says mysteriously. "See you guys at the park tomorrow."
"Have fun Jase!" Tommy, Billy, and Adam all say at the same time.
"What did we miss?" Kat asks Tommy smiling at him.
"Oh, nothing much Kat." Tommy says grinning at her. "Just a lip-lock or two. A couple of very intense lip-locks."
"Jason and Candy?" Tanya asks her voice soft as she thought about how they acted together. "Which one of them has carried the torch for longer, Jason or Candy?"
"I'd have to say that it was both of them." Billy says smiling at Tanya. "I'll see if any of our old team pictures survived the transfer in the computers. I'll also check my file at home. If I can't find any I'll have Candy bring some of her pictures of the gang with her to the park tomorrow."
"Tommy," Kat says suddenly. "That's not the same girl that's in that picture on your...?"
"Yeah, that is our Candy-girl in that picture." Tommy says sadly. "She was constantly being uprooted and was shy and even more introverted than Billy used to be. It didn't help that her mom died when she was six and its just been her and her dad ever since. He had housekeepers and babysitters for her, but they really didn't care about her. Candy ate for comfort. Food was her best and only friend until she hooked up with Billy. Since he didn't care what she looked like, she kept her security blanket close at hand."
"Candy had to move around a lot." Billy says picking up the story. "She was shy and smart. That combination doesn't make for finding friends easy at all. Candy moved to Angel Grove when she was eight and she was already a butterball then. She just kept getting bigger as she grew. I was afraid when her dad was transferred this last time that she was going to kill herself by eating. Guess she went the opposite way this time."
"Probably the promises Jason made her make to him were what finally did the trick." Tommy says his voice sad and distant.
"Yeah she was crazy about him from the first day she saw him. She respected him because he didn't treat her any different than he did Trini, or me. He was even impressed with her karate skills when she shyly demonstrated them for him in my back yard."
"We'll hear the whole story tomorrow." Rocky says smiling brightly. "This is depressing right now."
"Yeah it is depressing; however, it won't be much better to hear Candy-girl telling it tomorrow, if she will say more than three words even." Billy says his voice no longer sad but carrying a wary tone. "I should warn you that Candy isn't likely to say more than two or three words to anyone other than Jason, Tommy, or me. She's still painfully shy unless she's talking to one of us three or Trini. She was still painfully shy around Tommy for almost six months before she'd say hello to him first."
"It didn't help that Kimberly and Zack weren't exactly thrilled when she'd join us at the park or Youth Center." Tommy said his voice low with hurt and pain. "I was so ticked at Kimberly when I overheard her and Zack telling her to quit coming to the Command Center and to quit speaking to any of us. God, the look of hurt in Candy's face was one I never want to see on anyone's face ever again. I vowed that I'd make friends with her somehow. Guess it worked."
"What worked Tommy," Zordon says somberly. "Was that I gave Zack and Kimberly an ultimatum. They either accepted that Candy was a part of the team or I replaced them."
"You threatened them Zordon?" Billy says confusion in his voice. "I don't remember you doing that."
"You, Jason, and Trini were at the park. Candy was here working on a solution to a problem I'd presented to her when Zack and Kimberly contacted her and asked if they could speak with her. She said that she was busy working on something for me but that they could talk with her here while she worked. Kimberly and Zack teleported in and asked where she was and I told them she was in the zord bay working on the main doors. I don't know what made me keep the Command Center's intercom circuit open that day but I did keep it open. Kimberly and Zack were not nice to Candy. They called her names, and made fun of her efforts on their behalf, they even ripped her communicator apart and crushed it. They left and Candy crawled into Jason's zord and cried for a long time. I was too stunned to even say anything at the time. I thought that the ones I chose that first day Rita got released were people with good and kind hearts. To find that Kimberly and Zack were intolerant of Candy was unacceptable to me and with as many times as she'd saved their lives with her quick thinking, should have been to them as well."
Billy gasps in shock at Zordon's telling of this story. "I remember finding her in Jason's zord when I'd finished in the park with Jason and Trini's martial arts lesson. I could tell that she'd been crying, and asked what had caused her to be so sad and upset. She said that it was nothing unusual and that I shouldn't worry about it."
"I remember Kimberly," Tommy says his voice thoughtful. "Telling me to stay away from her because she'd just embarrass me with trying to imitate my martial arts skills. I had no idea that she was as good of a fighter as she was until I was at the park one day when she was attacked by Putties. Jason and I teleported in ahead of the others and the three of us took out the Putties before the rest could get there. Candy ran away afterwards and hid in the bushes before the rest of team arrived. Kimberly's first comment told me why too."
"I can't believe Kimberly would be that intolerant of Candy." Kat says shock in her voice. "She was nice to me and Aisha all the time. Was she under a spell from Rita?"
"No she wasn't." Billy says angrily. "Kimberly was great with people that she liked and admired, but she hated Candy for a reason I was never able to figure out. That was why she was always so mean to her."
"She hated Candy because she was smart." Tommy said his tone of voice disgusted, not with Candy but with Kimberly's actions. "Candy-girl would be in the Juice Bar eating a salad, she tried to diet after she hooked up with the team and started working with us all the time. Anytime Kimberly was near her though she'd make a nasty comment about her, no matter what, unless we were in the Command Center. What none of you knew was that the day I attacked the Command Center, the second time, Candy was here. Candy had found out, somehow, I was the Green Ranger. She attacked me first the second I appeared and almost wiped the floor with me before Alpha stopped us by putting me in a forcefield. Candy did something to me that day and I've never been able to figure out what she did, but somehow after she'd knocked me to the ground, she did something to the back of my neck and the cobwebs in my brain started clearing out. After that, I remembered what I was doing while under Rita's spell; I couldn't stop myself from obeying Rita, but I remembered. Two days later, Jason broke Rita's spell and I joined the team. I still to this day don't know what she did to me."
"I do," Billy says smiling at Tommy. "Remember that her dad taught her military self-defense and that a lot of the places to hit were pressure points and nerve bundles?"
"Yeah I remember." Tommy says grimacing with remembered pain from her accidentally connecting with him during a mock battle session in Jason's backyard.
"Well, Candy told me a couple of days after you'd joined the team that she needed me to bring you to the Command Center to make sure that the nerve pinch she'd applied to your neck wasn't still affecting you. She said that she'd pinched a couple of nerves in your neck, up under your helmet and that she'd hope that would help break Rita's spell. Candy always researched everything she did. Since her dad was working with her at the time on hitting nerve bundles, Candy memorized the human nervous system. She said that the nerves she had pinched were connected to thought, memory, and movement. She wanted to make sure that she wasn't slowing you down. I got you to the Command Center on a story that her and I devised. She gave you a neck massage, remember?"
"I remember now." Tommy says smiling fondly. "God could she give massages. I was so loose and limber after her massage that I felt like a wet noodle for a few minutes."
"Candy has an eidetic memory Rangers." Zordon says calmly. "Anything she's ever read, been told, or heard is stored by her brain. She has perfect recall of it all and can reproduce the entire conversation or song from memory. She's quoted things to me that she saw in the memory banks of the computers that I've had to research for two days to answer her questions on it. Quite simply she is an amazing young woman and is a valuable asset anytime she wishes to help out our fight against the forces of evil."
While the others are talking at the Power Chamber, Jason picks Candy up for their date. He's amazed when she answers the door instead of her father.
"Candy, where's your dad at?" Jason asked her seriously. "He'd want to see me before I took you out."
"Come in Jason." Candy said sadly.
Jason walked in the door and looked around. The entire place was neat and clean; however, the telltale signs that Candy lived there alone were all around as well.
"Candy-girl?" Jason asked and then when she turned to him her face covered in silent tears he gathered her into his arms and comforted her.
"Tell me what happened." He says gently as he sits them on the couch and holds her in his lap.
"Dad and his partner, Major James, Don was his name. They were scheduled to fly a new experimental plane out at the base six weeks ago on Monday morning. Dad and Don went up, but something went wrong. They crashed into the side of a mountain two miles from the base. They were both killed instantly. That afternoon, the base commander and the chaplain came to the house. When I opened the door, I knew dad would never be back again. The base commander looked me in the eye and told me that I had forty-eight hours to move out of the house. He handed me an envelope with a check for the money from dad's insurance policy and the signed paperwork to make me a legal adult. He then told me that since my father was flying an experimental plane when killed that I would not be receiving any death benefits from the government. They left me standing in the middle of the living room and walked out. I didn't know where to go or what to do. Dad's other pilot buddies came to the house about an hour later and helped me pack everything up and arrange to have it shipped here to Angel Grove. I was a wreck emotionally, still am to tell you the truth. This is my house; I bought with dad's insurance money. I got a letter today from the government today saying that the base commander had made a mistake and that I was entitled to dad's pension, so I don't have to worry about paying the bills or anything for a while. I'm still somewhat in shock and haven't fully recovered yet, but I'll get there eventually."
"My god Candy!" Jason says holding her tightly to him. "Yet you agreed to go out with me tonight why?"
"Because I can't stay here with all of his things. I can't stand to look at the boxes of his clothes, his unmade bed, even the furniture, or anything right now. Get me out of here for a while Jase, just take me to the park and lets walk." Candy tells him tears again streaming down her face.
"No!" Jason says forcefully. "Come on, we're going to dinner and then we'll walk on the beach by the lake."
"All right." Candy sighs as she's stood up and turned to the front door. "Let me at least get my purse so I'll have my keys with me."
"Grab your purse and a light jacket, it might be cooler down at the lake tonight." Jason says his voice soft and caring.
"Jacket's where it's always hung, behind the front door." Candy says as she disappears into what Jason' thinks is the kitchen. "Grab it for me and I'll lock up and meet you at your car. I need to have the locks on the front door changed and can only lock it from the inside for now. I'll go through the garage and meet you in the driveway."
"See you at the car." Jason says grabbing her lightweight gold jacket from behind the door and then going out to his jeep sitting in the driveway.
Candy locked the front door, tidied her face to erase the signs of her crying, and left thru the kitchen and garage, locking the doors behind her. She agilely jumps into the seat next to Jason and he starts his Jeep and backs into the street.
"We're going to the Italian place down town." Jason says as he drives. Candy is calm now, but he's sure she's still not gotten completely over losing her father. "Do you still like Mama Rose's manicotti?"
"God." Candy sighs. "I haven't had Mama Rose's manicotti in years now. That sounds like heaven."
They arrive at the restaurant and are seated in a dimly lit secluded booth in the back of the restaurant. The waitress takes their order and leaves. Jason takes this cue to snuggle closer to Candy who's already sitting close enough their legs are touching from the hip to the knee.
"You look so very beautiful tonight Candy-girl." Jason tells her seriously his voice low and soft.
"You don't look so bad yourself Jason." Candy replies her voice soft, but getting a rough edge of desire to it.
"Jase," Candy says breathlessly as he leans his head down and silences her with a kiss.
Jason had meant just to brush her lips with his softly; however her quiet sigh and the parting of her lips in invitation has him deepening it to a depth that had they been at one of the non-secluded tables would have been indecent. Jason's mouth reluctantly releases hers some minutes later as the waitress places their food on the table before them. She gives Jason a knowing wink and then turns to attend to another customer.
The two eat their meal, side by side, their bodies touching from shoulder to knee, and her right hand intertwined with his left and resting on his thigh. After the meal of delicious manicotti, Jason offers desert but Candy declines telling him, "I've got some fruit in the fridge at home. I'll make us a quick fruit salad with dip and we can eat it in the living room when we get back to the house.
