Disclaimer: I own nothing that deals with the Power Rangers. You all know how that goes! Another Tommy/Kim love story as typical teens.
A/N: For those who have read my stories, thanks! It means a lot to me. This story has been on hiatus long enough. While Chapter 6 is being finished, I edited the previous chapters. Enjoy!
Don't Look Down: Chapter One
A petite woman took a deep breath and stepped onto the foamed mat that stretched out before her. This was to be just a quick run of the new performance she had been striving for, smoothing out any flaws she had, if there were any. Turning slightly over her shoulder, she gave a nod to a man seated beside a CD player and turned back to focus on the routine. The soft melody played and the young woman threw her hands toward the ceiling, a huge smile plastered on her delicate features. Rising up on her toes as much as she could, she rounded her arms and began her performance.
"Nice form, Kimberly. Watch those arms," her coach called to her over the music's soft tones as the female began her movements. Her quad pirouette was perfect; her toned legs were controlled in the multiple spins while her head whipped around in time. On a half turn, she crossed her arms tightly to her chest and dipped her head down to finish the turn. Her mistake was easy to spot. She looked down towards the mat and closed her eyes, going by feeling alone. Normally, this was not something a performer would do, especially in a major competition. If done correctly without any imperfections, very few points would be given. If not done correctly, points would be taken away from the final score.
"Don't look down" the male yelled at her, obviously irritated by this antic. "You're going to lose focus and shift out of balance. It will cost you points at the competitions! You cannot afford little mistakes that you can easily avoid. Focus!"
With a smile still in place as if she never heard him, she stopped in the middle of the floor. She was in her own private world. Shifting her body to the sides with grace, she gradually extended one leg up, cupping the heel in her hand. As the leg came up, so did her head in perfect unison. Still with grace and fluid movements, she moved into a simple Arabesque. Her foot was planted firmly on the mat as the other one went out straight behind her, extending her arms for more appeal. She held the pose for just a moment, bringing her foot down to the mat as the music switched beats. This one was more upbeat and fast and her routine would look more promising from here on out.
With a shimmy of her shoulders and a wink to the "crowd", the small framed woman had an outburst of speed and ran towards a far corner of the mat. She moved into her first tumble: a simple double twist. Gymnastics were more of her element and felt the most ease in this part of the short routine. With as much height as she could, she executed the move and landed it easily. Not to miss a single beat, she bent her legs and did a series of back flips, barely sticking her last one that was no handed, stumbling forward slightly on the landing, still smiling nonetheless as if nothing went wrong.
"What are you doing?! You aren't paying attention now. Get your head out of the clouds. You have done this section a million times, and that has been the only time you have screwed it up." The man, known as Coach Schmidt, abruptly shut off the music and stormed over to the female. "I am your coach. You are supposed to listen to the advice I give you, not ignore it," he ranted. He balled his fists and crossed them firmly over his broad chest, glaring at her as if he dared her to make a comment to contradict him.
She stood there coolly, eying him as he walked toward her. Her hands went to her hips and stood in a defensive position. Her body language said she was not in a happy mood as well. She was not used to having her music turned off and screamed at, even if she did mess up. She was used to being the best and this would not do.
"I was doing just fine!" she raged back at him. "One tiny step and it's the only time I've done it. There's no reason to lose your temper. It's not like it was anything major!"Opening her mouth to say more of what was on her mind, she was cut off with his booming voice.
"You were not! You couldn't even manage to land your flip with the minor problem. I would hate to see what else you would mess up," was the sarcastic reply. He was finally standing before her, looking down at her with much anger. Yes, he was angry at her. But it was only because he knew the level of perfection that Kimberly always reached for. He would be a horrible coach if he let her slide with tiny things. He had to remind her constantly to be conscious of the minor details as well as the larger ones. Despite of their disagreements, he wanted great things to become of her and he would be there to help her achieve her goal.
"If you hadn't stopped me, I could have finished it with ease, even with the small mistakes," she snarled up at him. "This isn't the competition yet. Give me a break!" Even though she was tiny, she was never one to back down, especially lately. She had been training almost nonstop for the past two months, ever since she left Angel Grove, at the end of her junior year at seventeen. The poor girl was nearing exhaustion and was doing her best. After all, some of her inner strength to carry on had been left behind so she would be able to chase her dream of Pan Globals.
