A/N: another chapter down….the second to last one. I know; I'm sorry to see it end as well. Sorry for the long wait, but I hope you guys like it. Enjoy.
A/N 2: major thanks to falcon4crane who gave me the ideas for the celebrities.
Disclaimer: I own nothing….as usual, especially not Beyonce, Victoria Beckham, Mary Lou Retton, Shawn Johnson or Nastia Liukin or any other recognizable people or places.
Last time on Secrets:
"A ranger reunion," Captain Mitchell said. "It's about time for one of those."
"I can't wait," Kelsey said.
"Me either," Dana smiled. The group smiled as they turned to walk out of their former command center. He stood still as he watched his friends; thinking about the upcoming reunion, he whispered.
"I finally get to meet my sister."
"Hey you coming?" Dana smiled over at him.
"Yeah," he smiled as he jogged over to his friends, anticipation coursing through for the upcoming meeting.
(Now; Part 1: Opening Night)
Over the course of the week, excitement reigned throughout, not only Kim's place, but the town as well. The citizens of Angel Grove were buzzed with the knowledge that one of their own was very popular throughout the world and was extremely proud of her for it. The Labor Day weekend came and went with the gang finishing up the final preparations for opening night, and for Tanya's first day of school that Wednesday. It was now Thursday, and the gang was at the store, running through the final preps for opening night the next day.
"Billy," Kim said as she passed him on her way to the front. "Did you check on the wires? Make sure everything is running fine?"
"I did sis," Billy replied. "Everything is coming along fine. Don't worry."
"Don't say that!" Kim exclaimed. The others, including Billy, turned to look at her. "Don't you know that whenever someone says that, something always goes wrong?"
"Aww come on Kim," Zack chuckled. "You don't believe that?"
"Maybe I do," Kim hid a smile. "Maybe I don't; but I'm just saying, if anything goes wrong, Billy is going to wish he had gone to Aquitar."
Billy cringed and turned away to the amusement of the others. At the other side of the room, Wes leaned into Eric. "Remind to never get on her bad side."
"Only if you do the same for me," Eric replied.
"Deal," Wes answered back. The two snickered to themselves quietly before going back to work. By sunset, everything was up and running and Kim couldn't be happier. The group of friends gathered in the middle of the store.
"We did it guys," Kim smiled at all of them. "By this time tomorrow, Annabelle's will officially open."
"WHOO!" cheers went up all around from the group.
"How about we head home?" Tommy suggested.
"Sounds good," Rocky said. "'Cause I'm getting hungry."
"You're always hungry," Adam teased.
"Bite me," Rocky responded.
"Sorry," Adam laughed. "That's 'Sha's job."
"Guys," Trini smiled as she interrupted them. "Let's go home, huh?"
"Sure," the two nodded. The group laughed and one by one, they left. Kim, as usual, was the last to leave. She stopped by the door and smiled.
"Tomorrow," she whispered. With one final smile, she turned off the lights and stepped outside to where Tommy was waiting for her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, while hers went around his waist, the two walked behind their friends.
…
The next morning, activity at the house was a little hectic. In a few hours, Kim would have the grand opening of her store and everyone was in a slight rush to get things done by then. Kim and the others still had no idea that the other former rangers were coming, and Tommy and Jason wanted to keep it that way until tonight. While everyone was at the house getting ready, Billy and Cam were at the store, giving everything one last look over. Back at the house, Kim had gathered all the girls in her room, kicking Tommy out who didn't protest as he didn't want to face an angry mob of girls with his own leading them. So as it was, he dressed in Jason's room and the two headed downstairs where the rest of the guys were waiting. That was scene Billy and Cam walked in on when they returned from the store.
"Why are all of you out here?" Billy asked.
"And where are the girls?" Cam continued.
"In Kim's room getting ready," Hunter answered.
"Kim said we're leaving when they come down," Jason told them. "So if I were you, I'd hurry and get changed."
"Good idea," Billy said, not wanting to get Kimberly mad at him.
"Need help getting dressed?" Hunter asked Cam.
"No," he shook his head. "You come in that room, I'll never get dressed in time and Kim will kill us both."
"It'd be worth it," Hunter wagged his eyebrows.
"Yeah…no," Cam smiled at him.
"Wait," Zack interrupted. "You two are dating?"
"You didn't know?" Blake asked.
"No," Zack shook his head.
"But Kim knows," Shane said. "I don't know how she figured it out, but she did."
"That's my sis for you," Jason smiled at them.
"You two better go get ready," Wes said. The two nodded and hurried up the stairs; within fifteen minutes, they were back down and waiting with the rest of the guys. Ten minutes later, they heard walking on the stairs. They looked up and stared in shock and awe when they saw the girls. They came down in twos and they were wearing clothes designed close to the ranger era they came from. First up were Krista and Caitlin, dressed in white and blue respectively; Krista was wearing a white, knee-length dress that had a silver diamond pattern (similar to Trent's uniform) while Caitlin was wearing a blue dress pants with a white tank top and the matching blue jacket over it.
"Ta da!" the two girls smiled at the boys.
"So," Krista asked. "What do you think?"
"You guys look beautiful," Trent said, coming over to his girlfriend, Ethan doing the same.
"Well, wait 'til you see the others," Caitlin smiled.
As soon as the words left her mouth, they heard more footsteps. Looking up, they saw Kira and Hayley coming down; Kira was wearing a red knee-length dress that had yellow mini pterodactyls on it, while Hayley was wearing a floor-length satin dress with long sleeves and the design of the dress was such that it started out with a light blue on top and as you moved down, it faded into darker shades of blue.
"Wow," Billy eyes were wide as he looked at Hayley.
"You like?" she asked.
"I do," he replied. He couldn't take his eyes off of her and Connor was in no better position.
"You look beautiful," he told Kira just before he pulled her into a hug.
"Thank you," she smiled up at him. "You're not too bad looking yourself."
"Don't they remind you of a young Kim and Tommy?" Jason whispered to Zack.
"Definitely," Zack smiled. The two were interrupted from their musings when Marah and Kapri came down.
Marah was in pink, Kapri in yellow; Marah was wearing a skirt which ended a half inch below her knees that had mini trees at the bottom and a v-cut top with a pocket above the left breast that hat the NS Earth ranger logo on it; Kapri was in a dress, half inch above her knees, that had swirling patterns on it, like the wind blowing. The two twirled when they came to the bottom of the stairs and Shane and Dustin walked over to their girls.
"You know Marah," Dustin said. "You're always beautiful but wow…."
"Why thank you," Marah smiled at him.
"Well?" Kapri looked at Shane.
