Chapter Nineteen
Four weeks has passed since the near destruction of the world. Kimberly stood in a mirror, looking at her reflection. She smiled at herself. 'Just five-six weeks ago, I never imagined that I would be here,' she thought to herself. The past four weeks have been some of the most hectic, but she was willing to relive it again if she had the chance.
"Girl, you look beautiful!" said Aisha. "That dress is just gorgeous on you! And here is your something borrowed to go with your something new." Aisha put a beautiful pearl necklace around Kim's neck. "Straight from Africa."
"It's beautiful, Aisha, thank you so much!"
"No problem, girl!"
Five or six weeks ago, Aisha and Kim wouldn't have been hanging out with each other. But in the past four weeks, they've been inseparable. 'Just like high school,' thought Kim. 'I never would've gotten through the past four weeks without her and Ashley.' While Kim was putting the finishing touches on her move from Florida back to California, Ashley and Aisha took care of calling the caterers, the florists, and everything else that went into planning a wedding. Kim resigned her post as a Pan-Global coach and had already began to look for a job in Reefside. Elsa, who has re-taken over the job as principal of Reefside High, no longer evil, offered Kim a job at the school, as a physical education teacher and gymnastics coach. Kim was also looking to open a gymnastics academy since there was such a positive response from the community when they heard she was moving to Reefside.
"And here is your something blue!" exclaimed Ashley as she held up a blue garter. Kim laughed as she sat down to put it on.
After the rangers left Hayley's, they all went their separate ways. They each took their time in saying goodbye to one another, even though they would be seeing each other soon. Jason returned to Florida for a couple of weeks, saying that he'll be back before the wedding to hang out with Tommy in Reefside. Billy said that he would return to Aquitar after the wedding, staying in Reefside with Tommy. Rocky and Zack went back to New York City, reassuring everyone that they would definitely be back in time for the wedding. Adam went back to LA, taking Bulk and Skull with him because they "always wanted to see the big city." Zhane, Karone, and Andros were going back to KO-35, with Ashley, Cassie, TJ, and Carlos going back to Angel Grove. And the teens went back to school, each of them reliving their time with the former rangers as they sat in Tommy's science class everyday. Conner, Kira, Trent, and Ethan still called Tommy "Dr. Z" in class, while the other students, especially Cassidy and Devon, always wondered what they were talking about.
Ashley thought back to the cryptic response that Andros gave to her when she asked him what he and Zhane were talking about with the comments and the smirks about the wedding. 'I still wonder what he meant by that,' she thought as she helped Kim with the garter.
"Kimberly?"
Kim looked around. "Mom? You're here! You made it!" She jumped up and ran to hug her mom. "How are you? When did you get in?"
Kim's mother smiled at her. "A few hours ago. We stopped by the hotel first to get ready." She looked at Kim from head to toe. "You look absolutely beautiful." Tears shone in her eyes. "I can't believe this day is actually here." She pulled out a pair of earrings. "These are for you to wear. Something old, your grandmother's pearl earrings to match that beautiful necklace."
"Wow, they're beautiful," said Kim breathless. She put them on. "Thanks mom. I'm so glad you're here."
"Of course, Kim. I wouldn't miss this day for the world." She pursed her lips. "Although, I do wish that you had told me."
"Mom, I did tell you!"
"Four weeks ago, Kim!"
Kim smiled. "That's when I got engaged!"
"I know, but..." Kim's mother pursed her lips. "I wish you had more time. A four week engagement? And you and this guy weren't even together five weeks ago."
Ashley and Aisha looked at each other and smirked.
"Mom, trust me. I know this is true."
Kim's mother looked at her. "I trust your judgment, Kim. That's why I'm not stopping you. I love you."
"I love you too, Mom." They hugged each other.
"I'll be heading out now. You look beautiful, baby. My baby girl all grown up." Tears shone in her eyes. She waved to Aisha and Ashley as she walked out of the tent that they were in.
"I cannot believe that you didn't tell your mom that you and Tommy were back together," said Aisha.
Kim laughed and shrugged. "I wanted her to be surprised!"
"Did you even tell your dad?" asked Ashley.
Kim shook her head. "No. I'm not that close to him, so...I don't know. He should be here though. Somewhere."
"So who's giving you away then?" asked Ashley.
