Author's Notes: It's getting to crunch time, folks. Thanks for the reviews of the last chapter. Glad you all liked it. Cranelove, no...I wasn't going to quit the story. I think I had bad PMS that day. And I realize I started out posting more frequently, but this story got complicated, and the chapters got longer, too. I hope you enjoy this one. For those of you who have inquired, the story IS coming to a close within a few more chapters. There will NOT be a sequel, as I think they're very difficult to do well. I doubt I could pull it off. That doesn't mean the end of me, however. I still have the NC-17 chapters to write, and there's another little plot running around my head that I hope to develop. My love to you all, but especially VW, SG, JT, C, and ST.
Chapter 23: Expecting the Unexpected
All four guys watched Kim and Trini fly out of the house on their late night 'girl supply' run just as they were about to put in a movie, but none of them questioned the excursion. As concerned as Tommy was about how Kim was feeling, there were just some subjects that were better left a mystery to men, one of them being anything to do with 'that time of the month'. For all he knew, that might even explain why she felt sick in the first place.
"So do we hold the movie until they get back?" Jason asked before he pushed the 'play' button on the remote.
"Nah…they aren't going to want to watch this anyway. We might as well start or it will be four AM before it's over. God knows how long they'll be once they start shopping," Tommy answered, knowing the pair could easily spend three hours just in the cosmetics department.
"Tell me something…How come women do these things as a group activity? I mean, Jason, when's the last time I asked you to come to Walgreen's with me to buy shaving cream?" Rocky questioned. Being a typical dense guy, the inner-workings of the female species intrigued, yet confused the hell out of him.
"Well, Rocky. It dates back to several ancient civilizations when women were sequestered during their menstrual periods because they were thought to be unclean. They spent those days each month in special living quarters together, and so over time, a sense of community developed among them," Billy explained. It sounded logical, but he was smart enough to know that there was a lot more to female behavior that he'd never understand.
"Thanks for the history lesson, Billy. I don't even want to think about it. Let's just watch the movie, guys," Jason said, changing the subject.
The boys had chosen an old Steven Segal movie and were finishing off the last of the beer with the chips and salsa. Once the action started, the guys, including Billy, were hypnotized. They were simple creatures on a testosterone overload, easily distracted by fast-moving objects. When Kim and Trini came in, no one even heard them.
"Hi, gentlemen!" Kim exclaimed as they ran past the living room on the way upstairs. She was glad to see that they were well-occupied enough that Tommy wouldn't come snooping around to see what she was doing. The girls locked themselves in the bathroom before Trini opened the package and took out the directions.
Kim, being a Medical Technologist, knew for the most part how to use the kits. She also knew that the ones on the market were more or less the exact same ones they use for urine pregnancy tests in the lab. Therefore, she knew that she could trust the results. Whatever the test said would decide her and Tommy's future. That thought made her nervous. If some would say that their decision to live together after only a few days re-acquaintance was brash and impulsive, then having a baby already would be considered downright stupid. She knew she loved Tommy, and would be lying to herself if she denied ever dreaming of giving him the family he'd always wanted, but that should come when they mutually decided it was the right time, not as an accident. What if he didn't want a baby now? He had a very full plate with mentoring the Rangers, including being a Ranger himself, and teaching high school full time. Where would he fit in raising a family?
Before Kimberly worked herself up too much, she realized she should know for sure. With Trini there as her support, she collected a sample, then taking a deep breath, dipped the white stick into the cup. The instructions said the test could not be called negative until a full ten minutes passed without a blue line developing, but as she watched the sample flow across the test window, a line was immediately visible in its tracks. The test was positive. Kimberly Hart, for the second time in her life, was facing an unplanned pregnancy.
When Trini saw the result, she instinctively placed her arm around her friend and gave her a little squeeze. The comforting gesture touched Kim, and she buried her head against the former Yellow Ranger's shoulder, eyes filled with tears. "How could I do this to Tommy? I'm such an idiot!" she exclaimed suddenly.
