Disclaimer: This is the seventh story in "Team Zeo". It took me a long time
to come up with an idea for this story. I didn`t want to do a crossover,
because I`ve done enough, and I wasn`t sure what show I could have used. I
finally decided to just make some major changes in this series. And
actually, there`s no battle stuff in this one, I hope nobody minds.
Anyways, read on. PS. Angelina Lawrence is mine, please don`t use her
without permission. Don`t use Randy Taylor, either. Any characters that are
Saban`s (or Keyser and Lippman`s (creators of Party of Five)) aren`t mine.
Any others are. PPS I made up the character of Angelina, but I envisioned
Kellie Martin when I thought her up. If you don`t see her that way, OK.
Time Marches On
By Julia
It was a wonderful autumn afternoon. The summer had just ended. It was time for senior year. Trini Kwan and Randy Taylor weren`t joining their friends this year; they`d gotten married over the summer and had moved away. They`d promised to write. Jason Scott and Kimberly Hart got engaged in July, Billy Mitchell had decided to graduate early and was only going to be in school till January, Tommy Oliver and Katherine Hilliard were even closer this year: they were contemplating moving in together, and Zack Taylor had gotten a job at the Youth Center. The two new Rangers are Aisha Campbell, a beautiful ebony-skinned girl who likes drama class, and Angelina Elizabeth Lawrence, a red-haired girl who loves to sing. Her hair was chin-length, and she had blue eyes.
The final bell had rung, and the eight Rangers were leaving the school. They were talking about the changes this year. Angel was fiddling with her white tee shirt buttons. Her black and white bookbag was slipping off her shoulder. ''This has been the strangest summer of my life.'' She said, brushing back fire-engine red hair.
Jason nodded. ''It`s been weird, all right. I can`t believe Trini and Randy got married. I mean, what kind of jobs are they going to have? They don`t even have high school diplomas.''
Kimberly tugged down at her pink crop top. ''Well, they`re in love. I don`t think it matters as long as they`re happy. They`ll always have each other, no matter what.'' She fingered the engagement ring it had taken Jason three years to save up for. ''I mean, love conquers all.''
Aisha tossed her long black hair back. ''I don`t think so. Love doesn`t always pay the bills.'' She paused. ''But it`s great, that`s for sure.''
They had reached their cars, and a tall man in a black suit stood waiting patiently. He was very handsome, and held a briefcase in one hand. He knew Kimberly instantly. ''Ms. Kimberly Hart?'' He asked.
Kimberly nodded, as Jason took her bookbag and threw it in the back with his. ''I`m Kimberly. Is there something you wanted?''
The man grinned. ''I`m Jonathan Kendall, from Capitol Records. I represent the country division, and I think you`d be really huge star.''
Kimberly gripped Jason`s hand. ''Are you kidding? That`d be awesome. However, I`m not going to turn eighteen for another month, and I really need to think about this.''
Billy asked, ''May I ask the terms of Kimberly`s contract?'' He no longer wore glasses, and was a big hit with the ladies.
Mr. Kendall said, ''Well, we would have to finalize that with Ms. Hart, but it wouldn`t be shabby.''
Tommy grinned. ''Kim would be great for that! She loves singing.''
Kimberly promised to call him and got his number. They all headed home to drop their things off and decided to meet at the Youth Center. Kimberly and Jason arrived first, each talking excitedly about the record deal offer.
They got a table and Jason went to give their order to Ernie. Kimberly leaned back in her chair and looked around. She sighed. She`d been coming here since she could remember. Her mind wondered as she remembered the first day she`d met Jason...........................
Flashback:
Little Kimberly walked into the Youth Center. Her three year old eyes excitedly scanned the interior. She waved good-bye to her mother and tucked her short hazel-colored hair behind her ears and dashed toward the tumbling mats. She practiced doing some somersaults.
A little boy with dark brown hair and brown eyes was practicing something Kimberly had never seen before. He was moving his arms and kicking in mid- air. She stopped somersaulting and said, ''I`m Kimmie. What are you doing?''
The little boy grinned. He replied, ''I`m practicing martial arts. My daddy says it will teach me 'discipline', whatever that is.''
Kimberly smiled. ''Will you show me? It looks like fun.''
The boy nodded. ''Sure. I`m Jason, it`s nice to meet you.'' He began to show her how to hold her arms..................
Kimberly crashed back to Earth by Jason handing her her Lime slushie. She said, ''Jason, can you believe we`re seniors? It won`t be long until we`re all off to the rest of our lives.''
Jason smiled. ''I know, but I`m excited. It doesn`t seem like we`re old enough to be seniors. I remember the first time I ever met you. We were three and you wanted me to teach you how to do martial arts.''
Kimberly giggled. ''I was just thinking about that. You know, we have so many memories here, you and Zack and Billy and I. I don`t know how Trini did it. Left, I mean.''
Jason sipped his Strawberry smoothie. ''It wasn`t totally easy, but it wasn`t totally hard, either. She`s in love, and she knew it was necessary to be with Randy.''
