Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter twenty-eight of "Dark Desire." Kim's parents are introduced in this chapter. The other Rangers, Zordon, and Alpha return as well. It has a little bit of . Tommy's parents make their return in the next one. Stay tuned for chapter twenty-nine.
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Chapter 28: Arrival/Frantic/Informing
Daryl moved his hands to the sides of the steering on his blue BMW as he watched four boys going down the neighborhood sidewalk on roller blades. She and Caroline listened to their joyous laughter. They clicked their tongues twice. They looked around the interior. The exterior appeared to be new. However, the area under the door handle on the driver's side contained a scratch. A slight dent could be seen on the front edge of the door behind the passenger one.
Daryl reached the intersection and stopped quickly. He pushed the blinker up. The right blinker proceeded to flash. He looked both ways before turning right. He pushed the bar down. The blinker ceased its flashing. Caroline glanced out her window to see three girls playing jump rope in a front yard. He spotted them as well. He couldn't help but smile.
"What pretty girls," he said.
"You got that right," she agreed as they looked ahead. "Those girls had sparkly jump ropes. I remember when Kim had one of those things. It was pink and very pretty." She smiled at the memory of Kim playing with her sparkly jump rope as it shined in the sunlight.
"I had a bright blue jump rope. You had a yellow one. There were no jump ropes with sparkles in them," Daryl said. "I have always wondered how the sparkles got into the jump ropes."
"So have I. I don't know how the sparkles got into the jump ropes, but I can tell you it took a great mind to invent it," Caroline said, tapping her temple with her finger.
"It would be a mind like Billy's," Daryl said.
"Yep," Caroline said with much pride. She let out a long yawn before smacking her lips. "It's nice that Billy is friends with our daughter. She always has been one to accept others, even nerds."
"Nerds have never been popular in high school. They are often the target of bullies," Daryl grumbled, rolling his eyes.
"Jason, Trini, Zack, and Kim have come to Billy's rescue many times," Caroline whispered in relief. "This is especially true when Bulk and Skull target him."
Daryl scoffed in annoyance. "Those bullies are such big troublemakers that I don't know if they will ever change."
"They may change. They may not. Who knows?" Caroline responded, giving a shrug.
"It will be nice to see Kim after four days of being away. I am sure she ran all over the house yelling she was free while we were gone," Daryl joked with a snicker.
"I hope she managed to patch things up with Tommy. I remember how annoyed she was when she came home Monday afternoon. She explained he missed their study date. When she came home upset Tuesday afternoon, she said he acted rude to her," Caroline whispered with a frown.
"I don't blame her for being upset. The boy was nice to her when they first met. Then he had an abrupt change in personality the next day," Daryl murmured, tensing somewhat.
"Kim mentioned that Tommy said he missed their study date because something came up. Perhaps he was just stressed over it," Caroline suggested and cupped her chin in her hand.
"Most likely," Daryl agreed. "We decided not to ask her about him because we didn't want to make her angry at us."
Caroline nodded in agreement. "Mm-hmm."
He spotted the Hart residence coming into view. He turned left into the driveway. He switched off the engine before clearing his throat. They looked at each other with contented sighs. Neither of them noticed a house sparrow fly past the windshield.
"We are finally home," Daryl announced joyfully.
"Thank God," Caroline whispered in relief. "I hope Kim isn't taking a nap. She has a tendency to be grumpy when she is woken up."
"Unfortunately," Daryl said, rubbing his nose. "Enough talking. Let's get our stuff and go inside."
"Yes!" Caroline cheered and pumped her fists. She clapped three times. "Let's go on the double!"
"Don't worry," Daryl said in mock annoyance. "We are going."
She grabbed her purse as he lifted the lever in which he popped the trunk. He exited the car along with her. They headed to the back while singing nonsense. He opened the trunk and grabbed their suitcases. He slammed it shut with a grunt. He walked to the front door, as did she. She got her keys from her pocket. She searched through them until she found the correct one.
She unlocked the door and opened it. She went inside, followed by him. She closed it very quietly. He headed to the center of the living room. He set the suitcases on the floor. He looked around, appearing to be very impressed. She came to his side. They moved their heads from side to side in which they stretched their necks.
"It's good to know Kim didn't mess the house up, though Trini spent Friday night here," Daryl quipped and snickered under his breath.
"If she had her other friends here over the weekend, it would look a little different," Caroline pointed out. "I mean, we did tell her she could have them over here while we were gone."
"Of course," Daryl commented as he slipped his hands in his pockets. "We trust her not to do anything stupid."
"You've done plenty of stupid things yourself," Caroline said, patting his shoulder.
He got her a mock glare. "So have you."
She made a funny noise. "Of course. Everyone is capable of being stupid, even geniuses."
