"Tommy!" Kim yelled as she waved to him and then jogged over to where he was sitting in the stands. He had convinced his father to let him come to her competition, ever since he had been taken out of summer intensive and added back to it the same day- his father had allowed him a lot more leeway. He wanted to take advantage of it while his father was in a charitable mood. There was no telling how long that would actually last.
The last ten months had been nothing short of amazing. Even though he had kept himself from asking her out, it felt so good to have a non-ranger friend. He wanted more, but he knew that he was here to make sure that when her powers came in- she was safe. That someone could get her to safety and that would be him. The responsibility in the back of his mind was slowly driving him insane. Even though Theo had given him an out, he just wasn't sure that his dad would ever allow it.
He gave her a hug before she wiggled into the room on the bleacher next to him and looked up at him, expectantly. He had promised he would ask if he could go to the movies with her after the meet. He had just decided to tell his parents that the meet went much later than she had told him it would go and that would more than cover the time at the movies.
"All set. You just have to stay on your feet and we'll get to go to the movies afterwards," Thomas said as a smile spread on her face and she gave him another quick hug before jumping to her feet and running back out to continue warm ups.
"You're Tommy?" a girl asked next to him as he looked over at her and realized she looked vaguely familiar. "Heather- one of Kimmie's friends from school."
"Thomas," Thomas said as they shook hands and he watched as she glanced between the two of them.
"She said she was the only one that got to call you Tommy. I guess I shouldn't push my luck, huh?" Heather said with a smile as he barely nodded. As much as he wanted to say the name was growing on him, it was only growing on him with Kimberly. Everyone else that tried it still sent the same feeling of nails scraping down a chalkboard up his spine every time. "You must really like her."
"You have no idea," Thomas said as he turned back to watch the meet as there was an announcement that the first rotation was about to start.
"Two months off," Kimberly said with a happy sigh as she settled into the passenger's seat of his jeep. "Thanks for coming today, I know it's hard for you to get away."
"I wouldn't have missed it," Thomas said as she leaned over the middle console and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He froze as they locked eyes and he inwardly groaned. He wanted to do more, but he knew that he couldn't. She quickly looked away and he saw the hurt in her eyes. He wanted to explain. He wanted to tell her why he wasn't moving things forward, but he knew that telling her she was a future prophetess would freak her out. And he needed to keep her safe. Even if someone else got to be with her, she would always be his to keep safe. "Kimmie…"
"Why?" Kimberly asked as he saw the tears and he hurriedly reached up to wipe them away. Seeing her cry tore at him and he just wanted to make it stop. "Don't you feel it?"
"Yeah, I do. I just…my family will never let me, let us be together. I'm expected to make future Power Rangers with another Power Ranger. I don't want it. I don't want this life for them and I…" Thomas trailed off as she just shook her head. "I'm so sorry, Kimmie. I get it if you don't…"
"That is bull shit, Thomas and you know it," Kimberly ranted and he let out a sigh. She was right and he couldn't lie to her. As much as he wanted to, he'd rather light himself on fire than lie to her. "Try again."
"The part about what my family expects from me…that's all true," Thomas said as he looked out the windshield and then turned back to her. He was going to tell her what she was going to become so that she could see why he needed to keep this space between them. So that she could see why it was so important that he stay clear headed when it came to her. "I'm here because-"
Thomas was cut off as someone banged on the driver's window and he looked over to see David standing there. He thought about ignoring his brother, but knew that that was not a good choice. If he wanted to get David's silence- he was going to have to roll down the window.
"That's my brother. I have to roll down the window or this will get worse," Thomas said as Kimberly barely nodded and he then rolled down the window. "Hey, David."
"They let you out of the Academy? I thought Dad had you on lockdown," David said as he leaned into the jeep and looked over at Kimberly. "Who's she?"
"This is Kimberly," Thomas said as David smiled across at Kimberly and he felt his blood boil. He did not like the way that David was looking at her, like she was another girl he wanted to add to his list. "We were just about to go, so…"
"Where are you headed?" David asked as Thomas forced his face to neutral. He really just wanted to finish this conversation with Kimberly.
