Here's the next chapter! I hope you all enjoy!
Tommy grinned as he stared into the store's window. "Perfect!" he thought. He immediately ran in and departed from the store approximately twenty minutes later.
He pulled out his cell phone and scrolled down until he found Jason's number.
"Hey Jase," Tommy said into the phone. "I'm going to be a bit late for class."
"So what else is new?" Jason replied, wryly into the phone.
"Be quiet, Jason. I'll be there in a few."
"Okay, see you soon."
Tommy half-walked, half-ran to his jeep and jumped in. He threw his shopping bags in the passenger seat of his car and took off to Jason and Rocky's dojo.
"Yeah," Kim said into her own cell phone, cradling it between her neck and her shoulder. She played a few chords on the piano. "He said he wants it to be a surprise."
"Any idea what it is?" Trini asked.
"No."
Trini giggled into her phone.
"What is it?" Kim asked. "Do you know something?"
"No...I just have my suspicions."
"Jason told you something!"
"Jason did not say anything. I don't know anything!"
"Yes you do!"
"No, I don't! I just have suspicions!"
"Then what are they?"
"Do you know what today is, Kim?"
"No," Kim answered automatically. "You know ever since I went on tour I don't know dates. I only know days."
Trini laughed. "You are horrible. Do you remember what happened a year ago today?"
Kim searched her memory. "No. What happened a year ago today?"
"Seriously?" Trini asked, incredulously. "You don't remember? Is your head hurting again?"
"No." Kim pulled her phone from her ear and looked at it, trying to find the date. "Yeah, so?"
Trini sighed, exasperatedly. "A year ago, you had your concert in LA, and we were all there, and it was the first time we've seen Tommy, Zack, and Billy in years."
"Oohhhh. I forgot."
Trini laughed. "Is Tommy rubbing off on you?"
"NO! Trini, I'm offended." Kim laughed. She looked at her phone again and stared at the date for a moment. "Wow, has it really been a year?"
"Yeah...a year."
"So much has happened."
"And not just with all of us hanging out. You and Tommy..."
"You and Jason...wasn't it that same day when you were gagging at the thought of getting married?"
"Wasn't it that same day that you were still dreaming of Tommy?"
"I wasn't not dreaming of Tommy, thank you very much." The two of them laughed. "Gosh, and Aisha and Rocky finally getting married too."
"I think you're next in line, Kim!"
"No! What about Adam and Amy? Those two have been that way forever, too."
"Can you believe we told Amy that we used to be rangers?"
"Yeah, that's crazy. What's crazier is that she believed us."
"So...maybe tonight's the night."
"Night for what?"
"Hello! To follow in mine and Aisha's footsteps."
Kim rolled her eyes. "No...I don't think so. Tommy and I are still trying to get to know each other...and...he's already moved here from Reefside. Up and left his place of residence and work...and..."
"Still trying to get to know each other? Are you kidding me? You and Tommy know each other inside and out."
"Yeah, but...I don't know..."
"Well, do you eventually want to marry him?"
"Eventually? Like..."
"Do you see yourself marrying him in the future?"
"Yeah, I always have." She thought about high school and how she was already mentally planning their wedding.
"How far in the future?"
"I don't know...sooner or later?"
"Sooner?" Trini asked, expectantly.
"Yeah, sooner, I guess."
"Okay," Trini said. "So, what are you wearing tonight?"
"I told you, that pink dress with the white trim."
"Oh, okay. Hey, I promised Jason I would call him at the dojo. And his class probably just finished."
"Oh yeah, okay," said Kim. "I'll talk to you later, then, okay?"
"Yeah. Give me a call."
Trini pressed the end button on her phone and squealed. She opened her phone and dialed Tommy's number.
"Hey, where are you?" she asked him.
"Driving into the dojo right now."
She looked at her watch. "Aren't you late?"
"Yeah."
She shrugged. "Well, I say it's a go."
"You sure?"
"Sure. Everything passes the Trini seal of approval."
"Passes the Trini test, huh?" Tommy said with a smile. "Then who's next?"
"You so went out of turn, but don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
Tommy laughed. "Huh?"
"Never mind, but I'd say, Rocky, Aisha, Jason, and then Adam."
"Jay's last? I would've thought him to be last."
"Yeah...but you two share that best friend bond and Adam's super-protective over her. Even if it is you."
Tommy laughed. "I'll talk to you later, then."
"Okay, then. Give me a call!"
"Will do, Tri."
The two of them hung up and Tommy jumped out of his jeep. He headed to the doors of the building and held it open for a few kids who were walking out with their parents. They smiled and nodded to Tommy as they headed towards their cars.
"Hey Tommy," Rocky said, folding up some mats.
