Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter eleven of "Just Away." Kim is reunited with Coach Schmidt in this chapter. There is Tommy/Kim as well. Ranger action is coming in the chapter after the next one. Stay tuned for chapter eleven.

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Chapter 11: Sweet Proposal/Reunion with Coach

Clouds covered half the midafternoon sky above Angel Grove Memorial Hospital. Kim lay asleep on her back in her hospital bed. She had her arm wrapped around the bear. Tommy was asleep in an armchair that had been brought into the room at her request. He moved his head slightly. He let out a small yawn.

Tommy sighed in a soft way. He returned to see Kim at noon and informed her that her father had booked a flight out of Chicago scheduled to leave at one o'clock. He revealed her brother would be in town in about three hours. He mentioned her mother managed to get a flight out of Paris around the same time due to a passenger canceling, but she would not get here until four o'clock in the morning.

Kim told her boyfriend she ordered a hamburger, fries, and orange juice for lunch. He got the same thing in the cafeteria and brought it up to her room. They ate together. Afterward, he told her that Schmidt would come to see her after he got some errands done. He mentioned to him they would be here and that it was possible they would be napping. She thanked him for everything he had done up to that point.

Kim groaned and began to stir in her sleep. She opened her eyes in which she found blurry vision. She let out a soft moan while blinking them three times to clear it. She looked toward the window, seeing an American robin sitting on it. She heard it chirp a beautiful melody. Moaning caught her attention. She turned to see Tommy waking up and stretching his arms above his head. He yawned widely before smacking his lips. He glanced at her, smiling.

"Good afternoon, Kim," Tommy greeted.

"Good afternoon yourself, Tommy," Kim responded and sighed contently. She pushed herself into a sitting position. "How do you feel?"

"Pretty good," Tommy said, leaning forward. "Naps tend to refresh me, especially after having such a wild morning."

"Yeah. You fought Rito and a bunch of Tengas. You learned I was pregnant and that I was the daughter of a ruthless dictator and his late wife," Kim commented.

"Life is funny, isn't it?" Tommy said, giving a shrug.

"That's what DJ said when she found Ms. Twitchel was the teacher overseeing the SATs in her dream in the Full House episode called 'The Test.' That was the funniest segment in the whole series. Everything went wrong," Kim said, a giggle leaving her mouth.

"The irony is Kimmy got a perfect score," Tommy said, getting up and going to the side of the bed. He seated himself. "In the real world, that could not happen at all. Kimmy was dumber than a doornail." He chuckled to himself. "She did not even know what intellectually deficient meant."

"Kimmy shares my name too," Kim said honestly. "There are several nicknames to call a girl whose name is Kimberly." She released her hold on the bear and set it next to her. "I prefer to be called Kim."

"Tommy is a nickname for a guy named Thomas. He can also go by Tom," Tommy said and rubbed his chin. "It is so interesting."

He leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead. He pulled back to look her in the eye. She took his hand into hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. She felt him do the same to hers.

"I feel rather refreshed after my little nap," she admitted and rubbed her eyes. "Of course, I can't run around at the moment."

"At least you can walk without any trouble. Of course, you have to take that thing into the bathroom with you just for today," he said, jerking his thumb in the direction of the heart monitor.

"I wish I didn't, but the doctors want to make sure nothing happens," Kim murmured.

"This hospital is so lucky to have so many caring doctors," Tommy said gratefully. "Some doctors are just in it for the money, though they portray themselves as caring."

Kim scoffed. "It sucks ass. Many people do have two faces. Their public face is kind and caring. Their private face is cruel and heartless."

"Image is what really matters to those people. They will do anything to maintain it. When they feel they have been wronged, they will seek revenge. They do not care who they hurt as long as they avenge themselves. Sometimes, the wrong was just imagined," Tommy explained, shuddering in disgust.

"Veronica looks like the type of person to seek revenge after being wronged. She never went after Aisha or me after she was outed from the Angel Grove Girls Club due to having been found to have excluded girls based on family income," Kim said and inhaled deeply. She exhaled slowly before yawning.

"She's such a spoiled brat that it isn't even funny. If she finds out about your pregnancy, she will blab it to the entire school," Tommy said with a roll of his eyes.

"She isn't known as the queen of gossip in Angel Grove High for nothing," Kim answered and made a funny noise. "You know what they say, 'A lie goes around the world before the truth has a chance to put its shoes on.'"

Tommy nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Some things people believe are absolutely ridiculous. Talk about a bunch of dumbasses."

