Author's Note: Here is chapter 3!
This one is focused on Jason and Kim during chapters 10-11 of Control. This takes place after Jason finds out about Kim cheating on him, and brings us up to speed on where they stand by the end of Control. The next thing I post will be chapters in Lost. I was having trouble with some of the writing for that story because some threads were missing that gave me severe writer's block. This was a result of trying to fix that, and now I feel much better about continuing Lost. I needed to explore Jason and Kimberly's head-space first, and I think this really helped.
This chapter does contain explicit content of both the T/K and J/K variety. You have been warned.
Please forgive any spelling or grammar errors. Hope you like it!
Scott Residence
Jason's Room
Angel Grove, CA
Monday, 7:49 PM
Jason kicked open the door to his bedroom, nearly tearing it off the hinges in his rage.
"Jason?" His mother called out in concern. "Everything okay?"
"Everything's fine, mom," he said through clenched teeth before shutting the door.
Ever since catching Kimberly and Tommy in the act two days ago, he'd been stewing. Kim was easy enough to avoid – she hadn't been in school today. And Tommy... Jason was able to keep his rage in check for the most part since he didn't share many classes with the green ranger, but it wasn't until this afternoon's football practice that he finally came face-to-face with him again. The green ranger hadn't said anything to him, but just seeing Tommy's face made Jason want to call on his power sword and run him through.
The red ranger shrugged off his backpack, tossing it across the room. Several other objects were tossed across his bedroom, haphazardly landing on the floor.
His mind raced a mile a minute, replaying every interaction he'd witnessed between Kim and Tommy in the last two months. Kim's nervousness whenever Tommy was around. The green ranger's cryptic innuendos about the pink ranger. Moments when both were missing at the same time, re-emerging separately later – Tommy with a smirk and extra swagger in his step, Kim slightly disheveled and flushed.
God, it was staring him in the fucking face all along.
Jason picked up a framed photo of him and Kimberly from his desk. The two were sitting on his front porch, fingers intertwined as she pressed a kiss to his cheek. The tips of his ears were bright red while he smiled brightly for the camera.
The picture was a favorite of his – taken only a week after Kimberly agreed to start dating back in sophomore year.
'How fucking naïve was I?' he thought crossly.
All he could hear when he looked at her face – all he could see – was her pleasured moans as Tommy embedded himself inside of her over and over. Her crying out that bastard's name in ecstasy.
The red ranger blinked hard, anger filling him at the images playing in his mind. The frame of the photo cracked in his hand from his tightening grip. He reared back, chucking the picture clear across the room. It slammed against the wall, glass breaking into several pieces upon impact. He turned away, looking around for something else to throw.
A quick knock followed by the door opening caused him to turn around.
"I always loved this picture."
Jason glared at the pink ranger, her foot resting on top of the photo of them. Next to Tommy, she was the absolute last person he wanted to see.
"What are you doing here, Kim?"
"Your mom let me in on her way out." She entered the bedroom, closing the door softly behind her. "I wanted to see you."
"Why? Was Tommy busy?" he asked nastily.
Kimberly clenched her jaw as she placed the picture back on his desk. "I deserve that."
"You deserve a hell of a lot more than that," he snarled walking past her. "You've got a lot of nerve showing up here."
She sat down on his bed, wringing her fingers in her lap. "We need to talk about what happened."
He turned away from her, picking up the remaining items off of the floor. "There's nothing to talk about."
She sighed. "Jason…"
"We were together. You cheated on me with Tommy. I caught you two fucking at his house." He smiled mockingly. "Seems pretty damn cut and dry."
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"You're sorry?" he asked in disbelief. "For what exactly? For cheating on me? Or for getting caught?" He peered at her. "If I hadn't caught you, you'd probably still be with him now, wouldn't you?"
"No," she said forcefully. "I told you, I went over there to end things."
He scoffed, turning back to picking up his things. "Whatever."
Having her there intensified the pain in his chest, her presence bringing back the memory of that horrible day.
Jason knocked on the door of the Oliver home again, arms crossed over his chest as he waited. He hadn't been to Tommy's house in a long time, not since he became the green ranger. It was weird being back on their front porch.
When it was clear no one was coming, he sighed, turning away and heading down the steps.
Zordon was gone, and he knew Tommy had something to do with it. Only someone with a power coin could come into the Command Center, and the green ranger was the only person outside of his team that could possibly get in.
'Maybe he's at the park,' Jason thought absently. Tommy liked to practice his karate outside in the fresh air occasionally – it was worth a shot.
As he headed back to his house, Jason could hear music coming from nearby. He walked in its direction, quickly realizing that the music was coming from the Olivers' garage.
He rushed over, knocking on the garage door. The music was loud – most likely too loud for anyone to hear him knocking. Jason put his ear against the door, recognizing the voice of LL Cool J coming from the speakers.
Definitely Tommy.
Mixed in with the music he could hear movement and what sounded like voices. He made his way to the side door, trying the knob and finding it unlocked. Steeling himself for the green ranger's undoubtedly pissy reaction to his unannounced visit, Jason walked inside.
And stopped immediately at the sight before him.
He saw Tommy frantically fucking some girl on the back of his truck. The girl screamed his name loudly, and Tommy bit his lip, plowing into her hard before arching his back and climaxing.
Jason grimaced, not at all prepared for what he walked in on. This was now the second time he'd been unfortunate enough to catch the green ranger in the middle of having sex.
'Lucky me.'
He watched Tommy lean down and kiss the girl, pulling back after a few seconds to lift her up and turn her around.
And that was when Jason saw her face.
Kimberly.
His girlfriend.
Tommy was fucking his girlfriend.
He froze, staring in shock as he watched the green ranger climb up onto the truck on top of her. The two exchanged words before Tommy pushed into her again and started thrusting. Jason heard her cry out in ecstasy, legs wrapping around his waist and hands gripping the sides of the truck.
Rage filled the red ranger slowly as he approached them, a stray 2x4 he picked up from the ground now clutched tightly in his hands.
He was going to kill Tommy.
Their fucking became frenzied, rocking the truck hard on it wheels. Their cries grew louder and frantic as they approached their climax. The red ranger saw her thighs squeeze Tommy's hips tightly as she screamed his name, arching up beneath him. The green ranger told her to cum for him, and when she did, Jason could see Tommy's face contort in ecstasy, his body tensing up as he choked out her name.
Jason blinked rapidly, tears stinging his eyes as he watched Tommy bury himself in her again and again, moaning until he was done and stopping with a content sigh.
But what really sent Jason over the edge was the kiss afterwards.
It was sensual. Loving.
Reciprocated.
The heartbreaking realization caused the wood in his hand to snap in half, resulting in a loud cracking sound in the room.
And then all hell broke loose.
The red ranger pressed his hands to his temple, as if he could physically force the memory from his mind.
"Jason?"
"Two months," he spat out angrily. "Two goddamn months! This whole time you were with him." He paused. "That day in the car when we – " His face curled in disgust. "You were with him then, weren't you?"
She flinched but said nothing.
