After a shower and a shave, Tommy got dressed. He walked into the hallway,
he could hear his hosts talking.

"Do you trust him?" Vachon asked Knight.

"I do, what about you?"

"He's hiding something," the Spaniard said bluntly.

"Lots of people hide things," Nick reminded him.

"Not a lot of people are vampires." he pointed out.

Tommy decided to come out of hiding. He went down the stairs, his hosts
were sitting on a couch. "Thanks for the shower Nick,"

Vachon looked him over, he couldn't hide the surprise written on his face.
"Your Tommy?"

"Yeah, it's me."

Nick looked him over, but he looked pleased. "Want something to drink?"

"Yes, please,"

Nick picked up Tommy's mug, he went to the refrigerator, filled it, then
stuck it in the microwave. "So your from Angel Grove,"

"I lived there,"

"Do you think your parents are worried about you?"

"My parents are dead. I am...was a foster child,"

"What about brothers and sisters?" Vachon asked.

"I have a brother,"

"What's his name?"

"David,"

"David Oliver," Tommy could tell the man was taking mental notes.

"No, that isn't last name,"

"Then what's his last name?"

Tommy could read what Vachon was thinking, he wanted to contact his
brother. "David doesn't own a phone. Besides, I don't want him to see me
like this,"

The oven pinged. Nick took out the mug and handed it to Tommy. He took a
drink. This time it tasted better to him. He was beginning to feel as if he
could get used to the taste of blood. He noticed a paper that was in a
magazine holder. He walked over and picked it up. The headline read,
"Scorpina attacks Angel Grove," It talked of the five Power Rangers
defeating her. There was even a photo of the Rangers. There was no red
ranger.

//Billy should have taken my place. He deserved it,//

//Billy's always been a better ranger then me,//

//He never killed a friend,//

The sight of Kimberly dead flashed through his mind.

Nick touched Tommy's shoulder, bringing him back to the real world. "Your
safe here,"

"I should have been there,"

"Why do you feel quilty when you think of home?" Vachon asked.

Tommy spun around so that he faced the Spaniard. "You can read my mind
can't you?"

"What if I can?" he countered.

"Stay out of my mind!"

Nick looked at Vachon , "He's right, he has a right to his privacy,"

"Your right," The man agreed. "Sorry Tommy,"

*       *       *

Tommy sat on the couch, watching a movie on Nick's wide screen TV. He felt
a presence of another vampire. He turned. The door to the elevator opened,
and a woman came out. She has longish curly brown hair. He couldn't help
it, he tensed up. Nick touched his arm. "Don't worry, Natailie's all
right,"

"She's......."

"Remember what I told you, not all vampires are evil,"

"Who is this?" Natalie demanded.

"Tommy, this is my blood bonded, Dr. Natalie Lambert, Nat, this is Tommy
Oliver," Nick introduced.

This woman was a vampire, she looked like she was in her twenties, but from
what Nick had told him, she could be much older.

"Nick, can I talk to you?" the woman demanded.

Nick got up and went into the kitchenette. The woman hissed at him. "Do you
know who he is?"

"He needed help," was all that Nick said.

"You brought a confessed murderer to our loft!"

"Yes, I did!"

"Why?" She demanded. "He's murdered a lot of people."

"The vampire who crossed him over, left him for dead." Nick said, Tommy
could barely hear him.
"He never had a master, was never told there was any way to feed then to
kill his victim."

"You feel sorry for him,"

"I was the same as him for centuries." Nick said softly. "if you hate him
for killing, hate me even more, I've killed many more then him."

"Its not the same,"

"He killed his lover during his first feed, he's heartbroken. He turned
himself in, because he thought he would get the death penalty."

Natalie shoved a note in his hand. "You got a phone call at the morgue.
>From someone called Billy."

Nick glanced at the note, then at Tommy. "This might solve our problem."

*       *       *
Tommy woke suddenly from a sound sleep. Tommy could feel the presence of a
vampire somewhere in the room. it wasn't Nick or Nat, or Vachon, he
could tell them apart. No, this was someone else. Someone that he felt as
if he should know.

As he opened his eyes, he could see who the intruder was. It was his friend
from Angel Grove, Billy.

Tommy could feel very strongly that Billy was a vampire. Without thinking,
Tommy got out of bed and got into a karate pose.

"It's all right Tommy, it's me, Billy," His friend said slowly.

"What do you want from me?" Tommy tried to keep the fear out of his voice.

"Nothing, your my friend remember?" Billy cautiously walked to him.

"but your a...."

"Vampire, yes, I know," He said calmly. "When this happened to you, you
should have come to me. I would have helped you."

"I didn't know you were a vampire," Tommy said half panicked. "Why didn't
you tell me?"

"I didn't think you would understand,"

"Does Zordon know?"

"Yes, he knows," Billy finally arrived at Tommy, he touched his shoulder.
"Come home with me to Angel Grove."

"I...can't,"

"Why can't you?"

"I've done something so evil that I've lost the right to be a ranger,"

"What can be that evil?" Billy looked into Tommy's eyes. Tommy could see a
compassion that he couldn't see before, the depth of Billy's caring for
him. "Tell me, what happened?"

He felt himself talk, even though he didn't want to. After explaining, he
sobbed. "I killed her Billy, oh god, I murdered Kim!"

"I know," Tommy was surprised to find Billy pulling him to him, and into
his arms. Billy stroked his hair, being there, protecting.

"Are you going to kill me?" Tommy asked.