"That is true. Screech from Saved by the Bell would be the perfect example of a genius who acted stupid sometimes. People would try to explain stuff to him, but he would never get it," Daryl explained.
"He actually thought the ringing of a gong was a doorbell and yelled for someone to come in. That was in the episode called 'My Boyfriend's Back,'" Caroline pointed out.
"That was the episode where Stacey's rich boyfriend came to visit from Boston just as Zack asked her to go with him to Paradise Cove. The boyfriend's name was Craig Strand," Daryl said and showed some disgust. "Craig was such a loser. He wanted to run Stacey's life."
"She actually said she sent him on a plane back to Boston with his fraternity pin and that she hoped he sat on it," Caroline said and snickered under her breath. "I hope he did sit on it."
Daryl chuckled. "Me too. Now, let's get our stuff upstairs."
Daryl picked up the suitcases and carried them upstairs. Caroline followed him close behind. Caroline made her way toward Kim's room while he went to the first door on the right, which happened to be theirs. He approached his side of the king-sized bed and set the suitcases on top of it with a loud grunt. He scratched his cheek before letting out a soft snort.
Daryl looked around the large room. Its walls were dark blue with splotches of light blue all over them. It had a pine dresser and oak nightstands. A desk was in front of the window. A TV sat on top of the dresser. A VCR happened to be next to it. A bookcase was near the desk. He returned his attention to the suitcases. He opened the first and proceeded to look through it.
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Caroline started singing nonsense as she came closer to Kim's room. She stopped both actions after she went inside. She came to the center of it. She could see the window's curtains and blinds were closed. She looked at the bed, seeing the covers were pulled down. She found that to be odd, as she knew Kim always opened the curtains and blinds and made her bed after she woke up. She went to the dresser. She opened the first drawer in which she found it empty. She eyed the open closet door. She approached it, finding her daughter's backpack and duffel bags missing. She began to become very frantic.
"Hey, honey, do you want—" Daryl started as he came into the room.
"Kim's gone, Daryl!" Caroline cried, running up to him. "She's gone!"
"What?" Daryl yelled in much shock.
"Her things are gone!" Caroline screamed, her body shaking badly. "Her bags and backpack are not in the closet!"
"Oh, no!" Daryl responded in much fear. He began breathing heavily. "She must've been kidnapped."
"By who?" Caroline wondered in uncertainty.
"Maybe Tommy kidnapped her because he had an infatuation with her," Daryl suggested.
"That is ridiculous!" Caroline blurted out as she shook her head. "They barely know each other. Besides, he didn't treat her right. Moreover, where would he take her?"
"You never know what boys and girls could be thinking about each other," Daryl pointed out truthfully. "There is a chance one of Rita's minions kidnapped her to use her as bait to draw the Power Rangers into a trap. Let's not forget the Green Ranger appeared last week."
"That is possible, but why would they let her pack some clothes?" Caroline asked in disbelief.
"Perhaps they plan on holding her hostage for a long time," Daryl said honestly. He let out a heavy sigh and clicked his tongue. "Still, we need to report this to the police."
"I will do that downstairs," Caroline said, shuddering badly. "You go look for a picture we can show to the police."
"All right," Daryl said, nodding at her. "We should call the parents of Kim's friends and let them know what is going on."
"Yes," Caroline commented while nodding slowly. "Come on."
Daryl and Caroline walked out of the room. She went downstairs while he entered their room. He approached the nightstand on his side of the bed. He opened the top drawer and reached in while mumbling inaudible words. He dug through it until he found a school picture of Kim close to the bottom. He pulled it out to look at it.
Daryl licked his lips befoe emitting a soft sigh. He felt this picture would be perfect for the police to study. He hoped they would be able to find Kim. He prayed Tommy wasn't the one who kidnapped her. In fact, he almost hoped it was Rita's minions holding her captive. He knew the Power Rangers would rescue her and bring her home.
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A northern mockingbird sat on the Scott residence's sink windowsill fifteen minutes later. It chirped a beautiful melody before flapping its wings to air them out. It bobbed its head while folding them against its back. The house was medium-sized. It had three bedrooms and two bathrooms. A wooden fence surrounded the backyard. A soccer goal could be seen in the middle of it. A football sat in front of it.
The mockingbird looked inside to see Jason and Trini sipping coffee from mugs while sitting at the kitchen table. It tilted its head a bit. They put them down with contented sighs. They looked around the medium-sized kitchen. It had white walls and white cabinets. Its bar had four stools. The table was oak and contained five matching chairs. The floor was gray and happened to be made of tile.
Jason and Trini looked at each other. His parents, Dale and Diana, told him they would be spending the day in Angel Grove Park. He was fine with that. She called him to tell him Henry and Debra had gone to the Angel Grove Zoo for the day. She asked if she could come over to his house. He told her he would love that and mentioned where his parents were. She came over around eleven o'clock. They had hamburgers for lunch. She cooked them herself.
