Disclaimer: Not mine.
Ashley Hammond Astro Yellow: I'd like to. I want to. But it'll be quite some time. Just bear with me and continue with "Secrets Untold" so that you can stop torturing the rest of us with angst. ;)
Star Fata, Phantom Rogue: Glad you enjoyed it.
Chapter 10:
A sigh of exhaustion escaped Kimberly when she closed her hotel door and fell onto her bed. Between the orbing from the courtyard of Angel Grove High to the attic of the Halliwell mansion and back several times, making the vanquishing potion in time, helping her sisters coming up with a spell, and defeating the demon, she had no strength left to do anything but sleep. Besides this demon, there was only one other who interrupted their stay in Angel Grove and he was already being a pain in the ass before the girls had come to the reunion. Thankfully, they took care of him and this recent demon before they did anything horrible to her hometown, saving their friends who were endangered because of those demons.
Her eyes were about to close and let her sleep when she remembered that she promised everyone she would join the remaining teams for a final group night out. Some of the Power Ranger teams had already left in the past week, mostly the current Mystic Force Rangers and the teams, or at least the people, from the future. A few individuals had to leave for other reasons but the majority of each ranger team lingered for a few more days. Tomorrow, though, most of the teams would leave and basically everyone would return to their normal lives outside of the rangers and Angel Grove… with a few adjustments in life, of course. They all agreed to have one last night out and there was no way Kimberly was going to stay back, even if she had recently finished off a demon. Even Taylor was coming along. Now she definitely had to go.
Pulling herself up, Kimberly did her best not to lose her balance when she put her feet back on the floor. She found new clothes to change into and felt slightly refreshed after splashing her face with a large amount of water. She didn't bother putting on any make-up; she rarely ever did. Usually, Ashley would have a fun time coming up with make-up regiments for Kimberly and Taylor and then trying them out, and Taylor would argue and shimmer away each time Ashley tried any out on her. Lately, Ashley didn't waste anytime with make-up, hers or her sisters', and Kimberly lost basically all attempts to add anything to her visage. Taylor was thrilled, and even a little smug, when she realized the quick change in her sisters, if only temporary.
The digital red numbers on the small screen indicating the floor levels decreased as Kimberly leaned back for a moment's rest. She had no idea how she would keep up her energy level tonight. The elevator doors opened unexpectedly and Kimberly pushed her back from the wall to see who was coming in. Her thoughts halted as she looked back at the face of her high-school sweetheart, whom she still hadn't talked to in the last week, save for those few times when she talked to her entire old ranger team. After she let it process that it was actually Tommy standing there, her mind sprang up with everything she had to explain to him, trying to sort all she had to say. She was so preoccupied, she almost didn't notice the doors about to close before pushing the 'Doors Open' button to let him in.
Instead, he refused politely. "I can wait for the next one."
She wasn't sure about what to say to that. She wanted for them to get over whatever the hell happened and just be friends again; she didn't need to be his girlfriend again, just friends. But maybe he wanted to stay away from her or he still needed time. For what, Kimberly asked silently when she thought about it. Besides, eleven years is enough time for him to get comfortable with this scenario, she added. She wasn't going to let him off now.
"Don't be silly," Kimberly said firmly. "We're both adults and this is just an elevator. We can be civil for thirty seconds, right?"
"I don't think it's a question of civility," Tommy remarked amusingly.
She had to smirk at that. He faintly reminded her of Taylor. Too much sarcasm for one person, she observed. "So?"
Tommy took a moment to think about it and entered without anymore opposition, though hesitation was evident in his step. The ride to the lobby continued, but not long before Kimberly realized just how long it took for the elevator to go down fourteen floors; the ride suddenly seemed a whole lot longer. Kimberly began tapping her foot, though she soon found it an annoyance for herself. She felt the need for conversation.
"So how's work these days? Is the teaching profession treating you well," she asked, berating herself a second later for asking what she thought sounded incredibly pathetic.
"Okay," Tommy answered, nothing else following. He didn't want to talk any more than he had to…
Which did not sit well with Kimberly. If she let the wall between them build now, she would never get anywhere. She had to take a chance. In a second she pushed the 'Emergency Stop' button and felt an immediate stop that nearly threw her off balance. She got a reaction from Tommy, though not the best one she expected.
"What the heck are you doing," he asked, his voice more bewildered than angry.
"We're going to figure this out, here and now."
"What are you talking about, Kimberly?"
"My letter."
At that, Tommy went silent. Instantly, Kimberly saw how much he disliked speaking of the subject and how much he tried to avoid it from his abrupt silence. He even turned his head away from her. She had a lot of work to do.
