Tommy sighed as he pulled his black Honda passport jeep into his driveway and saw the black BMW sitting in it signaling that his dad was home early from his business trip. He had just dropped Kim off at her house after their movie date and was feeling good, that is until now. He had headed home afterwards and he didn't know if being home was a good thing or not. With cushion in his step he quickly walked up the front walk and slowly and carefully opened the front door, entered and as quiet as a mouse shut it again. His house was in a secluded part of Angel Grove Lake and there was not another house around it for at least two miles if not more. The only thing that surrounded his house were trees. That's the way his father liked it secluded and alone where no one could here you scream, and no one ever did hear him scream.

Tommy slowly made his way to the staircase that led up to his room praying that his dad would not here him. "Thomas."

Tommy froze in his tracks as his heart skipped at beat at the deep stern voice that came from behind him. He slowly turned on the middle step to see his dad Luke Oliver staring intensely at him with a liquor bottle held tightly in his grip. 'He's been drinking.' Tommy numbly thought to himself as he heard himself squeak out "Yes dad."

Tommy gulped as his dad looked him over as if inspecting him like a piece of meat before he said "I've been gone for a couple of weeks on business and I come home to find the house a mess and no one home. Why is this Thomas?"

Tommy closed his eyes for a moment his dad was an away a lot on business it was why they moved a round a lot and it was all so the source of a lot of heated arguments between his parents. "I...I'm sorry dad I didn't get here until just now and I...I haven't had the time to clean up. Mom is out with Brenda, she came down from Boston and they are spending the night together. We really were not expecting you home until Monday."

Tommy stood on the stair with shaky legs as his dad spoke "Where have you been Thomas?"

Tommy gulped "I...I went out with Kim." He managed to get out and then stood there on jelly knees and waited for the worse. He knew that his dad did not approve of him seeing Kim. His dad had lectured him on the responsibilities he had and one of them was not a girl.

"So let me get this straight Thomas...you went out with Kim and god knows what you two did and neglected your chores.... am I correct?" Tommy's dad said in a deadly tone.

Tommy felt his heart beat speed up as he began to shake a little "I...I was going to clean up...honest I was. I wasn't expecting you back."

Tommy's dad began to climb the stairs headed straight for him as he said, "It doesn't matter when I get back Thomas. Your job is to keep this house clean. What if one of my business partners came over this week? What if your mother had company? Did you think about all of this when you were out with Kimberly tonight?"

Tommy began to shake hard, as he whispered "No."

His dad was almost to him now "You know I do not approve of Kimberly Hart don't you Thomas?"

"Yesss sir." Tommy slurred out.

"Yet you still went out with her tonight right?" Tommy's dad said while ascending the last step that separated him from Tommy.

"Yes." Tommy said in a barely audible tone as his dad stepped on to the step he was on and backed him into the wall.

Tommy gulped yet again as his dad looked down on him as he back hit the wall. "Please dad...I...I said I was sorry.... I won't...let it happen again...I swear." Tommy squeaked out trying to reason with his dad.

"You bet it won't happen again Thomas and I am going to make sure it doesn't." His dad hissed out at him.

"What...what are you going to do?" Tommy timidly asked not daring to meet his dad's eyes.

His dad threw the liquor bottle he had been holding tightly over the safety rail of the stairs. It made a loud CRASH as he shattered on the wooden floor below. Tommy screamed in fright at this and started to run down the stairs scared for his life. "Where do you think you are going?" His dad demanded a little humor in his voice as he ran down the stairs after him and grabbed him by the arm as he stepped off the last stair and swung Tommy around to face him.

Tommy started to struggle trying to get out of his dad's death grip but he knew it was futile. His dad was a retired Marine and he still lifted weights so in turn he was much stronger then Tommy was even with all the working out Tommy did. "Let me go." Tommy cried as his struggles increased.

His dad began to laugh as he tossed Tommy into the stairs. Tommy landed face first on them with a thud. "God you really are pitiful aren't you Thomas?" His dad chuckled out as he grabbed him up off the stairs by the collar of his green tee shirt and began to drag him up the stairs.

"Let me go!" Tommy screamed out as his dad got up the stairs and acting as though he didn't even hear Tommy's plea began to drag him down the long dark hall way.

Tommy began to scream harder as they reached his parents bedroom. Not thinking clearly he slid out of his shirt and began to bolt down the hallway with all his strength. He made it half way down the hallway when he tripped over his on shoelaces and hit the floor on his stomach with an oaf. Before he could even think of getting up his dad was on him pinning him to the floor with his hands behind his back. "No!" Tommy screamed as his dad balled up his fist and threw it down on Tommy's back knocking the air out of him and defiantly leaving a bruise.

"Shut up! You are good for nothing Thomas! I don't even know why we adopted you! I am sure there were better children there then you! But no we had to get the loser of the bunch the never will be! You can't even keep the house clean! You spend all your time with that little tramp Kimberly god knows what you two do! But then again why should that surprise me!?! You are trash so you hang around with trash!" Luke screamed in Tommy's ear.

