Disclainer: Still don't own anything
(A/N: This chapter contains an extremly lame battle scene. I'm really bad at battle/fights scenes. So I would love to get suggestions on how to make them better!)
The next day Kimberly got ready for the day at her hotel. She had received no word from Tommy and wasn't sure what would happen if she did. After confronting him last night she had gone to her hotel room and tried to fall asleep. Unfortunately she could only cry. Seeing Tommy again was a huge blow, wither she made it happen or not. Seeing him made everything in her world crash. She loved Tommy still and like the sixteen year old that had fallen in love with him she could not help but hope that he still did. After hearing her explanation he had been gentle, he still cared for her she knew. But love? And could anything ever come of their love now?
Kimberly fussed with her hair, No! She couldn't-shouldn't- go there. The longer she thought about it, the more she wanted her and Tommy to get back together. She had come back just to apologize and tell the truth how had it become so much more?
She just had to take things normally. She'd go into town, look around at some of the local sites, and go shopping. Distract herself as much as possible and then come back here. If things worked well… maybe Tommy would take up her offer and they could talk more.
Meanwhile Tommy had just woken up and was getting ready himself. He had stayed up late last night, unable to sleep. He had sat up contemplating everything Kim had said. He found the story incredible, but he knew Kimberly was telling the truth. He was shaken badly and had was doing his best the sort out his feelings. He could move past the letter now, and he could forgive everything he had blamed Kimberly for. He had come home, finding the faded letter in a box in his basement and had ripped it to shreds. He had never felt so free of anything before. Seeing her had stabbed his heart and he knew the minute he laid eyes on her again that he loved her still.
Tommy washed his face and stared at himself in the mirror. But could he tell that to Kimberly? Her return had been as hasty as it was. Starting from scratch was going to be hard when they already shared so much between them. The phone rang, interrupting his thoughts and he reached over to get it.
"Hi Tommy this is Haley."
"Haley…. You do realize it's seven o'clock on a Saturday?" Tommy asked.
"I know I know. But I'd figured after last night you'd be up and about. You need a diversion?"
"It's a lot to take in, yes." Tommy said. He had left shortly after Kim did, only telling Haley what was important. That Kim did not write the letter and that they had come to a truce. But nothing more.
"But I think I'll stay home today. I need some time to think about all this."
"Ok then. I will talk to you later." Haley said hanging up.
Tommy hung up as well and headed to the kitchen for breakfast.
So Tommy spent his morning contemplating this life altering event. He had never felt the same since the letter and now that it was gone he didn't know what to do. He had gone on many dates and been apart of many relationships since their break up but had never felt the same. He knew their love and their breakup had caused disaster for his other relationships. And now the girl who had haunted his dreams was back, now a grown women and freeing herself from the damage of their past as he was. Could they make a relationship, friendship or otherwise work after this time?
He loved her still…. What was he afraid of?
Rejection?
Another failure?
Or was it possible that the wall he had created around his heart stood strong, even for his first love?
The phone rang interrupting his thoughts and he grabbed it. Could he have no peace today?
"Sorry, Tommy." Haley said, "Trouble in Reefside. We need you."
"On my way." Tommy said sighing and hanging up.
"Power up!" Tommy yelled transforming into the Black ranger.
"So what are we up against?" Tommy asked as he reached Ethan.
"Oh just Mesogog's minions. He's planning on overtaking Reefside. Nothing new."
"Should have guessed I had to leave me solitude for his random ideas." Tommy cursed.
"So let's do this!"
Tommy and Ethan headed down the street running past the screaming people of the town. As they rounded the corner they found a large circular golden figure surrounded by Mesogog's usual fighting minions.
Tommy ran for them and kicked his first opponent.
"Oh look. More power rangers!" The large figure replied bobbing up and down.
"Thought you take all of it, guys?" Ethan asked Conner, Trent, and Kira and joined in the fighting.
"Worth a try." Kira said destroying one her opponents.
"Hey! Guys. I'll take the ringleader. You destroy those ok?" Tommy said turning to face the large golden coin like creature.
"My first victim! Taste the power of my leader's new weapon…" The creature said aiming it's skinny gun like arm at him…
Kim was just leaving a shopping store the ground shook. People panicked and ran or went for cover.
"What's going on?" Kim breathed.
A lady standing near her said, "Just villains… nothing new. The power rangers will save us. But you should get to cover."
Kim blinked several times in disbelief. Power Rangers…. Here? New power rangers…? Another crash sounded. So that's what Tommy was doing here. He was continuing the power rangers! She never would have thought… Another crash sounded. Oh no! Tommy!
"Thank you!" She cried to the lady and ran toward the noise.
"No dear! Come back!"