"Hey," Tommy replied. He looked around and nodded at Jason, who was talking to a few parents. "Could we talk real quick?" He nodded to Rocky's office.
"Yeah," Rocky said. "What's up?" He and Tommy headed into his office.
"Okay, I kind of want to keep this kind of secret, so..."
"Oh, yeah, no problem, Tommy, what's up?"
"I'm not sure, 'Sha," Kim said into her phone, looking at herself in a mirror. She held up a dress in front of her in the mirror. "It's supposed to be a surprise."
Aisha laughed on the phone. "Amy wants to know what you're wearing."
"I was thinking of wearing the pink dress that I have."
"With the white trim?"
"Yeah, but I'm not sure." Kim threw the dress down on her bed and let out an exasperated sigh. "God, I feel like I'm in high school again."
Aisha laughed. "Well..." Kim heard Amy laughing in the background, too.
"I'm nervous for some reason! I mean, we've already been back together for almost a year and he's moved out here from California and everything. I guess it's because he and I haven't really been out on dates..we've been out, but nothing like getting all fancy and dressed up and stuff. The only time we've done that is if we're all going out as a group."
Aisha laughed again. "You guys are like an old married couple!"
"Hey, when was the last time you and Rock went out and got all dressed up and stuff?"
"Me and Rocky are actually married. But you're right it has been a while." Aisha was silent for a bit. "Gosh, everything seemed to go by quick, huh? From a year ago."
"Yeah, Trini and I were talking about that earlier."
"I just think it's crazy. At least we've gotten back in touch with them."
"Yeah. And met Hayley. I guess we have Kira to thank for that, don't we?"
Aisha laughed. "Yeah. Who would've guessed that the girl Adam met in a coffee shop turned out to be one of Tommy's old students."
"Do you think I should go with that black and white printed dress?"
"I'm not sure...what shoes are you going to wear with them?"
"My black heels."
"What shoes were you going to wear with that pink one?"
"My pink ones."
"Oh, well, duh." Aisha laughed. "I say if you want a real throwback to high school, wear that pink one. If not, wear the black and white one."
"You're useless."
"And that's why you love me!" Aisha looked at her phone, hearing a tone that signaled another phone call coming in. "Hey, I've got another call, I'll talk to you later."
"Could you come over after you get off work?"
"So I could approve your dress first?"
"Of course!"
Aisha laughed. "Okay. It was easier in high school when we lived together, huh?"
"Yeah. But now you live with a boy!"
The two of them laughed as they said their goodbyes and hung up the phone.
"Hey Tommy," Aisha said, pressing a button to answer.
"Hey, 'Sha, I need to talk to you."
Aisha looked at the clock. "It's Tommy," she told Amy. "He said he needs to talk. Could you cover me for a few?"
Amy nodded. "Yeah, we're not too busy, anyway."
"Thanks." She turned away from Amy. "What's up, Tommy?"
Rocky smiled, walking out of his office.
"Hey, where's Tommy?" asked Jason. "I thought I saw him walk in."
"Yeah, you did," answered Rocky. He pointed to his closed office door. "He's on the phone with 'Sha right now."
"Oh, okay."
Rocky looked at a clock. "We've got, what, a half-hour before the next round?"
Jason nodded. He looked down at the front desk and tried to organize it a bit. "I thought Alpha was helping us out here."
"I think he's having a little bit of fun over there."
Jason and Rocky both looked at Alpha, playing with some of the mats. The two of them laughed and shook their heads. They both looked up from what they were doing when Tommy emerged from Rocky's office ten minutes later.
"Is everything all right, man?"
Tommy nodded. "Yeah, but I did want to talk to you about something."
Jason looked at him and furrowed his brow. "You okay?" He saw Rocky trying to hide a smile and looked at him. Rocky shrugged and walked over to Alpha.
"Yeah, everything's fine."
A couple of hours later, Kim finally settled on what she was going to wear. She looked at a clock and sighed. She spent the entire morning getting ready for her date with Tommy for that evening and could not help the nervous flutter in her stomach.
She laughed to herself before sitting at the piano. She started to play a few chords and liked what she came up with.
She pulled out her phone and set it to record and write the music that she played. Kim continued to play a bit more and started to sing.
"Remember those walls I built
Well, baby they're tumbling down
And they didn't even put up a fight
They didn't even make a sound"
She smiled as she stopped and wrote down the words. She always reached into her personal life for inspiration.
"I found a way to let you in
But I never really had a doubt
Standing in the light of your halo
I got my angel now"
She thought back to a year ago when she played the show in LA. She still couldn't believe it's been a year. "It feels like we've never even fell out of touch," she thought to herself.
She thought about the conversation she and Adam just finished a few minutes ago. They always talked about everything and Kim had told Adam that she felt like they went straight from high school to where they were now. She smiled as she thought about what he said.
