"Do you think she's lying, Meredith," Billy asked.

"I believe Tommy when he said he didn't sleep with her. I don't know if I really believe he would be drunk enough to forget what he was doing. I can't see him sleeping with Hayley," I said, out loud but not expecting anyone to answer me back.

"I do agree that would be the preferable solution to this dilemma," Billy said. I turned around and stared at Billy. I knew what he was saying, but I hadn't realized anyone heard me talking.

"Maybe we should confront Hayley," Rocky said.

"No, that's probably what she wants. How could Tommy have hung out with her and not known that she was pregnant," I said.

"Babe, you know the answer to that question," Rocky said, shooting me a smile.

I laughed. This whole situation would be comical if it wasn't so serious. This had the potential to ruin the lives of everyone it touched. All of us would be affected by what could happen."If Tommy never slept with her and she turned up pregnant, it probably wouldn't have registered with him. Men are that way. Look at how long it took Billy to figure out you were pregnant with Chris. You were ready to deliver before he asked if you were expecting. Men are a bit dense if it doesn't involve them," Trini said.

I continued pacing up and down the carpet. No one really said anything, because, what could you say.

We had no idea how to approach this situation or how to make it right. I did have a thought, but the very idea I could think of suggesting it had me believing that I could, possibly, had taken one to many blasts from Rita and Zedd.

"Tommy needs to talk to her. He needs to tell her he wants a part in their child's life and see how she responds. If she still wants him, she'll do what ever he wants. Maybe he can convince her to… BE with him and see if he can find out if he really is the child's father," I said.

I shuddered and nearly choked on the words that came out of my mouth. I can't believe I had actually suggested it, but I knew I had to put it out there because, like it or not, I didn't have any idea how to get to the truth.

"That might actually work, Meri. Call Tommy and run the plan by him. It might be nauseating, but it's probably the ONLY thing that will work," Trini said.

I nodded and picked up the phone to call my brother. He answered immediately and I felt bad because I knew he was expecting Kim to call."Bro, I have an idea. Call Hayley and tell her that Kimberly and I told you that she had your child and you want to get together to talk about you guys getting together. It might be the only way we find out what exactly happened between you two," I said, the headache I'd been fighting now creeping it's way across my eyeballs.

"What good is that going to do, Mer? What exactly is that going to prove," he asked.

"I don't know, but maybe she'll say something since she thinks you actually care about her. I don't know what it might be, but it might be the only chance to get Kimberly back," I said.

Tommy grumbled some more but agreed to call her and pretend to have had his 'eyes opened.'

We said goodbye and I went back to the group that had amassed itself into the living room.

"What is this going to prove," Rocky said, nearly repeating exactly what Tommy had just said.

"He can get close enough so I can run the DNA on the kid. She'll always say it's his child, but I want to make sure. I know Tommy wants to make sure before doing anything rash," I said.

"What if Tommy is the father," Rocky said.

"I don't know. I hope, for his sake, that Kimberly understands, no matter what happens," I said.

I had put on water to boil to make tea and went into the kitchen to make it and think about this I placed tea bags in the mugs and poured the water over them, I was thinking about how this could play out.

I kicked myself for not paying more attention to the world around me. I had been so happy with my family, that I had neglected my brother and he'd sought comfort with her. I shook my head, grossed out by the thought.

I ran the possible scenarios in my head, but none of them offered a good conclusion. In the end, Hayley was going to be exposed as a liar or a woman scored. Either way, Tommy wasn't going to fair very well in the whole thing.

I took the tray with the tea back to the living room. I paused at the stairs and listened, but didn't hear a sound. I didn't know if Kimberly had given into sleep after crying or if she was downstairs making an effigy doll and trying to figure out how to conjure up Maligore from Muranthias. I sat the tea on the table and sat back on the couch. I thought about everything we had been through as a team. I knew we could survive anything, but another rift between Tommy and Kimberly I wasn't so sure about.

Tommy and Kimberly had represented everything to us as a team. They proved you could find true love, despite the demands placed on you by the fact that you were fighting evil on a regular basis. They showed that you could be a 'normal' teenager. If Tommy, leader of the rangers, and Kimberly, award-winning gymnast and pink ranger, could have a relationship, there was hope for all of us. Despite the problems Rocky and I had in the beginning, knowing that Tommy and Kim were making it gave me hope for our relationship.

I sipped my tea, not really paying attention to the conversation going on around me. When my cell phone rang, I wasn't even aware that it was ringing. Rocky answered the phone and tapped me on the shoulder, bringing me out of my trance.

"It's Tommy," he said.

"Tommy, what's up," I asked.