"No where," Mitchell said as he appeared behind David and Thomas glanced over at Kimberly. This could not possibly get any worse. "Drop her off- head back to the Academy- get in your gi."
"Dad, it's just going to the movies," Thomas interjected as Mitchell glared at him. Thomas knew that the punishment would be worse if he fought, but he desperately wanted to spend more time with Kimberly. He needed to spend more time with her. "I'll be back at the Academy well before curfew."
"Do not make this worse. Do what I said," Mitchell growled and Thomas glanced over at Kimberly who barely nodded. He then nodded to his father before shifting the car into reverse and pulling away from his family.
"Kimmie, I'm so sorry. One day, we'll…" Thomas trailed off as he caught the difference in her eyes. It was like she realized exactly what was going to happen to him when he got to the Academy and she felt horrible about it. "Hey, you're worth it. I'll be fine."
"What's going to happen?" Kimberly asked as he turned his sole focus to the road. He couldn't answer that question honestly, it would mean admitting the family secret that his father abused him. "Tommy…"
"Don't worry about me, this has been my entire life," Thomas stated as he pulled his emotions back and gave her a forced smile. "I just wish we'd gotten more time."
"Thomas…please…he's not going to…" Kimberly trailed off as he met her gaze for a moment and she saw how he changed. He had pulled up all of his walls, because he was preparing for whatever was to come. "Why don't you tell someone?"
"Who is going to believe that Mitchell Trueheart is this way to his children?" Thomas retorted as he pulled into her driveway and she stilled in her seat. She had just thought that his parents were strict. She had never thought there might be more to it. "I'll never be him, Kimmie. I'll call you when I can…if you want me to."
"Tommy…" Kimberly whispered and he turned his face toward her. He was surprised at how close she had moved towards him and even more surprised when she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. "I know you're not him. And I know you want to protect me from…please, please stay safe."
"I will," Thomas whispered into her hair as he clung to her and he felt her worry pulse through him. He would do anything to soothe it, but he didn't know what he could do to soothe her. He just knew that it hurt to feel this with her. "I'll see you when I can."
"Tommy….I…" Kimberly stammered as he shook his head and she pulled back enough to look into his eyes. "This is why we can only be friends?"
"Yeah," Thomas whispered as she nodded, gave him another tight hug, and then jumped out of his jeep. He slowly backed out of her driveway and glanced over to see her watching him, obviously worried. He would reassure her as soon as he could, but he needed to keep his father far away from her first.
"How did it go?" Jason asked as Thomas shook his head as he quickly stripped and then threw on a gi. "Why are you going to train now?"
"Not training. Don't wait up," Thomas said as Jason grabbed his arm and pulled him around to look at him. He saw all of the walls that Thomas had walked in here with pulled back up, fully enforced. Whatever was coming next, Thomas was isolating off the parts of himself that could feel pain in order to get through it.
"I'm coming with," Jason said as Thomas shook his head and he ignored him as he threw on a gi. "You're not a prisoner here. You've done everything and more that they've asked of you. You deserve one night out with your friends."
"I don't have friends outside of here. I have a friend and she's…she's part of my assignment," Thomas said as Jason stared at him. He didn't know much about who Thomas had been going to spend the day with, but he had assumed that it was someone from Thomas' last school. "I went to spend a day with her. I told my Dad that that was what I was going to do and he okayed it. Now he's flipped his shit because I was going to take her to a movie and be back by curfew. This is how Dad has always been with me, let me go. I can take it."
"But you shouldn't have to," Jason said as Thomas nodded and Jason stilled. "Then why do you?"
"It keeps my siblings safe," Thomas stated as Jason shook his head and Thomas just nodded. There had a been a time when he had pushed back against his father and he had immediately turned on Britt to get back at him. "Stay here. Lay down. You never saw me come in if he comes and asks you what you know."
"Thomas…" Jason trailed off and he then nodded. He had seen Thomas take more blows than anyone else in their year. Hell, he had seen him take out the current Power Rangers like it was nothing. He was just now getting an appreciation of what had gone into making Thomas this good of a fighter.
