Chapter 18: Talking with Friends

Kimberly sighed as she got off Jason's motorcycle when they arrived back at the Animarium. Cole got out of Carter's truck. "Well, I have to be heading back to Mariner Bay," Carter informed. Kimberly walked over and hugged him tight.

"Give Dana and the kids my love," she murmured.

Carter kissed the top of her head. "I will," he answered. He let her go and got back into his truck. He looked at Kimberly with a smile. "See ya later, Kim," he told her. Kimberly smiled.

"Catch ya on the flip side," she answered.

Carter nodded and then he drove back to Mariner Bay. "So, where is this Animarium that I've heard so much about?" Jason asked. Kimberly smiled and held onto Jason's hand.

"Right this way," she replied.

Cole and Kimberly led Jason onto the Animarium. "Whoa! This is amazing," he commented. Kimberly nodded.

"Yep, we've been living here for the past year now. The kids just love it here," Kimberly answered.

"Speaking of the kids, where are those monsters?" He asked.

"MOMMY! COLE! YOU'RE BACK!" Kylie shouted.

Kimberly smiled and picked Kylie up. "Right here is your precious niece," she replied. Kylie hugged Kimberly tight, but then her eyes widened and she was beaming.

"Uncle Jason!" She laughed.

Jason smiled as he took Kylie into his arms. Kylie hugged him tight with a giggle. "She's just like you, Kim," he commented. Kimberly shrugged her shoulders.

"More or less, she looks like her father," she answered.

Jason placed Kylie on the ground and she ran off to play. "That was really an awkward moment, wasn't it?" He asked. Kimberly sighed and sat down.

"It was. I mean, I've been wanting to see him for six years and I give him the cold shoulder when I see him again. Why?" She asked.

Jason sat next to her. "Why do you think you did that?" He asked. She sighed and looked at Kylie to see her playing with Hannah, Hunter, and Blake.

"I didn't know what to say to him. It wasn't even the right time for me to tell him that he was a father. We were on a mission, we weren't there to make up. Six years of missing him and I didn't know what to say to him," she explained.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Will I ever see him again?" She asked. He let out a sigh and kissed the side of her head.

"If destiny wanted you to be together, then yes, you'll see him again. You'll get your chance to tell him about Kylie," he replied.

Kimberly sighed and sat up straight. "When he walked by me when after the mission, I felt so many emotions coming from him, but one still stuck in my mind. He was jealous and hurt," she informed. Jason looked at her confused.

"Jealous? What would he be jealous of?" He asked.

"I don't know, but that's what I felt from him when he walked by me, he was jealous."

Jason was a little confused why Tommy would be jealous. "Kimberly?" A voice called. Kimberly looked up to see Alyssa standing there.

"Hey, Alyssa," Kimberly greeted.

Alyssa smiled, but then she saw Jason sitting there. "Oh! Cole told me we had a visitor, but I didn't know it was the original Red Ranger," she commented. Kimberly smiled and stood up.

"Jason Lee Scott, I would like you to meet Alyssa Enrile, White Noble Tiger Ranger. Alyssa Enrile, this is Jasson Lee Scott, the original Red Ranger," she informed.

Alyssa shook Jason's hand. "It's an honor," Alyssa stated. Jason nodded with a smile.

"The honor is all mine," he answered.

Alyssa smiled and then she turned and looked at Kimberly. "Kimberly, can I talk to you for a moment?" She asked.

"Yes, of course," Kimberly replied.

She looked over at Jason. "I'll be right back," she informed. Jason nodded and watched as the two women walked off.

Alyssa bit her lip when she and Kimberly were alone. "I need a favor to ask," she stated.

"Sure, what is it?" Kimberly asked.

Alyssa sighed as she sat down. "Kimberly, could you help me get hooked up with Cole?" She asked. Kimberly smiled.

"Of course I will! I knew you liked him," she commented.

Alyssa blushed. "Yeah well, when it comes to guys I'm nervous about asking them out. Could you help me?" She asked. Kimberly placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Of course I'll help you," she replied.

Alyssa smiled and she hugged Kimberly. "Thank you, Kim, thank you so much," she told her. Kimberly giggled as she hugged Alyssa back.

"Not a problem," she answered.

When Kimberly went back over to Jason, she saw him sparring with Hunter. "Don't beat up my son, Jason," she cautioned. Jason chuckled as he blocked one of Hunter's attacks.

"No worries, Kim. It was your son who challenged me," he informed.

Blake and Kimberly laughed when Jason got Hunter to the ground. "Give?" Jason asked. Hunter nodded and sighed in defeat.

"Give," he replied.

Jason helped him stand up. "You might go to some fancy Ninja Academy, but remember kid, I've been doing karate long before you were born," he commented. Hunter nodded and Kimberly laughed.

"You two better go be with your sisters before you have to go back to the academy," she instructed.

"Right," Blake agreed.

Kimberly wrapped her arms around herself when she watched her sons go. "It's hard to believe that they've grown up so fast. Hunter's eighteen now and Blake's seventeen. I just can't believe this," she murmured. Jason placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Children grow up, but I'll tell you this, Kim. You're one great mom. Hunter, Blake, Hannah, and Kylie are great kids," he answered.

Kimberly smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Jason," she murmured.

"For what?" He asked.

She turned to look at him. "For being there for me when no one else was there. You were there when I gave birth to Kylie, you were there to comfort me when I was down, and you helped me when I had nowhere else to go," she replied. Jason kissed Kimberly's forehead.

"I'm always here to help, Kim, remember that," he answered.

Kimberly hugged him tight. "I know," she sighed. Jason let her go.

"I have to get going, J. J. might be getting worried about what happened to his dad," he commented.

"Right, give J. J. my love," Kimberly stated.

Jason nodded. "You know I will," he assured her. He grabbed his jacket and left. Kimberly bit her lip and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Time to go back to my normal life," she mumbled to herself.

She turned and went to help Alyssa out on how to get hooked up with Cole.