"They came out of nowhere Zordon! One minute we were walking out of the Youth Center and the next-" Tommy was trying to explain to their mentor, his handsome face marred with worry, his heart pounding in his chest.
Kimberly quickly finished for her ex, her voice shaking with emotion as she wept, "The next thing, the Tengas had me pinned to the ground and I couldn't get away from them… In the time it took Tommy to put Bianca in the car and come to help me, the putties teleported in and took her. They took my little girl and I couldn't do anything!" Tears were streaming down the young woman's face, her breath coming in heaving gasps. She was stricken and panicked, the only thing holding her together in that moment was her skin.
Always the one to be a shoulder, Adam stepped up to his friend and held out his arms offering up a hug, which Kim swiftly accepted. Crumbling against the Black Ranger's chest she sobbed into the young man's chest as her body shook with each cry, "We'll get her back, Kim. BJ will be okay," Soothed the young man, rubbing the petite brunette's back.
Watching on from a couple of feet away Tommy desperately wanted to be the one to be holding Kimberly supportively against himself. In the three years they had known one another that had always been his job. To protect her, comfort her and be her hero. Tommy had always been there for her to make things right. But this time… this time he couldn't fix it. And after the situation that had occurred with Katherine the day prior, he didn't even trust himself to hold the mother of his child, while they hung in the uncertainty of their daughter's fate. Instead he had to stand back and watch Kim as tremorous wails racked her small body.
Swallowing hard, Tommy forced his emotions down. Blinking his thick, dark lashes in an attempt to control his own tears, "Have you found anything, Billy?" Despite everything he felt. Despite the worry and despair, Tommy knew he needed to stay in control. To keep his feelings in check. He couldn't be a devastated parent overcome with desperation as much as he felt like one. He needed to lead. He needed to be the White Ranger, not Bianca Jade's father. Not the man terrified of never seeing his little girl again, like many Dad's they had helped in the past. While Kim fell apart, he had to pull it all together.
"Negative," Answered Billy, his own voice heavy with disappointment and frustration. He had known his friends for years, Kimberly almost his entire life. And now when she and Tommy needed him the most, the Scientific knowledge that he had always provided was failing him. His best asset couldn't help him find his teammate's missing infant, "There seems to be no trace. Wherever the putties took her, isn't somewhere we have the ability to scan. I've tried everywhere. Even Venus Island." When the distraught mother let out another loud whimper, the blue eyed boy quickly added as he turned back to the computer systems, "I'm not giving up, I'll keep looking."
Finally turning from where she had her face buried against Adam's chest after thoroughly soaking her friend's shirt, Kimberly gazed up at Zordon with her wide, watery eyes, "I can't do anything to help can I?" Asked softly, her tone quiet, almost beaten. While she had every faith in her friends, and their advisors, Kim knew she was nothing more than a victim in this story. Without her powers she could do nothing but rely on those she trusted most to find her daughter, fight for her freedom and return the little girl to arm. She was powerless, useless and hopeless. That day when she had given her power coin to Kat, she had given away more than just access to the Crane zord. She had given up her entire life.
Her emotions, and her anger and sadness raging inside of her. Kimberly had lost control of every feeling she'd ever had. Every tear she'd ever shed, every annoyance she ever faced. Every time she had pushed a feeling of negativity down to the pit of her stomach and held it in… It exploded in that second in a burst of energy she wheeled around and faced Katherine Hilliard, there in the middle of the Command Center, "And you!" She spat, her brow eyes nearly black with fury, "You took everything. My powers, my boyfriend, my best friends. Do me a favor, take this pain too. You wanted everything I had so badly, take this! Take this fear from me! Take this agony! You want it all, you can't just take the good parts! It should be you, wondering if Rita and Zedd are torturing you innocent baby! You wanted to be me so much, be me now!" Her words were like venom and she hoped the leggy blonde would choke on the poison. As all the rage, fear and anguish pushed to the surface, swirling in her like a tornado Kimberly Hart let go of a vile soup of outrage from her soul pouring every ounce of unpleasantness out. And when it was gone, when it was purged, her knees buckled, and collapsed to the floor, tears stinging her eyes once again.
This time, Tommy went to her, stepping past his girlfriend, as he knelt gently next to his former flame. Gingerly he slipped his arms under Kim's knees and lifted her into his lap. Strong fingers beginning to stroke through her chestnut hair, "Shhhhh," He whispered to the tiny teen that felt even smaller in his arms then than she ever had. He pressed his lips tenderly to her forehead as he rocked his first love in his embrace. "Just breathe, Beautiful."
"Tommy!" Katherine gasped, her steel blue eyes widening in exasperation. Kimberly had just unload a cesspool of negativity on to her like she was the devil herself, and here was her boyfriend, calming and cuddling her! Couldn't he see that she was the victim, she'd done nothing wrong here.
"Not now, Kat," The team leader spoke back softly. There was no anger in his voice, he didn't hiss at her for the expression of indignation. He was entirely aware she didn't deserve all of the evil that had just been dumped on her. And later, when they had found BJ and everything was back as it should be, he would hold the Pink Ranger, talk lovingly to her and tell her he adored her. But this was not that day.