"No offense, Kim, but you kind of sound like you're just ignoring everything that's happened between when you left Angel Grove and now," he had told her.
"I'm not," she had said. "I still remember everything that's happened."
"Good," he replied. "Everything that you had gone through is what made you the person you are today. And I hope you don't try to change yourself to be that person you were in high school. Or to be that person from a year ago. Cuz I love you. The person who you were and the person you've grown up to be."
"It's like I've been awakened
Every rule I had you breakin'
It's the risk that I'm takin'
I ain't never gonna shut you out"
She picked up the pen and wrote quickly, trying to keep up with what was going through her mind. She knew this song could pretty much be for any one of her friends, but there was only that she was really thinking of.
Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby, I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace"
When Tommy came back into her life, she knew she had changed. Especially when he moved from across the country, to Florida. She was happy, happier than she's ever been in her life. She loved her friends, but there was always something missing. She loved being close to Zack and Billy and was happy to have met and gotten close to Hayley.
"You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby, I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away"
Kim stopped playing when she saw her phone was ringing. She picked it up and saw Kira's name in the caller ID.
"Hey, funny you should call me right now," she said before saying hello or giving Kira a chance to say hello."I'm in the middle of writing a song, I'll play it for you later when I've finished it, but do you want it?"
"Are you serious?" Kira said.
"Yeah," replied Kim. "I mean, I know that you usually write your own songs and that you love doing that, but I just had this idea and I--"
"Uh, of course I'd want it! You know I'm always welcome to your songs."
Kim laughed. "Well, let me play it for you first. If you like it, you could have it."
"Okay."
"So what's up, Kir?"
"Oh, just wanted to know if you could make it to the album cover shoot in a couple days. I'd really love it if you were there."v
"Uhh," Kim said, thinking. "Yeah, okay. I'm not doing anything other than writing songs and stuff, so yeah. Sounds like fun."
Kira laughed. "Thanks. Is it weird that I still get super nervous? The only time I feel really comfortable with all this stuff is when you, me, and Adam are in the studio together. Did I ever tell you about the time when I met a record producer and they tried to make me all different and stuff?"
"No, what happened? When was this?"
"I was still in high school. It was after we became rangers. He wanted to completely change my style and...I just couldn't do it."
"Yeah, good thing you didn't. It's easy to fall into that trap."
"Yeah. I even made a music video with that different style. It was weird. And then I kinda felt bad because there was a monster and I left Conner and Ethan to deal with it on their own."
Kim laughed. "I was talking to Trini earlier and she reminded me that it has been a year, today, since that LA show, when we first got back in touch with the others."
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. It has been a year, hasn't it?"
"Yeah. And you know we have you to thank for."
Kira laughed. "No, I don't think so."
"Yeah, we do. Especially me."
"How weird is it that your boyfriend was my science teacher?"
"Very. Sometimes I still can't believe that Tommy grew up to be a science teacher."
"You doing anything tonight? It's been a while since we've hung out."
"Oh, I can't tonight. Tommy and I are going out. How about tomorrow night?"
"Tomorrow night sounds good. What are you guys doing?"
"I don't know. He said he wants it to be a surprise."
Kira laughed. "I hope he makes it on time."
"I do too."
"I'll talk to you later, then, all right?"
"Okay, just give me a call with whatever time's good for you tomorrow. What do you want to do?"
"I don't know, we'll figure something out."
"Yeah. I'm good with just hanging around and doing nothing."
"Me too. Talk to you later."
"All right, catch ya on the flip side."
Kim heard Kira laugh as the two of them hung up their phones. She went back to playing and continued to write.
Adam looked at his phone as he felt it vibrate. He had just gotten out of a meeting with Kira's record label and was on his way to meet Kira in the studio.
"Hey Tommy, what's going on?" he said, cradling the phone between his head and his neck, opening the door at the same time.
"Hey Adam, are you busy right now?"
"No, I was just on my way to meet Kira in the studio."
"Can we do lunch?"
"Ooh, a lunch date with Dr. Tommy Oliver?" Adam laughed. "Sure, where to?"
"I'll meet you at...I hate to say it, but what about Chili's?"
Adam laughed again. "Channeling Rocky?"
"I guess you could say that. See you there in about twenty or so?"
"Yeah, I'll just call Kira real quick and tell her I'll be in later."
"Okay, see you soon."
Adam pressed the end call button on his phone and threw it on the passenger's seat. He buckled his seat belt and turned his car, picking up his phone and dialed Kira's number. He pressed the speakerphone button and waited for it to ring.
"Hey Kir," he said, getting her voicemail. "I'm meeting Tommy for lunch so I'll be in later than expected. I'll call you when I leave. Bye."