"Yeah, you never told us," chimed in Aisha. "Is Jason pulling double duty and playing older brother and best man?"
Kim shook her head again. "It's a surprise." She grinned. "You'll see!"
Kira stuck her head in the tent before walking in. "You ready, Kim?" she asked. Kim nodded. Kira was in an identical yellow dress to Ashley, which were both similar to Aisha's except that hers was a little different, though still yellow. Kira was still surprised that she was in her teacher's wedding, but Kim had insisted on it. She said that she felt a bond with the younger girl and that Kira reminded Kim of Trini, except more outspoken. Kira smiled as she thought of how close they grew within the past four weeks. Sure, Kim was busy, but she always made time for a phone call to Kira every single day. Even if it was a quick, 'hey, how you doing?'.
"Everything's about ready outside. It's a beautiful day for a wedding by the park," said Cassie. She walked in the tent and looked in the mirror. She was wearing an identical dress to Ashley and Kira, though hers was pink. Cassie smiled as she thought of the past four weeks. She got to catch up with her best friend, Ashley, and grew closer to Kim and Aisha. 'Thank goodness they were in Angel Grove,' she thought. 'I would've been so deprived if they weren't here.'
Kim smiled. "This park has many special memories for me and Tommy. We had our first kiss near the lake where we're holding the ceremony. It was the perfect place to start our new life together."
"And the perfect place to find it on four weeks' notice!" said Aisha. Everyone laughed.
"Well, Tommy and I were at first considering the Command Center, but then we'd have a lot of explaining to do with our parents and everyone else."
Hayley walked in the tent. She handed everyone a bouquet of flowers. "We're going to be needing these," she said. She looked at Kim. "It's nearly time." Kim smiled at Hayley and gave her a little hug. Hayley wore an identical dress to Ashley, Cassie, and Kira. Kim had said she could choose her own color, so Hayley decided on pink to honor Kim's ranger color and to even out the colors of the bridesmaids. She held out a bouquet of white roses with three pink ones in the center for Kim. Everyone else had similar bouquets except that Ashley and Kira held bouquets of yellow roses with three white ones in the center and Cassie and Hayley held bouquets of pink roses with the three white ones in the center. She was more surprised than Kira was when Kim asked her to be in the wedding. Hayley declined being in the wedding, saying that she would feel more comfortable if Kim's friends that she'd known longer would be in the wedding, but again, Kim insisted. She had said that Hayley was a great friend to Tommy and she hoped to be as close friends with Hayley as she and Tommy were. Hayley also smiled at the thought of the past four weeks, when she and Kim did manage to become friends. "I think it's time."
Kim looked at Hayley. "Is he here?"
Hayley nodded, being the only person who knew who Kim was talking about. "He wouldn't miss this day for the world."
Ashley looked confused. "Of course Tommy's here, Kim."
Kim smiled. "That's not who I was talking about. I was talking about the man who's giving me away."
"Who?"
Kim smiled secretively. She looked at Hayley and winked. "You'll see."
"You ready, man?" asked Jason.
"More ready than I'll ever be," answered Tommy. He turned to face Jason, who was dressed in all black with a red and gold tie and cummerbund.
"All white, I'm impressed."
"Well, I thought that since..you know."
"Of course, Bro. Come on, let's get out there, you have a beautiful lady who's waiting for you."
Tommy nodded and headed out of his tent. Jason followed him and they walked to where the priest was. They stood off to the left of the priest as the procession began. The orchestra struck up the familiar tune of "Here Comes the Bride".
Rocky grinned as he marched down the aisle. He stared straight ahead and grinned at Tommy and Jason as he passed them to his seat. Rocky was dressed all in black, like Jason, except that he wore a red and blue tie and cummerbund.
Adam followed Rocky down the aisle. He too wore all black and with a green tie that had black designs and a matching cummerbund. He looked at Tommy and Jason and grinned as he passed them. He stood next to Rocky.
Zack grinned as he faced the aisle in his black attire, complete with a black tie with orange designs. He began marching down the aisle with a bit more hop to his step. He grinned at Tommy and Jason from the front of the aisle to the end. He moved to stand next to Adam when he reached the front of the congregation.
