God Only Knows Chapter 1: Long Awaited Homecoming, a power rangers fanfic

God Only Knows
Chapter 1: Long Awaited Homecoming
By: Pink-Green-White-4ever
Started: February 21, 2010
Finished: March 15, 2010

Summary: The hardest part of faith is the last hour. -- David Wilkerson
Rating: M
Characters: you'll see

Author's Note: Okay, so, this story is going to be a departure from some of the other stories I've done over the years, but in some ways, this story involves the one character I like to think I know best in the entire PR universe. This is not going to be a story returning the Rangers as we know them back to the way they were in the good 'ol days. The Rangers in this story have lives, real lives, and they're going through real, everyday experiences, and for one of those Rangers, it means discovering what she's really made of. Life has not been kind, nor will it be in this story. What this is, above all else, is a journey of self discovery, of finding who you are and what you're made of, and in the end, it's learning that in each of us, there's the power, no matter how vast or how small, to change the world.

Special Thanks: Shawn, thank you for listening to me plot and plan, and for giving me tips when you felt I needed it. Ang thanks for the enthusiasm and support. Enigma thank you so much for the constant faith in my work. Liz, my dear, thanks for being such a sweetheart! And last but not least, Rapunzl, thank you for the wonderful balance, the quiet strength, and the unwavering belief in me you give. You five don't know how much I appreciate it all, or how much you've enriched my life simply by being who you are. As Shawn once said, thank you doesn't seem enough. I love you works best

A quick thanks to a reviewer for helping me with Tommy's correct address! Thanks David!

Please Visit http : // www . valhallaboard . com / forum / (without the spaces) - this is the multi-fandom message board I co-run with the five people in my "Special Thanks" section.

I feel so alone,
Can't seem to find my out of this low?
No, it don't seem right
I didn't have a chance to say goodbye.

In this silent space,
I close my eyes I can hear you say
That it's alright,
But my world's such an empty place tonight.
Cause I know that,
It's all part of life.

I wish I had the chance to say goodbye,
Yeah I still miss you.
So hard to see through the tears I've cried.
Yeah, I still need you.
Cause I don't want to,
If I don't have to ever let you go.
The longest I'll hold on... God only knows.

As the time goes by,
It gets a little easier to smile.
I know I'll never forget
Everything that you said.
You said it's alright,
It's all part of life.

And the lights above you will never fade if you keep looking up
Right around there is a better place if you believe in love.
Cause I know that, it's all part of life.

I wish I had the chance to say goodbye, yeah I still miss you.
So hard to see through the tears I've cried.
Yeah, I still need you.
Cause I don't want to, if I don't have to ever let you go.
The longest I'll hold on, the longest I'll hold on.
The longest I'll hold on... God only knows.
God only knows.
Ya, God only knows.
God only knows.
-- Orianthi, God Only Knows --

10:45 A.M.
Saturday
April 4, 2009
HWY 1
Angel Grove, CA

Along the highway leading into town, she pulled the moving van with the car on a hitch over near the one lone sign along the way. Sitting in the cab, she stared at the sign, feeling a mixture of hope and despair as she did. The billboard held four pictures – one of each Ranger team who'd defended the city of Angel Grove in the first six years the Rangers had been on Earth. The part of her who'd been the fearless Pink Ranger, agile and graceful, seemed to sigh in relief at being home. The other part of her, the one who'd fled to Florida all those years ago cried and despaired at leaving her heart behind in Miami.

But she was a fighter under it all, and she knew, no matter how much it hurt, that if she stayed in Miami, she was going to die from the suffocating grief and hopelessness she'd been feeling for well over a year. Tommy's offer from the year before still rang in her ears. Her parents said she was running from reality – her husband and son were dead. Chris' mother thought it was inappropriate for her to just up and leave so soon. But their house had felt like a deep, dark, suffocating tomb in the months following Chris and Evan's deaths, and she just couldn't handle turning at every corner and remembering what no longer was. So maybe she was running from her pain, but for now, she knew, it was the only way to save herself.

