Chapter 28: Let There Be Light

Nearly two hours later, Billy, Trini, Rocky and Elise heard Haley enter the command center with the filter in hand. Earlier, they had sent Tommy upstairs to lie down despite his emphatic protests, but once they guys threatened to carry him to his room and tuck him into bed themselves, he begrudgingly obeyed. In reality, he was secretly grateful to have some time alone. It would take every bit of strength and courage he had to go through with the plan to free Kimberly, as well as some that he was going to have to take out on permanent loan from the others. Somewhere in the last hour, it had occurred to him that their idea wouldn't even work if Kim was already gone, as there would be no life signs to absorb the energy. If nothing happened at all, they would never be sure if it was because the process simply failed or because she was dead in there. If it worked but then she died afterward, then he would know that the plan was what killed her. He would never be able to live with himself if that were to happen, and the weight of the dilemma was giving him a throbbing headache.

Tommy closed his eyes against the reality, but try as he might, he could not fall asleep. As he lay staring up at the ceiling, he was reminded of the several nights he and Kim spent making love in this bed last month followed by the subsequent nights he slept alone anticipating her return. Now, he may never hold her again. "Goddamnit!" he suddenly found himself crying out as he yanked the pillow under his head and threw it against the wall. It landed on his dresser, knocking a small table lamp to the floor with a shattering crash. He barely noticed, though. His anger at himself for allowing Zeltrax to get his hands on her was threatening to send him into a mental breakdown. The Ranger life has never been easy, but up until now, he felt the sacrifices he made had been worth it.

Not anymore.

What's the sense in saving the world if there wouldn't be anything left for him to look forward to when the evil was conquered? Right then and there, Tommy vowed to himself that if Kim survived this, he was done being a Power Ranger. Someone else would surely step up to the plate like they always had with the teams that succeeded the originals, but if not, it didn't matter. Tommy Oliver had completed his tour of duty several times over, and he was finished.

Just as he started to pull himself up to clean up the broken glass off the floor, there was a light knock on the door. "Tommy?" It was Rocky. He cracked the door open and peeked around the corner. "You OK? We heard a crash."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just had a little accident…" He answered sheepishly. Losing his temper always made him feel like a child having a tantrum. After all the years he'd spent training and disciplining his mind, he didn't understand how certain things still could make him blow up like that.

"Haley's back. Maybe we'd better get started." Rocky kept it short and simple deliberately so that his foot didn't wind up in his mouth. Nervousness and anxiety tended to make him even more socially inept than usual.

"Oh, OK. I'll be right there," Tommy responded quietly, and then went back to what he was doing.

Rocky got the hint that Tommy needed a little more time to get himself together. He ducked out of the room, closing the door behind him, and went back down to the command center to let the others know they could summon the Rangers.

Alone once again, somehow it finally occurred to Tommy how ridiculous it was that he was on his knees in his room cleaning up broken glass at a time like this. With a sigh, he dropped the several large pieces that he was stupidly trying to pick up with his bare hands back on the floor. Slumping down to sit against the dresser, he looked around the room from the unusual perspective. All of the various artifacts, chachkis, and collectibles that he had accumulated over his life surrounded him. It was a pack-rat's space, but despite everything, he still felt like something was missing…a woman's touch.

When he was with Elizabeth, he didn't really notice the difference having a female influence around made in one's living environment. While he couldn't be accused of having the quintessential 'bachelor pad' complete with the beer signs on the wall and the entertainment center made out of milk crates that housed a sixty-thousand dollar stereo system, nonetheless, it was obvious that a single man inhabited the place. The distinct lack of color was the first hint. Everything was black, white, grey, or some shade of brown. It was a rustic house, but that didn't mean it had to look like a Boy Scout's cabin on steroids. Some color, better lighting, new linens, and fresh window treatments would go a long way towards livening the room up, but Tommy wouldn't even know where to begin. It was just another reminder that he was about to turn thirty, he was still alone, and now he may be for a while longer.

