Hello everybody,

first of all I want to thank you for the wonderful reviews. They basically made my day and I'm so glad you guys like the story so far. i want to thank everybody that added the story to their alerts and favourites...You guys are amazing :)

Here is the second chapter of the story. I hope you enjoy it. As previously stated, the Power Rangers do not belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for a while :)

Read and Enjoy.

xoxo

LT

Dancing on a razor's edge

Twenty-five minutes later, in the common living area, both girls were laughing hysterically. While in the shower, Kim had taken care of business as usually, calling the catering company, deciding on the band, even fixing the whole flower disaster. By the time she had remembered that she still needed to check on the Jasmine incense that Henry could not get a hold off, Trini had walked out of the shower and was getting dressed, swearing like a drunken sailor when she couldn't find her sneakers. In a hurry, the petite former gymnast called her assistant, Amber, and tried to get a hold on the situation, while looking for her car key and organizer. In the background she could hear shouting and swearing in both English and Mandarin and Kim giggled amused. She could only shake her head when thinking about the Amber-Henry duo. They were different as the sun and the moon, but in spite of that, they made an excellent team. Amber, an African American woman in her mid twenties, had been a waitress at a local diner before she joint Kim's team. The tall slender woman, with a razor sharp tongue had always been nice to Kim during her early morning coffee runs. The two women had bonded and enjoyed each other's company, although they didn't managed to spend time outside of the diner. One evening, Kim had walked into cozy restaurant, craving a large hamburger, fries and a shake, and was stunned not to see the entertaining Amber at work. Upon enquiry, Kim had found out that Amber had resigned from her job, not being able to handle the overwhelming amounts of shifts. The same evening, Kim had shown up at Amber's apartment, to check on the woman, and was surprised to see Amber holding a crying six year old in her arms. The two women had talked extensively that evening and Kim had found out that Sheri, Amber's sister had become pregnant and after giving birth to Matt, she had left him on Amber's doorstep and disappeared. The boy had been only 2 months old, and Amber had cared for him since then. Impressed by the heart-breaking story, Kim had offered Amber a position on her team, position, which the former waitress happily accepted. Three years later, Kim had never been happier with her choice, Amber being a strong ally in her constant battle with suppliers and clients.

The other half of the dynamic duo, Henry, had been the reason behind most of Kim's frustrations over the years. Although extremely intelligent, Henry had the tendency to avoid getting work done and complain about everything that posed as a challenge. The young man had graduated Magna cum Laude from a University in Texas, majoring in finance, only to disobey his parent's wishes of becoming an auditor by moving to the big city. He had showed up at the company where Kim was working, seeking an internship. Two years later, he was a part of Kim's team, a wizard when it came to numbers, a disaster when out in the field. Yet Kim was patient with him, knowing that the shy and lonely Henry held so much potential, potential that only needed to be cultivated.

Both Henry and Amber were essential in her line of work, and although at times, it made her life more complicated then it needed to be, Kim trusted the two, delegating a large amount of work to them.

Upon asking for a status update from Amber, the woman laughed promising to send to her BlackBerry something that would explain it better than words. A few minutes later, Kim opened the e-mail attachment, causing her to burst into a fit of laughter. The picture sent by Amber, showed a tiny Asian woman, beating Henry with a hand held fan, at the same time, throwing small objects towards his direction. Amber had managed to immortalize a screaming and wincing Henry, while the petit Asian' expression was that of pure fury.

After Kim's initial outburst, Trini had joined her, only to succumb to the same faith as Kim had minutes ago.

"Ho…Honestly, Kim, this looks like you beating up Jason or Tommy. The woman is tiny." Trini managed to say between fits of giggling.

"I know. Look at his face; this is priceless. I think I'll ask Amber to blow it up and frame it." Kim chocked.

"You're an evil woman Kimberly Hart." Trini replied, clutching her stomach.

A knock at Kim's door, sobered both women and up, and Kim made her way towards the door. Wordlessly, Aisha made her way past Kim towards the common room, grabbing Trini by the hand in one fluent motion and ushering her towards the door.

"Bride to be, move your butt over to Kim's car. We are going to be late." She said smiling.

"Yes m'am!" Trini chuckled, grabbing Kim by the arm in the processes.

The planner squealed when Trini accidently dug her nails into her flesh, but quickly bounced back, grabbing her car keys and bag.

"I don't care if you are the bride Trini, if you leave a scar I will strangle you." Kim said, smacking Trini's ass playfully.

"You're just pissed it's from me and not from a smoking, sexy hunk." Trini bit back, causing all three women to laugh out loud once more.

Steve, the bellboy, greeted Kim and her party in the lobby, and upon inquiry, indicated the whereabouts of Kim's car. Outside of the hotel, Tanya, Kat and Angela were chatting happily. Kim hugged all three of them, joking and laughing all the way to her car.

With all six girls neatly seat belted in her car, Kim drove out of the parking lot of the hotel towards the dress shop.

The hours spent at the shop went by quickly, a blur of squealing, giggling and laughter. Trini's dress was a dream of lace and intricate beading, while the other girls tried their dresses, making last minute adjustments and playing dress up. The shop owner, a close friend of Kim's, had indulged the girls, letting them try on different gowns. Tanya had been at one point determined to buy one of dresses she had tried on.

"I don't care that Adam hasn't proposed yet, I want this dress." Tanya stomped her foot, while admiring the dress and herself in the mirror.

"Miss Sloan, this is a Pinina design, and if you want, when the time comes, I could personally speak to the designer and ask her if she could manufacture another one for you." Margaret promised, her face beaming with joy. She had been part of the wedding industry for thirty years and still enjoyed it to the fullest, her heart melting every time a girl found her dream gown.