"I don't want to hear it! Leave now. Come back when you are ready to be a winner and not until then," he screamed with his finger towards the door. His temper finally got the best of him.
She gave no other words and simply walked off of the mat, never once turning to look back at her coach. She stopped briefly to pick up the pink gym bag and stride towards the doors as calmly as she could manage. Twisting the handle, she opened it as softly as she could only to slam it hard behind her once she walked out.
The cool air from outside felt good on her face as the wind whipped a few stray hairs. "If only they could see Kimberly Hart now, struggling with moves that I have never had a problem with" she muttered to herself. "I left Angel Grove and Tommy for this? It can't be worth it, but I can't go back now. I have come too far to give up so easily. I won't fail myself and everyone else!" She had such a determination that was characteristic to her, among other ones. Tommy, Jason, Billy, Rocky, Adam, Zach, Trini, Aisha, and Kat were all counting on her to complete her dream. They would always support her decision; they all did even now. She would not let any of them down. Not for anything in the world. She would be the best. No matter what it would cost her in the end.
Kimberly looked at the watch that she kept around her wrist. It was still too early to head back to her lonely apartment. She let out a soft sigh that was lost in the wind. Still with some pent up energy, she headed to a more public gym where she could hopefully train in peace. She grinned to herself, knowing the owner would be thrilled to have her there.
She chose to walk to the other gym; it was not that far from her position. And besides, walking was good exercise for her; it kept her muscles well stretched and toned. Fitness and strength were two keys of being a gymnast. A short walk later, she reached the large glass windows, waving to a few of the familiar faces before pushing the doors to walk in.
"Kimberly!" came the cry of joy from her right as soon as the doors were open and she entered the gym. Before she could even say a word of greeting, her body was wrapped in the arms of a well muscled man who picked her up and hugged her to his chest.
"It's about time you came back here. Your beam has not been touched since the last time you were here, except for the occasional people that come to just look at it. It's more or less a shrine to you, love. Be flattered," the male teased her.
"You shouldn't tease me, David," Kimberly said with a dismissive wave of her hand as she squirmed in the man's grasp. The owner, David, laughed and released her, placing her gently back to the floor. He was nothing but smiles when it came to her.
"You're probably right. I might have a certain male come in here one day and threaten me," David said with a wicked smile in reference to Tommy Oliver, who he had never met yet, but heard much about in any case. "From what you have told me about said boyfriend, I think he could give me a run for my money. When do I get to meet this mystery man, anyway? Do you have to keep him hidden away? That hot?"
Kimberly snickered and lightly punched him in the arm and gave him the answers to only some of his questions. "Oh, you'll have the chance to meet him, probably in a few weeks. He wants to visit me so bad. It sucks to have to keep saying no," she said with a puff of breath to blow her bangs away from her eyes to no avail. "While he's here, I might drop him off in your capable hands. He'll need something to do besides watch me practice all day. He can be slightly nerve racking sometimes," she paused, only to add, "especially if I'm not doing that well lately. He'll want to know why I'm not up to my standards and worry over me. That's not what I need right now," she added and shook her head.
"He'll be more than welcome here, as you always are. Now, why don't you get over there to your beam and just have a little fun. Word gets around how much you have been practicing. And by the looks of you, you need it," David said with a playful push towards the beam. "Besides, you'll be back to your old self soon. Give it some more time," he said encouragingly. They had only known each other for a short while, but they had already developed a close relationship.
"Alright, alright. I get the idea. Geez," Kimberly said rolling her eyes in mock annoyance and walked to the beam. She lightly ran her hand over the smooth beam, dragging her fingers across it. David kept it just the way she liked it. Tugging off her lightweight jacket and tossing it to the floor, she lifted her small stature onto the beam, slowly rising up into a standing position. She started off with the basics; walking straight lines back and forth. She did this to constantly be aware of her balance, whether she was doing easy or difficult moves.
Feeling at ease with just a few minutes of the walking, she moved to leg lifts. While on one leg, she moved the one in the air to the front of her, lifting it as far up as it would go. Still perfectly balanced, her leg went straight out to the side, finally ending straight out behind her. Carefully placing her foot back on the beam, she proceeds to do the same with the other, all of which were in sequence.
