AN: Well the muse is still really flowing on in this. Watching old episodes and seeing them as teenagers so happy and in love is making this easier to write. I have to fix the universe to the way it should have been! Thanks for all the reviews, follows and favorites. It means a lot to me. On with the story!

Tommy drove back to his hotel, intending to change and take the time to think before the Ranger gathering and then the promised talk with Kim. Seeing her had brought back every smile and laugh they had ever shared, and every heartbreak and tear he had shed, some with her, some because of her. He knew he wanted to clear the air with her, but then what? Could they ever really be just friends? Could they maybe get back what they had lost, and build something better? And then, there was the kid to consider. She said she didn't have a Daddy...and she sounded so sad about that. If he and Kim did try to start again, it wouldn't just be the two of them and their feelings to consider, but a little girl's as well, who didn't understand their history, and wouldn't understand if things didn't work out...God he needed to talk to Jason about all of this. He was still a bit pissed that Jason had kept all of this from him, but understood that he'd had his reasons. Kim had always been an off limits topic between them. In the early years, once he and Jason had both reconnected after the Peace Summit and once Tommy had finally laid down the mantle of Ranger, Jason had tried to talk to him about Kim and if maybe he had let her go too easily. Tommy had shut that down quickly, explaining one night, after a lot of drinks, just how visceral the pain she had caused him was...the dark thoughts he had once had because of that pain, and how he could never go back to that again. So why was he considering it now? Had enough time passed? Or was it because even with the hurt she'd caused him, no other woman since had ever been able to make him feel the way she had, and it was still her face he always saw in his most pleasant dreams at night?

He looked at the clock, realizing his musings had gone on far longer than intended and he was going to be rather late. He threw on a clean white tank with a long sleeved flannel over it in a green and white plaid pattern. He realized after a quick look in the mirror that this outfit was similar to the one he wore on one of his first dates with Kim, minus of course the long hair.

Across town, in the guest bedroom of Jason's house, Kim had just as many thoughts going through her head as she helped Jessie out of the somber black dress and into something more befitting the 5 year old's personality. It never ceased to amaze her that her daughter's favorite color was green. The same color her Tommy had worn when they had first been together and fallen in love. As she pulled the dress over her head, Jessie noticed that her mother seemed to be more quiet and thoughtful than usual.

"Mommy, why are you sad now? Do you not like my new friend? Is he the one you talk about in your sleep when you are sad sometimes?"

Kim was startled, taken aback by that comment. She'd had no idea that Jessie had ever heard her call out Tommy's name.

"If he makes you sad, Mommy, then I won't be he friend anymore…"

Jesse's voice sounded small, making it clear she really didn't want to do that, but would for her mother's sake.

Kim wrapped her daughter in her arms, sitting down on the bed and pulling her into her lap. She wondered how much was safe to tell her daughter, how much she could understand.

"No baby, it's okay. You can be his friend. He was a very good friend of Mommy's a long time ago. Even better than Uncle Jason. But when Mommy moved away to Florida, she made a lot of mistakes. One of those mistakes was telling Tommy that Mommy didn't want to be friends anymore. He was so far away, and Mommy thought it would be easier that way. It was a very stupid thing, and Mommy has always been unhappy she did that, because I missed him, very much. But I didn't know how to say I was sorry, so I just didn't. Which is why Mommy sounds sad when she says his name. It is because Mommy misses him, and because I wished I could say sorry."

"So are you going to say you are sorry to Mr. Tommy now? Are you going to see if he wants to be friends again?"

Kim smiled at her angel's innocence. If only things could really be that simple.

"Yes, princess. Mommy is going to tell him that she is sorry. As to being friends again…Mommy would like that if he can forgive me."

"Mommy, if you say you are sorry, and you mean it, then he has to forgive you. That's being nice."

"I hope so baby, I really do. Come on. Let's get you dressed. You are going to spend the afternoon with Uncle Jason's parents, and then Uncle Jason will bring you home and get you to bed. And don't think I don't know that he lets you stay up late and watch cartoons with him. I don't mind, as long as you aren't up too late."

Jessie jumped up and down with delight. The only cartoons that Kim normally allowed on a regular basis were educational, so being allowed to watch some just for fun was a fun treat.

Jessie pulled on a pair of jeans and socks on her own, then waited for her mother to tie her shoes. She the slipped on her favorite shirt, a pretty sage green t-shirt with cartoon dinosaurs on the front of it.

"Can I go play with my toys now until we go?"

"Sure, princess. Just don't go outside and get dirty."

Jessie ran out of the room to go play, and Kim changed her own clothes. She put on a pretty pale pink dress with a white floral print, and a pair of sensible flats. She wasn't quite the fashionista she had once been, but she still enjoyed pretty clothes, as long as they were practical and easy to wash. Keeping up with a kid as active as Jessie meant lots of laundry.

Kim had just finished changing and was fixing her hair when she heard a knock at the door. She turned to find Jason there, also changed for the gathering, in his trademark red. She found it funny how they all still seemed to gravitate towards their colors after all these years. She wondered what color Tommy preferred, having worn three before his time as a Ranger had been done.

