Part 9

Kimberly got an unexpected surprise as she materialized outside the hospital; Adam and Rocky were just leaving. She stepped from the bushes, a hesitant smile on her face. "Hey guys."

They stopped, exchanging looks before mumbling their greetings back.

Kimberly frowned. "Well, don't everyone seem happy to see me at once - what's the problem?"

"You shouldn't have come back, Kim."

She felt like she'd been slapped. "Excuse me?"

Adam echoed Rocky's sentiment. "You left, Kim. You should have stayed gone."

"Wait a minute, you guys are supposed to be my friends!"

"Once maybe, before you proved you weren't really a friend."

She reached out, placing a palm in each of their chests and stopped their forward momentum. "Ok, wait just one minute; I haven't a clue what you guys are talking about."

"Your letter Kim," Rocky's tone was flat. "You know, the one you wrote Tommy."

"That was for Tommy; it had nothing to do with you two."

Adam snorted softly. "So you say. But you're not the one who had to read it to him."

She winced. "I never expected him to have one of you read it to him, Adam. That was supposed to be between Tommy and I. No one else."

"It has to do with all of us, Kimberly. Your actions didn't just affect Tommy - they affected each of us and our relationships with him."

"Rocky..." She stopped. "Would you guys have rather I hadn't told him? That I'd lied to him and let him go on believing things were fine as they were?"

"You're back and you're single - you tell me."

She watched mutely as Rocky pushed past her, unable to refute his statement. If she'd just left things as they were, none of them would be in this mess. She turned to Adam. "And you?"

"I can't trust you like I used to Kim, but Tommy was right. You've never let us down as a Ranger and you've more experience than most of us, so that can only be a good thing."

"But?"

Adam's expression remained carefully neutral. "Don't hurt him again, Kim."

"I never meant to hurt him the first time - it was just unavoidable."

"Then you should have picked a better method."

"Like what, a phone call?"

"Or your next visit."

She glared at him. "How could I have waited that long, Adam? Tommy would have only been hurt worse; it wouldn't have been fair to either of us."

"Maybe. But maybe not. At least then he would have been given the opportunity to change your mind."

Kimberly grabbed his arm as he started walking away. "Adam-"

He rounded on her, throwing off her hand with an angry motion. "Don't, Kim."

"Don't what?"

"Just don't. You've done enough and your appearance here, no matter how you helped before, isn't enough."

"I'd like it to be. I'd like to set things right between you - all of you - and I."

"Set things right?" Adam's tone was derisive, "You can't just walk back in and expect things to be as they were Kim. Things have changed; we've all changed. You saw to that."

"I never thought-"

"No, you didn't, did you?" He cut her off harshly. "Maybe if you'd had, I wouldn't have had to watch one of my best friends get his heart ripped out and stomped on by the girl he adored and try not to show it. Or watch him struggle to move beyond it, powerless to help; maybe if you'd considered that, you might have reconsidered your course of action."

"But I didn't-"

"Spare me, Kim." Adam shook his head. "You didn't listen to him in the weeks that followed. You weren't here to offer the support he needed or see him set himself on a path of self-destruction."

"You can't hold me accountable for his reactions, Adam. I didn't make him do any of it!"

"You tore him apart without a second thought, Kim." His look was dark, "If you hurt him again, so help me I'll make you regret it."

Kimberly watched him walk away, her hand slowly dropping back to her side. Were they all against her? She didn't understand. Adam and Rocky had been her friends as much as Tommy's but none of them even tried to see her side of things. Not one of them was willing to believe that she'd never had any intention of hurting Tommy, that she'd really tried not to, but been unable to avoid it. Not if she was going to be honest with him like she'd always been.

She sighed, feeling all the more miserable for the discussion as she made her way inside the hospital. Katherine was alone in her room, a book on her lap, but staring out the window. She managed to find a smile for her friend, "Hey stranger, how's the view?"

