***I do not own these characters***

This is potentially a one shot, but let me know if you want to hear more about the evening or any events that follow. It's been a super long time since I've posted and I'm still working to revise/finish posting my previous stories as well but inspiration struck me with this one. I never liked that Tommy ending up with Kat became canon to be honest. I don't hate her, don't worry. I simply don't like her as Tommy's forever. This story is for ten year old me, still holding out hope that life allowed Tommy and Kim to find their way back to each other. Enjoy!

There was something in the air that Friday night that Kim couldn't explain. She had felt uneasy all day, although not in a bad way. She had woken up with this feeling in her bones that something was different about today. Most of the day had gone by normally. Morning routine, train into the city and work had gone by without event. She was a fashion editor at a magazine, having transitioned into the industry after the Pan Global games. She loved gymnastics, and the logical step following a gymnast's career was to coach, but that idea didn't seem to fill her with as much joy as she imagined it would when the possibility started to become an option. So, she looked for other careers where she would get to do something she was passionate about. Her teenage shopping habit had always led her to fashion magazines and keeping up with the latest trends, putting her own spin on her wardrobe and even designing her own clothes sometimes. This allowed her to easily make the decision between industries. She could always return to coaching down the line if she wanted to. She wanted to explore, and right now, fashion was her passion.

Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming. She just knew it. Her anxiety tried to convince her that it was something bad, but she quietly and continuously pushed it away throughout the day, hoping that she was right and something good was coming for her. When Chelsea knocked on her door at 4:45 with a twinkle in her eye, she couldn't help but take it as a sign and say yes to some happy hour drinks. She had had a good time, blew off some steam from work, but it was generally uneventful past that. As she said goodbye to Chelsea and headed for the train, it began to rain. For a moment she stood, tilting her head towards the sky and letting the first few drops land on her face. Maybe this was it. It had been days since it rained, and all sorts of energy had built up in the air. Maybe it was all just for the storm to break.

She sighed and smiled before reaching for the hood on her jacket. She knew there had been a chance of rain but had decided not to bring her umbrella. She didn't mind walking in the rain sometimes. It was summer and the walk from the office wasn't far. Neither was the walk from the bar, both of which were a block away from the train she needed.

She had only taken enough steps to tuck her hands into her pockets before the rain started to come down harder. A little too hard for her and before long she was regretting not bringing her umbrella. That magical feeling began to fade just a little as the rain intensified, but a laugh escaped her lips as she decided not to let it completely dissipate. She peeked out from under her hood as she rounded the corner and saw the covered doorway of a store up ahead. She decided she would wait there to let the rain ease a bit. Dipping her chin she picked up the pace, ducking quickly into the doorway and letting out a breath as she pulled her hood back to watch the rain from her shelter. What she didn't notice, was another set of footsteps tucked a little further back in the doorway.

"Popular spot." A deep voice piped up from the shadows.

She jumped a little as she turned to see who her new roommate was. There was something earth shatteringly familiar about that voice…

The mystery man took a step forward, hands deep in the pockets of his jacket. As the light crept up his body, finally revealing his face, Kim finally knew what the feeling she woke up with had been leading to.

"Tommy…?" She exhaled. A mix of feelings washed over her. A little dread, some excitement, and about a hundred other things she couldn't verbalize as she stared into the deep brown eyes of Tommy Oliver.

He hadn't recognized her either at first. The sly smile that had accompanied his flirtatious comment faded into disbelief as he recognized the face of the first woman he had ever loved.

"Kim?" He said taking another step towards her, as if to get a closer look to make sure his eyes were not deceiving him.

The next few seconds that passed seemed to last forever as they shuffled awkwardly, speechless for a moment, both trying to gage what their next move would be. Do they hug? Not hug…? Shake hands? They settled on coming to stillness and smiling uncomfortably for a moment, neither removing their hands from their pockets.

"Of all the doorways…" Kim smiled, silently acknowledging the discomfort in the air and the urge to make a cheesy comment.

"Ha, yeah…" Tommy smiled.

A few more moments passed, the sound of the rain suddenly becoming deafening.

