Note: Ah, anniversaries … gotta love them … On your way out, please pass by the feedback box? Thank you. CR/DB
Seasons To Remember
Chapter 17: Scavenger Hunt
"Is this picture out of order?" Ramon wondered, "It looks like something taken from a high school dance."
The photo was of Tommy and Kimberly decked out as if for a prom; the two were the only couple on the floor, apparently dancing.
"It can't be. Mom and Dad don't look that young," Trini countered.
"That was taken a few months after Jason and I were married," Kat spoke up. "It was the tenth anniversary of when your parents first met."
She gave Tommy a fond gaze. "That anniversary surprise had to be one of your finest, most romantic moments."
"What did you do, Dad?" Jay asked, always interested in ways to romantically surprise his lovely wife.
"Your mom used to love scavenger hunts ...."
~*~
"It's not fair!" Kimberly declared over her cup of coffee, doing her best to hold back tears of disappointment and frustration. She had joined Kat in the Scotts' kitchen for an early morning cup of java, since the two were early risers and their husbands were not. "Tommy and I are more strangers than a married couple!"
Since their marriage a year ago May, Kim had hardly seen the love of her life. He was on the road almost constantly from February to November, and unfortunately, since she'd accepted a position as an elementary school teacher at Parkview, she couldn't go with him. Their calendars just didn't mesh, which meant they'd spent very little time together the first year of their marriage. They hadn't had a proper honeymoon – just a couple of days at Tommy's uncle's cabin. Their trip to Paris her mother had paid for had been a whirlwind tour right after Christmas due to her teaching schedule; they'd hardly had any time to themselves. Even their first anniversary celebration had been postponed for nearly a month.
"We didn't even have a chance to really be newlyweds like you and Jason are ... and I don't just mean the mushy stuff. I mean, the everyday ordinary stuff, too."
Though Tommy had spent most of his time at her apartment when in town, the two hadn't officially moved in together. Kim's place had been too small, and Tommy's prolonged absences made getting a larger place impractical. There was still so much they didn't know about each other even after so many years together. One really didn't know a person until they lived together and interacted with each other day in and day out. And she and Tommy hadn't had a real chance to do that yet. Sometimes, it felt like he was a relative who dropped in every now and then – a guest in his own home.
Home? It's not a home ... it's just a house ... an empty ol' house. A home is where your family is. He's always somewhere else, and I'm always there alone!
Oh, why couldn't she and Tommy have a normal relationship like Jason and Kat? The two were so disgustingly happy, Kim almost couldn't stand it. She knew she wasn't being fair. Plainly put, she was jealous as all get out! She didn't begrudge Kat and Jason their happiness ... she just wanted to be happy the same way there were: with her husband by her side.
Kat made appropriately commiserating noises, unable to refute Kim's claim but also unable to find words of comfort that would mollify her distraught friend. She understood all too well the difficulties of a long-distance relationship, but that had been while she and Tommy had been dating; she could only imagine what a strain it was on a marriage.
She allowed herself a private smile as she basked in the warmth of that word: marriage. She and Jason had at last exchanged their vows over the summer, and cliché though it was, she found herself falling more in love with her spouse every day. She didn't know how she'd make it through the day if she didn't wake up next to the man she loved every morning. It was like every day brought new discoveries ... new adventures ... some incredible and some not so good, but they were things Kim felt she was missing out on.
"Ever since John promoted him to full-time driver, I never see Tommy anymore," Kim continued glumly. "He can't get away like he used to." Which had been infrequently at best.
Kat recalled that there had been some talk about Tommy joining the dojo staff full time after he and Kim married, but it hadn't been feasible. Besides, as the primary driver, Tommy made pretty good money. However, looking at Kim's crestfallen expression, she wondered if the paycheck was worth it.
"Mom said we should have waited to get married until Tommy had retired from the circuit," the upset brunette went on. She frowned petulantly and stared into the murky depths of her steaming beverage. "If I'd done that, we'd probably never have gotten married!"
"Now, Kim," Kat chided gently, trying to put a check on the lonely young woman's melancholy.
