Author's Note: And without further ado, part II of chapter 6! This chapter directly follows part I, and is the companion to Chapter 4 of Cost of Revenge: Redemption but from Kim's perspective. I would strongly encourage you to read those chapters in conjunction with this one.

As always, please read and review. Feedback is always greatly appreciated. And a big thanks to my beta, Bellarose20, for helping with this chapter. Enjoy!


Jax's Place

KO-35

Weeks Later, Local time, Early Afternoon

"…much fun. I couldn't believe that was the surprise! I mean, how often do you get the opportunity to…"

Kimberly groaned and unhooked her translator necklace, setting it down on the counter in front of her. The conversation between the two Mirians instantly switched back to their native language.

The pink ranger sighed gratefully as their words faded into the background. She rest her elbows on the counter and covered her face with her hands.

She was not having a good day.

A nudge at her side caused her to turn around.

"You all right, Kim?"

It was Jax, her boss.

She gave a tight smile. "I'm fine."

The older man stared at her intently for several seconds before shaking his head.

"You're not a convincing liar." He placed his hands on her shoulders and guided her to the back of the building. "You're taking a break. Don't come back out until you're feeling better."

Kim knew better than to argue with him when he made up his mind and allowed him to lead her down the hall. She stood in the doorway of the break room facing him and smiled gratefully.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Jax nodded and closed the door, heading back out front.

Kimberly lay down on the couch and grabbed a pillow, hugging it to her chest.

She was having one of those days again.

It'd been six weeks since her son was born, changing her world forever. Ryan had become a large part of her life in such a short amount of time, bringing her more joy and happiness than she thought she was capable of feeling. The sight of him instantly put her in a better mood, and their mother-son cuddle time was easily the best part of every day.

But with the good came the bad, and the stress of being a single mother on a planet that wasn't her home was starting to wear on her.

The continuous feedings. The sleepless nights. The constant changing of diapers. The panic that strikes whenever she hears him cry.

And to top it all off, having to deal with it alone.

That wasn't to say she didn't have help – Kim was able to build a great support system from the people she met on KO-35. Klasiah proved to be a great friend and extremely resourceful, even going so far as to help Kim find a steady babysitter in her younger sister, Leera. The younger girl had instantly fallen in love with Ryan upon seeing him, declaring him the cutest baby she'd ever seen and even offering to watch him for free. Kimberly had also managed to forge a strong relationship with Jax and his sons. The older man owned a popular cybercafé on KO-35 and offered the pink ranger a job that she could take once she had recovered from her surgery. In accepting his offer, Kim grew close to her boss and quickly realized how much of a teddy bear the burly man was.

She couldn't think of a better group of people to help her through such a significant time in her life… except, of course, those she left had left behind on Earth.

Trini. Billy. Zack.

Her mother and brother. Her dad.

She hadn't spoken to her family since the day she stopped by to grab her things from the house, back when she first went into hiding.

Were they safe? Were they worried sick about her? Did they think she was dead? Were they even alive?

The pink ranger ran a hand over her face. She could feel pressure building at her temples the more she thought about them.

'Stop it, Kim,' she thought irritably. 'You're doing it again.'

Dr. Prenjak had warned her about this. The doctor had been alarmed by how stressed the pink ranger was when they'd first met and had worked with Kimberly to find ways to reduce her stress in order to keep her from endangering the baby. Now that she'd given birth, the issue wasn't as critical, but Dr. Prenjak still had concerns on how it may impact the baby's development. Babies were very in tune with their mothers' emotions – her stress could very easily become Ryan's if she wasn't careful.

The pink ranger sighed tiredly and took deep breaths.

Kimberly found herself wishing once again that she was back on Earth. In the past, she'd handle stress by doing gymnastics. Her routines demanded all of her attention, leaving no room to devote any energy to her problems. It was the only thing that truly helped her relax.

Her ears suddenly burned red as a memory came to her.

Well, not the only thing…

Kim ran a hand through her hair in frustration. "Dammit!"

"Wanna tell me what crawled up your ass and died?"

She turned and rolled her eyes at the green ranger. He was resting against the locker a few feet away from her, arms crossed over his chest. The long-sleeved black shirt he wore was fitted to his lean frame, accentuating the muscles in his arms and torso. Gray jeans hang low on his hips, held up by the black web belt around his waist.

"I'm not in the mood, Tommy."

"That much is obvious. You've been pissy all day." He looked her up and down slowly. She wore a dark pink, long-sleeved crop top and denim skirt, white sneakers on her feet.

"You PMSing or something?"

The pink ranger growled and slammed her locker shut, approaching the green ranger with fire in her eyes. It was lunchtime, and most of the students were either in the cafeteria or off-campus, leaving them fairly isolated in the hallway.

"Why is it that men always think that because a woman is upset it has to be tied to her uterus?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but she continued speaking over him.

"Maybe I'm upset because I actually have a reason to be upset. Did you ever think about that?" she hissed. "Maybe I'm just having a really shitty day, and I'm allowed to be pissed about that without having a dumbass like you questioning me about it."

The green ranger stared down at her for several seconds. "Okay. Let's go."

"…what?"

His response threw her for such a loop that she barely reacted when he grabbed her hand, leading her out of the school and into the student parking lot.

"Tommy! What are you – " She ripped her hand out of his. "Stop!"

They were halfway across the parking lot by now. "Come on."

"No."

He sighed, tilting his head back. "Oh my god, why is everything always a fight with you?"

"I'm not fighting," she snapped. "You manhandled me and dragged me out here with no explanation. I think it's completely reasonable to have questions."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Can we go to my truck, please?"

She furrowed her brow. "Why?"

"Because we're wasting time, and I'd like to get lunch before traffic gets bad."

Seniors were allowed to go off-campus for lunch if they had a vehicle – a policy proposed by the student government to address both the overcrowding problem that occurred during lunch and complaints about the lack of variety in food options.

The idea of leaving Angel Grove High for even a little bit today was incredibly appealing to the pink ranger.

"Fine."

They pulled out of the school parking lot and headed down 10th street, stopping at a local sandwich shop Kim had never noticed before. Tommy climbed out of his truck and went inside the building, coming out a few minutes later with two large sandwiches and bottled drinks. He handed her their lunch and headed back on the road to his house where they stopped to eat.

Kim was pleasantly surprised when she bit into her sandwich. It was a turkey, bacon, and swiss sandwich that had everything she loved on it – even the choice of Everything bread was spot on. She eyed the green ranger dubiously.

"What?" he asked, setting down a bag of salt and vinegar potato chips on the table between them.

"Is this one of their signature sandwiches?"

He raised an eyebrow. "No, I had them make it."

"It's really good." She stared at him, curiosity dancing in her eyes. "How did you know what I wanted without asking me?"

"Because believe it or not, I actually pay attention to the things you say and do," he said sarcastically. "Well, on occasion."

She rolled her eyes, though she couldn't hide the smile that curled her lips.

Tommy wolfed down the rest of his Italian sub, famished from not having any breakfast after his intense training session that morning with Scorpina. He chugged down his Pepsi, letting out a loud burp that made the pink ranger grimace.

"Gross."

"Now…" He stretched his arms before resting them on the table, popping a chip into his mouth. "What the hell is going on with you?"

Thirty minutes later, all of the feelings Kim had been trying to keep at bay had finally bubbled to the surface. She lay on the couch with her feet in Tommy's lap while he rubbed her legs, his right foot propped up on the coffee table. He was cycling through the channels on the TV, searching for something good to watch.

"Ugh." Kim ran her hands over face. "I just can't believe he thinks it's a good idea to have another child, especially with that woman. And he had the nerve to think I'd be happy about it."

He stopped on MTV where a marathon of top twenty something music videos was in progress. He rubbed circles into the flesh of her calf and sighed.

"Okay." The green ranger tossed the remote onto the coffee table. "You've been stressing over this all day." His eyes trailed over her body. "You need a break."

He climbed on top of her, nudging her legs open so he could fit between them. Calloused fingers reached under her top to fondle her breasts as he kissed his way down her stomach, though to his annoyance, Kim barely reacted to his ministrations.

"He can hardly handle being a dad now."

"Maybe this…" He dipped his tongue into her bellybutton. "…is his way of trying to get it right."

Kimberly shook her head. "But Kenny and I weren't worth the effort?" she asked angrily.

Tommy sat up hooked his fingers in the waistband of her skirt, dragging it down her thighs and off her legs. He tossed it over the edge of the couch.

"So, what's your solution then? Give the kid up for adoption? Maybe you could even trick your dad into getting a vasectomy," he said, her panties in between his teeth as he tugged them down her legs. "Because that would be, you know… problem solved."

Kim frowned when she picked up on his sarcasm.

"Sorry…" She looked down when he ran his hands up and down her thighs. "I guess I'm just not really in the mood today."

Tommy kissed his way up her body again, a hand sliding between her thighs. He dipped his fingers between her folds and found some wetness there.

"Feels like you are to me," he said huskily.

"What's he even gonna say when this kid asks about his other family?" she continued as if he hadn't spoken. "How's he gonna explain what happened with us?"

The green ranger exhaled loudly in frustration and looked away from her.

"They're going to have questions about why we have – "

"All right." Tommy cupped a hand over her mouth. "You really have to be quiet now."

Her eyes trailed down to his hand then back up to lock eyes.

"You clearly need to chill the fuck out. I only got twenty minutes before we have to head back to school, so this is what's gonna happen." He reached down with his free hand to undo his belt and unzipped his jeans, pushing them and his boxers down his hips. "You're gonna shut up about this, and I'm gonna fuck you until you aren't mad anymore."