Taking a deep breath, she started the van back up and pulled back onto the highway, her mind numb.

Welcome to Angel Grove indeed.

11:30 A.M.
Emerald Dawn Martial Arts Academy
91495 Falcon Crest Ave
Angel Grove, CA

Her first stop was the city's top martial arts dojo. She hadn't told anyone she was coming but something tugged at her to pop in and let Adam know she was in town. She couldn't help but smile when she pulled into the parking lot. The addition to the building that had just been started her last visit was now complete. Students were filing in, parents in tow, for their Saturday afternoon lessons. Through the windows she could see a familiar figure putting a large group of teenagers through their warm ups. For a moment, her mind super-imposed a memory from her youth over the sight before her; how many times had she watched him do exactly what he was doing, only at the youth center? Too many to count.

Shaking her head, she climbed out of the truck and headed inside. The receptionist waved her in, a smile lighting her face. The young woman behind the desk had been a young college freshman the last time she'd been in town, now she looked much more professional and comfortable in her role. Quietly, the petite woman moved to the front room, leaning against the archway, her eyes watching the class.

Dressed in blue gi trousers and a red tank top, his black belt secure around his wait, Rocky moved with competent efficiency. He was gentle with the students who were still struggling and firm with those advancing at a faster rate. "I'd like a volunteer for our next demonstration," he spoke up, watching as the students seemed to shy away. She judged this group to be just above the beginners. When it looked like he was going to have to pick a student, she pushed away from the wall, walked to the front of the room, and bowed before his surprised form.

"Will I do, Sensei?" she murmured, watching shock ripple across his features.

"Kimmie…" he whispered before a grin broke out. "You'll do." Turning to his students, he spoke. "Since no one is willing to volunteer, Mrs. Donavan will be helping me. Pay close attention, because as you see, I both out weigh her and tower over her."

Kimberly merely rolled her eyes at him. "What move?"

"Combination. Let's see if you remember."

The former Pink Ranger squeaked when Rocky's leg shot out, only to be blocked by both her hands coming up instinctively. It startled her when she spun on memory alone, her left leg sweeping around and connecting with his hands. The second his fingers closed around her calf, she pushed up with her right leg, her foot knocking into his shoulder as she tucked into a ball and somersaulted backwards. Rocky flew sideways, tucking his own body in to absorb the impact, the two of them springing up a good five feet from each other.

Grinning, he nodded and Kim flipped forward into a handspring before popping up to attack with a snap kick. Rocky grabbed her foot and flipped her backward. Before she landed, he swept her leg out from under her, causing her to crash to her back. He was impressed when she pushed up and faced him. Chuckling, they bowed. Amid the students' clapping, Rocky grabbed her hand and tugged her into a hug.

"You still got game."

For the first time in a long time, Kimberly felt laughter bubbling out, the sound carefree and happy. "Rocko, I love you," she hugged him tighter.

He said nothing when he felt the desperation in her embrace, he merely rubbed her back. "Adam's in the office, how about you go spring him," he suggested. As she went, he called out, "Welcome home!"

She watched him pouring over the appointment book, a phone at his ear, and the computer to his left showing the class scheduling program. He looked a little frustrated and unhappy as he talked to the person on the other end of the line. And then she realized when she saw him stiffen, that he'd sensed her presence – his eyes lifted, sparkling with surprise, and he stopped talking mid-sentence. "Tracy, I've got to go. Call me later."

"Hi."

"When did you get here?" came his rapid fire question as he jumped up and skirted his desk. Before Kim could comment she was pulled into his arms, her cheek against his shoulder. It felt so good to be home, she decided as her brother hugged her.

"Twenty minutes ago," she murmured, rubbing her cheek against the material of his shirt. He still smelled the same, even after all these years. If there was one thing she thanked God for, it was that Adam seemed unchanged.

"How come you didn't call?" he asked, his hands rubbing her back. He felt the tension in her and hopped to relieve some of it.

