Here's the next chapter! Thank you all for reading!
"Okay, see you, Jen," Adam said as he waved outside the door. He shut the door and threw his things on the couch closest to him.
Trini looked at Kim, raising an eyebrow. The two of them were in the middle of a movie marathon, waiting for Jason to come home from work so he and Trini could go out on their date.
"Tell him!" Trini hissed.
Kim made a face at her and shook her head. "No!" she whispered harshly. Trini made a face at her as Adam plopped onto the couch next to Kim, taking a long sip of his Coke.
"What have the two of you been up to today?" he asked, casually draping his arm around Kim.
"Well, hello to you, too," Kim answered.
Adam smiled and hugged Kim. He stood up halfway off the couch to hug Trini. "There. Now let me repeat: so, what have the two of you been up to today?"
"We've been doing some super girly things!" exclaimed Trini. "Poor girl, cooped up with two guys who don't know the difference between-"
"Okay, okay," interrupted Adam. They all laughed. "I'm glad you guys got to spend some time together."
"Yeah," replied Kim. "You do not want to see the inside of my bedroom!"
"I could only imagine," Adam said, dryly, earning himself a light elbow in his abdomen.
"Too bad Rocky and Aisha couldn't come," Trini said. "I would've liked to see them again. I haven't since..." She pointed to Kim. "Since you were in the hospital."
"Oh, I did call Rocky today."
"About what?"
"Thought it would be cool for him to come and visit since you're here. A little reunion."
"Did you call Aisha, too?" Kim asked, excitedly.
"No..." Adam smiled apologetically at Kim. "Well, I did, but she can't come. But Rocky said he'll drive down tonight and stay for a few days. I figure I'll drive back up with him to keep him company and fly back."
"How long are you planning on staying in Atlanta?" asked Trini.
Adam shrugged. "Not too long, probably just a day to catch up on sleep, I guess." He looked at Kim. "Do you want to come? We could stay later. For a few days or so. Maybe it'll be good for you to have a change of scenery, even if it is for a short bit."
Kim looked at Trini, who was nodding vigorously. "Oh, I don't know, Adam..."
"You should!" exclaimed Trini. "It will be good for you. But you know, I think you should tell Rocky."
"Oh, I don't think so..."
"Just tell him when you're ready," Adam said, squeezing her arm, gently. He turned to the TV. "So, what are we watching anyway? Chick flicks galore?" He rifled through the stack of movies on the coffee table.
"Hey, you liked She's The Man!" exclaimed Kim.
"Because it was funny!" protested Adam. "And I like soccer! Funny plus soccer equals a movie I like!"
The three of them laughed. "What are you planning on doing tonight?" Trini asked.
Kim shrugged. "While you and Jason are out on your date?" she teased. "I was just planning on finishing out this movie marathon alone."
Adam made a face. "Jenna asked me to hang out and go to dinner and bowling."
"Why the face? I thought you liked bowling, too."
"Yeah, but...I really hate to say it, but she is really irritating." Trini and Kim started laughing. "So I told her I have to get the apartment ready since I'm having friends over. Then she offered to help!" He pointed to Trini. "But, hey, how about you let me and Kim tag along on your date? Jason will be much more receptive coming from you than me." He looked at Kim. "Or maybe you."
Kim laughed. "Why? Don't want to be a loser stuck at home on a Friday night?"
"No," he answered. "I just don't want to be here if Jenna decides to drop by."
Trini grinned. "I don't see why not! I would love to have you and Adam go out with us!"
"Tri, we'll even sit at a different table if you and Jason don't want us there." He looked at Kim. "Besides, it'll be good for you to get out. And if you run into any trouble...I am a trained martial artist."
"Oh, come on, Kim. You look beautiful," said Trini.
"You so set this up!"
"I did not!" Trini held up her hands defensively. "I didn't force him to ask if the two of you could come with us! I didn't even know he was going to ask if the two of you could come!"
Kim looked at Trini suspiciously, narrowing her eyes. "Somehow, you set this up."
Trini laughed in spite of herself. "Maybe...maybe the fates of the universe want the two of you together, too."
Kim shook her head. "No...I don't know. I can't tell him. I could barely tell myself."
"Well...maybe this realization is the symbol of a new you."
"New me?" Kim looked wary at the statement. "I'm not a new person...I'm just...a broken shell of what I've been before."
Trini bit her lip, not knowing what to say. She put her arms around Kim and pulled her in for a hug. "Well," Trini said as she pulled back to look at her best friend, "then maybe it's time for you to be a new you. Take the experiences and everything that you've been through, learn from it, and use it to make yourself a better person than you've ever been before. The best person that you could be for yourself. You don't have to please me...or Jason...or Adam. We'll all be here for you no matter what. I love you, Kim. You're my best friend, one of my most favorite people in the world and I just want to see you happy. And I can honestly say that I have never seen you more happier than when you are with him. Even if you don't notice it, there are little things that the two of you do around each other that makes it obvious to the world that you and Adam are important to each other." Trini held up a hand. "And it's not just because you two are close friends. It's something more. When he moves, you move. When you make a gesture or an expression on your face, he makes a gesture or an expression to complement yours." Trini hugged Kim again. "But...if you aren't comfortable with telling him or anything, I won't say a word. And I won't push. But I will give my opinion to you."