Tommy shook his head to knock himself out of his reverie, realizing that it was all a stalling technique. He could almost hear the clock ticking on Kim's life, if the alarm hadn't gone off already. With a new resolve, he lifted himself up off the floor and brushed off his jeans. A long, last look at the empty bed, and he was off to whatever fate awaited his love.

The Rangers arrived a half hour later to find the adults assembled in the command center around the amber slab containing Kimberly's body. While they were at the Cyberspace, they had discussed their decision to surrender their gems to save her at great length. All of them concurred that there was no other choice to make, but they were concerned about leaving the world unprotected. Mesogog was still around, and although he was now lacking his two head goons, it probably wouldn't be long before he recovered his forces and resumed his plan to return the Earth to the prehistoric time of the dinosaur. Kira brought up a good point, though. If Dr. Oliver, who was the best and most experienced Ranger ever, was willing to take the risk, they had to trust him. They knew he deeply loved Kim, but they were also sure he would not sacrifice the whole world for the life of one person.

Seeing Dr. O so distraught was something that they were decidedly uncomfortable with. The guys especially, who like most males shied away from emotion, couldn't keep up any prolonged eye contact with their mentor. His downhearted mood was contagious, and it cast a dark shadow over the entire group. They couldn't imagine what he would be like if Kim didn't make it. Luckily, before they had too much time to think about it, their teacher caught everyone's attention with a slight clearing of his throat.

"Alright, everyone. I think we're ready." And that was all he said.

The others stared in anticipation, expecting him to continue or elaborate or something, but he didn't. His eyes were fixed on Kim's face, which could barely be seen through the distorting translucence of the amber. When enough time had passed that they were sure he wasn't going to say anything else, Jason spoke up. "Tommy, what would you like the rest of us to do while you and the other Rangers are busy?" He suspected that they would just stand there and make sure everyone was OK, but the decisions were Tommy's to make.

"Jason and Haley, you two will monitor the Ranger energy readings. Ordinarily, I would have Billy involved in that part, but since Jase has just had the crap beat out of him, the other job I have in mind will be too physical. Trini and Elise, I'd like you to keep track of both Kim's and our vital signs. At no time do I want these kids' lives at risk. If there's a drop in anyone's respiration, heart rate, or blood pressure, pull the plug on the whole operation immediately unless I'm the only one affected. Billy and Rocky, I have no idea what kind of effect this will have on us, but you'll need to stay close by to make sure we don't fall down or pass out and break our heads open. Billy, if we seem to be handling it alright and you think Jase and Haley could use your help, step in. It's your call. Everybody clear?"

Heads nodded all around, and Tommy returned the gesture with as much of a grateful smile as he could manage. He didn't think he would ever be able to adequately express how proud he was of these kids. They'd come such a long way from the self-centered teens turned Rangers way back at the beginning of the school year. Their friendship, support of each other's hobbies, and teamwork extended far beyond just the command center, much like the original team did so many years ago.

Tommy took a few steps back, and the Rangers took that as their signal to do the same. Standing in the familiar formation, he crossed his forearms in front of his chest while Conner, Ethan, and Kira crossed their wrists over their left shoulders. "Dino Thunder, Power up!"

Trent followed a second later with his "White Ranger, Dino Power!" call and they were all transformed. There was a good chance that the stress would de-morph them at some point during the transfer, but at least to start, it was better that they were in Ranger form since their control over the gems was better in uniform. Tommy took his place back at the head of the table and the kids spaced themselves evenly around Kim's petrified body. Rocky and Billy stood behind them, ready to catch them if their knees gave out. Trini and Elise began to fasten heart-monitoring electrodes and blood pressure cuffs to the spandex suits. These, along with several other hand-held gadgets, would tell them if anyone was experiencing excessive physical distress due to the rapid loss of Dino Gem energy from their genetic structure. Both women had anxiously glanced at each other when Tommy had instructed them to stop the operation only if one of the teens was having difficulties. According to him, if he were the one suffering, they should to continue, but despite those orders, they silently and subconsciously agreed to use their own judgment when and if the time came.

