Echoes of Love (5032 words) by eirenical
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Power Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo, Power Rangers Turbo
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Kimberly Hart/Katherine Hillard, Kimberly Hart/Tommy Oliver
Characters: Kimberly Hart, Katherine Hillard, Tommy Oliver
Additional Tags: Break Up, Friends to Lovers, Phone Calls & Telephones, Pink Rangers, Dear John letter, Falling In Love, Love Confessions, Kissing, Mutually Unrequited, Wordcount: 5.000-10.000

Summary:
You'll follow your heart… and I'll follow mine.

September 12, 2013: Dear recipient, I owe you a very large thank you. I was much younger when I first met Katherine Hillard and, I'll admit, she didn't leave the most favorable impression on me. I was a diehard Tommy/Kim shipper and the thought that the show tried to replace Kim with Kat in every possible way had left such a bad taste in my mouth that I couldn't see past it. However, your prompt intrigued me, so I went back and rewatched those episodes and quickly reevaluated my opinion.

Katherine is an amazing character and I'm ashamed that I dumped such negativity on her for so long. Thanks to that bit of research and writing this fic, I kind of adore her, now, and want to rewatch the rest of her episodes. So, thank you for forcing me to give her another chance and thank you for reintroducing me to such an amazing character!

I hope you enjoy what I've done with her. ^_^

Echoes of Love
by eirenical (formerly Renee-chan)
(written for QueenRiley on AO3 for PR Femslash Ficathon 2013)

Katherine awoke to the sound of quiet sobbing. It echoed - distant, then closer, then distant, again - like waves lapping against the shore. The undertow of that sound pulled at her, tugging her from a sound sleep and filling her with need - a need to rouse from her bed, to find the source of that sad, lonely sound. Worst of all, though, was the soft burning at her wrist that ebbed and flowed along with that sound and confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt who had made it.

Kimberly.

The first time it had happened, it had startled her. Katherine hadn't been prepared for the echo, hadn't understood that a Power Coin could hold residual emotions, residual connection with a past wearer. She hadn't known who to ask, how to even broach the question. She liked Rocky, Adam and Aisha, she truly did, but she didn't trust them that far… not yet - not with a secret that wasn't even hers. So, she kept silent, she ignored it.

It had been weeks, now, since Kimberly had moved to Florida to train for the PanGlobals. They'd all moved on as best they could, Tommy least easily of all. He missed her - fiercely and with his entire heart - and of them all, Katherine alone knew how fiercely he was missed in return… and it broke hers. It had been the right thing to do, restoring Kim's confidence in herself, encouraging her to leave for Florida, to give up her power… but, as Katherine knew better than most, the 'right thing to do' was sometimes the most painful thing of all. And Kim and Tommy were both hurting for it.

Ignoring these late night wake-ups was becoming more and more impossible with each passing day and the lost sleep and sorrow for her friends were taking their toll. Katherine couldn't sit by and do nothing any longer. She rolled over and reached for the phone.

…at least she was on off-peak rates for long distance.

Today had been a disaster - just one, giant disaster from start to finish. By the end of the day, Kim was looking over her shoulder for the Samurai Fan Man, certain that a day that awful must have had evil influences behind it, but no monsters showed, not even Bulk or Skull. She'd been off her game on the beam, she'd nearly fallen from the bars onto her head - and only her coach's quick reflexes had saved her from that swan dive - and, worst of all, she had no one to talk to about it.

In the past, Kim would have turned to Trini for that kind of support. But Trini might as well have been on the other side of the galaxy for how difficult she was to reach these days. And Kim missed her far more now than she had even when Trini had initially left for Switzerland. At least then, Kim had still had Tommy and Billy and Aisha, Rocky and Adam. She'd still had Zordon and her responsibilities as a Ranger. Now, she had no one, and nothing to distract her from her horrible performance today but her own loneliness.

Kim would reach out to Trini anyway - of course, she would - but she didn't have the money for international calls, her communicator was for emergencies only and letters were nice… but they couldn't provide immediate comfort. Trini's words of wisdom, when they came, would lift Kim's spirits and result in her redoubling her efforts to succeed… but those words were days, maybe even weeks away from arriving. What Kim really wanted was the comfort of talking to someone now.

