They all sat quietly in Tommy's living room, no one knowing what to say or do. Despite the pleasant greeting, things seemed awkward and tense. Kim sat by herself in one of the love seats. She couldn't look at Jason or Tommy. Every now and then she would look up and give a small smile to Aisha.
Finally Aisha couldn't handle it any more; she got up and walked over to Kim, sitting down on the arm rest beside her. "Kim, I think we all need to talk." Kim shook her head, "I don't know what you are talking about." Aisha laughed, stubborn as usual. "You know exactly what we are talking about girl." Kim sighed. "I don't want to talk about it. I made peace with everything along time ago."
Rocky shook his head, "No you haven't, or you wouldn't still be mad. If you had really gotten over it, you would feel nothing, since you're mad, we know you still care." Kim sighed, "I don't know what you want me to say. You guys stopped writing and calling, what was I supposed to do? I was alone; I panicked and jumped to conclusions on some things."
Rocky shook his head, "I wrote you once a week Kim, for a year, all my letters came back unopened. After a year, I gave up; I thought you wanted to cut us all out of your life." Kim shook her head, "I never got your letters Rocky, after Christmas, the only person I heard from was Kat." Rocky looked at her, "What do you mean you never got my letters?"
"Just that, I never got yours or anyone else's letters, just Kat's." Kim said, looking as frustrated as Rocky. "I sent you letters from Africa, your saying you never got them?" Kim nodded, "I didn't even know you were in Africa until I went back to Angel Grove with Jason." Jason nodded, "That's true, and she was shocked to find out that you weren't there." Kim nodded, and Rocky looked at her, "Is that why you left so fast afterwards? You thought we didn't want you as our friend anymore?" Rocky asked the hurt evident in his voice.
Kim sighed and nodded, "Ya, the only reason I came back was because of Jason, he forced me to. I didn't know how awkward things would be, so I just wanted to leave you all to your lives, you seemed to have been doing just fine without me." Tommy spoke for the first time since this conversation started, "We weren't fine without you Kim, after you left, the team was never the same, you brought something that no one else could, you were the soul of the group, you brought joy and laughter and hope. You were our strength, you were my strength."
Kim looked up at Tommy with tears rolling down her face, "I'm sorry Tommy. I didn't want to go, you were my home, you all were, but I couldn't come back, Kat kept telling me how well you were all doing without me. I didn't know what to think, I felt like you didn't even care that I was gone."
Jason walked over to Kim and knelt down before her, as soon as he did, she looked away. "Look at me Kim." She didn't, "Kimberly Ann Hart, you look at me this instance." She slowly turned her head to face him. "I know why you felt abandoned Kim, I was there when your dad left, and when your mom went away to Paris, but we were always the one thing that you were sure of in your life. We were family Kim, deep in your heart you know that, no matter what, we would always have been there for us, for some reason, you began to doubt that why?"
Kim looked at him with tears rolling down her face, "Because everyone I love always leaves me. I'm not god enough for them to want to stick around. When everyone stopped calling and Kat kept enforcing my worst fears, I thought I had to hurt him before he hurt me, before he had a chance to leave me, just like everyone did, just like you did."
Everyone looked at Kim; they hadn't realized how much pain their absence had caused her. Jason reached up and wiped away her tears, "I know Kim, but we're still here, we didn't mean to leave you alone, you heard Rocky and Aisha, they wrote you, you just never got the letters." Kim nodded, "But why did you leave me? You promised that you wouldn't. I counted on you." Jason sighed; he looked at her, as regret filled his eyes.
"I never meant to Kim. I just had to get away for a while. When I got back, it was time for you to compete in the Pan Globals, so I went down to Florida, and I watched you. I was there, you just didn't see me. By the time I had a chance to see you, you were gone, and your roommate said you had left. So I drove around for a month or so, before I headed back to Angel Grove. I didn't get your messages until then, when I tried to get in touch with you; it was like you had just disappeared. I tried for a few weeks, before deciding that you didn't want to be found, and if you did, you would contact me. I'm sorry I wasn't there Kim, I would've been."
Kim looked at him, "You came to see me compete?" Jason smiled, "Ya I did, you were amazing by the way." She gave him a small smile, her anger slowly starting to fade; they hadn't truly abandoned her after all. "Thank you." With that she wrapped her arms around Jason's neck, "I missed you." Jason smiled and hugged her back, "I missed you to sis." The other three looked at the two with smiles, glad that they had worked it out. When they broke away Kim made her way over to Tommy and gave him a small smile.
"Sorry." Tommy laughed and pulled her towards him, "You don't have to apologize for anything beautiful, I'm just glad you could work it out." She nodded and hugged him back, giving him a small kiss on the cheek before turning to Aisha and Rocky and smiled.