Getting to his feet slowly, Tommy gathered Kim into his arms again, allowing her to wrap her arms around his neck and weep against his shoulder. She felt so warm settled against him, as if her body was fevered by the whole ordeal. Her little body limp as if she'd used all of her strength up in that outburst at Katherine and now she was weak and broken. Tommy had never seen her like this and it killed him. Of course they had never had their child kidnapped by Zedd before either. "I'm going to take Kim, home." The White Ranger said before turning to his second in command, "Can you handle things here, Rocky?"
"Yeah, we've got it. We'll let you know the second, Billy finds anything." In the last few weeks Rocky had found himself filling in as temporary leader for Tommy more times than he would have liked. But it wasn't his friend's fault. Tommy hadn't asked to be put under that sleeping spell the month before and he definitely didn't want his own daughter to be snatched by putties for reasons they still didn't know. So the Red Ranger would step up again and lead if he had to. Because that's what his friends needed of him. And that was what Power Rangers did for each other.
"Thanks," The expression in Tommy's eyes was one of appreciation, as he looked over at his teammate. If it had been in any other situation he likely would have smiled his friendly, kind smile in response as well. But this wasn't a time for smiling.
Kimberly made a sort of squeaking sound in acknowledgement to Rocky as well. She couldn't articulate much more than that right then. Hoping that the young man with the tyrannosaurus powers would understand that she was grateful. She needed to leave that place and Rocky's actions would help that happen. She needed to be alone. Away from everyone where she could break down in peace, with no eyes on her. The only person that could possibly understand her fear was Tommy and even he hadn't carried Bianca inside of him. Felt her kick and move before she was even born. The bond of mother and child was something none of the group could fathom.
Juggling his arms a little Tommy adjusted his hold on his ex-girlfriend so he could reach the teleporter button on his communicator. He was just about to push it when Alpha became very animated. "Wait! We're getting something!" The shiny robotic hero exclaimed.
"It's an outside transmission… I'm pulling it up on the viewing globe," Stated Billy, quickly springing into action to bring up the message. His readings were all over the map, "Wherever its coming from it seems like it's outside of time and space. Which means its likely to be-"
"Zedd!" The Rangers all shouted in unison as the vile, red fleshed villain appeared on the globe before their eyes.
He looked every bit the devil they knew him to be. Lounging in his throne, his silver armor glinting like a knight returning from a victory. And in his mind he was. A great warrior who had defeated his enemy and claimed the spoils of war. A tiny princess as his prisoner, "Greetings, White Ranger. I trust you've been waiting to hear from me with my list of demands for the return of your drooling, babbling little brat. It couldn't be more simple, Tommy. You will meet with Goldar tonight at the Angel Grove caves. He will return your spawn to you in exchange for your power coin. Come alone, if we sense another power coin anywhere in the area you will not get your child back."
In the background Rita could be seen holding BJ in her arms. She was making obnoxious kisses noises and pulling faces at the baby. Almost as if she were actually playing with her and trying to make the child happy and comfortable. Turning her face toward her husband, allowing the Rangers to see her completely, the Wicked Witch added, "If not, we'll keep sweet little Bianca and raise her as our heir! And one day she will help us destroy you all!" With a crackle the viewing globe went black and the kidnappers vanished.
Setting Kimberly back down on her feet, Tommy stood silently for a second. His attractive features stricken, his dark hazel eyes dull, robbed of their usual luster, "Well I guess we know what has to happen now," said the boy in a quiet, resigned sort of tone, looking each of his friends in the eye.
The team had never seen Tommy look so defeated before. Their leader had always been so strong, confident bordering even on arrogant. He had led them with a never give up and never surrender attitude. And it seemed so odd for them to watch him appear to be throwing in the towel.
"You can't just give Zedd and Rita your coin," Declared Rocky, in a defiant tone, that showed his strength and passion. He would lead the Rangers well in Tommy's absence, but he wasn't about to let his friend sound the retreat and give in to their enemies. Not yet, there had to be another way. "They've been trying to get to you for years, Tommy and they haven't won yet."
Aisha nodded in agreement, stepping forward to rest a hand on the head Ranger's forearm, "He's right Tommy, you've never just forfeited to them before. We won't let you do it now. We'll think of something, we always do." She squeezed gently to his arm, to show support and understanding.
But Tommy just hung his head, shaking it, "They've never kidnapped my daughter before either." Reaching behind himself the tall teen produced his morpher and turned it over in his hands a few times. Staring down at the gold coin embossed with his White Tiger logo. A thumb tracing over the raised edges of the drawing. Being a Power Ranger was something he'd never anticipated. He had come to Angel Grove as the new kid, the stranger and all of a sudden he went from a normal teen to a superhero, and it changed his world, "When I moved here, I was sort of a loner. And then I met this really cute girl who wanted me to meet her friends…" Chancing a glance at Kimberly their eyes met only for a second before both teens looked away quickly, "On the way there, I got ambushed by Rita and her putties. And the next thing I knew I was the Green Ranger. I did some awful things. I tried to kill that cute girl and her friends.
But instead of destroying me… they saved me. They befriended me and I got to be part of a team. You guys, all of you have changed my life. You made it so I wasn't alone anymore. Being a Power Ranger has been the best thing I've ever done. But I can't risk Bianca. I'm sorry guys."
** The chapters have just been flowing out of me lately. I truly hope the speed with which I'm pumping them out isn't ruining the quality. Please let me know if you hate it. Really let me know if you love them. I don't want to disappoint anyone. But I don't thrive without encouragement.**