"OK, Haley, we're ready," was all he said and gave a slight nod of his black-helmeted head.

The contraption that Billy had rigged up while Tommy was lying down was a pretty impressive piece of equipment for only a little over an hour's work. Above the amber hung a sort of star-shaped apparatus with five projections, each color-coded to their respective Ranger. It actually looked a bit like a Sputnik-themed decorative object seen in the fifties. A single, larger projection in the center pointed directly at Kim's torso.

The energy was supposed to be drawn into the device through the colored rays, pass through the filter, and be concentrated into a single beam. If all went as planned, the beam would penetrate the amber and be absorbed directly into Kim's body. The massive surge should hopefully energize her enough that the molecules bonding the amber into a solid form would shatter, thus releasing her from the confinement. The best-case scenario was that everyone, including Kim and the baby, would come through OK and at least some of the Ranger energy would be spared. Of course, the worst-case scenario was that it would kill them all, but with careful monitoring Tommy was fairly certain that at least he and the kids would come through.

"Alright, Tommy. Trini, Elise, are you getting baseline vital sign readouts before we get started?" Haley wasn't taking any chances, even though she was probably just subconsciously stalling.

"Everything's fine. We're ready whenever you are," Elise responded, so Haley moved to throw the switch that would pull the energy from the gems into the filter mechanism.

"Wait a second!" Tommy suddenly heard from behind him. He spun around, slightly irritated at the disruption, though no one would ever know it due to his helmet. Surprisingly, what he found was Jason hoisting his battered and bruised body from the chair at the command console.

Tommy couldn't move very far because of the medical monitors, but he stepped towards his best friend to get as close as the wires allowed him to go. Jason slowly closed the gap between them to stand in front of the Black Ranger. He obviously had something important to say if he interrupted the procedure, so Tommy removed his helmet in order to look Jase in the eyes.

"Tommy, can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked in a whisper.

"Yeah, yeah sure," Tommy answered in the same tone of voice, definitely interested in hearing him out.

"Listen, 'Bro, I just wanted to make sure you know that whatever happens next, we'll get through it together. We all love Kim like a sister. You know that, even if we haven't seen her in years. It's just that you tend to try and go it alone when something's wrong. No matter how this goes, just don't shut us out. We'll always be a team, no matter where we all live, Rangers or not. I don't mean to get all mushy on you, but I just felt I had to say something."

Tommy hoped he didn't have tears in his eyes. Once again, like he did so many times since he became part of the original Ranger team years ago, he marveled at how fortunate he was to have found friends like these. As an only, adopted child, he had been used to being a loner and internalizing all his problems. Becoming part of a group that was closer than siblings provided him with the final piece of family he needed to make his life complete. He wasn't too good with emotions, as most men aren't, but he was finally able to manage a small "thanks" to show his gratitude before putting his helmet back on, taking his place, and resting his gloved left hand on the edge of the table with the morpher-enclosed gem facing upwards. The teen Rangers did likewise. Rocky and Billy fastened their wrists in place with soft Velcro straps so they would stay in line with the mechanism.

Haley waited in anticipation for Tommy's signal, and a moment later, after a last glance around at his brave team, he gave her the 'thumbs up'. She pulled back on a silver lever on the control board, and instantly, they heard an awful noise that sounded exactly like an electrical overload of some kind. The group instinctively drew in a sharp breath, though no sooner than it started, the device went silent. But before anyone could ask what was going on, jagged, lightening-like bolts of colored energy shot forth from the gems on their wrists and into the outer projectiles. The Rangers all gripped the table tighter as they felt themselves being drained of the power that they had come to know as an integral piece of themselves for the better part of the last year. It was all that they could do to stay on their feet.

