It was a beautiful Wednesday afternoon, Kat was tidying her apartment when the phone rang. "Hello."
"Morning Kitty-Kat," Tanya greeted cheerfully.
"Tanya it's noon for me," Kat laughed.
"Well it's morning for us," Tanya replied. "Are you busy?"
"Nope, just cleaning up my place. What's up?" Kat sat down on her sofa, curling her legs under her.
"Are you alone?" The way Tanya emphasized the last word told Kat that Tommy and Kim had filled the singer in on the Will incident.
"Yes I'm alone," Kat rolled her eyes.
"Hang on I gotta put you on speaker phone." Tanya could be heard fumbling with something. "Are you there Kat?"
"Yup still here."
"Good, Tommy, Kim, Adam, are here too."
"Hey guys," Kat called out.
"Hey Kat!" the group chorused.
"So little miss PC," Kim began. "Who's the guy?"
Kat sighed, "I told you before. His name is William Haynes, he's a karate instructor at a gym I go to. He's American but he came here for training and ended up staying."
Adam spoke up, "Does he know about…?"
"No I haven't told him," Kat assured them. "I said I was in a karate club."
"Do you plan on telling him?" Kim asked.
"If it gets really serious yeah but right now we're just boyfriend and girlfriend." Kat had really given the decision a lot of thought but for now she wouldn't tell Will about being a ranger. He was a great boyfriend but she needed to be sure of where they were going before revealing such a big secret.
"Do you think it might get serious?" Tanya ventured.
"I think so," Kat admitted.
"Well its good thing we decided to give you a surprise," said Tommy. "Kim and I are coming to London for a visit."
"That's great! I can't wait to see you guys again. I'll come pick you up from Heathrow." Kat grinned. "And yes Kim, I'll try and get Will to come to."
"Great we'll be there in a couple days," Kim chirped happily. "Our flight lands at 9 o'clock your time on Saturday morning."
"Alright see you then. Bye guys."
"BYE!" they chanted back. Kat hung up and bit her lip. Little butterflies fluttered in her stomach at the thought of the team meeting Will. She hoped they would get along well.
Just then someone knocked on her door calling out, "KAT? IT'S WILL!"
"COMING!" Kat rushed to door and let in her boyfriend. He greeted her with a sound kiss, kicking the door shut behind them. They broke apart and Kat said, "Hello to you too."
"How was your day nekomata?" Will tucked her hair away.
"Quiet." They settled on the couch, Will sprawling off with his head in her lap. "My friends called. Kim and Tommy are coming for a visit Saturday."
"That's great, I know how much you miss them. I suppose I have to be on my best behaviour?"
"Of course, they have to approve of you," Kat playfully hit his head. "We're like family, we've….been through a lot together."
"With the karate club?" Will asked.
"Yeah," Kat replied softly. She hated lying to Will, especially times like this when she just wanted to be honest.
"Hey what's wrong?" Will frowned.
"Nothing," Kat shook her head to clear it. "Just thinking about something else."
"Kat?"
"Hmm?"
Will took a deep breath, "I'm not blind you know, I can tell something has been eating you especially whenever I bring up that karate club, if that's what it really was." Kat opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off, "I'm not judging nor am I prying but you have to know by now that you can trust me. Whatever it is, whenever you're ready, you can tell me. Just promise you'll keep that in mind."
"I promise," Kat leant forward to kiss him. "Now you have to make me a promise. Come with me to the airport Saturday morning?"
"I'll be there," Will reached up to rub her cheek. "Always."
That Saturday, Kat and Will sat in the little café in front the arrivals door at Heathrow. They knew the customs line was notoriously long so it didn't surprise them when it was full hour and a half before Kim and Tommy came out with their luggage stacked on a cart. Kat waved at them, "Guys over here!"
"KAT!" Kim squealed flying into her arms. The two hugged each other tightly.
Tommy extended a hand to Will, "You must be Will."
Will took it and they shook hands, "Tommy right? Kat told me all about you."
"It doesn't bug you?" Tommy asked not knowing what he meant.
Will waved a dismissive hand, "Nah, whatever works for you. You had your time together, Kat's my girl now and that's what matters. Besides," he said louder as the girls approached, "my girlfriend is the prettiest."
Tommy laughed, so he was referring to him and Kat dating, "I don't know man, I think mine is."
"You think?" Kim raised an eyebrow.
"I know, Beautiful," Tommy slung an arm around her shoulders.
"Ms. Hart," Will said courteously. "My congratulations on your gold medal at the Pan Global Games."
"Why thank you sir," Kim giggled. They gathered their bags together and loaded up on the tube that would take them into London. They sat on the top deck which was fairly empty allowing Kim to pull Katherine to a seat away from the boys for some girl talk. "Wow," Kim whispered. "He is fine."
