Title: Can I Walk You Home?
Chapter: 1/1
Original Posting Date: September 16, 2008
Summary: A birthday gathering like no other leads to a simple question, but it's the questions that follow the first that aren't so simple. Sometimes, though, knowing the answer isn't what's important. Sometimes it's about the journey that takes you to it and the people that you encounter along the way. For Tommy Oliver and Kimberly Hart, the journey to their answers is about to reach its end.
"Love at first sight is easy to understand; it's when two people have been looking at each other for a lifetime that it becomes a miracle," – Amy Bloom.
"The heart has its reasons which reason knows not of," – Blaise Pascal.
"I think we dream so we don't have to be apart for so long. If we're in each other's dreams, we can be together all the time," – Hobbes.
"Love vanquishes time. To lovers, a moment can be eternity, and eternity can be the tick of a clock," – Mary Parrish.
"Each time that one loves is the only time that one has ever loved. Difference of object does not alter singleness of passion. It merely intensifies it. We can have but one great experience at best, and the secret of life is to reproduce that experience as often as possible," – Oscar Wilde.
--
The mild, Southern California sun tickled the arms of Dr. Tommy Oliver on this July afternoon as he climbed into his Jeep, located in his personal spot in the teacher's parking lot of Reefside High School. Tossing his briefcase onto the passenger seat, Tommy settled into his own chair and let out a content, grateful sigh.
Finally, the school year had reached its' end. There were no more tests to grade or detentions to oversee, no more chaperoning dances or parent-teacher conferences and, most importantly of all, no more having to wake up at five o'clock in the morning five days a week. For the next two and a half months, Tommy was completely freed of the responsibility that his chosen profession required him to maintain.
It was a good thing, too, because today was not just another ordinary day. Today was Tommy's thirtieth birthday, a day he'd been both dreading and looking forward to since his best friend, Jason Scott, had hinted at a possible party nearly a month before. Tommy hadn't heard another word about a party since that day, but he couldn't help getting his hopes up. After all, this was his thirtieth and he wanted it to be memorable.
Unfortunately, it hadn't been anything special so far. Other than talking to his parents at lunch and the cake in the teacher's lounge courtesy of the science department, today had been just another day. Deep down, Tommy was somewhat disappointed that he had not yet heard from any of his friends and former teammates.
If nothing else, he'd at least thought that Jason or Kimberly would have called him by now. Ever since Kimberly had moved back to Angel Grove two years ago, the trio had practically been inseparable despite the road blocks that had initially stood in their way upon her return. They'd kept in touch over the years, so it wasn't like Kimberly was coming home on bad terms. In fact, it was quite the opposite.
For the first few months, whenever they got together Tommy had found it damn near impossible not to slip back into old habits. If they went to see a movie, for example, Tommy had to fight with himself to keep his arm from slipping around her shoulder. Even though they hadn't been a couple for over a decade, Tommy still felt a certain sense of protectiveness towards the petite woman.
On one of her first nights back, they had gone out to a club in Los Angeles along with Jason and Zack, the latter of whom having returned to the area with Trini before their junior year of college. At some point in the night, Tommy had gone off to use the restroom and came back to find Kimberly dancing rather closely with a man he'd never seen before. It had taken the combined efforts of Jason, Zack, and every ounce of self-control in his body not to start a fight with the guy.
Over time, though, he'd settled into the role of friend and the pair had grown incredibly close in that two year period, but in the past couple of months they had been hovering dangerously close to something more. The last time they went to the movies, Tommy had put his arm around her and Kimberly had snuggled up next to him oh-so-naturally. Almost all of their conversations involved flirting on some level, and they had even shared a kiss that lasted far longer than it should have considering it had been initiated by Jason during a drunken game of Truth or Dare.
When exactly their relationship had taken this sudden change, Tommy wasn't entirely sure. It had sort of just happened like that and neither one of them had ever tried to stop it. And while neither was likely to ever admit it to the other, they both enjoyed this level of comfortable flirtatiousness immensely.
Remembering the kiss, a wry grin spread across Tommy's lips as he pulled the Jeep into the gravel driveway in front of his house. He'd barely stepped out of the car when he felt his cell phone vibrating against his leg. Removing the device from his pocket, a huge smile formed on Tommy's face as he read the name on the screen and flipped the phone open.
"Hello," said Tommy casually, trying not to sound too excited.
"Don't give me that crap, bro. I know you've been waiting all day to hear my voice," Jason replied, laughing.
Tommy scoffed sarcastically. "You wish, Jase."
"Well then, if Tommy's going to be an ass about it, I guess Jason is just going to have to hang up and forget any mention of anything that may or may not be happening at the Casa de Scott tonight at seven."
Had he been looking in a mirror, Tommy would have seen his eyes glimmer. He looked down at his watch and saw that it was just barely four o'clock, leaving him plenty of time to get cleaned up and make it to Angel Grove by seven. Gathering up his things, he shut the Jeep's driver side door and started up the walkway towards his house
"Did I mention how much I love you?" asked Tommy teasingly.
"Let's not talk about who you love and who you don't, 'cause we both know the truth about that one," Jason joked back, earning a chuckle and an eye roll from Tommy. "So, you gonna be there or what, bro?"
