THE REASON - Part Sixty-Six: Nervous Wreck
Summary: Kim spends some time with Kira to discuss wedding plans. Tommy spends time with the boys and runs into a nervous wreck when Jason pays a visit.
Disclaimer: Power Rangers not mine.
A/N: Just a little chat between friends. And an intro into the love triangle between Conner/Kira/Trent. And, if possible, you all want a sequel, and see how it turns out you'd better read and reply. Until another time, peace.
"I never realized that planning a wedding was going to be this hard. But, in the end it will be worth all the trouble, right?" -Eclyptyk Neo
Kira was in the park waiting on Kim. She had promised the teen sometime to hang out, and she knew she would be needing it. There was just too much testeosterone that she didn't need to deal with. It wasn't that Hayley's been a great friend, but there was just some things that Kira could only tell to Kim. It was the ranger thing. It was getting to know her more on a friendly level/sisterly level.
"Hey, Kira." a voice called out.
Kira whirled around on the picnic table and saw the familiar face of the former pink ranger wave to her. She waved back, jumped off and greeted her friend with a warm hug. It was clear their bond had turned more into a sisterly bond, but either way it was good to see them on a good level.
"So, how are you doing?" Kim asked as they ended up back at the picnic table.
Kira forced out a breath. "A little exhausted. I mean, senior year isn't exactly what one would call fun right about now."
"Yeah, that's school for you. Lemme guess, college applications?"
Kira nodded. "Oh yeah. I mean, I've gotten so many different college information in the mail, and I haven't heard a lot of them."
Kim smiled. "Yeah, that sounds just like senior year. Have you decided on a college yet?"
"No." Kira shook her head slightly saddened. "There is just too many out there."
"Well, take your time. I mean, that's the best thing anyone could do now. Just don't wait too long. I guess I should apologize for Tommy for freaking you guys out with all this work."
"Well, it's not just him, Kim, no. It's just the work load is starting to pick up with all these projects. I mean, this ranger thing is running me down."
"Yeah, that's what it does. But just hang in there, it'll get better." Kim encouraged.
"So, how is he doing anyways? I mean, with Zeltrax being back and all?" Kira asked cautiously wanting to know.
Kim forced out a breath, shaking her head. "It's taking a lot out of him. He's really stressed out about it. That's why he's been issuing out the huge amounts of homework to keep you guys occupied."
"Has he gotten anywhere with the search?"
"If he has, he wouldn't say nothing to be. But that's how he is sometimes. He'll only say something if he needs to. Or when he's confident he knows what he's talking about. If not, he's just really stubborn, and it'll take a lot of time to get it out of him."
"So, I noticed. So, lay it on me, Kim. What's the scoop on this wedding of yours?"
"You mean Tommy didn't tell you?" she seemed surprised that the teen didn't know.
"Well, we've bugged him, but I guess he doesn't want to say anything." Kira shrugged.
"Stubborn as always." she shook her head in dismay. "Well, we've made it clear on the date. It's gonna be on December 18th, right after you guys get off for Christmas break. He didn't want it to conflict with your finals or school work. And hopefully, the weather should be nice, which I wouldn't doubt, we're gonna have it at Angel Grove Park."
"Oh, where you guys shared your first kiss?" Kira gushed, wanting to know more.
"That would be the one." Kim blushed. "But since it's gonna be one crazy ranger reunion, every ranger present is gonna be wearing their primary color. Yet, I would credit Tommy if he could pull of all four of his colors on our wedding day."
"That would be something to see."
"I just hope by then we wouldn't have to worry too much about Mesogog." Kim sighed.
"No doubt. I doubt you'd really like to have Mesogog ruin your wedding day." Kira nodded.
"That always tends to be the case though. The evil dude likes to destroy all the fun out of a day just so they could find one victory for themselves."
Kira couldn't help but chuckle. "But I gotta know, we never really got your initial reaction from when Dr. O proposed to you?"
Kim looked away as a sense of redness ran over her face. "Oh my god, I just didn't think it would happen so soon."
