Obligatory disclaimer: I own nothing of the Power Rangers nor do I know who currently owns them.

*****

"Kimberly! Kimberly, wait!"

But the former pink ranger didn't slow down. Even in the sand she still moved fast enough that Tommy had to run to catch up with her. He finally got close enough to reach out and grab her arm. The second he touched her she whirled around, hair in her face, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Just leave me alone, Tommy!"

"Kim talk to me," he said. "What is wrong?"

Kim took a few steps backwards in the sand to keep from stumbling and wiped the hair from her face. "I can't have children," she said. "Something about messed up hormones from all the years as an athlete. That's why he left me."

Tommy felt his heart sink and took another step forward. "Kim…"

But she backed away again. "Don't. I don't want your pity. I don't want any of you to look at me that way. Especially you."

Tommy took another cautious step forward. "Kim I would never…"

"Of course you would!" Kim said. "You of all people!"

She took another step back and began to fall. Tommy rushed forward and grabbed her arm, but she pushed him away, throwing them both off balance and landing in the cold sand. Kim immediately tried to move away, but she was too blinded by tears and rage and Tommy refused to let go of his grip on her arm. Kim was crying and she punched him hard in the chest but Tommy didn't move. She hit him again, and again, and he took it without a word until she exhausted herself and finally collapsed onto his chest, dissolving into tears.

"I forgave you a long time ago, Kim," he whispered softly when she was no longer shaking from crying. "I just wanted you to be happy."

"I don't remember what its like to be happy anymore," she whispered. Her hands wound around his waist and he pulled her closer, folding her into his chest the way he used to when she was upset over a bad grade or another fight between her parents. He would just hold her then, and holding her like that now made him realize, it had been a long time since he'd been that happy as well.

He didn't really know why he did it. Truth be told he wasn't thinking about it at all, he just reacted. For the first time in a long time he did something that wasn't planned, didn't have a purpose or a destiny or a consequence. He released his hold on Kim's shoulders and she moved away, looking up at him in the pale moonlight, her brown eyes still big and glistening with tears. Then he moved forward, pressing his lips to hers. She stiffened at first, then relaxed. One of her hands reached up and caressed the back of his neck, fingering the hair he'd cut short.

Before he even moved he felt her lips part and he slipped his tongue into her mouth reveling in the soft moan she produced when he did. He didn't stop there. He shifted in the sand until she was completely in his lap, and moved his lips to her neck. Her skin was still soft and he could smell the perfume she put on. He was shocked he recognized the scent, Obsession, same as she wore in high school.

Very appropriate, he thought as he trailed his tongue and lips down her shoulders, slowly pushing back the black silk to reveal more of the soft skin underneath.

Then there was a loud banging noise and suddenly the beach was flooded with spotlights. Both Kim and Tommy jumped as they realized they were only feet from the private beach lines of the Bulkmeier hotel. The large deck was quickly filling with formally dressed people coming out to enjoy the beach view at night.

"Kim," Tommy whispered, guilt and embarrassment washing over him. How could he have been so stupid, making out with Kimberly, and on the beach in the open. If they'd fallen only two feet to the right they would have been caught by the entire graduating class.

But when Kim turned back to him, there wasn't anger or embarrassment on her face. In fact she tightened the grip she had on his neck, and pulled him closer until their foreheads were almost touching.

"Take me back to your room."

It wasn't a suggestion or a request. It was an order. And Tommy didn't dare disobey.

*****

Kat stood at the top of the stairway leading to the juice bar and looked out over the youth center. Only a few of the back lights where on, the few that could be turned off as you left the building. Soon after Kimberly and Tommy left, Jason had suggested going over to the reunion. Most everyone had left and only she and Jason had stayed behind to clean up. Not that there was much to do, just throw away the dishes, cover the leftover food and push the table out of the way. Everything else could wait until tomorrow.

Kat took a deep breath as she looked over the room. She'd only been part of the team about two years, but it was to this day one of the most prominent experiences of her life. Knowing that in just a few weeks this could all be gone broke her heart.

There were soft footsteps behind her and then she felt the strong hands of her husband thread their way around her waist.

"Do you want to go?" he asked.

She sighed and let her hands cover his, leaning back against his strong chest. "Not just yet."

"It's not over yet," Jason said.

"Yes it is," Kat said. "We tried, we really did, but you were right. It's time to let go."

"One more dance?"

Kat smiled and squeezed Jason's hands. He stepped around her, taking her hands with him and lead her down the stairs. When they were at the bottom he pulled her into an embrace, his arms securely around her waist, and hers around his neck, her head resting lightly against his cheek. There was no music, but they didn't need it, they knew each other's rhythms so well they easily fell in step together and were soon swaying gently across the tile floor.

"I'm sorry I couldn't give you more," he said.

"It was enough," she whispered back. "More than enough."

He shifted enough for his lips to find hers in the semidarkness. She felt his warm breath as he teased her, brushing his lips over hers. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

He kissed her deep then, pulling her tight to his chest. Her hands automatically went tighter around his neck, fingers threading through his short hair. His hand trailed down her back and cupped her buttock tight for a second before trailing lower and lifting her leg to wrap around his waist. He didn't say a word but she knew exactly what he was going to do next, like she always did. It had always been that way with them, ever since she came back from Boston with her meager dance degree and an off-kilter dream of running her own dance studio. They'd met again by chance at a party, but something was different. They were drawn to each other in a way they hadn't been before. At some point they realized it was that they shared a connection they couldn't share with anyone else. They were more relaxed around each other, they didn't have to be guarded or worry about slipping. And it wasn't just with memories, Power Rangers were still a popular topic of conversation. The teams that came after made the news just as often as they themselves had and it was always a subject that was bound to come up. Alone, they were always in fear of slipping some piece of information gleaned from the instinct and behind the scenes knowledge, but together they were safe, they protected each other and when they were alone they had each other to share it with.

That connection had always made her feel safe with Jason and she knew he felt the same way. Even now, that everything seemed to be crumbling around him, he was there for her to hold on to. So when he pulled her other leg up around his waist she held on to his shoulders and kissed his neck as he carried her across the room, and when he laid her down across the gym mats she didn't object because she wanted him as much as he wanted her in that moment, and as long as she held on to him she knew she'd be safe.

It was a release for them both, release from the pain and the frustration, and an acceptance that it was over. And ending and a beginning, and they accepted it together, just as they always had.