On a Strange Tide
By SparklyTree3876
Rating: PG-13/R
Genre: Romance/Drama
Pairings: Tommy/Kim, Jason/Trini, Rocky/Kat, and Adam/Aisha
Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here is a new Power Rangers fic. It is AU with no Ranger powers and has the characters living normal lives. It focuses only on the first eleven Rangers. It takes place in 1997. The idea for this fic came to mind when I was watching "Obsessed" starring Jenna Elfman about a woman who claims she had an affair with a famous neurosurgeon and stands trial for harassing him and his family. I wondered what would happen if an engaged Ranger couple had to deal with the boy's ex-girlfriend stalking and harassing them while they are high school seniors and caring for a baby while expecting another. As a result, this fic was born. I want to warn everyone ahead of time that this fic will have sexual content. Some of it will be intense. If that makes you feel uncomfortable, don't read the parts that have it. Otherwise, you may read it at your own risk. If you are into Tommy/Kim, check out Toxic Wednesday's fics focusing on them. They are great. I hope you enjoy this fic. Constructive criticism is welcome.
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Chapter 1: Long Way to Morning
The midmorning sun beamed its rays on an Angel Grove neighborhood in early February. A rufous-crowned sparrow sat in a tree in the Hart residence's front yard. The house happened to be large and had five bedrooms and three bathrooms. A wooden fence surrounded the backyard. Two orange horseshoe posts stood far apart from each other in the middle. A patio was in front of the back door. A metal table with six matching chairs was on it. A swing was on the front porch.
The sparrow chirped a beautiful melody. It spread its wings and flew around to the backyard. It landed on a second-floor windowsill. It looked inside to see Tommy and Kim sleeping on their queen-sized bed in their room. He was on his back while she lay on her side. They buried their faces deep into their pillows, their noses twitching.
Tommy moaned softly in his sleep. He opened his eyes slowly, finding blurry vision. He blinked four times to clear them. He let out a long yawn before smacking his lips. He sat up in a slow yet steady manner. He looked around the large room that had beige walls, pine nightstands, and an oak dresser. A TV sat on top of the dresser with a VCR next to it. A desk containing a computer with a phone line attached to the wall and a printer was off in the corner. A mirror stood next to the closet door. Dark green carpet covered the floor.
His eyes settled on Kim, who stirred in her sleep without waking up. He smiled, thinking she looked like an angel. He was looking forward to having their picnic in Angel Grove Park with Jason, Zack, Trini, Billy, Rocky, Adam, Aisha, Kat, and Tanya this afternoon. Jason, Zack, Trini, Billy, Rocky, Adam, and Aisha were Kim's childhood friends while Kat and Tanya had previously lived in Sydney, Australia and Cleveland, Ohio respectively. The couple was taking their eight-month-old son, Caleb Douglas Oliver, with them. The baby was looked after by her stay-at-home mother, Caroline, while they went to Angel Grove High School. The young father worked part-time with Ernie at the Youth Center doing tasks from three until seven Monday through Friday.
Tommy ran his hand over his hair. He moved to Angel Grove in September 1993. Before then, he lived in San Antonio, Texas, where Matt and Vicky adopted him after his birth parents abandoned him when he was eight years old. He dated a girl named Jenna Leary for five months before his freshman year and her sophomore year started. They decided to end their relationship when he told her he was moving because they knew maintaining a long-distance one would be difficult. He met Kim when he stopped Bulk and Skull from harassing her at her locker at school just before first period started. They began dating a month later. Jason and Trini followed suit two months after that. The couples occasionally went on double dates.
In October 1995, Tommy and Kim learned they were expecting their first child. Despite they were only in high school, they were determined to raise it. Their families supported them, as did their friends, including Kat and Tanya, whom both had moved to town four months earlier. Ernie gave him his job not long after. The couple signed up for their school's teen parent program after they let Mr. Kaplan know. He was shocked, but he supported them. It didn't take long for the school to find out. Many teachers and students judged them while others were supportive. The program excused the couple from classes for doctor's appointments and such. They joined the Angel Grove Teen Parent Support Group, which met the first Saturday of every month at three o'clock at the Angel Grove Teen Center. Kim's father, Mark, and Caroline asked Tommy to live with them and their son, Kyle, in February 1996, so he could be close to her and the baby. He accepted their offer, and his parents didn't mind. He moved in a month later. Caleb was born on May 29. Kim began working on a novel called Don't Cry Now about two unhappily married people who start an affair behind their spouses' backs not long after.
