January 3, 2005

Angel Grove, CA

With court in recess until later in the afternoon, we elected to head over to a small eatery around the corner for lunch. I didn't feel like eating, my hands still trembling from the excitement in the courtroom during Nick's attempted attack towards me. I couldn't believe that he thought he would be able to reach me to cause harm. Did he think that all the people in the room were just going to let him put his hands on me to shut me up? The look in his eyes as he tried though made me shiver just thinking about it. It had been the same look he had given me when he tried to kill me after finding out about the baby's real father. It was safe to say that it wasn't the drugs that was causing that kind of deep seated anger and violence towards me. He was truly hoping to get to me without the influence of anything in his system.

"Kim, you need to eat." Trini said as I picked at the bread of my turkey sandwich. I looked up and saw that the entire group was looking at me with concern on their faces.

"Yall need to stop staring at me." I said, shoving my plate away.

"Girl, I don't blame you." Aisha said, shaking her head. "I wouldn't have an appetite either. At some point, they should just let the guys have him and just finish the job. The rest of the world would be better off." She sipped the soup in front of her before wiping her mouth clean.

"After his little performance, I'm pretty sure that the jury will have no issue coming up with a guilty verdict." Zack said, leaning his chin on the palm of his hand. "I mean, the guy just proved that he hurt Kim and that he wanted to do it. What other proof would they need?"

"I think Zack's right. The jury isn't going to have any other option now. This case is pretty much shut. And maybe he will realize this and take the plea deal or something. Anything to make this end sooner rather than later." Jason sipped his smoothie, setting the cup on the table next to his sandwich. Tommy was sitting next to him, gazing at the ketchup bottle in front of him with an empty stare. He was lost in thought, his eyes glossed over.

"Time will tell." Billy shrugged.

"Well, whatever the outcome, we will be right there when it happens." Trini put a hand on my shoulder, giving it a gentle and supportive squeeze.

"We should get back over there. Court will be back in session shortly." Rocky said, grabbing the check from the table. There were murmurs as we all stood, filing out of the eatery. Tommy walked next to me, his mind lost in thought as we walked. I put a hand on his arm, causing him to look over at me.

"Are you alright?" I asked. He nodded slowly, looking away.

"I guess I never thought about the times you were actually happy with Nick after we broke up." He said softly. "I just assumed it was all awful because it made me feel better."

"I'm sorry you have to hear about that." I said, frowning. I hadn't thought about what Tommy was going through, having to sit there and listen to how Nick and I were happy together after I broke his heart into a little pieces. Instant guilt filled my chest and I faced forward, hugging my arms to my body. I had really done a number to Tommy by leaving him and he was now forced to sit and listen to how I picked Nick over him. I snuck another peek at him and for a moment, I wondered for the first time what he looked like when he read the letter. How his face feel as his eyes skimmed the words I had scribbled in a haste, telling him I had found someone else. Tears stung the back of my eyes and I had to turn away from him. My mistake had brought us all here and I hated myself more in that moment then I had at any other point in my life.

Back in the courthouse, I sat between Marci and Tommy in the gallery. The rest of our group made hushed small talk as we waited for the court to resume. Mr. Powers was sitting at the defendant table, a bandage now covering his wound. There was another man at the table with him, a much younger guy in a business suit. Miss Kirkland came walked in shortly after us, her briefcase in hand. When she set it down, she turned and gestured for me to walk over to her. Tommy stood up, allowing me to pass by him.

"Hey." I said, walking over to her. "What's going on?"

"The judge has removed Nick from the trial for the rest of the day due to his behavior. He will be back tomorrow in case he wants to testify on his own behalf. The judge has asked if you would be willing to take the stand to answer a few more questions. Are you alright doing that?" I nodded.

"I guess so. I thought I covered everything though."

"She wants to talk more about your injuries and what occurred the night that Nick attacked you. We're going to show the pictures from the ER. I just wanted to give you a heads up first though so you weren't caught by surprise. How are you holding up after what happened before?"

"I'm okay. What did you and Mr. Powers talk about?" I questioned. She smirked, shaking her head as she folded her arms.

"Apparently, he thinks his client still has a chance of walking out of here with no jail time. I can assure you that will not happen at all. I've offered him two separate plea deals, both with no less than ten years on the table. The judge added those charges as you heard and they will probably carry their own five year sentencing to them. He's looking at close to twenty years as it stands right now. Hopefully, he can talk some sense into the asshole and we will be out of here in no time."

"I doubt that. I was married to him. There's no talking Nick into anything."

"Then he's just pulling on the rope he's using to hang himself." There was some noise and the bailiff came into the room, the clerk with him.

"All rise for the honorable Judge Matthews." The bailiff announced. Everyone stood, Miss Kirkland facing forward. Judge Matthews came into the room through the same door Nick had been dragged out of earlier. She said down, the rest of the room following. Shuffling through some papers, the judge cleared her throat and glanced over towards Miss Kirkland and I.

"Miss Kirkland, I take it that you've had a moment to speak with Mrs. Anderson about what had been discussed during recess." She said. Miss Kirkland nodded.

"Yes, your honor." She replied. The judge turned her attention to me.