"I'm speechless," Shane said; behind him, the other guys snickered.
"I wouldn't laugh if I were you," Hayley told them from her spot in Billy's arms. "You haven't seen the rest of the girls yet….especially Kim."
The guys became quiet, to the amusement of the others. Another set of footsteps sounded on the stairs and they saw Sally and Tori walk down. Tori was dressed in navy blue jeans that had blue lightning bolts spread out and a blue short-sleeved, v-cut top; Sally was in a pair of jeans that stopped at her knees and had a red fire design and a red, off the shoulder top with the NS logo on the bottom right and on her feet were two-inch wedges.
"Whoa," Jordan and Blake said.
"I think they like it," Kira giggled, Connor's arm around her waist.
"I think they do," Sally laughed.
"Flies bro," Connor chuckled at his brother.
"We're next," Eric said to Wes and Cole.
"Here they are," Jason said.
Jen, Alyssa and Taylor came down together and the three guys couldn't help the intake of air. Jen was wearing a pink, strapless dress that had a faint floral design on it; Taylor was wearing jeans with a one-shoulder maroon top that was slanted at the bottom and had a faint design of a yellow eagle. Her jeans had yellow threading and she was wearing yellow and maroon pumas; Alyssa wore a red mini-skirt that had the words Lion's Girl across the bottom in glitter and a pale pink tank top with a white and red jacket over it that had Tiger across the back.
"Taylor," Eric started. "I don't even know what to say."
"The look in your eyes is enough," Taylor smiled at her boyfriend.
"I love you," Wes whispered when Jen came to a stop in front of him.
"Feeling's mutual," she smiled at him, her brown eyes sparkling in happiness.
"So what do you think Jungle Boy?" Alyssa smiled at Cole.
"What I'm thinking shouldn't be repeated," Cole smiled. The others laughed while Alyssa blushed as he pulled her into a hug. Her blush intensified when he whispered in her ear. "You have no idea how hot it is to see the words Lion's Girl across your ass."
"I think I have a pretty good idea," she whispered back; she knew that he liked it whenever she wore something that told the world that she was his. He kissed her before wrapping an arm around her waist, pretty much mirroring the position of everyone else.
This time, Adam and the rest of the original rangers turned back to the stairs. Coming down was Tanya and Angela; Tanya was wearing a black skirt that had a faint yellow design of a pond with a yellow sleeveless top that had two black rectangles just under the breast going around the shirt; Angela was wearing a simple black spaghetti-strap dress that fell to her knees and was slightly ruffled at the bottom.
"You girls look amazing," Zack smiled at them.
"Thank you," Tanya said. She walked over to Adam and kissed her fiancé on the cheek. "You look very handsome."
"Zack's right," he told her. "You look amazing."
"You really do look amazing," Zack told Angela.
"Thank you," she said just before she leaned in and kissed him before she turned to Rocky, Jason and Tommy. "I hope you guys are ready for your girls."
"More than ready," Rocky laughed. "That girl better hurry up and get down here."
"What was that?" Aisha asked; her and Trini three steps away from the floor.
Rocky turned to look at her and his mouth dropped open. "Uh….."
"That's what I thought," Aisha laughed. What she was wearing was slightly reminiscent of their Ninja wardrobe. She had on baggy yellow pants with two-inch heels that had yellow running through them, and a yellow crop top, the sleeves down on her arms. All in all, she looked like Princess Jasmine (without the really long hair and flying carpet). She walked over to Rocky and closed his mouth with a finger before kissing him.
Jason was still staring at Trini. She had on body-hugging, strapless, knee-length dress that had tiger stripes, with the matching jacket over her arm.
"Jason? Honey?" she called to him. "Are you ok?"
"I think you broke him," Tommy chuckled.
"Yeah I'm good," Jason said, his eyes traveling the length of her body. "Really good….Tri, you look…"
"Thank you," Trini smiled at him as she pulled him into a hug.
"Sis did a really good job," Jason said.
"I think so too," Kim's voice sounded from the stairs.
This time, it was Tommy's turn to have his mouth drop open, though he might not have been the only one. Walking down the stairs with a smile on her face, Kim looked like a princess. She was wearing a floor length, halter-top dress that hugged her body and outlined her curves. The dress had a green background and had the faint design of a white falcon whose wings were up, coming together to form the halter-top; beneath it was an upside down pink crane whose wings flared out with the bottom of the dress. She was wearing strappy, two-inch heels with tiny green, white and pink flowers on it.
Kim came to a stop in front of the group and did a little twirl. "So, what do you think Handsome?"
Tommy stared at Kim; he couldn't help it. While he adored Kim in pink, there was just something about seeing her in his colors that always got his blood boiling….even in high school. He may have touched on four colors but the ones he had felt most comfortable in were the green and white; green because that was not only the start of his ranger, but it was the beginning of his relationship with Kim; white because as the white ranger, he had finally felt like he belonged, like he was truly a part of the ranger team; the white had been his firm settlement into the ranger world and when he had solidified his relationship with Kim. So to see her in those colors together left him breathless. The only answer he could give her was to pull her into his arms and into a passionate kiss; one which lasted for about five minutes, to the amusement of the others and they broke away to the catcalls of Jason and Rocky.
"That's my answer," Tommy whispered against her lips.
"And it's a very good one," Kim whispered back before she pulled him in for a shorter, though no less passionate, kiss.
"If you two are done making out," Jason teased. "It's almost seven; we should get going."
"Right," Kim said. "Is everyone ready?"
"Yeah," Connor answered.
"Pretty much," Ethan added.
"Alright then," Kim smiled. "Let's go." After giving the place one last check, the group left. Kim locked the door behind her and headed to her vehicle that Tommy was driving. The ride to the store was filled with anticipation and excitement and the group could hardly wait. Within minutes, the group was at the store. They made their way inside and started preparing for the opening in an hour. They wouldn't be selling anything; the opening tonight was just so that everyone could check the store out, while the selling would start the next day. By seven thirty, people had already started gathering outside the door, including reporters. Kim couldn't believe it.
"Whoa," she breathed. "That's a lot of people."
"And they're because of you," Jason told her. She smiled up at him before walking over to Tommy. She was slightly nervous and needed to feel her boyfriend's arms around her. He was standing by himself so she just walked over and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Beautiful?" he looked down at her.
"Just hold me," Kim said.
"Ok," he smiled as he wrapped his arms around her. They stayed like that for a while before Kim let out sigh and slowly pulled away. "You alright now?"
"Yeah," Kim smiled. "I just needed some reassurance, that's all."
"Glad I could be of some help," Tommy smiled.
