Chapter 11
"Kim?"
Tears flooded Kimberly's eyes and her hands came up to cover her lips of her face as the reality of the situation seemed to set in. She gathered her legs under her and lunged at him, throwing her arms around his neck and knocking him on his back.
Tommy caught her automatically, relief flooding through him as he realized he held Kimberly. Not just her body, but the mind inside that body was his Kim. "Kim!" He turned his head, kissing her cheek and inhaling the scent that was uniquely hers. "I've missed you so much, beautiful."
She laughed, but it was a slightly broken, tearful sound. "I've missed me too. Oh Tommy, it was horrible having to watch myself do all those awful things to you... saying and doing the things I did…"
"It's over with; you're back now."
Kimberly pushed away, looking down into his face. "It's not over yet, Tommy. I can still feel them; they're in my mind looking for a way out, a way to keep trying to hurt you. I can't let that happen."
He sat up, searching her gaze even as he gripped her hands tightly. "We'll find them, I promise."
"I can't bear to see that look on your face again, Tommy," she almost whispered the words. "They made me watch your reaction to that letter and it just about killed me."
"It wasn't you." He reached up to cup her face in both his hands. "Kim, we can beat whatever's got a hold of you if we work together."
Tears spilled over the corners of her eyes. "Tommy, I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you… I'm so sorry…"
He pulled her head back to his shoulder as she clung to him, sobbing softly. Tommy's gaze met Jason's. Jason moved, crouching next to the two and helped Tommy regain his feet. Kimberly clung to him, barely acknowledging Jason's presence, and Jason smiled faintly. Things were back to normal - mostly anyway. Kimberly had never been able to see much beyond Tommy when things had gotten rough.
Unless he was on the other side of the continent.
Leaving the two as Tommy settled onto the couch, Jason scooped the bowl containing Kim's jewelry into his hands and moved back into the main area of the control center. Alpha was waiting for him. "Let's analyze this stuff while the two of them talk, Alpha. If there's anything we can find to help us track down the goons who were trying to control Kim, it should be here."
Alpha, suspiciously silent for once, nodded and accepted the bowl, taking it to a side station.
Jason looked back to Kimberly and Tommy, smiling faintly at the scene that greeted him.
Tommy held her tightly across his lap, rocking her back and forth like a child as she left her face buried in the side of his neck. Tommy's hair partially hid Kimberly's face from view and neither seemed to notice since both of their eyes were shut, and they were basking in each other's presence.
The moment was broken when Zordon finally spoke again. "Kimberly, it is good to see you are back to being yourself."
Her head came up with a start, as if realizing where she was for the first time. "Zordon?"
Bobbing in mid-air, the massive head nodded. "How are you feeling?"
"Awful." She rubbed the back of her hand over her face, wiping her tears away. "I did and said some horrible things."
"And you may do them again," Zordon never pulled his punches. "The dark energy that has suffused your body is still a threat to your continued well being."
"Even if whatever was controlling her has finally lost its hold?" Tommy's grip was protective and sheltering, and Kimberly seemed to draw strength from it as she remained where she was.
"Unfortunately, Red Ranger, the answer is yes. As I explained earlier, the combination of the two would eventually reassert the previous influence she was under. Alone, the negative energy will take longer to do so, but it will eventually taint her actions and words and likely drive her to do things she would not normally do."
Kimberly shuddered, seeming to shrink in Tommy's arms for a half second before determinedly rising to her feet. Squaring her shoulders, she turned to face Zordon. "I've never felt that helpless before, Zordon. Not since before I became a Power Ranger, or since choosing to leave. There has to be something I can do to avoid becoming a hostage in my own brain!"
Tommy stood beside her, catching her hand in his as Zordon seemed to contemplate the problem.
"What about reversing the spell Rita and Zed had her under?"
"Unfortunately, Kimberly is not under a spell, Jason." Zordon's tone was filled with regret. "Her basic life's energy was stolen to be replaced."
"So reverse the procedure and replace the negative with positive."
"The only way to do so would be to ask another Ranger, preferably Katherine, to sacrifice a portion of her own Energy. As Kimberly and Katherine both shared the pink power coin, their energies will be a natural match."
"And you didn't mention this before?" Jason shared a look with Tommy. "Why?"
"The procedure would be dangerous to both and possibly fatal. If it should fail, the Rangers would be without a Pink Ranger and both Kimberly and Katherine would be dead."
"Then there has to be another way." Kimberly's tone was determined. "I won't risk Kat to save myself. The negative energy doesn't do anything but change my actions because of things I might have once wanted or was afraid of, right Zordon?"
"Correct."
"Then it's not life-threatening?"
"Correct again."
"Kim, what are you thinking?"
She turned to face Tommy. "The negative energy preys on my suppressed emotions and fears, right?"
"Right."
"So what if I acknowledge those; at least those that are influencing me in a direction I don't want to go?"
"Kimberly may be able to purge the negative energy by doing so. Negative energies feed off doubt and fear. By pushing past those doubts, she may reduce the negative energy levels in her system and effectively remove their power."
"But is it permanent?"
"No, Jason. Kimberly would need to continue to do so for the remainder of her life."
"Or until the negative energy is gone."
