"Julia?" Kim asked as she opened the door and the pink ranger stood on her doorstep, looking completely dejected. Tommy had told her about how they suspected Axel was close to coming back, but by the look on Julia's face- they were wrong. "Did something else happen with Axel?"

"He's downstairs, getting treated. It seems like he's back," Julia supplied and she finally met Kimberly's gaze. "Was it this bad for you?"

"Yeah, it was. Maybe even worse, but that doesn't change how horrible this is right now," Kim said as she ushered her inside and then went to sit down in their living room with the twins. Julia settled across from her and smiled as Kira squirmed towards her. "You don't have to pick up where things were before."

"But you did," Julia fired back and Kimberly grimaced. She had let Tommy right back in- it was like she had known that she needed him and he needed her. Looking back at it, she wished they had taken a second to pause, but they just hadn't had the time. The next monster had come after them and they were well on their way to dating.

"I did, but that doesn't mean that works for you. Whatever you decide has to work for where you are at and I think he'd understand if you felt completely betrayed by it all," Kim said as Julia avoided her gaze as tears threatened to spill again. "He's the first guy you let in, in awhile, isn't he?"

"Yeah. I do a hell of a job picking them," Julia remarked as she hastily wiped her eyes. She really didn't want to talk about her last boyfriend. She trusted Kimberly, but she didn't want her to know about that part of her past. "I don't know how to separate the guy I knew before and who I've seen for the last month."

"You don't have to," Shelby said as they looked over at her. "Dr. O sent me up- said something about a girl's afternoon and how you might be a bit down about things."

"Of course he did," Kimberly muttered as she started laughing and shook her head. Tommy might not be super intuitive, but he tended to know when women around him just needed a break. "Sorry, this situation isn't funny. It's just how consistently Tommy thinks that girl's days solve all of life's problems."

"Seriously?" Julia asked and Kim nodded her head as she continued to laugh. "When are you going to break it to him?"

"Never. He's normally right that I need some space and time with my friends when he sends me out for the day. I'm just surprised that he applied the same reasoning to you," Kim said as Jay cuddled into her chest and she started rocking back and forth. Of the twins, he was certainly more of a cuddle bug, while Kira wanted to see everything. "Admittedly- I'd kill for a weekend alone with him right now."

"We could babysit," Julia offered as Shelby stared at the both of them. "What?"

"What? The equivalent of our Power Ranger big sister just said she wants 'alone time' with our Power Ranger big brother and you're not the slightest bit grossed out?" Shelby retorted as Julia shrugged her shoulders and Kim grimaced. When she put it like that, maybe it wasn't the smartest thing to mention in front of them. "Really?"

"I mean- these cuties didn't just arrive without 'alone time'," Julia mocked and Shelby covered her face. "You and Cam need a weekend off? We can arrange for that too."

"Ooooooh…spill," Kim said as Shelby stared at her. This is not the kind of girl's day she was expecting. "Okay, you don't have to spill- but you know- I have eyes."

"It's different- we aren't soulmates the way you and Tommy are. There's no like…guarantee that this isn't just a stress relationship," Shelby hedged as Kim and Julia exchanged a glance. Cam had said a lot of things the last time Shelby had been injured, but apparently he hadn't shared those things with her. "What?"

"Has he? Have the two of you…I don't even know how to ask this without potentially ruining something," Julia muttered as she played with Kira's feet and the baby girl happily gurgled up at her. "He sounded like he was going to talk with her, right?"

"Cam?" Shelby asked and Julia nodded her head. "Obviously we've talked since all of this happened and I've gotten my full…well my additional powers."

"I'm going to kill him," Julia muttered as she stood up and Kimberly nodded. She could see why Julia would feel that way. Sure Cam was more open about their relationship, but he still hadn't told her the most important things. "I'll be right back."

"Jules- it's my relationship. Whatever it is that he hasn't done- he doesn't need your pressure to do it. It needs to be in his time," Shelby said as she stood up to stop her and Julia let out a sigh. As much as she wanted Cameron to do what he had said he was going to do, she was right. She hated that Shelby was right about this. "How are you?"

