Kimberly sat on the bed and picked up her spare guitar that she had left with Trini. Tommy was still out with Jason when Trini dropped Kim off. After sitting on the couch and laughing about the hilarity that had ensued during lunch, a given when the group got together, Trini took off to meet with the caterers. After making sure the guitar was properly tuned she began to play the familiar chords.
Did you feel my love?
Did you feel it rain?
Did I touch your soul or was it all in vain?
Be careful of your ego my friend
I feel it's your worse disease.
And be careful of that solitude
you so desperately need.
She had written the song shortly after her break-up with Tommy. She was worried about him, she knew he tried to be the tough guy and keep his emotions bottled up.
Oh my love the time we spent
flying and flying everywhere we went.
I was like a butterfly who had just found wings.
Caught in the middle and half way in-between.
It's a desperate place to be.
Seems like you're spinning in circles out of control.
During one of her phone calls with Billy, the genius had mentioned that Tommy seemed to be losing confidence as the leader. He seemed to think that everything good would get taken away and was making some pretty rash decisions, even in battle. She felt horrible, but more than that, she felt responsible for making Tommy doubt his abilities as a Ranger.
Did you feel my love?
Did you feel it rain?
Did I touch your soul or was it all in vain?
Be careful of your ego my friend
I feel it's your worst disease.
And be careful of that solitude
you so desperately need.
So when the laughter has finally disappeared
and you're just a simple man standing here
I ask you who are you going to be?
Tommy was a Ranger, true. But he was also a man, not knowing what to do next. Fighting was in his blood, but he was having a hard time fighting his inner demons.
When the dream has finally faded away
and you're just another man on another day
I ask you who are you going to be?
Kim knew that eventually Tommy would have to give up his powers, and she remembered how lost he had been last time without them. However, last time she had been there to see him through it. While she was still his friend and re-iterated in all her sparse conversations with him she was still there for him, she knew it wouldn't be her he turned to. It was up to her old friends to be by his side and get him through another power loss. Kimberly set down her guitar, deep in thought.
Fortunately, the group had come through for him, just like Kim knew they would. Tommy had hit some rough spots, but eventually he was able to accept Zordon's decision to release him and the others from their duties as Rangers. He never felt as some of the others had, like they were free. It wasn't a surprise when he landed back in spandex as the Black Dino Thunder Ranger. Sure, he'd had to put up with his friend's wisecracks that he was going to become the "Geriatric Ranger," and Trini had punched him so hard it felt the like resulting bruise would be on his arm forever. Kimberly's reaction was the biggest surprise. She blew up at him, yelling on the phone for nearly an hour. He hadn't expected such a strong reaction from her, on the contrary, he thought she would be the one making most of the jokes. But she was genuinely upset, and finally admitted that she was worried about him. He wasn't a teenager anymore, she pointed out, and his body would prove it to him after a few battles. When Tommy tried to lighten the mood by teasing her and saying she was just jealous, Kim became unusually quiet. After a while Tommy was able to coax it out of her.
Flashback
"Maybe I am jealous, Tommy. At least a little. Giving up my Power Coin was the hardest thing I've ever done. I miss it sometimes."
"Yeah, but would you really wanna go back to being called at the most inconvenient times to go off and fight the newest bad guy's goons? I didn't exactly want this to happen, I wouldn't have chosen for things to go this way. Either I got the gem, or Mesagog did. I was praying the whole time that the damn thing wouldn't bond to me."
"But you get to be a Ranger again, you get to go out and save the world. I miss having that type of purpose," Kim said wistfully. She loved her job, but there were days when she was so frustrated with the girls she trained she had to fight the urge to jump on the beam and show them how it was really done. But she wasn't there to prove her worth as a gymnast, those days were over. Now she was there to prove her worth as a coach, someone who was expected to help train the next champions.