"The hell you will!" Theo roared as Thomas walked into the gym in his gi and Theo glanced back at him before turning back to Mitchell. He had been called as soon as Mitchell requested that the gym be opened for him- they all knew what that meant. "I am in charge of the lower Academy. He was out with a friend- like he asked permission for."
"You will not tell me how I discipline my son," Mitchell said as glared at Theo and Theo shook his head. "Get out of my way."
"They've noticed, Mitch," Theo growled as Mitchell quirked his head and Theo glared at him. He was tired of doing his best to protect Thomas, but not actually being able to protect him because of who his parents were. "The students. They've noticed the extra bruises and the insane hours of training and how the best trainee in their class gets beat down over and over again by only one person at this place. And that is you. You will not put a hand on him again or you'll have to deal with me."
"And me," Robert said as he walked into the gym and Mitchell looked over at him.
"And me," Tasia said as she stepped out of the shadows and Mitchell watched as various mentors and members of his family continued to step out of the shadows and they all moved to stand next to Thomas.
"I am the mentor. How dare you!" Mitchell yelled as a bright light flashed in the gym and Atlantis landed in the middle of the gym. The elder Power Rangers froze as they looked over at him and Thomas glanced at him before looking down at his feet.
"Thomas, you can go back to your dormitory," Atlantis said as he walked over to stand in front of Thomas and he looked up at him before barely nodding. He watched as the teenager all but ran from the gym and Atlantis then turned his focus to Mitchell. "He's a good kid."
"He is and he would be weak without my discipline," Mitchell retorted as Ernie landed in the gym and walked over to Atlantis. "Ernie?"
"I've been assigned to Thomas and despite trying your best to ruin him, he's a good man and he is protecting her like you have ordered him to," Ernie stated as Mitchell glared at him and Ernie met his gaze. "Like you should have ordered him to from the beginning. Her powers have been stunted because of that brute that you sent in to begin with and I'd judge that they're only going to come out when she feels safe being herself again. Your son is, somehow, making her feel safe again."
"She's just a prophetess- we don't need more of them," Mitchell said as Atlantis glared at him.
"Theo- you'll be taking over the Academy," Atlantis stated as Mitchell shook his head. "Why not?"
"There must always be a Trueheart," Mitchell quipped and Atlantis chuckled. He was done with that- that could easily be worked around.
"Oh, you'll stay on as a mentor- but not for your children and especially not for Thomas. You don't understand it yet, but Thomas and Kimberly are going to be critical to this world. You have to let this happen," Atlantis said as they all looked over at him and Theo let out a sigh.
"She's his soulmate, isn't she?" Theo asked and Atlantis barely nodded as the room stilled as they all took in that information. Prophets and Power Rangers were not supposed to be soulmates, but it had been foretold that this would happen. Everyone had suspected it would be Mitchell, but every prophetess he met had not been his soulmate. Mitchell was, in fact, the first Trueheart in generations without a soulmate. "Damn it, Mitch. You've been playing with fire keeping him away from her."
"And you weren't judged worthy to have children," Mitchell remarked as Theo shook his head. "You have no place to critique my job as a father."
"Go clear out your office Mitchell. You are done terrorizing your eldest son," Atlantis said as he stepped in front of Theo, who looked murderous. "Ernie- escort him."
"With pleasure," Ernie said as Mitchell glared at him, but he decided not to fight a Guardian. He at least had that amount of self preservation left.
"How are you going to explain this to our father?" Robert asked as Atlantis looked over at him and gave him a sad smile. "You know what he did to us- you know how he ran this place."
"William and I will handle your father, Robert. Unfortunately- he picked the wrong son to take on being a mentor. Fortunately- we have Thomas and he will be amazing when it is his time. We just have to get him there," Atlantis stated as the other mentors stared at him and then slowly started nodding in understanding. Thomas was the key to the Trueheart line and the continuation of Power Rangers in this world- they had to let him be.
AN: It's another holiday week in the U.S. Over this weekend I'll be doing 2 chapter for all of my stories again- keep an eye out between Thursday and Sunday for those chapters to drop!