What Makes You Different
Disclaimer: Saban owns it back now.
:: After Italy lost their place in the World Cup, I need to write something light to keep me from jumping off the window. Okay, exaggerate much, but still.
"Shit." Kim swore under her breath when the lightning boomed, rattling the windows. The rain hadn't stopped ever since she got back from Billy's house this evening. Fortunately, it had started to rain after she got home, or it surely would have been Calamity Kimberly all over again. Thanks, but no thanks.
Snuggling underneath the thick covers with her stuffed animal cuddled tight to her chest, she was content. She loved the idea of being safe and sound in her room when the water's pouring down like nobody's business out there. On the nightstand the radio was tuned in to some random station just so it wouldn't be so quiet.
No different than any other Friday night, the house was empty. Her mom was out on a date with her newest boy toy and it's unlikely she's going to return before midnight. Kim reckoned she could always stay over at the Kwan's, but after today's fiasco she just needed some time alone. The last thing she wanted was to blow another TV-set, and Trini had told her that they'd just replaced their old one. Better be safe than sorry.
The frequent sound of the rain hitting the windowsill worked wonder in lulling her to sleep and she had almost fallen asleep when a six familiar chime startled her. She groaned, burying her face in her pillow. Go away! Please, don't let Rita be that brutal to send down another monster in this kind of weather… and time! Hating having to surrender her snugly position, she reached blindly for the communicator and nearly knocked down the steaming hot chocolate. "Yes?"
What coming out of the speaker next jolted her awake. "Um, Kimberly?"
Holy Mary Mother of God.
"Tommy?" Kim immediately threw the covers away and sat up, the sleepiness vanished in mere seconds. Her hands made automatic gestures to fix her tousled hair even though the chance of him seeing her was minus five percent. A short moment later the amazement evaporated as the worst case scenario slowly unfolded in her mind. There had got to be something huge for Tommy to contact her. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes, everything's fine. Did I wake you up? Were you asleep?"
"No, no, I wasn't sleeping," Kim hastened to assure him. Even without seeing his face she could imagine that sheepish grin on his handsome feature. As always, thinking about the new member of the team sent the butterflies in her belly fluttering wild.
"Really?"
Kim leaned back against the mountain of pillows and hugged her knees to her chest. "Well, I was almost falling asleep, but it's just because there's nothing interesting to do. I wasn't really in the mood to do that math homework, and biology could wait till at least tomorrow night, or perhaps Monday morning. Who knows, maybe I could convince Billy to let me copy his. I've been told that I'm a very persuasive person."
From the communicator, Tommy chuckled. "I hear you. I was never really keen about Biology, perhaps we could get together or something later on."
'Yes, I'll be the mother of your kids!' was already on the very tip of her tongue. Still, she was raised a lady. When she spoke again her voice was slightly wavering from both excitement and anxiety. She couldn't help it; it simply always happened everytime Tommy was around. "I'd like that. But really, is everything alright? My creative mind has started to think about various scenarios here, though I don't think it's something life threatening or we wouldn't be leisurely discussing about school work."
"Billy did some adjustments with my communicator and I just wanted to give it a test-drive. That, and I also wanted to see how you're doing. You've had a pretty long day."
Kim had to refrain herself from getting up and doing a round of cartwheels around her room that would impress any gymnastics judges. Of all rangers, he chose her. Her! She'd never felt more special than she did right now. Not even when Jerome Myers gave her his favorite pet for her seventh birthday. It's a shame it was a frog; a big, ugly, slimy, disgusting one at that. "Right, that sounds like the understatement of the year, but I'm alright. I think the bad luck's finally wearing off. At least my mom won't be coming home to find the whole house on fire or something like that."
"Your mom's not home?"
"Nope, second date with a southern gentleman who helped her with a flat tire a few weeks ago. His twang is pretty authentic. The whole set up is pretty much like something coming out of a cheesy novel, really." Kim sighed, running her fingers through the caramel tresses reflectively. "I don't mean to sound so bitter, but it's just… I'm still dealing." She never talked to Tommy about her far than perfect family but she was certain that the guys had already kept him updated.
"He's not your father."
"Not that I was close with him, actually," Kim turned sideways, placing her pink communicator next to her head. "He traveled a lot so I didn't really see him that often. There weren't enough father-daughter bonding times to make me really miss him. Still, I guess I just didn't see the divorce coming. Or at least I pretended not to."
Tommy didn't say anything, but the silence was welcomingly soothing. Just knowing that he was right there on the other end was enough for Kim. While she realized that everybody meant well, it was tiring to repeatedly listen to cliché calming words about how everything would be okay.
Outside the rain was still coming down in sheets and the lightning struck again, illuminating her darken room and creating mystical silhouettes. She closed her eyes, reveling in some old memories. "I love rain. When my parents were still together, they'd fight every night my dad's home. The rain, the thunders… they masked everything out."
"Sometimes things don't go the way we want them to be. Cruel fact, but that's how life is. Me, well, I'd like nothing more than to know my real parents, but it just doesn't work out that way. We're no Brady Bunch but I'm really grateful for my folks."
Kim opened her eyes, frowning. "Are you saying that-,"
Tommy chuckled at her bewildered tone. "I'm adopted."
