a/n: Hello! Here's another chapter. I've been working two jobs lately and have been testing out the speech to text option while driving so I apologize if I miss any typos.

Enjoy!

3. Tommy

"I really thought you'd look happier today," Billy said, standing next to me. I jumped a little not hearing him approach me as I was leaning up against my locker. He gave me a smirk before popping open his own locker.

"I guess I'm just nervous," I replied with a shrug. "There's no way of knowing if what I'm planning is going to work out and if it's all going to be for nothing, you know?"

"You got to be positive about it Tommy. If you go into it thinking that it's not going to work out you'll have that mindset the entire time. the whole point is about going somewhere and relaxing with Kimberly for the weekend. you guys deserve some time to relax and not have to worry about everything that's been going on."

"I know and I'm really trying." I frowned. it was times like this where I wish that Jason was still here. it wasn't that I couldn't talk to Billy about this kind of stuff, it was just that Jason would probably understand a little bit more when I came to talking about girls. Plus Billy and Kimberly have been friends since they were five. I really didn't feel comfortable having a conversation about going away for the weekend with Kimberly with somebody who viewed her as a little sister. " I guess I'm just worried that something's going to happen here while we're gone and we're going to get called back into duty."

" I confirmly guarantee you that that will not be occurring." Billy shut his locker after grabbing His science book from it. " Jason Trini and Zack will be teleporting home today so that they can help us out here while you're gone. and we will not be contacting you unless the fate of the entire world is hanging by a thread."

"Isn't it always?" I smirked shaking my head. Billy laughed nodding his head.

"Affirmative but this time it'll be a little bit different. I really want you guys to try to relax and make things work out."

"Thanks, Billy." I said, looking down at the book in my hand.

"I mean it. The team and I really get worried about you guys. You try to hide it very well but we can tell that something hasn't been right between the two of you for a while now. We want you guys to be happy and I think that being together is really what brings up the happiness in both of you."

"I appreciate it. Fingers crossed everything goes well this weekend and we'll be able to get back to the way we were before that." Above our heads, the bell rang and Billy and I headed towards Miss Applebee's English class.

For the next 45 minutes, I listen to Miss Appleby drone on about Shakespeare and some play that he wrote hundreds of years ago. I didn't give a damn though, my thoughts going back to Kimberly and our trip after school. We had spent the better part of last night on the phone, planning everything out. I woke up super early this morning and grabbed everything we would need for the weekend. I packed it in the trunk of the Bronco and now I feel like I'm waiting on pins and needles for the end of the day to arrive. I was really looking forward to the drive out there and the thought of having Kim with me alone all weekend.

It was no secret to anyone that I fell in love with Kimberly the moment my eyes landed on her. Things got a little bit hairy there when I turned into the evil green ranger for a bit but the second I went back to being a ranger with the good guys and I spent more time with her, it became more apparent to me that Kimberly was the person that I could see spending the rest of my life with. I know it's a silly notion to think that you can meet your soulmate when you're only 15 but every time Kimberly's eyes catch mine my heart starts thundering in my chest and I know it's true. Unfortunately, it seems like we're fighting an uphill battle lately when it comes to figuring out exactly where a relationship falls in the line of Ranger duties. At first, I figured it was just the stress from fighting all the time and trying to make sure that we get our homework done on top of saving the world. But then the attacks became more frequent and the time we spent together became less and less. Now it seemed every time we were together, Kim and I were either not speaking or fighting each other. I wish I knew when we had become our own worst enemies so that way I could go back and stop it from happening. I know it scared Kimberly especially because her parents divorced and it had been an ugly feud. I was determined to make sure that we were going to work out and that we were going to be together. I was putting all my cards and chips on the table for this one, this camping trip for the weekend being the last ditch effort that I could think of I'm making us work.

I could feel sweat form in my palms as I thought about this weekend. In the back of my mind, I knew that Kimberly was probably toying with the idea of taking our relationship to the next level. It was something we had discussed numerous times throughout our relationship and I always allowed her to make that choice for the both of us. Neither of us were in a rush for it to happen and I think we both know that it's going to be with each other when it does finally occur. However, the thought of it actually happening during a time where we're away from everyone in a quiet and secluded area by ourselves made panic almost crawl across my skin. I didn't know why. I had daydreamed about being with Kimberly in that way countless times. However, the thought of it actually happening and becoming a reality scared me. Part of me wondered if it was because I was afraid of what it could do to a relationship. What would happen if it didn't end well in that department? What if we crossed the line in one of us regrets it? What if I'm bad at it? The stress of it all was enough to give me anxiety so I shook my head, shaking the thoughts out as I tried to focus the lecture about Shakespeare.