Jason laughed, "You're lucky we love you so much Kim." She nodded, "How could you not?" They all laughed, glad that things seemed to be less tense. "Aisha, how come Kim never got you letters? I mean, ou were best friends, yours should've gotten through." Aisha shrugged, "I don't know, when I got to Africa I realized that I had lost her address, so I called Rocky to get it, after that, I never heard from Kim." Rocky nodded, "Ya, I lost Kim's address about two weeks before Aisha moved, so I asked Kat for the address, that's when they letters started coming back."
Kim began laughing. They all looked at her, as if she had grown a second head. "Kim, what's so funny?" Tommy asked. Kim tried to catch her breath, "Kat, I have to give her credit, when she wants something, she is thorough." They all looked confused. "What do you mean?" Aisha asked. "Kat was the only one I heard from, she would tell me how well you were all getting along, and how close her and Tommy were becoming. Rocky asked her for my address, and I never got the letters he sent, or you sent. She must have given you the wrong address on purpose."
"Kat wouldn't do that" Rocky said, shocked by what Kim was saying, "Yes she would, she wanted Tommy, and for me to be out of the picture, mission accomplished. She got what she wanted; none of us saw it coming." Tommy nodded, "She did try and break Kim and me up, and it makes sense, that she changed the addresses." Jason sighed, "Man, I never saw that coming." Kim nodded, "No one did." Aisha shook her head, "What are we gonna do about it?" Kim shrugged, "I don't know, we have plenty of time to think something up." They all nodded.
The gang had finished a late lunch, when Conner, Ethan and Kira showed up. They were surprised to see Jason again, but got over it quickly, once they were introduced to Aisha and Rocky, the three kids began to pump them all for stories. Tommy quickly tried to get them off that topic by sending them to the command centre to begin their training.
Once the kids had disappeared into the basement, Tommy turned to his friends, "Did you guys want to help with training? Or stay up here, and do whatever?" They all shrugged, "Why don't we go down and watch, maybe offer a few pointers, you know." Rocky said with a smirk.
Tommy nodded, "Sure, sounds good. I'm just going to go change, so you guys can go ahead down." They nodded and made there way to the basement as they all waited for Tommy. Kira went over and sat by Kim, "Hey, I wanted to thank you again for all your help with the song and all." Kim smiled and nodded, "It was no problem, it was fun." Kira laughed, "Ya it was. How are things with you and Dr. O?" Kim shrugged, "I don't know, we are sort of in limbo. I don't think we have fully forgiven each other yet, and we can't move forward until we let go of the past."
Kira nodded, "So why don't you?" She sighed, "I don't know how. I've been living with this anger and resentment for so long, it's going to take me awhile until I am fully able to forgive and forget, you know." Kira nodded, "I know, but you may want to talk to Dr. O, and see where you to are. I can tell he still has feelings for you, it's in his eyes." Kim smiled, "Ya, I still have feelings for him, I just don't know, if I can handle losing him again."
Kira smiled, she could tell that both her teachers still had very strong feelings for each other; she just hoped that they would be able to figure a way past all the pain, soon. "I'm sure it will all work out for you." Kim smiled, "Thanks Kira." Just then Conner walked over and smiled at the two ladies, "So Kim, how's it goin?" Kim laughed, Conner reminded her so much of Jason and Tommy. "Good, and how about yourself Conner?" He shrugged, "Bored. It's been so quiet lately, there isn't much to do." Kim nodded, and Jason came over, "Trust me man, you will be relishing these moments of peace soon, they don't happen often." Kim nodded, "I don't think Tommy and I ever completed a date, we always got interrupted." Jason laughed, "Tommy was getting so pissed after the tenth time Rita and Zedd had disrupted one of your dates, it was so funny." Kim stuck her tongue out at Jason, "It was not funny, it was annoying, we never got to finish a movie or dinner, hell we were so tired afterwards Tommy, sometimes, couldn't even muster up the energy to walk me home."
Just then Tommy came down the stairs, "Hey, I apologized for that, I didn't mean to not walk you home." Kim shook her head, "Ya right, you were just too scared to give me a goodnight kiss." At that the whole group started laughing, and Tommy turned beet red. "Our fearless leader scared of giving his girlfriend a goodnight kiss, who would've thought." Rocky said laughing, "Oh ya, you should have seen him before he asked Kim out, it was pathetic man, he was scared shitless to ask her out, he was afraid she didn't feel the same, even though we kept telling him she would say yes."
Kim laughed, "He was definitely nervous, he stuttered the whole way through the first time he tried to ask me out, I had to initiate the second time." Jason nodded and laughed, "Oh ya, I remember that." Tommy glared at the two, "You two can shut up at any moment now." Jason smirked, "But where's the fun in that?" Tommy shook his head, "You two are so in for it." He then turned to Aisha and Rocky, "You two can join them or you can say nothing." Aisha laughed, as she saw Rocky biting back a comment. Tommy nodded, "That's what I thought."
He turned to the three kids, "Alright, you guys start with the warm up." They nodded and began the warm up Tommy had taught them. Just then alarms started going off, and Tommy rushed to his computer, he saw that Elsa was attacking the city with their newest monster. "Alright guys, you know what we have to do." The team nodded and got into position. The former rangers watched as the young teens and Tommy changed into their dino ranger uniforms.