She nodded, fully aware that he couldn't see it. She'd met Mrs. Oliver once when she came to the Youth Center to drop off Tommy's karate gi. Standing no taller than 5'3", Mrs. Oliver was a beautiful woman with golden tresses. Radiant and motherly. She did did not resemble him all that much but Kim had never really given it too much thought. "What happened with them? Your biological parents, I mean. Though it's perfectly okay if you'd rather not talk about it." She quickly added.
Tommy was quiet for almost a full minute that Kim had begun to worry that she had broached a sensitive subject that had better be left alone. When she was ready to go full on panic mode, he replied, "They were driving home from a piano recital when there's a drunk driver that missed the red light. They weren't so lucky that night. The Oliver's… Mom had had a couple of miscarriages before the doctors told her that she couldn't carry a baby to full term. It was then that they decided to adopt."
Kim smiled lightly. His voice was softer and warmer when he talked about the Oliver's. She could hear a dog barking and howling at the background and she wondered if Tommy owned a pet. As long as it's not a frog... "They are very lucky to have you as their child."
"So they've said." Tommy released a hearty laugh. "Never really told anybody about this before. You're the first one."
"They raised you well. You're a good person, Tommy Oliver." Impossibly, she blushed furiously. She didn't mean to say that so bluntly.
"Even after I tossed you out of the Megazord?" Kim flinched. His tone was mildly teasing, but the old traces of guilt could be easily detected.
"Hey, you've saved our asses countless times after that, just like today," Kim chided gently, recalling Rita's latest creation earlier today. She didn't expect him to get over it anytime soon, but she hoped by being one of the good guys and fighting along side them would help soothing the wound. "If we have to blame someone, it's totally Rita's fault," She paused, unsure if she's going to finish what she had started. The thought had been bugging her big time and had even started to meddle with her conscience.
"Kim?"
"And it's probably mine too. If only I hadn't asked you to meet up with us you wouldn't have gone that way and none of this would've happened." Kim trailed off in one big gulp of air before she lost her nerves, hot tears stinging her eyes.
"Hey hey, I thought we agreed that we're not going to blame anyone? Well, besides Rita, that is. Come on, Kim, you know as well as I do that she had set her eyes on me from the beginning. She would have found another way to get to me no matter what."
Kim chewed her fingernails; old habits die hard. Tommy made a point there, but still. After seeing first hand how being under Rita's spell had affected him, she couldn't get rid of the what if's. "I guess so."
Tommy sighed. "I'm not gonna lie to you, Kim, it's not easy. Sometimes nightmares are still plaguing my sleep, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm happy with where I stand right now."
Silence fell over them like a downy blanket as she thought his words over. Absently wiping her eyes, Kim blurted, "I thought I was supposed to be the one doing the therapist part."
Tommy burst out laughing; it was contagious and soon she was sporting a matching wan smile. "We can share the part."
"In case you forget, I cleaned the mat with you the other day, so we're even." Kim saucily said, subtly redirecting the conversation to a less stressful zone. The first time they sparred, Tommy had ended up laying flat on his back after falling rather ungracefully on his butt. "I'd like to think you weren't holding back just because I'm a girl, short, and cute. And if you still feel bad, feel free to get on the beam tomorrow. I'm sure we'll have tons of fun watching you tumble."
Tommy's laughter filled her ears and she couldn't help but joined in. Seriously, how could she not feel anything for this guy? That's just not possible.
He had decided to go shirtless that day. It's still a wonder how on earth she could stay focused and concentrated staring at those glistening chest and strong arms. There's a small part of her that wistfully hoping that he had been distracted. The leotard she had on was pretty clingy, thanks to her mother for shrinking it down at least one size.
But of course, Tommy was a gentleman. And they're friends. Just friends.
Oh please someone shoot me.
But he did chose to contact you to make sure his communicator's working, a voice gently reminded her. And he told you stories he never told anybody, not even Jason in spite of their bromance.
She didn't want to start getting her hope high, but saying that she didn't develop any feelings for Tommy Oliver would be like saying the earth's rotating counter-clockwise: it's a total nonsense.
Stifling a yawn, Kim leaned deeper into her pillow. Her eyes fluttered close as her lips lifted into a smile. This was definitely something she could get used to. If she tried hard enough, it was almost as if he was laying right there next to her. Perhaps one of these days he would have another technical problems with his communicator and then decided to teleport out to her house for a test-drive. The thought alone made her grin like an idiot.
"Thanks for checking on me and sharing those stories, Tommy." Kim muttered, feeling her eyelids getting heavier. He was still pretty much a mystery to the sixteen year old girl but today had made her feel closer to him, somehow.
"Wouldn't have had anybody else to share it with. I trust you, Kim."
The pink ranger smiled indulgently as she fought off the sleepiness that had kicked in once again. Tommy was right; it had been a long day. She commanded every cell of her body to stay awake. There's no way in heaven and hell that she would be sleeping while Tommy's talking to her.
Less than a minute later, Kimberly Hart had fallen asleep. She would be mentally beating herself up tomorrow morning and trying to convince Tommy that he didn't bore her to death, but that's still hours away. At least she didn't snore.
"Kim, you still there? Aww man, it's so late already! I guess you're asleep, or probably my communicator's acting up again. I sure hope that's not it though. Alright then, I guess I'll see you tomorrow at the Juice Bar. Good night, Kimberly, sweet dreams."
If he had stayed 10 seconds longer, he would have heard Kim mumble in her sleep.
"G'night Tommy."
Seemed like both of them would have a good night sleep after all.
:) like it, hate it? VIVA AZZURRI!