A/N: Good morning, everyone! Happy Friday (if it's Friday where you are.) I hope you are all well and doing is the next chapter. I'm going to do something different with this one than I usually do. I will not be explaining Power Rangers and their past as in depth as I usually do. I figured you're all here for a reason and it takes up space and time. If there is a part of their past that needs to be explained such as Kim and Tommy's history, I will cover it shortly.

Anyways, I'm loving the hate for her husband hahaha. Glad I could capture what I had in mind. Thank you all for the reviews and for following! I love getting those alerts in my inbox every morning. :) Keep reviewing, following, and READING!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.


June 12, 2004

Miami, FL

The sound of my alarm clock going off the next morning pulled me from my sleep. Stirring, I batted around my nightstand for the alarm as I tried to turn it off. Nick let out a groan, shoving me with his arm.

"Turn the fucking thing off." He complained, rolling back over. He took all the covers with him as he did, wrapping himself in a cocoon of comforter. I rolled my eyes as I slammed my hand on to the off button and rolled out of bed. He was already back to sleep I saw when I glanced over my shoulder at him. He hadn't come to bed with me last night when I had laid down around eleven. I recalled him coming in a little before 3 AM but didn't remember much about it. This was normal for him though. He usually stays up playing video games or watching TV until late and then sleeps in late. Often, he will still be asleep when I come home from work.

After a quick shower, I changed into a work shirt, the vest, and a pair of blue jeans. I made sure my name tag was pinned on straight after brushing out my hair. In the kitchen, I made myself a rice cake with peanut butter to go along with the coffee I poured into my travel mug. The clock on the wall said 6 AM, telling me I had some time before I needed to be there for my shift at 6:45 AM. Letting out a yawn, I walked over and flipped the TV on to the news.

"Reports of a shooting overnight are coming into the news desk this morning. Miami PD stated that two male victims between the ages of 18 and 25 were found deceased on the twenty third block of Brockway. Their identities are being withheld due to the ongoing investigation. Miami PD is requesting anyone with any information to please contact them at the number listed on your screen. Two other men were arrested for unrelated drug charges a few hours later in the same section of Brockway. 37 year old Andre Thompson and 24 year old Carlos Rodriguez were arrested and charged with four counts each of possession of a controlled substance and three counts of intent to distribute. Police found over 100 pounds of cocaine and methamphetamines in their vehicle after a routine traffic stop. Police are searching for another suspect who fled on foot."

Shaking my head, I took a sip of my coffee. It seems like the crime around here gets worse by the day. When I first moved here, it wasn't this bad. I didn't feel like it was a dangerous place to live. Now, I never like to go out by myself after dark. Nick has soon it himself too. He told me a few weeks ago, some teenagers tried to mug him coming out of the store. It's crazy to think of all this happening near a place you sleep at night. California was never this bad, the sleepy town of Angel Grove having its own issues to deal with. Trust me when I say you wouldn't believe me if I even began to tell you.

I watched the rest of the news cast, catching the weather for the day. Hot, muggy, and a chance of thunderstorms. Typical Florida weather for you. I decided to grab my umbrella from the closet by the door just in case. You never know when a rain storm will hit and I didn't want to be caught in one from the car to the front door.

"Kim?" Nick called from upstairs as I was sliding my shoes on. "I need the car today."

"What?" I called out, making sure I had heard him right. He appeared at the top of the stairs, his chest bare and only wearing a pair of blue plaid boxer shorts. His hair was a mess on the top of his head and he didn't look too enthused about being out of bed.

"I need the car." He mumbled.

"Nick, I gotta get to work." I replied, shoving my left foot into my sneaker.

"You still have time to catch the bus. Or call a cab." He replied.

"You're gonna have to drive me if you need it so bad." I said, putting a hand on my hip and looking up at him.

"This is bullshit, Kim. Don't you want me to earn some money for us? I can't do that without the car. And I've only had like an hour of sleep. Just take the stupid bus." He said, swearing under his breath as he ran a hand over his face. I glanced over at the clock above the TV. He was right. I had just enough time to catch the last bus to the shopping plaza where the hardware store was. I'd be there a couple minutes late but it wouldn't be much of an issue.

"Fine. I'll take the bus. But you will need to pick me up at 4, alright?" I said. He nodded, not replying. "Nick, you'll need to pick me up at 4."

"Alright! I fucking heard you." He exclaimed, turning and heading back to the bedroom. I rolled my eyes, grabbing my purse from the stand next to the door. I made sure my bus pass was in my wallet. "Don't forget my money." He called out. I rolled my eyes again, sighing as I pulled out five twenties from my billfold. It was dipping into the rent money I was putting aside each week. He would need to give some back to me later when he came home. Walking into the kitchen, I tossed it on the counter next to the car keys before walking out the front door.

Walking up the street, I saw that people were starting to wake up and head to work. Cars were pulling out of drive ways and people were getting papers from their lawns. I waved at a few, keeping up my pace as I headed to the bus stop. As I rounded the corner, I saw that the bus was pulling up to the little plexi-glass hut that was there. I ran, my purse slapping me in the rib cage as I sprinted to catch it in time. I heard the air breaks hiss as I reached the door. They swung closed but I banged on them. The driver, an older woman with dark hair and dark skin gave me a look of disapproval before she pulled them back open again.