Three months after their son's birth, Tommy asked Kim to marry him while taking a walk along the lake's shore at Angel Grove Park. She was surprised, but she accepted his proposal. Their loved ones were supportive of their engagement. Tommy and Kim learned they were expecting their second child four months later. This shocked them and their loved ones as they had been using protection since Caleb was six weeks old. Despite this, they wanted to raise this child as well. Everyone in their circle supported their decision. The baby was due on August 6. Kim's obstetrician, Trent Benton, decided to have her come in for an ultrasound once a month because she was just eighteen and was already in her second pregnancy. Her most recent ultrasound was February 5. The next one was scheduled for March 7.
Kim decided she wanted to be a stay-at-home mother for the first five years of the children's lives. She and Tommy set their wedding date for March 22, which was two days before the start of Spring Break. They planned to have their honeymoon at his Uncle John's cabin. Ernie was so impressed with Tommy's devotion to his job that he made him assistant manager of the Youth Center. This would be part-time and would become full-time after graduation.
Tommy snickered. He didn't want to wake his fiancée up, yet he couldn't resist. He scooted over to her. He laid on his side to plant gentle kisses on her shoulder. She stirred, yet she didn't wake up. He smirked and pulled her hair aside. He began to kiss her neck. She woke up while emitting a soft moan. He pulled back as she turned over. She smiled at him.
"You just love waking me up, don't you?" she asked and hugged the covers against her chest.
"Yep," he said and pushed her bangs out of her eyes. He decided to sit up. "How are you this morning, Beautiful?"
"I'm feeling great, Handsome," Kim answered and propped her head up with her elbow. "What about you?"
"I feel great too," Tommy said, placing his hand in his lap. "It's nice we can sleep in on the weekends and during school breaks. Our son's cries prevent that sometimes. We'll be dealing with more of that with the second baby." He imitated a baby's crying.
She pushed herself into a sitting position. "We might have to, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world."
He smiled happily and put his hand on her stomach. "Me neither. Our children are the light of our lives. I do know that college isn't for everyone."
"So true. Some parents manage to attend college, go to work, and raise their children. I admire them for doing all that," Kim whispered in awe. She laid her hand over his.
"I do too," Tommy said, winking at her. He rubbed her stomach gently. "We're lucky to have your mother caring for our son during the day. Many parents don't have the luxury of grandparents helping with the children. They have to put them in daycare. It's not a bad thing, though. Their kids can interact with others." He shrugged.
"You're lucky that Ernie made you assistant manager of the Youth Center. That means you have a higher salary, despite it is part-time for now. Children cost so much money these days," Kim commented seriously.
"You'll be bringing in money yourself once you get a book deal after you finish your novel," Tommy pointed out.
"Thank God that being a stay-at-home mom will allow me to finish it," Kim whispered in relief. "There is a good chance I will finish it before I give birth."
"I'd love for that to happen," Tommy said eagerly and took his hand away.
Kim stretched her arms above her head before placing her hands on the bed. Tommy flicked her nose. He received a laugh from her. He looked toward her shoulder, finding the strap of her blue nightgown had fallen off. He motioned toward it. She turned toward it. She slipped it back on her shoulder. She shifted her attention back to him.
"Some people look at us weird because we are an engaged couple living in the same house as my parents. Others don't care," Kim said, giving a shrug.
"I know. Most people have accepted times have changed," Tommy replied. "Even the religious are keen on the idea of a couple living together before getting married to see if a marriage will work. I don't like people ranting at us for not living like they do." He hissed in frustration.
"I don't either," Kim agreed while nodding slowly. "I respect other people's beliefs, but what we do is our business. No one has the right to butt in." She inhaled deeply before letting out a long exhale.
Tommy sighed. "It's annoying when people butt in, but what can we do?"