He turned his phone off and turned the radio up and drove off.
Twenty minutes later, Adam walked into the restaurant, smiling at the host. He looked around and saw Tommy sitting near the bar and went to sit next to him.
"Hey Tommy, what's up?"
"Hey," Tommy said, taking a sip of his drink. "I ordered already, I hope you don't mind."
"Oh no, that's okay. What's going on?"
"Well, I already talked to Trini, Rocky, Aisha, and Jason."
"Okay."
"I'm taking Kim out to dinner tonight and I just wanted to...I guess let you know...or ask you for...I don't know...your permission, I guess. I'm not exactly sure how I should go about this."
For what?" Adam said, knowing where this was leading.
"I think it's time for me to ask Kim to marry me."
Adam furrowed his brow. "It's time for you to ask Kim to marry you? Why?"
Tommy looked at Adam, taken aback by his tone. "Yeah, I do. I love her. And I know she loves me."
Adam furrowed his brow even more and took a sip of his drink. He took his time before saying something. "I know the two of you love each other. Hell, I know you guys never stopped. But, why is it time?"
Tommy shrugged his shoulders. "Everything we've been through. In high school, after she left to come down here, after we all got back in touch. After what happened with Rita's mother and stuff."
"Okay. So why are you doing it?"
"I love her, Adam."
"I know you love her. But still. Why?"
Tommy looked at Adam. "Why are you questioning me?"
"Why aren't you answering?"
Tommy didn't say anything, so Adam asked another question.
"How are you going to do it? I'm assuming you planned for it to be tonight."
Tommy nodded slowly. "Well, you know Kim and I were going out to dinner tonight and I was going to ask her then."
Adam nodded. "How?"
Tommy shrugged his shoulders again. "You know, the usual. Get down on one knee and that whole jazz."
Adam frowned a bit. "When during dinner?"
"Probably between dinner and dessert. Or maybe during dessert." Tommy nodded. "Yeah, during dessert. I'll order her favorite dessert and ask her after that."
Adam frowned again, but didn't say anything.
"Why do I get the feeling you don't approve, Adam? I would've expected this from Jason, but not from you."
Adam shrugged. "I guess things have changed." He looked at Tommy. "Have you thought about how you're going to ask Kim? What you're going to wear? How you're gonna say it? Exactly when and where you're going to do it? Some meaningful place for you guys. Some special dinner that the two of you share. Or is this just one of those things that you thought of on a whim."
"Adam, I've been thinking about asking Kim to marry me for a while now."
"Yeah, you may have been thinking about it, but have you thought about the other stuff that goes with it? You know how Kim is, she's gonna want the whole she-bang. She's gonna want everything to be all out."
Tommy looked at Adam and frowned a bit, thinking about what he said. "I see your point."
"Look, Tommy, I'm happy that the two of you got back together. And I'm happy that you want to marry Kim. And I know that Kim wants to marry you. But you do see how I do have to protect her, right? Sometimes, when I look at her, I see that same girl that I saw when I first gave up the Turbo powers. That same girl who couldn't heal from her accident, the same girl who we just couldn't pull out of that depression, the same girl that we all tried to protect. How she looked at so helpless, even though it was years since her accident. All those doctor visits and holding her hand through all the poking and prodding. I remember how shy she was when she first picked up the guitar again and how I practically forced her to play for me. All those sleepless nights on the road, all the nightmares that she had. I remember all of that and sometimes I see it when I look at her. She's changed, no doubt about it, especially since you've come back into her life. She's changed for the better, but sometimes it looks like she's back in high school. And that's not how it should be. She should take every single one of her experiences and use it and acknowledge it into her being the person she is today. That girl is my sister and I know it's you,Tommy, and you're different from other people, but please, you've got to see it the way I do. Kim...she's still fragile. I know you won't hurt her, especially not intentionally, but...I just don't want her to get hurt. I don't want to see that look in her eyes again."
Tommy looked down. "I do see it your way, Adam, but you know I would never hurt her. And you know that I love her, I really do."
"I know you do, Tommy. And I'm giving you my 'permission'," he used air quotes, "or whatever to ask her to marry you. I want you guys to get married. But I want you to ask for the right reasons, not just because you've been apart for so long and not just because Rocky and Aisha and Jason and Trini got married. I want you to ask her because you really, truly can't live without her. I know that you do, but, you've got to ask her and make her feel special. Don't make it seem like you took it from a TV show or a movie. Or the usual cliches." Adam jumped up from his chair. "I've got to go meet Kira. Make her feel special, Tommy."
He threw a couple of bills on the table to pay for his drink, touched Tommy's shoulder and nodded as he walked out of the restaurant.
There goes that chapter. Hope you like it!