Kimberly said, ''I`ve been thinking about the record deal. It sounds really great, and you know I`d love to sing.''
Jason was about to ask her about her gymnastics, but Kat and Zack joined them. ''Hey, Bro.'' Jason said instead.
Zack grinned. ''Hey, Wassup? I`m off today! Isn`t that great?'' He did a little dance step.
Jason nodded. ''Sure. Hey, can I ask you a question? How do you feel about Kim being a singer?''
Zack grinned. ''That`d be great, if it`s what she wants to do. Did we interrupt? Were you guys talking about that?''
Before his friend could answer him, the rest of their friends arrived. Tommy, Angelina, Aisha, and Billy all came over to the table. They had car- pooled to save gas. Aisha was really into that. ''Hey, Guys!'' Angel said, waving excitedly.
Kat gave Angel and Aisha big hugs. ''Hi. I wanted to make you guys feel included. We`ve been talking about a lot of stuff that you guys are too new to know about. We apologize for that.''
Aisha grinned. ''Don`t sweat it, girl! We`re just happy to be apart of the family.''
Tommy slid his arm around Katherine and smiled back. ''We`re happy to have you, aren`t we guys?''
Everyone nodded in agreement. Ernie came over and took everyone`s order. They all got smoothies, slushies, or a milkshake. Then they all settled down around the table. That meant that they had to pull up extra chairs.
Kimberly glanced around in amazement. ''Can you remember when we didn`t have to have extra chairs?''
Billy, who was seated next to Angel, and looking very happy about it, said, ''That was a long time ago.''
Jason nodded. ''Yeah, a real long time ago. Boy, can you guys remember coming here for the eighth grade graduation dance?'' He looked at Kimberly, Zack, and Billy for their answers.
Zack nodded. ''Yeah, I remember! The dance committee set up lots of really cool lights and they had a disco ball over the dance floor.''
Billy was staring wistfully into space. ''It was so magical. Trini and I went together.'' He looked down and started ripping apart a napkin.
Angel slid her arm through his. ''It`ll be alright.'' She said, and wiped a chin-length strand away from her face.
Zack moved so Kimberly could sit next to her fiance. ''When did things decide to change so quickly?''
None of his friends had any answers. They all just sat quietly. Kimberly laid her head on Jason`s shoulder, and Kat sat on Tommy`s lap. Ernie looked at the usually happy group and sighed. Ever since Trini and Randy had married, they`d been unusually quiet. He wondered if Kimberly would sing. That might make them feel better.
He headed over to their small table. ''Kim, would you do me a favor?'' He asked upon arrival.
Kimberly looked up. ''Sure, I`d be happy to.'' She flipped shoulder- length hazel colored hair behind her.
Ernie smiled. ''That`s what I was hoping you`d say.'' He said, and then handed her a mike. ''Will you sing?'' He asked.
Kimberly brightened. ''Sure, Ernie. No problemo.'' She took the mike and walked towards the make-shift stage Ernie had set up about a year ago.
Jason took the other mike Ernie held. ''Ladies and gentlemen! Get ready! The best singer this side of California is here tonight to sing1 Ladies and gents, my fiancee, Kimberly Hart!''
There was smattered applause, and Kimberly began to sing. It wasn`t one she`d written; it was a song by an artist she loved, Meredith Edwards.
''She grew up without
what folks round here
call a fair shake
A little girl with
no shoes on her feet
tangled hair, not a nickel
to her name, and
not a care.
But no matter what
Her smile came shinin' through
'Cause a rose is a rose is a rose
And everybody knows
a little sunlight and room to grow was
all she needed.
And seein' her face in town
Was like springtime comin' around
well, I guess it just goes to show
A rose is a rose is a rose.
Tommy Lee always knew
what he would do
Cause she moved him
deep down in his heart
And everybody smiled
at such a pair
Could they last with two
different worlds and
sides of the tracks.
But no matter what, her love
came shinin' through
'Cause a rose is a rose is a rose
And everybody knows
a little sunlight and room to grow was
all she needed.
And seein' her face in town
was like springtime comin' around
well, I guess it just goes to show
A rose is a rose is a rose.
It always finds a way to shine
Beauty is a state of mind
And seein' her face in town was
like springtime comin' around well
I guess it just goes to show
A rose is a rose is a rose.''
The gathered audience clapped. Kimberly smiled. She wasn`t used to the attention, and it pleased her. Maybe she would give singing a try.
The next morning, Kimberly woke up dismayed. She was late. This wasn`t good. She couldn`t be late. Their first time had been in July, almost August, she should have been able to tell before.......she hurried to get dressed and off she went to the drugstore.
She bought herself a home pregnancy test and hurried home to take it. She quickly decided it wasn`t right to take it without Jason there. After all, he was the father of the baby, if there was one. She quickly called him and he said he`d hurry right over. She waited patiently.
When he arrived, into the bathroom she went. It took a half hour to get the results. It was positive. She was instantly worried and excited at the same time.
Jason looked at her helplessly. ''What are we going to do? We tried so hard not to, and we do, and this is what happens. Three years, Kim, and this happens.''
