Disclaimer: Someone made me feel bad so I have to do disclaimers now. Joy. Neither Power Rangers or Charmed and their characters are mine. No joy to that.
A/N: Yay, I got it in. I think my computer hates me; it would load the chapter and it took me days to realize I could've gone to any other computer in my house to do so. Smart, eh? But on the good hand, for being patient and a lovely group of readers (whom I've come to adore) I have a treat for you guys: two chapters on this update! Yeah, no big whoop, but it's still great, no? More for you guys to enjoy.
iceprincess7133, Jamaican Insanity: Here's more. Enjoy.
ChrissyKat: They're coming.
TrueRomantic: They're just really overprotective. Years of fighting demons with only a few others really changes their trust in others.
Star Fata: Darklighters are annoying, though they can help spur some pretty nice ideas.
Phantom Rogue: I'm glad I could make you proud there. Yay, they still care. I don't think there was any Taylor/Eric-ness in the last chapter... at least none I was aware of. Eh.
Ashley Hammond Astro Yellow: I know! He cares! All is right with the world! Ahem, for now... briefly.
I made one change in the last chapter after everyone read it, but if you read it closely you'd notice it if you went back to read it now. It made me happier; the first one kind of annoyed me. But it's all good. Anyway, enjoy this one and the next one!
Chapter 7:
Ashley's breathing became slowly steadier as she spent her seconds getting on her knees and taking in huge unhurried gulps of air. She had to clear her head before doing anything else. Besides, the demons weren't going anywhere. If they tried, they would basically get the shock of their lives. That's if Taylor didn't get too angry, grab a crystal and start throwing huge energy balls fueled by her rage at the demons. Speaking of Taylor, Ashley looked over to her younger sister and saw she was doing something similar to Ashley to calm her own breathing. They were both taking their time.
"You okay?" Ashley asked, being the first to speak in such a long while ever since this demon-witch battle began such a while ago.
"Yeah," Taylor said, her voice revealing her still partially unsteady breath. "But," she started, "I'm pretty sure I'm not the one you should be worried about."
At that, Taylor looked over to where all the rangers stood and where Kimberly still lay on the bench. Kimberly's inhalation was visibly as unsteady as theirs was before but hers was a more serious case; unless a whitelighter healed Kimberly, her breathing was not going to improve and she would most likely not live. Panic suddenly returned to both young women when they could see Kimberly worsening. They had to do this quickly.
"All right, then," Taylor said suddenly, practically springing back from her position on the grass and straightening everything in her control.
She walked over to Ashley and helped the ex-Yellow Astro Ranger onto her feet again. Putting on her 'Lieutenant's face', she didn't have to explain anything to Ashley; it was all in her countenance. Standing strong, Taylor turned and began her stride toward where the demons stood enclosed in their jailing forcefield. She stopped when she realized somehow she orbed her way to the other side of the huge forcefield Kimberly made earlier in front of the rangers. Turning to her left, she could see Ashley orbing to the same side of the invisible barrier.
"What the hell?" Taylor asked in odd wonder.
"How in the world did we orb?" Ashley queried in addition. Almost right after, both Wyatt and Chris Halliwell appeared beside both girls, augmenting the perplexed disorder of everyone else, save for the trio of girls who had yet to account for their recent pasts. "Whoa," Ashley exclaimed, "gee, nice timing, guys."
"Sorry," Chris apologized with a shrug, "had to save a few future witches from some demonic shapeshifters. We were almost finished when we heard your call, Tay."
"And it took you guys, like, another five minutes to get here because…" Ashley left the sentence unfinished.
"The teens had no idea what was going on," Wyatt answered in explanation. "Plus, some dark priests showed up so we had to take of them."
"Okay, then," Taylor accepted the two males' explanation. "And now?"
"Catch us up," Chris said.
"All right," Taylor began. "Random demon pops up, vanquished him after destroying his replicator demons, Phrazare appears and leaves us with five other demons, two of them darklighters, Kim puts up a forcefield," she points to the wall to show before continuing with her layman's terms recount. "Fight ensues, we go to grab crystals from the manor, come back, darklighter shoots Kim, more fighting, and here we are."
