Oops it's been forever. No time to waste… Now, about that letter…

Warnings: Profanity.

Falcon Dreams

Chapter 10

Letters

"Carol." Carol Hart turned on her heel, a small smile played on her lips as the familiarity of the young adult in front of her flashed across her mind.

"Well, well." Carol taunted. "If it isn't my daughters replacement." Katherine Hillard winced at the wording and almost instantly regretted getting the old woman's attention.

Kat cleared her throat and put on her best brave voice.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, and Carol shrugged in return.

"My lovely, disobedient, ungrateful daughter owns a boutique here now." Carol was the snotty type of woman that would ask to see the manager and tell you that Global Warming wasn't real.

"That's not what I meant." Katherine's tone was serious. Kimberly had returned to town, turned her world upside down and Carol was just the cherry on top that she defiantly didn't want.

"I know exactly what you meant." Carol snapped. "I'm here to convince Kimberly that Angel Grove is a mistake and she should leave while she can."

"You never ever mentioned that she had lost her memory." Katherine replied in a hushed tone of voice, taking a step closer to the older woman in front of her. Carol let out a patronising laugh and poked Katherine on the nose like a mother to a toddler.

"Don't worry blondie, if I have it my way, Kimberly will be on a plane out of here by the end of the week and you'll have nothing to worry about."

"What if this is a mistake?"

"You're asking this now? After seven years?" Carol laughed again feeling no sympathy for the young adult in front of her. "I think you're a little too late to have a guilty conscience, don't you?" She taunted motioning to the engagement ring on Kat's finger.

"I never lied to anyone." Katherine defended. "This was your idea."

"No." Carol agreed, stroking her chin with her witch like fingers. "But you convinced him that it would be a bad idea to find her." She continued and Katherine felt herself sink with every word that came out of Kimberly's moms mouth. "That she'd probably forgotten all about him… That she'd moved on."

"Kimberly wrote it in her letter, I didn't really do anything…" Katherine tried to defend herself. This was never supposed to come and bite her on the ass. All she had done was tell Tommy how she felt and distracted his thoughts from the original pink ranger.

That wasn't so bad… Was it?

"I think you know who wrote the letter, but if that's what you need to believe, Katherine." Carol scoffed, flicking her pristine hair over her shoulder. "Keep Tommy Oliver away from my daughter and no one has to know anything."

"You're blackmailing me?" Katherine asked, feeling some bravery creep up her back. She crossed her arms over her chest and tried to make herself feel tall. "That's a bit rich isn't it?"

"My daughter will forgive me because she will see that it was all for the best." Carol said so convincingly that even Katherine believed her. "Same cant be said about your fiancee who stormed into my daughters boutique looking for her and waked her home last week after a cozy evening run."

What?

"You're lying." Katherine whispered feeling all hope and bravery drain out of her.

"You're wishful thinking if you think for a moment that boy will forgive you if he finds out you were in this all along."

"You've set me up!" Katherine felt hot embarrassment, anger and guilt flush her whole being and the twisted smile on Carols face made her feel sick.

"Kat?" A confused voice sounded from behind them.

Oh God, no.

"Adam!" Kat exclaimed wanting the ground to swallow her hole so she wouldn't be in this predicament anymore.

"You have a lot of explaining to do. Remember our deal." Carol turned on her heel and stalked off as quickly as she appeared.

"What the hell is going on?" Adam asked his old friend, feeling betrayal, deceit and lies heavy in the air.

"Thank you for choosing Fairytales & Dreams Bridal Boutique, you look absolutely beautiful." Kimberly smiled at the middle aged woman in front of her with the only genuine smile she had managed these past few days since her mom, Carol had showed up at her apartment.

"Well I think I owe a big thanks to you for designing such a wonderful gown."

"You are very welcome." Kimberly answered truthfully. "I hope your day is truly magical." The woman offered Kimberly a smile and said something polite and sweet in return, however the unwelcome appearance of Kimberly's best friend pulled her attention and whatever genuine smile that remain on her face away. The ding of the door closing prompted Violet to speak and Kimberly's defences went into immediate overdrive.

"Hi." Violet tried quietly. "Can we talk?" Kimberly could see that her friend was uncomfortable with the way she held herself, and pulled her sleeves over her palms nervously.

"I'm not sure there is anything left to say, Violet." Kimberly's voice was defeated. She didn't want this animosity between her mother to intrude into her friendship with Violet… But Violet had gone behind her back and called the she-devil in herself and now Kimberly wasn't sure she could trust anyone. Everyone she had met thus far in Angel Grove had lied to her face, and that wasn't happening anymore.