"I don't know, man," Tommy answered nonchalantly. Entering his home, he tossed his briefcase onto the sofa where it would remain for at least a week, and then immediately headed for the kitchen. "I've got a bunch of finals to grade, and it's been such a long week…I just don't know if I can make it."
Retrieving an apple from the refrigerator, Tommy chomped down into the piece of fruit as loudly as possible. He chewed into the phone even louder, but Jason merely laughed at his friend. "Real cute, bro, real cute."
"I knew you'd enjoy that," Tommy replied. He could practically see Jason shaking his head and rolling his eyes at him.
"So I'll see you at seven then, right?"
Tommy sighed dramatically, really doing his best to make it seem like he wasn't up for it when, in reality, he was already thinking about what he wanted to wear. "Yeah, I guess so," he muttered. "Do you want me to bring anything?"
"For crying out loud, man, it's yourbirthday. Just bring yourself and leave the rest to the capable hands of Jason and the Zack-man."
Tommy's mouth fell open in disbelief. "You're letting Zack help plan this?" he asked incredulously. "Do you seriously not remember what happened the last time we let Zack plan someone's birthday? I mean, I know my memory sucks and everything, but even I remember that night. If this is going to involve strippers in any way, I'm out. There's no way I'm gonna relive Billy's bachelor party, bro."
Jason laughed heartily at this, recalling vividly the night Tommy spoke so ill of. "Come on, T, it wasn't Zack's fault the company sent the wrong girls."
"Correction, Jase," Tommy interjected quickly, exiting the kitchen en route to his bedroom, "the company didn't send girls. You see, women are all different my friend. Some are tall, some are short; some are fat, some are skinny; some have big boobs and some don't, but you know what they all have in common, buddy? Vaginas; and the strippers that came over that night were all missing that one commonality. I refuse to get another lap dance from someone that's packing more heat than I am."
By this point Jason had been reduced to tears and howls of laughter, neither of which Tommy found the least bit amusing. Both could still remember that night six months back and the shocked, horrified look on Tommy's face when he'd felt a little something extra touching his leg. Half of a year later, it still made Tommy sick to his stomach every time he thought about that night.
"Are you quite done yet?" asked Tommy, tucking the phone in between his shoulder as he started shuffling about his bedroom in search of something to wear. On the other end of the line he could hear Jason panting, struggling to catch his breath from the laughing fit that he'd been reduced to.
"I'm sorry, man," Jason answered in between a series of deep breaths. "I just…oh God, I wish you could have seen the look on your face. Hands down, the funniest thing I have ever seen in my entire life."
Walking into his closet, Tommy shook his head, fighting the urge to laugh at himself. Even if it had been a horrifying experience at the time, in retrospect he had to admit that he'd be giving Jason the same treatment if the shoe had been on the other foot. Still, he wasn't going to let Jason know that he thought it was funny.
"If there's nothing else," said Tommy dryly, "I'm gonna call you an ass hole, say I'll see you at seven, and then hang up."
"Give it to me, baby," Jason replied, biting his bottom lip in an effort to contain his laughter.
"K, you're an ass hole and I'll see you at seven," Tommy retorted, ending the call before Jason could say anything else.
Oddly enough, as soon as he hung up with Jason he started to feel something that he had not experienced in quite some time. As he looked around his closet in search of the perfect shirt, butterflies touched his stomach. He was nervous.
"I haven't been nervous in fifteen years," he murmured to himself, "not since that day in the park with… with Kimberly."
If there was any one memory that Tommy held closest to his heart it was of that warm afternoon shortly after he'd lost his Ranger powers to Rita Repulsa's Green Candle. The kiss, fleeting as it was, had been the first for both he and Kimberly. And of all the kisses he'd engaged in over those fifteen years, not one came even close to meaning as much to him as the first one he'd shared with that petite brunette, in the park overlooking Angel Grove lake.
Letting out a soft sigh, Tommy forced himself to push those memories back into the depths of his mind. It was okay to remember the past, but dwelling on it and wishing for what could have been was not. Breathing in deeply, he silently reminded himself of what today was; not just his birthday, but his chance to take back once and for all that which he never should have lost in the first place.
Picking the right outfit would be the first step in that process. His first thoughts were that he couldn't go too casual, that he had to choose an ensemble that would truly knock Kimberly off her feet, but then he started to question that line of thinking. On one hand, he wanted to impress her; on the other hand, however, he didn't want it to seem like he was going out of his way to accomplish that goal.
Eventually, he decided on a crisp pair of jeans and a form fitting white tee shirt with matching low-top tennis shoes; not too classy, but not too casual either. Plus, Kimberly had told him many times before that she had always preferred him in white. It was perfect; exactly what he was looking for. He could only hope that his night went half as good.
Following a quick shower and shave, Tommy was dressed and out the door at just passed five-fifteen, hopping into his Jeep for the ninety minute drive from Reefside to Angel Grove. Loud, hard rock blasted from the vehicle's sound system. Riding with the top down, the gentle breeze was a welcomed addition as he maneuvered through Reefside like only he knew how to do.
It didn't take very long for Tommy to reach the freeway, shooting down the far right lane of Interstate-Five. Unfortunately, it took even less time for him to see the glow of brake lights looming in the distance. He cursed under his breath, smacking the top of the steering wheel as he brought the Jeep to a stop behind a semi-truck.