"Listen, I know you hate talking about it; I hate everyone asking me about it. Most of them will never hear why I wrote my letter and why everything between us happened, but I have to explain it to you, Tommy. You know I do." At his silence, Kimberly asked Tommy if he was going to say anything. The question prompted no answer and Kimberly figured this whole conversation was going to be very one-sided.
"Fine, don't talk. Better get comfortable, though," she warned, stepping in front of the elevator buttons so he couldn't push the button for the elevator to continue. "We're not leaving until this is finished." She thought she heard a sort of discontented growl come from him but didn't let it discourage her. "What do you want to hear first?"
Kimberly could've slapped her forehead for asking that. There was likely no chance of him talking during this entire conversation. "Never mind. I guess I'll answer everyone's question about why I sent the letter. I want you to know that I wrote it for the same reason I said I did in my letter; I met another guy." She chanced a glimpse at Tommy to see his reaction, if any, but found it impossible with him looking the opposite way. "I just want to get that cleared up; I've heard too many different versions from everyone else. But then again… I guess that's not the whole reason…"
She was slightly taken aback when Tommy turned his head to her slowly, obviously interested in hearing whatever came next. She wondered how she should word it all. "When I got to Florida, getting situated was… weird. I thought it would be easy, like how it was here. But it took a while to get used to everything. I even lost focus on gymnastics for a while after the switch and everything. I guess I would've thought more about giving Kat my power coin if I knew how weak it was going to make me for some time. But I got over it and once I got my focus back on track, everything else fell into place. Sort of.
"I met a nice girl, Lena, who was going training for the same team as me. She was my first real friend in Florida. That eventually made things just a little harder…"
With the look on his face, Tommy let Kimberly know he was half a second from asking why but he stopped just in time. Probably to stay silent through all of this, she figured. Is he going to talk to me at all? "You'll see later. When I met Lena, things became a bit easier. I met more people and my studies were working out and I was finally getting all the routines Coach Schmidt wanted me to land. It was all working out, even though it all took some work. I met some nice people… including Jonathan."
Kimberly took caution in saying her ex's name. So far, she couldn't figure how Tommy would react… and she still couldn't. He gave no response. "That's the guy I was talking about in my letter. He really was everything I said he was, sweet and caring. It was pretty obvious to everyone we liked each other just a little bit. But I felt guilty at the prospect of anything happening between us with you on the other side of the country and not knowing anything about what was going on. I never said anything about him in my letters before and I guess I just thought my crush on him would disappear and then I wouldn't have to tell you about him at all. But it didn't work out that way.
"He kissed me once before my letter. It made me feel horrible. I couldn't do anything else with Jonathan until you knew. But that meant I would have to let you go," she finished slowly as if she could feel now the distress she felt back then. "There was no way I was going to date the both of you at the same time; it would've been unfair, especially for you. I didn't want to do that to you, but I wanted to see where everything would've taken me and Jonathan. But I didn't want to let you go.
"I didn't tell any of our old friends about Jonathan so I couldn't talk to them about it; everything took up my time, I didn't even have the time to pick up the phone to talk to them. I couldn't tell anyone on your team; that would have been unfair, too, and just plain uncomfortable. So I did the next best thing. I talked to Lena." There was a feeling of compunction in her voice, and the smallest bit of bitterness. Kimberly was unsure if Tommy could hear it in her voice and figure out what happened, though that was unlikely. Then again, he did know her better than some of her friends. But that was so long ago.
"We talked for hours trying to figure out what the hell I was feeling and what was the best thing for me to do. It didn't occur to me she was batting for Jonathan the entire time until a few months later when I realized everything she was saying was in favor of me breaking up with you and going out with Jonathan. But that's what she did. And I was convinced the best thing for me was to write that letter." She looked up to do her best and look him in the face before continuing.
"I know there's no excuse, but you have to know I wasn't totally honest with everything in that letter. Yes, I met Jonathan and for a while I thought we were meant for each other. But it took a lot of convincing for me to believe that. Now, I hate that I didn't really think we were meant to be in the first place. I was scared, Tommy." I wonder how he's going to take that. "Everything was happening so quickly and things were going fine; I had control of the things in my life but it took all of my energy to stay in control. Gymnastics, school, getting used to Florida, trying to keep in contact with you guys, it was all so draining. I became scared that I would break down from it all.
"And I was scared you would see through it and break up with me. I didn't write that letter to avoid you breaking up with me. I did it because I was convinced it was the best thing for both of us. I was vulnerable, and even weak, when I talked to Lena and she kept telling me that these long-distance relationships never, ever worked out and I had a better chance of a lasting relationship with Jonathan. Then she assured me that you and I were bound to break-up sooner than later, so I might as well do the deed. I didn't want to drag it out and I didn't want to hurt you more than I had to, so I wrote the letter. And here we are.
