Ivan is Back

Chapter 3 - Help on the Way

Kimberly Hart knew that at some point there was a chance she would be called back to the rangers. Hell, anymore her team expected it just by looking at Tommy's record of ranger activity. She did not however expect to be getting a call from the mentor to the Samurai rangers begging her to help with Ivan Ooze. It was a long time ago when he first attacked Earth and had destroyed what she felt was a safe haven for her and the other rangers. Kimberly wasn't one to hide the truth often and she didn't the day that Ivan attacked the Command Center, she almost lost the only father figure she had in her life that day and it scared her.

Ivan's attack had actually done more damage to Kimberly than what she let on to Tommy or the other rangers at the time. Due to Ivan and his destruction of the command center and Zordon, Kimberly was forced to see a therapist for the nightmares that came with it and she has spent the last 15 years taking anxiety medicine for her panic attacks. It generally happens with stuff related to the power rangers but lately she had been having nightmares about Tommy and Katherine being happy together and Tommy telling her that he had moved on.

"Pull it together Kimberly, you are going to be needed if these rangers have any chance of defeating Ivan Ooze once and for all." She told herself before picking up the phone to call the samurai rangers back.

"Hello?" A girl's voice came on the other end of the line.

"Hi, my name is Kimberly Hart, Mentor Ji called me earlier. Is he around?" Kimberly tried to sound confident but even she could tell that the girl who answered the phone was no older than what she was when Ivan had first launched his attack on earth.

"Miss Hart?" Mentor's voice filled her ears.

"I'll be there first thing tomorrow morning. I trust you have a place I could stay?" Kimberly informed the old man.

"Here at Shiba house. Will you be traveling alone?"

"I'm not sure yet. I need to make a phone call but expect at least 3 of us just in case."

When they hung up the phone Kimberly paced her apartment for a few minutes before deciding that Jason was the only way to possibly get a hold of the Falcon. She wasn't even sure if the others had their ninjetti spirits anymore because they were active when the command center was destroyed while she wasn't so the Crane was able to return to her where it lay dormant until she started using the abilities of the crane more. She picked up the phone and dialed her 'older brother' and closest friend.

"Hey Kim, everything okay?" Jason's baritone voice carried through the phone.

"Jase, Ivan Ooze is back..." Kimberly managed to say before the onslaught of memories filled her head with Ivan's previous destruction on Earth.

"Kim, breathe, you aren't there anymore. He can't hurt you. Look, I'm on my way to Tommy's can you meet me in Reefside?" Jason asked knowing that seeing Tommy would probably help but if she thought for a second Katherine would be there she'd turn and run the other direction.

"I can't, I told the Samurai rangers I'd be there by morning. He's already injured one of them. Could you get Tommy and come to Paranorma City?"

"Sure Kim, see you tomorrow." Jason said knowing it was at least a 6 hour drive from Angel Grove to Paranorma City.

Once Kimberly hung up with Jason she started to pack her pink duffel bag and out of ranger habit she grabbed her old communicator and the coin she had received in the mail from Katherine after the destruction of the ninjetti powers. She knew there was a chance that if Tommy showed up with Jason then Katherine would be there too but she had long ago made a promise to protect the Earth with everything she had. Nobody was going to make her break that promise. Not even a bad break-up.

Meanwhile, Jason flew passed the Welcome to Reefside sign. He knew that he was going to be asking a lot and wasn't sure exactly how well Tommy would accept that they were being called back due to Ivan Ooze; someone they thought they had destroyed. Jason didn't know much of what happened there but knew that it had a bad effect on Kimberly and that she was going to be taking medication for the rest of her life after the trauma that Ivan Ooze, Rita and Zedd had put her through. Except Kimberly had made him swear not to tell anyone. He kept his promise and became her confidant after Trini's wreck in 2001.

Pulling into Tommy's drive way he also saw that Hayley Ziktor was here, "good thing she knows about the rangers." Jason muttered before shutting off his truck and heading up to the porch where Tommy stood with his arms crossed and his face grim.

"Was anyone hurt?" Was the first thing Tommy asked.

"According to Kim who received the call from the samurai rangers the only one injured on their team was their green ranger. How did you know?" Having been driving for hours he didn't realize that the news would be covering the story.

"All over the news, plus, Conner was in Paranorma City this morning when the attack happened." Tommy shrugged.

"Tommy, you know they are going to need you. Kim, will need you." Jason tried to reason with his comrade.

"Jason, that part of my life is done. I am tired of putting on the suit. Aren't you?"

Jason looked stunned, "this is what we were sworn to do almost 20 years ago, are you really going to turn your back on our promise?"

He knew it was a low blow but he needed Tommy to agree to help stop Ooze. He knew that as long as Tommy was on the battlefield Kimberly would somehow be okay, and he promised Trini with her dying breath that he would look after Kimberly.

"Why me?" Tommy inquired, like it wasn't obvious.

"Are you really going to tell me you didn't hear the Falcon? If Kim is right then all of you heard it. Are you going to turn your back on Kimberly?"

Tommy sighed, "fine, let's go."

Tommy Oliver was not one to normally cave when put under pressure; being a ranger for as long as he has been it's not something you can afford to do. For some reason though, when Kimberly is brought up his whole brain flashes back to 16 years old when he would do anything to protect her.

Dulcea had once told him that their love would have to overcome trials but when he received the 'Dear John' letter he decided that Dulcea obviously was wrong. Of course he had also thought that he knew Kimberly better than anyone and never thought she could do something like that. After Tommy packed his bag and told Hayley to check the lab for any way to reconnect the power of the gems just in case they were needed Jason and Tommy set out for Paranorma City.

"Hang on Kimberly." Tommy whispered.