"That sounds great Candy-girl." Jason says as he thinks about being alone with her in his arms on the couch and feeding her fruit from his fingers. "How about we take that walk down by the lake and then head back for desert?"
"Great plan Jase." Candy smiles up into his face and he can see that her eyes are bright with happiness for now.
//I want to keep that happy look on her face forever.// Jason thinks as he pays for the meal and leaves a tip for their waitress.
The two of them, happy to be together, take Jason's Jeep to the park and then walk to the lake. They're walking hand in hand; stopping to exchange kisses every few feet when Jason sees a bench that's screened from anyone's view unless they're out on the lake. Jason leads Candy to the bench and they sit down. Jason sits first and then pulls Candy down so that she's sitting sideways in his lap her head pillowed on his left shoulder. They sit there for long time, neither of them moving and then Candy gently kisses the side of his throat. Jason groans as the sensation of her light kiss raced to his groin. Jason used his left hand to gently tug at her hair and when she's lifted her lips from his neck, he claimed her mouth with his. They broke apart some time later shaking with their body's needs. Candy, once again pillowed on Jason's shoulder renews her kissing of his neck, only this time she's nipping, sucking gently, and licking as well. Jason's body is on fire from her touches and kisses already and the renewed assault on his neck has him moaning with need. Candy glides her right hand over the muscles of his chest as she shifts positions and kneels above his lap facing him.
"We either stop right now Jason, or we go all the way." She tells him panting and breathless from her body's reaction to his touch and kisses. Her voice is low, sexy, and filled with passion.
"We'd better stop now." Jason says his voice low and rough with his own passion and love. "We need to stop, we should stop..." Jason's voice trails off as he sees the love and desire for him in her eyes. He stops talking and pulls her down fully onto his lap and against his chest, kissing her once more.
Candy's moan of need is swallowed by Jason's mouth as his hands caress and strokes her back, her firm ass, and the backs of her legs; her eager mouth returning his kisses and caresses swallows his sounds of rising desire and need. The two are lost in the feel, taste, and smell of each other so deeply that they don't hear, consciously, the harsh sound of King Mondo's teleportation vortex opening up near them. The first sound that registers is the metallic clang caused by the Cogs as they walk. Jason pulls his lips from hers and looks over her shoulder toward the lake even as she's surveying the area behind him.
"We're surrounded Jase." Candy says quietly into his ear, covering her speech with a nibble and a kiss.
"Wrap your arms tightly about my neck, I'm going to trigger my communicator." Jason says softly his face buried in the side of her neck.
"Oh Jase!" Candy cried as if he'd bitten her neck and threw her arms around his neck tightly. Jason's arm tightened about her back and he teleported both of them into the Power Chamber, startling Billy as he was calling Tommy and the others to help them.
"Tommy, get down to the lake quickly! Mondo has sent Cogs down there. Jason and Candy are there alone! Hurry!"
Just as Billy barked Hurry, Jason and Candy appear in the Power Chamber. Jason had been prepared to arrive and flexed his legs to absorb the shock before he over balances and sits down hard with Candy still in his lap. They both laugh a slightly hysterical laugh and then Candy climbs off his lap and extends her hand to help him up.
Jason looks at the viewing globe and is getting ready to Morph when Billy stops him. "Never mind Jase," Billy says smiling. The Cogs took off when you and Candy teleported. Looks like King Mondo is still after the Gold Ranger powers."
"Either that or he wanted Candy and not Jase." Tommy says seriously as the rest of the Zeo Rangers appear in the Power Chamber and power down.
"Why would this King Mondo want me?" Candy asked confusion on her face and looked to Billy, Tommy, and Jason for answers.
"Because you're so smart Candy-girl." Tommy says putting his arm around her shoulder. "He's tried for Billy a couple of times and almost succeeded once. You need to keep your communicator on you at all times from now on." Tommy's voice is gentle but chiding slightly.
"I don't have one anymore." Candy says quietly. "I haven't had one since..." Tommy and the others see her getting sadder and sadder. "Since... Oh, Hell. Since Kimberly and Zack destroyed mine in the Zord bay right before dad got transferred to Area 51."
"Then how did you contact Zordon to be up here when he called me this afternoon?" Billy asked a worried look on his face.
"I hiked up." Candy answered her face still sad and lonely looking. "I absolutely couldn't stand being in the house anymore and I took off walking. I found myself standing in front of the doors and they opened for me. I walked in and then every teleportation from then on has been Alpha's doing until I just now teleported with Jase."
"Billy!" Tommy snapped his command voice echoing around the totally silent Power Chamber after Candy's admission. "Get Candy a communicator. Now!"
"I don't have any extras made up Tommy." Billy admits sadly. "The only spares I have are Trini, Kimberly, and Zack's old ones; but they aren't calibrated for the Power Chamber. If she uses one of them to try and teleport in, the Chamber's computers won't recognize the commands."
"I'll be fine." Candy says shakily. "I managed to repair the communications part of my old one and Alpha can teleport me if I need to be here."
"No!" Jason says removing his own communicator and putting it on her wrist. "Take mine Candy-girl. Billy will have me a new one by morning. Don't argue." Jason says his voice caring and worried at the same time. "You're there all alone and it will make me feel better and allow me to sleep tonight knowing you can teleport here without having to take the time to call Alpha first. Just in case Mondo is after you and not me."
"She's where all alone bro?" Tommy asks his command tones softened by his concern for his friend.
"Candy is back in Angel Grove because her father was killed a little over three weeks ago." Jason says his tone of voice angry yet concerned at the same time. "The base commander gave her forty-eight hours to get off the base and then walked out. Candy bought old man Masterson's house with some of the life insurance money. She lives there alone."
"Alone!" Tommy says his bark of command back in his voice. "No way, not while Mondo might be after her."
"STOP IT ALL OF YOU!" Candy shrieks suddenly. "I have five black belts and I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself no matter if it's metallic men, Putty Patrollers, or evilly spelled Rangers. I'll keep my chucks with me from now on." After she'd shrieked for their attention, her voice gets the same biting tone and snap to it that it had in it earlier when she'd demanded Tommy's helmet from him.
"Candice Amber Jones." Tommy started his anger rising quickly. "Don't..."
"Watch it Tommy Oliver." Candy says menace in her tone. "Don't you ever call me that again!"
"Tommy!" Kat says sharply stepping between them. "Stop this right now!"
"Stay out of it Kat." Jason says humor in his voice. "They both need this right now. Leave them be, they'll be fine."
Kat steps away and Tommy's arm shoots out to grab Candy by her shirt. Adam, Rocky, Billy, Tanya, and Kat gasp as Candy simply wriggles free leaving Tommy holding her thin shirt and nothing more. Jason's bark of laughter has Tommy hesitating and in his hesitation Candy grabs his shirt and calmly flips him over her hip then straddles him as she pins him to the floor. "Give?" She asks smiling now.
Tommy can see the laughter that's back in her eyes and smiles up at her and wordlessly hands her blouse to her. Candy calmly puts it on and then after fastening it again says, "I said give?"
"Okay, Give." Tommy laughs happily and then stops when Candy boldly kisses him soundly on the lips.
"Forgiven." Candy says as she lithely jumps to her feet and then extends her hand to help him up off the floor.
Tommy's delighted laughter rings around the room as he allows Candy to pull him to his feet. "You are still surprising me after all this time Candy-girl." Tommy says ruffling her hair as if she were a child. "I never expected you to lose your shirt."
"Wasn't that what one of yours and Jason's first lessons were about? Do the unexpected and you'll have the upper hand." Candy says smiling at him brightly.
"I guess you were right back then Billy." Tommy says smiling his voice happy. "You told us when we started working with Candy-girl to never teach her anything that we didn't want coming back to bite us back in the future. We thought you were kidding."
"Not on something like Candy-girl's memory I wasn't." Billy says laughing as he gave Candy a quick hug. "Some of the stuff she spouts off makes me have to scramble to find the information. Why do you think I nicknamed her Brain-Strain?"
"Sorry guys." Jason says looking at the other four gape mouthed members of the team. "Kat don't get mad at Candy for kissing Tommy. It's an old game between the four of us when we're upset about something."
"I'm not mad Jase." Kat says smiling. "Just shocked. What did I miss that caused this all to happen?"
"You didn't miss anything at all Kat." Tommy says hugging her and giving her bemused face a quick light kiss on the lips. "Like Jase said it's an old game that me, Candy, Jason, Trini, and Billy used to play when Zack and Kimberly weren't around. First one to say 'give' got kissed."
"We'd make plans for after Kimberly and Zack went home for the night to meet Candy-girl." Jason tells them smiling as Candy steps back to his side. "Candy would meet any of us that could make it in Billy's backyard. There we worked on Billy and Candy's fighting skills and just had fun for a few hours. Sometimes Tommy, Trini, and I weren't able to make the almost daily play fighting sessions. When that happened, Billy and Candy-girl would hole up in the garage and work on one of Billy's projects or her projects. That's how she accidentally found out about his being a Power Ranger. She was there one afternoon to meet us, sitting on Billy's picnic table. Billy didn't check the yard, he just ran out of the garage and teleported away. Candy was hiding in his garage when he got back late that night. She confronted him about it and he took her to meet Zordon. The rest is kind of history."
"I was positive that you five were the Power Rangers before I got that shocking confirmation." Candy says quietly shocking Jason that she'd talk in front of the others. "I helped Billy with the design of your communicators."
"Why didn't you just rebuild your communicator then brain-strain?" Billy asks dumbfounded. "All of the materials were still in the lab."
"Some of the things Kimberly and Zack said to me that day made me hesitate. That's why I never used an open channel to all of the Rangers and would only tell Jason or Tommy what was going on with the monster. I always made sure that I arrived after you'd morphed and gone to fight. If I got to the base before you, I hid until after you'd left. About two weeks later, Dad got transferred and off we went so I never got the chance to rebuild mine other than repair what damage I could while I was in Vegas."
"They were idiots for treating you the way they did." Billy spits angrily surprising everyone but Tommy and Jason. "I was ashamed to call them friend after I found out how they felt about you."
"Don't you ever be ashamed of them and you'd better welcome them back as you did me when they come home William Cranston!" Candy says her biting voice back in full force. "They're two of your oldest and dearest friends. I'm a recent addition and not worth it anyway."
"What do you mean with that remark Candy?" Jason says his tone and expression worried.
"Just what I said Jason." Candy says calmly. "I'm not worth anything. I'm a nothing and a nobody, always have been."
"That's not you talking Candy Jones." Tommy says his anger rising again. "That sounds suspiciously like Kimberly's words, not yours."
"She was right!" Candy says wrenching herself from Jason's arms. "I..."
Jason moves quickly and jerks her back against him knocking the breath and words from her. "You are not a nothing, a nobody, nor worthless to me Candy-girl." Jason tells her his voice soft but his expression fierce. "I'm telling you now that I love you completely and totally. I fell in love with you the day you cleaned my clock in Billy's backyard the first time. Lord, here was this absolute butterball of a kid that was so very shy, shier than Billy and he was severely shy. You stood there looking at the ground as Zack and Kimberly laughed at you, your face was flushing bright red and you apologized for knocking me flat of my back. I realized as I looked up into your embarrassed face that you were beautiful, funny, and seriously smart. I can hold my own with Billy when I put my mind to it, but you, you were already millions of miles past him and still wanted to be around us, me. I can still see your very slight smile when I asked you to the junior prom and you turned me down. I was so mad at your for turning me down and now when I look back on that I see that you were right. I would have spent the entire night defending my choice of dates and everyone else would have seen it as a mercy date for Billy's fat shadow."