Billy also grinned as he faced the aisle. He looked around at the congregation, seeing people that he hasn't seen since he moved to Aquitar. He looked ahead at Tommy and Jason and grinned at them. He wore all black, like the rest of the groomsmen, but had a blue tie and cummerbund.
Tommy smiled as he watched Kira walk down the aisle. She grinned at him and winked. 'So much has happened,' he thought. He smiled at the thought of the teenagers finding the stones again.
Hayley walked down the aisle after Kira did. She grinned at Tommy and mouthed 'finally', again. Tommy smiled at her and mouthed, 'I know'. She took her place next to Kira.
Next down the aisle was Ashley. She looked at the congregation and smiled at Andros and then looked ahead at Tommy and Jason. She smiled at them as she passed by them and took her place next to Hayley.
Aisha, Kim's matron of honor, was next to proceed down the aisle. She grinned so wide that her cheeks were hurting. Tommy barely paid attention, waiting for his bride to come down the aisle. When Aisha reached the end of the aisle, she and Jason moved to where they were supposed to be next to Ashley and Billy.
Finally, the moment had come. Everyone stood up, facing the back as Kim started her own procession down the aisle. A collective gasp echoed across the lawn. She walked a little slower than the rest of the entourage did. Tommy stared at Kim the whole time. She was the most beautiful thing that he's seen since the first moment he laid eyes on her. He didn't pay attention to anybody at all, not even to the man who was standing next to her. He didn't hear the gasps from the rangers who attended the wedding as Kim made her way down the aisle. She grinned, knowing how surprised everyone was going to be, most especially her parents. Her father had assumed that he was giving her away, but Kim declined when she said that she had somebody else in mind to give her away. He was visibly hurt, but understood that he was never a major factor in Kim's life to merit such an honor.
When Kim had finally reached the end of the aisle, the priest asked, "Who gives this young lady to this young man?"
"I do."
Tommy looked up and saw Zordon standing next to Kim. He looked down at Kim who was grinning at Tommy. He grinned back at Kim and moved to hug Zordon. Zordon bent down to give Kim a kiss on the cheek and moved to sit in a seat near the aisle. Tommy took Kim's hand and they turned to face the priest.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..."
Everyone clapped as Tommy and Kimberly kissed after the priest said, "You may now kiss the bride." Some people let out yelps of surprise as a visible glow of white and pink surrounded Tommy and Kim. Others looked on with knowing smiles. "I present for the first time ever, Dr. and Mrs. Oliver!" Everyone clapped again with some catcalls and cheers. The orchestra struck up the Wedding March as a recessional for them as they walked back up the aisle. Tommy and Kim grinned at all the cameras that were flashing at them.
Jason raced after them. He threw his arms around Tommy and Kim. "I wanted to be the first to congratulate you two!" He leaned down to give Kim a kiss and leaned over to hug Tommy. "Alright, guys! Finally!"
Tommy and Kim stood there as their friends continued to make their way to offer their congratulations.
"KIMBERLY!"
Kim turned at the sound of her name.
"How come you didn't tell me that you and Tommy were back together?" her mom asked.
"I wanted it to be a surprise, Mom," she answered with a small smile.
"Nice to see you again," said Tommy as he leaned over to give Kim's mother a kiss on the cheek.
She smiled at Tommy and leaned in to Kim. "You chose well. I'm proud of you, baby girl."
Kim smiled and hugged her mom. "Thank you," she whispered in her mom's ear.
Kim's mother smiled as she moved over and hugged Tommy. "Guess you're my son, now aren't you?" Tommy laughed and nodded a bit.
"And how come you didn't tell me about you and Kim?"
Tommy turned and saw his mother standing there. "Mom...I wanted it to be a surprise."
Tommy's mother looked at Kim's mother and rolled her eyes. "These kids, always wanting surprises."
"I know what you mean, they don't do that with weddings!" They laughed.
Tommy leaned over to give his mom a hug and a kiss. "I'm proud of you, son."
"Thanks, mom."
She moved to Kim and gave her a big hug. "Do you know how much I've missed you?"
Kim laughed and returned her hug. "I've missed you too."
Tommy turned and saw David standing before him. "David, there's someone important I'd like you to meet." He pulled Kim from his mother's grasp. She went to Kim's mother and they went off somewhere together. "Kim, this is David. David, Kim."
