What do They Know?
A/N – No Power Ranger is mine. No profit is being made from this. I wish it were, but then I would have to pay taxes, and with the Aus GST, that's not something I'd want. Westlife's "What Do They Know" isn't mine either. Parts of this relate to "Home", you might want to read that before this, but it won't make much difference if you haven't.
All they know
Is when we fight
They never see us in the loving times
What do they know
They don't know
A thing
Angel Grove - 2002
Tommy sat in the park, nervously. It was now almost two years since he had slugged Andros at the Countdown meeting. Kat had helped him to purge himself of his inner demons once and for all, and for that, he was eternally grateful. Kat was a kind and caring person, and she had done that for Tommy. With her help, they had managed to erase all of his insecurities and worries, save for one. With a little help from Rocky, Kat had somehow managed a meeting in the park, but had kept quiet about who Tommy was meeting.
He had an idea though.
And they don't know
How the laughter flies
Only the stories
Most of which are lies
What do they know
They don't know
A thing
Striding through the park, directly towards him was his last remaining demon. Kimberley Hart. He was dreading this moment, but in another way he was welcoming the fact that after this, all of his demons would be permanently laid to rest. Cautiously, she sat down next to him, her shoulder-length brown hair loose and forming a sort of chocolate halo in the light breeze. They looked at each other and sighed. Tommy started up first, of course, he had the most to say. His wavering voice betrayed his nervousness.
"Look, Kim, we need to put this behind us and move on with our lives. We need to talk about The Letter. Why did you do it, Kim? Was it something I did, or did you really find someone else?"
Kim swallowed hard, her mouth becoming dry. She knew that this meeting would happen, but she didn't know who she was meeting. She cleared her throat and spoke, her usually confident voice dropping down to almost a nervous whisper.
"Tommy, what do you want me to say about it? That I had fun at the Trials, met someone else and wanted you to know? I don't know why I did it, either. I honestly cannot tell you why I wrote it. I didn't know what came over me, what possessed me to write it. Do you know something, Tommy Oliver? I asked myself why even as I was writing it. Even as I dropped it in the mailbox I didn't know what I was doing. I just…I just didn't want to tie you down to anything. We were teenagers then, Tommy! Our dreams of love were fleeting and futile, nothing compared to true love. I felt that true love with you, but I realised that I had to do something when I left for Florida! I knew it was wrong to hurt you so cruelly, but at the time…"
How can you understand
A love so strong
When you've never shared that with someone
And when all the lies are dead and gone
We'll still be here
We'll prove them wrong
She let the sentence trail off, organizing her thoughts. When she was done, she opened her mouth again and spoke clearly.
"Tommy. I loved you, but I pushed you away because of that love. Now, Kat's loving you just as I loved you, but you're pushing her away just like I did. The Letter is behind us, Tommy. The world isn't black and white, WE know that. Nothing is ever defined in anyone's life. This world – our existence – is nothing more than varying shades of grey. Tommy. Look at me."
Tommy hesitated, then looked at her. The sun fell on her face and on her hair, lighting up her features. Her piercing green eyes spoke wonders to him, but he knew that they were – for once – beyond his grasp. Seeing that she held his attention, Kim continued.
Cause they don't feel
Your touch at night
The way your hair falls in the morning light
What do they know
They don't know
A thing
"There was a time when I truly loved you. But I was young and naïve, and I forced you out of my life. As time went by, I thought of you less and less like a lover, but more and more as a true friend. Don't make that mistake with Kat."
Tommy smiled faintly, quickly and quietly processing the information in his brain. He opened his mouth to speak, but then thought better of it and closed it. He thought about it, and the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. He WAS pushing Kat away, clinging onto that last hope that Kim might leave Rocky's side and take him back. Now, he knew that it was just wishful thinking. He opened his mouth and spoke, his voice wavering at its edges.
"Kim. I understand what you're telling me, and I accept it. A part of me wants to cling on to what we had, but I know that that's impossible. I have to try and repair my relationship with Kat, and you're pretty happy with Rocky. Even if we left our partners, it still wouldn't be the same, it wouldn't be innocent love. Our experiences and burdens would weigh on the relationship and it wouldn't work out. I know that the world isn't all fun and games, that it's a mix of light and darkness. Nothing is ever etched in stone."
How can you understand
A love so strong
When you've never shared that with someone
And when all the lies are dead and gone
We'll still be here
We'll prove them wrong
He paused and continued, looking into her eyes.
"Kim. Yes, I wanted to know why you wrote the letter. All these years it's been an inner demon that I have tried to purge. But over the years, the hurt and pain have finally lessened, and I still love you – but as a friend as well."
Kim's eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Suddenly, a hand appeared on her shoulder, causing the both of them to look up in surprise. In a blue shirt was Rocky. He nodded to Tommy, and then left silently. Kim smiled and looked at Tommy. When she spoke, her voice was full of friendly love.
"He's really a great guy. I know that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives as one, but fate doesn't make it that way. So…until next time, Catch ya on the flip side!"
Cause all they know is how to criticize
They'll never take a chance in their whole lives
What do they know
They don't know
A thing
Tommy watched Kim's retreating form, watching it tackle Rocky to the ground, watching them play around like teenagers. He looked away and dwelt on Kim's words. He knew he was pushing Kat away, like he told Kim. He knew that he had to get on with his life. At the sound of footsteps, he snapped his head up and grinned. As Katherine Hillard walked towards him, for the first time in his life…
He was complete.
And all I know
Is they don't know a thing