New Start
By Didi
Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers or any of the characters.
Summary: They're all grown up and separated. Just when you thought it was all over for the old gang, fate throws them together once more.
Rating: R for language and content at times.
Acknowledgements: Okay, this chapter is for Hanspam and Morgan. You guys always read my stuff and I'm so grateful for all the feedback that I get. Hanspam, I'm sorry that I erased your last review, but the chapters got messed up and to delete the chapter was to delete the review, I feel terrible about that. Morgan, your stories encourage me to do my best cause yours are always so well written. Thanks. I hope you both, and everyone else, like this chapter.
Note: This was a really had chapter to write. I'm sorry if it's a let down for some people. I'll try to make up for it in other chapters, I promise.
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Chapter Ten
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July 2, 2004
Jason Scott's Resident
138 Haven Ave.
East Brunswick, New Jersey
Kimberly bit her lip as they approached the house. Her knees were trembling at the thought of seeing him again. It was hard enough just imaging it, but for it to actually be.... No she was not going to think too hard on this. It's just a get together of friends.
"You just going to stand there or are you going to go in?" Trini asked in her usual teasing tone when it came to Kimberly's unfounded fears on meeting with Tommy again. "The party is in there you know."
"I'm working up my nerves." Kimberly said honestly.
Trini sighed and shifted the big foil covered plate. "Don't be silly. You know everything is going to be fine. Tommy is too much of a gentleman to make a scene."
Kim made a face. "I think I would feel better knowing he would make a scene. It at least gives me some clue as to now this is going to go down."
"Kim," Trini looked at her seriously now. "You're not ready for this, are you?"
Sober eyes met. "I'm not sure."
"You want to turn back?" It was a genuine offer and Kimberly realizes it.
"No," she shook her head in determination. "No, I have to face him sooner or later. I can do this."
"No one will think less of you if you feel that you're not ready to face him. I know that if it were me, I won't be ready either."
Kimberly grinned. "Trini, if it were you, you won't have broken up with him in the first place." She almost laughed as she remembered several conversations in the past. "In fact, I seem to recall that you were rather forceful in some of your earlier relationships with guys."
Trini sighed. "Some people just don't know when to let go." She could remember several of them not willing to let go. She must have gone to the police more than a couple of times to get restraining orders on some of them. "For now, Trini Kwan will not be in anything seriously. Sex I can do, relationships is a whole other story."
"Trini," Kimberly frowned. Trini's inability to fall in love with any of the guys that wanted to either marry her, worship her, or have children with her has give her a fear of serious relationships. Kimberly had once wondered briefly if Trini could have a commitment phobia. But dismissed it almost as soon as the idea came into her head. No one can force a person to fall in love. And so far, Trini has yet to be bitten by the bug that seems to be itching to get out on Kimberly's part. "We'll talk about this some other time. But we will talk about it."
Trini shrugged her shoulders. "Not much to talk about." He looked at the beautiful house again. "Isn't it just too perfect?"
Kimberly smile seeing the excitement in Trini's eyes. "Yeah, Jason found a real gem here."
"I know he did some work on it before moving it, but he's kept a lot of the old style. It's so wonderful."
"I can see you're already in love with it."
"Someday, I want one just like it." Trini smiled at her friend. "And of course you can move in with me again if you haven't married your dream boat in there."
"Shut up." Kimberly laughed.
"Ready to go in?"
"No."
"Coward."
"You better believe it."
~~~~~
"Ouch!"
Adam sighed as he reached for the first aid kit again. "Rocky, why don't you just let Jason do it. If you keep this up, I'm going to run out of burn cream."
Rocky frowned as he held out his burnt finger for Adam to take care of yet again. "Any fool can start a grill."
"Except you." Adam replied with a smile.
"I'm going to do this if it kills me."
"At the rate you're going, it just might."
"Hey now, no fighting." Trini admonished as she came around the corner after talking Kimberly into sneaking in by the side instead of ringing the bell and risk having Tommy open the door. "This is supposed to be a happy occasion."
"It won't be if Rocky ends up the hospital with second degree burns." Adam laughed as he reached Trini in three short strides. "Oh my god, Trini! I can't believe you're here!"
Adam caught her in a hug and swung her around just as Jason came through the back door. Trini laughed as Adam pressed a sugary smacking kiss on her cheek before setting her down on her feet again. "Well, it's good to see you too."