"Kim, do you even…?" He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "That piece of shit was looking me in my face, walking around knowing that I had no fucking clue what was going on. Do you understand how that feels? He humiliated me, and you helped him."
The pink ranger looked away from him.
"God, our friends know, Kim. Soon enough the whole school will – " Jason blanched suddenly as a thought came to him. "Th-That was you we heard with him in the Youth Center last week, wasn't it?" he asked horrified. At her cautious nod, he swore loudly.
"Good game, Jase! That last play was awesome – maybe we should share it with coach?"
The red ranger nodded, smiling at TJ Johnson as he moved past him. Jason made his way over to his own locker, towel around his waist.
He and a few guys from the football team had spent the afternoon playing a round of flag football. The original plan had been to spend the day with Kimberly, but she had to bail at the last minute to help her mom prepare for an upcoming exhibit at the art gallery. He had quickly accepted TJ's offer to join them for flag football, needing to burn off the extra energy.
Jason dried off quickly, slipping on a pair of briefs. "You guys wanna grab something to eat? I think the grill is still open. Ernie might be able to cook us up some burgers if we get there in time."
His suggestion was greeted with a chorus of "yeah" and "sounds good" from the other guys.
Jason turned when he heard someone running in the locker room, raising an eyebrow upon seeing a half-dressed Rocky DeSantos. The boy had a shit-eating grin on his face.
"Guys, you gotta come here," he said excitedly. "But be quiet."
Jason and the other players followed him curiously as he led them to the front of the locker room.
"I went to take a piss in the bathroom." He flashed a naughty grin. "Guess what I found?"
As they trailed behind him, they could hear what sounded like crying.
"Is someone hurt?" Carlos Vallerte asked in concern. Rocky only snickered in response.
Rocky put his finger to his lips, shaking his head. When they got closer, they could hear much better what was going on. The crying actually turned out to be high-pitched moaning, interspersed with heavy grunts.
Someone was having sex in the bathroom.
At his teammates' surprised expressions, Rocky gestured wildly for them to stay quiet. He pointed at the floor of the stall. They could see a guy's legs, jeans and boxers covering his shoes. Shorter, feminine legs were in front of him, toes barely touching the ground and swaying gently in time with each grunt. A bag was on the floor near them, peeking out from beneath the stall door.
A black and red Bruce Lee gym bag with a rip in the side.
TJ's eyes widened almost comically. "It's Tommy!" he mouthed. Rocky nodded vigorously.
Jason scowled in disgust. Did that guy have no boundaries? Sex in the Youth Center? Seriously?
He had half a mind to report him to Ernie.
"Is it deep?" they heard Tommy murmur.
"Fuck, it's really deep…" the girl whined. The red ranger's eyes narrowed. She sounded really familiar…
"Can you take a little more for me?" he asked. The stall was quiet until the girl suddenly gave a sharp cry of pleasure, feet no longer touching the ground. They heard Tommy chuckle.
"Good girl."
Before Jason could figure out who the girl was, loud slapping sounds emerged from the stall, the occupants moaning loudly.
"Goddamn, Tommy," TJ said loudly before he slapped a hand over his mouth, eyes widening when he realized he'd spoken aloud. The couple in the bathroom stopped moving, leaving the bathroom in tense silence. There were hushed whispers and some shuffling for nearly a minute before the sound of them fucking started up again, causing some of the football players to howl.
Jason rolled his eyes, heading back to his locker, glad to see a few other guys doing the same. He had absolutely no desire to listen to his teammates cheer Tommy on while he banged some girl in the bathroom. The asshole was using some unfortunate girl to put on a show, and their dumbass teammates were just feeding into his already insufferable ego. The red ranger pulled on his jeans, buttoning them up before grabbing his socks and shoes. The noise in the bathroom was mercifully harder to hear at this distance, though he could still catch the girl's frantic cries and his teammates' loud jeering. The noise from the rambunctious teens escalated to full-on clapping and whistling when a high-pitched series of screams rang out, much to Jason's disgust.
"Idiots," he muttered to himself.
The red ranger slipped on his tank top and jacket, grabbing his bag out the locker and closing it with a slam. He headed out to the front, glaring at the boys still crowded around the stall.
The girl's feet were wrapped around the back of Tommy's calves, toes curling every so often. The green ranger's stance had visibly widened, jeans rustling around his feet each time he grunted.
"All right, guys, show's over," Jason said sternly, stepping in front of the stall.
"Ungh… ungh… yeees…" the girl whined in the stall, moans rising in pitch.
"Dude, she's gonna cum again," Douglas Johannson whispered excitedly, a senior linebacker on the team. Like many of his teammates, he was sporting a straining erection.
They could hear Tommy murmuring "oh fuck" between heavy pants, the slapping of skin against skin reaching a crescendo in the bathroom. The girl suddenly gave a shrill cry of pleasure, her feet curling and trembling for several seconds before finally going limp. A few of the boys whistled and hollered in response, only to stop immediately upon seeing the disapproving glare from Jason.
It was quiet again for a while, then they heard her gasp and saw her feet go higher up in the air as if she were being lifted. Tommy began rocking back and forth on his heels once again, the sound of his vigorous thrusting once again mingling with her breathless whimpering of his name.
"Jesus…" Rocky whispered, clutching Carlos' forearm tightly. The dark-haired boy gulped nervously next to him, nodding in agreement.
"Yo! Grab your stuff and let's head out," the red ranger ordered.
"But – "
"Now!" Jason barked.
The other boys looked ready to argue but quieted at his glare, murmuring to themselves as they headed back to their lockers. Both occupants of the bathroom were moaning very loudly by now, and Jason fought the urge to tell them to shut the hell up. They knew better than to have sex in the Youth Center, especially with an audience of horny teenage boys.
The slapping sound in the bathroom came to an abrupt stop, and a series of loud, masculine grunts came from the stall, followed by a feminine whine.
"I'll get them out of here so you two can leave," Jason said when it was clear the couple had finished.
There was only the sound of heavy panting for some time before he heard the green ranger clear his throat. "Thanks."
Jason couldn't care less about Tommy being caught, but he didn't want to further embarrass the poor girl with him, even if she did have horrible taste in men. She didn't deserve to have his teammates leering at her when she left the stall.
When all of the other football players had finally left the locker room, Jason gave a brief knock on the bathroom door before heading out himself to the Juice Bar.
"All clear."
Thinking on the incident now, Jason was deeply embarrassed. Knowing his teammates had heard another guy – a fellow teammate – having sex with his girlfriend…
He sat down on the bed, head in his hands as he tried to wrap his mind around everything. "I asked you, Kim..." he said softly. "I asked you what was going on. You lied to my face."
"I didn't want to hurt you," she said weakly.
"BUT YOU THOUGHT CHEATING ON ME WITH HIM WOULDN'T?" he shouted, face turning red.
Kim closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "I shouldn't have lied. I should have respected you and our relationship enough to tell the truth when you asked me that day in the car." Her voice was calm and contrite. "I wish that I had handled things differently, Jason. I'm sorry."