Tommy ran his hand over his girlfriend's hair after taking it out of hers. He stroked her cheek with the back of it. She grabbed the bear and turned it around. She flicked one of its ears. She whispered inaudible words as he placed his hand over her stomach.

"How is the baby?" Tommy asked with a smile.

"It's fine," Kim answered truthfully. She laid her hand over his while sighing warmly. She looked down. "I never thought we would become parents so young."

"Me neither," Tommy agreed. "I have to admit I am a little scared about being a young father, especially since I am a Power Ranger."

"I am a little scared about being a young mother. Zordon and Alpha are searching for another Pink Ranger right now. Who knows how long it will take them to find one?" Kim wondered in uncertainty. "Moreover, her powers won't last for real long without the Pink Power Coin."

"We'll find a way get it, Ninjor, and the Falconzord back. This is especially true if the situation becomes very critical," Tommy assured in much gentleness. "It will be very risky to breach the Lunar Palace. Zedd and Rita are smarter than they are given credit for."

"You got that right," Kim agreed. "Their minions are dumb, but they are not stupid. They can display moments of brilliance."

Tommy took Kim's hand into his to squeeze it. She placed her other one over his. She patted it very gently. In fact, it was so light that it didn't seem she was even touching it. He breathed deeply before cupping her chin in his other hand. He stroked it with his thumb.

"Kim, there is something I want to ask you," he said and scratched the back of his neck.

"What do you mean?" she responded in confusion.

"From the moment I met you, I fell hard for you. Even after I did terrible things under Rita's spell, you and the others accepted me without question. You've always been by my side through thick and thin. When you were unconscious due to the energy drain, I was really scared of losing you. The same thing happened last night after you fell and hit your head. When I found out I was to be a father, I was shocked. Then I came to terms with it as well as learning you were from another world," Tommy said, sniffling.

"What are you saying?" Kim asked, swallowing hard.

Tommy reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. It happened to be black with tiny shiny stones around. He opened it to reveal a silver ring with three tiny pink diamonds embedded into its top. Kim gasped in amazement, her breathing getting heavier.

"Is that—" Kim started.

"Yes," Tommy said, nodding in a slow manner. "Kimberly Hart, will you marry me?"

Kim put her hand over her mouth, sobs rising in her throat. She could feel her heart beating a little faster. Tears rolled down her cheeks, some merging with each other.

"I don't know what to say, Tommy," Kim whispered.

"You don't have to give me an answer right away. You can think it over," Tommy said gently.

She shook her head. "No. I…I…"

"What?" Tommy asked, his breathing coming out in shudders.

"I don't want to think it over," Kim commented, choking back a sob. "My answer is yes."

"You mean—" Tommy started, a big smile forming on his face.

"Yes, I do want to marry you," Kim responded, nodding rapidly.

He pumped a fist. "All right!"

Tommy took Kim's left hand and grabbed the ring from the box. He set the latter down. He slipped the former on her ring finger. They kissed with much passion. They broke apart before hugging each other tightly.

00000

Tommy and Kim were looking at the ultrasound pictures twenty minutes later. They smiled at how clear the baby looked in the two they were holding. The others were in her lap. He gestured toward its underside in his. He let out a small chuckle. She tapped on its hand with her finger in hers. She tried to hold back a giggle, but she couldn't help herself.

"Look at the baby's hand," she said in much delight. She traced the hand with her finger. "It looks so tiny."

"I've read stories of babies actually waving in ultrasounds," he replied and rubbed his nose. "Some twins have even held hands while being delivered by C-section."

"That is totally wild," Kim whispered, awe showing in her voice. "Let's not forget this baby won't be fully human, even if it looks that way."

"Dex and his friends looked human, but they actually evolved from insects on Edenoi," Tommy pointed out and touched his forehead. "They had crystals in the middle of their foreheads. They allowed them to project their thoughts and memories." He formed a big smirk on his face. "I don't think anyone would appreciate them projecting naughty thoughts."

She blew a raspberry. "Of course, humans have naughty thoughts about each other a lot. It is part of our nature."

"I hear that," Tommy agreed. "We have naughty thoughts about each other all the time." He grabbed her chin and moved her head from side to side. "Don't we, Kimmy?"

"If you call me Kimmy again, I will tie your hair in a knot," Kim said, grabbing his wrist and pulling his hand away.

"Oh, I am so scared," Tommy said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"You should be. I am the queen of mean," Kim growled in much playfulness.

"What you really are is the queen of shopping," Tommy said while tickling her cheek.

"That is true," Kim agreed and cleared her throat. "We will be doing a lot of shopping as our kid grows."