"Kim, you have a purpose. I've heard the way you talk about those girls at the training center, you believe in them, and you give them hope when they feel like they'll never measure up. You may not be protecting a city from a deranged dinosaur, but you're protected their spirits. That's pretty important if you ask me."
Kimberly sighed. "Stop being so nice when I'm mad at you, you jerk. And yes, I realize I have a purpose, but sometimes I would kill for an old-fashioned putty fight. Or one more battle in my zord. I miss my zord, that baby could fly."
"I'd kill for an old-fashioned putty fight, too. These new goons are a lot tougher than putties, and... I'm back to a ground zord. I liked my White Tiger Zord, but nothing beat flying around in the Falcon Zord," Tommy let out a sigh as well, caught up in the emotions that came with reminiscing.
"Well anytime you feel like trading, let me know. I have a feeling getting a good ass-kicking out of my system would do me good."
"So call up Jason," Tommy suggested with a hint of laughter.
"Nah, Trini got made the last time I did that. I was a little rusty and my aim wasn't what it should have been. One wrong kick and the boy was rolling on the floor in pain. He was "recovering" for a week," Kimberly informed him, and he could hear her smiling, even through the phone.
"Ouch. Remind me not to spar with you anytime soon." Suddenly a familiar voice came through his communicator. "Dr. O? We need you to get here, pronto," Connors voice rang out. "Kim, I gotta go."
"Yeah, I know, duty calls. Lucky ass."
"We'll see how lucky I am now that Connor's probably spun Zaltrax into a whose new dimension of pissed off. He has a habit of doing that. Catch you later."
"Good luck, Tommy," with that, the line went dead. Kimberly sighed and leaned back against her couch. As mad as she was at Tommy for landing back in uniform, she still wished she could join him. So she could feel the incredible sensation of being a Ranger again, and to watch his back.
End flashback
Kim picked up her guitar again and began a new song.
I'm home again
out of control
my life is a tangled web
not a tangible thing to hold
slippin into the fairway
slippin into the fairway again
on the edge of a hill
where the mummies meet the day
I saw a raven of fear
that the forest will betray
so I stepped to the side of the ledge
I held my wings wide
give me freedom I said
as I stepped from the side.
"I missed hearing you sing," Tommy interrupted, leaning against the doorjamb. "I almost forgot how beautiful your voice is."
"Tommy! When did you get back?"
Tommy walked into the room and sat down beside Kim, leaning over to kiss her lips. "Two minutes ago, if that. I liked that song, when did you write it?"
Kim leaned into Tommy and rested her head on his shoulder, feeling a sudden need to be near him. "A while ago, after the Games."
"You never cease to amaze me. I'm not sure I got it exactly, but it sounded pretty deep," he bent to kiss the top of her head.
"Thanks. Was it ever decided where we're going for dinner? I'm starving. I was laughing so much at lunch, I barley ate."
"Well, first we were gonna go to that little Italian place Jase is always raving about, but he was outvoted when Rocky suggested Ernie's. Everyone else really wants to see him again. Hope you don't mind eating at the same place twice in two nights," Tommy said, turning to wrap his arms around Kim. He began kissing her neck, making Kim shiver.
"Absolutely not, I was disappointed we didn't have time to stop by there earlier today."
All conversation ended. Tommy pulled Kim closer and the two leaned back on the bed, intent on making up for the hours that had been spent not making love. God these next few weeks with him are gonna kill me, Kimberly thought as jolts of pleasure shot through her. She looked at Tommy's lust-filled eyes and gave him a smoky grin. But what a way to go.
A/N: Yup, another short one. The two songs used in this chapter are "Simple Man" and part of "Fairway." Both from the insanely talented Amy Jo Johnson. If you guys haven't checked out her music yet, it's a definite must, especially her second album, "Imperfect." She's incredibly amazing live and "Imperfect" is as close to it as it gets. In case you can't tell, I'm a huge fan. And yes, it's pure coincidence that the title of this story is the same as one of her albums. Thanks for the reviews, keep em coming:) Emma.