Chapter Twelve

Tommy stewed next to me in the driver's seat the whole way back into town. Instead of going back to Jason's house, he veered off and pulled up in front of the Youth Center. I almost didn't recognize it without the big sign out front that hung there my entire childhood. The outside of the building was painted a nice tan color, trees planted along the side of it. I saw Jason's truck in the parking lot, Zach's car next to it. Tommy put the SUV in park and sat back in his seat. "What the hell am I going to do now?" He muttered, pulling the hair tie from his hair.

"We'll figure it out, Tommy. I'm sure there is somewhere else in Angel Grove that you can have your reception at. And the ceremony could always be in your parent's backyard or something." He shook his head.

"Kat invited two hundred people. No one I know can fit that many people in their yard." He popped open his door and climbed out. I followed him, leaving my purse in the car. Tommy's long legs made long strides towards the front door which he held open for me. I stepped through, feeling like I had stepped through a time machine. The hallway from the door was lined with bright blue lockers and the flor was covered in yellow and green tiles. I walked up the length of the hall, coming to the large room of the youth center. It looked just like it did when I was a kid. The walls were a teal color, neon signs hanging from them that read ARCADE, GYM, and JUICE BAR. The floor was tiled in sea foam green on the lower part of the of the room. The stairs leading up to the bar area were red, the floor a purple color up here. The bar was assembled now, a curved structure that was green on the bottom and a burnt orange on top. Behind the bar, there was a mirror on the wall and above that, a sign that read Ernie's Juice Bar was posted.

"Hey guys! How'd it go?" Zach called out from the far corner of the room. He was holding a buffing machine, finishing up the green floors. Jason emerged from the kitchen behind the bar, wiping his hands off with a rag.

"Terrible." Tommy replied, plopping down in one of the chairs in front of the bar. There were several boxes in the corner of the room, pictures of tables and chairs on them.

"I take it there will be no fancy wedding then?" Jason asked, frowning. I shook my head, patting Tommy on the shoulder.

"It's fine. We will figure this out." I said. "This place looks great, Jase. You guys recreated everything perfectly!"

"Thanks." Jason replied, beaming. "I hope it's something Ernie would be proud of. I just have to finish putting all the tables and chairs together and then we will be good to open." He tossed the rag down and leaned against the bar. Zach walked over, unplugging the buffer.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Zach asked, leaning against the bar. He grabbed a bottle of water from the counter and took a sip. Tommy shrugged.

"Do you know any place big enough to house 200 hundred people that is available next weekend?" Tommy asked, pouting. Zach shook his head, a frown on his face.

"Sorry, man. What about the community center? Or the polish hall?"

"Both are booked." Tommy sighed, standing. "I'm going to have to tell Kat that the wedding will have to be majorly down sized or postponed."

"Not necessarily." I said, looking around the youth center. "Jason, how many people are you allowed to have in here?"

"250." He replied.

"You could have it here!" I exclaimed, excitement building in my chest. I turned to look at the boys who looked confused. "Think about it! You could have the ceremony in the park and the reception here. It's the perfect spot! It has a bar, a kitchen, and plenty of space." Tommy looked around the room, a smile forming on his lips.

"You're right! We could get all the linens and stuff and make this look like a fancy venue! Aisha and Tanya could even get their aunt to help us with the flowers. You are a genius, Kim!" He hugged me tightly before turning to face Jason. "What about it, man? Do you think it would work?"

"Hey, anything to help you out. At least I don't have to get you a wedding present now." Jason smirked, picking up the rag again.

"Great! Jase, do you have some paper and a pencil? I can map this out." Jason gave me some paper and a pencil. Together, Tommy and I mapped out how the reception would be set up. We decided to put the tables on the right side of the room and the dance floor on the other. This left room for the head table by the stairs. There would be plenty of room for people to walk and for the candy table that Kat wanted near the cake. As for the bar, we would stock it with different soda, juices, and other beverages. I knew that there would be alcohol of some kind. There was no way that everyone would be attending this without alcohol coming in one way or not. I knew I would be bringing some at least.