For nearly fifteen minutes, traffic was stop and go at best. In those fifteen minutes, Tommy had to have looked down at the clock on his radio at least a dozen times, if not more. By the time cars had started to move at a pace faster than a snail's crawl, Tommy was seriously starting to wonder if he was going to make it on time. "Jason will never let me hear the end of it if I'm late for my own freaking birthday party," he muttered to himself.
Deciding that being late was not a viable option, Tommy looked over his shoulder to his left, waiting for an opening to make his move. When it finally came, he took it without hesitation. In one swift move he pulled the Jeep across four lanes of traffic, into the carpool lane, and pressed down heavily on the gas pedal.
Luckily, he'd left his home a little early. In fact, he turned into Jason's neighborhood in west Angel Grove at exactly six fifty-seven. Oddly enough, however, all the lights in Jason's house were out and not a single car was parked in front.
"This is where I walk inside, turn on the lights, and everyone jumps out from behind the couch screaming Happy Birthday at me. Awesome," he said sarcastically, removing his keys from the ignition as he climbed out of the Jeep and then started towards the house.
He approached the spacious, two story home, stopped at the front door, and reached for the handle expectantly. Not surprisingly, Tommy found that the door was unlocked. He opened it, but did not immediately enter, opting instead to wait in the doorway for when everyone was supposed to jump out at him.
After nearly a minute of nothing happening, he looked around the dark, empty living room in disappointment. At the center of the room, right in front of a black leather couch, was a shiny oak coffee table upon which a piece of paper rested harmlessly. Furrowing his brow, Tommy crossed the room to investigate, snatching the sheet from where it laid.
The lack of light in the room made it difficult for him to read the handwritten letter, causing him to squint as he cursed himself for leaving his eyeglasses back in Reefside. Searching the walls, he found the appropriate switch and flipped it up, instantly illuminating the room. Silently, he started to read the letter.
Tommy,
If you're reading this before seven, then let me just say that I'm impressed, but since we both know it's at least 7:15, I won't hold my breath. Seriously though, your ass better not be too late. We're all down at the Truck Stop waiting for you so hurry up and get over here.
See ya later bro,
Jase
"Really, Jase, you couldn't have just told me that three hours ago?" asked Tommy to no one in particular. Rolling his eyes, he folded up the letter and stuffed it into his back pocket, turning for his Jeep and the club on the outskirts of Angel Grove that shared no similarities with its namesake. While the name may have been misleading, the Truck Stop was the most upscale nightclub in Angel Grove and its surrounding towns. And while Tommy's outfit may have been appropriate for a house party, it was not for the Truck Stop.
Sighing, he exited the house and descended the steps leading from the porch to the path which extended out to the driveway. He hit the bottom step, just barely out from under the roof, and froze on the spot. His years as an active Power Ranger had heightened his senses; he could tell when something wasn't right and, while he wasn't sure exactly what it was, he knew that this was one of those times.
His instincts, however, kicked in a moment too late.
"BOMBS AWAY!" someone, a female, yelled from overhead.
Tommy looked up just in time to see a red, circular shaped object plummeting straight towards his face courtesy of Kimberly Hart standing on the first floor roof. The plastic sphere exploded on impact, drenching his face with ice cold water as Kimberly laughed at his expense. Wiping the pieces of broken water balloon away from his face, Tommy pointed at her. "Oh, you are so going to get it when you come down from there, missy."
"Mmm, I hope so," Kimberly replied. Shooting Tommy a quick wink, she turned her back to him. "Catch me, my white knight!"
With all the trust in the world, Kimberly made the ten foot jump, turning her body horizontally in mid-air. She landed safely, comfortably, in Tommy's arms. Reaching up, she gently wiped some of the water off of his face. "Aww, look, I got you all wet," she said teasingly, smiling up at him.
"Oh, don't worry about it, Kim. I'm sure I'm gonna be saying the same thing to you sooner or later," Tommy retorted, smirking as he set her down. Kimberly scoffed, opening her mouth for a comeback, but she was intentionally cut off by Tommy. "Where's Jason so I can kick his ass for putting you up to this?"
"Who said Jason had anything to do with it?" asked Kimberly, hands on her hips in defiance. "I'll have you know that Jason isn't even here. He went to the grocery store with the others."
A confused expression formed on Tommy's face. "The grocery store?" he questioned, Kimberly nodding. "What about that note inside that said everyone was at the Truck Stop?"
Kimberly chuckled, shaking her head. "I can't believe you've known Jason for fifteen years and thought that was his handwriting. I mean, I forged my mom's signature well enough in high school, but even I have to admit that looks nothing like Jason's. You men are so easy to fool."
Tommy stared at her incredulously, his mouth practically hanging open. "Let me get this straight, Jason and at least eight other people went to the grocery store and you stayed behind to hit me in the face with a water balloon?"
Kimberly shrugged. "Yeah, that about sums it up. Happy Birthday, by the way," she answered, opening her arms for a hug that Tommy accepted graciously. "So how does it feel to be the big three-o?"
"I don't know, you tell me. After all, you are the oldest one in the group," Tommy answered, digging in with one of the few jabs Kimberly didn't have a retort for. When she didn't even try a come back, Tommy actually felt a little bit bad and quickly changed the subject. "Why did everyone have to go to the grocery store? Is he buying the whole place, or what?"
