A/N: Hi everyone! Hope you're having a wonderful start to the weekend. I know it's been a while since I last posted and I apologize. But, here's a new chapter.

Also, I've got an announcement to make! At the end of October, my husband and I will be adopting! Some of you know that we were meant to adopt a son back in March but he passed away shortly after he was born. This baby fell into our lap like Jace did and seems like it will be more of a struggle this time around legally. It is a boy and he will be named Jack. I would appreciate any thoughts, prayers, good vibes, anything that will ensure his health and safety. We've decided to wait to tell everyone until he is here but I am DYING to tell SOMEBODY! And I know that you guys were safe to tell. I'm not going to lie about how petrified I am about all of this. I feel like I'm waiting on the edge of a cliff, waiting for bad news any day. Fingers crossed that this little guy will be here with no issues and ours to stay.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the following chapter! Please remember to R&R.

Kimberly

I wanted to punch Jason right in the goddamn teeth. It was all I could think about as we walked through the halls of the Command Center, following our battle with Rita's monster. She had been kind enough to wait until after Trini and Billy broke the news of the new dating policy before attack, making sure that Trini had mentioned that it had been Jason's idea to talk to the two of us separate. And it hadn't taken a rocket scientist to know that he had achieved talking to Tommy after the way he acted towards me throughout our fight. Tommy had been called to join after the monster proved to be too powerful for just us five. He kept his distance from me during the fight and then seemed to continue doing so even after the spandex was off. Now here at the Command Center, he took to walking next to Billy in the front instead of facing me. Jason walked behind them, giving me a glance now and then. If for one second he thought I wasn't going to injure him for this, he was dumber than I thought.

"Rangers! You did an excellent job today." Alpha called out as we walked into the control room of the Command Center. He was by the viewing globe, an image of the news playing on it. The news woman was discussing the battle and how hundreds were saved thanks to us. None of that really mattered to me right now as we came to a stop in the middle of the room.

"Alpha is correct. Rita's monsters have increased with difficulties. I fear that without Tommy's powers, we will be at risk of not being able to protect the Earth." Zordon said, appearing in his tube.

"Billy and I might just have the cure for that." Alpha said. For the first time since the battle, Tommy glanced over at me with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"You can fix my powers?" He asked, shifting to look at Billy. He looked relieved, knowing there was a way to save his powers. It was something that has been eating at him since he returned to our ranks. Tommy loved being a Ranger. Even more so after Rita's spell was broken. A part of me believes that he thinks it's the only way he can make up for his actions when he was under the spell. I've tried my hardest to make him see that it's not his fault what happened during that time. He never believes me, even though he says he does. I can see it in his eyes sometimes when they bring up his past on the news or when the guys talk about it. There is guilt in every feature where it shouldn't be. I don't think Tommy will ever be able to forgive himself for that time period but being on our team helped him feel better about it. He was a natural at this whole thing and deserved to be on the Rangers. Plus, his powers, though weakening, we stronger than the rest of ours. There are plenty of times we would have been toast if it weren't for him running to save the day. I really hoped that Billy was right about whatever he was about to show us. I couldn't imagine being on the Rangers without having Tommy here any more. When he was gone for that short time, it was hard to concentrate knowing we didn't have that kind of back up any more.

"Not fix them. Just recharge them without using Zordon's energy." He replied. Walking over to the control panel, Billy pressed a couple buttons on there. Something beeped loudly and two beams of light appeared next to the viewing globe. It was a bright, white light that seemed to light up every dark corner of the room. I shielded my eyes, not wanting to be blinded by the light. Sparks and crackling filled the room and the beams began to connect with more beams between them. The hair on my arms stood up straight, like there was static electricity in the room. It grew brighter and brighter, forcing me to close my eyes. It also sounded like the wind was howling in here like a hurricane, the loud noise filling my ears.

And suddenly, it all stopped.