Wyatt nodded in thanks for Taylor's quick description of the events in less than a minute. He knew from experience that a lot of things were done better if explanations sped up to the rate of Taylor's. "Okay," he says quickly. "And I'm guessing those demons over in the electric paddock are the ones Phrazare left with you guys."
The girls nodded their heads for affirmation. "So what do we do now?" Ashley asked, her face already inquiring the question for her.
"You two should probably go back to the other side of Kim's forcefield and try to see if you can get anything out of those demons you caught," Chris suggested, not wanting to have merely a small part in the conversation. He was beginning to become unnerved by all the peculiar looks he was getting from the large crowd a few yards behind Ashley and Taylor. "Meanwhile," he continued, "Wyatt and I will try to heal Kimberly quickly enough before the poison kills her or she bleeds to death once the arrow's taken out."
Both girls gave each other a momentary glance of thought before turning their attention back to their mentors. Taylor spoke the first word out of the two. "You two better take good care of her."
"You know we will," Wyatt assured formidably.
"Or else," Ashley included, accenting the possible hell both men, and the rest of the world, would endure if Kimberly would lose her life due to one mishap in her being healed by the two brothers.
"Trust me," Wyatt said, "we wouldn't dare try your temper or patience when it comes to Kimberly."
"Besides," Chris continued, "the world isn't ready for your wrath."
"Damn right," Taylor said, almost complacently with her smirk. She looked over to Ashley after her quick remark and gave another nod; they were ready to do whatever would be done. They had to.
"We're not telling you anything."
That was the first thing any of the ensnared demons said to either girls after half a minute of being asked why were they here and who were they working for besides Phrazare. Usually, Ashley and Taylor would have had some patience left to use with these malefactors but today was already a day of exceptions. One more was not going to hurt, at least not the girls. Ashley gave Taylor a glance, silently asking her if she wanted to do what Ashley guessed she wanted to do since she saw the demons in the first place, if she had the opportunity. In truth, Ashley didn't need to look to her younger sister; she knew enough of her character by now to know the answer.
With her awareness of Taylor's temperament, Ashley walked forward and knelt down slightly slowly by the crystal closest to her but only a bit to the side, leaving the crystal's direction to Taylor clear and uninterrupted. She gave a nod and waited for Taylor's energy ball.
Wasting no moment, Taylor threw an energy ball toward the crystal closest to Ashley, feeling the smallest of guilty amusement when the electricity traveled to the others and the demons inside were instantly electrocuted by the power. Ashley let them stay that way until a few minutes later when she decided to lift the stone and let the demons take a moment away from the voltaic torture.
"Still don't want to tell us anything," Taylor asked when two of the demons fell to their knees from the shocks. When they shook their heads in refusal, the two girls granted wary looks to each other before Ashley pushed the crystal back in its spot with an intense force that nearly drove the stone into the ground. Once she released it, the electricity continued, wearing down the demons' resolve.
"Listen," Ashley started after she grabbed the used crystal again, "we do not have all day. You guys are not going anywhere, so make it easier for both sides and just tell us who you're working for."
"Not to mention why the hell you're here," Taylor included.
Yet again, the demons declined to answer the girls. However, this time one of the demons decided to lift himself up and take a try at either of the girls. He gave no warning before he tried to charge at Ashley, taking the two by surprise. In her bewilderment Ashley lost her grip on the crystal and let it go, the stone rolling its way some feet away from its necessary placement. Taylor threw a fireball to the demon but her astonishment at the attack took a small toll on her as well. Her fireball missed the demon and hit another crystal instead, wearing down the gem. They lost a little control of the situation.
Going after the crystal, Ashley rolled onto her left toward the stone but stopped when she felt a small burn on her lower back, knowing a fireball hit her. She knew it was from the demon that tried to escape the cell created by the crystals. She rolled onto her back to face whatever the demon had to throw, only to find Taylor kicking the demon in the stomach to push him back into the paranormal cage. Ashley made another try at the crystal but was taken aback to see it moving by itself back to its place. She wondered what caused the stone's movement but found her answer when she heard a cry of pain from the crowd. Kimberly.