Kimberly bit her bottom lip, not wanting to reveal why they had all gone to the store. "Well, umm, I'm not really supposed to tell you. They'll be back in a few minutes and then you can see for yourself."
Tommy started to say something, but stopped when he heard the distant sounds of yelling and screaming quickly growing closer. Not five seconds later he saw a white Hummer limousine approaching the house; Adam, Jason, Rocky, and Zack were all poking their heads out of the sun roof with drinks in hand.
"That is easily the biggest car that I have ever seen," Tommy murmured. Angling his head so he could see Kimberly, he looked down at her, unable to contain his smile as she latched onto his arm and returned the grin. "Where are we going? Please tell me we're going somewhere in that thing tonight."
Kimberly giggled at his reaction. "Come on," she said, pulling him towards the limousine.
Tommy went quietly, allowing Kimberly to lead him to the vehicle.
"Attention Angel Grove! Tommy Oliver is 30 today!" Rocky yelled at the top of his lungs, he and the other three men pointing and laughing at the Ranger's former leader.
"Can it, Rocko, or Aisha's gonna be asking why you can't walk straight," Tommy growled, staring back at the second Red Ranger.
Smirking, Tommy pointed to his foot and then to his butt, signifying what he was going to do to Rocky. The ex-Red and Blue Ranger fell silent instantly, his mouth snapping shut as the driver hurried around the limousine to let Tommy and Kimberly in.
"Happy Birthday, sir," the driver said with a smile, opening the door for the pair.
"Uh, thanks," Tommy replied, following Kimberly into the car.
For a moment, Tommy just looked around in disbelief. He'd seen Hummer limousines before, but he'd never actually been inside one. There were two refrigerators, three televisions, more seats than he cared to count, and enough room inside to house a small Zord.
Then there was the fact that many more people had shown up than he had been expecting to see. Not only were Adam, Jason, Rocky, Zack, and Kimberly all in attendance, but Billy, Aisha, Katherine, Trini, and Tanya were there as well. But those were the people he'd been expecting. Conner, Ethan, Trent, Kira, and Hayley were not.
"Happy Birthday, Dr. O," said Kira, giving her former mentor and teacher a quick hug.
"Thanks, Kira," Tommy replied. Looking around at his friends, his eyes settled on Jason and Zack. "You guys did this?"
Jason shook his head. "Nope," he answered, pointing to Kimberly. "She did."
Tommy looked over at Kimberly, almost surprised, and gave her a thankful smile.
"Yeah, we wanted to help but she wouldn't let us," Zack interjected, rolling his eyes. "We fought giant monsters together but she doesn't trust the Zack-man to throw a party. Man, I've been throwing parties since before parties were cool."
"I believe she has a valid reason for not entrusting Tommy's party to you, Zack," Billy added.
The men who had been there did their best to stifle their laughs for Tommy's sake. The story had been passed through the Ranger grapevine, and everyone in the limo except the four Dino Thunder Rangers had already heard it, which is exactly the way Tommy wanted to keep it. Conner getting a hold of that story was the last thing Tommy needed.
As the limousine pulled away from Jason's house, the remaining Rangers all took their turns wishing Tommy a Happy Birthday. When he'd finally taken a seat, it was with Kimberly on his left and Jason on his right. Paper bags from the grocery store lined the floor, earning Tommy's interest, but he opted to leave that for later. Right now, he just wanted to sit back, relax, and enjoy whatever Kimberly had planned for him. In fact, he could do little more than smile as he looked around, still trying to take everything in.
A lot had changed over the years. At some point or another, they had all gone their separate ways, to pursue their own lives, but somehow they had all found their way back home eventually. It was almost surreal how fast the time had gone when he could still look back and vividly remember his first day in Angel Grove.
Most of them were now married; Adam to Tanya, Billy to Trini, Rocky to Aisha, and Jason and Katherine had recently gotten engaged. Some things, however, didn't change, like Zack remaining as the lone single in the group of older Rangers aside from Tommy and Kimberly.
"I can't believe you're all here," Tommy murmured, smiling at his friends. "This is awesome, guys; thanks. But, uh, where are we going?"
Kimberly pursed her lips mischievously. "You'll see."
--
Like overly excited children, Adam, Conner, Jason, Rocky, Tommy, and Zack burst through the doors of the Staple's Center in Los Angeles, hooting and hollering as they stepped out into the cool of night with the others following shortly behind them. The six men all wore black t-shirts that depicted the competitors from the night's main event, a bout for the Light Heavyweight title in UFC's octagon between Canada's Georges St. Pierre and America's own Matt Serra.
"U.S.A., U.S.A.!" they chanted, yelling just as loudly as they had done in the arena for their fellow countryman.
"Bringing the title back home, baby!" bellowed Tommy, slapping high-fives with his friends.
"Hell yeah, bro!" added Jason, playfully throwing his arms around the shoulders of Tommy and Zack. "Man that was a good fight. I still can't believe Serra won, though. St. Pierre fights like a freaking machine or something."
"Yeah," said Rocky. Turning around to face the other guys, he skipped backwards excitedly. "But once Serra got that guillotine choke locked in, St. Pierre didn't stand a chance in Hell of winning that fight."
Without a single word of warning, Rocky made a move towards Adam in an attempt to recreate Matt Serra's winning submission hold. Adam easily sidestepped his friend, looking back to see Rocky nearly barrel into a group of strangers. Fourteen former Rangers and one ex-technical advisor laughed in unison as an embarrassed, blushing Rocky hurried back to rejoin the guys.