"Come on, Kim. You didn't do this on your own. He played a pretty important part. You're both responsible, educated, thirty-year-old people. You can handle parenthood. It's not the same as before." Trini understood that Kim knew all of this, but she didn't know what else to say.
"I know, but I just feel like I let him down. What if he thinks I did it on purpose?"
"You know Tommy better than that. He will understand, and probably be so excited. Now when are you going to tell him?"
"Hhhmmm…I don't know. I think I'd better come to terms with it myself for a few days."
The stern look from Trini told Kim what her friend was thinking without her having to say a word.
"Don't worry. I promise will tell him…tomorrow. Tonight, I'm just really tired. I think I'll go to bed."
"Isn't that how you got in this situation in the first place?" Trini couldn't help teasing her. It was a good way to help lighten the mood.
Kim laughed at the joke, grateful to have a friend like Trini. "Yeah…as um, enthusiastic as we were, it shouldn't really be a surprise that I'm pregnant," she said with a blush as she stuffed the used test in the box and put all the evidence back in the Walgreen's bag. She hid it in the cabinet under the sink, and they left the bathroom. "Tell Tommy and the guys 'goodnight' for me," and went straight to their bedroom. She was exhausted from the move, the excitement, and now added to that, the symptoms of early pregnancy. Peeling off her clothes and slipping into her Hello Kitty pajamas, she crawled into bed and was out before her head hit the pillow.
Morning found Tommy sound asleep next to Kim, his arms wrapped tightly around her trim body. He had come to bed around two-thirty, sneaking silently into the room as not to wake her up and she never even stirred when he lied down. Now as the sun streamed through the window, she had barely peeled an eyelid open when her stomach lurched, signaling an emergency visit to the porcelain god was imminent. The problem was that he was holding her so snugly against him that she couldn't get out of his grasp. After a struggle with the dead weight that was a sleeping Tommy, she finally pried his arms loose and rushed to the toilet where she emptied what little there was left in her belly. It didn't take long, and once she brushed her teeth and had a quick shower, she felt much better.
When she reentered the bedroom, Tommy was sitting up in bed waiting for her. She bounced in with a bright smile on her face. "Good morning, Baby," she greeted him enthusiastically. Kim usually used her shower time to sort out her thoughts and organize her day, and today was no different. While she was still a little worried about telling him she was pregnant, the light of day also brought with it other feelings. Excitement, awe, and a profound new respect for the wonders of the female body filled her with hope. Maybe, just maybe, this was also meant to be, just like her and Tommy's reunion, and she was fairly certain he would see it that way, too.
"Mornin'," he answered, then planted a kiss on her hand. "You seem happy today."
"I feel much better." She replied sitting down next to him. She decided not to tell him that she had just been sick. There was no reason to worry him. "Sorry I passed out on you last night. That wasn't exactly how I pictured our first night living together to go."
"Shhhh…don't worry about that. I'm just glad you're OK. Besides, the others are just downstairs. We're not very good at being discreet anyway. We have forever from now on." As soon as he said it, Tommy seized up. It wasn't his intention to put that kind of pressure on her by using the 'f' word, but the glow that spread across her face instantly put him at ease.
"Forever, huh? Do you mean that?"
"I wouldn't have said it otherwise. It feels so right having you here," Tommy said sincerely.
"It does, doesn't it? Why don't you go get cleaned up. I'll go downstairs and start breakfast for everyone," Kim offered. She wasn't so uneasy about telling Tommy about the baby anymore, but right now was not the time. It had to be a special moment.
Elsa and Zeltrax stood before Mesogog in the 'throne room' of his lair. Neither of them knew why he summoned them, but Elsa had a sneaking suspicion she was in trouble. She tried not to visibly tremble, but the disapproving look on the gruesome dinosaur-man's face was so terrifying, she couldn't help it.