"I have no excuse. All our friends want to believe I did it for a good reason, since it's obvious I'm not with Jonathan anymore and we all see that he and I weren't meant to be like I said in the letter. They want to believe I broke up with you for some grand purpose, like to protect you from a threat or something. But I didn't do it for anything except that I was scared, I was vulnerable, and I thought it was best. I thought I was genuinely happy and this was what I had to do. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. We were young then and it was a long-distance relationship, but maybe we could've been one of the lucky ones that made it out. It doesn't matter though and I really don't want to dwell on it." She was about to say that they couldn't go back in time to change it, but she rethought the sentiment, considering the possibilities being a Charmed One brought.
"It's pointless, anyway," she continued. "I just had to tell you the truth before we all leave Angel Grove with more questions than answers." Not to mention that Ash and Tay would kill me if I didn't tell you after all the confessions they made to their friends, she added silently. "That's it."
She turned around and stepped back to find the 'Emergency Stop' button so that the elevator could spring back to life and continue to the lobby; everyone was probably there by now. She was so close when she heard Tommy finally speak after all this time.
"That isn't all, is it?"
"What do you mean," she asked somewhat suspiciously, though she was sure she sounded like she was hiding something instead.
"You're not finished," Tommy stated confidently. "You don't sound like it."
Kimberly could've cursed aloud at that moment. Of all times to see through me and he chooses now. She figured he would never have good timing. "What are you talking about?"
"Well, you're not with this Jonathan guy anymore," Tommy started cautiously. "There's the possibility that you guys just didn't work out and wanted different things, but when you were talking about him, it sounded like you were holding something back. It sounded like it had something to do with your friend Lena, too. What is it?"
She couldn't believe he was doing this now. They were delaying everybody else and she really did not want to talk about the rest now. "I don't want to do this now."
Tommy stepped between Kimberly and the emergency button before she moved forward. "You said we weren't leaving before we finished this. You're not finished, Kim, and I can see it."
Stepping away from Tommy, she sighed and leaned back on the opposite wall, taking a moment to think whether or not she could really do this now. Thinking it over, she concluded that she did want to tell him everything that happened after the letter, but she was still uncertain if she could even push herself to do it. Risking another glimpse at Tommy, Kimberly saw that she was stuck in this situation and he wasn't going to back off or let them off the elevator until she finished her story. Giving another sigh, she conceded. Maybe he did have good timing; it just didn't sit well with her. "Fine. You really want to hear it all?"
Instead of saying anything, Tommy nodded and sat himself down on the elevator floor. Kimberly rolled her eyes amused at the original Green Power Ranger. She joined him afterward, though sitting as far as she could; she was getting tired of standing. She didn't bother to check what time it was. The others were probably going to give up and leave them and call them later.
"After the letter, we were both free to date whoever. So I decided to take my chance with Jonathan and see where we would go. It actually wasn't bad. It started out like all relationships: fun, flirty, full of possibilities. He was incredibly sweet and always listened to me whenever I felt too homesick and didn't want to call or write to you guys. I mean, how could I after I wrote you that letter? For a while, he took Lena's place as my closest friend in Florida. Of course, all good beginnings have to end and the real relationship had to start.
"He wasn't a bad boyfriend. It just felt like he was hiding something. After almost two months, I felt he trusted me enough to tell me the truth to anything I asked. So I did. I asked if he was hiding anything, since he seemed to be concealing something from me from the beginning of our relationship. He said it was nothing and that was just the way he was. He said he needed time to trust somebody and I put faith in his words. Apparently, he was a damn good liar.
"I had finally made the U.S. team for the Pan Globals. I was so ecstatic that day; I had worked so hard and gave so much to gymnastics, it felt great to finally know that everything I gave up back home wasn't for nothing. I couldn't wait to tell Jonathan or wait to celebrate with Lena, either; she got in, too. So, after getting out of my practice clothes I was about to go to the parking lot when one of my friends who practiced with me told me Jonathan came to the coaching facility almost an hour before. I asked her if he asked for me or if he was looking for me but she didn't have time to talk to him before going into her routine so she said no. I figured he was in the main office where all the visitors usually waited, so I went to go find him there. Instead, I found him a bit earlier than I thought I would inside one of the smaller practicing gyms in the building…"
Watching Kimberly lift her head from tilting to the left and looking straight at him for a moment, Tommy could see that last sentence wasn't finished. He urged her to finish, though saying nothing.
Kimberly let out a sigh before going on. "… with Lena." Giving a facial expression that seemed the equivalent of a shrug, she continued.
"I didn't know what the hell was going on but I definitely needed to know. They weren't doing anything… incriminating, I guess, but they looked a lot chummier than usual. They were talking like they were best friends and shared a very long hug," she said with emphasis, "before I called out Jonathan's name and they suddenly let go of each other. I could tell something was seriously off about this situation; their faces looked like deer caught in the headlights.