Katherine smiled, using the bed controls to turn and face her friend. "A lot more simple than the mess I landed you in."

"I take it Adam and Rocky wanted to know if you were suffering from more than a blow to the head?"

"Something like that. How'd the meeting go?"

"What, they didn't tell you?"

Kat waved her to the set by the bed. "All they wanted to know was why I couldn't continue as the Pink Ranger."

"What'd you tell them?"

"That it was none of their business. Tommy's had enough of his private life put on display for the Rangers - and they don't need any more cause to give you grief."

Kimberly flopped into the chair. "You're telling me. I've made such a mess of things, Kat. Maybe rejoining the team isn't such a good idea."

"Nonsense." Katherine used the controls to lower the bed so they were at eye level and extended her hand to grasp Kimberly's. "This is the right of it Kim. The Rangers need you; Tommy needs you. He might deny it, and try to avoid it, but it's true."

"Tommy doesn't need me; he needs to heal."

"Then give him the chance. The only reason he hasn't is because he didn't get the chance to talk to you about why." Kat squeezed her hand. "After your talk, I think he might finally understand."

"Isn't that all the reason more to step out of the picture again?"

"Tommy valued your friendship a lot more than you realize, Kim. He's missed you even if he denied it now."

"I hate to break it to you, Kat, but Tommy doesn't want much of anything to do with me."

Katherine frowned. "Why don't you start at the beginning and we'll go from there?"

So Kimberly did.

She started with after leaving Katherine the day before and the abrupt nature of Tommy's actions and words. She then, after a second hesitation, explained about the previous night where he'd reappeared to walk her home, her thoughts and feelings as she'd returned to her dorm and the nightmare that had followed.

Katherine stopped her there with a hand motion. "Guilt isn't going to get you anywhere Kimberly."

"I can't help it. He's everywhere I turn right now, waking and sleeping; it's like he's haunting me deliberately."

"Did you tell him about your dream?"

"How could I?" Kimberly sighed miserably. "It was just awful, Kat. It was like someone was taking one of my most cherished memories and deliberately changing it so suck all the joy from it."

"If Rita were still around, I'd suspect her." Kat's grin was sympathetic. "But I think you're just feeling the weight of your decisions. From what you've told me, a lot of new information has passed between you and Tommy and the rest of the team in a very short period of time. It's only natural to be feeling the weight of it."

"But you said it - guilt isn't going to help anything." Kimberly slumped in the chair and leaned her head back on the upper edge of the back support to stare at the ceiling. "That's the problem Kat, I can't help but feel guilty. And it's not like the other Rangers are trying to help with that any."

"No one ever said this was going to be easy."

"No, but they didn't say everyone would be stacked against me either."

Kat laughed softly. "What did you expect, Kimberly?"

She shrugged, frowning. "I don't know but whatever it was, this sure wasn't it." She pushed back to a proper sitting position, looking at Katherine seriously. "I guess I just thought I'd have somebody in my corner other than Jason."

"And Tommy."

"And you - Tommy's still avoiding me like the plague."

"Even though he walked you home last night."

"Old habits die hard. At least he stood up for me with the other Rangers - that's something I guess."

Katherine arched her eyebrows in silent query, so Kimberly quickly filled her in on the gist of the meeting - and Tanya's less than warm welcome. Katherine sighed as Kimberly described the spunky teenager's reaction and would have shaken her head if she could have. "Tanya will come around, Kim, you'll just need to give her time to get to know you."

Kimberly's smile was faint. "So why is it that of everyone in the Rangers, you're the one who seems to understand what I did and where I'm coming from - I mean, I know you like Tommy too."

"As more than a friend, you mean?"

Kimberly nodded, feeling color flooding her cheeks.

Katherine didn't comment on it. "I think it's because I remember how happy he was with you. He's changed, Kim, and not for the better in a lot of ways. He used to trust more easily and smile a lot more. Now he's just... there but not. Know what I mean?"