Opening my eyes, I saw that the lights were gone as well as the noise. We lowered our arms, glancing at Billy who frowned, crossing his arms. Alpha scratched the top of his head, turning to look at the control panel.

"We have some more technical issues to work out still." Billy explained, fixing his glass. "Hopefully, Alpha and I will be able to redirect the necessary particles to keep the connection open longer than this."

"What was that, Billy?" Jason asked, stepping forwards towards where the light had been.

"The morphing grid." Billy replied, smiling. I felt my eyes grow wide, Trini having the same reaction as me as she stood next to me. "Or at least a portion of it."

"The morphing grid? As in where all our power comes from?" Zack asked. Billy nodded.

"Affirmative. Alpha has been able to assist me with tapping into the grid with the use of neuron receptors. Similar to those we use to teleport to the dark dimension. With the power of the grid being quite more extreme in the grid, I believe I'll be able to recharge Tommy's power coin again and again as needed."

"That's incredible, Billy!" Trini exclaimed, smiling at me.

"It really is. I'll be able to be a ranger for much longer now, right?" Tommy asked.

"Well, don't thank me yet. We will need to attempt the charge on your power coin. That will probably take hours if you are alright maintaining a presence here for a while." Billy replied. Tommy nodded.

"Sure. Anything to help."

"I think it might be best if we all hang around." Jason said, stepping forward. "We can get some training in and help out Billy if need be." Of course. Anything to make sure Tommy was nowhere alone so I could talk to him without prying eyes. There was a collective nod from all of us.

"Terrific. Jason and Trini, could you help me with the molecular decordizors? We've kept them with the zords since the last time we needed to utilize them." Billy asked, pointing towards the doorway that led to the hangar of the zords. The two nodded.

"You going to be okay?" Trini asked in a hushed voice, glancing at me. I nodded.

"I'm going to go work out." I replied, giving her a small smile. I knew she was fearful I was upset with her. I wasn't. At first, I was mad at all of them as a group. Now, I knew my anger should be directed at our fearless leader in red. Fearless was a joke. The kid was afraid of the dark until we were about eleven. And don't even get me started with his bed wetting. That went until we were like nine. I wanted to remind him of these things and much, much more since he wanted to throw his authority around. I had a nice long speech planned out for him when I was able to corner him and he oughta know that by now.

"Okay." She squeezed my shoulder before following behind Jason and Billy. I didn't say anything as I turned and walked out of the control room, taking a right in the hallway. I knew Zack would probably offer them a hand as well and for Tommy, he was probably going to do whatever he could to avoid me.

Walking to the the girls room of the Command Center, I went to the closet area. Trini and I have private quarters much like the boys do. The only difference is that there's only two of us in here instead of the four of them. Everything was a sterile gray color including the bedding on the cots that seemed to float in the air. Reaching into the closet, I pulled out a pair of black tights and a long pink tank top that I slipped into. I shoved my feet back into my sneakers and headed out of the room, walking up the hallways towards the gym. It was three doors down from our room, also a gray color. I entered, turning the lights on and shutting the door behind me. Weights and machines were lined around the room, evidence that the boys were here recently. There was also a punching bag that hung from the ceiling, the heavy chain holding it in place. I stretched my arms above my head and my legs to the sides of me, making sure my muscles were ready. They were still warmed up from our fight, the burn still there.

Reaching my arm back, I punched the bag as hard as I could. I instantly thought of Jason and how gratifying it would be to do that to his nose. Really? He was trying to tell Tommy and I that we couldn't date? He had been the one who told me to go for it when he came back! He had even helped me watch like four hours of karate movies to try to learn something to talk to Tommy about. It was boring and I hated every minute of it but he still helped me do it. How was he really going to lecture us on not dating when he's had a secret thing for Trini since we were twelve? If that wasn't the pot calling the kettle black, I didn't know what was. How on Earth was us dating putting the world at risk? It wasn't like Rita didn't know who we were already. She sent Tommy to Jason and I directly, hoping for him to target us when he was under his spell. What did it matter if we were in a relationship?