"I didn't say anything about what I saw. I just went on like normal. They both seemed happy that I got onto the team for the Pan Globals, though their smiles looked a little forced, if you ask me. I didn't ask anything about what I saw until Jonathan was walking me up to the apartment I was renting out. He said nothing was going on, that he was just talking to Lena about something she was having a hard time with. If I wasn't trying so hard to convince myself that he was telling the truth, I would've seen that he was fidgeting a whole lot more than usual. The next day of course was the shocker.
"All throughout practice, Lena didn't say more than a simple 'hi' to me. I thought she just wanted to focus on her routine harder because she was finally on the team but she looked a little angry, for some reason I had no idea of at the time. Of course, I found out after practice. When basically every girl left but me, she came in after her shower, saying she needed to talk to me about something really serious. She kept saying things like she couldn't keep it a lie anymore and she needed to get this off her chest, you know the same stuff people always say when they're about to drop some bombshell of a secret on you. I asked her to just get on with it and then she did.
"It turns out she was kind of going behind my back with Jonathan. They weren't going out or anything, but they kissed a couple times and just hung out a lot, just the two of them. I didn't know what to say so I didn't say anything. It's not like I could've if I wanted; Lena kept going on and on about her feelings for Jonathan. Finally, she asked me the one thing I wouldn't have expected from her: she asked me to break up with Jonathan and give her a chance with him. She said she felt like they were meant to be and belonged together. Somehow, the words struck a chord in me and I was suddenly angry; those words seemed all too familiar."
Dropping her gaze, Kimberly took a while to mentally calm down. She hated herself before for using those same words to describe her and Jonathan in her letter to Tommy. She still couldn't believe she was blind enough to listen to Lena in the first place.
"I couldn't say anything after that. I mean, she didn't even apologize for doing this stuff behind my back. She sure as hell didn't seem sorry for basically betraying me. And to top it all off, she goes around to ask me to break up with Jonathan so she could go after him. I was angry, but mostly I was just confused. So I walked out with my without saying a word to her. I didn't even go to practice the next day; I didn't want to see her. I did see Jonathan though and asked him for the real truth. He only confirmed everything Lena said. He, however, said he was sorry. I don't think that helped me though. I hadn't broken up with him, though; I just needed some time to figure things out.
"I did go back to practice the day after, but I could've lived without the episode in the locker room. This time, Lena didn't even bother to wait for everyone else to leave. She was practically stomping into the room before stopping right in front of me and shouting at me for keeping Jonathan for myself and basically being a selfish bitch. I really wasn't paying attention to her after that, to tell you the truth. She was ranting on and all I could think about was how I let myself think that she was best friend in Florida this entire time. I mean, I trusted her with everything and I let her convince me to write that letter to you. And after all that she went around and did this. I just wanted to give up.
"So I stood up and told her to shut up. Surprisingly, she did. I told her that whatever I did about me and Jonathan was my business and my decision. I also told her to leave me the hell alone since she wasn't going to allow me a moment to talk besides now. If this was how she was all along, I didn't want to be friends with her. After that, I did break up with Jonathan, only because I couldn't see myself happy with him anymore. I didn't say anything about Lena but apparently he didn't go out with her after we broke up. I never found out why and I didn't want to; that part of my life was done as far as I was concerned.
"Lena and I didn't talk to each other after that incident, unless we had to which was only during the Gymnastics Pan Globals the next spring."
"Which you guys won, thanks to you, of course," Tommy added partially absentmindedly, catching Kimberly's attention.
"How'd you know," she asked staggered. She was sure he and most of her old friends didn't bother to keep up with what happened with her after the letter everyone made sound life-shattering.
Tommy let a smile pass from his lips before saying anything else. "You worked and sacrificed so much to train for the Pan Globals. Just because we broke up didn't mean I had to give up on our friendship, or what was left of it. I actually took pains in finding any broadcast of the Gymnastic Pan Globals. When I saw you win the gold for your team, you have no idea how proud I was. And Jason and Trini and everyone else with me were beyond proud. We were glad everything paid off for you."
"Yeah…" Kimberly let the word drift off, knowing in her heart that all that training and winning all those competitions hadn't meant everything like they seemed when she thought about it. But she wasn't going to talk to Tommy about that, or anyone else for that matter. At least not someone who didn't already know. "Well, I suppose things worked out in the end. I hate to say it, but if Lena couldn't tell me the truth in the first place, our friendship wouldn't have worked out anyway. One less loss for the both of us, I guess."
"You have the rest of us," Tommy assured.