She blinked at him and spoke, voice muffled. "The blinds are still op – "

"I said shut up." He pushed her thighs further apart, the head of his cock pressed against her entrance. "I know they're open, but you're gonna let me fuck you anyway."

The green ranger sucked on her neck as he guided himself into her. Kimberly gasped against his hand, eyes fluttering closed.

"Mmm," he moaned. "You feel that?"

Kimberly nodded, eyes now a darker shade of brown.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" She nodded again. "I know it does."

Tommy pushed her top up, exposing her breasts. He took the left one into his mouth, suckling it hungrily before releasing it with a soft pop.

"Now relax… close your eyes." He rocked his hips against hers, making her arch her back. He grabbed her legs and lifted them up onto his shoulders so that the backs of her thighs were against his chest. Tommy placed his right hand back over her mouth and braced the left against the armrest above her head. They didn't have a lot of time, and this position was the fastest way to get her off.

"I'm gonna do all the work… you just cum."

Whitney Houston's "I'm Your Baby Tonight" started playing from the tv. The song was one of Kim's favorites, and she was surprised to find that the upbeat tempo was actually helping to increase her arousal.

Tommy pushed in all the way, and she moaned, biting on the fingers still covering her mouth. He gave a sharp thrust that made her groan loudly, head rolling back against the cushions.

"That's it..." he breathed as he worked himself into her again and again. "Give it to me…"

He rotated his hips and the pink ranger gave a startled gasp, and he knew he found the spot he was looking for. Tommy started fucking her harder, the couch straining under their vigorous movements. Her left hand was tangled in his long locks, pulling them free from the tight ponytail. Her right hand fisted the sleeve of his shirt, stretching out the fabric from how hard she tugged and clawed at him.

Kimberly squirmed and sobbed into his palm each time he surged into her, her heavy moans quickly evolving into screams. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she gasped, legs trembling against his torso as a hard climax rolled through her. The green ranger grinned at the wetness now on his stomach and thighs from her orgasm.

"Good girl."

She whimpered when he continued to thrust hard and deep into her quivering walls.

"Tommy! Please… please – AH!" she cried out, voice muffled by his palm.

She wasn't sure if she begging him to stop or keep going but it didn't really matter. They still had eleven minutes left, and he was determined to make every second count.

The pink ranger flushed slightly as she remembered their passionate afternoon romp on his living room couch. Tommy had been right on the money about her needing a stress-reliever, and his solution of multiple orgasms had certainly done the trick.

She could definitely go for another one of those types of stress-relievers today. Sex was never at the center of her universe, but she couldn't deny she missed it after nearly a year of without it.

Her thoughts shifted to the green ranger then and a surge of conflicting emotions welled up inside of her.

She hadn't spoken to or heard from Tommy since the day he came to her following the Siege of Washington D.C. She'd been so angry after what he'd done to Zack that she could barely stand being around him. That coupled with learning the truth of what Jason had done to him had pushed her to leave the planet just to get away from him and all the drama he brought into her life.

That was over two months ago, and despite her best intentions to forget about him, he was never too far from her thoughts.

She was still angry with him, though it had waned with time. Zack was on his way to a full recovery, and since moving to KO-35, she hadn't heard anything about Tommy or the green ranger to be upset about.

On the one hand, it was a relief – being angry with him usually proved to be both futile and draining, so no news was good news in a sense.

On the other hand, the part of Kim that still cared about the bastard was growing increasingly more concerned.

Tommy had never gone this long without talking to her before without good reason. Even when he'd left for the KAX Union, he had made sure to let her know beforehand that he was taking off.

Kim bit her bottom lip worriedly.

What if something bad had happened to him?

He did say something about taking down Zedd. What if he really did go through with his plan but it didn't work out?

She shook her head. Someone would have told her by now, right? Andros or Zhane or Trini… they wouldn't keep something like that from her.

Still… it'd certainly explain why he hadn't tried to contact her since she left.

'Oh god,' she thought in horror. 'What if he's dead?'

And more to the point, why did she care?

"Oi, Kimberly!"

The pink ranger looked up to see Jax's sons, Lukor and Drex, enter the room.

"I didn't know you were coming in today," Drex said happily. Lukor shot his brother a knowing glance and shook his head.

The younger man had a huge crush on the pink ranger, going so far as to even ask her out on a date a few weeks ago. He had taken it well when Kimberly turned him down, despite his obvious disappointment.

Drex was very handsome and an absolute sweetheart, and under any other circumstances, Kimberly probably would have considered going on that date with him. With everything going on in her life, though, she just didn't have the time or interest to devote to starting any new romantic relationships.

Besides, the only man she wanted in her life right now was Ryan.

"I wasn't planning to, but I just needed to get out of the house today."

"Is Leera watching Ryan?" Lukor asked as he rummaged through the refrigerator.

"Yeah."

He downed his drink. "So, you're on break now?"

"Have a headache," she said miserably. "Just waiting for it to go away."

"And we're probably making things worse," Drex said with a wince. "Sorry, Kim. We'll be quick."

"It's fine," she whispered, closing her eyes.

Drex grabbed a bag from his father's office, and the two headed for the door. Before exiting, Lukor pulled out a small package from his bag and set it on the couch next to the pink ranger.

Kim opened her eyes and frowned. "What's this?"

"Package came for you at the base," he said. "I was going to stop by your house later to give it to you, but since you're here…"

She picked up the box with interest. "Thanks."

He nodded. "Come on, Drex."

The pink ranger waited until they left before opening the package. It was a blue and gray rectangular box that was about the size of her hand. The box was covered in strange markings she couldn't understand, and on one side of it was a large silver button. There was a piece of paper taped to the button with the words "PUSH ME" scribbled on top.

She smiled when she recognized it as Trini's handwriting.

Kimberly pushed the button and gasped when a beam of light shot out, eventually splitting into several four smaller beams that rearranged themselves into a square like a television screen. Trini's face appeared in the center.

"Hey Kim!" Trini said. "I know we've been missing each other's calls for a while now, so I thought maybe a video would be better."

Tears stung the pink ranger's eyes upon seeing her best friend.

"Jason showed us the pictures of you and the baby. Ryan definitely has your eyes. He's so adorable, Kim – I can't wait to meet him!" Trini ran her fingers through her hair. "Things are a little busy now, but as soon as I get the chance, I'm heading to KO-35 to visit you and the baby. It's been too long since I've seen you."

"Don't think you're going without me."

Rustling was heard and suddenly the camera changed angles to show a beaming Zack sitting beside Trini.

"Hi Kim!"

She started full-on crying when she saw him. The last time she'd seen Zack he was comatose in the medical bay. Seeing him awake and smiling was such a relief.

"Ryan won't know what hit him when he finally meets the Zack-man," the black ranger joked. "Just promise you won't hate me when Uncle Zack becomes his favorite."

She rolled her eyes. Same old Zack.

"I can't wait to see you, too, Kim," he said, tone no longer joking. "When I woke up, they told me you left for KO-35…" His expression grew sad. "I know why you did it, but… I miss you."

Kim wiped her eyes and sniffled. 'I miss you, too.'

"Clearly, we have a lot catch up on the next time we see each other," he said with a chuckle. "I'm looking forward to it."

Zack furrowed his brows and turned to look at something behind the camera. "What?"

He shook his head. "Just ask her yourself. Come here."

Kim heard the sound of approaching footsteps and grinned when Billy came into view. He stood behind Trini and Zack.

"Hello, Kimberly," he said. "I hope the transition to life on KO-35 has gone smoothly for you and your son." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and gave a soft smile. "You are sorely missed."

Billy cleared his throat. "I asked if any modifications needed to be made to the devices I gave you before you left. I believe Alpha and I have discovered some areas of improvement that would be most beneficial for you."

Kimberly grinned. She didn't realize how much she missed Billy's unique way of speaking until now.

"Progress has been slow, but I believe at our current pace, we should be able to get these modifications to you within the next month."

Kim heard the familiar six-tone chime of their communicators.

"Damn." Trini sighed. "Sorry, Kim, looks like Zordon needs us."

"But no worries," Zack reassured her. "We're definitely going to contact you again. Count on it."

Billy nodded in agreement.

The three of them waved goodbye to her. "Love you, Kimberly, we'll talk soon! Give Ryan a kiss for us!"

The video went black, and the beams of light retracted back into the box.

While Kim was disappointed at how short the video was, she was grateful to have it nonetheless. Seeing her friends again had lifted the dark cloud that'd been hanging over her all day, and the headache she'd been fighting was now fading into a distant memory.

She jumped when the door to the break room flew open.

" – trust that boy to do anything right," Jax mumbled. "Where did he – Kim, are you okay?"

The blond man noticed the tear streaks on her face and instantly grew concerned.

"I'm fine, Jax. Great, actually," she said with a sniffle, wiping her face. "I think I'm ready to go back to work now."

"You sure?"

Kim looked down at the video in her hands again. Her lips curled into a smile when she remembered her friends' smiling faces.

"Positive."


Hart Residence (Eastern Grasslands Home of Stevros and Jenanthia)

Front Porch

KO-35

Weeks later, Local time, Early Evening

The pink ranger winced as she rubbed her arm, the spot still sore from where Dr. Prenjak had given her the contraceptive shot. The doctor recommended that she take the shot in order to help get her cycle regular again, but she never told Kim it'd hurt so damn much.

She walked up the steps of the porch and took out her key, entering the modest home.