The more I thought about it, the more I abused the punching bag. Sweat was beginning to form on my forehead and upper lip with each movement I made, the bag swinging from the impact. Trini had mentioned that it had something to do with Zordon. Did it? Had he been the one who told Jason we weren't allowed to date other Rangers? I felt like that should have been a rule in the beginning, clearly stated somewhere then. Like hey, while you're putting your neck on the line as teenagers, trying not to fall for any of your team mates. It would have been really useful then.

That was a lie. I knew I was in love with Tommy the first time I laid eyes on him. Everyone knew that too. They were there. There was something about that muscled kid in the green shirt that just did something for me that I couldn't explain. Every time I thought about Tommy, my heart fluttered. He was sweet, caring, brave, funny, and the most down to Earth person I'd ever met. He was different than all the other guys at school and more private. He was quiet too, something I think comes from moving so much as a kid. By the time his parents settled here, he had been enrolled in over twenty school since he started going to school. Tommy Oliver wasn't your average teenage boy. Even Rita saw that. It was why she picked him as her prized fighter. I've always suspected she found him handsome like I do but never had the proof. Plus, the idea would make Tommy want to vomit more than likely. Everything about her made his skin crawl.

Tommy's powers were threatened after he joined our team. Rita put a spell on a green candle, making his powers drain while it burned. We tried like hell to stop it but in the end, she won that fight. His powers were gone and he was off the team. I feared the end of whatever was budding between us but instead, he kissed me. I was on cloud 9, fully prepared to live there forever. After that, we had some awkward little dates but they were great. He went to stay at his uncle's cabin for a couple weeks, him not dealing with the loss of his powers well. We were surprised by him returning, Zordon finding a way to recharge his powers to help us save our parents. He saved our asses - yet again. He came back on borrowed time, knowing his powers were not going to last forever. He still agreed and I was happy to have him fighting by my side again.

With his return, it seems like we picked things right back up. The awkwardness was gone and we were closer than before. Tommy and I spend pretty much all of our time together, in between classes and after school. When we're not fighting monsters, we are typically together. Usually it's with our friends but we still find times where it's just the two of us. Those were the times that I lived for. Tommy was much more open at this time, telling me things about him that he says he's never told anyone. He will hold my hand when we walk during these periods as well, the whole world seemed to fade away when we're together. Something inside of me told me that Tommy was just the person I didn't realize I was looking for. I know at fifteen, thinking that we're soul mates is stupid but I have trouble finding ways to describe it without those words. We just clicked well together like pieces to a puzzle.

Why was that such a bad thing?

Before Tommy came to town, I had all but given up on the idea of love. With my parents ugly as fuck divorce, I knew that there was no such thing as a perfect relationship. All that changed though when Tommy came into the picture. I know we're not in an actual relationship but this is the most real and perfect thing in my life I've got going for me. I can almost picture the two of us as end game, married with two kids and the house with the fence in front. I know it's crazy and absurd but I can't help but think of it like that. Trini says it's just the whole idea of a first love but I don't buy that. This is different.

"I hope you're not picturing that as me." A voice said from the door way behind me as I finished drilling the punching bag in the area I imagined Jason's face would be. I stopped, glancing over my shoulder. I was a bit surprised to see Tommy standing there, leaning against the doorway. It was apparent he had been watching me for a while from his posture.

"Not unless you're siding with Jason." I replied, turning back to kick the bag one last time. I grabbed a clean towel from the rack next to the door and wiped the sweat from my face and neck. "And judging by the way you've been avoiding me, I'm going to guess you do."

"No." He replied, standing up straight. "I don't."

"So, you're going to go against it?" I questioned. He sighed, shaking his head.

"We can't, Kim." He said, softly. "I know it's shitty but maybe they have a point." I scoffed, rolling my eyes as I turned away from him.