Kimberly nodded. ''But you know what? I`m excited. I`m carrying your baby, Jason. It makes me happy! You can`t believe how happy this makes me!''
Jason grinned. Her excitedness was catching. ''I`m glad, too. We made something together. But what about school? You`re going to turn eighteen very soon, and we`re just barely seniors. How can we have a baby? We don`t have any money, and we can`t drop out to take care of it.''
Kimberly shrugged. ''We`ll think of something. Jason, we`ve been blessed. I think we should get married right away and then we`ll live here with my dad or with your brothers and sisters. One more won`t matter to them. Bai`s got an apartment with Callie anyway.''
Jason nodded. ''That`s true, maybe Charlie won`t mind.''
The couple headed over to Jason`s to talk to his brothers and sisters. This was going to be hard. They had to tell, though, since Kimberly was insistent on having it. She was having Jason`s baby, and that was final.
Jason gathered up everyone but Owen. He was too young, and someone could tell him later after the decisions were made. ''Guys, Kimberly and I have always been very responsible.'' He paused. ''However, no matter how we tried not to, we made love and Kimberly is pregnant.''
Charlie, the oldest, was shocked. His mouth dropped. ''So you`re telling us that this was an accident.'' He looked skeptical, but he knew his brother had always been very responsible and wasn`t lying when he said it was an accident.
Bailey looked at his twin (fraternal) seriously. ''Jase, that is going to be hard, you know that.''
Kimberly looked at her future brother-in-law. ''Bai, we`re not going to abort it. I`m having Jason`s baby. He already tried talking me out of it.''
Julia, the oldest after the twins, who were after Charlie, (she`s a year younger than Jason and Bailey) asked, ''Kim, are you sure? This isn`t going to be easy. Not only will it be hard money wise, but people will talk.''
Jason looked at his sister. ''That`s not fair. Kim`s a very responsible girl, and they`ll know it`s mine. I`m the only guy she`s dated for a very long time. They talk about her, they talk about me.''
Bailey looked at Julia, too. ''Besides, anybody knowing that won`t change anything. Jason and Kimberly are very popular at school. Everyone knows them and knows how nice they are. They`ll be very willing to help out, I`m sure.''
Jason turned back to his brother. ''Char, I just need to know if Kim can move in with us. We`re going to get married but of course, that was already going to happen, and have the baby, but we`ll need a place to stay while we`re in school.''
Charlie was perplexed. Jason had been Kimberly`s boyfriend for a long time, and no one had been surprised when he`d popped the question. Now she was pregnant. The whole family loved her very much. He knew it was going to be hard, and even harder if he didn`t let them stay. He finally said, ''All right, it`s fine with me.''
Kimberly smiled. ''Great, Charlie. Thank you so much!'' She gave him a kiss on the cheek, and skipped out of the room happily.
Three months later, the couple was married. By then, Kimberly was in her fifth month and had been starting to show the month before. It was a bright winter day, but since it was southern Cali, they had a nice 83 degree temperature, which was rare even for southern Cali.
The sun was shining brightly, and they had the wedding in Kimberly`s father`s backyard. Her mother wouldn`t even come from Paris to be there, and it hurt Kimberly`s feelings, even though she wouldn`t let on. She just donned the beautiful maternity wedding dress Kat had made for her and got ready to walk down the aisle.
The reception was beautiful. They sang each other songs and laughed and danced. Tommy and Katherine were inspired by their friends' wedding, and decided to get married themselves.
Zack was dancing up a storm with Aisha on the dance floor, and everyone could tell they were becoming a close item. Even Billy and Angel were getting close.
Kat smiled. ''We`re all paired up.'' She said, glancing around the room. Trini and Randy hadn`t been able to make it, although they had tried. They`d sent their love. She gestured towards all the couples happily dancing or talking. ''Jason and Kim, you and I, Billy and Angel, Zack and Aisha.''
Tommy added, ''And Randy and Trini, even if they`re not here.''
Jason and Kimberly joined their friends. Billy and Angel were still out on the dance floor, as were Zack and Aisha. Get Zack near a dance floor, or any floor, for that matter, and he`d never be off. ''Great wedding, huh?'' Jason asked, helping his wife into a chair.
Tommy grinned. ''Sure thing, Bro. Never saw a better one.''
They continued to dance the night away. Kimberly and Jason were glad others were having such a great time. Some adults that had come were disappointed that they didn`t have anything alcoholic, but they just sucked it up and didn`t ruin it for anyone else.
The next morning, Kimberly awoke to a bright and beautiful day. Kimberly slowly slid out of bed and grinned. She wasn`t having morning sickness hardly at all anymore! It was very nice to know. She walked downstairs. Julia was acting as a temporary replacement for her, since she couldn`t very well keep fighting with her being pregnant and all. She was in a cheerful mood, and she showed it as she walked into the kitchen.
''Good morning, Mrs. Scott.'' Julia said as she entered the kitchen.
Kimberly grinned. ''Good morning, Ms. Scott. How are you this morning?'' She asked, getting an orange and beginning to peal it.