Calling Billy would be unfair, even though he'd doubtless enjoy hearing from her. He was a dear friend, but Kim was too much aware of how lonely he was with she and Jason and Trini gone. She didn't want to add to his sadness with her own. She couldn't call Tommy, either, and for much the same reason. Their phone calls either ended in tears or in Kim forcing a cheer and optimism that she didn't quite feel just to lift his spirits. It was exhausting, and not what she needed right now. As for the others… Aisha, Rocky and Adam were still too new to being Rangers. They didn't need the distraction. And Kat…

…Kim just wasn't sure how she felt about Kat.

Once the truth had come out, once Katherine had had a chance to show them who she really was, Kim had found her to be an unexpected and staunch source of support. She and Kat were alike in so very, many ways and for a brief span of time, Kim had felt like she'd truly touched a kindred soul in Kat - more of one than even Trini had been. She and Kat saw the world in much the same way, approached life with the same hopes, the same fears. She didn't have to translate herself for Kat. For the first time in her life, Kim had known what it was to be completely understood… and to completely understand in return. It was why Kim had known that when it was time for her to pass on her power, there was really only one choice for her successor.

But, damn it, she'd known Kat for a bare few days before leaving. Delusions of kindred spirit-hood aside, she couldn't call her. Kindred spirit or not, fellow Ranger or not, Kim hadn't really earned the right to even call Kat a friend. So, instead of picking up the phone, Kim sat, staring morosely at her stationary set, composing yet another carefully worded letter to Trini in her mind before setting it to paper. But, just as she was leaning over to reach for her pen to start writing… the phone rang. The voice on the other end of the line was both the last one she expected to hear… and somehow the one she'd known would call.

"Kim… it's Katherine. I was just wondering… is everything OK?"

They talked often after that first call. Katherine always seemed to know when Kim was feeling lonely or had simply had a rough day. Kim started to anticipate the ringing of the phone after a particularly bad spill or after watching the younger gymnasts plan yet another outing without her. Before she knew it, she was on the phone with Katherine more often even than with Tommy. She was turning to Katherine for comfort before even thinking about picking up a pen to write to Trini. For someone who had been barely a friend before Kim left Angel Grove, there was no doubt in her mind that Katherine was a friend now.

They spent hours on the phone at night - sometimes after one of those bad days, sometimes just because Kim needed to hear the sound of a friendly voice on the line before falling asleep. Something about the soft lilt of Katherine's voice in her ear as she started drifting off was more soothing to her than any other sound she'd ever known.

It wasn't until several months later that Kim was able to return any part of the favor Kat's friendship had done her. Billy had called her, quietly distraught, to tell her that Aisha had left the team and that he was no longer a Ranger. What one had had to do with the other had required quite a bit more explanation, but in the end, Kim was just as unhappy as Billy over what he'd lost… over what he'd willingly given up. Being a Ranger meant so much to him - being relegated to being the team grease monkey, isolating him away from the rest of the team… it wasn't good for him. He'd need someone looking out for him. How could Tommy have allowed that to happen?

Kim was lifting the phone from its cradle, already dialing Kat's number, before she realized that there was even more at stake here than Billy. She knew from their numerous conversations that Kat and Aisha had been close, almost as close as Kim and Trini had been. It wouldn't be fair of Kim to get on the phone with her and ask her help to comfort Billy or to berate Tommy when Kat was almost certainly in need of comfort, herself. But what to do?

What to do, indeed. Kim stood up from her bed, began pacing the room, worrying at a hangnail with her teeth as she thought. She couldn't call any of the other Rangers. Adam and Rocky had known Aisha far longer than any of them and would be caught up in their own grief at the loss of their friend. Tommy… Kim no longer knew how Tommy would react. She couldn't believe he'd even allowed this to happen in the first place. And Jason, Trini and Zack would be less help than Kim, being even further away and removed from Ranger business. As she paced and the sun began to set, a brief sparkle caught her eye from the dresser - her jewelry box. Inside that box, there was only one ornament - the only jewelry Kim ever wore, now. A memory of a different time.