"I miss him so much, Kat. Is it so terrible to want him home with me?" Kim shot back, a touch more sharply than she'd intended.
"It's not terrible; it's only natural," Kat assured her. "Kim, you know Tommy. This can't be any easier for him than it is for you. You know he wants to be here with you."
That was obvious to anyone who knew the couple. Tommy was as much in love with Kim now as he'd been back in high school. He called her every night regardless of where he was at or how late it was in his locale. Every month on the 22nd, Kim received a long- stemmed rose with a card saying "happy anniversary." (Tommy said that way, regardless of what might happen the following May, she'd always have a dozen roses by their anniversary.) Greeting cards would appear for no particular reason other than Tommy was thinking about her.
Kat knew Kimberly appreciated and treasured his tokens of affection, but sometimes phone calls and roses were a poor substitute for a warm body on a cold and lonely night.
"He's only doing what he has to," she concluded.
"I know," Kim sighed defeatedly, brushing away a tear that refused not to be shed. "Normally, it doesn't get to me so much, but today's kind of special to me ... and even if he was home, he probably wouldn't have remembered anyway."
Kat recognized the ploy for what it was: Kim trying not to get her hopes up so she wouldn't be disappointed. For all Tommy's memory problems, he did remember surprisingly well all the little things one wouldn't expect a guy to remember.
Before Kat could offer her friend further solace, the two heard Jason's off-key whistling as he made his way to the kitchen. Kat felt her pulse quicken and her face light up at the thought of seeing her husband.
"Good mornin', love," Jason greeted her warmly, sliding up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling her neck.
Kat emitted a tiny squeal of surprise and tried to shy away from the collection of prickles rasping against her skin. Jason had obviously just tumbled out of bed; clad in flannel bottoms and an old Angel Grove Lions t-shirt, his hair was unkempt and he hadn't shaved yet.
"We have company," Kat hissed under her breath as Jason's hands began to wander.
"Oh ... um, hi, Kim," Jason mumbled sheepishly but unrepentantly.
"Hi, Jase. I'll catch you later, Kat; I've got plenty of chores to take care of," Kim said hastily and excused herself from the kitchen.
"You don't have to go on my account," Jason called after her, but Kat made no move to stop her. She simply sighed sadly. "What's buggin' Kim?"
"Tommy being gone, what else?" she responded. They had noticed that since their marriage, Kim seemed to be more disturbed by her husband's absences. "I think she's a little jealous," Kat had observed not all that long ago.
"Yeah ... but she seemed especially bummed out this morning."
"She said today was kind of special ...."
"Ah, the tenth anniversary of when she and Tommy met," Jason concluded.
Kat eyed him wonderingly. "How would you know that?"
"Because it also happens to be ten years ago that Tommy and I first bowed to each other across the mats," her husband replied as he continued to tease her with roving lips and hands. "So, do you think I could convince you to join me in a little Saturday morning fun?"
"Only if you shave first," she scolded teasingly.
"Spoilsport; I'm trying for spontaneity here."
~*~
Kimberly slowly dragged herself back across the street to her empty house. She just couldn't deal with Jason and Kat's marital bliss right now. She didn't want to be envious of them, but she couldn't help it, not when she wanted Tommy's arms around her more than anything.
It's been ten years ... and never once did I doubt that you were the One. I knew it the first time I looked in your eyes ... saw your shy smile. You've had my heart since that day, Tommy Oliver, and you'll always have it.
Kim tried to shake off the memories. It would do her no good to be mopey all day long. There was nothing she could do about it anyway. Tommy would call later on, and they'd reminisce then. And she'd try not to let him know how keenly she missed him so he wouldn't feel guilty about leaving her alone.
For now, though, she had papers to grade ... lesson plans to work up. Maybe by keeping busy she could keep her mind off her loneliness.
However, by early afternoon, she'd accomplished very little. She just couldn't seem to concentrate, and more than once she'd given in to her tears.
Get a grip, girl, she chided herself. She couldn't stand being weepy. Go putter with your flowers or something; don't just sit there moping.
Resolving to do something constructive with her day, Kim put up her books and lesson plans and decided to hunt up her gardening gloves. She was interrupted, however, by a knock at the front door.