"All we can do is ignore them unless they start getting ugly," Kim answered. "No matter what anyone says, you are not moving out of this house. I won't let you." She smirked.
"I hope not," Tommy said, tickling her nose. "This is my home as much as yours."
Kim squeaked gleefully. "I'm so glad you are here with me."
The lovebirds shared three kisses before rubbing noses. He ran his fingers through her hair. He touched her cheek and stroked it with his thumb.
"I love you so much," he whispered.
"I love you too," she replied and tweaked his nose.
"Great," Tommy said and played with a strand of her hair. "Anyway, I'm going to the bathroom."
"I'm going to check on Caleb. It's more than likely that Kyle is downstairs watching Saturday morning cartoons while my parents are fixing breakfast," Kim commented.
"Yeah," Tommy agreed and got out of the bed. "I'll join you in the nursery once I'm done."
She watched him head out of the room. She slipped out of the bed. She made her way over to the desk, where her white robe was hanging on its chair. She picked it up and proceeded to put it on.
00000
In the nursery, Caleb touched the bars of his crib while sitting up. He put his hands over his mouth, making fussy sounds. He looked around the room. It was medium-sized and had light green elephant-monkey-bear wallpaper and a hardwood dresser. A changing table was near the dresser with a diaper disposal pan next to it. A rocking chair sat next to the crib. A regular one was next to the window. Dark green carpet covered every inch of the floor.
The baby's eyes settled on the ceiling while babbling softly. He seemed to be fascinated by it. He was normal-sized for his age. He resembled Tommy, but he had Kim's dark brown eyes. He had no hair on his head whatsoever. A tiny freckle could be found underneath his right eye. A small birthmark was above his left eyebrow. He heard approaching footsteps and spotted Kim coming toward him. He smiled as she stopped before the crib.
"Hey, my little boy," she cooed and picked him up. "Did you sleep well?"
She kissed his cheek. She pulled away when he started crying and waving his arms about. She moved her hand toward his diaper, sighing when she found it was wet. She carried him over to the changing table. She laid him down gently. She removed the dirty diaper as her fiancé joined her side. She looked at him.
"Tommy, would you put this diaper in the pan and get me a fresh one?" Kim asked, handing it to him.
Tommy nodded at her. "Sure."
Tommy put the diaper in the pan. He grabbed a fresh one and gave it to Kim. Caleb cried when his mother put it under him after wiping him clean with a baby wipe. His cries got even louder as baby powder and diaper rash cream were put on him. Tommy ran his hand over his son's head.
"It's okay, son. Mommy will be done in a minute," Tommy whispered soothingly. Unfortunately, it didn't calm Caleb down.
"One of the biggest downsides with caring for a baby is diaper-changing," Kim muttered in some annoyance.
"Most babies go through three thousand diapers in their first year," Tommy said matter-of-factly.
"That's a lot of diapers. Look on the bright side. We're stocked up on them," Kim pointed out and smiled warmly.
"We sure are," Tommy agreed. "We will have to stock up on even more after our second baby is born, though."
"I haven't forgotten," Kim answered and tapped Caleb's nose with her finger. "You hear that? Your baby brother or sister will need many diapers. Don't worry. You won't be wearing the same clothes. Nor will you be sucking on the same pacifier."
Kim fastened the diaper and gave Caleb his pacifier. He stopped crying and started sucking on it immediately. She picked him up, making soothing sounds.
"You feel better now?" Kim cooed. She heard him babble and laughed softly. "I'm glad you do."
Caleb looked down at the floor. Kim lifted him higher and blew a raspberry on his stomach. He laughed, causing his pacifier to fall out of his mouth and onto the floor. She brought him down to her eye level. Tommy bent down and picked the pacifier up. He rose to his full height. He rubbed it against his gray t-shirt before putting it back in the baby's mouth. She looked at him.
"You want to hold Caleb, Tommy?" Kim asked.
"Sure," Tommy replied.
Kim handed Caleb to her fiancé. Tommy ticked his cheek, causing him to laugh. The pacifier fell out of his son's mouth. Tommy caught it. He tried to put it back in, but Caleb turned away.
