This chapter is only half of what I had originally planned it to be, but I had a bit of writer's block and a lot going on, so I wanted to give you all something, even if it's shorter than I wanted.
SCHOOL
Charlotte finally spotted Caden. He was sitting alone over a stone ledge near the school pick-up line. She'd waited at their usual spot after school, but he was nowhere to be found. Noting his thousand-mile stare, and the fact he'd hurried out of last period music class, Charlotte had an idea of what could be bothering him.
"Hey, you!" she greeted, jumping up to sit beside him.
"Hey," he replied simply, shrugging his shoulders.
Caden wasn't trying to be short with her, but he couldn't help it. He was annoyed and just couldn't shake it. Despite his sour mood, Charlotte's smile would always give him a reason to feel better. They sat in silence for several beats as she waited for him to spill the reason for his angst. When it was clear he had no intentions to speak, she nudged him with her elbow.
"Why're you over here by yourself? Is this about what just happened in Mrs. Gray's class?"
Caden ducked his head and nodded.
"But you have a great voice, Caden. I had no idea you could sing like that!"
"I don't sing… not in front of people, anyway."
"Well, if you don't like to sing to an audience, why'd you sing in class for Mrs. Gray? You could have just pretended to sing as badly as me," she added with a giggle.
Her smile was contagious. His mood was shifting already.
"Breaking news, everybody, the amazing Charlotte Oliver has a flaw after all," he teased playfully, just as she had the week before. Grinning widely, he watched in amusement as she doubled over with laughter.
"It's so embarrassing! My mom has such a beautiful voice, yet I get stuck singing like my dad." She scrunched her face and groaned around a laugh.
"That's okay, I'll do all the singing for the both of us."
Charlotte looked at him and smiled. His comment held a lot more weight than either of them could understand at the moment.
"Well?" she nudged him a second time.
"Well, what?"
"Why'd you showcase your singing chops if you have stage fright?"
Caden briefly recalled the moment. The melody had started playing and something about the lyrics touched him. The words were relevant to what he felt and everything she meant to him.
But he couldn't tell her she was his muse, his inspiration for letting down his guard and revealing his hidden talent. Could, he?
"I don't know. I was just… inspired, I guess," he replied, staring into her brown eyes.
Caden thought he saw her blush, but she looked away too quickly for him to be sure.
"And you already know the worst part of this, don't you?" the boy grumbled loudly.
Mrs. Gray had paired him up with none other than Emma Johansson. Sure, she was pretty and smart, but she was also conceited, stuck up, and most importantly she wasn't Charlotte.
The girl always smiled awkwardly at him, too, and even tried to hold his hand once. She had slipped him a note in math class about a month ago, asking him to be her boyfriend. Caden shook his head at the insanity of it. He didn't even know how to be anyone's boyfriend, let alone hers.
"I have to sing to her Char and pretend to like it!"
"It's just like acting," the girl shrugged.
"Well, I'm not an actor. And if I'm going to sing in front of so many people, then I want it to mean something."
Charlotte wasn't surprised. Caden was passionate about everything he undertook no matter how big or small. He was a perfectionist in every sense of the word. She didn't want to be dismissive of his feelings, but she did want him to shed the nerves.
"It's just a dumb school concert, Cade. Three minutes and boom, you're done. Or maybe – just close your eyes and imagine you're singing to someone else.
He stared off, contemplating her words. She was right. Like it or not, he'd have to just suck it up and make the most of the situation. The end of the year concert was only four days away. They'd been practicing songs for the last two weeks, though Mrs. Gray had never mentioned anything about a solo. If she had, he surely would have kept his big mouth shut. However, he wasn't the type of person to go back on his word. His dad and Kyoshi Tommy had always said that a man's word was important. It was his honor, and Caden would never jeopardize that.
"You're right. I can do it," he declared with renewed enthusiasm.
"Yes, you can."
"It's just three minutes."
"Right. That's it. And Sophia and I will be right behind you."
He threw a smile her way. "Thank you."