"You would?" Tanya asked her eyes glowing with happiness. Upon the shop owner's confirmation, Tanya jumped from her pedestal and hugged the older woman, causing everybody to burst into laughter.

Four hours later, exhausted and in good humor the six women returned to the hotel. Jason had booked a table for the entire gang at the restaurant where he had proposed to Trini. Business had brought him often to Saratoga Springs and he now considered it his second home, knowing every shop, restaurant and bar in the area.

The meeting in the hotel lobby had been one filled with joy and mixed with tension for Kim. She had jumped in Billy's arms when they had met, hugging him fiercely to her, while Zack had complained that he hadn't received the same treatment. Swiftly, Kim released Billy and engulfed Zack into a bear hug, which he happily accepted. Twenty minutes later, they were all squeezed in two cars, with Kim driving the girls to the restaurant and Adam the boys.

The hours past, filled with laughter, jokes and funny stories. The food and the beverages had been exquisite the music perfectly fitted for the gathering.

"So what are you guys up to nowadays? I know we sort of kept in touch, but last time I spoke to you guys, you were still all in collage, so spill. Tanya, my lady you go first." Zack demanded, taking a swing from his beer, his fingers laced with Angela's.

"Well, I'm currently living in New York, with this goof-ball" she said pointing at Adam who smiled brightly. "And I just finished my residency at NY Memorial in pediatrics. I want to focus on this particular area; it's fun, but exhausting. Working with grown ups is hard, since they can be such babies, but try working with kids, it's such a pain sometimes." She explained causing all to laugh at her expression.

"What about you Adam? You finished med school as well, were are you at?" Angela asked, leaning closer so she could hear him better.

"Yeah frog-boy, do tell." Aisha added, flashing him a wide grin.

" Well, Aisha, you and Rocky should know that, the frog-boy finished med school and my residency ended about six months ago. I'm a proud full time cardiologist. It's pretty cool, but I don't get too much sleep and have zero social life." He laughed.

"So nothing much has changed." Rocky surprised, chocking when Aisha swatted the back of his head while he was taking a swing from his beer bottle.

"You're so not getting any tonight for this." He replied in a strangled voice, coughing.

"Ha! The day you put this threat into action has not come yet, my monkey boy." Aisha returned, causing the girls to giggle and the boys to shake their heads.

"Billy, your turn." Jason called out, trying to shift the attention from his two love crazed friends.

The former Blue Ranger blushed slightly when all eyes turned on him. Although ten years had passed since he had been a teenager, he still couldn't handle attention very well.

"As you all know, I moved to Aquitar a few years back, but I returned soon after. Life on another planet was interesting, the technology and the progress fascinating, but I missed my home. When I came back, I tried to see what degree I can pursue so I enrolled into MIT. I've graduated with a degree in computer engineering and my interested shifted towards bioengineering, a field I pursued for my PhD.

Then I worked for a while for a big pharmaceutical company, but I resigned about two years later. With the knowledge gained from Aquitar and MIT, I decided to set up my own company and lab. "Blue Lane" focuses on researching and developing medication to combat different diseases. We are now trying to develop a drug that might prevent the development of breast cancer. I'm actively working in lab, more then actually running the company, but thank God I have a capable team. By the way I owe you one Jason, for the contacts. If it would have been up to me to find capable people, I would have probably gone bankrupt two weeks after going into business." He chuckled, causing the others to vehemently deny his claim.

"Come on Billy. You're like the smartest person on the face of the planet. I'm sure your would have done just fine without Jason's help." Trini interfered and Jason to give her a surprised look.

"Thanks Trini for taking my moment to shine away." He said, mocking hurt.

"Oh shut up Jason Lee Scott. You don't need more ego-boosting, I think you are just doing fine." She said kissing his cheek.

"Mister PhD in Paleontology, how did you end up there? I mean from piloting giant Zords to racing cars it's not unimaginable, but a PhD? In Paleontology? What meteor hit your head? Aisha asked, causing Tommy to groan and the others to burst into yet another fit of laughter.

"Racing was fun and I still like it, but it wasn't something I could see myself doing for the rest of my life. I considered opening up a dojo, but not enough cash for that." He explained his gaze lingering on his friends' faces, avoiding Kimberly's like the plague. He was still mad at her for bolting earlier.

"You could have asked me you moron. I would have scraped the cash and given it to you." Rocky added irritated, punching Tommy in the shoulder.

"Thanks Rocky, but I think investing in my education was better. Somehow I ended up at MIT and after a couple of courses I majored in the field. At that time Anton Mercer began mentoring me, even went so far in taking me on a major dig with him so I can work on my PhD. I think I told you guys about him and the whole island business." He trailed away.

"What island business?" Kimberly asked shyly from her corner, the others turning towards her.

"Technicolor here managed to get himself blown up, along with the island and stepped into the Power Ranger suite once more. Dude you just had to take my color. Weren't three enough for you?" Zack whined, pointing at the former leader of the Power Rangers, causing Kimberly to pale significantly.

"You got blown up?" she asked her voice barely above a whisper.

