"Kim," Tommy whispered as he walked up beside her as she sat behind a tree not far from his house. From what he could hear, he knew that she was sobbing at the moment and that broke his heart, more than anything else in the world. He hated when he made her cry and he felt like scum knowing that he had done it yet again. "Tell me what to do and I'll do it. Kim, I need you."
"I don't know Tommy, I'm so confused right now. I want you in my life, but I don't know how to even begin to start over again. I never imagined being pregnant and asking for you to come back to me. It makes me feel like you are only doing this so that I won't have to do it alone, not because you actually love me," Kim sobbed as he carefully reached over and hugged her.
"How many times must I tell you that I love you? I loved you before we ever had sex, I loved you when my head told me that I shouldn't anymore and I still love you now. Kim, I do not want you to go this alone, but that is mainly because I love you, not because I feel pressured to do this. You are the one person that I have ever seen myself growing old with. Just come home to me, Kim, please," Tommy said as she looked at him and saw the sincerity in his eyes. "I'm not asking for a marriage, I'm just asking for you to take me back."
"Shouldn't I be the one asking that?" Kim asked with a sad smile as Tommy just shrugged his shoulders. The way he saw it, she was taking a huge step anyway by just telling him the truth. He was going to do some of the work to make her feel better.
"Kim, I've forgiven you for the past, so don't stop yourself from living in the present. We've been given more second chances than most people ever get. It's time that we do what we should have done all those years ago and get back together, for both of our sakes," Tommy said as Kim could only stare at him. The man standing before her had bared his heart to her and she felt she needed to do something, but did not know what it might be.
"You're sure?" Kim managed as Tommy nodded his head yes and she threw both her arms around him. She needed this man so much and although she had fought this feeling for so long, her resilience had now broken. She finally admitted just how important he was to her. "Thank you, Tommy."
"No, thank you for carrying my child," Tommy said as he brushed her hair out of her face as he pulled her in for a kiss. He could feel her trembling in his embrace and he slowly released her to see her smiling up at him.
"You'll make a wonderful father Tommy," Kim said as he smiled. He had given up on the idea of a family years ago and now it seemed like they very well might have one.
"You need to let Rocky check you out, just for his peace of mind," Tommy said as Kim nodded. He then stood and pulled her up. She still felt so small and he was unsure of how she'd be able to carry the child at her size, but this was something he would bring up to Rocky.
"This is a day that I have been waiting for, for a very long time," Kim said as Tommy smiled down at her and put his arm around her. He loved her, that was one thing that he had never really doubted.
"Why'd you go do that?" Rocky welcomed as Kim walked back down the stairs. "You've still got a couple of weeks before we can even tell if it's a boy or a girl."
"I'm not sure that I want to know Rocky," Kim said as Rocky looked over to Tommy, who merely shrugged. He was just along for the ride right now.
"Okay, well there's the baby's head," Rocky indicated as they both peered over at the screen. Tommy could feel some emotion welling up inside of him that he had never felt before. "Everything looks good; it seems like there was not much damage done to the baby."
"Thank God," Kim said as Rocky wiped off the jelly with a towel and Tommy reached down to hug her.
"Kim, I do have some strict things for you to do from now on," Rocky said as Kim looked over at him, wondering why he had to do this in front of Tommy. She knew that Tommy would make her follow whatever it was to the letter and Rocky knew that as well. "You have to eat more, I know that the last three days didn't help, but you've barely gained any weight, but the baby is a normal size. Also try not to get captured again."
"I don't plan on it," Kim said as Tommy smiled over at her. If he had anything to do with it, it wouldn't happen again, but there was no way for him to guarantee that. Not after the last few days and how things had been for the two of them.
"That's good, now if you'll just head upstairs, I need to talk with Tommy," Rocky said as Kim glared at him. She could only imagine what he had to say to Tommy. "Just a couple of minutes, anyway Ish promised to make supper for all of them."
"Okay," Kim said as she stood and walked up the stairs. Rocky waited until he heard the door close and then turned to face Tommy.
"What do I need to know?" Tommy asked as Rocky walked over to Tommy's couch and sat down.