Jason and Trini ended up making love in the kitchen when he kissed her neck while she was trying to do the dishes. They did it again when they took a shower together. They got calls from Billy and Zack right after they got out. The former told them that his father, Jeremy, went over to Karen Marrison's house to spend time with her. The latter revealed his parents, Brandon and Helen, went grocery shopping. They revealed what their parents were doing. They asked Billy and Zack if they wanted to come over to do stuff. Billy and Zack turned them down politely. Jason called Kim to see if she wanted to come over, but he got no answer and left a message. He and Trini watched The Little Mermaid until they decided to have some coffee.
The lovebirds touched their mugs. They moved them in circles very slightly. Their coffee sloshed around without coming out of them. They picked up them to take long sips. They laid them down, sighing in much content. They looked at each other, big smiles forming on their faces. The mockingbird turned and flew into the sky.
"There is nothing like a cup of coffee," he said.
"You got that right," she agreed. "It is the perfect way to wake up following a restful night."
"Our parents are big coffee drinkers," Jason said and smacked his lips. "They had to be when we were babies."
"Kids need to be worn out for them to sleep well," Trini commented.
"Overtiredness makes it difficult for them to fall asleep," Jason pointed out.
"Our parents dealt with us being overtired quite a bit," Trini murmured and licked her lips.
"Hey, don't forget Billy, Kim, and Zack," Jason warned in a stern voice. "Their parents dealt with them being overtired as well."
"Don't worry, Jason. I haven't forgotten them," Trini said, shaking her head.
"I don't know about that," Jason mumbled, letting out a small snicker.
"You better watch it, or I'll—" Trini started.
Jason growled playfully. "Or you'll do what, throw me out the window?"
Trini smirked. "Something like that."
Jason winked at his girlfriend, who shook her head. He picked up his coffee and sipped it, smacking his lips. He grabbed the mug with his other hand after putting it down.
"Ariel looked cute when she looked under the carriage at the horse's legs in The Little Mermaid," Trini said sweetly. "She was fascinated by them."
"Eric allowed her to try to drive the carriage. She caused the horse to leap over a small divide. He was relieved when they landed. He relaxed while she drove the carriage," Jason explained.
"Pregnant mares can still be used for riding and driving. It's healthy for them to exercise, but it can only be allowed in moderation, especially when they become heavy with foal," Trini commented.
"Could you imagine horses being in the hands of someone who has little experience with them?" Jason asked.
"I know what would happen. They'd be neglected and possibly abused," Trini muttered, shuddering in disgust.
"A person who abuses animals will likely go on to harm people," Jason said, getting angry. "They need to be locked away for good."
"You said it," Trini said, nodding sharply. "They don't deserve to see outside of prison walls."
Jason and Trini gazed at the window. They observed two blue jays flying past it. They listened to their chirping until it faded into nothing. They turned back to each other. He reached over to take her hand into his.
"I hope we can bring Tommy back to the side of good soon," Jason whispered in some uncertainty.
"Me too," Trini agreed. "It sucks we have to fight him, but what other choice do we have?"
"Something tells me Rita will launch an attack very soon," Jason said, hints of fear lining his voice.
"Who do you think will be involved in the next attack?" Trini asked.
"I am not sure, but I suspect Tommy will among them," Jason answered matter-of-factly. "If he unleashes the Dragonzord on the city, we will fight it with the zords."
"We are so fortunate to have them back," Trini whispered in great relief. "Who would've thought they would use the lava to heal from the eclipse battle?"
"Rita gloated about her victory a little too soon," Jason said in much determination. "She will never drag us down."
"That's right," Trini said proudly.
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I won't let anyone harm you."
She placed her other hand over his. "I won't let anyone harm you either."
Jason and Trini shared a sweet kiss and rubbed noses. Just then, the phone started ringing. They let go of each other and looked at it. He stood up and made his way toward it.
"Who could be calling this afternoon?" Trini wondered as she picked up her coffee and sipped it.
"I don't know, Trini. It could be a prank call or a wrong number," Jason suggested, looking over his shoulder at his girlfriend.
"Let's hope for the latter," Trini whispered, putting it down.
"There's nothing more annoying than a prank call," Jason said, turning back to the phone. He reached it and picked it up. He placed it to his ear. "Hello? Hey, Mrs. Hart. How was your trip to Los Angeles?" His face fell when he heard Caroline talk. "What? Oh, jeez."
Trini observed Jason running his hand through his hair. She listened to him talk to Caroline. He nodded and hung up the phone. He turned to her, his body shaking quite a bit.
"Mrs. Hart said she and her husband came home and found Kim and her stuff missing," Jason said, his voice quieting to a whisper on the last four words.