"Correct, Tommy. However, the negative energy will not likely be completely purged. No matter how positive Kimberly's attitude small doubts will likely continue to nurture the energy until the day of her death."
"So, I just have to be honest about what I'm afraid of, right?"
"Until we can find a more permanent solution, it is a place to start."
Kimberly stepped away from Tommy, taking a deep breath. "Then, why don't I start right now?"
"It would be wise to begin immediately."
Jason and Tommy shared a puzzled look as Kimberly turned her back on both of them. She placed her hands against the top of a nearby console, seeming to gather herself for the moment and the finally turned once more. She smiled at Tommy and then looked to Jason. Her nervousness was completely visible in the twisting of her hands.
"Jason, you've always been a brother to me - kind, caring and overprotective to a fault - but as a kid I had the worst crush on you. I used to daydream that you were a prince and I was a princess and one day you'd whisk me away to your castle in the sky." She smiled faintly. "I grew out of it by the time we hit high school, but I was terrified that my crush would drive you away if you knew about it. It was always with me - until I met Tommy."
Jason crossed his arms over his chest with a nod of understanding.
Kimberly continued. "When I did meet Tommy, I was afraid you wouldn't approve of him. Your opinion means a lot to me - more than you probably know - so when you guys became friends it was everything. It hurt when you fought and couldn't be a team, but it was more terrifying to think that one of you would really hurt each other over me. Jason, because you care so much, I'm scared to do something that will lessen me in your eyes - I don't want to lose what we have."
Tommy slapped his friend on the shoulder and squeezed. He'd known Kimberly had valued Jason's opinion, he just hadn't known how much. That she'd been worried about his approval of their relationship wasn't news, but how much she'd worried about it was. It just went to show Kimberly's attachment to her friends.
"Tommy... my Tommy..." She smiled softly. "There's so much to say. Most of my hopes and fears revolve around you. You've stood by me through everything and I've done my best to stand by you. My deepest fear is that one day, when I really need you, you'll turn your back on me."
"Never."
She held up her hand, begging silently for his continued silence. "I know it's childish and it's irrational. If you haven't turned on me by now, you never will. But the fear is still there. I'm afraid of being abandoned again, of driving you away. I'm afraid of ending up like my mother and father, of making a commitment and being unable to follow through. Most of all I'm afraid you'll out grown me while I'm gone."
Tommy ached. His chest hurt as she spoke, revealing all of her insecurities and doubts, and wished he could do something - anything - to wipe them away. But it wasn't his job; this was Kimberly's fight and all he could do was support her.
Kimberly inhaled shakily. "I'm terrified you'll find someone else, that one day I'll get that phone call from you, or from Aisha, that says you're interested in another girl. I hurt thinking about it - about the necessity of letting you go should it come to that. I don't know if I have the strength to do it if you asked. You're my everything and to lose your support and affection would kill me."
He knew well how she felt - it was how he'd felt while reading her letter.
"I'm afraid of some day being asked to join my mom in France and having to leave you and all my friends behind. I'm afraid I'll fail at the Pan Globals and ruin my chances to get on the Olympic team. I'm afraid of backwards hand springs with no hands, of injuries and the spring board event. I'm terrified I'll let everyone down who believed in me and supported me to get where I am today - you two most of all."
"It's working, Zordon!"
Kimberly turned to look at Alpha in surprise, as if suddenly remembering where she was. She blushed. "I guess it's a good time to say I'm nervous about what you guys are going to think of all this."
Jason moved first, reaching out to envelope her in a tight hug. "Nothing's changed, Kim. No matter what we face, we're still friends and always will be."
She hugged him back in silent thanks.
Jason stepped away. "I know you've a couple more fears to confess, but I think I'll leave the two of you alone for that. Zordon?"
"Yes, Jason."
"Send my regards to the Rangers; I need to be getting back to Florida - I have a phone call to make."
Jason waved goodbye to his friends and disappeared in a stream of red light. Alpha stepped up to Kimberly and Tommy. "The negative energy levels are dropping in your system, Kimberly. If you continue your discussion, they should reach minimal levels in a short time."
"Alpha, is she still emitting that signal for the Cogs to track?"
"Negative." Alpha pulled the bowl of Kimberly's jewelry from the scanner. "The rings and earrings were being used to send a resonance pulse through her system. By placing one high, one in the middle and one low, the signal's originators were able to take control of her through the negative energy pulses. Those pulses are now deteriorating - it should be safe for her to resume wearing her communicator, pendant and anklet."
Kimberly accepted the jewelry and pocketed both pieces before replacing her communicator around her wrist. "Thanks Alpha. Zordon?"
"Yes, Kimberly?"
"Could I borrow Tommy for a little while longer? I still have some things I'd like to talk to him about."
"I will call if I have need of him."
"Thanks, Zordon."
Tommy turned to Alpha. "Let me know the moment you pin-point the location of where the signal is from. I have a bone to pick with whoever it is."
"Of course, Tommy."
He smiled and nodded, looking back to Kimberly. "Where to, beautiful?"
Her return smile was everything he'd missed. Sunshine - pure sunshine - and completely his Kim. "The beach and then my place - there are a couple of things you need to see."
Alpha acknowledged the destination and inputted the coordinates. In a flash of red and pink light, the two disappeared.
