~~Kim~~
"It's never gonna be the same again, is it?" Kim whispered to no one in particular, an old photograph dangling loosely from one hand as she sat cross-legged on the bed. Night had fallen hours before and a peaceful silence had descended over the Otai Academy, but try as she might, she could not fall asleep. "Things will never go back to the way they were, no matter how much I wish they would."
Three months ago, when she'd first arrived at the Academy, she'd have chalked it up to jet lag. But not anymore- now, it could only be homesickness. Outside her dorm room window, stars twinkled faintly and the yellow moon hung full and low in the midnight sky. I wonder if Jack's looking at the same moon right now, she thought silently. Nah, probably not. I mean, he's probably got lots of stuff going on.
She glanced down at the photo. Rudy had said something hilarious just a few moments before the shutter had clicked, capturing the scene that followed: Jerry, Jack, Milton, and herself, laughing their heads off like there would be no tomorrow. Kim exhaled softly, feeling the sheer happiness and authenticity of the moment wash over her like it had just been yesterday. Those had been the days.
The Kim in that photograph, frozen in time with the press of a button, would never know that a short two weeks later she and the four people she loved more than life itself would suddenly be separated. That Kim would never feel the overwhelming sadness Kim felt now as she wrapped her arms around her knees, silent tears running down her cheeks as she struggled to suppress a sob.
"Don't cry, Kim." She told herself. "You're just overreacting." She repeated those words to herself over and over again, as if saying them would make everything all right.
She'd never even seen it coming- Jack and Milton's scholarships, Jerry's research project in Kenya, and her acceptance to the Otai Academy. And when the finality of all their decisions had finally sunk in, they'd already gone their separate ways, leaving Rudy in Seaford with the dojo. In the end, it wasn't just her choice that tore them apart- it was all of their doing.
To be honest, it hadn't been so bad at first, being separated. She'd been so caught up in settling in at the Academy that there was barely any time for her to miss anyone. The new friends she'd made were hilarious and outgoing, and whenever she was around them she could almost forget the family she'd left behind. Almost. But it was nights like these, still and silent, that she just couldn't think about anything else.
I wish things would just go back to the way they used to be, she thought. I'd give my scholarship up to be back home. Because that's what those guys are to me- home. They're where I belong. And without them, I hardly know who I am.
And as she sat there facing the open window, a single pale pink flower drifted in on a breeze as if by magic. It came to a rest on the rumpled patchwork quilt covering her bed, and as she reached out to take it, a single tear broke through her defenses and traced a trail down her cheek. She crawled over to her pillow and lay down, the cherry blossom cupped between her palms, and lay awake for many more hours.
By the time she finally fell asleep, her pillow was dry and the sun was just beginning to peek over the tops of the mountains.
~~Jack~~
After another long day wrapping up another mission, Jack lay on his bed at headquarters, alone at last. He stared at the ceiling, twirling a dried cherry blossom in his fingers.
"I miss you, Kim." He confessed quietly to his dull grey ceiling. "I hope you know that I think about you every day, all the time." He paused, searching for the right words. Forget the fact that he was talking to a ceiling. "I'm leaving for Seaford tomorrow, and to be honest I'm kind of dreading it because it won't be the same without you."
His throat tightened, countless tears threatening to spill over. "Yeah, sure, it's still Seaford, but have you ever heard the saying, "it's the people that make a place?
"Seaford won't be home until you're there." His voice broke. "But either way, I hope you're happy at the Academy. All your dreams came true- I kind of feel bad that I'm lying here awake wishing you were still in California." He wished with all his heart that she could hear him.
And in the silence, the sobs came, slow at first but then stronger and stronger until they wracked his entire body. There was only one person he loved to the point of tears, and that girl was on the other side of the world.
"Hey, Jack, you all right?" The door opened a crack and Milton peeked in, light from the hallway turning his figure into a silhouette with a voice.
No answer, just quiet sobs.
"If you need to talk, you know where to find me." Milton knew that Jack just needed to be alone, but extended the offer because he knew what it felt like to be alone. "It's a Saturday night, so I'll be on the roof studying the stars." He stood there, feeling awkward, and was turning to leave when the sobs suddenly subsided.
"Wait, I'm coming." Jack rolled out of bed, following Milton to the roof access door. They ascended the stairs as quietly as possible, and then lay on their backs in the cold air- Milton doing quiet calculations under his breath, Jack wondering if Kim was stargazing, too. After a while, Milton silently got up to go downstairs, but Jack remained on the rooftop, eventually succumbing to fatigue and falling asleep.
Kim was there in his dreams, as real as could be, and they talked about anything and everything. Hearing her laugh was like listening to music for the first time, but when he was roused at the break of dawn he woke with an aching heart and empty arms, not yet ready to face Seaford without the girl that made it his home.
And so, when he boarded the plane home, it was with a heavy heart and a single dried cherry blossom in his hand.
So… thoughts? I really miss seeing Kim on Kickin' It and the show doesn't feel the same without her. So this fic happened. I originally wasn't going to post it but I figured hey, why not? Reviews would be greatly appreciated!