"Hello? Leera?"

"Kim!" A girl with brown eyes and waist-length blonde hair stepped out of the kitchen with Ryan in her arms. "You're home early."

The pink ranger closed the front door and headed towards them. "Yeah, my appointment went quicker than I expected."

She reached out for her son, scooping him up into her arms. "Hello, baby boy."

Kimberly pressed kisses over his face and laughed when he reached for her.

"How was he today?" Ryan curled into Kimberly and continued sucking on his pacifier.

"Good, as always. I just fed him a few minutes ago and put him in a fresh diaper, so he should be all set." She leaned over and tickled his stomach. "I have to go Ryan, but I'll be back soon. Have fun with your mom."

He grabbed her finger and squeezed, pulling a laugh from Leera.

"Goodnight, Kim."

"Night, Leera, and thank you again."

The blonde shook her head. "It's never a problem, Kim," she said before heading out the front door. She stopped on the way out and turned back to face the pink ranger. "Forgot to mention, you got a package from Andros."

"Really? I didn't know he was on KO-35."

"He isn't," Leera said. "He and Zhane were headed to some super-secret mission, but he dropped something off for you at the base since KO-35 was along the way. Klasiah gave it to me since she knew I was babysitting today. I left it on the kitchen counter."

"Thanks."

Kim watched her leave before heading to the kitchen where a white package with her name on it sat on the counter. She picked it up and carried it into the living room.

Kimberly turned back to the little boy in her arms. "What do you think it is, Ryan? Another gift from your aunt Trini?"

He spat out his pacifier and babbled as he tried to put her translator necklace in his mouth. He wasn't quite able to coordinate his movements yet, so it kept falling out of his hand.

"Well, I can tell you definitely missed that." She pulled the necklace away from him and gave him back his pacifier. "That's not for you, baby."

She sat them down on the couch with a sigh. Ryan continued grabbing at her necklace unsuccessfully.

Kim watched him with amused eyes. "You're just gonna keep trying, aren't you?"

The infant eventually gave up on her necklace and focused his attention on her hair, leaning forward to take the strands into his mouth. She shifted him around so that he was laying on his back against her thighs. Kim tickled his stomach playfully and laughed when he started to get excited.

She turned her attention back to the white package. "Wanna see what we got?"

The pink ranger opened the package and grinned wide when she saw it was another video message. She'd received several from her friends back on Earth, though it was a little strange to get one so soon since the last one arrived – not that she minded, of course.

Kim pushed the silver button and watched the beams of light shoot out. She sat Ryan up so that his back was against her front.

"You ready?" she asked excitedly, taking his hands in hers and shaking them around. He kicked his feet in response.

All of her happiness disappeared, however, when instead of her friends staring back at her, she saw Tommy Oliver.

Very much alive… and on the Astro Megaship?

"What the – ?"

"My name… my name is Thomas James Oliver. Green ranger and commander for the Dark Empire." He stared down at something in his hand. "And this message is for Kimberly Ann Hart..."

Her heart sped up at the mention of her name, and she chided herself for that reaction. Kim glowered at him instead. "What the hell is this?"

"You're probably wondering what this is… no doubt glaring at the screen wondering what the hell I'm up to."

She rolled her eyes, annoyed to see that he still knew her so well.

He chuckled lightly. "The truth is I'm not even really sure."

Tommy ran his hands through his hair. "The last time we spoke wasn't the way I wanted to leave things between us. And with everything going on, I just need to talk to you. Even if it's through this stupid video."

She cracked a smile at that. She knew he hadn't given up on trying to reach her.

The baby fidgeted in her lap, and she pressed a kiss against the top of his head.

"You see that man right there?" she whispered. "That's your daddy."

Ryan reached for the video as if to grab Tommy.

The green ranger took a deep breath. "I'm working with Andros to take down Zedd from the inside. That's why I'm on the Astro Megaship and why he's the one who's going to give you this video. Jason and the Time Force Rangers are in on it, too… and Zordon."

Her eyes widened in surprise. So, he was telling the truth about Zedd? And Andros, Jason, and Zordon were working with him? How big was this operation?

Tommy smiled slightly. "I told you before I was serious about taking him down, and you didn't believe me…with good reason. But ever since you left, I've worked with them to help dismantle his empire in coordinated attacks across the galaxy using the information I've been able to steal from him. We've been making a lot of progress, and I won't stop until that bastard is gone."

"He's doing it," she said in disbelief. She looked down at Ryan and rubbed his stomach. "Your daddy's actually doing it. This is… wow…"

Tommy looked down at the object in his hand again. "I-I'm not sure I'm going to survive this, Kimberly, and in case I don't – "

Disbelief gave way to intense worry. He wasn't going to survive? Did something go wrong with the mission? Was Zedd already on to him? Why weren't the rangers doing more to ensure his safety?

His voice hitched. "I just want you to know that I did everything in my power to protect you and our son." He sniffled. "That I fought until the very end for the only family I have left… a-and that I love you."

If the news that he was working to take down Zedd was a shock, then his confession was a kick to the gut. It wasn't that she didn't know he felt that way – Kim had always known that Tommy loved her without hearing the words. She just never expected him to ever grow a pair and admit it.

Early on, she used to imagine how it would feel to hear him say those words, but as time went on, it became clear that the green ranger would never be able to bring himself to say them. With the lies and betrayal thrown in the mix, Kim was sure even if he did muster up the courage to tell her, she wouldn't give a damn because too much had happened between them.

It was annoying to discover after all they'd been through, those three words still meant something to her.

Tommy chuckled. "That's the one thing you've always wanted me to say, and the first time I do it is when I'm about to die. Life's funny that way, I guess." His smiled faded away. "But I mean it – I love you. I love our son…I don't know what I would do if I lost either of you." He wiped his eyes. "I just – I just wanted you to know in case… in case I don't get a chance to…" He clenched his jaw tightly. "Goodbye, Kimberly."

The video went black, signaling that it had ended.

The pink ranger sat silently on the couch, so many thoughts and emotions running through her that she felt paralyzed.

Ryan tipped over slightly in her lap, and she realized he had fallen asleep. Almost mechanically, Kim picked him up and took him into her room where she lay him on his back in his bassinet. After double-checking that he was okay, she headed back into the living and sat on the couch. She took a deep breath and reached for the device again, playing the video for a second time.

This time around, the initial shock that left her feeling numb was replaced by a deep rage that left her trembling.

How dare he do this to her? No word from him for months, and the first thing she hears from him is this? Now he wants to be true to his word and actually fight for the good guys? Now he can man up and tell her how he feels? Now he wants to protect his family?

The more she thought on it, the more she felt like punching the green ranger in the throat. Things were just getting on track for her on KO-35 – it wasn't fair of him to drop all of this on her now.

And the icing on the cake was that when he finally – finally – decides to do everything she'd practically begged him to do months ago, he has the nerve to follow it up with 'oh by the way, I'm going to die', as if that was acceptable.

It wasn't fair for him to do this to her – to turn her world upside down and then plan to abandon her. Again.

Kim exhaled loudly and ran her fingers through the hair.

He should've just stayed gone.

Never hearing from him again would've been less painful and infuriating than hearing everything she'd wanted from him with the realization that she could never have it.

"Dammit," she whispered angrily.

All of the effort she put into burying the love, anger, and anxiety that came from having Tommy in her life since she moved to KO-35, and his video had just ruined it in less than five minutes.

The pink ranger stood up and paced the living room floor, mind racing a mile a minute. The smart thing to do would be to pretend like she'd never received his video. If he had truly resolved himself to dying, then nothing was going to change.

So why couldn't she just let this go?

Footsteps on the porch caught her attention, and she raised an eyebrow when she saw Jason walk through the front door.

"Hey," he said, taking off his jacket and hanging it on the coat rack. "Where's Ryan?"

"Sleeping," she said, arms crossed over her chest. "What are you doing here?"

"I told you I would be back this week. Don't you remember?"

She didn't. "Right… well, you've come at just the right time."

Jason furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

She pointed at the package she received. "Look familiar?"

The red ranger walked over and picked up the device. "Is this one of Trini's videos?"

"It's a video, but it's not Trini's." She pushed the silver button, and the video began to play.

Jason's eyes narrowed upon seeing the green ranger, and he took a seat on the couch. Kim watched his reaction carefully,

" – don't get a chance to… Goodbye, Kimberly," Tommy finished before the video went black once again.

Jason's nostrils flared. "Who gave this to you?"

"Andros," she said. "What the hell is going on, Jason?"

He rubbed his forehead wearily. "Kim…"

"The truth," she hissed.

The red ranger sighed in defeat and told her everything, from what he knew of Tommy's first meeting with Andros to their strategy meetings in the pocket dimension.

" – closest we've ever come to defeating Zedd. I think we might actually be able to win this, Kim."

"And Tommy?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What about him?"

"Is no one protecting him?" she asked incredulously. "He's convinced he's going to die, Jason. You have to do something."

"There's nothing I can do," he said softly. "Tommy knew the risks when he came to us to take down Zedd. All we can do is hope that we make enough progress before Zedd figures out what he's been up to."

"So, you're just going to let him die?" she hissed.

"What happens to him is not my concern, and frankly, it shouldn't be yours either." He stood up. "Why do you care what happens to him? He ruined our lives!"

"He's the father of my child, Jason!"

He blinked. "I thought that was supposed to be me."

Jason had slowly started coming around to the idea of Ryan being his son over the last few weeks. It had taken a lot of effort to think of him as "Ryan" and not "Tommy's son", but once he did, he found that he enjoyed spending time with the baby.