Kim and David gave each other a hug and a kiss on the cheek as they greeted each other. "I've heard so much about you!" they both said in unison.
"Good things, I hope," said Kim.
"Of course," answered David. "Well, I'm gonna go sit down now." He smiled at the two and made his way through the crowd.
"Congratulations, you guys!" a chorus of voices said.
Tommy and Kim looked at who said that. "Thanks you guys! Thanks for coming!" They both said and began hugging the people who they saw. It was an assorted group of rangers from different teams from Lost Galaxy to Ninja Storm, except for the Time Force rangers. "I'm surprised you all were able to make it!" exclaimed Tommy.
"You kidding?" asked Leo. "I wouldn't have missed this. It's nice seeing you again, Tommy. And very nice to meet you, Kimberly."
"Call me Kim." Leo nodded and hugged the two as he and the other former rangers moved in the direction of whatever tables they were sitting at.
Kim saw Karone and gave her a big hug. "Thanks for coming!"
"No problem," she said.
Tommy turned and saw two familiar faces heading his way. "Bulk! Skull! Glad you could make it!" He gave them each a handshake while Kim hugged them.
"Thanks for inviting us," said Skull. "Congratulations."
"We wouldn't have missed this wedding for the world!" exclaimed Bulk.
"Thanks, you guys!" said Kim.
"Congratulations, you two!"
Tommy and Kim turned in the direction of the voice.
"Thank you, Kat!" said Kim. She moved forward to give her a hug. "It's so good to see you! Thanks for coming on such short notice! How's London?"
"London's good. Dancing has been hard, but I've always wanted to do it. And I wouldn't have missed this for the world," answered Kat. She leaned over to hug Tommy. "It's good to see you guys again!" She moved over to let Tanya say hello.
"Congratulations!" exclaimed Tanya.
"Thanks," said Tommy with a smile. "It's been a long time coming." Kim laughed as she hugged Tanya. "Hey, Justin, long time no see! Thanks for coming out."
"Of course," said Justin. He leaned into Tommy and Kim. "Do you guys have any idea about what happened a few weeks ago? I saw General Havoc on tv."
Tommy nodded and smiled. "He, along with some other bads of the past tried to take over the universe. We got the better of them."
Justin nodded. "I wish I was there."
"Yeah, we missed you, man."
"At least you guys won."
Tommy laughed. "Yeah." Tommy was interrupted by a hug from his side.
"Congratulations, man!"
"Thanks, TJ." Tommy laughed again as he tried to free himself from TJ's grasp. "Uh, alright now, man."
TJ let go of Tommy and moved to Kim. He grabbed her from behind and gave her a hug. "Congratulations, Kim!"
She looked around at him and laughed. "Thanks, TJ!" He let go of her and moved so that Carlos could give them a hug.
"Hey, long time no see," he said.
"Yeah, right," said Kim. They hugged each other.
"Hey, Kim, Tommy," said Ashley as she walked up to them. "Almost time for your first dance as husband and wife. Kira's just getting ready."
"Okay," said Tommy. He and Kim were about to move towards the dance floor, but stopped when Andros put a hand on Tommy's shoulder. The three of them stopped walking and looked at Andros and Zhane.
Zhane came up and hugged Kim. "What did I tell you? Four weeks and everything was a success. Wasn't it? Didn't I tell you that?"
Kim laughed and returned the hug. "Yes, you did. Thank you for having such strong faith."
"I should've made a bet on it."
"Well, of course he would," said Andros after he hugged Tommy. "That's what the walls said."
"What?" asked Ashley and Tommy at the same time. "Is that what you were talking about?" asked Ashley.
Andros nodded. "You remember that room that had our story as pictures on the walls?" Ashley, Tommy, and Kim nodded. Conner, Trent, Ethan, Jason, Billy, Cassie, TJ, Carlos, Aisha, Zack, Adam, and Rocky gathered around them, hearing the words 'remember', 'story', 'pictures', and 'walls'. Andros looked around at everybody.
"And remember how you guys asked us what that script said and we said it was nothing important?" asked Zhane. Everyone nodded. "Well, it actually was important." Everyone looked at them, waiting to hear more.
"It told Tommy and Kimberly's story," said Andros. "Not every little detail, like the part about Zedd sending the letters, but it pretty much followed their story. Tommy and Kim's love is greater than any other power known. You know, stuff that we've heard."