Feeling incensed and a bit culpable at causing her sister to use her telekinesis when she was in immeasurable distress, Ashley pushed herself up, determined to get an answer, any answer.
"All right, that's it," she said, stalking her way to Taylor, anger obvious in her walk. "You know what, we could care less about you pathetic demons. You're obsolete and we can vanquish you and still wait for others fighting for your same cause to give us answers."
"So how about making your lives the slightest bit worthwhile and tell us who you're working for and maybe we'll kill you before your boss does," Taylor continued the rant. They didn't expect the retort from one of the lower-level demons.
"Those are the only choices," he asked in strange partial amusement. "Gee, how nice." His sarcasm was not funny.
"That's it," Taylor repeated Ashley's words. "Take a pick: we vanquish you or your superior does, 'cause you know that's what's going to happen either way."
"Forget it," two of the demons stated in unison. The darklighter stayed silent however. The peculiarity struck Ashley and Taylor's minds. His gaze hit them and they could see something was coming, something they didn't know the result to, which actually scared them slightly.
The appearance in the demon's eyes reflected his acknowledgement of what might, and was most likely, going to happen. "The answer," he started slowly, "is in the Triskele." He finished the last part hurriedly and everyone would see why in two seconds: all three inside the barrier formed by the crystals suddenly broke out into flames and began screaming in almost as much anguish as Kimberly was in. Whoever was behind them knew what the darklighter divulged, and like most higher-level demons, he demolished any demon that betrayed him.
Though a big part of them knew it was going to happen if one of the demons told them anything close to what they wanted, Taylor and Ashley were still partially surprised. The day was going way off schedule as far as they were concerned.
"Well," Taylor let out into the quiet.
"Guess we got something useful," Ashley said, her eyes turning their attention to the girl beside her.
"Yeah, but a Triskele? How's that going to help us?"
"How about you two get back over here?"
Both girls whipped their heads to whoever made the request. Apparently, Chris and Wyatt hadn't taken down the forcefield yet and they weren't going to anytime soon. Taylor offered her hand to Ashley, both knowing that the only way for the two to reach the other side of the forcefield was by Taylor's shimmering. They materialized within seconds by Kimberly and the Halliwell brothers.
"Why didn't you guys heal her already," Taylor exclaimed when she turned her focus toward the oldest of the three young women, ignoring the fact there were dozens of baffled people behind her.
"We were getting to it," Chris said defensively. "That, and she wouldn't let us yet."
The last mention earned Kimberly a glare from both her sisters. "What," she asked.
"What," Ashley repeated, though not in the same sense as Kimberly had. "What do you mean 'what'? Why wouldn't you let them heal you?"
"I'm quite sure you don't like the feeling of having the arrow in your side," Taylor remarked.
Kimberly looked at the two and tilted her head, as she usually did, before answering. "You know how long it takes to get a darklighter's arrow out and to let the pain pass a while before being healed. I wasn't going to risk that while there was a chance either of you two could've been hurt with those three demons."
"They were already captured," Taylor pointed out.
"And when one of them got out?" Kimberly returned. "I know you two could've waited another couple of seconds but I wasn't going to just sit here and watch you two potentially get hurt."
"You should've told Wyatt or Chris," Ashley admonished, pointing toward the two guys for emphasis.
"That would've wasted another second or two where the demon could've hurt one of you. It didn't hurt too much for me to move that crystal back, anyways."
"Really," Ashley asked dubiously.
At that, Kimberly couldn't give a defense. She knew it she had made it obvious that she was hurting even more when she used her telekinesis again when she let out a pained cry. She admonished herself for revealing any weakness of the moment; she hadn't done so in quite some time. She didn't want to prolong this conversation any further and decided to get healed. "All right, all right, whatever, y'all win." She turned to Wyatt next. "Okay, so heal me already."
Wyatt Halliwell shook his head at the way the three girls would verbally dispute, almost calmly and assertive in tone but clashing and destructive in words. It was almost funny half the time. "I will never get you three," he commented before kneeling down beside Kimberly. "We should do this as quickly as possible. The least amount of time before the arrow's out, the less the poison spreads. Chris, could you get the arrow out quickly with your telekinesis?"