"Well, she's willing to see me and tell me all about 'our child.' Meri, I know what she said, but I didn't sleep with Hayley. I couldn't. I never saw her that way and you know how I was about Kimberly. I may have gone to Hayley when I needed my ego boosted, but I would never sleep with her," he said, his pleading making this situation all the more horrible. Tommy Oliver is a lot of things, but none of them involve weakness. This pleading brought Tommy to a level of desperation I would never have thought of him.

"I know, bro. I know. I don't think you did either, but we have to find out. Why would she lie? She would have to know that you would hate that. Does she really know you as well as she thinks she does," I said.

"I don't know what she's thinking. I may have led her on when Kimberly and I were apart, but I never acted on it. She was always a girl that would tell me I looked good, no matter what. Sometimes I needed to hear that because the whole mess with Kimberly really crushed my confidence. It wasn't something I was prepared for and didn't expect," he said.

"When are you meeting her," I asked.

"Tomorrow morning we're meeting for coffee. Mom and Dad are keeping Jake for the weekend. How am I going to sleep tonight, Meri," he asked me."I don't know. Probably not well and I don't really want to talk about that with you. I'll watch out for Kim tonight. I'm guessing the rest of the gang is with you," I asked.

"Jason's actually heading out now to go to your place. He feels he should be there for Kim. He hasn't killed me yet because he believes there is a logical explanation. I think he's just trying to figure out the most painful way to kill me," he said.

"Nah, he's saving that for Kim," I said, trying to get him to laugh. He didn't, but he did thank me.

"Thanks, Meri. You're a wonderful sister and I love you. I'm sorry you're getting dragged into this mess," he said.

"Hey, you did your fair share during high school for Rocky and me," I said.

"I guess I'll call you after the meeting," he said. "Talk to you tomorrow."

"OK. Love ya, bro," I said.

"Love you, too, sis."

We ended our conversation with a plan of action, but I still didn't feel 100 percent certain about this course of action. Just then the doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of Jason to my home.

Rocky answered the door, surprised to see Jason. "Mer, Jase is here," he called.

"Jase, you didn't have to come to check on her. Her other friends are here, you know," I said."I was worried I'd beat Tommy to a pulp," he said.

"Oh really. You learned a new move he can't counter," I said. Jason shot me a glare, but I smiled at him. "You guys always end up in a draw. That's the only way you two know how to fight. Neither of you can best the other one. It's been like that since high school. So, forget the notion of beating my brother to a pulp. You can't do that anymore than he could beat you to a pulp."

"I hate it when you're right. Why my 'little sister' had to fall in love with the former leader of the power rangers is beyond me. Why couldn't she have fallen for someone like Rocky," he said.

"Because Rocky is mine," I said, appalled that he would even suggest something so stupid.

"You know what I mean, Mer. Why couldn't she have fallen in love with someone that I could at least best in a match," he said.

"Oh, so now you think you can take Rocky. Jase, you are not God's gift. Just because Katherine thinks that way doesn't mean everyone does. So forget about killing Tommy and focus on the plan ahead. Tommy's going to meet with Hayley in the morning and see what she has to say. He's also going to make sure to get a DNA sample from the child and I'll test it at the hospital. I know someone that can run it without anyone knowing," I said.

"Sounds like a plan. What do we do about Kimmy in the meantime," he asked.

"She can stay in the guest room for as long as she wants, but I think it might be better for her to leave here and go home and have Tommy move in with us for a while. At least until all this gets sorted out. Jake's had enough trauma. I HATE THIS," I screamed. That caused everyone to stare at me. I'm almost certain they were ready to commit me, but they all understood. I, more than anyone, had been very vocal about how we've all been treated by the universe. We've all suffered some kind of tragedy, albeit some were minor, but we still suffered.

I looked at Rocky. "You should get the guest room ready for Billy and Trini. Jason, you were just leaving, right," I said, pushing him toward the door. "I think I should stay," he said. "Well, I think you should go back to Katherine," I said. I gave him a look that showed him he shouldn't argue with me and he nodded his head. "Call me if she needs anything," he said.

"Count on it," I said.

I shut the door behind Jason and climbed the stairs back to the living room. Rocky had shown Billy and Trini the guest room that was next to Kimberly's. I figured if she needed something she'd probably go running to Trini because I was probably a reminder of my brother. I followed Rocky to the bedroom and, while sitting on the bed, I began to cry. A cry for what Tommy was being put through. A cry for what Kimberly was suffering. A cry for myself because I didn't know what to do. A cry for the team; we were so strong when we were all together and on the same side. What would happen if we were forced to choose sides? Would we turn our lives into a soap opera? Rocky held me close while I cried. Not knowing what was going to happen in the morning.

***How's the meeting going to end? What's Tommy going to find out? *** -mereditholiver