Tommy nodded, looking at her properly for the first time throughout the evening. He had sneaked glances at her, when she wasn't paying attention to him, drinking her in. Sitting next to Jason and furthest away from him, near the balcony of the terrace, the light engulfing her petit form perfectly. She wore an emerald sweater that hugged every curve and a pair of faded and expensive looking jeans along with a pair of Converse. Her hair was tide up in a messy bun and she wore minimal make up. On closer inspection he detected dark circles under her eyes, her beautiful doe orbs sad and empty now laced with concern. Time had been kind to her, but she did have and still led a hard live. It hurt him to see her like that and although she was the main reason he couldn't move on with his life, he wanted her to be happy, he wanted to see her old spunk. Kimberly, with all her flaws and valley girl attitude, had always been the heart of the group, joking and lightening up the atmosphere even in the darkest of circumstances, and her being a mere shell of her former self pained him more then he would ever admit.

"And you were a Ranger? Again?" she went one, trying desperately to compose herself. Fear and concern gripped her heart and she had to fight the urge to throw something at him. "Stupid man and his need to be the hero" she thought slightly shacking her head.

"Yeah, and he had to steal my color too." Zach pointed at himself. "And dude, just so you know, the color looks way better on me." He trailed away causing everybody to chuckle, the created tension to disperse.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You told me already, but I'm done with Rangering and now happily retired. The gems are no longer active, Hayley is taking care of Ranger business and I have moved on from being a science teacher at a local high school. I've gone back to MIT where I teach full time a few courses, I started a couple of digs so I'm mostly on the road and once in a while I get invited as a guest speaker to a conference. Life's pretty sweet." He grinned like a Cheshire cat, his gaze still focused on Kim's concerned features. When his eyes continued to linger, Kim quickly turned away not able to handle his intense scrutiny.

"So tell me Kat, how's the school going?" Tommy asked his eyes still focused on Kim. When the Australian beauty began to speak, he finally turned away from his old flame.

"Oh, it's wonderful. The girls are magnificent and I enjoy ballet even more. Living in Boston is a dream and Billy and I have moved in together." She said smiling brightly, lacing her fingers with Billy's.

"Wait, you guys are dating?" Kim asked her mouth opened in surprise. "Billy, you schmuck, you didn't say anything about you guys dating in your e-mails. I am so going to kick you ass for this, but I'm really glad for you." She said, genuinely happy for the couple, a sincere smile gracing her features.

"Thank you Kim. We didn't say anything, because this is new to us as well. On one of my business trips to London, Kat and I just connected and after she moved back to the States, it just happened." Billy answered, rubbing Kat's knuckles gently.

What about you, original Red? Still walking you way up into the corporate world?" Rocky laughed, eying his friend.

"Yeah, everything is going great. I love my job, and being a consultant auditor pays pretty well. Who would have thought that I'd end up working in the business sector and to top it all up with numbers? Just completed a big project and finally I can enjoy the fruits of my labor." He laughed, hugging Trini closer to him.

"You should see him when he comes home sometimes. I have to go all psychologist on him, even when I'm not in the office anymore." Trini rolled her eyes causing the group to erupt in laughter once more.

"So, I presume you finally opened up your own practice Tri?" Angela pressed.

Trini nodded, taking a sip of her ice tea.

"Ape-boy, still working at that restaurant in Baltimore?" Kim inquired.

"Nope. Not any more. Since, Aisha finally managed to split with that nightmare of a law firm she was working for and found a job in San Francisco, I moved with her. She now finally works with a firm that can appreciate her talent." He explained hugging Aisha closer, while she rested her cheek on his shoulder. "And I might actually have enough money in a few months to open up my own place. I have the perfect location, bought the place and the renovation is on its way. I think it's going to be pretty cool." He added, beaming with pride.

"So what about a name? Have you considered that?" Kat asked, smiling at her former teammate.

"Yeah. I think I'll go with Santos. It's plain and not imaginative but it's easy to remember and I think I'll work."

"I like it. Count me in at the opening, Rocky my man." Jason added high fiving his friend.

"So miss planner, how's the event world working for you?" Zack led on, leaning towards the table, studying Kim's features.

The table went silent, pairs of eyes studying her every move, causing her to shift uncomfortably. She had no problem to be in front of hundreds of people, stay in the spotlight, but when it come to her friends, she could never master a perfect detached mask, most of the time letting emotions slip, making her vulnerable.

"You know, a job here a job there. It's ok, but demanding, although I can't complain, I get to travel quit a bit. Don't really have a home anymore, since I divide my time between Hong Kong, Berlin, Moscow, Dubai and recently Rome. I really like it, the work is challenging and demanding, the pay is out of this world and it keeps my mind occupied." She shrugged, her tone even and her eyes miles away, something that did not go unnoticed by Tommy

"Fly-boy you have been asking about us all the time, now it's your turn. So spill, what have you been up to?" she inquired interested, putting her phone back on the table, directing her full attention to the African America man in front of her.

When the group shifted they attention away from her, looking at Zack now, she sighted in relief, although she could still feel a pair of eyes burning holes into her head. She didn't need to look up, to see who was gazing intensely at her. Over the years their bond had never broken and she could still know from a pool of a hundred people looking at her, which pair of eyes belonged to him.

"Ah, well, I have been up to a lot. See after the peace conference, I came back to the States and tried Juilliard where I actually got in. I can't believe it even now that they took me. Graduated four years later, barely if I might add and went into the music business, where I currently work as a producer. In my senior year at Juilliard I bumped into Angela in the hallway and ask her out. Found out that she was focusing on the violin and after we both graduated she went on performing for the New York Philharmonic in the Orchestra. My little lady here is touring very often and I'm damn proud of her." He pointed at Angela grinning, lacing his fingers with hers.

"We don't get to see each other as often as we would like, with me on the road a lot and him busy in the studio, but we manage. Our lives changed a lot in the last couple of months." Angela supplied.