"The more the merry is what I always say!" Rocky called out as he too moved to give Trini a hug worthy of a bear. "Damn woman, you look good enough to eat!"
"Well for both our sakes, why don't sink your teeth the cheesecake I made you instead." Trini grinned before pushing away from him.
"You made me cheesecake?"
"Kim said it was your favorite."
Rocky reached over and wrapped his arms around Kim just as she sat down the pie on the big picnic table set up. "Kimberly, you are a goddess." He was quickly joined by Adam who wanted to give a hug as well.
Kim laughed as she found herself sandwiched between two of her former power rangers. "Hey guys, knock it off."
"Kimberly," Adam said quietly as he pulled back and turned her toward him. "We've missed you."
"I've missed you guys as well." Kimberly smiled solemnly. "More than I realized until this moment."
"Well you have us here now." Rocky said with a grin and dipped his finger into the Devonshire cream that Trini brought for the tarts. "And with cooking like this, you'll always be welcome here."
Trini rolled her eyes and picked up the pie to go to the kitchen when she spotted Jason make his way to her. "JASON!" She put the pie down and rushed into his arms as if greeting him for the first time in years.
He caught her close and buried his face into her long ebony hair. Leaning his mouth toward her ear, he whispered, " If Adam kisses you one more time, I'm going to rip his arm off and beat him over the head with the severed limb."
Trini laughed uproariously as she pulled back. "It's good to see you too." Her eyes twinkled with amusement.
Jason nodded his head but held his tongue. She thinks I'm kidding. He wasn't. The red hot emotion of jealously had been like a fist in the guts. He didn't think he could ever feel that way but there it was, threatening to rip his guts out with it. He knew logically that Adam was just being playful and that he had nothing to worry about. But still.... This was supposed to be a simple affair between two people. It's just sex, isn't it? A problem to ponder at another time. "Kimberly!"
"Jason," Kimberly flew into his arms with a grateful sigh. Jason was like the big brother that she never had all through elementary school, junior high, and then high school. Just seeing him made her think of home and all the comforts there. "It's so good to see you again."
"Likewise Kimmy." She looked too pale in his opinion. But then again, it's been a while since any one of them had the benefit of the California sun. "You are looking very trim and pretty. What have you been doing with yourself?"
"Conversation, later. Grill, now." Rocky interrupted.
"If we can ever get that grill started." Adam added as he moved to put away the first aid kit.
"Oh I'll get it," Trini offered taking the big matchbox from the table.
"No, I..." Rocky began but fell back as he watch Trini stuck a match and lower it toward the coals easily. The stubborn black coals that refused to lit for him warmed to Trini's touch and started easily. "Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle."
Adam grinned. "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you start a grill."
The others laughed while Rocky stood there dumbfound. Jason shook his head and noted the shadow in the window. "Hey Kim, why don't you put the cheesecake and ice cream in the frig?"
"Oh okay," she picked up the bucket with one and the cheesecake in the other. "Where's the kitchen?"
"Right through the back door." Jason pointed out for her. "Frig is on your left."
"Be right back," she said as she took off toward the door.
"Oh," Trini looked at the pie and tarts. "Maybe we should..." She was cut off by Jason's hand over her mouth.
"Not yet." He said simply before taking his hand away.
She looked at him through narrowed eyes. "He's in there, isn't he?"
He threw back a I-innocent look. "Your guess is as good as mine."
Trini grinned and rolled her eyes. Rocky and Adam exchanged amused glances. Jason merely sat down and picked up a wonderful apple tart made by Trini.
~~~~~
Tommy felt as if someone just drove a semi truck into his chest. Oh lord! He had been coming out of Jason's walk-in cabinet where the man has stocked everything from chips to fine wine when he spotted her standing thoughtfully in front of the giant stainless-steel refrigerator.
She was ever bit as beautiful as he had dreamed of all these years apart. She was slender, beautiful and perfect, just as she had been years before. She was wearing a pair of jean shorts in pale green and white tank top that made her appear a trifle too thin. In fact, now that he had gotten a good look at her, she was way too thin with nothing on her bones but skin. And she was pale, too pale, as if someone sucked the wonderful healthy tan she had left California with all out of her. But she looked so wonderful, she was really there in the flesh.
She was also muttering to her left in amusement. "Geeze guys, you think you could possibly stuff yourselves with more grease and carbonated material? I would think Adam at least would have more sense than that."
