Disclaimer: I own none of this. This is just a story I wrote for the enjoyment of others who also love the Power Rangers series, and a good Tommy/Kimberly fit.
Chapter Twelve: A Love Rekindled
When the pair rejoined the rest of the rangers they were holding hands. They wanted to test the waters not only with each other, but with the rest as well. From the grins, winks, and chuckles they received it was clear that their friends approved. Not long after the rest of the Dino Thunder rangers tromped up from the basement, looking pleased.
"Well, that was a mess, but we sent Mesagog's goons packing." Connor informed.
"Great work Rangers, and thank you for providing cover for us." Tommy said gratefully.
"No problem Dr. O. We've got your back." Connor assured, giving them a thumbs up.
"How are you feeling Kimberly?" Kira asked hesitantly.
"Hungry, though I should be asking you that question. You guys were a big help." Kim pointed out.
"All in a days work." Ethan teased.
"Not to put a damper on the parade here, but we need to address the elephant in the room. Kimberly, you still have evil inside you and we need to figure out how to get rid of it." Haley pointed out.
Kim tried not to cringe, remembering that she did indeed have a life outside the ranger circle. Her mother would be frantic when she didn't answer her calls, and her commander would be up in arms. Of course there was the question of whether her mother knew she'd been in the hospital or not? Had her commander informed her or was it still secret? Likely not. Haley made a very good point.
"I agree. I think we should keep me out of the public until this situation is resolved. I'm a missing person technically speaking since I was abducted from the hospital. My commander is looking for me." Kim informed.
"How thorough will he be in his search?" Billy asked.
"Thorough enough, but since I was taken by Elsa I get the feeling that he'll leave most of the work to the Rangers. He may send in an agent to ask for help in finding me though." Kim informed.
"Then we'll just have to contact him directly in order to assure him that we are doing our best to rescue his missing agent." Tommy informed.
"I still can't believe you work with the RATF Kim." Rocky said amazed.
"Not all of us could escape our past. When I stopped being a ranger I still wanted to help people. I thought about it for a long time before I joined the FBI, but it fit. I may not wear the suit, but I can still help people, anonymously if possible." Kim explained wistfully.
"It's different though isn't it? You've dealt with the evil of humans too. That must be harder after dealing with monsters for so many years." Aisha inquired.
"It is hard because after what we've gone through it's hard to remember that there are people who are just as evil as the creatures that we faced. I've seen the terrible things that humans can do, but I still fight for the innocent." Kim replied.
"I don't think any of us can ever really escape it. When I chose to remain on Aquatar I found it hard to adjust. Of course I was on another planet composed almost entirely of water with its native beings being able to breathe underwater, but I digress. Despite my technical abilities I found myself unable to cope with the fact that I was unable to help people truly in need. I could no longer morph, and I was unable to leave the confines of the Aquatians structures without the aid of some apparatus. I felt more of a hindrance than help. No doubt if I were to venture out to help someone in danger I would've been a liability." Billy explained.
"When I was in Africa I loved helping the animals, but there was always something missing. I guess none of us ever really get used to life as a civilian." Aisha sighed.
"Who says we have to be Rangers to help those in need? We may need powers to fight the forces of evil, but we can still do good as ourselves too." Rocky informed.
"Rocky's right. We don't need the suits to help others." Adam agreed.
"I'm glad you guys are coming to this realization, but we need to refocus on the fact that not only is Kimberly in active danger she also an active threat. We need to figure out how to extract the rest of the darkness inside her." Haley explained grimly.
"Maybe someone should take my morpher then, so if Mesagog does regain control then I won't be able to morph." Kimberly suggested.
"I don't know if that's a good idea. If and when Mesagog gets you back to his fortress you'll be defenseless." Tommy informed. Kim bristled, "I'm not a damsel in distress anymore Tommy. I still have combat skills."
"That's not what I meant Kim. I mean without your powers you're even more vulnerable, and Mesagog could kill you without the aid of your power coin." Tommy explained.
"And if he gets me while I have the coin then I'll have the power to hurt you again. I can't risk hurting anyone." Kim argued.
"Won't you be able to take it back if you know where it is?" Kat inquired.
"Good point. I can't know who has my morpher until the evil has been expelled." Kim placed her morpher on a nearby coffee table. She excused herself to the bathroom, knowing that they would decide amongst themselves who would hold her powers.
Though she didn't have to use the facilities she chose to clean up her face a bit. After looking in a mirror Kim noticed a few bruises on her face along with quite a bit of dirt. She grumbled to herself, wondering why no one mentioned it before. After digging around the bathroom for a few minutes she was able to come up with a clean facecloth. Careful of her bruises, Kim gently washed her face. She managed to untangle the majority of her hair with a comb she'd found. Now if only she could find some clothes to replace the damn hospital gown. She wasn't fond of traipsing around in a jonnie and her underwear. God knows how long she'd been wearing that. She'd make sure to ask Tommy if he had anything available for her to wear.
