After All This Time

Chapter 2: Old Haunts

"So let me get this straight..." Tommy began as he and Kim sat down on the small stone. "There was never another guy?"

Weakly, Kim nodded. "Yeah."

"So, why'd you send it?"

"I was alone and confused," Kim answered sadly. "You had your own life and I was living my dream- but it wasn't all that it cracked up to be and I dunno- I heard from Billy that you and Kat were really hitting it off and even though I wanted to come back I felt that I couldn't and I felt as though I was holding you back by keeping you..." she explained all her words coming out in a rush. "...so I wrote the letter thinking that if I couldn't come back and I couldn't be with you then I couldn't ruin your life. And I dunno- a part of me was hoping that you'd come after me. Honestly I thought that you would. I thought that you would teleport over and tell me that you couldn't let me go...but you never came."

"I was hurt." Tommy answered finally. "No- I was destroyed. The way that you had phrased that letter Kim I thought-"

"I know what you thought..." she interrupted standing up abruptly. "...and I was an idiot for thinking that you would actually come and-"

"Hey now," he interrupted. "I thought that I was doing what you wanted. Staying away seemed like the best thing to do at the time I mean honestly when you right someone a 'Dear John' letter usually it's for real. You can't blame me for not being a mind reader."

"I know- but I thought you would never let me go." Kim stated quietly. "I thought that you loved me...I thought that you would always love me. I guess I was wrong."

"Who said that you were wrong?" Tommy asked as he stood up to stand behind Kim. "I mean I'm single aren't I? Aren't you?"

"Well yeah..."

"So what does that tell you?"

"I dunno." Kim answered turning to face him. "What does that tell me?"

-Tommy/Kim-

"Look how close they're standing together Jase."

"I know..." he replied. "Just a little close and they'll be kissing."

Trini sighed. "I hope this works." she stated. "I really do. I don't think that I can handle them ignoring each other any longer..."

"I know," Jason agreed. "They have to work this out. I mean as it stood we eloped just to avoid that conflict...I don't want them ruining our actual wedding..."

Trini smiled. "I still can't believe after five years we're finally going to have a real wedding."

"I know." Jason agreed. "And I want Tommy to be my best man."

"And Kim will be my maid of honour," Trini stated.

"Which is why they need to work this out..."

-Tommy/Kim-

"I don't know," replied Kim. "What does that tell me?"

"You know what it tells you."

"I may know," Kim stated. "But I need to hear it."

"I means that I never got over you."

He had said it- it was out in the open but Kim didn't seem convinced.

"You went out on that date just after I-"

"Rebound Kim." Tommy defended. "She was a rebound, and she was like you..."

"And Kat?"

Tommy shrugged guiltily. "I only- my feelings for Kat... they were all colour based."

"What?"

"When she was morphed I thought that I was fighting along side you," Tommy explained. "It was like I had a little piece of you there right with me...and when I got the letter even though we had different powers I still thought of you fighting there with me and I- I just transferred my feelings from you onto Kat. But it was never the same... and she knew it. Which is why we broke up shortly after handing over our powers."

"That must have been hard." Kim muttered. "I mean I know what it's like-"

"And so do I." Tommy retorted. "I've lost the power three times now but don't change the subject... I never got over you Kim- not even now...I mean I was so in love with you when we were in High School."

"And now?" Kim asked, a measure of hope in her voice.

"Now..." Tommy began with a shrug. "...a part of me is still in love with you still."

That caused Kim's heart to skip a beat. "Really?" she asked. "Do you mean it?"

"Have I ever said something that I didn't mean?" Tommy asked. "And not when I've been under an evil spell or something..."

Kim chuckled. "No," she replied. "You always speak your mind..."

"So..."

"So..." she began. "I think that I've- well..."

"Kim?"

Kim sighed. "I never stopped loving you either." she stated as she looked Tommy in the eye. "Never. I kept out for every little bit of news for you and believe me- when you were in the news after the whole Principle Randall thing I put two and two together and realized that you were fighting again...and I was scared and a little jealous."

"Jealous?"

"The power had chosen you- again..." she replied. "I gave up my power to chase what I thought my dream was when really my dreams were all right here in Angel Grove...with you..." she sighed and sank back down to the ground. "How can you ever forgive me when I don't even forgive myself."

Tommy sighed and sat down beside the girl that he had never stopped loving. She had hardly changed since he last saw her. Her hair was the same length- but layered instead of all one length and she was still wearing pink. 'A remnant of her powers from so long ago...'

"So.." Kim began again sadly. "Do you forgive me?"

Tommy nodded and put a comforting arm around her. "Yeah," he replied. "I do- can you forgive me?"

"For what?"

"For not coming after you," he explained. "For not fighting for the one thing that was most important to me. If I had come to Florida then and there- who knows where we might be now..."

"Married with two kids probably." Kim answered. "But it'll never happen."

Tommy laughed. "Who says so?"

"I say so." Kim countered. "I've screwed up royally."

"Just because we screwed up doesn't mean that we can't have everything that we thought we would have when we were younger."

Again, Kim was caught off guard. "What are you saying Tommy?" she asked her heart racing. "Are you saying that we could- now?"

He shook his head. "No of course not now," Tommy began as he took her hand lovingly. "But honestly, can you see yourself with anyone else? I know I can't. I'm still in love with you..."