"I glad you approve," Kat giggled.
"Gotta admit he's not what I had in mind but you certainly know how to pick 'em," they laughed quietly together.
"Ladies," Tommy and Will came over to them. Tommy kissed his girlfriend's head, "Will was telling me about this pub near Buckingham Palace, wanna go beautiful?"
"Sounds great," Kim smiled. They went to Kat's apartment and got the visitors settled in then went out. They took the train to Victoria Station and walked the long stretch up to Buckingham Palace, the simplicity of the grounds made the palace all the more striking and grand. Kim insisted on a million photos on every single detail before allowing them to leave. They made their way back down, stopping to browse the souvenir shops that lined the road. They made it to the pub and decided to order fish and chips all around and Will introduced Kim to cider as opposed to beer.
"Slightly sweeter and easier to handle," Will assured her. Kim, always up for something new, tried it and found she did like it. The foursome chatted easily but jet lag was bound to set in, and by the end of their meal both Tommy and Kim was definitely feeling it.
"Time to head back," Kat linked arms Kim and led her out. "I'm impressed, you guys held out longer than me. I only made it to five but then again I did have all that moving to do."
"I made it to twelve," Will admitted sheepishly. "How can you keep going for so long?"
"We're tough," Tommy shrugged. "It takes more than a twisted sleep cycle to mess with us." It was true, being rangers meant sleep was a luxury and they had to run on fumes more than once.
"Just what did you just get up to in the States?" Will asked.
Tommy chuckled, "A lot." The girls giggled a little. "No honestly, we had a lot on our plates. Sometimes I wonder if we tried taking on too much but either way sleep sort of took a back burner and we learnt to go without it."
Kat knew Will was still wondering about their old lives but then Kim's voice invaded her thoughts. "What was that Kim?"
"I like him," Kim murmured sleepily. "You should tell him."
"KIM!" Kat whispered shocked. "You just met him!"
"He loves you PC," Kim settled her head more comfortably on her shoulder. "You can see it in his face, he's not going anywhere." Kat had no answer for that and they walked back to the apartment in mainly companionable silence. At night, Tommy and Kim were fast asleep on the pull-out couch and Kat lay in a sleeping Will's arms still thinking about revealing her ranger status. The next morning, they all had breakfast together then Tommy went with Will to the gym and Kim went with Kat to do more shopping.
They were currently gift shopping at Clinton's and still discussing the situation with Will. "I just don't' know Kim. What if he thinks I'm lying or worse, he starts pushing me to come out?"
"Do you honestly think Will would do that?" Kim asked from her spot examining cards.
"No," Kat allowed.
"The longer you wait, the harder it's going to be tell him," Kim shrugged.
"I know," Kat sighed.
"SURPRISE!" Tommy jumped out, Will right behind him.
"What happened to the gym?" Kim laughed then greeted her boyfriend with a kiss.
"Finished early to come see our two favourite girls," Will slung an arm around Kat's shoulders but she could tell something was off.
"Is everything alright?" she whispered. Will shook his head but she didn't buy it. That feeling didn't dissipate either, the entire time Kim and Tommy stayed with her. Still they had a great time, and clearly Will was getting along with the rangers. One week later, she dropped them off at the airport, Will conspicuously absent though he'd made his excuses. "Bye guys," she hugged them. "Thanks for coming out."
"Bye fairy," Tommy pecked her cheek. "Look after yourself, and my best to Will."
"Me too," Kim stepped forward. While she held her friend close she added quietly, "Keep in mind what I said, he should know. Just think about it."
"I will," Kat promised. Her friends left and she went home still sensing that something wasn't right with Will. She entered her apartment to find him on her couch, fingers under his chin. "Hey," she hung up her jacket. "I thought you were at the gym today."
"Yeah," Will said heavily. "We need to talk."
"What about?"
"Kat look," Will stood. "I know I said I wouldn't pry but I need to know. Not because I want to be in your business but it seems like I'm missing something big and obvious. First your friends laughed at me that first day and then the next at Clinton's, you basically said you didn't trust me."
"We weren't laughing at you I swear and I do trust you," Kat protested earnestly.
"Then why do you think that I'd call you a liar? Or start forcing you to tell your secret?"
Kat bit her lip, "Will it's complicated."
"I'm a pretty smart guy," Will assumed a waiting stance. Kat's mouth floundered, attempting to find words but they failed her. She didn't know what to do or say. So there she was, silent and gaping and Will's shoulders slumped. "I see," he looked at his feet. "Take all the time you need, call me when you're ready." He kissed her cheek once and then Will left her standing in her spot, unable to stop him or do anything really. The door closed behind her and few tears slipped down her face. She knew she loved him, she knew she trusted him, so why was this so difficult?
