ZEDD - THE NEXT MORNING

Waking the next morning and seeing Thomas still fast asleep, I decide to let him be, given our activities from the previous night have no doubt worn him out completely.

Getting up slowly and heading to the bathroom it doesn't take me long to handle my morning routine before getting dressed and deciding that coffee is definitely in order if I'm to get any further than simply dressing and returning to bed myself. "Thomas?"

"Mhm?"

"I'm going to get some coffee down in the restaurant, do you want anything?"

"M'good."

"Okay, I'll be back in a minute." Pressing a kiss to his head, I pull the covers up more around him before heading out of the room and down to the main floor.

Moving to the restaurant and spotting the coffee bar, I breathe a sigh of relief before quickly retrieving a cup.

"Wow you managed to beat Tommy out of bed? Wonders never cease."

Smirking and turning to look at Jason who has sidled up to me, I give a nod before taking a drink of my breakfast. "He had a busy night."

"Oh, yeah, sorry about that, we really didn't realize what time it was when we got to telling old stories down at the bar." Knowing he doesn't realize that Thomas' time with him wasn't the actual problem, I decide to let it remain that way for the moment.

"It's fine, I know he doesn't get to see any of you very much these days. I'm glad you got to spend time together."

"Me too. We miss him, you know."

"I do." And I honestly do as when we were living on Earth I had missed Pina and Dar nearly just as much.

"Well just so you know we miss you too, as hard to believe as that is. So what's say you let Tommy rest and join us for some actual breakfast, huh?"

About to agree as in truth I would like to catch up a bit more with Jason, one look at the table he's leading me to has me instantly stopping however. "Another time, Jason."

Frowning in confusion and looking to the seated group of original Rangers, I know he doesn't understand my sudden refusal, but I really don't feel like explaining it to him right now either. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just have to get back to Thomas."

"Zedd I've known you for years now. That look and sudden closed off response is not nothing."

"I don't want to talk about it right now."

Again studying the group that's now waiting and watching us, Jason is fast to pick up on the obvious problem. "Did you have a fight with one of them?"

"No, but I will if I go over there."

"I don't-"

Suddenly stopping as Kimberly slides her chair back and excuses herself, I watch with an unchecked growl as she quickly hurries past us, eyes careful to avoid mine.

"What happened?" Voice firm and eyes now following his friend's retreating form, Jason is clearly about as happy as I am now.

"She tried to get Thomas to mate with her."

"What?!"

"He said she had too much to drink, as if that should excuse it." Not planning to go into it anymore, but finding myself too angry now to stop I continue to confide in one of the few humans on this world I consider my family. "You know I wouldn't even be so upset about the fact she tried if it wasn't also for the fact she pretended to be my friend for how long. I gave her a second chance after she hurt him before and I even let myself trust her and this is what I get for it. She disregards the fact we've been bonded and married for years, have four children together, and have stated multiple times how much we love each other. I get things are different between different species, but I am near positive from knowing you, Kira, Gina, and Hayley that that kind of bullshit isn't how you treat someone you consider a friend." Shaking my head I decide to head back to the room and return to the one person on this planet I do trust completely. "And Thomas wonders why I don't trust people."

"Well, she's gone now. Come and sit with us for a while before you go back to him."

My eyes narrow slightly. "You're just worried that I'll run into her at the elevator, aren't you?"

"That too, but I did just say that we wanted to spend time with you. If there's anything left of her later, you can think about maiming her then." His casual tone throws me off until I realize that there is an undertone of anger to it. Have we become good enough friends that he'd actually take my side in this matter? As I hesitate, I remember many years ago he'd told me that he wasn't happy with how she'd broken up with Thomas when they were still teens. Taking my arm lightly, Jason pulls me over to the group.

The others greet me cheerfully, if not a bit confused as to why their pink wearing comrade left so abruptly. Knowing I'm not angry with any of them, I do my best to control my attitude. Zack grins at me. "Tommy not going to be able to come down and see us all off later?"

"Perhaps not all of you, but I'm certain he'd be very disappointed if he didn't get to tell you goodbye."

The former Red Ranger speaks, authority in his voice. "Trini, you need to go talk to Kim and find out where the hell her head is because if I do it, we might not be friends anymore." What now?

Trini sighs her gentle sigh as she pushes her chair back and gives William a quick kiss. "What did she do?" Before Jason can answer, she freezes and her eyes widen. A quick glance at me and she says, "Oh no. She didn't."

"She tried."

For the first time, I hear a rather unladylike curse leave the lips of the former Yellow Ranger. My mouth falls open as she stalks away from the table. The others are wearing various looks of disbelief, shock and confusion. Before anyone can comment, Kat slides into Kim's vacated chair. She takes in everyone's looks. "What happened?"

"Kim's lost her damn mind" Zack tells her.

She shakes her head. "Poor thing."

"Excuse me?" I cannot believe she actually said that.

Kat takes a deep breath and straightens up before looking me square in the eyes. "Zedd, if I've guessed correctly, I know what happened. And there is no excuse for it, I know that too. I don't know if I could even explain things so that you understand what was behind it. But, believe me, in her head at that moment, you were never part of the equation."

Yeah, and that little comment isn't helping my rage right now. "We've been together more than thirty years, female. How in all the hells am I not?"

"Like I said, nothing excuses what she did. Since she lost Travis last year, she's been - lost. She'd been with him longer than you and Tommy have been together, their kids are scattered to the winds. Imagine if you lost Tommy and your kids weren't around anymore. She's trying to make a new life all alone."

"So she's pretended to be my friend all these years so that she could stab me in the back?"

"She's never pretended to be your friend. Quite frankly, Zedd, when we all heard that you and Tommy were together the very first time you visited after he got better and that Jason was backing your relationship, she was your biggest champion - after Jason. You have no idea how relieved she was that Tommy had forgiven her and that you were willing to allow her to stay friends with him in spite of their history. Kim's just feeling very alone right now and I think that the alcohol impared her judgment. In fact, I can't even imagine how ashamed and embarrassed she must be right now."

"Impaired judgment is one thing, continuing to try for someone you know is married and has children, after they specifically tell you no is another. That aside you know enough of Thomas' past to know he still has slight anxiety attacks on rare occasions. Even after all these years a specific phrase or action can sometimes set him off depending on his own state of mind and I tell you now no matter how many Rangers are in this building none would have been able to stop me last night if she had sent him into a panic attack or flashback because she refused to hear him say no and mean it."

"I don't normally say this, but Zedd does have a reasonable point." Looking to Katherine, Zack basically summarizes my rant in the simplest, but most effective way possible. "I mean, no means no. Zedd aside, he told her no, and if she still tried for him, well if their genders were reversed I don't think any of us would be taking this as lightly as we are."

Thinking on Zack's statement, it's Billy who finds his voice next. "Is Tommy okay?"

"Fine, his clothes reek of her, but he at least got the lipstick off his collar and neck. Truthfully he handled it better than I did as our bond tends to affect me more strongly when I feel like it's threatened."

Seeming to know what I'm referring to, William again speaks up in an understanding tone. "You went feral."

"Closer to it than I would have liked to, but thankfully no more so than when his Phaedosian drive hits him." Looking at my coffee miserably, I shake my head. "It's going to be a bitch to try and keep myself in check when he's around her now."