"Don't you know that women keep men civil? Without them, we're merely pigs in a swine pen."
Kimberly nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of his voice. What little color was left in her cheeks drained away in fright as well as dread. Of all the scenarios she had imagined their first meeting was going to be like, her standing in front of half emptied pizza boxes and talking to herself was not even close to any one of them. "Tommy, hi."
She's scared. His eyes soften at that thought. The one thing he never wanted for her was fear of him or anything that he might do. Ever fiber in his being screamed for him to ease her into this. "Hey, Beautiful. It's so good to see you again." He opened his arms to her, hoping she would accept him as a friend at least after all the time.
If the devil had jumped up from hell and offered her the keys to heaven, she couldn't have been more surprise or more grateful. She moved into his arms and wrapped hers around his waist in appreciation. "It's so good to see you too." It was like coming home after a long trip.
Tommy's breath caught in his throat and he held her gently, she was so slight that he was afraid that if he held her too hard she would break. Or worse, she would disappear and he would wake up again knowing that that she was gone. It was surreal this moment, and he wanted it to last as long as possible. "How are you doing?"
"I'm doing good." She muffled the words into his chest. "You?"
Since she was not letting go, he felt no obligation to do so either. "Better. Much better."
She laughed against him. "You knew that I was shaking in my sandals didn't you?"
He laughed with her, a wonderful sound that she was going to store away for those dark nights. "Yeah, I knew that. Did you think I would going to yell at you or something?"
"No." She answered honestly. "I won't have been scared if I knew that you would have yelled at me."
"Why?"
"You have a wonderful voice."
The grin that appeared was unseen by her but certainly seen by Adam as he came in through the door. "I hate to break this up, but Rocky says that if he does not get some food soon, he'll expire."
Tommy reluctantly let go and frowned at Adam for ruining the moment. "We're coming."
Adam grinned and nodded his head before escaping through the door quickly guessing the reason for Tommy's displeasure.
Kimberly shoved the ice cream into the completely empty freezer. "Didn't you guys go grocery shopping?"
"Hadn't really had any time yet. All we got was what was needed for this party." He nodded his head to the cabinet. "And all the snack food you could ever need. Plus, a couple of bottles of very fine wine and kegs of beer."
"A bachelor pad from heaven huh?" She smiled hoping to keep the mood light and never approaching what she dread was the inevitable question.
"Oh yeah, Jason knows how to treat his friends." Tommy's eyes went sober suddenly. "If you think you and I aren't going to talk about what happened between us, you're dead wrong."
Kimberly's eyes went from calm to wary in two seconds. All the light-hearted mood could not disguise her obviously reluctance to broach the subject. "Can we not talk about that right now?"
"Kimberly..." he started to argue with her but stopped himself. "All right, but we will talk eventually. Today, we celebrate with friends. Deal?" He stuck out his hand.
With a reluctant sigh, she took it. "Deal."
~~~~~
"What do you think they're saying in there?" Rocky asked as he munched on some chips Trini was pouring into a big plastic bowl. "I mean, it's been years since..."
"Don't be so nosy, Rocky." Jason said with a grin. "After all, Tommy and Kimberly are mature adults that have some problems to work through."
Rocky grinned. "Ten bucks says they end up in bed by the end of the month."
Jason laughed. "Twenty says in two weeks."
"GUYS!" Trini looked at them with completely disbelief. "This is our friends' emotional well being you're putting money on. Show a little but of compassion and understanding here, please. Adam, talk to them will you."
Adam looked up from the instruction manual on the sauna to stream room conversation that Jason was thinking about. He looked blankly at Trini for a moment and then turned to the boys. "Thirty says by the end of the week."
Trini groaned and threw her hands up in defeat. "You're all morons."
"Most of the nicest ones are, Trini." Kimberly said as she came over with the big wooden bowl of salad she found in the refrigerator, the only healthy thing in there.
"Hey there, Trini." Tommy called out and caught her in a hug.
"Tommy! You look so good." She stood on tip-toes and wrapped her slender arms around his neck and allowed him to engulf her into a hug worthy of a wrestler. Over Tommy's shoulders, Trini mouthed 'are you all right' to Kimberly.
Kimberly responded with a slight tilting of her head that seemed to say that it could have gone better but she was fine.