That was the first thing he said that declared anything about his friendship with Kimberly. His words caused Kimberly to bolt her head up from leaning to the left to look at him straight in the eyes again. Taking a while to think over what he said and clearing her own thoughts, Kimberly found the words she wanted to say.
"You mean it?"
"Of course I do. To tell you the truth, I'm glad you made this elevator stop. I'm really glad you told me your side of the story. It's not like I was hanging by a thread, waiting for you to come back to me, but I wanted to know the truth. It's a relief, you know. You have no idea some of the things our friends came up with when we began losing contact with you. They had all sorts of ideas."
"Like what," Kimberly asked, expecting something to bring her laughter, knowing her friends.
"I actually remember," Tommy said before quietly laughing in disbelief at what Rocky said at the time. "Once, when everyone was talking about it and they thought I wasn't around, I heard Rocky suggest-" He halted immediately to laugh. He wasn't sure whether or not he should tell her but the words came out before he could stop them. "He actually said maybe you were pregnant with my kid and you didn't want to impose on my life with our child so you wrote the letter to write me off and save me the pain of deciding to stay in your life or not. Funny, eh?"
A minute passed with Kimberly giving no response to show that she heard Tommy. When she did, she laughed so loud, it became contagious and Tommy soon found himself joining in her mirth. How could Rocky have ever proposed that idea?
"You're not serious," Kimberly urged, though she knew it was more likely that he was. When Tommy nodded his head vehemently for the validity of his words, Kimberly shook her head with incredulity. "God, will Rocky ever stop with these insane ideas? Where did he get that idea?"
Tommy shrugged. "I don't know. Interesting imagination, I guess. It's Rocky," he said, as if it explained everything. "But you have to admit it's pretty hilarious."
"And ridiculous," Kimberly added, still smiling. "I mean, jeez, we never even…"
The sudden quiet took priority in both their minds. The subject of discomfort reigned and neither said anything. What could they say to that? It wasn't like it was all that relevant now; they were so much more mature than before. They could talk about it. But did they want to?
It wasn't like they needed to. That was just history to them now. They were back to being friends, or as close to friends as they were before. That was all that mattered to Kimberly.
Never one to stand silence too long, especially over the last few years, Kimberly looked up to see if Tommy let any of his emotions on the subject show. Maybe then she'd figure out the right thing to say. All she could see was that he was deep in thought; about what, she didn't know. She was about to look down again when he caught her gaze and she sat there, a calm stare belying the conflicts going on inside her. She found that it didn't feel totally uncomfortable to look back at him in this situation, like the times they'd sit in calm silence way back then.
She had begun feeling completely at peace when the speaker in the elevator came on with a maintenance worker's voice asking if everything was all right, which shook the two out of their reveries. Apparently, they had stopped for over twenty minutes and a lot of people were getting worried.
"We're okay," Kimberly said loudly to the speaker. "Just a little mishap, but we're getting back on track." She got up and reached over to push the 'Emergency Stop' button to get the elevator going again.
For the eight floors that were left, Kimberly and Tommy stood in silence, thinking over everything that just happened. Almost everything was explained, something they had both been waiting over ten years for. The explanation finally came and they hoped they could finally put it behind them.
Before reaching the lobby floor, Kimberly abruptly turned to Tommy to clarify one thing. "So it's all behind us now?"
Tommy turned to face her. "Yeah. It is for me, anyways. That explanation held a lot for me."
"Same here," Kimberly shrugged in agreement. She stuck out her hand, which she was sure she had almost never done with Tommy before. They weren't truly friends before they had started dating. Maybe it was time for the real friendship to start. "Friends?"
A smile came from Tommy when he shook her hand, nodding his head in assurance. "Friends."
"Good," she finished with a satisfied smile. "Now to deal with everyone else," she sighed.
"Just tell them the basics," Tommy advised, for the both of them. "No need to elaborate, right?"
"Right," Kimberly agreed. Wonder how Taylor and Ashley are going to take this. Oh, dang, Ash! There was no doubt Ashley would know right off the bat thanks, to her empathy. Well, there was no use hiding from her sister anyway. Maybe Ashley would help her evade all her other friends…
Ashley thought Taylor was dragging herself into Ashley's hotel room. She seemed completely worn out; not bored or displeased, just tired. Ashley was still unsure if Taylor enjoyed their evening. She was never the type to enjoy big crowds and loud nights, even if they were spent with her closest friends.
"You okay, Tay?" Kimberly asked when Taylor flopped onto Ashley's bed. All they got for an answer was a drained groan. "Guess not. Let me guess, you want to get home ASAP."
Taylor turned over and let out a quick sigh before answering. "Not really. I just don't know if we can go back to how we were after this week. A lot's happened."
"Sounds like something I would say," Ashley said with a giggle. "But I know what you mean. We did what we came here to do but… it feels like there's more than what we're seeing right now."