The former Pink Ranger said nothing as she relaxed against him. "I just packed up and came last minute. I had to come home, Adam." Even after all these years, he was still finely tuned to his sister's feelings. He laid his cheek against the back of her head, his arms tight around her, and he rocked her gently. Their beautiful crane had lost her will to fly, and his heart hurt to know she was struggling to regain her wings. She'd been through more than any one person should have to go through.

Leaning back, he looked down into her face. "Where are you staying?"

"There's a house out on Canyon Grove, near the lake, for rent. I've already talked to the owners. I'm going to rent it until I sell my house in Miami."

Adam nodded. "How much did you bring with you?" he asked, his mind already doing a mental count of who to call to help her unpack.

"Moving van and my car full."

"I'll gather what I can of the gang, meet you around four," he told her, smiling.

"Adam, I didn't want to bug any of you…"

"Come on, Kim. You know we're all more than willing to help," he admonished her.

The former Pink Ranger looked flustered. She'd gotten use to, over the years, not asking for help. It had been one thing when Chris was alive to lean on him; he was, after all, her husband and partner. It was another thing altogether to lean on her friends. She'd stopped doing that after leaving the team. "Adam…"

"I'll see you at four. Write down your address," he insisted. Reluctantly, Kim turned to his desk and on a sheet of paper wrote down her address.

"It's the only house on the hill," she told him, handing the paper over.

Adam just nodded. "Go on, you need to rest and I got some calls to make." Kim sighed, knowing there was no use arguing with him. Squeezing his hand one last time, she shot him a smile and then headed out.

2:30 P.M.
1993 Canyon Grove Rd.
Angel Grove, CA

In the three hours after leaving the dojo, Kim slowly unloaded boxes from her moving truck. She had all her dishes in the kitchen, unpacked, and put away. She was just starting on the bathroom things when a caravan of vehicles pulled up outside in her driveway. Some of the faces she knew intimately, others she recognized from the funeral a year before. She couldn't help but grin when Aisha cam sprinting up the walkway.

"Kim!" the former Yellow Ninja laughed even as she threw her arms around her best friend.

"Hi Sha," Kim responded, wrapping her arms tight around her former teammate.

When the girls pulled apart, Kim was drawn into bear hugs from everyone who'd shown up; with Aisha were Tanya, Adam, Rocky, Justin, Jason, Zack and Tommy. She also recognized T.J., Carlos, Kira and Tori. "So, Adam and Rocky said you got huffy about us coming to help," T.J. scolded her as he pulled back from hugging her.

Kim had the grace to blush and part of her heart seemed to warm. It had been forever since she'd felt the unconditional acceptance from Ranger teammates – her own fault, by her own admission, but it still felt nice. "Thanks T.J."

He grinned and winked at her. "Start assigning stuff."

"I've got the kitchen completely unpacked," she started, wincing when both Tommy and Jason glared at her. "Kira, Tori, Tanya and Aisha can help me unload my clothes and bathroom stuff from my car while you guys handle the truck. Everything's labeled."

The group nodded in agreement and headed for the moving van, which sat in the large driveway with Kim's car settled on the car carrier behind it. It only took them two hours, but they had the truck unloaded and Kim's things inside and mostly unpacked. Sometime during the unpacking process, Kim sent Rocky into town for pizzas and beer to pay her friends back for their help.

"You picked a beautiful place," Tanya commented as the girls put Kim's clothes away and set up her bedroom. The former Yellow Ranger watched her friend staring out the window with curiosity. "Kim?"

"That's the sixth time today that car has driven past the house and just stopped at the end of the driveway," the petite brunette murmured.

The other four Ranger women joined her at the two big bay windows in the master suite. They watched a man get out of the car and stare at the house before he saw them watching him, quickly got back into his vehicle and sped away. "Creepy…" Kira uttered, shaking her head

"You do have a working alarm system, right?" Tori suddenly asked.

"Yeah."

5:15 P.M.