Tears streamed down Tommy's face at his dad's harsh words "I.... I'm sorry." Was all Tommy could manage to get out.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! You're all ways sorry!!! You know what Thomas sorry doesn't cut it! It never has and it never will! You do something wrong or you go against me and you pay the price!" Luke hissed in his ear as Tommy began to sob out right.

"Stop crying you big baby! It won't help you! Crying is for babies! Take it like a man!" Luke demanded as Tommy tried to stop crying but it was in vain as his dad took of his belt and undid his fly.

Jason Scott plopped down on the comfy black couch in the family room. His parents were at a social function for his dad's work in Las Angeles and he had the entire house to himself for the weekend "Ok lets see pop corn...check. Movies...check. Blanket...check. Pillow...check. No parents...check. Candy...check. Junk food...check. Soda...check. Well it looks like I have everything now on with the lovely yet talented Carmen Diaz." Jason said out loud to himself as he pressed play and got comfortable on the spacious coach.

BING BONG "Damn it!" Jason cussed as the doorbell sounded right as the movie began.

"Right when it starts." He said to himself as he hoped off the comfortable coach and headed for the door as the doorbell rang again.

"Hold your horses I'm coming." Jason demanded as he reached the door. 'I swear if this is a salesman I am not going to be happy.' Jason grumpily thought to himself as he finished unlocking the door.

He opened it to see a distraught Tommy standing there with a black duffel bag thrown on his shoulder. If Jason didn't know any better he could have sworn that he had been crying. "Whoa Tommy you look like you just got hit by a dump truck what's up? What brings you here?"

Tommy didn't reply to that comment he just said in a voice not above a whisper and not meeting Jason's eyes at all said, "Can I stay here for the night?"

Jason's brow furred with worry "Tommy what happened? Was it Kim?"

Tommy very quickly and sternly shook his head no while biting his bottom lip. "Please Jase I...I don't want a talk about it. I just...need a friend is all." Tommy spoke as his voice cracked a little and Jason knew he was not to stable at that moment so he tabled the issue for later.

"Yea sure you can stay here tonight Tommy. My parents are out of town for the weekend so you can stay here for as long as you like." Jason said while stepping to the side and letting Tommy pass into the house watching him with worried eyes as he went.

Once Jason had shut and locked the door he turned to face Tommy as Tommy mumbled "Can I go change into my PJ's?"

Jason smiled "Sure you can change in my room. Up the stairs third door on the left."

Tommy nodded as he slowly ascended the stairs sadness in his every step. Jason watched him go until he was out of sight. What ever was bothering him was huge, Jason had never seen him so hurt.

Tommy reached the room and entered the dark room and shut the door behind him. He flipped on the lamp beside Jason's bed and gently put his bag down on the bed. He slowly began to peel his shirt off and winced as it hit the bruise he father had left there. Once Luke had finished with him he had left him there on the floor shaking and crying while Luke went and passed out in his mom's and his bedroom. Tommy had stayed on the floor for quiet some time so scared that he would come back.

Finally, he had peeled himself of the hard wood floor and stumbled down the hall still in tears into his bedroom. There he had thrown on a shirt and packed a bag in a hurry. He had rushed from the room and the house as fast at the pain would let him. He had climbed behind the wheel of his jeep after throwing his bag in the back seat and had broken down into helpless sobs. After some time he had gotten control over himself enough to drive and with out knowing where he was going pulled out of the driveway and headed into the dark night. Somehow his car had driven to Jason's house and here he stood in his bedroom changing.

Tommy took a shaky breath and whipped a stray tear away as he exited the room dressed in a pair of green flannel pants and a green tee shirt that had Garfield on it. Putting his hair back into a ponytail he cautiously went down the stairs and into the family room.

Jason was sitting on the black coach with the TV turned off as he entered. Jason's worried eyes turned to lock on him "Tommy what happened?" He asked worry lacing his voice.

Tommy sighed "I had a fight with my dad is all Jason. You know me and my dad we can never get along."

Jason narrowed his eyes he was lying well half of it was a lye anyway. He and the rest of the rangers knew that something was going on in that house by the lake. Something not right, something that was hurting Tommy greatly, something that had been going on for quiet some time, but none of them could even began to guess what it was that would shame Tommy so much that he would not talk about it to any of them about it.

Tears started to streak down Tommy's face as Jason sighed. Now was not the time to push the issue with Tommy and he knew it. Right then all Tommy needed was a Jason to be there for him to show him that he cared. Jason smiled sadly as he took Tommy into his arms. Tommy didn't struggle to get away as Jason pulled him close. He laid his head on Jason's broad shoulder and sobbed as Jason held him.

A lone tear fell from Jason's eye for his hurt lost best friend as Tommy sobbed uncontrollably on his shoulder.