She did - she'd seen it herself in the small amount of interactions she'd had with him. "I never... never wanted to hurt him, Kat."

"I know that, but I don't think anyone expect it to wound him this deeply. Maybe if you'd gone about it another way, or tried to stay in touch it wouldn't have been so bad, but after that letter it was like you dropped off the face of the earth. I don't know if you knew, but Tommy badly needed you as a friend, even if you couldn't be his girlfriend and you walked away from him, Kim. I think that hurt him more than the breakup."

Kimberly bowed her head, fighting tears. "I thought..." She stopped, taking a bracing breath as she folded her hands in her lap and stared at them. "I guess it really doesn't matter what I thought does it? No matter what I intended, no matter what I tried to do, all that matters is the outcome. I can't change the past, Kat, but how can I be here in this future?"

"Did you do what you felt was right, Kim?"

"I did what I felt was necessary; there's a difference."

Katherine's hand closed over her folded ones. "Sometimes all we can do is what we feel is right. Maybe it's time you started going with your feelings instead of over thinking things."

"I followed my feelings and it landed me here." Kimberly exhaled slowly. "I can't trust myself not to make the same mistakes again."

"So trust yourself to learn from your mistakes instead." Their eyes met and Katherine's held a wisdom that had been lacking when she'd first joined the Power Rangers team. "Trust yourself to do the right thing and not the expected thing."

"You make it sound easy."

"Isn't it?"

Their gazes held and a slow smile slid across Kimberly's face. "Shouldn't you be having this little chat with yourself?"

"I did."

"And?"

Katherine's lips tilted in an answering smile. "I haven't booked my ticket yet so anything is possible."

Kimberly threw her arms around her friend in a delighted hug, mindful of her injuries. "I'm so glad. Jason is going to be so happy!"

"I'm not staying for him, Kim, I'm staying for you."

"Me? Why?"

"Because you need me." Katherine's smile turned slightly smug. "Who else is going to help you win Tanya and the other Rangers over?"

Kimberly laughed, the tension in her frame easing considerably with Katherine's words. "Thanks, girl. So what are we going to do to convince them I'm not just here to hurt Tommy again?"

"We are going to make sure you're indispensable, but before we can do that, let's get a few things settled. For one, where are you going to stay when you move back?"

"I haven't a clue. Honestly I haven't even thought about it since Tommy extracted that promise."

"Well, what are your options?"

"I suppose I could crash on Jason's couch – if his parents don't mind."

Katherine arched her eyebrows. "How about you stay with me?"

"I couldn't impose…"

"But I insist – and it will let the other Rangers know there are no hard feelings between us."

"They might think I'm taking advantage of you."

"They might, but by then I'll be out of here and able to disabused them of the notion."

"What notion?" They looked up to find Jason lounging in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest and a grin on his face. "Just what are you two plotting now?"

"Not plotting," Kimberly corrected. "Planning. Katherine wants me to move in with her when I move back to Angel Grove."

Jason raised his eyebrows, but there was a sparkle of approval in his eyes. "It's better than crashing in our spare room indefinitely. Does this mean you've decided to stay, Kat?"

Kimberly almost grinned at the hopeful note in his voice, but his eyes were completely for Kat. Knowing she was suddenly intruding on a private matter between them, she stood, drawing both of their gazes before Kat replied. "I'd better get back if I want to get any kind of practice in, thanks for listening Kat."

"You know where to find me. Good luck – we'll be cheering for you at Pan Globals."

"Thanks. Get well soon."

Jason seemed inclined to say something before she disappeared but she gave a minute shake of her head. She wasn't ready to talk to him yet. Soon, but not yet. "Another time, Jason. Take care of Kat."

Katherine blushed as Kimberly teleported away, wondering what kind of progress her best guy friend was making with her current best girl friend. She pushed the thought aside as she landed back in her practice area in Florida and turned her attention to the beam in front of her. She had a lot of catching up to do for the day's missed work out and she knew just where to start.