I don't own power rangers. Just the story.

It was raining. Monsooning. Of-freaking-course.

It never rained in this part of the state. Kimberly could count on her fingers the times it had rained from the time she was a baby to now. But, naturally, the night she really needed to get lost on a long run, preferably in the woods, it was pouring.

She pushed both the speed and the incline up on the treadmill. The gymnastics coach had been nice enough to leave the door to the school's training room open for her after hearing her dismay about the weather – "the least" she could do. The coach was sweet. Spending the day working with the girls from the high school team had been amazing. It had really reminded her how much she loved teaching this age group – something she hadn't done in a while since it was mostly college aged girls who could pay her training prices. She should take on a few younger girls. Maybe free of charge. Even Tommy had noticed that her gyms were doing very well.

Tommy.

Who did he think he was, running to her late at night and then just disappearing? More importantly, why did she let him in? She should have let him bleed to death in the hallway of her building.

She turned the speed up again.

He was a coward. Coming to see her all tweaked out on space power, but running away the second the endorphins wore out. She guessed they were both runners. Yet another reason why they would never work.

Kimberly felt her watch buzz against her wrist. She turned down the speed to read the text that had bounced up on screen. Trini wanted to take her out to dinner, some place nice, the text said. The words "don't bail" were in all caps. And underlined. Damn. Sighing, she ended the run and hopped off the machine. She could manage a dinner with Trini. Maybe Jason, too. Kimberly slowly gathered up her things and made her way out of the school. Dinner could be fun. She hadn't really gotten to talk with any of her old friends in such a long time, even if that was on purpose.

.

.

.

Kimberly pulled into the parking lot and checked her phone. Trini had sent a text with the table number that she was supposed to give to the host. Fourteen. She could remember that. She quickly made her way into the restaurant, stopping for a moment to check her reflection in the full-length mirror that had been placed right inside the entrance. Handy.

She frowned at the attempt she had made to curl her hair as it was almost straight after only about an hour, but the black dress she had chosen still looked pretty good- if she said so herself. It was complimented by her favorite pair of Jimmy Choos, and Kimberly laughed at herself and her designer shopping addiction. With a quick reapplication of her lipstick, she walked through the second door and into the front of the restaurant.

"Good evening!" the hostess greeted her, "How many in your party tonight?"

"Hello. I'm actually meeting someone."

"Have they already arrived?"

"Yes. It's-" There he was. She was really sick of him just showing up. And she was especially sick of him showing up looking like something out of her almost daily fantasies.

"Miss?"

"I, um." Kimberly looked at the host and then back at Tommy. He was dressed in a simple suite, but had, she assumed, taken off the jacket and tie. A few buttons were undone at his collar, and his sleeves were rolled up. The tattoos were new. And a nice touch.

"Do you have a table number?"

Kimberly did her best to snap back to the present moment. "Yes. It's….uh." Damn. She had forgotten the table number.

"Fourteen." Jason walked up beside her and put a hand on her back. "I'll show her, Leia. She's meeting me, after all."

"Oh. Of course, Mr. Scott."

Jason laughed quietly as he led Kimberly into the dining area.

"What was that about?"

"I could ask you the same question, sis." He laughed again. "I volunteered to help out Tommy and Rocky one weekend and Leia was the sister to one of their students. We went out once or twice forever ago. I don't know why she called me Mr. Scott."

"I think she might want to kill me," she said looking over her shoulder at the glowering hostess.

"Hm. So, I noticed you noticing Tommy."

She stopped walking. "Trini didn't say anything about him being here. Does he know I'm going to be here?"

"I guess." Jason shrugged, "You know Trini."

"Jase," she turned to face him, "I know I can do this, but I don't know if I can do this."

"I don't get it."

She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and thought for a moment. "Have you ever known that something was just supposed to be? You're just supposed to have it or do it or whatever, but everything is against it?"

He looked down and nodded.

"Now imagine having that thrown in your face at every corner."

He nodded again and put his arm around her. "We'll get through it. Just sit down and don't get up until it's over."

"Kimberly!" Trini was standing up and waving them over. And there was Tommy-looking at the ground.

She took a deep breath. "I can sit." Putting a smile on her face she strode over and gave Trini a hug. "Hey, girl."

"I'm so glad you came!" Trini let her go. "I threatened to conference in Zach and Billy. But they both refused to answer the phone."

"She did try," Tommy spoke up.

Kimberly mentally checked her smile and turned toward him, "Hey, Oliver."

"Hart." Tommy smiled.

"Sit." Trini pushed her down into the chair between herself and Tommy.