It was too bad she didn't have access to her apartment, so she could get some clothes but her commander would have her place under surveillance. Teleporting in was certainly out of the question. He'd notice a pink beam of light shooting in through the roof. Despite his knowledge of her identity as a power ranger, she was dangerous. Kim didn't want to hurt anyone else if she could help it. Glancing at the shower, she longed to take one, but she had no clothes. Sighing in exasperation Kim decided to rejoin her friends. As she'd hoped when she returned her morpher was gone. The pizza had arrived, and some of the rangers were beginning to dig in. Kim walked up to Tommy and asked, "Do you have anything I could wear? This hospital gown is kind of uncomfortable, and I'd prefer not to continue flashing my underwear to everyone."
"Nothing that will fit you, but I think I can I can come up with something suitable." Tommy chuckled.
When Kim rejoined the team once more, she was in an oversized university t-shirt and sweatpants that had to be rolled up half a dozen times. With an extra hair elastic from Aisha, Kim had managed to pull her hair back in a messy ponytail. She gratefully dug into a piece of pizza. It had been so long since she'd done something like this with her friends. Veteran rangers mingled with the younger generation. Kim was glad that the legacy of the Power Rangers had continued long after her time. It was a shame that once again teenagers were the ones who had the fate of the world on their shoulders. In the long run, they'd be better people, but they'd never truly escape the power. Kim still had nightmares from some of the worst creatures she faced as a Ranger.
The loss of her power coin and its effects still haunted her years later. There were times when she woke up, believing that she was dying as Zedd and Rita drained her coin. She tried not to flinch remembering the events afterwards would lead. That was the past, and it was time to move on. Things were beginning to change for the better, if she didn't count the fact that she was currently fighting the evil inside her. She had her friends back, and she'd begun to make amends with Tommy. Once everyone had their fill of pizza, the rangers and Haley went to their respective homes or hotels, leaving Tommy and Kim alone. It had been agreed upon that the safest place for Kim would be at Tommy's. For some reason Kim felt that it wasn't the only reason the others had agreed upon this particular location.
Despite the reconciliation, they felt a bit awkward around each other. Tommy broke the tension by offering Kim use of the shower. After he showed her the guest bedroom where she would sleep he gave her a couple of towels before heading back to the living room. He settled down on the sofa with his laptop to take notes on the events thus far. Adam had been the one to take Kim's morpher, and he'd vowed to keep it safe until Kim could use it again. Tommy was glad to have gotten it out of the house in case the evil decided to show itself again, but he hated leaving his pink ranger powerless. Hadn't she been through enough? Granted, she wasn't helpless without her powers but it didn't hurt to have them against Mesagog and his goons. Hopefully Haley and Billy could figure out how to draw out the evil within Kim and her coin.
He was deeply engrossed in his notes when Kim returned from the bathroom. She leaned over the back of the couch to take a look at the screen.
"Writing a report?" Kim teased.
"Something like that. I'm just trying to record the most recent events involving you. I was hoping I could find an answer somewhere in these notes if I wrote it all down." Tommy said.
"Anything?"
"No, but it was a long shot anyway. How are you feeling?"
"Much better. It feels good to be clean again and dressed in something that covers my ass."
"I'm sorry you got mixed up in this Kim."
"Don't be. If I hadn't I wouldn't have seen you again. Fences wouldn't have been mended, and the truth would remain a secret. I'm glad I was mixed up into this. I just wish there wasn't evil lurking inside me."
"I promise you we'll break Mesagog's control over you." His eyes glittered fiercely as he looked at her. Heart warming, Kim slowly climbed over the back of the couch so she kneeled beside Tommy. Reaching forward she wrapped her arms around him, kissing his cheek.
"I know. God, I've missed you so much Tommy." Kim whispered. She crawled into his lap, arms still linked around his neck. "Is this ok?"
"More than ok. I've missed you too, Kim and I missed this." Tommy said. He moved his computer out of the way before refocusing on the woman in his lap.
Curling a hand around her back of her neck he pulled her closer until their lips met in a gentle kiss. It was like coming home. She sank into his embrace, sighing softly. They kissed like that for a while, their bodies pressed together. When they finally broke the kiss, Tommy pressed his forehead against Kim's.
"I love you." Kim murmured.
"I love you too." Tommy said.
"Take me to bed Tommy." Kim whispered.
"Gladly." Tommy replied.