Scenes
Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers
:: Another update, or I might say, another story. I guess I'm in a productive mood right now, eh?
:: Alright, so this will be a two-parter, a continuation for the You and I Both series. Chris is seven in this story, which makes this take place at the year 2010. However, there will be some characters from DT. I know that the whole timeline is messed up, but well, this IS an AU. You don't have to read the other stories to understand this one though it'll be better if you read those first.
I hope you enjoy!
Part 1
00.45…
"I swear to God, that man…," Kim grumbled under her breath. She walked around in circles, lips pursed and she was seriously tempted to throw something across the room. Breathe, Kim… breathe…
"Mom, are you okay?" A sleepy voice coming from the hallway effectively snapped her and she stopped. Christian Oliver padded softly across the living room, his hand coming up to wipe his eyes.
"You should be in your bed, young man," Kim felt her anger subside when she saw her son; all decked in his black and white pajamas. She sat down on the recliner and pulled Chris close. Some daughter-son quality time would never grow old. Before she knew it, he would come home bringing a girl in his arms and leaving the house to build a life of his own.
For a short moment, all Chris did was study her face, then he whispered, "Dad will be in a serious trouble when he gets home,"
Damn straight he will. "Oh, sweetie, he won't," Kim assured the little boy, smiling when Chris cringed. Her baby has grown up and having his parents called him endearment names was not something that he appreciated nowadays. "You have school tomorrow, why don't I tuck you in?"
"Daddy loves you, you know, Mom," Chris insisted again and put his small arms around her in a tight hug.
"I know he does," Kim whispered, returning the hug earnestly. Oh yes, she knew that Tommy loved her and she was also 100 percent sure he wasn't having an affair with some woman out there. Still, as much as she trusted him, sometimes she just wanted to punch his light off. Unfortunately, lately the feeling had come so often that it had become frustrating. "And I also know that now is way passed your bedtime. Come on, I'll tuck you in,"
"I remember Dad say something about visiting Uncle Jason," Chris muttered, head lifting up and his eyes looking at her in a kicked puppy expression.
Shaking her head, Kim wondered what Tommy had promised him that he suddenly became Daddy's son. Chris usually was more attached to her than him. "Mommy knows that," And she's pretty sure the visit involved a lot of beers and oh yeah, more beers. "Now why don't we-,"
She stopped when the front door suddenly opened and walked in the man that she had been waiting for, for the last two hours. Wearing the smile, Tommy closed the door behind him and immediately joined the rest of the family. He ruffled Chris' hair and leaned over to give Kim a kiss, which she accepted half-heartedly. Although she wanted to move her face away, she saw there's no point in making Chris worry.
"Hey, Dad,"
"Hey, Chris,"
"Chris, how about you go to your room first? I'll be coming right up," Kim said carefully, leaning down to peck her son on the top of his head.
"Sure," Chris nodded and looked at his father for a long time. He finally walked closer to give him a hug. "Good night, Dad. Good luck," He added in a softer voice so his mother wouldn't hear him. He might be young, but he's not stupid. The intense cold war under the roof he had been living at for seven years didn't go unnoticed by him.
"Good night," Tommy gave him a look that spoke volume and when Chris had gone into his room, he quickly turned to Kim, knowing that there was a big chance he was going to have to sleep on the couch, again. "So… hi,"
"You know what, I'm not going to get mad at you because it's late and I don't want your son think his parents is having some kind of troubles, so I'm going to bed now," Kim said in a clipped tone, her hands firmly planted on her slender hips.
"Well, we could have troubles if you don't stop acting like this," Tommy replied, the annoyance in his voice matched hers.
"Excuse me?"
"Yeah, this," Tommy said. "You're always complaining about what I'm doing. I really could use an understanding wife right now, Kim,"
"Oh, so now it's my fault?" Kim retorted, her voice starting to rise one octave. She poked Tommy in the chest, daringly tilted her head up. "I'm not the one who's still outside at one in the morning doing god knows what,"
"For your information, I was with Jason, the so-called your brother, and not with some chick, if that's what you think," Tommy shrugged off his jacket and threw it abruptly to the coffee table. "You're being irrational, you know, Kim. You know that he needs us right now. I'm not turning into a gay, just in case you're worried," Tommy said humorlessly. "Besides, Emily would kill me if such thing ever happened,"
Kim held back a suppressed, angry, sigh. Sure, she knew that Jason was going through a tough time right now. It was definitely a surprise for all of them when someone was found dead in his new dojo and one of his teachers turned out to be some deranged, psychotic bastard. She was trying her best to be there for Jason and Em, and Tommy and he were like brothers. But somehow she had reached the point where it was getting really difficult to understand Tommy anymore. Not just about Jason, but a lot of things too. "For your information, I'm not worried,"
"You shouldn't be,"
"You forgot to pick Chris up at school this afternoon," Kim remarked dryly and flopped down next to him in the couch where she knew HE would sleep in tonight. "His teacher had to call me at the gym,"
"Oh, come on, I was just a little late,"
"You were late for almost an hour, Tommy," Kim reminded him coldly.