"Or just something we haven't finished yet," Kimberly considered. Seeing that Ashley and Taylor didn't understand everything she was implying, she decided to bring up something she didn't know whether or not would be a sore subject for Ashley. "Did you get everything cleared up with Andros, Ash? Your premonition was the thing that convinced you to come to Angel Grove and talk to him."
No one spoke for a while, Kimberly and Taylor knowing Ashley needed a little time to think. "I don't know," she said finally, the expression on her face weary. "I finally did talk to him after three years and we've finally explained why we were gone. But… there's still a gap between us and we haven't had the time to figure it out yet. I still miss him… but I doubt he'd still want me back like before. I know he and I can't go back to who we were three years ago. I don't know if we ever can."
Like three weeks ago, Kimberly and Taylor went over to comfort their sister for the same reason they did before. "You guys can still start somewhere," Kimberly assured.
"Maybe he just needs a little more time," Taylor suggested. "You know guys, they take forever with everything."
A rather bitter chuckle left Ashley, still wondering how, or if, she could fix things. "Maybe," she said distractedly. She shook her head as if shaking off any stressful thoughts. She was always the cheerful one but she knew she was allowed one moment where she seemed downhearted. Even so, she wanted to find any bright side to this situation. "Well," she started, "at least I can finally talk to him. I have that comfort at least. I'll just have to get close to him again gradually. Maybe then I can be happy with things the way they are." But I hope things don't stay the way they are, she wished.
By the looks on her sisters' faces, Ashley could tell they wanted to say something else about how things would, or should, end with her and Andros. But they kept quiet. "But you guys got everything cleared up, right? I know you and Tommy figured things out," she turned to Kimberly.
With a nod, Kimberly confirmed Ashley's words. "I told him about the letter and everything with Jonathan after that. He didn't take it badly at all and we actually made it official that we're still friends. It turned out better than I had hoped for. To tell you the truth, if I had known Tommy would take things so well, I might've told him years ago. But that was way back then. Now I have to worry how the others would take it… But at least Tommy knows everything; that's all that really matters right now. What about you, Tay? Everything cleared up between you and Eric?" The signature playful sparkle in Kimberly's eyes, and Ashley's, hid none of their intimations.
When Taylor said nothing and made a face, the two couldn't figure out what she was feeling or thinking. She looked worn out, obviously, but her expression was a mix of everything else that hit her, which was all too confusing when Taylor let them all fight for dominance in her expression. But they found one emotion easily: hopelessness. They rarely found the sentiment in Taylor but it existed from time to time and both Ashley and Kimberly came to understand most of it; the rest they left for Taylor to deal in her solitude because she asked them to let her be.
"There was never anything to clear up between us," Taylor stated. "All I actually had to do was explain that I was a Charmed One and that was why I left Silver Hills. That was done and that's all. Nothing more."
Kimberly and Ashley traded unbelieving glimpses and turned to Taylor. "You can't be doing this, Taylor," Kimberly declared. "Not when you've come so far."
"What are you talking about?"
"Pushing people away," Ashley exclaimed. She had grown to know and love Taylor as her sister for the last two years and she wasn't willing to let her go backwards in terms of her life. She wanted Taylor to be as happy as she could be but she found that Taylor made it nearly impossible whenever she pushed anyone away or denying herself what she deserved. "Don't pretend you don't know what we're talking about, Tay. You did this all the time with me and Kim when you came to San Francisco. Don't push anymore people away, especially Eric. We know what he means to you."
Taylor glared back at Ashley, not wanting to hear what she had heard countless times, only one of which got through to her after basically breaking her down. "I'm not pushing anyone away," she urged, though she could just about feel herself shielding up again. "And Eric was only a colleague. Hell, he was practically my boss and nothing more."
"He could teach you to trust again," Kimberly let out, stopping anything else Taylor had to say.
For a minute, Taylor stared back at her sisters glaring at her, quelling any growing anger. Any ire she felt developing was not directed toward Kimberly or Ashley; it was toward anything and anybody but them. "I don't need to learn to trust," she said finally. "I trust you guys. With my life."
Ashley took hold of shoulder and looked at Taylor with her all the love she had for the ex-Air Force Lieutenant. "Sometimes it's not enough, Tay."
"We love you to death," Kimberly assured as she moved to Taylor's other side, hoping her sister wouldn't pull away. "But you remember how Wyatt and Chris once said that sometimes it's better to be needed than loved? Or that when we can be both, we should?"
"Where are you going with this, Kim?"
