The Garden of Vacant Dreams

Time Stands Still - Pt. 2

A/N: Saban/Disney own the characters you know. I own the one's you don't.

CHAPTER TWENTY

TIME STANDS STILL - Pt. 2

The lights and lenses were set, the room bright and full of bodies. A giant television screen hung on the mahogany paneled wall that took up our background. Two white leather chairs sat in the center of the room, both of them occupied. I sat in the chair on the left as Emily Harper sat across from me. She was famous and had more wealth than anyone should have in this world.

Her staff had been requesting an interview every day since the moment my past became public record. My interview was projected to bring in more than 30 million viewers, double her average daily viewership and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't riddled with anxiety.

"Are you ready?"

The lights were nearly blinding me, bullets of sweat dripping down my face as I loosened my tie.

"Mr. Scott?"

"Yes." I respond, my eyes meeting hers.

"If you are having second thoughts, now is the time to say so."

"No." I say with slight hesitation. "Let's do this."

"Going live in 60 seconds." I hear one of the crew members say.

'This is it... there's no going back after this...' My eyes slowly scan the broadcasting crew. There are well over a dozen crowded into the studio, more than half of them likely only here to watch this interview. I can feel them all watching me like hawks and for a moment I consider getting up to leave.

I look back at her.

"Live in 3... 2... 1."

"Welcome to the Harper Report, I'm Emily Harper." She paused, her eyes fixed on the camera. "Our special guest tonight has saved thousands of lives. He has flown in spaceships, defeated countless bad guys and he did it all in a red suit of armor. Tonight I sit with Jason Lee Scott... the original red Power Ranger."

She turned to greet me. "Thank you so much for joining me tonight, Mr. Scott."

"Happy to be here." I managed to say in a convincing tone. "Please, call me Jason."

She grinned. "Alright, Jason." She paused as she looked at her notes for a moment. "So it's been some time since your identity as a Power Ranger was revealed. How has your life changed?"

Jason rubbed his beard momentarily. "It hasn't been easy, that's for sure. To go from living a quiet life, one that I was very much content with... to not being able to shop for my groceries without people staring and trying to take photos of me." I paused as I looked down at my agitated hands. "It's definitely been difficult to adjust to."

Her eyes remained on me. "Do you wish you could go back to that life?"

I shook my head slightly.

"How come?" She asked.

"Because the past is the past... I have to keep moving forward."

She silently nodded. "Was agreeing to do this interview part of your process in moving forward?"

I thought about it for a moment. "I suppose it is."

"I want to change gears for just a moment and ask you about your girlfriend, Katherine." She paused and I knew exactly what she was going to ask. "There has been a good amount of discussion in the media about her and I am sure you have seen some of it. Now that you are sitting here with me I have to ask... was she ever a Power Ranger?"