All of that progress seemed like a distant memory now.

The pink ranger clenched her jaw and looked away. Jason watched her with narrowed eyes.

"You care about him," he realized. "After everything he's done, you still care about what happens to your precious Tommy." He ran his hands over his face and chuckled dryly. "Un-fucking-believable..."

"Jason…"

The red ranger clenched his fists in anger. "Jesus, what the hell is wrong with you, Kim?"

"Excuse me?"

"I don't understand you," he said seriously. "You said you hated him. You left Earth to get away from him and his bullshit. You went as far to tell everyone I'm Ryan's father to give you the safety that you claimed you needed – but this asshole sends you one video, and all that's out the window now?"

"I never asked you to tell anyone you were Ryan's father, okay? You volunteered."

"Yeah, and you didn't refuse," he pointed out.

"Why would I?!" she asked incredulously. "It keeps him safe, and I'll do whatever I have to in order to make sure he stays that way."

"Except let Tommy go apparently," he said bitterly, repressed jealousy and hurt bubbling up to the surface. "Silly of me to think that was ever really an option, but I guess I should've known that was asking for too much from you. He does one good thing after all the shit he's put us through, and you think that rights all his wrongs." He shook his head. "I can see why you need to believe that – how else can you justify caring for a selfish, homicidal psychopath."

Kim bristled at his indignant tone. "You know what, Jason? Fuck you!"

He reared back as if she'd slapped him.

"I am done with this victim bullshit you have going on," she sneered. "Tommy thinks he's going to die, and all you can do is bitch about the fact that I'm concerned about him? Do you hear how selfish you sound? For fucks sake, get over your issues with Tommy and stop making everything about you! You would think you'd have learned your lesson by now given how things turned out the last time you pulled this shit!"

The red ranger looked down, shame etched deep into his face at the realization that he was once again falling prey to the same petty instincts that landed them all in this situation in the first place.

"Yes, I cheated on you with Tommy, and yes, he's Ryan's father." He flinched at that. "None of that's going to change anytime soon, so if you can't handle it, you need to leave."

"Leave?" he repeated slowly. "You'd really make me to do that?"

"I'm not the one forcing anything – that's you!" Kim pressed a hand to her forehead, suddenly feeling very drained. "I want you in my life, Jason. We've been friends for too long for me to just give up on that, but if you can't move past this…"

She never finished her sentence, but the implication was clear. Kim had long ago accepted that she was wrong for what she did to Jason and knew he had every right to be angry, but things have changed and she was a mother now.

His feelings were not a priority for her anymore.

"I just want to know what's being done to keep him safe," she said softly as she took a seat on the couch. "You saw the video – he really thinks he's not gonna make it. You can't just let that happen."

The red ranger stared at her for a long time before speaking softly. "When Rita took Tommy, I didn't do what I should have to protect him, and now we're all paying the price." He looked down. "I promise you, I won't make the same mistake twice."

Kim studied him closely, searching his face for any sign that he was being insincere and finding none.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"But Kim…" Jason shook his head. "The situation is getting harder to handle every day. He's safe for now, but once Zedd finds out… I don't know how much we can do to help him."

She nodded tearfully. Jason turned and headed for the coat rack, grabbing his jacket.

"Where are you going?" she asked when he opened the front door. The red ranger gave a tight smile.

"You made it pretty clear what my options were… so I'm leaving."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Jason…"

He held up a hand. "I'll be back, but I just need time to myself. Away from…" He motioned around the room. "…all of this."

She bit her bottom lip. "Okay."

The red ranger paused on his way out. "Can I ask you something, and you promise to tell me the truth?"

"What is it?"

"You're still in love with him, aren't you?"

Her breath hitched. "W-Why would you ask me that?"

"You know why," he said tersely. "Are you?"

Her nostrils flared in response, but she said nothing. The tick in her jaw told him what she couldn't say out loud.

"Right." He looked down. "And me?"

The pink ranger's mouth opened and closed several times, but she was unable to find the right words.

"Jason…"

"I see," he said, brown eyes filled with hurt and grudging acceptance. He stepped outside and turned back to face her. "Goodbye, Kimberly."

Kim exhaled loudly when he closed the door, tears stinging her eyes as she felt their relationship shift yet again. Since their breakup, there had been a mix of love, hate, and confusion between them as they tried to figure out what they were to each other.

Now it seemed they at least knew what they weren't.

She groaned and ran a hand over her face. Jesus, this was such a mess. Why did the men in her life always have to find new and creative ways to fuck everything up?

Kimberly knew the proper thing to do would be to go after him and explain, but she just didn't have that kind of energy at the moment – and truthfully, she felt relieved. Now that it was finally out in the open, they could move beyond this awkwardness and work on building a new relationship with each other.

Or at least, that's what she hoped. She supposed Jason would just have to work through his feelings on the matter on his own.

Soft little cries from her bedroom forced the pink ranger into action, and she headed over to her son who was now wide awake. She picked him up and cradled him to her chest, giving him his pacifier so that he would stop crying.

He fisted her shirt as she rocked him and curled into her. She brushed away the tears around his eyes.

"Somebody missed their mommy, huh?" she murmured, a soothing hand rubbing circles into his back. Ryan continued sucking on his pacifier.

Kim pressed a kiss to the top of his head and headed back into the living room. Her eyes fell on the video that Tommy sent her, and she frowned. Feelings of anger and concern were warring inside of her as she thought about the green ranger.

"Asshole," she whispered as she smoothed out her son's curls. "Please be okay."


District 16 Consumer Warehouse

KO-35

Weeks later, Local time, Early Afternoon

"This one?"

Kim shook her head. "A little more to the left."

The man reached over as instructed. "This?"

"Yes." He pulled the box down and sat it in the cart. "Thank you."

He nodded. "Can I help you with anything else?"

Kim bit her lip as she scanned her list. "I should be good now. I just need to get another pack of baby formula. That's usually on the lower shelves."

Today was errands day, and Kim was knocking off the third item in her to-do list – shopping. Ryan was small, but the little boy ran through diapers and formula like they were water. Kim found herself needing to replenish supplies quite often. Drex and Lukor and had shown her different places she could go to in town, and the consumer warehouse in district 16 was one of her favorite places to shop. The place had almost everything she could ever need in one location at great prices.

The pink ranger turned down the next aisle and headed straight for the end, grabbing the pack of baby formula that Ryan liked. Weaning him off of breast milk had been a complete pain in the ass. Ryan only liked one brand of formula, and naturally, it was the most expensive brand that was sold in the smallest quantity.

She pushed her cart into the checkout line and unloaded her items. The machine automatically scanned and bagged the items for her, and not for the first time, she wished some of the KOan technology existed back on Earth.

Kim paid for her things and left the large store, piling everything into the trunk of the hovercar Andros loaned her.

She kicked the front door open once she made it home and waddled into the house, arms burning from the weight of her purchases. She placed them on the ground and groaned, stretching out her muscles before heading back to close the front door.

Time passed by quickly for the pink ranger as she put everything away. She smiled when she finally came upon the last item, and she happily placed the case of diapers on the dresser in the nursery.

Kimberly checked her watch. She still had a few more hours before she needed to pick Ryan up from Leera's house.

"Might as well get the laundry out of the way," she murmured, heading back into the utility room.

Nearly an hour later, the pink ranger hummed softly to herself as she folded her son's clothes, placing the onesies in a neat pile on the nearby table. It always amused her how tiny his clothes were compared to hers, as if they were meant for a doll.

"Anyone home?"

Kim frowned at the familiar voice. "Andros, is that you?" she called out. She hadn't even heard him come in.

She put down the onesie she was folding and headed out of the laundry room.

"It is," she heard him answer. "And I've brought you a surprise."

As far as she knew, Andros wasn't scheduled to be back on KO-35 for at least two more weeks. His visit was unexpected but welcome nonetheless.

"Really? I love surprises!" she said excitedly as she rushed into the living room. Her ardent stride came to a halt when she spotted the green ranger standing next to Andros.

Of all the surprises Andros could have brought her, Tommy Oliver in the flesh hadn't even registered as a possibility.

All at once, her mind was swarming with questions. How was he still alive? Why did Andros bring him here? Was he in danger? Was she in danger because he was here? Should she bring up the video he made? Was he going to ask about Ryan?

Unfortunately for her, her brain was working faster than she could speak, so she only managed to stutter his name in shock.

"T-Tommy?"

The first thing she noticed while studying him was that his frame was a bit bulkier, as if he'd put on more muscle. He had a five-o-clock shadow, and his hair was shorter than she remembered, now a pile of messy curls on his head with an undercut.

"Kimberly… uh, hi," he said.

Her heart fluttered like crazy when he said her name, and she hated it.

Andros moved further into the house, diffusing some of the tension in the room. "I can't stay long. I'm just dropping him off." He peeked his head into the nursery. "Where's Ryan?"

"He's with Leera. She's watching him so I can run some errands today," she said absently, her eyes never leaving Tommy's form.

She shot Andros a disbelieving look when he approached her, but he shook his head.

"Listen to what he has to say," he mumbled in her ear as he gave her a quick hug.

Andros headed for the door. "Talk to him," he mouthed before leaving them in tense silence.

The green ranger fidgeted nervously. "So…"

She stood with her arms crossed over her chest protectively. "What are you doing here?"

"Andros said that I could crash at a place his family owns nearby while I'm in town." He shrugged. "I didn't know you would be here."