Kimberly smiled at how Taylor could still miss her true meanings after all this time. But then again, even Kimberly didn't know where her thoughts were going sometimes. "Eric needs you, for what I'm sure is the same reason you need him. That's for you two to figure out, but the point is you can't give up the chance to find out why. You both need each other, and as impossible as it seems, I'm pretty damn sure you and Eric will probably end up like Ashley and Andros will: totally meant for each other."
The dubious stare Taylor gave Kimberly said she thought Kimberly was losing her mind and just babbling. "Now you're crazy, Kim."
"And the last time I checked," Ashley interjected, "I was the one with the power to see into the future. And as far as I know, there hasn't been any sign or premonition that Andros and I were ever meant for each other, nor that we will ever get back together."
"And here we go again," Kimberly cried with lassitude. "You guys will never believe me, will you?"
"Like you believed us about Tommy," Taylor countered, turning the tables.
"Now, you know that was different," Kimberly argued, though she didn't fully believe the claim herself.
"Oh, whatever," Ashley and Taylor exclaimed in unison.
The three continued to dispute, to the point where they forgot what they were fighting about, until they all agreed they were too tired to continue this. Knowing full well that this same argument would arise anyway, they turned in for the night, Kimberly orbing and Taylor shimmering to their hotel room and Ashley making a quick change before going to bed. It didn't take any of them long before reality shut down and the world of slumber took over.
Kimberly untangled herself from the hug she was sharing with Trini, Aisha, and Katherine, all unsure of when they would see each other again. She glanced around their mini-circle, wishing she didn't have to leave just yet. But almost everyone was leaving today; only those who still resided in Angel Grove would remain by the end of the day. Still, that didn't make goodbye any easier. At least she got the chance to say goodbye to everyone this time.
"So we're going to keep in touch this time," Aisha inquired, her voice more declarative rather than questioning.
"Definitely," the other three nodded, promising to stay true to their word.
While her small group was making last-minute vows and joking lightly about what could happen, which only extended when some of the guys joined in, Kimberly looked past her friends to see how her sisters were doing. She wasn't sure whether they were doing better or worse than she. Ashley was laughing at what seemed to be an inside joke for her, Karone and Cassie. She hugged the guys of the Astro Power Ranger team, finally reconciling with them and returning to the friendship they shared. Kimberly held her breath as Andros approached the group, obviously joining to bid Ashley goodbye. The other Astro Rangers and Karone watched patiently while the two stood waiting for the other to act first. At last, Ashley moved forward and put her arms around Andros to envelop him in an initially unfamiliar hug. Kimberly let her breath become a smile when she saw Andros tentatively raise his arms from his sides to return the hug, as cautious as he was.
Seeing Ashley doing fine with her team, Kimberly scanned the crowd for Taylor. She found the old yellow ranger saying her last goodbyes and giving Alyssa Enrile a final farewell hug, keeping her calm and composed smile as she listened to whatever jokes Max and Danny were spouting off to each other. Taylor caught Kimberly's gaze and stared back at her sister, both nodding to say they were as ready as they would ever be to leave. Kimberly was about to say something to Taylor when she saw Eric walking in Taylor's direction and nodded her head to indicate the approaching Silver Guardians Co-Commander. Taylor turned just in time.
From her distance, Kimberly could only see the two speak for a moment, a nod here and there, the two eventually shaking hands and nodding their goodbyes instead of voicing them, their discipline and respect from army training showing through. After that, they went in opposite directions, causing Kimberly to shake her head at her sisters. Would they ever learn to take their chances? Then again, you need to learn how to do that, she reminded herself. We have too many of the same problems, she thought with another shake of her head. She forgot all previous thoughts when she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to see Tommy standing in front of her.
"Hey," he greeted.
"Hey back at you," she returned. "So ready to go back home?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure my part of science department at Reefside High is in shambles by now," he joked. "I should get back."
"Gee, really self-assured now, aren't we," Kimberly teased back. "Since when did you become the center of the universe?" The face he gave Kimberly made her laugh. "I'm kidding, Tommy. I know you've got a lot to handle. I still can't believe you became a Paleontology professor. Billy, maybe, Adam, maybe, but you… Eh, it suits you, anyway."
"That's what everyone eventually says," he remarked before giving her a final hug. "You're going to keep in touch with me this time, aren't you?"
"Shouldn't I be asking you that," she returned when she pulled back.
"All right, all right, I swear I'll keep in touch," Tommy promised.
"And I'll do the same," Kimberly smiled. Taking another minute for a last look at him, she found most of the boy she knew in high school; that boy she found impossibly cute that matured into a guy full of qualities she would love in a friend. She hoped that this time, their friendship would work out. She didn't want to lose another friend, especially one as close to her was he was.
Granting another smile as her promise to stick around, she said her final goodbye before looking for her sisters. Though Angel Grove was both her and Ashley's hometown, she was feeling a bit homesick for San Francisco and she was sure Taylor and Ashley were feeling the same way. Finding them talking to each other apart from everyone else, she wondered what would keep them from staying as long as they could with their old teams and friends.