Zeltrax could feel the fear rolling off of Elsa in droves. It pleased him to no end. Just recently, he had gotten over the hopeless crush he used to have on her. She was smitten with Tommy Oliver, so instead of trying to win her affection, he thought it more productive to focus that energy on destroying the Black Ranger, thus getting him back for everything he stole from him and at the same time, advancing his career within Mesogog's organization. Elsa's last two lame ideas failed miserably. She certainly had more potential, but her secret desire for Tommy prevented her from making a major effort to nail him. Zeltrax held no such reservations, and since revealing his aggressive plan to his master last night, he could tell that he not only gained Mesogog's favor, but also his respect. Things were obviously not looking so bright for Elsa, however.
"Elsa…" Mesogog began in his raspy growl of a voice. "You have disappointed me. So far, you've failed to gain the trust of Dr. Oliver or capture the Dino gems like you promised. I don't like failure, and I'm not very understanding when a member of my staff repeatedly doesn't accomplish what I ask of them. You have not used the powers I granted you wisely and I sense in you conflict over your assignment. My resources are unfortunately not unlimited until I get my hands on those gems, so I cannot afford to waste them on a useless servant." He nodded to a pair of Tyrannodrone guards who immediately came forward and seized Elsa. She struggled violently, but even with her enhanced strength, her female frame was no match for the brutal lizard-creatures.
The sinister-looking chair in the center of the room resembled a dentist's chair. For some people, that would be frightening enough, but not even a dentist had the kind of evil instrumentation that Mesogog did. There was a creepy drill-like ray gun thing pointing down at the unlucky victim's head, and thick leather straps to keep them securely imprisoned. Elsa had seen Tommy, Trent, and Yellow Ranger Kira held captive in the chair, but she never thought she'd be the guest of honor herself. She was wrong.
She was still fighting, but the Tyrannodrones easily belted the newly-fired henchwoman into the reclined seat. As she laid there staring up at the terrifying apparatus above her, for the first time, she felt some empathy for the Rangers and some remorse for what she attempted to do to them. Whatever plan Zeltrax concocted must be pretty good for Mesogog to decide he didn't need her anymore. But the one thing she knew for sure was that it was borne out of his intense anger, jealousy and hatred of Tommy Oliver, not out of smarts. Elsa had always been the brains of the duo. Her curiosity was killing her, and before they did whatever it was they were going to do to her, she wanted to find out exactly what the idea was. "Hey, Zeltrax…"
The cyborg sauntered up to the tied-down woman. "What is it Elsa? Do you wish to beg for your job back, or better yet, beg for mercy?"
You wish. "My, my…such an ego," Elsa began, initially to egg him on, then realized that his over-inflated ego just might be the key to getting the information. "I'll just bet you came up with something really good to nail Oliver this time."
"Yes, Elsa. I have the perfect plan," he answered, noticeably letting his guard down a little. Thank God Mesogog wasn't paying attention at the moment.
"Well, don't hold out on me. You've won. The least you could do is tell me about the grand scheme that beat me out." She kept her fingers crossed that he was still mostly stupid.
"It's simple, Elsa. I'm just going to take from Dr. Oliver exactly what he took from me, plus a little bonus."
Uh, that's still too vague. "He took the job you wanted. You really want to take his as a high school science teacher? Somehow, I don't think the school board will approve."
"I'm not talking about his job. I mean his child. He destroyed my son. Now I'm going to take his child from him, and in the process, the girl as well. It's important to give back a little more than you get, don't you think?"
Elsa was struck momentarily speechless. Zeltrax's plan was incredibly wicked. Of course she wanted to destroy the Rangers, but that was because they were all that stood between her master and his ultimate goal. Involving innocent civilians, especially babies, need not enter the picture. That was taking things way too far. Maybe that was her problem. Maybe she just didn't have what it took to be evil. It would explain the stray thoughts that had been running through her mind about Tommy and a romantic future. She loved him. It was all so clear now, but the terrifying sound of the ray gun powering up prevented her from allowing the revelation to fully sink in. Without so much as a parting word, or even a warning, Zeltrax fired. Lightening bolts of fiery electricity shot from the end of the gun and through Elsa's body, causing her to thrash against the leather restraints and cry out in agony.