"What are you… I didn't know you were… Do you live around here suddenly?" Kim stumbled, trying to calm the million questions that were racing through her mind.

"Believe it or not, I'm actually about to." He replied. A million more questions flooded her mind before he continued. "I was looking at a place near here. I'm taking a job in town at the university."

"Wow." Kim nodded.

"Yeah." Tommy nodded.

This moment didn't feel as magical as the feeling she had woken up with. It was so awkward! Shaking her head, Kim tried to continue down the small talk street, but the words just died on her lips. The same thing seemed to happen to Tommy, as the loaded silence settled in between them.

The rain's intensity increased, letting them know it would be a while as they both turned their heads to observe it. Tommy took a few steps forward, standing next to her and she leaned against the brick exterior of the store, crossing her arms and turning her head slowly to look at him. They stood like that for a moment, Tommy watching the rain thunder down and Kim watching him from the corner of her eye. Tommy stole a glance towards her before softly saying, "You look beautiful."

Kim's eyes flicked to his, their gaze locking for a long moment. A small smile crept on to her face.

"Is this... an accident?" She said hesitantly, feeling silly as the words came out. Was this the thing that had been coming towards her all day? Seeing Tommy again? How could this have happened? She hadn't spoken to Jason, or anyone really, in almost a year. She had pulled away from most of her friends over the years trying to come to terms with the shame she had felt over the letter, while also trying to figure out who she was outside of Tommy, the rangers and gymnastics. That was complicated. She didn't fully regret it. She had had a good life. Some incredible experiences that she would never have had perhaps. She likely would have moved back home after the games, married Tommy and spent the rest of her life as a mother a wife, coaching local gymnastics. And what was wrong with that? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. She did want a version of those things, but she knew somewhere deep inside, before she could even understand it, that she hadn't been ready for it yet. Hence the letter. It was her reaction to that feeling, as she hadn't learned yet how to navigate that. What woman, let alone teenager, does, if it happens upon her at 17?

There hadn't been anyone else. It had made perfect sense in the moment. Make someone up, so he wouldn't come around asking questions. Tommy wouldn't interfere if he thought she was happy. And he wouldn't fight someone because he was jealous. Not when it came to her. He trusted her enough to know she would never lie to him. And if she said she was happy, he would let her go.

And he did. He believed the only and worst lie she had ever told him.

And once that realization had hit her, the moment she let that envelope go, and walked away from the mailbox, she regretted it. She couldn't quite explain why outside of the obvious, just then. She really felt like getting out of her long-distance relationship, with an albeit wonderful boyfriend, and moving on from her Angel Grove days, had seemed like the right decision. Now she knew why, and it had taken her years to realize, that Tommy wasn't part of the problem. It had been a blunder that she hadn't known how to navigate. She knew now that she could have talked to him. They could have figured it out. She realized that she had gotten scared. She didn't know if she could become who she hoped to while in a long distance relationship. It had felt like a tether that she couldn't escape from at the time. She didn't have enough faith that they could get through it, so the easier response was to run. There are times when that is the right decision, especially when you're a teenager, but Tommy and Kim were different. Even they didn't realize it yet at that age, but they were true soul mates. But youth had gotten the better of them and they, rightly so, broke up. Because for them to work out, to really work out, they had to be the people they would become without each other for a while.

"You mean am I stalking you? Ha, no. It's… a complete accident that I'm here."

And it was. After he had gotten Kim's letter he had started going through the motions for a few years. He focused on the rangers. He and Kat started dating. He had known she had had feelings for him for a while. And Kat was beautiful and kind. They got married out of college. They had a son. Tommy had graduated with a major in palaeontology and started as a high school teacher while he continued his path to his doctorate, and Kat stood by him as his dutiful wife. But on Tommy's 27th birthday, when Tommy realized he was only with her to avoid dealing with his feelings about the breakup, he knew he had to end it. He felt awful and ashamed that he had gotten her in to this. He was angry with himself for a while for not realizing this much sooner. As women do, she knew deep down that they weren't meant to be, but she had held out hope that she was wrong. Of course, she was angry. How could Tommy have not gotten over this yet? How could he have lied to her? How could he not realize this was how he felt? They were 5 years into their marriage, JJ was 4 and the new team of rangers were moving on to college. They hadn't seen Kim in years. She only ever came up in conversation occasionally, seeming to have dropped out of their lives. Tommy had no explanation other than he had to follow his heart. She had asked if he was going to go on some quest to get the brunette back. He had no answer. All he knew was that he wasn't happy, and he needed to do something to change that. He also realized that he had been living a little smaller than he wanted to in his post ranger days.