Once we had it all mapped out, Tommy called Kat to tell her about our idea. I overheard him tell her that the country club was booked, leaving out all the details about what had happened. I could tell she probably wasn't thrilled about this idea, but he didn't seem upset when he got off the phone with. "She said that she would be fine with it. She was getting ready to board her plane, so she couldn't talk long. But this is a really great idea." Tommy said, walking back over to me. Jason and Zach were putting tables and chairs together, taking turns whacking one another with a leg every now and then.

"That's good. I hope this all works out well. I think it'll be fitting to have it here." I replied, tucking the plan in my dress pocket. "I wanted to thank you, by the way. For helping me out back with Toby."

"No thanks needed. There was no way I was going to let that guy keep being like that to you. Honestly, I was surprised you were letting him talk to you like that. I was waiting for you to kick his ass."

"I would have but I didn't want to ruin your chances of having the club for the wedding."

"Kim, you thought that having our wedding there was more important than your well-being? That's crazy! It's just a party. You are more important than that." He said, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Thanks, Tommy." I said, feeling a slight blush fill my cheeks.

"No problem. So, what's next? It has to be all easy after today, right?" He chuckled, drawing his hand back. I smirked, nodding.

"I hope so. There is a caterer that Kat wants us to check out. She made an appointment for around eleven. Then I have to go to the florist after that to pick out flowers. You don't have to come with me for that though. It's kinda girly."

"No. I want to come." He replied, standing up from his bar stool. "You want a ride home?" He pointed to the backdoor that led to the parking lot. Glancing over, I saw that Jason was still assembling the tables and chairs with Zach.

"Hey, Jase. You going to be here a while?" I called out. He looked up, glancing at his watch.

"Probably. You heading home? I have to grab Adam before I head back. Tommy, you hanging out for a bit at the house? Beer and swimming!" He exclaimed. Tommy shrugged.

"I have nothing else going on. I'll take Kim home then swing by my place to get my trunks. Unless you don't mind stopping at my apartment first." I shook my head.

"I don't mind." Turning back to Jason, I waved. "I'll see you at the house!"

"Pull out some hamburgers and hot dogs from the freezer when you get there!" He called out as Tommy and I headed out the backdoor. I waved again, letting him know I had heard him. I could hear him and Zach snicker as the door slammed shut behind me, knowing full well they were talking about Tommy and I. Rolling my eyes, I followed Tommy to his truck. He climbed into his seat as I pulled more door open. Shifting my things, I slid in and shut the door.

"I'm glad Zach was able to get the time off to come back to town for the wedding." Tommy said, turning over the truck. "Billy should be here in the next few days, depending how things are on Aquitar."

"Billy is coming? I thought he couldn't leave the planet due to the spell." I asked as he pulled out of the parking lot and headed for the south part of town.

"Well, we worked with the scientists on Aquitar and they were able to find a potion that will allow him to spend some time here. He'll need to take it every day, but he said it was worth it to be able to come back and see everyone. He hasn't seen his father in almost a year. I'm glad he'll be able to again."

"I can't wait to see him. I haven't spoken to him much since he left the team. My phone bill didn't support other planet phone calls." I joked, gazing out the window. "What day is Billy coming in? That's when we will plan to get your tuxes."

"The day after tomorrow, I believe. He is going to let me know for sure what time later tonight." He took a right down James Street. "I can't wait to have the gang all together. This will be the first time we have both sets of teams here all together."

"It's going to be something, that's for sure." I murmured, frowning to my reflection in the window. This could have happened already if I wasn't such an idiot, I thought. I shook it away though as he pulled up to a stop outside of a three-story red brick building. He killed the engine, pocketing the keys in his dress pants before turning to face me. "Just a heads up; my apartment isn't the biggest thing in the world. It's especially worse now with us packing everything up and Kat having her stuff there too."

"If it's anything like how your bedroom used to be in high school, I should bring a hazmat suit." I smirked, getting a playful glare from him.

