Chapter 9: Being Friends Hurt

Kimberly was getting her team ready for practice when her cell-phone rang. "Hello," she answered.

"Mom, when will dad get me?" Kylie asked.

"He should've been there by now," Kimberly replied.

"Well, he's not here."

"I'll call him."

She hung up and called Tommy's cell-phone. "Dr. Oliver," Tommy answered.

"Your daughter is sitting outside of her school waiting for her father to go get her," she told him.

"Oh, is it that time already?" He asked.

"Yes, she just called me and asked me where her father was."
"I'm on my way."

They hung up and Kimberly called Kylie back to tell her that Tommy was on his way. She then got practice started.

Tommy was driving a boy named Trent Fernandez home when he picked Kylie up. "I didn't know you had a kid yourself," Trent commented.

"That's a very long story," Tommy stated.

"Dad, who is this?" Kylie asked.

"Kylie Oliver, this is Trent Fernandez. Trent, this is my daughter, Kylie," Tommy informed.

Trent nodded to Kylie and they started towards Trent's house. Just then, Tommy looked in the rearview mirror. "Trent, do you see uh.." he trailed off.

"A gold guy going forty miles an hour right be hind us?" Trent finished.

Tommy slammed on the brakes and the gold guy ran right into Tommy's jeep. Kylie undid her seatbelt and Tommy grabbedher arm. "Kylie, stay in the car," he insisted. Kylie nodded and turned to see her dad fight the gold monster. She gasped when her father was thrown to the ground.

"DADDY!" She yelled.

"Quiet you little brat, or I'll destroy you too."

Kylie gasped when the Power Rangers appeared. Kimberly ran to her daughter. "Are you okay?" She asked. Kylie nodded and Kimberly took her into her arms. Tommy stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks," he told her.

"No problem," she assured him.

The gold guy disappeared with Zeltrax and they were shocked when the gold guy called him "Father".

Kimberly came downstairs to find Tommy in the living room. "Is Kylie okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, she'll be fine. She's just a little shaken up," Kimberly replied.

"That would be scary for me if I were her age."

Kimberly pushed him a bit. "Well, we were her age again once before," she reminded.

"Yeah, I was stuck that way twice," he chuckled.

Kimberly looked into her cup with a sigh. "Tommy, do you remember that time I was put back in time because Rita and Zedd took my cactus you gave me?" She asked. He nodded with a smile.

"I remember that day perfectly. And that time we were stuck in that storybook," he agreed.

"That day I remember."

"The day we got our Ninjetti Powers."

Kimberly sighed as she looked in her lap. "Yeah, but Tommy. I remember all the times we both shared together," she murmured. He looked at her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We had something very special. Do you think we'll ever get it back?" She asked.

"Time will put the pieces back together," he replied.

She sighed then he got up. "Where are you going?" She asked.

"I have to go to city hall. Anton Mercer is buying Hayley's café," he replied.

"Well, good luck. Don't you think you should tell Kylie that you're leaving?"

"Yeah."

He went upstairs into Kylie's room. He found his daughter curled up in her bed with her teddy bear in her arms. "Daddy?" She asked.

"Hey, Kylie. I know today was scary for you," he told her.

"Daddy, where are you going?" She asked.

"I have to go to city hall. I'll be back as soon as I can."

He placed a kiss on her forehead and left. In Kylie's arms was the teddy bear Tommy gave Kimberly the day she had her accident on the balance beam. Kimberly stood in the room to see her daughter fast asleep with her bear in her arms.

That afternoon, Kimberly had Kylie sitting on her hip when she came into the cyber café. "Well, this must be the beautiful little girl that Dr. Oliver here was talking about when he gave me the excuse of being late," the mayor commented. Kylie held her hand out to her.

"I'm Kylie Oliver," she told her.

"Well, hello, Miss Oliver," the mayor greeted.

Kimberly jumped and turned around when Anton Mercer came in. She placed Kylie on the floor and placed her hands on her shoulders. After hearing all of these words the mayor told her and Mercer left, everyone started to celebrate. Kylie ran over to Tommy and he spun the girl around. Kimberly smiled and Hayley placed a hand on her shoulder. "I can see that you still love him," she commented. Kimberly nodded with a sigh.

"Yes, I am still in love with him," she replied.

Tommy then had Kylie sit on his back and carried her to Kimberly. "Somebody wanted to see you," he told her. Kimberly smiled as she spun Kylie around.

Later that afternoon, Tommy was driving Kylie and Kimberly home when Kylie looked at him. "Dad, may I stay with you?" She asked.

"It's up to your mom," Tommy replied.

Kylie looked at Kimberly with a puppy look. "If those eyes get any bigger they'll pop. Of course you can stay with your dad. then he can drop you off at school tomorrow," she assured her. Kylie smiled and hugged her.

"Thank you, mom," she giggled.

Tommy dropped them off at home and Kimberly had Kylie come back outside with her backpack and pink duffel bag.

When Tommy came home, Kylie hurried inside and Tommy came in behind her.

Tommy was finishing some assignments for his class when he saw Kylie out in the backyard. He got up and walked over to the door. He saw her practicing her routine. She did a few back flips, front flips, cartwheels, round offs, and a split. He looked over at the picture of Kimberly to see her striking a pose after a gymnastics competition. He smiled at the picture before looking over at Kylie, the treasure that he helped create. The child he'll give his life for, just like how he'd give up his life for her mother. He smiled as Kylie finished her routine and went back inside. He then went back to work.