Chris gave his elder brother a look that the sisters gave to the two guys whenever they voiced possible inauspicious outcomes to minor problems involving demons. How many times would his protective brother ask him those types of question? "I'm your brother, Wyatt, of course I can. You're not the greatest power for nothing and I did get some powers after you were born."
"I thought we weren't allowed to say that unless we want to be jinxed," Ashley remarked, remembering how much Wyatt hated hearing himself referred to as the greatest power. He made it evident to them that he would discuss and face his destiny only when it became necessary.
"And I thought I was going to be healed within the next two minutes," Kimberly intervened. "Hello? Stuck with an arrow in my side, with unbearable pain to boot? Taylor, I have no idea how you survived that arrow."
"You got to me first," Taylor answered with a small smile.
"Okay, we can chat later," Wyatt said so that they could get on with what they had to do. "Chris, you ready?" A nod from Chris prompted Wyatt to turn to his first ever apprentice of sorts. "Kimberly?"
Another nod allowed Wyatt to start. He lightly grabbed the back of the arrow and broke it, leaving most of the arrow still in Kimberly just so that neither end would have to go through her when Chris took it out. "Chris."
At his brother's go-ahead, Chris extended his palm toward the direction of the darklighter's arrow and contracted it quickly, causing the arrow to fly out from Kimberly's side. Immediately, Kimberly reeled forward from the quick action that caused the air to hit the poison that was flowing inside her. It took several breaths and both her sisters rushing to her side in order to get the pain to subside.
"Don't worry," Wyatt said. "Just a few more seconds and it'll all pass."
True to his word, Wyatt waited only a couple of seconds before placing his hands above Kimberly's wound and focused on his healing energy. The bright, orange-yellow light glowed at the area and the process began. Though longer than most healings, the wound eventually closed and Wyatt's power drained the poison as the cut sealed. As the golden glow from Wyatt's hands faded, Taylor and Ashley were flooded with relief at seeing Kimberly patched up. Ashley instantly threw her arms around Kimberly; she did the same thing when Kimberly had healed Taylor from a darklighter's arrow.
"Oh, thank god, you're all right," she exclaimed.
"Well, duh, what else would I be?" Kimberly said with a chuckle. "Wyatt is a competent half-breed."
Her noun for her mentor made both Wyatt and Chris voice a loud 'Hey' at the offense. But they knew from the glint in her eyes and her sisters that it was all a just a joke they played with before. Besides, the two were already used to being called half-breeds in a more unpleasant light from demons.
"Now that Kim's healed," Taylor started, always ready to complete any upcoming task once another was finished, "we should get back to the manor and figure out whatever a Triskele is and what it has to do with Phrazare."
"I thought the Triskele was a cousin of the Triquetra," Kimberly noted.
"It is?"
Kimberly began an explanation of the symbol from what she remembered in her Wicca studies when she first gained her powers, Taylor and Ashley asking and commenting every now and then. The three were soon engrossed in trying to understand the significance of the symbol, they almost didn't hear their mentors, and some of their friends, clearing their throats very, very loudly to grab their attention. Chris nodded toward the rest of the retired rangers when the girls turned to him and Wyatt.
Taylor uttered a soft, "Oh," as she, Kimberly, and Ashley remembered there was something else they had to deal with before the demons had crashed the party.
The girls shifted in discomfort when the questioning silence grew into an awkward one and they couldn't think of what to say or who to look at first. No one expected Cassie to come forward and speak first, but all were somewhat relieved that someone took the first step to finding any insight.
"Um, someone mind explaining to me what the heck just happened in the last half-hour?" Several nods from others followed after Cassie's request.
"Well…" Ashley drew out, still thinking of the right thing to say.
"Maybe we should try to explain this," Chris offered, seeing the girls a situation he assumed they didn't want to be in. Yet right after he finished his suggestion Taylor spoke in refusal.
"No," she stated in what Kimberly called Taylor's lieutenant's voice. "This isn't yours or Wyatt's to explain. The responsibility was always ours."