"Right." The pink ranger gazed coolly at the duffel bag in his hand. "Well, don't get too comfortable. You're not staying."

Tommy sighed. "Don't do that. Please."

"Do what?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. I don't need the attitude right now, all right? I've had a rough couple of days."

"Oh, poor Tommy," she sneered. "That's not my problem."

Fighting with him felt good – safe. Anger allowed her to keep him at a distance, and she had plenty of reasons to be pissed off with the green ranger.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Can you maybe wait five minutes before jumping down my throat? We haven't seen each other in a long time, Kim."

"And whose fault is that?" she hissed.

Tommy threw her an incredulous look. "If I remember correctly, you told me not to come back, so you don't get to be mad that I didn't!" He tossed the duffel bag onto the floor with a scowl. "And it's not like I was partying it up out there. I was working to take down Zedd, putting my life on the line to protect you… didn't you watch the video?"

Her heart thudded in her chest at the mention of the video. She hadn't expected him to bring it up so soon. She pushed down the happiness that threatened to break through and clung desperately to her fading anger.

"I did, but I'm not stupid enough to believe you were trying to protect me." Kimberly made a derisive noise. "You're protecting you – you're always protecting you."

"It's not like that," he argued.

"Bullshit. People like you can't change, Tommy."

"And people like you don't give others enough credit."

Kim laughed, already anticipating his indignant response. "What credit is due? You're the same selfish bastard you've always been."

She saw Tommy open his mouth to say something but he stopped himself. The pink ranger raised an eyebrow.

"No, you know what? I'm not doing this with you. You wanna fight? Find someone else. You saw the video. You how I feel. You know the truth – I have nothing else to say."

She hadn't expected that response. Tommy was always easy to rile up – him taking the high road was not part of the plan.

"Whatever." Kimberly turned away from him and headed for the door. "Like I said, don't get comfortable. I'm going to find Andros and – "

He grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him. She gasped at the contact, surprised by the shock that went through her system.

Kimberly stared at his hand. "Let go of me."

"No," he growled. He moved closer, using his superior height to tower over her. "And I'm not going anywhere."

She swallowed hard, painfully aware of their proximity and finding it hard to breathe. The two engaged in a silent battle of wills, staring each other down until Kim finally averted her gaze and nodded.

"Fine, you can stay," she said tersely. "Now take your hand off of me."

He loosened his grip but still held her to him. "What if I don't want to?"

His fingers trailed down to her hand slowly, the pad of his thumb grazing the sensitive skin on the inside of her wrist. Her pulse sped up from the contact.

"Stop," she said quietly, forcing her voice not to sound shaky.

'Move your arm, Kim. Don't let him touch you,' her voice said inside her head. 'Take control of the situation.'

But even as she willed herself to break free of him, her body just wouldn't listen.

Kim inhaled sharply when the green ranger turned her hand over in his and twined their fingers together. He tugged her forward so that she was almost pressed against him, and he placed his hand on her hip. Anger, lust, happiness, and shame all swirled inside of her, causing her to tremble when his arm curled around her waist.

Tommy pulled her into his arms, and she immediately tensed up when his hands found the small of her back. She was stuck between shoving him off of her and melting in his arms, her mind and body at odds with each other. He rested his chin on top of her head, large hands running comfortingly up and down her back until the tension slowly eased from her.

"I hate you," she whispered into his shirt.

She hated him for still knowing her so well, and she hated herself for being pleased that he remembered.

"I know," he said, pulling back and cupping her face. Tommy pressed his forehead against hers intimately, eyes closed while he breathed her in. Small hands gripped his shirt tightly.

"But I also know you missed this," he said quietly. "Me holding you."

Her breathing grew heavy. She didn't realize how much she missed being in his arms until now.

"Tommy…"

"Being with you." He nuzzled his nose against hers until she turned away from him.

'You're stronger than this, Kimberly.'

Kimberly covered his hands with hers and removed them from her face.

"Stop it," she whispered fiercely. She was losing the tight hold she had on her emotions.

He curled his hands around hers, refusing to break his connection with her.

"Being inside you," he continued, causing her to close her eyes briefly and gasp from the vivid memories. "I know because I missed it, too."

Unshed tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. Fuck, she really missed him – the conversations, the sex, hell even arguing with him.

'God dammit.'

Slowly, he walked them forward, pinning her between his body and the wall, all the while never breaking eye contact. She could feel his erection nudging her stomach and grew excited. The two of them stayed like that for some time, pressed together intimately while they studied each other's features. Kimberly licked her lips and tucked the bottom one between her teeth in anticipation.

Tommy leaned down and kissed her slowly, teasing her lips apart with his. She gasped against his mouth, allowing him to suck and bite at her lips for only a moment before turning away from him.

It was their first kiss in months, and she had to fight to keep from drowning in the flames it sparked within her.

'You're supposed to make better choices, Kimberly,' she chided herself.

Tommy cupped the sides of her face and kissed her passionately, breaking only for quick breaths. She dug her nails into his hands, pulling a hoarse moan from him.

"What?" he rasped impatiently when she pulled back from him.

"Tommy, I… shit." She sighed when he leaned down again, grazing his teeth against her jaw.

Dammit, was he always this good of a kisser?

"Shut up," he whispered. He brushed his lips against hers, pulling her lip into his mouth. She gripped his shirt tightly and moaned when he sucked on her tongue. The green ranger broke the kiss, forehead pressed against hers. Kim closed her eyes as she tried to catch her breath.

This was escalating way too quickly. She needed to slow this down before things went too far.

She gasped into his mouth when he kissed her again, now pressed even harder up against the wall. She moaned when his kisses trailed from her lips to her neck, licking at the sensitive skin there.

'Fuck,' she thought, arching into him.

She missed being touched like this.

Calloused hands snaked beneath her tank top to cup her breasts, occasionally tweaking pebbled nipples and drawing a hiss from the pink ranger. She lifted her arms so he could take her shirt off, baring her chest to him. He took each breast into his mouth and suckled intently, stimulating her sensitive nipples. Kim's breath hitched each time his tongue flicked across a taut nipple, and she tugged hard at his curly hair when she felt the all-too-familiar pulse of arousal between her thighs.

Her breathing grew heavy when he descended her body, kissing wetly down her torso until he was lined up with her pelvis. He gripped her hips, twisting her around roughly so that her back was facing him. Long fingers undid the fly of her shorts and hooked into the waistband, yanking them and her panties down to gather on top of her sneakers.

She stepped out of her clothes and shoes. He teasingly nipped each cheek while his hand slid between her thighs, rubbing at her tender sex. A moment of clear-headedness hit her, and she grasped his hand tightly to prevent him from touching her. Tommy slowly reached around her and grabbed her wrists, lifting her hands and pinning them against the wall with his own.

His free hand slid between her thighs and teased her clit, making her grind against his fingers. He slipped his fingers inside of her, and she bit her lip at the sudden fullness. It'd been so long since she'd been touched so intimately by a hand that wasn't hers – she'd nearly forgotten how good it felt.

Kim whined and moaned as he fingered her, his digits twisting and curling relentlessly inside of her until she had no choice but to cum. Kim's legs quivered uncontrollably as a strong orgasm rocked her small frame, her forehead pressed against the wall as she struggled to catch her breath.

'Jesus…' She sagged against the wall tiredly.

She heard rustling behind her and realized the green ranger was undoing his jeans. He slid his cock along her sex, using the ridge of his shaft to stimulate her clit. She whined when his grinding became more forceful and began thrusting back against him. Tommy pressed his foot against the inside of hers to spread her legs wider, and she felt him press against her entrance. Kim bit her bottom lip, lust overriding reason as the anticipation of having him inside of her again became nearly unbearable.

Kimberly gasped and arched her back when the head of him pushed inside of her, her fingers reaching back to tangle in his hair. The green ranger pressed a wet kiss to her shoulder as he slowly slid in further, his length creating a delicious friction against her walls as she took him in. He gave a few tentative strokes to let her adjust to his size again. She whimpered his name and shivered, her hips rotating in tiny circles as she stretched around him.

He wrapped an arm around her waist, hauling her against him so that she was sitting on his thighs. He spread his legs a bit wider and tucked his face in her neck, groaning deep in the back of his throat from the pleasure. He took her rough and fast against the wall, pulling a breathless cry from the pink ranger after each thrust. Kim dug her nails into his arm and shuddered, her head rocking back against his shoulder as she sat astride him. He grabbed her hands and pinned them against the wall, applying enough pressure so that she couldn't break his hold.

Kim couldn't remember ever being this aroused before. Her walls quivered and clung to him with each glide of his cock, making her toes curl from the intense pleasure. He was filling her up over and over, almost more than she could take, but she didn't dare want him to stop. Sex and intimacy were things she'd found herself craving more and more here on KO-35, and this moment with Tommy was exactly what she needed. His hoarse grunts and ragged breaths in her ear… the solid weight of him behind her… the way he used his superior strength to pin her between him and the wall as he fucked her… all of it sent her closer towards that blissful edge.

Kim jerked to free her hands from his grip when nimble fingers slipped down to tease the bundle of nerves between her thighs, and she sobbed his name when he wouldn't stop. She came on his cock with a whimper, nails scratching desperately at the wall. Wet fingers slid up her trembling stomach to grab her breasts, leaving a trail of her slick essence on her skin.

"I can't… I…" He groaned in her ear, steadily pumping into her. "Can I cum inside you?"

"Yes," she breathed out around a moan, her mind a haze of pure pleasure. She reached back and wrapped her hand around the back of his neck.

