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Kim took a deep breath as she looked at Jason and Adam.

Jason took a step into the apartment and closed the door. "Adam deserves to know. The way he's helped you these past few months...it's time you let him in."

Adam looked expectantly at Kim, but didn't say anything. He reached out his arm and rubbed Kim's shoulder.

Kim bit her lip and looked at Adam. Jason took a seat on the couch across from Adam and Kim and nodded his encouragement to her from where he sat.

She nodded and took another deep breath. She briefly glanced at Jason before speaking. "I think I'll just start at the beginning...from when I left Angel Grove..."

Adam nodded. He looked at Kim and waited for her to begin.

"So...I left Angel Grove and came here to train. For the first few months, everything was fine. I was in and out of the gym, perfecting my routine and I got it down. Everything was fine with Tommy, I was okay with not being a ranger. But...you know...that was then."

Kim shrugged and took a sip of water before continuing.

"There was a group of...people. A few of them were among the best gymnasts in the program. They were...pretty much the 'popular kids at school.' And I wanted nothing more than to be a part of that group. Since I came into the program later than most of the other girls, a lot of people didn't like me. A lot of them kind of shut me out and made me feel really crappy about myself. But I knew, I figured, if I could get in good with this group...I'll be accepted."

Adam furrowed his brow, wanting to say something. Instead, he took a sip of his water and waited for Kim to continue.

"And..." continued Kim, "I've never, ever felt like that before. I mean, in Angel Grove, growing up, I didn't care if people liked me or not. I didn't care if I was accepted or not. I had four friends growing up, the best friends in my life, and since they were there, I was a strong, confident person. And then Tommy moved to Angel Grove, Trini, Zack, and Jason moved away, and you, Aisha, and Rocky moved to Angel Grove. And, you know, I was okay with my friends moving. I wasn't happy about it, hell no, but mentally, I was okay. You, Aisha, and Rocky fit in like I grew up with you three, too. And Tommy...Tommy's Tommy. And then...I don't know. When I got the chance to actually have a career in gymnastics...you know that I didn't...necessarily jump at the chance. But I left Angel Grove. And Kat took my place on the team."

"She never took your place, Kim," replied Adam.

"I know...and I'm really not trying to make it sound like I'm bitter or jealous or anything like that, because I am way over Tommy." She exhaled loudly and took another breath. "But...I came out here. And as I said earlier, I...felt...alone, I guess you would say. For the first time in my life, I was truly and completely alone. I didn't have Jason, Trini, Zack, Billy. You, Aisha, Rocky. Tommy. Kat, even. None of you were with me. My parents. My brother. And I don't blame any of you. I know it was fully my decision to come out here and I knew that all of you were behind me one hundred percent. So I pushed and pushed myself to keep going. To stick it out."

"And then?"

"And then I wanted to get in good with them. The...I guess you could call her the 'ringleader' of the group...her name's Mya. There were three other girls, her best friends, Nicole, Samantha and Kate. And call it cliched, but...I just wanted to be friends with them so I could just stop feeling so badly about myself. I know that we weren't necessarily the most 'popular' kids at Angel Grove High, but I just wanted to feel a part of something. A part of a group, I guess. So I started hanging out with them. Little things at first. I would help them out with extra tape. I'd spot them in the weight room. I'd go running with them, go to the gym with them. I'd help them with their floor routines and they'd help me with mine. They gave me some pointers on the uneven bars and I gave them some on the balance beam. You know, just kind of build a relationship or whatever. And they started inviting me to go out to dinner with them, go out to the movies, and everything seemed to be going fine. I wasn't spending Friday and Saturday nights by the phone waiting for Tommy to call anymore. I wasn't glued to the TV for news about monsters from Angel Grove, just to see if you guys were busy all the time. I had a life for the first time in months. It didn't just revolve around gymnastics or waiting around. I had friends for the first time in Florida."

"I'm sorry that-"

"No, don't apologize. I don't blame you, at all. Any of you. It's all on me." Kim furrowed her brow, thinking for a moment. "So...I had friends. We hung out during the nights and weekends. We partied a lot...and...that's kind of where everything went downhill for me, you could say. They introduced me to some people they knew around town and pretty soon, we started hanging out with them every week. During the day, we'd all be at the gym, perfecting our routines and once we were out of there, it was like we were completely different.

"I got caught, one night, coming home late from a party. Nicole dropped me off around 3 in the morning and we had early practice that day. Practice was scheduled for 6 in the morning since we were preparing for a regionals competition. Needless to say, I got suspended from that competition, but the directors gave me a warning and allowed me to stay in the program. Mya, Sam, and Nicole stayed off-base. Kate was the only other one who stayed in the dormitories, also." Kim bit her lip. "I should've stopped then, but I didn't care. I knew what I was doing wasn't what I was supposed to be doing-hanging out late, partying all the time...but I didn't care. I had friends for the first time in a long time.

"So after that, I was strict for a couple of days. I hated having to sit out of the competition, especially since Mya, Sam, Nicole, and Kate didn't get caught. But I wasn't going to give them up, of course not. I was the first one in the gym, last one to leave. I didn't go out with the girls...but come the weekend, the weekend after our regionals competition, I was feeling lonely again. And I decided to go out with the girls again. We went out to this pretty crazy party and that was where Mya introduced me to Michael. And...I hate to say, but we hit it off. And for the first time in a long time, I felt something again. I knew there was Tommy back home, but..." Kim shrugged as she trailed off.

"Was he the-"

"Guy from the letter...yes. But, we did start off as friends. We would just hang out and talk all night. He'd pick me up from practice and we'd have dinner and spend all night and all weekend together. Of course, we were still hanging out and partying with the others, but he and I were always together. But I knew what I was doing was wrong. So I broke up with Tommy..."