"Nick got the car again, Kim?" Stacey asked. I nodded, swiping my card through the reader.

"Naturally." I panted. "Thanks for waiting."

"You got lucky." She said, winking at me.

"Yeah. Me. Lucky." I mumbled before sitting in the seat behind her.


"Ma'am? Can you help me find something quick?" A voice called behind me as I stacked primer in the third aisle from the door. Looking over my shoulder, I nodded at the older man who gave me a look that made my skin crawl. He even licked his lips a little as I stood up. One of the perks of this job was having people act like you are a sub species they can treat like dirt. Not only do I deal with pervs on the daily, I also get my fair share of middle aged women who demand to have a discount or free service due to something not going into their favor. And of course, since I'm the assistant manager on my shift, I need to ensure our customer service remains number one in the city.

I showed the perv where we keep our bathroom faucets, ignoring a comment he made about his shower being big enough for two. I only had a couple hours left in my shift before I would be heading home and pretending that I was rich enough to retire in the morning. The guy left, unamused at my lack of reaction which left me heading back to my stocking. I had a dull headache coming on and my lower back was killing me. I blamed that on the years of gymnastics training on top of the paint cans I was constant carting around at work. Most days, my knees were the ones that left me wincing but today, it was my back for sure.

"Hey, Kim." A cheerful voice behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw one of the other stockers standing there. Marci McClanahan was a junior associate, a 16 year old we had hired on for the course of the summer while school was out of session. She was a spit fire, that's for sure. Her hair was always in different colors and she always had a face full of perfectly applied makeup on. It made me miss the days of being a teenager and worrying about what sales were going on at the mall.

"Hey, Marci. How's it going?" I asked, pointing the price gun at a can. She shrugged, grabbing a stack of paint brushes from the box in front of her.

"As good as one could expect for someone working a meaningless dead-end job in the middle of Retirement Land." She replied. I smirked, shaking my head. She was something else.

"Retirement Land? Is that what kids these days are calling it?" I questioned.

"Well, either that or the Coke Capital of the Southern States. To each their own though, I suppose. How have you been?"

"Can't complain when I work here." I replied. She laughed, nodding. Today, her hair was a bright pink color that she had pulled back into a pony tail on top of her head.

"Sure you can. Everyone else does. Just don't tell management."

"I am management." I stated.

"Nah. You're like the hidden spy among them, looking out for us little people. And well, you are only five feet tall."

"I'm five feet and 4 inches tall, for your information." I said, pointing my price gun at her. "Did you get your final grades back yet?"

"Yeah. I passed everything by the skin of my teeth but I managed to get myself into the eleventh grade. I can't wait to see what fun filled days await me for another year in Hell."

"Eleventh grade." I said, smiling to myself. "I remember my first day of eleventh grade. I was up half the night trying to find the perfect outfit to wear. They had chicken nuggets for lunch and my friends and I all had the same math class."

"You went to school in California, right?" Marci asked. I nodded, heaving a can of primer up onto the shelf.

"Yeah. I grew up there in a town called Angel Grove." She snorted.

"Angel Grove? It sounds like a made up place for one of those dreadful shows meant to be soap operas for teenagers. Was it filled with drama, scandal, and boy swapping?"

"Not exactly." I replied, thinking back. "I mean, there was drama but more in the forty foot high monsters destroying the city kinda way than school drama."

"What?" She asked, looking at me confused. I smiled at her.

"Angel Grove is where the first team of Power Rangers came from." I explained.

"Oh! You mean those guys that wear those bright costumes and fight aliens?" She asked. I nodded. "No shit. Did you ever meet any of them?"

"I don't believe so. No one knew who they really were though so maybe."

"There's still a team right?" She asked me as she finished the box she was stocking. She ripped open the next one with her utility knife and grabbed a handful of brushed from inside.

"Probably. There's always a team." Standing up, I rubbed the sore area of my back and tried to stretch it. "It wouldn't be Earth if there weren't a team of people dressed in primary colors trying to save it from evil doers."

"It had to be exciting living some place with actual super heroes. Did they fly? Like were you sitting in math class and one would zoom by the window? Or were they more of the run into the action with an explosion behind them?" She asked. I smirked, crossing my arms.

"Were you getting high on your lunch break again?" I questioned. She shrugged her shoulders, tossing the empty box on the ground with the other one.

"That's neither here nor there." She responded. I bent over, picking up my price gun.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. And no. They didn't fly. They teleported places. I have to go take over in the lumber department. Try not to hurt anyone over here while I'm gone."