"Yeah?" he asked. She nodded frantically in confirmation, damn near willing to agree to anything as long as he didn't stop fucking her. She idly thought it was a good thing she had started taking birth control – she didn't need another baby.

Tommy tightened his grip around her waist and gave a series of forceful lunges into her pussy. Kim gasped each time he slid into her, screaming when a particularly hard thrust pushed her right over the edge once more. He bit down on her shoulder and gave one final sharp thrust before moaning in pleasure into her back, teeth scraping the sweaty flesh. She felt him shiver and jerk against her as he rode out his climax.

Shakily, Tommy brushed her hair to one side and placed sloppy kisses along her face and neck. His hand slid lower to massage her breasts, tweaking her nipples gently one last time before pulling out of her.

He turned her around to face him, arms braced against the wall on either side of her head. She looked down and saw that he was still hard, and she bit her lip in anticipation.

As her high from the heated moment passed, the pink ranger felt an intense wave of shame roll over her. Tommy nuzzled her nose tenderly, barely brushing his lips against hers in the process. She turned away from him slightly to avoid his kiss, disappointed with herself for giving into him so quickly.

He nipped her bottom lip playfully in response, and it was so reminiscent of the way they used to be together that the only shred of restraint she had disappeared.

'God dammit,' she thought crossly before grabbing the back of his neck.

She pulled him down to meet her in a hard kiss. The green ranger scooped her up into his arms, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her down the hall towards her bedroom. She reached behind her distractedly when they got to her door, finding the open button on the door panel and slamming her hand against it.

They stumbled into her room when the door slid open, falling onto her bed in a heap of tangled limbs. Kim returned his heated kisses with equal passion, eyes fluttering in ecstasy when he pushed into her once more.

They'd already gone this far – she'd worry about the consequences later.


Jax's Place

KO-35

Next day, Local time, Mid-Afternoon

"Can I ask you something?" she said breaking the comfortable silence.

He nodded.

"In your video… when you told me how you felt about me…" She traced a finger along the hair trailing from his bellybutton to his pubic bone. "Why couldn't you just tell me that before?"

"Kim…"

"Because I was afraid," he admitted, thumb stroking her lower back. "I wasn't even sure I loved you at first, and then when I knew, it scared the shit out of me… and not just because of what Zedd could do if he found out." He reached around to grab her hand. "Loving you meant that my actions had consequences – I had someone I cared about that I could lose because of what I was doing…"

"And you thought as long as you didn't admit how you felt, that gave you a free pass to do what you wanted," she finished, shaking her head. "You're an idiot."

He looked away and scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah…"

"Hey… Kimberly… hello?"

"Wait… but Jason's still alive…" She furrowed her brow. "The only thing you've wanted is him dead. That never happened… so what made you change your mind about telling me?"

"I gained some… perspective on what I really wanted." He winced as if thinking of something unpleasant. "I realized I want Zedd gone, not Jason, and when I started working with Andros, something just sort of clicked for me one day. I realized… there's no way out of this for me." He chuckled ironically. "I'm going to die, Kim – maybe by Zedd's hand, maybe by the Eltarians. Either way, I'm going to die, and there's nothing I can do to change that." He sighed. "Once I was able to accept that, it just seemed silly to be afraid of anything else."

"Kim!"

"I can't change what I've done, Kim. I know that I've hurt you, and I didn't handle things the way I should've." He twined their fingers together. "I wasn't there for you the way I should've been, but I'm trying to do the right thing now."

"KIMBERLY!"

The pink ranger broke from her thoughts and grimaced at the drink now overflowing in the cup. Her right hand was covered in the sticky blue substance.

"Shit," she hissed, shutting the machine off.

"I'll take that," Drex said gently. "What's gotten into you? You've been distracted all day."

"Sorry," she murmured. She grabbed some napkins to clean up. "I just… have a lot on my mind."

"All right," he sighed. Drex grabbed her shoulders and led her over to the far counter. "You stay over here – take a short break. I'll handle drinks."

"Thanks," she whispered. He nodded and headed back to refill the order.

"You look like you're having one hell of a day."

Kim looked up to see Klasiah walking up to the counter. She normally stopped by the café for lunch.

"That would be an understatement," the pink ranger sighed. "You're here later than usual."

"Busy day today." Klasiah took a seat and waved at Lukor to signal for him to make her usual order. She shrugged off her jacket. "Wanna talk about it?"

Kim bit her lip as she considered the KOan's offer. Klasiah didn't know about any of Kim's history with Tommy – only that the pink ranger was once involved with Jason and that their relationship resulted in Ryan being born.

"Have you ever loved something?" Kim asked. "Something that isn't good for you?"

"Like drugs or something?"

The pink ranger considered this. "I guess in a way, sure."

"Hmm." Klasiah furrowed her brow. "Can't say that I have. I mean, the closest thing would be food that isn't good for me or one of those ridiculous programs my sister got me hooked on – " She raised an eyebrow at Kim's conflicted expression. " – but I get the feeling you're talking about a someone rather than a something…"

Kim gave a tight smile.

"I see." Klasiah scratched her nails along the countertop. "Then, unfortunately, I know exactly what you're talking about."

"Really?"

"Not from firsthand experience, mind you, but a friend of mine was in a bad situation. She was in a relationship that was unhealthy. No matter what any of us said to her, she insisted that the relationship was what she needed."

"But she got out of it?" Kim asked.

Klasiah nodded. "Eventually, but it took reaching a point she never thought she'd bring herself to first."

Kim sighed. She knew what that was like.

"And your friend is better off now?"

The redhead bit her lip. "Hard to say." At Kim's confused expression, she continued. "I think if she hadn't truly been in love with him, the answer would be yes, but she was and he loved her, too." She frowned. "I thought at first it was just infatuation, but it was just as real as how I feel about Shinara, you know?"

The pink ranger smiled softly at the mention of Klasiah's longtime girlfriend.

"It's the kind of love that just… is. You can't deny it, you can't make yourself stop feeling it… all you can do is embrace it and, in her case, accept that you can't have that person in your life anymore."

Lukor came up to them and handed Klasiah her order. She grinned and paid him for it.

"So…" Klasiah took a bite of her sandwich. "What's wrong with the person you're thinking about?"

The pink ranger looked down. "I'd rather not go into detail, but let's just say when I'm with him, I make decisions with disastrous consequences."

"What's he like?"

"Narcissistic, rude, selfish, dangerous, a complete asshole sometimes..." Kim bit her lip. "And funny, sweet, strong, charming, considerate…when he wants to be, at least."

"Sounds complicated."

Kim chuckled. "He is the most fun and the most misery any woman could ever experience."

"Ouch," Klasiah said with a wince. She took another bite of her sandwich. "What brought on all of this? You've never mentioned him before."

"We…recently got in contact with each other," Kim explained. "After the invasion, he'd been looking for me. He managed to get in touch with a mutual friend who is also a ranger, and they got us connected."

Technically, she was telling the truth.

Klasiah cocked her head to the side. "Oh, so this isn't Jason? I thought…"

Kim shook her head. "It's not him."

She could see the wheels turning in her friend's head at this new information.

"This person… I hadn't spoken to him in some time, and I thought I'd moved past what we had," Kim continued.

Klasiah nodded. "And now that he's back in your life, you don't know how to feel or what to do."

"Exactly."

"It sounds to me like you already know the answer." She took another bite of her sandwich. "If he really is bad for you like you say he is, you have to let him go, Kim."

"Even if he's changed?"

Klasiah raised an eyebrow. "Well, you didn't say that." She finished off her meal and took a sip of her water. "Klara had to end her relationship because the person she was with showed no capacity for change. Your situation sounds different." She took another sip. "If he's truly changed, then maybe It's okay to reconsider – just, you know, take things slow. Think things through before blindly diving back into a bad situation."

Flashes of the steamy afternoon with the green ranger from yesterday raced through her head.

'So much for taking it slow,' she thought wryly.

"Yeah." Kim pushed off the counter. "I'll give it some thought. Thanks for the talk, Klas."

"Anytime." She grabbed Kim's hand. "I mean it."

The pink ranger smiled gratefully and watched her friend head out of the café.

There weren't too many people that Kim could talk to about her situation with Tommy. His past with most of her friends was tense, at best, so it was understandably difficult for them to keep their personal feelings from clouding their judgment. She was glad she had Klasiah to talk to.

Kim glanced up at the clock – it wouldn't be long before her shift was over. That didn't give her a lot of time to figure out what the hell to do about Tommy.

"Kim." She turned to see Jax standing a few feet away. "You good? We need help filling these last few orders before we close."

"Coming, boss."

Klasiah's advice was more or less the same as what Andros had told her yesterday when he dropped by – that had to count for something, right?

Kimberly ran her fingers through her hair, the strands damp from her shower. She turned off the light and left the bathroom, pausing briefly at the sight of the sleeping green ranger wrapped up in her sheets.

She had woken up twenty minutes ago with Tommy wrapped around her, his longs limbs holding her to him in a tight hug. She had carefully extricated herself from him and headed for the bathroom to take another shower.

Her plans had been completely derailed by his surprise visit, and now she was behind schedule. She needed to head to Leera's immediately to pick up Ryan – but first she needed to wash off the scent of sex that clung to her.

Despite the dread she felt from the conversation she knew she and the green ranger needed to have, Kim felt incredibly relaxed. While Tommy's visit was unexpected, he'd done one hell of a job scratching a particular itch that had been eating away at her for months. She could still feel the way he surged between her thighs, sliding deep inside of her and hitting that spot that made her scream his name again and again.

