Hi All! Sorry for the delay, I have been super busy and struggled to find time to write - one benefit of being put in to another lockdown is that I now have time to write again! Thank you to all you lovely people who have took the time to review, it's been the main thing in encouraging me to keep going!
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Hearing the gun shot, Kimberly had whipped her head round to find the source of where it had come from. Muttering to herself a mixture of "no" and "he couldn't have" as she frantically scanned the beach front trying to make out if all of her friends were still standing. She could vaguely hear Tommy calling her name as she scoured the beach, wanting and longing to believe that they were all okay. Kimberly had entered a state of tunnel vision, blocking out all other noises and distractions as she focused on the beach front and looking for her friends. It wasn't until Tommy hands softly touched her shoulders, but with just the right amount of grip, from his position sat behind her that she snapped out of her panic.
"Kim, relax, it was just the start of the race they were having today in the lake... did you not see the swimmers all getting ready at the edge of the lake before we got in this kayak?"
Kim cleared her throat and turned back to face forward, hiding the embarrassment that was creeping across her cheeks. Of course, she now remembered seeing them when she sat out of the water after the shoulder wars. She felt like such an over-sensitive idiot.
"Right, yeah," Kimberly croaked, longing for the lake to swallow her up.
They sat still bobbing on the lakes gentle waves, Kimberly composing herself praying that Tommy wouldn't make her reaction a thing. Tommy was looking at the back of Kimberly's head, longing to know what she was thinking. What had made her react so badly to the sound of a gun crack? Did this have anything to do with why she had kept everyone distant after her move to Florida? Who couldn't have? The Kimberly Tommy knew was fearless, and more than able to take care of herself and wasn't easily spooked.
"Kim, what - " Tommy started but was quickly interrupted by Kimberly's manic movement to get the kayak moving again.
"I'm not going to be able to power both of us to this island, Oliver" Kimberly said hoping to steer the kayak and conversation away from what just happened. She knew she would eventually have to tell Tommy and the others about Patrick, but she really didn't want to be doing that whilst floating in the middle of the lake, with no where for her to escape if she wanted to tap out of the conversation.
Tommy hesitated deciding whether to push the matter. He would get to the bottom of this before she returned to Florida. It didn't matter what had happened between them in the past, Tommy was realising that he would still do anything for her, and particuarly for her to feel and be safe.
"I can't hear movement from you," Kimberly called out again. Tommy reluctantly began paddling and between himself and Kimberly power fuelled by her Adrenalin rush they glided through the water a lot faster than they had before. The two of them soon found themselves pulling up to the shore of the island, which Kim promptly jumped out of the kayak in the shallows and walked on to the shore leaving Tommy to drag the kayak on to the beach.
"For someone who wasn't going to do any work you sure found a second wind of energy," Tommy said as he put the paddles in to the boat.
"You were taking too long, just wanted to get to the look out point," Kimberly replied not looking back and started to climb up the rocks that looked out across the lake.
After a short clamber, they reached a flat part of the rocks which Kimberly sat on the edge of, letting her feet dangle over the side. She took a deep breath in and closed her eyes allowing her heart rate to return to a semi-normal rate. Tommy just a couple of steps behind her couldn't help but stop and take in her beauty as she sat their basking in the Summer sun.
Tommy squatted down next to Kim and sat down similarly to her.
"Are we going to just totally ignore how you acted like the biggest wimp out in the middle of the lake?" Tommy questioned, opting a different tactic to poke fun at the situation on the lake, although quickly regretting it after the deathly look Kimberly shot his way.
"Gee I'm sorry that I thought one of my friends might have been in danger," Kimberly bit back.
"Kim, we're in the middle of no-where, we're no longer Power Rangers, we're hardly sitting ducks. Or is there something I don't know?" Tommy replied, a little more sensitively this time.
Kimberly looked Tommy deep in to his chocolate brown eyes. She shouldn't have bit back the way she did. Tommy didn't know about anything that was going on in her life, and that they potentially were sitting with a target on their back. Kimberly forced a weak smile.
"I know, sorry. Sometimes I have trouble forgetting that we're no longer rangers and that we aren't Rita and Zedd's enemy number one." Kimberly looked back out to the view over the lake. She didn't want to lie to Tommy, opting to answer the first part of his question and hoping that would be enough of an answer for him.
