[Ellen Brand]

NOOOO!" Tommy cried, sitting bolt upright in bed. His eyes darted around the room, trying to reassure himself that there was no black tide getting ready to close over him. He dropped his sweat-slick face into his hands with an inarticulate moan, just as his family ran in.

.........."Tommy, what happened," his mother asked, concerned.

.........."It- it's okay, Mom. Just a nightmare," he managed, smiling sickly at her.

.........."Tommy, this is the sixth night in a row that you've woken up screaming," his father told him. "This is the last straw. First thing in the morning, I'm making you an appointment to see a psychiatrist."

.........."Dad!" Tommy wailed. "I'm not crazy!"

.........."No one said you were, Tommy. Psychiatrists are trained to listen and help with problems, though, and I think you need that. You- we can't go on like this." With that, his parents turned and walked out of the room, leaving him with his sister and brother.

.........."Scoot over, Tommy," Chelsea ordered her "twin." He obeyed, and she hopped up on the bed to sit next to them. "Okay, spill your guts. What did you dream about?"

.........."Just your ordinary Angel Grove nightmare," he lied. "Monsters chasing me all over the place."

.........."Shyea, right," scoffed Teddy. The ten-year-old regarded him with skepticism. "We really believe that."

.........."Should we tell him?" Chelsea asked.

..........Teddy nodded. "It's the only way we'll get the truth out of him."

..........Chelsea turned back to Tommy. "Okay, mi hermano, we know. We know you're a Power Ranger."

.........."WHAT?" Tommy spluttered. "I mean, what are you talking about. Me, a Power Ranger? Get real."

..........Rolling his eyes, Teddy shook his head. "Duh, Tommy. Give us credit for some intelligence. You disappear all the time, you wear a weird-looking watch, you have all these unexplained bruises, and your girlfriend has an Australian accent just like the Pink Ranger!"

..........Taking up the litany, Chelsea continued. "When we first moved here, you suddenly became very cold, just when the Green Ranger appeared. When he joined the other Rangers, you suddenly had five very good friends. When he left the team, you became very depressed and stopped seeing your friends. Then the White Ranger appeared and you were happy as a clam, radiating energy. Every time one of your friends leaves, a Power Ranger gets taller or shorter, and their voices change. Plus, Green Ranger, White Ranger and Zeo Ranger V all have the same fighting style, your style. Remember, fighting styles are like fingerprints, and I've been trained to recognize them. I know you're a Ranger, and Teddy does too. Tell us what's wrong."

..........Tommy sighed. "Okay, you got me. Yes, I'm a Power Ranger, but no one's supposed to know about that. Can you two keep that secret?"

.........."Of course," Chelsea scoffed. "Now, what did you dream about?"

..........Tommy smiled. "To tell you the truth, I don't remember," he lied. He trusted Chelsea and Teddy implicitly, but he just didn't feel ready to tell anyone about his dream. "You know what Mom says. I've got a brain like a sieve."

.........."Bull," Teddy said quietly. "Tommy, just because you were adopted and we weren't, doesn't mean that we don't care about you. Please, let us in."

..........Tommy regarded his little brother with some surprise. He kept forgetting that Teddy was much wiser than his ten years would suggest. It was funny, in a way, how alike Tommy and Teddy were, despite the fact that they were not blood relatives. Both had long dark hair, melted-caramel-colored puppy dog eyes, and the sharp hawklike features that had every girl in the school trailing after Tommy. Even at ten, Teddy had the promise of height to equal his brother's, and was beginning to develop the fluid muscle tone of a martial artist. Teddy also had the same lopsided smile that melted any female heart it was turned on.

..........Tommy then turned to look at his sister. She too had the coloring, sharp features, and height that marked her brothers, and David Trueheart, Tommy's brother-by-blood. Unlike them, however, Chelsea wore her hair cropped close in a sensible cut. Like David, she shared Tommy's age and birthday, which is why she and Tommy had always considered themselves twins. Also a martial artist, she was a kung fu student, rather than taking karate like her brothers. As a result of the difference in style, she was more smoothly muscled. Most of her opponents thought that meant that she was not as strong. It was a mistake people only made once.

..........Tommy smiled. These two might not be his blood relatives, but they were his family all the same. He owed them the truth, but he didn't want to discuss his dream with anyone yet. "Guys, I can't talk about it. Maybe later, okay?"

..........Teddy grumbled and went back to his own room. Chelsea regarded her "twin" skeptically for a second. "Thomas T. Oliver, you are the most exasperating person I know. If you won't talk to me, talk to somebody, all right?"

..........He smiled. "Yes, Mother. Go back to bed, Chelse." Reluctantly, she did as she was told. Tommy flopped back down to the bed. It was going to be a long night.



..........The following Saturday, Tommy had his first appointment with Dr. Lita Kino, the psychiatrist his father had hired. Gingerly, Tommy walked up to the door and knocked. "It's open! Come on in!" called a voice from inside. Opening the door, Tommy saw a tall, attractive woman with shoulder-length brown hair shelving books. "You must be-," she broke off, glancing down at her calendar, "Tommy Oliver. Sorry you had to let yourself in, but my secretary Serena has the day off. Sit down, I'll be with you in a second."

..........Tommy lowered himself into a chair, watching Dr. Kino work. Finally she finished, sinking into her chair with a sigh of relief.

.........."Oh, you have no idea how glad I am to get off my feet!" As she smiled at him across the desk, Tommy noticed that she had startlingly green eyes that were set off perfectly by her forest green suit. No matter where I go, I can't seem to get away from that color, Tommy thought wryly.

.........."Look, Dr. Kino, let's get something straight. I'm only here because my dad said that I had to come. I don't have any problems, and I don't need your help."

..........She raised an eyebrow. "Your father says that you've woken up screaming for the past six nights. You don't consider that a problem?"

.........."They're just nightmares. I can handle them."

.........."Have you had dreams like these before?"

.........."Everybody has nightmares, Dr. Kino."

.........."Not everybody wakes up screaming six nights in a row, Tommy."

.........."So it's been a bad week."

.........."Why?"

.........."Luck of the draw?"

.........."Tommy, I can help you, but you have to let me do it. I can't do anything if you don't cooperate."