Title: Reclaiming His Crane
Author: Mykkila09
Chapter: 2 of 5
Chapter Title: The Crane's Choice
Settings: during ZEO and then TURBO; starts out with that atrocious episode, "There's No Business like Snow Business" and that God-awful letter and ends with T: APRM.
Story Summary: Tommy gets the letter and after thinking things over, he decides not to let things end that way and to follow his heart.
Chapter Summary: Kim deals with being in Florida on her own; showcases everything leading up to the writing of the letter and Kim's actions after Tommy's visit.
Chapter Word Count: 6,563
Disclaimer: Power Rangers and all its affiliates belong to Haim Saban; no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. If you didn't get that...I do NOT own and I am NOTmaking any money off of this.
A/N: ok, it's a day off because I was having internet problems, but things are good now, so thanks to everyone who reviewed and loved the first part. Read and review so I can know what you think.
'Thinking'
"Speaking"
Original Posting Date: Saturday 28th May, '11.
(Starts after Kim returned to Florida after Christmas break)
Kim sighed as she left the gym and headed to the dorm building just a few feet away. She had just had another gruelling day of practice and was looking forward to nice, long, bath to soothe her aching muscles. The cool breeze of the Florida air was more than welcomed on her skin.
It was the ending of February, just over two months since she came back from spending Christmas in Angel Grove with her friends and boyfriend. She had enjoyed her time back home, even with the attack and saving Christmas, but she wouldn't have changed it for anything.
Smiling softly, her hands went up to the necklace around her neck and she fingered the pendant that lay there; Tommy had given it to her as her Christmas. He had pulled her aside after the concert and had gave her the necklace; she loved it, one reason because it was from him, the other because of the pendant, which was two birds—a crane and a falcon—intertwined in heart.
"Hey Kim," a voice drew her out of her thoughts and she looked up to see her roommate and her boyfriend, at the entrance to the dorm building.
"Hey guys," Kim greeted.
"I'll see you later Denise," the boy, Antonio Bernard, said.
"Alright," Denise nodded. "Night Tonio." The two kissed before Tonio walked away, leaving the two girls at the door.
"So how was practice?" Denise asked as she opened the door and the two girls walked in.
"It was good," Kim smiled, "gruelling, but good. I'm going up now and I plan on taking a warm and soothing shower. What about you Deedee? How was your night?" Because her name was Denise Davis and her initials were 'DD', Kim had given the girl the nickname 'Deedee' after she had arrived in Florida and the two became roommates and then friends. She was the only allowed to call her that.
"Amazing," Denise smiled at her friend. It was her night off from practice and she had spent it with her boyfriend. "Tonio took me out to dinner and then we went dancing."
"Sounds like you had fun," Kim laughed.
"Oh yeah," Denise nodded. The two continued talking as they headed up the stairs, opting not to take the elevator was they were only on the second floor.
"What are you going to do tonight?" Denise asked as she closed the door to their dorm room behind her.
"After my shower," Kim answered as she headed to her bedroom, "I'll call Tommy."
"Have fun," Denise smiled before she sat down on the couch and grabbed the remote, turning the TV on.
"I will," Kim called out before she closed the door, her roommate's laughter following her.
~...~
Over the next few days, Kim practiced her routines until they were near perfection. As was the norm, the beam would be the last event she practised and today was no different. She had just finished her routine when she heard her name.
"Hey Kim," she looked up and saw Daniel Mitchell heading towards her. She had met Danny about a week after she had came back from Christmas break and the two had clicked immediately, almost as immediately as she had clicked with Denise.
"Hey," Kim smiled at him. She walked over to where her gym bag was and bent down to grab it before straightening up. "What's up?"
"Nothing," Danny shook his head. "I knew your practice would be over about now, so I thought I'd come see you."
"Aww," Kim smiled at him as she started walking out of the gym, Danny falling into step beside her. "That's sweet."
"What can I say," Danny grinned, "I'm a sweet guy." He held the door open for her and when she stepped out, he let it go. "So, Kim, are you doing anything later?"