The pain was unbearable, and mercifully, it didn't take long for Elsa to pass out. Zeltrax towered over her, his foreboding stance conveying what seemed like a resigning farewell to the woman he once desired for his own. The moment passed quickly, however, and seconds later, he ordered the Tyrannodrones to un-strap the captive woman. Above her, a glowing, green invisiportal appeared and in a flash she was sucked through it, disappearing into thin air.
A disorientated Elise Randall found herself on the rooftop of a high-rise building in downtown Reefside. She had no idea how she got there, but before she had time to think, a rush of vague memories flooded her foggy mind, and she had to grab hold of her head because it felt like it was going to explode. The images came in random, nonsensical order, much like some weird dream. Releasing the white Dino gem from its hiding place, tagging along with Dr. Oliver's class on their field trip, fighting Kira in Mesogog's lair, hatching the Dimetrozord egg, planting lingerie in the Black Ranger's living room, getting caught in the school's sprinklers, granting detention after detention to student after student, Tommy's genuine concern for "Principal Randall" after the Tyrannodrone attack at the dig site…
Zeltrax's plan.
"Oh my God!" Elise exclaimed to herself once she remembered what the cyborg's intentions were. She felt dizzy and confused, but she forced herself to clear her mind. She had to warn Tommy. Stumbling towards the rooftop stairwell, she got her bearings straight and started down, even if she didn't know exactly how she was going to get to his house.
Kim descended the stairs to a living room that looked a lot like Jonestown, the day after. Rocky lay sprawled across the floor between the coffee table and where Trini slept on one end of the sofa. His face was smashed in a pillow and there was drool hanging from the corner of his mouth. Trini's arm hung down, the back of her hand thrown across his face. Jason was snoring in the leather recliner, sounding very much like a lawn mower that ran over a dead squirrel. Billy was crashed on the other end of the sofa with Trini's foot in his armpit. His neck was arched backwards over the arm of the couch in a very unnatural position that would ensure a raging headache once he woke up. It might not matter, though, since the vast array of empty beer bottles scattered around would be equally as responsible for everyone's crappy morning.
It was still very early, so Kim let the gang sleep a little longer while she made breakfast. Tommy had surprisingly stocked up on groceries in anticipation of his houseguests, so there were plenty of fresh ingredients available to really put out a spread. Rocky was the professional chef in the group, but he wasn't sure she'd trust him with knives in his current condition. Besides, this was her home now, and that made them her guests, too. She would make them French toast, eggs, bacon and freshly squeezed orange juice. It was the least she could do to thank them for everything they've done for her.
Trini was the first to appear in the kitchen only a few minutes later, rumpled and disheveled. The delicious smell wafting into the living room woke her from a sound sleep, with half of her loving the aroma, but the other half reminding her of the excessive amount of alcohol consumption she indulged in the night before. Lucky for her, Kim had a fresh pot of Starbucks already brewed, and with a cheery "good morning", she handed Trini a cup.
She took the mug gratefully, nodding her thanks to Kim. "You must be feeling better this morning," Trini said, noting the various skillets, pots and pans on the stove.
"Well, I got sick as soon as I opened my eyes, but then, I was fine. The question is: how are you feeling? Looks like I missed quite a party last night."
"Oh…yeah. The boys were finishing up some guy movie when I came down. When it was over, we just sat around, drinking and talking, getting stupid. Rocky and Jason passed out first, then Tommy went to bed, too. It was just Billy and me after that…" Trini's voice trailed off, as if there was more to the story.
Kim picked up on it right away. "And...?" She asked with anticipation.
"And what?" Trini answered evasively, but she couldn't look Kim in the eye.
"Come on, Trini. Spill it. You have the same dreamy look on your face as you did in eighth grade when we played 'spin the bottle' and you got to kiss John Meyers in Zack's basement."
"Oh, Kim, I don't know what happened. One minute we were just talking, and the next, we were sharing the most incredible kiss of my life. Jason and Rocky were right there, so it didn't go any further, but I wanted to. God help me, but I really, really wanted to."