The anxiety didn't go away as we went from English class to science class. Thankfully, I had Billy with me to take notes and to make sure that I paid enough attention during our labs. Kimberly was in this class as well and every now and then she would look over and give me a small smile before turning back to her work. I heard her and Aisha giggle a couple of times while they looked into the microscopes in front of them. I wondered what they were talking about or rather who they were talking about. Were they talking about her and me? Was she telling Aisha what she had planned for this weekend while we were away? My thoughts ran wild as I tried to focus my mind on the task at hand. Billy eventually gave up on trying to get me to do the work with him instead of just doing the work for the both of us and allowing me to copy down on paper what we were supposed to be doing. I have never been more thankful for lunchtime to roll around as it did today. The bell rang and the class emptied out into the hallway I checked my watch and saw that it was a little after 11:30. I saw Kim already standing next to Aisha and Rocky as they swapped out books at their lockers. I walked over and Kim gave me a smile, her white and pink floral sundress making me weak in the knees. "Hey." She said.

"Hi. Are you going to be okay for lunch? I have to run a quick errand before History."

"Yeah. I'll be okay." She replied. I gave her a quick kiss before heading up the hallway towards the doors that led to the student parking lot. Pushing them open, I walked down the sidewalk where multiple kids were hanging out for their lunch break. I spotted my truck at the far end of the second row and I pulled my keys from my pocket.

"Hey, Tommy!" I heard Jason's voice call from the other end of the parking lot. Turning, I saw him jogging towards me.

"Hey, Jase. I heard you were coming back today. What are you doing here?" I asked, stopping by the back of my truck to put my backpack in the seat.

"I thought I'd swing by to see how you were doing and chat before you head off for the weekend." He replied. "Where are you heading?" He gestured to my car keys in my hand and I felt my mouth go dry.

"Uh…I needed to pick some things up for our trip." I replied, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot.

"Do you have everything packed up and ready to go?" He asked. I nodded.

"Yeah. Almost everything." I glanced from my truck to Jason. "Do you want to ride to the drug store with me quick?" He looked at me confused.

"The drug store? Are you sick?"

"Erm..no. I just need to grab something." I gave him a look, hoping that he'd understand. He thought for a moment, trying to figure out what I was saying to him. Suddenly, his eyes widened.

"Oh. OH! Okay. Gotcha." He said, stepping closer. "We're talking about condoms, aren't we?" He asked in a lower tone, checking over his shoulder to make sure no one could hear him.

"Yeah. I just figured that it might be a good idea to have it with me just in case…you know? I just have never bought any before." My face felt hot and I wished we weren't having this conversation.

"Sure thing, bro." Jason said, clapping me on the back. "It's a piece of a cake but that first time is awful. I'll drive. You look like a nervous wreck."

"Thanks." I replied, giving him a slight glare as he took my keys from me. He grinned, skipping practically to the driver's side door as I headed to the passenger side. He kicked it to life while I climbed in. Checking to make sure no one was behind us, he reversed out of the spot and started out of the parking lot.

"So, you really think this weekend will be it?" He asked, not looking at me as we headed up the main drag of Angel Grove.

"I don't know. I feel like it might be ideal timing. I'm going to let Kim make all the shots though. If she wants it, I want to be prepared."

"That's the best way to handle it. Let her be the one to make that decision and follow her lead." He agreed, nodding. I trusted Jason with this because I was one of the few people who knew that he and Trini had taken their friendship from just that to something that was a well-kept secret love affair during the beginning of their time in Switzerland. He told me over the phone a couple of days after it happened, him explaining it kinda happened one night when they were talking about being homesick. It's continued since then, both of them agreeing to not put a label on it but also not looking elsewhere for something.

"How did Trini let you know that she was ready?" I asked. Jason laughed, a big grin on his face as he played with the stud in his ear.

"She's kinda a take-charge girl. When she told me to loose my pants, it gave me a pretty good indication." He turned on the blinker and made a right hand turn into the small drugstore located on Main Street. Parking near the street, he pulled the keys from the ignition. "Tommy, it's okay if you're not ready yet, man. No one would think any less of you, especially Kim."

"I know. I just feel so much pressure to make this weekend go right." I sighed, closing my eyes and tipping my head back. "I want the fighting to start and for us to go back to being normal."

"Is it still bad?" He asked quietly. I nodded, opening my eyes.

"I thought she was going to break up with me last night. It came so close after our date was ruined. You didn't see the look in her eyes, Jase. She looked so done with everything going on. I don't know what else to do. I even offered to quit the team. I'd do anything if it meant being with her forever."