Who could that be? she wondered. Probably a salesperson since they'd come to the front door and not the side door to the kitchen. She was rather surprised to find the Fed-Ex delivery person on the step.
"Kimberly Oliver? Sign here please," she said briskly, handing over her pad and stylus.
As she signed, Kim noted the slim express packet tucked under the woman's arm. Who would be sending her an express letter – and on a Saturday to boot? Saturday delivery cost extra. Absently, she accepted her envelope; curiosity aroused, she barely acknowledged the driver's good-bye.
Studying the package, she had no clue who it was from. There was no post mark. No return address. And the address label was neatly typed, not handwritten. Tommy briefly came to mind, but where would he get access to a typewriter or computer printer on the road?
The only way to find out what was going on was to open the letter, so she ripped back the tab. Inside the Fed-Ex pack was a plain, 9 x 12 manila envelope. On the front was typed a quote: "I love scavenger hunts."
The statement perplexed Kim, filling her with a sense of déjà vu. Where had she heard that before? Then it came to her: those were her own words! Way back in high school, she, Adam and Tommy had been teamed up on a scavenger hunt – which had been a lot of fun until Lord Zedd had interrupted the game.
But who would remember something like that?
She noticed that when she tilted the envelope she heard something moving within. There seemed to be something inside, so she tore it open, not bothering with a letter opener. Inside was a letter-sized envelope, and the words typed on it were: "He is really cute!"
Those she didn't need to rack her brain to recall. That was her first reaction upon first seeing Tommy!
There was a card in the white envelope, so she pulled it out. It was a three by five index card with the following, typed inscription: The first time you saw Him. Remember?
Remember? She needed no prompting; she would never forget. The first time she'd seen Tommy was at the Angel Grove Martial Arts Expo at the Youth Center. The four of them had been with Jason as he warmed up for his match with a newcomer to the local martial arts scene. They had stood in Jason's 'corner' watching the teen warm up with a series of spinning kicks. The others had noticed his obvious skill. She'd noticed how tall and muscular he was ... his thick wavy brown hair ... those deep, dark eyes .... In that moment, she knew she could seriously fall for him, and she had gushed to Trini, "He is really cute!" – much to the annoyance/amusement of the others.
She recalled watching the match breathlessly. She cheered for Jason, of course, but at the same time she didn't want the cute guy in green to lose. To her surprise and relief, the bout had been declared a tie. Afterwards, she'd hoped to meet Jason's opponent, but after bowing to Jason, he'd gone off by himself. Annoyingly, Jason couldn't even tell her his name (he'd been too preoccupied fighting with him and she'd been too excited – and didn't think – to check out the name on the scoreboard), and she prayed Trini was correct – that he was a new kid in school whom she'd meet the next day.
Ten years ago ... and her pulse fluttered with excitement at the memory. In fact, her heartbeat still quickened whenever Tommy walked into the room. For all his shortcomings, he was still a sexy hunk of man and the best thing that had ever happened to her.
However, as pleasant as that little jaunt down memory lane was, it didn't solve the mystery of the envelopes. Who had sent them? Why had she been told to remember her first sight of Tommy? And what did a scavenger hunt have to do with it?
Unless ....
It was a wild hunch, but Kimberly had the sudden urge to go to the Youth Center. After all, that was where she'd seen Tommy for the first time. Maybe she'd find another clue to the puzzle there.
~*~
When she arrived at the Youth Center, she found it strangely empty for a Saturday afternoon. Ernie wasn't even behind the counter, but he had to be about somewhere because the doors were unlocked.
However, that concern was swiftly replaced by even greater surprise. The karate mats were laid out on the floor with a judges' table and scoreboard set up off to one side. On the wall hung a banner which read: Martial Arts Expo. It was exactly like the one she remembered from ten years ago. She turned around in a slow circle, thoroughly astonished. Closing her eyes, she could almost hear the cheers of the considerable audience ... the floor judge's calls ... Tommy and Jason's exhalations and focus cries ....
