Part 11

She was going to kill him.

Tommy Oliver was a dead man for putting her up to this. He didn't even like her for heaven's sake, what did he care if she permanently gimped herself and blew her dream? Her thoughts were peevish, undisciplined and completely beyond what she'd accomplished in her time in Florida. She'd lost her focus in those few minutes of having her arm examined. The only problem was, his touch had been everything she remembered it to be. There's been caring in those fingers, the same mixture of concern and competence that had always marked his handling of her. She couldn't have told him no after that if she'd tried - and she had. Not very hard, but the token effort had been made.

It didn't help that Tommy had, after inspecting her arm and blackmailing her for her cooperation, had wrapped her arm carefully in the towel and ensure the ice pack wouldn't move while they walked to her coach's condo. He lived to the south of the main complex where the girls were housed in a modest single story bachelor pad that connected to a small cafe the girls could frequent. She'd never been inside, but Kimberly suspected it was as sparse and orderly as the man himself. While conscious of his image, her coach wasn't one to suffer frivolities in himself or his athletes.

Kimberly stopped at the end of the unadorned walk-way, casting a murderous look at where Tommy was hiding - to the left of the building, out of sight beside the door. He'd wanted to hear everything and had been adamant about it because, he claimed that if she went on her own, she'd tell coach it was nothing. Which, she thought peevishly, it was. Lifting her hand, she met Tommy's gaze with a glare and knocked on the door resolutely.

The outside light came on almost immediately. There was the sound of someone moving around inside before she heard the bolt being thrown back. She managed to plaster a semi-smile on her lips as the door opened a fraction and her coach's head appeared. He, thankfully, didn't look like he'd been pulled from his bed, but the frown that crossed his features as he took in her appearance was dismayed and dour.

"Kimberly! What have you done to yourself?"

"Nothing serious, coach. I think I sprained it."

He sighed mightily, as if resigning himself to a greater injury. "Alright, let's see."

She offered her arm to her coach as he stepped out onto his front patio and closed the door behind him. Standing patiently, she managed not to wince as he unwound the towel and tilted her arm this way and that. She endured his rougher handling patiently, knowing he would come to the same conclusion as Tommy had no matter what she wanted. He finally released her arm, but wrapped the ice pack in the towel and handed it back to her. "No practice for you tomorrow, Kimberly. Twenty minutes of ice and then off, and then ice. Your teacher tells me you're behind in your English assignment; this will give you the chance to catch up."

Kimberly inwardly cringed at the subtle rebuke. She didn't spend enough time on her school work and she knew it. Not that she slacked purposefully, but she'd been unable to concentrate on the work when working on her gymnastics had been that much more rewarding. "I'm excused from the gym tomorrow?"

"Only for tomorrow. I want you to see the trainer first thing the following morning."

Kimberly managed a nod and a smile before her coach disappeared back into his home. She exhaled a long breath and turned sharply, walking away from the building and the knowing look Tommy was sure to give her.

He caught up with her as she headed back towards the dorm, falling into step. "A day off, huh?"

"From gymnastics maybe, but it's hardly a day off. I have quite a bit to catch up on if I want to keep up with my classes."

"So how'd you fall behind?"

The look she slanted him was dubious. "What do you care?"

"I would be a real shame if you achieved your goal at the expense of your future." He shrugged. "You're the one who always told me the academic was more important."

"You got what you wanted, Tommy. Why don't you just go home and leave me alone?"

"Just don't injure yourself further, Kim; we might need you."

She rounded on him just as he saluted her with two fingers and then disappeared in a streak of red light, teleporting away and back to Angel Grove. She stamped her foot, wanting to throw the ice pack, preferably right into his smiling face - and wipe the smile that didn't reach his eyes from his lips. Infuriating, insufferable man; she didn't know why she put up with him!

Kimberly was fuming on her way to the dorm until she reached the main entry and the row of mail boxes. Her temper eased, the anger draining away as the revelations of that evening came back. Tommy had insisted that the guys, Billy, Adam and Rocky had written her, but she'd never gotten their mail. Was it possible that her coach had really removed those letters and things from the mail before it reached her? Would he still have them or would he have gotten rid of them? It was a crime to tamper with the mail and while Kimberly didn't want her coach to go to jail, she certainly didn't want him to continue interfering with her mail. And not likely just her mail, but everyone in the program's mail.

