Author's Notes: Well, I realize that it's been some time since my last update. I sincerely apologize, but the notoriously sinister March Cleveland, OH weather caught up with me, and I came down with the worst cold. Although I was laid up on the sofa, I had such a bad headache, I couldn't think straight enough to write. Then, by the time I was feeling better, I had to work 4 days of third shift at the hospital. (Thank member Lucas43. Itwas his shifts I was working!) My whole schedule was messed up. I'm back in action, though. Here's Chapter 15. Thanks again to all who contunue to read and review. And no...Hobo Kitty is NOT Katherine (or anyone else, for that matter) in disguise.

Chapter 15: Evolution

"Well, when I got to the café, Haley and I had a sort of…altercation," Tommy started. He knew that sharing the experience with Kimberly would make him see things clearer, but reliving the event just didn't appeal to him on any level at all.

"Spill it, Tommy." Kim recognized the hesitation right away as his natural inclination to stick his head in the sand and pretend it would all go away. Some things never changed.

"OK. The kids were right. Haley was mad. Really, really mad. Spitting-tacks mad."

"Alright, I get your point. She was mad, but why?"

"I still have no idea, to be honest with you. Anyway, what happened was: I get there and go to talk to her, but she just starts yelling at me, acting completely irrational! Eventually, it comes out that she showed up here this morning to deliver a part for the command center. She heard us, Kim. She heard you and me making love and just freaked out. But I don't know why!" Tommy's obvious frustration was seeping from every pore. He threw his head back on the sofa and covered his eyes with his arm, as if to shut it all out.

Kim, being female, and therefore much more perceptive, immediately suspected the true motivation behind Haley's uncharacteristic behavior, even though she'd never met the woman. "Tommy, are you sure there has never been anything but friendship between you and Haley?"

"Yes, I'm sure. We never dated, never kissed…nothing like that! Ever! We just don't see each other in a romantic sort of way. What's that got to do with anything, anyway?" He knew she was trying to help, so hoped he didn't sound too irritated.

"All I'm saying is, maybe you never saw her that way, but I'm willing to bet that she might have had other expectations for your relationship."

"What are you talking about?" Tommy sat upright, his face a study in bewilderment. The Black Ranger was an intelligent man, but there were some things that still eluded him, especially regarding the opposite sex.

Kim momentarily took pity on him since he so clearly didn't get it. Men could be unbelievably dense. "Tommy, have you ever considered that maybe Haley might be in love with you?" She paused, giving the question time to sink in. "I don't think she was really angry at you. What you saw was pain and jealousy, manifested as anger."

"I don't think so, Kim. In the five years I've known her, she's never given me any reason to believe she is in love with me."

"Why does that not surprise me? Listen, you've never exactly been very good at deciphering a woman's signals. Think about it, what else would generate such a strong emotional reaction except another strong emotion, like love? There's no other explanation."

"I don't know, maybe. I don't even want to think about it. I haven't even told you the worst part yet." Tommy let out another deep breath before continuing. "When she finally decided to tell me what she heard, she deliberately said it right in front of the team, just to embarrass me! Now they know how I spent the morning, too." He covered his eyes again, subconsciously trying to hide from reality.

"Oh, Tommy. I'm sorry." Kim didn't know what else to say. This was a man who was uncomfortable kissing his girlfriend on the cheek in public back in high school. To have his students let in on such intimate things about his personal life had to be the most mortifying thing imaginable.

"She called me a man-slut!" he said with a groan.

Try as she might, Kimberly couldn't stifle the giggle that escaped her lips, but quickly composed herself when she saw the scowl that came over his face. "Sorry…man-slut?"

The stern expression he was trying to maintain cracked into a slight grin as he observed Kim's reaction to Haley's choice of words. "Hey, don't laugh! She made it sound like I just go around bringing home different women all the time, and I'm sure didn't help the team's opinion of me, either, when I smashed a table in half. God, Kim, I was so mad I couldn't see straight. I'm so stupid."

The hopelessness in his voice wrenched Kimberly's heart. It was a difficult situation that had no easy solution, but wallowing in self-pity wouldn't help. "Tommy, why do you always try to make everything your own fault? You didn't do anything wrong. I don't blame you for being mad. What she did was awful, but she was hurt, and it's over now. Think about the team. You're the grown-up. If you act like it's no big deal, then they'll pick up on that. The worst thing you could do is act ashamed or guilty."