"Dee and I are going to hang out tonight," Kim answered as she looked over at him. "Why?"
"I was wondering if you'd wanna go out to eat with me," Danny asked hopefully.
"Danny," Kim stopped walked and turned fully towards him. "You do remember that I still have a boyfriend, right?"
Danny frowned. He couldn't understand why Kim still kept the relationship when she and the guy were miles apart and he was right there.
"But Kim," Danny started, hoping to change her mind. "You and I have a connection, one you don't have with Tommy." He was referring to their similar childhoods. "We bonded over that and we understand each other better than someone else could. I know you like me Kim, and I like you, don't you think you should be fair to Tommy and let him go?"
Kim stared at him in disbelief; yes, she knew that they connected because of their similar past, and he was a really nice guy, someone she knew she could talk to. She did like him, but she didn't like him enough to give up Tommy.
"Danny," Kim sighed as she started walking again. "I do like, but not enough to break up with Tommy. I love Tommy, with all my heart. Please accept that."
Danny said nothing, he only nodded in frustration; he wished she would understand and see what he did. However, he wasn't going to give up that easily. He truly believed they belonged together.
"Ok Kim," He said to placate her.
"Ok," Kim nodded and she stopped in front of the entrance to the dorm building. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye," Danny said as he turned and walked away.
~...~
Over the course of the next few weeks, Danny hadn't changed his tune; he was still there every day after Kim was finished with her practice and they still talked. Every time they did, Danny would remind her of everything he had told her a few weeks ago and though Kim would remind him of her relationship, she couldn't help but to realize that she was starting to like him more than a friend...a lot more.
She and Danny would spend a lot of time hanging out after practice and on their days off. They would talk as they normally do and sometimes they would have fun. Soon enough, she was starting to fall for him, and Danny seemed to realize that as he reiterating what he had told her; he kept telling her about to Tommy in that she should let him go to be with someone who was actually there and that she should be with him as he connects with her in a way no one else—not even Tommy—does.
Kim tried to ignore it, but she would find herself thinking over everything Danny had told her. While she knew in her heart she belonged to Tommy, she couldn't help but to fall for Danny and she started wanting to be with him. But she still couldn't bring herself to cheat on him or to let him go so easily.
(Four days before Tommy's arrival)
Time passed again, and before she knew it, May had arrived. It was the first week and she had finally perfected her routines. She was able to do them with minimal to no missteps and she couldn't be happier. She the moment she was done with her routine, Danny would be waiting on her, however, to her surprise—and slight disappointment—he wasn't.
"Dee," Kim walked over to her roommate and friend. "Have you seen Danny?"
Denise looked up from her position on the floor—she was doing the splits and stretching—and answered her friend.
"No," Denise shook her head, "maybe he's not done with his own training."
"You're right," Kim smiled and shook her own head.
"Why are you asking for him?" Denise narrowed her eyes at her friend. She knew that Danny wanted to be with Kim and that the girl put him off seeing as how she was in a relationship, but she couldn't help but to wonder if things weren't changing.
"No reason," Kim said, "it's just that, usually he's here and he's not, so I thought I'd ask."
"Ok, if you say so," Denise murmured.
"Do you want me to wait for you?" Kim asked as she shifted her gym bag on her shoulder.
"Nah," Denise smiled at her, "you don't have to. Besides, Tonio's taking me out."
"Ahh," Kim grinned, "I got it. Tell him I said hi."
"I will," Denise laughed, "see ya later Kim."
"Bye," Kim waved before she turned and walked out the gym. She smiled at the other gymnasts that she passed, but she didn't stop and continued on her way to the dorm building. As she walked, her thoughts went to Danny; she couldn't help but to remember a conversation they had a few days ago.
Flashback
Coach Schmidt had ended practice early and everyone was beyond happy about it. Denise was spending the rest of the afternoon with Antonio and Kim and Danny had decided to hang out.
They were walking through the park, talking about their routines and past when Danny stopped and sat down on a bench, pulling Kim with him.
"What?" Kim laughed.
"Have you thought more on what I was telling?" Danny asked, cutting right to the chase.