"Wow" They all said, Tommy smiled from beneath his helmet. "You guys stay here till we get back." They nodded as they watched the four flee the command centre. Kim turned to Aisha, "Tommy probably misses the days were he could just teleport to where ever he was going." Aisha laughed, "No kidding, that boy was always so lazy." Kim laughed, "No kidding, whenever we would hang out, he rarely offered to get off his butt and get me a drink, I had to get it myself." Aisha started laughing harder, "He was lucky you loved him so much." Kim nodded, "Oh ya, I had to remind him of that a few times, but every now and then he would surprise me, and be so sweet, and I would forget about the times he was lazy or late." Aisha nodded, "I know, he loved you Kim, very much, he still does."
She gave her a small smile and sighed, "I know I still love him too; I just don't know what to do." Jason and Rocky came and sat down beside the girls, "It will all work out Kim." She nodded, "I want to apologize to you all, I should never have doubted you all. I'm sorry that it cost us all so much time." Jason wrapped his arm around Kim, "Don't be sorry Kim, you weren't the only one in the wrong, and we all are to blame for giving up so easily." She smiled up at Jason and nodded, before the group turned there attention to the screen in front of them, as they watched Tommy and the teens take on the Mesogog's goons. As they watched, they all had a sense of nostalgia, it brought them all back to a time where they were all so close, nothing could separate them, they were family, and they fought along side each other. "They really are quite good." Rocky said, holding onto Aisha's hand. Jason nodded, "Tommy has done well with them" They all nodded, as thy watched them call on their zords to try and defeat the regenerated monster. "Tommy did always have a thing for dinosaurs."
Kim said laughing. "Ya, I can't believe he has his Ph.D, I mean it's Tommy, who barely passed high school biology." They all laughed remembering all the group study sessions at Billy's house, "I know, even then he was to busy staring at Kim the whole time." Rocky added laughing, "He was not!" Kim protested, although she knew it was true, when she would look up at Tommy he would quickly lower his head, trying to hide the fact that he had been staring at her. "Come on girl, that boy drooled over you, he could barely keep his eyes off you." Kim blushed; she knew she had the same problem where Tommy was concerned.
"Whatever." Kim said, trying to change the subject. "So what are the plans for tonight Jason asked?" They shrugged, "We have all that beer that you made me buy, shame to let it go to waste." Kim said, and they nodded, "Ya, we should have a party, celebrate the fact that we are all together again." Rocky added, and the rest agreed. "Sounds like a plan, we should see if Tommy has any good movies too." Jason added, remembering the first time they had a party together, they had beer pizza and good movies, Kim wasn't there, but he assumed, that she wouldn't protest to the idea, since she came up with the drinking part.
Kim nodded, "I'm sure he does, Tommy loved watching movies." They all nodded, remembering Tommy's obsession with watching movies, it was all he would want to do sometimes. "Well then it's settle, as soon as Tommy gets back, we will try and get rid of the kids, make supper, put on a good movie, and have a couple of beers." Jason said. They all nodded, they knew after an emotional day, like they had, they needed to a way to get rid of their stress, frustration, and anger. Hopefully, Kim and Tommy would be able to figure things out.
When they saw the monster being destroyed they cheered and heard Tommy's voice come over and intercom. "Guys, we're on our way back." About twenty minutes later the group had returned, clearly exhausted, but still had some energy to burn. When Tommy looked at his friends, he saw the smirk on their faces, "What's going on guys?" They shrugged, and Jason motioned to Tommy to follow him over to the corner.
"While you were out, we decided that we are going to have a mini party, and celebrate all being back together, we got plenty of beer and food, and I'm sure you have plenty of movies for us to watch." Jason said. Tommy smiled, knowing he needed a fun relaxing evening, "Sounds good, and I'm sure I have something everyone will want to watch." Jason nodded, "Good, so get rid of the kids, and we'll make super, and get the party going." Tommy laughed and turned to the teens who were engrossed in a conversation with Kim, Aisha and Rocky.
"Hey guys, why don't you go home and take it easy, we'll try for training tomorrow or something, you guys did well tonight." Tommy said, the teens nodded, knowing that, that was Tommy's way of politely asking them to leave. "Sure thing Dr. O, we'll see you guys tomorrow." They said goodbye and were off. Kim jumped up and looked at her friends, "So what's for dinner?" Jason looked over at Tommy, "How about, Rocky, Aisha, and I go make dinner, and you to go take a walk."
Kim was about to protest when Tommy beat her to it, "That sounds like a good idea, just try not to burn down my house guys, I kind of like it the way it is." They all laughed, and Tommy went and grabbed Kim's hand, pulling her out of the back entrance to the cave. "Hopefully they can get back on track" Aisha said, as the three made there way back up the stairs to get started on super.
Sorry about the dealy, I'm done for the summer, just work now, so I should be able to update more frequently. Hope you enjoy :)
PinkPrincess ;)