In making her circle, Kim spied a gym bag on the bench by the wall. The green bag seemed familiar ... it couldn't be Tommy's old one, could it? There was a dark green headband resting next to the bag and a white envelope peeking out of one of the side pockets. She plucked it up.
Like the one she'd received at home, it bore a quote on the front: "Didn't you hear the lady? She said no."
Kim gave a start. Those were the first words she'd ever heard Tommy say – directed at Bulk and Skull who'd been harassing her. He'd come to her rescue, his 'demonstration' scaring off the annoying duo. She'd been caught between amusement at her antagonists' cowardice, delight at having such a good-looking guy come to her rescue and nervousness at finally meeting the object of her desire.
She let the memory go for a moment, feeling that the envelope wasn't empty. Inside was yet another index card on which was written: The first time you met Him. Remember?
Kim knew exactly where she had to go next, but how was she going to get into the high school?
~*~
Her dilemma was solved the moment she pulled into the parking lot of Angel Grove High. Mrs. Appleby was struggling by her car with a large box. Kim quickly leaped out of her vehicle.
"Let me help you with that, Mrs. Appleby," she called out as she hurried over.
"Thanks ... why, Kimberly Hart! Is that you?"
"Hello, Mrs. Appleby," she greeted the round-faced teacher, who'd been a favorite of hers back in school. "And it's Kimberly Oliver now."
"That's right; I remember reading the wedding announcement in the paper," her old teacher continued. "I was so glad to hear you and Tommy got married at last. I always thought that the two of you had something special together."
Kim flushed, pleased and a little discomfited that what lay between her and Tommy had been so obvious – even to the teachers.
"Where to with this? Your classroom?" she asked, anxious to have access to the school's interior.
"Yes, I'm so glad you came along. I don't know how I would have managed ...."
The two maneuvered the awkward package through the doors and down the halls. The school was larger now than when Kim had been a student. A new addition had been built several years ago, but no changes had been made to the original section.
After seeing Mrs. Appleby satisfactorily settled, Kimberly slipped away without drawing any further attention to herself. She wandered the halls awash in memories. There was the time she'd had the mother of all bad days .... She'd been drenched in the storm and looked like a drowned rat, but Tommy hadn't cared .... She remembered sitting on the stairs comforting Tommy as he slowly lost his Green Ranger Powers for the second time, but mostly she recalled that first day ... their first meeting.
She finally came to her old locker, absently drawing her finger over the painted metal fondly as she thought of the day she'd lost her heart to a pair of soft brown eyes and heart-stopping smile. So distracted by the fluttering of her heart and the magic in his smile, she'd found it hard to think, let alone speak.
"Hey ... um ... I'm Kimberly. You're new around here, aren't you?"
Totally lame ... and she'd felt like such an airhead, but at least it got them talking. All she'd really wanted to do was just stand there and stare at him, but when he'd turned to head to class, she'd nearly panicked. She didn't know where she'd found the courage for what came next. Seemingly, the impulse had come out of nowhere. All Kim knew was that she had to see him again....
"Listen ... do you want to get together with some of us after school? You know, nothing major ... just ... hang out at the Youth Center?"
She'd never asked a guy out before (mainly because she'd never had to!), and in retrospect, it was a good thing she had been the one to break the ice. If she'd waited on Tommy to work up the nerve, she might still be waiting!
Well, maybe not that bad, she mused with a smile.
Of course, the hanging out never happened thanks to Rita turning Tommy into the Green Ranger .... Lord, she'd been so confused and hurt by Tommy's inexplicable hardening towards her, and once she learned the reason, she'd been so scared for him. Not breaking Rita's spell over him – failure – had not been an option!
Kim turned her thoughts from those dark early days. They'd had a happy ending after all. She was here to remember their first meeting and to find the next clue leading her down memory lane. Her gaze was drawn back to her locker. She studied it for a moment, then discovered a flash of white peeking out at the bottom, in the crack between door and the side of the door frame. She snatched it up eagerly, not even pausing to consider it might belong to the present owner.
She hadn't been wrong, though. It was the same as all the others, but the quotation had her stymied: "Tommy put it back together in time."