"Trini Kwan, you won't be rude enough to be talking to your friend behind my back now would you?" Tommy said with a grin as he continued to hold on the woman in his arms who was not letting go quite yet as she was finishing her silent conversation with her friend.
The former yellow ranger pulled back and smiled widely at him. "Now would I do a think like that?"
He gave her a look that plainly said do you need to ask. "Yes."
"Tommy, what an awful thing to say. Can't a girl be glad to see an old friend?"
"Yes, but in your case, no."
Trini crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "Well, so much for a warm welcome."
Tommy grinned at her. "If it will relieve you mind any, Kimberly and I have decided to postpone our unavoidable conversation to enjoy good food and fine company."
Jason decided it was time to help out a little. "In other words, Trini, you'll have to wait for a later date to tear Tommy's head off if the conversation does not go well."
Trini smiled and nodded her head. "I can do that."
Tommy made a face to his best friend. "Thanks for the support, Jase."
Jason laughed and put a plate into Tommy's hand. "Any time buddy, any time."
Rocky poked his head into the conversation now. "Can we eat now?"
~~~~~
"You can cut the tense between them with a butter knife." Trini whispered to Jason as she sat down next to him with her big salad and puny piece of grilled chicken that had been dipped generously in soil sauce the night before. "Every time he goes near her, she shies away."
"Yeah, I noticed." Jason eyed the two on opposites of the wonderful picnic table he had purchased only the day before. "Tommy's not going to give up until they've had an out."
"I thought they agreed not to talk about it today?" Trini tasted the dressing and made a face. "Who made this?"
"Rocky did. I won't if I were you," Jason grinned as Trini put the gravy boat filled with dressing away. "Remind me never to allow him into my kitchen."
"Speaking of which, when did you learn to make such wonderful treats?" Jason looked over the plate of éclairs that was sitting on the side. "They look good enough to kill over."
"Thanks. I had a lot of time between classes in college." Trini's hand sneaked under the table and gently rubbed the top of Jason's thigh, movingly slowly up from the knees. "I can teach you sometime if you like."
Jason twitched in reaction and tried desperately to restrain himself. "I just may take you up on that offer."
"Can you teach Rocky too?" Adam asked from across the table from Kimberly. "He needs some cooking lessons before he kills someone with his cooking. Have you tried that dressing he made?"
"Hey, I'll have you know that the dressing is an old family receipt." Rocky said defensively from the grill.
"Did you taste before you brought it out?" Trini asked as she subtly removed her hand from Jason who had slowly taken his flip-flops off and was currently rubbing his big toe against the top of her feet.
"No," Rocky frowned. "I followed the instructions exactly."
Trini nudged Jason away before standing up. "Here, taste this." She dipped a spoon into the dressing and went over to hold it for Rocky to ask.
"Yuck! That's horrible." Rocky's expression was enough to send the rest of the group into a fit a giggles. "What was I thinking?"
"That's what we'd like to know." Trini said with a laugh then kissed Rocky on the cheek to take the sting out. "Don't worry, I'm sure I can whip up something simple in a few seconds."
"Please do." Rocky said with the same pained expression on his face as before. "No one is going to be able to touch the veggies if you don't."
Trini shook her head and up the spoon down. "I'll just go explore the kitchen."
Kimberly jumped up from her seat. "I'll help."
Tommy stopped his approach as Kimberly left with Trini, who threw him a sympathetic look.
"You okay?" Jason asked.
"Yeah," Tommy sighed and sat down where Trini had been. "Just frustrated. I know that we agreed not to talk about it today but..."
"You want to know," Jason finished for him. "Tommy, you're going to have to back off. You're scaring the poor thing."
"I hate to agree with Jason," Adam said as he took a seat across from them. "But he's right. Kimberly cringes every time you look like you want to talk to her. You get that look in your eyes like you're going to shake the truth out of her or something."
Tommy frowned. He hadn't realized that his intentions were written so evidently on his face. "I think I'm still in love with you, you know."
The others exchanged glances of non-surprise before rolling their eyes. "Tell us something we haven't figured out already."
Wincing with pain and embarrassment, Tommy slumped down. "I hate being so obvious."
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Okay, that was pretty weak I have to admit. But I couldn't come up with anything too exciting other than them jumping each other and that's been over done. Let's keep that tension a little longer, okay. Don't hurt me, please.
Teaser line from the next chapter: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry. Tell me how I can make this right for you."