Then, with another crackling reverberation, the center projection exploded with a blinding, pure white light that burst forward in a single, thick beam into the amber. Within seconds, the amber became illuminated with the radiance, causing everyone in the room to turn away and shield their eyes. The Rangers all dropped to their knees and were forced to hide their heads under the table despite the dark visors on their helmets. Their left arms were still strapped to the table, massive amounts of energy still pouring out of the gems. Haley and Jason fought to see the controls through the brilliance, but the intense glare shining off of the various readout screens made it impossible to see, and although their backs were to the table, they, too, were forced to take cover to preserve their vision.

Fear permeated the command center. Haley's first instinct was to shut down the whole thing and stop the madness, but while she was feeling around the control panel for the switch, Tommy's voice broke through the commotion. "We're OK, keep it up!" he forced out through gritted teeth.

"You're kidding! You can't even stand upright! You're just going to get weaker and weaker," she reasoned, although she doubted it would do any good. She'd probably have better luck reasoning with a mule.

"No, Haley, it doesn't hurt, and it seems to be working. Don't stop," Kira yelled over the static-like noise.

"Trini, can you get a reading on their vitals?" Jason asked, perfectly willing to override them all if there was the slightest sign of distress.

"I can't see them, no, but there's an audible alarm built into the systems. If anything drops below a set point, we'd know it," she answered.

No sooner than the beautiful Vietnamese woman got the words out of her mouth, a blaring screech sounded from the respiratory analyzer on the small table beside her. "What the hell's that?" Rocky asked in a panic.

Both Trini and Elise fought to make out the numbers on the meter through the blazing light filling the room. After much squinting and straining, Elise finally deciphered that the alarm was coming from the Black Ranger's monitor. "It's Tommy. His breathing is getting shallow, but the others look fine. Is that right, guys?" She wasn't about to take a piece of electronic equipment's word for it.

"Yeah, I'm alright, other than feeling really weak. I just wish this darn light would die down, already!" Ethan called out. The other kids responded in kind with varied affirmations. For some reason it was only their mentor who was in trouble.

"Tommy?...Tommy!" Trini had forced her eyes to adjust as much as possible to the brightness only to find Tommy slack on the floor with his hand still fastened to the table top, and he wasn't answering them. Rocky and Billy rushed to his side as quickly as they could while blinded.

"Shut it down, Haley!" Rocky called despite Tommy's previous instructions, but she was way ahead of him. Her hand was already feeling around again for the lever.

"Wait! Hold on a minute. The light's fading!" Billy noticed, thinking they should give it another minute or so to see what happens.

He was right, and within moments, the blazing had been reduced to nothing, leaving them even blinder than before. Spots danced before their eyes making everyone's head hurt. The relative darkness of the command center cave helped them adjust quickly, though, and soon the Rangers, who at some point de-morphed while barely noticing, were disengaging themselves from the straps and rushing to join the others at Tommy's side. They involuntarily drew in their breaths when they first saw their teacher looking pale as a ghost, entire body hanging limply in Rocky's arms as Billy freed him from his restraint.

In the confusion and panic, everyone seemed to have completely forgotten the purpose of the whole thing. The group was gathered around Tommy and the table that held Kim's amber slab, but it took several minutes before anyone discovered that she was…gone.

"Hey, where'd Kim go?" Kira asked, flabbergasted. The stainless steel gurney was empty. They all gasped in amazement at what seemed like a David Copperfield Las Vegas disappearing trick, but before anyone could digest the event and begin to investigate, they were forced to take cover as sparks started flying from the energy-transfer device hanging above the table, then the command center went black.

"I think we've blown the transformer. Hold on a second while I fire up the generators," Billy said as he stumbled around in the darkness for the back-up power supply switch. Haley joined him, and soon a few small emergency lamps flooded the room with enough barely enough faint light to see once again. Most of group were crouched or seated on the floor around Tommy's unconscious body, and it was a good thing, too, because after that kind of ordeal, it was unlikely anyone could have remained standing once they heard Conner yell out "Kim's back!"