She couldn't immediately place it. After mulling it over a few moments, she gave up and tore into the envelope to see what the card had to say.
The first time you hugged Him. Remember?
Now that she remembered ... and the quote fell into place. It hadn't been something she or Tommy had said, but Trini!
The first time she'd hugged Tommy had been at the Youth Center after she'd found out that he'd reconstructed her float model Rita's putties had destroyed. She had been so happy that she flung her arms around him in a joyous hug, and he hugged her back, holding her for what was the longest-shortest-happiest moment in her life! The way he felt – so warm and strong – the way he'd smelled – more enticing than all the flowers on her float ....
With the memory of that first embrace wrapped about her, Kim raced down the halls of the school to return to the Youth Center.
~*~
Upon arriving at the Youth Center, Kim headed for the counter – the exact place where she'd hugged Tommy – but her surprise was waiting for her at the gang's old table. Sitting in the center was a photo of the float she'd designed for the Peace Parade, and next to it was a nosegay made up of flowers she'd used in her model. She lifted the small bouquet to her nose and inhaled deeply. Under the flowers sat the next envelope.
Reaching the words on the white paper, Kim all but glowed. She had a feeling this was going to be the next stop.
"I miss you."
"The first place he kissed me," she murmured aloud, and she was not wrong for the card inside bore the instructions: The first time He kissed you. Remember?
~*~
The first time Tommy had kissed her had been a bittersweet moment. Bitter because he'd just lost his Green Ranger Powers, but the sweetness of the first time their lips met all but wiped the bad memories away.
They had walked this particular path by the pond but a few days before when Tommy had tried to work up the courage to ask her out on their first official date. The poor guy had been so nervous and scared .... She smiled as she recalled Tommy's awkwardness and vulnerability. It was a side of him others rarely saw after he became the White Ranger and team leader. After that, it was like he had to be perfect, but she knew better. She was the only one he ever allowed to see his vulnerable side ... she was the only one who knew that he was just trying to live up to Jason's legacy as leader of the Power Rangers.
She sighed, then let the memories return to those dark days when Tommy had been kidnapped and made Rita's prisoner. She'd never been so afraid for another's life. She hadn't even cared how much of her heart she'd revealed to her friends that day. All that mattered was getting Tommy home safe and sound.
She hated every moment she'd had to stand there waiting for Jason to return with Tommy through the portalcom. She'd wanted so much to go with Jason to rescue Tommy!
In the end, she'd gotten Tommy back – alive, if not necessarily whole. The loss of his powers – having to surrender his Power Coin to thwart Rita – had devastated him. He'd tried to distance himself from his friends in his pain, but she wouldn't let him run away and hide. He needed them! He needed her – and she him. That was why she'd sought him out in the park.
The folks at the gym had told her he'd be there, but he still could have been anywhere in the large park. However, she'd been drawn like metal to a magnet to the place where he'd been abducted. She couldn't imagine that he'd have wanted to be there ... to be reminded of what he'd lost ... yet, there he was on the low stone wall, working on a kata.
They'd talked, the words burned indelibly into her brain, until she made that simple pronouncement: "I miss you."
His eyes had widened in surprise and wonderment. He'd caught her hand in his and caressed the back of it gently with his thumb. Then, the world seemed to move in slow motion as he leaned forward and she stretched up until their lips met.
It was a gentle kiss, an innocent kiss of two young teens who'd never before expressed their feelings thusly. In reality, it had lasted such a very short time, but while his lips lingered on hers, it seemed as if an eternity had passed. When at last they'd parted, she'd been breathless, flustered, giddy and bursting with excitement, and so had Tommy – with an added dollop of relief. He'd taken a risk, reached out to her and hadn't been rejected.
In the aftermath, she'd been pleased to learn that he'd been wanting to do that as long as she had.
"Whew ... now that that's over with, I guess my next question is a piece of cake."
She'd almost stopped breathing in anticipation; then, he asked her to the dance. At the words she'd wanted to hear for so long, she couldn't answer ... couldn't even speak. She had to turn away to gain control of her surging emotions. It wasn't her intent to worry Tommy with her silence; she had turned from him to keep from throwing her arms around him and smothering him with kisses.