"I had a field trip today," Tommy reasoned. If that was his best try to calm her down, it definitely wasn't working. "Some students went missing all of a sudden and we had to turn the place upside down to look for them. And before you ask, they're okay. Just pulling some pranks, thinking playing hide and seek in the museum was such an interesting thing to do,"
'Sounds like something you'd do' was already in the tip of her tongue, but she kicked the thought away. "You could have called me and I would've picked him myself,"
"Yeah, but it was so chaotic over there and I ended up-,"
"You forgot, didn't you," Kim concluded, her eyes flickering menacingly. "The old forgetful Tommy strikes again. Too bad I can't say I've missed him,"
"You keep up this attitude, we will seriously have troubles,"
"Did you just threaten me?"
"Kim… I really don't want to fight with you,"
"Good then, neither do I. Now if you'll excuse me, I promised your son that I would tuck him in,"
--
:: Hayley CyberSpace, a week later
"It feels just like in high school," Kim said, her fingers playing with her straw. "All I want to do is chop his head off. But of course, it will be stupid to get arrested for doing something like that,"
"You really love him, don't you," Trini commented while putting her hands above her heart. The pretty Vietnamese had come to Reefside to visit Jason, seeing how he was doing after the horrible incident. While she appreciated the Oliver's invitation to stay for a few nights in their house, Trini had to decline. It wasn't actually a vacation and she had to fly back first thing in the morning tomorrow. Now that she had listened to Kim's story, she thought it might have been a right decision. "That's cute, because I remember you two used to fight all the time and somehow fell in love with each other. Is that your way to give your sex life more spirit?"
Scoffing, Kim shook her head in disbelief. "Which part of my story that you don't understand?"
"Please don't tell me you're having all those fights with Chris in the house?" Trini asked further, feeling concerned for the little boy. Kim's family wasn't exactly a one big happy family either and she thought Kim would have understood better than anyone else how this unresolved problems she was having with Tommy could effect a kid's life. "That's not a very wise thing to do,"
"Well, we never did it right in front of him, but…," Kim stopped, the realization crushing down on her like a ton of bricks. Kim's crest fallen expression answered Trini's question and her face went grim. "We're… quiet. Christ couldn't have heard them,"
"Alright, so you and Tommy have disagreement," Trini started from the beginning.
"Lots of disagreements," Kim corrected with a bitter smile. "And he's just pissing me off. Like yesterday, he forgot to get the groceries,"
"Kim,"
"And not to mention he came late to Chris' game yesterday," Kim continued like she didn't hear Trini. Her hand fisted into a ball. "That was the second time he did that. And since he's busy in school, it's almost final now, I haven't talked to him about that," If the subject had come to Chris, she simply had no tolerance. She could live without seeing Tommy, but Chris needed his father in his life. And he hadn't been a good one lately.
"Fortunately, Chris took everything so well. Better than I did, anyway,"
"Yeah, fortunately," Trini emphasized and soon received a sideways glare from Kim. She swallowed her smile. Guess Tommy and Kim had their own problems. She had always seen them as this one tough, loving, family that even a storm couldn't shake. She knew for a fact that Tommy loved Kim more than he loved anything, and vice versa. That's why she didn't feel too worry about this whole I-hate-him crap. But still, if things kept going on they way it was now… "Don't you think you're a bit exaggerating? You're trying to look for his mistakes that I'm not sure are even there. I mean, snoring and not putting the toilet seat down? You've got to be kidding me,"
"Why does everyone always take his side?" Kim moaned, frustrated. "Even Chris is sympathizing for him,"
"I'm not taking anyone's side," Trini said quickly. It might as well fall to deaf ears. "But the truth is, this isn't like you. PMS? When's the last time you got laid?"
Kim started at her friend in shock. The Trini Kwan she knew wouldn't ask some personal question like that, not out in public like this anyway. "Alright, I'll pretend I didn't hear you asking me that question,"
"That's right, you should talk to her," Tommy quietly slipped into the vacant seat next to Kim, starling both women. The science teacher offered Kim a wide grin, who obviously was still fuming. "Hey, Beautiful,"
"Please tell me he didn't just Beautiful me," Kim looked at Trini almost desperately. Tommy smiled indulgently at her, melting a part of her heart that genuinely missing him. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, you said I didn't spend much time with my family, so here I am," Tommy said, smiling at his first and only love. Though judging from her body language, he seemed to be not her favorite person right now. "And to answer your question about yesterday's game, I was lost. That's my third time going to the stadium,"
"Man…," Kim mumbled loud enough to prick his ears.
"Excuse me?"
"Nothing," She waved it away, exchanging glances with Trini who felt really out of place all of a sudden. Getting in the middle of a lover's quarrel wasn't exactly something that anyone would enjoy.