"Hey Kim, mind if I come in?"

"Of course you can. It's your house silly."

Jason stepped into the room. "Wasn't sure if you needed more time on your own to think or process everything."

Kim smiled at him, grateful for the consideration. "It's okay. We both knew this was a possibility with me being here, especially with bringing Jessie. And honestly, it's time. It was time a long time ago, and he deserves the truth. I was just so afraid of what he would say...of the look in his eyes when I tell him everything."

Jason have gave her a look that said *bullshit*. "You and I both know that the only thing you will see in his eyes is love and understanding and that if you do see anything else, he's not the man either of us know him to be."

She heaved a deep sigh. While she may have been off limits between Tommy and Jason, the reverse was not true. Tommy had been a frequent topic of conversation between the two of them over the years. This was an argument they'd had many times before.

"I know! Believe me, I know. But it's just...the hope has been one of the few things that kept me going in the darkest times, and I was never willing to take the chance, however small it may be, of telling him and having my worst fears come true because then that hope would be gone forever."

Jason wrapped her in his arms and gave her a crushing hug. "And even if that happened, which you and I both know it won't, But even if it did, you would still have me, and 'Sha, Zack and Billy and the others...and most importantly, you'd still have Jessie. You'd be okay."

Kim wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a surprisingly strong hug for such a small woman. "Thanks, Jase. I don't know what In would do without you sometimes."

"You'd make it just fine, Kim. You are a survivor. Always have been. You got yourself, and the team out of so many awful situations. You took everything that was thrown at you, and you fought back twice as hard. Don't underestimate your own strength and will to survive."

Kim stood on her tiptoes to give him a sisterly peck on the cheek. "You are a good big brother. I would say it is a shame you never had any younger siblings of your own, but that means I don't have to share, so I am okay with that. Let's collect the little monkey before she manages to get herself dirty, so we won't be horribly late."

Jessie was in the living room, playing with some of her toys. Jason came up behind her quietly, scooping her into the air, eliciting a squeal of delight from Jessie and a chuckle from Kim. Jason put her on his back for a piggy back ride, leaving Kim to pack up her toys in her daughter's little backpack. They were dropping her off with Jason's parents who were watching her while they went to the Ranger gathering. Jessie was still too little to be told about that part of their lives. Jason would pick her up there and take her home, allowing Kim to have her much needed time with Tommy. She was still nervous, but a part of her was relieved that at least it would be over and done with now.

The old juice bar had been decked out for the occasion. There were black banners and hangings, with Ranger colors spread throughout, and pictures of Trini everywhere. The place had been rented for the day, courtesy of Zack, and Jason had made sure Ernie knew that no staff would be needed today, as they would take care of their own refreshments and clean up. Ernie had been more than happy to agree for a rare day off.

Jason arrived with Kim, and they immediately set to getting the refreshments set up. Kim was taking care of the sodas and juices and punch and such, while Jason was getting the adult beverages iced and ready.

The large gym area had been cleared, with chairs set up all around there, and chairs in other places throughout the Youth Center. Other than Trini's own team, and the three who followed her, other Rangers had been invited as well. Not because they necessarily knew Trini, but because they were part of the Ranger legacy, and had deserved to have the chance to say farewell to one of their own. Rangers were a fraternity, a brotherhood and sisterhood of all those who served. And the loss of one was felt by all who had ever worn the uniform. Plus, she had been one of the original team, and without her and her legacy, chances were good none of the rest of them would be here.

Jason finished getting the adult beverages on ice, and had just moved on to setting up the platters of food when Zack and Billy arrived. Billy had gotten special permission to visit from Aquitar for the occasion. They headed over to Kim and Jason, and they wrapped them both in a big group hug. No words needed to be spoken between them for them to know that they were all thinking of the number of time the 5 of them had been together in this place, and how they would never be all together again here, at least not in this life.

They held tight to each other for a few moments, all shedding silent tears, before Billy finally broke the silence. "Alright, Jason. What can we assist you with?" Jason cleared his eyes with the backs of his hands and then smiled, doling out tasks to the others so that everything would be ready when everyone else arrived.

The party was in full swing by the time Tommy arrived. Rocky, Adam, Aisha, and Tanya were all there, and many other Rangers that Tommy didn't recognize, but knew them for what they were. When you served as long as he had, you developed a sixth sense for recognizing brothers and sisters in arms.

He went and grabbed a drink, needing to take the edge off his nervousness for both this gathering and the dinner and talk with Kim. Rocky was the first to make his way over to him.

"Hey Tommy, it's good to see you, though I wish it was for better reasons."

"Thanks, man. You too. I feel bad how out of touch I have let myself get. What are you up to these days?"

"Oh, not much. Running a dojo in Portland now."

"Wow, Portland! That's certainly a change. You like it up there?"

"Yeah, the climate's not bad and it's a good market. I mean, it's nothing as impressive as getting my PhD, but I am pretty happy."

Tommy smiled a bit. "Eh, it's not that big a deal...but it's a lot of work. Still, I need to be better about staying in touch."