"It also said that they would be eternally bound to each other four weeks after the victory of the rangers, if the rangers came out victorious," added Zhane. "And we were victorious, so you guys got married four weeks after that."
"Wow, you guys were really meant to be," said Ethan. "Weren't you, Dr. Z?"
Tommy nodded and grinned. "Why didn't you tell us earlier? You know, when we asked about it?"
Zhane and Andros looked at each other and laughed. "Well, we didn't want to put any pressure on you guys. You two just started talking to each other."
"Excuse me, everyone." Everyone looked at the stage, with Kira standing there with her guitar. "It's time for the first dance of the newlywed couple." She smiled at the two of them. "I wrote this song for Dr. Z and Kim. Congratulations again and thanks for letting me be a part of this special day." She began to strum her guitar as Tommy led Kim out onto the dance floor.
As the song ended, everyone clapped. Everyone made their way to their seats at their different tables. Waiters came out, serving everyone food and drinks.
Tommy led Kim to their own table, a little secluded from the rest. They waved and smiled at their close ranger friends who were sitting at the table next to them.
"Well, we finally did it, Beautiful," said Tommy.
"Yeah, you're stuck with me for life, Handsome."
"No complaints here."
A loud clinking noise came from the guests clanging their spoons and forks against their glasses. Tommy and Kim smiled at everyone and then at each other before leaning into each other and kissing. A loud cheer erupted from Jason, Billy, Zack, Aisha, Adam, and Rocky. Everyone around them looked at them.
"What?" said Jason. "We've been waiting for this day as long as they have." Everyone laughed. "Well, I think that's a good introduction to my best man speech." He stood and clanged his glass a bit. "Well, for those of you that don't know, I'm Jason Scott. I've known Kim since we were little babies and Tommy since he moved here to Angel Grove in high school. They're both my best friends and I wish them all the happiness in the world. These two met in the hallways of Angel Grove High. I think I could safely say it was something like love at first sight for both of them. Tommy, the knight in shining armor to Kimberly's damsel in distress act. I say that it's an act because we all know that you could take care of yourself, Kim." Kim smiled and Tommy squeezed her hand. "But these two...when we first met Tommy, we wanted to be his friend. After a few weeks, we were all inseparable. Especially these two. There was never one without the other. Unless we had to meet somewhere and Tommy was running late...like usual." Everyone laughed. "I guess the only thing that I have to say about these two is that they've been waiting for a long time to be together and I'm glad that they've found each other. Tommy and Kim, I love you two both and I want a lot of nieces and nephews to spoil." Everyone laughed again. "Congratulations and again, I wish you all the happiness in the world." Everyone clapped as Jason took his seat. "Oh, and one more thing," he said as he stood up again. "I have one word to describe this wedding: FINALLY!" Everyone laughed.
Aisha stood up. "My turn," she said with a smile. "Well, what do I say that Jason hasn't already said?" She laughed a bit. "Tommy and Kim. Back in high school, they were the epitome of love. Separated by different issues and three thousand miles, eight years later they are still the epitome of love. A few weeks ago, I know we all underwent a sort of fear here in the world. We didn't know whether we would have lived until the next day and we didn't know if our cities would still be standing. I think I could safely say that Tommy and Kimberly found each other again during this time and good thing too! As the saying goes, true love conquers all and Tommy and Kim truly represent this. They would do anything for each other and they don't even need words to express how they feel about each other. A misunderstanding made them lose each other eight years ago, but they have found each other stronger and more loving to each other than ever before. All I have to say is: Better late than never!" Everyone laughed. "I love you guys, too, and I also wish you all the happiness in the world. Be sure to call me when you get back from the honeymoon!" Everyone clapped as Aisha finished her speech.
Zordon made his way to Tommy and Kimberly, with Alpha close behind. "I'm afraid we must leave now, Tommy, Kimberly."
"What? No," said Kim. "Please, stay a bit longer."
"I'm afraid we cannot." Zordon leaned in to hug them both. "We will see each other soon."
"Yes, Kimberly, Tommy. Congratulations once more. I am certain that we will see each other soon."
"Thank you both for coming," said Tommy.