After the unpacking was complete and dinner had been devoured, the group found themselves outside in Kim's backyard, several feet away from her private beach, playing flag football just like the old days. When she'd found she'd had enough, Kim dropped down on the steps to the deck, draining a water bottle as she watched her friends. Perhaps for the first time in well over a year, she felt a small measure of peace.

In her mind, she argued maybe she should have listened to her parents and stayed in Miami. In her heart, she knew she'd made the right decision, no matter how painful, to come back to California. It didn't make her loss any easier; at night she could still feel Chris' arms around her or hear Evan's laughter echoing around her. She still woke, in sweat and tears, every night from nightmares, knowing her family wouldn't be there when she opened her eyes. If she hadn't been in the shower that morning a year ago, she'd have been with them. Every morning she woke, she still wished she'd gone with them.

She knew now, what it was like to have a death wish. But she was also slowly accepting that the only way to make that wish come true would be to take the coward's way out. She refused to show that kind of weakness. She would live for the two of them, she would make sure they weren't forgotten.

"Penny for your thoughts."

Turning her head, she met the familiar brown orbs of her white knight. It had taken her a long, long time to think of him like that again, but when it came to Tommy, there was no other way to think of him. It had been her promise to him, on the day she'd buried her husband and son that she'd remembered only months before; that promise had prompted her to pack up and return to Angel Grove. He'd always only wanted the best for her, had always been there to catch her when she fell.

"You'd need the entire national treasury for my thoughts."

The former multi-colored Ranger chuckled and took a sip of the water bottle he'd snagged from the cooler. "That good huh?"

Kim just shrugged and smiled, watching Aisha flip over Rocky's fallen form to score a touchdown for her team. "I still can't believe I came back."

"To be honest with you, neither can I."

She gave him a look that said she didn't believe that comment for one minute before she turned back to stare at their friends. "It's been a struggle…" her voice hitched as she tried to express everything she was suddenly feeling. It was so very hard to tell him, and that gave her another ache; she'd never had trouble telling him how she felt, never. It was hard to live with how much some things had changed.

Tommy reached for her hand, squeezing tight. "And it will be, for a long time to come. You've lost the most precious and important thing in the world, Kimberly. You won't just magically heal; that isn't how this works. This is the one thing the power can't fix for you."

"I know. Things were so much easier then." Her voice was wistful, a feeling Tommy knew all too well.

"Yeah, but it made us cocky. We always assumed nothing could touch us. Every time we lost our powers, we got them back."

Kim nodded, knowing he was right. "Until Zordon and Trini died, we'd never suffered a loss that couldn't be fixed by going on a quest, or by believing in each other. We were so blessed and we never knew it."

"You'll get through this, Beautiful," he started, using his nickname for her. "You won't ever get over it, but you'll learn to live with it. I can't begin to image how you've managed to keep it all going when I know all you wanted to do was make all the hurt stop."

Tears came then, a torrential flood of them. She didn't know how she'd managed it either. For the last year, she'd simply functioned, she hadn't lived; she knew she'd died the day her family had. She felt so overwhelmed by all the changes that she never noticed Tommy had pulled her into the circle of his arms and cradled her against him.

It was in that moment when the dam broke that she felt an odd pressure in her chest, as if a piece of her heart was suddenly unthawing again. Eyes closed, energy gone, mind murky, Kim just lay limply against Tommy, her head on his shoulder, and felt the world tilt and shift around her. Tommy's arms would always be her ultimate comfort zone, despite having lived a full, happy life without him. He was just that special of a friend and an important part of the life she'd built. It amazed her that Chris had never questioned, even knowing their history, her relationship with Tommy. Her husband had been such a trusting, loving man; it was yet another painful reminder that he was gone.

"Hey! Isn't that the creepy guy from earlier?" Tori's voice cut through Kim's thoughts.

The former Pink Ranger's head came up as she, Aisha, Tanya and Kira looked to where the Blue Wind Ranger was pointing. Down the shore from Kim's beach house was the same man the girls had seen in front of the house a few hours earlier.