Behind them, Kimberly walked in between Aisha and Trini, her eyes never leaving Tommy's back as she watched him with a thoughtful expression. She'd had to pull quite a few strings to accommodate this many people on such short notice, but the end result, in her eyes, was so very much worth it. Seeing Tommy so genuinely happy made her smile; she couldn't help it when her eyes started to water slightly.
The two women in this world that she was closest to noticed this almost instantly. Sharing a fleeting look behind Kimberly's back, Aisha and Trini smiled at each other knowingly. Gently, Trini reached out and touched Kimberly's arm.
"You okay, Kim?" asked Trini.
Confused, Kimberly looked to her left as if she had just been shaken from an extended period of daydreaming. The pair of Yellow Rangers found her reaction quite amusing as it was one they had seen numerous times before. Neither woman cared to recount how many times they'd seen that look back in high school. And while the location had definitely changed, the reasoning behind the look had not.
"Of course she's not, Tri," Aisha interjected, smirking. "She's in looooooove."
Kimberly scoffed defensively. "I am so not in love. I'm in like; really, really like."
Aisha and Trini both knew better than to try and argue with Kimberly's own brand of logic.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night, girl," said Aisha, getting a roll of the eyes from Kimberly. "All I know is that I'm never going to one of these things with Rocky again. It's like men see blood and automatically forget about everything else except for the two guys beating the living crap out of each other."
Trini sighed. "Not Billy," she said softly. Looking over her shoulder to where Billy walked with Ethan and Hayley, she caught her husband's eye, giving him a quick smile and wave. "But scrap the blood and fighting, replace them with someone that has an IQ remotely close to his, and it's all the same."
"How did we go from talking about me and my love dilemmas to talking about you guys' and yours?" asked Kimberly sarcastically, the limousine coming into sight a few hundred feet ahead.
Aisha looked at Kimberly with an expression of faux shock. "But I thought you weren't in love?"
"I'm not," Kimberly answered adamantly.
"You mean you don't want to be," Trini interjected.
Trini's comment earned Kimberly's ire, the original Pink Ranger glaring daggers at her best friend. "Whatever."
Stepping in front of Kimberly, Aisha forced her to stop and folded her arms across her chest. "Why are you so afraid of loving Tommy? You always say that he was the only guy you've dated who never treated you wrong."
"I'm not afraid of loving him. It—it's," Kimberly stammered, rolling her eyes at her own inability to speak. "It's just…look, we all know how things ended between me and Tommy. And even though we're friends now, neither one of us ever had any real closure because of how far apart we were. I guess part of me is just worried that these feelings aren't real, that I'm pining for the past, and that's not fair to Tommy."
Trini nodded in understanding. "I know exactly what you're going through, Kim," she spoke softly. "When Zack and I came back for school, Billy was on another planet for goodness sake! Even if I had wanted to fall for him, I couldn't have, but then he came home the next summer and it was like high school all over again. For the longest time, I thought my feelings for Billy were based on the fact that he was the first boy I'd ever really cared for on a level that was more than just friendship."
"How did you know for sure that they weren't?" asked Kimberly meekly.
"I didn't. I still don't, in fact," Trini replied to Kimberly's confusion. "All that I knew then, and all that I know now, is that I love him more anything on Earth. Kim, the thing you have to understand is that love doesn't need an explanation."
"Apparently it doesn't wait for one, either," Aisha interjected, jerking her head to the left.
Turning her head, Kimberly saw Tommy jogging towards them, waving his hands in an attempt to gain someone's attention. "What's up?" she asked casually once he'd come to a stop in front of the trio.
"Everyone's back at the limo waiting for you guys. You ready to go?" Tommy replied, noting the distant expression that Kimberly wore. Silently, he wondered what had happened in the last few hours that could have forced her demeanor to suddenly change so drastically. All three women nodded and started for the limousine, but Tommy reached out and took a hold of Kimberly's wrist, waiting until Aisha and Trini were out of earshot before continuing. "Penny for your thoughts?"
"You're gonna need a lot more than a Penny," Kimberly answered, smiling as though nothing was wrong.
Tommy sighed. "I've known you long enough to know when something's bothering you. I've also known you long enough to know better than to try and force you to talk. But when you're ready to, I just want you to know that I'll be there to listen."
Looking up at Tommy, Kimberly swallowed hard and nodded. "Thanks," she croaked. "That means a lot to me."
Shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly, Tommy put his arm around Kimberly's shoulder as they started walking towards the limousine. "It's no problem," he replied, smiling. "Besides, the way I see it, I owe you big time for tonight. Thanks, by the way. This has easily been my best birthday ever."
"Well I'm glad you enjoyed it, and you're welcome," said Kimberly, leaning into his side just a little bit more. "But it's only just now ten o'clock and tomorrow is a Saturday. The night is far from over."
Tommy discovered exactly what Kimberly was talking about as soon as they had climbed into the limousine. One of the bags had been haphazardly discarded with the bottle of tequila in Jason's hand as he poured shots the evidence of what had once been in the bag. No sooner had they taken their seats than Jason was extending a glass to each of them. Once everyone had a glass, Jason quickly checked to make sure the privacy window between the back seat and driver was in place before clearing his throat loudly. When he had everyone's attention, he raised his glass in salute.