"So soon? We all thought it happened way too late." Kira protested.
Kim shrugged. "Well, what's done, is done, right? I don't know. I just didn't know what to expect. I mean, only hours before that we could finally hold each other close. We resolved our differences in a flash, and made love for the first time for hours. I mean, he's definitely full of surprises, and Aisha had warned me time and time again that he was up to something. I just never thought it would be this."
"I mean, you don't regret it?"
"No." Kim seemed surprised that the teen was asking her all this. "The only thing I regret is ever writing that letter and avoiding him all this time. Avoiding my real emotions for ever seeing him as a friend. But more so now, as my fiance. I mean, I guess I failed to tell him that once we parted ways all those years ago, I never really stopped thinking about him. I always thought about wondering if breaking up was for a reason. That we really needed some time apart and if he was happy without me. It's been hard, but I think we've made our relationship stronger now."
"Well, I think it's sweet." Kira smiled brightly. "I mean, you guys being high school sweethearts and first loves."
"They say you can never forget your first love, no matter if you make it work or not."
"Did you expect to marry Dr. O in the end?"
"Ya know, Kira." Kim sighed taking a breath. "To tell you honestly, I didn't think he'd take me back in the first place. I mean, I know we were both scared to start a new relationship, and personally I wouldn't blame him for not wanting to take me back all too quickly. I mean, I did break up with him. He still carries all those scars and pain. I think he's a little scared still."
"Why? I mean, he did propose to you." Kira protested with confusion.
"He did. But I know he fears me leaving him again. He doesn't want to admit it, but he's different. He's not the same man I met back in high school, and I don't really blame him after all these years. People do change. It's all about trust. I think I still need to work a little more toward earning all of it back from him."
"I would have thought he put that behind him."
"I would have thought that, too. But he hasn't done it completely. College changed him."
"A lot of things changed him." Kira nodded.
There was a silence that fell over them.
"Something is bothering you." Kim said slowly.
"Not really, no. But how do you know?"
"Know what?" Kim asked furrowing her eyebrows.
"About love? How do you know it's love?"
"Trent?"
Kira looked away, but said nothing.
Kim looked at her friend for some time, and noticed the uneasiness in her. "Conner?"
"Shhh!" Kira shushed her friend. "I mean, I don't know. I mean, Trent is cute and all. And maybe I might have something with him. But there's just something about Conner... I don't know, Kim. Is it love?"
"Lemme guess, you're really confused. And you can't really rely on your heart because you don't know how each of them react if you go for the other?" Kim guessed, but knew she guessed correctly when Kira sunk her shoulders.
"Basically." Kira nodded without a doubt.
"Well, you can't do wrong with experimenting. Go out with each of them, it doesn't necessarily have to be a date. Spend some time with each of individually. Who knows, you might end up with someone you least expect." she smiled.
Kira let out a breath. "Thanks, Kim. I'll keep that in mind. You're not gonna tell Conner are you?"
Kim ran a cross over her chest. "Cross my heart and hope to die I won't. Besides, Ranger's honor. It's only fair."
Kira wrapped her arms around her a friend into a hug, glad to have another set of ears and advice around. "Thanks, Kim. I mean, I don't want to assume anything."
"And I get that." Kim nodded. "For awhile, you're gonna be confused when it comes to love. I know I was with Tommy for the first time. But eventually you'll find your one. And you'll love him deeply."
----
Tommy walked out of the cyber café, smoothie in hand, with Conner and Ethan following close behind. Trent had to work another double shift, with students worrying more about school rather than work. Tommy figured the two had a lot of questions to ask him regarding the future plans of the team, and what was going on with Kim. Not that he would mind, he just only wondered what they would ask him. Yet, they were the gossip bunch, even if it was just among the other rangers, but it was enough to say he didn't want to know where it was going.
"Hey, Dr. O, where's Kira?" Conner asked with some curiosity. "She didn't come by the cyber café after school."
"And Kim? Don't you two usually see each other after school?" Ethan asked. "And since when is Kira a concern for you, Conner?"