The red ranger looked away from her, feeling some of the anger he felt leave at her words. He knew Kim well enough to know that she meant what she said. She truly felt sorry for hurting him – and it was difficult to be so angry with her when she looked so miserable.
But her words did nothing to lessen the hurt, and with his anger dissipating, another emotion was creeping its way into his heart.
Guilt.
There was a part of the red ranger felt like this was karma biting him in the ass for when he left Tommy at the Lunar Palace. He had wrongfully taken advantage of Tommy's kidnapping, using it as an opportunity to keep the long-haired teen away from Kimberly. It was a rash decision he made at the last second, and the guilt had been eating away at him ever since. Jason had betrayed one of his best friends for the dumbest of reasons, and there was nothing he could do to fix it now. Over time, it was easier to rationalize it as something he did to protect Kimberly instead of what it really was – a moment of weakness where he allowed his jealousy and fear of losing her get the best of him.
When he eventually returned as the green ranger, Jason was confident that things between Kimberly and Tommy were done. Kim had displayed at most restrained civility with the green ranger as far as he knew, and Tommy showed no signs of the affection he once held for the pink ranger.
'How fucking wrong that turned out to be,' Jason thought irritably.
Being on opposite sides changed the stakes, but it apparently had little impact on how the pink and green rangers felt about each other. Jason was sure on some level that Tommy's motivation for sleeping with Kim was to get back at him, but the red ranger couldn't shake the feeling that things between them were deeper than that. From the way they defended each other when Jason caught them to the way they kissed…
He knew It was more.
"Did you make love to him or was it just sex?" he asked suddenly.
Her eyes widened, startled by his question. "What?"
"Tommy," he clarified. "Did you make love to him or did you fuck him?"
She paled. "W-Why does it matter?"
"You know why it matters," he said tightly, chest heavy with dread. "I know it's a difficult concept, but tell the truth, Kim."
She watched him nervously before answering. "Both."
Jason swore under his breath, moving to get off the bed. He wasn't surprised by her answer, but it hurt all the same. Kim reached for him, tugging him to sit back down.
"I'm sorry," she said holding his hands in hers. "I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry, Jason."
The red ranger refused to look at her, unshed tears in his eyes. He looked away, hands running over his face tiredly. "You need to leave, Kim."
"Jason, I didn't mean..." Kimberly wiped at the tears on her face, sitting up on the bed. "I just hoped if I came here in person, it might – "
"It didn't," he said cutting her off. He sighed when she pulled away from him and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"Look, I don't know if I can forgive you. But being near me right now isn't – I just… I need time to work things out. Alone. Can you give me that? Please?"
Jason could tell it wasn't the answer she wanted to hear, but it was all he could give her at the moment. Working out his feelings for her and dealing with his anger was difficult when she was staring him in the face.
Kim gave him a watery smile and leaned over to kiss him on the lips. He turned his head at the last second, and her lips connected with his cheek softly.
"I'm sorry. I-I shouldn't have pushed. When you're ready, give me a call," she whispered before climbing off the bed. She brushed a hand across his cheek. "I love you."
Jason didn't respond, eyes following her form when she exited the bedroom, closing the door with a soft click. The red ranger groaned in frustration.
Jason climbed off the bed, kicking off his jeans and tossing them into the hamper. He opened his bedroom window, letting in the fresh air. He watched Kimberly get into her car, headlights shining brightly as she pulled out of the driveway and headed back to her house. He didn't move until her car disappeared from his view.
'I love you, too' he thought sadly.
Angel Grove Youth Center
Main Area
Angel Grove, CA
Tuesday, 4:17 PM
Jason bowed towards his students, signaling the end of the day's lesson.
"Nice job today, man," Zack said, handing the red ranger a water bottle.
"Thanks," he murmured.
Zack waited until the kids were gone before speaking again. "How you holding up?"
The red ranger tensed, fingers tightening up into a fist. "I'm fine," he said sharply.
"You're a shit liar, Jase," Zack said bluntly.
The black ranger moved to the nearby punching bag, signaling for Jason to begin. The red ranger scowled, slamming his fists into the bag repeatedly, imagining it was Tommy's face. The green ranger was still around, but he had kept his distance. Jason wasn't sure if it was by choice or fate, but he was grateful either way.
He wasn't sure what he'd do if Tommy approached him.
"Bro…BRO!" Zack yelled, breaking the red ranger from his moody thoughts.
"Yeah?" he asked breathlessly.
"Wanna take it down a notch? You're about to break the bag open," he hissed in warning.
"Sorry, I… sorry." Jason clenched his fists. "I was just thinking about that bastard again. Set me off."
"Hey man, trust me. I understand," Zack said darkly.
The red ranger winced, remembering well the day Zack found out that his girlfriend had slept with Tommy. It was back when Zack and Angela had been casually dating, so it wasn't technically cheating, but it still hurt the black ranger deeply.
Jason grabbed his water bottle off the ground, taking a long swig of the drink.
"You need to stop obsessing about it. Gonna drive yourself nuts."
The red ranger scoffed. "Easier said than done."
"I know, but don't you see, man? This is exactly what he wants. Exactly what Lord Zedd wants." Zack stood before his best friend. "Your anger is distracting you, and this whole situation has caused a rift in our team. As much as it hurts, you've got to find a way to get past it and focus on the task at hand."
"Don't you think I'm trying?" Jason asked angrily.
"Are you?" the black ranger pressed. "Have you even tried talking to Kim?"
Jason avoided his gaze. "I have."
Zack looked at him in surprise. "Really?"
"Yeah. She uh… she came over last night."
"And?"
Jason recalled their time together, playing with the straw of his water bottle. "We talked a little. Didn't get very far beyond yelling, but..."
Zack squeezed his shoulder. "Hey, the fact that you even talked at all is good."
The red ranger clenched his jaw, grabbing his bag off the floor. "Yeah."
After last night, Jason made a concerted effort to keep his distance from the pink ranger, needing time to get his thoughts together. It helped, though he found it frustrating dealing with his own emotions – there was nothing to punch or kick. Just feel.
He hated it.
Zack bumped Jason's shoulder, backpack in his other hand as they headed out the front door of the Youth Center. "I get that it's not easy. And honestly, you're handling this a lot better than I would."
The two teens walked side-by-side, the evening air cool on their skin. They enjoyed a comfortable silence as they headed home, passing a few kids they knew from school along the way.
Jason frowned after some time, chest feeling tight. "How could she hurt me like that, Z?" he asked softly. "I loved her with everything I have, and she fucked me over in the worst way possible."
Zack looked over at his friend sadly. "I don't know, man."
"Did I treat her wrong? Did I give her a reason to cheat?" Tears stung his eyes. "She says she loves me… how can you just hurt someone you love like that? How am I supposed to get over what she did?"
The black ranger remained silent, knowing his friend needed to vent.
"We were happy, right?" Jason asked uncertainly. "E-Everything was good between us?"
"Seemed that way to me," Zack offered.
Jason ran his fingers through his hair. "God, what the hell happened?"