"Mrs. Anderson, I hope you will be able to continue your testimony without an issue. The court apologizes for the events that took place this morning and I can promise you they will not occur again. There will be order in this courtroom and anyone who does not follow this will be sitting next to Mr. Anderson for the night. Do I make myself clear?" She eyed everyone in the room, no one daring to move. The bailiff walked over and opened the fence for me, allowing me to step through. I walked over to the witness stand, sitting down. The judge turned to face me. "Kimberly, I usually have the counselors finish their line of questioning with the witness but for this case, due to your future ex-husband's outburst, I wanted to speak with you myself. I nodded.

"Okay."

"At any time, did you willingly put the health and safety of Marci in jeopardy?" She asked. I shook my head.

"No. I made sure she was safe and that he never hurt her. It was my main goal the entire time he was there."

"If your husband were to walk free today, do you believe he would attempt to harm you or any of the people in this room today?"

"Before we were even out of the parking lot." I replied. "He told me repeatedly that he would kill me as well as my friends." She nodded, pursing her lips.

"Since there is a jury deciding the fate of this, I cannot put any pressure on the ruling. I can, however, provide you with resources since you are a domestic abuse survivor. I will have the court assist you at no cost getting services for yourself, Marci, and your child. I advise you to take these services being offered to you, especially if your husband plans on going for your child."

"Thank you, your honor." I said. She gave me a small smile before nodding to Miss Kirkland.

"Miss Kirkland, your witness."

For the next several hours, I had to sit through more questioning from both Miss Kirkland and Mr. Powers while they showed pictures and documents from the ER of my injuries. It was odd seeing myself on the projector screen they had set up. It was like looking at an abused and battered woman that wasn't me. But no matter how hollow those eyes looked, they were indeed mine staring back at me. I couldn't recognize that girl from the woman I had seen this morning when I had gotten dressed. I had been right before. I was different. I wasn't the same person that let Nick do what he wanted just to survive another day. It was a bittersweet victory, given that I never should have let myself get to this point in the first place.

Once my turn was over, I was released back to the gallery. Detective Branson was called to the stand next, her testifying about the condition I had been in when she arrived at the hospital. As she spoke, I watched the people in the jury box. They listened with great intent, some of them nodding as she described the scene. When she brought up the final attack, several of the women in the jury box looked stricken. I saw as one dabbed her eyes with her sleeve. Miss Kirkland was very direct with her line of questioning, leaving no stone unturned as she went over every single detail of those nights and what the detective had observed. Mr. Powers also had his turn with Branson but he was more reserved now than he had been before when speaking to me. I was under the impression that the assault from Nick had left him not that quick to jump at the idea of helping him as much as possible anymore.

As the clock struck 4 pm, the judge released Detective Branson and called the lawyers to approach her. I craned my neck to try to see what she was saying or even hear a whisper but it was no luck. Both of them nodded before returning to their seats. Judge Matthews cleared her throat and looked around the room.

"I realize that this case is hard for some of us to listen to. I think a much needed adjournment is needed. The case is adjourned until tomorrow at 9 am. Mr. Powers, please advise your client to be on his best behavior if he expects to sit in here for his trial tomorrow. I will not tolerate his outbursts in my courtroom."

"Yes, your honor. Thank you." Mr. Powers replied, fixing his tie. He looked exhausted, the swelling on his face getting puffier and darker as the day progressed.

"The jury is reminded not to discuss the case. Bailiff please escort them out." She banged the gavel and walked out, taking her papers with her. Our group stood up, grabbing their jackets and things.

"How are you feeling?" Jason asked as we filed out of the courtroom. People were coming out of other rooms in the hall, the end of the say signalling they were allowed to go home. I shrugged.

"I'm alright, I guess. This morning was a bit scary but I think I'm okay." I glanced behind me and saw that Tommy was in the back of the group, not saying anything with his hands shoved in his pockets. "Can you do me a favor?" I asked quietly, looking up at Jason. He nodded.

"Yeah. What do you need?"

"Can you take Tommy out for a bit tonight? I think he could use some time with a friend to just talk and have some fun." Jason glanced over his shoulder, seeing our former leader. He nodded.

"He looks like someone cancelled his birthday." He said, turning back to me. "I'll see if him and the guys want to do something."

"Thanks, Jase." He wrapped an arm around my shoulders in a quick hug as we all headed out of the building. In the parking lot, we came to a stop next to Tommy's truck.

"I'm feeling a bit cramped up. You guys wanna go out for a drink? Nothing crazy. I just thought that we might be in the state to use one." Jason asked, looking around our group.

"I'm down." Zack said, nodding. Adam and Billy nodded in agreement as well.

"Affirmative. After today's events, I believe it would do the spirit some good." Billy said. Rocky frowned.

"You can go." Aisha said, smiling up at her husband. He looked down at her, surprised.

"What?" He questioned.

"Go out and have some fun with the guys. I'll be fine. Us girls can find something to do together so we won't be alone."

"You sure?" He asked.

"Aisha can come over to my place." I said, looping my arm with hers. "We'll have pregnancy cravings and girl talk."