It wasn't fair and it wasn't right.

She'd think of something to set that particular score right later, for the moment she was going to head to bed and enjoy the uncharacteristic opportunity to sleep in come morning. It was something that happened only when Coach closed the gym for repairs to the equipment and since the equipment was kept up daily, it hadn't happened yet in her time there.

Kimberly slipped into the dorm, making her way silently past the closed doors of the others who were already asleep and stepped into her own room the moment she reached it. She checked her watch, noting that she had at least another ten minutes before she began applying ice again, and took the opportunity to put her things away. Her elbow twinged when she moved it a certain way, but it wasn't as bad as it had been when she'd dropped off the beam. She still couldn't believe she'd let herself be surprised by Ali's question. It was a dead give away to her feelings, and Ali had certainly caught it.

With a sigh she pushed the thought away as she shrugged into her sleep wear and pulled the white bear from its corner. Cuddling it, she curled up on her bed. The ice pack was nearby so she applied it to her elbow, setting her watch timer for twenty minutes. Exhausted, her head dipped lower until it was cradled on the soft, plush fabric of the bear's head. Her eyes closed as the emotional strain caught up with her.

She woke briefly when the alarm on her watch chimed but only briefly. The icepack, no longer cold, went in the trash can before she flicked the light off and slid between her covers. The little bear was hugged tightly to her chest as her head dropped to the pillow. Before slipping completely back to sleep, she wondered idly if every day was going to be a roller coaster like the last few. Despite the exhaustion, both mental and physical, that accompanied her into dreamland, there was only so much she could take. Eventually something would have to give and Kimberly didn't yet know what that could possibly be.

She didn't dream that night, not that she would remember later, and not anything that would have comforted her. The scenes which flashed through her dreams were memories of happier times. Memories of discussions and playful days - of trust and friendship that had dominated her days while in Angel Grove. The contrast to what she'd come to was sadly obvious, but not a conclusion she would reach in the following days. Deeply asleep, her mind processed the differences and began working its way towards an outcome.

When she woke the following morning, Kimberly found she felt little rested. Her mind was still whirling over the fact that her friends had tried to write her - and those letters hadn't ever gotten through. It was still puzzling over why Tommy seemed unable to leave her alone, especially when she wanted it most. Worst of all, she'd woken with the horrible suspicion that she'd made the wrong decision and gone after a secondary dream; a dream that had ceased to be as important as she'd one believed in the face of all that had happened.

Wallowing in her confusion and indecision for a time, Kimberly's gaze finally landed on the clock and she sat upright with a start. Her elbow protested the weight of her torso and she relaxed as the events of the previous evening came rushing back. She curled back down in her bed, snuggling into the warm covers with a satisfied smile as she pulled the bear once more against her chest. She didn't sleep, but she did doze, her mind unable to reach the restorative level it needed while churning so fiercely. She stayed that way for over an hour before finally climbing out of bed. She changed into a loose pair of pants and a loose pink top before emerging from her room.

The dorm was quiet, quieter than it had been when she'd returned the previous evening. She headed for the communal kitchen where they kept a cupboard full of instant icepacks and various first aid items any gymnast would need. She debated using them before turning to the freezer. There were several bags of frozen peas no one had any intention of eating in one corner - perfect for make-shift ice packs and making it unnecessary to break open a new one. Plus, as a bonus, the peas could be refrozen.

She collected one of the bags and a tea towel before returning to her room. She spent long hours that morning icing and removing the ice pack at 20 minutes intervals as her coach had suggested. In between applying and removing the bag, she worked on the English assignment the tutor had assigned - the one she was supposed to have handed in the day before. She made a face. Her tutor wouldn't have believed her if she'd tried to explain why she'd never gotten around to finishing her project.

That thought distracted her once more and, by noon, she was ready to scream.

