Years
After.
Author's notes: I'm so sorry for not
updating for such a long time... This is my 3rd attempt on writing
this chapter. Don't know why this chapter didn't get posted last
round and after that my com crashed... That part sucks. Don't think
it will turn out as good as the first one but anyway here goes.
To answer your question bout their ages, they would be about 25 – 27 of age. Kim is 27, considering that she has a 9 years old daughter.
Thanks
for the reviews and questions. Enjoy!
Disclaimer:
Besides the little girl and some other characters that don't seem
familiar to any of you are not my creations, thus I don't own
them.
Chapter 9 - The Baby sitter.
"Come on
Kim, the Zack man is here." Zack pleaded. Kimberly was still
curled up into a ball at the corner of the couch since this morning.
Zack had arrived after being notified by Trini and Billy. Billy's
shoulders were drenched with tears from Trini as he too was trying to
keep the tears in.
"Why Zordan? Why does this have to happen to her?" Billy asked.
"We're always fighting monsters and evil beings, but why not that bastard that did this to her? Why don't these people get punished?" Trini continued. It scared her to think about what had happened 9 years ago. They were all torn up inside seeing their friend, who eventually became as close as their sister throughout the years, in this state.
"I can't stand this. I mean there's got to be something to do than just sit around here waiting." Zack said frustratingly.
"There's nothing we can do Zack." Trini explained. "It's up to Kim."
"Why don't we bring Annie here..." Zack did not manage to finish his sentence as Trini cut him off.
"No. Kim does not want to risk Annie's safety by bringing her back here. Are you out of your mind?! Jonathan might be around here, I'm not risking it."
"Come on Trini, she'll be fine here." Trini did not manage to voice out her protest as the front door burst open and was followed by a trail of voice by a little girl who is desperately calling out for her mummy.
"Mummy...
It's me Annie..." "Don't look at me. She begged me to bring
her back here. Don't worry Trini, everything will be fine. We'll
protect her." Jason explained. "Come on mom. You promised
me." Cried the nine years old girl.
As the night comes
by
Kimberly finally got out of her initial shock state and is recovering.
"I'm so sorry guyz." She said through her sobs while hugging Annie tight against her.
"Don't worry Kim. It's all alright now." Zack comforted.
"I... I guess I was just too shocked and panicked. It was 6 years ago when you did that to me." Trini exclaimed.
"I'm really ... really sorry. He ... just turns up... and... and lots of thoughts that went... (Sniffs) through my mind... I...I... couldn't help it." Kimberly apologized.
"Let
me go get you a glass of water." Trini got up and headed for the
kitchen as Jason followed behind. Billy was still there comforting
her as Zack offered to bring Annie up to her room.
In the
kitchen
"Hey Trini, I'm sorry for being such a jerk this morning." Jason apologized. "I should have listened where you warned me."
"We'll call it an even. I too wasn't in the right mood then." Trini said.
"Everything forgotten? We're still best friends?" Jason asked.
"Hey, since when we weren't." Trini smiled but in a split second it turned into a frown. "I'm still worried bout Kimberly."
"It isn't helping her much with Kim not wanting to say anything." Jason too expressed his concern over the matter. "She did mentioned something bout Tommy saving her. Maybe..." she was cut off mid sentence as Zack made his presence known.
"Well then, our next mission is to pay good old Tommy a friendly visit." Both his friends turn around.
But Trini objected firmly. "No... Kim does not want Tommy to know about this and you should know how difficult will it be when he starts suspecting."
"But he's our only hope of knowing what ever happened Trini." Zack reasoned.
"Well... we could just start off a normal conversation. It's not necessary to tell him everything. We'll just get what we want to know and we'll leave it as it is." Jason suggested.
"No." Immediately all three of them turned around and saw Kimberly standing at the door with Billy beside her. "I know you guys are worried about me." "But there's no point making such a big fuss out of my insecurities." "Plus... You start asking him questions; it'll definitely arouse his suspicions." "I'm... just not ready." She said at last. The others understood why, it was a long way and time before she got over it. They then decided to drop the subject. Seeing this, Kimberly decided to twist the mood a little. "Well Trini, would you mind if Tom stays over for the rest of his stay here in LA?"
"Of course not... With him around here I'll worry less because he'll definitely keep an eye on you." Trini smiled.
"Hmm... I've wanted to ask you this Kim, how come you re-introduced us that day?" As soon as that sentence left his mouth, he earned a nudge from both Trini and Jason. Kimberly merely shrugged.
"It's about time, why waste the money staying at hotels... How long will he be around?" Jason asked.
"Let's see, the art gallery will be done at the end of the month. I think about 1 more month." Doing the calculations in her head.
"Hold it. You're telling me he's an artist, but I thought he works for his families business?" Asked a puzzled Zack.
"Haha, I see you're facing the same problem as I did back then." Jason chuckled. Zack looked at him.
"Well what's so funny about that?" Still not understanding a thing that's going on.
"You see, Tom currently is working in his family's company. They sell sports equipment to places all over the world. But Uncle Pierre wasn't into business and has this passion for art, thus he left the whole company into he's brother's hands, or so that's what I heard. So now Tom is currently the finance manager of he's family's company. But since Pierre can't make it this round, Tom will be representing him then."
"Oh! Now I get it... I think." Zack finally understood.
"Did you guys see the pictures? They were so gorgeous, especially the ......" and they continued into the night.
Two weeks later
"Aw come one! You've been burying yourself between work and your daughter for all these while. Why can't you just take a break?"
"It's not about the break; the problem is there won't be anyone looking after her. She's my daughter you would not be expecting me to push her into the hands of others."
"They're your friends, your brothers, your sisters, your . . ."
"Tom, Jason's busy with his planning, Trini's having a court session, Billy won't be around over the week end, and Zack is away on his dance trip again. I could ask Aisha but..., why don't you just invite Wendy to go with you?" Kimberly stated.
"I wish I could, but she's out with here parents then... If that's the only problem you have, then that's taken care of. Dad has this friend of his, Mr Stewart who has this son who..." Tom explained.
"You are so not suggesting a baby sitter."
"Well. What's wrong with it?" Tom asked.
"Have you actually forgotten what happened the last time we had a baby sitter over. For your information, my daughter isn't classified under the little angel group."
"That was like 2 years ago, you could just give her another chance and I'm sure that Mr. Stewarts son could handle someone 12 years younger than him." Tom tried to explain.
"Ok.
Ok. I'll just give it one last shot." Kimberly said defeated and
rattles on as she was pushed out off her office by Tom. "And u
promise me that nothing... I don't want my daughter to ..."
The
day of the art gallery
"Now, Annie. You will be a good girl for the sitter ok? I expect u to behave yourself ... ... Incase of anything u know how to contact me." Kimberly repeated for what would be the 10th time to her daughter. Through her 'speeches', she didn't even notice the young man who just entered her house followed by Tom.
"Kimberly?" the voice of the boy was enough to get Kimberly's full attention.
-Oh god, please. Don't let it be. Not now. Chill Kim, coincidence does happen. Keep calm.-
