Title: Where Your Road Leads
Author: Sarafu
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Power Rangers do not belong to me.
Summary: After ten years of hard work, the Dino Thunder team has found success, but for two of them, happiness remains elusive. Can they find it in each other?
Dedication: To Casey who kept me sane and kept pushing me to work on it. But no cars go boom in the chapter.
Chapter 7: Reunions and Regrets
March 2014
When Kira arrived at the large house where she had spent much of her junior year, she paused to survey its welcoming exterior. Time had changed it little – only a new layer of paint and some toys scattered in the front yard showed an indication that ten years had passed. As she climbed the wooden porch stairs, the front door opened and a small brunette grinned with welcome. "Wow, you look fantastic," she said, offering a warm hug to the singer.
"A week in Paris is very rejuvenating. I need to remember that for my next tour."
Kim stared at the blonde intently. "No, it's something else – you look happy."
"I don't usually look happy?" she said, laughing again.
"Not that happy. What's going on?"
"Honestly, Kim, nothing. I'm just glad the tour is over. It's good to be home."
Her friend let the subject drop after giving her one more suspicious look. "Come in. Hayley, Trent, and Ethan are already here. Conner should be here soon."
"Yeah, his plane gets in a couple of hours," Kira said distractedly, looking around the living room. It still contained dinosaur memorabilia, but there were pictures of the Olivers everywhere, arranged with Kim's flair for design. She paused by a miniature model of a tyrannosaurus rex and ran her finger along the jawbone.
"It still works," Kim answered her unasked question. "Tommy goes down there to grade papers sometimes. He likes to keep track of the new teams."
"Even though the guys had warned me, I still didn't believe them until I pulled it myself. They gave me the chance to do it because I hadn't been there the first time." There was no time to go into detail as a voice hollered her name loudly.
"Aunt Kira!" A young girl hurled herself toward the new arrival enthusiastically.
"Hey, Alexa." Kira picked up the bundle of energy, embracing the child with eagerness. "How's my favorite girl?"
"I've been taking tumbling classes, and Daddy says I get to start karate next week," she chattered. "Want to see?"
"Sure, honey."
She wriggled out of her arms and started to do a handstand in the living room. "Alexa, what's the rule?" her mother asked firmly.
"Not in the living room."
"Why don't you take Kira out back? I'm sure she'd love to see everyone else, too."
Kim's suggestion was accepted, and Alexa led Kira toward the yard, babbling about her friends and her classes. In the backyard, Kira found the group chatting idly.
Ethan was first on his feet, striding over to wrap his arms around her affectionately. "Kira! How was Paris?"
"Beautiful like always. How's Marissa?"
"Engaged to a sitcom actor," Ethan said lightly.
"Ouch, I'm sorry." She winced, patting his arm sympathetically.
"I'll survive." He moved aside, letting Hayley approach for a hug and an exchange of greetings before it was Trent's turn.
He smiled shyly at her. "Hello."
She ignored his awkwardness in favor of a quick hug. "Hey, Trent," she replied, genuinely pleased to see her ex-boyfriend. But her attention was soon drawn to Tommy and the child in his arms. "He's so big now," she remarked, moving close enough to kneel next to Tommy's chair.
"He's almost two," Tommy said as the toddler buried his face in his dad's shoulder, overcome by bashfulness.
Alexa tugged on her arm then, demanding notice. "You promised you'd watch, Aunt Kira." When she was assured of her attention, she started to demonstrate all the neat tricks she had learned in her tumbling classes, going through a series of somersaults, handstands, and cartwheels.
The next two hours passed quickly as the adults talked, discussing their lives and the changes to Reefside. Around a quarter to four, Kira began to discreetly check her watch, an action that only Ethan caught. Knowing her thoughts, he sent her an arch look that made her blush and tune back into the conversation at hand about Trent's charity efforts in Reefside and the neighboring communities.