"I'm going to talk to him," Aisha grumbled, her voice giving the hint that she was ready for a rumbled.

A fierce and frightening fear gripped Kimberly's heart out of nowhere. She cried out incoherently, her hands reaching for Aisha who'd been standing not far from her. Alarmed, the former Rangers turned their attention back to their Pink Ranger. "Aisha don't!" Kim croaked. She couldn't explain why she was suddenly fearful, but she was. It was so real, despite being irrational.

"Relax girlfriend," Aisha soothed, rubbing a hand up Kim's arm. "I'll stay right here, promise."

Adam turned back and noticed the guy was suddenly gone. His eyes narrowed; something was up, he decided, making a mental note to talk to Alpha about it when he returned to the Dojo.

11:45 P.M.

Kim had to smile at the memory of Aisha and Tanya arguing with her about someone spending the night because of the creeper from earlier that night. Leave it to her friends to want to care for her. But the fact remained, after her emotional breakdown, she needed space and quiet.

Her friends had been incredibly helpful; thanks to them most everything she'd brought was unpacked and put in its proper spots. Her exercise mats were set up in the back living room, which is where she was now. The lights were on low, the stereo was going thanks to Zack's need for music, and she was trying to relax. She moved slowly through her yoga movements, blending them with her old gymnastics warm ups, hoping to get the tension in her body to disappear. It'd been a long, long day and she was ready to go to sleep, but her mind was still going.

Hands and feet flat on the floor, bent over at the waist, she felt the odd pressure in her chest again. Rising slowly, she took ten slow, deep breaths to calm the pounding of her heart. Eyes alert, she looked at the kitchen's sliding glass door and found nothing or no one staring back at her when she knew she'd just felt like she was being watched. The blinds on the windows were all closed. Quietly, she crept into the front portion of the house. Her eyes widened when she saw her front door wide open. Her ears strained for any sound of an intruder but found none. Since she had no land line until Monday, she headed back into the kitchen to grab her cell phone off the counter.

With it gripped tightly in her hands, Kim made a complete sweep of the first floor. Nothing seemed disturbed or out of place, but she knew she'd closed and locked the door, at Tommy's insistence, when the gang had left earlier. Shaking her head, she quietly made her way up the stairs, praying she wouldn't make a noise and startle whoever it was that was in her house. All the doors on the second level were open, allowing her to enter each as quietly as possible.

She found nothing in either of the guest rooms or the bathroom. When she got to her room, both her windows were thrown open, the curtains blowing frantically in the wind that whipped through. On the center of her bed, a familiar carved wooden box lay, its contents strewn across her blankets. Her heart leapt into her throat when she found the most important object in the box missing. Her eyes watered at the thought that someone had stolen such a precious memento of her youth. And then she saw the odd glow coming from her bathroom.

Rage building, she dashed inside, a startled cry escaping her lips when she got a good look inside. In the center of her mirror, stuck to the glass, was the object she was looking for. Her eyes widened as she saw the glow coming from the pink lettering across the bottom.

It simply read: REMEMBER.

With trembling fingers, Kim opened her phone and dialed a number she knew by heart. "It's me. You need to come back here, and bring Billy with you."

Sunday
April 5, 2009
12:10 A.M.

The two men came flying up her driveway, both still in their pajamas. Jason reached her first, drawing her into his arms. "What happened?"

"I'd better show you," she murmured before he passed her to Billy for a hug.

"Salutations and welcome home," the former Blue Genius greeted her. His speech patterns had reverted back to the way they were when they'd been younger during his time on Aquitar.

Kim thought it was a wonder she could still decipher what he was saying as she smiled at him. "Wish it were under better circumstances," she whispered, referring to their meeting.

Silence lay over them like a stifling blanket as Kim led them up to her room. Horror swept into Jason's eyes while Billy's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. "What the hell?" the former Red Ranger muttered crossly.