He chuckled to himself. "I hear you."

He kissed her forehead. She gathered the pictures in her lap and placed hers with them. She patted them together. He gave his to her. She slipped it in the middle before putting them under the cover. She folded her hands and laid them in her lap.

"I can't help but wonder if full-blooded humans live on other worlds," Kim said, looking very curious.

"I say it is very possible. I've heard stories that aliens came to Earth during prehistoric times and took groups of humans. They put them on other worlds as experiments to see if they would treat them well," Tommy explained.

"If that is true, then it is likely the aliens see Earth as a failure. Humans once treated it well, but they began destroying habitats and species in order to progress," Kim muttered with a frown.

"Many people are fighting to protect the environment, but it is hard with the wrong ones in power," Tommy muttered sadly.

"Unfortunately," Kim agreed with a slow nod.

Footsteps caught the couple's attention. They looked toward the door, seeing it open and Schmidt step inside. He smiled at Kim as he closed it behind him. He came to the bed. He slipped his hands inside his pockets.

"Hi, Coach Schmidt," Kim greeted warmly.

"Hello, Kim. How are you feeling?" Schmidt asked as Tommy rose to his feet.

"I am feeling a bit better," Kim admitted and suppressed a yawn. "Tommy and I had a good nap."

"That's good," Schmidt responded in much relief. He sighed heavily before frowning a bit. "I am so sorry this happened. I should've been there to watch you."

"There's nothing you could've done. Even if you had been at the Youth Center, I could've still fallen. It takes just a split second for accidents to happen," Kim assured, gentleness lining her voice.

"I understand. Still, I was training you for the competition," Schmidt pointed out while sitting on the bed. "I was responsible for you."

"I know, but what's done is done," Kim commented, smiling lightly. "Let's just leave it at that."

Schmidt nodded in agreement. Kim slipped a lock of hair behind her ear before suppressing a yawn. She tried to suppress another one, but she couldn't help herself. He snickered, which caused her to become a bit confused.

"What's so funny?" Kim asked.

"You have such a big mouth that you could fit a whole pie in it," Schmidt joked and smiled.

"What flavor would you like to put in it?" Kim responded while raising an eyebrow.

"I have two choices, apple or cherry. Take your pick," Schmidt said, sitting up tall and proud.

Kim giggled. "I'll take the cherry."

Schmidt flicked her nose. "Good. Of course, it won't be a whole pie. It will be very small slices."

Tommy couldn't help but smile as Schmidt and Kim laughed aloud. He was glad that the coach had a sense of humor. He wondered if the man had played pranks on his gymnasts. The duo grew quiet. Schmidt rubbed the back of his neck.

"I spoke with Dr. Jacobs. He said you would be out of here in a couple of days," Schmidt said happily.

"I am looking forward to getting out. I do not like laying around and doing nothing," Kim responded.

"Who does?" Tommy said, giving a shrug.

"I knew some people who loved being waited on hand and foot," Schmidt said, shaking his head in disbelief. He mumbled obscenities in German. "It annoyed the hell out of me."

"Oh, you better watch your mouth," Kim scolded playfully while shaking her finger at him.

"Hey, I'm a grown man," Schmidt responded as he pointed his finger at her. "I can curse if I want to."

"I know," Kim said with a soft giggle.

"So, when do you want to resume training?" Schmidt said hopefully.

Tommy and Kim looked at each other. They weren't sure if they could tell him what was going on. They decided it wasn't worth keeping quiet. They shifted their attention back to Schmidt. She twirled her thumbs around, pressing her lips together.

"Sir, I hate to tell you this, but I am not going to be able to resume training," Kim said with a heavy sigh.

"What do you mean?" Schmidt asked confusingly. "I was hoping I could continue to train you."

"I do not know how to tell you this, but—" Kim started.

Schmidt looked at her a little more closely. "What?"

"I'm…I'm…" Kim stammered.

"Come on. You can tell me. What is going on?" Schmidt commented in concern.

Tommy breathed deeply. He hoped the coach would not freak out. "Kim is pregnant. I am the father of her baby."

Schmidt gasped in shock while feeling his eyes widen to the size of saucers. He wondered if he heard wrong. He realized that Tommy was telling the truth. Tommy didn't move, but he had a feeling the coach would react like this. Kim sniffled, a tear falling from her eye. She laid her hand over her stomach while choking back a sob.

"I can't believe this," Schmidt whispered while looking down at the bed.