That was really what the red ranger wanted to know. Things had been good between them – very good, in his opinion. The two of them were doing so well, and for her to just spit on everything they shared and turn her back on him like that? He still couldn't wrap his head around it.
His Kimberly wouldn't have cheated – especially not with the enemy. His Kimberly was loyal and loving and would never have treated him the way she has. His Kimberly loved him too much to hurt him that way.
It made him wonder… Had Tommy changed her to become this person? Or was he just seeing her for the first time?
"You really wanna know what went wrong?" Zack asked. When the red ranger nodded, he sighed. "Then you need to talk to Kim. Not yell. Not argue. Talk."
"I don't have anything to say to her," Jason snarled.
The black ranger stopped, moving in front of his friend and placing a hand on his chest. "Then let her do the talking. You just need to listen to her, hear her side of things."
"Her side?" Jason asked incredulously. "There is no side. She cheated on me!"
Zack put his hands up defensively. "I didn't say she wasn't in the wrong, Jase. That's obvious." He rested his hands on Jason's shoulders. "But the only way you can find out what went wrong – why she did what she did – is if you give her the chance to explain herself."
The red ranger rolled his eyes. "And then what? Everything goes back to normal?"
"Is that what you want?" Zack asked seriously.
Jason shrugged, only now realizing he didn't actually know the answer to that question. He was so caught up in how he felt right now that he didn't spend too much time thinking on what he wanted moving forward. Did he want to be back together with Kimberly? Did he never want to talk to her again? Both options were equally unappealing to the red ranger.
"I don't know what's going to happen anymore than you do, Jase," Zack said softly. "You might be able to be friends again. You might not. But no matter what, you're never going to get any answers to your questions if you don't man up and talk to her."
The black ranger stepped back, watching his friend mull over his words. Seeing Jason's somber expression, Zack attempted to lighten the mood. He slung an arm around Jason's neck, startling the younger teen.
"Now, how about we get to my house? I can hear the sweet, sweet sounds of my Sega Genesis just calling our names."
The red ranger chuckled weakly. "Yeah, okay."
"Hey!" Zack slapped a hand against Jason's chest. "Don't be so bummed, man. How about this? I'll even go easy on ya and only beat you five times today. No fun kicking your ass when you're already so down."
A wry smile crossed Jason's face. "Kicking my ass?"
At Zack's raised eyebrow, the red ranger laughed genuinely for the first time since this whole mess began.
"Dude, you're on."
Scott Residence
Living Room
Angel Grove, CA
7:11 PM
Jason and Kimberly sat awkwardly next to each other in his living room, the TV playing in the background. Jason's mom was having dinner with her brother and his family on the other side of town, and his father was on patrol for the evening.
Jason had called Kim shortly after getting back from Zack's, telling her he was ready to talk. She came over an hour later, flashing him a soft smile when he greeted her at the door.
The tension between them was palpable, and Kim fidgeted nervously at his side as she waited for him to start talking.
"Zack reminded me that I need to try and work things out with you. For the good of the team." He took a calming breath. "In order to do that, I need you to tell me everything that happened with you and Tommy."
Kim looked at him with trepidation. "Everything?" she asked weakly.
He nodded, still uncertain if he wanted to go through with this now that she was in front of him.
"We need to be completely honest if we're going to try and move forward. Start from the beginning."
And so, she told him everything that happened between her and the green ranger, withholding some of the more explicit details to spare his feelings but remaining descriptive enough to keep things truthful. Jason listened intently, wincing visibly at certain times and frequently getting up to pace, fists clenched at his sides. She patiently answered his questions, hesitating only when he asked her to go into more detail at certain points than she would have preferred.
"…and then I figured out that he'd broken into the Command Center. I went to confront him about it at his house." She paused, voice going soft. "You know what happens from there."
Jason sat beside her, hands covering his face as he processed everything she told him. His face was streaked with tears.
Hearing her talk about her time with Tommy was worse than he imagined it to be. Thankfully, she didn't go into graphic detail about them having sex – he wouldn't have been able to handle that. But worse than that, he could literally hear the truth in her voice. Despite being evil, Kimberly had very real feelings for Tommy – deeper than any feelings she ever had for Jason.
"You love him," he whispered, wiping at his face. When she opened her mouth to protest, he glared at her. "Don't deny it, Kim. Please. Don't lie to me about that."
She frowned, eyes pleading. "I do love him, but I also love you."
"And I believe you." Jason sniffled softly. "You just love him more."
"Jason…" Kimberly's heart clenched uncomfortably. "That's – That's not true."
"Isn't it?" he challenged, eyes burning with anger. "You cheated on me with him – repeatedly. And not just physically, Kim. Emotionally." His fists clenched. "What the hell am I supposed to think?"
"I don't love him more than you, Jason," she said heatedly." It's just… different," she finished lamely.
"Tommy was…he had…" She searched for the words, eyes stinging with tears when none came to her.
"He's the enemy, Kim. My enemy. Our enemy," he emphasized heavily, climbing to his feet. "If it was a one-time thing, I could understand, but it wasn't. You had a relationship with him. A full-blown relationship that went well beyond sex. You had intimacy."
He paced the room. "You shared things with him you never shared with me, with anyone. You made love to him, Kim." He looked away hurt. "You let him…do things to you – things you told me you'd never do."
"I'm sorry," she whispered fiercely, tears running down her face. "God, Jason, I'm so sorry. I swear to you it wasn't like that."
"Stop saying that!" he yelled. "Stop saying you're sorry. You're not!"
She opened her mouth to argue back but stopped when she saw it wouldn't do any good.
"I don't understand, Kim." Jason wiped at his eyes. "I just… I made you happy, didn't I?"
"Yeah, you did," she said softly. "You do."
"What went wrong?" he asked, voice suddenly very small. "Why wasn't I enough for you?"
Her heart broke at his words. "Nothing went wrong, and it wasn't you," she said honestly. "I just... started having feelings for someone else. And instead of accepting that things were changing, I tried too hard to keep them the same." She twisted her promise ring around her finger. "Tommy… I have – had feelings for him. Strong feelings that I should have acknowledged. I chose to bury them, pretend they could be ignored…and it blew up in my face."
Hesitantly, she reached out and grabbed his hands. "I never should have cheated on you. I never should have lied to you that day you asked me if I had feelings for Tommy." She squeezed his hands. "I never meant to hurt you."
"But you did. Why?"
She bit her lip, opting for honesty – she owed him that much. "Because I wanted to be with him but was too scared to let you go."
'And you cared more about being with him than hurting me,' the red ranger thought bitterly.
A long silence lingered between them as he took in what she said. Jason glanced at her with red eyes. "Thank you," he whispered. "For telling the truth."
She nodded. He sank down to the couch, shoulders sagged in defeat.
She cupped his face, forehead pressed against his. "Jason, you mean so much to me. So, so much. And I love you – please believe that. I made a mistake. A huge mistake, and I wish to God I could take it back."
