A/N: This is my new story leading up to and including the Forever Red episode. I hope that everyone enjoys this first chapter. Also this would not even be a story without my wonderful beta mykkila09. Thank you for helping me make this into a story. I don't own anything but the concept.

XXXX

A few hours after Murthanis

Kim and Jason were hanging out with the rangers before they had to leave. They had just watched Jason, Tommy, and Adam win their match. The only person not there was Tommy. He had already said his goodbyes but he just couldn't stay. Kim knew that he blamed himself for her being captured even though he couldn't stop it. Kim was trying to put on a good face for the others but it hurt that Tommy left.

"Are you alright?" Adam asked Kim dragging her attention back to the conversation.

"Yea, hopefully there won't be any bad side effects." She said with a smile and hoped that no one noticed her pain.

"No what I hope is that there are no side effects." Jason said as everyone laughed. Kim finally started opening up and enjoying herself with her friends. They were outside of the Command Center talking. She thought back to the last two days. It had been a wild ride with being captured and then turned evil by being dropped into a lava pit with Jason. She was so glad that the rangers were there and that Lerigot was able to turn Jason and her back to normal. Her thoughts turned back to Tommy and wished for the hundredth time that she had never sent that letter. After a while she finally settled down and enjoyed her friends. She stayed there with the rangers talking about everything. She also told them about the letter when Kat had suddenly asked her about it. She told them that she was wrong to send that letter and that she was sorry to have hurt Tommy that way. They all forgave her and accepted that this was between Kim and Tommy. She left with a lighter heart than when she came. She would only need to tell Tommy but it had to be when the time was right and right now the time was not right.

XXXX

A few Weeks Later

Kim was picking up her apartment. It was a total mess from her trip to Angel Grove a few weeks ago. She had the music up loud as she gathered up clothes that needed to be washed. Suddenly she heard the phone ringing and took off running toward it. She was out of breath by the time she reached it.

"Hello?" She said in a huff pushing her hair back from her forehead.

"Kim, it's me Jason. Are you busy?" He asked her. She looked around her apartment and sighed. If Jason was calling and sounding like he lost his cat then she better listen. Her gut also told her that something was wrong.

"No, I was just picking up a little. What's wrong?" She asked him as she sat down on the couch.

"It's Tommy, he needs your help." He said in a rush.

"I'm on my way." She said as she jumped up and ran to the computer. She pulled up Northwest website to book her flight back to Angel Grove.

"You're not even going to ask why?" Jason said bringing her back to the fact that Jason was still on the phone.

"No because just knowing that he needs my help is enough." She said as she hung up the phone. She booked her flight and walked back to her room to get clean clothes and her bag. Her flight was in an hour so she had to book it. Tommy needed her.

XXXX

Tommy sat on his rock by the lake thinking of all the times he had come here to think. It was where Kim had found him after he lost his Green Ranger powers the first time and the first time he kissed Kim. It was the perfect place for him to come and think. He just stared out over the lake before picking up a rock next him and tossing it into the water. He watched as the ripples made their way to him from where he had thrown the rock. He would never come here again to think about ranger problems because he was no longer a ranger. It was hard for him to take in. He had handed over his powers to T.J. He didn't worry about them because they were in great hands. There was no one better suited to be the Red Turbo Ranger than T.J. He just wished that he could talk about what he was feeling with not having powers any longer. It was different from the last time he lost his powers because he willingly gave them up this time. There was only one person that he would ever talk to about it and she was across the country enjoying her life with her new boyfriend. He had forgiven her long ago because there was no use being mad at her for following her heart. Setting her free had helped him become a better man. He just wished that her heart had led her back to him. He still talked to her every now and then but it was different. Every time they talked it was like they were both holding back a part of themselves. It hurt him to hold it back but it was for his sanity that he did. He would have given her the world if she only had let him. He sat there for a long time before sensing someone behind him. Before he even turned, he knew who he would see. It was like he had brought her here with his thoughts.

"I heard about your powers." She said as she got closer to him. When Jason had picked her up at the airport, he filled her in. She was dressed in a pink sundress that just skimmed her knees. Her hair was half pulled back in a clip of some kind and she had on pink flip-flops. Overall she was the same girl that he had fallen in love with only a few short years ago. She even smelled the same.

"Jason tell you?" He asked as she sat down next to him. It was so natural to be there with her even though he had not seen her in a while. The last time he saw her was after the tournament that he, Jason, and Adam had won for Angel Grove. He had barely gotten to talk to her then because they had just got their turbo powers and she and Jason had just come back from being evil. He could still remember the hate in her eyes at that time. He wished now he would've made the time to talk to her instead of letting her go once again but he was in too much pain then.