"Look, if you're going to say something then you will say it in front of me, alright," Tommy demanded and he could feel his face turn red. He loved his wife dearly, but lately she was getting a bit too much to handle. He felt ten years younger and this argument was about him forgetting their three year anniversary.
Kim was barely able to contain her emotion any longer and she almost yelled, "You should have asked someone for directions,"
"Ouch," Trini mouthed and winced, noting that Kim had touched something that should've been left alone.
Tommy's eyes went dark and at that time he looked like a guy who's ready to kill someone. Shifting in his chair, Tommy clasped his hands together, eyes boring into Kim's. "Don't generalizing me,"
"I didn't,"
"Alright guys, this is getting ridiculous," Trini stepped in before things got out of hand. "Have you tried to visit a marriage counselor? Because I won't be surprised if the next time I visit, you're pulling each other's hair," The idea was silly, but she couldn't shake the feeling that it might happen.
"Well, if things go on like this, maybe I should make an appointment," Kim muttered and looked deadly into Tommy's eyes. "Seriously,"
--
Chris watched his parents go back and forth and sighed. It had been like that since about a month ago and he didn't like it, not one bit. Resting his chin on his hands, his little brain started to work. He had watched stuff like this happened in TV and it usually didn't end with a happy ending.
"Hey, kiddo, what's up," Connor McKnight said, jabbing his shoulder in a brotherly way. The little kid had a passion for martial arts as much as he had for soccer and although the two had no connection whatsoever, they still got along well. "What's with the long face?"
Chris rubbed his face with his hands as if by doing so he could wipe out the gloominess written all over it. Connor smiled somewhat sadly, his eyes darting from Chris to his parents sitting a few tables away. He couldn't hear their conversation, but it was clear that they were arguing about something. "Hey, you okay, buddy?"
Chris nodded and stood up, grabbing the older boy's hand. "Come on, let's play,"
--
"You're not helping, Kim," Tommy said, finally moving up from his chair, prompting Kim to follow suit. "Please don't do this here," Cyberspace was crowded with people, mostly his students from school and he didn't want to set a bad example. Besides, he didn't want to tempt Hayley to call the cops to come and arrest them for public disturbance.
"That's a good idea but stop this right now would even be a better idea," Trini adviced, glancing up at two of her oldest friends who seemed ready to devour each other; literally.
Kim's cellphone on the table rang and she made a quick move to grab it without breaking eye contact with Tommy. "What?" She snapped to the phone.
"Mrs. Oliver?"
"Who's this? Connor? Actually this is really not a good time-," Kim began to say, thinking that he had mistaken Tommy's number with hers. Hearing her mentioning one of his students' name, Tommy gravitated closer to Kim and looked down at her with questioning eyes.
"It's Chris,"
"What happened with him?" Kim asked, fear starting to grip her heart. She looked around and tried to find her son. He'd told her he wanted to finish the game that he had been playing for several weeks now. Christian was nowhere to be seen. "Start talking!"
"What happened?" Tommy tried to take the phone from her but she slapped his hand away.
"We're playing soccer at the park. I left him to get us a drink and when I got back, he's gone. A lady told me she saw a man grab him and take him away,"
As the last word left Connor's lips, the world just stopped spinning. Kim nearly dropped the phone and Tommy quickly braced her tight. Her face was sheet white and he snatched the phone from her hand.
"Connor? What happened?"
It was silent on the other end for a few seconds before Connor answered, "Chris has been kidnapped,"
--
McKnight's resident
"You do realize that your father is my teacher, don't you?" Connor asked Chris for the tenth time in the last ten minutes. His hand was cold when he put the phone back on the table. Dr. Oliver had been in a very bad mood lately and he didn't even dare to start thinking what he would do to him if he found out what had really happened to his kid. Just wait until he told Kira and Ethan… They would never believe this. Kira would call him crazy while Ethan would probably think this was the worst idea of the century.
"You will be fine," Chris grinned widely and patted Connor's back before jumping down off the bed. He looked at Connor's Manchester United collection in awe. "It's really a good thing that your parents are not home,"
"What the hell I'm getting myself into…," Connor buried his face in his hands. One time they were playing soccer in Cyberspace's parking lot and the next thing happened, Chris went on to a full crying mode, practically begging him to help him with his 'little' idea. Who would have guessed that Connor McKnight had a soft spot for little kids? "Did you hypnotize me or do some voodoo spell on me because there's no way somebody in their right mind was going to agree to do… this,"
Ignoring him, Chris turned around and asked, "So tell me. Is it because you're a fan of Manchester United that you always wear red, or you became a fan because you like red?"
Rolling his eyes, Connor fell back into his bed and closed his eyes. "I'm so screwed,"
:: Alright…. That's the end of the first part. I use Connor and not an OC because I think the role somewhat suits him and we're far more familiar with him. I honestly forgot whether Connor was a fan of MU or Liverpool; it's been a while since I watched DT. Please point out if I made a mistake. Thanks for reading, please review. No flame though.
-Yuuri ;)