"Danny," Kim stopped laughing and looked at him. "You know why. I love Tommy."
"So?" Danny grabbed her hands. "I'm not saying you don't, but don't you think it's time to move on from him? You guys are just in high school and high school relationships don't last long. I mean, who's to say he hasn't already found some other girl?"
"He hasn't," Kim denied, "Tommy isn't like that and he wouldn't do that."
"But you're doing it," Danny pointed out. "Kim, if you didn't have feelings for me, you wouldn't have gotten as close to me as you did, especially after I told you all that I did and what I keep telling you. You wouldn't listen if there wasn't a part of that thought the same things I'm saying."
Kim remained silent, knowing that he was right; she had been thinking about everything he had said, but she hadn't allowed her thoughts to go any further because she knew that she truly loved Tommy and he was it for her...but, there were times when she would feel the doubt creep up and try to overtake her.
"I know I keep telling you it's not fair to you to have a boyfriend so far away," Danny continued, "and that it was better for you to be with me because of our similar pasts and the fact that that brought us so close, but what about Tommy? Do you think it's fair to him to have a girlfriend clear across the country? Don't you think he deserves a girlfriend he can count on to be there to talk to, in person and not on the phone? Someone he could he can actually see and take out on dates and kiss and hold and whatever?"
Kim looked away as his words sink in. That was one of biggest fears when she had moved to Florida; that Tommy would grow to resent her for being away. But when she had went home for Christmas, he hadn't seemed that way; he had truly been happy to see her and her doubts had been cleared...or so she thought.
"You see," Danny felt triumph when he saw the conflicted emotions on Kim's face. "You do get what I'm saying."
End flashback
Kim shook her head to get rid of her thoughts. Ever since that day, Danny had spent the next few weeks telling her the same thing over and over and soon enough, her doubts came back and she found herself listening and believing what he was saying.
She knew she and Danny weren't together, but sometimes when they were hanging out, it would feel as if they were a couple; the only thing they wouldn't do is kiss.
'Is he right? Am I really being fair to either one of us? I love Tommy, I do...but, what if Danny was right? He and I connected because of our similar past, is he the better choice for me?'
Kim came out of her thoughts, only to realize that she was in front of her dorm door. She had been thinking so much that she hadn't realized when she had entered the building or walked up the stairs.
Opening her door with a sigh, she walked in and threw her gym bag next to the couch and dropped down on it. She laid her head on the back of the couch and closed her eyes.
"Ugh," she groaned, "what am I going to do? I can't hurt Tommy like that, but I can't keep lying either. Should I really let him go?"
Her mind once again ran over everything that Danny had told her over the last few months. Every day, he would tell her the same thing over and over and now, she found herself believing every word.
"I have to," Kim whispered to the empty room, "I can't keep going on like this. I'll just end up hurting Tommy even more than I have. I have to let him go."
Getting up off the couch, she grabbed her bag and headed to her room. When she got there, she placed her gym bag near her closet and moved to her bed, grabbing a pen and book as she did so. Sitting down, she gazed down at the notebook in her hand and wondered at what she would write.
Dear Tommy,
'What to say? Can I really break Tommy's heart and like this, in a letter?' Kim turned her gaze away from the page. Her eyes caught the picture of her and Tommy and she stared at it for a few seconds before Danny's words came rushing back to her. Closing her eyes briefly in sadness, she turned back to the page.
'I'm so sorry Tommy.'
Dear Tommy,
Everything is going great here in Florida. Coach Schmidt has me as ready as I'll ever be for the competition. Tommy, this is the hardest letter that I've ever had to write...
You've always been my best friend, and in some ways, you're like a brother. But something has happened here that I can't explain. It's been both wonderful and painful at the same time...Tommy...I've met someone else...
Tommy, you know that I would never do anything to hurt you, but I feel like I've found the person that I belong with. He's wonderful, kind and caring. You'd really like him. And everything would be perfect, if it wasn't for hurting you...but I have to follow my heart...
I will always care about you Tommy. Please forgive me.