"Yea, he did. I thought that you could use someone to talk too." She said not looking at him. It was probably for the best that she didn't look at him because he felt like a failure. He knew that it was his time to give up his powers but it was still hard being without them after all this time.

"What makes you think that I need to talk? I'm not that boy anymore." He said referring to his Green Ranger days.

"You will always carry that boy with you though and I know you better than that. You need someone to talk to and you refuse to talk to the others. They are happy to turn over their powers but you feel that you have failed Zordon and the others for having a life now." She said to him. He realized that she did know him because that was exactly how he felt.

"How do you know me so well?" He asked her as he turned to look at her. She turned at the same time. It was like the first time they had met all over again. There was still a spark of magic between and he knew that there would always be. They had chemistry that not many people ever experienced. It pulled them together even now.

"Because I felt the same way, I felt that I had let everyone down when I chose to follow my dreams. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity but so is being a ranger. Zordon chose me to defend the Earth from Rita then from Zedd but I chose to pursue my dream. I felt like I had turned my back on my team and Zordon but I didn't. He knew that it was my time to live my life just like its yours now to live your life. Everyone else has big plans like Kat is with the London Dance studio and Tanya is working on a record deal. Adam is going off to college and Justin is helping the newest rangers in their journey. Its your turn to find out what you want to do." She said as she took his hand. He looked down at the sight of her small hand holding his larger one and thought about what she had said. It was his turn to find his dream.

"I don't know what to do." He whispered to her in pain. Being a ranger had been a big part of his life for so long; he no longer knew what he could do. He was a high school graduate but had no clue what he wanted to do.

"I think that you do but you don't want to go for it for fear of failing like you think you did as a ranger. You just have to look deeper to see what you heart holds." She said to him. He thought about that for a minute then turned back to the lake. They sat there in silence until she spoke once again.

"Do you forgive me for writing that letter?" She asked him. He turned to look at her but she didn't meet his eye.

"What do you mean? Why would I need to forgive you for writing what was in your heart? We drifted apart." He said as she looked up at him. He saw the tears pooled in her eyes but couldn't think of why she would be crying.

"I wrote that letter for my sake. I never met anyone but I was going insane with you being here and me being there. I never meant to hurt you but it was the only thing I could think of at the time." She said as she looked down again. He sat there for what seemed like an eternity before looking back at her. The letter that had ripped his world to shreds was a lie. He knew that he couldn't be mad at her for sending the letter even though it was a lie. He didn't know what had pushed her to send the letter but he did forgive her because it was Kim and he loved her more than he could ever hate her.

"I do forgive you because it was something that you had felt was right for you. I know it must have been hard to be down there by your self and all your friends over 3,000 miles away." He said as he placed his hand under her chin and raising her face to his.

"Are you sure because I know it was mean." She asked him.

"Yes I am sure because we are friends but what are you going to do?" He asked her.

"My life is still in Florida right now but the moment its not, I am coming back here." She said to him. He knew that he would wait for her to come back because no one would ever make him feel this way. It was like he was only complete when she was near.

"I understand and I will be here waiting for you when you come back." He said as he pulled her closer to hug her. They stayed like for only a short bit before Kim leaned back and gained her feet. He looked up at her.

"I have to go but find your dream, Tommy." She said as she turned away from him and walked away. He would do as she asked. He would find his dream that did not include Power Rangers or Kim. He could this because he had to do this.

XXXX

Kim turned and looked at Tommy one more time. Sighing she turned back to see a Red truck with Jason leaning against the hood.

"Is he alright?" Jason asked as she drew closer.

"No but he will be." She said as she stopped in front of him.

"Then why are you leaving him out there? I called you to fix him!" Jason said through his teeth.

"I can't fix him this time; he needs to do this on his own. He needs to find out who he is without the power. This is his time." She said as she walked over to him. She stopped just a few feet in front of him.

"I'm sorry, Kim." He said as he wrapped his arms around her. She cried into his chest at the thought of Tommy hurting but she couldn't do anything. Jason just let her cry as he rubbed his hands down her back. He was in pain at the thought of both of his best friends hurting. This was between them now though and he had to stay out of it.

XXXX

"Can I help you?" A tall man dressed in overalls asked Tommy as he got out of his car.

"Yea, my uncle works here and I need to see him." He said to the man as he walked closer. The man was dressed in overalls with oil stains. He was a typical mechanic.

"Who is your uncle, young man?" The man asked as he leaned against the door jam. He was holding what look like a muffler from a racecar. Tommy couldn't be sure but it looked like it was the newest model that had taken the track by storm.