"Of course we would come Tommy," replied Zordon. "We would not have missed the union of the Crane and the Falcon for anything."
Kim and Tommy smiled. "Thank you...for everything," said Kim. Tears began to form in her eyes. She stood to hug Zordon.
"Your welcome, my child," he said, patting her back. "Congratulations, once more." He hugged Tommy and then looked at Alpha. "We must leave." Zordon turned to say his goodbyes to the other rangers.
Ernie made his way to the ranger tables. He pulled up a chair and sat amongst Jason, Billy, Zack, Adam, Rocky, Aisha, Kira, Trent, Ethan, and Conner. Tommy and Kim saw him go to the ranger tables and moved that way to get in on the conversation also. Jason started joking with Ernie about something, but Ernie cut him off.
"I just wanted to tell you guys," he whispered. "That I know."
"What?" everyone asked.
"I know about you guys," Ernie answered. Everyone glanced at each other in alarm. "Don't worry, I won't tell anybody. I've known for quite a while actually."
"How long?" asked Jason.
"Ever since Tommy came back as the white ranger and these three--" he gestured towards Rocky, Aisha, and Adam, "became rangers."
"Wow, that's a pretty long time," said Tommy.
Ernie nodded. "And I figured that you four were rangers also because why would you be accompanying your teacher on a trip that included other Power Rangers?"
"Were we that bad at hiding it?" asked Rocky.
Ernie shook his head. "I was just a little more observant of you guys than the rest of the world. You guys always hung around the juice bar, remember? I've known you guys for most of your life, some of you."
"And it's not exactly like we were the most conspicuous people," said Kim. "I mean, I wore pink all the time and Tommy moved here and the green ranger appeared. And when he moved, the green ranger left. And when he came back, the white ranger appeared."
"And we started hanging out with all of your old friends," said Rocky, pointing to Jason and Zack.
Aisha looked at Ernie. "I guess we're a little relieved that you know."
Ernie smiled. "Don't worry. I've kept your secret for this long. I'll always keep it. You could count on it."
"Time to throw the bouquet!" said Kim. She looked at all the unmarried women at the reception. "Stand over there!" She pointed to a clearing behind her. She looked at her friends and smiled. "One, two, three!" Kim threw the bouquet over her shoulder and twirled around to see who caught it. She grinned at the sight.
Kim sat down in a chair with Tommy kneeling before her. He pulled the garter from her leg and stood up. He looked around at all his unmarried friends and made them stand before him. Andros and Zhane were protesting while Jason and TJ were pulling them up. "Come on guys, when on earth, live as earthlings," said TJ. Andros and Zhane shrugged and followed Jason and TJ. Tommy counted to three and threw the garter over his shoulder. Out of instinct, Andros reached up and grabbed it. Everyone around him cheered.
"What do I do now?" asked Andros. "What does it mean?" Zhane shrugged.
"That means that you're going to be the next one to get married," answered Jason. He pointed to Ashley. "Usually to the one who catches the bouquet." Ashley smiled at Andros as she made her way to him, clutching Kim's bouquet.
As the night winded down, most guests began to leave. Kim's parents and Tommy's parents already left, saying they were too tired to stay any longer. Soon, it was only the eighteen rangers who fought against the United Alliance of Evil and Hayley. All the tables were packed up and there was nobody in the park except for those nineteen people. They all sat near the lake, with their shoes off, in a big distorted circle.
"What you thinking about, Kim?" asked Jason.
Kim looked up and saw Jason staring at her. She shook her head. "I just wish Trini was here. I've known her since preschool and we always planned our weddings together."
Jason nodded. "She's here. She's looking down at you guys right now, saying the same thing that we've been saying all night: FINALLY!" Kim smiled. The rest of them laughed. They all shared a certain bond that was closer than the any other ranger bond.
"So I wanna know more about your guys' adventures as rangers," said Kira. She looked at Kim. "So, what's the deal with you and Zedd?" Kim glared at Kira while everyone laughed. Kira shrugged her shoulders. "What? He was after you a lot, wasn't he?" Kim nodded. "So you guys got stuck in a book? We got stuck in a comic book once."
"Wait," said TJ. He looked at Kim. "Sorry, Kim, but I have to tell you guys about the time I was baked in a giant pizza." Everyone groaned.