"You're such a handsome little boy. Yes, you are," Tommy cooed and kissed the top of Caleb's head. He clicked his tongue, smiling at his turning to him. "Now, how about a little of this?"
Tommy stuck his tongue out at the baby. He wiggled it while making funny noises. Caleb squealed and touched his father's face with both hands. Tommy pulled it back into his mouth. He rubbed his nose against his son's cheek before blowing a raspberry on it. Caleb squealed even louder. He looked at Kim when she tapped him on the arm.
"Hey, honey," Kim said, smiling. "Watch this."
Kim swept her arms under her armpits as if she were a monkey. She made chittering sounds. Caleb smiled and laughed at her. He squealed when Tommy lifted him higher to blow a raspberry on his stomach. He put his fist in his mouth as his father brought him back down.
"You like that, don't you?" Tommy whispered, chuckling to himself.
"You might as well keep on holding him high and blowing raspberries on his stomach," Kim commented, touching the top of the baby's head. "I want to keep hearing him squeal in delight."
Tommy licked his lips. "I wish I could, but my arms would get tired after a while." He shrugged.
Kim growled in mock anger. "Wimp."
Just then, Caleb started crying and waved his arms about. Tommy looked at him. He tried to put the pacifier in the baby's mouth, but Caleb wouldn't take it.
"Come on, little guy. It's okay," Tommy whispered gently. He clicked his tongue in an effort to get his son to stop crying, but it didn't work. He made faces, but the crying only got louder. He looked at him closely and handed him to Kim. "He's getting hungry."
"Oh, my darling," Kim whispered, patting Caleb's back. "Don't worry. Mommy will fix that."
Kim went over to the rocking chair and sat down. She cradled Caleb in her arm while untying her robe and opening it. She unbuttoned her nightgown to expose her breast. He stopped crying once he latched on and began to nurse. She hummed beginning tune of Baby Mine while rocking the chair back and forth. Tommy got the chair and pulled it up next to them. He seated himself.
"Baby mine, don't you cry," Kim sang gorgeously. "Baby mine, dry your eye. Rest your head close to my heart, never to part, baby of mine. Little one when you play, don't you mind what they say. Let those eyes sparkle and shine, never a tear, baby of mine."
Kim hummed softly. She caressed Caleb's cheek with her thumb before running her hand over his head. She looked at Tommy, who smiled at her. The baby upped his sucking a bit.
"If they knew sweet little you, they'd end up loving you too. All those same people who scold you, what'd they give just for the right to hold you," Kim continued. "From your head down to your toes, you're not much. Goodness knows."
The young mother ran her hand along the baby's forehead before putting her arm underneath him. Her hums increased in volume somewhat. Caleb uncurled his fist and laid his hand on her breast.
"You're so precious to me, cute as can be. Baby of mine. Baby mine. Baby mine," Kim finished.
Tommy wiped a tear from his eye. Kim hummed the last tunes to the song while patting Caleb's underside.
"I have to say that song gets more beautiful every time I hear it," he said honestly.
"It was Mom who taught me that song not long after Caleb was born. I love it so much because it always soothes my baby when I nurse him," she said, looking down at Caleb. "I plan to sing it to the new baby while I'm nursing it. That is if I can."
"I can't believe Caleb growing up so fast. In less than four months, he will be celebrating his first birthday," Tommy said, happiness radiating from his face. "Then he will become a big brother a little over two months later."
"I know. Children are so precious," Kim whispered and placed her hand on her son's head. "You have to treasure the time you have with them because they're children only once. We can't protect them from the world forever."
"The world is full of danger," Tommy said and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. "We can only do so much to prepare our children for it."
"I know, Tommy," Kim said, a small sniffle leaving her mouth. She turned to him. "I know."
Tommy leaned close to Kim, kissing her on the lips. She placed her hand on his head to deepen the kiss. She touched his cheek after they pulled apart. Caleb pulled away from her breast once it was empty. She covered that breast and uncovered the other one. She moved him over to it. He resumed nursing once he latched on.
"It feels good to breastfeed my son because I'm so close to him. I could do this forever if I could," Kim said, running her hand over Caleb's forehead.