"Oh. Do tell." Trini prompted, more interested then ever. She was glad that her two friends were happy, she was even happier knowing that Zack had managed to find a woman that knew about Zack's past and that she was able to keep their secret. It was wonderful not to be able to hide something so important as the Rangers and she enjoyed Angela's friendship to the fullest.

"You see, Angela and I got hitched a couple of months ago." Zack said sheepishly anticipating the outrage that their revealed secret would cause.

They were all too stunned to answer immediately and after a few minutes of silence, Kim finally found her voice. "YOU DID WHAT?" she yelled out causing a few people in their vicinity to turn and glare at the large group.

"And you didn't say a word?" Trini added.

"Asshole, you didn't invite us? Your family? Your team?" Aisha shot daggers towards his direction.

"Dude, I'm happy for you guys, but you're so dead right now." Jason laughed, causing the other men to node vigorously.

"Hold on. Before you castrate me, let me talk. This might be my last words but let me explain. It's actually quite an interesting story." Zack began, while holding his arms in front of him, eying Angela cautiously. She in return smiled, her right hand resting on his thigh.

With a big and dramatic intake of air Zack began his tale.

Flashback

"We're in Paris, the city of love. What do you want to do?" Zack asked his girlfriend.

"Let's go see the sights, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, I don't know. We might as well get married while we're here." She laughed pulling him towards the Arc de Triomphe.

Stopping dead in his track, Zack pulled Angela towards him.

"Are you serious?" he asked, not a hint of joke on his face or his voice.

Worried Angela looked away.

"Are you serious?" he asked again, taking her chin in his hand and turning her head so she could meet his eyes.

"I was kidding Zack. I'm sorry, it was stupid of me to say something like that." She apologized trying to shake herself free from his grip.

"Angela, you know I love you and you know that I want to marry you at one point." Zack trailed away sternly.

She sighted, looking him in the eyes. "I know, and I was only joking Zack. Plus you haven't even proposed yet." She chuckled, doubt still evident in her features.

He pulled her towards him, his arms circling her waist, pressing her closer to him, while his lips rested on the side of her head. Tugging a strain of her hair behind her ear he whispered: "Marry me!"

She closed her eyes in shock, and then pulled away from him. "Now who's being silly here?" she joked, her voice breaking, butterflies in her stomach. When she didn't replay to her joke she tried to pull away from him so she could see his face, yet he didn't allow it.

"Are you serious Zack?" she asked, the trembling of her voice more pronounced now.

"Dead serious Angela." He kissed her temple, pulling her closer.

"Then yes, Zack Taylor, I will marry you."

End Flashback

"I still can't believe you guys got married without telling us." Billy said, studying his friend's face, a foolish grin spread on his face.

"I can't believe you pulled it off so quickly. God knows how slow the French are. To top it all off, I can't believe my mother helped and witnessed this, but did not say a word to me." Kim added shacking her head, chuckles and giggles being heard around the table.

"There is more." Angela added.

"More?" Tommy inquired, stunned by the rapid pace of the evening. Here he was with both of his exes at one table, one happy and in a relationship with one of his closest friends, the other avoiding him, his best friend, his brother, getting married to a close friend of his, and the one man that he thought would never be able to settle was not happily married.

"Yeah. You guys will be aunts and uncles in about six months. I think this would be called the first Ranger baby." She smiled, rubbing her stomach lovingly.

"Oh my…" Kat gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

Angela burst into laughter upon seeing the ten stunned faces, and she quickly hid her head in Zack's shoulder, her shoulder shacking from laughter.

In a matter of seconds, Kim flew in Zack's arms; tears of joy streaming down her face, closely followed by Aisha. The groups cheered and hugged, happy tears clouding their vision.

"Champagne for everybody in the restaurant, on me. This lovely couple here, my friends, is having a baby." Jason called out, pointing at Angela and Zack, causing the other guests to cheer.

After a set of congratulatory hugs and shed tears, the group retreated to their seats, sipping their beverages and continues to talk about Zack and Angela's upcoming wedding reception, and the first Ranger baby.

"Man you should have seen the welcoming I got from Angela's family. Now that is something I never wish on anybody."

Flashback

"Do we really need to tell your parents right now? I mean they will kill us about the wedding anyway, but the baby? Yikes." Zack asked concerned, while holding the door so Angela could slip out of the car.

"It's going to be fine Zack, they love you, remember?" she assured, her voice not as confident as she wanted it to sound.

"Mama, daddy, it's so good to see you." Angela greeted, climbing the stairs leading to the porch of the house she called home.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Huston." Zack added, shacking Mr. Huston's hand, while embracing Mrs. Huston.

"Come in, kids. We're so glad you stopped by. It's been too long." Mrs. Huston added leading the pair into the house and rushing towards the kitchen.

Mr. Huston sat in his large armchair, studying the pair, one eyebrow raised suspiciously. He knew that something was up; he had never seen his daughter so nervous before. To top it all off, he had been a cop most of his life and he could smell fear a mile away. In front of him where two very scared young people and he had a hunch he would not particularly enjoy the following conversation. Mrs. Huston returned mere minutes later with a tray of sweets and beverages a content expression on her face. Sliding in her husbands loving and waiting arms, May Huston sized up the two individuals sitting on the couch. As her husband, she to had the impression that there was more to this visit then an average social call.

"Do tell. How have you been?" the older woman began, pouring some ice tea into two tall glasses.

"Well, we've been good mama. We have some news for you." Angela began, taking Zack's hand and squeezing gently.

"Oh, Jeff, they have news." Angela's mother peeped out, smiling, caressing her husband's arm.