Kimberly
Kim stared down at the paper with wide eyes; she knew that most, if not all, of the words would be shocking, but she also knew that this was the only way Tommy wouldn't come after her. All he wanted was her happiness and if he thinks she's truly happy, then he'll accept the letter and let her go.
Closing the book, Kim placed it on her nightstand and fell back against the bed. She had actually written it. Tomorrow, she would post it out before she went to practice.
"I had to do it," Kim whispered as she stared at her ceiling. "I couldn't go on like this. He deserves better."
She fell asleep soon after, her dreams filled with the images of Tommy getting the letter and looking at her heartbrokenly and with Danny smiling and happy.
The next day, true to her word, she headed over to the post office before she went in to practice.
~...~
Three days had passed since Kim sent the letter and while she thought she would feel better, she still felt guilty. The day she had sent the letter, she had told Danny about it later that afternoon and he had been happy that she had finally done what he wanted. He had then asked her out, but she couldn't say yes, so she told him she needed time.
Now, she was practicing, but she couldn't fully concentrate as she couldn't help but to feel anticipation—for what, she couldn't say—all she knew was that something was going to happen. Shaking her head, she tried to get rid of the feeling and she headed towards the beam. Pressing her palms flat on the surface, she lifted herself onto the beam and started in on her routine.
As she moved across the beam, her thoughts flitted away from her as she forgot about everything except what she was doing. She did her flips, splits, handstands and slight dance movements as she worked before she was coming on to the end.
Standing at one end, her eyes held determination as she stared down the length of the beam. She had succeeded in removing all thoughts from her mind and had completely gotten into her routine. She had gotten it down easily as she had always felt comfortable—her accident months before notwithstanding—and she knew she had nailed the exercise and would nail the ending as well.
Taking a deep breath, she finished out the last part of her routine, ending with a front flip dismount, her hands in the air.
"Nice," Danny's voice sounded and she turned to see him.
"Thanks Danny," Kim smiled at him as he walked over to her, placing a kiss on her cheek. "What are you doing here?" Not that she wasn't happy to see him, but she had thought that his practice would have gone a little longer.
"Practice is over," Danny smiled, "so I thought I'd come see you."
Seeing as how he was a part of the men's gymnastics team, he practiced at a different gym that girls, courtesy of Coach Schmidt's rules; the boys not only a different dorm building, but they also had a different gym, though sometimes the boys would end up at the girls' gym.
"That's sweet," Kim smiled at him. She loved how he would these little things for her. Sometimes, she couldn't help but to compare him to Tommy as his actions would remind her of her ex.
The two turned to walk away, but they were stopped suddenly by another presence. Kim looked up and her eyes widened in shock and disbelief.
"Tommy?"
"Hello Kimberly," Tommy spoke through gritted teeth as he tried to control his anger. "We need to talk."
"Who are you?" Danny frowned at the guy before he took a step forward. "You can't demand her to talk to you."
Kim looked at Tommy, barely registering Danny's presence; she could feel the anger in him and knew what he was there about—the letter, the one she had sent a few days ago. She heard Danny say something and saw the way Tommy's eyes narrowed; it was the quick flash of green that had her stepping between the two boys.
"It's fine Danny," Kim held a hand to his chest, though her gaze never left her ex. She knew what he would do if he lost control; Danny would have no chance. "This is Tommy."
Danny's eyes cleared from confusion as the name registered before he turned to Kim. "You don't have to talk to him, you know?"
"Yes...she does," Tommy injected, his hand clenched into fists at his side.
Kim could see that it was taking all of his control not to hit Danny—she was partially surprised he hadn't done so yet—and knew that his control was slipping. She really appreciated Danny trying to stand up for her, she really did, but he was way out of his league when it came to Tommy.
"Really Danny, it's fine. Tommy and I need to talk, so go."
"Are you sure?" Danny looked at with a frown. "Because I can—
"She's sure," Tommy cut him off with a growl and Kim could feel the situation escalate.
"Ok," she grabbed Tommy's arm and began pulling him away, "time to go. Danny, I'll talk to you later."