"What?" Trini yelled, jumping to her feet.
"They believe she was kidnapped. They think Tommy or one of Rita's minions did it. They've reported her missing to the police," Jason explained, coming over to her. "They said if Tommy kidnapped Kim that they think he is hiding her somewhere."
"I wouldn't be surprised if Tommy kidnapped Kim on Rita's orders. They may be planning to use her as bait to lure us into a trap," Trini whispered fearfully.
"If that wasn't their intention, then he may have kidnapped her to make her his slave," Jason muttered in much uncertainty.
"We've got to let Billy and Zack know what is going on. After that, we need to teleport to the Command Center and inform Zordon and Alpha," Trini said very seriously.
"We will," Jason assured. He went to the window and looked around. "The coast is clear."
Jason returned to Trini and took a deep breath. He brought his communicator up to his face. He proceeded to speak to Billy through it.
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Alpha stood before the Command Center's Viewing Globe ten minutes later. He and Zordon observed three bottlenose dolphins leaping through the ocean. They swam upside down with excited whistles. They performed backflips in which they landed on their stomachs. This created big splashes, followed by smaller ones. They darted for the surface. They leapt upward, spinning in midair. They landed on their backs, making huge splashes.
"Those dolphins are having so much fun, Zordon," Alpha said happily and went to the console before the plasma tube. "It is nice to see things are peaceful right now."
"Indeed, it is, Alpha," Zordon responded warmly. "I remember taking walks along beaches of what is now California. I would see dolphins swimming through the surf at high speed on many of them. They performed spectacular stunts sometimes. On one occasion, I swam with them."
"That is very interesting," Alpha commented. "I wish I could go interact with dolphins in the water, but I would short circuit."
Zordon cleared his throat. "You may not be able to swim in water, but you can watch them from shore."
Alpha waved his arms about. "I'd rather watch them on the Viewing Globe. There is no chance of getting wet here."
Suddenly, Jason, Trini, Billy, and Zack teleported into the main room. Alpha was startled out of his wits. He turned around to face them. Zordon shifted his attention toward them. The team felt their hearts pounding against their chests.
"Rangers, what are you doing here?" Alpha yelled, raising his arms somewhat. "Zordon and I weren't expecting you. By the way, where is Kimberly?"
"Something is wrong, Rangers. I can feel it," Zordon said, his voice filled with much concern.
"There is something wrong, Zordon," Jason answered in a frantic voice. "Kim has gone missing."
Alpha gasped in much shock. "Oh, no!"
"Her mother called Jason's house and told him she and her husband came home and found her and her stuff gone. She said they believed Tommy or one of Rita's minions kidnapped her. They've reported her missing to the police," Trini explained fearfully.
"Jason contacted Zack and me to let us know what happened," Billy added, his body shaking badly.
"It shocked us," Zack admitted, swallowing hard. "All of us know Kim would never run away." He held up his hands. "She has never had any problems with her parents."
"Her brother is another story," Jason grumbled irritatingly.
"Brad is too concerned about getting his next high to kidnap his own sister," Billy commented.
Trini crossed her arms. "Billy is right."
"It wouldn't surprise us if Tommy kidnapped Kim on Rita's orders. They could be planning to use her as bait for a trap," Zack said, his lower lip quivering.
Zordon sighed heavily. "That is very possible, Zack. It is also possible Tommy kidnapped Kim on his own accord with the intention of making her his slave."
"That is what we think too, Zordon," Trini agreed.
"I don't even want to think about what he might make her do," Jason mumbled, tensing badly.
Billy exhaled. "None of us do, Jase."
Jason, Trini, Billy, and Zack looked at each other. Their breathing turned into shudders. They turned back to Zordon, feeling their hearts slow down a little bit.
"We need to find Tommy and Kimberly quickly," Zordon boomed in seriousness. "Alpha, begin searching Earth and the moon for them."
"You got it, Zordon," Alpha said and turned around to approach the console. He began searching for Tommy and Kim. "Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi. I hope he hasn't done anything bad to her."
"I wish we could go to Rita's palace and demand to know where they are," Jason said fiercely and gritted his teeth. He punched his fist into his hand. "I am confident she and her goons are behind this."
"You're not the only one, Jason," Trini said, touching his arm.
"Rita is well known for allowing her minions to kidnap people to be their slaves," Billy pointed out matter-of-factly.
"Who knows how many slaves they've had during the first invasion of Earth?" Zack mumbled, looking disgusted.
"Let's not focus on that right now, Rangers," Zordon insisted. "Let's focus on finding Kimberly and bringing her home."
"Zordon's right. We can't think of what could be happening to her," Jason said in a low yet stern voice.
Billy, Zack, and Trini nodded in agreement. They and their leader gathered around Alpha. They observed him pressing buttons.