'But you can't,' he thought sadly, upset as he realized that now that he knew the whole story, he would never be able to get past what she'd done. No matter how bad she felt, it didn't change that things between them were well and truly over. He loved her, and she loved him, but he wasn't about to play second best, especially to Tommy. He wanted to be more than a consolation prize.
He deserved better than that.
The red ranger's jaw clenched tightly as her fingers smoothed down his features. She could see the fight playing out on his face – the part of him that desperately wanted to believe her and the part that was hurt and didn't believe a damn thing coming out of her mouth. His pain was winning, and she could see him pulling away from her.
Overwhelmed by the thought of losing him, she climbed onto his lap, pressing soft kisses along his throat. The pink ranger kissed him hard, sucking his tongue erotically until he began to kiss her back. He broke the kiss, knowing exactly what she was trying to do. She was trying to use sex to salvage things, but there was nothing to save.
They were over.
"Stop," he said halfheartedly, gasping when she captured his lips with hers again.
Jason sighed into her mouth, groaning as he pulled her closer to him, tongue dueling with hers. Kim ground down on him hard, able to feel his cock rise in his sweatpants. Jason gripped her hips, thrusting against her to match the roll of her hips.
She shivered when he tugged her panties to the side, fingers slipping between her folds. His gaze shifted between her sex and her eyes. He hissed in pleasure when she nipped his collarbone, teeth drawing goosebumps along his skin. He was jealous, hurt, and horny, a toxic combination for their current situation – it made him feel reckless.
He'd give in – one last time.
Jason moved her off his lap to the spot beside him on the couch. He shoved his sweatpants down his legs, stroking his length roughly to full hardness before rolling on a condom. He pulled Kimberly towards him, hiking her dress up to her navel and spreading her thighs. Thick fingers tugged and pulled at her clit until she was squirming against the couch. He pushed into her with a groan, working his cock into her snug depths.
He wished it didn't feel so good.
Jason fucked her hard, harder than he'd ever dared to before learning the truth about Tommy. He was hurting, and his aggression was coming out in the form of sexual frustration.
He tried to focus on her moans and pleas for him not to stop. The way she clenched around his length and writhed beneath him as he rubbed her clit nonstop. How tight and hot she felt around him, bathing his cock in her essence. The way her breasts shook from the impact of his forceful thrusts.
He bent down, pushing her dress up higher and capturing a bouncing nipple between his teeth. Jason grunted when she tugged on his hair and arched into his mouth. He closed his eyes, trying to lose himself in what was most likely the last time they'd be together, but he just couldn't concentrate.
He could see vivid images of Tommy and Kim in her bedroom, her bent over as he slams his hips against hers. He could hear her desperate cries as she twists beneath the green ranger, his hands on her hips as he surges into her heat again and again. He could see the smug smirk on Tommy's face when she screams his name in ecstasy, quivering when he makes her cum. He could see the green ranger's smirk disappearing as his thrusts become frenzied, back arching as he cums deep and hard into her, a mix of pleasure and triumph on the green ranger's face.
Jason snarled, pulling out of her abruptly. He grabbed her hips, rolling her onto her stomach so that he didn't have to see her face and sliding back into her, fingers toying roughly with her clit. Her cries intensified in this position, evolving from wanton moans to high-pitched whines.
He pressed a hand to her back, pushing her down against the cushions. Jason bit his lip as he drilled into her, trying to lose himself in the heat of the moment.
But once again, all he could think about was her and Tommy.
Was she secretly comparing him to the green ranger? Was Tommy a better lover than him? Was she pretending he was Tommy now just to spare his feelings?
A shrill cry broke Jason from his morbid thoughts. He moaned when he realized Kimberly had reached her orgasm, the tight heat around his cock too much for him to take.
The coiling sensation in his belly snapped, and he cried out in ecstasy as his hips snapped hard against her ass. The red ranger bit his lip and buried his face into her neck, whimpering loudly in her ear as his cock swelled.
"I'm cumming!" he moaned, bottoming out inside of her. "Ohgod…"
Jason trembled, hips stuttering as he released inside the condom with a deep, satisfied moan.
"Oh shit," he breathed, eyes closed. He thrust sporadically, burying himself to the hilt so that he was buried as deep as possible inside of her pussy. "Fuck! HNNG!"
Jason panted heavily, grinding into her tight heat as he felt the last waves of his orgasm roll through him. He gently thrusted until his cock finished twitching, resting on top of her with a sigh. Jason pulled out once he was soft again and grabbed some tissue off the coffee table to clean himself up.
When he disposed of the condom, he tucked himself back into his boxers and pulled his sweatpants up. Kimberly got up and headed for the bathroom, needing to freshen up.
Even though the two of them had just finished having sex, Jason had never felt farther away from her than he did now, and it reinforced his decision to end things between them. When Kimberly returned, she looked uncomfortable and regretful, and he couldn't help but feel the same.
The movies always made break-up sex seem so passionate and awesome – no one ever talked about the part after when everyone wishes it hadn't happened.
Several minutes of tense silence passed before Jason turned his eyes on the unnaturally quiet pink ranger beside him.
"So… what now?" Kim asked softly, legs pulled up so that her chin rested on her knees.
"I don't know," he said. "But the arguing and the tears… I can't anymore."
She nodded in understanding.
"I have to lead the team against Zedd's upcoming attack. And I can't focus if this," he gestured between them, "is going on at the same time. It's going to get everyone killed."
"So, what? We pretend like we didn't just have a horrible breakup?" she asked in disbelief. "We have to work together, Jason. That won't be easy considering that you hate me."
"I don't hate you," he said quickly. She blinked in surprise. "I hate what you did. I hate that you hurt me." His gaze darkened. "I hate Tommy. But I don't hate you, Kim." The red ranger frowned. "Despite everything, I still love you."
She gave a strained smile, surprised to find herself upset that he didn't hate her when he had every right to. Jason smiled back, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"I don't have any reservations with serving on the same team as you, Kim. You've never let me down as a teammate."
She flinched, hearing the unspoken dig. 'You've only disappointed me as a girlfriend and a friend'.
A tense silence fell over the two again.
"Do you think you'll ever be able to forgive me?" she whispered.
He bit his lip – that was the big question, wasn't it?
The red ranger picked at the cloth of his sweatpants. "I can't imagine not having you in my life… I'm just not sure where you belong anymore." He chanced a glance in her direction but found her expression was unreadable. "What you did with Tommy… it's unforgivable, Kim. I need time to come to terms with what happened before I can even think about friendship. All I can give you now is my word that I'll have your back on the battlefield. Beyond that…"
The pink ranger took a shaky breath, heart clenching tightly.
Jason winced at the sight of her unshed tears. "Kim…"
"I-I have to go," she said suddenly, scrambling to grab her shoes and purse off the floor. Kim avoided his gaze, mumbling a rushed goodbye as she left his house.
"Kim, don't – ." The door slammed before he could finish his sentence. The urge to follow her and offer comfort was strong, but he refrained from doing so, not wanting to give mixed signals. He grabbed the remote off the coffee table instead, throwing it across the room in frustration.
"Fuck!"