Charlotte's grin suddenly soured into a frown. Caden lifted his eyes to where hers were focused and he almost cursed under his breath. Instead, he clamped down on his jaw, lips pressed into a straight line.
The brunette leaned over and whispered into his ear. He nodded once, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
"Hi, Cade!"
Emma and her loyal friend Layla walked toward the pair. Her eyes darted between Caden and the ground. With slightly flushed cheeks, she clutched a bright pink binder to her chest. She was clearly nervous.
Charlotte leaned back on her hands, and muttered under her breath, "this should be interesting."
The girl with the blonde curls looked her way and offered a feeble smile.
"Nice boots."
Charlotte suddenly wanted to kick her with said pair of boots. Not that she particularly disliked Emma; she just knew she wouldn't ever consider a girl like her a friend. Emma was the classic rich, snobby, popular girl. It was like she was plucked straight out of one of those cheesy, Disney TV movies.
Just two feet in front of Caden, she proceeded to congratulate him on snagging the solo, raving over his voice. It was all Charlotte could do not to scoff and roll her eyes. Caden was visibly uncomfortable, shifting on the ledge and toying with a loose thread on his cargo shorts.
The girl's cheeks suddenly flamed red, and Charlotte thought she heard her swallow hard.
"If you want…" she started with a slight stammer, "you can come over my house so we can practice."
Charlotte couldn't stop her eye roll. Emma literally had one job, and that was to sit on a wooden swing and smile. What could they possibly have to practice? The brunette felt her ears becoming prickly hot. The feeling was accompanied by a distant buzzing feeling from deep inside her chest. It was a strange sensation, and she shook it off by drawing in a sharp breath.
"Um, I don't think I can. I have a busy week of training."
"Every day?"
"Yeah. Sorry. Tournament coming up and all."
The girl's face fell, and she shrugged her shoulders before suddenly perking up.
"Maybe we can hang out next week? My parents own JoJo's Froyo. How about—?"
"Oh! I love that place!" Charlotte chimed in with feigned excitement. "We should definitely go."
A smirk pulled at Caden's lip.
"No, I didn't mean… I was only—"
Charlotte abruptly got to her feet behind Caden and circled her arms around his neck, jumping on his back as he simultaneously leapt to the ground and hooked his arms around her knees.
"Can't wait 'til next week, Em!"
"Yeah, thanks for the invite," Caden added, picking up his bag and tossing it to Char.
The pair laughed as they made their way to their respective rides. Charlotte didn't look back, but she imagined Emma stomping her foot angrily on the pavement. A part of her felt a little guilty for intentionally flustering the girl, but Emma had a crush on Caden. On her friend. And she wasn't a very nice person. Charlotte justified her actions by telling herself that she was just looking out for him. Like, helping him dodge a bullet.
"Thanks for that. I owe you one." He breathed a sigh of relief and set her down.
"I'll remember you said that! See you later, Cade," she yelled back as she hopped inside her mom's SUV.
He nodded, a big goofy grin on his face.
(xx)
Charlotte was pushing a big metal shopping cart as Kim scoured the grocery aisle for a particular brand of pasta sauce. The girl had been quiet, lost in thought about Emma and Caden and that stupid music concert. Her hands wrapped tightly around the bar as her annoyance grew. Mrs. Gray had only chosen Emma for the part because her parents had donated all those instruments and supplies at the beginning of the school year. Sure, that was generous of them. But how many kids could say their parents had once been Earth's greatest superheroes? Her dad was THE White Ranger. She had Emma beat, hands down.
Charlotte giggled as she watched her mom struggle to reach an item on the very top shelf, a sleeping baby Jules strapped to her chest. Earth's first Pink Ranger was just as legendary, she mused, admiring her beautiful mother – even if she had to flag down an employee for a box of noodles.
"What has you so pensive and quiet, my love?"
The girl shrugged, leaning her body on the red handle of the cart. "Just thinking."
Kim eyed her daughter skeptically. "About?"
