DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but the character of Meredith and this plot. Enjoy!
Years have passed. I would love to say that the years have been kind to my friends and I, but that wouldn't be the case. After sacrificing much of our teenage years to be Power Rangers, you would think the universe would be grateful. Sadly, it hasn't been. At least not to those who deserve it.
Rocky and I have been happily married for ten years. Rocky proposed after graduation and waited until I had finished my undergrad and started medical school. I spent the next four years in med school and another three doing my residency. I am now a practicing physician. I work as an ER physician. I guess those years of solving one crisis after another manifested itself in my chosen field.
Rocky still owns his dojo, but it's expanded to a dozen centers across the state. I was lucky enough to get my residency placement in California and so we didn't have to move very far. I recently accepted a position at Angel Grove General and Rocky and I were excited about moving back to a place that held so many memories for the two of us. We were anxious to raise our family in a place that held such good memories for us. We couldn't wait to show our two children where we grew up. Rocky and I, for the moment, are the proud parents of two little boys, Christopher Thomas and Jonathan Oliver. They are 3 and 1. Rocky's entire family is always asking how big a family we would like and Rocky and I just shrug our shoulders. We both want a large family, but didn't really talk about it with our families. I also hate talking about it around my brother. He's the one causing me worry these days.
Something happened between him and Kimberly just after the Pan Globals. She got it in her head that she and Tommy were headed for a break up and she ended their relationship.
Tommy was, understandably, upset by this turn of events. He swore off dating and threw himself into his studies. This led to an unlikely choice for my brother. He earned a PhD in paleontology. He submerged himself in research and was awarded a prestigious position with Anton Mercer. Tommy spent a great deal of time working on Mercer's island. I barely saw my brother during those times so I concentrated on my career and starting a family.
When he decided to settle down, he did so in Reefside. It was a short drive from where Rocky and I had purchased a home in Angel Grove. He also shocked me by becoming a science teacher. I know, Tommy a science teacher. Whenever any of us get together, we still can't believe Tommy willing went back to high school to teach. But, I guess since he missed out on the 'true' high school experience, he decided to live vicariously through his students. Students that he mentored as part of a new ranger team.
No one was more surprised than I when my brother became the black ranger of the Dino Thunder team, but again, I should have expected it. Once again, he was leading himself into danger to save the world. I admired his tenacity about it, but I also thought he was nuts. (That's the technical term for it.) He was so busy finishing up his obligation to the rangers, which included worrying me to death when he fell into a coma, that I didn't get the opportunity to tell him that Kimberly had moved to Reefside to coach gymnastics and teach art and music. I was actually really scared about how he was going to react to know that I knew for a while and hadn't told him. I guess I could say I forgot. That worked for him in high school and I am his sister. It was a wonderful opportunity for her. What I hadn't counted on, was her bringing along her son. Her ten-year-old son. A son that looked a lot like my brother. A son that was, in fact, my nephew. I finally understood Kim's abrupt dismissal of Tommy. I confronted her with what I believed to be the truth and she was surprised that I'd figured it out.
"Come on Kimberly. Jacob looks so much like Tommy as a kid. He bears a strong resemblance to my children, so unless Rocky is Jake's dad," I said, not finishing the sentence.
"You're right, OK. Tommy is Jake's dad, but you can't tell him," she said.
"What do you mean I can't tell him. I want to know why YOU haven't told him. Tommy deserves to know, don't you think. He's been miserable the last ten years because he doesn't know why he lost you. Now, he's seriously thinking about dating Hayley, who's been his best friend since college. And you know that doesn't sit well with me," I said.
"Why," she asked, trying to change the subject.
"Hayley started out as a very good friend of mine until she realized Tommy was single. Then she threw me over to hang out with him. They've been best friends, but not for her lack of trying to get something more. She SO wants Tommy in other ways that it's starting to make me sick. She is a great person and a good friend, but she wants Tommy. She makes Katherine's little crush look pathetic," I said.
Kimberly stared at the floor. I was hoping my little revelation about Tommy and Hayley would knock some sense into her and get her to realize what she had to do. Luckily for me, Kimberly is a smart girl.
"OK. I'll tell him. Are you inviting him over for dinner tonight," she asked me.
"Well, I forgot to tell you that he ALWAYS comes over on Wednesday nights, even if I'm working. We have dinner or he and Rocky order pizza and hang out with the boys, if I'm at the hospital. It's a tradition that we started after he finished his ranger duties for, what had better be, the final time," I said.
"So you were going to set me up," she said.
I smiled at her. "No, I would never set you up. More like spring you on him and then lock you in the basement until you both decided to make up."
She glared at me. She knew me well enough to know that I would do it to her and Tommy if I thought it would help the situation.
"I'll see you at 6," she said. I grabbed my purse off the table and nodded. I walked out the door to my car and called Rocky. "Kim is coming to dinner, but don't let Tommy know. I want him to actually stay. If they don't get along, we lock them in the basement until they realize what they have to do."
My husband laughed at my idea. "You know Tommy will LOVE that."Kim is going to, finally, tell Tommy that has a son and that it's Jake. He's going to be pissed when he finds out that I've know for a while that she had his child," I said.
"You are right about that. I just hope he takes it easy on you, babe. You don't deserve him to be mad at you," Rocky said.
"I know, but we'll talk about it when I get home. You have the menu ready," I asked.
"Yes, ma'am. I have my mothers famous chicken quesadilla ready to go in the oven. I just hope I do them justice," he said.
"You are much better at fixing your mother's dishes than I am," I said. We said good-bye and I continued on my way home. I was going to stop at the store and get some stuff to make strawberry shortcake.