…her communicator.

If ever there was an emergency, this was it. Surely Zordon wouldn't begrudge her the right to its use in this circumstance. Nor would it be a misuse of power to allow Kat to use the Morphing Grid for one non-Ranger business teleport, not when it would help so much. Asking the question couldn't hurt… right?

"Wow… this is where you train? Kim, it's huge!"

Kim laughed, tugged at Kat's arm where it was wrapped firmly around hers, "Wait until you see the PT rooms. You have not seen true luxury until you've seen the whirlpool baths."

Finding Kim's joy in her company contagious, and their power coin's resulting quiescence to be a balm against her frazzled nerves, Kat couldn't help but laugh, as well. She'd thought to call Kim earlier - of course, she had - but hadn't been able to bring herself to do it. Billy had mentioned plans to call her and Kat was sure Tommy would call her, as well, and she hadn't wanted to take up any of her available phone time when those two would need her far more than she would.

She should have known better, should have expected that Kim would have a contingency planned for just such an event. The only question was… why waste this favor on Kat? Why not on Tommy - the man she loved? Why not on Billy, one of her oldest and dearest friends? Why on her replacement? Why on the girl who had first betrayed her before befriending her? What had Kat done to merit such regard? She didn't know. And because she didn't know, she also didn't quite trust it, couldn't shake the thought that there was an ulterior motive here.

Kim had dragged Kat all the way around the training facility and through half the dorm before Kat got up the courage to say it, though, and when she did, it was a blurt of sound, nervous, graceless and completely absent of tact. She said, "Kim… why me?"

Pausing in the act of dragging Katherine down the stairs to the kitchen where they kept the juicer - which she'd smirkingly confided in Kat that she could use to make smoothies worthy of Ernie - Kim simply blinked wide, innocent eyes at her. At Kat's noise of frustration, Kim's gaze softened and she stepped closer, curled close around Katherine's arm where it was entrapped by her own. "Kat… we're friends, aren't we?" When Katherine hesitantly nodded, Kim said, "I know what it's like - better than most - to lose a best friend with little to no warning. I know how close you and Aisha were and I know you. I know you wouldn't have raised a fuss about it, wouldn't have called attention to your own pain - not if you thought Billy and Tommy and Rocky and Adam were hurting worse." Kim pulled one hand away from where it was clenched around Kat's arm to lightly touch her face. "You couldn't have talked to your parents - they wouldn't even remember Aisha. You wouldn't talk to the other Rangers, either - not with everyone else having known Aisha longer. There was no one for you to talk to, at all… except me." She stepped back, smiled sadly up into Kat's eyes as her thumb drifted softly across Kat's cheek. "And I knew you wouldn't talk to me, either, wouldn't tell me how much you were hurting. It's just not your way. But, that doesn't mean you have to go through this alone. All this time, you've been here for me. Now, it's my turn to be here for you. Will you let me be?"

Kat looked down into those wide brown eyes, eyes shining with earnestness and trust… and finally understood. If there was ulterior motive here, it was the ulterior motive of a friend who cared too much. It was the ulterior motive of a friend who hated to see another friend in pain. It was the ulterior motive of a friend who loved and trusted… and only wished to know that she was loved and trusted in return. Kat couldn't look into those eyes and refuse them anything. More importantly, she didn't want to refuse them anything. She raised her free hand and used it to press Kim's hand closer to her face, closed her eyes and simply basked in Kim's nearness. She could handle losing one friend… she could. Look at Kimberly. She had lost Trini - a friend older and dearer to her than Aisha was to either of them, with just as little warning. If Kim could stay strong through that, then Kat could do no less. More… she was starting to feel as though, as long as she had Kim's support… she could do anything.

The rest of that visit was a bubble of calm, now, in Kat's memory - an oasis of joy and friendship and laughter. Every time in the next months when Kat felt lonely or scared, she would return to that memory, to Kim's gentle support, and know she was loved. It was a wonderful feeling… if only it weren't for the guilt.