"I knew sneaking you in was a bad idea." He muttered, climbing out the truck. He opened my door for me, closing it when I hopped out. Glancing up at the building, I saw there were white painted windows on the sides and two large glass doors at the front. There was a purple awning over the entry way, the fabric torn and tattered. There were also some dead potted plants on either side of the door and I could see trash in both pots as we walked inside. "I know it doesn't look like much but it's nice. My uncle owns the building and lets his racers stay here during the season. He let me move in after I joined his team. He's not too thrilled about me heading to London though." Tommy explained as we walked up a long narrow hallway that was painted an off yellow color. There was a wall of mailboxes, small holes for keys and numbers on each individual door. At the end of the hall, there was an elevator. He pressed the up button and glanced down at me. "Sorry if it's gross."

"Tommy, relax. It's no worse than the places I lived in Florida." I replied, patting his arm. The elevator doors opened, and he let me walk on first. It was small, big enough for four people maybe, and smelt like stale air and smoke. He pressed the cracked three button and the doors shut. Together, we rode up in silence. Occasionally, he would smile at me. His suit jacket was tucked into the crook of his arm and he looked tense. His shoulders were slightly hunched, and he kept playing with his pony tail. Was he really that embarrassed about his apartment?

"Here we are." He said as the doors opened finally. It revealed a similar hallway at the one downstairs on the first floor; long, narrow and painted off-yellow. Tommy strode off the elevator with me in tow, following as we passed door after door. I could hear voices behind them and occasionally a television. The smell of bacon was also in the air and my stomach growled. I hadn't had anything to eat today since my toast this morning. Rubbing my tummy, I came to a stop when Tommy did outside of a brown door with the number 327 engraved on the door casing. Reaching into his pocket, he fished out his keys. Quickly, he unlocked the door and stepped in. "Home sweet home." He stated, holding out his arms as I stepped inside.

The apartment was on the smaller side, I had to give him that I didn't see where he thought it was horrible though. The first room we entered was the living room. It was neat and tidy, a couch in the middle of the room with an entertainment center across from it. There was a television in the middle of it and some kind of video game system connected to it. There were various knickknacks on the shelves, most of them dragons or tigers, and several posters of Bruce Lee were framed on the white walls around the room. Attached to the living room, there was an eat-in kitchen. The walls were white also, with pressed wood cabinets and cheap counter top. The fridge was black, mismatching the white stove next to it. There wasn't much to see here, a toaster and a coffee pot in the corner of the counter. There was also a small table and chairs set in the left-hand side of the kitchen. There was a stack of mail on the table along with a coffee cup. There was a door next to the table and I could see a dark green shower curtain from where I stood by the front door.

"It's cute." I said, looking around. "It's very you, Tommy. And I mean that in a good way." I set my purse down on the couch and noticed a stack of boxes in the corner behind the TV stand. "How has the packing been going?"

"Terrible. Between Kat coming home, the racing circuit ending, and then everything going on with the wedding, I've had no time to pack. It's something I have on my forever growing to-do list, but it'll get done. Do you want something to drink?" He offered, gesturing towards the kitchen. He walked over and opened the door of the fridge. "I have water, a diet coke, and some beer." He said, glancing at me.

"The diet coke works." I replied. He grabbed the can from the top shelf and opened it for me before handing it over. I took a sip and noticed some pictures hanging on the wall behind us. Stepping closer, I saw that it was a large group photo of all of us when we were on younger. It was the same one that hung at my house, the one where Tommy was looking down at me. "Wow." I said, shocked.

"Yeah. It's corny but it's one of my favorite pictures."

"I have the same one." I whispered, biting my lip. "It was hanging in my kitchen until I moved here." For some reason, I felt tear prick at the back of my eyes. Why? Because he had the same picture in his apartment? We all received them once Aisha printed them out. I'm sure somewhere at her house, there was one. But his was hanging right in the open. The one picture I had though, that made me believe how much he loved me, was hanging right here in the open in the apartment he shared with Kat. I blinked back the tears before I let my mind run off with what it meant. It meant nothing, and I needed to get a grip. "It is a great picture." I said, smiling at him. "So, did you and Kat find a place in London yet?"