Julia slid in the seat next to her. ''I`m OK, but what about you? Did you have a nice night?'' She asked, wiggling her eyebrows.
Kimberly giggled. ''We didn`t chance it, because of the baby. We did what we could, though.'' She slid an orange slice in her mouth.
The phone rang, and they heard Claudia yell that she`d get it. Claudia had just turned fourteen. She was very rebellious. She refused to do anything that Charlie said, and that made everyone very frustrated. She came clambering downstairs, waking everyone else up.
She stuck her head in the kitchen. She was a very precocious fourteen year old, and so that meant she was very sarcastic. ''Phone for Kimberly.'' She said, and left the kitchen.
Kimberly picked it up and Julia left to talk to Claudia. She hadn`t said much about their big brother getting married and going to be a father, but she was willing to bet that she didn`t necessarily like it. Julia could tell because Claud hadn`t said anything about it. If Claud had liked the idea, she would have been excited when they`d told the family about it.
Claudia was sitting on the couch in the living room, tying her shoes. She was getting ready for the last day of school before Christmas vacation. The high school was going that day, too. Kimberly had people bring her homework home for her. It was too hard to go to school while she was pregnant, but she didn`t want to fail either. Jason or Zack brought home all her work for her. She even took the tests at home, with Julia or someone checking to make sure she didn`t cheat.
Julia sat down next to her sister. ''Are you OK, Claud? You`ve been kind of quiet lately. Is there anything I can help you with?''
Claudia looked at her sister. ''Why did Jason have to go and get Kimberly pregnant? I like Kim and all, but now things have changed.''
Julia put her arm around Claudia. ''Not much has changed, really. They`re still going to school, and Kim`s having a baby, but that`s all. They`re just as in love as before.''
Claudia nodded. ''Yeah, except now we`ve got a pregnant woman living in the house, and everything`s so noisy!''
Julia laughed. ''We`ve got an extra bedroom, and it`s even got two beds in it. Jason had to get the king size for himself and Kim since Charlie wouldn`t give up Mom and Dad`s old room.''
Claudia nodded again. ''That`s true. I guess I can get used to all this. I actually can`t wait for the baby. I love babies! And I`ll be the only girl I know who`s an aunt.''
Julia laughed again. ''Yeah. See, there`s a plus side!'' The two girls went back into the kitchen.
Kimberly had hung up the phone. ''That was Aisha. She told me she`s bringing my homework over after school. I`m going to study for the test I`ve got to take when she comes.'' She disappeared into the living room.
A half hour later, Jason was meeting up with Tommy at school. He`d left Kimberly that morning studying hard for the French test she`d take later. He walked with Tommy to his locker.
Tommy asked, ''How`s Kim this morning?'' He spun the combo.
Jason replied, ''She`s great, actually. She doesn`t have morning sickness anymore, she`s trying to keep in shape as best she can, and she`s doing real great in school.''
Tommy grinned. ''That`s Kim. She`s pregnant, and she`s still keeping up with school work.'' He dropped some of his books in and took out some new ones. ''Aisha said it`s her turn to take her her schoolwork today.''
Jason clapped Tommy on the back. ''I`m so glad you guys are helping out. It means a lot to us.'' He slid his backpack higher on his shoulders.
His best friend grinned. ''No problem, Jase. You know you`d do the same for us, if the need arose.''
They met up with the others in the hall by Kimberly`s locker. They`d always met there and they were going to continue to do so, even if she was at home. Kat, Billy, Aisha, and Angel were already there. Besides Kim, Zack was the only one not present.
Angel grinned. ''Hi, guys! We were just talking about the baby shower we`re going to throw Kimberly. Do you guys know if it`s a boy or a girl?''
Jason nodded. ''Kim had the ultrasound done last week. It`s a girl. She wants to name it Amanda Elizabeth. Isn`t it pretty?''
Aisha nodded. ''Yeah, actually, it is. Good, now we know what to get her.'' She made a notation in the yellow spiral notebook she carried.
The bell rang, and the day got off to a bang. It was a pretty normal school day, as of late. All of the teachers asked about Kim, and how she was feeling. They asked every day, and Jason was glad for it. It made him feel good, to know they cared. A lot of their classmates, asked, too. One girl named Cynthia Maple asked quite a lot. Jason just thought she wanted an excuse to talk to him.
At the end of the day, the Power Rangers headed home wearily. No more school for two weeks. It felt great to have a rest. They`d all been helping out Kimberly and Jason, and it was exhausting.
The next few months passed by very quickly. Kimberly had the baby exactly on time, and named her Amanda Elizabeth, as planned. She was valedictorian of their class, and they all passed on the powers to a new team. They knew that they were going to college now, and it was too much to keep them. They found wonderful teens to take their places.
Kimberly took the record deal with Capitol, and she was glad she did. She took her family with her while they traveled, and it was a blast! The others were attending college. Billy, Angel, and Aisha all went to Angel Grove College. Tommy, Katherine, and Zack all went to a nearby college in Stone Canyon, which was called Stone Canyon College. They all loved their lives. They knew that they had to grow up, and that had meant giving up the power. But they had to go on living, because Time Marches On.