Kat called Kim nearly every night, now, whether prompted by her power coin or not. And on those few nights when Kat didn't call, Kim did. Their conversations ranged from discussions of training exercises to memories of competitions to talk of Ranger battles… to commiserating over homework and hair care tips and music Kim was writing… to boys. Kim would mention a fellow gymnast occasionally, a young man who'd caught her eyes in the local coffee shop. Kat would mention her admiration for those who worked in the homeless shelter with her… how amazing Adam looked in green. The only man they never spoke of - the only one who wasn't mentioned - was Tommy. Tommy was a sore spot. Katherine never forgot that Tommy belonged to Kim and Kim never forgot that in the days of Katherine's brain washing she'd tried to take him from her. And neither of them ever forgot that Kim was in Florida and Kat was in Angel Grove.

That was just it, though, Kat knew. She didn't love Tommy - not that way. She admired him, as she did all of her teammates, even cared for him in her own way, but she didn't love him - not the way Kim did, not the way he did her. But she was there. She was the one on-hand when battles didn't go as they should, leaving one of them hurt and leaving Tommy uncertain of his leadership, unsure that he was even the right person to lead the Rangers… unsure that he ever had been. She was the one on-hand when Ranger business tangled with real life and left Tommy floundering to find a way to manage both. She was the one who was there - and that was something Kim couldn't forget… and neither could she.

"You know… if… if you asked him out on a date, that… I'd be OK with that."

Katherine's mouth fell open and she nearly dropped the phone. After a quick scramble to get the phone back into place by her ear and another far more desperate scramble to come up with an answer, Kat finally blurted out, "What?"

Kim cleared her throat, said again, more distinctly, "If you asked Tommy out on a date, I'd be OK with that."

"Kim, I would never do that!" The words were out of her mouth before Kat had even processed a need to respond.

Far from being put off by Kat's flustered answers - answers that Kat was sure only made it look suspiciously as though dating Tommy had been her goal all along - Kim took them each in stride, her own voice gaining in calm and confidence as she spoke. "Look, Kat… Tommy and I have been together for two years. I still love him - don't think I don't - but… this is hard. It's hard on both of us. It's hard because he's still a Ranger and his focus has to be on the battle, on Angel Grove. I know that, but it's doubly hard for me to be sympathetic to it when I'm no longer part of it. And it's hard because I'm in Florida and my focus has to be on my training. He knows that, but he doesn't understand it, doesn't even really try to understand it."

"Of course, he understands!"

"Not like you do," Kim shot back. "He doesn't understand that there are some nights I'm too tired to talk. He doesn't understand that I can't listen while he rehashes battle after battle and seems more interested in plumbing the mind of the former Pink Ranger than he does in asking his girlfriend how she's doing. I get it, Kat, I do… but I can't be part of that life anymore. You're the Pink Ranger, now. I'm just a gymnast with a checkered past."

Horrified beyond words by what Kim was saying, Kat tried to come up with a response that wouldn't lead them down the very road that Kim was determined to take them down. She came up with nothing. "Kim… that's not true. Please tell me you know that's not true. He loves you!"

The voice that came back at Kat over the line was tired… so tired. "I know he does, Kat. And he'll go on loving me forever if I let him… but he isn't in love with me, anymore. He hasn't been for months. He hasn't been since even before I gave up my powers, since even before you stepped into our lives. And loving each other is a wonderful thing… but it's not enough. Not anymore. I'm ready to let him go, Kat, and I'd feel easier about it if I knew he was going to someone I trust."

Kat shook her head, heedless of the fact that Kim couldn't see or even hear the motion. "Don't ask this of me, Kim. Please, don't ask this of me. He needs you. I need you. Don't drive this between us."

Kim's voice was tinged with laughter at that, though a laughter edged with tears. "Kat, I don't intend to let this come between us. I'm giving him to you, freely, as a friend. You'd be good for each other. I know you would." Hearing nothing but silence in response to that, Kim sighed. "Will you at least think about it? Please? For me?"

The sting of unshed tears husked her voice and nearly choked it off in her throat, but Kat got out the answer that Kim seemed so determined to hear. "I'll think about it."