The next 5 years, Tommy had started to try living bigger. He also went to therapy to start the process of dealing with both his breakups. He kept his cabin in the woods, while Kat and JJ moved into the city, JJ coming to stay every other weekend. Once Kat had dealt with her anger, she had agreed to attend therapy with Tommy so that they could become friends, and better parents. They had become very close, transitioning into, ironically, a sibling like affection for one another; exactly what Kim had said she had suddenly felt for Tommy once upon a time. Tommy started taking more trips, both for work and for pleasure. He wanted to see the world. He had seen many worlds in his time as a ranger, but he had never truly explored the one he called home. JJ had come with him whenever he could. Tommy's relationship with his son was important to him and Kat supported that wholeheartedly. He hadn't dated much over the years, instead focusing on himself and finding his own happiness within. He had kept in touch with his friends of course, but it was true that Kim had disappeared from all their lives for the most part, save for the occasional online updates. Tommy had thought of her often, wondering what might have been, or if he'd ever see her again.

NYU had come calling about two months ago. They were seeking to consider him for a rare position that came with tenure, that had recently become available. It had come at the best time. Tommy had some life experience under his belt and was happy within himself, though a small piece of his heart would always be missing. A bustling city and a steady job were the best of both worlds for him at this point in his life. JJ was going to be starting high school soon and he and Kat were discussing a potential move to New York so they could be closer to Tommy, in addition to JJ being in one of the most vibrant cities in the country. Kat was looking for work in the area and was hoping to make the move before JJ started high school.

Tommy had planned to reach out to Kim once he had made the move to New York, as last he had heard from Jason, she too had been thinking about moving there. Though that was over a year ago. He was in town for a few days to scout out an apartment, with a few recommendations from the university. This one, this evening, had been later than he was planning, but the landlord's wife had gone into labor earlier that day and he needed to reschedule for later that night. They had had a nice chat, Tommy congratulating the new father, who was glowing as he recounted the day's events while Tommy looked around the apartment. His wife and new baby were resting in the hospital until the morning and Tommy said he would look forward to meeting them when he signed the lease, having fallen in love with the spacious apartment, which was odd for the city. His new salary would help the cost and there was a room for JJ, which was a key component in his search. Tommy had left and decided to explore his new neighborhood, soon finding himself caught in the downpour on his way back to his hotel. Moments after he had ducked into the doorway of a store that had closed for the evening, a woman had dashed in as well, though she didn't notice him on arrival. He hadn't wanted to scare her, but he needed to let her know he was there. And that's when his evening got even more interesting.

He watched the rain as it rushed from the sky to the ground, stealing glances out of his peripheral vision at Kim. She really did look beautiful. There was movement to his right as Kim turned to lean her back against the wall, getting a better view of the storm, while also turning to face him. She looked out at the rain as she asked, "Can I say something to you that… I should have said a long time ago?"

"Kim, you don't-"

"But I do. Whatever you were going to say that I don't need to say; I do. If you're open to hearing it."

A moment passed and he looked at her, before offering a slight nod of acknowledgement.

"I'm sorry." She began. "I didn't understand what I needed all those years ago. I didn't trust what we had, and I thought letting you go was the solution. There was no one else… I'm ashamed to say. It was an excuse to keep you away. I knew you wouldn't come if I said I was happy."

Tommy turned to her as she paused a moment, gathering her thoughts. "You knew me well." Was all he offered for now.