"Ahm…you see, mama, daddy, you're going to be grandparents in a few months." Angela breathed out, small trembles going through her body.

The older couple went silent, both paled slightly, petrified by the news they had heard. Swiftly Mr. Huston left his seat, heading towards his study.

"Mama, where's daddy going?" Angela asked, her voice shaky. She prayed to God that her father wouldn't do what she thought he would.

"Jeff? Baby? Come back here quietly and let's talk about this." May called after him, heading towards the study herself.

The 6'4'' man appeared in the door, a shotgun in hand. Loading the gun loudly, he reached the couch in two strides, pointing the menacing object at Zack's head.

"I'm gonna kill you for getting my baby pregnant, you son of a…" Mr. Huston yelled, causing his wife to step closer to him, her petite hand, firmly pushing Jeff back.

"Jeff, let him be." She yelled.

"Daddy, we're married. He married me before he knew about the baby." Angela yelled, tears threatening to spill from her dark eyes.

Concerned Zack jumped from his seat, pulling Angela towards him, murmuring soft words in her ear. She turned in his embrace, hiding her face in his shoulder.

"Mr. Huston, I wanted to do the proper thing, come here and ask you if I could have your daughter's hand in marriage." Zack began causing Angela to look at him through tear stricken eyes. "We just did it, without giving it a second thought; it felt right. We found out about the baby two days ago, and we have been married for almost three months now. If you really want to use that shotgun on me now, go ahead. But I don't regret marring your daughter, and as sure as hell, I don't regret conceiving a child with her." Zack finished, pulling Angela closer to him; she in turn smiled back, his words bringing a fresh batch of tears.

"Daddy? Mama?" Angela asked, her gaze traveling from her father to her mother. Smiling, Jeff lowered the gun, extending his hand towards Zack, who took it unsure. "Thank you for making my daughter an honest woman, and welcome to the family."

End Flashback

"Stuff like that only happens to you." Adam chuckled, shacking his head, thinking of all the trouble Zack managed to get himself into over the years.

"Yeah, you should have seen daddy during dinner. I thought he would eat Zack alive. How are you going to provide for my baby? She's talented you know, and she needs the best." Angela imitated her father; hands resting on her hips, chin pressed down a deep frown marking her forehead. As on queue the table shook with laughter once more.

"Yeah, this reminds me of my daddy, when he met Rocky. Dad was cool with it, nana on the other hand was not." Aisha said, causing Rocky to groan.

"Please, don't remind me. I swear to God, sometimes I think your grandmother was a Power Ranger and not we. With that bag of hers, she could have sent Zedd running and screaming." The former Red and Blue Ranger moaned.

Aisha pulled him towards her, kissing him and he happily complied.

"Ok, enough you two. Break it off" Kim said, waving her hands in front of them. The couple reluctantly pulled apart, grinning at Kimberly. The former gymnast had a bad feeling the moment Aisha glared at her. It was the kind of look that Aisha reserved for mischief and Kim had a sickening feeling that the evening would not end well. As quickly as the look appeared it also disappeared.

She turned to the table once more, her gaze stopping on Tommy's form. The man was silently watching Kim, gauging her expressions. He sensed Aisha's gaze on him and turned to face her.

"Oh fearless leader, I hear some pretty interesting stuff about you lately." The former yellow Ninjetti began.

"Really? And what exactly did you hear about me?" he inquired, his gut twisting and turning. He knew that Aisha was up to something, yet he couldn't understand where this could lead and to what exactly.

"There was something about you being cast in amber and something about somebody called Hayley." She said, curiosity marking her features.

"Is this Hayley chick your new flame?" she inquired further, wiggling her eyebrows.

"No, Aisha, Hayley and I aren't a couple. We met during collage, and have been friends ever since. She knows about my Ranger past and helped out with the Dino team; that's about it. The other thing you were talking about was the time I got cast into Amber by the bad guys, then couldn't de-morph only to be turned invisible and later on landed in a coma." He explained, questions rising from every part of the table. He started answering some of them and half way participating in the discussion, when he noticed Kimberly. In her far corner, under the streaming light, the one he once called his Crane was livid, slightly trembling and absentmindedly rubbing her wrists. Her actions brought a frown to appear on his forehead and focus even more on her. By now the conversation had shifted its focus away from him, his friends recalling past battles and did not pay any attention to him, allowing him to observe Kim without being noticed. She seemed uncomfortable, her eyes scanning her surroundings, never once meeting his. Nervously she bit her lip, her eyes turning from the balcony and meeting his across the table. When their eyes finally met for a split of second, hers widened, only to quickly avert them from his and she began staring out of the window again, her furious wrist rubbing never ceasing. It was in that split of a second that Tommy managed to see what bugged her. He saw fear and concern in her eyes and it melted his heart a bit more. Even though she had sent the letter all those years ago, practically ripping his heart into tinny pieces, she still cared. He wanted to reach out to her, hold and tell her that nothing happened, that he's fine, alive and kicking.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid! How can that man be such a knucklehead? As it wasn't bad enough that he got himself blown up, now he had to go and end up in a coma after being cast in amber. What the fuck is wrong with him?" She thought, panic and anger swelling in her chest. Right now she wanted nothing more then wipe the floor with him, scream and kick him just to make him realize the size of his stupidity. A battle waged inside of her, from one point of view she understood Tommy, understood his need for adrenaline and she knew how much being a Ranger meant to him. Truth been told, she would have stepped up once again if she would have been offered the chance. One of her greatest regrets was giving up her power coin and leaving the team. But she knew her limits and thanked havens that her self-preservation system was fully operational unlike that of her former lover.