"I love you Tommy," Kim whispered.
"I love you too Beautiful," he replied before he ducked down and captured her lips in a kiss.
"Hey guys," Rocky called out to them. "It's almost eight o'clock."
"Almost show time," Kim said.
"Nervous?" Kira asked as she walked over with Connor.
"Just a bit," Kim replied.
"Don't be," Connor smiled at her. "We're with you all the way."
When it was ten minutes to eight, Kim decided to go out; with Tommy by her side, she stood in front of everyone and addressed.
"Hello," Kim smiled at them. "And welcome to Grand Opening of Annabelle's. I just want to let you know that tonight is not about selling anything; it's about allowing you to see the inside and what the store is all about. The store will open for business at ten tomorrow morning, but so tonight is just for you viewing pleasure."
The crowd was a little disappointed that they wouldn't be able to buy anything, but they were still excited to see the inside, and many of the young girls there knew that they would be up first thing in the morning. At two minutes to eight, Trini and Aisha walked outside with a scissors in Trini's hands. Kim smiled when they did.
"Standing with me are my two business partners Trinity Kwan and Aisha Campbell," she said. "And it's only fitting that they help with the cutting of the tape."
Positioning the scissors so that all three had a handle on it, they waited until Tommy gave them the single and then they cut the tape. Cheers and applause went up around them and they moved inside, keeping the door open to allow everyone to enter. Kim stood off to the side as she watched everyone walk around. The excitement and awe was clearly visible on their faces and it filled her with so much joy. Trini came over and the two hugged.
"This is amazing Kim," she told her. "They love it."
"Really?" Kim asked; before Trini could answer, two high school girls passed by.
"Did you see the clothes?" one of the girls asked. "I'm telling my mom that I'm shopping here from now on."
"So am I," her friend said. "It's really too bad we can't by anything until tomorrow."
"I know," the girl replied. The two girls kept talking as they passed by.
"You see Kim?" Trini smiled at her. "They love it."
"I saw the excitement," Kim said. "But I guess a part of me still didn't believe."
"Well believe it," Trini told her. The two stood there and watched as the store became even more filled with people. Aisha and Jason had walked over with Tommy to join them.
"Hey guys," Aisha said. "This is so exciting."
"I'm proud of you sis," Jason said as he pulled her into a hug.
"So am I Beautiful," Tommy smiled at her.
"Thanks guys," Kim said. She was about to say something else but was interrupted by someone calling her name. She looked up and saw two girls heading her way. When the girls were near, Kim hugged them each.
"What are you two doing here?" she asked.
"Did you think we'd miss this?" the brunette asked.
"We had to come," the blonde added.
Kim turned to her friends. "Guys this is Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin….the next Olympic winners and America's future sweethearts."
"Nice to meet you," the others replied.
"Same here," Shawn said.
"So what brings you guys all the way out here?" Aisha asked. She followed gymnastics because of Kim and from what she knew, Shawn was from Iowa and Nastia was from Texas.
"Kim's like our role model," Nastia said. "We loved her performance at the '96 Olympics and we really wanted to meet her."
"So when we saw on the news the opening of her store," Shawn said. "We figured it's our chance to finally meet her and show our support as well."
"So she's your hero, huh?" Jason smiled.
"Oh come on you guys," Kim said.
"She is," Shawn and Nastia said as one.
"You guys," Kim turned towards them.
"It's true Kim," Shawn told her.
"That's so sweet," Kim said. "I feel so blessed. And I meant what I said; you guys are going to be awesome at the games in '08."
"Thanks Kim," Nastia smiled at her, happy that she had at last met one of her role models.
"Well we've got to go," Shawn said. "But before we do, do you think we could get a picture with you?"
"Sure," Kim smiled at them. Both girls pulled out their digital cameras and Tommy did the honors.
"Thanks Kim," Nastia said.
"You're welcome," Kim smiled at them. "And it was great of you guys to come." She hugged them once more. "And good luck with everything you do."
"Thank you Kim," Nastia smiled. "Well it was nice to meet all of you."
"Same here," Tommy said. "Bye."
"Bye," the two girls said together. They waved goodbye and left. As they got into the car, they looked at each other in amazement.
"I can't believe we just met Kimberly Hart," Nastia said. They looked at each other once more before squealing in joy; their friends back home would be so jealous.
Back inside, the others had come over to stand with Kim and them. The group stood their talking when Kim froze.
"Kim?" Taylor called. "Are you ok?"
"Is that….?" Kim's voice trailed off as she looked towards the door. They turned to look and saw a dark-haired woman making her way over; Trini recognized her at once.
"Mary Lou Retton."
"Oh my God," Kim whispered.
"Who's Mary Lou Retton?" Blake asked.
"She's a former gymnast," Tommy answered. "She was the first female outside of Europe to not only score perfect tens on both the floor exercises and the vault, but to also win the all around Olympic title."
"How do you know that?" Shane asked.
"Because she's also one of Kim's favorite athletes," Tommy told him.
"I used to watch her all the time on TV," Kim said, her gaze still on Mary Lou. "When I was a kid, all I wanted was to be like her when I grew up."
"And you're just as good," Connor told his sister.
The group watched as the woman came closer. When she spotted Kim, her eyes widened in delight and she hurried her steps. As soon as she was close to Kim, she reached out and pulled her into a hug.
"Kimberly," Mary Lou said. "It is so good to finally meet you."
"Really?" Kim was beyond shocked.
"Yes really," Mary Lou smiled. "And I must say; congratulations on your success."
"Thank you," Kim smiled. "I've always wanted to meet you."
"Same here," Mary Lou said. "But I never got the chance to."
"You wanted to meet me?" Kim's eyes went wide with shock and disbelief.
"Yes," Mary Lou answered. "Kimberly, you became America's number one gymnast back in '96 when you won the Olympics and then you went on to become one of the biggest singers and one of the top designers of the world; so yes honey, I wanted to meet you."
"Wow," Kim said. "I don't know what to say. I mean, you're one reason why I took gymnastics so serious…I wanted to be like you, I wanted to be as good as you."
"Sweetie," Mary Lou lightly rubbed her cheek. "You were never as good as I was….you were better."
"Thank you," Kim whispered, tears in her eyes. Tommy, Connor and the Original Rangers knew how much those words meant to Kim; not only was Kim meeting her idol, but to hear her say that she was better than her was without a doubt the biggest compliment anyone had ever given to her.
"You're welcome sweetie," Mary Lou said. She moved her gaze from Kim and looked at the others. "Quite a group you have here."
"Thanks," Kim smiled. "They're my friends; but these are my brothers, Jordan and Connor and my boyfriend Tommy."