"Please, Kim." Violet begged, taking a step towards her best friend of seven years. "You wont speak to me at the apartment, you wont let me help you in the store… This is killing me."

"Maybe you should have thought about that before you invited my mother back into my life, Vi." Kimberly crossed her arms firmly over her chest. She knew she needed to cut Violet some slack, she knew that she couldn't stay mad at her forever but for now, everything was a little too raw and much to Kimberly displeasure, Carol was still in Angel Grove.

"Tell me what I can do to make this up to you, Kim. I don't want to lose you." Violet's heart was in pieces. "I know that you don't agree with me calling your mom in and maybe it wasn't my decision to make-"

"You're right." Kimberly snapped. "It wasn't."

"But if I had to make that same call again to keep you safe, to help you understand the truth then I will." Violet continued ignoring Kimberly's outburst. "Two people were searching for you. The knew you by name and I panicked. I wouldn't have known if they were good people or if they were genuinely your friends and neither would you!" Violet reasoned. "I had your best interests at heart, Kim, I promise. It may not have seemed like it but I truly did." There was nothing more for Violet to say, she had done all she could, Kimberly could accept her apology and move on or they could continue to tiptoe around each other like they weren't best friends.

Kimberly felt her defences crumple like a sandcastle taken by the tide and she held out her arms to engulf the best friend she was never really mad at anyway. Kimberly just needed to be angry and Violet had caught the brunt of it.

"I love you, Vi." Kimberly whispered, holding onto Violet tightly.

"I love you too, Kim." The two friends broke apart as the bell rung, they had a new customer.

"Hey, Kim." A now all too familiar voice filled the store and Kimberly fought the urge to roll her eyes although there was nothing she could do to control the increased beating of her heart.

Violet shook her head. Whatever this boy had to say, whatever lies would come out of his mouth next were irrelevant to Kimberly. She didn't want to listen to anything that Tommy Oliver-Ex-Boyfriend-That-Knew-All-Along-And-Never-Mentioned-Anything had to say.

"Go." Violet mouthed to her best friend and Kimberly turned on her heel and headed for the back exit of the store. "I'm sorry, we're closed." Violet told Tommy as a matter of a factly. "You have to leave."

"Kimberly, it's me, Tommy. Wait up, I was hoping we could talk." Tommy Oliver brushed past the pretty girl at reception, he had been contemplating showing up at the boutique and telling Kimberly everything for the best part of three days only for his courage to falter, and his loyalty to his soon to be wife advising him that ex-girlfriends were probably off limits.

But what about ex-best friends?

"You can't go back there!" Violet called grabbing onto Tommy's well defined arm. "She doesn't want to see you." Tommy shook her off easily, not taking his eyes off of the beautiful brunette taking off through the back door. "Hey!" Violet shouted in vain hoping that her best friend was strong enough to deal with this as gracefully as she had been doing already.

Immense pressure weighted on Tommy's instinct to tell Kimberly Ann Hart everything he knew. If he told her, she could reject all ideas of her old life, including him. If he told her, Katherine could in turn reject him and call off the wedding and he'd lose both of them… But if Tommy didn't tell Kimberly, if she never knew the truth then she would never know the purest of friendships that she had when she was seventeen nor the adventures that they shared.

Kimberly didn't turn back as she jogged the streets of Angel Grove, in high heels. She cursed herself for not wearing flats today and the handsome not so much of a stranger-stranger calling her name from behind her. He caught her easily, clutching her hand as though she was his lifeline and she span furiously to look at him.

"Don't you touch me." Kimberly shouted and Tommy's hand fell from her own as though her skin burnt a hole through his. "How long have you known?" Kimberly demanded fighting the urge to smack the boy in front of her for looking too much like deer in headlights. "After everything I said to you the other night about trusting people and loyalty!'

Oh fuck. She knew.

"Kimberly-"

"No!" Kimberly screamed at him, emotion filling her eyes and adrenalin pumping her heart. "You are just as bad as my mother and your fiancé."

"I never meant to-"

"Hurt me?" Kimberly finished. "Well you did. You and every other liar in my life." Tommy could feel the Kimberly shaped cracks in his heart shatter for the second time in this lifetime. Tommy had two options and he hated both of them. Let her go or let her go.