Kimberly ran for her car, fumbling with the keys for a few seconds before getting the door open. She tried to ignore the pang of hurt when she realized he hadn't chased after her.
Kim climbed into her car, making the short drive back to her house and putting the vehicle in park in the driveway. She sat in silence for nearly a minute before screaming in frustration. She yelled and kicked, slamming her hands against the steering wheel in anger as tears ran down her face.
God, her life was a fucking mess.
Things with Tommy had imploded, just as she knew they would. And Jason… God, things with Jason were horrible. She wanted to make it up to him – work things out, but it was obvious that he couldn't get past her betrayal.
The pink ranger wiped at her eyes. She wasn't really surprised at Jason's decision to end things. She couldn't expect him to forgive her for something that she's not even sure she would be able to forgive if the situation were reversed.
That didn't make it any easier to accept that things between them were over, though.
'It's what I deserve,' Kim thought miserably.
Jason had been nothing short of a perfect boyfriend to her, and she threw that all away by falling for someone who didn't think twice about betraying her trust.
Karma really is a bitch.
The pink ranger sniffled, wiping her face again. She stared sadly at the promise ring Jason gave her on her sixteenth birthday, the silver shining in the moonlight.
Knowing that their relationship – their friendship – that had once been built on love and mutual respect had quickly descended into this sad mess broke Kimberly's heart. Jason meant a great deal to her – he had been a part of her life for so long – how was she supposed to just let him go?
'You don't. Prove to him that you can be better. Start making some good choices for once, Hart.'
Wiping her face one final time, Kimberly shut off the engine and headed inside the house.
"Hey sweetie," Caroline Hart peeked her head out of the kitchen.
The pink ranger gave a weak smile. "Hi, mom."
Caroline narrowed her eyes as she approached her daughter. "Kimberly… have you been crying? Baby, what's wrong?"
Her mother's concern made the teen nearly burst into tears. Kimberly's lower lip quivered. "Jason broke up with me," she said, voice cracking.
Her mother's eyes softened, and she immediately rushed over to embrace the pink ranger. "Oh, sweetie…"
Kimberly clutched her mother's shirt as she sobbed into her shoulder. Caroline walked them over to the sofa, sitting down gently as her daughter continued to cry. She rocked Kimberly from side to side, murmuring comforting words softly into her hair. The teen eventually calmed down, soothed by her mother's fingers in her hair.
When Kim's crying tapered off into soft sniffles, Caroline pulled back. "Do you want to talk about what happened?"
The pink ranger winced internally. There was no way in hell she was explaining to her mom that the reason she and Jason ended was due to her cheating on him. She wouldn't be able to take it if her mom knew she was just as bad as her father.
"Not tonight, mom," Kimberly whispered, burrowing further into her mother's embrace.
Caroline pressed another kiss into her daughter's hair. "How are you holding up?"
The pink ranger sniffled. "He's not sure we can even be friends anymore," she cried. "Mom, how am I supposed to deal with that? We've known each other since we were kids! I can't just lose one of my best friends and act like it's nothing!"
Ms. Hart stroked her daughter's locks as she peered down at her, wisely keeping quiet as Kimberly continued to rant. She listened intently as her daughter bemoaned the loss of her friendship with Jason, nodding and agreeing where appropriate. As Kim continued talking, however, Caroline couldn't help but notice there was one aspect of their breakup her daughter had barely mentioned.
"Is that all?" she asked softly when Kimberly finally calmed down. The pink ranger tilted her head back to look up at her mother incredulously.
"Mom, it's not a small thing," she said heatedly. "You know how important Jason is to me."
Caroline squeezed her daughter gently. "I know, sweetie. I'm not trying to belittle your feelings." Kimberly relaxed in her mother's hold. "It's just… you've talked nonstop about losing Jason as a friend." She paused, considering her next words carefully. "Aren't you upset that he's no longer your boyfriend?"
Kimberly froze at her mother's question, not realizing until now that her mother was absolutely correct. She hadn't mentioned a damn thing about losing Jason as a boyfriend.
Caroline could sense the shift in her daughter's thoughts, confusion and surprise now playing across her features instead of sadness and anger. The pink ranger was silent, deep in thought as she pondered her mother's words. Gently, Caroline extracted herself from her daughter's hold.
"Hey, how about this? I'll cook you up your favorite dish for dinner. I was going to make it Friday, but I think this is cause to change those plans. And then afterwards, let's curl up on the sofa, get some Ben & Jerry's, and watch some movies, okay?"
The pink ranger nodded absently, eyes now focused on the promise ring on her finger. Kim barely noticed when her mother got up from the sofa and headed into the kitchen to start up dinner.
'Aren't you upset that he's no longer your boyfriend?'
As Kim continued to gaze at her promise ring, it was with startling clarity that she realized… she wasn't.
At least, not as much as she should be.
It did hurt that she lost her boyfriend, but it paled in comparison to the loss of her friend. She didn't feel the same panic, the same overwhelming sense of loss about never dating Jason again as she did about the end of their friendship.
What the hell did that even mean?
The pink ranger twisted the silver ring around her finger absently. Why wasn't she more upset? She loved him.
'Of course, you love him. But if you're more upset about losing him as a friend than the fact your relationship just imploded, maybe he was right. Maybe you don't love him as much as you think you do.'
"I do love him," she whispered to herself fiercely in denial.
'Be honest, Kimberly. You stopped being in love with Jason the moment Tommy came into the picture,' the voice in her head said. 'You still love Jason – you always will – but not the way you used to.'
Kimberly bit her lip uncertainly. It would explain why his touch didn't send her heart racing anymore, why his kisses were just pleasant and no longer soul-stirring, why sex with him was good but not quite fulfilling.
Not like it was with Tommy.
"Oh God," she said softly, eyes widening. Kim pressed her fingers against her temples. It couldn't… She didn't… How?
Did she really spend so much time trying to deny her growing feelings for Tommy that she hadn't even realized that her feelings for Jason had changed, too? Had she had been falling out of love with Jason this whole time and only realized it now that they were over?
'You said it yourself. Your feelings for Tommy are just as strong as those for Jason… just different, right? And you certainly don't love Tommy like a friend.'
Kimberly frowned, playing with the promise ring on her finger once again. After some time, she pulled it off, examining the jewelry in the palm of her hand. She expected taking the ring off to fill her with sadness and longing, and it did. But those feelings were overshadowed by an even stronger, surprising emotion.
Relief.
"Kimberly?"
Startled, the pink ranger turned her attention to her mother. Caroline stood in the doorway of the kitchen.
"I said the food will be ready in about five minutes. Go wash up and then we can eat."
The pink ranger nodded, now staring at the ring in her hand a different light. She set it down on the coffee table gingerly before turning to give her mom a weak smile.
"Can't wait."
Angel Grove Pediatrics Clinic
Dr. Jones' Office
Angel Grove, CA
Friday, 2:03 PM
"The tests were correct, Kimberly. You are indeed pregnant."
The seventeen-year-old felt lightheaded.
"P-Pregnant?" she stuttered.