Ashley turned to Taylor when she heard 'responsibility'. "You make it sound like it's a burden that'll blow up in our faces, Tay," she said, using her shortened version of Taylor's name. Ashley turned when she heard Kimberly's voice.
"Well, isn't it partially," Kimberly asked rhetorically. "It kind of did blow up in our faces just now."
"Kind of?" Taylor asked sarcastically.
Wyatt stepped in before this stray from the girls' main task went any further. "Okay, let me stop you right here. You three can argue or discuss or whatever about that little fact of 'responsibility'. Right now, I believe you guys have something bigger to handle."
Seeing they couldn't avoid this any longer, the girls turned to the massive group of previous rangers, overwhelmed by the whole look they were giving them. They never expected this many.
"You guys should go," Ashley said to Wyatt and Chris. "We can take of things from here."
"You sure?"
"Definitely."
Ashley's answer allowed the two brothers to orb back to their home in San Francisco, leaving so many unresolved issues and discussions to be made in Angel Grove Park.
The Charmed Ones stood together in front of their closest friends. It took much coaxing and promising but they finally got the privacy of talking to only their teams and friends. Convincing the other ex-rangers wasn't any easy task, especially after everything they revealed with the fights against the demons. After a minute of awkward silences that seemed to be prevalent that day, questions suddenly spurred up and the girls didn't know what to say or who to answer.
The girls were this close to giving up and have Kimberly orb them out of the park when it seemed some old friends understood their need for privacy. Tanya Sloan, Justin Stewart, the Aquitian and almost all the Lost Galaxy Power Rangers yelled for everyone to shut up and quiet down; after most of the crowd did, they stated this really wasn't any of their business, despite the involvement of so many rangers. After more wheedling, most of them understood and allowed Ashley, Kimberly, Taylor and their teams the privacy that the group would need. Promising that at least one of their friends would tell Tanya and Justin what was going on after thanking the two for getting rid of everyone else, the three young women in question led their friends to the clearing where Taylor and Eric had been earlier. It seemed large enough for their assembly and the surrounding grove brought seclusion from all others; they figured they would definitely need the distance from everyone else.
And now here they were, standing ahead of their closest comrades, trying to forget the inquiring and partly angry gazes from the old rangers. None of the audience would speak first and the girls were unsure of who would talk initially. Since Kimberly spoke first several times today and Ashley was the first to reveal her identity, Taylor pushed herself to say something first.
"I guess we should start off by saying sorry for the past few years," she said somewhat meekly, knowing she seemed out of character with her voice. "You guys have no idea how sorry we are."
The original, Ninjetti, Turbo, Astro, Wild Force rangers and Eric Myers shared unknowing glances, uncertain of what to say to that. Ashley had already apologized for the past three weeks, but until now, the Astro rangers, or the guys moreover, realized they hadn't really listened to her acts of contrition. They hung their heads when they realized how badly they treated her with their silence when they knew that she was never one with the ability to tolerate any silent treatment. Deep down, they knew she was sorry but had refused to let their hurt sit aside to see her sincerity.
Carlos Vallerte stepped forward, practically hating himself for his behavior toward Ashley the first day she returned. "I think we're the ones who should apologize, especially to Ashley. Ash, I'm sorry for being so mean to you when you came back. I was just so mad."
"We all were," TJ Johnson added. "We didn't mean half the things we said."
"And the other half," Ashley asked, wondering what TJ meant.
TJ thought a moment of the best thing to say so that he didn't anger any side. "The other half was what Cassie and Karone said, and you know they never said a word against you." He went over to hug Ashley, something he or the other male Astro Power Rangers hadn't done in years. He was soon joined by Carlos, Cassie, Karone, and Zhane wasn't far behind.
"We should've done this weeks ago," Zhane commented, always being the ones to bring the laughs the group. "It feels creepy hugging just guys."
"Hey, I thought we weren't going to say anything about that," TJ argued, bringing out more laughs from the six, knowing the two would never stop their jokes.
The humor, however, didn't take away from the fact that Andros still stood detached from the group, still in the crowd of other rangers. He merely stood in his spot, staring at the group he wanted to be a part of, a group he was always in before but felt so far from now. His aloofness took Ashley's attention, her feelings still hurt that he couldn't even consider her a friend after so many weeks. She couldn't help but wonder if he would ever do or say anything amiable toward her.