Kimberly ran as fast as she could running on her instincts. She was no longer a power ranger, what was she doing running to where the trouble was? It didn't matter. She would help them. She knew of the belief that the Power Rangers wouldn't need help, they were the savors. But she knew from experience that there was always need of help and she would help them. Finally she found them. A white, yellow, blue, red and a black ranger fighting a large gold coin figure and several gray putty like creatures. She looked and her eyes fell on the black ranger. Somehow she knew that was him. The ringleader raised his gun arm at Tommy and laughed wickedly.
"NO!" Kimberly said as instincts took over she ran toward the villain and put herself in between the villain and Tommy.
"Kimberly!" She heard Tommy yell as the canon went off.
Kimberly braced herself only to find the laser to go right through her like she did exist.
She whipped around to see the black ranger, stunned, get hit and thrown.
"No!!!!!!!" Kimberly yelled running to him.
"Stupid girl!" The villain laughed, "See my weapon ONLY works on power rangers."
"No!" The kids yelled attacking the villain.
"Tommy? Tommy?" Kimberly whispered taking his limp body in her arms. "Tommy!" She called fiercely tears running down her face. She did this… She hurt Tommy…
"Come on." A voice said from above her.
Kimberly shook hoping no one had heard her call the black ranger by his secret identity. But when she looked up she knew it was ok.
"We have to take him to safety."
Kimberly nodded and with the help of the man they were able to get Tommy into the back seat of his car and the man took to the accelerator and they flew away.
"What about the kids?" Kimberly asked.
"They'll be fine. They are power rangers after all." He replied.
"Where are we going Jason?" Kimberly asked. Tommy's head lay in her lap. She undid his mask. She listened to his breathing. Faint but there. His face beaded with drops of sweat. His face looked in pain.
"Oh… Tommy…" She said biting her lips.
"We're taking him to his command center. Haley will be there to help get him stable." Jason said.
Kimberly nodded.
"Why are you here Jason?"
"I live in the next county actually."
"And you were in town by chance?" She asked suspiciously.
"Haley called me yesterday and told me you had come back. I always waited for this day."
Kim looked back down at Tommy.
"He'll be ok you think?"
"His only chance is for Haley to run some tests. We have no idea what that creature did to him." Jason said and he turned up into a driveway.
"Haley? She knows about this?"
"Of course. She's really helped them."
Kimberly nodded getting out of the car. Haley joined them and the three adults carried him to his Power Ranger secret base.
Haley immediately started to run tests. Kimberly pulled a chair up by the bed and held Tommy's hands. Tears opening falling down her face. She couldn't lose him, not now… not now…
"You have to live Tommy. We haven't settled things yet." Kimberly said realizing this was the first time they had held hands since their reunion. Kimberly almost jumped back but continued holding on. His large hand covering her petite one like a glove.
"How is he doing?" Jason asked Haley.
"It seems like what ever hit him is slowly depriving him of his life force. His bodies fighting it, that's why he's unconscious. He has to conserve energy."
"But he can get past this right? He'll live?" Kimberly pleaded looking at Haley dependently.
"We need to stop what's depleting his life source. If we can do that, all he'll need is recovery
Kimberly and Jason both nodded and then the rest of the power rangers came running in.
"Get it all taken care of?" Haley asked.
"Yeah it was a close call. It almost got Trent-I mean- what are they doing here?" The red ranger asked.
"Don't worry." Haley said, "This is Kimberly, you saw her yesterday remember? And this is Jason."
"Wait! You're the former Pink and Red." Ethan said smiling broadly.
"In the flesh." Jason said.
"Kimberly, Jason… This is Kira, Trent, Connor, and Ethan. They are the new Dino Thunder power rangers." Haley said introducing the teens.
"Nice to meet you." Kimberly said although there was a hitch in her voice that gave away her distress.
"How's Dr. O?" Kira asked.
"We're looking for something to take the one that's taking away his energy."
"Right."
"How are your injuries?" Jason asked.
The kids shrugged.
"Let's have a look." Kim said leading the teens to the end of the room. Jason and Haley had their heads together thinking on a solution. She took one last glance at Tommy and turned to the rangers.
"We can help each other." Connor said helping Ethan with a cut on his arm.
"You wouldn't mind would you?" Kim asked Kira.
"No problem. Help is always appreciated."
"Good." She said helping to bandage her hand.
"It so nice to meet one of the first female rangers." Kira said.
"It's nice to see them continue." Kim agreed.
"I can only imagine what it must have been for you to be the first. I mean it was hard on us but at least we had heard about them before. And plus we had Dr. O. His guidance and knowledge of the power rangers is helpful."
"Yes…. But we had Zordon and Alpha to help us." Kim said smiling as she thought Zordon. Her other father figure in her life.
"We were told a little bit about him." Kira enlightened.