"Mom, I heard you talking about Katherine with Auntie 'Sha once."
Kimberly froze, then turned to grimace at her daughter. "Charlotte, what have I told you about eavesdropping on adult conversations?"
Charlotte rolled her eyes. "I wasn't. I mean, I couldn't help it. Soph and I were asleep on the couch. I woke up and I heard you."
The older brunette regarded her daughter sternly. "It's still eavesdropping if you don't make your presence known."
"Sorry."
"Now, tell me, why are you asking about Katherine? We haven't seen her since you were a baby."
"I guess she just reminds me of someone. Um, she was dad's girlfriend once, right? After you dumped him."
Kim snickered. "I kind of regret telling you that story."
"Well, you said it's all part of your love story, right?"
"I suppose," she conceded.
Kim wasn't sure where this conversation was headed. Besides the slip-up with Aisha, Katherine hadn't been a topic of conversation in their lives for over a decade.
While their relationship was civil, and Kat kept in contact with other former Rangers, she was not part of Kim and Tommy's most intimate circle. Even though they'd been teammates once upon a time, neither she nor Tommy felt comfortable with her close friendship. For no other reason than the fact that she was an ex. As secure as Kim was in her marriage with Tommy, running in the same group as the woman who not only took his v-card and dated him for three years but who had also actively pursued him while they were together – evil spell or not.
"Char, where is this going?"
Charlotte sucked in a deep breath through her nose. How could she tell her mom that she had a Katherine? But was it really the same thing? It's not like she and Caden were dating, not that they were old enough to but the idea of Emma and Caden was still aggravating. Charlotte wasn't willing to share his friendship with someone like her.
"Emma Johansson likes Caden. She asked him out on a froyo date in front of me, Mom! It was icky."
Kim's worried expression instantly shifted to one of amusement. "I see."
They were walking now, and Charlotte grabbed a can of peas and chucked it into the cart. "Yeah. And she didn't even invite me. She acted like I wasn't even there. Who does that?"
The weight of another can clanged loudly against the metal bars. "Nice boots," she mimicked, her mouth twisted as the same fate befell a container of whole kernels of corn. "She thought she was insulting me or something, but I happen to love my boots. So, the jokes on her."
"Of course," Kim agreed with a small laugh.
"And she tried to brag about her stupid froyo shop, too," Charlotte groused, throwing a stack of tuna on top of the corn. "Let me tell you, Uncle Jase took me there once and two of their dispensers weren't even working. Plus, Pinkberry totally has more topping choices." Four more cans flew off the shelf.
Kim placed a comforting hand over baby Jules' back as the infant had begun to stir with all the commotion.
"Char—"
"The worst part was that she invited him to her house to practice," she seethed using air quotes before swiping her forearm through a shelf of crunchy peanut butter. "… because Mrs. Gray chose her to be front and center next to Caden in the dumb spring concert. It's not like she even has to practice, Mom. It was just an excuse!"
Traditional mild chunky salsa became the raging girl's next victim.
"Charlotte, we don't need…"
"The only reason she even got the part was because her mom likes to kiss a—" Charlotte caught herself, eyes flitting to her mom's cautionary glare. "Sorry…"
"Listen—"
Clang. Clang. Clop.
More cans to the party.
Charlotte suddenly wore an audacious smirk, "I bet Mrs. Gray would've picked differently if she knew who my parents were."
"Okay, okay! Charlotte," Kim intercepted a jar of queso, "before we buy out the market's inventory of non-perishables and spill all our trade secrets, can you just take a breather?"
Her doe brown eyes found her mother's gaze, "I wasn't going to tell."
"No, I know that. That's not what I'm referring to." She gently lifted her daughter's chin. "Clearly this Emma girl struck a nerve. Baby, you're all worked up."
Charlotte shrugged away, looking off with a shamefaced expression.
"I'm sorry."
"I understand your feelings. Having best friends and sharing those friendships can be hard sometimes. But trust that if those relationships are solid, you have absolutely nothing to worry about."