Kim had been feeling a little strange over the last few days. Nothing too out of the ordinary, just more tired than usual and feeling the strong urge to hurl every now and then. She chalked it up to stress from Zedd and the situation with Tommy and Jason. It was only when she returned from Jason's Tuesday night that she began to grow concerned. Her mom had made her favorite meal – shrimp scampi – to help get her mind off of the breakup. Kim was alarmed to discover she could hardly stomach the smell of it. She had run full speed for the bathroom when her mother set her plate before her, barely making it in time before emptying the contents of her stomach.
As she sat hugging the toilet, the pink ranger ran through a mental list of what could possibly be wrong. She didn't have the flu, and it didn't feel like she had a stomach virus or food poisoning. Splashing her face with cold water, Kim searched the linen closet for a towel. The teen's eyes had widened when she gazed upon the nearly full box of tampons on the top shelf, realizing suddenly that she hadn't actually used any in quite some time.
Gnawing at her bottom lip, Kimberly walked briskly to her room, checking the calendar for when her next cycle should start. Counting the days, her heart sped up when she saw that her cycle was supposed to start last week.
She was late.
Kimberly fought against the instant urge to panic, instead rushing out the house and to the nearest pharmacy to purchase every pregnancy test she could find. She raced back up to the bathroom when she got home, grabbing the cooking timer from the kitchen counter on her way up.
As she waited for the results of her tests, the pink ranger's mind flashed back to the many times she'd slept with Tommy over the last few weeks.
'We never used protection,' she thought anxiously.
The ding of the timer was loud in the small bathroom. Kimberly could feel her stomach twist in knots as she looked at the different tests.
Each one was positive.
Alarmed, the pink ranger asked her mother to setup an appointment with her doctor the next day. Dr. Jones had been shocked by the girl's request for a pregnancy test but complied, assuring Kimberly that her mother would not be told.
Today's follow-up appointment was to discuss the results of the pregnancy test conducted on Wednesday.
Dr. Jones smiled gently. "When do you remember your symptoms starting? That will help us narrow down how far along you are until we can do more tests next week."
"Probably…" Kimberly bit her lip. "Oh God. About four weeks ago."
Jesus Christ. Had she really been pregnant for a month without knowing?
"I don't understand," the teen said softly. "Why didn't I feel anything? Shouldn't I have been going through morning sickness if I'm pregnant?"
Dr. Jones shook her head. "Not necessarily. Morning sickness doesn't always happen for everyone, and it's not the same for everyone who has it. Consider yourself lucky."
'Lucky,' Kim scoffed mentally. 'I'm fucking pregnant.'
"Have you experienced any weird cravings these last few weeks? That's a common side effect. It's not always strange combinations like pickles with peanut butter. Sometimes it's just a craving for specific foods."
Kim racked her brain to see if she'd eaten anything weird these last few weeks. She had been eating an unusual number of pickles lately, to the point that even her mother had commented on it. And there was her sudden need to eat jalapenos with almost every meal. Kim had always like spicy foods, but eating jalapenos raw was a new thing she had picked up only in the last few weeks.
"Shit," the pink ranger groaned.
"…need to setup some follow-up appointments with an obstetrician to get more details on your pregnancy. You'll need to have a…"
Kim buried her face in her hands, trying in vain to calm her breathing. She was on the verge of a panic attack. Her doctor stopped talking at the sound of her shaky breaths, and the older woman kneeled before her.
"Hey…hey, look at me," the doctor said soothingly. "It's going to be okay, Kimberly."
"No, it's not!" she yelled, eyes wet with tears. "I'm pregnant. I'm pregnant with Tommy's baby. What the hell am I going to do?"
The older woman rubbed circles into Kim's back gently, not really sure who this Tommy person was but gathering it was the father of the baby. "Kimberly, take a deep breath. Breathe with me. In and out."
Kimberly sniffled, following Dr. Jones' lead and matching her even breaths. She could feel herself becoming less anxious.
"Good," the woman said with a soft smile. "Now, one step at a time." She hesitated. "You're pregnant. You do have options on how you can handle this, Kimberly."
The pink ranger wiped at her eyes. "I'm too young to be a mom." She toyed with her fingers. "But I don't know if I could go through with…" She couldn't even say the words.
She was having a baby. She was having a baby. And God, her ranger duties. What would this mean for the pink ranger?
Dr. Jones stood up, peering down at the teen over her frames. "Might I offer a suggestion?"
At the teen's nod, she continued. "Perhaps it would be best to spend the next few days reflecting on your options. This news is lifechanging – I think it would be wise to really consider what you want to do. The other details will come later." She pushed her glasses up. "It would be best to discuss this with your mother. She might be able to help you decide."
Kim groaned. Her mother was out in the lobby, waiting on her daughter to finish her check-up. She had no idea what Kimberly and her doctor were really discussing.
The pink ranger ran her fingers through her hair. "What the hell am I going to do?"
Hart Residence
Kimberly's Room
Angel Grove, CA
Saturday, 6:46 PM
Kimberly stood in front of her mirror in a sports bra and a pair of sweatpants. She smoothed her fingers over the flat plane of her stomach, envisioning the way her tummy would swell and grow in the coming weeks.
It had only taken her a day to decide she was going to keep the baby. The idea of being a mother scared the shit out of her, but it was a challenge she was surprised to realize she welcomed. She'd always wanted kids, albeit when she was much older and when things weren't so complicated.
The fact that it was Tommy's was going to cause a world of problems when the Eltarian Council found out, and she didn't even want to think about Lord Zedd's reaction.
"Not to mention I still gotta find a way to tell your daddy about you," she murmured to the baby growing inside of her.
She knew Tommy was going to lose his shit. She supposed she could not tell him about the baby, but that never worked out in the soap operas her mom watched, did it? Tommy wasn't stupid – he could do the math and figure out the baby was his. It would be better if he knew now, so she could lay down the ground rules on his involvement in their baby's life… and hers.
'Might even knock some sense into him knowing he's going to be a father,' she thought idly.
And Jason… The pink ranger could envision the hurt and disappointment on his face when he finds out about her pregnancy.
Kimberly frowned at the thought of her now ex-boyfriend. Things would actually be a lot simpler if the baby were his instead of Tommy's. Even if they were estranged, she knew she could at least depend on him for support with the baby. Not to mention, the threat of Lord Zedd would be less an issue, and the fear of being charged with treason would no longer matter.
A knock at the door broke her concentration. "Come in," she yelled, grabbing the various pamphlets she collected about expecting mothers off of her dresser and shoving them into her bottom drawer.
She froze when she saw Trini and Billy walk in, their expressions pensive.
"Hey," she said softly.
Kim pulled out a tank top and shrugged it on. She hadn't spoken to either of them since before Jason caught her and Tommy.
"We can leave if you're busy," Trini said.
"No, it's fine. Um… have a seat."
Trini sat down at the foot of Kimberly's bed, while Billy sat down at her desk.
"We have your homework you missed. Everyone's asking about you," the yellow ranger said gently.
"What'd you tell them?" Kim asked.