"Fifteen years," said Jason, pausing for effect. "That's how long I've known Tommy. For fifteen years we've fought side-by-side through everything. Whether it was Rita and Zedd, the Machine Empire, or the day to day problems of two teenaged superheroes trying to be normal we have always had each other's backs. I know I'm sounding like a sappy idiot so I'm just gonna stop now and say Happy Birthday, bro."
Smiling appreciatively, Tommy managed a small head nod. Knowing that words would only cheapen what Jason had already said he chose to remain silent, raising his own glass to accompany Jason's.
"Here, here," said Katherine, smiling at Tommy as she added her glass to the mix.
"Here, here," the others chorused, saluting Tommy with a sea of tequila filled shot glasses.
The drinks were thrown back, and with that the real party had officially started. Alcohol flowed freely on the thirty-minute return drive from Los Angeles to Angel Grove. At some point or another, each of the occupants in the limousine had stood up and screamed towards the heavens via the opened sunroof.
Amongst the group resided a true sense of camaraderie, something that had been developed over many years of shared experiences that so few people would ever be able to understand. Even the younger Rangers fit in seamlessly, a fact that Tommy was more than happy to take notice of. He'd done his absolute best to teach them, mold them in the same way that Zordon had done with him. That they were getting along with the older Rangers so well proved to Tommy that he had succeeded.
He smiled proudly as he watched the way they all mingled together, searching out the similar personalities in the group. Billy and Trini had joined up with Ethan and Hayley, as had Adam with Trent. Jason, Rocky, and Conner were engaged in a debate over soccer that, while heated and emotional, was very much lighthearted at the same time. The musically inclined in the ranks had banded together as well. Had Kimberly not been sitting with Tommy she surely would have joined Katherine, Kira, Tanya, and Zack in their discussion.
Noticing Tommy's expression, Kimberly placed a hand on his knee and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You did a good job, Tommy," she told him, smiling. "Zordon would have been very proud of you and everything that you have done."
Tommy was not prepared for the sudden wetness in his eyes that Kimberly's comment had caused. Willing himself not to cry, he bit back his tears and nodded fiercely. "Thank you," he managed, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I'd like to think that he would have been, too."
"Who's up for another round!?" yelled Jason, interrupting Tommy and Kimberly from any further discussion. He was already reaching for the half-filled tequila bottle long before the rest of the group had chorused their approval.
This pattern continued much the same over the next twenty-five minutes. By the time they had arrived at Jason's house they had just finished off the second bottle of tequila and everyone was loosening up quite a bit. After Jason and Zack tipped the driver—the one responsibility Kimberly had bestowed upon them—it was practically a race to the front door. Jason's house might have been big for just him and Katherine, but tonight it was accommodating at least twelve guests, possibly more, so finding a good spot in the living room was of the utmost importance.
Once everyone was settled in their various places, Jason quietly pulled Katherine aside, disappearing without notice. They were only gone a few minutes, returning with a wrapped package. "Listen up, guys," he called out, waiting until he had everyone's attention. Looking at Tommy, he held up the package. "Before I hand this over, I just want you to know that each and every person here had a hand in this; Happy Birthday, bro."
With that, Jason tossed the gift to Tommy. His hands trembled slightly as he reached for the corner of the wrapping paper, treating the package like it was the most fragile item he'd ever held.
"For crying out loud, man, my kids are gonna be Rangers by the time you open that thing!" Rocky joked, squealing when Aisha—who earned a thankful smile from Tommy for her efforts—pinched his arm.
Eventually, Tommy had removed all of the wrapping paper and held a scrapbook that was white with green, red, and black trim. Opening the book, he flipped through the many pages in silence for quite some time. He quickly discovered that Jason hadn't been kidding when he said that everyone had contributed something; some, obviously, more than others.
Along with an array of photographs from the last fifteen years, many of the Rangers had added items that held a certain sentimental value beyond that of a photo. One of the pieces Jason had contributed was the scorecard from their first karate match shortly before Tommy had been turned into Rita's Evil Green Ranger. The match had ended in a draw, and on the back of the card Jason had written the words, "The better man won."
If that wasn't enough to kick his emotions into overdrive, the page following Jason's certainly was. Tucked safely into a plastic sleeve was an old, wrinkled, weathered sheet of lined paper upon which Tommy could still make out Kimberly's flowing cursive. While he'd been in the process of losing his Green Ranger powers for good, Kimberly had sought out Zack's help with a song that she had been trying to write for Tommy. "Down the Road" was the end result, and this piece of paper was the original lyric sheet that she and Zack had used to write the song.
Feeling incredibly emotional at this point, Tommy couldn't recall a time when he'd been more thankful for Conner's goofy brand of humor. On the next page was one of the Red Ranger's science tests from Tommy's class. Along with the red "B-" at the top of the page, Tommy had penned "Good job, Conner. Very impressive."
Whether it was a picture or a scorecard, Tommy treasured every single item that had been placed in the scrapbook. As he flipped through the book he would often stop to reminisce with his friends about a memory he'd just been reminded of. In the forty-five minutes it had taken him to get to the end, he'd told at least half a dozen stories, each of the Rangers jumping in at some point to add their own memories.