Author`s note:
This is, unless I get requests to continue it, the last story in this series. I hope that you like it. I had fun writing Team Zeo, and I will begin work on a new series, hopefully, only none of them will be as fun as this one was. Look for my new stories!
Time Marches On
By Julia
It was a wonderful autumn afternoon. The summer had just ended. It was time for senior year. Trini Kwan and Randy Taylor weren`t joining their friends this year; they`d gotten married over the summer and had moved away. They`d promised to write. Jason Scott and Kimberly Hart got engaged in July, Billy Mitchell had decided to graduate early and was only going to be in school till January, Tommy Oliver and Katherine Hilliard were even closer this year: they were contemplating moving in together, and Zack Taylor had gotten a job at the Youth Center. The two new Rangers are Aisha Campbell, a beautiful ebony-skinned girl who likes drama class, and Angelina Elizabeth Lawrence, a red-haired girl who loves to sing. Her hair was chin-length, and she had blue eyes.
The final bell had rung, and the eight Rangers were leaving the school. They were talking about the changes this year. Angel was fiddling with her white tee shirt buttons. Her black and white bookbag was slipping off her shoulder. ''This has been the strangest summer of my life.'' She said, brushing back fire-engine red hair.
Jason nodded. ''It`s been weird, all right. I can`t believe Trini and Randy got married. I mean, what kind of jobs are they going to have? They don`t even have high school diplomas.''
Kimberly tugged down at her pink crop top. ''Well, they`re in love. I don`t think it matters as long as they`re happy. They`ll always have each other, no matter what.'' She fingered the engagement ring it had taken Jason three years to save up for. ''I mean, love conquers all.''
Aisha tossed her long black hair back. ''I don`t think so. Love doesn`t always pay the bills.'' She paused. ''But it`s great, that`s for sure.''
They had reached their cars, and a tall man in a black suit stood waiting patiently. He was very handsome, and held a briefcase in one hand. He knew Kimberly instantly. ''Ms. Kimberly Hart?'' He asked.
Kimberly nodded, as Jason took her bookbag and threw it in the back with his. ''I`m Kimberly. Is there something you wanted?''
The man grinned. ''I`m Jonathan Kendall, from Capitol Records. I represent the country division, and I think you`d be really huge star.''
Kimberly gripped Jason`s hand. ''Are you kidding? That`d be awesome. However, I`m not going to turn eighteen for another month, and I really need to think about this.''
Billy asked, ''May I ask the terms of Kimberly`s contract?'' He no longer wore glasses, and was a big hit with the ladies.
Mr. Kendall said, ''Well, we would have to finalize that with Ms. Hart, but it wouldn`t be shabby.''
Tommy grinned. ''Kim would be great for that! She loves singing.''
Kimberly promised to call him and got his number. They all headed home to drop their things off and decided to meet at the Youth Center. Kimberly and Jason arrived first, each talking excitedly about the record deal offer.
They got a table and Jason went to give their order to Ernie. Kimberly leaned back in her chair and looked around. She sighed. She`d been coming here since she could remember. Her mind wondered as she remembered the first day she`d met Jason...........................
Flashback:
Little Kimberly walked into the Youth Center. Her three year old eyes excitedly scanned the interior. She waved good-bye to her mother and tucked her short hazel-colored hair behind her ears and dashed toward the tumbling mats. She practiced doing some somersaults.
A little boy with dark brown hair and brown eyes was practicing something Kimberly had never seen before. He was moving his arms and kicking in mid- air. She stopped somersaulting and said, ''I`m Kimmie. What are you doing?''
The little boy grinned. He replied, ''I`m practicing martial arts. My daddy says it will teach me 'discipline', whatever that is.''
Kimberly smiled. ''Will you show me? It looks like fun.''
The boy nodded. ''Sure. I`m Jason, it`s nice to meet you.'' He began to show her how to hold her arms..................
Kimberly crashed back to Earth by Jason handing her her Lime slushie. She said, ''Jason, can you believe we`re seniors? It won`t be long until we`re all off to the rest of our lives.''
Jason smiled. ''I know, but I`m excited. It doesn`t seem like we`re old enough to be seniors. I remember the first time I ever met you. We were three and you wanted me to teach you how to do martial arts.''
Kimberly giggled. ''I was just thinking about that. You know, we have so many memories here, you and Zack and Billy and I. I don`t know how Trini did it. Left, I mean.''
Jason sipped his Strawberry smoothie. ''It wasn`t totally easy, but it wasn`t totally hard, either. She`s in love, and she knew it was necessary to be with Randy.''
Kimberly said, ''I`ve been thinking about the record deal. It sounds really great, and you know I`d love to sing.''
Jason was about to ask her about her gymnastics, but Kat and Zack joined them. ''Hey, Bro.'' Jason said instead.
Zack grinned. ''Hey, Wassup? I`m off today! Isn`t that great?'' He did a little dance step.