"Well, she gets to live with the ballet company in their housing. I only have a few weeks until I will be travelling with the circuit so there was no use in getting a place there yet. I am just going to rent a hotel room for the time being and keep a storage unit until she's allowed to move somewhere else."

"Living out of a storage unit? I feel ya there." I took a sip from my soda. "Are you excited though? A new country, a new job, and a wife! That's quite the adventure." He shrugged, leaning against the counter in the kitchen.

"It'll be something, that's for sure." He replied, sounding a bit deflated. Casting my eyes to look at him, I saw he was looking at his feet and absent mindedly fiddling with his ponytail again. For a moment, I thought about asking him if this was what he really wanted to do. I stopped myself though. That was no place for me to say anything or question his happiness with Kat. It would just cause drama where there didn't need to be any drama.

"It might take some adjusting but I think you'll love it over there. I was in London on a layover when I went to see my Mom a couple years ago. It's very nice. Just like everything you see in the movies. Make sure you visit Big Ben! It's huge in person. And then there's Buckingham Palace. When I was there, the Queen actually came out for a walk around the grounds. Such a cute little lady. I wish I had more time there, but I only had six hours between flights."

"You'll have to come visit once we get settled in. You can take some time to really enjoy it then. Maybe when Kat's show opens. She said something about inviting everyone to see it. We'd love to have you." He said, looking up at me again. I felt my chest grow heavy with the idea of visiting him in London. He would be married then. They could be working on building a family at that point. The thought made my nausea. I don't think I would ever be able to handle that.

"Yeah! Once I get on my feet, we will have to plan it." Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something sticking out from the drawer in the entertainment center. Tommy saw that I was looking over there. He let out a laugh, walking towards it.

"I was going through here this morning when I was looking for something. I guess I didn't shut it all the way." He knelt down on the floor in front of it and pulled it open all the way. It was a deep drawer, measuring about a foot in height. "Wanna see?" He asked, looking over his shoulder at me. The way he asked was so mischievous. His lips were set in a small grin and his right eyebrow was cocked. I set the can of soda on the kitchen table and walked towards him.

"What is it?" I asked. He patted the floor next to me. Inside the drawer, I could see a velvet blanket. It was a deep red color and I could tell there was something underneath it.

"Sit down and I'll show you." He answered. Eyeing him, I gripped his shoulder and knelt down next to him. I tucked my feet under me and leaned in closer. "What I'm about to show you, you can't tell anyone. I need you to swear to me that this is something you won't speak a word about. Okay?"

"Jesus, Tommy. Do you have a dead body in there or something?" I whispered, glancing over my shoulder for some weird reason. It wasn't like I was expecting someone to actually be there. He grinned, shrugging his shoulder.

"Just promise me, okay?"

"Fine. I promise." I replied. Nodding, he reached in and pulled the velvet blanket off the top of the drawer. When he did, I saw several different shaped objects inside. The first thing I recognized with the green helmet. "Is that your old helmet?" I asked, confused.

"It is." He reached in and pulled it out. Though there was a crack in the visor and some chips missing from it, it was indeed the green Power Ranger head gear. I hadn't seen it since he lost his powers so many years ago.

"But how? I thought it was destroyed when you lost your powers."

"So, did I but when the Command Center was destroyed, we found it in the rubble. Alpha said that it was stored there since the powers were no longer useable. I stole it when no one was looking."

"Can you do that? Won't they be looking for it?" I asked, touching the top of it. It brought back a wave of memories; us in battle, hanging around the Command Center, learning about his fate as the evil Green Ranger.

"I'm not sure. That's why you can't tell anyone. No one else knows I have it. Not even Kat."

"It's not dangerous anymore, is it?" I asked, fearful that he had something that could put himself in danger. He shook his head, setting it back in the drawer.

"No. Billy ran some tests on everything we found and none of it came back with any power readings. They were all fried when everything went down. Now, they are just cool artifacts in Power Ranger history."

"Why do I feel like you walked out of there with more than just a helmet?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. He smiled sheepishly, reaching into the drawer again. When he pulled his hand out, he held a silver watch band in his hand. I could see a white band around the round part and I recognized it as his communicator. "No way!" I gasped, carefully taking it from him.