"No promises there." She replied as I walked away. Marci would have lost her shit if she realized she actually worked with a former Power Ranger. It wasn't something I like to actively talk about. It was a gig I did as a teenager when I was called to action. My other friends were as well, the five of us serving together. Then the six of us. Then three left and three new ones came in. If we had our own trading card game, I would be considered a rare one in my opinion. But my time with the team ended due to some circumstances that still get under my skin today. I moved onto new things though, most importantly Schmidt's team. I don't regret being a Ranger though. It helped shape me into the person I am today. I met Rocky DeSantos, Adam Parker, and the former Aisha Campbell (now known as Aisha DeSantos) through the rangers once they replaced Jason, Trini, and Zack. There were a number of good things that came from me being on the Rangers. I helped a lot of people and saved the world a thousand times or more.

My mind paused for a moment, the thought of a long haired boy coming across it. I could smell sea salt air and feel a warm breezy. My chest ached as I thought about him, his hand in mine as we walked along the shore of the beach. The sound of the water licking the sand echoed in my mind and I could still see the setting sun; shades of pink, orange and red painted across the sky like a water painting.

"Kim?" Marci's voice called, breaking me from my thoughts. I shook my head, seeing that I had stopped an aisle or two away from her.

"Yeah?" I called back.

"Uh…I accidently spilled an entire can of black paint."

"Terrific."


"Thanks again for the ride, Mrs. McClanahan." I said as Marci's mother pulled her minivan up along the curb in front of our apartment complex. She put it in park and Marci turned around from the front seat to look at me.

"You're very welcome!" Her mother called, smiling at me in the rear view mirror. Marci looked a great deal like her except that her mother was sporting blonde hair, something that made me think that Marci was actually a blonde at some point before hair dye came into the picture.

"Where do you think your husband is?" Marci asked. Her mother gasped.

"Marci! Don't be so rude." She whispered.

"It's fine. Really." I said, smiling at the both of them as I pulled open the van door. "I'm sure he had some car trouble or something. Thanks for the ride. I'll see you at work tomorrow, Marci."

"Sure will, boos lady." She replied. I climbed out of the door and closed it behind me. With a wave, they pulled off. I faked a smile until they couldn't see me anymore. Turning towards the house, I felt the scowl on my face when I saw our car wasn't in the assigned spot near our door. I stormed inside, looking to see if he was here for some reason. Searching the apartment, I saw he wasn't. I also saw the money I had given him was gone. I tossed my stuff up on the counter and walked over to the house phone. Picking it up, I dialed his cell number. It rang a bunch before disconnecting me. Swearing, I tried it again. Same thing. Slamming the phone back down, I plopped on the couch.

I stood outside of the store for two hours, waiting for Nick. I thought he had maybe been late or was having car issues. But then when I tried calling from the store, I didn't hear from him then either. By the second hour, I was pissed. I didn't have enough money on my bus pass to get a ride home and I had given him all the cash I had. Luckily, Marci came out and offered me a ride with her mom. I didn't want to but I had no other choice. I'm sure her mother thinks I'm a loser but it didn't bother me as much as knowing where the hell my husband was with OUR car.

I decided to make dinner while I waited for him to show up. I made one of his favorites; baked ziti with homemade garlic bread. When it was finished, I fixed two plates and waited. After another hour and a half went by, I ate my plate and glared at the door while I did. By the time it was 10 pm, the anger had faded into worry. It was not out of the usual for him to be gone this late but he would usually call. I tried his cell a few more times, it not even ringing now. This told me it was off. Midnight came and went, the fear growing. I called the police but they told me that they hadn't heard of him being in an accidents. They also said he hadn't been missing long enough to report him. I paced the floors, trying to think of where he could be. I didn't have numbers for the people he worked with. I did try the few friends we did have that I knew. No one had seen or heard from him though.

I must have fallen asleep after 4 am because the next thing I knew, I was beginning awoken by the sound of a key in our door. Springing up, I saw that is was just a little after 6 am. The door opened and Nick walked inside. He shut the door and turned around. A look of surprise came over his face when he saw me standing behind him.

"Oh! You're awake. I thought you'd be sleeping."

"Where the HELL have you been?" I exclaimed. "I've been trying to get ahold of you for almost TWELVE hours." He held his hands up.

"I told you I had some work to do." He replied. "I couldn't call. My phone was dead."

"Seriously? Nick, I thought you were dead somewhere. Where were you? You're telling me that anywhere you were for the last day didn't have a phone you could use?"

"Kim, relax. I'm fine." He said, walking over to the window and glancing out. "But I did do some thinking last night and I think you're right."

"Right about what?" I asked.

"About moving to Angel Grove. In fact, I think we should do it." My eyes widened in shock.

"Really? Why the sudden change?"

"There's a number of things. But it comes down to making you happy and building a better future for us. So, let's do this!" I smiled, clasping my hands together. Nick walked into the kitchen and looked out that window as well.

"This is great! I can't wait to call and tell Trini the great news. I'll have to call Mom and have her mail me the keys to the house. And I can have Trini send me some jobs that are hiring out there. We could be good to go in a month!"

"Actually, I thought we could go sooner." He replied over his shoulder.

"Sooner? I mean, I guess we could manage it in two weeks or so." I said. He shook his head, walking over to me.

"I got us tickets already. Our plane leaves tonight."