"Looking good, as always," was David's loud voice from across the room on a weight machine. He was always keeping an eye on her, like a protector. She was independent; he knew this but never wanted her to get seriously hurt. He would blame himself if something was to ever happen to her while she was at his gym, even if he couldn't prevent it from happening.
"Well, duh," came Kimberly's playful reply as she shifted her weight backwards into a handstand. Her hands gripped tightly to the beam and pushed her legs forward to end up on her feet once more. She repeated this until she made her way across the beam with no problem at all. Now, she would move onto more difficult maneuvers. With feet in position, she took a few quick steps and pushed her weight forward into an aerial cartwheel, taking care to keep her hands away from the beam to complete the move. With ease, the executed it beautifully and was congratulated with many claps and whistles. She blushed, for that was not the most difficult move for her to do. The appreciation was always welcomed after a bad day.
Kimberly was about to go into a split leap when she was overcome with a wave of dizziness that she had not experienced for a while. She wavered on the beam and looked as if she was about to fall off. Don't look down. Don't look down. It became her mantra, hoping she would be able to keep her composure on the bar. Falling was just not an option for her any longer. It just couldn't be. It passed as quickly as it came and she noticed a few of the people looking at her oddly. With a brave smile, "I'm fine," she said as she hopped down from the beam when it completely passed and she felt normal once more. To be honest, it made her quite nervous as well.
David came over to her with a look of concern on his face. "You sure you're alright? You didn't look so good just a few seconds ago." He stood in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders and peered down into her eyes. "Tell me the truth Kimber," he said sincerely.
Once more, Kimberly forced yet another smile and nodded. "Of course I'm ok. I think that I'm just overworking myself. I think I'll call it a night," she said as she pulled out of his grasp. "Thanks for letting me use the beam. I think the time away from my coach helped."
David nodded and gave her another quick hug, "Take care, love. I hope to see you back around here soon." Another nod was given from Kimberly and she walked through the doors once more. He watched her walk out, making sure she wouldn't pass out as long as she was in his sight. When she finally disappeared around the corner, he returned to the weight machine and returned his focus to building his muscles even more. Kimberly would linger on his mind.
As soon as she was far enough away from prying eyes and worrying faces, she inched her way into a small alleyway, leaning back until her back touched the brick behind her and took a few shallow breaths. Once she was able to control her breathing, she pushed herself back upright. "Oh, Tommy…What's wrong with me," she said with a small sigh and decided to head home, not knowing what else to do. Home seemed like the best option for now, especially if her old dizzy spells were coming back. She thought that she had already gotten over them. But that doesn't appear to be the case. Maybe it was a sign? A bit of karma coming back to hurt her and she had hurt those when she left.
She walked the few blocks to the small apartment she was staying in for the time being. It was the closest one between the two gyms so it would have to do for now. As soon as she opened the door, she felt a dislike of the color scheme that it had going on. It was just plain and run of the mill. She decorated it as much as she could, short of painting the walls, with pink decorations here and there to make it her own. Pictures hung on every wall and the roses that Tommy constantly sent were on a table next to her couch. Still, it lacked much more. It lacked the warmth of her home in Angel Grove, including the people who made it all worthwhile.
"It's just not home." She said to the empty apartment as she walked to the bedroom. It was late already and she needed to get some well deserved rest. She peeled the workout clothes from her body, tossing them into a hamper. She barely had time to pull on a robe when her cell phone rang with a signature ringtone. A quick look to the screen confirmed it was Tommy.
"Hello?" was Kim's first word as she headed towards the kitchen. Even though Tommy was not able to hear it, her stomach gave a loud rumble to let her know that it wanted food. She reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a pre-made salad, closing the door shut.
"Ah, hey darling! How was practice tonight?" Tommy's cheerful voice came through the phone and into her ear. Kimberly smiled and grabbed a fork from the clean dishes that she had washed just earlier that morning.
"It was…fine," she lied. There was no need to tell him about the mishap that occurred earlier. It would all blow over soon anyway. She took a bite out of her salad and munched on it while he was talking to her. Making sure her door was locked, she moved through the apartment until she reached her bedroom once more. She did not like to eat in her bedroom, but she didn't feel like just watching T.V. while they talked either. So she just stood in the doorway that leads to her bedroom, leaning against the frame.