Kim knew there was a little more behind her daughter's intense feelings and mini tirade. However, she chose not to focus on those particular emotions just yet.
"Caden cares for you a lot; you know that. But Caden is also going to have friends outside of you, Sophia, and the boys. As will you one day. And that's okay. Friendships are built on trust, respect, and mutual affection."
The girl nodded and Kim put an arm around her shoulder and kissed her temple.
As Kim intended to continue, a woman's familiar, grating voice cut through their conversation.
"The Oliver ladies! What a pleasant surprise!"
Principal Randall flashed a wry smile as she came upon the small family. She was holding a red basket in the crook of her elbow as thick heels clicked against the linoleum.
Kim greeted the woman with a contrived smile of her own. While the two were civil, Principal Randall had always shown interest in Tommy in ways too subtle to ever call her out, but Kim wasn't naïve. Certainly not when it came to her husband. She was used to the looks and the double takes from random women. Tommy was an incredibly attractive and sexy man. And Kim knew she was blessed to be the woman on his arm, but most importantly, the one who owned his heart.
"Mrs. Oliver, it's so good to see that you are well. Oh, and this must be your little one!" she gushed, lightly touching the baby's sling. "I thought you had twins?"
"My sister is at home with my grandmothers," Charlotte offered, coming between Kim and Randall and putting a gentle hand on Jules. The woman's peculiar presence gave her the same prickly feeling she'd experienced earlier.
Principal Randall observed the younger Oliver and grinned. "That's sweet. How old?" she asked, turning her attention back to Kim.
"About six weeks," Kim replied, kissing the top of her little girl's tiny head.
"Still so new. This is such a great age, isn't it? Oh, and don't worry, I bet you'll bounce back in no time."
Kim's eyes snapped up to meet the woman's green ones. There was a distinct glint of defiance in her gaze as if she were goading Kim for a reaction. With a newborn on her chest and Charlotte watching, there was no way Kim was going to make a scene. It was obvious the woman's off-handed comment was laced with malice.
The former Pink Ranger's jaw ticked, her brow arching as she threw the same look her way.
"We have to get going. Char has practice today and we're running a little behind. My husband is waiting for us."
"Oh, of course," she said, her left eye twitching just slightly. "I wouldn't want to keep you. Should I expect to see you all at the concert on Friday?"
"Absolutely. Tommy and I will be there for Charlotte."
The woman looked down at the girl and grinned, showing all her teeth like a damn jack o' lantern, "You have such a lovely family. Your girls are beautiful. They look so much like their father."
Kim snorted, her hands suddenly itching to wrap themselves around Randall's throat.
"C'mon, Mom!" Sensing the tension, Charlotte grabbed the cart and pushed her way out of the aisle, knowing her mother would be quick to follow.
(XX)
Charlotte ran through the doors of her father's dojo, shouting a quick hello to her uncle Rocky as she sped by. Kim came through moments later, greeting the former ranger with a warm smile.
"They got you working the desk tonight?"
"Hey, I'll take the break," he snickered. "Hayley is just running a quick errand for me. You leave the ankle biters at home?"
Kim laughed, clapping his shoulder as she walked by. "Yes, my live-in babysitters will be leaving soon, so I'm taking advantage of these little breaks while I can."
"I sure do remember those early days with Sophia and Antonio. And you're doing two at the same time? My hats to you, Kimmy."
"Thanks, Rock. But it's nothing I haven't done before." She leaned her elbows on the counter. "Is Tommy in class?"
"No, he has a new sensei filling in for him today."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Good kid. Just graduated high school. He's from our Pasadena location. Now that Tommy will be reducing his classes, we thought extra hands would be a good idea. He's actually Adam's cousin."
"Can't wait to meet him. So is Tommy in his office then?"
Rocky nodded.
Kim made her way through the busy dojo and down a narrow hallway towards the back of the building. Tommy's office was at the end of the hall. As she neared, she could hear his voice, rapt in conversation, followed by raucous laughter. A smile instantly tugged at her lips as she turned the knob and let herself inside.