Jason nodded. ''Sure. Hey, can I ask you a question? How do you feel about Kim being a singer?''
Zack grinned. ''That`d be great, if it`s what she wants to do. Did we interrupt? Were you guys talking about that?''
Before his friend could answer him, the rest of their friends arrived. Tommy, Angelina, Aisha, and Billy all came over to the table. They had car- pooled to save gas. Aisha was really into that. ''Hey, Guys!'' Angel said, waving excitedly.
Kat gave Angel and Aisha big hugs. ''Hi. I wanted to make you guys feel included. We`ve been talking about a lot of stuff that you guys are too new to know about. We apologize for that.''
Aisha grinned. ''Don`t sweat it, girl! We`re just happy to be apart of the family.''
Tommy slid his arm around Katherine and smiled back. ''We`re happy to have you, aren`t we guys?''
Everyone nodded in agreement. Ernie came over and took everyone`s order. They all got smoothies, slushies, or a milkshake. Then they all settled down around the table. That meant that they had to pull up extra chairs.
Kimberly glanced around in amazement. ''Can you remember when we didn`t have to have extra chairs?''
Billy, who was seated next to Angel, and looking very happy about it, said, ''That was a long time ago.''
Jason nodded. ''Yeah, a real long time ago. Boy, can you guys remember coming here for the eighth grade graduation dance?'' He looked at Kimberly, Zack, and Billy for their answers.
Zack nodded. ''Yeah, I remember! The dance committee set up lots of really cool lights and they had a disco ball over the dance floor.''
Billy was staring wistfully into space. ''It was so magical. Trini and I went together.'' He looked down and started ripping apart a napkin.
Angel slid her arm through his. ''It`ll be alright.'' She said, and wiped a chin-length strand away from her face.
Zack moved so Kimberly could sit next to her fiance. ''When did things decide to change so quickly?''
None of his friends had any answers. They all just sat quietly. Kimberly laid her head on Jason`s shoulder, and Kat sat on Tommy`s lap. Ernie looked at the usually happy group and sighed. Ever since Trini and Randy had married, they`d been unusually quiet. He wondered if Kimberly would sing. That might make them feel better.
He headed over to their small table. ''Kim, would you do me a favor?'' He asked upon arrival.
Kimberly looked up. ''Sure, I`d be happy to.'' She flipped shoulder- length hazel colored hair behind her.
Ernie smiled. ''That`s what I was hoping you`d say.'' He said, and then handed her a mike. ''Will you sing?'' He asked.
Kimberly brightened. ''Sure, Ernie. No problemo.'' She took the mike and walked towards the make-shift stage Ernie had set up about a year ago.
Jason took the other mike Ernie held. ''Ladies and gentlemen! Get ready! The best singer this side of California is here tonight to sing1 Ladies and gents, my fiancee, Kimberly Hart!''
There was smattered applause, and Kimberly began to sing. It wasn`t one she`d written; it was a song by an artist she loved, Meredith Edwards.
''She grew up without
what folks round here
call a fair shake
A little girl with
no shoes on her feet
tangled hair, not a nickel
to her name, and
not a care.
But no matter what
Her smile came shinin' through
'Cause a rose is a rose is a rose
And everybody knows
a little sunlight and room to grow was
all she needed.
And seein' her face in town
Was like springtime comin' around
well, I guess it just goes to show
A rose is a rose is a rose.
Tommy Lee always knew
what he would do
Cause she moved him
deep down in his heart
And everybody smiled
at such a pair
Could they last with two
different worlds and
sides of the tracks.
But no matter what, her love
came shinin' through
'Cause a rose is a rose is a rose
And everybody knows
a little sunlight and room to grow was
all she needed.
And seein' her face in town
was like springtime comin' around
well, I guess it just goes to show
A rose is a rose is a rose.
It always finds a way to shine
Beauty is a state of mind
And seein' her face in town was
like springtime comin' around well
I guess it just goes to show
A rose is a rose is a rose.''
The gathered audience clapped. Kimberly smiled. She wasn`t used to the attention, and it pleased her. Maybe she would give singing a try.
The next morning, Kimberly woke up dismayed. She was late. This wasn`t good. She couldn`t be late. Their first time had been in July, almost August, she should have been able to tell before.......she hurried to get dressed and off she went to the drugstore.
She bought herself a home pregnancy test and hurried home to take it. She quickly decided it wasn`t right to take it without Jason there. After all, he was the father of the baby, if there was one. She quickly called him and he said he`d hurry right over. She waited patiently.
When he arrived, into the bathroom she went. It took a half hour to get the results. It was positive. She was instantly worried and excited at the same time.
Jason looked at her helplessly. ''What are we going to do? We tried so hard not to, and we do, and this is what happens. Three years, Kim, and this happens.''
Kimberly nodded. ''But you know what? I`m excited. I`m carrying your baby, Jason. It makes me happy! You can`t believe how happy this makes me!''
Jason grinned. Her excitedness was catching. ''I`m glad, too. We made something together. But what about school? You`re going to turn eighteen very soon, and we`re just barely seniors. How can we have a baby? We don`t have any money, and we can`t drop out to take care of it.''