Tommy sighed heavily. "We both know that's impossible. Babies will nurse until they are full. Sometimes, mothers have to be away from them."
Kim patted her son's arm. "Thank God the breast pump was invented. It allows me to put my milk in a bottle for him."
"It's a joy to feed him from a bottle when you aren't here," Tommy murmured, sweetness lining his voice. "My favorite part is burping him. Jason keeps saying he'll teach how him to really burp when he's older." He smirked.
"He's dreaming if he thinks I'll let him do that," Kim muttered with a roll of her eyes.
Tommy chuckled and reached out to touch Caleb's head. He placed his hand in his lap, exhaling slowly.
"I heard that breastfeeding infants have higher intelligence than their formula-fed counterparts," Tommy said.
"I read about that in a baby book a few weeks before Caleb was born. I don't know if breastfeeding will make him more intelligent," Kim replied. "I guess we'll have to wait and see." She shrugged.
"I hope our female friends will be able to breastfeed their own babies," Tommy said, swallowing hard.
"It's okay if they're unable to," Kim answered with a smile. "It won't make them bad mothers at all. Every mother has the right to feed her baby in a way that makes both of them comfortable."
Tommy hissed with some annoyance. "I can't stand how judgmental some breastfeeding mothers are toward bottle-feeding mothers and vice versa."
"Hmm," she whispered.
"Many people have looked down on us over our situation, especially teachers and students at school," he said, frowning. "They will become more judgmental after our second child is born."
"I know, but I don't care," Kim said, shaking her head. "Let them judge us. There is no way we will give up our children." She showed determination.
"Yeah," Tommy said while nodding slowly. "Those people can have their opinions. We won't force change on them."
Kim turned to him. "That's right."
The lovebirds shared three kisses before rubbing noses. Caleb pulled away from his mother's breast once it was empty. Tommy and Kim looked down at him. She closed her nightgown and robe quickly. She sat her son in her lap, patting his back gently. Caleb let out a long burp, and his parents smiled at him.
"You're such a good boy, Caleb. Yes, you are," Kim said, kissing her son on top of his head.
"I'll say," Tommy agreed.
Kim stood Caleb on his feet in her lap to give him a kiss on the cheek. She pulled her hair out of his hand when he grabbed it. She set him back down in a sitting position.
"If there is one thing that is certain, we will have our hands full with two children under the age of two," she admitted.
"Oh, yeah," he said. "I can't believe some parents will favor one child over another simply because he has a special talent such as singing or drawing." He sighed heavily while shaking his head in disbelief.
"I can see why children will resent their siblings because their parents are showering them with attention due to their talents," Kim answered, looking at him. "Just because a child has a special talent doesn't make him better than his siblings."
"I hope Caleb doesn't get jealous of his new brother or sister," Tommy said uncertainly.
"I hope so too, but you never know," Kim pointed out matter-of-factly. "Ain't that right?" She winked at him.
Tommy gave her a mock glare. "Hey, you're not supposed to say ain't. It's not a word."
Kim smirked. "You just said it."
"Only because you made me," Tommy retorted playfully.
"Yeah, right," Kim said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
He blew a raspberry at her. "Goofball."
Kim ruffled Tommy's hair, which made him laugh. Caleb put his hands over his mouth. He emitted quiet babbles.
"When you told me you dated another girl before me, I wasn't too surprised. I knew several teens who had dated before they started high school," Kim said.
"Jenna was a nice girl. She always offered to buy our meals. I let her, though I pitched in occasionally. She occasionally talked about her father's car dealership. She was disappointed when I told her I was moving to Angel Grove," Tommy explained.
"I would've been the same way if you told me you were moving," Kim admitted gently.
"We didn't want to deal with the difficulty of maintaining a long-distance relationship, so we decided to break up. We kept in contact for several months after I got here," Tommy said with a shrug. "Then we got very busy with our lives and stopped talking. I've moved on. I have little doubt she did too."
"It's likely she's had several boyfriends since you left," Kim suggested.
"Yeah, but that doesn't matter," Tommy whispered in a loving voice. "You and our children are all that matter to me now."
"The same goes for me with all three of you," Kim answered sweetly and kissed his cheek. They started talking about the upcoming picnic.