"Don't Jase, please?" Candy says quietly as she seems to shrink in his arms. "I'm not... not... oh hell." She cries as she turns in his arms and buries her face into his chest crying out loudly. "Daddy why did you do it?"
Jason gently holds her and eases to a sitting position on the floor with her as he strokes her hair and back and makes nonsense soothing sounds to her. Eventually she cries herself into an exhausted sleep in his arms.
"What was that about bro?" Tommy asks quietly.
"Candy's not over her father's death yet I think." Jason says his voice quiet and soft.
"Good grief, you weren't kidding about her living in old man Masterson's place alone were you?" Rocky says his voice low and worried. "That old place is out in the middle of nowhere and there are way too many places for Mondo's Cogs to lay a trap for her in that junk pile mess of a yard.
"That yard is spotless Rocky." Jason says his voice soft. "Candy's been back, probably two weeks before we ran into her, she's gotten all the junk, old car bodies and parts removed and the yard is as neat and tidy as mine or yours. She's doing anything she can possibly do not to think about her father's death. I think that she thinks she's somehow at fault for his death. I don't know, maybe he let her work on some of plans or make suggestions through him for things to add. I saw the pain in her eyes when she told me about him and his co-pilot dying. She blames herself."
"That's because I designed the damned plane Jase." Candy says quietly from his arms her voice sad and resigned too. "From nose to tail, the design was mine, the electronics package, engines, materials for the skin was my design, the aerodynamics, and everything else. Dad found my doodles on this fanciful half space shuttle half airplane that I had had in the back of my mind for years. He confronted me on it and I told him it was a fantasy project that I doodled on when I was bored. Apparently he took the doodles into work and they decided to try and build the cursed thing. Then he took it up and it crashed into the side of mountain because everything failed completely. I killed him."
"You did not kill him." Jason told her quietly his tone serious as he eyes pleaded with the others for help. "He knew the risks of being a test pilot, sweetheart. He was probably so proud that his superiors thought your doodles had merit and wanted to try them. He would have insisted he be the one to fly his daughter's fantasy made reality."
Tommy and the others, except for Billy, gathered around Jason and the grieving girl in his arms, offering their silent support. Billy stood paralyzed staring in horror at Candy.
"DOODLES!" He shouted at her angrily. "Doodles my ass Candice Amber Jones. Your so-called doodles were perfect builder's blueprints. The idiots that built it had to have changed something. I've watched you research and design and redesign that thing every spare second since I met you. From the ground up you handed your father one of the most advanced, reusable and safe space shuttles ever designed. Fuel consumption, oxygen requirements, friction wear, and everything else meticulously calculated in your amazing brain. Don't you dare ever believe you killed him!"
Everyone gasped at Billy's angry outburst and Candy broke into tears again crying harder this time as her grief overtook her fully at her friend's harsh words.
"Billy," Tanya says softly. "Come join us and calm down. Your friend is in enough pain by herself right now. Don't make it worse on her."
Billy's expression of horror turns to shame and hurt as he joins the others around Jason and Candy. "I'm so sorry brain-strain. So very, very sorry." He says quietly as he helps Jason to once again soothe her into sleep. This time Candy stays asleep held protectively in Jason's arms.
"Bro," Tommy says gently and softly about fifteen minutes later. "You can't spend the night on the Power Chamber's floor with Candy-girl. You're going to have to let me take her so you can stand up."
"All right bro." Jason says sighing. "Carefully now." He instructs as Tommy gently lifts her from his arms. Rocky and Adam pull Jason to a standing position and he takes Candy back into his arms lovingly.
"Do you think Candy would mind if some of us stayed with her for a few days?" Kat asked shocking Tommy with her kindness.
"I think she'd like that very much Kat." Billy said before Tommy could say anything. "I think she's very lonely, grieving, and scared right now. She'll find her own way of dealing with this eventually, but for now I think us camping out at her place is a good idea. That will give her and Jason some chaperones and the ability to keep her safe from Mondo. I do believe that it is her Mondo wants and not Jason."
"King Mondo is definitely after Candy." Zordon says shocking them all slightly. "Alpha has detected another group of Cogs hidden near Jason's jeep that is still parked near the lake. They are waiting for them to return; however by the talk among them, it is Candy that Mondo wants captured."
"They won't get her Zordon." Tommy says his voice hard with determination. "Here's the plan. We teleport to Candy's and leave her there with Billy. Kat, you're about her size. We'll put you in her coat and you and Jason can teleport back to his Jeep. The rest of us will be morphed and waiting for them to jump you. We take them out and you and Jason drive back to Candy's place and we'll meet you back there. Billy stays with Candy while this is going on, in case she wakes up."
"Sounds good to me." Jason says shifting Candy slightly so he can reach his communicator on her wrist to teleport the both of them. "I'll be waiting at Candy's house for all of you, don't take too long." Jason teleports out with the sleeping Candy in his arms and when they arrive at her house, Jason puts her gently onto the sofa. Billy and the others arrive a minute later and Billy stays in the house as the others enact Tommy's plan.
Tommy's plan works and the team returns in Jason's jeep about forty-five minutes later laughing and smiling. Candy is still soundly asleep on the couch and Billy cautions them about it as he opens the front door for them. Jason walks to the couch and picks up the sleeping woman in his arms and then turns and sits back on the couch getting as comfortable as possible.
"Candy will sleep throughout the night now." Billy says as he watches Jason cuddle her protectively to his chest.
"Will she sleep more than four hours Billy?" Jason asks a semi-teasing expression on his face.
"I don't think Candy has been sleeping at all since her father died Jase." Billy answers him seriously. "She'll probably sleep eight or more hours now."
"Then I'm here for the duration." Jason says as he gently rubs her back as she stirs in his lap. "Grab a corner of the sofa, a comfy chair, or a piece of the floor if you're planning on staying guys."
Everyone makes themselves comfortable and they all fall soundly asleep. Sometime during the night, Candy and Jason shift positions and Jason wakes late the next morning on his back with Candy draped over him like a living blanket. Jason tries to shift his body so hers isn't pressing into his usual morning erection and groans softly when it brushes against her. Candy's eyelids flutter and she sighs quietly as she snuggles deeper into his body, inadvertently rubbing herself against him. Jason's gasp wakes Tommy in the chair next to the couch.
"What's wrong bro?" He asks smiling as he guesses the reason for his good friend's gasp.
Jason can't see Tommy's smile, but he hears it in his voice as he says softly. "Bro, she's gonna kill me if I don't get her off of me and back onto the couch soon."
"She won't kill you Jase, well not literally anyway." Tommy says smiling even as he gets up and helps Jason to extricate himself from under his blanket of Candy's soft body.
"I know." Jase says as he turns for the stairs and the bathroom at the top of them. "But I'm so glad I've got good self-control. I almost came in my pants when she cuddled closer."
"With a living breathing warm armful like you had, no wonder. God but she's turned into a beauty." Tommy says smiling at his friend's pained expression as he walked toward the stairs. "Easy bro, don't break it before Candy-girl does."
"Ha, ha, funny, funny bro." Jason says as he eases himself up the stairs to the privacy of the bathroom and the cold shower he was planning to take. "Wait until you find Kat draped over you like that and then you'll find out just how rock hard you can get and just how quickly."
"Been there, done that." Tommy says smiling at him. "Only Kat was awake and helped ease the problem. Go take your cold shower bro."
"I'm going and lucky you." Jason says smiling a knowing smile at him. "Maybe one day Candy will ease mine for me. Until then it's cold showers."
"Either a cold shower or your own hand." Billy says yawning from his position across from the sofa. "Morning, what time is it?"
"It's almost ten o'clock." Tommy says his voice happy and bright. Adam and Rocky took Tanya and Kat home last night. They couldn't stay all night, you and Jase were asleep when they found out, so I stayed with you."
"Jason wake up with a slight problem?" Billy asks winking at Tommy.
"I wouldn't call it slight." Tommy tells him. "Somehow they wound up with Candy-girl draped over the top of him like a warm, cuddly blanket. Problem is Jase tried to ease away from her and she trapped him and snuggled closer."
"Poor guy." Billy said sarcastically.
"Who's a poor guy?" Candy asks sleepily from her place on the couch.
"Jase." Tommy answers. "His being a gentleman around you is going to kill him before you two finally go all the way."
"Huh?" Candy asks then blushes slightly. "I cuddled?"
"You cuddled and then some." Billy teases her.
"Oops." Candy says swallowing visibly. "Where's Jase now?"
"Taking a cold shower." Tommy says point up the stairs. "You know, you could help him out of his misery by joining him."
"He'd kill me for that." Candy said her expression thoughtful.
"Go join him Candy." Billy says his voice soft and caring. "He truly does love you and would never be mad about you doing that."
"I'm scared." Candy admitted frankly. "I've never..."
"Go and join him. He won't do anything you're not comfortable with doing and you know it. Take a chance at happiness for both of you. Billy's right, Candy-girl, he really does love you." Tommy tells her pulling her from the couch and giving her a small push toward the stairs.
Candy looks over her shoulder at his and Billy's smiling faces. "All right, but if he gets mad at me, I'm taking it out on the two of you. Here goes nothing." She tells them as she climbs the stairs quickly. They hear her opening the door to the bathroom and Jason's startled gasp as she climbed into the shower with him and his shout of "Candy?" All they heard for the next forty-five minutes was the sound of the water running until Candy shouted out her orgasm. Three minutes later, they heard the water stop running and the sounds of Jason and Candy moving about.
They tried to school their expressions, but the sight of Jason dressed only in his under shorts and Candy clad only in his t-shirt had them smiling broadly at their two good friends.
"I ought to strangle the both of you for sending her up there with me." Jason says growling with what they can tell is mock anger. "What the devil were you two thinking?"
"That you needed to make love with her before you both exploded." Tommy stated plainly. "Candy-girl was almost humming when she woke up on the couch. You both needed each other and were trying to deny it. Both your needs were apparent to all of us that were in the Youth Center with you yesterday."
"Tommy is right this time Jase." Billy says smiling at his two friends. "Candy has loved you for what seems like forever and I think you've loved her for that long yourself. You both needed each other and Tommy and I just helped."
"I still ought to strangle the both of you." Jason says his voice soft and filled with awe. "I almost had heart failure when Candy climbed into the shower with me."
"We're both adults, well close enough anyway." Candy tells him as she hugs him from behind. "Billy's right Jase. I've loved you since you asked me to the Junior Prom. I never stopped, even when we had to move to Vegas. There was never any doubt in my mind that one day I'd be back in Angel Grove. I would be back here to find you, the man I love." Candy's voice is light and happy, but the others can tell that she's serious.
"I can't pinpoint the day my Candy-girl." Jason says as he turns in her arms that are still wrapped about his waist. "I do know that the second I realized who the stunningly gorgeous blond with Billy actually was that I'd tell you, in whatever way I could, that I loved you and needed you with me." Jason then gently tips her head to meet his as he kisses her gently on the lips. "I love you Candy-girl, now and forever." Then he kisses her again, this time deepening the kiss purposely.