It would be three days before Kat got the courage to pick up the phone and call Will. She knew she ought to tell him. She called his cell and got his voicemail, "Hey Will, its Kat. I do trust you and I want to tell you everything. So if you still want to know, please come by my place at 4. I love you, bye." It would be a few tense hours before she heard the knock that vanished her stomach. She didn't have to ask, she just opened the door and let him in. Kat needed to get some things straight first, "You love me right?"
"Of course," Will responded immediately.
"Nothing is going to change that?"
"Nothing."
"And I can trust you to respect my decision to keep this a secret even if you know?"
"Yes." Will swallowed, "Kat I shouldn't be pushing, you don't have to -"
"No," Kat cut him off. "I want to. But you might want to sit down." Will obliged and sat on the sofa while she remained standing, shifting her weight. "The easiest way to do this is to just show you." Kat took a deep breath and pulled up her sleeves to reveal her zeonizers. Not looking at Will, she performed the moves she did a hundred times, "ZEO RANGER ONE PINK!" Will sprang to his feet as his girlfriend disappeared in a flash of light and was replaced by a pink power ranger. The ranger carefully popped her helmet off to reveal Kat, "Now do you get it?"
"Think I got it," Will bobbed his head slowly. "You're a power ranger."
"Not anymore," Kat corrected him.
"Okay so you were a ranger," Will swallowed. "That's means Tommy and Kim…"
"Mhm," Kat nodded. "I took over for Kim when she went to the Pan Global Games."
"Since then…" Will staggered slightly.
"Will I know this is a lot to take in but nothing has changed. I'm not a ranger anymore, I left that karate club ages ago."
"Right, karate club," Will laughed. "Good cover but judging by your therapy session, I think you really miss it."
"I do but someone else is fighting now and I have to get used to that. It hasn't been that hard, I've had someone to help me take my mind off it."
"Really?" Will cracked a smile.
"Really," Kat kissed him.
He took the helmet from her and weighed it in his hand. "The amount of times I saw you guys on TV, I never thought I'd actually meet you one day or that I'd fall in love with one. I'm the luckiest man ever, I could scream it to the world."
"Will you can't tell -"
"I won't tell anyone," Will wrapped his arms around her. "I'm keeping it, and you, all to myself. But I do have to go, there's something I need to do. Just a couple of hours, I have my tattoo appointment remember?"
"Oh yeah, you were getting your arms done," Kat remembered. "Okay go," she kissed him. "I love you."
"I love you too Kat, now more than ever. Thank you for trusting me with this, I won't let you down."
"I know you won't" Kat kissed him again. "Now get going."
"Yes ma'am," Will saluted and left but this time much happier than before. Kat powered down and put her zeonizers back in their wooden case. That piece of her life was officially done, now she could begin living with Will. Kat ordered in for the both of them knowing he'd be by to show off his new ink. Sure enough four hours later he was at the door again with a proud grin. But she didn't have a chance to speak as he swept her up in a breathtaking kiss. He smoothly stepped in and pushed her against the door, taking one hand away to lock it. "I have a surprise for you," he murmured. He took off his shirt and raised his forearms for her inspection. His right had the flames he'd told her about that transitioned from yellow to red, then orange, ending in black but his left, rather than the flames, had her zeo symbol done with her initials in the middle.
Kat gently touched the skin, aware of its tenderness, "Will, you shouldn't have."
"I wanted to," Will said quietly. "You shared your most intimate secret, you trusted me with a part of yourself so I'm doing the same. A piece of who I am belongs to you, I am yours just as much as you are mine, tenshin no hime."
"Oh Will," Kat pulled him down for another kiss. Will hoisted her up, locking her legs around his waist, and started for the bedroom. Falling onto the bed, a slight hiss from Will reminded her of his fresh tattoos. "We shouldn't, your arms…"
"I'm fine princess," Will dismissed her worries. "I don't want to wait, I need to be close to you." All protests were silenced as their mouths met. His hands slid under her top, running along her ribs. Kat wasn't sure how but soon they were both shirtless and Will was sliding her panties off from under her skirt while she deftly undid his pants. It was too raw to be considered lovemaking but their need was too urgent. The last few days apart had been torture on their minds and bodies and they needed to close the gap physically and mentally. Will pressed down on her as much as he could, sinking into her soft heat. No build up, no words, he just thrust into her with abandon. Every ounce of love they had was poured into each move. One hand massaged her breast as the other held him above her just enough so he could see her face. The sensations filled them until they couldn't take it anymore and came crashing against each other. As peace settled over them, they simply held each other.
"Thank you," Kat whispered. "For everything."
"No thank you, your trust means everything to me."
"And you have it," Kat sighed blissfully. "Will you stay?"
"Of course, I'm not going anywhere."
"I know."
A/N: So…not so much smut this time but don't worry they'll be back for an encore. REVIEW PLEASE!