"That you have fallen ill and will return once you have fully recovered," the blue ranger supplied.
Kim nodded, grabbing the books and papers from Trini and tossing them onto her bed. "Thanks."
The pink ranger was sure the rumor mill was going bonkers at her sudden disappearance. She'd missed a full week of school so far. Her mom would kill her if she ever found out that she was skipping. Kim had gone through great lengths to make sure her mom didn't find out, from deleting all messages from the school reporting her absence from the answering machine to making sure to wave at her neighbors as she "walked" to school each morning to ensure they didn't tell her mom she stayed home.
Trini cleared her throat. "How are you, Kim?"
"I'm good, Tri. Never better."
The blue and yellow rangers looked at each other, knowing she was lying.
"The truth, Kim."
She picked at her nails. "I'm okay. Not great, but… I'll manage." Kimberly sighed, fingers running through her hair. "Things have been noticeably tense since Jason and I ended things."
"I'm sorry to hear that your relationship with Jason has terminated," Billy said, his tone sincere.
"So am I," Trini said. She eyed the pink ranger before clearing her throat awkwardly. "And Tommy...?"
The pink ranger tensed, arms crossed over her chest. "I wouldn't know. I haven't spoken to him since..." she trailed off.
It was a lie, but they didn't need to know that. He had visited her two nights ago, and the two had shared a kiss that she was trying hard to forget. She lied and told him that things with Jason were well on their way to being repaired in order to get him to back off, knowing it would hurt him. If he knew that things with Jason were truly over, Tommy would have tried to comfort her, and that would have only led to her making yet another mistake.
Beyond that night and the fight in the Megazord, she and the green ranger hadn't spoken.
The room was filled with awkward silence, the subject of Tommy killing the ease in the room.
"Right, well, we just wanted to drop your stuff off to you. We'll see you later, Kim," Trini said softly, gathering her things.
As her friends headed for the bedroom door, Kim felt a pang of guilt. Throughout this whole mess with Tommy, she had kept them at arm's length, avoiding them when possible to make it easier for her to continue cheating on Jason. At the news of her infidelity, none of the other rangers had confronted her, trying their best to remain neutral to the situation and leave it between her and Jason. She could at least be kind to them.
"Guys, wait," she called out to them. They turned to face her.
Kim approached them, biting on her lip nervously. "I know with everything going on it's not easy for you being in the middle… but I just want to say thank you. You didn't have to bring my things to me – hell, the fact that you're even talking to me instead of biting my head off is kind of crazy. I just… well… thanks."
Billy nodded, reaching out a hand to grasp her shoulder. "Our friendship with you was forged long before your romantic involvement with Jason, Kimberly. And while it is disheartening to learn the details surrounding the demise of your relationship, it does not change our opinion of your character. We know that you are an upstanding individual and a loyal friend and teammate. You have simply lost your way, but we have the utmost confidence that you will find it again in time."
The pink ranger blinked back tears, startling the blue ranger when she jumped into his arms. Billy stumbled back, wrapping her in a tight hug as she cried into his neck. Trini giggled softly at his bewildered expression, wiping gently at her own wet eyes. She rubbed soothing circles into Kimberly's back.
The pink ranger pulled back, cheeks and ears red in embarrassment from her emotional outburst. She idly wondered if her hormones were to blame but knew that wasn't the case. Billy's words meant a lot to her, and it helped to know that her friends still loved her, despite her flaws.
"Thank you." She turned to Trini. "Both of you."
The yellow ranger nodded. "Zack said to tell you he still loves you. He's very disappointed in what you've done, but he loves you all the same. It's just… Jason –"
"Needs him more," Kim finished, understanding the tight spot Zack was now put in with their split. "I'll give him a call this weekend."
Trini pulled Kimberly into a tight hug. "It'll get better, okay? We've been through monsters and saving the world from certain doom. We'll make it through this, too," she whispered. The yellow ranger pulled back, hands clasping Kimberly's. "If you need anything, let us know. Okay?"
The pink ranger nodded. She watched them leave, hand rubbing gently at her abdomen.
It felt good to know that her friends didn't hate her. Disappointment in her actions she could deal with, but their hatred would have been a hard pill to swallow. She knew she was undeserving of such caring friends, and she vowed to never give them reason to be disappointed in her again.
Kim closed the door behind them with a soft click. She walked over to her bed and laid down, shuffling through the various papers Billy and Trini gave her. Absently, she grabbed one of her stuffed animals, playing with its tail as she looked over her homework.
Her chest tightened when she saw that she had grabbed the green dragon Tommy had given her. A small frown played on her lips as she continued toying with the dragon's tail.
'I think I could have loved you, too.'
Kim blinked away the sting of tears, rubbing her belly again as she pushed back thoughts of the green ranger. She tossed the stuffed animal across the room, swearing when she saw it collide with the stuffed red T-Rex lying on its side in the corner.
She rolled her eyes at the sight. 'It always comes back to them, doesn't it?'
The pink ranger crossed the room, grabbing both stuffed animals and tossing them into the back of her closet. The stuffed animals were soon joined by the framed photo of her, Jason, and Tommy that usually sat on her desk. Reminders of her romantic entanglements with the red and green rangers were counterproductive, especially now.
"Out of sight, out of mind," she whispered, closing the door.
With a baby on the way, Kimberly knew she needed to focus – and if she were being completely honest, it was a welcome distraction. The constant back and forth with Tommy and Jason had been stressful for her. The cheating and lying and fighting had weighed heavily on her, and now that it was over, she felt more like herself again.
The Kimberly who made good choices and was reliable and didn't lose sight of the bigger picture.
Getting pregnant was helping her put things in perspective again. This wasn't about her feelings for Tommy and Jason anymore – it was about her baby. What was best for the baby, and consequently her, was her priority now.
And the first thing she needed to do? Tell Tommy. Even if the green ranger was not her favorite person at the moment, he needed to know about their child. Leaving it to chance for him to find out on his own would undoubtedly be disastrous.
Kimberly picked up her phone, dialing the familiar number. She pulled at the raveling threads of her comforter as the phone rang.
"Hello, Sandra speaking…"
"Hi, Mrs. Oliver, it's Kimberly," she said with more cheerfulness than she felt. "Is Tommy home?"
"Oh, hello Kimberly! Yes, he is home. Just give me a second."
The pink ranger heard rustling over the phone, followed by Mrs. Oliver yelling for her son. His voice came over the line a few seconds later.
"Hello?" The sound of his voice alone made her heart thud faster.
"Tommy," she said softly.
There was a slight pause on his end. "Um…hey…" he said slowly, confusion clear in his voice.
She couldn't blame him for being confused – their last meeting was not a friendly one. With a heavy sigh, the pink ranger began to break the news.
"We need to talk."
As always, your feedback is appreciated. Please read and review.
Also, just a note to everyone: I will eventually begin migrating my stories over to my AO3 account of the same name in order to comply with the rules here. My older stories will remain on this site, but will be edited to remove the more mature content. This will take place over the course of this year (full content will still be available at AO3). The move will be done by the time the Cost series is complete.