"Take it upstairs you two." Tommy groans as the sight of them caressing each other is getting him hard and wishing Kat could have stayed the night.
"Please, take your display of overt affection upstairs and to some place more private." Billy says his voice strained as the sight of their foreplay is arousing him.
"What?" Candy says as she wrenches her mouth from Jason's and peeks around his side to look at them.
"Candy-girl." Tommy says his breath hitching at the sight of her desire-flushed face. "I don't know if you actually know just what a damned erotic sight you are after being made love to. The two of you are torturing Billy and I just with watching you. Please, take it upstairs before we do something that both of you won't like."
"Do something like what?" Candy asks smiling devilishly. "Join in? Who said we wouldn't like that? I didn't, did you say anything like that Jase?"
"No, I never said I wouldn't like that." Jason answers her a mischievous smile on his face that Tommy and Billy can't see.
Billy groaned as he rose from the chair slowly. He took the three steps it took to bring him to their side and said seriously, "Candy-girl, you don't know what you're playing with here."
"I'm not playing with anything yet." Candy replied her voice equally as serious.
"Candy?" Jason asked his tone confused and anxious.
"No more games from any of you." Candy said as she pulled herself from Jason's arms.
"I've known since we were twelve that Billy has desires for both Jason and me." Candy says as she walks to the stairway. "I've also known since then that Jason has those same desires. I'm not a prude and I'm not selfish. I'm willing to share if you two are."
"Candy?" Tommy asked his voice now choked with wonder, confusion, and hurt.
"I know about your desires as well Tommy-boy." Candy said finally resorting to the nickname she gave him when he started calling her 'candy-girl'. "I know that I would willingly share myself with my three loves, but Tommy-boy, you have Kat. Does she know how you feel about Jason, Billy, and me? Is it fair to her if you don't tell her?"
"Candy?" Jason asks swallowing hard. "How?"
"Why does everyone seem to think that shy fat people are stupid and blind?" Candy asks them her voice held sadness and resignation. "I've watched Billy and Jason dance around their attraction to each other since we were twelve years old. Just because I'm shy doesn't mean that I don't pay attention to what's going on around me. As for Tommy, I knew the second he clicked so well with you and Billy that he was as attracted to the two of you as I am. I don't know about his attraction to me, I never was able to see that before yesterday."
"As I told you about the Junior Prom Jason, I'm a realist." Candy says her voice had lost its sadness and now was just resigned. "I might have been severely shy, but I do have eyes, a brain, and a heart. You three and Zordon are the closest thing to family I have left in this world. Why wouldn't I willingly share my love with all three of you?"
"You're serious?" Jason says his mouth dropping open in surprise. "I thought you were kidding when you said something about this in the shower." Jason's tone is a first surprised and then deepens into anger as he speaks. "What? I'm not enough for you? You need more cocks in you now that your cherry's been popped?"
Candy's gasp of horror and shock make Jason immediately sorry for his anger-fueled outburst. Tears running down her cheeks she looks angrily at all three of them and says her voice quiet and too calm. "I though you loved me Jason. I guess the surprise is on me because all you wanted was a cherry breaking morning fuck. You got it, now get the hell out of my house all of you and don't ever come back!"
"Candy, I'm so sorry." Jason says his voice soft and pleading. "Please, talk to me. Don't shut me out."
"Get out Jason." Candy cries as she bolts up the stairs. All three of them can hear her crying loudly and then the slamming of a door someplace above them.
Jason staggers over to the couch and sits down heavily. "Oh God!" He says looking in horror at Billy and Tommy's shocked faces. "I've blown it totally."
"Why did you get so mad bro?" Tommy asked his face ashen at Jason's anger and Candy's.
"Candy-girl threw Jason a complete curve when she told him about my feelings for him and for you Tommy." Billy says his tone sad and worried. "I've known since I was eleven that both men and women arouse me, but I seem to lean more toward males than females. Candy knew this and knew my feelings for Jason. She told me that he was the same way, but that Jason didn't want to acknowledge his feelings for other men. I saw the same signs in Tommy as Candy pointed out to me in you Jason. It's not that Candy needs more than you to keep her happy, it's just that her heart won't let her keep you from us. She's willing to allow Tommy and I into bed with her so that we'll be as happy being with you as she was after you two made love this morning."
"I..." Jason stops and lowers his head into his hands. "Oh dear god, I've totally fucked this up guys. Okay, I'll admit that I love you and Tommy and that I'm sexually attracted to both of you. What am I going to do? I've just caused the one person I never ever wanted to see being hurt again a huge pain. She looked as if I'd punched her."
"We can either leave as she said or we go find her and show her just how much we love her." Tommy says his face drawn and worried. "I can't leave her here alone and hurting like this. God I only hope Kat will understand."
The three of them don't hear Candy come back down the stairs until she's standing at the bottom clad in jean shorts and a sports bra, Jason's shirt in her hand. Her face is blotchy from crying and she's looking down at the floor instead of at them when she says, "Look, I'm sorry for being a bitch, but the three of you get the hell out and don't come back for a while. I need time to figure out where I went wrong with what I said. Please, go."
Jason gets up and takes her small hand in his and leads her to the couch. She follows him unresisting and allows him to set her on the couch. He tips her head up so that she's looking at all of them. "Candy-girl," he says his voice soft.
He is completely surprised when Billy continues before he can say more. "You didn't go wrong with what you said earlier, my lovely Candy. You just told us the truth about how we feel for each other. The only problem is that you'd just made love with Jason moments before. The offer to share yourself and Jason with both Tommy and I is just like you; loving, generous, kindhearted, and unfortunately naive. Had you more experience with others, I'm sure you would have waited for another time. I truly love you Candy-girl just as Jason and Tommy do. All three of us also love each other. Our loving each other doesn't necessarily mean that we want to be sexually involved with each other."
"Quit lying to yourself Billy." Tommy says gently and kindly. "Most of all, quit trying to lie to Candy. I'll admit, just as Jason did a minute ago that I love all three of you and that I find all of you very sexually attractive too. Candy-girl knew this from watching us interact together as friends and Rangers. I'll even go further than either of you and admit to our Candy-girl that I was attracted to her sexually as well. I think that's part of what made Kimberly so nasty to her was because she knew all three of us wanted Candy, even with her excess weight. Kimberly couldn't fathom that we didn't mind how her body looked, we just loved her and wanted her. Still do and the fact that she's tiny now makes no difference to me at all, it just enhances my sexual attraction to her even more."
"I can't add anymore to that other than to affirm the veracity of your words Tommy." Billy says reverting to his old way of talking like a walking dictionary in his nervousness.
"He mean's your right and he feels the same way." Candy automatically translated for them.
"You're right Tommy." Jason says his voice soft. "I just wasn't expecting our Candy-girl to hit us between the eyes with a baseball bat to wake us up to that information. Candy you are quickly becoming not only my heart, but my soul as well. I need to let you know how sorry I am at my angry words earlier. If I could take them back I would. I can't take them back but I can ask that you forgive me and allow me another chance, if it is in your heart to give me that chance?"
"I love you Jason." Candy says softly, her voice filled with her love for him. "You have always been my heart, my soul, and my world. I will forgive you, if you will forgive me for my forcing you to see how you've always felt for your two best friends and for my own angry words too."
"Come here lovely one." Jason says as he opens his arms to her. He waits until she's moved and is standing before him. "I accept your forgiveness, my lovely, darling Candy-girl and I forgive you." He wraps his arms around her, but looks to Tommy and Billy and says, "Just being hugged by me isn't going to cut it you two. Join us?" His tone of voice when he asks them to join them has Billy hesitating just a fraction of a second because he realizes that Jason isn't just asking for them to join in the hug, he's asking them to join him in loving her and him too.
Billy steps to Jason's left side and places his right arm around Jason's waist and his left around Candy's. The three look expectantly at Tommy and wait patiently.
Tommy, his expression guarded, stands and walks to Jason's right side. He puts his right arm around Jason's waist, caressing Billy's left arm as he does and then his left arm around Candy caressing all three of them.
The three of them pull Candy into their mutual grip and trade kisses around the circle. Tommy kisses Candy deeply then releases her mouth to Billy as he turns his head slightly to kiss Jason just as deeply. Billy's kiss of Candy is passionate and loving and he releases her mouth to then kiss Jason just as lovingly and passionately. Jason's kiss of Candy's mouth is equal parts love and rising desire. Candy looks expectantly at Tommy and Billy, as they've not kissed yet. Billy, catching the look of expectation on her face, leans forward and kisses Tommy as he did Jason. The four stand there for long minutes touching, exploring, kissing, caressing, and learning when a knock at the front door startles them all. Candy, her eyes glazed and her breath coming in small gasps tries to extricate herself from their grip. Tommy and Billy release Jason, but keep Candy held between them their mouths continue to plunder her mouth and neck as Jason answers the door. Jason opens the door to Rocky, Adam, Tanya, and Kat.
"Hey guys!" He calls happily as he leads them into the living room.
Kat's gasp of surprise at seeing Tommy and Billy kiss passionately as Candy strokes their hair gently has Jason smiling. Jason surprises the rest of them by saying gently. "We had a minor discussion about ourselves this morning. Excuse me and make yourselves comfortable. We'll be back in a little while."
They watch, totally in shock, as Jason returns to the circle and claims Candy's mouth even as Tommy and Billy are stroking his back and chest erotically. Candy's head is thrown back and she's gasping as Billy claims one cloth covered nipple even as Tommy claims one of Jason's still bare ones.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU FOUR THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Rocky snaps out shocking everyone.
The four entwined in the center of the room jump away from each other as if they'd been hit by an electrical shock. Candy takes a shaky breath and looks at the other three. Her bright blush of embarrassment causes her to immediately look at the floor as she tries to move past the three of them into the kitchen. Her quiet, "I'm sorry for that." Has Jason trying to stop her, but she nimbly evades his grasping hands.
Billy looks first to Jason then to Tommy and finally to his other four friends staring gape mouthed in the doorway. "What?" He questions as if he's just waking from a deep sleep. "What happened?"
"Candy happened." Tommy says looking at Kat guiltily. "She called all three of us on our feelings for each other. I'm sorry Kat, but I'm not going to deny to you or the others that I love Billy and Jason and want to have them."
"I've known for some time now that you wanted them Tommy." Kat says softly as she crosses to him and takes him in her arms. "I just thought that you'd never act on it."
"Oh Kat, my love." Tommy says burying his face in her shoulder. "I love you, I truly, truly do. It's just that..."
"That you also love Jason and Billy just like you do me. I know and I'm not mad about that. I understand. I want to know why Candy was wrapped up by all three of you?" Kat's voice is calm and undemanding as she talks and soothes Tommy's pain. Her voice does get a little demanding as she asks why Candy was involved.
"It's complicated Kat." Jason says as he looks toward the kitchen and spies his communicator on the dining room table. "What the hell, she left my communicator on the table. Spread out and find her. If she's left the house, I'll..." His command voice drops into place as he snaps orders at the rest to find Candy.
They all move quickly as Adam and Rocky rush upstairs, Tanya takes the main hallway to the back of the house, Billy and Jason fly to the kitchen and Kat and Tommy rush out the front door.
Tanya, her instincts telling her that Candy wouldn't be in the house, runs out the backdoor and into the yard. She slides to a complete stop as she watches Candy mesmerized. The others join her and they too are totally engulfed in the sensual, erotic sight before them.