"Your guess is as good as mine. The front door and my windows were open, as if someone was here, but no one was. My keepsake box, the one Zordon gave me after Murianthias, was upended on the bed and that was missing. And then I walked in here and found it, just as you see it."

Her hand trembled as she gestured to the mirror. Billy moved forward, studying the mirror carefully. "It doesn't appear to be glued on," he uttered. "Have you tried pulling it off?"

Kim shook her head. "I didn't want to do anything until you got here. You know me and my luck when it comes to things like this," she quipped, watching her two childhood friends roll their eyes. She didn't exactly have a great track record when it came to magical objects, and they all knew it.

The former Blue Ranger reached out and touched the golden coin at the center of the mirror. He let out a startled yelp and jumped back when he received an electric shock. Snatching his hand away, he saw an angry red spot at the tip of his finger.

"You okay?" Jason demanded.

"For the most part," Billy told him. "Kim, you touch it. I don't think either Jason or I can, or should."

Nodding, Kim hesitantly reached out her fingers, letting them brush her power coin. She stiffened in shock as energy raced down her arm. Jason let out a cry as he caught her body in his arms, her eyes rolling back in her head. "KIM!"

12:15 A.M.
42096 Stone Garden Terrace
Angel Grove, CA

Adam was sound asleep next to Tanya, dreaming of their upcoming vacation to Hawaii when the light in his dreams was replaced by darkness. Until now, the color black had never scared him; now it was terrifying him to no ends and he couldn't pinpoint why.

He was standing on the beach, the skies boiling with black clouds and fierce rumbling thunder. Two figures stood at opposite edges of the beach. One, a woman, dressed in shining white; the other, a man, dressed in fiery red.

Tensing, Adam expected a fight to begin. "You see what comes," a voice announced. Turning, the former Ranger watched a young man walk towards him. His eyes narrowed when the man shifted forms, becoming a woman.

"I see, but not understand."

"She has to make her choice again."

"She who?" Adam demanded.

"The guardian. She made her choice before, sixteen years ago. She has to make it again."

Adam shook his head. "She who?" he asked again.

The girl shifted, only this time into a beautiful bird. A crane. "Train her, he who is the Frog. Teach her to fly again. The dragon and the falcon will aide you, but the first step is yours. Train her."

With a gasp, Adam shot up in bed, his heart racing, his body covered in sweat, and his mouth bone dry. "Adam?" Tanya's sleepy voice called to him.

"Oh God," he uttered, his hand sweeping through his sweaty hair in agitation.

"What's wrong?" the former Yellow Ranger asked as she sat up, running her hand soothingly down his arm.

"I don't know…" he trailed off even as the phone on the nightstand shrieked to life.

12:25 A.M.
1992 Valencia Rd
Reefside, CA

He sat at his desk, papers scattered around him in various piles of graded, not graded, and ones he needed to make notes from. Most of his students had passed the pop quiz on Friday, but he found quite a few had gotten the same set of answers wrong. He made a note of it to go over it again and make sure it was on the final at the end of the year.

When he looked up, his screen saver was in the middle of changing; it turned into a picture of the team at Adam and Tanya's wedding. He signed, knowing just a few months later they'd lose Trini in a horrific car accident. He did smile though, the more he stared at the picture. Kim was tucked between him and Jason, with Aisha, and Zack at their feet, kneeling. Billy, Trini and Justin were crouched in front of Rocky, Adam, Tanya and Kat a bit more to the right. So much had changed since then, and yet, a lot was still the same…

The instant the image shifted to one of him and Kim from Junior Prom, the phone blared. He nearly fell out of his chair as he twisted to reach for it. "Hello?"

2:00 A.M.
1993 Canyon Grove Rd.
Angel Grove, CA

The house was lit up in every conceivable way. Ever room was illuminated by lamp or flashlight. Kimberly was in the living room, resting on the couch. Tanya, Aisha and Katherine watched over her, each tense and worried. While they were downstairs, Rocky, Tommy, Zack and Adam had joined Billy and Jason in Kim's bathroom. Justin had taken up residence in the kitchen to keep the coffee coming while the others tried to figure out what had happened.