"Nice to meet you," Mary Lou smiled at the group. "All of you."
"Same here," they responded.
"I'd love to stay," Mary Lou turned back to Kim. "But I have to go if I want to catch my flight."
"OK," Kim nodded.
"It truly was great to meet you Kim," Mary Lou said as she pulled her into one last hug.
"Trust me," Kim smiled. "The feeling is mutual."
"Congrats once more Kim," Mary Lou said. "And good luck in all your future endeavors."
"Same to you," Kim said. "Bye."
"Bye," she waved as she walked away.
"Whoa," Kim breathed. "I just met Mary Lou Retton."
"You ok?" Hunter asked.
"I just met Mary Lou Retton," Kim said once more.
"She's in shock," Zack said.
"I think that's how Shawn and Nastia felt when they met her," Adam commented.
"As do I," Billy agreed.
"You gonna be ok Beautiful?" Tommy looked at Kim.
"Yeah," she smiled up. "I'm fine."
The group stood there looking around at everybody. They were more than happy with the turnout and knew that the night was a success. Throughout the night, the group got introduced to some of the biggest celebrities in the world; Victoria Beckham had shown up and the group was surprised, though they shouldn't be, when she and Kim had started talking like old friends. Kim had told them that the two had met when Kim had done a show in England; the fashion star had wanted to personally congratulate her on her new store opening. A few minutes after Victoria said her goodbyes, the group got another shock when Beyonce Knowles walked over.
"Hey B," Kim smiled as the two hugged.
"Hey girl," Beyonce smiled back. "How are you?"
"I'm doing ok," Kim said.
"I'd say you're more than doing ok," Beyonce laughed. "I can't believe that you're TCrane and Annabelle."
"It was a surprise to everyone," Kim giggled.
"I'll say," the singer replied. "I met you at music and fashion shows and I didn't even know I was meeting the same person!"
"Yeah," Kim laughed. "Sorry about that."
"Anyways," Beyonce smiled. "I just wanted to congratulate on your new store."
"Thanks B," Kim smiled. "It was really good to see you."
"It was good to see you to Kim," Beyonce smiled as she pulled the petite woman into a hug. "Take care and I'll see you later."
"You too," Kim smiled. "Bye."
"Bye," the singer waved and left. Kim turned back to her friends and laughed when she saw them still looking a little shocked. She just shook her head and smiled. They were halfway through, when Kim got her first surprise for the night, though she wasn't the only one. She was talking to Taylor and Alyssa when she heard a voice behind her.
"I knew that this would be as big a success as the one in Paris."
Turning around, Kim was shocked to see her parents standing there. "Mom, dad, what are you guys doing here?"
"Hi sweetie," Caroline said as she pulled Kim into a hug.
"Did you really think we wouldn't show up to our own daughter's opening?" Pierre asked as he pulled her into a hug as well.
"I'm so glad you're here," Kim said as she pulled back.
"Ladies," Pierre turned to Taylor and Alyssa. "It's good to see you again."
"Same here Mr. Dumas," Alyssa smiled. "It's good to see you too Caroline."
"It's nice to see you girls as well," Caroline smiled at them. "So how are things going?"
"They're going great," Kim said.
"Yeah," Taylor said. "Everybody here is having fun looking around and checking out the store and the clothes."
"Well that's good," Pierre nodded.
"And you won't believe who I met," Kim told them, excitement in her voice.
"Who did you meet?" Caroline asked, seeing her daughter excited.
"Mary Lou Retton," Kim smiled.
"What?" Caroline was shocked.
"That's how Kim looked," Alyssa laughed.
"You met Mary Lou Retton?" Caroline asked her daughter.
"I did," Kim laughed. "I couldn't believe it when she walked in; I was beyond shocked."
"I can imagine," Caroline smiled at her. "Ever since you were little you've always wanted to meet her; I'm glad you got the chance to."
"So am I mom," Kim smiled. "So am I."
"So where's that boy of yours?" She asked her daughter.
"Right here," Tommy said as he walked over to them, Anton and Michelle behind him. "It's a surprise to see you guys here…..though it shouldn't be."
"Hi sweetie," Caroline smiled at him even as she pulled him into a hug. "How have things been?"
"They've been good," Tommy said as he pulled back. "Pierre."
"Hello Tommy," Pierre said as they shook hands. "How've you been?"
"Good," Tommy nodded. "It's been a busy few months helping Kim get ready."
"I can imagine," Pierre nodded. "So where are your parents?"
"They couldn't make it," He replied. "They had to go out of town and won't be back until next week; they're sorry they missed tonight."
"With them being close to Kim," Pierre said. "I can imagine."
"True," Tommy smiled. "Caroline, Pierre, I'd like to introduce you to Anton and Michelle Mercer; Anton is my former boss and Trent's father and Michelle is the principal at the high school that I teach at."
"Nice to meet you," Caroline held out a hand to them.
"Same here," Anton replied. "You have a very talented and wonderful daughter."
"We're very proud of her," Pierre smiled over at Kim.
"You should be," Michelle smiled. They had a laugh at that and continued to watch the people around the store. Some minutes later, the others had noticed their arrival and had come over to greet the four. They talked for about a half hour when Tommy turned to the door and what he saw made him smile. He looked back and caught Jason's eyes and nodded his head towards the door. Jason's eyes followed the movement and he was smiling when he turned back to Tommy. With a nod, he walked off from the group and hurried to the door.
"Hey guys," he smiled as he walked up.
"Jason," The guy in front said. "It's good to see you man."
"Same here Ryan," Jason exchanged a quick man hug with the former LSR ranger. "So is everyone here?"
"We're here," TJ Johnson, the former red TURBO and blue Space ranger, spoke up. Standing behind him was the rest of the Space rangers as well as the LG rangers.
"As if we'd miss this," Ashley Hammond, the former pink TURBO and Space ranger smiled.
"Uh, excuse me?" a voice behind them spoke up. "I'm looking for a Jason Scott or Tommy Oliver?"
"Me too," another voice said.
"I'm Jason Scott," he said as he looked at the two that spoke. 'These must be the latest.'
"Oh hi," the first guy spoke. "I'm Nick Russell; we're the ones from Briarwood." When he had spoken to them earlier, he had been warned that no one knew the identities of the rangers, so when his team showed up, since they would be in public, they would have to wait until they were in more private settings before introducing them as rangers.
"And I'm Mack Hartford," the second guy said. "We're the ones from San Angeles." he had also gotten the same warning as Nick.