Jason groans as he watches her move through a slow Tai Chi workout in the nude. Adam swallows audibly and then shucks his shirt and jeans and joins her. Tanya, Jason and Rocky follow Adam's lead and the three men join her, clad only in their boxers. Tanya like Candy is completely nude and all of them fall into a sort of trance like state while focusing their bodies and minds.
Billy, standing next to Kat and Tommy is surprised when both of them grab his hands and pull him into their embrace.
"My god Bill!" Tommy says his voice barely above a whisper. "Have you ever seen a more erotic sensual sight than what is right before our eyes now?"
"Shit!" Kat breathes in deeply trying to steady her rapidly increasing heartbeat. "I'm getting hot just watching them and they aren't even touching each other."
"I believe that Candy has adopted the ancient and true way to do Tai Chi." Billy says his voice gruff with passion but wonder filled as well. "If I remember correctly, the ancient and traditionally way is to do the exercises while nude."
"You're right Billy." Candy says as she finishes the slow kata; sweat bathing her entire body as she walks to the back porch and shimmies into her shorts and sports bra. "Truthfully, I wanted, no I needed to get myself centered. We all need to be centered before we talk about anything that happened this morning." Candy turns to Kat and says her voice soft but filled with love. "I'm sorry about what you walked in on this morning. Jason should have stopped all of us when he went to answer the door."
"You were only allowing Tommy the chance to fulfill his inner desires and needs that truthfully he's suppressed for too long now." Kat says smiling at the now confident young lady before her. "I have to say that the sight of you moving like that was mind blowing and totally sensual to me."
"You should join me in the moves then." Candy says smiling at her. "It is a great workout for a dancer like you look to be."
Jason, Tommy, and Billy are totally astonished when Tanya, Rocky, and Adam finish their movements and then walk over to Candy and each of them kisses her gently on the lips before dressing.
"Thank you Candy." Adam says as he bows respectively toward her after kissing her. "That was absolutely the best Tai Chi movements I have ever had. I'm more centered than I ever am after doing it while dressed in clothing."
"You're very welcome, Adam right?" Candy asks smiling as Jason wraps his arms about her waist from behind.
"You're right Candy." Adam beams and then he dresses as the others watch.
Tanya and Rocky once dressed look at the others expectantly. "We still need an answer for what we walked in on earlier." Rocky says his voice calmer but demanding answers from them.
"No answers, no talking, no anything until after we eat." Candy says her biting tone back in her voice. "Kitchen all of you, march!" She points the way as Adam, Tanya, Kat, Tommy, Billy, and Jason laughingly follow her orders.
"Candy!" Rocky snaps his own command voice barking back at her.
Instead of her answering him, Tommy does. "Rocky, stop being so single minded and join us in the house. We'll answer everything while we help get the food ready."
Rocky follows, reluctantly, the others into the house. None of them see Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd in the trees at the edge of the property.
"It's still in effect Zeddie." Rita cackles evilly. "The spell we put on her is still working."
"I would be." Zedd barks nastily. "The spell will stay in effect until she is sexually satisfied by all of them. Once that happens, they will not be able to morph ever again."
"Shouldn't Jason be unable to morph now?" Rita asks a whining note in her voice. "They did have relations in the shower this morning."
"I have no idea how this spell with affect the powers of the Gold Ranger." Zedd says thoughtfully. "I'm not even sure that it will work against the Zeo powers at all. The spell was designed to take away their ability to use those blasted Power Coins Zordon gave them."
"How can we be sure it will work at all then?" Rita asks whining even more now.
"We can't!" Zedd snaps at her in anger.

Later that morning, eight worried teens transport into the Power Chamber and speak with Zordon. Jason is the first to ask his mentor a question.
"Zordon?" Jason says uneasily. "What happens to our ability to use our powers if we have sex?"
"Why would this question come up now Jason?" Zordon answers him with his own calm question.
"Candy and I made love this morning and then we almost made love again with Tommy and Billy too. What is going on with us?"
"I'm not sure Jason, allow Alpha to scan the four of you and we will see if there are any evil influences at work here. If there is no evil involved, then there should be no effect to your powers." Zordon says as Alpha motions the four of them to the examination table in the far corner.
"AI YIYIYIYI come be scanned my friends." The small robot says compassionately.
The men go first and Alpha's scans are completely negative for all of them. Finally, Candy crawls onto the table assisted by a gentle lift from Jason. Her complaining is soft and annoyed. "I just had a physical before Dad was killed. Why do I have to have another one now?"
"Shhh Candy-girl." Jason soothes as he gives her a light kiss on the lips. "Zordon wants us scanned."
"It won't hurt Candy." Alpha says a smile in his high tenor voice. "I promise."
Alpha scans Candy once, twice, and a third time shaking his head after each scan. Before any of them can stop him he places Candy into a stasis-induced coma on the table.
"What did you put her into stasis for Alpha?" Billy snaps his order at the small robot causes all of them to jump at the anger in his tone.
"Observe the Viewing Globe everyone." Zordon says calmly. "Alpha's scans indicate that at some point in her time with us before moving, Candy was exposed to an evil spell by either Lord Zedd, Rita Repulsa, or both. This spell was designed to remove your access to your power coins after you had intimate contact with her. Jason, call forth the Gold Ranger Powers please."
Jason crosses his arms over his chest and calls out, "Gold Ranger Power!" His arms snap from their position of crossed over his chest down and out from his sides as he's transformed into the Gold Ranger. He looks through his helmet at Zordon's warp tube and when Zordon nods he powers down quickly.
"It felt different this time Zordon." Jason says worry in his tone. "I felt the power coursing completely throughout my body like I've never felt before. Like somehow it's more powerful."
"It seems Rangers, that the spell upon Candy is not a danger to your Zeo Powers; however, the spell must be removed from her and soon. The scans Alpha did indicate that this spell has been working on her body for almost four years now. Candy's body is being changed by the spell. If she is not intimately involved with all of you soon, her body will start shutting down one organ at the time."
"She'll die?" Jason asks anguish and pain coloring his shocked question.
"We won't let her die bro." Tommy says stepping to Jason's side and taking him in his arms. "Even if it means that I lose Kat, I can't let her die when I can save her by giving my body to her."
"You won't lose me Tommy." Kat says gathering him and Jason both in her arms. "I took my oath as a Ranger seriously and this is just an extension of that oath to allow you save her. Even though she works here with Billy, she's still an innocent and needs to be protected by all of us. This is not her doing, it is the work of evil."
"All of us?" Rocky gulps loudly. "As in Tanya and Kat too?"
"Yes Rocky," Zordon says his compassion rising for what he is to tell his Rangers now. "The scans indicate that in order to live, Candy must be sexually fulfilled by each of you. Jason has already accomplished this and the scans show this. I'm sorry to ask this of you Rangers, my friends, my children; but as Kat said, Candy is innocent in this and as Rangers you must do what is necessary to break evil's hold over her."
"I have no problem with giving her pleasure Zordon." Tanya steps forward boldly. "I'm not sure about Kat, but ever since I joined with the Yellow Zeo Crystal, I've become attracted to not only men but women as well. I know I prefer men as lovers, but I am no longer adverse to having a female one either."
"SHIT! That explains it!" Tommy cries his memories clicking into place.
"Explains what bro?" Jason asks confused.
"Explains why Zack and Kimberly treated Candy they way they did." Tommy says smiling sadly. "Zack couldn't handle even showering with the other guys in the locker room at school. He said he wasn't comfortable with how it made him feel. The Ranger powers need us to bond together as friends and if necessary lovers to insure that we protect each other and the powers. Zack was severely homophobic as was Kimberly. They must have been really uncomfortable to discover that not only were they attracted, sexually, to the opposite sex as always, but now they were attracted to their same sex as well. The spell on Candy that had us needing to take her sexually must have driven Kimberly almost up the wall every time she was near her. Her homophobia turned it into anger and hate. Zack's homophobia would have him angry all the time even if he tried to hide it. Candy was a convenient target for his anger because he was being drawn to someone, whose body he loathed. Their attractions to Candy caused them to strike out and hurt her with their anger."
"You are correct Tommy." Billy says thoughtfully. "I remember after accidentally switching place with Kimberly that her body reacted adversely every time Candy came near her. I couldn't bring myself to be mean to Candy even though it was expected of Kimberly to do so. Kimberly's revelation of my attraction to men, especially Jason, and women, especially Candy, disgusted her and our relationship was strained for a long time afterwards."
"That explains why I love her as much as I do." Jason says his voice sad. "It's because of an evil spell and not because of her?"
"No Jase!" Tanya says smiling as she hugs him. "Your love for her was there before the spell was placed on her by evil. The love you two share is clear to see to everyone that sees you together."
"Tanya is right Jase." Rocky says smiling cockily at them all. "I knew that something was wrong this morning when Adam, Tanya, you, and I stripped and joined her doing that Tai Chi workout. I just couldn't put my finger on what it was that was bothering me so much. I was my unnatural attraction to Candy's body that was bothering me. I think she's absolutely the most stunningly beautiful woman I've ever seen, but she's your woman and I shouldn't need to screw her into the ground because of that. That was what had me reacting the way I did after our impromptu nude Tai Chi session this morning."
"How do we accomplish fulfilling the demands of the spell without hurting Candy-girl Zordon?" Billy asks giving his friend their long time nickname of her.
"You must each provide her with sexual fulfillment, an orgasm." Zordon says in an embarrassed tone. "One orgasm from Rocky, Adam, Tanya, and Kat will be sufficient because they haven't been exposed to the effects of this dastardly evil spell as long as you, Tommy, and Jason have been. I have no idea how many it may require from the three of you to break the effects or that if after the spell is broken whether Candy will still be exclusively with Jason. I cannot tell from the medical scans, nor do I wish to put a arbitrary number on what it will take to be successful in this endeavor. I cannot even guarantee that after fulfilling the desires the spell is instilling in her for all of you whether your desire for her will abate or continue, even Jason's. This is not something to be decided lightly my Rangers. Take your time and discuss this carefully among you. Candy is safe and will not deteriorate more while Alpha has her in stasis and the effects of the spell on her are also lessened in you. Once your decision has been reached, then I will have him remove her from stasis and allow you to explain what is happening to her. I will also have Alpha prepare a place that you may accomplish the task when you are ready."
"I know what my response is." Jason says looking at each of them calmly. "I will do whatever it takes to break this spell over my sweet Candy-girl."
"She'd kill you for using the line from that old Archie's song Jase." Billy says smiling.
"Sugar, ah, honey, honey. You are my Candy-girl and you've got me wanting you." Tommy sings his tenor clear and happy. "Gods how right I was without knowing it when I started calling her that."
The rest of them laugh along with their three stunned friends and then Rocky sobers and says. "It doesn't feel right, us talking about having sexual relations with her when she's not even awake to know what's been done to her."
"Candy will take it in stride Rocky." Billy comforts him with a pat on the shoulder. "She's been a realist since her mother died when she was six. She'll know that if there were any other way to accomplish removing this spell that Zordon would find it and use it."
"Zordon?" Tommy asks his voice concerned and horrified at the same time. "You said this spell has been changing Candy's body for four years, what kind of changes is it making?"