"Hey, I get it," Tommy said, with Kimberly thinking, do you really though? "I still check over my shoulder in some situations waiting for a monster of sorts to launch an attack on me. If you like, when we're back home, if you have time we can work on some defensive moves if you want to brush up. Not sure if that will bring any comfort for you? I know you'll never need it but it doesn't hurt to make yourself feel more confident?"
Kimberly nodded. At that moment in time the only thing she felt would make her feel more confident was knowing that Patrick was behind bars, but going over a few moves couldn't hurt. The adrenalin wearing off from before, Kimberly felt over-whelmed and could feel her nerves surrounding Patrick getting the better of her again and a small tear escaped from her eyes.
"That would be great Tommy, thank you." Wiping the tear away she continued, "Sorry. I feel so embarrassed for getting so spooked over nothing. You would never think I used to don the pink spandex with reactions like that"
Tommy leant in to Kim and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head, "You have nothing to apologise for, beautiful". Kim blushed. Whilst Kim loved hearing that familiar nickname Tommy had for her, she knew it was wrong. If the shoe was on the other foot she wouldn't want her boyfriend calling his ex-girlfriend his old pet name fo her.
"I don't know if it's the best idea for us to fall in to old habits." Kimberly reluctantly said pulling away whilst looking down, swinging her legs over the rock.
Tommy sharply removed his arm from Kimberly's shoulders. Had he totally misread the reunion with Kimberly and vibes he was getting from her? Regardless of that, she was right and Tommy knew it. He was with Kat. He was playing a dangerous game allowing himself to fall in to his old routine with Kimberly and was struggling to hold back how he was truly feeling. He needed to make a decision. Gripping the rock with this hands either side of his legs Tommy let out a big sigh.
"Sorry, you're right. It's not like either of us are single anymore,"
"Woah - slow down their Tommy boy. I'm not concerned for my own potential significant other, not that their is one." Tommy's heart sped up to this.
"There isn't?"
"No, not for a while now." Kimberly couldn't help but smirk at Tommy. He had obviously had in his head that she was with someone, and there was a small silly part of her that liked the fact that he seemed relief in finding out she wasn't with someone.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."
"Are you?" Kimberly playfully asked.
Tommy chuckled to himself, "Well, no. Is that bad?"
"Probably, but I'm no saint." Kimberly winked at him.
Treading on dangerous ground, Kimberly had to ask, "How are things with you and Kat?"
Tommy pulled his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, casting his gaze out on to the lake, physically closing himself off from Kimberly.
"Fine," Tommy answered a little too abruptly. They sat in silence for a moment whilst Tommy pondered on whether speaking to his ex-girlfriend about his situation with his current girlfriend was the best thing to do. If they were going to give being friends a go, then Tommy wasn't going to open up.
"Can I ask you something?" Tommy asked, looking to face Kimberly. Kimberly nodded, "Sure, hit me."
"How did you know when it was time to call it a day with us?"
Kimberly look round at him, pity in his eyes. How could she explain this to him without hurting him further?
"I... I... hmm. I don't really know how to say, you just do. It was different for me though. I wasn't seeing you, we were hardly getting a chance to talk, I felt so cut off. I was hundreds of miles across country on another coast line. Every situation is different.. Why do you ask?"
"I dunno, if i'm honest, I just don't think Kat and I are for ever. I think I'm close to calling it a day. She wants to go to a dance school in England, that's why she's not here this weekend as she's auditioning for it. I just don't think I can handle another long distance relationship." Kimberly nodded, understanding Tommy's thought process. Her experience of long distance had certainly put her off of doing it again, and she wasn't the one being broken up with by a letter.
"I'm sorry if I tarnished that for you," Kimberly apologised.
"It's a two way street. Now that I'm older I can recognise that. Long distance just isn't for me, especially when both parties have busy lifestyles. It's not fair on one and other, not being able to give each other the dedicated time that they deserve." Tommy justified.
"You certainly have become full of wisdom in my absence."
"Don't worry, I can feel the Cali girl in you, like, totally rubbing off on me again," Tommy said as he playfully bat his eyelashes at Kimberly, mimicking her. Kimberly lightly slapped his chest in retaliation. "Oh come off it, I was never THAT bad... Come on. We should start heading back," Kimberly said whilst standing up.
