Bedtime Stories

Disclaimer: Power Rangers is not mine.

:: Another one-shot and an AU. Post DT. Hope you like it.

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"Is he here yet?" Kim panted, feeling the contractions grip her even more. The baby was ready to pop out into the world but her father was nowhere to be seen. She had been a walking hormone factory for the last nine months and it wasn't needed to be told that there were lots of arguments happened between Tommy and her. Everything he did made her upset until she had reached the point of not wanting to have him in the delivery room. That, and she would hate it for him to see her so vulnerable.

However, her opinion had changed now. She wanted to have a familiar face with her, giving her encouragement, support and love. She didn't want Tommy to stay in the waiting room with the rest of their anxious friends, family and more over, some old magazines. This was their first child and she wanted to share this joyful, life-changing experience (and the pain) with her husband. Plus, it would be wonderful to have a hand to crush when she had started pushing.

"He'll be here in a moment," A tall, mid-fifty nurse said in a calming manner and wiped her forehead with a warm cloth.

Kim bit her lips hard. She didn't want to have this baby without Tommy. And the pain… it was so… painful. While trying to keep her breath even, her mind flew to some random information that ridiculously popped inside her head from out of nowhere.

'Milky Way is the closest galaxy to the earth and yet it will take 2 millions years to reach it even by traveling at the speed of light… how about using the Astro Megaship? Maybe it is faster and-' Kim winced again when the cramp returned with full force. At first she had thought that it's only another false alarm, but the signs were there. The contractions were in regular pattern and they felt stronger and closer, especially when she was walking. She wasn't sure she could have made it if only Jason had not been there visiting her. The baby wasn't supposed to arrive for another one week and a half, but then again, since when their life had ever been normal?

'111,111,111 x 111,111,111 equals 12,345,678,987,654,321,' She wasn't sure if it was accurate since she was battling with pain there, but it should be correct…

"Kim, are you ready?" Doctor Meade moved to her side and smiled that motherly smile that gave a comforting effect somehow. Someone had turned on the CD player and 'Hurt' filled the room. Kim adored Johnny Cash but in a way, the song hurt her even more and she wanted to shut that blasted thing off.

"No, please wait until Tommy gets here," Kim's eyes pleaded although she could feel her baby couldn't wait much longer. Getting tossed out of the Megazord had no compare with giving birth, that's she knew for sure. Maybe that's why they called it 'labor'.

'It takes about 20 seconds for a red blood cell to circle the whole body,' Was that meant for everybody? Tommy was almost 180 cm and she was about a foot shorter than him… was it scientifically possible that it just took 10 seconds for the red blood cell to circle her body? She was so short so there's a possibility there.

"It's time dear," Doctor Meade said and Kim was tempted to spat. What time? Morphin time? She was not going to have this baby without her husband and that's that. Nobody would change her mind. Instead of giving her doctor a difficult time, Kim simply declared between greeted teeth.

"Do you know that Yahoo stands for 'Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle'? I used… used to think that yahoo was Australian slang… ahhh…,"

From the look appeared on the older woman's face, Kim knew she had surprised her by the question. It wouldn't surprise Doctor Meade more than if she suddenly told the whole room that she was the original pink ranger and was married to the rainbow ranger. The nurse was probably thinking she was delirious.

Fortunately for Kim, she was saved from having to explain further because the door opened and a nurse escorted Tommy in. He looked lost and as anxious as she was, but he was finally there. Kim nearly collapsed from happiness.

There was a school trip to a dig site and Jason and the other were not able to reach him, most likely because he couldn't get signals. He had scrubbed in and those glasses had slipped down his nose, probably because he had been running to get there. The specs were still relatively new for both of them and she would gladly make a comment if only she wasn't feeling like being torn up right now.

"Kim," He uttered. "I'm sorry I came late,"

"Don't you always?" Kim managed to crack a joke. Tommy had always kept up with her out-of-whacked hormones and she loved him dearly for that, but sometimes she just wanted to bite his head off, especially when she's 9 months pregnant and ready to give birth. "Get your ass down here!"

"I am here," Tommy replied, went straight at her side and kissed her forehead. He sat at the stool by her head, his hands automatically reaching for hers. She knew he was scared; it was reflected in those brown orbs.

"I hate that you're always late," Kim cringed and gripped Tommy's hand tighter. "And I hate that lamp,"

Tommy grinned. The bedside lamp was a gift from his mother when she visited Africa and Kim disliked the lamp made out of the Liana wood as much as she disliked to be called shorty. "We're going to put it on the basement when we got home and I'll even get a new tub,"

She was practically screaming in pain, her legs were high up in the air and Tommy was talking about a new bathtub! "Just get the baby out, Tommy," Kim said weakly, feeling her energy draining fast.

"Alright, Kimberly. Give me a big push," Daisy Meade instructed and Kim did what she was told. When Kim was into her 32 weeks, Tommy had convinced her to go to take the Lamaze class. Kim initially waved it off since their schedules were pretty tight and it's going to be difficult to squeeze in another thing to do. They had agreed to get a DVD, just in case, but Kim then felt silly to perform it in their living room. Now the entire lesson was going out of the window and crashing down the road. It was not easy to concentrate when a baby was squeezing its way out of your body.

"I hate you," Kim mumbled and began pushing. She wanted to have a natural child birth but it hurt so bad that she wasn't sure if her body could accommodate the pain. Her eyes met Tommy's and a spark of understanding shining in his eyes.