"I cannot determine what changes were from the spell and what changes were made by Candy herself; however the scans can tell us that Candy's body is giving off pheromones specific to attracting sexual partners. Her body also has changed to provide lubrication for not only vaginal but also anal penetration. Her heart and other organs are strong, for now; however, should the spell stay on her longer than four more weeks then Candy's body will start changing drastically. These changes could include her complete metamorphosis into a true hermaphrodite or completely change her into a man. These things could and would traumatize her greatly."
"We need to talk about this here and here only." Tommy says looking at his five other teammates and seeing nothing but determination showing in their eyes, except for Jason and his are showing terror too. "Outside the Power Chamber, Rita, Zedd, and Mondo can eavesdrop on our conversations. The discussion and deeds we do with Candy today are never mentioned outside of the Power Chamber. This way if Candy-girl leaves us after being forced into this, she'll never have to worry about it being used against her by anybody. As far as the outside world is concerned, Jason is and will be Candy's only lover."
"I can't do that to her Tommy." Jason says his voice soft. "I can't make her be exclusive to me after making love with all of you. Hell, I'd willing become your lover as well if it meant keeping Candy-girl safe and alive. I can't deny the attraction I feel toward you, Billy, Kat, Tanya, Rocky, and Adam any more than I can deny my attraction to Candy."
"Candice is strong and someone that looks at everything from a different perspective than most of us do." Billy says looking at the others in the group. "Candy-girl has always been one to think intuitively in any situation. That is what made her such an effective member of our team. Instead of linear or abstract thinking as most of us do, Candy-girl's thinking makes leaps of faith or chance from point A to point B. I've never seen her intuitive jumps in thinking make a wrong decision at the time they came about. This is another time that we should expect her to do one of two things. Either she agrees with us and takes each of us as lovers to break the spell or she refuses our offers of loving her and dies. The only other option she might come up with and we have to be prepared for it is that she will want Jason, Tommy, me, or all three of us with her when she's making love with the other four members of our team. I want everyone to be prepared for her to jump to a quick conclusion as soon as she has all the facts."
"I have no problem with having any of you three present when I have to do my part in breaking the spell on Candy; however, I don't know about participation." Adam says his voice unsure and hurting somewhat.
"We all need to agree that if she choose for Tommy, Billy, and me to be in the room participating, that we keep a modicum of self-control involved in this process and that should any actions be made that you aren't comfortable with, we stop immediately. Agreed?" Jason states plainly as if he's just asked what were their plans for the day.
"How can you be so damned calm about this Jason?" Rocky asks his tone of voice carrying disbelief and wonder at Jason's calmness.
"Because I have to be calm and rational to be able to help Candy." Jason says as he allows his voice to show just how terrified and worried he really is. "We all heard what Zordon told us. Candy might not be cured with just one time with each of us. If that's the case, then I have to accept that the woman I love cannot be satisfied with just one man, me. I have to allow her four other male and two female lovers in order to keep her alive so that I can continue to love her myself. I guess I've just become the realist that Candy-girl is herself."
"You haven't just become that realist Jason." Tommy says gently as he hugs Jason to show his support for him. "You became that realist the day Zordon gave you the powers of the Red Ranger. That day you became a realist about how things are done as a Ranger and how you look at life from there on out."
"We vote on this here and now or do we take time to think about our decision?" Adam asked his voice nervous and serious.
"We vote on when to make our decision." Tommy says his leadership mantle coming out and settling on his shoulders. "Majority rules on this first vote."
Billy picks up a pad of paper and removes a pen from his pocket. "I'll keep track of the votes." He states emphatically. "I vote for deciding now."
"I vote for deciding now too." Tanya says shrugging as she looks to the others. "My decision will be the same whether we decide now or later."
"I vote for deciding now." Kat says hugging Tommy then Billy and finally Jason. "We've got three teammates and friends hurting with another possible new friend and teammate needing our help."
"I too vote for deciding now." Rocky says his voice firm and determined. "This isn't my lower half talking Adam. The longer we leave Candy in stasis, the more worried and distracted by that Jason and Tommy will be. That won't be a good thing for fighting against Mondo and you know it."
"I have to vote for deciding now." Jason says his voice quiet, thoughtful, and serious. "Rocky is right, the longer this takes to talk with Candy-girl the more distracted I'll be. That's not good for the team."
"That's five votes for making our decision now." Tommy says looking around at all of them and making eye contact. "We take Candy out of stasis and discuss this with her. Then we vote, while she's out of stasis, on how and when we do this after her decision. Jase, this will be the hardest on you because we have to abide by her decision on this. It's her body and her life. We can't allow our love of her to try and sway her decision."
"I love her with all my heart bro." Jason says that love showing plainly in his voice and expression. "I'm not going to like her decision if she chooses not to let us help her, but because I love her I have to let her make that decision and support her during and after she chooses."
"Well said Jason." Zordon shocks all of them with his praise of Jason. "The ultimate decision is Candy's to make; however, you could have decided to sway her and would have done so easily with her love of you. That you've resolved not to attempt to sway her shows your love for her is not influenced by the effects of the spell, but from your heart. Bring Candy out of stasis Alpha. Now it is time for her to hear what is happening and has happened to her."
Alpha removes the stasis field from Candy and she wakes up immediately a confused look on her face. "Wait a second. Why are all of you congregated over there? When did you move? You were all around the bed while Alpha was scanning me. What's wrong with me?"
"Candy," Billy starts then gets a strange helpless look on his face as he continues his voice serious and strained. "Brain-strain, Alpha's scans detected a spell on you, one that's been there for four years now. Zordon can't determine if it was Rita, Zedd, or both that put this spell on you, but the spell is, unknown to you, changing your body and if we don't break it your body will start shutting down and you'll die." Billy's voice breaks as he says the word die and he turns away before any of them can see the tears that sprang to his eyes.
"Love," Jason picks up from Billy; his voice as serious and strained as Billy's was. "This spell means that we have to... to... SHIT! It means that we have to make love with you, all of us even Tanya and Kat. That's what it's going to take to break it. Breaking the spell will keep you alive and as you are. Zordon says that if we don't do this within the next three weeks that the spell will change you into a hermaphrodite and eventually, possibly, into a man after that it will kill you. That is what Billy was trying to say and for once Brain One's intellect failed him."
"I have to take all of you as lovers?" Candy says thinking out loud. "That's why that scene happened in my living room this morning then? Because of a damned spell and not because you love me?"
"NO!" Jason, Tommy, and Billy all three say at the same time. Tommy continues his voice calm. "What happened in your living room this morning was partially because of the spell Candy-girl; however, most of it was because of your words to us and our own admission of our feelings for each other. I don't have any shame over what we were doing this morning and wouldn't of minded it continuing to the conclusion it was headed for when Tanya, Kat, Adam, and Rocky arrived. Me, Billy, and especially Jason love you Candy-girl. You were in both of their hearts before the spell was cast. You snuck into my heart during the time I knew you. Spell or no evil spell, you're in my heart to stay Sugar."
Candy's laugh of delight has them all looking at her strangely. Then she says her eyes shining with love, friendship, and caring. "Rephrase that old line to that song Tommy-boy. If you listen closely it describes this crazy situation exactly. You are my CANDY... girl... and you've got me WANTING you. That has got to be the most apt nickname anyone has ever given me Tommy-boy."
"Oh my god!" Tommy says laughing with her. "Kimberly always gave me grief for singing that song around you. Now I know why."
"Candy, love, my heart and soul." Jason says his voice soft with love, but firm with his seriousness. "You have to decide love. Do you let us do what we need to break the spell or not?"
Candy's face creases with her frown of concentration then a look of total shock comes over her face. "I don't know." She says her voice completely astonished. "I can't... the leap won't happen... oh shit." To everyone's surprise, Candy faints. Jason, the closest, manages to catch her before she hits the floor.
"What was that all about?" Jason barks looking over his shoulder at Billy.
"Candy-girl's brain couldn't make an intuitive jump to an answer for once. I surmise that because it couldn't that it just shut down and she fainted." Billy says worry in his tone. "Candy is so very used to her brain jumping to an answer that she goes with it that she was incapable of dealing with it when it couldn't."
Candy stirs in Jason's arms waking slowly. "It wasn't that Brain-Pain." Candy says quietly from Jason's strong arms. "My brain tried to make the leap and the spell on me stopped it. That is what caused me to lose consciousness momentarily. I didn't however stop me from jumping to a logical decision or remembering the 'jump of faith' as you like to call it that my brain made before I blacked out. This damnable spell won't allow me to speak my choice; however, it will not stop me from doing this." Candy grabs Jason's face and kisses him deeply as she grabs Billy's hand and places it on her shoulder.
Billy looks to the others gathered around and says quietly. "Candy's decided to allow us to do what is necessary to break the spell upon her. Apparently that spell won't allow her to voice her choice or to consciously make a choice should the spell be found out. Crunch time everyone. Vote now by placing your hand on either Candy or Jason."
Billy watches as Kat takes Tommy's hand in hers and places both of their hands on Candy's other shoulder. Her smile at Tommy is bright and clear as she says. "My choice Tommy. I love you no matter what we're required to do by this spell or what you decide to do with your feelings for Jason, Candy, and Billy."
Tanya looks to Adam's shocked face as Kat tells of Tommy's feelings for his two good friends. "Adam, love." She says gently as she intertwines her and his hand. "I love you, you know that. I love all of you for accepting me as Aisha's replacement. Jason loves Candy so much it almost hurts to think of how he and she must have suffered while separated. Don't think about it love, make the decision with your loving heart and not with your skittish brain." Tanya loosens her grip on Adam's hand and places that hand on Jason's shoulder lightly. She smiles as Adam place his hand over hers and clasping it in his.
Rocky smiles at the others as he too places his hand gently on Candy's head. "Decision made. We really should stop her and Jase now before they go further and we all wind up here on the floor of the Power Chamber. Hard concrete is not comfortable for what we're going to be doing."
Jason hears Rocky's comment and reluctantly pulls away from Candy's sweet mouth. Her groan of protest has him chuckling softly. "Candy-girl," he says slightly breathless. "You've told us with your actions what you've decided, now lets take this to someplace more comfortable than the floor of the Power Chamber my love."
Candy's eyes fly open to see that the entire team of Power Rangers and Billy smiling down at them surrounds both of them. "Adam?" Candy says her voice surprised.
"You finally remember me and I need to tell them don't I?" Adam says smiling at her guiltily. "Candy is my cousin. Her dad was my mother's brother. That's why I've been hesitant about this. Gods you have turned into to such a beauty that I didn't recognize you at all Candy."
"Cousin?" Billy asks in confusion. "As in first cousin, blood related?"
"As in blood related Billy. The spell on Candy has no effect on me whatsoever. I am not sexually turned on or attracted to her at all."
"Then your decision to join us?" Tanya asks surprised and stunned.
"Is just that a decision to save my cousin's life however I can." Adam says smiling at them all sadly. "If that means relations with her, then I have relations with her."
"You can't Adam!" Alpha cries his shrill voice shocking them all. "There is a side effect to this spell that Zordon didn't tell any of you about."
"Alpha, we cannot allow that possibility to sway their decision in this matter. Candy's life is at stake." Zordon says softly and compassionately.
"What side effect Alpha?" Candy asks then her brain jumps straight to the answer for her. "That I'll get pregnant by the men and possibly the women too and that with Adam and I being close blood relatives that a child might be damaged because of that relationship?"