She didn't wait for Danny to say anything, she stated pulling Tommy away before he really lost it and decked Danny. As they headed to her dorm building, nothing was said between the two of them. She still had a hold of Tommy's hand and was actually surprised that he hadn't pulled away from her. Periodically he would clench her hand, but other than that, he made no move to remove his hand from hers.
They passed other gymnasts, the girls looking at Tommy with appreciation and lust, but neither paid attention and soon enough, she and Tommy were on her floor, heading to her room. When they stopped in front of the door, she pulled out her key and unlocked it. Stepping inside, she saw that Denise was sitting on the couch with Antonio.
"Hey Kim," Denise smiled at her friend, but it faded slightly and her eyes widened when she saw Tommy with Kim. She recognized him from the pictures that her friend had put in her room.
"Hey Deedee, hey Tonio," Kim smiled briefly before she pulled Tommy towards her room. "We'll be in here."
"Ok," Denise nodded, a slight frown on her face, as she looked at the two. Her gaze drifted to Tommy and took in the tenseness in his body. She knew immediately what was going and shook her head before turning to her boyfriend. "Let's go."
"What?" Tonio looked at his girlfriend. "Why?"
"Because," Denise said patiently as she stood up and pulled him along. "Kim needs to talk with Tommy and I have a feeling that there are things that will be said that we don't need to hear."
"Thanks Deedee," Kim turned grateful eyes to her roommate before she opened her bedroom door, allowing Tommy to go in.
"No problem," Denise shook her head with a smile and headed to the door, closing it behind her.
~...~
Sighing, Kim stepped in her room, closing and locking the door behind her. She saw that Tommy was leaning against her window, so she sat down at the foot of her bed. It was silent between them for a few minutes before she broke it.
"What are you doing here?"
"This," Tommy said as he withdrew the letter from his pocket and threw it at her.
She watched the paper fall to the bed and her heart rate sped up. "Oh." The moment the word left her mouth, she knew it would offend him.
"'Oh'? That's all you have to say?" Tommy's eyes blazed as he moved from the window to where she was sitting.
"What else can I say?" she asked as she looked up at him; that was a lie. She knew what else she could've said; she could've told him she was sorry or something, anything but that.
When Tommy started in on her, she couldn't help the wince his words brought; everything he said was true, well, except the cheating part, but really, it still could be considered cheating. Despite the fact that she hadn't wanted to, she had hurt him. Truth be told, she never expected Tommy to come after her; she had written her letter purposely the way she did because she wanted him to just let her go and move on.
"I'm sorry," she said when he was done. She looked away as she said because she didn't want to see the emotions raging in his eyes.
"Somehow," Tommy scoffed, "I don't think you are."
That grabbed her attention. "I am!" she looked at him. "I never wanted to hurt you Tommy." That was the last thing she had wanted.
"Well what the hell did you think would've happened when I got that letter?" Tommy shouted. "Did you think I'd be happy? Did you think I'd be ok? Was I supposed to jump for joy about having my heart ripped from my chest and trampled on?"
She winced at his words; her heart was breaking at the hurt she had caused him. "No, of course I didn't expect you to be happy or ok." 'I expected you to let me go...to move on with someone else...someone who could be there for you...like...Kat...'
When she heard him say he was with the others and that they knew what it was in the letter, she couldn't help the horrified gasp that escaped her lips and she knew the same horror was reflected in her eyes. "Oh my God, Tommy, I didn't—
He cut her off harshly. "You didn't what? Do you know how it felt to have the other look at you with pity or to hear the person you love more than anything break up with you using something as cold as a letter? DO YOU?" he shouted the last part.
Kim felt her eyes fill with tears. Never had she heard Tommy like that before and he'd never yelled at her either. She knew it was bad form on her part to write him the letter, but she honestly thought that was the best way to go; she knew if she had called him, she would've chickened out and if she had somehow managed to go through with it, the pain in his voice would've been too much for her. But even as he yelled at her, no matter how much it hurt, she couldn't blame him.
"I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean for the others to know what was in it."
"Then why'd you send it to the youth centre in the first place?" Tommy asked.