At the end of it all, Tommy found himself struggling with a flurry of many different emotions. He felt like laughing just as much as he did crying; he wanted to hug Kira for the photo of himself with the young Rangers on graduation day just as much as he wanted to punch Rocky for adding the picture of Tommy passed out in a bathtub following a fraternity party in college.
Swallowing hard, he set the scrapbook down on the table and rose from his seat on the couch. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, pacing back and forth for a few minutes as he tried to gather his thoughts. Eventually his pacing reached its end; Tommy stopped in the center of the room, looking around at his friends.
"I, uh, I really feel like I should say something here, but the truth is that I really don't know what to say. You've all known me long enough so that shouldn't be too surprising," said Tommy, the others laughing in agreement. Still, he wanted to say something to let them know how grateful he truly was.
"Look, before I moved to Angel Grove and became a Power Ranger, I didn't have a lot of friends. As you all know, my time as a Ranger is something that I hold very close, not just because I got to kick evil's ass on a daily basis, but because of the people I got to do it with. This night has meant the world to me, and I just want to say to all of you, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. That's, uh, that's all I got so…who's up for more shots!?"
Late night quickly turned to early morning as the group continued to drink Tommy's birthday well into the next day. For his part, Tommy had not forgotten about his planned conversation with Kimberly. Wanting it to be a sober encounter, he had switched to Sprite long before he'd reached the point of no return.
Kimberly must have sensed this because she cut off her own alcohol consumption shortly after Tommy had. While their friends continued to drink themselves silly, laughing as they told stories of their various Ranger adventures, Tommy and Kimberly sat in near silence across from each other, stealing looks that conveyed a shared desire to escape all of the commotion in favor of a little peace and quiet.
Nothing ever came of those looks, though. The night continued to progress the same way and, as time wore on the Rangers eventually started to disperse to wherever they would be sleeping for the night. Billy and Trini were the first to go, claiming one of three guest bedrooms in the Scott house. Adam and Tanya went next, followed by Katherine who left with a promise from Jason that he'd be up shortly.
Not long after Rocky and Aisha had disappeared, carefully stepping over a mess of sleeping twenty-two year olds, Kimberly let out a loud yawn as she raised her arms towards the sky. Knowing that his time was running out, Tommy forced himself to remain focused on the task at hand.
"I think I'm gonna get going, guys," whispered Kimberly, rising from her spot on the love seat. "Since there's no more beds and my place is only a few blocks away, I'm just gonna walk home."
Jason and Tommy both nodded, standing up to walk Kimberly to the door at the exact same time. Tommy, however, was not about to miss what could possibly be his one and only chance to get her back. Casually, Tommy slid in front of Jason and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. One quick look was all it took for Jason to understand what Tommy needed him to do. Nodding again, Jason stepped back and let Tommy go after Kimberly alone.
"Kim, wait up," Tommy called out, ignoring Conner's sleepy grunts. Flashing Jason a quick smile, Tommy turned on his heels and jogged to catch up with Kimberly who stood at the front door. This was it, this was his shot. Whatever he said here would likely dictate the future of any possible relationship he hoped to have with her. "Can I walk you home?"
Kimberly blinked rapidly, almost surprised by the question, but she nodded nonetheless. "I'd really like that, actually."
Smiling brightly, Tommy reached in front of her and opened the door, closing it behind him as they stepped out onto the front porch and a gentle breeze that made Kimberly shiver slightly. They'd barely made it the length of the driveway when Tommy had her stop near his Jeep so he could search for something in the backseat. He popped back up moments later holding a black, hooded sweatshirt.
"Here you go," he said softly, unzipping the sweatshirt before offering it to Kimberly.
"Oh, thank you," Kimberly replied. She wore a slight embarrassed smile as she extended her arms, allowing Tommy to place the garment around her shoulders. Her body started to warm up almost instantly, and she silently wondered if it was from more than just the sweatshirt.
Tommy had been to Kimberly's house a couple times before, so he knew they were going in the wrong direction when she turned right down the sidewalk instead of left. They walked closely but, at least for Tommy, the mere inches between them seemed like miles. For nearly a block they continued to walk in silence, neither one quite sure of what to say.
"So, I have to know how you managed to pull of a Hummer limousine and sixteen ringside tickets," said Tommy when the quiet had become too much to bear.
"Oh, well, a couple of the fighters have daughters that train at my school. I may have offered to waive the fees for Chuck Liddell's little girl for the rest of the year," Kimberly answered, smiling at Tommy's wide eyes.
"You know Chuck Liddell?" asked Tommy in disbelief as Kimberly nodded.
"Yeah, we met at a charity event last year."
"Wow," Tommy murmured, dumbfounded.
"Yep," said Kimberly, clapping her hands together awkwardly, wondering if this was the conversation she and Tommy were destined to have, a conversation that went nowhere and led to nothing. "He's pretty cool, I guess."
Tommy nodded. "Thanks again for everything that you did for me tonight. I meant it when I said that this was my best birthday ever. It definitely would not have been the same without you."
Suddenly, everything came to a stop as Tommy took a hold of Kimberly's hand. Mustering up every ounce of courage in his body, Tommy lowered his head and placed a single kiss to Kimberly's lips. Quickly, he pulled back, afraid that he had crossed the line. "Kim, I'm sorry, I—"
"You should be apologizing, Tommy," said Kimberly, cutting him off. "That was the worst thank you kiss ever."