"So how did it end up? Did you talk about it?"
"No, we didn't, but at least we realized we'd better not fall asleep lying all over each other. It was awkward. I think this morning is going to be even worse. What if it was the alcohol? I mean, I've always had a connection to Billy, but it wasn't until we were adults that I found myself attracted to him. I hope we didn't ruin our friendship." The worry in Trini's voice was obvious.
"That's exactly how I felt when I woke up naked next to Tommy that first morning. I think he felt it too, but we got over it by assuring one another that we didn't think it was a mistake. You two have been friends for a long time. I doubt one make out session could screw that up. Give yourself some credit. Maybe this was meant to be, just like Tommy and I."
"Well, we'll see, I suppose. Shhh…I hear stirring in the living room," Trini whispered just as Jason and Tommy walked into the kitchen.
Kim poured both of them mugs of coffee. "Good morning, guys," she said as she kissed Tommy lightly and gave Jason a brotherly hug. "Breakfast is almost ready."
"Smells great." Jason considered himself pretty lucky, since he didn't suffer from bad hangovers like most people. Despite having a cotton-mouth, he felt fine. "Shouldn't we wake up Billy and Rocky first?"
"I'm up…" Rocky growled, stumbling through the door. He took the coffee Kim offered him and plopped himself down at the table. His skin tone had a definite greenish cast to it. "Got any aspirin, Tommy, and a bottle of Pepto-Bismol?"
"Yeah, in the medicine cabinet in my bathroom. I could use some too. It's been a long time since I drank that much." And Tommy left to get the bottle of Tylenol.
"Trini, why don't you go wake Billy? Then I'll serve breakfast," Kim suggested to Trini with a distinctive 'hint-hint' in her voice.
"Yeah, good idea…" And she hurried out of the kitchen.
"What the hell's taking them so long?" Rocky complained after Trini had been gone almost twenty minutes. He would have gone in there after them, but he was still in agony while waiting for the Tylenol to kick in.
"Here we are. Billy didn't want to get up," Trini said as she dragged Billy behind her. They both took seats at the table just as Kim set down a platter of scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese, jalapenos and a dish of salsa. Next came the cinnamon French toast with butter and real maple syrup, the thick, crispy bacon, and the fresh orange juice.
Everyone ate hungrily, all of them knowing that the combination of grease, sugar, and cholesterol was the best hangover cure available. Trini sat next to Billy, but there was a definite change in their relationship. Kim planned to make sure they talked soon.
After breakfast, they all sat around trying to decide what they were going to do on their last full day together. Everyone was scheduled to catch flights back to their respective cities sometime Monday. It would still be a couple of months before summer vacation for Tommy when he could throw the party, so they wanted to make today count. After some deliberation, they settled on having a barbeque in the back yard. The guys would set up a volleyball net, and they could play a game of softball. Before the picnic could begin, however, supplies were necessary.
Kim and Trini volunteered to make a grocery run to the Super Wal-Mart to pick up hamburger meat, hot dogs, buns, and the like. They also needed to load up on cases of bottled water and soda, since it was going to be hot day, and no one wanted to even mention the word 'beer'. While they were there, the boys planned to dig the net out of Tommy's garage and clean up the grill and the patio furniture out on the deck, as none of it had been used in a very long time.
Kim had already showered, so she was ready to go, but the others still had to clean up. Trini took Kim's bathroom, while the men took turns with three-minute showers downstairs. Once everyone was dressed, Billy quietly slipped Trini his credit card to pay for the stuff, then the girls grabbed the keys to the Durango and took off.
The guys got to work in the back yard right away, with Jason and Tommy scrubbing the grill and Rocky and Billy tackling the furniture. At one point, Jason went back in the house to fill his bucket with hot water and cleanser when he heard someone desperately knocking on the front door. He went to answer it, figuring it must be one, or maybe all of the Rangers, but was very surprised to find a woman about his own age with long dark hair and exotic, but extremely beautiful features standing nervously on the doorstep. She looked shocked when someone other than Tommy opened the door. "Um…I'm sorry. I…I was looking for Dr. Oliver," she stuttered.
