Author's Note: Hey guys. It's time for the next update and once again, it's a lot sooner than my updates from the previous weeks so amen to that lol Remember, as I mentioned in the previous chapter, this chapter takes place a month after the events in the previous chapter. How much has changed in a month? Not too much, but some. Now, on with the disclaimer.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers, any of its series, or any of its characters. Also, the main idea for this story was taken from the 2009-2010 storyline of Days of our Lives. As for the made up characters, scenes, and parts of the plot I changed, that can be credited to me.
"Dirty Little Secret"
A month had passed since the events in Billy's kitchen and everything seemed to be working out perfectly. Trini and Jason had set a date to be wed in November, Aisha and Zack had long since returned to their homes, and Tommy was fitting in nicely with his new friends.
Out of everyone he'd met, he and Jason got along the best. They'd hung out several times since first meeting and they were starting to become really good friends. You couldn't tell they'd only known each other for a month. It seemed like they'd known each other for years.
As for Kimberly, she'd been managing to convince everyone that Grace was her adopted daughter. Tommy agreed to allow everyone to believe the child was his and that Kimberly agreed to help raise her. The story was believable to everyone, even Collin, so her secret had managed to be kept safe. Still, Kimberly couldn't help but feel guilty about lying to everyone. Every day she pondered how things would turn out if she were to reveal Grace's true heritage. Would everyone hate her for lying?
As these thoughts passed through Kimberly's head, she was sitting on her front porch feeding her daughter her latest meal. She smiled at a few kids that were busy playing in the streets. She'd heard one of the boys shout that he was the Red Ranger which made her smile. Power Rangers hadn't been seen in Angel Grove for three years, yet they remained a constant thought in people's minds.
Kimberly looked up when the front door swung open. Jacob ran out the house squealing with laughter as he ran from Tommy who was chasing after him laughing with each step. Kimberly giggled as Tommy grabbed Jacob and swung him up into the air, tickling his sides.
"Gotcha Jake." He smiled. "Thought you could out run me did you?"
Jacob nodded as Tommy finished his tickling fest. Tommy set the boy down on the front lawn and smiled as he ran over to the bushes and started pulling off the tiny leaves.
"I see Grace is hungry again." Tommy called out as he turned to Kimberly.
Kimberly smiled back at him as she nodded once. "When isn't she hungry?" she laughed. Kimberly spied her son pulling leaves off her bush and frowned. "Jake, don't pull the leaves off mommy's bush. That isn't nice."
Jacob turned around and grinned at his mother as he dropped a handful of leaves onto the ground. Tommy jogged over to Jacob and scooped him up into his arms as he walked up the steps of the porch.
"Look at your hair." Kimberly laughed as she pointed at the messy curls that were sprawled out on the boy's head. "You look like a little lion."
Jacob growled like the king of the jungle making Kimberly and Tommy laugh. Tommy suddenly smiled, as an idea hit him. "I think I have something that can help with the mess of curls on his head." He said as he walked through the screen door.
Kimberly looked at her son and raised an eyebrow as she smiled. "I wonder what Tommy's got for you Jake?" The little boy started jumping up and down excitedly as he too wondered what kind of gift Tommy had for him.
Tommy emerged from the house a few seconds later with a hat in his hand. It was a black baseball cap with golden FBI letters on it. Jacob smiled bright as Tommy bent over and stuck the hat on the boy's head. Kimberly smiled at her son as he hugged Tommy's leg.
"Thank you." The little boy laughed as he released Tommy's leg.
"No need to thank me little guy." Tommy laughed. "It's a good fit for you. And you wanna know a secret?"
"What?" Jacob asked with a toothy grin.
"Now that you have that hat, you're an official FBI agent."
"Really?"
"Really."
Jacob hugged Tommy's leg again before running off into the yard to play again. Tommy and Kimberly laughed as Tommy made his way over to the porch swing Kimberly was on to take a seat.
"That was really sweet." Kimberly complimented him. "You know, he's never gonna take that thing off."
Tommy smiled. "I figured as much. He's a good kid."
"He really looks up to you. He talks about how cool you are every night when I'm tucking him in. He talks about you more than his own father. That's a definite plus."
"Speaking of his father, he called a little while ago. He wants to make sure Jake's tux fits to see if the alterations turned out okay."
"Oh yeah. The wedding is rapidly approaching." Kimberly rolled her eyes as she pulled the empty bottle from her daughter's lips. Tommy took the empty bottle as Kimberly positioned the little girl for her burping. "As soon as they say their "I dos," Jacob's gonna have, dare I say, two mothers in his life. I wish I had full custody of the boy so I'd never have to look at Collin's stupid face again."