"Sure you weren't Kim. If that's what helps you sleep better at night," Kimberly thought to herself, a better nights sleep - what a novel idea.
As they climbed own the rocks, Kimberly gave one last comment on Tommy's question, "What I will say though Tommy. Be honest with Kat and how you are feeling. That's the one thing I wish I had done with you from a lot earlier on. Maybe if I had our lives would have panned out different and I wouldn't live with such regret. I probably wouldn't have had to have dealt with this whole awkward situation this weekend if I had been,"
"It's all in the past now Kimberly, remember? You need to start forgiving yourself for choices you made. We're looking to the future not behind us."
The pair got themselves back in to the kayak and made their way back to the beach, a pinky-promise being made mid-way back to keep the conversation Tommy had about his relationship with Kat between the two of them. The rest of the group were sitting up on the beach lounging on their towels. Kimberly could feel the burn of the glare from Tanya but chose to ignore her. There would be a time where she would try and clear the air with her, but now was not it. Not in front of everyone.
The rest of the afternoon was spent in a mixture of sunbathing and continuing the games in the shallow water. Kimberly was feeling pretty tired from the long boat paddle and her sleepless night, but pushed through the day. At around 5 o'clock the group checked their boats back in to the rental shop, and gathered their belongings together to start the hike back up to their campsite. Kimberly could feel herself becoming clumsy in her footing through tiredness as they climbed up the rocky terrain. Taking the walk slower than the others, Kimberly brung up the rear listening to the jokes and conversation that was flying between the group ahead of her.
It was nearing 7pm and the light was starting to get darker as they reached the end of their walk, making it harder for them to see their footings. This was the wrong combination for Kimberly who was already exhausted, and after putting her foot down on a loose rock, her ankle gave way causing her to roll over it. Kimberly called out in pain as she fell to the floor, clutching her right ankle. Those nearest to her, Trini and Tommy looked back to see Kim in pain.
The two hurried back, Trini going straight to Kim's ankle to see what the damage was whilst Tommy crouched down next to Kim and asked how she was.
"Fuuuuuu.." Kimberly stemmed her explicit outburst by biting on to her knuckle. "Man alive, I've had some gymnastics injuries but this huuurts." Kimberly whimpered.
"Here, have some water. Breathe through the pain, out through your mouth, in through your nose," Tommy said whilst giving her his water bottle.
"Kim, I've only got some basic stuff on me for now. I can create a support for it and then when we are back at base we can get Billy to give it a proper look over. It's getting too dark here for me to see your ankle properly," Trini said as she took her mini first aid kit out of her bag.
"Thank god for you and Billy aye," Kimberly said gratefully as she winced when Trini lifted her leg so that she could put her ankle in a support.
With the help of Tommy and Trini, Kim was returned to an upright position.
"Okay, I need you to take this easy as you could cause more damage. Try and take a small `step for me," Trini instructed, standing on one side of Kim whilst Tommy propped up her left side.
Kimberly gingerly took a step and immediately began to stumble forward, evident that her foot was not going to be able to hold her up.
"Here, Trini," Tommy said as he removed the backpack from his back, "Can you carry my bag? Kim, if you get on my back we'l be able to get back a lot quicker." Trini nodded in agreement.
"Ugh, why can things never be simple with me?" Kimberly asked rhetorically whilst Tommy crouched down in front of her. Kimberly climbed on with the help of Trini, who then picked up Tommy's bag and strapped that to the front of her.
"Because then you wouldn't be Kimberly Anne Hart," Tommy said as he stood up with Kimberly on his back.
"You didn't need to answer that. Full steam ahead Captain," Kim joked, to which Tommy and Trini began the final part of the walk.
By the time they had returned back to camp it was now nearly nightfall. Kimberly could vaguely make out the silhouettes of the group hugging someone but couldn't work out who it was in the poor lighting and from the distance they were at.
As they got nearer to the group, Kimberly's suspicions on who it could be were becoming clearer. Being carried in to the clearing Kimberly could hear various shouts of "What happened to you guys?", "What took you so long?", "Tommy you devil, two girls aye", which Kimberly normally would have laughed along at Rocky's inappropriate comments, but one voice stood out over these and made Kimberly's stomach drop. In a thick Australian accent, Kimberly heard clear as day, "Kimberly! Nice to see in my absence it didn't take you too long to be jumping in the arms of my boyfriend."