Author's Note: I'm back with another addition to my missing scenes story "Inner Demons." This short fic takes places right after the episode "Cars Attack" but before the two-part episodes "Honey, I Shrunk the Rangers."

Note: Anything in italics are inner thoughts and not spoken out loud.

Tommy was walking silently through the park by himself, trying to clear his head and trying not to think about his and Kat's future together. He really was happy for Kat that she had been accepted by the Royal Academy, but he also knew that meant she would soon be leaving him.

Just like Kimberly had left him.

But Kat is nothing like Kim. My relationships with them were completely different. And Kat feels differently about me than Kim did. For Kim, I was her White Knight to her Pink Princess. For Kat, though, I am so much more. I am the other half of her damaged soul.

Kat and I share something much deeper than what Kim and I once shared.

Then, why am I still afraid that I'm going to lose Kat like I lost Kim?

"Hi, there," Kat's voice suddenly spoke from behind Tommy, "I had a feeling I would find you here."

Tommy spun around to face Kat. "Well, we do seem to have a thing for being in the park together," he managed to smile.

Kat shifted uncomfortably. "I'm glad I found you, Tommy," she said, "because I have a feeling that we need to talk about our future together, especially since I have been accepted by the Royal Academy."

At times, Tommy truly believed that Kat was a mind-reader.

Oh, Kat, I don't want to lose you.

But I don't want to keep you from living your dreams either because that would be selfish of me.

"I'm very happy for you, Kat," Tommy said. "I really am. You have worked so hard for this moment, and you should be proud of yourself."

"But accepting the Royal Academy's invitation will mean that I will have to leave Angel Grove, that I will have to leave you," Kat responded.

"I know," Tommy said softly, "but this is what you want to do with your life. This is what you have been working for. This is your dream. And I cannot take that away from you, Kat. You must do what is best for you, and you are so awesome at ballet that I know you will be successful. Kat, I cannot in good conscience ask you to give up your future for me."

"I know that you mean those words, Tommy," Kat replied, "but I also know what's going through your mind. Kim leaving to pursue her dream was the beginning of the end for you and her, and you're afraid that the same fate will happen to us.

"And neither of us can say with one hundred percent certainty that we will be able to maintain a long-distance relationship. I know that you and Kim loved each other deeply, but distance apart from each other changed everything. There is a chance that the same could happen to us.

"I'm afraid, Tommy, that if I leave I will end up breaking your heart like Kim did. You are a wonderful man who has helped me through a lot of tough times, and I would never want to cause you to have to go through another tough time."

Tommy took Kat's hand gently in his own. "You're right, Kat," he said softly, "this could be the beginning of the end for us. I don't want to lose you, and a part of me wants to make you stay. But that wouldn't be fair to you. Kat, you need to follow your heart and your mind. You love ballet, and you know that's what you want to do with your life."

"Ballet has been my passion since I was a little girl," Kat smiled sadly.

"And I would never want to keep you away from your passion, Kat," Tommy responded, "because I love you too much. And when you truly love someone, you always place their needs ahead of your own. Love is not selfish, so I cannot be selfish.

"Besides, Kat, what we share is a lot different from what I had with Kim. Kim and I shared what you could call 'puppy love.' It was sweet while it lasted and I will never forget all the happy moments that I shared with her, but you and I are connected at a much deeper, meaningful level. Our hearts and our souls are the same, Kat."

Tommy suddenly hugged Kat with all the tenderness that he could muster.

I swear that hugging will always be our thing.

"Kat," Tommy said, "you and I are not Kim and I. I have never seen you as another Kimberly. I have always seen you as Katherine, the sweetest, strongest, and most courageous woman I have ever met.

"Yes, our relationship will change when you leave for the Royal Academy, but I truly believe that we are meant to be. And one day I am going to marry you."

"You want to marry me?" Kat exclaimed, trying but failing to keep the happiness out her voice as she looked up into Tommy's eyes. "You really want to marry me?"

"Yes, Kat," Tommy laughed, "I really want to marry you. And I also want to one day have children with you because I know that you will be an amazing mother."

"And I do love children and want some of my own one day," Kat smiled. "But I'm still debating who I want the father to be."

"Ha, ha, ha," Tommy said, knowing that Kat was kidding with him.

"I love you, Katherine Hillard," Tommy then said.

"I love you too, Tommy Oliver," Kat returned, smiling brightly.

"So," Tommy said, still smiling happily, "are you going to accept the Royal Academy's invitation or not? Because if you don't, I'm going to make you sit in the passenger seat when I'm racing that car of mine at those fast speeds that you hate so much."

"Ha, ha, ha," it was now Kat's turn to say, knowing that Tommy was kidding with her. "I'm sorry, Tommy, but you're going to have to find another poor woman to torture with those fast speeds of yours because I'm going to the Royal Academy and I'm going to dance."

"Well, before you do that, Miss Queen of Ballet," Tommy smiled, "would you mind if Mr. King of Fast Speeds asked you for a dance?"

"You can dance with me any time, Mr. Speed Demon," Kat answered, also smiling. With that, Kat took Tommy's hands and pulled him closer to her.