"Nice to meet you guys," Jason nodded. "Come on." He walked off, heading back to his friends with the groups behind him. Within minutes they were back with the others. As he approached, he saw that Tommy was looking at him and smiling, while some of the looked on in confusion and surprise. Only Kim, who still had her back to him, hadn't seen them yet. When he was right behind her, he spoke.
"Hey sis," he said. "Turn around for a minute."
She did, and when she saw who he was with, her eyes went wide in shock. "Oh my God." She looked from one group to the other and back. "How….?"
"Jason and Tommy," Carter said. "We saw the conference and called them up."
"And then they called us," Nick said, motioning to him and Mack's team.
Kim turned to Tommy. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"We wanted it to be a surprise," Tommy said.
"Before we start with introductions," Trini interrupted. "Let's finish up here and then take this back to the house as it's a lot more private; sounds good?"
"Yeah," Kim said. "Let's do that." She turned to Billy. "What time is it?"
"Five minutes until ten o'clock," he answered.
"Ok," Kim said. "Let's get the rest of these people out of here and close up."
"Ok," Aisha nodded. While Ryan and the rest of the former rangers stood off to the side, including Kim's parents, Tommy and the others went around the store gathering everyone, while Kim gave a final speech. Ten minutes later, the store was empty save for Kim's parents, Anton, Michelle and the former rangers.
"You guys ready to go?" Kim asked when they were finished.
"Yep," the group nodded.
"Alright," Kim said. She then turned to the rangers that showed up. "You're going to have to follow us."
"Alright," Ryan and the rest nodded.
"Ok then," Aisha smiled. "Let's go."
(Part 2: Reunions)
When they arrived at the house, Kim and the others went to change out of the clothes while the other rangers moved to the living room.
"This is a nice place," Carlos whistled.
"I know," Leo said. "I mean, I haven't been here much, but this place is better than what I've seen."
"Why don't we get comfortable?" Caroline suggested.
"Sure," they shrugged. They sat down around the room, their eyes still taking in the place. About five minutes later, the others came back into the room. Wanting to get started on the introductions, they got seated quickly. The rest of the rangers were glancing between Caroline, Pierre, Anton and Michelle anxiously; seeing it, Kim smiled. She knew why they were doing it.
"Ok," Kim said. "Before we start, these are my parents Pierre and Caroline Dumas and Trent's parents Anton and Michelle Mercer and they already know…so you guys don't have to worry." The relief that came off the group made her laugh a little.
"So," Mack asked. "How do we do this?"
"How about you guys go in order?" Pierre suggested.
"Sounds like a plan," Jason said. "Alright; my name is Jason Lee Scott and I was the red Mighty Morphin ranger."
"Zack Taylor," he smiled at them. "I was the black Mighty Morphin ranger and Jason's second in command."
"Trini Kwan," she said. "I was the yellow Mighty Morphin ranger."
"Billy Cranston," he spoke up. "I was the blue Mighty Morphin ranger, the blue ninja and tech advisor to the ZEO rangers."
"Kimberly Hart," she smiled. "I was the pink Mighty Morphin ranger and the first pink ninja."
"Tommy Oliver," he said. "I was the green and white Mighty Morphin ranger, the white ninja, the red ZEO ranger and the first red TURBO ranger and the mentor and black ranger for the Dino Thunder team."
"We were the original power rangers," they said as one. While most of the others already knew this, the two newest teams couldn't help but to look on in shock and awe; sitting in front of them was the very first rangers….the ones that started it all.
"Ok, I think we broke them," Trini smiled. "Let's continue."
"I'm Aisha Campbell," she smiled. "And I was the second Mighty Morphin yellow, the yellow ninja and I gave my yellow ZEO crystal to Tanya."
"I'm Rocky," he laughed. "And I was the second red Mighty Morphin ranger, the red ninja, the blue ZEO and the first blue TURBO."
"I'm Adam," he said. "I was the second black Mighty Morphin ranger, the black ninja, the green ZEO ranger and the first green TURBO ranger."
"I'm Tanya," she smiled. "I was the yellow ZEO ranger and the first yellow TURBO ranger."
"And we were the second generation of rangers," Aisha smiled.
"But still part of the original twelve," Kim smiled; the group laughed.
"We're next," a guy in blue said. "I'm Justin Stewart and I was the second blue TURBO ranger."
"And he was the final twelfth ranger," Rocky laughed.
"Hey wait," Kelsey asked. "Wasn't there a pink ZEO ranger?"
"Yes," Tanya said. "But she's not here."
"How come?" Chad Lee asked.
"Because she's not really welcome anymore," Aisha said. "She did something that was a betrayal to us."
"I know you guys are probably curious," Tommy said. "But if we tell you now, then it'll put a dead mood on the reunion, so how about we continue and tell you guys later?"
"Ok," Dana nodded. Having agreed on that, the group went with the intros; Angela introduced herself and she was followed by the Space rangers who were Andros, Ashley Hammond, TJ Johnson, Cassie Chan, Carlos Valerte and Zhane; they were followed by the Lost Galaxy rangers which were Leo Corbett, Mike Corbett, Kai Chen, Maya, Kendrix Morgan, Karone and Damon Henderson; after them were the Lightspeed Rescue rangers, which were Carter Grayson, Dana Mitchell-Grayson, Chad Lee, Joel Rawlins, Ryan and Kelsey Mitchell and Angela Fairweather-Rawlins, tech advisor and Joel's wife; next were the Time Force rangers and they were Jen Scotts, Wes Collins and Eric Meyers; Jen explained that it was only the three of them because most of the team was from the future. The next to go was the Wild Force team; which included Cole Evans, Taylor Earhardt, Alyssa Enrile, Danny Delgado, Max Cooper and Merrick Baliton; the team explained away Merrick's absence and they moved on to the next in line which was the Ninja storm team; that included Shane Clark, Dustin Brooks, Tori Hanson, Blake Bradley, Hunter Bradley and Cam Watanabe. Following them was the Dino Thunder team; Connor McKnight, Ethan James, Kira Ford, Trent Fernandez-Mercer and Hayley Ziktor, who they introduced as their co-mentor and tech advisor. After Hayley was done, Krista, Caitlin, Sally and Jordan introduced themselves.
"Ok," Rocky clapped. "We're down to the two latest teams to join the ranger family. So, come on, introduce yourselves."
"Ok," Nick spoke up. "My name is Nick Russell and I'm the red Mystic Force ranger."
"Madison Rocca," a girl in blue spoke up. "And I was the blue Mystic Force ranger."
"Vida Rocca," the girl in pink spoke. "I was the pink Mystic Force ranger."