"Because I knew you spent more time there than at home," Kim sniffled. He deserved her honesty, or at least a part of it.
"Was that him?" Tommy asked as he paced her room.
"Yes," Kim nodded as she wiped a few tears away. She knew he would make the connection from the way Danny was acting around her.
"I don't get it Kim," Tommy looked at her. "How could you cheat on me?"
"I didn't cheat on you Tommy," Kim stopped him. That was one thing she had to clear up; she knew he was hurting from the entire letter and she knew that the thought of her cheating was one of the things that was really tearing him apart. She could hear it in his voice.
"But in the letter," Tommy glanced from the letter to her. "You said you met someone else."
"I did," Kim nodded and decided to explain even further. She told him about meeting Danny and how she had made the decision to break things off because she had refused to cheat on him. When he sneered at her, she ignored the hurt it caused her.
Admitting to him that she didn't know was lying because she did know, but she couldn't tell him that. He deserved to talk and she deserved to let him do it, needing to hear what he had to say, needing to hear his anger.
"You don't know," Tommy shook his head. "Wow. And if it wasn't bad enough that you met someone else and you told me in a letter, a letter! You demeaned our entire relationship by saying I was like your brother." He glared at her. "Are you fucking kidding me Kim? A brother? The things we did were as far from a sibling relationship as ever, unless you're telling me that you're into incest. I mean, how the hell could you even say that?"
She had never heard Tommy swore before and it scared her a little. Her heart throbbed painfully in her chest from the anger and pain that she heard in his voice.
"Just tell me why Kim," Tommy looked at her, anger fading to be replaced by sorrow and his eyes took on a pleading look. "Did I do something? Was it because I didn't call enough? Or was I too busy? Why Kim? Why would you do this?"
"Tommy," Kim stood up and walked over to him, a fresh set of tears rolling down her cheeks. "I know you don't believe me, but I am truly so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen."
"Just tell me why Kim," Tommy's eyes filled with tears and they spilled over as he looked at the girl he loved more than anything. "Please."
He deserved her honesty, she took a deep breath and told him everything; she told him about Danny and how they became close, she told him everything that Danny had told her about staying with him and being fair to all of them and how after hearing the same thing over and over, she started to believe him. She started seeing where Danny was coming from and she soon accepted it and how she ended up writing the letter. When she was done, she looked at him, hoping for something—though she wasn't sure what she was hoping for.
She truly was sorry that he had been so hurt and that she had demeaned the entire relationship by saying he was like her brother; even now, she still couldn't believe she had written that.
'What the hell was I thinking? I never wanted to hurt Tommy and I ended up doing it in the worst way possible. How could I do something like that?'
Tommy's voice broke her out of her thoughts. "Tell me this Kim." She heard the pause and looked up at him, which seemed to be what he was waiting for as he continued. What she heard next was she didn't expect.
"Are you still in love with me?" Tommy asked.
Her eyes widened in shock and she was speechless.
When Tommy admitted he still loved her, her heart felt like it would break free from her chest. She couldn't believe it! He smiled at her and her heart race increased. He stepped closer to her and she knew she should step away but she couldn't. It was like she was frozen and she found herself unwilling to even try. Hearing her beloved nickname even after everything brought warmth through her and when he asked if she still loved him, she was shocked.
She swallowed a few times, trying to find her voice. And when she did, the words flew out before she could even think to stop them. "I never stopped."
"Good," Tommy grinned at her and closed the distance between them, capturing her lips in a kiss.
She was surprised—though she shouldn't have been—for a split second and then she found herself kissing back. As Tommy's arms moved from her arms to her waist, pulling her even closer, she wrapped hers around his neck.
Their passion rose and hands roamed as the kiss deepened. To others, it would look like two lovers who couldn't keep their hands off of each other, to the two of them, it was a reaffirmation of their love and bond and their status as a couple.
Due to the necessity of air, the kiss broke minutes later and the two stared at each, breathing heavily.
"I'm not letting you go Beautiful," Tommy said as he pressed his forehead against hers. "We've been through too much to just end things like this or to throw our love away. You're mine."