By now, everyone noticed Andros standing apart from his team, his quiet unnerving his friends. He slowly hung his head and Ashley thought he was about to turn and walk away. Much to her surprise, and her team, he lifted his head and stared her straight in the eyes. "I'm sorry, Ash."
Those words caused Ashley's eyes to gradually well up, choking them back so much that her throat was constricting. She waited so long to hear something, anything from Andros with his voice free from any ire, any remorse. Perhaps those emotions still lay in his heart, but the way he said those words didn't make Ashley feel like he did. She smiled when he called her by her shortened name in the way that only he could say it, so genuinely. She ran over to hug him, afraid they would go back to their reserve from three weeks ago if she didn't. Andros staggered for a second from the unexpected embrace, shock on his face that eventually dissipated when he felt the smallest warmth grow once again in his heart.
Nothing could take the smiles from Kimberly's and Taylor's face when they saw Ashley's glee from Andros's apology. She missed him and hated herself for leaving him for so long that she thought she would never hear him call her 'Ash' again. Now it was their turn.
It was going to be a long time before they ever got to explain the Charmed part of their story. The regrets and requests for forgiveness wouldn't stop. After Ashley, Taylor turned to the ex-Wild Force Rangers with a guilty smile.
"I really am sorry," she said with a remorseful nod. "But you guys have to know that I really had no choice. I'll explain it all later."
"Later?" Alyssa asked, incredulous that she would have to wait longer.
"Dude, we waited two years for an explanation," Max Cooper remarked, his childish impatience manifesting. "Now we have to wait even more?" Max put on his puppy face that he was sure Taylor would break from seeing. But then again, she was never one with a short resolve.
"Yes, later," Taylor answered. "Just give it a couple more minutes."
At that, her friends warmed up to her, giving her hugs that were initially foreign; even if they had been Power Rangers together, the only hugs she had gotten used to the past few years were from Ashley and Kimberly. She released her hold on her friends and looked back at them with a smile they hadn't seen in so long and one she thought she'd never give again. Giving each of them a real once-over, Taylor saw how each had change, physically and mentally. Like her, all of them matured from their ranger experience, especially Max. Little kid is growing up, she thought while her smile grew. She was finally happy to see them again. Yet there was one thing at the back of her mind…
Turning her notice to Eric, she could still feel the awkwardness from their personal admission in this same place before. Yet, as odd as it felt, in a weird way, it was as good as any apology and hug could ever be for the two of them. A sudden smirk appeared on her face at realizing things would never be conventional when it came to the both of them. Taylor felt amusement grow when Eric returned the smirk, probably thinking the same exact thing.
Taylor could feel both her sisters looking at her and her friends with smiles of their own. They had never seen her in any of her old environments of flying a plane or with her old team. It was definitely a new sight. We're almost done, Taylor thought, at least with the first part. Almost. The longest to explain was the last to finish…
Kimberly walked forward from the unofficial line she and her sisters made. She knew this was coming and part of her was glad that it would be over after all these years. Then again, a bigger part of her was scared of what would come. She couldn't even decide who to look to first; she lost so much contact that she barely felt any connection and the knowledge of the loss made Kimberly even warier of speaking.
"So I guess it's my turn." She looked around to see eight pairs of eyes staring intently at her. It was quite unnerving. How am I going to do this? "I'm sorry," she said as if she was giving everything up. "I know it sounds so worn out and it's not enough, but I've been waiting to say that for ten years. 'I'm sorry' is nothing compared to everything I need to make up, but I have to begin somewhere. And I really don't know what to say except ask you guys to let me explain."
The hopeful and remorseful look in her eyes told her friends that though her apology was small it was the most honest one she could have ever given in the situation, and under that apology was a plea for eventual forgiveness. They could see the old Kimberly who would never intentionally cause her friends so much pain and emptiness if she could help it. She lifted her head to look at Aisha when she felt her friend's hand kindly grab her wrist.
"We haven't done anything that said we wouldn't," Aisha said, her warm smile comforting Kimberly. "Why do you think we've stuck around for so long today?"