"Chip Thorn," a blond guy in yellow spoke. "I was the yellow Mystic Force ranger."
"Xander Bly," an Australian guy smiled, unknowingly drawing a wince from most of the original and DT teams. "I was the green Mystic Ranger."
"I'm Mack Hartford," he said. "I was the red Overdrive ranger."
"Dax Lo," a guy in blue said. "I was the blue Overdrive ranger."
"Will Aston," an African-American guy said. "I was the black Overdrive ranger."
"Ronny Robinson," a blond in yellow said. "I was the yellow Overdrive ranger."
"And I'm Rose Ortiz," a girl in pink, sitting next to Mack said. "I was the pink Overdrive rangers."
"Wow," Caroline looked around the room. "I never thought there were so many rangers."
"One big family," Kim smiled. "I bet Zordon never thought that his legacy would become so huge."
"Zordon?" Chip asked.
"He was our mentor," Jason said. "He chose us to be the very first rangers."
"And to think, if we hadn't turned back that day," Trini smiled. "This wouldn't have happened."
"What do you mean?" Nick asked.
"Well," Zack said. "Truth be told, we never wanted to be rangers in the first place. Jason was the only one that was remotely interested."
"We all had different reasons," Billy said. "Though I think that Kimberly's was the weirdest and, no offense Kim, most stupid reason ever."
"None taken Billy," Kim laughed.
"What was your reason Kim?" Taylor asked.
"I was worried about what the helmet would do to my hair," Kim laughed.
"Are you serious?" Vida looked shocked. "You would've turned down the chance to be a ranger because of your hair?"
"I was a serious valley girl back then," Kim shook her head. "It was always shopping and saying things like, 'oh my God, like I totally can't believe that. That is like, so gross; ewe' while twirling my hair around my finger."
"No way," Kira laughed along with the others.
"Yep," Kim chuckled. "Like I said, I was the ultimate valley girl."
"I can't believe you guys didn't want to be rangers," Xander shook his head.
"I can understand that," Nick smiled.
"You didn't want to be a ranger either?" Tanya turned to him.
"No, not really," Nick said. "Our mentor had told us that to access the powers we had to believe in the magic, needless to say, I didn't. I was on my way out of town when the others were attacked and…"
"And you found the belief you needed to save them," Kim finished.
"Pretty much," Nick laughed. The group talked for a few minutes when Tommy got up from his position behind Kim.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"I'll be right back," he smiled at her. He walked out of the room and jogged up the stairs, going straight to their bedroom. He rummaged through his stuff; when he found what he was looking for, he smiled and pocketed it before heading back downstairs. He re-took his position behind Kim and placed a kiss on her head.
"What'd you go for?" she asked, looking up at him.
"Something important," he replied.
"You gonna tell me what it is?" she twisted a bit to see him fully.
"Not yet," he smiled before kissing her on her lips.
"What a strange coincidence," Pierre remarked, gaining everyone's attention.
"What do you mean?" Connor turned to look at him.
"Well," he started. "With the exception of Caitlin, Krista and Angela, every couple here is a ranger."
"I never noticed that," Eric remarked.
"Why do you think that is?" Caroline asked.
"I can tell you why," Ethan said. "Kim explained it to us a few months ago."
"Well what is it?" Dax asked. Ethan smiled and he told them what Kim had explained to them before. When he was done, the others looked on in surprise.
"You know," Will spoke up. "I never thought of it like that."
"Me either," TJ agreed. And that prompted them to go into a discussion about past relationships with non-rangers.
"Hey Kim," Tommy bent down to whisper in her ear. "Can I talk to you outside for a minute?"
"Sure," Kim replied. She shifted as he stood up and held out his hand for her to take. They passed by the others and went out on the porch. "What did you want to talk about Handsome?"
"Kim," he started. "From the moment we met, we've been going through so many trials jus to be together, but we overcame each and everyone."
"I know," Kim smiled. "We fought and we proved that we were worth it."
"Exactly," he smiled before grabbing her hands in his. "I love you Kimberly, more than anything else in this world; you're the most important person in my life and I want you with me for all times. The moment I met you I knew that you'd always been the only one that I would ever want to spend the rest of my life with."
"Tommy," Kim's breath hitched on a gasp. "What are you saying?"
(With the others)
Jason had seen Tommy whisper something in Kim's ear, and like the others, had seen them walk. Unlike the others, he had kept his gaze on the two as he wanted to know what was with his best friend and little sister. He couldn't understand what they were saying but he could read the emotion in their eyes. He noticed Tommy was a little nervous and suspicion rose in his mind. When he saw Tommy grab Kim's hands, he felt that he knew what was about to happen.
"No way," he spoke out loud gaining everyone's attention.
"Jase, what is it?" Trini asked him. She turned in the direction he was looking and couldn't help but to let out a gasp.
"Guys look," she said. The group turned as one and watched Tommy and Kimberly.
"Is he going to do what I think he's about to do?" Aisha asked.
"Yes," Trini replied. While the others looked on in slight confusion and surprise, the original rangers were silently cheering for the couple.
(With T/K)
Tommy reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box. One of Kim's hands flew to her mouth.
"Oh my God," she whispered.
Tommy smiled a shy smile and dropped to one knee, the box in one hand and Kim's hand in the other. He opened it and looked up into her eyes. "I love you Kimberly Annabelle Dumas, will you marry me?"
Tears came into Kim's eyes as she nodded repeatedly.
"Is that a yes?" Tommy asked.
She pulled her hand from her mouth. "Yes, yes, yes!"
"Seriously?" Tommy asked as his eyes widened in delight.
""Yes," Kim laughed. "Now put that ring on my finger."
"With pleasure," he smiled as he slid the ring on her finger. He stood up and gathered her into his arms spinning them around. When they stopped, he leaned down and kissed her; they pulled apart to loud cheering from inside. They turned towards the house and saw their friends watching them; Trini and Aisha were hugging each other while Jason kept pumping his fists in the air and with Zack or Rocky. Kim and Tommy chuckled before walking back inside. The moment they stepped through the doors, they were bombarded by the others. Aisha and Trini each grabbed one of Kim's hand and pulled her away towards the couch, the other girls following.
"Ok let's see it," Tanya smiled.
Kim held out her hand and the girls gasped. It wasn't a huge ring, which Kim was thankful for, it was perfect; her birthstone, which was in pink, was in the middle surrounded by a small set of green and white stones.
"Kim it's gorgeous," Kira smiled.
"I know," Kim smiled. "It's not too big so I absolutely love it."
"And he had it done in your favorite colors to boot," Trini smiled.