"His name is Earl and he owns this shop." Tommy said standing just a little straighter.

"Yea I own the shop and how are you son?" His Uncle Earl asked from behind the man. He was also dressed in overalls that were stained with grease and transmission fluid. It was how he always looked when Tommy came to visit.

"I'm good." He said walking over to his mother's brother.

"That's good and I see that you still have that long hair. How is Kimberly? You still seeing her?" He asked as he threw a heavy arm around Tommy's shoulders.

"I like my hair long and Kim is fine but no I am not seeing her. We are on a break since she is in Florida." Tommy said as his uncle led him into his office.

"Oh well she will come back but what can I do for you?" He asked as he shut his door. He noticed that his guys got back to work since the mystery of the long hair boy was solved.

"I need a job and I know that you are looking for a driver." Tommy said laying it all out on the line. He had finally come to the conclusion that he could drive race cars. He loved his Turbo car and a race car wasn't much different than Red Lighting. He knew that if he could handle the Turbo car then he could handle a race car.

"Now just cause you are family doesn't mean that I can just give you the job. You have to earn it just like all my employees do." He said with a smile. Tommy knew that he could prove his merit if given the chance.

"Let me show you." He said simply.

"You crash my car and you are paying for it." Earl said as he led Tommy out to the practice track in back. He led Tommy to the locker room and pointed to the fire suits against the wall and helmets on the counter. He then left Tommy alone to change and prepare himself for the ride of his life. Tommy smiled as he stripped to his boxers and got into the fire suit that was green, white, and red. It was like his calling with all his ranger colors on it. This was what he was meant to do.

XXXX

Kim walked into the gym and smiled. She was ready to start training once again but this time instead of training for Pan Globals; she would train for the Olympics. This time it was a lot different than when she had come here a year ago. She was more confident in her abilities and this was her dream. She had to live this out to wherever it would take her.

"Welcome back, Kimberly." An older man said to her as he walked over to her. He stopped just short of her and smiled.

"Thank you, Coach. Its good to be back." She said as she walked to the locker room. There she changed into her pink leotard. It had a faint outline of a falcon and crane in white. She smiled when she saw herself in the mirror. It was like coming home again. She walked back out to the gym and smiled at her teammates as she made her way to the beam. It was her favorite event and it was also her best. She had gotten the gold at the Pans for it. Now she was going to step out of her comfort zone and push her performance to the next level. She had too if she wanted Gold. She stepped onto the blue mat and raised her arms up with her fingers pointed out and a smile on her face. She lowered her arms and flipped up onto the beam. Breathing out, she flipped back and landed on her hands. She went through her entire routine and flipped back off the beam without missing a step. Her coach made his way over to her and she turned to face him.

"You have gotten better Kimberly in the two months that I gave you for a break." He said with a smile.

"I couldn't stay off the beam for two months. It was calling my name." She told him as she walked over to the mat to run through her routine of flips, round-offs, and cart wheels. When she finished up for the day, she wondered about Tommy. She wondered if he was on his way to finding his dream.

XXXX

"Kim, please don't worry about me." Tommy said over the phone. He had called her to tell her that he was racing now and to hear how she was doing.

"Tommy, it doesn't matter how many times you tell me that, I will always worry about you. I will watch you though and remember may the power protect you." She said as they said their goodbyes. She had class and he had a race to get too. Their lives were miles apart but at least they were living their lives without being wrapped up in the Ranger world. This was a great start for them.

XXXX

Six Months Later

"Kim, why do we have to watch this? Its not even the major race only the qualifier." Sandy said to her roommate. They had shared a loft since Kim had moved to Florida. It was next to the gym where they trained so that they could walk instead of drive everyday.

"One of my best friends is racing and this is his first race." She said as she grabbed the popcorn and sat down next to Sandy.

"Which one is it? You have so many best friends." Sandy said with a smile. She had always thought that you could only have one best friend, maybe two but that was not the case with Kim. She had like 10 and she was really close to them as well. One of them called at least once a week just to check up on her.

"Tommy." Kim said simply ignoring the little jump in her pulse at just the mention of his name. It happened every time she said his name.

"Your ex? Why are you still friends with him?" Sandy asked her in shock.

"We are still close friends even though we used to date because we were friends before we dated." Kim said as the tv cut back to more of the races. Kim was so excited about seeing Tommy on the tv and also happy that he had found his dream even though it scared her to death. He handled the car with an ease that Kim thought only a ranger would have. He was an excellent driver but even the best drivers make mistakes. It was a fact of life.