It took but a moment for Tommy to realize that Kimberly was teasing him. "Well then how about a second chance?" he asked, capturing her lips before she could reply.
Kimberly moaned against his mouth as her arms instinctively found their way around his waist. Their lips clashed hot, burning with a bubbling desire that had finally reached its boiling point. Hands roamed freely right there in the middle of the street, both parties oblivious to everything except for each other. When the kiss finally ended, neither could do anything but smile.
"I've been waiting fifteen years for you to kiss me like that," Kimberly murmured, touching her lips absentmindedly.
"Yeah, well chalk this up with the rest of the many other things that I've been late for," Tommy replied, kissing her once more.
Lost amongst the many kisses she and Tommy participated in was Kimberly's sense of reason. Deep down, she knew a major conversation was imminent, but damn it all if she didn't want to do anything except kiss Tommy over and over again. It wasn't until a pair of headlights from a passing car washed over them that their kissing came to an end.
Once again they started walking in silence; no words seemed appropriate for the moment they had just shared together. This time, however, they walked hand-in-hand, cherishing the moment for what it was instead of trying to put a label on it. Their chatter as they walked the streets of Angel Grove was lighthearted at best. Neither of them wanted to say much because, truth be told, neither was really ready for talking about what had just happened.
When they started to pass by the park, however, all bets were off. As if there was some great force preventing her from going any further, Kimberly stopped short of the spot where they had shared their first kiss. Her eyes settled on the patch of grass where she'd spotted Tommy working out that day, causing her to smile subconciously as those same doe brown eyes started to water.
"What are we doing, Tommy?" asked Kimberly, slowly shifting her attention to him. "Fifteen minutes ago we were making out in the middle of the street like a couple of horned up teenagers, and now we're acting like nothing even happened."
"We can start making out again if you want," Tommy supplied, failing miserably in his attempt at lightening the mood. A frustrated expression formed on Kimberly's face as she stared back at Tommy, arms folded across her chest. "Or not. Look, Kim, I don't know what you want me to say here but—"
Before he could finish, Kimberly cut him off. "I want you to tell me what we're doing. Is this…thing between us just the end result from years of attraction and wondering what could have been, or is it real?"
Sighing, Tommy signaled for Kimberly to walk with him as he began to cross the park en route to the nearby beach. He said nothing for nearly five minutes, time he used to think long and hard about exactly what he wanted to say.
"I can't tell you what this is, Kim, and if you want me to be completely honest, I don't really care," Tommy finally spoke, his words not what Kimberly had been expecting to hear. "I mean, deep down, part of me will always love the girl you used to be, but who you are today isn't who you were fifteen years ago, just like I'm not the same person I once was. All I know is that for the last few months things have changed between us."
Kimberly nodded in agreement as Tommy continued.
"After we broke up back in high school, my biggest regret for the longest time was that I let you go without a fight. You don't know how many times I wanted to ask Zordon to teleport me to Florida, but instead I convinced myself that you were happier without me," he said quietly, fidgeting nervously. "At seventeen, I lost the one person who always made me happy and for the longest time, I blamed myself for that. I thought that if I had written or called more that things would have happened differently. For the last thirteen years I've lived my life doing everything for everyone else, trying to make the people around me happy because I was afraid I would lose them too. But I'm tired of that. It took me that long to find the one person who always makes me happy, and I'll be damned if I let her go again without a fight."
Now that was what Kimberly had been expecting to hear and her smile proved it. "You know, when we were kids I used to daydream all the time about what our future would be like. In my dreams we went to the same college together and got married right after we graduated. We opened a school together; karate on one side and gymnastics on the other. We had two kids, twin boys who looked just like their dad. In my dreams, we had the perfect life."
Tommy's eyes brimmed with tears. In a hoarse whisper he asked, "Why are you telling me this?"
Gently, Kimberly reached out and took his hand. "Because that's what I wanted back then, but it's not what I want now."
"It's not?" asked Tommy, swallowing hard.
Kimberly shook her head, touching the side of his face with the back of her hand. "Nope, it's not. Back then I wanted a shy, forgetful boy with hair longer than mine whose interests basically consisted of karate and fighting evil. The man I want today, though, is you, the only man I've ever known who loves me when I'm at my worst just as much as he does when I'm at my best."
Through tear filled eyes, Tommy started to laugh. In one fluent motion he pulled Kimberly into his arms and lifted her into the air, spinning her around a couple times before setting her back down. As soon as her feet touched the ground, her lips became occupied once more, but only for a moment. Holding her warmly against his body, Tommy rested his chin on her shoulder, closed his eyes, and smiled.
"I missed you, Beautiful," he whispered.
Pulling back slightly, Kimberly looked up at Tommy with a glimmer in her eyes. "And I missed being your Beautiful."
"Kim, you've always been my Beautiful."
Here and now, wrapped in Tommy's arms as her head rested comfortably on his chest, Kimberly felt stronger emotionally than she had in a very long time. "I love you, Tommy," she said quietly.
It took Tommy a few moments to reply, not because he didn't know what to say, but because Kimberly's admission had caught him off guard. He'd waited so long to hear Kimberly say those four words, words that were so simple yet so very, very powerful. At that moment, not a thing on Earth could have taken him down from his spot at the top of the world.
"I love you too, Kim," he replied, kissing her forehead. "I love you, too."