"I'm worried Tommy. She's held up good so far, aside from the morning sickness, but in about two weeks she'll be four months along. I honestly wouldn't believe that she was pregnant, except for the fact that I have done all the tests myself. Her weight isn't the issue, some women gain very little weight, but at her size she needs a little bit more. I'm not telling you to shove food down her throat, but make sure she eats," Rocky said as Tommy nodded. "Also, she's had a couple of fainting episodes because her sugar has just bottomed out. You need to keep peanut butter, coke, or candy bars in the house at all times. If she eats that, it'll keep her from fainting. If she has one of those episodes, I want you to call me because I have to make sure it's just her sugar, not something more serious. You got all that?"
"Yeah, I do," Tommy said as he let out a sigh and just shook his head.
"But congrats man," Rocky said extending his hand and Tommy graciously shook it. "She'll come around, what with a mini you running around, she'll have no choice about it."
"Yeah, I'm just not sure if I'm ready to be dad," Tommy said as Rocky smirked. Tommy was going to do just fine if Kim would let him be that father that he could be.
"No one is Tommy, hell me and Ish haven't even started talking about it and we've been married for four years," Rocky said as Tommy nodded as they exited the command center. "The two of you kinda got thrown into it."
"Yeah, but maybe she'll finally realize that I have forgiven her," Tommy said as Rocky nodded and smiled. Tommy had been fighting to prove that for years and he was right, maybe this would finally prove it.
"Or at least the sex was good," Rocky whispered as Tommy laughed. Leave it to Rocky to make things seem like they were not nearly as bad as they really were.
"We've given out our war stories, it's time for yours," Conner said about halfway through the meal. Tommy slowly raised his eyes to meet Conner's as the others prepared to duck for cover.
"You don't want to hear what a bunch of old fools like us did when we were rangers," Kim said as Conner nodded his head that he really did wish to know and that this was no joking matter.
"Maybe another night," Tommy said as Kira turned to him and looked him directly in the eyes. She could see that he had no intention to share it with them but one day he wouldn't have a choice. She'd make sure of that.
"All right," Kira conceded for the group as Conner looked over at her, utterly livid about the situation. He knew that this was probably their only chance and they had just lost it.
"Kim, you gotta eat more than that," Rocky said, gently, as she barely nodded. He could tell she was forcing each piece of food down, but at least she was trying.
"When's the baby due?" Kira asked as Tommy looked over at Kim, who was focusing solely on her plate.
"End of March, beginning of April," Kim said as Kira nodded and then looked over at Aisha.
"We should hold you a baby shower," Kira said as Tommy spit out his drink and Kim started coughing from halfway choking on her own drink.
"It's a little bit early for that. I might not even be around that much," Kim said as Tommy, Rocky, and Aisha looked over at her, hoping she was lying for the sake of the affect. However, they could see that she was being dead serious and that worried them.
"You're going to be around because you and Dr. O are gonna get married even if you don't know that yet," Kira said as Kim just stared at her as Tommy looked down at his plate, attempting to keep his attention away from Kim.
"I wouldn't be so sure, Kira," Kim said as Kira looked between her and Dr. O.
"You are. Maybe after the baby is born, but you are," Kira said with an air of confidence that gave all of them the goose pimples. She was not going to keep pushing it, but she had gotten her point across and that was what she needed to do.
"How about those Chargers," Rocky said as Kim and Aisha glared over at him, obviously he didn't need to talk about that either.
"What can you tell us about this new thing that is after you?" Kira asked as Tommy looked at those seated around the table, knowing that he was the only one that knew anything.
"We don't know much, actually, the fact is he's only attacked Trini and Jason so far. He captured her, so he knows a good bit about me, but I have no clue why he's doing this right now," Tommy said as they stared at him in wonder. None of them could believe he didn't know why this was happening. He always seemed to know at least that, even if he didn't know anything else.
"A personal grudge? Maybe an old colleague?" Kira asked as Tommy just shook his head. He, in all honesty, had absolutely no clue why or who would do this.