"I mean I'm not pregnant but I can get on some of those cravings too." Trini said, stepping closer to me.

"Well, I think it's a plan then." Jase said. Tommy shook his head, pulling the hair tie from his head.

"I think I'm gonna pass. Sorry, guys."

"C'mon, man. Let's just go out and have some fun. The girls are going to be overrunning Kim's house anyway." Jason volunteered. "Trini can drive them back to Kim's house and we can go up the road to the Inn. We'll be home before dark even, okay?"

"I don't know." Tommy said, casting a glance at me. I reached out and put a hand on his arm.

"Go and have a laugh, alright? I think you could use one right about now." He hesitated, our eyes meeting for a minute before he nodded.

"Alright." Aisha gave Rocky a kiss, him rubbing her belly gently and whispering to it. Trini walked over and gave Jason a kiss as well, smiling at him before pulling her car keys from her purse. I turned towards Tommy to give him a hug but he was already climbing into his truck. I frowned, unsure of why he had been so cold to me.

"You ready?" Marci asked me. With one last look towards Tommy's truck, I nodded.

The night at my house had been fun but mellow. We hung out in the living room and watched a romantic comedy while stuffing our faces with junk food. Marci and Aisha did some face masks while Trini braided my hair. I did my best to be a part of the group but I still felt myself feeling sad about how Tommy had acted towards me. When Jason had called and said that they were going to be out later than originally planned, it was agreed that the girls would be staying here and the guys would just crash at Trini and Jason's house. I put Trini in Tommy's room, Aisha in Marci's and then made up the couch for Marci before I headed up to bed. That was three hours ago. Here it was, well after midnight, and I still couldn't fall asleep.

Sighing, I rolled over on my side and rubbed my belly. I felt a flutter and knew that she was kicking. The baby settled down and I wondered about how my days of sleeping at night were going to be numbered soon. Then I wondered what life would be like with someone besides myself to take care of. Granted I had Marci here but her wellbeing didn't depend on me making sure she was eating and breathing every moment of the day. She was like an independent house cat I toss coffee too every now and then. A baby would be much different. And I was terrified that I wasn't up for the task yet.

"Kimberly?" A voice whispered on the other side of the door. I lifted my head as it opened a crack and I could see Marci standing there in the hallway light that pooled into the room. "You up?"

"Yeah. Is everything okay?" I asked.

"Yeah. Just couldn't sleep, that's all." She gave me a hesitant look.

"I can make room for you if you want." I offered. Smiling, she nodded. Closing the door behind her, she walked towards the bed. She climbed into the other side of the bed and I tossed the covers over her.

"Thanks." She said. "I was having troubles getting comfy down there."

"I share everything else with you. Why not my bed as well?" I asked, smiling over at her.

"Tommy called after you came upstairs." She fiddled with the blanket.

"What did he say?" I asked, not looking at her.

"He just wanted to check in to see how you were doing. I told him you went to bed and that we'd see him in the morning."

"Oh." I said, simply. I stared up at the ceiling, wondering what that meant.

"Did you guys have a fight or something?" She asked. I shook my head.

"No. It was just hard for Tommy to listen to some things that were said today. He just needs some time, that's all. Everything will be alright."

"Okay." She replied, nodding. Shifting, she looked up at the ceiling too. Quiet fell over us and I could tell she wanted to say something.

"You think you can keep another secret for me?" I asked. She snorted.

"I'm not sure. I'm almost to my limit." I laughed, nodding.

"I know. I promise this one doesn't have life altering. You know that cult you think we were all a part of when we were younger?" I asked. She nodded, turning to look at me.

"You were, weren't you?!" She exclaimed. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head.

"No. It's nothing like that. Remember when I told you back in Miami that I grew up in the same town as the Power Rangers?" She nodded. "Well, I lied."

"The Power Rangers weren't from here?" She questioned.

"They are. We are the Power Rangers. Well, we were at least." I said. She raised her eyebrows, looking confused.

"Sure, you were. And I'm Super Girl. We should team up to find the War on Terror together." I rolled over on my side so I was facing her.

"It's true! I was the Pink Ranger, Tommy was Green. Blue was Billy. Aisha took over as Yellow for Trini, Adam as black for Zack and then Rocky as the red Ranger when Jason went with Trini and Zack."

"Wait a second." She said, sitting up. "Is that why you guys are ALWAYS wearing those colors? Like every single day?"

"It's an old habit to break. That's why Kat acts like she owns the color. She replaced me when I moved to Florida. In more ways than one might I add." I stated bitterly.

She was a Ranger too? Ugh. Were there no expectations or something?" She eyed me. "You're really serious about this, aren't you?"

"I am. We fought bad guys from space every day. We had some cool weapons. I even flew a giant machine through the air called a Zord. Billy helped keep them running. Jason was our leader at first and then Tommy took over for him. We all worked together to make sure everyone was safe and still had to make time for algebra homework."

"Why the hell would you quit something like that?! You were world famous superheroes! I would have rode that out for everything I could." I shrugged.

"I guess it just wasn't what I wanted at the time." I replied.

"And now?"

"I'd do anything in the world to go back to it."