"I still don't get it!" Hayley's tired voice sounded out of Tommy's open cell. "The computers aren't showing any spikes. If it happened exactly as Billy said it did, they should have registered the flux in power."

"Hayley, keep looking. I'll check in with you in a bit," Tommy's exhausted and confused voice spoke out.

"Sure."

The guys all looked at Billy, who was still studying the power coin in his hand and mirror, for answers. The second Kim had touched it, she'd fainted and the coin had come free from the mirror. "I'm at a loss, to be honest. None of this is making any sense to me," Billy sighed.

Rocky cleared his throat. "My only question is this – is Kim okay?"

Jason nodded. "She's just sleeping. She woke up as soon as you guys got here."

While they were in the bathroom, Adam stood by Kimberly's windows, his mind still on his dream from earlier, when he saw the figure at the end of the driveway. His eyes narrowed, Adam tried to mask the shiver that ran through him. The man in the driveway was the same one who Kim had been so afraid of the evening before, and one of the men from his dreams. The former Black and Green Ranger stood guard, the steely glare in his eyes focused on the stranger. He watched the man's eyes flicker from looking at him to staring at Kim's front door. Reaching out, Adam laid his palm against the wall, unsure of what it would do. Unseen by the others, the house took on an eerie, other-worldly black glow. Just as soon as it was there it was gone. Adam smiled in satisfaction when the man flinched and backed away from the house.

"Adam?"

Turning, his eyes latched onto his friends. They were all staring at him funny. "Yeah?"

"You said something but never finished," Rocky finally spoke up.

Had he been talking out loud and not known it? He couldn't remember. "I think Kim should come to the dojo, take some self-defense classes with me and Rocky. If she's going to be dealing with weird stuff again, she needs to be prepared."

The guys nodded their agreement. "And you two would be the most likely to be able to keep an eye on her," Jason reasoned, rubbing his hand over tired eyes.

Adam signed before his expression turned to a grin. He knew it was a needed distraction for Kimberly, and would ease all their minds. It was going to be interesting to see how she reacted to the idea.

Monday
April 6, 2009
7:30 A.M.
Emerald Dawn Martial Arts Academy
91495 Falcon Crest Ave
Angel Grove, CA

She walked into the dojo, her nerves screaming. Adam had told her to come before opening, that he had a surprise for her. "Morning Mrs. Donavan," Rochelle called out as she emerged from the hallway leading to Adam's office.

"Good morning," Kim greeted back, looking a little lost. "Is Adam around?"

"He and Rocky are in the backroom, setting up your surprise. Go ahead and go back."

Kim nodded and headed into the back gym. She gave a gasp of surprise when she saw Rocky and Adam tightening the anchors of a full size balance beam. "Hi Shortie!" Rocky laughed, waving her in.

"What is all this?" she asked, biting her bottom lip. There were practice mats set up everywhere, leaving a large opening space to the right of the beam the guys were setting up for anyone who wanted to perform a full floor routine.

Adam and Rocky grinned at each other before Adam finally spoke up. "We wanted you to be comfortable," he told her. "I called Ernie early this morning and asked him if we could borrow the one beam that's used for competitions until we could get a more permanent one here. When we told him it was for you, he was all for it."

"You didn't need to go to all this trouble," she murmured, knowing she shouldn't be shocked by the generosity of the two men before her, or Ernie.

"Frog-man here figured you could use the equipment to keep in shape, and really, we don't use this back room for anything right now," Rocky grinned.

Turning to Adam, she pinned the former Black and Green Ranger with a stare. "I really don't need all this, and honestly, why the self defense classes? It's not like I can't take care of myself," she reminded them.

Rocky rolled his eyes at her while Adam walked to her, his face stone serious. "Humor us, okay?"

"Fine," she muttered. "When do we start?"

"As soon as you change."