"We were willing to wait as long as you needed before you told us the truth," Trini added for assurance. "We're still waiting, Kimberly. We always will."
The only thing Kimberly could do to restrain any tears from falling was to smile again. She actually had friends behind her who would support her the whole way. She thought she would never find that in them after what she did. Switching glimpses between the two former yellow Power Rangers, she found the strength to continue. Kimberly decided to take a chance and turned her attention to the all the men on her old teams and Katherine. Her eyes implored them to listen. To her relief, Billy spoke before she had to explain.
"Rest assured, Kim," he began, "You will always have our full support. Rarely would we ever await an explication from anyone but someone like you. We aren't friends for nothing, you know."
As soon as he embraced Kimberly, everyone else came forward to do the same, even Katherine who knew to a degree how hard this could be for the first pink ranger. When she pulled away, she felt the world being completely calm and content, and she thought she was headed toward that direction… until she remembered Tommy still standing so far off from the rest of them. It was distressing Kimberly a great deal by now. Any smile she was about to make faded away along with the cheerful thoughts of an intimate reunion between friends. Her hold on her friends arms dropped and they knew what she wanted to do, what she needed to do. With that acknowledgement, they parted their group and Kimberly walked the path toward Tommy, telling herself she couldn't turn back again.
Feeling her breath staggering, she took hold of Tommy's hand, sensing his hesitation with the quick flinch of his hand in hers. She almost smiled knowing he was just as nervous as she.
"Tommy…" Kimberly let his name float in the air, allowing him to finally hear that she was talking to him and only him. "I know it's not enough. I don't think anything is enough now to make up for what I did. But you have to know that I feel the worst of my regret because of what I did to you." Everyone there thought she was talking about never coming back, but the majority of them knew there was more behind it, and so did Tommy. "The only person I should really apologize to is you. I left a whole life behind but I left something else that could've saved me, too."
A look of confusion crossed his face for about the fifth time that day and almost everyone around him felt the same way. Save her? How? Kimberly let a sad smile appear from her lips, knowing she would have more to explain since she said that last thing.
"I don't expect forgiveness, Tommy. I can wish for it all I want, especially from you, but I don't expect it. I have a lot to live for now but I don't want to leave today without telling you and everyone else the truth about where I've been and what I've been doing these last years. It's a big thing and I…" Kimberly lost a little faith in herself when Tommy still hadn't looked at her from his stare to the side since she started talking to him. She needed for him to listen and trust what she had to say. "I don't think I can continue without having you guys know everything."
"What's everything?"
Everyone turned their heads when they saw Wes Collins accidentally encroach into the group's personal congregation. Taylor sighed at her old pseudo-boss and how he still came in at what appeared to be the wrong time. But maybe it wouldn't hurt for just one more person to know… if they ever got around to telling their story.
Eric walked over to his best friend to see why he was here all of a sudden. "Wes, what are you doing here?"
"Well, I'm sorry, but I find it just a little weird that all of sudden all these old Power Ranger groups leave to have some sort of meeting and you tag along with them." The expression Wes was giving Eric told everyone that he wasn't leaving until he got an explanation as well.
"I didn't tag along."
"He was invited," Taylor offered. "Sort of. It's okay, Wes, you might as well hear it too. I did leave the Silver Hills Flight Sector all for you and Eric to handle by yourselves. Sorry about that by the way."
At her composed apology, Taylor gained more stunned expressions from her friends and Wes. Since they last saw her, they never expected her to approach any stranger as amicably as she had at the reunion, let alone give an apology willingly.
Taylor's readiness to say sorry convinced Wes that he should stay. "All right, now I have to stick around, if just to see what caused a lieutenant with a rock-hard grudge against everybody to say sorry to me from out of nowhere."
"Hey, I resent that," Taylor stated, causing everyone to laugh from the distraction and the relief over the tense mood that came with the laughter.
"Maybe we should start," Ashley remarked when the soft mirth died down.
"The sooner the better," Taylor agreed.
"So where do we begin," Kimberly asked, hoping for a little guidance to see where they should start with their stories of the past years.
And then they did…