He loved both. He was sure of it and he knew he had to make a decision, ultimately he would probably lose one… And he wasn't sure he he was ready for that.

"We were together." Tommy whispered so quietly, Kimberly was unsure if he had said anything at all.

No going back now.

"I know." Kimberly answered deadpan and the devastated breath was smacked out of Tommy Olivers lungs.

She knew?

Tommy's eyes were wide and trusting, like an old fuse had been lit and it in turn brought an old flame back to life.

"How-" Tommy began but couldn't find the words. Kimberly shook her head at him.

"I don't know who you are. I know your name and I know that we dated but that's all." Kimberly watched as the flame flickered as though someone was trying their hardest to blow it out.

"So you don't remember?" Kimberly shook her head again and as quickly as the flame roared in Tommy Oliver's eyes, it was gone.

He must have really loved me.

"I loved you." Tommy's words echoed Kimberly's thoughts and the anger she felt bubbling up inside her chest dissolved into pity. She was sad that she couldn't remember his love, it must have been beautiful.

"I loved you too." Kimberly told him quietly. She wanted to reach out, to touch his shoulder, to offer him some comfort but she couldn't. This man was essentially a stranger and he had a financee.

And even if she wanted to… I might not let him go.

"My mother told me that I wanted to quit gymnastic training." Kimberly offered Tommy an explanation. "I was miserable and I wanted to come home to the boy I loved."

"What about the boy you met?" Tommy asked in such furious disbelief that Kimberly was actually taken-aback.

What boy? No one ever mentioned someone else.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Kimberly told him truthfully. "I was miserable training for the Olympics and I wanted to come home… Then I had my accident." Kimberly trailed off, her hand finding the scar on her cranium easily and the familiar bumps of the mark gave her some weird sort of comfort.

"Then why did you write me this letter?" Tommy asked fishing out a well-worn, well-read piece of paper and placing it gently into Kimberly's hands.

Kimberly Ann Hart glanced over the words.

Dear Tommy,

Everything is going great here in Florida! Coach Schmidt has me ready as I'll ever be for the competition…

Tommy this is the hardest letter I have ever had to write. You've always been my best friend and in some ways you're like a brother… But something has happened here that I can't explain. It's both been wonderful and painful at the same time.

Tommy I've met someone else.

Tommy, you know I would never do anything to hurt you but I feel like I've found the person I belong with. He's wonderful, kind and caring… You'd really like him. Everything would be perfect if he weren't for hurting you but I have to follow my heart.

I will always care about you, Tommy.

Please forgive me,

Kimberly.

"When did you receive this?" Kimberly asked Tommy quietly, handing the letter back to him, watching as he delicately folded it up and placed it into his wallet as though that's where it belonged.

"A few months after you left."

"Tommy, this isn't me." Kimberly admitted, confusion swilling around her mind like a bad hangover she just couldn't shake.

"I know, but it was you, and I guess that's why I never told you the other night that we knew each other. I wanted to have a second chance at being your friend." Tommy sighed, his eyes averted to the the floor so he didn't have to face his brunette beauty. His Pink Ranger. His Pterodactyl. His crane.

Before Kimberly even knew what she was doing, before she could stop herself, Kimberly's small delicate fingers brushed Tommy's cheek. There were no sparks, no lightening bolts, nothing the fairytales and rom-coms tell you there will be… There was just familiarity. Like her touch was made only for him.

Tommy leant into her touch and the flame reignited again.

"That's really sweet, Tommy it is… But that's not what I meant." Kimberly told him, pulling her hand away, brushing it over his shoulder before it fell back down to her side, empty and cold.

Tommy Oliver wasn't prepared for what was said next, nor was he sure where this left him and his feelings for the woman in front of him whom he shared irreplaceable history, nor the woman at home whom he promised a life with. But he would forever replay those words in his mind for the rest of time.

"I didn't write that letter."

.

Thank you for all your lovely reviews telling me to get my butt into gear. Unfortunately I lost someone very close to me over Christmas and I have found it hard to find the motivation to write again however, I quite like this chapter. I feel as though we're getting somewhere now.

So Katherine is maybe sort of in on it… Maybe sort of not. What do you guys think? Innocent teenage mistake or genuine bitch like Carol?

And we've finally addressed the letter and Kimberly didn't write it. How do you guys think this will play out with Tommy and his feelings? Surely that's gonna mess with his head a little right?

Anyways, thank you again! I appreciate every single one of you. Let me know your thoughts and hopes for future chapters.

See you guys soon!

Abs. x