Chapter Nine

The Command Center decided that the dormitory no longer needed to exist and instead created one, rather small, bedroom. They both had stared at it when they walked back to get sleep that night before Tommy gathered his things and went back to sleep in the library. The fight was still far too fresh for either of them to be in that close of quarters with the other. The Command Center also, apparently, decided that the library no longer needed couches or comfy chairs at the same time. When the place decided it wanted to make a point- it made a point.

"Don't. The couches disappeared," Tommy supplied as Kimberly started to rage at him again. She was furious that he could not see that she was value added. That he seemed to not be able to believe that she could help keep him alive- instead of him keeping her alive.

"They what!" Kimberly shrieked and then looked back to see that the two twin beds had merged into a king sized bed. "I say we spend tomorrow reprogramming how this place makes rooms."

"What's the use? Apparently the Command Center thinks we need to get along better…much better," Tommy muttered as he looked past her at the changes made to the room since he had left. "If we don't call a truce for the night- I'm afraid that the room is going to turn that in to a full sized bed and leave us with about two inches to move all night. Truce?"

"Truce," Kim muttered as she shook his hand and then returned to her night time routine. Her routine was her bit of contact with the outside world. Although she had been able to put in for an undetermined leave of absence, she knew that there was a very good chance she would lose her job over this. Appeasing her boss with daily calls was the best hope she had at staying out of the ranger world when this was all over.

The Command Center, again, provided what she needed to make these calls happen and her boss was none the wiser that she was holed up in a magical building that seemed to have its own plans for her life. Last night she had found a pack of condoms and birth control when she went to wash her face. If Tommy had found the same, he was not mentioning it to her. The Command Center was making it very clear that the two of them should learn to get along again. Neither of them were going to make it easy on the Command Center for that to happen.

After her call, they settled in on opposite sides of the bed and tried to get some rest. They knew that they desperately needed rest in order to get anything of worth done tomorrow. The temperature dropped in the room and soon Kimberly found herself shivering under the, much thinner, comforter. What point was the Command Center trying to make? She stood up to rummage around for a sweater, hoping that the Command Center had not decided to make that piece of clothing disappear. Soon after, Tommy joined her in searching for extra layers of clothes. Upon returning to the bed- they only found a thin sheet.

"Oh come on," Kimberly groaned and she climbed under the paper thin sheet. Apparently the Command Center had not accepted their truce and was intent on them either snuggling together for warmth or talking this all out tonight. "I just want to sleep."

"Come here," Tommy forced out as he opened his arms and she looked at him wearily. This was the same man that two hours ago had said that he would not allow her to get close to him because it would break him. Maybe he only meant emotionally close, but she had the distinct feeling that he had also meant physically close. For the both of them- it was hard to do one without the other happening. "If you can think of a better way to get rest tonight- I'm all ears."

"Fair point," Kim whispered and she climbed back in to the bed and burrowed herself into his chest. Warmth immediately flooded her body and she let out a sigh. As much as she didn't want to admit it- she was in desperate need of an undisturbed night of sleep. Maybe that was all that the Command Center was trying to do for them- get them one night where they were able to sleep well.

As the hours went by- it became obvious that that was not what the Command Center intended at all. The temperature continued to drop and pretty soon they could feel frost forming in the air around them. There was going to be no sleep tonight. It was now about surviving until the morning, when they might be able to figure out what was really going on here. She felt Tommy adjust his grip on her and pulled back enough to try to catch a glimpse of his face. He was weary, bone tired, and scared to try to sleep at night. Ever since they had watched what happened to Jason and Zack- he had not slept well. She imagined that he was dreaming that death was coming for him in the same way and that had to be absolutely terrifying. But if the Command Center sensed that he needed any comfort- it had not provided it to him.

"We're in the Command Center," Kimberly murmured as her mind suddenly realized the one thing they had not done.

"Yes."

"We're in the Command Center," Kimberly emphasized as she bolted up right and started towards the door. The floor now resembled ice and she slipped as she hurried to go to the main bay.

"Repeating it in a cheery tone doesn't change anything," Tommy stated as he grabbed the sheet, wrapped it around her and tried to pull her back towards the bed.

"No- we've been ignoring that. We've been ignoring that we're in the Command Center- that this place knows things that aren't in any database," Kimberly said as he quirked his head to the side and his eyes suddenly widened. "There is no database that has that your favorite breakfast is French toast, bacon, and fruit with black coffee- but all of that is here for us. Where does the Command Center keep that knowledge? What if…what if there's a way to talk to the Command Center? To ask about things that aren't in the databases."

"It's nearly 4 am, we've been shivering trying to sleep for hours- don't you think the Command Center is trying to make some other point right now?" Tommy countered as they felt a gust of warm air and the sheet around Kimberly suddenly became a warm, down blanket. "Okay- so we look for a way to talk to the Command Center once we've gotten some sleep."

"I'd say the warm air is a definite yes," Kim remarked and he just threw his hands in the air. The Command Center had certainly found a unique way to make this point and they both hoped that what they were trying to do would actually be feasible and not another dead end. "Although, it apparently still wants us to get along better."

The bed had turned in to a full sized bed and Tommy chuckled. At this point- why not? They were both so tired that they did not care if there was barely enough room for the both of them to sleep comfortably on the bed. Right now- they just needed sleep. They desperately needed sleep. However, as they moved towards the bed- a subtle glow came in to the room and soft music began to play. Romance was not on either of their minds, but it apparently was weighing heavily on the Command Center's.

"Look- we got the point about talking to you. Lay off trying to get us back together for the moment," Tommy spoke to the room. The music suddenly stopped and the room returned to pitch black. "I swear- our friends would be proud of the effort this place is making to get us on more than speaking terms again."

"You're the one who doesn't want anything more," Kimberly muttered as she closed her eyes and was sound asleep in a matter of seconds. She knew what she was saying to him. She knew that she was opening a door that she had closed all those years ago. She just hoped that it was enough to get him to think about it and not push him even further away.