Note: This should please a lot of folks. :-) Once again, we're blending reality with our favored version of the PR-verse. Happy reading, everyone, and leave feedback on the way out, please? CR/DB
Seasons To Remember
Chapter 8: Endings And Beginnings
"When was that one taken, Uncle Tommy?" Lynne asked, still silently stunned that her uncle was about to become her stepfather. Although, Tommy had been the father figure in her life since her own had passed away. After having heard the story of how her parents had fallen in love, they had resumed flipping through the pictures and had come upon one that struck them all as being very sad somehow. "You're all there: you, Aunt Kim, Dad, Uncle Billy and Uncle Zack. You're all smiling, but none of you look happy."
"And who's that in the photo Aunt Kim's holding?" Oliver queried.
"Mrs. Kwan gave each of us a copy," Tommy explained, his thoughtful expression touched with sadness. "This was taken the day of Kim's best friend Trini's memorial."
"My namesake," Trini interjected.
"Yes. Mrs. Kwan had taken one of the six of us back when Trini, Jason and Zack were getting ready to leave for the Peace Conference. Six years later, she wanted to update the photo, only she put that picture of Trini in what would have been her spot."
"I hadn't really known Trini very well," Kat added. "She was already in Geneva when my family moved to Angel Grove, but I knew of her through the others. When I finally met her, she was the sweetest person you could have ever met."
"The voice of calm and the soul of serenity among the rest of us rowdies," Tommy chuckled, "but she could also be as fierce as a tiger when it came to protecting friends and family. She was always the one who made us stop and think."
"Jason was devastated when she died," Kat murmured.
"He always thought of her like a sister," Tommy confirmed. "And so did Kim. She and Trini were more than just best friends."
"Wasn't the day of the memorial the day you and Mom got back together again?" Jay asked, familiar with his parents' history.
"Uh huh, it was one of the saddest and happiest days of my life ..."
~*~
Tommy didn't even try to hold back the silent tears which trickled down his cheek, and he wasn't alone in that particular display of emotion. Beside him, all the original Power Rangers were grieving for the loss of their friend and teammate.
They sat in their chairs in the funeral home surrounded by all of Trini's friends and family. At the front of the parlor where the casket would normally rest was a shrine of flowers and candles with a picture of Trini prominently displayed in the center. Buddhist monks performed a traditional funeral ceremony for their friend; the Kwans had opted for a public venue to accommodate Trini's many friends.
We always figured if anyone would die young, it would be me or Jason performing some stupid, heroic stunt, not Trini in an ordinary car wreck!
As the monks said the prayers, Tommy looked to his companions. Zack, like him, was trying to be stoic and failing just as miserably. The former Black Ranger put his arm around Billy's shoulders, which were shaking with his quiet sobs. They had all wondered more than once if the shy scientist's feelings for Trini had run deeper than they knew. Apparently, they had.
Next to him, Jason's rigid frame shook with slight tremors, and the original Red Ranger clung tightly to the hand Kat had offered him. This was a helluva thing to come home to, Tommy mused, knowing she hadn't been back in the States long. He truly hoped that Kat's presence would help ease his best friend's sorrow.
That left Kimberly, who was seated on his left. She had given up trying to put on a brave front and was sobbing openly. Trini had been her best friend for as long as any of them could remember. They had lost touch for a while after Trini left for Geneva and Kim for Florida, but with Kim's return to Angel Grove to go to school, they had reconnected.
Mrs. Kwan had asked Kimberly to deliver the eulogy; she hadn't been able to get through it without breaking up.
Tommy instinctively reached out to comfort her, resting a hand on her shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. She turned to him, and without looking up, folded into his arms, buried her face in his coat and sobbed.
Before he knew it, the memorial was over. They would not be going to the cemetery. There would be a private ceremony for the family later.
"Mr. and Mrs. Kwan would like you all to join them at the Youth Center for food and drink," one of the monks announced.
Ernie, God bless him, had offered to host the post-funeral luncheon in honor of Trini, and the Kwans gratefully accepted. He'd said it was the least he could do, since Trini had spent so much time at the Youth Center.
Everyone else had started to file out of the funeral home, but Kim continued to cling to Tommy.
"You guys coming?" Jason asked, his voice husky with choked emotion, as he got to his feet.
"We'll be there soon; I think Kim needs a little more time," Tommy responded, unconsciously smoothing his hand over Kim's hair. He noticed that Kat had slipped her arm through Jason's, and he smiled quietly to himself. He had wondered ...
"We'll tell the Kwans you'll be a little late," Kat said, and she gently guided Jason towards the exit.
Kim finally released Tommy, but instead of heading for the exit, she walked up to the shrine. Tommy gave her a few moments of privacy before approaching.
"Come on, Kim," he said softly, and the grieving young woman numbly allowed herself to be led away. Tommy didn't direct her to either of their vehicles but headed across the parking lot towards the park.
It was a cold, gray September day, with rain threatening and a chill wind blowing in from the waterfront. It was as if all of Angel Grove was mourning Trini's death.
Tommy let the silence linger, hoping Kim would open up to him. When it became obvious that she wasn't, he tried to get the ball rolling.
"I'm glad Billy was able to be here," he ventured, figuring his questions about Billy's presence to be a safe topic.
"He loved her," Kim said at last, her tone wooden and lifeless. "He just couldn't tell her ... But she knew, Tommy. She wanted him to say something ... she waited ... and now ..."
"So, he only came back for the funeral?"
"No, he's home to stay. He's been wanting to come back for a while, I think. Things didn't work out with Cestria, but he was caught up in his research. The Aquitian Rangers felt a tremor in the Morphin' Grid signaling a Ranger's death. They were the ones who told Billy; none of us knew how to get a hold of him."
