Disclaimer: I only own Cadence McKnight, Maureen and Amos Lawrence, Nadine Banks and Chuck Williams. Everyone else is property of Disney.
Note: Sequel to 'Go be with the girl you love' but it can be read on its own.
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Kira held the phone to her ear, unable to speak.
"Kira? Are you still there?" Ethan asked. Kira took in a trembling breath.
"Yeah, I'm here." She said softly. "Wh-What do you mean, she's dead?" Kira asked. Ethan sighed.
"Krista had been battling cancer for two years." He said. Kira looked down, feeling terrible. She should've known this, should've been there for Conner, but in her depression and sadness of Conner picking Krista over her made her isolate herself from him and anything that involved him. When she had gone to Tommy and Kimberly's wedding, Ethan's wedding and Cassidy and Devin's wedding, she had seen Conner and Krista there and had been able to carefully maneuver herself so that they didn't see her or come and speak to her. When she had gone to San Francisco for Ethan's wedding, she even saw them with their then one year old little girl and her heart almost broke seeing as she didn't even know that Krista had been pregnant. The others knew about how Kira felt and all though they tried to keep her up to date with Conner, she'd refuse to listen, and now she wished she had. "The doctor's thought it had gone away because she seemed to be fine after her last round of chemo." Ethan continued. "But a month ago it came back apparently."
"Wh-" Kira began to say, but her voice came out sounding horse. She cleared her throat. "When did she die?" She asked.
"Last night." Ethan replied. "Kira, I know you have this whole aversion to Conner, but he needs us now. All of us."
"No." Kira said. "I mean, no, yeah you're right. I……." She took a deep breath. "I'll uh tell the folks at the office that I'll need a leave of absence." She said.
"All right. Do you want me to come by your place tomorrow and we'll go together?" He asked.
"Yeah, that……that sounds fine." Kira said. She numbly said goodbye and hung up. Kira leaned back in her chair and stared at her desk, unsure how to feel. She was sad, of course. Krista was a good person, even though Kira tried to hate her because of what happened, she couldn't. Krista was a decent human being. She wanted to be there for Conner. But she also felt some other confused emotion. The wife of the love of her life was dea…….Stop it! She mentally scolded herself. How dare you even think that? How can you even think about getting joy from Krista's death? She was Conner's wife! And they had a daughter……….You are sick, sick sick sick sick. Kira took a deep breath and shakingly leaned forward. She sighed and realized the fifteen minute break she called was nearing to an end. She stood up on shaky legs and made herself walk down the hall to the recording studio. She found Chuck and Nadine sitting inside. Nadine was laughing at something Chuck had just said. They both looked up at her.
"Kira?" Nadine asked, noticing the lost look on her face. Chuck stood up and went over to her.
"Everything all right, boss?" He asked. Kira blinked and looked at him.
"I……I need you to finish Nadine's album for me." She said.
"Something wrong?" Chuck asked. Kira sighed. He led her to the seat he had just vacated. Kira sat down.
"I just got a call from a friend….." She said softly. "He told me another friend of ours just lost his wife." She said. "I…..I have to go back home…" She said, her voice sounding distant. Chuck and Nadine shared surprised looks before coming closer to her.
"Are you okay? Do you need anything?" Chuck asked. Kira shook her head.
"I…..I'm just going to take a leave of absence so I can go back to Reefside." She said. Nadine reached over and took Kira's hand.
"Don't worry about the album; we can wait until things settle." Nadine said. Kira shook her head.
"No, Wild Domestic gave us a deadline for the album." Kira said, referring to the record company that she was signed to and were the heads of her own label, Ptera records. Since this was Kira's first artist on her label, the company was a little strict and even set a time for when the album should be finished and released.
"We'll talk to them, explain that there's extenuating circumstances." Chuck said. Kira sighed. She squeezed Chuck's hand.
"It's okay. Chuck, I trust you. I know Nadine's in good hands with you." She said. She sighed and got up. "I'm going to go up and tell the folks up at WD that I have to take a leave of absence then I'm going to go home."
"When are you heading back to Reefside?" Chuck asked.
"Tomorrow." Kira said. Both Nadine and Chuck got up and hugged her, Nadine promising Kira she'd call her later that night to see if she was all right. Kira appreciated their concern and left. She spoke to the execs in Wild Domestic, who understood. She told them to not worry about the album for she had left it in good hands. They told her to not worry and extended the deadline by a month, allowing Kira at least two weeks to not be worried. Kira thanked them before leaving. She returned to her own office, grabbed her messenger bag and left the office, giving a goodbye to Maureen as she left. Later that night, Kira sat in the living room of her large house watching a small fire flicker and sway in the fireplace. She slowly drank a glass of red wine. As the flame flickered, it reminded her of the last time she spoke to Krista. It was the after graduation bonfire at the beach. Everyone was there.
Kira slowly walked along the beach, observing her former classmates partying it up. She gave false friendly smiles to acquaintances as they passed her by. She sighed as she went over to the keg and got herself a cup of beer. She was still depressed from what happened at prom night, and it didn't help seeing Conner and Krista sitting together on a log and were being completely loving. That one cup soon became another and another, until the former yellow ranger was several sheets to the wind, stumbling about and giggling. She became very sociable, dancing around with people she would usually never speak to. Conner, Krista, Ethan, Trent, Cassidy and Devin sat by and watched as she danced provocatively with Derek, one of the guys on the soccer team with Conner. (Author note: the guy who was being really mean to Ethan in Bully for Ethan…) Derek didn't seem to mind that the young singer who normally didn't speak to him was pressed up against him, her hips gyrating against his. Unfortunately, Kira's friends did mind.