He had changed the most from their group of friends, had evolved from an artist with no desire to be in business to the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Yet in spite of his ruthless corporate raider reputation, he had never lost that sense of duty to community that was developed as a Power Ranger. In fact, his youth outreach program had affected a lot of teenagers in Reefside to the point where the high school's graduation rate had increased 20 and the college acceptance rate had jumped fairly high. "So there's going to be at least 50 kids contributing to the mural in the new park," he said, a proud smile on his face.
"It sounds wonderful," Kira murmured truthfully. "I'm glad you're still involved in art. What have you been drawing lately?"
The innocent question made him pause before he admitted, "I don't draw much anymore."
"Why?" she inquired. "You were always so talented."
"No inspiration and no time."
She laid her hand on his arm and smiled sweetly at him. "You'll find it again."
His hopeful glance in her direction was lost in the noise of a car door slamming loudly and her head swiveling toward the sound. "I think Conner's finally here," Ethan remarked unnecessarily, heading around the side of the house.
Kira remained where she was standing, her hand on Trent's arm, but her head was turned in the direction that Ethan had disappeared. "Kira?" her companion asked, slightly louder.
"Sorry," she apologized, gazing back at Trent. Her eyes were brighter than they had been, but she seemed no different otherwise. "You were saying?"
"Thank you for your faith, Kira," he said softly.
Removing her hand, she nodded her head, but Conner and Ethan's banter could be heard as they came around the corner. "What a sweet car," Ethan crowed. "Can I drive it later?"
"Maybe," his friend answered. "I wish they'd had a Mustang though."
"Mustangs are outdated, bro. I still can't believe you drive that hunk of junk." Ethan's jibe hit the mark, and Conner punched him in the arm.
Kira walked toward the pair, her eyes resting on the man in a red T-shirt. The thread of the conversation was lost as Conner caught a glimpse of his girlfriend. He grinned with open affection, but her eyes reminded him that they still had an audience. They settled on a restrained hug and whispered greetings before she stepped away so that everyone else could say hello.
"Hey, Dr. O," Conner said, but a loud clearing of his ex-science teacher's throat reminded him that he wasn't supposed to call him that. "Sorry - Tommy."
"He just feels old when students call him that," Kim teased. "Right, Dr. O?"
"It's a good thing you're holding my son," Tommy answered.
Hayley shook her head and hugged Conner. "I'm glad you could make it."
"Like I'd miss your birthday." He turned toward Trent and offered his hand. "Hey, Trent."
"Hi, Conner, how's soccer?"
"It's great. We still have a lot of work to do before June though."
Ethan faked a look of astonishment. "Conner McKnight admitting that his team needs work? What is the world coming to?"
The group laughed and Hayley, Kim, and Tommy dispersed across the yard again, leaving the other four alone. "I haven't seen you much in the papers lately, Conner," Trent commented, looking at the ex-Red Ranger with interest.
"It's serious training. I'm usually too wiped to go out and party after practice. Besides, the paparazzi have prettier people to chase like Kira here."
Ethan smirked at the glance that passed between his best friends. "It's hard to imagine you being a homebody, Conner."
"I'm a changed man, Ethe."
"Sure you are." Ethan noticed Tommy heading toward the house with an empty iced tea pitcher and poked Conner meaningfully. "Tommy, why don't you let Kira get that for you?"
Tommy paused in confusion, and Conner took advantage of Ethan's cue. "Yeah, we can totally get that for you. I need to use the bathroom anyway."
"But . . ."
"No, don't worry about it. I can find my way around your kitchen, no problem," Kira responded, following Conner easily and holding out her hand for the empty pitcher. He handed it over with a bewildered look.
In the kitchen, Conner paused long enough to let Kira set the pitcher down before he backed her into the counter with a fierce kiss. She was like water for a parched man. "Wait, Conner," Kira said breathlessly, pushing him away. "Someone might see us."
"Fine, come on," he said, pulling her into the hallway and opening the first door long enough to slip into the room with her. Once the door closed, they were kissing passionately again, trying to make up for two weeks. "I can't believe I let you go to Paris."