As I entered the store, my phone rang. I checked the read out and it said 'Ana'
"Hola, mama DeSantos," I said.
"Hola, chica. I was wondering if you and Rocky would mind if we picked up the kids and brought them over here for the night? Rocky's dad got tickets to that puppet show the children seem to love. Well, at least Chris likes it and we thought we'd pick them up tonight and keep them overnight for two days and let you and Rocky have a break. Your anniversary is coming up," she said.
I smiled at my mother-in-law. This was her not-so-subtle way to tell me it was time for Rocky and I to have another child. "No problem. Rocky's home with them now getting your quesadilla ready for dinner," I said.
"Wonderful, we'll pick them up now and take them out for burgers," she said. I laughed. She always preached on healthy eating, but took her two grandsons out for fries. Perks of being a grandparent, I suppose because my parents do the same thing. "That's fine, mama. Just have Rocky pack their bags. I should be home in about a half hour. Tommy's coming for dinner at 6," I said.
"We'll see you before we leave," she said and ended the call. My mother-in-law, a doctor like my own mother, was wonderful and didn't meddle. She wanted Rocky and I to have a big family, but she was so excited that Rocky and I had gotten married that she didn't really care what we did. She told me she had admired me for sticking with Rock after his injury and then for moving with him and following my own dreams. It was a wonderful thing to hear from your mother-in-law.
I purchased the items I would need and headed home. Rocky's parents had already arrived and I parked next to them in the driveway. I carried the bags inside and heard my husband talking to his mom.
"Hola," I said.
Ana rushed to hug me while Rocky kissed me and took the bags from me. "Mom said she was taking the kids to some puppet show with dad."
"Yeah, she called and I said it would be fine. She's doing it for our anniversary," I said. Rocky slowly nodded his head, understanding the meaning in those words.
"I packed the bags, but I know the kids want to see you before they leave," Rocky said.
Chris rushed to me with his little brother trying to keep up. I picked up my sons and kissed them. I said I loved them and told them to mind abuelita y abuelito, grandma and grandpa. After several kisses and hugs, the boys were buckled into grandma's van and were headed for their fries and ice cream. Rocky and I waved from the front porch and he wrapped his arms around me from behind.
"Wow two whole days with no children and no work. How did we manage that," he asked. I shook my head. It as pure luck that he decided to take two days off to paint the basement we had finished into a playroom for the boys and I didn't have to work for two days. It was pretty sweet.
"We'll figure out what to do with this free time after we figure out this whole Tommy and Kimberly situation," I said.
"Is she bringing Jake," he asked.
"Don't know. Probably considering he's the whole reason she's doing this," I said.
We went back inside and I went upstairs to change clothes.
The ringing of the doorbell told me Kimberly had arrived. Tommy never rang the doorbell. He usually knocked on the kitchen door before he entered. If it was locked, he either came back later or he called on his cell.
I heard Rocky open the door and allow Kimberly to enter. I came down the stairs and greeted my old friend. We sat down at the table, us women with a glass of wine and Rocky with a beer. "Where's Jake," I asked.
"He's with Jason" she said.
"What about Katherine? Don't you think she'll figure it out," I asked.
"She's in New York with the dance troupe. She'll find out when she comes home, I'm sure. But I hope Tommy knows and accepts it by that time," she said.
Speaking of Tommy, he appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. Kimberly wasn't visible from that position because of the pillar in the kitchen. Rocky greeted his brother-in-law with the one-armed bro hug and got him a beer out of the fridge. "You should sit, man. You're gonna need that," he said. I shot him a look but he just shrugged his shoulders.
Tommy came to the table and went to give me a kiss on the cheek when he noticed Kimberly. "What the hell is she doing here," he asked.
"She's a guest for dinner," I said.
"Why," he asked.
"Look, Tommy, she's here as our guest because she just moved back to town. Well, Reefside actually and she's teaching at the same school you are. I thought it was time for you two to get reacquainted and not have any awkward moments at school," I said.
It all sounded perfectly logical to me, but I should have known that Tommy wasn't thinking logically.
"Doesn't matter, Meredith. You should have told me she was back in town. And now she's also having dinner with MY family and she's working at MY school. I don't believe this Meredith," he said.
"Thomas Michael Oliver, sit your ass in that chair and don't say another word. I didn't do anything but invite a friend to dinner. I think you need to understand why she broke up with you if you can get over that ego of yours long enough for her to tell you. Honestly, for someone who has a PhD and used to lead a team of power rangers and just finished mentoring another, you're acting like a big baby," I said.
Tommy parked himself in the chair across from Kimberly. I got up from the table and turned to them, "Now, each of you go to your mutual corner and come out fighting," I said, smiling.
I went to help Rocky in the kitchen, leaving the two former lovebirds alone for the first time in 10 years.
Tommy and Kimberly stared at each other. Kimberly knew he was mad about the break up but he didn't have to be so nasty about it."Will you give it a rest, Tommy, it was ten years ago," she said.
"And do you know what I did in those ten years, nothing. Nothing. I didn't date, didn't go out, didn't see any movies. I did nothing," he said.
"I had my reasons for doing what I did and I can't expect you to understand. I did it for, what I thought were the right reasons," she said.
"There are no right reasons for breaking someone's heart. Someone you swore to love forever," he said.
"I know you're upset and that you can't possibly feel anything for me any longer, but I have to tell you why I did what I did," she said.
Tommy leaned back in his chair. "Go ahead. I'm listening," he said.
*** Is she going to reveal her son? Is she going to reveal that Tommy's the dad? How is he going to react to her explanation?*** -mereditholiver
