Author's Note: This story is going to take place as if the Buffy series started in 1990. So the end of the Buffy series will line up perfectly and explain why Kimberly sent Tommy the infamous letter. I know this isn't how I usually do things but this idea just popped into my brain and I ran with it. Please read and review! I'd love to hear what you all think. I hope you love it!
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Ernie's Juice Bar and Gym didn't bustle with its usual crowd of students as the group from the martial arts tournament entered for their celebration party. Ernie made sure that the place was decorated to celebrate the champions when the fight was over. Parents, friends and some other family members filled the room as the group entered save for one person. Kimberly Hart was nowhere to be found. She'd slipped away earlier, hoping that no one would notice her absence. She had left the arena as the guys were going to change but before anyone else.
"Hey, where's Kim," Jason asked, looking around for the former pink ranger.
"I don't know," Kat said, "but there are a lot of people here. I'm sure she's around here somewhere." Jason scanned the crowd but didn't see the petite woman anywhere. He turned to the rest of the group and shook his head, suddenly very worried. Usually she would say something before disappearing like this. Jason was aware that she had acquired certain responsibilities since leaving the team and knew she was prone to disappearing, most of the time, after dark.
"Do you want to go look for her," Tommy offered, much to Kat's annoyance. She'd been trying to get Tommy to notice her ever since Kimberly had left and worked so much harder after she sent Tommy that letter.
"I don't know if that's a good idea," Jason said, giving a hopefully reassuring smile.
"Well, Divatox might still be out there," Tommy said, "I don't want Kim to be out there alone. If Divatox attacks, she won't stand a chance without her Ranger powers."
"She can hold her own," Jason said, "I just don't want her to miss out on the festivities." The others just nodded and went about their mingling but Tommy was giving Jason the evil eye. He knew when his best friend was lying to him.
"Where is she, Jas," Tommy asked, arms crossed across his chest. Jason opened his mouth and then, as if on cue, they both heard a crash outside. The party continued as nobody seemed phased by the noise or didn't hear it over the noise inside. Tommy and Jason were closest to the door and both ran outside just as Kimberly slid across the pavement of the parking lot on her side.
"KIM", Tommy yelled and moved to go help her but Jason grabbed him and pulled him back.
"THAT IS IT," Kim yelled as she got to her feet, pulling off her now ripped leather jacket. She had hoped that her semi-all the time saving of the world wouldn't have followed her to Angel Grove but sadly that was not the case. She balled up the jacket and slammed it on the ground, standing feet apart and looking out ahead of her as something stalked toward her in the dark.
"Come on," she said out loud, without realizing that she had an audience. He came out of the shadows and into the street light. It was a man with the ugliest face Tommy had ever seen.
"What is that," Tommy said and his voice caught Kim's attention. She threw a glance in his direction and then heard the guy in front of her start charging.
"Keep back," she called to both Jason and Tommy as she ran toward the man that had been chasing her. As he got within reach, he balled up his fist and pulled back to throw a punch but Kim was way ahead of him. She landed a kick to the side of his face, grabbed him under the arm and flipped him over her shoulder. He landed with a sick thud but quickly recovered. He threw a kick and she back flipped out of the way but he caught her on the way down and sent her flying into the nearest tree.
Watching her hit the tree and fall face first into the grass made Tommy start toward but again, Jason held him back.
"What are you doing man," Tommy growled, "She needs our help."
"Trust me," Jason said, "You don't want to get in the middle of this." Kimberly started to get to her feet just as she was met with a kick to the stomach. She hit the tree again and felt his icy hands around her neck as he lifted her up.
"Give it up, girl," he snarled, "I'm going to kill you and then I'm going kill them." Kimberly swung her legs up around his extended arm, her feet encompassing his neck. She used the momentum from the swing to force herself out of his grip and flipped down ward, tossing him to the ground. She rolled and then sprung back to her feet. He charged her again, threw a punch and she blocked. She connected a swift left, right, and then an uppercut. Then she spotted a broken branch and back flipped over to it. He closed the space between them with two long strides and she threw another punch and swiftly drove the broken end of the branch into his chest.
"Not tonight asshole," she muttered as the man looked up at her and burst into a pile of dust. Then she turned to Tommy and Jason, who had been watching the whole thing.
"What the hell was that," Tommy all but yelled as he and Jason made it over to Kim.
"Well, um," Kim started but looked up at the rustling in the bushes.
"Slayer," came a gruff, wet voice. Then it appeared out of the bushes.
"Ah come on," Kim groaned, then turned to look at Jason and Tommy, "Excuse me." She took off running in one direction, leapt into the air and landed a kick to the owner of the voice. Then she didn't stay on her feet very long as the demon back handed her and sent her flying inti the side of a car. Thankfully the car didn't seem to have an alarm. She struggled to her feet as the beast stalked toward her. It was large with ram's horns coming out of its head and walked on two furry hoofed feet. Its hands like clubs. It had a semi human looking face but this thing had teeth like razors and the tongue of a snake.