"Ok," She smiled up at him. She couldn't help the heady rush of pleasure that went through her at his words. Hearing him so forceful and confident made her giddy and she wondered how she could have ever thought about letting him go. "I'm sorry about the letter."
"Water under the bridge," Tommy shook his head, causing hers to move slightly with his and she laughed. "Already forgotten; I know it's hard Kim, us being so far apart, but we can make it."
"I know," She nodded; she knew that now. "And I shouldn't have doubted us and allowed Danny to influence me in writing the letter. I regret doing that."
"Maybe Zordon will let me teleport down here now and again," Tommy said.
"I don't think he'll allow that," Kim pointed out, though she couldn't help the happy feeling of him wanting to the break the rules for her. "What with the whole personal gain thing."
"After everything we've been through," Tommy countered, "we deserve it. We, more than the others, have sacrificed a lot for the powers."
"I love you so much Handsome," Kim said, and it was true. Her heart really did belong to him. She knew then that whatever she may have had with Danny, it wouldn't have lasted as she would've found her way back to Tommy. "And I promise, from now on, I won't let what happened with Danny to happen again. If I start to feel overwhelmed or have any doubts, then I'll call you."
"Good," Tommy grinned, "that's what I want to hear." He kissed her once more. "I should be getting back."
"Do you have to go already?" Kim pouted. Now that things were ok between them, she wanted him to stay a bit longer.
Tommy glanced at his watch. "Whoa, yeah I do. I can't believe so much time passed when we were talking and no battles either."
"I guess even the universe wanted to make sure we were uninterrupted," Kim teased before sighing. "Alright, I should let you get back. Tell the guys I miss my playful ape, my genius wolf and my bashful prince."
"I will," Tommy nodded before he kissed her again. "I'll see you Beautiful."
"Bye Tommy," Kim smiled as she stepped back from him, giving him enough room to teleport.
Tommy smiled before he pressed his communicator, teleporting from her room. When he was gone, she sat down on her bed and sighed, hugging her pillow to her. She still couldn't believe everything that had just happened; when she had first written that letter, she had felt beyond sure that Tommy wouldn't come.
She knew him better than anyone and knew that all he wanted was what was best for her and if he had thought she was truly happy, then he would let her go. She never ever expected him to come after her. But he did and she could admit to herself that she felt a glow of pleasure and feminine triumph to see him so jealous over Danny, almost to the point of attacking him.
She knew Tommy loved her, but she had never seen him act like that before and a part of her couldn't help but to be awed at his slight cavemen act. With a giggle, she fell back on her bed, suddenly tired as the day's events caught up to her. She yawned and replaced her pillow beneath her head.
Her last thought before sleep claimed her was wondering just how she would explain to Danny nothing would ever come of the two of them.
~...~
The next morning, Kim was heading to the gym with Denise in tow. The two girls were talking and smiling when Denise broached the subject of the day before.
"So," Denise looked at her friend, "what happened yesterday?"
"Tommy got the letter and decided to confront me about it," Kim admitted with a smile. "He yelled mostly and I listened and then we decided to work things out."
"So you're still together?" Denise asked.
"Yep," Kim nodded.
"And what about Danny?" Denise raised an eyebrow towards her friend.
"I have to talk to him and get him to understand that things between Tommy and me are fine," Kim answered as she looked towards the gym. "And that things between the two of us will not happen."
"Good luck on that," Denise laughed.
"Shut up," Kim laughed and the two girls continued on their way.
Soon enough, they were entering the gym and they changed out of their sweats, revealing their leotards underneath, and started with some warm exercises before they got into their routines.
The day continued on as usual; the coach would come in and help some of the girls with their routines or to praise other girls on the job they were already doing. By the time the afternoon rolled around, both Kim and Denise had completed their practice for the day and were at the gym just getting in some free time. A while later, Danny showed up.
"Hey guys," Danny called as he hurried over to where the two girls were.
"Hey Danny," Kim and Denise replied as one.
"Kim can I talk to you?" Danny asked and Kim nodded, walking away with him. "So what happened yesterday?"