"Like you would have stopped me." Her eyes shone with amusement and joy.
Sated by the initial burst of passion, he cupped her face gently and kissed her forehead. "How was Paris?"
"The City of Lights? It was lonely," she admitted. "I have to try it with someone I care about some day."
"You and me next time," he promised with conviction.
"I'll hold you to that." Kira leaned in to press her lips against his again, but Ethan's voice outside the door interrupted the embrace.
"Guys, everyone is starting to wonder how long it takes to get a pitcher of iced tea."
Conner opened the door with a glare. "Dude, you couldn't have kept them occupied for a little while longer?"
"I just don't want you to traumatize poor Alexa by surprising her with something no one really wants to see. Did you even look at the room you're in?" Ethan retorted.
Glancing over his shoulder, Conner surveyed the pink room. "Oops."
"Like you would have let anyone get that far," Kira commented, letting Conner off the hook. "You haven't said anything to them yet. I don't think you'd do it now."
Their best friend grinned, still thrilled that they had finally seemed to find happiness with each other. "Are you finally going to tell everyone this weekend?"
After exchanging a glance of mutual agreement with Conner, Kira nodded. "Yeah, better to do it now while everyone is here."
"Cool!"
"Conner, Kira, Ethan?" Hayley called their names as they all heard the back door slam.
Conner untangled himself from Kira, and Ethan looked at them critically. "You guys should look a little less mussed if you can help it. Especially you, Kira." He went out to intercept the genius while his friends tried to fix everything so they didn't look too guilty.
When they emerged a minute later, they found Hayley waiting with an enigmatic smile. "Did you get lost?" she asked.
"We were just looking at Alexa's room. Kim is right – that rose is a much better shade than the dark pink she was thinking about," Kira answered quickly.
Tilting her head slightly, Hayley studied the pair who made the effort to stand apart. "Didn't you see it last summer?"
"Of course she did. She was showing it to me since I hadn't seen it." Conner smiled confidently at the woman.
"Okay. Ethan's already taken out the iced tea for you," she said, nodding toward the back door, and they made a grateful escape. Hayley tended to know more than she revealed, a fact of which they were all too aware.
In the backyard, they separated as Tommy called Conner over to ask about the World Cup tournament and Kira gravitated toward Kim and Trent's discussion about the new Reefside Youth Center. The whole concept had come from Tommy and Kim's recollections of their own time in Angel Grove, and the younger generation thought it was a brilliant idea. They had had Hayley's in their day, but they all thought that Reefside could benefit from having a bigger place for teens to gather. Trent implemented the idea immediately, coming to Tommy, Kim, and Hayley for their input on the floor plans before handing the project over to a manager. Like his other community projects, Trent retained a deep interest in the process, but he had less time than he would have liked to deal with the minutiae. He was extremely passionate in his description of what was planned.
"So it's going to open soon?" Kira asked with a warm smile.
"It's going to be ready in May, just in time for summer." Trent looked pleased by the interest she showed in the project. "I have to find someone to perform for the opening ceremony. I was thinking of finding some local talent."
"Why don't you ask Kira to perform?" Conner asked, coming to stand next to the blonde. "She's going to be in town anyway, working on her album. Hey, she can even perform some new stuff as a treat."
Trent seemed annoyed that Conner had found the solution to his problem, but he hid it under a pleasant smile. "It would be great if you could. You're the living example of local talent."
Her cheeks flushed under the compliment, but she shook her head. "It's for the teens – they should be the ones performing for the opening ceremony."
Conner put his arm around Kira's waist and gave her an adorable grin. "Come on, Kira, you're the one who should do it. You're an inspiration to teens."
She melted visibly under his gaze and leaned into his shoulder. "I'll think about it," she said softly.
Kim cleared her throat loudly, and the pair jumped apart swiftly. She watched them with keen eyes. "Is there something going on between you two?"