"Just wondering, that's all." Conner said quietly, as he sunk into a chair.
"She's hanging out with Kim, guys. Kinda that whole 'sisterly bonding' those rangers like to call it," Tommy replied as he found a seat in front of the two teens. "Meaning I'm free for interrogating, since I know that's what you want to do."
"All right. Sweet." Ethan smiled brightly. "First question. Have you guys set a date for the marriage?"
"December 18th. We didn't want it to conflict with your school work or finals, so it's that weekend when we get off for Christmas Break." Tommy replied simply.
"Isn't it bad luck to get married on a Saturday?" Ethan scratched his head.
"Are you all about tradition?" Conner looked at him confused.
"Well, I know that Jason and Kat are getting married on Saturday, too, I'm only saying…"
"No, I know what you're getting at Ethan." Tommy nodded. "But I don't really see a problem with it. It's going to be the day of completion on that day—a nine, so there is every right in my mind that nothing will go wrong that day."
"Well, if Mesogog doesn't decide to show up and ruin the party." Conner protested.
"Hopefully by then we wouldn't have to worry about Mesogog or Zeltrax."
"Hey, Dr. O, I didn't know you were into numerology." Ethan seemed surprised.
"Numerology?" Conner furrowed his eyebrows with confusion.
"All you really need to know about it, Conner, is that there is a theory that states that all things within the universe is connected by a single-digit number. Usually 1-9. They incorporate 0 sometimes, but not all the time. It's a way to say we're all connected by something else out there." Tommy said, trying to make it sound simple, but it was clear Conner wasn't understanding any of it.
"The original binary code." Ethan said simply.
"Okay, fine. Whatever, Einsteins." Conner shook his head, not wanting to deal with the subject any further. "So, now that the day is set for your wedding, Dr. O. What about the location? I hear it's gonna be in Angel Grove."
Tommy nodded. "Well, you're right. It is. We're hoping for an outdoor reception at Angel Grove Park where we shared our first kiss."
"Oh isn't that sweet?" Ethan gushed with a laugh.
"I thought so." Tommy could only shrug.
"So, among all the rangers in existence, do you have any idea who is coming?" Conner asked.
"We haven't actually sent out the invitations yet, so I wouldn't know."
"You need to get on that, Dr. O. It'll come up before you know it." Ethan instructed.
"Yeah, I know that. But as far as I could tell, no matter what those rangers will make something of it."
"Why?" Conner asked.
"The World's Greatest Ranger is getting married. I think that says a lot right there."
"Yeah it does." They nodded. "Let alone, our science teacher. I don't even think the school board knows. What will Principal Randall say?"
"She'd think I was crazy, let alone find anyway to fire me if I get out of line. Whatever that may be, but up to this point, I'm tired of dealing with her anyways. She can say whatever she wants, she's not gonna ruin it for me."
"So, what's the deal with Jason? Talk to him lately?" Conner asked.
"Busy. Haven't gotten a chance." Tommy looked up, as a man who was stumbling about caught his eye. He shook his head, as he saw the familiar face it belonged to. "And speaking of the devil original red ranger himself…"
Tommy slowly got to his feet and rounded around the table just as Conner and Ethan turned to see who it was that caught their teacher's eye. It was in fact, Jason, the original red ranger. And he didn't look all too good either. He looked a little paler than usual. Jason took a few more steps forward and stumbled into the waiting arms of his friend.
"Whoa, bro. I'm so glad I found you." Jason breathed.
Tommy shook his head as he helped his friend to a seat. "Two words, Jase. Breath mint. What are you doing here? And have you been drinking?"
Jason shook his head before looking up at his friend. "Don't be silly. Just a little dazed."
"I told you to back off all those herbal remedies Adam gave you. You can only handle so much. No overdosing." Tommy instructed.
"Only one conclusion, Dr. O," Ethan began. "Wedding jitters. Everyone usually gets them, one way or another. It's practically normal."
Tommy sighed as he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don't tell me you're having doubts, Jase."
"I can't do it." Jason shook his head. "I just can't…"
"Nervousness." Conner nodded agreeing with his friend.