"Pregnant?" Jason stammers thinking of that morning in her shower. "Oh gods!" He wails quietly. "I didn't use anything this morning love!"
"I can't get pregnant Jase." Candy says sadly. "The doctor's discovered something wrong with my reproductive system when I was thirteen. I can't have children, ever."
"There is nothing wrong with your reproductive system Candice." Alpha says his voice quiet and somber. "The medical scan that I did to detect the spell on you showed no problems with your reproductive system. You can bear children and are in danger from becoming pregnant from the effects of this spell."
"Candice," Zordon asks quietly and thoughtfully. "May I have your permission to access your medical records?"
"Of course you may access them if you can Zordon." Candy says seriously. "My records are liable to be hard to get because I was born on the base dad was stationed at then and minor's records are kept just like top secret documents. But you're welcome to try."
"Candy love," Jason says seriously. "Are you sure you want to do this even with the chance of getting pregnant?"
Candy's answer is to once again initiate a kiss between them and the others take that to be an answer of yes from her.
Jason pulls his mouth from hers and scoops her into his arms. Alpha leads them into the room he'd prepared at Zordon's orders. There is no bed in the room; instead the entire floor of the room is made of soft cloth covered substance that feels like jell-o but supports like the firmest mattress available. There are pillows and other things scattered around the room on small shelves.
"It would be best to undress out here Rangers." Alpha says shyly. "There are light robes in the room across the hall that will cover you until you are inside. This room has not been used since the Command Center was built; however, every Power Ranger base has a room like this in it. Until coming to Earth, and Zordon's choosing of teenagers, it was not uncommon for evil to force one of the female or male rangers under a spell like this. This spell would have automatically been detected when they teleported into or out of the base; however, I disabled that scanner when Zordon said he would be choosing teenagers this time. I apologize to all of you for my oversight, my most sincerely apologies to you Candy."
Candy gives the little robot a big hug and kisses his head as she says, "Alpha my good friend. You don't owe me an apology at all. I would have done the same; however, you might want to leave that scanner in effect now that all of us are nearing adulthood. That this spell has been in effect for four years now is not your fault. It's mine for not being able to even think of when it could have been placed on me. The fault is also mine for denying what my body has been telling me for these past four years too."
"Alpha." Tommy says smiling down at him. "When the team was first chosen, that scanner would have never been needed. Zordon impressed upon us all the need to refrain from casual sex because we could lose our powers. Once he defined that my making love with Kimberly and then Kat wouldn't be casual sex, I should have said something to the team about us having relations with each other."
"Can we talk about this some other time?" Jason asks as his hands are stroking Candy's arms gently. "Candy is shaking with either need or fear right now. Lets just get changed and into the damned room for now."
"Are you afraid Candy-girl?" Billy asks as he steps from the room across the hall dressed in a white robe only.
Candy shakes her head in a no gesture and walks boldly into the room Billy had just exited. She returns moments later clad in a bright silver robe.
"They are choosing their new colors even now Zordon." Alpha Five reports quietly from just down the hall. Billy has chosen white. Candy's choice was silver."
"Keep watch over them until they enter the room Alpha." Zordon says pride and concern in his voice. "We won't actually know which powers they will exit the room with; however, I've prepared a receptacle for Trey's Gold powers because those powers are not to be used by any of this new team of adults that is forming before our very eyes. It bothers me some that Adam is blood related; but that cannot be helped now."
Alpha watches, as Adam emerges in a black robe, Rocky in a blue robe, Jason in a red robe, Tommy in a green robe, Kat in a pink one, and finally Tanya in a yellow robe. He reports his observations to Zordon quietly and then leaves the area.
Inside the room, Billy and Candy are relaxing on the floor kissing softly. Jason and the others join and surround them. Zordon thanks the powers of good that the room is well sound proofed and shielded for the cries of pleasure and love are soon coming from the room as the Zeo powers leave their bodies and the new powers meld into his now adult chosen.
"The powers of the ancient's are choosy Zordon." Alpha says as he monitors the absorption rates of the powers into their bodies even as they break the spell placed on Candy. Tommy chose the green robe from the room of power; however his body is even now absorbing the red powers and Jason's body is taking the gold powers. Billy's choice of white has accepted him and he is bonding fully with the powers even now. Adam chose the black powers; however they are not accepting him the green powers are. Their Zeo powers are gone now and the Gold Zeo crystal's powers are safely held in the receptacle we have for them. The Zeo crystals have gone dormant for now as well."
"The powers of the ancient's that reside in that room have always been reluctant to possess any mortal in millennia Alpha. That the room of ancient power appeared here in the Power Chamber within hours of Candy's return here says that the time for these powers to be utilized again is at hand. The morphers of the ancients will appear here in the main room once the spell over Candy is successfully broken, until then we are blind until this is over Alpha, as is all evil in the cosmos. Had Rita or Lord Zedd known that Candy was the catalyst for this prophesied event, they would have never placed that spell upon her." Zordon says seriously to Alpha Five as he continues his own power scans of the room below.
The activities in the Room of Ancient Power as Zordon called it were loving, gentle, and fulfilling to everyone involved. Four hours later, the people in the room are tired, slightly sore, and well loved. When the spell over Candy is broken, the door to the room opens and they don the robes of their power color as they make their way to the main room and Zordon.
Once there, Candy and Jason step forward and silently distribute the morphers that appeared on the main console when the door to the room opened. All of them don the morpher of their color and then look around as if they'd been sleepwalking.
"Wow!" Adam says looking down at his green robe. "I could have sworn that I chose the black robe when I went into that room earlier."
"What happened to us in there Zordon?" Candy asks as she turns toward his column. "I feel very different from when I went in. Was it the breaking of the spell on me that caused this weird yet familiar feeling?"
"No Candy," Zordon answered her kindly and with pride in his voice. "It was not the breaking of the spell that is making you feel like you do now. What you are feeling now is the absorption by your body of the ancient powers of the Silver Ranger. That you feel familiar with it lets me know that you were indeed the catalyst needed for this transfer of power to happen. Every millennium, a Room of Ancient Power appears inside of one of the bastions of the forces of good. That room is sometimes utilized and the powers of the ancient builders of the Morphin Grid become active for good again. Other times that room never opens for any that go near it. A catalyst is needed to allow the power transfer. That catalyst must be spelled by evil and must also allow the people that enter with them to join with them intimately. This joining must be done freely by all and with love. If it is not, the powers do not transfer and the room remains unused. This is the first time in sixty-five millennia that the power transfer was a complete and total success with all parties that entered gaining powers of the ancients to use for the forces of good. The Power Rangers Zeo no longer exists here on Earth. Now the Rangers of Millennia are the protectors of Earth. Welcome Ancients one and all to the Power Chamber."
"Zordon, you're talking like we've never been in the Power Chamber before." Billy says confusion on his face.
"I was not welcoming any of you, but the powers you now possess Billy." Zordon tells him smiling.
"Powers?" Billy squeaks and then gets a strange look on his face before smiling brightly and tears run down his happy face. "I'm a ranger again!"
"Welcome back to the fold Bill." Jason says smiling at him. "Yes I called you Bill. Billy is a child's name and we are no longer children anymore. Correct me if I'm wrong Zordon, but he power within me is telling me that we are the first adults in many, many millennia to fully absorb the powers that infused us in that room today. We truly control the complete powers of the Morphin Grid to kick Mondo's Sky Base and him back to the scrapheap and to send Rita and Zedd packing for eviler parts of the universe. We possess the power to rid Earth of these attacks completely."
"You are not mistaken Jason." Alpha says before Zordon can reply. "You as the Gold and Candy as the Silver Rangers are now the team leaders and you are backed up by Tommy as the Red and Billy as the White Rangers. I monitored the amount of power absorbed by all of you and yes according to the computers; this is the first time that the full power of the Ancients has bonded completely with anyone. The powers you possess now have the power to do what you say; however that is not their true goal. Today all of you became the actual Morphin Masters that created the Morphin Grid for use by good and evil alike. You have now grown past Zordon's leadership and mentoring of all of you and must soon leave the Earth and take your place in the galaxies helping teams of Rangers as Zordon does now. Replacements must be selected for you here on Earth; however until then you will be the protectors of this planet."
"Holy Shit!" Rocky says laughing as he looks at the stunned faces around him. "You mean Rita and Zedd's spell backfired big time and it caused this to happen?"
"That's what Zordon and Alpha have been trying to tell us." Candy says smiling at all of them. "Oh and Jase, we need to... to... umm.... get, ah... mar..."
"I know love," Jason says taking her into his arms as the rest join them. "We need to get married because you are pregnant with our child."
"How?" Candy asks looking at him strangely.
"Apparently one of the powers of the Gold Ranger is telepathy. I heard your thoughts in my head love." Jason says kissing her gently on the lips.
"She's not just pregnant with only your child Jase." Billy says from his position next to them. "I guess the White powers are the ones concerned with healing. I know that she's carrying triplets and that you, Rocky, and me are the father's. Tanya and Kat are pregnant too. Adam is the father of Tanya's child and Tommy is the father of Kat's child. They can morph until the day they deliver the children and there will be no harm to them from the process or the powers."
"Triplets?" Candy asks and then passes out in Jason's arms even as Tanya and Kat collapse into Adam and Tommy's waiting arms.
"Guess we should have gotten a couple of more women in there with us." Tommy says smiling at the stunned faces of his friends and lovers. These three are going to get mighty tired of carrying multiple children that the powers we have now are going to want to insure that there will be future generations capable of taking them once we're gone."
"I know bro." Jason and Billy both say seriously then laugh as Jason continues. "God, our parents are going to have our heads for this!"
"Actually they will accept it calmly." Rocky says then looks at the guys. "Guess the blue powers have to do with seeing the future because I saw all of our parents smiling as you and Candy, Tommy and Kat, along with Adam and Tanya at your wedding in two months."
"Christ what else do you see?" Jason says astonished even as he cradles Candy protectively.
"Billy will marry Aisha Campbell at the same time and she'll also join with us and receive an ancient power. I also see myself there with all of you with, shit, Trini as my bride and having a power too."
"I don't think Trini will accept what we have to do with each other in order to ensure the power transfer Rocko." Tommy says as he lifts Kat into his arms and gently places her onto one of the medical beds. Adam and Jason do the same with Tanya and Candy's still forms.
"They'll wake in about an hour." Billy says smiling at the concerned faces of his friends. "Shock and exhaustion in combination."
"I already know what will have to be done to take this power." Aisha says from the main doorway. "I was contacted about three months ago now by these powers and told to come home to Angel Grove. I've just gotten home today and rushed up here. I'm too late aren't I?"
"Oh god, I'm late!" Trini says running into the room and skidding to a stop beside Aisha then laughing brightly. "You got the message too?"
"Yep and got here as quick as I could. That is a damned long hike when the teleporters are off-line." Aisha says smiling.
"Trini? Aisha?" The guys say at the same time shock and happiness on their faces. "How?"
"The Morphin Master do not transfer one power without transferring them all. They would have made arrangements to have those they deemed acceptable arrive here to be with you during the transfer." Alpha says his voice happy and bright.
"We have to go back to the room don't we?" Candy asks as the three girls all wake at the same time.
"Yes we do love, tired?" Jason asks as he helps her from the table.
"No, just slightly sore." Candy says wincing as she slides from the table.
"We'll be gentle Candy-girl." Tommy says smiling. "This time it's Trini and Aisha's turn to get sore."