"Good. You'll follow your heart… and I'll follow mine."

There was nothing more to say after that, and their goodbyes were stilted and uncomfortable in a way they hadn't been since they'd met. Katherine knew Kim well enough to know that this wasn't over. If Kim really thought this was for the best and she didn't get the answer she wanted from Kat, she would find another way. She would push at them both until they did as she wanted. And Kat knew enough about herself to know that if Kim truly wanted this, then telling her 'No' would have as little effect on her as it did on asking the rain politely not to fall when she was without an umbrella. She would be swept away by the storm without even a chance to protest.

A week passed with no move from Kim, then another and another. Kat slowly started to relax from the tight knot of tension she'd wound herself into awaiting what Kim might do to try to get she and Tommy together. Their phone calls resumed, a little awkwardly at first, but soon returned to their usual intimacy. It wasn't until the first time she heard Kim truly laugh, heard that warmth in her voice, that Kat even realized how much she'd missed it when it was gone.

She should have known better than to relax her guard. Kim was always one step ahead of her when it came to matters of the heart. When Ernie brought the letter over, Kat didn't even think it odd. It was a quirk of being an ex-Ranger. Somehow they all knew that Ernie wouldn't read their mail, even if they couldn't trust their parents in the same way. So, correspondence between Rangers - even when it was just personal - was often sent to the Juice Bar, instead of their homes. Ernie had even stopped questioning it, considering how much time they spent there. It wasn't even all that odd that Kimberly had written to Tommy. With most of her long distance calling minutes going to conversations with Kat, she'd taken to writing more and more letters to Tommy and Trini and the others, rather than calling. Sometimes, that made Kat feel guilty. Mostly, it just made her feel special. So, whatever warning bells should have gone off in her mind when Adam took that letter from Ernie and began reading it… didn't.

"Dear Tommy," the letter began. "Everything is going great here in Florida. Coach Schmidt has me as ready as I'll ever be for the competition." They all smiled, praised Kim's hard work, still none the wiser for what might be coming.

Adam, though, privy to what was in that letter before the rest, due to having the distinct honor of being the one reading it… paled. "Tommy, this is the hardest letter I've ever had to write. You've always been my best friend and, in some ways, you're like a brother, but something has happened here that I can't explain. It's both been wonderful and painful at the same time. Tommy, I've met someone else."

And that was Kat's cue for her heart to drop into her stomach. Tommy hastily fitted the weights back into place so he could sit up, take the letter from Adam's outstretched hand. That couldn't be right. That simply couldn't be. Kat knew it wasn't right. Kim would have told her if there was someone else. She would have said… and she hadn't. There was no one. Kat knew that, she knew. And she knew just as well why Kim had done this - why she'd done it in a letter, too, not giving Tommy the opportunity to argue or fight back… not giving him a chance to recognize the lie.

The pain in Tommy's voice as he finished reading that letter was almost more than Kat could bear.

"Tommy, you know I would never do anything to hurt you, but I feel like I've found the person I belong with. He's wonderful, kind and caring. I really like him. Everything would be perfect if it weren't for hurting you. I have to follow my heart. I will always care about you, Tommy. Please forgive me… Kimberly."

It was awful. It was every bit as awful as Kat had ever imagined it could be, especially knowing that it was for no reason- worse, actually. This was Kim's move. This was her way of giving Kat and Tommy no other option but to comfort each other. But, Kat was frozen on the spot and Tommy had shut down, had fled, run from any and all of his friends who could have comforted him. And Kat… Kat had some talking of her own to do. Surely if Zordon would make an exception to the personal teleporting rule to comfort Kat in her loneliness… certainly he'd see the necessity now.

She and Kim had some seriously important business to discuss.

"How could you do that to him? How?"

Kim winced, ducked her gaze from Kat's angry one. "I had to. Kat, it's for his own good. He and I were through a long time ago - it just took me being away from him for me to see it. We were going through the motions, nothing more. I'm setting him free."