"We also share many of the same friends and besides I have known him since freshman year of high school. We are close even though we broke up." Kim said before turning back to watch the action that was taking place on screen. Tommy's heat was up next and it was a difficult one but he could do.

XXXX

"Man, shut up because Tommy is up next." Jason said as Rocky and Adam turned to look at their roommate. They had all decided to live together while they were in college.

"He is going to do fine." Rocky said as he grabbed the popcorn and walked over to the couch. Adam had the drinks and sat on the other side of the couch. Since they were in college they didn't have but one couch that had seen its better days but they were broke. It served its purpose.

"I know but I still have to watch him." Jason said as he grabbed his coke from Adam.

"Yea we know and if we weren't friends and former teammates then we would kick your butt. You are a pig Jason. Look at the pile of empty wrappers, cans of coke, and popcorn at your feet." Adam said which caused Rocky to start laughing. It was a fact that the girls refused to come and visit them because their house was a mess. Sometimes the girls took pity on them and came in to clean every few weeks.

"I'll get to that after Tommy's race." He said never taking his eyes off the huge tv in the corner of the room.

"Yea okay." Rocky said as he grabbed his drink from Adam and they settled in to watch Tommy's qualifying round. It was his first race on this circuit and they were all nervous about him moving up so fast. It was only six months ago that he had even thought about racing and Jason still worried about him. He knew that somewhere in Florida Kim was watching Tommy climb in that car just as he was. She was probably biting her nails that had once been painted pink. Elsewhere other former rangers were watching their former leader climb into the car and take his practice lap around that circle.

XXXX

"And there you have it folks, the kid from California showing you how's it done. In his first appearance on this circuit, Tommy Oliver claims first place in his heat thus placing him well in tomorrow's race. He will be the one to look at as he made this track look like it was nothing but straight." The announcer said as Kim turned off her tv. She looked down at her nails and saw that they were nothing and the paint was long gone. Tommy had done well but she had been nervous the whole time. How would she ever keep her promise to watch him race if just his qualifier tore her up. She got up and took her dishes to the sink so that she could wash them in the morning. It was time for bed and to put her mind at ease. He was safe to race another day and that day was too soon for Kim. She also had a meet tomorrow that she needed to rest up for.

XXXX

"Tommy, why are you watching gymnastics?" His uncle asked him as he came into the travel trailer.

"Kim is competing today and I promised her that I would watch." Tommy said as he shifted the ice bag around his knee. He had taken a beaten his first weekend out and now his body was letting him know it.

"Kim, does she still call every night even though you are on break?" His uncle asked him as he grabbed a drink from the fridge.

"Yea and she said hi." Tommy said with a smile.

"Well that's nice but I guess that I better leave you in peace to watch your girl perform. Remember to not keep that ice on you knee all night." His uncle said as he walked back out. Tommy smiled and said okay before turning back to watch Kim walk out. He smiled bigger when he saw her leotard. It was pink and white with green dots on it. He knew that it was a nod to their past. He thought about the racing team and smiled again. Falcon racing was his idea and his uncle had agreed to it. His car was white with a green falcon on it. He had design the entire thing along with his fire suit. He was brought back to the present when he heard Kim's name. He sat back and watched her new routines on the floor, uneven bars, but more importantly he watched her on the beam. She performed each move with the beauty and grace that had made her the crane in the first place. He was proud of her and wished that he could rush to her and give her a big hug. He would have a dozen pink roses ready for her when she stepped off the blue mat. He felt bad for not being there for her even though they had agreed that this was better for them.

XXXX

This weekend was a great one for the citizens of Angel Grove not only do they have the Power Rangers but also two of sport's most outstanding athletes. Tommy Oliver and Kimberly Hart showed the world that more than rangers live in Angel Grove. Tommy new to the world of racing took home the hardware and the money of first place. Kimberly who was first at the Pans last year showed the world that once again she had what it took to take home the Gold. Both are in great positions to take it all the way. I know that this sportscaster is keeping his eye on this couple.

XXXX

"Wow they even share the news together." Aisha said with a laugh as she finished the dishes. She didn't know why she ever came over to the boys' apartment because she ended of cleaning.

"I say that they both take home the gold this year." Rocky said from the living room.

"Are you going to bet against him Jase?" Adam asked him.

"No because that would mean that I don't have faith in Tommy and Kim. I know that they can win." Jason said as he got and walked to his room. He thought that it was funny that Tommy and Kim were both on the news for their sports. Even though they were three thousand miles apart, they were together.

XXXX

Okay what did everyone think? Please let me know. Again this story starts in the years between Turbo and Forever Red. I wanted to show Tommy and Kim during those years and how they are becoming the adults they are meant to be. The next chapter should be out soon.