"I don't feel ashamed of what we did, but I am their teacher and am supposed to set a good example. I know I don't sleep around, but now because of this, they think I do. And I'm not saying Haley opening her big mouth was my fault, but I'm upset with myself for the way I reacted. She was trying to bait me, and I played right into her hands."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Tommy. You're only human. Wait a couple of days until you cool off, then talk to her. She probably feels awful about what she did by now. Give her a chance to apologize. Then talk to the Rangers. You are a great role-model in every way. What goes on in your bedroom isn't part of the deal. You're an adult. You did nothing illegal or immoral, so there's no obligation to explain what was supposed to be kept your own business. Just tell them Haley was mistaken to imply you sleep around, and that you don't take the decision to have sex lightly. It'll be hard, but in the end, it might actually teach them a good lesson about respect."

"Yeah, you're right, as usual," he teased. "There's no way the Rangers can get by without Haley's expertise. But you really think she's in love with me?" The whole idea still sounded strange to Tommy, but he had a great deal of faith in Kim's ability to read people and situations, and he had to admit that it was the only explanation for Haley's behavior.

"How couldn't she be?" Kimberly never meant to say it, but as she looked into his deep chocolate-brown eyes, it just slipped out. Panic immediately welled up in her, but was soon squelched when Tommy lowered his lips to meet hers. The kiss started out soft and tender, but soon built in intensity as they shifted on the sofa to gain a better advantage.

"MMMeeeeeeooooowwwww!"

The screeching sound broke the two lovers apart like a couple of teenagers caught by the cops necking in the backseat of Daddy's Chevy. Hobo Kitty stood on the coffee table, as outraged an expression as a cat could manage on her whiskered little face.

"Oh, we're sorry Hobo! We didn't mean to disturb your nap," Kim apologized to the feline before joining Tommy in a fit of laughter. Hobo was not amused, though, so she jumped down and scurried off to find a place to rest where she wouldn't be bothered.

"Speak for yourself. I'm not sorry. Come here…" Tommy growled before scooping Kim up in his arms and climbing the stairs to the bedroom. Once there, clothing quickly fell away, leaving only soft curves to brush against hard, angular muscle. They indulged in each other again and again, and the afternoon hours slipped by unnoticed.

Their passion temporarily sated, Tommy lay with Kim's head resting on his chest, absentmindedly running his fingers through her long auburn tresses, contemplating what a bizarre weekend it had been. The days passed like a whirlwind, and now that it was Sunday evening, the mental recap of events playing in his head reminded him of a soap opera. There had been sex, drama, fighting, flirting, and crying. How it could have been both the best and the worst three days in recent memory at the same time was unbelievable. Monday morning was just hours away, and with it would come a million and one things that Tommy dreaded. He usually looked forward to returning to work, but not this time.

"God, I don't want to go to school tomorrow," Tommy whined like he was in the first grade.

"Oh, it won't be that bad. You'll see."

"Sure it will. There's actually more I haven't told you." He had debated telling her about Principal Randall's advances, but ultimately, he decided that honesty was the best policy. If he and Kim were to make a go of this relationship again, there was no room for secrets. Besides, she usually had a way of making him feel better about most situations. Her questioning expression prompted him to continue. "Friday morning, the school principal, Ms. Randall, asked me out."

"On a date? Wow, what a stud you are, Tommy! Even older women want you! What did you say?"

"I said no! And she's probably not even that much older. It was worse than just asking me out, though. She was openly flirting with me, doing stuff like sitting on the edge of her desk with her legs crossed so her skirt would ride up, leaning forward so I could see down her blouse, and massaging my shoulder. It was so creepy. I don't know what it is, but something about her puts my guard up, besides the fact that she hates kids. I can't understand why she went into education."

Kim's initial inclination to tease him about the principal's pass at him faded when she sensed his genuine distress about it. He was seriously nervous about the incident. "That's a tough one, baby, but maybe if you go and act like it never happened, it will blow over. You never know, she might be feeling pretty stupid about it by now, and would appreciate it if you just blew it off."

"She's not that demure, but maybe you're right. I'll just stay professional, avoid her as much as I can, and save us both the embarrassment. I have enough to worry about with Haley and the kids." As Tommy set his mind straight about how he was going to handle the next day, another unpleasant topic came to light, and as far as he was concerned, it was far worse than the others. "And tomorrow is our last night together, too, isn't it?"