All eyes shot upward to find the petite body of Kimberly Hart lying prone on the table, completely free of the amber. Rocky asked the rhetorical question that was on everyone's mind. "What the fu…I mean, heck happened here?"

Once the amazement wore off, Billy approached the gurney and hesitantly reached out to touch Kim's hand. He was terrified he was going to find it cold and lifeless because to all appearances, she seemed dead. The sigh of relief he allowed himself was audible to everyone else, and right away Trini was by his side with one of the medical scanners running diagnostics on her best friend.

"She's alive!" Trini exclaimed five minutes later when she received the initial results of the tests, although several other exams would take somewhat longer, including the one that would tell them if her baby survived. Kim was not conscious, and the outcome of the brain pattern scan was still a half and hour away. Until they got positive results on that, they could not bring themselves to be more than cautiously optimistic.

The Rangers were glad to hear the good news, but their focus was still on their comatose mentor who lay at their feet. Kira sat herself down on the hard concrete floor and took off her soft, yellow hoodie sweatshirt. She folded it neatly and carefully lifted his head to place it underneath as a makeshift pillow. He still looked uncomfortable, but then she got an idea. "Do you think we should move them upstairs?" she asked to no one in particular.

The adults looked around at each other in question before Jason spoke up. "Trini and Elise, can these instruments be moved upstairs, too?"

"Sure. Most of them are small or hand-held, we can use them anywhere. Maybe we can put Kim and Tommy both on the bed. Who knows? It might be good for them to be close to one another," Elise answered, and Trini nodded her agreement.

The guys probably wouldn't ever say so, but the whole idea sounded off the wall to them. At the same time, however, at least the grown-up men knew that sometimes women had an uncanny sixth sense when it came to the more spiritual or emotional side of human beings. Jason figured it was worth a try. "Alright, I guess it will be better than having them down here in this cold, damp basement. Let's move…"

"You take it easy, Jason. We'll carry them up," Billy cut in. Jason still didn't look too good himself after his fight with Zeltrax. "Come on, you guys. Rocky, you can take Kim by yourself. Conner, Trent, and Ethan, we'll take turns with Tommy, two of us at a time. Everyone else, get the equipment." Billy felt a little funny taking over as the leader. It was silly, but whenever Jason or Tommy was around, he naturally adopted the more passive position. Old habits die hard. For now, though, it was clear than neither of them were in any condition to take charge, so once again, he stepped up to the plate.

Rocky gingerly lifted Kim from the metal table. She probably weighed all of one hundred and five pounds. Under normal circumstances, a strong, well-built man like himself could run the New York marathon with a tiny thing like her strapped to his back, but in this case, he felt like he was carrying the entire weight of the world. He started up the stairs to the house, destined for Tommy's bedroom on the second floor. Elise, Trini, Kira, and Ethan followed next, and then Billy helped steady Jason as he slowly made his way upstairs. Finally, Conner took his place by the Black Ranger's head while Trent held his feet and they carefully picked him up from the floor. Either one of them could probably have carried him themselves, at least up to the next floor, but they decided to share the burden just to be safe. The one-hundred and eighty pounds of solid muscle that was Dr. Oliver would get heavy really quickly, and the last thing they would want was to injure him further.

Once they got to the bedroom, Kim and Tommy were laid side by side on the bed. Trini, Billy, and Elise worked on setting up the equipment until everything was in order to keep track of their conditions. No one said it out-loud, but they were all getting nervous about the both of them still being unconscious. The power drain took a much greater toll on Tommy than they expected. Brain scans revealed plenty of activity, but for some reason, he remained unresponsive. If it went on much longer, they knew they'd have to take them to the hospital, and this would be a difficult situation to explain to a doctor. Regardless, if it had to be done, they'd have to think of something, but for now, there was still a little time before the final test results came in and, and everyone, especially the Rangers, was getting hungry. "Hey, they'll be fine for awhile. Let's go order a few pizzas and some beer," Rocky suggested, as usual the first one to think of food.

