The following days blurred past in a hive of activity as arrangements were made for the memorial service. The glazier had repaired the damage from the first night, (though he was curious how it had happened) and Kira had at last received clearance from the coroner for her parents to be transferred to the crematorium. It now only stood to make the invitations.
The afternoon was spent making phone calls to friends and work colleagues to inform them of the service. It was bad enough having to go through list of names and numbers, without almost every single one being a complete stranger.
Tommy looked over at Kira as she sat on the couch calling yet another "anonymous friend" from her parent's address book. Since the coroner's office had called, she had snapped from a virtual comatose of sorrow into productivity. Her hair was swept back out of her face into a small yellow scrunchie. For the first time in a couple of days, she had actually showered and dressed. Her choice of plain black sweat pants and baggy yellow sweater was hardly flattering, but it was an improvement over the ill-fitting pyjamas she had worn around the house since she arrived. Tommy was so taken aback by the change in her, he had almost forgotten about the lady on the other end of his mobile.
"Dr Oliver, are you still there?" She inquired, getting a little annoyed at the dead line.
"I'm sorry Ms Edwards." Tommy stuttered, suddenly realising he was still on the phone. "Yes, the flower garden in the park at 1 on Saturday."
"I'll be there." The lady replied. "John was always such a joker in the office. We'll miss him dearly. He talked about his little girl all the time. Sometimes it felt like she was related to all of us."
"Thank you, Ms Edwards. I'll pass your sympathies on to Kira." Tommy answered, hanging up. He glanced back over at Kira, who was just finishing up her own call.
"That about does it for your parent's friends." Tommy piped up. "Anyone you want to invite?"
Kira shrugged, thinking about it. "Guess I could invite the guys." She answered, playing with the straps on her splint.
"I'm sure we could think of a few others." Tommy answered back. "Remember, the people at the memorial service are there for you as much as your mom and dad." He pulled a little black book out of the back pocket of his jeans. "How about Tori and the others at the academy? I know you got to know them quite well."
"I would like to see them again." Kira replied, shifting on the couch. "I've been keeping in touch with Tori since…" She broke off her conversation at this thought.
"Since you got your powers back." Tommy completed her sentence. He pulled her Dino Gem bracelet out of a box on the sideboard, presenting it to her. "When you wrote to me telling me about the Overdrive Team, I started making contact with Dr Hartford."
"If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't be alone." She sighed, snatching the bracelet from him and throwing it across the room.
"If it wasn't for that, you wouldn't be alive." Tommy shot back, looking her in the eye. "Don't ever feel bad about surviving. Do you think your parents would have wanted you to die with them?"
Kira shook her head slowly as she reached for the black book in Tommy's outstretched hand.
"You're not alone." Tommy reassured her. "The Ninja academy team, the Returning Rangers and the Overdrive team would all love to be there for you. The guys will be here whether you want them or not." He bowed his head to catch her eye as she continued to stare at her feet. "And I'm not planning on going anywhere."
"Thanks Tommy." She breathed, half-smiling as she placed a hand on his shoulder.
That night, as Kira slept, curled up in Tommy's arms Tommy drifted off into his subconscious.
Sitting at his desk in the science lab of Reefside High, Tommy sat, as usual, marking the homework assignments of his class, wondering in dismay if most of them had learned anything at all. As the bell rang, he held up a hand.
"Kira, could I talk to you about your assignment for a minute?" He beckoned, waving her over. Kira walked over to Dr Oliver's desk, sitting on the edge of it. Tommy glared in disbelief as she did this. Quickly looking round to make sure the last students were gone, he gestured for her to get off the desk.
"There seems to be a problem with your last homework assignment." Tommy began, peering through her notes.
"What problem?" Kira chimed in playfully.
"Well question 1, 'What three physiological features prevent the Pterodactyl being classified as a Dinosaur?'" He looked into her not-so-innocent face as she turned to face him, still sitting on the desk. "You appear to have written some form of love song."
"First thing that came to mind." She replied with a shrug.
"Question 3, 'What major climate shifts caused the transition from the Jurassic to the Triassic ages?' you appear to have written a marriage proposal."
"Second thing that came to mind." She responded, before grabbing Tommy by the shirt and pulling him into a deep, passionate kiss. Tommy pushed her away, his breathing heavy with exertion and he just stood, staring in disbelief at her awesome beauty. Before he knew what was happening, he found himself launching into a passionate embrace as the two lost each other in a kiss that just seemed to make the rest of the world fade away.
Tommy woke with a start, finding Kira still curled up peacefully next to him. Tommy got out of bed carefully so as not to wake her, and made his way into the bathroom. Running the cold tap, he splashed his face to wake himself up, and stared in disbelief at himself in the mirror. How could he not see this coming? Had the feelings he had for her really lasted so long?
Kira stirred in her bed as thoughts ran through her mind.
Kira sat on the railing of the balcony outside Reefside after her performance at the Prom. Staring out over the night, she wiped another tear away from her cheek. She never even noticed Tommy approaching from behind her.
"You were great out there tonight." Tommy announced, climbing over the railing to sit next to her. He gently stroked her mascara-soaked cheek. "What's this all about?"
"I really hate goodbyes." Kira sniffed loudly, wiping her face with her sleeve. "That's why I left after the set."
"Why would it be goodbye?" Tommy asked, placing his arm around her. "You have the guy's phone numbers, you have my E-mail."
"That's not it." She sighed.
"Hey, I miss the whole Ranger thing too." Tommy interrupted. "I've done the whole 'farewell to arms' thing six times now. I have three hampers full of old coloured clothes to prove it."
"You're such an idiot." Kira sniggered, shoving him away slightly. "I'm going to miss the Ranger thing for sure, but that's not what's upsetting me."
"Your childhood ending?" Tommy asked desperately. He was fast running out of ideas. "I know graduation can feel like that, but if you ever see the way Jason and I carry on when we get together…"
"God, how could you get a palaeontology degree when you're so dumb!" She shrieked, hitting him hard in the chest with her fist before hopping off the railing.
"Then what..?"
"You Tommy!" She shrieked, rounding on him. "I wanted to be with you."
"Kira..I…"
"Save it Tommy!" She snapped, turning her back on him. "Don't patronise me. I know what a crush is, and this isn't a crush. I've felt like this since the moment we met." Tears ran down her cheeks as she stared into the night sky. I knew you'd only ever see me as a kid." She stared downwards, talking into her chest. "No point going for what I'll never have."
"Don't sell yourself short." Tommy replied, tapping her gently on the shoulder. Kira turned to face him as he placed an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. Cradling her chin with his hand, he gave her a long, passionate, loving kiss that made her heart race.
"B-b-b-ut"
Tommy silenced her with a finger to her trembling lips. "If I'd had an affair with a student, I'd have been arrested." He answered, looking deep into her beautiful brown eyes. "I've always wanted to be with you Kira."
Kira sat bolt upright on the bed, her heart pounding as she tried to catch her breath.
"What's going on?" She whispered to herself, noticing that Tommy was no longer in the bed. "I thought I'd gotten over this already."