"Unbelievable. I can't understand how you think they're right. Rita knows exactly who we all are! If she wanted to, she could use any of us against the other. What difference does it make whether we're dating or not? And what about Zack and Angela? Or Jason and Trini for that matter?"

"I asked the same questions. I was told that it wasn't the same and that because we both have Power Coins at risk to lose, it was more dangerous." Tommy stepped towards me as I sat on the bench in the room. "I hate this."

"Coulda fooled me." I muttered, not looking up from my sneakers. He dropped to his knees in front of me, inching closer.

"Kim, besides the Rangers, you're the best thing I've got going in my life. I love spending as much time as I can with you. You're important to me. And I wish I could explain why this sudden change of the rules is happening but I can't." Reaching out, he put his hands gingerly on my knees. "All I know is that I can't just stop liking you. And I don't want to stop, either." I raised my gaze to look at him.

"What?" I asked.

"I don't want us to stop. This is just the start of something new and I don't want to give up now." He stood up and sat on the bench next to me, holding my hands in his. "Do you?"

"Of course not. I want to be with you, Tommy. I like you. A lot. And I don't want the others to have to worry about their safety because of us. Them knowing we are in a relationship could be dangerous." I replied.

"Well," he said, raising his eyebrows. "What if they didn't know?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if they didn't know we were still seeing each other?" He asked, sliding towards me. "If we can keep our identities a secret, I think we can keep this quiet too. At least for now."

"Wouldn't that be sneaking behind their backs though? They should be able to trust us."

"They should trust us now with this. It doesn't have to be forever. Only long enough to show them that the world won't stop spinning if we decide to be together. Or for my powers to run out. There's no guarantee that Billy's invention will work. For all we know, it could fail and I stop being a ranger tomorrow. My feelings for you won't fade away like that. That's the only thing I'm sure of." I shifted, bringing my leg over the bench so I was straddling it. Tommy did the same, moving closer so that his legs were on the outside of mine. "I'd understand if you don't want to do this. It's lying and it's not fair of me to ask."

"The only unfair part about it was the angry speech I had planned for you. You just smashed those plans right from under me." I replied, smiling at him. He chuckled, stroking the top of my hand with his thumb.

"I'll let you yell at me if you want anyway. I'm sure I deserve it somehow."

"Give it time." Leaning in, I pressed my lips against his lightly. Pulling away, I smiled up at him. "Okay. I'm in if you're in."

"Our little secret." He kissed me quickly before standing. "I gotta go find Billy. Him and Alpha think they might have figured it out. They are going to test it."

"I'll come with you." I said, standing as well. "I really hope this is the answer tog etting your powers completely back, Tommy. I know how important this is for you."

"I hope so too. I have all the faith in the world in Billy. If he thinks this is going to work, I have no doubt that it will. With Alpha and Zordon's help, it should do the trick." We started walking towards the door.

"Do you feel like Zordon might be behind the reason Jason and the guys had to speak to us?" I questioned, stopping by the door. He stopped too, glancing in the hall.

"Yeah. I got the sense when I was here waiting to get the call to assist. I'm not too sure about his reasons but I really do believe it was Zordon."

"It's so odd that he never mentioned it to us all before. Maybe he isn't hip to the way teens work these days yet."

"More than likely. Either way, he can't stop what he doesn't know. Zordon isn't capable of knowing all." Tommy ran a hand over the top of his head. "Just something feel...off about all of this. I can't put my finger on it but I have this gut feeling." Reaching over, I put a hand on his bicep.

"Everything will be fine, Tommy. We might not agree with him but Zordon wouldn't do something unless it was for our best interest. He'd never do it just to spite us. At least I hope not." Tommy sighed, nodding.

"You're right. I just wish I could shake this feeling."

"C'mon." I said, stepping into the hallway and pulling him by the hand. "Let's see about those powers, shall we?"