Jason paused for a moment, confused. She referred to Tommy by his title, but she was clearly too old to be one of his students. He also knew this wasn't Haley, since he had met her a few times when visiting Tommy at the University. There was obviously something wrong, though, and he had a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with Mesogog. "Come in. I'm Jason Scott, an old friend of Tommy's. He's out back."
They two of them walked through the house and out onto the back deck. Tommy was on his hands and knees scrubbing the grill clean. He looked up when he heard footsteps, and was immediately stunned when he saw the woman standing beside Jason. She was vaguely familiar, yet he couldn't place her. He must have had an inquisitive look on his face, because Rocky and Billy immediately took notice and moved to stand beside him. Finally, she spoke.
"Dr. Oliver…uhh…Tommy, it's me...Elise Randall…Elsa." She paused for a moment to let the revelation sink in.
"What? But you're…different. Wait a minute…Elsa?" Tommy's guard instinctively went up at the thought of Mesogog's henchwoman standing in his yard, directly above the Ranger command center.
"Yes, I'm…or I was, Elsa. Mesogog stripped me of my powers. I thought he was going to kill me, but he just dumped me off downtown. I'm so lost and confused. I hardly remember who I am or where I came from, but I had to come here and warn you."
Tommy was naturally suspicious, but he was also curious. He sensed no danger or evil intentions in the woman, and her appearance certainly suggested a positive change. "Warn me? Of what?" he asked, wary but clearly concerned.
"Zeltrax…he's after your girlfriend…and your baby." She didn't know if Tommy knew yet about the pregnancy yet, but there was no time to waste on skirting around the issue.
"Baby? What the hell are you talking about?" Tommy charged forward towards Elise, stopping only a foot in front of her, his body language obviously conveying that he wasn't fooling around.
"Your girlfriend, Kim, is pregnant. Zeltrax plans to capture her and kill her and the baby as revenge for you destroying his son, that awful gold creature. Is she here?"
If this was a ruse, Elsa was doing a very good job. Tommy was scared as hell, but he still didn't fully trust the woman. It could be a trap, and that possibility was the only thing keeping Tommy sane. "Pregnant? How do you know all this? How do I know this isn't a set-up?" he questioned angrily. Inside, he was panicking, but he couldn't let that show. The other former Rangers stood valiantly at his side in a silent show of support. They made a formidable line that only the stupidest and most arrogant would try to cross.
"Come on. I can prove it." Elise quietly turned and started back in the house. The men naturally followed, all of them terrified by now.
Elise led them upstairs to Kim's bathroom. Without a word, she opened the cabinet under the sink and pulled out a Walgreen's bag. Reaching inside, she removed the remnants of a home pregnancy test and showed the test stick to Tommy. The positive line was still visible.
Tommy swallowed hard, his head spinning from the news. Kim…pregnant…Zeltrax was after her…Oh God, I have to find her now! He ran from the bathroom and back down the stairs. Just as he was about to pull the dinosaur jaw to release the command center trap door, Jason, Rocky, and Billy ran up behind him.
"We're going with you," Jason stated rather than asked. It was non-negotiable. They were downstairs monitoring the Ranger surveillance equipment in seconds, searching for any sign of Kim or Zeltrax.
Trini pushed the full shopping card through the Wal-Mart parking lot, with Kim following along side. They reached the Durango, and as they were loading the groceries into the back, Kim heard an odd, swishing sound, and then an evil, distorted voice spoke.
"If it isn't Tommy's little woman," Zeltrax began, taunting Kimberly.
The girls spun around, both of them automatically adopting a defensive posture. It had been thirteen-plus years since they had been Rangers, but the reflexes were still intact. "Who are you?" Kim demanded, not showing any fear.
"I'm the hand that will destroy Tommy Oliver," Zeltrax replied before with lightening-fast speed, he grabbed the petite Kimberly and disappeared through an invisiportal, leaving Trini standing in the parking lot, paralyzed with dread.