"Yeah… But now I don't. You're a stranger in a doorway now. You might even be a hallucination of the three glasses of wine I had tonight… That might be why I'm suddenly rambling too… But I don't think you are." She said with a slight smile, looking over at him.

They stared at one another for a moment before Tommy took a step towards her, silently offering for her to test her theory. Kim considered it for a moment, then took a tentative step toward him, closing the distance between them and placing a had lightly on his chest.

"Feels pretty real to me." She said quietly, lifting her eyes to meet his. She was about to remove her hand and step back, fearing she was jumping to a few conclusions, but he brought his left hand up to cover hers, bringing her eyes back to his.

"Thank you." He said genuinely. "I forgave you a long time ago. I just… Didn't know where to send the letter."

There was a moment before Kim laughed softly and shook her head. "I deserve that."

"Just a dumb dad joke." He said, pressing her hand reassuringly.

Kim's head popped up. "Dad?"

She glanced at his hand, seeing no ring, and searched his eyes. His nod answering her question.

"Can I speak openly with you as well?" He asked and she nodded gently. After a pause and breath, he said, "I've always missed you… I've been worried about you as well. You… disappeared. And I wasn't in a place where I could reach out. I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry that we're strangers again."

Another silence came between them as they took each other in. They saw the life they had each lived in one another's eyes. Not the actual life of course, but the wisdom, the experience, the joy and the pain. It danced across their faces as they stood there, her hand on his chest covered by his own.

A sudden clap of thunder and lightning broke the air, startling both of them. Kim jumped and unconsciously pressed herself into Tommy's arms, while he instinctively wrapped his arms around her in response. Once the moments adrenaline died off, they looked at one another, still wrapped in the embrace.

Neither spoke as a tension built, and even though they were strangers to one another in a lot of ways, there were some ways in which they still knew each other very well. Tommy tentatively moved to close the distance between them, noting with relief that Kim was doing the same. It was a slow, gentle kiss, the rain easing as their lips met. Years of wondering if the other still felt like they did, wondering if it was all some pleasant memory they had put up on a pedestal. All the years of regret and longing all melted away as they kissed in their makeshift shelter in the rain.

They both exhaled as the kiss ended, and they looked into one another's eyes. Tommy cupped the side of her face, moving a strand of hair behind her ear and smiling.

"Up for one more glass of wine?" he asked. "I'm new to the area and could use a tour guide. And… I think we have some catching up to do."

Kim smiled. "Well, that's an understatement." She said gently. "Are trying to get me drunk Tommy Oliver?''

"We could drink rainwater for all I care," he smiled, "I just want to talk a bit longer. Get to know you again. My hotel isn't far from here and the bar there is open until 2."

"Your hotel, huh?" She joked, raising her eyebrows, loving being in this moment. This magic moment. She was really starting to love New York. "My train won't be running anymore by then…"

There was still a slight trepidation. A feeling of this moment being too good to be true. She didn't want to mess it up again by moving too fast. At the same time, she could tell that he was different, as was she. Tommy had never seemed like the one for one-night type, and they weren't 17 anymore, she reminded herself.

"I can pay for your cab home… or sleep on the couch. We could build a pillow wall down the middle of the bed." He quipped.

She softened at his joke. "If it wasn't getting so late, I'd say we should walk around awhile. The city really does come alive in a different way at night in summer."

"It's not that late," he said glancing at his watch on the wrist that was keeping that strand of hair in check. "we can walk for a while. Is there somewhere to grab a coffee or something?"

Kim laughed. "You really don't know this city if you're asking that. This whole place is practically half coffee shop."

"Sounds like my kind of place." He smiled before kissing her softly again. He turned then and tucked her hand from his chest under his arm.

"I didn't even notice the rain had stopped." Kim said, breathing in the post storm air. There was a quiet in the night, a stillness that comes after a down pour. They stood for a moment, taking in the silence, before looking at one another and leaving their shelter arm in arm.

"So," Kim started, "you're a dad?"

Tommy laughed and began the tale of his life, their conversation drifting back and forth between each other's paths, as they drifted along the streets of New York.