Kimberly sat down at her desk and hid her face. She knew that she would have to face Tommy, if not for herself, for their daughter, because it was the very least that she could do. The question really was why was she avoiding Tommy? The truth had been put out there between them; he had accepted that they couldn't be together and that they would just have to be friends. Well, on second thought, he had agreed, not accepted what was going on. That was what bothered her the most. He still had hope; he still knew that she was not over him, in any way.
Everything that Andros said was true. She knew it, they all knew that it was true, no matter what she tried to push it off as; she knew that the knots in her stomach were not from the monsters. She still loved him, that was why facing him was impossible. She knew that Tommy was the one man that she wanted, more than anything in this world. She had to push him away though, he had to be kept safe from this world and this was the only way. She just had to hold him off, for everyone's sake, even if it made her completely miserable.
"Kimberly," Tommy said as he walked down into his Command Center and tapped on the screen. He knew that he had to get her attention as soon as possible; it was for both of their sakes. Jenny was determined to get them to talk; he had to do this for her. This was exactly what their daughter deserved, even if she didn't want to give it to her.
"Go away, Tommy," Kim said as she felt herself land in Tommy's command center and she looked over at him. He looked just as shocked as she was that she had now landed in the middle of his home.
"I can't believe that he did that," Tommy muttered as Kim glared over at him and he just shrugged his shoulders, what else could he do, but say that. There was really nothing else that he could say to explain it that would not get him in a world of trouble.
"Who is he?" Kim asked as Tommy looked away. She could imagine who it might be, but she wanted Tommy to deny it, completely. She wanted it to be someone that could not manage to shut down all forms of transport that she now regularly used.
"Andros," Tommy said as Kimberly groaned. She did not want to hear that. She was sure that he had disabled every signal teleportation module that she could get to so that the two of them would talk. "Kim, Jenny desperately wants us to talk. What are you going to do to stop that? How are you going to tell her that you won't even look at me much less have a real conversation with me? She's not going to take no for an answer, she's got a stubborn streak in her. And I think we both know exactly where that came from, sweetie."
"Tommy, I don't really have much of a choice. I want you to have a normal life," Kim said as Tommy just shook his head and stood up from his chair to pace. There was not much more that he could do but that right now. Kim was not going to just take him back in her arms, considering the ice cold welcoming he had gotten from her, except for the one hug she had given him.
"And I want our child to have a family, not just you or me. We're going to make her choose that if you keep on pushing me away. Kim, I just want for you to be happy, even if it isn't with me. I want you to have someone, you deserve someone. You shouldn't be alone for the rest of your life," Tommy said as Kim just shook her head. He didn't know what this was putting her through. Every time she looked at him, she knew that she was that much closer to breaking. She could not do that, though. She had to stay strong, somehow.
"And I want you, but I can't do this to you. You deserve a life of freedom, not one with constant responsibilities," Kim said as Tommy threw both of his arms up in the air and Kim just looked over at him. She was absolutely crazy to keep asking this of him. He could not continue to give her up and he was sure that she was not going to last much longer either. He could see that much in her eyes, even if he couldn't make out much else.
"It should be my choice Kimberly, not yours. You said all I needed was one more team, guess what, I'm pretty damn close to have that one more time and becoming one of you. Kim, either way, I don't think that you have much of a choice. I'm going to wind up with you one way or another. We might as well get used to the idea," Tommy said as Kim let out the longest sigh she had in ages, as she was frustrated with the situation. She did not want another person reaffirming what she had known all along, that she was going to bring Tommy into this mess, no matter what.
"I am not letting you do this!" Kim yelled as Tommy just shook his head and walked over to her and quickly kissed her and she pulled away from him, completely shocked. She could still feel the spark from all those years ago and she was scared to death of what that was going to do. "Tommy, no…Tommy I can't."
"You can't? Not you won't," Tommy said as Kim looked away from him. She did not want to hear any more, she did not want for him to say what she was thinking. "Tell me that you don't love me now and I'll leave you, I'll never ask you again. I'll just want to see Jenny on the weekends or whenever she wants."
"I…I…I do…I can't love you," Kim said as Tommy just grabbed her and held her as tightly as he could without hurting her.
"So you do, Kimberly please don't do this," Tommy said as he begged and she just looked away from him, tears streaming down her face. "I love you and I never quit loving you. I'll do anything, even stay away from being a ranger if I can just have you."
"If you're with me, then you'll be a ranger Tommy. There is no avoiding it, our powers together are far too strong. I have tried to find a way around it, but I haven't found it. Tommy, if I could have you without any problems, I wouldn't second guess it, but I have to right now. You mean too much to me and I want to know that if I ever die that Jenny will have someone. Just do that for me, Tommy," Kim pleaded as he captured her mouth again and she tried to tug away, but quickly stopped as Tommy pulled her even closer.
"I can't live without you, Kim and you can't tell me that you want to live without me. You wouldn't let me do this," Tommy said as Kim felt his hands trembling as he brushed back her hair. "Please, Kimberly, don't do this baby."
"Friends is all we can ever be, Tommy," Kim said as she raised her arm and sent out a rough pulse towards Tommy, knocking him out. "I'm so sorry to have to do this to you."
"Kimberly Ann Hart," Andros scolded as she stalked back into the center and then slammed the door to her room shut. "What have you done?"
"I knocked him out, Andros. He kissed me, he told me that he loved me, he would take me back, today. I can't continue to do this Tommy. I have to get away from him, Andros. I have to let him have a life without me from now on," Kim said as she was shaking and Andros walked in and wrapped her up in a strong hug. "I love him so much, why does this have to be so hard."
"Because you think that you have to protect him. He's a grown man and the both of you have the right to be happy. Why make him so miserable?" Andros asked as Kim said just shuddered. "You love him, Kimberly. He's the only man that you've ever loved and will ever love. We both know that. Take him back and be happy and forget the consequences. It'll be so much better for the two of you to be together, especially for Jenny. She is your daughter and his as well."
"Don't tell me that, I think it enough myself. I can't do this to him. He deserves a life," Kim said as Andros held her closely and she sobbed.
"So do you, Kim and you've hurt more than just yourself by staying away from him. Think about Jenny, think about the others and think about everything that you have deprived yourself of. You deserve to get that life back," Andros said as Kim tried to calm herself down, but only wound up crying herself to sleep in his arms.
He had never thought that Kim was going to be like this twice within the span of a couple of days. However, this was what Tommy did to her. He knew that before they had schemed to get them to meet back up. He, however, was now seeing everything that was wrong with their plan. They had never thought that she would be able to hold herself back from him. She, however, was determined, which was something that they all hated to hear about this situation.