"We all do, man. If any good could possibly come of this, it will be that we will remember how precious our time here is, and how important it is to stay in touch."

"Definitely. Look's like Jason's about to make a speech. I'll catch you later."

Sure enough, everyone was quieting down and focusing their attention towards Jason in the middle of the room.

"First, I wanted to thank everyone for coming. Trini was always so modest about herself, so I think it would have surprised and maybe even embarrassed her a bit to have so many people here to celebrate her amazing, but all too short life. Some of you didn't know her personally, but came to honor her as a fallen sister in arms, one of a member of an elite club of people who have been called on to take up their morphers and defend the world from evil. She was one of the first, the original Yellow Ranger, and to those of us she served with, she was our teammate and friend. They don't know that I am going to do this, but I would like to ask the members of the original team to come on up here with me, so that we can each share our favorite Ranger memory of Trini."

Zack, Billy, and Kim made their way up to Jason's side from the various locations where they had been around the room. Jason paused, then gave Tommy a look and motioned for him to join them as well. Tommy did so, and then Jason began.

An hour or so later, once the five of them had shared their stories, Jason raised his glass. "To Trini, first Yellow Ranger, friend, sister in arms, and amazing person. You spent most of your life working towards peace, and now we can only hope you have found it. May the Power still Protect You, wherever you are."

"TO TRINI!"

Glasses were raised and everyone drank a toast to her. Once the toast was over, Kim headed to the ladies room to clean up a bit, as the memories and toasting had definitely had her crying again, and she didn't want to look like a complete wreck when she and Tommy went out in a little while. It's not a date. She had to keep reminding herself of that. Yet it was still the first time they would be out together alone since she had left for Florida. She couldn't help but be nervous. She took care with her hair, and fixing her makeup; taking comfort in the familiar routine.

Back in the main room gathering, Tommy had finally gotten the chance to pull Jason aside for a few private words.

"So...Uncle Jason, huh?"

Jason looked a little chagrined but shrugged. "Wasn't my story to tell, and even if it was, you made it clear pretty early on that Kim was not a topic of conversation you wanted to discuss."

"Fair enough. So...what can you tell me? That wouldn't be betraying her confidence? So that I am not completely in the dark tonight?"

Jason's face was pensive for a moment, and the pause was long enough that Tommy thought he may not reply. Finally, Jason nodded.

"I can tell you the last six years have not been easy for her. As I am sure you have guessed at least in part. But you know Kim, she's always been a survivor."

"And Jessie? There was a moment I thought...I thought she might be mine. Age wise...it was possible."

"I never would have kept that from you, bro. At that point, it wouldn't have been just Kim's secret and story. If Jessie were yours, I would never have let Kim keep her from a father who would have loved her."

Tommy took a deep breath. "So, she's not with anyone right now, right?"

Jason chuckled. "Why, you planning to put the moves on her already?"

Tommy's eyes went wide. "No, of course not. But I do want to know where things stand...and exactly how much I should hope for."

Jason clapped him on the back. "She's single, but obviously, there is Jessie to consider. Kim would never be able to allow anyone into her life that didn't want to be there for both of them."

Tommy nodded. "I get that...hell I don't even know if she would want to be anything other than friends again anyway...but if she did, I know we would have to be cautious of the munchkin's feelings too."

Jason saw the affection in Tommy's eyes as he spoke of Jessie, and any worries he'd had about the two of them making it work this time were gone. He had known for years that they belonged together. Kim just had to stop punishing herself for the mistakes of her past, and Tommy had to let go of the pain and focus on the future.

"I think you'll be alright, brother. Just remember, if you hurt my little sister, or goddaughter, I will have to kill you and bury you where no one will ever find you. But for what it's worth, I highly doubt it will come to that."

Tommy swallowed thickly, then nodded. "Thanks, bro. You know I would never intentionally cause her pain. Even after all this time, and everything that happened between us, her tears wreck me."

"Come on. We better get back out there before everyone thinks we've run off."

The pair of friends rejoined the gathering at about the same time Kim returned. As if to further prove Jason's point, the two former lovers locked eyes as soon as they came into the room together. Jason clapped a hand on Tommy's shoulder to bring him back to reality. "Good luck, brother. Something tells me you'll be fine. Just...be patient and understanding."

Tommy nodded at Jason, and then crossed the room to Kim. "Hey there...so, did you have other people you wanted to see ad catch up with, or were you ready to go?"

Kim looked around, and then turned back to Tommy. "No, I am ready if you are. I think I have had enough of the large crowds today."

"Alright, let's get out of here then. Hopefully the rain has let up, so we can enjoy the walk."

As the left the Youth Center, a place where so much of their adolescence had been spent, they couldn't know that behind them, several people were gathered in conversation, watching them go and wishing them well.

AN: Okay, I know I am awful. The talk next chapter, I promise. I may eventually write an outtakes scene with all the memories that the Rangers shared, but I would need to rewatch some of the older episodes first. This way, for now, you can imagine what each of the Ranger's favorites memories of Trini would be for yourself. Keep those lovely reviews coming! Next chapter will be up Wednesday.