"Danny," Kim looked at him and stopped walking. "There's no easy way to say any of this."
"What?" Danny looked at her in confusion.
"Danny," Kim started, "Tommy and I are back together. We talked and worked things out. We decided to try again."
"I don't understand," Danny's brows furrowed.
"When we talked," Kim explained, "I realized that I was still in love with Tommy and that I always would be. I'm sorry things got the way it was between us, but nothing will ever happen."
"Kim," Danny reached out a hand to touch and she shifted slightly, allowing his arm to fall short. "You can't be serious? What about everything we talked about?"
Kim sighed. "They were all valid points, but they weren't strong enough to change things between me and Tommy. Look, I do like you, I do, but that's just it. What I feel for you is nothing compared to what I feel for him and I realized that; even if he hadn't come here and you and I had started dating, things would've ended between us because deep down, my heart would've always belonged to Tommy." She smiled briefly. "You can be in love with someone and still be attracted to someone else. It shows that you're human. That's what happened between us; because of our similar life story, we became close and I think it amplified whatever feelings we had."
"So that's it?" Danny asked.
"I'm sorry," Kim shrugged; she wasn't trying to be mean, but he had to understand and she thought she was more than clear enough. "I really am."
"Please just think about this," Danny said.
"Danny," Kim looked at him, "you're a really good friend and that's all we'll ever be; please, don't make this any harder than it has to be. I've got to go...maybe I'll see you later." She bit her lip, "or maybe not. bye Danny."
With a small and sad smile, Kim turned and walked away. She knew that she was losing a good friend, but if he couldn't understand why things had to be this way, then maybe he wasn't that good of a friend in the first place. It might have seemed like she was leading him on all these months and people might call her a bitch for it, but she didn't care, or rather, she wasn't going to allow it to affect her too much.
She had thought something could've come of them, but she realized—and in time too—that she was wrong. All she wanted to was to be happy and she was; she had Tommy back and that was all that mattered to her.
A/N 2: and that's the second chapter. Remember guys, now that you've read, don't forget to review. The final part will be out next week. Ta ta for now...
Reviewers for previous chapter:
hopelessromanticgurl; Princesskarlita411; sabina21; VampDGurl; oldtvlover; Falcon4Crane; Belle Paris; springbaby83; The Mathematicienne; Pinkrangerfan; Taeniaea; brankel1; Jeremy Shane; mae-E; Young at Heart21; slytherensangel26; RFK22; Jaguarsolaris
Ok, the reply url isn't working properly, so;
VampDGurl: I am actually in the process of writing a story that features the three major episodes of the ZEO/TURBO era (No Business Like Snow Business, King for a Day 1 & 2, and T: APRM) not too sure when it's going to get finished and posted as I am also writing the sequels for HBC, RAN and LA: AG...but it will be posted. But in the meantime, if the muse hits me, I might even pop out a one-shot around the episode as I never liked how Kat broke Tommy out of the spell...yeah right that would happen...
Oldtvlover, mae-E, Falcon4Crane and Jaguarsolaris: glad you guys loved it and don't worry, Danny isn't going away so easily. And those green eyes may make another appearance *smiles*
Slytherensangle26: oh...poor baby, I'm so sorry to hear you've been sick. I hope you're feeling much, much better now. I'm glad you like the story.
RFK22, brankel1, hopelessromanticgurl, Princesskarlita411, Jeremy Shane, Taeniaea, Belle Paris, springbaby83 and Pinkrangerfan: I am so glad you guys enjoyed reading this story.
Young at Heart21: so can I (she's doing really well on Flashpoint—really awesome show), but the writers totally did mess up with her character. I think their reason for doing what they did was because he was the leader and the leader needed a girl; which is total crap because Jase was leader before Tommy and he didn't have a girl.
The Mathematicienne: it really was! I couldn't believe that they had let him do that. I mean, after everything he and Kim had been through and him disobeying Zordon of all people to save her, he doesn't fight or at least try to? So wrong...
Sabina21: don't worry, Kat will be a good girl, no trouble from her end.