"Someone should go talk to her." Conner said. Cassidy looked at him. The others knew about what had happened between him and Kira, simply because after the prom Kira avoided him like the plague and after interrogating the former red ranger, Ethan found out and shared it with the others.
"I'll go." Cassidy offered. She slid Devin's arm off her shoulders and approached the other two. "Kira." She said softly. Kira stopped her dance and looked over. She had a huge smile on her face as she stepped away from Derek.
"Cassidy!" She said. She skipped over and threw her arms around the blonde's shoulders, hugging her tightly. "My friend!" She exclaimed. "I love you!" She said before planting a wet kiss on Cassidy's cheek. Cassidy cringed as she got a whiff of beer breath.
"God, you're hammered." Cassidy said, pushing Kira back gently. Derek laughed.
"Not yet she isn't." He said, his crude sexual joke not lost on Cassidy. Kira laughed hysterically.
"Oh my god, you are sooooooooo funny!" Kira said. Derek grinned and went over to her. Cassidy got between them and pushed Derek back.
"Back off Testosterone boy." She said. Derek glared at her before shrugging and walking away. Cassidy sighed and looked at her.
"How about you come sit with us?" She asked. She took Kira's hand and began to lead her back to the others. When they were within inches, Kira scoffed and snatched her hand away.
"No thanks." She said. She looked at Conner and Krista. "Rather not sit with the dumb love birds." She spat out. Krista looked down, Conner sighed. Trent, Ethan and Devin looked from the couple to Kira.
"O..Oh Okay, how about we got sit somewhere else?" Cassidy offered, putting a hand on Kira's shoulder. "Just you and me, and we can talk." She said. Kira looked at her.
"Talk? As if. You and I aren't friends. The only reason you're here is because-" Ethan's eyes widened and he jumped up, going over to her.
"Because we value your company." Ethan said quickly, cutting her off, knowing Kira was about to say that Cassidy knew their secret, which would only result in Krista wanting to know what said secret was. He took Kira in his arms. "How about you take Cass up on her offer before you do something you'll regret?" He said lowly to her.
"Bite me." Kira said. She shoved Ethan away and stumbled off to the woods. Ethan sighed and put a friendly hand on Cassidy's shoulder.
"Maybe I should go talk to her." Conner said. He began to get up. Krista grabbed his arm.
"Conner, I think I should talk to her. I'm the one she's really mad at." Krista said.
"That's probably why it's better that you don't go after her." Devin pointed out. Krista shook her head.
"It'll be fine." She said. Conner didn't seem convinced. Krista stood up. "Don't worry." She said. She walked off after Kira.
"Something tells me there will be a drunken catfight in the woods." Ethan said, jokingly, trying to lighten the mood. Conner gave him a hard look.
"Kira?" Krista called as she walked through the woods. She soon came across Kira pressed up against a tree, making out with Derek. She rushed over and shoved Derek away. "Hey!" She said, smacking his shoulder. Derek groaned and looked at her.
"Hey, she's the one who started kissing me." Derek said.
"She's drunk. If she was sober she'd do what the rest of the female population does-stay far away from you." Krista said. Derek stalked up to her and got in her face. He glared at her for a while before sneering.
"You're lucky you're McKnight's girl." He said. "Because if you weren't I'd-"
"You'd what?" Krista asked brazenly. Derek stepped back and spat at her feet before walking away. Krista sighed. She turned to Kira.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Kira demanded. "What, do you just take joy in seeing me alone? I mean first you steal Conner away and now you chase Derek off?" Kira walked deeper into the woods. Krista went after her.
"First of all, Derek's a jerk why would any sane girl want to go near him? Second of all, I didn't steal Conner away from you. I didn't even know you liked him." Kira stopped and spun around to face Krista.
"I didn't like him. I LOVE him." Kira spat out. "And you had to barge in with your environmentalist beliefs and petitions and make him fall for you."
"I'm sorry you're hurting, really I am." Krista said. "Look, you and Conner are friends and I don't want to harm that." She sighed. "If you want me to just break up with Conner, then I will." She said. "But please, will you just talk to him? He hates the fact that you haven't said two words to him since prom." Kira scoffed.
"As if you breaking up with him will fix anything." She said. "You sank your claws into him. He loves you."
"I don't know what to say or do to make this better." Krista sighed. "But I want to make it better. I want-"
"Will you just shut up?" Kira yelled. "God, no wonder Conner's head over heels for you. You're like this sugar coated tree hugger. It's disgusting." Krista sighed. She knew it was just the beer in Kira that was making her say these things. She didn't know Kira too well, but she knew her well enough to know that she'd never be this mean.
"You know what, how about we try talking again after you've sobered up a bit, all right?" Krista said. "We can just all go to that diner up the road, get you some coffee, and talk about this like adults, okay?" Krista asked.
"Why don't you just go back to your boyfriend and leave me alone." Kira said. She sank down to the ground, her back leaning against a tree. Krista went and crouched down in front of her. She went to put a hand on Kira's shoulder.
"GO AWAY!" Kira screamed, startling Krista. Krista stumbled backwards, falling back on her backside. She sighed and stood up, dusting the seat of her jeans.
"Fine." Krista said softly. She turned and went to walk back to the beach. Kira pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her face in her arms as she cried.
"I wish you were dead." She said softly, but Krista heard her. She stopped.
"I'm sorry you feel that way." Krista said before walking away.
Kira set her glass of wine down. Her body began to shake from the sobs that came out of her. She curled up on her couch, pulling the afghan that lay neatly on the back of the couch onto her body.