Kimberly couldn't deny that the subject of her and Tommy's future had been on her mind, as well. Their reunion happened so fast that they were too wrapped up in eachother to think about what would happen when she went home to Florida on Tuesday morning. She rolled off of his chest to lie on her side next to him, gently placing a hand on his cheek to turn his face to her. "Tommy, I'm scared."

"Scared? Of what?"

"Scared that I'm not going to get the job. Scared that I will. Scared of losing you. Scared of scaring you off because of how I feel. Tommy, I never thought that after all the pain I caused you and all the stupid mistakes I made that I'd ever have a chance at happiness again. I was bitter and jaded about men, no longer the naïve girl from Angel Grove. I didn't believe in love at first sight anymore. That all changed the minute I saw you walking toward me outside that bank. It was like one of Rita's spells. I fell so hard for you again, just like I did in high school. I love you, Tommy. I probably always have." She desperately searched his face for a reaction to her powerful words. It was a big risk to take, telling him exactly how she felt, but she didn't believe in playing games. If he didn't feel the same way, at least she'd know the truth before she fell any further.

Tommy didn't believe he could be so lucky. He had been searching for a way to broach the subject of their next step since that morning, but with everything that went on, he got sidetracked. Once again, though, she proved to be thinking on the same wavelength as him, reinforcing his belief that there were more powerful forces at work drawing them back together than just pure coincidence. "Actually, I've been meaning to discuss something with you. Kim, I know it's sudden, but you know me. I'm a big believer in fate, and once I've made up my mind what I want, that's it." Tommy turned onto his side so that they were face to face and he could look into her eyes. "I'm in love with you, too. I don't understand it, but I can't fight it, either. I know it wasn't an accident that we met again. This is where we belong. You're going to get the job, and even if you don't, you can apply for another one somewhere else nearby. If techs are in such short supply, it should be easy. That said, there's just the question of where you're going to live when you move out here. I don't want to pressure you to do anything you're not ready for, but I have a lot of room in this house. I'd love it if you'd live here with me."

"Oh, Tommy, you've made me so happy. We might be out of our minds, but yes, I'll move in with you!"

Her acquiescence to his insane suggestion caused Tommy to release the breath he didn't realize he had been holding and break out into a huge, shit-eating grin. His reaction was contagious. Laughing, Kimberly flung herself at him, knocking him onto his back and landing on top of him. She braced herself with her hands on either side of his head as they shared the moment, basking in their mutual love.

As the minutes passed, their laughter subsided and eventually Kimberly's position straddling his stomach began to stir more sensuous feelings in the couple. Their eyes locked as she lowered her mouth to meet his. Tommy grasped her hips as she ground herself into him before he couldn't take anymore and used his tremendous strength to raise her up and back, sinking himself deeply into her. She rocked above him, their passion culminating in an explosive climax before she collapsed, panting and sweating, into his arms. Tommy barely had presence of mind to reach over and switch on the alarm clock, just in case the peacefulness of having Kim sleeping beside him disrupted his natural circadian rhythm. He gradually drifted off, contented that whatever tomorrow would bring, he would at least have Kim by his side to help him through it.

Haley sat alone at her kitchen table, sipping a cup of herbal tea, her eyes still red and puffy from crying. She still didn't understand how she could have been so stupid. The day at the café dragged on forever, and by closing time, the only thing she had to be grateful for were Sunday's shorter operating hours. The Rangers, bless their hearts, had stuck around, making every effort to cheer her up. Eventually, though, she had asked them to leave. They deserved to have what was left of the weekend to so what they wanted instead of spending it trying in vain to make her forget her blunder. There was no hope of that, and she didn't need the added guilt of having the kids wasting their valuable time. The same images kept playing over and over in her head: the sound of Tommy and the woman groaning in ecstasy, the look on the his face when she called the woman a whore, him smashing the table, the death glare in his eyes before he walked out. The scenes threatened to drive her insane. There was no hope of repairing the damage she caused to their friendship, but she was determined not to let the Rangers down. Finishing off the last few drops of the tea, she dropped the cup in the sink and went to bed. The last thought on her mind before nodding off into a fitful sleep was that Tommy was probably in bed by now already too, except she doubted he was alone.