Tommy and his infuriating attitude kept intruding into her report. The sound of his voice echoing in her mind, sometimes scornful, sometimes helpful but always distracting alternatively gave criticism and praise. Sometimes it would simply repeat things from their past - like the reverent way he'd once called her "Beautiful". She kept pushing it away, sure that her discipline - the one she'd developed to be able to concentrate around thoughts of him - would kick in. Unfortunately, she hadn't counted on her mind's insistence and, with only the conclusion left, pushed her report away in disgust.

The man had no right to intrude where he wasn't wanted. Especially after the stunt he'd pulled the previous evening by blackmailing her into talking to her coach. She sighed, rubbing her forehead as she attempted to bleed away the tension. Tommy had been right for all she was still mad at him. Her arm ached this morning and had a stiffness that hadn't been there before. If she'd gone to practice that morning it would have likely collapsed underneath her and she'd have been out for longer than the day. Tommy would just love knowing he'd been right - not that she was about to admit to her arm hurting if it came right down to it.

Tommy. What was she going to do about him? He was so distant, such a stranger to the man she remembered - and yet he wasn't. He was just more guarded, more serious, but he was still the same Tommy underneath the hurt. She knew it; she'd seen it. He was still protective of her, one of the most endearing qualities as he'd made it a point to be her white knight; he'd been her prince, her dream and cowboy. She grinned. Literally and figuratively.

She leaned back in her chair, kicking her feet to the table top and pushing her project away with the heel of one foot. Crossing her legs at the ankles, she leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling as she began another round of ice on her elbow.

They'd shared a lot of good times, she and Tommy. More good than bad, and the bad only when under a spell. But this, she knew, was no spell. Before, when compelled to be something other than they were, they'd always made up quickly, knowing that each would never do anything to hurt the other. Not consciously, and never deliberately. But Kimberly knew that was wrong, for she had. She'd deliberately set out to injure him and succeeded by going for the areas where she knew him to be the most vulnerable. For the areas that she knew because of the absolute trust he'd put in her.

She closed her eyes against the sting of silent tears she had no right to shed. Tommy hadn't deserved her harsh treatment - he'd deserved better; better than she was, better than she had become and better than she'd ever be. Yet, somehow, he was unable to stay away. He kept showing up like the proverbial bad penny - though she silently believed she was the bad penny who kept turning up in his life - and challenging her to be better than she was.

Maybe that was it. Maybe that was why they'd been such a good match. No matter what they'd been friends first, they'd supported one another, but most of all, they'd challenged each other to grow. They'd both changed a lot in the time they were together, mostly growing in the same directions as their strengths and weaknesses complimented one another. A smile tugged at her lips. Strengths and weaknesses. She shook her head in wonder. They'd had a lot of those when they'd first become Rangers - more weaknesses than strengths. She knew it had been Tommy's influence and patience that had enabled her to become proficient at fighting putties and the various monsters Rita and Zed had thrown at them. Only because he'd took an active role in helping her improve had she come so far so fast. Jason had helped, but she hadn't wanted to make him proud of her the way she'd yearned for Tommy's approval.

Was she still looking for his approval? Still wanting that smile, that "good job" speech and the offer to buy her an ice cream or soda? Still doing what she believed he wanted her to do because making him proud of her made her happy? She didn't think so, but it was distinctly possible. She'd only gone to Florida because of his support because she'd wanted to make him proud of her - and yes, because she'd wanted to. But it was Tommy's insistence that she follow her dreams that had always made the difference one way or another.

She grimaced, dropping her feet from the table top and settling forward once more as her eyes landed on her paper without really seeing it. Tommy. Tommy. It always came back to Tommy. What was it about him anyway? It wasn't just his looks as she'd known handsomer men - though not many - and none of them drew her the way he did. She could still remember the first time she'd seen him and while it had been his looks that had drawn her attention, it was the quiet self confidence, his willingness to step in when someone needed help and his innate honesty and goodness that had kept her attention.

But there was something more there, something she didn't understand and it was that something that had drawn her forward to help when Alpha had appeared to request her assistance. She hadn't agreed to help just out of friendship, but out of some deeper desire she still couldn't identify. She'd been terrified for Tommy when she'd heard he'd been once again turned against the Rangers. Sure, she'd been afraid for the rest of her friends, but she'd been most concerned about Tommy.

