A/N: Chapter three. Sorry if any of you are thinking this will be a long story with a very involved plot(as some of the reviews are leading me to believe). It's really just a quick thing fixing Tommy and Kim's relationship.
"but your feelings for Katherine are." the words echoed around and around Tommy's head before he finally registered that he needed to stop Kim from leaving.
"Kim!" there was no way she could hear him from outside, but he screamed her name anyway. He kept screaming it, through the door of the Command Center and down the hall to Zordon's chamber. "Kim, wait!" He skidded to a halt, clearly interrupting Kim's explanation to Zordon and request to send her back. There were tears shining in her eyes, she was clearly trying not to burst into tears again.
"I'm sorry, Zordon, but I really need to talk to Kim." He turned to her. "Kim, you can't leave like this. I think we're both confused. Please, let's go back to Angel Grove and talk it through. Please, hear me out, beautiful." The use of her nickname broke her down again and the tears were able to flow freely once more. "Kim, I love you, please." He held out a hand to her, willing her to accept it and come with him. Somewhat to his amazement, and very much to his relief, she did.
Kim swiped under her eyes and turned to Zordon, "I'm sorry for all of this drama, Zordon. Thank you for putting up with all of this." The floating figure just smiled as Tommy pulled Kim from the main chamber.
As the two exited into the heat of the barren landscape surrounding the Command Center, Tommy struggled to find a way to bring up what Kim had just accused him of. Was all of this because she thought he was cheating on her? Did she really think he was capable of that? Kat was just a friend. What he and Kim had, well, that was something you don't find all the time. It was special, and he desperately hoped it would be one to defy the statistics of high school couples never staying together.
Kim had dropped their linked hands and had stuffed hers into the pockets of the sweatshirt she had thrown on over the sweats and leotard she'd been wearing at the gym. "Tommy, you asked me to hear you out, and now you're not saying anything. Come on."
Tommy sighed, "That's because I don't know where to start, Kim! I'm far from being an expert on women, but I'm pretty sure my girlfriend of almost two years just accused me of cheating on her." He stopped walking so that he could look her in the eyes. "And I have no clue where she got that idea or if it's my fault. And if it is my fault, I have no idea how to fix it."
Kim's mind went into overdrive. He has no clue where she got the idea? Was he kidding? Like they weren't always together? Like she didn't see how Kat always looked at him? Like every single picture had them touching in some way?
"Tommy, I never pictured you as someone to try to play a girl. I thought I knew you better than that. I figured you were just waiting to break up with me until we were together in person again. I never thought you could stand here like this and lie to me." Kim huffed and kept walking. If she went back to Zordon, Tommy would just convince him not to send her back again. She had no choice but to go to Angel Grove and try to contact her mom. Rocky and Adam were still there. She could go to one of them for help, even. They might teleport her back.
"Woah, Kim. I'm not lying to you! Would you stop being so quick to believe the worst in me? This isn't like you. Please, tell me why you think I'm involved with Kat." He began to jog to keep up with her. This was something he remembered all too well. If Kim was sure of something, it would take a long explanation to change her mind. If she had set her mind to something, she didn't like to change it. And when she had a plan in mind to fix whatever was in her mind, then it was very hard to get her to slow down or stop.
Kim was breathing hard now. Working out in the gym had given her a great workout everyday, but the over-training as a result of Rita's spell had left her weaker than she would have liked. Even so, she kept her eyes straight ahead and kept walking. She was determined not to allow herself to cry again. "You're right, this isn't like me. You want to know why you don't know this side of me? It's my defensive side for when I'm angry and hurt. How do you think it felt, seeing picture after picture of you in the Ranger uniforms, after some big victory, hugging Kat. Seeing her glommed onto you holding up that stupid victory symbol with her hand that she likes to do. The rest of the world might not have noticed that the Pink Ranger grew about a foot, but I sure did. She's hanging on you in every picture! It didn't bother me at first, but then you started to hold onto her too. Your hand is always at the small of her back, around her shoulders, around her waist. Do you realize that after the most recent monster, she jumped on you and you're holding her around the waist while she's got her legs locked around you, Tommy? She's practically trying to have sex with you while you've still got the suits on!"