Tommy had just hung up the phone and was mid-bite into a loaded turkey sub. His eyes lit up upon seeing his wife for the first time since early that morning. With a mouthful of sandwich, he mumbled something she couldn't understand.
Kim rounded the large desk as he turned his chair in her direction. Nestling between his thighs and cupping his face, she laughed as she spotted a drop of mayo on his chin. She wiped up the condiment and then kissed his chin tenderly before brushing her mouth up to meet his. They shared a heated kiss as he wrapped her tightly in his arms.
"I'm sorry. I added extra onions to this sandwich."
Kim laughed against his lips, kissing him between chuckles and running her fingers through his soft locks.
"It's okay; I like onions. And I missed you."
Tommy's hands slid down her back, grabbing her ass as he leaned back in the chair, pulling her onto his lap so that her knees were on either side of him and she rested on his thighs.
"I missed you, too, beautiful."
"I needed to come see you. It's been a strange sort of day."
He tucked a tendril of hair behind her ear.
"Tell me." His tone was husky as he softly kissed the junction between her head and shoulders.
Kim closed her eyes and sighed. "Charlotte had a mini-meltdown at the grocery store. Apparently one of her classmates has a crush on Caden. I think she's a little jealous and doesn't realize it. I let her vent and we're now completely stocked for a doomsday event."
Tommy paused his trail of kisses, "Not exactly something I want to hear, but is she okay? Wait – doomsday?"
"Don't stop, baby," she breathed over his jawline. "Feels good."
Tommy's arms splayed over his wife's back and he held her tighter to his chest, resuming his affections.
"Char is fine. Kids have big emotions sometimes but she and Caden are sweet friends. He'd never do anything to hurt her feelings."
Tommy's mouth had descended to the swell of her breasts. "What else, beautiful?"
"We ran into Randall at the grocery store, which was interesting." He stilled, waiting for her to elaborate, but Kim tilted his chin so that he could meet her gaze. "That woman wants to have your babies. And I'm pretty sure there's a shrine somewhere in her house with a collage of your pictures."
Tommy grumbled into her neck. "Kim, what did she say to you?"
"Let's just say, she was lucky I had Charlotte and Jules with me."
His brows came together, and a vein in his neck began to pulsate. "What did she say?" he asked again, punctuating every word.
Kim went on to detail her encounter with Principal Randall and the intentional comments the woman had made. Tommy was fuming. While they weren't direct insults or spoken with aggression, her actions reeked of blatant disrespect. Not only for his wife but also his daughter.
"I'm going to meet with her tomorrow morning. I can't let that slide. She has no right, Kim."
"Tommy, I don't want you to do that. I can deal with Randall. Besides, next week is the last one before summer vacation. And with the school district rezoning, Char will be starting junior high in a brand new school. That will be the last we'll see of her."
He shook his head. "It just doesn't feel right. I can't have her or anyone else disrespecting you. What kind of a husband would I be if I let that happen?"
She smiled and kissed him softly. "She doesn't matter, baby… Well, until the moment she decides to make a pass at you. Then I just might have to throat stomp her."
"Oh, so you can defend my honor, but I can't?"
Kim smirked, shushing him before kissing him soundly, effectively ending all conversation pertaining to the eccentric Principal Randall.
She lay her head on his shoulder, idly playing with the stitching of his Gi at his collar. "So, Rocky tells me you're taking some classes off? Why is this the first I'm hearing of this?"
"It was supposed to be a surprise," he chuckled. "With our moms leaving in two weeks, I wanted to make sure I'm home more often to help out with the girls and just spend more time with you."
Kim pressed a kiss to his neck. "Tommy, you don't have to do that. What about your students?"
"I know, but I want to. I really do. They'll be fine. Kim, after your accident, almost losing you…" he caressed the side of her face, "… it just put a lot of things in perspective for me. The schools will always be important, but not at the expense of my family."