Had Zordon been wrong to bring her back into this? Had he made a further mess of things to the point where it was better to retire the Pink Ranger Powers than keep them?

"Kim?"

She jumped, dropping the barely cool peas from their perch on her cocked elbow where they hit the floor with a splat kind of sound.

"Sorry, I didn't want to scare you."

"Just out of my wits. I'll recover."

"You look out of it. Are you okay?"

"Just following coach's orders. I sprained my elbow last night while I was working out."

"Oh." Ali snagged another chair from the small table and reversed it, straddling the base gracefully as she folded her arms across the top. "Anything serious?"

"Nah. Nothing a day of rest won't cure," Kimberly managed a smile. "So what brings you back?"

"I've been sent to check on you to make sure you're not slacking." Her eyes twinkled merrily as she revealed the chore. "Are you slacking, Kim?"

Kimberly blushed slightly but grinned good-naturedly. "Guilty. I guess I'm kinda day-dreaming."

"You looked pretty serious. Must be something intense."

"You could say that."

"Anything I can help with?"

Ali was always trying to help, but Kimberly knew she couldn't confide in her young teammate - not the way she needed to - and still maintain her focus. She almost laughed. Focus. That was a joke. She hadn't had focus since Alpha's appearance and dire tidings. She shook her head regretfully. "Sorry, Ali, but this isn't something you can help with. I need to muddle through it on my own."

"You sure? Talking it out can sometimes help."

"I appreciate the offer, I really do." Kimberly smiled to take the sting out of the rejection. "I'm just not ready to talk yet, that's all. You'll be the first to know when I am."

"It's about Tommy, isn't it?"

Kimberly arched her eyebrows in surprise and cocked her head at the other girl. "What makes you say that?"

Ali shrugged, ducking her head a little as color tinted her cheeks. "You've just been distracted, that's all - kind of like you got just before Christmas."

"Before Christmas?"

Ali nodded. "You know, when you were planning your trip back home? Coach was super angry about how much time you were taking off to go. I doubt he said anything to you, but we heard about it whenever you weren't around. Coach said we should all take your circumstance as a lesson."

Kimberly's smile died. "A lesson? What kind of lesson?"

"About distractions. How a boyfriend or friends who have other interests interfere with training and the time necessary to be able to make it as a world class gymnast."

"Really?"

Kimberly was less than impressed. The closer she came to Pan Globals, the more she heard about things like this from their coach. He was a fabulous coach, but seemed to lack the basic humanity of the people around him. He was totally focused on gymnastics - so completely that he seemed to miss the truly important things in life. The things that made it worth living that would be there should gymnastics ever become impossible for one of the gymnasts. It wasn't that she wasn't a dedicated gymnast; it was just that she believed in pursuing other interests on top of that passion. It wasn't an attitude she agreed with and one she'd ignored in favor or doing her own thing.

Ali was nodding her agreement. "We weren't supposed to say anything, but now that you're completely focused on your gymnastics - and don't really talk to the people back home - coach says it's a perfect example as to why we need to be as self sufficient as possible while we're in training."

"I think coach needs to reexamine why I do what I do." Kimberly's response was dry. "My friends aren't a distraction, Ali - they're my drive. They're the reason I do what I do; they're the ones who insisted I had to follow this dream when I might not have otherwise. I don't think coach understands that."

Ali shrugged. "Whatever. I'll just be glad when Pan Globals are over with."

"That makes two of us." Kimberly grinned, leaning down to scoop the bag from the floor and getting gracefully to her feet. "You should get back to practice before coach comes looking for you. Thanks for checking in on me, Ali."

Ali shrugged away the thanks. "We'll see you later, Kim. Take care of that elbow."

Kimberly replaced the bag in the freezer and turned as Ali disappeared, the sound of the door opening and closing a minute later audible through the dorm. She frowned, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned back against the fridge thoughtfully. She was learning more and more about her circumstances that were making her uncomfortable, but accepting.

Tommy's ultimatum for having her move back to Angel Grove was looking less like a sacrifice and more like salvation. Not that she was about to tell him that.