Kim tried to smile through her tears. "I don't know what I did to deserve a friend like you."
"Nothing. You didn't have to do anything. I'm here with you and I always will be."
"Thanks, Trini." Kim hugged her.
"Now...do you want to come with us to dinner? If you're really uncomfortable with going out tonight, you don't' have to. I'll let them know."
"No, I'll come. It's been so long since I've been out on a 'date'." Kim used air quotes around the word date. "I mean, it'll be nice to do something. And going out with my best friends will be good."
"Yeah, especially-"
Kim held up a finger, interrupting Trini. "Don't even say it!"
"I said I'll give my opinion!"
"I know what you're opinion is!" They both started laughing as a loud knock interrupted them. The door opened and Jason stuck his head in.
"Ladies about ready?"
"Yeah," answered Trini.
Jason fully opened the door. "Wow, baby. You look great."
Trini grinned as she bounced to Jason across the room. "Thanks!" She was wearing a pale yellow spaghetti-strapped dress that bunched around the chest and flowed freely to right above her knees.
"And not too bad yourself, Kim."
She rolled her eyes as she followed the two of them out of her room. "Thanks."
Adam looked up from the book he was reading, upon hearing them come out of Kim's bedroom. He stood up off of the couch, shaking his pants out and slowly took in the sight of Kim. "Wow," he exhaled, oblivious to the glances that Trini and Jason gave each other. "You look great, Kim." He walked over to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
She was wearing a darker shade of pink; a sleeveless low-cut chiffon dress that fell above her knees. She smiled, shyly. "Thank you," she responded quietly. "You look great, too."
"You've always looked good in pink."
Kim smiled and looked down, embarrassed. "And you always looked good in black."
Adam gave her a half-smile and held out his hand. He looked around at Jason and Trini. "So...let's go. What time's dinner?"
Jason looked at his watch. "Oh...in about 30 minutes, so we should be heading out there, anyway." He grabbed the keys from the kitchen and held the door open for Trini, Adam, and Kim. He closed and locked the door, walking faster to catch up. "Wait," he said when he saw his friends surround his car, Adam as passenger, and Trini and Kim on either sides to get in the back seat. He threw the keys at Adam. "Since you two are crashing our date, you drive." Adam shook his head as he reached for the keys. "And Kim, front. I'm sitting with my girlfriend."
Trini smirked at Jason as Kim eyed Trini suspiciously. Trini caught Kim's eye and shook her head, as if to say, "I have nothing to do with this." Kim just shook her head as she accepted Adam's help in sliding into the front seat. He carefully closed the door and jogged around the front of the car to jump in the driver's seat.
The drive to the restaurant was a lot longer than Kim remembered. Granted, she had never been there, but she knew where it was. She and Adam were silent in the front, while they could hear whispers and chatters between Jason and Trini. Kim looked up at Adam and smiled. He smiled in return and gestured toward the radio, turning it on. When all they heard were commercials and songs that they were tired of hearing, Kim took a CD from Jason's case and started playing it.
Only just a friend, the love story begins
Now here's a happy ending to believe in
You're always there for me, now you're with me in my dreams
It's got me wondering if you ever dream of me
I don't wanna risk losing everything
But I'll take the chance and tell you what I'm thinking
Girl, you've been my best friend
Can we put this to bed, then-
Kim forwarded the song when she heard Adam start to sing along to it.
Give me more lovin' than I've ever had
Make it all better when I'm feeling sad
Tell me that I'm special even when I know I'm not
Make me feel good when I'm feeling bad
Barely getting mad, I'm so glad I found you
I love bein' around you
You make it easy, easy as 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4
There's only one thing, to do-
Kim forwarded this song when she thought about how close the lyrics were to her heart. She wasn't sure how she should feel about these newfound feelings for Adam.
Feels like I have always known you
And I swear I dreamt about you
All those endless nights I was alone
It's like I've spent forever searching
Now I know that it was worth it
With you it feels like I am finally home
Falling head over heels
Thought I knew how it feels
But with you it's like the first day of my life
Cuz you leave me speechless
When you talk to me
You leave me breathless
The way you look at me
You manage to disarm me
My soul is shining through
Can't help but surrender
My everything to you
I thought I could resist you
I thought that I was strong
Somehow you are different from what I've known
I didn't see you coming
You took me by surprise and
You stole my heart before I could say no
Cuz you leave me speechless
When you talk to me
You leave me breathless
The way you look at me
You manage to disarm me-
"You have some of the sappiest songs, Jason!" exclaimed Adam. He started laughing.
"Hey, it's not mine!"
"Your car!"
"But you and Kim put your stuff in here, too! And Trini!"
"Whatever, man." Adam laughed again, pulling into the parking lot of the restaurant.