She could do this. She could make it through one meal. As everyone talked about their day and various jobs, Kim did her best to smile and laugh appropriately. It was difficult considering that, occasionally, his leg brushed hers under the table (accident?) and his cologne was practically smothering her (but in the best way possible), but she did it. She made it through the appetizer, staying mostly quiet with only a few words here and there. She made it through the meal, with maybe one glass of wine too many, but whatever. She was doing this.

"Dessert?" Trini handed her a menu. "I always get the cheesecake. It's definitely a guilty pleasure."

Kimberly laughed, "Sure." She opened the menu and looked at what was listed.

"I don't know why you're even looking," Tommy said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Her words came out quieter than she intended, but she thought she was doing pretty good being unable to breathe and all.

"I know what you're going to get. You always get the same thing."

She put her smile back on and took a deep breath, "Maybe I've changed."

"Maybe. Want to bet on it?"

She regarded him for a moment. "What's the bet?"

"If I'm right, you share it with me."

"When you're wrong?"

"If I'm wrong, I'll go without a dessert."

"Truly a sacrifice." She felt her smile become a little more genuine. The harmless bet was helping. "Okay."

He took the menu out of her hands and pointed when the waiter came over.

"What did you pick?"

"You'll see."

The two shared a smile, and for a moment Kimberly felt like things were okay. They could do this. They could be friends.

"Tommy," Jason nudged him and handed him his phone. "Check this out."

Kim looked at Jason. He was trying way too hard to make the phone pass seem casual. She glanced over at Trini and saw the girl staring at the ground, fiddling with the napkin in her lap.

"Interesting." Tommy handed the phone back and pulled out his own.

"Guys," Trini said. It sounded like a warning. "Not right now, okay?"

The two shared a look. "Right," Jason said.

Tommy slid his phone back in a pocket. "Yeah." He glanced at the exit. "I might have to skip out on dessert, though. Sorry."

"Tommy." Trini sounded disappointed. She made it a point to look at Kimberly, "I think you can stay for dessert."

He shrugged.

"Excuse me for a minute." Kim stood up from the table and turned in the direction of the front door. She thought she had seen a sign for the restrooms, and she needed a second to herself. As she neared the front, the voices from the tables died down. She could hear her heels click a marching cadence on the tile floor. She felt tears prick the corners of her eyes. Was this anger? Why was she angry? What was she expecting? He was a ranger, so of course he would have to leave. That's how it would go. They would start to get along, they would be good, and then he would leave. "I'm so stupid." She leaned against the wall of a tiny hallway that led to the restrooms. Eyes closed, she took three deep breaths. Things wouldn't change. They both led very separate lives and would continue doing so. He-

"Kim?"

He had followed her.

"Are you okay?"

She stood up straight. "Of course."

"You're angry."

She sighed, "Not really."

"Then why did you leave?"

She pointed at the sign on the wall, "Bathroom."

"You're in the hall."

"I am."

Silence.

Kim clenched her fist, she shouldn't be angry. She shouldn't want to hit him square in his perfect, attractive mouth. She should talk to him. Maybe talking would help. Talking never helps.

"I…" he squared his shoulders. "I don't like this."

"What?"

"I don't like how things are with us."

"How are things?"

"Kimberly."

She saw the professor side of him in that single word. Suddenly she felt like she had failed a huge test, and there was no extra credit. "I know," she responded, feeling defeated. She felt her shoulders slump.

He reached out and put his hands on her arms. "I want us to be…normal."

"Normal?" Normal? He was literally holding her at arms length. This was a freaking metaphor in the flesh.

He dropped his arms like he could read her thoughts. "I want you to stop running." He reached out and took her hand. "I want to stop giving you reasons to run."

"But you're not-"

"Doesn't matter." Tommy tugged on her hand and pulled her against him.

She looked up at him, "Tommy?"

"You can tell me to stop. I will." He leaned closer to her.

She didn't say anything. He kissed her. Tentatively - until she put her arms around his neck and pulled him tighter to her. His hands moved down her back to the tops of her thighs and lifted her up between him and the wall. He broke the kiss and bent his head to her shoulder. She shivered and leaned her head back against the wall as his lips touched the crook of her neck. She couldn't breath. She didn't need to.

And then she heard it. It was the same four note alert that she had heard all through high school. She still heard it sometimes, unsure if it was in her mind or just ingrained into her soul.

Tommy let her back to the ground and stepped back. "I have to-"

"Tommy!" Jason stuck his head around the corner.

"I know." Tommy snapped. "Kimberly, I-"

"Have to go." Kim straightened her dress and turned away from him. "I guess I'll see you."

"Kim."

But she was already walking past Jason and back to the table and Trini. He had to go.