"Of course not. The first hunger is always the strongest. Especially if
you deny it. The hunger takes control."

"Kimberly. I love...I loved her," he corrected.

Billy pulled away from Tommy, he touched his cheek gently. "I loved her too."

"How can you stand to touch me?" Tommy asked.

"We're alike you and I, were both vampires." Billy kissed Tommy. The kiss
seemed pure, natural, it felt so good. It took all of his strength to pull
his lips away from his friend, but he allowed Billy to keep holding him. "I
can't."

Billys fingers began to get lost in Tommy's hair. "I understand.
it's all right, we can be friends."

Even as Billy said it, he could fell his friends hardness pressed against
him. He wanted Billy, wanted his friend make the past few months vanish.
"If we do this, what will happen to me?"

Billy's arms flexed around Tommy, holding him even tighter. "I take you
back home. We'll go from there."

"Won't there be questions about Kimberly?"

"I Moved her body, she was found in an ally. You weren't involved."

"Why would you do that?"

"I love you," Billy said simply.

"I can't tell you I love you,"

"I know...you don't have to."

"Please Billy, make all this go away, make me feel less evil." Tommy pleaded.

With that, he lowered his lips to Billy's with a sigh, Billy pulled him
closer.  "You can still change your mind Tommy. I don't want to force you
to
do anything."

"Your not forcing me," Tommy said. "I'm not a virgin when it comes with
men..."

"I know that, but vampire sex is a bit more intense then regular human sex."

"I don't care, please Billy," He kissed his friend, he needed sex. How
could he explain that to his friend. He felt like he did before he came to
Angel Grove. When he was bounced around from foster home to foster home. He
had learned then how it sometimes the only way to get human affection would
be to let someone make love to your body.

His teeth began to grow. Something that frightened him, he could feel Billy
speak into his mind. "It's all right, all vampires teeth grow. Are you
afraid of me?"

"I trust you," he thought. As they kissed, he stripped off Billy's clothes.
He didn't ask how he could hear Billy telepathically. There would be time
for that later. He then slowly undressed, and pulled Billy down onto the
bed.

By the time he pulled away from his friend, he was very excited. "Where do
you want me, on my back, or on my stomach?"

"What do you mean?" there was puzzlement in Billy's eyes.

"You'll want to take me, won't you?" Suddenly most of Tommy's courage
melted. He looked away from his friend. He realized if he let Billy take
him, he would think of his friend the way he did the people in the places
he grew up.

"Not unless you want it, we're equals." There was a long pause between
them. He could feel Billy's mind touch his. Then out loud, Billy said. "Oh
goddess Tommy, why didn't you ever tell me you went through abuse like
that?"

"When I came to Angel Grove, and became a ranger, I tried to put my past
behind me. You and the others-you were different then anyone else I ever
knew. You had honor."

A few moments passed. Billy reached out and touched Tommy's chin, and
turned it towards him. His friend's eyes were sincere. "Don't you think it
would be for the best if we got dressed?"

He could feel Billy's hardness pressing against his thigh, and Tommy was
aroused too. He hungered for blood, for sex. The passions were beginning to
mingle in his mind. "I don't want to get dressed. I still want you."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive," He pulled his friend to him, and slowly Tommy started to
rub himself against his friend. There was a pause, and Billy turned over
onto his back, and pulled Tommy on top of him, then, their cocks touching,
Billy began to thrust against him.

They kissed as they made love, Tommy no longer fearing Billy's teeth. When
he got near climax, Billy touched Tommy's head, and guided him to his neck.

"I'll kill you,"

"No, you won't, I trust you...."

Tommy bit down, and he could fell Billy's blood fill his mouth. He
swallowed, then began to drink deeply. Then Billy bit down. Tommy exploded
into orgasm, and suddenly everything went black.

*       *       *

Slowly Tommy began to regain consciousness. He was lying under the blankets
of the guest bed. Billy was beside him, holding him close, stroking his
hair. Billy now felt like a part of him. He now knew just how much trouble
he had been to Billy, and how long it took for Billy to hunt him down. Most
of all, how much Billy truly cared for him.

"I see you finally decided to wake up," Billy said, his breath warm against
Tommy's forehead.

"How long was I out?"

"Three hours,"

"All I can say is wow," Tommy marveled.

"So you liked it?"

"Oh god, yes. Why did I pass out?"

"Your not used to sharing blood,"

"How long did it take you to get used to it?" The place where Tommy was
first bit began to tingle. He brought his hand up to it.

Billy noticed and asked. "What's wrong?"

"My bite's tingling,"

"You mean my bite?"

"No, were Jaqueline bit me."

"You can feel that?"

"It doesn't matter," He kissed Billy softly, as the kiss happened, he the
hunger he felt earlier was back. His teeth grew. Billy gently guided
Tommy's head to his neck. "Drink beloved,"

Tommy gently bit down, and Billy's blood filled his mouth, he drank deeply.

Just then the window broke and Jaqueline came in followed by putties.

"What do you want?" Tommy demanded.

Jaqueline looked over Tommy, contempt etched on her face. "I want Billy."

"You can't have him!"

She looked him over again. "I left you for dead!"

"I'm stronger then you think," Tommy got out of bed, and edged closer to her.

"I am your master, you will do as I say!"

"Go to hell!" Tommy assumed a karate pose. Just as quickly, Billy did too.
They fought hard, but Tommy didn't have the powers he used to, and the cogs
were easily able to knock him out. The last thing Tommy could see was the
cogs dragging Billy out of the room.