"This is the biggest thing in the ranger world," Rocky exclaimed. "Our strength marrying our heart."
Most of the others looked confused so Adam took pity on them. "Tommy was always referred to as the strength of the rangers while Kim was the heart; Zordon used to call them that all the time and I guess it stuck."
"I can't believe it," Jason cried out. "We're finally getting married!"
The original rangers cheered and hugged each other.
"'We'?" Pierre raised an eyebrow, though he was smiling.
"Yes 'we'," Zack answered. "Do you know how long we've been waiting for this?"
"When Kim and Tommy got together," Billy smiled. "We all knew that it was meant to be; we had half expected them to be married either right out of high school or during college."
"But they decided to take a few breaks," Aisha laughed. "And now, it's finally happening."
The group continued celebrating, the newest former rangers happy that they had been present to witness such a huge thing in the ranger universe. After a few minutes, Kim excused herself when her cell phone started ringing. She headed to the kitchen to take it.
"Hello?" when she recognized the voice on the other end, she was shocked. She was about to hang up but decided not to.
"What do you want?" she asked. "Don't you think we've said all we needed to say?"
She listened as they talked, and stiffened when they asked to meet her. "Why?"
After a few minutes, she let out a sigh. "I don't know why I'm agreeing to this, but ok; when and where do you want to meet?"
The person spoke again and Kim nodded, though they couldn't see her. "Alright, I'll meet you there. If you try anything…."
She listened as they re-assured her that they wouldn't before saying goodbye and hanging up. "I hope I don't regret this."
"You ok Kim?" Carter asked her.
She jumped in surprise. "Carter, I didn't hear you come in."
"Sorry," he smiled.
"Yeah I'm fine," Kim answered his question. "Just a surprising phone call, that's all."
"Nothing bad I hope," he said.
"No," Kim shook her head. "At least, I hope not." She looked up at him and noticed that he seemed to be nervous about something. "You ok Carter?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "It's just…"
"Just what?" she asked.
"Can I talk to you?" he said. "It's important."
"Sure," Kim said; a little curious about what he had to say.
"I'm not even sure how to come out and say this," Carter sighed.
"Whatever it is," Kim reassured him. "You can talk to me about it."
"I know," he sighed. "It's just, I've never told anyone about this…not even Dana."
She was a little shocked. They were married, he and Dana, and she knew that there was nothing that she would keep from Tommy; from the way he sounded, she knew that keeping it from her was hard for him to do. And she said as much.
"That must've been hard," Kim remarked. "But why me?"
"When I met Jason at the Reds Only Mission," he answered. "He always talked about you, you or Trini…though mostly you; his little sister. He said that you were someone he could unload on because you were always so easy to talk to."
"I have been told that before," Kim smiled shyly. "Ok, I'm all ears; what do you need to talk about that you haven't told Dana yet?"
"A few months ago, I found out something, something that shocked the hell out of me," he said. "It's just…what do you do when you find out a secret that you never expected? One that changes your whole life?"
"You rely on your friends to help you get through," Kim's voice was soft as she replied. "Even though what you really want to do is to let it consume you."
"You sound like you're talking from experience," he looked at her in surprise.
"I am," Kim said. "Back in May, I found out a couple of secrets as well; secrets that changed my life."
"Care to share?" he asked as he relaxed against the counter.
"Sure," Kim smiled as she jumped onto the counter in front of him. "You know how Kelsey asked about the pink ZEO ranger?"
"Yeah," he said. "Her name was Kate or something."
"It was Kat; her name is Kat," Kim corrected him. "Anyway, I'm sure that you heard of The Letter (he nodded and she continued). Well it turns out that Kat was actually the one behind everything."
"What?" he looked over at her.
"Yeah that was pretty much everyone's reaction," Kim smiled ruefully. "She confessed to the whole thing and well, we didn't take that kind of betrayal well so we practically cut our ties with her."
"Understandable," he nodded. "I think I would've done the same though."
"And that was just the start," Kim tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I also found out from my mom that I had two brothers out there."
"What?" his breath hitched.
"Connor and Jordan," Kim smiled. "They're my younger brothers. I was shocked when I found out. I had a screaming match with my mom and told her that she was just like my father."
"I take it your father did not win the daddy of the year award?" he said.
"No," Kim chuckled. "He didn't; my father, Ken and I are not close. He was a lying, cheating bastard that cared about no one but himself."
"I can relate to how you feel," Carter said. "Do you hate him?"
"Yes," Kim didn't even hesitate to give her answer. "After everything he's done to me and my mother, he warrants it. The reason why I never knew I had twin brothers was because he threatened to take me away from her. He was pissed at her for being with someone else when he was guilty of doing it himself. He was beyond angry that she was having another man's kids. And you know what the worst of it was? he had another kid himself."
"Oh wow," Carter didn't know what to say. He wanted so bad to tell her the real reason why he sought her out but he didn't know how.
"I know," Kim shook her head. "He was angry at her for cheating on him and having another man's children yet he cheated on her and had a kid by another woman; a child that she doesn't know about…neither do I."
He noticed the wistful tone in her voice and commented on it. "You sound like you'd want to get to know him."
"I do," Kim looked up at him. "I love being a big sister, but I have an older brother out there and as much as I love Jason and see him as a big brother—
"It's not the same," he finished.
"Yeah," she whispered. "I want to meet him, you know? But I have no idea how he looks or where he is……wait, that's not right, I know he lives in Mariner Bay."
"I've always wanted to be a big brother," He said softly. "But that depends on you."
Kim's head jerked up to look at him. She started at him for few seconds before speaking, her voice slightly hesitant. "Carter? What are you saying?"
"It's strange how things work out," he said. "A few months ago I found out that Joshua Grayson, the man who I knew as my dad my entire life was not my real father. It turns out my real father wanted nothing to do with me and my mom because he was already involved with someone."
"Carter…"
"When my mom first told me I didn't believe her," he told her. "After a few days, I calmed down and allowed her to tell me the whole truth. She told me about his wife and his eventual child; a little girl that shouldn't be shown any scorn or anger from me as she was just as innocent as I was, maybe even more. She had found out her name and had looked her up; when she showed what she found to me I was proud of what she had achieved and suddenly I wanted to meet her. I wanted to get to know her, to try and be the big brother I never got the chance to be. But it couldn't happen because she wasn't in the U.S. anymore and I had no idea how to find her; but then, I got a lucky break when Ryan turned the TV on to watch a show and a press conference came on and there she was, my sister, announcing to the world who she was and what she accomplished and I couldn't be more proud of her….of you."