"Yeah. These weren't destroyed since we were wearing them, but we had to trade them in when we became the Zeo Rangers. Alpha let me keep it though once they disconnected them. Billy has his as well. Before he left, he fixed them so that I would be able to contact him on Aquitar."

"That is amazing! What else do you have in there?" Tommy showed me the rest of his stolen collection, including a gear shift from the Falcon zord, a set of keys from the Turbo zord he had just given up recently and then the chipped blade of Saba, his beloved sword when he was the White Ranger. He tucked each piece carefully into the drawer, closing it gently. "I'm jealous." I said, looking over at him. "I wish I had something from when I was the pink ranger. I had to hand everything over to Kat when I lost my powers."

"I only happened to stumble on most of this stuff. No one else has anything from when we were rangers. I've asked. I just wanted something to remember it by since it was such a huge part of my life. I thought I was always going to be a ranger and that it would be something nice to remember my time spent when I retired from it. Of course, I thought it would be a lot further in the future." He gazed down at the drawer, a sadness etched into his features.

"You didn't want to quit." I said, causing him to look up at me.

"It was the right thing to do." He replied. I shook my head.

"That's not what I said. You didn't want to leave the team yet. You want to keep fighting with them." He shrugged.

"Well, yeah."

"So, why aren't you? You are Tommy Oliver, the great Power Ranger to ever live. The Rangers would have loved to have you on their team as long as possible."

"It's not what Kat wanted. Being a Power Ranger doesn't exactly pay the bills and she wanted a successful boyfriend. So, it was time to compromise."

"But, why? Just because she wanted to leave doesn't mean you had to."

"She was worried that something would happen to me. I couldn't blame her for that. And I wanted to explore more options. Like racing. And maybe going to school." Reaching up, he pulled the hair tie from his hair and the brown locks fell over his face. "I wanted to make something of myself that she could be proud of."

"Tommy, being a Power Ranger is the biggest thing on Earth she could be proud of. It's the same as being a hero on a daily basis. If she couldn't deal with that, she obviously didn't realize who she was with. Can't you talk to Alpha or Zordon? See if there is some way for you to join the team again?"

"Kim…" He said softly, looking down at him hands. "Jason didn't tell you, did he?"

"Tell me what?"

"Zordon died a few months ago." He whispered, locking eyes with me. I felt the breath escape my lips as I slid back so I was sitting on my rear end.

"What?" I whispered, tears forming in my eyes.

"There was a huge attack coming. All of these horrible monsters were heading this way. They were looking to ambush the planet, Rita and Zedd included. The leader of the Space Rangers, Andros, came to Earth to try and stop it. Zordon informed him that the only way to do that was by breaking his energy tube. Andros told him he didn't want to, but he didn't have any other choice. Zordon sacrificed himself and in doing so, it purified all the beings coming to Earth. He saved the planet, but he couldn't survive outside of the energy tube."

"They didn't try to bring him back? We had done it before! With the great power. Why didn't they at least try?" I asked, tears slipping down my cheeks.

"His energy was absorbed into the universe. There was nothing to bring back. I'm really sorry, Kim. I thought Jason or Trini would have told you." I shook my head, covering my mouth with my hand. I couldn't believe he was truly gone. He was like a father figure to me, filling in the role that my own father had all but given up when he divorced my mother. Zordon had guided me through so much when I was a teen with everything I faced as a Power Ranger and just as a regular kid. He had helped me decide to head to Florida, knowing that if I had stayed, it would eventually kill me in the end. He was the one who convinced me that following my dreams was worth it, along with Tommy. It was the last time I had seen him. I thought that there might have been a chance of me seeing him now that I was back in town. But, now I never would. How could he truly be gone?

"I can't believe he's gone." I cried. I pulled my knees into my chest and cried, emotion pouring out of me as I did. I felt Tommy slid himself towards me and his arms wrapped around me. He pulled me into a tight hug and I leaned into him. His body was warm and soft to the touch and even through my grief, I felt my heart race as he hugged me.

"Shh." He murmured into my hair. "I gotcha."