By Didi
Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers or any of the characters.
Summary: They're all grown up and separated. Just when you thought it was all over for the old gang, fate throws them together once more.
Rating: R for language and content at times.
Acknowledgements: Okay, this chapter is for Hanspam and Morgan. You guys always read my stuff and I'm so grateful for all the feedback that I get. Hanspam, I'm sorry that I erased your last review, but the chapters got messed up and to delete the chapter was to delete the review, I feel terrible about that. Morgan, your stories encourage me to do my best cause yours are always so well written. Thanks. I hope you both, and everyone else, like this chapter.
Note: This was a really had chapter to write. I'm sorry if it's a let down for some people. I'll try to make up for it in other chapters, I promise.
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Chapter Ten
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July 2, 2004
Jason Scott's Resident
138 Haven Ave.
East Brunswick, New Jersey
Kimberly bit her lip as they approached the house. Her knees were trembling at the thought of seeing him again. It was hard enough just imaging it, but for it to actually be.... No she was not going to think too hard on this. It's just a get together of friends.
"You just going to stand there or are you going to go in?" Trini asked in her usual teasing tone when it came to Kimberly's unfounded fears on meeting with Tommy again. "The party is in there you know."
"I'm working up my nerves." Kimberly said honestly.
Trini sighed and shifted the big foil covered plate. "Don't be silly. You know everything is going to be fine. Tommy is too much of a gentleman to make a scene."
Kim made a face. "I think I would feel better knowing he would make a scene. It at least gives me some clue as to now this is going to go down."
"Kim," Trini looked at her seriously now. "You're not ready for this, are you?"
Sober eyes met. "I'm not sure."
"You want to turn back?" It was a genuine offer and Kimberly realizes it.
"No," she shook her head in determination. "No, I have to face him sooner or later. I can do this."
"No one will think less of you if you feel that you're not ready to face him. I know that if it were me, I won't be ready either."
Kimberly grinned. "Trini, if it were you, you won't have broken up with him in the first place." She almost laughed as she remembered several conversations in the past. "In fact, I seem to recall that you were rather forceful in some of your earlier relationships with guys."
Trini sighed. "Some people just don't know when to let go." She could remember several of them not willing to let go. She must have gone to the police more than a couple of times to get restraining orders on some of them. "For now, Trini Kwan will not be in anything seriously. Sex I can do, relationships is a whole other story."
"Trini," Kimberly frowned. Trini's inability to fall in love with any of the guys that wanted to either marry her, worship her, or have children with her has give her a fear of serious relationships. Kimberly had once wondered briefly if Trini could have a commitment phobia. But dismissed it almost as soon as the idea came into her head. No one can force a person to fall in love. And so far, Trini has yet to be bitten by the bug that seems to be itching to get out on Kimberly's part. "We'll talk about this some other time. But we will talk about it."
Trini shrugged her shoulders. "Not much to talk about." He looked at the beautiful house again. "Isn't it just too perfect?"
Kimberly smile seeing the excitement in Trini's eyes. "Yeah, Jason found a real gem here."
"I know he did some work on it before moving it, but he's kept a lot of the old style. It's so wonderful."
"I can see you're already in love with it."
"Someday, I want one just like it." Trini smiled at her friend. "And of course you can move in with me again if you haven't married your dream boat in there."
"Shut up." Kimberly laughed.
"Ready to go in?"
"No."
"Coward."
"You better believe it."
~~~~~
"Ouch!"
Adam sighed as he reached for the first aid kit again. "Rocky, why don't you just let Jason do it. If you keep this up, I'm going to run out of burn cream."
Rocky frowned as he held out his burnt finger for Adam to take care of yet again. "Any fool can start a grill."
"Except you." Adam replied with a smile.
"I'm going to do this if it kills me."
"At the rate you're going, it just might."
"Hey now, no fighting." Trini admonished as she came around the corner after talking Kimberly into sneaking in by the side instead of ringing the bell and risk having Tommy open the door. "This is supposed to be a happy occasion."
"It won't be if Rocky ends up the hospital with second degree burns." Adam laughed as he reached Trini in three short strides. "Oh my god, Trini! I can't believe you're here!"
Adam caught her in a hug and swung her around just as Jason came through the back door. Trini laughed as Adam pressed a sugary smacking kiss on her cheek before setting her down on her feet again. "Well, it's good to see you too."