Warm hands settled over hers, halting the frantic movement. She didn't need to turn around to see to whom those hands belonged to, she knew them in a million. All evening he had been casting her worried glances and it had been clear to her that it was just a matter of time until he would make his concern known.

"It's ok Kimmy; deep breaths, I'm here." He said, leaning closer to her ear. She turned around meeting his concerned gaze.

"Am I under supervision again Jason?" she tried to joke, yet failed miserably, her forced smile not reaching her eyes.

"I've been watching you all evening and if you don't stop soon, I doubt there would be anything left of your wrists. You will be fine, trust me. Just enjoy the evening and let go of those thoughts." He supplied, his hands squeezing hers once more and then turning away from her. She caressed his hands lightly, her eyes turning toward the table only to be met by Adam's puzzled expression. She quickly mouthed, "I'm fine." watching Adam reluctantly nod and turn so he could see Tanya and engage in the conversation she and Billy were currently deeply engrossed.

"Hey short stuff, I forgot to ask you sooner, where did you disappear off for six months?" Rocky questioned and Aisha grinned.

The table went quiet, all eyes focused on Kim once again. She reluctantly let go of Jason's hand, taking a sip of her beverage and claiming the phone from the table so she could toy with it.

"Ahm, about eight months ago, the company I'm working for opened up another branch in Europe. This time they focused on Rome and they nominated one of my co-workers, a guy named Matthew Lewis to head for Rome and supervise the whole set up and basically run the company for six months, maybe a bit more. Three weeks before he was supposed to leave, Matt fell very ill and had to be hospitalized, so my boss sent me instead and I ended up staying in Rome for those six months." She concluded her tale slightly leaning on Jason.

"Very cool. But what happened to Mark?" Angela asked.

"Mark? How did you know about him?" Kim began, her eye narrowing suspiciously.

"Aisha." Angela added worried that she had let something slip that she shouldn't have known.

"Sorry, my bad. She asked about you and I told her about Mark. Anyway, girl what did you do with the man? You guys still together? Damn he was fine" she inquired, completely oblivious to Kim's panicked face and Tommy's darkened features.

A tight knot settled over his stomach and he had to fight down the urge to smash everything gathered on the table. Although it was normal that Kim had dated in the past ten years, hell he had had his fare share of women, he couldn't help feeling the fangs of jealously biting and stabbing through him.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Kim mustered up the courage and spoke.

"No, we broke up before I left for Rome. There was no point in us continuing this. I wouldn't be able to come back to New York for at least six months and his job kept him in the States. It was better like this." She shrugged, her face void.

Anger bubbled inside of him and before he could stop his emotions taking control of him fully, he spoke. "Did you tell him that you were done with the relationship through a Dear John letter, Kimberly?" his bitterness and sarcasm in his tone silencing the table.

She thought somebody slapped her. Hard. Next to her she could feel Jason tense, and Adam looking at her anxiously. His words had opened up old wounds deep in her soul and she was bleeding, but she would be damned if she would go down without a fight. "Two can play this game." She said to herself, her eyes rising to meet his. Tommy was taken aback when he saw the coldness and steel in the doe colored orbs.

"No, I did not. Not that it is of any concern of yours." She bit back, defying him with every word she spoke, although it hurt her to speak to him in that matter.

"Is it not? Hmmm, I was just curious how you differentiate between lovers. The ones that matter get a face-to-face fuck you, while the others have to resign themselves and accept a letter. Guess I now know where I stand. Thank you." His tone angrier and the words spoken through clenched teeth.

Her eyes blazed, the blood rising in her cheeks, not of embarrassment but of fury. "Who the hell does he think he is? What right does he have to talk to me like that?"

"Guys, come on. Stop it, this evening is supposed to be one filled with joy and happiness." Tanya stepped in, desperately trying to distract the former power couple.

" It's ok Tanya, this is long overdue. It ends tonight." Kimberly spoke, her finger pointing at her and Tommy. She was composed and ready to fight.

"I've learned from my mistakes and I won't repeat them. I'm no longer 17 Tommy; I've moved on and prioritized my life. Maybe you should do the same, oh fearless leader." Her arms crossed, features determined, sarcasm dripping from every word she spoke. If he wanted to play dirty, so could she. It pained her to no end, but she was no longer the damsel in distress, she had grown up and knew how to step up for herself.

He clenched and unclenched his fists under the table, his soul in agony, his mind furious, yet a tiny voice was begging him to let the argument go. "This was not supposed to be like this, we weren't supposed to fight." Rage clouded his judgment, letting it take over and allowing his cursed mouth a life of its own.

"Bravo, Kimberly. Your priorities are to be admired. I've seen you today briefly, even during dinner. You're a genuine workaholic, a well-oiled machine, removing everything from her path, even the people that love you. Do your priorities include living with five cats alone in your Manhattan apartment? Because at the rate you are saying good-bye to every man that is foolish enough to fall for you, this is how your future will look like." He snarled at her, studying her face. If it was possible, Kimberly had paled even more, her composure slipping away.

"Bro, watch your fucking mouth." Jason warned, his features dark, trying to distract Tommy and Kim from their staring match. Kimberly, put a hand on his forearm, causing him to turn and look at her. Jason's movement broke the staring match going on between his former lover and himself. From the corner of his eye, he could see Trini's murderous gaze, while Adam was restraining himself from jumping over the table and strangling Tommy. The others were stunned beyond belief and couldn't utter a single word.