"That was all of us, TJ!" exclaimed Cassie.
"Yeah, you always say it's just you," said Ashley. "And you always tell that story all the time!" Everyone laughed and Kira turned her attention back to Kim.
Kim nodded and smiled. "Well, we had this book fair at school and I found my favorite book. It was from when I was a kid and my dad always read it to me." She smiled at Tommy. "Tommy bought it for me..."
The eighteen rangers and Hayley stayed at the park until the sun rose, exchanging ranger stories and other types of stories. They all proceeded back to their houses and hotels when the sun was almost high in the sky and the birds began to chirp.
"Call me when you get there and get back! Just want to make sure you guys get there okay." said Aisha as she hugged Kim and Tommy. "I love you guys!"
"And again, you two," said Jason.
Tommy and Kim looked at Jason and asked "What?" at the same time.
Jason looked at them and said out loud, "FINALLY!"
Tommy, Kim, and the other rangers started laughing. Kim ran around, hugging, and kissing people goodbye.
"When you get back, make sure you guys call me on KO-35, alright!" said Ashley as she hugged Kim.
"Of course!" answered Kim.
"Me too," said Aisha and Cassie simulataneously.
"Make sure you guys come by the cafe," said Hayley.
"I wanna hear more of your songs, Kira," said Kim.
"Of course," replied Kira. "I'll be seeing you a lot more now. After all, you're married to my science teacher."
Kim stared off into space for a moment. "I'm married to a science teacher. How'd that happen?" Everyone laughed. Kim looked at the girls. They all squealed and ran into each other for a group hug between Kim, Kira, Hayley, Cassie, and Aisha. The guys watched them and shook their heads.
"Make sure you stay in touch, this time," said Rocky.
"Of course, man, definitely," said Tommy. "Make sure you guys stay in touch."
"I have something for you all," said Billy. Everyone looked at it. He handed out something that resembled a cell phone, except that it didn't have any numbers. "These are all communication devices that would enable you to contact me on Aquitar without the use of difficult machinery or indecipherable languages." Everyone smiled as he handed it out. "I, too, would also like us all to keep in contact with each other. While we may have known each other's whereabouts, we were extremely disconnected in our minds and thoughts." Everyone nodded.
They all stared at each other. "I can't believe this is the actual goodbye," said Aisha. Everyone nodded.
"Seems like just yesterday you called me," said Jason looking at Tommy.
"Seems like just yesterday when you two weren't talking," said Rocky looking at Tommy and Kim. "And now look, you guys are finally married!"
"No, dude, you have to say it the right way," said Jason. "FINALLY!"
"FINALLY!" repeated Rocky. Jason gave him a thumbs up.
"Seems like just yesterday we were on Phaedos," said Kim. Jason, Zack, and the teens started nodding their heads. "The first time." Zack glared at Kim. She laughed. "I'm just kidding guys. But, gosh, time has gone by so fast."
"Oh, I'm gonna miss you guys!" said Ashley.
"You guys should all come and visit KO-35 again," said Andros.
Ethan nodded. "I'd like to see KO-35 some more. And other planets."
Kira nodded too. "Yeah, me too. That was pretty wild."
"We should get together again sometime," said Adam. "Sometime soon."
"Well, Christmas is coming up soon," said Zack. "Does everyone have the last two weeks off? Maybe we could meet somewhere and hang out again."
"Forget Christmas," said TJ. "Thanksgiving's before that. Let's get together then."
"Ooh, yeah," said Rocky. "Turkey, pumpkin pie, cranberries, I can't wait! I'm getting hungry just thinking about it." Everyone laughed again.
"Can we do it in Reefside?" asked Conner. "I highly doubt our parents would allow us to spend the holidays on another city, much less planet."
"Yeah, besides, more of us will be living in Reefside," said Kim. "It'll be easier to gather everyone."
"So, we'll all see each other soon, right?" said Carlos. Everyone nodded.
They all looked at each other, not wanting to leave. A silence went over the group. It wasn't awkward, but it was peaceful. They truly enjoyed each other's company.
Tommy looked at Kim. "We should get going," he said.
Kim nodded with the hint of a frown on her face. "I'm gonna miss you guys!" She tried to throw her arms around everybody in the group, but was unable to. They all hugged each other in an enormous, nineteen person hug.