Tommy nodded. "That guy really gets under your skin."
"Actually…It's my fault he bothers me in the first place. Maybe…if Grace really was your daughter by blood instead of his…I wouldn't be so…stressed out around him. Every time he comes around to get or drop off our son, I'm terrified that he'll figure out the truth. Sometimes, I wonder if things will be better if I'd just tell him."
"You've got to make that decision for yourself. Do you want him knowing he has another child or would you rather keep up this charade?"
"I've been thinking about that a lot lately. Collin may belong to a despicable family of killers and thieves…but he is a good father. I've been selfish with this whole situation, keeping Grace away from him simply because of the things his father does. I'm starting to realize…that I've been unfair during this whole ordeal."
"So tell him."
"But what about you? You're the only father Grace knows and everyone looks at you as her father. Are you…sure you wouldn't miss the title?"
Tommy smiled as he kissed her cheek reassuringly. "Kim, don't worry about it. I'll still see her as my daughter whether Collin knows the truth or not. You just do what you feel is right."
Kimberly pondered Tommy's explanation as Grace released a tiny burp. Perhaps she should tell Collin the truth?
St. John's Holy Chapel
Katherine stared at her reflection in the mirror as Tanya placed her tiara onto her head. Tanya squealed happily as she clasped her hands together.
"What do you think of my work?" she asked as she smiled admiringly at Katherine's reflection.
The tiara that had been placed on her head was placed neatly upon a head filled with golden spiral curls that were bumped up in the back. Glitter had been added lightly to the curls, making them glow beautifully against the light shining through the church's windows and a veil was attached to a silver comb that held her bumped up curls in place. It fell down her back and onto the floor. Katherine's face had been powdered and prepped for the afternoon's events. Her eyebrows had been plucked; her eyelashes coated with mascara, her eye shadow a light, powdered gold, and her lips a deep shade of red. Katherine's wedding dress made Tanya smile brightly at its beauty. The gown was strapless, but it was custom made, making it hug Katherine's chest perfectly to wear it wouldn't slide off. Her breasts seemed fuller in the gown, a quality Katherine desired when she'd spoken with its designer. The gown hugged the curves of her midsection, framing it perfectly, as a crinkled design decorated the mid-section of the gown. The bottom began right at her waist line and it flowed downward, spilling out onto the floor. The gown was breath taking and it made Katherine seem even more beautiful than she already was.
"You look stunning." Tanya complimented as she hugged her friend. "I've never seen a more beautiful bride."
"Are you kidding?" Katherine laughed. "I can name several brides that have looked better than I do. You didn't look too bad on your wedding day."
Tanya laughed as she unplugged the curling iron that had created the masterpiece on Katherine's head. "Are you kidding? Compared to you, I looked like I'd dressed up for Halloween. You, on the other hand, look like the princess you are."
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, you're totally pulling off your bridesmaid dress Miss Maid of Honor."
Tanya smiled as she twirled around for Katherine to admire the dress she'd picked out. The dress Tanya wore hugged all of her curves and it covered her feet. It was a dark, golden yellow that complimented her skin tone fairly well. Her hair was its usual mess of raven curls that stopped on her shoulders where the spaghetti straps of the dress were positioned.
"Thanks." Tanya smiled. "You picked out wonderful bridesmaids dresses. Now, let's find your bouquet and head towards the sanctuary. It's time for the bride to make her grand entrance."
"Wait a sec. Where's Neveah? Kristy had her earlier and she never brought her back."
"She's with Collin at the altar." Tanya reassured her as she picked up Katherine's bouquet of wildflowers. "She's been placed in the white bassinet at the front of the church, just like you wanted her to be. Are you ready to do this thing?"
Katherine smiled, relieved that everything was going according to plan. "Time for me to get married."
Sanctuary
Katherine smiled as Jacob began walking down the aisle towards his father, the couple's rings lying on a beautiful gold-fabric pillow. He walked with his head held high and a smile as he made his way towards his father. The flower girls walked behind him, throwing little red rose petals about, following their routine from the rehearsal. When they reached the front of the church, the organist began playing the introduction to "The Bridal March." Katherine took a deep breath to calm her nerves before forcing a smile onto her face. The giant, wooden doors slowly opened as the congregation stood to their feet. When Katherine was revealed on the other side of the door, the audience began to murmur with approval at the sight of the beautiful bride. Collin stood at the altar, a bright smile on his face as he stared at his bride lovingly.
