Chapter 10: Merrick

Kimberly rubbed her forehead with a sigh as she got Hannah and Kylie off to school. Cole walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders. "You okay?" He asked. Kimberly lowered her head sadly.

"You know, I can't help but think that Tommy's not answering me, because he doesn't even care anymore," she replied.

Cole sighed and knelt down beside her. "Kimberly, if Tommy never comes back…I'm here for you," he assured her. She smiled and placed a hand on his face.

"Thanks, Cole," she murmured.

Cole kissed her cheek and then he went to see what the others were doing. Kimberly got up and left.

While Kimberly was walking through the park, her mind drifted back to Tommy. "You mean everything to me, Kim," he told her that during Valentine's day. Tears welled up in her eyes and she heard a scream. She knew that scream, it was Alyssa. She ran as fast as she could through the park. "ALYSSA!" She shouted. No answer and she looked for her friend. "ALYSSA!" She called. She held her communicator up. "Cole, it's Kim. Alyssa's gone," she informed.

"I'm on my way," Cole answered.

Kimberly bit her lip as she looked around for her friend. Cole then appeared. "What did you see?" Cole asked.

"I didn't see anything, I heard her scream," Kimberly replied.

"Come on."

He grabbed onto Kimberly's hand and they ran through the trees calling for their friend. "ALYSSA!" Cole called. Kimberly felt pain and confusion go through her head.

"She's here," she whispered.

She looked through the trees and she saw Alyssa lying in the forest. "COLE!" She called. She ran over to Alyssa and Cole jumped over a fallen log before kneeling beside Alyssa.

"Alyssa, Alyssa, can you hear me?" Cole asked.

Alyssa opened her eyes to see Cole staring at her. "Cole?" She asked.

"Hey, take it easy, you got knocked around it looks like," Cole commented.

He then picked her up and carried her back to the Animarium. Kimberly watched them leave and lowered her head slightly.

When they got back to the Animarium, Cole was checking the wounds that were bandaged already. "That's weird," Cole commented. Kimberly nodded in agreement and Alyssa let out a small groan. "Hey, take it easy, Lyssa," Cole told her.

"Jindrax and Toxica attacked me," she informed.

"Do you know who took care of your injuries?" Kimberly asked.

Alyssa thought about it for a minute before answering. "Zen-Aku," she replied. Cole helped her sit up and she held her head. "I'll be okay," Alyssa assured him. Kimberly bit her lip to see Cole comforting the pain filled White Tiger Ranger. Alyssa placed her head on Cole's shoulder. "He saved me, Cole, he really saved me," she whispered. Cole held her to him and stroked her hair, not noticing that Kimberly had slipped out of the room.

Kimberly sat in the garden and wrapped her arms around herself with tears falling down her cheeks. Everywhere she turned she was seeing herself and Tommy and she was getting sick of it. "Why can't I just let him go? Why can't I move on?" She whispered. Princess Shayla walked over and wrapped an arm around her distraught friend.

Later that day, the Rangers were battling Zen-Aku appeared. "Animus!" Princess Shayla gasped.

"Zen-Aku, you must remember who you are," he insisted.

Kimberly looked at Animus in confusion. "Remember? Remember what?" She asked. She then felt recognition come from her friend.

"Merrick," Princess Shayla whispered.

"Merrick? Who's Merrick?" Kimberly asked.

Princess Shayla looked at Kimberly. "You were right, Kimberly, Zen-Aku isn't a true org, he's a man turned into an org," she answered. Kimberly backed away.

"No…no, I'm not right. I can't be right," she insisted.

"You are right, Zen-Aku is Merrick," Princess Shayla answered.

Kimberly shook her head. "No…I--I can't do this. Not again," she muttered. Princess Shayla watched as Kimberly ran.

"KIMBERLY!" She called.

Hannah watched as her mother left the Animarium. "Where's mommy going?" Kylie asked. Hannah picked Kylie up.

"I don't know," Hannah replied.

Once Kimberly was off the Animarium, she ran. She ran until she couldn't run anymore. She found herself in a rocky quarry and she sat down on a rock. "Not again, not again, not again," she told herself over and over again.

When the Rangers returned, they saw that their mentor was gone. "Where's Kimberly?" Alyssa asked. Princess Shayla looked at the Rangers with a sigh.

"She panicked and left," she replied.

"What do you mean she left?" Taylor asked.

Hannah sighed and rubbed her temple. "I know where she is," Hannah informed. She then turned and left the Animarium.

Kimberly had her arms wrapped around herself and rocked herself back and forth on the rock she was sitting on. "Mom?" Hannah called. Kimberly looked at her daughter and Hannah sat next to her. "It happened again, didn't it? Zen-Aku is really good, isn't he?" Hannah asked.

"Yes, yes, he is baby," Kimberly replied.

Hannah held Kimberly's hand and they sat in silence. Hannah knew that just sitting there was helping her mother. She didn't know how much longer Kimberly would last from the heartache. Everyday a new letter is sent out and again it's never answered. Every night, her mother dreams about Tommy and everyday those dreams never come true. All Hannah wanted was Kimberly to be happy, the only time Kimberly was ever happy would be when she was with her children. Other than that, she missed Tommy like crazy and there's no way Hannah could cure that pain.