Jason looked around slightly dazed, his eyes looking a little bloodshot. He looked at Tommy, grabbed him by the collar, and pulled himself to meet his friend eye-to-eye—or as best as he could. "Think about it, Tommy. After this, it's done. No more bachelor life. No more real parties. We're stuck with the girl we got. No more dating, man."
"Jase, calm down." Tommy pulled his hands free. "Get over it. It'll be fine."
"Listen to me, man. No more of the crazy life, T. It's just gonna be nothing but Kat. For you, nothing but Kim. And that's it. It's all downhill from here. We're not gonna make it…" Jason protested in a panic.
Tommy threw out a punch that locked contact with Jason's lip. Jason hit the table catching his breath as Ethan and Conner jumped back with shock.
"Whoa, Dr. O." Conner breathed as he helped Jason stand upright.
"Was that really necessary, Dr. O?" Ethan asked raising an eyebrow.
Tommy grabbed Jason's other arm as he let out a breath. "Sorry, bro. I had to do it. You were getting out of control."
Jason collapsed into the chair. He wiped his lip and nodded. "No. No. You're right, T. I'm overreacting. That isn't like me."
"You love Kat, don't you?" Conner asked as he found his seat again.
Jason shook his head, then nodded. "I don't know. No.... I mean, I do. I just.... I..."
"Wedding jitters." Ethan concluded as he took a seat sipping his drink.
"Yeah, I guess so." Jason sighed.
"Hey, it's normal. It's called cold feet. You're just nervous."
"Like a certain someone on his very first date ever." Conner could help but laugh.
"Don't go there, bro." Ethan glared at him, knowing exactly what his friend was talking about. Conner was talking about Ethan's date with Cassidy that didn't exactly go according to plan.
Tommy took a seat beside his friend as he planted a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don't tell me you're gonna bail. Kat is gonna freak on you if you do. And anyone who's anyone doesn't want to freak Kat out."
"Relax." Jason held up his hands, hoping to avoid any confrontations from his friend. "I don't plan on it, no. It's just hard. I mean, I just can't believe it's happening."
"Kinda how Dr. O is reacting about his own wedding?" Conner chuckled.
"You're happy right, Jason?" Ethan asked, making sure that his ranger predecessor wasn't nothing but talk. "Ya know, something could be seriously wrong if you think otherwise."
Jason shook his head. "I can assure you, Ethan. I don't plan to screw this up. I mean, I got two kids with the woman. And if I bailed out on her, she'd find every single way to file a suit against me. It's just..."
"A lot to take in right now." Tommy finished for him.
Jason nodded again. "Trust me, Tommy. You'll be the same way."
Tommy scoffed, shaking his head. "Doubt it, bro."
Ethan and Conner exchanged a look and nodded. "You are."
"Hey, I ain't like Jason over here. I know what I'm doing this time."
"And didn't you say that when you sent Kim out on a plane for Florida the first time?" Jason countered raising an eyebrow.
"Do you want me to kick your butt for saying that?" Tommy glared at him.
"And do we have to get in the middle of this again?" Ethan said, hoping the stop the two from saying anymore.
The two older rangers looked at each other again before turning to look the other way.
"So, Jason." Conner began as he looked at his red ranger predecessor. "What do we expect to see from your wedding? Something big?"
Jason shook his head. "No. Small. Nice and simple. Just some close friends and family. I don't expect to invite the entire ranger crew to see it."
"Hey, don't even start with..."Tommy looked at his friend, pointing at him.
Jason smacked his hand away, looking beyond the table toward the younger rangers. "Unlike my wedding, everyone would die to see Mr. Legendary get married. Not that I wouldn't mind the company, I just don't want to make it that much of a big deal. And if you ain't gonna see one or the other ranger at mine, you'll probably see them at his."
"Thanks for that. 'Cause I know you're gonna try to invite every ranger out there if I haven't already," Tommy sighed.
Jason nodded, wrapping an arm around his friend. "And they'll be glad to know you two finally kissed and made-up."