Again, a forbidding silence welled up between them. They continued this way until their mindless wandering brought them to the bend by the pond. Finally, Tommy couldn't take it any longer. He stopped, took hold of Kim's shoulders and forced her to face him.
"Talk to me, Kim. Let me help," he implored.
She regarded him silently, lower lip quivering, eyes brimming with tears. Then, the dam broke.
"It's just not fair!" Kim raged, sobbing, her clenched fists striking Tommy's chest. She needed to lash out, and Tommy let her. "She survived putties and monsters and all the crap Rita and Zedd dished out. How could she die in a stupid car crash? Why wasn't she wearing a seat belt? She was always the most careful of all of us! Why? Whywhywhywhywhy ..."
Her anger had burned itself out, but her grief continued to flow freely. Tommy held her, hoping she would draw strength and comfort from him. He stood there, holding her, just being there for her for as long as she needed.
"I miss her," Kim sniffled at last.
"We all do, Kim," Tommy choked out.
It was at that admission that Kim looked up and saw her pain mirrored in his eyes.
"Oh, Tommy ..." She flung her arms around him and held him as tightly as she could. He took the solace she offered, and shared his grief with her.
It was a long time before either of them could speak. When Kim did so, her words were bitter.
"I'm tired of losing people I care for. Dad – after the divorce. Mom – when she remarried and moved to Paris. You – because of gymnastics. Now Trini ... I'm tired of caring and hurting because of it ..."
"Kim, if you didn't care so much, you wouldn't be you," he murmured, aching at hearing such desolation in her voice. He never could bear to see Kimberly sad.
"You didn't lose your parents, even though they moved away; they still love you," he continued. "Trini may be dead, but she'll always be with you in spirit. As for me, you haven't lost me either, Beautiful."
Slowly, she raised tear-filled eyes to him, her expression one of astonishment.
He really hadn't meant to give voice to that something he'd held secret in his heart for so very long. He hadn't wanted to bring it out in the open; he hadn't wanted to have his hope destroyed. Yet, he could no longer deny it either.
"I'm still here for you."
He read wariness in her eyes, and he realized she was just as afraid as he was. She didn't want her hopes dashed either. He smiled with a warmth that even the chill September day couldn't banish.
"I still love you, Kim," he declared, making his feelings plain to both of them.
"Y-You do?" Kim stammered, scarcely able to believe her ears.
"In spite of everything that happened, I don't think I ever truly stopped," he confessed the truth that he had never wanted to admit, even to himself. "And I think I always will."
He took her hand and gently caressed the back of it with his thumb.
"Once upon a time, I know you felt that way about me, too. I hope you still do," he continued. "We can't have happily ever after otherwise."
"I do, Tommy. I still love you – always have, always will."
He reached up to brush the tears from her cheek. Cupping her face in his hands, he leaned close and kissed her. He had only intended a gentle brush of the lips, but the kiss lingered and grew in intensity until the two were entwined in each other's arms, their bodies pressed tightly together. It was a kiss unlike any they had ever shared before. It left them both profoundly shaken.
"T-Tommy?" Kim gasped when they finally, breathlessly, broke apart. "W-What just happened?"
"I think we just decided to get back together again," he panted, flashing her a lopsided grin. Before he could give it a second thought, he pulled her to him once more and kissed her senseless, his blood singing and his heart soaring. He kissed her until he felt lightheaded and weak-kneed, and he held her as if he'd never let her go.
That was what he'd been wanting to do for so long. It's what he wanted to do when Kim first left for Florida. It's what he should have done when she sent that stupid letter.
Was this why his relationship with Kat failed? He cared for Kat – truly, he had, but holding her had never felt as right as having Kim in his arms felt right now.
Forgive me, Kat, for being a blind fool and hurting us both.
When he released Kim the second time, she was the one with weak knees, and she staggered into him. He caught her automatically.
"What are we doing?" she cried out anguishedly, pushing herself away. "We shouldn't ... we can't ..."
"We can't – what?" he wondered, his brimming heart turning to stone-cold lead in his chest. He feared her answer.
"We shouldn't be ... like this ... now ..." she fumbled tearfully, trying to make sense of her jumbled emotions.
Her words didn't feel like a rejection; he tried to remain calm. "Kim, you're not making any sense."
"How can we be so happy when Trini ...? It doesn't seem right."
Tommy finally understood, and relief flooded him. He wrapped Kim in a fierce hug.
"Oh, Kim ..." he began, searching for the right words. "Remember what the monk said? Death is just another part of life, and we can't let our grief chain Trini's spirit to this world when another life awaits her.
"Tell me something. What do you think Trini would say if she came down the path right now and saw us?"
"She'd say it's about time," Kimberly chuckled wryly; she lowered her eyes bashfully. "She'd been after me ever since I moved back to patch things up with you."
"Then how can we not get back together and be happy – even today – if that's what Trini wanted?"
"I suppose ..." she murmured grudgingly, a tiny smile tugging at her lips.
"I'm right, and you know it," he exulted as he threaded his arms around her and held her tight.
He'd never let her go ever again.
~*~
"And Mom always said that was the only time you were right," Trini laughed.
"Oh, I can think of a few more occasions," Tommy mused with a twinkle in his eyes. "They just weren't the sort of things you tell your children."
"Oh? Like what?" Kat asked eagerly, mischief dancing in her blue eyes.
"Like ... A row boat in the middle of Angel Lake in broad daylight is a perfectly good place to ..."
"I don't want to know," Trini yelped, suddenly in agreement with
her father. There were some things a parent just didn't tell his
kid.
To Be Continued ...