"Glad I'm not a virgin then." Both Aisha and Trini say at the same time. "Also, glad that I accepted the fact that the Ranger powers opened my eyes to men and women."
"I didn't have that excuse." Candy says shyly. "I was that way before I got these powers."
"I know Candy-girl." Trini says smiling. "Why do you think I liked playing that mock-fight game so much. It was a good excuse to kiss you as well as being able to kiss Jason, Billy, and Tommy at the same time."
"Provided we let them win." Candy says smiling at her and then she walks over and hugs her tightly. "I'm so glad you're here Trini; now my family is complete again, with a few new additions too."
"Candy-girl." Trini says softly as she kisses her deeply. "Love you forever, just like we promised."
"Love you forever Trini mine." Candy says as she sighs into Trini's passionate kiss.
"You two were lovers?" Jason asks as he engulfs both of them in a hug.
"No, we were too scared of being caught." Candy answers as she claims his mouth in a sweet kiss of love.
"Not only that, Kimberly would never leave me alone long enough to get the courage up to ask her." Trini says kissing Jason lovingly. "She was such a homophobic prude."
"We need to return to the Room of Ancient Power." Tommy says smiling at the three of them entwined already. "Quickly before Jason, Candy, and Trini send us all into overload. Jase, your powers can also broadcast too. Quit it until we get into the damned room!"
"Oops! Sorry." Jason says pulling away from Candy and Trini's lovemaking. "Come one you two lovely ladies, let's share with the others again.
They all return to the room with Trini and Aisha. Trini is gifted with the Green powers and a child of Rocky's as Aisha receives the Bronze powers and a child of Billy's. Candy's triplets are reduced by the powers to a single child, the one Jason fathered. This time, they take the time to explore and discover just who is willing to engage in making love with whom.
Six hours later the group emerges and Trini and Aisha receive their morphers and the news of their pregnancy.
Two months later, Angel Grove Park is the site of a huge wedding ceremony. Candice Jones weds Jason Scott; Trini Kwan weds Rocky DeSantos; Aisha Campbell weds Bill Cranston; Tanya Sloan weds Adam Park; and Katherine Hilliard weds Tommy Oliver. The joint wedding over, the five couples take slow carriage rides around the park and then to the Youth Center where a huge reception is to take place for them. As Rocky predicted, the families of all concerned were not angry over the pregnancies and only insisted on the marriages taking place as soon as possible. At the reception, the couples share one table at the front of room. The site of their reception gave the parents pause until all of them said that the Youth Center was where they met and that is where they should honor their meeting and falling in love there. The parents finally agreed.
That night after the weddings and reception, the ten are again in the Room of the Ancients. This time, not to receive or transfer their powers, but so that they might love each other as they wanted. The five couples decided not to live separately and have all moved into Candy's house. This way if they don't sleep with their spouses, nobody outside of their group is the wiser.
Eight months after the date of their wedding, their frantic husbands rush all five women to the hospital. Six hours later, the infants conceived the day they got their powers come into the world healthy and whole. The powers of the ancients inside of each of them and they themselves welcomed Amber Jolene Scott, Jason Thomas Cranston, Justine Katherine Oliver, William Thomas Park, and Charm Lee DeSantos into the world.
The first place the babies went after being release with their mothers and fathers from the hospital was to the Power Chamber to meet Zordon and Alpha Five.
Six weeks after receiving the ancient's powers, Louie Kaboom, that Rita and Zedd created and sent to them as a surprise gift, destroyed King Mondo and the royal family of the Machine Empire. Rita and Zedd tried to take their place and take over the Earth, but their discovery that the Zeo Rangers now possessed the powers of the Morphin Masters had them fleeing as well.
Divatox kidnapped Jason and Kimberly and tried to sacrifice them to Maligore only to be defeated by Jason's possession of the Morphin Master's power of gold and the appearance of the other Morphin Masters on Murithanis along side the Power Rangers Turbo. Her shriek of terror when Jason morphed just seconds before hitting the lava and being possessed by Maligore's evil had her henchmen running for their lives. The good of Jason's Morphin Master power destroyed Maligore before his evil could touch Kimberly and he jumped both of them to safety. The other Master's greeted him warmly. They guys with huge hugs and the women with kisses. Jason somberly introduced Kimberly to the Masters as they powered down. Her shock at the curvy stunningly beautiful woman in Jason's arm being introduced as Candy-girl had her looking at all of them with suppressed horror; just as her next words had them all gasping in anger.
"You all gave into that damned spell I helped Rita put on her didn't you?" Kimberly shrieked in anger. "When?"
"You helped Rita put that spell on Candy-girl?" Tommy asks his voice quiet with his anger and outrage.
"After I saw the five of you playing that kissing game in Billy's backyard one day." Kimberly says her voice loud and clear with her condemnation of them. "I saw you kiss Jason! How could you kiss him like that? I thought you wanted me like that?"
Tommy and the rest are shocked at the anger, pain, and hate that flare from her eyes. "I kissed Jase like that because I loved him and wanted him, just like I loved and wanted you." Tommy says calmly his hand held tightly in Kat's grasp. "I'm bisexual Kimberly. I married Kat and have a beautiful son with her, but I also love Jason and with Kat's blessings make love with him, Bill, Trini, Rocky, Aisha, Adam, Tanya, and Candy-girl regularly. We all; by our acceptance of the powers we have, love each other and are lovers with each other. Your needed to try and make me a normal, in your thoughts, man went against everything my body was telling me; however I tried to be what you wanted. Eventually, I gave into what my body and heart were telling me and accepted myself and my wife and lovers as well."
"Zack was right about all of you!" Kimberly spits at them in her anger and now loathing that was in her tone and on her face. "Ranger powers made deviants of all of you! Just as that spell of Rita's turned Candy into a she-male!"
"I am not nor have I ever been a hermaphrodite!" Candy cried her pain at Kimberly's gleeful explanation of what the spell would have done to her eventually.
"You were, I saw your cock in the showers one day during gym!" Kimberly screamed at her hatefully. "That's why Trini, Jason, Tommy, and Billy wanted your disgustingly fat body! They wanted that cock between your legs!"
"I was born with an enlarged clitoris Kimberly." Candy says calmly. "What you called my cock is actually just and enlargement of what you have yourself. I've been that way all my life. Truthfully, every one of us women has a cock. It's our clitoris. That is what happens during our development in the womb when the combination of chromosomes combine to determine whether we're going to be male or female. Men's penises form and their ovaries drop to become their testicles. In females, the penis shrinks and become the clitoris and we develop a womb as well as a separate opening, the urethra, for disposing of our liquid waste. Your ignorance and intolerance of Tommy's bi-sexuality has deprived you of a fantastically inventive lover and now friend. Enjoy your lonely life Kimberly. Your and Zachary's words can never hurt me again for I know the truth of my body and who I am now. I am Candice Jones Scott, Jason's wife and the mother of our child, Amber Jolene. I am also lover to Bill, Aisha, Rocky, Tanya, Trini, Kat, Tommy, and Adam. I am the holder of the Morphin Master power of the Silver Ranger and you can never take any of that away from me again!"
Candy turns her back on Kimberly and walks away into Adam and Tanya's open and comforting arms. Kimberly is shocked when all of them turn their backs on her and join Adam and Tanya in comforting Candy.
"I can't believe this!" Kimberly cries in anger as she rushes forward and attacks Candy. Jason and Tommy restrain her none to gently as Billy advances on her menacingly his weapon drawn and ready for use.
"STOP!" Candy cries worriedly. "Don't hurt her! We will return her to Angel Grove with us and from there she can return to her lonely existence in Florida. We will not take the life of an innocent because of their narrow-minded intolerance of our lives and the demands of the Morphin Master's powers. She is jealous that she was not chosen and hurting because Tommy married Kat. She was your friend and teammate my loves, give her that much respect if you cannot find anything else in your hearts to give. Her life is not worth the tainting of the powers that would happen were you to kill her for attacking me. She is not evil, just a bigoted and foolish child. Let her go, she cannot hurt me. I have six black belts now Kimberly, attack me again and I will put you into the hospital for a long, long time. That is not a threat, it is a promise and a fact."
Billy puts away his weapon as Tommy and Jason release Kimberly with looks of warning and anger in their eyes. Kimberly's terror at seeing the weapon in Billy's hand evaporates and she collapses to the ground crying. Kat, Rocky, Aisha and Adam are the only ones to comfort her and help her into their Zord so they can make the trip back to Angel Grove. During the trip, Kimberly watches with wonder as they all ignore her and give kisses and hugs all around.
"We'll be home soon my love and lovers." Rocky says smiling at Trini brightly. "The grandparents have the kids. Let's go to the Power Chamber and use 'our room' tonight."
"We'll use the room we fixed up in the basement of our house Rocky." Candy chides gently. "That room in the Power Chamber will result in our being pregnant again. I'm not ready for another baby just yet lover and neither is Jason. We'll all have large families Rocky; however, lets space them about two or three years apart please. Five in diapers at one time is enough for all of us."
"You can say that again Candy-girl." Trini says smiling. "I swear every time one of them dirties a diaper the others have to follow just for the attention."
"Five babies under one roof, is a challenge lovers." Bill says cheerfully. "However, I wouldn't be comfortable living without the rest of you in the house with us." Bill hugs and kisses Aisha passionately only to be kissed deeply by Jason when he released Aisha's mouth.
"We know Bill." Jason says softly his tone colored with his love and rising desire. "Were Kimberly not here to bitch, we'd put the damned Zord on auto-pilot and enjoy ourselves to release the tension. But, we have a passenger and we must be civil at least or Candy will have our balls for dinner tonight."
"Jason!" Candy says in mock-anger. "Take that back right now. I'd never want any of your balls for dinner. They're all way to hairy!"
The laughter amazes Kimberly who spends the trip back to Angel Grove reviewing her memories of their interactions with each other over the years as well as looking at her own reactions to them truthfully for the first time. //Oh my god!// She thought. //The Pink Ranger powers didn't make me want women. I always wanted women. Zack's irrational hatred of homosexuals has colored my perceptions and even my own needs for too long. I have to apologize to all of them when we get back. I am in the wrong and had I not been such a bitchy ass about it, I would be the one married to Tommy.//
**Kimberly has finally realized why she's always been so defensive and angry about our sexuality loves.** Jason sends to his large family of fellow Rangers. **She's planning on apologizing to us when we get back. Should we allow her to apologize our way or hers?**
**Hers!** Tommy and Kat answer at the same time. **I don't want her anywhere near Tommy or Candy ever again! I thought I'd kill her myself when she attacked our Candy-girl.** Kat continued.
"Kim." Bill says gently as he took her hand in his. "Zack's hatred of gay men wasn't irrational. His uncle abused him, sexually, when he was a child. It colored everything he did or said after that. I found the records in the databank at the Command Center one day. He would never talk about it or what was done to him, but from the scans Alpha did of him, he was raped repeatedly for about three years. You were like a sister to me sweetie, but your fear and hatred of my desires for both men and woman has strained our relationship for years now. That same fear and hatred that had you letting Zack's fears slew your head and heart almost cost you your life today. Candy's command for us to stop was the only thing that kept the power I possess now from killing you for attacking her. Please, come by the house and see the children before you go back to Florida and finish your training. They'd love to meet their Auntie Kimmy." Bill's voice was soft, compassionate, and friendly.