"Carter," Kim said; her eyes and voice filled with tears. "Are you saying what I think you're saying? Are you really my brother?" she couldn't believe it; when Ken had told her about her having a brother, she had been hurt and furious, but then she had gotten used to the idea and had confessed to Tommy in the safety of their room just how much she wished she could meet him. And now, she had.
"Yes," he said. "And I'm not sure if you want to or not but I would—
He was cut off when Kim launched herself off the counter and into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her as he heard her cry. He smiled as he finished what he wanted to say.
"—love it if I could get to know you better."
"I've wanted to meet you for so long now," she whispered in his ears. "I finally get to meet my big brother."
He pulled back from the hug and wiped her tears. "I'm Carter Grayson, your brother.
"I'm Kimberly Hart, or rather Dumas," Kim smiled. "Your little sister."
They both laughed and Carter pulled Kim into another hug. This time, Kim pulled back and smiled up at him.
"What now?" he asked her.
"I think the others deserved to know," Kim smiled. "I'd like to get to know my sister-in-law."
"And I'd like to meet my future brother-in-law," Carter replied.
"But you already met Tommy," Kim looked a little confused.
"Yeah, but that was as a former ranger," Carted answered. "This time it's as a big brother."
"OK," Kim laughed. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and steered them into the living room where the others were. Tommy was talking to Jason but looked up when they walked in. Though he was confused as to why Carter had his arm around Kim, he started smiling. He lost in a second when he saw the tears in Kim's eyes and on her cheeks. Narrowing his eyes, he left Jason and walked over to the two of them.
"Beautiful, are you ok?" he asked when he was in front of her. He wiped the rest of her tears and looked into her eyes.
"I'm fine," Kim reassured him. She stepped out from Carter and pulled Tommy into a kiss. "I'm ok."
"Alright," he nodded. Kim smiled at him before turning to the room.
"Guys, can I have your attention please?" she said. The group of friends became quiet and turned to Kim.
"What is it sweetie?" Caroline asked her daughter. Kim sighed before stepping away from Tommy and over to her mother. She knelt down in front of her and grabbed her hands in hers.
"After we got back from Paris back in May," Kim started. "Connor, Eric and I decided to confront Ken and Sandra. We told them that we knew about what happened and we asked why they did what they did. They couldn't give us a satisfactory answer, so we cut all ties to them."
"Ok," Caroline nodded slowly. "But what does that have to do with now?"
"Before Ken left he revealed a secret, one that he kept from the both of us," Kim swallowed knowing that what she was about to say would hurt her mother, even if slightly.
"What did he say Kim?" Pierre asked his daughter.
"He told me that a few years before I was born he had an affair," Kim said. She felt her mother squeeze her hands, so she squeezed back.
"What?" Caroline was shocked, as were the others; though for Caroline it was more because she never thought his affair had started so far back.
"That's not all," Kim continued. "The woman got pregnant, but he wanted nothing to do with her or the child."
"Wait," Pierre said. "You're saying you have a brother out there?"
"Not out there," Kim smiled. "In here." At their shocked and confused looks, she laughed. She was still laughing as she turned to Zack. "You were right after all."
Zack looked at her in confusion before his eyes widened and darted to Carter and back to her. "Are you serious?"
"Yes," Kim nodded.
"Right about what?" Andros asked.
"When he said I passed on a ranger legacy," Kim said. Her words had the rest of her friends staring in shock.
"Why would he say that?" Rose asked.
"Because I was an original ranger," Kim said. "My older brother is also a ranger and so is one of my younger brothers."
"So who is it?" Adam asked. Kim smiled and turned to look up at Carter.
"Carter is your brother?" Jason asked.
"Yeah," it was Carter who answered. "I found out a few months ago."
"And you didn't think to tell us?" Dana asked.
"I was still dealing with it," Carter answered, knowing that she was hurt that he had kept it from her.
"So wait," Xander said. "Who're your younger brothers?"
"Connor and Eric," Kim said before turning back to her mom. "You ok?"
"I'm shocked," she replied. "Though you'd think by now that with everything that man did, I shouldn't be." She shook her head before turning to Carter. "I'm not going to bite you nor am I angry at you; with Ken, most definitely, but not you."
"I'm glad to hear that," Carter smiled. "Do you think we could maybe get to know each other a little better?"
"I think we can do that," Caroline smiled.
"Welcome to the family," Pierre said.
"Thank you," he smiled before turning to Jason. "I know that you've been her big brother ever since you were kids, and I don't want to take that away or replace you in her life. So do you think we can split the duties between us?"
"Like I would deny Kim the chance to get to know you," Jason smirked. "She'd have my ass if I did."
"Alright then," Carter laughed, as did the others. He turned to Tommy. "Now, let's talk about you marrying my little sister."
"Aww man," Tommy groaned. "Already he's doing the big brother act."
"Sorry bro, but he can't help it," Jason laughed as he slapped him on his back. "It's ingrained into big brothers everywhere…it's like an instinct."
"Great," Tommy mumbled. "Just my luck."
The group laughed and Kim couldn't help the joy that build up inside her. Her blood family mixed in with her ranger family. She was beyond happy that the news about Carter had been accepted so easy by her mom and dad and that she wouldn't have to choose between Jason and Carter. It seemed as if everything was going great for her; her store was opening for business tomorrow, she had finally met her older brother and she had gotten engaged to the man of her dreams. Life was definitely going good. After a while, her mind drifted back to the phone call she got earlier. 'One final thing left to do.' Shaking her head, she focused on the here and now and decided she would worry about that later.
(Two days later—Sunday)
Kim sighed as she walked through the park. Yesterday she had opened the store at ten and was bombarded by the amount of people. By the time closing rolled around at eight o'clock, she had made close to three thousand; not bad for a first day. To the dismay of the shoppers, the store wouldn't be open on Sunday, so the group had decided to relax. All the former rangers were staying at the house; some staying in the basement while the rest bunked up with the resident house occupants. With the others at the house, Kim came to the park because of that same call she had gotten Friday night. She sighed once more as she sat down on a park bench. All morning she had argued with herself over whether or not she should show up, but in the end, she had decided to, because if she was truthful a part of her was curious as to what they had to say. She hadn't been sitting for more than ten minutes when she heard her name. She turned and saw the person coming. They stopped a few feet from her, so she stood up and turned to face them.
"Hello Katherine."
TBC
A/N 3: so how was it? Let's see, Kim finally meets her brother, Tommy proposed and Kim has a meeting with Kat. What will the two girls talk about?
A/N 4: I hope the scene with Kim and Carter was ok; I wasn't sure how it would turn out, so I hope it's good. Next chapter is the final one. Until then….