Quickly he focused on Kim once more, only to be faced with the same determination he had seen throughout their argument. When she spoke, her voice had dropped a few degrees; every word she spoke sharp as a blade.

"You may have a point, but at least I know that the men who claimed to have loved me, have at least tried to fight for me, when I decided to exit their lives. At least I know where I stand now in your book Tommy. Thank you. Now if you all would excuse me, I need to return to my room and finish up some details for the wedding. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day". Standing up she retrieved the mobile phone from the table, while the other hand grabbed her bag, waved at the horrified group and walked towards the set of oak doors separating the terrace from the restaurant.

"Oh God Jason, what a disaster… If she's going to…" Trini crooned, her eyes misty, her forehead resting on Jason's shoulder. Her fiancé was shooting daggers at Tommy, who hid his face behind his palms.

"Go with her. I'll handle the rest." He advised, and she nodded.

"I love you." She murmured, brushing her lips against his.

"I love you too. Call me Trini, no matter what, call me." He added, letting go of her fingers.

She bid her goodbyes to the now sullen group, her eyes meeting Adam's. The ex black and green Ranger mouthed a "call me" and Trini nodded before hurrying out of the restaurant.

Kim ran to her car, the anger in her finally subsiding letting the pain step in. She could barely breath and the tears were threatening to overwhelm her.

"I will not cry. I swear to God, I will not let this man make me cry one more time." The gymnast shook her head climbing into her vehicle and speeding away.

Her chest burnt when she searched for her key card, but she swallowed, the sadness, pain and anger waging a war inside her torn soul. Finally the room opened with a click and she closed the door, her forehead resting on the surface, her bag tossed aside with her keys. She had closed her mobile phone, the moment she left the restaurant, and now Kimberly fought for her composer once more.

"To hell with it all." She spoke softly, pushing herself away from the door and walking towards the door separating. Determined she opened the door separating her sleeping quarter from the sitting area and in one swift movement she opened the mini-bar and took out the ice from the small freezer and the bottle of scotch. She grabbed a glass from her working desk, threw in the ice and added the liquor. In one large gulp she ingurgitated half of the alcohol, coughing slightly when she felt the burn. The moon was filtering through the velvet curtains of the room and she stepped closed to the window, pulling the material apart and resting her forehead against the cold surface.

It was in this place, still nursing her drink that Kimberly Ann Hart broke down in this way for the first time in almost a decade. Time ceased to have any meaning, the pain overpowering her, her knees buckled and she collapsed to the floor sobbing uncontrollably. It was in this manner that Trini found her a good twenty minutes later.

"Oh God, Kimmy, c'mere!" Trini said her voice shacking. She dropped to the floor hugging the petite and shattered woman closer to her, rocking her gently and rubbing circles on her back.

"I can't do this anymore. I need to…oh God, Tri please get rid of all the…"

"Already did Kim. Just calm down, take deep breaths." She instructed, yet when Kim struggled to calm herself a new set of tears made their way down her checks and she began sobbing again.

They had set on the floor holding each other for a long time. Kim's sobs had gradually dimmed down and Trini hoped she might be abele to convince her best friend to get some sleep. She pulled away slightly, and the movement snapped Kim out of her thoughts.

Her voice raspy from crying, Kim began. "I'm leaving Trini; after the wedding. I' m taking my boss's offer and moving to Rome. Maybe putting an ocean between him and me might be the best for everybody. He hates me and there is nothing that I could ever say or do that would change his mind. So I am done trying and suffering, I'll just walk away from all of it." She concluded her voice even and distant causing Trini to shudder.

"But what about me, Jason, your friends? We love you and we don't want you to leave." She began, knowing full well that her attempts were in vain. Kim had made up her mind and there was no way of changing it back.

"We'll keep in touch and I'll try to visit. I'll come for the other Ranger weddings and when you guys start popping kids." She chuckled humorless.

Trini did not dare to speak. Carefully she extracted herself from Kim's embrace and climbed back to her feet, pulling her friend along with her. Taking the glass out of her cold and trembling hands and placing it on the table, Trini guided her broken friend towards her bedroom. Gingerly she laid Kim on her bed, covering her with a blanket. Although she wasn't asleep yet, the bride to be could see that the planner's eyes were slowly but surely falling shut. Stroking her hair gently, Trini watched over her friend until the former pink Ranger slipped into the world of dreams. With a feline agility she went back to her room, closing the connecting door behind her. Retrieving the cell phone from her purse she hit the speed dial button.

Two rings later she was greeted by a tense voice.

"Hey angel. How is she? How are you?" He asked

"Hello love. She's asleep now, but she's a mess. Hell, right now I'm a mess too and am ready to commit some Tommy murder on my own."

"That bad?"

"Jason, she cried. I haven't seen Kim cry in almost five years. And there is more."

"Oh God. More? Did she"

"No! I made sure that wouldn't happen. Jason, I'm talking about the promotion. She's taking it; she's moving to Rome after the wedding. I can't convince her, I can't do anything. Jason, my best friend is in pain and leaving and I can't do a damned thing about it." Trini explained, shedding tears in the process, collapsing on her bed.

"Love, don't cry. We will fix this." He soothed

"How Jase? How, can we fix this? I lived without Kim for three years and I can't do this again, I can't go back to e-mails once a week after leaving in the same city with her for such a long time and seeing her on a daily basis. She's as much of a sister to me as she is to you."

"We'll figure this out. I don't know how but we will. I promise you Trini."

"Mkay. I love you. By the way, how's the idiot doing? She asked, calmer now, after hearing Jason's reassuring promise.