"Leave the team? You sure you'd be willing to do that?" I raised my head and looked over at Jason.

"Yeah. If it meant that I get a chance of being with Kimberly for the rest of my life, I'd quit right now. Maybe it's time for someone else to have Zedd and Rita as their headache instead of us."

"Maybe but leaving doesn't solve anything. Look at Trini and me. Hell, we went to another country and still have to teleport back to help you guys with attacks. I think you two really just need to sit down and talk about what's going on. I'm sure you just need some time together to reconnect or some shit."

"Maybe," I muttered. He shifted in his seat, removing his seatbelt.

"I do know that if we're gonna do this, we gotta do it now. You gotta be back at school in twenty minutes."

"Shit." I scrambled out of my seat to join him at the back of the truck. My palms were sweaty and I did my best to dry them on the back of my jeans as I followed him inside the store.

"Don't worry about getting anything too fancy. Just a box of regular ol' rubbers will do the trick." He said under his breath as we passed Mrs. Humphrey, the owner of the florist shop across the street. I gave her a nervous smile as she greeted us with a warm hello. Jason guided me back to the corner of the store where I saw the words FAMILY PLANNING printed on the wall. I groaned as we approached a rack filled with different colored boxes, all of them with the word condom on the front.

"There's so many," I muttered, scanning the different choices.

"Yeah. It's not a one-glove-fits-all thing." Jason said, looking. Reaching out, he grabbed a box from the middle of the row and held it up to me. "Here. Plain and simple. It'll get the job done without worrying about anything else." I glanced at him, my mind wondering what the hell ribbed for her pleasure actually meant for a moment before I took the box from him. I saw there was five of them inside per the front of the box where there was a picture of a horse rearing back.

"This is terrifying," I whispered. Jason chuckled.

"If only Zedd and Rita knew that all they needed to defeat Tommy Oliver was a box of condoms." He teased, pulling his wallet from his back pocket. "Here. I'll pay for them for ya. You have enough on your plate right now without adding a heart attack to it."

"Thanks, man." I breathed, handing him the box. He grabbed a box that was red before handing me my keys.

"I'll meet you at the car." I nodded, both of us heading in different directions. I went to the door, relieved to be getting out there. As I did though, I bumped into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I said, backing up from where we had collided.

"Hi, Tommy." Kimberly's mother said to me, giving me a smile. I suddenly wished I could find a hole and crawl inside of it. What were the damn chances that I would physically run into my girlfriend's mother while I was buying condoms? The universe works in some horrifying coincidences.

"Hi, Mrs. Hart." I replied. "I didn't mean to bump into you."

"It's alright. Seems like you were in a hurry. Heading back from lunch?" She asked. I nodded.

"Yeah. I wanted to see if they had anything for a headache but I didn't find anything that I thought would work." I lied.

"Kim told me you both have been studying so much lately. No wonder you have a headache. Here." She reached into her purse and searched for a moment. She pulled her hand out and held out two red tablets. "Take some Advil. It'll help with your headache. Just make sure you don't take it on an empty stomach."

"Thank you." I said, taking them from her. Behind me, I heard the door open and Jason appeared. He skidded to a stop next to me, quickly hiding the boxes he was holding behind his back.

"Hello, Mrs. Hart." Jason said cheerfully.

"Jason! I didn't know you were in town this weekend. How are you?" She gave him a hug as he looked at me in panic while trying to hide what he was holding.

"I'm good. I'm just home for the weekend or so. It was a last-minute sort of thing."

"I'm sure you'll run into Kimberly at some point then. She's going to be with Aisha all weekend since I have to work some doubles. It was nice seeing the both of you boys. I won't keep you any longer." With a wave, she headed into the drugstore. Jason laughed at me as we ran towards my truck.

"You really do have the worst luck." He said as I turned the engine of the truck over.

"Tell me about it," I replied, rolling my eyes. I pulled out, heading back towards the school.

At the end of the day, everyone gathered around Kim's locker to wish us a last farewell before we left. Everyone reassured us that they would handle everything while we were gone. I took Kim's hand as we headed out of the school and to the parking lot. The sun was shining brightly and her smile was enough to knock my socks off. We drove to her house to get her bags, she needing some last-minute things before we could go. I felt like the luckiest guy in the world to be helping her load her stuff in my truck before we headed out of town. We listened and sang along to music on the radio, enjoying each other's presence while I drove along the highways to my uncle's cabin.