"I am so sorry, coach," Kim said, sobs rising in her throat. "Tommy and I never meant for this to happen. We've been under a lot of stress due to the monster attacks. We engaged in sex without protection the night after a really bad one. We weren't thinking at all. I let you down."

"I admit I am disappointed because I saw so much potential in you," Schmidt said, looking at her. "At the same time, this happened before I even showed up." He furrowed his brow. "How was I supposed to know you two had been intimate?"

"It's not exactly something you blab about," Tommy said and ran his hand over his hair.

"No, it's not," Schmidt agreed. "Anyway, how far along are you?"

"Four months. I will be due on March 26," Kim answered with a sad sigh.

"You are already that far along?" Schmidt said surprisingly. "You would think you'd be showing by now. You are not tall at all."

"Once again, I am so sorry," Kim apologized and cried softly.

"You don't need to apologize anymore," Schmidt assured gently. "You need to focus on keeping yourself and your baby healthy. If you want to come back at some point, you are more than welcome to. I support whatever decision you make."

"Well, Tommy and I intend on focusing on our baby for a long while. We just found out we were to be parents, but we already love it with all our hearts," Kim replied seriously.

"Then focus on your baby," Schmidt commented in a calm yet firm voice. "It is much more important than winning a gold medal."

"Thank you," Kim said, sniffling. "Thank you so much."

Schmidt and Kim hugged tightly. She buried her face into his shoulder in which it muffled her cries. He felt his blue t-shirt become wet with her tears. He pushed her back to look her in the eye.

"The reminds me of a gymnast named Sarah Bouvier I once trained. She was in the same position as you were," Schmidt said.

"Really?" Kim said surprisingly.

"It was three years ago. She came to my gym in Miami all the way from Seattle. Her mother heard of me and wanted me to train her. I agreed to. Her boyfriend, Mark Jones, was also a gymnast. He came along for the ride," Schmidt explained.

"How old were they?" Tommy wondered.

"They were both nineteen years old," Schmidt admitted, glancing at him. He turned back to Kim. "They had been at my facility for three months when I noticed Sarah seemed to have a small bulge on her stomach just before practice started one day. I was concerned, so I took her to our primary physician Michael Wong. He had her do a urine sample. He tested it and found high levels of human chorionic gonadotropin. She was pregnant. She apologized profusely, as did Mark. We weren't sure how far along she actually was, so we sent her to a local hospital for an ultrasound with obstetrician Kelly Peeks. Dr. Peeks determined she was three months along. The baby was perfectly healthy. Its growth was exactly on track."

"Sarah showed sooner than most women do, though she had never been pregnant," Kim said in amazement.

"Mark and Sarah said they felt they had let me down. I admitted I was disappointed because I saw great potential in both of them. I told them they were welcome to come back at any time. They revealed they wanted to raise their baby. I told them to focus on that because it was so much more important than some medal. They returned home and told their families. Their families showed support. They even decided to get married. They had a baby boy they named Ian. The last I heard, they were happily married and raising him," Schmidt finished.

Tommy and Kim breathed deeply. They felt relieved to know that they weren't alone in their situation. They were glad Schmidt supported whatever decision Mark and Sarah made about their lives. She swallowed hard before letting out a soft giggle. Schmidt became confused somewhat.

"What's so funny?" Schmidt asked.

"Tommy and I do not know how to tell this, sir, but we are engaged to be married ourselves," Kim said, holding up her left fist and showing off her engagement ring.

Schmidt gasped in amazement. "That is a beautiful ring, Kim. It must have been expensive."

"It actually wasn't," Tommy admitted in a quiet voice. "It cost only two hundred dollars. It was all I could afford. It doesn't matter. It was pretty to me."

"Well, it fits her perfectly. Congratulations," Schmidt said, smiling. "I should remind you that teen marriage is quite challenging."

Kim nodded in agreement. "We are aware, but we are determined to make it work. We need to tell our friends and families."

"Do your friends know about the baby? What about your families?" Schmidt wondered.

"Our friends know, but our families don't. We are kind of dreading telling the latter, especially my grandparents," Kim said uncertainly as she laid her fist in her lap. "Aisha's parents don't know yet either. I have been staying with them."

"Let me guess. Your grandparents are really big on the sex-and-children-within-the-bounds-of-marriage stuff," Schmidt muttered with an annoyed scoff.

Tommy sighed heavily. "Unfortunately."

"No matter what happens, you two will always have my support," Schmidt assured very gently.

"Thank you, coach," Kim said, crying quietly. "Thank you so much."

Schmidt patted Kim's other hand very lightly. He proceeded to tell him about the time he played a prank on Mark and Sarah.