"Uh . . ." Kira said, trying to find the words.
Conner found Kira's hand and raised his voice. "Ethan, Hayley, Tommy, can you guys come here?" The trio walked over with varying degrees of confusion. "We haven't really told anyone yet, but we've been dating for a couple of months," he announced bluntly.
Kira's eyes sought their friends' reactions. Kim looked happy while Hayley's expression was unsurprised. Tommy's face contained a bundle of mixed emotions, confusion, surprise, and pleasure. Ethan was overjoyed. She turned to Trent last, unsure of what to expect, but all she saw was a regretful smile on his face. She missed the shadows in his eyes and the pained clenching of his fists in the midst of a sudden outburst from Kim. "That's wonderful. I'm glad you guys are happy," she said, throwing her arms around the couple with obvious joy.
The others followed with their congratulations and hugs. Trent approached them last, offering a handshake for Conner and a smile for Kira. "I hope you make her happy," he said softly.
Conner's grip tightened on his hand. "Happier than you ever did," he replied quietly, low enough that Kira didn't hear the comment.
"Good luck with that," Trent said, managing a laugh when Kira looked away from Hayley. "It shouldn't be that hard."
"What shouldn't be that hard?" Kira inquired cheerfully.
"Nothing," Conner answered. She poked him in the side as a warning, and he said, "Convincing you to sing for the opening ceremony."
"Really? You think you can get me to commit to something like that?"
He responded to the flirtation in her tone by moving his mouth close to her ear and whispering, "I think I have a way to make you change your mind." Conner dropped a kiss on her neck and sending a shiver up her spine.
Without the pressure of hiding their relationship, Conner and Kira relaxed, enjoying the party. The annual gathering for Hayley's birthday was one of the few times that they could talk about the past unguardedly, but even more than the familiarity of the past, it gave them the chance to connect the present and look toward the future. It was a chance to recharge and be around people who loved them before the fame and prestige and money.
Later, Kira watched Conner as he played with Ben, helping the toddler build a tower of blocks. She laughed when he took as much pleasure as Ben did in the destruction of the tower. "Go boom!" the child said enthusiastically.
"Right. Tower go boom!" Conner repeated the phrase happily, picking him up. "Want to fly?"
"Fly! Fly!" Ben chanted. Conner complied, running around the back yard with the little boy squealing with joy.
Alexa launched herself at the athlete. "I'm next, Conner!"
"Be careful," Kim called with a slightly worried smile. It was needless worry as Conner brought the child over to his mother. He giggled in her arms, waving at Alexa as she flew through the air.
Trent appeared at Kira's side, watching the antics with a small smile. "I have to admit I never imagined you and Conner getting together."
She glanced at him. "I don't think anyone did except for Conner and perhaps Ethan. I was totally resistant to the idea, but he managed to convince me to give it a chance."
"Are you happy?" He heard the long explanation of how they had managed to date from Ethan, but she seemed pretty quiet on the subject.
Even if she hadn't answered the question verbally, her bright smile as she turned back to Conner would have answered his inquiry. "Yeah, I'm happier than I've been in a long time. He really cares about me and about trying to make this work. It's not easy, but it's worth it so far."
"All right, kids, it's time for bed!" Tommy announced.
Kira looked down at her watch. "I didn't realize it was so late. Conner, we should go," she remarked to her boyfriend as he approached.
"Sounds good to me." He tossed an arm across her shoulder. "Let's say goodbye and go home to bed."
"Conner!" she said, scandalized but not enough to shrug off his arm.
The rest of the weekend passed without incident or surprise. The next day was all about celebrating Hayley, an accomplishment the group succeeded at with gusto. And on Sunday, it was a group goodbye for Conner who had to fly back to Boston and focus on his soccer. Life would be back to normal for the couple.
Until Monday morning when Kira woke to her ringing phone and hysteria from her publicist . . . every major metropolitan newspaper carried a story with photos linking her and Conner together and claiming they had been together for years.