The heavy breathing now wasn't just because of the physical exertion anymore. Kim was getting worked up and finally voicing all of the frustrations she had been holding in since leaving the team. "It's not just when it's Ranger stuff either. In every picture from anyone in the group, it's the same story. The letters and pictures Rocky and Adam send me are supposed to help me feel like they're still including me. I know it's because they miss me, but all I can see is that she's leaning over you, or leaning on you, she has an arm around your shoulder, flipping your ponytail for goodness sake! I can't just ignore all of that. Add in the times when you've been late calling me and you've told me it was because Kat was just leaving and what am I supposed to think? I'm not stupid, Tommy, really I'm not. Seeing that picture with her legs wrapped around you was just the last straw. Rita saw it, she took advantage of me breaking down, and she tricked me with an old spell. End of story."
Tommy had listened to all of this, thinking through everything she was throwing at him. He had no idea all of this was even happening. When she said it all like that, he had to admit, it seemed really suspicious. He meant it when he said he was in love with Kim. He had no feelings for Kat. He just thought they were good friends and that she was having trouble making more of them.
He was surprised to look out and see that they were coming up on the outskirts of Angel Grove and were approaching the park. Specifically, they were nearing the lakeside of the park where they had shared their first kiss. They had been through far too much together to let it end now, and in this way.
"Kim, I don't know what to say other than that I'm really sorry. I guess I never looked at it that way. I didn't see it until you laid it all out like that. If you're right, then yeah, I guess Kat probably does have feelings for me, but they're not returned, I promise you."
Kim crossed her arms as they came toward a picnic table, similar to the one Tommy had vacated earlier. She scoffed, "Yeah, sure, you never noticed the constant touching and wanting to see you all the time? I don't believe that."
She sat down in a huff on the edge of the bench. Tommy Stood next to her, dying to sit down and hold her, but knowing that he shouldn't push her right now. " Kim, you know me. I wasn't exactly reading the signs very well with you. I wanted you, Kim, and I still couldn't tell that you wanted me. I'm sure it seems like she was always on me to you because you only got small segments of our lives. We would all be hanging out at the youth center and someone would decide to take a picture. I didn't realize she's always around me. You remember what the victory was like. Adrenaline still pumping, seeing that all your friends are still alive. You're hugging and laughing with everyone. My guess is some reporter likes the way Pink and White look together, so they always look for that shot. Or maybe Kat plans it. I don't know. All I know is that I don't plan it. Just like I don't plan what friends are at my place on our phone call nights. It just happens, I notice the time, they leave, and I call you. I don't want to do anything that could hurt you, and I definitely would never be disloyal to you."
After this, Tommy did move to sit on the edge of the table itself, so that his leg was brushing up against her arm. "As for that last picture you mentioned? Yeah, I did notice that one. I told her that wasn't okay. She ran at me after we got out of our zords and she jumped. What was I supposed to do? Let her fall? I'm sorry that it made you uncomfortable, but she was out of line, and I mentioned it to her. I'm sorry, Kim. That's what I've got. You can either trust me or you can't."
Kim leaned her head against Tommy's knee. Of course there was an explanation. Of course Tommy wasn't doing anything on purpose, he was just being clueless. If she had taken the time to mention this, even once, to anyone, this whole mess could have been avoided. "Hey, Handsome?"
Tommy's heart skipped a beat as she used the name that only she ever used. He slid down the wood so that his arm was around her, "yeah, Beautiful?"
Kim tilted her head to look up at his eyes. "I don't think I want to be gone anymore." Kim leaned her head against Tommy's chest and looked out at the grass waving in the wind of her actual home.