Kimberly shrugged. ''We`ll think of something. Jason, we`ve been blessed. I think we should get married right away and then we`ll live here with my dad or with your brothers and sisters. One more won`t matter to them. Bai`s got an apartment with Callie anyway.''
Jason nodded. ''That`s true, maybe Charlie won`t mind.''
The couple headed over to Jason`s to talk to his brothers and sisters. This was going to be hard. They had to tell, though, since Kimberly was insistent on having it. She was having Jason`s baby, and that was final.
Jason gathered up everyone but Owen. He was too young, and someone could tell him later after the decisions were made. ''Guys, Kimberly and I have always been very responsible.'' He paused. ''However, no matter how we tried not to, we made love and Kimberly is pregnant.''
Charlie, the oldest, was shocked. His mouth dropped. ''So you`re telling us that this was an accident.'' He looked skeptical, but he knew his brother had always been very responsible and wasn`t lying when he said it was an accident.
Bailey looked at his twin (fraternal) seriously. ''Jase, that is going to be hard, you know that.''
Kimberly looked at her future brother-in-law. ''Bai, we`re not going to abort it. I`m having Jason`s baby. He already tried talking me out of it.''
Julia, the oldest after the twins, who were after Charlie, (she`s a year younger than Jason and Bailey) asked, ''Kim, are you sure? This isn`t going to be easy. Not only will it be hard money wise, but people will talk.''
Jason looked at his sister. ''That`s not fair. Kim`s a very responsible girl, and they`ll know it`s mine. I`m the only guy she`s dated for a very long time. They talk about her, they talk about me.''
Bailey looked at Julia, too. ''Besides, anybody knowing that won`t change anything. Jason and Kimberly are very popular at school. Everyone knows them and knows how nice they are. They`ll be very willing to help out, I`m sure.''
Jason turned back to his brother. ''Char, I just need to know if Kim can move in with us. We`re going to get married but of course, that was already going to happen, and have the baby, but we`ll need a place to stay while we`re in school.''
Charlie was perplexed. Jason had been Kimberly`s boyfriend for a long time, and no one had been surprised when he`d popped the question. Now she was pregnant. The whole family loved her very much. He knew it was going to be hard, and even harder if he didn`t let them stay. He finally said, ''All right, it`s fine with me.''
Kimberly smiled. ''Great, Charlie. Thank you so much!'' She gave him a kiss on the cheek, and skipped out of the room happily.
Three months later, the couple was married. By then, Kimberly was in her fifth month and had been starting to show the month before. It was a bright winter day, but since it was southern Cali, they had a nice 83 degree temperature, which was rare even for southern Cali.
The sun was shining brightly, and they had the wedding in Kimberly`s father`s backyard. Her mother wouldn`t even come from Paris to be there, and it hurt Kimberly`s feelings, even though she wouldn`t let on. She just donned the beautiful maternity wedding dress Kat had made for her and got ready to walk down the aisle.
The reception was beautiful. They sang each other songs and laughed and danced. Tommy and Katherine were inspired by their friends' wedding, and decided to get married themselves.
Zack was dancing up a storm with Aisha on the dance floor, and everyone could tell they were becoming a close item. Even Billy and Angel were getting close.
Kat smiled. ''We`re all paired up.'' She said, glancing around the room. Trini and Randy hadn`t been able to make it, although they had tried. They`d sent their love. She gestured towards all the couples happily dancing or talking. ''Jason and Kim, you and I, Billy and Angel, Zack and Aisha.''
Tommy added, ''And Randy and Trini, even if they`re not here.''
Jason and Kimberly joined their friends. Billy and Angel were still out on the dance floor, as were Zack and Aisha. Get Zack near a dance floor, or any floor, for that matter, and he`d never be off. ''Great wedding, huh?'' Jason asked, helping his wife into a chair.
Tommy grinned. ''Sure thing, Bro. Never saw a better one.''
They continued to dance the night away. Kimberly and Jason were glad others were having such a great time. Some adults that had come were disappointed that they didn`t have anything alcoholic, but they just sucked it up and didn`t ruin it for anyone else.
The next morning, Kimberly awoke to a bright and beautiful day. Kimberly slowly slid out of bed and grinned. She wasn`t having morning sickness hardly at all anymore! It was very nice to know. She walked downstairs. Julia was acting as a temporary replacement for her, since she couldn`t very well keep fighting with her being pregnant and all. She was in a cheerful mood, and she showed it as she walked into the kitchen.
''Good morning, Mrs. Scott.'' Julia said as she entered the kitchen.
Kimberly grinned. ''Good morning, Ms. Scott. How are you this morning?'' She asked, getting an orange and beginning to peal it.
Julia slid in the seat next to her. ''I`m OK, but what about you? Did you have a nice night?'' She asked, wiggling her eyebrows.
Kimberly giggled. ''We didn`t chance it, because of the baby. We did what we could, though.'' She slid an orange slice in her mouth.