"If I could tell you why, I wouldn't be here, I'd be after the man, but we have no clue. We'll find out more as we go along," Tommy said, calmly, as they shook their heads. He took this all so well, but they weren't taking it well at all.
"I'm glad that you can talk about this like it is everyday business," Kim said as Tommy looked over at her.
"It's a part of me; I've lived this life for too many years," Tommy said as Kim looked over at him, slightly shocked.
"And when will you give it up?" Kim asked as the entire table shifted their focus to Tommy. The fact that Kim had even asked the question surprised them, they thought that she, of all people, would understand what this was about.
"I made myself a promise a long time ago that once I had a family I would, but it seems like that's still in question," Tommy said, pointedly, as Kim stared at him. He had never said anything like that to her before and he had had due cause to say it.
"You are going to be a father, isn't that enough?" Kim asked as he looked her in the eyes and he shook his head no. "Thomas Oliver!"
"Clear the room," Rocky whispered as the rangers scrambled away from the table and Rocky and Aisha merely moved to a corner of the room.
"You keep on saying you don't know if you'll take me back, if I'll ever really get to be a part of this child's life. I want a guarantee that when I leave this life I'll have you there with me. That I can have someone to love," Tommy said as Kim threw her cup at him as she stood, but before she could flee, he had her pinned to the wall.
"Tommy!" Aisha yelled as Rocky held her back. He knew that Tommy would not dare hurt her. He loved her too much to even imagine doing that to her.
"All these years I have done nothing to deserve this. You were the one who wanted sex, you were the one that decided you could live without me and now you say you can raise a child without me, a child that is mine! I know you Kim! I know that if I let you walk out, I won't see you until you have the baby, if then," Tommy yelled as he forced her to look up at him. "I can't live like that anymore, I can't."
"Let me go, Tommy," Kim whispered as the tears rolled down her cheeks and Tommy just shook his head no. "Tommy, let me go!"
"I won't lose you Kim, I can't. I've lived far too long without you, it's time that you realize that we will eventually have each other, no matter what happens. I know that you may wish to wait, but I want to know that I'll have you there when the waiting is over," Tommy whispered as he gently kissed her. "Kim, please, not just for me, but for our baby."
"I'm not scared of you. I'm scared of myself," Kim whispered as Tommy took a step back from her while keeping his arms on either side of her head. He was still not going to let her leave, but he hadn't noticed until now how tightly he was holding her against the wall.
"Why would you be scared of yourself?" Tommy asked as she looked away from him towards Aisha, who merely shrugged her shoulders. Tommy deserved to hear what she was thinking.
"Because of what I did the last time I cared too much for you. Tommy, I can't lose you again," Kim whispered as he pulled her into a tight hug.
"You will if you can't get over that. I can't have only a part of your heart anymore, I need all of you Kim," Tommy said as he heard her sob and he looked around at Rocky and motioned for him to take Aisha out so that they could be alone. He knew it might not be best, but it was worth a try.
"I don't want…I can't live through that again," Kim said as she looked up at him and he gently held onto her chin.
"You won't have to Kim, just trust me and let us have a life together, where we live one day at time, from moment to moment. If the day comes when you no long love me, we'll deal with it then not now, I know you don't want me out of your life for good and I can't imagine actually doing that," Tommy said as she could only stare at him. "Please, Kim, please."
"I'm not perfect Tommy," Kim whispered as he smiled at her and wiped away her tears.
"I think I know that better than anyone else," Tommy said as he brushed back her hair and pulled her into a hug. "Now are we going to fight about this anymore?"
"No, I'm yours now," Kim said as Tommy picked her up and spun her around. "Don't do that too much, I'll get sick."
"I just have one more question," Tommy said as she nodded that he could ask. "Are you staying?"
"I…I've missed…just let me stay," Kim said as he kissed her and they both faintly heard clapping. By the time they had broken apart the rangers had returned to the table along with Aisha and Rocky.
"Finally," Kira muttered as Tommy glared over at her. She, however, smiled and merely shook her head. He could glare all he wanted, but it wouldn't matter, she'd be happy anyway. It was about time that they got their act together and this baby might be the one thing that would save the two of them from lives of discontent.