"Beer? Alright!" Conner threw in, honestly thinking he'd get away with it with all the distractions.

"…And we'll be sure to pick up some soda, too," Jason corrected, but he had to give the kid credit for effort. He was hesitant to leave their patients completely alone for some reason. It was silly, he knew, because they if they were able to go anywhere, that'd be a good thing, and if not, they'd still be right there when they got back. Besides, Tommy would be furious if he found out that Jason had allowed the kids to starve. "Come on, the alarms will let us know if there's a change," he said to convince himself as much as the others. Following Conner out of the room, he slapped the younger man on the back in a brotherly gesture. He had to say he was impressed with this team. It made him proud to see the Ranger heritage continuing so strongly, but he wasn't surprised. If any former Ranger had the experience and instinct to create and lead a team, it was Tommy. He just has to be OK…Jason thought as he closed the bedroom door behind them.

The light consumed her, filling her with all-consuming warmth. She felt like she was floating on a luminous cloud, and although she was somehow confined, she seemed lighter than air. Clearly among friends, the love that enveloped her kept her safe and secure despite a certain sense of fear and panic. Those feelings remained in the background, just out of reach, drowned out by the fortress of protection that these people embraced her with. At the center of her being, a tiny pinpoint of life penetrated the physical restraints that surrounded her. It glowed seemingly of its own volition, as if created by the light itself, shielding her from any harm. In time, the light became impossibly brighter, gaining in strength until the final moment when it appeared to burst wide open and then go dark. Her spirit mourned the loss, but only temporarily. She was disoriented and confused, but in the blackened void left by the light, a tranquil peace settled in its place. Wherever she was, whatever was to come, she knew she was loved, and so she waited, not for a second allowing the uncertainty to dampen her courage. She would be patient…

He was sliding down a steep embankment, trying in earnest to regain his footing, but to no avail. The erosion was too great and he couldn't help the pull of gravity that dragged him towards oblivion. He fell into the darkness, unsure if not seeing any solid ground rushing up to meet him was a good thing or not. The air rushed around him in a cyclone, causing his arms and legs to flail around relentlessly, yet he didn't feel injured. Tired…just very, very tired. It was as if all of his life-energy was being scattered on the wind as he fell further and further into the abyss until without the slightest warning, he hit rock-bottom. There was no pain. In fact, there wasn't even any startling impact when he landed. The darkness was the only thing prevailing as he forced his eyes to make out something, anything, that would tell him where he was.

Voices. He began to hear voices coming from far off in the distance. He couldn't understand what they were saying, but he got the instinctive impression that they were those of friends. They melded together in a stilted murmur that somehow calmed him despite the circumstances. He knew he wasn't alone…

He wasn't alone. Moments ago, other than the voices, he couldn't sense any other presence near him, but now he felt different. Next to him…someone was next to him. They made no attempt to make contact, but their…her spirit was warm and loving. Somehow, he knew it was a woman and that she was somebody close to him. The fog filling his mind was relentless, but he fought against it, reaching further and further into the depths for the slightest sliver of recognition.

…the bank, gotta get there before it closes…is that? It couldn't be…how about Italian?...it's not a date!...gotta be on time…God, she looks good…dinner and conversation, catching up…would you consider accompanying me to a…pick you up at four forty-five…buy yourself something nice…stunning…would you dance with me?...her breath on my neck, body pressed close…there's something I want to show you…yes, a Ranger…a warm kiss, then deeper…clothing shed, lights down low…the moans and cries of passion, then falling asleep in each other's arms only to repeat again and again…big decisions before we part…the waiting…a baby?...Zeltrax! No!...

Kimberly.