"Hey, guys, what's up?"
"Nothing," Ashley answered. "Just getting ready to leave, I guess."
"Why aren't you two with your teams and being all 'I-don't-want-to-leave-you-guys-ever'," Kimberly asked lightheartedly with a matching grin.
"Why aren't you," Taylor replied.
Kimberly took a moment to come up with an answer that made sense. She decided to say whatever came into her mind first. "I guess I just don't want to be one of the last ones to see everyone else leave. Plus, I guess I'm getting a little homesick, as ironic as it is."
"Hate to say it, but same here," Ashley said. "If anyone else from my team leaves before me, I don't think I'll be able to leave Angel Grove."
"And we've got a lot to do back in San Francisco," Taylor commented. As Kimberly and Ashley nodded in accord, Taylor thought it was best for the three to leave now before they changed their minds. "So how 'bout leave now?"
"Probably best," Ashley stated.
Without saying anymore, she walked toward the hotel parking lot for her car, knowing her sisters wouldn't ask why she was leaving so abruptly; they didn't want their friends to call them back for the same reason. Yet when they heard, "Hey, you guys," from basically everyone behind them, all three couldn't help but turn around just to see if someone was talking to them. Nor could they help beaming when almost every Power Ranger present waved goodbye to them, all of them becoming somewhat connected the last week because of the three of them.
An odd feeling of completion fell over the three young women, all uncertain of its reason or its source. Suddenly, they didn't care. Waving back, they knew they were ready to leave, sure that their friends would always be there when they needed them.
Letting out a sigh, Kimberly turned to both women on her left. "Ready?"
"Ready," Ashley and Taylor answered simultaneously.
They were ready to go back home, to kick some more demons into oblivion, to face the world. And they were going to do it together.
"Hey, are you all right?"
As soon as the front door of the Halliwell manor closed, Taylor could sense something was wrong with Kimberly. She was having a weird feeling that something was off with the world all day, though she couldn't find a reason for her suspicion. She hoped Kimberly would know what it was.
"Want the truth," Kimberly asked loudly while tossing her jacket and purse onto the table in the foyer.
"Well, you can give it to me now or I'll check with Ashley later," Taylor put forward.
"I don't know," Kimberly responded, giving off a frustrated vibe that began to unnerve Taylor; Kimberly was almost never like this. Almost. "Ever since I woke up, I had this feeling that something in the world is totally out of place. It was like my sensing was going into overdrive. It felt like something was-"
"Out of balance," Ashley finished coming down the stairs to meet her sisters. "I've been getting the same feeling too, and one of the weirdest premonitions."
"What did you see," Taylor asked as soon as Ashley sat down in the family room. "Was it from the future or the past?"
"That's the thing," Ashley said, "I don't know where it came from. My best guess is that it's from the present and I'm just not myself today."
"I don't think it's that," Taylor suggested. "It's normal, well, sort of normal, that you and Kim have a shared feeling that something's wrong. But I've been getting the same feeling all day and it's been freaking me out a little bit."
"That is weird; you never get any foreboding feelings, Tay, at least not the ones Ash and I get," Kimberly observed. She thought of possible reason for the three sharing same sentiment despite their dissimilar powers. "What was your premonition, Ash?"
"All I saw was a balance in the middle of all this black smoke with one side higher than the other."
"Was there anything on the side that was higher?"
"There was just a book, although the other one had a big book on there, too. But the higher side had a brown one; the other was black."
"What the hell could that mean," Taylor asked.
Ashley shrugged. "I don't know, but it's really bothering me. Usually, I know what my premonitions mean or what they're pointing to. This one is just driving me crazy."
"Maybe it's nothing," Kimberly considered.
"But all her premonitions mean something," Taylor argued. "It has to mean something."
Kimberly slowly nodded her head, not knowing what to make of everything. Typically, they wouldn't spend all this time on one premonition, but the off feeling she was getting from the world bothered all three of them. As the oldest and most experienced, she generally knew how to handle unfamiliar situations but the solution to this one wouldn't come. "I think we should ask Wyatt and Chris."
Ashley and Taylor agreed but before any of them could say anything else, the doorbell rang followed by eager knocks on the stained glass part of the wooden front door. Kimberly rushed to the door, wondering who would come around now; they rarely ever had visitors. She could feel Taylor and Ashley following her when she was a few feet away from the door. Seeing Katherine Hillard standing at their doorstep with her left arm bandaged and the blood about to completely seep through the gauzy wraps made them all look on with shock.
"Oh my god," Kimberly exclaimed, bewilderment apparent in her voice. "Kat, what happened?"