"He's not good. Rocky nearly tore him apart in the parking garage. Adam and Billy stepped in just in time. When Tommy thanked them, Adam replied that he didn't do it to save him; he did it for me so I won't be without my best man. Honestly, I have never seen Adam nor Rocky so pissed in my entire life and Tommy so lost, angry and confused."

"I know I might sound like a total bitch right now, but I wish Rocky would have wiped the floor a bit with mister rainbow." She sighted.

"Sleep my love. We'll find a way out this mess tomorrow morning. I love you."

"Love you too."

Hanging up the phone, Jason smiled at the device, then quickly discarding it on the bed. After all this time he couldn't believe that he managed to be with such a wonderful woman. She was his better half, she completed him, she was his soul mate and had known it for years, but all that time he had buried his feelings, thinking she might never feel the same way he felt. Now, he was one step away from committing to each other for the rest of their lives, but his joy, just like Trini's was overshadow by the pain Kim was in. Opening the well stocked mini bar, still musing on the situation his little sister and his best friend were in, he retrieved two bottles of beer, opened them swiftly and walked towards the balcony that connected the two suits.

Tommy gazed at the bright moon, his face bathing in its comforting rays. His mind flashed back to Kim's facial expression during the argument. She had been so angry, his words had clearly hurt her; he had seen it when her mask came undone. But his Beautiful had fought back, had thrown harsh words back at him. Tommy wondered if she had seen how much her remarks bothered and hurt him. The Kim he knew in the past would have never been able to utter such words. The new Kim was full of hurt and anger, anger directed towards him. Her last argument struck a cord within him and he knew that on some level she was right. Kim had broken his heart trough a letter, yet he had never questioned her, never tried to ask for her motives, never fought for her.

"You look like you could use a beer." Jason said, handing him the cold beverage when Tommy spun around.

"Are you going to kick my ass too Jason?" he asked

"No; although you deserve it. But right now, I think you're doing a pretty good job beating yourself up. Man, what the fuck were you thinking? I do get it that you are still mad at her and that you're hurt, but dude what you said was heartless, cruel and completely unacceptable. Bro, I love you like my own flesh and blood, but if you mess her up, and she goes back to…" Jason stopped mid-sentence, taking a swing from his beer, and breathing deeply through his nose so he could calm the sizzling anger rearing its ugly face from behind his composed expression. He turned to meet Tommy's gaze, determined to get his point across. The man had turned to face his best friend, following the conversation closely.

"She'll go back to what Jase?" he prompted.

"If she goes back, I will hunt you down and kill you with my bare hands. Do you understand?" Jason threatened, his voice deep and menacing, eyes hard as steel.

Tommy had no doubt in his mind that if anything would happen to Kim after tonight's show down, Jason would keep his promise.

Tommy nodded; understanding that asking more questions would be foolish. The original Red Ranger would not supply him with answers he so desperately needed. Sighting Jason spoke once again.

"Bro, talk to her. Your time is running up. I'm afraid to tell you that if you don't initiate this discussion soon, you'll miss your chance."

"What do you mean?" Tommy asked startled, the conversation keeping him on this toes, not allowing him to enjoy the cold beer.

"She's been offered a management position at her company…in Rome. From what Trini told me, after your little display of anger, you pushed her over the edge. She had been undecided for weeks about the job. According to Trini she's going to leave for Rome after the wedding." Jason explained, finishing his beer, setting his bottle aside and turning to look at the marvelous view.

"She's leaving…" Tommy murmured, and Jason nodded in response.

"I'm sorry to tell you but you fucked up…royally. I don't get you man. You let your anger consume you and after a decade you still hold it against her, behave like you were the only one hurting."

"She, fucking, left me Jason. Not the other way around. I think she got over it pretty fast." He replied bitter, fighting to keep his temper in check.

"Huh…you have no idea. I can only tell you that life has not been easy or pretty for Kim. She's been to hell and back and right now your inability to think before you speak sent her back to hell. Tommy, you made Kim cry, again. I should be wiping the floor with you right now, but I won't. This piece of information will act on your consciousness better then any ass whopping. I know you still care, I would actually go so far in say you still love her. But you're too stubborn to admit it."

"Jason, how bad?" asked softly, his head spinning from all the information received. "Kim had been crying…because of him…she was leaving because of him…"

"Really bad Tommy, really, really bad." The answer came, the former Red Ranger rubbing his face.

"How much do you know?" the former leader of the Power Rangers asked, his voice trembling. He didn't expect Jason to tell him that Kim had not been good after their break-up. Secretly he had hoped that them breaking up would torment Kim as much as it had him over the years. He knew the feeling and the desire was selfish and petty and a part of him hurt more then words could describe that she had been in pain all along.

Taking a shaky breath and running his fingers through his hair he said. "Everything."

Taken aback by this simple word, Tommy had to calm himself from not shacking his friend, or ripping the words right out him. He needed to know what had happened to her, had pushed her to destroy them both.

"Tell me." He prompted, anger tearing at his insides once again. His best friend had known all along, had been able to give him the explanations he so desperately needed, yet refused to tell him a single word. Although he knew Jason was in a way Kim's older brother, his allegiance lying with her, he couldn't help feeling betrayed. After all, Tommy had poured his heart out to Jason countless times, yet his best friend had never even mentioned that he knew something about Kim's reasons.

"It's not my place to tell you Tommy. Talk to Kim before it's too late. Night bro." Jason explained, sadness clouding his eyes. He left the room balcony heading for his own room so he could get some shuteye. Jason desperately prayed that the next day would bring the miracle they all so desperately needed.