Kim nodded.
"So… you worked with Tommy and Jason then."
"Yes. With a few others. We made a great team."
"So I've heard. After we learned about Tommy's history Ethan did a lot of research on them. Of course the personal life of them was undefined but we got to see the different feets you all accomplished."
"I'm sure one day some one will write of your accomplishments as well." Kim said. Despite the basic flow of the conversation and it's causality she felt a connection to the young women.
"Dr. O. will be fine." Kira said interpreting her silence as concern.
"He's been through worse I suppose." Kim said.
"He'll come through for us."
"Right." Kim said smiling and for the first time since she had arrived she began o have hope that things would turn out ok.
Jason and Haley found a way to get the virus to stop and found a way to help stabilize Tommy. It was a complicated process that Kimberly didn't really understand but she was just happy Tommy was going to be ok. She had got to sit down and talk to all the current power ranger and began to bond with them.
Finally Haley finished her work.
"Good. He should be waking up soon."
Kimberly looked down at Tommy and her hand still grasping to his. Slowly she let go.
"Maybe I shouldn't be here when he wakes up." She said getting up and leaving. They looked at her in disbelief and Jason ran after her.
"What are you talking about? You should be there more than anyone." Jason said grabbing her arm.
"I don't want to scare him Tommy. We just met up again after years yesterday. I don't want to be in his face all the time. I just came here to tell him the truth… I didn't mean to get sucked back into this all over again." Kimberly said angrily.
"Kim…. How could you expect that of yourself? This is Tommy Oliver remember? You love him."
"Jase…" Kim said tears at her eyes again, "I've cried more in the past two days then I've cried in a long time. Every time I see him I swear I'm going to faint and it's a miracle I haven't. When he looks at me… I know he cares but he looks so confused. I hate the look. And I know that same look is in my eyes and in my heart. How can we base anything on that confusion? I don't know if I see love in this."
"Kimberly… what is this really about?" He asked taking on his big brother role.
"Jase! It's my fault he got hit today! I had jumped in front of him to save him. But it only affects power rangers so it went right through me. I distracted him. If I hadn't been there he would have been able to dodge it. He wouldn't be fighting for his life right now if I had not been there." Kimberly said covering her face.
"He's not going to blame you Kimberly." Jason said placing a hand on her shoulder.
Kimberly looked off into the distance and wiped her tears.
"I just can't do it."
"I know you want to be there when he wakes up."
"But what if he doesn't want me there?" Kimberly asked.
"I know he'll want you there."
Kimberly brow furrowed. "I can't Jason… I just can't." And with that she ran from the house.
Jason returned to the house sadly.
"She's not waiting?" Haley asked placing her hand on Jason's arm.
"Afraid not." Jason said grimly.
"I don't understand what's going on." Connor said, "She's been here for the past how many hours obviously upset but then just leaves."
"She did that yesterday too." Trent said.
"She loves him." Kira breathed looking over at her comrades.
"How can she love Dr. O? She and him talked for a max of thirty minutes!" Conner said irritably.
"Remember she was the original Pink. She and Tommy grew up together." Haley interrupted.
"Oh…" The boys said. A silence followed.
Awkward silence
"Hey he's improving… look I think he's waking up." Ethan said breaking the silence.
"Uh…. My head…" Tommy groaned trying to sit up.
"No lay back down." Jason commanded.
"Doctors orders." Haley said.
"I thought I was the doctor…." Tommy said rather breathlessly and obviously in pain.
"You need rest." Haley said getting Tommy to lie back down.
"Wait! Kimberly!" He shouted and sat up again only to moan and fall back down on the bed.
"You need to rest!" Haley ordered.
"But… Kim!" He protested.
"She's fine." Jason reassured him, "….She just had to leave."
"Leave… but… why…?" He asked unconsciously squeezing his left hand… the one Kimberly had been holding.
"She thought you needed space…. She feels… guilty about today."
"But…" Tommy started.
"Jason he needs rest." Haley said, "You guys can talk about Kimberly later. He's still very unstable."
"How about the monster…?" Tommy asked.
"All taken care of Dr. O." Ethan replied.
"Good… you kids go home. I'll be fine." He said falling asleep.
Kimberly walked through the repairing city in a daze. She was finally able to let everything sink in. She couldn't believe it. New power rangers. Tommy was a power ranger again. Unconsciously she missed saving the world. She had never expected to be thrown back into that world. She smiled. She would always see Tommy as a ranger… Although to her he was still her white ranger.
She looked at her watch wondering if Tommy had woken up yet. He should have. And he would be fine. She tried to smile again but couldn't. After she had met Tommy she had realized how hollow she felt inside and without him nearby… life was just empty.
(A/N: Chapter 2 done! I have chapter three ready so please tell me what you think!)