That feeling was short lived though as the sun began to set and I realized that I had never navigated the back roads off the highway in the dark before. Kimberly was growing more nervous next to me as I did my best to pilot through the strange roads. I did my best to cover my own nervousness, worry, and dread creeping in as I passed trees that might look familiar but then everything started to blend together. I swore when it started to rain, large drops pelting the truck as I drove. I had to slow down due to the road conditions, making each moment more painstaking than the last.

"I knew we should have left sooner," I said, taking a left-hand turn at the fork. The sun was completely gone now, a deep darkness covering the back country roads. The rain didn't help matters much, making the reflections of light on the slick roads hard to see past. My wipers were going at top speed to fight off the pouring rain but it did little to help the fact it was too much for me to see out the window. I contemplated pulling over to wait out the rain but ti didn't solve the issue of not knowing where we were.

"For the fifth time since we left, I'm sorry. You can't spring a weekend trip on me at the last minute and expect me to be ready in ten minutes." She said, her voice thick with evidence that she trying not to snap at me.

"I didn't say it was your fault," I said, trying to reassure her. However, she had put us an hour behind schedule when she tried to figure out what she wanted to bring to wear when it would just be the two of us in the cabin all weekend.

"No, but you're doing a hell of a job hinting at it," She said through gritted teeth. That made some annoyance flare in my chest as I maneuvered over the slippery roads.

"I wasn't hinting at anything. I was just saying we should have left sooner so I'd have more daylight to navigate with. It's dark as hell out here and I'm afraid I'm going to miss the turn-off."

"Well then maybe you should focus on the road instead of harping at me about when we should have left."

"Why are we even doing this if we're already fighting?" I asked, letting out a puff of air. I felt that familiar feeling of frustration grow in the pit of my stomach that usually builds whenever we fight. It was a mix of wanting to be heard but also wanting it to be over with.

"I don't know. You planned this. All we ever do now is fight anyway. What's the difference if it's at your room or your uncle's cabin?" She crossed her arms, glaring at me from the corner of her doe eyes.

"My apologies for wanting a weekend away with my girlfriend," I muttered under my breath. "I'll try not to care as much." Sighing, she shook her head and ran her hands through her hair. From the corner of my eye, I could see she wore the tired expression she often gets when we fight. I wished I could make it go away with the right words but I struggled to find any.

"Tommy, I can't keep doing this same old fight every day. I feel like we're at each other's throats every other minute when we're together. I don't even know what to do about it anymore. I love you but this feeling is awful. It's like being on edge constantly, especially when we're around the others."

"Are you saying you want to break up with me?" I asked, feeling like a broken record of last night.

"What? No! I'm saying we need to figure something out because I can't keep ignoring this tension between us."

"I'm trying my damnedest here, Kimberly. That's why I planned this trip, remember?" I felt tears brim my eyes as I looked out the windshield. I hated the fighting. I hated having the same argument every day. I hated feeling mad and not knowing exactly why.

"Maybe we do need to take a break."

"What are you saying?" I asked, turning my head to look at her. A break? What on Earth did that possibly mean? Kimberly suddenly gasped, her eyes widening.

"Tommy, watch out!" She exclaimed, pointing ahead. A tree fell across the road and I slammed onto the brakes. The car stopped before it could collide with the trunk of the tree. However, I felt a rumble under my feet through the brakes as the other trees swayed. It vibrated the entire vehicle, the steering wheel shaking in my hands. "What's going on?" She asked.

"Earthquake. Hold on. We have to get away from these trees." I said, shifting it into reverse. I made sure it was clear behind us before turning around quickly. I sped away from the tree, turning around to head the other way. Everything was still shaking, it growing more aggressive as we drove. It was hard to control the truck as we went along the road, almost like driving on sand.

"This is a long quake," Kim said, holding onto the dashboard in front of her.

"It's making the tires slip," I replied, gripping the steering wheel tightly. There was another shudder under the car, the entire road cracking ahead of the car. I responded quickly, jerking the wheel to the left. I felt the wheel try to jerk out of my hands but I held it tightly as I tried to make it at least to a part of the road where there were no trees nearby. Another shudder happened, this time sending the car out of control. I tried to correct it but it was no use. It was like we were being dragged off the road. "Kimberly!" I called, putting my arm over her chest as we headed straight for the embankment. She clutched my arm, closing her eyes to await the impact. I did as well and I heard the metal screech loudly as we were justled around. There was a whooshing noise before we slammed into something. My head snapped forward, pain radiating up my neck before my forehead connected with the corner of the mirror above my head. I saw stars for a moment before my whole world turned black, an evil laugh filling the air as I lost consciousness.