Kim thought about the song that was currently playing. She silently sang along to it and secretly dedicated it to Adam. Every word could've been coming from her. She looked up in the mirror and saw Trini smirking at her. When Trini noticed Kim, she mouthed, "U-NI-VERSE!" and gestured around her, eventually pointing to Kim and Adam in the front. Kim shook her head and unbuckled her seat belt. She followed the others into the restaurant, letting Adam lead her. Jason spoke with the hostess for a few minutes as she looked up their reservation. She kept silent, laying out her thoughts in her mind as she waited alongside Trini and Adam.
"I am so sorry, sir," the hostess was saying. "But since the change in the reservation came so late, we were unable to hold a four-seater for your party. We have two two-seaters, if that is okay."
"Uh," started Jason. "What's the wait for four?"
The hostess looked down. "It'll be approximately 50 minutes," she said apologetically.
Jason looked at Trini and Adam, who both nodded. "I'm pretty starved," said Adam. "So the two separate tables is cool with me, if it is with you, Kim."
Kim looked surprised and exchanged a glance with Trini. "Uh...maybe we should just..." she stopped when she heard and felt her stomach growl. "Actually, the two separate tables is fine. I think I'm starved, too."
Jason nodded to the hostess, who marked something on her sheet and pulled out menus. "Right this way." She led them through a short hallway and stopped at an empty table. She set the menus down and looked expectantly at Jason. Jason got the hint and pulled out chair for Trini before settling into his own seat. "And if the two of you would just follow me, please."
Kim looked over her shoulder at Trini, who was smiling encouragingly. "It's ok," she mouthed. She waved her hand to follow Adam. "Go."
When the hostess reached a more private area, she stopped in front of an empty table. "And here you are. Again, I apologize for the mix-up."
"Oh, it's no problem," said Adam. "It's our fault, we shouldn't have tried to change the reservation so late. Thank you for everything."
The hostess smiled her thanks and left the two. Adam pulled out a chair for Kim and helped her settle into before getting into his own chair. Their server came up shortly and Adam ordered their drinks. The two of them sat in silence for a bit, helping themselves to the complimentary bread and balsamic vinegar.
"Do you want to know a secret?" Trini said, excitedly over the table. She leaned closer in to Jason.
Jason furrowed his brow. "About what?"
"Kim."
He seemed to think for a bit. "Does it involve her health or anything that would get her into trouble again?" Trini shook her head and opened her mouth to speak. Jason held up a hand. "Then I don't want to hear it."
"Oh, come on, it's really good."
Jason shook his head. "No, nope, not gonna hear it."
Adam couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something felt off about the night. Sure, he was sitting with Kim, someone who he's eaten hundreds of meals with, but he could feel an air of tension that he didn't really like. He looked across the table at Kim, who seemed preoccupied in her own thoughts. He reached out and put his hand over hers.
"Where's your head, Kim?'
"Huh? What?" Kim looked up at Adam in surprise and pulled her hand back. "I'm sorry. I was just...thinking."
"About what?"
"Um...a bunch of different things."
"Anything I could help with?"
Kim shrugged. "I don't know. Sorry I'm being such a downer tonight."
"Don't worry about it."
Their server returned with their drinks and Adam and Kim both placed their orders. Again, they were left in silence, alternately taking sips between taking bites of bread.
"So..." started Adam, wanting to break the tension. "What's up?"
Kim laughed. "I'm really am sorry."
"I said don't worry about it. A lot of things on your mind, huh?" Kim nodded slowly. "Well, I'm here if you need an ear."
Kim nodded again. "I know. And thanks." She took a long sip of her drink and resolved to push her feelings to the back of her mind. She wanted to seem as "normal" as she could. After all, it was just Adam and they've eaten, just the two of them, hundreds of times before. "So, when was Rocky supposed to come down?"
"He said that he was leaving around midnight tonight, so it'll take him about 7 or so hours, depending on how many breaks he takes."
"Or how fast he drives."
Adam nodded. "Yeah. And he isn't that skilled in the driving area." He smirked. "I mean, Rocky wasn't with us when we received our turbo powers."
Kim looked at Adam with wide eyes and playfully hit him. "Adam!"
"What? Nobody's around. And he wasn't."
Kim rolled her eyes and thought back to when the team received their turbo powers. "How'd you get stuck with the mini-van, anyway?" She laughed.
"I know!" Adam slapped his hand down on the table. "I mean, the kid gets a great, big monster truck, Tanya gets an SUV thing, Kat gets this cute little car, Tommy gets this awesome-looking racecar and I'm stuck with the mini-van."
Kim laughed again. "So you could drive the kid around to soccer practice after all that fighting, soccer mom?"
Adam laughed also. He was glad that whatever tension he felt earlier seemed to be gone. And he was even happier when their food came faster than the two had expected.
There's that chapter! Hope you all enjoyed it and please review! Rocky will be in the next chapter. And other former rangers will make an appearance sometime down the road.
Oh, the songs are: "Cross the Line" by John Legend, "1234" by Plain White T's, & "Speechless" by The Veronicas. As usual, I don't own or make a profit off of any of it. =)