Chapter Four

Jason sat Tommy at the table and began looking through cabinets for drinking glasses. Tommy sat with his hands on his head. Jason set a glass of water in front of him. "So what happened?" Jason asked.

Tommy shook his head. "I don't know," he answered. "She was fighting the tyrannodrones and following them into the woods. I was going after them to help her. They circled and closed in around her and then she disappeared. I just can't believe I lost her again. I didn't even get a chance to talk to her."

Jason looked at Tommy suddenly. "Again?"

Tommy looked up from his hands. "You know, I lost her before to that guy she met in Florida." Jason looked confused. "You and Kim are close. Surely you met the boyfriend she left me for."

"Uh, Tommy, I know that the subject of you and Kim has been sort of taboo for the past eight years," Jason rolled his eyes, saying the same words he said earlier. "Even when I was a part of the Zeo team; but do you mind explaining from the beginning? I really only know Kim's side of this whole thing. And I know that she thinks that she lost you."

Tommy contemplated for a minute. He sighed. "She left me for a guy in Florida."

"Beginning, Tommy. Start from the beginning."

Tommy glared at Jason. "Don't patronize me." Jason smirked. Tommy sighed again. "After she left for Florida, about six months after, she sent a letter to the youth center."

Jason furrowed his brow. "What'd it say?"

"That she'd found someone new. She saw me as a brother and nothing more." Tommy stopped for a moment. "I couldn't believe it. It was so unlike her. So I called her. She didn't pick up, so I assumed that she was busy with the new guy."

Jason shook his head. "No, she couldn't have been. That doesn't make sense."

"I know! That's not like Kim."

"No, not like that." Tommy looked at Jason. "You sent her a letter. You broke up with her. You only saw her as a sister and you wanted to break up to date Kat. She was heartbroken, Tommy."

Tommy shook his head. He pulled out his wallet, taking the sheet of folded paper that's been there for about eight years. He handed it to Jason, who opened it and read it through. Jason shook his head.

"Something's weird here. Kim got the exact same letter except you wanted to date Kat. She called you a couple days after to talk to you, but your mom said you went skiing with Kat. She was devastated because it pretty much confirmed the letter. And then the two of you were together during Murianthias and Kim was going back to try to talk to you."

"All of us went on that skiing trip. And I was miserable the whole time." Tommy looked at Jason again. "And Kat was never Kim."

"This doesn't make sense, though." Jason held up the letter.

"Someone intentionally broke us up then?"

Jason nodded. "That's my guess. You still care about her, don't you?"

"More than you ever know."

"She still loves you, Tommy. No one but you."

"I can't believe I thought the letter was true. I should've known."

"You didn't. But, it's in the past, we've already all moved on from it. What's done is done. And the important thing now is to find Kim."

Tommy thought for a moment. "The moment I saw her, it all came back."

Jason nodded. "Her too. I could tell." He stood up. "Come on, let's help the others find her."

"I guess I'm not in Reefside anymore," said Kim as she looked around. All she saw was darkness.

"Jason? Tommy? Zack? Billy?"

Nothing. Kim sighed.

"Kira? Conner? Trent? Ethan?"

Again, nothing.

"Hayley? Anybody?"

Footsteps were heading her way. She immediately put herself on guard. Kim held her breath as the lights began to turn on. She looked around in awe.

"It can't be…"

"Found anything yet?" Tommy asked as he and Jason made their way into the lab.

"Nothing, Dr. O," said Kira. "Nothing on the power source, Mesagog, or Kimberly."

"We'll find her," Jason said confidently. "We have to." He looked at Tommy. "It's the only chance that we have to get you two back together," he whispered. "Stay strong, buddy."

A bit of explanation here: I had the idea that while Jason and Tommy were extremely close, when they were Zeo Rangers, when they went on the moon, that they never talked about Kimberly. All Jason knows, as far as Tommy's side, is that he and Kim had broken up. And he and Kim have remained super close friends, him being the older brother that she could lean on, so she obviously told him what's going on...on her side, at least.