"The more the merry is what I always say!" Rocky called out as he too moved to give Trini a hug worthy of a bear. "Damn woman, you look good enough to eat!"
"Well for both our sakes, why don't sink your teeth the cheesecake I made you instead." Trini grinned before pushing away from him.
"You made me cheesecake?"
"Kim said it was your favorite."
Rocky reached over and wrapped his arms around Kim just as she sat down the pie on the big picnic table set up. "Kimberly, you are a goddess." He was quickly joined by Adam who wanted to give a hug as well.
Kim laughed as she found herself sandwiched between two of her former power rangers. "Hey guys, knock it off."
"Kimberly," Adam said quietly as he pulled back and turned her toward him. "We've missed you."
"I've missed you guys as well." Kimberly smiled solemnly. "More than I realized until this moment."
"Well you have us here now." Rocky said with a grin and dipped his finger into the Devonshire cream that Trini brought for the tarts. "And with cooking like this, you'll always be welcome here."
Trini rolled her eyes and picked up the pie to go to the kitchen when she spotted Jason make his way to her. "JASON!" She put the pie down and rushed into his arms as if greeting him for the first time in years.
He caught her close and buried his face into her long ebony hair. Leaning his mouth toward her ear, he whispered, " If Adam kisses you one more time, I'm going to rip his arm off and beat him over the head with the severed limb."
Trini laughed uproariously as she pulled back. "It's good to see you too." Her eyes twinkled with amusement.
Jason nodded his head but held his tongue. She thinks I'm kidding. He wasn't. The red hot emotion of jealously had been like a fist in the guts. He didn't think he could ever feel that way but there it was, threatening to rip his guts out with it. He knew logically that Adam was just being playful and that he had nothing to worry about. But still.... This was supposed to be a simple affair between two people. It's just sex, isn't it? A problem to ponder at another time. "Kimberly!"
"Jason," Kimberly flew into his arms with a grateful sigh. Jason was like the big brother that she never had all through elementary school, junior high, and then high school. Just seeing him made her think of home and all the comforts there. "It's so good to see you again."
"Likewise Kimmy." She looked too pale in his opinion. But then again, it's been a while since any one of them had the benefit of the California sun. "You are looking very trim and pretty. What have you been doing with yourself?"
"Conversation, later. Grill, now." Rocky interrupted.
"If we can ever get that grill started." Adam added as he moved to put away the first aid kit.
"Oh I'll get it," Trini offered taking the big matchbox from the table.
"No, I..." Rocky began but fell back as he watch Trini stuck a match and lower it toward the coals easily. The stubborn black coals that refused to lit for him warmed to Trini's touch and started easily. "Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle."
Adam grinned. "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you start a grill."
The others laughed while Rocky stood there dumbfound. Jason shook his head and noted the shadow in the window. "Hey Kim, why don't you put the cheesecake and ice cream in the frig?"
"Oh okay," she picked up the bucket with one and the cheesecake in the other. "Where's the kitchen?"
"Right through the back door." Jason pointed out for her. "Frig is on your left."
"Be right back," she said as she took off toward the door.
"Oh," Trini looked at the pie and tarts. "Maybe we should..." She was cut off by Jason's hand over her mouth.
"Not yet." He said simply before taking his hand away.
She looked at him through narrowed eyes. "He's in there, isn't he?"
He threw back a I-innocent look. "Your guess is as good as mine."
Trini grinned and rolled her eyes. Rocky and Adam exchanged amused glances. Jason merely sat down and picked up a wonderful apple tart made by Trini.
~~~~~
Tommy felt as if someone just drove a semi truck into his chest. Oh lord! He had been coming out of Jason's walk-in cabinet where the man has stocked everything from chips to fine wine when he spotted her standing thoughtfully in front of the giant stainless-steel refrigerator.
She was ever bit as beautiful as he had dreamed of all these years apart. She was slender, beautiful and perfect, just as she had been years before. She was wearing a pair of jean shorts in pale green and white tank top that made her appear a trifle too thin. In fact, now that he had gotten a good look at her, she was way too thin with nothing on her bones but skin. And she was pale, too pale, as if someone sucked the wonderful healthy tan she had left California with all out of her. But she looked so wonderful, she was really there in the flesh.
She was also muttering to her left in amusement. "Geeze guys, you think you could possibly stuff yourselves with more grease and carbonated material? I would think Adam at least would have more sense than that."