Kim blinked away the memory and exhaled.

Tommy clearly wanted more than casual sex, and she complicated things by sleeping with him and confessing her feelings.

Why did she always have to make things worse for herself?

She grabbed her keys off the dresser and headed for the front door, only to jump back in surprise when it suddenly opened on its own.

Andros stood on the other side with a diaper bag on his arm. The stroller in front of him contained a sleeping Ryan.

"I come with a peace offering," the KOan said.

Kim rolled her eyes and moved aside. "Come in."

He pushed the stroller into the living room and turned to face the pink ranger. "I know – I know, I should have warned you."

"Damn right you should have," she growled.

Andros paused and looked around. "Where is he?"

He took note of Tommy's duffel bag on the floor and turned brown eyes on the pink ranger. "You changed clothes."

She flushed and picked up the bag, heading over to her bedroom and tossing it inside. Andros caught a quick glimpse of purple sheets wrapped around long legs on her bed before the door slid back shut.

He raised an eyebrow. "Did I come at a bad time?"

"Shut up," she hissed.

"I'm not judging," he said gently.

She crossed her arms over her chest and relaxed slightly. "What the hell were you thinking bringing him here?"

"I was thinking with everything he's put on the line for us, seeing his family was the least I could do."

"Andros…"

"He almost died in the last mission, Kimberly."

Her anger faded at that. "What?"

He squatted down in front of the sleeping infant in the stroller. "We were trying to take one of Zedd's shipments. Tommy helped us take out some of the surrounding convoy, but he had to take the crew down by himself. The condition he was in when we found him… what he's sacrificing for this cause… I couldn't in good conscience continue to keep him away from the very thing he was fighting to protect."

Andros ran a finger along Ryan's cheek before looking up at the pink ranger. "Could you?"

She ran her hands over her face and walked over to them. "No… I probably would've done the same thing if the situation were reversed." She nudged him with her foot. "Still could have warned me, though."

He nodded. "I apologize for showing up unannounced. If I truly thought you were in any danger, I wouldn't have brought him here."

Kimberly took a seat on the couch. "I know. It just… having him back is bringing up a lot of feelings I thought were long gone."

He took the seat beside her. "Understandable."

A comfortable silence fell over them as they watched Ryan sleep in the stroller.

"I'm scared," she admitted softly.

"Of?"

"Him."

Andros frowned. "But he fights on our side now… I don't understand."

"Since this whole thing started, I kept telling him he needed to be better. Take care of his family, fight for the side of good – and now he's doing that."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"It's terrifying… because now he's exactly the person I knew he could be. I'm not sure how to trust that." She picked at the cushion. "If this turns out to be another one of his lies, I'll get hurt again. If he's telling the truth, I have to accept that he won't… he might not…"

The pink ranger shifted so that she was hugging her knees against her chest.

Andros' eyes filled with understanding.

"I can only imagine how difficult this situation is for you. I didn't think about that before bringing him here, and I am sorry for disregarding how you would feel. If you need him to leave, I can always relocate him to another one of my parents' properties…"

"Thanks," she whispered. "I'll let you know if I need to take you up on that."

"Kimberly… I won't tell you what you should do, but I will say this…I can't speak on the type of person Tommy was before we started working together, but for what it's worth, the man in that room?" He pointed at her bedroom door. "I trust him."

He squeezed her leg gently. "Whether or not you can is something only you can determine, but I encourage you to give yourself time to find out. Just know that whatever you decide, you will always have my support."

She held on to his wrist. "Thank you."

Kim waved goodbye to Jax and his sons as she climbed into her hovercar, finally finished for the day.

"See you guys! Drive safe!"

She drove the well-traveled route to the eastern grasslands, turning the hovercar off the road into the field towards her house. She parked next to the pile of colorful rocks and got out, rearranging them in the correct order and holding up the disc ID for the scanners to read.

"WELCOME, KIMBERLY."

The pink ranger got back inside the vehicle and drove through the protective shield. She stowed the vehicle behind the house and sighed.

Time to see him again.

She made her way around to the front and, after taking a deep breath, entered the house.

And her heart instantly melted.

A half-asleep Tommy lay on the couch with Ryan on top of him. He placed a finger to his lips to signal for her to be quiet.

She nodded and headed deeper into the house to grab her camera, not wanting to miss the opportunity to capture the moment. She snuck back into the living room and snapped a few photos, smiling softly at the adorable moment.

The pink ranger turned away from the two of them and headed back into her bedroom. She put the camera on her dresser and looked at the photos in her hand.

Tommy wore a soft smile as he looked down at their son, a hand on the boy's back to keep him in place against his chest. The infant was fast asleep, his fist in his mouth while his other hand held onto the tail of the stuffed green dragon.

Kim wiped away the tears that threatened to fall. It was almost scary how well they fit together.

She put down the pictures and sniffled. 'What the hell am I supposed to do?'

She felt a nearly overwhelming urge to talk to her mother all of a sudden. This was exactly the type of situation she would turn to her mom for help with in hopes that the older woman would be able to give her some much-needed advice. She'd then pull Kim into a hug, let her cry as much as she needed, and give her some tea to calm her nerves.

She didn't have her mom or one of her infamous hugs to cheer her up, but she could at least make herself some tea.

The pink ranger made her way to the kitchen, pausing when she realized Tommy and Ryan were no longer in the living room. She peeked inside the nursery and saw the green ranger rocking their son gently in his arms.

It hurt to realize it was a sight she could easily get used to seeing every day.

Kim headed into the kitchen and poured herself a mug of hot water, tossing in a tea bag to steep.

She took a sip of her drink and sighed as the smooth taste helped her to relax. She stared hard into the depths of the mug as if the answers to all her problems would reveal themselves if she looked long enough.

They didn't.

'You know life doesn't work that way, Kimberly,' she thought to herself. 'But wouldn't it be great if it did?'

Kim took another sip of her drink and breathed in deeply.

As if he could sense she was thinking about him, the green ranger walked into the kitchen. He took a seat at the table and sighed. Kim instantly grew annoyed by the way her heartbeat sped up from his proximity alone. He flashed a smile her way, and the urge to do something stupid like kiss him hit her all of a sudden, but she pushed it down just as quickly.

That would just complicate things even further, and neither of them needed that right now.

'You need to take things slow,' she reminded herself.

"Long day?" she asked.

He sagged into his seat. "Babies are hard."

The pink ranger chuckled as she stirred her tea. "It was one day, Tommy."

"Yeah." He scratched the back of his neck. "Guess it's nothing compared to what you've dealt with."

"You would be correct," she said sarcastically. "Tea?"

"Yes, please."

She poured him some in a mug and handed it to him before making more for herself.

"Thanks."

Kim nodded and took the seat across from him. "So… how was it? Being daddy for the day?"

"Honestly? Nerve-wracking. I tried to play it cool this morning, but I wasn't sure how the day would go without you." He scratched the table. "I was terrified I'd drop him or do something wrong."

A small wave of panic swept over her. "But you didn't."

"No." Tommy smiled. "Once I stopped overthinking everything, things gelled for me."

"If what I walked in on was any indication, I'd have to agree." The pink ranger took a sip of her drink. "You're…very good with him."

It was hard for her to admit out loud, but it was true. Ryan wasn't a difficult baby to deal with, but she was still surprised at how well he took to the green ranger.

"Ryan's amazing, Kim," Tommy said softly. "So much energy… and I can already see his personality coming through. He's a funny little guy – it'll be interesting to see how that plays out when he's ol – "

Tommy's smile faded and an awkward silence settle over the kitchen. The pink ranger tensed up when she realized what he was about to say.

The green ranger cleared his throat. "So, uh… how was your day?"

Kimberly flashed a grateful smile and relaxed. "Uneventful, really."

"What is it that you do?"

"One of the rebels owns a café here – think a high-tech version of Ernie's Juice Bar." She smiled wistfully. "The atmosphere is almost the same. Sometimes, I catch myself waiting for Ernie to come from out back…" She shook her head. "Anyway, the owner, Jax, gave me a job shortly after Ryan was born. The money's decent, especially considering I live here without paying rent or utilities, and it keeps me from being cooped up in the house all day."

He nodded. "Is that where you met the friends you talked about before?"

"Yeah. Everyone there is part of the rebel group, so I know I can trust them."

"That also means it's the safest place for you to hide in plain sight."

"Yeah, that was Zhane's idea." Kim stared down at the contents of her mug. "Tommy… can I be honest with you about something?"

"Of course," he said softly.

"I wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of leaving you alone with Ryan today."

Scared shitless was a more apt description. It wasn't so much that she thought the green ranger would intentionally do something to hurt Ryan – she just didn't know what to expect leaving him with Tommy alone.

"Then why did you?"

She thought back to her conversation with the red space ranger.

'I couldn't in good conscience continue to keep him away from the very thing he was fighting to protect. Could you?'

"Yesterday when you were sleeping, Andros and I talked. He gave me some things to consider that made me decide to give you a chance."

"Like?"

Kim bit her lip. She wasn't ready to share that conversation with the green ranger just yet, and he seemed to pick up on that.

"Well, regardless… thank you. It means a lot to me to be able to spend time with him."

She nodded.

"So… do you need me to watch him again tomorrow?"

Kim shook her head. "I don't have to work tomorrow, so I'll be here."

"Ah. Right." The green ranger played with the handle of his mug. "Maybe we can watch him together then?"