"Good girl," Doctor Meade said. "You're doing great, Kim. Give me another push,"

"Do you want to take the epidural, Beautiful?" Tommy asked with his lips pressed against her forehead. He felt his soul slipping just by watching Kim. Tommy watched her eyes widen even more. They had talked about this before and Kim had embarrassedly admitted that she was afraid of needles. Still, he thought a little jab of needles couldn't feel worse than the contractions and cramps she had been having!

"I'm okay… oh I hate you!" Kim wailed and Tommy tried not to wince when her grip nearly crushed his hand.

"We've got a head," Doctor Meade announced and Tommy's heart leaped.

"A head, Kim!"

"I heard that!" Kim retorted. She was pushing but she was so tired…

"Another push and you're going to welcome your new baby," Doctor Meade said with satisfaction. Then she said, "Come on, Doctor Oliver. Don't you want to see the process?"

Tommy looked down at Kimberly-- her teeth were sinking into her lower lips so deeply that he's afraid she would draw blood, and back to Kim's doctor. He got a bit hesitant. He wasn't sure if he wanted to…

The doctor looked at him from between Kim's legs and encouraged. "Come on! This is your first child. This will be such an unforgettable moment for both of you as parents!"

"Tommy…," Kim muttered, tears welling in her eyes.

He flashed Kim the smile to assure her that everything was going to be alright. Leaning down, Tommy gave Kim a gentle kiss on the lips and forehead before self-consciously approaching the still beaming doctor.

That was going to be an unforgettable moment, for sure. Blood was everywhere… all Tommy could see was blood and blood and he felt a wave of nausea flooding through his vein.

"And there she goes…," Doctor Meade laughed and winked to both parents." Congratulation!"

Kim's tired face and the sweet little bundle in Doctor Meade's arms was the last thing Tommy saw before his knees gave in and the next thing happened…

…Tommy fainted.

Kimberly rubbed her daughter's small chest gently, listening to her steady breath. It was a quick delivery—only 75 minutes. Jason's mother spent almost 44 hours when she had him. "Your father was too amazed by you that he fainted. Right, Tommy?" She could sense another presence in the nursery without turning around. That's how tight their bond was. "We've got some interesting stories to share with her… and I'm not talking about our ranger experiences only,"

"Hey Handsome, it's time to wake up," Jason's loud prompting was followed by a poke on Tommy's shoulder. Jason had been there when his little 'sister' did the same fainting action and now it's turn for his 'brother'.

Tommy laughed at Kim's flippant remark. "Seems like she enjoyed her bedtime story," He walked into the room and approached the crib, a coy smile adorning his face. His dark blue pajama pants matched Kim's knee length nightie and there's just something about it that warmed her heart.

"Let's see," Jason cleared his throat and stepped in, his eyes piercing through Tommy's. "You're Tommy Oliver, the legendary ranger of one, two… no, four colors. Fighting monsters and piloting humongous zords used to be your profession and your hobby includes skydive which is quite an extreme sports, in my opinion… and you fainted at your child's birth? Bro!"

"Alright, Tommy did pass out, but he wasn't the first father in this country who did that and I'm sure he's not going to be the last," Zack came to the rescue.

Tommy looked a bit bashful and his face turned crimson. Jason had had 2 kids with Emily and Tommy knew that his brother definitely did not faint on both occasions. "There's so many blood… and it's a bit, uhm, messy," He blurted out, lacking of another word to say.

Tommy smiled as the memory faded. It was definitely a moment to remember. Annabelle Rose Oliver would celebrate her second birthday next week and Jason hadn't lived it down and still made a comment about it every once in a while.

"Maybe tomorrow I will tell her how her mommy fainted because she was too stunned by her daddy's comeback,"

"My father was never a ranger," Kim pointed out with a grin.

"You know what I mean," Tommy shot back and wrapped his arms around her trim body, resting his chin on her shoulder. Together they gazed down at the miracle they had created. When he looked at Anne, all he could see was Kim. The only things she inherited from him were the long lashes and her dark brown eyes.

Tommy had done well with the nursery. The ceiling was sky blue with clouds and rainbow. The fabrics and bedding were mostly in soft pink and blue colors. There were even painted fairies with their magic wands, transparent wings and glittery dust. It was a room that any little girls in the world would adore and Kim was certain their little girl laying in her canopy cribs loved it as well.

Kim craned her neck to look and him and Tommy instantly leaned down to lock their lips together. When their lips were just a breath away, Kim pulled back and asked with a bat of her eyelashes. "Do you know that an ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain? I think I know some people just like that…,"

"Sorry?"

"That's in the book you gave me when I was four months pregnant with Anne," Kim answered. She had been feeling cranky all day and had asked Tommy to get her something to read, perhaps Cosmo or some romance novels that suited her mood at that time. Unbelievably, Tommy got home with a big, 3 inch thick '1001 Interesting Facts' that could easily knock someone out. Kim wanted to bat Tommy with the book choked with information when he showed up and told her it was a present from the principal.

"You just had to break the moment, didn't you?"

"Just because I didn't want your daughter to witness an R-rated scene before she's old enough," Kim replied and wiggled her eyebrows mischievously.

"You're so lucky I love you," Tommy affectionately brushed a butterfly kiss across her smooth shoulder. Having this little one had made both of them quite busy but they still tried to spare some time to be with each other.

"Right back at you,"

"And we love you, Princess," Tommy said gently, using the nickname he had coined for Anne since he saw her for the first time and smiled when she sighed in her sleep. His dearest daughter would break many hearts when she grew up.

"Let's go to bed, Handsome,"

-end-

:: Alright, I'm trying to make this story humorous and sweet at the same time and I hope it turns out okay. Thanks for reading, please review.

- Yuuri ;)