In the end, it was Tommy's exuberance which had broken free as he lifted her and spun her around.
Those had only been the first memories made at this particular spot in the park: their reunion after her letter had forced their break-up years earlier, Tommy's marriage proposal, the first time they made love ... their wedding .... Kim sat down on the cool stones, letting the memories wash over her. So lost in thought was she that she almost didn't see the package wrapped in pink paper half-hidden behind the greenery. However, it caught her eye when her fingertips accidentally brushed the parcel. On top was one of her envelopes.
"Kimberly, will you be my date for the dance Saturday night?"
Tearing open the missive, the card read: Your first date. Remember?
That had been the most memorable dance she'd ever been to. For starters, the Fall Frolic had been held in the high school gymnasium, not the Youth Center like most of the functions, and it had been semi-formal – a real dress-up affair.
She'd worn a simple pink chiffon A-line dress with spaghetti straps and silver beading on the bodice. Tommy had worn a sports coat and slacks, white shirt and dark green tie which he'd tugged at all evening long. He'd looked so handsome when he came to her door to pick her up, she almost melted into a simmering puddle of hormones.
Looks like I'll be going back to the school, Kim observed ruefully, wishing whoever had planned this scavenger hunt would have made things a little easier in the travel department. Back and forth, back and forth ....
That brought her back to the question of who was behind it all. She dismissed Tommy as soon as he came to mind; he was hundreds of miles away at a race. Her next guess was Aisha. While she wouldn't have been around when she and Tommy started dating, Kim was certain she'd told her best friend all the details of their early courtship.
And this setup is too detailed to be Tommy's work, she sighed a touch sadly.
Then, she considered the present waiting for her. Examining the box, she found that the lid lifted right off, no unwrapping necessary as both top and bottom had been papered separately. She opened it cautiously and was immeasurably surprised. Inside was a dress, and not just any dress but her dress – the one she'd worn to that first dance. She had carefully tucked it away in her grandmother's cedar chest ... she brought the gown to her face and inhaled. She detected faint traces of cedar and the cologne she'd always loved.
As she lifted the gown out, she caught sight of a flutter of white paper. Scooping up the note, she read, "Kimberly, you look ... wow!"
Apparently, she was meant to don the dress for the next phase of the hunt, but there was no way she'd fit into a dress she'd worn at sixteen, even if she was still slender and petite.
Unless it's been altered ....
With a shrug, she replaced the gown and put the lid back in place. Gathering up her package, she headed for her car. What would it hurt to try and see if the gown still fit? Of course, that meant swinging by the house before going back to the school.
~*~
Feeling a little foolish decked out in prom-like finery, Kim returned to the high school to find the gymnasium doors flung open as if something was going on at AGHS that evening. Cautiously, she slipped inside the doorway, making sure no one was about. She didn't want to try and explain herself. Finding the coast clear, she wandered inside.
The gym was decorated as if for a dance, complete with shimmery foil streams and mirrored ball. There was a small spotlight fixed upon the banner above the DJ's equipment. It read AGHS Fall Frolic. She smiled.
Along the perimeter of the 'dance' floor, tables were set up, the candle centerpieces alight and flickering, the only other light in the darkened gym. Kim strolled about the tables until she came to one with a tell-tale white envelope. However, she frowned as she examined it. Unlike all the others, there was no quote written on the outside, and there didn't appear to be a card inside.
Just then, the music began. The opening strains of a song she hadn't heard in years – but as unforgettable as that first date – filled the air.
Soft heavenly eyes gazed into me
Transcending space and time
And I was rendered still
There were no words for me to find at all
As I stood there beside myself
I could see you and no-one else
"So, Beautiful, would you like to dance?"
Kimberly whirled in astonishment to find her husband standing behind her. It took her a moment to realize that he was wearing a sports coat, white shirt and dark green tie. "T-Tommy ...?"