The phone rang, and they heard Claudia yell that she`d get it. Claudia had just turned fourteen. She was very rebellious. She refused to do anything that Charlie said, and that made everyone very frustrated. She came clambering downstairs, waking everyone else up.
She stuck her head in the kitchen. She was a very precocious fourteen year old, and so that meant she was very sarcastic. ''Phone for Kimberly.'' She said, and left the kitchen.
Kimberly picked it up and Julia left to talk to Claudia. She hadn`t said much about their big brother getting married and going to be a father, but she was willing to bet that she didn`t necessarily like it. Julia could tell because Claud hadn`t said anything about it. If Claud had liked the idea, she would have been excited when they`d told the family about it.
Claudia was sitting on the couch in the living room, tying her shoes. She was getting ready for the last day of school before Christmas vacation. The high school was going that day, too. Kimberly had people bring her homework home for her. It was too hard to go to school while she was pregnant, but she didn`t want to fail either. Jason or Zack brought home all her work for her. She even took the tests at home, with Julia or someone checking to make sure she didn`t cheat.
Julia sat down next to her sister. ''Are you OK, Claud? You`ve been kind of quiet lately. Is there anything I can help you with?''
Claudia looked at her sister. ''Why did Jason have to go and get Kimberly pregnant? I like Kim and all, but now things have changed.''
Julia put her arm around Claudia. ''Not much has changed, really. They`re still going to school, and Kim`s having a baby, but that`s all. They`re just as in love as before.''
Claudia nodded. ''Yeah, except now we`ve got a pregnant woman living in the house, and everything`s so noisy!''
Julia laughed. ''We`ve got an extra bedroom, and it`s even got two beds in it. Jason had to get the king size for himself and Kim since Charlie wouldn`t give up Mom and Dad`s old room.''
Claudia nodded again. ''That`s true. I guess I can get used to all this. I actually can`t wait for the baby. I love babies! And I`ll be the only girl I know who`s an aunt.''
Julia laughed again. ''Yeah. See, there`s a plus side!'' The two girls went back into the kitchen.
Kimberly had hung up the phone. ''That was Aisha. She told me she`s bringing my homework over after school. I`m going to study for the test I`ve got to take when she comes.'' She disappeared into the living room.
A half hour later, Jason was meeting up with Tommy at school. He`d left Kimberly that morning studying hard for the French test she`d take later. He walked with Tommy to his locker.
Tommy asked, ''How`s Kim this morning?'' He spun the combo.
Jason replied, ''She`s great, actually. She doesn`t have morning sickness anymore, she`s trying to keep in shape as best she can, and she`s doing real great in school.''
Tommy grinned. ''That`s Kim. She`s pregnant, and she`s still keeping up with school work.'' He dropped some of his books in and took out some new ones. ''Aisha said it`s her turn to take her her schoolwork today.''
Jason clapped Tommy on the back. ''I`m so glad you guys are helping out. It means a lot to us.'' He slid his backpack higher on his shoulders.
His best friend grinned. ''No problem, Jase. You know you`d do the same for us, if the need arose.''
They met up with the others in the hall by Kimberly`s locker. They`d always met there and they were going to continue to do so, even if she was at home. Kat, Billy, Aisha, and Angel were already there. Besides Kim, Zack was the only one not present.
Angel grinned. ''Hi, guys! We were just talking about the baby shower we`re going to throw Kimberly. Do you guys know if it`s a boy or a girl?''
Jason nodded. ''Kim had the ultrasound done last week. It`s a girl. She wants to name it Amanda Elizabeth. Isn`t it pretty?''
Aisha nodded. ''Yeah, actually, it is. Good, now we know what to get her.'' She made a notation in the yellow spiral notebook she carried.
The bell rang, and the day got off to a bang. It was a pretty normal school day, as of late. All of the teachers asked about Kim, and how she was feeling. They asked every day, and Jason was glad for it. It made him feel good, to know they cared. A lot of their classmates, asked, too. One girl named Cynthia Maple asked quite a lot. Jason just thought she wanted an excuse to talk to him.
At the end of the day, the Power Rangers headed home wearily. No more school for two weeks. It felt great to have a rest. They`d all been helping out Kimberly and Jason, and it was exhausting.
The next few months passed by very quickly. Kimberly had the baby exactly on time, and named her Amanda Elizabeth, as planned. She was valedictorian of their class, and they all passed on the powers to a new team. They knew that they were going to college now, and it was too much to keep them. They found wonderful teens to take their places.
Kimberly took the record deal with Capitol, and she was glad she did. She took her family with her while they traveled, and it was a blast! The others were attending college. Billy, Angel, and Aisha all went to Angel Grove College. Tommy, Katherine, and Zack all went to a nearby college in Stone Canyon, which was called Stone Canyon College. They all loved their lives. They knew that they had to grow up, and that had meant giving up the power. But they had to go on living, because Time Marches On.
Author`s note:
This is, unless I get requests to continue it, the last story in this series. I hope that you like it. I had fun writing Team Zeo, and I will begin work on a new series, hopefully, only none of them will be as fun as this one was. Look for my new stories!