"Don't you know that women keep men civil? Without them, we're merely pigs in a swine pen."
Kimberly nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of his voice. What little color was left in her cheeks drained away in fright as well as dread. Of all the scenarios she had imagined their first meeting was going to be like, her standing in front of half emptied pizza boxes and talking to herself was not even close to any one of them. "Tommy, hi."
She's scared. His eyes soften at that thought. The one thing he never wanted for her was fear of him or anything that he might do. Ever fiber in his being screamed for him to ease her into this. "Hey, Beautiful. It's so good to see you again." He opened his arms to her, hoping she would accept him as a friend at least after all the time.
If the devil had jumped up from hell and offered her the keys to heaven, she couldn't have been more surprise or more grateful. She moved into his arms and wrapped hers around his waist in appreciation. "It's so good to see you too." It was like coming home after a long trip.
Tommy's breath caught in his throat and he held her gently, she was so slight that he was afraid that if he held her too hard she would break. Or worse, she would disappear and he would wake up again knowing that that she was gone. It was surreal this moment, and he wanted it to last as long as possible. "How are you doing?"
"I'm doing good." She muffled the words into his chest. "You?"
Since she was not letting go, he felt no obligation to do so either. "Better. Much better."
She laughed against him. "You knew that I was shaking in my sandals didn't you?"
He laughed with her, a wonderful sound that she was going to store away for those dark nights. "Yeah, I knew that. Did you think I would going to yell at you or something?"
"No." She answered honestly. "I won't have been scared if I knew that you would have yelled at me."
"Why?"
"You have a wonderful voice."
The grin that appeared was unseen by her but certainly seen by Adam as he came in through the door. "I hate to break this up, but Rocky says that if he does not get some food soon, he'll expire."
Tommy reluctantly let go and frowned at Adam for ruining the moment. "We're coming."
Adam grinned and nodded his head before escaping through the door quickly guessing the reason for Tommy's displeasure.
Kimberly shoved the ice cream into the completely empty freezer. "Didn't you guys go grocery shopping?"
"Hadn't really had any time yet. All we got was what was needed for this party." He nodded his head to the cabinet. "And all the snack food you could ever need. Plus, a couple of bottles of very fine wine and kegs of beer."
"A bachelor pad from heaven huh?" She smiled hoping to keep the mood light and never approaching what she dread was the inevitable question.
"Oh yeah, Jason knows how to treat his friends." Tommy's eyes went sober suddenly. "If you think you and I aren't going to talk about what happened between us, you're dead wrong."
Kimberly's eyes went from calm to wary in two seconds. All the light-hearted mood could not disguise her obviously reluctance to broach the subject. "Can we not talk about that right now?"
"Kimberly..." he started to argue with her but stopped himself. "All right, but we will talk eventually. Today, we celebrate with friends. Deal?" He stuck out his hand.
With a reluctant sigh, she took it. "Deal."
~~~~~
"What do you think they're saying in there?" Rocky asked as he munched on some chips Trini was pouring into a big plastic bowl. "I mean, it's been years since..."
"Don't be so nosy, Rocky." Jason said with a grin. "After all, Tommy and Kimberly are mature adults that have some problems to work through."
Rocky grinned. "Ten bucks says they end up in bed by the end of the month."
Jason laughed. "Twenty says in two weeks."
"GUYS!" Trini looked at them with completely disbelief. "This is our friends' emotional well being you're putting money on. Show a little but of compassion and understanding here, please. Adam, talk to them will you."
Adam looked up from the instruction manual on the sauna to stream room conversation that Jason was thinking about. He looked blankly at Trini for a moment and then turned to the boys. "Thirty says by the end of the week."
Trini groaned and threw her hands up in defeat. "You're all morons."
"Most of the nicest ones are, Trini." Kimberly said as she came over with the big wooden bowl of salad she found in the refrigerator, the only healthy thing in there.
"Hey there, Trini." Tommy called out and caught her in a hug.
"Tommy! You look so good." She stood on tip-toes and wrapped her slender arms around his neck and allowed him to engulf her into a hug worthy of a wrestler. Over Tommy's shoulders, Trini mouthed 'are you all right' to Kimberly.
Kimberly responded with a slight tilting of her head that seemed to say that it could have gone better but she was fine.