"No doubt." Conner agreed. "I would hate to imagine if you two still hadn't kissed and made-up now."
"We'd be screwed." Ethan nodded.
"Well, I don't want you guys to assume you'll find the perfect woman in high school. Though, I was lucky with Kim even if we had our rough spot. Don't rush into love or marriage. It isn't just about the looks but what matters underneath." Tommy instructed his young proteges.
Conner let out a breath as he sunk into his chair. But his action had the other guys notice his uneasiness. A sense of curiousness fell over each of them as they eased closer to see what the problem was with their friend.
"Some thing is up." Ethan concluded as he looked at his friend with much anticipation.
"Spill it, little bro." Jason said.
Conner looked at each of the guys at the table. But it was evident in his face that something was wrong, or up. He dropped his head, hoping to clear some of the tension, but it could not be done. "I have this friend. And he really likes this girl...."
"Time out, bro." Ethan stopped his friend from saying anymore. "Is this what I think it is?"
"What?!" Conner looked at him with confusion.
"Uh-oh. McKnight having girl problems." Jason gasped as he grabbed his chest. "I thought you were supposed to be the guy to turn to if we needed help with girls."
"It's not like that...." Conner protested, but his face was turning red.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce the king of jocks, star soccer player, Conner McKnight. Who, for once in his life, can admit to having some girl problems and must seek out advice from others." Tommy laughed, then cleared his throat when he saw the seriousness in his student's face.
"So, what's up?"
Conner looked at each of them again, thinking of what to say. But he knew he couldn't get very far if he lied. And he couldn't afford to do that. He let out a breath and prayed internally, hoping they wouldn't flip out about what he would say. "It's Kira."
Ethan nearly choked on his smoothie as the words escaped the red dino thunder ranger's mouth. Jason and Tommy nearly fell off their chairs since they were leaning back in them in the first place. And a series of crickets filled the table.
A silence fell over the team for a moment.
"Whoa." Ethan breathed, fanning his face. "That's different. Dude, you know that Kira and Trent are a thing, right?"
"Well, not necessarily." Tommy corrected, shaking his head. "They didn't announce anything."
"But than again, they could be on the down-low." Jason said.
"Since when did this happen?" Ethan asked, wanting to learn more about the situation.
Conner looked down with guilt. "I don't know. It just did. I mean, every time I look at her now, I have this funny feeling."
"What about Krista?" Ethan asked.
"Yeah, well. We're starting to see eye-to-eye, but I don't know if it's really there." Conner shrugged.
"Oh, Conner is stuck in a love triangle." Jason smiled.
"You gotta do something about it, Conner. You can't just sit here and assume nature will take its course. If you feel strong and confident about something, you should go out for it." Tommy instructed.
"But that's the thing, Dr O. I don't know if I'm really sure about this. It could just be infatuation." Conner protested.
"Did Conner McKnight use such a word as infatuation?" Ethan seemed a little surprised.
"Just be yourself, Conner." Tommy said simply. "I mean, I think Kira knows you well enough to say that you've changed in this past year. I mean, I'm not saying you have to go out and consider it a date. Just spend some time alone and get to know each other as friends. Who knows, maybe you two might become something in the future."
"And if her and Trent really are a thing?" Conner seemed worried.
"It doesn't hurt to be a friend and just hang out. It's what lets each of us know how friendship really is." Jason said.
"I'd have to agree with them, Conner." Ethan nodded. "Anyone who's anyone knows the best advice comes from your predecessors."
Conner looked from his friend dressed in blue to the two men in front of him. He didn't want to admit it, but for a long time he had kept a watchful eye on Kira, especially when Trent first joined the team. He just didn't want to take any chances, no could he now. Maybe they were right. Maybe he should explore what opportunities he might have with Kira. There might be something. And if not, he could try straightening things out with Krista. He could only wonder in the back of his mind, if Kira might have some feelings for him.
To be continued....
A/N: Nothing but spreading the love. Of confusion. Either way, let's just hope it doesn't turn out too bad. Stay tuned.