Kat threw her hands up in frustration. "Then why lie about it? Why not tell him the truth? You didn't see his face, Kim… you may not love him like that anymore, but the look in his eyes when he read that you thought of him like a brother, that you'd found someone else… I've never seen him so devastated. You couldn't have at least broken his heart with the truth?"

"I did!" The minute the words had escaped her mouth, Kim immediately clapped her hands over it, eyes wide with horror over what she'd just let escape.

Kat frowned, her eyes narrowing. "What do you mean, 'You did?' You met someone and didn't tell me? I thought…" She paused, swallowed hard, feeling betrayed more by this than by the circumstances which had brought her to Florida to discuss it. "I thought we told each other everything…?" she finished quietly.

Kim was shaking her head back and forth, eyes frantic above that clasping hand. Just as Kat turned away, to walk out of the room, to teleport back, to give up on this conversation as circular and pointless… Kim reached out and grabbed her arm to stay her leaving. "Kat, it's not like that! It's… it's not like that."

Katherine turned back around, exasperation written in every line of her body as she said, "Then tell me what it is like, because Kim… I don't understand. You're not cruel. You wouldn't have done this on a whim. And you're not a liar - not about things like this. Not to me. Talk to me. Please."

Something broke in Kim's eyes then and just as Katherine was preparing herself to receive another disappointing lie… it reformed and blazed in determination. Kim shifted her grip on Katherine's arm, leaned up… and kissed her. Kat was so stunned for that moment that she froze, eyes wide, mouth lax and unresponsive, but Kim was patience incarnate. She hovered there, gentle, undemanding but coaxing, until Katherine was ready to kiss her back.

And to Katherine's ever-lasting surprise… she wanted to do just that. And in that kiss, everything finally fell into place.

~something has happened here that I can't explain…~
~wonderful and painful at the same time…~
~wonderful, kind and caring…~
~I have to follow my heart.~
~You'll follow your heart… and I'll follow mine.~

When they parted, both breathing deeply against each other, sharing the same warm, humid air, Katherine said softly, "Kim… why didn't you tell me?"

Kim made a noise that was half-laugh and half-sob, shook her head against Kat's chest. "I couldn't. I couldn't… You're my best friend. Sometimes I feel you're the only friend I ever had who understood me. Kat, I can't lose you. Not over something like this."

Responding to both the pain in Kim's voice and the pulse of anguish she could all too clearly feel her power coin echoing back at her, Kat tightened her arms around Kim, breathed near-silent promises into her hair. "I love you. Kim, I love you. You won't lose me. You'd have to pry me loose with a crowbar to get rid of me now. Kim, why didn't you tell me?"

Tear bright eyes lifted from where they'd been hidden in Katherine's shirt. Wiry muscles flexed in small but powerful arms, as nimble fingers buried their way into Kat's hair and pulled her head down to Kim's level. And those eyes began to lighten by inches, filling with wonder and joy as Kim said, "I was afraid. But… Kat, did you really mean that?"

Katherine laughed, a broken sound torn from an unwilling throat. Did she mean that? If she and Kim didn't speak after a long day, she felt as though she'd missed out on something precious. Absent the sound of Kim's voice, she had difficulty sleeping. Only when they were together was her heart calm. Did she mean that? She'd loved Kimberly for months, had been fighting against the acknowledgment that she was in love with her for nearly as long. Yes, she meant it. But, oh… this was going to cause such trouble. If Tommy found out… if the other Rangers found out… if anyone found out… hurt feelings would be the least of their worries. The gymnastics world was conservative, would frown on a dalliance of any kind, much less one like this. And there was Mondo to consider - their enemies had proven more than once that they had no compunction against taking a non-Ranger hostage. Kim would be in danger. Was it worth it? Was it all worth it?

Of course, it was.

Bending to press her lips back against Kim's, feeling that lithe body line up against hers as though made to fit there, Katherine was finally able to forget all that worry and answer.

"You're not getting rid of me, Kim - not unless you've that crowbar handy… and possibly not even then. Yes. I meant every word."

As Kim let out a joyous laugh and their lips met for the third time, there was finally nothing echoing through their power coin but love.