"Why'd you do it in a letter?"

"I didn't want to face him. I didn't want to see him or hear his voice because I knew I'd break. I'd break and go back to the 'right' way of living. Not staying out all night. Actually doing my routines."

"How were you doing at gymnastics?"

Kim shook her head. "It was around this time that my coaches started noticing that I wasn't keeping up. But, they thought that since I came on late, the pressure was all getting to me. And it was, among other things. But the pressure wasn't the reason why I couldn't stick it." She took a sip of water and looked at Adam, hoping that he wasn't forming judgments against her to turn him against her. She loved having him as a friend. Kim looked at Jason, who nodded encouragingly. She looked back at Adam, searching his eyes and saw nothing but sincere compassion and care. She hoped that he would continue to feel that for her.

"So...I had broken up with Tommy. And I started going out with Michael. Nothing really changed, too much. Except we'd spend even more time together. And we'd all still party together." Kim stopped and looked at Jason, shaking her head, slightly.

Jason nodded. "You're doing good, Kim. Come on."

Adam furrowed his brow and bit his lip, waiting for Kim to go on. He was glad that she was finally opening up to him, but could tell that there was a lot more to be told.

Kim took a deep breath again before speaking. "At one party, I was dancing with other people, people that I knew by face, but didn't know. Everybody else had disappeared and when I noticed it, I decided to look for them. And I found them...all of them. Mya, Kate, Nicole, Sam...and Michael. And a bunch of other people. They were...they were doing lines of cocaine...just right there. Right there in front of me. And...they all saw me...and...invited me to join them. And...I...I did. And after that, I continued to." She wiped a tear away from her face.

Adam looked at Jason, who raised an eyebrow at him. He struggled to keep his face neutral. "It seems like...it was all over a long period of time, when in reality it...went by real quick." Kim nodded. "How long did you do it for?"

Kim shrugged. "I don't even know. I can't remember how many times I've done. Other than Michael, I can't even remember who else was there. He was always the one who I knew to have it. And pretty soon, he and I would be doing it during the day. I'd take a break during practice and run out to the car and run it with Michael. I'd beg and plead for him to get some more and...then...my coaches and the directors found out. Random drug testing and I was the lucky one who got picked. Out of all of us-I got picked. So, you know...I peed in a cup. And I got caught and kicked out of the program and of the dormitories. I could've gone home...I could've gone to my parents...but..."

"So...it was kind of like you had hit rock bottom?"

Kim managed a small smile. "Almost, but no. Not yet." She paused a bit. "I didn't have any money, no place to stay...so I moved in with Michael. Amongst one of the biggest mistakes in my life. We did drugs pretty much everyday...anything and everything that we could get our hands on. And then...our relationship kind of started to head downhill. We started fighting. You know, no money, no heat...not that we really need it down here, but there was no air conditioning since we couldn't pay for anything. We didn't even have food. Any money that we had...went straight to...you know."

"So, what happened then?"

"Then...he started to...he started to hit me and yell at me all the time. Not the same person that I met. He would push me around."

"Did you go to the police?"

Kim shook her head. "No...of course, I didn't. I would've gotten in trouble, too. So...it kept on happening. And I let it happen. Somewhere in the back of my mind, whenever he would start hitting me...punching my face, kicking me, throwing things at me...in the back of my mind, I knew that I could fight back. I knew that one day before I used to be a power ranger. But...it felt like a dream. I didn't feel like I used to be a ranger. So...I just shut my mouth and accepted what came to me."

Adam was speechless and was surprised at what Kim was telling him. He understood why she was so secretive and had so many nightmares. He felt for her and wished that he had been with her to help Kim get through this.

"And then...there was one day when he beat me so hard that even Mya felt bad. She called 911 and I was in the hospital for a few days. I was in and out of consciousness and when I woke up, I was chained to the bed with Jason and Trini sitting at my bedside."

"Were you arr-"

"No...not officially. The cops talked to me for a long time and I...I just told them everything that I knew. Everything that I did. Everything that happened. They told me that they've been trying to get Michael locked up for a long time. Apparently he had been a big-time dealer in the southeast. Wanted not only in Florida, but also Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina. So...I gave them information in exchange for a more lenient sentence."

"And what did you get?"

"Court-ordered rehab and community service. Jason and Trini...they really helped me out from that." Kim looked at Jason. "They would call me everyday to make sure I was still on the right path...and...I'm glad to say that I am. And I have been. And everything had been going fine...I got my GED and cut all of those people out of my life. I was working on heading into college with a music scholarship. And then...the car accident."

"I'm sorry."

"No, don't be." She smiled and took Adam's hand. "I could look back and see that the car accident was probably one of the best things that happened to me...I mean, it made Jason move out here and...look. You're back in my life and we're closer than we've ever been."

"So...what happened earlier?"

"I saw him again. Earlier at the grocery store. Him and a few of his friends. He said I owed him money. And he also said that he caused the accident and said that I was supposed to die in it. And that it was my fault that those other people died."

"It's not your fault," Adam said automatically. "It's his fault." He clenched his fists.

"Adam..." Kim took his other hand and tried to help him release his tension.

"Go to the police, Kim," added Jason. "They've been searching for the hit-and-run driver since then and if he's admitted to it...then that's just another thing to add to the list of what he's wanted for."

"I don't even know what to tell them...I just completely panicked." Kim shook her head as her eyes filled with tears. "I thought I was over it." Adam shook his head at her. "I mean, I know that I've had nightmares, but...I thought I was getting better."

"Oh, Kim." Adam pulled her into his arms and just hugged her.


There's that chapter! Please review and let me know what you think!