"Jason," Kim yelled, "my ax!" She pointed across the lot to a black bag and Jason ran toward it, pulling a large battle ax from the bag. He tossed it up, caught it by the handle and then threw it in Kim's direction. She ducked as a clubbed fist swung in her direction then hopped up and grabbed the ax midair and twirled it around her back to her other hand. Then she swung hard at the neck of the beast, sending its head flying but not before it landed a hard blow to her ribcage. She could hear the loud cracks as her ribs splintered. The demon body felt to its knees and then onto its chest as the head rolled to a stop in the middle of the street and was squashed by a speeding truck. Kimberly pulled matches and a flask out of her back pocket, dosed the body, struck a match and dropped it. The body burst into flames and disappeared. She walked over to Tommy, bloody ax still in hand.
"What the hell…" Tommy started to say.
"Shut up," Kimberly said, wrapping her free hand around his neck and pulling him in to her. She planted her lips on his and kissed him deeply. He was stunned and shocked but wrapped his arms around her and returned her kiss. She dropped her ax and wrapped both arms around his neck and he squeezed her closer to him until she let out a pain filled OW.
"Maybe we should get you to the Command Center and have Alpha run some scans," Tommy suggested. Kimberly smiled and nodded.
"I'll tell everyone you couldn't make it and Tommy, you went home early," Jason said, picking up Kim's black bag, "I'll just put this in my trunk." Kim thanked him and picked up her ax and she and Tommy disappeared in a flash of red light.
"Alpha, Kim needs help," Tommy said as they landed. Kimberly allowed Alpha to scan her and tell her what she already knew.
"I'll prepare the repair chamber for you, Kimberly," Alpha said, "Your injuries are quite extensive." The little robot walked away and down a long corridor. Kim gave a pain filled smile and looked at Tommy.
"So are you going to explain this to me or do I have to guess," Tommy asked, his long hair falling over his shoulders as he leaned against the control panels and looked at her. She stood before him in dark blue jeans and a black spaghetti strap top and black boots, her hair pulled into a pony tail.
"I'm sorry, Tommy," she said, "I should have just told you but I couldn't."
"Tell me what," he asked, stepping toward her.
"I sent you that letter last year because I found out who I was," she started, "Or what I was, actually."
"So it's safe to say that there wasn't another guy and you really don't think of me like your brother," he ventured.
"Tommy, you are the furthest thing from my brother," she said, "I only said that to ensure that you wouldn't come after me to fix it. I was in the middle of some pretty gnarly stuff and I couldn't have you near me. Honestly, I'm surprised I made it out alive." His eyes got wide but she waved her hand as if to say that it didn't matter. She took a breath, winced in pain and then continued.
"I'm a vampire slayer. A year ago, the one and only slayer used her best friend's magic to release the powers and make all the woman of the world that might one day be vampire slayers actual vampire slayers. I had been drawn to Sunnydale and went there instead of Florida. I fought along other potential slayers until we went into battle against The First Evil. A lot of the girls didn't make it, but I was one of the lucky ones. Now that there are slayers all over the world, instead of there only being one in the world, Evil has really been retreating. Cliff notes: old men thousands of years ago infused one girl in the whole world with the strength, skills and power fight vampires and demons. Fast forward to now, we used magic to make all women with slayer blood an active slayer with the strength and skill to fight evil. I am one of those women. No other guy, just me and some wicked battles with my fellow slayers." She waited and looked at him. Tommy looked utterly stunned. His mouth fell open a little bit like he didn't know what to say.
"I know it's a lot to process but are you okay," she asked.
"Yeah," he said, "It's just, like you said, a lot to process."
"I'm still the same person, Tommy. I just had a higher calling. That doesn't mean that I didn't miss you or think about you or wish that I could be here every minute of every day," she said, tears suddenly started to fill her eyes, "God I missed you. And I am so sorry for lying to you. I just couldn't put you in anymore danger. Especially not knowing if I was going to make it out." Tommy nodded, still processing all of it. She just stared at the ground, tears rolling down her face. Tommy crossed the room and lifted her head with two fingers under chin. Tommy leaned in and kissed her lips. She cried into his kiss, wrapping arms around him.
"I've missed you so much, Kim," he said, "You have no idea."
"I think I do," she said with a tear filled chuckle.
"Kimberly, the repair chamber is ready for you," Alpha said from the hallway. Both Kim and Tommy turned and followed the robot to the medical bay where a gel filled tube sat in the middle of the room. Kimberly had been here many times and knew what to do. She stripped her jeans and her top off. Climbed into the thick gel and laid her head back onto the only dry spot in the chamber. Tommy came over and held her hand as she felt the blue gel surround her. She let go of his hand and pulled hers inside the chamber.
"I'll be right here when you're done," he said. She nodded and the chamber closed Kimberly inside. Tommy took a seat and waited while Alpha pressed some buttons and left the room.