Kimberly paused mid-sip and stared at him over the rim of her cup, easily picking up on his hopeful tone. She drank down her tea and placed the mug back down on the table.

"Maybe."

Tommy gulped down his tea and got up, washing the cup in the sink. She caught him staring at a picture on the refrigerator – one of her and the other Earth rangers at Angel Grove Park. His gaze was fixated on Zack's beaming face, and she knew without asking what was on the green ranger's mind. She stood and slowly walked up behind him.

"He's doing better," she said. Kim placed her mug in the sink. "He was in a coma for a few weeks, but now he's up. Physical therapy's been a real bitch."

She watched several emotions flit across his face.

"I didn't…" He licked his lips. "I didn't want that for him. I didn't mean to…"

She winced when she heard the mug he was holding begin to crack in his hand. Kimberly grabbed his wrist and squeezed, gently coaxing him to relax his grip. She took the mug from him and rinsed it off before placing it back in the dish rack. She grabbed his arm and turned him to face her.

"What happened to Zack was the result of a lot of bad decisions from the people around him. No single person is to blame for what happened, Tommy… not even you."

The green ranger nodded, blinking rapidly as if to keep himself from crying.

Kim knew she wasn't just saying empty words – she truly believed them. Early on, she shuffled the blame between Tommy and Jason, putting all of the responsibility of what happened to Zack on whoever was near her at the time. Now that her friend was on the way to recovery, she was able to move beyond the initial anger and look at the situation more clearly.

She gave his wrist a squeeze. "I'll make dinner when you're done in here."

"Yeah," he whispered. He turned his back to her and continued washing the other dishes in the sink.

The pink ranger headed to her bedroom and grabbed the tablet Dr. Prenjak gave her last week, bringing it with her to the living room. Now that Ryan was three months old, the doctor wanted to run a series of tests on him to confirm he hadn't been exposed to a particular set of KOan viruses that were harmful to earthlings. She had meant to fill out the paperwork yesterday while Ryan was with Leera, but Tommy's arrival had thrown off her plans.

Kim chewed on her bottom lip as she read over the forms, her face scrunched up in concentration. She wished her mom was here. She usually handled filling out medical forms like this.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and she turned to see Tommy watching her from the kitchen doorway. She gave a soft smile, heart fluttering at the dopey look on his face.

'Dammit.'

She'd manage to get through an entire conversation with him without any issues and now those damn butterflies were back.

It was junior year all over again.

'Come on, Kimberly,' she told herself silently. 'You've fought intergalactic warlords and all other types of creatures. Controlling your emotions around a boy should be a walk in the park compared to that.'

But as she took another glance at the green ranger and felt that familiar warmth building in her stomach, she realized that was going to be easier said than done.


Hart Residence (Eastern Grasslands Home of Stevros and Jenanthia)

Kimberly's Bedroom

KO-35

Two days later, Local time, Early Morning

The pink ranger awoke with a yawn, eyes bleary as she gained her bearings. She turned to her right and saw Tommy lying there, an arm wrapped around her waist as he drooled on his pillow.

She snorted. It used to gross her out when he did it in the past – now it was sort of endearing.

Kimberly studied the green ranger silently as he slept. She had planned to use last night to finally finish their conversation on what was going on between them, but when Andros broke the news that Tommy had less than a day before he was to return to Serpentera, that had gone out the window. The only thing Kim could think about was how this might be the last time she'd ever see him.

Their conversation afterwards swayed her to seriously consider spending the night with him.

The kiss they shared made the decision for her.

Kim traced his features with her fingers, somewhat amazed by how much Ryan was already starting to resemble him. She brushed her fingers along his jawline, tickling the facial hair there.

"Stop it," he mumbled sleepily. She grinned and did it again, jumping slightly when a hand shot out to grip her wrist.

He glared at her playfully. "That tickles."

She chuckled when he climbed on top of her, his weight solid but comfortable. The pink ranger spread her thighs to make room for him, biting her bottom lip when his cock rubbed against her tender sex.

"Please tell me that's just morning wood. You can't possibly be…" She gasped when he pressed harder against her. "How?"

"You bring it out of me," he whispered against her mouth with a devilish grin.

She kissed him hard. "You're like the goddamn energizer bunny."

Their bodies had been slick from sweat and oversensitive from too much friction by the time they'd finally gone to sleep. She had no idea where his energy came from – she was exhausted.

She sighed when he trailed kisses down her torso. He suckled each nipple first before descending to the area between her thighs… only to come to an abrupt stop when Ryan's soft cries filtered into the bedroom through the baby monitor.

Kim bit her lip to stifle her giggle at the way the green ranger suddenly deflated. He looked up at her then, and the pout he wore was so reminiscent of their son's that it made her chest hurt.

Tommy rolled off of her with a sigh. "Dammit…"

Kim moved from under the covers. "I'll go see what he needs."

"Nah, I got it," the green ranger said. "You stay here."

He leaned over and kissed her softly before climbing out of bed. Kim watched him clumsily pull on a pair of briefs as he left the bedroom, his hair sticking up in every direction. She sighed and grabbed a pillow, hugging it to her chest.

Was it wrong that even though she initiated things between them last night, she still felt conflicted about the green ranger? She loved him – there was no point in trying to deny it – but it didn't make it any clearer where that left things between them now.

These last few days had reminded her of why she fell in love with him in the first place, but they still weren't enough for her to forgive and forget. He'd betrayed her trust one too many times, and there was too much blood on his hands for the pink ranger to simply look the other way. If she were being completely honest with herself, she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to forgive him for all the damage he's done.

A soft knock at the door caught her attention. She smiled when she saw Tommy walk in with a wide-awake Ryan who had a pacifier in his mouth.

"Changed his diaper," the green ranger said softly. He sat down on the bed and carefully laid back so that Ryan was lying along his chest.

"Wouldn't take the bottle when I tried to feed him, and when I tried to put him back down, he wasn't having it." Tommy grabbed his son's tiny hands. "You just wanted to be with your mommy and daddy, didn't you?"

Ryan smiled and spit out his pacifier. He gurgled at the green ranger.

"He'll be hungry in a few minutes," she surmised.

The green ranger glanced at the clock on the nightstand. He had a little over three hours before it was time to leave.

"I hate this," he whispered. "I hate that I can't stay." A pained look crossed his features. "Kim... I – "

Kimberly squeezed his arm, distracting him from what she knew he was about to say.

"I know."

The room went silent save for Ryan's soft babbling. The green ranger ran his hand up and down the little boy's back in a soothing motion.

"Thank you," Tommy said suddenly, turning his head so that he was looking up at her.

She frowned, a finger running along Ryan's hairline. "For what?"

"Everything." He cupped the back of Ryan's head. "You have every right to push me away, and you chose not to. It means more to me than you know."

In light of her own conflicted feelings, his words made her uncomfortable, and she averted her gaze.

Kim awkwardly cleared her throat. "I need to take a shower," she said. "Can you watch him?"

The green ranger nodded. "Of course."

She got up from the bed and grabbed a tank top and a pair of underwear before heading into the bathroom. Kim turned on the shower and exhaled, gently stretching her sore muscles as she let the steam from the shower fill up the small bathroom.

The pink ranger closed her eyes as she stepped under the spray. It was hard to believe he was leaving already, though ultimately, it was probably for the best. This time with the green ranger had only served to give her a glimpse of the life they could have had together if things were different.

'Who says you can't have it?'

Kim paused while washing her stomach and considered this. She supposed they didn't know for sure that Tommy would die, but facts were facts. The odds of Tommy surviving this takedown of the Dark Empire were slim to none. He said it himself – on the off chance that Zedd didn't kill him, the Eltarians would surely execute him for his crimes.

Even Jason and Andros agreed. There was just no way.

'Zordon would be so disappointed in you right now. When did you stop believing anything is possible?'

She shook her head. She'd never stop believing in the impossible, but this? This was…

'Different? Come on, Kim… you've had more faith in worse situations.'

She bit her lip. That was true…

'It's convenient, isn't it? You get to play House with him for a few days, all the while using his death as an excuse to keep him at a distance.' She frowned at that. 'No need to take a chance at really trying to trust or forgive him. What's the point if he's going to die, right?'

Kim swallowed thickly, her chest tight with guilt. That was exactly what she was doing.

'Is that what you want? For him to be dead and gone?'

The pink ranger tilted her head under the spray to let the water run down her neck and shoulders. Whether or not she wanted Tommy gone changed depending on her mood, but she certainly didn't want him dead. Despite the horrible things he's done, she loved him too much to wish for his death, even if it would make things easier for her.

'Then tell him that.'

She scowled. Why? What the hell did it matter how she felt? Her feelings had no bearing on whether or not he made it out of this alive.

'You know that's not true. He's ready to die to protect you and your son... if he knew you could be together, maybe he'd be ready to live for you instead.'

The pink ranger shook her head angrily. She wasn't going to lie to him, not even to save his life. What if she told him that she would be with him if he survived all of this and then he actually lived through it? She was setting herself up for a commitment she wasn't sure she could honor.

That wasn't fair to anyone.

No. After everything that's happened to her and the people she cares about, she was done with lying.

'Who said anything about lying?'

Kim furrowed her brow in confusion. If she wasn't going to lie to him, then what the hell was she supposed to say to convince him to…

Her eyes widened in understanding. "Oh."

The pink ranger quickly turned off the water and climbed out of the shower, securing her towel around her torso. She wiped off the steam from the mirror and stared at her reflection.

And just like that, for the first time since Tommy stumbled back into her life, Kimberly knew exactly what she needed to do.