"Fine, huh? That's great. We all know you're going to do well," he said in reference to their other friends, all of which supported Kimberly's choice. "We just want to know when you would have time for a visit. We miss you…" a pause, and then, "And I really miss you. As for visiting, I still plan on coming to see you when we both have some free time. So make it soon," he practically pleaded with her. She could just imagine his perfect chocolate features that matched his tone.
"Oh please. It hasn't been that long since we were last together," she quipped with a short laugh, even though it had been.
"True, true, but it is still too long for me. I can't wait until you can come back or I get the chance to visit. It's just so hard to deal with sometimes," he said with much more conviction. She frowned to herself, catching the hint of sadness in his voice as well. Tommy missed her as much as she missed him, there was no denying it.
"Hey, hey," she said softly, "Even though I'm away, we still have deep feelings for each other. Nothing is going to change that, no matter how far apart in distance we are. And besides, I'll be back with you and the others before you know it." She felt sure of this and hoped Tommy knew as well. Their relationship was strong and it had endured many trials. Surely, they would be able to get through this as well. She was placing all of her faith in this.
"Easy for you to say," was Tommy's reply, followed by a laugh that she couldn't help but smile at once more. "The time is passing quicker for you. You have a lot of stuff to keep your mind occupied. I'm just stuck here with everyone, training constantly, improving my fighter skills," he said in a playful tone to lighten the mood. "I think I just might die of boredom if I don't see you soon."
Kimberly knew he was staying busy and preferred him to stay that way. Her other friends assured her that he was really ok and handling the situation as nicely as he could. If it kept him from missing her too much, it would be worth it. She had her other friends to keep an eye on him. Tommy was known to let his emotions get the best of him.
"Oh yeah, like that's not staying busy. You sound like you're bored out of your mind," she mocked in the same tone of voice. "You should get a real life," she joked. "Or, better yet, I bet if I called Jason, he would tell me that he would be able to beat you in a second because your mind isn't where it should be. Don't deny it!"
"Perhaps one day," was his only reply.
To which he was referring to, she had no idea. She could only guess which one he was indicating to. Kimberly said nothing to this for a moment, not sure of how she should take it or even give a response. Instead, she chose to take the easy route of the conversation.
"I hate to cut this short, but I have to take a shower and get to bed," Kimberly said as she moved towards the bed. She sank down on the edge of the bed, her heart heavy with sadness. But talking to him always made her feel better, even though she missed him all of the time. She failed to add that she needed to go to the gym earlier to once more fix her mistakes. Not to mention she wanted to say something more but couldn't bring herself to do it.
"Alright, if you must go, I will talk to you tomorrow, night. Goodbye," he murmured.
"Night. Sleep well," was Kimberly's reply as closed her phone to end the phone call. She sighed softly; she wanted to talk to him longer, but she knew she would only break down and tell him that she wanted to return home to be in his arms. If he could be strong for her, then she would be strong for him. That was final. He had been her rock for so long and now it was time for her to stand on her own two feet, without him having to be there to catch her if she fell.
Still feeling a bit sweaty and gross from the day's activities, she went to the adjoining bathroom. She slipped into the shower, turning the water closer to cold to beat down on her skin and soothe her achy muscles. The water felt good and slowly eased the pain away. When the water got too cold for her to handle, she changed the temperature to something warmer and finished her quick shower, wanting nothing more than to curl up in her bed and sleep right now. Tomorrow would be yet another busy day for her, and she knew that she would eventually be too tired if she didn't keep a normal sleeping pattern.
"I love you," she whispered to nothing as she snuggled down into her bed for the night. There, she said it out loud, at least to herself. So far, she did not have the courage to make her confession to Tommy, fearing that it wouldn't be returned.
She closed her eyes and fell immediately asleep, a content smile on her face. Yes; she would tell him soon. Tomorrow was another day.
--
Teaser to Chapter 2
"Kimberly," Tommy breathed into her hair in their embrace, "God, I've missed you so much. But, why are you here so early? I thought that the plans were for me to catch a cab to the gym and wait for your practice to end?" He asked with an amused look on his face.
Kimberly took a step back from their hug and grabbed his hands in hers. "Coach gave me the entire day off. My performances have been their best this week and he felt like I needed a break. But," she said with a small pout of her lower lip, "I can always go back to the gym if you don't want to see me earlier than expected." She managed to say all of this with a straight face.