Tommy leaned his head against hers. "Adam's cousin, Jake Bixler, will be teaching Charlotte's class today. He's a good fit. Hand-picked him myself before I even knew they were related."
"Well, then I'm sure he's great. Will you stay and watch, or did you want to get out of here and go somewhere?" she crooned close to his ear before biting the soft flesh of his lobe.
He groaned, hands squeezing her ass. "Just for today," he whispered, hovering over her lips.
Even after more than a decade since their reconciliation and three kids later, it still felt like they were horny teenagers who couldn't keep their hands off each other. Tommy suddenly pictured himself as an old man, still playing grab-ass with his wife. He laughed mid-kiss at the thought, and she paused to regard him curiously.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing, beautiful. I just love you."
A small knock at the door had Kim leaning in for one last kiss before climbing off her husband's lap and stealing a bite of his sandwich.
"Come in," he called playfully snatching back his late lunch.
Charlotte greeted her dad by hugging him tightly and planting a sweet kiss on his cheek.
"Hey nugget, shouldn't you be getting warmed up for class?"
"I came to ask you the same thing. Class starts in five, Dad. Aren't you coming?" she questioned, pulling on his arm.
"Actually, starting today and through the summer, I'm going to be taking some extra time off so that I'm home earlier."
The younger brunette scrunched her nose, "I'm glad you'll be home but who's taking your place?"
"You'll meet him as soon as you get to class. Sensei Jake is your uncle Adam's cousin."
"I don't know how much I like this but fine. What a day today has been," she mumbled to herself. Tommy caught her arm and pulled her in for another hug.
"How about some ice cream after class and you can tell me all about it?" he asked, kissing her forehead.
Charlotte flashed him a bright smile. "I'd love that as long as it's not frozen yogurt."
Tommy's forehead creased, "What's wrong with frozen yogurt?"
The girl dragged her dad out of his chair, "I'll tell you over a dirt cup with extra gummy worms."
Tommy laughed, putting his free arm around Kim's shoulder as the three of them made their way out of the office.
(XX)
Charlotte took her place alongside Sophia and Caden. She listened as Tommy decided last minute to introduce the new Sensei himself. The man walked onto the floor and stood next to her dad. His hands were clasped together in front of him, a big megawatt smile spread across his dimpled face. He was young and almost as tall as Tommy. His long, dark hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail. Bright green eyes scanned the faces of all his new students.
Charlotte felt funny all of a sudden. Her stomach had started to do what she could only describe as backflips. Her face felt hot, and a coy smile slowly curved her lips. Sensei Jake was the most handsome guy she had ever seen in her life. His beautiful eyes were surrounded by long, dark lashes. A small piercing adorned each ear, and his chin was split, only adding to the beauty of his face. She shook her head slightly, unsure when she ever started to notice details like that on a guy.
The young girl's heart fluttered as he walked in front of her. He was speaking now, continuing his introduction, but she couldn't understand a single word he was saying.
Her breath caught in her throat when he suddenly sent a wink her way. Did he know who she was? Of course, he had to. Her dad had family photos all over his office.
She wiped the palms of her hands against her Gi. They were clammy. Clammy?
"Charlotte?"
She was jolted back to reality upon hearing her name.
"What's wrong with your face?" Sophia whispered, stifling a giggle.
Caden peered over to the girls, eyes immediately flitting to Charlotte, who was still smiling dreamily in Sensei Jake's direction, and seemingly hanging on to his every word and movement.
Caden huffed, a scowl marring his features as his hands tightened into fists at his side.
A/N - This was kind of a filler. I'm sorry! Since this one was cut a bit short, there are still two more chapters and an epilogue. Did you notice I added little things from the actual movie? But with my own twist, of course. Haha, not Mr. Bixler! And the grocery store rant! I'd really love to hear your thoughts and to know you all are still interested. Feedback is always great to keep the enthusiasm going! Thank you!
Also, what would have been the end to this chapter, would have tied back into what happened in chapter 4.
Highffelflower - Firecrotch working the front desk ;)