Her glowing presence pierced through his subconscious like a bright star on a cloudy night. Instantly, he understood. She was here with him. He only had to reach out to her, and he would be home. With all of his strength, he pushed through the murkiness of his mind, not sure of the right direction to take, but confident in his instincts. He felt like he was searching, swimming in the fog, rising to the surface.

Finally, the thick atmosphere thinned out, and without any warning, he broke through.

Tommy found himself lying on his bed as he came to. He was disoriented, had a headache, and felt incredibly weak, but other than that, he was fine. A moment later, he developed the presence of mind to try and move, and was happy to discover that everything seemed to be in good working order. Just as he was beginning to think that his entire experience with Kimberly last month had been a dream, his hand brushed something next to him while stretching his tight muscles. Up until now, he had avoided turning his head because the motion made him dizzy, but the possibility of finding Kim next to him was worth the discomfort. Preparing himself for the disappointment of an empty bed, he slowly looked to his left.

The vision before him was breathtaking. Kimberly's face was relaxed in soft repose with an angelic expression gracing her delicate features. It wasn't the first time he laid beside her and watched her sleep, and for a moment, Tommy allowed himself to forget that this probably wasn't just a simple nap. The events of the rescue came flooding back to him one by one. He couldn't remember much of anything after the energy transfer began, but here she was, free of the amber, so it must have worked. And she was alive, as the gentle, rhythmic rising and falling of her stomach proved.

Her stomach…

Dread filled him when the memory of her pregnancy hit him like a ten-ton truck. Kim may have survived, but did their baby? Slowly and carefully as to not make himself sick, he rolled to his side reached out to cover her abdomen with his warm hand. He realized that this would tell him absolutely nothing, but nevertheless, he struggled to somehow make a connection with the life he desperately hoped was still within her.

He came. I knew he would.

Something in his touch awakened her from the place in her subconscious where she had been waiting for him. Kim drew in a sharp breath that kick-started the rest of her functions. Her eyelids began to flutter, tentatively forcing themselves open until she could make out the surroundings of Tommy's bedroom in the low, ambient light of the bedside lamp. She felt as though she had been asleep for years. Her muscles were stiff and her mouth was parched, but he was there with her, and that was all that mattered.

"Kimberly?"

The sound of his rich voice rang through her ears like church bells on a Sunday morning. It was nearly impossible, but she managed to eventually turn her head towards the sound. The gorgeous smile that greeted her made it worth all the effort, and she willed her stubborn facial muscles to return the gesture. A tear had formed in the corner of his eye, but he made no attempt to wipe it away. She squeezed the hand that grasped hers to reassure him, not yet finding the energy to speak.

Somewhere along the line, it occurred to him that she must be very uncomfortable. Looking around, he was pleased to find a glass of water on the nightstand. Haley thought of everything…Begrudgingly, he extracted his hand from hers to reach for the glass, but then he realized that she wouldn't be able to drink while lying down. Turning back to her, he slid an arm under her tiny shoulders and helped her sit up. It was clearly difficult for her to move, but she needed the fluids. Tommy supported her body and held the glass to her lips at the same time. A few sips later, and she was finally able to whisper a breathy "thanks".

Kim laid her head down on his chest, so happy to be in his arms again. He was strong and warm and smelled incredible. After a few seconds, she found the strength to wriggle around in his embrace. Turning her face up to his, her eyes naturally invited him to lower his mouth to hers. It was all Tommy could do to not get carried away at the first caress of her soft lips. He mustered all the self-control he could find to make his body behave and his hands stay still. There would be plenty of time to make love to her later. For now, he simply wanted to revel in her presence, so he kissed her again, and didn't resist when she deepened it this time.

Neither of them heard the door open, but the loud clearing of someone's throat startled them into reality. Looking up, they were more than a little bit embarrassed to see all of their friends, including the Rangers, fighting each other for a glimpse from the doorway. Jason stood at the front of the crowd with a wide, shit-eating grin on his face. Tommy and Kim could only smile sheepishly at them in return.

"Welcome back, you two!"