Before she could say another word, he pulled her into his arms and swept her out to the center of the dance floor. A spotlight hit the mirrored ball as Mariah Carey launched into the refrain:
When I saw you
When I saw you
I could not breathe
I fell so deep
When I saw you
When I saw you
I'd never be
I'd never be the same
"T-Tommy, how did you ... when ....?" Kim sputtered, perfectly flabbergasted. This couldn't have been the same sports coat he'd worn ten years ago that she was nuzzling her cheek against!
For his part, Tommy ignored her questions.
"You know," he began instead, "I specially requested the DJ to play this song for the first dance that night."
Only once in a lifetime love rushes in
Changing you with the tide
And dawn's ribbon of light
Bursts through the dark
Wakening you inside
And I thought it was all untrue
Until there, all at once, I knew
When I saw you ...
"You did?" Kim gulped, feeling tears gathering in her eyes.
"Uh huh. While Mariah Carey wasn't exactly my kind of music, I'd heard someone playing her new album and that song was just too perfect. When I saw you, I knew I'd never be the same again."
With no beginning
And without an end
You are the one for me
And it's evident
And your eyes told me so
Your eyes let me know
When I saw you ....
"I'm glad you remembered what it was like ten years ago, Beautiful," Tommy murmured softly, gazing down with absolute love in his eyes, "because I do. Every moment."
"Oh, Tommy ...!" Kim sniffled. "So this really was all your doing."
"You didn't think I'd forgotten something as important as this, did you?" he chided with a teasing smile, knowing that was exactly what she thought. "You were the best thing that ever happened to me. How could I forget that?
"As for how ... let's just say I had a lot of help."
At Tommy's gesture, Kim looked around and saw other couples joining them on the dance floor: Jason and Kat, Rocky and Sarah, Zack and Aisha .... Billy was there, too, with – Marge? There were several of the Space Rangers present with dates as well as Mrs. Appleby, Mr. Caplan ... even Ernie was there, as well as another unlikely couple of someones.
"Bulk and Skull?" Kim queried in disbelief. While the two had reformed from their annoying high school days, they weren't exactly close friends.
"Of course. If they hadn't been harassing you that day, I'd never have worked up the nerve to come over and say hi," Tommy replied.
He halted their swaying and tilted Kim's chin up so he could look into her eyes.
"I know things haven't been easy for us at times, and I know I'm far from the perfect husband, but you'll always be the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me. I love you, Kim; happy anniversary."
His hands cupped her face, and he bent his head to hers to claim her mouth in a long, slow, tender, soul-stirring kiss. Her arms tightened around him as her fire melded with his, their surroundings all but forgotten as they lost themselves in each other ....
~*~
"All that was missing were the cheers, cat calls and wolf whistles," Tommy concluded.
"Which Zack dutifully supplied," Kat added.
"How incredibly romantic!" Trini gasped. All the women present were appropriately touched by Tommy's gesture. As for the men, they were all looking rather uncomfortable.
"Kim floated on cloud nine for a month," Kat sighed dramatically. "The rest of us were so jealous ...."
Tommy laughed. "I may have scored a ton of brownie points with you ladies, but your husbands wanted to throttle me."
"Why?" Rachel asked.
"Because he'd just raised the bar awful high in the romance department," Oliver responded. "How could Dad or Uncle Rocky hope to compete with – or out-romance – a move like that?"
"Not only that, but Tommy's surprise landed your father in hot water that very night," Kat went on to say.
"What do you mean?" Lynne wondered.
"It seems everyone was in on the surprise except for me," Kat harumphed good- naturedly.
"They didn't tell you?" Jasmine queried, incredulous. "Whyever not?"
All eyes turned accusingly towards Tommy.
"Hey," he held up his hands in a defensive posture. "That was entirely out of my hands. Jason made that call."
"According to Jason, he felt it was better that I didn't know in case Kim came crying on my shoulder that morning," Kat explained.
"Which she did, so why were you upset about not being in the know?" Ramon questioned.
"Dunce! It was because Uncle Jason practically told her he didn't trust her to keep her mouth shut," Trini spelled it out for her husband.
"How long was Dad in trouble?" Jared queried.
"Not for too long, but then, I could never stay angry with your father,"
Kat sighed.
To Be Continued …