"Whoa- let's stop for a second," Kim said as they both looked at her and she let out a sigh. As much as she wanted to hear about something other than baby milestones and toddler triumphs, she knew they needed to just be college girls. And most college girls- they didn't have these worries on their shoulders. "Tommy sent the both of you up here- to not think about this stuff. Last closet on the right- I have a couple of pedicure foot things. Get them out, pick out a movie, and let's just forget about your boy problems that were caused by ranger things for a bit."

"Do you think Dr. O would do a junk food run?" Shelby asked as Kimberly laughed and stood up. "Really?"

"It's that time of the month…for the first time in over a year…he'll get anything I ask for. What do we want?" Kim asked and she saw the sparkle in the girl's eyes. "What?"

"He really loves you, doesn't he?" Julia asked softly and Kimberly nodded. She had had times to doubt that in the past, but she didn't doubt it anymore. They had been through too much in the last two years to doubt that part of their relationship. "I want that."

"Well, it's not all glitter and pearls…but it is good most of the time," Kim said as she quickly wiped her eyes. She found that thinking about their future had gotten harder, especially with how dark her prophecies tended to be. "Okay, I'm not crying right now. My go-tos are salted dark chocolate, a boston roll, and bar-be-cue pringles. Ladies?"

"He's not going to say that's too…much…" Julia trailed off as Kim and Shelby stared at her. Tommy was more likely to throw in extra than to ever question what she wanted. "Apparently all of my ex's have been assholes."

"Yeah," Shelby said as she just shook her head. "Shrimp Tempura Roll sounds amazing and canolli's."

"Can he grab some stuff for milk shakes?" Julia asked and Kim just nodded before she headed for the front door. "You're going down there?"

"It'll be easier than trying to call him- watch the twins? I'll be back in five," Kim called as she closed the door behind her and the rangers exchanged a glance.

"Jules…I hope he's still the guy that he was when you met him. Once he's healthy…" Shelby trailed off as Julia looked away from her. "What is it?"

"I wasn't joking about the assholes, Shel. I've made some choices, I've gotten hurt. This should just be business, it's safest," Julia stiffened and Shelby let out a sigh. She hoped that Julia would change her mind, but she wasn't going to fight her about it right now. She had a feeling that a certain dark haired ranger might help change her mind as well.


Tommy quietly opened the front door to their loft and noticed that Shelby and Julia were each passed out on a couch. Kim looked back at him from the kitchen and smiled over at him. Memories flooded through him as he felt like he was taken back in time to when he had come back to her. She had welcomed him with open arms and he had never realized until now how lucky he was with that.

"Hey," Kim whispered as he walked up behind her and wrapped her in a hug. "You're not okay."

"I'm not. Just let me hold you for a bit," Tommy whispered as she turned around in his arms and he buried his face in her hair. He was so grateful that he didn't have to explain what was going on and that she was fine with him needing to be close to her. He felt a twinge of desperation in his actions, but didn't dwell on that as he realized she was running her hands up and down his back. He didn't know how he had gone without this for so long. "He doesn't have the same support system I did."

"So we figure out how to help with that," Kim said as she pulled back from him and grabbed one of his hands to lead him back to their bedroom. He didn't resist as they snuck past the rangers and then the twins room. As the door closed behind them, he let more of his facade fall. He did not want to risk anyone else seeing him like this. "Baby, what is it?"

"I"m so lucky to have you and I just…I don't know that I ever really told you thank you for what you did when we were kids. I would have never been able to be as solid as I am now if all of you hadn't welcomed me back the way you did," Tommy said as he started stripping down to his boxers. The exhaustion had finally hit after the last month and a half and he knew he was going to crash soon. He just wanted to get this out first, he needed to get this out so that he could really rest. "I owe so much to you and I…"

"We've both brought each other back from the brink- more times than I want to think about. It's going to work out between them and Axel is going to have the support you had. It's just going to take more time," Kim said as she walked him over to the bed and he clumsily sat down. She wrapped him in another hug and she felt him breaking. There was more to this, but she knew he didn't have the words for it tonight. So she held him until his tears subsided and then gently tucked him into bed. As she stared down at her protector, she felt the urge to protect him rise up in her. Evil rangers had always been hard for him and it seemed like this time just might be the hardest.