"Trini Kwan, you won't be rude enough to be talking to your friend behind my back now would you?" Tommy said with a grin as he continued to hold on the woman in his arms who was not letting go quite yet as she was finishing her silent conversation with her friend.
The former yellow ranger pulled back and smiled widely at him. "Now would I do a think like that?"
He gave her a look that plainly said do you need to ask. "Yes."
"Tommy, what an awful thing to say. Can't a girl be glad to see an old friend?"
"Yes, but in your case, no."
Trini crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "Well, so much for a warm welcome."
Tommy grinned at her. "If it will relieve you mind any, Kimberly and I have decided to postpone our unavoidable conversation to enjoy good food and fine company."
Jason decided it was time to help out a little. "In other words, Trini, you'll have to wait for a later date to tear Tommy's head off if the conversation does not go well."
Trini smiled and nodded her head. "I can do that."
Tommy made a face to his best friend. "Thanks for the support, Jase."
Jason laughed and put a plate into Tommy's hand. "Any time buddy, any time."
Rocky poked his head into the conversation now. "Can we eat now?"
~~~~~
"You can cut the tense between them with a butter knife." Trini whispered to Jason as she sat down next to him with her big salad and puny piece of grilled chicken that had been dipped generously in soil sauce the night before. "Every time he goes near her, she shies away."
"Yeah, I noticed." Jason eyed the two on opposites of the wonderful picnic table he had purchased only the day before. "Tommy's not going to give up until they've had an out."
"I thought they agreed not to talk about it today?" Trini tasted the dressing and made a face. "Who made this?"
"Rocky did. I won't if I were you," Jason grinned as Trini put the gravy boat filled with dressing away. "Remind me never to allow him into my kitchen."
"Speaking of which, when did you learn to make such wonderful treats?" Jason looked over the plate of éclairs that was sitting on the side. "They look good enough to kill over."
"Thanks. I had a lot of time between classes in college." Trini's hand sneaked under the table and gently rubbed the top of Jason's thigh, movingly slowly up from the knees. "I can teach you sometime if you like."
Jason twitched in reaction and tried desperately to restrain himself. "I just may take you up on that offer."
"Can you teach Rocky too?" Adam asked from across the table from Kimberly. "He needs some cooking lessons before he kills someone with his cooking. Have you tried that dressing he made?"
"Hey, I'll have you know that the dressing is an old family receipt." Rocky said defensively from the grill.
"Did you taste before you brought it out?" Trini asked as she subtly removed her hand from Jason who had slowly taken his flip-flops off and was currently rubbing his big toe against the top of her feet.
"No," Rocky frowned. "I followed the instructions exactly."
Trini nudged Jason away before standing up. "Here, taste this." She dipped a spoon into the dressing and went over to hold it for Rocky to ask.
"Yuck! That's horrible." Rocky's expression was enough to send the rest of the group into a fit a giggles. "What was I thinking?"
"That's what we'd like to know." Trini said with a laugh then kissed Rocky on the cheek to take the sting out. "Don't worry, I'm sure I can whip up something simple in a few seconds."
"Please do." Rocky said with the same pained expression on his face as before. "No one is going to be able to touch the veggies if you don't."
Trini shook her head and up the spoon down. "I'll just go explore the kitchen."
Kimberly jumped up from her seat. "I'll help."
Tommy stopped his approach as Kimberly left with Trini, who threw him a sympathetic look.
"You okay?" Jason asked.
"Yeah," Tommy sighed and sat down where Trini had been. "Just frustrated. I know that we agreed not to talk about it today but..."
"You want to know," Jason finished for him. "Tommy, you're going to have to back off. You're scaring the poor thing."
"I hate to agree with Jason," Adam said as he took a seat across from them. "But he's right. Kimberly cringes every time you look like you want to talk to her. You get that look in your eyes like you're going to shake the truth out of her or something."
Tommy frowned. He hadn't realized that his intentions were written so evidently on his face. "I think I'm still in love with you, you know."
The others exchanged glances of non-surprise before rolling their eyes. "Tell us something we haven't figured out already."
Wincing with pain and embarrassment, Tommy slumped down. "I hate being so obvious."
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Okay, that was pretty weak I have to admit. But I couldn't come up with anything too exciting other than them jumping each other and that's been over done. Let's keep that tension a little longer, okay. Don't hurt me, please.
Teaser line from the next chapter: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry. Tell me how I can make this right for you."