Katherine began to walk down the aisle, in step of the march being played on the organ. She moved forward at a steady pace, her eyes never leaving her future husband. When she reached him, he held his hand out and smiled as Katherine took it acceptingly and stepped up beside him. They stared at each other lovingly before turning to the priest.
The ceremony went by at a steady pace and next thing Katherine knew, it was time to say the "I dos."
"Katherine?" the priest spoke with a smile. "Do you take Collin Edmond Ignalis to be your husband for better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?"
Katherine turned to look Collin in the eyes. "I do." She smiled.
"Collin?" the priest said, turning to the male. "Do you Take Katherine Analie Hilliard to be your wife for better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?"
Collin stared at Katherine as he bit his bottom lip. He then sighed as he looked up to meet Katherine's eyes. "I do not." He said calmly. The audience began to whisper about the groom's answer.
"What?" Katherine said. "Why!"
"I'm sorry Katherine but I'm leaving you for Kimberly."
"You can't do this Collin." Katherine said quickly as she grabbed his arm. "We have a child together. Look at our beautiful daughter lying in that bassinet."
"Now, come on Katherine." A voice emerged from the rear of the church. "You know very well that isn't true."
Katherine felt her face pale as the air drained from her lungs. Doctor Sun was standing at the back of the church, a serious look on his face. "That child is not yours."
Collin turned to Katherine with a raised eyebrow. "She's not?"
"Of course she is!"
"Wrong again Katherine." A female voice came. Katherine looked up and gasped as Julia stepped into the sanctuary. "Neveah belongs to me. I gave birth to that little girl."
"We aren't out of surprises yet!" another voice came.
Katherine felt her head starting to spin as Kimberly stepped into the church carrying Grace. "Collin has two daughters. Neveah…and Grace."
"What are you talking about Kimberly?" Collin asked. "That's…my child?"
Kimberly nodded but stopped as Doctor Sun placed a hand on her shoulder. "Correction my good man. The baby in Kimberly's arms belongs to Julia."
Panic flew across Kimberly's face as Julia took the little girl out of her arms. "Then who the hell has my baby?"
Katherine's eyes darted to the bassinet where Neveah lie asleep. She ran towards the bassinet and scooped the little girl out as she held her to her chest.
"There's your daughter." Doctor Sun pointed. "Right there in that woman's arms."
"You stole my baby!" Kimberly shouted.
"Give her to me now Katherine." Collin commanded. "This game ends now."
"You stole Kimberly's baby?" Tanya said, disgust coating her words. "What kind of woman are you?"
"Can't you see?" Rocky shouted as he stood from the front pew. "The woman's insane. Get her!"
Everyone began crowding Katherine as she backed into a wall, clutching her daughter with all her might. "Stay away from me!" she shouted as tears began flowing down her cheeks. "Neveah's mine!"
"Looks like your secret wasn't so safe after all." Mr. Ignalis's voice cackled through the shouts of the crowd.
"She's my daughter!" Katherine screamed.
Ignalis Mansion
Katherine gasped as she sat up quickly, awaking from the nightmare she'd just been a part of. She squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to calm down, reassuring herself that it had all been a dream. When she allowed them to slide open again, she was relieved to find herself in the living room with a blanket draped over her legs. She must've dozed off and Colleen had covered her up.
Katherine stood onto wobbly legs as she made her way towards the bathroom to splash water on her face. She then returned to the living room and smiled at Neveah's bassinet beside the couch. She peered inside and gasped when Neveah was nowhere to be seen.
Flying into a panic, she ran from the room and began looking for the little girl. When she reached the greenhouse, she stopped. Collin was walking around the room filled with plants as he talked to Neveah who was in his arms looking around the room in wonder. Katherine could catch words of his conversation as he talked about the beautiful plants in the room.
Relieved that her daughter was safe with her father, Katherine turned and walked back towards the living room. Upon entry, her face fell when she spied Mr. Ignalis standing in the center of the room.
"Something spooked you?" he said, his evil smirk working its way onto his face.
Katherine pushed her way past him as she grabbed the blanket to fold it up. "What's it to you?" she snapped.
"Ah Katarina. You're letting your dirty little secret eat away at you. You should…let it out before it's too late."
"That will never happen. I won't let it."
Mr. Ignalis released a low chuckle before making his way out of the living room, leaving Katherine alone with the remnants of her nightmare.
Author's Note: And so ends another chapter. I hope all of you liked it. So, go ahead and leave me a review. Then, sit tight and wait patiently for the next chapter. Till next time guys!
